The second article of importance was a video pertaining to The Sparrow Arks; something which answered the all important question of where had everybody gone.

THE SPARROW INCORPORATION PRESENTS:
THE SPARROW ARKS AND THEIR JOURNEY

"For several centuries, Greeters upon Earth had secretly been welcoming the Lorien people into our midst and we, the majority of the population, didn't even know it. They were there at our inception and…they helped us through the growing pains that most new planets seem to go through…Even producing notable figures such as Jesus of Nazareth, Mahatma Gandhi, Pittacus Lore and Sir Reginald H. Hargreeves. So it made sense that when our time of need came, the peoples of our sister planet, would make themselves known"

"By 1963, the destruction of Earth's natural environment—what the head of The Sparrow Inc. conglomerate referred to as a '…shrinking global real estate reserve…'—had reached a critical stage…But one thing was clear; unless dramatic measures were undertaken, humanity would become extinct; drowned beneath the endless tides of war"

"…Whilst such a crisis might've been taken as definitive proof of certain problems inherent to wartimes and those seeking sanctuary upon Lorien & its three moons, The Sparrow Inc. instead opted for a solution that was more friendly to their bottom line…the result was The Sparrow Arks. A culmination of an enormous ship-building programme that was designed to take every feature of luxury living and make the available anywhere in the galaxy…"

"As an interstellar cruise ship, vessels of these starliners were built—first & foremost—to accomodate Loric vacationers on their extended sojourn across the solar system and beyond. When it became clear that the citizens of their sister planet—Earth—could not defend themselves against the dreadful Mogadorians, those very same vacationing starliners were transformed into permanent living vessels…"

"…They were the fourth and final class of starliner jointly commissioned by the current generation of the Council Ennead of Lorien and the United Nations of Earth…and were considered to be such a massive leap over the proceeding Nakhon, Povan and Calin classes…That The Sparrow Arks was often specifically distinguished as an executive starliner thanks to its fourth generation design…"

"Much of its prodigious standing was owed to its enormous size…roughly 4921.29 yards long and 984.252 yards wide, and 2515.31 yards tall…The Sparrow Arks was one of the largest spacecrafts ever put into service…It's physical configuration included many of the elements that marked the final generation of The Sparrow Inc. industry…"

"…Whilst also deliberately invoking design motifs of maritime cruises and ancient sailing vessels…The Sparrow Inc. in association with the Council Ennead & the United Nations, intended for The Sparrow Arks to appear both futuristic and familiar; part of a larger effort to impart a sense of fun and adventure into the evacuation of Earth…"

"Protected by nuclear-embedded, refined loralite alloy hull plates and superluminous starflight was made possible thanks to independently articulating flick & flare booster mass drivers…The Sparrow Arks was perfectly capable of—either enduring or avoiding—any cosmic phenomena that it was likely to encounter…Both these systems and every other component related to the ship's essential functions were designed to minimise passenger discomfit…This was so effective that many of The Sparrow Arks's passengers forgot that they were on a ship, at all"

"…The Sparrow Arks could hold a population of upwards 600,000 people…each providing luxury residency, unlimited dining and nearly every form of recreation and amusement that one might think of…Accomodations & ammenities were divided into three broad categories: Coach, Economy and First Class. Each section ran the length of the ship—from the stern to its bow, respectively—and were connected by a central hover rail line…"

"…The world's children were the first to explore space…62.6 million of the world's best & brightest offspring were tested and…those that passed the arduous tests were consequently sent up into the stars…intent on securing our future upon the three moons of Yugid…Those children were later joined by their parents, grandparents, teachers and neighbours…at least, those that survived long enough to see more Arks built and the year-long journey that followed…"

"…The fleet's defining feature was an artificial outdoors; a vast open area that ran through the centre of each ship's coach class and mimicked the aesthetics of both Lorien's and Earth's respective (mega)malls…The central courtyard housed the majority of the ship's dining and shopping areas, as well as casinos, cinemas, fitness centres, libraries, lounges, spas and schools…"

"Much of the ship's Economy Class was comparatively bare bones, with more residences and fewer ammenities. Whilst First Class was more akin to a spa-like environment. Every section however, was flooded with advertisements and automated messaging; keeping the fleet's population informed on the latest trends and sales"

"Despite The Sparrow Arks's immense size and the extraordinary requirement of its passengers, only a single crew person—the ship's captain—was assigned to each vessel of the fleet. This was mainly a ceremonial position and did not hold much sway over the goings on of the ship…Captains were expected to appear in advertisements, mingle with passengers and be seen drinking coffee on the Bridge. But their impact on the ship's functions were very limited. Only in how the morning announcements were presented, did the Captain exhibit any kind of leadership"

"Without any manual control or human oversight, the administration and maintenance of the fleet instead fell to over 500,000 Artificial Intelligence Androids per ship. These were involved in every facet of the ship's operation…from the Utility Bots who kept the surfaces pristine to the Beauty Bots that helped to maintain basic hygiene across the human population…Fleets of these androids operated mostly behind the scenes…their movements confined to high speed utility tunnels…"

"…The most advanced of these Artificial Intelligence Androids (or A.I.A) was the Auto-Pilot; a single command intelligence shaped to look like a steering wheel from an old sailing vessel for familiarity's sake, the Auto-Pilot was responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the ship"

"First launched in 1963, The Sparrow Arks and the other vessels of the previous classes helped to complete the evacuation of Earth…before joining the rest of humanity on its tour of the solar system and surrounding space…Until they eventually came to rest upon Lorien or one of its three moons"

"…The people of our sister planet, Lorien, collectively called these three moons 'Yugid' or, as they were more colloquially known, 'The Guiding Eyes'; the three daughters of one of their deities, Mother Lore…It was here that humanity found their salvation, spread out across the three hospitable moons that held so much significance to the Loric people…"

"The first of these moons—the eldest of the daughters—was known as Yüma [Earth Child]; a planet lush with abnormally tall forests. The second of these moons—the middle child—was known as Grándír [Heavenly One]; a planet known for its floating mountains & isles. And the third of these three moons—the youngest daughter—was called Mera; a planet known for its gorgeous sweeping oceans that covered the majority of the surface area"

"The Loric people were welcoming and helped the peoples of Earth to settle into their new homes upon the moons of Yugid…Although this sanctuary was only intended to last until the war's prophesied end in three-to-four years after its initial beginning, the failure of The Sparrow Academy and associates to end the war mean that the Recall Order was never given"

"…All ships, like The Sparrow Arks, eventually docked upon the moons of Yugid as each planet was terraformed into something habitable for the peoples seeking sanctuary there…until each moon was transformed from solitary planetary moons only used to exploration, to the last vestiges of human civilisation"

"For the last seven years, The Sparrow Arks has efficiently fulfilled the role for which it had been designed. Generations of its passengers enjoyed lives of luxury and relaxation whilst its automated work force kept the ship just as immaculate as the day it first left Earth's orbit…until they docked in the lands of their new home…"

"…Even years after the Earth in its majority ceased to exist, The Sparrow Arks and humanity, endured. But both the Ark's astonishing class of vessels and the coalition that created them that created it, were the victims of the same philosophy: The Sparrow Arks aimed to provide everything, all the time"

"But in doing so, it removed from humanity the drive it needed to not just survive, but truly live. Which became an issue a year later when the Arks docked in one of the three ports upon the three moons of Yugid…And humanity was forced to return to the basics of survival…Numbers dropped quickly, even with the aid of Loric people…"

"Viewed from afar, The Sparrow Arks were an astonishing achievement…The fleet was an unfathomably sophisticated starships; ones able to traverse the galaxy for years at a time when humans hadn't even landed on their own moon…But to step aboard one of them, was to realise the lie"

"…Whatever else it might've been, The Sparrow Arks was no true starship. It would never push the boundaries of human knowledge nor would they boldly go into some unchartered territories of space…The Sparrow Arks were, essentially, a prison, lavishly outfitted and pleasant to live in. But it was just as antithetical to the human spirit as any jail cell"

"…The Sparrow Arks saved mankind once, when it left and again, when they finally reached their destination…"

Flicking over to the next working screen between all of the static, a very familiar voice suddenly crackled out of the speakers; it was familiar in the sense that it tickled at the back of Five's brain but it refused to bring forth a face or a name to match to it. And unlike the other two previous articles, it showed only an icon on the screen. It was that of a bird—a sparrow, according the byline at the bottom of the screen, the symbol for the illustrious & unknown Sparrow Academy—that spun idly as the person spoke through crackly static.

"This is Theodore Niklaus Hargreeves of the 23rd colonialist group settled on the third planet of the Guiding Eyes, and Lieutenant Theodore-Ent of the Earthen Branch of the Sparrow Academy; Second Class. If you're hearing this recording, there's a chance that things…didn't work out the way I hoped they would"

[Weary sigh] "Lore, how is THIS my life? What am I even s'posed to say in these things? Where's Lila when you need her? Ugh! To my family, I guess? If you're even out there, somewhere, wherever the hell you ended up. If you're even alive…fucked, if I know…"

[The words were muffled but still legible] "This is Hell"

"Logically, I know that war is shit. But lately, I've seen what we did to the children and the people who did not ask for this. They lined the streets, dressed like skeletons in their skin; so paper-thin that you could see straight through them. Some had rashes, others were bloated with water but most of them were dead. I couldn't take it—I can't take it—I haven't stopped crying since. And I barely sleep anymore. This never should've happened, not to them, not to us. How could Lore want this? Or Lluma? Yaweh? Allah? God? Or any of them? Lore, Lluma, please, I feel like I'm drowning!"

["I regret it, everyday"]

"By now, you've surely heard about what had happened here, on Earth; I've heard that it helped bring the war to an end, so I s'pose there are SOME silver linings to be found in all of this. I don't really remember much of what had happened—before or after—only what people have told me afterwards…It was bad, I know that much"

"…I remember that we'd been told to land—an emergency landing, I think—something to do with the one of the gears? Or maybe there had been an enemy sighting? Anyway, there was an explosion, I remember smelling bacon, which was weird, and someone was screaming…I think…I think it might've been me?"

"Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, everything aches and…and…and something was burning. Then…nothing. Do you know? Do you know what happened to me? The only thing that I know for certain is that everything hurts now. It hurts to hear, it hurts to talk, it hurts to move, but mostly it hurts to remember…"

["It's gone, it's all gone"]

"…It has been several long years without you now—without ANY of you—and although I'm now surrounded by my kind of people, I still ache for those I left behind. I tried keeping track of you—of the days, of the weeks, of the months and years gone by—but it soon became all too much. Is Elliot still doing that? Is he still keeping track of my family? Did any of them actually show up? I don't know what I'd do if they did…It was hard enough to know that they were there, at the same time as me, and still wanted nothing to do with me…"

"But I still have SO many questions…So many years have passed us by now and so much has happened since then. What DID happen to you? Are you all still the same as you were all those years ago? What happened to you? What's your story? What about the others? Are you still out there, somewhere? Do you still remember me? Would you even recognise me, as I am now? Would I recognise you? Would you even want me around, after everything that has happened?"

["You were right, I should've stayed home"]

"…I guess—technically speaking—you're all still alive. But how would I know? It's not like I've ever seen a hide nor hair of you since coming back to the past. Part of me still wonders if I ever will, or if I will die, old & grey in this time. Sometimes though, I sit and wonder what you would do if you were here. Would Alison-Drey be an actress? Would Diego-Zvee be a cop? Would a Luther-Ent still be a Sparrow Ark captain? Would Fën inhabit the CAROUSEL? Would Klaus-Vie's cult still be toiling amongst the stars? And would Vera still be here with me? Those usually make me sad though, so I don't think about it too often…"

["I did something"]

"…You've missed a lot. I grew up, found a family, fought for Lore & country, helped guide the children & Garde to Yugid. I reunited-slash-met with A'Doro—although, he insisted I call him, Hilde—and his daughter, Evangeline-Ent, and his wife, Abigail. Evangeline-Ent's great and Abigail kinda reminds me of you, Vera. Oh, and best of all? After…bumping into each other, Hilde brought me back here, to Lorien—to our motherland—to rest & recover and to learn about how to be a Garde, all proper-like…"

"Hilde and Abigail were astonished to learn that I'd accessed my Legacies at the ripe old age of four-to-five years old…even with Earth's Entity awakening at that time. Apparently the normal Coming of Age on Lorien is fifteen years old? Something to do with the age of maturity, or what not? Wait 'til I tell them the rest of it…"

"Surprisingly, it's not that different from Earth; there's more green & blue than I was expecting and less war, but not that different. Which is probably a good thing, considering how humanity has now settled on those three moons of theirs. But maybe that's just because I'm used to other technologies? Muscle memory and all that; it certainly makes navigating their technologies a little bit easier. Actually, it kinda reminds me of being in a STAR TREK episode! One with all the PADDS and food generators, and brightly-coloured fantastical creatures…Except, y'know, its real"

["It was bad"]

"Did you know that Lorien has THREE moons? 'Cause I sure didn't. But one of them is shared with Earth, which I GUESS makes sense, with Earth being Lorien's sister planet and the second planet from the sun & all that. It's the one with the floating mountains & isles in the sky…Grándír…that's the one that orbits Earth as well, but the other ones are these bright blue & green colours which the locals call "Mera" and "Yüma" respectively, on account of their creation stories involving The Guiding Eyes"

"…Those moons were the same ones that now hosted the last vestiges of humanity…the same ones they now call home. I've even got a place of my own on one of them; it's nothing huge or fancy, but its home. Not that I visit often; I'm mostly still shacked up in my room at the Sparrow Academy…fighting down in the mud with all these Mogs. Maybe…maybe you'll come to visit one day? Maybe I'll see you there, under the canopies? I'll even bring Mr Pennycrumb, though he's getting on in age, now…That'd be nice. But I doubt that'll ever happen…"

["I lost control. Again"]

"So, I took your advice and went back to school. It's not exactly the high-flying high school that we're used to or expecting, but its still considered to be one of the top notch schools in the area…and Hilde teaches there! In fact, he runs the Earthen branch for us Garde…and he's a professor in Lorien-Earth Relations…Abigail, on the other hand, teaches music…She's got this GORGEOUS violin that she plays…it kinda reminds me of yours, Vera, except its not white"

"Speaking of which, I picked up the violin and an amalgamation of other instruments too…and if I close my eyes, and pluck out tunes that you used to play me, Vera, I can almost imagine you standing there with me. How we'd make such a beautiful concerto out on the porch of the academy…I still miss you, Vera, I wish you were here…"

["I'm sorry"]

"Turns out, you—ALL of you—were right about a lot of things. I know I was never a great communicator, but I'm getting better. Like—like when I figured out that I liked boys & girls (mostly boys, though). Franky certainly helped with that…I still hold those summers with him, close to my heart…and I'm sorry that I was never able to give him & Lila the proper goodbyes that they deserved"

"…But they probably assumed that I died with the rest of the unlucky ones who weren't able to make to an Ark in time…Maybe it's for the best. I—I doubt they'd want to stick around after finding out what I'd done (or what I THINK I've done)…What would they do, knowing I had a hand in their fates?…At the very least, I feel lighter, after finally putting a name to a thing…"

"Unfortunately, the whole moving-to-another-planet-thing and fighting-in-an-alien-war-thing kinda put a damper on my dating life (thanks for that, Hilde), but I found a couple of people that REALLY get me. They're not Lila or Frank or Elliot—and I don't think anyone could REALLY replace them—but they're good people, and they get me…I don't have to pretend or hide my Legacies around them, 'cause they have them too…Y'know, I think this is my first time in ages that I HAVEN'T had to hide my birthmark or my powers for fear of retribution. It's…nice"

["Can you ever, find it in your hearts, to forgive me?"]

"…When we (the Sparrow Academy) first joined the troops—when war really started banging on our back door—they told us we would have to record something called 'White Letters' which is just big fancy talk to say that this letter is my final goodbye to you…If you're hearing this, then I am likely long gone—either dead, missing or departed—I know its not the reunion you wanted, but I hope these words will do for now"

["No matter what happens, I love you, I hope you know that"]

"…I just want you to know that…I guess, well, I thought that…I dunno what I thought. I guess I thought I could save everybody—I thought I could stop—" [Voice trails off, sighing wearily] "But if there's ANYTHING that I've learnt in my time here, its that sometimes you HAVE to walk into the dark places; sometimes its the ONLY way to protect the people you love. I'm doing this so that you ALL can survive—so that you ALL can LIVE—because you're my FAMILY and I LOVE you. I just hope that its enough…"

[Steadying breath] "May Lore, Lluma & Entity watch over you. May Yugid guide you, always, through the stars and may my songs reach you, even from the Cradle. This is my FINAL transmission, Lieutenant Theodore-Ent, signing off…"

"No…! No, no, no, no! This can't be right!" Five shook his head, furiously—stubbornly—denying the fact that his family—that everyone—was very likely already dead and gone. Again. Denying the fact that he was very likely back in the wasteland of the apocalypse (not the same one as before, mind you, but close enough), forced to suffer through the injustices of a war-torn world all on his lonesome, once more.

It was enough to make anyone want to tear their hair out.