In a small unassuming solar system, hidden away from the rest of the vast galaxy, sat a pale blue dot suspended within a beam of starlight. At first glance, the planet seemed to be unremarkable, however, looks can be deceiving and upon closer inspection the planet was teeming with life. One such life form sat high upon the canopy of a jungle, gazing out into the starry sky.
The life form ceased its gazing upon its keen senses detecting a hidden danger. Its eyes dilated as its fur stood on end. It looked around, trying to spot this hidden predator with no success. Clinging to the tree for dear life with the help of its nimble tail and dexterous paws, it slowly backed away. Unfortunately, it was too late. With a roar, the hidden predator pounced. A frantic chase ensued with the Predator hot on its heels.
I'm such a fucking idiot I shouldn't have gone to this part of the jungle! Putting his thoughts aside, he continued to run for dear life, wading through branches and leaping from tree to tree. Finally, he spotted a way out. It was a series of hanging vines strong enough to support his weight that were suspended over a small gorge that signified the border of the two parts of the jungle.
Quickly, he swung from vine to vine not bothering to look back for even a moment until he crossed the other side. As soon as he did, he glanced back to see the saber-toothed leopard growling in rage on the other side of the gorge before merging back into the darkness of the jungle. Sighing in relief, he returned to his tribe of fellow monkeys. Most were sound asleep atop the highest of trees that not even a leopard could climb, others milled about at night like him, doing their own thing.
He climbed up the third tallest tree and made it back to his personal dwelling before collapsing in a heap. He reflected back on his actions today and bemoaned his own retardation. He really couldn't help himself, it was hard going from a human in the late twenty-second century to a monkey in prehistoric times. Even now, he fought against his monkey brain every step of the way for control over his actions. The monkeys of this time period were extremely willful to an almost suicidal degree and in a moment of weakness, he gave into his desire to gaze up into the stars from the nicest view possible, unfortunately it happened to be in the territory of a nocturnal predator like a leopard.
He assumed this desire came from dying right before he could embark on his mission to colonize Mars. It was a long held dream to explore the universe and see what it offered. After serving in World War Three and then going on to pursue his passion for science, he began to prepare for the expedition to Mars backed by the World Government and initiated by Techno Mechanicus Musk. Although the man had a weird name and was even older than he was, he had the pleasure of working with him to bring his dream to fruition.
Back then he was known as Adam Richard Smith, a respected veteran and scientist turned Trillionaire due to pioneering limb regeneration, rejuvenation, geneforging, true cybernetics, and developing the simplest, cheapest, and most cost-efficient cure for cancer. It was a given that he would become filthy stinking rich. It was due to him that his friend Techno was able to reach 180 years old. With his genius in biology and Techno's expertise in AI and engineering, they created a spaceship reminiscent of those found in science fiction with simulated gravity, atmosphere, etc.
As for how he died? Adam didn't have a clue. With his wealth and genius, he created a variety of cybernetics, weapons, shields, and even had a retinue of highly trained bodyguards not to mention his own martial prowess as a veteran. Maybe it was one of his kids? Sighing for the umpteenth time at that depressing thought, Adam decided to get some sleep.
As he lulled himself to sleep, he remained blissfully unaware of the truth of where he had ended up. If only he knew.