Elysium

Seeming nothingness. An empty void filled with anticipation as to what would soon be. One being roamed around the waterless dark ocean. Ever-changing in form, the creature took a four legged shape. Black and Red markings covered the body as it landed smoothly on a large rock, mouth extending outwards into a proboscis, similar to that of a butterfly, had that Butterfly been born in the furthest reaches of the void encasing the universe. The light within the rock faded as the creature gulped down the last of the stardust within it. Having devoured its meal, four legs turned into none and a blend of black and red laid flat on the rock, slumbering.

Moments later, what was a dark hole of nothingness, a primal fear that which lay in the mind of all living things, lit up with the light of divine destruction masked as creation. The force that came with it shook all of reality.

Chapter One

Blinding whiteness. My eyes opened in a squint underneath the light of the bulb. The Bunk Bulb, other attendees called them. A super bright bulb designed to immediately wake you at 06:00. Here at Dusts of Elysium, a super high end private academy for those interested in work related to space and time, we were all about punctuality. At least, that’s what the professor always says right after he is five minutes late all the time.

Dusts of Elysium, or Doe for short, had been my dream school since I could understand the concept of space. An infinite expanse of stars, gaseous illuminations lighting up the ink black sky. Other planets, some similar to our planet Earth and some so extraordinarily different you would expect to see it as a setting for a fantasy book, not an article in a science journal. “We are the only life in the universe” says every piece of evidence, every single one, but that would be a hell of a coincidence, wouldn't it? My ambition, all the work I conduct throughout my life will be to prove the opposite. Whatever it takes, even if it meant traveling to Elysium itself. That's what gets me out of bed every morning.

“Morning, James. Ready for the meeting the Professor invited us to?” The voice came from a lankier body. Blonde hair matted from his sleep dangling down as he peeked over from the top bunk. Brown eyes innocently and eagerly awaiting any kind of social interaction.

“Almost, I still have to get ready then we can go meet Sasha in the conference room. How about you, Matt?” I hopped out of bed with a pep in my step, as annoying as Matt’s eagerness and naivety could be sometimes, you couldn’t help but be affected by it. I slid the uniform on as quickly as possible. A plain white tank top underneath a white polo with two blue bands around the left arm and shoulder.

“Ready as I’ll ever be! I even slept in my uniform last night so that I could head up there as soon as we woke!” Matt jumped off the top bunk deftly. The kid had amazing balance, if this job didn’t work out, he’d have it set as an acrobatic.

“Time to head out then. I wonder what he is going to be talking to us about though. He made it seem like it was a huge deal.” Thinking back, there were some rumors going around that a group of limit-pushing scientists had discovered a new way to travel not just through space, but through time. “Maybe it’ll be about the new Space-Time Engine that people were talking about.”

“Awesome!” Matt replied, both feet already out the door.

Walking down the hall, the walls held memories of previous scholars to grace the floors of Dusts of Elysium. Portraits of the greatest successes lined the walls, listing their greatest merits. Tom Kapichi, inventor of the Matter Dispersion Ray. Kelly Lipsom, famed for expanding on the theory of Faster than Light space travel. Kelly Lipsom has always been my favorite, her mind worked in magnificent ways. The way she improved on FTL travel was by realizing the peculiar shape of DNA was a secret of the universe itself. Through that shape, the engine she produced was able to expand 40, no, 50 times upon the nature of space travel as a theory and as a practice.

Where there weren't portraits of the greatest minds in the human race, there was the school emblem. Placed in even intervals, roughly every ten feet, a starcruiser in the shape of an hourglass headed into an opening. Meant to symbolize the pipe-dream of the family in charge. Advancing Space-Time technology in order to reach the fabled Elysium. Theorized to be a pocket dimension that can only be entered by traversing time through the end of space, the idea is that you could observe everything through time and space at your own pace, as it happens, before it happened, and after it happens. The conspiracy theorists of the world even go so far as to say that the fabled gods of religions throughout the world are actually beings living in Elysium.

The door to the conference room opened up in front of me and Matt as we got to the end of the hall. There stood Sasha Aberdeen, the third member of their little clique, but not in the usual uniform. She was wearing a similar guise as us, however, hers was Purple and Black, the clothing of an Admiral.

“You get a promotion? Dressing up as a way to visualize your goals?” I laughed but I was put off a bit. Promotions were few and far between, it took a lot to convince the higher ups that you could handle it and deserved it. Not only that but I was two years her senior, it was kind of disappointing to see the uniform on her before myself, as selfish as that might sound.

Sasha’s emerald eyes shined bright on her face, slanted downwards like that of a cat. Glistening teeth were sterile white behind her lips as she smiled. This was all accented by her auburn hair, the color of Autumn itself. You would almost believe she was the reincarnation of the season itself.

“The professor sent me the uniform this morning with a note stating that I’d be needing it for the contents of the meeting. I’m not sure why he decided to give it to me so all I can do is my best.”

Despite her smile I could see the look she gave me. One of sympathy and it upset me. She knew I wanted the uniform, that I’d been busting my rear trying to earn my promotions, however, sympathy was not wanted. Recognition is what I craved, acknowledgement of my efforts. Clearly I just got to work harder for the Professor to notice me.

“Let’s head inside, the Professor said its urgent, he’s already in there waiting for us.”

Already inside? He was never early, always late. It must be important if he’s already there.

“Let’s go then!” the living ball of youth, Matt could barely contain himself. “On three! One, two, THREE!” Matt practically yelled that last count as he ran through the door Sasha opened. Even he stood still at the sight before us as we were bombarded with an acrid odor, the smell of chemicals and fuels, the scent of innovation. There sat the Professor, on a top of the line S-class stargazer.