Into The Void

Sera glanced out the window of the spaceship. Stars and planets littered the area around her. It was beautiful… but also a sight she saw every single day. The vast expanse of space was now their home. Ever since Earth became inhospitable, they'd been floating aimlessly through the void. It had been years, and there was still no sign of anywhere to set down roots—just humanity's last hope drifting on four massive ships.

She let out a sigh and walked down the corridor. She was needed in the captain's cabin—something about a broken console. The door was cracked open, and she was about to push through when something caught her eye.

Through the crack, she saw her father pacing, eyebrows knitted together, speaking with the captain. In his hand was a datapad, and they seemed deep in a heated discussion.

Sera focused on the datapad, recognising some words and phrases:

Population Reduction Schedule

Her stomach churned.

Phase 1: Identify Workers From Each Section

Phase 2: Eviction Cycle

Phase 3: Repeat When Necessary

"Overpopulation is no reason to space people."

Sera jumped as her father's voice boomed. She returned her attention to the scene in front of her. The captain had his hand on his brow as he shook his head. "You don't understand-"

He broke off. Almost like he sensed someone was watching. He looked at the cracked door. "We have company," he said. "Sera, you can come in."

Sera froze. The hum of the ship filled the silence, suddenly deafening. The door swung open, and the captain stood there. His face unreadable, eyes tired.

"Oxygen levels can't keep up," he said, pulling Sera in and closing the door. "We can't survive unless we start cutting numbers."

Sera's father crossed the room in a few strides, pulling Sera behind him. "You're spacing people," he accused. "That's cruel."

"What's cruel is to let the population grow with no planet to go to. If we don't cut numbers, everyone on this ship dies."

Sera shuddered, her eyes drawn to the datapad her father was still holding. Murder, disguised as mercy. Her throat went dry, her mind raced. Missing face, accidents... people quietly fading into darkness. Had they all been spaced?

"You can't decide who lives and dies," she croaked.

The captain turned his gaze to her. "Someone has to," he replied. "We don't know if we'll ever find somewhere to settle down. The population cannot get too large, or we'll all die. People have to leave to make space."

Her father shook his head. "This is unacceptable," he growled. "The people deserve to know what you've been doing."

The captain shook his head. "Sure," he replied. "But you won't be fast enough. Sera is next on the list."

Hands gripped her, violently pulling her backward. Her father shouted, but she couldn’t fight back. She was forced to her knees, hands pinned behind her back.

"Let her go!" shouted her father.

The captain laughed. "Try anything and Sera will be spaced faster than you can blink."

Sera's heart pounded, and her father's face twisted in anger and fear, helpless against the captain and his guards. She swallowed a lump in her throat, trying to think. Think. Anything. There has to be something.

The captain stepped closer, his eyes menacing. "You understand," he growled. "Nothing personal. This is about survival."

Sera's eyes flickered to the datapad lying on the floor where her father had dropped it in the struggle. It blinked, screensaver glowing. Maybe she could use it. Perhaps she could do something.

She summoned every ounce of her courage and strength. She fought her way out of the guards' grip and lunged towards the datpad. Metal scraped against her palms. The captain barked a warning, but she ignored him. She focused on the datapad: system controls, interface, override. Maybe she could override the scheduling protocols. Block the captain from accessing them.

A siren blared. "Security breach!" the ship's intercom reverberated in her ears. The captain's face drained of colour, fury and panic mixing.

Sera's mind raced. She'd grown up learning these systems from her father. She knew them like the back of her hand. The strengths and the weaknesses. Her fingers flew across the screen as the guards closed in. She entered the override sequence and prayed it would work.

Lights flickered, and the mechanical hum of the ship stuttered for a moment. The datapad went blank.

"Override engaged," boomed the intercom. "Control of the ship now under Sera Ota."

The captain's face went pale. "No! This isn't possible!" he shouted.

Sera scrambled to her feet. "You won't be spacing anyone else," she said, her voice stronger than she expected. "I have full control, and I've blocked the backend. You can't get control back from me."

Her father rushed over, gripping her shoulder tightly. "Sera... you did it."

The captain's eyes narrowed, fury burning. But no one moved. Sera had control. There was nothing they could do. The guards exchanged glances, unsure of their next move. Sera held the power now. She could stop the deaths, change the way the ship ran. She could find a new home. She had the power.

She glanced out the window, the stars stretching endlessly across space. There had to be a home out there. The captain may have given up, but she knew there was something. There had to be.

"This isn't over," hissed the captain.

“No,” Sera said softly. “But things are going to change. And you’ll regret what you did.”

The hum of the ship settled. Sera now had control; she was the new captain of their ship. For the first time, the endless journey through space didn't feel like a prison. It felt like a chance.