Chapter 3: Volunteers troubles
It's been three months since Mr. President agreed for mission Drarth K1 and two weeks since Israel, UK, Russia, France, Japan, India, South Korea and Australia also signed for the mission. Although only on one condition that if this mission fails, I am the one to be blamed for Mankind's doom before the time. Which in turn made me laugh, I mean how pathetic they have become people are already dying every day and they are their wasting time and resources in searching a habitable planet nearby, since past twenty years. At least now we'll die knowing we did everything in our power. But at last I signed an official paper stating 'I'm the one two be blamed if we are all doomed before time, if mission Drarth K1 fails. And I'm to be executed.' I thought 'fine by me if executing me in their last moments gives them satisfaction or reverses everything so be it'. Jax don't know about this yet, I didn't want to talk about this and I guess Mr. president don't have it in him to tell his son that he got a death contract signed by his son's childhood friend.
"So who are we sending on this mission?" Burke asked clasping his hands together. "In all honesty I still don't know where to start from" I replied that was still an obstacle our path, their are only nine of us one from each nation trained for space missions if in case we ever got lucky enough, but all those astronauts have refused to take part in this mission, because of unfortunate faith that all other insturments that were sent during research by Dr. Vix met. When I tried to persuade them they wrote a letter to Mr. president that they don't want to be part of this mission at any cost, so three days ago I received a mail from white house stating I can not persuade my juniors for something they don't what to be part of. Which was straight up bullshit considering our law persuade people to stay at home and die if saving their life won't be easy and consume a lot of our valuable resources. Because of which millions are dying every year, cause nowadays every second disease is incurable. Heck we kill newborns if they are not healthy because they won't be able to serve our society.
But we can not send some privileged to space mission because they are pooping in their pants. "Here's a proposal by the way proposed by some girl named Olivia Ede" Burke said reading first page of the file he has just taken out of his desk drawer "she says that she and some other interns are eager to help us in this mission. To step up and take place of astronauts who have refused. She has given us details of others too"
"How many?" I asked
"Six are ready, here you can see by yourself" Burke said sliding file towards me.
Clifton twins Benett and Arthur
Country: UK
Students at University of Manchester. Specialization fields: Meteorology and Mathematics
Species: Aberrant
Age:20
Cora Bates
Country: Japan
Student at university of Manchester. Specialization field: chemistry(composition of planets and Celestial bodies)
Species: Aberrant
Age: 19
Leonard Couture
Country: France
Student of Columbia University. Specialization field: Computer engineering(Network centric system)
Species: Aberrant
Age: 20
Ava Seth
Country: India
Student of University of Manchester. Specialization field: Geology
Species: Aberrant
Age: 20
Olivia Ede
Country: USA
Student of Columbia University. Specialization Field: Atmospheric science
Species: Aberrant
Age: 19
"They all are aberrants!" I said looking up at Burke. "Well isn't it obvious, I mean most of us are. In fact all half of ISO is filled with aberrants. Our higher IQ is one of the thing that differentiate us from them and insure our better living conditions"
"Yeah....but we would need some humans too. I mean their genetical structure is different than ours, they are more vulnerable. So we will need some humans too. To see if they could survive on Drarth K1 or not" I gave the file back to him "unless you are planning to leave them here to die" I narrowed my eyes.
"Woah, I'm not as cruel as you think miss Campbell. I am not planning to let humans die at least I have not thought about that yet, although I can't say the same about our bosses" he winked.
"What do you mean we are not sending humans?"
"oh no no that's not what I meant.....you know what just leave it. Let's focus on the task in hand. We have to find humans who are willing to help us."
"Ahh one hell of a task"
It will be quite difficult task to do, cause it would be hard to find even an aberrant who is willing to help without actually knowing how important it is for everyone's survival, so let alone humans who are mostly neglected and have worst living conditions.
"So here's a thing we have to convince them to help us without telling them the truth" I said pressing heel of my left palm against my forehead. "Yeah unless you want riots all around the world"
Both humans and aberrants detests government for different reasons. Aberrants because those who are not born in higher societies like ours are chipped as soon as they are born, to keep them under control. In some cases these aberrants are even forced to work along with humans in lower levels of domes. Currently there are some fifty thousand aberrants working in factories and other place with humans all around the world. And Humans detests governments because of how bad their living conditions are. I can't blame them though, actually no one can cause we can't really expect to make people work in sewers and other lower level areas of dome where hygiene is just a word and getting regular supplies of food and clean water is still a dream. Then there's darwin's theory of evolution which is no less then a living nightmare for humans, because aberrant genes are mostly perfect and we hardly ever get any type of disease. So it is human who are forced to stay at home and die if they are suffering from disease, it's humans who watch their family members die in front their eyes.
Besides in past few years population has reduced drastically which is a good thing for governments because less population means less consumption of food and water. Birth rates are falling too, last year only four thousand both human and aberrant babies were born all around the word, out of which only two one thousand and fifty six were healthy enough to survive, mostly aberrants. Remaining two thousand nine hundred and forty four babies were weak way too week to survive in harsh living conditions of poor families of domes, it was said in reports that it was highly unlikely for even half-aberrant babies to survive in harsh living conditions.
"Speaking of harsh living conditions, I have an idea" I looked at Burke who looked confused "uhh, harsh living conditions?" was all he said.
"People who are poor, ones who live below and above factories, who works in sewers would be easy to convince-"
"They hate us the most, they would rather prefer to die" Burke said interrupting me
"No they will help us, all we have to do is promise them a better living conditions you know more hygiene, better quality and regular supply of food and clean water. That's all they want. Besides we only need what three-four humans, It won't be that hard" I said taking a long deep breathe now that I can finally see a ray of hope.
"Umm.... your idea is good. But there's a thing" Burke said checking his watch.
"What?" I asked throwing whatever relief I have out of the damn window. It is a stupidity to think that there won't be any buts and ifs when you are working with Burke.
"We would need more than just couple of humans, actually I had this talk with Mr. President yesterday and he thinks it would be a good idea to send a handful of our disposable citizens to this mission. So if in case this mission turns out to be successful, these people we will send will be able to make that planet... you know civilised kind of...by the time we reach there, so that it would be easy for rest of us to start building new world there!" He said getting up from his seat.
"But if this fails-"
"If this fails they will die, I know. These interns and other 'couple of' humans you are planning to send will die too if this mission fails, you see people will die anyways Harley, whether you send ten or fifty it doesn't matter. So why not send more besides they would be our disposable citizens."
"No life is disposable" I hissed
"Well then it is time to wake up Harley because in this world lives are disposable and they will remain disposable until and unless we find a planet that is not gonna get destroyed. Now Collect at least thirty volunteers and report me back" with that Burke left his office closing the door behind him. And I remained rooted to my chair 'I really hope this mission succeeds, because if it doesn't not I'm sending three to four dozen people to their death'
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone