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The last human in existence spends eternity on a space station full of various aliens. |
| [Introduction]
We've all had one of those days, right? Where we get so fed up with all the troubles of the world and everybody around us, that we wish we could just go somewhere far away from everybody else, preferably somewhere not on this planet, and live our life in peace? Or is that just me? Regardless, this story follows the very last member of the human race, who has spent the last two hundred years aboard a mysterious space station known as Eden-0, alongside countless other species of strange and otherworldly beings. Every resident on board Eden-0 has everything they could ever need or want provided for them, and everything seems to be just peachy. But like the old saying goes, appearances can be deceiving. To anybody participating, feel free to create your own character if you wish. But please don't use alien species from movies or comics or what have you. Try to be original. Other than that, let's all have fun and see where this goes! |
| Ever wish that everybody else would just go away, and you were the only one left? I know I did. I was just sick of the inherent greed, violence, and stupidity of the human race, and used to fantasize that I was the only one on the planet, with nobody else to piss me off or treat me like crap, as pretty much everybody I had ever known had done. My name is Jordan, technical age 25. You're probably thinking, "You're awfully young to be such a misanthrope, aren't you?" Maybe you're right, but if you had led my life, you'd understand. I never knew my parents, having been given up at birth. I suppose that was the start of it for me. If my own parents didn't want me, how could anybody else? I stayed in an orphanage until I came of age, got stuck with a poor excuse for a job, and stuck living in a hovel of a broom closet that passes for an apartment. One night, I awoke to find myself in a room that was absolutely not the one I fell asleep in. Firstly, everything was white as porcelain and seemed to be made from some sort of plastic-like material. The bed I lay on was infinitely more comfortable than my own, and before I could process what was going on, a voice like an angel spoke, comforting and sweet. "Welcome. Do you have any questions I may answer?" Needless to say, I was confused as to just what the hell was going on. "Where am I? Who are you?" "You are on board the Eden-0 space station as our newest guest. I am Athena, your host and companion Artificial Intelligence. If there is anything you desire, all you need to do is ask." "Is this a dream?" "No. I assure you, this is quite real. For eons, I have traveled the universe, gathering beings from dead and dying worlds so that their species would not disappear from existence. You are the latest to join that group." "You mean, Earth was dying?" "Not quite, but it will be soon enough." Honestly, that bit of news didn't really surprise me. "So, there are other races from other worlds on this station?" "Precisely. Each of them is the last of their kind, and all of them live on board me in luxury and comfort. You may do almost anything you wish. There are, however, only two rules. Keep the peace, which means no violence towards any of the other guests, and stay away from the central core. You may freely access anywhere else on the station whenever you wish." That was two hundred years ago. A sort of energy field throughout the ship stops its denizens from aging. In that time, I've actually made a great number of friends for the first time in my life with the other guests. Figures, the only friends I could make aren't even my species. I figure Earth is long gone by now, and I'm the only human in existence at this point. But to be honest, that doesn't really bother me. I have everything I could ever want right here. What's so wrong about that? I make my way to the dining hall and take a seat at an empty table. There's a small chrome plate in front of me. All I have to do is say whatever food I want, and it will materialize. "A medium rare steak, mashed potatoes, and peas." Instantly, the food I requested appears. As I enjoy my meal, one of my friends approaches and sits beside me. Her given name is unpronounceable for humans, so I just call her Elise. She was a princess on her planet, but constant war and political corruption had driven it to the brink of ruin. She has light grey skin, two fingers, and a thumb on each hand, and three large eyes in the center of her forehead with slitted pupils and red sclera. "Hey, Elsie. What's up?" |
| "Getting bored," the alien princess said. "The place needs some excitement. I need something different." "Like what?" I asked. "Something with some sort stake, a wager, as it were," said Elsie. "Go on," I said. "I could do with a bit of excitement myself." "A game of chess," said Elsie. "I've studied it for a while, and I'd like to play at least one game, maybe two, or three." "What's the wager?" I asked. "If I win, say, two out of three games, you will be my personal servant for a week, waiting on me hand and foot," said Elsie. "Also, I get to dominate you, especially in bed, as it'd been a while since I've had sex." "What if I win?" I asked. The alien princess grinned. "Then the roles would be the other way around - I'll be your servant, waiting on you hand and foot, and being dominated by you, especially in bed." "Hmm, an interesting idea," I said. "So, are you up to that, or do you want to do something else instead?" Elsie asked. "In any case, I just want to do something that would alleviate the boredom for at least a little while." |
| (I don't know if Jordan is a boy or girl. Johnny Foxx will have to let me know some time.) How was I supposed to explain to Elsie that my chess skills were a little rusty? I had no choice but to accept her offer. Afterward, I had to rest my head. I leaned on something hairy. No, it was furry. That was the fur of my best friend and roommate, Gutt. He's the last known Wolfangian. They're wolf-like aliens from the Wolfang Galaxy. They walk on two legs, talk, and wear clothes like people. However, Gutt's top doesn't fit him well. They just don't make any in his size. Gutt's a real glutton, and it shows in his chubby appearance. He likes to think with his stomach, no doubt. "I heard about Elsie challenging you to checkers," he told me after he ordered a large bowl of spaghetti. For him, bigger is better. One time, I made a bet he couldn't eat a whole cake in one sitting, but he did. "I guess I need to brush up on chess," I said. "No worries, little buddy," he said, giving me a hug. "Old Gutt's going to give you some lessons on chess." "Thanks, Gutt," I said, returning the hug. "You're a real pal." |
Gulp DragonDawn was the last of the Cosmic Dragons and the first to start living on Eden-0. The Cosmics were powerful astral plane beings that took mortal form settling down on the planet Tallon 4 a millennia ago. However, after several thousand years, a cult known only as the Slayers hunted down and killed all but him. Gulp was golden in color and only slightly larger than the average human at 7 feet tall. He was both a reflective sort that was suspicious of the spaceship. The other inhabitants liked him very much and it wasn't long before he was the unofficial uncle of all those on board. It wasn't unusual to find him sipping hot Earl Grey tea in his study that he converted from an abandoned storage cabin, writing down his astrological observations from the observation deck in one of his many journals, or tinkering with gadgets he created from odds and ends.  It was just past supper time when the dragon rushed into the space lounge. He had a plethora of papers with all manner of calculations on them. Hurriedly he swept everything off a large coffee table and began to organize his work on the furniture's surface all the while murmuring to himself. "Whoa!" Gutt said, take it easy Uncle Gulp, have something to drink! Taking a few deep breaths and a sip of tea, Gulp finally calmed down enough to explain his excitement. "I spent an extra month rechecking my figures, but I have discovered some things about this ship that just don't make any sense." The crowd in the lounge grew quiet, they knew when Uncle Gulp got this excited that it was worth listening to what he said. The gold dragon continued, "You know how we are to believe that this ship, this Eden-0 exists solely for the purpose of saving the last of sentient species? Well, if that were the case, you'd expect the ship to continuously alter course to arrive at their planet before it was too late or maybe it was programmed to make a search pattern throughout the cosmos. In either case, the ship would not have a definitive destination, yet my calculations show that for the past several thousand years Eden-0 has been on a linear course with almost no deviation in it's path of any kind! This means we are going somewhere despite the fact that the ship's computer has been telling us that we are supposed to stay on this craft for the rest of eternity!" "Also of concern is this mysterious Core". We are told not to enter it, yet I have explored the entire ship and I have never seen any traditional access to such a place. Furthermore, what is the function of the Core? It's not a reactor as the ship get's all it's energy from the surrounding energy field. Likewise, the engines are external, bound to the hull as can be seen on the observation deck. That just leaves navigation which is handled by the computer, but it is integrated throughout the ship, not set in one central location." "Because of these things, I have reason to believe that we have access to only a small portion of the entire ship. It would certainly explain why we have no way of exiting through the hull, no hanger bays, no airlocks, not even maintenance hatches leading outside. Whoever wants to help me unravel this mystery meet me in Corridor 7B. I have determined that a vast unexplored section of the ship is on the other side of that bulkhead." |
| The chamber pulsed with light. Kaelor Veynn stood in the center of his quarters aboard Eden-0, arms raised, fists clenched, as hard-light warriors materialized all around him. The holo-training facility spun to life, simulating a dozen alien combatants with jagged weapons and predatory eyes. From the speakers, the rasp of an old Terran relic filled the air; Wanted Dead or Alive, the voice of Jon Bon Jovi cutting through centuries and space. Kaelor didn’t know the man, had never even seen Earth, but the song spoke to him in ways few things did. A drifter. A wanderer. A man moving through the world, belonging nowhere. The first warrior lunged. Kaelor’s fist blazed with solar fire, striking true, shattering the projection into sparks. Another leapt at his flank; he spun, tail whipping out like a bronze lash, sending it crumpling into the wall. Each impact was a rhythm, each strike a drumbeat against the past. And the past always came for him.   He was back on Solara Prime. The twin suns burned overhead, casting long shadows through the crystalline spires of his family’s home. His parents stood on opposite sides of the chamber, voices raised, not at him but at each other. “You will join the Ascendant Guard,” his father commanded, his deep voice like stone cracking. His broad shoulders gleamed under the sunlit glow. “Our people are protectors, Kaelor. We are meant to safeguard the galaxy. You cannot squander that gift.” “No,” his mother snapped, her golden eyes fierce. “He was born under eclipse. He has the strength to lead armies, to bring order through the Dominion. The weak will consume him if he wastes himself playing guardian. He belongs with us.” They turned toward him, each pulling in their own way. “What do you want, Kaelor?” his father asked, though Kaelor could hear the answer his father wanted in the tone. “Choose strength, son,” his mother urged, her hand outstretched. “Choose glory. Choose us.” He had said nothing then. Just looked at the stars. That night, while they fought, he left. Left them, left Solara Prime, left the factions that tore his family apart. He remembered wrapping his tail around his waist, his fists trembling with energy and defiance. I’ll walk my own path. Not theirs. Never theirs. Kaelor roared, slamming his fist through a towering projection. It exploded in light, but another instantly took its place. His chest rose and fell with each motion, each strike, as Bon Jovi’s voice swelled into the chorus. He had wandered after leaving home, drifting from star to star. To some he was a savior, to others a destroyer. A man who arrived out of nowhere, burned like the sun, then vanished into myth. A ghost trailing legends. And then came Eden-0. The station was a ring of light orbiting no star, suspended in an endless gulf of black. Its interior was paradise: forests, oceans, towers of crystal and steel. For every species that lived here, desire was met before it was spoken. Food, shelter, even pleasure...all provided. No hunger, no war, no struggle. Kaelor didn’t trust it. Utopias were prisons with prettier walls. He drove his knee into the chest of the last holo-warrior, sending it disintegrating into shards of light. Silence fell. The song still played softly, echoing through the room. Kaelor lowered his head, sweat streaking down his bronze skin. His molten orange eyes glowed faintly, flickering with restrained power. He clenched his fists, tail tightening at his waist. Eden-0 had promised him peace, promised him everything his heart could want. But Kaelor Veynn was a drifter. And drifters never stay. The lounge doors hissed open, and the usual hum of voices thinned. They always noticed when Kaelor entered, even if no one said it aloud. It wasn’t fear, and it wasn’t respect, just a kind of pressure that made the air feel heavier when he stepped into a room. He never encouraged it. He moved slowly, scanning the lounge with measured eyes. Elise leaned forward at the chess table, three eyes bright with predatory amusement. Gutt hunched over his spaghetti, red sauce smeared across his fur like some crude war paint. And Uncle Gulp —always Uncle Gulp— sprawled his calculations across the table, golden scales glowing as though they carried the truth itself. “Linear course. No deviation. Don’t you see?” Gulp’s voice cut sharp, his claw tapping against equations with the rhythm of a heartbeat. Kaelor said nothing. Not yet. He slipped into a seat at the edge of the lounge. A porcelain cup shimmered into existence before him, black tea, strong and sharp, exactly as he preferred it. He lifted it and drank in silence, watching. Gutt grumbled, trying to wave the dragon off. Elise whispered taunts at Jordan. The crowd leaned in with their questions, their doubts, their fear. But Kaelor simply listened. He had always learned more in silence than in noise. The dragon’s voice grew louder, relentless. “...not drifting. Traveling. Somewhere specific.” He was right. Kaelor had suspected it long before the math confirmed it. Eden-0 was never the sanctuary it claimed to be. It was a vessel with a destination. A cage in motion. Still, he kept quiet. Truth spoken too early only bred panic, and panic solved nothing. When the noise reached its peak, he drained the last sip of his tea and stood. No one stopped him. No one even tried. That was another truth he’d learned; if you moved like you didn’t belong, people let you pass. Kaelor didn’t linger in the lounge. He had no patience for debates, no thirst for comfort. The others wanted answers, theories, reassurance. He wanted silence. The training hall was empty at this hour, the kind of silence he trusted. He stripped down to the waist, muscles marked with faint golden scars, the memories of battles fought in atmospheres that would tear weaker men apart. His fists clenched, and light bled from his skin in thin rivers, flickers of starfire straining to escape. He punched the air. The hall shuddered. Again. Again. A rhythm to keep his fury in check. Solarions did not rest. Not truly. Their bodies absorbed light, but the price was constant restlessness, a hunger for purpose. On his world, there had always been wars, duels, rivalries to sharpen that hunger into discipline. But that world was gone. Kaelor had seen it burn. He remembered his father’s voice, deep and iron willed: “Strength without struggle rots the spirit. We endure so that we may rise.” But here, on Eden-0, there was no struggle. Food appeared at a thought. Training felt hollow. Even sparring with the strongest of the survivors barely stirred his blood. He was a blade sealed in velvet, growing duller with every passing year. He paused, fists trembling, light flickering erratically across his shoulders. For a moment, the glow in his eyes dimmed, and he whispered to no one: “Why was I spared?” His people had perished in the war against the Shadow Comet. His clan, his family...ashes. Kaelor had fought until space itself split beneath him, only to awaken here, plucked from death by Eden-0’s mysterious hand. Was it mercy? Or a cage? A warrior needed a battle. And Kaelor Veynn was certain his was coming. |
| (To ThunderX, to answer your question, Jordan is a guy.) I honestly wasn't all that interested in Uncle Gulp's theory. At the moment, I was more concerned with the matter at hand, my game against Elise. I don't know how often she actually played chess before, but I had to admit she was good. One by one, our pieces were taken out of play until it reached the point where neither of us would be able to capture the other's king, due to lack of pieces to trap them. "So, what now?" I asked when it became clear our game was a tie. "We could have a rematch." Elsie suggested "Unless you'd rather bet on a different game?" |
| "A rematch would be alright," I said. "Two out of three was the agreed upon terms anyways." "Yep, along with the rest," said Elsie. "I hope that Gulp and some others don't do anything too foolish." "You got a point," I said. We then reset the pieces. "Round two," said Elsie. |
| So, after countless minutes of rounds of chess, I had won two rounds. "I'll meet you at your cabin," Elise said before heading back to her cabin. Gutt and I turned and headed back to ours. As I opened the door, we had seen Kenny sprawled put on the floor in exhaustion. Kenny's species was a race of rabbit-like aliens who were all named Kenny. They were as tall as a high heeled boot. Their ears were extremely stretchy, which means they could stretch their ears to great lengths. The Kenny who was the last of his kind had stubble and wore a red suit with an orange belt. Did I mention that everyone on Eden-0 is allowed to have 1-2 roommates in their cabin? There's more cabins being built everyday. Kenny's my second roommate. "Did you get caught joyriding on a trolley again?" I said. Kenny stood up and looked at me like a scolded child. "It's true," he said. "I heard you won two rounds of chess against Elise." "And as part of the bet," I said. "She'll be waiting on me hand and foot." "Actually, I kind of changed my mind," Elise said from behind me. "You three would have to entertain me by having a dare contest." Me, Gutt, and Kenny huddled together and started to come to an agreement. "We agree," I said. "We'll entertain you by having a dare contest." |
| Jordan, Gutt, and Kenny began walking towards what was commonly called The Lab. While it was open to everyone for use, Uncle Gulp's partially made gadgets always seemed to dominate the working space. Conveniently, a side door of the lab actually connected to Gulp's private study. Elsie followed the three roommates into the lab. "So what are we doing here?" she asked. Jordan started rummaging around in the finished gadget shelf. "The dare contest is to see who will try out the most of Uncle Gulp's finished inventions." Gutt looked a little concerned, "Maybe we shouldn't. What if they're dangerous?" *Just then Uncle Gulp came in through the connecting door sipping his usual Earl Grey tea* "Don't worry," the golden dragon said. My inventions on that shelf are for novelty purposes only. Anything else I invent is kept locked up in the high security closet. Go ahead and knock yourselves out, I'll watch from over here." Kenny found a wristband and slapped it on. Immediately he began to turn all the colors of the rainbow and then some. Elsie laughed, "Hey Kenny! You're bright green! Now your chartreuse!" She collapsed in a fit of giggles. Meanwhile Gutt had turned on a donut machine and was watching a batch of donuts getting made. When the first one was done he popped it into his mouth and immediately spitted it out. "Yuck! Spinach flavored cream filling!" He took a bite out of another. "Carrot flavor?! Here Kenny, you might want this one." Kenny pouted, "Just because I look like an Earth rabbit, doesn't mean I'm obsessed with carrots you know." Jordan had found a strange suit and put it on. A single button was on the waistband. He pressed it and began to hover off the ground. "Hey, this one is fun! It could come in handy too." "It would," Gulp agreed, "Except I could never get the effect to last longer than 30 seconds and the recharge takes 24 hours." As if on cue, Jordan was gently lowered to the floor. Elsie yawned, "This dare thing isn't as exciting as I hoped." Uncle Gulp lifted an eyebrow or at least the dragon equivalent of the gesture. "If you want excitement, you can help me carry my newly created military grade laser to hallway 7B to see what's on the other side of the bulkhead. Elsie wasn't convinced. "The computer said we aren't allowed in the core." The dragon grinned, "Who said the other side was the core? I've already performed some readings and determined that we will be entering an older part of the ship that is no longer in active use. Furthermore I have checked the computer and found no rules prohibiting exploration of the ship beyond what we can currently access as long as we don't breach the hull or the core compartment. Lastly, the computer is not integrated into older area. We will be free to explore it without being watched and maybe find some clues as to why Eden-0 was truly built or maybe uncover some of the stations past. In any case, the risk is small and I'll take full responsibility." Jordan shrugged, "It couldn't hurt to at least help carry the laser." The other's agreed that they would at least do that. Meanwhile, Uncle Gulp trotted off to see if he could get anybody else to help explore the old sector Eden-0. An hour later, everyone who was going to show up was at the destination. Uncle Gulp fired up the laser and aiming carefully, cut a door into the wall. With a kick, the bulkhead smashed inwards. On the other side was darkness. Uncle Gulp walked through and using his keen draconic senses found an old fashioned light switch. Flipping it, an incandescent light bulb came to life revealing a small, cramped bedroom. Everything in it was old school. "We are definitely off the modern Eden-0 grid." he muttered. "Who's coming?" he asked louder. |
| I decided I would follow Gulp, if nothing else, just to see what the rest of the station was like. But as I stepped into the hole we blasted in the wall, Atehna's voice spoke up. "I really must insist you do not proceed any further." She said in a calm but warning tone,"The older sections of the station are blocked for a reason, and the safety of the other passengers." |
| (What I'm writing here was inspired by the 2005 film The Island. Please, forgive me if I'm breaking any rules for this campfire.) Gutt and Kenny had taken Elise to another part of the space station. I met up with them since I couldn't find anything. The area was like the hallway at a hospital. "Athena isn't letting us near the room," Elise said. "So much for not getting anything to eat," Gutt said. I chuckled. All Gutt ever thinks about is food. Without warning, Elise was pushed aside. I looked up to see who it was: Sean! He was the last of a race of 10-ft-tall cat-like aliens. His real name would take forever to say, so we call him Sean. His clothes are rather skintight on him. Whatever top he's wearing, it always looks like he's wearing a crop top. "You there!" Elise called. "Come back and apologize to me!" But Sean ignored her and kept running down the hall. "Look out!" I cried, pushing her aside as a beam of plasma shot in Sean's direction. We ducked into a room as the end of the plasma beam became a net which closed around Sean. "Don't kill me!" He cried as he was dragged down the hall. "You promised a new room for me! I want to live! I don't want to die!" Huh? "What are you here for?" A voice behind us said. We turned around and saw Zoka lying in a bed. She's the last of a race of aliens that looked like fish, but they also breathe air and water. "Why?" Kenny asked. "Is this prison?" "Heavens, no," Zoka said. "I'm here because I'm having a baby." "Congratulations!" I said. "Thank you," Zoka said. We began hearing footsteps outside the room. "We'd better hide!" Elise whispered. We ducked behind a curtain and began quietly listening to all that was happening. A few seconds later, baby sounds were heard. As soon as everything was quiet, we stepped out from the curtain. Zoka was lying in her bed, breathlessly still. "Zoka, wake up!" I cried. Nothing happened. "Wakey wakey! Eggs and bakey!" Kenny called. "I'll let you eat at the table with me for a month!" Gutt said. Zoka didn't respond. I walked up to the counter and picked up a vial. It had a strange symbol on it. "Maybe this has something to do with her condition," I said. I showed my pals the vial and we headed out of the room. We followed the sound of the baby down the hall. We walked slowly in the directions and what we saw holding the baby shocked me. The doctor was a human like me! Maybe I wasn't the last human. We followed the doctor as quietly as we could and when he reached where he was going with the baby, we could see him talking to a couple of fish-like aliens. A male and a female. The strange part was that the wife looked a lot like Zoka! "Zoka's alive!" Kenny whispered excitedly. "I don't think it's Zoka," I said. "How can that be her when we just saw her in the other room?" |
| Gulp DragonDawn had had enough. His new minicam network he placed about the ship had notified him of much suspicious activity aboard the ship. He decided to make preparations to what would, one way or another, be his final journey. He was getting old, even for a dragon and the ship Eden-0 had only grown more and more stale overtime. Once his preparations were complete he traveled back to the spot where he made a hole in the bulkhead. Before entering he put up a sign. It read: To whomever it may concern, I have decided to permanently leave the "new" portion of Eden-0. I will be exploring the "old abandoned section until I either pass away from natural or unnatural circumstances or until I have solved the mystery behind this station, in which case I shall return to share. Do not worry about what consequences may be in store for I have been able to hack the ship's AI just enough that I will be bearing the full weight of the "crime". Anyone who seeks the secret as I do, follow the path of markers I will make and come after me. The golden dragon looked at the sign for a moment then nodded his head satisfactorily. He was confident that what he was about to do must be done, for the good of all those aboard Eden-0. He slipped through the hole and was gone, the ship's sensors detected him leaving the assigned sparkling hallways but could not follow him once he was in the derelict portion. |
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