Chapter Text
The year is 2310. You were born on the planet that used to be known as Earth on [DATE], 2289 - one of millions upon millions of children whose births were ordered by the government. When you were born, small and wailing and unknowing of the horrors that awaited you, you were looked at and your future was declared; a doctor. That was one thing you knew when you were small. The other thing? Space was large, space was terrifying, and space was awesome.
You were lucky - in schools, kids who were to become doctors, lawyers, police officers and other jobs that people wanted were treated like royalty - teachers loved them, they got all the best help in class, regardless of their abilities. You had known some very good, smart, nice children who were destined to become bin men or toilet cleaners or servants, and were destined for nothing. You hated the way you had been treated when compared to your less fortunate peers - but you were always hushed and pushed away and told to be thankful.
So you had grown up under the thumb of the government, doing as you were told and following the path that was set out for you. You were uncomfortable, but you went along with it out of fear. You wanted to think that you were strong, you were brave, but you weren't. You weren't content, but you were alive and that was what really mattered to you.
Your alarm began to blare as you lay in your bed and you sat up reluctantly as the effortlessly chipper newsreader began to speak.
"Good morning citizens! It's a glorious summer's day here in West State City! The weather is set to be sunny all day, so you'll all have a fine, wonderful day at work!" she grinned, her plastic smile well practised. "And wonderful news from our wonderful leader! President Winter is pleased to announced that the space program that has been kept tightly under wraps is nearly ready!"
"That's right, Louise," the hearty voice of the president came from the television as you sipped at a dry coffee. "As many of you know, it has been law that all eligible young men and women must be wed before their twenty-first birthday since our glorious country came into existence," Winter smiled a wide, plastic smile and you grimaced. "But many of you will have realised that the young people born in the year 89 are unmarried - this is because we had a plan set out for them that would require them to have no earthly tethers." his cold blue eyes sank into your soul as he spoke and you shuddered. "For it is these young men and women who are going to be chosen to lead two expeditions to two planets."
"The chosen planets are Kepler-438b and Kepler-186f, which will hereby be known as Kodus and Baile. The lucky two thousand will be split into two ships, currently being built on the East Coast! They will double as cities when the two ships reach their new homes!"
"Indeed they will, Louise," Winter smiled and Louise smiled back. "Two thousand will be drafted from the best - doctors, teachers, engineers, even an odd lawyer or two. With our recently developed faster than light technology, it will take four-hundred and seventy years to reach Kodus, and four-hundred and ninety to reach Baile." You wheezed at the thought - how many generations would be inbred from just one thousand to each planet? "And our best doctors have finally perfected stasis technology, so everyone will make it to their new homes in one piece."
Oh, even worse. Frozen for nearly five hundred years. How inhospitable would these planets even be? Winter would be long dead before they even reached them - what was the point in this fruitless venture? You saw little, if none.
"To those of you wondering if you will be chosen, a letter will be handed to you today, at work or at home. You will be informed of your next steps and expected to follow them as a soldier would." Winter's smile was dead and his eyes burned holes into your skull. "And rest easy knowing you will have brought honour to your people, your planet and our government."
Louise began to reel off the usual news in her chipper manner as you ate your breakfast and sipped more dry coffee. You sighed through your nose before you showered and dressed into your uniform - a drab grey shirt, black pants and a pristine, white doctor's coat, and headed to work. As you sat on the tram going through West State City, you idly watched people around you.
"Are we ever going to be chosen to have a child, Jim?" a woman across from you asked. Jim patted her on the arm. "I haven't seen a child in years! I don't think anyone in the city has one."
"Not now, Carol," Jim hissed quietly, eyes darting around the carriage. His eyes met yours and you saw the fear in them, and you looked away. "They must be wanting the east to repopulate. Next year, I have a good feeling."
"You said that last year, Jim."
"I know..." Jim looked forlorn and you tried your best to keep your eyes off of them. You couldn't be so nosy - but... what Carol said made you uncomfortable. It occurred to you then and there - abortion was illegal and even if a woman miscarried, she was faced with the rehabilitation centres. This being the case... just where were the children?
You glanced around the carriage again - you did see kids, but none under ten. You swallowed nervously - you hadn't seen a single pregnant woman in the three years you had been practising medicine. Women had come to you, seeking permission to have the contraceptive everyone had reversed - but every time you had applied for them, it had been rejection after rejection after rejection!
The tram stopped outside your hospital and you stepped off, casting Jim and Carol a sympathetic look. Maybe Jim was right - maybe Winter just wanted a lot of east coast children. For... the past ten years. It wasn't like you could check up and see - communication was restricted for everyone, and you didn't even know anyone in East State City.
You strolled in, smiled at the receptionist and sat down in your shared office. Leonard wasn't here yet - or he'd probably disappeared to lace his coffee with liquor again. How he got a hold on that potent stuff, you didn't know - that, and how the hell he managed to do his job when he was always shitfaced.
"There you are, [Y/N]." Ah, yes, Leonard, pouring alcohol into his coffee. "See the news reports this morning?"
"Of course I did," you replied, leaning back in your chair. "Glad to be out of the runnings, old man?"
"Obviously," Leonard snorted. "Space is full of disease and danger. I'd rather stay here, where it's safe."
"Safe?" you snorted back. "Please. Winter can hide it all he likes - weather's been getting hotter year on year. More smog on hot days, people dying young. And speaking of young," you leaned on your desk and looked at Leonard seriously. "Have you noticed the lack of children, lately?"
"What do you mean? There's a bunch of schoolkids in today to learn their paths."
"Leonard, I mean kids who are, you know, less than ten? When was the last time you saw a baby, huh?" you asked. Leonard opened his mouth to speak before closing it again.
"2300. Delivered one just before the year closed. Alfred, his name was. He was set to be a politician - and he looked it. Slimy, squirming and with a sour face." Leonard sucked his coffee down and frowned. "I haven't seen one since. No pregnant women."
"And no licences for them to have kids, either." you pointed out. "I've had countless women come to me, begging me to put them through. Some said I was their seventh, eighth attempt." you sighed and ran your hand through your hair. "It's ridiculous."
"What is, Doctor [L/N]?" a new voice interrupted you and you stood up immediately. A slim woman in a dark suit stood at the door. Leonard nearly dropped his coffee, drinking the last of it and wheezing. "Hot, Doctor McCoy? Perhaps you should set the machine to a lower temperature." she smirked slightly and turned her attention to you again. "If you would, my dear." she said, stepping back. You exchanged a worried look with Leonard and followed her out, holding your hands behind your back.
"May I enquire as to what this is about?" you asked tentatively, having to walk fast to keep up with the woman, who's effortless strides seemed to make her glide across the floor.
"Not currently," she replied coldly, not even looking at you. She led you through corridors and into a room you didn't even know existed. She sat you down and perched on a stool opposite. Oh God. Did they know you listened to anti-government broadcasts sometimes? Was your room bugged? You swallowed. "No need to be anxious, doctor," she smiled a thin, well practised smile. "We are here to deliver you an ultimatum. You saw the broadcast, yes?" you nodded slowly. "Perfect." she nodded to one of the two burly men behind you, and he handed her a letter, which she held out to you. "Take it, dear." you quivering hands moved forward and took the letter from her. Oh, you didn't want to open it, but her thin lips and stern eyes stared you down and you nearly tore open the letter.
'Dear Doctor [Y/N] [L/N],
If you are reading this then you are sat with one of my agents, Ms Scot. You have no doubt seen this morning's broadcast about space exploration and the sending of two thousand of our finest young men and women to found two brand new colonies upon never before explored worlds. Whilst you may not know it, colonies already exist upon our two most neighboring planets, and as we have developed faster than light technology, we turn our collective eyes to the new horizon - where Kodus and Baile await.
You have been chosen to board the space flight to Kodus. You will obey this letter, Ms Scot and any further letters sent to you or you will be sent to a rehabilitation camp to have your interests changed. You are permitted to take one suitcase of your belongings with you - which Ms Scot will present to you. Upon your gracious agreement to this program, you will leave your old life behind and become a citizen of the skies.
Truly yours, President Lucius Winter'
"Any questions, dear?" Ms Scot asked. You looked at her and shook your head. "Perfect, wonderful! Vulcan, the suitcase, if you please." the second of the burly men wheeled over a suitcase. "Here you are. You have a week to say your goodbyes before you are transported to the East Coast facility. Have a good day, dear." Ms Scot smiled and left you sat on the chair, staring at the letter dejectedly.
It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but you stood and wheeled your new suitcase to your office. Leonard sat at his desk, writing away and sipping at more alcoholic coffee, and stood when he saw you.
"Shit, what happened to you?" he hissed, closing the door behind you.
"You remember this morning's news?" you asked quietly.
"Of course I do!" Leonard exclaimed. Your shaking hand extended and you pressed the letter into his hands. He skimmed over it. "Good God, woman. This is really happening to you, huh?"
"Yep." you said quietly, looking up at him. "I got a week, and they're shipping me east. I guess it's fun - I've never been there before, you know?"
"No one from the west has, [Y/N]." Leonard said, setting his coffee cup on your desk. "You'll need it." he said.
He was right.
That night, he slipped you a bottle of his best liquor and wished you luck. You packed your things, resigned from work, said goodbye to the few friends and family you had left, and watched the week pass from your window. On the seventh day, at six am, you woke up and watched the news, like you did every morning.
"Good morning, good citizens of West State City!" Sweet, naive, chipper Louise. Actually, she was probably drugged to be so happy all the time, even when she delivered sombre news. "Today is the day our two thousand volunteers--" oh, volunteers was it now? You snorted. "Are shipped out to beautiful East State City - which, might I add, has nothing on our gorgeous home! - to begin training! Today we'll be running nothing but information about many, many of those loyal volunteers who are serving our wonderful President Winter in the best way possible!"
You drank your coffee and dressed before you sat on your suitcase and stared out the window. You had given most of your things away - to your parents, your friends, and anyone who had needed them. You sat in a bare room, holographic news presenter Louise talking about a security officer named Dale as you stared out of the window. Rain began to hit the window, running down and cleaning the dirty surface. It felt like forever since it had rained - when you were young, on the rare occasion it did rain, you and all the children your age would go out and play in the rain, laughing and dancing until you were dead on your feet. Innocent days, long gone. Oh how you wished for them back.
A knock at your door. You stood reluctantly and walked over, opening it. Ms Scot and her thugs. Wonderful.
"Good morning, dear doctor," Ms Scot purred. "Are you ready?"
"I suppose I have to be." you grumbled under your breath, retrieving your suitcase.
"No, no, Romulus can get that for you." the man who had handed her the letter walked forward and grabbed your suitcase, lifting it from the floor. "Exciting, isn't it dear? You're starting a new life in the stars." Ms Scot grinned, although it looked more like a grimace. "Come, come. Your transport awaits." you followed her out and onto a tram, where many other dejected looking twenty-one year olds sat. "You, my dear, are going to get to know these lovely gentlemen here! Mark, Bob, Wade, Jack, this is [Y/N]. Make her feel at home, will you?" Ms Scot asked as Romulus placed your suitcase beside you on the train. "That's all of them!" she yelled to the tram driver, grinning at you. "Farewell, boys and girls."
The tram pulled away and you looked awkwardly at the four young men and you cleared your throat. The tram was quiet - too quiet. You didn't like this at all. "So... uh... w-what do you guys do?" you asked quietly. "I'm, um... I'm a doctor."
"Lawyer." a large one said. "I'm Bob." he held out his hand and you shook it. His grip was firm, and he tried to smile, but behind his glasses his eyes looked miserable.
"Wade," said a tall, skinny one with short and wild curly hair. "I used to cook for a high school."
"Jack," said the third, pulling his cap down. "I was a copper. I guess I get to be a space cop."
"I'm Mark." the fourth said, holding out his hand. You took it and shook it, eyes wandering up his muscled forearm to his face. Oh, he was cute. Short, well kept black hair and the darkest chocolate eyes you had ever seen. "Biomedical engineer. I guess I might end up working with you."
"U-uh, probably. I'm [Y/N] b-but... Ms Scot already said that." Eesh, this was going fantastically. "It's... nice to meet you, I guess?"
"Nice isn't quite the word I'd use." Bob said.
"Agreed." Wade sighed. You fell silent again, looking at your fidgeting hands. This was going to be a long four hundred and seventy light years.