1 Selection

A day like no other, birds are singing, flowers are blowing, on days like these, kids all around should sit back and relax....is what you'd think.

From the sky came a figure, dawn in both darkness and light, seemingly appearing in every continent of the earth itself, it's voice echoed as it spoke, "I go by many names, but Cassius is what you may refer to me for now, I am a representative of the Void or black hole as you call it."

He continues, "It has dawned on me that there are too many planets in the Milky Way, taking up space for no reason. A total of 3,200 solar systems...such a waste of space.

In this world, life and death must work hand in hand, the old must make way for the new and thus I will take it upon myself to settle this injustice once and for all. With no sensible evolution in the near future, You are all old fossils anyway."

"100 solar systems will be allowed to remain, to make way for new planets to thrive and I'll give each planet a chance to survive...A tournament will take place where all the planets will face each other and if you are worthy enough to live then come and prove it."

"This planet has 2 months to pick its representative, an individual who will work with the other planets of this solar system to prove their self-worth. It will not be up to you humans to decide but the planet itself will choose."

The figure vanished in a bright flash of light with an echo that followed after...perhaps it moved at light speed itself? And thus the world went into a panic. Not only did that figure confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life in our universe, but to fight said life with little to no knowledge of it, well that's just a bad first impression.

The world was on edge, many who had been atheists had turned over to worship a new religion idolizing black holes, and even other religions turned over to create some type of cult about the light around the darkness.

Men and women of sciences teaching about black holes in this universe and creating speculations of what type of life exists outside Earth.

The disorder that was brought about even went as far as women and men marching around naked saying there's no point in hiding themselves from the world as the end has come upon us.

It took a lot for the government to keep the trouble to a minimum as many people were impervious to reason. Fires spread out, killings began happening and even civilians dressed up as fictional characters began marching to France for some unknown reason.

Two months went by in a flash and before you knew it, the day everybody was waiting for had arrived. They still didn't know what they were waiting for or how the earth would choose a representative. With great anticipation in the air and no news about this chosen representative, many government officials from different countries decided to bring up a bunch of soldiers who they claimed were chosen by the earth itself as the representatives of the planet. 'What a Bunch of liars.'

Of course, I wasn't worried, in fact, I was in awe to see that a green tattoo of an Aum symbol had grown on my left shoulder, and with it, I heard a soft voice whispering in my ear telling me where to go. I listened to the voice and followed it outside of my city... And here I was in a taxi heading somewhere I don't even know of and ditching school.

It was crazy to think about it, that I was the one chosen to be the representative of planet Earth. It made me a little excited considering my upbringing in the mafia. Of course, I have a bit of training in fighting but this is insane...and it doesn't help that I'm a 17-year-old young adult and feel too excited to think this through more. 'I get to meet Martians.'

My family ran into some trouble and is losing its power and territory, no matter what, I will go to space and reclaim the respect that we deserve. Maybe then the oppression we've been facing can die down and I can make my father smile like he used to. I get out of the taxi in the middle of a forest-filled road, grab my small bag, and pay the driver.

"Are you sure this is your stop?" the driver asked politely.

"Yes, this is the place," I answered.

"Are you sure? There's nothing here," he worriedly asked.

"It's for a school project of mine, I will be fine."

He looked me up and down and with a dissatisfied look or perhaps one of worry, he said to me," Be careful out there, we're in tough times now."

I thank him and tell him I will manage. Before he can turn and ask me how will I get back, I sprint into the forest taking in a breath of fresh air. I've never been here before but it feels like I've been here all my life, I walk down a path for a few minutes when suddenly I come across a bar in the middle of the forest.

It seems well-kept and even warm and comfortable, I can hear some music playing from the inside. I step in and behold a bartender wiping a glass cup with a piece of black cloth. Inside the bar are more people dancing around and chatting, all of whom seem to have the very same mark on their shoulders as everyone else.

It seems I wasn't the only one chosen and that kind of hurts because there are so many people. The bartender signals for me to come over and without caution, I make my way to him. 'I'm at a bar in the middle of a forest, this should be the least of my worries.' He seems to be wearing a white shirt with a black waistcoat and black pants and overall cementing the look with a black apron.

He tells me that his name is Alex and that he was chosen by the earth to greet the candidates that would come here. I asked him, "Will all of us fight to see who saves the earth?" and he chuckled and replied, "No, the earth will choose a representative today amongst those that were deemed fit."

"And what does it take to be deemed fit?" I asked, he smiled and replied, "Even I don't have all the answers yet kid."

"But what I can offer you is a drink and a table with an open seat to sit on while we wait for the last representative to show up. So what can I get for you?".

"I will have a Margarita with Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice please."

"Wow kid, I'm guessing this ain't your first time drinking? You know I could just get you juice right?"

"No, definitely not my first and I am fine with what I ordered," I said.

I think back to all the bar parties my family has been invited to in celebration of who knows what. A cow would be born and they would throw a party. Was it unethical for me to drink at a young age, sure, but whose gonna stop me?

"So what can you tell me about this selection thing?" I wonder as I sip my drink.

He tells me to wait for the last kid to walk in and that it will all be made clear soon enough. He then points to my table where a girl with blonde hair, a white tank top, an orange jacket, and blue jeans and a guy wearing a watch with a white shirt with sleeves, blue jeans, a pair of glasses, and black short hair are seated.

I grab my drink walk on over to the table and have a seat. Up close it seems the guy is having some Cranberry juice while the girl is having a glass full of an Aphrodite Martini.

Before I can even get a word out, it seems that the final participant in this selection thing walks in. My entire table eyes him over as he was the last person remaining for this whole thing to start.

I watch from my seat as he walks over to the bartender to grab a drink. 'And now we wait.'

He sits down at the table after finishing a glass of milk over by the bar counter. He is wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans as well as white shoes with a trace of white lining at the end of his clothes. A short moment of silence is present before I greet him.

"Hello there, my name is Vito Gotti, age 17, and in my last year of high school and you are?"

"Uh...My name is Terra Vian, 17 as well, and finished high school early, it's nice to meet you". "Are you all friends by any chance?", he asks seeing as we are all sitting at this table together.

"No", I reply, " we just happened to be called together here, much like you. I was about to greet our colleagues when you walked in and we all silently waited for you to sit down."

"Anyone else want a go at introducing ourselves?", I ask politely and almost teasingly as if to provoke them into a conversation. Especially the guy with the watch...he seems, well kept.

Finally, the other two at the table seem to relax a little more as the tension and awkward atmosphere die out. It starts with a small laugh on the girl's part.

"Hahaha...well I surely didn't expect myself to be sitting down in a place like this, having a free drink while waiting to be picked to save the world or something, oh the humanity", she says in a seemingly dramatic performance. Her accent catches me off guard as it's not one I recognize.

"My name is Edith Mathilde, a part-time engineer and high school graduate, age 18 and you are?", she asks as she turns her head to Mister Glasses. "I am Cyrus Barnaby, still in high school but in my last year age 18, and before you ask about it, I started school late because I didn't like it."

And I thought to myself that he was lucky, he basically started school when he felt like it, even if it was only a year later.

From here, we all took a chance to simply relax and find out a bit more about ourselves, maybe there is a connection between us as to why we were picked. We all seem pretty close in age with a 1 year difference. But in the end, we just went off-topic and spoke about space.

"To me, it's all about the Martians, ever since I was a kid I've enjoyed the idea of life on Mars and to hear that they exist is a dream come true!", I say to the group with a thrill in my voice.

"I doubt that martians are all that, they are probably the type of creatures to live underground due to the sun's solar waves and that would explain why we have never found one before. I wouldn't be too excited about that", says Cyrus as if he knows it all. 'It's freaking Martians like what kid wouldn't fantasize about meeting one?'

"Oh yeah? and what planet is so special to you that you'd put aside the Martians?" I ask unenthusiastically.

"I will have to say Uranus," he replies.

"Uranus!?" I repeat, "You mean that planet that everybody makes fun of because of its name? And that is what you are choosing over Mars!?"

"Don't be narrow-minded", he replies, "Uranus is the most unique planet with its gravity and how it rotates on its side. To get used to something like that would take quite the unusual and intelligent species."

"You guys think too much about the life on the planet and not about how unique the planet is itself," Edith said, "Think of Jupiter, the gas giant, the biggest planet and the oldest in the solar system, basically the most powerful of the planets. That is the best one!"

"Well," Terra starts off, "Jupiter may be big in our solar system but there are tons of other guess giants that exist. Some if not most bigger than Jupiter."

"That may be true but Jupiter is still way better than them. And since you finally feel like adding in something, why don't you go ahead and tell us your favorite planet?" Edith replied.

"Well you guys are talking about all over these big planets but my favorite planet is Pluto. It would be nice to meet someone from there," Terra said.

There was a small silence before Cyrus said," I don't know if that will come true. Pluto is technically not a planet, so it might not even participate in this tournament."

Suddenly an announcement was being broadcast, "Hello my children!" said a voice in a soft and peaceful tone. It is so soft that one might explain it to be a mother's voice as she is telling a bedtime story to her children.

The room instantly darkens and it appears as though more tables and people have appeared all around us. Only the light from a small lamp that just materialized out of nowhere on top of every table is visible. That and the light from the bar counter with the bartender listening intently.

"I thank you all for listening to my call and coming here tonight. The situation at hand is dire and I know a lot of you have questions but they cannot all be answered at this very moment, please forgive me for that."

"As of now, I must pick one among you to represent this planet that you were born and raised in so you may fight for our survival with the help of others."

"THE OTHER PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM!"

Many low voices were heard speaking silently but as quickly as possible, there was so much of it that it felt as though a rhythm was being created. The news had hit hard but it made sense that not all of us would be chosen.

There were more lights than I could count with perhaps 4 to 5 people per table. As if more people had materialized in the room after the lights went off. 'But to pick only 1? That sounds intense.'

"Without wasting time, let us begin," the voice said as the air around us Vibrated.

A green light was visible from the far front of the lamps. It was passing by each table, searching among us for something, someone, the one who would be chosen.

Maybe it wanted worthiness, maybe talent, intellect or maybe looking for which one of us here wouldn't mind killing someone for the sake of our survival. And if it were looking for such a thing then it might find it at this table.

I think back to my family, and the things we've gone through so far. There was a dispute that was created that started all of these arguments in the first place and my family was the one responsible for it, which is why I want to be the one to end it.

'If I can just get chosen, if someone like me gets the opportunity to save the world, think of all the changes I could make, all the good I could do, all the respect I can gain, people listen to power, and I have a shot at it. I need to get chosen.'

Waking up from my daze, I am brought back to my senses as the green light starts to approach my table. It stops and flashes brightly, fully revealing all the members of my group. It hovers on top of us and spins around us in a circle as though it were deciding.

My heart drops seeing this and I feel my hands shiver. There were more lamps in front of us and yet it stopped here. I have never killed someone before and in this tournament, there is bound to be blood split. But I am ready to take on that task.

Finally, the voice speaks up again and says, "It has been decided," And I feel the vibration of my table and chair intensely.

"The one who'll inherit my will and fight for all of us will be....."

"Terra Vian!"

My heart rate instantly dropped and the pain that hit me felt like I was shot at gunpoint by my crush and then I got back up again and asked them to shoot me some more.

Cheers were heard from everywhere as everyone there congratulated him and celebrated his being chosen. I clapped my hands as well and gave him my biggest smile. But this feeling, this sight of seeing him in my spot that I was so excited for all had hurt me. I was fighting with myself not to show it!

The darkness faded and we were now in a large brightly colored hotel painted with gold all around us as though to invoke a sense of royalty and appreciation for us who were gathered. We were in the dining room as multiple servants came out to serve us.

The bartender stood up and he was now wearing a black and white tuxedo. He said, "I have now been given the pleasure to provide accommodation for all of you for the night. Each of you will be served a meal of your choosing and given a room to stay in and rest."

"After you have spent the night here, tomorrow around 06 am we will send off our chosen representative after which you may each privately ask me any questions you may have as we transport you back to your area of residence safe and sound. As for tonight, ENJOY!!"

A bunch of people were still cheering and clapping as music began to play. I looked around and noticed that there were multiple new faces in this room along with some old ones I saw earlier, 'Did they just appear from nowhere or did I miss something as I walked in earlier?' I guess there were more people than I thought.

I still don't understand the way that this thing works or why Terra Vian was chosen, but there is one thing clear in my mind right now. And that's if I truly want to have another shot at being Earth's chosen defender or representative...

Then I might just have to kill Terra Vian.