March 3rd, 2172

"At that time, news were spreading all across the globe about the current threat to humanity. There were numerous conspiracy theories about why it has started and who was the cause of it. Some people said that the United States of America had caused a conflict between Japan and North Korea after they've sent several weapons that the Japanese wished to own in case of an attack from North Korea. The country was fearing that after the conquering of South Korea, North Korea will also try to get rid of Japan in the process some years later. Others said that the cyber-attack in Russia that has happened on July 29th, 2170, has made the Russian Government to take serious actions after it was revealed that the attackers were originated from France, happening after a conflict between these two countries has started not long ago. And the list of theories went on and on...

On top of that, World War Five was recorded as the first war to ever use robots on the battlefield. Though we had such technology for a century, nobody has bought the idea to use robots during battles to help the soldiers win. It was a shocking new strategy that many wealthy countries have used in their advantage against their enemies. But no matter how advanced this technology was, many people were skeptical about using robots in a war. And even worse, some people believed that those trusted companions will eventually gain consciousness of the fact that we are using and destroying them only because of our own conflicts and they will eventually revolt against us.

No matter, war was brought into our planet, forcing us to think of anything that might protect us from the bloodshed that was happening outside. Many people from the Eastern Europe have left their homes and moved towards the west in order to protect themselves from the fire. Countries like Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and the United Kingdom were starting to go overpopulated, while the governments were trying to move people into the United States and give them shelters as much as possible, even though they didn't succeed in most cases. The main problem was that... since many were being forced to move into a new country which was also one of the greatest powers of the world, most of the people weren't able to find jobs and weren't able to pay the huge taxes or the expensive health care, leading to them living on the streets.

The United States had a lot of unpleasant rules for the Europeans, but it was also a country safe from the war. Throughout history, the United States has brought fear into the enemy's mind every time someone decided to attack their territory, thus resulting in a country that is safer for its citizens from any other attacks. But ever since the start of World War Five, it began to go overpopulated throughout those years because of migration. Resources were becoming a problem and they were obligated to "take" from poorer countries from Africa and Asia in order to feed the population, resulting in Africa suffering of complete starvation.

It was a huge mess and my family was also obligated to move to the United States completely later on. Fortunately for us, my parents being respected engineers, which was a job that was well-paid and very well searched because of the need of more machines, we managed to move into a nice apartment somewhere in Los Angeles. They also knew a lot of people there from work, so we ended up doing well. But what we weren't aware of was something ready to come and strike us down.

On March 3rd, 2172, two years after the war had started, the United States of America has faced an alarm in the whole country, telling us that this territory was close to being completely destroyed by a nuclear bomb which was detected by one of the military radars from very far away, coming towards our way. It was still unclear who has sent this disaster towards us. It was a theory at one point that an enemy of the United States has started a nuclear war between both of them and acted quickly so that it will take the powerful one by pure surprise. Yet a different theory was more popular back then, which was actually talking about the robots finally taking actions against humans once we have discovered that many countries were taking part in the nuclear war with no given reason... But no matter the truth, the nuclear weapons were seen to be so powerful, enough to make humanity in this country go extinct in just a few hours, with very few places from it being able to survive but later being affected by radiation.

Panic has been awaken, with the government initiating an emergency spaceship somewhere near Washington DC, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. Us from the west needed to go all the way to the east part of the United States because the problem of the population density that caused this immediate action, since the east was the most populated from the whole country. We had very few hours left and my parents paid a lot of money to get us someone that can come with a helicopter and take us there quickly. We had an advantage that our technology has gotten better, so the flight didn't last for more than some minutes.

But the huge problem was when we arrived. People were going insane to be able to go inside the spaceship. From the billions of people that were living in that country, only a few millions were able to go since the spaceship wasn't enough for everyone. And we were already late on getting a spot in, so my parents were battling with all the other souls in order to get there faster, while I wasn't even understanding the situation that was happening. I was there with my mechanical friend in my arms, holding my mother's hand and following her wherever she was going, while she was pushing other people from the way so that our family can survive.

And no matter how much my parents struggled for us to finally get to the ship, the long line full of souls that were waiting to get in was stuck. The rules apparently were also strict from what I recall. Those that were allowed to get onto the ship were those that had capability of working inside it, especially if you were young, from ages of fourteen to twenty-five. Those were the main people that were allowed, followed then by scientists, doctors, engineers and astronomers. The elder wasn't allowed on the ship, as well as newborns or people born with health problems. Those in charge of the ship were meant to accept only the people that were capable of surviving, as well as providing survival to others, so if you weren't in this category, you were left to die on Earth. And all of this because of the lack of resources.

Another problem was that space traveling to very distant planets was a new concept, so there weren't many planets that had 100% chances of survival for humanity since none were tested before. But at that time, when chaos was playing around our lands, people didn't even take into consideration this issue. Not even my family, who were going through Hell just for us to get onto the ship, while little me tried to solve the puzzle regarding why are people so scared."

And so, the family runs for its life towards the entrance of the ship, being pushed by others and pushing others as well just to survive. When they arrive, they fight to be the first, looking at the entrance that is now blocked completely by guards, meaning that is already too late for anybody to enter anymore. But even so, the parents didn't give up, getting closer to one of the guards while fighting the huge wave of people.

[Mr.Dalton]-...Excuse me! Please! Please, I need to speak with you!

[Guard]-I am sorry, but we cannot accept any more people on the ship. We've reached our limit and the resources won't be enough for everyone. There are ten million people who have already entered, I really can't do anything for you anymo--

[Mr.Dalton]- --Please, you don't understand! Let my family survive there! We have done nothing to deserve a death like this!

[Guard]-All of us have done nothing to deserve this fate, Mister. I am sorry.

[Mrs.Dalton]-No, you don't understand how much I've fought to arrive here! I won't accept any refuse from you! If you don't want me on that ship, then fine! But at least take my son, please!

[Guard]-Miss, I really can't--

[Mrs.Dalton]- --I'm begging you, Mister! Save my son! I implore you! He will help you around with anything he can as well, just please! Take him with you! Please!!

The mother was even crying, begging for the man to have mercy at least on her child, while the man was staring at the confused boy with pity. Then, he takes a deep breath, knowing the struggle of the family and finally giving up.

[Guard]-*sigh* Alright. I will take the kid with me.

[Mrs.Dalton]-Thank you! Thank you!! Oh, dear heavens, thank you!!

The kid seemed scared from that he did not understand, even ready to cry from all the chaos going on. But his mom looks at him quickly and gets on a knee, taking her last goodbye to her son.

[Leo]-Mom...?

[Mrs.Dalton]-Leo! Leo, look at me! Mommy and Daddy will always love you, no matter what happens, alright? I want you to be strong for me!

[Mr.Dalton]-...Robot, make sure that he will be safe from now on.

[Machine]-THE COMMAND HAS BEEN REGISTERED. Understood!

[Leo]-Mom, I-I'm scared...

[Mrs.Dalton]-Don't be, don't be... Mommy will always be with you. Now, take Friend with you and go with the guard, okay? And listen to everything he says!

[Leo]-Mom...

[Guard]-...Alright, kid, let's go. The ship is going to launch in a few minutes.

And so, the guard takes the kid with him, leaving the two parents behind, staring at their own son while waving him a goodbye, before the door closes entirely. It was time for the spaceship to finally leave.

"...I got to be one of the lucky people that managed to enter the spaceship and survive, while my parents fought for me to live and died on Earth that day. My machine remained with me as my guardian, a memory of my home that was now destroyed because of the nuclear war. And not long after the spaceship finally left Earth and we could all see the planet through the windows for a last goodbye, the nuclear weapons has struck down the United States, as well as many other countries from all across the planet, being even visible from space."