Position: Seria Station

Too soon.

In fear, he had too hastily punched in the series of codes for launch that he knew so well, though he had never been the one shot into the darkness. Frantically, desperately, the young man named Keon threw his weight against the glass window of a tiny capsule; though he knew that nothing could reverse his fingers' commands. His crimson eyes watched anxiously as another boy, no older than twelve, shut himself inside a capsule as well. Before his small fingers could complete the codes, there was a burst of white hot flames, followed by the sound of splintering wood and screeching metal. As Keon's capsule began a symphony of whirring and cracking, several figures, dressed in black and donning morbid smoke masks, rushed into the room. Keon screamed as they swarmed the capsule of his friend, whose hand shook violently as he tried to complete the command. The figures raised their guns, but did not shoot the boy. Instead, with a flash of green, a pellet lodged itself into the thick glass and exploded, shattering it, which in turn triggered a series of flashing lights and alarms from within. Keon pounded on the glass hysterically as his friend's cries reached him over the roar of the blasters. A few of the figures turned their attention to him, but it was too late. The last thing he saw was the glint of the flames reflecting from their merciless eyes as they all turned and watched him shoot off into the darkness, his body paralyzed against the padded door, unable to combat the force. Long minutes passed, and at last the pressure finally eased, releasing the flood of tears and emotions from within him. On wobbly legs, he stood and turned to the window. Looking past his ragged reflection, he saw the lonely space station which had been his home since his creation was reduced to nothing but a fiery orange speck beside a great, icy moon. His eyes only averted when a white ring of debris erupted from it, leaving behind no trace of the station save for a plume of grey dust in between Europa and the ominous giant, Jupiter.

That was the way of these monsters. His enemies. They came in silence, took what they desired, and obliterated anything that remained.

He turned away from the window and toyed with the few controls his machine was equipped with. There was only one place left to run now. Far beyond the wall of looming rocks ahead was a blue light, seemingly a star. Should his humble machine be able to navigate there, he might be safe. However, for the next 170 hours, his fate was uncertain, and his mind was filled with regret and fear.