Chapter Text
A lone figure in a protective, environmental suit makes his way across the barren landscape. Acid yellow skies look down upon bare, cracked, brittle brown earth. In the far distance, the skeletal remains of once thriving metropolises stood as bones protruding from a shallow grave; a testimony to greatness long buried in the past. He took no notice of this. These moments of decay and rot had been his constant companion on these walks of his. At first they awed, then depressed, now they were just visual static to be tuned out, just like everything else.
He reached the first entrance of his living quarters. Most lived in the large dome which contained the Guardian Council chambers, but as the head of the Guardian military, he was afforded his own, private residence. He entered his security code and the first door opened up. He walked inside and the door immediately closed behind him. Great fans removed the toxic air, replacing it with breathable air. He removed his suit and the washers blasted him with cleaning solution to remove any potential contaminates. A quick air dry, and the second door opened. He stepped through and allowed the door to close before getting dressed in his "casual" clothes.
The man, in his late fifties, walked down a series of halls to what was supposed to have been the nursery. Inside, sitting beside the crib, was his wife, keeping her vigil over the child that would never be. She rubbed her hand along the bottom, quietly singing a lullaby under her breath.
"It's not good for you to keep doing that," he said a voice that hovered somewhere between concerned and bored.
"You made it," she replied, not looking up, barely registering her husband's presence.
"That's before I knew," he said as he walked over and sat in a chair directly to the left of the crib.
He, his wife, everyone on Gobotron was sterile. The last child was born sixteen years ago, but that was it. Decades of war and environmental destruction had lead to this barren world of barren people. They were the last of their kind, the last of the Gobeans.
"We knew, in our hearts, we just didn't want to admit it," the wife retorted in an almost trance like voice.
"Still, it's not good for you to spend all your days here." He argued more out of habit than conviction.
She finally turned to look at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is there a more productive way I could be spending the apocalypse?" Her tone wasn't argumentative, but more surprised at the foolish premise of his statement.
"Productive? No. Better? Yes. I feel so at least."
"Then by all means, do tell dear husband. You have my undivided attention," she said with bitter mockery.
"We can talk, hold hands, you can come to a Guardian Council meeting if you like. You are a member by the way." His voice was smooth, even, calm.
His wife laughed in a halfway genuine way. "Oh my dear husband, you really give any meaning or credence to the Council?" she laughed. "And what is the esteemed council doing beside wasting their final breathes? Have they levied a new tax? pathed a new road? Oh, maybe come up with some new communal entertainment?"
The man leaned back in his chair and just looked, dead faced, at his wife for a moment before answering her mocking questions. "There might be a way to survive," he said bluntly.
The woman gasped, bringing her left hand to her mouth. "Leader-1, if this is a jest . . ." she started to say, hope, suspicion, anger all rising up in her voice in equal measure.
"No jest Path Finder. Zeemon himself told us about it. Some new processes Rest-Q has been working on. There's to be an emergency meeting next week about it. I have no idea what it is, only that it could be the salvation of our people." Leader-1's voice never rose, never registered any strong emotion whatsoever.
Path Finder got up and started pacing about the room, pulling at the sleeves of her light blue, maxi dress. "Salvation? On this rock? Salvation under poisoned skies and Infertile land? How can salvation ever come to a damned planet?"
Leader-1 got up and went over to Path Finder. He placed both hands on her upper arms, then gently stroked her left cheek with his right hand. He marveled at the beauty of her amber eyes and emerald skin. As advanced in age as he, but still every bit the aesthetic perfection she was back when they met in their twenties. How lucky he had been to win her heart and her hand. To see, even briefly, the embers of hope once again flare in her eyes, made his soul cry out in joy.
"My love, I do not know all the answers to these questions, only that a full presentation shall be given next week. So, shall I count on your attendance for the meeting or do you still prefer to sit by an empty crib?"
"Yes," she said, nodding her head, looking all about the room. "Yes, I am most interested now to attend."
Leader-1 hugged Path Finder, who could only stare off into space.