The Bodyguard I
“We are the first generation on a new planet. One swarming with danger. We are not children of explorers but of evacuees. Our parents’ planet was under attack, and while our city had a purpose, it was incomplete when it was launched. Millions rushed to it. Billions more did not make it. No one knows exactly how we made it through an anomalous force of density around this solar system, but none could follow us, and we had no way of ever leaving again. The City settled upon a seemingly perfect world, and we were told it was once called Loameria; named after its fertile soil. Many of our parents were working in The City at the time as scientists or construction workers – roles deemed valuable. But others, like mine, were merely passengers. Like many born of this city – descendants of the evacuees – we are from two worlds.
Life was not easy. Growing up here was always a backdrop of dread, we were all just waiting for the axe to fall. It was kept hidden from us when we were young, but by grade school’s end, every child knew that the horror our parents feared was real. A spaceship was discovered not far from where we landed. It belonged to the sole original denizen of this planet. But where were they now? No one knew. But that didn’t stop the rumours. One day, it was theorized, they would return and reduce all of us to nothingness. The executives, those in charge, studied the ship. Not long after the discovery, work was diverted from the completion of the Outer City to build a research facility. For the protection of everyone. Once it was built, no updates came from it, and construction of the Outer City did not recommence.
Most citizens simply continued to push forward. To work. What other choice did they have? There was little point in being afraid of existential threats, a ticking clock without numbers. It made no difference if the end of the world was tomorrow or 100 years from now.
Time passed, and I grew up tough from my time living in the unfinished zone. There, we were a community, a close nit one. But I had higher aspirations than the cobbled-together streets I called home. I had always looked to bigger and better things. And one day I decided to strive to become a top member of the security forces for the Inner City…“
Even as a child, Andrea rarely looked up at the stars. Instead, she was consumed by the enormity of her existence in the vast universe. The reality of her situation constantly sat upon her brow. As such, she had always set her sights forward, only towards things within reach. Her focus grew as the things she believed she could change grew. The world right in front of her was filled with hopelessness and despair that was greater than her. But by doing small personable deeds, helping out here and there in her local area, she saw the difference just one person could make. That was how it started.
Andrea’s home life was a bustling one, with her mother, aunt and several cousins often vying for space and attention. It was safe to say they didn’t all share her driven nature and a strong sense of justice. While her cousins were commonly derisive, insulting her kind nature, her mother supported and encouraged her altruistic tendencies. To her, she was her little angel. She was friendly with most residents of the Outer City, getting to know them through her good deeds. They also saw her as a godsend – the spritely, benevolent teen who helped grow crops, look after the neighborhood’s kids and even help with constructing shelters for the many who’d been abandoned by the Inner City.
As she matured, Andrea continued to be a beacon of hope for her community. She wondered how else she could improve the lives of the people around her. After much consideration, she realized a career in Security was calling to her. Though it was organized by the Inner City, and many believed they had no right to a presence in the Outer City after abandoning development, she knew that she could make a difference in people’s way of life with the resources at their disposal. So, as soon as she was old enough, she applied. Her unwavering commitment to fitness and academic excellence proved to be key assets in her new role. And so, she was subsequently accepted into the Outer City Security Force.
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