The sun is a bright orange as it slowly settles down to it's rest, making the sky a rich orange to blue up above. The earth is green and full of life giving a dramatic shadow from the sun's rays. It was beautiful, serene, and mesmerizing in Jack's eyes. The young boy stands at the edge of his father's hangar, which stands hundreds of feet above the ground on a cliff. Jack would always sneak from doing his chores to just be with his father's Sky Rider and look at the skies. Jack's father was an honest ship mechanic, and a damn good one as far as Jack was concerned. Even though Jack didn't have as much as the other kids at his school, he really didn't care and if asked her preferred it that way. He would run home everyday after school to help his father with his latest job. And even though his father was paid well for his services, almost all of the money was spent to keep Jack in school, pay for the small house they lived in, and keep his tools working. Jack and his father spent hours fixing Ground Riders, Sky Riders, Mech Servants, and other things that kept everyone around the town going. Jack grew a fascination with Sky Riders that made him dream of being an adventurer. Traveling through the stars to other planets, but only special people were able to travel beyond the sky, mainly the rich and powerful had their own Ships that could travel out into the darkness above the clouds. Because of this Jack's father would remind him that it would be extremely difficult to do so be encouraged him to reach for his dreams.
So now Jack stands looking at at the sky as the sun was now drowned by the earth's surface and all that was left was a red sky leading to black. Suddenly a hand grabs Jack's shoulder and pulls him back, "Jack, I thought I told you to clean out those Generator vents.", his father says in a stern voice. After Jack realized it was his father he smiled, "Oh... I-I thought you said they were in here.", he states obviously thinking on his feet. His father smiles and then smacks the back of his head, "That's for not doing what I told you.", he says then walks over next to his Sky Rider and looks out at the sky, "Come here...there's something I want to show you.", he says and Jack steps up to him rubbing the back of his head. Now he new his father didn't mean any harm. He was just old school with his methods but they did keep him out of trouble most of the time. Jack's father looks out at the sky, "Your mother was just like you... Always looking at the sky and wanting to make a name for herself. But she didn't think of the risks it was to be someone like that...", he says then looks at Jack, "...I don't want you to end up like your mom did. Hell if it were up to me you'd just be a mechanic like me beside an explorer. But I know that I can't always keep you here...", he then pulls out something from his pocket and hands it to Jack. Jack looks at it, "What's that?", he asks, "It belonged to your mom.", he says opening his hand and shows a bracelet. Jack looks at it, "Girls wear those.", he says, "Your mother wanted you to have this when you were old enough to not break it. And men wear these things too.", he says then Jack takes the bracelet. Not entirely pleased with it but it's the only thing that was his that was once his mothers. His father then put his hand on Jack's shoulder and the two look out at the sky.
Suddenly Jack opens his eyes, he was in a different room, his father was nowhere in sight, but he didn't worry. He sat up from his slab of a bed and rubs his rough tired face. Fifteen years since that day, since he was enlisted into the new government's army. He stretches and stands up, his room is a metallic grey with a glass wall on one side showing nothing but millions of other rooms just like his. There were no chairs, no toilets, and no sinks, just a slab for a bed. Jack scratches his dark spiked up hair and steps up to the glass wall and stands there. He was enlisted and in the army for four years, then he was taken to this place where millions of others have been taken to be tested in various ways. Jack never saw anyone beside a few others that go through everything he has been going through. For there being millions if not a billion people in this enormous structure he only saw twenty other men and women. At first when he was a kid he thought it was strange seeing all these people from a distance and only a few up close. Now he doesn't really care, it's just life now.
Out of no where the glass wall slides down an he steps out onto a moving side walk and stands on it till he steps off on another, then another and another till he reaches a platform. He stands there as the twenty others step on with him. Victor, a rather large guy with a red mohawk and covered with scars from being beaten repeatedly because he would refuse to listen to the "drill sergeants". He's considered the most unstable and dumbest of the group but Jack found a way to get along with him. Then Rose appeared on the other side of Jack. Rose is the youngest of the group also with red hair but that's her natural hair color where Victor's was painted on some how. To Jack she's the most attractive of the group and the most vicious in combat training. Jack always likes to see her even though he doesn't show his feelings. Rose looks at Jack, "Jack...", then looks at Victor, "Dumbass.", she says to him. Victor chuckles, "Bitch.", then looks at Jack, "Got a new pretty one on me last night.", he says turning his back to Jack to show a long scar running down from his neck to the bottom of his right side. Jack just smiles to humor Victor then a screen appears since everyone else of the group steps on the platform. On the screen is the face of the man that they have seen for the past fifteen years, "Today is your last day of training. Today you become what many only dream of. Now get your clothes on and be ready for your last test.", the face says then disappears. Behind the screen a door opens and the group walk in and don their clothes. A grey jumpsuit with faded red stripes around the neck and sleeves. Then they line up back on the platform then a bright light and darkness.
