Chapter 3 -Just wait for the end. 

Want to know what life on earth was like? What Minho had lived through. How much the once thriving and beautiful earth is now a contaminated lifeless, strict, dictated, useless world. 

Well, this is how it goes. You were born. Born from a surrogate and two donors one for the egg and one for the . They would never raise you. You could have thousands of siblings but then relationships were no longer the norm. Once you learnt to walk you would be placed in a single room with all that you need. A qualified carer would care for you. Never with you longer than was requested. After all, she was probably looking after up to 30 children on one platform. You were taught via video links. Given lessons daily. Sometimes a human would sponsor you. Minho had a lady sponsor Mrs Yuan who provided him with animal books and information on plants. She even sent extra food parcels. She was a biology lecturer and taught Minho all he needed. Though they never actually met.

One day when Minho turned 11 he was told to pack his things and follow these men. They had him dress up in a suit and listen to instructions. He would follow them. As they step out into the open world. Minho was lucky the two men guiding him were able to lead him as he couldn't see a thing. He remembers travelling in a vehicle, and eventually took over to a large complex. He couldn't tell how high it was due to the moggy air. 

He entered a lift. And was up many floors then taken to a door with a giant S92. A button code was pressed and the door opened, pushed inside he stood in a small square where once the outside door was locked they were sprayed by a gust of wind and a puff of something. Then he was told to remove his suit and hang it up. As a second metal door splits open to reveal the next section.

Minho, a nervous and tiny child, stood in this small basic apartment. It was a square. One corner was a corner kitchen unit. Another was a half-walled bathroom. The rest were his bedspread and living area. And then on one of the walls was a giant screen. The man who had brought him in gave him the hand-pointed tour. 

‘This is your home now. You will live here and build your life from here?’. 

Minho swallowed ‘Will I have any visitors?’ 

‘You shall have a carer come by once a day until you have settled, then once a week, and then once a month, and then on your 13th birthday, you will receive your first learning job. Miss Yuan, your sponsor will support you until you are 16, then you are no longer sponsored and you will choose a line of work’. 

He takes something from the table beside the bedspread, a watch. ‘You must wear this at all times’. He helps Minho put it on his wrist. This is your connection to us in an emergency. We have provided you with the delivery of 10 food boxes tomorrow. When your carer arrives she will show you how to access your weekly meal packages from the food crate’. 

He points to the screen ‘You must set up your account, this will be your connection to others. But there are laws and rules you must obey. That will be in this introduction folder’. He points to a box of instruction folders besides the bed. ‘Never leave this apartment without your suit or you will die’. He then steps back into the area Minho was sprayed. ‘This is your safety pod. If we send out an emergency call you stand in this square it shall lock you in and you shall be safe. The same way you were in your last room. We shall inform you when it is safe to leave.’ 

Minho feels like crying. And wipes a sneaky tear. 

The man places his hand on Minho ‘Do not cry, no one will care. You must be strong and overcome all to live a life worth living. One day you will understand that in order to live we must accept that our world is dying.’

He steps back ‘Goodbye’. 

The door closes on one side of the pod to allow the man to leave. Once gone the spray activation is heard and the doors open again. Minho is alone. For the first time, he lets out tears he didn't realise he was holding. He sobs for as long as he dares until having nothing else to do, he picks up the first folder. 

By evening he had set up his account. His sponsor Mrs Yuan has sent many messages and video clips showing him what he can and cannot do. She continues to support him and grow his love for nature and animals. When Minho is 15 he receives a message that Mrs Yuan has taken ill and passed away. He will no longer have a sponsor and have to work a part-time job to earn his keep. 

Minho's first job is editing audio transcripts for lectures. He was paired with the history team which only advanced his then love of history. He eventually studied to become a part-time lecturer for children on the history of the earth. And was given information to create audio and picture files to send to young children in the pre-survival centre. 

He also ran an audio blog that had some online following but it was low. But it was enough to give him extra credits to order more in his food packets and other essentials. All of Mrs Yuan's credits had been gifted to him in her will but it wasn't much. Minho only used them on his birthday. But he did eventually use it for applying to further studies. 

Minho is doing a guest lecture video talking about how plants provided beauty and joy. He thanks the viewers who had subscribed and ends the live recording, then he opens a recording he hasn't finished for his dissertation to become a history tutor. Speaking another audio recording through his presentation to his professor. He is talking about the History of English Kings. 

'And so we return to the history of England, when King Henry the 8th has now Beheaded his 2nd wife Queen Anne Bolyn for apparently loving other men and even possibly her brother. We are shown that such things are punishable by death, which is the same rules we follow today. 

Minho sighs. He speaks a little more moving on to his second work, the wars on earth. 

Something very important to Minho was that he regarded history as repeatedly making the same mistakes. It was all about one person wanting to take over. One person wants to change things to meet their own agenda. People thought this would end in peace but it never did.

To say he lived in an advanced world. Yet where there was a dictatorship from a president who in this current age just signs off new strict rules and regulations that the government members have agreed upon. The royal line had ended years ago. There was no voting as such. Though there were many questions sent out for people to respond to. 

But Minho swore it was rigged. There was also the fact people just existed. Waiting for the earth to finally die. Their only hope is to move to a new planet suitable for them. Some things on earth were illegal. And one of the top illegal laws was no ual relationships. was banned. Kissing was banned. Having a family of your own was banned. Some people even believed it was deadly. 

Depending on your status depended on how much communication you were allowed. Because Minho was of a lower status he wasn't even able to speak to people. He had some messages from his video lectures. But every email would be reviewed by government officials before being sent. The dictatorship of the world was overwhelming. People would be reminded of their lack of independence when events such as a public live feed execution would occur. 

Minho is sitting on his bed, watching as two from his very own apartment complex or neighbours are taken from their guarded cells. Publicly shamed. A forbidden family. The reason for everyone seeing this was to show them who was in charge. 

A female and a male were being dragged through into a giant room. The cameras are on them at every angle. In the centre of the room was a giant machine. Looking somewhat like a sleeping pop upright. An official is speaking out about their execution last rights. Not that they had much. He claimed that their ignorance of the law is what brought them here today. 

Both prisoners are clinging to hold each other. Kissing each other in reunion. They had been illegal lovers. And it was their last moments together. They are dragged apart. Minho had no idea how they met, but when an overhead government scan was taken, the relationship was found. There was an arrest. And a few online court cases. Minho had made his vote to have them separated as it was the kindest, but the majority voted for a public execution. 

What startled Minho most was that the female was heavily pregnant. She is dragged to the machine first. The male begs and pleads for her to be forgiven and set free. But it was all ignored. The female sobs as she is locked in place with metal straps on her ankles and wrists. And one across her chest. 

With a broken tone, the woman tells the man she loves him. It causes Minho heartache. And the door closed with one glass pane to show her face. Suddenly an alarm rings and the man screams in protest. At first, she is sprayed with a liquid. But a second later is being fire-blazed into instant ashes. 

The room has gone silent. Minho finds himself wanting to cry. He watches the man drop to his knees. He is dragged to where they had been and surrenders as they lock him in. He looks at the camera 'You all are murderers'. He spits.

He is given the same treatment.  And the live view ends. Minho wipes his eyes. He changes the provided station and scoffs. It's a historical romantic movie. Probably something those people who died watched an