By: Jessica & Mikki
Planet Austrasia. Part of the Andromeda Galaxy. It's the only Earth-like planet in the whole solar system that the Space Colonies have settled around that can sustain human life.
There's just one problem with this planet.
It is a living nightmare to think about settling on.
During the day, it is around ninety degrees Fahrenheit. At night, it drastically drops to negative-thirty degrees Fahrenheit. The planet only has one large land mass that wraps around the entire planet. The very north and the very south of the planet is nothing but ocean, while the large land mass is covered with lakes and rivers.
The land mass of the planet is overrun with plant life. But almost all of this vegetation is carnivorous and even cannibalistic. Fruit-bearing plants are high in nutrition however as soon as the fruit is picked, the plant sends out a spray of poison that will kill you almost instantly, and then it's roots will drag the dead body down underground to feast on and get it's sustenance to survive. Trees that are not harmful actually contain a living sap that will die in a matter of minutes if exposed outside of the tree and the one extracting the sap is not careful, and will not kill you due to how long it lives -- but it will still do some damage when it touches. There are several other types of plants that are dangerous. Grass blades that are very sharp and durable like a blade, however if harvested too soon, their poisoned covered blades will slice into the skin and paralyze the one the poison enters through the cut, which then leads to the person falling into the grass and skewering them.
Because of the harsh heat index, the ozone layer of the planet is actually quite thin. This means that the UV index of the planet is way higher than it was on Earth. So too long exposure to the sun's harmful rays will lead to death for a human. The plants, however, can thrive in it. Even in the sub-arctic temperatures, the plants manage to stay alive. Fruit-bearing plants will grow new fruits every day once the frigid nights are over within a matter of two hours of the sun being in the sky.
These harsh conditions of the planet make it very hard for human life to survive. As a result, almost none of the humans populate themselves here...well, except for criminals who have committed some kind of crime on the Space Colonies surrounding the solar system of which Austrasia is apart of. Due to it's harsh conditions, the leaders of the Space Colonies -- such as the Prime Minister on Space Colony Capital, Terra, or any of the Mayors on the other Space Colonies -- have decided that it is better use to have such a planet be a prison for criminals, rather than having a Space Colony that would hold said criminals.
The Space Colonies all consist of either scientists who work on trying to find a way to use terra-forming to transform another planet within the solar system Austrasia is apart of to be able to sustain human life, plant life, and animal life in the same manner that Earth does. That way, the human race can finally get out of the starry blackness that surrounds them and finally have a home where they do not fear having no oxygen to breathe. There is also a military force which guards and protects the people of each colony, known as the Militia. Depending on what gender you are born under, and what your corresponding parent's work status is, will depend on what work you will ultimately have to do. If you are a female and your mother is a scientist, then you are to become a scientist to help with the terra-forming project. If you are a female and your mother is apart of the Militia, then you are to become a soldier to defend the citizens of the Space Colony you live on. This same sequence is also used for males. Born male, father is a scientist, male child becomes scientist. Born male, father is apart of Militia, male child becomes a soldier of the Militia. That's how it works.
In the Space Colonies, you are either a scientist, or you are apart of the Militia. The Mayors of each Colony -- as well as the Prime Minister on Capital Terra -- are both scientist and Militia. For they must be able to defend themselves, and also find their own solutions for the terra-forming projects.
On Austrasia, for the criminals that exist on such a planet, they have their own colonies. Separated by distance and by skin color. There are five colonies on Austrasia, compared to the hundreds of Space Colonies just beyond their line of sight up in the sky in -- of course -- outer space. Four out of five of these colonies rarely get along with one another whenever they are in another colony's territory. The fifth colony -- the Harmona Colony, because of the four skin colors living together in harmony in this colony -- is the only colony that has permanent diplomatic friendships with the other four colonies. The rest will form a diplomatic friendship occasionally for a certain reason, but only lasts for so long, and in exchange for the said diplomatic friendship they're wanting with one of the other four, they must give the other colony extra food as payment. Because of this temporary truce, the two colonies with the diplomatic friendship are allowed to come into the other's territory to be able to collect food and be able to converse with the said other colony, and this lasts until the friendship ends.
The criminals live in caves which help keep them out of the harmful sun's rays, and they have built metal doors to seal the cave entrances at night so that way they do not freeze to death. If they do venture out at night, they wear heavy clothes and have a heavy cloak to protect them from the frigid temperatures. During the day, they wear light clothing to keep themselves cool and wear a thin cloak that covers their skin to protect them from the sun's rays.
When a criminal is sent to this desolate planet, they are escorted by armed guards to the prison pod which sends them to Austrasia. Upon the escort, the guards take the criminal to an armory just outside the entrance to the prison pod for them to choose one weapon that they will take with them for a chance of survival. They are also allowed a small pack for a change of warmer clothes and two cloaks so that way they have a better chance of survival during the day and night. Once the criminal has chosen a weapon, one of the guards handles the weapon and fastens it into the pod so that the criminal cannot use it until they reach Austrasia. The criminal is also strapped in so that way they cannot move to try to get the said weapon to try to escape from the pod. Upon departure, a screen appears in front of them to tell them about the prison planet that will be arriving to. Everyone on the Space Colonies knows that they go to Austrasia if they commit a crim and that it's dangerous. But they do not realize just how dangerous it is until they read this information that is given to them on their journey. Upon arrival at the planet, the straps holding the criminal in place are timed to release the prisoner automatically and their weapon of choice is timed to be accessible once they arrive. From there, it's survival of the fittest against themselves and the plants, as well as the other colonies until they find a colony to belong in.
Either in the Harmona Colony, or in a colony that corresponds with their skin tone. Sol Colony if they are bronze skinned or tan, Spectre Colony if they are paper white pale, Caucus Colony if they are "pink" skinned (aka Caucasian), And Ebon Colony if they are "black" skinned (aka African American). Once you are apart of a colony, there are two factions, depending on your gender. There is a leader -- an Alpha -- for each faction and there is a second-in-command -- a Beta -- who keeps everyone in line when the Alpha is away. Trials are held to attempt to become new Alphas or Betas for the colony, otherwise the title of Alpha or Beta will fall to the child corresponding to gender of that faction.
The women's faction of each colony on this prison planet are held in high regard. Whatever they say overpowers any order a male gives, and is law. This is due to the fact that women are able to bare children, and therefore are treasured among the males. The women are the ones who choose who they will have a child with, and because there are so few women for each colony, they often times will pick different males to bare children with for each year the Month of Mating comes around. Some of them committing themselves to one man, while others will do no such commitments. Because of this, the men work hard to impress the women so that way the woman they are trying to impress will choose them to be their partner for the Month of Mating. The men also go through lengths to protect the females from the males in other colonies. Not allowing the men in another colony to have a chance to impress a woman from their own colony.
There are questions in everyone's minds. Why come to such a desolate solar system? Why not just return to Earth? What even happened to Earth? Does Earth still exist?
These are questions everyone on Austrasia and within the Space Colonies asks themselves every single day. No one knows the answer to what happened to Earth. No one knows the answer of why the humans exist by and even within such a solar system within the Andromeda Galaxy. There's only one clue. One clue that everyone has overlooked.
That clue, is of which the humans choose to call their segment of dating. Much like how back on Earth, the humans called their dates "BC" and "AD". The humans on the Space Colonies, and even on Austrasia, call their segment of dating...