Chapter 1 - Relocation

"Abby, where is your family being relocated to?" This came from her best friend Sue who was watching as the VR techs swarmed Abby's house with strange scanners recording everything... from her clothes to the stuffed pengiun on her bed. They had to keep moving out of their way or get mowed over.

"We are being moved to one of the undersea Hubs. My parents showed me the promotional video, and it's a little scary to think of millions of people stacked like sardines in small VR stasis pods under tons of water, but Mom said it's completely safe. Our bodies will be kept healthy while we're in stasis. But I feel like we are going into a coffin-like box to never wake again. As you can imagine, that thought is not comforting." She made a wry twist of her lips. Abby was a short 17 year old girl at 5'2" with a black pixie cut hairstyle and blue eyes. Her looks would be classified as cute but not beautiful. A normal girl with a normal family and a normal life. At least that was true before her city was chosen as one of the first to be demolished in the Earth Re-vitalization Project.

"It won't be that bad. They say they are recreating the city in VR. Plus, they will create portals to all different VR worlds available so you can have fun exploring. My brother says it will be like playing games 24/7." Sue assured her as she idly swung her long blond hair behind her ear.

Abby grabbed her stuffed penguin and held it tight in her arms for comfort. "Your family is staying awake, right? Your parents are involved in demolition and replanting." No matter how the PR spun it, not everyone was being relocated to the new VR Hubs. The governments of the world wanted a planet worth coming back to, so a lot of prep work needed to be done. Not to mention, the crews needed to maintain the VR stasis pods to keep everyone healthy and fed.

"Yeah, Mom is a demolitions expert, and Dad is a horticulturalist, but my brother and I will spend most of our day using VR helmets to connect to the VR Network for social interaction and education. It won't be as good as a VR stasis pod, but hopefully, we will still see each other that way." She replied.

Abby just shook her head in confusion. "Things are so uncertain. There is some info available, but it's still vague. How will we really live every day? Will we still work? Go to school? Get married? Have kids?" Abby nimbly side-stepped the tech who wanted to scan the dresser located behind her. At that moment, her mother came to the door, "Abby, Sue, let's get out of their way." She gestured for them to leave the bedroom and follow her downstairs and out to the front lawn.

Abby's dad was standing on the driveway speaking seriously with Sue's parents. "Gigi, are they really destroying everything?" He gestured to encompass the suburban neighborhood around him.

"Yep. As we tear everything down, they will recycle as much as possible for future use and store the raw materials in bunkers. Same with anything the government considers culturally significant. Then, they will treat the soil and try to replant and introduce breeding pairs for new wildlife. They've made large strides in cloning many of the extinct plants and animals to re-seed the Earth." Sue's mom was just as blond as Sue was, but she kept her hair trimmed short to keep it out of her eyes as she worked. It's not a good idea to have an obscured sight when dealing with materials that blow up. "They hope that with minimal help, the planet will start to heal itself."

"Unfortunately, I saw on the news that people are still protesting the re-vitalization project." Said Sue's father. "I understand the sentiment on not wanting their homes destroyed, but we need to think about the future. Having one that is." The three fell silent when they noticed the approach of the girls.

Abby ran to her father and wrapped one arm around his waist for a quick side hug while Sue gave her Dad a casual fist bump and cheekily saluted her mother. Looking up at her father, Abby asked, "Dad, are we really being relocated today?" He touseled her hair and nodded while pointing down the street at a calvacade of black buses stopping at each house to pick up families. "Looks like it's about time." He looked again at Sue's parents. "Mark...Gigi.. there should be some way to keep in touch. Let us know what's happening out here if you can." He gave them both a hug in farewell. Abby and her mom followed suit with Abby, giving Sue the penguin she hadn't put down when they left her bedroom.

The little family headed to the bus that stopped in front of their driveway. A government official stepped down with a tablet in hand and, after verifying the address, looked at them inquisitively. "Forrester family - father, mother, and minor child?" At their nods, he continued with his checks. "Grant Quentin Forrester - computer programmer. Gwenivere Frances Forrester... nee Taylor - artist. Abigail Jane Forrester - student. Is that correct?" Again, they all nodded. He held the tablet out to them, "Palm print for final verification, then please get on the bus. You have a long trip ahead of you but don't worry, we'll cover all your needs and once you reach your Hub you can start your new life together as a family." He smiled reassuringly and gestured for them to board the bus. With one last look at her home, Abby followed her parents aboard. It's time to find out what happens next.