Supplementary Content

SCENE:


The sky was a tapestry of scarlet melancholy, a poignant reminder of Earth's impending end. Theo wandered amidst the thrumming anxiety of the city, feeling Amelia’s fingers weave through his, their fates yet undetermined.

At the assembly hall, a hush descended. Every name drawn was a verdict, sealing futures in an instant, a one-way journey from which there would be no return. Families, friends, and lovers would be sundered apart. Amelia took his hand.

"do you think it's really rigged?", Amelia asked.
"No. it's pretty lo-fi. An analog loop current is triggered by random voltage or something. It iterates through the list and when a name comes up, either it's triggered or the list is re-shuffled and...", Theo stopped short, realizing he might be revealing too much.

Only a few names had been called when Amelia's name was announced. Theo felt a cold void opening within him. Briefly he imagined their lives taking separate courses. She clutched his hand tighter. Then, moments later, his name was called as well, and Theo felt a thrill and relief all at once.

After the drawing, a grand celebration unfurled, veiling the impending sorrow of departure. Faces flashed before Theo, some familiar, some new, all intertwined in the tapestry of the unknown.

Amelia, her eyes alight, whispered, "It’s both of us, Theo. We're together in this. Away to a find a new world and to start the human race anew!"

Theo felt heady. The celebration was unlike any festival that he had ever known. The selected, having been freed from their obligations and commitments on earth were free of their inhibitions this night as well. Drink and drugs were aplenty. At first Theo partook reluctantly, keep Amelia close to his side.

But the night was a seductress, and amidst the intoxicating allure, Theo felt himself drift in haze. "One more dance," a voice murmured, pulling him closer, away from Amelia.

As dawn broke, it illuminated his betrayal. Amelia, standing at a distance, looked at him, eyes shadowed with hurt. "Was it everything that you wanted?" she asked, her voice a delicate fracture.

Theo swallowed, the weight of regret pressing down. "I'm sorry. I lost you in the crowd, and..."

She shook her head. "I'm not asking for answers. We both danced with strangers. Now you've chosen."

Before he could respond Amelia rushed away with a hint of tears in her eyes. He didn't see her again until the day of the launch.

The ship, a gleaming beacon of hope, awaited. But as its engines stirred to life, Theo's thoughts swirled with ambiguity. He saw Amelia as they boarded, but she looked away. They had dreamed about both of them being selected for this trip, but he hadn't thought it would be like this — both headed to the same destination, but their hearts drifting ever further apart.

POEM:

In a world where questions swirl, like drifting snow,
I’m not asking for answers, there's much to forego.
Across distant horizons, we’ve journeyed astray,
Both you and I, on a one-way foray.

In a city we’ve known, in alleys hidden,
In stranger's places, we've danced unbidden.
From moonlit squares to the dawn's breaking seam,
We danced in the shadows of dreams yet unseen.

But amid all the beauty, pain intertwined,
For I’ve known comfort, even as I've maligned.
Our souls carry burdens, weighty and deep,
In the night’s quiet hours, those secrets we keep.

We both yearn for release, for a moment pure,
To let go of the past, to endure and assure.

Yet amidst all the chaos, one question comes through,
Is it everything that you ever pursued?

A life filled with dreams, sometimes they distort,
Is it what you always imagined and sought?
In this vast, sprawling world, I feel so obscure,
No one knows me here, my spirit now unsure.

Among countless faces, amidst countless views,
I turned from the answers, turned away from you.
And now, somehow separate yet our paths intertwined,
We both recall that assembly, etched in our mind.

A gathering of souls, from past and from present,
Where memories were made, some harsh, some pleasant.
But here we stand, with the future in view,
Forever changed by the journey, forever changed by the truth.