The Station; Ground Rats

This is a story of the end of the world and the group of survivors living at ‘the station’. Story by Wilkybarkid.

Pre-2046 A.D.
In the mid 21st century advances in rocket fuel development make the technology more practical opening space travel up to many smaller nations. Soon hundreds of small space stations are launched for scientific research as well as the first space based hotels.

2076 A.D.
By 2076 almost half a million people are now calling Earth’s orbit their home along with another half million visitors and workers who stay in space for short periods of time. On January 7th 2076 an immense orange radioactive cloud appears over the Ukraine and begins expanding. Nobody knows how the cloud originated or what’s feeding it. Scientists estimated that it would consume the Earth within a month and the rich and powerful scramble for the last few flights off the doomed planet to the orbiting space stations. The last ships arrive at the stations on February 3rd 2076. Life on Earth soon ends as the last of the planet is consumed by the cloud.

2077 A.D.
Those living in the stations know they cannot survive on their own and begin joining them up into one immense complex housing over a million survivors, the last of the Human race. Unfortunately the stations are not entirely self sufficient and require ships to return to the surface to salvage equipment. It is highly hazardous work but is essential for their survival. The ones chosen for the job are the least skilled of the survivors deemed ‘expendable’ by the new ruling elite.

They are known as ‘Ground Rats’.

2145 A.D.
Present day.