In an alternate reality.

An unknown amount of time before the prologue.

Planet Earth, in the year 2022, around the time you were 14.

 

A fleet of 132 gargantuan spaceships suddenly appeared in high orbit, the smallest being 3km long and the biggest being over 10km long, with eight of the largest of them directly above the US, Germany, the UN, Russia, China, India, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

Astronomers, both professional and novice, immediately noticed the anomaly, and despite the efforts of the various governments to issue gag orders, the information spread like wildfire.

People rioted. Governments rushed into action. Militaries raised into full readiness. Nuclear weapons were armed as we awaited first contact.

Three hours after the alien vessels appeared, the UN prime minister issued an emergency meeting via secured channels to discuss this strange and frightening turn of events.

While the world's leaders bickered and yelled at each other like monkeys in a zoo about what to do, all of the world's servers got hacked without warning, and the TV and Radio channels were hijacked.

On every tv screen across the world, the face of a somewhat beautiful yet scarred middle-aged blue-haired woman with a synthetic red-glowing left eye suddenly appeared. The world went to a standstill as she began to speak in a clear voice.

"Greetings, citizens of planet Harelion XK-98 Zeta of the Zynchlar solar system, otherwise selfishly known to you as "Terra." or "Earth.". I am General Maaveola Bollite, commander of the 87th fleet of the Imperial Stellar Navy of the Holy Vrax Empire, the undisputed ruler of the milky-way galaxy and the imperium of man, under the sole rulership of our most glorious God Emperor himself."

The woman's mouth spoke in an alien language, but what everyone heard was their native language, depending on the country and region, with added subtitles.

The world went silent in shock and horror as the woman continued to speak, her tone growing more commanding and her expression fierce.

"In the name of the God-Emperor, I, General Maaveola Bollite, commander of the 87th Imperial Stellar Navy, lay claim to this world and all its inhabitants for the Holy Vrax Empire and the Imperium of man, and I demand your compliance!"

As she finished speaking, the tension skyrocketed to unprecedented heights. Humanity stood in absolute shock as they watched the screen, and in the UN Headquarters, only fevered curses and cries could be heard.

"We will give you three days to decide whether you wish to join or deny us."

With that, the transmission ended. The world began to panic. Leaders all across the world mobilized their militaries and began to prepare for the worse. The nuclear powers stood ready to launch their arsenals as everyone waited for the impending storm as the Vrax Empire fleet approached low orbit.

 

Three days later.

By not giving a response to this so-called Vrax Empire, the Vrax Empire interpreted it as an act of resistance, so they gave a warning shot.

While the world was still waiting for the impending attack, the 132 ships in high orbit opened fire. A shower of blinding orbital strikes struck down many locations across the world, including the major powers of the world, with only major cities and large military bases spared.

As the dust settled, we realized that our only reliable defense was wiped out in the opening shots. All nuclear silos across the world have been destroyed, with the only Nuclear response remaining being a few surviving nuclear submarines hidden under the cover of the sea.

Earth was crippled.

Without much suspense, the world surrendered within the day, and all remaining resistance got crushed in the following months.

And so came a long period of assimilation to the Empire, the bringing of futuristic technology that solved many problems that troubled Earth, the Emperor's faith that would soon replace the major religions of our planet, and the enactment of both beneficial yet highly controversial laws and rules.

Bless the God-Emperor and the Imperium of Man.

 

Total of Earth's casualties:

Almost all nuclear bombs and many staff members and researchers working on-sight.

 

Vrax Empire's casualties:

None.

 

 

 

In the year 2030.

US, California Zone, San Jose outskirts, in a certain clearing.

 

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Ting*

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Ting*

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Ting*

 

You used your body for momentum as you threw another rock at your target, a heavy wooden cube on a table with a riveted and battered 2cm thick stainless steel plate resting on a flat stone, using your trusty self-made shepherd's sling.

 

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Ting*

 

Another rock arced through the air and hit the battered metal sheet, a noticeable dent in its center caused by many repeated stone hits.

The target itself was 150m away, and you managed to hit it in its center, an impressive feat. However, you don't consider it an accomplishment, as it was a barely satisfactory hit for you. Practicing three times a week from the age of eight does that to you.

You wipe the sweat that has formed on your forehead as you reach a hand to your rock pouch.

"Two more..." - You muttered, taking out one of the last remaining rocks and placing it in the sling's pouch.

You then started rotating the sling again and made another shot.

 

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Ting* 

 

You hear the sound of your stone hitting the target again as you reach into your pocket again for the last shot.

"Last shot, and then I go... Home?"

 

Rustle* Rustle*

 

Your ears twitch as through the sound of the pleasant morning breeze brushing against you, you pick up another sound. You turn your head and notice a pest you hate intensely.

A slithery serpent about 6ft long and a thick body with a nasty bite and venom that got you hospitalized twice slithered in your direction through the sparse spring grass and mud about 30m away.

"North Pacific Rattlesnake..." - You muttered, noticing the familiar patterns on its back.

Normally, this rattlesnake is non-aggressive, and although it is not a protected species and you can bag two a day, few would want to mess with it when not on their property, but you just so happened to have a vendetta with it.

With narrowed eyes, you load the last stone in your sling and start swinging it again while calculating the trajectory in your mind. If you miss this shot, it will run away, possibly in your direction.

 

Woo* Woo* Woo* Thwack* Thud* 

 

The stone you hurled shot like an arrow as it hit the creature you loathed accurately in its head, its life likely gone.

This time, you finally crack a smile. Hitting a moving target was much more challenging than a stationary target, but you still hit the small slithering target, an accomplishment worth bragging about over beer.

Just in case, you pick up another rock from the ground as you approach the downed snake, but your precaution was unwarranted. It was dead as a doornail, with half its head caved in and bleeding.

You pick up your trophy in your hands and weigh it. Around 13lb, you estimate.

"Nice. It's been a while since I got some quality snakeskin. Should make a good belt for dad." - You smiled, thinking of a week ago when your father's favorite belt broke down.

Taking another look around to confirm there are no more snakes or other dangerous critters, you take your well-earned trophy and place it in the back of your car, a blue pickup truck parked a few dozen meters away, not forgetting to take a selfy for bragging rights.

You bought that pickup truck with your salary as a survival instructor, a converted 2016 model with the new alien-tech electric engine installed.

You paid a good penny to buy and convert it, $18,500 to be exact, or about five and a half months of your hard-earned net income, but it is worth it. Electricity costs were almost nothing now, as power plants transitioned to highly efficient fusion reactors until the Dyson swarm gets completed. The new policies on increasing petrol prices also encouraged us to use electricity instead of petrol.

After you put the snake at the back of your car, you entered the driver's seat, started the smooth engine, and moved to where your target was. Then, after picking up the target and placing it on the back of your car, you ride back home.

Out of boredom, you opened the radio to hear some morning news.

"... And that wraps today's forecast. Back to you, Tom." - A female voice sounded.

"Thanks, Meggy. Up next, we got a special report that a large Vrax Empire Delegation will soon arrive at mid-orbit. They stated that it is to pick 100,000 representatives from our planet to participate in some once-in-a-century Intergalactic game show hosted by our most glorious God-Emperor of Mankind." - Tom said.

"Game Show?" - You raise an eyebrow, your interest piqued.

"Oh my! A game show hosted by the God Emperor himself! What is it called?" - Another female voice sounded.

"It says here it's called SURVIVE, the greatest game show in the galaxy." - Tom said with a slightly weirded-out tone.

"Survive? As in, a survival game show?" - The female voice asked in an even weirder voice.

"Eh... Yes, that's what it says, Liza." - Tom confirmed, his voice still weirded out.

"An intergalactic survival game show? The heck?" - You felt equally as weirded out as they are, but at the same time more fascinated.

"A survival game show! Is it like those we have on tv?" - Liza asked.

"Should be. I don't have any more detail here, though... Rustle* Rustle*" - Tom said while flipping pages.

"Oh well, it does sound exciting, Tom!" - Liza said cheerfully.

"Indeed it does, Liza! I wonder who will get selected to represent us." - Tom replied.

"Me too! Next, we will discuss the population decline in recent years due to the indirect selective breeding law..." - Liza started talking about another news article, but your mind was engrossed in something else.

"An intergalactic survival game show... How cool would it be for me to participate in it." - You say, fantasizing.

You always dreamt about showing off all the skills you learned all your life, to be someone others know and admire for your work and hobby.

"Meh, dunno if I will get picked, though. They didn't even say the selection criteria. Is it random or something? Do they have some standards?" - You wonder as you switch the channel.

The soothing sound of a saxophone fills the car as you smile.

"Nothing like jazz."

After ten minutes of driving, you got to your home, your parent's house to be exact, a 3 bedroom house sitting in the suburbs.

Yes, that's right, you are a 22-year-old bachelor living together with his parents. So uncool~ Not.

You're just saving money to buy your own house, instead of mooching off your parent's money(Although they did offer to help pay for it), not that they lack it or anything, your father being a top-class master carpenter earning $270K a year and your mother a university physics professor earning a stable $120K.

Although the Vrax Empire limited the cutting down of trees and even cleared some farmland to let nature retake it, there was an increased demand for luxury handcrafted carpentry by the empire as an exported tax, so your father's job was not only stable, but his profits also increased a bit. As for your mother, although the Empire introduced new revolutionary knowledge, most of our known knowledge was correct, so your mother thankfully kept her Ph.D. and job after correcting a bit of her knowledge.

After parking your car in the large garage, you take your trophy and go to the back of the house, where the backdoor to the kitchen is. Through the window, you see the most beautiful woman in the world, your mother, cooking breakfast.

You smile as you open the unlocked backdoor and see your awesome father sitting next to the table, drinking his morning coffee while watching the news on the kitchen TV.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad! Look what I got!" - You say with a broad grin as you show your catch.

"Haha! That's my crazy little boy!" - Your father's eyes lit up as he got up and sized up your catch.

"I guess it's snake meat tomorrow." - Your mother commented while cooking eggs and bacon on the electric hot plate.

Although she is an intellectual with a Ph.D., your mother also likes being a housewife and cook.

"So, anything new?" - You ask as you take the snake to the sink, wear rubber gloves, and start washing it.

"Not really, but did you hear about that survival game show on the news?" - Your father asked.

"Sure did! Sounds awesome! Hope I get selected." - You say while scrubbing off the dirt from the snake.

"Be careful of what you wish for, son." - Your mother said on the side.

"Aw, cmon! An intergalactic survival game show! You know how much I love survival stuff!" - You say, excited.

"I don't know, son. I don't think it's as simple as surviving in the wilds." - Your father said worriedly as he sat down on his chair.

"Hm... Meh, whatever. Not like I have much of a chance of being selected or anything. Would be nice, though." - You say as you finish washing the snake and placing it on the butcherblock to dry up with a towel.

"If you say so." - Your father says while returning to watching the news.

After you dried up the snake, you removed your gloves and sat next to the table, and got your breakfast, two eggs with bacon, toast with butter, some cut vegetables with olive oil, and a cup of coffee, black with heavy whipped cream on top, just the way you like it.

"Thanks, mom." - You thank her as you eat with your parents.

In the middle of breakfast, you and your parents suddenly received messages on your phones.

"We got a message at the same time? Weird." - You say as you took out your phone from your pocket.

"Yeah, that's strange." - Your father agreed as he took out his phone.

"Is it a coincidence?" - Your mother said while picking up her phone.

"Let's see here..." - You say as you open your phone, only to see that you received a special and impossible-to-copy message from the Vrax Empire administration itself.

You hurriedly open the message with astonished eyes.

 

 

 

 

"...Mom, Dad, you were right." - You say with the expression of someone who just ate a raw lemon.