Chapter One — The City That Should Not Exist

In the year 2189, humanity no longer lived on Earth.

The planet had become too dangerous.

Oceans had swallowed entire countries. Cities had disappeared beneath endless storms. The air in many places had become impossible to breathe.

So humanity built cities in the sky.

Huge floating structures called Astra Cities traveled above the clouds.

They were powered by artificial stars.

They had forests, rivers, schools, hospitals, and thousands of homes.

People believed they were safe.

They were wrong.

Twenty-year-old Lena Vale had always wondered what existed beneath the clouds.

Her father had forbidden her from asking.

“Earth is dead,” he always told her.

“Don’t look down.”

Lena never understood why.

Until the night she discovered the impossible.

---

She worked in the navigation department of Astra City Seven.

Her job was simple.

Monitor the city’s flight systems.

Check the weather.

Report any mechanical problems.

Most nights were boring.

But at 2:17 AM, everything changed.

Lena was sitting alone in the control room when her screen suddenly went black.

She frowned.

“Come on.”

She restarted the system.

Nothing.

Then a strange signal appeared.

UNKNOWN TRANSMISSION

Lena stared at it.

The signal was coming from below.

From Earth.

Her heart began beating faster.

That was impossible.

There had been no human transmission from Earth for eighty years.

She clicked OPEN.

Static filled the room.

Then a voice whispered:

“If anyone can hear this… Astra City Seven must not reach the northern coordinates.”

Lena froze.

A second message appeared.

“They are lying to you.”

Then the screen went black.

Lena immediately reported the transmission.

But before she could finish, someone entered the control room.

A young man.

Tall.

Dark-haired.

Wearing the silver uniform of the city security division.

Lena recognized him.

Kai Rowan.

He was twenty-four and famous for being the youngest security commander in Astra City Seven.

He looked at her screen.

“What did you see?”

“Nothing.”

Kai raised an eyebrow.

“You are a terrible liar.”

Lena sighed.

“I received a transmission.”

“From where?”

She hesitated.

“Earth.”

Kai’s expression changed.

“Show me.”

She replayed the message.

His face became serious.

“Who else knows?”

“No one.”

“Good.”

“Why?”

Kai stepped closer.

“Because if the government finds out, they’ll erase the recording.”

Lena stared at him.

“Why would they do that?”

Kai looked toward the enormous window.

Beyond it were endless clouds.

“Because Earth isn’t dead.”

Lena’s heart stopped.

“What?”

He lowered his voice.

“There are people down there.”

---

Later that night, Kai secretly took Lena to the lower maintenance level.

They walked through a dark tunnel beneath the city.

Lena followed him.

“Where are we going?”

“You wanted answers.”

“I wanted answers, not a criminal record.”

Kai smiled.

“Too late.”

They reached a locked door.

Kai entered a security code.

The door opened.

Inside was a small room filled with old technology.

Maps covered the walls.

Lena stared.

“What’s all this?”

“Truth.”

He pointed toward a large digital map.

It showed Earth.

But unlike the maps Lena had seen in school, this one showed hundreds of glowing locations.

Cities.

Villages.

Forests.

Lights.

People.

Her mouth fell open.

“That’s…”

“Earth.”

“But they told us there was nothing.”

“They lied.”

Lena stepped closer to the map.

“Why?”

Kai looked at her.

“Because Astra Cities aren’t what you think.”

“What are they?”

Kai hesitated.

“Prisons.”

Lena laughed nervously.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?”

He pointed toward the sky.

“Our city doesn’t travel freely.”

“What?”

“It’s following a programmed route.”

Lena looked at the map.

A red line connected all the Astra Cities.

At the end of the route was a single destination.

NORTH POLE — PROJECT ECLIPSE

Lena’s heart raced.

“What is Project Eclipse?”

Kai didn’t answer.

Instead, he opened an old file.

A photograph appeared.

Lena recognized the man immediately.

Her father.

She stepped backward.

“No.”

Kai looked at her.

“Your father was one of the scientists who created Astra Cities.”

Lena stared at the photograph.

“He died when I was eight.”

Kai shook his head.

“That’s another lie.”

Lena’s breathing became uneven.

“My father is alive?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

Kai pointed at the northern coordinates.

“Under the ice.”

A sudden alarm screamed through the room.

WARNING. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED.

Kai shut down the system.

“We have to go.”

“Who detected us?”

“Everyone.”

They ran into the corridor.

Security drones appeared behind them.

Lena looked back.

“Those are city security drones!”

“I know.”

“They’re chasing us!”

“I know!”

“Do you have a plan?”

Kai smiled.

“Not yet.”

“Wonderful!”

They reached an emergency exit.

Kai opened it.

A violent wind rushed through the doorway.

They were standing on the outside edge of the floating city.

Below them were endless clouds.

Lena looked down.

“This is a terrible plan.”

Kai grabbed her hand.

“Trust me.”

“What are you doing?”

“Jumping.”

“KAI!”

They jumped.

Lena screamed.

They fell through the clouds.

For several seconds, there was nothing but darkness.

Then something enormous appeared beneath them.

A glowing structure.

Hidden beneath the clouds.

A city.

A real city.

Buildings.

Lights.

Roads.

People.

Earth.

Lena stared in disbelief.

“We’re alive.”

Kai smiled.

“I told you.”

Suddenly, a massive ship appeared above them.

Its engines glowed blue.

A voice came through the speakers.

“Kai Rowan.”

Kai looked upward.

The ship opened its doors.

“Bring Lena Vale aboard.”

Lena looked at him.

“How do they know my name?”

Kai’s expression changed.

“I don’t know.”

A pause.

Then the voice returned.

“Your father has been waiting for you.”

Lena stopped breathing.

Far below them, Earth stretched endlessly into the darkness.

And for the first time in eighty years, humanity’s greatest secret was about to be revealed.

To be continued…