"Boo!"

A startled Nathan jumped before settling down again as the realization of recognition set in. The voice he had heard belonged to his trusted assistant, Borgina, who was supposed to have shut down.

"How are you still active?" He asked, perplexed.

He heard a soft chuckle which made him look up at the speakers fitted into the ceiling of his rectangular shaped apartment. A confused smile formed on his brows as he realized her voice was coming from those speakers.

"I just shut you down, Borg. You've got to have a good explanation for being active right now." He replied. "Wait a minute, have I lost it? Is this all happening in my head?"

"No, Nathan. You're completely fine. The word 'virtual' takes on an expanded meaning here on MoonEx." She replied. "If this feels too creepy for you, turn the laptop back on and let's have a conversation."

Nathan had barely made it back to his desk when a different voice came through the speakers. This time, it was an announcement from Colonel Ford.

"Survivors of Earth." He began. "This is Colonel James Ford. Listen carefully to the information I will pass across to you shortly. It will determine our collective survival or death here on MoonEx. For those of you who kept up with the news back on Earth, you know exactly what MoonEx is. For the rest of you who didn't, it is just as the name implies – an extension of the moon. The history of MoonEx, as well as the information you need to have to successfully live here has been updated on the official MoonEx portal, to which your virtual assistants have the address. You are required to read and understand the information contained within the document over the next two days. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your virtual assistants. They have been updated with all the information needed to deduce the correct answers to all your questions regarding MoonEx.

It was a rather unfortunate event that brought us all here and just like you've guessed, our home planet has been completely destroyed. The sad reality is that we have nowhere else to go but being the resilient species that we are, we will find a way to sustain our prolonged or permanent stay here. Achieving this requires the effort of each and every one of us which I have no doubt you will lend to this cause. MoonEx is powered mostly by artificial intelligence and that means these non-human companions will be more involved in our daily lives going forward.

Because our arrival here was unplanned, we do not have the required number of medical facilities or personnel to cater to the health of the sick or injured. As a result, the Ruling Council has decided that prevention will be our coping mechanism. Each one of us will receive a shot twice daily, which will be injected into our bloodstream through the shoulder. This shot will help prevent all the known diseases as well as protect us against all known strains of viruses. We are already facing extinction as a species and cannot afford for anyone to get sick or infect others. As a result, we will not tolerate any form of disobedience to the rules. If you fail to take your shots, you will be killed, or worse still, thrown out of our protected colony where you can have fun infecting the vast emptiness of space. This punishment applies to all stated rules of the colony.

Your virtual assistants have been programmed to keep a constant watch over you and report your activities back to the Ruling Council. Further instructions will be communicated to you after two Earth days, when you will be expected to have studied the MoonEx documentation referenced earlier. No further reference will be made to Earth's timing as you are expected to learn and adjust to the timing here on MoonEx. Have a restful day."

As soon as the announcement ended, a furious Nathan lowered himself unto the single chair in his apartment. Several things were wrong with the way the Ruling Council handled the survivors of Earth. These were people who had gone through various levels of physical and emotional trauma and the last thing they needed was someone barking orders at them. Also, if everyone got here unexpectedly, what time did they have to elect a Ruling Council? Were they even elected in the first place? No one heard anything about an election. All facts pointed to the fact that the members of the Ruling Council were appointed. If that was the case, who made the appointment? Who bestowed the power to make an appointment like that on that individual? When were the preventive shots made? If they couldn't get drugs, how were they getting the shots to administer to everyone twice daily?

Too many things just didn't sound right to Nathan. What bothered him the most however, was the invasion of privacy by the Ruling Council. They had no right to do that and it irked him.

Five minutes later, Nathan was calm again. Staying alive was surely more important than protecting his privacy. Everyone should accept that, right? He knew the smart answer to that question was YES but why did everything within him scream NO?

He tried to push the thoughts out of his mind but they remained persistent.

"Great job, Nathan. Like you need one more thing to worry about right now." He thought to himself, as he pushed the power button on his computer to turn the device on.

The earlier he asked Borgina these pressing questions, the earlier he could find the answers he knew were required to put his mind at rest.

** Hey guys! What do you think so far? Are Nathan's questions unfounded? Should he just appreciate the fact that people saved him from a destroyed planet rather than question their decisions? More about what went on will be explained in the upcoming chapters but as always, I will love to hear your thoughts on the story so far. Drop me a comment and vote if you feel this chapter deserved it. If you like the story in general, share it with your friends. Until tomorrow, virtual hugs and kisses to everyone! **