Yin-Yang: An Atomic OdysseyYear 4945, outer auditorium of Planet No. 3,656. Number of viewers via neural chip: 998.137 trillion.

  “A greeting to all those present. My name is Octavius Octo, and I was selected by popular vote to lead this project,” the speaker began. “I am not a man of flamboyant words, as you already know, but every act requires a presentation—and a presentation can be nothing but the truth. And the truth is what you all already know: today, we provide the final details of this hope. This symbolic ark, which bears the name: 'We’re all going to die, do something you sons of bitches,' a name chosen by the majority vote...”

  Laughter erupted through the crowd; a laughter desperately needed to endure this crisis. In the staging area, the chosen ones listened intently.

  “Shit, I can’t believe he actually said it...” Mark whispered.

  “It’s his job, kid. And I’ve already told you, at your age, you shouldn’t use that kind of language,” Mr. Luck rebuked him.

  “I told you I don’t like being called 'kid.' Or would you rather I start calling you 'old man'?”

  “You could, but 'Mr. Luck' sounds way too cool,” he replied.

  “Hmph... true. It does sound way too cool,” the boy admitted.

  “It’s true, Mark, watch your language. If it becomes a habit, I’ll be upset,” Cielo, the leader, intervened.

  “Yes, leader!” Mark exclaimed, a cold sweat running down his back.

  Octavius continued his solemn speech:

  “Out of the 23 trillion people selected... or rather, out of the 23 trillion heroes...” A sorrowful silence washed over the audience at those words. “Only three passed the procedures. The sacrifice of these volunteers will never be forgotten. We have specially created a planet in Galaxy Number 3 that holds the graves of every hero, along with a detailed description of their entire lives and physical dioramas recreated from every moment of their existence, so that anyone who wishes may go to witness both their lives and their sacrifice.”

  Thunderous applause resonated; an applause that carried the collective understanding of every spectator regarding the candidates' sacrifice.

  “Eighty years ago, when the universe’s expansion ground to a halt without explanation, we were curious. Ten years later, when we observed black holes beginning to grow at an incomprehensible speed, devouring everything in their path, we grew anxious. After forty years of research, all experts reached one clear conclusion: our universe is one of death, a universe destined and designed for its own self-destruction. When we understood that our end was inevitable, in that moment...” Octavius let out a heavy sigh at the memory, “...in that moment, we felt fear. A fear that has lasted three decades. Thirty years where every father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, friend, and companion has felt the terror of the inevitable death of all their loved ones.”

  Jeers and boos echoed through the audience, repudiating the imminent catastrophe.

  “But today, with all my strength, I can shout that we have hope! A hope that has taken the form of these three heroes!”

  Applause and cheers roared like never before in history.

  “I haven't heard a noise that loud since Test 467,” young Mark commented.

  “My eardrums burst thirty-five times during Test 467,” Mr. Luck’s face grew somber at the memory.

  “Knowing you, Mr. Luck, as unbelievable as it sounds, I can actually believe it. Didn't Manzanilla tell you how to fix it after a few tries?” the boy asked.

  “I’m sure she could have, but she was annoyed.”

  “I still don't get why that AI chose you, Mr. Luck.”

  “Neither do I. At first, I thought I was fortunate because she was in the top ten of the best AIs... now I’m not so sure.”

  “Don’t lose faith, sir. She would never fail you on the mission,” Mark assured him.

  “I know. At least that brings me some consolation...”

  The applause slowly began to fade.

  “Ahem, as I was saying... These three heroes!” The cheers erupted again, lasting for five minutes before subsiding. “After countless failures and errors, only these three volunteers survived the atomic restructuring process to gain the ability to survive the universe where white holes exist and, technically, any universe. The plan is simple, and also our only hope: these three heroes will enter a black hole to be expelled by its counterpart, a white hole, into another universe. One that all experts agree is teeming with life, and which we shall call Yang—the counterpart to ours, full of void and death, which we call Yin.”

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  Octavius made a dramatic pause.

  “Once they reach this new universe, they have a series of steps and detailed instructions to follow: first, confirm that it is a safe universe; and then, once confirmed, they must obtain the detailed atomic structure of that universe and return. Once we have the exact atomic structure, we can create a 100% safe procedure to change the atomic structure of every living being in this universe, so that we may all cross over into the new world.”

  There was a deathly silence. Despite the fact that everyone already knew the plan and almost all the information through the interconnection of neural chips, no one could help but feel their hearts tighten.

  “First, it is an honor to present Miss Cielo. A step forward, please.” The applause and cheers were deafening. “She will be the team leader and, whether by work of fate or God, our best chance to face this crisis. The second hero: Mr. Luck. Step forward.”

  Laughter and guffaws rang out for two minutes without stopping.

  “What the hell are you laughing at, you sons of bitches!” Luck shouted. Usually, he was used to the mockery, but he was likely the first human being in history to be laughed at by the entirety of humanity at the same time; that was a whole other level of humiliation.

  “He, undoubtedly, represents the mockery of fate,” Octavius continued. “He was the first hero to pass the procedure, and we all bore witness. First, he was our greatest hope, and then, when he failed every test, every training, every challenge... God, Jesus Christ! Even my hair fell out, you are all witnesses! I didn’t use to be bald!”

  Fresh laughter resonated throughout the venue; all of humanity gathered in one single place.

  “Dammit, Chief Octavius! Why are you saying these things?!”

  “You shut up! It’s your fault I lost my beautiful hair! Look at this scalp!”

  The audience clutched their stomachs with laughter, a joy most hadn't felt in decades.

  “And finally, the surprise of fate, the third hero: Little Mark. Step forward.” Mark raised his hand, being the only one to wave at the public, representing the typical innocence of a child. “Mark, at only twelve years old, was an unexpected hero. When we thought only Miss Cielo and Mr. Luck could participate in the mission, he appeared among the volunteers, hailing from the farming system and of humble origins—our third hope. There is not much more to say; you all know Little Mark and his bravery.”

  The applause was calm this time, lasting for almost ten minutes. In a small corner of the auditorium, the projection of two proud farmers could be seen. Most of humanity had already lived for hundreds of years, while Mark had only lived twelve; he was the representative of the bravery of the entire race.

  “Studies have shown that any black hole in our universe will lead to the same place; that is, our universe is only connected to one universe that is independent of our own. By vote, and therefore by majority, Sagittarius A was chosen. It should be noted that only the scientists involved in the project participated in this vote. A bit selfish, we know, but nostalgia won us over: the galaxy that gave us life will be the same galaxy that gives us salvation. It will look beautiful in the history books.”

  Slow applause was heard, along with a small cry that soon spread like wildfire through the hearts of every human being.

  The Departure: Sagittarius A2 hours later, center of the Milky Way. Planet-sized vessel Nautilus.

  “Here we are, heroes. The end of the road for us, and the beginning of yours.”

  Each of them was surrounded by a swarm of scientists buzzing like bees. Devices, screens, gauges, and sensors of every kind; no one could afford even the slightest error.

  “Everything is ready, Professor Octavius!”

  “Number of atomic robots?” the leader asked.

  “Each one carries enough to build a planet, sir. It’s the maximum each can carry... except for Mr. Luck.”

  “Yes, we all know why, but that hump is worth it.”

  “Dammit, why is everyone making fun of me?” Luck muttered; fate had cast him in the role of the clown.

  “Very well, congratulations to everyone. We did everything we could, we thought of every possible problem and created a solution. Thirty years of work involving 120 trillion scientists... there are no words that can express my pride in each of you.” These words were heard by every participant through their neural chips. “Here, our work officially ends, and theirs begins.”

  Octavius scanned the heroes. Little Mark was the only one showing signs of nervousness.

  “Relax, kid. As long as we’re together, nothing will happen to you,” Luck told him.

  “We both know anything could happen once we cross over, sir. There might be nothing there...”

  “Don’t underestimate the human race, kid. We’ve overcome every crisis history has thrown at us, and this won’t be the exception.”

  “I hope so...”

  “Well, heroes, there it is. Sagittarius A, as dark as the universe allows. Only something so dark could be, at the same time, the light of salvation. Does everyone remember the first rule?”

  “Yes, sir! Do everything Cielo orders, sir!” they responded in chorus.

  Laughter was heard. There were those present who hadn't laughed in decades; they had almost forgotten how. Luck’s voice alongside Mark’s childish tone brought a melancholy that felt like a small family.

  “And the second rule?”

  “Yes, sir! Never contradict an order from the Leader, sir!”

  “Hahaha, exactly. Now move! Head into the unknown, and bring salvation to us all!”

  The hatches opened, and each person's AI took charge of propelling them to a percentage of cosmic speed to avoid too much temporal drift.

  “Attention! Does everyone have their shield activated so gravity doesn't warp our time?” Cielo ordered. “We don’t want everyone back here dying of old age before we even cross.”

  “Yes, leader! My partner confirms everything is perfect,” Mark said.

  “Same here, leader. She says everything is perfect,” Luck added.

  “Copy that. Increase speed to 0.5 c. Half the speed of light should be enough to get this start over with quickly.”

  “Copy, leader!”

  Only points of light could be seen in the distance. Only a few used optical receivers to watch them enter without any trouble by Octavius’s order; the rest basked in nostalgia and that feeling of void and satisfaction from seeing thirty years of intense work concluded. The silence was profound; one could hear the heartbeats of everyone even without the atomic robots boosting any senses. Some cried, others laughed, but most simply sighed.

  “Good luck, team. The lives of 998 trillion are in your hands.” Octavius was one of those sighs.