"In the distant future or perhaps in the distant past..." "The human race has spread across the galaxy, founding colonies on distant planets." "Their population increased, until it exceeded billions of inhabitants" "But resources were exhausted, the birth rate collapsed, and the human race is now in an era of decay" "A movement began that advocated a return to Mother Earth." "But the planet did not support repatriation" "A huge conflict for the right to return started, known as "The Homecoming War"" "And a governmental structure was born, the "Gaia Coalition", to end the war." "The Gaia Coalition declared Earth to be "a sacred place" where no-one was allowed to enter." "The planet became a symbol to view from a distance, even as the colonists on planets were dying out." "There was, however, a man who resisted... and continued to venture into the depths of space." "A space pirate, immortal in the last century, and challenging warships of the Federation." "Wanted by the Gaia Coalition, code S-00999" "His name is" "Kids these days, they don't know any better." "Always chasing after goddamn rainbows, thinking there's something out there for 'em." "Velda's shutting down." "I hear they've started evacuating." "The entire planet's gone in the crapper." "It's not the planet." "The whole human race is doomed." "Hope that can wait until I finish this bottle." "Another retraction ship?" "No, hear that?" "It's a battleship." "Wait!" "We weren't any different in my day." "Just dove in head first like lemmings into the sea." "The Arcadia..." "Hurry, before it leaves!" "But space is a monumental beast." "The human race?" ""In the vastness of space and the immensity of time", we are less than a tiny speck." "Maybe even less." "What were we looking for out there?" "We crossed the solar system, passed the Milky Way..." "It didn't matter where we went." "We found nothing." "We thought lightspeed travel will change our lives, but it only made us realize the sad, hard truth."