Chapter Text
ON the dawn of that day, JAXA corroborated the worldwide news that many, many meteorites have begun to descend from the blackness of the universe, hurtling straight towards Earth. From then, in about 5 months, there would be a catastrophe across the world’s surface. An estimated 99% of human life would be eradicated, and then the entirety of the Earth being uninhabitable.
And so, that day, leaders across the world banded together in discussion. To protect human civilization, they made the decision for each country to send an amount of individuals each into the depths of space. “To protect human diversity, give salvation to the human race, and preserve the species of mankind”, they said. Thus, the Gofer Project was born.
JAXA themselves then communicated this news, closely guarded and classified, to both the constitutional government and parliamentary government of the time. In regulations established from discussion, they must pick a majority- around 80%- of those from 10 to 25 years of age, and are given a max of sending 50 individuals into space.
In collaboration with Kyoko Kirigiri, the current headmaster of New Hope’s Peak Academy, 32 of the 40 young individuals to be sent to space were those of the Ultimates chosen for Hope's Peak, following in the footsteps of countries choosing their own Ultimates as contenders across the world. These Ultimates would be the future of humanity’s foundation on a new, more habitable Earth. With the technological achievement of Cryosleep being achieved during this time, all individuals sent into space would be set into an unfeeling comatose for at least 40,000 years, with the necessary equipment and resources to survive in space.
Of course, this information was not able to stay locked away until humanity’s eventual demise. With the whistle blown, the surface of the world turned into an uproar of chaos. In the realm of Japan, an extremist cult began to thrive with new members by the second; spreading quickly around the world through the pathways of technology and word of mouth. In the icon of the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima, and the previous Remnants of Despairs who were unknown by name, they paraded across the streets, hunting officials and the young chosen as space vestiges.
The Neo-Remnants, they called themselves, spouted the credence of the End of Days. Humanity was meant to perish from the meteors- a punishment sent from the heavens- and despair of life and future would be the only salvation to such pain and suffering that would commence from the catastrophe. People- from high schoolers to the blue-collar- fell into such beliefs quickly, their own despair of their eventual demise fueling anger of no limits. Thus, the Ultimate Hunt began.
The chosen young themselves protested such a project as the Gofer Project in the first place. Their family, friends, and loved ones would all be abandoned, only for them to have the goal of securing the future.
“It’s unfair!”
“How boring.”
“This is horrible…”
“You can’t just do this!”
Their protests were loud and vibrant, but went wholeheartedly ignored by those in power. Their autonomy was stripped, and destiny was already written. In Japan, the Ultimates, instead of accepting their fate like the others chosen, got together in secret, pressing heads against each other in a huddle.
“I have an idea. We erase our identities and hide our new ones! Forget being an Ultimate! We become normal high-schoolers again, and then how are either the pigs or maniacs going to find us?”
And so, in an uproar of agreement, they all used their talents to hide, successful for the first few months. Unfortunately, their plan crumbled into dust with its continuation- hidden Ultimates nearly mauled by the extremists and being plucked from the dark by the government.
With a faux funeral for all 32 Ultimate students, the Ultimate Hunt had been quelled by the extremist majority across Japan. In secret, the plan was set into action. To send the 50 chosens into space on three separate vessels, together the Arks, separately named as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. With the help of former Ultimates and specialists, the preparations were made swiftly for the end.
All chosen were shuffled into their cryosleep chambers; many angry, depressed, and scared. With these feelings taken into account, the plan also included another piece of the puzzle, that the individuals sent into space would have their memories removed temporarily, to allow them to accustom to their new life. The plan had set about, and thus, 5 days before the end of humanity, the Arks were set into the vastness of space.
As the meteors hit the earth, setting the surface ablaze in a writhing terror, 16 students sleep upon the Ark of Shem.