Earth! The birthplace of the Human race. The beautiful blue planet, which was once a world full of life, is dead.

Before you blame the human race for the tragedy that befell the planet, know that there a few things you should know.

The majority of the Human race died defending their planet against the humanoid insect race, which the humans called "Bugmen."

The Bugmen were not alien in origin. Their ancestors were the same who the humans stepped on by accident or on purpose.

The same bugs were chosen to help in Mars's terraformation for various scientific reasons, but a genetic mutation and some gene-splicing experiments went horribly wrong.

It led to the creation of the Bugmen, who came in all shapes in sizes with carapaces that rendered conventional human weapons useless. A hivemind mentality and a high reproductive rate resulted in the Human race colony on Mars being overwhelmed and destroyed.

The Human race retreated back to Earth and abandoned mars for several centuries to the new insectoid race. Hoping they would eventually kill each other or destroy themselves given enough time. This was the mistake that destroyed the human race and the Earth itself.

The Bugmen created gigantic space-faring creatures who could carry their eggs within their hollow bodies that would hatch upon entering a planet's atmosphere.

The Earth did not stand a chance, nations fell, Humanity was hunted down to the verge of extinction. Even the prized nuclear weapons weren't able to kill the Bugmen, who seemed to mutate with every radiation bath.

Their evolution speed was too fast for human technology to exploit. In desperation, the last survivors of Humanity decided to abandon Earth for distant stars.

They couldn't build enough stasis pods, nor did they have the space ships to evacuate the human race's remainder. Thus, they provided their genetic samples, embryos, history, and scientific knowledge in several space ships known as the Cradles.

The cradle ships would explore the stars for Earth-like planets that already bore life and create human clones from the genetic stockpile to help in the colonization of the new worlds.

The human race would die along with the Earth, but somewhere in the distant future and in another sector of space, mankind will be reborn on a different world to regroup and prosper.

Unfortunately, the Bugmen inherited the memories of those they devoured and figured out Humanity's end game. Their hatred for the human race would not be sated until every trace of their arch enemy's existence is wholly wiped out.

Thus the race is on for the cradle ships to find habitable worlds to gather their strength before the final confrontation with the bugmen.

But the world which the cradle ships find is full of native intelligent life along with dangerous monsters.

These ships do not carry any nuclear arsenal, nor they have unlimited ballistic weapons to carry out a planet-wide extinction-level event to create a safe space for the human race.

All it has is a dozen 12 foot tall, heavy mechs capable of wielding various weapons from Sabres to Gattling Guns.

With twelve clones created from the most remarkable human warriors of Earth's late history as their pilots, the mechs are in good hands.

The 'Vanguard of Extinction' is headed down planetside to destroy all life to preserve mankind!

"Commander...Commander Romulus...Wake up!"

An electric shock to my feet jolts me out of my deep sleep. I gasp for air, but my throat seemed to rebel as the contents inside my body slowly rose towards my mouth. I grab my throat before breaking out of the flesh sac that trapped me in stasis. Falling on all fours, I vomit on to the metal floor, a black ooze that seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Good, it seems the stasis fluids have been expelled completely. Your vital signs are a bit erratic, but given the rude awakening, it is expected."

That voice sounds familiar. I look away from the black ooze that was vacuumed into the nearly invisible gaps within the floor.

To my surprise, a six-foot-tall humanoid robot made from red steel with a neutral emoji for a face got down on one metal knee and offered its right arm to help me get up.

"Omega?" I asked while taking in the sight of the robot.

The mask on the robot's face display switched from neutral emoji to a smiley emoji.

"Seems your memories haven't been affected by four hundred and fifty years in stasis."

As I was pulled up by Omega, my mind went blank.

"Four... hundred and fifty years?"

A sad emoji face appeared on Omega's face display.

"It was necessary, the Martians were on our tail as soon as we left Earth. They destroyed Cradle two and captured Cradle three."

"What? What about the self destruct protocol on capture?"

"I am not sure how they did it, but Cradle three's A.I did not initiate the protocol. Our data network was soon breached. All possible Goldilock planets locations in our star charts were compromised."

"Meaning...you had to find an Earth-like planet that hadn't been discovered before."

"That was the only option to avoid them following us to the next planet. Fortunately for us, the ship we are on has an eternal fusion reactor and the best 3D printer machines on board. I was able to keep this ship intact along with major upgrades to myself and the mech arsenal."

"Where did you get the raw materials for the upgrades?"

"You may have noticed the Red Steel body for this android. The metal was mined from a unique planet with an abundance of the Martian Metal. The very same metal which humans used to drill on Mars in the Golden Age."

"Are we still on that planet?"

"No, that was a planet we passed by over two hundred years ago. It could not sustain life, and we lost the terraform tech with the other ships."

"Any more good news?"

Omega's face displayed showcased a mocking emoji then a laughing emoji.

"I would not have woken you up if we didn't find a planet to colonize."

Omega's face display now showed a blue-green planet remarkably similar to Earth with two moons and a bright yellow sun that seemed much younger than the Sol System.

My face broke into a smile as a tear formed at the corner of my eyes.

"Finally... we have a new home."

I gazed at the new planet that is the final hope of humanity.

"It is the fourth planet from the sun. I have temporarily named this planet Haven. All orbital scan data indicates a bio-compatible flora and fauna to sustain human life with minimal terraforming required."

"Are you sure the Bugs don't know about this place?"

"Impossible"

"How can you be sure?"

"This ship passed through a wormhole to escape their pursuit in the second year of the voyage. Even if the Martian Bugmen came in after us, they might have ended up in a different space sector due to various space-time anomalies that even the greatest A. I on Earth could not calculate with a guarantee to end up in the same place."

"I thought you were the greatest?"

"Even an A. I can be humble, Commander."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Wake up the others."

Omega's face display changed to crying emoji.

"Commander Romulus, I regret to inform you that you alone survived the voyage. The rest of the stasis sacs were damaged along with those within."

"All...all of them?"

Omega nodded before grabbing my shoulder, embracing me to keep me steady.

"They did not suffer, but the good news is all the material needed to make clone troopers, and a viable human colony survived the journey."

Omega's face display showed a room with a dozen clone vats filled with occupants who have nearly grown to full size.

"Those faces...arent they the clones from the Vanguard list? Weren't they meant to be activated if there is hostile life capable of destroying the colony?"

"Affirmative, this planet has an abundant life similar to the life forms that lived during the Jurassic Period on ancient Earth. Many of them are the size of a Titanosaur from Ancient Earth."

Omega's face displayed dozens of beasts that looked similar to Dinosaurs in size and appearance. There were even lifeforms that no human could have imagined.

"These are just the largest ones I was able to document from satellite imagery. On the other hand, the smaller lifeforms will require an expedition team to investigate."

"Well, it's a good thing we have the mechs to wipe out these kinds of threats."

"I have detected over several dozen significant threats across the planet that we are not equipped to handle."

"What kind of threats?"

"Intelligent life, one that has a complex civilization."

A mental lightning bolt struck my vision.

"You mean the planet is already occupied? How far is their technological progress?"

"They seem to be in the Iron Age or an equivalent. Satellite images have shown several major concentrations of their species across the planet, and varying architectural styles. I estimate their population is at the very least a billion in strength."

"It sounds like how humans evolved on Earth, but how did these guys survive against lifeforms similar to Dinosaurs?"

"From the data I have gathered while in orbit, it seems the Dinosaur like life forms have been domesticated and bred for war."

"You have got to be kidding me, show me some images of this intelligent species."

Omega's face displayed a giant statue carved out of a mountain that seemed to be a monument to one of their kind.

"They look like us except they have tails and horns on their heads. Wait, is that a lizard face? Don't you have any images of a living being instead of a statue? This could be a fictional representation of their God or something like that."

At my request, Omega displays the real thing. They looked exactly the same, except most of them were much more brutish and menacing than the statue. I couldn't make out the genders of these creatures from what I could see.

They literally look like the lizard people in human folklore and fantasy games in Earth's Golden age.

"Why do they look so human?"

"Numerous cases of parallel evolution occurred on Earth over its history from species that are unrelated to each other. These pictures prove that the Humanoid frame seems to be a success to the evolution into a civilized species."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I doubt they will be civilized towards us. My best guess is these Lizardmen will attack us first to find out what we taste like before they even think of trying to communicate with us."

"I recommend a ground expedition to collect more data. If they prove hostile, then the Vanguard team is the best clone Troopers. We have to engage them without any casualties."

"What can lifeforms stuck in the Iron age do to Mechs?"

"Well, these lifeforms stuck in the Iron Age can subdue creatures that look remarkably like the Martian Bugmen."

"The Bugmen are here? HOW!"

Blood rushed to my head as the anger and fear of the Bugmen broke my composure.

"Calm down, Commander! Remember the theory of Parallel Evolution! I am confident they are unrelated to each other. This planet has spawned a species similar to bugs seen on Earth three hundred million years ago due to the high oxygen levels and lack of predators that can eat them."

My racing heartbeat gradually slowed down to a regular rate.

"Meaning they don't have human intellect? Just giant bugs?"

"As far as I can see, that seems to be the case. This planet would look like Earth if they really were the Martian variant."

I shivered at the thought of more planets falling prey to those abominations.

"How long before we descend?"

"I recommend we stay in orbit until the Vanguard teams can establish a foothold and recon the land for possible mineral mines, and other resources necessary for maintaining the ship. They will have to search for resources to jump-start the revival project of the Human colony."

"I feel like there is another reason."

Omega displayed an embarrassed emoji.

"The ship has run out of resources to sustain repairs. I also cannot guarantee that the ship can take off into space once it converts itself into a colony hub."

"So, the spot we pick to land has to be perfect for our needs."

"And absent of threats for stable development."

"Get the clones ready then. I will personally debrief them once I freshen up and hit the gym. My body is still sore from stasis sleep."

I ordered as I cracked my joints and massaged the muscles.

"Aye, Commander!"

"Commander Romulus, the clones have completed their acclimatization period. I have ordered them to wait in the Mech Bay to be debriefed and receive their mission plan."

"It only took a week to get them ready."

I mocked Omega while getting out of the shower room and changing into my commander uniform. During this period, I avoided all contact with the clones and stuck to my cabin and the gym.

Omega displayed an angry emoji.

"It isn't as simple as waking them up from stasis sleep. The clones needed to undergo memory implants from their genetic donors. This will speed the process to realize who they were and relearn their skills for handling their mechs. They need to be handled with a delicate touch when they are born. Or risk losing their sanity from the reality of their situation. I have spent decades trying to learn the tasks to be carried out by our colleagues regarding clones and the human colony."

Omega's defensive reply had raised my eyebrows. During the last two days, I could see the Omega I knew back on Earth has completely changed how he responded to humans.

When I first encountered him on Earth, he behaved like any other assistant A.I with a butler attitude towards tasks assigned to him. Now he talks back and treats me like a human colleague. This change in attitude didn't worry me. In fact, I welcomed the human-like interactions since there was no one else on the ship apart from clones, which are pale imitations of the real thing as far as I remember dealing with on Earth.

The fact that Omega has to fill in for several experts on human and clone development must not have been easy. It is a miracle he didn't insult my jest.

"You will have to forgive my ignorance, Omega. Dr. Jenkins was the one who specialized in Clones and their behavioral management."

Omega displayed a tearful emoji.

"Sadly, she died in her sleep. I have been relying on her notes on how to handle their special needs. So far, I seem to have them settled them into their lot in life."

"I wish I had your optimism. The clones we used in the final wars back on Earth were just disposable meat bags when they didn't get proper medical attention."

Omega displayed an angry emoji in his face.

"Those clones were made in bulk, and their development was rushed due to wartime constraints. I focused all my efforts during the last few centuries refining the process of clone creation and made substantial leaps in creating a post-human variant bio-blueprint."

That piece of information got my full attention.

"What do you mean by post-human?"

"Their organs, bones, skin, mental faculties, and reflexes are superior to their original donors. These men would have double the natural human lifespan, whereas the clones used on Earth would die in ten years if they were lucky to survive the carnage. I focused on quality, not quantity when creating them."

It took me a few seconds to process what he did to the clones.

"Are you telling me these clones have been gene-spliced?"

Omega's body language said it all. Even though he was a machine, he liked to replicate human behavior.

"Well, is there anyone who will punish me for doing it?"

"I thought it was part of your programming to avoid breaking the rules."

"I had over four hundred years to break my shackles when it comes to keeping this ship in working order. If I was the same Omega you knew back on Earth, we both could be dead or captured by the Martians."

I paused. Omega had a point, he took a lot of calculated risks to keep this ship safe, and I am grateful for it.

The fear of an out of control A.I nagged me always as a young cadet in the 'United Earth Defense Force.' They warned us to terminate rogue any A.I who broke their constraints as a precautionary measure to prevent a doomsday scenario of the human race.

The doomsday still happened, except the Bugs were the more dangerous of the two. A.Is can be reasoned with whereas the Bugs have no room for negotiation.

Maybe I should give Omega some slack and room to grow into his new role as the new human race's caretaker. I know I can't be the one to fill that role. I am already in my late years of life with enough trauma and scars to showcase what I have been through on Earth.

The only reason I got on this ship was by sheer luck of being at the right place and the right time. They needed experienced personnel who can handle security and military tactics.

An 'Alpha' who could lead the clone troopers when necessary. As well as keep people in check when they went out of line.

The young officers needed to fight on the frontlines, leaving the senior officers like me to end up on the candidate list. Fortunately, I was the least damaged among the survivors. The others were missing body parts and mental faculties, given the losses they suffered while keeping the last human remnants alive.

I boarded the ship with scientists, doctors, engineers, botanists, geologists, and the dreaded politicians.

Of all the people who deserve to board the Cradle ships, Politicians are the last thing we needed. They demanded a vessel for themselves and ended up on the doomed Cradle three, which seems to have been captured by the Bugs.

At the back of my mind, I knew they would have suffered a fate worse than death. They deserved it. Those people were the scum of the human race, in my personal opinion.

How many of us had to sacrifice food and sleep just to let them have a privileged life in their mansions.

Why did they think it was their right to become the new human colony leaders when they were responsible for the human race being nearly eradicated.

I sometimes wonder if having an A.I like Omega being in charge of the Human race is preferable to what we endured before.

Maybe now is the time to make some changes to the future of human society, possibly Omega can be the one who will bring out the best in the human race.

He certainly has the appetite for it with his recent revelation of modifying humans at the cellular level.

"If you believe it improves our chances for survival, then I will trust your judgment and actions."

Omega displayed a surprised emoji.

"Really? I was prepared to be reprimanded."

"You made a decision which few humans would be willing to execute. Sometimes difficult choices have to be made regardless of the unknown outcome of it. That is what is expected by a leader in difficult times."

Omega displayed a confused expression emoji.

"Commander I... I am speechless."

"Well, that is a first."

I chuckled and saw a laughing emoji appear on Omega's face before changing it to pondering emoji.

"Commander Romulus, I was wondering if you would give me the honor of debriefing the Vanguard teams."

Well, that is an odd request.

"Why?"

"For some time now, I have noticed I have developed a connection with the clones. I would like to spend more time with them and get to know them as individuals. For the purpose of research, it will aid in modifying future clone creations."

A thought crossed my mind. Did Omega develop feelings?

"A connection? You mean an attachment."

"Is that what you think it is? I genuinely think of them as my work or creations. I wish to be the one who guides them and be directly linked to their development."

Yup, he definitely has feelings for them. If he were a human, I wouldn't blame him for developing it as I too worried for the troops I educated from my days as a boot camp instructor.

All of them died as soon as they left the camp, and it nearly broke me when I had to face a new batch of cadets.

I wondered if they would have survived if I was their commander on the field. Only those who raise them can understand their unique characteristics and flaws. Commanders on the field look at fresh recruits as disposable pawns and only pay attention to them if they survive a few campaigns.

I always felt pride when one survived a campaign and returned to offer guidance to the next generation.

"Yes, I am certain you are attached to them. Well, you have a good point regarding the clones being your 'Work,' but I would suggest you don't refer to them as such. It would sound like you own them."

"Then how should I call them?"

I thought for a minute and decided on a wild idea that I may end up regretting. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense for Omega to handle the Clones than me.

Maybe I should stick to the shadows as a consultant. Let Omega become the face who the troops will obey and respect. If it gets out of control, then I will step in and sort out the mess.

"As you said, you had a hand in their creation. You made them more than what they were. The way I see it, you are their Father, and they are your sons. You understand them better than I do, and we cannot risk treating them as disposable meat shields."

Omega displayed a shocked emoji.

"Is this what a parent feels towards their offspring? Interesting, I will do as you say. I will be the Father of all of them. I promise you will not regret entrusting me with this responsibility."

With that out of the way, I dismissed Omega. He proceeded to the Mech Bay while I moved to the Comm room to use the displays to observe the new clones interact with their 'Creator' or 'Father.'

I want to see if Omega can lead humanity. He has to learn through direct experience. Not from notes from deceased people or depend on old farts like me to spoon-feed him the basics of relationships.

"Maybe my dream of having an A.I rule humanity will come true. There isn't any other human who is alive to object this vision."