Shortly after the Cuban missile crisis ended, the United States developed "Project Elite", an ambitious attempt, for the times, to create a series of 3- passenger spaceships, with the intention of sending an Elite group of people away from Earth in the event of a imminent nuclear exchange.

This Elite Group will hover over Earth until the nuclear exchange ends, then find a safe area to land and survive.

In the year 2000, a scientist working for NASA is recruited into Project Elite. By this time the project has expanded into using the latest technologies available. This scientist reveals this top secret information to a close friend. In a matter of months, with the help of a foreign billionaire, an underground private project is started, using the exact specifications used by the government.

The year is 2110. Project Elite has continued and developed immensely, using technology not released to the general population. The private group's underground replica project has continued, now in the hands of the original founders' grandsons and granddaughters, with the exception of the billionaire's son, Cortez, who continues to heavily finance the project with the condition that he goes in one of the ships.

Ryker, (Played by Carlos Etzio Roman) grandson of the original NASA scientist who started the project in the 60's, and his group, have become an underground nightmare to the Elite, recruiting some of their top scientists and stealing top secret information about the project.

As the US reaches DEFCON 1, the private project with 19 men, women and children from various ethnic backgrounds, each excelling in various fields, take off from earth aboard 7 ships, led by Ryker.

The seven small ships are linked and controlled by a master talking super computer named HOPE, created by NASA computer genius Billy "RAM" Dover (Played by Brandon DeGroat) that performs multiple tasks, besides manning the ships' operations and life support.

As they hover above Earth, watching in disbelief as the exchange of nuclear missiles hits most of North America, Russia, Europe and the Middle East; they realize the only safe place to land will be South America or Africa, until HOPE reports missiles launched towards the USA by the new nuclear capable countries of Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil. USA retaliates. HOPE advises of no safe place to land for the next 200 years.

Those who have survived will die soon or adapt to the new environment. Future generations, if any, will be mutated versions of humans and animals.

HOPE reports six similar ships approaching fast. The "Elite Project Crew" makes contact and orders Ryker and his group to surrender and follow them to Earth to an underground safe facility, where they will be prosecuted for treason. Ryker's group refuse to comply. HOPE warns of Elite's nuclear missiles being locked on their ships.

Ryker decides to use an untested fuel and special feature not available or known to the Elite, at the risk of blowing themselves up. All of Ryker's ships slowly merge into one and, using the untested featured fuel, go into hyperspace, leaving the Elite far behind.

As they stop in unknown space territory, HOPE reports distance from Earth. They can see many of the fueling ships Project Elite had been launching since the 60's to drift into deep space for future use, if needed. HOPE advises of a problem ahead, the six ships have fallen into the pull of a "Black Hole" Unable to fight the Black Hole's pull, Ryker orders everyone to use their seats "Cryogenic" system and go into suspended animation, ordering HOPE to set it for 10 years. If what's inside the Black Hole kills them, so, be it. They won't feel it. If they survive somehow, they will deal with it then.

As they go into suspended animation and HOPE lowers life support inside the ship, they get sucked into the Black Hole, along with many of the fuel ships.

As the ships exit the Black Hole, they all come out of suspended animation. HOPE reports their location, which, as they can clearly see out of their windows, is back at Earth and, although they have been on suspended animation for 10 years, HOPE advises there must have been a disruption in the space-time continuum.

HOPE reports the air on Earth is cleaner than ever, vegetation is flourishing and there are signs of carbon based life. Is this Earth before humans? Is it Earth many hundred of years after the nuclear annihilation? Is it Earth? Why are the continents not exactly the way they remember them?

After sending a recognizance team down to Earth, Ryker decides for everyone to land. Soon they will find out a truth they are not ready to confront, a truth that will bond them to change the fate of humanity, a truth that will turn them into "Time Refugees"

© Carlos Etzio Roman 2008