00:00Humanity's facing the greatest danger ever, our sun's fading.
00:05In 500 years, the entire solar system will be plunged into darkness and eternal cold.
00:11To save our civilization, people begin to build a huge spaceship
00:15that will accommodate the population of the whole world inside and go into deep space.
00:22In less than 400 years, the construction of the ship is finally completed.
00:28The sun is already nearing its end.
00:31It's much smaller and cooler, making the climate on Earth cold and harsh.
00:36You and the rest of the inhabitants of the planet are going on board the greatest ship in history.
00:43The boarding itself began several years ago, before the ship was even fully built.
00:49To avoid a multi-billion crowd, an electronic schedule was organized,
00:54sending invitations to those whose turn it was to board soon.
00:59Several million people could board within a month.
01:03The main rule is to travel light.
01:06You bring two sets of clothing, personal hygiene items, a phone, headphones, and your favorite book.
01:12You arrive to the boarding site and see a huge ark the size of a large island,
01:18twice the height of the Empire State Building.
01:20Around the ship, there's a huge city clinging to its walls.
01:25Construction workers and engineers have been living here for decades.
01:30You're standing in a long line, one of a hundred.
01:33Access to the ship is granted to those who have a valid ID.
01:38The ID is linked to that person's resting area.
01:41One person is given 20 square feet of space.
01:44There's a bed and a nightstand inside.
01:46Of course, there would need to be much less space if people would just lay down in sleep capsules and flew to a new planet.
01:54But no planet suitable for life has been found yet.
01:57So, the ship is going to be your home for a long time.
02:02Much of the ship's space is occupied by the engine room.
02:06Huge power generators and powerful engines will support the long-term movement of a heavy ship in outer space.
02:13At last, the boarding and settlement is over.
02:17The engines are starting.
02:19A voice is coming from the speakers throughout the ship, counting down from ten.
02:23These are your last seconds on Earth.
02:26The ark takes off, burning down the whole area it was standing on.
02:31People look down at their receding home with sadness.
02:34But it's replaced with hope as they turn their gazes to the skies.
02:38The whole ship is divided into 200 large sections, varying in size.
02:45Each section is a country.
02:47Despite this division, the rules on the ship are the same for everyone.
02:51Generate energy, keep the peace, and help each other.
02:55The energy is produced by exercise bikes.
02:59A person pedals and generates kinetic energy that fuels the engines.
03:04This is everyone's daily duty.
03:06For at least an hour every morning, you take an exercise bike and work out,
03:11ensuring normal operation of the ship, maintaining your physical activity, and reducing stress.
03:17Then, you eat and go to work.
03:19Here, just like on Earth, you pass by shops, libraries, and cinemas.
03:25The currency is unified for everyone on board.
03:28With the money you earn, you can move from your small cabin to a larger one.
03:32And, of course, just like on Earth, some people easily get a lot of money,
03:37while others work 24-7 for a penny.
03:41This inequality doesn't bother you so much as it used to, though.
03:44People of the future have learned to appreciate peace and quiet,
03:48so no one risks to fight in the limited living space amidst the black void.
03:52Throughout the ship, there are nature zones.
03:57These are small botanical gardens that are grown with the help of artificial light.
04:01Plants give oxygen to the ship and help people feel more at home.
04:06Water reserves are large, but still limited.
04:09To help conserve it, people process their bodily fluids.
04:13They're collected in special tanks, filtered, carefully purified,
04:17and then sent back to the drinking and technical water vessels.
04:21Every person turns over 50% of their waste into water.
04:26Fresh water is replenished from space itself.
04:29Once every few years, the ship approaches a planet.
04:33With the help of scanners and x-rays, geologists find underground rivers or lakes.
04:38Then they send a drilling rig there, pump out the necessary amount of water,
04:42and pull it back to the ship.
04:44Unfortunately, there's nothing useful on these planets except water.
04:49Most planets don't have an atmosphere and are unsuitable for human life.
04:54People are looking for a place with ideal conditions.
04:57They're looking for the Earth's double.
05:00With the help of modern food technologies,
05:03scientists have managed to replace natural vegetables, fruits, and meat with artificial ones.
05:09Real apples or potatoes are also available,
05:12but they're rare and extremely pricey.
05:16Now, the ship's been plowing the expanses of space for several decades.
05:21People are used to their new way of life.
05:24Children are born, generations change.
05:27The kids born and raised on the space arc
05:29listen wide-eyed to stories of old people
05:32about how beautiful life was on Earth.
05:35But with every passing year,
05:38fewer and fewer of those who remember their home planet are left on the ship.
05:43The Ark's children are slowly coming to accept
05:45that the ship may remain their home forever.
05:48But they still continue to search.
05:51Scientists use powerful telescopes and equipment to explore space.
05:55And every day, they seek potentially habitable planets.
05:58Still, nothing's nearby.
06:02The most promising worlds are thousands of light-years away from the ship.
06:07Meanwhile, the peaceful spirit of the first generation of Ark Dwellers is gone.
06:12People begin to break the rules,
06:14and discontent is growing.
06:16Not everyone pedals the bikes now,
06:18and power failures become more frequent.
06:21Social inequality is a burning issue.
06:24Some parts of the ship have turned into slums,
06:26while others have grown into abodes of luxury.
06:30Equipment gradually wears down,
06:32making it difficult to extract water.
06:35And most plants in nature zones wither
06:37because of the clogged ventilation systems.
06:39To save more energy,
06:41some parts of the ship are cut off from air and electrical supply.
06:45People who lived in those areas
06:47have to move to the central part of the ship.
06:50The already cramped space becomes even stuffier.
06:54And with the lack of personal space,
06:56comes growing irritation.
06:59Soon, it becomes obvious there's no other way out
07:02but to create a faster-than-light engine, or FTL.
07:06It would require major refurbishments
07:08and changes to the ship's structure.
07:11The matter is up for a vote,
07:13and surprisingly, not everyone agrees.
07:15Some people don't want to take any risks
07:17and are already used to considering the ship their home.
07:21They want to use the ship's resources for global repairs.
07:25People's opinions are divided.
07:27Conflict is inevitable,
07:28and humanity risks disappearing from the universe.
07:31Resolution comes, unexpectedly,
07:35from impending danger.
07:37It turns out that the ship is heading towards a wide
07:40and unusually dense asteroid belt.
07:42The celestial bodies are packed so tight,
07:45they leave hardly any space for the ship to maneuver.
07:48A collision at the current speed is inevitable.
07:51The only hope left for humanity
07:53is to go all out on building the FTL engine.
07:56The work takes months,
07:59but it's united people once more.
08:02Everyone works around the clock
08:03and only sleeps as much as they need to regain strength.
08:07While half the people help build the engine,
08:09the other half pedal the bikes to generate energy.
08:13There's once again a glitter of hope
08:15that humanity will be able to find a new world
08:18with enough space for everyone.
08:20The risks are sky-high,
08:22but there's no choice.
08:23The energy is only enough for a single attempt to jump.
08:27If it fails,
08:29humankind could be stranded in outer space
08:31on a broken starship.
08:34Before the jump,
08:36people send a capsule with information about humanity
08:39into space.
08:40They upload videos, movies, music,
08:43and the entire history of humankind
08:45onto several massive hard drives.
08:48This is the only chance
08:49to leave a small footprint in the universe
08:51if they don't succeed.
08:53Everyone is ready.
08:55All power is transferred to the engine.
08:58People lie down in small capsules
09:00and put on oxygen masks.
09:02Theirs is a single desire.
09:04To wake up in a new world
09:06or not at all.
09:08No one's ready to watch the fall of humanity.
09:11Capsules are locked.
09:12People close their eyes.
09:14The engine is on.
09:15The countdown begins.
09:173, 2, 1,
09:20Jump!
09:21Jump!
09:21Jump!
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