Shaun Barrowes's Blog

The Paradise Planets is the world’s first full-cast musical audiobook by one visionary artist. As an Emmy-nominated composer, I wrote the book, composed the music and lyrics, designed the immersive soundscape, and produced the full-cast performance.

The ultimate music power playlist curated by Emmy-nominated composer, Shaun Barrowes

On the main page of our website, we've now added a STATUS BAR so you know how the next phase is progressing. Currently, we are in...

Some of you were asking to see the sheet music of my improv session to "Like JENNIE" by JENNIE. This is a very quick rendering, but it...

Have you ever wished your favorite book came with an original soundtrack, allowing you to immerse yourself in its world through both words and music? While most books don’t offer this experience, there are a few that do, creating a unique and immersive way to enjoy a story. Among them, The Paradise Planets by Shaun Barrowes stands out as a shining example of innovation in the world of books with soundtracks.

This one-of-a-kind project combines the storytelling of a talented author with the artistry of a composer, offering readers a fully immersive experience. Shaun Barrowes not only wrote The Paradise Planets, but he also composed its accompanying soundtrack, creating a cohesive artistic vision that brings his story to life through both written word and music.

The Paradise Planets: A Multimedia Experience

At its core, The Paradise Planets is a captivating tale of adventure, mystery, and wonder. What sets it apart is the way Shaun Barrowes enhances the storytelling experience by pairing it with an original soundtrack. Each track perfectly complements the book’s chapters, capturing the emotions, tension, and atmosphere of the story.

For readers, this means more than just imagining the lush landscapes or dramatic confrontations—you can actually hear them. The orchestral arrangements and intricate piano melodies deepen the emotional resonance of the story, making every page-turn feel like stepping into another dimension.

Shaun Barrowes: The Author and Composer Behind the Magic

Shaun Barrowes is more than just the author of The Paradise Planets—he’s also its composer. As an Emmy-nominated musician and accomplished writer, Shaun merges his talents to create an unparalleled reading experience. Unlike other books with soundtracks, where playlists are curated or pre-existing songs are used, the music for The Paradise Planets is completely original and written specifically for the story.

This singular vision ensures that the book and soundtrack are perfectly aligned, giving readers a seamless and immersive experience. Shaun’s dual expertise allows him to communicate his creative vision on two levels: through the power of words and the emotional depth of music.

Why Books with Soundtracks Are the Future

Adding a soundtrack to a book isn’t just a creative gimmick—it transforms the reading experience in profound ways. Music has the power to evoke emotions and amplify the storytelling process, creating a richer connection between the audience and the story.

Here’s why books with soundtracks are gaining popularity:

Enhanced Atmosphere: A soundtrack provides a sensory dimension to the book, immersing readers in the setting and mood of the story.

Deeper Emotional Connection: Music can heighten the impact of pivotal moments, making the highs and lows of a narrative more powerful.

Personalized Experience: A soundtrack composed or curated by the author gives readers insight into the creative process, offering a unique perspective on the story.

How The Paradise Planets Leads the Way

The Paradise Planets isn’t just another book with a playlist—it’s a fully integrated artistic experience. Shaun Barrowes’ compositions act as a companion to the narrative, drawing readers deeper into his world. Whether it’s a sweeping orchestral piece underscoring a moment of triumph or a haunting piano melody during a scene of reflection, the music makes the story unforgettable.

While other books with soundtracks offer curated playlists or soundscapes, The Paradise Planets sets itself apart by combining the roles of author and composer. This creative synergy creates an experience where the story and music amplify each other, delivering something truly revolutionary.

The Growing Trend of Books with Soundtracks

As readers seek new ways to engage with stories, books with soundtracks are becoming a more prominent feature in modern storytelling. With technology making it easier to pair music and literature, projects like The Paradise Planets represent an exciting evolution in how stories are experienced.

Imagine a future where every major release includes a soundtrack designed to complement the emotions and themes of the book. The Paradise Planets provides a glimpse into this future, showing just how powerful this combination can be.

Experience The Paradise Planets for Yourself

If you’re looking for an unforgettable reading experience, The Paradise Planets is a must-read—and must-listen. By blending the talents of an author and composer into one cohesive project, Shaun Barrowes has set a new standard for books with soundtracks.

Whether you’re a book lover, music enthusiast, or simply curious about innovative storytelling, The Paradise Planets invites you to explore a world where words and music come together to create something truly extraordinary.

So, grab your copy of The Paradise Planets, hit play on the soundtrack, and let yourself be transported into a world where every chapter has its own melody.

Here are the song lyrics from The Paradise Planets: The Abyss (Book Two) by Shaun Barrowes

If You Save Me

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

The starlight heroes are all gone

Dead and gone

The midnight shadows scare us down

And we stay down

We’re always waiting for the sun

To melt the ice inside our bones

If you have fire

Then save me

The darkness around me’s invading

All of my hope keeps fading

I just wanna feel like me

Who I used to be

Our shoulders ache from all the shrugs

All the shrugs

Our feet are tired but we still run

We always run

Maybe our hearts have grown to weak

To turn around and plant our feet

If I’m still falling

Then save me

The darkness around me’s invading

All of my hope keeps fading

I just wanna feel like me

Who I used to be

If you save me then I’ll pass it on

If you save me then I’ll pass it on

The World We Live In

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

I got down here, it wasn’t by choice

When they found me without a voice

I had too much time to consider

All of the things that really matter

Here they’re whipping them for the fun of it

Disappeared for legitimate 

Questions they just wanna get

Answered even a little bit, but

Nothing makes any difference

Unless we lead with the millions

This is the world we live in

Everything’s wrong, and I’m beginning

To see through the haze, I’m getting

Fired up to wreak some havoc

This is the world we live in

Darkness from end to the beginning

Nothing to live for but getting

Fired up to wreak some havoc

There was enough, yeah 

For all of us and

But you had to be

Everyone, everything

There was abundance

Pouring through our hands

More than we need 

But you had your greed to feed

This is the world we live in

Everything’s wrong, and I’m beginning

To see through the haze, I’m getting

Fired up to wreak some havoc

This is the world we live in

Darkness from end to the beginning

Nothing to live for but getting

Fired up to wreak some havoc

Bind the Light

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Let me fall beneath the flame

Let me walk upon the waves

Let me dive into the light where we 

Escape what we became

I’d descend through raging fire

I would search through endless sky

Just to lead your shadow back 

Where the shores embrace the tide

Find and bind the light

Find and bind your timeless light to mine

Trace the glow of heaven’s voice

Sort the echoes from the noise

Hear my song that’s calling you 

At the edge of your final choice

If your ghost gets lost in flight

And you can’t find stars at night

I will set this sky ablaze till your 

Heart beats next to mine. 

Find and bind the light

Find and bind your timeless light to mine

Some Dreams Never Come True

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Every other day I feel a little like failure

Every other day I wonder why’m I still here

Little lost, a little down, a little bit lonely

In a world where every choice is driven by fear

Paradise is just a dream, but still I can’t leave it

Their advice is lost on me, cause they never cared

Every day I waited for someone to show me

What it meant to feel the love everywhere

Some dreams never come true

Some stars never shine

Some you love will never love you

It’s all part of our unfinished lives

But as the lights fade, I realize

Our whole lives can change in the blink of an eye

Because you loved me, I’ve lived while I’m alive 

With you here, I can finally erase

All the misery and all the heartache I faced

With you here, I can swim the open seas

Knowing I haven’t lost every piece of me

And as the story grows

Into a world we wanna know

Of course, we still gotta build this

And as we distance fear

The dark around us disappears

And this new love will shield us

Some dreams never come true

Some stars never shine

Some you love will never love you

It’s all part of our unfinished lives

But as the lights fade, I realize

Our whole lives can change in the blink of an eye

Because you loved me, I’ve lived while I’m alive 

Gray

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

I’m tired of all this gray

Why can’t a light shine down

We’ve given our world away

And now we find it upside down

 

I’m spending all my tears on the floods

I’ve broken all my spears on the oceans

I’m fending off the years with my blood

And putting all my fears into motion

Even though I claimed to know

The mysteries that still unfold

I’m only digging holes in the millions

If our kind could change their mind

And open to new paradigms

We might be building worlds for our children

I’m tired of all this gray

Why can’t a light shine down

We’ve given our world away

And now we find it upside down

There’s nothing left on either side to believe

There’s no one here day or night who won’t leave you 

Even bleeding out alone no one stops to help you home

No one ever will escape from this gray

We’re spending all our tears on the floods

We’re breaking all our spears on the oceans

We’re fending off the years with our blood

And putting all our fears into motion

Even though we claim to know

The mysteries that still unfold

We’re only digging holes in the millions

If our kind could change their mind

And open to new paradigms

We might be building worlds for our children

I’m tired of all this gray

Why can’t a light shine down

We’ve given our world away

And now we find it upside down

The Foreigner

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

I’m calm and collected - Not dead but rejected

Hand-picked for detention - Never wanted your attention

Beat down for a name - Let down in the Games

Get me out of this fame - Gotta figure out a way

It’s the same sheist dance - Wasn’t much of a chance

Get stabbed in the back - Cause you’re living in my past 

No you don’t get my tears - Though you’re playing on my fears

You want me to disappear - Guess what, I’m still here

I may be the foreigner but I’m done imploring for

The right for survival when I might just bring the tidal wave

To you, just remember when you think I will ever 

Tone it down, I’m too big and loud to ever stop singing out

Recharge in the water - Just swim little farther

Your trail’s getting hotter - boom boom now I got her

You thought you could win - get away with it again

Watch me beat fins - You’re about to take it in

I’m tired of the rules - that hurt me and not you

You thought I was a tool - you could use and abuse

You’re living in a dream - if you think you hurt me

Even with your whole team - you’ll never catch me 

I’m much bigger and better than this

I’m not bitter but I never will miss

This beating me and bleeding me dry

It’s got me reeling and ready to fly

It’s not living and we get only one

Life - now I gotta take it on the run

Go supernova siren til I find

It—Every little piece of mine

What’s taken and what’s breaking me down

Has hollowed a hole in me now

I’ve figured I could pull it all in

But something’s getting under my skin

Too bothered and smothered to care

But the light in me’s hiding somewhere

And once I can pull it all out I’ll

Remember what this life’s all about

I finally have a reason to fix things

But I can’t do it if it kills me

Gotta let me help if I want to

Hard for me to tell if you thought through

Any of the words that you throw me

Or even all the times that you show me

Owned by the feelings that control you

Maybe you just do what they told you

Far From Home

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Listen to our choices

And the weight of all our voices

Just like those before us

We want out now out now

From your kill cloud kill cloud

They think they can take me

They think they can break me

They think they can chain me to the sun

They’ll never change me

They won’t contain me

They’ll never wage war that’ll keep me

Far from home

We’re not echoes in the wind

We’re not shadows in the dark

It’s our time to take it in

Cause we’re not the feint of heart

When I Take Your Hand

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Rivers run dry, but the echoes still sing

Burning the sky with your silver lining

There in the ruins, you were a bright new star

Withered and gone, I thought life was ashes

Whispers of songs reach the empty masses

Arriving with daylight, you fell into my arms

And I can finally hear the bells 

They ring as they wish me well

When I take your hand

And this is a story as old as time

And now I can say it’s mine

When I take your hand

I lost a life, ripped through hostile portals

And for a time, I had no supporters

But now that I found you, the past has a golden view

Golazo

Music by Shaun Barrowes and Nathan Hemple, Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

64 teams come from all across the globe

All of our dreams now riding on a goal

Crossin that portal’s gonna take all we got to win

We get one life--don’t wait to begin

Get that golazo

Shouts around the worlds sing (let’s sing it!)

Golazo

Shouts around the worlds sing

We are we are

One big, loud family

We are, we are

We’re one big family

Fifteen up front with our family cheering in the stands

The fate of their future they put it all in our hands

Let’s sing it together like we never get a chance again

We get one life to take it all in

I Won't Let You Lose Yourself

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Haven’t I given up more than I bargained for 

I don’t remember what all of this was even for

Is it enough to be giving when I’ve been running on empty 

Who’s coming to help me

Remember to be

I won’t let you lose yourself

Or lose your best

When everyone wants to take that piece of you

I won’t let you lose yourself

Or lose your best

Place all of the fear you feel upon me now

I’ll always be the friend

To make sure you live again

I love the you that you have always been

I feel like I’m fading like a song in the final echo

Everyone’s gone and I’m hanging on—I can’t let go

Why do I feel like a world full of people keep trying to change me

I am the same me

I’ve always been

Book Two of The Paradise Planets is finally finished!

Back Cover:

After a narrow victory in Round One of the Siren Games, Kassiana Rivernova faces her greatest challenge yet in Round Two: The Abyss. Haunted by her team’s high expectations and the traumas of her recent past, Kassi must hold her focus—even as deepening bonds test her heart and the deadly trials of The Abyss push her limits.

Meanwhile, Amára Rivernova races against time to rescue Enzo from the the U.N.O.E. Her only hope lies in an unlikely alliance with Enzo’s enigmatic brother, Nikola. Together, they must infiltrate the most fortified prison on Earth before Enzo disappears forever.

Caught between Ravana’s Revolutionaries, President Odyssey Nines and his mediation officers, and the Council of Creators, Kassi and Amára are swept into an intergalactic power struggle where nothing—and no one—is what they seem. As betrayals surface and loyalties are tested, the dream of returning to Paradise slips farther out of reach.

In this gripping sequel, Kassi and Amára must navigate impossible choices, where survival, love, and loyalty collide and the dream of Paradise may cost them everything. 

Buy a Signed Copy Now

Buy now on Amazon

Song lyrics from the album for The Paradise Planets: The Fallen from Paradise by Shaun Barrowes.

Uneven Sky 

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs. 1

Save your breath and breathe

In a dreamless sleep

Where your mind drifts away

Always out of reach

Chorus

You’re all stars from the same uneven sky

It’s your time to come down, share that light

Vs. 2

You’re a ghost in the void

Of an endless sleep

Everywhere you turn

There is only me

Chorus (Repeated)

Bridge:

Zînar i japáb tuví japat

Lev în sînyom dormiat

Ubi ándesh poþ tuví kiliat

Méshû mun van tordoiat

Final chorus

They’re all moths to the flame

And they don’t know why

It’s your choice if you save them

From that fire

,,,,,Fountain of Youth / Fountain of Youth, Pt. 2

BPM 165 in 3/4

VS 1

Life might pass me by again

Time can happen so fast, when

Hours seem long but the years are soon gone

And you're left wondering where all the time went

CHORUS

With a Fountain of Youth we can be young forever

When the old becomes new we can make our own heaven

Sound out the truth to rejuvenate body and soul

For everyone

And we'll always be young

VS 2

Maybe the good things don't have to end

Saving up all our tomorrows

Let's spend the day like it won't fade away

Like there's time in a safe we can borrow

CHORUS

With a Fountain of Youth we can be young forever

When the old becomes new we can make our own heaven

Sound out the truth to rejuvenate body and soul

For everyone

And we'll always be young

BRIDGE

I never thought we would find the solution

What if we outlive the stars and the sun

Don’t spend the time without loving someone

So we’re not the only ones

CHORUS

With a Fountain of Youth we can be young forever

When the old becomes new we can make our own heaven

Sound out the truth to rejuvenate body and soul

For everyone

And we'll always be young

,,,Ashkana Tuv 

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Remember when you’d twirl to the vinyl records from my past

You would spin with arms wide open, bouncing as you laughed

You’d make me stand and hold your hands ‘til I was dancing too

That was you, and ashkana tuv

Remember when you learned all the lyrics to your favorite songs

When you thought nobody was looking, you would sing it strong

You’d change the key

Or melody

And then repeat that tune

That was you, and ashkana tuv

All the days I spent far away, the winds were pulling me home

Surrounded by those floating with excitement, I was heavy like a stone

Those memories 

I didn’t see,  

I knew I had to get back to

Me and you–you

Remember when the days turned to seasons right before my eyes

I never could slow time no matter how hard I tried

Replay the years

Through nostalgic tears

One thing is always true

I still love you, ashkana tuv

,,,,,Champion of My Dreams

From “The Paradise Planets”

Music and lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs 1 

How many times must I fall down before I get this

Only the voice inside will take me to the finish

How much abuse must I ignore before I break free

Why does it take so long to win the smallest victory 

Chorus 

I will rise from the lowest lows

I’ll take what you’ve never given me

yeah I feel it within my bones

I’ll be the champion of my dreams

Vs 2 

How many strings must I unwind to be untangled

Been in their web of lies for far too long to handle

How much arrest can I allow before I realize

Even the least of us deserve a chance at Paradise

Chorus 

I will rise from the lowest lows

I’ll take what you’ve never given me

yeah I feel it within my bones

I’ll be the champion of my dreams

Vs 3 

Life in the deep, the trench - it’s all I’ve ever known

I’m gonna leave it all - go as far as I can go

Chorus 

I will rise from the lowest lows

I’ll take what you’ve never given me

yeah there’s victory within my bones

I’ll be the champion of my dreams

Champion of my dreams

Champion

Champion of my dreams

Champion

,,,Supernova

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs 1

Ay - The distance had dimmed all my shine 

I felt like I’ve fallen behind 

The sparks i had left couldn’t start my fire 

Oh - I held to the last of my hope

I found a new light in me grow

Speaking a language I’ve always known 

Chorus

Bright as the sun all my starlight’s begun to erupt

I finally believe it

They’re just within reach all my treasures and dreams that I lost

And now I can see it

My supernova

It’s all that i needed 

My supernova

I now have a reason to shine

Vs 2

When so many have gone where I’ve been

To help me find power from within

Where would I be without all of them?

Hey - now it’s my turn to be brave

To trust in the choices I made

Remember what I learned along the way 

Chorus

Bright as the sun all my starlight’s begun to erupt

I finally believe it

They’re just within reach all my treasures and dreams that I lost

And now I can see it

My supernova

It’s more than a feeling

My supernova

It’s given me reason to shine

Bridge

I wondered if I’d never know

Who I’m supposed to become 

I’ve waited so long on my own - alone

Hoping I’d find my way home - back home

Chorus

Bright as the sun all my starlight’s begun to erupt

I finally believe it

They’re just within reach all the faces and things that I loved

Why couldn’t I see it

My supernova

From the beginning

My supernova 

Was all i was needing

My supernova

It’s more than a feeling

My supernova 

It’s given me reason to shine

,,,,,Hop, Skip, and a Jump

Music by Shaun Barrowes; Lyrics by Darren Reid

 

Vs. 1

Baby

I’ve been missing you for weeks

I Said, Baby

I’ve been missing you

I’ve been calling holophone

And wondering if your home

So I’m going to get there fast

Chorus: 

A hop, skip, and a jump—I’m with you

A hop, skip, and a jump—and I’m there

A hop, skip, and a jump 

Vs. 2

Baby

We’ve been far apart too long

Baby 

We’ve been far apart

I’m worried that you’ll find

Someone else is on your mind

So I’m going to get there fast

 

Chorus (repeated)

Please believe me when I say

That I’m right on my way

And to show you that I care

Instrumental Solo

A hop, skip and a Jump

A hop, skip and a Jump—whoa 

Please believe me when I say

That I’m right on my way

And to show you that I care

Chorus (repeated)

Baby!

A hop, skip and a jump!

,,,See You On the Other Side

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs. 1 - 

Your words are like an echo

More than just a memory

Telling me to let go of my rage

When it’s here to give me company 

How do I go back to

Tryin’ to rise above this

Now that I’m without you to get on my case

Is it really all up to me? 

I’m living in the shadows

Ever since your light went out

Chorus

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

You’re gonna be back in my life

See you on the other side

Vs. 2 - 

You got me through the hard times

Always had the answers

But now I feel so lost, I am so confused

Drifting like a boat without a sail

I feel like this is my fault

Though you would never blame me

I’m the one who brought all of this on you

No matter what I do, I always fail

We’re living in the shadows

Ever since your light went out

Chorus - 

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

You’re gonna be back in my life

See you on the other side

Alli alli alli lado

Alli alli alli lado

How do I go back to

Tryin’ to find a rescue

Now that I’m without you to guide me home

Is it really all up to me? 

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

Chorus

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

You’re gonna be back in my life

See you on the other side

Alli alli alli lado

Alli alli alli lado

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

See you on the other side

,,,,,All the Day Long

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs. 1

Dive in the ocean - cut through the water

Go with the motion that’s taking you there

Channel your voices to ride out the distance

Turn up the noise that’ll drown the fear

Speed is the answer to all the hard questions

Doubt is the cancer that slows it all down

Our hands are stretched and our feet are ready

To blast us faster than the speed of sound

Chorus

With the shaloor we can sing it out

We sing as one til we feel the power

With our pain we reshape each song

We sing, we dance and we can do this all the day long

Vs. 2

A ton of emotion comes with every anthem

This flood of devotion is turning the tide

Our sound is on fire it feels like the remedy

To every sickness that could break my stride

Chorus

With the shaloor we can sing it out

We sing as one til we feel the power

With our pain we reshape each song

We sing, we dance and we can do this all the day long

Bridge

We’re king of the ocean and queen of the water

The blue has given us a place to be heard

Our lungs are full and our voice is ready

To blast our melodies around the world

Chorus

With the shaloor we can sing it out

We sing as one til we feel the power

With our pain we reshape each song

We know the music is never wrong

We get fire from within our bones

We’re giving life into every tone

We find all weakness and make it strong

We sing, we dance and we can do this all the day long

,,,,,Army of Queens and Kings 

Music and Lyrics by Shaun Barrowes

Vs. 1

If only one moment

Can put the wheels in motion 

And all it takes

Is a little faith

Could I become the master

The one with all the answers

To save us all

From an endless fall

To win this

And be the one to end this

I’ll build a thousand bridges

To start the greatest Army of Queens and Kings

Vs. 2

If I win this battle

But lose the greater struggle

What do I gain

From a meaningless pain

One heroic action

Is not enough to last when

Everything fades

So with every day 

I’ll win this

And be the one to end this

I’ll build a thousand bridges

To start the greatest army of queens and kings

Army of queens and kings

Vs. 3

If I can believe in

All I’m meant to be then

Couldn’t you too

And I could rise with you

To win this

And be the ones to end this

We’ll build a thousand bridges

To start the greatest army of queens and kings

Me believe it the only thing in front of me is 

Me not seeing the only thing in front of me is

Me believe it the only thing in front of me is 

Me not seeing the only thing in front of me is

Me believe it the only thing in front of me is 

Me not seeing the only thing in front of me is

Me not seeing the only thing in front of me is

In The Paradise Planets, there are Star Scores that separate the Gaians into classes. I thought I'd provide additional information on these scores and how they're tabulated.

In 2132 AD, there are five categories: 400s, 500s, 600s, 700s, and 800s. The 400s are the lowest, and as such, they're treated the worst. They live in the worst conditions, get assigned the worst jobs, receive the least options for food rations and smallest quantities, have the most limitations on travel, are not allowed to move to other cities or provinces other than the one assigned to them, and they're often the recipients of unfair judgments.

Food Rations

Saltwater Aquaponics farms are the primary food source to feed the masses. From these farms, the U.N.O.E. produces and distributes food rations to the Gaians.

400s and 500s Food Rations

Health Shakes AKA "Muck Juice": Made from a super greens powder that consists of a blend of vitamins, minerals & wholefood ingredients. While it might provide Gaians with most nutrients needed to survive, it tastes like freshly-juiced dirt with a hint of wheatgrass. Canned Veggie Medley: Made from bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, and red onions. Kassiana's take: "It's mushy and tastes a little like the compost piles back home smelled–like old garbage." Gruel: Made from Cabbage, Seaweed, and Tomatoes. Kassi's take: "Where the other foods are almost completely devoid of salt, this is overly salty." Protein Biscuit: Kassi's take: "It doesn’t taste like much. It's almost flavorless other than the slight hint of stale, unsalted broccoli. The biscuit crumbles into your mouth like wet sand."

600s Food Rations

All of the above PLUS sticky white rice

700s Food Rations

All of the above PLUS meatless bean chili

800s Food Rations

All of the above PLUS flavored energy chews. These come in Mango, Melon, and Grape. Kassi's take: "Compared to all the other food rations on Earth, it's sweeter than candy grapes off the vine."Townhomes and Apartments

400s to 800s all live in Townhomes and Apartments. The sizes of these domiciles vary slightly, but the biggest difference is in the location and quality of housing.

Residence

700s and 800s are allowed to relocate to other provinces and cities pretty freely.

600s can obtain permission to move, but it's more difficult.

400s and 500s are not allowed to relocate unless asked to by the U.N.O.E.

Occupations

700s and 800s are often given managerial positions while lower statuses work beneath them performing more tedious and sometimes dangerous tasks. Pay is minimal since housing, healthcare, food, and most necessities are already provided for. All jobs are government jobs--there is no private sector. The more desirable jobs go to the higher statuses while the lower statuses are forced to take whatever jobs are leftover.

Punishments

800s often getaway with small crimes and offenses, while the 400s are punished for every little thing, including misunderstandings and false accusations. 400s are more easily issued demerits which keep them and their families constantly at a lower status, making it nearly impossible for them to rise out of their situation. 700s and 800s have an easy time earning yearly dividends that increase their star scores.

Associations

When higher statuses associate with lower statuses for long periods of time, such as joining the same team or attending the same private parties, their star scores are "corrected" with demerits to reflect a lower status. For example, if an 800 were to join an AquaSphera team of 400s and 500s, they would receive between 25-50 demerits to their family's star score, affecting all other aspects of their lives. If they continue pursuing these discouraged associations, their scores will be "corrected" yearly until they cut all ties and disassociate with these undesirable lower statuses.

In marriage, star scores are averaged between the two. For example, when two 800s marry each other, their new star scores reflect the difference between their scores. If one is an 850 and the other is an 800, they would now both score at 825. If an 800 were to marry a 400, they would both become 600s, etc.

How Scores Are Tabulated

Star Scores are passed down from generation to generation. Everyone started with the same score, according to the U.N.O.E. when the one-world-government was first created in the year 2043 AD. Based on their historical records, everyone began as a 400, earning rewards yearly for their families whenever they participated and contributed to the rebuilding of society. As time went on, rules and policies tightened, punishments became more frequent, and the families began to see a divide in scores.

The U.N.O.E. assessed every family member (parents and dependents) and awarded families yearly dividends based on their performance. If the entire family was obedient to the laws, they earned ONE point per family member. For example, a family of four would earn four points if they complied with all the policies of the government for the entire year. However, if a family member incurred a reprimand from the U.N.O.E., the entire family lost one point per member (a family of four would lose four points). Once Gaians reached the age of 18, they took their star score with them and separated from their parents, earning points alone until they got married and started their own families. Children under the age of fifteen weren't recognized by their star scores and were officially "assigned" their family's star score at the age of 15. While everyone knew a family's star scores, no one was affected by associating with other classes until they reached the age of 15.

With the Siren Games, larger amounts of points could be earned by families. Having a champion qualify for the Games automatically earned their family 25 points. If they earn medals in the Games, they receive more points.

Palladium = 150 points

Platinum = 100 points

Gold = 50 points

Silver = 25 points

If someone were to earn a Palladium medal in the Games and not end up winning a Paradise Passport, their family would still earn 150 points to their Star Score statuses. This is how most families jumped to the higher statuses since yearly dividends only award a small number of points each year.

Initially, the U.N.O.E. created Star Scores to reward its citizens for good behavior, but it eventually morphed into a means for separated Gaians into classes.

By: Shaun Barrowes

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