Dark Paradise by Lesley Whyte

Paradise, that's what they said. Well, they said a lot of things - safety, a fresh start, a world that wasn't trying to kill us, Utopia - but Paradise was the one that stuck with me. We filed onto the ship, excited to get to our new home, not even thinking about the fact that it would take us two whole years to get there. It was an inconceivable amount of time. But it didn't matter. We were going to find Paradise at the end of it. It was worth losing two years of my life. Besides, if I'd stayed on Earth, I probably wouldn't even have lasted that long.

What they didn't tell us is how wrong they were. Our new planet wasn't inhabitable. It wasn't safe. The air was toxic, the first wave of settlers all died, surviving just long enough to send back word that we couldn't come here, that it wasn't safe. Their machines took readings and sent data back to the Earth. Instead of looking for a new planet, they decided to persevere. They built tunnels, miles and miles of tunnels under the sand and the toxic air. They expected us to live underground like moles and never see the sun again. Never feel fresh air on our faces again. Never...

They didn't tell us. And now, for the first time, I wish I'd stayed on Earth. Paradise.