The apocalypse has come - nuclear war+asteroid hitting+alien invasion+Skynet+vampires.

Doesn't matter which, the world government/s knew this was coming (lets say, a year in advance) and they have a plan! They'll get as many "chosen ones" (scientists, craftsmen, leaders, soldiers etc etc) off to the Mars colony, where life can begin anew. The chosen can bring their close family along.

To do this, the powers that be contact the chosen ones 24 hours before getting them to the launch pads. We want to give the scientists time to pack some critical research notes, the craftsmen to get their tools, the soldiers their law enforcing batons and the leaders - they need time to write hope inspiring speeches.

Alas - the scientist has a second cousin that she won't leave behind. The craftsman feels bad about leaving his neighbors. The leader organizes his entire town to storm the launch site and get on a ship. A bunch of people tell a bunch of other people, who grab their pitchforks and attack our chosen ones!

Mayhem and despair!

**So - how do we tell our chosen ones that the world is ending and convince/force them to come quietly, without extra people? Most likely, without telling anyone else or somehow keep the secret in their close family?**

Extra points for getting the chosen guys to agree to go quietly, rather than force them, though force or acceptance through threats is also an option. Bear in mind that sedating 10000 prominent people will be noticed, will require a bunch of implementers to know about the "sedation operation", and might end up pissing the chosen off and getting cold shoulders from them on Mars. So I'd like to avoid such measures, if possible.

* "The Government" finds out about the apocalypse a year in advance.
* 24 hour notice before the end of the world, no more, no less.
* A ship can carry 1000 people and the necessaries-for-survival + their stuff. We have 10 launch sites around the world, one ship per site.
* The chosen can bring their close family - one spouse and children (in the process of choosing the chosen, single/newly-wed candidates are given priority over those that are married+lots of kids).