O Sun of ours, O illuminator of the sky.. ♪
[Everyone hold fast to your places, no one move]
We, your children the Stars, are going.. ♪
[What happened?! Everything was fine just a moment ago!]
On a journey lasting thousands of years.. ♪
[Does anyone know where we are? It seems like a planet abandoned long ago. Star Two?]
Passing like a day for us from afar.. ♪
[Where is Star One?! Mother appointed you leader for this journey, what should we do now?!]
O Sun of ours, return us safely.. ♪
[Let's retreat far from the ship as a precaution, and sit by that tree to discuss what happened]
And be for us a guardian and watcher.. ♪
[Believe me! We will overcome this ordeal quickly, but you all must calm down first]
So we may tell you tales of spring.. ♪
[Ha! What a ridiculous jest!]
(1)
In a new adventure, the dilapidated Ship of the Stars sailed again far into the depths of space, soaring high, reflecting whatever light had not yet been devoured on its sides. Its white wood appeared luminous from afar, an optical illusion drawing all eyes like an artwork carrying many meanings. It represented hope and the new dawn whenever it passed by the dark rocks; it even granted them a wish. And sometimes it reflected distant worlds, an endless song appearing on its huge sail, chanted by its passengers tirelessly, without boredom. It represented ancient glory and pride, and unending thanks to a Mother of great esteem seated amidst the circle called space, a towering center for this universe surpassing the significance of steadfastness and might. This time, the ship embarks on an adventure entirely different from its predecessors. It sails far not for the adult Stars to find their place in this kingdom on a journey of separation, but rather for the little Stars to learn some lessons on their own, and to seek answers to questions endlessly repeated in their minds and on their tongues, until the Mother decided to organize this trip. Curiosity, nothing more.
A sharp collision in the atmosphere was like a violent earthquake for everyone on the ship, stopping it instantly. In a moment, it was sucked downwards, as if an octopus arm had embraced it tightly and begun pulling it with tremendous force. The command tried hard to pull the ship out of its stasis, but to no avail. Their only option was to close the sail and surrender to sinking into the depths of the unknown, hoping for a landing that wouldn't claim their lives. Deep down it went, plunging amidst resistance from the atmosphere, like a burning meteor forging its path downward. With the engines focusing all their power upwards, the ship finally managed to float for a single second, but that lifeline wasn't enough to guarantee life. It collided horizontally with all its might against the trees of the sky-reaching forest. Luckily for them, this lessened the severity of the fall slightly, making it less fatal than it could have been. It continued for a few more miles, harvesting trees before it, until it reached the ground with its nose completely crushed, black in color, and its engine burnt out. It immediately sank a few meters down into the mud, hiding its flaws, finally settling, alone, beautiful despite its wreckage, with the remains of the destroyed forest behind it, and a green, flowering plain before it.
Everyone remained frozen in their places until things calmed down, then panic dominated the scene. One screaming with what breath remained in her chest, another yet to comprehend that her companion in her arms had departed from life, and a third smiling madly, leaning back against her chair after a superhuman effort, with trembling hands and a pale face, before striking the steering wheel with her bloody fist. And only one, who had moved away from the window in her terror, anxiety, and fear, began giving orders to them wisely and calmly as the song concluded.
(2)
They surrounded the tree as if in a courtroom, everyone considering themselves guilty until proven innocent, which is precisely why they wanted to pin the blame on one star in the end. Although everything now depended absolutely on the responsible one and her perspective. And what if there truly was a guilty party? It no longer mattered after this moment. Star Three began speaking in a high, sharp, reprimanding tone:
"Star Four, you and your crew were responsible for monitoring the ship's indicators. Why didn't you report any problems during observation?"
"Because there was nothing worth reporting! All indicators were perfectly normal, and the ship was in excellent condition until the moment of impact. Perhaps the problem was in your piloting method, Star Three?"
"I am certain we were sailing in a gravity-free zone, and there was nothing different from usual. I tried with all my might to avert the disaster; that was all I could do."
Star Four flared up, her voice angry, almost breaking:
"And what are we going to do now?! Are we going to ignore what happened and continue arguing? My entire crew was crushed under the ship's nose, yet you're still thinking of blaming me!"
Three replied, having calmed down slightly, trying to control her nerves:
"I'm not blaming anyone. All I'm saying is that we are now officially stranded here forever!"
(3)
Everyone fell silent, the quietness a clear declaration of the court's adjournment. Although the cessation of hostilities seemed positive on the surface, it left all ears and eyes hanging, awaiting the words of the responsible one—words she didn't actually have. For a moment, she wished the earth would swallow her to spare her such a situation, an utterly unenviable position. But finally, she gathered her courage, resolved herself, stood in the center with her confident, reassuring smile, and said in a steady voice:
"The Sun did not put us here without reason. So, until we can repair the ship and get it running again, let's adapt to this new life, learn some lessons from it, and spend this time together. I know what happened is a tragedy for everyone. Those who left us midway, their names will be immortalized in the sky when this journey of ours ends. But now we must move past it, focus our efforts on survival and return, instead of blaming each other and creating animosities that will serve no one."
Convincing words, as usual, which no one opposed. Yet, they weren't enough to banish the fear from their hearts. The responsible one turned towards one of them and asked calmly:
"Star Two, you with the wandering gaze, did you notice anything distinctive about this planet? You must have come across something about it while reading in the Celestial Library."
Star Two hesitated slightly before answering cautiously:
"I haven't read anything about it, but I'm sure I've seen it somewhere before, near the Sun. Its greenery, mountains, and buildings... this is not a dark planet at all. There is a civilization living here."
The responsible one nodded understandingly, then said firmly:
"Alright, let's conclude this quick word here. As we learned before, you will split into pairs and disperse to search for anything that might be useful to us—tools or information. As for myself and Star Three, we will examine the ship's condition, the extent of the damage, and what it needs to be able to fly again. If any star among you encounters something strange or runs into any trouble, send up a light signal into the sky immediately."
All the Stars replied in unison:
"Acknowledged, Leader!"
(4)
They were walking beside what remained of the ship. Although they had been walking steadily for minutes, one of them stepped forward a few paces as they drew near. From her comical gait, she seemed entirely unserious, until she finally arrived and touched the charred wood at the ship's nose. She pressed it, and it turned to dust between her hands. She then turned towards the other, who was frozen, staring intently at her. She threw the ash from her hand with a sarcastic smile, then opened her arms wide, gesturing to the poverty of options before them.
"I don't expect junk like this to ever fly! You are clinging to your illusions, nothing more."
Then she kicked the sand in a foul mood, her hand aching and a headache almost splitting her skull, her feet uncovering the remains of some crushed Stars' fragments beneath the mud. She looked at them seriously, accompanied by a sadistic laugh, and said:
"And soon we will all meet the same fate as her. How lucky she is. You must tell them that."
"Get out of her what you can. We will bury them near the tree."
This wasn't the answer she expected from her, and she knew she could never bring her down to the base level she was trying to push her towards. So she contented herself with a sarcastic laugh like her previous words to the ship and began digging in the dirt to retrieve the body. However, Star One unexpectedly continued:
"We will exert every effort to repair the ship and return it to its course. Perhaps in the remnants left behind by the ancients here, we will find something to help us achieve this goal quickly. That's why I eagerly await the report from Star Two and the others about what they find. And if we cannot do that, the Sun must come to rescue us in the end, for the Mother never forgets her children."
She stopped digging as soon as she finished speaking, her expression changing to clear anger. She clenched her fists and rushed towards her until the distance between them completely vanished, saying with her head held high and in a sharp tone:
"The Sun! The Sun! She doesn't care about you at all. How long will you continue to flee from this reality?!"
"Then what shall we do?! What can we possibly do but believe that now?! What…"
Tears began streaming down her cheeks after that last cry. She grabbed the front of Star Three's shirt with her weak grip, looking at her with pained, weak eyes. It was an unforgettable scene of a false leader crushed by pain from within. She collapsed gently onto the other, who merged with her for a moment. Star Three could only drop her own insistence as well, embracing her tenderly, patting her head gently, sharing the pain with her.
When Three finished digging the grave, One placed all the remains and fragments she had retrieved from under the ship's nose inside it. Before covering it with dirt, she silently recited a final prayer, only to be surprised that the other standing beside her was sharing in it too. They finished the burial process in silence, neither uttering a word. Afterwards, she stretched her arms towards the sky, tired from the effort she had exerted, and sat down to rest under the shade of the tree. Star One followed her and sat beside her again.
"I didn't mean to offend you or mock you. I know we are all in the same mire, but you bear a greater responsibility than all of us. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but you are trying to maintain more than sixty stars and ensure their safety."
Star One looked at her gently, then said calmly:
"Your problem with the Sun, is it because she chose me as the responsible one for the Stars and the journey, even though you are older?"
Star Three then smiled a faint smile, shaking her head in denial:
"Quite the contrary. I understand very well now that piloting the ship is harder than leading the Stars. It just relates to different problems we faced along the way, differences in viewpoints, nothing more. And frankly, I don't like sharing these matters with you."
Star One suddenly laughed, saying playfully:
"Differences in viewpoints? Perhaps I can share my real opinion about these differences sometime, you liar!"
Their loud laughter quickly spread through the surroundings, erasing with it every trace of the previous argument. But the laughter didn't last long, as the sky suddenly lit up with a clear sign to the north. This definitely meant that a star from the exploration team had found something important.
(5)
They stopped suddenly after climbing the hill and remained standing like that for some time. Eventually, they decided to part ways with their leader, Star Two, leaving her immersed in her thoughts. Only Star Seven remained beside her, sharing contemplation of the world from that towering height. The view from there granted the mind some tranquility and enthusiasm, and many questions. What does this vast, abandoned world hide for us? And what will we find inside its towering iron buildings, its black roads, and its huts covered by grass and trees? It is the mystery and magic of the unknown, that influence which pushes you to embark on the adventure, overcoming all your fears for the sake of uncovering what lies beneath. Star Two broke the silence, asking Seven with clear curiosity:
"I don't know if our falling onto an inhabited planet like this is good luck. Among all the ill-fated, unknown rocks and planets we passed in the sky, fate chose for us to fall here, upon this wondrous world. What is your opinion on the matter, Star Seven?"
She answered then, calmly and contemplatively:
"The surprises of the future are what will reveal that to us. Haven't you found out the name of this planet yet?"
"I don't understand why knowing the planet's name matters so much to you all, but I am about to identify it. It's one step away from this exhausted one's mind."
Star Seven turned around, placing her hands behind her head, slowly walking away. Then she stretched out on the ground near Star Two, gazing at the deep blue sky, at the great light of the Sun that no one can mistake, and at the birds migrating from east to west, then said:
"We aren't far past midday. The Sun's light is still bright, and hot. Have you reached anything?"
Suddenly, Star Two jumped up with obvious excitement and said in an enthusiastic voice:
"Yes! I found it! They call this planet "Spoiled Paradise". I saw a report about it previously in the Mother's library. It must be it! And this means there are many important and dangerous details we must tell Star One immediately. Come on, let's return quickly!"
(6)
As soon as the sign flared, everyone gradually returned to the gathering point around the tree. This time, the leader was with them, and behind her, a distinctive rocky star was planted in the ground that hadn't been there before. With Star Two's arrival, she appeared raising one finger to the sky, her head lowered as usual, as if declaring she was the one who sent the signal. From among the crowd, Star Four suddenly appeared to whisper something in Star One's ear. After she finished, the latter took a step forward, concluding the first day on the planet:
"Welcome back, Stars, and blessed are your efforts this evening. Let's conclude the report for the first day. Each squad will announce what they found during their roaming. We begin with you, Star Three and the Command Squad."
"After reviewing the ship's damage up close, with you of course, we confirmed that the damage sustained from the incident is extensive and serious. The ship needs restructuring, which could take weeks, perhaps months, meaning we will remain on this planet for quite some time. We still need to ascertain the condition of the engines, wings, and the controller."
"Star Two and the Exploration Squad?"
"The planet we fell upon is nicknamed Spoiled Paradise, and it is the Earth previously inhabited by humans. Therefore, I am sure we will find many valuable things that could help us return quickly, but it also holds great risks. So, I request that touching objects be forbidden for all squads except the elites of Engineering and Exploration until we ascertain the general condition of the surface."
"You have it, Star Two. And from this day forward, you will be responsible for gathering and documenting information about this planet, and Star Seven, Deputy of the Engineering Squad, will assist you in this. What about you, Star Four and the Engineering Squad?"
"We found many strange materials that might be useful, most importantly a red liquid that ignites quickly upon contact with fire, making it a good option for fuel in the future. Besides that, as Star Two mentioned, there is a lot of damaged heavy equipment scattered around; we might find useful parts for maintenance in it."
"Star Five and the Protection and Health Squad?"
"We found many deep caves in the south, empty and safe. We didn't find any minerals in them, but with the stores, houses, and damaged equipment mentioned by Star Four, there's no need for excavation deep underground. The environmental condition is indeed disastrous, and it worsens within the cities, but it's not dangerous to us. As for the atmospheric condition, it's unexpectedly suitable, and there is no risk of deadly diseases spreading."
"Thank you all. And before we return to the ship, I remind you not to despair. We will get out of here as soon as possible, and we will live together in comfort on this planet without worry or hardship, I promise you that. Let's eat now and go to sleep; tomorrow will have its own word."
Although all circumstances seemed, in their view, set for a quick return, anxiety still gripped everyone; even the most positive among them was the deepest in thought. What surprises did this hazy future hold for them? A single question now terrified them all. The questions multiplied until their hearts were consumed, and sleep found no easy path to their eyes that night.