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JUST LIKE US
Copyright 2024 Christina M. Guerrero
DEDICATION
This is for Earth.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY
I’ve had this idea for a while.
It’s probably been done before.
But I had fun writing it.
ABOUT THE DRAFTS
What kind of names do you give beings from somewhere else?
As I named them, all those fantasy novels suddenly made sense.
This needs work, as it is only a second draft.
Dark checked off each task, whispering “did it” after each box, trying not to pay attention to the festivities outside.
“Only about an hour until the celebration,” Snow called from her cubicle.
“Can’t wait,” Dark answered, keeping time with the checklist.
He arrived at: “Observe the shimmering Planet and provide an explanation for why it shimmers close to its Home Star.”
“I forgot,” Dark mouthed. “I’ll do that right now.”
He accessed his Company Information Module and looked for the files.
He studied video after video of a bright dot — the Home Star — with an almost undetectable tinier bright dot — the Planet which was a vague shade of aqua — that sparkled as it passed the larger dot. Other videos revealed the tiny dot moving away from the large one, reaching a type of boundary, apparently circling behind the larger dot and then returning back to its shimmery position. At one point, researchers and scientists and film experts and concept professionals had postulated the trajectory of the tiny dot, and proposed that it shimmered only during a short time frame once closer to its Home Star, but could not rule out the shimmering when it could not be seen.
“But why?” Asked Rain Landbeing, one of the researchers. “Is it covered with jewels once per revolution? Jewels that perhaps land from beyond? Does it freeze and thaw? Are there fires big enough to see from this great distance? Fires that extinguish and then reappear once again?”
One answer, from researcher Drought Mountainbeing: “As some of our scientists have suggested: perhaps it is simply how the light refracts between the planet and its Home Star, and its moon, if there is one.”
Dark watched the videos several times. He started writing, “Distance and video quality make it difficult to determine precisely the nature of the shimmering. The quality of the shimmers or sparkles or fires appears to be of a temporary nature, and only as the Little Aqua Planet is just past its closest to its Home Star. I agree that it may be a refractory issue—“
Snow called from the next cubicle: “Dark. Celebrations begin now. Please go with us.”
“Please let me finish this sentence.”
“Certainly.”
Dark decided to provide more insight tomorrow. He went with his co-workers outside and to a large gathering where their extended company associates and families partied.
A child handed Dark a hand-drawn picture. “Look! Our Home Planet is right in the middle of our Home Stars! We are right here!”
Dark said, “Please, tell me more.”
“We circle around two stars like two teardrops, with the points in the middle of the stars. That one—“ The child pointed to a white-yellow sun close to the horizon “is Home Star Number One. The other one, that one up there, is Home Star Number Two.”
Around them were tables covered with food and drinks, plenty of chairs and benches and small tents, music, games, and happy beings watching the sky. The child grew bored and ran to a family. Dark searched for something to drink.
As he sipped on fruit juice, he heard two voices debating.
“No, Rain. I believe the source is on the Home Planet. Perhaps something landing from beyond, and burning. Perhaps from its own Home Star. It burns briefly and moves on, and returns and it happens again.”
“I disagree, Drought. We have determined on our own Home Planet that the rocks from beyond often contain jewels, some that sparkle and shimmer. Perhaps it is a Planet full of rocks that shine from the light from its Home Star.”
Rain shook his head.
Dark approached them. “Good evening. I am Darkness Waterbeing. I was reading the research earlier and proposing my own theory.”
“Please, offer us more information,” the others said simultaneously.
“I have not much more to offer then everyone else, but the shimmering lasts for only a very short time frame, compared to the Planet’s travels. It does not appear to shimmer on its way to our right, or as it approaches its Home Star from our left. Of course, we can only speculate on its adventures when it is not in view.”
Drought and Rain nodded.
They all flinched when Fire Groundbeing appeared. “Good evening, all. Care for any of these snacks?”
Drought said, “Yes, thank you. You are much like your name, Fire. Full of presence.”
“My mother said I arrived unexpectedly, so I feel aptly named. Rain, Dark? Snacks?”
They all munched and chatted, but grew quiet when a voice called from among the crowd: “We are almost there!”
Cheers and clapping began. The crowd counted. When they felt the land shifting ever so slightly, they shouted and hugged and laughed and wished each other well.
When the land stopped shifting, they were quiet.
Then the festivities resumed. A light flew into the sky: a Hand-Held-Fire-Launcher. The fire burned bright and shimmered.
Dark watched the light and felt his mouth drop open. He turned to Drought and Rain and pointed.
They nodded.
They watched as multiple Hand-Held-Fire-Launchers shot into the lower atmosphere, Launchers of all colors, Launchers made from soft and fireproof materials that fell to the ground and could be re-used.
The three scientists watched the colorful fires and nodded for a long time.
A day later, Dark ended his Observational Report with, “Maybe there are beings there who celebrate just like us.”
THE END THE END THE END
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