The exoplanet Aziz was discovered only by means of the latest multi-valent AI technology. When evidence of its existence was first detected by the giant interstellar telescope Oppenheimer 2, astonishment soon turned to jubilation among the few humans directly involved. The pristine blue and white orb revealed its “Goldilocks” features in perfect order and magnitude: orbit, rotation, temperature, atmosphere, land and water distribution, cloud cover, arability and so on easily matched the near-Earth requirements. Alas, that just as the measurements and telemetry were shifting to observe signs of possible life–or, civilization–the whole planet disappeared from our view abruptly, perhaps forever.
About the Creator
Mark Francis
Published translator of verse and original writer of haiku, senryu, lyric, occasional and genre poetry and speculative fiction.
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