New World Challenge

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. As I have been flying through the vacuum of space for countless hours now, I see a space shuttle flying through space as well, making myself automatically scream in desperation as I am flying through space myself. The space shuttle gets closer and closer, looking to pick me up, making me relieved but more confused on how this could happen.

The door of the spacecraft opens for me, so I scurry in as I am curious on how they got out here and how they were able to hear me through my space suit, especially with my helmet on. As I am scurrying into the shuttle, I hear chatter in English, making me more relieved. However, as I get inside and see who is in here, I immediately panic and get left in shock.

There were three aliens that looked like humans, but each of them only had one eye, two nostrils with no nose, mouths positioned vertically and six arms, three on each side of their bodies. I let out a little scream as I see them, and I can only be left frozen by who or what I just saw.

One of them asks me, ‘Hey, are you alright? You have no need to worry we won’t hurt you, but we are curious on how you got out there and how your space suit was able to connect to us so that we could hear you. So can you please let us know who you are and where you came from?’

My shock turns into confusion, but I know my safest option is to answer their question. So, I stuttered with, ‘We… well, I came from the international space station, but it… it exploded due to an error within the system. I… I managed to survive the explosion but got pushed away into space for hours on end. Then… then thankfully, you three saved me from what could’ve happened to me.’

Then the one that asked me a question had a seemingly confused look on their face, and looked back to their two colleagues, who also were perplexed by the situation.

They then asked me another question of, ‘What is the “International Space Station”?’, which I answered with, ‘The “International Space Station”? The “ISS”? It was built so we develop understandings on how we can live in the environment of space?’

The three become even more confused, with one of them stating, ‘Ayo, I’m sorry but we don’ have that. I don’ know how you making this up, but we the first ones ever in space, so why would we already be making such facilities like dat?’

That’s when I realized how much of a difference, I have with them. As I felt utter shock and confusion, all three of them looked at me curiously waiting for an answer. So, I had to break it to them saying, ‘Well, the “ISS” is what I have, well, what I had back on my planet, Earth.’ All three of them step back as they start to worry but understand what's going to happen. I stand up, take off my helmet, revealing my face saying, ‘My name is Elexa Barret. I am an astronaut of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, aka NASA, which is located in Washington D.C., United States of America, on the planet Earth.’

All three of them pause, with bewildered and scared looks on their faces, which I understand as that is how I feel on the inside.

Then one of them shouted, ‘You’re an ALIEN?’, which I nod yes to, but reply with, ‘But to me, you’re all aliens as well. And I mean nothing but peace and guidance from me to you and ask for vice versa.’ They all agreed and became more curious than shocked.

One of them immediately asks, ‘How did you and your kind create an “ISS”?’ I replied with, ‘Well ever since we were able to land on the moon back in 1969, we naturally became more curious on what is the limit on how my kind, which we called ourselves humans, can live in the environment of space, and started building it in the late 90s.

All three of them once again had shocked looks on their faces as I told them Earth’s history with space, but their eye widened in disbelief, having all of them float to the other end of the shuttle having a little discussion to themselves, which made me scared as to what is about to come.

One of them then asked me, ‘What year is it for you and “humans”?’, I easily answered, ‘The year is 2022 for us.’ That answer caused their eye to widen even more with their mouths widening as well.

They all looked at each other happily, repeatedly saying, ‘The prophecy is happening.’ which led me to ask, ‘What prophecy, sorry?’, one of them excitedly answered with, ‘Well, for our kind, we call ourselves Osinims, it is the year 1957,’ which made me gasp in disbelief, as they continued saying, ‘and our kind has a famous prophecy that there will be a kind out there, somewhere in the universe, that there will be a more technologically advanced kind than us, who will guide us through properly using technology for a better way of living, pave a way for medicine and to help us explore the universe, meeting other kinds from other planets and understand what the universe is. And now that we have you Elexa, that prophecy has been fulfilled. And we, as Osinims, are thankful to have you with us and ask that you please help us develop the technology that we need for a fulfilling life.’

I was once again frozen in complete shock, with my jaw dropped and my eyes being unable to focus on anything, as I slowly came to the realization that me and everyone on Earth are possibly the most technologically advanced beings in the universe.