The Legacy of Mankind

Earth. That’s the name the former inhabitants of this planet bestowed upon it. The name Earth derives from ‘erda,’ which means ‘ground’ or ‘soil.’ They named their planet after what they found just below their feet. Some believe this name speaks for how simple and unintelligent the humans were. Others find the fact that they named all the other planets in their solar system after gods, while naming their own home planet after something synonymous with words like dirt and filth to be quite telling.

The humans saw themselves as insignificant from the very beginning. Despite their growth and technological advances throughout their time on this planet; they continued to see themselves as worshipers. They worshipped gods, technology, currency, culture. The list is endless. Actual human idols appeared throughout their history, but as each generation of humans died their idols died with them.

This eventually led to the downfall of their planet. Instead of coming together to worship themselves and one another, they destroyed it all.

“Arriella! Let’s go!” The Captain shouts at their subordinate while standing in the doorway of the space craft. “Are you going to spend your first excavation mission on the ship?”

The Byterrian jumps from her seat. “Coming!”

Arriella has spent her whole life preparing for this moment. She has always been fascinated with Earth and the humans who once lived here.

“I don’t understand why you’re so excited.” Her colleague, Burre rolls his eyes. “We never find anything valuable. Just more junk for the Museum.”

“You call it junk, but I call it treasure!”

Jumping from the last step of the ship, Arriella’s eyes grow wide in awe at the site before her. Large structures being slowly devoured by the planet’s foliage. Foliage she’s never encountered before. It’s devasting and beautiful. Technology and architecture which she’d only seen in the pages of books were now right before her.

“Stay with your partners! Complete your assignment and report back before the planet’s sun goes down!”

“Yes Captain!”

“Come on Arri! We’ve got work to do!” Burre yells out to her. “You can write about all of this in your private log later.”

He laughs and she makes a face at him before moving along.

Their location was once inhabited by a large population of humans. It has been some time since it was last excavated, but the Captain figured it would make for an easy first mission. Upon arrival, Arriella looks up at the structure above them. The sign before them is quite dilapidated, but she can make out the word “Mall.”

“Oh!” She exclaims suddenly. “A mall?! No one told me our assignment was a mall!”

Burre shrugs. “I’ll never understand your fascination with this planet. It’s just a building full of junk that is useless to us.”

“But not to the humans! Malls were not just for buying the necessities, but for socializing as well!”

As they walk in, Burre looks over at the decrepit shops. Through one of the shattered windows, he can see a garment hanging on the wall that reads ‘I’M WITH STUPID.’

“The necessities,” he scoffs. “Rigghhhttt.”

His words fall on deaf ears as Arriella joyfully moves into said shop, grabbing the garment. “Do you think the Captain would be mad if I kept this?”

Burre shakes his head at his partner. “Arri, I don’t think he’ll care. That garment is horrendous.”

“I think it’s amusing!”

He looks at her in disdain. “Just please don’t ever actually wear that.”

Burre has spoken too late, however, as Arriella has already pulled the tattered garment over her uniform.

He sighs. “Arri, you can’t take home everything you find amusing. We’re looking for artifacts. Items of interest for the Earth Museum.”

“I know! This is the only thing I’ll take for myself, I swear.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Burre mumbles under his breath. “Let’s split up. You search this area and I’ll cover the second level. And please stay focused.”

“Uh huh,” Arriella nods as she moves further into the shop.

The shops are decaying, but in surprisingly good shape considering the time that has passed since the extinction of the human race. Garments and gadgets are strewn across the ground. A store completely dedicated to literature, in complete disarray. Collapsed shelves and tattered books. Arriella manages to dig out several books from an area labeled, ‘EROTICA.’ She’s never seen this word before so these books must be unbelievably valuable for the museum.

Exiting the bookstore, she spots a shop across the way with multiple bottles of liquid inside. The sign above the door has long been destroyed. Upon entry, she is overwhelmed with multiple strange aromas.

“This must be some kind of poison shop!”

Arriella runs from the store, coughing and spitting. In her scramble to get away, she steps on something hard and falls to the ground.

Her communication device buzzes as Burre’s voice comes through. “I heard yelling. Are you okay?”

“Yeah! Just tripped, but I’m fine.”

As she stands up, sunlight shines down from the ceiling above and catches the reflection of something at her feet. Arriella bends to pick it up. It’s metallic and bent into a shape the humans called a heart. Even though it looks nothing like the organ inside the humans’ bodies that kept them alive. It’s attached to a thin chain with a broken clasp and surprisingly clean.

“Hmm,” She marvels at it. “I wonder what its purpose is.”

Along the side of the heart, she notices a hinge. With a firm squeeze, the heart pops open and reveals the image of a human woman holding a smaller human on one side. On the other, she can barely make out the words ‘Those who love us, Never leave us.’

“How sad.” Arri mumbles to herself.

For most, the legacy of the humans tells a story of selfish beings. Beings that destroyed their planet with no regard for the generation that would come after them. They killed senselessly and were born with hatred in their blood.

For Arriella, the humans were much more complex. They may have been selfish and consumed by hatred, but they were so much more than that. Loving, compassionate, empathetic. Passionate, persistent, and loyal. They fought for freedom. Fought for justice. They were so consumed by their emotions that it was impossible for them to look past their own grievances to focus on saving their race from extinction.

“Arri hel-”

The buzz of her communication device stirs her from her thoughts. “Burre?” She tries him back but gets no answer. She hears a loud bang in the distance. “Burre?! Are you okay?!”

Arriella turns around and gasps. She is stunned by what she sees before her. She locks eyes with what appears to be the smaller human pictured in the locket. Except, she’s not so small anymore and she’s holding a weapon.

“Wait!” Arriella tries to yell out in English, but it’s too late.

A fatal gun shot wound in her abdomen, Arriella falls to the ground. More humans appear from around the corner as the life fades from her body. Killed by those she dedicated her life to.