ORIGINS:

The world of Earth had been a forgotten tale for millennia amidst the Federation of Stars when the small crew of three crash landed on its now mostly rocky surface. In good graces, not one was hurt and the small ship was stable enough to be utilized as housing pending the rescue. The mayday signal had deployed on impact. Survival was the business at hand.

The small crew were supposed to have been landing home from their scientific mission on a nearby satellite moon when they were overtaken by an ionic storm that carried them into the portal: no destination control. Securely in their seats, they gripped their armchairs, hoping for the best. External visuals went out just as they exited the portal. The ship shook violently as if it was about to be ripped apart – field stabilizers had been damaged by the storm. Instruments went wild. Suddenly they felt the deployment of emergency dampeners, indicating they were within an atmosphere and about to crash. BOOM! Hard impact. Luckily, the landing gear had still been able to deploy. The landing gear was decimated, but it absorbed enough shock to prevent the total destruction of their ship. A quick glance at the instruments indicated they had crashed on Earth, just before everything glitched and the ships was in full shut down. Earth: the subject of much of their native folklore. Normally a seven-year travel, the portal had landed them there in moments. Tu’ok, the Captain, knew they were nearly out of supplies. Instruments verified a breathable atmosphere. Tu’ok opened the door. Not knowing what to expect environmentally on this seemingly desolate rock as the hours wore, time was of the essence.

‘We need sustenance,’ thought Tu’ok, as he gathered weapons in preparation to exit the ship and explore. Water and food as top priority, the crew set out to surveil the mysterious surroundings of their temporary home, of which’s destruction many tales had been fancied on their home world. Upon exit, Q’tai immediately started taking readings from the surrounding area hoping for signs of underground water nearby. He knew their supplies were out and the scene before his eyes was a masterpiece of death for them: nothing but red, gray and blue rocks as far as the eye could see.

Trying to get his mind off the dimness of their predicament, Tu’ok fell into thought. ‘It was their greed that killed them. They were primitive and unable to live cohesively; there was a war and they all killed each other.’ He started walking toward the bow of the ship as the others started heading stern.

‘Father told me they killed their planet with chemicals and nothing else would grow, so they all starved in the end,’ Q’tai pondered as he took in the scene before his eyes.

Im’uk recalled ‘I had been told nothing could live here. That the surface had been destroyed and nothing but rocks, and so it seems.’ Im’uk and Q’tai looked at each other in quiet dismay, yet mesmerized by the sight. Here they were, bearing witness to many a millenia of tales and folklore, seeing and touching the very subject. Im’uk and Q’tai could see nothing but red, brown, gray rock and dust as far as the eye could see. No water. And certainly no food.

Suddenly, they were both pressed to ‘Come! Quick!’ to Tu’ok, positioned at the ship’s bow, to the port side. Q’tai and Im’uk quickly ran around the stern to port. No sooner having rounded the ship’s stern did they suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, echoing the same thought, ‘How—'

What unfolded before their eyes as they rounded the stern was an unbelievably well-preserved scene of humanity’s destruction, overtaken by nature so beautifully that it commanded awe. Remnants of architectural wonders only heard of prior, machines of all shapes and sizes crumbling and decaying on the edge of the green: the remnants of Earth and its population’s death, completely overtaken by the most beautiful and thriving nature. Amongst it, fruit trees could be made out. Tu’ok signaled, Q’tai and Im’uk followed. Each carefully taking in the surrounding as they witness before them, living, what folklore had long ago called dead, no matter the pre-emptive tale.

Tu’ok in the lead, Q’tai taking instrumental readings, and Im’uk covering the rear, they treaded with careful attention, for safety and sustenance as much as from wonder and awe. The area thriving seemed to be perfectly circular, ‘a curious oddity’ thought Tu’ok. All wondered how it was possible that such an area, roughly a hundred yards in diameter, could be preserved in what appeared to be a perfect circular area. They had never witnessed such a wonder.

Tu’ok was hopeful, ‘We may find sustenance there.’

The ground on the way to the Circle of Life, as they came to refer to it, was treacherous, took several hours to reach and exhausted their water supply. They had crash landed just at what appeared to be the late morning and would arrive to the Circle a few hours before dusk, at least leaving enough time to make a shelter at the cusp of the Circle.

Several hours passed. As they neared the Circle of Life, ‘I can hear a fall! We will find water!’ Q’tai noted just as his instruments started verifying the same. As the sky was cloudy, the air was cool and with a light breeze, the group found themselves instinctively picking up the breeze as the sounds of water and life emerged from the Circle. The sounds coming from the decayed city and its thriving forest host became louder as they neared the edge of the Circle, and clearly verified what Q’tai now knew, that ‘we will have sustenance within the Circle.’

Sooner than anticipated, they had arrived. But they could not enter. An invisible shield of sorts made the Circle impenetrable. The day’s journey had demanded they utilize the remainder of their water and food portions. This was not good. All three crumbled for a moment’s rest as they pondered their predicament and solution.

Tu’ok, ‘There must be a way in.’

Q’tai, ‘There is sustenance therein. If we can find entry, we can survive.’

Im’uk decided to get up after several minutes, picked up a rock and threw it towards the Circle. It bounced off. He picked up another one and threw it higher, again it bounced off. He picked up a third and threw it as high as he could towards the Circle and saw that it bounced again, but a bit further in. ‘It is a dome. If it is a dome, it must have been for shelter. There must be a way in!’ Im’uk started feeling the invisible dome field, hoping to find a gap. Tu’ok and Q’tai followed suit. As they worked their way systematically around the dome, dusk started in, all the while in the distance - a storm appeared to brew.

As time passed, the storm grew closer. A thick wall of dust and sand soon became visible. All realized that entry into the dome was critical or they would not survive. They looked at each other and picked up their pace.

As the last of the sun was setting, all three started utilizing their palm lights. It was at this very moment that Q’tai noticed something shiny on the ground a few feet away. Curiously he walks over: a heart shaped locket.

Q’tai had never seen a locket before. He examined it carefully, noting intricate design of a planet embossed into the metal. It was in fact of Earth, before the Calamity happened and before the destruction. Im’uk and Tu’ok both come over to see what had grasped Q’tai’s attention. The object is passed between them. It did not appear to have any meaningful use.

Tu’ok, ‘We should keep the relic for further study of its meaning.’

Q’tai agrees and proceeds to place it into his pocket. And the search for an entry way continued.

The storm is now clearly visible and nearly upon them. Time is pressing. With concerned glances, they continue to feel the wall of energy hoping for a slight breach where they might find entry and shelter in the dome. Q’tai, partly still captivated by his find of the locket, decides to palm it in his hand as he continues, occasionally glancing at it – a distraction from their immediate predicament. Tu’ok notices that Q’tai’s distraction is slowing him down… there is not time for this. He calls out and tells him ‘Give me the locket. We cannot be distracted from our task.’ Exhausted and a bit flustered, Q’tai throws the locket at him. Tu’ok misses and the locket hits the energy field. Upon contact, the energy field immediately creates a visible entryway.

Q’tai, ‘The object is the key to the gate!’

The storm now almost immediately upon them, they proceed quickly to enter. Silently, and as suddenly as it had appeared, the gate closed. They feel the space, ‘the dome is closed,’ thought Tu’ok.

The group quickly locates the waterfall. The instrument indicates the water is pure; they refresh themselves with ample drink. Once refreshed, they find a nearby building in ruin that appeared stable enough to be used for shelter for the night. A quick camp is set up, some wood gathered from the nearby brush of the forest, and a fire quickly started with their palm lights used jointly. Tu’ok, Q’tai and Im’uk share relief: they are sheltered from the storm, they are safe and they are watered. They can smell that there is fruit nearby. They are tired. Tu’ok, ‘We will rest this evening and find fruit at the break of daylight. It may too treacherous to venture in the dark.’ All are in agreement.

Able to exhale and relax, the three start sharing of the day’s adventure.

Im’uk: ‘Earth!’ I wonder if all her people were destroyed.’

Tu’ok: ‘Maybe we will find signs tomorrow of what happened.’

Q’tai: ‘A relic that saved our lives. Think of the stories they will tell of us back home!’

Im’uk and Tu’ok: ‘We hope...’

Q’tai took the little heart shaped locket out from their pocket. ‘I wonder how this works.’ For all their technology, none had seen anything like it before. As Q’tai stood up to get another drink from the waterfall, he dropped the locket. The locket opened-up as it hit the ground. He picked up the locket carefully, and with a reaction of shock, again dropped it.

Tu’ok, ‘What?’

Im’uk goes over and carefully prods at the locket as Q’tai carefully falls to the ground in disbelief. Tu’ok moves closer as Im’uk carefully picks up the locket, not knowing if it had hurt Q’tai somehow. They examine it together. Inside, a logo: a triangle with an eye and a light point at the top. All three stared at each other in shock and disbelief, with their eyes soon shifting to look at the insignias on their unforms: a triangle with an eye and a light point at the top.

They stare at each other, silently, as they slid into well needed sleep. Awed by this discovery, and each wondering if they will ever see Mars again…

THE END