isntepic Archive

The Sanctuary of Birds and a Girl

Two green figures sat inside the belly of their 'intergalactic pasta plate', peering down onto the latest planet they had flown across. The seemingly fatter one, Carl Alien, had a wrinkled face and neat tuffs of golden locks on the top of his head which looked oddly similar to a Christmas present topper, grunted and scratched his hairless green chin. The other one, probably twice the size smaller, and a little lumpy, that sat next to his friend, was Sam Alien.

They both looked down onto the curiously hay-yellow coloured sphere.

"What do you think of this place, Sam?" Carl Alien gave his lumpy companion a side glance and a nudge.

Sam Alien squinted at the surroundings of the planet, thinking. Carl Alien plopping onto the pilots chair while he let Sam Alien think. The lumpy one nodded, after a few minutes of deep thinking, approving of the site and the planet. "Looks decent. Yes. Just the right amount of sunlight. And I think those are the green sticks Ma used to tell us about."

Carl Alien hummed in agreement, although not sparing another look at the planet. He didn't have to look twice to know that that tiny patch of green was probably the green sticks. All Ma's stories finally proved true after all these years.

"Would you like to land near the green sticks, Sam?" Carl Alien garbled. "Or somewhere else?"

"As close as you can." Sam Alien pressed his face onto the cold glass windows of their 'intergalactic pasta plate' as he watched them descend into the planet's stratosphere.

Carl Alien was surprised at the speed of their descent down onto the planet. Usually it would've taken them twice or even thrice the amount to fully land on the surface of the planet. But it would really depend on the gravitational forces of the planet, Carl Alien knew.

He peered at his small companion who was hurriedly putting on his boots, eager to get out and explore after their long journey through the endless galaxy. He too wanted out of the cramped orb they had been cooped up in.

"Don't rush too much. We've got plenty of time." Carl Alien chuckled and took out his own pair of boots, Sam had already opened the doors of the space plate and was looking down on the cracked ground below.

"Dehydrated planet." Were the only words that left his mouth.

Carl made his way down the doors and onto the cracked ground below. He was lost for words. So he shook his head in sorrow for the planet.

"But Ma told us that, if this planet really is the one, with enough green sticks it should be alive and thriving." Sam chirped.

"Yes, it is true." A voice came from behind them. "This is the sanctuary of birds. Here live the last few remaining species of birds and trees on planet Earth."

Sam and Carl Alien knew it all too well. "We must save this planet at all costs."