At the beginning, there was only one world. People longed for a peaceful life, but thefts, murders, and many other evils began to surface. Some people stood up against this unjust order. Sins increased day by day. Then something happened — the moment we call "The End of the World" arrived. Flames rained down from the sky, and the world burned in a sea of fire. From the heat, seas and oceans began to boil. People desperately sought salvation, with some even seeking a solution amid the flames that engulfed everything. Perhaps all of this was the price of our sins, a punishment. Perhaps God created this disaster for a new beginning. And that beginning... was this beginning. In reality, the end of the world was not an end, but a new beginning.
How can a new beginning be possible? Ours was not a kind of beginning one could easily grasp. Like those distant and strange places you see in movies, beyond comprehension... That's what our world became. Now, people live in space. But people? They're no longer people; they're robots. Aliens collected dead bodies from Earth and, as a final resort, created a group of robots. And I, Jayla, stand at the head of this group. Can you believe it? We live in space, and tomorrow, we will descend to Earth for the first time. I don't remember my past. I only know about the previous state of the Earth from what I've been told. But now, Earth is a completely different place. Tomorrow, I will see it all with my own eyes.
We will descend to Earth to investigate it, but no one knows what awaits us there. Some of us may lose our lives there. Perhaps there are survivors on Earth, but they may have changed. Who knows, they might see us as an external threat and reject us. Everything is uncertain, everything is fraught with danger... But one thing is certain: We are determined to descend to Earth, no matter what.
As a last hope, we will search for and find any survivors. We will try to rebuild our world. But there is one question that keeps lingering in our minds: "Have the survivors learned from the mistakes of the past? Do they want salvation, or are they simply fighting to survive?" The shadows of the past will follow us every step of the way. But one thing is certain: We are determined to rebuild this world, no matter what.
"Tomorrow, we will descend to Earth," I said to myself, staring into the void. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the darkness of space. A strange unease simmered within me. What awaits us there? We are venturing into a place none of us truly understand. I can only guess based on what I've heard, but are those stories true? Could the Earth have truly become so terrible? I don't know if everyone is ready for this mission, but I am. I need to make sure they are ready too.
Next to me, Jack was quietly checking his equipment. There was a faint hint of worry on his face. It wasn't the first time I'd seen that look. He'd been avoiding conversation for a few days. My leadership instincts wouldn't let me ignore it.
Jack... He's different. I always see that worry in his eyes. Even though he tries to hide it, I notice. Last night, when everyone else went to rest, he approached me. "Jayla, do you think we're really ready? We don't know what we'll find on Earth," he said, trying to mask the tremor in his voice. I wanted to reassure him, but in truth, I had no idea what we would encounter either.
"Jack, we're here for a reason," I said. "If we give in to fear, we can't complete our mission. I'm here, you're here. Together, we can bring hope back to this world."
But I know Jack's fears aren't just about the mission. I feel like he's searching for something in my eyes when he looks at me. Perhaps I know what that gaze means, but right now, there's no room for those feelings. The Earth needs us, and it's my only priority. I ignore Jack's emotions because allowing them in would only complicate things.
"Hey, Jack," I said, approaching him and gently touching his arm. "Will everyone be ready tomorrow?"
He averted his eyes, a deep line forming on his face. "Of course, we're ready," he said, but it was impossible not to hear the tremor in his voice. "No, Jack, you're not ready at all," I thought. But I decided not to push him any further without raising my voice.
Silence stretched between us. Then, after a brief pause, he turned to me as if gathering all his courage. "Jayla... what if... what if the survivors see us as enemies?"
That's it, I realized. That's what he was truly afraid of. We're all tense because we don't know what to expect. Jack's fear echoed the question in all our minds. If the survivors have really changed and they attack us, what will we do?
"We don't know, Jack," I said. "But there's only one way to find out: go and see." I tried to hide my own uncertainty with a smile. It was my responsibility to ease his fears. As a leader, I had to appear strong. But inside, storms were raging.
"Maybe I'm scared too," I thought. Maybe I know that Earth is no longer what we once knew it to be. But I can't tell the team that. I have to give them hope.
THE NEXT DAY
Our preparations are complete. Everyone is in place. The excitement within me has reached an unbearable level. Touching the surface of the Earth... I have thought about it countless times, but facing its reality is different. Yet something inside tells me that this descent will change everything.
The lights in the control room flicker on one by one. I see Jack stealing one last glance at me before focusing. He tries to hide his fear, but I see it. Like everyone else, he doesn't know what lies below.
The ship begins to shake as we pass through the atmosphere. Everything seems fine, but there's a tightness in my chest. What awaits us after landing? Are there really survivors? If so... will they be friend or foe?
Just then, something appears on the ship's front screen. A flash of light... followed by a silhouette. I squint my eyes. This... impossible. There's something, or someone, waiting for us on the Earth's surface. But how can this be? This place was supposed to be destroyed, abandoned.
"Jayla! Are you seeing this?" Jack's voice echoed from the control panel.
I fixed my gaze on the window, my fear and curiosity intertwined. In that moment, I realized that this descent... might be far more dangerous than we imagined.
"Team, stay alert," I commanded, my voice trembling slightly. "Earth might be different than we thought, and if there's someone down there, they may not welcome us."
As the ship neared the surface, our radio signals picked up a distorted voice. An old, broken human voice... or the echo of a robot... it could be something human-like but not quite human: "We have been waiting for you..."
And in that moment, something inside me shattered. There was no turning back. Once we set foot on Earth, nothing would ever be the same again.
YOU ARE READING
The Love of Worlds (English Version)
Fantascienza"Even if we are different, you are mine... There may only be remnants of ruins left everywhere, rubble and cold stones surrounding us. But you... You are the only piece that warms me within that darkness. When everything turns gray, when hopes turn...
