Princess of the Stars

1- Origins

The Universe, a term thrown around by philosophers in coffee shops to make them sound more profound, is an object so full that it cannot fit into one's imagination. Pregnant with circling galaxies and smaller star systems, it divides for the sake of the small minds who study it. One corner of the Universe is still large enough for centuries of discovery, but the human spirit of ingenuity and curiosity always yearns for more. Building bases on planets farther and farther from home make study of the cosmos more accessible, so they may begin to seek their place among the celestial gods. In one such corner of the Universe spins a foggy galaxy, perilously waltzing between the shining life of stardust and the grave death of its central black hole.

Clouds of gas and dust stretch out in long, spindly arms, a path for humanity to follow to find the rest of existence. Within this galaxy resides a small system, governed by a yellow dwarf who radiates his joy at being circled by such loyal planets. The largest of his subjects, a gas giant, hides the view of an insignificant ship on its way to the farthest reaches of humanity. The Princess of the Stars shies from the accolades of Callisto, the follower of the giant, who urges the princess to seek out the beauty of the Universe despite any consequences. Europa, who once was queen, ushers the way for the great new ruler of the skies, with proclamations for the Universe to comply with her wishes.

Terra glanced out the window, silently bidding her star system goodbye. The stars outside reflected in her eyes as she listened to her friend's new wonderings.

"What do you think our new planet will be like? Will it be like Earth, or more like Mars? Have you ever been to Mars, Terra? It's so different than Earth. The trees just scream alien, even though they're supposed to be born of the same seeds as the ones we know. And then there are the people, thinking they're so superior to Earthlings when they need to remember their roots, and the next time I see one, I swear I'll—"

Bouncing up and down in her seat, Celeste spouted off the thoughts that piled up in her mind while the rest of the ship slept. Since she and Terra met for breakfast, she spared not a moment in filling the wide metal halls with the sound of her voice, and like a good friend, Terra listened. Since joining the mission, Terra watched as Celeste darted from one person to the next in a search for someone who would be her friend. Though the vents in every passage blew warm air throughout, the ship felt cold. It never made sense to Terra why every comrade would push anyone away. Wasn't part of their mission to make new friends, to become a team, to become a family?

Five months would pass before they reached the galaxy that would be their new home, and two months after that would pass before the ship carried them to their new home planet. Once they got there, they would start a new civilization, acting as leaders to the billions of people who would later trickle in to populate the new Earth.

"What will we call this new planet, do you think? Will it be something really cool and alien-sounding? Something cool like Andromeda, even though that's already a galaxy....Maybe they'll name it something in Latin, something like Terra Nova, like you," she bounced. "Or maybe they've used that already? Well, who knows?" Celeste couldn't help but happily stare the future in the eyes for the entire trip. She was granted the opportunity to start a new life, to find a new home, and she was determined to belong wherever it was they were going.

Watching Jupiter grow smaller as they flew farther from home, not knowing what the future truly held, reminded Terra of when Celeste told her about her life. Orphaned at birth, Celeste mastered the foster-care system, never staying in a foster home long enough to really get settled. Then she reached age eighteen and outgrew the system, left to fend for herself.

"They sent me back for silly reasons, sometimes saying I didn't do anything wrong," she told Terra. "One time, their dog cornered me, and I accidentally backed into their great-grandmother's best China and broke the biggest plate in the set. I had nowhere else to go, and I helped them clean it up and even offered to glue it back together, but they still sent me back to the orphanage the next morning." She looked down for a moment, pulling herself back into the present. "That's okay though. I wouldn't be who I am, where I am, if it weren't for all that."