D O O D L E S - A Collection of Short Stories

02 | Wasteland

Inscribed in the valley floor of Death Valley by Aerora of Luania*

Date Unknown

Location: Death Valley, Urth

Year: 5096 (In Urth years)

Let me introduce you to myself. My name is Aerora-Kira of Luania, born into the house of Aza. I am a Luan, and always will be. My heart rests with my people and I will not hesitate to do anything in my power for them. That is what got me into my situation in the first place.

I was born on the planet Luania faraway from the Milky Way Galaxy and this place called Urth. My mother was an architect and my father was a biologist. Both had lives firmly rooted to our planet and this has been my first trip to another planet. Six years ago, when I was of 10 Urth years, my planet was besieged with famine. No one could find a solution, not even my father. It was a terrible time, the darkest hour for my people.

Four years ago, the famine became uncontrollably bad. Our fate was sealed unless we could find safety and food on another planet. Our best planetary explorers and fliers searched to their best ability. No luck was to be found. Finally, my parents and the rulers of my planet told us that all minors on Luania had to evacuate.

My heart tore in half; I needed my family just as much as I needed nourishment. I almost refused to leave. But I had to go and no amount of convincing could make my parents leave with me. And who was to question the authority of our leaders? They just did not have jobs that allowed them to.

That was how I came to board a spaceship. When I boarded it, my eyes were watering and I hoped that I could see my parents again. I was transported to another planet, Kol, that had offered for some Luan minors to shelter there. I was sent to an academy. That was where I learned of the harsh truths of what I had to face.

I was always a Luan at heart. I always honored my people and traditions and ways. The people of Kol were generous, yes, and accepting. But there were a select few who saw the people of my homeworld as inferior. Inferior trash. And unworthy.

At the academy, I learned much. More than I had ever learned during my life on Luania. Kol was a center of planetary knowledge. It was here where I learned of Urth and the Milky Way. And I became curious about it. What if I were to visit a planet like Urth? Urth was different that Kol and Luania. It was much more diverse. It was home to much more life than the 40 species existing on my homeworld.

But these curiosities soon became my weaknesses. The students in the academy in Kol constantly teased me about it. And I became an outcast. I would never be fully accepted by the people of Kol. After all, who wanted to be associated with the "space lunatic" of the academy and of flight school?

"Hey, Spacie! I bet ya your flying skills are not good enough to even fly to the Crescent Moon."

"Spacie's always too busy mooning about the Universe to pay attention."

"Space lunatic's such a klutz, today she nearly flew into me in the halls."

Why was it that everyone was content staying on Kol while I was so drawn to the dangerous outreaches of space?

And so I made up my mind. A couple months ago, I had my Graduation Day. I had graduated the academy and I was going to leave Kol. I left Kol shortly after intent on finding my parents. But first I would quench my thirst for planetary discoveries.

Sometime yesterday, I approached the edge of the Milky Way. I flew faster. A couple hours ago, I landed here on Urth. It was so exotic. And colorful. For the matter, most plants on Luania were purple. The ground was purple, too. It seemed I was in some kind of desert if memory serves from Geology class in the academy. I stumbled across the desert, not used to the atmospheric pressure on Urth. It was strange and I could not fly in the atmosphere here.

I almost bumped into a sign. It read in white text:

BADWATER BASIN

282 FEET/ 85.5 METERS

BELOW SEA LEVEL

Strangely, it also read in scratched writing that was not probably supposed to be there.

"Aliens aren't real."

"Area 2. Planetary Test Zone."

"Death Valley is RAD."

"Goodbye, Wasteland."

"Last message. Look Left."

I looked to the left. It was a massive facility made of metal and a launch pad. I could only guess that the Urthlings had deserted their planet. Why? Why would they leave a place so amazing? It was not a wasteland by any means. And why had they gone to look for aliens?

And so I left this message along with my tale. I am Luanian. I am alien. Come find me. And if you find me, come back to Urth and stay here. Your planet is wonderful.

I walked off into the distance and prepared to exit the planet. I would find my parents and, one day, an Urthling might just find me. Who knows?

Glossary

Urth - Urth is the Luan word for Earth. This due to the fact that on Luania the scribes only have oral recordings of history and the word Earth is transcribed in writing as Urth since that is what it sounded like to the scribes.

*Any grammar mistakes and misspellings are intentional. It is written this way to mirror an alien's grasp of English, and the main character, who is an alien, is not very good at absorbing foreign languages.