The Dead Planet

Short Story

his is a work of fiction. Names, characters,  businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's  imagination or used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual event is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,  including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME.

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An unidentified creature who wears a white bulk space suit wanders the entire universe until he got tired and sit through the orbit. Where all the planets lay down asleep as the sun continues to give its heat. As the moon stays still where it placed. And where all of stars keeps in beat.

"How pitiful"  he said as he look upon the huge stone in the third row, that still swirling in the orbit 2000 miles away from him.

He keeps breathing slowly. Gasping for the remaining oxygen in his drink bag.

He close his eyes as he counts the remaining time before the oxygen runs out and letting himself to foresee how would his body shattered into pieces.

Someone's voice suddenly appeared from his communication server. Its a child's voice.
"Sir, can you tell me a story? " a gentle voice gives calmness in his system.

"What kind of story do you wanna hear, child? " a man asked while smiling.

"Hmm. I want to hear about everything you see there! " child answered and giggles. The man chuckles before he took a deep breathe.

"Well, I've seen a lot! But I don't think if I could mention all of those. But there's a story I want you to hear, ready? " The man cough after he asked the kid.

The kid didn't say anything, but through the server you could hear his breathe.

"It's about the gifted planet, who named earth." the man continued when the child didn't respond.

"Once upon a billion years ago, there was a galaxy who gave birth to 9 planets. But among of those children there's only one who's gifted. It is the kindest, and loveliest above of all. It wasn't too close to the burning star like mercury, not too far as pluto. Neither scorching as venus, nor frosty as the two sisters named Uranus and Neptune. It has a nature, it has unlimited water and an island who seemed as a masterpiece. He got envied by others, yet some still adores."
The man let his right hand floats, pointing the direction where the lifeless stone is.

"And by that, humans and other creatures chose to live in there. Earth seemed really happy as he see all of them are in harmony."
The man tried to smile as he think of the earth's lively image.

"There are so many breathe-taking scenery in every islands, lots of colors showing off vividly through my eyes, many seasons to cherish, many people to create memories with----"

"Sir, is it really true that bird and airplanes and helicopters can't reach you there?" the child's voice asked as he interrupted the man in the middle of his story.

Man nodded as if the child could see it.
"That's true, neither birds nor helicopters, nor airplanes could reach me. "

"Wow! Someday, I want to be like you. I want to see everything you've seen there." the child's voice sounds determine yet the man laugh as if something's funny.

"I hope. I hope you still could. " then the man's voice lowered as he said those words. Trying to hide the pain and sadness through his heart.

"So let me continue my story. Living on Earth was priceless, even I couldn't see the universe from there. " the man stops as he heard the child laughs. The one that's lovely to hear.

When the child stopped, he continued his story.

"Many grateful things happened as I live there. Not until, greed and violence had awaken. People started to lost their control. They forget how the world must be treated. Thousands of trees cutted without replacement. Millions of people did harm, even animals learned to draw out their fangs. Sea had even drowned in trash. On that day, Earth cried. Loud roars of thunder began to clapped in people's ears, perilous strike of lightning hits, impulsive breaking of ground creaks, even the endless sea didn't let people peeks."
The man breathed heavily, as he felt the burden of the place once he lived in.

"Sir, that's a wonderful story!" child's exclaimed then  it's voice glitch at the same time.

"How I wish it was." the man whispered. And continued his story.

"Then after that horrible disaster, another unexpected one occured. Thousands of asteroids fell in the midst of horizon. Billions of people burned alive, all creatures turns into ashes and the earth started to loss its worth. It became lifeless in just few hours."
In that time the man was wandering out of spacecraft.

"Finally, the universe had just given their verdict. Justice finally given, synch in the death of the victim." The man wipes off some debris on his helmet.

"Sir, I hope it wasn't the last time. I want to hear more of your stories" the child yells then the server dies.
The man smiled.

Seconds passed, oxygen totally runs out, man became to feel the tight grip on his throat. And how his body fell down as the universe absorbs one of a thousands dust in space.

That child the man talked to is the recorded audio of himself 37 years ago, that has been left to the spacecraft before he was forcefully thrown away by the earth's outburst. It was recorded when he talked to one of the astronaut back then.

He, who dreamed of becoming an astronaut in order to see how the planet rotates lively on its axis. Have seen how the world became lifeless as well.