Settlers
Lit Up — May’s Prompt: Nostalgia
Settler #06912 // journal 001:
So, this is day eight. I finally got time to record this. The first week was chaos. We cleared the landing area, set up electric fences, and arranged housing and facilities. Well, anyway…let’s get to the point.
This morning I went to my favorite spot in this valley as usual, sitting on a rock beside the river, a one-minute walk from the Camp. The environment was still too new for me to accommodate. The pattering of water against the bank and the rustling of leaves swaying in the breeze were too noisy. The bright azure sky with patches of white clouds and the dark shades of trees extending into the forest were overwhelming. Even the grey and green pebbles glimmering under the translucent water looked surreal, as if I stumbled onto a fantasy world. It is not that we didn’t have these life-forms back where we came from. It is just…different.
This is not home. This is Earth.
In the Camp, people are still unloading their belongings from the ship, boxes of memories stuffed into limited space in their tents. Most of it is useless stuff, photos, cages of books, ornaments for home decoration, luggage, and bottles of home soil and air, at least not what we need the most at this moment to establish a settlement. But that is inevitable since our great, great grand parents hadn’t had enough time to think it through and pack properly when they fled from our torn planet, so I have heard.
Oh, about the sun. Last night I dreamed about the two suns back home again like I often did during the journey but it always ends up the same nightmare: one devoured the other and everything went black. The thing is I was born on the ship and so were my parents and grand parents. Why is this even a part of my memory? The bedtime story perhaps? My parents should take the blame because they always dramatized how great life was on our home planet and why we eventually left. But who really cares? We are here now and there is no going back.
But I wonder where the Earthlings have gone.
I trekked down to the river the other day to search for the exuberant civilization I imagined here on Earth. We used to listen to the radio recording of Earthling’s messages that came 223 hundred years ago from outer space. The messages contained not merely talking but all sorts of noises, like honking, buzzing, rumbling, tinkling and other kinds I didn’t know of.
I thought they must have massive constructions and busy streets like ours. So I was so excited but nervous as I ran along the river and made occasional turns in and out of the woods looking for traces of civilization. But in the end, I found nothing but ruins of buildings engulfed by vines and giant roots and branches. No sign of Earthlings.
Yet, I was not so disappointed, for this is a new world after all.
Since we arrived, we enjoyed our late night tradition of dancing, singing and boozing, fooling around with friends every day and never got tired of it. Tonight won’t be any different, except we will build a bonfire for the ‘Rooting’ ceremony.
Adults complained about it since there will be extra work but the eldest insisted on celebrating the success of arrival and survival of the first week on this new planet. For us the youngsters, we are happy to join and have fun even though none of us knew what ‘Rooting’ is about. It is part of the culture, something we carry around I guess.
Okay, it’s time to go. People are gathering now. I will make sure I come back tomorrow. Bye.
How do I turn this thing off…
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