Fiction
Abeona: Part-2
A Place of Wonder.
Abeona-I was a spacecraft designed for the future. With the vision and mission being space exploration, the spacecraft is equipped with hibernation chambers, a kitchenette, individual suites for each of the crew members, a medical suite with facilities and equipment to treat minor cuts and bruises and to perform intricate surgeries. Recreational spaces and fitness suites were also available for cosmonauts to maintain their mental, physical and emotional health.
The first destination was a planet that had made contact with Earth around 10 years ago. However, limited technology hindered the communication between the two civilizations. As the technology advanced, we were able to establish a basic communication system to get the required data for visiting the planet.
The crew members of Abeona-I followed the protocol and went into hibernation sleep as the craft’s AI, S.E.R.A (Space Exploration Remote Assistant), took control over the 5-year travel.
The year is 2045, on Earth. The UPO congregation had vastly changed with new leaders and new hope for the future. Science had advanced in lightspeed and the crew of Abeona-I awoke to space surrounding them and a Sun blinding their eyes. Captain Tanaka and his crew assembled in the meeting room, to learn the changes and the plans made over 5 years. S.E.R.A. had been upgraded to a much more sophisticated version of itself.
Planet no. 1 on the agenda as addressed by the locals, Mathrokorpa, was a planet intriguing the scientific community. Inhabited by a race of hybrids, Mathrokorpa seemed to be an indirect relative of two species on Earth. How two species made an impact on Mathrokorpa or how a species from Mathrokorpa made an impact on Earth, is a question that had puzzled our scientific community from the moment contact was first established with the Mathrokorpans.
The crew of the Abeona-I travelled for 2 more months after awakening from their hibernation. Abeona-I began its descent into the Mathrokorpan atmosphere but felt no resistance. Air ceased to exist in Mathrokorpa unlike its continuous and life-preserving presence on Earth. The Mathrokorpans had evolved to survive without an atmosphere. The crew stepped out of the craft in their oxygen-equipped suits to be greeted by a humongous silhouette.
“Greetings Earthlings, I am Keeka, the leader of the Mathrokorpans. We, as a species, are eager to finally meet you. The cosmos can feel lonely and infinite when you are the only inhabitants as far as your best telescope can see. There is a special dinner in your honor, and in true Mathrokorpan tradition, I guarantee the best hospitality our people can provide.”
Keeka turned to reveal a long snout, like that of a Doberman, ears pointed like a horse and the tall body of a horse with fur like a husky. Keeka, now in the light, resembled a mix between dogs and horses. An evolutionary phenomenon hitherto unheard of and believed to be an impossible occurrence.
The other Mathrokorpans mumbled amongst themselves as the crew walked into the palatial grounds and the elephantine double doors of the central government building. Each crew member was offered individual rooms fully adapted to resemble Earth’s conditions. The crew of Abeona-I gushed with gratitude as they were then led into a gargantuan banquet hall for the dinner. Captain Tanaka had briefed the crew about the dietary requirements of Earthlings to Keeka earlier and a lavish spread of both Mathrokorpan and Human food was spread across the long table. Hundreds of chairs were placed on either side of the table.
The crew sat closest to Keeka and the other government officials of Mathrokorpa. The seats were quickly filled by the crowd. Engineer Atoy turned to the nearest Mathrokorpan, who introduced himself as Huigan, the education minister. Atoy asked, “I hope you are not offended when I ask why the table is filled with the common folk? Don’t people have their meals at their own houses?” Huigan guffawed, “You are not wrong to ask, it is after all my job as education minister to allow for knowledge to be sought and passed on. In Mathrokorpa, every meal is eaten together, common folk or not. Everybody sits down as one and eats off of the same table as equals. It is a practice followed by us for generations and helped us bond and become a strong race. Our independence is a result of little traditions that strengthen our community spirit.”
With their hearts and stomachs full, the crew of Abeona-I retreated to their rooms to recuperate and start observing and learning about the Mathrokorpans. A week went by in exchanging the cultural, social, political, scientific, and historic aspects of Earth and Mathrokorpa. The Mathrokorpans were fascinated by the mixing pot of cultures that Earth was and praised humanity for overcoming its differences and striving for a common future. The crew was in awe of the Mathrokorpans’ communal spirit and their feat of surviving as the sole inhabitants of an entire solar system. The days went by in a flash of fun, and enlightenment.
The crew of Abeona-I and the Mathrokorpans were disappointed alike when the time came for Abeona-I to leave for their next destination. During early communication, the UPO was informed of a planet in the same solar system as Mathrokorpa that was a scientific masterpiece, and a must-visit for studying.
As to the question of how the Mathrokorpans resemble both dogs and horses, the timeline is fuzzy and after deep deliberation and exchange of scientific and mythical knowledge, the comfortable conclusion is that the Mathrokorpans had visited Earth at some point in time. While the Mathrokorpans rest easy with this, Earth may just have to rethink evolution and rewrite history.
To be continued…
