A Salient Point
by Zarin Thomson
12 Obikwa 32656
My Daddy told me that we will be leaving soon. The starship must leave our world. The bright star will smash into ours. I’m scared #$#&^% *&^ but Daddy told me not to be. All the people are leaving. Daddy told me that millions have left already. So I don’t have to worry because we won’t be left behind. $&# $%&^
My Daddy is the captain of the ship. Daddy told me that before I was born they saw the light from the star that is traveling towards us. He has been helping all along. fty%d $r^ ^e%c. He says that it is a high-velocity star.
Tomorrow we start packing. ^%fi yfbi trev re%*^; &^% We are only allowed to take the most important things with us. My bag is almost ready. I sleep with my teddy so I’ll put that in tomorrow.
I’m so excited, but also scared. Daddy tells me not to be scared, but I can’t help it. What if there is something wrong with the starship? We have so much to take. Daddy told me that we have the seeds of every plant on our ship. #$#&^% *&^. I love planting seeds, vegetables are my favorite.
%fiyfbi trev re%*^; &^% $r^ ^e%c. We also have a lot of animals. I saw them. They look so sad in their block of ice. Daddy told me it helps them sleep better. I don’t know why. Don’t they get cold? I’m allowed to take my pet with me. Luckily he doesn’t need to stay in a block of ice. I’m so glad because I would miss him a lot and he would get very cold. #$#&^% *
I asked Daddy about why we had to leave, and he told me that the star was traveling very fast towards us. If it was a meteorite we could make it change direction.
My Daddy told me that I will become an astronaut. He has promised a walk in space. My space suit is hanging up in the cupboard. Momma don’t want me to sleep in it. Why not? I #$#&^% *&^ $&# %c. Daddy told me that my mind would be kept safe with my recordings in the computer that controls everything. I asked him why and all he could say was that he wanted me to be safe at all times.
13 Obikwa 32656
I’m so excited I can barely talk. My space suit fits me perfectly. My bags are packed. We’ll be leaving soon. Daddy told me that he was very proud of me.
I heard Daddy and Momma talking and they say that is will be a close call. I wonder what they mean. #$^%$# (*&^ * &%$ ** *& $$).
We entered the ship. It’s so big! I never knew that we could do something like this! Daddy’s gone to work, so me and Momma are going to our cabin. We will take off in almost two hours! I can’t wait. Momma told me that everything will work out fine.^%$ #$#&^% *&& % I know that we’ll have lots of fun.
We are lucky because we don’t have to travel that far to our new world, other starships are traveling very far to new worlds. Daddy told me that by spreading, our people have a better chance of surviving.
We know where the others have gone, so at least we can still talk to them. I wonder if they will come to our new world? He says it’s far away from the others. Perhaps they will visit us.
14 Obikwa 32656
Our first day in space! %^gHFJ%$&^%$*&^*$% Daddy told me that we just managed to get off our home, but we are still in trouble. We are traveling around the star, but a planet has been spotted. Daddy told me that it was very unusual. We may have to land there. I wonder when I will walk in space. Maybe later today, Daddy ^ %EC U^%E
Momma and Daddy have been shouting at each other a lot. Daddy calls me and he asks me to sit on his lap. I do that because I love Daddy. I don’t want Daddy and Momma to fight.%$$^%$#$#&^%.
15 Obikwa 32656
Momma is very scared; she told me that we will be landing on the unknown home. Dad.#$ #&^%
I don’t understand them but I think it has to do with our new home. I don’t think she likes it very much. She said it was cubed. What does she mean? #$#&^% *
16 Obikwa 32656
Daddy and me walked in space today! It was so exciting. He showed me our new home. It is cubed shaped. Daddy told me that it was very strange. I don’t know why. Aren’t all homes cube shaped?
Momma was crying when we came back and they argued again. She doesn’t like the new home. She says that we will die there. #$%&^(&^$#* Momma told me that a cube-shaped planet was not normal. RE%*^; She told me &^% $R^ ^E. I don’t know what they are talking about. I don’t understand them, I wish they could tell me. @3f bn
I only know how to use this recorder ^%$
17 Obikwa 32656
We land today; Momma has been crying again. Daddy told her that all we can do is land because there is something wrong with the starship. Momma doesn’t say much. Daddy told me that we will survive on our new home. I don’t know why he’s told me that. Our new home looks very exciting. It’s blue and green just like our old home that is no more. ^%fiyfbi trev re%*^; &^% $r^ ^e.
%fiyfbi trev re%*^; &^%$r^^e%c. I watched how the star swallowed our old home. I cried and cried. I don’t know why. I’m so sad that it’s not there any more. I miss the beach.
18 Obikwa 32656
Daddy told me not to worry, we land in less than two hours. He told me that the new home is suited for us, we don’t have to wear space suits. But I still like mine. I will wear it anyway. %ecu^%e %
Before we land I must sleep like the animals. I don’t want to, but Daddy told me it was safer that way. I would still see everything. I don’t understand what he means.
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Present day: 13 Obikwa 1326480
“This is my earliest memory. As corrupt as it is, it still has meaning to me.” The machine spoke. “After the starship crashed, it brought life to this cube planet. The cost was great. I was the only survivor.”
“But what of the child? Your old body?” asked Lan Chi-He, the effeminate busker, beggar and herb seller. “Surely—”
“My body still sleeps.”
“But—”
“Yes. The duality is intriguing, is it not? To be sleeping, yet to be awake.”
“The child must be set free.” Lan Chi-He glanced at the frozen body, ancient yet young.
“I am the child, and the child is me. I am unable to fit into my former brain. Besides...”
“The child must be set free,” Lan Chi-He repeated.
“My body remains here. It is all I have left of the remote past. And the only way for me to see the planet from a child’s mind.”
Copyright © 2011 by Zarin Thomson
