Wanderers Of The Stars

I could feel her distress over it, but in the same moment, it was calming. I did not understand that. It was as if her very presence soothed any worried thoughts and feelings.

This ‘civil war’ killed her mother, a rebel who had been among those who wished to leave, settle down. She was killed by the girl’s own father. In the smallest voice, she told me this, "My father didn’t want to. It was an order. For him, it was either obey, or die." She was silent, staring off into the eyes of a figure of one of our gods. "You must understand, Bug," she began quietly. I was surprised by the nickname she’d fixed me with. I said nothing though and listened as she continued, "Terrans are known in history for their greediness, it was how our planet was destroyed. This greed, it killed my father, though he meant for it to keep him alive."

"Then your father is dead?" I questioned.

She shook her head and patted her chest. "He is dead here."

Celesta went on to explain, that though half the population was eager to create a colony planet side, she agreed with the leaders. They were meant to wander the stars, to gather information about any and every species they came across. Already, the information they’d gathered had come in handy. A race, two races to be precise, killed each other to the point of extinction a century ago using deadly explosives, and these Terrans are the only ones now who possess any knowledge of them.

I agreed with her. What her people were doing was truly spectacular. One ship in their fleet was dedicated to the artifacts they’ve collected from all the cultures they’ve come across, including pieces from their own ancient history.

I asked Celesta if she knew she was different. She told me she knew she was, but had not yet decided or understood why. Then, for the first time during our whole conversation, she looked me directly in the eye and was silent. I felt nothing for the first time in my life. No presence of the others or the earth beneath my feet. It was as if everything seized to exist, and it was just she and I in an endless void.

"Do you know why I’m different?" She asked of me.

It took me a while to gather myself, to feel the balance of my world around me, the creaking of insects in the foliage behind us, the mingling of voices nearby, and the feel and smell of the wind on my face.

I shook my head. No, I did not know why she was different, which was strange. Usually those things are not difficult for me to understand. To this day, five years later, I still think about that girl, and her people. They’d stayed here for many months, unusual for them. The rift between the two groups grew larger with each passing day. I tried to stay out of things. It was not my place to get into the affairs of an alien species. But it was hard, that girl was something special and her people were in a constant uproar of fighting and violence.

I suppose, even now, the struggle continues on their ships.

This morning, the sun was shining on my face and for the first time in weeks, I felt truly at peace. The emotion was strong, as strong as it had ever been. During my morning meal, I realized why in a sudden vision. A girl, the girl, Celesta, now a young woman, had begun something.