Planet 187

It was two thousand fifty, and the technology for universal exploration had just been built.

I was on a solo mission to search for a lost pilot, and I was supposed to land on Xenosolaris to search for him and recover his lost spaceship, but a meteorite has stuck my ship and caused me to crash land on an unnamed planet just called planet 187 instead. I’m just glad there was a planet to stand between me and my ascent into nothingness.

It was dark out, the only light reflecting off of the two moons then bouncing off the waters in the crystal clear lake. I scanned the water and didn’t detect anything hazardous, which usually meant it was safe to drink.

My helmet’s visor slowly adjusted to the unfamiliar brightness, revealing a breathtaking landscape that stretched on seemingly forever. I’ve crashed on a planet I’ve never seen before, and it took a moment for me to realize I’m not on Earth anymore. The sky above is a mesmerizing polychromatic blend of bright lavender and rose, with clouds of indigo, green and gold speckled throughout.

The sun was a radiant orb of topaz, and hung low on the horizon, casting long, glowing shadows across the alien terrain.

As my eyes scan the panorama, I noticed the vegetation resembles nothing from Earth. The flora here is an array of colors and shapes I’ve never seen before. There were trees with silver bark, blue trunks and leaves that shimmered green like emeralds. they had bioluminescent fruits that gleamed like exploding clusters of sapphires. I waited and watched as the fruits quickly grew, ripened, rotted and then grew again in a matter of minutes. It certainly was an unexpected and delightful spectacle, and each time it happened the trees grew a brighter shade of gold, and I could swear something was watching me from the distance.

I couldn’t help but marvel at these iridescent botanical wonders and lust for a taste. I licked one, just to see if I could, and it made my tongue tingle. The flavor was like a lollipop wrapped in caramelized onions and covered in peanut butter.

In the distance, a range of jagged mountains stretched as far as my eyes could see. They looked like they were made of an obsidian-like substance, reflecting the sun’s dying light and sparkling like black diamonds. There must have once been active volcanos here.

The mountain peaks were shrouded in clouds of a metallic hue, occasionally illuminated by quick, bright flashes of fork lightning.

I moved cautiously, aware of my own vulnerability in this strange new world. The ground beneath my feet was fine crimson sand, something similar to volcanic rock. It crunched beneath my feet as I walked. There is a faint scent in the air that I can only describe as burnt sugar, ozone, moldy bread and freshly poured beer.

I heard the faint rustling of leaves and the hum of what I can only assume were flying insects, reminding me that alien life forms could inhabit this planet. I now tried to catch a glimpse of these flying bugs to confirm, but they sounded like fast flying lawn mowers, and catching a glimpse was difficult.

I walked further ahead to see the missing space craft I was sent to look for up ahead. If I haden’t crash landed here, I never would have found it. I walked up to the spaceship to look around. The door was open and I went inside. I thoroughly searched the ship, but the pilot was nowhere to be found. I hoped I would find him eventually, and find him alive. I did not want to be alone here forever.

My space suit beeped and said low oxygen. I programmed it to scan the air on this planet. The result was one hundred percent breathable for a three in a half mile radius. I’d have to stay local. This was also good news because if the pilot I was looking for was alive, he’d have probably done the same scan and would be close by.

I took off my space suit and inhaled a big, long, deep breath of fresh air. It was truly wonderful.

A distant roar, not unlike that of an ocean wave, echoed in the distance. My heart started pounding, I turned towards the source of the sound, only to see a sea of liquid mercury, stretching to meet the horizon. Swimming in it was out of the question.

As night descended, the alien stars above me formed constellations not on any of my star maps, their twinkling providing a surreal and wondrous backdrop to the two moons that floated through the sky. One glowed a soft aquamarine, while the other is a vibrant magenta, both casting otherworldly glowing lights on this strange and beautiful alien landscape.

My first night on this new world was far from restful, filled with the cacophony of unfamiliar nocturnal creatures that punctuate the eerie stillness. I can now confirm life on this planet exists, I could feel them watching me.

Their cries ranged from low, guttural moans to high-pitched shrieks that sent shivers down my spine. Despite the unsettling sounds, the twin moons provided enough light for me to make out my surroundings, their glow bright enough for me to see a few feet ahead.

As the night wore on, I managed to put together a makeshift shelter using pieces of my damaged spacecraft and some of the shimmering silver hued blue branches from the nearby trees. The shelter wasn’t much when I finished it, but it provided a little bit of security amidst the alien wilderness.

After several hours, I finally managed to hum myself to sleep for a little while. I woke with the coming of dawn, and I was greeted by the most spectacular sunrise I’d ever seen, the topaz colored sun casting its bright rays over the obsidian mountains. The colors of dawn were unlike anything I'd ever seen.

The sky transitioned from the lavender and rose hues of night to vibrant shades of peach and teal, as if someone spilled paint across a canvas in the sky.

Venturing out from my shelter, I decided to explore my immediate surroundings, hoping to find resources that might aid in my survival. As I wandered, I noticed small creatures darting amongst the iridescent undergrowth. They're rodent-like creatures with crab claws and snail shells, covered in silky fur that even covered the shell and shifted colors in the light, their large, curious eyes attached to monkey like faces observing me warily.

I also came across a stream, its waters a translucent indigo that flowed slowly over polychromatic pebbles. The river was a rainbow of wetness. The water was cool to the touch and tasted slightly sweet, as if it had been infused like fancy spa water, reminding me of the watermelon infused water I used to enjoy back on Earth.

Hunger began to gnaw at me, and I started to panic and began a ravenous search for food, searching for anything that might be edible. I cautiously picked up one of the bioluminescent fruits I hadn’t seen before that resembled a durian, but its skin a shimmering blue. As I bite into it, I'm relieved to find it's juicy and tastes similar to spicy mango and sweet pineapple.

I spent the rest of the day continuing my exploration and gathering resources. The alien sun is beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape. The day's discoveries have given me a sliver of hope that survival on this strange, beautiful planet might just be possible.

As I settle down for the night, I could’t help but wonder, am I truly alone in this alien world, or are there intelligent life forms out there, hidden amongst the iridescent trees and obsidian mountains?

I gradually adapted to my new environment, learning the patterns of this strange, yet beautiful world. I discover more edible fruits and manage to trap some new rodent like creatures that looked like blue hamsters, for meat, which was a welcome change from the monotony of the fruit. That being said, I began to feel guilty about eating the blue hamsters and decided to stick to just the fruit, at least for the time being.

It was during one of my explorations when I stumbled across a large clearing. In the center stands a colossal tree, its trunk a swirling blend of emerald and gold. It towers above the rest of the forest, its canopy lost amidst the clouds. What truly caught my attention though, are the structures built high up in the tree . They were intricate wooden dwellings, connected by a network of rope bridges and ladders.

As I gaze up in wonder, I feel a presence behind me. I whirl around, heart pounding, only to come face to face with a creature unlike any I've encountered so far. Standing about four feet tall, it's covered in soft fur that shifts between hues of green and brown, perfectly camouflaged against the forest. Its large, almond-shaped eyes regard me with curiosity, and I could sense its intelligence.

Over the next few days, he introduced me to the rest of the tribe. They communicated through a complex system of hand gestures and intricate squawking sounds.

Despite the language barrier, we manage to establish a rudimentary form of communication. They're curious about me, and I was more than eager to learn about them and their ways.

They taught me how to climb the colossal trees with ease, how to fish in the indigo streams using nothing but my hands and a sharpened stick, and how to hunt the small iridescent creatures that darted fast through the undergrowth. In return, I tried to share with them stories of Earth, of the vast oceans, the tall buildings, and the starry night sky. I didn’t know how much of it they understood, but they seemed to like the sound of my voice, so I kept talking for hours.

As time passed, I become a part of their tribe, accepted into their fold. I no longer felt alone, the loneliness of space a distant memory. I find myself falling into a rhythm, a routine, my life intertwining with the lives of these intelligent monkey like creatures who have made this alien planet their home.

With their help, I built a more permanent shelter high up in the trees, the view from my dwelling nothing short of spectacular. Every night, I watch the sun dip below the horizon, bathing the landscape in shades of peach and teal, the twin moons casting their otherworldly glow over the iridescent forest.

This alien planet, once a strange and terrifying landscape, has now become my home, the monkey tribe my new family. Despite the uncertainty of my future, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace, a sense of belonging.

It was then that one of the monkeys tried to show me something, but I couldn’t understand the sounds he was making or where he wanted me to go.

“Whoa, there, friend. Slow down. Where do you want me to go, use your sounds and hand gestures,” I said.

He was getting more and more irate with me, and when I refused to move after he grabbed and tugged on my arm, he bit me.

“Ouch, what the hell? I thought we were friends,” I said, and he made a sad face and patted my arm, as if to say sorry.

“It’s ok. Just don’t…” and before I could finish my sentence, I started growing hair and turning into one of the monkey creatures.

I was frightened, but the monkey looked at me with calming eyes. This managed to slow my heart beat and I took a deep breath.

The monkey I was with took me to the lost ship I had found and pointed too it, then pointed to himself and made a steering motion.

It was then I had realized he was the pilot of the ship. He must have been biten and transformed too.

He then took me to a whole junkyard full of ships, some alien and some from earth. Our whole society had been transformed. But who was the original monkey? How did this start, I puzzled. And how many other species had gotten lost here and turned?

We then heard a loud explosion in the distance. The monkey pilot and I had ran towards the noise. We saw an astronaut get out of the ship.

We waited and watched from the bushes as the new arrival walked around and explored the planet in awe.

My new friends and I would approach the pilot tomorrow, when he was done exploring and getting comfortable in his new environment. And for some strange reason, the urge to bite him was getting stronger and stronger with each passing minute.