Humanity had long aspired to discover a new home amid the stars in the wide expanse of space. And on the fatal day of March 31, 2147, that desire came true as the first manned spaceship, the Horizon Voyager, landed on the surface of Kepler-452b, a faraway planet tucked in the habitable zone of a distant star.
Commander Alex Mercer walked onto the foreign planet as the airlock hissed open, his pulse racing with both excitement and anxiety. Before him sprawled a landscape unlike any he had ever seen—a planet of limitless possibilities waiting to be discovered.
"Ground control, this is Commander Mercer," he spoke into his communicator, his voice booming over the empty terrain.
"I'm setting foot on Kepler-452b," he added.
"Copy that, Commander," was the response from mission control, hundreds of light years distant on Earth.
"Proceed with caution and keep us updated on your progress." an astrophysicist on Earth responded.
With a deep breath, Alex took his first steps forward, his boots sinking into the soft, sandy ground under him. The horizon spread out in all ways around him, a wide picture of rocky mountains and rolling plains illuminated by the warm glow of the planet's twin suns.
Alex spent hours exploring his surroundings, marveling at the alien beauty of Kepler-452b. He gathered rock and soil samples, examined the horizon for signs of life, and meticulously chronicled his historic voyage.
But as the day progressed and the sun began to drop on the horizon, Alex realized he needed to find refuge for the night. With a sad heart, he activated his suit's signal and set out to return to the Horizon Voyager, his footfall ringing in the strange landscape's quiet.
Alex's heart skipped a beat as he noticed something moving in the distance as he approached the spaceship: a shadowy figure rising from the darkness, its form vague against the dim light.
"Who's there?" Alex said, reflexively grabbing for the handgun at his side.
But as the person approached, Alex's horror gave way to curiosity as he recognized that he was looking at a native of Kepler-452b, a species unlike any he had ever experienced.
The creature stood before him, its eyes wide with interest as it examined the odd guest from another world. At that moment, Alex realized that his voyage was far from over—that he had become more than just an explorer, but a pioneer of a new period in human history.
"Welcome to Kepler-452b," the creature said quietly, its voice full of astonishment as he extended a kind hand to the creature in front of him.
Alex appreciated the warm welcome the creature gave him, but his gratefulness suddenly disappeared when he realized he was being surrounded by huge and hungry monsters
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366: One Story Per Day (2024)
RandomThe year 2024 has 366 days. This book has 366 different stories. The goal of this book is to inspire other readers to start writing by offering different plots they can play with. Just give proper credit.
