《Star Quest》


 Chapter 1 - Apollo

    ¡°You ever wonder what would happen if we didn¡¯t stop growing? Like after we turned nineteen. What would happen if our bodies continued to grow?¡± Pandora tapped her lower lip with her finger.


    Saros sighed deeply, ¡°Can we please talk about something else? I don¡¯t know what would happen if we continued aging, and it¡¯s a stupid idea. It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But what if we could? Imagine how tall we¡¯d get,¡± Pandora pointed to the clouds she and Saros were watching, ¡°We¡¯d probably be able to touch those.¡±


    Visibly annoyed, Saros rose from his lying position, ¡°Pandora, there are rules that govern this reality.¡± He plucked some of the red grass from near his feet and moved closer to Pandora. ¡°If I hold this tuft of grass above the ground and let go,¡± Saros dropped the grass onto Pandora¡¯s face, ¡°The Law of Fjell dictates that it will fall down to the ground!¡±


    Laughing, Pandora jumped to attack her boyfriend. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it! There has to be some way to bypass the age of nineteen. Don¡¯t you ever just get bored? There¡¯s no change!¡±


    ¡°No, kiddo. I¡¯ve been kicking it for three-centuries now, and I¡¯m happy with what I have.¡± The two sat silent for a bit. Saros leaned into Pandora¡¯s ear, ¡°Hey, you want to watch The Waveshaper 2 tonight?¡±


    Pandora cracked a gleeful smile, ¡°Only my favorite movie ever? I thought you¡¯d never ask¡­¡±


    Saros smiled lovingly, ¡°Very well, Pandora. Hey,¡± he stood up above Pandora, ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go to Ceres'' shop and help him organize some things. I¡¯ll meet you tonight?¡±


    Standing up and brushing the red grass off of her, Pandora replied, ¡°Sounds like a plan. I¡¯ll see you then!¡±


    Saros snatched his hoverbike rod out of his pocket. He tapped one of the sides twice, and the rod transformed into an eye-catching bike. There were blue decals that lined the sharp edges of the vehicle. Holographic mirrors protruded from the sides when Saros sat on the bike. A blue panel appeared in front of him asking for a location. Saros drove the newest model of the hoverbikes; it was called the FTL-28 (which stood for Faster Than Light). It didn¡¯t actually go faster than light, but Saros enjoyed the speed.


    Finalizing his destination, Saros disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Pandora was left alone on the small patch of grass they were resting on. Beyond the horizon, two stars burned brighter than ever. A barren land, full of sneaky pits and tiring dunes made up of orange sand, went on for as far as the eye-could-see. Floating shops and triangular homes dotted the orange desert. The stores were abandoned, however, for the higher-ups were finally able to afford InstaShopper for the planet. All people had to do was use their UniPhones, and buying groceries was as easy as saying, ¡°I want a sandwich.¡±


    Pandora fell back down onto the patch of grass. Bored, she began surfing the web on her UniPhone. Occasionally, she¡¯d see something that would make her laugh, or she¡¯d see something that¡¯d make her sad. Either way, it was the same thing she did yesterday and the day before that and the years before that.


    GATE23 was a beautiful planet when it was seen from outer space, and Pandora loved it. The defined mountains gave character to the home she had spent her entire life in. The occasional lake looked like sapphires from someone on a spaceship surveying the planet. Still, something felt amiss for her. For so long she wondered what the rest of the galaxy looked like, but she was never affluent enough to explore. Instead, she was stuck on the planet she was born on. At least she had Saros. He was a nice escape from the boredom.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Pandora had visited every inch of GATE23. From its small creeks to its relatively large mountains, she spent time everywhere. She vividly remembered the first time she visited every location. The first time she stood atop Mount Past, she couldn¡¯t get over the magnificent view. During star-downs, Pandora would ride up to the top of the mountain and watch as the distant lights in the homes of millions of people would flicker on. Watching the city was her favorite pastime. Sometimes, she¡¯d bring her Virtua-Bynoks and use them to look through people¡¯s windows. She¡¯d watch families get together to eat dinner or couples cuddle with each other while watching a movie. Witnessing all that made Pandora feel lonely, but it also gave her a fleeting sense of warmth. It was a warmth that told her that she wanted more, and the fact that she even wanted anything gave her hope. She could never feel that sort of warmth with anything or anyone else.


    That is until she met Saros, and Pandora hadn¡¯t been up the mountain since.


    Bored, Pandora gazed at the blank sky again. The same turquoise clouds she saw a decade ago drifted carelessly across the blue sky. A slight breeze caressed her as she thought about her age. It never seemed to make sense why other people weren¡¯t curious as to what lies beyond the age of nineteen. Perhaps there was some untapped potential that was being blocked from her, but she could never know. Pandora rolled over to look at her surroundings.


    Off in the distance was Mount Past, and she felt it call to her. Star-down is soon¡­ Pandora thought to herself. Without thinking, she clawed at her hoverbike rod in her coat pocket. She tapped the side of the rod twice, and a grey bike appeared in front of her. Compared to Saros¡¯ bike, Pandora¡¯s Meliora, as she had named it, was a much older version of the FTL-28. Still, Pandora loved the bike for what it was. Plus, the bike matched Pandora¡¯s outfit. Her aged white pale jacket made her look as if she were a part of the bike.


    Pandora hopped onto her bike and finalized her destination to the top of Mount Past. The bike moved at speeds that Pandora could not comprehend. In a split second, she was atop of the mountain looking at life run rampant down below. Her bike disappeared into a rod, and she returned it to her pocket. The air was cooler at this altitude, but the cold never scared Pandora away. Walking around the flat top of the mountain, the warm, lonely feeling reintroduced itself to pandora.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Pandora spotted someone else sitting at the top of the mountain. Only this person was unlike anyone Pandora had ever seen before. Their hair was grey, and they looked almost shriveled. ¡°Hey,¡± Pandora called out to the person, letting her mouth think for her.


    Startled, the person stood up and turned around.


    Pandora shrieked. The person looked alien to her. There were trenches in the person¡¯s skin, similar to the pits that ran across the desert. The person¡¯s skin was darkened, and patches of it were shriveled just like the fruits that came from the trees in Saros¡¯ garden. There was a slowness to the way the person moved; it was almost like they struggled to stand up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be startled, child,¡± the person said calmly.


    ¡°What- Who are you?¡± Pandora¡¯s heart beat rapidly. This had to be a dream.


    The person smiled and looked around slowly. The setting stars in the distance signaled some lightbugs to wake from their slumber. Glowing a bright teal, the bugs floated lazily through the air using their abdomen to light the way. ¡°I? I am Apollo. I used to live here¡­ Long ago.¡±


    ¡°What? When?¡±


    Apollo pointed to the city that Pandora always liked to look at, ¡°You know I was one of the founding fathers of that city? Billions of eons ago. I helped colonize this old, old planet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Pandora said.


    ¡°What is your name, child?¡±


    ¡°My- My name? It¡¯s Pandora.¡±


    ¡°Pandora... What a beautiful name,¡± Apollo¡¯s eyes fell to the ground. ¡°Well, Pandora, I have come here to die.¡±

 Sum Quod Eris

    "To what?" Pandora asked, feeling more frightened than before.


    "Die," Apollo''s voice had an unwavering quality to it. It was almost like he had practiced this conversation for millennia, but there was still a slight hint of fear embedded deep in his sullen eyes.


    "What? Look, whoever you are, I do not want any trouble," Pandora said while backing away.


    "I do not mean to die by the hands of you or me," Apollo laughed. "I wish to die naturally, of age."


    Pandora was now more confused now than at any time in her two thousand year existence. "Of age? What does that mean? Are you some sort of alien?"


    "Far from it. I''m just like you."


    Pandora was shocked. "You''re definitely an alien. You look nothing like me. What are those trenches on your face?"


    Apollo cackled again, "These? These are called wrinkles."


    "Wrinkles!" Pandora scrunched her nose.


    "Sit down with me Pandora, and I''ll tell you all about my life. We can watch star-down together," Apollo offered.


    Pandora was terrified of Apollo, but this was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She knew she''d probably never get the chance to see something like this again, so she chose to sit down beside Apollo and gaze off into the distance.


    "Pandora, I have lived for billions of eons. I am, in fact, the last of my kind," Apollo said with a somber voice.


    "So you are an alien!" Pandora shrieked.


    "No. I am more of a precursor. To you!"


    "What does that mean?" Pandora asked.


    "I was part of a people that led to the people that you know today. Back then, we used to call people like you the Undyings, and now look at the galaxy. Full of Undyings," Apollo said solemnly. He sounded reluctant in what he said.


    Pandora raised her eyebrows in curiosity, "Undying? No offense, but I think you''re being delusional! I can certainly die, for if a boulder fell on me right now, I''d be dead."


    Apollo fell silent. He looked around as if he didn''t know what to say when he suddenly looked at the two stars in the distance nearing the horizon. "Look there, Pandora," Apollo pointed at the stars as they began their descent beneath the horizon. "Soon, the great light emanating from those stars will falter, and a cool darkness will envelop this sky. That is what true death is."


    "I have no idea what that means, Apollo," Pandora said unapologetically.


    "Well, it''s what happens if you keep aging."


    Pandora''s heart skipped a beat, "What did you just say?"


    "When you continue to age past nineteen and onwards, you grow old and die."


    "Die? Old? What does that feel like? Apollo, I can''t tell you how many times I''ve thought about this! I feel like growing past nineteen is the next step in our... Oh, I don''t know our story. There''s definitely some greater beyond... If what you''re saying is true, and you are old, then surely you must have reached some untapped potential that I am incapable of even perceiving!" Pandora went off on a tangent.


    Apollo chuckled, "Well, I once lived in a reality in which everyone died. Us precursors, we would grow old and die. Growing old is what I have done. My body has changed in ways that can never be undone. I have become weak and frail. I struggle to do things I could do when I was young, like you. Still, I have retained all my knowledge, memories, and hope.


    "When they had first created the Undyings, I knew that I had to become like you. I had never wanted something so much before. I wanted to never die, and I now realize it was because I was too scared to die. You see, Pandora, I was afraid of what I''d have missed out on. I was afraid of not being able to witness the progression of our species. If only I had known," Apollo sighed. "So when the plan for that city in the distance was created, I made the choice that would change my life forever. I took the Undying Serum for myself. For millions of eons, I had enjoyed the fruits of life. Soon, however, I lost touch with all my faculties. I became sedentary and uninterested in my surroundings, for all I yearned for was an ending to my story. It didn''t have to be a great story, for everything is forgotten sooner or later. In fact, I''ll bet you didn''t even know that I helped create that city. It just had to be an ending. I, therefore, consulted the ancient texts written long ago for a cure to my sickness, and I found it."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Pandora had so many questions, but before she could say anything, Apollo picked up a small paper box from beside him. The inside of the box was glowing a bright yellow. As if whatever was inside was yelling at the world to let it out, Pandora couldn''t help but awe at the box. On the sides of the vessel, there were simple blue images of a five-pointed star. "What is that?," Pandora finally asked.


    Apollo also marveled at the box, gazing at it as if it was something that he had wanted his entire life. He held it high in front of the setting stars. "This..." He paused. "This is the cure." Finally, Apollo looked at Pandora and said, "If I consume the star inside this box, I will finally die. Sum quod eris."


    Pandora grew annoyed. "What does dying from age mean?! How can you keep growing and then just die? When you grow, you grow! Nothing is killing you, so that doesn''t make any sense."


    Apollo lifted the flap of the box revealing the blinding yet beautiful light. "Dying of old age is the last page of your favorite book. It is the truest end to our stories."


    "What is a book?"


    Ignoring the question, Apollo smiled and continued, "It was once possible Pandora, but we never understood the beauty of it. Even after all these years, I still do not understand it, and I still fear it. Still, I am drawn to it. It''s as if I was born for this moment... It is much like a great awakening just like you said." Apollo picked up a five-pointed star from the box using both of his hands; it was about the size of Pandora''s head.


    Pandora had taken a second to realize that her preconceptions of growing after turning 19 were mostly wrong. Apollo wasn''t tall; he wasn''t strong; he wasn''t fit. Still, Pandora wasn''t entirely disappointed, for the truth was being made clear to her.


    The star shone brightly, and it was unlike anything Pandora had ever seen before. Oddly enough, Pandora felt no warmth coming from the beautiful star. The two sat there, atop the mountain, quietly for a while. They were both in awe. "Why here?" Pandora finally broke the silence.


    "What do you mean?"


    "If what you say is true, and that this star will lead to your death, you will cease to exist. You won''t be alive anymore. Why on GATE23? This planet is as boring as the sand that surrounds that city!"


    Apollo''s hands did not falter as he lifted the star closer to his chest. "I would have died here long ago if I did not take the Undying Serum. I have returned here to finally be put to rest, for this planet is my home."


    Pandora looked off in the distance to where the city lights were turning on. The stars that used to be in the sky were now halfway below the horizon, now. "Does it hurt? Dying like that, does it hurt?"


    Apollo looked at Pandora with weary eyes and said, "No one knows. That''s the point."


    Before Apollo consumed the star, Pandora asked, "Where can I find these stars?"


    Apollo laughed, "Oh dear, have I converted an Undying? I am not one to persuade you to follow in my footsteps, nor am I one to hinder you from realizing the untold truths for yourself. Pandora, deep below, in the caverns of Mount Past, a stash of these stars exists."


    Pandora''s heart beat faster, "All I need to do is consume one of those stars? Then I can finally learn the truth, like you?"


    Chuckling Apollo waved his finger at Pandora, "No, dear. These stars will only increase your age by so many years. I had to consume five stars to get where I''m at now. I assume it''ll take you the same amount.


    "As for the star below on this planet, there are numerous entrances to the caverns at the base of the mountain, but beware, for the wild inhabitants of the mountain do not tend well to intruders. Horrid things, they are. If you''re captured by one of them, you''ll become one of them: a slave to some hivemind."


    Pandora felt like her world was being built anew. There was nothing that was going to stop her from obtaining the remaining stars. She placed her hand on her De-Carbonizer Blaster holstered in her belt.


    To Pandora''s surprise, Apollo lifted his gaze off of the star and laid it onto Pandora. His stern face startled Pandora, for she had not expected such a look to come off of a dying man. "I- I couldn''t do it Pandora."


    "You couldn''t do what? Are you having second thoughts about dying?"


    "No. I am not. Oh, I don''t know... In a different life, in a different time, I failed, and now? Let''s just say that I knew that I wrought, and my fate will be one of agony," Apollo moaned. There was a pain in his voice.


    "I don''t understand what you mean, Apollo."


    "Maybe you never will. I don''t know. I already told you what you didn''t want to hear. This is my time now though. I am sorry." Apollo lifted the glowing star to the sky while the stars in the distance finally set. Apollo whispered, "I could never get over star-down. Oh, I''ll miss this."


    Pandora saw tears streaming from Apollo''s eyes, but he was still smiling now. Apollo crushed the star above his head, and it began to melt into golden sparkles between his hands. It didn''t seem like the sparkles could be felt by Apollo. The particles drifted slowly down onto Apollo''s body as the star continued melting into nothingness. Pandora witnessed as Apollo''s wrinkles grew deeper, stance turned weaker, and eyelids grew heavier. Slowly, Apollo fell onto his back. A cold breeze drifted across the two as Pandora watched Apollo''s breathing stop. Star-down had happened, and for the first time in centuries, Pandora cried.