Round 2

What does your sim do for a living?
I paint. I started my own art gallery, I strive to be a sucessful business some day.

Did this job require any special training?
Yes. I went to art school, and studied it in college. It requires a TON of knowledge, practice, and research. It was very tough, in fact, I'm still in training to be an even better artist.

Are you happy here?
I am very happy with what I do. I have always wanted to be an artist, whether it would be on a canvas or a napkin, I would always practice. I have saved so much money for this, and now I finally have it, I have spent so many hours researching, and I have practiced, pfft, pretty much dedicated my whole life to art, it's what I've always wanted to do, open up my own business, and do what I love the most, paint.

At Work:


In Work Clothing:

I wear casual clothing, but not sloppy, it wouldn't look very clean to the customers, so there is some restriction as to what I can wear, but not as much as some other businesses, just keep it nice.

Your sim is at work one day when a customer comes in to complain. They start screaming loudly and demanding their money back, how do you handle this?

Well, first I listen to them. I always listen to what they have to say, no matter what you HAVE TO LISTEN. I will do anything I can to have them go home with my art at the end of the day. I calm them down, so I can understand the situation. I put everything aside, and sit them down. If they have a damaged piece, I will take it to the back and repair it. If they do not like the painting itself, I will let them change it. Anything possible I can do I will, and I think you really need to be trustworty, kind, and loyal to all customers.
I figure, that I should treat them like treasures, and that I'M serving them, I know I will go out of business if I don't. Like I said, someday I want to be a famous, succeeding, business, it's my dream, and I'm not about to give it up.


I hope thats ok, I was in a REAL hurry.

Create an Alien race and home world- Be unique and creative!!!




Photos-

~A close up of your sim showing their feelings about this new planet.
~Your sim in thie strange new world (alien planet landscape shot-full body)
~A photo of your sims meeting the native inhabitants of that world.

~One free shot which is optional. If youd like to include a 4th photo of your choice you may. If you don't wish to you will not lose points.

Example Photos-





Answer the following Questions:

~What planet have you landed at? What are the inhabitants called. How would you describe this world?
~The natives have never heard of Earth and you are the first human they have ever seen. What would you tell the native aliens about the inhabitants of Earth? Be honest!


RULES!

~Photoshopping is allowed but not required, however I do not want to see fully photoshopped backgrounds. Effects are fine, borders, small accents and such or half of a background. You may add props and components to photos as well. But Id still like to see a predominantly sim looking photo.

~NO reserving spaces and keep all idle chit chat on the main chatter thread. Id like to see entries only!!! If you would like to know where someone got custom content they used, please PM that person.

**We will cut to the top 10 this round!

***Round will last 5 days***
9/20-9/25 (ending on the 25th at midnight EST)

Contestants (20)


1. LilMizPidge3- Zira Faye
2. noema- Anaelis Berg
3. Sylla- Lydia Chambers
4. nerina- Bianca Torre
5. DenimDan- Sandy Love
6. JulianaRosalia- Sydney Morgan
7. Enayla- Cecilia Lynn
8. romyhorse- Shuna Alba
9. hurtle- Ariadne Jenkins
10. boolPropped- Carmen Garcia
11. zora neale- Ayieta Wright
12. digerdoni- Sabine Harris
13. Hysterical Paroxysm- Sophia de Muse
14. .~*Iris*~.-Gaia Ghaoui
15. Ms. Useless Knowledge- Kathleen Kelley
16. -Carmine- Montana Nunez
17. Carmilla07- Tessa Bath
18. DreDo- Dana Elaeth
19. astroline95- Taurine Xichaurn
20. MimiG- Ella White

Phew? I'm the first one? Okay, heh, I can't help being inspired by the theme, I guess I'll have to post first >__>

Entry:

Far into uncharted territory, Cecilia has been stranded on an unknown planet; a glittering orb in the night sky. As she ventures outside her space ship, she is greeted by lights like miniature stars, slowly rising off the ground and into the dark sky above. The air is unbreathable and sharp and cold, the details of the world picked in soft blue and purple against the shimmering lights. There is a calm, here, quite different from earth – as if the planet itself breathes slowly, heartbeat gentle and rhythmic.




Gravity, here, is much different from earth and as she walks through the glimmering clouds of lights, she finds that she can almost fly; an exhilarating, wonderful experience... she floats joyfully over the ground, childishly and happily chasing the playful lights... at first, not noticing the city looming up behind her.




It isn't long after that she comes across the first of the world's inhabitants and they are curious of one another, stunned by how different and yet similar they seem. It is difficult to communicate at first but the young alien lady is sweet and intelligent, listening with an alert expression in her glowing eyes. Soon they understand one another a little.




The stranger's name is Niamo and she is one of the Ehnu, a gentle people living peacefully under the starbright sky. They are meditative and intuitive and at times, Cecilia feels clumsy when trying to communicate the difference between the two cultures.

It is difficult to describe Earth when you can only use simple words and gestures. There is such violence and darkness that it can't be translated into the sparse language the two of them can manage – especially to a people that has never known war. The wildness and savagery of humans stand in stark and frightening contrast to this serene species... but while Cecilia attempts to describe her world, she realises that there are things that the Earthlings have that the Ehnu lack. There is greater passion among the humans, a deeper and more desperate love that walks hand in hand with the hate – so that you can't have one without the other. In all the darkness, the war and the hate, there are sudden and brilliant sparks of emotion so profound that it makes everything else worth it.

Niamo and her people try to teach Cecilia their grace and quiet ways of life, and Cecilia communicates with them the great passion in the human heart.




It is a great learning experience, something that Cecilia hopes to take back to Earth and share with her fellow human beings.

When we landed on planet Andromeda9 I was in awe. It was so beautiful. It was covered in an ice like material but it wasn't cold, and there were huge spikes coming out of the ground, a bit like our trees. There was no sign of life although we'd been told it was habitated. It was pretty amazing and something I'll remember for the rest of my life.


Everyone on this mission had a task to do, there were no tourists! My task was to keep a photographic record of everything we saw.


On the second day we got a surprise when 2 aliens appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. These must be the Androns we'd been told about. They were curious and observed us silently. I tried to communicate with them using sign language and they seemed to understand. I explained to them that we came from Earth and told them about life there. I told them about the wars and the climate of fear, I told them how people's perspectives had been twisted by consumerism and the pursuit of wealth, I explained that Earth was no longer ruled by governments but by multi-national companies who had been allowed to get too powerful. They were saddened when they heard this but I explained that we were here on a research mission to try and find ways to improve life on Earth by observing life on other inhabited planets.


I was sad to leave Andromeda9, it was so beautiful and peaceful there, but hopefully our research will help us back on Earth. Who knows, maybe I'll get to go back one day.

You won't believe it! I was selected as a civilian astronaut for a space exploration trip to the recently discovered planet Unda. Very little is known about Unda, but we do know that it is completely covered in water. The scientists at the space center informed us that there was no reason to believe that any higher life forms exist on the planet. Our mission was to collect samples of the water and plant life and document our findings. So exciting! (Although these scientists have absolutely no sense of humor. I told them I'd rather have interplanetary scuba gear instead of the bubble helmet and they gave me stink-eye like you would not believe.) To infinity and beyond!!

Immediately after splashdown, we went through the multiple airlocks and entered the watery world of Unda. It was completely amazing. I immediately began gasping in awe--, erm, well, I immediately fought off a teensy tiny little bit of motion sickness.


And then I began gasping in awe. Just one gasp after another. It was such a unique experience and I couldn't seem to take it all in. It was almost like watching myself in a movie, because I could not believe it was really happening.


Once I got my bearings and managed to collect myself a bit, I began exploring. It was surreal how familiar the surroundings looked. I saw rocks and pebbles and what looked like different kinds of coral. There were these weird leaf-like things all over the bottom surface, they almost looked like lily pads. But I didn't see any fish. Then as I was swimming along, I came across a little clearing and saw a sight that literally dropped my jaw.


So much for "no reason to believe that any higher life forms exist on the planet." I was terrified at first but quickly realized I must have stumbled on a family outing. They were quite friendly and approached me with no appearance of trepidation at all. For reasons I don't quite understand, we were somehow able to communicate at a very rudimentary level; I wonder if they have some sort of telepathic powers. It would appear that laughter, at least, is universal. To be honest, I was never quite sure if they were laughing with me or at me, but I figured as long as they were laughing, all was well.


They told me that they are called Pescia and asked me to tell them about the inhabitants of my planet. I told them that the inhabitants of Earth are many and varied. That there are those who will stop at nothing to gain power and fortune, that there are those who simply want to get by from day to day and not worry about what tomorrow will bring, and that there are still those who will strive with all of their abilities to help the less fortunate and to make our planet an equitable place. All too quickly, the radio officer called me back to the ship and I had to say goodbye to my new friends.

Would you believe? No one on the ship or at the space center believes my story. They said my helmet must have malfunctioned and the drop in oxygen caused me to hallucinate! I pointed out that if they'd given me the interplanetary scuba gear that I had requested, then it would be a moot point anyway. I know it was no hallucination, though, and I wish my Pescian friends a long and happy life and I hope that they will remember me always. I will never forget them.

I was so excited when I was asked to partake in this opportunity of a lifetime! Of course I was nercous - Anyone would be if they were about to be blasted into space. I couldnt help but wonder what I was going to find. Would there be water and trees and buildings on this planet? Would there be life on this planet?! I was more than excited to find out.

The landing went a lot bumpier than I had imagined, but I was too preoccupied with trying to catch a glimpse of the planet that I didnt seem to notice too much. Before I left, I was told that the planet I would be landing on was called "Alio." They described the planet to me as one of stillness and tranquility, filled with gentle and meek inhabitants called the "Absconditus Ignoti."

When I landed on the planet, all I could focus on was the bright green hue of the sky. Taking a moment to look around, I realized that I was not on the planet I was supposed to be on...

I heard a sound behind me and whipped my body around to see where the noise was coming from. Sure enough, I saw blue beady eyes peeking from behind the tall sand dunes. My heart started racing as I noticed another pair of eyes appear... Then another and another! My brain was telling me to run away, but my feet kept themselves planted where they were. My body didnt move an inch as a small, white and very angry-looking being started towards me.

"Please..." I started to say as the being came closer and closer to me.

All I wanted to do was run away. My legs picked a damn good time not to work...

As soon as I breathed, I was surrounded by four beings - all staring up at me. When I looked down at them wide-eyed, their grim and angry expressions melted as big smiles cracked though their face. They were friendly after all! I sighed a sigh of relief and smiled back at them.

When I smiled at each of them, they all took off running together at the same time over towards a small clearing. I took this time to watch them intently. They started behaving almost like children. They were laughing and jumping around and batting each other... They were playing together!


This planet is one I could get used to fast! Everyone here was having such a great time that by the time I left, my cheeks ached from smiling so much. This most definitely was not the planet I was on course for... But I was glad to see this one even more. I learned that this planet was called "Orbis" and the little white beings were called the "Pequeños." They were a jubilant and care-free civilization.

They even taught me the dance of their planet!


They were very interested in this place I called home, so I saw down with them and proceeded to tell them all about the people of Earth. They were fascinated when I told them that some people on Earth were not happy at all. The Pequeños couldnt even understand this. When they heard that people on Earth were sometimes unhappy, they all leapt up and started playing again. I had to calm them down to finish telling them about my home. All in all, they were a very well-behaved and interesting people.


This was the awesomest opportunity I have ever been given, and I will treasure the time I spent with the Pequeños forever.

Arriving on this mysterious land of changing colors and starry skies, Taurine's eyes are almost blinded by the amazing amounts of bright lights and colors. She cautiously steps onto this planet, wondering where she is and what will await her. Her journey has to be a quick one, so she must abruptly search for the lifeforms that inhabit this forgotten planet.



She reaches a small mountain range, with dark rolling hills reflected upon a dark blue sky. There she sees two creatures, similiar to herself, but their eyes are completely vacant. It seems as if the life has just been sucked right out of them, and they are slaves to eternity on this forgotten planet.

Taurine hesitantly moves towards them, smiling lightly. They stand there without expression on their face, yet watching her approach them. Taurine says, "Taurine, from planet Earth. And you?" There is no answer. Suddenly, an overwhelming sensation charges through Taurine's body. Without communicating with these creatures, Taurine realizes that she is not actually on a regular planet - she is in the afterlife world of this planet. Now she realizes why these mysterious, forgotten souls do not speak to her.



Hoping another sensation in her body will occur, Taurine begins to explain her planet Earth to them. Their eyes remain empty and their mouths closed, yet she almost feels like they are really listening to her. She tells them Earth is an amazing planet, the most legendary in the solar system. With its balanced share of both perfections and flaws, Earth and the inhabitants of it would be an astonishing discovery for creatures like these to experience.

Suddenly, the sensation pulsates through her body once again. Information about this planet comes to her, now knowing that the name of this afterlife planet is known as Xunctinektiine, which Taurine does not even bother to say out loud. The creatures standing in front of her are named Cucha and Kauntilla, and they arrived her after their sad passings on their home planet of Shunxounnteile. Only the most mysterious and forgotten souls from that planet are granted access to this afterlife world, where they are free to wander in tranquility, for eternity and beyond.



Standing on the desolate terrain of Xunctinektiine, Taurine wonders whether she should stay or leave. It is so sad to see these poor lost souls like this, in a world so beautiful and unique, unable to do anything except carry their lifeless bodies from one point to another. But Taurine knows they are safe here, and while they are forgotten forever, they have nothing to fear. They are at peace, and they will be until the end of time.

Taking a last look into the deep sky above this mysterious world, Taurine waves goodbye to her forgotten friends and begins a journey back to Earth.

When my astronomy professor told my class that thanks to a wealthy donator the student who would submit the best project in his class would get to be part of the next NASA space mission as a space tourist, I was so excited to think that one of us would be able to see the space and help collecting evidences for the research of life in other planets, but I never thought I'd win, and I did.
I was so excited through out the flight, we were going to planets that were never visited before in search for water, and this once in a lifetime experience had been amazing.


When we landed in the first planet from the series of planets we were about to visit, the planet that was named by NASA Perloto, we couldn't believe what we saw...there were water on this planet, lots of water. All this time NASA sent more and more space missions to find another planet with water, like Earth, in which there were life, and to which man kind would be able to move to in case a meteor crashes and destroys Earth, and here, just a few thousands of miles from the used to be known as a planet Pluto, there was another planet with water all this time.


I started traveling in that planet with my fellow mission members. This planet resembled earth so much the level of gravity was nearly the same and I could walk normally and I didn't need to wear my helmet anymore. We've searched for life on that planet, wondering if there was any sort of living on this planet and if there was, whether it resembled the life on earth or not.

We didn't find anything in the first days but in the third, two females that seemed to be half-human half-horses, came to our camp and introduced themselves. Their names were Cena and Taur and they were part of a species known in that planet as Centaurs.


At first I was afraid, they had a bow in their right hand and I was afraid they might attack me. It turned out they were born with that bow and they were very friendly.
We soon started talking and found a way to explain ourselves and get to know each other despite of our differences. We told each other about the lives in our planet and we found out many similarities between Earth and Perloto.


After several days our research in Perloto was ended and we had to move on to the next planet. We've said our goodbyes but I hope the communication between Earth and Perloto doesn't stop here and that there would be more missions to that planet in the future.

And there I was. Traveling through outer space, heading towards a distant planet known as GL365 by astronomers.

There had never been a greater expedition than this one before in the history of mankind. We finally had the technology to travel fast and set foot on uncharted lands.

I was lucky, and very grateful and proud to be part of this journey, but petrified wasn’t even enough to describe how scared and nervous I was. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears, and breathing only through my nose wasn’t enough anymore.

The landing was rough, but we were all safe and sound. Now that we were on solid ground, the next step of our mission had begun: exploration.
The captain informed us that the air was breathable; therefore our helmets were of no use. We left the spaceship and split up. We had communicators and it was our job to warn in case of alien encounter.

My steps were hesitant and clumsy. I was terrified, yet astonished and amazed. I was slowly realizing that I was on an alien planet…


Although the air felt different, light and fresh, unlike on Earth, I couldn’t help feeling a bit like I was home. There was grass and plants, just like on Earth. I was climbing down a small planet, wondering if I was truly in outer space or still on my own planet. The resemblance was almost disturbing. However, the sky, like the air, was clear. Nature was pure and wild. It felt as if we had gone back in time. This planet looked like Earth would have been in prehistoric times…

It was then that I noticed something very peculiar and very different from anything on Earth. I didn’t understand how or why, but there were water jets everywhere. I could feel the wind rushing water against my face. Cold and pure. It felt like Heaven.


I didn’t understand where all this water was coming from, for there were no holes on the ground. I tried so examine the land before me; all I could see were hills, green hills, and unlimited amounts of water everywhere. I found myself at the bottom of the mountain.

Then, something amazing happened… Someone appeared in front of me. I was so shocked I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out of me. As if her unusual beauty had hypnotized me…

She was bare-skinned. But somehow it didn’t bother me. No expression on her face. All she did was place the tip of her fingers on my lips. It was then I felt as if something was sucked out of me…It was painful, but when it was over, I knew what had happened.


She had read my mind. And this was also how she spoke to me.
Iloanna her name was. The planet we had landed on was called Alaguanda by them. Them, the Mayiras. They were creatures of water. She explained to me that they were mostly made of water. The rest was their spirit. Much greater than a human’s soul I assumed. And I was right. Love was their life source. The very reason they were alive. That was why they were pure water. They needed nothing to stay alive, except love. Each and every Mayira has a soul mate somewhere on Alaguanda. When they find each other, powerful signals are emitted by their souls and they know their quest is done.
It was useless now to tell her about Earth, about us humans. She knew everything. Not that she had ever been on Earth or ever seen a human before me, but she had seen everything through me. It was useless to tell her how evil overcomes good back home. How misery and poverty is considered a normal state, how nothing is done is ever done by men of power to help less fortunate people, how power itself is the incarnation of evil, how it can turn the best of men into selfish and proud idiots. Pain and evil was something Iloanna did not know before me. She understood its concept now. The Mayiras did not know sins. It was the very reason why they were undressed. The concept of covering ourselves came from the emergence of perversion.
She also knew now that with all this evil and destruction, love and kindness still found its place from time to time. And I agreed with her that love is what makes life worth living…

My captain contacted me right then. He told me that all the other explorers had returned, not finding anything. He asked me if I had made any interesting discovery. I looked at Iloanna, smiled and answered that I hadn’t found anything either.

I couldn’t tell him about her and her people. He would have wanted to take her away for experiment and other so-called scientific purposes. Humans will be humans…

I left in a hurry, but right before I was completely out of sight, I looked back one last time and witnessed the most beautiful scene any living creature could have seen…


It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a fusion. The fusion of their souls. My heart sank in front of such purity.


Since then, passion has a whole new meaning to me…

Ayieta: So I had just finished a cup of chamomile tea and was about to turn in for the night when a funny feeling crept over my body. It was as if I was being torn apart, molecule by molecule. An instant later I found myself reconfigured (for the most part); whereabouts unknown.


It looked like Earth, it smelled like Earth...the force of gravity felt stronger but that may have been my biased opinion after the galaxy-long fall I had just experienced. There was random equipment around that looked like it fell of a truck carting sci-fi props. Various panels flickered and beeped...and I wondered exactly where all this junk was plugged into.


I was NOT amused. If somebody didn't get me back to my bedroom in the next five minutes I was going to unleash a world of hurt. I had to wake up at 6:00 the next day to get to work on time!

A voice from behind startled me. "Welcome to the Planet-Enterprise-Formerly-Known-as-Myopia!" I wasn't sure what do do first...marvel at the fact he spoke perfect English, overlook the purple skin, or try not to stare gapingly at his one eye. After taking a deep breath, I asked about all of the equipment...and the strangely familiar outfit he was wearing.

"Ahh yes," he replied. "Well, we were a relatively simplistic society until one fateful day, we picked up a foreign feed on our audio transmitters. After much code-breaking we were able to figure out it was the electronic diary of the adventures of a ship traveling the universe. From all of the audio data we collected and translated, we were able to replicate many of the pieces of technology they used throughout their voyages."

"We were working on a teleportation device which was to send us to various points of the universe. But apparently it teleported someone from a various point of the universe here. An honest mistake really."

He pointed to the sky. "You should have seen it. Your trajectory shot you right through that clearing of trees..."


I had heard enough. If I was understanding this guy correctly, they had picked up on old reruns of Galaxy Trek and somehow made all that nonsense actually run. "Sooooooo..." I hesitantly started. "You must know ALL about Earth. That's where I'm from. Can you send me back? Preferably in the next five minutes? I have work in the morning and if I don't get my seven hours of sleep I'm rea..."

"What's an Earf?" he interjected.

How could this punk have listened to 10 seasons worth of Galaxy Trek reruns, speak perfect English, and not know what Earth is? Or had my cup of tea been laced with something? GAH. :doh "Look!" I cried, "aren't you even midly curious how I look nothing like you, and yet we speak the same language? Those audio feeds you intercepted, those were from MY planet! It's called Earth, and I wanna go back!"

At this statement, the officer's eye widened. "Amazing! I've always wondered what one of you looked like. Your planet must be perfect in every way. I'll bet beings of all creeds and species are able to get along without prejudice. Your governments uphold compassion and lack beaurocracy. You avoid war at all costs, and all of your dillemmas are solved in 60 minutes or less!"

I paused. "Yes, it's exactly like that. And I can't wait to get back," sighing heavily. Don't look at me like that. What was I supposed to do? Crush the man's dream?

At this moment a girl rushed up, flailing wildly. "I fixed it!" she squealed," the thermal flux capacitor had been somehow disconnected from the...blah, too many words. Somebody tripped over the blue wire."

Where were these wires?!


"Well, off you go," he said, pushing a button and igniting a cloud of blue smoke around me. "Very nice to meet you. Perhaps I'll visit sometime."



...I totally called in sick to work the next day.

Beiteng looks like Dynastic China on Earth. The atmosphere is so clear that the stars seem to be close enough to touch. It’s pristine and even though the air is rarified, I’m not lightheaded at all. I’m in shock that vision before me is straight out of a history textbook. There is a sense of peace floating on the gentle breeze as well as the smell of cherry blossoms.

Out of the pagoda come three aliens, one male and two females. Their clothes and hair are in a Chinese style as well. We approach each other with curiosity because in many ways we look the same, only our skin and eyes are different. Somehow through gestures, much pointing at objects and a little luck we manage to communicate. They say that they are called the Bei and introduce themselves as Zhi, En and Mao. I explain that that there is a theory that aliens come to Earth and created our earliest civilization but that was supposed to be Egypt. Zhi says that they have a similar legend and we come to the conclusion that maybe the same alien are responsible for both of our planets earliest cultural evolution.


En wants to hear more about the culture of Earth, so I tell her that humans are both warlike and artistic at the same time. We’re a dichotomy in our very nature. We build weapons with such precision that it’s terrifying in its beauty. We create art that’s hideous in its brutal honesty. We revere military generals the same as the masters of fine art. We live in cities of steel and concrete but retreat to nature as a vacation from our everyday lives.

When I'd applied to be part of the Deep Space Exploration mission, I thought it was going to be fairly uneventful... accompanying the real explorers, painting asteroids to have the prints sold later to help fund future missions, while they explored strange new worlds and sought out new life and new civilizations. I expected they'd be boldly going where no man had gone before while I was sitting in the ship, gazing out the window at a nebula, painting what I saw. Though cameras may capture a perfect view of what's in front of them, they lack the human touch, the interpretation of the eye and the heart. So, like Napoleon's army, the DSE wanted a small team of artists along
with them to record what they saw.

We'd only made eight faster-than-light jumps when we came upon a previously uncharted system with a yellow star and several rocky planets in stable orbit. To our amazement, initial scans showed that the fifth planet in the system had an atmosphere and liquid water oceans. Upon closer examination, we were even more surprised... it seemed almost impossible that we'd stumbled upon it, but this beautiful little green planet had life. We sent down a probe, and it returned incredible results... the atmosphere was very close to Earth's, with a good percentage of breathable oxygen and no deadly contaminants. And the probe sent back video... of the planet's inhabitants walking over and peering curiously at the probe.

The first landings were made by the actual explorers, of course, to my disappointment, but I did understand that I wasn't really trained
for a first-contact situation. Once it was determined the inhabitants were peaceful and friendly, they allowed the rest of the team to come down to the surface to investigate.

I was amazed by what I saw as the lander made its way through the atmosphere toward the planet's surface. Everywhere, windswept rock
formations rose across the landscape, reddish orange pinnacles above a plum sky. A huge moon hung low in the sky, a sparkling sun lighting the day. Between the cliffs and spires, deep rock pools held glittering water, and lush vegetation grew in these valleys. We were headed for the largest of these lakes in my view, a great basin of water fed by a thin, twisting river flowing down from the golden crests of the mountains in the distance. Around the huge lake was a thick ring of thriving life, huge trees reaching toward the bruise-coloured sky, surrounded by what seemed to be farmland... patches of land in the same colour and texture, but in very irregular patches with no particular shape to them. As we came closer, I could see that there was a clearing between the trees and the lake along one edge, and there, I saw the inhabitant's city, painted a bright white, buildings stacked irregularly one on top of another in closely-packed clusters, looking like a giant child had dropped their toy blocks in several different piles. The city was surrounded by a short white wall that seemed more a simple boundary than any kind of defensive structure.

Upon our approach to the city, I could see the native people, looking up at the sky, shielding their eyes to watch the strange craft coming down from the sky. We landed near the shore just beyond the wall. I could hardly wait to get off the lander, scrambling to the door, almost forgetting my case of supplies in my haste. Some of the city's inhabitants stood around the lander, watching us as we came off the craft and unloaded our equipment. There was such calm curiosity in their expressions, like children, just taking in what they were seeing without quite understanding. I was desperate to get a chance to explore, but I was asked to help with unloading, so I hefted supply crates into a pile outside the lander, all the while desperate to see this beautiful new world.

Finally, we were finished, and the captain said we were allowed to explore the city. The natives were incredibly peaceful and, while they hadn't figured out how to communicate with them as it seemed they did not speak at all, they appeared to be utterly harmless, merely inquisitive and not at all frightened. I took my case of paint and brushes and set off with the other artists into the city. They were chattering noisily to one another about how amazing it was and what they wanted to paint and would not shut up and just listen and look
and enjoy. Soon, though, I saw my chance, a small alleyway between two buildings, and slipped away from the group to see the city alone.

At first, I just walked, with no direction to my path, just seeing what I could see. The city was beautiful, with little gardens set behind houses, the architecture simple, elegant, yet almost careless, as if buildings had been designed and built according to whim rather than any set plan or structure. There were plants and flowers everywhere, and a sense that the city was integrated into the landscape, part of the natural order of things here, not imposing upon it. Streets curved out of the way of mighty trees, and vines twisted up the sides of houses. The air was cool, crisp, and clean, and as I walked I passed through pools of scent... the smell of flowers and rich earth, cooking food with rich, spicy aromas I had never before smelled, and a damp touch to the air when the breeze picked up from across the lake. Yet for all the activity, the city was quiet. There were none of the murmuring sounds of voices far off that I associated with a city, and while I saw many of the natives standing together in small groups, none of them spoke to one other.

Their sun was descending toward the horizon when I came upon a small garden surrounded by a low rock wall, one of the few enclosed gardens I had seen in the little city. From within, I heard music, low and soft and lilting, like a small flute. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, a slow, sad song that pulled at my heart. I peered around the opening in the rock wall and saw one of the natives sitting crosslegged in the center of the garden. It appeared male, naked to the waist, wearing only loose grey trousers, with silvery white hair.

My footfalls crunched on the gravel covering the path into the garden, and he stopped playing as he heard me approach, placing the flute down beside him in the grass and offering me a soft, friendly smile before gracefully folding himself to stand.

For a few moments, we just stood there, looking each other up and down. He circled around me, looking at me from different angles. The look in his eyes was pure curiosity, and I found I did not feel uncomfortable, even under such close scrutiny.


He came to stand in front of me again, and then, tentatively, reached down and touched my fingertips, and then took my hand in his, bringing it up to peer closely at my skin, turning it over to trace the lines on my palm. He smiled a little, and reached out to touch my hair, then my face, brushing his long, graceful fingers over my lips, tracing a line down the side of my neck. He felt the cloth at of my uniform, tracing over the details and seams, and then slid his hand lower, brushing over the curve of my breast.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, and jumped back a step. He gasped softly and looked quizzically at me, tilting his head. He clearly didn't understand why I had reacted like that, and, realizing he had not meant any offense, I chewed at my lip, looking down at my shoes, trying to figure out how to explain somehow in gestures why a human woman might not want a stranger doing that.

When I looked back up, he was smiling, no longer looking confused, but almost... knowing, understanding. I blinked, now confused myself.

He reached down, took my hand again, holding it there, covering it with his other hand. There was a strange sensation of warmth flowing from him, and a sound... like a vibrating buzz in the back of my head, an insect trapped in my mind. And then, I became aware of something else. Thoughts, but they were not my own. They were soft, blurred, seen through a different lens than I was used to, but I could feel the gist of the meaning behind them. There was a torrent of these images, flipping past my mind's eye like a slide show, each accompanied by an emotion, a smell, a taste, and as if from far away, I could feel myself sinking to my knees, unable to stand against this onslaught of image and feeling. I was no longer seeing through my eyes, but through his, watching myself gasping there as I took all of it in, at the same time watching his life, his people, his world as it flooded into my mind.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the images slowed, and I found myself able to see again, blinking as I came back to myself, slumped to the ground in the grass. I looked up to see his curious eyes gazing at me with gentle concern. "I'm... I'm okay," I murmured, and then, knowing he could not understand, I reached out and touched his cheek, and then thought about feelings of wellbeing and health. He smiled, and his eyes glimmered as he realized I understood, and that we could communicate.


We stayed there in the garden until nightfall, skin to skin, thought to thought, mind to mind, telling each other about our lives. He was a musician, the flute his instrument. He had lived in this city all his life with his family, all together in one big home. Their people had few boundaries, few rules. Everyone shared what they had. They had no leader, everything decided by consensus, and I found trying to relate a hierarchical ruler system to him was impossible... he just simply couldn't understand how one person could command others. They had no words, and no need for them. Everything was related with thought... they could speak at a distance, but as I was not of their people, one had to be in direct physical contact to communicate.

I tried to ask him the names of his people and his world, and he paused, thinking hard. The images he sent back were a jumble, trying to encompass so many things, but I sensed a common thread. With his people, there was a sense of home, of togetherness, of a close-knit community and integration with the land. With his world, there was a sense of... value, somehow, of being deeply appreciative of the bounty and life it provided them. He had shown me that his people at one time had been space-faring, traveling the stars. But they had grown weary of that life, and found it lacked the spirit and depth they wanted. So they searched the universe for a homeland, having lost their own in wars that had nearly destroyed their species. Finally, after generations of searching, they found this place, a clean, lush world they could call home, abandoned the technologies that had brought them such suffering, and returned to an agrarian society. I was fascinated hearing about his species and their history. In my mind, I began to think of their planet as Elysium, their people as Enelysion, the land and people of paradise.

When he asked about my people, I pulled away for a moment, breaking contact with him. I didn't know how to respond. Humanity can be so cruel, so ugly. I felt almost ashamed of my people. But then, I laced my fingers again with his and started at the beginning, thinking my way through history, through war, culture, violence, music, hatred, art, depravity, and beauty. I showed him everything, the good and bad, and I was as honest as I could be. His people seemed so gentle and perfect, yet he had shown that they had not always been that way... and it gave me hope for my own people, that perhaps one day we could set aside our differences and learn to accept one another and live in peace like them.

Their huge moon shone brightly in the sky, sending glimmering violet light down upon us. It was an incredible night, the sky filled with stars, and my mind filled with strange and enchanting images of this beautiful alien world.

"de Muse! What do you think you're doing?" A voice barked from the far end of the garden, breaking our reverie. I looked over to see the captain and a small group of the crew standing there, looking angry. "We've been searching for you for hours!"

I scrambled to my feet, my alien companion rising gracefully to stand beside me, still holding my hand. "Erm... Sorry, sir. I lost track of time."

"You've been here the whole time? You're not that far from where we landed! We were searching the whole city for you!"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. We were, um... talking." I glanced back at him and he smiled. I looked down, realizing I was still tightly clasping his hand in mine, and let go, glancing up at the captain who had obviously noticed. The captain's eyes narrowed.

"You've learned how to speak to them?"

"I can communicate with them, sir. They're telepaths. They can communicate with us by touch. Pictures, sensations, feelings, no words."

The captain's stern expression softened. "Well... good work then, de Muse. Now get back to the lander. We're taking off in half an hour."

I gasped. "What? Sir, no! Please, we can't leave yet. There's so much for us to learn here!"

"That's not our mission. We're here to scout things out for later research by specialized crews, nothing more. Now let's go."

I was distraught. I couldn't leave now. It had only been a few hours. There were lifetimes of information here. My voice quavered, "Please, sir, just... give me a few moments, then?" The captain nodded his agreement.

I turned back to the beautiful creature who had taught me so much in so little time, and I took both his hands in mine, gazing into his sparkling silvery eyes, leaning close and pressing my forehead to his. I smiled sadly. "I wish we had more time," I murmured, and as I did, I sent him my feelings of regret, sadness, and deep desire to stay. Then, I asked him what he was called. He responded with a melody, a piece of music played by flute, a haunting song. I understood his meaning... he was known as a musician. I smiled a little, looking down at his hands held in mine. "I shall remember you as Orpheus, then."


He asked me my own name, and I thought for a moment, how to explain. "Sophia" is Greek, and means "wisdom." I grinned a little, and then I thought of studies, of learning through creation, the quest for knowledge and enlightenment. He responded with a big smile, as if he approved.

I could see the captain growing impatient. I hesitated for a moment, then embraced Orpheus in a tight hug, brushing my lips across his cheek. He was surprised at first, but then responded in kind, and we exchanged a last long gaze and warm smile before the captain took me by the arm and pulled me gently away. I turned to glance back at him over my shoulder, feeling a deep sadness in my chest as I left the garden. We headed back to the lander, and I was silent the whole way, trying to come to terms with what I had experienced. I didn't even get a chance to paint him.

As we took off, I watched out the window of the lander, pressing my face to the glass, hot tears flowing down my cheeks as I watched the violet orb grow smaller in my view, realizing I would probably never get to see Orpheus or the beautiful planet he calls home again. I still dream of him and his people, and I know that neither one of us will ever forget each other.


(Please click the pics for full-size versions... HUGE apologies for the length of the text... I just got REALLY into the story, and I'm terribly long-winded. Lyric, feel free to spank me. In fact, please do!)

Blast Off!

I was absolutely honored to be sent with the space expedition to a newly discovered planet named "Aquarius" by NASA. I suppose it was aptly named because instead of landing on the surface, I was propelled downward because the entire planet is covered in water!


(Body Shot)
As I plunged down, I was excited to learn that the atmosphere wasn't really water, but some new substance that I could both swim in and breathe. How amazing! I've never been able to swim through oxygen, nor breathe in water. It was such a strange sensation! As I moved, it *sounded* like I was swimming, and the atmosphere moved around me like water, yet I could breathe!


(Excitement shot)
As I swam around, I fell more and more in love with this place. It was so beautiful, and quiet. Like living in the ocean. The landscape looked a little desolate, with only sand, rocks, and some plants that looked like seaweed, but there was a beautiful blue light cast on everything, making the world look surreal and ethereal.


(Natives shot)
In a particularly sunny area, I came upon two natives of the planet. They took me by surprise, and I think they were a little startled, too. We spent a long time "investigating" our similarities and our differences. They had a beautiful blue skin tone that matched the "water" surface of their planet. Though they didn't speak English, I taught them the words "Sandy", and "human". They taught me "Ama" and "Buna", which I figured were their individual names, and they taught me that their race was called "Ula". They referred to their home planet as "O-Ana", which I thought was a beautiful name. We had a great time teaching each other words from our languages, and I tried my best to tell them about earth, but I'm not sure how much they understood when I tried to explain more abstract things like government and politics. They did, however, laugh when I said I couldn't swim in the air or breathe the water, and they pointed at me, making gasping sounds and laughing.

I was sad when I finally recieved the radio call to head back to the surface so the ship could pick me up.

(Free shot)
As I swam back, I tried to think of the best way to describe what I saw to the crew, and my experiences with the inhabitants of the planet, but all that kept coming to my mind was how sad I was to be leaving.

Hello Mosiria!


Mosiria is a rocky planet, surrounded by high mountains, lakes and forests that look a lot like the ones on Earth. I was very impressed by what I’ve seen there.



I could hear angelic sounds that were strange yet intuitively familiar. While I was discovering the sounds step by step, I was trying hard to match those feelings. I had with a well known word, but there was nothing I could find to describe them. Not only was I listening to that strange music, but I was feeling it running through my veins , surrounding me with both its light and heat.



Mosirians are the most loving and peaceful people one can ever imagine. They are tall, with dark black eyes and their skin is deep silvery blue.
How long do they live? Just as long as they wish. Even a million years if they want. Their bodies are always young because they can regenerate every single cell of their bodies whenever they want.
Using the telepathy they receive and share their thoughts, information, images, feelings and knowledge.
Every two days, people on Mosiria drink half a glass of Hydromel, a very nourishing substance.
I’ve learned all this from the Mosirians, because they could speak our language. They knew all there is to know (I dare say and a lot more) about Earth and human beings. They even said to me :
" We care for you and it really breaks our hearts to see you trying to self-destruct. We look at you astonished as your walking toward nothingness, not realizing that you’ve chosen the wrong way in life and doing nothing to straighten it out before it’s too late.
We are willing to guide you and show you the way, but first, in order to do that, we need your SOS. We can’t ignore our main rule, that says „never give to the one who doesn't ask for it!” Even though our rules aren’t written, then they should be known, understood and respected by all, at all times. "

I was working at my museum one day, laboriously analyzing a strange artifact, when it mysteriously began to make strange, garbled noises. I couldn't find any record of receiving that particular artifact in any shipment or from storage, but that wasn't unusual with very old collections, so I had thought nothing of it.

Now, as an archaeologist, I am not accustomed to my artifacts making any sort of noise, so I called my archaeology professor, Dr. Vuchinick, to get his opinion on the item, and determine what to do with it next! It turns out that Doc was a consultant to the International Space Agency, as we haven't needed to develop separate programs for Earth versus offworld archaeology yet, and on his suggestion we took the artifact to one of their space science labs for further analysis on their state-of-the-art equipment.

After laboriously recording and processing the sounds, we determined that they were a precise series of tones that repeated over and over.
One of the space scientists figured out that they must be a homing signal, perhaps of the planet from which the artifact originated. We contacted the engineers at the ISA, and they concurred. They determined that our destination would be a moon in the orbit of Jupiter!

The ISA quickly determined that a scout mission was necessary. The new fusion drives had been online long enough for us to go on an exploratory mission easily inside our solar system. I was nervous, as Dr. Vuchinick had volunteered me to go as the archaeologist for the trip. Space travel within our own solar system was now commonplace, but I had never been offplanet.

The commander of our mission, Captain Cal Ryder, met with me and assured me that the craft would be safe and stable during the tripl. He was a veteran of several test missions, and is a good man to have at the helm in a crisis. Our biologist/medic is Dr. Sarah Bradley, also a veteran of several missions within our system. Our "tech master," as he prefers to be called, is "Gizmo" Gerard. He excels at keeping everything running at peak efficency, and can fix anything on a ship with little more than duct tape. He had been building spaceships since he was a kid, so everyone has enormous confidence in him, in spite of his goofy personality.

Our trip began quite routinely. We departed the orbital docking station with no problems, and soon kicked in the fusion drive. Our trip outward sped along, with me studying the artifact and its markings until I was cross-eyed, and taking a LOT of pretty pictures. This was my first space journey, and I was crossing the solar system!

When we approached Jupiter's gravity well, our computers kicked in to home in on the correct moon. We quickly found the fourth moon to be the source of the transmisssion, and surprisingly, it had a hospitable atmosphere as well. As we began to orbit the moon, we searched for life signs or settlements. We found the transmission site near a large rocky crater in the northern hemisphere, with little but rocks anywhere else.

We successfully landed in a small clearing, close to the transmission site. After running sensor analyses of the atmosphere, we cautiously departed the ship. As it was nearing dark, we decided to investigate some caves nearby. Suddenly, out of the shadows, several figures jumped up, surrounded us, and shot Cal and Gizmo with some kind of energy beam.




Cal and Gizmo are zapped by some sort of energy beam!

After much screaming, panicking, and babbling incoherently, we realized that the alien beings were haltingly speaking - in English! And then we finally realized, no thanks to the darkness, that they were robots! The largest, meanest-looking one barked,"We are the servants of Queen Samara. You will come with us to meet her when she commands it be so."

We were fairly nervous and concerned. However, the female robot departed, then returned quickly. She came back bearing parcels and an invitation to dinner. We were told to go, freshen up, change into the clothing provided, and they would be back to fetch us in an hour. Upon opening the parcels, we found elegant dress clothes for each of us. This was becoming very strange, indeed.

The robots returned at the appointed hour, and we were escorted through one of the caves into a large cavern. A long dinner table was placed in the center, and at the end, a raised dais with a throne and what looked to be a window to the universe! We were escorted to our seats, and the Queen entered.

Tall, and thin, the Queen towered over all of us. She had greyish skin, sharp features, black hair and piercing eyes. She nodded to us to sit, and waved to the robots to serve. I for one was anxious about what kind of food would be served, but apparently the robots had worked out what kind of food we needed. We began eating in silence, but then the Queen began asking me many questions, interested in who we were, where we were from, what our world was like, and many more.



Here we are, eating dinner with aliens we just met!

We answered many of her questions, as it appeared that we were the first humans that she had ever encountered. She was particularly insistent about talking to me, so I told her about our world, with its beauty and diversity of species. I told her of the abundant oceans and the life in them, and she sighed as if longing for that experience. The robots engaged the rest of our team in apparently equally voracious discussions.

I described our various government systems, and the difficulties that we have had with each other's philosophies, and she nodded as if she understood the principles involved. We talked for a long time on the inequality of life, and how a few have the majority of the wealth, but many feel the strain of want. At that point, I tried to lighten the conversation, as I felt uncomfortable answering so many questions, but the queen never seemed to be satisfied with our answers. I didn't want to be rude since this was our first contact, but it was awkward, as if I was compelled to tell everything I could think of. Finally, during a break in conversation, I asked about her world.

She laughed, which was somewhat unsettling, and simply stated that this moon, known to her people as Ragadatha, was her temporary home. She and her robots were exploring, and had come to this system in search of their ancestral roots. Her species, the Thlorii, had traveled the galaxy for many generations, and had lost their homeworld. She was attempting to determine if this was their system of origin. At that point, she ended the dinner abruptly, and asked us to excuse her and her robots.

We went back to our ship, more bewildered than satisfied, and changed back into working clothes. I decided to explore and see if I could find the robots and ask some more questions. I re-entered the grand hall, and explored the area around the dais. I heard raised voices approaching, and decided to hide, to avoid a misunderstanding. These beings still unnerved me.

As the group entered, one of them brought a globe of Earth into the room! The queen studied it intently, and began talking with her minions. They were speaking in low tones, but were still conversing in English, which I thought was very odd. Queen Samara appeared to be delighted, and and complimented her servants on a job well done seeding the probes and drawing us here.

The queen spoke "Our people have been hungry for so long, and blamed me for the lack of prey. They exiled me here on this miserable rock. But this ship will allow us to escape. After this tasty snack, soon there would be enough for us all to feast on, and that then I will be welcomed back as a hero and rightful queen."

At that point, the queen began to laugh, a scary, openmouthed laugh, and I could see many sparkling, pointed teeth. It sent shivers up my spine, and I jumped in my hiding place, sending some knicknack rolling across the floor.

The queen turned, confused by which direction the sound came from, and ordered the robots to search the caves. She picked up her globe, and stalked back out of the hall. I quickly slipped out of the caves, just barely avoiding the robots, and ran back to the ship.



I overheard the Queen plotting to come to Earth, and I don't get the feeling it will be a pleasant visit!

When I arrived, I was panicked! I told the crew what I had heard, and we agreed to quickly depart before she devour us and steal our ship. We made our escape before the Queen sent her robots to the ship, and headed for home to warn everyone. I felt sick at the wealth of information we had provided for the Queen, sure that she was going to use every bit of it against us. We couldn't have known she wasn't to be trusted, but that from now on we would be much more cautious with first contact situations! And we would not be so trusting of the other species in the galaxy!



The Awful Truth is revealed!

The Queen doesn't know the extent of our information. If we make it home safely, we can hopefully use her probe and transmission to determine a way to track her, and stop her before she can obtain a ship and get to Earth. I only hope we make it back safely. Our world is in terrible danger if we don't make it home alive with what we know.

Application
Round One
Round Two

When I was approached to visit a planet outside our solar system as part of a unique space exploration group, I immediately said yes. The officials told us we were visiting an unnamed planet, referred to only as Alpha Six. We would be there only for observation - our mission: knowledge.

We were all dropped down in different locations, spread out over a small mountainous area. When I landed on the barren turf the first thing I noticed was the odd texture of the surface. It was spongy yet firm - sort of like a durable spider's web. The solar system Alpha Six was in only had a tiny star to provide light. As a result, most of the planet took on a deep blue haze.



Eager to find out more about the terrain and the mountains, I headed around a large outcropping to see more. What I saw there caused me to jump in shock!


Right in front of me were alien beings! For an initial moment I was trapped in fear. The commander in charge had briefed us all on approaching alien life forms, but he had been sure there were none on Alpha Six. I couldn't wait to tell him he was wrong, because only a few metres away was a group of slender blue forms that seemed to have large wings. They looked as if they were sleeping.


I was hesitant, but my curiosity got the better of me. I walked forward, and to my surprise they moved upwards and noticed me. I realized they were much taller than I, but for some reason I instantly knew they were gentle creatures. The knowledge seemed to blossom inside of me with each step I took.

Instinctively, I reached out a hand, and one of them moved closer, mirroring my movements.


I stood there in awe as my mind became overwhelmed with information about these creatures and their planet. Suddenly I understood that I was receiving the information that they were sending out! I wondered if I could somehow reciprocate... I concentrated and thought about Earth, trying to make the concept as intense and focused as I could. And it worked! Not only did several of the beings make a noise, but I received the same image back, with plenty of what appeared to be questions. I smiled to myself. I had made contact with alien life forms! I spent the next several minutes attempting to answer their questions by mentally concentrating on what my answer was. I told them all about Earth, about our civilization. Our everyday lives, our history, but most importantly our continual quest for knowledge about ourselves and the world around us. I told them that this quest for knowledge was both good and bad - it could lead to self-discovery, or destruction.

Not long after, I headed back to the ship. I informed the commander of my experiences and we spent the next several days communicating with the beings and learning about their world. We learned that they had no name for themselves, but rather communicated knowledge of themselves with an image of blue wings. Likewise, they had no spoken name for their planet. Only an image awash in blue light with an icy white terrain. It was fascinating.

On the last day I said goodbye and stepped away, but I knew we would be back; that we hadn't seen the last of these unique creatures.