Today, I landed on a world I’ve decided to call Seren.
It’s named after an ancient term for peace or serenity.
Not for the planet, but for the fleeting moment of tranquility it granted me.
Its actual name is TOI-2202 b. Floating in the vastness of space, this jewel reminds me so much of home.
With a mass nearly identical to Earth’s, at 0.978 times, and a radius that perfectly mirrors our blue planet, it’s hard not to feel a pang of nostalgia.
The skies here have a unique hue though, thanks to its host star, and its heavy golden atmosphere. Everything is golden, yellow or orange here. And it is as if, time moves in a different slower pace.
Seren takes its time, and so does the lifeforms here. The plantlife here, is like a mix of crystalizing liquid and feathery primordial growth, giving the landscape a truly unique character and feel to it.
The air here is different. Every breath feels like inhaling memories – some mine, some belonging to the universe. The gas exchanger in my helmet lets just a little bit enough of the ambient atmosphere inside, for me to get a sense of its sweet almost almond odeur.
I like it this way. Although there is always the risk of some contamination or toxicity, I’d rather take the risk and suck the planet in – truely experiencing it – then be left to stare at it through a sterile helmet.
I walked for hours, the landscape shifting subtly, whispering tales of eons gone by.
There’s a lake I found, or rather a form of swamp or waterlogged bog, nestled between ancient rock formations.
As I sat by its edge, its calm waters seemed to hold a mirror to my soul. The stillness, the quiet, it reminded me of moments from my past. Moments I’ve been running from, yet moments that define me.
For the first time in what feels like ages, I thought of her. The way her laughter felt like a melody, the warmth of her touch, the depth of her gaze.
It’s strange how a distant, alien world can bring back memories so earthly, so human.
I’ve often wondered why I embarked on this journey. Is it to escape or to find? Today, Seren gave me a hint. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
To escape the chains of the past, yet to find oneself amidst the vastness.
As the planet’s sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of melancholy, I felt a connection.
A bond with this world and its silent beauty. A reminder that amidst the chaos of the cosmos, there are pockets of peace, waiting to be discovered.
Tomorrow, I’ll set course for another world, another adventure. But tonight, I’m just a man, with his memories and emotions, writing under the starlit canopy of Seren.
