It was just before sunrise that I arrived. The ground was cold, the lack of civilization unsettling. Did I know I was going to the middle of nowhere? I did indeed. It was not unwelcome to hold that thought, though it was very frightful seeing how limited technology is. Its a true miracle I even arrived with everything in one piece. Oh wait, I didn't.
Well, let me start from the beginning as im sure you're a little confused. Im on the mun. Yes, im on that big blue pale ball in the sky at night you call the mun. As it turns out, its not as pale as you would think. Its actually more grey and covered in rocks, craters, and dust. Thats all thats out here, rocks, craters, and dust. That and a beat up space craft.
It was a few minutes ago that my ship, the "mun lander 2" was slowly falling to the surface of this grey world. If you're asking what happened to the "mun lander 1", It made it home safely, I can tell you that. Despite Their being no air in space, I found myself holding my breath during the entire descent. It was painstakingly slow, but then again you don't want to hit something too hard. I look out the tiny square of a window on my command pod. Still nothing but stars, that much is the same. I found that comforting in a way, as if I was still at home in the great lonely black. Then I hit something too hard.
My vision stalls, becoming swimmy as I try to keep myself conscious. It took some fighting, but after a few moments I managed to get a grip on myself. The first thing I did was look out the window. Naturally if something seemed to have hit you, you want to see what you hit. But it was still stars...stars and the black. Then I checked my ship how I could. Reaction wheels, check. Life support, online. Power, Dropping. That did not make me panic. I had landed just before sunrise, so the solar panels would not be getting sunlight right now. Everything seemed in order, so what was that bump? With that thought I opened the hatch of the command pod, and pushed myself out to the grey world.
I float a bit, being in very low gravity. Then I hit the dust with a slight sinking feeling. The dust should not have been so close to the pod. Maybe I landed on a ledge? With only one way to find out, I stand. I look out across the moon. Dusty, Rocky, and Grey. Then I turn to my ship, and find the source of the bump. I had landed on a rock. A rock was sticking out of the dust just where my landing leg was. Correction, where it should have been.
The leg lay in the dust, all alone and in pieces. Next to that was my now sideways ship. Its center, the science bey, was torn and battered from it hitting the surface. my command pod, strangely untouched, had used its reaction wheels to write itself when I was dealing from my head hitting the back of the pod. That was most likely caused when the leg snapped and the ship jerked down. I simply looked at my only way home, now in pieces, and shook my head slightly.
I started to walk up a hill. I just wanted to walk at this point. My head swarmed with questions, much to my discomfort. How would i get home? How long could I last? Would they send help? I had no answers. I just kept walking up the hill. Perhaps I was searching for those answers I sook at the time. Then I reached the top of the hill.
I look around. Dust, Rocks, Grey. All their was to be seen on the moon. I bent down to pick up a small rock at my feet. From my helmet, I can see it has small sparkles within the grey. Crystals? If I managed to tell the scientists back home, they would come...but when? I didn't know the answer, but I did know what those sparkles reminded me of. I look up, and once again, I am stunned by a blow.
So many stars. Big ones, little ones, bright ones and dim. All of them together seemed to bring comfort to the lonely black. Then I saw home. It was huge in the sky, covered in greens, blues, whites, and browns. To think thats what I came from. The thought struck with the force of a punch to my head.
I looked to the sunrise. The sun was just creeping over the horizon now. Despite it being cold and lonely with no life to welcome it, I found it trying its hardest to be beautiful. I look back at my sample and all the sparkles within. I think. I look back to my home, looking at all its colors and how pure it looks as a whole. I think. I look to the stars around me, all shining and full of light. This time I feel.
I can't help but feel very Small.