Celeste Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Larry was reading from the thin, flat console on his device when he reached for a printed paper on the table, something that some people still read, despite the change to electronic media undergone by the majority. As he took a sip from his warm drink, he picked it up and read the headline:

Biologists Find Plant Can Interbreed With A Plant From Another World 3000 Light Years Away.

It caught his attention and he read on:

Biologists find a plant from our home world Kalest can interbreed with one from another world 3000 light years away suggesting life may have originated throughout the universe billions of years ago from a common seed. Biology has a system of classifying life where any two life forms that can interbreed are by definition of the same species. The planet in question is called Celeste, is about the size of our planet, and orbits a star in the constellation Heldagaard called Mypoia a member of our galaxy. 

The plant, Mycoenegae Crallis, had been used since ancient times as the source of a balm used to anoint our savior, Kremish, according to biblical scholars. Anthropologists tell us it was used as a balm on the Mypoian planet to anoint their savior, as well, who according to anthropologists, say preached there only 200 years before Kremish, here. In the tongue of the inhabitants of Celeste, his name was Relgesh.

Religious leaders here say this gives credence to their present faith in Diana, the virgin mother for the whole galaxy who unites the virgin mother’s of the respective planets who gave birth to their respective saviors.

Larry, his full name Larry Keysmann, found this interesting, but it did not quite resonate with him; he was not of the Kremish faith, but rather was a descendent of the Noldac tradition, whose religious tenets were even older from a land across the sea that believed there were two Gods, a husband and wife couple, who created the Universe when they first mated, 20 billion years ago as contemporary Noldac scholars now have it, though in their ancient tradition it began a mere 20,000 years ago. As such the adjustment came when a Noldac scholar found clues in their book that would indicate 100,000 Kalest years was 1 year for their dieties, and that their book was speaking of the age of the Universe in terms of the years of the dieties.

Larry put down the paper and turned on the news screen. His wife came in the room. Larry was a mathematician and computer scientist, his wife, Helda, a historian. You might be interested in this, and handed her the paper. She read over the article. Larry said:

“Do you know why it is interesting?”

Helda replied “Yes, Myopia, which is orbited by Celeste, is in the constellation Heldagaard, my namesake. Cute.”

On Kalest it was often customary to name your children after a constellation.

Larry suggested, “Helda, you and I have vacation time coming up, what do you say we go to Celeste for our vacation this year.”

“Look it up on your device, what do they say about this planet?”, Helda said. There were hundreds of thousands of planetary getaways in their galaxy.

Larry spoke the word Celeste into his device. It came back with:

Celeste; a small best kept secret in the galaxy for tourism, few industrial and technological trades, but crystalline waters and exotic landscapes.

Chapter 2

Larry and Helda destationed: Ships that travelled between the stars were nuclear powered and docked a space station in orbit around the destination planet, and from there travelers took a liquid fuel reentry vehicle to its surface.

When they reached the surface a voice came over the vehicle loudspeaker saying in Galactic Standard: “Welcome to Celeste, we hope you enjoy your stay.” Galactic Standard was a common language throughout the galaxy of which anyone learned the rudiments in middle school if they were from a spacefaring planet. There existed other options. If they wanted they could speak into their electronic devices, select Celeste on the screen and it would repeat what they said in that native tongue. Such a use was used often by Helda in her research, since she was a historian, not just of her world, but of many worlds in her galaxy.

They exited the spaceport entrance and eyed all the taxis in front of it. A man spoke and said “My taxi is free, how can I help you two?”

Larry answered “We need a hotel”. The man answered, “Cheap, middle-of-the-road, or expensive?”

Larry asked “What is the difference?” The man answered “What you get, and the price.”

Larry said “In that case middle-of-the-road.”

The man took their bags and put them in the back, Larry and Helga got in the vehicle. The driver flipped a switch and the vehicle rose about two feet off the ground. He then squeezed the accelerator handle with his hand and jets fired and the vehicle began to glide frictionlessly on a cushion of electrostatic fields. “Where are you two from?” The driver asked.

Larry said, “Kalest, about 3000 light years away on the 70th galactic latitude, about plus 37 degrees along it.”

The driver answered, “I have never taxi’d anyone from there. Well, we are there, I will get your bags.”

Larry gave him a few coins in galactic currency and said “Keep the change as a tip”.

The man answered “Thank you, and enjoy your stay. And, as we say on Celeste: Expect something magical to happen, it always does on Celeste.”

Larry picked up the bags and he and Helda headed to the hotel entrance.

They approached the counter and pressed the buzzer and it sounded. A man turned around: “Yes!”

“We would like a room”, said Larry.

“Cheap, middle-of-the-road, or expensive?”

“Middle-of-the-road.”

“That will be two bits a night in galactic currency. Just sign here. Take this card, and slide it in the slot on your door, it is a magnetic key. Room 65b on the third floor.”

“Thank you, said Larry”.

The man answered as they turned around to head to the elevator, “Expect something magical to happen…”

Larry interrupted “…..I know, it always does on Celeste.”