Page 138 - 2023 eMag Final Draft

T She wakes to the sound of no one.
She remembers her mission.
h The space pod she’s lying in is still cold. She
struggles to get up, and almost loses her
e balance as she sets her foot on the ground.
It’s a weird sensation to finally stand firmly
against the chills crawling up beneath her.
The other female astronauts lie as inanimate
as statues, the inevitable aftermath of
L utilizing incomplete cryogenic technology.
She raises her arm to her head in a salute.
They had all known it was a death mission,
a but there had been no other choice, and
sometimes, miracles happen.She survived
s the million-year trip. She looks out the
window, at the planet that could potentially
be humankind’s new home. Something
t immediately catches her attention.
Water, or something resembling it, flowing
freely.
D When was the last time she had seen a
river? She could barely remember the times
a when she was a little girl. She had loved
sticking her hand into the cold river water
and letting it brush past her hand as if an
u invisible friend was giving her high-fives,
but she must not let her emotions get the
g best of her. She taps a few buttons, and the
spaceship begins analyzing the surrounding
environment and reporting it back to her on
h a screen. She stares in disbelief. OXYGEN
LEVEL: 20.947%. TEMPERATURE:
t 24.3°C, 75.74°F. MOISTURE: 3.87%.
PRESSURE: 101,325 Pa. The list goes on. All
the data displayed on the screen regarding
e the environment is highly similar, if not the
same, to that of Earth.
r Still, she can’t get too excited just yet. She
has to go out there. Reassuring herself that
Written by Brandon Yong Zhan Onn Sr1ScB she has nothing to lose, she puts on her
Illustration by Tan Xin Yee Sr1A
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spacesuit. Inhaling deeply, she steps out, survived. Chances are, you are the last
and…
daughters of mankind. Congratulations.
She’s in one piece. Well, guess it didn’t lie Welcome to Earth. Welcome back.”
about the atmospheric pressure. Her relief She is stunned.
was almost immediately replaced with awe.
She’s looking at utter beauty. Cirrostratus “The truth is, there’s no other planet like
clouds are scattered within the azure blue Earth. I planned it so that you would return
sky, as if an angel had left her robes floating when Mother Nature has done reclaiming
about. The sun of this planet’s system shines what’s hers. We never needed a new home.
upon the lush green grass, giving them a We needed new humans. As I record this,
bright youthful look, and they playfully I am dying. Earth is burning up. Humans
dance along with the wind, as if welcoming are destroying themselves. It can’t be fixed
this newcomer. She sees a bird—or at least, anymore. We need a fresh start. and it’s up
something with wings—fly across the sky. to you whether you want to do so.
Mustering up her courage, she slides off her I think it’s all just a cycle. Our irresponsibility
helmet. She breathes in. Chilly air enters and selfishness end up causing our own
through her nostrils into her whole body, demise, and the last of us return after a
and it feels like a rush of energy has entered millennium to start anew. Hoping that it
her body, washing clean the tarnished soul will be alright this time. Of course, this is
that has seen too much destruction and just my theory.
death, heard too many screams of terror
and cries for help. Her face feels weird. She So, I’ll leave it up to you. Restart
realizes she’s smiling. But still, she must not humankind—or end suffering for once and
let her guard down. There may be other for all. You have the final say.
forms of life, perhaps intelligent ones, who
knows if they are hostile? Signing off, Professor Grant.”
She heads back to the spaceship. More
exploration is required before she can She remainss motionless, lost in thought
proceed to the next step—reviving the and shock. She walks out of the spaceship,
human race. Millions of unborn cells were stripping off her spacesuit. She sits by the
locked away securely in the vault of the river and scoops out some water to drink.
spaceship. It feels almost revitalizing.
She heads to the control panel to input the She sticks her hand in the river and lets the
code to unlock the vault, which contains crystal clear water give her high-fives. She
the weapons and supplies she needs. She stares ahead at the endless sea of grass, at
remembers the code Professor Grant had the trees afar, pondering deeply. And when
given her—PANDORA. The screen flashes she looks down at her reflection, a word
green, but the vault doesn’t open. Instead, floats to mind.
an audio track begins playing.
PANDORA;
“Hello. If you’re listening to this, you have And that is her answer.
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