First part
of my story is done!
Cris comes
from planet Krys-teel and for a long time he has been thinking about traveling
around the space. Luckily an abnormal ship lands there, that ship helps him a
bit to realize his dreams.
The Universe in the Crystal
Part one: Carrots and crystals
Like every
evening, Cris looked up in the sky, thinking when another ship will fly over
his planet. He desperately wanted to get out of his planet, to look into the universe,
travel and meet other life forms, but nothing came by this planet for a good
twenty years. He truly understood why nobody wanted to come here, it sure is
the most boring place in the space, he thought.
Lately he was slowly running out of time, in
three days he’ll be twenty-five and he didn’t want to start crystallizing, he
tried to stop it by, hunting does, eating unripe fruits from the trees of Sil
and not eating fish. But he knows that, as long as he’ll be drinking water with
that big amount of minerals in it, which is all around the planet and there
isn’t any different one, he’s only delaying the crystallization. He was aware
of, that he’s the only Krys-teelian, who hasn’t accepted that slow death. This
phenomenon begins at ones twenty-five years from the skin, progress in depth,
and continues to good one hundred fifty years. Cris hated all those crystals.
They were everywhere, crystals on relatives, crystal caves, sandy coasts - that
are made of nothing but pulverized crystals, and, as if it’s not enough – fish
with crystal scales, crystal crabs and fruit, that after ripe becomes –
unexpectedly – a crystal.
But what he
hated most of all was the dullness of all other Krys-teelians. Just now he was
watching his mother, who has her face, arms and legs already all covered by
skin-toned crystals, how is gathering the “fruit” from the ground, because that
poor tree couldn’t carry these anymore. While his father was hunting fish with a
crystallized hand of a former ancestor, and his sister arranging their
grandfather, who was looking forward to when some new colored piece will be
added to the cave, all day.
Cris
preferred studying stars and five moons, eating juicy fruit and thinking if
it’s the same everywhere on planet Krys-teel. It’s true, that the landscape
view is beautiful, but after one decade it gets boring. He wanted to see
something different, something new. And, for Crysta-l’s sake, less stupid
people! He was spending his days by dreaming about distanced planets, people
and creatures, about things that might don’t even exist, about beauty and about
love, too.
Suddenly
something flashed above Cris, and skillfully crashed behind a cave, which
belongs to an aunty from Crysta-l knows which part of family. Cris sprang and began
to run, zigzag and climb and investigate the object that smoothly landed at the
coast. It was a ship, space ship! He ran closer and took a look at the whole
ship.
Doors
opened and three beings, which looked like – well – like carrots, came out. If
Cris knew they look like carrots, maybe he would make a different face, surely
he wouldn’t instantly come close to granny carrots (they had beards) and shake
their hands like mad.
“I am so
glad to see you! Welcome! Who are you? Where are you from? When are you
leaving?” He spouted on them like freak, which made mister carrots to exchange
glances. They came here to examine crystals and this wasn’t expected.
They came
from planet Karoten, where they properly celebrated their leaving. The vision
of million sorts of crystals has driven their small carrotship here, only with nutrient
supplies and books for crystalogs. They didn’t have a clue about a civilization
living here, but they decided not to be bothered by this, they had an eternity
for their research and bigger chances for survival than on their home planet,
where young crystalogers were hiring assassins, so they could take over
positions of the older ones.
And so they
just ignored Cris, took out maps of the caves and began deciding, where to
start.
“Hello?
What do you want to do? What is it that you have? How does it look at your home
planet? Are you even listening to me?” Cris was slowly geting angry, he finally
has a chance to get out of this planet and they don’t even care about him! And
he doesn’t plan to crystallize, oh no!
“Hey!” He
screamed like a drama queen and then he decided to start once again, this time
nicely and friendly.
„Hello, I
am Cris Tall-“
„Crystal?“
Said the oldest Carrot, took eyes off the papers and looked at Cris.
“No, Cris
Tall. And this is my birth planet, I offer trading some information.” He smiled
convulsively.
“Hmm,” said
the most withered one and nodded.
“Good,
maybe you want me to start.” Ease, he
thought, they’ll get to the point.
“Sure, tell
us everything what you know about crystals, boy.” All-importantly said the
third one, with grey beard and hair.
“Crystals? That’s all you are here for?
Crysta-l! They are all dead Krys-teelians! People wouldn’t like you breaking
off and examining parts of their ancestors!”
Now he was
just mindlessly shouting, he was in despair, felt miserably and finally when he
finds someone less stupid, they are oppositely too clever and arrogant.
“Calm down,
boy. I am Mr. Kev1,” said naturedly the oldest Carrot with his hat covering
his bald head and white beard.
“I am Sir
von Karotka2“ said esteemed third Carrot.
“Beta Karoten3
my name is. Exactly like our sun Beta and planet Karoten, from which we came,”
told baldy Carrot without beard.
“It’s in
the same galaxy, we heard about your planet by a chance, so we decided to come
here for research and collection of crystals, it really is wonderful here. Do
you know, where we should begin, boy?”
“There,”
helplessly waved Cris, “Nobody lives there anymore,” he added while settling
things in his head.
“And where
are you planning to fly off? I would like to go with you, anywhere.” He
proposed.
“Oh? Well,
after we have enough pieces of each kind, then we will go home.” Nodded Beta.
“What? But in
that case you will spend here rests of your lives!”
“Yes, that
is possible.” smiled Mr. Kev at Cris.
“We wouldn’t
be respected crystalogs, if otherwise!” wrinkled his nose (yes, he really has
nose) Sir von Karotka.
Cris gave
up and shuffled away, not understanding, why did he even bothered arguing with
them.
He was
watching the stars, knowing it’ll be morning soon. He was angry at all Krys-tell,
and to be honest, he already hated Karoten.
Gloomily he
came to the ship and pried the door.
They want to spend here the rest of their lives
anyway, so they wouldn’t mind, if I borrow their ship, right?
Happily he
began to look for something that will start the ship, he tried to read few signs,
but they were in Karoten’s language, so he pressed some buttons. Nothing.
Pulled some
levers – nothing. He pressed every button and pulled every each lever he could
find, talked to the computer, angrily cursed everything, shouted, yelled –
nothing. Nothing happened, carrotship hasn’t moved for even a piece of carrot.
“Damned
Carrots!” Roared and irritably kicked one of boxes.
The ship rustled,
clucked, snorted, winked, flinched and suddenly was Cris together with
carrotship in the universe on a way to unknown place.
1Mr. Kev – Erishika’s play with
words, unfortunately it doesn’t apply on English. Mrkev means Carrot.
2Another play with words – this could
be translated as “Sir von Carroten”
3Once again. I didn’t translate this,
so it could be said that the one carrot is named after their planet. Translated to English
it's Beta Carrotene.
Author: Erishika
Translator: Envy
