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Gathering Stars

by Lamie

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“You know there’s more out there.”

It was just Ezhno and Paloma. Alone together in one of the most beautiful parks in the settlement, lying on the grass and staring up at the stars in the dark night sky.

“I know. Sometimes I go up to the highest point on the Hill and just look out at the desert, wondering what’s out there.”

Ezhno sat up and stared down at his girlfriend. “I don’t mean the desert.”

“There’s.... You mean there’s something like our settlement out there in the desert?” Paloma found this a difficult concept. For her entire life, there was the Hill, the Valley, and the Desert that surrounded them. The Hill and the Valley were a sort of oasis in the desert that covered the entire planet. The Hill was a huge cliff that jutted out of the sand, almost a half a mile high; and right next to it, was a sort of depression in the land which was known as the Valley. This was her world, this was everyone’s world. They were all that existed.

“I don’t mean out there,” Ezhno said solomnly. “I mean, up there.” He nodded his head upwards to the starry sky.

“What?” Paloma sat up. She definatly wasn’t expecting him to say that.

“Paloma, listen to me,” he said with sudden urgency. “We’ve known each other for almost 2 years, and we’ve been dating for 10 months. Please say that you trust me, no matter how crazy I may sound.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m not from around here. I’m not from the Hill, or the Valley, or even the Desert.”

“But then, where are you-”

“Please don’t innterupt.”

“Sorry.”

“I’m from offworld.”

“Offworld...?”

“Another planet.”

“Planet?”

“Planet. The whole thing that... You honestly don’t know what a planet is?”

“No.”

“It’s... this thing we’re on. Look up. You see all those stars out there? Those are are all suns just like the one that shines on us during the day. And around almost any star you see out there, there are planets, like the one we’re on. Some have trees and flowers and people just like you and me. And-” He stopped talking when he saw Paloma’s confused face. “I don’t know how to explain this Paloma. There’s whole other worlds out there, with millions of hills, and billions of valleys, and I- I know this planet that’s entirely desert.”

“So, a planet is... like the thing we’re on? And those stars are... suns?” she asked hesitantly, not really understanding what she was saying.

“Yes.” Ezhno smiled.

“Are all those other planets very tiny? They would have to be, because they’re so small compared to our sun,” she said quickly.

“No, no. They’re the same size as the planet we’re on. Its just that those stars are so far away, that they’re small. It’s like when you can cover up a tree with your thumb because the tree is far away and your thumb is close.”

“Well, yeah, I knew that I could do that. But I was always told that the stars are just kind of... floating around in the sky.”

Ezhno leaned back into the grass again. “It’s so hard to explain without showing you. I just wish you could see it someday.”

“I’d like to see it.”

He chuckled. “That’ll never happen.”

“Why?”

“The technology here is nowhere near sending someone up into space. And for some reason, the government has restricted contact with underdeveloped planets, like this one. They probably want them to discover things on their own.”

“Restricted contact? But, does that mean you’re not supposed to talk to me?”

“I’m not even supposed to be on this planet. I’m probably breaking about 30 laws just by being here with you tonight. Of course, I only get in trouble if they find out.”

Paloma rolled out of bed. She was getting tired of school. It was one of her last days at First Hill School. She was a year 8, and everyone knows that year 8s at First Hill are notriously lazy. Only year 15s at Secondary Hill are known to be lazier, as it is their last year of schooling.

She didn’t pay much attention to her school’s uniform as she dressed. Her skirt pleats were more like wrinkles, and she rolled the sleeves up on her white shirt. She completely ignored the vest and jacket. It was much too warm to wear those. Besides, very few students in the upper levels followed the uniform rules exactly. Year 1s and 2s and most 3s followed the rules because at this young age, their parents still helped them dress.

Paloma grabbed her bag and ran out of the house without even saying “bye” to her parents who were sitting in the front room. She wanted to get to Ezhno’s house so she could see him before he went out to school. He was a year 10 and therefore went to the secondary school, so she couldn’t see him during the day. His house was only a few blocks from the schools, so it was easy to stop there on her way. However,

she stopped short when she got to his block. There were at least 8 government vehicles sitting there. She knew she shouldn’t get involved in government business- her father had always warned her to stay out of such affairs. But still, she was curious. She carefully snuck forward, trying to conceal herself amongst the trees and houses and large ivy-covered gate posts. A few vehicles pulled away as she went, and by the time she got to Ezhno’s house, only 2 were left. She had a feeling that she missed whatever had happened. When the road was finally cleared, Paloma ran up to the front door of Ezhno’s house and knocked. No one answered. Immediatly, she began to fear the worst. What if the government men who had been there had taken Ezhno? What if he wasn’t lying, and he really was from offworld, and they found out? She pounded on the door. Still no answer. She peeked in the window on the door. She saw no movement.

Paloma walked away from the house and to the neighbor’s. She politely knocked on the door. A woman about her mother’s age answered. “Yes?”

“Sorry to bother you, but, um, did you happen to see what went on here earlier.”

“Yes, I did. There were some government boys that showed up, and nice and quiet like they took that boy from next door away in their vehicle. Then they was searching around his house for a while.”

“Th-thank you,” Paloma said as polietly as possible amid her terrible fright.

“Daddy!” she yelled while busting back through the door of her house. Paloma’s father was just about to leave for work. “Ezhno’s gone! They took him!”

Her father remained straight faced. “He didn’t belong here. He’s broken at least 20 very serious laws.”

“Y-you knew about this? So he’s really not from this planet?”

“Paloma, I think it’s best if you just forget about this whole situation.”

“Daddy, how did you find out?”

“I also think it’s best if you be careful about what you write in your diary.”

“You read my diary?! Daddy, that’s personal business!!”

“They’ve suspected that Ezhno might be an offworlder for some time now. I was only doing as instructed.

You really are the only one to blame here. If you hadn’t written that he was an offworlder, then we wouldn’t have any evidence to arrest him.”

Paloma ran to her room and collapsed on her bed. Tears flowed from her eyes, and the sound of her sobs filled the whole house.