Earth To Astro

Chapter Three: A Stranger in a Strange Land

Astro, the extraterrestrial protagonist of our tale, found himself in a state of contemplation. The E112 device, which had just transformed Chester the squirrel into a speaking creature, lay in his hands. He recalled a memory from his past, a scene from a convention on his home planet, Planet Z. His mother, an ingenious inventor, had been showcasing her latest E-gadget; the very same E112 device that he now held. That he had just used to turn himself into a Human.

Astro still had little memory of his past. His only goal was to reunite with his mom and go back to Planet Z. He was aware of Koro's pursuit, but clueless about the cause.

Astro, stood silently atop the towering mountain, his gaze sweeping over the quaint town nestled in the valley below. An unfamiliar sensation stirred within him as he surveyed his new surroundings. He couldn't shake off the peculiar feeling that his mother might be residing there, hidden amongst the humans. A sense of determination welled up within him. He knew he must remain on Earth; he must undertake any challenge that comes his way to find his mother.

"Astro?" A voice broke his train of thought.

Astro cast his eyes downward, meeting the gaze of Chester, the squirrel. Chester's eyes were filled with concern as he gently patted his foot against the ground.

"Whatever is troubling you, I wish you all the luck in the world," Chester said, nodding his head in a gesture of solidarity.

A faint smile tugged at Astro's lips. "Thank you, Chester. I can't help but feel...a strange sensation that my mother is somewhere out there. In that very town."

Chester tilted his head thoughtfully. "Why don't you venture into the town and see for yourself? I've been a resident of this mysterious town for a long time. I know it's every nook and cranny as well as I know my own family." Chester paused, lost in thought for a moment. "Speaking of family, I should return to mine. I hope our paths cross again, Astro. And thank you for everything." With that, the chatty squirrel scampered off into the underbrush, disappearing from sight. He had his family waiting for him, he had no worries. But for Astro, worry was all he could feel.

Astro cautiously placed his foot on a jagged rock protruding from the mountain, hoping to use it as leverage to descend. His heart sank as the rock crumbled under his weight.

Astro paused, his mind racing as he tried to devise a plan to navigate down the mountain. He was painfully aware that the E112 was not designed to handle large-scale tasks. The realization that he couldn't simply erase all his worries with it filled him with a sense of melancholy.

Astro's gaze fell upon a lone feather lying on the ground. A memory flashed in his mind - a play he had once seen where the protagonist used two oversized feathers to glide down from a cliff. But this was not a mere cliff, it was a mountain.

Undeterred, Astro decided to take a leap of faith. He pointed the E112 at the feather. His first action was to duplicate the feather, and then, he magnified them to the maximum extent that the E112 was capable of. It was a long shot, but it was a shot worth taking.

Astro braced himself as he leaped off the edge, his arms flapping the two enormous feathers with all his might. To any onlooker, he would have appeared a fool, albeit a clever one, as he managed to touch down on the ground unscathed. A triumphant smile spread across his face as he looked up at the town, now significantly closer.

Suddenly, a realization dawned upon him. Humans wore clothes, and he was starkly devoid of any. This posed a new challenge for Astro.

Astro, with a newfound determination, began his journey towards the outskirts of the town. The landscape gradually changed, the charming houses giving way to a less appealing sight - a dump. It was a stark contrast to the picturesque town, a place where unwanted items found their final resting place.