The inhabitants of Planet Zorg have always dreamed of Utopia- a place with all they don't have, or don't have in abundance...
Twins Zing and Fila Arduch dreamt of going out of Planet Zorg to explore since they were kids.
When they get shortlisted fo...
"Oh, for Zorg's sake, why do you think we need to think it over?" I snap.
"Fila, you need to."
"And why not Zing?"
"He- he'll listen to-" Petry is cut off by Ulso, who says, "He seems to have thought it over well. I'm not saying you might not have, but it really wouldn't hurt to rethink it..."
"Get off my back, you two. Seriously."
"Impulsive decisions can be quite dangerous." Petry says.
"So you don't want us to go."
"That's not what I meant; I'm just saying this may not be worth you throwing away your life and-"
"Okay, stop, Pet!!" I snap, my voice filled with anger.
I turn around and walk to the cabin wall. Leaning against it, I slide down onto my knees, pushing my head down on my knees. I'm already struggling to go through this and settle down my paranoia and anxiety, and nearly everybody else is making it tougher, making me doubt myself, giving my fears life, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Nearly every person on this planet has walked over to me, trying to get me to not go, trying in so many different ways, from a simple "Don't go." to a "Why do you want to die? Why do you want to let your brother watch you die? Do you want to watch him die?".
They're giving highly vibrant and vivid life to my worst fears, and the only thing I can do is ignore them. Yes, like it's so easy to ignore a worm which has entered your brain and is biting away at your core organs.
I wish I could plead with them to stop, but I can't, because they won't.
They're not doing this to Zing because if he doesn't want to listen to something, he just shuts everyone out and blocks everything. I, however, am not so fortunate. I cannot shut anything out. Any thing.
Also, everyone knows that if I don't agree to go, Zing would stay back as well. After all, I was (and still am) the one who was willing to go alone even if Zing couldn't or wouldn't come along.
This feels like being dragged through Zorg with meteor debris raining down like a huge downpour on me while struggling to breathe.
Someone touches my shoulder and I jerk reflexively.
"No one's giving you a break, right?" Ulso asks.
I nod in response.
"You do know how to stop it, don't you?" Petry asks.
"Yes, leave sooner." I reply.
"No, not leave!!" Petry says, exaperated.
"Listen to me now!!" I yell.
I rise up to my full height and see that a lot of people are gathered inside the cabin. Upon seeing me yell and stand up, their smiles turn upwards down. Hmm, maybe they were gloating over having succeeded...
"All of you!! Stop trying to discourage me from leaving, because you can't. You just can't. I'm going on that dagnabbit mission and that's final." I say.
"What about Zi-"
I cut off the person who's saying that, "I don't want to die, or let him watch me die, or watch him die. Just because there is a risk of losing our lives doesn't mean we will die. Besides, why don't you want us to go?? If this turns out to be successful, it would mean so much better for all of us!!"
"But what if it won't?" the same person asks.
"Then it won't. It's as simple as that. It's definitely worth the risk." I answer.
"Apparently there's a four and a half on five fingers' chance of you not making it out alive..." someone else says.
It's true: we could very possibly die, if not from random meteoroid streams, then from starvation and/ or dehydration.
"Why don't you look at it this way: there's a half finger's chance of us making it out alive!!" I say in an optimistic tone.
No one seems to side with me though. I knew this would happen. I can't let all their negativity drag me down though.
"Look, it's either we all benefit from this, or just the two of us perish. There isn't too much at stake." I say.
Everyone stares at me with disbelief.
"Sure, our population is a bit low, and we wouldn't want to lose anybody unnecessarily. But here, the risks are worth it. Losing just two people or a huge bonus for everyone isn't too risky for us." I continue.
"Why are you being so selfless? Where is your survival instinct? Don't you want to live?" Anti asks, only to be silenced by a scathing glare from Lina. Lina, Anti, Zing and Zippin have been the only people who haven't tried to dissuade me until now.
Yes, about that thing I said about us not being a questioning lot, I take it back.
"It's- I- I- just leave it. I want to live, but I want my life to have a purpose, I do. Really."
Everyone still seems bent upon making me stay behind.
"Please stop." I say.
There's nothing else I can do, seeing that I can't just ignore them.
"Please." I repeat.
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"Aren't you scared?" someone asks me.
"Very much so."
"So why are you-"
I cut him off by saying, "There's absolutely no point in running away from my fears. So I'm taking it on directly now. Do not stop me."
Someone else starts to ask another "Why ____" when I just pick up my tank and walk out of the cabin.
I nearly walk out without putting on my mask when someone pulls me back.
Yes, it's Zing. He wraps an arm around my waist and hugs me.
"Fi, relax." he tells me.
When I appear to have calmed down a bit, Zing pulls back.
I don my mask and walk out of the cabin.
Seconds later, I hear Zing coming behind me. He catches up to me and somehow manages to smooth my ruffled feathers a bit.
I'm so grateful for him.
He's all I really need (aside from hydrogen oxide and fuel [1], of course!!) ...
