The Beginnings

Sara suggested I start documenting my journey, a record we could look back on together someday. This, my first entry, feels like a fresh canvas awaiting its first stroke.

The year is 2861, a decade since my first memory. You see, I'm not your typical person. I was brought into this world as a result of a third-generation lab experiment with the audacious aim of achieving immortality. I'm essentially a clone, created on the DNA of a ten-year-old boy. The experiment, however, had some unexpected results. Not only did I retain the appearance of a ten-year-old, but I also inherited memories up to that age. So now, at the age of twenty, I carry combined memories, a peculiar blend of two people. I guess.

The man responsible for my existence insists I call him Father, though it feels more like a facade we put on for public appearances. He keeps his work shrouded in secrecy. You see, Father is contracted by the UEE and involved in Project Far Star, a mission aimed at pushing humanity to explore stars beyond our home in Sol but that was just to help fund his hidden project. Mornings are typically occupied by an array of tests and scans to monitor my aging process, something to do with an enhanced DNA sequence he added.

City of Wonder: Kastak Kingdom

My life unfolds within the boundaries of a magnificent city known as the Great Kingdom Kastak. It's often referred to as a kingdom due to the energy wall that encircles the entire city, designed to keep the planet's unique wildlife at bay. We are a mixture of advancements and early colonization. There is no rich or poor necessarily but some people do choose to live separate lives while still doing there parts of contributing. We seem to be a mass collection of scholars, engineers, artists, and scientists.

Wild and Untamed: The Planet's Quirks

Terraforming this planet was a task brimming with excitement and fervor, with eager scientists sometimes overlooking crucial details. The pre-existing microbes on the planet either mutated or evolved into strange creatures found nowhere else in the universe.

There were about five distinct species in total. Some were small, peculiar, fast-breeding creatures with an odd, almost endearing ugliness. Others were the cause of the towering energy wall—first spotted, easily tamed, and large enough to serve as mounts. These creatures, dubbed "Pegasus," earned their name from the illusion of wings on their backs. They could sprint at speeds of about 80 kilometers per hour and sustained themselves by feasting on the planet's unique fruit-bearing trees.

But amid this menagerie, one creature stood out as the apex predator—a being that hunted not merely for sustenance but for sport. When it first appeared, its primary prey was the Pegasus, but its attention soon shifted to us. We were no more than playthings at first, consumed quickly by this relentless hunter. It wasn't until we organized hunting parties that we truly captured its interest. It became a grim game for them, and no matter how many of them we vanquished, they kept returning. After countless deaths and no end in sight, the energy wall was built, and we were sternly advised to remain within it. Now, only hunters and the exiled venture beyond the wall. We've given them a name, the "Cunnings," acknowledging both their hunting prowess and their cunning intellect.

Inside the city walls are vast fields of farmland, forests and nature preserves known as the four gardens, even though they are all connected as one big ring between the city and the wall.  I find myself spending much of my free time with Sarah who loves swimming in the hot springs and picnicking next to a lake resting near a field of flowers and berry bushes.  Sarah and I met at the university where one of Father’s labs was located.  There was just something about her.  She was like some kind of genius.  At the age of 19 she was working on her second masters.  We always had great conversations and she only saw the best in people.  She would talk about the wonders of science and I would talk about exploring the cosmos.   It’s probably why she never called me by my given name.  She just always called me her Starman.