Perhaps Earth was lucky to have a moon, to begin with. Whether it was created by a heavy asteroid strike that split Earth into two pieces in the beginning or formed naturally as the solar system did, some argue that life couldn't have evolved without it. Many questions remain on this idea, and in the end, we know that many worlds have life on them whether it has a moon or not. Venus never had a moon, and Mars' moons are little more than two large asteroids that orbit it. The rest of the more giant outer planets carry so many moons that they don't know what to do with them.
We begin to close in on the surface of Luna. Surprisingly, much of Luna's surface is actually oxygen that is mixed into the lunar soil. By simply heating up the rocks, the oxygen gas can be extracted from them. As we begin to hover closer and closer to the surface, we can see the dark soil and multiple meteor impacts that produce the dark spots on the moon. What is known as lunar mare or maria is actually the remnants of ancient extinct volcanoes that riddled the surface. While many view Luna to be a dead place, it does have its moments. Right now, as the sun blasts its body, we feel temperatures of around 120 degrees Celsius. As we begin to near the edge of the light, the temperatures are sure to drop to the exact opposite. Its gravity is light being that of ten percent of Earth's, which helps serve as a sign that Luna does have an iron core inside it.
Surprisingly, Luna's benefit to the human race was more than what people could ever imagine. For as long as humanity looked up to the stars, Luna hovered as some forbidden landscape. It became a goal to reach upon. Space programs were established, and the great race to go to it was accomplished in the twentieth century. Even now, the famous footsteps of Neil Armstrong sit on the surface as the lack of weather prevents its erosion. In time, Luna was colonized, utilizing many of the same elements and materials that reside there.
Luna, to this day, is a testament to helping the human race reach new technological levels. The struggle to colonize it would fuel new research. It consisted of elements such as silicon, aluminum, titanium, and other easily mineable resources. It also would become a central hub to something that humanity would need very much that Earth never had.....Helium 3. What is often considered to be the center of science fiction was very much a scientific fact. When used as a fuel source for nuclear reactors, Helium-3 did not produce the radioactive waste that fission was always responsible for back on Earth. It was safe to use, and it was found on Luna.
As we continue to fly across the surface of Luna, we begin to see things we didn't think were possible. We begin to see the great dome cities of the moon. Millions call this place their home. Debate raged for the moon. Would mining from Earth spread to Luna? Would the great landscape be altered forever? The answer simply had to be yes. Helium-3 was vital for the human race to continue. As coal and natural gas were used repeatedly, Earth was being altered more and more. While Fusion power and Direct Fusion Drives were finally introduced in the 21st century, they couldn't be manufactured quickly enough to meet the demands for humanity's ever-growing desire for more energy. It took time to create them. Nuclear power provided a dangerous alternative due to the waste byproduct. With Helium-3, however, this meant that nuclear power could serve as a cheaper alternative with clean benefits until fusion could be more readily created.
What became the "Luna Colonization Gas-Rush of the 21
st
Century" was the end result of the desire to find rare Earth metals and gases on the beleaguered moon. Superpowers and corporations rushed to reach the moon in hopes of building more prominent and more productive facilities in hopes of harvesting the precious gas of Helium-3. As we fly over certain areas, we can see entire landscapes that have been carved out. In reality, the harvested material would have its oxygen removed and have Helium-3 extracted from it. The developing colonies on Luna were a sign that humankind was reaching out into space as humanity was slowly losing its battle to preserve Earth's environment. It was too little and too late.
Mining......without it, the human race wouldn't have made it in the universe. As the fabrication technology was eventually introduced, every square inch of harvested Luna soil was fully utilized. The moon was starting to become a base of operations for the human race to reach beyond. Mars was next in the spotlight as the Luna colonies were being developed into a launching platform to reach the small red planet. As resources were stretched heavily on Earth and overpopulation reached its peak, it was inevitable that tragedy would strike.
As we fly over the surface of Luna, we come to a stop as we see a small object implanted into the soil. Numerous craters and blast marks line the area. Broken debris, blackened areas, and scorch marks litter this spot. It doesn't take much to conclude that this was not caused by natural means. This was an area where a battle had occurred. Mostly undisturbed except for footprints of people that long removed the deceased, it was evident that great care was made to preserve this area. We can see the largest object is a large black rectangular piece of tungsten as we look closer. It appears that it was purposely planted there by the people that gently placed it.
We close in on the object as we see two carefully placed helmets beside it. Both helmets appear to be differently designed. One has a flag that portrays the United States, while the other flag depicts that of China. Both of them are riddled with bullet holes and blast marks. It is safe to conclude that the tungsten object is actually a shell that is used on the railguns of the spaceships of long ago.
As we zoom in on the seemingly unspent round, we can see a series of inscriptions that have been placed on the side. The words are as follows:
"We, the United Nations, dedicate this site on the Mare Nubium Battle location as the Memorial for the NATO-Chinese Crisis of 2127. This shell was never used by two opposing sides that never hoped to fire a shot at one another in 2125. In 2127, the battles that occurred resulted from an incident that would claim the lives of over 761 on both sides. Each helmet comes from the last soldier from both sides that died on Luna from this conflict. May this site be forever protected and preserved in hopes that peace will thrive and continue for the nations at home as we give condolences that such an event like this will never happen again. Signed, the people of Earth and Luna, 2129."
Luna's importance to humanity is evident. The experiences learned from colonizing Luna would serve as a stepping stone for reaching Mars. As Earth was abandoned, Luna would help in the evacuation by creating shipyards that would supplement the convoys to reach Mars. To this day, it remains as the outpost for Earth as it oversees a relic of things seemingly forgotten as time progresses forward.
Humanity might have made decisions that it regretted in the past, but they also learn from them as well. The term "Never Again" is a common phrase spoken by politicians and the public alike of today. It is a rallying cry in preserving nature and the strict laws that are placed to ensure that mistakes of the past are implemented to ensure that they never happen again. With cleaner technologies, this is in all parts a viable goal. There is a catch for it, however......
We say goodbye to Luna. We begin to zoom further and further out as we see the entirety of the Mare Nubium region. We see the lit domes as we eventually pan out to see the sphere of the moon itself. What lies beyond is the stars in the dense field of space. We embrace the darkness as we begin to venture forth. We travel faster than the speed of light as we start to see stars zip past us. Sol is nothing more than a spec in space as its light is one of the billions out in the void.
Our destination has a purpose as we begin to alter course. We see more stars zip past us as we can see the constellations ahead of us. Tucked between the Capricornus and Piesces star groups is one of the oldest known constellations of human recorded history. It is none other than the Aquarius Constellation. Its star pattern reflects that of the water bearer or the man who carries a jug of water to be poured over the heavens. As we get closer and closer, we begin to zoom in on a tiny star that lies within it.
Much like most of the galaxy, much of the stars out there consist of those of the M-Type variety. Red dwarf stars are so small that visual telescopes can barely pick them up. Their luminosity is so dim that it makes Sol, which is often called a yellow dwarf, appear as a giant. Just bigger than Jupiter, we begin to close in on the tiny star that is known as Trappist-1. It is here that we can gaze upon a series of seven planets that orbit it.