Abigail—Age 31, Generation 2

I feel dumb. Truly, unbelievably stupid. For decades, we have been overlooking an obvious feature of the Star Screen. It wasn’t until today that Terrence the Third pointed it out. At just thirteen years of age, the new generation is already showing such promising ingenuity!

He noticed a trend that is now impossible to overlook. Upon entering the atmosphere of a planet, a faint buzzing could be heard coming from the Star Screen. On the average planet, the buzzing would be deep—bass-heavy. However, one out of every thousand or so would result in the buzzing of a higher pitch, as if to indicate something.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Young Terr hypothesized what this difference signified: the atmosphere. More often than not, the high-pitched planets were peaceful, non-turbulent, and stable, while the low buzzes were anything but. He dared to ask if the pitch of the buzz was signaling that the planet’s atmosphere was similar enough to our own.

I believe his theory to be true. I have to. Otherwise, leaving the safety of the Cube would be highly dangerous, bordering on impossible. And that is a reality I cannot live in, for that is where we may never develop the Universal Computer, keeping us from our promised home.

When my cancer shows itself and my days become numbered, I will dedicate myself to being the first to test his theory. I pray he is correct.