The galaxy is waiting to be explored. Men and women from every planet across the galaxy have been captured by the wanderlust of the stars. Since time immemorial people have stared up into the night’s sky, their souls enraptured by the adventure of another world. The idea of a distant star where the hopes that dwell in your heart can be achieved.

Xam is one such person. A child on the edge of the galaxy. Today he turned 15 and had his magical aptitude tested along with hundreds of other children. This year no one on this planet had any magical readings. That is just they way things go. Even with the galaxy waiting for him, he could do nothing. If he had only had some kind of magical power then he could get off this rock and see the outside.

All people are slaves to society, no matter the time they live in. For Xam this meant that he would never experience the wonder of the galaxy, but instead spend the rest of his days toiling away on this lonely rock at the edge of the galaxy.

Stars fell around him in a meteor shower as he sat underneath an apple tree in the night. There is no moon at all above his planet, only a sea of stars. The cooling night wind whisked his bangs across his face and fluttered the blades of grass. An apple fell to the ground with a light thud, rolling away on the uneven ground.

It has been said before that on nights like these the falling stars have the power to grant wishes.

“I… I want to escape this place,” Xam whispered to himself.

In that moment his wish was answered by the heavens. A meteor crashed down just a short distance away, shaking the ground with an awesome force and sending out an incredible sound. The vibrations made Xam jump up from his resting position. He looked down the hill from where he was standing, towards the meteor, resting on the bottom of the hill. The ground had been torn asunder by the impact, rocks and dirt throw around in the chaos of the crash.

The meteor was a strange brown rock with yellow streaks through it, perhaps some unknown mineral from the stars. Xam approached it cautiously, reaching out his hand. The meteor gently radiated heat, warming Xam’s hand slowly. When he touched the rock it slowly yelled to his fingers, as if it were rubber.

“What is this?” Xam asked himself.

Before Xam could ponder the question any further the yellow streaks in the rock began to move. Xam jumped back, frightened by the sudden movement. It was as if the meteor was coming to life. Stubby yellow arms pulled their bodies out from the rock. Strange star shaped creatures emerged one after another, their bodies were impossibly flexible and moldable, fitting into any space easily. Each of them had an exaggerated human face, some with large eyes and mouths, others with features too small, and even one that was just a giant nose.

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Xam had only heard of these creatures before in textbooks and myths. Tricksters, gods from beyond the stars bent on filling the galaxy with chaos. Xam stared at their freakish bodies and they stared back at him. Some quickly started to scurry off, running into the underbrush of a nearby forest. They were only about two feet tall, but they could move quickly. Finally one of the trickster’s approached Xam. He was somewhat more normal looking than the others, with big eyes, a large smile across his face, and no nose.

“I heard you, human.” It spoke to Xam, by opening it’s mouth, but it’s tongue didn’t move, it’s lips made no motions. It could speak to him directly through telepathy.

“W..WHat?” Xam sputtered, caught off guard by the whole situation.

“I heard that you want to leave this planet,” The sound echoed through Xam’s mind.

“Y..Yes, I want to explore the galaxy!”

“I’ll help you in exchange for something,” the trickster told him.

“What do you want?” Xam said, cautiously.

“I’d like your life.”

Xam froze.

“I’ll give you ten years to explore the galaxy to your heart's content before I take my due. It’s a fair price for someone in your position wouldn’t you say?”

“My whole life! That can’t be fair!” Xam shouted at him.

“You might die before the ten years are up my friend,” The trickster replied quickly, “The price is high because the risks are high.”

“No,” Xam told him, “There has to be another way.”

“Suit yourself, human.”

The trickster jumped into the air and floated, magic flickered from it’s body, sending out a faint light. With a sudden burst it flew away like a rocket, disappearing into the trees. Xam locked back towards the meteor. All the tricksters had left the area, and the rock and begun to liquefy. In a few seconds the ground where the crash had been was repaired by the melting rock, as if the crash had never even happened at all.

It was all so surreal to Xam was left wondered if it had just been his imagination. Was he going crazy? Nothing in life felt right to him anymore.

Xam’s walk back to the city was a somber one. The future for him was looking bleak. He had no money to continue his schooling any further, and would most likely have to find a job with a mining company. Rain was beginning to patter down on the sidewalk as he got home to his room at the colony homefront. The government allowed some older orphans like Xam a small studio apartment and a megre allowance on which to sustain themselves. As soon as he was inside he flung himself onto his mattress, in the corner of the room. Neglecting to even turn on the lights. He didn’t want to eat. He didn’t want to do anything. So he just laid there in the darkness.

Suddenly he heard a sound come from outside. The sounds of screaming. Bright flashes of light pierced through the window and illuminated the inside of the small room.

Someone else had taken the trickster’s deal.