The Phugwak planet: A Journey To Another Possibility

by Ayman Ghalit

  Under the hot steamy shower, he reconsidered himself and thought deeply about his life. He feels empty and sad. He useless to himself and his family. And though, his father’s words were truly painful, but it’s true. He is too old to be living with his parents, too old to keep playing videogames, and too old to be single. And deep inside him, he really wishes to do something that may earn his father’s approval. He really wants him to be proud. He really wants to make a change to his family.

  Feeling depressed and sad, he grabbed the controller, but he didn’t feel it. He can’t feel the joy of playing any more. Not in this status, and not in this mood. He made up his mind, and decided to work hard to change his vacant life to useful and proud one. And the first thing that crossed his mind was traveling to another planet. For he always hears that space will change a man’s view of this life for good. He texted his friends about this, and they happily agreed to meet up and discuss this in a fast food restaurant this evening.

  Gathering

  Time slowly passes for Kaiser, who heaving out depression. He was the first to attend the restaurant, for he wanted to escape home as soon as possible. Moments later, his childhood friend came up.

  {Bob Aris, an obsess man who weighs more than 170 kilograms. Hideous, with unsightly facial features. He does not care about his unhealthy lifestyle, look, and people’s opinion. Kaiser was the best friend he has ever had, for he didn’t judge, nor did he even make fun of him.}

  “Hey, Kais, how are y—! wow! nice haircut.”

  “Thank you. Thought, it was not intended.”

  “Barber’s fault?”

  “Y-Yea! Yea. It is. Barber’s fault.”

  “Am really starving. let’s order.”

  “Let us wait up for Jack.”

  After chatting for a bit, Bob noticed how upset Kaiser is, and when asked, he told him about what happened to him with his dad who repeatedly was showing his admiration toward Mark, his neighbor.

  “Mark is hating his life,” said Bob. “We chatted two days ago, and he said it’s not what it sounded like.”

  “Still, he got a life,” Kaiser replied. “I have to change this life of mine.”

  “Don’t tell me that you are going to join the army?”

  “I might... It pays good.”

  “Dude, just complete college.”

  “I don’t think that I will make it.”

  “You know what Bob Dylan said, ‘Join the army if you fail’ Look, give it another chance. Only one year left for you. Just don’t give up so easily, and don’t overthink it.”

  Kaiser kept silent for a bit, and when wanted to reply, the other friend came, greeted them, and sat beside Kais.

  “How are you, Jack.” asked Kais.

  {Jack Waltz, a charming, suave, good-looking, and a carefree young man. Tall, with fit healthy body, and nice black hair that reaches his shoulder. He was the exact opposite of Bob, one who cares about his appearance, and his charisma. Negative people’s judgment is one hellish thing that he hates and don’t even want to think about.}

  “Am fine. hmm? nice haircut! ...So, how is everything? Why is everything so gloomy and quite in here? it is vacation. We can party a lot.”

  “Calm down, miss universe.” Bob taunted.

  “Much obliged… Listen, about that traveling idea of yours. It’s the spring in Planet Ra. We are really lucky it coincided with our summer. Let’s spend two or three weeks there.”

  “Planet Ra?” Bob asked.

  “Yea, it’s in the Virgo kingdom. It’s known for its magical scenery. The spring there is indescribable. It is a must-have experience at least once in your lifetime. The number of people who goes there are uncountable as well. Talk about *winking* opportunity.”

  “Nora is going to be there,” said Kais.

  “Talk about magical scenery,” Bob chuckled.

  Jack thought, “How the?” then replied, “Yes, she will be there, but c’mon, it’s not about her. Let’s travel. We’ve never been in space before. Let’s change this routine, it getting way too boring in this planet.”

  “You’re right, I truly want to escape this planet. The people here are becoming more obnoxious by the day. Let us take Carl with us. He traveled space couples of time. Am pretty sure he will be helpful.”

  “Leave Carl to me, I will convince him.”

  After eating their meals, they hanged out together till midnight. Kais return home to see his dad setting on a white plastic chair outside their small house, smoking and gazing at the moon with a sad concerning face. Kaiser greeted him, but he didn’t respond, for he was deeply lost in thoughts and couldn’t hear him.

  Worrisome Voyage

  In the next morrow, Kaiser informed his family about this trip. His father didn’t bother to care, but his mother worryingly asked if he is sure about this, or will he be alright. His father, who were watching the TV, angrily roared, “Look at him, woman. He is taller than me, of course he will be fine. Otherwise, he will be nothing but a waste of sperm.”

  A week later, and after agreeing on the trip, Kaiser packed his stuff up, and got ready to bid his family farewell. He hugged his concerning mom, for it was the first time he will be absent for too long. Then, he shook his dad’s hand that happen to be holding paper money. “Don’t waste it on stupid stuff,” his dad said. And before he exits the door, he hugged and kissed his nine-years-old little sister, Emma; who suffer from Torit Syndrome that forces her to impedingly repeat these three words every time she speaks: “Kaiser, Bomb, Mall.” It was concerningly frightening at first, but they realized it is way better than her repeating some kind of embarrassing profaned language. Later, he left to one the nearest space station in which they agreed to meet up. He found Bob ahead of him, greeted him, and asked about Jack and Carl. He replied saying that he doesn’t know. They sat on a metal bench waiting for their friends. And it didn’t take much for Jack, accompanied by Carl, to show up.

  {Carl Dean, a sharp-witted and well-informed young man. He is two years older than the rest, and is in his fifth year in the college of medicine. He is the one Kaiser feel comfortable with, when he wants to seek advisement in life. Carl’s profound philosophical thinking always drags him to the depressing question regarding the purpose of the Human Existence.}

  They greeted them, and sat beside them on the metal bench. Carl asked Kais how is he doing lately. “Still surviving,” he replied. Jack, who hates waiting, said “Alright, what are we waiting for? let’s travel. I can’t wait to penetrate the cosmos.”

  “We have to wait,” Kais replied. “There is a delay due to a computing issue, they say it might take up to an hour.”

  They waited for the issue to be solved in front of a wide and tall transparent glass-wall, beholding the spaceships; small personal ones, bus-like ships, cargo ships, small taxies, and huge commercial ships, landing and soaring up to the outer space. Waiting was too boring for them. Bob, who was in a thought, sarcastically let out a faint chuckle, and said, “Penetrate the cosmos!”

  “It seems that it bugging you?” asked Jack.

  “It’s stupid,” Bob replied. “Don’t do this cringe-bringing shit again. You always do this.”

  “Wow! that was a direct. I do not think that I need your permission for that, nor did I ask about your opinion.”

  “Am just saying that because I don’t want you to appear stupid in front of the others.”

  Jack loathingly looked at bob, and said, “Am pretty sure that you need to focus in your physical appearance more than my words.”

  “Easley triggered, as always.” Bob laughed.

  Kaiser ignored them and asked Carl “So, you went to Ra before, no? how was it?”

  “It was more than great, but the boring part was the time it takes to that planet. Other than that, it was astonishing. Especially if it is your first time. Planet Earth will blow your mind from space, but Ra; with its strange looking creatures, plants, and colorful terrain, will ascertain you that Earth is nothing. For me, the most enjoyable t
hing was the lunar light there with Ra’s three full moons, it was unimaginable.”

  “That’s sound promising.”

  “Trust me, you won’t regret it.”

  A charmingly young beautiful woman in her twenties silenced them all when she passed in front of them. With beautiful face, slim fit body, and well-chosen clothes, she was confidently walked. Dragging her wheeled traveling bag, she didn’t avert her eyes toward the guys; whom all glanced her, nor did she even notice them.

  “Wow! That was beautiful and depressing,” said Bob. “So, how is everyone’s love life going?”

  They all nodded in negativity, except for Jack who didn’t bother to reply. Bob responded, “Me too. I think that we have to lower our standers for a change. Beauty will fade, and the only thing will be left on the table for you is her brain and attitude.”

  Jack, whom his eyes widened in surprise, sarcastically cackled, “With due all respect, but I don’t think ‘lowering your standers’ will do you any good.”

  “There is one for each one of us.” said Kaiser.

  “That what they always say to make you feel good. As for me, I don’t think it is the standards that has to be lower, rather, it is the confidant that must be risen.”

  “Easy for you to say so,” said Bob who rolled his eyes, paused for a bit, and said, “Kais, may I pose a question?”

  “That’s out of the blue... Yea, go ahead.”

  “You know, I heard from ‘someone’ who knows ‘someone’ who happen to know your mum, that you are going to date Clare.”

  “Holy God, how fast is it spreading!?” Kaiser thought, then he answered, “Yes, I think I will.”

  “Clare, the one studding to become a doctor?” Jack asked. “Really!? Man, you can do way better than that.”

  “Nothing happened, but am considering meeting her.”

  “Beauty is not everything,” said Bob.

  “Am pretty sure that it is,” said Jack. “Especially for a lass. Otherwise, you would see ugly anchors all over the news, and hideous people all over the advertisement posters.”

  “Are you listening to this immature, Carl?” Bob asked

  “He is right,” Carl replied. “Am talking about actuality here. Unfortunately, we are living in an era were women are objectified and severely being judged based upon their physical appearance. Men too suffer from this nonsensical way of thinking that they helped inventing it.”

  “May God bless thine tongue,” said Bob. “True, there is standards the human invented, like beauty! What makes a human beautiful? Who wrote the law and how does it work? Is repeating the sentence ‘That is Beautiful’ will somehow program your brain to accept it as beautiful? Or is it the fear of judgment that the man runs from? Because I am really sickened of being judged by others. It will make you wish and dream about lots of stuff that, naturally, must not be one of your concern. Like what if I were beautiful? taller or shorter? black or white? phat or thin? am I going to achieve true happiness? or are they going to accept me? I am truly sick of all that shit in general.”

  They all looked at Bob with surprised look on their faces. Kaiser wowed, “That is deep!”

  “True,” Jack added, “It didn’t think that beneath this bile of redundant phat are a tender sensitive heart.”

  “I will take that as a compliment,” said Bob.

  A moment of silence landed on them. Kais, who was passing time by checking his smart phone, stumbled upon a picture that became too frequent for him lately. Some use it as a meme, others use it seriously. It was a wanted-man picture that shows a man, likely to be in his forties, demanding the arrest or the neutralization of him. Below his picture, a writing that reads:

  By the name of his Highness,

  The dome of our nation and the warden of our realm

  Leonard son of Ajax son of Mekhia

  …

  Wanted Dead or Alive

  Arthur son of William

  A traitor who stabbed us in the back, and a craven who left his comrade to die.

  Justice Must Prevail

  4 0 000 000 Sez reward

  Kais hummed and asked Carl, “Who is this man.” Carl was surprised that he doesn’t know him, asking in respond, “You don’t know him!”

  “Should I?” he replied.

  “Hmm…? If you subjectively read his full story, you will find that he is not a craven, traitor, or mad. He bore the name ‘Arthur, the Praiseworthy’ before declared traitor by Leonard. He is the one who led us to victory in the Fading Stars Battle against the Virgo. The Captain of JuMaDa, the biggest ship ever made.”

  “That does not sound fair for him.”

  “They accused him of being a traitor after he destroyed a small planet that contained large amount of gold, then he fled with JuMaDa, the legendary ship.”

  “Why did he do that?” asked Bob.

  “The rumors are a lot, some are praising, other seems to be slanderous. But the most logical and reasonable one is that he destroyed it because he feared that a war might ignite again for the sake of this planet due to its location that happen to be in-between the border of the Virgo and the Mother.”

  “How noble!” Kais said.

  “Enough with this useless anecdote,” said Jack, who felt bored. “Oh, thank God. It seems that the delay is over, let’s hurry up and buy our tickets.”

  The Void

  Companion

  On their way to the nearest ticket booth, they got interrupted by a middle-aged bald man, whom were short and with thick mustache. He smilingly asked, “Where you wanna go?”

  “That’s none of your concern.” Jack responded.

  “Oh, sorry, let’s start over. My name is Morton, am a taxi driver, and I know every inch in Milky Way. More than twenty years in space granted me the nickname Companion of the Void.”

  “So?” carelessly, asked Bob.

  “I will take you to your destination as soon as possible. Who takes the bus but old boring people? But with me, I will haste you from point A to point B without a delay. You will find comfort and ease with me. Low in price and short amount of time, what do you say?”

  The guys looked at each other in question, kais hummed in thoughts, and said, “He seems confidant.”

  “He got a point, though.” said Carl. “The bus will be too crowded and boring.”

  Mort, the taxi driver, added as he were trying to convince them, “True, only restlessness you will find in it. Don’t forget the strangers and their unpredictable behavior, not to mention that everyone has his own destination. And the babies! Oh, the babies and their irritating screams.”

  Jack hummed for a bit, and said, “I don’t know.”

  “What is your destination?” he asked.

  “Planet Ra,” Bob answered.

  “Really! Was there two weeks ago. From Earth to the Pearl Solar System, takes about 22 light hours. From there to the Pearl Wormhole, and that will wrap us near the Virgo, then Ra in the Xen Solar System. The trip with me will roughly take about 70 light hours. As fast as it could be.”

  They kept silent thinking about it, then they agreed on going there by a taxi. Kais asked him about his charge, but he smilingly nodded and said, “Care not. We will deal with that when we land on Ra.”

  They followed him to his space Taxi to find it an old rusty spaceship. Amoon-152, a spaceship made in 6766 AD. White in color, shaped like a dinner spoon, 4 meters in height, 12 meters long, and on its rear, is its plate-like lightspeed engine.

  “On this!” Inconveniently, Jack asked.

  “Yea, on this. You got a problem with it?” said Mort.

  “Looks like out dated and totally expired to me.”

  “Don’t worry, sugar. This is Amoon, you oblivious brat. A tough muscle right there. Can easily reach lightspeed, and is built with light-bending technology. Where can you find a ride like that now days?”

  “Am pretty sure that you must not be this aggressive toward your customers.” Jack responded.

  “Light-bending?”
Bob wondered.

  “Cloak technology,” Carl cleared. “It bends the light that fall on it from both sides and the ship will disappear from sigh. It is primitive technology that was once upon a time a top-secret military invention. Now it is useless.”

  “Useless!” Mort mumbled. “J-Just get in.”

  Just like most of spaceships, Amoon-125 contains an artificial gravity system, universal positioning system, air supplies, toilet, and a small kitchen-like place where food is stored. Every seat has a life-preserving pod above it which encloses on the passenger every time they engage lightspeed. They hopped in the ship, and found dirty, smelly, and inconvenient. Oddly for them, there was an item that drew their attention. A little-big boulder fixed in the back of the ship. It was ashen, full of holes, and clearly from space. That made them thought about leaving this taxi and searching for another, but Kais said that he seems to be good guy. They sat, fasten their seatbelt, and waited for Mort to come. And after 10 minutes, Jack got angry and went to Mort who was outside and was appearing to be waiting for someone. He yelled, “What take you so long?”

  “Am waiting for another passenger.”

  “Another passenger! We choose you to be alone. We don’t want any strangers aboard.”

  “Am trying to make a living here, kid. One guy won’t hurt much.”

  Jack argued with Mort for a while, till the stranger came. The stranger was a tall good-looking man, the same age as the guys, with facial features that shows delight, and far from want and penury. He was wearing black formal cloths, with lathery shining black shoes, and was holding a brown suitcase. He greeted them, apologized for keeping them await, and when entered the ship, he straightly went to the to the bathroom.