Stargazing

The Favorite Pastime

A group of youths sat in darkness, some still too young to understand the ways of the world, while others neared adulthood. The eldest, a young man named Jordan, sat with his legs dangling off the side of the building. The lights of Juliet were hidden, muffled by the ruins of Safeharbor's planet wide city. It was finally dark enough.

The others talked among themselves. When Jordan stood, he called out to them, "It's Rhey's turn."

The girl named Rhey smiled, and stepped forward. She spent all week rehearsing for this moment, but now, with all eyes on her, she faltered. The smile faded. She struggled just to begin.

"Don't worry," Jordan said. "We have all night. Take your time."

She replied with a nervous laugh, "Sorry. I've never done this before."

Jordan shook his head. "We've all been there. Did you find something?"
Rhey nodded, pointing at a particular patch of sky. Everyone looked up, trying to see what she did. Jordan looked as well. The stars rested just beyond the eagle nebula, a patch of sky nearly void of stars save for those dimly shining through the clouds of gas.

Rhey stared as she spoke, "I see a cat. I named her Calstine."

"An unusual name," Jordan replied, his eyes fixed to the sky. The colors faded in, a mixture of yellows, greens, and reds. "I like how her eyes are different colored stars. What's her story?" Before Rhey could reply, she heard a familiar voice.

"What's this, Little Mouse?" Her father said. He looked upset, at first. When her mother appeared behind him, his face softened.
Rhey couldn't speak, stumbling over every word. She couldn't form an excuse. They wern't allowed outside the walls, especially at night. A few of the kids tried to run, but realized there was no where to go.

Rhey turned to Jordan. "I didn't know they were following me, I'm so sorry."

Jordan smiled, looked to Rhey's father and motioned for him to join them. Rhey tilted her head as her parents sat on the hard metal beneath their feet.
Her parents stared into the sky, and Rhey saw something she'd never seen before. Their eyes adjusted and their hands drifted together, trembling as they made contact.
They both gave a sigh of relief. Without his eyes fixed to the sky, her father spoke, "Go on. All that rehearsal, and you're not going to tell the story?"

You stare at them too, yes? We've always been fascinated by their brilliance. We stare for many reasons. We stare for science, in search of inspiration, to bolster love. I stare at them too.
We don't know how they did it, but our ancestors on earth saw our bones as frail, our flesh weak. They changed us on a fundamental level, a genetic level. Our skin is tougher, our muscles and bones denser than they were before. Our perceptions were honed to a fine edge, and that's where the problem lies. We experienced the world in ways we were never meant to.
Our sense of touch revealed such abrasive sensations, ones our minds seemed merciful enough to ignore before we were genetically altered. Our eyes see what they previously couldn't, our ears able to hear frequencies well beyond what nature approved. In this constant state of anxiety, we again turned our faces to the stars. They smiled on us in response.

Haphephobia

We can't stand the touch of others. It's a common affliction. Our sense of touch is so finely tuned that the mere thought of holding one's hand can induce a panic attack. This is helped by lining our clothing and gloves with aerogel, but the substance leaves something to be desired. We are physical creatures. We need to feel. We need to touch, and yet every time we do, we burn like proverbial moths in a flame.
Leave it to our intrepid youth to find a solution, and one dripping in history, no less. They would sit atop the tallest buildings of Safeharbor's deserted, planet wide city. They favored those that scraped the sky. It was like they were so close to the stars, one could almost reach out and touch them.
When they stared, they saw more than bright eyes in the black sea. They saw the solar wind, the milky mist of our galaxy. The longer they stared, the more they saw. Nebulae lit up like stellar fire, the colors vibrant and hypnotic. These early stargazers discovered so much. They didn't know it then, but they are the only hope we have left.

The stars of Safeharbor

The earliest stargazers found stories in our brand-new sky, mapping countless constellations and exchanging their fictions with each other in late night meetings. They met in secret, afraid of what their elders might think of their foolish, romantic endeavors.
It was only a matter of time. They were discovered, but The result was quite the opposite of what they feared. Their elders stared too, and often watched the nighttime sky long after the children went to sleep. These youths stood alongside their mentors, parents, and fellow citizens. Couples, who haven't shared an intimate moment for years, reached for one another's hand while the mind was kept busy by the overwhelming sights.
From then on, even the most stubborn of Safeharbor journeyed up the dark steps to the rooftops. They would listen to the younger generations, weaving their tales of heroism, sacrifice, and love. A tradition emerged, one that burned itself into our very identity as a species. We keep our heads in the clouds, and beyond. We watch the stars.

Navigational zodiacs

Only if you know where you are, can you can know where you're going. These distant systems explored by the Wayfarers are off the star charts for most species, and therefore, navigational equipment would be useless if someone was lost. Constellations in Navigational Zodiacs provide a means of knowing where you're going by knowing where you've been.
Humans can see things many species can't. They can easily guess whether stars are further or closer compared to others. They can estimate distance as well. Sometimes, they reach a destination just to see what the sky looks like, and create constellations for the system accordingly. These navigational zodiacs function as a map of sorts. The wayfarers make one for every system they find themselves in.
These constellations act as landmarks, allowing one to know the general location of a destination when lost, or without proper navigational equipment. One can pick a constellation, travel there, and use constellations known in that system to find their way back, or onward to a different destination.

The Future

The young men and women who began the tradition would later become the first Wayfarers, driven by the wanderlust cultivated in their late night tradition. They didn't just want to watch the stars, but wanted to be lost among them.
They took their inspiration with them, each of their vessels named after the constellations they helped create. The wayfarers use these constellations to navigate. Since they are the ones filling in the star chart in these distant places, standard navigational equipment just won't do.
The wayfarers continue the tradition everywhere they go. Surveys and maps sent across the galaxy often come with charts of the night sky on distant worlds, their constellations marked accordingly. To the wayfarers, it's a mark they leave on the worlds they discover, a declaration that humanity was there first.

A New Mythology

Stargazing is the greatest pastime for all those on Safeharbor, though it's gained significantly more traction in matters of courtship. New constellations emerge all the time, but in the end, stargazing is a means to spend time and connect with others. It always has been.
We needed this new mythology, this new set of stories to pass on. When the tradition began, the stories we knew from earth were buried in data, locked away for years until I came to fish them out.
Humanity left many luxuries behind when we left earth, and there were few sources of entertainment to be found among the ruins of our new home. Stargazing filled a void in the soul of humanity. It gave us hope in the darkest time of our existence.

Famous constellations of Safeharbor

by Dylonishere

King Sapien, originally named Bernalos, was one of the first constellations of Safeharbor. This made him the subject of many stories. He is often a go-to protagonist, usually taking prominent roles in myths and legends brought from earth that were fractured and incomplete. This means he is often an inconsistent character. Sometimes he's benign and just, while other stories depict him as a trickster, or even a direct antagonist.
For this reason, Bernalos has come to represent humankind in later stories, hence the name change to King Sapian, or simply, The King. He is a symbol for what we are, what we've been, and what we could be. Many believe that he marks the way to earth, if you travel far enough in his direction. This comes from legends spread by those desperate to reclaim what was lost. No one has tried venturing that far... yet.

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Pipe roaches are large insects that like to live in large pipe networks found all over Safeharbor. They bear little to no resemblance to their namesake. They have far more in common with mantids. They are considered repulsive and while usually docile, can get aggressive when starving. Oploa is another early constellation and takes the form of a pipe roach. The stories surrounding her usually involve mischief and mayhem, making her particularly popular among younger stargazers. This region has since been explored by the wayfarers, who found many valuable resources in their exploration.

by Dylonishere

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by Dylonishere

The Loe are a family of farmers. They mark an unknown region of space in the galactic record. One of the more tragic figures in the zodiac, The Loe are known for their terrible luck. They are constantly assailed by misfortune, from drought and harsh winters to bandits and human stupidity, they are the epitome of perseverance.
They first appeared in the stories of stargazers less fortunate than others. Their names often shift, evolving into a massive family, all living on a single estate, which the constellation takes the form of. In many ways, The Loe are a symbol of hope. No matter how bad it got, it wouldn't be as bad as what this family dealt with. Some believe the inspiration for the name and concept evolved from idioms like "The lowest of the low," or "all time low."

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In my studies, I've actually found that the constellation initially referred to as "The Srar Crossed Lovers" began as a retelling of a classic play, Romeo and Juliet. Given one of our colonies bears the name of an ill-fated protagonist, it makes sense that stories deepening the tale would emerge.
While the story remained untarnished, it was often extended, depicting the lovers and their misadventures as they tried to escape whatever afterlife the storyteller imagined for them, and always succeeding. No one has explored this region of space, though it's only a matter of time till the wayfarers try.

by Dylonishere

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by Dylonishere

The Old Dawn is depicted as a sun. The Old Dawn has no stories whatsoever. Anything said is usually on the lines of personality traits, philosophies, and general concepts behind the constellation. The Old Dawn marks the way to the galactic community and the core worlds. Few wayfarers venture in that direction.

12 Years Later

Her father refused to let her go. Rhey accepted the embrace, not even trying to resist when she saw him holding back tears.

"You don't have to go," he said.

The words hurt. Rhey felt her lip quiver as she worked up the strength to reply, "Tell us what happened to earth, dad. That's all we really want."

His grip tightened, as if he fought the urge to refuse with all his strength. It didn't matter. "I can't," he said.

"Then I have to go."

The man nodded. "I know." He pulled back, and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I know."

Her mother leaned in for an embrace of her own. "I hope you find whatever you're looking for."

Rhey looked to her ship, and smiled at the words painted in large white letters on the hull. The SVN Calstine was top of the line. It was hers, and she knew just where she wanted to go first.

After saying goodbye, Rhey entered the airlock. She removed the casual wear and put on the wayfarer spacesuit placed in her locker. She admired the patches on the uniform, staring in a mirror to see if she looked the part.

She read her name tag, and the tears she hid so well forced themselves out. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Jordan standing over her. She read his nametag, smiling as she wiped away the tears.

"Roadrunner?" She asked.

Jordan nodded. "Fastest man in Juliet. You remember?" She nodded and he leaned forward to read hers. "Mouse," he began, "I like it."