Erasure

It's the third week of documenting B42-342-d's moon, B42-342-d-VII. By third week, I mean in terms of this moon's short day cycles. I'm on search duty today. In the past three weeks we've been here, this moon has shown to be very unremarkable, which is as expected for one of seven moons that resembles a miniature version of the rocky planet with no atmosphere it orbits. This whole planetary system has been pretty bland, but it still has to be fully documented since we have the technology to be so thorough.

As I'm leaving the eating quarters to go put my suit on, Dorquib catches me.

"Don't get too caught up in all the amazing stuff you'll find out there," he says.

I throw him a smirk.

Once I've gotten the search ship disconnected from our little moon base and off the ground, it's smooth sailing. Autopilot handles the low flying and all of the ship's various detectors are on.

I lean back in my chair and gaze at the horizon out the front window. Below it is a bright and pale grey, illuminated by the local star. Above is black and starry.

After about two and half B42-342-d-VII hours, I get an alert that something was detected. I put down my tablet to go check that it wasn't just some weird crater that triggered it.

It's a cave. Caves have the potential to be hiding things that are surface accessible, things like, say, signs of life. The computer tells me it's no tiny cave either, but I can't know its exact size without going down there myself. I land the ship, put on my suit with the search pack attached, and get to it.

It's been a hot minute since I've actually had to walk on this moon. Elunel found a huge cave last week but it only yielded confirmation on what minerals we already knew were often exposed in this moon's caves and craters.

The terrain of the cave starts to get pretty steep, even for such a low gravity. I have to use a bit of hovering. I press a button on the side of my helmet and my boots let me float. Once I've reached stable ground I turn it off. There isn't enough light down here, so I press another button. It's crystal clear again.

Then I see something on the cave wall ahead of me. Markings. My heart skips a beat.

Upon closer inspection I see a circle of writing with pictures in the middle. Well would you look at that. This moon isn't so boring after all. I just found cave paintings left behind by what must be intelligent life we don't know about.

The writing looks like nothing I've ever seen before. I pull out my decoder from my search pack and scan. Its screen confirms that the language is undocumented. I can't wait to show my crew.

It takes a bit for it to actually decode. Once it's done, I read the translation from where the device tells me to.

"Prophet, a message of [universal deity] has reached you. You are a descendant of the children marked by [universal deity]."

Religion, fascinating. Am I the prophet?

"Let it be known that [honorific pronoun] is upon us. The [metaphor for the universe] will open up and the marked children will be taken. We will meet [honorific pronoun] and see the truth. Go, let it be known, and it shall come true."

That sure is some deep stuff. Why is this isolated on some moon in the middle of nowhere? I take a look at the pictures in the middle, They seem to be figures of some kind. Then one of them catches my eye.

Is that a human?

Not only that but its limbs are shorter and it has larger muscles. Its head looks different and it's fully organic. It looks like a human from 1.5 billion years ago when we rose on Earth, before we evolved further.

I get a sinking feeling in my chest. This is impossible. How could a drawing of an ancient human be here in some cave on a moon that no lifeform we know of has ever been to? How could its artist know about humans? Why draw one here?

I examine the other figures. I recognize them. They are of other intelligent lifeforms. The branches of humanity have met many intelligent beings, and I recognize every drawing I see. Then I notice the very small writing next to each one. I scan one.

"[Exonym for Moupra]."

That planet is in another galaxy. I check the writing next to the ancient human.

"[Exonym for Earth]."

Humanity's planet of origin, also in another galaxy. I really don't like this.

An idea hits me. I pull out my isotope reader and give the markings a scan. I don't believe it. These markings are 15.3 billion years old. That's how old the universe is. These markings are older than every planet they describe. They're older than the wall they're written on.

I get the irrational feeling that someone is watching me. I turn around. No one is there, of course.

This message is genuinely prophetic. The figures in the circle, they are the marked children. The universe will open up, whatever that means, and we will be taken, taken by a god we've never known. What will happen to us then? I am the one this message has reached. I'm supposed to tell it to everyone, which will make it come true.

A very long moment passes.

I know what I have to do, and I know I have the technology to do it.

When I've made it back to the moon base, Dorquib greets me.

"Look who's back. Did you find anything?"

"Yes."

His eyes widen in interest. I hold out my hand.

He chuckles, "A rock?"

"It's not just any rock, it's a funny rock. It makes you laugh."

There was nothing else of interest on B42-342-d-VII.