Our story, Perseverance, takes us on a journey of dreams and ambitions before leading us into a discussion on the final frontier…space. What is out there, and do we truly ever want to find out? All this and more on our latest episode of SMIRK!
Welcome to Smirk. A podcast that covers society and culture through a storytelling lens. Part creative writing, part discussion, and always interesting. Each week our hosts brings a story to the show, a story they wrote themselves, which is immediately followed by discussion on the author’s moral or theme. These stories can cover any topic the host wants to discuss, it can be lighthearted or more serious. No one but the author knows if these tales are truth or fiction, and part of the fun is guessing while you’re listening before the reality is made clear.
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Want to read Amanda’s story “Perseverance” in full? Think you can identify the moral or theme for this episode? Read it below, and then take a listen to the podcast.
Perseverance
Melisande is quite young in the scheme of things – only 19 – but so smart for her age. A genius, in fact. She is determined, strong, and capable. As a science prodigy in the year 2166, Melisande was given an incredibly rare opportunity: go to space and explore another planet.
She couldn’t say no, it was like she was made for something like this. Her whole life had been building up to a moment like this, one when she could prove just how much potential she has. Years of previous exploration missions proved it to be safe for her, so she happily accepted.
After a few years and much anticipation, her time had come: it was launch day. She had been preparing with the program management team, other astronauts, and had been given technical expertise to help her along the way. Melisande was ready for this adventure. She strapped up and prepared to go where few have ever been. The rocket shooting up to the sky felt like the most magical roller coaster she had ever been on. She laughed and winced a bit, checking the stats continuously.
As she grew closer and closer to space, she could feel something different, things had changed. Time didn’t feel the same anymore. Her launch went successfully, and she maintained communication with her fellow team. What felt like minutes in space turned out to be months on Earth.
Her head began to fill with thoughts about if she began this endeavor too young. Would she be missing out on finding her own home? A partner? What about her family? As the World’s youngest astronaut, Melisande was without advice from those that traveled this road before her. She just didn’t know if she was making the right choice. These thoughts plagued her mind for so long, she began to lose joy in the experience. And it’s not like she could just turn around.
But 1 year (Earth time) later, Melisande felt that tension and heat as she plunged into the foreign planet’s atmosphere. Her heart began racing and she was filled with adrenaline. Her team could see her smiling eye to eye with joy, as they screamed and shouted while they watched her land with success. This moment is what she needed to reaffirm her decision to go to Space. She took a deep breath in and out of relief, and as she took her first step onto the foreign planet’s surface, she realized… she was home.