LOST PLANET: SECOND WORLD

Science Fiction Novel (Ages 10+)

By Yahya Türkeli

Introduction

During the oppressive heat of July and August, we used to sleep on the flat rooftop of our house. Lying on our backs and gazing at the night sky amplified the enchanting beauty of the heavens.

The moon and stars shone brightly. Not a single night passed without a few shooting stars streaking across the sky. Elders used to say, “Each falling star signifies the death of a soul, carried into eternity.”

For months during the summer, the sky would remain cloudless, especially at night. Occasionally, white or gray clouds appeared briefly, drifting swiftly before settling atop Mount Ağrı, where they lingered over the eternal snow, intertwining with it for hours.

I often dreamed that there were beings living among the clusters of stars in the sky and that they would one day come to Earth to take us away. Over time, the progress in astronomy seemed to reinforce my thoughts, encouraging me to begin writing this science fiction novel.

In doing so, I shared my ideas and emotions with my esteemed colleague Hüseyin Çoban, whose contributions to the plot were invaluable. I am deeply grateful for his support.

I believe everyone who reads this book will find something that resonates with them. I also hope to foster a sense of empathy towards the preservation of our aging Earth.

Leaving it to the readers to judge how successful I’ve been, I wish you a delightful read.

MESSAGE FROM SPACE

People gazed at the sky through telescopes of various sizes. The mosaic of colors and the play of light they observed were unlike anything seen before. Amidst the dazzling displays, they tried to decipher the blinking messages. These messages were displayed in the most iconic locations of historically significant cities: the Statue of Liberty in New York, Red Square in Moscow, People's Square in Shanghai, Buckingham Palace in London, the Governor's Office in Tokyo, the Taj Mahal in India, Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and the Pyramids in Egypt. These places were teeming with people.

The messages were written in various languages: Russian, English, French, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Greek, Arabic, Turkish... Deciphering the texts in languages other than English proved challenging. It was imperative to gather translators proficient in these languages.

That day, interpreters from embassies were dispatched to the central locations where the messages were displayed. The telescope images were first transferred to computers. The accompanying written tablet and the roadmap attached were analyzed for their meanings.

The message read:

“A great explosion separated us from you and cast us into the depths of the universe. We are the inhabitants of the Second World, your planet’s twin. We shared our gains and dedicated them to science and art. We know no war. We have established an extraordinary civilization and reached out to you. You, who believe in the same God, are killing one another. The money spent on weapons could eradicate hunger. You are destroying your aging world. Forests are vanishing. Seas are being polluted. Deadly diseases are on the rise. We wish to connect with you and offer our help. But your planet repels us. Reach out to us. Our location is in the Andromeda Galaxy, within the M31 star cluster, on the Second World. Use the roadmap we left behind to find us…”

Until that day, the scientists of countries that had kept their space research secret were forced to come together. A joint scientific effort that billions of people, whose hearts were filled with love for humanity, longed for was taking place. It was known that there were thousands of stars within the Andromeda galaxy. However, no one knew the exact location of the Lost Planet, Second World, one of the stars in this galaxy. Only images, lights, sounds, and other stimuli from them that occasionally reached Earth were known. In the last hundred years, these signs had become so frequent that they caused people to feel fear, excitement, and curiosity. Sightings of UFOs, sounds from space, traces believed to be left by aliens in certain parts of the world... These topics were being discussed more frequently on social media and among people.

In the past century, disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis that frequently occurred in the Americas and Western Asia countries were scaring people. The volcanic eruptions at the bottom of the sea and the associated seabed collapses and land shifts resulted in terrifying giant waves that made people fear the end of the world was near. Rich and developed countries were aware that the lifespan of the old world was decreasing and that its habitability was diminishing day by day. To alleviate these concerns, the space science stations they established were in pursuit of new discoveries. Many findings and information were being kept secret and not shared. Scientists had learned that there could be a twin of the Earth. However, they could not take action because unity of strength was not achieved. The message from space prompted them to take action.

Scientists from all over the world who came to the space and astronomy center NASA felt the need to disclose the information they had acquired about the Andromeda Galaxy and the twin planet of Earth, the Lost Planet, Second World. They organized scientific congresses for this purpose. Renowned scientists attended the congresses. They spoke about the documents and information related to space research. After solving the meaning of the message sent by working diligently, they listed the tasks to be done.

First, they organized various scientific congresses. Scientists and artists presented their views. Confidential information and documents were revealed. Plans for possible joint actions were made. The planned works were presented to the United Nations General Assembly for implementation. The decision from the assembly stated: “We must take action before our old world experiences more disasters and before the sun that warms and illuminates our world dies out. We must not be late in moving to new planets in the universe where life can exist. It is our duty to ensure a more comfortable and peaceful life for humanity in the future. Therefore, it was decided to take action with a common budget and common intellectual power...”

Without wasting time, developed countries mobilized all their resources. The message left by the inhabitants of the Lost Planet Second World awakened all the earthlings from their deep slumber and made them act together. From that day on, they set aside distinctions like language, religion, and race and took action for the salvation of humanity. Efforts were made to ensure that the helping hand extended by them was not in vain and to save the future of humanity. The work of thousands of engineers and technical teams continued without interruption at NASA with the support of space scientists. The construction of the ship that would go to space was completed within ten years.

The spaceship was designed in layers, cylindrical in shape. It would rotate around its own axis, ensuring that the occupants wouldn't be thrown around and could move comfortably. It consisted of five layers. The diameter of the first layer was two kilometers. Half of this layer was designated as a fuel and water reservoir, while the other half was arranged as a relaxation area with parks, gardens, pools, and recreational and entertainment facilities. The layers' diameter decreased by twenty percent as you went up. The second layer was allocated for vehicles like planes, helicopters, and motorcycles. The third layer contained a kitchen and food storage. The fourth layer housed fuel storage and technical equipment, while the fifth layer had the captain's cabin, meeting rooms, telescopes, and observation rooms. Vehicles like small helicopters, planes, cars, and motorcycles would be used to land on the surface of planets, whether mountainous, desert, or plain. Some cars had rubber wheels, while others had tracks. There were two- and three-wheeled bicycles, some motorized with solid and inflatable tires. All vehicles were satellite-connected and computer equipped. The ship would operate on solar energy. In places where the sun was not effective, nitrogen fuel would be used.

The spaceship was named "ErCi-7174" by combining the names and code numbers of the eight-member team involved in its production. Renowned space scientists, engineers, technicians, health personnel... were taken on board the spaceship ErCi-7174 from all around the world. The team included astrophysicist Mr. Barden and his assistant Ms. Busune from America, led by Captain Mr. Jack; biologist Mr. Vladimir from Russia; Mr. Bao from China; space scientist Mr. Tako with his assistant Ms. Ayame and her son Akio from Japan; sociologist Mr. Michel from France; geologist Ms. Helga and Mr. Kaiser from Germany; biotechnocrat Mr. Sahar from Iran; archaeologist Mr. David from Israel; seismologist Ms. Jessica from England; IT programmer Mr. Ganji from India; stem cell producer Mr. Temel from Turkey... Scientists from various professions joined the team. Additionally, there were two surprise passengers on board. Frequent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, which caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, had led Japan to invest more in planets in the universe after these disasters. Ms. Ayame, known for her space studies, was wanted to be part of all these works. Ms. Ayame did not want to be separated from her twelve-year-old son Akio and wanted to be directly involved in his education. Her young son did not leave her side for a moment. Ms. Ayame was forced to include her son in these works. The problem was not limited to Akio. Her son also wanted to take his spotted, short-tailed cat Kio, who never left his side. The cat was his companion and best friend. Ms. Ayame reported that she had to take her son on this journey as well. There were those who opposed their journey, but the majority indicated that it would be more beneficial for them to join. "We can study the behavior of children and animals in space." "A small child and a cat will be our source of joy." "There will definitely be tasks they can do..." Captain Jack put an end to these discussions: "I've already found a job Akio can do. He will keep the ship's log..." Thus, little Akio and his cat Kio were included in the space crew. The ErCi-7174 spaceship set out towards the Lost Planet Second World in the Andromeda Galaxy. Little Akio wrote in the log: Date: May 7, 2052, Time: 14.00 Place: NASA Log:

"We departed from the space base right on time, without any hindrance. Soon we dived into the depths of space. Our ship, moving at the speed of light, passed near the Milky Way galaxy and among millions of planets a year later. Some of the planets in this galaxy were round, some oval, some star-shaped, some triangular. Some were covered in gas, some in water and gas, and some in gas, water, soil, and plants...

" While passing through millions of planets and stars, technical staff kept a sharp lookout to prevent meteors (meteorites) seen in the dark atmosphere of dim stars that did not reflect light from hitting and damaging the spaceship. They maintained their watches without interruption. They continued their journey filled with fear and excitement. When passing near planets reflecting light, the scenery they saw was very different from what they had seen on Earth. Reflections from luminous stars resembling the sun...

Light purple colors gradually turned into dark purple and darkness. The sight of purple light reflecting from the luminous stars onto the planets was dazzling. In some places, hills rising in steps, brown mountains covering the hills, dark green forests, lakes, and seas cut through the infinity of space. In many places, the forests blended with the bays, becoming indistinguishable.

After two exhausting years of searching, they reached the twin of Earth, the Second World. In the images projected from the telescope onto the giant screen, the planet looked very similar to Earth with its vegetation, seas, and lakes, except the colors were different. Yellowish and purple hues were intertwined. First, they orbited the planet, trying to find a suitable surface to land on, but they couldn't. There was a strong repulsive force pushing them away into the void of space. They settled into an orbit outside the influence of this repulsive force. They began to investigate and monitor why they couldn't land on the surface of the Second World and what was happening on this planet.

Little Akio wrote in the log according to Earth's calendar: Date: May 14, 2054 Time: 18.00 Place: Orbit of the Lost Planet Second World. Log: "Our ship has settled into the orbit of the Lost Planet. The crew tirelessly began investigating the reason why they couldn't land on the planet. They started observing life there from different points. To get precise results, they left the ship with helicopters and planes. No one remained on the ship except the technical team..."

Since his mother went with the exploration team, Akio had to stay on the ship. Three days passed with no image or sound, no news from those who left. Several days went by. Akio grew worried and anxious. Countless questions began to fill his mind. "Did they lose their way? Did meteors hit their vehicles? Did space pirates abduct them?" He began to suspect most that space pirates might have kidnapped them. Rather than standing and waiting, he thought of going to their aid.

In his own way, he planned to search for and rescue his mother with one of the helicopters on the spaceship. Could his cat Kia stay alone? He couldn't leave her behind; he had to take her too. He would need an astronaut suit to breathe easily and protect himself from heat and light when he left the ship, and food. There were no space suits for animals. First, he had to find food and clothing. Then he needed to seize a helicopter. He planned how to get and where to find these.

The clothing and food were on the middle floor of the spaceship. The helicopter was on the bottom floor. He could easily enter and exit the food storage to get food for his cat. He needed to take more food than the daily ration because he might not return for days from where he was going. He first visited the kitchen. While looking around, he greeted the cook placing plates and cutlery in the dishwasher:

"Good day, sir," he said. The cook responded:

"Good day." Then he added,

"How's it going?"

"Good," Akio replied.

If he told the chef that his mother hadn’t returned for days and that he was very worried, he thought his plans would be ruined, so he remained silent.

The chef, thinking he had come to get food for his cat, said, "You know where your cat's food is, you can take it."

"I came to get food for him too," Akio replied.

While the chef was busy with the dishes, Akio took a large amount of food for his cat. He also thought of taking some food for himself. The chef's back was turned. He could turn around at any moment. He knew the chef wouldn't allow him to take food. He needed to distract him. He suddenly remembered the battery-operated toy mouse. The toy mouse, equipped with a chip, could perform many tricks and movements. The cat had a hard time catching it. He set the mouse to its most challenging mode and released it on the floor. As soon as the cat saw the mouse, it started chasing it. The mouse moved so quickly that the cat couldn't catch it. Seeing the amusing game between the cat and the mouse, the chef stopped placing plates, forks, and spoons into the dishwasher and watched them. Taking advantage of the chef’s distraction, Akio filled his pockets and a bag with food from the cupboard. He kept an eye on the chef. When the chef realized Akio wasn't joining in the fun and turned around, Akio had just finished taking the food. They made eye contact at the last moment. The chef said, "This mouse is really something. It's as nimble and cunning as a real mouse. It performs tricks to avoid getting caught by the cat. It climbs walls, makes sudden turns at corners, and when the cat's head hits the wall, it escapes..."

Akio had managed to get both his food and his cat's food.

In the past three days, many of those who went out for research had returned one by one. Among the returnees, his mother and her colleague were not there. This made Akio even more worried.

He couldn't help but dream: "She should have returned earlier for my sake. If she hasn't, it means the pirates on the Second World have captured her. I must rescue her. I can do it..."

He remembered the planes and helicopters he flew by remote control in Japan. "The motor and movement systems are similar. The helicopter’s movement is easier and more understandable. The screens and light panels in the pilot’s cabin are sufficient. I can fly the helicopter using the flashing red buttons and warning messages if I make mistakes. I must seize a helicopter as soon as possible. I must rescue my mother..."

He took his backpack from his room and stuffed it with food. Anticipating a confrontation with pirates, he didn't forget to take his commando knife, light saber, and flashlight to protect himself.

He got into the round elevator that ascended from the lower floor to the top floor of the spaceship. Seeing the observation ports resembling cameras on the ceiling of the elevator cabin, besides the lights, he worried about getting caught. He couldn't determine if they were cameras. He thought they might be ventilation vents. If caught, he would say he was checking to see if his mother had returned. He didn't encounter the situation he feared. There were many planes and helicopters parked on the top floor. He looked around worriedly, fearing getting caught. No one was in sight. When he took a few steps, he heard sounds from the back rows. He noticed someone was there. He hid behind one of the helicopters. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw technicians working on the maintenance of planes and helicopters returning from flights. He thought he could board a helicopter without being seen. He got up from his hiding spot and tried to open the helicopter door. It was locked. Pilots returning from flights locked the helicopters for maintenance and left the keys with the technicians. He needed a key and an astronaut suit and helmet. He didn’t know their exact location. First, he had to get the suits. He also needed a suit to put his cat in. Someone might catch him while he was taking these. He thought he could get the necessary materials without getting caught, but he was in a dilemma.

He suddenly remembered the trick he played on the chef. He decided to use the toy mouse to distract the technicians and take the suits and the key during the distraction. He hid his backpack under the helicopter so it wouldn’t be seen. He set up the toy mouse for a fast game and directed it towards the sound. As the mouse ran, squealing, he let the cat loose after it. Just as the cat was about to catch the mouse, the mouse made a sudden turn and went behind the plane's wheel. The cat, unable to stop its momentum, collided with the wheel and fell to the ground. It was dazed for a moment but quickly recovered and resumed the chase.

At that moment, the automatic outer door on the ceiling of the area opened. A helicopter landed. Akio abandoned the cat and mouse game and looked at those disembarking from the helicopter. Seeing his mother get out, he jumped with joy. He wanted to run to her. Then he remembered the cat and mouse. He ran back. Seeing her son running, his mother chased after him in her space suit. When she saw he was playing a cat-mouse game, she relaxed.

*

The crew of the spaceship ErCi–7174 reviewed their reported observations. There were ongoing different opinions and discussions between the scientists and the technical team.

Akio wrote in the log according to Earth's date and time: Date: March 21, 2055 Time: 10:00 Place: Orbit of the Second World Log: The team gathered in the captain's cabin to share their views and suggestions in turn.

"Could they have deceived us?" "They might imprison us." "No, they are beings who live in peace." "They have a civilization more advanced than ours." "If they intended to harm us, they would have done so when they came to Earth." "They couldn't reach our world either." "We have come this far; we must meet with them regardless of the outcome." "We can't land on their planet. It repels us." "Let’s send voice and video messages..." "Let’s write and send in different languages." "There’s no need. They know all the world languages." "Here, our common language is English. If they respond in the same language, it will be easier for us to communicate and understand each other..."

They agreed to send a voice message in English. The message text read: "Thirteen years ago, the luminous message you left on our world excited us earthlings. In response to your message bearing signs of friendship, cooperation, solidarity, and assistance, we have entered the orbit of your planet. However, we cannot land on your planet. How can we communicate with you? We await your help..."

They prepared the message in voice, silent, video, and vibrational formats and tried to send it via satellite. The message wouldn’t send. They decided to send it from different points on the planet. Two teams attempted to send the message from different points using helicopters, but they couldn’t send it. The messages kept returning. All their efforts, the distance traveled, the time spent seemed to be in vain. They didn’t give up and tried repeatedly. Teams from their current location set out in all directions: east, west, north, and south.

Captain Jack was well aware of Ms. Ayame’s success in space travels. They embarked on this journey together. As their aircraft approached a northeastern point, they got caught in a strong tornado. The tornado was pulling them in the opposite direction. When they realized they were being dragged to a different point from the Lost Planet, they changed their course and barely escaped the tornado. They noticed that the tornado was progressing like a tunnel towards the Lost Planet. They sent the message from the same point. The message flowed easily. They realized the point they were at could be an interplanetary air corridor. They agreed that they could reach the Lost Planet from this point. They started calculating the coordinates of their location.

While they were calculating the coordinates, they received a message: "Welcome to our planet. We are pleased to see you on our planet. Our space science center has been informed of the situation. They will reach you at your current location shortly. Please wait..."

Captain Jack and Ms. Ayame returned to the spaceship with great joy. They informed the other teams of the situation, who also returned to the spaceship shortly. First, they celebrated the success of Captain Jack and Ayame. Then, they discussed their curiosity about life on the Lost Planet and the common attitudes and behaviors they should exhibit after the encounter. Meanwhile, they enjoyed the success they had achieved. The first step of the project to unite all similar beings in the universe and protect the planets in the universe had yielded a positive result.

Their curiosity and excitement grew with each passing hour as they wondered why those who came to their planet had come and from which planet they had come.

*

To prevent confusion between scientists from the Second World and those from our world with the same titles, the word "Alien" was added before the titles of the aliens. For example; Alien Captain, Alien Astrophysicist, Alien Sociologist, Alien Psychologist, Alien Biologist... The word "Alien" was also added before the names of children and other personnel without titles.

Alien Captain invited his advisors and team leaders to the meeting room. The meeting was attended by Alien Captain, Alien Astrophysicist, Alien Biologist, Alien Geologist, Alien Psychologist, Alien Sociologist, and Alien Mathematician. They began discussing the purpose of the earthlings' arrival on their planet.

Alien Captain: "The visitors are among fifty thousand species of living beings on Earth that can move, control other creatures, and compete for supremacy among themselves, and they resemble us."

Alien Astrophysicist: "They could be dangerous."

Alien Captain: "Why would they be dangerous?"

"When we visited their planet, many of them were destroying each other with weapons in various parts of the world."

Alien Psychologist: "Those were conflicts among themselves. The predatory and wild animals living on Earth were not fighting among themselves."

Alien Sociologist, blinking his eyes that were barely visible through his hair: "These people, eager to dominate the Earth, might harm our planet and us."

Alien Sociologist: "When they visited their planet four hundred years ago, the reports said they didn't have any movable vehicles. In the last two hundred years, they have made many advancements. But still, technologically, they are far behind us. There is no need to fear."

Alien Sociologist, pushing aside the strands of hair falling over his eyes: "They have much to learn from us. Let's teach them not to destroy each other. When we visited their planet, other creatures were trying to protect their own kind rather than harming them."

Alien Astrophysicist: "Monkeys, which are very similar to humans, do not destroy each other."

Alien Biologist: "Let's learn their different aspects when we communicate with them."

Alien Sociologist: "They have differences from us. They also have emotions that work in coordination with their intellect."

Alien Astrophysicist: "What is an emotion?"

Alien Sociologist: "They would know better."

Alien Psychologist: "If it's a good thing, let's get some for ourselves."

Alien Geologist: "Perhaps the foundation of their conflicts and mutual destruction lies in their emotions..."

Alien Captain: "Remember their behaviors; embracing and hugging each other, touching cheek to cheek, lip to lip; joy, sorrow, tears... What were those behaviors about...?"

*

While they were discussing the purpose of the visitors' arrival on their planet and the potential dangers they might face, the crew of ErCi-7174 were observing and commenting on how friendship and peace were maintained among the inhabitants of this planet.

Date: June 16, 2055 Time: 11:00 Place: Orbit of the Lost Planet Log: Astrophysicist Mr. Barden spoke first: "I think they have invested their gains in education, culture, science, and art for the benefit of humanity. They haven't invested in armament."

Anthropologist Mr. Ganji: "If we had invested the money we spent on weapons in education, we could have been like them."

Sociologist Mr. Michel: "They might have modified the genes of the creatures on this planet, removing the genes of evil. They might have eliminated negative traits such as hatred, violence, pain, fear, sorrow, and tears."

Psychologist Ms. Jessica: "They have put an end to the emotionality we experience. They have integrated everything into their lives with common