The Worry Doll

Throughout history, there where ancient alien civilizations that arrived as refugees escaping war from their home planets. They were greeted by earths natives whom were in their primitive state. In all parts of the world, the alien refugees exchanged knowledge of technology for knowledge of the landscape. They hid their spaceships within the large temples. Overtime, the refugees began to adapt to life on earth and slowly forgot about their origins. They blended in with world.  However, there were till a select few that kept their linage clean from human DNA. 

They worked closely with government military and aided in the destruction of the world. 

When the atomic bomb was created, the technology came from the aliens. 

The world began to fall. Nations bombed away at each other to gain power over them all. Destruction of the planet became initiable. 

The aliens began to come together and flee in their ships hidden away in the temples. Of course, the aliens weren’t the only ones leaving earth. With enough money and power, select elite were boarded on their ships and rocket ships all over the world. Leaving behind the victims of wars that were not theirs to begin with. Thousands of people tried to get on those fleeing ships and with no luck. Their fate was sealed. 

            I could feel my heart racing from the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I gripped the steering handles of the jet. It was my first time flying a military galactic fighter jet for the military of my home planet of Itzamani. A planet that was inhabited by a civilization that once were decedents of the human race.  

            I was captivated by the beauty of the celestial bodies I flew past. Mesmerized by the colors of the galactic dust clouds surrounding the stars. As a small child I would look up at the night sky, hypnotized by the stars through the tiny window inside the concrete room at the military academy. They were the only thing that got me through the feeling of being alone after being reaped from my home on my 6th birthday like all the other born into poverty children on Itzamani. 

            Naviga. ting through the asteroid field it was crucial for us to pay attention to our radar to avoid slipping into a wormhole. The sergeant made it clear to us to not lose focus otherwise 

“Going through one of those fucking things will either it will kill you or stranded on some piece of shit side of the universe where enemies will kill you. Either way your dead” His words stuck to the back of my head as I was trying to manage my attention on the radar and the others. 

            Then things took a turn for the worst. The magnetic field was shifting and the asteroids were going in a new direction. I enabled my protective shield for the jet. 

“IXCHEL SHIELD UP NOW! THAT’S AN ORDER!” 

He yelled through the jets transmitter. 

“I’m trying to Captain but its not holding up!” I respond in a panic.

“SOLDIER LOOK AHEAD TURN RIGHT THERE IS A WORMHOLE RIGHT…”

His voice turns to static and everything turns black. 

There I was, sitting unconscious inside the cockpit of my crashed galactic fighter jet. A small fire had erupted behind the control stick causing a trail of white smoke to creep up my nostrils. I gasped for air. My body went into shock as I breathed heavily to gain control over myself. I jolted my body up as I unlocked the latch to the cockpit falling to the hard ground. I crawled across foreign soil trying to balance myself to stand up. My vision was still blurry. The sunlight was making my eyes hurt and dizzy. 

The sun was hanging high up in the light blue sky. I finally gathered enough strength to try to get myself up again but I just laid there looking up at the sun. 

“where am I?” I asked myself. I lift my wrist close to my face to start searching my location on my coordinator. After running its diagnostics. 

ERROR. GALAXY DOES NOT EXIST. 

“what do you mean doesn’t fucking exist, am I dead or something is this a stupid joke these idiots are pulling on me?”

Kicking and screaming as I yell into the air. 

I get up to check the jets diagnostics to check how damaged it was and see if I was able to fix it myself with whatever material I can find around. 

When the computer ran diagnostics it indicated there was metal material nearby I could use to fix the dashboard wiring damaged from the fire. 

After getting some relief that there could be a possibility of leaving and not being stranded, I was able to take a deep breathe and then I realized something. The air was so fresh and crisp, which was something foreign. On Itzamani there was no natural oxygen, it had to be genetically created and recycled. Then there were the sounds of tiny creatures that sung in a beautiful melody that I’ve never heard before. In the distance, there is a small hill that could help me examine the area a little bit more. As I walked to the top of the hill, there were these small little creatures with colorful wings flying in sync creating that unforgettable melody. I started to feel less alone. 

When I got to the top of the hill I saw a structure that was not too far off into the distance. 

As I got closer to the structure, I began to sense that something was off. 

There were hundreds of vehicles lined up perfectly on behind the other, facing towards the entrance of the structure. Closer to the entrance of the structure there were some vehicles that looked as if they were trying to force their way into the gated area. There were parts of the gray rusted metal fence that were torn down to the ground from the vehicles crashing into them. There was a message that was carved into one of the vehicles, “HUMANITY FELL WHENTHE ATOMIC BOMB WAS CREATED” It sent a chill down my spine and began to feel uneasy. Personal belongings were scattered over the area of the abandon vehicles. Looked like they had been abandoning for quite some time. I began to wonder why these people were trying to force their way into this building. What happened to these people. Why were they so desperate to get into this building?

            “Don’t lose focus, I came to get what I need and go” I whisper to myself. I take out a small tool kit from my pocket and start to take apart the control panel inside one the vehicles. After removing the black screen wires pop out and its exactly what I need to fix the jet radio transmitter. By the time I started checking one of the engines the sun starts to set. I decided to save the rest of the scavenger hunt for the morning. I start to check one by one what I could use to make shelter and keep warm overnight. I came across many pictures of families, clothes and shoes. Most of the vehicles had the same writing on the front and back plates. 

CALFORNIA

Rummaging through more foreign things, I found a little doll that was no bigger than an inch in the back seat of one of the vehicles. The head had no facial expression, the arms, legs and body were constructed by thin bent wire that was tighty wrapped in red and yellow string. It had a small piece of textile that wrapped around its waist and black string for hair that was secured with a red string for a headband. I found the tiny little doll comforting. 

            The sun finally went down and the stars flooded the night sky. I laid close to the fire staring up at the endless sea of white lights flickering above me wondering if my crew was looking for me. I took the little doll out of my pocket and thought about the child that it belonged to. Back on Itzamani I got forced into military training because my parents couldn’t afford to take care of me and they got compensated for me. One those lonely nights I would look out my tiny little window and dream of the possibilities of what life was like outside in the galaxies outside of Itzamani. There were no colorful things on her home planet. It was always cold. 

            My mind was flooded with the endless questions that made me so restless. Without thinking I rubbed the tiny doll between my fingers against the coarse texture of the fabric and strings. When suddenly I feel a small piece of rolled paper tucked gently underneath the skirt. I unrolled the litte piece of paper and in small print it says TELL YOUR SORROWS AND FEARS TO YOUR WORRY DOLL AND PLACE IT UNDER YOUR PILLOW WHEN YOU SLEEP. REST PEACEFULLY, YOUR WORRY DOLL WILL PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU SLEEP. 

I stared into the faceless doll and whisper “I am scared I am destined to be forever desolate and alone”

At the break of down I decided to go into the structure to find out why it was so important to get inside the gated area. I found a cracked window on the side of the structure into a vacant room. I squeeze through the opening and walk through the room leading to a main hallway where there are light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Room by room I find that they are all trashed with debris. Tables and desk are on their sides. I continue walking down the hall where double doors are waiting for me to open them up. Kicking them open I am walk into a control room with black screens wall to wall and what looks like old technology from long ago. 

            Maybe there is a way for me to check to see if there is any data that I can pull up to get a better idea of whatever happened here. I found a small little plug in and connect my adapter that shapes itself to fit perfectly. It takes a couple minutes to process and access the files that were stored in the back up drive when I finally come across the last recording of the control room. 

            “there are people outside of the gates trying to get on base” a man’s voice trembled in fear and sadness.  Another man’s voice responded “we can’t take everyone with us and you know that, we have to go before they close the doors to the ship, they’re firing the bombs any moment and need to launch now otherwise no one will survive!” The recording ends after the explosion. 

            I took out the worry doll from my pocket thinking of the child that once held this little thing. Thinking of how me and this child had shared one unfortunate thing in common. We were both victims of war. The urgency to go back to Itzamani disappeared.