TRL 6

¹The traveler steps out of the door of the vessel. ²This world is gray, and stormy, with mighty cities extending past the horizon, reflective blacks and jagged towers as far as her eyes can see. ³And despite the fierce wind against her back, she finds comfort in the view. ⁴The traveler notices the representative, facing away from her, looking down, at the streets below. ⁵“Impressive.” ⁶The representative does not turn, but flinches slightly at the traveler’s words. ⁷“I know who you are, traveler. ⁸I didn’t think you’d ever end up here.” ⁹She sees that the representative is a warrior, worn down from ages of conflict, but undeniably human, quite like herself. ¹⁰But the traveler’s age shows, too, in her eyes, especially, because although the vessel is remarkable, the journey has been long. ¹¹The traveler laughs. ¹²“I try to come around.” ¹³“Can you help us? ¹⁴This world is failing. ¹⁵We have so much, but our humanity is dying. ¹⁶I am afraid.” ¹⁷The wind howls loudly, sweeping through the rusted metal spires surrounding them. ¹⁸“Yes, I can help you, dear representative. ¹⁹I hope you’ll be impressed with what I have to offer.” ²⁰The representative glances back at the traveler. ²¹“Can I ask you something, mighty traveler? ²²In all of your travels, did you ever find it? ²³I think you know what I mean.” ²⁴“Yes, I think I see it now. ²⁵Not all of it, no, I doubt that’s possible, and I’m sure you see parts of it, too. ²⁶And I’m only human, so I can’t promise perfection, but I can promise that I will try. ²⁷And I’m speaking to you, dear humans of this world, because if you can see it, too, then your world can heal, and you will be greater than you could possibly dream. ²⁸I don’t know what I did to deserve my journey and my vessel. ²⁹But I know that I must help you, and if I die trying then I will die, being grateful to have been at your service. ³⁰Because yes, I see it, dear representative, and some days it’s as cloudy as the storms of this world, but other days it’s as clear as the sky back home. ³¹Oh, god, if only you could see the sky back home.” ³²By now, the traveler is crying, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the moment, but the representative does not look into her eyes, only down, at the streets below. ³³“Continue, please, traveler, I am listening.”