PRAY FOR OUR SOULS

It was a strange, exciting and sad day for us when my team found a time capsule dated 1975 who’s items inside were from 2025 on Earth One. We had been commissioned by the Council of Elders to return to Earth One as it was called for an exploratory scientific expedition. We were to determine if Earth One was habitable once again after the catastrophic atomic war created by human error, misunderstanding and political callousness in the year 2026 causing the end of ends of human life on the planet.

It was a voluntary mission for us. We knew the sensor’s data bursts we were receiving on a periodic basis our forefathers installed upon the Moon’s surface enroute to Mars in late 2025 before Earth One was decimated, was on the infant stages of self-healing. Levels in breathable air were increasing as was the decrease in radiation levels that once saturated Earth One’s atmosphere, land and water. The risk was high for us because the last data burst received from Earth One’s moon was over six hundred years ago in Earth Two’s time.

After an extensive testing of Earth One’s atmosphere and radiation levels we donned our light

carbon fiber landing suits, helmets and unloaded the ‘Beast’ (the all purpose vehicle fitted with instruments, location sensors, exterior cameras and temporary living quarters for five people for up to two weeks among other essential items).

I drove the ‘Beast’ through the rubble and overgrown vegetation that was once a city called Cleveland in a state called Ohio. Chosen as a landing site for its symbolic nature which we were not privy to.

I stopped when it became impossible to drive the ‘Beast’ any further. At the ‘Beast’s’ door we stopped and for a long moment and stood in silence looking at each other with a rather blank stare. We had landed on what was once our home planet. Where the Elders came from, where all of our present lineage could be traced back to. It was a somber yet exciting moment. I unlocked the door.

The sky was a soft amber color with the sun appearing as an white hazy orb. A slight breeze ruffled the surrounding foliage. Our land suit’s interior sensors indicated the air was breathable yet I instructed the others to keep their helmets on. As we walked through what was once a thriving city the lack of noise struck me. I stopped as did everyone else. No one said anything for I believe we were all mesmerized by the stark silence enveloping all of us. At that moment an overwhelming feeling of empathy, pity, love, regret, sadness and loneliness swept over me. Here I was on Earth One standing where once people, like me, walked, loved, laughed and lived. What inhuman force could create man to slaughter man? It was then I felt my tears forming. Without thinking I removed my helmet. I didn’t hear the panicked shouts from the others to put my helmet back on. Instead, I inhaled deeply and felt the cool rush of air fill my lungs. I laughed then as the others followed suit.

An hour later we came across what we thought was the time capsule.

Luke, our biologist, was taking samples of various vegetation that had grown over the centuries when he pulled upon a large root which gave way to the discovery of rubble. When he cleared more of the vegetation there it was, the concrete square with the numbers 1975 chiseled upon it’s concrete surface sitting askew upon some mound of dirt. It took us about an hour to clear away the various branches, roots, soil, pieces of concrete rubble and vegetation to be able to pull out and see exactly what Luke had found. .

All five of us stood looking down at the concrete box before Luke took his laser and melted the edges of the aluminum lid. I reached down and lifted up the surprisingly light lid and set it aside.

Lying in the bottom of the box was:

A folded newspaper. A small notebook. A laptop computer. An electrical cord. Several memory sticks or USB data storage devices.

I knelt down and picked up the folded newspaper and unfolded it very carefully to avoid it from crumbling.

DISASTER! NO PEACE IN SIGHT! It was dated July 24, 2025

I lifted the paper up so everyone could see it and the recognize the importance of the date. Very,

gingerly I set the paper down and picked up the notebook.

The front and back covers were titanium. When I opened it there were several pages made of

titanium. Upon each were etched various information. “Well? Read the first one,” Luke said.

“To whoever reads this. You have found the cornerstone to the Fredrick D. Douglas building

located at 1975 Euclid Avenue. Replaced on July 23, 2025 by the Free Masons of Cleveland,

Ohio. May whoever reads this pray for our souls.”

Darr Reitknecht

@Doma95

PRAY FOR OUR SOULS

Doma95