First Stop - Sonij and We're in for a Treat

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. We are approaching the landing pad on Sonij. Please return your chairs to the upright position and strap on your restraining harnesses. The descent to the Sonij landing pad is always rough and bumpy due to the harsh alcohol atmosphere. Be sure you have on your protective suits and are wearing your breathers. If you do not have on your protective gear you will not be allowed to disembark. The Sonij atmosphere is caustic enough to burn the skin of any species other than native Sonijian.

Yes, Captain? One moment, ladies and gentlemen. Maggie, #$$%&***()^)(*& #$%^&&*****(*^^%$()_)(%^ Ladies and Gentlemen. I have exciting news. We just received a transmission from Morgan Taj Zephyrain. You may know her from the novel being released August 2, 2007 Earthdate entitled Prophecy of Vithan from Cerridwen Press.

It seems Morgan is in between assignments and has volunteered to give us a tour of two of her favorite places on her home world. She will take us to the Twenty-three Falls of Afji. (Yes I know. She may not be able to hear it, but you can applaud. Not many people ever get to see the falls no matter how long their life is.) Morgan has also said she will take us to the much talked about Sonij volcano. Yes, you will get to stand on the ridge of the only active volcano on Sonij.

Ah. We have landed. I see Morgan coming up the ramp. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Morgan Taj Zephyrain.

Good morning everyone. My name is Morgan. I am Sonij. As you can see I do not need to wear a protective suit or a breather. No, (what is her name?) No, Virginia it would not be wise for you take off your suit. Your eyes would melt, your lungs would ulcerate and your skin would burn off your bones. If you survived that, your brain would die from exposure to the equivalent to 7000 proof alcohol.
(What? Sonij children are told the truth. You want me to sugar coat it and let you deal with her parents when you deliver their daughter to them as a piece of fried fat? I didn’t think so.)
Before we go to my shuttle, I will show you the traditional Sonij greeting. The dropping to one knee indicates recognition of slavery. The one knee upright indicates the freedom we desire. Covering the face indicates the loss of home world and the pain we cannot show. The appropriate response to friends and family is covering one’s face and stating “My pain is diminished by the increase of my kin”. Yes, Virginia, very good.

My people, my generation were raised as slaves. As such our culture is filled with the reminders of what we were forced to endure. No, sir. We do not use the culture to make ourselves victims. Rather we use our culture to remind ourselves that we are strong and we can overcome anything. One of the sayings, much like Hello, is Sonij is pain. It means that to be Sonijian you must endure. No matter how much you want to quit and how much it hurts, you endure because you are Sonij and that is what we do.

Is everyone seated in the shuttle? Excellent. I am sorry I do not have the more technically advanced seats like StarBright. My shuttle is functional rather than luxurious. Just make sure you have your seat belts fastened.

We are coming up on the Twenty-three Falls of Afji. Yes, I know it has only been five minutes. And yes I know that normally it takes fifteen minutes to fly from the landing pad to the falls. That is why I told you to fasten your seat belt.

The falls were named for one of the first people created by the Ancients. Who has not heard the legend? Ah, most of you. The legend about the Twin Planet System goes like this. There was one huge planet, the Father Planet. It was hit by a meteor and split into two. The Ancients, a race from another dimension, terraformed the two largest pieces into planets and the remaining pieces into the thirteen moons. Each moon and planet had a different Ancient create it with its own uniqueness. Sonij was created by Estratite. She then created the Sonij people. Afji was one of the first women created. It is said that she gave birth to twenty three sons all at once and suffered so much pain that she melted into the water. The water has been black ever since.

As you can see the water is indeed black. All water on Sonij is black and is drinkable by Sonij people. No, it is not polluted. It is fresh water, just not the color you are used to. This pool is fed by the 23 falls that you can see above you. The water does not come from a spring in the mountains like on other planets, Earth in particular. The water simply comes from the ground up in 23 separate places and falls into the pond.

Yes, sir, there is fishing. However, most of the fish catch the people. The smallest recorded fish in this pool was 75 feet long and weighed 900 pounds. No ma’am. We do not eat the fish. Sonij are generally vegetarians. Why? Excuse me for laughing. Sonij are vegetarians because the meat animals here eat people.

It is getting late. Maggie has suggested that I take you to your ship where you will bunk overnight and take you to the volcano tomorrow. Yes, Virginia, scary things do come out at night.

If Maggie can get permission, perhaps I can take you all on a short detour to my club on Vithan, the Arena. Well, let’s get you back to your ship and I will start on the permits to have StarBright Tours come to my club.

images from the internet. If you do not wish me to use your image please contact me.
image of the planet from www.hubblesite.org