Alien Chopit Episode 0: The Beginning of the Journey

The Beginning of the Journey

When the sky was faintly dyed pink, as the first moon set on this side, as if waiting for that moment, the second moon appeared from over there.

This is Pipit, a small planet on the edge of a nameless galaxy.
In the middle of that planet, there is a large hole, wide open like a donut.
And as for what is inside that hole... it was filled to the brim with a rainbow that had descended from the sky.
The rainbow changed colors from blue to purple, purple to orange, and orange to green, expanding and contracting slowly and gently, just like the belly of a cat sleeping soundly.

...And then.
The light began to dance up with a soft swishing sound from time to time, and Chopit stretched his neck as if to say, 'I've been waiting for this!'

Chopit, a Pipit alien.
From the fluffy hood that Chopit wears, Chee-Chee, a violet-colored little bird, popped its head out.
'Do you need something, Chee-Chee?'

Chee-Chee is a knowledgeable little bird that knows everything, invented by the greatest inventor on planet Pipit, 'Dr. Mokellano Zelphanius Quazillion Lilindaria Signals Delta Omega-non', called the 'Chot-Chee-Chee-Chee'.

'Oh, no, that's not it! When this light starts dancing up with a swish, it's the signal that Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe are coming!'
Chopit said, pointing to the hole.

'Chee-chee...'
Chee-Chee rolls its round eyes and thinks.
'Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe are whales that connect stars, Chee-Chee.
At the center of the planet, there is a tunnel called the 'Core Road', made by gathering the energy of the universe...'

It was then.
Just when the rainbow-colored light seemed to swell up with a soft glow,
Shalalalaran!
With a sound like stars spilling over, two large heads appeared... Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe, the whales.

'Hello, Chopit!'
'It's been a while!'

Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe said in clear, singing voices.

'Mr. Bel Canto, Mr. Orphe, hello!
What kind of planet did you go to this time? Hurry, hurry! I want to hear the story!'
Chopit said, his round tail glowing as if he couldn't wait.

Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe are star travelers who connect stars and travel between them.
Chopit always loved hearing stories about unknown planets from these two.

'Ho ho ho! Well, wait a moment.'
'Today, for Chopit...'
'We have a wonderful souvenir...'
'For you~'

Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe said that, took out a golden, shining round plate, and placed it gently in front of Chopit.

'It's beautiful! What is this!'

It looked like a plate.
It also looked like a full moon.
But it was a little different from both.

There was a small hole in the center.
And on the surface of the plate, thin lines were carved in many circles.
That was not all.
There was also a case filled with symbols and pictures I had never seen before.

'We found it...'
'On our way here...'

Mr. Bel Canto and Mr. Orphe sang.

“A story from a long, long time ago—”
“Sent by some star—”
“Into the universe—”
“A message—”

“A… message… to the universe…?”
Chopit’s eyes sparkled.

“Chee-chee… speaking of ‘messages to the universe,’ there is a legend that a long, long time ago, some star sent a golden message to friends far away they had never met, saying, ‘We are here,’ chee-chee.”

“That golden message—”
“Is still traveling—”
“Through the universe—”
“Or maybe it isn’t—”

“C-could it be…”
Chopit gulped.
“Could this… be that message?!”

“How romantic—”
“It’s so romantic—”

After saying just that in a singing voice, Professor Belcanto and Professor Orphe made a shimmering sound and dove back deep into the hole of the rainbow.

Chopit stared at the round golden plate once more.
He felt as if someone he had never met was on the other side of it.

“‘Legends’ are more likely to be made-up stories than facts, chee-chee. I wouldn’t recommend believing in them too much, chee-chee.”
Chee-chee said, pointing his yellow beak.

But Chopit said,
“But if it’s true, it’s exciting!”
And with that, he ran off.
“Geez!”
Chee-chee, who didn’t seem very keen on it, had no choice but to follow him.

Chopit arrived at the laboratory of Dr. Mokerano-Zelfanius-Quazillion-Lilindaria-Signals-Delta-Omega-Non.

“Wait, what… seriously?! No way!”
Dr. Mokerano, wearing a rainbow-colored hood, said excitedly the moment he saw the symbols and pictures drawn on the case.
“You guys, this might actually be the real deal!”

It seemed the symbols and pictures on the case were instructions for this round golden plate.
Dr. Mokerano gathered various tools from his drawers, such as:
One screw.
Two lenses.
Three glowing pipes… and so on, and completed a playback device.
Then, he carefully set the round golden plate in place.

What was projected from it was—

The scenery of that star.
The living things on that star.
The sounds of that star.
Language.
Greetings.
Music.
And delicious-looking food.

The legend was true.
Across an unimaginable amount of time, the message that this star wanted to convey had finally arrived here.

For a while, Chopit and the others just silently stared at the blue, beautiful star projected there.

Eventually, Chopit adjusted his hood and said,

“I want to send a reply to this star!”

…This was the beginning of Chopit’s journey.
To friends far away he had never met.
This time, he would be the one to deliver a “reply”—

ーーーーーーーー

*The "Golden Message" that appeared this time was inspired by the "Golden Record" sent from Earth into space in 1977.

The Golden Record contains music, greetings, natural sounds, and photographs from Earth.

If someday, it reaches someone somewhere in the universe---.
And if that someone replies---.

Chopit's story began with such an imagination.
I would be very happy if you continue to read it from here on out.