What a Sunny Day (January 27, 2021)
The sun was about to explode. But the residence of Messier 52.3 or as the residence of this particular southern Millay Way solar system called it Messer Bright, ere not aware of their impending doom. Of course they and the Central Four Planet Government, the people who ran the four planets and their societies orbiting star 16172481.1232 the solar system's sun. Had been told about the impending explosion by a scientist named Alferdidnot Postance. But of course he was laughed off the stage by both the government officials and his colleagues. They laughed at him saying, “the sun has never exploded before! Why would it explode now you nincompoop!?”
Alferdidnot Postance fled the four main planets and died in disgrace on an asteroid in the outer rim of the Messer Bright solar system. After his death everyone joked about the crazy man, then his prediction was immediately forgotten. Everyone moved on with their lives for many years.
Daryl was a Zapzap farmer on planet 2; Named so because it was the second planet from the sun. The Zapzap fruit was the pride of the Messer Bright settlers. Because as the Settlers said, “them dar fruit don not grow no place else in the whole wide universe.” This was a lie, it grew naturally in other places but was indeed most common on the four Messer Bright planets.
The taste and texture of the fruit is most accurately described as “compressed wheat flour mixed with the iron powder, liquid bleach added for flavor, and cough medicine for the smell and aftertaste. All added to make a fruit that was a sickly orange green color both inside and out. The fruit was the pride and joy of the entire system.
Daryl spit out his chewing tobacco. Yes, even in this modern world, when ships can cross galaxies in minutes. The average human lifespan is 225 years. The human empires have conquered, explored, and terraformed nearly every planet in the Milky Way. Some habits like tobacco still exist much to the dismay of the public health officials back on Earth.
Daryl began his slow trudge up and down the Zapzap growths, well looking up and grumbling at the strangely bright sun. The fruit had been growing unusually well this year. They thrived on sunlight and heat.
The farmer grumbled in enjoyment. He was getting on in his years. Again he looked up towards the sun. It was too bright, and too hot. “I hate this weather!” He called his wife who was sitting on the porch.
“Don’t complain! It’s good for fruit!" She yelled at him.
Daryl shook his head, “she don’t know noth’in.” He looked up again now thoroughly annoyed.
“CARALIN! THE SUN IS TOO DAMN BRIGHT!!” He screamed.
Moments after these words were spoken the surface, then the core, then the opposite side of planet 2 was turned into superheated plasma. The president of the Central Four Planet Government was sitting in his dining room reading the news on his tablet. The final words he read of his tablet were, ‘interstellar weather looks like it might be hot today. But overall an excellent time to enjoy the sun no matter what planet you're on.”
The entire solar system was reduced down to super heated plasma in a matter of minutes. Thankfully not a single resident of the entire system died being scared. Because all of them knew that the sun could never explode and thus they would be fine.
The final message ever to be sent from the Messer Bright system was found when the Earth authorities were trying to figure out how something this obvious had been missed. The very last message ever sent was from the MBS Flamma Consumpsit. A space ship that was just about to be leaving the Messer Bright system. The message read “what a sunny day today.”