The Living Planet Neuno
Last updated
Last updated
It’s no secret that the cosmos is filled with wonders, and even the most seasoned explorers can’t help but gasp in awe when contemplating a new piece of this infinity puzzle that we call our galaxy.
Nevertheless, a few of those pieces are so exotic and unique that they strain the imagination of most of the galaxy's citizens in trying to understand how such a wonderful or dreadful existence is possible. Those events are called singularities in our literature, something that defies the laws of creation precisely because they are not bound by their commandments, and Neuno, the Mierese living planet, is one of them.
Neuno history is shrouded in complete mystery up until the beginning of the Grand Tale one thousand years ago. In the Mierese tradition, their god sent them to this planet to prepare for the great mission that awaited their civilization in the stars. If they were to succeed and discover the secret to his prison, they would first need to master the deadly ecosystem that is Neuno.
As one can see, even this story doesn’t tell us much about how Neuno was created, or born, although it hints at the possibility of it being created specifically by the Mierese god to prepare his people for their quest.
Regardless, this is an impossibility considering the current technology, and the current hypothesis is that Neuno wasn’t always a living being, but something like a meteor, probably coming from the cataclysm, carrying the seed of this life form, and it started to fuse itself with the planet as it continued to grow.
This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that most of Neuno's organs and vital functions seem to come from the southern pole of the planet as if it started from there and then subsequently started expanding its structure to all corners of the planet.
In all fairness, a being the size of a planet is also not supposed to be possible, but the undeniable reality is that it exists and, in fact, has been living and breathing for at least three thousand years, as carbon dating suggests.
Aside from the mystery of its existence, most of Neuno's functions and biological traits remain a curious enigma, as it seems to reunite characteristics of different types of beings. Here are some examples:
First of all, it seems to gather part of its nutrition from the radiant blue sun of its star system, unequivocally doing a form of the photosynthesis breathing cycle, which helped shape the current atmosphere of the planet, which is rich in oxygen. Nevertheless, it’s currently unknown how the creature’s cycle works, as it’s consistently exposed to light and lacks any sort of other plant-based structures to transform carbon dioxide into energy.
Second, it has a very powerful immune system, which the Mierese have experienced since the first day they opened their eyes on their homeworld. As the Mierese society expanded, Neuno seemed to be taking more and more actions against them on various fronts.
Things like spontaneous tsunamis, droughts, diseases, and poisoned crops all have been attributed by our researchers as reactions of Neuno to the expansion of the Mierese society on the planet.
Finally, Neuno seems to “hibernate” for a few months every year when the planet is more distant from the blue sun of the star system in its yearly cycle.
When this happens, the verdant jungles of Neuno give place to desolaces of dust and grass. Enormous native animals leave the surface and find shelter underground. It’s also tangible for anyone living inside the planet that the pace of life itself gets slower, as if the entire ecosystem was, at the same time, saving its strengths.
Aside from those curious environmental conditions, the Mierese planet is mostly composed of jungle-like biomes and high temperatures due to the warmth of its sun. Any expedition to the wild parts of the planet reveal forests full of deadly species that hunt and stalk their prey.
As one can imagine, this has had profound effects on the Mierese, who have become extremely adaptable in order to survive in challenging environments.
Also, due to the harsh conditions of the environment, the Mierese have had to organize themselves into small groups which were easier to move and keep fed during drastic environmental changes. This is somewhat easier nowadays due to the efficiency of their technology, but still, this fundamental worry still exists in every Mierese soul.
To be a Mierese is to know that everything outside of your group is dangerous and is trying to get you. This mentality, although partially blunted in the current peaceful age, is still deeply embedded in the Mierese culture.
With all of these conditions, one might think the Mierese would be wary of strangers. That would actually be the case if not for a fortuitous meeting in the distant past.
When the Mierese were nearly annihilated by the planet's increasingly harsh conditions, a group of benevolent space explorers from an unknown civilization came to Neuno. The group helped the Mierese by terraforming part of Neuno and advancing their scientific knowledge.
This group of explorers also set the basis for the first intergalactic travels of the Mierese. Once their work was done and the Mierese started their journey among the stars, the benevolent aliens left to never be seen again.
All details of this fateful encounter are recorded in the Grand Tale, which taught the Mierese a great lesson about helping other beings and cooperation.
With an understanding of this unique background, we are finally ready to dive into the core of the Mierese soul.
