Message from the Stars to Mankind

We are watching you, mankind. We have been watching you for a long time. Why are you still sitting on your planet like ducks in a pond? Why are you not exploring the planets and the stars?

A thousand years is to us the buzzing of a passing fly. But even we can get impatient: when we see a race make a good beginning and then not follow up.

Something happened! A shiny little thing, a shaving of metal detached from Earth and flickered towards the moon. It landed on it and even took off again. Amazing! And it returned to Earth.

This happened several times. While it was quite rough it was a start! “Well done!”, we thought,”It’s a start! They will be getting better! We’ll have visitors. We’ll see an intelligent life form from up close.”

Earth Rise, seen from a fluttering, metal leaf called Apollo 8: high hopes

You even handled bad luck well. One of those little metal flakes blew up between Earth and moon. Not the whole thing. Just the main oxygen tank. Too bad you needed that oxygen to breathe outside of Earth.

But you made it. And we thought: this is the life form that is going to make it. After all those vain attempts by so many races: this is the race. This is the race. This is the race!

Apollo 13 with the blown oxygen tank - you are the race who can make it.

But you did not follow up!

We focused on Mars, expecting you to show up there in no time. It was the obvious next step. But you did not come. You even stopped going to the moon. You stopped all spacefaring.

No, that space shuttle does not count. Such a step back! What happened to you?

Mars is still waiting. You have to go. You have to prove your valor.

Take the necessary next step. Mars is waiting and he’s getting impatient. Don’t anger the God of War.

Why did you stop when you had just begun? Your future lies in space! Go! Go now!

You need the knowledge. Don’t be so intergalactically provincial. Stop being the petit bourgeoisie of physics. Take a look at grandeur, you scientifically stuttering….

You have not discovered anything since the moon landing. You think you have all the time in the world? We know you don’t. There is a window where a race can escape its planet for the freedom among the stars.

This is what you can get - all that space and all that beauty!

That window is closing and when it is shut is will not open again and you will die on your dying planet. Is that a future?

Don’t be safe. Take risk! Risk it all and you will win it all! Your future lies in space. Get up and fly. That beauty and richness up there is up for grabs.

Come to the stars, and get it!

Yours truly,

Pollux, Barnard’s Star, Beteigeuze, Fomalhaut, Alpha Centauri and 28 other stars.