Listen to the audioblog (1451 words)
The Voyager
The Starlight Voyager hummed as it cut through the endless black of space. Its sleek hull shimmered under the light of distant stars, its powerful engines off, a silver solar sail pulling them towards their destination. Inside, the crew stood at the observation window, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the galaxy stretching out before them.
At the helm stood Captain Kai, his tan California face turned toward the vast unknown. He rested one hand on the steel railing, the other gripping his board—a custom surfboard designed for the monster alien waves they hoped to find. Around him, the chatter of his crew buzzed with excitement and anticipation.
“We didn’t leave Earth because it failed us,” Kai said, his voice firm and steady. “We left because it couldn’t hold us.”
The words hung in the air for a moment before Mara, one of the younger woman surfers, let out a sharp laugh. “Couldn’t hold us, or couldn’t handle us?”
He grinned, spinning his board in his hands. “Earth doesn’t know what it’s missing.”
Kai smirked but didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the stars. Out there, somewhere, was Colossus—their destination. A planet of myth, it was said to be home to the largest waves in the galaxy, a place where the ocean and sky danced in harmony. It was more than just a legend to Kai—it was their future
Earth’s Last Waves
Before the Starlight Voyager, there was Earth. And Earth, for all its beauty, had grown tired. The oceans, once vast and untamed, were now choked with waste and crowds. Waves no longer roared with the ferocity they once held, their energy sapped by rising tides and a flood of people.
Kai had grown up by the sea, his childhood filled with the rhythm of the waves and the salt in his hair. But as he grew older, he watched as the beaches of his youth became graveyards for plastics and trash and overrun with development and crowds escaping the inland heat and fires. The waves, once his sanctuary, became a reminder of everything humanity had lost.
It was on one of those dying beaches, under a smog-choked sunset, that the idea for the Starlight Voyager was born.
Recruitment
The golden light filtered weakly through the haze, casting a dull glow over the crowded beach. Kai stood near the shoreline, his board stuck upright in the sand behind him. Around him, a small group had gathered, their faces a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
“We’re leaving,” Kai said simply, his voice carrying over the distant crash of muted waves. “The ocean’s too crowded, and it’s only gonna get worse. But out there,” he pointed to the horizon, “there’s something else. A wave so big, so alive, it’s calling to us.”
The crowd shifted uneasily. Some muttered to themselves; others simply shook their heads. One surfer, an old man with a leathery face, stepped forward.
“You think you can just leave?” the man asked, his tone sharp. “Go gallivanting off into the stars while the rest of us are stuck here, cleaning up your mess?”
Mara, standing nearby, stepped in. “You see anyone else trying to fix this place?” She gestured to the litter-strewn beach, the oil-slicked water. “This isn’t about running away. It’s about finding something better.”
The old surfer snorted and walked away, shaking his head. Others followed, their disbelief outweighing their curiosity. But a few lingered—young men and women with the same fire Kai remembered feeling as a boy.
“Look,” Kai said, softening his tone, “this isn’t just about surfing. It’s about living. About chasing something bigger than ourselves.”
Slowly, one by one, they stepped forward. But only a few.
The Departure
The launch of the Starlight Voyager was supposed to be a quiet affair. No crowds, no cameras. Just a small crew carrying their boards and their dreams as they boarded the ship. But as they prepared to leave a storm rolled in, pelting the ship with rain and filling the sky with lightning. When the engines roared to life, the beach was packed with people, many regretting their decision to stay. Of letting their fear of the unknown hold them back. But within moments, they were gone, leaving Earth and its fading waves behind.
In the days that followed, the crew settled into life aboard the ship. They trained with their boards, practiced on simulated waves, and shared stories of the beaches they had known. For many, this was their first time away from Earth. For all of them, it was their first taste of true freedom.
Kai spent most of his time at the helm, guiding the ship through the vast expanse of space. Mara often joined him, her youthful energy a constant reminder of why they had left.
“You really think it’s out there?” Mara asked one evening, looking out a porthole.
“I don’t think,” Kai replied, his eyes fixed on the stars. “I know.”
Colossus
It was two months before they found a black hole near Saturn that might lead to the mythical planet. In the spirit of adventure they all agreed to see where it led, even though they might not be able to come back. The ocean world appeared on their sensors first, a glowing blue-green orb surrounded by twin suns. As the ship approached, the crew gathered at the observation window, their breaths catching as the planet came into view.
Colossus was everything they had dreamed of and more. Its vivid oceans stretched endlessly, their azure surfaces shimmering with bioluminescent light. Massive waves rose and fell like liquid mountains, their crests brushing the clouds. It was alive, vibrant, untamed. It was a lush planet full of water and life.
“Is that it?” one of the crew members asked, his voice trembling with awe.
Kai nodded. “That’s it. The home of the largest waves in the galaxy.”
The ship descended through the atmosphere, landing on an island surrounded by the vast ocean. The crew disembarked, boards in hand, as they took their first steps onto their new world.
The Ride
The waves were unlike anything they had ever seen. They roared with a ferocity that shook the ground beneath their feet, yet their movements were graceful, almost deliberate. The water glowed faintly, lighting the surfers as they prepared to ride.
Kai stood at the edge of the platform, his board under one arm. He turned to the crew, a wide grin on his face.
“This is why we left,” he said. “This is what we came for. Let’s ride.”
They cheered him on. “Ride, Captain, Ride!”
Mara was the first to leap into the water, her board igniting with a burst of light as it touched the surface. One by one, the others followed, their laughter and cheers echoing across the waves.
The first wave rose, massive and imposing, its crest glowing brighter as it approached. Mara flew down the face of the massive wave with ease, her movements fluid and precise. Kai followed close behind, his years of experience guiding him as he danced along the wave’s edge.
The New Beginning
The ride was everything they had hoped for and more. It was freedom, adventure, life itself. The crew spent hours on the water, riding wave after wave, their joy uncontainable.
As the twin suns began to set, casting the ocean in hues of gold and indigo, the crew gathered on the island. They sat around a small fire, their boards resting nearby, as they watched the waves continue their endless dance against a star filled sky.
“Think they’ll write songs about us?” Mara asked, grinning as she leaned back against Kai’s shoulder.
“They won’t need to,” Kai replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “We’re writing them ourselves.”
The crew laughed, their voices carrying across the water. In the distance, a massive wave began to rise, glowing brighter than any they had seen before. Kai stood, his board in hand, and turned to the crew.
“One more?” he asked.
The response was immediate—a resounding cheer as the crew grabbed their boards and ran toward the bioluminescent waters.
Guide to the Wave Riders of the Galaxy:
What did the wave riders leave Earh
They were seeking new adventures and wanted to ride the largest waves in the galaxy. The oceans had also become polluted and were very crowded.
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2 responses to “Wave Riders of the Galaxy”
Very well done Brian.
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