Microstory 645: Death of an Ocean

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You will recall that the planet of Kesliperia was once orbiting a single star in an otherwise empty system. There were no asteroid, comets, or other orbitals. There was just Kesliperia, and its sun. Then one day, a second sun suddenly came into existence, with no rhyme or reason. Scientists never did figure out where the star came from, or how it arrived in the area. It did have a drastic effect on the planet. At geologically impossible speeds, the topography of the planet began to shift. Mountains rose from the ground out of nowhere, and new oceans separated the continents. The gravitational pull from this new star was enough to throw just about everything we know about physics out the window. This is not the only change that Kesliperia would have to endure, however. According to original eido, Mateo, the Sword of Assimilation is a fickle and unpredictable object. It randomly shifts between realities, time periods, and branes, without any provocation. Apparently, if in the possession of someone, it can remain where it is, but if that owner loses it briefly, they may find themselves without it forever. By this phenomenon, the Sword of Assimilation—after centuries—finally reappeared to our people, this time on none other than Kesliperia. We do not know where it came from, or where it’s been this whole time, or really, if any time has passed for it at all. We were just grateful to have it back...but it did not come without its cost. It evidently brought with it some kind of technology with which we here in Fostea are not familiar. Soon after the Sword was removed from it, the planet’s surface transformed once again. The oxygen suddenly disappeared from its atmosphere. Again, we don’t know where it went; just how it affected the world. This caused many terrible things to happen to Kesliperia, namely the destruction of every single living creature, but it also managed to fulfill a taikon. With no oxygen to create its liquid form, the hydrogen in the oceans evaporated, and bled into outer space. If this sounds familiar, history buffs might realize that this is not the first time something like this has happened—though, this time, it happened much faster. There was no time to evacuate the world, or do anything to protect themselves. The Kesliperians in both nations, even after having recently found peace between them, all died. Of course, Lightseers rejoiced, for this was foretold in the Book of Light. Even better, this was not the only effect the Sword of Assimilation—or whatever it brought with it—had on on our faith. It also somehow managed to tidally lock the planet with its new sun.