Planet Work

Planet Work by Forest Dana, age 12

Scientists have discovered the orange mountainous planet of Elyrion. The planet has a very fresh smell, and whenever you walk, the leaves crunch beneath your feet. There is also moist foliage around the planet, making you soaked as you walk. The temperature of the planet is -20° which is why most of the inhabitants have thick fur and are warm-blooded. The animals have learned to survive on land and have to shelter in the trees since there’s a 5 foot layer of “water” on the ground produced by the foliage. Since the “water” has not become frozen, some people are considering using it for all-year lakes. There is also a thick atmosphere making it habitable to humans provided that they wear a helmet. Scientists have yet to test the water for toxins, but if it isn’t toxic, this could improve earth tremendously. The material was discovered in the core of the planet. This was like the core of the earth except it was room temperature. If they harvest it, it would power Earth for eternity, but this poses the question of if this is the ethically correct option. If this material is extracted, it could cause critical dangers to Elyrion by raising the temperature. This could cause the death of major species on the planet which in the best case would restructure the food chain and overall ecosystem. And worst-case cause the planet to be another dead Barren Rock Planet like the others that came before it.

68 Cartoons for all eternity • Caricaturas por toda la eternidad