THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE
WINTER 2021-22
COVER ART BY SYNCLAIR SANDERS MARISSA MYONG
DECAY
Synclair Sanders
Nicole Hur
Firefly Nicole Hur In sleeping hours, we shed our clothes—peel away soft cotton for skin. Let the steamed summer air settle over our bodies like powdered sugar like snow. I do not know who we are exactly— just enough to keep from vanishing. A jar of flickering, we glow like persimmons in the fresh lace of winter. Never eaten, never gone.
Jeannette Kim
The story of men whose livelihood has existed in a world called “The Atlas” blocked off by massive un-ascended mountain ranges and no comprehension of a world beyond. Three teens and their fellow compatriots escape from the misery of existence and dire circumstances to see the world beyond, conquer themselves, and ascend into their desires. The Ascension [Excerpt] Elim Kalilov “Good morning gentleman,” said the trader. “It's night .. sir?” I spoke. “Sure damn it is. We’ve got to get going quickly before dawn, so give me the money you owe.” “996,997,998,999,1000. That's good. Here you’ll need this necklace for a few months—for Bankhar to get used to you guys —it spreads a smell signaling allies. Be careful as I have cared for this baby well.” The dog looked directly into my eyes, its pupils the size of my entire head and neck. I could see myself in them like a glass window. It then licked me, making me a gooey mess. The man then started heading out. I was worried about the sheer size of this dog as it was much larger than what I had expected. It was the size of a truck at only 2 years old. But Bankhar and Alisa played together like a girl and a dog, except it was more like a mammoth playing with a baby.
We started equipping for dawn at 7 am sharp. Reason being, The Atlas was safest to travel when the sun rose and the deadliest of the beasts went into sleep. “No idiots are gonna come charging towards this monster,” said Atlan. “I’ve heard a rumor that its bones can even withstand heavy artillery.” “Jeez,” said Atlan. “Yahoo!” Alisa yelled as she jingled around Bankhar. I thought an animal would move around like a dog and make us feel unsafe since an animal weighing tons moving around is not something anyone is up for. But Bankhar played as gracefully as a mother with her baby. We slept on the top of the saddle of Bankhar as all our camping gear was well equipped and attached to the edges of the saddle. We've really got to give a lot of thanks to Mr. Mike, our martial arts teacher. We all then yelled “ AHHHH!!” and then knocked on the ropes attached to Bankhar's neck. “LET'S GO!” I smiled, while all of us sat on the sides of the saddle attached with restraints. We roared through the pathway ahead with Bankhar moving sure like a dog and panting around.
“It's amazing isn't it?” Atlan spoke. “The best thing I have felt.” “So are we finally out … out?” Alisa spoke. We just both smiled at her. She looked at her palm and smiled back and held onto a camera. “KIMCHI!” she spoke. Atlan and I, with peace signs and the biggest smiles in the world, took a picture.
Camera Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Aperture F1.8 Focal Length 4.25mm No Flash ISO 32 exposure time 1/8850s
Disclipse(disk.eclipse) Kyra Jun
I was awestruck to have experienced such an unbelievable phenomenon using a tool anyone can quickly obtain at home. With just a floppy disk, I witnessed a partial solar eclipse that is difficult to see once in a lifetime.
Time for Nature Kyra Jun Manya, effortlessly glides through the water as she controls her silken fins. They shimmer in a bright electric yellow, fluttering in the light, contrasting perfectly with her black stripes. Her flawless navigation through the tank’s jungle of aqua plants makes it hard to believe that she is blind. Manya is my 9 year-old African cichlid and she’s beautiful. But beneath her beauty lies a ferocious beast. Manya has eliminated all of her tank mates and has been the sole resident for a while now. Despite this, my dad wanted to introduce cherry shrimp and siamese algae eaters to help keep the tank clean; convinced that Manya’s blindness would thwart any of her efforts to prey on her new friends. Seeing an immediate reduction of algae, we agreed that this was a good idea until... Snap! Gulp! In a deft move, a bright red cherry shrimp was stamped out of existence. Eventually, the tank’s population count once again returned to one, and algae began to proliferate on the glass walls. In this story, the only negative consequence we faced was increased difficulty in cleaning the tank. But in nature, when the balance of an ecosystem is thrown off, the complex internal
dynamics that sustain it can collapse, resulting in a cataclysmic ending for an entire species. It is widely accepted that climate change is largely responsible for the reduction of biodiversity, but environmentally unfriendly choices made by large businesses prioritizing short-term gains over our collective long-term survival is exacerbating the problem. These large businesses are not the only culprits though. In fact, your computer can be indirectly responsible for pumping over 450 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. Since the ocean absorbs about 30% of our atmosphere’s CO2, increased emissions cause the ocean temperature to rise and pH levels to drop. Studies have shown that increased temperatures and acidification of the ocean will cause some types of phytoplankton (microorganisms that provide a foundation for the marine food chain) to expire, while others continue to thrive. Marine organisms that depend on these phytoplankton are impacted, which in turn causes organisms higher up in the food chain to be affected as well. This ultimately impacts the entire marine food chain in some form or another. Let’s go back to the story of my pet fish Manya, before she wiped out the entirety of the cherry shrimp population. If the algae growing on the tank walls had suddenly changed in nutritious value due to an external event, the shrimp would have died out before they were hunted. If the shrimp were Manya’s only source of food, she would not have survived. Although this was only a hypothetical scenario, it isn’t too far from reality.
Four years ago, thousands of dead common murres washed up on the Pacific coastline. These sea birds were known for their resilience, adaptability, and speed. So what could have caused approximately a million murres to die? There were no signs of disease, but there were signs of starvation. Climate change had caused the plankton to migrate, and less nutritious plankton had replaced the food chain. A simple change in biodiversity caused the demise of an entire population of birds. It is heartbreaking to witness how the CO2 we’ve been emitting caused irreversible damage to wildlife. I often wonder: what’s keeping us from taking substantive steps towards change? Environmentalists have long been vocal about the peril we are in, and haven't been able to garner support on a scale that makes a difference. I believe that this is due to two main reasons: misplaced values, and not witnessing the consequence of our actions firsthand. Just as people suffering from an illness can be the most determined to find a cure, only those who witness the impact of biodiversity loss can truly appreciate its gravity. We humans depend on biodiversity just like any other inhabitants on earth, albeit in a different way. We use at least 40,000 species of plants and animals on a daily basis for food production and medical research. While watching the news a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded once again on how people don’t regard environmental issues as a priority. I was horrified as images of glaciers falling
apart flashed across the television screen. I got up from the sofa, hurried to my room to research recent events on Greenland. But I was dismayed to find that most search results on Greenland were about a movie. I had to browse for another two minutes before discovering further information on Greenland’s situation. Although Greenland is melting, business opportunities are blooming. Beneath Greenland’s previously frozen surface lies an abundance of natural resources and valuable minerals. Greenland’s temperatures have also become more friendly. Many businesses and politicians seem more excited than worried about Greenland’s changes. I realized that only those who witnessed glaciers falling apart and the ice disappearing every day truly understood the magnitude of this situation. Ice melting will lead to rising sea levels, which can submerge ecosystems, wiping out wildlife. Scientists estimate that we have eleven years until we pass the point of no return. If we maintain this rate of environmental degradation, humanity may face new, harsh challenges that threaten our survival. We humans depend on biodiversity just like any other inhabitants on earth, albeit in a different way. We need to speak with our wallets by purchasing green products made by environmentally responsible companies. We need to incorporate lifestyle choices that can reduce our carbon footprint. But most of all, we must empathize and care about what’s going on with our planet as one of 10 million species living on it.
Helen Park
Snowman Lynn Koschnitzke
I was born in winter, On a cold snowy day, Children's laughter are the first things I hear, The snow caked trees are the first things I see, The aroma of christmas wafts into my nose, Snow blankets the world as night grows, Soon I am alone, But as day wakes spring comes, And birds hum, I descend slowly to the ground As if I was never around
Hank Young
Time Vortex Ryan Seun Woo Kwon Dr. Aiden Carnon was thrilled that his time vortex suit was complete just in time for his ship’s arrival at the alien planet, Vorton. He had mixed feelings as he looked out the window: he was excited but, at the same time, distraught because of what was left of the planet after the catastrophic volcanic eruption. “What...exactly happened here? What caused the eruptions, Lexa?” he asked his AI assistant. “The disaster, according to the ship’s scan analysis and the reports of the planet’s one and only witness, was caused by an experiment done by scientists from the planet, Marcon, about two days ago,” Lexa responded. Dr. Carnon stared at the sight in front of his eyes in shock, his face turning red with anger. He had heard of the horrid disasters caused by the radical experiments of the scientists from Marcon, but he had never imagined the results to be as bad as what he was seeing. “Lexa, prepare for landing,” he ordered, determined to use his time vortex suit time vortex suit to travel to the past and prevent the disaster from occurring on Vorton. As the ship was landing, Dr. Carnon got into his time vortex suit for the first time. He was extremely anxious, recalling the mouse he couldn’t bring back to the present day after running a trial of the vortex technology. Once he got into the suit, Dr. Carnon was pleased to find that the armor was stronger and tighter than he thought it would be. This was important because
it meant that there was a lower possibility of the suit ripping apart due to strong gravitational forces once he entered the vortex. “Lexa, what’s the date today?” Dr. Carnon asked. “It is January 24, 2222,” Lexa responded. “Thank you, Lexa,” Dr. Carnon said as he carefully input the date, January 22, 2222, onto the control panel on the left arm of the time vortex suit. “This should give me enough time to complete my missions....hopefully...” After a deep breath, Dr. Carnon hesitantly clicked the button, which caused a bright light to completely surround him. All of a sudden, a strong force pulled Dr. Carnon through the vortex, which was the portal that would send him back in time. The strong force was frightening, but he was still excited to fly through the vortex. All he could see was bright lights and what seemed like blue clouds, and it was a beautiful sight to see. A few seconds passed, and an opening was created on the right side of the vortex. He was pulled into the opening with an even greater force, and before he could even know it, he came tumbling out into the real world. “My, my...am I dizzy! What a ride!” Dr. Carnon bent over to catch his breath. Once he felt settled down, he stood up and slowly looked around. The clock on the right side of his suit showed it was January 22, 2222, and he knew his time vortex suit successfully brought him back to the past. “I did it!” he was overjoyed at his success, but at the same time, he was confused about where to begin. “I’d have to look for the Marconian scientists first to try to prevent them from creating
the disaster through their experiment...Lexa?” “Hello, sir!” Lexa greeted from suit’s internal speaker. “Welcome to the past! How may I help you?” “It’s good to hear your voice, Lexa,” Dr. Carnon was relieved to hear a familiar voice. “I need you to help me find Vorton City. Could you pinpoint the location for me on the visor’s display panel?” “On it, sir,” Lexa responded, as the suit’s visor came down. “The location is now on display.” “Thank you, Lexa. Accelerate,” Dr. Carnon commanded, as he began to run at the speed of lightning across the mountains to his final destination. A few minutes later, Dr. Carnon was already at Vorton City. As he entered the city, he spotted alien citizens: they looked like bald humans with green skin. According to a legend, the citizens of Vorton were descendants of test subjects sent from Earth to examine whether human beings could live on a foreign planet without relying on space suits. Although he looked around very carefully, Dr. Carnon was lost and could not figure out where the Marconian scientists could be. “Lexa, translate,” he commanded, as he walked toward a group of Vortonians. “Excuse me, do you know where the scientists from Marcon could be?” Lexa translated Dr. Carnon’s questions, but the response he got back was the same, “I’m sorry. I don’t know.” Dr. Carnon must’ve asked about a hundred citizens, and
none of them knew where the Marconian scientists could be. His heart was thumping fast and hard, and he was beginning to sweat with anxiety. Every second of this mission was precious, yet he hadn’t found any useful information for the past few hours. Afraid that he might not find any information about the scientists’ whereabouts before they unleash the horrific catastrophe, Dr. Carnon decided to sit on the sidewalk to take a short break and refresh his mind. Just then, he spotted a hologram newspaper that said, Scientists from Marcon to Arrive on January 23 to Reveal State-of-the-Art Technology! “Lexa, didn’t you tell me that the disaster happened on January 22?” Dr. Carnon asked, surprised. “Yes, according to the witness report on the database,” Lexa replied. “Something seems off,” Dr. Carnon pondered. “Take me back.” At that moment, the vortex opened, pulling Dr. Carnon back in, and he was back to the present-day within seconds. “Lexa, help me locate the witness,” Dr. Carnon commanded. “There is some information I feel is missing, and I’m sure he’ll be able to fill me in on the details.” “Sir, we are unable to locate the witness,” Lexa replied. “That’s impossible!” Dr. Carnon exclaimed. “This ship is capable of locating anyone. Something is definitely off, Lexa. Maybe...the witness isn’t here.” “What do you mean, sir?” Lexa questioned. “The witness. He could be in the past...or the future even,” Dr. Carnon gasped. “I need to enter the vortex again!”
Just as Dr. Carnon got ready to open and enter the vortex, a mysterious figure pushed him across the ship. “Ugh....what’s going on?” Dr. Carnon tried to get up in pain. “Who are you...?” “I believe I am the witness you were looking for,” the man answered. “I, too, am a time traveler like you. Except you travel to save, and I travel to create disasters.” Dr. Carnon was shocked, “Why...why are you doing this?” “For Crontassium, of course!” the man chuckled sinisterly. “Vorton is full of Crontassium, and I’m sure you know that it contains an incredible amount of energy. This whole planet is made of Crontassium, but they’re all uncharged. Only natural disasters have the capacity to charge such large amounts of Crontassium!” “Who are you working for! You are working for someone, aren’t you?” Dr. Carnon shouted in anger. “You couldn’t have possibly planned and executed the destruction by yourself!” The man chuckled again, “Of course! I was sent by my great masters to start the natural disasters on January 23, 2222 and then head to January 24, 2222 through the time vortex as the only surviving witness. All I have to do now is return to my masters, but I won’t tell you when and where. By the way, my name is Catastrophe, in case you were wondering. And one last thing, the Marconian scientists don’t have any faults in this. It is all my great doing.” As soon as he finished talking, Catastrophe opened the time vortex and left. Dr. Carnon, who didn’t want Catastrophe to
start the disaster, jumped into the time vortex to catch up with Catastrophe, but it was too late. Catastrophe had already entered January 23, 2222. Carnon was upset that he let the Catastrophe escape, but he didn’t lose hope. He decided to go back to January 22, 2222 again to warn the scientists about the disaster. In an instant, Dr. Carnon was back in the past at Vorton City. This time, he stumbled out into a lab on Vorton’s Mount Volcan. Hoping that the Marconian scientists would be somewhere in the lab, Dr. Carnon searched the whole lab thoroughly. He couldn’t find the scientists anywhere, but he entered the main lab and found a large machine in the center. “Lexa, scan,” he commanded. “What is this machine?” “It’s an explosive,” Lexa responded. “The timer is set for approximately fifteen minutes. I will display the countdown on your visor.” “Well, well...look who’s here!” a familiar voice said from behind. Dr. Carnon looked back. It was Catastrophe. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be in January 23!” Dr. Carnon was shocked. “I thought I’d give you a little surprise!” Catastrophe responded casually. “Oh, and to hold the scientists hostage, of course!” The Marconian scientists were tied up in a corner of the lab, their mouths gagged. They were squirming around, trying to free themselves. “I’ve set the timer...and...my job here is done now!” Catastrophe said as he opened up the vortex. “Thanks to you, I finished my
job a day early!” Catastrophe waved good-bye and got pulled into the vortex, and Dr. Carnon had about seven minutes left to try to diffuse the machine. “Lexa, scan the machine!” Dr. Carnon ordered, as he ran to free the hostages. “Tell me what I have to do in order to diffuse it!” As Dr. Carnon worked on untying the Marconian scientists, Lexa scanned the machine thoroughly. “Thank you,” one of the scientists cried, as Dr. Carnon freed them. “Thank you for saving us...we know how to diffuse the machine. I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it in time, but we’ll try our best.” Dr. Carnon and the scientists ran to the machines and worked on diffusing it. It was a very tedious process, as the scientists had to take the machine apart one by one. They had assembled the machine so well that it took a lot of strength to disassemble it. With five seconds left, the power in the machine went off. “We did it!” the scientists exclaimed. “We saved Vorton!” “Not quite,” Dr. Carnon said. “As long as Vorton is safe, Catastrophe will be back to destroy it another way. I must track him down.” “Here, use this tracker,” one of the scientists handed him a small watch-like device. “I tagged it onto Catastrophe secretly. You should be able to track him down, regardless of when and where he is.”
“This is very impressive,” Dr. Carnon stared at the device in awe. “I’m intrigued by the technology behind this, but I’ll be back to hear about it another time. Thank you for sharing this with me. I’ll be sure to be back!” Using the Vortex Tracker, Dr. Carnon located Catastrophe, and he opened up the vortex to catch up with his foe. “Hey, friend!” Catastrophe greeted Dr. Carnon sarcastically as soon as he entered the vortex. “I bet you were looking for me?” “What are you up to now!” Dr. Carnon demanded to know. “I have no reason to tell you,” Catastrophe grinned. “Quite impressive of you and the scientists, though. I never imagined you would be able to diffuse the machine. By the way, I forget to thank you.” “For what...” Dr. Carnon asked suspiciously. “This suit I’m wearing. It’s your invention,” Catastrophe showed off his suit. “In the future, it’s very easy to get!” Dr. Carnon was infuriated that his suit was being used for such evil purposes. However, he was very familiar with the suit’s design, which meant he knew where the suit’s weakness was exactly. “Lexa, disengage the vortex core!” Dr. Carnon commanded. Just then, Catastrophe’s time vortex suit began to rip apart. Unable to withstand the force within the vortex of the destroyed suit, Catastrophe was also beginning to evaporate. I’m sorry, but I’m sure Lexa is only available on my version of the suit,” Dr. Carnon smiled. “I’ll be sure not to add similar
features for the other suits, thanks to you!” “No!” Catastrophe shouted as he began to disappear. “The Crontassium!” Dr. Carnon was glad that Lexa’s disengage feature, which could easily access and control Dr. Carnon’s other devices and inventions, worked on other time vortex suits from the future as well. He thought all he would do was save the world with his time vortex suit, but knowing that there were people like Catastrophe out there who would exploit the suit, he was at a crossroads, wondering whether he should destroy his creation or not...
Tokyo Anoh
Apocalyptic Sketches [Excerpt] Yerim Cho
Leonardo Ellis opened his dull blue eyes to the early morning with utter distaste. It was 6:10 in the morning on Wednesday, the middle of the week. He blew his messy black hair out of his face and proceeded to cover himself with his blanket as the steady stream of light from the open window blinded him.
Letting out a visible groan, he got up from the comfort of his bed. As a routine to get ready to go to school, Leonardo quickly changed into uniform, ate his breakfast, and walked out of the front door with his bag after saying goodbye to his parents. “Have a good day, Leon!” his mother said with a smile as he was leaving the house. Leonardo frowned knowing that it was impossible. How could he have a good day when there was school, a thing despised by most children for various reasons. However, for Leonardo, it wasn’t the learning or education but the people. And it was all because of… “Hey, Leon!” yelled a chestnut brown haired boy in traditional Japanese clothing. Hearing this, Leonardo didn’t stop in his tracks, instead walked even faster. “Leave me alone, Zain. Go bother someone else,” Leonardo said in subtle distress as the boy shortened the distance between the two. “Oh, come on! You always say that. And you know it doesn’t work!” Zain commented excitedly as he continued to follow Leonardo. As Leonardo increased his speed, Zain started to lift his feet off the ground. “Plus, you know very well that I can’t bother someone else,” Zain spoke as he was flying to catch up to Leonardo. No one yelled or screamed in shock at the airborne boy because Leonardo knew the truth. Suddenly, he shuddered as if there was a cold breeze going through him. That– “Leon, Leo, you really didn’t think that you could get rid of me that easily, right?” Zain said, smiling as he popped in front of Ellis. Leonardo felt his stomach churn. Seeing a head coming
out of his torso was not the best experience he had. Accepting the fact that he was once again caught, Leonardo started to slow down. Sigh… Unfortunately for Ellis, there was nothing he could do about this annoying friend of his. Besides, he had already given up for the past few months due to the constant nagging. As long as Leonardo could see and hear Zain, there was no escaping the spirit of the Japanese boy.
scan to view full animation
Marissa Myong
EDITORIAL OFFICERS NICOLE HUR HELEN PARK
ARTISTS & WRITERS ELIM KALILOV HANK YOUNG HELEN PARK JEANNETTE KIM KYRA JUN LYNN KOSCHNITZKE MARISSA MYONG NICOLE HUR RYAN SEUN WOO KWON SYNCLAIR SANDERS TOKYO ANOH YERIM CHO
SPECIAL THANKS TO MS. KENNEDY