The Moment of Truth

Translated with secret Alien technology.

Alien here.

Just like on Earth, beings on my planet of Hicbar vary in appearance. Take my cousin for example. Notice how his head is slightly pointy. It is an odd shape, not smooth and round like mine. It almost appears as if he is wearing a built in smurf hat. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, maybe Earth’s beings vary more than on my planet. But I digress. You wanted to know more about Hicbar and I will tell you. Here is a picture.

Notice the number of moons. This may be of interest. Did you know that on Hicbar, solar eclipses happen several times a year and sometimes more? On Earth you may have no more than two “total” solar eclipses a year, but not so on my planet. Each moon passes before our sun causing a period of darkness. We call this time The Moment of Truth. Why? It is an old story and a slightly romantic one so perhaps you may like it.

Years before my time, there was a sentinel being named Geseppe. He was in love with a female named Talula. Sadly, much like your Romeo and Juliet, their great houses did not approve of the match. The first eclipse of the year is the coldest time on my planet. So for two young lovers to run away at this moment was perhaps ill fated from the start. But it is said that Geseppe stole into her bedroom, during this dark hour, and whispered, “Now or never. Tis the moment of truth.”

Talula kissed him tenderly, and though she must have been frightened, for she was but a youth said, “Now and forever. Tis the moment of truth.”

And so they stole into the night, hand in hand. But they were caught soon after by their family-units and separated. That was until the next eclipse, still cold enough to form galactic ice, when Geseppe crept into her room, embraced her in warm green arms, and whispered the same words. “Now or never. Tis the moment of truth.”

And Talula kissed him as she held him close. “Now and forever. Tis the moment of truth.”

They made it further that time, all the way to the Ianian Peeks, but they were found once more and roughly hauled home. The families had fought for years but now tensions raged. Our Chieftain, whose head is square, was at a loss what to do. Each night there were repercussions, fires, murder, and destruction. Talula’s house claimed that Geseppe had scientifically altered Talula’s brain chemistry and Geseppe’s house blamed Talula for injecting him with an intoxication serum. The rumors spread, grew worse and worse, and alone in their rooms, the lovers pined for one another.

On the third eclipse of the year, they were heavily guarded and could not meet. But the next day word spread that two other couples had run away. The fourth eclipse came and still the lovers could not re-unite. It was learned that three young couples had run away, more for the fifth and the sixth. There was an uproar. The rest of the colony blamed the feuding houses; the young couple was accused of starting an evil trend.

And so it was by the seventh eclipse that the couple was sentenced to death, for on Hicbar, these things are judged harshly. The story goes that right before they were executed, when both families lay weeping and pleading the Chieftain to take back his decision, the couple grabbed hands and tenderly whispered, “ Now and forever.”

And the Chieftain said, “Tis the moment of truth.”

I had forgotten that story. Perhaps it is not romantic after all. What do you think?