A New Life On A New Planet [FICTOID]

Tilted on its axis and distorted by the gravity of its primary, Nezorf 6 looked like a watermelon.  The south pole was an unbelievably hot desert, perpetually baked by its sun; the north pole forever locked in frozen darkness.

Fortunately for the human colonists, the elongated planet gave them a wide temperate zone in perpetual twilight.

“The sun never sets on Nezorf 6,” the colony promoters said, “but then, it doesn’t have to.”

The scientists could postulate any number of reasons why Nezorf 6 was the way it was, but that was superfluous.  The big wide temperate zone offered plenty of opportunity, and as it was subdivided into permanent temperature zones, there was always someplace one could live in contentment.

“Do you ever want to live further north, maybe in the 60 or 70 degree latitude?” the orchard grower’s wife asked.

Her husband, bust planting beech trees for future generations’ use, said, “I thought we agreed on this zone.”

“We did,” his wife said. “It was just a momentary thought.”  She tightened her pullover around her; she was expecting in two standard months and subject to mood and temperature changes.

“I mean, if you really…”

“No, it’s fine,” she reiterated.

Her husband eyed her carefully, wondering if this required serious negotiation or if he could buy his way out cheaply.  “Hey, let me treat you to a churro,” he said.

© Buzz Dixon