CYCLE 1: First Quarter (Part 1) — Not an Apology Letter to 3rd Gen Cryptonauts
So, I think the saying goes, “It’s better to ask for an apology than permission,” or something like that. But I just want to make it clear, right from the beginning, that us trainers are asking for neither. We know we don’t deserve it and have no expectations from this letter. It’s more of an account of what happened and though we do say sorry at certain points, it’s not really about that, so I guess those parts can be ignored. We really feel you deserve to know what went wrong and where that leaves us as a generation. So here it goes. I’m ZEN, by the way and have been nominated to write this note by the other Moon Trainers. Probably because I can be described as a “mild guy” and we’re trying to hold off on the dramatics here, so I promise to be committed to the truth, no frills… Okay, where do I begin? Maybe the end is the best place to start.
There will be no Moon Creatures for this generation. We are very sorry.
Glad that’s out in the open. There’s the bad news-there won’t be anymore Moon Creatures. I mean, excluding our four we already have. But, the other Moon Trainers and I have agreed to share. We know you will adore them! And again, we are so sorry. But let me tell you about our special furry friends..
Pezi. Pezi is my alarm clock because he gets me up everyday- extremely early, I might add! But that’s just because he’s set to finish the day’s tasks. My pig is always pushing me to do my best, which comes in handy when others look to me for inspiration. We both share this persistence, but his intensity balances my more relaxed approach. I seek more of the tranquil moments, and Pezi has yet to experience one of those. That’s what makes us such a solid team. IZI’s Chantz is a piece of magnificent art with her stunning coat. This cheetah has a bewitching effect on those around her, as she can smoothly get her way out of, or into anything, just like her owner. It really is a match made in heaven. I have never met a more generous, deserving trainer. When you look at the two of them, you see that beauty truly seeks beauty. Orson is WUN’s third set of eyes and ears. AHAHA I made a four-eye joke. It’s okay, WUN is a jokester himself. But seriously, this owl is ready for whatever and knows all the happenings of the moon-day or night! WUN shares this attentiveness, so together, they are double the genius. KYE’s Wild Cat, Wynter has sharp, keen senses which grant her resilience and vigilance. This mingles well with KYE’s composure and ability to hold out till the bitter end. With Wynter’s eyes to gather bits of knowledge long before the rest and KYE’s ability to immediately act on it, this duo is unstoppable. So, I hope I painted a pretty picture of our creatures. We love them and are sure you will too!
Brilliant creatures aside, you’re still wondering how we got here: 4 creatures after a promise of 50. So, what we are currently dealing with is a block in the signal. As you may know, every new generation receives a signal from the gens before them, stating that they have all been properly cared for and it’s therefore safe to come forth. From what we can tell, gens 1 and 2 have been sending it, but some force is blocking it and that’s all we know for sure. Okay, now I think it’s a good time to head back to the beginning, which may explain this…
Regular, top-of-the-week Moonday. My Trainer gang and I are in the middle of feeding our creatures. Well, I’m actually scrubbing Pezi’s berry-stained mouth (I mean as scrupulous as he is, he’s still a pig) when we receive an assignment from Mission Control. The request is to check out a nearby infrastructure construction site because there had been rumors of low morale in the area. Pretty routine.
We arrive and I honestly can’t even tell you what infrastructure they are working on because I am so focused on the massive crater of a hole they left with no gate! Not even a sign! Guys, I’m talking about a massive dip in the moon’s surface. I don’t like to overact, and literally never do, so I assume the best plan of action is to find someone to talk to. The other trainers and I walk the parameter, but not a laborer in sight. At this point we can’t even see where we left our creatures because we are on the other side of the dip. Then, we spot someone.
“Hi there, Foreman?” I ask.
“Sure am! What can I do for you?”
I notice he is covered in dirt and wearing civilian clothes. He has a sunburn from working all hours of the day.
“What’s with the swimming pool? No gate, barrier, chicken wire?” KYE asks.
“I mean, if we had a gate, don’t you think I would also have gloves?” He shows us his blistered palms.
“Wait, you mean to tell us you and your team dug that with your hands?” IZI chimes in, shocked.
“Where are your gloves, vest, work boots? You look like a local who volunteered! Not a construction worker.” WUN mocks.
“We work with what we got. That’s just how it is.”
It gets quiet among us. There’s not much we can say. The foreman and his team didn’t really do anything wrong. I guess, in a way, it’s us who let them down… How can we expect them to keep morale to a certain standard without the right tools and equipment?
“Are we done here? My team and I gotta get back to work.” He interrupts my train of thought.
“Sure. Thanks for your time.” I respond and offer my hand, forgetting how much a handshake would hurt him. He pauses and glances at me. I awkwardly retract. He chuckles and walks off.
Our walk back is pretty quiet. None of us are sure how to handle this. Where did we go wrong as a community? How could we ask some well-meaning Cryptonauts to do a job without the means to do so? What does that say about OUR morale…
And just as this riddle manages to take over our minds completely, we see three of our creatures in distress. That’s right, three, not four. Pezi, Orson and Wynter send calls of help. That’s when I look over to see a pale-faced, shocked IZI looking deep into the canyon. Chantz. At the bottom of the pit, unable to get up. She cries out even more when she spots IZI. Our hearts break at the sound. This creature is in severe pain.
I remind the group to take a breath so that we don’t all freak out. There’s nothing worse than adding to the chaos. We assure IZI that Chantz will be okay when we spot green orbs falling from the sky! Each one seems to carry a piece of metal or chunk of iron. Once they land on the moon’s surface we see that the pieces fit into each other. I send KYE to ask the team of workers to help us. Of course, they agree.
Together it’s smooth sailing. Like lego blocks we put the pieces together. After a few hours we unknowingly built…a Wheeled Crane!
One of the workers hop in and lift Chantz from the dip. IZI and WUN tend to her wounds and before we know it, she’s as good as new. The workers are excited by this shiny new piece of equipment as they know it’ll make things a little easier for them. We thank them and just as we head off we see the entire sky filled with green orbs dropping down. It’s more pieces of iron and metal! Of course we stick by to help them put everything together. It’s the least we can do for their help in saving Chantz.
And what do we end up with?
An Axe, Mining Pick, Shovel, Tool Box, Welding Equipment, Hammer Drill, Powered Saw, Bucket and Trowel, Spade, Painting Equipment, Scissor Lift, Fork Lift, Backhoe, Cement Mixer, Excavator, Dump Truck and Hydraulic Crane!
So, as you can see, this story isn’t all bad. It got us one step further as a civilization with our new Tools and Construction Vehicles. Since then, infrastructure construction has been booming, the laborers work more efficiently and our creatures are safe! But as mentioned, we also hear the signals from the 1st and 2nd gen creatures being sent then muted just as we hope to hear a response.
We know it’s from the mistake of leaving our creatures in an area of danger. We understand that and have regretted it everyday since. But life is a flowing river. We can’t always choose the way the water makes its way to us, so we have to accept how we dealt with it at the time. Then, the water keeps flowing whether we like it or not. We have made peace with our actions and chosen to make the most by being our absolute best selves for the creatures we have.
I know this is no way to start a new phase, particularly the First Quarter Moon Phase, which is symbolic of strength. But, hopefully you all see this as us trainers having the strength to own our shortcomings.
Thank you for taking the time to read this account and for hearing us out. We hope you, too, will make peace with the new way of this phase.
Yours truly,
ZEN
Continue Reading…
CYCLE 1: First Quarter (Part 2) — Not a Melancholy Letter to 3rd Gen Cryptonauts
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