Space Game! Where in the Solar System is Destination Twelve? (day 3)

Hey Space Bloggers!

Today we’re going back to Destination 12 for a new clue – a story clue! So just sit back, relax, and listen – well actually you’re going to have to read it yourself, but you get the idea.

Once upon a time, D12 was a very lonely planet.  At least he thought he was lonely. He must be, because he never got any visitors.  For eons and eons this didn’t bother D12, because he didn’t know what visitors were. How would a planet know such a thing? None of his siblings ever had any visitors either. Then, in the last half-billion years or so, he started hearing rumors that one of the little planets (in fact, it was the tiny blue and white one that always hung around up close to mother sun) had developed a bad case of parasites – Yes!

credit: Maniac World, South Park

Creatures living in its seas! Then walking across its surface!! And recently, even flying through its atmosphere!!!  (talk about a bad hair day!) Well, at first D12 just laughed at these stories.  That, he thought smugly, is what happens when you never go off on your own.  Sure, it might be nice to bask in the warm glow of Mother Sun, but after a few billion years or so, one really should grow up and fend for oneself! Not that D12 was completely on his own.  He still felt the sun’s gentle gravitation tug, and solar winds. But he didn’t rely on her for everything like some of his siblings. He, at least, managed  to make most of his own heat. He was very satisfied with his superb icy surface gradually thinning into a lovely, slushy atmosphere. Who wanted a bunch of clumsy, unpredictable creatures messing around with such perfection?

Credit: NASA STScI

Then he heard that the parasites had started traveling.  That’s right, jumping right off the third planet and flying through interplanetary space, where only tiny particles, and occasionally, asteroids  and comets dared to roam. Outrageous!  That was what D12 thought at first.  It goes against tradition! Yes, when they were young protoplanets and liked that sort of craziness, there had been lots of rocks zipping around the neighborhood. But for several billion years at least, it had been quiet. Extremely quiet.  Now these upstarts from his little sibling had the nerve to disturb the long cold peace, to orbit some of his brothers and sisters even, and touch their tummies.

credit : NASA

Quite impertinent! The very definition of bad manners! D12 turned on his axis away from such nonsense, and continued his very long orbit, just glad that such parasites would never reach him.

Or would they?

Check back next week to hear (well, you know, read) the conclusion of The Very Lonely Planet.