Chapter 2
“One of the oldest legends in the cosmos is of a planet of riches,” Professor Addy said as she paced in front of the large classroom. “Planeta Divitiarum is how the Ancients referred to it and they believed that this one planet, out of the ducentillions which exist in our universe, contained infinite riches. What exactly these riches are is unclear for the tomes use extremely vague language and untraceable references, but over the years many experts have speculated as to what these riches could be.
“The majority of these experts postulated that the term ‘riches’ meant gold, silver, and other precious metals which have been sought after for millions of years. Others believe the planet is dripping in jewels such as natural red diamonds, benitoite, and musgravite.” She paused for a second, looking around the room, before continuing.
“There is yet a third, very minor but vocal group which believe the Ancients meant none of those trivial, consumerist objects, instead indicating that the planet was abundant in water, food, metals, and minerals. All of which are items the Ancients would have been in desperate need of, especially during the Great Tendo.
“The Great Tendo, which you’ll remember from your other history classes, was the period when the Anarchists were most heavily bombarding the Ancients. This bombardment made it almost impossible for anyone to farm or mine, which would have been necessary to replenish their supplies, especially after the Ancients’ own military campaigns.
“Along with the name of the planet, the scrolls, which remain, give directions for one to find the planet in question. But again, these are not the type of instructions which one can follow easily like take a right at the quad, a left at Henning’s Café and the Planet of Riches will be the first door on your left.”
The class laughed at this. This was an old joke spanning many years. There was no quad, never had been a Henning’s Café, and certainly no door on the left. This was, however, where the older students tried to send the naive freshman who didn’t know anything. It was always hilarious when they asked for help finding said quad and everyone gave them conflicting directions.
When the laughter finally died down, she continued. “For the thousands of years since these documents were rediscovered, scholars and laymen alike have been trying to follow the directions, but nobody has yet found the very elusive Planeta Divitiarum.”
Professor Addy stopped speaking again, breaking the intense concentration that I’d had on her. I was always fascinated with the stories she told us. Every single one was different and new and mind-blowing.
I glanced around the room and saw Meredith Oblinger with her hand up.
By the Ancients I hated Meredith. She always had to raise her hand when things were getting interesting. She couldn’t go a half hour without having to say something, even on test days.
She was a thorn in my side.
No, not a thorn, a sword.
She was the ever present sword thrust into my side.
If I could have shipped someone off to the Zandana System, which was well known for its inhumane conditions and high mortality rates, it would be her.
“Yes, Meredith?” Professor Addy said. She sounded as fed up with Meredith’s questions as I was. She probably was. From what some of my classmates had said, this was her fifth class with Meredith. Could you imagine having to put up with this annoying creature for five semesters? I couldn’t. Or maybe I really didn’t want to.
“Doesn’t anyone have any idea as to where this rich planet could be?” Meredith’s nasal voice grated on my sleep deprived nerves.
I’d been up partying at the Den of the Ancients, the poshest space club in the area. (Space clubs were only considered such because the decor made one feel as if they were in space. There were stars on the walls, the ceiling, and even the windows. The only music they played were those of space musicians, and since most of these musicians liked to imitate the sounds they heard in space, you could almost feel like you were in space.
And if all this wasn’t enough for you, the employees of the club wore skimpy space outfits, usually metallic in nature, selling only drinks and food you’d find sold in starbases. All of this added up to a feeling you weren’t on your own planet anymore, instead were moving around with the stars.)
Not only were all the men who got into the club loaded, they were also smoking hot. Since I hadn’t gotten out of the club until six in the morning, I’d barely had enough time to change clothes and eat something. Sleep, however, would have made me late, and I would rather be blurry eyed and sleep deprived than miss this class.
Legends of the Universe was the most interesting class I’d ever come upon. The prof, Harmony Addy, was energetic, engaging, and a joy to have as a teacher. She didn’t give us stupid or pointless reading assignments, her tests were fair and open note, and her door was always open to her students. All and all, she was the best teacher I’d come across in my twelve years of college and I’d had some really good teachers during my time.
It was really too bad this was the only class I had with her. I would have loved to take all her classes – as long as I was guaranteed they’d all be like this one. But, alas, that was not to be. What with the school’s administrators breathing down my neck like an old man having an asthma attack. They wouldn’t hesitate to kick me out if I didn’t graduate this semester.
I wished they’d kick Meredith out. She didn’t deserve the free ride. Nobody as grating on the nerves and temper should be allowed to have a free ride.
I saw Addy barely suppress a sigh. “As I said before, nobody knows the location of the Planet of Riches. If they did, it wouldn’t be a legend, now would it?”
“I guess not,” Meredith said, frowning. When she frowned, which was all the time, it made her ugly face even more impossible to look at. “But you’d think in this day and age, when we’ve charted ninety eight percent of the universe, we’d have found it by now. I mean, it’s not like the Ancients could travel far from Earth, could they?”
“While what the Ancients could or could not do is covered in another class, I will say we should never underestimate what they could have possibly done. Their technology was very advanced for their time, much of which we are only now rediscovering. I think it is completely possible for them to have traveled to the outer rims of our universe, found a planet which we haven’t discovered yet, and come back in a relatively short amount of time.”
“But –”
“Today’s class is not about what you believe the Ancients could and could not do. It is about myths dealing with different and very unique planets. If you have a problem with me continuing with my lesson, you can leave for the day.”
Meredith sat back in her chair looking as if Addy had slapped her. I, however, was not really surprised by Addy’s words. It had been only a matter of time before she snapped and ripped off Meredith’s head with her bare hands.
I was just glad it was in my presence. I love seeing people put in their place.
There was silence for a few moments before Addy started speaking again. “As I was saying, the Planet of Riches, while unique to the Ancients, isn’t the only planet to be mentioned in the scrolls of different ancient cultures. Another planet is…”
Addy’s words rolled over me. I listened and took in the information but my mind was elsewhere. I was too fascinated with the Planet of Riches to care about any of the other planets she was talking about. Who would have ever thought there could be one planet in the universe which was dripping in wealth?
Even without more information, I could already picture the planet and me, covered in large jewels, glistening with gold.
This mental picture of myself started my hunt for the Planet of Riches.