THE FACE

"...And when future generations look back to this planet, what will they see? Will they only see a dead planet, or will they remember where they came from and take steps not to let this happen again?"

"Rondujal, sit down," Risa said impatiently. "Of course this won’t happen again. We are but a few hundred thousand and the new planet is vast. You’re taking this too personally. It’s not entirely your fault, or our fault that the atmosphere is becoming thinner by the day."

"No, but we certainly helped it along, didn’t we?" answered Kartli.

The Council of Twelve fell silent as they contemplated the fate of their world. For the last two years, ships filled with families had been leaving monthly for the new world. A world where the water is fresh, the sky is clear, the air is clean, and they could all start over again.

"We certainly can’t afford to make the same mistakes again. We have no where left to go," Cira said.

"Then shall we vote?" Rondujal asked. The thinning air of their planet was beginning to take its toll: shortness of breath, fatigue and irritability amongst the Council members was starting to show more frequently in the last few weeks. It was more alarming to look out the windows. Even though they were in the middle of their six month summer, the ground and few remaining plants wore a mantle of frost that melted off for only an hour or so during the day.

The vote came back unanimous. They would leave behind one reminder that their planet was ever lived on. Engineering crews worked around the clock in special suits designed to protect them from the freezing cold and thinning air. The project was the largest any of their people had ever undertaken, but when it was completed it was truly a masterpiece.

"Perhaps future generations will look upon this and remember," Cira said as The Council of Twelve looked at what the engineers had accomplished.

"Perhaps future generations will look upon this and wonder what it is because they have forgotten," Rondujal answered.

"Perhaps future generations will return to reclaim this planet, and be able to undo what we have done," said Risa. "Then we can share the wealth of both worlds."

"You dare to dream, Risa," said Rondujal.

A few weeks later, the Council of Twelve and their families boarded the last ship to leave the planet. As the engines rumbled for the ascent, Rondujal looked out the window one final time before the launch shields dropped into place. Sadness squeezed its hand around Rondujal’s heart as the large ship lifted itself from the ground and hurtled into space.

When they were out of the gravitational pull of the planet, the launch shields lifted from the windows. The Council of Twelve gathered on the port side of the ship for one last look at their home world. The ship would make one orbit before heading for its destination.

As they headed toward the sunrise, they looked down upon the surface and saw the monument they had left behind. Looking back up at them was the mountain their engineers had worked on so diligently to transform into a giant face that gazed toward the stars and their new home world.