Zorp, a young Xylossian explorer, was tasked with making first contact. He’s jumped at the opportunity, hoping to discover a civilization brimming with wonders. On the crimson plains of Earth where he landed were a lonely place. What he found was… Shelldon.
Shelldon was a tortoise. An Earth tortoise, somehow transported across the vast emptiness of land. He was slow, deliberate, and utterly unimpressed by the shiny, levitating spacecraft and the eager, green-skinned explorer.
“Hey! Earthling!” Zorp chirped, waving enthusiastically. Shelldon blinked, then slowly retracted his head into his shell. When he emerged again, he looked directly at Zorp, and with a voice that rumbled like distant rocks, he said, “I’m Shelldon, just a tortoise!”
Zorp was baffled. He expected sophisticated greetings, technological demonstrations, maybe a formal introduction. Not a declaration of simple existence. He tried again, offering Shelldon a shimmering Xylossian fruit. “A gift from my planet!”
Shelldon chewed slowly, methodically, then declared, “I’m just a tortoise!”
Zorp, disheartened, began to pack up. It seemed first contact was going to be a bit of a bust. But as he looked at Shelldon, moving slowly but steadily across the desert, a realization dawned on him. Shelldon wasn’t refusing connection. He was simply being . He wasn’t trying to impress, to explain, to conquer. He just existed, a creature of simple, quiet dignity.
Zorp chuckled. He understood. He had been searching for grand pronouncements and complex interactions, forgetting that sometimes, the greatest connection came from simply appreciating the quiet beauty of existence. He realized that Shelldon, in his unassuming way, was teaching him a profound lesson.
“Maybe,” Zorp murmured, “Sometimes, the most important thing is just to be.” He waved goodbye, a knowing smile on his face, and headed back to his ship, no longer disappointed, but enriched by the encounter. Shelldon, oblivious to the profound impact he’s had, continued his journey, a small, ancient symbol of quiet resilience in a vast and wondrous universe.
So, Zorp told the AI on the ship what happened today, and a song came out, accompanying him on his return journey.
Across the crimson dust and star-lit night, A tortoise traveled, bathed in pale moonlight. Zorp, the explorer, sought a grand display, But Shelldon offered wisdom, slow and gray.
“I’m just a tortoise,” the old one sighed, No tales of empires, no boasting pride. Just steady movement, a patient stride, A simple truth, he held inside.
The ship above, a flashing, silver gleam, Expected greatness, a dazzling scene. But Shelldon showed, with quiet, gentle grace, That being itself is truly serene.
A lesson learned, beneath the alien sky, That grandeur fades, and noise can never last. But steadfast peace, a humble, earthy sign, A tortoise’s wisdom, beautifully amassed.
(LKW)
