The Intergalactic Collection of Knowledge and Records

by Ashley Kruger
“This is the records floor,” Milo called to Paige, running to the far side of the building and stopping at one of several large computer terminals sitting all along the wall. He whisked into a chair, and his fingers flew across the smooth keyboard. On the crystal screen the interface appeared like most of the ones on Earth, with windows and pictures and boxes of text. Milo opened a program and entered a long code into one of the text boxes, which brought up a long list made up of strings of alien letters.

“Oh, sorry,” Milo said as he noticed that Paige couldn’t read the strange characters on the screen. He pressed a key, opening a small window, and selected ENGLISH from an unfathomably long drop-down menu. The strange letters were revealed to be names.

Milo selected his name, opening a new window. It featured a picture of Milo and a brief profile. Paige saw Milo’s name, home planet, a list of relatives, and his birth date. Without asking, she nudged Milo out of the way, selecting a new name and date from another incredibly long drop-down menu and changing it to Earth years.

Paige Meadows (2004 CE–present) Born in Ivybridge, England. Earth Relations: Anabel Meadows, Nathan Meadows. Currently resides in London, England, Earth, at St. Marion’s Home for Children

“How do they know where I live?” Paige asked suspiciously. “I’ve never heard of Earth submitting records to Pandora.”

“Well, not that you know of,” Milo said mysteriously.

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Adapted from The Intergalactic Collection of Knowledge and Records, by Ashley Kruger, ©️ by Cricket Media, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

1 answer

“What do you mean, not that I know of?” Paige pressed, glancing warily at the computer screen. The idea that her life was recorded in some cosmic database was unsettling. “Are you saying they have seen us? Watched us?”

Milo shrugged, still fixated on the screen. “I mean, think about it. If they have the technology to record knowledge from across the universe, why wouldn’t they monitor lesser planets? Especially ones like Earth—full of life and potential.”

Paige felt a shiver run down her spine. “That’s creepy. I don’t like the idea of being watched. Is my whole life in there? What else do they know?”

Milo laughed lightly, as if the notion amused him. “Well, I doubt they know everything. Probably just basic info. It’s like how we have databases for people on Earth—birth records, census data. This is just… on a much grander scale.” He paused, tapping on the keyboard to bring up more records. “But it is fascinating, right? We’re part of this massive collection. I mean, look.” He pointed to the screen, where other names slowly loaded alongside hers, some of which were made up of symbols Paige couldn’t yet decipher.

“What are those?” Paige asked, squinting at the alien characters.

“They’re other beings from different planets,” Milo explained. “Look at this one—” He clicked on a name that looked like a long string of squiggly lines, “—this is someone from Galaxa Five. A whole different species.”

Paige stepped closer, her initial discomfort overtaken by curiosity. “What does their profile say?”

Milo read aloud, his excitement growing. “It says here they’re a part of something called the Galactic Council. They were born in a place called the Crystal Forest, and—wow—they can regenerate limbs! That’s pretty cool, right?”

Intrigued, Paige leaned in to read along, quickly forgetting her unease. “What about different records from other planets? Can we look at that?”

“Of course!” Milo cheered, rapid finger taps filling the room as he navigated through alien profiles. “There are records across millions of species. You can learn about their cultures, technologies—everything.”

“What about Earth?” Paige asked, now fully engaged. “Can we find records about us?”

“Definitely!” Milo grinned, highlighting a section that mentioned Earth specifically. “There’s a whole database just for Earth records. Let’s see what we can dig up.”

As the screen refreshed, revealing a torrent of names and events, both kids felt a rush of wonder. There, in a universe full of documented lives and histories, they began to see themselves as more than just kids from a small planet—but as participants in an extraordinary intergalactic narrative. The thrill of discovery filled the air around them, casting away the shadows of paranoia and igniting the fire of adventure.

“This is just the beginning,” Milo said, hardly able to contain his eagerness.

“Let’s find out who we are,” Paige replied, an audacious smile forming as they plunged deeper into the Collection of Knowledge and Records, ready to unveil the mysteries of their own existence amongst the stars.