by W. Joseph Hardy

“Professor Day! Professor Day! I need you to come verify my data!” The student rushed through the Professor’s office door like it was her last chance to get some free dessert. She continued yelling in excitement, “I think I found something!”

The Professor looked up from his latest work, a paper titled “Spectroscopy and Spectrometry: Two Overused Techniques for Finding Habitable Worlds.” It was a working title and would need to be changed before submittal. “What is it” he glanced at the badge on her jacket, “Loaner?”

“That’s not my name sir. My name is Chen. I just forgot my badge a”

The Professor, realizing his mistake, interrupted. “I know that! I was pointing out a major shortcoming of yours presently and through that filter I am dubious of your need to run into my office. What do you want?”

“I was working on some of the new data we collected. Do you remember last month when I showed you a blip on the graph concerning that smaller star we found?”

Professor Days stared at Loaner/Chen.

“You said it was interesting and should be looked into.”

“I also say that to my mother when she is prattling on about the potted plants in her room, but I don’t actually do it.”

“Professor?”

The Professor looked at the screen displaying spectroscopy nonsense, “Fine, let’s go.”

#

Professor Day looked at the computer screen. Several graphs were being enlarged, checked against data spread sheets, and then returned to thumbnail size. He leaned back in the chair and rubbed forehead. “Well Chen, you found something after all.”

“Thank you, Professor!” Chen was almost be bouncing in place. “I want to use the environment simulator. I just want to see what the planet could look like if we could visit it.”

Professor Day clicked on a new file that Chen knew had not been there before. A three-dimensional representation of the planet appeared on the screen. “Done.”

Chen looked at the Professor. “That takes weeks. How?”

“Perk of being the Astrophysics chair. Ready?”

The Professor and Chen zoomed in on the rendered planet as it slowly rotated. It was green and blue with well-defined land masses.

“It looks like paradise, especially if you look at our planet after what we’ve been doing to it.”

“True.” Answered the Professor, “Remember, it’s too far away for us to ever visit. Also, at 557 light years away, we’re looking at the past. That means, by the standard of our own world’s development, it could be an over-heating terrarium just like ours.”

“Maybe they won’t have an industrial revolution to destroy their world.”

The Professor stood up and put his hand on Chen’s shoulder. “You’re right. It’s too bad it isn’t closer. But it’s existence gives us hope.”

“Yes Professor, thank you.”

“Here is the big question, what are you going to call it? You get naming rights after all.” The professor paused, “Please don’t call it Chen-354 or some nonsense.”

Chen smiled, “We used to name planets after the gods from ancient myths. I was thinking the god of minerals.”

“That was Eden, right?”

“No, Eden was soil and crops. The short one that tunneled for gold and iron.”

“Earth? Interesting choice. Let’s hope things are going better on Earth.”