Fortuna

2

Where would I start? My stomach started to growl as I sat there pondering; it was a sign. I brushed my finger across the projection along the The Food of Fortuna expecting the hologram to change but nothing happened. Then I waved my palm across the hologram but nothing happened again.

"The Food of Fortuna please."

The device whirred and instantly the screen changed. Voice activation. Very cool.

Then a voice began to speak in English but in a very peculiar accent - nothing I've ever encountered on earth. To describe it in understandable terms, it was essentially a mix between Australian and Japanese with a slight hint of "toddler first learning how to speak". It was weird alright. The androgynous voice began its monotonic lecture.

In Fortuna, there is always an abundance of delicious food. We have a very nutritious diet that consists of foods that are found most commonly on our planet. Nepas are delicious little critters that roam around in the rocky areas of our planet. They are a great snack and can be used in a variety of dishes! A tangy taste that all inhabitants of Fortuna love! 

I frowned in disgust. The image shown was a cross between a spider and a scorpion. Did they really eat this stuff here? I crossed my fingers and hoped that the next item on the menu would be more appetizing. The audio continued and the hologram changed yet again. 

Cumis are palm-sized little spheres of juice that are both sweet and sour and is one of the most beloved fruits of our people. With a fuzzy, green exterior, they can be found by the river and are available throughout the year.

Much better. 

Oryza are small pellets that are grown in our fields. They are a staple in most meals and can also be used in many dishes.

It honestly looked like glorified rice.

Nepas on Oryza is super delicious!

The image changed and instead, an image of the scorpion-spiders in a bowl of rice popped up. I gagged and closed the device before it could continue.

I opened it up again after a few seconds and was relieved to see that it had returned to the main menu. Thank God that bookmarks weren't a thing here. 

I looked over the menu options again.

"The History of Fortuna."

The device glowed and whirred again and the voice began to speak.

Fortuna is believed to have begun forming after a massive explosion in the galaxy billions of years ago. This is widely regarded as the large boom theory. At about four and a half billion years ago, clouds of dust and rock came together to form the planet.

This sounded awfully familiar. 

However, some inhabitants of Fortuna also believe in a higher power, far above the galaxies, that may have created the planet. For this book however, a chronology of events that possibly happened after the large boom theory are explained. 

Interesting. There was finally something that sounded similar to Earth. I leaned in towards the device and listened intently as it gave a brief but detailed history of the planet's formation. From dinosaurs to the first appearance of the human race, it was fascinating to learn of the similarities between Earth and Fortuna.

"How's the book?"

I jerked backwards in surprise and the device fell out of my hands. The lady in red had returned stealthily or perhaps I was just too immersed into my reading.

"It's funny how similar our planets are huh?" she walked towards me and picked up the disk. "Aren't these great? Much better than cutting down all those precious trees and turning them into flimsy little objects."