The Seventh Sun Rises

The New Gods' Covenant

Our octet of explorers:

Dismas: 30, Architect   

Boris: 32, Zoologist       

Ashmit: 36, Team Commander

Vincent: 36, Head of Communications

Rose: 35, Botanist   

Thomas: 34, Nurse

Harold: 38, Engineer   

Marie: 43, Sanitation Expert

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Judges 21:25

They landed during sunset. The immense sun, noticeably larger on the horizon, cast a yellow light upon the flat, barren surface of the planet. One by one, each crew member carried various supplies out of the ship, preparing to construct their camp nearby. Dismas worked with his brother Ashmit and his friend Boris to create structures for each crew member to live in, while Rose furnished and decorated the interior of each structure. On the opposite side of the camp area, Harold hauled trunks of supplies out of the ship and Marie ignited an electric fire pit in the center of the camp. Meanwhile, Vincent and Thomas remained inside the ship, attempting to establish communications with Earth. Determined and steadfast, the crew constructed the camp in less than an hour. After fulfilling their necessary duties, the crew settled by the dimly glowing fire and lounged in comfortable cushioned chairs. Minutes passed and the crew remained silent. The gradually setting sun masked their faces with darkness.

"Uh, it's a little hard to see each other. The fire is dim." Boris muttered, attempting to break the silence.

"No worries, at least it is warm" Dismas replied. "I'm just glad this planet has oxygen and isn't blazing hot or freezing cold."

"Yep! There's even supposed to be water and wildlife!" Rose said optimistically.

"Yeah... except we landed on the dead, lifeless part of this planet" Harold grumbled. "If we don't find any life, then we'll know why." Harold glared across the fire at Ashmit.

"Now Harold, you can't just assume there's nothing on this planet." Vincent confidently responded, standing up from his chair. "Together, we can colonize and explore this planet rapidly, just like we were assigned to."

Thomas heartily laughed at Vincent. "Sit down Wannabe Commander, we couldn't even establish communications. Your greedy aspirations will be the death of us."

Vincent confusedly looked at Thomas, then sat down. Marie remained silent and lazily stared into the fire, uninterested in the crew's squabbles.

"Ugh, I wish we had some actual meat for dinner, instead of this dry space food." Boris frowned. "Maybe we can hunt tomorrow... if we can find animals."

Throughout the crew's light conversation, Ashmit sat pondering, entranced by his internal monologue of ideas. Ashmit, an ambitious yet organized planner, desired to enlighten his crew. At last, Ashmit collected his ideas.

"Enough with your simple chattering and look at we've accomplished. We're the first humans to establish a camp on this new planet! Aren't any of you proud of what we've done?"

"Yeah, it's good, but we shouldn't be prideful about our accomplishments." Dismas responded.

"What's the matter, are you not impressed with your own achievements? Has Earth made you timid?" Ashmit questioned.

"No, I just think it is respectful to be humble." Dismas said quietly.

"Dismas, you're clinging to old Earth customs about respect. Lighten up, we're on a new planet. Our old Earth customs are behind us. You also cling to regressive Earth morals.

Ashmit pondered for a moment, then continued addressing Dismas. "Instead of deciding how to act by yourself, you let an ancient and absurd deity tell you how to act. You sacrifice your individuality and your reason, and in exchange, you become a slave to a deity who violates the most basic science."

"What does any of this do with humility?" Dismas asked, perplexed.

Ashmit ignored Dismas and directed his attention to the rest of the crew. "Everyone, I propose that we abandon the antiquated customs of Earth. We are all intelligent people, capable of good deeds without relying upon any ancient rules. It's common sense, should we follow the commands of a deity disproven by science, or should we determine how to act by ourselves? We have logic on our side, and we can create a thriving colony on this planet without any supernatural forces!"

The entire crew, excluding Dismas, nodded in agreement. "Makes sense to me, why do we need anyone to tell us how to act when we're smart enough to decide on our own?" Boris added.

"I accept your proposal!" Rose exclaimed.  "Together, we can be successful!"

Although Dismas remained silent and contemplative, the rest of the crew discussed the implications of Ashmit's ideas, eager to live in adherence to this new covenant. "Our environment changed, and our morals should change too. This innovative shift in morals should advance our colony and lead to our prosperity." Vincent contributed.

"However," Dismas interjected. "Didn't people follow these 'old fashioned' morals for a reason? They must have been somewhat beneficial to society, and completely abandoning them will likely harm our colony."

"People back then didn't rely on science and logic to learn about the world. Now we have science and logic, so we can disregard this deity and rationally think for ourselves." Ashmit stated.

"Yeah, let's be free from the laws of the past." Rose immediately added.

At this point, Dismas noticed the steadfast and prideful look of determination of Ashmit's face, a look Dismas recognized. Dismas knew the rest of the crew supported Ashmit's proposal, discouraging him from arguing any further. Although Marie remained silent, the rest of the crew endlessly expressed their interest in the proposal and discussed its moral implications. The crew's light-hearted conversation transformed into a more serious dialogue, a discussion of religion, philosophy, and science. By now the sun had set upon the camp, giving way to a starless sky solely illuminated by the camp's flickering fire. The new gods created a new covenant, and they conversed and rejoiced throughout the night.