Eyes of the Desert

It was the hottest day of the year on Solun’Dar. The heat wrapped around everything like a dry blanket. The temperature was high and the humidity low as the sun stood blinding in the sky. During the days, only the forgiving shade of a passing tree or the cooling water of an oasis could vanquish the unforgiving heat of the Solun’Dar’s sun. The students landed at the docking area of Solun’Dar. They were given a briefing on the way there. They were told that Solun’Dar was typically very warm, but due to an unusual weather pattern, the temperature rose significantly. Adrian looked out of the spacecraft as they started to disembark; the shade of the ship gave the illusion of a cooler temperature.

The excursion coordinator, Kaelin, yelled, “You are to make your way to the bus, to the right! Just past that building, you’ll see it! Make haste now!” The coolness of the shade was short-lived as the students braved the sun and headed to the bus. The students practically ran towards the bus as the heat engulfed them. Adrian wasn’t sure what the temperature was, but she was sure that she had never felt anything as hot. Growing up in Appalachia, she thought she knew what it meant to be hot because of the humidity. Every summer took a toll, but this heat was different, drier, and yet even hotter.

The bus resembled the buses that Adrian traveled in on long trips back on Earth, except it was beefier, bigger, and seemed capable of withstanding a greater impact. The combination of the bus’s bulkiness and the large number of students on the trip created a hot atmosphere. Although the students were reminded repeatedly that the bus did have air conditioning, they remained unconvinced. Especially Adrian, after living on Nexus for so long and having air conditioning back home, she just knew that this so-called air conditioning was not true. Soon, the bus became a sauna, with students sweating and everyone becoming rowdy and loud. “It’s so hot and sticky in here. I’m literally stuck to my seat.” Emory said as he lifted his arm slowly off the seat. Adrian chuckled, “I’m stuck to my seat too.” Kai, who sat across from both of them, pulled out a water bottle and handed it to her. “Make sure you share with Emory, too. I don’t want you guys fainting on me.” Both Adrian and Emory gladly accepted the water. Adrian gulped down half of it before handing it to Emory.

Kai then used his arm to wipe away the little bit of sweat on his forehead. “Whoa,” Adrian said, “the dragon actually sweats, I didn’t think I would live to see the day.” Kai gave her a stink face. Emory nearly died laughing, choking on the water. “I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere this hot before or dry; the desert seems to stretch out forever,” Adrian said. Kai took a moment to look out the window before saying, “Not all of Solun’Dar is a desert. It has mountains and forests, oceans and lakes, just like many other planets, just in smaller batches. Also, it’s normally not this hot, I’ve heard from Kaelin that a change in the wind caused the unusually hot temperature.” Emory sat up, wanting to chime in on the conversation, “Such unusually hot weather could trigger storms. If the wind and heat align perfectly, we may see a mega storm.” Between the hot weather and their conversation, Adrian became somewhat anxious as she gazed out the window at the desert, which pulsed under the sun. She observed waves of heat flowing over the dunes, driven by the wind. “The light reflecting off the sand hurts to look at,” She said.

After what seemed like an eternity trapped inside a metal tube in an oven, the students finally arrived at the Ancient Mirrors, or as the locals call it, The Eyes of the Desert. As the students filed off the bus into the heat of the desert, the other coordinator, Sam, directed the students to the research building, then inside to where a history lesson awaited. Although many of the students would prefer to skip a lesson, all of them enjoyed the cool air that came upon them as they entered the building. Although the building was relatively small, the significance of the research was important. Most of the room inside the building was already occupied by various research instruments and a group of researchers. But the students were determined to escape the heat as they all crammed inside, followed by the coordinators.

“Welcome, welcome, students. We are so happy to have you here. Welcome to the Ancient Mirrors,” The head of the research department said. He was dressed for the weather, shorts and a tank top with hiking boots. His skin was quite tan and yet covered in sand. A pair of dark sunglasses rested on his head as his curly hair came through, nearly covering him from sight. “He is not what I thought a researcher would look like. Don’t they usually wear lab coats?” Adrian whispered to her friends so as not to interrupt the researcher. Kai gave her a strange look before saying, Why would a researcher in the desert wear a coat? I mean, maybe at night if it gets cold, but I don’t think it’s gotten cold in a couple of months.” Emory slowly crept in between them and whispered, “I think she’s comparing them to cartoons.” Kaelin gave the three a stern look before pointing them back towards the researcher.

“Listen closely as I tell you why these Ancient Mirrors are so critical, not only to Solun’Dar but also to the future of energy storage. The Ancient Mirrors stretch far and wide across the desert cliff. Researchers believe that the mirrors date back to the Mirrorglyph Era. Long ago, the Zhanyari believed they could commune with the Heart of the Sun, their solar deity, using these Ancient Mirrors. Many still believe these mirrors to be sacred and are still used in religions today. They believe that these mirrors can capture the voice of the Heart of the Sun, and some even feel that these mirrors were placed here by the Sun. Those who believe in the Heart of the Sun say that when the mirrors are warm, is speaking to you, and when the mirrors are cold, the sun is listening to you. Comparing the folklore tales surrounding Ancient Mirrors to our current understanding, we conclude that when the mirrors are hot, they gather energy. When they are cold, the energy is dispersed into the ground.” As the head researcher concluded their lecture on Ancient Mirrors, another researcher distributed a paper to each student, containing a scavenger hunt designed to enhance their understanding of the Ancient Mirrors. Then, the students were sent back outside into the heat and the sun of the hottest day of Solun’Dar.

“Do you know,” Kai said as they headed back outside, eager to add a more personal view to the Ancient Mirrors, “Once a year, when the mirrors align with the sun exactly right for only a few minutes, the mirrors can create a golden portal into a memory. Or that’s at least what my Baba had told me. Anyway, that’s why they call it The Eyes of the Desert, because they can look into one’s memories. I think it’s very similar to how some of the prophets are gifted the ability of mind reading, perhaps the Heart of the Sun gives it.” Adrian stared back at Kai, confused and shocked by the information. She was amazed at the thought that these mirrors could open a portal to a memory and could give someone the ability to read minds. ‘Can that only happen to the Zhanyari?’ She wondered. “So has this happened recently? Do people come out just for it? When is it exactly? Is it random?” Emory bombarded Kai with questions. As Adrian read over the scavenger hunt, Kai did his best to answer all of Emory’s questions.

The heat, sun, and desert dryness combined, placing the scavenger hunt on Extreme mode. The paper that the researchers handed out only reflected the sun, blinding the students. The three decided to split up, hoping to cover more of the scavenger hunt. Adrian wandered off, finding what seemed to be a cave containing a mirror that was quite large at the base of the cave. As she slowly entered the cave, the air grew cold, freeing her from the miserable cage of heat of the Solun’Dar day. Adrian felt drawn to the mirror as she reached out with her hand to touch it. It was cool to the touch, almost turning ice cold as she continued to feel it. She recalled what Kai had said earlier and the head researcher’s explanation that when the mirrors are cold. She wondered, ‘Is the Sun truly listening?’ Adrian took this as a moment to whisper something to the mirror, something she hoped would come true. Something that she held so close to her heart that she couldn’t share with her family or her friends. Then, afterward, being polite, she said goodbye as she quickly exited and found her friends.

With papers now completed and turned back into the researchers, the students once again climbed onto the sauna-like bus, as they made their way to the hotel assigned by the coordinators for that night. The students were just as hot, just as cranky as before, but now, exhausted, they quietly complained. Adrian looked down at her skin, noticing it turning a pinkish red. She moaned under her breath as she knew that this meant she got burned. Looking over to Emory, he, too, was red. Kai, on the other hand, only grew tanner, similar to the researchers from earlier. Adrian took a sip of water from the bottle that they left on the bus, warmed from the wait. It did little to relieve Adrian from the heat, as she not only felt hot but her skin was hot to the touch. She drank so much water that day that her stomach was now upset. She stared out the window once again, dreaming of snowflakes and ice cream, remembering how the cold winter air felt. Her daydreaming about the cold reminded her of the cave and the mirror; she had considered telling Kai, Emory, or one of the coordinators about her concerns. However, she was exhausted from the heat and decided to keep quiet.

By the time they made it back to the hotel, the sun was setting, even though it grew dark, the heat lingered. The students eagerly made their way into the hotel. After a short wait in the lobby, they were each assigned a room paired with other students of their choosing. Kai, Adrian, and Emory decided to share a room. Then, they headed to the elevator, going up to the sixth floor and down the hallway until they finally found their door. As Adrian opened the door, another wave of heat hit her. The first thing she did was turn the air conditioning to the coolest temperature. From there, she investigated the room. The hotel was designed to suit the desert environment. The walls were painted a deep brown, and the floors a light tan. Three low platform single beds rested against one wall, covered with soft red and gold linens. A small table with cushions on each side, topped with a tea set, was placed on the opposite side of the room from the beds. A detail woven mat under the table outlined its designated area. Fake bamboo outlined a jungle scene on the wall behind the table. A door to their left, just as they entered, led to a bathroom covered in greenery and tiles shaped to resemble the rocky terrain.

After exploring the room, the three decided it would be best to take advantage of the time before dinner and shower. Being the gentlemen that they were, both Kai and Emory decided to let Adrian have the shower first. Then Kai was insistent that Emory take the shower next, “Go ahead and shower after Adrian. I’m pretty used to this, and you guys definitely gave it your best shot. I even broke a sweat today, so I can only imagine how you all feel.” Adrian thanked both of them as she ran into the shower, and she let the cold water run over her until she finally felt cool enough to turn the water warm. She could also feel the air around her grow colder as the AC kicked in. She was finally able to wash the heat off of her. “It was so hot today that my skin was sticky like waffle syrup. I hope it never gets this hot again. I can’t wait until I can complain about the cold again.” She said to Kai and Emory as she threw herself onto one of the beds. Kai rolled his eyes as he motioned for her to sit at the table. “They brought our dinners. We have rice, mutton kebabs, and naan,” he said. Emory quickly grabbed a container of stew, “There’s also a soup with veggies like potatoes and chili peppers in it. So there are vegetables too.” Kai gave Emory a look and said, “I don’t think veggies count as food. The meat is what really matters, and naan is good too.”

Later that evening, after everyone had showered, eaten, and finally cooled down, they settled into bed. Adrian chose the bed closest to the window, peeking through the cracks of the curtain at the night sky. She wondered if the air outside was finally cool. What about The Eyes of the Desert? Did they grow cold at night? Did the sun listen to the world, and does it keep a careful watch over the sleeping people? The hotel room grew cooler as Adrian pondered. Kai, feeling the chill, nudged the thermostat up just enough, not enough to turn the room into a sauna, but enough to take the edge off the cold. Emory was already asleep across from Kai, who stayed awake, flipping through a book. Curious but tired, Adrian watched him from her bed. “What was the point of coming here on the hottest day of the year?” she murmured, half-asleep. Kai looked up from his book. “Probably just a random date. It’s not like Sam’s a weather wizard or anything.” Adrian stared back, fighting sleep. “Maybe the sun had a lot to say today.” Kai met her gaze but said nothing. Adrian’s eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep.