Following the conclusion of Language class, the schedule shifted directly into Geography.
‘Hopefully, this will clear up a few of the lingering questions my brain hasn’t been able to process,’ Victor thought as he leaned forward.
For instance, he still couldn’t wrap his head around how seven distinct planets could physically occupy the exact same orbit without a catastrophic collision.
Mrs.
Bao, their geography instructor, wasted no time introducing the session’s focus on the upcoming exam reviews.
“As you are all well aware, the Federation occupies seven primary planets alongside several smaller celestial bodies within this solar system. But how is this scientifically possible?” Mrs.
Bao began, pacing the room.
“How could our species leave Lumina, our birth planet, and seamlessly colonize six other worlds so radically similar to our own? According to astrophysical readings of the deep universe, the mathematical probability of such a phenomenon occurring naturally is practically nonexistent.”
A student near the back rows raised her hand.
“Teacher, it is due to a rare astronomical configuration known as a Co-Orbital Ring. A Co-Orbital Ring occurs when multiple planetary bodies share the same orbital distance from a central star, locked in a permanent 1:1 mean-motion resonance.”
“Exactly, Miss Joux,” Mrs.
Bao replied with a nod.
“The seven planets of our Federation share a single orbit, and that orbit sits squarely within the habitable zone of our star. It is fair to say we are the ultimate winners of the cosmic lottery, as the odds of these two conditions aligning are almost zero. It isn’t entirely impossible, simply because we exist as living proof of it. Yet, even after thousands of years of scanning deep space, our scientists have never discovered another solar system that replicates this structure.”
The teacher tapped her terminal, activating the classroom’s Sound-Imagery Instruments.
“Behold the Resonant Federation,” she said.
A breathtaking 3D holographic simulation materialized in the center of the classroom, projecting seven brilliantly colored spheres orbiting a central sun in a perfect circle.
“According to our astrophysical simulations, for a ring of equal-mass planets to naturally stabilize itself without tearing apart through gravitational disruption, the system must contain a minimum threshold of exactly seven planets evenly spaced along the orbital path. We possess the exact structural number required to maintain this resonant cosmic balance.” Mrs.
Bao looked around the room.
“But what are the physical mechanics that prevent them from drifting?”
“The planets don’t crash into each other due to the physics of orbital energy exchange,” one student answered.
“If Planet A slows down slightly, it drops into a marginally lower orbit. Because lower orbits move faster, Planet A actually accelerates and catches up toward Planet B,” another student added.
“And as it approaches Planet B, their mutual gravitational pull kicks Planet A back into a higher, slower orbit while pulling Planet B down into a lower, faster orbit,” a third classmate chimed in.
“Yes, your collective definitions are completely accurate,” Mrs.
Bao approved, adjusting the holographic simulation to demonstrate the process.
“Instead of colliding, the planets effectively bounce off one another gravitationally, reversing their relative directions. From a moving frame of reference, each world traces a repeating horseshoe path relative to its neighbors. This keeps them permanently trapped in a stable cosmic loop that can endure for billions of years.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The teacher zoomed the projection out to show the planetary horizon.
“This unique physics engine is the sole reason our ancestors managed to colonize the system so rapidly. To the naked eye looking up from any planet’s surface, the other six worlds don’t appear as distant, twinkling stars; they look like massive, glowing marbles lining the horizon. Because they share the exact same distance from our sun, they receive an identical distribution of solar energy. This allowed humanity to terraform all six sibling worlds into thriving, booming ecologies housing billions of citizens each.”
Mrs.
Bao turned back to the podium.
“However, it is crucial for your exam to note that only Lumina, after billions of years of biological evolution, managed to naturally birth intelligent life—us. The other six planets had only developed primitive plant life prior to our arrival, completely lacking native animal species. Now, let’s delve into the specific mathematical mechanics of…”
Victor listened to the lecture with rapt attention, completely captivated by the grand design of his universe.
‘How ridiculously lucky is this species?’ he marveled inwardly.
‘Setting aside their reality-bending biological traits, the humans of this world were handed a solar system that practically came with six pre-packaged spare planets just waiting to be settled.’
He became so deeply absorbed in the orbital mechanics of the Co-Orbital Ring that he completely lost track of time.
Before he knew it, the loud chime of the school bell echoed through the campus, announcing the end of the period and shattering his focus.
The loud, rhythmic chime of the noon bell finally echoed through the classroom walls, signaling the start of the lunch period.
Before Victor could even recap his pen or reach for his backpack straps, a large hand clamped firmly onto his shoulder.
“Lunchtime, Vic! Let’s move; my stomach has been screaming since mid-biology,” Dylan announced, practically hauling Victor out of his chair with his usual, unstoppable energy.
Victor heaved a sigh as he freed himself from Dylan’s claws, but he still followed him through the chaotic tide of hungry high schoolers filling the corridors.
The two friends soon reached the massive school cafeteria, navigating the modern automated lines to order their food.
Unlike the cheap, sodium-rich instant meals Victor survived on in his studio apartment, the school provided a heavily subsidized, incredibly nutritious, and delicious spread—a perfectly balanced meal of seasoned lean proteins, whole grains, and crisp greens designed to keep a Resonant student’s high-energy metabolism fueled.
Carrying their loaded trays, they scanned the crowded room until Dylan spotted a lively table near the center, waving over a handful of their regular track and homeroom classmates.
“Make room for the casualties of the morning gauntlet,” Dylan chuckled, sliding his massive frame onto the bench and nudging Victor to sit right beside him.
The table was filled with the usual energetic chatter of seventeen-year-olds swapping complaints about Mrs.
Tracy’s biology slides and Mr.
Naga’s vocal tract lectures.
Victor immediately drifted into his favorite role—the quiet, unbothered observer—focusing entirely on his food while Dylan effortlessly took over the social airwaves.
Tracy’s biology slides and Mr.
Naga’s vocal tract lectures.
Everyone in Victor’s graduating class was either seventeen or eighteen years old, as the Federation’s education system strictly mandated that every student be at least eighteen to graduate high school.
Consequently, the group gathered around the trays was a mixed bag; some were still navigating the awkward limbo of seventeen, while a few had already crossed the threshold into eighteen.
Everyone there felt the awkwardness of being a 1.5 Tier Teenager, so everyone knew how exciting reaching adulthood was.
Victor immediately drifted into his favorite role—the quiet, unbothered observer—focusing entirely on his food while Dylan effortlessly took over the social airwaves.
The others didn’t bother him, as they knew Victor liked quiet, and they weren’t as shameless as Dylan was to bother Victor.
“Man, you guys can stress about the entrance exams all you want, but I have a much bigger milestone on my calendar first,” Dylan suddenly declared, tapping his fork against the edge of his tray to gather everyone’s attention.
He grinned broadly, his hazel eyes flashing with excitement.
“In exactly two weeks, your boy officially hits eighteen.”
“Oh, great. Two weeks until Dylan legally becomes society’s problem,” one of the classmates who had already turned eighteen teased, prompting a wave of laughter around the table.
“Laugh all you want, but you know what that means,” Dylan shot back, completely unbothered as he leaned forward, his voice dropping into an eager, intense whisper.
“Two weeks until my biological clock finally strikes the Standard Pulse. I literally cannot wait to naturally reach the Adult tier. No more fuzzy, distorted shapes when I try to use my tactile touch. No more awkward adolescent half-tier limits. I’m finally going to have a perfectly stable baseline frequency!”
The table broke into a mix of groans from those still waiting for their birthdays and genuine nods of agreement from the classmates who already commanded their stable adult frequencies.
In the Resonance Federation, an eighteenth birthday wasn’t just about becoming a legal adult; it was a profound biological awakening—the moment their volatile childhood static permanently settled into a reliable, adult rhythm.
For someone as physically active as Dylan, unlocking Tier 2 meant his sports performance and basic daily tech synchronization would instantly skyrocket.
Victor chewed his food slowly, his ink-black eyes quietly watching his best friend’s exuberant display.
While the rest of the table kept hyping Dylan up, Victor couldn’t help but feel a subtle, complicated twist in his own chest.
His own eighteenth birthday was less than 2 months away.
For everyone else at this table, reaching the Adult tier was a beautiful, eagerly awaited celebration of human nature.
But for Victor—carrying a locked box of devastating Earth memories and a frozen heart—stepping firmly into a tier that would make his biological connection to music even more absolute.
‘No, I can’t be that pessimist, right?’ Victor thought, ‘Even without music, I can live a better life in this world pursuing other paths like literature.
I should continue searching my memories for books that I can bring to this world…’ He ruminated as he ate his meal.