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OldeKomos - The photography crew. (Collage not created, found in the gallery of Pinteresten)
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Shapes - Filing System
The Iris Voyage HQ requested we simplify the filing system for information we collected on each Small Planet. The following is a brief description of the symbol that will mark each file and the reason it was chosen:
Tragedy: A waterfall - The ever constant flowing of the human spirit and the unavoidable crashing of the wave
Adaptation: A camera - To take the most beautiful part of a moment and to focus on your chosen subject
Comedy: A circus mirror - To take the truest human form and make it a little bit wiggly
Liturgical: A star - the life cycle of the star mimics that of humans and their faith, and further relates to the heavenly bodies
Non Linear: Knitting needles and yarn - The thread of a story gets interwoven together to create a work of art
Experimental: A magnifying glass - What are things made of? How can we question that?
Devised: The Love-Lock Bridge - The unification of passion and love by countless creatives
Dance: A Dandelion - Whispering through the breeze, communicating by responding to wherever the wind takes its seeds
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Experimental
Day 375. 5,792 Light Years from Earth. Destination: Avant
The entire purpose of this voyage was to challenge our very perception of what a planet could be, but Avant was the first planet to truly push that boundary. We had encountered countless situations that expanded that understanding, but this was entirely different. Inhabitants were ever changing, constantly evolving right in front of us. The atmosphere was almost entirely non existent, gravity seemed to ebb and flow, and the individuals we encountered had communication styles like we had never seen before. Time seemed to speed up and slow down as it pleased. Community spaces seemed to be inverted, government systems were centered on untraditional structures, and the town residents seemed to be much more involved in how time progressed. The flora and fauna sprouted in ways that has never been seen in other planets, and we found that in certain aspects, technology was much more integrated than any other planet we had visited previously. Everything about this planet pushed our understanding to what a planet could be, leaving us questioning if it was even a planet at all. We realized that it does not have to fit the “local wildlife, town, government and citizen” framework. Every planet is rich in culture and nuance, but Avant is what made us realize to just what extent.
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Liturgical
Day 444. 8973 Light Years from Earth. Destination: Leitourgos In training for a voyage of this capacity, you are warned to be sensitive to the cultural practices and religious beliefs of those that you encounter on your journey. While there have certainly been religious themes, we have not encountered anything so closely paralleled to the beliefs of those on Earth. Landing on Leitourgos was a staunch reminder of how closely our relationship with our own humanity fuels our beliefs and how faith plays such an integral role in the human experience. The individuals we encountered were intensely kind and passionate about their faith, assuming that we too, were believers in the Christian, capital G God. Most of their day to day struggle was not concerned with romance or finance like the New Kingdom’s residents on OldeKomos, but rather what makes someone human, the journey through sin to redemption, and the ever persistent fight against Good and Evil. Every conflict was one of life or death, because their entire life, entire being, was enveloped in this identity as it relates to their deity. Each story they regaled followed a fairly strict pattern of tragedy then salvation, perhaps reinforcing the mighty power of the Father. Most of their political dealings rely on the stories of the bible, and public gatherings are meant to evoke awe, fear, or renewed faith in God. Their gathering spaces always revolve around an altar and pulpit, with citizens residing in the aisles. Each religious leader seems to be some sort of metaphor for an archetype found in the Bible, fulfilling many holy allegories. These meetings were filled with a call and response from leader and individual, further involving subjects in the collective spiritual awakening. While everyone in our crew has their own personal political beliefs, we all found ourselves to be much more in touch with our humanity and spiritual selves after our visit.
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Dance
Day 321. 4397 Light Years from Earth. Destination: Movere
Approaching the one-year anniversary of setting out on our voyage, our crew was grateful, but admittedly home sick. Jet lag was a permanent fixture in all of our bodies and we were unsure of how to truly explain our feelings to the wonderful people we were meeting along the way. This was until we touched down on Movere. Movere was a stunning society that functioned entirely on movement. Shunning traditional language structures, all communication was done through movement and non-verbal communication. This was intimidating for most everyone on our crew, but we quickly realized that this could not have come at a better time. Free from the confines of concrete language, we were able to connect with the locals in a much more human way. There was little nuance, as all communication was pure emotion, complete feeling expressed in the language of movement. Having the freedom to abandon literal ideas and instead just feel allowed for an incredibly deep connection that we had not experienced with any other planet. Furthermore, it gave us the ability to communicate with ourselves in a way that released all of the emotions we were not sure how to process prior to our expedition.
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Devised
Day 254. 525,600 Light Years from Earth. Destination: Devisen
Eager to encounter a new community or civilization, our voyage set its sights on Devisen. Rumored to be one of the most agreeable and supportive groups in this corner of the cosmos, we were intrigued by how their society would be structured. Upon arrival, we were greeted and immediately questioned, almost as if being interviewed on how we as a crew might contribute to their community. Hesitant to cause too much damage, we abstained from divulging too many details before setting out to explore.
The towns were absolutely stunning, with ornate architecture and music flooding the streets, all nothing like any of us had experienced. We finally reached the town center, a space much more sparse than we expected. How could such beauty stem from so little? Lucky enough to catch one of these town meetings, we realized why their culture seemed to be distinctly unique: because every decision, every aspect of their society had been touched by every single citizen. Every project was a beautiful collaboration of every member of their community, leaving no detail untouched, no aspect forgotten of, and every individual appreciated. Every building, event, or law had the input of a sea of dedicated citizens, all passionate and talented in their own way. Such beauty was able to stem from so little because it was given endless amounts of love and time. Each project stemming from some sort of original text or idea, Devisen allowed for a creative process unlike any other small planet we have seen.
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Non-Linear
Day 102. 24601 Light Years from Earth. Destination: NonLineas Today was a confusing one. Set out for another planetary expedition, the crew expected the usual procedure: scan for new small planets, explore local societies and landscapes, then head out. This…was not what happened. We passed through another wormhole on the way in, and while this itself is not unusual, the events shortly following were quite disorienting. We did not find any specific civilizations to introduce ourselves to, so we set up camp and turned in for the evening. However, upon waking, it was as if we had jumped forward in time by several weeks- our camp was much more fleshed out, with more sturdy structures built, bountiful pantries of food, and most of our belongings outside the voyager we’ve been traveling in. The flora and fauna surrounding us had also drastically changed, with most bearing flowers and fruits that were nowhere to be found the day prior. Perhaps the strangest part of all of this were the memories that had seemingly materialized overnight- images of building this camp together, rich conversations while we toiled away, making beautiful moments as a crew. We confirmed with the equipment on our ship and with correspondence on Earth that yes, only 12 or so hours had passed, but at the same time, these memories were very real. The next night, it was as if none of this had happened, and it was truly our first night there. We remained on NonLineas for a number of weeks to push the extent of this phenomenon, and it repeated each night, with each morning leaving us in a different point in our stay. Some mornings we were a week in, and some others had been upwards of 3 months. There was no real rhyme or reason to any of this, and as time went on, we were less concerned with what we were doing on this planet, and more how this phenomenon affected us emotionally. By bouncing from point to point in the time of our stay, we were able to appreciate the moment, and get a true glimpse into the intensity of experience and emotion in those moments. This planet seemed to have a message of not “what”, but “how”. How did we get here? The most jarring, however, was how symbolic the vegetation surrounding us felt. Watching plants and flowers jump from season to season, grow 3 feet, or wither away from night to night was a staunch reminder of this planet’s message.
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Comedy
Day 69. 420 Light Years from Earth. Destination: OldeKomos
With the crew in high spirits, we began our descent into the atmosphere of OldeKomos. Right away, we notice two kingdoms, separated by a vast expanse of wooded fields. We approached the one nearest to our landing site, greeted by the sounds of debaucherous festivities. The air was marked with the smell of wine and old stone, and after conversing with the partygoers, we began to explore what we are told is the Old kingdom. The palace grounds, dubbed the Polis, had shelves scattered about, each filled with thick texts and an inscription thanking their founder, Aristophanes. We passed uncomfortably phallic spires as we searched for a political or religious leader to help guide us through this foreign planet, but every inquiry to a (mostly nude) citizen was met with laughter and satirically political banter. While there was no one specific monarch, we rather found that the kingdom was ruled by 4 sectors. The Parados sector handled the general public and when it should be welcomed into the palace, the Parabasis sector would communicate directly with public and the courts, the Agon sector handled any conflict, debates, or contentions, and the Exodus sector focused more on safely bringing the public out of the palace. After introductions and good graces to each, we began our journey through the woods to reach the second kingdom we spotted on our way in.
It did not take long to be welcomed into the New Kingdom. Unlike the Old Kingdom, citizens here seemed much more enthralled with sharing the ways of their home and personal lives, rather than the political discussions favored by their neighbors. Citizens gladly showed us to their palace, lovingly dubbed the Oikos, to meet their political leaders, all the while filling us in on the daily dramas and gossip of the time. The court wasted no time, ushering us into the Oikos, thrilled to be receiving guests. Our crew eagerly took notes on our conversations and the basic functions of their society, and we found ourselves utterly amused at the honesty of these leaders. Fascinated by true human nature and expression, they admitted to implementing an absolutely ridiculous set of laws, cycling in new ones every so often, in order to insight more drama amongst their subjects. The subjects themselves are categorized by personality type, and often these laws are written in such a way that allows for restriction or manipulation of which personality type interacts at a given time, meaning stories of romantic, platonic, and familial relationships being sent into disarray arrive on the daily. With the societal landscape changing so frequently, citizens often find themselves in a slurry of ruses, misunderstandings, and other sticky situations. The court’s favorite type of drama to manufacture would be found then lost love, forcing those in the throngs of puppy love away from each other, then leaving enough of a legal loophole that allows them to have their happily ever after. The kingdom was built upon the field neighboring the woods, dubbed the Green World, in order to give young lovers a place to escape and scheme their way back into each other's arms. I suppose it’s quite convenient that the woods can also be used as a wedding venue.
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Adaptation
Day 57. 98 light years from Earth. Destination: Adaptare
In our travels, we have encountered plenty of troubling or unique circumstances, but very little of this nature. Prior to landing, our vessel was thrown through a wormhole that had some unexpected effects on our ship. The integrity of the vehicle remained intact, the spirit remaining the same, but all materials used were…changed? Titanium floors turned to steel, knobs turned switches, switches turned to knobs, etc. This shifting effect persisted after landing. We quickly made contact with a lovely civilization of individuals who were quick to share stories and the local cuisine. After a long night of festivities and swapping travel tales, we returned to our ship to turn in for the night. However, in the morning, we returned to find our new friends had changed during the night, much like our ship. The stories we regaled over our evening meal the night prior were suddenly works of music, epic poems set to song. This was entirely different from the spoken folktales we received prior, but the stories came to life in an entirely new light. This process repeated night after night, with each story we learned the day before being altered in form or substance. Some nights there were additional plot points, some where there were entire translations made, and others where the story was recounted by dance. It seemed the wormhole wanted to challenge our perception of what the “soul” of a story truly is, leaving our crew with a newfound appreciation for the nuances each medium, plot point, and detail can carry.
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Tragedy
Day 24. 109 light years from Earth. Speed. Destination: Tragodia
With gray skies and imminent rain, we tepidly explored our new surroundings, worried the new atmosphere would begin to weep, blanketing our crew in soggy sorrows. Most of this expedition was spent hiking through mountainous terrain, giving us plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with our crewmates’ life stories, family and friends, and innermost fears. A stop for lunch led to campfire songs and marveling at our surroundings of the alien space. This was our first real moment to stop and think about the perils and hardships it took to get here, this far from home. We encountered a civilization that was marvelous in how intensely mundane it was. Citizens were not particularly good or evil, but morally neutral peoples with morally neutral beliefs. In reviewing their history, we found that there was almost always a triggering point, the Hamartia, that lead to some tragic event- death, natural disaster, etc. There was a point in their history where this fatal mistakes were realized, recognized, and though there were future attempts at reversal, this knowledge was not enough to prevent them. This Anagnorisis, or realization, was integral in their formation, but unfortunately not enough to shape their fate. This realization was made by the Peripety, and although universally hated, changed the course of their history. As researchers we ached for them, insisting that there must be something to prevent their mass heartbreak, but there seemed to be no prevention. No supernatural intervention, no perfectly timed saviors, only pain. We paid our respect and said farewell to Tragodia, leaving with a heavy heart.
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