The Journey of Titan

Written by Jared Harmer

Thefeelingislikenonethatthehumanconsciousnesscanevenbegintocomprehend.

Thetoughestofthetough,givingintothemostintenseconditionsinexistence,mileswithinthe crustoftheEarth.Listeningto,andalmostfeelingthetorturedscreamsoftheinexperiencedrocks, whiledoingyourbesttoenduretheexcruciatingpressurethatisbeingwroughtuponyourself.Waiting, hopingforthetimewhenyoureachtheTurningPoint,whenyourfeelingisnotlimitedtoyoursolidstate, andthepainisnolongercondensed,butdistributedevenlytoallofthebeingssurroundingyou. Crossingyourfingers,andprayingthatyoudontgetsenttoTheMetamorphicZone,wherethe pressureincreasesexponentially,andforanevenlongerperiodoftime. Ishudderatthethoughtthatsomeofmypastfriendshave,orareinthatwretchedplace,I empathizeformybrothers,whocametothisplanetalongsideme,manyofwhichareexperiencingthat nowconfused,scared,andinthemostpainfulstateanyrockcannothopetoendureatsomepointin itslife. See,justmomentsearlier,Wehadenteredthisplanetsatmosphereintheformofa7kilometer indiametermeteor.AfewofmydearestfriendsseparatedfromUs,butthevastmajoritystayedintact, plummetingthroughtheoxygenrichairandfinallycreatingamassivecrateratthebottomofagulfof waternearalargepeninsulaandnarrowneckofland.Creatingwavesofimmeasurableheight,sinking veryfastandsmashingthroughthecrustoftheplanet,tearingintoanothermileofrock,andfinallybeing separatedbyresultingearthquakeandtectonicmovement,andplacedintoourseparate,andvery

differentpredicamentsbeingcompressedwiththesandnearthesurface,sentdowntotheCalmatthe baseofavolcano,andtheunluckythird,whoweresenttotheMetamorphicZone. Iwasthemostlucky,beinginwhatmysurroundingcognizancessayisarguablythebestplacea rockcouldbe.Intruth,itwasgreat,therewasnostress,nopainorpressure,justtheslowmovements ofmagma,withgaseousbubblesbeinginjectedintomeinaverycalmingway,butitdidntlasttoolong becauseafteronlybutafewminutes,(mereyoctosecondsinrocktime)weweresuddenlyshotupat extremespeedsinanupwarddirection,gainingspeedaswewent,andfinallybeingejectedandinstantly cooledbythesurroundingair,becomingawhite,poroustypeofigneousrock!Ihadbeencaughtinthe atmosphereforashorttime,beforedescendingdownandlandinginariverbelow,asaverysmallrock. IhadtraveledquitealongdistancebeforeIfell,andIcouldbutseetheremainingstumpofa volcanointhedistance,surroundedbyimmensecloudsofashanddust.Irolledaroundunderthefast wateroftheriver,andoverthecourseofthenextwhile,Iwaspulverized(inawaythatwasnotasbad asyoumightthink,though)Smoothedout,becomingbutasmallgrainasasmallpartofacollective sandybaseoftheriver. Imademywaydownforawhilebeforefinallysettlingdowninacalmerpartofthecurrent,at thebaseofalargehillside.Thehillwasverysteep,butnotrocky,infactitseemedloose.Likeapasty dirtthatlookedlikeitmightfallanysecondanditlookedlikeIwasrightbecauseashortwhilelaterit allcametumblingdowntowardmebeforefallingintotheriver.Astheblackishsubstanceenveloped me,Icouldnthelpbutenjoythefeelingofthesludgecreepingintoallofmyholesinaverysoothing way. Ifeltmyselfsinkdeeperintothemud,allthewhilefeelingthepressureontopofmeincrease slowly,thesurroundingparticlescompressedintome,makingmefeelmoreandmorelikemyoriginal

sedimentaryform.Thissamealmostpleasurablefeelingcontinuedforanextremeperiodoftime beforeIsettleddown.Foranequalamountoftimethatittooktobecomeasedimentaryrock,Iwas erodedbythepowerfulforceofwind. TheworldthatwasunveiledwhenIwasuncoveredwasunlikeanyotherIhadeverseen.Gone wasthevolcanic,tropicallandofthedinosaurs,andwhatnowlayaroundmewasabeautifulredand orangelandscapethathadcolorsthatrivaledthecolorsIhadseeninmypastlifeinthegreatexpanse thatisspace. Immensewavesofsandstoneflowedaroundinrandom,butgorgeousways.Ifeltproudtobe abletocontributetothisdrydesertrose.Iwatchedandobservedforyearsasiteroded,adoringthe archesandshapesthatwereerectedintheplaceofsmoothstonehills,atrandomplacesandtimes. Eventually,Itoowascarriedoffwithastrongcurrentofair,movinghighupintothesky,partof ahugecloudofdust.Iwascarriedforthousandsofleagues,seeingmorethanIhadeverseenvalleys, mountains,sandydeserts,lakes,riverssohugetheyseemedlikeoceans,andforestsspeckledintreesI hadneverwitnessed,beforeIlandedinalargecrevice. Ifelldeeperintothiscrack,findingitsdepthfarexceededitbreadth,driftingandbouncing around,asthecavernousholewidenedandthinned.Imarveledatthealmostartisticwavesofrockthat madeupthewallsofthething,andafterwhatseemedlikeafewminutes,Ilandedinabigpotofsludge. No,notthat,butsludgethatisaverythick,cool,typeofmoltenrock. Beingatougherkindofrockthantherest,Isankdeeperin,beforeIhadhitapointwhereI meltedbesidemytoughbrethren.Istayedinthiscalming,unmovingstateforaperiodoftimethateven exceededmytransformationintosedimentaryrock,beforeanextremelypowerfulplanetaryforce movedmeclosetoanareaIknewverywellaplaceeverythingdreaded,TheMetamorphicZone.

Itriedtoresisttheforce,Ididntwanttoexperiencethetortuousforcesmanyhavehadto endure,butIquicklyrealizedtherewasnopoint.Ihadtotellmyselftotrytoacceptit,Titan, everythingwillbeO.K.Itwonthurtabit. Ihadhopedthatthismightsootheme,andthatImightberightaboutitnotbeingworsethanit soundsthousandsofyearsofagonizingpain,moreintensepressureandheatthananywhereelseinthe world.

Butthiswasallinvain,becauseIwaswrong. Itwasworse.