History may not remember the names of the dead, but the stars will attest to their journeys. The first glimmer of light in the prolonged night often illuminates little, as it is fleeting and the darkness too vast. But, as long as something shines in the night sky, then when the first star falls countless more are sure to follow. -- Anon Guest
The unknown is always dark or foggy, at least when imagined by creatures who see. For those who orient by echolocation, the unknown is silent. For those who sense their world by smell, it is odorless, and so forth.
The unknown is that which cogniscent life cannot easily perceive.
The unknown always requires special equipment to explore. As well as courage and determination. It's almost always why the Havenworlders never spread as far as the Deathworlders. Someone from a planet full of risks is far more likely to take on other risks just to find out what's on the other side.
For the record, lots of them are disappointed.
Following the disappointment, they then figure out how to move in. Alternately, they figure out how to exploit whatever they've found[1]. They make the unknown into the everyday. They make the unsafe... well... safe enough.
Safe enough for the people willing to acknowledge the risks, at any rate.
Then the Havenworlders, making certain the unknown is safe, touch their toes into the unknown. They're almost always shocked to find Deathworlders already there. One wag likened it to walking into a haunted house to discover the ghosts on the couch. Eating popcorn and watching entertainment.
Their only hope was to recruit the Deathworlders to protect them.
Havenworlders are very lucky that they're cute.
[1] For evidence of this, look no further than the warning signs in deep diving caves and the people who ignore them.
[Photo by Nicolas Lobos on Unsplash]
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