Name: Sun He

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke

Sun He never intended to be a magician. His life was not spent on learning tricks to impress people. He lived his life in the pursuit of science, searching for answers and questions to the galaxy around him. In that pursuit, he found many fascinating things. His passionate research gave him a new deeper understanding of the previously uncontainable forces of physics and chemistry. He used his knowledge to tame and direct these forces, building strange contraptions that mixed powders and flames into colorful burning mists that were magnetically attracted to him.

What use did this fascinating experiment have for society at large?

Sun He had absolutely no idea, but he was sure other scientists would take his new understanding of these materials and connect with many other kinds of sciences spurring on great advances of many kinds. Now all he needed to do was find a scientist or scientists. Unfortunately on Poagantu, the general population looked at science as a waste of time at best, and a perversion of the pure, honest soul at worst. For the first time, he would travel to the great planet Laruta, the center of galactic power, and he was certain the home of galactic knowledge.

A committee of the best scientists did not greet him. No one greeted him. He arrived alone and directionless, at the mercy of the general public for help in his quest. He inquired at every remarkable feat of architecture, confident that he would find his brethren in these monumental constructions. Instead, he found bureaucrats and businessmen. They had no knowledge of any sciences or practicers. Finally, one lavishly dressed simpleton in a grand office in an even grander building suggested he try the collective.

This must be the name of the scientific society he had been searching for. He traveled to their host buildings as he was directed. Standing in awe of the ornate structure that he could tell was built by geniuses and which he was sure would contain them too.

“Ha! You strangely dressed creature, what makes you think you are one of us!” Laughed the largest lizard he’d ever seen. Sun He prepared his experiment, hoping to win over this member of the collective who was challenging him. Flames of every known color mixed with flames of unknown colors, he swirled around the room, allowing the chemicals to connect and disconnect beautifully while loudly explaining the detailed scientific process he had used to make them behave so.

Silence filled one of the many cigar lounges while the members of this group he’d mislabeled as scientists stared in awe. He finished his detailed explanation and looked for approval of his methods. He was met with an explosion of joy and excitement. The members lept from their seats as quickly as their overweight bodies would allow and rushed him with questions. They were not the questions he expected about the methods he had used to confirm his research was unflawed. Instead, they asked where he’d learned his spell if he could teach them the magic words, and an assortment of bizarre quests for charms on themselves and hexes on their enemies.

Days later, he had made no more progress in his search for his brethren. Instead, he was now famous in the collective, being hailed as a wizard of the olden days. He realized how wrong he’d been in the assumptions about the collective and Laruta in general, knowing now that the scientific mind was long gone. When he made to leave, he was met with pleas to stay and was finally convinced when one of his adoring fans realized he wanted to leave to find more wizards like himself.

He was assured that they had seen other wizards, who possessed powers different but equally impressive as his own. If he would only stay with him, they would summon all the wizards they knew to Laruta to meet with him. This seemed like it may be a way to bring the scientists he searched for together. Sun He accepted their insanity and decided to stay.