Hulsteo. No one knows the origin of the planet or how long it has existed. The only fact known about Hulsteo is that it was completely man-made by a species long, long ago, so long ago that not a single record or artifact from them has been found in the present day. The existence of Hulsteo truly is a mystery.
While Hulsteo's origins are unknown, its purpose is clearly visible. It is an industry planet. A planet solely created for factory. Hulsteo is made entirely of metal and nothing else. Everywhere across the surface of the planet are mile high rusted pipes and towers, and forges. The forges of Hulsteo are its main purpose, and the reason for the existence of life on the planet.
Due to the lack of vegetation and natural processes, the atmosphere of Hulsteo is not clean whatsoever. A blanket of smog covers the entire planet at all times, casting a perpetual maroon color all on the planet's surface and pipe mazes. When new off-worlders visit Hulsteo, their lungs are usually not accustomed to the subpar air quality on the planet, and they periodically wear oxygen masks for the first few weeks there to give their lungs time to accommodate to the change in atmosphere. This bad air quality gets worse when in cramped spaces, which inconveniently contrasts against the planet's cramped nature.
Many off-worlders come to Hulsteo yearly in order to work at the forges on the planet. This is because the forges on Hulsteo are the highest quality ever found in the observable universe. Due to the incredible nature of Hulsteo's forges, large numbers of workers migrate from all four corners of the universe to work on the planet. While off-worlders come to the planet very regularly, Hulsteo has its own, admittedly very small, native popuation.
No matter what part of the universe you're in, reproducing still exists. It's very rare, but if two workers on Hulsteo grow close enough in their time there and decide to have a baby on the (not baby-friendly at all) planet, that child is now an official Hulsteian native. This happens very rarely, and usually, the baby is raised on the planet and treated a bit different from others.
Whether you are going for the first time or visiting again, Hulsteo is a unique experience for everyone, and you should enjoy it while you're there.
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"And... I'm done. What about you?" A kid asked another kid, putting his hammer down and wiping sweat off of his brow.
"God, Ralo. How do you finish your work so quickly? It's actually scary. You sure you ain't a robot or something?" The other kid responded.
"Well, I've been here my whole life and grown up in these forges. Perks of being a native." Ralo responded, turning around with a straight face and beginning to walk away. Suddenly, the other kid called out to him.
"The Oalision Meteor Shower is tonight, Ralo! Do you ever plan on leaving Hulsteo to go see it?" He asked.
"Someday. It's not like I have any parents to fly me off-world so I can see it." Ralo responded with his usual monotone voice, his straight brown hair flowing in the dusty breeze.
"Yeah, I guess. Sorry about that. I can't imagine how hard it was growing up without parents. This damn planet, if you had been born somewhere else, they wouldn't have died so early on in your life. It's just this planet's atmosphere that killed them. It's vile. I'm surprised anyone has babies here. It's a work planet. I mean, it's literally man-made." The kid explained.
"If you're sure it's hard on me to have no parents, then why do you keep bringing it up and reminding me? Be more mindful of what you say. Now leave me alone. I want to go home." Ralo shot back coldly, shutting the conversation down immediately. He then proceeded to walk away, traversing cramped passageways under rusty pipes and on rickety metal platforms and bridges. After walking for around 7-8 minutes, Ralo finally arrived at his home.
A small opening under a large metal platform led to an opening beneath. It occupied enough space to be a home for one person, that one person being Ralo. It was definitely nothing nice, but it was his home, and he cherished it. Having never been off-world, it was all he knew as a home. Ralo had said before that he wanted to leave Hulsteo for the first time in his life, but everyone with a ship always seemed to be too busy to take him, especially on the day of the Oalision Meteor Shower every two years.
Ralo had heard no rumors of the outside world. Not even a peep. Hulsteo was the only world he knew. The only universe, too an extent. He had never heard a single story or recollection of planets other than Hulsteo. He would ask for stories when he was younger, but he was always either shrugged off or the topic was changed by the other person. These kinds of strange behaviors shaped Ralo into the person he was now - emotionless and reserved.
There were many concepts he couldn't grasp, big urban areas being one of them. Hulsteo was a planet with rusty metal contraptions as far as the eye could see, all towering up miles into the air. The planet's actual surface was barely ever seen by anyone, as everyone was always standing on some sort of metal platform hundreds of feet in the air.
I want to see the universe someday. The universe outside of this industrial hell. I've been here too long. I guess immediately leaving the planet would be too ambitious though. Maybe I should start with something smaller, like managing to see the meteor shower from here. It is tonight, after all. If I can get to a high enough altitude that I peak over the smog, I'll be able to see it. The fabled Oalision Meteor Shower, and the purifying Oalision Star in the middle. Everyone always talks about it, how it purifies you and get's rid of your insecurities. It sounds like a bunch of made up crap, but I'm willing to test it out. Even if it is all made up, at least it'll look cool. It is a meteor shower, after all.
As Ralo thought to himself, his eyes slowly started to close and his breathing relaxed, and before he knew it, he was falling asleep. Look at me, Mom, Dad. I finally hit it big. Everyone here knows me. I'm finally... finally worth something...
Ralo dozed off, the afternoon passing by rather quickly. Nothing could have woken him up, as he was in quite the deep sleep. Hulsteo was an extremely quiet planet, the only noise ever piercing the silent atmosphere being the work at forges or the light creak of metal.
Ralo had no vivid memories of his parents. He had no idea why his memories were so clouded, they just always were. He didn't remember their faces. He didn't remember their voices. All he remembered was their love. Their undying, potent love. Ralo himself had said he felt extremely lucky that his parents loved him so much, as others don't get the luxuries he had. Despite being born and raised on Hulsteo, he felt content with how his life had gone. Now, he just wanted to leave.
He had no idea what happened to his parents either. He didn't know if they had died or just gone missing. If they had left him or had to go so somewhere else. All he remembered was living with his parents when he was young, and then living by himself. He wanted to see his parents again. He hoped they weren't dead. He hoped he could meet them once again and remember their faces and voices. The only people he ever loved.
Ralo's heart had long closed off the concept of love. After his parents disappeared, his heart sheltered itself, refusing to form long-lasting bonds with others. Ralo was more someone who preferred to be alone, and live alone. Love wasn't something on his spectrum of feelings, and it wasn't something he wanted either. All he wanted was to live and do what he felt would benefit him. A truly robotic existence, you could say.
"Ngghhh..." Ralo groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He groggily sat up on his bed, stretching widely. "What time is it?" He asked himself, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a dusty pocketwatch.
"8:00" He said, scratching his head to relieve a spreading itch. "I better get going." He said as he stood up. He didn't change out of his work clothes before going to sleep, so there was no need to get dressed up again. Ralo never left his home without wearing his work clothes, the only time he ever wore normal clothes being when he was at his home.
He stood up and stretched once more, this time his whole body, before taking a few steps to his front door. He sighed, exhaling the sterile air of Hulsteo that had filled his lungs, and opened his door to the nighttime landscape of the planet.
He immediately shivered, the cold temperatures affecting him greatly. Hulsteo was quite a ways from the star it orbited, and being the only planet that orbited the star, it made the planet truly feel cold and lonely. Ralo groaned softly, and climbed up through the gap in the metal platform to reach the main floor. Once he did, he began his walk to his vantage point for the meteor shower, an old and rusty tower that peaked above everything else, and at night, above the smog blanket covering the planet. The K-L43 Radio Tower.
The tower didn't even fulfill its intended purpose as a radio beacon. Its function was long rendered gone, and now it was just an incredibly tall tower, a husk of its former self.
But this is where Ralo was headed. To the very top, so he could see the fabled Oalision Meteor Shower, and as he began his trek, he shivered once more from the freezing temperatures of the night, not only his body cold, but his mind and being as well. A side effect of the mysterious planet Hulsteo.