They called themselves Mechanics and had discovered a planet long dead, its Sun extinguished now for thousands of years.
From this planet they took samples of plants and animals which used to be there in abundance and decided to breathe life into them.
At first they made a lot of mistakes and DNA and molecular sequencing brought forth the most dangerous of beasts and the Mechanics had them quickly destroyed.
One specimen, however, puzzled them and they kept it. It was hairless, tiny, completely defenseless. They pitied it, cared for it, and grew very slowly. It was male, they determined.
As he grew he developed hair and learned to stand and speak with them in their language and when seventeen years passed the specimen grew no more and started to age. The Mechanics were pleased with him.
They kept him in conditions suitable for him to survive and he adapted to all their customs. He was very clever and peaceful. They named him Dano Ura which in their language meant The First To Survive.
Ura was aware he was different from the age of two and as he grew to adulthood he explored new worlds with the Mechanics, but he always questioned, “ Where did I come from? “
A Mechanic female named Hesper was his caregiver and Ura loved Hesper dearly. She was already old when he was created and she begged her fellow Mechanics to let her have him. They obliged her. He gave her a reason to live and he often called her Motina, meaning mother.
Hesper said, “ We created you from specimens found on a dead planet. There is nothing there for you. It’s a place of glacial darkness. “
“ What was this planet called? “ Ura asked.
Hesper gently clasped his face in her hands. Her skin was warm and her eyes were broad and blue and all knowing and kind. She sighed and could see her beautiful son was lost in his heart and determined to know.
Finally, she said, “ It was Earth. “
When he was small he was prone to sobbing but he was strong with this knowledge now. Hesper thought of him when he was tiny and helpless and fought so hard to stand upright and walk.
“ So I’m an Earthman then, “ Ura said. “ Thank you, Motina. Countless blessings and infinite love to you. It’s a solitary life to be the only one left of an extinct species. This is how it goes. “
“ Oh, no, my darling. You’re not the only one. There’s another like you. We named her Sidra Zali. She’s from the same specimens you are. She’s your sister. To be honest, we created a lot of your kind. Some were great failures and some were implanted on other planets with Mechanics. You were too young to remember. I kept you because you were the best of them and I loved you too much to let you go. “
Dano Ura hugged Hesper, his Motina, and reminded her he loved her more.
“ I suppose you’ll want to leave me now, “ Hesper said, “ and go meet the others of your kind. I can make that happen for you. “
“ I suggest I should rather meet my sister first. “
It took many months by their calendar to travel to the ancient planet of Tafan, he and Hesper, and finally he got to meet his sister. Sadly, the meeting didn’t go as well as he expected, and Zali was defensive. Ura was six foot six and imposing to her. She was a fighter and smaller. He decided he would let her be and never wished to speak with her again. Hesper sensed the deep disappointment in him and she made arrangements for him to be equipped with a ship and Dano Ura took to the stars alone.
Once he was gone Hesper enacted her passing away rites and died peacefully in her sleep, although the other Mechanics knew her heart was broken. She knew she would never see him again.
After a year in the cosmos Ura came upon Phyria 5L. The Mechanics there welcomed him and had all about his quest to meet others of his kind to which they obliged.
The others like him were smaller and friendly and surrounded him in awe, tugging at his robes, and giggling.
A young dark haired woman with hazel eyes stepped forward. She was slightly taller.
“ My name is Starlee, “ she said. “ What do you call yourself? “
“ I’m a man named Dano Ura. I’m the first of us. I’m an Earthman. “
Starlee smiled, “ On Phyria we call ourselves human beings. “
More people gathered around him and children hugged his legs. He followed them to the Great Hall.
The Mechanics saw it was good.