The day the meteor struck the desert was the day our whole world changed. We had nothing to compare, we had no knowledge of the stars above. Instead we had spent our existence perfecting this world we live in. There was no interest in going beyond, learning above. We took it for granted. Of course, without knowledge, there will be altering explanations. The day the meteor struck, everyone had a different opinion on what transpired.

The scientists assumed it was our planet going through its end cycle, and soon we would all be dead. The leaders of nations assumed it was a new weapon created by their enemies and tested remotely. The common folk assumed whatever they were told to. But the natives of the desert... They were the ones to have seen it fall from the sky. As such, they were also the first ones to arrive on the scene. . .

A star had fallen to them. In the middle of the crater they did stumble upon something most curious. A glowing green crystal, pulsating with energy, lodged in the boulder of space rock. They named it 'The Hex Star', beleiving it to be a godlike relic.

They took the object, they hid it from the outside world and then they began building a temple to worship it. Others came, to the open desert, more started to beleive. The power of the mysterious object was reaching hearts and minds, drawing insperation, imagination, desire. The gathering became a community, living in the sun, commonly referred to as 'Star Worshipers'.

The Hex Star brought great fortune to the Star Worshipers, only further solidifying their faith in it. They asked for water and a spring of water was struck underneath the mighty temple. They asked for food and an oasis formed, allowing them to grow. They asked for guidence and a priest came forth to show them all the miracles of the Hex Star. The priest told them to throw away their technologies, to trust in the power of its life. They did so, destroying computers and machines, burying guns and bombs. They began to make everything themselves, So as to not have to rely on the outside world. And it worked, all too well.

Time unfortionatly has a way of sloshing positives and negatives back and forth. The scientists of the world wanted the Hex Star to fulfil their own curiosities with it. They wanted to know where it came from, how it could be used. Speculations had arisen across the globe about what sort of benefits the object could provide. The most popular topic being energy, A heavily desired resource at the time. It was the scientists who got the world leaders involved, and soon all eyes shifted towards the Hex Star, and the strange Star Worshippers who guarded the object with their lives.

Someone was going to take the object... it was just a matter of who could get to it first. Many nations tried, unsuccessfully. Part of the problem was the remote location of the temple oasis. You could not simply march an army across the desert. Air travel wasnt powerful enough for such a distance. Vechiles were not designed for sand, and to design them effectively would take precious time. Therfor, the most reliable strategy was the worst one. Sending small teams of soldiers out into the desert to steal it and come back alive. No easy task. Plenty of raiding parties fell before even reaching the temple. Those who made it were refused at the gates, or chased down and killed by the worshipers and their own handmade weapons.

Eventually, the Hex Star did get taken. Three men from a Nation known as "Atlantis" managed to scale the walls at night, and sneak into the city that had grown around the temple. They changed clothing to blend in and it worked. In the coming days they kept quiet, keeping an eye on the temple, and planning their next move. Then they struck, and got into the temple. They killed the priest but two of the men died. The third man ran off with the Hex Star. His luck... or perhaps the luck of the Object he was holding... in the confusion, no one noticed him slip away into the crowd, out the gates, back into the desert.

The day the meteor fell was the day the whole world changed. Because no one knew just how dangerous it really was. . . Not even the man smuggling it back to civilization. . .

NEXT COMES THE SIX:

GABRIEL

ROY

ALICE

GARREN

VAYNE

ORIUS

(A future Novella)