A few thousand years ago, humanity had achieved the dream of traveling between the stars. However, this achievement did not translate into a universal advance of knowledge or a golden age for humanity. Instead, a series of global catastrophes and natural disasters eroded the cultural and scientific foundation of the Earth. Knowledge was fragmented, and what was once a common heritage was reduced to secrets jealously guarded by a few elites.

The intergalactic ships that sailed through the voids of the stars were true colossi, relics of a glorious past whose construction and operation only a handful of engineers still understood. These people were not revered as scientists, but feared as guardians of arcane knowledge, incomprehensible to most mortals. The rest of humanity viewed them with a mixture of fascination and distrust, comparing them to the ancient alchemists or sorcerers of legend.

The scientists and technicians who mastered technology lived in huge space stations, far from populated planets. They were organized into hermetic castes, where knowledge was passed down from father to son as a family legacy. Their stations were veritable fortresses, filled with laboratories and digital libraries to which no one else had access. They often refused to share their knowledge with the inhabitants of the planets, fearing that this knowledge would fall into the wrong hands and could unleash a new era of destruction.

To the inhabitants of the terraformed worlds, the operation of a ship or the technology that kept their precarious ecosystems alive seemed like pure magic. Although many wished to learn, the engineers viewed the majority of humanity as barbarians incapable of understanding the basic fundamentals of science.

On the inhabited planets, most lived in primitive conditions, rebuilding their lives with rudimentary tools and partial knowledge. Legends about how spaceships or supply stations worked abounded, mixed with myths and superstitions. To farmers and manual laborers, space stations were castles in the sky, and the technicians who maintained them resembled unattainable gods.

Kael was a young man curious about the secrets of the universe and history. He was talking to Tahlia, his girlfriend, a merchant of spices and herbs, but known by everyone as a great storyteller of superstitions. Kael was looking at the wares Tahlia was displaying in the market when he asked, “Tahlia, why do you always say we shouldn’t look at Mintaka at night? Is it just another tale like the one about the spirits of the nebula?” Tahlia replied with a sly smile as she measured a sack of spices. “It’s not a fairy tale, Kael. They say that in Mintaka, in Orion’s Belt, voices can be heard if one looks too closely. Space witches whisper secrets to the curious, but those secrets always come with a price.”

Kael asked, somewhat incredulously. “Space witches? What could they possibly want from men? Most of them barely have enough to eat, what could the human species offer to witches?”

Thalia’s expression was serious as she answered. She leaned closer to Kael and whispered to him: “It’s not gold they want. It’s something far more valuable: your sanity, your dreams, maybe even your soul. I know a pilot who flew close to Mintaka and came back ... changed. He never slept peacefully again.”

Kael laughed sarcastically. “Or maybe I was just tired of hearing scary stories like yours.”

Tahlia laughed heartily at Kael’s joke. She responded by patting him affectionately on the arm with the palm of her hand. “Laugh if you want, but the stars don’t forget. And they don’t forgive either.”

Orion’s Belt was a region of space shrouded in mystery and prohibition. Although interstellar transit had mapped thousands of systems, this corner of the universe remained unexplored territory, inspiring fear and fascination. Humans had developed a legend. In the center of the Belt, there was a wandering planet. And on its surface, there was a canyon that ended at the mythical Library of Alexandria.

According to the stories told in space markets and taverns on orbital stations, the Library had been created by early humans, and was protected by a cosmic watcher they called ‘ The Guardian of Orion ‘. Its destructive force annihilated anyone who came too close. No one knew if it was a creature, a spatial anomaly, or simply a manifestation of human imagination, but the result was the same: those who ventured there never returned.

According to this legend, at the end of the gorge, a tunnel led to the Cosmic Library of Alexandria. Since time immemorial, it was said that the first space colonists, fearful of losing their history and knowledge in an expanding universe, had created this vast repository of information. There, safe from catastrophe, lay the complete records of humanity, from its earliest civilizations to the latest scientific advances before the fall of knowledge.

Kael and Thalia were in the recreation room of the ship ‘ Wanderer ‘, chatting animatedly while the bustle of the passengers went on quietly and slowly. They were returning to Earth, after a short vacation. The screens of the ship showed the trajectory, which would pass somewhat far from the Orion belt. The three stars were shown as a distant flicker of starlight.

Kael was staring at the navigation screen. “Did you know that the ancients called this place ‘the gorge of oblivion’?”

Thalia, leaning back in her seat, was fiddling with a small amulet. -”And also ‘the door to infinity’. It has names for all tastes, depending on how much you like drama.”-

Kael turned to look at the young woman’s face. “But think about this: if the library exists, if it’s really there, can you imagine what we might find? The entire history of humanity, Thalia. The lost texts, the knowledge that was erased by the catastrophes...”

Thalia was unmoved. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “And what would you do with all that knowledge, Kael? Take it to a planet full of peasants who still believe in curses and witches?”

Kael shook his head as he replied with a slight tone of frustration. “It’s not just about that. It’s about rebuilding what we were, understanding how we got here. Maybe even learning from our mistakes. We could leave the dark ages behind.”

Thalia placed the amulet on a table and looking directly at it, she asked. -”And the Guardian? What do you think of him?”-

Kael looked out the window at the distant stars. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s an automated defense, something the colonists left behind to protect the library. Or maybe ... something else.”

Thalia smiled wryly. “Something else? What ‘something else’ are we talking about? A cosmic monster? A vengeful spirit? Or maybe it’s just a myth to keep us away?”

Kael sighed helplessly as he admitted his ignorance of the subject. “Perhaps. But all legends have some truth to them, don’t they?”

Thalia sat back, pensive. “Or maybe the only thing that’s real is that we humans love to invent monsters to explain what we don’t understand.”

Kael smiled slightly. “Maybe. But if the tunnel is there, if the library is there ... Isn’t it worth the risk?” Thalia looked at him with a challenging glint in her eyes. “Only if the Guardian isn’t in the mood to destroy us first.” She smiled amusedly. “At times like this, I’m glad you’re not a pilot.”

The conversation hung in the air as the ‘ Wanderer ‘ continued its silent advance towards its destination on Earth.

The bar at Kael’s inn was known as a rustic yet cozy place. Zara Korring, a pilot with a rebellious spirit, sat at a table with her boyfriend Anton Rodrik, surrounded by local countrymen while Kael, the inn’s owner and his friend, tended the bar.

The atmosphere was lively with the stories, fights and arguments that you always find in the places on Earth. The inn was lit by lamps displaying flickering flames, which moved when the door opened to welcome the locals. A group of old men talked about the legend of the Guardian of Orion.

Kael leaned on the bar, pouring a mug of beer. “I’m telling you, Zara, the Guardian isn’t just a tale. My grandfather knew a guy who swore he saw a ship blown to pieces as soon as it got close to the planetoid.” A bald countryman nodded gravely. “It’s true, Kael. They say the Guardian’s lights shine like a thousand suns before they strike.”

Another grey-haired countryman pointed with a wrinkled finger. “And not only that. Some believe that the guardian is not a machine, but a living creature, something left behind by the first settlers to protect the library.” Zara crossed her arms, with a wry smile. -”A creature? What’s next? One that breathes fire?”-

Anton was laughing as he took a sip from his glass. “Leave them alone, Zara. It’s their way of adding flavor to life.”

The third countryman, with long white hair, said, hitting the table with his hand. - “And what do you know, young man? Have you been there?”

Zara looked at the old man defiantly. “Not him, but I could go. Why not? If this whole Guardian thing is true, someone should have documented it already, right? Where’s the proof?”

Kael looked at her in disbelief as he raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you would go to Orion’s Belt?” Zara nodded determinedly. “Of course I would go. My ship is in perfect condition, and unlike these stories, I know how to handle real technology, not superstitions.”

Anton nearly choked on his beer. Turning to her, he said worriedly. “Zara, you’re not serious.” Deep down, he didn’t despise legends.

Zara looked him up and down as she said confidently, “Why not? Someone has to prove that this is all just a bunch of myths.”

The first countryman smiled in disbelief. “Ha, ha. Of course, young lady. And when you come back, what will you say? That the guard let you in because he liked you?”

The second countryman slammed his fist on the table. “If you want to prove it, we need witnesses. No one is going to believe you just on your word.”

Kael intervened thoughtfully. “If Zara is willing to try, I’ll go with her. You can trust my word, right?” Anton intervened in surprise. “You too? What did you put in these drinks? Why does everyone want to go there?” Kael replied to her friend Zara’s boyfriend. “Because I want to see for myself what’s out there. And because someone has to make sure you don’t get into more trouble than necessary.”

Anton laughed. “Don’t tell me that. I’m not going to Orion’s Belt on a drunken bet.”

At that moment, Thalia entered the bar, her hair blown by the wind. Seeing the discussion, a curious expression appeared on her face. Looking at everyone, she asked, “What’s going on here?”

Kael pointed at Zara with a smile. “Zara says she’s going to Orion’s Belt. That she’s going to face the Guardian. I want to go too.”

Thalia looked at the pilot in disbelief. -”Are you serious?”- She turned to her boyfriend. -”Are you serious too?”-

Zara just shrugged. “Why not? Someone has to prove that all these stories are just smoke.”

Kael nodded at Zara. “She says there’s no danger. I trust her. I’ve known her all my life.”

Thalia crossed her arms, slowly shaking her head, and let out a sigh. -”What does it matter ... I have no choice. Then I’m going too.”-

Anton protested, “Is everyone losing their minds here?”

The third countryman, with long hair, laughed as he raised his glass. “If you come back alive, you will have our respect ... and our money. But we want proof, something we can see with our own eyes.”

Zara looked at him smiling confidently. -”You will have it. I promise you that when we return, Orion’s Belt will be just another region of space, and not a damn legend.”-

Thalia looked at him with a mixture of admiration and skepticism. “Very well, pilot. But if we die, I want you to know that it will be your fault.”

Kael, laughing heartily, raised his mug. “Then let’s make it official! To Orion’s Belt.”

Anton opened his eyes, sighing in resignation. “Sometimes I wonder how I fell in love with a crazy woman like you, Zara. And your friends are not far behind...”

Zara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. -”Because without me, your life would be very boring.”-

The discussion was sealed with an improvised toast. The fate of the expedition was decided: they would face Orion’s Belt, the guardian and the legend that kept so many in fear.

A couple of months later, Zara, Anton, Kael and Thalia stared in disbelief at the ship’s controls that had suddenly begun to fail. The ship shook slightly and began to veer off course, as if an invisible force was pushing it towards another destination. Attempts to regain control were futile.

Zara was trying to regain control. In a worried voice, she asked as she looked at the panel screen. -”What the hell is going on? The ship isn’t responding! We’re drifting off course!”-

Anton managed to speak. -”There’s something here that’s interfering with the controls. It’s like they’re ... redirecting us.”-

Kael looked suspiciously at the screens. “This doesn’t seem like a common technical failure. It’s beyond our capabilities.”