Soul Along the Z Axis

Venus was blinding bright. The ground was solid metal—every step echoed back at you, like someone was knocking from the other side.

Jupiter was covered in forest. Every tree was different—some so tall they seemed to poke holes in the sky, some so short they barely reached my knees. Some bloomed, some bore fruit, some stood perfectly still like they were waiting for something.

There was no land on Mercury. Only lakes, one after another. Between them, narrow paths just wide enough for one person.

On Mars, there was fire everywhere. Not the burning kind—quiet fire, warm fire, fire that seemed to be waiting for something.

On Saturn, there was nothing but earth. Not ordinary earth—warm earth, soft earth, earth that sank when you stepped on it. Every step left a print.