Far From The Sun

Astronomers detected it entering our solar system.

It wasn't a hunk of rock. It wasn't a burned out star. It was huge, about the same size as the Moon, but far less massive.

And it employed navigational manuevers to enter into an orbit, far out, near the edge, past the orbit of Neptune. This indicated some form of intelligence. There it stayed, close enough to detect, too far away for anyone on Earth to get a good look at it.

It remained there for several months. We sent radio signals, x-rays, everything we could think of, and got no reaction from it. All we knew is it was artificial.

The nations of the world finally put their resources together, pooled their manpower, and built a ship. Not a simple robotic probe--that would have been too limiting and too likely to malfunction. This was a ship with a crew, carefully selected, highly if hastily trained, put aboard a ship built for another purpose. Sent on the way to rendevous with this artifact.

The day for the launch finally came. It happened, the ship sent on its way.

It took a very long time--years--for the ship to draw near the object. As it did something changed. The artifact began to expand, growing to almost seven times its former size. Was it reacting to the proximity of the ship? Was the crew in danger?

Finally the day came and they drew near enough to actually see the thing, and the entire world gasped.

It was a flower. Gigantic. Beautiful. Alien. Basking in the energy radiating from our sun.

As the ship drew near the alien bloom closed and sped away, on to its next destination. Gone. But it did leave several seeds behind, floating out there, just past the orbit of Neptune. One day they, too, will sprout. The world awaits.