I am a part of a secret society known as the Sun Protectors. Every generation a new Sun Protector is chosen to provide for the race of subhuman sun-dwellers known as the Sols. The Sols are similar genetically to humans but look very different than us due to living beneath the surface of the sun. They have tall, slim, frail, and grey bodies. Their eyes are very large, black and slanted. Their noses, ears, and mouths are under-developed. It is said that the Sols are descended from ancient deities that used to control and reign over the entire solar system. But today, Sols are hapless creatures dependent on us to provide for their survival. They cannot survive any voyage from inside the sun. It is said that if it weren't for the journeys of the Sun Protectors every decade, their existence would cease forever.

It is a mystery of how we discovered the Sols, how they came to be, and how they were able to survive before we discovered them. It is also unclear how long the Sun Protectors have existed, but their mission is never different. Using ancient magic we are able to travel from the Earth to the sun at the speed of light without the use of technology or machines. But the journey has its perils. The ancient magic is indifferent to how it is used. Every Sun Protector is vulnerable to space debris and asteroids. If one is unfortunate enough to make contact with any debris, he disintegrates into debris himself. The journey takes about eight minutes, but only about half of all voyages are successful, which is why we send so many so often. It is a dangerous, thankless mission, but in the long history of the society, not one person has ever declined to go.

The initiation into the society is given at birth. A person is born a Sun Protector by being the offspring of protectors themselves. We have no written or oral history of our organization in order to remain secret from outsiders. The origins of our organization are shrouded in mystery. None remain who know of our distant past. We communicate among ourselves as little as necessary. Although there are no designated guidelines, a Sun Protector's first mission begins with the onset of adulthood and their last is the one that kills them. There is little remorse expressed by members when one of their own dies. A simple silent ceremony in memory of the departed is all that is given. Early on we learned that the more emotion we attach to our work, the more difficult it becomes. Reluctantly, I admit that I refuse to abide by these rules. I listen to what my emotions have to tell me, despite the fact that I have to keep them all within myself. The story of my first journey is one I will always think about, and one I can always feel.

The journey of a Sun Protector begins when a box is delivered to the resident home of a member. The box appears to be completely ordinary, but it is nearly weightless, as if nothing is inside it. While never spoken of, it is a given that a protector never opens the package that he is delivering. I was the exception; I chose to be. I had to postpone my mission for a few days to take care of a few earthly duties. And in that time, my interest of the possible contents of the box began to overwhelm me. I constantly staged a mental debate against myself, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the scenario. It is sometimes said that one of the most quintessential human traits is the quest for knowledge, often pessimistically referred to as curiosity. Of course I couldn't be the first Sun Protector to wonder what's contained within the box. But could I be the first to carry out the forbidden act? If my lack of fear is my greatest quality, then my profound curiosity is perhaps my worst.

I traveled into a nearby woods and set the box down on an old stump. With little hesitation, I tore at the box without care. A strange emotion filled within me; a mixture of apprehension and adrenaline. After an eon of seconds, the box was opened. I immediately jumped back, ready for anything to leap out and surprise me. Seconds passed. Nothing happened. The box was empty. After some quick thinking I imagined that, possibly, within the box was invisible magic, and somehow the magic is what sustained the survival of the Sols. But I realized that the idea seemed very far-fetched. I had never heard of any type of invisible magic. Every magic I have ever learned about possessed a bright, colorful aura about it. And then, within the next few moments, I had the revelation of my lifetime: there was nothing in the box because it's exactly what the Sols need from us. By paying them a visit every so-often, we are appeasing their solidarity. Perhaps without our visits, the Sols would be less pacifistic of our species. I have learned much of our society, but there remains far too much of that which I don't understand. Yet I do know this: the Sun Protectors do not deliver a means of survival, they deliver a message; a message of humanity.


As would be expected, my
discovery only gave rise to further questions. Among all of them, however, the greatest mystery may be: why do we go? The Sols offer us nothing in return. We have no communication with them and they don't seem to express any emotion toward us. They are indifferent to our presence and it would be all too easy to not risk our lives for them. But, I've learned that by providing help to those who do not request it is one of the most fundamental characteristics of humanity that make us who we are. It is a necessity in our lives to help those who cannot help themselves. But is it right to call this quality into question when the recipients of our aid give no thanks? We never call these matters into question amongst each other. We are an atypical organization. We are not a religion. We are not a cult. We are a secret society. We are the Sun Protectors.