[ WP ] `` In the end , we left the Earth knowing nothing . ''

''So what does it say?'' my colleague asked.''Give it time..'' I replied, tired. To be sent to this backwards planet, not exactly an archeologist's wet dream. You know, I wanted to work at the excavations of Howeria, not this stuff. There were theories that Howeria was the birth planet of us all. 
 
''You know, I'd rather be at Howeria. There are theories that's the mother planet.'' I said to my colleague, ranting. 
 
''Ah, Howeria, that ai n't fun. Look, what are you going to find in Howeria? Endless bureaucracy before you can get digging. Most interesting spots have been dug up already, anyway. Sure it's an old planet but come on, Howeria? How many times have you bitched and complained about boring Neo-American archeology?'' 
 
 He had a point there. Neo-Americanism was not my subject, no I was a Cinologist.''True, but.. do n't you want to be known as the guy who found the birth planet? The mother of us all?'' 
 
''Not necessarily, I just want to dig up the shit that interests me. Look, this old dusty planet, probably just a colony, but every colony has its own distinct culture and shit to look at. You wo n't find this shit anywhere else, but the shit on Howeria, you can find that everywhere. No man, give me the fringes, the outskirts.'' 
 
 Eh. I shrugged and left it at that as I started moving again over the sand. My suit was uncomfortable, but I had to live with it, since the planet was radiated as hell. Even Howeria, which had been devastated by primitive nuclear weapons three times did n't have this much radiation. 
 
''This planet must've been a casualty in the American-Eurasian War. Still, it's uncommon how strong the radiation is. Everything dates from then but did that time have these kind of weapons already?'' 
 
''No.. but could just be that they bombed it with tens of thousands of bombs. Though, that must've been from space, ca n't imagine bombing anything else in this scale than a planet-size military base.'' 
 
''Yeah. Kind of frightens me, to be honest. Imagine the Confederation doing this to Santiago. New Howeria and Yingtse are already like this old planet. You know, Serv had a cousin on Yingtse who did n't get off the planet on time.'' 
 
''Eh, do n't worry. Politics, you know, it's just a load of bluster. Those bastards will never get to Santiago. In a year, we'll have captured the Captain-General of the Confederacy, I'll bet on it. Anyway, is it done translating yet?'' 
 
''Eh.. yes, it's done.'' I held the translation of the great tablet that was projected into the air in front of my colleague. 
 
 *In memory of this beautiful Earth, that we in have destroyed. May God forgive us for destroying our birth place, and may the planet recover from our destruction. We abandon her with tears in our eyes, but steel in our hearts, to never wage war and let loose this destruction once again. * 
 
''Oh shit.'' we both whispered at the same time. 

