From the Journal of the Unknown Hermit
The days stretch on in the cold and barren winter. Very little life exists, and it makes for difficult hunting. The occasional buck, or moose, provides only a few days worth.
There was a storm coming. If it was anything like the last one my little cabin would be buried in feet of snow. I already had shoveled paths in and around the property. A fallen tree that had blocked one path provided suitable firewood. The next storm however would provide more challenges, and with low reserves on food I had better find a good game to load up.
Maybe an attempt at fishing would provide some stock. The ice however is thick and takes a good morning to cut through. My last hole is no good, and probably won't yield any fish, as the pickings were not abundant. Maybe the river would be better, but since it's so close to a wolf pack den it wouldn't be advisable. I already lost my horse to them when he broke free early in the winter.
The wolves keep their distance from me because I have weapons and make enough noise to frighten them. That doesn't mean I haven't had close brushes with them. I've already killed four, with a fifth that was severely wounded.
The battle for survival in this harsh habitat continues. Tomorrow brings new challenges.
The storm hit earlier than expected, and I lost a buck to the wolves. At least the fish I caught will help me weather the storm. It will be a struggle. A wall of white is outside the window, and my breath still freezes in the air despite the fire burning in my hearth. There's little for me to do but wait it out. The embers rise up and dance in the cold air after I toss a fresh log on top of the flame. Its fresh warmth hits my skin beneath my beard, but still I curl up in a warm blanket.
There's a load crack! And a tremendous thud! And a tree gives way to the brutal wind. More firewood for me when I dig it out after the storm breaks. For now I can barely keep my hand steady to jot down these notes. It's as if the earth is trembling in the cold with me.
I woke to a weird event today. I find it hard to write this for fear that I will be thought crazy. It was unbelievable, and I bore witness so I should believe it.
The day started out after the insane storm passed. Upon opening the door a wall of snow stood in front of me. I dug a tunnel out and came to the blistering bright sun and a sea of white. It was almost as bright as one would think heaven would be. I fastened snowshoes to my feet and slung my gun across my back. As I trekked across the snow I found that even my goggles barely shielded my eyes from the brightness. Finally my eyes adjusted and that's when I saw it…
The large object protruded from the snow surrounded by fallen tree branches. The trees showed the devastating path the object took down from the sky into the snow. As I approached it I realized its massive size just from the part that was protruding the snow's surface. There must be more beneath the surface. I was surprised.
After digging for several hours I made just enough progress to realize that much of it had burned up on its descent. It was still impossible to say what it was, but it was massive. As night fell I had no choice but to return indoors and continue the next day. However, my food stores being as low as they are I must focus my energies there.
With a successful hunt behind me yesterday I was able to return to digging the object out today. I discovered more about it. It had frames that were bent and burned, but clearly they worked as part of adjusting the object's trajectory. I'm confident now that this is an object from long ago. A time of great technological might. It's fall evident that that time long forgotten was one of decadence. It makes me realize the fruitless nature of the time. After all, in the end, the Earth won.
This will be my last entry. As there is no reason to continue chronicling my failed attempts to survive in these harsh conditions. Nature has won, and the human species cannot outlast its cruelty. Although this fallen satellite may be evidence of our folly in believing we were superior to power of nature.
