To say that TTE-2024 was baffled, would be an understatement.

How did it come to this? He dimly wondered as he took in his surroundings.

What began as a simple spying mission had somehow turned into a conundrum.

When Supreme, the head of TTE’s home planet Jupiter got news that planet Earth would be sending a spacecraft to Jupiter’s moon Io, he immediately decided to send someone to spy on Earth and to identify risks if any.

TTE-2024 was chosen for the mission. Although he identified as a male, he had had no name, until he had been given one for the mission. Traveler To Earth – 2024, TTE-2024 in short.

TTE had searched in his mind for the best place to visit on Earth presently. INDIA had flashed in his mind. His search showed him that the country was currently celebrating a festival of lights called Diwali.

He had smirked while teleporting himself to India. Humans were foolish and needed a lot of abstract concepts to live. Celebrations, happiness, love, grief, sorrow – all these unwanted concepts were a part of their oh-so-fleeting lives. Where TTE came from, stoicism prevailed. The beings carried on their work with no unwanted complications.

Speaking of complications, Earth was very much one.

At first TTE had been amazed at the way humans had evolved. Then their evolution had started worrying him. They were the only race to have evolved and made progress. The other species were either dying, or already dead, or on the verge of extinction.

And the humans were clearly to blame.

They were a threat. Yet, something stopped him from sending out a report. He had seen a softer side of humans – the side that helped, nurtured other beings, smiled in struggle and gave the Earth a good reputation.

TTE was lost in these thoughts when he heard some commotion. He looked around and found some kids looking at the fire-crackers and rockets exploding in the sky and cheering heartily.

The kids looked poor. Something that TTE identified as compassion welled up within him.

He gestured to them and with a flick of his finger, he made some rockets explode in the sky. As brilliant hues of blue, orange and red splattered above them, the kids shouted in amazement and happiness. One of them rushed towards TTE and hugged him.

TTE felt a strange feeling in the cavity in his chest. A feeling he identified as love. Where he came from, the only physical contact was a hand-shake. There were no feelings amidst his people.

TTE was used to a robotic existence, but Earth had shown him another way of life – a softer and warmer existence.

The hug did it for TTE. Not only would he give a good report about the Earth, but he would defend it against anyone eyeing it with a bad intention.

Under the fire-cracker lit sky of an unfamiliar planet, with kids dancing around him in happiness, TTE finally found a home away from his home.