Prologue

~~~🛰️~~~

Message from the Aerospace Agency of Japan, on behalf of humanity, to whoever has found this message:

Greetings! I hope this message finds you well, whatever you may be. First of all: Congratulations! Somehow, you have discovered the Stelo I probe, launched from Tanegashima by the Aerospace Agency of Japan on May 7, 2025, just hours before Comet Amane 天音 was set to collide with Planet Earth, located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, the third planet of the star system known as solar, that orbits around the star Sun. This means you are looking at one of the last remnants of the human race, which, by the time this message is read, has likely ceased to exist.

Inside this Stelo I probe, you will find a collection of memories that capture the essence of humanity, what we wish to preserve for all eternity: the laughter of a child, photographs of Earth in all its splendor, images of starry skies and vast oceans, everyday moments like hugs, celebrations, weddings, and simple acts of kindness between strangers. We’ve included a wealth of information about Japanese and global culture—food, sports, games, theater, and poetry—things that, though ordinary, are too precious to be lost. It also contains a "universal message," as we like to call it, encoded in patterns of sound and light designed to be interpreted even without understanding human language, along with a visual and auditory guide to learning the basics of Esperanto, chosen for its logical structure and its intention to be a language that everyone can speak.

However, the particular reason this probe was sent into deep space is to preserve and share what we consider one of the most touching and unexpected events from humanity's final days: Eclipsed Dawn.

We call a band the union of two or more people who come together to create music. Generally, bands are formed by talented individuals seeking to perfect their sound and convey a meaningful message. But Eclipsed Dawn was not born with that purpose. Its members were neither prodigious musicians nor renowned composers. They didn’t aspire to fame or to leave an indelible mark with their melodies. They simply wanted to exist in the brief story the world had left, never imagining their echo would resonate beyond Earth, traveling with this probe into the unknown.

Would they have achieved the same in a different context? Probably not. Without Comet Amane, the band would never have existed. And if it had, it might have been lost among so many other voices seeking their moment to shine. But it was precisely that imminent fate that propelled them forward.

They shone when the world seemed to have gone dark.

This probe was launched into space just before the Grand Finale (which would be a shame to spoil here, so we’ll let you discover it for yourselves). It carries the mission of compiling all the events surrounding Eclipsed Dawn, from its very conception to the moment that damned asteroid destroys the transmission antennas along with any trace of humanity on the planet.

Inside Stelo I, you will find recordings of their music in the best possible quality, so every note sounds as alive as the day it was played. There are also videos of their concerts and interviews, capturing not just the songs, but the energy of those who experienced them and felt their souls heal. Moreover, the band members themselves left their testimonies, both written and spoken, sharing how they felt during those days that led them to become, even if just for a fleeting moment, the brightest stars in the galaxy.

With a bit of luck, Stelo will not suffer the same fate as our planet and will continue to travel through the universe, carrying with it the echo of a humanity that, even on the brink of its end, found a way to sing. We sincerely hope that whoever finds this message—and the entire universe—enjoys this small memory of who we were.

Best regards, and may the sky burn, even if the sun falls.

Eclipsed Dawn
Kurozumi, Aurora
Chiaro, Lucio
Nanashi, Rei
Fukyo, Kaito
Kurayami, Hikari
Munen, Akira

Takahashi, Kenjiro – President of the Aerospace Agency of Japan
Nakamura, Hiroshi – Prime Minister of Japan