“Max Remington, reporting one last time from Solaris. But this isn’t the usual log. No, today is different. Because today, I’m not alone. Rescue arrived yesterday, just as the sun was setting – or rather, moving out of sight, because it never really sets here on Solaris.”
“It’s been a journey, hasn’t it? One filled with despair, determination, innovation, and survival. A journey powered by the relentless rays of a foreign sun, and a journey that taught me more than any space expedition could.”
“I’ve learned about the limitless power of the sun, something we often take for granted back home. I’ve harnessed it, bent it to my will, survived off it. The experience has left me in awe of solar energy, and its potential back home in Australia. You’d be surprised how far small-scale technology certificates in Australia could go.”
“But for me, I’ll never take energy for granted again. The power that flowed from my makeshift solar panel was a lifeline, a ray of hope in the literal darkness. I think about the commercial installations back home, the silent rooftops gleaming in the sun. There’s a power there, a silent, untapped potential. Maybe we just need to get stranded on a sun-soaked planet to see it.”
“And let’s not forget the community that was with me, albeit remotely. So many people cheering for my return. As I built my solar power system, I think I could feel it. As I pondered how what I had learned might apply to getting a solar lease agreement, I felt them with me.“
“Leaving Solaris behind is bittersweet. This relentless, unending desert of a planet has been my home, my challenge, and my teacher. I’ll carry these lessons with me, back to Earth, back to life. But there’s one thing I’ll certainly look forward to: a world where the sun sets, and the world gets to rest.”
“Signing off for the last time from Solaris, this is Max Remington, returning home.”