It's amazing what one can hear simply by being in the right place at the right time!

This small cluster of planets nestled in the midst of a thick, stormy nebula have adapted to their surroundings in communicating with each other. With the advantage of the matter swirling about them, they're able to beam pure audio to each other, bridging the gaps in space without visibility of each other. But there's a little twist.

These frequencies, unlike those used by most lifeforms that are inaudible, are actually quite easy to catch without any special equipment! Their worlds are constantly inundated with the screeches of their tumultuous environments and cosmic surroundings, and so their hearing developed in the bass regions of frequencies. Physically unable to hear anything above 200Hz, they're blissfully unaware of the ability of others to hear what they have to say in their transmissions.

Not that it's all that big of a deal anyway. Their languages are very local, only being spoken amongst their worlds. Much of it doesn't even make sense unless your hearing can pick up vibrations with periods in the seconds range.

But what I can hear is music itself, as these communications interweave and harmonize with each other on their individual routes. In this sweet spot amidst them all I hear the full chorus sing, a discordant but somehow inescapably compelling texture that roots me to the spot.

For all that we build in this multiverse, all the great and wondrous machinery of incomprehensible complexity, sometimes it is humbled by the craft of the cosmos itself.

In this small region of space is a cluster of planets so delicate, so fragile, that even the passing of my ship would crease their shapes. They're suspended in the finest celestial dust constantly misted upon them after passing through what is known as the Great Filter, an incredibly dense asteroid belt that grabs up anything more than a few microns thick. As the rest passes through it is daintily gathered by these planets, sustaining their masses enough to keep them in shape and even grow slightly over time. Even the beating of my heart, quickened as it is by their sight, instills in me a fear of disrupting their rest.

Much as I would like to dive in and ever so gently explore this place, I will leave these worlds to their quiet respite. Perhaps someday I will be fortunate enough to be graced by their soft touch.

I needed a bit of a break. And where should a dimension-hopping explorer such as myself find comfort? Perhaps in the fascinating little world that is the mall.

I'm not much of a materialistic being, but I will admit every once in a while that a little retail therapy can satisfy an itch like nothing else. And these places really are worlds of their own! Whole ecosystems living in relative harmony—if sometimes strained. If one looks deep, cultures can be found to have sprung up amidst the multitude of shops and experiences.

Now granted, this isn't your typical example. This mall covers the entire planet—small as though it may be—and has as close to literally everything as I think is possible for such a place.

So today I'll let myself drift amongst the ocean of passers-by, letting the tides take me where they will, all to a soundtrack of the listless yet peaceful easy-listening crackling through the choir of speakers carefully placed throughout. Perhaps it really has a will of its own, guiding me towards the proper location. Perhaps I'm easy to please!

Nothing that a little knickknack for the ship won't be able handle…

I don't like the sound of this.

The more we explore this strange world composed of sound, the more questions that arise. It is a presence all its own, very much tangible with a sort of solidity to it. Despite distinct shapes forming on the monitor we can't see anything of the environment around us, only empty space set on a background of stars. We can make out so much detail with my friend's mapping techniques though, and some conclusions are being formed.

For one, this is not a world uninhabited.

Far from it, in fact. Though there are no traces of life currently, it seems as though there has been recent—and frequent—activity. Something makes its home here, and it is active in this place.

As we continue to make our way throughout this invisible world we are amazed to find full structures of some sort, clearly constructed buildings made up of nothing more than vibrations of some sort of matter. Recurring patterns keep showing up, suggesting perhaps some language or other method of communication.

The soundscape outside the bounds of the shape is unlike any that I've heard before. It's a cacophony to be certain, not unlike static. But it's not just random noise either. There is a rhythm to it, a form that structures itself into the geography of the planet. Though I do not know what it means even as the thought forms, I cannot help but feel: this world was…composed. Somehow.

It is not long before I must be on my way again, but my friend will be here quite a long while. He wants to unlock the mysteries of this planet. I will be very interested in hearing of his findings.

It was an enigma for some time, but we may finally be on the precipice of discovering it.

There has been a world in this region of space evading detection for some time. We knew roughly where it was but could not give it shape; it seemed to have no visible form, though other means of detection could reveal a blurry form.

But I think my friend has cracked it. The method is beyond my understanding, but it essentially is a form of echolocation, sending out pulses of sound and listening for the responses to make shapes out of nothing.

We have been combing this zone for a little while, and now our excitement grows as we approach where this mysterious planet seems to be, as there is a form appearing on the monitor our eyes have been glued to. As we get closer and closer, more details emerge. That's when we make a grand realization.

The world isn't reflecting sound.

It is made of sound.

It's difficult to see why this world was abandoned. Literally.

A thick haze saturates the environment. I initially had thought it to be some kind of tiny gas giant, but on a closer look it's just really, really full of dust. Winds gentle and otherwise circulate throughout the globe, kicking this dust up into the air consistently to maintain the blurry view. Hidden somewhere within are the answers to my questions.

Perhaps there is even a surprise or two to be found amongst the arid landscapes.

The lights are on, but no one's home. Not any more.

This world was abandoned long ago. As technology advanced, humanity seemed to regress. They built skyscrapers that soared, neon beacons arrogantly proclaiming their hubris though no world was near to observe it. All the while the cyan and pink glow obscured the sight of those scraping by in an existence of their own on the ground levels, the sky itself dismissed as a mere fantasy or myth as the light from above drowned it out.

It was never sustainable. I don't know if it would have been worse that those at the top were blissfully unaware of the damage their greed wrought, or if they were fully aware of it and pushed forward all the same. I suppose at the end it doesn't really matter. The result was the same.

Now all that remains of this tragedy is empty buildings, their bright lights dimming to a dull turquoise.

This world is moving on.

For decades it had been clinging to its parent star, trying to remain with some semblance of normalcy instead of facing its inevitable trek through the dark of space to someplace new. The orbit was irregular, and it pulled on the other planets in its system.

One day it was finally decided that it was time to go. Though the journey would be scary and uncertain, eventually all would resolve and it would find its place with another star.

It was a day of celebration, to be sure, but one of nostalgic melancholy as well. There was much, they thought, that would be lost.

But I don't think so.

Certainly things change. The rose tint of our past gives us a painful longing sometimes for a return, but it would never be the same. Whatever comes next is new, but it need not be bad.

So today they hold the final celebration before they embark on a new chapter. It's a time of happiness and of sadness.

Soon will come something new.