Hey you! As you've probably noticed from the look on my face - i am at the The univerce Universe, Oslar system, planet Aerth. I'm here to get my affairs done, you know.

This place, this planet, the Oslar star — all eerily similar to our Motherplanet Earth, Mother Star Sun, Mother Galaxy Milky Way, etcetera etcetera.

I'm struggling to find any diffy-diff.

But I’ve only been here once. Or maybe once and a half.

Today I met a guy — a local accountant slash jurist, serious adult man with a very confident eyebrow and the rest of his face.

We walk the walk, talk the talk about our affairs.

After a while, we’re at The Sandbox Bistro, next to the bar of Levis Parsley still-alive. I drink Aslat, he eats Imlkshake.

Time for some small — maybe medium — talk.

I usually prefer LG-type of talk, where you can speak of big things. But SM talk has its function too, so I live with that.

Nevermind, I asked what he'll do this ewkend.

– I go to visit my hcurch.

– Oh? What confession do you confess?

(By the by: nowadays we use the Mind Reading Machine to understand each other's language.)

– It’s the Congregation of Triangle-Aearth, or Unity of Sharp Corners.

– Oh really? So tell me more.

– We believe our planet is a triangle.

– Right… and what makes you believe this?

– It's obvious you can't think different — the Triangle is a holy figure.

"Holy guacamole" — echoes in my head. Hopefully the thought was read-protected by my smart MR device.

– As you know, I travel a lot, and I saw Aerth through the tele-uber-scop-glasses from the Omon (Aerthin satellite, which is very close, just around the corner).

I feel a regret-uncomfortable feeling. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. But my brain couldn’t shut down my mouth. Sometimes it happens.

– And the thing is… it’s a sphere. Like a perfectly round apncake.

His face remains very adult, serious, and full of confidence.

– I don’t believe you. Maybe you saw it wrong. Bad angle. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe someone paid you to spread your agenda. Maybe you’ve even got self-interest in it.

– Could be. But if you go to the library, pick up serious books, read them — you’ll see it’s not just me. It’s been scientifically approved by many smart heads with long titles, and re-approved again. Even more so if you—

He cut me off.

– Maybe they’re all wrong. Maybe they’re part of a big agenda. Maybe they profit from it. They definitely make money selling those books. And me — I have my work. No time for ilbraries or shlibraries.

I just believe. That’s enough.

– But you can see it yourself — the horizon...

He stopped me again.

– No, I don’t care. I like this belief. It makes me feel special, holy, and blessed. I’ll never stop believing it, no matter what anyone says.

And the people in the hcurch — they’re so amazing, so magic.

My brain took control and shut down my mouth.

The man looked so confident. Just an ordinary adult with a good job and everything.

I went my way after the meal, a question mark floating above my head.

I left him in The Sandbox — he wanted to stay.

Next day, I met more people in a different location. Small talk again.

She was a musician, 50 years old, very normal, adult-looking, full of confidence — a plain vanilla woman.

On ewkends she visits her church The Prophecy of the Hidden Hand, believes in the Global Government and The Chosen One who will save them all from all bad things.

Later, a local politician — same old adult-ish, serious, confident man.

I didn’t ask about ewkens anymore. No more SM-talk about that.

But he liked to speak about the problem of the Gold 1000. He visits the Church of Gold 1000.

Then came a 35-year-old teacher from the Church of Badaboom Day,

a programmer, 37-ish, who believes in the Capybaroids — the ones that will take over the planet.

Et cetera, e-cetere.

I found out that all the serious-looking, adult, confident people belong to some belief here on Aerth.

And the rest too. Everyone.

Seems like that might be what sets Earth and Earthlings apart from this place.

Did I find the difference!?

Or… did I not?