Whispers of Sand and Stars

The gravel of Baikonur has been floating in the wind for 20,000 years. Until one midnight in 1957, a grain of sand, unwilling to be silent, suddenly broke away from the gravel pile - the silvery white sand gathered into a human shape, with free sand grains entangled at the ends of the hair, like uncombed bangs. Her eyes were two crystal clear quartz, reflecting the trajectory of the 107th rocket tail flame across the sky. "It's the 108th time." Sha Ya whispered into the air, her voice mixed with the sound of wind-blown gravel. No one responded until the searchlight illuminated the corner of the assembly plant. A girl with short silver hair was leaning on an R-7 rocket, and the "CCCP" on her skirt was dazzlingly red.