Zen

"Zen" by Jerome Bixby is a science fiction story that takes place in the future, where scientists are traveling to the asteroid Vesta, trying to find new life and clues about alien societies that lived long ago. The main story is about big ideas, like being smart, feeling alone, and wanting friendship. A scientist named David Koontz finds a special alien called a Zen who is the only one left after its planet, Sorn, was destroyed. This Zen has lived alone for three thousand years and is very lonely. Koontz hears about how strong and smart she is, but she is also very sad and wants to die because she can't bear being alone. Just when things seem hopeless, another Zen shows up, offering a chance for the Zen to live on. The story shows how important life is and asks what humans should do for other civilizations in the universe. The Zen start to come back to life, showing that life can be surprising and beautiful, even when things are hard.