capitalism.

supernovas burst and give birth to their starlings, indoctrinating them into the universe before they can even form a coherent thought. they enfold their children in blankets of busy work and body shame, teaching and preaching like any old minister could to his congregation.

their starling disciples push media filled with marketing magic to lure other galaxies into their corrupted church of consumerism, enticing each individual to join the ranks of the brave and the free. but the others know that freedom is an illusion and these starlings have much to learn about the ways of the world.

time pushes its lonely cart down sidewalks of slippery beige and each star soon becomes a clone of the next, folding and molding to reach supernova status, to give birth to their own collection of starlings and starlights when the time comes, and they do this without ever wondering if a supernova should really be the ultimate goal.

some stars will fall and others will shine brighter, but no individual star can quite recall a time when the supernova’s strategy ever unified anyone into a galaxy- all it has ever done is destroy itself and others around it. eventually, some starlings will realize that only as a collective can they all create a galaxy to grow in together.