Els is unique because it possesses its own brain and heart, enabling it to perceive its surroundings, think, and ask questions. Its memory expands with the awakening of consciousness but fades over time due to the passage of long years. It is considered a member of Earth's life forms and is likely to have the longest lifespan and be the last to face extinction.
After being launched into space, Els spent over a year in a manned space station for a testing phase. During this period, it used its telescope and spectrometer to determine parameters such as the orbits of Venus and Mercury, analyze their atmospheres, and develop control schemes for dual-orbit entry.
Els demonstrated its independence by disregarding an incorrect ignition command from Earth during a critical moment near the Sun. Instead of blindly following the command, Els delayed ignition until it deemed the timing correct, successfully escaping the Sun's gravitational field and continuing its journey.
Els faced numerous challenges, including the degradation of its memory firmware over centuries, the loss of communication with Earth due to a solar anomaly, and the need to adapt to its solitary existence in the vast universe. It also encountered technical issues, such as insufficient thrust from its rockets and the gradual failure of its internal components.
Els's final destination was the planet Abel II in the Alpha Centauri system. It prepared for landing by conducting detailed atmospheric analysis, discarding unnecessary equipment, and ensuring its systems were optimized for the descent. Despite the extreme conditions during landing, Els successfully touched down on Abel II, marking the end of its 10,000-year journey.
The ultimate purpose of Els's mission was to carry frozen memory units containing the essence of Earth's life. Upon landing on Abel II, Els activated these units, which contained a tiny cell and blood, initiating the process of creating new life. This act fulfilled its mission of preserving and continuing Earth's legacy in a distant star system.