Magellan's Ghost Reflects on Earth's Discovery.
Dialogue: A Ghostly Encounter with Ferdinand Magellan (Setting: Punta Arenas, Chilean Patagonia. A cold wind blows as you stand before the Strait of Magellan, camera in hand. Suddenly, the ghostly figure of Ferdinand Magellan appears beside you, gazing at the water in awe.) You: (startled) Whoa! You’re… Ferdinand Magellan?! Magellan’s Ghost: (nodding, voice echoing slightly) Sim, it is I. Though I must say, I did not expect to return as a… how do you say… fantasma. You: Well, you are standing in front of the Strait of Magellan. They named it after you! Magellan’s Ghost: (looking around, amazed) Incredible! To think this passage bears my name… (pauses, then frowns) But tell me—did my expedition succeed? Did we prove the Earth was round? You: Oh, your crew did circumnavigate the globe… but you didn’t make it. Magellan’s Ghost: (shocked) What?! How?! You: Well… you made some mistakes. First, you picked a fight in the Philippines and got killed in the Battle of Mactan. Magellan’s Ghost: (grumbling) That chief Lapu-Lapu… I underestimated him. You: Yep. And second, you didn’t actually complete the voyage—your crew did. Juan Sebastián Elcano got the credit. Magellan’s Ghost: (sighing) So close… yet so far. You: If you’d avoided that fight, maybe you would’ve been the first to circle the Earth. Magellan’s Ghost: (shaking his head) All that planning… wasted because of one reckless battle. (looks at the strait again, then smirks) Still… not bad for a ghost, eh? You: (laughing, raising camera) Smile—this one’s going in the history books! (You snap the photo as Magellan’s ghost fades into the Patagonian mist, leaving only the wind and the waves of his namesake strait behind.) The End. (Note: Historically, Magellan believed he could convert indigenous leaders by force, leading to his death. His crew completed the journey, proving the Earth was circumnavigatable—but without him.) *** PS. Number ONE on Explore on June 16th., 2025.