The dial turned past the static to clear up the tone as a voice warbled, “Send me an angel… send me an angel… right now… right now…” 

A synthetic tone pulsed along with the words and the children bopped their heads along with the beat. Kitrin, the ringleader and operator of their ancient tech, grinned as she watched her friends sway, enjoying their rebellious youth phase of contraband artifacts. A couple disks of Earth music were easy enough to get ahold of for a few credits and a visit to a less reputable part of town. The player had been harder to get, constructed out of a hodgepodge of artifacts and a collective fund was contributed to by everyone gathered in the room.

The fruits of their efforts were worthwhile as they listened to the synth pop in the sublevel basement of their housing. It was a phase most youths went through, a short obsession with one of the ancient civilizations. For this group, Earth had been the forgotten planet to pique their interest. Leal, nodding his head in the corner of the room, called the song a “banger.” 

“Why do you think they made Earth music illegal?” Melie, the shy one of the group asked. 

“Because,” Kitrin answered confidently, “Earth is a rebel planet. They war and fight everyone, even themselves. And their music incites rebellion, that’s what my matron told me.” 

“Do you really believe that?” Leal asked. “You don’t even know what it says.” 

“That’s because Earth refused to consent to a universal communications agreement back in 17.2052.19. They couldn’t even agree enough to make a planetary language and were too obstinate to learn the interplanetary language system,” spoke up the small framed Gereth as he adjusted the fashionable spectacles balancing on his nose. “It is reasonable to believe that a populace full of internal violence and too defiant to accept communication is seeded with violent and rebellious thoughts and propaganda. The music could very reasonably be a call to arms.” 

“You really know how to turn everything into a history lecture, don’t you,” Leal grumbled. 

Kitrin rolled her eyes and pressed a button on the player to turn on a different song. A softer tone sounded and a huskier voice vocalized in a melancholy mood. Looking around at her friends, Kitrin chanced turning up the volume just a bit as the singer as the singing continued. 

“I wanna know what love is… I want you to show me…” 

“Does this one sound violent to you?” Leal asked Gereth.

The other boy thought about it for a moment before admitting that he would be hard pressed to find anything violent about the song, but that it did not absolve it from the possibility of illicit propaganda. The night continued on like that for a while, the youngsters debating the unknown content of a language long forgotten as they listened to each ancient song. Despite the debates over the ancient civilization, they continued to sway to the music.