End of the Beginning

“Tripoli? This is Blue Sky. Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Blue. Long time……heard from you."

"What you been up to? Nothing bad, I’m sure. Last time we spoke I hope I didn’t come across as being too inquisitive. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that we live in such different worlds, such different lives, I just can’t envision what it would be like to be there with you, living like you live. Hope you don’t mind if I ask you about your life. Just want to know what it must be like to be free. Let me know if I get too personal.”

“I have to laugh when you mention freedom. I am sure that concept has an entirely different meaning for you than it does for me up here. We have machines that breathe for us. Our food is manufactured to simplify storage requirements and the fact you can’t grow anything here. We are working on that though.

I didn’t talk with you lately because we were on the other side of the sun. Signals won’t get through, so had to wait. Don’t be afraid to ask me anything. I’ve got lots of time and I find your interest a comfort. I’ve got things I’d like to ask you too.”

“How long have you been up there? All they’ve told us is that there is a space community out there someplace where life is being carried on, just in case, to see if it is possible to live in the conditions you are experiencing. I assume when they refer to, “Just in case,” they are talking about the inevitable uninhabitability of earth. It is a difficult concept to process, but I’m afraid the reality fits the concern.

The climate here has reached a point where nothing functions as it once did. Even twenty years ago, you could grow things. Farms produced food, cities created…well cities created, but that is over. The weather has ended our technological revolution.

The rain, heat, rising tides has caused the majority of the people along the coasts to move inland. Helped some, but tornadoes, floods, disease, all made life as we knew it, impossible. I assume that is why you are up there, and I am down here. How long have you been up there anyway? Everything about what you are doing is kept secret. I am surprised it is legal for me to speak to you. Maybe it isn’t. I might end up on the green planet where they are mining for something that will make life possible on other planets. There is always the next thing that will save us. Don’t know if I want to live that long. How long you been up there anyway?”

“I was born here. Another experiment I can only presume. I don’t have parents. All I know about relationships like that are what I’ve read about in books. They allow us access to some. We have to use our imaginations to figure out the rest. 

I live in a pod with twenty other’s from my time period. We are categorized and stationed according to genetic makeup, IQ assessments, things like that. It seems I have a propensity for genealogical tracing. We spend our time tracking DNA, DNR, back to the beginning of time. You’d be surprised how our research has changed the way your religious doctrine is interpreted. I could tell you what the proverbial Eve was really like, or Mary Magdalene, but I’d get in trouble. Top secret stuff. Don’t want to upset what is left of keeping those on your planet from jumping into the abys. From what you imply, that will come soon enough.

The problem with our developing systems is that there is no way to accommodate the billions of people on earth in time. I suggest if given a chance to join one of the Explorer Missions, you take it. A chance is better than a certainty in your projected future. We keep track, but I can’t get involved, too depressing. All those people, all that need, and no hope. Are you afraid? Are others afraid?”

“No, they have done an adequate job of conditioning people to accept the fact that change is inevitable and that we will survive, as we have done in the past. Technology will provide. I remember when it was God who would provide. How old are you anyway?”

“I’m twenty. How about you?”

“I’m ninety-four. Hope to make one hundred. Funny, we got science and medicine keeping us alive. We live longer, with less purpose, and really no future. It doesn’t make much sense other than to keep everyone from revolting and then I don’t know what there would be to revolt against. We have done this to ourselves. You had apparently been shipped off just as things started to come unraveled here. Nothing is what it was and no matter what they keep telling us, it is difficult to believe there is any hope of reversing the situation.

There is no longer the sense that you live your life with a purpose. You raise a family, pass on the good, change the bad, but leave the next generation with something better, not something worse. Now there is no concern for the future, good or bad. I believe people have begun to see, despite the predictions, that things being turned around, just isn’t possible. We had reached the tipping point several decades ago and are in a race to the bottom. All that’s left to do is hope it ends quick, or that you and yours up there, come up with a miracle fix. I think we are all out of miracles here. And here I was hoping to get to join the centurion club. Nothing more fun than hanging out with a bunch of old folks. I’ve had the practice. Our bionic future is just a surgery away.

This must all seem surreal to you. I can’t imagine living in a totally artificial environment. Environments shape the way we interact, our emotional state, our ability to develop connections with the place that makes our lives possible. Snuggling up to a test tube or oxygen machine, just doesn’t appeal to me. 

It is said here that, we are what we eat, we become what we believe, we have free will to choose right from wrong. What they don’t say, is have we developed the integrity to know the difference. When the future becomes obsolete because of a greater need to enhance ones’ personal present, at any cost, I’m afraid we have lost what little soul that may remain.

I don’t mean to disturb you, but all I can say at this point, is that I’m glad I lived when I did. I know the smell of a rose, the taste of a ripe strawberry, and the spirit, mountain top air provides. My fear and expectation is that those that come after will have none of the things that make people, people, and not machines, incapable of feeling what makes life a life.”

Easier Then

“Tripoli? This is Blue Sky. Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Blue. Long time……hear from you. What you been up to? Nothing bad, I’m sure. Last time we spoke I hope I didn’t come across as being too inquisitive. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that we live in such different worlds, such different lives, I just can’t envision what it would be like to be there with you, living like you live. Hope you don’t mind if I ask you about your life. Just want to know what it must be like to be free. Let me know if I get too personal.”

“I have to laugh when you mention freedom. I am sure that concept has an entirely different meaning for you than it does for me up here. We have machines that breathe for us. Our food is manufactured to simplify storage requirements and the fact you can’t grow anything here. We are working on that though.

I didn’t talk with you lately because we were on the other side of the sun. Signals won’t get through, so had to wait. Don’t be afraid to ask me anything. I’ve got lots of time and I find your interest a comfort. I’ve got things I’d like to ask you too.”

“How long have you been up there? All they’ve told us is that there is a space station out there someplace where life is being carried on, just in case, to see if it is possible to live in the conditions you are experiencing. I assume when they refer to, “Just in Case,” they are talking about the inevitable uninhabitability of earth. It a difficult concept to process, but I’m afraid the reality fits the concern.

The climate here has reached a point where nothing functions as it once did. Even twenty years ago, you could grow things. Farms produced food, cities created…well cities created, but that is over. The weather has ended our technological revolution.

The rain, heat, rising tides has caused the majority of the people along the coasts to move inland. Helped some, but tornadoes, floods, disease, all made life as we knew it, impossible. I assume that is why you are up there, and I am down here. How long have you been up there anyway? Everything about what you are doing is kept secret. I am surprised it is legal for me to speak to you. Maybe it isn’t. I might end up on the green planet where they are mining for something that will make life possible on other planets. There is always the next thing that will save us. Don’t know I want to live that long. How long you been up there anyway?”

“I was born here. Another experiment I can only presume. I don’t have parents. All I know about relationships like that are what I’ve read about in books. They allow us access to some. We have to use our imaginations to figure out the rest.  

I live in a pod with twenty other’s from my time period. We are categorized and stationed according to genetic makeup, IQ assessments, things like that. It seems I have a propensity for genealogical tracing. We spend our time tracking DNA, DNR, back to the beginning of time. You’d be surprised how our research has changed the way your religious doctrine is interpreted. I could tell you what the proverbial Eve was really like, or Mary Magdalene, but I’d get in trouble. Top secret stuff. Don’t want to upset what is left of keeping those on your planet from jumping into the abys. From what you imply that will come soon enough.

The problem with our developing systems is that there is no way to accommodate the billions of people on earth in time. I suggest if given a chance to join one of the Explorer Missions, you take it. A chance is better than certainty in your projected future. We keep track but I can’t get involved, too depressing. All those people, all that need, and no hope. Are you afraid? Are others afraid?”

“No, they have done an adequate job of conditioning people to accept the fact that change is inevitable and that we will survive as we have done in the past. Technology will provide. I remember when it was God who would provide. How old are you anyway?”

“I’m twenty. How about you?”

“I’m ninety-four. Hope to make one hundred. Funny, we got science and medicine keeping us alive. We live longer, with less purpose, and really no future. It doesn’t make much sense other than to keep everyone from revolting and then I don’t know what there would be to revolt against. We have done this to ourselves. You had apparently been shipped off just as things started to come unraveled here. Nothing is what it was and no matter what they keep telling us, it is difficult to believe there is any hope of reversing the situation.

There is no longer the sense that you live your life with a purpose. You raise a family, pass on the good, change the bad, but leave the next generation with something better, not something worse. Now there is no concern for the future, good or bad. I believe people have begun to see, despite the predictions, that things being turned around, just isn’t possible. We had reached the tipping point several decades ago and are in a race to the bottom. All that’s left to do is hope it ends quick, or that you and yours up there, come up with a miracle fix. I think we are all out of miracles here. And here I was hoping to get to join the centurion club. Nothing more fun than hanging out with a bunch of old folks. I’ve had the practice. Our bionic future is just a surgery away. 

This must all seem surreal to you. I can’t imagine living in a totally artificial environment. Environments shape the way we interact, our emotional state, our ability to develop connections with the place that makes our lives possible. Snuggling up to a test tube or oxygen machine, just doesn’t appeal to me.  

It is said here that, we are what we eat, we become what we believe, we have free will to choose right from wrong. What they don’t say, is have we developed the integrity to know the difference. When the future becomes obsolete because of a greater need to enhance ones’ personal present, at any cost, I’m afraid we have lost what little soul that may remain.

I don’t mean to disturb you, but all I can say at this point, is that I’m glad I lived when I did. I know the smell of a rose, the taste of a ripe strawberry, and the spirit, mountain top air provides. My fear and expectation is that those that come after will have none of the things that make people, people, and not machines incapable of feeling what makes life a life.”

“Signal is fading Blue. Will try and engage the next time we come around. Hang in there. I wish I could tell you help is on the way, but I’m afraid we have as yet to develop the silver bullet everyone down there is counting on. Take care of………………………………………talk again………………………soon………………I………………and in case you were wondering, the earth isn't..................................................................... fl.....................................................................