Even the shadows are green

      EVEN THE SHADOWS ARE GREEN

      By DAVID DAEE

      1546

Once, life on Earth had been a garden of Eden. But after centuries of abuse by man, it was dying. Earth was in a lamentable state. Coastal town’s water supplies were destroyed by constant hurricanes and tainted with salt water and pollution. With global warming, rain on most of the planet has become a luxury, and drought has destroyed the majority of the farming areas. The fertile soil where corn and barley once grew tall now lay barren and dead. Without water, most of the animal species died out, including the majority of cattle and fowl. Without water in motion, the power grids died. Everywhere were downed planes and other vehicles of ruination. Many people wandered lost, looking for their own. Destruction and starvation had become the norm. People became scavengers and killed just for food. Bodies of those caught in the middle hid in the ruins.

It should be concluded that, although the human race was broadly aware of the problems, they ignored them. Over a matter of only a few years, the earth's temperature had grown by almost 23 degrees, and with it, wildfires had decimated most of the most extensive forests. The others were drying and dying. The warning signs were there long ago but ignored. Mankind is an interesting bunch; so much self-deception at all levels. People resorted to eating whatever was available, which was little. Disease overtook the masses. 

Wars started as each country worked to save its own, and they became global in only a few short years. Buildings were papered and painted with propaganda. The Earth as a whole drowned in a crimson sea. Either way, we were not long for this side of the veil.

It was pretty apparent that our planet could no longer sustain our populations, and we were dying from the wars, greed, starvation, disease, and the things we’d done and put the planet through. I could delve into the political aspects to show you how the few choose the fate of the many, but it is time-consuming and ultimately pointless.

Life must go on; that is the mantra of humanity. Grief removes you from the world, and it takes real strength to reconnect and weave yourself anew into the fabric of living to give yourself a chance of future happiness. So, it was decided to build ships to take us out and find a new world where we could live. For two generations, these ships were constructed. Earth was dying, and the inhabitants could survive only another generation by the time the ships were completed. People were screened for diseases, health, and knowledge. Only those few who passed gained access, and their names made it to the ship's roster.

Four ships, the Dakari, Obama, Bao, and the Kennedy, each carrying approximately seven hundred souls. They all departed from Earth and traveled out into the vastness of space. Once outside the atmosphere of the Earth, each took its path to search. They were bettering the odds of finding a planet. Each stayed in contact with the others in hopes one would radio that they had found a place for us to settle. The ships were powered by solar energy and could hold power indefinitely within a solar star but could only hold power for fifteen days on a charge. For three hundred and fourteen years, the survivors of Earth have been searching for a new planet. One that could provide a new home and sustain them. A convoy of star cruisers built by the Americans and Chinese during the war to end all wars. It had been hard on the young planet and, over the years, had left it barren and flooded. The waters hadn’t receded as the scientists had predicted. Saltwater eventually infiltrated almost all the water systems, leaving them undrinkable, and the ones that didn’t became toxic by the war's end. The ships were self-sustaining but would perhaps last another two generations. Each new planet or planetoid was named, charted, and classified to speed up the process and keep redundancy out of our search.

Captain Tanner, one of the fleet's greatest and most respected Captains, commanded the Dakari. Resources on the ship were now dying like Earth had. The pollution of sustaining the masses on the vessel was taking its toll, and after all these years, the ship had only grown to 737 souls. The people, along with the crew, were becoming discouraged. We had been searching for 314 years when…

⸻

Taniff looked like any Terra-classified planet from space on the navigational screen. One difference was that this planet appeared to have an active hydrosphere. One could see cloud-blurred contours of seas and continents and a vague gray, brown, and green mottling, topped at the pole by an icecap. Everything appeared positive, and the crew was hopeful, but would it have the oxygen-rich atmosphere they needed, or would it be just another planet filled with noxious gasses and killer storms?

***

Lieutenant Wylie sat at his post and looked up at Captain Tanner.

"Sir, It looks promising."

"It better be. This is the last one we can check out with this energy core.

"Bring her just within Taniff's atmosphere. Miss Lina."

"Aye, sir. Hold on. It's gonna get hot," Lina announced.

The ship rocked as it broke through. Flames ran along its outer skin, temporarily obscuring visuals.

"We are coming through now, sir," Wylie boasted.

"Level her out, Miss Lina."

"Aye, sir."

The ship suddenly list to one side, then back, and everything went black.

"We have a power failure, sir," Wylie announced.

"I can't hold her steady, captain," Lina screamed.

"Lieutenant Wylie, what the hell is going on?"

"It appears to be a core blink, sir." Okay, okay, she's back online."

"Very good."

"Yes, sir, but unfortunately, I don't know how long I can keep her going?"

"Check the O2 levels and bring her closer to the planet's surface, Miss Lina. Taniff's sun is setting for the day."

"Aye, sir."

"Oxygen levels look good, sir. Would you just look at all that vegetation and water? I have never seen so much, have you?"

"No, sir,"

"Wylie, contact the Real, send them these coordinates, and let them know we have found it. Tell them to send all the ships."

"Sir?"

"Home, Lieutenant Wylie. Tell them we have found a home. Oh, and let them know we will be offline while making the necessary repairs and that we will await their arrival.

"We have done it, haven't we, sir," Lina asked.

"Yes, Miss Lina, we have, and the last of our survivors will finally have a place to settle. A New Earth."

"Message sent, and a reply was received, sir; Admiral Vaughn said you'll be a hero, sir."

"No, we all are, we will…."

The cabin suddenly went black again.

"She's dropping, sir; we have no power."

"The core is dying."

"Sir, I only have one choice: to make it surge and run off the bursts in power until we can land."

"Make it so."

"Sir, everything will run on the ship. Everything, machinery, circuits, and exterior and interior lights, will go to full output, evening out the core production. If I do it, sir, we will have less than ten minutes to land."

"I understand, Lieutenant. Do it."

Aye, sir."

There was a burst of a glow from the exterior lights; night suddenly became day. The land below grew bright and green.

"Search for a place to put her down, lieutenant."

"Scanning now, sir."

Then, it was like something moved. Something moved outside the ship across the viewer. The Captain cut his eyes at the screen.

 "Mr. Wylie, see what you can do about cleaning up the screen. I can't make out what is happening."

"I'm trying, sir. I cannot get the focus to work correctly. It's almost like there is another screen just outside of ours.

Scuttling echoes off walls around us.

Suddenly, Captain Tanner stood and slowly began walking closer and closer to the screen. Lina, transfixed on the Captain, left her station, followed him, and stood beside him. His eyes grew wide, staring at the monitor with amazement and fear. Yes, yes, there is fear in his eyes. She could see it. She looked at the blurry screen and then back at the Captain.

"Sir, sir, I don't understand. What is it?" Lina asks

"No," the Captain said.

"Captain?"

His vision blurs slightly, but blinking rapidly, he tries to clear it, letting his gaze be drawn by…

"Oh, my dear God. It can't be," he continued. "No, it just can't be."

"What, sir, what is it? What can't be?"

"We're in a jar. We're in goddamn a jar."

Suddenly, the ship began to rock, thrown up and then down. The Captain and crew were tossed around like rag dolls. The superstructure started to crack and twist. Then, the engines burst into flames just before they exploded, causing the ship's energy core to implode. And the ship and her crew were gone in an instant.

Then, a child stood shaking a jar, staring through the milky glass.

"Awe, the lightning bug won't light up anymore. I forgot to put holes in the jar," he said.

"That's okay, keep looking. We'll find more."