Utopia Short Story: Humans and Earth

       In the department of forest resources and environmental conservation, the researcher Gerry was interested in a forest of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Recently, many climbers went there and never returned. After reading news about that and other’s research papers, he wanted to go there and did the research personally. Before he left, his wife was afraid that he would never come back so she told him to take care repeatedly. He replied: “I will. I have gone to this mountain several times. I am familiar with the roads, plants, and ridges of that mountain. Don’t worry about me. I love Nature and protect everything in Nature gently, so I think nature will treat me the same way.” 

In the middle of his climbing, he found a strange road he never saw before even though he has come here several times. He walked along that road. Suddenly, he saw a single tree which may be around 3 to 4 thousand years old on the edge of a cliff. It looks very divine when the sunlight came down through the tree. He observed that tree and found an extremely big hole, which can let a person in, between roots of the tree. He was so curious about what is in the big hole that he entered.

When he wakes up, some people he never saw before are around him. He asks interrogatively: “Who are you? Where am I?” A man replies: “I am Henry. This is my wife Annie and my two children.” He continues: “Where are you come from? You were lying unconscious in our backyard so I carried you into our house.” He is shocked when he goes out because there is no tree, flower, and even grass. He cannot imagine how the world exists without any plant. Henry and his family are very kind to him and let him live in their guest room.

After living in there for some time, he finds that tree hole is an opening of the time travel. He is in the year 2215, two hundred years after the time he was living without time travel. He misses the day he enjoyed climbing mountain and indulging his senses in pure nature. He thinks it must have mountains and forests in the country even though there is not any plant in the city so he asks Henry: “Where is the nearest mountain or forest?” Henry replies: “What do you mean “mountain” and “forest”? I never heard these words before.” Gerry takes out some photos he took on the mountains from his backpack, showing them. They cry out: “what is this? Why we never see before?”

Even though Gerry wants to go back to the time he was living, he is still so curious that he is eager to find out why the world becomes like that. Therefore, he tries to find the opening of the time travel; at the same time, he digs out the mysterious secret. Through researching in the library and asking Henry and other new friends he make, he realizes the history of the world without nature.

In 2115, technology has advanced with years and it has changed the way people purchase products, the way they leave, the way they communicate, the way they travel, and the way they learn. The economy was growing rapidly. The fast-growing economy contributed to stable business and living environment. There were no poor people. However, they were not satisfied. Human nature is always greedy. Both government officials and business men believed their developments were hampered by the nature. About one hundred years ago, many books talked about some people believing that economic progress based on excessive exploitation of natural resources will be unsustainable. The government officials thought those words were nonsense. They were afraid that those books or information will influence their citizens to have the awareness of the importance of nature. So they could not benefit themselves through exploiting natural environment. Therefore, they burned up all of the books about environment protections and preservation; furthermore, they cut down and burned up all of plants, trees, and forests. A lot of factories, buildings, amusement parks are built on the mountain. The skyscrapers in the cities make a magnificent skyline.

In many journals and references, Gerry regards the insufferable arrogance of human beings to think that Nature was made solely for their benefit. They were so proud and believed humans dominate Earth and they can control Nature. He plunges deep into thought in the library. He thinks they wanted to destroy natural environments because of fear. They knew the power of nature is stronger than them. However, Gerry has faith that Nature breeds and protects human beings. If we damage the natural environment unlimitedly, Nature will fight back.

Henry picks him up at 5 p.m. to dine. He asks Henry whether he can drive him to the country to see personally the mountain scene described in the books. On the way, Gerry feels strange that why everyone wears masks and protection clothing on the road. When he sees the mountain, he realized. Hundreds of factories on the mountains are emitting black smock from its chimneys. A tower of black smoke could be seen from miles away. Henry takes out his masks and protection clothing, gives a suit of that for Gerry, and says: “Why do you want to come here? It’s terrible. Only the people who are willing to sacrifice their healthy or even life to earn more money work in these factories.

After dining at home, Gerry takes out all of his photos of the mountain scenes, research papers, books to show them the beautiful natural environments two hundred years ago. One of Gerry’s children is not interested in those things, but only concerned about how to earn more money. In contrast, the other child is curious about that, asking many questions: “We have advanced technology and fast growing economy without those forests. Why should we need that?” Gerry answers: “Large-scale forest can help to solve some of the world’s problems. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by factories in the air largely determines the planet’s temperature and leads to global warming. The higher temperatures are causing extensive weather problems including heat wave and rising seas.” When they are talking, Gerry hears something from the latest television news: “Here we are in America, the large earthquake with the magnitude of 15 occurs again. The earthquake triggers the severe tsunami. This year is very strange. In a year, there are many natural disasters all over the world. The number of casualties in these natural disasters is over 200 thousand: over 90 thousand deaths and 110 thousand wounded.” Gerry is startled when he hears, crying out: “I cannot imagine these natural disasters will become so terrible and so many people died and injured. It is much more serious than two hundred years ago. What do you do to solve the problems and prevent those natural calamities from happening again?” Henry said: “We built many levees in coastlines in every country. But all of the levees failed in a few months and we just restored it and built large ones.” “Besides, we use special materials to make our house be against earthquakes. The scientists are planning to invent a transparent mantle which can cover up the whole world. Therefore, we will not bother with those natural disasters. We are the dominator of the world. Why do we need to worry about that?” he said proudly.

As Gerry expected, nature strikes back. Year by year the natural calamities become extremely fierce. One day, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flooding occur simultaneously. The world is destroyed. It makes all the buildings disappear, even human beings. Human extinction caused by this catastrophe is from ignorant and arrogant choices made by human beings. They cannot blame anybody.

A few years later, the earth is growing green again. With trees and plants growing, forests and jungles of Planet Earth support some of the most complex communities of animal life. Animals can see the full moon which is not shadowed by enormous skyscrapers anymore and also enjoy staring at thousands of stars in an unpolluted sky.