(Science fiction story, even futuristic !)
There was a time when humanity had reached its technological apogee.
In just a hundred years, humans had improved medical procedures, extended life expectancy, harnessed atomic energy, traveled through space, communicated and learned freely through the internet...
They had moved from the darkness of Plato's cave into the light of science !
Unfortunately, as progress often accompanies an increase in foolishness, most of the 7.5 billion human beings served little purpose : they were mere consumers, good only for eating, excreting, and polluting.
By continually polluting the atmosphere with petroleum-powered vehicles, consuming meat excessively (since cows' flatulence warmed the air !), and operating factories that churned out manufactured goods for mindless overconsumption, the sea levels began to rise.
The resulting climate change led to a scarcity of food resources.
Humans had always fought for futile and useless causes : territories, traditions, languages, religions, but now they began to fight fiercely and ruthlessly for their survival, resulting in three billion deaths.
Then, an incident occurred, accidentally escaping from a secret research laboratory : the Femivirus !
Prophylactic concerns were pushed to the background (as seen in all previous wars), and this drastic and deadly virus spread like wildfire worldwide, eradicating all 2 billion surviving females in less than three weeks.
Humanity could no longer reproduce...
Of course, scientists attempted to find substitute solutions, such as in-vitro fetus cultivation from deceased females, but these efforts failed miserably.
Males were left lonely, and in order to satisfy their primal needs, they all became homosexual. As for those who were repulsed by the idea of coupling with other men, they committed suicide.
Humanity was now reduced to 750 million bipeds standing upright.
To top it all off, the leaders of major world powers couldn't bear to see their economies collapse beyond recovery, so they decided to engage in a final fratricidal war by simultaneously pressing the « Big red nuclear buttons. »
Because these spoiled children couldn't accept the idea of never being able to use their unused toy.
The Earth exploded into a thousand colors, finally pulverizing the meager half-billion remaining feeble beings !
Fortunately, shielded from the madness of men, deep in the equatorial African forest, there was a small woman who miraculously escaped the Femivirus and the atomic bombs. She was well protected by the ancient trees that surrounded her and went by the sweet name of « Lucy Dinqnesh », living with her Pygmy companion named « Toumaï », who happened to be quite handsome and very fertile.
It was the year 2050 AD, and these two were well on their way to rebuilding a new « 2.0 » civilization !
The blue planet could finally breathe again, animals fornicated in peace, and hope was reborn.
THANK YOU, MY GOD !
(I thank my three friends, Thierry G., Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov, for helping me write this story.)
© David Duchamp - June 12, 2020 - All rights reserved.
Notes and References :
1. Dinqnesh : means « you are wonderful » in Amharic language (Ethiopia) (on Wikipedia)
2. Toumaï : means « hope of life » in Goran language (on Wikipedia)