A cold dark night like every other night as the sun rarely shown through the thick gaseous layer that enveloped the earth. Never enough to warm the ground or its inhabitants. It was theorized a greenhouse effect would evolve. It never did. In fact, the earth was slowly dying. Or rather, life upon it was dying. Slow like an injured animal that lingers for weeks, suffering and creeping through the day as if not knowing the end but certain it approaches. No, the earth isn't dying, we die, slow and sure, like the wounded animal. The earth is the earth, she shall persist in a different way—without her pesky, dirty, selfish humans.
So's you might wanna knowed how'd the earth gots to this bad way? Well I'ma tellin' you it's quite some story. Theyin had it all planned, down to the last detail is what daddy says. You know, the powers that be, is what daddy called 'em. We don't talk about 'em but everone knows is all. They sit way up the ladder. That's what daddy called it. He said, "The ones foolish enough to believe they could control life. Those silly little men with big dreams, big inte - intell," I'm not sure what that word is but it's the ones with the smarts and such. Daddy says they "Had a dim view of reality. Any common fool knows you can't control life," he would say. I'ma guessin' that makes them not as good as a common fool. And I'ma guessin daddy was right 'cause we ain't fairin' so well now. Anyways, I'ma gonna tell you what I know. It's kinda my job as we need to remember and all. Daddy says it's important.
A long time before I was borned to this place, the planet was "rather pleasant." That's what daddy told me anyways. He'd never seen it neither. His daddy told him so too. He said the sun was all 'round. I mean just ashinen all 'round. Oh, I would loves to see that! I always wondered what it would be like. And he also says that people were happy and walkin' around all free-like. They would go to other sectors and even over the waters to lands far away. I think it's called Eropes or something like that. That's wherein the funny talk comes from. I mean I giggle when I heared it—it's fun to listen to is all. So anyways this long time ago earth was OK I mean it was kinda nice and all and these powers that be, they gots hold of the tradin' and they liked to control and keep it the way they liked it. Even gettin' lands a fightn' each other and stuff to makein athings crazy and confusin'. I say that musta been hard to do! All this tradin' theys was watchin'. And doin stuff all over to keepin' it goin. Daddy says they had lots of electricity back then, I mean all kindsa little boxes with electricity in them and they could talk to one another and keep things straight-like.
Well, long about a hundred or so years theya started a havin' troubles. Daddy says its causin' the peoples had them little boxes with electricity too. And theys was talkin' too. And theys was talkin' about the powers that be. And one thing everbody knows is you ain't supposed to do that! Theys gets all riled when you do that. So's thems people with little electricity boxes said theys don't like the powers that be havin' all the trade. Sees no ones put them in charge of trade, they sorta, kinda taked it for themselves and weren't let go! Anyways these people says that's not right no more and that's when all the trouble startsa happenin'. Daddy says it weren't no picnic. He says thems people give'em what for! Well it seems that everbody back then had lots of little boxes with electronics and needed thems for tradin'. And the powers that be would get thems no more tradin, you knowed, the ones talkin' a lot about them. Daddy says they even put 'em in the ground too. Well I'ma guessin the whole place kept agettin' riled up and theys did this for liken fifty years-like. I'ma guessin' that's when it all started bein' like it is now. We ain't gots much now. But the powers that be are doin' OK-like. Theys still gots electricity all over! I mean all we gots is electricity in the factory we all work at. But that's all! The powers that be gots all them electricity boxes and those autocars and niceties everwhere. Why, just the other day one of them autocars came a drivin' up. It was that ugly color, you knowed the kind wherein' it looked like some one's done smeared the forest on it. And these dressed-up men got from the autocar and theys was dressed all nice and clean! There weren't no tears in thems clothes at all and no holes in thems ankle shoes or nothin'! And theys was mean too. Theys came'n broke stuff and pushin' the littleuns and havin' thier ways with us women. I knowed when Daddy wasin here theys only did that halfin the time.
"These bastards will pay one day. I don't know when but they'll pay," is what daddy was sayin' all the time. I don't know howin it's gonna happen now. Even those peoples a long time ago with all thems boxes with electricity couldn't have no change. We ain't gots but hardly any roof over ourin head. And whilest I'ma grown girl and all I ain't gots half the smarts daddy had and he gots kill't keepin the autocar man away from me. And thems powers that be still gots all the tradin' and done took away all them electricity boxes from everone but thems. It's allin I can do to keep warm and keep from astarvin'. Ain't no help no how comin' from no secret place to be savin' us. No sir, I knowed that from a littleun times.
So's I'ma gonna finish this story as I ain't got no mind to keepa talkin 'bout it. I mean justa few years ago we was a bit warmer but itsa gettin' colder now and I ain't none too happy 'bout it. Can't no greenery grow much no more—'cept in the factory. Ain't gots hardly enough ration for a day at a time and the burn water ain't enough for all night. I tooked extra work at the factory justin so's I could stay more warm.
Sir Hinkley, he's my boss and all, was sayin' I'ma lookin good and all and was wantin' to givein me a little more warmin' as a woman and all. I says I don't know but the more I'ma thinkin' and the stirrins goin' on inside I'ma thinkin' it mightin be a good thing to get this warmin' from Sir Hinkley. I mean these stirrins are a makin' me some strange thinkins' and all from time to time.
Therein are a lot of people gettin' sick and all too. "We're nothin' but chattle to these people—just chattle!" Daddy was sayin'. I'ma still not knowin' what he meant but I don't feel like we're much important at all. The doctorin' around ain't much. Theirin place ain't no cleaner than my home neither! Some go in OK-like and come out an get sick! I don't like the doctorin'—not one bit. Daddy was sayin' the doctorin' was real good before. But then they controlled people that way too." he would say. He was sayin' they were gettin' insides theirin heads too and makin 'em do things too. And he says nobody even seen this and when they did it was too late and all. All I know is when yourin hungry enough you'll do just 'bout anythin'. Don't ask me none 'bout it. I just know is all.
Daddy says it ain't like the way it is here where the powers that be are. Like I says before—theys still gots the electricity boxes and all thems fine things. Daddy says no roofs leaked when it rains. And theys gots heat always and all. And ifin theys weren't the way theys are the sky would be blue again and it would be pretty. Daddy showed me a blue color one day and says his daddy showed him the same color and that's what the sky looked like above all thems dirty clouds. Daddy says one day as the peoples were kept talkin' about 'em the powers that be made the skies dirty. Daddy says theys really didn't want that and all but theys gots desp—despar, well anyways they felt liken they had to do it. So's they made the skies dirty and then all the peoples needed the powers that be to live and all.
I'ma guessin' that's 'bout all there is to it for now. Daddy says more but bein' all tired and such I'ma gonna get some sleep whilin the burn water lasts.
art source: pic