DEC 25, 2309. KIRANSVILLE, GLOBAL VILLAGE, PLANET EARTH, SOLAR SYSTEM, MILKY WAY, 1600 light years from THE BLACK HOLE - SAGITTARIUS ‘ A - IN THE CENTER OF this GALAXY. (This black hole is considered as the galactic core of the Milky Way and the Sun orbits it. The Sun takes 227 million years to make a complete orbit around the galaxy)
The catharsis was long over. Earth had once again survived the onslaught of its own organ systems chiefly the species homo-sapiens (at best a commensal on its surface). It felt like a person recently freed from a cancerous growth after a maximal possible excision of its essential organs. The earth had also been successful in purging itself of the accumulated toxic waste of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The cosmic forces had come to its help …. Just a miniscule increase in solar activity coupled with anti-gravity forces had forced a change in the course of FEO (Far-earth-object) of just the right size to be on the earth impact orbit. The whole thing had been carefully planned and put in place by an obscure group of astrophysicists working in the city of Olgii located in the cold depths of Mongolia way back in 1990s. The impact occurred on 25th January, 2152.
Major part of the flora, fauna and the land mass just went up with a whoooooooooosh. Fires raged for about a decade. A few isolated pockets of animal and plant species survived on the highest peaks of the original land mass. The ensuing movement of the tectonic plates changed the geography of the world. The survivors with a religious bent of mind called it the cleansing by fire predicted in many religions.
The perpetrators of this had taken enough precaution to save the state of art knowledge in sciences, arts, religion and humanity in electronic form on a parallel web known to few. A road-map for reconstruction was already in place.
By the end of 21st century the Earth had completely recovered and could be seen in its pristine glory with the right balance between its many organs.
Hugely diminished human population was confined to few places. The technology developed over many thousand of years helped the homo-varians (sapiens had evolved to varians) live a life of adequately met needs and luxuies. A small committee of four members nominally looked after the ‘GOVERNMENT SOFTWARE’ that managed the world as there was only one nation – the Earth. Decisions were consensual ……. The humans had learned a lesson and the survivors were plain and simple glad to be alive.
There were certain basic rules and punishment for flouting them was quick and final. These were more in the nature of commandments. One of these was that no flesh could be eaten. This was easy to implement as all types of edible meats, fish and fowl were biotechnologically grown and were available just for the asking.
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Mr X and Mr Y were sitting in a very sparsely furnished room at New Alcatraz in another part of earth .
Alcatraz was the nominal prison and only these two were incarcerated here. Both of them had broken the cardinal rule of not eating flesh. They had hunted a rabbit, cooked it and feasted on it with organic bread and wild rice followed by dish made of real honey (another rule flouted).
X - so this it!
Y – worth it……No! Actually the food is all right, but some how… I miss the warm feeling after a good steak …………. Could never get it with this food!
X – A proper meal to end it all with……….. pure bliss!
Y – As good as the Holy Communion!
They were annihilated the next day!
The analysis of tissue samples collected prior to their death comprised the autopsy. It revealed that these two shared the flesh eating genes of Streptococcus pyogenes, Vibrio vulnificus, and methicillin resistant species of staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria singly or together necrotize soft tissue infections – often fatal and always disfiguring. These are also called as flesh-eating-bacteria. Perhaps many of the compulsive meat eaters have this gene or its variants.
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The right to know rule ensured that all knew about it …….. A debate started if it was fair?
A small group of dissatisfied earthizens asked for resources to start their own community with different set of rules.
Earth was on its way to another catharsis ……… a few thousand years in the future!
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