"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
Jorge Luis Borges
Earth, circa 2200.
A tree wilts and dies, gradually,
To the roots.
A cormorant glides across the surface of a sea,
Picking a dead stinking fish.
Golden Duke Hemlocks are alive somewhere
They are blooming and everything but Gold.
Living conditions on the Earth's surface had taken a turn for the worse.
In 2195 Sandra Onwuasoanya, a 20-year-old from Aba, moved to Lagos City to work as a cleaner and cook for a very particular family. She had left her indigent family behind to work for the really opulent industrialists. The goal was: be sweet, be obedient, but make no mistake with opportunities. She promised herself especially to heed the warnings of her mother who suffered from PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She could vividly remember living most of her formative years in a house that made her look like a girl banished into the forest of unreachable dreams and how she hated this! If asked to describe her life, she could define it as one in which the fullness of mental life, of sedimented emotion and undying hope, is evoked in epigrams and gestures of towering dreams. From the gray innards of the foreboding, from the worn mattress of her innings, from the kitchen of her life where bits of pain were chopped and stewed, had she risen a thousand times to face her teeming demons teaming to send her off the cliff of anguish. She was no Hercules nor was she blessed with the strength of warriors. But this was her fight, one for which she must pledge victory. And so with the smell of memory behind her back, she stood to pick the teeth and bones dropping from the jaws of fear who could no longer stand her growing courage. She was eager, on an exponential basis, to please her employers who hated laziness with burning passion. Everyday, she suffered her knees in the process of mopping and scrubbing everywhere till they shone with glorious brilliance and those knees that had no mouth to speak against the evil done to them turned darker and darker with every passing year. Now fast-forward to 2200, and you would never see Sandra with darker knees nor her bending to mop or scrub whatever needed such tedious process. She had grown into a fine young woman and having been so hardworking asked to only mind the kitchen, something that made happiness dance about the corridors of her heart everyday. But siblings of happiness found their way into her heart when she was eventually allowed to study Climate and Environmental Science at a prestigious university, the consequence being that a mélange of feet danced about her heart with great impact. Hitherto, she had always shown a great love for reading and education. She took the opportunity to study at Bloom University seriously and that was how she met the interesting academic, Professor Forrest Whitaker, who believed nothing monumental can be done to curb the effect of climate change on agriculture and wildlife conservation. In his words, "Climate change is like an unstoppable whirlwind of a wildfire coursing through the earth, which anyone or group of experts can only try to abate." Sandra had felt his pessimism was highly deplorable. She was no savant, but she could trust her intuitions to be factual with assumptions. Having a predilection for optimism and a natural tendency to being a hopeless romantic on various matters, she envisaged a day it would be a triumphant entry into an impeccable future. On most days, when boredom wasn't a thing to be talked about, she would lose herself in the confines of a library; this, to her, was easier than jumping off the cliff of anguish. She had never felt happier and armed with a vision than when she was surrounded by books. She could swear her life revolved round books and all the wonders they held delicately between leaves. Moreso, she had a roommate who inspired her imagination with claims of having enormous supernatural powers that enabled her to see the future. Her name was Prettiana, and she had a strabismus. Thrice, and that's if you subtract the nearly-accurate guesses blamed on not feeling her inner vibe too well, she had perfectly predicted occurrences in Sandra's life. These and her love for scientific knowledge made Sandra adore her more than her exotic collection of jewelry and trinkets. Over time, their love for each other began to grow into something tangible and strange like a morphing creature in a hollow within an ether within a protean galaxy where everything moved so fast and collided into each other, like alien worlds orbiting a star in strange but precise harmony. Together, you could call them the duo that stacked up powerful imaginations like cornstalks beneath craniums adorned by cornrows. Both were quite worried that fossil fuels were causing more damage to Earth than any other thing, and they have been looking for ways this can be stopped or abated as they wanted, so badly, a future where gasoline becomes useless and electricity and solar energy powers almost everything. But they were clever yet to know that there was enormous work to be done before that future can be attained. With the persistent rise of heatwaves, droughts that shrink harvests, and hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons that devastate lives, it was clear that humans were in the middle of a planetary emergency. Everyone knew they needed a brand new world that smelled of regeneration and green with hope but no one knew exactly how to bring this world into existence. But these girls from Bloom University seemed to have a poster colour of dreams that seemed workable to them and they were working tirelessly to paint their imaginations into reality that could affect the world positively. Each weekend, they sat and discussed over cups of milkshakes and orange juice about climate change issues which often ended with the picturesque of a new and better world. One weekend when they concluded they didn't want a Bradbury-esque vision as depicted in There Will Come Soft Rains happening in their lifetime, they thought about a future where humans would have to migrate underground to live in a tightly-regulated subterranean world of glass but they were clever enough to know that this had enormous demerits. They read everyday, even when it became a thing of infinite jest amongst friends who weren't too keen on reading and thus they developed a thick skin over time.
***
This should be true: to get a polished stone, you first must have the stone in its rawest form and with this knowledge, the two girls began to labour everyday in order to turn their raw ideas into achievable reality. And that was how they began to seek funding scholarships to enable the realisation of their dreams. And that, also, was how they met Ben Shuttlecock who promised to help them but they were quick to realise he was just a con artist trying to con them with foolery. With faith big and succulent like a watermelon, they wrote to the government and notable individuals for help but delays came with exchange of mail upon mail upon mail. It seemed success was eluding them, not until they met a bearded fellow who ferried them down a sea to meet a certain billionaire on self-exile. The billionaire was impressed to hear the uncommon vision of the two girls.
"I have heard stories about you two." he said with a smile. "Such brilliance should be rewarded with support. Climate change is something that's worth battling. I have always wondered what two little girls could possibly know about combating the menace that's climate change, but that seemingly-perfect notion is beginning to fray at the edges. I want that new world as much as you all want it. I am willing to sacrifice some funds for this cause. "Sacrifice" because in every endeavor there is a fifty percent chance of success and another fifty for failure. But I am willing to give this dream a chance, even though I am not a scientist to be able to understand every detail about the project. The fund will get to you two in a week's time."
The duo thanked the man immensely for offering to support their vision and set about to leave the island. But when they got to the ferry and noticed the ferryman was asleep, a certain strong radiation from Prettiana's eyes engulfed them and carried them over. "These modabyte earrings are powerful." Sandra heard Prettiana saying as she wanted to complain. "The energy is a bit much for me to handle."
***
"Airports see more genuine kisses than wedding halls. And the walls of hospitals have heard more prayers than those of churches. It is a quote. Hold my hand." she said. "The coming rain will be torrential. It will cleanse the land." The woman's little daughter obeyed and held her hand as she balanced the basket on her head with the other. They walked through the rows of ridges until they left the farm and found themselves on the road which was a narrow path amongst bushes. The clouds had turned mighty gray, and it looked like the heavens were ready to release mighty drops of water upon the earth. Prettiana appeared from nowhere and began to shuck corn in the farm. She looked like she was avoiding being seen even though she looked like someone who could fight anyone. Beside her was a shape-shifting beast that gnawed at her shoes. A soft wind blew as dark clouds replaced lighter ones then came lightning flash and afterwards a roaring thunder and then a hare running for shelter. An echo came from somewhere in the East before a trance of a ball cascading down a green star-littered mountain was revealed, everything happening so fast and being juggled into an incomprehensible mess of a vision. Then a cybernetic sparrow with interactive installation with sensors, video and sound perched on a maize stalk and tweeted with beautiful notes. Prettiana's eyes darted from place to place, and upon a lying weathercock, before a series of taps woke Sandra up.
"We will be late for classes if you continue to sleep. It's morning already." She opened her eyes to see Prettiana standing beside her bed with her pitch-black hair disheveled. She wiped her eyes quickly, because she felt she saw the sparrow from her dream perched on Prettiana's shoulder but it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. She sighed, sat up and wondered what the dream meant. She picked her white pointelle shirt near her pillow and sidled to the bathroom.
***
As promised, the girls received the fund in a week's time and they were quite chuffed and thankful. They hired engineers from different places and began work. One thing they had come to understand was that dreams were distributed freely to every man, but that the actualisation had been sold to success to whom anyone trying to get one of its unlocking keys must pay a price. And they have never wondered, like many people their age, if there was a backdoor to heaven. So they worked and worked, hoping to finish in a record time of months. They hired more brains for areas they had technical issues and were found wanting. They tried to avoid obstacles as they believed they could turn to devilish warnings that swallowed every drop of hard work and sweat but these things have a way of showing up unannounced. And so when they raised their ugly hollow heads, they struggled by way of more effort and were able to nip it in the bud. They compared sketches and discarded those that didn't fit their vision. The duo laboured forward even when there were good reasons to give up, and this should be applauded for out of great adversaries had great triumphs emerged. They braced up for challenges and kept the flicker of hope radiating from their inestimable lanterns of existence. To them, victory was within the mile and it would be shameful to turn their backs now. Within four months of adept effort and daunting challenges, they were able to finish the assembling of a new technology whose working concept they believed was infallible. They sent the news to eminent scientists in various fields and got invited to a "judging" symposium.
***
"Tell us about the project." an eminent professor of Environmental Science said.
"Thank you." Sandra said and stepped forward. In 2195 I had not the slightest idea that I would go to college, but my benefactors made it possible so it is expected of me to be humble and grateful. When we first had the idea for this project, nobody was willing to risk supporting us but the billionaire investor Bruce Bruce did, and we owe him special thanks. I also wouldn't have been here without the support of my team which includes my roommate and an amazing group of engineers. This project obviously wouldn't be a reality without amazing teamwork. I am indebted to the group of experts who agreed to hear us today. We do not take this gesture for granted. Now, without wasting much time, I will go straight to what made us gather today by quoting Paul J. Crutzen who rightly said 'Imagine our descendants in the year 2200 or 2500. They might liken us to aliens who have treated the Earth as if it were a mere stopover for refueling, or even worse, characterize us as barbarians who would ransack their own home.' Obviously, we don't want that happening and that's why we must do all we can to pave the way for future ancestors. We all seated here care about the warming and if "warming" is too bad an euphemism for you burning world. We all as individuals, and collectively, can bring about a clean and just world. We can fast-track the rise of that world, like a phoenix, into a new birth. We are forward-looking, and that's why we have created The Berry, a metaphorical name for a future where everything is succulently fleshy, sweet and hopeful. It is a technology that involves a dome-like structure that regulates climatic changes. What's the single biggest way one can make an impact on global climate change? The answer is simple and this: by turning to the same science that's doing the bedeviling work. Energy efficiency is of utmost importance. While everyone can do their part by planting trees we have researched and read countless books, and the mind-blowing result is that we have created a technology that supplies renewable energy at an affordable price and that can curb the excessive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If this isn't progress, I don't know what could possibly be. Now we are offering everyone a glimpse of paradise in a pool of dazzling lights, the world bared to reveal a massive reflection of hope for generations unborn. We are excited!" She stopped and drank from a glass of water, while the audience took the opportunity to applaud. "Thank you all. Thank you. Now I am going to be telling you all how The Berry works. Are you all ready?"
"Sure!" the audience chorused.
"Okay. I and my team have envisaged the next generation of equitable climate progress which is anchored on a simple and basic science. We all know that what causes greenhouse effect or global warming is the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and our goal is not to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere completely as it has its essential function in the ecosystem, but to ensure the level is so minimal it cannot trap sunlight and fast-track the burning of our planet. While we commend the effort being made by engineering companies to produce affordable electric bikes and automobiles, we know we want a future where gasoline becomes useless and electricity and solar energy powers everything is reasonable but quite difficult to achieve and that's why The Berry technology seems to be the best solution. Now The Berry comes in different forms. Berry E45 is a large machinery that when installed helps to channel smoke and greenhouse gas emissions underground where it meets underground water and is converted to bicarbonate. This large machinery is for industries. The mechanism is this: in science, water reacts with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid which can then react with limestone to form calcium bicarbonate which on evaporation gives back limestone otherwise known as calcium carbonate. This way we can stop the thick emission of carbon dioxide from machinery into the atmosphere by just using E45 which acts as a big metallic canopy of a balloon that helps collect all the greenhouse gas, channeling them down a pipe dug deep into the ground where it meets underground water. A hot steam helps to enable the efflux of the gas by converting them to carbonic acids that trickle down the pipe to meet limestone underground where it becomes calcium bicarbonate. This way too we regulate changes in oceanic pH caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolving into oceans, wherein it forms carbonic acid. Other forms of The Berry has a water basin beneath them and a system that can condense the gas that gets into it through plugging this way, appliances like generators won't be emitting their products of incomplete combustion into the atmosphere. And I must say that I am glad to be armed with a lesson all thanks to this project that anything within the circle of dreams is bound to appear impossible until you get there. It's a fantastic new world for mankind, and we are grateful for a future green with hope and prosperity. I can smell the pollen grains of change. The iridescent future is here, cheers, people!"
And while the audience clapped, one of the eminent judges nodded with a smile and bit into his fried Wyandotte chicken with excitement. "This is it." he muttered. "This is lit."
Bio:
Marvel Chukwudi Pephel, also known as Poet Panda, is a Nigerian biochemist, writer and poet. He has contributed research papers to the field of Biochemistry as Nwachukwu Godslove Pephel. As a poet, Pephel's work explores themes of love, life, nature, and social issues, with a unique blend of creativity and scientific insight. His poetry is characterized by its lyrical style, depth, and emotional resonance. His work is a testament to the intersection of art and science. He is a fan of the surrealist painter Salvador Dali, and writers Helen Oyeyemi, Ray Bradbury, Irving Washington, Edgar Allan Poe, Frank G. Slaughter and Philip K. Dick. He calculates what he calls "Creative Functions", an experimental but effective way of writing short story endings before their beginnings.