Author Information
The Swimming Earth
Javier Luna
Eduardo Enciso
There was no bigger irony in existence than Earth. A blue dot in space, named after only the brown quarter of it. Proud of this feat, the land animals, named themselves part of the “Earth Dynasty”, arguing that they were the true heirs of the now human-free planet. The aquatic animals, or “Sea Dynasty”, demanded justice, for the planet has long-lived lack of it in the human era, and claimed that the new name of the planet should be “Sea”.
- A new era demands new things. -
- Not when it can affect others, shark. - said the lion.
- Long have I lived, and much have I learned, that you and your predecessor do not know the meaning of “fairness”, and just like them, you’ll fall if you follow their greed. -
The words of the turtle echoed through the hall, where all of the species were reunited to decide the destiny of this new era. No one imagined that it was going to be useless.
Years passed and hatred grew, the division was as obvious as the division the ocean made between land, this had to end. Black Bears, one of the main species in the Earth Dynasty, wanted to connect all of the lands in the earth and asked for the help of other land animals. Beavers made precise cuts to the wood bridges they were building, and squirrels designed the path they should take. All of them cooperating to gain terrain.
At the poles, Polar Bears saw as their brothers, the Black Bears, betrayed them and started to invade the water they used to swim with bridges that blocked their territory, a meeting was required.
- We can no longer be indifferent to the actions of the greedy land animals. Not long ago, they were invading our territory with an artificial land, as if our situation wasn’t unfair enough. -
- It seems that empathy is something exclusive for us. -
- Truly we must do something. -
And so they did, bridge by bridge they were destroying what the land animals were building
- It is only fair that we can have at least half of this planet, you have more than us. -
- And now you talk about fairness when you didn’t even discuss the name of the planet. -
- How about a deal? - asked the fox. - We rename the planet and you give us half of the planet. -
- Your words are misleading, Mr. Fox, neither do we have the trust to make such a deal. -
Negotiations were futile once again, and the hatred grew even more until it was too late. The Sea Dynasty decided to finish this conflict once and for all by raising the level of the ocean. All of the icebergs were destroyed and melted so the water would rise, and not even a tower could save the now defenseless land animals.
When they realized what they’ve done, even the penguins were left homeless, the temperature in the ocean decreased and even aquatic animals started to die because of it. Corpses and putrid land animals were drowned since there was no more land, that eventually led to diseases in the water.
No winners and no losers, for there were no more living beings, and the Earth drowned itself in the greed of those who lived.
