Friday, July 6, 2007

In the Beginning - A Bedtime Story

Scientists have discovered water on Mars, and there is some speculation that at one time it might have been very similar to the Earth, its blue-green twin, full of life.

After centuries of pollution, deforestation, environmental neglect and destruction, the planet Mars had become more and more inhospitable to life. The Martian people were forced to crowd closer and closer together in shrinking pockets of habitable land, and the competition for control of the dwindling resources was fierce and violent. The creation and use of increasingly more deadly weapons not only decimated the population, but also further devastated the environment. Martian scientists turned their eyes to their sister blue-green planet - a twin pendant in the universe to their own former gemlike orb - in the hopes that it might prove livable.

Alas, as they dreamed of a plan for a mass migration of the Martian peoples to a new Utopia, another group of scientists was working on, and finally succeeded in building the ultimate weapon of destruction – the biggest bang ever.

Late one night, two objects launched simultaneously from two different areas of the planet’s surface and arced up into the atmosphere. One was a space ship manned by two intrepid volunteers - a test probe on a one-way trip toward that hopeful hunk of rock that was now orbiting as close to Mars as it would ever get.

As the ship broke free of the planet’s atmosphere, and headed out into the vastness of space, the second launched object turned back toward Mars and landed with an explosion and fallout that finally and totally obliterated every trace of life remaining on the planet. People, animals, plants, buildings, all turned instantly to fine powder – dust devils swirling about in the shock waves from the blast before settling down as part of the now bleak, completely empty landscape.

The two astronauts had some concern over the sudden loss of communication with their base, but had no choice but to carry on with their assigned duties and ensure their own safe journey to what would be their new home.

Three months later, the ship reached its destination and settled gently to Earth. The door opened, a ladder dropped, and astronauts Adam Goldberg and Eve Bernstein stepped out and climbed down to the ground. They tested the air and declared it good. With helmets off, they looked around, marveling at the lushness of the plant life with all manner of grasses, and herbs, and flowers, and shrubs, and trees.

Eve looked at the trees laden with fruit – fresh fruit! – and her mouth began to water. “Oy, Adam,” she said, “If you pick me some of those apples, I’ll make some blintzes. But be careful and don’t fall out of the tree and break a rib or nothin’. Oh, and first you better kill that snake over there. You can skin him and tan him later – he’ll make a nice belt for my green jumpsuit. And while I’m cooking, I’m gonna need you to.…………..”

1 comment:

Geezergirl said...

Now you've done it Humbug! Here i am, enjoying a cuppa joe while catching up on the Nest log, and am suddenly hit with the fact i'm 700 miles from Canter's Restaurant and Deli on LaBrea..my mouth is watering..i want a blintz..i want a poppy seed roll...i want an almond cookie with a big splotch of dark chocalate in the middle..after the reuben heaped with the cole slaw...and the bagel with 3 inch high stack of lox and huge globs of cream cream....mmmmmmm. hey maybe later trip on up the block to The Luau and get some pineapple baked ribs and a big maitai with an umbrella...yes..now drunk with glossopy gluttony and...oops! forgot the huge kosher dill pickle and a big knishe, some tzimmes and pickled herring..gotta go, don't know where, 700 miles awaaaaaaaaaay..