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The rich were living in a glass chamber on the moon, made by the best scientists. It had oxygen, water, the finest of cuisine, fancy restaurants, and a massive in-grown farm. Moon was being transformed into a mini-earth. While the poor were left to die on a dead planet called earth
By Aditi Rana
Kelcy woke up to loud, crashing noises, coming from outside. It was the year 3024.
Earth was no more a blue and green planet. Its surroundings were covered with a thick layer of dust. The skyscrapers of New York were now old, bone-tired frames.
Debris was scattered all over the surface. There was no life on earth. The planet was about to die.
The vast majority of poor people had no choice. They were forced to live in underground bunkers on earth as they couldn’t afford to go to the moon.
The rich were living in a sprawling glass chamber located on the moon, made by the best astronaut- scientists of the world. It had all the necessary things needed for a healthy and happy life — oxygen, water, the finest of cuisine, entertainment, luxurious products, fancy restaurants, and a massive in-grown farm. Moon was slowly transforming into a mini-earth.
The catch was that the poor people would sooner or later die, if they are forced to live on a dying and ravaged planet. Kelcy asked her grandmother, “Gran, what is the loud crashing sound about?”
Granma said, “Oh dear, please don’t go outside on the surface, trash swab robots are crushing everything they see, debris , metal pieces, garbage, and squeezing them into giant-shaped waste cubes. It’s not safe outside. Some of the robots are now malfunctioning. They have crushed about ten workers on the surface. You should stay in the bunker, it’s safe here.”
“Relax gran. I wont go on the surface.”
Kelcy nodded in front of her gran, but she had other plans in her head. It was her 15th birthday. She decided to sneak out of the bunker and go on the surface.
She was born and raised in the bunker. Her father died when she wasn’t even born. Her mother passed away when she was only six. She had only gran by her side.
Now, on her 15th birthday, she planned to sneak out. She wanted to find the ‘entity jewel’ that her grandma used to tell her about!
Around 50 years ago, when it was declared that earth is about to become a dead planet, some scientists extracted the ‘entity jewel’ from the core of the earth. It took them ten years to extract the jewel from deep beneath the bed rocks of the earth (the core). The ‘entity jewel’ is what keeps the planet alive; as soon as the scientists extracted it, the planet became a dead Celsius body.
They took the jewel to the moon and placed it in a museum located in the centre of the glass chamber. The jewel can make any soil fertile. That’s why scientists were able to make an in-grown farm on the moon and grow nutriment for human beings there.
She was determined to bring it back on earth, all by herself, and make the planet alive again!
She put on her oxygen mask and sneaked out of the bunker without getting in anyone’s eyes. On the surface she saw some spaceships which were loaded with goods and were heading towards the glass chamber on the moon. Quietly, she hid in one of the space-capsules. It took two days to reach the moon.
She was fascinated with what her eyes were witnessing, she had only heard about life in the glass chamber. Everything was so perfect.
She said to herself, these rich people are living their life joyfully, and in such luxury and comfort, without any troubles, while, we, the poor, are living in abject misery on that dead planet! By illegally extracting the ‘entity jewel’, they have stolen the life that we deserve!
“However, I am certain, this is not gonna last long. I am going to take that jewel back to earth for me, my friends, for the people, and gran.”
As she was trying to find the way to the museum, she bumped into a boy around her age. The boy said, “Hey, are you lost? Can I help you?”
Kelcy said, “No, thanks. I can help myself.”
The boy insisted. He said, “You don’t look like you belong to this place. I mean, don’t get me wrong, but your clothes! Look, you are going to get into trouble if you wear this kind of stuff here. One look at you, and I can tell that you have come from the dead planet. I will help, if you tell me why you are here.”
Kelcy had no other option. She told the boy everything.
The boy said, “If you take the jewel back, we will all die.”
Kelcy replied, “No, you fool. If I get to take the jewel back, we all can live together on earth and it will become a blue and green planet again. We will all live happily.”
The boy said, “Okay, fine. I’ll help you. I’ll show you the way to the museum. The rest is on your shoulders.”
Kelcy did not have any plan. She agreed. The boy showed her the way and gave her a friendship band.
“Here, take it as a good luck charm.”
Kelcy smiled and wore it on her hand. She went into the museum and cut off all the wires of the surveillance room. She, somehow, managed to get the jewel.
Before leaving the gas chamber, she tried to find her friend, but couldn’t. She wanted to say goodbye to him before leaving. She couldn’t find him, so she decided to head back.
After great difficulty and suffering much hardship, she managed to get into one of the space capsules that was heading back towards earth. The last time she went into the capsule, she wasn’t caught, but this time, as the capsule was about to land on earth, the robot controlling the capsule got to know about her during a scanning check.
The robot was 1,000 feet above the landing measurement. The capsule was flying over the Dead Sea (black sea which didn’t have any drinkable water left). The robot grabbed Kelcy with his mechanical arm and threw her out of the capsule.
She held the magic jewel tightly in her hands. She knew, it was her end.
She tightly closed her fist and threw her arms freely in the air. Soon, she found herself drowning with water filling her lungs rapidly. She couldn’t breath anymore!
As the last bubble of air escaped through her mouth, she couldn’t feel anything. Suddenly, somebody shook her shoulders hard.
“Wake up Kelcy. It’s a winter sunshine warm morning.”
She slowly opened her eyes. She found gran sitting beside her.
“It’s all just a dream,” she mumbled.
Suddenly, her eyes got stuck on the band she was wearing. It was the same one which the boy had given her on the moon when she was totally lost.
She was zoned out.
She started to recall everything that had happened in the dream. Gran shook her shoulders again.
“Hey, go, bring me some bread and milk from outside.”
She peaked out of the window into her dew-soaked garden. A beautiful, golden morning had arrived with yellow, purple, red and blue flowers. The morning dew was wet on the grass. The birds were chirping. The butterflies were floating. The tall trees were freshly bathed. There was a nip in the air.
The sun arrived and shone inside her light eyes. It gave her the warmth she really wanted. She touched the friendship band.
And smiled.
Aditi Rana is a student of Class 10, Dr BR Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence (SoSE), Andrews Ganj, Delhi Board of Secondary Education, under Delhi government.
Graphic by Aayushi Rana.