"Hey Timmy, how about you and me go for a ride today? Mitch asked his son. "We can't Dad, the HS is off the charts. It's been like that for weeks now, you know that."
The year was 2030, and like everything else involving man-made climate change, the collapse of life in the ocean had occurred much faster than anyone had imagined it could. A tipping point was reached where the ocean had absorbed enough CO2 that made it too acidic for any microorganisms to be able to form their tiny calcium carbonate shells, while at the same time the acidification caused huge deadly algae blooms that killed everything in their paths for hundreds to thousands of miles. Biologists referred to this collapse as the equivalent of a biological nuclear chain reaction.
This massive kill off of marine life resulted in deadly levels of Hydrogen Sulfide, H2S, (or the slang version HS) both in and above the oceans. Places like Long Island where Mitch and Timmy lived were dead zones that could only be inhabited by living in Sealed Habitation Units, or SHUs. Although SHU zones were pretty isolated and lonely, there was one huge advantage to living in one. And that was that you could be relatively safe from looting or being killed by roaming gangs that stalked the survivable areas between the SHU zones on the coasts and the heat ravaged dead zones of the interior of the US.
Mitch was getting very tired of living in his SHU. Sure a successful corporate lawyer like him could afford every imaginable luxury he could fit in his expansive SHU, but in some ways it still had taken on the feel of a prison. The isolation was also beginning to take its toll too. Because it was too dangerous to travel outside his SHU zone he had to use his Telepresence Unit to keep in touch with business contacts, family and friends. Although it was sold as just the same as being there in person, people old enough to clearly remember traveling to visit people in person, knew this wasn't true.
"Come on Timmy we'll each grab a breathing unit and we'll take the Tesla out for a spin. It'll be a blast". Although Timmy was worried about his fathers somewhat reckless driving habits lately, like any young son he trusted his father very much and looked up to him, so he agreed to go along.
They exited the SHU's airlock into the garage that housed Mitch's special Telsa electric vehicle. Electric vehicles with spark-less motors were the only safe way to travel in a SHU zone because of the high levels of Hydrogen Sulfide. On a calm day the H2S levels could be high enough that a spark could trigger a massive explosion. But besides it's safety record, the other thing Mitch loved about his spark-less Tesla was that it was too expensive for anyone other than the very rich like him to afford. This helped keep his SHU zone a very exclusive one. Mitch wanted nothing to do with the 47%, or the 99% or however you wanted to describe those lowlife, useless eater masses. He loved anything that kept THEM away from him.
Father and son tore out of the garage and raced down the deserted street. The streets were almost as silent as the Tesla was. No birds, no dogs, no people. Nothing but mile after mile of dead trees, abandoned homes and an occasional occupied SHU. Mitch had decided to head for Jones Beach Fishing Station, he took a hard right and mashed the Tesla's accelerator pedal to the floor, and headed in that direction.
As they raced toward the fishing docks Mitch reflected on his life. He had been one hell of a corporate lawyer. He had fought and won some of the biggest environmental cases for his corporate clients. It was said that he and his law firm were responsible for saving the big oil companies from massive environmental lawsuits that could have crippled them. But thanks to his great legal mind they managed to stay in business and kept the oil flowing right up to, and even into the final great environmental collapse.
Mitch figured he had gotten everything out of life he could. He had made millions, traveled the world while it was still possible, and enjoyed everything human society could provide. Heck, he had most likely eaten meat from the last Blue Fin Tuna on the planet. How could he top that? What else could he ask for?
Mitch could see the fishing piers off in the distance, the Tesla was heading towards them blindingly fast. Mitch figured this was as good a place as any to check out of this life. There was nothing left for him to accomplish, and the true good life as he had known it was over, there was nothing in his mind left for him to live for.
He lined up the Tesla with the dock, he then took off his breathing unit and inhaled deeply, his death was almost instantaneous, and painless.
Almost as soon as they left the garage Timmy knew something wasn't right with his dad. His father had said nothing as they raced down the streets towards the ocean. Timmy like his entire generation, and those that could have followed him were helpless passengers on the ride to oblivion set in motion by his father's generation and those that came before him. A selfish ride to hell that was all about self indulgence with no thought or concern for the generations to come.
The Tesla left the dock at over 130 MPH, with Mitch's smiling, lifeless body behind the steering wheel. His smile was the last act of self satisfaction for a selfish life lived very well indeed. Next to him sat his screaming and terrified son Timmy seconds away from a certain death that he himself had no hand in causing.
The year was 2030, and like everything else involving man-made climate change, the collapse of life in the ocean had occurred much faster than anyone had imagined it could. A tipping point was reached where the ocean had absorbed enough CO2 that made it too acidic for any microorganisms to be able to form their tiny calcium carbonate shells, while at the same time the acidification caused huge deadly algae blooms that killed everything in their paths for hundreds to thousands of miles. Biologists referred to this collapse as the equivalent of a biological nuclear chain reaction.
This massive kill off of marine life resulted in deadly levels of Hydrogen Sulfide, H2S, (or the slang version HS) both in and above the oceans. Places like Long Island where Mitch and Timmy lived were dead zones that could only be inhabited by living in Sealed Habitation Units, or SHUs. Although SHU zones were pretty isolated and lonely, there was one huge advantage to living in one. And that was that you could be relatively safe from looting or being killed by roaming gangs that stalked the survivable areas between the SHU zones on the coasts and the heat ravaged dead zones of the interior of the US.
Mitch was getting very tired of living in his SHU. Sure a successful corporate lawyer like him could afford every imaginable luxury he could fit in his expansive SHU, but in some ways it still had taken on the feel of a prison. The isolation was also beginning to take its toll too. Because it was too dangerous to travel outside his SHU zone he had to use his Telepresence Unit to keep in touch with business contacts, family and friends. Although it was sold as just the same as being there in person, people old enough to clearly remember traveling to visit people in person, knew this wasn't true.
"Come on Timmy we'll each grab a breathing unit and we'll take the Tesla out for a spin. It'll be a blast". Although Timmy was worried about his fathers somewhat reckless driving habits lately, like any young son he trusted his father very much and looked up to him, so he agreed to go along.
They exited the SHU's airlock into the garage that housed Mitch's special Telsa electric vehicle. Electric vehicles with spark-less motors were the only safe way to travel in a SHU zone because of the high levels of Hydrogen Sulfide. On a calm day the H2S levels could be high enough that a spark could trigger a massive explosion. But besides it's safety record, the other thing Mitch loved about his spark-less Tesla was that it was too expensive for anyone other than the very rich like him to afford. This helped keep his SHU zone a very exclusive one. Mitch wanted nothing to do with the 47%, or the 99% or however you wanted to describe those lowlife, useless eater masses. He loved anything that kept THEM away from him.
Father and son tore out of the garage and raced down the deserted street. The streets were almost as silent as the Tesla was. No birds, no dogs, no people. Nothing but mile after mile of dead trees, abandoned homes and an occasional occupied SHU. Mitch had decided to head for Jones Beach Fishing Station, he took a hard right and mashed the Tesla's accelerator pedal to the floor, and headed in that direction.
As they raced toward the fishing docks Mitch reflected on his life. He had been one hell of a corporate lawyer. He had fought and won some of the biggest environmental cases for his corporate clients. It was said that he and his law firm were responsible for saving the big oil companies from massive environmental lawsuits that could have crippled them. But thanks to his great legal mind they managed to stay in business and kept the oil flowing right up to, and even into the final great environmental collapse.
Mitch figured he had gotten everything out of life he could. He had made millions, traveled the world while it was still possible, and enjoyed everything human society could provide. Heck, he had most likely eaten meat from the last Blue Fin Tuna on the planet. How could he top that? What else could he ask for?
Mitch could see the fishing piers off in the distance, the Tesla was heading towards them blindingly fast. Mitch figured this was as good a place as any to check out of this life. There was nothing left for him to accomplish, and the true good life as he had known it was over, there was nothing in his mind left for him to live for.
He lined up the Tesla with the dock, he then took off his breathing unit and inhaled deeply, his death was almost instantaneous, and painless.
Almost as soon as they left the garage Timmy knew something wasn't right with his dad. His father had said nothing as they raced down the streets towards the ocean. Timmy like his entire generation, and those that could have followed him were helpless passengers on the ride to oblivion set in motion by his father's generation and those that came before him. A selfish ride to hell that was all about self indulgence with no thought or concern for the generations to come.
The Tesla left the dock at over 130 MPH, with Mitch's smiling, lifeless body behind the steering wheel. His smile was the last act of self satisfaction for a selfish life lived very well indeed. Next to him sat his screaming and terrified son Timmy seconds away from a certain death that he himself had no hand in causing.
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