Beautiful Darya

It was monstrous to say the least. The rays of the sun penetrated its transparent portions, giving it an eerie glow. Its surface was uneven, with odd pieces jutting out.

Like a virus, Reggie thought.

The researchers were all baffled by the phenomena newly placed in front of them. However, with each revolution of the Space Station around Darya, it increased in size. And before they knew it, the screen was blotted black.

They screamed, for they could imagine it -- Darkness. Destruction. Death.

Plastic, Reggie discovered, could be a virus too.

Reggie walked on his deathbed. He found it satisfying. To feel the wretched pieces get crushed beneath the heavy metal of his space suit, was the closest he could ever get to unleashing his wrath on his murderers.

He wasn't dead yet, but he would be soon. The supply of usable air from the space station could run dry any time. But until it did, he would be destroying as much plastic as he could. Immature, he knew his actions were. However, being the last man alive did this to a person -- drive them to the precipice of insanity and force them to take a plunge.

The scientists had tried looking for survivors, but it was all in vain. They died off one by one until there was only Reggie left. The dead were buried under their killers. Darya, the sea, their homeland, was no more. Replacing their stunning blue oceans swimming with wildlife was also a sea, but one of stench and gunk. It emitted fumes so poisonous, the survivors of the plastic apocalypse had no chance. For Reggie, his space suit and air supply were the only delicate barriers between life and death.

Finally, his legs gave in. They had been screaming in agony for quite some time and Reggie thought they deserved a break. He collapsed to the ground with an ungraceful thump.

A colourful object caught his eye. Using all his remaining strength, he pulled it free from the plastic heap. It was a piece of paper, which somehow had survived the apocalypse. Reggie read it with some difficulty through his increasingly blurring eyes. The words were written in a hurry.

To the aliens this paper lands in the hands of,

Plastics have become a parasite. The leaders of our world have come to an agreement to purge our planet of plastic by launching all our rubbish somewhere through space away from us, and it must've reached you. I decided to slip in this note to explain our horrendous actions, and hopefully you may understand.

On behalf of Earth, I apologize,

Frank

A scientist at NASA

11/30/2218

Sorry did not cut it, but Reggie was too exhausted to be angry. As he took in his last breath, he was mourning. Mourning his wife. Mourning the fact that his son had not yet seen Darya' s beautiful oceans. Mourning the victims. Mourning the sea. Mourning Darya. 

Mostly, he was mourning the helplessness of Earth.