September 3rd, 2049 — San Francisco, California, USA
Life is good. At least, that's what the average citizen thinks.
I looked at my computer in awe. I was startled by my results. Choosing to deny my findings, I turn to my colleagues. "How's it going?" I say, nonchalant.
"It's going," Markus replied.
"What do you think of the state of the world in the past 50 years?" I ask, showing slight concern.
"Well, Jax, it's been a wonderful half of a century. If you don't consider that poverty rates are at an all time low and life expectancy has improved significantly, then consider that resources are available to everyone. The Mars colony is thriving at a hundred thousand strong, and the population is sitting comfortably at nine billion and counting. Technology is advancing at an extremely rapid rate. What more could you ask for?" His lectured paused there. I turn away, shaking my head.
What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I turn to another coworker, Patricia, and ask her about her findings. She says, "I'm excited to hear about all the new innovations, and a new oil reservoir was found under Antarctic ice. Isn't that great?" I again walk away, this time almost frightened. My prediction might come to pass sooner rather than later.
I walk over to my best friend and other coworker, Samuel. Noticing something's wrong, he says, "what did you find this time, Jax?"
"Nothing good."
"I'm sure it will come to pass."
"That's what I'm afraid of," I say, nearing tears, and walk off once more.
My other colleagues, seemingly entranced in their work, ignore the fact that I've left my post. Tears run down my face. I shakily stroll to my phone, to call my kids and my wife. My son, Aiden, has a birthday coming this month. My twin daughters, Elizabeth and Isabella, just turned 13. While it will be a while before my theory is "proven", I best tell them now. "Hello," I say, then explain my thesis in layman's terms as best I can.
Their only reply was shock. They didn't know how to react. The melancholy in my voice expressed my concern. While they may not have grasped the entirety of the issue, they did manage to catch my worry. If it was ever more evident, that my work would be the death of me, they weren't there to see it. I must confirm my results. Only a yard or two away, it feels like a thousand miles to my desktop.
I return to my computer. What used to be my outlet, my escape, is now my biggest stressor. He may be right, what more could we ask for? Before, I wouldn't have had an answer. But now I can think of just one thing.
If only my kids and their kids would be able to live in a peaceful, safe, free world. That is, if they live at all. You see, I can't save anyone, let alone everyone. You may not know what's going on, but I do. Everything, everything, from my children's children to the future of this country and many others, the fate of everything lies in these results.
My findings would, at most, be mere silliness to anyone who didn't know any better. What does the future hold? Uncertainty, certainly, but that doesn't make it unpredictable. What I've seen is near apocalyptic. Now, you may think me insane, but hear me out. It's not inevitable, but it's nearing a tipping point. We've brought our doom upon ourselves, signed our death certificate, however you'd like me to put it.
That's not to say we can't change things. But it's unlikely. No one will believe me if I try to tell them. "The world is ending!" I could shout it all I want, but no one will listen. They are too blind to their own actions, their own undoing, all but a suicidal mistake.
Now, what is the problem, you may ask? Life seems great, doesn't it? Well, it is. But at the same time, we are burning our resources. It is 2 degrees hotter on average than 50 years ago. The rising sea levels will soon drown coastal cities like New York, Shanghai, and our very own San Francisco. But what I noticed? The biggest warning. The Greenlandic ice sheet will melt next summer.
That's not the only problem we face. As the Earth warms, droughts, disease, and natural disasters will become all the more common. This is the greatest threat to existence as we know it. And the real question is: How do we stop it?
I don't know, but I do know one thing. It's almost too late.
