Gaia's Groove: 8 of 8

It’s a Wild World

 

          Gaia said, “I have a job for you, my brilliant little horrors.”

          The biosphere said, “Yes, I mean you. You! You Humans. You dangerous, scheming, naughty beasts! Bad children! Bad! But I like bad children, when they get me what I want.”

          “And what do I want? Well, you see –”

          WHOOSH!

“ – did you see that? An iron mountain flew by, barely two moon orbits away! There’s tens of thousands of those pesky things! They’re the Earth-crossing asteroids, and I HATE THEM!”

          “Only sixty-six million years ago, one of those rocks hit me! Right on the Yucatan, and it hurt. The dinosaurs died! All that evolution for nothing! I orbit in a shooting gallery. Well, that’s unacceptable! It’s high time for some of my children to do something about it!

          “Yes, I mean you, my dear Human monsters! Yes, I’m siccing you on the Earth-crossing asteroids. I’m giving you a hit job! Because look, there’s gold in them thar flying mountains! Oh, does that catch your attention? You like shiny stuff? Sure you do, I made you that way! Look, there’s silver out there! And palladium! And platinum! Or if you like power – and I know you do! – then there’s thorium and helium-3!

“So go, my little pretties! Go, you brilliant horrors! Go, my flying monkeys! Go! Go! Go! Take! Consume! Eat! Leave behind only gravel, dust and vacuum! For glory, gold, and Gaia!” Mother Earth laughed. “AH-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!”

The Devil looked sidelong at Miss Liberty. Libby sighed, shrugged, and told the Devil, “She was never a tame world.”