Last One Off
The monetary crisis
was global, the debt bubble finally burst. Money became worthless,
the cities burned, the farms and factories went belly up. Some
survived on their food stocks, some on barter but it was useless.
Even the idea of starting over with no debt didn't work, government
unions demanded that their benefits be guaranteed under any new
system.
There is very little
lift. Those of us lucky enough or who had the resources were getting
off this doomed planet. Maybe one day some of us will return when
this brush fire ran out of brush to start over. There was no more
looting and rioting, there was nothing left to steal or burn, the
remnant still alive were living under tarps and those could be stolen
by thugs at any time.
I avoided eye
contact the whole way to this secret location. They brought me into
the underground launch center and strapped me into my seat. There
were a few dozen of us. Nobody said anything as the countdown
proceeded quietly on the screen at the front of the cabin. My eyes
were still red, civilization had once again crashed and burned. But I
refused to shed another tear. It might not be true, but I cannot say
humanity didn't do this to themselves.
Lessons learned to
be unlearned again in the future. Like a never-ending cycle. Let it
burn, rebuild from the ashes. Maybe the O'Neil cylinders weren't so
bad, maybe I could have a nice life there and slowly forget about
Earth. Less than a quarter million humans were escaping to the
cylinders, well already had really.
This ship was the
last one. The launch pad rose until we were on the surface. The
lights illuminating the ship and rocket were the only electric light
that could be seen across the continent now. Briefly I wonder how
long the lights would last after we leave.
The countdown
reached 3 and the main engines were lit up. Goodbye Earth, maybe my
children will return some day to rebuild.
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