The impossible world

The impossible world

São Paulo, September 19, 2084

“ Are you sure about that?”, the man asks the woman, while holding their three-year-old son in his lap. 

“There's no turning back now. Maybe Jimi can come back, but only if Earth improves.” She caresses her son.

“I'm scared of the trip,” he says.

“You won’t even see it, we’ll be in the cryoimmersion,”she responds.

“True,” he says. But the whole idea does not please him, he imagines them entering the camera. This image keep petrifying him and it leaves a silent void in the conversation. 

“At least I booked the three of us together in the same camera,” he compliments himself, thinking of the extra cost for a family camera.

The woman sighs and says sharply,”Why do you always have to be so weak? There is nothing to do, the Earth is not a human place anymore.” ,“I know the Earth doesn’t work anymore, that's why we're boarding here. But I'm gonna miss it.” he says with his eyes downcast.

“You miss a place that no longer exists, look out the window, she says skeptically. He looks out the dry window, his eyes are dry, the cough is dry, the air is dry, life is dry.

“Earth has overheated and nature will have to make peace with what humanity has done. We are making the right decision and we have money to get a good condominium on Mars.” She holds his hand. 

“We live in an impossible world,” he says, repeating the Mars Travels Company advertisement that enters through his retina. He even begins to remember the arguments that it is good to leave Earth; to let it rebuild itself andone day humanity will return. A part of humanity stays, he thinks. In fact, those who do not have the money stay will continue to live in the impossible world. Only a few poor people who get scholarships from Mars Travels get to live on Mars. So the company avoid taxes and does a "good deed”.

He closes his eyes, but even so the image of the dry land disappears. He still remembers 2040 when he was younger and was able to see some of the nature in the parks, his mother said to him that it was not so beautiful anymore, but even so when it rained he smelled fresh from the wet earth. Now it just raises acid that burns the nose.

“Passengers on flight MT1984 please proceed to gate B24 for Boarding. Please have your international passport in hand. First will be the boarding plus and priority customers,” says the woman’s voice on the speaker.

English Review Alice McGushin

Flying hugs,

Mayara Floss