Evolutionary

Ch 4. - Return to Eden

It was a week later, on a sunny Tuesday. He had been watching a documentary he found very interesting. About the third world war between the Eastern Coalition and the U.S. Superpower over the dwindling oil deposits before the energy revolution. That was in 2027. He found himself immersed in the program, allowing the impeding dousing later that afternoon. When he found himself fully immersed, the screen cut out displaying nothing but the blank static of white noise. Confused, Carlson started to flip through various channels emitting muffled grunts in frustration, no luck for any of them. They all shared the same constant fuzz.

Becoming more and more frustrated, Carlson stood up off of the sofa unplugging both the cable jacks and the power cord and plugging them back in again. No sooner did he plug the cables back in that a fluorescent yellow timer in large font across the television. Every time the seconds of a minute counted down the television emitted a subtle beep. And scrolling across the bottom of the screen read:

In one hour, thirty minutes, dousing will commence. Any supplies must be acquired immediately as you will NOT be permitted to exit your homes for the following four days.

Carlson was staring at the screen in pure amazement that his dream was soon to come true. 10 years of research, and he will finally be able to shape the world into the way it was meant to be. The instant the timer hit one hour, twenty-five minutes, and zero seconds, loud sirens began to scream and eco throughout the city followed by a booming voice.

"All citizens must gather all supplies now! Once that has been done, close and lock and doors and windows and close all chimney vents. Reminder every quarter hour! Time Remaining: one hour twenty-three minutes." The voice echoed off into the distance.

Carlson knew this was going to happen, and he knew that this would become very annoying however he was reassured that he was doing the right thing in order to help his planet. He wandered around his house shutting and locking all doors and windows and finishing by closing his chimney vent. Carlson slumped onto this sofa, still in his morning robe and thought about how four days with his brother with no television or radio may not be so much fun. But he found satisfaction in that he would be able to watch the planet heal. However he eventually just found himself watching the minutes tick slowly by.

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With about forty minutes until the scheduled dousing there was a knock on the door. Carlson stood up and answered it.

"I told you I would keep you company didn't I?" James said as he stepped inside.

Carlson reluctantly greeted his brother and ushered him inside, relocking his door.

"That you did, but don't you think that you should have come here earlier?"

"Relax, there's still forty minutes left." James replied. "Anyways, how excited are you to view the rebirth of our planet?"

Carlson who is now in the kitchen which was conveniently adjacent to the living room chuckled and said:

"I'm excited yet nervous at the same time."

"Well you made it, why do you have any reason to be nervous?"

"Well, not entirely. I developed the effect it has on plants. The EPA must have added something to the virus otherwise it could affect animals too. But they must have done additional testing.

James offered a nod of agreement to that notion. Carlson returned with a cup of coffee for him and his brother along with a meal for himself. The timer on the television had made its way down to fifteen minutes while he was away. He hadn't thought it had been that long. He then remembered hearing the sirens roughly ten minutes ago.

After the fifteen minutes had ticked down to zero, give or take thirty seconds, there was a deep and loud rumbling. A rumbling that was loud enough to make Carlson's walls shake down to the foundation. Carlson stumbled over to the window and gazed outside, looking for the source of the noise that seemed to bellow from the sky itself. He saw what seemed like a never ending line of planes across the horizon. They were spraying a green mist that trailed behind them. As the mist hit the ground it looked like a thick fog, and the plants not son after began to rapidly grow. Carlson was speechless. Before his very eyes, plants were becoming larger and larger, trees were becoming incredibly tall and thick, and the grass was almost at his windowsill. He couldn't believe that after so many years he was finally making his dream a complete reality.

"James, get over here."

James grunted and he pried himself off of the sofa.

He rubbed his eyes and peered out the window that was becoming clouded with grass. He was astounded at what he saw. The two with mouths agape saw that their suburban area was becoming an ancient boreal forest. And soon the grass blocked all view from the windows.

"How long do we have to stay inside again, John?" James asked.

"Four days."

"Damn, whatever. Welcome to your very own garden of Eden, John."

"It's good to be home." Chuckled Carlson.