What use is Information?

Part 2

As Ardrianna walked down the street, she couldn't help but wonder at the way the world had turned out. Many people were angry about it. Ardrianna supposed that there wasn't any right to be angry about it. It's not like the people who were angry now did anything more did anything more than people in the past. They just muttered, probably exactly how people muttered when there was still a chance to preserve the earth. The difference was, people today had someone to blame, while the people of before must have just felt a bit guilty when they thought about it. There was no real difference with the higher class though, they didn't care enough then and they don't care enough now. As always, there's only a small handful of people working to counteract the effects the human race has on the planet. Sure, there were more integrated parts of daily life that used recycled and recyclable materials, but it was still sheep using them. 

Ardrianna figured that she should just turn around and start working on something that would help restore the planet, not blame someone else or complain. Complaining didn't do much, if you complained while you grew up on the streets you went hungry. To live on the streets you had to act. She was angry, sometimes, but she preferred to turn that anger into a drive, and used it to push her forwards when she felt like stopping.

There was a time that people tried, one small point that everyone panicked enough to really try and save the earth, but they just got the world to a point where we wouldn't die and left it at that. Scraps of material are in every metaphorical corner of the planet. Even the bottom of the ocean. People call it the plastic problem, because a majority of the pollution is plastic. Microplastics are everywhere, and after people couldn't eat fish anymore there was an epidemic, and a lot of people died. The ones who stopped eating it, but couldn't afford anything else died of deficiency, and those that did continue to eat it gradually died of plastics poisoning; the term that relates to any disease that can be triggered by the plastic toxins that our body absorbs from the meat. People panicked, beef prices rose exponentially, fish farming boomed, there were global debates and arguments that fractured a lot of alliances. However, it finally brought home, at least to some people, that we needed to change, and fast. 

Scientists then developed better farming systems, and more money was poured into their maintenance. Plants were planted with the exact amount of nutrients needed, to give them the best chance but not to waste resources. People started eating more of the wild native animals that were found on their continents. America started eating more bison, Australia ate more kangaroo, Africa ate more buffalo; and insects started to be farmed. The former pests became a life source for those who relied on the sea. All of this came just a little too late to save a large amount of people. A lot of that issue was a lack of willingness for the different countries to cooperate, as everyone wanted to keep the food they already had, even if there was extra. These same countries wanted food sources from other countries, and it took a while before people began to compromise. Thankfully though, no one dared fire any nuclear weapons, the logic being it destroys potential space for farming. 

After the mass panic had settled, and we had found a way to live on land temporarily, a massive effort was put into clearing up the oceans. It wasn't an option. If countries were going to leave it up to others they were invaded by the bigger ones who cared, and a new system of power was created. It didn't come easily, and as with any information of lost heritage that is passed down, some people today are still bitter about it. As much plastic was collected from the ocean, and scientists were told to find a way to reuse it, or turn it into something else. The easier option was reuse, so most things are now made of plastics, and will be for a while until there is a way to change it back to original compounds, or make it into something else that can actually degrade without harming any living thing. That's what the history books told her anyway, and they're all censored, so whether all those facts are correct or not was questionable. 

Ardrianna was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by a hand over her eyes. Covering her mouth wasn't necessary for people now, no one would help her if she screamed. She cursed like a sailor at her carelessness, and before she breathed in again she had jammed her elbow into the person's stomach, and wrenched herself out of their grip. She spun around, about to punch them in the temple when recognition flashed through her mind, and she just managed to redirect her fist. 

'For fuck's sake you asshole. Why the hell would you do that?! I almost knocked you out!' Ardrianna huffed and crossed her arms. Hansel, on the other hand, was trying to laugh through his wheezing from the elbow in his stomach. 

'Haven't *gasp* you ever *gasp* heard of *gasp* guess who?' He wheezed out, practically crying with laughter. Ardrianna rolled her eyes. Trust Hansel to come up with another one of his stupid games, often that used the element of surprise and ended up with him injured in some way. Ardrianna released a big sigh. 

'One of these days I'm actually going to hurt you, you know that right?' Hansel straightened himself with a grin, mostly recovered by that point. 

'Awww, is little Ardri worried about my wellbeing? I knew you loved me.' Hansel lilted. Ardrianna scowled at him, gave him a shove on the shoulder, and kept walking. Hansel laughed again, it never ceased to amaze Ardrianna how he managed to get so much joy from the world. Then again, there wasn't much Hansel tended to take seriously, so perhaps that was the reason. Hansel jogged slightly to catch up with her. 

'So, are you nervous?' He asked with a smile in his voice. Ardrianna sighed, and muttered under her breath. 'I'm sorry, what was that?' Hansel asked, leaning closer to her with his hand capped around his ear. Ardrianna whirled towards him. 

'Of course you idiot.' Hansel grinned again and grabbed her, squeezing her tightly while she wriggled in protest. 

'There, there little Ardri, you'll be wonderful! Even without having a chip. You didn't spend all that time reading those ancient books for nothing.' Dread pooled in Ardrianna's stomach, and after Hansel put her down she secretly longed for him to pick her back up again, just so she had something else to focus her attention on. When that didn't happen she focused on her annoyance instead. 

'They're not ancient, thank you very much. They wouldn't be any use if they were ancient.' Ardrianna huffed. 'And what's the point of a damn chip, its not like the people who have them are any smarter anyway.' Hansel listened to her angry words quietly, he knew how much this meant to her. 

'Exactly, you'll be fine. You'll make it, I know you will.' Hansel's words soothed Ardrianna slightly, but it also doubled her nerves and so she turned to him with an unhappy face. He just smiled at her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to keep walking. Ardrianna hadn't even noticed they had stopped. 

It felt good to have Hansel with her, walking toward the imposing building that was still in the distance. It meant he could be her look out, and she could concentrate on what she was going to say. Not to mention he had a soothing effect on her. Hansel had been there for her through most of her life, and despite his jovial nature he was a very good survivor, so she naturally felt safe and comfortable with him. 

They wandered quietly, Ardrianna lost in her thoughts and Hansel paying attention to their surroundings. People in the lower streets took what they wanted if they could. There was the law enforcers, but often they were too late and they couldn't track every missing piece of property. There were too many things circulating through trade routes for them to even know if it was their property in the first place. 

All of a sudden Hansel pulled Ardrianna to a stop, and when she jerked her head up she realised they had made it. The Institution of Environmental Sciences stared down at her, or TIES, as it was called. TIES to connect the people to the planet, science to survival, and the unknown to possibility. She took a shuddering breath, and slowly let it out. Hansel watched her carefully. He loved the way he could visibly see her prepare herself. Ardrianna's shoulders slowly rolled back, she took deep breaths, lifted her chin, nodded to Hansel, and left him watching her walk in. She wasn't dressed specially, she didn't have anything to dress specially anyway, but walking in there Hansel supposed that perhaps it was better she was in her usual clothing. It is her normal battle armour, after all.