Seeds Bloom Underground Too

Seeds Bloom Underground Too

Part 1 Piper

“It was garbage, it was all just...let’s face it, crap. Left behind by a generation of 'if it’s broke, replace it'. The stories of the wars were handed down, generation after generation, along with the plagues. This was meant to be a huge cause of the rubbish tip we live in. They had to wear little paper masks, and if I have it right, keep meters away from each other, probably with a stick.”

As we sit on top of this mound of filth, with our makeshift Hazmat suits, our gas masks and my bird, I try to wonder if our ancestors ever even wondered about what they were leaving us. “Anyway children, your assignment for the week is to investigate ways to help your children and their children filter the smog around you. Extra credit for a diorama!”. Miss Piper continued on, “Now, why we are here? Can any of you tell me what this is?”, as she held up a plastic shopping bag. All the children tried to guess what it was. Miss Piper gave some clues to its use now considering the students grew up without plastic. It was still used but under strict guideline. The polymer had to be recyclable, biodegradable and not harmful if ingested. Plastic bags used for shopping in their thousands was just so science-fiction to the student, but the proof was there at their feet and as far as their eyes could see.

“Miss”. “Yes, Billy”. “Your bird miss”. I looked down, and there at the bottom of the cage was my poor, dead sparrow. “Ok children, stay calm. We’ve practiced this over and over. One after the other, and no running! Head back underground for decontamination”.

Into the dark damp tunnel, “single file children. No pushing, Timmy! Now to the left, and take everything off outside the door. And before you ask, Judy, yes. Even your hair band. Boys to the left, girls over here. Hi Henry”.

“Hey Piper, I got the boys. See you inside”.

“Well, I guess there was a wind of change. Been awhile since we had to decontaminate, and I loved this outfit. Took me three months to find all the material. See you in there, Henry”.

“Miss, what about the sparrow? Do we hold a gathering for him ?”.

“Betty, we can, but we can't bring him in. And definitely a huge gathering! He in a way, saved our lives when he lost his. Your hair band, Judy! Come on girls, through the hatch”.

A very unpleasant experience awaits for those going through this for the first time, and no picnic for the rest of us. Down fell the white powder to scrub into every pore in your ears, up your nose and the worst of it, in your mouth, scrubbing your tongue and teeth, trying not to swallow. Child after child, puking or dry retching. One at a time for hose down, then inside into the light and warmth, taking a blanket to wrap in and back to the classroom.

“Piper, are you ok?”, asked the Henry as she threw up over and over, falling to her knees. The kids watched as the staff carried her out. Seeing her shaking, Judy yelled out, “we love you miss!”.

Mr Henry took over supervision of the children. “She’ll be fine, kids”.

As Piper looked up at the ceiling, she saw the lights flash by as they rush her to the medical bay. She knew that the radiation had got to her. Man had been heading down the wrong path for centuries, but she dreamed of one day seeing trees above ground, maybe grass, and seeing mankind trying to bring the earth back to life. Her brain was racing. She could feel her heart beating. More thoughts flooded her head, how were the colonies on Mars thriving? After the last war, man lost the capability to contact them. They fried all the electronics. If it wasn’t for Mars, we wouldn’t have been able to sustain life underground. We wouldn’t be breathing, we wouldn’t be!

Piper took a breath, her last one, just before they got her Oxygen. It was called. Her life was gone, her dreams unfulfilled, but the truth be told, she had planted more than just seeds on the surface. She had planted more than anyone could imagine. Growing while she rested, now in peace, in the minds of Judy, who was working on new renewable energies, Bill, whose enthusiasm was taking him from building working dioramas to working machines, and Tommy, a budding magician with a hobby in science, working on rubbish disappearing. Her seeds had been getting stronger and smarter for generations.

In Honour of Piper, 2153 to 2237.

(This is fictional work. The names and places have no relevance, and the characters, if they portray anyone, is just a coincidence).

Part 2 Henry

“What? Coffee, not tea? How did you wangle that? or is it a...I-don’t-wan’t-to-know type thing? Which I have no problem with, Jessica. But I might have to marry you”.

“In your dreams, darling boy. And you really don’t want to know. But we deserve it. Hey, what’s that blip? Screen two”.

“Crap! That’s a wind change for sure. I’m going out there. That’s coming straight from the South West, the rads from down there can be deadly”.

“You're having trouble getting in your suit. Getting a little chubby, are we? Hehe. And don’t think you have to bother, look at the monitors. She’s bringing them back in.”

“Open the hatch, I’m still going to meet them. Can help the boys decontaminate”.

“Yep, sure, and impress your Miss Piper hmm?”.

“The hatch, Jessica”.

“Hi Piper.”

“Hi Henry.”

“I'll tend to the boys, send them here. Ok boys, everything off, and one by one through the hatch! And for you new boys, get that powder right inside your mouth. Get all your teeth, and dry retching is normal”, as he shrugs his shoulders and looks at Jessica.

“Now, boys, take a blanket and head to class”.

“Miss Piper, are you ok?”, with panic in his voice.

“Why is she still throwing up?”

“Look, Henry, go supervise the children. We got this”.

“Thanks Jessica, I owe you more than one”.

“Bet your ass you do, and don’t forget that tonight!”, with a huge smile on her face.

“Ok kids, concentrate on me. You all should have a change of clothes in your lockers. Put them on and hurry back to your seats. Miss Piper wouldn’t want her class falling behind, and I don’t want to be the one she comes down on, just saying”, as I look around talking to myself. “Come on back to your seats! Judy, what interesting assignment did Miss Piper hand out this morning. Wait, let me guess! Hmm first, it has to involve a diorama”.

“Yes, Mr Henry”, answered the students.

“And let me think, she took you all to the surface for a reason. The rubbish maybe? Or planting more seeds out there? Hmmm no. I’ve got it! Something to do with the air. Yes, Timmy?”.

“Miss Piper wants us to investigate new ways to filter the smog. So, guess your right”.

“And a diorama for extra credit!”, yelled Billy.

“Yes Billy, that’s your forte. I personally, always look forward to seeing what you do.

So, any ideas on what ways we can better our smog purification, class? And Judy, what’s wrong?”. Judy sitting quietly with a tear in her eye.

“I don’t have another hair band. I had to leave it behind, and well, I’m wondering about Miss Piper. I keep seeing her fall down, over and over, in my head”.

“I understand, Judy. But she’s in the best possible hands we have here, and if I remember from when I was Miss Piper’s student, she used to keep confiscated items in her middle drawer. Let me have a look. Interesting. Haven’t seen some of these stuff for years, and we are in luck, Judy. Catch!”.

Judy reached out her hand and grabbed the bright pink hair band with a purity rainbow emblem right in the middle.

“Thank you, Sir. Are you sure it’s ok?”.

“Yes, Judy. Once your things end up in here, they are gone for good. We used to call it 'Piper’s void', and if anyone tells her, I’ll deny the whole conversation”, said Mr Henry with an evil little chuckle.

The discussion turn to the filter, “What better methods can be implemented to our filtering system? Anyone? Yes Judy”.

“Well Sir, with our talks with Miss Piper, her belief was that plants had a big part in filtering our air. She named quite a few that would purify the air around us without the purification system. She also talked about the surface and...”, the class door swung open. The dean of our school stood in the doorway. At that point, we all knew what he was here for. Judy bursts into tears, Timmy screams out, Mr Henry’s eyes started to water, and the silence becomes deafening.

Part 3 The Kids

“Billy”.

“Yes dad”.

“Get your ass outside! I need help with the manure this morning. Got two drops before 5. Grab your school bag, I’ll be dropping you off today. But find your own way home boy, your mother’s not in any condition to pick you up.”

“Ready dad”.

“Judy, it’s getting late”.

“I can’t find my Hazmat suit pants Mum. Miss Piper won’t let me go in if I don’t have them”.

“Did you look where you had it last?” “Damn little slob”, she whispered under her breath.

“Yes, yes, found them! Still at the bottom of my cupboard. A few things must have fallen on them”. “How does she always know how to find things?” she thought. “Have we finished the recycled toothpaste water for the month?”.

“No baby girl, your father thought it would be better chilled, and help wake your mouth up. I have know idea how that brain of his works, or gets through the day”.

“O’great! He left it next to the asparagus juice. It’s gonna have a nasty taste. It’s not fair, Mum. Can’t I have my own now?”

“Get your bag packed. That shuttle will be here any minute, and you know they won’t wait. You can talk to your father tonight, about the water. Just don’t bring me into it, he's still not happy I used fresh clean water to wash the dishes. And baby girl, you take care out there today. Make sure you listen to Miss Piper. Smart head on those shoulders of hers, was my favourite teacher when I went to school. Mwah, have a wonderful time, Judy”.

“Thanks Mum! Love you, bye”.

“Morning Miss Judy. Better hurry on, the batteries of this old jalopy aren’t what they used to be. Already below half way today. Looks like I’m going to have to push it back home”.

“Ok Mr Jenkins. Morning Tommy”. “I saved you a seat”.

“Hi Judy, I see you got a new mask”.

“It’s my dads old one. His work issued him a new one, that’s all”.

“Well, I’m Jealous just the same”.

“Do you know if Billy is coming today? They wouldn’t let him go on the surface last time, with that old hazmat gear he had”.

“Yes. Miss Piper gave him hers. She made herself a new one. She’s very proud of it, told me she would look like a rainbow”.

“For real? She is awesome. I hope I'll grow up like her”.

“Morning Billy. What are you doing sitting outside the classroom so early this morning? Um, don’t say a word. I can smell it. Let’s get you cleaned up before class, and then we can set up the chairs. So your father’s overworked again?”

“ I guess, Miss. I don’t mind helping. Makes him happy”.

“Family first. That’s a wonderful attitude you have, Billy”.

“Why are we stopping, Mr Jenkins?”.

“Well kids, you’ll still make it on time, but sorry to say, that’s it. Only five doors away from class, but the battery’s time is up. Maybe one of you can come up with something better one day”.

“You can bet that I will, Mr Jenkins. I’ve already made a self-sustaining, free flowing water supply chamber. It won’t be long, you will see”.

“Good to know, Master Tommy”, said Mr Jenkins, and the girls giggled in the background. As they past Mr Jenkins, they whispered, “Don’t hold your breath, he sets water on fire”.

“Would have to take a genius to master that feat, wouldn’t you say, girls?”. Their faces in shock.

Only a short walk, and into class the children went.

“Morning Miss Piper”, as she took attendance, then describing the plan for the day's excursion. “The surface will, one day be beautiful again, children. And I’ll try to show you how. If we all do our bit, maybe your kids, or their kids, will get to play in the grass under the sun, smell the flowers, even drink fresh running water. It’s all achievable, we did it on the red planet. Man colonised and beat the elements, and we can do it here. But till then, on with your Hazmat suits, and let me check each and every one of them before we venture out”.

“Good to see you made it, Billy. And the suit fits you extremely well”.

“Thank you, Miss Piper. Mum cried when she found out you gave me your old Hazmat suit. And I have to say, your new suit is so very colourful!”.

“Why, thank you! I put a lot of hours into this. Scraps of material from here, and some from there. Lots of sewing, and presto! I’m nearly as good a magician, as Tommy is”.

The children went single file down the long damp corridor, stepping out of the cave entrance. Walking over a rubbish forbidden wasteland, to what was mostly a small dirt mound, with a stick standing right in the middle, and it actually had leaves. Brown and dried up, but leaves on it. The children all sat round as Miss Piper started the class.

“Today, my children, we sit here, under what would be one of many seeds I have planted. This one bloomed to a fine little bush, till I ran out of water. But it’s proof that we can change the world. Oh, if only they had started this generations ago, when the air was breathable and we still lived above ground. So, who carried out my baby sparrow? Thank you, Betty. Pass the cage here, please. I have an eye dropper of water here, for him. While I’m giving him a drink, and before your history lesson, how about everyone pick up five pieces of paper from of the mound? Hopefully, we will have it cleared in the weeks to come”.

“Thank you my children, thank you. Now, let’s begin. It was garbage...”.