Welcome. You are now
passing into a HighO2 zone. Please pay the toll at the booth, or use your app
to send $25 to the municipality.
The sign did not bother to tell you that if you did not pay,
you would be hunted down by a drone and you would be forced to pay or leave.
But, who would want to leave? The HighO2 zones were lush zones of green
trees and vertical gardens (vines and ivy crawling up all the walls), and they
were places where you could breathe deeply and feel oxygen fill your lungs, and
your mind achieve a strange, hitherto unknown clarity. They were parks and
much, much more.
“Michelle. Do you remember when all people cared about was
environmental quality? Water quality?
Air quality?”
Michelle turned to Mark. It was hard to tear her eyes away
from the unusual scene of lush green oxygenating foliage.
“Yes. But then, the government decided to eliminate its
national debt by nationalizing air. Well, to be precise, oxygen. Oxygen and water are controlled. They have
become big business. Buy water. By high-oxygen air, or at least access to it,”
said Michelle.
“Do you think things will ever change?” asked Mark.
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| Frog Prince at the University of Oklahoma. Keeping the "earned oxygen" levels high! :) |
Michelle sighed.
“Yes. Things always change.
We have to be architects of that change if we can. If we can’t control
it, we can at least envision it and think of how we might respond to it,” said
Michelle.
Mark took out his card that showed how much oxygen he had
consumed. It looked like the data plan he had for his phone.
“Wow. I have used up a lot of O2 this month. I need to buy a
couple of plants and some hydrogen peroxide and manganese (IV) oxide. I’ll
produce enough to sell into the system and keep myself off the CO2 lists.”
“Good idea, Mark. Keep your “earned oxygen” levels high.”
They got out of the car and walked down a green trail
canopied by the branches of trees and draping vines. The air was cool and
fresh.
“I wonder if Eden was like this,” mused Mark.
****
A Reflective Moment
Contemplate Michelle's observation: Things always change.
We have to be architects of that change if we can. If we can’t control
it, we can at least envision it and think of how we might respond to it.
How would it be possible to respond to a situation in a world where oxygen is owned and your access to it is controlled?
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