Chapter 40:
Debate
Daniel:
“Are you saying that we, the Naga, are going to dwindle into nothingness?” The Naga gentleman asks. I shake my head.
“When compared to human fertility, and taking your lifespans into account, then you are just as fertile as any other race of the Cosmos. Just enough, so you won’t overpopulate your planet,” I tell him. I can see that Constantine is giving me worried looks. I wonder briefly if this topic is a taboo, but then decide to keep on talking. Speaking one’s mind is the best form of respect, you can give someone.
“So, we should never expand our influence?” The man asks. He nods to a boy behind him, who rushes off.
“I think that a single planet is good enough for the Naga. Ursula 590 has the best soil, atmosphere, and climate belts, for the Naga to feel comfortable, does it not? It is a picturesque planet, and you all take better care of it, than we, humans, take care of Earth,” a part of me is bitter that I have to admit it. Yet, it is the truth.
Naga use their trash to create fuel. They don’t litter, don’t commit acts of vandalism that will suck out a town’s budget. And those who do, as rare as they are? Well, they get reprogrammed without even a trial. Which, on one hand, is sort of unfair. Yet, on the other, it keeps the peace.
“So, Ursula 590 should be enough for us, but Earth is not enough for you? I heard rumors that you, humans, are looking into expanding into Mars,” he says. I take the time to collect my thoughts.
“We have shorter lifespans, and thus our fertility seems bigger. We simply don’t have enough land, to go around. In countries like India and China, living space is in a critical shortage,” I tell him. I try to remember some other countries that have the same problem. I file the need for more farmland to feed the ever-growing population of Earth as a future argument.
“That is true,” the man says, and then offers his hand. “I feel uncomfortable with arguing with you, without knowing your name. My name is Rodger.”
I notice from the corner of my eye that Constantine is staring at Rodger with wide eyes. I wonder why that is. Still, I can’t get distracted.
“Daniel,” I say, as I take his hand. “It is my pleasure to meet you.”
“Right, let us go back to the topic at hand. You say that there is simply not enough space on Earth for all of your people. Yet, you have whole stretches of land, that are uninhabited by anyone,” Rodger must be hinting at the Poles, and the deserts of the world. I know for a fact, that in Ursula 590 there are domed areas in their deserts, where life thrives. The Naga live in all corners of their planet. Yet...
“I don’t know how technologically advanced Atlantis was,” I say, and a hush falls over the crowd. “But we, the people of Earth, have lost much of that knowledge. Some people have built greenhouses, and whole animal preserves in the deserts, yet, for the most part, those stretches of land are uninhabitable.”
“So, if you can’t populate your deserts, which have air in them, how do you hope to go to Mars?” Rodger asks. I am at a loss for words at that.
“We, uhm, we think that we can do terraforming. It will take centuries, but,” I see that Rodger has a victorious glint in his eyes.
“One day, Ursula 590 may become uncapable of supporting life. Our ozone layer thins out every year, for much the same reason, behind the thinning and tearing of the ozone layer on Earth,” Rodger says, and holds his hand, when I open my mouth. “Ursula 591 is a virgin planet. With untapped resources, and a strong atmosphere. It has four seasons, for the bigger part of its territory. And you want us to give our salvation to the Gigantoboa?”
Put like that, my arguments really sound like the wistful dreams of a child. To Rodger, I might be just that, what with my 40 years of age, compared to his God knows how many. His hair is silver, and he has wrinkles on his face. Still, I do believe that I am right.
“With how advanced Ursula 590 is, and with how careful the governments of the planet deal with all the byproducts of the industrial development of this day and age, I don’t believe that Ursula 590 will ever get as bad as Earth,” I say, and I can see that some of the Naga gathered give me satisfied smiles. “Still, I won’t write off Earth as a lost cause, either. We might have forgotten much, but our scientists are doing the best to restore what we have lost.”
When Rodger doesn’t argue with that, I take in a deep breath, and address the gathered crowd.
“People of Ursula 590. You can argue that your lives are more important than one of the Gigantoboa, but every life form is equal to all the rest,” I look Rodger straight in the eyes, and speak my next words more to him, than to anyone else. “The Theory of Evolution dictates that every animal can evolve to a higher intelligence. One day, the Gigantoboa might become a new species of Naga. Do you really want to deny the Cosmos the ability to boost another intelligent species in its colorful tapestry?”
Rodger brings his hands together, and begins to clap. The Naga that are closest to him take up the clapping. Soon, the entire lobby is clapping. I look around, and see that the TV screens are showing us, and probably broadcasted the entire debate. Huh, so that is where the young man went? Soon, the Naga comes back, with a chair.
“You are new, and your Naga friend didn’t want to nip your wings, so he didn’t tell you. My name is Rodger Deltona. The Prime Minister of the Ursula Solar System. Ursula Love of Nature has been petitioning me for their Gigantoboa project, but I have to say that their arguments simply didn’t hold water. But yours...you are an imaginative young man, Daniel,” Rodger motions for the Naga, probably his assistant, to position a chair behind the booth. Right next to me. The next Naga, to try and use the argument that the Gigantoboa is not worth it, is argued down by him.
Chapter 40:
Debate
Daniel:
“Are you saying that we, the Naga, are going to dwindle into nothingness?” The Naga gentleman asks. I shake my head.
“When compared to human fertility, and taking your lifespans into account, then you are just as fertile as any other race of the Cosmos. Just enough, so you won’t overpopulate your planet,” I tell him. I can see that Constantine is giving me worried looks. I wonder briefly if this topic is a taboo, but then decide to keep on talking. Speaking one’s mind is the best form of respect, you can give someone.
“So, we should never expand our influence?” The man asks. He nods to a boy behind him, who rushes off.
“I think that a single planet is good enough for the Naga. Ursula 590 has the best soil, atmosphere, and climate belts, for the Naga to feel comfortable, does it not? It is a picturesque planet, and you all take better care of it, than we, humans, take care of Earth,” a part of me is bitter that I have to admit it. Yet, it is the truth.
Naga use their trash to create fuel. They don’t litter, don’t commit acts of vandalism that will suck out a town’s budget. And those who do, as rare as they are? Well, they get reprogrammed without even a trial. Which, on one hand, is sort of unfair. Yet, on the other, it keeps the peace.
“So, Ursula 590 should be enough for us, but Earth is not enough for you? I heard rumors that you, humans, are looking into expanding into Mars,” he says. I take the time to collect my thoughts.
“We have shorter lifespans, and thus our fertility seems bigger. We simply don’t have enough land, to go around. In countries like India and China, living space is in a critical shortage,” I tell him. I try to remember some other countries that have the same problem. I file the need for more farmland to feed the ever-growing population of Earth as a future argument.
“That is true,” the man says, and then offers his hand. “I feel uncomfortable with arguing with you, without knowing your name. My name is Rodger.”
I notice from the corner of my eye that Constantine is staring at Rodger with wide eyes. I wonder why that is. Still, I can’t get distracted.
“Daniel,” I say, as I take his hand. “It is my pleasure to meet you.”
“Right, let us go back to the topic at hand. You say that there is simply not enough space on Earth for all of your people. Yet, you have whole stretches of land, that are uninhabited by anyone,” Rodger must be hinting at the Poles, and the deserts of the world. I know for a fact, that in Ursula 590 there are domed areas in their deserts, where life thrives. The Naga live in all corners of their planet. Yet...
“I don’t know how technologically advanced Atlantis was,” I say, and a hush falls over the crowd. “But we, the people of Earth, have lost much of that knowledge. Some people have built greenhouses, and whole animal preserves in the deserts, yet, for the most part, those stretches of land are uninhabitable.”
“So, if you can’t populate your deserts, which have air in them, how do you hope to go to Mars?” Rodger asks. I am at a loss for words at that.
“We, uhm, we think that we can do terraforming. It will take centuries, but,” I see that Rodger has a victorious glint in his eyes.
“One day, Ursula 590 may become uncapable of supporting life. Our ozone layer thins out every year, for much the same reason, behind the thinning and tearing of the ozone layer on Earth,” Rodger says, and holds his hand, when I open my mouth. “Ursula 591 is a virgin planet. With untapped resources, and a strong atmosphere. It has four seasons, for the bigger part of its territory. And you want us to give our salvation to the Gigantoboa?”
Put like that, my arguments really sound like the wistful dreams of a child. To Rodger, I might be just that, what with my 40 years of age, compared to his God knows how many. His hair is silver, and he has wrinkles on his face. Still, I do believe that I am right.
“With how advanced Ursula 590 is, and with how careful the governments of the planet deal with all the byproducts of the industrial development of this day and age, I don’t believe that Ursula 590 will ever get as bad as Earth,” I say, and I can see that some of the Naga gathered give me satisfied smiles. “Still, I won’t write off Earth as a lost cause, either. We might have forgotten much, but our scientists are doing the best to restore what we have lost.”
When Rodger doesn’t argue with that, I take in a deep breath, and address the gathered crowd.
“People of Ursula 590. You can argue that your lives are more important than one of the Gigantoboa, but every life form is equal to all the rest,” I look Rodger straight in the eyes, and speak my next words more to him, than to anyone else. “The Theory of Evolution dictates that every animal can evolve to a higher intelligence. One day, the Gigantoboa might become a new species of Naga. Do you really want to deny the Cosmos the ability to boost another intelligent species in its colorful tapestry?”
Rodger brings his hands together, and begins to clap. The Naga that are closest to him take up the clapping. Soon, the entire lobby is clapping. I look around, and see that the TV screens are showing us, and probably broadcasted the entire debate. Huh, so that is where the young man went? Soon, the Naga comes back, with a chair.
“You are new, and your Naga friend didn’t want to nip your wings, so he didn’t tell you. My name is Rodger Deltona. The Prime Minister of the Ursula Solar System. Ursula Love of Nature has been petitioning me for their Gigantoboa project, but I have to say that their arguments simply didn’t hold water. But yours...you are an imaginative young man, Daniel,” Rodger motions for the Naga, probably his assistant, to position a chair behind the booth. Right next to me. The next Naga, to try and use the argument that the Gigantoboa is not worth it, is argued down by him.
