2199

(from Chapter 1)

I was awakened by the subtle sound of sea gulls squawking. I had programmed the ambiance to be that of a sunrise on a beach. As the light in my room became brighter, the full wall screen at the foot of my bed suddenly became visible. I overlooked a beach with sea gulls skimming the breaking surf. A lighthouse positioned on a cliff gave warning to ships out at sea. Straw-like grass blew back and forth from the wind. Spray from the crest of the waves cast its mist high into the air. Smoke from a beach fire filtered into the air, but was soon dispersed as the wind caught it. The many different sounds and sights blended to form a perfect morning on the beach.

Turning my head, I looked over at the wall to my right where pictures of my parents hung quietly. Glancing up at the ceiling, noticing the intensity of the wall to wall lighting, I knew it was time to get up. The synthetic lighting in my room now resembled a mid-morning on the beach.

It was 6:30 AM. Today had taken 20 years to arrive. My colleagues and I were going to try an experiment that could change the world. My mind became overwhelmed with computations and calculations. I threw off my covers and sat up on the bed. Sitting on the left side of my bed, I could see my reflection in the mirror which faced me from the bathroom. What was once a young face now showed wear and worry. After taking a shower, I sat down in front of the vanity and started combing my hair. My attention was soon diverted to the wall screen and to the incoming message. It was from one of my colleagues stationed on Charon, Pluto's moon. It would have to be unscrambled before I could understand it.

'Where is that stupid element?' Before I could locate it, another message came in. This time, it wasn't scrambled.

'Looking for your element, Libby? Guess who?' The wall screen was showing a faint visual. It was from Paul. He continued, 'Knew you wouldn't be able to find it. Don't panic! I just wanted to remind you that today's the big day. All, here, is GO -- please hurry. I can't wait any longer. End transmission.'

I thought back to the beginning of the project, over 20 years ago. Is this really the day? I speculated. Maybe I'm dreaming and don't know it. It seemed like only yesterday that I was forming my team of scientists for the project. I returned to the vanity and continued to ready myself for the day. Staring into the mirror, I found myself reflecting on the past and how I had arrived at this day.

It was in the year 2156 when our world made a discovery that would change not only our technology but our belief in God. For years, scientists had warned us about the dangerous effects on our climate from the burning of fossil fuels. We had cut down the old growth forest and most of the remaining rainforests of the world. The demand to clear more land for agriculture, housing, and industrialization coupled with the increase use of fossil fuels had led to significant increases of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The ultimate outcome . . . global warming.

We were being warned of the effects as far back as 1971. At that time, the scientists even predicted that our average temperature could rise by two degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This would modify our global climate and could cause a rapid melting of the floating Arctic ice pack. Coupled with the gradual melting of the land-based Antarctic ice and the glaciers, scientists warned us that world sea levels could rise by 200 or 300 feet; thus flooding 20 percent or more of our planet's land area. The affected areas would include many of the world's population centers and the flood plains where most of our food was produced. It was in the year 2156, when, due to the greenhouse effect, the perpetual snow cover of the Great Ararat peak melted and the world would make one of the greatest discoveries of all time -- Noah's Ark.

(213 pages)