The Tree Of Life

The Tree Of Life

By Paul McCann

The year was 2070 and inside Sanctuary City the celebrations for Earth Memorial Day were taking place . People were enjoying themselves in their own life underground zone areas . As the rain pelted down on the rocky surface above underground storage dishes automatically opened up miles above the City on the surface of the planet . The sound loud thunder belted out but no one ever heard it deep below the surface of the planet . All they could hear was computerised music that was continuously piped through the speakers of each underground life zone. As the lightening bolts struck the laser driven censor turbines converted that into electric power that was distributed through a vast underground grid network around Sanctuary City.
After the storm was over life returned to normal . Earth memorial day celebrations continued watched closely by the war lords and zone keepers.
Each new zone year the celebration of earth memorial took place .
There were zone parades and dancing . There was singing and drinking and partying . Then there was reflection time . Reflection time lasted for a week with daily news reports of the chemical winter above and the broadcast of the last days of life above on the planet . The zone residents were told the stories of mayhem and destruction and graphic details of the first of the nuclear attacks . Then it was told how those who had survived the war built underground Sanctuary City . It was now the only place known where humans could survive what was to come . The radiation fall out and the dark eons a chemical winter . It was ordered that no one could ever leave Sanctuary City again . They were ensured that there was enough resources to live in the underground zones for at least fifteen generations . Even with all that information no one was sure what it was really like on the surface .
But one thing was sure and that was the security around the city .
It was very tight and no one ever though of escaping the underground zones . No one ever questioned the authorities . That was no one except Danny .
The perimeter of Sanctuary City was guarded by the war lords who patrolled the zones and made sure no one walked the streets outside the zones .
The Zone Keepers made sure no one left their zone .
Danny was a rebel who pushed himself into the faces of the authorities .
He was never happy with life underground . His inquisitive mind eventually got the better of him and so he planned his escape .

Danny decided that reflection time was the perfect moment to break out .
As the tight grip of security was eased Danny made his way through his zone and began to explore the outer perimeters on the city . He crept along through the air conditioning blower tunnels to the upper surface boundary .
Unnoticed by the guards Danny climbed up the chute towards the planet surface . Every ten meters he avoided the laser light alarm system by deflecting it against itself with a mirror . He brushed off spiders and other bugs along the way to the surface . Finally Danny came to the last outlet of the air-conditioning system and after cutting through the rusty bolts he pushed open the steel grate and climbed head first onto the surface of the planet.

He got to his feet and looked around . Then he started to walk over boulders and rubble that lay scattered for miles . Danny kept walking . It was getting very cold now and shelter was hard to find . Still he kept walking .
Three days had passed and Danny arrived at the edge of a desert of ice .
From his inside pocket he pulled out a small telescope that had been left to him by his grandfather . He looked through the eyeglass and the desert seemed to stretch out as far away as the horizon went .
He put away the telescope and took the bag that hung from his belt
He opened the bag and checked his food and water supply .
There was maybe enough left for a few days . He also took out a picture of his grandfather from his pocket and read the message on the back .
It said ,
To Danny my only Grandson .
I shall never be at rest until life on earth returns .
He put the photo away and pulled his collar up around the back of his neck and started to make his way across the desert of ice . Bitter winds cut through
His coat and burnt his skin like fire . Nothing changed for days . Everything looked and felt the same .After his water ran out he crushed some and was able to drain off enough water to keep him alive . It seemed like four weeks now he had been in the desert . Mile after mile had sapped his strength and now he was ready to collapse . Danny had just about given up all hope when a strange apparition in the foreground beckoned him ,. It was his grandfather calling him to come closer . Danny rubbed his burning eyes and ran towards his grandfather . As he drew closer to his grandfather he saw a bright light flashing in the distance ahead . The light came from a golden ball above .
It was shinning down on a green place with a strange looking object on the ground . Danny made his way there . It felt warm in the light . The strange green growth covered the ground and was soft to the touch . Almost like hair .
A four legged creature climbed up the tall wooden object on the ground .
This strange structure seemed to have green growth at the very top of it .
Around the bottom of the object was a pool of water . It was clear and very inviting . Danny threw himself down and began to drink .
The silence was broken by a deep voice .
“Hello stranger and foe .“
Danny got up on his feet and said ,
“Who said that ?”
“I did. “ came the reply .
Quite shocked Danny said,
‘Who are you ?”
”The tree before you man . Yes I . The last living species on the planet earth .“ Came the answer .
“What is the golden ball above?”
“It is called the sun . After many years of being blocked out now it has returned again to warm the earth “.

Danny sat down on the ground before the tree and asked very cautiously .
“Why do you call me a foe?”
“ Because I’ve watched over the years . I’ve seen you man . I’ve known everything you have done to the planet . Yes man . You are my foe . You have transformed the green lands of earth into dust . You have destroyed all living things on the planet . The earth is barren . I am all that remains. “
Danny was horrified .
“You say we destroyed all life .”

”Yes man . Once there were oak trees and birds that perched in the branches. There was also fruit and many forests full of animals and waterfalls and now there is nothing . Just me . For this your are held responsible .
There is nothing left .
Evolution is gone .
The previous world has perished” .

“Danny went over and waded through the pool of water . He stood beside
the tree and lifted his hands in the air wept loud and bitterly .

“I am sorry . Please forgive me tree . Is there any hope at all for new life ?.“

“There is a choice man . The choice is new life and should you choose then you must do what I ask and then there may be some hope for the future ” .

“What must I do ?“

“On my branches I have the last seeds of life . Bring many helpers to plant them . With the passing of time new trees and plants will emerge from the ground . You will need build homes and a new community “ Eventually spread new life over the entire planets surface “.

“If I tell them back in the zone all this they’ll say I’m crazy .“

“Then perish below the ground man . Or live . The choice is yours”.

Danny returned to Sanctuary City and told everyone about the tree . It took a lot of convincing but eventually he was able to lead a large group of citizens out of their zones . They fought off the war lords and after defeating the zone keepers took charge of Sanctuary City .

It was beautiful sight when a new future began to develop in and around what once was an icy desert. Home were built from rubble and stone .
Under the warmth of sunlight the ice had melted and gardening work began .
Around the tree life there was digging ploughing raking and planting .
Little shoots sprouted up everywhere .
After Danny died of old age his children continued to rebuild and protect all life on the planet . They were among the most respected of all the leaders on the planet . Once again life flourished and the future was one of hope for all human kind .

THE END