Carbonofilia

Carbonophilia

It was dawn of XXI century and while CNN was focused on NASA's successful landing on Mars and scientists were putting together the information they have received from the rovers, conspiracy maniacs were looking for the signs of life and ancient alien civilization and seeing them in every abstract looking stone. After carefully examining each case with some software and iron logics, they found scull, bone, lake, forest and metal objects, and even a petrified lizard on Mars! Anyway, the fact was that flow of the information that the world craved came like a shiny river, feeding fantasies and confirming realities about human's knowledge of a mysterious yet already accessible planet.

Everyone was waiting for the answer to the most important question: is there or was there or could it be water and life on Mars, and hopefully officially admit that we are not the only one living thing in the universe. However, there was a group of VIPs who were waiting for different findings, and the river of the information that was coming from the red planet was confirming those expectations.

Mr. Julian Mark was happy; he was looking at the results of spectrometers with hidden pleasure. Heavy glasses were hanging on his nose - comfortably residing in two little red dents on the same nose, created by the same glasses. He never wanted to wear contact lenses – a while ago - he read that glasses helped some people to hide their real "me" and made them look more intelligent. Julian wanted both – to hide his thoughts and look intelligent. He became one of the leaders of the project not because he was a great scientist, but because he played the right game. As a student, he was active to the extent it was necessary- he was asking questions that professors and peers wanted to hear from him, he was writing papers that always met all guidelines and criteria, he always published his works, good or bad, and finally accumulated enough published material to be called a leading specialist in the spectrometry of organic substances in minerals. He was a typical parasite of modern science, building up his career by elegantly rewriting what others have written but not contributing even a single thought or finding to Mankind's knowledge bank. Not only he did nothing for science, but he did everything to kill any new ideas that were contradicting dogma. He hated quantum physics for shaking dogmas of fundamental science and called them populists and unprofessional bustards (also, his ex-wife was a quantum physicist – but that just detail). He basically made his career by defending dogmas with religious insanity, exterminating on the way any new ideas, thoughts, and theories, and turning talented scientists into mediocre lab assistants.

So, here he was –Julian picked up the phone and made a call. He knew that information he had would finally establish him as the best, and nothing else mattered.

- Mr. President - he sad – I have news….

In the white house, the president smiled, now he knew that nothing would endanger his, his family, and his establishment's position anymore, and nothing else mattered.

Forty-five years later, Tesla ionic engine spaceships were flying back and forth to Mars regularly. Ships still needed fuel to get on and off both planets, but once in space, they were better than fish in the ocean. Tesla founder gave up on electric cars and focused on space travel. His space travel dream becomes a reality, and the remains of the red Tesla car still orbiting Mars become one of the tourist attractions. The biggest project company was working on was a space elevator, and in a month or so, the first commercial one was planned to be open, which would make space travel as cheap as low-cost airlines.

Surprisingly enough, in 30' s of the XXI century, Mankind managed to overt its oil shortage crises due to the discovery of an "oil germ." A little bit of genetic manipulation produced GMOs that easily turned any plastic into oil. All you needed is a good solid metal container with an airtight metal lid, plastic shavings, a bag of sugar, and five to seven drops of a liquid infected with plastic devouring bacteria. In a month or so, you got several gallons of black liquid, which was essentially oil and sediment of asphalt-like substance. Both could be sold. GMO was, of course, patented by some big-name Inc., but bacteria tend to multiply its genetic material without taking into consideration copyright legislation. Illegal leaven could be purchased online, on black markets, and other places or one could get batch for free from the neighbor.

The planet rejoiced, environmentalists were happy (well, not all of them), refinery section of the oil industry was happy, gas stations were happy, car manufacturers were happy, and new several billion-dollar industries of plastic waste collection emerged. Even Somali pirates changed their profile and started stealing plastic waste from territorial waters of other officially recognized countries. Earth did not avoid climate change and overpopulation. People managed to adjust to crazy weather and planned or spontaneous wars, pandemics, and natural disasters here, and there kept the population under ten billion. But as long as there was a cheap oil system was content.

Of course, simple logic dictated that at some point, even a vast amount of plastic waste will be depleted, but those concerns were considered alarmist.

Mr. Lee was one of those alarmists. He was reluctantly listening to the news.

CNN was the same ( although it was holographic). The answer was official, and maniacs were turned into celebrities. The lady on the screen was talking about new excavations of ancient civilization ruins on Mars.

- "So dudes see, it's like so cool, I mean that stuff with ancient civilization" – "awesome !" –Mr. Lee looked at a possibly good looking but over tattooed and over pierced girl talking from a TV set while he was working on his proposal. – "so if you want to know more, check online." – added the girl. Then there was an advertisement for the next news with dramatic music "Are we running out of plastic! Will the gas price be out of control again for the first time in 40 years! Want to know more, check us online" - Mr. Lee was satisfied - this was exactly the news he wanted to hear. He was a historian, collecting information about old Martian alternative energy technologies. He had a pile of good findings and know-how that would solve a lot of upcoming energy problems. He had without controversy patented Martian technologies, such as heat semiconductors, that would make fridges, stoves, and home cooling and heating systems run forever. He obtained knowledge on how to build a fractal battery, which could be charged virtually endlessly, and a simple AA battery could hold terawatts of energy. Altogether he had almost 90 possible patents and inventions under his belt. In the right economy, he would be a billionaire. Even thought of how much he could make made him hyperventilate until he felt dizzy. He started fantasizing about the glory and the fame he will be dealing with and the women, the beautiful women, who will finally pay attention to him. But for the rest of the world, he was just crazy Kuku.

Entertained by his dream, he continued the preparation of his presentation by modifying it with the primitive language for government representatives and singing some happy melody. Suddenly he felt some strange annoyance he desperately wanted to ignore it. This was the voice on TV.

-"This just came in: the humongous amount of oil was found on Mars! It looks like stupid Martians never used it. Instead, they harvested energy of Mars core, and that doomed them, idiots! But lucky for us, we now have oil. The space elevator will be used to transport it - so gas prices will stay the same! Want to know more -check us online!"

Mr. Lee felt the heavy stone falling into his stomach. The excitement that he experienced a couple of minutes ago vanished like smoke, living the only hangover like filing.

Mr. Lee recovered with a hefty gulp of French brandy (he could not afford “real” cognac). He put aside his work while the warmth of brandy softened his pain. He decided to keep his work for future generations, although he might never benefit from it. He was sure that humans finally would really, really run out of oil, even on Mars. "My time will come after all." - thought Mr. Lee. He was an optimist, and that was his biggest problem.