Th'Evacuation of Planet Earth

By Dennis Black

Requires color.  Requires color!  Requires color!

How does one go about emptying a world?  By destroying it of·course – too easy – but one might also wish to consider some of the less·popular options.  No?  Already decided, dead·set on global destruction, sure, knew that already, no surprise.  But what if some other option shows·up uninvited?

Th'e·novel The Guardian Dæmons is a highly formatted yet reflowable experimental hybrid that makes significant use of multi·colored texts and backgrounds, is thus not intended for most e·readers.  This short·story #3a excerpts a few pieces from that novel, for use in checking the compatibility of any such device.  Good luck!  If the device fails yet the story succeeds, do try a different device.

• Language: English
• Publisher: non·standard thought
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781962461061

Book preview

th'evacuation

of Planet Earth

Th'e·novel The Guardian Dæmons

is a highly formatted yet reflowable

experimental hybrid that makes

significant use of multi·colored texts

and backgrounds, is thus not intended

for most e·readers.

This short·story #3a excerpts a few pieces

from that novel, for use in checking

the compatibility of any such device.

Good luck!

If the device fails yet the story

succeeds, do try a different device.

Dennis Black

Copyright © 2023 by Dennis Black

All rights reserved.

Excerpted with permission

from The Guardian Dæmons,

copyright © 2023 Dennis Black.

ISBN:  978-1-962461-06-1

Publisher:  non·standard thought

First edition:  November 2023

This is a work of escape fiction. 

As such, any resemblance to reality

is a failing for which you have

my most embarrassed apology

as·well·as my keenest curiosity

about the nature of the reality

that you personally inhabit,

and I encourage you to please

write it all down in great detail,

so that your semi·detached state

might provide that much further

escape for the rest of us, for which

we shall all be most grateful.

post·war

Terra

AltaCal

Collapse + 19.cba laaps : WestCoast, Terra

Political campaign season is shaping up as a 3·way race, essentially asking the voters to decide which world·view is more valid:  technology, oblivion or god.  All 3 are focused on the long·over·due yet still·pending end of the world, as if no·one had any·thing better to worry about – briefly stated:

Keep fighting·jailing each other, in hope that this will trigger a new tech solution.

Stop fighting·jailing each other, since there is no longer any future to be had.

Keep fighting·jailing each other, in hope that some god will think we're cute.

In a city park, all 3 campaigns have erected small booths to woo potential voters.  The god ticket is drawing the biggest crowd, so th'Alien stands off to one side, listens carefully to try to determine what's th'attraction.  Right away it becomes clear that they do have at·least 1 distinct advantage.  Ambiguity.

voter.  Which god are you campaigning for?

candidate.  Whichever one you like.

voter.  What if I don't like any of them?

candidate.  Maybe you just haven't met the right one.  Looking for a god, or a spouse?

voter.  Maybe there isn't any right one.

candidate, confident.  There's a religion to fit anyone.

believer suggests to voter.  If none of them fits, then make up your own.

voter.  That sounds arbitrary.

candidate.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  Per 18th·century poet Wm Cowper.

believer to voter.  You could start with one that's at-least interesting, and branch out from there.

preacher to voter.  Don't listen to him.

voter.  Why not?

preacher.  Sectarianism is the bane of all religion.

believer