It’s time again for Jason Evan’s Clarity of Night Flash Fiction contest. This time, he is only posting those who scored 40 or higher in his secret scoring system that allows him to handle the gazillion entries that he is getting these days. Once it was a tiny contest, now it is huge. I don’t know how he does it! This time, he is having author Stephen Parrish help him judge. Stephen is the author of the newly released novel, The Tavernier Stones. Hence, the theme of this contest as you can see from the picture. I’ve posted my entry here for your enjoyment. It’s full of secret codes, can you figure them out?
Uncovered Again
April 20, 2420 A.C.E.
“A little to the left. There it is. Now sweep away the sand,” Captain Bill Pritch ordered.
Two men stared at the monitor from the podcraft. A large robot arm pushed the sand away from the undersea platform. A letter M was visible. Other cameras showed mounds of rusted debris.
“Yeah baby, this is it!”
“Why are we searching here Captain?” Jim was anxious. He pushed the arm over the platform.
“The tanks are empty, Jim. We need the jewels to keep the moon station operating, oxygen is a necessity.”
The letters MAC were visible. The arm pushed further.
“Don’t think we’re gonna find jewels in there.”
“Jewels is what we call oil here in collections. You’re such a newb!”
“I think we should get out of this god-forsaken place. Something horrible happened here, I feel it.”
“Obviously! Dead planet? Get a clue!”
“No, something happened here, in this spot.”
“Nothin’ that happened here’s gonna stop us from getting the goods. Life on the moon station depends on it!”
Jim’s eyes enlarged as his jaw slacked.
MACONDO
“We’re not reopening that one!”
“That’s the one!” The captain aimed the laser at the platform.
“But, the methane!”
“I’m sure it’s all escaped. Hence, a dead planet. Commencing fire!”
****
From Rigel 5, it looked to Yaweh like a nova when Earth and its moon blew out of Solaris’s orbit.
“Spectacular ending!” He squealed to Michael. “You try the next experiment. But leave out the apples this time.”
©2010 Catherine Vibert

Hello humans, yes, it’s me, Cat of Arc, and I’m back in Cat’s body possessing her fully and completely at this point. Normally she doesn’t like it when I do that, but at this point she’s with me completely and has decided to integrate my forces for the sake of humanity.
I bet you know why I’m here don’t you? Of course you do. You know it like you know that pit in your stomach whenever you see an oil covered bird. You know it when you avert your eyes from the screen when the news goes on and on and on and on and… it will not end.
Even when (if) they plug this hole, it will not end. Apparently this Corexit dispersant can get into the air and rain down on the Eastern half of the US, completely destroying the food chain. That’s right folks. Read this: http://www.eutimes.net/2010/05/toxic-oil-spill-rains-warned-could-destroy-north-america/
Oh, you think I’m over reacting? I’m not. I know that it is possible for humans to screw things up that badly. And if that happens, I’m afraid my telling you to go into battle to make a change isn’t going to do diddily squat folks. If it happens, it is a consequence of what has already happened because your governments and greedy corporations think they can do all of this in your name. In their minds, you sanction it whenever you buy an oil product. All you can do, at this point, is pray that a magic miracle will make it all go away. You can pray that this report is wrong and that nothing that severe will happen. But if it does, do you have a plan B? You might want to think about that.
What we CAN do however, is demand that this never happens again. Friends, since I am from another dimension, I have the privilege of telling you what my associates in that other dimension are saying. They are saying GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE OCEAN YOU STUPID STUPID HUMANS. Normally they feel compassion and love and have recommendations to help, but right now they are really super pissed off and don’t feel so loving. The love and compassion they feel is for THE OTHER ANIMALS. The ones you humans are intent upon destroying in the name of your greedy fingers and stupid choices.
But I know, and you know, that MOST of the humans didn’t actually choose this. In fact, most alive were born into this. Most of them didn’t even know, they were just blindly being led into this without even having a clue what goes on behind the scenes to get them the gas they need to drive. Or the plastic needed to coat their games, toys, bags, houses, and just about everything made in the modern world. Plastic. Oil. It is insidious. Even this computer is full of it.
Are you prepared for a life without oil? If the land isn’t destroyed by these potential toxic rains, let me tell you now, you better know how to survive without leaving your neighborhood. You better know how to connect without your computer, your telephone. Do you know how to make fabric to clothe you? How to grow food to feed you? Do you know how to preserve food without heat? Do you know how to get salt? And the most banal but serious question, can you entertain yourself without a device?
These thoughts should keep you awake because the future depends on it folks. Yes, we do need alternative forms of energy, mass transportation, all of that. But seriously, take a minute to think of every oil related thing you have in your life, and think of a sustainable alternative. Stop it with the turning it off thing you do in your mind. What you don’t know, what you choose to ignore CAN hurt you.
You need a plan B.
Cat of Arc signing out.