Earth's Enemy a Satire on the Present from the Future: A Satire on the Present from the Future

By Barry C. Kent

Earths Enemy is a fiction about future changes in the way humans live. In this incredible culture humans have evolved a new technology, society and ideology. The changes were gradual and keyed to both a major decrease in population and a seemingly impossible alteration of the economy.
The setting is a century and a half from now and takes place largely in the area formerly called the United States. Due to an unfortunate loss of most books and electronic storage devices much of history no longer exists.
Jack, a psychologist, has volunteered to explain the new culture to a number of humans from the turn of the 20th century who had undergone cryonics and are now being revived. During these sessions Jack discovers many strange things about the past which the people of his time have forgotten. Likewise, few of the cryons are able to cope with the new culture to which Jack is introducing them. In one way or another each of them is disappointed by the paucity of technological inventions. Most are outraged or dismayed by the disappearance of so many things which they thought were an essential part of their way of life. No more newspapers, competitive sports, nursing homes, new music, fossil fuel, air travel, space programs, banks, courtrooms, prisons, money, multitudes of religions and only one language are generally unacceptable or incomprehensible to the cryons. All of them seem pleased to learn that there is no more war, crime, poverty, bigotry, overpopulation, or environmental pollution. However, when they discover the ridiculous changes in economy which have made the new way of life possible most of the cryons are willing to fight for a return to their old way of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483635194

Barry C. Kent

Barry C. Kent received a Ph. D. in anthropology from Penn State University in 1970. He was formerly the State Archaeologist with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Much of his archaeological research involved the Susquehannock Indians and that work resulted in the publication of Susquehanna’s Indians. The current book is, in effect, a popularized version of this earlier work. Since retirement he has pursued an interest in colonial life and architecture, has been a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, an archaeological and exhibit consultant, and occasional adjunct professor of anthropology at York College of Pennsylvania.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Other Ways of Life

B eer, green maize, boeufburgers, and sliced tomatoes comprised one of his most favored meals. The pleasure he derived from them was always heightened when preceded with afternoon matelove. He wondered if the cool clear weather could have any affect on his feelings.

This day was offering all of those things, but the enjoyment he was experiencing was even more intensified by his anticipation of the exciting new project which he would begin tomorrow.

His mind was racing, as it often did after matelove, through so many thoughts. In one moment he found himself wondering about changes in the language; and in the next he was contemplating the woman lying next to him – evidently asleep. Then he was trying to recall, from the food history portion of one of his university courses, which of his favorites was most ancient.

Meat from domesticated creatures was probably the oldest. But then boeufburgers didn’t come from domesticated animals. Of course their predecessors – hamburgers – did. Beer, brewed from domesticated grains, was probably next in order. Its origins, according to archaeological studies, seem to have been in the area formerly called the Middle East, probably in the old country of Iraq, and maybe as much as five or six thousand years ago.

From these same studies he had learned that maize and tomatoes were first cultivated, at least three or four thousand years ago, by people called Indians, in old Mexico.

He was more certain from common lore that beer, as recently as one hundred years ago, was made by hundreds of different brewers, with even more different brand names. Now there were only three brands… no, four types: lager, stoudt, ale, and standard. They were often referred to by those names.

For an instant he thought about getting up for a bottle of beer, but just as quickly he changed his mind. His favorite was stoudt, a dark, thick beer which he knew to have been derived from the brand called Guiness, from the Island of Ireland. Indeed, each of the brands had what anthropologists referred to as ethnic origins. He seemed to recall that several of them were developed by the ethnic group called Germans.

How strange and yet wonderful history was, he thought. There was so much of it; far more than anyone individual could retain; far more than anyone needed to remember; and yet it could be so useful, or at least satisfying, for understanding the present. He had considered history, but was glad that he had decided upon psychology as his contribution to life.

Jack was placing the boeufburgers on the tray next to the electric grill when Kyra joined him on the patio. He signed the look of deep affection to her as she approached in her white cotton shorts. A silk shirt was casually thrown over her shoulder. They hugged briefly and then she stood back, smiling at him. As he watched her wiggle into her shirt he was saying to himself how much he loved this brown-skinned woman with her unusual blond hair. Then he thought, how curious, that he should consider his love for her at the same time he was reflecting on her appearance.

His own skin was slightly darker than the norm; and his hair, like most people, was brown. Both of them had the curious genetic survival of blue eyes. And, so did their oldest child – Michael. The fact that their daughter – Helen – had brown eyes meant that one of them carried the gene for that condition. Actually they knew it was Jack from the genetic profile that was performed before Michael was conceived.

Think I should start the maize water? she asked.

No, why don’t you wait a few minutes. Open a beer and relax.

Relax! That’s all we have done today, she teased.

You call that matelove relaxing; that was pure energetics. I noticed that it put you to sleep.

You are full of energy, aren’t you? I don’t suppose it has anything to do with what happens tomorrow? You’re not excited? she teased again.

You know I am.

Are you going to tell Robert and Zambia about it tonight?

Sure, why not? It will make interesting conversation. You know Bob will have an opinion.

Do you have any idea how they feel about cryons?

I’m not certain about Zambia, but I do know that Bob’s feelings are pretty typical. He thinks that cryogenics is an intrusive concept.

Do you feel that they are intrusive? I think I do.

Well yes, I suppose that I do, but that doesn’t matter. What seems more significant is that they represent such a rare occasion to actually see life in the past. Of course that is not my field, but what an exciting opportunity for anyone with any feeling whatsoever about history.

Jack made some adjustments to the grill and then went to sit on the bench next to Kyra.

I love you.

And I love you, Jack.

There was a brief pause as they smiled at one another. Then Jack’s expression changed.

It seems odd to me that there are no standards concerning cryons; it must be one of the few aspects of life without any morals or ethics.

I suppose you are right, love, but don’t you think that is because there are evidently so few of them?

Probably so, but still, I wish there was some ethic regarding them. Maybe that is because I am about to meet my first examples, and in such a formal and close way.

Are you a little nervous about it?

That is such an ancient word; but, no, not really. More anxious, more excited then… but perhaps that is nervous.

You will do fine with the project, maybe even develop a new ethic concerning cryons. Do you think it is your sympathetic attitude about them that prompted the University to select you for the project?

No it is because I was the only person to volunteer for it. Besides, I think the masters, and the EdstatMin, felt that a trained psychologist could best understand their behavior and guide their adjustment to life in this time.

I didn’t realize that you had volunteered for the project. Aren’t you surprised that no one in history or anthropology asked for it?

Well, I was. I talked to Richard, the general anthropologist at the University, and he just wasn’t interested in the time period of the cryons. He did say he would really be anxious to do it if somehow they were being revived from the 17th century or before. Their specifics person, Margaret, I believe her name is, wasn’t interested either; besides they say she is away on extended vacation.

What about the people in history?

Same reaction. Although the specific historian, you remember Jason, did ask if I could make recordings of the interviews so that he might browse through them to see if anything useful might be showing up.

There were no other homes visible from the patio side of their house. Far out across the unmowed field and just at the edge of the woods two figures now appeared on what Kyra knew to be a path.

Here come Robert and Zambia. They’re on bicycles.

Jack looked up and toward them.

I hope Bob remembered to bring his recording of their vacation. I’m anxious to see what that area looks like.

After their meal, which all of them enjoyed, Bob played the disk of their trip to hunt in the dense forests along the western side of Lake Michigan. It began with about 10 minutes of scenes in the ruins of old Chicago, including some very curious shots of buildings which, according to Bob, looked as though they had recently been lived in.

As it turned out, Jack found that part of the disk more interesting than Bob’s very detailed coverage of the natural environment and the rather overwrought scenes of the bear hunt and kill. Jack enjoyed nature as much as anyone, but he found the huge, wooded and flat lake shores to be much less exciting then the Rockies, for example, or the southwest, which were his favorites on this continent. Bob and Zambia both enjoyed hunting and killing animals, for food of course. Jack and Kyra did not. It was not that they disapproved the killing of animals for food, and certainly not because they feared for any shortage of game animals. They were now more abundant than ever before. Everyone knew that. Everyone also knew that the food chain was now in ecological balance, and that humans had finally accepted the responsibility of stewardship at the top of that chain.

It was just that Jack and Kyra found no particular enjoyment in the challenge or gain of hunting. However, they did enjoy fishing together.

From his training in psychology, and maybe just because of other personal experiences, Jack was very interested in how the world functioned regarding the differences of opinions, enjoyments, and actions of human beings; and especially those variations which lead individuals to pursue their particular contributions to life. Such variations in behavior were natural, even though not entirely explained. It seemed that everyone knew that, too. But what most people did not realize was that humans had only recently learned to cherish individual variations in opinions, actions, and especially contributions to life. Of course, there was the occasional really repugnant act, and that could still be recognized as such, but people no longer reacted as they did some three or four generations ago. His training in historical psychology had taught him that.

Perhaps because of the amount of beer which Bob was drinking, he slipped over the line of social ethics, some just called it poor manners. There had been numerous stops and even some rewinds of portions of the disk. Everyone recognized his impolite dominance, and his refusal to let others speak according proper turns. But of course everyone cherished – or at least tolerated – the temporary breach of good conduct.

Jack laughed to himself at that thought.

Bob went on and on about the excitement of the hunt, including a very detailed description of the gun he had used to kill the bear. It was a flintlock, and because it was such an anachronism, he must have felt that everyone would want to know exactly how it worked. Jack wondered about that, for he found himself only vaguely interested, in spite of the fact that Bob gave a very colorful description of the workings of his so-called reproduction of an 18th century Pennsylvania rifle.

Once again, there was that unanswered psychological question about how humans could develop such diverse interests, both past and present. Why was he not truly interested in flintlocks or hunting? And yet, just today he had been interested in the history of beer and food. Individual interests clearly had to do with prior experiences, but who could account for all of that, and who really cared?

What did matter was the continued variation of human thoughts, actions, and desires. That variability, and acceptance of it, was part of life itself. For the first time ever, it was functioning smoothly. Finally, humans had discovered that, although they were at the top of the existence chain, they were linked to it; and that there were limits to it. Now everyone understood that living involved the appreciation of human differences, together with a harmonious interaction with all things of nature. Some called it a balanced ecology.

Because of the new attitudes about life, each and every human knew how much must be contributed to it; and just as importantly, how much each could take from it. The contributions and the realizations of life were the same for everyone.

It was history that had shown him that the present quality of life was better than at any other time in human existence. It had evolved along with the new philosophy of life.

His present concern was that these humans from the past might not understand these changes, nor easily accept the new way of life. Tomorrow he would begin to find out.

And now how rude had he been? For some time he had heard little of what Bob was talking about, even though Bob was himself being impolite.

Bob was saying that he had several guns for his use, two that were flintlocks, and several of more recent designs. His, and curiously Zambia’s, style of living was what is commonly called old American, or sometimes colonial. It was certainly proper of Zambia to join him in this interest, but strange nonetheless, since she had spent her pre-mated life in southern Africa. She and Bob both very obviously enjoyed this rather popular, but antiquated style of life. It was worldwide, with local variations, like old Chinese, or old European, or whatever. Beyond that it had nothing to do with nationalism or revivalism – that was impossible. However, it involved a kind of re-creation of those aspects of former cultures which people now found pleasant, romantic, or otherwise interesting. Again, it was a very individual matter.

The house in which they lived was the focus of their life style. It was located about four miles across the valley from Jack and Kyra’s. Situated on a rise of land above a small stream, it had an excellent view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Its construction was of limestone and log, both of which had long ago turned gray. There was a date stone on the north gable, which read Gebaut 1789. Bob enjoyed tending to the house and land on which they lived. He often seemed to treat it as though they were actually living there in the 18th century. Most recently, that had included splitting oak logs to make a rail fence to enclose the garden.

Jack and Kyra occupied a house made of brick. It had no date stone, but they knew that it had been built sometime in the last quarter of the 20th century, and in a style which was then called modern. Not necessarily because their house was of the old modern style, but more because it just suited them, Jack and Kyra had selected old modern furnishings for their home. Other than that, their manner of living was quite up to date.

Somehow or another their house had come to include an ancient clock which Jack knew to be called a grandfather. It was just there when they moved in. There was a name on the face of the clock, and, although badly worn, it appeared to read isher York Towne 1783. Three years ago when Bob and Zambia moved into the old log and stone house, Jack delivered the clock to them, for he already knew of their interest in the colonial style. He often wondered after that if Bob would have asked for the clock, had it not been offered. Bob liked the piece, perhaps a little more than one should like a material thing.

Much later than he should have, Bob realized that he had dominated the conversation too long and impolitely. He passed it to Kyra who spoke of some friends at the distribution center where she contributed. Very shortly, though, she passed to Jack, whom she knew was anxious to tell about his project with the cryons.

He started by offering his apology, saying that he had been thinking about Bob’s great interest in colonial history, and other things. But he was sorry that he had not paid polite attention to what Bob actually said.

Bob interrupted, with the comment that he was not really interested in the specific events of colonial history, but rather in the material things, and the romance and adventure of that former time, which they seemed to stimulate for him. Zambia appeared to give Bob a sign that she agreed with what he was saying, but she did not approve his rudeness.

Once again Bob had interrupted. But it was only a convention that one enters a conversation at the traditional pause or passing gesture. Jack was not offended, and even if that was possible he would not express it. Now that he had regained the conversation he outlined his new project with the cryons. They had recently been gathered at the University of Virginia, where he taught general psychology, and did some research.

This batch, he explained, had been stored in various locations and had been assembled over the past year. Actually, five of the pods had been in long-term storage at the University, and the masters had proposed that they should now be resuscitated, especially since there was so little support for their continued maintenance there. Discussions with the Education and Statistics Ministry in Madrid had led to a plan to include 22 pods from other institutions where similar concerns prevailed. In addition, the University of Virginia had the necessary equipment for the resuscitations.

Jack also explained that cryogenics had become very popular during the first half of the 21st century, but that evidently a lot of the pods had not survived the Oil Wars of 2061-3. With one exception, all of those in this group had been frozen during the first quarter of the 21st century. Some of them were not actually scheduled to be revived until the next century, but the Ministry saw no reason to adhere to a program of such staggered revivals.

Jack paused to all of the others at this point, but no one entered a conversation. Bob got up for another beer, and Jack continued.

"I have been asked to assist the cryons in their psychological adjustment and their enculturation to New Earth.

Sort of a guide to the New World, right, Jack? said Bob from the kitchen.

Maybe they will call you Columbus.

The others laughed.

Well, I suppose that I will be sort of guiding them to a new land. From what little I know of early 21st century humans, they were frantically searching for a way to save their land, and their way of life. I guess it is what they called their natural environmental movements.

And their social environmental movements, from what I’ve read, said Zambia.

From the little that I have read about it, their efforts to save their natural and social environments were more like a bowel movement.

Once more they laughed, with Bob.

But I think a lot people were seriously trying to save their environment. Of course, as we now know, their economy stood directly in the path of their efforts to save themselves, said Zambia.

Isn’t it curious that so little information survives about something so historically significant as the economy of mankind up to the Oil Wars?

Well actually, Kyra, there is a little information…

Bob interrupted again.

Maybe that is something Jack can learn more about as he is guiding these primitive creatures to New Earth.

Actually, Bob, I have been asked to record my interviews with the cryons. Naturally, I would be pleased to share that with Zambia. As part of my plan to enculturate them I intend to encourage them to talk about themselves, and their life styles, and their contributions to life.

That should be interesting, said Bob, in what the others thought to be an unusual facetious manner. By the way, I think they called it work.

Zambia, why is it that we have so little knowledge of what Bob calls their work, and their way of life? asked Kyra.

Zambia settled down into her chair, and took a deep swallow of beer.

As I understand it, by the second quarter of the 21st century there were, by some estimates, trillions of printed documents, representing billions of individually titled books, magazines, journals, etc. It had become totally overwhelming.

How could anyone cope with so much information? interrupted Bob.

Well, of course, it wasn’t all confined to one language, so I suppose that most individuals only concerned themselves with printed information in their own language.

How many of those were there? asked Kyra.

"I’m not sure, but at least 3000. Apparently one of the few worldwide acts up until that time involved some sort of effort to reduce the volume of printed material by getting it onto their primitive computers.

Libraries all over the world, but evidently following the lead of the largest one called the Library of Congress in the old city of Washington, began to copy printed material on disks for computer storage and reading. I read somewhere that within a decade or so printed publications were completely phased out. All new reading material was published only on computer disks, or other more advanced digital recording devices.

Zambia paused, but everyone seemed intent on her continuing.

Then a curious thing began to happen. The substance called oil, as you may recall, was coming to the end of its natural reserves, and some new combustibles were being developed. One of these – a heating oil, I believe – involved a mixture of recycled oil, grain alcohol, and a special liquefied blend of old paper and additives. People began to recycle their old paper at a furious rate, including books, of which most had been copied on disks. Recycling of all sorts of things had apparently become fairly popular by that time – apparently one of their movements to save their environment. I believe it was also about that time when widespread restrictions on cutting wood came into effect. In addition to building houses of wood, they had also been using it to make their papers. The effect of all this was that in another generation, or so, virtually all of the paper had been recycled into the new fuel. The only actual books which survived were those considered precious old ones by some library committee. These are the ones which still exist in some museums today. According to my research, by about 2050, all of the written knowledge, literature, and entertainment of the entire Earth was stored on computer disks. With the exception of those rare or ancient books and things in museums, of course.

So why is it that our history disks have so little information for the pre 2050 – period? asked Kyra.

Actually, the gap extends from about 2065, just a year or so after the Oil War, back to about the end of the 19th century. Most books before that time were considered rare, and so our historians can reconstruct events up to that time, from those preserved in museums.

But what about all the disks for the intervening period, I mean up to 2065?

I am coming to that. History is not clear on when or where, but around the beginning of the Oil War, and possibly in the old Middle East area, someone developed a kind of disk virus – some sort of magnetic dust which could be dropped from what they called rockets or space satellites. In any event, it was terribly effective.

But why would anyone want to destroy someone else’s literature, science, and whatever disks? asked Bob.

"It was the age of information; everyone was caught up in industry and methodology, and, most importantly, what they called finances. Everything necessary for that way of life was on the computer disks of each nation. By destroying the disks of a nation it was thought that they could be easily overcome by military efforts. Well, of course other nations soon developed their own viruses, and before anyone apparently knew what was happening, practically all of the world’s individual nations had lost their industry, method, and financial records, as well as the book disks containing their histories, science, and literature.

"It was not until after the war, as I said, about 2065, when information was again being recorded on disks, but by then huge quantities of information about the preceding century and a half had been destroyed.

0f course, that period is not completely lost to history. A few disks survived as did some books, and there was a period of fairly active oral history recording for some years after the war. Consequently, our historians have been able to piece together what they consider to be some of the major events of the period. But what so very few people seem to be interested in are the specifics of that era. It seems so ironic, because people of that time were trying to record virtually everything they were doing, and now so little of it survives.

And there seems to be so little need for it today, said Bob.

I suppose you are right.

But surely someday, someone will care. And when they do they will have Jack’s recording of his interviews with these cryons, said Kyra.

I can’t imagine that anyone will ever find them of interest.

You certainly seem to know the general history of the period, Zambia.

Actually, not very well. My real interests lie in the economic history of Earth before the 21st century. There is one small file on the subject. It is EH1900-2065.1, if you should care to examine it in your own library.

I have read that one, replied Jack. I hope that it will give me enough background information to conduct the interviews, and to get some sense about the psychological adjustments that I may have to guide these cryons through. Presumably I will…

How could people who had so overpopulated the Earth, so fouled their natural surrounding, and who treated one another so horribly… how could they possibly adjust to a world of peace, a world whose natural environment has been restored? They won’t know how to cope with it.

The others looked at Bob in a manner which must have reminded him of how impolite he had been all evening. His stuttered apology was accepted by everyone. Jack even tried to smooth it over by thanking him for his observation and opinions, and saying that, in essence, he was probably correct.

Zambia asked how many previous cryons had been enculturated.

I have not been able to determine that, said Jack. "It seems that no one was interested enough to record very much about any previous cryon resuscitations. Apparently a few were