Hi friends, Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror author Paul James Keyes here with another newsletter!
Last time I talked about the human immune system [LINK TO NEWSLETTER 10 - WONDROUS WORLD WITHIN]. Today’s topic is a question: ‘What is humanity to the Earth? A virus, or its immune system?’
If humans are known for one thing, it’s throwing off the balance of every system we come across like a bull smashing through a china shop. We do this, typically without forethought, as selfish individuals, and we even create systems of destruction that continue on long after our individual deaths in the name of economic gain.
If an alien race were to come to our planet and see what we are doing to it, they would probably say we are a virus to the Earth, hellbent on its destruction. This is, of course, evil alien propaganda, aimed at making us doubt the worth of our own existence. We may act like a virus at times, but unlike any outer space aliens, we are native to this ecosystem, even if we do often seem like the wrench that has been thrown into the proverbial works.
What is the Earth? If you say it’s the physical land that we walk upon, then it isn’t alive, though it does have systems of physics like rivers and evaporation that work over time to cause change, similar in some ways to the systems of life that exist inside of us. If you expand your definition of the Earth to include the whole ecological system that is here, then you must incorporate life into that equation. Life on Earth IS the Earth. We are the Earth.
Recently, NASA conducted a successful asteroid deflection test. We now know that if we spot something unintelligent coming our way, we have the capability of changing its trajectory. This planetary defense wasn’t getting built by any other species. Our human intelligence makes us the perfect candidate for Earth’s immune system. If aliens invade, only humans have a chance at recognizing the threat and mounting some kind of defense. In this way, we are like the macrophages of our own immune systems. We cause damage to the natural systems around us, but we also are our planet’s only shot at an intelligent defense if the time ever comes.
If the dinosaurs were smart enough to deflect an asteroid, we probably wouldn’t have evolved.
Until next time, stay safe out there!
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/57968/into-the-beyond-part-1-fated
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