Dr. Hastings’ Personal Notes
Private Journal Entry 143-A

Humans destroy everything they touch. For every so-called “achievement” humanity makes, we plunge ourselves closer to irreversible calamity. This is the result of environmental destruction in exchange for profit—a world run by corrupt megacorp executives who will damn us all just to line their pockets. And for what? So that their glimmering ivory towers can stand just a little taller than those of their equally immoral competitors?

The whole abysmal history of life on this planet is nothing but a record of wanton greed, mass manipulation, and unremitting extermination. Not just extermination of our own race, but any living organism unfortunate enough to come into contact with us.

Within the last six months how many species have gone extinct? The hawksbill and leatherback turtles, the mountain gorilla, the pangolin, the red wolf, the sockeye salmon, the haddock, and the sturgeon. And the cause? Illegal fishing, excessive hunting and poaching, unchecked hazardous waste disposal, a rapid decline of environmental protection laws, increased global pollution, fragmentation of natural habitats as a result of careless human activities…the list is endless.

The environmental organizations and their conservation movements have done little in recent years to stem the tide. Instead of conservation, many have turned to “species revivalism” with hopes that cloning, genome editing, and selective breeding can recreate extinct organisms. But what’s the point? Why repopulate when human folly will only wipe them out all over again?

Every day—every hour, we toil deeper into the depths of complete planetary suicide. The damage is done. The time to turn back the clock is beyond reach. We must move forward—this planet must move forward. And the only way to do so is without the human race. Too long we’ve wallowed in self-destruction. Those in the necessary positions of power who can take action have refused to, either out of fear, avarice, or blatant incompetence.

I alone can ensure this planet’s survival. There can be something better than humanity. There must be.

There will be.

–Beverly Hastings

Danger Zone One. Story by Midnight. Art by Salaiix.