Talk 3: Earth’s sickness syndromes
My Earth is infected
Earth opened her eyes in the hospital. Why “her” and not “his”? Well, Earth has given birth to everything that exists or lives on her, hasn’t she? So, Earth has to be female. It makes sense. It looks she has some nasty infection.
She blinked her eyes to adjust to the flood of light above her. She assumed that some compassionate person drove the ambulance. Actually, it was Grete herself. As we now know, only a few are as nice as Grete!
Diagnosis
Earth felt one Earth-Doctor sensing her vein. A nurse pricked the vein with a large syringe and sucked her blood. Some electronic device instantaneously displayed many signs and numbers on a big screen. The doctor pointed his finger at some ultra-volatile dots on the screen and addressed Earth, “An unusual parasitical bacterium has infected your blood. It’s a voracious phagocytic pathogen gorging on your good blood cells, I mean the good BHG.”
Another needle stabbed her in the buttock. Earth squealed. “I’ve injected a newly discovered powerful antibiotic. This should kill this nasty bug,” the doctor consoled her. “Sadly, it will wipe out the good bacteria as well. I cross my fingers; it should work fast.”
But nothing happened. The doctor examined the label on the empty phial. “What the hell! The drug is fake. The world is full of cheats.” Bacterial infection intensified .Earth became sicker.
What is BHG?
Three days later, Grete freed herself from the crowd of young people demonstrating in various cities in support of her cause. She rushed to see Earth. In the room, she heard the head Earth-Doctor saying, “What to do? BHG have become all-powerful. No one, even from outer space, can save her. I’m convinced we are on the wrong track trying to eliminate your agonizing symptoms only.”
“Excuse me doctor,” Grete intervened. “What is BHG?”
“I’m sorry young lady; I assumed you knew. Well, it’s short for Bacterium homo grǣdigus.” Grete, looking absolutely confused, asked “What have you diagnosed?”
Head Earth-Doctor continued, “The diagnosis is long. I can tell you the main things.”
Everyone turned and looked at Earth when she uttered a woeful sigh.
Sickness symptoms
“Her disease is an old one. The BHG bacteria continue to mutate, becoming increasingly virulent.” The Earth-Doctor then read out a long list of symptoms. Of these the following stand out in Grete’s mind:
- Sudden heating and severe cold spells;
- Increasingly devastating fluxes all over;
- Exceptional flushing and dryness;
- Poisoned arteries and cell water, as well as major fluid reserves;
- Alarming rate of disappearance of all species of bacteria except BHG;
- Overfed voracious BHG, gorging victuals from the remotest parts of the body just to satisfy their taste buds, often stealing from the good BHG and throwing away half of good food;
- Devastation of the entire health-giving biota in the body;
- BHG kill each other, travel faster and further to the remotest regions in order to become fiercer, more dominating and cleverer, often just for pleasure and to satisfy their curiosity;
- BHG are polluting the lungs, debilitating breathing and the entire metabolism.
Earth’s end appoaching!
Breathless, the head Earth-Doctor stopped reading when Earth wailed. Closing her eyes Earth confided to Grete, “I see my end is approaching fast. How can I trust the Earth-Doctors when their BHG colleagues are gnawing inside me?”
Earth dosed off exhausted. A frightening nightmare made her shudder. She opened her eyes again and pointed her finger at the few who were watching her anxiously, “I’m frightened. I’m beginning to doubt if you will be able to vanquish and eliminate the powerful, voracious fellows inside me. I’ll never be well again.”
Holding her hand, Grete consoled her, “Yes, you’ll be well again, my dear. I’ll work hard to change the BHG.”
“It will be difficult to change their entrenched habits. They are already deliberately sidetracking your efforts by targeting the treatment of my symptoms and not the real cause of my sickness. They themselves are BHG. Trying to reduce my temperature will not reduce the number of culprits. They will support your efforts to reduce air and water pollution only if this will increase their own comfort so that their vile clan can continue to proliferate. BHG are Homo Deus. They have been the real All Mighty all the time. My dear Grete, offer prayers to BHG; they might hear you and save me.”
