The E Utopia Project Read Online Free Page A

plants. I don’t
think they can spare money for a space force, not without tangible proof of
alien intrusion.”
    “So what do you suggest I
tell world leaders?” Sara demanded.
    “Tell them to speed up the
construction of dams, SR plants and UVL plants. To minimize water loss through
evaporation, they must build dams with retractable roofs that automatically
open when it’s raining and close when it’s not raining.”
    “Building dams with retractable
roofs is a great idea,” Sara agreed.
    “You see? We can come up with
good ideas without resorting to alien tales.”
     “I believe that some
extraterrestrial force is taking oxygen from our atmosphere,” Sara said
adamantly.
    Wong’s face broke into a
sardonic grin. “Volcanic lava is reacting with oxygen.”
    “Why hasn’t it happened
before?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe it
happened before in prehistoric times. Who knows? Maybe the atmosphere had more
oxygen than nitrogen and volcanoes absorbed some of the oxygen.”
    “All volcanic lava comes from
the Earth’s magma,” Sara reasoned. “What makes lava from one volcano react with
oxygen and lava from another volcano unreactive toward oxygen?”
    “When the lava from these
particular volcanoes rises, it passes along sediments of a reducing agent which
evaporates or melts in the lava. When the magma rises and comes in contact with
air, the reducing agent reacts with oxygen. That is clearly explained in Doctor
Hitchcook’s theory.”
    “I still go with my theory
about an extraterrestrial cause.”
    “There is no extraterrestrial
cause,” Wong said with exasperation.
    “Give us a better theory,”
Sara challenged.
    “The better theory is the volcano
theory.”
    “The axiom about
oxygen-sucking volcanoes hasn’t been proven yet. And that makes it as good as
my theory. Unless we come up with a better theory, I shall tell the world
leaders about my extraterrestrial theory.”
    “Don’t make a fool of
yourself in front of the world.”
    “Don’t worry about me, Wong. Worry
about the world.”
    “I’m worrying about the world.
The world will be in greater danger if you send the world’s policymakers on a
wild goose chase.”
    “Wong, I’m going to include
my theory in my speech,” Sara said with finality. “I’ll send you my first draft
when I finish it.”
    Wong shook his head. “Suit
yourself. Tell world leaders about your outlandish theory.”
    Wong left the director’s
office. She returned her eyes to her computer and the blank page stared at her.
She took turns between staring at the blank page and browsing the internet. She
hadn’t managed to write anything under the subheading by the time she left her
office.
    As she drove home, she noted that
there were thin clouds in the sky. The clouds used to give her hope, but now
she knew they didn’t signal an end to the drought. She went straight home as
always.
    Her social life ended the day
she broke up with her boyfriend, George, three years ago. Her two best friends
had married and moved on. She wasn’t good at making new friends and she avoided
men because she didn’t want her heart to be broken again. She last went out to
have fun when she was still with George. He was an outgoing, fun-loving guy
whom she now loved to hate.
    Snoopy welcomed her with his
front paws when she got out of the car. The dog happily followed her into the
house where he knew he could stay without the burdensome breathing machine.
Sara obliged the dog by taking off its breathing machine. She fed the dog
before she fixed herself a dinner of tofu with fried rice.
    Although she was now home,
her mind was as much engrossed in her work as it was when she was in her office.
    Sitting on the floor, she ate
her food, throwing bits of tofu at Snoopy. She switched on her laptop, hoping
the home environment would unblock her mind, but after thirty minutes of
staring at the blank page, she gave up and opened her web browser. She randomly
looked at real-time satellite images