Time for another entry in Friday Fictioneers challenge, courtesy of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. If you want to give it a try, check the info on her blog. 100 words more or less, inspired by a photo, here we go….
Copyright – Jennifer Pendergast
“Hard to imagine it was once blue, isn’t it Grandpa?”
Ryōkan watched his granddaughter, nose and hands pressed to the window, her imagination trying to transform brown planet into an aquarelle of blues and greens.
“I don’t have to imagine, I remember.”
With an ease enabled by the low gravity field, Kahouru pushed against the window and glided towards Ryōkan.
“I wish we could go back.”
Kissing the top of her head, Ryōkan offered his pocket watch to Kahouru. The old broken thing with an image of the Earth elicited the sweetest smile from the girl.
A burned out planet that can no longer sustain life. You can’t imagine how much of my time (and my fiction) is consumed with that theme. Realistically, what would it take to survive off world, either someplace like Mars or Venus (both complicated solutions) or in artificial space habitats?
Lovely, and sad. It reminds me of an interview I just read with Ray Bradbury, where he said something like (I’m paraphrasing) — I don’t write to predict the future, I write to prevent it.
as the sun gets hotter, this scenario would happen sometime in the future. first, we live underground while the heat is still bearable and then hopefully head to outer space and beyond.
Snow's Fissures and Fractures 
I didn’t know the word aquarelle. Thanks for the gift
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You are welcome. 🙂
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Dear Loré,
I hope this isn’t what the future holds. Alas to some degree, in some places, it’s the present. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle.
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We are on the same tack this week, love the names that you used and that word aquarelle
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Thank you, Michael.
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Awesome.
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Much appreciated. 🙂
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Good one. Sad, but well written.
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Glad you liked it.
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A dying planet… like my favourite Star Trek TNG episode… well done!
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Thank you!
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A burned out planet that can no longer sustain life. You can’t imagine how much of my time (and my fiction) is consumed with that theme. Realistically, what would it take to survive off world, either someplace like Mars or Venus (both complicated solutions) or in artificial space habitats?
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I think Venus is out of the question. I see us on Mars one day.
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In some ways Venus would be easier, as long as you build a bunch of “cloud cities” all cruising in the atmosphere about 51 km above the surface. NASA has a concept project about it called HAVOC: http://www.space.com/29141-venus-airship-havoc-nasa-concept-gallery.html
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Tnx for additional info.
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Sad that the planet as we know it is gone, but beautiful that the love between the man and his grand-daughter still shines
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Love trumps all.
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Hopefully it won’t become a piece of non-fiction for future generations. Well written.
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Thank you.
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I wonder if the child will grow to be an explorer or traveler someday, out of those afternoons of hope she and her grandfather shared.
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Hopefully both. Thank you for stopping by.
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Earth on the way to become like Mars… could happen if the magnetic field should fail. Great connection to the prompt, very visual and imaginative.
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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Loved this take on the prompt. And that word aquarelle.
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Much appreciated, Sandra. I like inserting and unusual word here and there.
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The mixture of longing and sadness feels so real, in the question of the child and the gift (and kiss) of the grandpa.
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It is drawn from the relationship I had with my grandfather. It makes me happy that you felt all that.
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Touching, if a tad frightening. I fear for the future.
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Much appreciated. Maybe the future will not be that bleak.
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Lovely and wistful and sad and hopeful all at once. Loved it!
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You are very kind. 🙂
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It’s getting that way. Let’s hope your story is not prophetic.
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Pure fiction and it better stay that. Thank you!
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Lovely, I suppose there’s a little comfort in the fact they are still alive to look back at earth
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There is always a sliver lining, even in space.. Tnx s much!
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Nicely done. You balanced sadness with hopefulness beautifully.
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Thank you!
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Lovely, and sad. It reminds me of an interview I just read with Ray Bradbury, where he said something like (I’m paraphrasing) — I don’t write to predict the future, I write to prevent it.
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That is a brilliant way to put it, thank you for sharing that with me.
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A sensitive take on a bleak outlook. Excellent.
Click to read my 100 words!
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Glad you liked it, tnx.
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I fear for the future of the Earth while humans continue to mis-treat it. Nice take on the prompt.
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Seems we never learn. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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as the sun gets hotter, this scenario would happen sometime in the future. first, we live underground while the heat is still bearable and then hopefully head to outer space and beyond.
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Hopefully it will not come to that.
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A chilling, mystical view of the future. And using Planet Earth II as an illustration of what we’ll miss is spot on – such a great series! Nicely done
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Thank you, Lynn. I agree, such a great series.
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My pleasure 🙂
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That future scenario is not looking like science fiction anymore. Nicely done.
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Unfortunately, you are right. Glad you liked the story.
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I like this story of hope.
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Thank you, Dawn.
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