Marco Tosatti

Dear friends and enemies of Stilum Curiae, Agostino Nobile offers us this short story – dystopian – about the coming reality. Enjoy reading it. 

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                                                                              SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2050

«70% of the population vaccinated was not enough. So, having reached 90% coverage they aimed for 100% of the population. Since, as expected, the number of variants increased, seasonal vaccinations continued for the next ten years. When the number of viruses declined or at least constituted non-alarming percentages, viruses were injected into the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning pipes in the places of greatest human concentration. But only to eliminate the most fragile. Those who had the strongest antibodies survived. So they did, how shall we say… skim humans. Obviously the glorious Police were forced to operate a form of manhunt. Our ancestors, as you well know, were not cynical, heartless, but enlightened people determined to save life on Earth. Better to save a small part than to perish all. They were aware that a planet overpopulated for too many years would destroy all the arable land, the ecosystem of the seas and rivers, wiping out the basic sources of nourishment: wheat, vegetables, legumes, meat and fish.»

«Excuse me…» a student interrupted her.
«Please!» smiled the young teacher, pleased with the interest she had aroused.
«We know that our ancestors used the glorious Police to reduce the population. But wasn’t it simpler to use them to limit births? Sure, it would have taken longer, but…»
The professor sighed, casting a pitying smile «Yes, but then we wouldn’t have had…. Today, for example, we no longer have the more than 50% of leeches that used to survive on the shoulders of the Supreme State (God bless him!)»
In the hall, like a perfect responsory, they exclaimed in unison: «Always be blessed!»

An impatient-looking student raised his hand. The teacher nodded. 
Pointing to the girl who had dared to propose alternatives to the Supreme State’s choices, the young man respectfully remarked: «You are forgetting the ‘human skim’! Do you realise that parasites were the greatest social threat? Rascals who thought for themselves and even put…» He paused briefly as he looked at his other colleagues. Displaying a feeling of profound dismay, he resumed in a low voice: «They even putting science above the Supreme State (God bless him!)”.
Chorus: «Always be blessed!»

Agostino Nobile

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