It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Fire one million tonnes of moon dust at the Earth to block some sunlight and cool the planet until we learn how to remove the carbon and solve global warming. Simple. Who knew it would break up weather patterns, flooding Europe and destroying the Indian monsoon? Millions died. Who knew the dust would destroy satellites in Earth orbit, taking out the Internet and GPS services?
I hunker down in my cabin, an involuntary survivalist, assault rifle ready to protect my fields. The dust will clear, they say, in five years.
.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
No GPS and no one left to read a map! 🙀
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Some have survived. He needs an assault rifle
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A word portrait of doom – that last statement is chilling.
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Thanks so much, Jilly
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A dark story from a beautiful photo. I enjoyed the contrast, although I feel I would have been one of the doubters telling them the moon dust was not a good idea…
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You got to try, right?
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The climate change process is a difficult one. The weather can be predicted but not controlled, it only responds to prevailing conditions. Moon dust seems like a well intentioned try!
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It seemed like such a good idea
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I read once that even a “limited” nuclear war, say between Pakistan and India, would cause a “nuclear winter” lasting about that long.
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He’s in for a long haul
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Dear Neil,
I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. Bleak and nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks so much, Rochelle
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I look forward to reading what you have to say in five years’ time! A depressingly delightful piece Neil!
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Thanks so much, Keoth
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Neil, so many times the idiots claim ignorance before they do their hare-brained activities. They know they just don’t care. I’m sure the planners are all safe in their little eco-pods waiting it out. Thoughtful story.
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Thanks so much, Jade
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You’re very welcome.
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Some ideas seem so good at the time…
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Abolutely fool proof
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Uh huh! 😉
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No internet, GPS or satellite?
And still I have no doubt that misinformation will travel just fine.
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I suspect you’re right
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I see you went for an apocalyptic tone this week too, Neil. Great story and a good cautionary tale. It sounds like the kind of thing people might try if they could.
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There are already start-ups
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A dismal prognosis of the future…that no one ‘knew’.
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So it has always been
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No internet? Nope. Nah ah. No.
Well written.
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Thanks so much
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Who knew, right? No one could guess that climate change would affect the whole globe, it’s only been known since 100 years, isn’t it, so really, what can one do but sit it out. Great story.
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Five years is a long time to be a survivalist!
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And that’s only if the predictions about the dust coud are accurate
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good or bad, i guess everything has a price.
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Thanks so much
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Oh no! Unintended consequences
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Afraid so. It seemed worth trying though
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I think most people should have thought moon dust wasn’t such a good idea. We do seem determined to destroy ourselves though. Why not try moon dust?
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Hey, nobody’s perfect, you know
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Love the ending 🙌
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Thanks so much
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A chilling story. Well done.
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Thanks so much
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Messing with Nature is never a good idea.
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Thanks, Liz
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What a clever way of using the prompt, taking the cabin from the mural as the centre of your story and using the painted buildings to emphasize the devastation wrought by our ill-advised attempt to geo-engineer our way out of global warming.
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Thanks so much as ever, Penny, for your close reading
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