Endless Summer

Summer 2072

"A global heat wave still rolls over the East of Europe. Experts advise you to drink enough, use skin protection and avoid direct exposition to the sun."

The reporter's voice is flat, stripped bare of all emotions. It's not her first time delivering the exact same message. Not the first year. The first summer. It won't even be summer and she will still repeat it over and over, like a broken robot.

"Do you want another towel?" He asks his daughter, already rinsing it with semi-cold water from the sink. Martha takes it, questioning.

"Why is it that warm actually?" God, she was just old enough to ask smart questions. "That's a long story, my dear."

"Tell me. What else do we have to do?"

Jacob actually laughed at that. How right she was. What was there else to do? People were unable to carry out their jobs, schools have been closed for months. What played out in the own home was all that's left in life. So why not tell the kid straightaway?

Summer 2026

"How nervous are you? On a scale from one to pi?"

Malcolm was carrying two glasses full of some red liquid, which looked either poisonous or delicious. Jacob tried a chuckle.

"Three" His standard answer.

"Nope, little friend. You are lying. It's definitely 3.1415926..."

"Shut up." No time for all digits of pi today. They were here to party.

"I don't judge you. It's a great achievement getting one's undergraduate."

And it was. Jacob's chest flooded with pride as he received the kind of boring, but yet so worthy, paper. And Malcolm, right next to him. They survived university together, of course they would make the rest as well.

Summer 2030

It was years later, when Jacob recognized the name again. The protocol he should archive was signed by nobody else than him. It didn't even have a clear name. Jacob just knew, was used to the sharp lines, looking like a zigzag. So, Malcolm was a scientist after all. Measuring the toxins in the Eurasian air. They had to meet. Something they had done for an eternity. He needed to find his office.

Turned out, Malcolm was more than a measurer. He actually led a project, which was called Nebula II. Malcolm found the name not as cool as it sounded to Jacob, for whom it felt like commitment. Malcolm seemed so much older, mature in his movements. His voice deeper, steadier. But as they talked, Jacob felt him slide back on eye-level.

They sat in the office as Malcolm pulled out a paper.

"Do you know?" He would use print-outs for the rest of his life, if he could. The volcano was a little pixelated, but since there seemed to be no other message than the volcano itself, it was just right.

“After the outbreak of the volcano Pinatubo in 1991, the temperature sank by 0.4 degrees Celsius worldwide. The volcano made the air richer in carbon, impeding part of the sunlight." His finger traced the paper.

"So, we want to do the same. Just without carbon, which is, you know, a real killer to the climate.” He smirked and Jacob could not fool himself. Could not tell himself he didn't like the smile. Of course, he did. Liked how delusional Malcolm was. How much his cheeks reddened in anticipation.

“You want to save the world?”

“I’ll make it cooool.” The way he elongated the o made them laugh.

Summer 2035

When the call came, Jacob was just undressing for the shower. As every day, his last hours consisted of stacking up vegetables in Kopenhagen’s famous vertical farm. Planting crops, checking the temperature. It was one of Europe’s centre of pride, presented as an innovation to farming. Only that it was not subsidized by the state at all. And just like every other day, it was making him sick that Jacob was working towards nothing, since without a functioning state, farming couldn’t save the world.

"Why are there people who work for days, only to make a tiny change in nature, while there are people who blow money up the air in a seconds destroying my work in 2x-speed." He blurted into his phone. Malcolm should hear what he felt. Should hear it, because he was the only one who was able to actually validate his feelings. Malcolm, who he wished was here. That was when he suddenly called. Had he heard the voicemail already? Couldn't be. Jacob didn't even send it yet.

Actually, it something else entirely.

"I got it." Malcolm's sweet smile seeped through the phone. "I made Nebula II possible."

Jacob skipped shower, rode to the lab in a minute. Again, pride faded into his chest. Pride for Malcolm. He knew he'd make it.

They hugged the moment they met. In a rectangular box, a heavy, dense, black fog twirled. Beautiful like a hurricane. Impressive and yet so dangerous. A shiver ran down Jacob's spine.

"You made it." The air between them sizzled as their lips met. Malcolm's sweetness capturing Jacob, his body melting against him. Jacob gave in to his touch. And finally allowed himself to feel optimistic.

Summer 2043

They moved to the lab. That's what their colleagues called it. They shared the same working lab, of course. Malcolm's space was also his. Especially helpful, since the lab had an actual air conditioner. The heat outside was pressing down on the town like a rug, keeping life as if under a dome. People yearned for ice and cold water. The radio at the lab called out a heat wave again. The second this year. It was the highest temperature ever measured and for the first time, Nebula II made it through to the news. People were gleaming. Nebula seemed like an oasis, fresh, saving, like a band-aid to the people's pain. Mal only laughed it off. He said they should conspire about the program. He wouldn't spoiler it. "Imagine their gazes, when the whole air light up with shiny particles."

"Shiny?" Jacob would ask. "Do they reflect?"

"Oh no. Metaphorically shiny, otherwise dark."

At night, they went on dates. Played darts in one of the old bars in the city. Or make dinner at home, the stove’s warmth only bearable together with their affection. Jacob would trace Mal's body, run his finger over Coffee-Brown or through his hair.

Or, he would go after his new obsession: writing hate-mails to Advencer, a newly-found, but yet famous, technology firm. He would call out their behaviour. Reposting that they deposit their trash illegally, counting the fish that died last summer due to their egoism. But still, it felt like there was an end to it.

Summer 2045

"I can't put this up earlier." Jacob never heard Mal scream before. "It needs reassurance. It needs liquidity. And it needs further research." Jacob was hiding behind his plastic counter, watching news on his phone. He swore to never do this again. His feed was full of devastating facts. Villages in West Africa sunken completely. Children weeding through knee-deep water, just to get to school. Population getting drastically younger, the older generation not being used to that temperature at all.

"Our earth has got a fever." A headline said. Only that earth will not recover that easily. At least not without political support. Which, realistically, would never happen. It was not more than a week ago when Jacob and Mal were warned by a public guard to not hold hands in public. Otherwise, he would have to take legal action. Seemed like politics were kind of into the fever.

Another night, Mal shared his cigarette with Jacob, which probably costed him a whole shift. Always saying he was a biotechnologist and no doctor, so he was free to smoke, even though he knew the downsides. And, so knew Jacob. But this was a special situation.

"I need a financier." That's how it started. Mal's voice still shallow. "It will be Advencer."

A stone sank in Jacob's heart, his body suddenly feeling very heavy.

"There are plenty options, aren't there?" Everybody wants a piece of Mal's Nebula-cake for sure.

"Advencer is the easiest. We need an easy solution to go quick.” Ignoring Jacob's grumble, he just went on. "Think of all the people dying already. Let's save them from the heat."

And there was no discussion. Forget the fish, the biodiversity. Forget it all and let Malcolm change atmosphere. He seemed to have priorities.

Summer 2048

Never before, Jacob was being interviewed. He has seen plenty broadcasts, was backstage at so many. But always, it was Mal in the spotlight. Mal something named Jacob, but never further. Now the light was on him, his tuxedo itchy, the gel somebody from the production put into his hair, was pulling his scalp. Jacob just wanted to get it all over with. He had prepared his statement weeks before, but now, the words were dry in his mouth.

"Advencer is a global industry. It has offices all around the world, many of those in the global south.“ A place that’s devastatingly being strangled.

"Like a fish left without water, these regions are currently shrivelling. Advencer is taking water from local wells. We can all agree that this firm is doing nothing to prevent climate change. It is doing nothing to save people. To conserve biodiversity. All it does, is creating emissions. And now, it wants to support the Nebula II project.“

The thought about it alone made Jacob breathe deeply. It’s been two years, but it’s been a whole history beforehand.

People were milling around. Setting up a discussion. Jacob was asked if he knew about the launch of Nebula. If he knew experts described it as climate-neutral. He hid his sickness. Hid that he wanted to either laugh hysterically or pump his fists aggressively. What did they know? There were politicians here, other scientists. But they all seemed to be representing nothing but themselves, while Jacob was here because everything else was just ethically wrong.

Summer 2050

It took them two more years to start off Nebula II. Jacob was skimming through the pages of the document from his new party. His own one, finally. Progress and Justice. His colleagues had been hanging up their posters just yesterday. So, enough people out there should be seeing Jacobs face, glancing at them, pleading for enough votes.

The moment it was announced that citizens could vote for the start of Nebula II or against it, Jacob took the action. There were not many people he trusted in truly. Charlie, his farming companion. Emma, the head of the news series, investigating the crimes of the big companies. Two people, but a team.

The first day they met to form their own party, the weather knocked the 50 degree Celsius mark for the first time. Charlie was talking to his parents, who were living in the south of Denmark, being hit by one of the biggest refugee crises in world history.

“We’ve lost 2,4% of land mass already.” Emma recited her words for the next broadcast, while Jacob was just staring at the air conditioner, which was sitting there in the corner of the room like a big insect. It may cool the room well enough, but Jacob knew well enough that every electronic device produced heat as well. We cannot save the world by putting more technology on it.

The world was dying already and the prescribed pills not working. It was like cancer, growing inside its body, consuming the soil and the water. And like a person that just continued smoking, people did nothing but pump more energy inside it. As if that was a solution.

Still, people voted yes. Jacob knew and wasn’t surprised. The feeling in his chest was no disappointment. Although it felt like one, Jacob knew it to be defeat.

Over the course of many days, the atmosphere was being enriched by a mixture that Malcolm must have specifically created. Although Jacob didn’t want to, he read about it. His interest in chemistry took over and he skimmed through Malcolm’s report on how he found substitutions for the carbon that triggered the blockade of sunlight back then. The printout. How he wanted to create an atmosphere where plants and animals aren’t harmed, where the air we breathe is not contaminated. Well, it is already.

Summer 2054

The world was applauding. Metaphorically. The world is saved, you would think when opening social media. It was just like after a football match. Jacob didn’t watch the world cup. Couldn’t see how countries played against their former colonizers. How those didn’t even see them as rivals, but as bait. How, at the same time, the world cup was creating tons of emissions and how it killed more people than one could ever take responsibility for.

But in a match, there is this point where you are so sure your team is winning that you forget to actually play. And in this moment, the other team has the best chance to score. Climate change was scoring. And people were cheering too loudly to notice.

Summer 2058

Emma and Jacob got pretty close. Just after last meeting, he walked her home and she planted a tiny kiss on his cheek. It was the little joy that made Jacob leave the bed every morning.

People out there hated him for many things. For having had a boyfriend. For not supporting his work. People even called him racist for being against Malcolm’s project. So, Jacob might as well try to live a life.

They met up at the headquarter, discussing the statement they want to set.

“I would like to talk about the fact that nothing will ever come back.” Emma drew stars on a map.

“Tuvalu. Venice. Anholt. None of these islands will ever come back.” Especially the last one must hurt her, since her parents still lived there the last few years.

“And we have to tell them that we can no longer live like that.” Jacob added.

“Summer” 2066

They lost. Again. Fascism won. That’s how Emma titled it, and that’s how it felt to Jacob. The first time for years, a heat wave was not only experienced, but also announced through the TV. People sold their jackets in masses. It was December in Denmark, but still no colder than freshly-boiled tea. People were angry, and finally they blamed politics. Statues were set aflame, riots started in small bars and went over to the city centre. But none of these people hated the real enemy. They went for Progress and Justice. They went for Charlie, Jacob and Emma alone.

The demonstrations began the day temperatures sank to 30 degrees. A relief, one could say. On the market they stood in rows, like the military. Armoured with sticks they drew Malcolm’s face on. It might have been a spectacle. It might have been satire. But it was reality. Defenders of the earth they called themselves, but took money from no other than Advencer.

Jacob woke up from shattering glass and someone screaming “For our children”.

Doors burst open, rubble scattered on the floor. Before he could open his eyes to look for Emma, a fist split his skull.

Summer 2067

It was a ship that took them to Poland and Jacob was more than happy to be travelling in something so well-known. Ships have lived through all the damage humans have done, but still they survived.

“My dad said that in 2070 people will be able to fly everywhere they want. By their wings.” Martha said. She was alone on the ship, since her parents died in the riots.

“Turned out we still have ships.” Jacob laughed, what hurt his still wounded head a little.

“Ships may cause emissions, but everything new we invent is just causing more and more.” At that point, Isabella might not understand what he’s saying. But years later, as he and Emma successfully adopt her, he will tell her the whole story.