The terraforming (literally, "Earth-shaping") of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth in order to make it habitable by humans.
Part One
In light of their dying world, they remained the only ones left. They alone would carry the remainder of time upon their shoulders, and would be the last on earth… This is their story.
“How did we meet?” James asked chewing a piece of bread stuffed inside of his mouth.
“Through Billy,” she said, giving no hint of an undertone in her voice. That bugged James, he could never tell if she was being sarcastic, or lying, or even adding emphasis to things. That could have also been why he was so intrigued from the moment they met. It also could have been the reason why it had felt so good when they did meet. But as we know, that’s how it could have been. In all realness, there was no aurora or mystery to their meeting. All it was, at least to James, was fate, but then again, as he ate the stale bread, as he ate the only food they had left, dry stale, tasteless bread that would supply them for only a few more days, as he ate his daily bit, and as this sentence dragged on via commas, James did not believe in fate.
The only thing left for him to believe in, was in his companion. The only one left, and the only person he felt he could ever do this with. They had been on the move ever since the planet met it’s Apocalypse. Natural disasters mirrored in her eyes, his companion’s eyes that day, as the destruction shook the world. Earthquakes, hurricanes, twisters, all chaos of natural occurrences occurred that day. After that day everything, the world over, was destroyed. Those who survived became animalistic, and dim-witted. Literally speaking of course, the survivors tore cities apart looking for food, and cloths, but it was all for nothing. Diseases spread like the fires the day of the total destruction, the day fire rained down from the sky, and the Apocalypse entrenched James world. But she, she entrenched his world, and it all seemed fine to him, as if he could, and would survive.
“Where are we headed James?” Tara asked him packing up the two metal plates, and the one plastic water bottle that they had reused for the past two months since the destruction of everything.
“I guess north, we’ve no where else to go right?” James suggested.
“I suppose,” she replied. James walked beside her up a dirt hill. There were scattered pieces of metal that dotted the hillside; James was convinced something has exploded near by, sending shrapnel into the now metal filled dirt hill. The smell was for all intensive purposes indescribable, it had a foul staleness to it, like a musty rug that had been hidden away in the attic for years., only without the rugs same familiarity and sweet smell of wood.
There seemed to be a forever breeze upon their faces, which made the lighter pieces of metal and top layer of dirt seem to waft away to where ever nature fancied. The breeze danced around their ears traveling with them, with a gentle silent whistle. As they reached the top of the hill, their eyes widened and James eyes began to sadden as he and Tara overlooked the ruins of what once was, the great city of Savannah Georgia. No words or descriptions could possibly convey the horror of the scene. The sheer destruction the smell and taste in the air of the thousands of dead that decayed ever still in the city. No words could describe it.
“My God…” Tara whispered.
“Let’s head down… Find a clear building and set up camp, okay?” James directed.
“Sure that sounds… Sounds fine,” she replied nodding.
An hour or several passed, it flew by them as the night settled and nothing would last. The nightly dew dropped, as it did everyday before, but that was the past. They walked rather fast through the abandoned destroyed city streets. They did not talk, only did they walk, silently, without looking, no thoughts cooking, in their minds that spun like the windmills of time. It had begun for them, this would be the last place they would walk, and later they would be stalked by the predators that could have been so very calming to their sight, but they would attack in a fright, and they would survive, because James, he strived, and gave off this vibe that everything was going to be okay. Here’s what he had to say…
“Let’s find shelter for the night, my legs feel like shit.”
“Aha, okay,” Tara replied trying to smile. James turned to her and grabbed her left hand gently with his right; he felt a tingle in his hand as he did so. He was astonished by how warm her hand was, or possibly, how cold his was. Finally a smile broke out on her face, and James watched her unobtrusively as they continued to walk through the barren streets of the ruined Savannah.
“How about there?” Tara asked raising her chin slightly to a building on her right.
“Let’s check it out,” James said as they hurried off the dark street toward the building. They walked to the door, and as fitting to their story, it was broken inward and would not allow them access. James kicked at the door numerous times, but the door was so mangled his kicks would either bounce off, or crack the brittle metal. The building had lots of windows to the right, it look a lot like a flower shop. Tara brushed her hand against the top of the door and whipped away a brown layer of dirt and grass, and the sign read ‘Alaina’s Flowers and Bird Baths’. Tara smiled again very slightly. James noticed it and looked to the sign. He smiled too, and rested his hand atop her right shoulder. He pulled her inward and hugged her greedily, squeezing her close, and never wanting to let go. Against his own wishes he let go of her slowly, and looked into her hazel eyes. That even in the low glowing sun and overcast sky’s polluted with humanities cruelties, glowed brilliantly. James leaned down a bit, and kissed her atop her forehead. She pulled back and groaned softly.
“I’m all dirty…” she said slightly uncomfortable.
“Yes, well, that’s what no water get’s us,” James responded simply grinning cleverly. She laughed, but not at his comment, she laughed at the butterflies that still swelled around in her stomach even after all they had been through the last two months, even through this Hell on earth, through all the running, and all the lack of amenities, and showers, and food. She still loved the way he made her feel. Little did she know, James was thinking in the back of his mind, how even as dirty, unwashed, and unappealing she and he must have looked, he not only could not see it, he did not care one bit. She looked just as beautiful as they day she’d first stepped into his home. When he looked at her, he saw nothing but Tara, and that’s all he’d ever wanted. To look at someone and see them for what and who they were. James walked with Tara, hand in hand around the building. Remarkably it was very much intact, compared to the rubble and scattered remains of the buildings all around it. It was sufficient to say, as good as it was, it was still pretty bad, but at least it was a roof, which he could put over her head, if not only for the night. James walked up to one of the tall sun windows of the building. James kicked what was left of the window inside and then he climbed in. He looked around once inside then turned and helped Tara in. Inside were the rather smelly remains of what looked like roses, and sunflowers. There was water collected in several of the birdbaths that lined the far side of the building. James and Tara went to inspect the water, to see if it was drinkable, when they reached the other side, after stepping over dead crunchy brown rose petals; they examined each of the bird bowls. To their dismay most of the water was muddy and undrinkable. With a heavy sigh, Tara stopped her examination. James was behind her and he stopped beside her. He took her hand as they reached the other end of the building. James turned and walked toward the rest of building, the part where the door he’d tried to break through led to.
There was no door to enter the other section of the building just a stone archway that was scattered with random vines, that looked long since dead. James and Tara seemed to as if by mesmer split apart and search the building. After ten minutes James heard Tara calling for him. James walked quickly and stood beside Tara. She lifted up from the ground a metal latch and swung open a trap like door from the floor of the building.
“A basement?” James asked.
“Or a cellar, or just extra storage.” Tara replied.
“Let’s check it out,” James said stepped down into the whole first. Once down there, James could not see a thing.
“Tara I need,” James said but as he did she lowered down to him an old candle. “You are simply perfect,” James said to her.
“I love you too,” she replied.
“You light up my life,” James said trying to be corny.
“Yes as you mine.” James pulled out from his pocket a small lighter. He flicked it open to expose a small weak flame. James held the candle tip to the flame, and after a few seconds the area around him became enveloped in a dark orange glow. James closed his lighter and raised the candle into the air. Tara climbed down into the basement and clutched onto James left arm. James felt her hair tickle his neck and he forced himself to refrain for laughing. To James surprise and to Tara’s as well, it was an unfinished basement. There was a twin sized bed on wheels in the corner, which looked quite inviting as if asking a person or two, who had walked hundreds of miles to reach said bed.
“Look James, there’s a water tank,” Tara said guiding James to a tank that had stamped on the front ‘WATER’. James gave the tank a once over, and found a cap near the top. He unscrewed the cap and dipped his hand down into the water. He pulled his hand out and cautiously put his hand into his mouth. He tasted the water, the freshest most delicious non-contaminated water he’d tasted in two month. James followed a hose that was coiled up beside the tank. James took the nozzle that was used to act like a rain dropper to water plants and turned the knob at the bottom. Water began to drop down from the nozzle like a shower head. James turned the knob back to how he found it. As he did so lights in the room Tara lit a match and began lighting several candles that were around the room in odd places.
“This is perfect, there’s a bed, and water, and everything,” James said happily for the first time in months.
“Yea it’s wonderful,” Tara said smiling at him.
“Judging by the size of the tank of water, I think we can take a shower, and still have water left for five days,” James said lifting the nozzle up so it hung in a low cut rafter beside the tank of water.
“A home-made shower,” Tara remarked laughing softly.
“Well we can only shower once, and I don’t think there’s any soap around here, we should shower in our cloths to clean them off too.” James said.
“There are two blankets on the bed, we can dry ourselves with the smaller one,” Tara replied. James took the lighter form his pocket, and the three one dollar bills he had and a piece of receipt paper from his pocket and tossed them to the floor mindfully. Tara walked over to James and stood close up against his chest. James lifted his hand, and turned the knob on the water nozzle. Water began to flow down on top of them like a shower. James began to take his shirt off and get it wet he wrung it out while Tara collected water in her palms and splashed her face with water. She rubbed the dirt and grim and dried sweat from her face, neck and hair. James placed his shirt on top of the water tank and began to rub himself with the cold water. He rubbed his face and neck, and chest, and then he ran his fingers through his hair to be sure it got some water as well. Tara collected water in her palms once again but this time began to drink, James opened his mouth and let the water collect. He swallowed as she swallowed. The water felt so nice on their bodies. Tara ran her fingers over her face and pulled her wet hair back over her head and looked up at James. James looked back at her and smiled realizing this was their first shower together. Tara took his hands in hers and closed her eyes. She rested her tired head against his chest. James wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and he closed his eyes also. James slowly began to remove his arms from her; he placed his right hand on her left cheek whilst with his left hand he held her right. James gently caressed her cheek, and ran his hands through her hair. She pulled away from his hand, and lifted her hand to rest on his shoulders. James with his right hand glided his hand down her cheek as gentle as the water did, and he glided his soft fingers down to her chin. He very slowly, lifted her chin, upwards, his eyes staring into hers. He then moved both his hands to either side of her head, with her chin still raised. His thumbs rested just before her ears, and he blinked, and she blinked slowly, as if falling into a drowsy sleep. The water hit them on their chests, and heads, but neither of them could feel it any longer, all they could feel was one another, all else in the room disappeared, and all that remained was the two of them in each others arms. James tilted his head to the right and stretched his neck downward, as she stretched hers upward, and they kissed, and held their lips in place, and held each other in place, and fell into the moment. Eyes gently closed.
James pulled away first, and then kissed her again, never once opening his eyes. Tara too never once opened her eyes, and she thought to herself, why would I. The kisses seemed to stretch on into glorious infinite, both of them letting go their sense of sight, sense of sound, and sense of smell, only leaving their sense of touch, and their sense of taste. James hands fell in slow motion from her head and they seemed to fall as if by months of practice to her hips. Her hands slide down from his shoulders and she opened her hands and placed them on his back. They continued kiss after kiss, by now it was impossible to tell who was kissing who, but it did not matter. Finally at the same time they both opened up their eyes and looked into each other, through each other, and saw themselves in each others eyes. Tara touched his face with her hands as her lips remained ready. James took her by the wrists very gently and pulled her hands away from his face. He seemed to float her hands back, as he did himself. She felt his hand go upwards above her head, with a screech of the knob the water stopped, and the room returned to them, and the smell, and their sight, and the sound of the empty room.
Part Two
Tara and James took a moment or two to adjust to their old environment. They’re transient state was so soothing, and it depressed them both to make it stop. James walked over dripping wet across the concrete floor of the basement. He walked to the bed and took a small blanket off the top. He shook viscously and all manner of dust and a commodity of dust mites, lint, and months of dust wafted off, and with no where to really go they lingered in the air dully, as they were slowly grabbed by gravity and pulled to the ground.
James swung the old blanket around Tara and began to cocoon her in it.
“Stop,” she groaned sheepishly.
“Haha, are you warm?” James asked.
“Yes, and I can’t move,” Tara replied.
“Perfect,” James said lifting her up of the ground and carrying her to the bed, “now you can escape and be a butterfly.”
“You never forget do you?” Tara asked with admiration.
“No you just always forget…”
“Do not…”
“Right, right, what did we eat for lunch?” James asked swaggering.
“Same thing we’ve had since we left… Bread,” she responded quite correctly.
“Well look at that, she’s not totally a forgone conclusion,” James replied turning his back to her, and looking around the room.
“What are you looking for?” Tara asked.
“Am I that readable?” James asked chuckling.
“Kinda… I don’t know,” Tara said laughing.
“Did you forget already?”
“Shut up! I actually did forget what we were talking about.”
They both laughed three short scoffs, then they both unbeknownst to the other, gave a small sigh.
“Listen, I’m gonna go looking around, you stay here and get some rest, okay?” James said.
“Ugh, fine, but you better be careful,” Tara commanded.
“Aren’t I always?”
“No…”
“Uhh, well for you I will be, promise,” James said crossing his fingers and lifting them so she could blatantly see them.
“Just be…”
“I know Tara, I know. Would you like some water before you sleep?” James asked.
“No I’ll probably pee myself in my sleep,” Tara said jokingly.
“Well I was just wondering, since ya know, you have those ‘pee-patterns’ I thought before you went to bed you always went?” James said making fun of her.
“Don’t you have somewhere to go?” Tara responded glaring at him playfully.
“Yes, I do.” James said walking over to her, he leaned down and kissed her on her forehead, and then he closed his eyes, and kissed her one more time in the same place.
James stood back up straight and looked down at her smiling face. He lifted his right pointer finger up into the air and gently poked her nose. He watching in pure glee as her face scrunched up. James felt a warming chill go down his spine, and he sighed softly to himself. “I’ll be─” James began to say, but he grabbed his chest, and fell to his knees, he began coughing hoarsely with his hand cupped over his mouth. James face grew red the more he unrelentingly coughed. Tara squirmed out of her blanket cocoon and leaned out from the bed to help him, and as she did, she saw blood being coughed out and seeped through the spaced between his fingers.
“James… You’re bleeding,” Tara told him. James looked up at her and inhaled deep, he held his breath and tried his hardest to suppress another cough.
James pulled his hand away form his mouth and looked at all the blood that looked like he dipped his palm in red finger paint. With his wrist he whipped his mouth of blood and looked to Tara.
“It’s getting worse…” James said standing up as if nothing had happen.
“Stay here tonight, you can go searching for supplies in the morning,” Tara suggested.
“No, its okay, I’m fine, really. Just get some rest babe,” James replied shaking his head. James washed his hand and went to some of the candles to turn them out to let Tara sleep. She watched him as he moved across the room. She really did not want him to leave, but she knew all he was doing was thinking of her, and her well being. She sighed and nestled herself under the blankets.
James while putting out some of the candles found a bag of sunflower seeds. James grabbed the bag and opened them up he put his hand and in pulled one out, it looked fine. James put the seed in his mouth and with his teeth crushed the shell. He spit it out, and chewed on the crunchy seed. They were perfectly edible. James stowed the seeds in his pocket and continued to put out two remaining candles. James put them all but one of them out, and he walked to the basement door. He lifted it up and climbed up. He stepped up into the barren flower shop, and walked into the green house area, where they had entered. The lighting was perfect with the moon not covered by a single grey cloud. James looked around and noticed a bunch of dead roses in a vase of dirty water. James looked closer and in the middle there was one rose, which held a dull red hue. James pulled it out and saw it had already had the thorns removed. James smiled at it, and sniffed the flower. It had a hint of smell left to it. James carried it with him, and planned to give it to Tara when he returned. He walked out through the window he’d first entered through, and he was gone to search the area for supplies and maybe something else nice for Tara.
Back down in the basement, Tara dreamed. She dreamed of the world, brown and dead. With no pretty flowered left growing, no color, all desolate, grey, and destroyed. There was no one left besides them, they were completely alone, and even though she had James, she was still afraid. The world was dead, and was not ever coming back. It was gone, and nothing could possibly help it.
Tara shook in her bed, and dreamed further of her love. She watched him through her minds eyes and the dream continued all around her. He was running hard, down a street, whispering her name, ‘Tara’ over and over in fright. In his hand was a rose, and in his other, was knife. It was like she was watching him in 3rd person view unable to communicate or help him simply watch him run for his life. She felt strangely hot, and her lungs felt heavy, but it was the dream. She felt uncomfortable as the dream continued and her mind pushed her closer to James. He was sweating and Tara felt almost like she was sweating too. James ran even harder, it was impossible for her to comprehend as she slept. He finally screamed her name one last time, ‘Tara’. HE stopped running and the scene unfolded in front of her, James was stopped in sheer horror in front of the building they had decided to stay at. Only the building was engulfed in flames that seemed to spurt from the very bottom of the building. Her dream turned back to James and she watched as he cried in agony at the burning building that James knew Tara was inside. She longed to yell for him, that it was all just a dream.
Finally James fell into all fours. He began to cough, but it was not the kind of cough he’d had before it was almost a choking cough, and then Tara’s mind forced her eyes open and she was awake. Tara began to cough violently, and she realized she did feel hot, and she was sweating, and that her lungs were heavy. She looked around and took in the horror. The building really was on fire. Tara jumped out from the bed and grabbed the blanket she put it over her and ran for the stairs. She reached the stairs and placed her hands on them. They were incredibly hot. She took the blanket and wrapped her hands in it and began to climb the stairs. She pushed up the door and crawled out from the basement. She looked around quickly and saw fire everywhere, she coughed again as she moved heading for the entrance where James and she had entered. She ran out from the fire and out into the quiet greenhouse area, she ran panting and coughing and jumped out through the broken window she landed hard on the crumbled concrete street.
She looked around expecting to see James, but he was not to be seen, for he was not there. James was much further down the street with his back to the entire incident. He was looking up at the moon, and thinking of Tara, with his rose for her still in his hands.
Tara panted and looked back at the building it was now engulfed in flames, and she realized it looked just like her dream, and what was worse was she was standing where she had seen James standing. She turned around and tired to remember which way James had ran from. She turned left and began to run down the street whispering in horror, ‘James’. She did so because she had this paranoid feeling something much worse was about to happen.
James was standing in a field of dead grass that he expected once was a park. He looked up at the moon, in all its glowing brilliance. James pulled out his bag of sunflower seeds and poured some into his mouth. He began to eat and spit the shells to the ground. James felt warm inside, and even began to sing, as he thought of Tara:
“And even if the moon fell down tonight,
There'd be nothing to worry about to worry about at all,
because you make the whole world shine
As long as you're here everything will be alright.”
As James sang each word seemed to make his chest heavier and heavier, until a throbbing began to pulse in his head. The air escaped his lungs and he felt his chest tighten up. His heart gave off a sharp pain that sent James to all fours the bag of sun flower seeds falling and spilling on the ground beside his hand. He began to cough the same cough he had earlier, blood began to coat his lips cough after coarse cough, his lungs and throat burned pound after pound cough after cough. James held his breath and spit out a long mucus filled glob of bloody saliva.
Tara approached the hill after her agonizingly painful run. She pushed herself harder, and faster, and now she comprehended how James did it in her dream, because now, she was doing it for herself. She ran onto the field screaming his name as tears began to flow down from her eyes. James was on all fours still, and the coughing had subsided; now he felt empty and a drop of blood fell from his lower lip. He too began to fall, his hands gave way to his weight and he fell to the right and landed with a weak thud on the ground. Tara dropped to the ground beside him holding his hand and touching his face as she cried and cried. She whimpered his name, as she inhaled swiftly and exhaled hard. Her nose was beginning to run and her sight was blurry for all the tears. She blinked rapidly to clear the tears from her eyes. James smiled feebly up at her, and said to her,
“Cause I just always wanna have you. Right here by my side, the futures near but never certain, at least stay here for just tonight… I must have done something right, to deserve you in my life…”
As his last words met her ears she felt the little bit of grip he had on her hand give away, and his eyes closed, and at that point she knew he was gone, and she knew she was alone. The pain of loosing him sent her down to lay next to him, still holding his dead hand, she cried and cried, and after an hour of crying there was nothing left. Her sadness took over her entire body and shut it down; so that she could once again be with the one she loved. As the two of them laid there on their sides facing one another with eyes shut, humanity on earth died with them. There was now no one left on earth.
As the weeks moved on and their bodies began to decay there on that field in Savannah Georgia, something happened to the world. Rain began to pelt down on the area in unrelenting amounts. And from the nutrients, and the little sunlight that beamed down from the sky during the day and the rain brought down from the heavens, a flower, a sun flower, began to grow right between where Tara and James body’s had laid. That single flower would grow tall, and would pollinate the area around, and with that one flower the world would terraform once again, and circle of life would continue on.