Climate Fiction: The Purge 2070 Scene One

Climate fiction (sometimes shortened to cli-fi) is literature that deals with climate change. Generally speculative in nature but inspired by climate science, works of climate fiction may take place in the world as we know it, in the near future, or in fictional worlds experiencing climate change. The genre frequently includes science fiction and dystopian or utopian themes!

The climate crisis has made entire cities uninhabitable. It's 2070 and the time to head underground has forced 20 percent of the globe who cannot withstand the sunlight to live in underground cities. Such cities have long been sci-fi fodder, but now governments and planners are taking them seriously to save the Pheo (Caucasians) as climate change is purging their numbers from the planet and if you have insufficient melanin not only is living on the surface impossible but having children is a rarity. 

Wildfires rage in the Western hemisphere. Hurricanes batter the East. Droughts and floods wreak damage throughout the nation. Life has become increasingly untenable on planet Earth in the hardest-hit areas, but if the people there move, where will everyone go a choice was made and it was underground.

Some parts of the world quickly became so hot that people could no longer live there by 2050. Unless CO2 emissions rose significantly when arctic methane was released from glaciers and the permafrost of frozen land masses, global warming made the Amazon barren, the American Midwest tropical, and India too hot to live in by 2050, Europe flooded, and the middle Est was the first area to begin digging underground for survivals sake.

Australia faced catastrophic death tolls, leading to the declaration of martial law. The majority of Pheos resided along the coast, while the Melas and First Nations retreated to their ancestral lands for survival. It is a different Australia, where annual bushfires are catastrophic, 60°C days in Sydney and Melbourne are the norm, and storms and floods have drastically altered the coastlines. In this scenario, unique ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef, have been irreparably damaged and no longer exist.

Frighteningly, this is not an imaginary future dystopia or a scientific projection of Australia 500 years from now, it occurred in 2045 under 3°C of global warming –which no one was prepared for. The sum of commitments under the Paris climate accord meant nothing as big oil profits kept nations vocal but frozen and passive as the world was sold out by greedy bastards most of whom were hunted down and executed under the purge accords of 2055!

In the moment when humanity finally grasped the horrific consequences of our fossil-fuel addiction. It was necessary that those with insufficient melanin content prepare to live in a scalding world with increasingly extreme weather events, and hazards like sterility from photolysis and deadly skin cancers the global powers that be decided it might be time to consider adaptations such as underground living. That was decided by a lottery offered city by city where one day a year you could win a place underground simply by being a survivor. The Global Purge of 2070 had begun!

INT. ABANDONED CITY - DAY

The abandoned city is filled with rubble and debris, the result of a devastating climate war that ravaged the land. The sky is a dark orange, a constant reminder of the destruction that has taken place. In the distance, the sound of children's laughter can be heard.

ONYX 127

solemnly

I never thought I'd see children playing again.

Onyx, a black Australian cyborg, is standing on the outskirts of an orphanage, watching as a group of indigenous children run and play. He takes a moment to collect himself before approaching the gates.

ONYX 127

to the children

Hello there, little ones.

The children stop and stare at Onyx, unsure of what to make of him. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of berries.

ONYX 127

smiling

Would you like to share these with me?

The children cautiously approach and take the berries. Onyx looks around, taking in the surroundings. He knows that this peaceful moment won't last for long.

ONYX 127

to himself

The purge is coming...

Onyx turns to face the orphanage, his expression determined. He knows that he must protect these children, the only hope for humanity's future.

ONYX 127

to the children

We need to prepare for the purge. I'll teach you how to defend yourselves.

The children look at Onyx with trust and admiration, knowing that he is their only chance at survival. Together, they will face the dangers of this post-apocalyptic world and fight for a better tomorrow.

ONYX 127

to himself

These children are the future. And I will do whatever it takes to protect them.