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From Rowan's diary
Rowan: (to himself) I better hurry up, the TV news is starting!
By now my parents seem to only have their music in their heads, they seem to have already moved on from the robot revolt and all its aftermath.
Sometimes they just seem to want to live in a bubble, a sort of world of their own where they don't need to worry about what's happening outside. Needless to say, at home there is only one TV and a small, very old computer, so also for me it's quite hard to keep up to date. Nevertheless, since when the robots did what they did I started following the evening TV news, without ever skipping a day.
TV: Mines and factories in New Sixam are still struggling to find a sufficient workforce following the disappearance of the robots. Attempts to produce new sentient robotic units to replace the old ones are also proving unsuccessful, as most of the new units decide to join their peers on Sixam the moment they are connected to the internet. The owners of many companies are therefore resigning to the idea of reconverting their activities, in order to allow the exclusive employement of sixamian personnel and basic automation systems. The prime minister announced that...
How is it even possible that no one is doing anything other than restating the problem, and no one has been able to propose any real solution yet?
???: C'mon, are you really still talking about that robot thing? It's old news now, what can you do about it!
Rowan: Ignoring the problems is not a solution, there is a series of reasons why the robots decided to leave planet Earth. They decided to abandon us to our fate, in other words.
? ?: “Abandon us to our fate”, and then what? I think those robots are just making end-of-the-world jokes like there's no tomorrow, that's what.
Rowan: (Perplexed) Of course it's not about tomorrow, but in the next few decades—
???: That was just a joke, Rowan. And a quite bad one, too.
Rowan: Ah.
???: Seriously, we're already doing our best to clean up this place, what else did they expect from us? I think it's normal that people don't take robots seriously, what they suggested is totally impracticable.
I shook my head without even answering, all the people I talked with seemed to think the same. As if the issue wasn't more complex, unspeakably more complex, than this. The data brought up by the robots before their departure were extremely convincing, if all the Nations on this planet don't implement some serious and thoughtful action plan as soon as possible we'll reach a no-return point before we can even notice.
And to make it possible it's necessary to make all Earthlings understand the inexorability of what was happening, as well as how this is a collective responsibility of all of us, without exception. But too many people still treat the issue lightly and shallowly, refusing to question the impactful and polluting lifestyle habits they grew accustomed to. As if, by hiding their heads in the sand, it was possible to avoid the extinction of numerous other species that inhabit the planet, or to avoid the worsening of extreme weather events, famines, or the rise in sea levels which, sooner or later late, will affect everyone's life standard.
How can they be so disinterested even here on Sulani, when all the forecasts say that sandy archipelagos like this are the places that risk the worst damage?
All this is extremely frustrating, that's what.
But I'm certainly not resigning to the inevitability of that scenario, I have every intention of doing everything I can to find a remedy. I will not allow places like this archipelago, the place where I was born and raised, the place I call my home, to be destroyed by a global climate crisis.
This may not sound particularly humble, but I really think I may be a bright enough person to really make a difference. I just have to decide what's the best way to employ my energies, the best path to maximize my results. I've been thinking about it for weeks, and now the list of possible options is getting shorter and shorter every day.
Alba: Did you go swimming last night? But don't you have your final high school exams today?
Rowan: Don't worry, I'm not tired. I just needed to clear my head a little.
Exams don't worry me, I know I've studied enough to be able to achieve the grades I need without too much effort. Even my relatives didn't seem surprised when they saw my final report card, they certainly didn't expect anything less from me.
Iris: Looking at you it seems so easy to be the best in school!
River: (with a hint of apprehension) I think I may have asked you this already, but do you really sleep at night?
Rowan: I sleep as much as I need, but studying actually makes me stay up more than my mother would like.
River: So, now that you've graduated, have you decided which major to choose in college?
Rowan: Yes, I think so.
Iris: Oh, finally! What did you choose, then?
Rowan: I decided to study law, in the best university I managed to get admission into. I want to focus on environmental regulations, to then work on their implementation after I graduate.
In all this, Rick, River's not-very-chatty roommate who for I-don't-know-what-reason my cousins decided to bring with them, let out a half laugh, while River and Iris kept repeating how right that choice seemed for me. And the reaction I got from my parents was no different at all, they all seem so proud of my decision.
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Alba: Don't worry, Nacho, I have everything under control! I can't spill Rowan's birthday cake on the floor, right?
And so also my eighteenth birthday arrived. As always, my whole family gathered here at our house to celebrate the day, but also to wish me good luck in college.
Once the party was over, mom took me aside, she said she had something to talk to me about. Tomorrow morning I will move and she and dad will remain here in Sulani all alone, it will certainly be a big change for all three.
Alba: Are you worried?
Rowan: A little, there are so many things I have to do tomorrow…
Alba: Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great!
Rowan: (thoughtfully) I can't be sure, Britechester isn't just any university. It's the best-ranked college in Sim City, the competition level will be much higher than here.
Alba: It's the same university where Lily used to study, you could ask her about what the atmosphere is like.
Rowan: Really? Why didn't you tell me before, I have to ask her about it before she goes home then!
Alba: I just have one more thing to tell you, so bear with me for just a second.
Rowan: ...
Alba: Please, don't overdo it, grades aren't that important after all. Can you promise you'll try to remember this?
Rowan: But I think I'm capable of doing well with the exams. And what else should I be focusing on in college, by the way?
Alba: Rowan, you are just eighteen, there are so many other things you could do at your age… I would hate if you ended up missing them because you were too busy and studying day and night. And I'm sure your father feels the same way.
Rowan: Yes, he already told me about it too. But studying is what I'm good at and what I want to do, that's all.
Alba: (sighing) ... I wish you good luck, Rowan. Really. And, whatever happens, remember that with a phone call, we'll take the teleport machine and pop up in the middle of your campus at any moment!
Rowan: I know, I know, you don't need to repeat it…
And this is when I landed in Britechester. Many challenges await me in the coming years, but I have no intention of backing down. I will make the most of this opportunity and I'll make my dreams come true!
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