See:
Chapter IX is about counteracting cosmic threats but there are also Terrestrial environmental threats:
earthquakes
volcanic eruptions
abrupt climate changes
grinding crustal plates
"For a span the intelligence managed or mitigated these, then it decided to let them proceed and observe how life adapted." (p. 97)
In previous chapters, people living on Earth knew the presiding intelligence as Terra Central, then the Worldguide, then the Ecumenicon. In this chapter, the omniscient narrator refers simply to the "intelligence." This is understated but nevertheless the fact that the intelligence lets catastrophes happen and studies the consequent adaptations is proof enough that there is no human life left on Earth - unless there is still a very small human population but the intelligence wilfully risks its extinction.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Or maybe, if such a remnant of mankind still existed, these last humans would welcome a violent death. Better than continuing to live an empty, pointless existence!
Ad astra! Sean
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