The year is 2222 and

God wasn't a very happy person.. No.. She wasn't very happy indeed !

"Just look at what a mess those silly humans have made of my beautiful blue green jewel!" she muttered to herself perplexedly.. " I thought after that last Noah incident, that they were on the right track.. but no.. they've gone from bad to worse, and still show little sign of improvement..".

It was a strange remark to make, considering, after all.. the world had been vegan for at least 2 centuries and a bit.. Yes.. They'd even been no wars.. No violence.. No more crime.. No mass imprisonment of animals to suit human profit.. But God was a very difficult one to please.. A very difficult one indeed..

You see.. even though the animals had long since been given their rightly deserved liberty, and even though all borders had been dropped for mass control by the One World Government.. And even though every one spoke but one global language.. And even though there was no more money and everyone had everything they could ever need.. And even though even all the other animals had followed suit and become vegan themselves.. (indeed, several had even stopped eating altogether, and lived solely on hugs (the hugging bears), kisses (the kissing cats), and licks (the licking lions)..)..

The world was still in a rather pitiful state.. A thick layer of pollution lay dauntingly in the sky.. Kept afloat solely by the fans the humans had built to push it up there.. And everyone.. I mean.. every human lived in a city.. And not just little cities either.. These were biiiig cities.. And by biiig, I mean reeeaal BIIIIIG.

Everything was completely automated.. All manual labour had been completely taken over by self regulating robots.. People generally stayed in their houses and watched 3D TV all day.. There was one in every room, with literally thousands of channels to choose from and they were all equipped with a special device that could automatically choose the correct program according to ones particular humour on any particular day... if anything was needed, all one had to do was press a button.. All the food was completely synthetic.. The machines could make a carrot from the molecules of household waste.. Everything was recycled.. And recycled.. And recycled.. If humans had to go anywhere, a small robot regulated vehicle waited silently and patiently.. But no one went anywhere anymore.. No one did anything anymore.. No more children outside playing.. No more walks in parks (there were no more parks, as such).. No more picnics in the countryside.. Schools had long been abolished in favour of robot regulated educational activity conducted in the cosy comforting surroundings of home..

So you might be beginning to understand just why God was pulling such a face.. Not only was her beautiful creation covered in the grime of pollution, but what little wild areas were left were not appreciated at all.. No one there to admire the last remaining woods.. No one to be there to listen to the birds singing and the rustle of dried leaves crunching underfoot.. No one.. except.. Except.. One young girl, who, by a strange coincidence, was called Noah..

Noah wasn't like the rest of her neighbours.. She lived in the city with her roomy apartment like everyone else, but apart from that, the similarities stopped..

Noah.. Noah went for walks... Not just short walks from room to room, but long walks.. She went outside.. She even went outside of the cities.. She walked and walked.. She sat and admired flowers growing in the small forest on the outskirts of the city.. She went to speak with the kissing cats, and be smothered by their affection.. The neighbours watched with astonishment to see her out walking the streets.. "She must be crazy!" they all thought..

Noah.. Noah decided one day, that the 3D TVs were robbing her of her life, and with great care she disconnect and dismantled each set.. She'd seen the robots use a screwdriver before, and the tool had always fascinated her..

She wanted to have flowers in her apartment, and the next time she was out on her long walk, she came back with as much earth as she could carry and carefully filled the empty shell of one of her 3D TV sets.. That was just the start of it all really.. Soon she had refilled all the containers she had with earth, transplanted several of her favourite flowers, taking care not to damage any roots, and even.. even she sowed the grains of several edible plants.. "I wonder what real food tastes like..". She thought to herself..

Within a matter of weeks, she had turned her apartment into a veritable little garden, full of all sorts of flowers and leafy plants.. She didn't really know what she was transplanting.. But that mattered not.. It was beautiful, and it brought the smell of the forest into her increasingly more homely abode..

"She's my last hope.." sighed God..

.. .. .. So.. one day.. While Noah was out in the forest.. God came to speak with her..

"Hallo Noah" she said, in her gentle mellow voice.. "I'm God"

"Hallo" replied Noah, expressing little surprise, but much curiosity in her voice.

"I've been watching you.. and you seem to be the only human left that really appreciates the world.. Hmm.. I took a lot of trouble in designing it you know... and you humans have been quite a disrespectful lot that I almost regret ever moulding you from the dust you came.. I wonder.. I wonder, if you could do something for me..".

"Maybe.." replied Noah uncertainly.. "I'd like to do something for you.. but I'm not really that sure that I'll be able.. I'm not really much good at anything you know.. None of us humans are you know.."

"Yes.. I have noticed.." retorted God.. "But you have the robots at your service, and with their help, you should be able to do many things.. What I'd like you to do, is construct a space vehicle to voyage to the stars.."

"To the stars? I've heard about them, but there aren't any stars they're just a legend..!" answered Noah, who, despite having often walked during the night, had never seen a star.. She was right in a way, for the stars remained permanently invisible due to the thick layer of pollution... Nobody really believed anymore that they truly existed.. even the sun was just a dull blur behind grey smog clouds..

"Oh.. ho" chuckled God.. "I'm afraid you're wrong there.. They exist alright.. I created it all at the same time you know.. Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there.."

"Well.. I'd like to help you, but.. I just wouldn't know where to start.. A space ship.. I've just taught myself how to use a screwdriver, but I really can't imagine that that's enough to go about constructing a space ship..

"Hmm.. Don't you worry about the technical details.. I have the blue prints with me, and you have the robots that I'm sure will gladly be of service.. It will give them a change from all that dish-washing and constant floor-scrubbing they're generally involved with"

God proceeded to extract the blue prints she had folded inside her vest, and opened them in front of Noah..

Naturally Noah was unable to properly understand the blue prints, but it was evident that the plans were for a very.. a VERY big ship.. It would take time, but with the help of the robots, she felt confident that she would succeed..

"OK.. Leave it with me God.. I'll do my best" said Noah confidently.

And that said.. with a puff of electric blue air God disappeared, leaving just a faint smell of lavender and roses behind her..

.. .. ..

The following day, Noah set to work.. She gathered as many of the robots she could that were free, and gave each one the task of finding certain necessary materials.. Actually, this was much easier than it seemed as the machines existed that could just synthesis anything from anything.. The raw materials being the atoms..

They set to work putting things together just outside the city..

Soon after.. News got around that Noah was building a space ship..

The people travelled from within the city, and from within neighbouring cities, in their fully automated vehicles, of course..

"What a fool!" they said.. "A space ship! Whatever for? There're no stars to go to! How crazy!.. What is she doing? Out here in the cold.."

They didn't stay long.. Afraid of missing their favourite 3DTV shows, they hurried quickly back to their warm and snug apartments..

Days passed.. The days ran into weeks, and the weeks into months, as Noah continued her work with the robots, learning more each day, and spending more and more time outside.. Some nights she even slept outside under the dark heavy starless sky..

The crowds had stopped coming to mock her efforts.. Preferring the comfort of their fully automated homes, with the convenience of their push button kitchens..

... .. ..

At last the ship was virtually complete.. Round in shape, and rather enormous in size.. Completely hermetically sealed, and equipped with many a number of things.. Noah was quite proud of her work..

..

Fill it up with animals..

Get in.. Close the door.. Wait for 40 days and 40 nights..

Somewhere, far beneath the earth.. A cable broke.. The fans stopped blowing.. and the clouds, slowly but surely, descended..

The ship sucks the pollution into itself for transition refinement and use as clean fuel.. thus