The New World Republic

I listened to the crackling tape recording for the hundredth time. It was so distorted that it made my head hurt, but I couldn't stop. The voice told a dark story about our world: 

"Fifty years ago, in the year 2045, life was so different from today. People

 lived long, happy lives. But now, everything has changed. Global warming, 

climate change, and pollution were completely out of control. There was only 

handful of trees and barely any water. was no longer being filtered. All the 

minerals like gold, diamond, salt, and more ran out. The weather was 

unpredictable. Natural disasters ravaged cities and towns daily, and there 

were barely enough food crops growing anymore. This happened because many 

leaders ignored the people's cries for help. They cared more about their own 

needs than saving our planet."

     The tape went on to mention how the presidents of many countries were hot-tempered and foolish. It talked about the president of China, Mao Zhang. He was one of the only smart leaders. He asked his scientists to create something that could save the Earth and possibly sell it to other countries. But then something terrible happened: one year later, Mao Zhang was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Agents from Russia went to investigate, and discovered what the scientists had been working on -- eternal mineral seeds. When these seeds were planted, they would create thousands of minerals, generate water, and even grow food and trees.

     Russia needed these seeds badly and took all 247 completed seeds. Then, the United States and Germany decided they wanted the seeds, leading to the Fifth World War. Nuclear bombs exploded resulting in massive death and devastation, leaving the United States as the last country standing, with only a few hundred thousand people left alive.

     Through all the fighting, only five eternal seeds survived, lost somewhere. Fast forward twenty years to 2095. The United States was in serious trouble. Its leaders were young and incompetent; and incapable of fixing things, they resorted to intimation and violence to control the surviving populace. 

     The polluted air, still thick with nuclear fallout continued to kill people. Those exposed to the toxic air did not live much longer than eighteen, their bodies soon disintegrating into mush. 

     Every day in 2095 felt like a struggle to get by. My name is Sam, and I was approaching eighteen, one of the last of my generation. Each breath I took was a fight against the poisoned air. Looking at the older folks around me filled me with dread. I watched my friends disappear as a result of the horrible world we lived in. Leo, our immature 14-year-old mayor, ruled our city with an iron fist. He was one of the few who ever got clean water, good food, and more. He was cruel and took joy in exiling anyone over the age of seventeen because they would soon die. I watched in horror as my teachers and neighbors were taken away, their cries ignored as Leo laughed wickedly.

     I felt a mix of anger and sadness being trapped in his brutal game. In my small room, I daydreamed of a better world. One day, I noticed something amidst the mass of paper beneath my desk. It was a map I had found a while back. It outlined the forgotten places, showing a land untouched by death. I imagined it as a safe place for people like me. The more I thought about it, the more a bold plan formed in my mind. What if we could find those last five eternal mineral seeds? If we could plant them, we could heal the land.

     That night, I called a secret meeting with other kids who shared my plight. We gathered in an old subway tunnel where there was still a little bit of life. "We need to escape this city!" I said, trying to sound brave. "We'll find the seeds, plant them, and start a new world together. We can call it the New World Republic!" The name felt powerful when I said it.

     We slipped out of the city that night with stolen supplies and a determination to survive. With each step I took away from Leo's rule, I felt like I was shaking off his restraining chains. Night after night, we scavenged through the ruins of our old world, following any hint or rumor about the lost seeds.

     Finally, we got lucky! We found a ravaged hidden lab, and there they were, the five eternal mineral seeds! They glimmered softly in the shadows. I couldn't believe my eyes. These tiny seeds had the potential to bring life back to our lonely world. Carefully, we gathered them, filled with a revived feeling of hope.

     After planting the seeds in soil that hadn't felt life in years, magic began to happen. Green plants pushed their way through the ash-covered ground, and soon enough, the air began to smell fresher. It didn't burn when we took deep breaths. Slowly, our skin felt whole again, and laughter returned to our group, replacing the silence that once hung heavy in the air.

     Years passed, and eventually, we built the New World Republic. We stood in overgrown fields filled with flowers and tall trees, our new flag waving proudly against the bright blue sky. We didn't just want to create a place to live; we promised to remember the mistakes of our past and ensure that every voice was heard. We knew the value of life, and together we built a society filled with hope.