Two ways
Author: ЕЖОВА МАРИЯ ПАВЛОВНА | MARIA PAVLOVNA

Preface
I am a third–year student of the Francysk Skaryna Gomel State University, I study Russian, literature, and Chinese. Even at school, I liked to write short stories, fan fiction, and come up with various plots. Therefore, when I learned about the Horizon-2100 competition, I immediately became eager to try to write a fantastic story.
My story does not pretend to be highly scientific, rather it is a warning story, a call story: people save yourself and your planet before it's too late!
And if, after reading it, at least a few people think about it and change something about themselves, and at least make this world a better place (plant a tree, sort out garbage, stand up for the weak), then my goal will be achieved.  


- Take me with you! 
He looked up from the tablet on which another report was nearing completion.
- Take me with you! - Clio repeated, - I am also a descendant of the Earth, my ancestors lived there, and I have the right to see it!
His blue eyes glowed with stubborn desperation, and as always, he couldn't bring himself to look away from them. In them he saw the purity of the lakes and the bottomlessness of the skies of Gaia, the blue of the snow on its mountain peaks, the sparks of cornflowers in the meadows. Involuntarily, he looked at his reflection in the mirror opposite: "Yes ..., but in my eyes the smog of Earthly cities and oil stains on puddles ..."
- You can't go there, - regretfully, but resolutely, he freed himself from the girl's embrace. "there's nothing left for you to love your ancestral homeland for. I'll deliver the report and the bacterial samples and come back. It's fast, you won't even have time to get bored.
- Every time you come back darker than a cloud, and I will protect your mood, eh?
Ger shook his head negatively and plunged back into the report, in which, not in words, but in numbers devoid of emotion and subjectivity, every line, every calculation said: "Yes, the experiment is successful! Yes, on Earth it is possible and necessary to implement the experience of the inhabitants of Gaia as soon as possible!"
While flying the spaceship, Ger once again listened to the history of the exploration of Gaia, which had attracted him since school…
    The idea of the experiment arose a long time ago, at the beginning of the 21st century, when the hand of the world clock was set at five minutes to midnight. At the same time, a group of young scientists discovered an Earth twin planet in a neighboring galaxy. One of them, a lover of mythology, suggested calling the planet Gaia. Someone said that it would be nice to have such a backup airfield, in case of an apocalypse. That's how it all started. The experiment found supporters among very wealthy and influential people, and "the process began."
     Finally, the idea looked like this: using the experience of earthly civilization, to grow a new humanity on the planet Gaia, the purpose of whose development will be scientific and spiritual enrichment. Once, according to the inspirers, there was a failure in the human development program, roughly speaking, a virus settled, and humanity began to strive for self-destruction. With the discovery of a new Land, it became possible to correct this mistake, to start from scratch. Volunteers for the settlement of a new planet were selected very carefully: they had to be physically and mentally healthy people without bad habits, with a high level of intelligence, comprehensively developed and completely devoid of a tendency to aggression and violence. People of both sexes, different races and different professions were selected. The subjects underwent many tests, passed a genetic analysis with the decoding of the DNA gene code.
At first glance, the requirements for their activities on the planet were simple: to develop only absolutely environmentally friendly production, not to produce any weapons, not to allow inequality between people, all human activities should not be aimed at economic benefit – only scientific and cultural effect. The main value in the Constitution of Gaia was declared man as a part of nature. However, it turned out to be very difficult to bring the idea of an ideal society to life. There were, of course, failures: someone could not stand the moral and ethical attitudes of the new world, someone tried to extract personal benefits. They were immediately sent back to Earth. Enthusiasm, youth and understanding helped to cope: you can't make a mistake, then everything will be in vain. Biologists, chemists and physicists were the first to go to Gaia – before settling, the planet had to be studied. The main condition: when studying, do not harm an unfamiliar world, but join it and become a part of it. Even wild animals could only be defended with an ultrasonic repeller. Gaia greeted her new inhabitants very friendly. She was still a very young planet and did not know how to be afraid and distrust, she was not familiar with the disappointments and pain of the Earth, so Gaia only watched with interest what was happening on its surface. 
As more and more people came to explore and explore the planet. Closed-loop industries using natural energy resources (wind and solar energy) appeared, only biodegradable materials were used in the production of clothing, furniture and other household necessities. When faced with the problem of garbage, the experience of earthlings in growing plastic-eating bacteria was applied. The wastewater was repeatedly treated and was again usable. Only electric and hydrogen vehicles were used for transportation. Each new project was examined "under the microscope" for environmental and ethical safety by a council of specialists from various fields of human activity. 
Ger recalled his first impressions of the inhabitants of Gaia. At first, they seemed to him "malacholic": they never lie, they say what they think, although sometimes they could have kept silent. Ger remembered how Clio had made him look like a barbarian when he had come to her with a bouquet of wildflowers and smiled…
There was no cult of materialism on Gaia. The thing was supposed to be useful or serve aesthetic pleasure, no one here would understand that a thing can be thrown away if you just get tired of it. What was broken or worn out was redone, updated, or simply exchanged with friends. The furnishings of the houses of local residents would seem too ascetic to earthlings: only the most necessary and concise in form. "I wonder how gay people would react to a bed with monograms, or to a bunch of layers of curtains on the windows, or to stucco in the form of cupids," G. giggled, imagining the reaction of his friends from Gaia. Gay people did not accumulate anything, did not save for a "rainy day", but lived according to the principle: "you can't take anything to the next world, and my immortality is the memory of me, this is what I will have time to do for people during my lifetime." Children have known since birth that the purpose of every person's life is to benefit people and their planet. The upbringing of children was approached extremely scrupulously, the profession of a teacher was considered very honorable and responsible, because everyone understood that the future of the planet was in the hands of teachers. Creativity, extraordinary solutions, and the absence of stereotypes were welcomed in the training; The students were not given ready-made solutions, they found them themselves. The inhabitants of novaya Zemlya genetically lacked envy and a desire, as they said in the 21st century, to "show off" in front of anyone. No, the competitive spirit was present in its healthy manifestation: in sports, in professional achievements, as well as a sense of pride in success, and not because someone has a more prestigious label on their clothes than others. 
Yes, at first many things seemed strange, but after getting to know the gays better, Ger realized that they are the real People, that's right – with a capital letter! It was as if all the dirt, husks, and debris that had been overgrown with centuries had been removed from a person, and the Person appeared in all his glory, the way nature intended. With each flight to Gaia, he felt as if he himself was being freed from something superfluous and unnecessary. "And Cleo? Oh, Clio! If someone wants to convey the beauty of Gaia, it will be enough for him to just draw her portrait!"- Ger smiled at his thoughts again, and, deciding to take a nap, turned the spaceship into automatic mode…

"Why Clio?"
- Because the daughter of a history professor can't be called anything else, I'm Dad's muse. And you? Why Ger, Gerka? What's your full name?
- You'll laugh, it sounds somehow, somehow too pretentious.
- So what, let's have a laugh together!
Ger hesitated for a second, and then blurted out: "Hercules." Clio burst out laughing, as always, throwing her head back, very loudly and contagiously. 
    "And who gave you that name?"
    - It's just that my mother loved the myths of Ancient Greece very much, - Ger also laughed.
    - And where are your twelve exploits, Hercules?
    "You know," Ger suddenly became serious and put his arm around Clio's shoulders, "it's a feat to come back to Earth from here every time.

    Ger woke up. His beloved's laughter still rang in his ears. "Eh... a dream," he sighed, and then suddenly decided to count how many times he had already visited Gaia and found out that this was his twelfth business trip. "Sleep in my hand, I even felt a little uneasy," Ger shook himself, did a light charge and sat down at the control panel.

The road to Earth was long, there was time to sleep, and finish reports, and reflect, and sort out your thoughts on the shelves. During such flights, Ger pondered the secret of the experiment's success. Why did they succeed, but the Earthlings did not? Of course, thanks to his business trips, and before him, the work of other people, more environmentally friendly technologies began to be introduced on Earth, but earthlings did not change. And those who thought and felt differently flew to Gaia, if of course they passed all the tests and examinations. He remembered the beginning of the Gaia Constitution, and it dawned on him: Among the Gay people, man is initially positioned as a part of nature, not the "crown of creation", not the "king of nature", but a part of it, a small component of it. In order for a cell to work properly, all its components (nucleus, metachondria, plasma and whatever else it has) must function properly. For an organ to work properly, all its cells must be healthy, for the body to be healthy, all its organs must work smoothly and without failures.  And for the Earth to be healthy, all organisms living on it must live in harmony. And the Earth, in turn, is also a part or a cell of a huge organism, which someone calls the universe, someone nature, someone God.
    How can this be conveyed to people? How to make the "powerful of this world" understand that weapons, money, power are nothing, it's dust, that the only thing that will remain after you is the memory of you and your deeds? That you won't take anything with you, and you won't need it. After all, in the last few minutes a person remembers those who were really dear to him and regrets that he devoted too little time to them.
    For such reflections, Ger flew to the Ground. He had already seen it on the instruments. The earth was getting bigger, getting closer. It was already possible to see the continents... and suddenly, in place of the Earth, Ger saw a huge explosion, a fireball. Ger froze in horror, but in the last seconds he managed to turn the spaceship almost "automatically". "That's it! – still numb, he thought, - there are no other ways, and no more evidence is needed!"

Afterword
Until a person realizes that he is a small part of something bigger: a city, a people, a country, a planet, and that how he will think and act depends on how this more will feel. You can't change the world without starting with yourself. And there is not much time for this, and, alas, we have nowhere to run.