cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/2607568

This story keeps changing and more endings keep appearing for it. It started out as a collapse-drunken draft, rather grim and primitivist but somewhat comforting. With ending 4, thanks to solarpunk and to the practical and intellectual work of so many good people world-wide who aim to be part of the community of life again instead of dominating it, we see a little light finally. Who knows if more endings appear, and what they bring.

Story of childeater

There was a time when all peoples lived as good neighbours. All had to eat, and all had shelter, and all shared the green place that was earth, and its waters and winds.

Once in a while, Childeater would arrive. She came to all people, and take some of the small away. She took equally from everyone. And everyone understood that it’s the way of life, out of the control of everyone.

The humans were the youngest of the community, and often a little too smart for their own good, while lacking understanding. “We will outsmart Childeater. We will build a machine to protect our small ones so she cannot take them anymore.”

They built the machine, and when Childeater returned she couldn’t take the human small ones. She called out to them: “Humans, your machine eats your neighbours’ food and burns their shelters, don’t you see?”

They did not answer. If they had seen it, they didn’t really want to notice it all that much. It felt so good to finally have protected their own small, know them safe inside the walls of the machine. She tried, a second time, to make them understand: “Humans, know that for every small one I cannot take from you, I have to take one from your neighbours.” They turned the machine up more, to drown her voice.

#### End 1 - Grim dystopia

A third time she tried: “Humans, if you do not turn off the machine, it will kill all your neighbours, and you will be lonely. You will spend your days yearning for the community you lost while your machine eats everything. And in the end you will die in the scarcity of the wasteland you have created and you will have gained nothing but infinitely more grief than you are trying to avoid now.”

The humans didn’t answer. Maybe they really couldn’t hear her words anymore through the noise of the machine, maybe they were too young to understand what it meant to lose the community of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings.

Childeater went and took the small ones of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings. The human small ones grew up in the noise and the smoke of the machine, protected, but also more alone with each passing of the seasons.

One day the machine stopped. “What happened?” asked one of the humans. “I think it ran out of fuel” said another. “I best grab what’s mine and defend it then, get off my lawn!” said the first. “How is it your lawn? It’s the lawn of the strongest, clearly!” “It’s ‘law of the strongest’, arsehole” and one gives the other a push. And while they are getting angrier at each other, they hear the steps of Childeater approaching, coming to collect her due, and in their panicked fighting, they push the smallest and weakest in front, so childeater takes them first.

#### End 2 - still quite dystopian

A third time she tried: “Humans, if you do not turn off the machine, it will kill all your neighbours, and you will be lonely. You will spend your days yearning for the community you lost while your machine eats everything. And in the end you will die in the scarcity of the wasteland you have created and you will have gained nothing but infinitely more grief than you are trying to avoid now.”

The humans didn’t answer. Maybe they really couldn’t hear her words anymore through the noise of the machine, maybe they were too young to understand what it meant to lose the community of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings.

Childeater went and took the small ones of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings. The human small ones grew up in the noise and the smoke of the machine, protected, but also more alone with each passing of the seasons.

One day the machine stopped. “What happened?” asked one of the humans. “I think it ran out of fuel, somewhere out there” said another. “Probably it will be a bit rough then, the next years, I guess?” yet another. “We will get through this, but we have to remain positive!” and then a small voice “And when Childeater comes to get me? She will be mad.”

The grownups don’t answer, they are so busy organizing things, and so many people seem to have fallen sick lately.

Child lies awake in terror at night, waiting for Childeater to take revenge. Then Childeater approaches, in the shape of a kitten. “Childeater is never mad. She will take you back one day, and you just will keep changing form as always, only softer, without the armour your parents had built.” and so she purrs the child asleep.

#### End 3 - just ...

A third time she tried: “Humans, if you do not turn off the machine, it will kill all your neighbours, and you will be lonely. You will spend your days yearning for the community you lost while your machine eats everything. And in the end you will die in the scarcity of the wasteland you have created and you will have gained nothing but infinitely more grief than you are trying to avoid now.”

The humans didn’t answer. Maybe they really couldn’t hear her words anymore through the noise of the machine, maybe they were too young to understand what it meant to lose the community of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings.

Childeater went and took the small ones of bird, lizard, fish and beetle, tree and flower, of fur-covered and many legged and tiny beings. The human small ones grew up in the noise and the smoke of the machine, protected, but also more alone with each passing of the seasons.

One day the machine stopped. “What happened?” thought one of the humans. “It must have ran out of fuel, somewhere out there” it went through another’s mind, but nobody said anything because they were afraid of each other, and themselves, and also very tired.

They became to silent that they turned into broom, and even when the wind blows through them they only whisper.

#### End 4 - I like this one

A third time she tried, and called “Child open the door”. And a small child opened the door, and she asked, very politely: “I would have to speak to your parents, could you get them for me please?” and child went to get their parents: “Grownups, there’s a lady outside. She says she needs to speak to you.” They didn’t listen, and child tried a second time, louder: “Grownups, there’s a lady outside and wants to talk to you!”, but the machine was too loud and the grownups too busy to pay attention. So child pulled the plug. The noise stopped. Everybody stopped talking and doing what they were doing. And child said: “There’s a lady outside. She says it’s urgent.”

“Outside where?” “Outside the door, outside of the machine” “Outside OUTSIDE?”

They rushed to close the door, but found the machine already crumbling. Later, their children would ask them why the door ever needed closing. And the old ones weren’t quite sure what to respond, probably they didn’t remember.