A Final Sound
posted February 25, 2009
It had a long, eel-like form and fins placed densely along its body. On one end, it trailed a bouquet of fleshy ribbons almost as long as its body. On the other, it brandished two carefully sharpened sets of claws and a perpetually-smiling array of equally sharpened teeth. Its eyes were barely visible above its mouth, ensconced as they were in overabundant folds of dusky, motor-oil skin.
It approached quickly, undulating its tail-ribbons, clenching and releasing its enormous jaw. The space station’s instruments first registered the monster’s approach just 30 seconds before it came into view through the transparent observation panel. My four companions and I forgot our responsibilities and gathered at the panel. The thing then slowed down and leisurely approached over the next two minutes. More than once, it seemed to notice our tiny, human faces staring from the station; it might have even smiled as it turned its grotesque face toward us.
Finally, it arrived at Earth. The bleak brownness of the creature formed a horrible counterpart to the planet’s chipper blue and green. The thing curled its long body around the southern part of the planet; its tail-ribbons pointed back northward along the opposite side. It grinned and stretched its claws out like a cartoon character preparing for a meal.
It began with the arctic ice cap. Its claw easily closed around the giant glacier and lifted off the top of the planet. The creature’s still-smiling mouth enclosed the delicacy in one behemoth bite. It seemed pleased: its tail-ribbons shivered slightly as they caressed the far side of the globe. With still more energy, the monster moved on to Australia, ripping tastefully-sized chunks of the continent and whimsically tossing them into its gaping mouth. Once Australia was reduced to table scraps, the diner paused for a moment. Perhaps it was simply savoring the unique texture of the millions of Australian people, their buildings, their pets.
The pause invigorated the creature. With new haste, it plunged face-first into Europe, working its jaw furiously. Its cosmic teeth mashed the land into easily consumable subcontinents, which floated aimlessly until the enormous jaw found them and slurped them from the planet’s surface.
As the thing proceeded on to Asia, then Africa, then the Americas, my companions began to drop away from our window. They stared straight ahead and wandered back into the space station as lethargically and directionlessly as the scraps of torn land wandered below. I turned away, leaned against the wall, and slid to the floor. Although it was physically impossible, I could hear the crunching and sloshing of the planet’s hasty disassembly. The sound was deafening, inescapable.