Machine-generated humans standing on the barricades

1. SABOTAGE

We never called it sabotage. It was more a question of liberation. We didn’t actually put up much resistance either. Some wires. A few rails. A little salt in the machine's tank. We dug up a dam and let the water out. We disarmed some logging machines. We poured a few buckets of water crystals into the tank. We threw some paint on the ancient stones. We glued ourselves to the highway. We painted new patterns on old paintings. We stood in the way when the dictator was coming for a state visit. It was enough. The movement grew. The old men and women in the cottages understood that we were doing the right thing, even though they lost a lot of money. All over the earth, machines began to break. We never belonged to Les Soulèvements de la Terre. We were never any ELFs. We just did what we needed to do. We disarmed their ideas. We destroyed their images. We broke their perceptions. We never had time to read ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ by Andreas Malm, because we had already started sawing. We couldn't stand it for long. We saw how they destroyed what belonged to us all. Therefore, we also simply started digging where we stood. The rest is history. It began with those who were already on our side. But then the others also realized that there was no longer any economic point in investing in what was going to break anyway. Then they built no more factories. The oil was left in the ground. The forest was allowed to stand. The water was allowed to flow freely. Sure, they sent police and military at us. They beat us. They imprisoned us. But we were like mushrooms. We appeared everywhere. It couldn't be stopped. We couldn't be silenced. We spread underground. We appeared everywhere. A single individual can cause big problems. Their systems are weak, cowardly, and fragile. They invest a lot in security. That's true. But we had nothing to lose. Besides, we had many adults on our side. They supported us in silence. Paid our fines. Bought new pliers. Drove us to the trains. Occasionally someone came along. They rarely came back. But they understood that what we did was important. We were probably partly inspired by all the organizations that stood up for the environment and the climate: Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, Sunrise Movement, Earth Liberation Front, Scientists Rebellion, Last Generation, Greenpeace, 350dotorg, Friends of the Earth International, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, Climate Justice Alliance, Ocean Conservancy, Just Stop Oil, Deep Green Resistance, Earth First!, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Amazon Watch, African Climate Alliance, A Seed Japan, Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, Act for Goa, Alternatiba, Aliança da Terra, Indigenous Environmental Network, WWF Climate Program, and Global Witness. But we had neither the time nor the desire to organize ourselves. Instead, we put what we had in our backpacks and left.

2. DON'T RUN

It is not possible to change the system from within. But it is possible to change systems. It wasn't as hard as we thought. It wasn't as complicated as they said. We just stopped. And in an instant, everything was changed. But in a completely different way than we expected. Sure, we moved away from a political system that was corrupt and racist. Sure, we left a system that was based on the power of the rich and was governed by bought politicians. But what was established thereafter was something completely different from what we imagined. We got a new and better society where the political process is based on consensus, conversation, and mutual understanding. And the whole process was much simpler than we had imagined. It was just a matter of thinking a new thought. You can't change the system from within. You can't gain power within a system without becoming corrupted. You can't overcome those who represent the system. You can't persuade them without becoming like them. You can't adapt to the system you are trying to change without being changed yourself. You have to do something new. The step was simple. Actually. But on the surface, perhaps also difficult. We became refugees. We lost our position. We no longer had a nation, no place, no home. But the system we lived in wasn't ours anyway. It wasn't our state, not our country, not our laws. We held fast to our principles. We ignored their rules and laws. We ignored their illusory borders, their petty structures, their misguided laws. We didn't care about their system. Eventually, they were forgotten. Now we make all political decisions together. We don't need borders. The Earth is our country. Everyone is free to join us. We run like wild horses. Our political system is based on consensus and infinite conversation. We talk until everyone agrees, even if it takes two generations. It has now worked for over ten, and it gets faster and faster to reach an agreement the longer we keep at it. The problems become more and more numerous. Or at least more nuanced. The criticism becomes clearer. The problems become more distinct. But we listen to each other and therefore we can also understand each other. It's not about compromising. It's about leaving the battle. It's about taking the step we wanted to take all along, but didn't dare.

3. LISTEN TO THE FLOWERS

We believe in communication between species. We believe that all animals and all plants can communicate and that we, if we try, can understand what they have to say. So far, we have only been lazy. We long for the day when we can understand the lullabies of dolphins and the stories of elephants. We know that our role in these stories will not be particularly beautiful. But we also understand that the only way to learn is to learn from our mistakes. We lie down in the grass and listen to the trees. They speak of the future. They speak of possibilities that lie beyond our imagination. We see the images they paint. We listen and grow.

4. THE STONE ARCHES

We built them by hand. The first stones were the heaviest. Everyone needed to help. The stone arches became a symbol of our ability to help each other. Now they rise proudly over spruce forests and forest roads. They are symbols of leadership without leaders. The work was very well organized. But there were no bosses and no leaders. Yet the system worked perfectly. We sing the songs that made us dare: Don't be professional. Be kind. Don't be a boss. Be a friend. Follow no leaders. Don't become a leader. It leads nowhere. I believe in the connectedness with my surroundings and with the physical world. I remember when they raised the stone arches, or just the arches as we call them. Or at least I remember my parents telling me that we were there. Now they stand there, tall. Made of natural stone, lime, and our collective strength. They must be over 200 meters high. They are symbols of the self-organization of work. They are symbols of our refusal to obey orders. They are symbols of our ability to listen to the person standing next to us. It's actually not that difficult. All flocks do it, all herds, all swarms, all schools, all gangs, all flocks, all crowds, all colonies, all clusters, all packs, all gangs, all states, all phalanxes, all cliques.

5. THE ORCA BATTLE

We swam together. We swam with each other and with the whales. Then the hostile boats came, with nets and harpoons. We knew, of course, that they would come. That was why we were there. We defended the sea with our lives. The battles were more numerous than we had imagined. Their nets were aggressive and tough. We didn't have time to organize ourselves. We never became part of those who call themselves Sea Shepherds. They were our heroes. But we didn't have time to make contact. We couldn't afford tanks and hoses. We had no wetsuits or protection. The currents were too strong. Our breaths were too shallow. We managed to put on our masks. We dove. We saw their weak point. We destroyed their boats. We cut up their trawlers and nets. We released the catch back into the sea. The fish and all the other animals swam around out of fear and joy. It was romantic and beautiful. But ill-conceived and life-threatening. The infinite depths. The blue weight of the ocean. Foam and mouths. The promises of the pillared halls. The song of the Nereids. The sun glittering on the surface. But in the heat of the moment, it was more about blood and the future. We stood eye to eye. We had chosen sides long ago. They didn't have a chance. They were only out for money. It wasn't even about prestige. They weren't hunting the white whale. They weren't out for revenge. They just had to stand there on their well-equipped ships to survive. Our bare skin stood firm. The songs of the whales drowned out their engines. The rain fell. The storm subsided. They finally understood that we were on the same side. The boats sank. We rode on the dolphins. Poseidon rose in all his power. We saw how all the animals of the sea directed their strength in the same direction. A myriad of life entered our souls. All the memories. All the experiences. Our dormant DNA woke up. We laughed at the myth of the aquatic ape. The octopuses understood. The waves crashed against the rocks. It was not a question of political decisions. It was a question of life or death.

6. THE COMPETITION

We cooperate. We do everything together. Not at the same time. Not in the same way. Not synchronized. Not well-timed or pretty. But well. It is enough. I no longer compete. But I remember. I remember all the competitions. School, work, politics. Most people thought there were no alternatives. But there are alternatives. We don't need to compete. You don't need to be afraid of me. I don't want you to lose. I don't want to use my resources to deprive you of yours. I don't want to exploit your weaknesses. I want us to share fairly. We can, of course, disagree, but I will never be your enemy. The thing is, when you lose, I lose too. We belong together. We have the same origin and we have the same goal. Everyone. Humans, animals, plants, minerals, rivers, mountains, oceans, clouds, currents, and the vast weather systems.

7. THE ENDLESS CONVERSATION

We talked all night. We were many. Groups within groups. Thousands and thousands of voices. Yet it was simple. Everyone wanted it to work. We managed to look each other in the eye. The mood was calm. There was plenty of time. The atmosphere was charged. Everyone listened. Everyone spoke. We gave our consent. It took many nights. The conversations were not easy. We cried and laughed. But we never pretended. In the beginning, it was stiff and felt hopeless. But we slowly learned to listen. Now we agree. We don't believe in public elections. We don't believe in the competition of parties. We don't trust that they can stick to the truth. We believe in the endless conversation.

8. TAKEN INTO THE MOUNTAIN

We took the bad leaders into the mountain. No one would miss them anyway. We kidnapped them at night. They were allowed to get dressed. Most had expensive suits and exclusive ties. We only had our usual worn-out clothes. The point was not to steal their souls. Although maybe that's what the trolls did. We were only after their power. Inside the mountain, they no longer have any power. The power they had no longer corrupts them. Inside the mountain, they are free. They are free from their missions and their responsibilities. They no longer represent anyone. They no longer defend anything. They are just themselves. The principles that made us feel these actions were legitimate were crystal clear. We have the right of interpretation. It is our world at stake. It is not about influence. It is about self-defense. We cannot allow them to occupy our public institutions. We cannot allow them to abuse our public funds. Therefore, we do as the trolls do. We take them into the mountain. It has worked every time. When we then set them free, they have been transformed. The magic has done its work. They no longer grab for themselves. They see the geometry and justice. They no longer profit at the expense of others. They work for the common good. There is something about the minerals and crystals that works. It is a strange approach. It must be admitted. But it works and it is incredibly effective.

9. NEO-HIPPIES

Now we can finally dance and play. The sun shines on our bodies. We run under the protected branches of the trees. We play in the bubbling brooks. We laugh and talk in the grass. Everything is colorful and alive. Now that the struggle is over, we finally have time to listen and sing. Now that the wars are over and the earth is no longer threatened, we can breathe a sigh of relief. We still wear the clothes and symbols that were developed in protest. They remind us of why we did what we had to do. But we have played with them and refined their qualities. Our clothes are no longer just symbols. They are alive and have a will of their own. We wear fringes of recycled, self-healing bio-suede. When we walk, the fringes vibrate lightly against our thighs. Our vests and trousers have raw edges of cultivated skin. We wear necklaces of glass beads made from melted-down war waste. The beads are strung on hemp cords and hang around ankles and wrists. The hems of our long sweeping trousers touch the ground without wearing out because the nanowires in the fabric repel dirt. We have heavy rings of biomimetic brass with encapsulated living algae that shift in neon green. We smell of sun-warmed pine needles and incense. Water vapor evaporates from our heavy mantles of crushed fiber velvet. We have microscopic solar cells, in geometric patterns, on the back of our old protective jackets. We have thin blouses of cellulose and spider silk that are so sheer they merge with our skin. We have braided headbands of algae and metal with integrated biosensors. They flash and play at night when we dance. We have bracelets of bio-luminescent seashells that pulse slowly as we breathe. Pieces of chromatic fiber optics are tied around our thighs. They change color depending on how we feel. We have medallions of compressed river silt that have engraved coordinates to the restored coral reefs. The light green splashes of color on our knees are living moss that we have planted there to remind us of the cracks in the cities. We have crocheted our own sweaters from mushroom mycelium that grows and adapts to the shapes of our bodies. We have feathers of synthetic and air-purifying keratin tucked into our braids. Some have long coats of regenerated wool with linings that purify the water they are dragged through. Others have rings of braided titanium that remember the shape of the fingers that wear them. Some have necklaces of polished meteorites mixed with seeds that sprout when we drop them on the ground. Many have wide wedges of color-shifting light-weave sewn into their trouser legs. A few have sensors and transmitters at their ankles that can communicate with the small animals in the grass. We wear white tunics with embroideries of phosphorescent mushroom thread and large soft bags of cellulose-leather containing seed bombs and filters. Our shirt collars are made of living lichens. They take up the carbon dioxide from our exhalations. We make rings that pulse in harmony with the earth's geomagnetic field. We weave coarse shawls from collected sea fishing nets. They still smell of salt water and seaweed. We give each other buttons made of recycled space junk. They sparkle in the sun on our billowing kaftans. Now that the battle is won, we can sing and dance.