FLY, EVEN IN THE DARK
The audience applauds as a woman wearing glasses and a wireless mic steps onstage.
On the large screen behind her is a photo of a swarm of bees in a beautiful orchard, a group of people smiling beside them.
The speaker begins. “The bee is an essential creature in our lives. Without bees, honey isn’t the only thing that would disappear. Nor would we just lose some flowers to admire. We would lose the vegetables we eat every day, and fruits would become scarce too. There would be no more feed for livestock, dealing a massive blow to the ranching industry. Ultimately, a world without bees is a world without human beings.”
The bees in the photo vanish one by one. Then the people disappear too. The audience stares blankly at the dark screen. After regarding the crowd somberly for a moment, the speaker continues.
“I’ve given several lectures about why bees are disappearing. Their habitats have declined drastically since the second industrial revolution. This phenomenon is called ‘colony collapse disorder.’ Monoculture farming, mites, pesticides, electromagnetic waves, and the desertification of half our planet have all accelerated the extinction of the bee.”
The crowd is silent. The speaker swallows, then proceeds.
“What is the solution? There are things you all can do to help. You can plant flowers outside your homes, for instance—small gestures like that. Of course, practicing eco-friendly agriculture in production can be considered a fix. And some say urban beekeeping is one part of the cure.”
Photos appear to match what the speaker is saying: a flower garden, an urban hive, an X’d-out can of pesticides.
She continues. “But these are tasks for everyday people and beekeepers. We bioengineers propose a different solution.”
The speaker turns to the screen, now cleared of all photos except for a single image in the center: a vibrantly colored bee with large wings. The speaker turns back to the crowd, her tone serious.
“That solution is none other than the creation of an artificial breeding program for rearing super bees. These bees are born stronger, healthier, faster, more robust, more alluring, and smarter than any bees that have ever existed before.”