Scorched Earth

Agatha: We're doomed!

Agatha: This law allowed designated zones to be changed if there were natural incidents!

Iwan: Hold on, lemme read it first.

Agatha: It's been an hour, how is it?

Iwan: If a rain of inferno descended on this earth, we'd be cooked. I've shared this with Bayu as well; he's scared right now.

Agatha: Maybe his dream of revolution still exists?

Iwan: Who knows? If he shows signs of bloodlust, that's a revolution, alright.

There were no new pins in a week, so the trio decided to take a tour to check those pins with a rented car.

"An SUV? This is great!"

"Commuters like us need a change like this."

"This is great! Let's get started!"

"Wait, dude, let's check our belongings. Phones, check; water, check; snacks and meal pills, check; extra clothes, check; weapons, check. Perfect, let's go!"

Most pins are at Gunungkidul, Bantul, and Kulon Progo. They head straight to the rising sun; vitamin D will love to see their faces.

"Agatha's already asleep? We're still far from Sambeng. By the way, why do we pass through Bayat? The road is nasty here."

"Sambeng is closer to Central Java province than Wonosari, so this is the fastest route. The reason why the road is so bad is because of unstable ground. That's why the road is either like a roller coaster or full of potholes."

"Why is the land unstable?"

"One theory suggests that Bayat, maybe Wedi and Cawas as well, used to be a giant lake; the remaining lake is now called Rowo Jombor. The land below the lake is surely soft and unstable. That property still exists even though no water can be found on the surface. That's why some regions, such as Watukelir and Karangasem, are named after rocks. Wedi, the region that we just passed, means sand. As for the rest of the village's name, I have no idea."

"That does make sense; that's why the cradle of civilization was mostly centered around the Opak River and its surrounding rivers. The ground is fertile with volcanic sediments from Mount Merapi. Those rivers flow southward and might have met the ancient lake. Continue further south, and there's the ancient Bengawan River that also flows southward. Why does it flow northward now?"

"Maybe the pressure of the Australian plate heading northward? I don't know."

"I see… Hey, let's change the topic! What do you think about meal pills? In some regions, it has become the staple food. I believe it will have a long-lasting impact on human evolution if this phenomenon continues."

"Interesting, changes on metabolism? Digestive enzymes? Immune system?"

"Start off with teeth; the teeth exist to chew. Without chewing any food, it will grow weaker. Having soft foods in your diet might increase the risk of having your wisdom teeth impacted. Now imagine only eating one pill a day; it simply tells your nerves that you're full, enough meal for today. It has no taste, no sweetness, no saltiness, no umami. Less work for your tongue. Inside your stomach, the pill is broken down. So many nutrients are now moving to the intestines, get absorbed, and less poo to be taken care of."

"I see where this is going… Evolution!"

"Evolution it is! Less work for your teeth means weaker teeth; maybe teeth will be unnecessary at some point—just flat gums from birth till your last breath. No taste means the tongue is useless, except for drinking. I hope beverages in the future still have some degree of taste. Esophagus that are trained to handle pills will evolve as well, easier to swallow things, maybe? Less digestion in the stomach results in less stomach acid production. If you eat a nasi Padang or drink a cup of arabica coffee, your stomach will send an error code. For small intestines, less food is digested, shortening the length. The same goes for big intestines, less poo, less bacteria, and less length. It would be horrible if humans were used to this pill and evolved, according to my theory. Then, a disaster caused the pill to be unable to be produced. What will become of us?"

"Fascinating theory, it kinda reminded me of this video clip… Pakicetus, my brother, please! Think wisely of your decision!"

"Ooh! I know this one! Indohyus, I'll be fine! I want to eat more shrimp and fish. What could possibly go wrong?"

"You turn into an aquatic animal; that is my biggest fear. Promise me, Pakicetus, we will meet again."

"I promise you, brother, we will meet again."

"35 million years later…"

"AAAAAAAAOOOOOOOUUUUUGGGGHHHH. AAAAAOOOOAAAHHHH MUUUUUUUUHHHH." (proceeds to make whale noises)

"Pakicetus, my brother, I welcome you to… Sambeng!"

"I can't wait to eat tiwul, a mix of cassava and rice; sambal, fried salty fish, and boiled cassava leaves… Wait, why is it on fire?"

"Oh yeah, that's where the cassava plantations are."

"Good morning, guys, have we… What is that? Is that real?"

"You ain't dreaming, alright? That fire is really big."

"It's right where the pin is located! I'll check real-time satellite imagery to see other pins if they're in the fire."

"The firefighter is putting the fire off, but why it didn't work? It's early in the dry season."

"Many paddy fields are on fire now, right after harvest, where the stems are dried and sticks are firm on the ground. Other plantations are not on fire, though. Like banana, mangosteen, durian, sugarcane, and many more."

"This part is rather dry; that's why it's easier to catch fire."

"What cycle is it now?!"

"Tha, what cycle?"

“Is this year El Niño or La Niña?!”

"It's El Niño. Maybe up to 11 months, why?"

"Prolonged dry season, at its peak… Lack of water, dry lands, high risk of fire for trees… Mark my words, boys! Soon, the forest and other plantations will be gone. A new plantation and forest will rise: bamboo, earth, hemp, ash, cogongrass, palm fiber, rattan, paper mulberry, nipa palm leaf, mycelium, ferrock, straw bales, and recycled plastic."

"Copy that!"

"Roger that! Will you fully devote to another investigation with us?"

"Of course, no time to play around this time!"

"Say, you guys wanna get some grub?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Me too."

"You will regret your decision, the smell of cup noodles will tempt you, and you shall dine with me."

"Oh, you wanna make cup noodles? Why don't you tell me earlier?"

"I've told you poetically. C'mon Wan, join us!"

"Maybe later, you two go first."