Imagine 2200, Grist’s climate fiction contest, recognizes stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress, imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. Read the 2022 collection here. Or sign up for email updates to get new stories in your inbox.
Holdout. Female, elderly, likely mixed race, average build, unarmed, traversing north-northeast dirt footpath through oak/ pine/ madrone woodlands near northern edge of my newly assigned territory. Permanent human presence poses significant risk to my rewilding efforts here. Approach? Approach.
“Hello —”
“Aaah! What are you doing here?”
Holdout’s heart rate now elevated. Double-checking unarmed. Confirmed unarmed, though she remains roughly 10 times my size. Holdout appears to have been startled by my appearance despite no effort on my part to sneak up on her.
Update requested for improved human interaction.... Read more
