The Wandering Earth

thousand-mile stare

slanted

We all gazed in awe as she explained to us the process

A pensive look crossed her face.

‘I have heard that not too long ago ants could read. Now, none of us remain who could study the old books,’ the first ant noted.

‘We have fallen. If it goes on like this, the ants will soon lose all their knowledge and become nothing but small, cave-dwelling, foraging insects,’ the other said dismally.

‘What would be wrong with that? In these hard times, knowing little would seem just as well to me,’ the first ant retorted, shrugging her antennae.

Senator Belapi shook her head in disagreement. ‘Creativity and imagination? Humbug, Professor. Do you really consider those traits to be good things? It is precisely because of them that the dinosaurs are such neurotic beings, and it’s what makes their moods so volatile and unpredictable. They end up wasting their lives daydreaming, as they indulge their silly fantasies.’

‘What is civilization? Civilization is devouring, ceaselessly eating, endlessly expanding; everything else comes second.’