The piece is Nocturne op 55 no 1 by Chopin, written between the year 1842 and 1844, more commonly known as the Romantic Period of music. This piece reminded me of the short story There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury because of the upsetting tone and chaotic number throughout the piece.

The piece begins with a slow and repeating theme which matches the beginning of the story where the author describes the conditions of the house while hinting that something is not right. It is mysterious and cold. The first half of the repeating theme ended with a rush of fast doubled notes which reminded me of when nature started it’s work towards the house. Wind blew and a tree crashed through the kitchen window. Chemicals shattered over the stove causing fire in an instant. Sudden and unexpected. Best symbolised with heavy chords.

The house starts to save itself as the melody starts to build up, getting louder and faster. Upon hitting the climax, the melody goes to a sudden stop and returns to the theme for a short while. However the fire continues its rampage. The house does work at a psychopathic rate. Running and intersecting notes in the piece symbolises this. Rushing and gaining more weight. The piece came to an end with only one hand left playing, just like how the fire was dying as the house was destroyed. The entire piece ended with repeating chords, similar to how the author ended his story with repeating words, getting softer and slowly vanishing.

Here is the live recorded piece:

Nocturne op55 no 1

"Today is August 5, 2026, today is August 5, 2026, today is..."

Those were the last few words uttered by the system before the house turned to ashes. Only the charred remains were left in place of that technological pinnacle of a house. No more advanced cleaner mice, no more advanced system reminding the time and the last piece of evidence of the family existence was burnt to the ground. How did technology progress so much in those years? What made the silhouette of the family? Where was everyone? What led to this incident? The answer to these questions would be explained later on. But fiction could be intertwined with reality. This story might prophetise what might happen in the future.

The year was 2021 and the world was still in utter chaos from the pandemic. The Covid-19 virus has mutated far beyond control. The vaccine was successful for eliminating the first wave of virus. That was until the virus mutated to be immune to the current vaccine. Just as the scientist thought they had another breakthrough the virus mutated once more, tripling its infection rate and doubling its killing rate. Just with the second wave, almost a quarter of the world’s population had vanished while the third wave wiped out another half of the world. That was when it became apparent that countries individually developing a vaccine wouldn’t cut it. The only way to fight off the pandemic was to combat this together as one whole regiment, not as individual battalions.

And so the UN decided to hold a meeting (virtually, of course, social distancing is still key). They all decided to send their best scientist and development team over to one singular location to work on the vaccine as one. The government on the other hand, must hand over all their information that they know about the virus to the central development team and contribute manpower as well as financial aid to them. They decided the main development headquarters would be in Russia as they were the first to develop the vaccine, while two more side headquarters would be set up in Canada and Seoul due to their modern technologies and infrastructures. Any world leaders which fail to comply will face immediate replacement with another worthy candidate.

And so, all the world leaders sent their research team to their respective locations. The leading scientists from each country and European and African scientists went to Russia. The American and Canadian scientists were placed in Canada while the Asian and Australian scientists were situated in Seoul. The final advance of the war was underway. Every day, they would send a report about their findings and discoveries to the main headquarters. From there they would continue the same routine and research starting from where they left off. Day after day, night after night, the scientists work effortlessly in order to find the vaccine. After 10 months, no results were shown. All hope was lost and there were no signs of breakthrough, the regiment was about to throw in the towel and wave the white flag.

That was until a miracle was presented. The UN team had found a vaccine! The vaccine passed phase 1 and Phase 2 of the test almost instantaneously. Phase 3 was then underway to test the vaccine on all nationalities. The vaccine was clear for usage after just 1 more month of development.

Humanity was starting to get back on track again. During that period of intensive research, world leaders were also forming alliances and small bonds to help each other out.They were helping out each other in terms of finance, economy, manpower and resources. Small bonds between world leaders eventually became strong diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations became uniting nations. Uniting nations eventually united all the nations as one. And so on 22 August 2022, all the nations in the world united as one single entity under the leadership of the UN.

From then onwards, leading development teams across the world advanced our technology at an insanely fast pace. Third world countries managed to get their economy on track. Resources were abundant. Technology was peaking like never before, creating automatic houses that can remember our schedule and carry out activities drag down a human’s productivity. It almost felt like an Utopian world. Little did they know, time was ticking towards the inevitable human extinction.

During this period, scientists and engineers alike were all developing a way to generate clean electricity without causing any more damage to the environment. The United Arab Emirates had already given a head start to this endeavor. They were using Uranium to power the generator which produced electricity that would have been produced to a ton worth of coal . They decide to tap into radioactivity to generate electricity. That was when Zeusium was made. It was engineered to be the perfect radioactive fuel, having the capability to decay slowly but still produce a mass ton of electricity.

And so these Zeusium generators were set up all over the world, with a whole mountain supply worth of Zeusium at their disposal. Even though Zeusium seemed like the perfect fuel source, it had a drawback. It was deadly to humans. If it comes in contact with water, it will send a shock wave so large it will disrupt the brain activity to make it seem we are under the effect of a flashbang. Then, it will send a wave of flashes which disintegrates us but leaving everything else untouched, just like how Zeus despises humans. Hence the name of the element, Zeusium. With so much Zeusium available, one could easily just put one drop of water and the whole world would be gone with that one drop. That’s exactly what happened.

With all the nations united, not everyone was pleased. This group was called The Disbandits. These people tried talking to the council of the UN to which to prevail. They tried rioting and protesting, but were only seen as outcasts. They decided if they couldn't get things to go their way, they decided no one should have this world. So one day, they got together for one final push to end humanity.

They all got information from the workers who were working in the factories. They got the whereabouts of the Zeusium, they knew the weakest spot in the factory, they knew what to ensure that maximum blast radius. All in all, they knew how to end humanity. So on 1 August 2026, project Haven was underway. Disbandit members were all over the world camping at their designated location to strike. When they got their order, they all entered at the same time as workers of the power plant. Since the power plant required very high maintenance and constantly needed someone to operate all the generators, multiple workers coming wasn’t a surprise considering this is a fairly high paying job. 3 hours into the operation, no one suspected that the new workers were about to end the world. These workers managed to easily sneak in and when they were given the signal, the drop of water was placed on the Zeusium and the whole flashbang was thrown and the lightning struck, successfully wiping all of humanity.

While reading There Will Come Soft Rains, the author’s words formed images in my mind and reminded me of some movies or television shows I have watched.

For starters, the mechanical and automated house in the story while its inhabitants were still alive I imagine would be similar to Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions sans the humorous fails that make the show a joy. ( watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7gdWIY9R4s ). One could also suggest that Smart House (1999) was one of the earliest portrayals of what technology could do in the future.

Speaking of which, the automated cleaner-mice prompts me to think about the Jumping Mice from Coraline (watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6vlly8CKtE ) that have minds of their own. Helpful mice like Cinderella’s (watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY30B9ZMq4U ) could possibly be an inspiration for the piece as well since they were both released/published around the same time. I personally have the deepest impression of the cheeky mice from Bob the Builder ( watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksJF4gTV49U ) for this particular part of the story because it is what I imagine the story’s mice to bear closest resemblance to.

Overall however with the theme of technological advancement and man-made destruction from the story, we can recall the storyline of Dr Seuss’ The Lorax (2012) where a resounding echo of industrialisation and its impact runs throughout. Other media references for those who are interested although they may not tie in strongly with There Will Come Soft Rains include Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) and The BoxTrolls (2014) mainly due to their art style (stop-motion animation).

While reading There Will Come Soft Rains, I related it to the current Covid-19 situation and thought it definitely seemed possible for humans to be completely wiped out by a disease but a few days ago, I realised the story was chillingly similar to the recent explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. It reminds us that human carelessness and ignorance will eventually lead to our own downfall. Our intelligence has enabled us to create and innovate for our own benefit but ironically, man-made inventions might destroy us someday, if not in the near future.

In addition, humans are weak and fragile, though we often perceive ourselves as brilliant mighty creatures. In the story, humans were erased from the face of Earth completely, easily almost, while flora and fauna survive. Nature will thrive and Earth will heal from the damage humans have inflicted upon it for our selfish needs and desires. We might all disappear one day but right now, it tells us to appreciate those around us because they will not be by our side forever. People leave, whether we like it or not. Sometimes we take for granted the time we spend with family and friends but someday all the time we thought we had would disappear. Therefore, we should be grateful for and cherish deeply every second, good or bad, we spend with others.

At the end of the story, when the clock reads the date, it tells us that regardless of our presence, time moves forward, days keep passing and the world continues turning. This made me feel small and insignificant but human beings are part of this ecosystem and we have left our footprints on this planet.

The lesson that I learnt through this story is that we must appreciate our time on earth. However, I do not think that we should do that by enjoying our lives. By that I mean being lazy, wasting time on things that do not benefit us just for the sake of enjoying. Things like partying, karaoke, vacations and many more. We can do it, but not too much of it, as too much of anything is bad. For every individual, they have their own life goal and using the remaining time on earth to achieve it to me is much more important.

About the earth pollution, I think that the effort that many people put into making products that reduce the pollution that the products themselves previously made is too much. For example, instead of putting every effort into upgrading the electric car, why not try to encourage people to ride bicycles. In general, I think that trying to make things more convenient is not very useful. Some people are relying too much on computers and robots, and some technologies do make things easier but in return pollute the earth. I think that many of us who live in advanced cities for quite some time, cannot and will not even if given the chance, choose to live life as if we are like the people in rural areas. People there would plant their own food, make their own shelter, rear animals, for their food supply. I do not think that the rate of pollution will be as bad as now. Although we just cannot deny that we pollute the earth no matter what, at least we are reducing it with the natural way.

My last words are that the end will come and probably very soon. I cannot imagine how the world would look like in the future. It is because of this that I only have one thing that I am a hundred percent sure that it is the right thing to do. It is putting my faith in God, my creator. I know that He made the world for a reason, and that all that is happening has a reason for it. I believe that He has a plan, a good one, for us, so when I leave, I can rest in peace.

As she floated over the vessel that used to carry her, she wondered “Was there anything I could have done better? Love a little more? Hurt a little less?” She was hurting from the fact that the people she once loved, the community that she was once a part of, had cursed themselves with their despicable actions toward their home. Filled with regret she wailed and wailed but not a single soul could have heard her. She wanted to tell her mother and father “I love you” just once more and apologise for all her wrong doings, but she could not. Not anymore.

She did not want to leave this life, she was happy but she now realised that she was ignorant towards the issues of the world, she ignored the warnings from the Earth, she was selfish. All she wanted to do was to turn back time. She wished that she had not thrown that plastic bottle into the lake and burnt that stack of papers after her exam. She wished she could have made a change and if not, the least she could have done was to have been a little nicer to her peers and parents, been more honest about how she felt and be more caring towards others. As she was called back home to the sky up above, the soul filled with regret could only cry.

After reading this short story, I am reminded of current undesirable events we are facing globally, such as the most recent Gaza bombing, the Beirut explosion, rampant racism, the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and more. Inevitably, this is all caused by human greed and selfishness. We should be using all the time we have to make the world a better place by, for instance, contributing to society, helping those in need, recognizing the humanity of other people and respecting their dignity. In addition to that, I think that we should really enjoy and appreciate every living moment here on Earth.

We lack humanity in us, which is the main factor why we are so greedy and selfish. One of the most outstanding examples of extra- ordinary humanity in a human being has been portrayed beautifully by Mother Teresa. Humanity means caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible. In addition to that, it also means helping others at times when they need that help the most and forgetting your selfish interests at times when others need your help. We neglect the little things we are able to do to make the people around us feel better, like the quote from Napoleon Hill states, “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”

On the other hand, we should focus more on such tragic catastrophes such as the Beirut explosion which has taken nearly 180 lives, leaving some 6,000 citizens injured. Thankfully, no one was injured in the most recent Gaza bombing. We should use the time we have to read more into why these incidents happened and help in ways like prayers and donations through official petitions.

Besides that, there have been many reported cases in the United States about citizens abusing another race and policemen allegedly killing innocent citizens due to racism. The funny thing is, racism is not even a word; human kind has invented this even though all these ethnic groups are from the same species; Homo sapiens. This all started from the death of George Floyd after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Everyone around the world saw how unfairly the late George Floyd was treated and started protests in the United States. My personal opinion on this incident is that we should always think twice before acting and ask ourselves if doing so is right or wrong. If the individual cannot differentiate between right and wrong, I guess his or her fate is now fully in God’s hands.

This is a message to everyone, I hope all of us will stay safe and refrain from going out if possible. Before I end, I shall quote a quote by Thomas Paine, “My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”

This story brings us through a day in the life of a house, mechanically run to assist its former occupants who have perished in a nuclear war. Nevertheless, the absence of the inmates does not faze the daily routine of the house, as it continues to carry out its designated jobs. The story itself lacks life and wit from the human persona, and is replaced instead with lifeless robots which only do what they are programmed to.

This is how Ray Bradbury depicts the end of the world, or at least a world without humans. It is a world that continues to run its course of life, leaving humans behind as a past that will never be remembered. However, the absence of humans might not necessarily be a bad thing as it gives the world a sense of serenity where there is no corruption, politics and no need for wars. I feel that many would try to ignore the message that this story is trying to deliver, which is that humans in fact are merely temporary inhabitants to this earth, and should not hold on to any sense of entitlement. This entitlement can bring us to misuse mother nature’s resources for our own selfish reasons, which ironically could be the reason why the nuclear war in the story was brought forth.

Despite being just fiction, it does not mean that our damnation and end is far from sight. With the current pandemic and increasing environmental issues, we cannot delude ourselves from the truth that we have to do something about the state of our world.

In the story, the people may not be aware that the nuclear explosion is about to happen. They continue their daily routine just like those normal days without knowing that that day is their last day on Earth.

“If you knew this was your last day on earth, what would you do today?” Usually when people ask this question, they’re trying to get us to think about our lives differently, to rearrange our priorities properly.

So what would I do, if today was the end of all things? Well, I’d do a lot of things. I will spend my time with my family bonding, eating out with my friends, or even watch my favourite Korean dramas.

I can come up with quite a few ways easily to spend my last day on Earth. You know what all of them have in common?These activities are just unsustainable. We have to live our own real life.

The fact is, we’re never going to know when we are going to leave the world. Some people may try to nail down an exact date, and try to manage their savings so that all their savings can be used up by the time they pass away. I’m only bringing it up to point out that we can’t live “like it’s the last day on Earth”—unless we think about what that means thoroughly. We can’t spend all our savings, ignore our health in the interest of enjoying the world. All we can do is live our lives in our best way. And if we’re doing that, then why are we so worried about when the end is coming? We’re already doing what we can do to be ready.

I think Ray Bradbury really managed to finesse this piece of writing in its genre. From details to the metaphors as well as personifications, I feel he gave each character a part and personality of its own, which in turn, served strong emotions throughout the story.

After reading this, I feel the message that I got was to realize how vulnerable human lives are. This story reminded me of the “you only live once” mindset and how it has become a widespread term in our generation. I feel that many times, we look to the rather, negative side of this quote where it’s “ you only live once, so you might as well just do it” that tends to lead us to making rash decisions and end up hurting ourselves and the people around us. We may be insignificant, but our actions are not. Our actions make an impact on the environment and culture changes as the world evolves.

But after reading this short story, in return, I feel a more positive impact from the quote “ You only live once”. When I read this quote now, I read it with a “ You only live once, so give it your best”. This is not only for yourself, but also for the community and helping to shape and form a better future for everyone.

Firstly, the characters in the story might not have predicted the nuclear explosion.For example, in the short story, people were spending their day as usual, people mowing the lawn, kids playing with the ball, no one was aware of the nuclear explosion.Thus, we need to live to the fullest everyday as we do not know when our last day on earth would be.

Next, the short story stated how advanced technology has become. For example, robots are used to clean the house, clean the dog’s mess and also voice-clocks that record date and time clearly. As technology is getting advanced day by day, humans are getting lazier and lazier. For example in the short story, eggs are being fried perfectly by themselves and dishes are being done automatically. I find it kind of scary when all of the humans in the short story dies out, only technology remains alive. Technology is really helpful to us in some ways, such as lessening our workload, but we as humans should use technology until a certain extent and don’t be too dependent on it.

After reading the short story ‘There will come soft rains’ by Ray Bradbury, I felt that we should not rely too much on technology. Technology does bring us many benefits but can also bring destruction to humanity and we may perish from Earth forever. For example, in the short story, the machines will automatically prepare breakfast for the family and tiny robot mice will come out from warren to clean the house. This shows that human beings are getting lazier and lazier with the innovation of technology. Soon, we will not know how to do simple tasks like cooking and cleaning and the world will be slowly dominated by robotic creatures.

Beside that, I also knew that we, human beings, are forgetting the gift of mother nature. We build hydroelectric power plants to generate electricity by sacrificing our beautiful rainforest. We plant palm oil trees for industrial purposes without thinking about the ecological costs that matter. We had polluted the natural environment too much and one day, we might just need to leave our home, Earth and find a new planet to pollute. Then, Earth might just be a junkyard for us to dump our rubbish.

As a conclusion, we are the real virus and there is no vaccine for it. We must protect our one and only home. In the end, there may be no living things in the universe and everything is in God’s plan.