Fiction Story/ They didn’t know (Eng/Esp)
Published on HivePostify by @popurri · Sun Aug 23 2026
[source](https://pixabay.com/es/photos/puerta-estelar-viaje-en-el-tiempo-3141163/)
The time capsule was unearthed from the place where it had remained buried for two hundred years. It was a discovery that had shocked the inhabitants of the post-tectonic era. The underground river had carried it to the vicinity of the subterranean city of Parima.
In the year 150 of this era, the inhabitants had defied the planet’s harsh conditions by living in geologically stable areas, such as the Guiana Shield and the Canadian Shield. Life was possible only there, and the current population was descended from these survivors.
In the Citizens’ Assembly hall, the twenty members gathered to discuss where and when to open the capsule and whether they should reveal its contents to the public. They did not know what they would find or whether it would be safe to expose any microorganisms that might still be alive to the environment.
Given this concern, the decision was made to open it in a safety chamber.
That morning, there was a great deal of anticipation among the ten men and ten women of the Council—the oldest descendants—as they sat around the glass dome, waiting for two men in special suits to open the capsule.
What happened next surprised everyone. When the tightly sealed lid was removed, there was nothing visible inside except a note that read: “In a hundred years, we’ll all be dead.”
"And that was it? What a disappointment! We already know that—even though the prophecy didn’t come true entirely. If it had, we wouldn’t be here right now."
"So what were you expecting, Maya—letters from schoolchildren telling us what they wanted to be when they grew up?"
"Yes, Julius, you said it yourself—I wanted to learn about our past. Most of the information has been lost. The books that were recovered aren’t enough. And as he gestured, the veins on his very pale face stood out even more sharply."
"And why are you so interested in the past?"
The question posed by Master Temis sounded defiant. He was the oldest man in all of humanity. It was believed he was over 100 years old, but no one knew for sure; his short stature and slanted eyes were features that indicated his Eastern ancestry.
"Could our future possibly be better than that past?"
The question hung in the air like something that might cause discomfort, but it wasn’t relevant at that moment, and no one answered.
Each member of the Assembly left the room with half the energy they had when they entered and headed for areas exposed to sunlight to regain it. They couldn’t stay long, because their thin skin was very delicate and burned easily.
Maya and the group of young students were intrigued by the note and its meaning—and even more so by Teacher Temis’s attitude. Why would anyone write that? It could have been a very natural reflection on the limits of life, a sarcastic conclusion, or perhaps a premonition about the future and the extinction of the human species.
They decided to go to the botanical garden to talk with Mr. Temis. As they entered the nursery area, they saw him wearing yellow pants and a cap that protected him from the ultraviolet rays streaming in through skylights in the stone roof.
Plants of different species survived in conditions similar to those in their natural environment. But if it weren’t for human care, they would no longer exist.
They waved to him, and he waved back, then left the area.
"Hello, my dear students!"
"Hello, teacher. We wanted to talk to you about the note in the capsule. Your behavior at the meeting seemed strange to us."
"And besides what Julius said, there’s also something else that doesn’t add up."
"And what might that be, Maya?"
"Why, if it’s supposed to be a time capsule, did only one note appear, when it should have been full of messages left by people from the past?"
Teacher Temis clasped his hands and looked at them with his slanted eyes.
"Not everything you’ve seen or heard about the past is entirely true. There are many assumptions, and there are no absolute truths."
:Now we’re even more confused. That means the capsule isn’t from the past."
"You’re a very intuitive young woman—like very few others in this human race."
"I think it’s time to tell the truth, even if it isn’t the most optimistic one. Please sit down."
Maya and the young people with her sat down on benches made of dark rock with bright green veins.
"I want you to look around at where we are and then tell me your thoughts on the future that awaits us."
"We’re under a huge mountain of rock."
"And what do we have to survive?"
"Crops, water, and air."
"It’s true, Julius—the basics of life. But it won’t last long. Those plants that keep us alive are dying because they don’t have what they need to survive, and we can no longer provide it for them. This region is stable, but unfortunately for us, it’s the oldest and has soil that’s very poor in nutrients."
"But is there anything we can do?" Maya’s expression was defiant.
"We can only accept our fate. I was the one who placed the time capsule, hoping that when we found it and read the message, we would see reality for what it is. We’re not in a privileged situation, as we thought, by saving ourselves. It’s just a reprieve of a few years."
"We have to warn the rest of the people. They need to know.".Julius had clasped his hands over his head and was pacing back and forth across the area. He approached the teacher and asked him.
"He is certain that we will all die in a hundred years."
"That is the future I see as most likely. But perhaps an extraordinary event could occur that would change it. My dear students, you need only live in the present. It is the only thing that exists."
With a smile on his weathered face, Teacher Temis turned away to continue his work.
"Wait a moment, teacher!" Maya’s commanding voice stopped him.
"You didn’t write that note to warn us about what our future might be."
Temis turned to look at her.
"You did it to sow the seed of fear in us. You’re showing us a terrifying future so that we’ll believe there’s no hope for us. You’re manipulating us to create that reality."
The teacher’s laughter echoed off the rock walls.
"Hahaha, I told you you were very intuitive, but the damage is already done. There’s no turning back."
"Yes, we will be able to." Julius had stepped forward. "And all of us here support Maya. We’re going to report you to the council for sabotaging our resources. I’m sure you’re responsible for the death of the crops."
"I have nothing to lose, and I believe humanity doesn’t deserve another chance, but I admire you."
Master Temis walked toward one of the tunnels leading outside. He had known for some time that there were no life-threatening dangers outside the tepuis; he had taken it upon himself to alter the data, but now they might discover the truth.
Tags: #creativenonfiction#nonfiction#theinkwell#writing#spanish#hispapro#celfmagazine#waiv#neoxian