A mercurial, opalescent hand surges from thawing permafrost, dives into waves, twisting as it searches for victims. It pools around goggles of deep sea explorers and plunges into fish’s gaping mouths.
As climate change drives temperatures up and the permafrost thaws, a hidden danger swims closer to the surface . Beneath the crust of Artic permafrost, around 23 Olympic swimming pools of mercury lie still, waiting for their toxic release. Inspired by this discover, D. A. Xiaolin Spires anthropomorphises mercury to create an unnamed villian. Is this antagonist a true villain or a defender of the planet from those destroying it? Only the reader can decide. // Alex Massey
//D.A. Xiaolin Spires emerges from the permafrost. Work in Clarkesworld, Analog and Terraform.//
Story Seed Vault 
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