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Renewed Hope
The doctors in GreenVille did everything they could to save GoGreen Man. His arms and legs were heavily bleeding and in very bad shape. Because GoGreen Man had been determined to stay in his GreenCopter until the yellow tornado and water cyclone collided, he had waited too long to be able to escape safely. The collision and explosion had been too great for GoGreen Man and it had broken his body.
In order to save his life, the doctors knew they had to amputate. He wouldn’t stop bleeding and had already lost a lot of blood, so something had to be done quickly.
The doctors rushed out to talk to Professor Fusionstein. They explained how GoGreen Man wouldn’t stop bleeding and that two of his limbs were beyond repair. Sadly, they told Professor Fustionstein they needed to amputate – quickly, if they were to save GoGreen Man. Professor Fusionstein gave the permission. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
As Professor Fusionstein was pacing in the waiting room, he thought about GoGreen Man and how he would react, “When he wakes up and his limbs are missing, he’s going to be so disappointed. I know GoGreen Man will understand that it had to be done to save his life. …If only he’d left the GreenCopter sooner, we wouldn’t be worrying about whether he’ll live or whether he’d lose an arm or a leg. I know him though; he would tell me he had to stay in the GreenCopter to save GreenVille. Ohh…this reminds me of when his father died.” Professor Fusionstein kept pacing and talking to himself in worry.
Hannah Heart, Sandra Sunburn and Water Woman were horrified when they heard the news and clung to each other crying. They were very sad for GoGreen Man, but were very thankful he was alive.
Roger Recycle was having trouble keeping the tears from his eyes. Being in the hospital reminded him of when GoGreen Man’s father died, too. All the emotion from that day long ago came rushing back.
Over twenty-five year ago, GoGreen Man’s father, Mr. Green, worked for the GPA (GreenVille Protection Agency) and had started the Green Energy Helicopter Project. This project was to try and develop an environmentally friendly helicopter. At that time, the only helicopters available used oil and gas, their gas engines causing a lot of pollution in GreenVille.
As a young scientist, when Professor Fusionstein heard about the Green Energy Helicopter Project, he thought it would be a great idea and started working on it. He had already come up with an idea, the clean energy copter.
The other scientists and engineers said it was impossible to do. Yes, something small could fly in the sky using renewable energy, but not something heavy like the helicopters already available.
Undaunted, Professor Fusionstein kept working on his idea because he knew it would work. If he was successful, it would help prevent a lot of air pollution. The most energy was needed during lift off, but if the clean energy copter was lighter, then less energy would be needed to thrust it into the air.
Professor Fusionstein tried and rejected a lot of different materials before he decided to use thin layers of very strong plastic to make the clean energy copter body. Now, these weren’t normal layers of plastic, they were thin solar panels. What that meant was the plastic solar panels on the clean energy copter would make electricity, plus it would make a strong, lightweight body!
Since the gas engine and fuel tank were gone, Professor Fusionstein thought filing that empty space with helium, would make it more like a helium balloon. It would help lift the clean energy copter up.
Even with these changes, the clean energy copter still wasn’t light enough with the helium to run only on solar panels. Professor Fusionstein added a rechargeable supercell battery that would run the clean energy copter’s electric motor which powered the blades. It was truly an ingenious engineering accomplishment.
***
Dr. Pollution heard about Professor Fusionstein’s accomplishments with the Green Energy Helicopter Project and was filled with jealously. He did not want Professor Fusionstein to succeed, yet again. Focusing only on defeating him, Dr. Pollution snuck into Professor Fusionstein’s warehouse that night.
Furtively looking around, Dr. Pollution found the clean energy copter and sliced the wires connecting the battery to the solar panels and immediately left. “HAHAHAHA,” he laughed to himself. “Now it’s not going to work and he will be laughed at in GreenVille.”
Since the battery was already charged, it would get the helicopter into the air, but…it wouldn’t stay up there for long.
***
The next day, Professor Fusionstein met with Mr. Green to test fly the clean energy copter. Even though Professor Fusionstein was a little older than Mr. Green, they were friends. It was as a friend, that Mr. Green wanted to be the test pilot for the clean energy copter.
Although Professor Fusionstein had checked the copter before the test flight, he didn’t see the cut wires. When started, the clean energy copter ran perfectly and lifted up just as young Professor Fustionstein had expected. Everyone there was excited about the new invention and how it would change GreenVille.
Impressed with the clean energy copter, Mr. Green decided to see how it handled in the mountains. It was then that trouble started. The battery wasn’t being charged, so the energy was quickly being drained. Mr. Green realized something was wrong because the rotor blades started slowing down. He frantically looked for a place to land, but there wasn’t one because he was in the mountains. The clean energy copter crashed, with Mr. Green in it.
Professor Fusionstein felt horrible and thought the accident was his fault. It didn’t matter that when the accident was investigated, it was found that someone had cut the wires. Professor Fusionstein still blamed himself for not thoroughly inspecting the copter. He determined he would take care of his friend’s baby and renamed the machine GreenCopter in honor of his friend, Mr. Green.
When the accident happened, GoGreen Man was just a baby. He would never know his father because of Dr. Pollution’s jealousy.
It seemed like déjà vu to Roger Recycle. Remembering his friend, Mr. Green and now worrying about Mr. Green’s son, GoGreen Man. All he could do was hope for the best.
***
In Doomsville, Dr. Pollution was very disappointed his tornado attack failed. “Although everything didn’t go according to plan, GoGreen Man is now out of the picture. So it wasn’t a total failure,” he said to console himself. “Even if GoGreen Man comes back to life, he won’t be able to go against me without his arms and legs. HAHAHAHAHA! He’s going to be useless as a GPA agent now. He’ll have to lie down and watch me destroy GreenVille! HAHAHAHA.”
Dr. Pollution, if possible, seemed to be turning even more wicked. Before, his plans were bad, but he didn’t seem to want to destroy everyone - just GoGreen Man and Professor Fusionstein. Now it seemed like he wouldn’t be satisfied until everyone and everything in GreenVille was demolished.
***
In the hospital, the doctors were finished with the surgery. They came out shaking their heads, “The surgery was successful and we did our best with it. Unfortunately, there is nothing more we can do, GoGreen Man in a coma. It’s all up to GoGreen Man’s will to survive now.”
When everyone heard the news, they were shook up. Hannah Heart started crying and couldn’t stop, while Sandra Sunburn and Waste Woman tried to console her through their tears.
Professor Fusionstein abruptly told everyone, “Take care of GoGreen Man. I will find a solution to help him. Hannah Heart, stay by GoGreen Man’s side and give him encouragement.” With that, he left the room and the hospital.
Everyone was surprised by his leaving, “Where is Professor Fusionstein going?” “What will he do?” Only Professor Fusionstein’s closest friends understood what he was going through and left him alone.
***
Professor Fusionstein hurried to his lab where he planned to start on a new project, this time for GoGreen Man. It was going to be difficult and would take a lot of concentration. GoGreen Man needed help, and Professor Fusionstein was determined he would be the one to help him.
As the days passed, the citizens were getting discouraged. GoGreen Man was still in a coma and the doctors didn’t know when he would wake up. Hannah Heart had not left his side and spent her time talking and reading to him. Sandra Sunburn and Water Woman took turns bringing her food and clean clothes.
Roger Recycle spent time with GoGreen Man, too. He talked to him about how everyone needed him and that he needed to wake up. Roger Recycle also talked to GoGreen Man about his father. He explained that Professor Fusionstein was having a hard time because it reminded him of Mr. Green’s accident in the GreenCopter.
While everyone was worried about him, GoGreen Man was in a deep sleep:
“It’s so beautiful - everything seems alive and the air is so pure! The trees seem to touch the sky! Look at the children laughing and playing. There are huge animals walking right beside the humans. They don’t seem to be afraid of each other. Amazing! Everyone seems to be so happy.”
“But, where am I? I don’t know where this is.”
Walking toward him was a beautiful, shining being in white – it almost hurt to look at it.
“Where am I,” GoGreen Man asked it.
The being spoke, “This is the place you were born and where you live. My master created all of this – a harmonious balance between man and nature.”
“This is not where I’m from. Who are those people and why are they so happy?”
“These are the Chok-ta-ho. They were, are not now but shall be again those that love the land,” said the being.
“I don’t understand? Who are you and why are you telling me this?”
“I am just a messenger. I am here to give you a message. You must go back because you are still needed. You are needed to bring back the balance between people and nature. You must go. Go back…” The voice faded away.
“Wait! Wait!” Another light was coming…it hurt his eyes…
...The year before in GreenVille, while Roger Recycle was giving a tour of GreenVille's Museum of History....
