The Fungi's Plea for Change
Mother Earth, Father Rain, Sibling Decay.
This land of stone, of life taken, not returned.
We come to cover you, to stake our claim, to recover our home.
Your echo lasts longer than your life, while we go on.
Generation 3 (2134-2177)
2135
(KSNN intro plays)
"Good morning, Kiruna! It's a chilly, yet sunny autumn day on this lovely October 24th. This is Cecilia Nilsson, news anchor of the Kiruna Synaptic News Network and we're here to deliver nothing but the truth straight into your cerebral cortex for your convenience! So, fire up those synapses because we’ve got some hot news today!"
(Shortened KSNN intro plays)
"In local news, Kiruna Mining AB is hanging on by a thread in their battle against the mycelium. Chairman Elmer Alquist pushes for continued mining at full capacity despite severe damage to equipment and artificial staff as well as disturbances from environmental protests and allegations brought against them by Fungarian extremist groups. Yet, they remain confident as they continue all mining activities to achieve quotas. Due to protesters' interference, they have, however, increased security on site, as well as general safety and security measures."
"Alquist further emphasized that 'An organism as simple as a mushroom will not stall our efforts for growth, they are no threat to us. We have our brightest people working on their eradication.'"
"Another KMAB spokesperson expressed the company's discontent with the GECCO association for revoking Kiruna's GECCO title, stating that: 'This city's success was built on the backs of the hard-working employees of our company. This minor setback is not a justified reason for revoking our deserved accomplishment. We will bring Kiruna back into the GECCO fold for the benefit of our city!'"
"In further news, there have been a record number of new mycelium-focussed start-up companies in Kiruna over the past two years. Companies, such as BioSustain and FungiFuel Energy, are studying Kiruna's ferrum comedentis (or Iron-Eater) to discover exactly how its biology and chemistry may be turned into sustainable products and turn our mycelium disaster into a blessing. On the line, we have Krister Grönström from MycoBuild Innovations, the CEO of one of the most recent start-ups in the area.
“Good morning, Krister! This is Cecilia from KSNN."
"Good morning, Cecilia!"
"Krister, you and your company seem to suggest that this environmental disaster may, in fact, be prosperous for our city and the human species overall. How exactly do you think society may benefit from this invasive mycelium?"
"Well, Cecilia, my company, MycoBuild Innovations, uses ferrum comedentis structures to create our very own sustainable material to build durable housing that functions as camouflage against attacks from the aggressive mycelium and eliminates the need for the fungicide rains. Everybody's tired of staying indoors during the spraying hours, setting up disinfectant stations in their houses, and the rotten, acrid fumes lingering in the streets. These aren't sustainable solutions economically, ecologically, or socially. It's outdated tech, and we need to get with the times! This innovative product will bring jobs back to Kiruna, return economic well-being, and allow us to live with and benefit from the Iron-Eater, rather than work against it."
"That sounds like a very promising endeavor. What is the potential you and so many other companies see in the Iron-Eater for you all to flock here? What secrets lie in its spores?"
"For MycoBuild, that's certainly the durability of the Iron-Eater's mycelium. It can hold up to 30,000 times its weight and can grow several meters thick. As we saw during the mining efforts, it's impossible to kill with brute force. Other companies, like BioSustain and FungiFuel, see potential health benefits for innovation in pharmaceutical treatments, biofuels, and the elimination of pollution due to their aggressive corrosion to non-organic materials. The possibilities are endless."
"Alright, thank you for your insights, Krister. Best of luck on your endeavors."
"Thank you, Cecilia. It was my pleasure."
"Taking things more nationally, a mycologist team travels to Sakajärvi, which will be the ninth site in the surrounding area affected by the overnight mushroom emergence, known amongst Fungarian groups as 'The Overshrooming.' More on this story as it develops."
"Next, we present to you the weather (…)"
2146
(Happy jingle plays as the intro to Mushy Vibes Daily)
"Buorre beaivi, everyone, and welcome wonderful shrooman folks! My name is Nánni—"
"And I am Gunnár."
"And this is Mushy Vibes Daily reporting live from the quarterly Fungarian Mycelium Mingle. Today is the 17th of July, and we’ll be at the mingle all day listening to voices of wisdom and harmony from our elders and siblings who are actively bridging the gap between our species, bringing us all closer together for a brighter future! Aren’t you excited, Gunnár?"
"Absolutely, Nánni! We’re standing on the edge of town, where the MycoBuild houses were built a decade ago, and the orange and purple tendrils of the mushrooms paint the town with joy! As we all know, MycoBuild might have failed to keep the mycelium out of our homes, but, in a delightful turn of events, facilitated close cohabitation with our fungi friends and other fellow critters."
"The first speaker of the Mingle will be Jonás Lundahl, a former KMAB miner who joined the Fungarian movement in its infancy after the mass miner strikes of 2126. Listen up and stay tuned, he's starting his speech!"
"Honored Fungarian Society, more than twenty years ago the foundation for this society was constructed. The exploitation of the land was rampant, I would know, I witnessed the Overshrooming and everything leading up to it from a front-row seat. The exploitation, the pollution, the oppression, and the silencing of whistleblowers were a terrible ordeal, and I can confidently say our society has transformed for the better. After we, the mining employees, were laid off, replaced by artificial workers, thrown into poverty, and left to our own devices, what else could we do but turn against the oppressors? The industry was furious, but nobody put the mycelium here, it was here all along living in harmony with the land. What we were seeing was a species revolting against its violent eradication.
"KMAB has left, and at our hands and those of our fungi friends, we are restoring the land. Soon, the tech companies will leave as well; they're all as doomed as MycoBuild. Soon they'll, too, learn that we are not the master species as was believed in the past. We cannot take without giving and nature always finds a way.
"Let's continue our transformation and work to live, play, and decompose together with all our fellow lifeforms! Ferrum comedentis saved Kiruna and, in time, will save the world!"
LATEST POSTS
5 minutes ago
Farmers and Gardeners Rejoice: Soil Health Steadily Improving
Recent tests reveal that soil health has improved considerably in Sápmi, especially in Giron, over the past decades thanks to permaculture and decreasing industry.
1 day ago
The Return of Old-growth Forests
Silvologists say the coming century could see the widespread return of old-growth forests with trees standing as tall as 60 meters. The Great Messenger fungus (formerly Iron- Eater or ferrum comedentis) has an essential role in this development and the return of biodiversity to our region.
23 May 2175
A New Hope for Reindeer
While still on the brink of extinction, a brighter future may await the reindeer. The Great Messenger fungus revealed itself as an unexpected ally through its symbiosis with lichen—their main source of food.
20 May 2175
Fungarian Mycelium Mingle a Success
On Friday, the Fungarian Society hosted its quarterly Mushroom Mingle Party. Amidst music and fika, the attendees discussed multispecies worlding and decided to rename the Iron-Eater fungus the "Great Messenger."
19 May 2175
Fungarian Society Formally Proposes New Geological Epoch
The Mycelocene as a distinct geological epoch has been on the Fungarian agenda since its conception. Now, the Fungarian Society has voted in favor of submitting a proposal for its recognition to the Geological Institute of Sápmi in Ubmeje.
This speculative fiction was created in the context of the Biosocial Ethics course (2023) at Malmö University. Based on Donna Haraway's Camille Stories, it spans several generations into the future to explore issues of extractivism, the right to land, and ways of "staying with the trouble" in an effort to bring about a multispecies society.
By Anne Leupen.
In collaboration with Merle Emrich, Alice Wästberg and Christophe Berbeć.
Images created by AI.
68 °N logo created by Merle Emrich.
Comments