Enviromental Nightmare American International School, Patel, Kathryn - 15 uanzang woke up in a daze, and although there were no candles, the room he was in was strangely bright. He closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. When he finally looked around, X he saw the room he was in was unfamiliar. He looked up, expecting to see the sun illuminating the room, but instead saw a tube of pure light. What is this sorcery? he thought, unable to comprehend what he saw. He realized the room wasn’t as clean as he’d assumed. The floor was made of cracked tiles, and the walls were peeling. Even the air smelled a little dirty, like he breathed in grit with every inhalation. I need to get up. Xuanzang thought with a start. He pushed himself to his feet and felt a wave of dizziness. Despite the roiling in his stomach, he managed to stagger through the doorway. A long hall led to a sign in strange illuminated characters. He pushed open the door underneath it and was hit with a wave of color and noise. People flooded the narrow walkways, and strange metal carts sped down the roads without the help of oxen. Even the people looked strange. Women wore short trousers that exposed an indecent amount of skin. Many wore expensive shades of blue and purple. He decided he must be the wealthy part of the city because the cost to blend metals into blue pigment was so expensive that only emperors and the ridiculously wealthy could afford it. Everywhere he looked, he saw a riot of color. It was so overwhelming that he stumbled right into someone. An angry looking man shouted, “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” Xuanzang could understand him, but he knew that this man was not speaking the way he did. When he looked around again, he realized that even the characters were different, but he could still read them. He apologized to the man and then started aimlessly walking down the street. Although this was disorienting, it was not scary. He’d faced demons, and this paled in comparison. He let himself be swept in the current of the crowd, going where everyone else was. He tried to take in his surroundings without becoming overwhelmed. He was trying so hard not to panic that he failed to see the metal cart speeding right at him. Just as he was turning towards it and the strange noise it was making, he was yanked off of his feet. He found himself flat on his back, staring at a girl maybe a couple years younger than he. She was saying something to him, but he had to ask her to repeat herself. She exclaimed, “Are you okay? You wandered right into the road!” Xuanzang nodded and got to his feet. “If I may ask, where are we?” She moved to let him stand, gesturing at his saffron robes and shaved head. “I knew you monks were isolated, but I didn’t realize how much.” The girl continued, “We’re in Beijing. You know, the capital of China.” He glanced around, confused. He knew she was saying that he was in Peking, but this was nothing like the city he was used to. This was all metal towers that blocked his view of the sky. His line of thinking was interrupted when he was seized by a fit of coughs. “Why is it so hard to breathe?” Xuanzang inquired. Every breath felt like he was breathing in smoke and dirt. The girl pointed to her face mask. “The air pollution is really bad today. It’s been like this for a couple days. Are you new to the city?” “I have been here before, but it is much changed. Do you live here?” “Yeah, I’m actually on my way to work,” she answered, checking her watch. “We should probably start walking. I don’t want to block the sidewalk.” He noticed her rectangular bag, and her strange outfit. “Where do you work?” he queried as they began to walk. “I work with the All China Environment Federation. I try to solve issues like the air pollution in Beijing.” “Are you able to?” he asked with a frown. “Able to what?” “Solve issues like air pollution.” Her brows drew together as she contemplated his question. “I don’t know if we can solve all of these problems completely, but what we’re doing is better than doing nothing.” They stopped in front of a squat gray building. Before Xuanzang could thank the woman and leave, he heard someone shout his name. The front door of the building was thrown open, and when he saw the face in the doorway, he jumped. Smiling at him was Sun Wukong, looking strangely human. The girl looked on in obvious confusion. She turned towards Xuanzang. “Do you two know each other?” “Yes, we travelled together not too long ago.” Sun Wukong motioned for both of them to enter the building. His signature staff was now a much shorter walking stick, but Xuanzang had no doubt it could be a weapon if needed. “Xuanzang! It’s been too long!” Sun Wukong boomed. He had to smile at how his friend remained unchanged. “I agree, friend. If I am being frank, this was the last place I expected to find you. Even so, I am very glad to see you.” “I imagine that you are very confused by what you’ve seen, but there is a reason we are here. This is my assistant Li Meiwen. She will soon be leaving to collect data from other countries about the state of the environment and how they are combating pollution. I was wondering if you would go as well.” Xuanzang blinked. “Go where? Back to India?” He had spent so much time there, only having returned two years ago. After he and Sun Wukong achieved Buddhahood, they had not talked much. It was not due to ill will, rather that they were both busy and had little chance to interact. “Yes, and another place. It will be a somewhere you have never been, so someone will meet you there. Li Meiwen, you’re departing tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to take the rest of today off to prepare.” She dipped her head and left, softly shutting the door behind her. As soon as she did, both men relaxed a little. They were now able to speak more freely about the situation. “What is this place? It looks nothing like Peking. Those strange carts are unlike anything I have seen, and the air is filled with grit! Why are we here?” Xuanzang’s voice had risen in pitch and volume as he spoke, the confusion of the day finally catching up with him. “I believe that this is our future. Distant, but not distant enough. I conferenced with the Jade Emperor before I woke here. I think he’s still a bit mad at me, but he said, ‘The respect for the world and nature is fading. Restore it.’ Since I arrived here, that is what I have tried to do.” He swiped his hand across his forehead, as if wiping away sweat. “I already was the head of this organization when I woke up, so I’ve used that position to find out as much as I can about this world and what the people here are doing.” “Aside from India, where am I going tomorrow?” Wukong took a map from a drawer in his desk. “This map will look very strange to you, but there are lands further west than India. You will be assessing the environment there. You may see some old friends along the way. Try to act normal.” He said with a smile. “I’ll be fine. I just don’t understand why I’m supposed to do this.” “You need to trust me and see the damage I speak of. You can stay in the hotel down the street until tomorrow. There will be a packed bag prepared for you. You’ll have to relinquish your sacred robes until you return. I want you to blend in as much as possible.” Xuanzang nodded and stepped into the corridor. While he did not know how to navigate this strange incarnation of Peking, he could clearly see the hotel down the street. He stepped away from the window and left the building. While he waited in the lobby of the hotel, he stood awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. In moments, a smiling man made his way over to Xuanzang. He wore a pressed jacket over a formal looking tunic, giving him an authoritative air. “You must be Xuanzang! I can take you to your room. Follow me.” The man strode off at a quick clip. Xuanzang followed him into a strange metal room, trying not to look unsettled when it began to rise. When the strange contraption stopped rising, the doors opened again. He was led down the corridor to a door with the number 1502 on a metal plaque above the doorknob. He thanked the manager and went inside. He woke up the next morning to a rapping sound. He didn’t even remember falling asleep, so he assumed he just fell into bed from sheer exhaustion. Xuanzang rushed to the door, pulling it open. Li Meiwen stood in front of the door, a small smile playing at her lips. “Sir! I see that you are already dressed.” He glanced down at his attire, which was similar to that of the hotel manager.