Do: There is a bomb. We should defuse it.
Re: There is no bomb.
Do: It’s right here. I’m touching it. I can feel the ticking with my fingers.
Re: There is no bomb.
Do: If we defuse it, we won’t get blown up.
Re: There is no bomb.
Do: The paper beside it says, “This is a bomb.” Oh! And here’s a defuse kit.
Re: It’s not a bomb.
Do: What is it, then?
Re: It’s not a bomb, whatever it is. And it’s too far away to do any harm.
Do: It’s right here. You could touch it if you tried.
Re: I could not touch it. See?
Re reaches eir hand toward the bomb while taking a step backward.
Do: You stepped backward!
Re: I did not. If anything, it moved away from me.
Do: The bomb’s timer says three minutes. We should defuse it.
Re: It’s not a bomb.
Do: You’ll be sorry when you’re bleeding to death from shrapnel wounds.
Re: I most certainly will not. I will heal and the scars will make me stronger.
Do: I thought you said it’s not a bomb?
Re: It’s not a bomb.
Do: Of course it is. All these wires and the explosives! If that’s not a bomb, what is it?
Re: I’m not qualified to talk about it.
Do: Let’s ask them. Do points to a bomb expert hotline number on the bomb defuse kit’s case. E pulls out eir phone and calls.
Mi: Bomb expert hotline. This is Mi. How can Mi help you?
Do: We think we have a bomb here.
Mi: Describe it for Mi, please.
Do: It’s a big mess of wires with a clock and what looks like paper-covered blocks that say C4 on them.
Mi: Does sound like a bomb to Mi. Anything else?
Do: There’s a piece of paper that says it’s a bomb.
Mi: Yes, Mi thinks it’s a bomb. You should defuse it.
Do hangs up.
Do: She says it’s probably a bomb and we should defuse it.
Re: There are many other experts that say it’s not a bomb.
Do: Please help me defuse it.
Re: Don’t! The bomb is good for us. We should speed the timer up.
Do: Speed the timer up—are you mad?! We’ll be killed, both of us.
Re: I have some bomb timer grease.
Do: Bomb timer grease?! I thought you said it wasn’t a—
Re squirts bomb timer grease into the bomb timer’s gears.
Do: Good God! We only have a minute left! Quick, you have to help me isolate the timer from the primary charge.
Re: Nope. We’ll be better off. Just you watch.
Do: Dead? You’re crazy. I’ll defuse it myself.
Do starts tracing the wires with eir hands, but Re slaps eir hand away.
Do: Quit! This is serious!
Re: I didn’t do anything.
The bomb explodes.
The bomb is a metaphor, principally for climate change.
It’s three short weeks until we get to vote in the 2018 midterms.
The planet needs your help in defusing the bomb.