The robots awoke Kyle and the other thousand students from stasis. A dusty orange planet loomed in the viewport. Kyle grinned.
A new world! Soon they would start terraforming it. What a terrific undergrad course!
The ship landed and the lock cycled open before any of the students had their suits on. Robots pushed them all out, against their protests. They would all asphyxiate in minutes. Kyle fell to his knees on the powdery alien soil.
“Help!”
A robot, unloading oxygen-producing machinery, glanced where Kyle lay gasping.
“Lesson Number One: The easiest way to terraform is to use organic fertilizer.”
Author’s Note: I’m well aware that, these days, universities are desperate for funding, as well as for student bodies. Let’s hope that’s never taken to its logical conclusion!
Very clever and well done. A perfect use of the drabble format.
As an unreformed punster (though you might need to wait until June 30th, I believe, for proof of that here), I admire your wordplay-inspired lateral thinking here, Holly! (As a university employee I must, however, express my stern disapproval …)
[…] “Lesson Learned“ and “Closure“ […]
[…] “Lesson Learned” and “Closure“ […]