5 The Humans are a problem

Moon arrived at the Senior Council the next morning, fully prepared to fight. She strode confidently into the Celestial Council Chambers, her aura radiating power and authority. Her pale blue eyes scanned the room, making it clear that she was not to be trifled with. The long strands of her light aqua hair glimmered from the rays that showed through the carved windows. While her pastel embroidered robes billowed in her wake. The gods parted a path for her, and many of the deities bowed their heads in respect.

She paused before the large round table, its surface intricately carved with ancient symbols. Only a few seats were arranged around it, reserved for the alpha gods who made the highest decisions. Her chair was always next to the Creator's, whose seat was more like a large throne carved from a delicate painite stone.

The other deities watched her, whispering to each other in low voices. Moon didn't like that everyone here probably had an idea of what today's topic would be for the Senior Council, but she didn't let her uncertainty show on her face. Someone had clearly gone out of their way to make sure that none of the summons directed to her would ever reach her ears. Politics were already set in place before she walked through those doors.

There was one god in particular who had her full attention. He stood directly across from her, his hand resting on the back of his chair. "My Lord Genesis," Moon said with a smile on her pink lips. "It is good to see you."

"My Lady Goddess," he returned the greeting with a slight nod of his head. "It has been more than a millennia. How are you these days?"

The elderly man's face was unreadable, but Moon made sure that hers was just as inscrutable. "I am doing well," she said. "It has been too long. To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence today? You rarely even attend Senior Council meetings, unless the situation is...well, shitty."

Genesis chuckled and shook his head at her candor. Always the boldest deity, who did not cut corners. "Today's topic is not dire… But concerning."

The Goddess arched an eyebrow at him and responded playfully, "Oh my. I hope this matter doesn't concern me then."

"My Lady Goddess, it directly concerns you, I'm afraid."

"Well then…" she replied casually. "I am glad that you are here today to provide me your council. I am ever so grateful."

Genesis drew his lips into a straight line as he considered his next words carefully. "My Goddess… Understand that I am here today, on your side. Please believe so."

It was his sincerity that planted a seed of doubt in her mind. Her lips parted to respond when the Creator's arrival was announced. The chatter in the council room immediately died down as bodies parted to allow the alpha god to make his entrance. He marched purposefully in with authority. His large foreboding figure towering over everyone in the room. His long silver hair and beard, a reflection of his age and history, were combed and styled neatly. He wore loose white robes, belted with the best gold silk in existence, and his large muscular arms were exposed through his sleeves. He nodded to the deities in the room as he proceeded to his seat.

The Creator's arrival was preceded by the God of Sky, who strode in confidently. He was dressed fashionably and formally in a white embroidered suit that fit him perfectly. His messy side part silver blonde hair was combed back today, and his face was unreadable. He walked in casually, as if he owned the place. It was clear that he had just come from a private meeting with the Creator himself. The Sky God stopped at the seat to the left of the Creator, across from Moon, who was seated to the Creator's right. He nodded to Moon in greeting.

Moon shifted her eyes to where the Creator stood, avoiding the Sky God's greeting. He looked particularly good in his formal garbs today, and she did not want him to see any hint of admiration in her eyes.

Sassy as usual, Moon, he thought with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Good that we are all here today," the Creator said dubiously, side-eying The Goddess at his right hand.

"Not taking the bait, Dad," she grumbled under her breath, not meeting his eye.

The Creator grinned fondly at Moon. Every deity in the room was born from his hands. Some were chiseled from the finest boulders of marble. Others were formed from precious metals, heated and shaped in the Holy Forge. Moon was the only one he molded from the finest grains of stars. She was also the only deity he openly referred to as his daughter, stubborn as she may be. He took a breath and then announced to the participants standing behind their seats at the table in anticipation, "We are all here now. Let's be seated and get started."

In unison, the gods pulled out their carved chairs from the table and took their seats. Today's meeting was a full quorum, with the room filled to capacity and almost every seat at the table taken.

Among the gods present at the table were the God of War, Genesis, the God of the Underworld, the God of the Sea, the God of Innovations, the God of Air, the God of the Humanities, the God of the Sky, and of course, the great Creator himself. In Moon's opinion, there were too many gods, and too few goddesses.

Moon's friend, the Goddess of Seasons, was noticeably absent. Her chair was empty, and Moon felt a pang of worry. She really needed her friend's support today.

"Let's begin with the subject that is weighing heavily on everyone's mind, from our last meeting," the Creator said, gesturing to Genesis.

Genesis cleared his throat loudly, and began to summarize the topic at hand. "Our theme pertains to population control and the consumptions of resources. We have a species that has hit a trajectory of rapid growth in the Mortal Realm."

The Goddess knew where this was going now. "You mean humans."

"Yes, my Lady Goddess," the Father of History nodded. "When I say humans, I am also referring to other humanoid species, such as werewolves, werebears, huli-jings, and other animal shifters. All of these species are currently reproducing at an unprecedented rate, faster than any other period in the planet's history. If this trend continues, in a few hundred years, their populations will have grown so large that they will need to consume more resources than the planet can provide. This will inevitably lead to a decline in the populations of other creatures, and could even result in the extinction of valuable keystone species."

The Goddess's attention was fully alerted now. Well now… This isn't a loaded topic at all, she thought ironically.

"Negative side effects have already begun to surface," Genesis continued, nodding to the God of the Sea. "Sea, would you please relay to the group the occurrences that you have noticed within your kingdom, and how they have affected its citizens?"

Having the quorum's attention, the God of Sea folded his hands in front of him and spoke, "There have been an increase of incidents in which my oceanic children are dying of unnatural and premature deaths. Almost every incident can be tied back to the humans wandering into the seas. On their ships, using their harpoons to hunt are decimating entire populations of creatures."

He paused, furrowing his brows. "Mermaids have been all but wiped out. Understanding that they have diseases and natural predators in their environments from sharks and polar bears. But the humans…" The topic frustrated him, and he could feel the heat rising from his neck. "There have been whispers that humans have started hunting the mermaids for their meat. They think that eating the flesh from a mermaid can grant them immortality!"

The look of disgust on his face was evident for all to see. Murmurs of shock from the deities in the audience began to surround the participants at the table. The mermaids are a beautiful and graceful species; a favorite of the gods. This was a triggering topic for the God of Sea. He shifted his blue eyes, now staring directly at The Goddess. "May I ask if your children have natural predators? Have you been doing your job of keeping them in check?"

It was a direct challenge to Moon, though it was one that she knew she probably deserved. She swallowed and responded calmly. "They do. Lions, tigers, bears, werebears. But over time, the creatures have isolated themselves in environments where they have little contact with each other…"

"Then the humans no longer have natural predators. They have become apex predators in their own right and are at the top of the Food Chain," the God of Underworld retorted sardonically.

He snickered, "My Goddess, remember when you complained about my creation of werebears? And I had to severely limit the procreation cycle of my children? It sounds to me like I should've increased their numbers."

"Your werebears kill everything in sight, not just humans. They do not discriminate who or what they kill," Moon responded, trying her best not to snap at him. "Considering how vicious they are, had they increased in numbers, no species would survive."

"And yet, your children are on a rampage of murdering other innocent creatures in large numbers, are they not? Am I missing something here?" The Underworld God asked cynically. "Let me be the one to say this then. When humans were created, there was a solid pattern in which they would enter the Underworld after their deaths. But now, the ratio of humans procreating versus dying has dramatically shifted. Care to explain why?"

"I can answer that for you, Moon," the God of Innovation interjected. "The increase in human lifespans is due to a number of factors, including the invention of medicine, the practice of washing hands to prevent the spread of disease, and the development of more efficient agricultural techniques. These innovations have led to a decrease in the number of humans who die prematurely from diseases and starvation. I worked on this project with Moon, and our goal was to help humans become more resilient and better able to survive."

"And a lot of good that has done…" the Sea God muttered accusingly.

The Goddess knew the Sea deity was hurt, and rightfully so. She did not want to exasperate his anger by deflecting. "I understand the concerns that are presented at this table today. I do not want to make any excuses. As a mother, I have indeed been too lenient on my children. But I want to correct this. I will work with each of you, to right this wrong and set my children on a correct path forward. Beginning first with providing better access to education and eliminating foolish superstitions that may harm other species. We can delay more serious medical advancements for a few centuries. And I can limit the number of mates that are bonded together. It will lower the desire for people to start families…reducing population steadily over time." She really hated saying that last part. Imagine going through life without ever truly finding someone to love.

"My Lady…" Genesis began uneasily. "I commend you for your empathy. However, I am afraid the period for correcting the problem in a gradual manner has unfortunately passed. Based upon my calculations, at the rate in which the human population is growing, they have perhaps a few short centuries before it is too late, and the planet that they reside on will be rendered unliveable. A thousand years at most. By that point, no species will survive. It would be a complete mass extinction event."