(SHORT STORY) This is one of very few stories I've gotten the inspiration for, written, and posted all inside of four hours. I was discussing religion with a friend one morning, and the idea of "stewards of the earth" came up, a complex and fascinating question. I decided that we are stewards of the earth, but not because we were chosen for our high moral integrity. We are stewards of the earth for the mere fact that we can and do have an impact on its existence. A hundred thousand years ago, we were only animals. A hundred thousand years from now, though, we'll either be gods ourselves, or long dead.