Summary:
"Old Friends Are the Best" by Jack Sharkey is a science fiction narrative that was likely written in the early 1960s. The story explores themes of survival, memory, and the unexpected consequences of human interference with nature. It follows the peculiar journey and evolution of a plant discovered on the Moon, known as the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant, as its existence intersects dramatically with humanity's presence on Earth. The story begins with the Moonplant, which has spent millennia lying dormant on the Moon, only to be discovered by an engineer and later nurtured by a botanist on Earth. As the plant thrives and spreads its roots underground, it begins to create a magnetic field that disrupts gravity, causing chaos on Earth and eventually leading to a mass migration of humans to the Moon. However, as disturbances increase, scientists realize that numerous meteors are being attracted to Earth due to the plant’s influence, ultimately threatening the planet's stability. The tale unfolds to a climax where the characters discover that Earth's downfall may stem from their negligence of the Moonplant and confront the irony of what they regard as natural friends now becoming unforeseen foes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)