A Glimpse into the Future
I wake up and look out the window, hoping to see the blue sky I glimpsed in my youth. My eyes catch no sight of it. Just vehicles on multiple layers hovering above my apartment’s story. I can easily mistake them for an army of robots waiting for a command. But the horns and swearing contribute to noise pollution.
Some things never change, like traffic jams. Now the cars can fly in a three-dimensional array. But there is still not enough space for them. There is never enough of anything.
I go to the kitchen and open the fridge. It is empty. Not a surprise. I put on my clothes and head to the neighborhood store. There is a lovely cashier who gives me free products, barely expired.
After only a few steps down the block, I grab the door handle to enter the store. I push, but the door refuses to open. I sigh. The fingerprints system is in place. I believe I heard about it on the news, about how it would be attached to every store’s doorknob. It has access to all my personal records, including my bank account. Nothing is private anymore.
A loud buzzer startles me, and I hear a monotonous voice. “Hi, Helen! You do not have enough funds in your bank account to make any purchases. Please return once you have made a deposit.”
My shoulders collapse as I slump back. I walk back home beneath the vehicles that have stolen the sun. A man takes his dog on a stroll. It is a robotic one with artificial intelligence. There are no longer any real dogs. They made loud noises; they pooped everywhere; they were dangerous. That is not the case with the new ones. I want to find a real dog as much as I wish for one more cigarette. But those are also gone for good.
Gone are the days when I had dreams. I had written a few novels and had a few fans. For a time, I was happy. But that didn’t last long. Nothing ever lasts. Except for pollution, people swearing, and a drive for progress that turns out to be the opposite.
I am back home and sit in my reclining chair, facing the window. This old hag no longer has any youthful ambitions. There are no more daydreams of azure sky and fluffy white clouds. I close my eyes and dream of a better world. A world with dogs and cigarettes.
