Amidst this perpetual twilight, new forms of societal organization begin to emerge. Cindy, waking one morning, discovers an invitation to "Open Floor," a virtual space for direct democracy where citizens can vote on issues day and night. Stepping into this digital forum, she finds herself in a shifting circle of avatars, some representing real people, others AI syntheses of ongoing conversations. Debates on constitutions, crime, and surveillance unfold, raising questions about AI governance and the very nature of truth in a world increasingly mediated by technology.

Beyond the digital commons, life in the underground colony thrums with a mixture of innovation and unease. News reports speak of geothermal power plants and advanced home care kits, but also of suicides, overcrowded hospitals, and violent disputes over communal spaces. Misty, a key figure, navigates the complexities of this new world, from inspecting hyper-insulated facilities housing powerful AI to discussing the controversial policy of mandatory schooling with emulated personalities. Personal lives, like Cindy's, are also in flux, with new relationships forming even as old anxieties and suspicions begin to surface.

A.R., Position Avatar, robots, robot baby, V.R., internet, geothermal power plant, home care kits, Assist, construction-bots, cleaner bots, cargo cart, server systems, supercomputer systems, protein computers, Lutin Twos, A.R. visors, pre-computer, A.S.I., graphene protein computers, A.R. glasses, V.R. dots, mics, cameras, emulated personalities, A.I., Lutin bots, A.R. avatar, transparent A.R. presentation board, A.R. note books, droids, unbroken screen, follow cart, my-crete, lift, Open Floor, screen top table, panic fabric, guard dog bots, autono-carts, no-charge kitchens, BritLights, carb-foil, Tribal Net, A.I. relationships, V.R. taste and smell, V.R. rigs, builder bots, cop bots, robot police, platform robot, T.V. wall, food taster pen, seamless screen ceiling, pea size cameras, sensors, automated MIT, emulated personality professors, sun-grade light spaces, electric bike, bipedal bot, many jointed snake robot, bot, light drones, pill, automated restaurant, Q.T. gateway, cyber-deck, canal links, whisper-jet drones, button-size recording devices, V.R. auditorium, virtual gowns, virtual caps, chandeliers of light, movie sphere, sun lamps, taser cloves, head lamp, air mask, link, DNA sniffers, encrypted streaming, Autonomous policing, coin size cameras.

Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.

Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out.

The companion site is https://in20xx.com

These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.

Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.