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.

In a bleak, stormy landscape where the remnants of civilization eke out their existence in deep, canyon-worn refuges, the story plunges readers into the lives of a resilient colony struggling against the decay of both infrastructure and hope. The narrative paints a vividly harsh world where power is scarce and survival depends on ingenuity—from salvaging precious batteries amid ruins to the daily ritual of powering essential systems with human effort. The reader is invited to witness not just the physical battles against nature, but also the emotional and communal struggles that tie the survivors together.

At the heart of the tale are characters whose lives are interwoven with the very fabric of their battered environment. Whether it’s a determined tinkerer engineering life-saving devices, or a reluctant caretaker balancing memories of lost innocence with the present need to sustain life, each individual’s story illuminates both the burdens and unexpected moments of beauty in a transformed world. Their interactions blend sorrow with the spark of tenacity, hinting at deeper mysteries and a shared hope that even in the direst conditions, human spirit can prevail.

With its immersive blend of gritty survival, inventive adaptation, and poignant reflections on what it means to be human, this story offers a rich, atmospheric journey into a future where the past’s losses and the promise of tomorrow collide. The narrative masterfully avoids clean resolutions, instead leaving readers to grapple with the moral ambiguities of existence in a world stripped to its bare essentials—a world where every innovation is a lifeline, and every moment is a testament to the courage required to simply keep going.

batteries

solar panels

cooling units

aeroponics system

hand crank flywheel generator

power sippers

AR glasses

BritLights

cool suits

microbe engineering equipment

DNA writer

sequencer

incubators

protein printer

pedal-powered generator bike

respirators

quantum computer

Bose-Einstein condensate gravity sensor

Stirling engine

heat pump

air filters

hand crank wand

canal links

GM microbe mix

bug trap system

battery recharge station

mining robot

plasma drill

graphene tube wiring

hydraulic cylinders from a blimp

enzyme welder

temp shielding aerogel

carb-core disks

camshafts

composite beams

quantum simulation

radio transmitter

hume linking devices

mycelium fabric garments

mycelium filter sheets

Doppler cooling laser

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.

Enter a sprawling urban complex that has become a microcosm of a society in crisis. The inhabitants are caught between the collapse of the virtual paradises they once depended on and a host of very real, everyday challenges. Deteriorating infrastructure, a mounting health crisis marked by environmental hazards and resource shortages, and rising tensions among competing factions have pushed the community to its limits.

Amid the chaos, technology stands as both a lifeline and a source of vulnerability. Smart-composite walls, autonomous repair and guard bots, and immersive VR/AR systems aide in daily survival. However, these advanced systems are failing or locked out—like the high-security production center that holds the key to restoring vital services—forcing the characters to improvise, hack, and sometimes even risk everything to reclaim control. The blend of high-tech robotics, AI-driven interfaces, and bioengineered production methods underscores the complex problems the colony must overcome.

- Smart-composite walls

- Autonomous guard bots

- Repair bots

- Remote-controlled (“hume”) bots

- VR rigs (headsets, harnesses, gloves, shoes)

- AR glasses

- Quantum integrated servers

- A.I. platforms (Medusa, Assist)

- Giantess Production Center

- Drones

- Graphene wire fabric grinding disks

- Nano-wire attachments

- Delivery tubes

- Aeroponics system with liquid sunlight

- Bioengineered food production systems

- Robotic assembly systems

- Battle bots

- Lidar sensors

- 3D mapping systems

- Thermal sensors

- Magnetic sensors

- Protein fabrication for batteries

- DIY electron laser apparatus

- Digital interfaces and control software

- Coding and update scripts

- Integrated communication platforms

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 2024. All rights reserved.