Branding

All days in the 10-minute district are the same.

Getting up, getting dressed, waiting for the signal whether and where work had to be done.
On standby every day because there is no need to work.

We make your life easier, was the slogan proclaimed by the party. Everyone is welcome and receives a basic income. All you have to do is open your wallet next to your regular account number. Don't worry, we'll make sure you don't lack anything. We register who uses what, so you won't be left empty-handed because your neighbour is having his umpteenth party.

It all sounded so honest. The link for the wallet ultimately turned out to be nothing more than yet another clickbait, scam. My husband enthusiastically opened his digital wallet, and within two minutes our joint bank account was... Empty.

Thank you! You own nothing and will be happy. Bonus: your footprint is 20% lower. Better luck next time.

My husband stared at the screen in a daze. Was the account hacked?

Lila!

Click on the digital wallet maybe...

The balance of our digital currency is 0.

Panic, what to do

Bleep... You have email

Welcome to the Basic Income Initiative of the United Low Lands. Your debts have been forgiven.

What debts, my husband roared, I have never had a loan and I don't owe anyone anything. Where is my hard-earned income?!

Darling...

Your life is in our hands. In 4 weeks you will receive your first basic income. Each digital coin is intended for a specific issue. The amount of currencies not spent before the 27th goes to zero.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Dismayed, my other half plopped down on the couch.

Do we have enough food?

Let's take inventory, maybe not if we can sell something.

Since then we have been on hold, depending on some system to decide about our lives. We have nothing but it is difficult to say whether we are happy. The party lied to us and turned out to be the opposite of what was claimed.

The days slowly string together while we wait in the almost bare house. There is nothing to do, we do not have the opportunity to pursue a hobby. The basic income has no budget for hobbies or fun. Every step we take is bad for the environment even the times we breathe in a minute are counted. Does the world look better than before? I can't say it does. The landscape is full of chemical factories that not only pollute the air but also smell terribly. We live the life the youth told us was a better and cleaner way of living. The last meadow is a memory.

Bleep

For the first time in years, we receive a message from the system with an attachment. An image shows on the screen.

Look, honey, robots. We can each choose one isn't this exciting? Which one do you want?

He looks suspiciously at the screen and shrugs. They look old, I don't need one. What if I click on the wrong link again, then what?

We have nothing left to lose this time.

I studied the little robots. Which ones would make our lives most colourful?

Please, do not post in the soul of this writer. If you have a #story to share you can call me @hive-169911 or use #hive-169911

All pictures are mine
Picture robots source
Date: 20-5-2024

#story #krsuccess #kittywu #worldbuilding #fiction