The World After Fifty Years

The year is 2068, drinking water is now becoming more readily available again after successful cleanup efforts. We can only go outside at night because the UV rays are so strong, the radiation will literally cook you if you are exposed to it any longer than two minutes. The ozone has been completely depleted.

The government claims that the shield they have been working on will be ready in two years, but they've been saying that for the last six years. The extreme conditions make for a challenging work environment. I look forward to feeling the sun on my skin without being punished by its heat once more.

The fallout of the 2031 nuclear war can still be felt. There are rumours that the AI program that started the 2031 war might come out of hiding, but the government assures us that when it destroyed the internet, that it stopped spreading and lost its ability to communicate.

Scientists are still attempting to find a way to grow fruit and vegetables again. CRISPR gene editing technology was meant to save humanity, instead in the year 2022 when CRISPR was being used to edit almost every food, a mutation in a grape caused a destructive disease to spread, eventually wiping out all fruit and vegetables.

We have but one global currency now and one government. After the 2031 war wiped out many of the worlds governments and financial infrastructure, countries got together to form an alliance and subsequently a global government and currency. It was only meant to be temporary until things returned back to normal, but I think this government is here to stay.

The days all feel the same. I go to work in the server farms, and I come home in the evening. Yesterday was different to most, the microchip in my wrist malfunctioned and I had to go to the Office of Identity Management to get it replaced, it really hurts.

If I could speak with my younger self from fifty years prior to now, I would tell them in the future everything is different and not in a good way. Enjoy your freedom, enjoy the sun and access to clean drinking water and fresh food. I really miss apples.

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This is my entry for the competition The World After 50 Years by @kibriakk.

Image from Pixabay.