r/WritingPrompts • u/rocketjon • Nov 26 '14
Writing Prompt [WP] Write about a totally normal day in 2014, written as a 1950's sci-fi story about living in the 21st century.
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u/azzatwirre Nov 27 '14
I know they're watching me.
We all do, in fact, know. But we ignore it. We are powerless. Or so we think. Who knows what thinking really is, now? I can find out anything that anybody claims to know instantly, between bites on sugar, salt and trans-fat. Our interfaces are so pretty, so full of virtual life... I'll just be good. I'll be good and play with my shiny screens. The world is at my fingertips. Therefore it owns me. Fair trade.
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u/restlessleg Nov 27 '14
a catatonic stage of hyper galactic travel sends our robot hero to what is known as comet 1326 hyphen L. "sh*t! we missed the original landing site." lab coats scurry to mathematically pinpoint its new location... "this is taking too long sir." meanwhile, our robot hero collects samples from the comet in search of the origins of life. to be continued...
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u/baredopeting Nov 26 '14 edited Nov 26 '14
"Have a good day, Mom". Billy waves goodbye to his mother and sets out from his house for school on a bright morning in November 2014. Immediately after leaving the house he takes a small, handheld silver device out of his pocket. This is his "smartphone", and it controls his life.
The magic of the smartphone can affect almost every aspect of day to day life. But on his walk, Billy wants to listen to music. He swipes the glowing screen of his smartphone, and a host of virtual buttons appear. Billy can tap the screen to put commands into the phone. He selects a virtual record collection, that allows him to listen to any song of his choice at any moment. Billy selects some "hip-hop"- a style of music in which singers recite vulgar poetry over artificial beats made by computers. But of course, his smartphone is a computer itself - they have been made so small that one can fit in Billy's back pocket. Billy listens to his hip-hop with small plastic buds that he places in his ear, connected to his smartphone with a wire. But he is not done with the smartphone for today. He looks at the sky, which is filling with cloud. He types out a few more commands on the screen of his phone, and within a few seconds it shows him the weather forecast for the day - rain until 3pm, with cloud continuing all evening. The smartphone does this by accessing a huge network of information, constantly updated, that can be used and added to by anyone.
This network, the "Internet", can only be accessed by computers that are connected to it - the smartphone connects merely through signals in the air. Billy can use the Internet whenever he likes, and read newspapers, books, letters and encyclopaedias through it. In fact, he fancies looking at the news now. His smartphone instantly gathers the news stories of today. Barack Obama, the first colored President of the United States, urges for calm following riots in Missouri. Tensions continue between the European Union and the Russian Federation - Billy ponders what he recently learnt about the fall of the Berlin Wall in his history lessons. Scientists land a probe on a comet - the Moon was landed on by men decades ago. A celebrity discusses their reaction to naked photographs being stolen and shared on the Internet- in today's day and age, privacy is a thing of the past. Indeed, the Internet can be used to communicate as well as learn. Billy is interested in a news story and wants his friends to know about it. But rather than telling them at school, he simply presses a button and he shares the story to his "followers" - members of the Internet who choose to read all the activities, ideas and thoughts Billy wants to write down. Many people choose to follow many hundreds of other people, and read their writings for their own entertainment. Gaining followers is a sign of social status in modern times; some people have thousands of them.
And so Billy reaches his school gates, where students of all colors share the same classrooms, and white children are even taught by colored teachers. Yes, modern society is very different to the days of the 1950's; women can work all kinds of jobs, casual clothes are worn in the workplace, some jobs exist purely on the Internet! Homosexuality is not only common, but homosexuals can even get married in some states. But Billy is not concerned or confused by any of this; it is his world, and the future looks bright.
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u/dinorawr5 Nov 26 '14
bzzz...bzzz
Deborah lifts her head from the sofa, eyes barely open. She extends her hand in search for the source of this pulsing buzz that’s awakened her so abruptly. At last her hand grazes a thin metal device sending off vibrations at distinctive intervals. Deborah was still coming to and realized that she had fallen asleep on the sofa watching a series of short films on this same device that she was now eager to silence with it’s droning buzz. She grabs the device and slides her index finger across the backlit glass screen, de-activating the virtual alarm clock that had been the cause of her rude awakening.
It’s another rainy day here in the city. Deborah knows this even before she has the opportunity to look outside. This device that has been by her side through the night and into the morning has displayed the forecast for her. With no more than a simple click of a button (an electronically displayed button, that is), this machine uses air frequencies to automatically update the expected weather conditions and display this information on a thin, luminous digital screen no more than four inches tall and two inches wide, and it does all this within just seconds. This gadget, the HSDC (High Speed Digital Communicator) has become the standard by which everyone communicates and obtains information, all of which occurs almost instantaneously. Deborah has become accustomed to this instant transfer of information and can rarely part ways from the device.
Starting her morning routine, Deborah uses her HSDC to play a virtual radio, where she selects only the songs that she wants to listen to before she gets into the shower. Washing her hair, Deborah has her mind occupied with other things. One of the short films she had viewed last night was a news clip that had left her feeling unsettled. She’d heard the rumors floating around, but it seemed so far fetched to her. Everyone thought that it would never come to this. The HSDC has established the way that businesses are run, the way that students are educated, and the way that every day people communicate with friends and family all over the globe. Still, Deborah feared the worst. Her mind kept thinking that the news reporter was right. She’d always taken pride in her country but it was hard to deny the clear evidence that the government could be taking advantage of this technology, eavesdropping on all that she did through this machine that everyone has become so reliant on.
With these daunting thoughts floating in her mind, Deborah stepped out of the shower and turned off the virtual radio still emitting sound through the tiny speakers of her HSDC. There is one physical button on the side of the device, the only one that is not a virtual button. She held this button down in order to power down the device. Unsure of what to make of all this, Deborah thought it couldn’t hurt to leave her HSDC off for a while.
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u/samuelk1 Nov 26 '14
It's 7:30 and time to leave for work. But what's this? Father is still in his slippers and pyjamas! Looking sharp in her business suit, it's Mother who is bringing home the bacon! What a world! Look out, fellas: mom is working her way to the top! She owns and drives her own automobile to the office, too. But this car is no ordinary sedan: under the bonnet is a normal internal combustion engine, but hidden away underneath are a series of chemical batteries that drive the wheels once the vehicle reaches cruising speed.
Mother is soon on her way to work in her hybrid automobile. She drives in comfort, listening to the popular music of the day. The sun visor even has a mirror so she can check her makeup while waiting in traffic. What will they think of next?
Mother is off to her job, but Father is no slouch. He works from the home, thanks to his home computing engine and the miracle of the Interconnected Network! When Father finishes writing his article on last night's football match, he can send it through the ether to be broadcast to any other computing engine on the planet. Anyone can read Father's musings and reply in kind.
Father can also use this very same computing engine to do the shopping for the family. Little Billy needs new shoes, and sister Jane is begging for a new dress to wear to the school sock hop. The shoes Father can handle...but Jane's dress is a bit out of his area. Better get help from Mother on this one. Father sits down at his computing engine and types in Mother's name, followed by a brief message: "Hello, Dear. Jane needs a new dress for the sock hop next week. Help!" Quicker than a flash, the message zooms its way through the Interconnected Network to a small mini-computing engine telephone in Mother's pocket. Wowee! Still driving, Mother is alerted to the new message with sound of a bell ringing.
Mother makes note of the new message, but she can't reply now; the local constables are on the lookout for distracted drivers, and computing while driving is a no-no. But no worries: Mother soon arrives at the office, ready for the day, and not a hair is out of place! She takes the time to reply to Father's message by pressing her fingers against a picture of miniature typewriter keys on the small screen of her mini-computer. And Whoosh! Her message is away!
Meanwhile, at home, Father is finishing the day's shopping (thanks to Mother's help), and it's time for lunch. But Father has yet to change out of his sleep clothes! Not to worry...Father has lunch already sussed, thanks to the power of micro-wave energy. He retrives a small package from the refrigerator's freezer compartment. Steak and mashed potatoes. Yum, yum! But this dinner is frozen solid! It will take hours to cook! Father isn't worried. Placing the frozen dinner in the micro-wave cooker, he sets the timer and Zap! Piping hot steak and potatoes in only minutes.
It is now late afternoon, and Mother will be home soon. Father is preparing for Mother's arrival by cleaning the house. Or rather, Father is letting his robot butler clean the house! That's right, Father doesn't have to lift a finger thanks to the robot butler vacuum. This little fella tirelessly cleans the floor -- and the carpet, too -- while Father naps on the sofa. Don't forget the corners, now Mr. Robot!
Father wakes from his slumber just in time to hear Mother's car pulling into the driveway. Mother not only brings home the bread, but the pizza, too. Piping hot and fresh from the local Italian restaurant.
It's a good end to a good day, thanks to the miracle of modern technology!
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u/Harrihoag Nov 26 '14
I like the Roomba, nice touch.
That's right, Father doesn't have to lift a finger thanks to the robot butler vacuum.
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u/WaitingForHoverboard Nov 26 '14 edited Nov 26 '14
"Incorrect password. Please try again."
Dammit, why don't people just trust each other anymore?
It was the only way to get his money. Smith glared nervously at the camera behind the smoked glass. He knew it was there. He knew it was looking at him and recording. But that didn't matter.
All that mattered at the moment was that the electronic beast had eaten his livelihood. The overglorified calculator smugly asked for it again. Was it the birth date? One of the four phone numbers he had? Perhaps the number for the satellite positioning "chip" he had surgically implanted in the family dog. What kind of statistical insanity is this?
Grand-dad never had to go through this. Smile and a handshake -- that's all it took once upon a time. This is a nightmare. He glanced at a camera on the ceiling. They know who I am. The mechanical eye can compare my photos to others and tell who I am, why do I need a code word?"
The guard to the side passing by casually looked at Smith's distress. Smith didn't really want to look like he was distressed, however. He would hate to draw internal security over to ask questions. Is that teenager behind me taking my photo and sending it to the global electronic network?
That's it, he thought, as he began to input numbers. Same number I use to access my medical records on the network. I wonder if the results of my genetic fingerprinting are complete yet? I'll check in a couple of hours after reading this morning's newspapers from around the world. Need to look at Beijing especially -- curious to see what propaganda East Asia's putting out.
"Thank you for your transaction at this auto-mated teller machine. Please take your receipt and enjoy your day."
The card slid out and Smith rapidly replaced it into his wallet, along with his money. Oh, they had a record of that too. Or at least that he had received it. Still haven't gotten to the point where they can track cash. Not that anybody but the real criminals care.
He quickly made his way to his flight. Security was lighter than normal. He was one of the chosen members today who were waved through. And the snooping x-ray, the new one that could accurately see if he was carrying a pistol or a knife or a manlihood that was lacking -- he thankfully didn't have to do that today.
It was a bright cold day in November, and the clock was striking thirteen.
Did I forget to set it back to 12-hour time? My pocket supercomputer is stubborn that way, he mused, while tuning in to a distant radio station made just for him.
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u/trivial_trivium Nov 27 '14
So good, this read just like an old school sci-fi novel. I read it twice actually, just to enjoy the scenario after fully getting it by the end. You really did make the mundane seem exciting!
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u/rauqvor Nov 27 '14
Ah!! I loved that 1984 reference at the close of your story: Good read overall.
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u/thorax Nov 26 '14
So far, yours is my favorite here. I read so much Sci-Fi-- this would fit in quite well.
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Nov 26 '14 edited Nov 26 '14
Let's take a peek at the typical day of a couple in 2014. We will no doubt see an entirely new world of technology.
hissing sound
What's this sound, you ask? Why it's... actually, it's just the radiator heat system. That's right, in the future, this typical couple still has the same form of heating that you might have today!
musical tone
Now, what's this sound? There is no radio in this room. No, that sound is coming from a computer! You see a man's hand reach out to silence his tiny computer, which is small enough to fit comfortably in his pocket. This amazing multi-purpose gadget serves as an alarm clock, a time-telling device, an agenda, a textual communications device, and even as a phone!
Our fellow silences the alarm to get up and get ready for the day. What other amazing devices will we see him use? Well, um... it looks like he's taking a normal shower, shaving with a straight razor, ironing a shirt by hand, and grabbing a print newspaper as he heads out the door. Sorry folks, there's not much to see there.
But what about his commute? We see him walk to the train station on the New Haven line. Are these mere ordinary trains that you might also take even today? Well... yes, they are. They run on electricity, just as they do in your century.
Ok, let's just return to the home to see what modern marvels the women of the future can expect in the home. We hear another sound chime, and this time the female half of the couple reaches out to look at her own computing and communications device. Yes, women also have their own computers!
Let's follow her morning routine to see what time-saving inventions she uses. What's this? She's not applying any makeup. Is there some automatic device that will take over this task? Why, no. There's nothing like that. She's just going to leave the house without makeup. Incredible! What a time saver!
Ah, now she's walking into the kitchen. Maybe she'll give you ladies a show of the new technology you can expect there. We don't see a dish washer like some of you may have today. Is there some new device for this purpose? Let's ask her how she uses new technology to cook and clean. She's shaking her head. She doesn't use much new technology for cooking and cleaning? Well, why not? Oh... she just doesn't really cook or clean. I suppose that is one way to save time.
What does your husband think about this? Oh, she's pointing to her ring finger now. What? Oh my, you may need to ask the ladies and children to leave the room now, fellas. This couple isn't married. What do you have to say for yourself, young lady? Aren't you worried about <whispers> falling into the family way? The woman points to her inner bicep, indicating an hard implant just under the skin. Now, that is something, isn't it, and much more convenient than the daily pills women take now.
Well, it looks like our lady is dressed for a day of gardening, as she's wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt. Let's follow her to... wait, she's also getting on the train. That's right, many people in the future can wear casual clothing in the workplace, and many women also happily work outside of the home... even after they've found a man.
As we can see, many parts of the world of 2014 are quite familiar, from hygiene to transportation. Many of them are... well... Quite frankly strange and scary. Let's just forget you ever saw this.
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u/trivial_trivium Nov 27 '14
Very clever twist, with the technology not being so different but society having changed instead. I enjoyed this!
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u/galaxyandspace Nov 27 '14
Self driving trains are slowly becoming more common. Specifically in Madrid, Barcelona, and a few in New York.
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u/captainthataway Nov 26 '14
Birth control pills came into use in the 60s not the 40s.
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u/VRMaven Nov 27 '14
This was a great concept. Some good stories, I especially liked the ones pointing out social changes. I haven't read all the stories but I was surprised that they don't actually have a lot of the technology that we have available. No Netflix/Hulu/Youtube. Sure it's mentioned you can watch a movie on a portable computer/phone, but the other incredible part is, you can watch almost anything you want, when you want.
Didn't see any mention of 3D-Printing technology. Google Earth, GPS, also skipping some of the most incredible parts of the Internet. People mentioned cellphones but skipped over most of what they could do. What about being able to answer nearly any normal question, or books, audio, video. Of course a lot of modern tech is so incredible but people don't even know it exists. How about the ability to genetically change the bacteria in our mouths to prevent tooth decay? Or the ability to nearly instantly revitalize after a workout, so you wouldn't be tired and be able to workout again. Epigenetics... where we see nurture effects nature in the future.