Remote

Codex 15111

He waited outside the next night, but the stranger failed to materialize. The night after, only the sterile sky kept him company. He made a mental check on his calendar. Day eight and no midnight visitor. Standing in the window, shielded by the night blinds, he watched through a small slit.

The diamond-shaped port by his ear itched, and he wondered if it called him to hook up. Was the feeling real or guilt for disobeying the laws of New State? He picked up the cord. It would be so easy to plug in, meet some friends and hang out, or to return to the dream state he'd been enjoying prior to the stranger.

The ancient arctic called him to explore. Once immersed, he'd watched the polar bears from the dog sled that pulled him further and further into the blue glaciers. He wasn't sure if polar bears still existed, but the terrain had once been beautiful and wild.

At least the arctic still existed in his and other New State citizen's minds thanks to Maximon Anansi. He didn't need to scroll through history implants to recount that story. It was a staple in every school curriculum from day one.

The revolution started not on a battlefield but in a meeting room. During a presentation at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., the former capital of the once powerful United States, Maximon Anansi received federal approval for implanted neural devices after successful testing in animal models. Human volunteers lined up in droves. Anansi reported volunteers were "overjoyed with their constant connection to the internet."

Soon after, Anansi founded CONNencephalon Corporation, CONN Corp. for short, to join humans and computers through brain interfaces. The original goal had been to cure those with chronic medical conditions, but then the technology was offered to anyone who wanted it. The masses were ecstatic to have the opportunity to experience a constant technological connection.

When the Decimation arrived, close to half the population had a CHIP implanted. With resources limited, wars between countries erupting faster than forest fires, governments highlighted the benefits of brain interfaces and offered them free to everyone. Soon after, the implant became mandatory.

Governments rationalized it benefited all humanity. Citizens received the latest news and information instantly, understood the government's policies and practices with ease, and were notified of serious ecosystem and wartime problems. When the poison gases came or the bombs dropped, those implanted with CHIPS were the first to make it to safe spaces and survive.

On a personal level, CHIPS allowed for constant connections to friends and family. There was no searching for family lost to the tornados ravaging the plains or tsunamis along the coast. Friends and family were either there as part of your interface or they were forever gone. To deflate sadness, guilt, or any negative emotions, fun and adventure were constant. To plug in meant to achieve your dreams and live your fantasies. As the world crumbled, people moved within their mind for excitement and fulfillment.

The Decimation finally passed along with the wars. The United Community rose, and the new leaders built a modern world with the sprawling city of New State at the center, representing all things beautiful, pure, and true.

Codex's mind whirled with thoughts. He peered at the cord in his hand, deciding whether to plug in, hook up, return to the arctic, and forget about her, except in his dreams.

He threw it back on the desk and headed outside with the promise to himself this would be the last night.