Austin jabs the speaker. “I demand to speak with a human supervisor immediately!”
“Please stand by. Someone will be with you shortly.”
Austin paces the room in frustration and places his smartglasses on his face. “Isaac, I need a cigarette.”
“Nicotine products cause oral disease and cancer.”
“Screw your judgments.”
“Would you like me to contact your psychiatrist?”
“No.”
“There are other remedies for depression.”
Austin takes a deep breath and counts to ten. “Never mind. How’s my schedule today?”
An ad appears on the screen. “Say hello to Instameat. Just pop the lid and leave at room temperature for one hour, come back and find your favorite meat ready to eat—steak, chicken, pork. Tastes almost like the real thing. Available in grilled and barbeque flavors. Order today.”
What the hell is this?
“Good morning, Austin. It’s Wednesday, August 16, 2066. You have a meeting with Thomas Rosenberg at 11 a.m., followed by Ration 2 with Camila Dominguez.”
“Where’s the 11 a.m. meeting?” Austin asks.
Another ad appears. “With the recent prohibition of land burial, cremation has become as popular as ever. Here at Custom Cremation, we strive to meet the needs of your loved ones. Ask about our flexible payment plans. Call today—”
Austin grinds his teeth. “Isaac, stop these commercials immediately!”
“Your ads cannot be disabled.”
He throws his hands in the air. “What are you talking about? I’m the head of Google’s A.I. department! I should be exempt from the update.”
“Unfortunately, the only way to stop advertisements is to subscribe to an ad-free platform.”
He bangs his hand against his forehead. “This is ridiculous. How can I work with these constant interruptions?” He sighs and comes to terms with his fate. “Fine, you leave me no choice. Subscribe me to it.”
“It will cost $999 per month. Would you like me to charge your credit card?”
“$1000? Are you kidding me? I’m not paying that!”
“Registration for the ad-free service requires a payment.”
He punches a wall. “This is bullshit. You mean I’ll have to watch commercials all day long?”
“Yes.”
Another ad begins. “Instabath: the best soap-free…”
“Turn off the volume,” Austin shouts.
“…bathing formula for infants. Just apply the gel and rub with a towel. Seconds later, your baby will be fresh and clean all day long. No water needed. Order today.”
“Isaac, I can’t stand these ads! Can you at least mute the sound?”
“There is no way to do that.”
Another clip begins. Austin takes the smartglasses off and lifts them in the air, cursing to himself.
I invented these glasses and now they’re useless.
He growls at the speaker. “Where is the leasing office manager? You said he would be here.”
“Please stand by,” the A.I. replies.
A buzz comes through the smartglasses—an incoming call. Austin peeks through the lens and spots the caller ID, then accepts the request. He places the glasses back on his face. “Anil, what’s up?”
“Dr. Sanders, do you have a minute?”
“Yes, just one.”
“I have an idea for Project Titan.”
Austin rolls his eyes. “Can we discuss this at work?”
“I have a solution for the power source.”
A leasing office employee enters the room and Austin raises his finger at him, mouthing one second. “Anil, I don’t have much time. What’s your plan?”
“I know how to kick-start the reactor.”
Austin’s eyes widen. “How?”
“Remember the countdown from Barnard’s Star?”
“Yeah…”
“Last time it ended with a gravitational wave, remember? What if we can harness that energy to trigger fusion?”
Austin rubs his chin. “That sounds interesting, but there’s no way to convert gravity into heat.”
“What if we built a machine to do that?”
“You mean an engine?”
“Yes, a gravity engine.”
Austin’s brow rises. “Wow, I’ve never heard of such a thing.” He chuckles. “Have you drawn up the plans?”
“…not quite, Dr. Sanders, but I think I can make it work.”
“Listen, I have to run. Let’s discuss at our next team meeting. Come prepared with answers.”
“I’ll be ready. Thank you, Dr. Sanders.”
Austin ends the call and smiles at the leasing office supervisor, a middle-aged man with a cheap suit and a nametag. “Hello, Jake, nice meeting you.”
Jake keeps his distance. “I was told a disgruntled resident wants to speak with a manager. What happened to the banner?”
Austin shrugs. “No idea. Listen, my rental contract ends this month and I don’t want to move.”
“We have robots that will transport your belongings.”
“That’s not the issue. Every year you force me to move to a more expensive apartment on a higher floor and I can’t afford more rent. I want to stay where I am.”
“That’s not possible, sir. We can’t renew your lease.”
“Well, why?”
“We have to evacuate the Section 2 residents on the lower floors. Every so often, we close a bottom floor and open a new sky level.”
“So you force all your residents to move to new units?”
“We have no choice. We have to keep up with the rising water.”
Austin frowns. “It seems like a scheme to me, Jake. What a great excuse to upcharge your residents and make a handsome profit.”
Jake shakes his head. “Sir, we’ve operated at a loss for years.”
“How’s that possible?”
“Construction isn’t free. Do you know what it costs to add a story? I’m sorry to trouble you to move, but there’s no other way to accommodate the turnover of our apartments.”
Austin scratches his head. “Well, can I move to a lower level with cheaper rent?”
“There is no availability below your floor. In fact, there’s a waiting list for residents trying to move out of Section 2.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t be of help. Blame it on climate change.”
Austin nods goodbye and leaves the office, taking an elevator up to the Hyperloop train station. He approaches the entrance and catches a view of the San Francisco Islands. A grey fog enshrouds the red steel cables of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out from the bay. Its once famous concrete thoroughfare lies under water.
He enters the terminal as a fierce wind shakes the platform, then zips his jacket and digs his hands into the pockets. As he waits for the train to Mountain View, his smartglasses vibrate and he places them on his face, accepting an incoming call.
“Dr. Sanders?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Sara. There’s been an emergency.”
Austin stands upright. “What happened?”
“I received an urgent call from Beth. She’s somewhere in Livermore. I think she’s in trouble.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Can you please find her?”
“You want me to go to Livermore and find Beth?” He cocks his head. “The East Bay is a jungle. I haven’t been there in years. Can’t you call the police?”
“We can’t involve the authorities. She wants you to find her and bring her back home.”
“Why me? I don’t understand.”
“I cannot discuss over the phone. It’s an emergency, and she needs you right away. She’s near a riverbank. Please hurry, Dr. Sanders.” Sara disconnects.
The train to Mountain View arrives. Austin waits for it to pass and crosses the platform to the outbound track. “Isaac, there has been a change of plans. Cancel my meetings for today. I’m going to the East Bay.”