What if life in the future doesn’t anymore require physical contact? Will you enjoy it?
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September 22, 2065
I would wake up when the sun is high above me, yes, I may wake up too early but this is just how I was raised by my parents and my grandpa who would do nothing but scowl on me whenever he sees me doing what he dared not do during his childhood. I never really enjoyed his company but he’s the only family I got aside from Mom and Dad who works almost nonstop at the International Space Station some 500 miles away from Earth.
“Oh, you’re up now. I thought you died in your sleep!” my Lolo greets me. He’s already up 2 hours ahead of me. Well I guess all Lolos wake up so early and sleep at 12 in the evening. Weird.
“C’mon Lolo, it’s 1PM, everyone’s still asleep! Why be up so early?”
“The sun is almost setting Matteo! I don’t get it why you young people live during the night when it’s the sun that’s more enjoyable to watch!” Lolo tells me for the nth time.
“Lolo, the time of the sun is past. Let’s at least give credit to the Moon,” I answer.
“’Wag kang pilosopo ha, kayong mga kabataan ngayon talaga,” he says in pure Tagalog, the language of the oldies.
Most of the time, my Lolo sits by his favorite La-Z-Boi chair near the glass window of the flat overlooking the once-so-majestic Manila Bay. I could see how bored he was, actually, but I think he’s too old to ever visit the gym of Central 236.
Central 236 is where we live. It is a sprawling 50 hectares of 150 gigantic towers housing over a thousand flats for the people of Megapolitan Manila. It has over 70 indoor pools, 120 gymnasiums and athletic centers, auditoriums the size of 6 Bird’s Nests and has the fastest internet connection in the region with 56 mpbs servicing its 38 million users.
Central 236 also boasts of its state-of-the-art transport system, The Zapper that moves commuters from tower to tower. The Zapper is the modern replacement to the trains and LRTs who were outmoded about 30 years ago. The Zapper is a series of interconnected glass spheres using the Wormhole Technology, a technological breakthrough in the world of Physics. The Wormhole Technology uses the propulsion system that allows people to travel from one place to another in a matter of seconds using the Zapper’s glass spheres and sucks them to a series of cables in one tiny zap! My Lolo calls this the Time Machine (though I don’t think people travel back in time with the Zapper).
“Don’t you think you’re gonna be late for school?” Lolo snaps.
“Oh, I nearly forgot! I haven’t done my homework yet!” I replied.
I took one sip of my coffee and hurried to school. My school, the Mac Super Pro is the latest of its kind. Thanks to the ISS grant, my mom and dad was able to get me the fastest and most efficient educator set in the world.
Advanced Metaphysics-206 Examination in 30 minutes.
The screen flashes in front of me as I try to remember what I had learned yesterday. I am now in my 2nd year in the university and in a few years, I’ll be getting my diploma from the Wikipedia University of Physics. In a few years, I’ll be a Physicist and work at the ISS just like my mom and dad, eventually meet girls at Facebook Dating Society and have our child delivered from the Laboratories. That’d be my goal that’s why I will study well. Metaphysics Exam now flashes in front of me.
Google cheating is strictly discouraged.
The screen tells me. I know.
After 4 hours of school, Lolo and I eat dinner from KFC’s Instant Delivery Service, the world’s largest QSR offering the healthiest food on Earth.
“So tell me, did you pass the exam?” Lolo asks as he slowly stuffs his mouth with Chicken Fillet.
“I think so. I hope so. Did mom and dad call yet?”
“Yes, they called when you were taking the exam. They’re working nonstop now that Nibiru’s near the Solar System. I can see they’re eyebags through the screen. Ugly creatures,” says Lolo, now sipping his favorite Pepsi Float.
“Ha! I’ll tell them you were mocking them when they get here!” I threaten him. He smirks.
After dinner, I go to the bar. Not to drink (they’re now banned because human beings started to be frail with continuous intake of alcohol), not to dance (nobody knows how to dance aside from my Lolo and all other Lolos and Lolas in town) but to socialize, collect friends and hopefully, girlfriends.
I turn on my HP DV9000-Ultra, puts on my favorite FH vest (while still on boxer shorts), opens the webcam and makes sure that I don’t show my boxers underneath. A series of windows start to flood my screen as my friends start to come over.
“You’re nearly late Matt, what took you so long?” says my friend Jasper from the other line.
“Sorry guys, I just had dinner. So, who’s new to the bar?”
“We got quite a few one on the second lounge. They’re from Cebu, though.” Jasper answers.
“That’s not too far, c’mon! Let’s party!”
And I bury my eyes on the screen as I socialize with my online friends at the Friendster Bar until the sun rises again in the distance.
PBA09qr7742s
lemme say this allen,
this is my favorite post of yours.yipeee
this really got my attention.i love the way you describe what the future would be like.
and can i assume that your favorite fastfood is kfc?hehe
well, the ending kept me off-guard:
'And I bury my eyes on the screen as I socialize with my online friends at the Friendster Bar until the sun rises again in the distance.'
sad.
悉怛多缽怛囉阿們 窮盡相關消去無關 證據時效
hubpages.com/profile/Marye+Audet/map
—————————————————-
眾生升墜總原理:「內分外分」與上升下墜
內分(貪愛分內)，屬情故下墜
外分(渴仰分內)，屬想故上升
臨終善惡相現
升墜之類別:
飛升之類─淨土、天道、鬼神(想多之眾生)
不升不墜─人道(情想參半之眾生)
下墜之類─三塗(情多想少之眾生)
結論別業中有同業
十因在各道之餘習
十習因 鬼道 畜生道 人道
貪習(貪物) 物怪(依草附木) 梟類(土梟) 頑類(愚呆)
媱習(貪色) 風魃(旱魃不雨) 咎徵(烏鴉…凶兆) 異類(妖怪)
誑習(貪惑) 畜昧(狐獸精靈) 狐類(狐狸……) 庸類(卑鄙)
瞋習(貪恨) 蠱毒(毒虫惡蟲) 毒類(虺蛇……) 狠類(剛暴)
怨習(貪憶) 疫癘(散行瘟疫) 蛔類(蟯蛔) 微類(賤僕)
慢習(貪傲) 氣餓(飢虛之鬼) 食類(虎狼……) 柔類(懦弱)
枉習(貪罔) 憂魘(厭人心胸) 服類(衣服二類) 勞類(勞苦)
見習(貪明) 魍魎(山精之鬼) 應類(燕鴻……) 文類(小才)
詐習(貪成) 役使(咒術役鬼) 休徵(鳳麟吉類) 明類(小聰)
訟習(貪黨) 傳送(遞傳吉凶) 循類(鴿犬……) 達類(小知世故)
—————————————————————-URLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687885027990493634
can someone please translate the comment above? =))
i soooooo love your post allen. i read it again.
and because of that,dalaw ka sa site ko.ikaw nilagay kong 'must-read post of the day.'
2065? wow. lolo na ako nun. uugud-ugod. galing ng imagination mo ha. ipasok lang ang mga mata sa puter screen para makipagsosyalan. galing!
hmmm–talagang tiniis kong basahin ang kilometric post ha—lol
very entertaining namn—
sana nga maging ganyan ka-progressive ang Manila in the future….
….life without physical contact? no way—you mean you make love with it? WTF!!!!! lol
pang-Palanca. :D
wow looks promising but i hope i'm still alive if it will happen hehehe
By the way I already commented back on your comment check it here: http://lovenashyboy.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-10-pinoy-men-fashion-wreckers.html
And check out my new blog post as well :P
may nag-send din sakin ng message na ganyan. ni-nose bleed nga ako. hehe.
bukas ko na lang basahin ang mala-nobela mong post at bukas na lang din ang matinong komento. hehe
aling message?
this is an original story.
' whoaa.. this is one of the best posts i have ever read.. both for the creativity and your play of words and the thought provoking message that you want to impart.. i feel so much for this issue coz the better half of my teenage years were spent when celfones are not yet a dime a dozen and net connections are not yet a stone's throw away.. so sad that what's supposed to connect people, now destroys what we should all relish.. intimate and personal relationships..
- napahaba comment ko.. juz shows this post made a home run!
who wrote this? bravo! umandar talaga ang imagination ko.
and to answer your question, NO. I dont want to live without any physical contact with my loved ones. and sad ng future!
hhehehehehehe
parang the future becomes so interesting!
at may wikipedia university ofphysics pa ha!
ang galing ha!
kitakits sa 2065
no. i mean that chinese chu chu in your comment box. :)
i like the story. hehe. na-excite tuloy akong isipin on what manila will look like 50 years from now. i also want to commend your imagination…
your wild imagination. LOL.
@FD-thanks!hehe. Yep, I love KFC pero di ko masasabing fave fastfood ko sya. Maka-Jobee padin kasi ako. hehe.
Kuya Red- Yep, and I think that's what's happening now. Unti-unti tayong nilalamon ng teknolohiya. ^^,
@Kuya Ton- haha. oo nga. that'd be so boring. But Matteo thinks its cool.
Actually ako na yung Lolo nya dun. haha.
@LastJedi- provoking, indeed. This should be a challenge for us. I mean, keeping technology improving and yet, preserving the values and our role as humans.
@Ate Chyng- ako po. haha. thanks.
Kahit nung sinusulat ko to, I feel sad, bothered, lahat na. Weird if maging ganito na sa future. No sex (we go to Labs to have babies), no social life (social networking lang) and no interaction at all.
@Fr. Felmar, actually inspired to ng kanta ng Black Eyed Peas na Now Generation. When I heard the song, nag-click agad yung idea na what if maging school ko na nga ang Wikipedia? haha. try nyo isearch yung lyrics non. Really good. May meaning talaga. ^^,
@poot- haha. and wild it is. Thank you!
oo nga. nagulat ako sa chinese characters. ang dami pa naman. nung pinatranslate ko, walang sense. engot ata yung translator ko. haha
Hoy Allen! Hehe. Ako rin nag-enjoy din ako magbasa. So, meron pa bang PUP sa 2065? Yawts. Wala lang. Epling lang ako.
Natuwa ako sa kwento. Lalo na yung Zapper. Hehe. It kinda creeps the hell out of me. Socializing would be defined as online activity.
Ayoko non. Hehe. Ayoko rin na gamitan ng genetically modified body parts para gumanda ang katawan ko. At ayoko rin ng baby through labs. Hehe.
Oist. Puro gelpren naman hinahanap mo in the future.
@Kuya Ax- haha! actually idea ni Einstein (di ko sure) yung ginamit ko sa zapper. propulsion system something. haha.
Adik! Actually ako na yung Lolo ni Matteo dun. hehe.
[...] might have read my short story THE NOW GENERATION earlier. Many thought its a grim picture of the future where everybody relies on [...]