In my dreams of the future I have seen many things come to pass. I have looked back upon the face of the past and briefly held the child of tomorrow. My visions have come to pass many times before, and I do not see why this will be any different. Be warned, the forecast is grim.
Today we hold life sacrosanct for the most part and believe everyone deserves a second, third, or as many chances as they need. "Life can be tough" we often remark when we or others are down on our luck. We even wield a substantial amount of power as American citizens. While not all the world enjoys a life quite as free as our own, it is quickly spreading as the 'net snares the technologically advanced cultures.
However, what I have seen of tomorrow isn't quite so wholesome sounding. An order established through compliance and ignorance, maintained by violence and deception. I have seen the streets of tomorrow, with their Technicolor atmosphere and orange skylights. They are barren and warm. No one dares to walk them for fear of nature, of Earth and ourselves.
Society today is setup to allow the rich to become richer and the poor poorer, but to allow those select few to fluctuate between these standards. Thus we believe it possible to earn our better life through skill, knowledge, effort, or pure luck. We have hope. We cling to the idea that we can change the world through our actions and make it a better place for all of us, or just ourselves.
Underneath the paling light of dusk in the future, a rustling sound is heard as those with survival in mind stir from their retreats. A lean few drag themselves through the streets to observe the waning globe of fire. Their clothes are rags, their bodies are covered in dust. They clean the sores in preparation of another night of foraging for what those higher on the social structure left behind.
We deal with our criminals as children who've misbehaved. A slap on the bottom and a few years of time-out to think about what they've done. A humane way to treat our misguided brethren is our primary objective, while protecting the victims of rape, murder, and theft is a secondary concern. If one of our miscreants falls through a skylight while attempting to rob a citizen or business, they may sue for compensation.
In the darkening city streets of the imminent age, our criminals have been predisposed. Those that are prone to criminal acts through heredity are weeded out of the population. The few who simply committed an error have their minds wiped clean of such deeds. In fact, they are given a second chance at life… by having all of their existence erased from their brains. They are set upon the streets to wander until they make use of themselves for the good of society once again, or until the slave caravans catch them. A man who doesn't remember his parents does not want to be out on those streets, for he is no longer a man in the eyes of the upper class.
Of all the things we take for granted, it is our right to exist we ponder the least. To simply be, we suppose, is that which we are entitled by birth. Thusly, we state that no being should will his bidding upon another without just compensation in a monetary fashion or the like. Our bodies, again, we never question our right to our bodies as personal property belonging only to the being to whom it was bequeathed. Slavery is illegal, immoral, unjust, and evil.
Slavery is a means of production, comfort, entertainment, pleasure, and even currency. The Traders bring their catch of sub-classed flesh to open markets and freely trade and barter over the shivering masses of horrified and confused. Their flamboyant airs speak of their success and they have a habit of keeping the best stock for themselves. A good buy will land you a wife, or another husband. A bad buy will land you a gardener or another maid. Worse still are those who shop strictly for their appetites, indulging in impulse buying and carting off the gibbering sack of meat for purposes they rarely verbalize. Fast food and entertainers in houses of ill-repute share the same ingredients.
I will say no more now, save that this is not all that I have seen in my visions of this hollow plastic future. There are still tales of colonies of children on the moon, mad computer programs, cloning and genetic tampering, the repercussions of our own ignorant nature and worst of all, when our mistakes turn out to be their manipulations. Goodnight future, to you we impart our children.