Nycla, a.k.a New York City − Los Angeles Greater Metropolitan Area is a megalopolis with 12 trillion inhabitants. That is twelve followed by twelve zeros. Nice, even number. Nycla is the biggest city on earth. It is also the only city on earth and it covers every single square inch of the planet. Continents. Gone. Rivers and lakes. Gone. Oceans and mountains gone. Green fields and flowers, long time passing. Gone. Tourism and expatriation have lost their lure, since there’s no place to go. It is all the same horizontally, the only differentiation is found vertically, on the various levels of work, play and rest for the different demographic groups. And yes, there’s the elite, since that’s part of the human nature. They are the few and the only allowed to witness the open skies above. And the glorious sun.
It is monstrous, yet beautiful and safe, congested, yet comfortable and clean. It can be fun. It is the proof of the human race’s capability of reaching everything it aims at. It is a cancer that finally took its total toll. It is ecological miracle, which recycles everything. Think of anything, and yes, it is recycled.
Tina is early for education. The curriculum today consists of subjects of the Recycling, the World Future and the Shift. The Shift will be a big topic today, since one of her schoolmates and his family will finally reach the dream of every Nyclanese of the planet. They were informed about it with an official message this morning. The Shift will happen the following Saturday. That will give them plenty of time to bid farewell to their remaining and definitely envious relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours, organize a party and then step into their Dream Cradles and be shifted never to return.
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The Shift
Ciencia FicciónTina lives in Nycla, a planet wide megalopolis of 12 trillion people, who all work and play in three strictly defined shifts: the Work Shift, the Play Shift and the Rest Shift, each taking eight hours with a short transition time in between. Once Ti...
