A Look into the Future

Carrie's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her alarm clock beeping away. With a groan, she sat up and threw off her covers. She winced as her feet hit the cold, icy floor. She walked across the room, drew open the drapes and smiled as sunlight engulfed the room. She walked over to the bulletin board hanging over her desk and read her daily quote,

March 10th, 2025

¨Science never solves a problem without creating ten more¨

-George Bernard Shaw-

As Carrie stepped out into the hall, she could hear the familiar buzz of the robotic maid going about her morning chores. As Carrie walked down the hall, she glanced over all of the family portraits hanging upon the walls. She saw a portrait of Carrie and her dad. She still remembered the day when it was taken. Carrie was about 16 years old at the time. It was the last photo ever taken of her dad. She picked up the picture sitting on the table next to it. This time Carrie was 18. It was her graduation photo. About two months after her mom found out she was being let go. She remembered that night. Her mom came home crying. Her mom told her what happened and Carrie asked the first question that always seems to come to mind, ¨Why?¨ ¨Technology. Technology is the reason that I will no longer be able to care for your siblings,¨ she replied. Carrie assured her that everything would be alright. She put off going to college for a few years so that she could help out at home while her mom looked for work. Jobs in her profession, however, were not in demand like they once were. They no longer needed to hire people to get the work done when it was easier to have robots do it instead. Carrie sighed, put the picture down, and continued down the hall.

She went downstairs and turned right into the kitchen. She walked over to the tablet sitting on top of the white marble counter. She entered in what she wanted for breakfast that morning. She began having an inner conflict about whether she wanted her egg to be sunny side up or an egg in a basket. She decided upon having it sunny side up, purely because it was such a sunny day outside. Similar to the maid, the chef then beeped to life and began preparing the meal. Within minutes the chef had Carrie's breakfast prepared and on the table waiting for her.

After her breakfast was finished she went and programmed the chef-bot to clean up the dishes and then become dormant. As usual, the robot did as it was told and began to clean up. Carrie walked back over to the counter and glanced out the window that looked over the garden. Across the yard, the gardener was seen doing its usual job, tending to the lawn and landscape. Carrie, however, programmed the gardener in a way that it would steer clear of her garden. When she was little, her mother had a garden and taught her how to tend to it. She wanted to keep that aspect of her childhood. She now tends to a garden of her own, without help from the gardener. Her garden is flourishing with fruits, vegetables, and various exotic flowers. Her garden consists of 5 rows. The first is of strawberries and raspberries, the second consists of carrots, the third is beets, the fourth is of Chinese Hibiscus, and the fifth row is of Glowing Dahlias and Lilacs.

Carrie turned and sauntered out of the kitchen and over to the mudroom where she found her watering can sitting on the Mahogany wood bench. The watering can was a gift from her mother. It was pastel blue with green polka dots and a metal rim. She continued out the door and followed the stone pathway to her garden. Carrie lovingly tended to her garden, making sure not to water the plants too much or too little. She plucked the weeds so that her herbs would have room to continue growing.

After watering her plants, Carrie returned to her house and went to the study to gather her things for work. She went and put her things down on the mudroom bench and strolled upstairs to change. She decided upon a business casual type outfit. A simple cream colored blouse with black dress pants, black heels, and a classy silver necklace with a charm in the shape of a teardrop. She pulled her long, thick auburn hair back into a tight bun. The only makeup she decided to put on was some black mascara. Carrie looked at her watch and noticed that she was going to be late if she didn't leave soon. She rushed back downstairs and grabbed her jacket and her briefcase out of the mudroom. Carrie stepped outside, breathed in the fresh air, and set off to work.

Carrie watched as her car pulled around the corner and into the driveway. The driver is late again. It must be time to get a new one. This is an old model anyways, Carrie thought. She shrugged and walked over to the vehicle. She got into the backseat. "Where to, ma'am?" The bot asked. "To work, please." She quickly added, "and do hurry please." There was a confirming series of beeps and they were off. Carrie observed her surrounding as the car glided along. They were sweeping past trees and houses now. The car continued to accelerate until the world outside became a blur, unable to keep up with the speed of the vehicle.

After about fifteen minutes, the car began to slow down. She watched as the tall, gray office building came into view. The car pulled up in front of the building where Carrie would then get out, walk up the stone steps, and through those big wooden doors, as she had done every day for the past three years. She did this once more, unknowing that it would be the last time she ever did. For her, being a Bookkeeper was an entertaining job. She enjoyed working with finances and keeping track of various accounts. She enjoyed her job.

To her surprise, around noon, her boss knocked on her office door. Carrie became very worried because usually her boss only went to someone's office without a scheduled meeting if it was inevitably bad news. The new was indeed unpleasant, for Carrie was being told that although she has been doing very well at her job, she was being let go and had one hour to clear out her office. Utterly stunned at what she was hearing, Carrie asked, "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but if I am doing such a good job, then why am I being fired?" "There is no need for your services anymore." He added dryly, "We can get machines to complete your tasks in a faster and more efficient manner." Her boss told her that he was sorry and hurried out of the room to deliver the same news to Carrie's other co-workers.

Carrie, shocked, began to carefully pack up her things and phoned for the driver to bring the car. She was out within forty-five minutes and let her mind wander as the robot drove her home. Carrie was still unable to process what had happened. She had heard and seen this kind of thing happen. Chefs, maids, nannies, gardeners, and chauffeurs are only some of these example in her everyday life. She never thought that it would happen to her though. How will I pay for my house and how will I be able to pay my bills? The thought haunted her all the way home.

She spent the next few weeks job searching with no luck. Her former boss's words continued to replay in her mind: There is no need for your services anymore. We can get machines to complete your tasks in a faster and more efficient manner. She wanted to try and make sure that this time, whichever job she found, she wouldn't have to worry about machines taking it from her.