Crowd: A Dystopian Social Network Thriller (Final Draft)

Baaad Birthday

Goodbye Santa Kahlo.

At least for now.

Rain had packed her little rucksack with local apples, two muesli bars and a Tetra Pak filled with Californian organic orange juice. She leaned her heavy head against the warm windows of her Superloop capsule. The pill-shaped vessel whooshed through the semi-transparent tubes at over two hundred and thirty miles per hour. Thanks to the advanced propelling technology, Rain failed to feel a single vibration. Her bed at home vibrated more.

Comfortable, unlike the landscape view blurring by.

California's sunburned with a vengeance, scorching the landscapes and drying up any water source foolish enough to surface. The land looked like a wasteland from apocalyptic sci-fi movies she used to watch on her feed. A small cabal of entrepreneurs from the Bay Area worked hard to solve the issue but failed to provide an affordable solution.

Maybe Camryn Sikes would. He certainly accessed the resources and technology, but seemed to be focused on growing Crowd. Rain would send another feedback and mention the problem. According to her profile, her last feedback had been accepted, although Camryn had never contacted her. Speaking of the man himself, a new Crowd update hovered in her upper vision.

Good news, Crowdies. Fleet, the number one auto-car sharing service in California, is now a part of the Crowd family!

The dangers of manual driving will soon be a thing of the past. We're working super-hard to bring you from point A to B in the safest, fastest and cheapest way possible while reducing our carbon footprint.

Now you might say who cares, and we say you totally should.

Here's why:

- all Crowd features will be synchronized, meaning maximum compatibility for you!

- reduced and even free rides if your ranking is sufficient

- special discounts for elderly citizens from underprivileged backgrounds

The Crowd family grows, making your world more fair, secure and rewarding than ever before. If you want to learn more about the upcoming changes, check out the What's New section or ask our customer service AI.

Until then, happy riding,

Your Crowd crew

Would that mean Rain and other members would get discounts? She hoped so, considering how much of her hard-earned money was spent on traveling outside of her job. If she still had a job next week...

Useless thoughts. Rain accessed her entertainment section and streamed a classic sci-fi pick into her augmented vision. The story featured a strong female heroine fighting a fascist regime overtaking her country.

For some reason, Rain loved dystopian sci-fi movies despite their unrealistic and melodramatic depictions of oppression. They always carried a cartoony element, but at least the story distracted her for the rest of the ride. When the end credits rolled, the capsule's AI said, "Reaching San Diego main station in nine minutes and fifty-five seconds."

Rain tensed. Her parents wouldn't be able to pick her up, due to her father's health constraints.

She stepped out the capsule and set foot on the platform. Mild warmth welcomed her, much friendlier than Santa Kahlo's heat brigade.

Rain summoned a Fleet auto-cab which already offered her a discount thanks to her high rank. Incredible to see how Crowd functioned all over California, and maybe soon, the rest of the States.

Rain arrived in front of her old parents' house where her mother awaited her. "Rainy."

She hugged her daughter and pressed her lips against her temple. "Congratulations on your graduation. I really wanted to come, but your father, well, you know."

"Good to see you."

Sage and cinnamon wafted at her. Memories of the childhood. Unfortunately, no rank or profile hovered near her mother, which meant she was still disconnected.

"Still not part of Crowd?"

"Your father's against it."

"I'm asking you."

Her lips pouted. "He's out in the backyard, talking to a buddy. You can help me in the kitchen."

The house looked like before, as if it had been hosted in a time bubble. Out here, some things never changed, not even the mindsets. Inside the living room, a black and white cat brushed her left leg.

"What's up, Speedy?"

Mom toned down her volume. "Do me a favor, please don't talk about politics or that network, cómo se dice?"

"Crowd."

"Si, Crowd. Please don't mention it. You know how he is."

"So I can't talk about my working place?"

"It's your father's birthday."

It was frustrating to shut up about a topic she was so passionate about. But maybe it was better given the last consultation in the office. Maybe she would be fired by the start of the next week, despite what Sasha had claimed.

Rain closed her eyes and activated her 'Good Daughter Mode'.

She wanted to forget her life in Santa Kahlo, at least for the day.

"Can you help carry the salad?"

Fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and onions pretzeled inside a big glass bowl. Rain carried it outside the backyard where the ripe orange trees greeted her. Her father sat in a recliner, holding a Corona with lime, talking to some bearded guy with a red cap.

Rain braced herself for incoming conversations.

"Your daughter's here."

"Hey, baby."

She hugged him and could smell his beer breath. At least he smiled. "Lincoln, this is my daughter Rain. Rain, Lincoln's my neighbor. He helped me build the birdhouse."

Stan reached out his hand without asking for permission to shake her's.

No surprise, since he wasn't part of Crowd. No one around here was.

"Ain't toxic," Lincoln said with a twang.

Rain shook his hand which reeked of sweat. It was only a matter of time before the stranger asked the question she needed to avoid. Rain counted down the seconds.

5

4

3

"So, what do you do?" Lincoln asked.