Bridge to Nowhere

The Presentation

Wednesday Morning

The business class seat should have allowed Rick to sleep comfortably, but his excitement kept him awake most of the flight. The plane touched down in Washington, DC, at 6:30 a.m. Eastern time. As he exited the plane, he looked back at the luxurious seat. So much for government cutbacks.

Rick's bag waited for him in baggage claim. Once Rick is in range, the suitcase beeps, and wiggles, scooting ahead, leading Rick to the AutoCar zone.

The AutoCar stops at the front of his hotel. Rick sets his suitcase on the pavement. The hotel is fancy and traditional. A doorman wearing a large jacket and hat holds the hotel's grand door open, greeting Rick. It takes a moment for Rick to realize the doorman is a robot or nom as people call them these days.

Rick's suitcase scurries across the elegant lobby to the front desk as Rick follows. Rick stands in front of a screen at the front desk. The system confirms his reservation via facial recognition and a room code appears on his band whereupon a nom wearing a bellman's uniform appears next to him.

"Please follow me." The bellman nom moves briskly to the elevator. Rick's suitcase speeds along with the bellman, leaving Rick to catch up.

The bellman opens the hotel room and holds the door open for Rick, then sets the suitcase on a charging bench. His initial view of the large suite leaves Rick awestruck. The bellman walks through the large room, signaling lights to illuminate, and triggers the curtains to slide open while giving Rick a quick tour of the suite by pointing and uttering one-word descriptions, bedroom, desk, closet, bathroom.

The room is luxurious, decorated with fine furniture and artwork. A dining table with a flower arrangement sits in the center of the room and a couch and coffee table are arranged in front of a video wall. A desk is next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer a magnificent view of the capital building. Off the main suite is the bedroom and a large bathroom.

When the bellman finishes, he stands at attention and speaks, "Will there be anything else, sir?"

"No. This is amazing. Thank you."

The bellman hesitates. "Very well then," the nom says before leaving the room. Rick wonders if he should have tipped the nom as the door clicks shut.

Rick walks to the large windows and marvels at the brilliant view. The city is coming to life in the early dawn light. The White House, in the distance, looks majestic.

Rick settles in and catches a couple hours of restless sleep dreaming about his grant. He realizes getting funded is a long shot, but he'll be presenting to his peers. He must be on the right track. Times have been tough but are getting better.

The industry and economy of North America changed drastically during the Four Wars. After nuclear attacks destroyed New York and Chicago, everyone suffered. Everyone sacrificed. It wasn't just the bombed cities and the dread of world war. Products once imported from Asia and Europe became scarce. Global commerce all but ceased. Industry focused on developing technology and weapons to fight wars instead of producing products for consumption. Poverty soared. Government-issued apps doled out ration coupons. Life has improved since those darkest days.

After the US signed treaties to cease involvement in the Four Wars, the economy blossomed. Cities affected by the wars worked to recover and rebuild. The government funded the initial stages of the recovery. Entrepreneurs raced to develop innovative technologies and created automated factories to produce food and consumer products.

Companies like Armadyne produce a new generation of home appliances called actualizers. Actualizers are designed for a variety of applications. Many households now have a food actualizer to create quick meals. If you have enough money, you have a product actualizer or an Electro-Weave, a device that makes clothing from designs purchased online.