Short Story #1: The Good Old Times
Christmas Eve, 2054
Snowing for six months straight
Hong Kong
Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo
Ted, being the last person at the office, feeling bored, watches the hologram of a cuckoo bird as it disappears on his phone. It is only six o’clock in the early evening. As Ted wonders where his colleagues are, a familiar face and voice appear:
Happy birthday son, time to head home!
As Ted watches the hologram of his mum fades away, he picks up his phone and starts scrolling through the notifications. “Happy Birthday!! Have a great one!!” Same messages repeat numerous times…he is too lazy to count the exact number of birthday wishes. All he realizes is the fact that Facebook survives another year…
Do you still remember the three things we always brought when we left home?
Wallet, home key, and cell phone
Not anymore, the current three essentials are a windproof jacket, snow proof coat, and heat pads. As Ted scrolls through the birthday messages, one notification catches his eyes: -6 degrees Celsius and 50 km/h of wind speed. He recalls the last sunny day, which was 30 years ago when he celebrated his 30th birthday with his family.
Mum! Could you order a cake for me?
A hologram of Ted’s mum reappears, facing Ted, smiles, and nodes. Then, a diagram of a chocolate cake projects out of thin air. The price tag is next to the holograph: 600 bitcoins. Instead of ranting about the price, a tear falls from his eyes.
Just get me a cupcake…
Ted waives his hands, and all electronics in the room switches off automatically. He then carries his smartphone, leaves his office, and walks down to the end of the corridor until he reaches the door along with a hanging sign “Welcome home”. Before the door verifies his identity to unlock the door, a beam of light and a voice occurs.
Happy birthday and good evening sir! You have no visitor.
The door slides open, and Ted walks straight to the kitchen area. The cupcake, with a candle, is already on the dining table. He snaps his fingers twice, and a robotic teddy bear, which he calls it as Bear, rolls through the living room until it reaches the cake. Bear then lights up the candle, smiles at Ted, and starts to sing the birthday song.
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Ted…
Ted shows a moment of joy while listening. Bear captures several 16K videos of Ted’s appreciation while singing. Meanwhile, the mirror next to the fridge lists a selection of cryptocurrencies while optimizing the videos. As the mirror highlights the insufficient amount of Bitcoin in Ted’s account to pay for the cupcake, one exchange rate stands out in the crowd. Each bitcoin equals to eight Dogecoin. Ted remembers the good old times when each US dollar is the same as about eight Hong Kong dollars, and…
I wish you are here, mum and dad! I miss you!
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