DYSTOPIAN MEET CUTE

They wandered the streets in search of a signal. Heads down, faces pressed against the cracked screens of their phones waiting until the network, otherwise known as The Universal, was restored, albeit patchily and they could find where the silent parties were at. That depended, of course, if they were able to avoid being caught by the ThinBlueOnLine who also deployed offline squads, TheThinBlueOffline, to patrol the city streets.

Talking to people face to face had been outlawed as it was considered a micro-aggression that could lead to assault. Men had stopped talking to women and women were no longer allowed to call themselves women as any 'old world' binary definition of womanhood threatened the other endless fluid categories of gender that many self-identifed as. The breaking down of the conventionally recognised archetypes from the pre-Covid19 age now appeared to be some type of preparation for the full embrace of a shape-shifting metaverse filled with avatars whose existence belonged almost exclusively and solely online.

Trouble was, with the increasing frequency of nihilistic hackers, mostly rogue Gen Z malcontents, The Universal had lost momentum in creating continuity for this new immersive paradigm to be properly enforced.

So many humans, stuck between the old world and the new, found themselves truly lost. All sense of belonging had been eviscerated and although the off-line world resembled an increasing wasteland it still held a kind of romantic fascination for those who belived in the organic notion of a soul. And in that remaining fascination affinities were born and attraction ignited. But with the ThinBlueOffLine squads monitoring any intimacy between humans using motion sensor drones and robot infiltrators, it was getting increasingly harder for humans to enjoy any connection without the threat of heavy fines, social credit rating decimation or even prison.

In such a world of despair, some even chose to be caught, preferring to be held captive in prison rather than attempting to live a life in this brave new world.

For the notorious Crypto trader, Nick Aldiss, he saw little difference between the two. The only thing missing for him on the inside was the possibility of finding love.

And that was a good enough reason to celebrate his pending release from his 4 x 4 Pentonville prison cell.

It was the 6th January 2033 and Nick's first day of freedom didn't feel much like it.

The depressed sun had gone back to bed it seemed and the city, so dark and wet, looked about as hospitable as a discarded matress left out in the rain.

Nevertheless, Nick went to his old favourite bar, "Shit Kickers" to see his old pal Joe who always gave him a free shot or two. Arriving at the place, he was dismayed to find it all boarded up with acid green graffiti sprawled across its shutters saying "fluid revolution".

Finding few places still open, Nick stumbled into 'Pablo's Siesta Bar' where people appeared to be taking naps in suspended coccon-like hammock pods that had colourful Japanese-style screens surrounding each one of them.

Uncertain at first about whether to stay, a sudden torrential downpour followed by a flash of lightning outside the neon lit venue made his mind up and he soon made further enquiries as to what this 'Siesta Bar' was all about.

"Good afternoon sir!"

Included with an hour of rest was a plant-based multi-vitamin cocktail and a virtual sleep mask with peaceful backgrounds provided, including any number of beaches from around the world concurrently live streamed courtesy of Google Earth.

Taking the time to enjoy a brief rest, Nick was shown to his own snooze pod where  he found the floor covered in warm sand. Taking his shoes and socks off he laid back in the suspended structure like a baby in its cradle and slipped on his mask.

Nick had always wanted to visit Hawaii and so had chosen Waikiki Beach on his virtual location options as his destination of choice whilst enjoying his own private pod. He ignored the avatars available to beautify his appearance and went in as raw and swarthy as he was in real life.

Under the shade of a Banyan Tree, Nick was feeling amazingly rejuvenated, almost forgetting the past ten years of his incarceration. He only wished they had provided these type of gadgets in prison; it would have made the time go quicker.

Falling into a blissful, shallow sleep, he dreamed of deep diving in the nearby coral reef where he was surrounded by endless shoals of colourful looking fish darting all around him.

And then, travelling above the sound of the gently crashing distant waves, a sweet sounding voice called to him like an echo from his youth.

"Hey, is that you, Nick?"

Looking up at a woman standing over him Nick couldn't quite make out her full features as the dappled bright sun blinded his eyes.

"Who's that?"

"It's me. Beth."

"Beth! What are you doing here?"

Nick couldn't believe his luck, meeting someone from his past so soon after leaving prison plus she was wearing an Ursula Andress bikini outfit and looked almost as tantalising as the original Bond girl.

"I work here. I'm like a host/escort of sorts you might say. My three o clock just cancelled on me and I just saw you sunning yourself."

"You haven't aged at all," Nick said in awe of her obvious beauty that he'd been infatuated with all the way back when they were at secondary school together.

"Oh, I have."

"No, I have," he replied insistently.

Beth looked at him in a way that made him feel special somehow and it lifted his spirits after being lockdowned for a decade in an emotional deep freeze.

"I heard you'd been in prison."

He nodded, embarrassed that Beth knew about it.

"Today's my first day of freedom."

"Freedom, huh? What's that?" Beth said sardonically.

"Listen, why don't we get out of here and go find somewhere to hang out for real?" Nick suggested as Beth's happy expression turned solemn all of a sudden.

"It's not worth it. I can't be myself properly offline and we'd just be miserable. Why don't we just stay here instead?"

"We can't stay in here forever, though."

"Why not?" Beth queried.

"Because it's not real."

Somewhat disturbed by her devoted attachment to the digital realm, Nick nontheless complied with her wishes, especially as she looked as inviting as the sparkling ocean in front of them.

"Come on. Let's go for a swim."

She offered her hand which he happily took and they headed toward the electric blue water where his previous dream within a dream now became a virtual reality as they both swam amongst a school of orange and yellow striped fish.

After spending a day at the beach, Nick finally felt it was time to go and find a real place to catch up on some much needed non-virtual rest.

Simulated paradises were all well and good, but the body knew it was being tricked despite the tech giants wanting you to believe you could disappear into them and forget your misery in the real world where everything had fallen apart.

Before he left, he felt he should say a quick goodbye to Beth in real terms as it had been good for him to catch up with a familar face, albeit in avatar form.

Asking the manager of the place where he could find her, they pointed to one of the back row of neutral coloured pods at the back of the shop.

Seeing the back of her gyrating to some upbeat pop candy, he placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Don't panic. I just wanted to say goodbye for real."

Slipping off her virtual sleep mask, Beth turned to face Nick who recoiled from her in horror.

And in that moment, she could see herself reflected in his anguished expression.

"Reality sucks, huh!"

Looking at Beth's emaciated, under nourished features, she far closer resembled a skeleton than an actual living being and the cognitive dissonance it provoked in his sleep deprived brain was enough to leave Nick speechless as he rushed out of the store to get some fresh air into his lungs, at least as fresh as anything could be these days.

If this was freedom, then he no longer wanted any part of it.

Was he now in a future dystopia where prison offered greater security and sanity from the collective digital madness than everything on the outside?

He already knew the answer and he sobbed openly in the street, disregarding any attempt to uphold his macho persona as the rain joined him in solidarity.