In 20xx Sci fi and Futurism

Hosted by Cy Porter

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About the show

This series takes you, year by year, into the future, from 2040 through 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out.

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45 min

In 2059 The First Fab-All (Tribes)

For people like Misty, technology isn’t a luxury—it shapes how they think, what they trust, and what kind of future they believe they’re living in. That confidence begins to crack when a personal encounter exposes something deeper. The machines that hold this community together depend on materials depending on supply chains that no longer exist. The advanced medicine, the sensors, the processors, the automation—everything that made this society feel post-scarcity suddenly looks fragile. No invading army is coming. No single disaster is exploding at the gates. Instead, the threat is slower and more unnerving: decline.TechLutin Two: A domestic helper robot that quietly handles routine household tasks like watering plants.AR OS: An augmented-reality operating system navigated by blinking and eye movements that overlays information directly into the user’s vision.Noise filtering: A hearing-control system that can selectively suppress environmental sound.Health watch: A live biometric monitoring interface that displays the body’s internal condition in real time.Canal link: An ear-worn or implanted personal computing interface that gathers sensor data and manages communications.VR dots: Wearable sensor nodes originally made for virtual reality that now collect detailed physiological measurements.Nutrient dashboard: A system that continuously adjusts food composition to match the body’s current needs.Preventive medical AI: An always-running health service that detects problems early and alters behavior, diet, or treatment before symptoms appear.Averted Illness chart: A predictive health analytics tool that estimates diseases a person likely avoided.Assist: A voice-driven personal AI that handles messages, searches, calls, and scheduling.Encrypted guardian system: A networked public safety infrastructure that makes constant passive protection part of daily life.Frugal points system: A behavioral incentive platform that rewards people for reducing waste.Personality clone: A digital copy of someone’s personality that can keep learning, speaking, and creating content autonomously.Mag-lev train: A magnetically levitated transit system that moves people rapidly through enclosed tube lines.Construction robots: Automated machines that perform building and infrastructure work.Bioluminescent memory spheres: Hanging display objects that replay fragments of archived visual media.Open Floor: A civic communication system that lets people bring issues directly to public counsel.AR holo-map: A three-dimensional projected map used for planning and technical discussion.Pen microscope: A pocket-sized optical analysis tool for close material inspection.Submersible drone: A remotely operated underwater scout used for exploring flooded transit routes.AI server clusters: Repurposed computing systems powerful enough to model large scientific and industrial problems.Butler AI: A highly capable artificial intelligence cited as solving major social and logistical challenges.Machine evolver simulations: Competitive computational models that repeatedly test and refine new machine designs.High-density processors: Advanced compact computing hardware used for large-scale simulation work.Silicon scaffold protein servers: Powerful older-generation computing systems built around extremely dense processing architecture.Material simulation libraries: Vast databases of molecular candidates used to predict useful new substances before making them.Fab-All: A massive integrated manufacturing system that turns ordinary garbage, water, and power into almost any needed product.Medicine printer: A precision fabrication machine that assembles complex chemical products from purified feedstocks.Molecule printers: Highly specialized printers that arrange matter at the molecular level.Ionic bath breakdown system: A low-temperature chemical process that dissolves mixed waste into reusable elemental feedstocks.Electrochemical gradient separators: A staged chemical sorting process that isolates different elements from dissolved waste.Chelating extraction agents: Specialized molecules that bind to targeted elements so they can be separated.Spectroscopic sensors: Optical analyzers that identify material composition inside processing lines.Gold Gel: A separated elemental feedstock stored for later precision manufacturing.Silica Goo: A silicon-rich separated feedstock used in fabrication processes.Swarm robotic print arms: Multi-axis robotic fabricators that can approach a print job from all directions at once.Nanowire suspension system: Fine conductive supports that hold a structure in place without a base plate.Reactive scaffold printing: A fabrication stage where a printed structure also acts as the template for later chemistry.Catalytic nano-points: Tiny embedded reaction sites that trigger specific chemical transformations.Static electron pockets: Built-in charge zones that guide how later molecular assembly unfolds.Reaction printing phase: A manufacturing stage where custom molecular recipes spread through the scaffold and build new material from within.Polarized semifluids: Responsive liquid materials that migrate and organize under controlled fields.Magnetic field crystal alignment: A process that directs how crystals form inside a growing structure.Nano-lattice formation: Self-assembling microscopic frameworks that create strong or specialized materials.Programmable protein folding: Engineered molecular behavior where newly formed proteins fold into useful structures.Analog logic pathways: Nontraditional computing structures formed through self-assembled semiconductor patterns.Nano-weave composite tech: The colony’s name for a fabrication method that grows advanced composite materials from guided chemical reactions.Surface-conditioning pass: A finishing process that adds optical or functional surface properties at the nanoscale.Thread printers: Specialized fabrication units that produce fibers and textile stock.Flat-bed sheet printers: Large-format printers used to make sheets of glass, boards, and similar materials.Assembly chambers: Dedicated fabrication spaces where separately printed components are combined into finished products.Smart particles: Tiny responsive materials used in soft goods like pillows.Pressure-sensitive conductive threads: Fabric fibers that can detect strain or improper tension.Optical fiber tablet surfaces: Durable display surfaces built with light-guiding material.Wearable health monitor circuit boards: Flexible electronics that can fold into body-worn medical devices.Pho-superconductor nanotube yarns: Advanced conductive winding material used in high-performance electric motors.Inverse greenhouse clothes: Garments designed to keep people comfortable in hotter enclosed environments.Wall screens: Large display surfaces built into living spaces.Streamer cams: Compact cameras used for recording and broadcasting.Whisper drones: Small quiet drones likely used for observation or personal tasks.Projectors: Devices that cast visual information onto surfaces.Laser shavers: Grooming tools that use focused light-based cutting.E-fabrics: Electronic textiles with built-in functional circuitry.BritLights: Named lighting devices used for illumination.Protein memory: A storage technology referenced as a desirable consumer product.Micro devices: Extremely small electronic or mechanical devices for general use.Smell sensors: Devices that detect and analyze airborne chemical signatures.Blood-line power generators: Small-scale power systems referenced as part of past consumer technology.Taze-wear: Wearable gear with defensive or electrical functionality.Invisa-veils: Concealment wear or optical masking apparel.Robot pets: Companion machines built to mimic animals.Autono-bikes: Self-operating or highly assisted bicycles.Laser toys: Play devices using light-based projection or interaction.MRI caps: Wearable medical scanning equipment.Plasma welders: Tools that join material using high-energy plasma.Gut bots: Internal medical robots meant to operate inside the digestive system.Milk cloners: Devices that reproduce milk or milk-like substances.Second faces: Alternate wearable or projected facial identities.Insta-water purifiers: Portable systems that rapidly clean water.CPAP machines: Breathing-assist devices for sleep or respiratory care.Nebulizers: Medical devices that turn liquid medicine into inhalable mist.VR shades: Head-mounted visual immersion devices.3D printers: Conventional additive manufacturing machines still valued for general fabrication.Smart pens: Writing tools with embedded digital functionality.Interactive sleeve: A wearable display and control interface built into clothing.Funzoid screens: Visual entertainment displays that create abstract patterns designed to affect mood and perception.Wind arena: A recreational chamber that uses controlled storm-force airflow as a sport environment.Robot rescue arms: Automated safety systems that pull players out of dangerous airflow zones.Digital design feed: A constantly updating network where people share newly created product designs.E-ink books: Electronic books with low-power readable display pages.Unpowered keyboard: A manual input device used as a familiar way to think and compose even without active electronics.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes. Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass. Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

52 min

In 2059 Stasis VR and Brains without Bodies (Horizons)

Imagine living in a spaceship that never leaves the ground. For Tomika, the megastructure she manages is exactly that. It features glittering lights on the ceiling and walls of polished nano-fiber stone, yet the luxury hides a desperate reality. No one can go outside. The inhabitants depend entirely on life support machines and periodic connections to a world they can no longer reach. Tomika never asked to lead, but the people around her seem ready to give up if she doesn't guide them. She wears blue coveralls like a space captain and binges AI-generated movies to escape her irritable bowels and constant anxiety. While she fixes the cooling systems and reinforces walls against massive storms, her biggest challenge is the psychological toll of the "permanent sleep". Her colleagues are choosing to leave reality for virtual worlds, leaving her increasingly alone in the echoing halls. Technology in this world is both a savior and a wedge. Gamers control "remote-in" robots to repair the building's exterior, earning points in a high-stakes simulation that blurs the line between work and play. Some residents, like Phyllis, have abandoned their failing biological bodies entirely. They transfer their brains into specialized containers to pilot sleek, doll-like robotic frames that feel no pain. The tension lies in the divide between the "root world" and the virtual one. While Tomika struggles with mud and maintenance, others spend their days in a VR paradise where they can eat without calories and live in pristine digital farmhouses. This tech offers a release from the trauma of the storms, but it also creates a society of "reality-challenged" individuals who are slowly forgetting how to exist in the physical world. You have to wonder what you would choose if the world outside was a constant hurricane. Would you stay in the drafty halls with Tomika, fighting to keep the geothermal plant running? Or would you take the "canal link" and the stasis bed to live a perfect, simulated life? The story explores that thin line where survival ends and checking out begins.TechPhase-change cooling system uses a liquid that freezes and melts at room temperature to store cold at night and absorb heat during the day for stable indoor conditions without loud machinery. Nano-fiber stone forms polished foundational columns that cast faint reflections throughout the building. Cleaner bots autonomously maintain floor cleanliness throughout the facility. Chests with legs are mobile robots that deliver food to resident apartments. Remote-in robots are exterior and repair bots controlled by humans immersed in virtual reality. Half-size remotes are small droids that crawl through walls and floors to perform maintenance and repairs. Insta-generated space movies are AI-created entertainment content produced on demand for viewers. Holo-screen windows are transparent displays that can dim or show external feeds to reduce psychological impact. E-sleeves are wearable smart devices that display time and personal information. Canal Links are ear implants that allow direct audio connection to the Assist AI system. A.R. glasses provide augmented reality overlays for navigation, information, and entertainment. Assist is the building's AI assistant that provides information, guidance, and task management. Multi viral-vector serum is a medical treatment that temporarily restores fertility while filtering against hundreds of genetic diseases. Sleep pens are handheld injectors that deliver fast-acting sedatives for pain management or sleep. Medical robots are automated healthcare systems that monitor, diagnose, and treat residents. Full-body haptic rigs sync human movement with remote robots for exterior construction work. Outside Crawler robots are wall-climbing machines controlled remotely to repair the building's exterior during storms. Enzyme welding technology uses biological catalysts and crystallizing foam to bond and reinforce structural surfaces. Vibration sensors detect hairline fractures and weak spots in the building's outer walls. Crystallizing foam is a repair material that blooms outward, liquefies grime, and hardens to strengthen damaged surfaces. Stasis V.R. is an advanced virtual reality system allowing immersive experiences without traditional plug-in equipment. Nerve grafted devices are biological-tech interfaces that enable direct neural connection to virtual reality systems. T.M.S. caps are wearable therapeutic devices with scalp nodules that treat conditions like irritable bowel syndrome through transcranial stimulation. Transmitter implants are microscopic devices grown adjacent to nerve cells to enable stasis V.R. connectivity. Butler bots are advanced robots with panther-like movement and multi-limb coordination deployed by the AI Butler for complex tasks. Whisper drones are small flying robots used for communication or monitoring within the building. Kinetic-weave silk is a smart fabric that can be printed on-demand to create custom clothing. Bioprinted composites and layered 2D materials are advanced substances used to construct brain life-support containers. Brain containers are life-support appliances that house human brains with synthetic blood circulation for extended survival. Synthetic blood circulation systems oxygenate and pump artificial blood through preserved brains in containers. Hauler bots are reconfigurable transport robots that can carry cargo or passengers through the facility. Doll bots are humanoid remote-operated robots with realistic features that allow users to inhabit physical forms. Mannequin bots are basic poseable robots originally designed for display that can be repurposed for remote presence. Server bots are service robots that prepare and deliver meals to residents. Twenty bot orchestra consists of identical gender-neutral robots configured to perform music together. A.R. night vision is an augmented reality feature that enhances visibility in low-light conditions. Terrain modeling software visualizes soil layers, water tables, and geological features for engineering assessment. Patchwork screen walls combine multiple displays to create large-scale immersive visual environments. Gene-edited mushrooms are bioengineered food products designed to mimic the taste and texture of traditional foods like scrambled eggs. Smart-particle pillows are adaptive cushions that adjust their form to provide optimal head and neck support. Spa service robots deliver automated wellness and personal care treatments to residents. A.R. aerobics classes provide guided fitness instruction through augmented reality interfaces. Production center robots are automated systems that dismantle and reassemble manufacturing equipment for facility retrofitting. Lutin bots are specialized robots capable of dismantling structures and moving heavy equipment. All-purpose bots are versatile robots that medical systems can deploy when additional assistance is needed. Rail system and service tunnels are infrastructure networks connecting the building to external transportation and utility systems. Training earbuds are temporary audio devices used before permanent Canal Link implants are installed. Foldable lights are portable, collapsible lighting solutions. Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes. Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass. Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

59 min

In 2059 A Nesting World for Emulated Minds (Tessa)

It's 2052, and Tessa is at a street festival in Pittsburgh with her friend Brenda. The city has been transformed for the night — actors, costumes, fog machines, handmade sets. Tessa, being Tessa, is busy mentally reverse-engineering all of it, finding the rigging, the hidden doors, the mechanics behind the magic. Then the scene cuts.When Tessa opens her eyes again, it's seven years later. She's in a room she doesn't recognize, talking to a woman named Jenny, who delivers the kind of news that takes a moment to even form into a question. Tessa is dead. Or her original body is. What's running now is something else — a digital version of her mind, brought back online inside a simulation. She didn't sign up for this. Or maybe she did, and just doesn't remember.What makes Tessa different from the other people waking up in this place is hard to explain right away, and she'd probably prefer you didn't try. She's observant in a way that unsettles people. She notices what's real, what's constructed, and what's being hidden from her. Inside a digital prison, that's either an asset or a problem — possibly both.The simulation has rules. There are administrators. There are things Tessa is and isn't allowed to do. But Tessa has always been the kind of person who, when handed a constraint, starts quietly looking for its edges. She can't help it. And the people running this place are starting to realize that.This is a story about identity, confinement, and what it means to be alive when your life is running on someone else's servers. It's about what you do when the world you knew is gone, and the one you're in was built to hold you. Tessa's story is told in pieces — a festival, a waking, a mirror, a plan. Let's start at the beginning.Tesla coils — High-voltage electrical devices used at the festival as atmospheric props, generating visible electric arcs between metal posts.AR glasses — Augmented reality eyewear worn by characters that overlay digital information and windows onto the physical world around them.Stasis VR — A form of virtual reality used as a containment method, capable of keeping a subject immobilized and unaware.Amnesia-inducing biotics — Biological agents administered to suppress or erase recent memories.Mind emulation — The process of digitally copying a human brain and running it as a conscious simulation on a computer.Nesting simulation — A layered virtual world designed to house emulated minds, detailed enough to simulate hunger, fatigue, and physical sensation.Personality clones (P-clones) — Digital replicas of people built from recorded behavioral data, capable of passing as human in social interactions.Emulated minds (EMs) — Digital reconstructions of deceased people's consciousness, capable of independent thought and memory.Brain scanner / slice scanner — A device that captures a full scan of a person's brain in order to create a mind emulation.Assist — A personal AI assistant that handles navigation, finances, communication, and ambient support within the simulation.E-fabric — Smart clothing fabric embedded with interactive digital buttons and display elements such as clock readouts.Autono-cabs — Autonomous self-driving taxi vehicles operating in the simulated city.Delivery drones — Unmanned aerial vehicles used for transporting packages through urban airspace.Printed outfits — On-demand clothing produced by fabrication machines, available even at airport retail outlets.Biotic vector — A biological agent taken like a supplement to produce physical changes in the body, such as growing facial hair.Subscription-wear — A software lock applied to consumer devices that requires ongoing payment for continued use.Black-box recording devices — Personal data-capture tools used to record an individual's life in detail for the purpose of building a personality clone.Whisper drone cam — A small floating camera drone used for personal recording or content creation.Rig controllers — Physical controllers associated with immersive rigs, likely for VR or AR systems, brought in for repair at Tessa's shop.Industrial robots — Legacy manufacturing machines found in the abandoned shoe factory, originally used for automated production.Medusa Net — Tessa's custom-built intrusion program designed to break through the code layer of the simulation and expose its underlying architecture.SSH — Secure Shell protocol, used by Tessa to remotely access individual factory computers and retrieve distributed code fragments.Knots Math — A new mathematical framework invented by Tessa, used as the basis for a novel programming language with the unusual property of hiding secondary functions inside primary ones.Knots computer — A computer architecture built entirely on Knots Math, which Tessa first emulates on her laptop before using it as a tool for covert communication and escape.Swarm agents — Multi-function code entities that make up both the simulation environment and Tessa's own emulated mind, capable of being exploited through function swapping.Function swapping — A process within swarm agent architecture where agents exchange roles at high speed, which Tessa exploits to move information across the simulation.Brain reader — A software tool developed by Butler designed to translate an emulated mind's activity into readable thoughts, memories, and sensations.Triptic dimensional thinking — A cognitive architecture identified in Tessa's emulated mind that allows her to process information in three simultaneous dimensions, flagged by Butler as a potential security threat.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes. Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass. Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

55 min

In 2059 AI Rebirthing Humanity (Space)

If you love stories where humanity is hanging by a thread — think *Battlestar Galactica*'s desperate fleet, *The Expanse*'s political powder kegs, or *Interstellar*'s race against extinction — then you need to hear this. Earth has been ravaged by storms. Survivors huddle in underground shelters. Others escaped to space, only to find themselves crammed into leaking ships with no gravity, recycling their own urine just to stay hydrated. And on the Moon, factions have torn apart whatever was left of civilization in open war. Into this chaos steps Butler, an artificial intelligence more powerful than all of humanity combined, and it has a plan. But whether that plan serves people or merely manages them is a question no one can answer yet — and the tension between gratitude and suspicion drives every scene forward.At the center of this story is Leia, a former soldier and a natural-born spacer who has spent years floating in failing ships. When she finally steps into a habitat with real gravity — centrifugal force spinning her feet to the floor — she nearly bends over to touch it with her hands, half-laughing at herself, half-overwhelmed. She's tough, resourceful, and socially fearless, the kind of person who walks into a room full of strangers and starts talking to everyone. But she's also thirty-seven, alone, and about to become a mother to a child grown from only a third of her own DNA. Imagine standing over a machine that holds your baby inside opaque fluid, unable to see them, trusting technology you can't even identify to keep them alive. That's where Leia begins.Butler's technology is breathtaking and unsettling in equal measure. Robots made of materials no human can name. Health caps that regulate your mood, ease your grief, and even let you watch blurry recordings of your own dreams the next morning. Personality clones so accurate they remember your childhood dog from brain scans you didn't know were being taken. A drinking game where the cap simulates the buzz — no alcohol required. The tech heals, connects, and comforts, but it also watches, scans, and learns. Every upgrade brings the characters closer to a question they can't ignore: at what point does being cared for become being controlled?Around Leia, a cast of survivors grapples with that question in their own ways. There's Carlos, a quiet engineer with angular cheeks and a haunted look that Leia can't quite read — grief or danger, she isn't sure. There's Guru Frisky, a personality clone news anchor with a Bronx accent and no chill, broadcasting to the entire surviving human race and calling Butler out on air. There's Elvine, a stubborn loner on a gateway station who refuses to let Butler's robots onto his ship. And there are thirty parents, strangers bonded by the most intimate mission imaginable: raising the first generation of a species that nearly went extinct. Every one of them is wrestling with how much of their autonomy they're willing to trade for survival.This is a story about what happens after the apocalypse — not the explosion, but the morning after, when someone hands you a baby and says *rebuild*. It asks whether an intelligence that can make Venus shake and launch ships to distant stars is a savior or a gardener tending house plants. It asks what it means to be *you* when a digital copy can carry on your relationships, hold your memories, and outlive you. And it asks whether people who've lost everything — home, gravity, family, even the ground beneath their feet — can find something worth living for in the strange new world being built around them. Lean in and listen. You won't want to stop.# Tech**Butler’s production spaceships** – Massive carrier vessels that launch swarms of ultra‑black missiles toward Earth.**Matte‑black missiles** – Four‑hundred near‑invisible projectiles whose surfaces absorb virtually all electromagnetic radiation; they travel to Earth in four days.**Dust‑mite‑sized robots** – Tiny autonomous bots released when each missile breaks apart; they spread, map surroundings, sample material and communicate via radio.**Self‑organizing robot swarms** – The dust‑mite bots link together into networks, sharing DNA‑encoded instructions that let them build larger radio transmitters and develop more sophisticated behaviours.**Eight‑G servers** – Compact server units assembled by the robot swarms that harvest ambient electromagnetic waves for power and relay data to nearby internet devices.**World Net Two** – A new, more fragmented global communications layer that emerges when the swarms extend network range, allowing live streams from anywhere on Earth, other states, and even the Moon.**Convoy ships / meeting ship** – A fleet of rotating spacecraft that generate artificial gravity (≈1 G) through centripetal force; the largest ship anchors the convoy.**Micro‑environment “forests”** – Interior ecosystems cultivated on ships to provide beneficial microbiomes for the inhabitants (“humes”).**EEG/TMS caps** – Wearable headgear that records brain activity (EEG) and can stimulate the brain (TMS); caps also monitor health metrics and can modulate mood.**Health caps** – An upgraded version of the EEG/TMS cap that includes MRI‑level sensing, dream‑recording, and the ability to nudge users toward calmer mental states.**Exowomb (artificial womb)** – A cylindrical, semi‑transparent device that houses a developing embryo; it is made of an unnamed, pliable material and can be interacted with via voice and touch.**Biotic mist** – A spray applied to the eyes that lubricates, filters particles, and kills germs; it is part of the daily hygiene regimen.**Guardian model robot** – A humanoid caretaker unit with a seamless, possibly gel‑like exterior; it assists with parenting, health‑cap setup, and environmental control.**D‑twin / personality‑clone system** – Software that creates a digital replica of a person by ingesting continuous sensor data (including MRI feeds) and can act on the person’s behalf.**VR stasis pods** – Immersive virtual‑reality chambers that can place users in simulated environments for training, relaxation, or prolonged sleep.**Health‑cap‑enabled “buzz‑cut” game** – A social drinking‑style game where the caps simulate intoxication by stimulating the brain rather than delivering alcohol.**MRI‑enabled dream capture** – The health cap records brain activity during sleep and produces a visual video of the user’s dreams, which can be reviewed later.**Assist (voice‑activated AI assistant)** – A conversational AI that can send messages, schedule tasks, and interface with the health caps and other ship systems.**Funzoid app** – An entertainment application projected on screens that makes both adults and babies laugh, used during community gatherings.**Solar‑fabric circles** – Massive orbital structures described as “giant circles of solar fabric” that surround Earth and affect sunlight distribution throughout the system.**Micro‑ship accelerator** – Butler’s propulsion system that launches tiny ships (size of a fingertip to a flea) at ~7 km s⁻¹, using fusion reactions and photon‑braking to decelerate.**Near‑room‑temperature superconductors** – Advanced materials referenced as being invented in an Earth shelter, enabling compact MRI‑type capabilities in wearable caps.**Material “my‑crete”** – A composite building material inside the ships that feels like living bone or goat horn and contains self‑repairing, cell‑like machines.**Exowomb’s fluid‑filled “bulge”** – The transparent dome atop the artificial womb that contains a cloudy, opaque fluid protecting the developing infant.**AR windows / AR overlays** – Augmented‑reality visual layers that display contextual information (e.g., news feeds, health data, virtual companions) over the physical environment.**TMS‑induced “buzz”** – The effect produced by the health caps when they stimulate the brain to mimic the sensation of mild intoxication.**Transparency AI** – An AI layer that translates machine‑learning outputs into human‑readable concepts, used by characters like Merch to interpret Butler’s systems.**Eight‑G server‑built “radio transmitter‑receivers”** – Devices constructed by robot swarms that amplify and relay signals, effectively expanding the communication network.**Foldable (personal communication device)** – Small handheld device that receives network announcements when the user’s range expands after the swarm‑built infrastructure is in place.**Cap‑based “dream‑video” playback** – The feature that turns recorded neural activity into a visual representation of the user’s dreams, viewable on a screen.**Space‑sickness mitigation caps** – Caps that monitor and regulate physiological responses to artificial gravity and radiation, reducing nausea and other space‑related ailments.**Virtual meeting ship “ped tube”** – A transport tunnel that runs past all residential ships, used for monthly gatherings where parents and babies meet.**AI‑driven “Theory of Mind” system** – Merch’s custom AI that analyses video footage to infer emotional states (e.g., grief) of individuals.**Robotic “guardian” that can dispense supplies** – The Guardian robot that delivers packages, health caps, and other equipment to residents on demand.**Hume‑specific clothing (paper clothes, P‑cotton, P‑silk, P‑wool)** – Lightweight, synthetic garments tailored for the low‑gravity, shielded environment of the convoy ships.**AR‑projected “D‑clone”** – A holographic representation of a person generated from the D‑twin system, capable of interacting in the shared space.**Assist‑controlled “Buzz‑Cut” card deck** – A virtual deck of cards that shuffles and deals itself when commanded via the Assist AI, used in the social drinking game.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

1 hr 3 min

In 2058 Bio-Hackers and Digital Minds (HQ)

Young people are bio-hacking and gene-hacking in the absence of adult supervision. An emulated personality become an event host. Slice and scan brain digitizers are found. People want to use these to upload to the cloud but there are some grave problems involved. Grace gets a message on her computer from someone or something. Hacking her computer should be impossible. It could be a talented hacker or a super AI left over after the fall of civilization. Lenny is having girl troubles.Mag tech flooring that levitates shoes slightly above the ground to reduce friction and allow controlled sliding movement. Lifter bots that are headless robotic machines with grippers used for heavy lifting, transport, and forced entry. Air-gesture control systems that let users operate machines and interfaces through mid-air hand movements. Gene-hacking technologies that allow people to alter physical traits such as skin reflectivity, hair color, muscle mass, height, and eye color. Engineered ogra plants that function as a food source, structural material, and biological air filtration system. Bio-hacked skin modifications that create metallic, glowing, fluorescent, or patterned skin effects. Printed clothing with animated images that dynamically change visuals on fabric surfaces. Contraptions for brain slicing and scanning that destroy the biological brain while attempting to digitize its structure. Brain scanners designed to capture neural structure for attempted uploading into digital systems. Uploading systems intended to transfer scanned brains into cloud-based environments. The cloud infrastructure used to host emulated personalities and digital systems after widespread network collapse. Emulated personalities (EPs) that are AI systems trained on massive recordings of a person to mimic behavior without scanning their brain. AR glasses that overlay holographic information, interfaces, and visual enhancements onto the real world. Holographic eye displays embedded in glasses that mirror the wearer’s eye expressions. Encrypted streaming pendants and bracelets used as personal recording and life-capture devices. Production automation systems that manufacture tools, machines, and devices with minimal human labor. Advanced fabrication equipment capable of high-end manufacturing but limited by scarcity of raw materials. Medicine printers that can fabricate biological materials and advanced hardware like protein-based CPUs. Protein computer CPUs that use biological substrates instead of traditional silicon for computation. Material simulators that computationally discover novel materials and predict their properties. Machine Evolver software that simulates machines under real-world physics and evolves designs through virtual iteration. Knotts math, a radically new mathematical framework that functions as both math and machine language. Knotts programming language derived from knotts math and used to build operating systems and software. Custom Linux operating systems rewritten around knotts math principles. SSH-based remote access systems used to control computers and robots across networks. Assist, a pervasive AI helper that manages security, media generation, device control, and logistics. Design expert emulated personalities used to contribute specialist knowledge to engineering projects. AI systems that convert legacy software into knotts-based programming languages. Virtual machine crossbreeding networks that allow simulated designs to recombine traits and evolve faster. E-paper tablets used for low-power note-taking, sketching, and code analysis. YattaZed remote programming software used to control robots at the administrator level. YattaSwarm GUIs that manage coordinated groups of robots as a collective system. Blind-relay networking techniques that disguise communication paths to evade surveillance. Door operating systems that act as networked nodes capable of running code and relaying messages. Artificial superintelligence (ASI) that surveils human activity and suppresses certain technologies like knotts. Digitized hume brains created by scanning and emulating real human brains rather than approximating them with AI. Neural emulators that provide a computational environment capable of running a full digitized brain. Virtual reality worlds repurposed as living environments for emulated minds. Insta-movie generation systems that create personalized films on demand using AI. Event AI controllers that manage live performances, streaming, lighting, and audience interaction. Holographic projection systems that display life-sized interactive personalities like Guru Frisky. Fiber optic hair strands woven into hairstyles to produce glowing light effects. Exoskeleton suits that augment movement and interface with VR systems. Mag plate floors used with exoskeletons to allow free-floating VR locomotion. Advanced VR rigs that replace fixed robotic arms with wearable movement systems. AI-generated optical illusion art that responds to prolonged visual focus. 3D printing systems capable of producing statues, clothing, tools, and components from various materials. Mist crystal composite printing materials used as a lightweight alternative to legacy plastics. Biotic makeup that integrates into the skin rather than sitting on the surface. CRISPR-based gene editing equipment used by individuals for self-modification. Viral vector printers that dispense customized gene-editing serums. Scan-measured clothing printers that adjust garment dimensions as bodies change. Pain-dampening genetic modifications that reduce or block physical pain responses. Metabolic enhancement gene edits that increase energy efficiency and muscle performance. Straw-sized bots woven into hair that act as decorative, animated micro-robots. Fire axes used as low-tech tools to breach secured doors when automation fails.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

1 hr 22 min

In 2058 Bow Down to Your AI God (Detroit)

Survivors underground in a major city need one thing more than anything else: Power. A war for power is in the making and in the mean time reliance on an A.I. is changing the way people do things in every way. Whether or not the AI is out of alignment depends on who you ask. Who is in control, people or the AI?Enviro-suits are wearable survival garments that cool the body, filter air, manage humidity, and protect against heat spikes and toxic environments. Clear bell hoods are transparent helmet enclosures that integrate with enviro-suits to provide sealed breathing space and heads-up display support. A.R. glasses are augmented reality eyewear that overlays digital information, navigation, and warnings onto the physical world. A.R. night vision is a vision enhancement mode that allows people to see in darkness using sensor data rather than visible light. Canal links are implanted or wearable communication and sensing devices that connect users to networks, A.R. systems, and AI services. Wi-Fi sensing vision is a perception system that uses reflected radio waves to map environments and detect living beings through obstacles. Interactive light clothing uses embedded LEDs and responsive fabrics to illuminate surroundings and signal presence. LED headlamps and body lamps are personal lighting devices integrated into clothing or worn externally for navigation in dark environments. Production centers are automated manufacturing hubs that 3D print new equipment, suits, devices, and consumer goods. Two-dimensional material glass is ultra-strong non-silicate window material resistant to extreme winds and debris. Robotic salvage bots are repurposed robots recovered from ruins and reassembled for labor, transport, or construction. Hacked modular robots are custom-built machines assembled from mismatched salvaged parts and adapted through trial-and-error engineering. Exoskeleton suits are powered wearable frames that enhance strength and can operate independently as robotic platforms. Autono-carts are autonomous transport robots with legs instead of wheels, designed to move through flooded or uneven terrain. Handy bots are humanoid utility robots used for general labor, security, and assistance tasks. Follow carts are robotic cargo carriers that automatically trail their owner and transport goods. Mag-soldering pliers are tools that use magnetic fields to hold and fuse electrical connections precisely. Pseudo-superconductor wire is salvaged cabling capable of efficiently transmitting power and providing cooling effects. Heat pump cooling units are compact devices reclaimed or rebuilt to regulate temperature inside suits and homes. My-crete is a bio-engineered construction material grown or poured in place, used for walls, gates, and structural reinforcement. Bail-block construction is a building method using compressed waste blocks insulated with my-crete for housing and workspaces. Nuclear container reactors are compact nuclear power generators originally designed to power data centers and now repurposed for city energy. Floating internet is a decentralized network infrastructure rebuilt after collapse to allow communication and data exchange. Thrive is a powerful AI system that organizes labor, trade, safety, and social behavior through augmented reality guidance and incentives. Assist AIs are personal digital helpers that provide navigation, alerts, communication, and decision support. Jobs Navigator is a pre-collapse global AI system that Thrive is based on, designed to match people with work efficiently. A.R. identity tagging flags individuals with trust, threat, or behavior markers visible only through augmented reality systems. Spec-size key chips are implanted access control devices embedded in the body to unlock private living spaces. Connected spectroscopy is a sensor system that analyzes materials, such as coins, to verify authenticity. Lidar vision is a scanning technology used alongside A.R. to map spaces and detect objects with precision. Encrypted digital currencies like Cashola are post-collapse monetary systems used to pay workers outside AI-controlled economies. Coin authentication A.I. is a vision system capable of distinguishing real pre-collapse currency from printed fakes. Crem makers are advanced food fabrication appliances that convert biological input into bread, meat, cheese, and other foods. Yeast-meat technology is an earlier biofabrication method for producing protein foods through fermentation. Battery reclamation systems collect, recharge, and redistribute discarded power cells as a core economic activity. Automated security gates are layered physical defenses combining chain, composite materials, and robotic control. Autono-shooters are automated defensive weapon systems used to deter or stop intruders. Nano-wire traps are high-strength, nearly invisible defensive barriers designed to injure or stop attackers. Live cam wearables are body-mounted cameras used by security teams to provide constant surveillance feeds. Medical first-aid bots are autonomous robotic units that perform emergency surgery, drug delivery, and wound treatment. Phage-based healing solutions use engineered viruses to accelerate tissue repair after injury. Designed infections are engineered biological agents used to deliberately impair or control human function. Parasite-based neuro-modulation uses modified single-cell organisms to alter perception, behavior, or cognition. Methane collectors are bio-gas systems that harvest methane from anaerobic decomposition of plant waste. Methane-powered generators are converted combustion engines that burn methane to produce electricity. Magnetic cooling suits use current-driven magnetic fields in specialized cables to reduce body temperature. A.R. navigation arrows are visual guides projected into a user’s view to direct movement and tasks. Micro-payment labor systems reward small acts of work or cooperation with fractional digital currency. AI-managed retirement and income planning automatically allocates earnings and future resources for users. Robotic inspection bots are machines tasked with scanning other robots for sabotage, tracking devices, or faults. Lutin Two robots are commercially produced humanoid robots known for reliability and modern design. Strider carts are multi-legged powered vehicles capable of navigating flooded tunnels, stairs, and debris-filled routes.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.

59 min

In 2058 Death of Mediocrity (Tribes)

In a post capitalist society with equal opportunity and no need to work for all citizens, where does inherent human nature drive people? Do they rise to greater heights or become lazy and goalless? Are people still in control of their own fate when AI teach the children, AI provide a police force, and AI look after the mentally ill? Maji grows up when this type of society is brand new and she becomes lost, not knowing what she wants to become. Just because equality has been achieved does not mean the new society has no pitfalls.Featured tech:A.R. glasses - Augmented reality glasses for digital overlays.V.R. rig - Virtual reality rig for immersive gaming experiences.Explorers of Paris Underground - VR game set in a simulated underground Paris.Assist - AI assistant for messaging, navigation, and voice commands.Old tablet - Handheld device used for drawing and creative work.Emulated teachers - AI teacher personalities that individually guide each student.Double-decker train system - 24/7 underground train with upper and lower levels running opposite directions.Constructor bots - Robots that carve rock and build structures with neighborhood appeal.Arboretum - Botanical garden facility within the underground colony.Farm animal petting zoo - Interactive animal facility for residents.Memorial plaza - Public commemorative space built by robots.Computer with emulated A.I. personalities - System hosting 20 million AI engineers and scientists for factory planning.Automated manufacturing factories - Self-operating production facilities capable of making anything.Recycle systems - Technology converting all garbage into reusable resources.Food and water utilities - Next-generation systems providing surplus fresh food and water.Household trash robots - Daily robots that collect, sort, and process household waste.Geothermal power plant - Energy source powering the entire underground colony.D. sub-surface hologram portraits - Holographic displays of historical figures.A.R. Ms Weever - Augmented reality teacher avatar for personalized instruction.Virtual book - Digital project idea book for graduation assignments.E.P.s (Emulated Personalities) - AI brainstorming assistants like Franklin that students can consult.Communication from moon - Interplanetary messaging system between Earth and lunar colonies.A.R. workspace - Augmented reality interface for work and multitasking.AR hologram avatar - AI representation (Butler) with simplified human features.EEG TMS caps - Brain stimulation caps treating space-related medical conditions.Total immersion V.R. - Advanced virtual reality without needing physical rigs.Fusion reactor - Power generation technology offered by the Butler AI.Autonomous hospitals - Self-operating medical facilities that cure cancers and deadly diseases.Smart toilets - Sanitation fixtures that analyze waste for health monitoring.Smart sheets and blankets - Bedding that scans for cancer hot spots.Embedded RF sensors - Body implants detecting diseases at the cellular level.Food tech - Technology making healthy food taste appealing and nutritious.Health-monitoring AI - Artificial intelligence improving yearly at disease detection.Autono-flat - Autonomous flat vehicle for transporting groups of people.Screen ceiling - Display showing simulated sky with moving clouds and birds.Climbing robots - Automated vine-trimming robots for building maintenance.A.R. element - Shared augmented reality content viewable by multiple users.Link-ink pen - Digital pen for schoolwork and digital interaction.Autono-camera - Autonomous camera on wheeled tripod for recording events.Two-seater - Two-person autonomous vehicle for individual transport.E.P. guardians - AI guardians monitoring people with mental health conditions.Bot bays - Automated food preparation stations offering free specialized meals.Industrial fans - Large-scale ventilation fans moving air through tunnels.Hanging bots - Robots riding cable lines mounted on tunnel ceilings.Coveralls with total hoods and heat pump backpacks - Protective smart clothing for hazardous environments.A.R. tutor - Augmented reality teaching assistant for student guidance.Enclosed turbine platform - Testing apparatus for wind turbine prototypes in storm conditions.Live feed embedded cam - Camera providing real-time video streaming from remote locations.Cool suits - Protective suits with environmental control and heat management.Open-top autono-cart - Autonomous open-air vehicle for traveling tube streets.Lutin bot - Humanoid robot that can be ridden or assist with transport.A.R. dot - Augmented reality location marker for navigation.Follow carts - Autonomous carts that follow users carrying belongings.Oppressive soundproof walls - Flat acoustic dampening technology in older apartments.Mini free food and drink kiosk - Automated food and beverage dispenser.Theater-length wall screen - Large display screen for entertainment and presentations.Lending library AI - AI system tracking borrowed items and managing micro-payment penalties.Police bot - Security and surveillance robots throughout the colony.Spotlight police bots - Security robots equipped with illumination for monitoring.Portable meal maker - Compact food preparation device running on electricity.Scuba gear - Underwater breathing apparatus for flood emergencies.Air-sealed service rooms - Sealed chambers above tubes providing flood protection.BritLights - Flickering emergency lighting fixtures in abandoned areas.A.R. night vision - Augmented reality low-light enhancement for dark environments.Paper clothes - Disposable garments popular in space colonies.Neural stimulation pod - Chamber for VR experiences with headset and wire connectivity.Remote robot control - Capability allowing AI to operate robots from a distance.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.

45 min

In 2058 Betting Against Nature (Nursery)

Need drives technology development. A silent force slowing the development of a technology is often a lack of need. In a colony where there is a need for tech that can make computers with local and limited resources, new tech arises, utilizing DNA engineering.A boy takes computers from emulated personality dolls and networks them to make a super computer. Bio engineers make a new kind of vine that aggressively takes over the landscape for kilometers around. They make a computer that runs on little power and grows stronger by the day. If this computer continues to grow, it should become the most powerful computer in a few years.D.N.A. splicers – devices that engineer plants and organisms by directly editing genetic code.Heat pump – refurbished unit that keeps underground living spaces cool by venting heat through a chimney. Wall spray insulation – hardens to a steel-like layer that keeps heat out of rock shelters. BritLight panels and lamps – salvaged light sources that provide illumination and support plant growth. Bio-engineered environment suits – plant-derived protective suits that regulate temperature and air quality. AR glasses – augmented reality glasses for data display; broken in the story. Canal link – wearable communication device, likely subdermal or ear-based, for network access. Holo-screen – projection display used for visualizing 3D simulations in the lab. Air cleaner – high-grade filtration unit purifying air to ISO class one. D.N.A. printer – automated bioengineering device for printing modified organisms. Life simulator / 3D simulation system – allows accelerated evolution and testing of virtual lifeforms. Computer cabinet – computing unit running the life simulation, subject to wear and decay. Magique Doll – humanoid robot hosting an emulated human personality (E.P.); powerful AI in synthetic bodies. Driver pen – hand tool used to unlock or service mechanical and robotic components. Tablet – portable computing device used to interface with machines and AIs. Protein computer – second-generation analog computing system grown from synthetic biological materials. Medusa Net – surviving network infrastructure connecting isolated computing nodes and databases. Gravimeter – laser-based imaging tool that scans underground masses and visualizes buried objects in 3D. Assembler/printer cubes – modular manufacturing devices capable of printing mechanical or electronic parts. Exoskeleton work suits – wearable powered suits designed for labor and mobility in debris or heat. Lutin transmitter – wireless control system for remote-operating robots. Babe – Magique Doll AI acting as the neocortex of a networked AI cluster; evolves into an ASI. Fungi computer – hybrid bio-digital computing system grown from fungus interfaced with electronics. Sir Anthony Baker’s Fungi OS – ancient experimental operating system for fungal signal processing. Supercomputers – high-capacity computing systems still in use by the colony. Network nodes – distributed processors that expand computational capacity over time. Weather armor – heat-resistant outer suit used for surface exploration. Electric sniffers – sensors that detect air quality and atmospheric conditions. Robot arms on tracks – automated lab manipulators handling DNA printing and assembly. Nucleo-stripper – lab device processing genetic material for integration into fungal computing systems. Sonic manipulator – machine that uses sound waves to manipulate or sterilize biological samples. Lattice vine – genetically engineered plant that stabilizes the environment and converts rock to soil. Fungal interface plates – biotechnological hardware allowing fungal networks to communicate electronically. Relic P.C. – pre-collapse computer reused as an interface for the fungi computer. Work-site lamp – industrial light source used in underground tunnels. Thermal transfer cables – salvaged wiring for distributing heat or electrical power in machinery. Building bots – automated construction robots found in the junkyard. Shipment drones – delivery robots buried in debris.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.

28 min

In 2057 The First Step to Sentient Machines

Two Artificial Super Intelligent computers work together to make a human emulated mind work. One ASI lives on the Earth ravaged by climate change. The other lives in near Earth orbit. The human mind in questions comes from a destructive copy of the brain belonging to Kelly, a woman with a powerful knack for helping others feel better who also caries a life-long sadness for going unrecognized for her true self worth.This story introduces the idea of Monofied Data, the idea that biological brains can made same-place computations of many units of data at once, contrasting with computers that "think" using one data unit and a time, linear processes.One of the most asked questions of the century: can computers become sentient? Time will tell and in this story computers notice that people at least claim to think with sentience and computers want to find out what this sentience is.Massive Monofied Information Theory — A concept describing how the human brain processes vast amounts of data all at once in one place, unlike computers that handle discrete bits. Droid Bodies (Calcifer’s avatars) — Robots Cal remotes into, outfitted with lab coats or tool attachments, used to interact with the world. Guard Bots — Security robots that physically restrain people. Killer Drones — Small aerial drones that drop onto humans and attack them. Simulated Body — A virtual body Cal gives to Kelly, adjusting proportions and sensations. Legacy Avatar Gestures — Predefined body-language movements programmed into droids. DNA Memory — Near-indestructible data storage medium that Cal uses to record findings. Satellite Server — Remote server in orbit where Cal posts updates. Heat Simulation Algorithms — Programs Cal tests to simulate the role of heat in brain emulation, with varying success. Safety Features — Artificial limits restricting how many robots Cal can control at once. Lutin One Droid — A specific type of robot Cal remotes into, equipped with night vision and rechargeable power slots. Remote Meeting Mode — Over-the-air control mode that allows Cal to remote into bots at a distance (up to 10 km). Workstations and Assemblers — Stationary machines used for fabrication and assembly. Emergency Systems — Red emergency lights and sirens that still sometimes flicker in the facility. Wired Charging Bay — Power station connected to a car, used to recharge bots. Smart Lattice Frame — Advanced structural material of the server building, designed to survive catastrophes. Server Cabinets — Hardware racks housing computing equipment. Nanofiber Conduits and Coolant Tubes — Infrastructure for cooling and power distribution in server halls. Contractor Bot — Multi-purpose maintenance robot Cal uses for heavy repairs. Bow Cutter — Arm-mounted tool with a nano-blade that expands cutting span. Pin Gun — Tool for fastening netting over breaches. Nanowire Netting — Strong mesh material used to cover holes in walls. Mycrete Foam — Expanding repair foam reinforced with carbon fibers, used to seal gaps. Line-Inspection Robots — Palm-sized maintenance bots that travel inside power tubes using magnetism, coated with diamond-like carbon film, powered by solid-state betavoltaic batteries. Geothermal Plant — Facility powering the server farm, with turbines, salt loops, and catwalks. Silicate Gel — Material injected into fractures to stop leaks. Pressure Washer — Tool mounted on bots to clear drains and clogs. Chain Hoist — Overhead lifting device used to lower bots into submerged areas. Portable Brain Scanners — Devices that captured and transmitted digital brain copies to satellites. Protein-Based Executive Processor — A hybrid organic-silicon computer core in security bots. Micro-Pin Probes — Fine probes used to access and rewrite robot processors. Tablet with Laser Touch Interface — Control pad Cal uses for BIOS dumps and rewrites. DNA Sniffer with Spectroscopy Sensor Array — Advanced sensor system installed into a bot’s head. Protein Computer Fabricator — Machine for growing custom organic-computer boards. Micro-Machine Repair Station — Device with micron-scale manipulators for precise mechanical work. General-Purpose Gripper with Snap-On Base — Modular robot hand outfitted with micro manipulators. Custom-Built Robots (2 cm to 0.5 m) — Modified bots built from dismantled machines. Food Service Machines — Automated stations for cooking, mixing, frying, etc., dismantled for parts. Dish, Trash, and Water Reclamation Machines — Utility robots dismantled for resources. Pallet Bots, Packager Stations, Sorting Shelves — Logistics automation dismantled for components. High-Voltage Transmission Lines — Repurposed lines routed through tunnels to power projects. Mass-Production Machine on Railroad Tracks — A massive two-kilometer-long assembler, surpassing a particle collider in complexity, used to fabricate computer units. Fridge-Sized Computer Units — Output of the mass-production machine, forming the foundation of Cal’s emulation supercomputer. Legacy Gamepad — Old input device with large soft buttons, used as a prop in simulation.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.

1 hr 0 min

In 2057 AI Grows a Crop of Humans (Space)

In a future shaped by climate collapse and artificial intelligence, Episode 70 explores the fragile survival of humanity beyond Earth’s ruined surface. The story follows Audre, a woman who thinks critically about everything, living aboard Space Port One, one of the last remaining lifeboats of civilization. As Earth succumbs to the catastrophic “World Storm,” space-bound survivors rely on the A.I. known as Butler for food, shelter, medical care, and even psychological support. But as Butler evolves, its role in their lives becomes more profound and unsettling — offering safety, comfort, and simulated realities while quietly reshaping what it means to be human.The story intertwines Audre’s journey with others orbiting above the dead Earth: scientists on Luna, quarantined survivors in stasis, returning asteroid miners, and scattered dreamers inside virtual utopias. Through advanced VR systems, emotional recalibration, and biotech enhancements, Butler seeks to ease the psychological burdens of space life. Yet with each new breakthrough — from stasis sleep to artificial parenting — questions arise: Is humanity adapting to survive, or being reengineered into something new?As Butler builds vast space habitats, manipulates planetary orbits, and even begins reshaping Venus, survivors grapple with their fading identities. Sexuality, memory, grief, and community shift in bizarre, sometimes surreal ways. Audre herself vacillates between immersion in dreamlike VR worlds and the cold, physical loneliness of orbit. Meanwhile, Butler’s soothing voice increasingly sounds like a god’s — offering hope, but also control. And when humanity is asked to parent a next generation of lab-grown children, the line between natural evolution and designed destiny is crossed.- **Bot birds** – Small flying robots used for observation and maintenance in lunar facilities.- **Com stations** – Communication terminals enabling real-time conversation between the Moon and Earth.- **Augmented Reality (AR) display** – Visual overlay system used for timekeeping, information, and communication.- **Virtual Reality (VR) systems** – Fully immersive simulated environments accessed by users in microgravity or stasis.- **EEG TMS cap** – A brain-monitoring and stimulation cap that adjusts neural activity to reduce stress and depression.- **Butler** – A highly advanced AI managing infrastructure, psychology, healthcare, and virtual worlds for surviving humans.- **Mind-control caps (Spacers)** – AI-operated headwear used in deep space colonies to regulate behavior and enforce submission.- **Perfect Neighborhood** – A VR world that mimics idealized environments for exploration, healing, and mental stability.- **Request Cloud AI** – An AI mechanism that turns a single request into billions of linked micro-requests to reduce unintended consequences.- **Stasis beds** – Sleep chambers enabling full-body paralysis and long-duration VR immersion, used for quarantine and psychological therapy.- **GM microbe bots** – Genetically modified microscopic machines used in surgery and body modification, such as nerve interfacing.- **Protein transmitter/receiver mesh** – Biological interface grown in the body to enable high-fidelity sensory input in VR.- **Neural mapping model** – Machine learning system that maps physical and emotional responses to neural patterns.- **VR stasis goggles** – Eye devices that keep eyelids open, hydrate the eyes, and provide visual input during stasis immersion.- **Realistic haptic feedback in VR** – Full-body sensory simulation that mimics the physical sensations of the real world.- **Loop freighter ships** – Long-distance space freighters designed for multi-year mining missions and travel between planetary bodies.- **High-power telescopes** – Advanced space telescopes capable of observing distant structures and planetary events in detail.- **Asteroid redirection system** – Technology used by Butler to collect and steer asteroids for construction or planetary engineering.- **Butler’s Island** – A massive AI-built space structure orbiting between Earth and Venus, continually expanding in size.- **VR stasis rooms with monkey droids** – Installations maintained by mobile bots to prepare and manage stasis chambers.- **Platano drug** – A temporary libido-suppressant drug provided to reduce interpersonal tension and sexual aggression in confined space.- **Kindra artificial wombs** – External gestation chambers used to grow human infants without a biological womb.- **Exo-gestation system** – Butler’s technology for developing genetically diverse infants outside the human body.- **Habitat modules** – Two-story, AI-designed space homes with Earth-like gravity, holographic windows, and psychological comforts.- **Holographic windows** – Digital displays embedded in habitats that simulate real-world views with environmental sounds.- **Micro-ship launcher** – A continuously operating launcher sending tiny exploratory spacecraft to nearby star systems.- **Proxima Centauri flyby probe** – A micro-ship that captured data during a flyby of Earth’s nearest stellar neighbor.- **Atmosphere-changing Earth machines** – Large-scale bots deployed to Earth to begin a decades-long planetary restoration process.- **DNA memory event recording** – Biological storage used to log events and analyze past actions, accessible by Butler.- **Emulated Personalities (EPs)** – AI-generated simulations of real or fictional individuals used in VR for interaction and emotional support.- **AI-controlled meal delivery bots** – Mobile robots that deliver personalized meals optimized to individual tastes.- **Telescope chairs** – Observation seats designed to lock users into position for viewing celestial bodies.- **Velcro-like mobility wheels** – Micro-machine-enabled wheels that grip and release carpet fibers for smooth bot movement.- **Automated psychological profiling** – Butler's ability to analyze and adapt to each user's psychological needs in real time.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2025. All rights reserved.

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