Wow!! You've created a very believable dystopian, near-future scenario here. The invention of terms such as Saf-Cam, Descender, Thumm-pad, the signs on the cameras: "Keeping You Safe" , "Are You Well?" all help to set the scene as a depressing, everyday reality.
"If you are not breaking the law, you have nothing to worry about." This is the language that leads us down a slippery slope.
Thought provoking piece Sharron, and very impressive change of genre for you.
Thank you, Jim. I was prompted by the photo of the pink sky with the silhouette of the curving light post. It looked like a likely place for a surveillance camera to me. These kinds of stories are not my usual genre, but sometimes I like to try and break out. Thanks for your comments! I hope Penn Alter has more conversations for you to share with us. I love those.
China is the No 1 surveillance state in the world. How they actually do it is a state secret... but the stories emerging from that vast country are often blood-curdling... cameras EVERYWHERE and they can actually "see" inside one's own home. George Orwell somehow knew! Super job Sharron!
Yes. I think what Orwell failed to predict, though, was that every citizen would have a camera instantly ready as well, to witness even the smallest event. Thanks for your comment, AT.
A camera for every citizen strikes me as dangerous and ultimately rabble rousing add-on.... but...I'm an ole tired man with little appreciation of the wonders of AI....!!!!!
Yep, I'm agreeing with your readers; great new words and totally thought provoking. Visited Romania a few years back, recently emerging from communism. Such reticence on the faces of older folk; the younger had not seen such history. A relevant, impactful piece, Sharron. I feel safer!
Thank you, Ron. Doesn't seem implausible, does it? It is already here - except for the ii:Chip implants. I am guessing that soon smart "phones" will be implanted in the palm of the hand. The next step would be mandatory ID chips in the forehead. They already use them on dogs, don't they? If I believed in such things, I would say "mark of the beast". Hah!
Could get to this. FAR less crime. Till the collectors decide something is a crime. For right now, nearly nothing is. There are cameras across the street on poles aimed at my building. They say "traffic control". Across the street so nothing to be done about it. Not paying taxes on that side.
Well, nobody running around naked. Serve em right if they found that hahahaha. DID have two actual drug dealers for a while. Got rid of them quick. Invited police to camp in the parking lot out front or in the big one on the side. Both gone fast. ))) No more since.
Yes, me too. Not as fictional as one would imagine... Is it only a matter of time until we are chipped like a dog? The technology is almost there. And Americans are so easily duped. The US is a even more of a Nanny State than the UK.
I began to write this as sci-fi, but the more I wrote the more I realized it wasn't all that fictional...yikes! Thanks for hanging out over here at 🍁Leaves.
This is excellent, Sharron! I’ve got to be honest, I felt uncomfortable while reading it. I could sense the narrator’s tension/anxiety. Whew...I hope it doesn’t come to this, but my goodness, it feels more and more likely with each passing day.
Thanks Justin. You know I don't usually write this kind of thing. I think the scariest lines were, "No one pays any attention anymore— they are used to it. They just keep their eyes down, staring at their phones." They already have this implanted micro chip technology for pets. I could foresee the next generation being convinced that having one themselves would be very cool for some nefarious purpose...
As an addendum - a friend told me that in Sweden they already have microchips for embedding in person's wrist that has their credit card data, making cards obsolete. People are signing on and are now just waving their wrists across a sensor to buy something. Can this horror be true?? I will investigate...
I hope to God this isn’t true! It’s horrifying. I can’t begin to fathom why anyone would agree to doing something like this. Please let me know what you find.
I read the sidepieces about hand chips in Sweden and India. Two ends of the spectrum and both terrifying. People are going to call this the Mark of the Beast. Card in your pocket isn't quite the same as chip in your hand. Personal meds info is going to be a BIG problem... even tho hospitals ask 100 questions over and over and over. STill they write them down wrong. They'll find a way to scramble the med part of the chip as "update". People who have saved up cash for retirement are threatened with erasing its use. Save up on the chip and the govt can erase that in a blink of an eye too. Witness China. I'm glad I'm old. I worry about my grandchildren.
I read about it and just want to scream out the window, "Wake up people!!" It is going to happen and no one will even pay attention. They are too busy on Twitter and Facebook to care.
Ooh, a good one!
Thank you, Linda. I don't usually write this kind of thing. I was inspired by the photos!
Great story, Is this new for you? I do not recall any sci-fi-type stuff from you before.
Sci-fi doe not come easy to me, but I like to practice. I wrote this yesterday. Here are three other sci-fi experiments you might remember?
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/kathoc-bose-found
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/claudia-at-the-book-shop
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/surrender
Wow!! You've created a very believable dystopian, near-future scenario here. The invention of terms such as Saf-Cam, Descender, Thumm-pad, the signs on the cameras: "Keeping You Safe" , "Are You Well?" all help to set the scene as a depressing, everyday reality.
"If you are not breaking the law, you have nothing to worry about." This is the language that leads us down a slippery slope.
Thought provoking piece Sharron, and very impressive change of genre for you.
Thank you, Jim. I was prompted by the photo of the pink sky with the silhouette of the curving light post. It looked like a likely place for a surveillance camera to me. These kinds of stories are not my usual genre, but sometimes I like to try and break out. Thanks for your comments! I hope Penn Alter has more conversations for you to share with us. I love those.
Love the made-up words…. Descender, saf-cam, etc. Makes it more real.
Thank you, Wade!
China is the No 1 surveillance state in the world. How they actually do it is a state secret... but the stories emerging from that vast country are often blood-curdling... cameras EVERYWHERE and they can actually "see" inside one's own home. George Orwell somehow knew! Super job Sharron!
Yes. I think what Orwell failed to predict, though, was that every citizen would have a camera instantly ready as well, to witness even the smallest event. Thanks for your comment, AT.
A camera for every citizen strikes me as dangerous and ultimately rabble rousing add-on.... but...I'm an ole tired man with little appreciation of the wonders of AI....!!!!!
Oh, boy. All that hi-tech from the "government that's here to help". It won't be long I'm afraid, already it creeps in. Well done, for sure, Sharron!
Right. This is not so much science-fiction now - more like social commentary. Thank you for your comments, James.
Yep, I'm agreeing with your readers; great new words and totally thought provoking. Visited Romania a few years back, recently emerging from communism. Such reticence on the faces of older folk; the younger had not seen such history. A relevant, impactful piece, Sharron. I feel safer!
Thank you, Ron. Doesn't seem implausible, does it? It is already here - except for the ii:Chip implants. I am guessing that soon smart "phones" will be implanted in the palm of the hand. The next step would be mandatory ID chips in the forehead. They already use them on dogs, don't they? If I believed in such things, I would say "mark of the beast". Hah!
Yes, getting real personal.
Could get to this. FAR less crime. Till the collectors decide something is a crime. For right now, nearly nothing is. There are cameras across the street on poles aimed at my building. They say "traffic control". Across the street so nothing to be done about it. Not paying taxes on that side.
I wonder what they are looking for out there on that Indiana road, Kate. Is there something you have not told me?
Well, nobody running around naked. Serve em right if they found that hahahaha. DID have two actual drug dealers for a while. Got rid of them quick. Invited police to camp in the parking lot out front or in the big one on the side. Both gone fast. ))) No more since.
Well, THAT worked! Good. You have enough headaches without having a meth lab in the next apartment....
'Keeping you safe'! Ulp!
And THAT closing line - just wow....!
You've made me think about soooooo many things, Sharron!
Yes, me too. Not as fictional as one would imagine... Is it only a matter of time until we are chipped like a dog? The technology is almost there. And Americans are so easily duped. The US is a even more of a Nanny State than the UK.
So scary, isn't it?
YEAH! This was great. And incredibly unsettling. Win win!
I began to write this as sci-fi, but the more I wrote the more I realized it wasn't all that fictional...yikes! Thanks for hanging out over here at 🍁Leaves.
This is excellent, Sharron! I’ve got to be honest, I felt uncomfortable while reading it. I could sense the narrator’s tension/anxiety. Whew...I hope it doesn’t come to this, but my goodness, it feels more and more likely with each passing day.
Great, thought-provoking piece!
Thanks Justin. You know I don't usually write this kind of thing. I think the scariest lines were, "No one pays any attention anymore— they are used to it. They just keep their eyes down, staring at their phones." They already have this implanted micro chip technology for pets. I could foresee the next generation being convinced that having one themselves would be very cool for some nefarious purpose...
As an addendum - a friend told me that in Sweden they already have microchips for embedding in person's wrist that has their credit card data, making cards obsolete. People are signing on and are now just waving their wrists across a sensor to buy something. Can this horror be true?? I will investigate...
What?!😱
I hope to God this isn’t true! It’s horrifying. I can’t begin to fathom why anyone would agree to doing something like this. Please let me know what you find.
Sad to say it is true. I found an article from the BBC. I have included it as a link at the bottom of the "ACCESS" story...
I read the sidepieces about hand chips in Sweden and India. Two ends of the spectrum and both terrifying. People are going to call this the Mark of the Beast. Card in your pocket isn't quite the same as chip in your hand. Personal meds info is going to be a BIG problem... even tho hospitals ask 100 questions over and over and over. STill they write them down wrong. They'll find a way to scramble the med part of the chip as "update". People who have saved up cash for retirement are threatened with erasing its use. Save up on the chip and the govt can erase that in a blink of an eye too. Witness China. I'm glad I'm old. I worry about my grandchildren.
I read about it and just want to scream out the window, "Wake up people!!" It is going to happen and no one will even pay attention. They are too busy on Twitter and Facebook to care.
Check DARPA TNT program if you want chilling. ;) Nice one, Sharron.
Yeah. Those guys...
yep, brave new world is at our doorstep