States of Change Chapter 3: The Garden (New Jersey)

States of Change is an ongoing work of serial fiction.

The speculative story-line seeks to inspire thought on ethics, culture and our planet's future.

The year is 2076, decades after Oosa's defederalization. 

Fifty independent States have forged their societies from revolutionary technology and ideology.

Prominently, The Augment, a real-time, virtual overlay of sensory data 

has become widely available for personal use throughout many of the post-fed nation-states.

Lacey reclined on the blanket Patra had spread in the pine grove hollow.  The smell of shortleaf and pitch pine hung like a subtle enchantment about them. It added to the comfort of the firm bed of fallen needles beneath them.   Several raptors circle-drifted high above in a silence of sky only occasionally severed by the doppler of a delivery drone on its low altitude journey.

"Look at those black vultures up there," shared Lacey as Patra joined him laying alongside, snuggling into the arc of his extended upper arm.

"Arr Aay Emm. How do you make bio Aye Dee's so easily with your visAR in red mode, Lace?"

"The white wing tips are the giveaway. Can't depend on cloud Aay Arr for everything."

"I don't, " she retorted, playfully jabbing him in the ribs, yet leaving her visor in active mode, as if to contradict.

Lacey laughed. "How dependent we've become on the augment. Bet you'd forget my name if you didn't have an overlay to remind you!"

"I won't have to remember it in True," she quipped, "since tomorrow you're going out of State, taking the deserter's offline path."

"Yeah. I'll miss you too." Lace double-blip paused then continued with seriousness engaged. "Patra, it will be good to fly Truly free for a while offcloud entirely. In a way I think it will be like those raptors up there. Can you imagine the how-where of their view?

"No need to imagine; most of 'em have Tee-Rackers." She single-blip paused. "Looks like this morning they swooped over the Seven Three Two quadfarms: mostly blueberry fields, cranberry bogs and the east end of Batsto Hydroponic; and twenty-three minutes ago they arrived above us here at Pinelands Area Kay."

"Ell! Ohh! Ell! Augment swoops in for the overkill. So, did you know this area used to be called The Pine Barrens back in the twentieth...and shut that visAR off, will you? I want to spend this last day with you, not your cloud acrobatics."

"VisAR, hover mode," Patra monotoned. "There. Happy now?"

Lacey sighed. "Anyway. It must be amazing to live a life in flight, keeping ones senses tuned outward in search of food...and of being alive. I guess that's what appeals to me most about heading outta State."

"I thought your primary was to settle down. Find a woman to procreate with and all."

"Clinical as ever, Dr. Pee. But sure, the lottery in Jersey ain't working for me. I've had balls for ten years now, and I guess part of going fully trans was to pursue fatherhood, you know, raising a family with a woman I love."

"And my love ain't karmic enough, Aay Bee See?"

"C'mon, we've been through this. We are soul mates, just of a different kind. You're fine with the PopCap standards Jersey adopted. Me, I want a son or daughter to raise and inspire. Needing State approval to override my sperm valve drives me fragging nuts!  And yes that pun was intended!"

It was Patra's turn to sigh.  "What will you do if you can't obtain State residency at the end of your Intrastate visa? Will you come back to little Enn Jay?"

"Eff Eff Enn. Jerseyians are so spoiled! You all brags how Enn Jay is the only State to make post scarcity economics actually work. But at what cost. Everything is so automated, you never feel entirely alive.  And limiting human residents to two mill has driven the State to a dystopian extreme; it's made our people as soft as they are prosperous."

Patra retorted, "Don't Trumpty Dumpty what works. You can call Jersey a proggy art colony with mech-farms all day long, but it doesn't change the fact personal creativity and health thrive here well above any of the other fifty-one."

"Well I'm not thriving! That's why I'm getting out, Patra."

An uneasy silence fell between the two. All the while, June sunshine, wispy clouds, and a scattering of Tee-Racker black vultures gazed down upon them. And in that silence their embrace side-to-side grew tighter, as even stubborn tectonic plates are apt to do, given enough time. Eee Enn Dee.

States of Change: Chapter 2: Keystone (Pennsylvania)

States of Change is an ongoing work of serial fiction.

The speculative story-line seeks to inspire thought on ethics, culture and our planet's future.

The year is 2076, decades after Oosa's defederalization. 

Fifty independent States have forged their societies from revolutionary technology and ideology.

Prominently, The Augment, a real-time, virtual overlay of sensory data 

has become widely available for personal use throughout many of the post-fed nation-states.

"Donald, after examining the Liberty Bell, what is your impression?"

"It's an old, dusty lump of metal with a crack in it, Mrs. N.  A reminder of a flawed era long forgotten."

"That's a bit harsh. The crack in the bell is actually a hairline defect. What most people call the crack is really a repair. Valeria, do you agree with Donald's assessment?"

"Well such an acoustic bell is of archaic design. Still it's an example of effective pubcomm tech used for both secular and sectarian purposes at the time. Emergency sirens, radio alerts and mass tweets are other examples of obsolete PSA tech."

"So the Liberty Bell served a function for society.  Ayaan, can you build on Valeria's comments?"

"Um, I know during AmRev wartime the metal of town bells was often sought after by the Redcoat army for use in munition manufacture. So maybe the Liberty Bell was reveled because it represented colonial resistance to the British Empire.

"That's a well reasoned position. Marina, do you have anything to add?"

"Well Mrs. N, we learned when the States were federated, Philadelphia became the national capitol for a while. Perhaps icons like Independence Hall, Ben Franklin and the Liberty Bell were turned into story-like tropes to coerce the States to remain incorporated in spite of their distinct value differences."

"Ciertamente! As a bit of trivia, this 4th of July would have been the Tricentennial Celebration of the United States.  Perhaps, if Nine Eleven and Big Six hadn't happened we Pennsylvanians would still be celebrating it.

"Ok class, take any last data grabs for your weekly project from the VR sim.  Be sure to file your media collages with embedded references in the exhibition v-space by COB today. Online evaluations of other students' work are due Monday. Have a great weekend! Class dismissed."

"Off."

"Offline."

"Off bye."

"Mrs. Nguyen?"

"Yes Donald, make your question snap. I have another sixth grade state history class connecting in 5 minutes."

"Well, you mentioned you saw the Liberty Bell in TR when you were a kid. Was it different than the cloud-sim?"

"That was more than fifty years ago, Donald. But yes, you know the True Reality vibe.  With the Liberty Bell you still couldn't touch it in its museum space, so visually the sim bell is excelente. Yet I also recall musty brick textures, Lev2 security, student zebraplay and, oddly enough, the smell of ammonia. The Liberty Bell amidst all that had a presence; it connected you to past and future with palpable awe. Grok?"

 "I'll greensip it. Do you think they'll ever let people back in Philadelphia?"

"We can discuss that in more depth next week when we start the Big Six era, Donald. Why don't you read through the intro wiki. It has some ref links to dirty bomb tech and the ongoing cleanup in Philly."

"Thanks Mrs. Nguyen. Off today."

"Off tomonday, Donald."

States of Change: Chapter 1: Small Wonder (Delaware)

States of Change is an ongoing work of serial fiction.

The speculative story-line seeks to inspire thought on ethics, culture and our planet's future.

The year is 2076, decades after Oosa's defederalization. 

Fifty independent States have forged their societies from revolutionary technology and ideology.

Prominently, The Augment, a real-time, virtual overlay of sensory data 

has become widely available for personal use throughout many of the post-fed nation-states.

Ron saunters along the Nature Path 3B, a sandy inland trail of the Cape Henlopen Restoration Area. The textures and colors of the salt marsh flora are crisp with no detectable motion blur or pixelation. The Deus Optica visAR was an older model to be sure, but it provided an augmented experience of the highest quality for the price. As an outdoorsman purist, Ron has the augmentation of the unit dialed back. The single scrolling sidebar is set to high contrast violet to stand out against both brush and pine.

GeoZ[H2sT3Uvx 2076.05.12.12:34.34]
DE Permits Verified [DE34572948]

In Ron's view, those who hunt with science fantasy horror themes engaged might as well stay at home with their vr beds and plastic rifles. As a kid he loved watching the old-timers youtubing about the open season era, back when Delawarians hunted wildlife for food and the primal experience of being the predator. Those vid stories were an addiction, even though the killing itself was totally at odds with a wholistic conservational ethic. Hunting wildlife was almost as backwards as the blue hen cock fights the Delaware militia made famous in prefederation days.

GeoZ[H2sT3UsR 2076.05.12.12:37.41]
Restoration Restriction Status [DEWF3.7]

When the Delaware Restoration Trust made conservational hunting licenses available a decade ago Ron bid high.  The second mortgage he'd needed was a strain on his budget, but you couldn't fault the restoration trust's business model. It worked. Employing thousands of employed earth science stewards, twenty percent of Delaware's biomes had been returned to near pristine status. Tourist and hunting licenses, not to mention crowd-sourced rewards, were a boon for the state economy; and who could argue with the environmental scores the DRT had maintained compared to other states.

GeoZ[H2sT3URq 2076.05.12.12:39.14]

Registered Sportseñor Numero Uno Online [SS345X3H]

Like a captain lifting his telescope, Ron raised his weapon swiftly toward a rustling sound ahead and to his left. Then, lowering it back to his side, he watched as two beautiful adult white tail deer bounded across the trail about fifty meters distant. The deer population had been stable and healthy for several years now, ever since the coyote and mountain lion numbers had reached target levels. Suddenly, a low mottled form dashed across the trail in pursuit of the deer. With a peripheral glance Ron consulted his sidebar for an update.

GeoZ[H2sT3URt 2076.05.12.12:40.44]
Invasive Species Detected [CNR438]

Situational Parameters Verified [101.584]

Conservation Kill Authorized [DE729834]
Animal Registration Revoked [DE3473847]
Targeting and Firing Safeties [Unlocked]

Hot damn! A legal target. Ron brought his rifle up smoothly again, now coordinating the weapon's trajectory with the HUD of his visAR. The invasive predator sped through the brush beneath amber crosshairs; a series of targeting chirps reported the inability to acquire a lock. Instinctively, Ron put his fingers to his mouth and blew a high-pitched, rolling whistle. The four legged beast halted, and stuck it's head up above the brush, its tongue lolling and tail wagging.  The target lock tone sounded and his weapon automatically discharged a three shot burst. State approved conservation weaponry made take downs effortless, all the better to maintain the ecosystem with humane precision. 

GeoZ[H2sT3URt 2076.05.12.12:41.24]
Takedown Confirmed [DE729834X]

Ron approached his kill with excitement. A predator removal was quite the rarity; the crisper protocols had pretty much wiped out all the strays years ago. The tourist who permitted this registered animal to go off-leash would certainly catch a massive fine. Hell, they'd likely be banned from Delaware preserves for life. What was the idiot thinking?

GeoZ[H2sT3URt 2076.05.12.12:42.33]

Animal Ownership Transferred [DE376393]

Ron slid his hand along the white and brown fur of the animal's neck. Just below the collar the deadly shock slugs had affixed like oversized ticks at center of charcoal singe marks. A jack russel terrier perhaps, thought Ron; quite a beautiful specimen. The bone-shaped tag had "WONDER" etched into its golden surface. A wonder indeed and now a wondrous little victory for managed environment spaces.

GeoZ[H2sT3URt 2076.05.12.12:43.57]

T.Dillon Taxidermist [Appointment Confirmed] 

States of Change: Goodness First Project 2017

Goodness First will be shifting gears in 2017.  Titled "States of Change" the series will consist of speculative fiction entries of standalone tales that contribute to a larger story. To be sure there will be action, suspense, intrigue and conflict, as well as a pinch of ethics for the reader's contemplation.

Enjoy!

A Vision of Goodness

This year I wrote extensively on this blog about the pursuit of goodness for the world as a whole and for individuals within that global sphere.  Certainly goodness is about as subjective a topic as one could opt to write about, nevertheless, pursuit of goodness seems to me to be the core reason for existence. As a capstone for my 2016 contemplations, here is a summary of the aspects of goodness that I perceive deserve pursuit with compassion and rationality at every turn.

Respect for the Universe.  Everything begins with matter and energy and their organization spatially.  Having a healthy awe for and understanding of all things from galaxies to quarks helps set the stage for any experience that might be called good.

Respect for the Environment.  On Earth, a healthy environment underlies the natural cycles and interconnected ecosystems that all species depend on. Minimizing human impact long term is critical to maintaining a healthy world.

Respect for Communities. Whether we're talking about society as a whole, a specific living species, a peaceful human sect, or a complex biome, there is goodness in the emergent qualities that groups of individuals bring to the world.

Respect for Individuals. All living things have value. Self awareness, consciousness, and the capability to experience sufferring and thriving are some of the elements contained within the package of an individual. Yet no single individual of any species has infinite value, which presents a challenging reality.
Respect for Abstraction.  Ideas, creativity, emotion, art, science, music, mathematics, story-telling, adventure, dreams et al. The variety of abstract concepts are uncountable as the stars, and play a critical role in the lives of thinking creatures and their world.

Each of these elements deserves great consideration by human individuals and communities worldwide. Recognizing the interrelatedness  of these elements and their impact on the rest of the world needs must drive progressive systems and behaviors, if our journey is to be one of goodness.

imperfect sunset

When Turkeys Fly Free

meleagris gallopavo silvestris

strut with pride 

strut with poults by your side

winged creatures
wander free
wander wide

across the countryside

and when the occasion suits
lift your wings
and fly

The Day After

trump wins

civilization implodes

(if We let it)

Numb and helpless. That's the simplest way to describe how I felt after the votes came in last night.

The people of this country and the world will be feeling a whole range of emotions today and for weeks and years to come.  For many it will be disbelief, anger, sadness and disgust.  And for many it will be feelings of victory, joy, and yes, hope and pride.

I honestly don't know if we can heal as a unified nation anytime soon, but has our nation ever been wholly unified?  Too often we can imagine a time where togetherness as a country existed in these united states, alas in the best and worst of times protesters, idealists and change seekers are needed to keep stagnation and human rights violations in check.

To be sure, it will take time for many of the left to catch our breaths, but I submit that our country can thrive even from under a predominantly conservative and unpredictable leadership.  It is because the challenges will be greater that our progressive efforts will need to be all the more stalwart.

And I personally have to believe the razor thin majority has goodness within them, and that with nudges, protests, and conversation, we can still fight for positive change in these trying years to come and make slow progress forward toward a greater good.

For now I recognize I and many in the pursuit of positive, progressive societal outcomes needs must work through some extreme, hard feelings... some peaceful venting and fantasy escape are in order, but we cannot curl up and quit the good fight.

For now I'm convinced that my feelings of depression over this election can be countered with the intake of humane food, energizing exercise, beauteous nature, open-hearted learning and listen-filled teaching moments.  For the pursuit of good works and rational ethics must continue.

In the end, I believe mindful and heartfelt communication and action within our families, circles and extended communities serves a great purpose.  These efforts will not alleviate all suffering, let alone unify us all, but good works can bring many of us together and reaffirm that goodness within humanity lives and progresses!