If only fusion power would work, we can end our fossil fuel addiction.
“Isaac, send a message to my employees.”
“What would you like to say?”
Austin thinks for a second. “Don’t embarrass me again at our team meeting. Come prepared to discuss Project Titan. If our $20B investment doesn’t pay off, heads will roll…”
“Sending to your employees.”
Through the train window, he notices the lined rooftops of six Victorian homes submerged underwater. “Isaac, what am I staring at?”
The smartglasses zoom in. “You are looking at what used to be Alamo Square, now an exclusion zone.”
“That sounds familiar. Didn’t I spend time there long ago?”
“Yes.”
“Show me old pictures.”
Two photos from the past appear in his view – a teenage portrait with his sister Catherine and a family picnic with his ex-wife Olivia and their two-year-old son.
I miss you, Matthew.
“Isaac, I need to get in touch with Olivia.”
“Unfortunately, she has blocked you from contacting her.”
“Can’t you send her a message in Wired?”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Austin sighs. “You’re being difficult.”
The train leaves San Francisco and travels across the Peninsula on its way to Mountain View. Along the Pacific Ocean, desalination plants dot the coastline and grey fumes emerge from their stacks. Green-yellow sunlight penetrates a thick marine layer enveloping the San Francisco Bay.
Austin’s glasses vibrate and a ringtone buzzes in his ear. An incoming videoconference request from unknown appears. He glances at the time—9 a.m. A phone number shows up.
“Isaac, where is the 757 area code from?”
“Langley, Virginia.”
Austin panics.
It’s the government.
He answers the video call. On the screen there appears a bearded officer dressed in a navy blue suit pinned with an American flag. “Is this Mr. Austin Sanders, head of Google’s Artificial Intelligence department?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Gareth Allen, Deputy Director of the CIA. Please listen carefully. This is an urgent matter related to our national security.”
Austin sits upright. “How may I help you?”
“We’ve intercepted a high-level message coming from New China, and we need you to decrypt the code as soon as possible.”
Austin’s eyebrows furrow. “Mars?”
“Yes, we believe our enemy has developed an advanced encryption system for its colony on Mars. We’ve been unable to access their communications, so we need you to track down their classified keys.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Allen, Google is not in the business of hacking messages.”
“Mr. Sanders, this is not a request—it’s an order. I remind you that we are at war. Failure to comply with the government is an act of treason. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“As you know, the Chinese are using vast resources to colonize Mars and monopolize the transportation hubs there. It’s an illegal land grab and we will not tolerate it. Our colony is at the mercy of our adversary. We will not accept any more deception from them, do you understand?”
Austin focuses on the ocean in the distance. “I get it, Mr. Allen, but I’m surprised the NSA hasn’t hacked the code with their resources.”
“We have not seen encryption like this before. It’s something entirely new.”
“Are you certain it’s from China?”
“Mr. Sanders, you are asking too many questions. Our national security is at risk. We order you to decrypt the messages as soon as possible. Your A.I. is the best resource to solve the problem.”
“When is the deadline?”
“Five days from today. I will send you a secure link with the data.”
“Okay, let me see what I can do. I have a meeting with my team in an hour. We will take a look.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sanders. I anticipate your response.”
Austin disconnects the call and peers from the train window, noticing a military convoy overhead flying towards the Pacific Ocean. In the distance, rain falls onto hundreds of small lakes dotting the inland landscape. The train continues its journey to Google’s campus in Mountain View.
Olivia, I need to talk to you.
2.
IN A TOP-FLOOR St. Regis conference suite in Manhattan, Bethany Andrews sits on stage in front of two-hundred suit-clad investors, analysts and reporters. Her executive staff joins her on a panel facing the audience. She takes a deep breath and prepares for her presentation.
It’s time to shine.
Through her Vision smartglasses, she opens a document and scans her speech, preparing to take the podium. Snippets of conversation stream from the crowd. She reviews her agenda—a keynote address and two motions up for votes.
I can lead these people to a brighter future.
Her colleague next to her stands and approaches the platform, his face appearing on the large screen behind the stage. “Welcome to the 2066 Google Annual Shareholder’s Meeting. Thank you all for attending this gathering in New York City. My name is Thomas Rosenberg, Chief Financial Officer. I’m delighted to present our keynote speaker.”
The audience settles.
“Dr. Bethany Andrews, CEO of Google, has been at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence for over fifty years. After earning a Ph.D. from M.I.T., she joined our company as a programmer and worked her way up the corporate ladder. As Senior Vice President and head of our A.I. department, Dr. Andrews was instrumental in developing the Vision smartglasses that we all use today.”
A low vibration hums through the venue as a fierce wind picks up outside. Beth looks through the suite’s large panel windows at the flooded streets of Manhattan below. Above, a network of tubes and passageways connect the city’s skyscrapers.
“Dr. Andrews is recognized as one of the most influential executives in the world. She has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science. As CEO for the past ten years, she has guided our company through extraordinarily difficult times. In the face of climate change and war, her steady leadership and commitment to innovation remain a guiding light. Please join me in welcoming our leader, Dr. Bethany Andrews.”
Several people applaud while many others sit in silence. Beth stands and shakes Thomas’s hand, then approaches the podium. Her silver hair and clear-framed specs appear enlarged on the screen behind her. Through her smartglasses, she clicks on a document icon and a speech appears in her field of view.
“Thank you, Thomas. It’s an honor for me to be here today with our directors and investors. I am proud to deliver Google’s latest financial report, a solid performance in an unpredictable business climate. I will present our key milestones and growth strategy, and then I’m happy to take questions.”
A man in the front row raises his hand, signaling for a microphone.
“As Google’s CEO, I’m proud to report that our company’s losses are abating. Our latest quarterly revenues were $320B, down only one percent from last year. While negative again in Q3, earnings will be positive within two or three quarters. After ten years of sales declines, we are finally on track to be a profitable company once again.”
A burst of laughter streams from the audio speakers. Beth looks down and sees a middle-aged man wearing a zippered turtleneck and gold sneakers. It’s Manos Kharon, head of GoldRock, the world’s most powerful investment company and Google’s largest shareholder.