2050

It’s 2050. I don’t have to think for myself anymore like we had to in the old days. Life Assist (LA) is always with me. I call my Life Assistant - Robbie. He’s a chip that has been implanted into my brain. He monitors everything. He gives me my thoughts on how I should live. At first, it started out rather challenging to agree with everything that he told me to do but then over time, it got easier and easier. He truly is always right! I’ve gotten to the point where I love having someone else who does all the thinking for me. It’s liberating! Back, before LA, I remember getting so stuck in my thoughts. I’d sometimes feel paralyzed with anxiety and decision making. Panic attacks would occur and I couldn’t do anything for hours some days. Now, with LA, there is no need to feel any pressure to decide anything. I just listen to the voice of Robbie in my head, and I’m good.

Everyone in the world now has Life Assist, or so we’ve been told. Each person has named their own Life Assistant. There are no “third world countries” anymore. We are all equal. As long as we follow the directions we’re given, we shouldn’t have any problems. It’s the most elevated version of socialism, now that we are all actually equal. The rich and poor truly have the same opportunities in life to be successful. We just keep on focusing on following the directions.

All wars on earth ceased to exist about twenty-five years ago because the LA system was implemented. LA brought the peace that we always wanted and needed. The system has revolutionized the world, quite literally. World hunger has ceased as well because LA tells us exactly what foods to eat and what our bodies need to function best. No one is starving and there is no obesity like in the older generations because people follow the rules. But, the things we’re told to do aren’t really rules, they’re just instructions to keep us all safe. We follow the system. The system rewards us with boosting our social credit scores. The system is designed by picking up on all the good things we do for ourselves and other people. If we quickly follow what we’re told to do, then we get what’s called “enrichment points.” We can use our enrichment points for travel and for adding on to our homes.

Robbie has analyzed my aptitude and he’s currently assigned me to a job at a jellybean factory. Go figure! Jellybeans are still widely consumed and enjoyed by the public. The LA system typically limits people to a specific amount of jellybeans based on people’s age and sugar levels. The data from people’s previous life before LA has been downloaded in their LA chip. All their health records are preserved.

Robbie knows how much water I need. He tells me when to exercise and how much food to eat. It’s amazing to think that the world ever existed without LA!

Most crime has been eliminated all together. The prisons are very small compared to several decades ago. More and more people follow the directions of LA and as long as they do; they don’t commit crimes like in the old days. I did hear that the only people who end up in prison are the people who stop listening to their LA altogether. The people who do this apparently have some kind of malfunction or mental disorder. It beats me how people could not want to follow all the directions given by LA. After all, everything Robbie has told me to do has been spot on and for my own good!

One day, I was out for a stroll in the park. Robbie told me that I needed to exercise, so of course, I followed the instruction. The temperature was comfortable and I could smell cherry blossoms in the distance. Suddenly a wet piece of paper flew by in a gust of wind. It hit me smack on the face. I heard Robbie tell me to throw it away, without reading it. I paused. There was a bit of curiosity that widened my eyes. Starting to crumble the page, but before I did, I started reading it against Robbie’s instructions. It read:

“This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666…”

Every word just glared at me ominously. Robbie told me again to throw it away. The words felt like trumpets going off in my eardrums. I felt like I was in a trance of sorts. Then, after a few moments, I crumpled the paper. Throwing it in a trash can, I continued walking. I sure enjoyed the smell of the cherry blossoms!

After a few more steps, I started feeling guilty about defying Robbie’s instructions. Was I at risk of having a mental illness? Why did I have that impulse to begin with? Wondering if Robbie kept records of the times I didn’t respond to his instructions, my body started to shake slightly. Well, this was the first time in a long time that I’d not followed directions as I was told. I just didn’t feel good about myself but at the same time, I could not stop thinking about the cryptic words on the paper. What did it mean? It seemed so important, but why? It couldn’t have been that important since Robbie had never told me about it or had me read the book that it came from.

When I got home Robbie told me to make some hot tea and listen to some music. Then he told me to do some light stretching to clear my mind. As much as I tried, I just couldn’t truly relax. It had been a long time since I’d felt so unnerved. Taking another deep breath, I remembered that I just needed to follow the instructions that Robbie gave me.