FICTION - The Echo of Tomorrow (Part One)

Audio available on Fountain (“Fiction To Think About”, mini-audiobooks)

In the sprawling metropolis of NovaCore, the air resonated with a rhythm all its own—a mechanical cadence that seemed to echo through the digital veins of the city. Its heartbeat, an almost entirely automated tempo, thrummed relentlessly, weaving itself into the very essence of being.

Persistent and indisputable, it blurred the line between an almost synthetic pulse and the reality of those who called it home.

Its citizens, like marionettes, moved with a self-directing precision through the streets. Their eyes were hollow, reflections of the same endless high-tech screens they had been gazing at for years.

It was a world dominated by algorithms, where everyone followed the same narrative: progressive future, sustainability, common safety, and convenience.

A world where individuality was no more bringing too many and too complex problems, and where independent thought had long been forgotten.

Above them, the sky was an unusual canvas, streaked with crisscrossing lines of chalky trails that cut through the heavens. Every day, different machines swooped through the air, leaving behind visible marks that shortly turned into a fine mist lingering long after they had passed.

A few times a day, hundreds of thin vapor trails formed intricate lines that stretched across the sky, cutting it into segmented bands, which most of the day kept the entire surface covered in a sprayed coat that worked exactly how it was designed to.

Sometimes the sky, bluer than its usual milky hue, was painted with new kind of clouds. Rather unremarkable formations that lacked the whimsical shapes that once sparked the human imagination. No one remembered the old-school sky anymore, so as time passed, these dull imitations were simply accepted as clouds.

It was a strange and interesting spectacle.

A landscape formed not by nature but carefully engineered to keep the population alive and justify the system in charge.

A faint reminder of how much control had been exerted over every aspect of existence. Here, even the weather was just another tool of compliance.

(but hey, that’s probably a pointless remark—no one bothers to question things anymore…)

Mia strolled down a street she had never encountered before.

The urban clamor one would expect in such a large space was entirely absent. It was a bustling area, yet it felt orchestrated, moving seamlessly at its own pace and exuding an impression of energy. A soulless street—seemingly active, yet somehow devoid of life.

“A cold motion—how is this even possible?" she murmured under her breath.

One thing to know about NovaCore is that it was designed anew, maybe a few hundred years ago. There are no detailed records of its history. Nobody cares about the past anymore.

The past is burdened. The present is what matters most.

The city was crafted by a handful of masterminds, the elite, if you will, but it has largely been shaped by the requirements of higher intelligence—programs that also manage many other urban centers across the globe.

In every corner of the city, life was quantified.

The central system, known as The Pulse, constantly monitored the actions, words, and even thoughts of its human citizens.

The Pulse was an omnipotent, omnipresent virtual entity, constructed from a network of those algorithmic programs, managing every aspect of reality—from high-speed transportation and efficient

robotic farms to the living creatures themselves. It was also the sole issuer of digital coupons—redemption tokens granted to humans who adhered to the rules. The more obedient they were, the more they earned.

Dissent was not only discouraged. It was impossible.

Long ago, people stopped wondering about things. In a place where actions are rewarded by convenience, nobody wants to take a risk and change their behavior anymore.

NovaCore was a big city, yet you wouldn’t find many humans there. There was no need for them, if you saw it that way. Thanks to The Pulse and the ruling elite, overpopulation was no longer a problem, as some might tell you.

Technology had taken over tasks once performed by imperfect beings of flesh and bone—often hindered by emotions and overthinking, which stalled progress and stability. Robots were more efficient, especially in a world where people had forgotten how to think. Machines operated with precision, creating a society that ran like clockwork, yet human passion, vision, and connection had long been stripped away.

Human citizens, once burdened by challenges to navigate, now shuffled in their practical uniforms, moving rhythmically like cogs. Free from thinking, free from worries, free from unnecessary responsibilities. Their standardized garments bore no resemblance to the outdated fashions of the past. Instead, they were the result of what people were told in the old days was "overconsumption."

Yet. Don’t be fooled into thinking they were buying less.

Oh no!

It wasn’t a reduction in quantity but a stark lack of creativity and variety—fair deal with one less thing to overwhelm their minds.

Their digital coupons had expiration dates.

If they didn’t use what remained after obligatory deductions (like air quality, water quality, social class, and obedience score), those tokens would vanish.

The citizens of NovaCore loved to spend their wealth, contributing little beyond their consumption, as most labor was automated. They knew very well that what their ancestors called savings was nothing more than nonsense!

A surplus of money can lead to overthinking and planning for the future—a weight you don’t need. Simplicity is better: no risks, no commitments, no burdens.

Everyone knows this well.

Mia felt a pang of discomfort at the thought:

“What was the point of living if the primary task was simply to earn and spend? To behave and get

rewarded? Really?”

A vicious circle. Clear and favorable.

Her reflections were interrupted by a mechanical sound that resembled a dog barking in a rhythmic tempo. A series of sharp beeps that echoed like drumbeats.

There it was—an intriguing mid-sized robot that bore a resemblance to a dog-shaped machine, stationed at the entrance of the expansive mall she hadn’t even noticed before while wandering through the city.

Its heavy metal body displayed numbers on its screen-based face as it scanned the customers moving in and out, assessing their digital coupons with a precise, almost clinical efficiency.

One more thing to know about NovaCore is the complete absence of any living creatures other than humans. There are no animals, no pets at home or roaming the streets, and no farming herds in sight in its suburbs.

Keeping pets had fallen out of favor, deemed neither hygienic nor practical.

Over the centuries, too many weird viruses had emerged—obviously, due to wildlife, domestic animals, and insects alike—prompting NovaCore to impose a complete ban on them.

After all, who needs companionship when health is the top priority?

This eradication was further justified by the belief that animals, especially in large numbers, contributed to CO2 emissions. A significant concern for anyone who cared about the planet they inhabited. Of course.

Anyways, the vast majority of NovaCore citizens lived alone—singles, isolated in their sterile apartments—no longer desiring the companionship of another person, let alone a living, breathing creature like a pet.

They were not feeling lonely, do not worry.

Instead, many of them had their robotic companions. Mechanical animals designed to mimic the behaviors of real creatures but more practical to keep at home and too devoid of any genuine emotion, so less problematic if you ask them.

Mia glanced back at the dog-shaped scanning machine and noticed that some customers leaving the mall were holding various robotic pets.

One woman pushed a stroller with a pet that resembled a pink elephant, roughly as big as a 3- to 4-year-old child. If not for its size and color, it could easily be mistaken for a real creature rather than just a toy pet. Nearby, a zebra-like robot trotted alongside its new owner, about the size of a German Shepherd. Its details and even movements were oddly lifelike, despite the metallic skeleton beneath its vibrant cover and smaller stature.

All together it painted an awkward picture: robots dressed up as pets, not just standard companions but all kinds of creations that imagination could conjure.

At this point she felt a strange mix of confusion and amazement, and a question flickered in her mind:

"What was pushing them towards acquiring peculiarities?"

She couldn't help but wonder, “Is this nonchalance really filling the void left by the absence of freedom?”

Perhaps this was the price of their monotonous surroundings.

Maybe this was just the new normal.

She had never given much thought to animals or pets before. But now, witnessing this bizarre scene felt unnatural, somehow even wrong.

Sure, the pink elephants and zebra-like robots were creative inventions, but they were, at their core, lifeless tools.

“Looks like people don’t seek love anymore. They crave relentless efficiency, order, and utility,” she mused, the thought sinking heavily into her mind.

"Isn’t life about emotions—the unpredictable highs and lows they bring? Isn’t it about freedom?” Questions kept cascading, each one adding weight to her growing unease.

The realization hit with startling clarity: “Life without love and genuine connections must feel hollow. An empty existence that, one way or another, inevitably leads to loneliness and inner misery.”

It was a truth so obvious, yet one she had never stopped to consider before.

Until now, Mia had rarely pondered such ideas. For her, family, friends, colleagues, neighbors—even the fleeting warmth of a stranger’s smile—had been steady, unquestioned parts of life.

These simple moments of connection didn’t need analysis; they just were. But here, in this sterile, artificial reality, their absence screamed louder than words. It was a void so profound, it made her doubt anyone here even understood what true relationships felt like—or if they had forgotten altogether.

To shake off her thoughts, Mia picked up her pace, walking briskly forward.

The world around her moved with a strange precision, as if governed by some unseen metronome. Everything seemed so perfect, and that was exactly what bothered her the most.

It didn’t feel real.

The streets were somehow over-designed, their geometry too clean and functional. Buildings, simple in structure, rose uniformly, casting no shadows of individuality.

People, clad in identical clothing, navigated their paths with robotic consistency.

Digital billboards lit up every corner, displaying rules to maintain the city’s prescribed rhythm or announcing the “Best Performing Citizens” of the day. Their glowing screens served as an omnipresent reminder of the system’s unrelenting priorities.

After a while, Mia noticed something else: no one was looking up.

It struck her as odd, so she tilted her head and gazed skyward. What met her eyes wasn’t the golden brilliance of the sun, spreading its light across the world below. Instead, a hazy, mist-like veil obscured the sky, behind which a dim, yellowish glow flickered—more like a weak imitation of the sun than the real thing. Surrounding it, faint zigzagging trails crisscrossed the pale expanse. They looked like traces left by small machines—drones or planes, she wasn’t sure—zipping through the heavy air.

The more she stared, the stranger it felt. Yet nobody else seemed to notice. Heads remained bowed, faces blank, feet shuffling forward with mechanical precision.

“Am I the only one who thinks this isn’t right?” she murmured aloud, her voice trembling slightly.

No one answered. No one even turned to look.

“When had humanity become so numb, so lost in their pursuit of convenience and comfort in their lives? Though… is this even comfort? Can this even be called life?” she wondered, her thoughts racing.

A sharp twist of unease gripped her chest, growing more intense. Her mind raced, dizzy and whirling, as her body temperature rose and her heart quickened.

That’s when she noticed him—a man wearing a long, light coat with a large hood that obscured his face.

He appeared among the uniformed crowd, his figure vague and almost radiating a soft glow. As he drew nearer, she could sense his energy, a palpable vibration surrounding his presence.

A cold shiver ran down Mia’s spine as she stared, questioning her own feelings.

Was she being irrational? Was he coming to punish her for her thoughts?

Who was she to criticize NovaCore's design or suggest that something was wrong when everyone else seemed fine?

The closer he got, the more she felt his power, and the more frightened she became.

She couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense that what she was witnessing—this desolate, lifeless existence—was inherently wrong.

But how could she be sure?

A sharp thought crossed her mind: if everyone around her accepted this way of life, perhaps she was the one out of place. The world had become exactly what humanity desired. Whether Mia saw those around her as mere shells of their former selves was irrelevant. It was everyone’s choice. She, with her wild, perhaps even sick mind, had no right to judge or question this reality, especially not with the mysterious figure now nearly face-to-face with her.

“Truth conquers all! But it takes a pure heart to see the truth around,”

said the mysterious man in a deep voice.

At that moment, the world around her seemed to stop. Her heart overflowed with a comforting warmth.

“That’s it? No retribution?” Mia thought.

A quick shift from comfort to anxiety: Were his words meant to torment her indirectly, planting even more doubts in her mind? Would they trigger further questions and criticisms, pushing her deeper into her chaotic thoughts, spiraling into insanity?

A thick lump formed in her throat when she tried to swallow, making it nearly impossible to ask him about his sudden appearance.

Zzzing!

A piercing noise filled the air.

Mia’s eyes snapped open.

She was in her bed, her pillow on the floor and a soft blanket barely covering her feet. Evidence that she had kicked most of it away in her dream.

Blinking a few times, she lifted her head toward the window.

Lush greenery swayed gently in the breeze, the tops of trees kissed by the golden rays of the sun. Birds flitted across the blue sky, dotted with a few fluffy clouds.

A bit of disorder infused the scene, yet everything felt beautifully organized: children laughing, people briskly moving about, and others deeply engaged in conversations.

“I’m back! I’m alive! It was just a dream! A nightmare involving NovaCore!” she shouted with joy.

Letting out a deep breath, relief flooded her chest.

The clear ping sounded again, though not very loudly.

“What’s happening?” Mia wondered, still a bit confused.

Zziing. Zziiing. “Hm… Again?”

She glanced at the floor where her pillow had landed and moved it without thinking. Yes, it was her mobile phone making those sounds.

She picked it up and turned on the screen. Notifications from different Nostr apps lit up.

Looks like she had forgotten to switch her phone to flight mode before going to sleep.

“Zaps???”

“Zaps! So many zaps.

How cool is that?”

Her morning began with a windfall of sats.

At that moment, she was completely awake.

Sitting on her bed, phone in hand, she gazed out the window and embraced the beauty of the world around her. Happiness surged within her, and she felt like jumping up and dancing.

In that instant, Mia was profoundly grateful to be alive—not trapped in the horrors of NovaCore but part of a vibrant, real world. Love, connections, emotions. A reality built on truth, integrity, and wisdom.

A world where innovation fostered human flourishing instead of stifling their souls. A world where the Bitcoin Standard centuries ago had replaced hollow systems of control.

“Oh! Thank you, Satoshi. Thank you to all sovereign individuals,” Mia thought, almost as if in a silent prayer.

NovaCore was not real. Perhaps it had been merely a dream or a terrifying glimpse of what could have been. In truth, humanity had chosen a different path.

What a relief! Mia knew she was awake in a world worth living for.

She hoped it could remain this way.

“Uhm, just in case, let me write a story about NovaCore, even something short,” she thought.

“I have to share it with others!”

“They need to understand how the world could look if we forget the truth and abandon our freedoms!” said Mia, while adding a reminder to her calendar.

This way, still smiling, she stood up from her bed and prepared to embrace the rest of her day...