
Welcome to The Future! (Please enjoy responsibly.) Posted on: 2014-08-10 23:23:17-04
Congratulations on winning our sweepstakes!
We’re
pleased to welcome you on a most-expenses-paid, open-ended trip to The
Future, where you will enjoy fantastic technologies, abundant luxuries,
exhilarating freedoms and opportunities, an inexhaustible supply of
entertainment, and other truly ludicrous privileges.
You’ll be so
awash with options, you won’t know what to do with yourself! Take a
stroll through our modern cities and towns, free of threat from animal
attacks and most infectious diseases. Wrap your body in a variety of
warm, protective garments, available for next to nothing at garage sales
and thrift stores or — if you’re feeling extra-luxurious — at one of
thousands of retail shops.
Or perhaps you feel like eating
something. That will almost certainly not be a problem! Beans, rice,
legumes, flours, and — unbelievably — any amount of safe, fresh water
you desire, are all widely available for little more than pocket change.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. For a little more you can get
fresh fruits and vegetables, and even game, transported to you from
exotic locations around the world. We even offer a “super-luxury”
option, where you can pay a modest premium to have professionals find,
prepare, and cook your meal, and even place it right in front of you,
with additional doting provided by trained servants.
Here’s a partial list of other features you will enjoy here in The Future:
Protective walls, roofs and floors! We have these virtually
everywhere, available on both a public and private basis. Weather will
no longer run your life and make your decisions for you. Shield your
possessions from thieves, as well as dampness and rot, with ease.
Answer
virtually any question you have in seconds, with our Space-Age
“Inter-Network.” Talk to friends, relatives and strangers anywhere, even
across oceans, in real-time. Find the nearest coffee merchant or
automobile-for-hire in seconds, or simply find something interesting to
read or skim.
Many reasonably peaceful civilizations to choose
from, with sophisticated and exclusive amenities such as freedom of
speech, freedom of religion, freedom from slavery, abundant parks and
public spaces, growing respect for differences, non-despotic
governments, police protection, relatively advanced labor standards, and
a general “live and let live” ethos.
Endless art,
music, literature and computer-simulated adventure! You could listen to a
new musical performance, or read a new story, or gaze at new artwork,
every hour of every day of your life and never run out of options. And
we’re making more all the time! You can also watch fictional events
unfold on an electronic “stage” in your own home, changing the actors
and storylines with the push of a button. This is a very popular
activity among our guests.
Truly incredible technologies,
everywhere. Medical advancements that can double your life expectancy.
Futuristic machines that can perform most of your cooking, cleaning, and
thinking duties for you. You may be able to leave manual labor behind
almost entirely! But don’t worry — with all your extra energy you can
still keep your body in shape, by performing non-productive manual labor
such as moving weighted steel rods up and down, or running circles
around your neighborhood, even with nothing chasing you. Effective
treatments are available for thousands of physical maladies, and a small
but growing number of mental illnesses as well.
A wide variety of rights, privileges, work and educational
opportunities. Learn to articulate your thoughts to others with
beautiful languages, refined over millennia. Knowledge of basic math,
geography, history, and science are all matters of course for nearly all
of our winners, and much more advanced knowledge is always available
for those who are interested. Using our revolutionary “Inter-Network,”
you can even learn in the privacy of your own home. Seek mastery in one
of hundreds of careers and thousands of hobbies. Shakespeare, French
lessons, salsa dancing, meditation, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — you can have
it all.
Absurd levels of luxury. Enjoy material comforts the
kings and queens of old could never have imagined. Hot water on demand
in virtually every home, no fire necessary. Heaters, fans and “air
conditioning technology” allow you to even adjust the temperature of the
air itself to match your preference, any time of year. Enjoy fine
soaps, lotions, textiles and perfumes. Even spices and teas are readily
available, in hundreds of exotic varieties. Be shuttled around the globe
in automobiles and flying machines, even if you have no royal blood at
all.
Nature! Listen to birds chirping, squirrels singing, and
insects buzzing. Sit under a tree and enjoy its shade and muted
rustling. These simple and beautiful pleasures are available in nearly
every locale, for free. Coastal regions also come with sand or rocks,
salty breeze, and 24-hour wave action. There is also a significant
amount of nature remaining outside our lovely cities. Tours can
be arranged easily.
Friendly and experienced support staff.
While you’re off practicing ballroom dancing or sampling exotic fruits,
teams of professionals are standing by, ready to assist you in a medical
emergency, rescue you from fire, clean your streets, repair broken
amenities, and even help you fend off wild animal attacks-in-progress.
Clearly
we must be out of our minds for offering such a rich spread of prizes!
This is certainly more than any human being could reasonably hope for —
and it’s all yours.
So what’s the catch? How can you offer such an unbelievable deal?
There’s
no catch! At least not for you! Most of the expense has been paid by
generous benefactors, hailing from previous generations, as well as
today’s. Sweepstakes entry is automatic and free, and if you’re reading
this, you are one of our lucky winners! All we ask is that you don’t
forget to enjoy your wondrous prizes, and that you respect our other
guests.
Welcome to the future. Enjoy responsibly.
—
Offer
may expire without notice. Please take advantage while supplies last.
Prizes may not be exactly as described; some may be replaced with others
for logistical reasons, but the approximate value remains the same. For
example, instead of squirrels, you may receive additional birds.
Bartering of prizes is allowed and encouraged.
Certain
jurisdictions do not qualify. Although there are more winners every day,
we are not yet able to offer the ludicrous prizes described above to
all states and territories. Please consider sharing unused prizes with
others. For more information on the sources of our prizes, please
consult the Space Age Inter-Network.
Space Age Inter-Network not yet available in subways.
***
Photos
of skyline, bulk food, and library by Jamie McCaffrey, Six El Sid, and
Ben Dalton. Squirrel photo and silly graphic by David Cain.