I opened my eyes slowly, allowing them time to accommodate the light ray coming from a machine positioned on a scrapper. Everything looked strange, wired with circuits and transmitters. No trace of humans in the big factory but robots which moved up and down the elevator. I stood there puzzled, wondering how I had come here. I couldn't remember anything, no memories of where I was or the planet I had woken up on.
"Who's here?" I called out hoping someone could hear me . The walls of the room echoed my words aloud and once again silence filled the room. A few minutes later, a man wired with chips came out, he wore a suit with tiny magnets on them.
"Zurich, born 1993 in Los Angeles, 3022 years old and married to Sarah with three kids" The strange man said.
It was at that moment I noticed the gray hairs and how frail my knees were. "3022 years?" I mumbled under my breath.
"Come" he said, jerking me back to reality.
He opened the big gate leading us to the world outside. Everything looked sophisticated, cars which had auto drive with no need for a driver and sensors to dictate what happened around them , humans wired to communicate without the need for physical devices, and Metaverse on display. We had walked a few kilometers when I felt my stomach yearning for food. I dipped my hands into my pocket and found a hundred dollars in it.
"Let me get some food" I told the strange man. He laughed uncontrollably.
"This isn't 2022 in which you come from, in this future world, transactions are only done with cryptocurrency, a different form of the fiat you once knew". He brought out a card, on it was written "Hive debit card" and handed it over to me. I bought the food and we continued with the walk.
"So what do you think of this present world? " He asked, "Do you prefer to go 1000 years backward from where you were or stay in this present world which is a thousand years forward?".
Indeed a Lot has changed, the stress for the human race is lessened. With robots specialized in carrying out all activities in various fields. The new world seemed much better except for the lacuna the strange man did not notice. Even though people enjoyed luxury, the world was gradually leading to a central government where people no longer had much power to make decisions of their own. The strange man built into the robot awaited my reply as I allowed my mind to wander through the peril of this present age. 1000 years backward is a primitive time where not much technological luxuries were enjoyed. I shook my head, no I wasn't going back to that time, I can't survive it having to travel miles on foot, or use signs to communicate. It is better for me to stay in this future but how do I stay in control of this age and govern its affairs? I pondered.
"I prefer to stay in this present age" I told the strange man.
He shook his head as if he already knew what was running through my mind.
"Let me show you more things you need to know in this future world, put on these glasses, let's explore how much the Metaverse has transformed. The world is currently running on web 6.0"
This is my participation in the Weekend-Engagement concept with the topic;
If you had to go forwards or backwards in time by 1000 years which would you choose and why? Explain what your experiences might be, what things would be like and what you may learn on your time travels. Write at least 400 words.