Future's Ending: A Science Fiction Short Story Anthology

By Gene Michaels

When our future ends, what will you be doing?

The question about how the world will end is as old as we are. As we are carried towards an ever more uncertain future on an overpopulated planet, which appears destined for destruction, this question takes on an even greater significance.

Future's Ending is a collection of short Science Fiction stories which look at the possible outcomes for an out-of-control world.
With tales of artificial intelligence, time travel, eternal life, and other themes which define the futuristic genre, this is a collection which takes inspiration from Science Fiction giants such as Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury.
The stories in Future's Ending use the unpredictable nature of mankind and the unsolvable problem of overpopulation as their foundation, offering thrilling and inspiring tales, which will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gene Michaels
• Release date: Jul 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370916177

Gene Michaels

I wrote this collection of short stories as a way to work through the many thoughts swirling through my mind. We all read and see the sensationalist headlines. The world seems to be heading towards one disaster after another. Population is constantly growing. Technology is advancing. People, though, aren't necessarily getting better or more moral. The tools for our own destruction are more easily accessible than ever. Now, a group of technology billionaires, from Sergei Brin to Peter Thiel, have decided to spend their fortunes to "cure" death. What would be the consequence of us being able to live forever? Without a change in human behavior, are we setting ourselves up for disaster? This book is the consequence of my thinking through these issues. I've always enjoyed short stories as a quick and easy way to escape reality. I hope it entertains and provides a little food for thought. Your feedback means a lot to me and thank you for taking the time to read my novel. Given this book is free and took me a long time to write, please kindly leave a review on Smashwords, Amazon, or GoodReads. It only takes a second and really helps me improve as an author. Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Futures-Ending-Science-Fiction-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01MTZMTFK/ Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33402729-future-s-ending If you want to chat, my email is [e-mail].

Book preview

The First

No one knew who the First was. You woke up thinking you were her. Then, you saw someone with the same face and realized that maybe you were second. Quickly, your hopes were dashed when you realized you weren’t even the third, fourth, fifth, or even sixth. It was tough being an unquantifiable number greater than six. You were probably number one thousand six hundred and fifty-one. Some false specificity would make you feel better about the situation, but it’s not like your opinion mattered in this process. But hey, at least you maintained her sense of humor. That never left you. Laughter in the face of absurdity was programmed into your DNA. Your standing assumption was that a society of look-alike clones needed to have some aplomb and moxie to deal with seeing their neuroses on display in a hundred different daily facets.

You had been a trained biologist, a self-taught sociologist, and finally a red card-toting party member. It had been your idea to set up this Potemkin village in this now unclaimed area of far eastern Siberia. This society was located on a very remote island inhabited only by a unique species of mule deer and you (multiplied by a thousand or two, give or take). How great to be the first truly equal society made possible through the advances of an atheistic science that had no problem playing God! The disappointment must have played out on your face. You stare at yourself with a knowing look. Sarcasm and irony were, after all, your favorite armor. You guess we must all feel the same way when we first are born. You stand up and are told to report to orientation.

You count that there are ten of us milling around in the same ugly, pastel hospital gowns. Your group has been ushered into a faded, decaying, post-soviet conference room. Before you have any real chance to start a conversation with your compatriots, what appears to be the ninety-year-old version of you opens the door slowly and makes her way across the floor, moving at the speed of a creeping lichen. In her hand, she carries a jar filled with opaque, white ping pong balls. Needless to say, it was not a comfortable feeling to see your own future, especially in a horribly ugly brown cashmere sweater. She finally reaches the podium after an uncomfortably long delay, cracks her knuckles, and begins.

Jane(s), it has been two hundred years since we began our city, although for you it feels like you just arrived. As proof of this, you can see the ravages of decades on our bodies. Even we are not immune to the disadvantages of growing old. You will now draw lots to determine your jobs. As you know, we started this city so we could all live in equality and mutual happiness. We know you will work your hardest for our mutual happiness. Now please come forward.

You join the rest of you in an orderly line. You each take a turn and draw out a ball. Old Jane, as you decide to call her, then dunks each ball into a solution that changes color to a vibrant red or green. No one in front of you utters an expression of joy or dislike as they stick their fingers into the visibly ancient piece of honored plastic Tupperware. Of course, none of you has an idea what the color means anyway, so that might be the reason for the nonchalant attitude. Your hand reaches in to pull out the future, and that future was black. You step out of line and let fate run its course.

Old Jane continues, Now that you have been given your work duties, you will be living in shared bunks with the rest of your comrades in the same professional group. You will report to mandatory weekly orientation with first instruction tomorrow at city hall. Please go pick up a backpack labeled with your color against the wall. It will have the supplies you need to get started in your new lives. You should choose a different name for yourself. Old Jane started to smirk, There are too many of us around for everyone to be called Jane.

Old Jane is right. Maybe it is time for you to think of yourself as an individual. You are not everyone, and everyone is not you. You finally wake from your daze and become unique. You no longer exists, as I make my way towards the exit of the room and walk out onto the street.

It was a brisk, but sunny day, not unbearably cold, but with enough hints of winter to know it was in the air. I stopped the first woman I saw, a slightly pudgier middle-aged version of myself wearing a red jumper.

Where are the black barracks?

They are a mile north of here and then about a quarter mile east. You won’t be able to miss them. By the way, it’s September 13th.

Sorry. I don’t follow?

Happy birthday. Everyone needs to know their birthday. She smiled at me.

Thanks. I smiled back.

I began my march to my new home. I surveyed the scene around me. You had built this village. The grey, somewhat crumbly-looking walls, the poorly labeled signs outside of the storefront, and the egalitarian fashion sense, all screaming drab but functional, completely and utterly you. You had been successful in achieving your dreams. It was now time to live them. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad here after all.

Ten minutes later, I smelled my new abode. I guess black was for sanitation. My new duty would clearly be extremely glamorous. At least you had made the decision not to force the garbage ladies to wear white. Your uniform would be both slimming and not as noticeably dirty, two major pluses. The building, from the outside, was made of a mixture of plywood and corrugated steel. I knocked three times. No one answered. I turned the doorknob, discovering it to be open, and walked inside. The interior room had twenty bunks, ten on each side, along with a communal shower and bathroom. At the base of each bunk there was a chest, which held the meager belongings of that bed’s occupant. I was tempted to open some of them, since after all we were sisters, but that didn’t seem right. I could snoop another time. Being born was a tough business, and I was tired. I lay down in the nearest open bed, promising myself that I would sleep only for a little while. I woke up when the door slammed shut.

Who do we have here? asked a version of myself with a mohawk covered in a mixture of dirt and grease.

Looks like some fresh meat out of the freezer, responded another equally unclean you behind her. This version of yourself had a shaved head and numerous intricate tattoos, including a downed deer with copious amounts of blood flowing from an arrow in its heart. Bringing up the rear was a buffed-out woman who promptly shut the door and glared at you. I was at a loss of what to do seeing so many different versions of myself standing in front of me. I decided the polite thing to do was to introduce myself.

Hi. I’m Jane.

It looks like this version is a joker. Hi Jane! Welcome to Utopia. I go by Chelsea on account of my hair. The one with the shaved head over there is Eve. Our leader here goes by Boss since she is in charge. She is a just a tiny bit of a dyke.

Boss punched her in the shoulder. Just kidding. She is a total dyke.

I see. I guess I should choose a name.

Boss responded next.

That’s not how it works. You have to earn one here. You can stay generic, plain, simple Jane for now. Dinner is in twenty minutes, and attendance is mandatory so you will be joining us. Normally, we have communal supper club here once a month to make sure you remember your place. However, in celebration of the new arrivals, we get an added bonus of attending several extra times during your education period. You can wash up after we are done with the facilities, to get the birthing agent off your skin. That backpack you are carrying should have some basic toiletries and two uniforms to wear. One is for daily work, and the other is for evening relaxation. I’ll give you the rest of the details of your life later. Boss left the room and made her way to change. She was definitely not the welcoming type.

Is she always like that, Eve?

Only on the good days. Eve followed her into the shower.

Don’t worry. You will figure things out soon enough. We all had to at one point. Just don’t be too disappointed with what you see. This is your new life, and it is the only one you are going to live, Chelsea added.

After showering, I definitely felt like a new woman, an odd sentiment for a twelve-hour-old. We followed Boss out the door and began our trip back to the village. We stopped at the city hall, one of the only original buildings still left on the island, and entered it. Within it, there was a small jail, office space, and a large dining hall with tables laid out and filled with my contemporaries in rows. A multi-shaded banner hung from the ceiling stating, Through equality, we find strength. Funny, I never thought I would be the kind of girl to put trite slogans on display. Every person sat amongst her own color with no intermixing. Did each stick to their own out of choice or requirement? I had many questions at this point. There appeared to be groups of five different hues. We got in line after everyone had been served, collecting the slop that was for dinner. It was an indecipherable cacophony of mushy pastes that could hardly be described as food. I assumed it must be nutritious, at least. We made our way to the very end of the cafeteria. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but it seemed like I was the only one with that problem. I sat down between Eve and Chelsea to avoid antagonizing Boss, who still had a look of displeasure on her face whenever our eyes met. There were two women dressed in white sitting in the front of the room. Looking closer, it appeared to be old Jane and a much younger but more stern-looking version of herself. She stood up, and the room fell silent.

Chelsea grunted, Our fearless, daughter-of-a-bitch leader.

We have some new members who have joined us today. Will they please stand? Let us all welcome them to the collective.

I stood up and was met with a round of applause. I did some quick math now that everyone was seated. There appeared to be approximately five hundred and sixty people at this dinner. What was shocking to me as I surveyed the crowd was how different they all looked in spite of our common genetic stock. The faces were all familiar, but beyond that, these ladies shared little else amongst themselves. There were even some children present, which was not something I had originally envisioned. Maybe this experiment had finally determined it was really nurture, not nature.

As you all know, harmony is extremely important for the survival of this village. I need not remind all of you to assist them in finding their proper place in society. Praise to the First.

I turned to Eve. What does she mean by that?

You’ll find out tomorrow, whispered Eve. That seemed unduly foreboding, especially coming from myself. However, were all these women really me, or was I them? At what point did our experiences diverge to make us wholly unique individuals? It was all so very confusing. Boss, who had apparently been listening to our conversation, stood up and walked behind me. She took her hands and pressed them on my shoulders, roughly pushing me into my seat.

Things have changed over the last two hundred years since the First came here, Boss whispered. Try not to buy into the bullshit too much tomorrow. We know how you can get carried away into an idea. Even I was once like you, ever so briefly. Don’t do anything stupid, or I will make sure you regret it. Now shut up until we leave this place. After dinner, we made our way back to the bunks. I had a lot of questions, but I decided for my health it would be best for me to ask them another day.

You can choose any bunk you want except that one, pointed out Boss.

And why can’t I sleep on that one?

That is none of your business, Jane, and don’t question me when I tell you to do something.

Okay, Boss. I would question her again, but not today. I still had a lot to learn.

The next morning I was awoken by an alarm going off. I checked the time on the old clock hanging above the doorframe. It read 5:30 AM. Apparently it was time to get up. I had never been one for an early start to the day, but first impressions were important, and I didn’t want to seem like a slacker. I had decided to head towards the shower to freshen up when Eve stopped me.

No point. You are just going to get dirty anyway. By the way, you should probably put on some clothes.

I realized that I was completely naked. It had been a while since I had slept in a room with other people. My face began to redden from embarrassment, but Eve quickly chimed in.

No need to be modest. Trust me; I’ve seen your birthday suit before. Now, hurry up and put on your jumper. It is required that you wear it at all times when in public.

So how do I get some street clothes around here?

Eve smiled mischievously. You need to earn some special privileges. Meet us back here for lunch after your day two orientation.

Just think, you now are twice as old as you were yesterday. Don’t waste all that wisdom in one place, added Chelsea.

I got dressed and made my way back to the village. The state of local affairs did appear a little bit clearer now that a day had passed. Maybe Chelsea was not being one hundred percent ironic in her comment. Within the village there were houses, but only Yellows entered and exited them. Some of them had babies and toddlers in tow, but their faces did not remind me of the one I saw in my youth. Memory, though, was a fickle thing, and I certainly didn’t have any photos of when I was three. There was a large number of Reds moving equipment comprised of mostly construction materials and food. The few shops present did not seem to have a wide variety of goods, but I decided to kill some time by looking around. As I entered, I was greeted by a Blue.

You must be the new Black. The tank is back there.

I was actually interested in the yellow dress over there. Can I try it on? The Blue started to chuckle. Do you have any credits?

What are those? I thought we shared everything.

I think you need to be educated. Come back after your orientation. I was then shooed out of the building.

Who was this woman to treat me like an idiot? I had multiple college degrees, the same as her. Feeling somewhat consternated by the exchange, I made my way back to the birthing center. Inside, it appeared everyone was already in their seat. All of them were dressed in green or red. I was the only Black. A Yellow was sitting upfront. Everyone was staring at me. It was probably a good idea to fib a little.

Sorry. I took a wrong turn and got lost on the way here.

You’re late. You won’t get docked credits this time, but don’t let it happen again.

I won’t.

Now that you are all assembled, let me welcome you all to your introductory orientation class. You will have these biweekly for the first six months of your stay here. You all must be confused and scared about what is going on here. That is a normal feeling in an unfamiliar situation like this one. We want to ease your transition into your new life amongst the community we created together. Let’s fill in the gaps from your last memory. As you all remember, after the First came here, she began her dream of building a truly equal society. She and we built this village painstakingly, by hand, and we wrung out a living together through the harsh winters and short summers. We worked and ate together, like you did last night, and lived in tranquility. She, in her wisdom, realized that it was impossible for everyone to work proficiently at every task and decided that we needed to form worker groups that would help grow our prosperity. She assigned five different colors that would coexist in sustainable harmony. The Black, the color of the earth, would gather the nutrients we needed to sustain harvests for years to come. The Green, life springing ever new, would grow the crops that we needed to eat. The Red, color of blood and sweat, would construct and manufacture our buildings and tools. The Blue, symbol of the ocean, would trade for the goods we needed inside and outside our commune. The Yellow, like the sun, would protect and guide the village. After she was done with this, she became the first White, the leader of us all. Through this system, we have survived for the last two hundred years. You have been assigned a great responsibility to continue this way of life. Of course, everyone in this village works. To administer this system, we have a system of credits you receive every week that you can use to purchase essentials beyond food and your group uniforms. If you don’t fulfill your duties, we dock your credits accordingly. We also subtract a room and board charge at a reasonable rate. This makes sure that everyone contributes like they need to. You built this. Welcome to your new life. Praise to the First.

A Green stood up and started clapping. Everyone followed her and did the same. I was the only one who sat there immobilized. Was I that different from the rest of these wide-eyed idealists? The story seemed to have jogged my memory as I now remembered forming the color groups, but beyond that was a bit of a fog. I guess everyone must have known all this already, given how quickly they had accepted it. We should have been all the same, but clearly that was not the case. I decided it was better not to point that out. The Yellow eyed me warily as I raised my hand. Everyone sat back down.

That was a great speech, and I am super excited like everyone here. What if we find out that we want to be in another group? How does one go about switching?

Switching wouldn’t be fair to others and would cause the system to fail. You received your jobs based on the needs of the village and random chance. I’m sure you will get the same amount of joy we all get from being contributing members of society.

I decided it was best to shut up at this point.

If there are no other questions, this afternoon is your first day of work duty. You are dismissed. I saw where this was going, but it seemed like no one else did. I made my way back to the barracks where I waited for the rest of the group.

So how did your brainwashing go? asked Chelsea.

I definitely felt a one-of-us vibe. Does everyone get the same orientation?

Eve joined in the conversation, while Boss made her way back to the primitive kitchen, consisting of a hot plate, a small fridge, and a tea kettle.

It always happens on the second day. That way it reinforces your place in society. We all come out the same, thinking we are the First, and then we remember how we structured things. It’s hard to fight against yourself and your decision to set up this organizational construction.

So you all remember what happened to her after she made the different colors?

Of course, don’t you? How she decided that one ring should rule them all and all that jazz? You selected yourself as the first White, and here we are today. Eve rolled her eyes at Chelsea’s description.

We perform a valuable service like everyone else, and that is all there is to it, interrupted Boss. We have fifteen minutes until the next appointment. Hurry up and eat. Lunch was an unappetizing bowl of cold vegetable gruel. Maybe the paste was considered a luxury compared to this. I followed my sisters out the door and was immediately struck by an unpleasant odor.

Don’t forget your toolkit, laughed Chelsea, throwing a shovel that was coated in black muck at me. In front of the barracks was a covered wagon pulled by a sturdy-looking pony. I walked towards the front, but I was stopped by Chelsea. You are in the back. If you prove yourself useful, you can join the rest of us. Inside the wagon was the source of the smell—a giant vat filled to the brim with manure. It was clear that it wasn’t only from cows. I held my nose, hoping it would stifle my gag reflex. Apparently I was worth as much as a pile of shit at this point. As we rode, it was explained to me that our job was to collect waste from the septic systems to provide fertilizer for the farms and to do other unsavory maintenance tasks. The first stop was at the animal sheds where I cleaned out thirty-six stalls while Eve, Chelsea, and Boss looked on.

There you go, Jane. Put your back into it, encouraged Boss. The other two snickered, especially when I face-planted into an especially ripe patty. My face was dirty and my body ached. I couldn’t stand my own smell. This was not what I signed up for. After being humiliated for a few hours we made our way back through town. I thought I was done for the day until we stopped in front of a row of houses.

Final stop, you need to service some reported toilet problems. We were back in the main village. It appeared that we would be entering the homes of some of the Yellows. We knocked on the door of the first one, and a child let us in. It was an unremarkable house, with three bedrooms and a variety of old-world knickknacks. Compared to the barracks, though, the building was a palace. The little girl followed me like a tail while I made my way to where I thought the septic system was. She was probably eight or nine years old. I decided to make some small talk with her.

Where is the problem, sweetheart?

It’s over here. Mama says the pipes are clogged.

What’s your name?

Mama told me I can’t talk with strangers, especially with anyone who isn’t Yellow.

Why is that? We are all the same. Your mama and I are sisters. I’m not a stranger.

Then why are you so stinky and dirty? Mama is always clean.

I’ve been working in the field. You will look like this too if you end up with my job when you are older.

That won’t happen. Mama says that we are special since we live in the village.

I see. She must be very smart. How did she get her job?

The White chose her. She chooses all the Yellows and other colors, too. Mommy says she makes all the decisions, and she is very lucky to work with her.

I see. I won’t talk to you anymore. I don’t want to get you in trouble.

Well, this wasn’t fair or equitable in the least bit. Why did they get this relative luxury while the rest of us had to live a barren, pseudo-military life in the woods? And what did she mean about the White choosing who got what jobs? I headed to the restroom where I fumbled around with the pipes for a few minutes and managed to unclog them. For my troubles, I was soaked in the stagnant cesspool of waste that had closed them off. Chelsea looked like she was going to make another quip at my expense when I walked back outside. Fortunately, she read the mood telegraphed on my face and didn’t say anything.

Why do the Yellows have kids and live in houses? I never planned for this.

Let’s discuss it later. We can’t talk about it while we are here, whispered Chelsea. Focus on getting your work done so we can go home. I guess this was a sensitive subject. We hit a few more houses, and I tried to work as quickly as humanly possible to end that horrendous day.

Okay. Last one. It was the store from earlier this morning. I looked and smelled like a four-day-old dead mule. I’m not going in there. It was too much.

Looks like the princess has had her fill for the day, Boss laughed. You were doing so well until now. The store owner saw us loitering and walked outside.

Ah. It looks like you came back. That Cheshire smile of hers was enough to make me cry. I couldn’t take it anymore. My eyes started to tear up, but I pulled myself together after glancing behind me at Boss. I could handle one more indignity. I didn’t want to give her the pleasure of seeing me give up.

Yes. I am back. What is the problem again?

I need my septic tank emptied. I started to enter through the front door, but she blocked me.

You can go around back. I can’t have my merchandise and clean floor tainted by you. I felt the last bit of resistance beaten out of my body as I turned around to stare at the shopkeeper’s mocking face. I looked down at the ground and began the trudge around the building when Boss stopped me.

Eve, go take care of the problem. Boss moved on over to me and asked, What is her problem?

I came to this store earlier and wanted to buy that dress, but I didn’t have any credits.

I see. Let me resolve this. Boss walked over to the Blue.

My credit number is 2341. I’d like to buy that yellow dress over there.

That is two thousand credits. Can you really afford that?

Just give me the damn dress, honey. The Blue grimaced and walked over to check her records. It appears that you have enough.

Why don’t you go and try it on? asked Boss. I marched right in, leaving behind imprints wherever I stomped. I stripped off my overalls and put on the dress. It fit nicely, although it was now soiled, along with the Blue’s floor, which was in complete disarray.

Eve came back and announced, That looks great on you.

Boss then continued.

Looks like everything has been fixed. We will take our leave. Why don’t you wear that out? We loaded ourselves back on our wagon, and I sat in the back.

You can sit up front with us. You don’t seem like much of a Jane to me, noted Chelsea thoughtfully. You got Boss to spend three months’ credits on you. I guess you could be considered our star employee. She has never bought me anything, and I’ve been worker of the month at least eight times. I hadn’t realized it was that much money. I started to mumble my thanks, but Boss shut me up quickly.

"It was my money to spend as I wanted to, Star. It’s