Crossing the Street

[This work of fiction was part of The Lives We Do Not Own: 5 Stories from the Future published in Foresight 2019: Tenth Anniversary Issue]

As I cruised along coastal highway 84 having breakfast, I received a public announcement on the Common Phone. <>. I dismissed the notification — there is at least one every day. Jaywalking is illegal, and we shouldn’t be doing anything illegal anyway. The ocean rolled by as I ran my thumb over the Words so reassuringly etched into the otherwise smooth aluminum back of my CP.

The CP is beautiful. Gone are those smartphones which cost a month’s salary — and they were all incompatible with each other anyhow. Didn’t even come with AI! All CPs are exactly the same, perfectly interoperable with one another and the whole internet of things. What’s more, they’re issued free of charge by the government upon adulthood. They help AI collect data for everything from urban planning and public health to transport and personal finance. They can even sense our emotions and provide us with friendly advice on how to be a better citizen.

As I approached the Central, I couldn’t help but admire the view. It never gets old. What a magnificent city! The skyscrapers were teeming with urban wildlife, their sky bio-domes gleaming in the morning sunlight as they absorbed its energy. Beyond the light fog, I saw the massive silhouette of the space elevator piercing the sky.

Just as I was getting dropped off, I saw a young man trying to catch his bus. He was dressed up, suit and all, shirt flapping behind him as he ran frantically across the street. His CP started to beep. Everybody was staring! Maybe he was too focused on catching the bus or maybe he was late for something really important. He got halfway across before the brilliant flash.

By the time my eyes readjusted, the medical drones were already next to the body. The orbital laser had put a hole exactly one centimetre in diameter through the top of his skull. Bloodless. Seconds later the body was in the air, carried off by the drones, and the crowd dispersed shortly. Show over.

I walked into my assigned building, running my thumb over the Words etched into my CP — LIFE IS LAW.

Yip Jia Qi was Research Assistant at the Centre for Strategic Futures.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of Centre for Strategic Futures or any agency of the Government of Singapore.