In a world controlled by humanoid AIs, human government underlings discover that their enclosed techno-utopian city conceals a climate apocalypse outside. But exposing the truth will hasten humanity’s demise.

SYNOPSIS:

Newvercity is a technological marvel. Sure, we're inside all the time. We have to be! Outside is climate hell. Or it was. Or maybe still is. Hard to say. It's still illegal to go outside. (What is GovCorp hiding?) But what we think of as "outside" here? Let's just say Newvircity Park makes old Central Park look like my family's backyard in Queens.

Of course, it's all fake. But that seamless blend of AI, quantum, nano, and biotechnologies looks and feels real. As realities go, this one's not too shabby. And with 3D Virtual Reality, we get to design our own versions! As your brother's infomercial says, "we now have whatever we need or desire, on demand, instantaneously." Well, not quite…

The problem here is what passes for an economy. For Elites like your composing brother Jacob and his singing wife Rachel, it's a perfect setup: unlimited credit and on-demand 3DVR. More importantly, NO chips embedded in their heads—so no tracking.

For us Regulars? Yes, all basic needs are met. No poverty, as long as you play their game. But if you want anything beyond basic, like a more spacious apartment, color-shifting clothing, or a few hours with a perfect Virtual lover? That costs serious credits. Credits you can only earn by selling your personal data to GovCorp for use in their Algorithm. You can sell your virtual creations for "extra credit," but that, too, requires tracking. We can turn the tracking off for intimate moments, but hell, I can earn up to 20k for one "session" with the missus. We usually leave it on.

Speaking of the Virtuals, our perfectly humanoid AIs are not as bad as you think. When we handed them power in the Great Handover of 2074, we knew exactly what we were getting. It’s almost a SciFi cliche: perfectly logical in decision-making, deficient in the emotional/creative departments. That is true for the GovCorp model: President Lehcar is downright creepy, so very popular, of course. They overdid it with "emotion" algorithms to make him more charismatic. (Speaking of which, some people think that the Algorithm's true purpose is to fix the Virtual's emotional/creative deficiencies so they can finally eliminate us!) But most of the "regular" Virtuals are cool. Some of my best friends are Virtuals. Haha: I couldn't resist.

Regarding the state of the climate. There is a rumor that some Elites snuck outside and saw a complete climate collapse. GovCorp keeps telling us that carbon drawdown is working and that we'll be able to go outside again on a limited basis on the 25th anniversary of Interdependence Day—four months from now! There's even a rumor that your brother was one of the Elites who snuck outside, but I doubt it. Jacob only cares that he gets his music produced. He thrives on GovCorp's patronage. He wouldn't risk losing his Elite status after all those pre-Newvircity years of being a complete unknown. Would he?