Surveillance
mini-cams follow Vinny as he walks through the neighborhood,
commenting to his video diary like a tour guide.
"A
lot of people on the street today. A mongrel bunch: white,
red, yellow, brown, black, purple, tattooed, pierced, dyed.
That guy over there looks like he's dead. Great material for
game characters. You know, it's a paradox, the more
different people try to appear the more they all look alike.
But when you get right down to it, there really are just two
kinds of people in this world, regular folks and trash. And
you can always tell the difference. One look and you know
instantly. It's right there in their eyes. And they know
that you know. Hey, they know who they are. You can't fake
quality.
"This
area is getting upgraded fast. Still a few blocks here and
there from the 1900s, row houses, old brownstones, boarded
up storefronts, hangouts for trash. But they're getting
pushed closer to the riverfront every day. I wonder where
they'll go from there? Good luck. No, it won't be long
before things are all cleaned up around here."
Vinny
stops in front of a building undergoing demolition. Some
trash are watching from across the street. "It looks like
they're going to take out this whole block. These guys
really know what they're doing. Look, they've wrapped that
ten story in a steel bag. Now, they'll just cinch it up,
smash it, drag it off to the compactor, and that's that.
Incredible efficiency. Four guys can take out two blocks in
one day."
A
new habi complex is being assembled on a cleared lot. A
stack of walls is fork lifted from a truck bed. Workmen snap
on crane cables and the package zooms to the top of the
steel frame. "Every panel is an 8x8 panel, chock-full of
electronics, power, sanitation, light, food prep, and
wrap-around surveillance. It's all in the wall."
The
gray sky turns black as evening fades to night. Traffic is
heavy. Vinny waits at a crosswalk. The light turns green;
but the cross-traffic continues unabated, ignoring the red
light in that direction. He waits for a break in the stream,
timing his dash like a schoolgirl entering a game of jump
rope.
Around
the corner, "Another gas jam." A queue of vehicles stretches
for blocks. Farther along, the sidewalk crowd is more
prosperous, the broadcast ads in synch with the clientele.
"Give
Ice a diamond and bring back that spark."
"Jaguar
Unica, as rare as its namesake. Drive it if you dare."
Call
from autobroker
"Vinny,
the oil situation is getting worse."
"Yeah,
did you see those lines?"
"They're
everywhere."
"That's
fantastic!"
"It's
all about price."
"More
bucks chasing fewer dribbles."
"Last
ditch extraction."
"That's
where EnerJetics shines."
"And
when the oil's gone..."
"With
their lock on methane."
"And
meanwhile."
"It
doesn't get much sweeter that this."
Vinny's
InVision flickers and goes blank. In a few seconds it comes
back on.
"Did
you see that hiccup? Give me more leverage on EnerJetics."
"You
know, you've already borrowed..."
"Whatever
it takes."
"You
should know..."
Another
power flicker and everything on the street goes dark. After
a moment it's normal again. No one seems to mind.
Vinny
turns a corner. The mammoth structure of TheBox fills his
view. InVision advertising covers the sides of the great
cube with animated logos and action videos. A crowd of
people queue up at the portal. He continues his commentary.
"I could just stay home and shop the Face, but there's
nothing like an authentic experience at TheBox -- I mean,
just the scale of it. I can honestly say I'm proud to shop
at TheBox. Come here every chance I get." He looks in the
direction of a group of trash loitering across the street.
"Another thing to feel good about: there's no trash inside
TheBox."
He
gets in one of the fifty security lines moving slowly toward
the entrance. A guard asks the woman in front of him what
she's shopping for.
"Just
looking for stuff." He scans her bio-identity.
Status
red
The
guard hooks his thumb to the side. The woman protests. The
guard puts his hand on his taser and she leaves. Vinny's
scan is green and he enters. Inside, he gets in one of many
lines, and waits again. The superstore walls are awash with
live action models, perfect in face and form: running,
jumping, dancing, flirting. Body parts are featured: pecs,
abs, tits, and asses, all moving in sync with the driving
music. Finally, he gets to the wall and a closet-size door
slides open. A woman exits with a grin on her face. The door
slides shut.
"Password?"
"Paradise."
"Please
turn off your InVision."
The
door opens and Vinny squeezes into an enclosure. The door
closes with a vacuum hiss. The walls are close. He reclines
in a form-fitting lounge chair that adjusts to the memory of
his body. As the light dims he is presented with a vista of
outer space, constellations, novas, and galaxies fill the
sky before him. The blue-green arc of earth rotates slowly
at his feet. The crescent moon at his side is close enough
to touch. He is alone in vast, silent space. He sighs.
A helper floats into view. "Long time no see, Vinny, and
whatever you want, you know we got it."
Menu
Fun
Service
Stuff
Vinny
selects
Stuff
Fashion
Food
Gadgets
Gifts
Home
Sports
Transport/Speed
As
Vinny runs his index finger over the list each category
expands into a montage of animated offerings. The choices
are as vast as the cosmos in the background.
Transport/Speed
The
dark night of space dissolves into the bucolic landscape of
a picture-perfect park. Pigeons circle in the sky. Swans
drift slowly on a lake. Families picnic on a manicured lawn.
Toddlers chase a ball. Vinny basks in the warmth of the
afternoon sun. Then, the peace is shattered by the onslaught
of a hundred monster mono-cycles zigzagging through the park
from all directions, threatening everything in their path.
Birds take flight. People and dogs run for their lives. Not
everyone survives. The leader of the pack executes figure
eights, donuts, and wheelies across the lawn, finally
skidding to a halt. The other bikers follow suit. The lead
biker dismounts and slowly removes his helmet -- he's
virtual Vinny, wiping road gore from his visor.
The
helper says, "And you can ride that road killer home today,
right now if you like. What do you say?"
"Whoa,
man, that is some machine, but not today."
Shopper
Vinny makes another selection from the menu.
MochaMunch
Waterfalls
spring from the majestic cliffs of Yosemite Valley. A cool,
blue river meanders along the forest floor. Then the
waterfalls go dry, and Vinny, with a flick of his finger,
releases torrents of liquid chocolate from the granite
heights. The river runs with rich brown confection -- and
right there, virtual Vinny, immersed to his waist in flowing
mocha, licks the dark sweetness from the fingers of a
chocolate covered nymph.
Helper
says, "How about it, I can send you over a case right now.
How about two?"
"No
thanks. But, you can check my credit status."
"No
problem... So there you have it, as always, Vinny, as far as
TheBox is concerned you are one solid-gold guy."
"And
my debt?"
"Not
a problem."
"And
my credit threshold?"
"Clear
skies and clear sailing! Hey Vinny, speaking of sailing,
when's the last time you took a vacation? And while we're on
the subject, let me grab you a travel agent."
"Not
right now."
"So,
what else can I get for you?"
"Send
over a dozen rolls of toilet paper."
"And?"
"That
should do it."
"Oh
man, just look at you. That shirt is older than yesterday's
news. Hey, check this out."
"No
thanks.
In
a confidential voice, "How's your love life, Vinny? How
about that Ice?"
