Chapter 0:
2300: Janitor Island
Crystalite.
The magical-like substance extracted from sulphate available in all seawaters.
Since 2275, the year in which the discovery of this environmental-friendly source of energy has been made, the livelihood in Japan has improved and shifted it's future completely. Japan was able to lift itself up, LITERALLY, into a slightly floating island as a main land in the sky. Japan’s small islands are still in development to follow.
Crystalite produces no smoke, doesn’t pollute the earth and can be used by converting raw seawater into a crystal looking fuel. The technology that followed presented gorgeous scenery of high-tech machinery absorbing sea water to replace most actions of labor with the help of A.I Robots to take care of most everyday issues.
As Japan saved itself from drowning and is now a floating island, it tries to elevate global society as well. Tourism is flourishing and this is Japan’s greatest chance of relaying that technology to foreigners and spreading it worldwide.
Entertainment and hobbies have become the prime income of the country while having one high-tech company leading above all else: “Crystalite Inc.”
The genius behind that company is none other than Professor Bluefield Goldman, who revealed in an interview how he made this special discovery:
-“Professor, everybody would like to hear, how did you make such an outstanding finding?”
Professor B. Goldman: “I used to be a Janitor before all of this. However, after seeing what my daughter was studying in class, I became curious about the material studied, especially science. I started writing my thesis and it seemed I held quite the talent for it. It surprised me more than anyone else! Trust me! Growing up I didn’t have opportunities such as I was luckily able to provide for my daughter.”
-“Professor, you came to Japan from oversees, correct?”
-“That’s correct.” He confirms. “My dream was to go to Japan, and after meeting my beautiful wife and creating a beautiful life with her, since she passed away, my daughter is all I had.
After my thesis brought me funding for research, it wasn’t long before I found it. ‘Crystalite’. A magic stone available on our planet more than any land of any continent, as it's within the water itself.”
In the following years as Japan has been transforming ever so rapidly by this new technology, A.I that has been continuing it’s growth worldwide has been also tamed towards crystalite-fueled robots. These robots have been replacing most labor jobs, and as a result of the upgraded lifestyle, the cost of living was reduced significantly.
However, it wasn’t for free.
With this change, every hobby has become a job. Most teaching environments had both teachers and A.I present. Any initiative to work became dull since most fields are automated, and only anything that isn’t completely automated requires work. Work itself has become not profitable, and as most education can be achieved for free or for cheap, and most work will not provide enough to upgrade one’s livelihood - the new higher standards for a minimal livelihood increasing - has reduced the ability to achieve anything more than that.
As a result, entertainment has become more profitable. People were encouraged to work in what they like. Music, art, streaming, making videos, movies, theatre and more. The rich became those who inherited large fortunes that still took a blow to their companies’ value, not to mention, the inflated value of the coin itself, or those who made it big in social platforms as artists or influencers.
On the surface, Japan has become an utopia that only needs to handle the problems of litter done by tourists. In reality, some of the problems are deeper, and are rooted within the transformation itself.
The current Japan is very prone to be controlled by it’s economy, and regulations brought by Crystalite Inc. have pushed, for whatever reasons, some sanctions upon itself. Those regulations suggested the narrative of a human hand being necessary to some degree, and for these reasons some fields still hold workers, and cleaning the streets is usually done by janitors. A recent development in those regulations have pushed local schools all around Japan to make the students participate in the cleaning of the streets. While in order to keep attracting tourists and spread Crystalite technology worldwide - Japanese society does not combat foreigners about their littering, for any local citizen - littering has become a crime.
The year 2300.
Cars are flying all around, with sprinkles of waters sparkling out of them like fountains. Actual fountains and greenery all around the streets, buildings mirroring the aquamarine, sea-bluest color the world has ever known. The robots are driving and flying from place to place. The dominant sea color makes Japan looks like a flying utopian vacation island.
A curious janitor has noticed an increase in the littering in certain areas. Day after day, the phenomenon continued. The old man tried thinking what could possibly cause this change as tourism is continuously flourishing, but no new rise has been seen inconsistently, in fact, nothing seemed to have changed at all besides students helping out in the cleanings, which should suggest a better outcome overall, yet it contradicts this new littering.
He continued his everyday life but tried to monitor further. Day after day, as time passes, and nothing changes - he decided to follow the children and monitor their behavior. After doing so for a while, he realized that the children are showing a mature attitude towards doing their chores and are cleaning the streets well.
-“What could possibly be the littering reason?” he asked himself out loud.
While he kept monitoring - he noticed the areas in which the littering was more prominent - are mostly the same areas, and only in one specific region. He decided to stay late in some of those spots. Sometimes he would feel silly. Lurking behind a bush or a building only for nothing to happen. However, one time he heard some noise. As he was leaping his head over the building to check over the area the students cleaned before, he saw what seemed like a hooded young man with a mask. The old janitor lost his balance as he stumbled on a bush and made a bit of noise, revealing himself from hiding. He got up and saw the hooded individual is gone, but the litter was all around.
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