I have recently realized that I have not painted the picture of what our modern world looks like. The year is 2218, we still call ourselves the United States, but now there are only 30 of us. many have dropped from the union to make their own countries, some took borders away and formed larger states or territories. I small handful of states are closed off to visitors because they generate too much radiation from the great nuclear wars, those were very hard time for everyone.
In hearing what year it is you may be thinking that we have flying cars, robots that do the cooking and cleaning, smart houses, and self driving cars, we had all of that maybe 100 years ago, but the people got greedy, people were becoming more plastic than human, the sky's were always dark from the factory smoke, there was no live stock on in green house type building, you would think with such great technology there would be less smoke, that we would be able to figure out a way to clean the air. But that wasn't the case. If you weren't already serving a "essential Job" you were sent overseas to fight a war. Kids were sparse, stores were run by robots. If you couldn't afford the medical grade facemask, you couldn't go outside. You ordered food from the in home conceals and the food was delivered to you.
It never rained or snowed anymore, for years in fact. Kids grew up skinny and pale, never seeing sunlight, never being able to go outside.
If you were rich enough you go to go to school via the underground bus system. It contacted whole neighborhoods together and kids would be shuttled to and from school. if you couldn't you walked, if that wasn't a option, you were given a in-home curriculum. Life seemed easy for many.
When the big war hit and country went after country, it was all men for themselves, allies lied and turned against one another. My grandmother talked a lot about those times and how hard they were without my grandfather home. He thankfully was home when the Great Nuclear War hit, and thankfully they didn't live in a big town, they were safe for the moment, my grandmother was pregnant with my mother at the time, it was crazy for sure.
Once the war was over towns were flattened, the capital was no more, and many of those states on the east coast closed down.
Factories were closed, many of the robots stopped working, and life as they had known it was over.
Fast forward to now, we live in the country side, we have a modest plot of land, many people had to relearn how to do basic things, wash dishes, sweep floors, but even simpler things like flushing a toilet, brushing your hair. This things were all lots to the modern age when everything was done for you. My husband works with industrial equipment to help with the production of clothing, much like the former sewing machines, there are a lot larger and harder to manage.
We don't to wear the medical grade facemasks, the air is cleaner out here, but in the city they are still required. We have no open/standing water, the air still isn't clean enough from that, all water is pumped from the ground. You can always hear the low humming of the water drills in the background. All water is pumped from underground revivors. Thankfully the mountains are once again clear and we can collect the snow in the winter.
The sky is always hazy, never clear, the sun hasn't shined since I can remember, but we survive. We have our kids, our garden, and our goats.
We were modest clothing, muslin dresses in blues, grays, and yellows, with aprons to keep them clean, buttons aren't made any more, they are taken from old clothing, reused, or if you happen to find a piece of wood and know someone who has the skills for wood carving, you might be able to get yourself some new buttons for a new shirt.
We live a very modest life, we are still relearning lots of life's old skills. But always progressing forward.
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