So, we all call it ‘Getting Wired’ and my friends and I have spoken of little else for weeks now, as the week during which all the implantations for our graduation class will take place slowly edges closer and closer.
“Nick, what time on Tuesday is your appointment? Will we be able to travel in to Douglas together?” Tasha Reid is one of my oldest and longest-serving friends, but she hates going anywhere on her own.
“Ten-Thirty, Tash. When is yours?” I fall into step beside her, we’re both heading in the direction of the canteen and always share a table.
“Great, mine’s at Eleven. We can share a cab.”
“Well, tons of people will be going, you could always find someone else to go with anyway.”
“Sure, but it will be more fun to be with you. You hate anything medical and it’ll be fun to watch you freak out!”
“Wow, thanks Tasha. I’m so glad I have you as a friend. I can just imagine what you’d be like if we hated each other.”
“Sorry, I’m not being mean, that came out all wrong. I’m just trying to take your mind off it. Honest.”
“I know, I am stressing a little about it, but it’ll be fine. I’m glad you’ll be there with me really.”
While there have been great strides in medical research, particularly in the treatment of cancer, diabetes and severe heart conditions, there has been much less work done with regard to anxiety disorders and mental illness in general. This seems to have changed in the last few years and I’m hopeful.
I keep myself to myself at school and say little to anyone, apart from Tasha, about how I’m feeling. I have been diagnosed with some generalised anxiety disorders and have particular trouble in crowded rooms and, occasionally with anything medical. I’m actually scheduled for a course of therapy as soon as I get my Nexima. These virtual therapy sessions have been proven to help even more than traditional face-to-face therapy.
“Do you know who else is going on Tuesday?” Tasha asks as we sit down with our trays.
“Well, Jack Caley said he was booked in for after lunch, but I’m not sure about anyone else. There’s about 140 of us spread through the five days, so not that many on any given day really. When you add in all the other schools around the Island, we’re lucky to get the same day.”
“Yes, I suppose.”
We eat in silence for a few minutes, watching the comings and goings of our fellow students. Our school teaches from ages fourteen to seventeen and there are about 600 on the roll. The canteen is crowded and there’s a steady flow of arrivals and departures. Fortunately, I’m so used to this particular crowded room that I can manage to be comfortable after years of practice.
“Are you ready for the graduation party?” Tasha asks as we both start on our desserts. I’m not really a fan of chocolate cake, but today I feel that I need the energy and the chocolate-induced endorphins might just ease the headache that I can feel forming in the back of my skull.
“I don’t think I’ll bother, actually. It’ll be loud, crowded and I’ll be surrounded by people I don’t like.”
“True,” Tasha says thoughtfully. “Still, you might get talking to a nice girl and hit it off! By then you’ll be wired and can have Nexima sex, or even real sex for the whole summer!”
“I’d rather a nice boy, Tasha.” The moment the words leave my lips, I know I’ve relaxed bit too far, dropped my guard and said way too much.
“Oh! Nick Quilliam! Why haven’t you told me this before?”
“I didn’t mean to tell you now. I don’t know. I know it doesn’t matter that I’m gay, absolutely nobody cares these days, but it sort-of matters to me. It was my thing, my little secret.” I manage to look up at Tasha, despite the first hint of a tear in my eye. “Besides, I’m not interested in dating anyone, so what does it matter whether anybody knows if I’m gay or straight?”
“Does this mean you’ve been suffering your crushes in secret? I could have supported you, just like you supported me with Brian, Luke and Tim.”
“Well, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a crush, or feelings of attraction of any kind really. I think I’m probably aromantic. Besides, you’re my friend. I’m supposed to be here to help you deal with this stuff. I’m positive that commiserating after rejection is what friends are for.”
“No, this is not about me. Now we deal with your issues for a change.”
“Well, we won’t solve them in the remaining ten minutes of lunch break, but knock yourself out.”
“Oh, I intend to. Let’s start with the basics. Do you think you might be asexual as well?”
“Wow, Tasha, you really are getting right to the point. Nothing personal is off limits today then?”
“That’s what true friends do. Answer the bloody question.”
“Well, I don’t think so. I like to look at pictures of guys and I think I do have a type. I do fantasize about guys when I’m…”
“When you’re masturbating?”
“Yeah, that.”
“Hey, relax, it’s the 2090s. Everyone’s masturbating, I do it all the time.”
“Too much information, Tash!”
“Sorry, but you get what I’m saying. Everyone does it. I know there’s still a bit of joking and teasing about it, but it’s normal and healthy to have a sex drive.”
“Yeah, it just feels weird to be talking about it with my best friend who’s also a girl.”
“Would you rather be talking about it with one of your male friends?”
“Well, since you put it that way, probably not. I guess we just don’t ever talk about this stuff. I know sex education has been a thing for all of us, but we only joke about it amongst ourselves.”
“Still, since you do have some sexual attraction, at least in broad terms, perhaps you need to consider that you may not be totally aromantic, maybe you’re grey-aromantic?”
“Oh, like needing a long time to grow feelings for someone?”
“Exactly. Just because nobody in this school catches your eye, it doesn’t mean that there’s not someone out there in the world for you to find love with.”
“Okay… I never really thought about that. I’m glad I told you now, Tasha, you’ve made me feel so much better about myself.”
“That really is what friends are for. Damn, we’re going to be late for afternoon classes if we don’t go right now.” Tasha mumbles as she grabs her bag and rushes towards disposal with her tray. “Please think again about the party. See you later!”
The rest of the week passes in a blur of final classes where the results of all our outstanding assignments and coursework are revealed. We still have teachers and classes; little having changed in more than 100 years. Some of the classes are a little different and we have more history to get through, but some things are simply no longer needed. History class has, since middle school, been my happy place. I can lose myself in the wonder and the mysticism of the past and I love it.
With the partial fall of China, English has grown to be an even more dominant language around the world, now only rivalled by Spanish and Hindi. Language lessons are, however, unnecessary, as once we get wired the Mesh gives us access to instantaneous translation between almost all modern languages.
The space in the curriculum is used to help us expand our knowledge in preparation for our working lives. Far fewer students attend formal tertiary education as, again thanks to the Mesh, virtual training and effectively apprentice-style employment just works better and is more time and cost effective.
Even though the world population has crept up towards ten billion, actually a considerable slow-down since the earlier half of the century, the Isle of Man has a pretty steady 100,000 or so residents and we have lots of green space and well-cultivated farmland. With a pollution-free economy, we have quiet streets that favour walking.
People across the planet, freed from the need to have large families as almost limitless energy increased industrial output and food production, have slowly pulled back from the abyss of a population catastrophe.
True, the second great pandemic of 2042 was felt across the world, but the lessons have finally been learned. The 2042 pandemic was another coronavirus – they seem to be the nemesis of humanity. It was far more virulent than the one of 2019 and initially lock-downs and vaccines were mostly ineffective.
I think humanity and come to think of itself as invincible and put too much faith in the vaccines they quickly developed. They also underestimated the rate of evolution of such a wide-spread infectious agent.
By the time a second batch of much more effective vaccines had managed to bring the disease under some level of control, more than a billion people had died, by far the most devastating event in human history. Much of this loss of life was, inevitably in the poorer countries of the world, sub-Saharan Africa, India and South-east Asia being particularly devastated. China, only just getting back on its feet was also hit with massive losses. In the longer term, it made the worst affected countries stronger and wealthier, but it was at a terrible cost.
Ramsey, in the North of the Island, is still the second town in terms of population, but that still means fewer than 15,000 people actually live here. In our post-scarcity economy, all transport is public, but when you’re just going around town, you tend to walk if the weather is fine.
Early summer in a maritime climate can still be a bit unsettled, but it is warm enough for shirt-sleeves and there’s little chance of rain as I walk the short distance through our leafy estate towards Tasha’s house.
Today is finally the day for us both to get our implants and Tasha has already booked the cab – it’ll be at her door in about five minutes. It takes me almost that long to walk the rest of the way and Tasha is waiting impatiently at the kerbside when I finally arrive.
“Oh Nick, be a bit more excited. We’re getting wired today!”
I’m about to mutter something about her already being wired, but at that moment the cab pulls up and the door opens for us.
All vehicles are electrically powered, the latest battery technologies giving them enough energy to work for the whole day without recharging. Most people travel in cabs, but there are busses as well for busy routes and group outings, school trips and the like. Our cab is completely standard and just like literally thousands of others on the roads at any given time.
It's a 3m-long slightly rounded box that can sit six people on its two facing bench seats. There’s no need for a driver, just an AI that uses the Mesh to navigate to your requested destination.
“Good morning,” a voice from the ceiling says in an even, polite male tone. “What is your destination please?”
“The Nexima Centre at Noble’s Hospital, please,” I answer as we relax into facing seats and fasten our belts.
“The Nexima Centre will take about thirty minutes. Please relax and enjoy your journey.” We slowly pull away from the kerb and, once out of the estate and onto the main road, begin to thread our way into the traffic, out through the centre of town and onwards to the south.
“Have you thought any more about the party tomorrow,” Tasha asks once we are clear of town and moving at speed.
“Yes, I have. You’re right, I need to get out for a bit and relax. I’ve also got to start to face my anxieties and learn to deal with them better. The upcoming therapy sounds great, but I can’t put all my hopes on a miracle cure.”
“So, you’re going to come then?”
“Yes, as long as we can go together. I don’t fancy turning up on my own.”
“That’s wonderful. We’ll stick together and find a quiet corner or something.”
“No, I don’t want to hold you back. You might have fun.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
I think, as we get close to our destination, Tasha senses my growing anxiety. We have dropped into silence, and I’m watching the hills around us through the mist.
“Hey Nick, are you okay?”
“Yes, a little nervous, well more than a little, but I’m also really excited, so the two emotions are balancing themselves out.”
The vehicle glides to a stop and the AI announces “The Nexima Centre. Enjoy the rest of your day.” There are other cabs around us, both picking up and dropping off.
“Thank you,” I respond out of habit. I’ve always been polite to AI voices and I don’t think I’ll ever shake the affectation, not that I want to. At least I didn’t tell it to have a nice day in return.
There are a couple of familiar faces in the waiting area, but several more who must be from different schools around the Island. We check ourselves in with the reception AI and take two seats in a quiet corner.
We’ve barely taken our seats before a man in a blue cotton uniform appears from a door at the far end of the room and calls “Nick Quilliam please.”
I stand and follow him through the double doors and turn left into a small consulting room. “Hi Nick, I’m John. Please take a seat for a moment.” He indicates a chair and I sit down.
“Okay,” he continues after a few seconds, taking another seat himself. “Your notes say you have a medical anxiety condition. Are you feeling okay at the moment?”
“Oh, yes. I was fairly nervous when we got here, but I’m also excited about the implant. I’ll manage fine. I’m trying to manage the anxiety better.”
“That’s good. There’s only you and me here now and the procedure is a very quick and simple one.”
“Yes, my brother told me it was easy. He had his done three years ago.”
“Great. He probably told you all about it, but we still need to go through the process and then you have to sign to agree to the procedure.”
“Yes, I understand. I’m ready.”
“Good. I need to go over these possible problems with you. There can be side effects and no medical procedure is perfectly safe. We have to make sure that you have informed consent. I’m sure you’ve already had all this from your school, but I have to do it all one more time.”
“Yes, John. I understand the importance of it.”
“Good. I’ll just read through the questionnaire and then we can get on and get you prepped for the procedure.”
“Okay, Nick, that’s it. The implant has been inserted and you can go home now.”
“Wait. What? I didn’t feel anything.”
“That’s because I’m good at my job,” John smiles at me and I can’t help a small smile back. “No, seriously, the needle is very fine and it produces its own anaesthetic. You’re not supposed to feel it.”
“Okay, so I can go now?”
“Yes, just remember it will take between twelve and eighteen hours before it starts to work. There is a whole network of nano-wires that have to be assembled in order to make all the connections. Follow the instruction sheet when you are ready. I would suggest trying to make a connection when you get up in the morning.”
I don’t know how long the procedure has taken, but Tasha is not in the waiting room when I get there, so I sit down and wait for her.
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