Jane picked through her clothes in the closet knowing she would be shedding them within an hour. She had a sordid reputation in the office, but in today’s modern, sometimes sexless world, it was not supposed to matter. She had quit going to therapy two years ago after being “cured," but the cure had not been permanent. She always rationalized her behavior as okay since there were “no victims." She simply did not want intimacy, but she reveled in men or women being attracted to her. She liked the control her sexuality and beauty gave her over others, others knowing what went on inside of her, not so much.

The clothes rotated in front of her, stopping at her command. Small speakers and cameras were ubiquitous throughout her standard 750 square feet of space. “Dim lights, put on mood music," she commanded, and it was done. Lisa, her interface to the cloud, also knew the game and remembered her wants. After debating with herself for several minutes she ended up with some tight, faded blue jeans, a simple white T-shirt over sexy black bra and panties. She checked in the mirror that the color of her bra showed through the T-shirt. Her game had gotten old she admitted to herself, but it was what she did until she came up with another game.

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California 2084

Robert R. Odle

Copyright © 2019 Robert R. Odle

All rights reserved.

By 2084, most of the goods and services needed by society are produced by artificial intelligence (AI) and robots. Human labor, both physical and mental, are no longer really needed and are in huge surplus around the world. As a result, all societies must grapple with the question of how to distribute goods and services to most people who are not economically relevant in society. This issue has become so contentious that the United States has split into three countries with different solutions to this fundamental challenge of human value.

In 2044, California, Oregon, Washington State, and Hawaii broke off to form an independent country. Their ideology is based on state-assisted equality for all, a very socialist approach, funded by a tax on production - essentially a value-added tax on AI and Robots. They mandate renewable energy and struggle with its implementation.

Texas declared itself an independent country in 2050. Their government was a mix of traditional libertarian independence, but with a safety net for workers called Youth Services. Originally, all youth were required to work for their country for a few years in domestic service before going into the workforce. Later, older unemployed workers were encouraged to join as mentors for the youth. These youth gained experience and make valuable contributions as they assisted in education, care for the aging population, building homes for the homeless, working in shelters, and other traditional volunteer services.

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In 2084, California and Texas are separate countries. The States, formerly the United States, is run by the military-industrial complex and has become a country of the haves and have nots. AI and robots produce 90% of the goods and services in the world.  Abundance appears to be everywhere, but each country has its own unique quandary on how that wealth is to be distributed.

California leads the world in AI and robotics. They adopt a socialistic government that provides basic income and healthcare. These are by value-added taxes on machine output.

Texas with a Libertarian-leaning leads the world in the development and use of renewable energy and high-speed rail. To reduce unemployment, Texas requires its youth to serve the nation via Youth Services until they become employed.  Youth Services is funded by a carbon tax as fossil fuels are minimized.

The States, formerly the United States, persists with its old-style capitalism where a few who own the robots and AI reap most of the benefits. China's economy is now four times larger than the States and their military budget is twice as large. Through the silk road initiative, China controls most of the world trade except for South America where the Texans compete.  China’s has military superiority with the manned weaponized space station and its ability to move its massive robotic army across Asia, Europe, and Africa on its high-speed trains.  The States still clings to power with its military in a futile attempt to control the world.  The States economy is spiraling downward under the weight of its military and the social costs of massive unemployment.  When the Saudis switch to China's Petro Yuan exclusively for trading oil, the dollar collapses and the States only means of survival is to use its military to acquire what it needs.  The States invade Texas to force them to keep the power flowing from their renewable energy complex in Dallas to the States despite the State’s inability to pay for that energy.

Jane is a reclusive, beautiful genius working as a bored bureaucrat in California.  She entertains herself by playing with men in a promiscuous lifestyle and developing her AI program, named Lisa.  Her job takes little of her energy and she uses her access to a supercomputer to develop Lisa.  She is also willing to hack and steal components from other AI systems to accelerate Lisa's development.  Her brilliance is being able to see the big picture and enable all the AI components to work together to enable Lisa to use a project structured logic to initiate actions.  Jane’s breakthrough with Lisa comes when she teaches Lisa to understand humans through their stories.

The Chinese discover Jane and Lisa when they hack into California’s surveillance system that often ignores the privacy of its citizens.  In China, Jane develops a cult status as a beautiful and promiscuous superhero even before she uses Lisa to defend herself against Max Trump, the head of Homeland Security in the States.  Max covets the apparent power of Lisa to outthink the best AI systems in the world.

Jane in attempting to survive flees into Mexico where she builds an unlikely alliance with the drug cartels in Mexico and later with a well-armed militia in Texas.  Jane and Lisa get pulled into the conflict between the Texas militia and the States when the States invade Texas to keep power flowing from the renewable power center in Dallas.  Lisa in defending Jane becomes involved in a cyberwar against the States.  The balance of power is held by China.  Max declares Jane and militia to be a terrorist group and uses the sophisticated and ruthless military of the States to squelch the revolution, capture Jane and bring Lisa under his control.