"Whatever it takes, no matter what excuse you have to make, don't get in that car. Your safety depends on it. Just don't do it, under any circumstances. "
"Jack, have you gone mad? You're kind of freaking me out," she said.
"Good," I replied. "That's exactly my intention. Britney and Olivia Ramsey will be among those getting into that car."
"Olivia Ramsey? That chick is a total bitch; why would I go to a party with her?"
"Your right, she is a bitch," I said firmly. "That's exactly the case. Don't ever talk to Olivia Ramsey. She's a really bad influence. You should be hanging out with smarter people like Britney."
"What?" She looked puzzled.
"I hope this will be enough to keep you out of there," I continued. "If you can keep Britney from getting in too, awesome. But the most important thing is that you do not get in that car that night."
She looked kind of scarred shitless by what I was saying. Although she was probably just scared by how serious and unusual I was being.
"What happens if I do get in the car?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Joshua will be drunk that night," I said. "He will crash with a large truck crossing an intersection. You and your friends will die in a hospital a few hours later."
The story had more to it than that. Joshua was charged with vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison. However, his sentence would be suspended, and he would go on to play football in college.
That situation would leave my parents depressed and constantly fighting in court to get the justice that Sydney deserved.
Sydney was looking pale. "Jack, what the fuck is wrong with you? How can you know this?"
"I can't explain it right now," I said, shaking my head. "You wouldn't believe me if I did. I promise I'll explain when I can."
"But…"
"Sydney, just remember what I said," I interrupted softly but firmly. "Whatever you do, do not get in that car."
"Sure..."
She left my room, confused. I didn't know what exactly she was thinking, but I hoped that with this conversation alone, I had changed the future.
Butterfly effect.
Or something of that sort.
'Was I really this self-centered?' I thought.
In the end, I was telling her all this, not just for her safety but to soothe my own nerves.
But, of course, I wouldn't just leave her be. I was going to be here when she needed me.
...
I waited, sitting in my room, listening to the muffled conversation between my parents. It felt like forever until their voices finally died down.
I pulled out the last $100 bill from the drawer and left the house, saying I needed to buy a pair of running shorts.
On the way to the clothing store, I passed some abandoned buildings with advertisements showing that they were available for rental.
The buildings hadn't been empty for long. Just a few years ago, there was a RadioShack shop where I used to go with my dad for batteries and cables.
Across the street, the Kmart had closed down.
Now, a new Walmart was opening next door.
Instead of RadioShack, people started ordering things online or drove 5 minutes away to BestBuy.
The small companies were failing.
They were falling to their knees in front of the few large organizations that, in a short time, would hold a monopoly on their selected trades in the country.
The few companies that would remain would either go into huge debt or get bought out.
The owners would be happy to sell their souls for the money offered, and the rich would continue to rake in more and more profit.
Building a company from scratch became harder and harder. "The American Dream" was straying further and further away.
With the escalation of AI improvements in the late 2020s, things started falling apart. Less and less of the poor were even needed in the first place.
The IT sector got hit the hardest.
The monster they created turned its back on them.
At first, the government reassured the masses that they would support those who lost their jobs, but with those who worked their asses off for bread going on strike and the US jobless rate rising to over 20%, the situation got out of control.
This was nothing like all the other times. There were no new jobs to replace the ones lost.
The economy couldn't just bounce back with a few new dollars printed and pumped into the market.
The automation and AI revolution was a one-way street.
In 2031, after the great strike against AI, where millions of people across various industries demanded change, the nation was brought to a standstill.
It wasn't just the unemployed striking.
'The homeless were ruining the U.S. from the inside out.' Is what the wealthy said. It was too much for even them to handle.
Streets were filled with protestors, factories and offices were empty, and the government was forced to listen.
In response, a new amendment was written into the Constitution of the USA.
The Employment Stabilization Amendment included provisions for a Universal Basic Income and mandated that companies reinvest a percentage of their profits into creating human jobs.
This didn't reduce inequality. Conversely, it only made the leading organizations more influential.
The rich were now slowly taking on the role of the government.
The Basic Income was too low. People lived together in groups of up to four in a single room—that's all they could afford.
People were willing to kill each other for a job that promised an escape from that hellish existence.
The conglomerates knew about it and took advantage of it. They stopped giving a damn about their workers. As far as they were concerned, there would always be another one they could replace them with.
Everyday folks were reduced to servitude under their employers. Getting fired was equivalent to being sentenced to jail.
The rich got richer, the poor stayed poor, and the gap between them kept on growing.
But it wasn't just about money anymore.
The government was losing control, and the rich were taking over.
With more and more significant decisions being made by the wealthy, being an executive of a conglomerate meant power.
The power that I wanted but naively believed I could obtain with hard work.
The control that I yearned for yet was taken away from me.