Image: Pixabay

Shivashish Kulshreshtha is a young student from India studying in college for a B.tech. Shivashish says: I love writing stories, poems of varying genres and also love creative writeups. I run a blog on WordpPress .
I often think about the future and how it will be for mankind. What differences will be there? And what possible innovations can replace human effort?
Therefore I wrote this story about a boy Robin who wakes in future. The story revolves about his interaction with his new surroundings and highlights his perspective…

GLANCE INTO THE FUTURE

Rubbing his eyes, Robin stood beside the bed and opened his eyelids. To his shock, everything around him had completely changed and he  found himself in a peculiar room. He could see an ultra modernised setup around him. A voice came from his bed, ‘7 hrs 13 min sleep deactivated’. He looked around in inquiry and found a small touch pad near his foot.

He stepped on it and suddenly lights glowed. The wall vanished, opening a gateway to another spooky place where the only identifiable object was a round ceramic seat. He sat on it and the music started and played some chords for a minute and a robot arrived and projected the news and weather report on the overhead glass panel.

Then the robot gave instructions regarding the schedule and tasks to complete for that day.

Robin flushed the toilet and heard the cyclonic whirlpool and vacuum suction. He saw a brush stand and picked up one and put it in his mouth and it swirled round the teeth and rubbed the tongue. When he came out and he noticed a wide panel beside him.

He stepped forward and touched it, skyscrapers began to appear with brilliant colored lights flashing outside his apartment and  then  suddenly he  heard a swish followed by someone coming  down the lift. The gate opened and closed again, letting out the first human being he had seen since opening his eyes. It was his mother. She looked much older. She was wearing an embroidered dress and ridingon a floating scooter. He touched his own  face in amazement, and found a moustache sticking to his untanned skin.

His mother told him to go to the study room as his practical exainations were about to start. He was confused and was going to ask his mother but her gadget flashed and she spooked away. As Robin moved forward, he stepped on disc and heard a robotic voice asking which location he wanted. He was speechless, but blurted out ‘study room’ as his Mom had said. The disc went floating towards the metallic lift. Inside he saw some strange characters. When he pressed them it read global language. 

The lift slid down to the 118th floor almost without shaking and Robin smelled the roses kept there.  Then the lift opened and his disc went forward into a big hall full of people chattering  and robots walking with trays carrying refreshments or equipment. Some of the humans he recognised  as his friends.

The hall was glaring with lights and noises of notifications and chatters. It was also full of mini robots and chairs arranged in 3d space with people shifting in varying dimensions. A 3d hologram of a person with whiskers and broad spectacles flashed across the hall and all stood up.

Robin was curious and stepped forward.  The robot checker scanned his iris and confirmed his identity. The robot gave him a slip and instructed him “R5 block6 elevation 7 tilt 78″.

Robin sat on a carrier seat and inserted the slip. The seat took itself to the instructed location. The sensors noticed his presence and the valves of air conditioners turned in his direction. An apparatus in 3d hologram was projected for some minutes and then countdown began. The task, as announced by the invigilator, was to locate the faulty parts and suggest suitable solution by clicking on the tablet laid before him.

After the completion of test  a robot brought parts of the actual machine and the test object. Some words flashed on the tablet ‘global language probably’. Robin chose  a translation option (his mind hopefully worked now) then an old English option and then it became clear that the task was to assemble the parts with full calibration and take reading of the test object.

Robin was baffled as he was not used to such practical tests. He ran his eyes around and saw students building the model and other solving calculations. Seeing this made him more restless.

Then Robin picked up a part and started fitting it into another like a jigsaw puzzle but since he did not know the correct arrangement and calibration, he could not complete in time. The clocks rang sirens and the tablets were automatically shut off .

Then the robots arrived and took the model back and the test subject on his tray. But even the robot reacted with an expression of pity for Robin.

Then the seat came down and Robin dismounted. The the robots at the entry announced that brunch would be served in the adjoining hall. Robin followed the other students to the grand serving hall with chairs of ebony and sweat free fabric coating.

The hall smelled like jasmine and Robin took a seat close to his acquaintances. At times he tried to talk to them but was interrupted by the buzz that marked the beginning of order time. Robin looked on the 3d holograms of alluring and mouth-watering dishes and ordered 2 for himself. Within an hour the hall was filled with rich aroma; his own order had not yet arrived.

The robots came around the tables and played violin to rejoice the students.

Then the 3d printer printed his food order and the robots brushed the top with flavour and color and sprayed with aroma and injected the juices to the dish.

The  aroma variations synchronised with the flickering of lights. When the long awaited order arrived, it left Robin awestruck…

Read more at shivashishspeaks.com