«As you see, this one is also self-driven» Natalia said just as the hydroplane took off with only the two of us as passengers. «It does not use fossil fuel and does not cause any kind of pollution, like everything in our society. In addition, they cause far less noise than your planes do. Since your time we have implemented propulsion systems that are completely pollution free, not only in planes, but in all means of transport all over the world. Today only vintage vehicles are allowed to use fossil fuel. Even the production of these new vehicles is pollution free, and everything is recyclable.
We now also have larger and newer hydroplanes that, like this one, take off and land almost without sound and without runways, and which have even more advanced stabilization systems. They automatically and immediately correct the air stability based on where one is and at what altitude in relation to wind and turbulence, so that they are always as stable as possible. It is a bit like the way gyroscopes function, only that these counteract turbulence.»
«Impressive», I said, and felt reassured, because turbulence was not something I enjoyed.
«This hydroplane stays at a certain altitude. It moves along invisible paths in the sky that are used to direct the traffic. We need to have these systems, just like you do in your time, or there would be chaos. Small planes like this one – and as you can see, there are a lot of them – move along the lowest paths, while the largest and fastest use the highest ones. Although we are able to diverge from these paths as well, and make detours, but then below them and at a lower speed. The systems of these planes are in full control of what moves in the sky and are at all times aware of where there are other planes nearby. And they are very flexible and can stop in mid-air if we wish, like helicopters can in your time.»
«Can you trust these self-driven traits? I mean, I can see that you feel safe with them, but are there accidents?»
«Accidents are extremely rare. You may relax completely. This development and extended use of planes means that we use far fewer cars today, and we therefore deconstruct more roads than building new ones. And as I have mentioned, the cars are all self-driven and for the most part in use all the time, since we no longer own them individually. They are all owned by the community and for the use of all. We therefore need far fewer cars and fewer parking places. In addition, they are much safer to use, so that we hardly have accidents any more. And we no longer need the long runways which occupied huge areas, as our planes take off and land vertically. Actually, if you look down there, you will see that large parts of what was earlier a highway have now been transformed into green areas. Only a small part remains before the entire highway is gone. You see, we are reclaiming and rewilding Nature!»
«Guess whether the conservationists in my time would be happy to hear this!»
«Yes, and not only the conservationists, but most people», Natalia said. «We are approaching the city. Do you see the skyscraper over there?»
«Skyscraper, you say? It doesn’t seem to be impressively tall. How large are they going to make it?»
«On the contrary, they are not building a new skyscraper, they are dismantling an old one. Just as with highways and runways, we are also deconstructing many skyscrapers, factories and other poorly functioning, unaesthetic and impersonal buildings. Today we have a far greater focus on intimacy and interaction between the users of our buildings. We strive to make todays buildings as vibrant as possible for those who are going to live or spend time there. Therefore we also have a far greater emphasis on what is aesthetic, artistic and beautiful.»
«Is that the reason why I don’t see many large skyscrapers in this city?»
«Yes. Earlier, that is in your time, I mean, not a great deal of thought was given to any entirety when one constructed buildings. In fact, there was not much of a holistic approach in society in general. Although there was a budding awakening which led to some people beginning to think along these lines. In addition, many cities grew far too large and impersonal, and therefore we are engaged in deconstructing these enormous cities. This is the reason why we have established the new suburbs. But enough of this now, we are about to land our plane on the landing place down there.»
«Wait a moment, - I know this city! I live not far outside of it!» I exclaimed in surprise.
«That is right. You are now in the future, but it is the same city. Now we have to land.»
Natalia touched a virtual screen, and with that it did not take long before we got safely onto the ground close to the Communications Centre of the city. As we walked out of the hydroplane, some other people were on their way towards us in order to use it.
«Who are going to use the plane now?» I asked.
«I don’t know that, only that someone has booked it. More and more we have left the notion that everybody has to own such a lot, as I told you, at least here in our society. So you could say it is the community that owns the plane, not private persons or airlines like in your time. In this case the large community is the country we are in just now. In that way there is a far more efficient use of the hydroplanes, at least compared to if everyone should have had their own. Actually, I thought we would visit somebody in that building over there on the other side of this park», said Natalia and pointed to an oval building with a cupola in the centre.
We walked beside a smallish pond buzzing with life. Both carps and birds seemed happily at home. The many people we saw seemed equally to be content. All in all there was a very relaxed atmosphere here as well. People did not appear to be in a hurry. The air seemed fresh and clean, and I could not see any unsightly factory chimneys spewing smoke that would be a health hazard.
«This does not look much like a city. It seems far smaller, and the entire city looks more like a park», I said surprised. «In a positive way it has changed completely, and there are very few cars and hardly any noise. I can hardly recognize it.»
«That is probably because you are used to all those huge and tall buildings that existed in your time, plus the fact that we have integrated far more of nature into our cities than what you are used to. Many old and decrepit urban apartment buildings have been demolished in order to make room for green areas. So when you say the city resembles a park, it is precisely the correct description» Natalia said. «Wait just a moment» she added, and before I could react, she approached a person whom she evidently knew.
I wandered along by myself for a short while, and suddenly a small girl came towards me. With great enthusiasm she began to talk to me and showed me a green caterpillar that crawled on her hand. I bent down and spoke warmly about how beautiful it was, and about the amusing movements of the caterpillar as it meandered across her hand. She laughed, and skipped away happily. I could not see her mother or father anywhere, but surely they had to be nearby? A lovely occurrence, I thought to myself and noticed Natalia walking towards me.
«What a delightful little girl», I said. «She wanted to show me a caterpillar. Her demeanor was so natural and trusting. In my time it is not like that. There children are taught not to speak to strangers.»
«It is not like that now. There is no longer anything to be afraid of. We are no longer suspicious of strangers. We have a far more humane society where the needs of people are met and crime is almost non existing, at least in this city. In this community people are seen, understood and accepted just as they are, so here one can feel quite safe with everyone.
By the way, what would you assess the age of the woman I just spoke with to be?» she asked.
«In the mid- or late fifties?
«Wrong. She is nearly seventy.»
«Really? I would never have imagined that!»
«No, I didn’t think you would, that is why I asked. Because our society has become so much better and we have lifted so many yokes off people’s shoulders, - that is, stress - people stay far healthier, younger looking and live longer. They are also happier, and it shows.»
«Yes, I have noticed that people smile a lot more here than in my time» I said.
We had by now arrived at the other side of the park in front of the entrance to the building we were to visit. We entered, and I was surprised to notice how airy the building appeared. It seemed very open and spacious. This was due to the large glass atrium in which we were, and where there even were trees. It felt like a small park inside the building. We walked towards a restaurant area where some people were sitting. Natalia approached a couple that evidently were the persons we were going to meet.
«This is Skylar», Natalia said, and introduced me to a woman who got up and greeted me with a handshake and a hug. I was then introduced to a man named Kayden who greeted me in the same way.
«Well then, how do you like it here?» Kayden asked.
«Actually, I am overwhelmed. It is incredibly lovely here, and so pleasant. I can scarcely believe it. Natalia, perhaps you should pinch my arm again, so I’ll know I am not dreaming.» Natalia got up and came towards me. But instead of pinching my arm she kissed my forehead!
«Did that feel real?» she asked.
«Eh.., hehe, yes, you might say so... It had a greater effect than when you pinched my arm, I must admit. I’d prefer you to do this from now on when I ask if my experiences are real. In fact, I think I might ask a bit more often» I said and heard a soft giggle from Skylar.
«It was a surprise to see that you are dismantling buildings like that skyscraper we flew past. Skyscrapers always made a big impression in my time» I said.
«We now put a far greater emphasis on the artistic, aesthetic and human aspects» said Kayden. «In your time many of these huge skyscrapers simply demonstrated money, power and prestige. The inequitable distribution in society was greatly accentuated by these skyscrapers which so clearly showed where the money and power was located. In some countries it was not unusual that in close proximity to them, people lived in a state of wretched poverty in dilapidated shacks without running water, toilets or electricity. Further back in history, the power in a given society was also shown in the form of the largest and most opulent buildings. In the West, it was seen in such buildings as churches, castles and palaces. In your time, the power had shifted to multinational companies which swallowed other smaller companies and accumulated enormous resources. One could usually recognize this power by their lavish buildings. They would often belong to banks, finance- or insurance companies, or oil-, gas- and IT companies and others. In your time, which was a very masculine period, these skyscrapers – or church spires, for that matter – stretched towards the sky like phalluses. It was a way of showing off. Who had the most spectacular building, or who could erect the tallest one? The parallel and symbolism is easy to see when you reflect on it. Today there is a much greater balance between the masculine and the feminine.»
Skylar interrupted him mildly by saying «We still have some distance to go, even though things generally have become much improved here on Earth. The places you have seen today, Lighthaven and this city, are both still on an experimental stage and under development. They are pioneering places where people from all over the world come to study what we have managed to achieve here. Now it has become commonplace to study what actually functions, and we are among those who function best in the world. The criteria are quite simply human happiness, not how much profit one makes. It was finally understood that the best thing for society as a whole is that everybody have their material needs covered, not just those who can afford it. However, material needs are one aspect, but the most important goal is that as many people as possible will have as good a life as possible, in other words be as happy as possible. The real change has therefore been on the personal level. Technology is subordinate in this connection, although it does contribute a great deal. For example, this society is far more oriented towards sharing than yours was. Something in this direction was attempted in your time, for instance communism. But because people, and in particular those who were put as leaders of countries, did not have sufficient empathy or awareness, things turned out the way they did. The results were not pleasant, to put it very mildly. With capitalism there is exactly the same problem. A high level of ethics is prerequisite for it to function. We believe we have achieved a system that functions far better, primarily because we have abolished the monetary system. We have evolved from a rather selfish society to a more altruistic one, and thereby we have created more trust and less division.»
«How did you manage to do that?»
«As always, what was needed was a change in awareness, Skylar answered. «The time you are living in was a period of great upheaval. Huge shifts in awareness took place in people all over the world, and gradually the society was radically changed for the better. These shifts happened in waves. Now you are in the middle of a challenging period with many immature political leaders, but this will change and in time they will disappear. The process of changing people’s awareness is still going on, but the situation is now far better and more stable. The countries that are still lagging a bit behind are actually better off than some of the most highly developed ones in your time.»
Kayden leans forward, strongly engaged, «We have no wars or civil wars anywhere on the planet, and there is scarcely any incidents of terror. It is actually quite some time since the last one, so perhaps we are rid of that problem as well. When inequality was eliminated and people were seen, respected and listened to, the basis for conflicts disappeared. You might say that in your time you did terrible things TO each other, whereas now we do fantastic things WITH each other. The recipe for peace is to unite and integrate, not separate people and countries the way it was so often done in your time. The fact is that now all countries are united and there are no longer serious conflicts between any of them. We gradually succeeded in building bridges, heal and release old hatred between different peoples, although we have not yet completely reached our goals. There still exist some issues that have to be resolved.»
Now Natalia interrupted mildly: «We have actually become so much better at taking care of each other, at least here in our society, that we almost sense when someone has difficulties. We care about each other, and when we notice rare occurrences like that, we contact the persons and gather friends and others who help them get through the process they are in. Today it is much easier to talk about issues than it was in your time. There are no longer any taboos, and no one needs to keep their difficulties to themselves.»
«This is very good to hear. But to talk about something entirely different, what is this building being used for? I see some robots over there, - fascinating!»
«This is in fact the robot department» Kayden said. «We administer all kinds of robots in the city and suburbs. The robots do a lot more work today and have set people free from a lot of time consuming and, especially, routine work. The buildings are even largely constructed by robots. People today therefore have a lot more spare time. You could say that we have more freedom to enjoy life, to be creative and artistic, and not least to spend time together, do voluntary work and help others. In short, we use our time in more meaningful ways. This new freedom and extra spare time has released enormous capacities, potential and creativity in each person. We are far more creative and enjoy our lives far more now.»
«Ok, then I will not be so concerned about robots taking over for human beings.»
«No, I think you have more reason to be concerned about the humans in your time, you don’t have to be worried about the robots here in our society. Robots are nowhere near the complexity of humans. They are also soul-less, they are not human, and that makes a world of difference. As long as everything in a society is handled with high ethical levels, all is well.»
«That sounds reassuring.»
«Yes, but it is also true that in your time there was a danger that robots would make people unemployed, while the business owners put the profit generated by the robots in their own pockets. This issue has been completely avoided here, as we no longer operate with money and profit.»
«We can look at it in a historical perspective.» Kayden continued. «Machines have been a gift for mankind. They have freed us in such a way that we no longer need to use muscle power to the same extent as before. In the same way Internet has freed our brains from a lot of superfluous data processing and storing. Robots free us from unnecessary time consumption, both in our homes and at our jobs.»
«How are all these things financed?» I asked.
«Here, that is in this country and this large city with its suburbs, money is no longer used, as we have said. It has become outdated. In other parts of the world a monetary system as you know it is still mainly being used, but there as well things are happening. Many people now wish to abolish the monetary system, because they observe that doing so functions so well here in our society, and that it has solved many social issues. We started small. When we established Lighthaven, we began to concretely and systematically to liquidate money. At that time our community was not as large as it is now, and as it functioned surprisingly well, the other suburbs began to incorporate the new system as well, Then the city followed, and recently the entire country. We use money only when we interact with other countries, that is, we usually exchange goods. You think from the perspective of your own reality, that is why you ask how we finance everything. We simply decided to do it after having seen that it functioned excellently on a small scale in other places. That is how simple it was, although it has obviously been a long process for us to get to where we are today. We realized that society had to change if we were to survive as a species. The monetary system was an important factor in this, because the striving for profit not only destroyed nature and endangered our future, but also caused extreme suffering and almost unbearable living conditions for countless people and animals. We also viewed this topic in a historical perspective and did research on societies that had functioned excellently without money, among others some that you would call primitive tribal communities. Perhaps they were not so primitive after all, at least not in some areas of life?»
«Why did it take us so long to see this?» I burst out. «Sorry for the interruption, please continue!»
«What we have implemented is a combination of sharing- and circular economy, in addition to gift economy, except that there is no money involved. Quite a few people were thinking in these terms already in your time, for instance Charles Eisenstein, and there were communities that experimented with it, such as Auroville in India. The people have to be clear enough and mature enough for this to work, They must have freed themselves from the need to possess such a lot of things. This is one of the reasons why we have exercised some control over whom we allow to settle here. It has become a far simpler and more just society after we stopped using money. All persons living here are guaranteed a good upbringing and a life rich in experiences and freedom and with only minimal worries.
Think back on a time in history when tribal communities were common, let us say an American Indian village. They did not use money in their society, but still they managed very well. They took care of each other. It is in part this same principle we have implemented here, only on a much larger scale. We have become skilled at taking care of each other. And remember, we no longer squander time, strengths and resources on wars and weapon industry, not to mention corruption, tax evasion and other suspect things that were profit-oriented and self-serving. That saves us a lot. This has also led to us using only a minimum of resources on combating crime, and thereby on a police force and prisons. Crime practically disappeared when everything became available for everybody at all times. We also have very little illness, so on this front as well we save enormous amounts of resources that we can use for other purposes.» Skylar said.
«I think this will also eliminate the unhealthy competition mentality which leaves so many tragedies in its wake,» I said. «There is an eternal rat-race to be the best, earn the most and appear the most successful, to mention just some of the aspects. From what you tell me, and from what I see for myself, a lot of superfluous jobs that in fact do not benefit society, have simply disappeared.»
«That is correct» Kayden said. «We have, for instance, far less of a bureaucracy now, in part because we have abolished a lot of needless rules and regulations. And we have no problems with hidden fortunes, tax havens and the like, simply because we don’t use money. Today people trust each other to a far greater extent and are basically honest, but again, one has to be sufficiently mature for all of this. This was one of the things we emphasized when we founded Lighthaven. You could say that every basic need, and more, is covered by our community, and now again I am speaking specifically about our country, our city and its suburbs. As we have said earlier, it is not like this everywhere on the planet. This has become a very popular place to live, and we attract people who are fairly «complete» in themselves and have more or less the same view of life as we have. This is a prerequisite for being allowed to settle here, as this is a pilot project. For those who wish to live here, we put housing at their disposal, as well as food and everything one needs in order to live a decent life. When all these areas are assured, one avoids getting stressed and worried about basic needs, which we know is something that can cause illness in the long run and even shorten one’s lifespan. Means of transportation are available at all times so that you can go wherever you may wish, more or less at any time, only a little dependent on the tasks you have in the community. There are many other benefits for everyone as well.»
«But what if someone wants to have more?» I asked.
Skylar answered, «I hardly know of anyone wanting more, they have everything they need. Some have for different reasons wanted a bigger house. We have then joined together and fixed it. It is not more difficult than that. None gets envious, because they know they may have the same should they wish so. We have many country houses, both by the sea and in the mountains, that people may use for a while.
In fact, you did actually experiment with something in your time that you called civil wages or basic income, where everybody was given a sufficient amount of money to cover their basic needs, completely without strings attached. This showed itself to be very successful and was gradually implemented in more and more places on Earth.»
«Should we think about getting back to Lighthaven, Aron, it is beginning to get a bit late now?» Natalia asked me.
«That is fine with me,» I answered.
We all rose, hugged each other and said goodbye.
«Actually, we are coming to the party tomorrow, so we’ll meet again then» Kayden called after us as we began to walk towards the exit.
«We look forward to seeing you there», Natalia said, then turned to me and continued «We can take the maglev back, then you will get to see that as well. The station is located at the same place where we landed with the hydro plane. In fact, it leaves in twenty minutes, that suits us just right. «We walked back the way we came and entered the station area. The maglev was in place and we entered.
«This train uses magnetic and gravitational power», Natalia explained. «This is what causes the propulsion through glass tubes. On some of the larger distances it rushes ahead in a friction-free vacuum. It floats a little above the tracks through these glass tubes that are built a few meters above ground and are held in place by strong posts. It will only take a few minutes for us to reach Lighthaven, just about a quarter of an hour, in fact. It will halt in just two suburbs.»
I leaned back in the comfortable seat and admired the beautiful scenery we were rushing past. The view was fantastic, because the entire curved compartment in which we were sitting was made of glass. But it was not a great deal of the landscape or the two suburbs I managed to take in before the trained dropped speed and we slowly floated towards Lighthaven station.
« Now you probably understand how comfortable it is to live here. You live in a rural area, but if you wish, you have endless possibilities in the city, just a few minutes away. Come on, let’s go to my house. You have probably received enough impressions for one day, I imagine.» Natalia said and smiled at me. «We’ll walk back the way we came, around the hill.»
«That is where I live», said Natalia and took hold of my hand. In a determined way she lead me to one of the round houses at the edge of the forest. The door is unlocked and we enter her house.
«We don’t have to lock our doors here», she said as though she had read my thoughts.
«The door doesn’t even have a lock!» I exclaimed in amazement.
I looked around, surprised. The room was spacious, open and pleasant. A large section of the wall was of curved glass from floor to ceiling and almost imparted a feeling of being outside.
«No robot to receive us?» I joked.
«Haha, no, but that can be arranged if you wish. A robot can’t replace human contact, it is only bits and bytes after all. In essence, it is only a on-and-off function which one has managed to program in such a way that advanced functions and programs can be installed. But it still remains just soulless data. Humans, on the other hand, are something far more than just data. We are way beyond complex. We are embodied souls who live here on Earth for a while before we return to a new adventure on the other side. That is how we see it here. I do use a robot from time to time to perform some housework, as well as a small vacuum cleaner- drone which flies through my entire apartment and suck up all it encounters of dust and other tiny debris, wherever it can reach, that is. I am sure many people in your time would have liked to have one of these!»
«Your house seems less science fiction than I imagined», I said and noticed Natalia smiling to herself in a rather secretive way. She got out a small round object which she pressed while she walked over to the large curved glass wall where there is a spacious open area. Up through the small object a hologram appeared, and at the same time the entire glass wall in some way or other darkened. Natalia asked me to come closer to her. She touched the hologram, and suddenly it seemed as though we were in an entirely different place. A fantastic view appeared. It was evidently a Space Station, because I could see Earth far below me, as the glass wall and the floor had somehow become a screen. It is unbelievable, I thought to myself. There was a small oasis with a little beach and water, and masses of plants and flowers all around. It felt as if I were really there. Natalia made some movements with her hand, and everything seemed to tilt forwards towards Earth. I felt that I was losing my equilibrium and was about to fall, and Natalia took a firm hold of my arm to steady me. She then concluded the demonstration.
«Sit down there in the sofa» she said.
«This gave a fantastic feeling. It felt just like really being there!» I said.
«We are not really that advanced,» she answered, «but you may come with us up there already tomorrow if you wish.»
«To the Space Station??? Of course! I would simply love to». I responded enthusiastically. «I withdraw everything I said about your house not appearing like science fiction as I first thought. Clearly it harbors secrets.»
«Hehe, yes, you might say that. Maybe more secrets will become revealed.» Again she threw me that particular glance that I had noticed earlier. Now there was no doubt that she was flirting with me! She pressed the small object once more, and the glass wall appeared normal again, with a lovely view of the area and the river not far away. By now it had become rather dark, but the faint and cozy illumination of the entire area made it possible to see the surroundings.
«Everything I have seen today is so very different from what I had imagined it would be like, « I said. In the time I come from the perspectives of the future are a lot gloomier. Just about all science fiction movies are apocalyptic or portrays a nightmarish dystopic future. This far exceeds my expectations of the future and is far more positive and fantastic. I feel thoroughly uplifted.»
«That is good to hear;» Natalia said. «The scenarios in your time did picture a far gloomier future, because they preyed on people’s fear ant thirst for excitement, and because they were in general based on old information. When they were making futuristic movies, they naturally looked to the past up to their present time and created the movies with the thought that the future would be more of the same, until everything at some tie simply collapsed. And this was correct, in a way, because things would have gone wrong if everything had just continued along the same tracks. Those movies did in fact have a mission, for they functioned as a warning to the people of that time. But it was a linear mode of thinking, and they underestimated the rapidly accelerating transition that gradually took place. Nor did they consider the importance of the innumerable good ideas that were not always caught up by the medias and individuals. And last but not least, not many people understood the tremendous importance of the shift in mentality which was on its rapid way into society, triggered by various events, in particular pandemics and environmental catastrophes. There was also injustice on many levels, various undermining subcultures and concealed disruptive businesses, conflicts of cultures and religions, and the desire for change.»
«I am simply overwhelmed and impressed by how far you ha