Forward

Part 1: The Present Day

Dom had been promoted to head of foreign accounts at one of the most prestigious banking companies in Midway. The streets around him seemed to celebrate his accomplishment. Even the dull skyscrapers surrounding him seemed to radiate with the beauty of the day.  

     His promotion had come with a cool five hundred dollar bump, which was for celebration and “extracurricular activities”. The board likely expected him to head down to the daylight district for companionship, but Dom wasn’t like them. Even in the modern age, he had managed to cling to the values of the past. He had a wife and a young boy that he loved dearly. The way his colleagues could so easily forget their families for the evening nauseated him, and as such, he often found himself alone.  

     Rather than a pleasure house, Dom opted to spend his money on a more existential experience. The building he walked up to was tall and grey, a perfect match for everything around it, except for one feature. The front of the building was adorned with a  massive glass sculpture of a triple helix, stretching to the top of the building. Sunlight shone through the cracks in the skyline above, shooting rainbows of color over the entryway. A sign above a large revolving door read Future Solutions.

     Dom looked down at the crumpled flyer in his hand. Ever wondered what your future holds? Will you become a movie star? Win the lottery? All these answers and more can be found at Future Solutions, where for just five-hundred dollars, the future can be yours for an hour. Underneath the initial bold print was a much smaller inscription, explaining the memory wipe that accompanied the experience. All memories of knowledge gained during the process would be erased, except for the fact that the process did indeed work. It was a gamble, but far more interesting than anything else Midway had to offer.  

     Dom pushed his way out of the hot street and through the revolving door. White light blinded his eyes as he stepped into the building. Cool air condition caused his skin to prickle. “Sorry about that. Adjusting to the brightness can take a minute. Are you alright?”

     Dom blinked and found that he was staring into the eyes of a gorgeous dark haired woman with hazel eyes. She wore a lab coat that bore an insignia of arrows crossed in a triple helix. “Yeah, I’m fine thanks,” he said, rubbing his eyes and bringing the room into focus. The floors and walls were all white marble, and stretched up to an enormous vaulted ceiling.

     “It can be a bit austere, but the owner likes to keep it pristine. How can I help you today?” Dom held up the flyer for her examination. She took it with a ginger touch, as if she was handling a bomb. “Ah, yes, that has been quite popular recently. You’re going to want the blue door over there.” She pointed to a bank of colored elevator doors in the far corner of the room.

     Dom tried to thank her for her help, but the woman was already gone. For an unknown reason her image stayed with him for an intoxicating moment that made him lightheaded. He tried to shake it as he walked over to the far wall. In front of him were three doors: one red, one blue, and one chrome.

     The blue door opened, and he stepped into a roomy compartment. The elevator rose at an alarming rate, and the lightheadedness returned. To calm his nerves he thought back to the flyer. The future can be yours for an hour. The thought of it was absurd, but even the possibility was intriguing. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched for a company to predict life span or talent from cell data. The memory wipe that accompanied it puzzled him. Either way, it promised to be interesting.

     Before he could question it any further, the elevator jarred to a stop and the doors snapped open. A man with a thick black beard greeted him. “Hello, you must be Dom. Please, come in, have a seat.” The man motioned him to a pair of grey, fabric couches next to an artificial fireplace. The room was much smaller than the first, but maintained the omnipresent white light. “Come on then Dom, the elevator’s about to close.” On cue, the doors began to slide shut and Dom had to leap out of their way. “Sorry about that, everything is automatic. The owner keeps things efficient. Please, have a seat and relax. You just got a promotion. Take a load off.”

     Disoriented, Dom moved to one of the couches and sat down. No heat came from the fireplace, only the same electro-static buzz that permeated the entire building. Every inch of the room felt artificial. Even the bearded man’s friendliness seemed false and pre-programmed. It set him on edge.

     “Nerves?” The man walked over holding a grey tray with a blue teacup on it. “I know it can all be a bit off-putting at first, but the lack of decor is necessary for what we do here. Even the slightest changes in the furniture scheme can cause interference.”

     “Right, of course it does.” Dom said, still trying to get his bearings.

     “Tea?” The man asked, holding out the tray.

     “Sure.” Dom took the blue cup and savored the warmth coming from within. The aroma of tea was calming, and allowed him to be bold. “What kind of scam is this anyway?” His skepticism seemed hollow as the words left his lips, but it was out and could not be taken back.

     The man didn’t seem at all put off by the comment. “I know it seems unrealistic, but it’s not a scam. We have developed technology that allows you to look for a brief moment into the future. You can see everything from tomorrow’s breakfast to the end of time.”

     “You’ll understand if I’m skeptical. It sounds too good to be true.”

     “I didn’t believe it at first either, but trust me, it’s the real deal.”

     “I’m going to be able to see the future?” The idea put brought a nervous anticipation into Dom’s heart.

“Oh yes, it’s quite spectacular really. Once you’ve finished your tea, we can get started. Oh, and relax, this is going to be fun.”