MIKEL J. WISLER

In the Absence of Tomorrow

by Mikel J. Wisler

“Free your mind and say goodbye to record unemployment, pollution, and an increasingly hostile world.” Said the sultry voice of an unseen woman—an odd choice, thought Isaac initially—as the holo projector cast its image suspended in the waiting room. Images of traffic, conflicts overseas and at home, people in lines at shelters wafted in and out of existence.

“Upload today, and discover the life you’ve always dreamed of,” the voiceover urged. The images morphed into tennis courts, beautiful people dining outdoors, mountain climbing, hang gliding, and a couple enjoying a cocktail party at a magnificent mansion.

“Say hello to your bright new future,” said a stunning woman who stood in a bikini by a pristine beach you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere. She appeared to look directly at Isaac and winked before turning to walk into the waves.

That’s not even good 3D rendering, Isaac thought. Basic skinning and texturing. The shadows don’t make sense with the placement of the sun behind her. She’s perfectly lit no matter how she turns. Generative AI on the cheap only gets so good.

“Isaac Yuan,” a voice over the PA system announced. “We are ready for you.”

#

“You do not meet the qualifications for this position,” the gaunt woman with dark eyes said in a falsely chipper voice.

Isaac sighed and shook his head.

“Best of luck on your continued job search,” she proceeded in the same tone.

Isaac blinked, moving to leave out of numbed habit. But something inside him snapped, and he barked, “Let me ask you something,” Isaac said without thinking. “You’ve seen my resume. What job am I qualified for? Because I would love to apply for that one.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Mr. Yuan, I am not at liberty to discuss such things. Best of luck on your continued job search.”

“What search?” Isaac shot back, giving up on any attempt to control his temper. “I’ve been all over this town. I’ve applied to every goddamn job between here and Pasadena. Half of them say I’m not qualified. The other half tell me I’m overqualified. Which is it? I’m overqualified because I have a college degree and then I’m not qualified because I don’t have experience. I can’t get experience unless someone hires me, but not one of you wants to hire me. So how do I get experience?”

“Have you considered returning to manufacturing?” She asked.

Isaac laughed. “Lady, there are no manufacturing jobs in California. There are hardly any left in the country. Every last one of us got replaced by machines. My ex-girlfriend used to clean houses, but even that shit’s done by robots now. I’d gladly flip burgers, but fuck me if that’s not a bunch of robots too.”

“Mr. Yuan, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down.”

“Calm down?” Isaac said, his voice getting higher. “I’ve got creditors calling me. I’ve got rent and school bills I can’t pay, and frankly, I don’t know where my next meal is coming from. But you want me to calm down. I’ve applied to every possible place but I rarely even get an interview because, I don’t know, my stats don’t trigger your stupid algorithms. Then when I actually get an interview, I just get the same ‘not qualified,’ crap.” He threw up his hands. “Who do I have to know to get in here? I mean, come on, you’re not making blockbusters. I’ve seen your work, it’s basic commercialist slop. Everything is sparkly and pretty, but no actual character. Someone with my training is more than qualified.”

“This interview is over,” the woman said, reaching out to the tablet in front of her. The moment her finger touched the screen she vanished, and the lights in the room came up.

“Your holographic interview is now completed,” a pleasant male voice said over the room’s speakers.

“No shit,” Isaac said to the emptiness.

Turning his wheelchair, he pushed his way through the door and out onto Wilshire Boulevard. It was another dry hundred-degree day in Los Angeles and the hot breeze rustled his unkempt dark hair. He rolled down the sidewalk, every push bearing the weight of so many failures. But slowly, his rage gave way to despondence and Isaac slowed. Stopping at a corner where he had to wait to cross, he looked up at the LED billboard on the building across the street, which featured yet another ad for an uploading service. Is it just me or are these everywhere now, he wondered.

The light switched, and he crossed the street. From the other side, a car made an abrupt right turn, nearly hitting him. Isaac swore at the driver and continued across as other pedestrians darted around him. As he reached the opposite curb, the right front wheel on his chair buckled. Skillfully, he tipped the chair’s front wheels up, balancing on his back wheels, and rolled forward. But as he did so, the broken wheel dropped to the ground. He swore as he pivoted around and looked down at the fallen wheel on the street.

A hand reached down and snatched the wheel even as an SUV squealed to a sudden stop, honking in anger. The woman who’d plucked the wheel from the ground held it up so the driver of the SUV could see it. With her other hand, she held up a defiant middle finger.

The diver of the SUV, a handsome man in a suit, blared his horn at the woman. She stepped aside with a great swing of her arm and bowed to let the SUV rev past her. Turning, she stepped onto the sidewalk. She was tall and slender with dark tangled hair and light brown skin. She strode up to him and held out the rescued wheel.

“I believe this belongs to you, good sir,” she said.

Looking up at her, Isaac realized for the first time that this woman was much younger than he’d initially assumed. There was a vibrancy in her eyes and an edge in her voice.

“Oh, what am I thinking?” she said, suddenly. “You’re going to need the wheel reattached.”

“No, it’s okay,” Isaac said. “I can just balance. I’m pretty sure the bolt sheared off. It’s happened before. This thing’s so old.”

“Let me help you then,” she said, tossing the wheel in his lap and moving around to the handles at the back of the chair.

“No, that’s okay,” Isaac said.

“Come on,” the woman insisted. “I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“Other than yell at drivers?”

“Yeah, other than that,” she laughed. “Where are we going?”

“Uh, well, I was going to catch a bus near Hauser Boulevard,” Isaac explained.

“Close to the old El Rey Theatre,” she said. “I know it.”

With that, she began pushing him, careful to keep the front raised. Unsure of what to say, Isaac accepted the help. Normally, he’d have thrown a fit about people trying to help the “poor cripple,” but he got the sense that this gal wasn’t about to take no for an answer. What’s more, he wasn’t so sure he wanted her to. 

“Thanks for getting the wheel for me,” he said. “That guy was a real jerk.”

“Oh, he was just late for a million dollar deal his secretary helped him get by sleeping with the right people,” she said, offhandedly.

“Really?”

She laughed. “No, I have no idea. Honestly, he’s probably just some schmuck with a stupid desk job. But I enjoy watching people and making up stories about them.”

Isaac laughed.

“I’m Camila, by the way,” she said.

“I’m Isaac. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry, I’m not in the best of moods.”

“Rough day?”

“More like rough decade.”

Camila guffawed and then sighed. “Oh, Isaac,” she said, “I know exactly what you mean. This world is hardly worth it. There’s just too much crap to put up with. That’s why I leaving.”

“Leaving?”

“Do you want something to eat?” She switched gears. “There’s this great breakfast place near here.”

Isaac shook his head, “I… can’t. I’m sort of broke. Gotta stretch what little I have.”

“I’m paying. I’m the one who asked you out.”

He shot her a bewildered look over his shoulder. “What?”

#

She took her eggs over easy and dunked her home fries in copious amounts of mustard. Isaac tried not to stare. Who dunks their home fries in mustard?

He worked on his order of pancakes, feeling a mix of gratitude and shame.

“Look, I can split the check,” he offered again.

“Oh my god,” Camila licked mustard from the corner of her mouth. “The matter is settled. I’m picking up the check. You’ll just have to deal with it.” She cocked her head to the side and said softly, “You do have a thing about letting people help you.”

Isaac blushed. “I just hate being a burden.”

“Is that how you think people see you?” She asked, leaning in.

“My family does. Well, what’s left of it. Parents are gone.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “How long?”

“About 9 years. Big car wreck on the 405.”

“Is that how?” She indicated his chair.

He nodded, cutting more pancake with his fork.

“And the rest of your family sees you a burden?”

“I’ve got an aunt on my mom’s side who just thinks I need to join her church and everything will be hunky-dory. According to her, my life is miserable because I’m not right with the Lord. And I’ve got an uncle and his husband on my dad’s side that used to help me out, but…”

“They won’t now?”

“Can’t. They have their own health problems eating up their money,” Isaac muttered. “You know, I was just at an interview. If I could land a job and show everybody that I can…” he waved a hand in the air.

Camila looked at him dubiously, “You’re not about to say, ‘stand on your own two feet’ are you?”

Isaac’s jaw dropped, then he laughed. “Damn, that’s… sure, make fun of the crippled guy.”

Camila kept her eyes locked on his and smiled. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” she said with a sudden mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Everybody’s just trying to prove they can stand on their own two feet, or make it on their own, or whatever. But we’re all faking it.”

“Yeah, yeah, fake it till you make it.”

“No!” Camila waved her hands. “There is no ‘making it.’ No one ever ‘makes it.’ That’s an illusion we all believe. We’re taught to believe it. Everything about life is set up so we believe it. It makes dealing with the BS easier. Right to the last second, everybody is just faking it. Everybody talks about the human condition, blah blah blah. But when it comes right down to it, the only condition we have is that we’re all liars.”

“Shit,” Isaac stared down at his pancakes. “That’s a pretty bleak view of humanity. You really think so?”

“Hell yeah! That’s why I’m leaving.”

“So you’ve mentioned,” Isaac leaned forward. “Where are you going?”

“Well,” she said, looking off with a smirk. “I’m done with this reality. I’m getting uploaded tomorrow.”

Isaac blinked, taking in her words. “Wait. What? Like the digital consciousness thing?”

“Complete Self Digital Preservation,” she sighed with a satisfied smile. “Or what the nerds call Connectome replication. I’m all signed up for InfiniTech. As soon as I’m uploaded, all my debts, all my problems… poof!”

“For real?” Isaac said, mouth agape.

“Yeah, haven’t you seen the commercials about the government incentives?”

“Yeah, but… you’re actually doing it?”

“This world is a crowded and screwed up mess. And I’d like to leave some things—okay, a lot of things—behind. So yeah. I’m totally doing it.”

Isaac blinked, then sat back, forgetting his pancakes.

“Don’t look so dejected,” Camila laughed. “We just met. You’re not going to miss me.”

“You’re really doing it?” he mumbled.

Camila laughed louder. “You can’t get over it, can you? Haven’t you dreamed about doing it? I mean, wouldn’t you like to start life over and be free from your chair?”

Isaac glanced down and frowned for a moment. “Actually, I don’t think much about the chair. I just want to… do something. I’d like to matter somehow.” He looked at Camila and shrugged. “I studied video design in college and hoped I could get into the movie and TV industry. But that’s become impossible. So I tried to get work for any kind of VFX or video production company, TV stations, web marketing firms, you name it. Hell, I’ve even applied  to edit VR porn. Too much competition. Plus, I don’t have connections. I’ve been bouncing from one shitty temp job to the next, did some random factory work. But that dried up too. Automation, you know.”

“So why stay here?” Camila said as she brought a home fry to her mouth.

“I don’t know anyone in the Midwest or out East.”

Camila laughed, “I don’t mean California. I mean here. This stupid reality?”

“Oh,” Isaac stammered. “You’re serious.”

“Never been more serious in my life,” she said while chewing. “Look, you seem like a really good guy. What do you have to lose?”

#

Isaac rolled through the door to the apartment he shared with a surfer turned server named Philip, the taped up front wheel holding for the time being. The place was a mess as usual and smelled of old Chinese food, which Philip ate several times a week. As Isaac closed the door behind him, Philip walked out of the bathroom in a towel.

“That took longer than expected,” he said. “You get the job?”

“No,” Isaac sighed.

“That sucks, dude. Look, I know you’re trying and all, but I’m just wondering when I might get some help with the rent. This place is small, so I can’t really get another roommate. And I really can’t keep swinging the full rent or I’ll have to move out to some dump.”

Isaac nodded.

“Any other prospects?”

The answer was no, but there was no way Isaac was about to admit this to Philip. Instead, he swallowed and looked around the room. Finally, he mumbled, “I do have one prospect.”

“Well, alright. What is it?”

“It’s not exactly a job,” Isaac said as he fished out the crumpled brochure Camila had given him.

Philip stepped forward and took the brochure. Looking it over, his confident grin changed to a frown.

“This is one of those uploading things,” he looked up. “You nuts?”

“Well, what have I got going on here for me?”

“Seriously? Where did you get this?”

“I’m just thinking about it, is all. I mean, there’s this government incentive. I could pay you back all the money I owe you.”

Philip tossed the brochure back to Isaac’s lap. He looked down at the faces of the smiling models on the glossy cover.

“So, you’re going to just become a video game?” Philip crossed his arms.

“It’s not a video game. It’s a complete reproduction of your mind. All your memories, all your experiences, all your quirks. It’s you. You just don’t have to be in a physical body anymore and have a physical house and all that.”

Philip’s narrow eyes shifted to Isaac’s chair. “Oh, I get it.”

“No, it’s not that,” Isaac protested. “Well, sure, that’s a nice perk too. But there’s so much more to it than that.”

“The whole thing freaks me out,” Philip said. “What if they screw it up?”

Isaac muttered, “Yeah, well, at least this way I can have a chance to start over and I can finally pay you back.”

Philip sighed. “I got to get going. Late shift at the brewery. But for real, dude. This stuff… it’s just creepy. Is that really you in that machine? Or is that guy just a copy?”

“Well, at least that guy might have a better life than I do,” Isaac shrugged.

Philip threw his hands up and headed to his room.

Isaac looked back at the brochure in his lap. What had Camila said before they parted ways? “Some nerds finally figured out how to program heaven. And you don’t even have to worship some wrathful god to get in.”

He knew one person who would have some strong feelings about that last statement.

#

A drone swooped down and dumped fire retardant on the flaming trees. The image on the TV switched back to a reporter facing the camera with the blazing hillside in the background. The latest drought was getting worse. Every year, the fires got bigger. And even so, people poured into California.

“Just horrible,” Aunt Teresa muttered at the TV. “Such a shame.”

She looked over at Isaac with sudden wide eyes.

“Now there’s what you ought to do,” she said. “All these fires. You should be out there helping fight those fires.”

Isaac tried not to stare at her with complete incredulity, but his eyebrows rose of their own accord.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” she waved him off. “There are people flying those drones. You’d be miles away from the flames sitting at a computer with a joystick or something. You like computers.”

Isaac nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. But I heard most drone pilots are ex-military.”

“Air force,” Teresa frowned. “But they can’t all be, right?”

“Yeah,” Isaac said with little enthusiasm, knowing that most video games he’d played that involved driving or flying generally resulted in him crashing and losing. He’d always done better with RPGs and games that involved problem-solving. Unfortunately, life wasn’t turning out like an RPG.

“How was that job interview you had this week?” Teresa probed.

“I didn’t meet their qualifications, though they never get specific about what that means.”

Teresa nodded, “Well, I’ll keep praying. Lord knows there’s got to be something out there. God has a plan for everything. All in His good time.”

She rose from the sofa and headed for the kitchen. Isaac watched her go and then glanced back at the TV, where an ad flickered. Given that most people got their news via quick sound bites and videos on their social media feeds as they ran about their day, advertisers knew that their only audience for declining traditional broadcasting services were older folks. The ads were all targeted at retired or newly retired people’s concerns and interests.

“Nearly done,” Teresa said, coming back in.

She looked at the TV as she sat down. An ad played for a virtual retirement community featuring handsome young people wearing clothing styles several decades out of date. “We work with all insurance and government incentives. Come in today and have one of our InfiniTech sparks give you a guided tour.”

“Oh dear me, the fools,” she muttered.

Isaac swallowed. A collection agency had called him again earlier that day. Isaac wished he could have given the pushy bastard on the other end some assurance that everything was going to be set right. Instead, he was informed that the assholes who had bought his medical debts were going to pursue legal action.

“Fine,” Isaac had shot back. “A hell of a lot of good your lawyers will do you when I’m uploaded. You’ll get some pittance payout from the federal government. Probably won’t be worth the time it took to make all these phone calls.”

“You’re uploading just to get rid of these bills?” the man on the other end of the line scoffed.

“I’m uploading because assholes like you demand money from a guy who has legitimate medical needs which no one wants to insure and who can’t find a fucking job.”

He hung up and tossed his phone aside. His hands shook with rage. The words had rushed out of him before he could give them any thought. He wondered if they’d mobilize their repo men to take what little he had before he could actually upload.

Let them take it all, he thought. Before or after, what does it matter? I’m not going to need it anymore.

He had sat there, stunned at his own thoughts. He was still stunned now, hours later. Was he really going through with it? He looked over at his aunt, who stared at the TV. What would she think? He looked around her living room, cluttered with old knickknacks. Paint peeled from the wall in spots and the carpet was worn clear through in places. Her tiny cupboards still seemed empty with the scant groceries for each week. Most of her money went to pay rent in a building Isaac could swear was condemned. 

“Okay, I think it’s ready,” she said, smiling. “You hungry?”

“I gotta tell you something,” he said. “I’m going to upload. Like on that commercial.”

Teressa gaped at him and then glanced at the TV, which had now switched to sports coverage. She looked back at him. “Now, why would you go and do a thing like that?”

“Debt collectors are after me,” he said. “Even if I get a job, they’re just going to garnish my wages. I’ll starve to death or live in a cardboard box while I work to pay those greedy bastards.”

“Watch your language, young man!”

“That’s just it,” Isaac continued, unfazed. “I’m not a young man. I’m a thirty-year-old with only one certain future: a life in a chair with no job and no insurance.”

“God has a plan…”

“God had a plan for my parents to die and for me to shatter my spine?” Isaac spat back.

She looked stunned, eyes wide and glistening with the threat of tears.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Teressa,” he whispered. “I know you mean well. And I wish I could believe what you believe. But I just can’t. Things just happen. There’s no grand scheme, no master plan. I just got unlucky. Mom and Dad got unlucky. I have a chance to take life into my own hands, start fresh. I’m taking it.”

A tear slipped down his aunt’s cheek. “But you’ll die.”

“I’m not dying. I’m just getting rid of this outdated hardware,” he indicated his body.

She shook her head. “Your soul will be in hell if you do this. This is suicide. You just need to trust God’s plan. You need…”

“No,” he cut her off. “I can’t do that anymore.”

“So you’re going to give up on life and cast your soul into the fires of hell?”

“Sure,” he shot back, “Why not? I hear there're more jobs in hell right now, anyway.”

She slapped his mouth. He blinked at her as she glared at him with tear-filled eyes. Without a word, he turned his wheelchair to leave. He rolled out into the hallway, the door to the apartment closing behind him. He heard his aunt moving dishes about, doing something with the uneaten meal.

#

“Right this way, Mr. Yuan,” the InfiniTech spark said in a bright voice.

Isaac rolled through the bright lobby with its many screens and a holographic display showing scenes of the idyllic life freed from the constraints of the human body and the many financial burdens associated with physical existence.

“I’m so excited to show you all the amazing possibilities InfiniTech has to offer,” the spark, a short, cute young woman in her early twenties with flowing brown hair and green eyes, continued with polished excitement. “I think you’re going to love it.”

“Yeah,” Isaac said halfheartedly. “How does this all work with the debt forgiveness?”

“Oh, for that, you’re going to want to sit down with one of our financial advisors. Have you finished your application?”

“I’ve filled most of it out”

“Good! After the tour, you can finish it and we’ll get you right in to talk to one of our finance sparks. But I’m sure you are likely to qualify given your condition,” she said with only a slight glance at his legs.

Isaac swallowed his retort. They entered an elevator and rode to the fourth floor of the building. When the doors opened, Isaac rolled out into a large room filled with computer workstations and dozens of technicians moving about or staring at large screens. The spark walked before him and waved her hand at the room.

“This is where the magic all happens,” she said with a broad smile.

Isaac took in the view. These people could have been trading stocks for all he knew—aside from the fact that artificially intelligent programs traded all stocks these days. Or maybe these people were just the IT department for any large organization. 

Wait, they are the IT department for a large organization, he thought with a shutter.

“Pretty impressive, huh?” The spark said.

“Yeah, it is,” Isaac nodded. “I never imagined that the afterlife would have an IT department.”

The spark laughed. “We like to think of our technicians as life extension facilitators.”

She started walking, and Isaac followed her.

“So all the people who have been uploaded are in here?”

“No, this is just where we monitor things and help people with any requests, technical issues, upgrades, and transfers.”

“Transfers?”

“Oh yes, by law we must allow our customers the freedom to choose any life extension service they wish to use. So if at any point you would like to discontinue your contract and transfer to a different life extension service, you are free to do that. All you have to do is pay the transfer fees.”

“I thought uploading meant not having to pay for things anymore.”

The spark beamed. “There are some limitations to that, like transferring out of our system or choosing other upgrades that incur costs in the physical world. But there are ways to earn credits that can be exchanged for dollars.”

Isaac nodded. “So where is everyone?”

“You mean the uploaded?”

“Yeah. Where do they… live?”

“Some live here in our server system that is protected deep underground. But in February, we launched a new satellite with a large server array that many of our uploaders have opted to live in.”

Isaac thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear what the spark would say, so he asked, “Why a satellite?”

“A satellite allows us to project against certain potential issues like natural disasters or long-term power outages. Our satellite has plenty of solar power backup systems. We can communicate with it remotely here and at our other control rooms throughout the country. On top of this, everything is regularly backed up in our underground facilities.”

“Would I go to the satellite?”

“Well,” the spark folder her hands together and smiled at him, “we are planning on launching more satellites as soon as we get federal approval, but for now our off-world pilot program is available only to those able to pay the rather substation fees for server space on the satellite. After all, sending anything into space is quite expensive.”

Isaac nodded. Great, so if the big one finally hits California and I’m on your server system in your basement, I’m just screwed.

As if she knew what he was thinking, she continued with, “But rest assured that our servers have the best protection possible and ample backup systems, including a massive generator to maintain power at all times. We also offer several backup packages.”

“Alright,” was all Isaac managed, knowing that he couldn’t afford any backup packages. The government incentive covered only the most basic options.

They headed out of the control room and down a wide hallway.

“Through here are our connectome scanning rooms where each uploader undergoes the process of complete neurological digitization,” explained the spark as they passed several rooms with large glass doors. Inside the rooms, people lay in hospital beds, machines and wires hooked up to their heads as nurses and doctors moved about. “The entire process takes about a week. You’re asleep the whole time.”

“And after a week, it’s done?” Isaac asked.

“Yes, you wake up in your new home inside the InfiniTech digital community.”

“And what do you guys do with,” he trailed off, glancing down at his body.

“That is something you can specify with our legal department. Most people are already organ donors, some opt to take part in medical education and experiments. You may need to check on what is stipulated by the federal program, given what level of debt forgiveness you qualify for. If you want to pay for your own burial, that is usually an option, but I doubt that will apply to your situation since you’re hoping to take advantage of the debt forgiveness incentive. But that’s something our legal department will be more than happy to assist you with.”

Isaac nodded. “Once I’m there, what will I do? Where do I stay?”

“If you’re eligible for the debt forgiveness program, we will give you a virtual apartment in our starter community. Upgrades are available. You won’t need to eat, so no grocery bill. You can eat, but it’s just for fun. And there’s plenty of entertainment, activities, adventures, trips you can take, and much more.”

“But it all costs money,” Isaac sighed. “Virtual or otherwise.”

“Yes, it does. However, there are ways in which you can earn credits to spend on such things. You can be a consultant for the tech team where you test new systems from the inside and provide the techs detailed feedback. There are also plenty of entrepreneurial opportunities, if you know programming, to create plugins and add-ons.”

“Awesome. Where do I apply?” Isaac nearly blurted, feeling genuine excitement for the first time. This at least sounded a lot better than the rumors of digital prostitution some were supposedly resorting to in order to earn more credits.

“Once you’re in the community, you are free to apply for any available positions. You have a background in visual effects, right? I’d bet someone with your knowledge could help the tech team in all kinds of ways.” She gave him that big, well-practiced smile again.

They passed a room where an elderly man sat at the end of a bed and talked with a doctor.

“Now, how did you hear about our program?”

“Oh, I’ve seen commercials,” Isaac said, “and then I talked to someone the other day who is uploading. Or is uploaded by now, I guess.”

“Wonderful,” the spark said with a broad smile. “Now, how about we complete that application and get you started?”

Isaac blinked. “Right now?”

“Aren’t you excited to start your new life?”