I wake with a start and take a moment to remember where I am.
I was having a most unusual dream, a dream where I was running to the edge of a summit, lunging beyond the edge, and then falling, plunging into an abyss.
One moment I had a body; the next moment, I had none.
There has never been any conclusion to this recurring dream. I am tempted to get it checked out by a qualified hypnosis specialist, but I can never find the time.
You see, I knew in my heart that I would soon be faced with deciding the fate of more than ten billion souls.
Alone.
Although I am one among a select few who remain in the Free Zone by virtue of my willingness to forgo myriad pleasures, I am still the best qualified person to make executive decisions for the Organics and BioSynthetics who live in the Pleasure Zone, in co-operation with the most advanced Synthetics.
Not long ago, humanity had evolved, at least in principle, beyond the limits of its biological heritage. Many among us had opted to incorporate synthetic enhancements to varying degrees in various amounts, but many more had not. Most occupations had become obsolete. Finding the balance between work and leisure was no longer an issue for most.
Earth had become a playground.
Now, you might think this is a good thing, but as almost anyone knows, too much of a good thing can flip, all too quickly and easily, into its opposite.
I wave my hand above a panel. The platform of my sleeping chamber tilts towards a position perpendicular to the floor until the soles of my feet lie flush with it.
I have a wide-angle view of my place of residence and I can never fail to marvel at one simple fact: I have the best of everything.
And I do mean everything.
