Thin Rectangular Boxes
By: White Feather
Tags: Humor, Time Travel, Short Story, Technology, Fiction

“It was 2019.”

“Ah, that is good news. Apparently, humankind does survive into the 2,000s. Was everything ultra futuristic?”

“Yes, in some ways. There was one thing I noticed that seemed to have changed all life.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, it’s a bizarre new invention. It’s a small, thin, rectangular box that can fit into one’s hand. Every human has one and they are almost always holding it. On the top of the thin box is a screen that has either text or moving pictures on it.”

“Are there wires coming out of the box?”

“No, not at all. That’s the weird part. You can carry these little boxes anywhere. As I was walking down the street every single human I saw had one of these thin rectangular boxes in one hand. They either held the boxes to their heads and talked into them or they just held it in their hand running their finger over it. It’s kind of like a tiny TV but I’m told it’s some kind of computer. People seem totally oblivious of everything around them because all their attention is on these devices. It’s really odd.”

“So what are these boxes connected to if there are no wires?”

“Well, I don’t know how they are connected but it must be through the air. Apparently, the boxes are connected to some master control organization or something. The devices can be used to connect to any other human on the planet and to news and TV. Apparently, one can speak into the box and ask any question about anything and then the box provides an answer.”

“But who controls the answers?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s the companies that send the signals to the boxes. It’s weird but in that future people don’t do much of their own thinking. These boxes do most of their thinking for them.”

“So who ever controls the information going through these boxes controls the people.”

“Yes, it’s very scary. It’s like all humans have given up control of their own lives and turned it over to these boxes and who ever controls the boxes. You know what is weird?”

“It all sounds weird.”

“Yes, well while I was there I went into a restaurant. Going into a tavern in our time one is met with plenty of conversation, sometimes boisterous — and smoke. Going into a restaurant in 2019 one is met with stone cold silence. All that can be heard is the clinking of silverware on plates. Everyone is eating with one hand while looking into their boxes in the other hand. No one is looking at each other or speaking to one another. It’s like a bunch of robots with no human interaction. “

“Oh my. These thin rectangular boxes seem to have taken over everyone’s lives. Humans don’t seem human anymore. They are like controlled robots. Who ever invented these magical boxes must be filthy rich. And… they must have complete authoritarian control over the population.”

“Like I said, it is very scary. I’m glad I won’t live long enough to be in a world like that.”

Langston was scratching his chin as he smiled, “So that is how to become the most powerful man in the world; to have complete control over all other humans. I’ve got to get hold of one of these boxes so that I can reverse engineer it. I will be the inventor of these boxes long before anyone else builds them. I will become the most powerful man in the world!”

Chester was dumbstruck.

“Chester we are going to do another journey into the future. Except this time I will be the one going. I will keep the decade dial where it is so I can go to the very year you just came back from. I want to see this with my own eyes… and I want to bring one of these thin rectangular boxes back with me!”