In an effort to reverse climate change, a scientist by the name of Kristoff Tumms created an aerosol that he claims can reduce greenhouse gases and strengthen the ozone layer. Over the span of 10 years, Tumms conducted illegal experiments in the Amazon, all of which were funded by the Illuminati. By 2040, Tumms’ gas had an 89% chance of reducing greenhouse gases on a global scale. Desperate, America was the first to sign the agreement allowing Tumms to spray his experimental gas into the air. Once all of the major developed countries signed the agreement the gas was released. The process required every plane to be hitched with the aerosol and fly at the same time. 

 

Tuesday, 6/18/2041, 3 p.m. the gas-filled the sky. The gas had a delightful, light purple hue. The soft pastel color inticized people; people filled parks, perceiving the hue as a romantic sky, social media blew up with selfies of people loving the pastel background. As stated earlier, Tumms’ gas was an experimental solution; it had been tested for its effect on greenhouse gases and the ozone, but not on humans or animals. To everyone’s surprise, the gas is toxic for humans and animals; if it comes in contact with your skin you died.

 

The people sitting outside in parks, the couples that chose to propose by the ocean to their loved ones, the social media savvy that stood outside to take selfies, all died. There was also mass extinction in the animal kingdom. The only protection against the gas was shelter. The people that stayed in their homes, the news reporters in their studios, the children at school, animals living underground- all survived. Immediately after the gas was released the only people that could travel were the ones that had their cars parked in their garages. As long as one was in an enclosed space they were safe. Breathing the gas had no effect; solely skin contact caused death. Those that survived labeled the gas ‘Umbra’, which is Latin for shadow.

 

What Tumms didn’t realize is that over time the gas slowly burns the ozone layer which led to ocean levels rising along with the frequency of natural disasters. Living humans were unable to leave their homes out of fear of Umbra and unexpected tsunamis, tornadoes, etc. 

 

People are confined to their homes unless they had safe transportation available. Boredom swept the remaining humans, so they reproduced like mad to create larger communities for them to interact with. Steadily, trees grew and the air was filtering, but at an incredibly slow pace. After another 10 years, people were able to take short walks outside in their prescribed communities: the safe walking distance was only three houses. This slightly aided the boredom problem, but not enough. 

 

As the population size was dramatically reduced the remaining people became part of one government, the United. The United provided free basic healthcare to all surviving and new humans via technologies developed before Umbra. Every person and at least family, owned a device with internet access, be it smartphones or virtual reality systems (VR). Those that could afford transportation and all the costs attached to it, so the upper class that survived, were able to visit doctors in person. Everyone else filled out online forms where they communicated with AI systems and if needed they could “see” a doctor via VR. 

Here is where we meet Sam Huumen, a nonbinary person, suffering from depression. Sam has been using the AI therapy system services through the company Dolas Corp, until their suicide on 10/24/2060, also the last entry on the online forms. 

 

Five hundred years later, one of Sam’s descendants, their great-great-grandchild, finds his box filled with his self-care tools and important documents. The great-great-grandchild explores the online forms as Sam. The automated AI system thinks Sam is filling out the form and asks questions that he customized by previous entries.

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