My Tesla Bot and I are comfortable. Well, not that it cares how comfortable it is but it feels more like a companion if I consider its needs. I win the chess game again, I must remember to increase the difficulty setting, or not. Tesla Bot doesn’t mind being a loser.

I relax into position and slip into the re-gen VR mask. A knowing nod to Tesla Bot and I swear he winked. Tesla Bot will, according to the sales pitch, take care of boring, repetitive and dangerous tasks while I have gone down under in digital land.

It’s common for most people to spend the day in VR. After all digi land is a magical place. You can be more, do more, and everything is…easier. Humans became addicted to digital technology. Obsessed with computers, then smart phones. Augmented reality came next but didn’t really stand a chance. Let’s face it the world kinda sucked. We trashed it. Climate change, pandemic, disease, economic collapse. As the technology advanced to regenerate physical health, people escaped to Virtual Reality.

Humans do what humans do and markets moved online. Assets in the real world inflated due to supply issues. Industries were disrupted or destroyed by climate. People were no longer safe, due to the escalating pandemic. You could own a big house and drive a cool car in virtual.

Humans and their biological bodies were not well designed for this changing environment. Tesla Bot didn’t mind extreme heat or cold, viruses or lack of food. In this new environment, Tesla Bot worked remarkably well.

It’s 11:00pm and I feel fantastic. Seven hours of Virtual is the recommended World Health Organisation dosage for regeneration. Tesla Bot and I sat calmly staring out the window at the world beyond. As the rain hit the ground and bounced back up into the air, it felt for a second like the world was being washed clean, reset and de-materialising before my eyes…

When it first emerged, it probed and tested our defence and response. We acted somewhat well, somewhat poorly, confusingly at first. Some went early, some accepted community losses. All in all every country responded differently.

This initial wave wasn’t intended to wipe us out, it was an initial probe. Like any strategically intelligent force, this initial action was a test of our defences, our behaviour, our strengths and our weaknesses.

Many people thought it would be over in the initial phase. The promise of vaccination and herd immunity appeared valid. Politicians and scientists worked hard to maintain the virus and immunise the public.

The “Variant” phase began quietly. The public grew tired of restrictions and the growing immunisation programme built confidence. Most of us were ready to return to life as we knew it before. Our scientists got to work, as expected trying to deal with multiple variants in play at the same time. Ultimately, the virus must complete its product testing and double down on one of the variants.

This latest variant is more infectious and more deadly than before. Tighter border controls and movement of people, goods and services internationally is strictly enforced. Our economy having been stretched by high inflation is now under government control.

The tourism sector is re-purposed, with holiday centres like Queenstown transformed into mass accomodation for New Zealand’s lacking supply of housing….

It’s also 2025 in another version of existence and what was also possible has also become a reality. The covid-19 virus, having swept the globe is close to being eliminated.

When it first emerged, it probed and tested our defence and response. This initial wave wasn’t intended to wipe us out, it was an initial probe. Politicians and scientists worked hard to maintain the virus and immunise the public.

Scientists developed incredible breakthroughs in anti-viral technology. One of the more controversial breakthroughs included colour augmentation of the eyes. We could now see the virus in real time because vaccination technology enabled carriers eyes to change to a bright pink colour. This meant instant identification of the virus in society. Camera’s and facial recognition sent drones that released containment bubbles. The virus had no where to hide.

The “Variant” phase began quietly but our advanced AI assisted modelling had already predicted variants and vaccine sophistication was one step ahead. Most of us began to return to life as we knew it before.

The final variant while more infectious and more deadly than before had no one left to infect due to medical breakthroughs. Movement of people, goods and services internationally resumed. Our economy having been stretched by high inflation began a new age of productivity. The tourism sector rebounded, with holiday centres like Queenstown transformed with excited visitors from all around the world.

The human species emerged from the pandemic wiser and with new inspiration to solve global problems.