This one might seem silly, but I've always thought that the Internet has all the makings of the perfect social experiment on a Global Scale. It impacts every single person in one way or another, and it has guided technological advancement ever since its first inception. I'm just waiting for someone to pull the plug and see what happens. Of course, that hasn't happened yet. But what if it did?
Whenever I think about science fiction, I realize that more often than not, some version of the Internet is always there. I've always wondered what it would be like if that weren't the case, and what could possibly get rid of something as massively ingrained in our society as the Internet. In light of that, I got to thinking and this thought popped into my head:
Writing Prompt:
The Internet is down, and it's not coming back.
Here's everything that I cam up with so far. I like it as a short story, but it might make for more of a novella or something similar. I'd love to hear what you think! Just remember: this is an EXTREMELY rough first pass!
Side Note: I also kind of stole a fictional place from an existing work. Most likely going to change that, because it is rude and ill-tempered behavior, but it fit so perfectly with what was in my head! Let me know if you catch it.
Side Note: I also kind of stole a fictional place from an existing work. Most likely going to change that, because it is rude and ill-tempered behavior, but it fit so perfectly with what was in my head! Let me know if you catch it.
Short Fiction/Science Fiction
TITLE: The Midnight Spike - Death of the Internet
It started with the Internet.
We all hailed the connected 'net' as the great wonder of our
time. I mean, sure, there were a lot of
things that came afterward that impacted things in a much more immediately
profound way, but most of those innovations arose from the foundation that was
the Internet.
Just think about it - we jumped from a world where phone
calls and the local postal service were the only real ways to communicate to
each other on a rapid basis. If you
wanted to collaborate with someone on an idea or innovation, those were your
best options outside of hopping in a vehicle and meeting up somewhere with a
lot of coffee and enough chalk/whiteboard space to get everything down.
The internet brought us all together - it connected machines
first, tying up phone lines for instant messaging and social networking -
simultaneously distancing us from our fellows and bringing us closer together
on the digital side. It was a sort of
revolution: the revolution of information.
For the first time, ideas could be shared and discussed
freely without physical restrictions inhibiting access to resources,
colleagues, etc. Of course, not
everything could be done with the initial version of the Internet, but it was a
blazing spark that lit the powder keg of the digital age.
Everyone worked towards refining and shaping the evolution
of the net. Scientists, social
engineers, politicians - everyone was online, and everyone wanted to see where
it would go. We brought cellular
telephones to everyone, passed information and Internet connection through
nothingness, cutting wires and necessary connections rapidly. All the while burying our faces further and
further into the digital ocean of information and connection.
Not all intentions were benign. All of this interconnectedness drew the
darkness in many like a shark to the scent of blood. More information was being stored online,
which meant more information could be taken by anyone who had the skills. The age of cyber warfare had begun - in the
backroom of an office by an employee who knew he could beat the system.
That's how it all went to shit.
