(The Tales of Skuld brings together news of anticipation and science fiction: how will the world evolve? What will we eat in 2040, what will we think in 2030, what will we want in 2060?
In order to trace the contours of what is ahead of us — provided we follow current developments, or go beyond them — here is how I imagine the next 10, 20, 30 and more years).
You can read the lexicon used (and invented) here.
In 2049, where will the simple pleasures be, what will be the sought-after sensations? In an ultra-connected world, the real sensations must multiply the sensations sailing from the outside to the inside, and vice versa, and that goes through what we eat… and not only. Here’s how:
Food and future sensory pleasures (Les Contes de Skuld)
Leeze walks out of his building. She sees a blue dot shining in the right corner of the screen’s surface that shows Lingornot’s face in low angle. Once connected to someone via a communication application, the location is automatically shared. The blue light tells him that he is not very close to her geographically, green near her and vice versa on the spectrum of light if he was very far away.
- Leeze, do you want me to pick you up where you are on rollerblades? he asks, poping an emoji wink in a bursting bubble sound.
- Okay, pick me up near the QH canopy, I’m on foot,” she replies.
He sends her an OK and cuts off the communication.
In 2 minutes she reaches the Canopy, a vast open building in the shape of an eye that stretches over 8 underground floors. Tonight there are a lot of families who have come to spend some real time (real-imaginary) to play and have fun.
She sits on a bench and runs her hand over her T-shirt: it is quite cold, but as she has activated the emofabric features, a pleasant warmth does not make her feel the air that has cooled down.
A car with oval lines approaches silently. A door slides in a semicircle towards the front of the car. A tall, thin man, dressed in tight-fitting vantablack (ultra black) pants and a grey and black jacket, emerges. With a big smile, he gestures his hand to Leeze and proceeds to end the rental of the vehicle. The door closes and the car drives away.
Extremely neat from head to toe, Lingornot looks brand new. He is in his forties, which is a pretty advanced age for 2049. All those born after 2023 benefit from a gene recording and an intradermal chip which ensures the follow-up of constants since birth, they are also trained very young in assisted self-medication. All those born before have not immediately benefited from this preventive health care.
- Thank you,” says Leeze.
- From…?
She squints and looks into her own eyes.
- You don’t wear contacts!
He smiles and jokes:
- I don’t know if there isn’t a part of my body that doesn’t have a gadget, so frankly I can do without contact lenses to spend an evening with you.
He pulls out two bright, transparent, rigid cardboard boxes that look like running water.
- Ha you and your mystery evenings,” Leeze does, looking up at the sky and taking out a cardboard box.
She turns it, taps it, shakes it, aims it at the objects around her, but nothing more happens.
Lingornot smiles.
- Run your fingers over it.
- Ha wait, ok it’s warm in the right corner. Where did you get this?
- I met a very nice guy while doing a talko (collective interest stain)-interesting for once, by the way, it was about making an inventory of all the signage needed in a new world they create for high school geography classes. And in short, beside that he creates treasure hunt concepts for trendy places.
- Treasure hunt,” she repeats ironically, “you sound like an old man!
- Well, that’s what he calls it. He uses a lot of amusements that they sell on Jotunheim, that he puts as a quest object in games, or that he runs like that.
- And then what do we do, we go according to where we feel the heat?
- Yes, you just have to follow this clue as long as the box is bright, it will fill up as you go along, and it will deactivate if you go outside the perimeter.
- But it’s next door then? she asks.
- But let yourself be carried away at last,” he exclaims, shaking his head. Those boxes there, they correspond to the city where you are. The guy has created treasure hunts for four cities, he makes sure that the perimeter is small enough for it to happen on foot or in small assisted trips. It’s really a little game, I thought that for tonight it could be fun. Afterwards, he does more sophisticated stuff, but it’s in a different yard now.
They continue to move forward together with their cardboard in hand, scattering and teasing each other about each other’s questionable sense of direction.
After half an hour, finally, the cardboard is completely filled with heat and the light has intensified. They look up and find themselves in front of a small Taiwanese grocery store. The storefront is the most classic. They enter no less eager to arrive to settle down and have a more serious discussion.
They look inside where only two guys are playing Rob Fighter, the popular robot fighting game whose sounds are immediately recognizable by anyone.
The boxes are hot and very bright. Leeze and Lingornot look at each other and decide to go behind the counter. The two youngsters do not react.
They arrive in a corridor that ends with an elevator. Arriving at the front, the doors open with a bright green light. They enter and see a flashing space on which Lingornot puts the 2 flashing boxes. The doors close and the elevator starts to move. Leeze is unable to tell if they are moving up or down. The space seems devoid of any movement and weight, even though she feels perfectly that they are moving :
- I think we’re moving horizontally,” Lingornot smiles, sensing that Leeze is asking himself metaphysical questions.
- I don’t know this place at all,” she does as a thank you for the surprise experience.
Shortly afterwards, the back door of the elevator opens onto a vast covered room full of vegetation. They walk forward and see that they are on top of the mezzanine of a panoptic. Below are water spaces, tables and once again a vegetal jungle that gives the ambient air a little tropical. Leeze is touching her shirt which is warm but dry. They walk along the mezzanine and are greeted by a small desk behind which stands a hostess with feline pupils.
- Good evening. It’s for dinner, please,” says Lingernot as he presents his health card.
Leeze is also handing out hers. The hostess puts them on a monitor behind the desk, gives them back to each other and invites them to follow her.
- Please come to the bar first, we’ll serve you something to hydrate you.
They walk towards a huge dark and transparent counter, strewn with light cables that are activated as soon as a person approaches it, an object is placed on it or a precise gesture is made on its surface. A bartender with an artificial arm with an extremely fine and elegant design places a small tray on them without looking at them.
- So, how’s the job going,” asks Leeze, once installed on the suspended stool.
- Well, we won a tender to rehabilitate the underground underpasses of old Europe. I think there are six cities that have preserved them as a treasure of historical heritage: that would be London, Athens, Naples, Budapest, Glasgow and Paris. There has been a big mobilization of slow-moving metropolises in recent years to try to catch up with the Russian hot spots.
- And who came up with the idea?
- It was a free topic launched on Harqist (official social media platform) by novices (people recognized as creative and technological geniuses). And Esoptron’s network, as you know, is the most powerful in urban screen distribution, so we all mobilized from those slow cities and that was it. I even believe that all this development can be counted as talkos. We’re waiting for the System to give us some Matrix time for testing, and then it will evaluate the time needed for realization and the privileges we’ll receive.
- That’s great,” says Leeze. It’s kind of everyone’s dream though…
A little dazed by the news, she grabs the lip balm placed on the tray that she is passing on her lips. She gently eats her lips, which release a slightly aniseedy cucumber flavor. She grabs the ball of water placed on a thin dish and puts it in her mouth, releasing two sips of water by squeezing it. She looks at him impressed:
- Already you’re going to be able to go into the Matrix, it’s crazy… I mean, if you don’t have a solid project to test the invariability of the predictable and create a real thing in the world, it’s totally out of reach in this life…. And then it’s good what, if you know that you’re going to get privileges, you can have the good life in the theme cities of your choice ! Oh my God, I’m so happy for you !
- Yes, I just realized… but I’m a bit worried too now ! I think that defining the concept well is not going to be easy. Wouldn’t you like to do some brainstorming ? The key point of the project is the editorialization of the environment, you have to think about which screens, which simulations, you have to think about emptiness too, euphemisms, opacity, transparency… I know that you are in the individual experiences, but I am sure that you can propose an interesting kosmin or bring the breath in the story that will be told.
- You are already very well known and recognized in what you do, there is no reason to doubt! But indeed, there are big issues of content. Do you want me to put you in touch with some of my clients? I think there are plenty of booksellers who would be happy to help you and participate in this project. Because apart from the historical aspect, you can really imagine making people who have existed and plunge people into different eras?
They are invited to come to the table.
They are installed on a wooden table and chairs. A waiter arrives with a metal box. Leeze and Lingornot take out their screens and remove the connected objects they are wearing: their earphone, a small magnet inside the ear that they place in a small compartment, 2 palm screens for Leeze, and an AR monocle she created; a thin tablet and a transparent roller for Lingornot. The waiter closes the box and presses a button that locks and isolates the magnetism of the portable objects, he places it on a small shelf under the table, the time of the meal.
- It’s a good idea this place, makes Leeze. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken time like this. Do you know this place?
- The guy who gave me the invitations just told me that it’s a couple who live in a Mu-ette (white zone) part of the year that created this concept of a disconnected green house. I think it’s not given here, but if I like it I think I’ll come back… You understand why I didn’t put lentils in tonight, that was the theme tonight,” he replies with a smile.
- Haha, I thought we had reached a turning point in our relationship,” she replies teasingly.
Leaving her gaze, Lingornot looks at the sheet of paper the waiter gave them as a menu. A list of words are linked together, giving a 3-course menu and 3 dishes à la carte :
Starter: Frosted lichen and autumn cloud or Caramelized hazelnut and tomato
Dish: Wartime Versailles complexion or Ichiote Smoked Balm
Dessert: Fragile Chimera or Orange Storm
A la carte :
Green vertigo
Vivaldi water
Salpêtrière Ganache
They order a menu each. The waiter comes back with an ice-cold basket of waterballs and leans towards them :
- Your invitation allows you to taste an assortment of our dishes, do you prefer to keep your menus or try them all?
With a complicit nod, they accept the assortment.
The frosted lichen looks like an ice sculpture, while on contact with the fingers the texture of the mushroom emits a muffled rubbing sound. Once in the mouth, the sound is even louder, and a slightly lemony truffle flavor is discernible.
The caramelized chance is a mousse to be cut, halfway between a piece of melted cheese and a Bavarian, Leeze makes a pout of disgust by taking a bite. The tomato, on the other hand, gives off a dense texture like a ganache with a dominant strawberry flavor.
- That’s messed up,” she grinds.
- On the contrary, you react! Since when have you not been unpleasantly surprised, eh?
- Rhaa, don’t tell me you’re looking for unpleasant experiences, it always comes back in fashion.
The rest of the meal, however, goes pleasantly with a dizziness to aspire to the extraordinary straw (air loaded with protein molecules but with an indefinable taste), Vivaldi’s Autumn to make the mouth swirl like wine, playing on a classic synesthesia, and a yellow sparkling powder enclosed in a hazelnut involucre, supposedly reminiscent of a party in Versailles (even if the reference seemed to elude them).
At the end of the meal, rolling cubes in the mouth gives Leeze the opportunity to talk to her about her sensory piercings, which she has programmed to recreate immersions in memories and places.
The waiter arrives with a last saucer and a capsule.
- Don’t forget to dip your fingers for the Chimera, and finish with the digestive pill, thanking you. And don’t hesitate when you go out to talk about your experience to your networks, we have your contact details to pass on to you the different experiences we offer here and elsewhere.
The server presses the button on the box and leaves.
Once the dessert is transformed and personalized by the contact of their skin, they finish the meal with lightness by ingesting the capsule which makes the transit easier.
They take back all the objects deposited in the box and leave the room. They stroll for a while between the basins, the mini-jungles to go to one of the exits. Contrary to their arrival, they walk along long corridors with walls projecting colorful images, all suggesting to stop and sweep the contents with their hands to “see more”.
Leeze runs her hand over her T-shirt, which has become quite cool again: we’ll soon be outside,” she says, looking back at Lingornot, who had stopped to read the content he had stopped to read.
- Look, it’s not very far, there’s a playground on a pier, we can go take a few marbles of alcohol before going back inside, do you want to?
-Ha ok, well not long then, I think I’ll get a little wake-up call when I’m asleep. Besides, today I got pinched on roller skates and I moved something in my neck.
- Well, I’m surprised it’s only happening to you now, unconscious ! I don’t understand why they don’t protect more the edges of the loops, it’s extremely dangerous ! You’ll get a fine, it’s good for you, if it can give you a reason to stop your videos…
- And if I like to create my own sensations! Seriously, it’s part of my well-being not to let the world get things for me, that’s all we’re surrounded by! Sometimes I have the impression that I’m only reacting to perpetual solicitations that I don’t choose, and that I never decide anything. That’s my pleasure, that’s my hack in this world.
- Rebel goes,” he does, giving it a friendly nudge.
They come out of the corridor and find themselves in a dark street. No sooner do they glance at the screen on their wrist to geolocalize themselves than a group of four tattooed individuals approach them. Black glasses, open black bomber bombs, letting their skin, saturated with colors and features, glimpse through. They don’t speak, but they emit interference into Leeze and Lingornot’s headphones and make Leeze’s shirt vibrate.
- Come on, hurry, we’re going that way,” Lingornot says, taking Leeze’s arm, feeling his wrist start to heat up very strongly.
- Damn… but where did they come from,” Leeze said, continuing to look at them.
- Don’t look, trace, they will be spotted if we move quickly.
Indeed, before the group of cultivars (over-connected, fully tattooed and under the influence of exalted people) virtually attacks them, a drone passes over their heads and starts emitting ultrasounds that makes them move away.
- They are treated like parasites these types, Lingornot does by rubbing his wrist.
- You know on principle I have nothing against these people, but I can’t stand them imposing themselves like that.
- Yeah well, you never really know what they want in the end. We’re not overdoped like they are, so we don’t know what thoughts they may have, or what whims they have.
- Yeah… That would be a good experience : “in the skin of a cultivar”, Leeze answers by rubbing his shirt mechanically.
- Do you want to take a gyropod? It’ll take 6 minutes to get there?
- No, look there’s a shuttle bus there, we stop at the next stop.
They arrive near a pier illuminated with soft colors: The Cargo, is written on a cloud of smoke, as a welcome sign. They cross a small bridge to reach the vast floating space. There is a bar forming a wave all around the relaxation area where benches, screens, connected tables and mini-drones are mixed.
- Go and settle down, I’ll take us some clepsydras.
He comes back with 2 small clepsydras filled with alcohol balls.
- What do you want to put on? asks Leeze as he scrolls through the games and programs on the screen table.
She plunges her hand into the top of the clepsydra and grabs a green ball that she clicks by sticking her tongue on her palate.
- Look! We can watch The Hut if you want, she is excited at the idea of following the adventures of the Kenopsia that everyone is talking about.
- Pfff, you know that it’s a deadly story? answers Lingornot by playing two red marbles in the hollow of her palm.
He brings his hand closer to his mouth, bites into them and lies down on the bench: come on, it’s okay, you can put a little before we find a game.
°0 Skuld’s Tale Lexicon
°1 Identity Games
°2 Kenopsia and theme cities
°3 Bookstores or the modern profession of story seller
°4 Care and Beauty in 2049
°5 Food and future sensory pleasures.
°6 Society in 2049 and modern citizenship
°7 City, Planning and Transportation in 2049
8 The Matrix, the apogee of the era of the Hypothesis
°9 The episode of The Cabin
°10 Family, memory and inheritance in 2049
