This story was written back in High School. It was written as part of our Year 12 English assessment, and was based on the very similar writings of A Brave New World. This story was originally written back when the competition between Netscape and Microsoft was quite healthy, quite unlike the History we now know – where Netscape is but a memory of the 1990s…
Date: Monday, 31 August, 26AMS
I stared into the distance at the blank wall. Remaining silent and deep in thought, I continued this for another ten or so minutes. I wasn’t daydreaming. No, I was learning. With the aid of the CPS, (Central Processing Screen) which I wore as contact lenses, I had just completed attending my English lecture along with 200 other students of my age.
It was 10:30am but I was not at school. Schools and universities had ceased to exist since 5 AMS(1). Even paperwork and textbooks were a thing of the past as all communication and learning could be achieved with the use of a CPS. The CPS, as I had learnt in a past computing lecture, was controlled by the user’s thoughts and its main “brain” was located on board one of 500 satellites that orbited the earth. The CPS was an essential tool to the human body and every Microsoftean had one from the time of birth. We communicated with each other via e-mail and Internet services – there was no need for post offices and even day-to-day businesses sold goods over the Internet. All deliveries of goods are performed by the Netscapeans.
At the completion of the English lecture, I set about completing my history project on the MSCP System. I made myself comfortable and then thought processed it. After researching the Internet and hosting a virtual discussion with some of my friends, I thought-dictated the project as follows:
The MSCP System
The history of the MSCP System has been catalogued and maintained since the year 2 AMS, with the first CPS satellite being launched from Washington DC. In 2 AMS, The Battle of Windows saw Microsoft win the legal right to “save” the world from the perils of the Netscape Company. The CEO of Microsoft Corporation as the title was known then, Bill Gates the Great was believed to have offered an inducement to the CEO of Netscape, Jim Barksdale for gaining greater global influence. Later in 5AMS, Bill Gates the Great died. He was made The Divine Being later that year and hence, everyone attends Cyberchurch every morning to worship the Great One. His successor was (and still is) Simon Gates, the grandson of the Great One. Simon Gates drew up the foundations and regulations of today’s society, as we know it.
Society has two main classes, the Microsofteans and Netscapeans. Microsofteans include all the people with an MSQ(2) of 100 and all others are Netscapeans. The Netscapeans are the labourers who performed all arduous work in the factories, streets, building maintenance, etc… Companies or the government could employ Microsofteans as we are compelled to have a CPS. However, there were a small number of people, the controllers, who ran the world. Simon Gates was the President of Microsoft the name adopted by the government controllers.
Since 10AMS, Microsoft scientists had discovered an alternative source to fossil fuels. This major discovery led to the subsequent launching of CPS Satellites all around the globe as Microsoft rapidly expanded its influence over the world. By 13AMS, the Western world was subject to the Microsoft government and later, the whole world by 15AMS. Today, there are 4 billion Microsofteans and 10 billion Netscapeans.
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My project was finished in no time and MS Encarta Online had helped me immensely. I e-mailed it to my lecturer who immediately replied with my result – an A ! With the session over, I went to the kitchen where I ate lunch. Microsoft controlled everything we did, even to the extent of our eating habits! I ate Simon Fries and a Gate burger. In 25AMS, McDonalds had been coerced by Microsoft to rename some of their most popular food items. By the way things are going, I think Microsoft is planning to buy up McDonalds!
I get really sick of seeing the word “Microsoft”. I mean, look at my journal entry for today, it’s in almost every paragraph. Looking around the kitchen, I can see Microsoft bread, Microsoft pasta, Microsoft this, Microsoft that. Even my hoverboard is Microsoft! I prefer to walk to the gymnasium than travel on that clumsy board – it has a mind of its own. The officials say that I haven’t learnt to control it properly yet, but I’ve been using it for the last 3 years!
Anyway, I went to the gymnasium to keep fit, as I always do everyday. Today, I met up with Tony and Mike. We mind-talked a bit until Tony fell off his bike from multitasking too much. He was trying to download a game from the Internet while cycling, talking and reading an article! It was really funny because he ended up falling off his bike, and his brainwaves were entangled and came across my screen in ASCII characters. Anyway, I hate multitasking. I prefer to complete one task at a time with my CPS and then move on to the next. It’s a lot easier!
After my session at the gymnasium, I walked back home, only to be chased by a Netscapean. It was sweeping the street when I dropped my Microcream wrapper. It screamed at me in a high-pitched voice and chased me, waving its broom after me. Those Netscapeans are so dirty and uneducated! They can’t even string a sentence together. No wonder they do all that hard work without a CPS. As I was chased down the main street I alerted the Microsafety Men who arrested the Netscapean almost immediately. Those Netscapeans, they’re like animals, unable to think and just obey commands like my pet dog.
Finally, I returned to the safety of my home where I then sat down to watch WebTV. On Nine-MSN News I saw a report on the progress of scientific research on the brains of Netscapeans. All criminal Netscapeans caught are used in these experiments and so far, 1000 have died. I’d hate to be a Netscapean, thank Bill(3) I’m a Microsoftean!
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Definitions:
(1) AMS – Years after Microsoft’s release of MS Windows 98.
(2) MSQ – replaced IQ
(3) Bill – our equivalent to God