The world is overpopulated and the government union has been trying for years to make a change and aim for a better course of action, despite their problems there's never been a consensus on a more direct approach, for decades there's been discussions about choosing between the many proposed projects, and finally in the year 3270 there's been a choice, not yet given to the world, but the project started to get its shape.
For an entire year the project has been on probation and on constant refinement for a final decision to start the preparations. Once the government Union approved the start of the ‘Renewal’ project, the whole of humanity was mobilized, the construction of the bases for each nation center of activities for the project.
The Renewal project is a drastic decision affecting the fates of every single human on the planet. The various nations will select a number of qualified Professionals, researchers, health agents and citizens able to help in the overall process of renewal of the ecosystem of the planet. resources are going to be recycled and properly used, more compact and efficient cities will be built, animal life preserved, and anything more to make the future of humanity not fall in the mistakes of the past.
The rest of the population will be led to the center of activities of their nations, entering each in a semi hibernation chamber, where their bodies will be in a dormant state, and their minds linked to a system created by the Government Union, the Renewal World, made into a game scenario with unlimited possibilities for crafting, researching, management and also, entertainment.
This was made so, because, whilst is impractical to keep the entire society in activity throughout the world renewal, the teams and stuff, professionals and nations leaders will not be a part of said world, and so will not be able to extend theirs lives as much as they could like the ones on the semi hibernation chambers, so with the system, they'll be able to communicate still with their relatives that are inside the game, and also with other professionals and researchers that have decided not to participate in the renewal project but still has much to offer in knowledge.
Even with the advance of technology there's still not a method to put humans safely into complete hibernation, so the chambers only slow down our bodies to a point where their activities are no longer so prone to the aging process, thus extending the lives of the subjects exposed to the procediment.
Like this, humanity will be able to persist through the power of time and experience a new era that is being shaped for the better.
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By the time the nations finished their bases of activity, the game system was already being developed since the end of probation after the project was decided.
The virtual world will be made taking inspiration from the current world and be expanded to new areas, size and environments to bring a better experience to the players. The game has many rules and features, but it basically mirrors the current world. Besides having many resemblances to modern games controls, indexes and logic, it uses a unique system of experience and stats to regard the progression of the players.
The players will have liberty of choice to engage with the others and their nations bases, and will not be limited like other games to classes or professions, their stats and knowledge will rule what they can and can’t do in the game. Their initial stats will be based on their current body constitution, degree of study, occupation history and a most thorough analysis.
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Years before the imminent self destruction of the humanity by overpopulation and the degradation of our ecosystem, when the society started developing better technologies and overcoming conflicts, the nations started to work more and more together, and with the arise of more and more conflicts through generations, many nations stated to make enclosed alliances, and eventually started merging and forming fewer, but larger and more advanced nations, by the end of a century of conflicts, the last century of the past millennia, there was formed the Government Union, allying the last 8 nations formed along time.
The nations were based on the 8 large land masses across the world although some were small compared to others, by being isolated and having a powerful nation behind them, they came to be acknowledged as continents as well.
Each nation has its culture, technology and history, but they all put that aside making an alliance in forming the Government Union.
The goal of the Union is to remake the world as we knew it, to flourish and thrive.
The present situation is the development of the Renewal game system, and finishing the activity centers on all the nations, and upon their completion will be announced to the world the entire plan of the renewal project.
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Joel Krod is leaving his classroom at block F of the Engineering unit on the Institute of Technology Eldfit, and stumbles across Carl.
"Joel, finally I've found you," he said happily.
"Oh, hi Carl, long time no see, how's it going?" Joel responded.
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"Badly, they don't let us off even in the last months before graduation, i tell you, it's been almost a month that we haven't seen each other" he said not so happily anymore.
Joel laughed and replied "it's almost better this way, maybe you focus more on your paperwork now huh?"
Carl made a grunt, as if offended and said "you know it's worse now that I don't have time to sit back and organize my thoughts, i tell you, this weekend i do nothing" he assured, face full of conviction.
Then they made their way to the cafeteria, students coming and going from all over, exacerbated looks all around.
Surely it's not a healthy atmosphere for a student Joel thought hopeless of change.
"Everyone looks so anxious and hurried, what's up with that? It can't be that stressful for everyone, could it?" He whispered to Carl.
"It's the Union, they are constructing activity centers in every nation, and said only that a big project is going to start next year, so everyone is racing to get better grades, publish articles and papers to get some of the limelight and hopefully be part of any minuscule part of the project" he explained.
"Aren't they hoping too much? There's only one month until graduation, and surely the Union will not place any newly graduated in any meaningful position" Joel rebuked.
"Yeah but…" Carl said as they reached for a table. "Is this chair taken?" He asked a boy on a table besides theirs, upon denial he took it and then continued "yes, but any position on a big project like that can lead to another, or at least great experience for their resume." He concluded
Joel thought for a while, looking at the menu and asking for a slice of toast with jam and a meat stuffed bun.
"Fair, but nevertheless, any effort now is useless, as many have been diligently studying for six years as hard as they are doing know, and a lot with internships also, so its a huge gap to fill in just 2 months or so" argued Joel while Carl made his choice on the menu.
"Do you want juice?" Carl asked before finishing his order.
"Yeah, maybe, they still have lemon juice?"
"Yeah I'll ask for a medium bottle" Carl concluded, and then got back to the conversation "you see, hope never leaves the mediocre, always clinging to the off chance of anything going their way, and to be fair, I've put a lot of effort myself these last months in hope for a contract in my internship"
"I saw that too, you always need someone pushing you to do better Carl, you've never been or will be mediocre, you're just lazy." Joel mockingly, his face full of pride.
Carl frowned whilst smiling "what do we have here, Mr. hypocrite, you've your share of laziness, you just have better excuses"
They laughed as their meal came, and ate while sharing the latest news of college.
"No way," Joel exclaimed.
"It's true, everyone is talking about it," Carl reforced.
"But i thought it was impossible to cheat an exam, i thought of every possible way before, and have not given much thought to it"
"Oh, it is impossible" Carl responded smiling "he got caught, no? To cheat is to make mischief without getting caught, you have you share of knowledge about that"
Joel nealy choked "oh, that is past me my brother, for i never really needed that"
"Still, it's quite a skill, it is helpful to bend the rules sometimes" Carl smiled nostalgically
Joel got his back straight and said "but no rules where bend ever, you can say i put things to perspective." He clarified with a righteous face.
Carl throwed a sneer at Joel, then laughed and finished eating.
Both of them got out of college, the streets packed with people.
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After almost an hour walking, Joel finally reached home, it was a really tall building alongside many others, in this residential zone.
He got past the lobby and got to the elevator, he selected the 27º floor, and made way to his apartment, where he found his father, Garret Krod.
His father was preparing dinner, and tidying the kitchen, he then noticed Joel entering and said “oh, you're early today, no extra classes?” he asked.
“Not today, the professor was sick and Carl distracted me, I should've gone to the library” Dammit Carl, he thought.
Garret seemed amused and said “I have not seen Carl in a long time, how is he?”
“he's good, making a lot of effort to secure a job after his internship. That reminds me, any luck yet with a job?”
“i have some leads, but nothing good, i may be able to get a job in the project from the Union, people say they are going to hire all kinds of professionals, there's too much speculation, but an architect is always needed in any kind of project, look at how much they have build already, and there's been only a year since they started, there's more to go for sure” Garret said with a bit of hope.
“But how much more can they build?? there's barely enough space for more buildings at all, they demolished so much already to start the activity center construction.” Joel said worried and continued. “Moms always have a job. Sometimes I think it would be better to be a doctor as well, but it is too late now. I'm already 22. If I start now, I would work only in my 30’s. That's just too long. I only hope the engineering market gets better…”
“I know my son, I envy her sometimes, but there's always the need for architects and engineers, you're not too old yet, you'll do just fine.