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Trustless society

Posted on 2022-05-05

Today is the big day. I've finally collected enough credits to be able to move to a better society! I can't wait.

I head to the tour station and get in line for the tour of my new society. The line is quite long. There must be thousands of people waiting here.

I whip out my VR goggles to pass the time and immerse myself in one of my favorite eras: the middle ages. I love watching the battle scenes, even though the technology at the time was quite primitive. It's crazy to think that people lived like that only a few centuries ago.

Suddenly, I'm whisked back into reality. Oh! It's time to start my tour.

I step into the tour building and am guided to my seat. A holographic figure appears in front of me. It says, "Welcome! I am your guide, Barry. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

I nod and say, "I've heard a lot about your society, but I'm still trying to grasp all the details. Perhaps you could give me an overview?"

"Sure! Follow me," says the guide while gesturing for me to put on my VR goggles. I oblige. Suddenly, I am in the middle of a bustling city. The guide is now lifesize.

"Welcome to the trustless society," says the guide. "Long ago, our founder William got tired of needing to trust so many people in order to live his life. So he started a society where you never have to trust anyone!"

"Wow! That sounds like quite a big accomplishment. How does that work?" I ask.

"It's simple!" says the guide. "Here in the trustless society, interaction with others is strictly forbidden, and our state-of-the-art social distancing program ensures that said interactions never happen. Just imagine: no more awkward encounters or pointless conversations!"

I look around at the bustling city block. Suddenly, I realize what the guide means. Everyone is completely absorbed in their own world, except for a few people who glare at me when I look at them. No one else even notices my presence. It's like there's an invisible barrier between us.

"That sounds like a pretty big drawback," I say politely. "If I may ask, why don't you want to trust anyone?"

"Because people are bad! They steal, DDoS, and murder, among other evil deeds," says the guide.

"Okay, I guess," I reply. "But if people can't be trusted, why should I trust you?"

"Hmm... I never thought about that," the guide says with a frown.

"Well, thanks for the tour," I say. "I think I'll be staying put for a while, though."

I take off my VR goggles, cancel my relocation application, and head home. On my way home I make sure to smile at as many people as possible. Afterwards I stop by my best friend's house and say hi.

At least there's someone I can trust.

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This work is licensed under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.

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