Beyond Soylent Green 2050

By Michael D'Agostino and Danny D'Agostino

   The story predicts the future of the USA in the year 2050.  In the age of flying cars and 3D holographic telephones, the Union of the United States will radically change, producing winners, and losers - by the millions, the latter largely the underrepresented and the vulnerable.  "Beyond Soylent Green 2050" predicts the outcome in stark terms, the consequence of years of broken government and partisan conflict.  Be forewarned:  the story is an adventure of surprises and events that may shock readers.  Some will argue it is not science fiction at all, but a realistic depiction of what lies ahead for the USA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael and Danny D'Agostino
• Release date: Apr 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386854180

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BEYOND SOYLENT GREEN

2050

MICHAEL and DANNY D'AGOSTINO

Copyright 2019 by Michael and Danny D'Agostino

All rights reserved.  This novel remains the copyrighted property of the authors, and may not be copied and/or redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes.  Copyright excludes stock photos.  If you enjoyed reading this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer.  Thank you for reading this novel and for your support.

Disclaimer:   The following story and characters therein are entirely fictional.  Any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental and unintended.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter I . . . . . . . . The Rebels

Chapter II . . . . . . . The Mission

Chapter III . . . . . . Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

Chapter IV . . . . . . Regenville

Chapter V . . . . . . . What Comes Around Goes Around

Chapter VI . . . . . . Election Day

HUD Data, Homelessness in the USA

About The Authors

PROLOGUE

Land of the free, Home of the brave, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.  Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. 

These are stirring words, inspiring phrases.  They reflect our ideals as Americans, our convictions, our values.  As kids, we pledged allegiance to the flag every day in school.  But there is a huge difference between wonderful patriotic phrases, lyrics, and reality.  Over time, reality bends and distorts ideals.  Economic inequities, profound cultural and political differences can destroy any nation.  In the wake of these struggles are the underrepresented and the vulnerable.  For them the impact can be considerably harsh.

As the history of the USA evolved deep into the 21st century, all the promise and dedication and sacrifices of the generations from the beginning, from the settlers to modern Americans, seemed wasted - some say, even for naught.  If the first settlers in Jamestown had any notion of how it ultimately turned out, they might have packed up their belongings and sailed back home to England.

But to be honest, the demise of the USA was not solely due to the behavior of Americans.  It wasn’t just America’s fault.  In the beginning of the 21st century, the entire world woefully underestimated the impact of global warming, that ultimately devastated large areas of the USA, Europe, and Africa.  In just a quarter of a century beyond 2020, large sections of the South and Southwestern USA became an economic dead zone.  Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, and westward to California, experienced sweltering summers lasting up to five months, with day-time temperatures often reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Much of the South and Southwest was made barren by drought, dust storms, brush fires, and freakish winds.  The West Coast was especially harmed.  And of course, a full quarter of Florida sat submerged under water, as was predicted. 

Generations of Americans fled north.  Enormous populations were forced to migrate.  Factory after factory, whole industries, had to uproot and relocate to the northern states as well.  Predictably, the result was a long, stubborn recession and a stock market that stalled for years.

But that is just the beginning of the story.  By 2042, tens of millions of illegal migrants from Central and South America, huge populations, moved to California because the state had earlier declared itself a sanctuary state in 2018.  The entire state became a sanctuary zone for illegal aliens.  By this time all California residents, regardless of their legal status, were given the right to vote in local and federal elections, in direct violation of the U.S. constitution.  California completely abandoned the concept of U.S. citizenship.  Through the years California politicians never wavered in their support for totally open borders and unregulated, laissez-faire voting rights.  This disregard of the U.S. constitution by California lawmakers angered the vast majority of federal politicians.

So in 2043, the union of the United States, fed up with California’s flagrant disregard of U.S. law, voted to expel California from the Union.  The map of the USA was redrawn to exclude California.  The western border of the USA was set along the dead zone at California’s eastern border. 

California became its own country.

To be more specific, at the federal level, the tipping point came in 2038 when the budget of the USA could no longer support social security and the weight of entitlement programs, plus huge interest charges on federal debt.  Budget deficits were crushing.  Monies simply ran out.  When politicians in Washington moved to end social security and Medicare, California successfully used the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to block the elimination of these programs, plunging the nation into fiscal chaos. 

Upon eviction of California from the USA in 2043, Californians ran into the streets, celebrating and staging impromptu parades.  They were delirious.  They finally achieved their long held goal of the independent nation of California.  The states of Illinois and New York initially sided with California, but ultimately decided to withdraw their support and stay in the Union, for fear of economic retribution.  New York and Illinois had little choice but to support the Union; they too were in poor economic shape.  

By 2050 massive concrete walls, one-hundred feet high and twenty feet thick, patrolled by laser equipped drones, surrounded the entire United States.  These walls were intended to defend the nation from infiltrators, terrorists, drug cartels, human traffickers, and illegal migrants.  No person was permitted in or out of the country without applying for a passport, which could take up to three years to be granted.  All people over the age of 59 were barred from entry into the USA.

By then, drastic changes were implemented to rescue the economy.  The ruling elite, convinced they had no choice, decided to eliminate all remaining entitlement and social welfare programs.  Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, were all abolished in the United States.  All medical care was supported by private insurance plans and providers.  If one needed medical attention of any kind, he or she was required to see a private physician.  And all of your healthcare fees were directed to your insurance carrier, if you had one.  In plain words, don’t call the government.  Government was out of the business of health care, entirely. 

More reaching, and extremely harsh, the decision was made to implant in every newborn and every citizen, a digital chip to verify age and location.  This chip implantation program served as the basic tool for a new innovative program that had dreadful consequences for every citizen turning 60 years of age.

CHAPTER I

The Rebels

We turn our attention to a scenic, charming neighborhood in the Midwest, a cul-de-sac garnished with lush manicured lawns and well-kept, impressive homes.  Green is everywhere. 

It is a November afternoon. 

The temperature is a warm 70 degrees.  Children are riding their bicycles and playing outside.  Huddled in a tree is a family of cardinals, chirping and gazing curiously at the children.  Middle-aged and young adults are mowing their lawns, happily applying Soylent Green brand fertilizer, and admiring the product of their work. 

In his driveway, one resident is polishing his brand new TF-X flying car.  At a distance, the neighborhood appears to be picture perfect, an example of a successful, contented community.

Suddenly, the children hear a faint but pleasant melody of a toy piano.  The adults immediately recognize it as the familiar tune, Turkey in the Straw.  They’re right. 

A rather large step van entered the cul-de-sac roadway.  It was pleasing to the eyes, to say the least, painted all white with cute red, white, and blue stripes and highlighted with a polished front bumper.  There were no markings on the side of the approaching van revealing its identity, only a front license plate that read, SGEA.  Turkey in the Straw chimed delightfully from a small speaker atop the truck. 

At first the adults in the neighborhood thought it was an ice cream truck, like the ol’ days.  It certainly looked and sounded like an ice cream truck, but neighbors knew better, even the kids.  When they saw the van turning into the cul- de- sac, everyone, including children playing, paused for a moment, stared at the vehicle with curious, stoic faces, and then continued with their activities.  Most understood that this is not a happy-truck entering the neighborhood for entertainment of the kids.   

The truck calmly parked directly in front of one homes on the far side of the cul-de-sac. 

Turkey in the Straw played on.

Two men dressed in colorful uniforms exited the vehicle and entered the home.  Minutes later, they appeared to be forcefully removing a male, Henry Bernard, known to be the owner of the home, in front of the entire small community.  Mr. Bernard objected, pleading frantically, As God is my witness, you got the wrong man!  You want my brother!  He is older than I am!  I’m not Henry Bernard!  Please, listen to me!  Please! 

One of the two men held Henry firmly while the other inspected Henry’s face, carefully.

Henry continued stammering, I tell you I’m only forty-five years old!  I am!  You don’t know what you are doing!  I will call the police!

We are the police! replied the first agent.

It didn’t take long before the man inspecting Henry’s face detected a seam at the nape of Henry’s neck.  Carefully, he discovered and removed a barely perceivable latex mask from Henry’s face. 

For the first time, all those looking on saw the real Henry Bernard, an older fellow, much older than he normally appeared, his face wrinkled and worn, his  forehead furrowed by age.  This is