8 posts tagged with "Technological Alienation"

Xiaofang recently felt that something was a little off.

Old Li tightened his thermal suit. The HUD screen on his helmet displayed the "Deep Space Express" logo and the package number he was delivering today: DS-742. The cold wind blew across the few sparse whiskers he had recently grown on his face, bringing a stinging sensation. He muttered, "This damn weather, when will it ever end?"

He was in a city that had been transformed beyond recognition by technology. Towering metal buildings resembled cold, monstrous beasts, and the air was filled with a faint odor of disinfectant. There were no cars on the ground, only automatic skateboards and aerial tracks, while Old Li was riding an old electric scooter, which looked out of place.

Old Wang had worked at the "bleaching" factory for twenty years. This wasn't a laundry factory; it was an institution dedicated to serving humanity. Every morning, he would see batches of "faded" humans being brought in. Some had their memories erased due to work errors, others had their emotional experiences wiped away due to relationship problems, and some simply wanted to restart their lives like a blank sheet of paper.

The "bleaching" process was very simple, like re-coloring an old photograph, except the subject was a person. They were taken into large white chambers, and with a slight electrical hum and the low whir of machinery, it was all over.

Old Zhao once again saw those familiar, cold Chinese characters on the 12306 interface: "Insufficient tickets." He sighed and skillfully opened a third-party ticket-grabbing software. Sure enough, the glaring four words "Ample Tickets Available" mocked him.

This was not the first time. Every Spring Festival travel season, Old Zhao had to experience this "mystical" ticket purchasing process. He couldn't understand it. If 12306 clearly showed no tickets available, where did these third-party platforms get their "extra tickets?" Did they possess some mysterious black technology?

"Welcome to Mr. Ostrich's live stream!"

Old Wang has recently become obsessed with "life-extending blind boxes."

It’s not that he’s particularly afraid of death, but lately, he’s been seeing red and white advertisements everywhere - on the subway, in the elevators, even on his own toilet seat: “Life balance insufficient? Don't panic, blind boxes are here to help!” The accompanying picture is a metallic, gleaming cube, mysterious and alluring.

Old Liu's biggest hobby after retirement is to wander around the farmers market at the entrance of his neighborhood every afternoon, picking out some fresh goodies. Recently, he's become obsessed with cherries. Those bright red fruits are just delightful to look at. But something feels off to him.

Li Ming posted a moment, the content of which was very simple: The weather is really nice today.