Read Online Manna: Two Visions of Humanity's Future by Marshall Brain - Free Book Online
Authors: Marshall Brain
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impossible to tell what was happening.
But I could feel the car accelerate briskly. Three or four minutes
later I could feel it decelerate. The door popped open and we stepped
out, through an archway and into the lobby of an enormous building.
From
the lobby to the roof there was an open atrium at least 70 stories
tall. The roof overhead was glass. Around the sides of the atrium
were balconies with plants streaming down, and then off the balconies
were thousands of rooms. It gave you an incredible feeling of light
and volume, and with the plants it was beautiful.
"This
is where you'll both be staying during the orientation," Linda
said to Burt and me. We walked a short distance and stepped into one
of the glass elevators that ran up one of the corners of the atrium.
There were no buttons inside the elevator, but it stopped on a floor
and we got out. We walked a short distance to a door that had Burt's
name on it. The door opened and Burt and Cynthia walked in. Linda and
I walked to the next room, which had my name on it, and entered.
It
was an amazing suite. As the door opened, I looked across a
remarkably nice living room and out through a floor-to-ceiling window
that showed a panoramic view of the landscape. To my left was a small
kitchen, to my right a short hallway which opened into a bedroom. I
walked toward the window to absorb the view. About a mile away was a
line of glass buildings, apparently identical to the one I was
standing in. On the ground between me and that line of buildings were
forests, gardens, parks, lakes, trails, streams. I could see people
riding bicycles, kayaking in a river, walking. Off to one side I
could see what appeared to be an amusement park and a stadium.
I
looked around the apartment. It was hard to believe, but yesterday I
was living in Terrafoam with no way out. Now I was living in what
appeared to be a 600 square foot suite at a 5-star luxury hotel.
Everything in the room was perfect. There was a basket of fruit and
munchies sitting on the coffee table, and fresh flowers on the
credenza. I opened the card in the flowers, "Here's to your
life! Love, Linda"
Linda
said, "The orientation is going to start in about an hour. Why
don't you take a shower and change your clothes. I'll relax here."
She sank into one of the chairs in the living room and closed her
eyes.
When
I was through with my shower, I found my closet filled with clothes
that all appeared to fit perfectly. I picked an outfit and put it on.
Walking into the living room I smelled food, which was a good thing
because I was starving.
"How
do I look?" I asked.
"Fabulous!"
she said. "Very trendy. I got something for us" It was a
extraordinary meal, although I had no idea where it came from.
"Today
is going to be an interesting day for you," she said. "It
will also feel a little odd. You've got the time zone change. You are
in a completely different country. There are many new things for you
to absorb. I just want you to relax and let the day flow. If you get
tired, let me know. But I doubt you will get tired today. You had a
good sleep on the plane. Let's get going."
We
took the elevator down, past the lobby and then below it. We got off
and entered a large auditorium with hundreds of other people
streaming in as well. Linda led us to a pair of seats and Burt and
Cynthia were already there. The presentation started about three
minutes after we arrived.
The
first presentation was remarkable, and it kicked off a series of
events over two days. These events combined 3D, sound, live speakers,
musical performances, tours, and testimonials to create an extremely
powerful production. It was one of the most inspirational things I
had ever seen or heard. I learned a number of details. For example, I
learned where we were located on the continent of Australia. I
learned that we would be living here for six weeks during the
orientation process. I learned that currently about 400,000 new
residents were arriving in Australia every day.
But I could feel the car accelerate briskly. Three or four minutes
later I could feel it decelerate. The door popped open and we stepped
out, through an archway and into the lobby of an enormous building.
From
the lobby to the roof there was an open atrium at least 70 stories
tall. The roof overhead was glass. Around the sides of the atrium
were balconies with plants streaming down, and then off the balconies
were thousands of rooms. It gave you an incredible feeling of light
and volume, and with the plants it was beautiful.
"This
is where you'll both be staying during the orientation," Linda
said to Burt and me. We walked a short distance and stepped into one
of the glass elevators that ran up one of the corners of the atrium.
There were no buttons inside the elevator, but it stopped on a floor
and we got out. We walked a short distance to a door that had Burt's
name on it. The door opened and Burt and Cynthia walked in. Linda and
I walked to the next room, which had my name on it, and entered.
It
was an amazing suite. As the door opened, I looked across a
remarkably nice living room and out through a floor-to-ceiling window
that showed a panoramic view of the landscape. To my left was a small
kitchen, to my right a short hallway which opened into a bedroom. I
walked toward the window to absorb the view. About a mile away was a
line of glass buildings, apparently identical to the one I was
standing in. On the ground between me and that line of buildings were
forests, gardens, parks, lakes, trails, streams. I could see people
riding bicycles, kayaking in a river, walking. Off to one side I
could see what appeared to be an amusement park and a stadium.
I
looked around the apartment. It was hard to believe, but yesterday I
was living in Terrafoam with no way out. Now I was living in what
appeared to be a 600 square foot suite at a 5-star luxury hotel.
Everything in the room was perfect. There was a basket of fruit and
munchies sitting on the coffee table, and fresh flowers on the
credenza. I opened the card in the flowers, "Here's to your
life! Love, Linda"
Linda
said, "The orientation is going to start in about an hour. Why
don't you take a shower and change your clothes. I'll relax here."
She sank into one of the chairs in the living room and closed her
eyes.
When
I was through with my shower, I found my closet filled with clothes
that all appeared to fit perfectly. I picked an outfit and put it on.
Walking into the living room I smelled food, which was a good thing
because I was starving.
"How
do I look?" I asked.
"Fabulous!"
she said. "Very trendy. I got something for us" It was a
extraordinary meal, although I had no idea where it came from.
"Today
is going to be an interesting day for you," she said. "It
will also feel a little odd. You've got the time zone change. You are
in a completely different country. There are many new things for you
to absorb. I just want you to relax and let the day flow. If you get
tired, let me know. But I doubt you will get tired today. You had a
good sleep on the plane. Let's get going."
We
took the elevator down, past the lobby and then below it. We got off
and entered a large auditorium with hundreds of other people
streaming in as well. Linda led us to a pair of seats and Burt and
Cynthia were already there. The presentation started about three
minutes after we arrived.
The
first presentation was remarkable, and it kicked off a series of
events over two days. These events combined 3D, sound, live speakers,
musical performances, tours, and testimonials to create an extremely
powerful production. It was one of the most inspirational things I
had ever seen or heard. I learned a number of details. For example, I
learned where we were located on the continent of Australia. I
learned that we would be living here for six weeks during the
orientation process. I learned that currently about 400,000 new
residents were arriving in Australia every day.
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