[ASL-TUT Short Story]

"Mandate 8585 was signed into agreement by all world governments, five short years later, humans no longer interact in the Physical.
As technological dependency exponentially deepened in the late 21st century, humans routinely experienced strong reactions to the absence of human touch and authentic human relationship. These reactions were oftentimes violent and invariably disruptive to the Agendi.

World scientists poured billions into genetic research. What they discovered was that the need for human interaction was controlled by two alleles on a single genetic locus. Through genetic therapy they were able to successfully develop ways to manipulate and erase the chromosomal expression that beckoned for interfacing in the Physical.

Governments around the world hailed this treatment as a cure-all that would usher in a new age of utopia. The idea that harmony could be created by controlling all variables. A group known as the Agendum Initiative is sometimes credited for organizing this ideology into action.
Mandate 8585 begins with, "If something is predictable it can be controlled. You must only adjust for variables and manipulate outcome.” It follows with legalese concerning curfew and CloudLyfe. Simmered and boiled, it filters down to the following: Everyone must stay plugged in to the Cloud at all times, yet must disconnect from media consumption once every 14 hours.

This is a story of two souls floating in a world of silicon and static. This is a story of humanity, its resilience, its unfettered ability to reduce itself to simple cogs, yet exist as mind-numblingly complex wheels that habitually turn modern science on its head.

For as much as humans are predictable, for as many variables as you identify, there is mystery, caliber, and distinction in the emergent craftsmanship of humans."
- ewitty (huge nerd)