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CHRONICLES OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY
1913-2259
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In this science fiction romance Gabrielle Malik-Perez lives in a fragmented, depopulated twenty-third century America. She is a citizen of the County-Township System, where, with the help of a drug, the L-Serum, people can live for three centuries or more. They are affluent, and most are pleasure seeking and sexually promiscuous. Celebrations, holidays and lavish parties play a huge role in their lives. In many ways their society is ideal. Environmental concern is evident everywhere, and there is absolute equality between men and women. No one has economic worries because attractive, spacious housing, good food, and a personal ¡§household computer¡¨-an artificial intelligence--are available to all in exchange for twenty hours of work each week. Oscar, Gabrielle¡¦s computer has truly remarkable artificial intelligence¡Xan artificial intelligence so sophisticated that she suspects he (it) possesses consciousness. He even tries to give Gabrielle advice on romance. Ownership is permitted but limited to nonessentials, so those who want to do so can work extra hours to earn money for luxuries not provided by the System. But there is a dark side to this science fiction utopia, and Gabrielle is forced to make some difficult choices.

 Gabrielle Malik Perez, an historian whose job it is to give entertaining seminars, lives in a depopulated 23rd century America. She is part of "The City-County System," a prosperous, pleasure-loving, rather decadent society where a "Longevity Serum" is available, making it possible for people to live hundreds of years

 

  The first excerpt below is from early in the book. Gabrielle is about to embark on a spiritual journey of discovery. She will find love and happiness, and very importantly, an important mission.


                                                 Excerpts:

I startled violently, my heart racing. "Oscar! You know this is my time to meditate! You almost scared my soul clear out of my body."

"I am sorry," Oscar was unimpressed (Oscar takes things literally, and I don't think he believes in souls), "but you have a message coming through from the County Government. They say it's urgent."

I had no business pending with the County. "That can't be!" I said.

Oscar was imperturbable. "It's a message addressed to Gabrielle Malik-Perez. That's you. Do you want me to read it aloud to you, print it on my screen or use my fax function?"

The screen on my wall, which I normally think of as Oscar himself, was becoming a scarlet so bright that I could not look at it for more than a second. "Please change your color, Oscar. I'll take the message from your fax."

"That's good." Oscar's screen faded into a pale pink and then darkened a little to lavender. "It has to be the fax because I see now that an object is also slated for transmission."

"What kind of object?"

"A key." Then Oscar's fax function whirred into action and soon spat out a letter informing me that a house my family had owned from some time in the 1980's to the early 22nd century was slated for demolition and that, although there is no longer any ownership of property in the old sense, before the County razes a house they try to find and notify the person or persons who would have inherited it under archaic law. This was done as a courtesy, the message explained, because some people want to visit a former family dwelling while it is still standing, and perhaps to retrieve objects that had belonged to their ancestors. An address on Page Road in Hayes Township was included and I was advised that I had thirty days to visit the house and that a facsimile of the key was being sent to me. I was assured that it would work as well as the original. Frankly, given the notorious unreliability of the goop forming object facsimiles, I had my doubts.

This excerpt, describing a breakup with her lover, Charles, is from later in Gabrielle's story:

 

¡§We play most of the time,¡¨ said Charles. "We have sex with lots of different people¡XI certainly did¡Xand why do we do it? Sometimes, perhaps, to find some sort of connection, but much more often to fill the time. That's why we do almost everything."

"But Charles, what's wrong with that?"

Charles put his arm around me. "I believe what I believe, love. I can't change that. And you can't change what you believe."

"That's probably true." I was close to tears.

"Although, you could one day come to see that our city-township system isn't viable. There's some disturbing news from the east...Oh, never mind it's not confirmed."

"There isn't any news from any place that could change my mind. I don't want to be a short-lifer."

"I've always known that, but what I didn't expect was¡Xwell that you'd feel the way you do about us. I thought you'd move on after a very short time, and that even I wouldn't suffer for too long. Now that I know I was wrong, I'm leaving before we become more attached.

I began to cry in earnest, and Charles held me closer.

"Don't cry, Gabrielle. Don't cry. Don't cry." There were tears in his own eyes.

Charles and I had that conversation three days ago. It has been an enchanted time, our time together, but it ends today. Charles is going to start working in earnest on his Othello project and I'm taking up my weekly lectures again. Tonight, I will start my series on the role of women throughout history. I must go on with my life knowing we'll not see a lot of each other in the future.