top of page

Beneath the Glass Skies

Anonymous

March 19, 2025

Beneath the Glass Skies

This image was generated with Dream Studio AI.

By 2040, Earth was unrecognizable. The scars of climate change had etched themselves across every continent. Rising seas had swallowed parts of coastal cities, while droughts and wildfires claimed once fertile lands. The Earth, though still beautiful, now bore an eerie, fractured majesty—an intricate mix of human resilience and nature's unrelenting wrath.

In New London, a sprawling megacity built atop the ruins of old London, a young woman named Lena tightened her augmented reality glasses and stepped outside. Above her, glass domes shimmered, shielding the city from the temperamental weather outside—acid rain, superstorms, and the occasional suffocating heatwave. These domes, known as Climate Bubbles, had become humanity's final defense against an environment it could no longer control.

Lena paused at the edge of the dome’s district barrier, watching workers in exoskeleton suits reinforce its joints. Beyond the translucent wall lay the Blightlands, a wasteland of dead soil, skeletal trees, and the ruins of smaller towns long abandoned. The land was barren, save for the scavenger drones zipping around to recover rare metals from old tech and the occasional crew of climate engineers planting carbon-absorbing bio-machines disguised as moss.

Life inside the domes was far from perfect. The air was clean, water was drinkable, and food was plentiful, though most of it came from vertical farms that spiraled skyward in shades of green and silver. But the economy was tightly controlled, dominated by mega-corporations that had stepped in to do what governments couldn't during the late 2020s. The tech giant Solaris ran everything from energy grids to public AI, its CEO seen as a messiah to some and a tyrant to others.

related stories

hallo
All together in peace
There is an artificial protective shell in the atmosphere, high above the earth. This protects living creatures from harmful conditions and keeps the climate at a constant 22 degrees Celsius. Movement is ensured by magnetic levitation trains and vehicles. Cars and motorcycles no longer exist. Everywhere there are vertical gardens that feed people. Farm animals no longer exist either. Most people work in research or in the gardens. All payment transactions are digital. People live in communities that correspond to their interests, i.e. family communities, sports communities, and a lot of value is placed on social interaction. I imagine a peaceful world without wars and without class differences. What counts is us, togetherness and life.
hallo
Bessere Welt
I hope that there will be no more wars and that all people can live together in peace. I wish for the environment to be better protected and for there to be no more pollution. I wish for animal welfare so that endangered species do not become extinct.
hallo
Sicherheit durch Überwachung
The personal security of every individual, be it physical or property security, is very important to me. That is why I would curtail the rights of every individual citizen and create a comprehensive database in which DNA and an encrypted numerical code would be stored immediately after birth. In the event of a crime, this database could be used to determine who was at the scene of the crime on the basis of items found (hair, blood.....). Even if data protectionists would be up in arms about it, such an anonymous and encrypted database would certainly be a major deterrent for potential criminals. For me personally, even a chip that everyone gets implanted would be a conceivable way of determining who was at the scene of the crime at the time. DNA samples can still be used to deny the time of the crime. Many, many crimes such as murder, assaults, burglaries and hit-and-runs could easily be solved. On the other hand, it can also be used to prove that a suspect is not guilty and convictions based on false "witness statements" or accusations could be refuted very easily. I am not a friend of surveillance, but if it serves security and is encrypted, then I am all for it.
hallo
perekond, lapsed ja julgeolek
There is no war in Europe. To this end, governments, with the support of the people, have taken the necessary decisions to ensure security and punish aggressors. These decisions have been enforced. On crucial issues for the EU, it is not consensus that is needed, but the support of a majority of member states. The cultures and customs of indigenous peoples are respected. These are legally protected and enforced. Along with security, family and children are recognised as areas of national importance. All national decisions are taken in the light of their impact on security and families, and subsequently on the wider economy and environment. Reducing regulations and state subsidies in the economy. We are moving towards a situation in which regulation must be justified only by exceptional need, and public subsidies are only available in the social sphere (emergency aid, welfare, etc.), education and culture. No tax will be levied on donations and activities that are voluntary. Europe has taken the initiative to develop a new organisation to replace the UN, bringing together the countries of the world and working on a predominantly voluntary basis. This organisation will also have its own enforcement mechanism. The nations of Europe will lead by example, first and foremost through their actions; the time for talk is over.
Join #OurFutures now!

The future is shaped by our ideas and our actions today. Tell us about your visions of the future and help us create a futures narrative aimed at inspiring citizens, policy-makers and foresight experts alike!

Our-futures-banner-coloured_v3.jpg

The European Commission support does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained.

ERA_logo.jpg

We support the European Research Area aimed at creating a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology in the EU.

©OurFutures 2025, All rights reserved.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
bottom of page