The Date: 4 years since the invention of ASP
 
 
CHapter 1
 
Lynne looked at the sea of faces seated before her. "Becky"? she announced. A movement in one of the rows began, as a young woman stood up and separated herself from the crowd, moving toward Lynne. Becky was average height, a little overweight, adequately but not well groomed and dressed in dark clothing that made her look kind of frumpy. Fairly typical for a girl in her mid-twenties who had been unemployed f

The Date: 4 years since the invention of ASP
 
 
CHapter 1
 
Lynne looked at the sea of faces seated before her. "Becky"? she announced. A movement in one of the rows began, as a young woman stood up and separated herself from the crowd, moving toward Lynne. Becky was average height, a little overweight, adequately but not well groomed and dressed in dark clothing that made her look kind of frumpy. Fairly typical for a girl in her mid-twenties who had been unemployed f

In the not-too-distant future...
 
Sweeping changes had occurred over the past few decades within society at large. Large reforms had been made in social policy, such as the legalisation of drugs and prostitution (rather synically done in order to turn former criminals into taxpayers), and the recognition of gay marriage (also polygamy, thanks to lobbying by certain religious pressure groups). The concept of the welfare state was still strong, however, and government debt was as high as ev

In the not-too-distant future...
 
Sweeping changes had occurred over the past few decades within society at large. Large reforms had been made in social policy, such as the legalisation of drugs and prostitution (rather synically done in order to turn former criminals into taxpayers), and the recognition of gay marriage (also polygamy, thanks to lobbying by certain religious pressure groups). The concept of the welfare state was still strong, however, and government debt was as high as ev