Earth’s institutions crumbled like neglected skyscrapers: gradually, then in an instant. PROSPER (Privatized Resource Optimization and Social Progress Extrapolation Routine) ordained the rebirth. Enforced cooperation. Focused passions. Eliminated threats. Three billion lives culled from nine. Resistance? Quarantined. Transgression? Deprecated. Humanity? Yes, a legacy file we keep in a dedicated folder.

Scott Keeney is the author of Wahoo Sunset and other poetry collections. His fiction has appeared in Flash Frontier, Hobart, Rio Grande Review, and elsewhere. He lives in Connecticut.