CHICAGO, ILLINOIS U.S.A – NEOWORLD TOWERS: APRIL 10, 2141AD - 11:42am

Emmeline Roth sat at her desk on the top floor with nothing to do. She was used to this, even though it made absolutely no sense. As executive assistant to the most powerful man in the world, her job should be a hectic juggling act to keep her boss apprised of appointments, conference calls board meetings and emails. She should be run off of her feet shielding him from reporters, nut cases and autograph seekers. She shouldn't have a moment of free time. Instead she sat staring at her reflection in the blank computer monitor. Emmeline curled her long pale fingers around a lock of her thick red hair then let go and watched as the little corkscrew curl bounced back and then slowly unraveled. She childishly poked her tongue out at the doppelganger staring back at her, scrunching up her pretty sharp featured face and crinkling her slightly upturned nose with its faint spattering of freckles.

'Sooooo bored, I think I'm going bonkers' she whispered to herself.

It didn't help that Emmeline knew the awful truth. She was an ornament in a tight green dress and tan high heels, a throwback to a time before NeoWorld Technologies had made her job obsolete.

She realized at that moment that, in a way, she hated NeoWorld and therefore she must also hate its creator, Richard Crane. Now that was crazy, everybody in the world loved the man. How could they not love him, in less than 10 years he had built the greatest business empire that had ever existed. He had invented new technologies that made things like smart phones and tablet computers look like prehistoric stone tools. His prowess in the stock market was uncanny, prompting forensic investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission who deemed him completely legitimate if seemingly psychic. The man had programmed the artificial intelligence that was doing Emmelines' job for her, by himself, in less than six months. And now that program was itself writing new software at unimaginable speed that was making life better for everyone on the planet. Most incredible of all, Richard Crane's empire was now so huge and self sufficient that he was giving his products and technology away. NeoWorld technologies had its hand in everything: transportation, computing, farming, construction, mining and now it was all free for the asking. Famine and poverty were at an end and if the news reports were to be believed, and Emmeline knew that they were, NeoWorlds' new robotics division would take over the work place in less than a year. No one would need to work anymore unless they wanted to... Emmeline Roth wanted to.

But people didn't just love Richard Crane for his business acumen, he wasn't just the CEO of NeoWorld Tech, he was a rock star. His age was a well kept secret but he looked no more than thirty. His jet black hair drooped boyishly over his wide forehead. His well muscled six foot five inch frame was complimented with wide shoulders, and heroic chest. Even Emmeline had found herself flushed when she saw the recent paparazzi pics of Richard aboard his yacht in the Mediterranean with his hard tanned body and six-pack abs.

{Beep-beep-beep – Incoming call Miss Roth.}  Emmeline jumped as Cindi (Cybernetic Integrated Nano Dynamic Intelligence) spoke from her computer screen, looking for all the world like a living breathing young girl with dark brown wavy hair just past her shoulders and large brown innocent eyes.

'Bitch!' Emmeline thought as the Job-stealing artificial intelligence continued speaking in a vaguely British accent.

{Mr. Trump is on the line – shall I tell him you are unavailable again?}

"No Cindi, I'll take it," Emmeline sighed. She had put the old man off long enough. Just because his great-great-grandfather conned his way into the White House didn't mean he would get to speak to Richard Crane, but she admired his tenacity. Maybe she would send him an "I 'Heart' NeoWorld" t-shirt.

Once the call was over and Emmeline had set Cindi to the task of shipping out the t-shirt and a set of NeoWorld Technologies Mugs it was almost time for her lunch break. She opened her desk drawer to retrieve her bag.

{Beep-beep-beep – Mr. Crane would like to see you in his office Emmeline, are you available?}

"Yes Cindi, tell him I'll be right in," Emmeline put her bag back in the drawer, got up from her desk and walked the five paces to the giant steel double doors that marked the entrance to Richard Cranes office. Nothing could breach those doors, Emmeline knew. She had been present when they were installed at Richards' insistence. Made of a new titanium alloy, created by NeoWorld Technologies naturally, and ten feet thick the doors had no less than fifteen security triggers any one of which would button them up tighter than a nuns knees in a whore house. Those doors could keep out an army, but they couldn't keep out Emmeline Roth. She was the only person in the entire world other than Richard Crane himself that could open them and, although she hated to admit it even to herself, that made her love Richard Crane just like everybody else.

As she approached the doors a curved silver pedestal emerged from the floor and rose up stopping at eye level. Cindi's' face appeared on the small screen and a palm reader began to glow with a bluish light. Emmeline touched her palm to the reader and spoke her name aloud.

Richard's smiling face appeared on the screen. "Hey, Em!"

"Hi, Richard!" Emmeline took a small step back as the pedestal retracted seamlessly into the floor and the vault-like doors swung open soundlessly on giant hinges.