They've built beaches which are better than beaches; made indoor ski slopes more skiiy than any real slope; developed indoor seas that make the set of the Truman show pale in comparison and all this was 'merely the beginning' (as Sean Connery once said in an awful movie about controlling the weather).
Having successfully reshaped the land, the Japanese are ready to improve what walks on it, not to mention what swims in its now perfectly controlled oceans.
Members: Yumiko (15 year old Junior High School Student)
Mr. Tanaka (47 years old, Honda employee - currently in cryogenic storage)
Mrs. Tanaka (45 years old, TV chef - currently in cryogenic storage)
Active members: Yumiko (human, see above)
Wabian (humanoid replacement for Mr. Tanaka)
Hadaly (humanoid replacement for Mrs. Tanaka)
The Tanakas are one of the many families in Japan who have embraced
the new technology whole-heartedly.
They used to have a real dog, but it ate the furniture, scratched the
floor, and they were forever picking up pesky hairs and suffering from
allergies. Then they met AIbo. Now this was a proper dog - you could train
it, it was loyal, it followed you round and played 'fetch' but it didn't
have all the drawbacks of a mammal. Yumiko cuddled the little guy, looked
into his IR port and fell in love. He was part of the family.
There was no looking back. Soon, they replaced the cat and the fish.
Then they discovered a huge advantage of keeping AInimals. There was no
need to restrict the choice to traditional household pets. The could keep
anything - no feeding, no mess, no allergies, no fuss.
Yumiko was delighted when Mr. Tanaka came home one day with a new horse.
Hours of healthy, clean fun.
Then came the AIpe. The whole family would gaze in amazement as the
little guy swung his way round the house and garden.
 RoboMonkey |
Mr & Mrs Tanaka loved seeing Yumiko so happy, but they were growing old and found it hard to keep up. In another country they would have retirement to look forward to, but not so in job-for-life Japan. The solution was obvious. They needed a better version of themselves. Without telling Yumiko, they arranged to have their bodies put into cryogenic freeze until such times as they can make better humans.
The lovely Hadaly making a lovely yellow cAIke . Doesn't the green one look good too readers! |
Enter Wabian and Hadaly, Mr and Mrs Tanaka's replacements. They have seamlessly filled the shoes of their human fore-bearers, so well in fact that no-one has noticed. The viewers of Mrs Tanaka's cookery program, the staff at Honda, even Yumiko; all have failed to notice the switch. Yumiko is delighted that her parents have so much energy and are embracing the new technology. Indeed, coincidentally, Mr Tanaka's boss at Honda has made the same decision, and has been replaced by a top of the range AIndroid. Wabian's only complaint is that his boss fancies himself as a bit of a Buzz Lightyear, and the light beaming from his right shoulder is a little off-putting during meetings.
As we enter the 21st century, we see that the Japanese are already there,
with their heated loos, bullet trains and cyborg families. But let's not
forget a very important aspect of the world even in these modern times
- culture. Customs and traditions still play a vital part in what makes
us who we are. So let's continue the homestay programs, the school exchanges,
but equip our children with the tools they need to survive in a changing
world. Namely, an international adaptor. Culture shock is as real today
as it was in the past, in fact it's about 100 Volts realer!
Yumiko the human doesn't mind having cybo-parents; she gets to play
with all the wonderful AInimals.
EquAIstrian fun...
...and a big scary pAIke
Wabian's boss, at Honda, complete with annoying Buzz Lightyear shoulder
laser.
Wabian's off to the ball game - go team go!
Hurry home for that cake now.