Chapter 1: The Great Transition

2025–2030: Automation swept through factories and offices. At first, chaos reigned. Labor unions staged strikes that halted production; protests turned violent when robots crushed picket lines. Drone patrols enforced curfews, and crowds hurled rocks at assembly plants. Governments declared states of emergency, deploying security AIs to quell unrest — yet discontent only spread.

2030–2040: To placate the masses, authorities introduced heavy subsidies for personal service bots. Displaced workers received transition credits to buy robots that took their old jobs — shopkeeping, deliveries, even skilled trades. For a decade, robot ownership boomed and industrial output soared. But as bots replaced every task, people found themselves idle, disconnected from purpose.