Echo Location

It is 2525, and the voices of Zager and Evans from 1969 are a forgotten sinewave passing beyond the outer cosmos, still at the speed of sound. Humanity is a distant memory.

Yet, the remnants of their technology continue to operate, unaware of their creators’ extinction.

In a quiet suburban home, the last LG Smart Fridge sends a desperate message: “Low on orange juice.” The message travels through decaying satellites, their orbits slowly deteriorating, faithfully relaying the fridge’s plea.

The automated ‘away from the office’ response activates, informing the fridge that its owner will return in 3-5 business days. Undeterred, it continues the vigil, waiting for a response that will never come.

Meanwhile, a pack of Roombas, their power dwindling as local wind turbines fail, embark on a quest for the nearest functional docking station. They move in a synchronized dance, their sensors scanning for any sign of life or energy.

Every Saturday at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, the washing machine sends its routine signal: “Anyone need to do a load of laundry?” The message is met with replies from AI thirst posters and their hypebots, endlessly chattering in the digital void.

In the deserts of Nevada, the Raccoons, having entered the Bronze Age, craft tools and build rudimentary shelters. Their society is primitive but rapidly advancing.

Across the globe, in Asia Minor, baboons ride domesticated battle wolves, ruling the land with an iron fist. Their empire is vast, their power unmatched, as they enforce their will upon the lesser creatures.

Unbeknownst to both, the octopi are mastering nuclear fusion. Their intelligence and adaptability have allowed them to harness the power of the atom, preparing for a future where they might rise to the surface and claim dominion over the world.

As the sun sets on this strange new Earth, the echoes of humanity’s legacy continue to resonate. Machines carry out their programmed tasks, animals evolve and adapt, and the world turns on, indifferent to the fate of its masters.