Midday.

The huge metropolis, usually bustling with activity seemed to be at a standstill. The atmosphere was tense and a buzzing could be heard if one listened closely enough. The sky, a brilliant shade of blue, masked by faint plumes of grey smoke could be observed.

Everyone was gathered at the city square, their eyes averted towards the enormous black screen. Traffic was at a standstill. Cab drivers in their yellow cars halted, their passengers also facing the screen with no knowledge that their fare was slowly rising by the minute.

The year was 2052AD. Election year.

After a hectic night with the possibility of losing the election, the current president had a surge of voters, thus maintaining another presidential term. In the early hours of the morning, he was delivered this news.

At noon today, he would deliver his speech.

In the midst of the crowd, a man stood. The sun, at its zenith, cast harsh rays of light and heat directly onto his face. He raised his hand and wiped the perspiration from his forehead, keeping his hand there to shield his eyes from the light.

Suddenly, the screen flicked, revealing the presidential logo on a black background. People started to cheer and applaud. The man did neither.

The logo disappeared. In its place was now a man in his 50's. His face was pale and had grey hair, tinged with areas of brown, a memory of this youth. Wrinkles lightly lined his face, especially around his cold blue eyes.

The president opened his mouth to speak:

"Good afternoon, citizens. Today will go down in history as a day where..."

The man in the crowed tuned out. He had no care for presidents, especially this one.

"...the many things this government will do is reduce the funding for the police force, reducing it to one car. We have listened to your concerns. The will now be put to better use, specifically, investing in newer technologies, such as expanding the functions and uses of viewing screens. We will ensure that everyone in this state will have access to them by..."

This is something new, the man thought.

The president continued:

"...however, in the light of such technology, comes bad. We are all aware of the growing trend of identity theft and the implications related to it. That is why we are now promising to implement a new policy that will ensure your safety from this crime. Research into this new measure is happening now as we speak..."

The year was 2053AD. Last year, the man would have been taking a relaxing stroll in the evening. Now all he did at night was glue his eyes to his viewing screen, watching aimlessly. He remembered he used to enjoy watching shows here and there, but now it had become a habit. He would turn the screen on immediately when he came home from work.

There was no more enjoyment.

Only pure addiction remained.

The man sealed an envelope shut. In it contained a flash drive containing all his personal details and information. It was government policy to send these off to them. In the man's mind something about identity theft prevention clicked, but he didn't really care.

He was just an empty shell now. Nothing matter to him.

Nothing except TV.

He fixed his eyes back on the screen.

Outside his house, there was man walking. A flash of light appeared. It was the lone police car.

"Stand still. Stay where you are! Don't move!"

The man's mind didn't register this. He continued to watch the viewing screen.