Science Fiction
Date Published: December 3, 2024
2025 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction
“A musing science fiction novel about the future of AI, Anticipation Day follows a group of friends as they try to improve their lives through government-sanctioned fantasies." —Foreword Clarion Reviews
“A boundary-pushing plunge into a vividly imagined future, Anticipation Day poses powerful questions about identity, the human experience, and our digital destiny as a species, resulting in a provocative mixture of Black Mirror and The Surge.” —The Independent Review of Books
In the summer of 2026, amidst the sights and sounds of one of the oldest pubs in London, Dr. Joshua Lee receives a call that will alter his life for the foreseeable future—he’s asked to work on a clandestine project that will transform every American’s way of life.
Six years later, amidst the steel and glass canyons of the Denver suburbs, a group of friends assemble for dinner the night before their first escape into Anticipation Day, an immersive simulated experience that is promised to be an annual respite from the daily grind.
Amongst this group of friends are Alexandra, Eric, Patrick, Mike and MaryAnne, each at inflection points in their lives and each with their own life scars and unrealized dreams. As they prepare to plug into the simulation, they are forced to confront their own fears and desires, all while interfacing with their chosen simulated experience, blurring the lines between reality and the artificial dreamscape.
These experiences force the group to confront their deepest fears, chase exclusive happiness, and unlock truths buried within their souls. As they delve deeper into the algorithmic labyrinth, more truths about their existence are fully revealed.
However, the question begs: Will their journey lead to salvation, or will it unravel the very fabric of their existence?
Join this eclectic band of suburbanites as they look for meaning amidst the chaos of the digital age. Anticipation Day beckons, but not everything is as is seems in this electrifying tale of urban futurism.
CHAPTER 1
THE
SLEEPLESS NIGHT
March 14, 2030
Dr. Joshua Lee rolled onto his back and stared at the
ceiling. It was impossible to go back to sleep. He sighed and asked his virtual
assistant, Sylvia, what time it was. Her response didn’t help: “Good morning,
Joshua. It is 4:33 a.m. local time, 6:33 p.m. Sydney time. Would you like me to
summarize your upcoming day?”
“God no,” Joshua mumbled.
“Alright, Joshua. Please let me know if you need anything,”
Sylvia replied.
At least he had gotten four hours of sleep. Drinking coffee
past 8 p.m. was never a good idea, and having a cup at 9:30 p.m. to help calm
his nerves was, in hindsight, an awful decision. With the biggest day of his
life staring him in the face, Joshua should have popped some edibles, put on a
movie, and gone to bed at a reasonable hour. Oh well, there was nothing he
could do about it now.
He pulled off the blanket slowly and stumbled to the
bathroom to relieve his bladder. Maybe that would help him relax.
After what felt like a record-breaking piss, he returned to
the bedroom and opened the drapes of his suite on the top floor of the St.
Regis hotel, staring at the bright lights of Washington, D.C.
He couldn’t help but wonder what this day, three and a
half long years in the making, would bring for him. Joshua had
poured his heart and soul into this project, missing first steps, first words
and one anniversary with his wife Julie, all for the goal of getting
legislation onto President Randolph’s desk for signature.
If that happened, and it was still a big if, Julie and
Joshua could confidently say it had all been worth it.
As a result of this goal, he had been in Washington, D.C.
for the past three painstaking weeks, which were filled with meetings,
late-night sessions, and sleepless nights, all to prepare for his speech today
to the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence, a subset of the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law.
His colleague, Neil Jergenson, was more than happy to let
Joshua handle the speech and was hopefully sleeping in his suite on the second
floor. Given his fear of heights, Neil had suggested Joshua take the suite on
the higher floor, which was ironic given how high Neil was all the time.
At the relatively young age of 35, even Joshua found himself
physically and mentally exhausted by the end of this three-week stretch. As
such, everyone on his team agreed that he should take it easy the day before
the speech. So, he had done just that by working out in the morning, eating a
lean, healthy breakfast, and reading some books he had packed before his trip
from Sydney. After a nap, he ordered a late lunch from room service, watched
TV, and practiced his speech.
Julie, their seven-year-old son Owen, and two-year-old
daughter Olivia had returned to Sydney weeks ago. The kids needed to get back
to school, and Joshua and Julie didn’t want the kids around the media chaos
that could follow his speech.
Joshua already missed his family dearly. And his home city
of Sydney. He hadn’t spent much time there since they moved to the United
States a few years earlier to allow him to perform his research. He eagerly
looked forward to returning home after this exhausting process was over.
Julie had been an absolute angel, supporting him through
each failure, redesign, subsequent failure, subsequent redesign, and eventual
breakthrough. She was the rock of their family, never complaining about the
long nights and weekends required of him and always understanding why it was
necessary.
He was grateful she was by his side when he received the
call that Neil and he were to present their findings to the panel after the
huge success of human trials performed earlier in the year.
As he gazed out at the lit-up buildings of downtown
Washington, D.C., tears welled in his eyes. He sighed, turned away from the
window, and searched for the remote control to turn on the television so he
didn’t feel so alone. The local station popped on, with the “really early
morning” crew reporting protests in London, which had broken out as a rebuttal
to the Church of England’s statement that Artificial Intelligence was against
the teachings of the Bible and society should eliminate it in lieu of reverence
for God.
“Ah, London,” he thought, sighing deeper than before.
Though he had been to London only a few times, the city held
a special place in his heart. Even as a young boy, reading Sherlock
Holmes, he had wondered what it would be like to walk the dark and misty
streets of London at night.
As a teenager, watching old movies and shows about the Royal
Family’s history and majesty made him wonder what it would be like to be a
royal, surrounded by people who were privileged and wealthy, yet so stuck in
their ways. While traveling the world and being adored by millions of people
sounded wonderful, the lack of privacy would surely get old after a while.
However, it was his visit to London in June 2026 that he
would never forget, as it changed his life forever.
Lying back in bed, he switched off the television, hoping to
get a couple more hours of sleep. “Don’t get yourself worked up, J-Dog,” he
muttered out loud, using the nickname he had created when he was very young as
a way of fitting in with the cool kids from school. “Stop thinking about London
and focus on your breathing. In… out… in… out…”
Yet, breathing didn’t help. His mind kept returning to
London, to the raw excitement and hope from that phone call in 2026 that
brought him to this very bed in Washington, D.C.
About the Author
Jeff Michelson is a Certified Public Accountant by trade, a deli owner on the weekends and a first time author. Jeff lives in the NJ suburbs with his family, including their dog Maggie and lots of koi fish!
As a first time author, Jeff really enjoyed the creative process of writing this book and hopes others enjoy reading the story as much as he enjoyed writing it!
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