2719 by Gwee Li Sui

Author:Gwee Li Sui
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd
Published: 2020-04-20T00:00:00+00:00

BECAUSE SINGAPORE HAS THE WIDEST CULTURAL DIVERSITY PER SQUARE METRE, IT IS ASSIGNED AS THE GLOBAL TRANSMISSION CENTRE WITH THE OTHERS. THE VERSATILITY OF SINGLISH RENDERS IT THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF INTER-SPECIES COMMUNICATION.

In 2259, two layers of the folded universe are completely mapped, paving the way to Earth’s first centrally coordinated series of ventures into the stars. Space-based energy technologies reach full implementation levels at around the same time.

In 2269, Earth makes first contact with an alien race, terrestrially referred to as The Others. Because Singapore has the widest cultural diversity per square metre, it is assigned as the global transmission centre with The Others.

The versatility of Singlish renders it the official language of inter-species communication.

It is learnt that The Others are nomads, cosmic wanderers who have long forgotten their planet or system of origin. They have just one sex but can supposedly copulate and reproduce with any biological sex. The trait makes The Others frightening to humans already struggling with robots among them, resulting in all manner of xenophobic imagination.

Ten years on, the first wave of over half a million The Others settles on Earth, speaking perfect Singlish. About fifty thousand choose to go to Singapore. To quicken their assimilation, the United Nations allows legislation against inter-species union to placate fears.

Yet, within a decade, this law, and other accommodations, achieve the opposite of their intentions in places such as Singapore. They become a basis for discriminating against The Others on the mere fact of their fundamental difference. Alien persecutions erupt in some societies.

In 2299, the United Nations condemns all laws that inherently differentiate between earthlings and The Others. A few countries continue to keep some, if not all, of these. For religious reasons, the state of Singapore chooses to retain the law against inter-species union while promising not to act on it.

So ends the third century. It is still today.

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