First, let me tell you the story... Ever since the Chinese invasion, Ming and a small group of like-minded junior mangers at some of the factories around the capital city and throughout the country have been working to coordinate regional computer centers and a build the crown jewel; a supercomputer powerful enough to carry out a large-scale liberation mission; “Project CyberDem.” As a former intelligence officer before the invasion, Ming organized the operations of the group from the ground up.

He named the operation “Project Cyberdem,” short for “Cyber Democracy.” Ming had spent years in college and graduate school studying the work of Stafford Beer, the famous cybernetician from Britain who was picked up by the Chinese after he premiered his “Project Cybersyn” to the Chilean government in the 1970s. Beer laid the foundation for the imperial country that Ming and others like him inhabit today; a completely socialized Chinese state called the “Incorporated States” (formerly the United States of America), with all-powerful dictator at the center, and a comprehensive computerized system that operates the economy. Beer is long gone, but the prominence of his work and plans are still felt in 2050 in the Incorporated States.

Every day, Ming leaves for work at exactly 7:05am and reports to the television manufacturing factory that he was assigned to after the invasion. No personal computing is allowed in the Incorporated States, of course, for that would allow the masses too much freedom and individual autonomy than the Chinese are comfortable with. However, one television per household is granted by the government, programmed to only show a handful of pre-approved channels and programs.

During his lunch break, Ming inspects all of the assembly lines and technology production rooms in his department, as he is required to do every day. During this time, he is able to sneak into the supply room or take a couple pieces off the assembly lines for the construction of his own supercomputer to carry out the goals of Project Cyberdem. Today, he was lucky that one of the junior managers was missing, as this allowed him extra time to search for valuable parts in the missing manager’s department. Ming completed another round of inspections in the evening before he left that day, remaining cautious to not give himself away by taking too many spare parts at once. It was time to go home for the day.