Published Work

“Progress, Incorporated” – Originally Published in Radon Journal

Excerpt: “Welcome, everybody, to Progress,” a man’s enthusiastic voice chimed from a wall speaker.

The large conference room was bathed in blue light reflecting off a canvas screen. A murmur swept through the crowd as music swelled through speakers. They were clearly meant to be seeing something, but the screen stayed blank.

Simon shifted in his folding chair—had he made a mistake? He was putting his life in the hands of a company that couldn’t work a projector. Luckily, the screen flickered on before his thoughts spiraled out of control.

“Before we start our safety guidelines presentation, Progress would first like to acknowledge that this building sits on the native land of the Miwok people.”

Two cartoon Natives appeared next to a roundhouse, smiling and waving at the audience. A few in the room nodded contemplatively, and there was even a smattering of applause from a large white family who wore matching T-shirts reading “Jackson Family Sleepover 2030–TBD”.

“We are sure you’re eager to learn how to operate your state-of-the-art Progress Pods,” the video continued. It shifted to a more detailed animation of what looked like a mechanical coffin with a tiny window. It reminded Simon of an action figure box, complete with a Progress™ logo slapped on the front.

“These pods will be your home for the next several years as you wait for the world to accept you for who you are, be that the color of your skin, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.”

Full Story: Radon Journal