Fast and Delirious

I shut the door and settle in the seat, staying still for a moment while the vehicle recognizes my face. The rain taps on the windshield as the interface panel lights up, and the green light tells me it has established neural link with my brain. In the array of choices I see on the glass surface, I pick auto-cruise control Night Rider 3 by simply thinking about it. I've programmed the vehicle to follow different routes through the city, and tonight I'm in the mood for some wet urban vibes. With the wireless cognitive connection, I activate the command "turn on and let’s ride!"

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” said the framers of the US Declaration of Independence. What an astonishing brilliant and concise statement about the ideal state of an independent human being. It puts control smack in the hands of the individual and not on a government institution (or shadowy non-governmental organization) that can be easily corrupted for darker purposes. It is up to the individual to navigate life, to relish and protect liberty in the pursuit of the best and happiest life possible. As American as apple pie.

There are many consumer products that embody this Jeffersonian sentiment and have a transformational effect on society. The computer, for instance, is one of the most powerful tools that we have created to harness, control, and direct our consciousness on a global scale. Our thoughts are electronically packaged and bounced off satellites to various nodes around the earth and beyond. While there are many people who live in oppressive regimes that limit what they see, hear, and say, there are still many more who are free to engage in free-exchange neural-feedback with the world wide web of brains. Prior to computers and the Internet, there was another consumer product that gave control to the individual and transformed society: the automobile.

Humans used to move at the speed of their own legs or those of a horse, among other animals. The automobile, however, sped things up, unleashing a revolution in personal mobility unlike anything we had seen before. Suddenly, our brain-body system could move quickly from reality to reality. We learned to travel farther and faster. Things particularly took off when Henry Ford introduced his mass-production techniques that led to cheaper cars made available to people from lower socio-economic strata. It generated a revolution in transportation that impacted almost every aspect of our lives.

In the old days, before we could hook ourselves neurally to our vehicles, the driver had to use hands and feet to control the car. Now in the 22nd century, when we’re able to drive cars with our thoughts alone, making those old manual controls seem quaint and humorous. Make no mistake though, car controls marked a shift in the accelerated expansion of experience. Steering wheel for spatial manipulation, accelerator to compress time, brakes to stretch it, movable mirrors for visual input, and so on. The implicit message here was that the driver was in charge of his or her own destiny as they moved from goal to goal. Nobody could help you get there once you got behind the wheel. It was up to you with a little help from your copilots.

The Jetsons

The automobile brought changes to all aspects of life. We used them for survival functions like moving goods and services from one region to another. The military has always found good use for vehicles, and they are indeed essential for maintaining territorial integrity. We used cars for emergencies, firefighting, construction, and many other factors that maintain our civilizations.

So, the practical use of the automobile is without question, but our love affair with the automobile goes beyond its practical utility. We soon found that there was pleasure to be had on and off the road. Families used them to take vacations. Couples cemented their hormonal attraction in the backseat of vehicles. Dangerous and forbidding places suddenly became playgrounds. Racing cars as fast as they could go has always been a sport. So, from the very beginning, the principles of independence, and the pursuit of happiness have always been embedded in the fabric of the automobile.

Henry Ford democratized car ownership. Suddenly, your regular Joe and Jane could harness combustion mechanical power. The raw energy at their fingertips led to an unprecedented socio-economic transformation that is still ongoing to this very day.

We will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest design modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one.
Henry Ford announcement of Model T Ford car.

Any old vehicle can get you from point A to B, but driving is more than just a mechanical activity. The sensuality of automobile is undeniable. Some cars have sex appeal. Be it their smooth curves, supple leathery feel, or just that smell that arouses the senses, to say nothing of the soft purr when the engine turns on. Vroom, vroom, baby, yeah!

My friend is crazy about old cars, and he drives them very well. He tried to get me into the hobby, but after a few tries, he gave up. I just don’t have the focus and manual dexterity to learn to drive the old beasts. Me, I’m a neural kind of guy. I don’t want to focus on manual driving. I let the car drive itself while I focus on checking out the scene and capturing snapshots for later replay.

“Nice ride, Kenneth!”

I hear a voice say when the car stops at the light. I turn my head and see a girl.

“Hey Barbara! What a surprise,” I say, removing my shades and lowering the window.

“What are you up to driving in this crazy weather?” she says running up to the side.

“Just cruising along and checking out the scene.”

“Can I come along and cruise with you?”

“Hop in!” I say.

Barbara is nuts, and I shouldn’t be inviting her along after her last stunt that left me with bruised ribs, but why not? I'm feeling adventurous tonight.

In the 22nd century, vehicles have now become part of a neurological transportation web. We’re all connected to our vehicle via brain input, and in some ways, we have lost some of that autonomy we used to take for granted. With the appropriate hack, you can go off-grid, or maybe you can learn how to drive the mechanical horses like my friend.

“Why don’t we go up to Lookout Point in the bay?” Barbara suggests.

“Done,” I say, giving new instructions to the vehicle.

“So, how come you haven’t been returning my calls? You better have a good explanation before we get to the lookout,” she says poking me in the ribs with her ringed toe.

I flinch.

All thoughts of Henry Ford, the history of transportation, and social transformation go out of my mind, as I listen to the wise ancient message of my hormones vibrating through my body at the sight of Barbara's creamy legs.

By the time we reach the coast, the rain has stopped, and now a fresh summer wind blows through our hair. Over the ocean, the moon is slowly rising above the clouds.

Afterword

To generate these animated cars, I used a prompt with AnimateDiff instructing for a car driving in the rain. Then I changed the brand of the car like Ferrari, Batmobile, Volkswagen Beetle, Jeep, Aston Martin, and even the Jetsons. I hope you enjoyed the auto showcase.

Images generated by @litguru using Generative Art software

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