Arc: Collapse, Terrain: Religion, Object: Device, Mood: Embarrassment
It is the year 2050. Only 30 years since the Santa Ana RiverFront rocketed to became a tourist destination and local hangout for telling the tales of water. Much as changed. The sea rise from climate change has truly brought the ocean and river back together, but instead of fresh water rushing to the sea, the sea now rushes up the river.
The world economy has collapsed. In 2022 the power grid went down in a massive hacking attack. Against this backdrop of fear and confusion, religion in America fell its disarray, unable to fight off the encroaching paranoia and hysteria brought on by global geopolitical unrest and massive environmental change.
Now, young atheists, once happily described as “hipsters” and “millennials” find themselves worshiping their technology gods for their survival. In the desolation of the Santa Ana River, they live in tents, homelessness no longer a “problem” but the norm. They band together, modern day cargo cultists, fashioning steampunk devices they hope will bring fresh water back into the world, to push the sea back into itself, so that humans may live and watch Netflix again.
But they are like Adam and Eve. They know that switches and knobs are no sooner to bring them a miracle than a button or a drop-down list. And they are embarrassed.
[Image attribution to be added]