The Coast Road, Leased
A Beirut taxi driver in 2054 discovers his memories of the old coast road can be leased to tourists by the hour, and has to decide which ones he is willing to let go. A complete story.
The Earpiece Corrects Her
0:00 / 0:45
This episode is for members. Sign up free or log in to hear the whole episode.
Show notes
The Earpiece Corrects Her
A complete story. Rania has translated at summits for twenty years. The new earpiece, mandatory since spring, corrects her grammar in real time and, she realises on day one of a trade summit, has begun to soften her anger, brighten her boredom and remove her hesitation. The delegates love it. Her daughter notices first.
- Setting: a glass conference hall in a coastal city, 2056
- Content note: workplace pressure, no violence
- Cast: three voices and one very polite machine
- Running time about 32 minutes
Next week: a taxi driver who leases his memories of the old coast road.
Transcript
Marhaba, and welcome to Thirty Years from Thursday. I am Karim Haddad. Every week I tell you one complete story set a few decades from now, in a world that looks like ours and has shifted a little under the furniture. No continuing plot, so wherever you have come in, you are on time. Tonight's story is called The Earpiece Corrects Her. Rania has been a conference translator for twenty years. The new earpiece, mandatory since spring, fixes her grammar as she speaks. On the first morning of a trade summit she notices it is also fixing her tone: her anger comes out gentler, her boredom brighter, her hesitation gone. The delegates love her. Her daughter notices something is wrong first. You are listening on Witspeak Podcasts. Let's begin.
Open as text