Protected Paradise

Abstract

Early morning 7:00 a.m. I slam the alarm clock and pull the blanket over my head. Yet, another day in this never-ending lockdown story. "The last COVID-25 related lockdown," policy makers announced. Yeah, right! Nobody seems to know where this COVID-25 virus is heading. I stretch my arms and crawl out of bed. I take a short stroll to the mailbox, the only safe distance I am currently allowed to walk. Going through the post with a hot cup of coffee became one of the highlights in days of screen-based conversations with colleagues, students or research partners. A bright red envelope catches my eye. It has my name carefully written on the front, and is dated on April 6, 2121. Interesting… Would it…? Yes! A ticket for a three-day conference in the year 2121! Let's say, working congresses have just become a little more exciting now that they involve the possibility of time travel! On the agenda: "Pandemic preparedness." Would people in 2121 still struggle with COVID-25? Or perhaps they found out how to best relate to it, and would like to inform us? Anyway, the event is tomorrow (ninetysix years from now), so I should start preparing a bit. <Invitation here>The Ride 6:00 a.m. in the morning. I follow the instructions from the conference organizers spelled out in the invitation letter and the adventure begins. The geo-location on the invitation leads me to a huge empty hangar in the middle of nowhere, 2 hours outside the city. A white vehicle parks in front of me. From the outside it does not look too different from a regular car, except for the fact that it hovers above the ground. It's a luxurious vehicle with extensive space for its