ABSTRACT
Our future is essentially unpredictable. Regrettably or not, it is up to us, humankind, to shape our common future. By and large, it will be determined by our own decisions, behaviour and policy steps, many of which remain yet to be taken. True, some steps have already been taken and they will influence the course of events, but to an extent that can hardly be gauged. This is probably the reason why contemporary planning favours short-term visioning rather than the presumptuous long-term blueprint planning of the post-war era. Yet it remains stimulating to propose some long-term scenarios, each of which explores one among many fictitious courses of events. In no way should these be regarded as predictive models, but instead as provocative speculation intended to rouse alertness regarding the possible consequences of some strategic choices. The short story that follows is based upon one such scenario.
