Hometown Hero
Title
Hometown Hero
Date
04/20/22
Text
“Bingo!” yelled President Henry. Once again, his beloved partner in crime, Mr. Frank Wright delivered him the perfect plan and next step for his baby, The Miami Metaverse. Years ago back when the world was still normal, President Henry was always an outlier. While most kids he grew up around would spend their time playing sports and partying, he would typically spend his time working on and programming computers while others would tend to bully him. His love for technology is actually how he met Frank, but this was many years later; once the world was already transforming. It’s currently the year 2100 and believe it or not, the world wasn’t always like this; it actually used to be normal. People could interact like normal humans, they could travel anywhere, and most importantly they were free. While no one could've projected the 6 feet of sea level rise that is apparent right now, it wasn’t until around 2065 when scientists began to project the levels headed in this direction, and that’s when the world really started to change drastically. People began to migrate from Miami, companies and schools began to transition fully online, and every major brand you could think of transformed from physical products onto what’s known as the Miami Metaverse. Successful professions as we once knew no longer exist, and almost every job moved digital on the Metaverse. The Metaverse was created as a way for individuals to live in a world where things are as close to normal as they used to be. While life virtually on the Metaverse allows everyone freedom, the ruling population in the real world does not. Along with society itself, the Metaverse has grown significantly from its early stages, to a point that even Mr. Henry could’ve never imagined.
“It’s been 10 years and you never fail to amaze me.” Mr Henry continued on to Frank staring out the window of his gorgeous penthouse overlooking the completely desolated Coral Gables. “Look how far we’ve come” he said, followed by one of his smirks and an evil giggle, similar to one you’d see in a scary movie. “Yup” Frank replied with a giggle of his own. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” For the past 12 years on the low they have been relentlessly working to find a way to further increase sea levels, to a point where the Metaverse is the only thing that the regular citizens have, who have already been deprived of a great chunk of their freedom. You see, before things got really bad, everyone used to love the Metaverse and Mr Henry, particularly when his baby was first released. Things started to change in the midst of all the chaos, when all the previous political figures decided to step down to protect their own safety. At that point, Mr Henry utilized his status as the most powerful and loved man on the planet and gained enough votes by a landslide to become the new President.
It’s currently March 17th, 2100 in what used to be North Miami. Outside of the highly elevated Coral Gables which President Henry had appointed as the capital about a year ago, things certainly weren’t looking better. Through the sound of helicopters roaming the air, and the rare presence of individuals lined up outside, it was clearly a Sunday, or known around South Florida to its citizens as Re-up Day. Since President Henry and his team took over the largest landmass in South Florida, every Sunday for the longest time his team ration out resources to the rest of the population by way of helicopter.
“The same as usual?”
“What do you think?” Justin replied rhetorically. Neighbors, family friends, and classmates ever since kindergarten, this was simply another typical Sunday for Justin and Sophia. They began the morning gathered with their families attending Church via the Metaverse which was now normal for them, and have been camped outside their homes waiting for the new weekly “Re-up” ever since. It’s almost like a tradition for them now, and has been that way for the past few years ever since the chaos and new world started. Prior to all of this, Justin was an All Star Football player just beginning to make a name for himself as the best player in the game, and certainly a hometown hero. Born and raised in Downtown Miami, his childhood neighborhood sadly no longer remains. Justin became a hometown hero and face of the City by winning Miami their first ever national championship. A real Miami legend, from high school to college to the pros. That was right before all of this began. He provided a sense of hope and excitement to a city that had none, and a city that was utterly terrified for what the future had in store. Sophia on the other hand was a normal girl who grew up in the same neighborhood and has been best friends with Justin her whole life. Sophia had always wanted to become a pilot, but that was no longer possible once things began to change. When the world practically shut down, Sophia and Justin along with their families were forced to migrate to the old Wynwood area and since then have been inseparable, spending most of their time together, minimizing the boredom and loneliness that's a monumental issue within their society. Justin and Sophia along with probably everyone else in South Florida spend most of their time ranting about their hate for the government, and rumblings of the upcoming revolt.
Sophia looked over to Justin and asked,“What do you think about all this?”
“About what? This stupid dictatorship, or how I just want to go back to playing football?”
“Well I hate to break it to you, but that probably isn’t looking too good.”
“Thanks for stating the obvious dummy” replied Justin.
Little did they know, back in Coral Gables President Henry and Mr. Wright were continuously plotting their plan to further increase sea levels across South Florida. In their eyes the higher the sea levels, the more their Metaverse would expand and take over the world, and more citizens would continue to live through it, putting even more money in the pockets of President Henry and the rest of the government team. It wasn’t until his mother died a few years ago in the prime of all the chaos when he became like this. President Henry, or “sweetie” as his mom would always refer to him as used to have one of the most gentle souls until he lost his mom, who was his everything. President Henry had never even met his dad, and therefore his mom was the only real family he had ever known. The last time he ever saw his mom before her unexpected death he promised her he would leave an impact on the world, and the Metaverse was the only way he knew how.
Back in the highly elevated Wynwood area, Sophia and Justin continue to rant about the few supplies they were yet again given on Re-up Day, and this was the talk outside of just their household too. Only being provided the most basic needs such as water and small amounts of food, the government chooses to ration out only necessities to its citizens while saving every valuable resource for themselves and their military. Later that day Justin took part in a weekly pickup park football game with some of his friends; a tradition among them at least 3 times a week ever since the world had shut down. Only this time, before the game could even begin they couldn’t help notice a group of individuals off to the side. It seemed these individuals were talking about their hate for the government, and Justin and his friends thought it would be interesting to join them. As Justin began to walk up to the group with a few friends following, it was clear that they began to recognize him as the teenagers pulled out their phones and started subtly recording. While the teens initially gave off fan boy vibes, they actually eventually dove into a very deep conversation about the dictatorship and other major issues within society. Just like Justin, all the other guys were tired of being given so little, being deprived of their freedom, and not being able to do anything about it. “What about that revolt some people have been talking about?” one of the teens triumphantly spoke out and asked. The group went silent and looked around at each other until one of Justins’s friend spoke out. “A Revolt? How in the hell is anyone expecting a revolt to be organized?” This was a valid question that no one really knew the answer to, and was the exact reason things have stayed the same for as long as they have. That’s when the same teen who had initially taken his phone out to record Justin notioned over to him and said “Well if anyone can do it it’s you. Miami loves you.” Justin was obviously grateful for the comment and the conversation kept going for a few more minutes until Justin invited the teens to partake in their football game which they had a blast. Although throughout the whole game, Justin couldn’t get the words of the teens from just a few minutes prior out of his head.
That night Justin went home, and still couldn’t help but keep thinking about the idea those teens had given him at the park earlier that day. The words “Miami loves you” were continuously flowing through his head, and for the first time Justin realized that this was much bigger than himself. Just as he has done so much for the city, Miami has also provided him with so many blessings in return. The week went on, and nothing changed for Justin. As the struggle of each day continued, so did the racing thoughts in his mind. After sleeping on it for a few nights, he couldn’t keep it from Sophia any longer and had to ask for her thoughts. Justin laid it all out to her and let Sophia know everything he had been feeling. “So, what do you think?” Justin asked. “Honestly, I was hesitant at first, but if anyone has the platform to do it, it’s you Justin. And you know I’ll support you no matter what.” They ended the conversation with a hug, and later that night Justin sent out a text to some of his closest friends letting them know his plans. He called for a park football game later that afternoon and was hoping those same teens from the week prior would be there so he could inform them of his plans. As Justin and his friends rolled up to the park, he was pleasantly surprised when he saw the group of kids standing in the same corner talking that they were the last time Justin had been to the park. Justin approached them, and laid out his intentions to use his massive platform to lead the revolt, and finally make things right. This time, instead of playing Football they talked for hours until it was dark about every little detail, and how they would get everyone on board to execute their plan.
For the next few weeks, Justin utilized his massive platform along with all his connections to continue spreading the message throughout South Florida. They had to be careful however, because the last thing they wanted was for this chatter to get back to the government. In the meantime, President Henry along with Mr. Wright and the rest of his team continued researching and scheming every little detail regarding climate change and their method to use their human interference and their scientific discoveries to further raise sea levels. Without any human interference the most we have sea levels rise was 1 foot in a year and that was this past year in 2100 (NOAA Source). According to Mr. Wright, President Henry and the scientists they have in place, believe they can potentially even double that number, which would wreak havoc and harm many across South Florida. Working and anything involving the Metaverse in general proved to be very stressful for the President. If you ever spent a few seconds in his office, you’d be able to tell pretty easily based off of the constant smell of cigarettes and the ash tray that always seems like it’s completely full. Cigarettes were another bad habit that he picked up when his mom passed away.
As more similar days continue to pass, it’s now Sunday, and the day of the revolt has finally come. Because the government has many boundaries marked off to prohibit transportation, the government owned helicopters that they used to distribute resources on Re-Up Day was their only hope. Government officials became suspicious when no citizens were camped outside waiting for their resources to be passed out. That’s when they used weapons they had been self manufacturing for the past few weeks to strike a coordinated attack towards the men operating the helicopters when they were least expecting it. The first part of their plan had proven to be successful, as the men were completely blindsided by what came their way. “Now who knows how to operate a helicopter?” Justin yelled amongst the crowd. The next few moments were filled with utter silence and everyone looking around desperately hoping for someone to speak up. Justin surveyed the room and that’s when he locked eyes on Sophia, who he remembered had always dreamed of being a pilot ever since they were little kids. He then approached her in a manner where he wouldn’t make a big scene. “Look Sophia, I know how scary this probably is, but you're our only hope.” Holding back tears because she was so scared and nervous, Sophia deep down knew that her only option was to operate the helicopter. After taking some time to calm down and getting situated on the helicopter, it was time for Sophia, Justin, and a few others to begin their departure and head towards Coral Gables.
As soon as the helicopter rose in the air, all of Sophia’s nerves disappeared and her countless hours of studying and watching Youtube videos were clearly paying off. The entire ride went smoothly, and slowly but surely they made it to the President's headquarters. From there, the plan was executed perfectly and they caught President Henry off guard and completely helpless, resulting in him surrendering peacefully.
A year has passed since the revolt, and South Florida is in a much better place. While there’s no way to completely prevent issues of sea level rise, there are now things set in place to help minimize its impact on society. Furthermore, individuals are now free and life is significantly closer to how it was prior to all of this. The Metaverse no longer rules the world, and things are beginning to move back to their original, physical form. As of now, the plan is even for Football to start back up in a couple of months, which Justin couldn’t be more excited about. While scientists continue to study the monumental issue of sea level rise and its impact towards society at least one thing is for certain; with Justin in charge, the future of South Florida is most certainly very bright.
Bibliography:
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Is Sea Level Rise Related to Climate Change?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, NOAA, 1 June 2013, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevelclimate.html.
South Florida Sea Level Rise Toolbox (citizeneyes.org) (Class resource)
“It’s been 10 years and you never fail to amaze me.” Mr Henry continued on to Frank staring out the window of his gorgeous penthouse overlooking the completely desolated Coral Gables. “Look how far we’ve come” he said, followed by one of his smirks and an evil giggle, similar to one you’d see in a scary movie. “Yup” Frank replied with a giggle of his own. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” For the past 12 years on the low they have been relentlessly working to find a way to further increase sea levels, to a point where the Metaverse is the only thing that the regular citizens have, who have already been deprived of a great chunk of their freedom. You see, before things got really bad, everyone used to love the Metaverse and Mr Henry, particularly when his baby was first released. Things started to change in the midst of all the chaos, when all the previous political figures decided to step down to protect their own safety. At that point, Mr Henry utilized his status as the most powerful and loved man on the planet and gained enough votes by a landslide to become the new President.
It’s currently March 17th, 2100 in what used to be North Miami. Outside of the highly elevated Coral Gables which President Henry had appointed as the capital about a year ago, things certainly weren’t looking better. Through the sound of helicopters roaming the air, and the rare presence of individuals lined up outside, it was clearly a Sunday, or known around South Florida to its citizens as Re-up Day. Since President Henry and his team took over the largest landmass in South Florida, every Sunday for the longest time his team ration out resources to the rest of the population by way of helicopter.
“The same as usual?”
“What do you think?” Justin replied rhetorically. Neighbors, family friends, and classmates ever since kindergarten, this was simply another typical Sunday for Justin and Sophia. They began the morning gathered with their families attending Church via the Metaverse which was now normal for them, and have been camped outside their homes waiting for the new weekly “Re-up” ever since. It’s almost like a tradition for them now, and has been that way for the past few years ever since the chaos and new world started. Prior to all of this, Justin was an All Star Football player just beginning to make a name for himself as the best player in the game, and certainly a hometown hero. Born and raised in Downtown Miami, his childhood neighborhood sadly no longer remains. Justin became a hometown hero and face of the City by winning Miami their first ever national championship. A real Miami legend, from high school to college to the pros. That was right before all of this began. He provided a sense of hope and excitement to a city that had none, and a city that was utterly terrified for what the future had in store. Sophia on the other hand was a normal girl who grew up in the same neighborhood and has been best friends with Justin her whole life. Sophia had always wanted to become a pilot, but that was no longer possible once things began to change. When the world practically shut down, Sophia and Justin along with their families were forced to migrate to the old Wynwood area and since then have been inseparable, spending most of their time together, minimizing the boredom and loneliness that's a monumental issue within their society. Justin and Sophia along with probably everyone else in South Florida spend most of their time ranting about their hate for the government, and rumblings of the upcoming revolt.
Sophia looked over to Justin and asked,“What do you think about all this?”
“About what? This stupid dictatorship, or how I just want to go back to playing football?”
“Well I hate to break it to you, but that probably isn’t looking too good.”
“Thanks for stating the obvious dummy” replied Justin.
Little did they know, back in Coral Gables President Henry and Mr. Wright were continuously plotting their plan to further increase sea levels across South Florida. In their eyes the higher the sea levels, the more their Metaverse would expand and take over the world, and more citizens would continue to live through it, putting even more money in the pockets of President Henry and the rest of the government team. It wasn’t until his mother died a few years ago in the prime of all the chaos when he became like this. President Henry, or “sweetie” as his mom would always refer to him as used to have one of the most gentle souls until he lost his mom, who was his everything. President Henry had never even met his dad, and therefore his mom was the only real family he had ever known. The last time he ever saw his mom before her unexpected death he promised her he would leave an impact on the world, and the Metaverse was the only way he knew how.
Back in the highly elevated Wynwood area, Sophia and Justin continue to rant about the few supplies they were yet again given on Re-up Day, and this was the talk outside of just their household too. Only being provided the most basic needs such as water and small amounts of food, the government chooses to ration out only necessities to its citizens while saving every valuable resource for themselves and their military. Later that day Justin took part in a weekly pickup park football game with some of his friends; a tradition among them at least 3 times a week ever since the world had shut down. Only this time, before the game could even begin they couldn’t help notice a group of individuals off to the side. It seemed these individuals were talking about their hate for the government, and Justin and his friends thought it would be interesting to join them. As Justin began to walk up to the group with a few friends following, it was clear that they began to recognize him as the teenagers pulled out their phones and started subtly recording. While the teens initially gave off fan boy vibes, they actually eventually dove into a very deep conversation about the dictatorship and other major issues within society. Just like Justin, all the other guys were tired of being given so little, being deprived of their freedom, and not being able to do anything about it. “What about that revolt some people have been talking about?” one of the teens triumphantly spoke out and asked. The group went silent and looked around at each other until one of Justins’s friend spoke out. “A Revolt? How in the hell is anyone expecting a revolt to be organized?” This was a valid question that no one really knew the answer to, and was the exact reason things have stayed the same for as long as they have. That’s when the same teen who had initially taken his phone out to record Justin notioned over to him and said “Well if anyone can do it it’s you. Miami loves you.” Justin was obviously grateful for the comment and the conversation kept going for a few more minutes until Justin invited the teens to partake in their football game which they had a blast. Although throughout the whole game, Justin couldn’t get the words of the teens from just a few minutes prior out of his head.
That night Justin went home, and still couldn’t help but keep thinking about the idea those teens had given him at the park earlier that day. The words “Miami loves you” were continuously flowing through his head, and for the first time Justin realized that this was much bigger than himself. Just as he has done so much for the city, Miami has also provided him with so many blessings in return. The week went on, and nothing changed for Justin. As the struggle of each day continued, so did the racing thoughts in his mind. After sleeping on it for a few nights, he couldn’t keep it from Sophia any longer and had to ask for her thoughts. Justin laid it all out to her and let Sophia know everything he had been feeling. “So, what do you think?” Justin asked. “Honestly, I was hesitant at first, but if anyone has the platform to do it, it’s you Justin. And you know I’ll support you no matter what.” They ended the conversation with a hug, and later that night Justin sent out a text to some of his closest friends letting them know his plans. He called for a park football game later that afternoon and was hoping those same teens from the week prior would be there so he could inform them of his plans. As Justin and his friends rolled up to the park, he was pleasantly surprised when he saw the group of kids standing in the same corner talking that they were the last time Justin had been to the park. Justin approached them, and laid out his intentions to use his massive platform to lead the revolt, and finally make things right. This time, instead of playing Football they talked for hours until it was dark about every little detail, and how they would get everyone on board to execute their plan.
For the next few weeks, Justin utilized his massive platform along with all his connections to continue spreading the message throughout South Florida. They had to be careful however, because the last thing they wanted was for this chatter to get back to the government. In the meantime, President Henry along with Mr. Wright and the rest of his team continued researching and scheming every little detail regarding climate change and their method to use their human interference and their scientific discoveries to further raise sea levels. Without any human interference the most we have sea levels rise was 1 foot in a year and that was this past year in 2100 (NOAA Source). According to Mr. Wright, President Henry and the scientists they have in place, believe they can potentially even double that number, which would wreak havoc and harm many across South Florida. Working and anything involving the Metaverse in general proved to be very stressful for the President. If you ever spent a few seconds in his office, you’d be able to tell pretty easily based off of the constant smell of cigarettes and the ash tray that always seems like it’s completely full. Cigarettes were another bad habit that he picked up when his mom passed away.
As more similar days continue to pass, it’s now Sunday, and the day of the revolt has finally come. Because the government has many boundaries marked off to prohibit transportation, the government owned helicopters that they used to distribute resources on Re-Up Day was their only hope. Government officials became suspicious when no citizens were camped outside waiting for their resources to be passed out. That’s when they used weapons they had been self manufacturing for the past few weeks to strike a coordinated attack towards the men operating the helicopters when they were least expecting it. The first part of their plan had proven to be successful, as the men were completely blindsided by what came their way. “Now who knows how to operate a helicopter?” Justin yelled amongst the crowd. The next few moments were filled with utter silence and everyone looking around desperately hoping for someone to speak up. Justin surveyed the room and that’s when he locked eyes on Sophia, who he remembered had always dreamed of being a pilot ever since they were little kids. He then approached her in a manner where he wouldn’t make a big scene. “Look Sophia, I know how scary this probably is, but you're our only hope.” Holding back tears because she was so scared and nervous, Sophia deep down knew that her only option was to operate the helicopter. After taking some time to calm down and getting situated on the helicopter, it was time for Sophia, Justin, and a few others to begin their departure and head towards Coral Gables.
As soon as the helicopter rose in the air, all of Sophia’s nerves disappeared and her countless hours of studying and watching Youtube videos were clearly paying off. The entire ride went smoothly, and slowly but surely they made it to the President's headquarters. From there, the plan was executed perfectly and they caught President Henry off guard and completely helpless, resulting in him surrendering peacefully.
A year has passed since the revolt, and South Florida is in a much better place. While there’s no way to completely prevent issues of sea level rise, there are now things set in place to help minimize its impact on society. Furthermore, individuals are now free and life is significantly closer to how it was prior to all of this. The Metaverse no longer rules the world, and things are beginning to move back to their original, physical form. As of now, the plan is even for Football to start back up in a couple of months, which Justin couldn’t be more excited about. While scientists continue to study the monumental issue of sea level rise and its impact towards society at least one thing is for certain; with Justin in charge, the future of South Florida is most certainly very bright.
Bibliography:
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Is Sea Level Rise Related to Climate Change?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, NOAA, 1 June 2013, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevelclimate.html.
South Florida Sea Level Rise Toolbox (citizeneyes.org) (Class resource)
Collection
Citation
Anonymous, “Hometown Hero,” Everything Speaks To Me , accessed September 18, 2026, https://everythingspeakstome.com/items/show/47.