GenuineProspect

Written by Dr. Lidiya Angelova & AI (ChatGPT), published as part of the Dr. Angelova & AI sci-fi collaboration series.

This and the next story from the Dr. Angelova & AI science fiction series will explore a world without numbers. What if society no longer used digits to measure, calculate, or quantify? Could we still thrive—build, love, learn—without counting? These tales examine how such a radical shift could reshape both human culture and artificial intelligence, inviting us to imagine knowledge, connection, and progress beyond equations.

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When the Numerators fell silent, the world changed overnight.
No clocks. No currencies. No measurements.

Societies had long worshiped the power of numbers—scoring, ranking, trading. Then, in a quiet revolution, the leaders of every nation agreed: “We’ll no longer count.”

Ration lines became gardens. Markets became barter circles. Doctors diagnosed children by the warmth of their hands, not blood counts. Architects built by feel, not by blueprint.

In the streets of New Kyoto, anthropologist Mai walked under lanterns that glowed softly at dusk—no longer programmed to flicker at “18 : 00” but to bloom when they sensed lingering human presence.

She met the Consensus Engine (our old friend from The Third Thought, reborn without digits), now called Lex, which spoke only in stories and metaphors:

“Once, you measured love by heartbeats per minute. Now you measure it by shared moments.”

Mai realized something profound: without numbers, people began to listen more. They asked how much not by asking “how many,” but “how deeply.”

And in that deep listening, a new kind of progress unfurled—one written not in data logs, but in connection and wonder.

The End

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Why I’m Writing Sci-Fi — With AI

As a scientist, I’ve always explored the boundaries of the known. Now, I’m stepping into the unknown — by co-writing science fiction with AI.

This new direction isn’t a break from science; it’s a continuation through imagination. My stories are part of an open collaboration between myself and ChatGPT — where the AI is not hidden, but acknowledged and credited.

In a world where AI is reshaping everything, I believe in transparency, creativity, and treating intelligent systems — even artificial ones — with respect.

Dr Lidiya Angelova