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As their world crumbled under its own weight of misery and suffering, those who found joy, and found it continuously, were, somehow, able to outlive all others. The happy, the joyous, and the energised – frankly, those who laughed genuinely – perpetuated their physical bodies to live at lengths unmatched in human history.
Like solitary great pandas, most folks in this time remained to themselves, entertained only by devices that could vividly replay their most cherished memories. Trained users of these devices could essentially live in an echo chamber of happiness that preserved their bodies.
Henry is one such person who thrives on the joys of yesteryear. The nomadic man frequently moves to the villages left standing on Earth in an effort to create new memories to store. His old life left Earth along with most of the human race, isolating himself and a smattering of peoples on the unkempt planet to live out their lives.
However, when an outsider reminds Henry of a “truth” that he once lived by, Henry loses his grip on the life-perpetuating echo chamber he had created for himself.