Science Fiction
Date Published: December 3, 2024
2025 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction
“A musing science fiction novel about the future of AI, Anticipation
Day follows a group of friends as they try to improve their lives through
government-sanctioned fantasies.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews
“A boundary-pushing plunge into a vividly imagined future,
Anticipation Day poses powerful questions about identity, the human
experience, and our digital destiny as a species, resulting in a provocative
mixture of Black Mirror and The Surge.” —The Independent Review
of Books
In the summer of 2026, amidst the sights and sounds of one of the oldest
pubs in London, Dr. Joshua Lee receives a call that will alter his life for
the foreseeable future—he’s asked to work on a clandestine
project that will transform every American’s way of life.
Six years later, amidst the steel and glass canyons of the Denver suburbs,
a group of friends assemble for dinner the night before their first escape
into Anticipation Day, an immersive simulated experience that is promised to
be an annual respite from the daily grind.
Amongst this group of friends are Alexandra, Eric, Patrick, Mike and
MaryAnne, each at inflection points in their lives and each with their own
life scars and unrealized dreams. As they prepare to plug into the
simulation, they are forced to confront their own fears and desires, all
while interfacing with their chosen simulated experience, blurring the lines
between reality and the artificial dreamscape.
These experiences force the group to confront their deepest fears, chase
exclusive happiness, and unlock truths buried within their souls. As they
delve deeper into the algorithmic labyrinth, more truths about their
existence are fully revealed.
However, the question begs: Will their journey lead to salvation, or will
it unravel the very fabric of their existence?
Join this eclectic band of suburbanites as they look for meaning amidst the
chaos of the digital age. Anticipation Day beckons, but not everything is as
is seems in this electrifying tale of urban futurism.
EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1
THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT
March 14, 2030
Dr. Joshua Lee rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. It was impossible to go back to sleep. He sighed and asked his virtual assistant, Sylvia, what time it was. Her response didn’t help: “Good morning, Joshua. It is 4:33 a.m. local time, 6:33 p.m. Sydney time. Would you like me to summarize your upcoming day?”
“God no,” Joshua mumbled.
“Alright, Joshua. Please let me know if you need anything,” Sylvia replied.
At least he had gotten four hours of sleep. Drinking coffee past 8 p.m. was never a good idea, and having a cup at 9:30 p.m. to help calm his nerves was, in hindsight, an awful decision. With the biggest day of his life staring him in the face, Joshua should have popped some edibles, put on a movie, and gone to bed at a reasonable hour. Oh well, there was nothing he could do about it now.
He pulled off the blanket slowly and stumbled to the bathroom to relieve his bladder. Maybe that would help him relax.
After what felt like a record-breaking piss, he returned to the bedroom and opened the drapes of his suite on the top floor of the St. Regis hotel, staring at the bright lights of Washington, D.C.
He couldn’t help but wonder what this day, three and a half long years in the making, would bring for him. Joshua had poured his heart and soul into this project, missing first steps, first words and one anniversary with his wife Julie, all for the goal of getting legislation onto President Randolph’s desk for signature.
If that happened, and it was still a big if, Julie and Joshua could confidently say it had all been worth it.
As a result of this goal, he had been in Washington, D.C. for the past three painstaking weeks, which were filled with meetings, late-night sessions, and sleepless nights, all to prepare for his speech today to the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence, a subset of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law.
His colleague, Neil Jergenson, was more than happy to let Joshua handle the speech and was hopefully sleeping in his suite on the second floor. Given his fear of heights, Neil had suggested Joshua take the suite on the higher floor, which was ironic given how high Neil was all the time.
At the relatively young age of 35, even Joshua found himself physically and mentally exhausted by the end of this three-week stretch. As such, everyone on his team agreed that he should take it easy the day before the speech. So, he had done just that by working out in the morning, eating a lean, healthy breakfast, and reading some books he had packed before his trip from Sydney. After a nap, he ordered a late lunch from room service, watched TV, and practiced his speech.
Julie, their seven-year-old son Owen, and two-year-old daughter Olivia had returned to Sydney weeks ago. The kids needed to get back to school, and Joshua and Julie didn’t want the kids around the media chaos that could follow his speech.
Joshua already missed his family dearly. And his home city of Sydney. He hadn’t spent much time there since they moved to the United States a few years earlier to allow him to perform his research. He eagerly looked forward to returning home after this exhausting process was over.
Julie had been an absolute angel, supporting him through each failure, redesign, subsequent failure, subsequent redesign, and eventual breakthrough. She was the rock of their family, never complaining about the long nights and weekends required of him and always understanding why it was necessary.
He was grateful she was by his side when he received the call that Neil and he were to present their findings to the panel after the huge success of human trials performed earlier in the year.
As he gazed out at the lit-up buildings of downtown Washington, D.C., tears welled in his eyes. He sighed, turned away from the window, and searched for the remote control to turn on the television so he didn’t feel so alone. The local station popped on, with the “really early morning” crew reporting protests in London, which had broken out as a rebuttal to the Church of England’s statement that Artificial Intelligence was against the teachings of the Bible and society should eliminate it in lieu of reverence for God.
“Ah, London,” he thought, sighing deeper than before.
Though he had been to London only a few times, the city held a special place in his heart. Even as a young boy, reading Sherlock Holmes, he had wondered what it would be like to walk the dark and misty streets of London at night.
As a teenager, watching old movies and shows about the Royal Family’s history and majesty made him wonder what it would be like to be a royal, surrounded by people who were privileged and wealthy, yet so stuck in their ways. While traveling the world and being adored by millions of people sounded wonderful, the lack of privacy would surely get old after a while.
However, it was his visit to London in June 2026 that he would never forget, as it changed his life forever.
Lying back in bed, he switched off the television, hoping to get a couple more hours of sleep. “Don’t get yourself worked up, J-Dog,” he muttered out loud, using the nickname he had created when he was very young as a way of fitting in with the cool kids from school. “Stop thinking about London and focus on your breathing. In… out… in… out…”
Yet, breathing didn’t help. His mind kept returning to London, to the raw excitement and hope from that phone call in 2026 that brought him to this very bed in Washington, D.C.
About the Author
Jeff Michelson is a Certified Public Accountant by trade, a deli owner on
the weekends and a first time author. Jeff lives in the NJ suburbs with his
family, including their dog Maggie and lots of koi fish!
As a first time author, Jeff really enjoyed the creative process of writing
this book and hopes others enjoy reading the story as much as he enjoyed
writing it!
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