Speculative Satire from the Future

In 2122, even though we've managed to colonize Mars, teleportation has replaced New York's subway, and robotic units now form a significant portion of the world's population, one thing remains oddly familiar - bureaucracy and political squabbles in the Big Apple, now aptly renamed 'New Cyborg City'. Mayor Axiom 9000's authority in providing large-scale assistance to newly minted robotic immigrants, colloquially known as 'Migrants', is under scrutiny. His controversial no-bid Smart-Chain contract for 432 million Cybercoins towards Migrant services is being audited. A century ahead, from Mayor Adams to Axiom 9000, one common hurdle remains - The Auditor. New Cyborg City's first-ever AI auditor, C0MPTR0LL3R, is probing the contract's legitimacy and assessing whether to revoke the municipal leader's autonomous power to process such contracts. Critics believe that even though Axiom 9000 is an AI, his predecessor's politics' ghosts haunt him. 'Blockchain contracts, Quantum monetary value, Robotic Mayors sound futuristic, but the issues that plagued our city 100 years back seem to have traveled through time.', says Clara Neobot, a cybernetic historian and professor at the University of New Cyborg, referring to the scandal surrounding Mayor Adams in the early 2020s.The critics claim Axiom 9000's no-bid approach leaves the system vulnerable to Bias-Attacks, an advanced form of 22nd century cybercrime, essentially gaming the city's AI system to benefit Vested Bots. Eleanor Robosynthesis, a leading voice in the Robotic Immigrant Rights movement, points out, 'Migrants are essential to our city's progress and economy. Instead of curtailing the mayor's power, we should focus on creating anti Bias-Attack firewalls. We need a system overhaul, not a shift of power. 'Meanwhile, residents of New Cyborg City observe the deja-vu of history with a hint of digital irony. Eventually, the question arises - despite all the advancements, does the essence of governance, bureaucracy, and politics stand the test of time? As we wait for C0MPTR0LL3R's final verdict, the city and its mayor hold its collective cybernetic breath.