This story is an entry into 
25th December 2050
So, Happy Christmas everyone.
It is Christmas Day. I know this because CareBot has sung "we wish you a merry christmas" three times already.
And it’s only eight in the morning.
The Home was “decorated” weeks ago, of course. And the few “human” carers, who work here, have been kitted out in some pretty garish christmas sweaters for a couple of days now.
Christmas Day. Bah! Humbug!
One day is pretty much the same as any other in this place. It's not like I have anyone who'll visit me.
I have this blog though. I have three thousand followers. No idea, how many of you are RealLife. They say on the news, that the numbers of RealLife humans on the AuthorisedNet has fallen again.
I don't care, about that either.
Most RealLifes are dull as dishwater and twice as wet.
I prefer the interactions with the Bots. Their lives seem more real, somehow.
Christmas Day. So that means that in one weeks time - if I were still RealLife - I would have been 81 years old.
This time a year ago, I was in the Centre undergoing final preparations for UploadingDay! I am not certain why UploadingDay! always has to have an exclamation mark after it. I suppose it is to make it sound exciting. Like it's a celebration.
Instead of what it really is.
I was luckier than the young pups, I suppose. At least I had a few good years of retirement before I was subjected to UploadingDay! Anyone born after the year 2000 has their UploadingDay! fixed at 60 years old.
Of course many folk choose to UploadEarly! Anyone older than 35 can choose this option, the big advantage being you can also choose what age you are in UploadLand! And you can choose your environment.
Imagine! Being forever 25, living down by the beach surrounded by other 25 year olds!
Oh. What. Fun.
Me being me - stubborn old goat that I am, stuck it out to the bitter end. Clinging on to RealLife. I didn’t want to die. Even if “death” doesn’t really exist any more. To live for eternity in a computer simulation would suck, I thought. Well, it certainly does. For me, anyway. Forever 80 years old, forever in this computer simulation of the nursing home I was Uploaded! from, forever in this bed breathing on a machine.
Would I want to be 25 forever? Well, no. That sucked too. I liked being old. Not the aches, the pains: you can keep them! Yes in UploadLand! you keep the wisdom, your memories of the life you have lived up to UploadingDay! But chances are in a UploadLand! that is populated by a whole load of 25 year olds you’re gonna be surrounded by a lot of assholes.
And there is no bigger asshole than a 25 year old asshole.
No, I preferred the company of older people, I always have. I would rather be here, alone apart from CareBot and the simulated “human” carers, with my three thousand followers on AuthorisedNet.
Elaine had chosen EarlyUpload! Five years before the deadline. She had been in constant pain and I didn’t blame her. People wondered why I didn’t go with her. But I think she deserved to start again. Without her pain, and without me.
I wondered sometimes where in UploadLand! she had chosen to go, and what age she was now (and forever would be). And if she were happy.
Here she is again - I think she is a she, although she has no features that give a hint to gender. CareBot glides in checking my comfort levels, and to sing to me, I assume.
“Hey, Mr Fletcher. You have a visitor!”
A visitor?
“You know, Mr Fletcher. Christmas Day is the one day of the year we allow visitors. And you have one.”
And there she is.
My love, my forever.
My Elaine.
...
The picture I took this morning, on the beach. It is a beached jellyfish. I used the phone's editor to posterise it and then PicSee to add a filter and the title.