Although my exomuscular suit allows me to move with the agility of a 20-year-old, I have it set to extreme energy-saving mode, so my movements are somewhat clumsier. I can’t afford more.

I check the production of my small personal energy farm. I am an elderly person and must be careful with my consumption since I can barely produce energy through my own physical effort. Fortunately, my daughters and granddaughters donate part of their production to me. Without them, I would have to use a bulkier public exoskeleton, probably one of those that must be removed for sleep.

When I was young, energy was cheaper, practically free. We almost never stopped to think about whether using it was justified or not. And although many years have passed, I still vividly remember the global crisis when energy became more valuable than money. That was the choice: either that or losing access to much of the information and services we used on the Internet. At least, that was the reason they gave us.

Those were tough times because, in just a few months, nearly all international currencies devalued, and the kilowatt became the most stable unit of exchange. And although the situation has stabilized, personal energy production remains a source of either wealth or survival, as in my case.

So, anything that can generate energy does. Bilbao, like practically every inhabited area on the planet, changed abruptly. Almost all the buildings in the city are covered from top to bottom with solar panels, turning it into a kind of giant labyrinth of mirrors. Thousands of wind turbines of various sizes rise everywhere. Even the surrounding hills are dotted with solar parks and forests of windmills. The rivers and sewage systems also generate energy. Paradoxically, only the buildings belonging to banks and large corporations can afford the luxury of not producing energy. It is a symbol of power.

I miss the multicolored city, rich with trees and surrounded by green mountains, but I understand that we had no other choice, or at least, that’s what they made us believe, and that we must do it for the common good. There is no alternative.

In any case, today I turn a century old, so I will allow myself a little energy indulgence. I will organize a virtual party with my family, friends, and digital companions. Tomorrow will be another day.

My exomuscular suit has already finished its diagnostics and has sent the breakfast order to the domestic gastronomy system. Exceptionally, it allows me to have an extra slice of bread; after all, it is my birthday. The automated public health system allows me fewer and fewer dietary indulgences, and I cannot afford to buy healthier and tastier products, but I know it is for my own good. The system reminds me of this frequently.

I am still licking the synthetic strawberry jam off my lips when I decide to go for a walk. I put on my VR visors, and before me opens the world I would like to live in. I have been designing it over the years.

Today is my birthday. A faint ray of sunlight filtering through the window wakes me up. I hear my grandchildren, they’ve come early to have breakfast with me and celebrate my birthday. But first, my granddaughter helps me get up and get ready. Like every morning, one of my grandsons has special permission from work, thanks to the Automated Work Overtime Law, to come give me a massage and assist me throughout the day. It is a privilege my parents and grandparents never had. I am 100 years old, but I can still perform my morning tai chi exercises with ease, and I greatly enjoy sharing that moment with whichever grandchild has come to take care of me that day.

We all sit at the table, and a smile spreads across my face as I take in the scene. I am surrounded by my loved ones, and the table is full of healthy food. There is not as much variety as in other times of my life. Most of it consists of local and seasonal products. We have a good life.

I remember the day the Lehendakari announced the strategy that would turn Euskadi into "the world's repair workshop," as they put it. At the time, the words sounded strange, and many critics predicted economic disaster. It seemed as if we were going to become the planet’s junkyard.

However, that shift in the country's productive economy became the foundation of the well-being we enjoy today.

Although the early days were shaky, today our industry is dedicated to manufacturing spare parts and components, repairing, and extending the lifespan of a vast range of goods and tools. We are one of Europe's leading forces in the sector because we understood that a circular economy had to be based on standardization and reuse.

I know some people think we live in worse times because energy consumption rationalization has slowed down technological innovation. But since the great energy crisis, those tough times, questioning whether a particular consumption is necessary has become a social responsibility. I remember when we used to waste energy just to watch funny cat videos. What a waste. It took us a while to realize that the key was not to produce more energy, even from clean sources, but to consume only what was necessary.

Today, energy is consumed rationally. It is not an ideal world, but directing energy toward task automation allows our loved ones to take care of us, the elderly. Of course, we also live in a society where child-rearing by parents is a right. We have replaced digital entertainment with board games and frequent social interactions. Medical science says this is healthier, and to be honest, as someone who has lived a century, I don’t know how to thank this society enough for granting my close relatives days off so they can come care for me, their children, or participate in social activities. It is a good agreement.

As we finish breakfast, I look out the window to see the day. It is not the Bilbao I knew in my youth. The city now optimizes resources to obtain water and energy in a rational way, always striving to preserve the beauty of the landscape as much as possible. Having a beautiful environment is one of our social values. And our mountains have once again become lands for agriculture and livestock, nestled between forests and wind turbines. It has been a long time since I last ate a mango, but the grapes from Artxanda are a delight.

After breakfast, my entire family, who have the day off for my birthday, suggests we go for a walk in Iturritxualde. As they help me get dressed… I begin to feel a vibration throughout my body.

An overlay message in my virtual world notifies me that I have exceeded my energy consumption limit for the day. Excess time is over.

That family breakfast, even if it was virtual, was nice. How wonderful it is to imagine better worlds… even when they are not possible.

I will spend the rest of the morning sitting on the couch, saving energy so I can walk in the afternoon. I will turn on the old television and let time pass so as not to waste energy.

It is not the future I dreamed of, but it is the best possible one. Undoubtedly. Or at least, that is what they made us believe.