The world had been remade, not by war or natural cataclysm, but by the silent, instantaneous hum of the Rift-Gates. Spanning continents and connecting the most disparate corners of the globe, these portals, colloquially known as Thorne-Gates, were the ubiquitous arteries of Future Earth. Gleaming chrome and shimmering energy fields marked their presence in every major metropolis, a testament to humanity’s triumph over the tyranny of distance. Commuting from New York to Tokyo for a morning meeting, or vacationing on a Martian resort and returning for dinner on Earth, had become the unremarkable fabric of daily existence. The very concept of 'far away' had been rendered obsolete, replaced by a seamless tapestry of interconnectedness.

This was the age of instant gratification, a societal paradigm shift born from the singular genius of Dr. Aris Thorne. Freight moved across oceans in moments, eradicating supply chain inefficiencies and ushering in an era of unprecedented resource abundance. Medical emergencies in remote regions could be addressed by specialists teleporting directly to the scene, saving countless lives. The once-insurmountable challenges of global logistics and personal travel had simply vanished, leaving behind a world where every desire seemed within immediate reach. Humanity had, it seemed, achieved its apotheosis through pure, unadulterated innovation.