The Hub in the easy town story

How it all began

The Hub wasn’t part of the original easy town story where the internet got it’s first role in what is now book 5, with a big bang, though.

But when I wrote the first draft for book 1, beginning, I realised that someone was bound to bring up social media.

Without a plan or an idea what I was going to do about social media, except that I didn’t want tech giants to play a role in the story, I started to write a scene where Alice, the main character, is confronted with that question. At the end of that scene, I had the Hub.

The Hub Stations came about in a similarly unplanned way. A character asked whether the Hub wouldn’t become just another tech giant, and wouldn’t that contradict the project’s approach of working with small businesses?
As the discussion unfolded, the idea for the Hub Stations was born.
In the final version of book 1, beginning, I used a summary of the Hub Stations idea, not the original dialogue.

A major reason for giving the Hub this much room in the story was that the Hub is a great example of what is possible if and when we rethink business practices.

With the support we propose for the Hub Stations, we demonstrate early on that we mean what we say, that we are not out to exploit, that we work to create not to pump dry, and that every human will be treated with respect in our businesses.

© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning

Key quote for the Hub >

Key scene for Hub Stations >

The Hub in book 2, travelling

Ever since the two key scenes were written, more ideas for the Hub and for the Hub Stations keep piling up, and it was great to visit some of the fictional Hub Stations in book 2, travelling.

One of my favourite Hub scenes in book 2, travelling is when a group of people ask Alice about the Hub, and with a lopsided smile she shows them her phone screen.

It was white.
‘But it is empty.’
‘It’s whatever you want it to be. You’re the master of your Hub, in every way. I like my Hub simple.’
‘But …’
Alice smiled. ‘There are only four things I need. And I activate them with a tap of my finger. One tap: phone, two taps: texts, three taps: missed calls and texts, and alas four taps: the new Hub version which we’ll launch in September.’
Eyes widened. ‘Can we see?’
Alice rolled her eyes jovially. ‘Sure. Tap, tap, tap and tap.’

© Charlie Alice Raya, book 2/2, travelling

I love this scene, because it demonstrates so clearly that the Hub is whatever a user wants it to be.

The Hub in book 3, shaping

The Hub doesn’t play much of a role in book 3, shaping, but there is a fun scene about the Hub town features in book 3/2, shaping, which is now online on this website.

The Hub in book 4, building

The Hub plays a central role in book 4/1, when the project teams rolls out their campaigns to win a government’s and a countries population’s support for the town project.

The Hub opens a Hub Campaign Square, a bit like Trafalgar Square in London, where the campaign teams launch and run all their campaigns and where users can stroll into the various offers and also launch their own initiatives. It’s a super exciting time for the Hub and really everyone concerned.

In the books 4/2 and 4/3 the Hub town features and the new project phone will play a big role in making the town and the first experiments run. Though I don’t know, yet, how many details will get into the actual story.

The Hub in book 5, hiding & breaking

In this story, which opens a completely new chapter in the overall story, the Hub will play a central and unexpected role.

Since the Hub wasn’t part of the original story, I don’t know, yet, whether it will play a special role after book 5.

Though, I guess that the town features and their implications, plus the implications of using the digital world, and related issues, will be discussed at various points in the story.