"The Arrival" by Matt Dunster. 

This story was written by a student who had read the "Out of Time"  series (created by David Brin) and wanted to comment on it. 

In this story the author has created a future society on the verge of slipping into stagnant conformity, not through the villainy of a tyrant but through fear and a misunderstanding of the lessons of history, and shows how realistic (if a bit obsessive) teens from our time could help that society escape its fate, without losing the real gains it had made in previous centuries.  The writing is clear and the characters believable; the story also had a nice balance between a serious theme and the often very funny series of events. 

The author (Matt Dunster) would like this story to be the start of a shared universe for other students to add to.  In the near future, there will be a "story bible" and study guide suggestions. Matt doesn't expect everyone to agree with the views in his story, but hopes, whether others agree or disagree, they'll be stimulated to write their own stories in response.  There may even be a contest for the best sequel or illustration (watch this space!).  Matt has also written a study guide for the story - here. 

Now without futher introduction "The Arrival" the first book in the "Just in Time" series.  If you'd prefer to download the story as a Word file, go to the "File Cabinet" (see the left hand column of this web site) and download "Jerks.doc".