Welcome to Dark Age 2.

Nobles in castle fortresses surrounded by slaves and dispatch fully armored knights who roam the countryside taking what they want at the point of a blade towards the average man who cannot afford arms and can barely eat enough food to stave off malnutrition let alone organize a physical resistance.

Only it's going to be worse, because technology: both inescapable surveillance and merciless logistics make it possible to rule the globe from a few ivory towers. Someone is triggering the AI's recognition that someone's gait has changed which might indicate they're trying to get in shape and fighting force? Dispatch a squad of armed soldiers to any corner of the planet within 20 minutes and take them out. Government media will take care of the rest: "domestic terrorist", "child porn collector", "believes in chromosomes."

Welcome to Dark Age 2.

Nobles in castle fortresses surrounded by slaves and dispatched fully armored knights who roam the countryside taking what they want at the point of a blade towards the average man who cannot afford arms and can barely eat enough food to stave off malnutrition let alone organize a physical resistance.

Only it's going to be worse, because technology: both inescapable surveillance and merciless logistics makes it possible to rule the globe from a few ivory towers. Someone is triggering the AI's recognition that someone's gait has changed which might indicate they're trying to get in shape and fighting force? Dispatch a squad of armed soldiers to any corner of the planet within 20 minutes and take them out. Government media will take care of the rest: "domestic terrorist", "child porn collector", "believes in chromosomes."