DYSTOPIA 2217

Object 1: Books

Narrative Imagining

Clementine feels tired waking up this morning, IT shows that her sleeping quality was below average, and the negative feelings in her mind were accountable for the poor sleep. She finds it odd, “negative feelings”, she murmured for several times, for she does not know what it means. Clementine is bored, she decides to read. She turns on IT and the reading mode already popped up on the screen. She smiles because it reminds her of the conversation she had with Chloe yesterday, “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today. I was thinking about taking a bath in the blue lagoon this morning and IT didn’t connect to my thought until 1.78 seconds later!”. “That’s too bad, at least mine is working fine.” Clementine thought to herself, and the words “Thank You” appeared on her screen, as usual. So she wants to read. Clementine browses the book list very quickly: For Clementine XCGU, For Clementine IJKO, For Clementine EEWP, etc. She finds herself in the mood for EEWP. “Where are my earplugs?” Clementine thinks out loud. “One palm’s away on your left.” The sentence jumps onto the screen. Clementine pulls the earplugs from the couch and inserts them into her ears. She adjusts her body to a more comfortable position, closes her eyes, and waits for the story to unfold for her. “Today I’m going to read it slow. The last book was too intense and the earplugs did not even have enough time to process my thoughts and the story got a glitch at one point.” But then Clementine realizes how ridiculous she was, “I just got the new earplugs this week, no wonder it has not had enough data for the machine learning. They will catch on and know how I like to read, they always do.” After the consoling thought, she can finally relax, and read. 

STORYBOARD

Storyline 1:

They met each other in the VR Jam competition in 2192, or B.V. 8, which was reported all over the world because they stayed up straight for 3,875 hours and ended up all winning the first prize, six then abandoned islands in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

In 2200, our greatest rulers were officially named as Viva La Vida, which, according to the Central History Administration Office, was a hit song 200 years ago by a group of people called Hot Play, who gathered together and made noise for fun and for the audience.

Today is A.V. 17, the world is as peaceful and stable as it ever could be. We are at the Central Panopticon, the first among the six constructed in B.V. 7 by the great V. 1/6 of the current world’s population is gathered here, with an extensive of 600,000 individual cubes surrounding the central tower. By the grace of the great V, the residents’ lives are comfortable and carefree. They all came here because they could not sustain themselves with the scarce resources outside of the Panopticons. Everyone becomes happy once they come to the Panopticon, and they can finally play the latest, ever-changing reality games however they want. They are grateful for the great V., and all agreed to stay forever in the Panopticon.

Everyday life is simple, just as the sign outside of the Panopticon, “Freedom, Enjoyment, Sacrifice.” The residents do not have any fixed schedule. The central tower only exists for supervising their safety and preventing them leaving the cubes for the inferior world outside. Usually after a week, they would get used to living here and spend more and more time in the reality games. They have all signed the agreement for the tower to absorb their brain energy when they are in the games, which wouldn’t necessarily harm their bodies, so nobody actually cared.

Of course, all the energy extracted from the Panopticons are to be paid tribute to the great Viva La Vida. Never should they die.

Delivery:

Mock documentary (B&W) with narrative voice

Podcast (propaganda style)

Advertisement with Lego

Audio:

Upbeat symphony

Nervous beats

Viva La Vida

Text:

If documentary, subtitles.

If Podcast, intro movie with slogans and explanations.

If ad, exaggerating fonts

Storyline 2:

I was born here. I suppose I will die here.

The central Panopticon is our world. Although the other day I overheard someone saying there’s much more outside of the Panopticon, I doubted it. I have never left here. Nobody I know has. Honestly, I cannot see the point of even verifying that statement. My life is good here, it always has been. I don’t have to worry about anything, at all.

I have a system here, not many people do. The life is so easy and free that everyone else pretty much does whatever they want, getting wasted, sex, gaming, sleeping, and it goes on and on and on. I have my own routine of enjoyment, oh, freedom, enjoyment, sacrifice, Viva La Vida.

I wake up at 6 every day, and spend an hour eating breakfast. The menu changes every day here. My favorite days are Wednesdays when they serve French toast. I’m always wondering how they came up with such a beautiful word, French, with no essential meaning but just a beautiful note, starting from biting your lip a bit and then rolling your tongue till it reaches a harmonious ending with your teeth, F-ren-ch, VIVA LA VIDA.

After breakfast, I like to spend time watching the central tower, such magnificent architecture. On a good day, I can see the mirror up on the tower reflecting colorful lines, just like the kaleidoscope game. I have never wondered who is inside the tower, behind the mirror. I just know they are watching us every second, and they see us without being seen, all in order to keep us safe, safe inside the Panopticon.

Then the games begin. I’m never bored with the reality games. The great V. assures a new game launching every cycle, a cycle being the brain energy of a resident is exhausted, which happens faster than you thought it would be. Unfortunately, I haven’t been putting enough time to get to that level, but I heard after exhausting the brain energy the cube will be upgraded, much more elegant, and the games there would become a brand new experience. I’m not sure when I can finally arrive there, sometimes I feel ashamed that I haven’t sacrificed enough for the great V. to qualify for the level. It has a beautiful name too, COMA.

Delivery:

Mock documentary (color) interview style

Cassette (physical)

Audio:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest soundtracks and/or monologue

Text:

Subtitles