Story

This week, we were asked to get into small groups/pairs to produce a creative outcome containing what we have learned thus far in the Elements course. For this, I chose to work with Karen; we decided to write a story incorporating clones, futuristic technology (holograms to be specific) and the spread of a deadly virus.

So far, we have finished the introduction for the story - this can be seen below.

Pear
The room was darkly lit by one open window, letting in a sickly stench. Delicate white shirts piled across a spoiled mattress; underneath, a slim female lay, lightly snoring. Her bare feet twitched.

A gust of wind shut the window and enclosed the girl in darkness. Her slanted eyes were lit by hazy graphene display lights, illuminating an advertisement in which a boy spoke solemnly.

“Zombla is catching us. Today you’re healthy, but tomorrow the doctor will find the poison seeping through your blood. It’s killing all of us, one by one. Zrist is here to save you.” He paused as the word ‘ZRIST’ appeared, glowing incessantly, followed immediately by a cascade of photographs depicting mangled, blood-stained bodies.

“Zombla can only kill your body,” the boy continued. “But we can save your mind. Zrist, a new technology. Upload your mind for free. All you need to do is sign up for Zrist.”

The words echoed ominously in the bare room as the screen flickered a dark blue. Almost immediately, the loud blaring of music filled the void, the words “Breaking News” flashing across the screen briefly before a woman stepped into the shot.

“Breaking news from CBC,” she stated monotonously, brown eyes gazing dully at the teleprompter in front of her. “Latest reports have found that there has been over 28,000 casualties from Zombla today, while an additional 113,000 have been admitted to intensive care units. Hospitals are overfilled at the moment, and simply do not have enough resources nor the manpower to provide sufficient treatment.”

Several shots of large crowds angrily waving signs appeared on the screen as the woman’s voice continued to drone on. “As a result of this, protests are erupting, with many demanding for better medical care. However, hospitals have not responded, which leaves the question - how long until Zombla kills us all?”

A hushed buzz of worry came from behind the camera before the screen faded to black.