Ep. 2 – “They seized everything and now they’re coming for us.” – Disconnected in 2050

Scene 1

Ellipse – EZRA is back at her place /
She catches her breath.
She arrives in front of the student residency – the door opens with face-
recognition technology –

AUTOMATIC VOICE
Facial recognition in process.
Student recognised.
Doors open.

[Doors opening
Footsteps interior]
In the metaverse with her oculus.
[Doors open and close]

Scene 2
EZRA (studio-voice)
At that time, I still lived in a student residence.
Rooms are little cells of 5 square metres, but fully equipped with all Infinity
installations.
Scene 3
JYN (voice from a corner)
Welcome back home, Ezra.
Scene 4
EZRA
But once I put my headset on, the walls of my room disappeared.

And I was instantly in my cozy and much more spacious Infinity-room.
Much like you and everyone, this is where I spent most of my days.
Scene 5

[digital sweet sound, enter new world, really “digital” ambience]

EZRA
is the voice changing when she’s in the oculus version of the meta (small
reverb / slight pitchshift / she hear her voice through her own microphone)
Hi, Jyn.
JYN
Hi, Ezra.
Everything alright? You were suddenly disconnected! What happened?
EZRA
I broke my Infinity glasses.
I fell from my scooter.
JYN
Well, your daily horoscope did say you should look out for unexpected
obstacles!
Your Infinity-glasses were an old model anyway.
They didn’t allow optimal overlaying of images with your walking area.
Here are the newest ones.
Infinity-lenses: Infinity right in your eyes, connected to all your other senses
Should I place an order?

EZRA
Wait…I can’t afford these!
JYN
You can.
You’ve been such a great student that Infinity offers you to transform and use
your study points to pay for those lenses.
Tadaaa…
EZRA
See, being a nerd is not so bad after all.
Okay then.
Place the order.
JYN
Infinity lenses ordered.
Should I open the distraction room?
EZRA
Yes, thanks Jyn.

[Sounds signalling that she is in a new ambience.
She watches some funny videos to distract herself. In the background we can
still hear her walking]

Scene 6
AD
Close your eyes…Open them.
Say goodbye to the cold weather and get ready for adventures in Abidjan, or
Bangkok.

Time is no distance either.
With Premium, travel in ancient Rome, The Roaring Twenties in New York.
Wherever your dreams go, we take you.
FAST INFO
Multi-billionaire Al Karzeck becomes the first inhabitant on the moon.
You can scan this QR code to visit his house.
AD VOICE
Can’t find the motivation to go for a run? You will with Get-up!
You are immersed in your training space until you have completed your
program.
You’ll never miss another session.

Back into the “cave” atmosphere from SCENE 1

EZRA (studio-voice)
See, in the end, my life wasn’t any different from yours.
And yet, a part of me felt that something was wrong with all of this.
Listen to this archive from March 12 th , 2022 of therapist and psychoanalyst –
Michael Stora.

MICHAEL STORA
[00:01:20.560] – Stora
Cela fait maintenant 25 ans que je travaille sur les phénomènes numériques.

[sound of zapping forward]

[00:36:34.130] – Stora
J'ai presque envie de vous dire que plus vous allez bien, moins vous avez besoin
d'utiliser les réseaux sociaux, etc.

[sound of zapping forward]

[00:36:51.614] – Stora
Peut-être qu'on pourrait se dire qu'à ce moment-là, le métavers sera le nouvel opium
du peuple. Ça me paraît évident. On pourrait finalement se dire que si on lui donne
les moyens de s'évader, l'être humain en a le droit…et heureusement. Je suis un peu
contre cette tendance à vouloir toujours protéger l'être humain contre lui-même. Mais
c'est vrai que là, nous aurons une puissance d'illusion immersive qui sera largement
plus importante que l'alcool, le haschich, la cocaïne et l'héroïne.

[sound of zapping forward]

[00:37:43.490] – Stora
[…] Donc c'est vrai que oui, on a le droit de jouer, on a le droit d'avoir des espaces de
récréation – dans le sens d'une récréation de ses tensions, de ses frustrations. Mais
idéalement, il ne faudrait pas que le monde réel s'effondre.

[zapping]

Scene 7

(Back in metaverse ambiance)

EZRA
[Sighs]
Hey, Jyn.
What’s my schedule today?
JYN
This is your schedule for the afternoon:
Lecture scheduled at 4pm.

Still on your to do list:
– Finish readings.
– Exercise.
– Visit Grandma.
You still have 13 messages unanswered.
EZRA
I’m gonna visit my grandma first.
Go to The Beyond.

[Jingle The Beyond + ethereal and calm music
We hear a conversation in the background between Ezra and her
grandmother]

Scene 8
EZRA (studio-voice)
My grandmother died a few months ago.
That’s when I started using The Beyond.
EZRA’S GRANDMA
How was your day honey?
EZRA
Good (pause) weird…
The delivery drones went into maintenance, so I had to go pick up my
groceries.
I lost a ton of time and now I’m really behind in my readings.
GRANDMA
At least you got some fresh air.
EZRA
Not sure “fresh” is the right word.
The one inside the residence is filtered at least.

GRANDMA
You exercised a bit.
I’m just saying… //
EZRA (impatient but still playful)
OK!
GRANDMA
Right, change of subject.
(Awkward pause as if the program had to charge)
EZRA
Grandma?
GRANDMA
How are your studies going?
EZRA
Good.
(pause)
I miss you.
GRANDMA
What do you mean?
I’m right here.
(Change of tone – she now sounds like she’s been recorded reading a script)
Thanks to The Beyond, I’ll always be there for you.
EZRA (All of a sudden mourns – as if waiting for it to be over)
Right…
GRANDMA
If only you got Premium, I could hold you in my arms.
Wouldn’t you like that?
EZRA (her voice is emotional – she’s trying to contain it)

You know what Gran…I got to go.
I’ve got a lot of reading to finish.
GRANDMA
For only 9 infinity-coins per month //
EZRA
I know…
Jyn, Exit.

Scene 9
JYN
Hi Ezra, would you like to upgrade The Beyond to Premium?
EZRA
Fuck you, Jyn!
(Breathes intensely to calm down)
JYN (in the same monolithic voice)
Well, that’s not very nice.
EZRA
Go to Study Room.
Scene 10

[Lowkey Tech? plays]

VOIX STYLE PROFESSEUR
We’re lucky to once again be on the side of the free world.
The old democracies were not able to cope with technology and with the
freedom that came with it.
VOIX STYLE PROFESSEUR –

Who wrote or said the following sentences:

“A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that
puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.”
EZRA
Adam Smith?

jingle incorrect

EZRA
Milton Friedman

jingle correct

VOIX STYLE PROFESSEUR
“People developed planes first and then took care of flight safety. If people
were focused on safety first, no one would ever have built a plane.”
EZRA
Mark Zuckerberg

jingle correct

VOIX STYLE PROFESSEUR
“People are naturally born as Libertarians till governments force them to adopt
their ideologies and their ways.”
EZRA
Hany Ghoraba

jingle correct

Scene 11
EZRA (as if startled by what she just read)
Exit Study Room
JYN
Are you sure? You still have 20 quotes to go to complete your task.

EZRA
Yes, reschedule it for later.
Exit!
JYN
Headset removed.
Scene 12
Changement ambiance, retour intérieur type chambre [you can still hear some
notifications in the background, Ezra opens the zip – and gets out the recorder,
she presses play]

EZRA (studio voice)
I couldn’t focus.
How could I? Knowing what was in my pocket…
This little recorder found in Rue des Tanneurs which would change
everything.
Scene 13
ADRIEN (voice on recorder) voice is mad – angry
Tuesday February 13 th , 2034
I knew that would happen eventually.
Infinity has grown so fast…
And now it’s bringing us down – the media, public institutions, all of it.
This is just the beginning.
Tom told me they went to the office the other day.

They seized everything, and now there coming for us – it’s just a matter of time
before //

(We hear some yelling / some voices / chaotic ambiance)

FUCK!
(End of the tape)
Scene 14
EZRA (studio voice)
I turned the recorder around,
A white tag was sticked on it,
With a name written in black letters: Adrien Samson