2149: The Aftermath (Confinement)

The year was 2149.

It had already been 9 years since the greatest war

of all time, which ended in massive chemical warfare.

Lakes and rivers dried up.

Governments fell apart.

And billions of people died from the poison in the air.

The only survivors were people like me lucky enough to live

in a sanctuary pod.

While I wouldn't characterize my former life as lucky.

It was anything but.

Good morning, Darwin!

Please hold still for retinal scan.

Resident KR201 is asleep.

Hi mom. I wish you were awake.

I really need...

...want to talk to you.

Hi mom! Please call me back. Darwin.

Would you like your shower now, Darwin?

Start digging in sector 7.

As with any great disaster comes opportunity.

At least, that's how the World Authority saw it.

In exchange for food, entertainment and shelter,

we were put to work mining for rare minerals used

to build more sophisticated pods.

10-minute break.

Welcome to Ambrosia Meal Makers.

What can I get you today?

You have selected fish sticks.

Please confirm.

You have selected chicken à la King.

Please confirm.

An excellent choice. Would you like it delivered

at noon?

Thank you for choosing Ambrosia Meal Makers.

Attention please!

Air tests continue to show high levels of contamination.

Mandatory confinement is still in effect.

You will never be able to get enough of Tarclore

the most addictive game ever made.

Can you beat the computer?

Back to work.

As each day went by, I felt more and more detached

from the life I used to live.

End of work day.

The mindless work rotting me to the core.

I needed more from life.

The only reprieve was unlimited gaming.

But even that couldn't fill the void growing inside of me.

Congratulations! You have reached paradise!

Resident KR201 is asleep.

Good night, Darwin.

Have a good sleep.

My father left long before the bombs dropped.

Leaving my mother with a devastating choice to make.

Either stay together and find a way to protect me from

the poison in the air or be separated forever

but safe in sanctuary pod.

Come on, mom!

She told me: "Son, you are the future.

You will grow old and you will love and you will one day

understand why I must leave you here".

Good morning, Darwin!

I hope you had a good sleep.

Please hold still for retinal scan.

Is there a problem?

- No. - What are you doing?

I hit the wrong key.

- Continue working. - I will.

Continue working now.

I will. Sorry.

- What is the problem? - There is no problem.

- I will keep working. - You can easily be replaced.

Please, don't replace me. I will work properly

from now on.

Electrical overload.

Shutting down.

Backup battery engaged.

Power for life support and emergency lights only.

50% battery power remains.

20% battery power remains. All power diverted

to air purification.

5% battery power remains. Air purification will go offline

in 15 minutes.

Battery power is at 0%, air purification is offline

and pod is shutting down. Goodbye Darwin.

If the lightning storm hadn't destroyed my pod, I'd still

believe the air was poisonous. Lucky, maybe...

And then I thought, perhaps that's why my mother didn't

answer my calls.

Come on, mom!

May be she knew about the clear air as well

or maybe she needed my help. I had to find her.

I hadn't walked more than 10 feet in the past nine years.

My legs were weak and my mind as fragile as the young boy

who first entered the pod. So, navigating this fractured

land was going to be a struggle.

But I had no choice.

Five units per transmission.

Credit unavailable. Credit unavailable.

Credit unavailable.

I walked for what felt like days in the sun without food

or water.

I was in dire need of shelter.

And then, in the distance, a familiar sound.

I couldn't be sure if I was dreaming or not.

But the sign of life gave me hope.

Who are you?

You talk?

Come on RT, let's go.

RT, come!

Go!

RT! RT, come!

What is it?

- A person. - Male or female?

- Male. - Dweller?

Looked like it.

- Could he speak? - Didn't seem so.

I don't think he was seen.

If he'd been seen, they'd be here by now.

So you don't think he's with the police?

No, I don't think so.

It's all clear! You can come out!

Suzie, eat your dinner.

We set a place for you.

Steven.

Thank you.

Stop it.

Would you like some dessert?

Oh, I'll get it.

I'm Lillian Bale, by the way. I think you've already met

my daughter Dara.

We'd like to communicate with you if we could. Do you speak?

I'm sorry, we don't have any computers here.

But you understand what I'm saying?

Good.

Did you enjoy your dinner?

You were very hungry, weren't you?

I don't know where you were planning on sleeping tonight,

but we have a very comfortable mattress in the house.

Or we could move it outside if you like.

Would you like that?

I hadn't seen a living person in over 9 years. I hadn't

uttered a word in just as long.

And even though I was surrounded by people who made me feel

normal again, I swore to myself that this stop would only be

temporary.

Have you had tea before?

- Try some honey in it. - I'll do it.

So, we'd like to ask you some questions

about who you are and what you're doing outside.

Would that be okay?

Just... hum, put your hands on the table, out on the table,

like on a keyboard.

Good, okay and then Steven's going to come and he's going

to put his hands on top of yours and then you can just type

whatever you want to say.

It's okay.

You have to go slower.

My room was hit by lightning and it destroyed my computer

and my emergency alarm at the same time.

I guess nobody ever considered the possibilities of both

devices going out at once. I never did.

What's your name?

Darwin.

Darwin.

- Hi Darwin! - Hi Darwin!

Hi Darwin!

Hi!

Here.

This is important.

You put it on your skin so you don't get burned by the sun.

See? Just like that.

You're a little pink already, but I think you'll be okay.

- You're it! - Suzie! You know how

to play tag?

Okay, well Susie touched you, so you're it

and now, you touch me. Go ahead, touch me.

Okay, now I'm it and I have to touch somebody else!

You're it!

Suzie, you're it!

My mother... what happened to my mother?

I don't know. Did something happen to your mother?

I kept thinking she would send help. I thought she would

contact the Authority and Tell them to come and save me.

She never did.

Goodnight, Darwin.

We just want to help.

If you want to go and see your mother no one's going

to stop you.

Do you want to maybe get some sleep first?

Goodnight.

Mom?

Can I come in?

Hello! Are you in there?

Where have you been, Darwin? You have been

missing for 23 days. How did you survive?

Please leave us alone!

You can speak, Darwin. Where did you learn to speak?

Leave us alone...

Who do you mean by "us?"