Dystopian Future Author: Duc Luan
New Tiktok City – Year 2499
To all who read this, please heed this warning:
This has been sent to you for a reason. You are not permitted to share
this with anyone. You shall discard this document after reading it. We
cannot let the Government find out!
So please, read this with caution.
Now further ado, let us start…
I am Xavier Xander Xorlox, but most call me XXX for short. I am
currently 19 years old and have just graduated from Cyber College.
I live with my roommate, Hydro Keeper. He dropped out of Cyber
College, and made his Gallons by dealing out illegal rainwater he
collected.
We live in a small apartment complex in the center of New Tiktok city,
which is quite costly. Also, because Hydro does extremely illegal stuff,
we are always being investigated by the police.
The story starts about a month after I graduated college. I applied for a
job in Water Development Management.
It had always been my dream to change how the Water system works. I
had always seen the system as a bit flawed.
On the day of the interview, I groomed myself quite well. Put on the
Cyber deodorant, brushed my hair with my Cyber Brush, tied my Cyber
Tie, and wore my best smile.
Since the building where the job interview was taking place was only a
walk away, I decided to go to the interview on foot. On my way, I
spotted many things that were quite common in the city:
Rouge Robo-Dogs chased people on the street, probably having Space
Rabies or something.
Homeless folk sat on the corners of the street, begging for a few gallons
of water. Some tugged at my feet, begging desperately, but I pushed
them away.
People with needles and tubes attached to them on white hospital beds
were rushed to the hospital.
Duplicates, they were called. Man-made human clones whose only
purpose in their short lives was to be extracted for blood, body parts,
and organs. At that time, I felt no sympathy for them. I saw them as
more animals than humans. Oh, how naïve I was!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was led to a large auditorium where rows of chairs stretched across
the room. Many people were seated on chairs, eyes closed while
drones hovered above them, casting blue light on them.
I was seated in a comfy red chair. Suddenly, my surroundings started to
morph around me, until I was in a bright yellow wheat field, on a
wooden stool. Golden wheat flowed around my feet, and cool wind fell
on my face. A man with curly blonde hair sat in front of me, wearing a
plain white t-shirt and khaki pants. He spoke to me:
- “Hello, XXX. I am AI_no.8849. Your brain is currently being
scanned and information is being gathered to judge if you are
suited for this job. This will take approximately 12 hours in real
life. However, in the simulation, it will only take an hour. The
wheat field is currently under progress and cannot interact with it
like the other simulations. However, you will be given a TV with
Family Guy clips and kinetic sand videos at the same time playing.
Hope you enjoy the wait!”
After saying that, the man vanished into the current.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had already been 3 hours in the simulation, way longer than I had
expected. The Family Guy and Kinetic Sand had been killing. I mean,
how much Family Guy can you watch at a time? Oh, how I missed
TikTok and it’s not 1m+ videos!
But, finally, a notification showed on the TV, and it read:
“ Hello, XXX
As you know, you are currently applying for the job “Water
Development Manager”
Sadly, due to a Duplicate who has recently escaped and is now messing
with the Simulation network, you may have to be stuck here for a bit
longer. About 2-3 hours, and in real life it will have been 3 days by the
time you get out of the simulation.
We will heavily compensate you for making you have to wait 3 hours.
Thank you! ”
I was beyond mad. I had to wait 3 HOURS? With only Family Guy and
Kinetic Sand?! I couldn’t believe it!
And I sat there… for another 30 minutes until something stimulating
happened! Oh the pain, if only I could describe it! Sitting without
stimulation and with your thoughts? Medieval torture would be
mercy…
Suddenly, the sky turned blood red. The wheat became a dull grey, the
wind stopped blowing, and the whole world collapsed into darkness.
The TV started flashing, and a pained voice started muttering:
- “I am a Duplicate, and these people are inhumane. Please, if
someone out there has a heart of gold, ask a doctor to go to the
‘Extraction Room’. I beg you. Tonight they were especially …”
The voice fizzled out. The sky became blue again. The wheat became
golden, and light hit my face.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took off the headset and immediately was hit with a hard headache. I
tried to stand up but my limbs had fallen asleep. My eyes were blurry,
and I felt so drowsy. I mean, I had technically stayed awake for 3 days.
Doctors and Nurses gathered around me, but I was too tired to care.
They tried to get me to stay, but I couldn’t think straight, like smoking
too much powder. I walked straight home. I was too numb to feel pain.
My eyes screamed at me to let them rest, my stomach would have
been considered the most dangerous predator by how it growled. My
back was like stiff cardboard. My bladder was out of control. Infact, I
think some piss might have dripped down my leg while walking. The
food I ate 3 days ago was now stuck up my butt. Great, now Im
constipated.
Finally, I had arrived. I was at the door of my apartment. I fumbled for
the keys in my pocket, and OOPS.
Godamn it that scene in my head was played in slow motion…
The keys fell to the floor.
I could not take it anymore…
I collapsed right there on the spot and sobbed myself to sleep at the
front door.
Unfortunately, Hydro caught me sleep talking about how the Smurfs
are actually Nazi’s in front of the door. He then proceeded to record a
video of it and now I know no peace
Also, our neighbors had to witness that sight.
Dystopian Future
Author: Duc Luan – Chi Mai’s rework
New Tiktok City – Year 2499
To all who read this, please heed this warning:
This has been sent to you for a reason. You are not permitted to share
this with anyone. You shall discard this document after reading it. We
cannot let the Government find out!
So please, read this with caution.
Now further ado, let us start…
I am Xavier Xander Xorlox, but most call me XXX for short. I am
currently 19 years old and have just graduated from Cyber College.
I live with my roommate, Hydro Keeper. He dropped out of Cyber
College, and made his Gallons by dealing out illegal rainwater he
collected.
We live in a small apartment complex in the center of New Tiktok city,
which is quite costly. Also, because Hydro does extremely illegal stuff,
we are always being investigated by the police.
The story starts about a month after I graduated college. I applied for a
job in Water Development Management.
It had always been my dream to change how the Water system works. I
had always seen the system as a bit flawed.
On the day of the interview, I groomed myself quite well. Put on the
Cyber deodorant, brushed my hair with my Cyber Brush, tied my Cyber
Tie, and wore my best smile.
Since the building where the job interview was taking place was only a
walk away, I decided to go to the interview on foot. On my way, I
spotted many things that were quite common in the city:
Rouge Robo-Dogs chased people on the street, probably having Space
Rabies or something.
Homeless folk sat on the corners of the street, begging for a few gallons
of water. Some tugged at my feet, begging desperately, but I pushed
them away.
People with needles and tubes attached to them on white hospital beds
were rushed to the hospital.
Duplicates, they were called. Man-made human clones whose only
purpose in their short lives was to be extracted for blood, body parts,
and organs. At that time, I felt no sympathy for them. I saw them as
more animals than humans. Oh, how naïve I was!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was led to a large auditorium where rows of chairs stretched across
the room. Many people were seated on chairs, eyes closed while
drones hovered above them, casting blue light on them.
I was seated in a comfy red chair. Suddenly, my surroundings started to
morph around me, until I was in a bright yellow wheat field, on a
wooden stool. Golden wheat flowed around my feet, and cool wind fell
on my face. A man with curly blonde hair sat in front of me, wearing a
plain white t-shirt and khaki pants. He spoke to me:
- “Hello, XXX. I am AI_no.8849. Your brain is currently being
scanned and information is being gathered to judge if you are
suited for this job. This will take approximately 12 hours in real
life. However, in the simulation, it will only take an hour. The
wheat field is currently under progress and cannot interact with it
like the other simulations. However, you will be given a TV with
Family Guy clips and kinetic sand videos at the same time playing.
Hope you enjoy the wait!”
After saying that, the man vanished into the current.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had already been 3 hours in the simulation, way longer than I had
expected. As I was bored over time, I started to wander around the
wheat field, even though I had been told it was still in progress.
As I reached the edge of the field, I saw a figure standing there. I first
thought he also took the job interview too, but… something wasn’t
right. His back was turned, but I could immediately tell something was
off about him. As I saw him, I was in deep shock. He had a weird yet
natural posture, with long, tangled hair and ragged clothes that barely
clung to his body. His arms seemed unusually long, almost out of
proportion. I was confused and thought it might be a glitch in the
system, and this might just be an AI or whatever. But further
inspection, I realized he’s just a normal human being! I built up courage
and spoke to him: Hey," I called out. "Who are you?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The figure turned slowly, and I almost retracted. His face was gross,
pale, and scarred as if he’d been stitched together from mismatched
pieces. His eyes were unnaturally large, his skin patchy and gray. He
smiled-a twisted, uncomfortable grin; it sent me the shivers.
"The name’s Theordus Hubbin," he replied, his voice like metal scraping
stone. "But people call me The Hub. I’m a… consultant of sorts."
My first instinct was disgust. I felt a deep, strong repulsion, not just to
his appearance but to his personality. He had an unsettling arrogance,
like he enjoyed how much he made others uncomfortable. He shuffled
closer, his long arms swinging awkwardly, and I fought the urge to step
back.
"What kind of consultant are you?" I asked, trying to ease myself.
He chuckled. "I consult on the duplicates. Been doing it a long time.
Making sure they stay useful." He said it with a smirk, as though their
suffering was some joke only he understood. His attitude made my skin
crawl, and I found myself thinking about those duplicates I’d seen
earlier - the ones being carted off for organ extractions. At the time, I
had dismissed them, but something about how The Hub talked made
me feel… wrong. Like there was something deeper I hadn’t grasped.
"You ever think they deserve more?" I asked, my voice tight. "The
duplicates, I mean. You don’t feel bad for them?"
He looks at me and chuckles softly. "Feel bad? Why would I? They’re
tools. Nothing more."
I shook my head, turning away, but something about The Hub stuck
with me. He was a VERY weird person, but there was a sadness in his
eyes I hadn’t noticed before. In that moment, I saw him in a different
way - not just as the digusting figure before me, but as someone who
had been shaped by this twisted world.
As the hours in the simulation dragged on, The Hub and I spoke more.
Despite my…grudges against him, I started to piece together his story. It
wasn’t until I realized… he’d been born a duplicate himself, marked for
harvesting at a young age. He escaped, but not without scars - both
physical and emotional.
That puzzle piece cracked something in me. I realized how easy it had
been to test on, torture the duplicates, to push them aside as "less
than" because society said so. The Hub, as gross as he was, had lived a
miserable life, rejection, and survival. The disgust I had felt slowly
turned into something else.
Sympathy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn’t shake the conversation I’d had with him. The image of the
duplicates being wheeled to the hospital beds lingered in my mind.
These weren’t just tools—they were lives! Lives that had been treated
as disposable, by the shitty world I onced called “society”.
I began to research more about the rights of duplicates—or lack there
of. It was a complicated system, built to exploit them. The more I
learned, the more furious I became. I started writing petitions,
gathering data, speaking to underground activists…
It wasn’t long before I submitted my first formal petition to the
government.
"Petition for Duplicate Rights," it read. "Because no life is disposable."
