flickr photo credits: (1) Serenae (2) Serenae (3) bionicteaching (4) keepps (5) bionicteaching
Five Card Story: Dystopia
a Five Card Flickr story by Trevor created Sep 20 2013, 12:48:10 am. Create a new one!
about this story
They were on either side of us, leading us down the endless halls. The Robots. There was one of them for every two of us. They were large, metallic looking figures that always lead us to places. They said that they were just like us, but I know that they weren’t. All of us enter the huge theatre, our footsteps in unison. As soon as everyone was inside we abruptly stopped. Shouts were heard from the front of the lines. We all turned towards our left to face the large screen. I was just trying to fit in with the others. Loud sounds blare from the speakers. And the brainwashing begins.
There are bright flashes on the screen, words popping up. I tried not to watch, but I kept looking back at the screen. The video rolled on, “The purpose in life is not to be happy, it is to be useful,” The video said. After each sentence, everybody repeated the last words of it. “No thoughts just work,” they all chanted together. The robots were trying to dehumanize us and use us as tools. Everyone has fallen into the brainwashing over the years.
They won’t get me. My name is James. I am a 15 year old boy. Ever since I remember, I have lived here. The robots didn’t know that I wasn’t brainwashed. The only way I had lasted so far is because of my technique. Every time I was in front of the brainwashing video, I would just think of the most magnificent thing I could; the sky. I had only seen it once, but it was spectacular. The clouds floating by, the birds flying free, the bright blue colour. Just amazing. If only I could communicate with my people to help. They would just ignore me, and continue on with whatever thoughtless thing they were doing. I had a hope that there was someone still out there like me, but I knew the answer would be no.
One day, during the brainwashing, as I was thinking about the wonderful sky I saw a movement in the corner of my eye. Usually, I wouldn’t have moved but this time I subconsciously did. As soon as I made to the movement I saw six robot heads turn my direction. They caught me. I was in trouble, I instantly began to run towards the back entrance of the brainwashing theatre and down through the tunnels. There were at least 15 chasing me now, including some riding their horses. I make as many random turns as possible, trying to lose them. After about a minute of running I see the exit of the winding tunnels. I have never been here before. I stumble out into the light, I look up. The sky! It is amazing, but then I snapped out of the daze and remember I have to escape. I see across the yard of grass and mud there is a building. I run in. It looks like a learning centre. This must be where they teach the kids. I run down the long hallway knowing it will be hard to get away. I hear them behind me. I quickly dash into one of the many rooms down the hallway. The room is filled with buttons and lights and monitors. I saw a sign to the right of one of the monitor screens. It read ‘Motherboard’. This must be what controls the robots and their system! I was about to pull the cord when a hand grasped onto my shoulder…
share this story
permalink to story: http://5card.cogdogblog.com/show.php?id=32783
other stories made from the same cards
Copy/Paste Story
Click once to select, then copy and paste HTML to your own blog/website.
create a different story from these same cards
Do you have another interpretation of the story behind these pictures? Add it to the collection as a new story!