Humanity’s Loss | Zachary Doherty

Zachary Doherty is a sophomore majoring in psychology at UMass Lowell. He works as a residential counselor in the Merrimack Valley area, where he looks after orphan children, most of whom have disabilities.

 

---

**Third Place Award Creative**

 

I/E. BLACK SCREEN

TITLE CARD: A piece of fan fiction

NARRATOR (V.O.)

This short film is a piece of fan fiction adapted from the work of Neal Shusterman, author of the apocalyptic and dystonia science fiction novel, Scythe. Don’t fret. Instead, let’s try not to look at the dark side of artificial intelligence and its negative impact on humanity’s purpose to work as an identity of consciousness.

EXT. SUBURBAN ROAD - AFTERNOON

We are first introduced to STEIN, a young twenty-one year old apprentice. His dark, brown filled eyes are in deep thought as he walks slowly up a long narrow hill. His complexion is colorful, but the creases on his forehead show the stress his job has on him. He wears a long black trench coat that drags along the pavement, like a weight is always being applied to him.

STEIN

Are you sure about this Atlas? The man hasn’t done anything wrong.

Here is where ATLAS, Stein’s master, is first shown. He is a middle aged man with grey hair that makes him seem like he is much older. However, the rest of his features show his youth. It seems as though this he does not care for much just by the way he walks. He is sluggish, and moves with the care of a sloth. His blue eyes are dimmed and unfocused, as if he has a million things rushing in his mind. At any moment, this man could die, and he is okay with that.

ATLAS

You know the rules Stein, we must treat everyone equally. No one gets a pass.

STEIN

I know, I know. But with everything that has transpired over the last few
years, I just want to make sure we aren’t doing anything wrong.

ATLAS

Trust me, we are doing wrong. It should have never come to this.

Stein scratches back of his neck.

STEIN

Master, how in the world did we come to this? I know I am only an apprentice, but I think I should at least know a little bit more than what I have been told.

ATLAS 

(pauses)

Humanity has been able to cleanse the world of all sickness, war, and poverty thanks to the advancements technology has brought us. However, the organizations that started the artificial intelligence revolution has all but depleted.

STEIN

I had read that most companies and businesses have been destroyed. Hell, it seems as though humanity itself is all but stopped working.

ATLAS

The working class became obsolete. No one had to lift a finger when the Thunder Head took over.

STEIN

(scoffs)

That piece of junk took over all our jobs, and made humanity a dull and fearful place.

ATLAS

That’s one way of looking at it.

STEIN

How do you look at it Master?

ATLAS

My apprentice we all have cheated death. There is nothing that fears us anymore. The only thing we can fear is ourselves.

Stein puts his head down, looking at the cracks in the ground. He wishes that this world he accompanies had more to offer than just this blob of nothingness. A world where everything is grey, and no spark of life can be found.

STEIN

Part of me hopes you’re wrong.

Atlas looks to Stein, his eyes as cold as ice. He can see the sadness in his apprentice’s appearance. He places his hand on Stein’s shoulder, consoling his friend.

ATLAS

I hope I am wrong as well.

EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Stein and Atlas arrive in front of a small house right up the road. They march forward, and knock lightly on the door, waiting for an answer. Stein’s heart skips a beat as the seconds count down. They are here for a reason, and he knows that, however, he prays that there was another way. Atlas, looks bored, like the world could blow up right now, and he would just sit there in the flames of destruction. Stein breathes slowly, allowing his lungs to leave all the anxiety on the porch.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The doors opens and reveals JOHNATHON. He is a teenager, wearing normal school clothing. He is innocent, and you could tell just by how he smiles at the Stein and Atlas. Hi back is arched up straight with a sense of pride, almost like he is not afraid of death itself. His blonde hair is trimmed perfectly short, and his smile is that of a movie star. Beautifully white and perfect. Atlas places a hand on his chest, and any sort of boredom the man had on his face, has changed to kindness and sincerity.

ATLAS

Jonathan Lance, my name is Scythe Atlas.

Atlas now guides his hand over to his apprentice Stein, who gives Jonathon a nod
of respect.

ATLAS

and this is my apprentice, Scythe Stein. May we come in?

INT. JONATHON’S HOME - MOMENTS LATER.

Atlas takes off his trench coat and throws it on the chair.

ATLAS

Jonathon, have a seat.

Jonathon takes a seat, accompanied by Atlas. However, Stein still remains standing, but at Atlas’s side. Atlas waves his hand away from Stein, ordering him to leave the room.

ATLAS

Leave us.

Atlas and Jonathon sit together, the silence echoing the very foundation of the room. Atlas leans forward, his hands joined together. He is looking directly in Jonathon’s eyes.

ATLAS

I suppose you have a lot of questions.

Jonathon taps his foot on the carpet floor. He is nervous, and he knows he is showing it too much.

JONATHON

Of course, I do, but I bet you can’t answer them.

Atlas leans back in his seat and looks up the ceiling above them. He knows where this is heading.

ATLAS

Try me.

Jonathon leans forward, his hands shaking on his lap. He knows what these people do, but he hoped he at least to have answers first.

JONATHON

Fine. Why me? Why do I have to die?

Fine. Why me? Why do I have to die?

ATLAS

Who said anything about death?

Jonathon stands up, furious with how this scythe master is treating him. It is like this man could care less that he is about to take a human life.

JONATHON

Shut up with that self-righteous crap! The only reason why your kind show up is to kill people.

Atlas does not look intimated. He is in control and had dealt with much worse.

ATLAS

Do you believe that is all we do? Just kill people?

There is another silence in the air, as Jonathon lets his anger fume inside of him.

JONATHON

Yes.

Atlas leans over, his whole body relaxing.

ATLAS

Then you won’t mind if I tell you a little bit about us killers.

JONATHON

Sure, not like I have a choice.

Atlas gestures for Jonathon to sit back down. The boy complies, his arms folded in anger as he is being treated like child throwing a tantrum.

ATLAS

Exactly. So, shut up and listen. Scythes were created to make sure that the human population doesn’t over grow due to death being no longer a necessity.

Jonathon looks to Atlas, the annoyance clearly visible on his face.

JONATHON

I know that, but you still haven’t answered my question.

ATLAS

Why you? Why do you have to die? Simple answer is that there is no simple answer. You were chosen based off data taken from the AI system, or the Thunderhead. All you are is a spec. A bug that we must crush.

The anger is extracted from Jonathon. The fight he had is drained as the information is being processed to him.

JONATHON

Not sugar coating it, huh?

Atlas does not look away from Jonathon. His eyes are staring directly at the teenage boy, examining him like a scientist stares at his experiment.

ATLAS

Would you have liked me to lie to you?

JONATHON

No, but I wouldn’t have minded it.

ATLAS

Don’t worry, I don’t like to glean people slowly. It will be quick and painless.

JONATHON

Funny, you use the word glean instead of kill. Does it make you feel better?

Atlas rises from his chair, and steps closer to Jonathon, but before anything is shown the scene shifts.

ATLAS

Yes, it does.

EXT. SUBURBAN ROAD - NIGHT

Stein waits outside the house, the cold air raising his tired breath into the sky. He yawns with a care free attitude.

STEIN

Did he cry?

Stein and Atlas walk away from the house, the moon hitting off their dark cloaks as they continue to walk away from the house. Atlas doesn’t even shed a tear, while Stein has to wipe his eyes clear of them. This job is not easy, and everyone is different. Atlas though, seems to have been drained of all humanity.

ATLAS

They always cry.

STEIN

How do you do it? How do you go through this life?

ATLAS

In our line of work, there is no longer a life.

Stein and Atlas look up into the skyline, the clouds passing them by. They contemplate how they got here, how the world itself had let this happen.

STEIN

I don’t suppose it is too late to want to go back?

ATLAS

And do what? Feel pain, sickness, and death?

STEIN

At least we would feel something, Atlas.

Atlas walks away from Stein, his back towards his pupil. Tears stream down Atlas’s face. He is still human, and with being human, feeling nothing is worse than feeling too much.

ATLAS

We lost that feeling when we created a being that became our God.

I/E. BLACK SCREEN

TITLE CARD: Is being God worth it?

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Is being God worth it?

TITLE CARD: This commercial is sponsored by Algorithmic Justice League

NARRATOR (V.O.)

This commercial is sponsored by Algorithmic Justice League.

TITLE CARD: The Algorithmic Justice League is a company that aims to highlight algorithmic bias through provocative media and interactive exhibitions, provide space for people to voice concerns and experiences with coded discrimination, develop practices for accountability during the design, development, and deployment phases of coded systems.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

The Algorithmic Justice League is a company that aims to highlight algorithmic bias through provocative media and interactive exhibitions, provide space for people to voice concerns and experiences with coded discrimination, develop practices for accountability during the design, development, and deployment phases of coded systems. 

TITLE CARD: To find out more about this group, go to www.ajlunited.org

NARRATOR (V.O.)

To find out more about this group, go to www.ajlunited.org

TITLE CARD: We, as a society have a right to understand the rights we have in this global evolution. If we wish to have a better world for ourselves, we must not put power into the wrong hands, otherwise, we might look at a world similar to this. One with no feeling, one with only databases and frameworks.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

We, as a society have a right to understand the rights we have in this global evolution. If we wish to have a better world for ourselves, we must not put power into the wrong hands, otherwise, we might look at a world similar to this. One with no feeling, one with only databases and frameworks.