ACT I
Karma walks into her childhood home, beaten down by the aftermath of the catastrophic hurricane that has left cities in ruins. She grabs her pendant from her neck and plugs it into her computer and runs a diagnostic. She recollects the day it all happened - October 19, 2028 (17 years ago, present time 2045).
“Climate change ravaged our lives. My parents were working on a suit with Uncle James that could help people combat the ever-changing conditions but were unable to complete it. Ironically, what they worked on was also their demise. All I have left of them is this pendant they gifted me for my 10th birthday.”
Karma receives a knock at her door, she’s met with her Uncle James after being abandoned by him for the last 5 years. Karma slams the door as she is infuriated and disheartened, thinking about the endless days they’ve worked together, keeping her parent’s legacy alive.
James knocks again, and Karma responds through the door
Karma: “You’re not welcome here, I don’t need you. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been doing okay for myself”
James: “It may seem like I abandoned you, Karma, but I always looked over you. Sure, you’ve done alright but I can bring you real security. ” – No Answer –
James: “Listen, I managed to carve myself a nice position with the survivalists and have some better tech you can mess around with. If you can find it within yourself to look past what I’ve done, and actually think rationally about your situation…our situation, then come by and look for me.”
Karma reluctantly gets up and opens the door for James who is accompanied by Asher, the trade specialist James also took under his wing. Asher is captivated by Karma and is not fazed by her coldness.
“You didn’t think I’d come alone, did you? This is Asher, our trade specialist. He barters between other communities for essential supplies. If you decide to come along, you’ll be closely working with him.”
James explains that he can provide Karma with safety, security, and the opportunity to work on more tech.
Karma, on second thought, agrees and follows them to the compound.
Karma, on second thought, agrees and follows them to the compound.
The months go by at the compound, and Karma, who has received projects from James, has found herself tinkering with the pendant her parents gave her and the software they developed, now that she has access to better technology.
Karma refuses to make friends with the community, and isolates herself, per usual, as “getting to know people is a waste of time” to her. However, Karma and Asher’s bond deepens and she gradually opens up. Asher, aware of her parents’ old tech facility, persuades her to visit, convincing her to visit for closure. Karma is hesitant but ultimately agrees, blinded by the bond developed between her and Asher.
ACT II
The day comes where Asher and Karma head to the facility. When she goes with Asher, he casually mentions that there is only one room in which he has not been able to access.
“The pendant my parents gave me can unlock the areas that you’ve failed to open“
She places the pendant in the slate and changes to a blue glow, opening the door, revealing the technology her parents and James built over the years. Karma enters the room, in amazement by all the tech around her. Asher, right behind her, sneakily presses a button on his wristwatch.
Karma suddenly hears a faint noise coming from the slate holding her pendant and heads back outside to investigate. A projection of her parents appears before her.
“Hey kiddo…*pauses* if you’re watching this, that means it’s probably been a while. We so wish we could have been there for you but if you’re also watching this, that means you found the vault. When developing our tech years ago, we saw your uncle James begin to show signs of sinister intentions. We created this vault to shield our life’s work away from him. Be careful, he believes our tech can grant power and security to him in this new world shaped by climate change. Your pendant is the key to ensure that doesn’t happen, you can– ”
In bursts James, thanking Karma for granting him the access he needed, and Asher for his help leading Karma to the facility. James, seeing Karma’s shocked face, reveals Asher was helping him all along in his scheme to take over the tech in the vault. He notices the holograms of his closest friends, Karma’s parents, and tells her that they did not see the world the way that he did.
“Karma, it’s not just a matter of control, it's about the power and significance this tech could wield over the people during these difficult times.”
“We were supposed to continue their legacy! I trusted you and now you’re going against what my parents worked hard to create?”
“You’re a child, you’ll never understand the complexities of the world! What a shame, I would’ve enjoyed having you by my side. You have so much to learn.”
“We were supposed to continue their legacy! I trusted you and now you’re going against what my parents worked hard to create?”
“You’re a child, you’ll never understand the complexities of the world! What a shame, I would’ve enjoyed having you by my side. You have so much to learn.”
Attempting to leave, Karma is stopped by Asher who is trying to convince her to stay
“Listen to James, he knows what he’s doing. You admitted it yourself, he helped you, just as he helped me.”
“No! I trusted you! You were my only friend!”
“Listen to James, he knows what he’s doing. You admitted it yourself, he helped you, just as he helped me.”
“No! I trusted you! You were my only friend!”
Karma rips the pendant off the wall and the doors begin to shut, enclosing the tech he’s longed for. James sends his minions after Karma, but she manages to escape.
“That pendant is mine, don’t let her get away!” he orders his men. Asher takes a brief glance at James before deciding to follow Karma in pursuit.
Karma escapes the facility and heads to the compound, hoping to get there before James. She calmly enters, trying to go unnoticed and gathers her computer and tools she uses to develop tech, and manages to escape the compound. Realizing she has nowhere to go, she finds a vacant home to hide out in. She begins to analyze her pendant further, wondering what other secrets it holds.
Asher, in a worried state, finds Karma. Rather than completely shutting herself away, Karma realizes how terrified Asher is and takes him in. He anxiously tells her that they should go back and give James a second chance, as he is worried that he will come find him. Karma grabs her pendant and puts it around Asher to calm him down.
“Here, just sit down and just trust me okay” puts the pendant on Asher. “My parents made the pendant to have infrasonic tech - that helps calm your nervous system, that’s why it glows every now and then because it's reacting to your body’s heightened state. Listen, we can't trust James anymore. He's shown his true colors, and he'll stop at nothing to control this tech. I won't let that happen. We need to keep this technology safe.”
After calming Asher, Karma connects her pendant again to her computer and checks to see if the Pendant (which is programmed to download files automatically) has obtained the video of her parents. The pendant projects the video again and resumes her parents’ message:
“Dad: Your pendant is the key to ensure that doesn’t happen, you can tinker with the software in the pendant and recreate similar functions to the tech in the vault. This is what you need to keep away from James. You need to create an encryption for the program in the pendant while it is connected to the main server in the facility. I know this is a big ask of you and hoped it didn’t have to come to this but we need you.
Mom: “Honey, we made this pendant to protect you and feel connected to us. Your Uncle James loves you and sometimes we are overtaken by the things we can’t control. Don’t let this world take away the warmth from you, keep an open heart. We love you, Karma, always.” –end message–
Mom: “Honey, we made this pendant to protect you and feel connected to us. Your Uncle James loves you and sometimes we are overtaken by the things we can’t control. Don’t let this world take away the warmth from you, keep an open heart. We love you, Karma, always.” –end message–
ACT III
Karma tells Asher they have to go back but Asher looks unconvinced, mentioning that James has a lot of men working for him. Her eyes locked onto his, her gaze unwavering as she says,
“We have to. You heard my dad. We don’t know what James has in mind for this tech but I can stop him, I know I can.”
Finding his courage, Asher agrees. The two make a plan to wait until nightfall to return to the facility, hoping they have a better chance of hiding in the shadows.
As they approach the facility under the cover of night, they find it heavily guarded by James' men. Karma, having practically grown up in this facility, whispers to Asher not to worry, there’s an old maintenance tunnel.
Having made their way inside, Karma and Asher test their discrete communication devices and split up: Karma to the Main Server room and Asher to check on the vault.
– Karma’s POV –
Asher finds James’ men working to knock down the vault door, attempting to force their way in, making it a race against time.
“Karma, they're trying to knock down the vault doors, and it's not looking good.”
“Well, then do something to buy me some time!”
“Karma, they're trying to knock down the vault doors, and it's not looking good.”
“Well, then do something to buy me some time!”
Asher approaches the men guarding the hallway to the vault pretending to be hurt: “Karma, she did something to that Pendant of hers and took the wind out of me”
James commands all the guards to head outside, as Asher makes his way to the vault door. He sees that they’re close to breaking through.
– Karma’s POV –
Karma gets to the main server, but notices that they are all down. She knows that manually powering them up is her only option, even though it will trigger an alarm and alert James to her presence.
She feels her heart racing and grips her pendant, pressing it against her chest, looking to calm her nerves but also feel her close to her parents.
Her hand trembles as she reaches for the first server's power switch, and the sudden roar of the machines coming to life fills the air, leaving her with little time to create an encryption for the program in the pendant. She takes out her computer and tentatively removes her pendant from her neck to insert into the server and begin the encryption process.
Hearing the hum of the facility, James realizes Karma is already inside. James takes one look at Asher's guilty expression and sprints over to the server room. Asher follows suit and hears the rumblings of the men right behind him.
Finding her at one of the computer stations, James confronts Karma.
James: “Karma, what do you think you’re doing!?”
Karma: “I’m doing exactly what we originally set out to do, continue my parent’s legacy, our legacy. The world has already gone to shit, James, and you’ll just end up creating more chaos.”
James: “You’re trying to encrypt the program aren’t you? You're aware that such an encryption takes time, especially without any updates to your pendant. There's no guarantee it will succeed.”
Karma: “That’s funny, who said I didn’t make any updates to my precious pendant?”
James: “You don’t have the resources to –”
Karma: “The resources to make updates like say the ones at your compound? Yeeaaah, I took some stuff and made some upgrades here and there.”
Karma: “I’m doing exactly what we originally set out to do, continue my parent’s legacy, our legacy. The world has already gone to shit, James, and you’ll just end up creating more chaos.”
James: “You’re trying to encrypt the program aren’t you? You're aware that such an encryption takes time, especially without any updates to your pendant. There's no guarantee it will succeed.”
Karma: “That’s funny, who said I didn’t make any updates to my precious pendant?”
James: “You don’t have the resources to –”
Karma: “The resources to make updates like say the ones at your compound? Yeeaaah, I took some stuff and made some upgrades here and there.”
The pendant shines with a new orange glow, like a protective aura. Karma confidently takes her pendant and tells James that he can no longer access the tech in the vault without her.
James is in disbelief, becomes enraged, and calls for his men, who have been watching the whole time.
Karma acknowledges the men:
“James manipulated you all to achieve his goals, and in exchange, you would all be at his mercy.”
“James manipulated you all to achieve his goals, and in exchange, you would all be at his mercy.”
As the reality of James' manipulations sinks in, the men begin to realize that James has not truly provided them with anything of great value. All he did was set up a system for his own benefit, at their expense. With no benefit to backing James, the men head back to the compound, looking to inform the others.
One looks back and sternly says, “You're officially barred from the compound.”
Karma has outsmarted James. James loses everything he’s built in the last 5 years.
Karma: “They loved you, you know. I loved you. It may feel like you have nothing now, but you still have me. Look for me when you’re ready.”
Karma: “They loved you, you know. I loved you. It may feel like you have nothing now, but you still have me. Look for me when you’re ready.”
Karma and Asher leave James on his own as the facility power slowly dims.
Karma’s narration: “It’s a new day, the sun is shining. The landscape has become more vibrant and renewed, as the world is slowly blooming.” Our focus narrows in on a charming little home and we peer through the front-facing window. The home exudes cheerfulness and warmth, with family photographs all around. Our view lingers on one particular photograph, with an older Asher and Karma embracing a child beaming with a toothy smile, the pendant hanging proudly around their neck.
“Climate change broke our world into a collapse but gave us a new world to build for generations to come.”
