Bliss Chip

INT. DR. ELIAS RENFORD'S LAB - NIGHT - 2024 The lab is cluttered with blueprints, tools, and an imposing metallic pod. DR. ELIAS RENFORD (early 40s, disheveled, but brilliant) stands before the time machine, hands trembling with anticipation. ELIAS(to himself)Twenty years... let's see if it's as bright as they promised. Elias reaches for a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a shot. He downs it quickly, then looks back at the bottle, hesitating before pouring another.
The machine HUMS to life, lights flashing as time bends around him.* CUT TO: EXT. FUTURE CITY - DAY - 2044 Elias steps out of the pod. The city looks familiar but futuristic—sleek buildings, cleaner streets. People walk by with strange, unsettling smiles fixed on their faces. Everyone is smiling. ELIAS(under his breath)What the hell...? He approaches a WOMAN passing by, her grin unnervingly wide. ELIASExcuse me, can you tell me what year it is? WOMAN(brightly)Isn't it a wonderful day? Everything’s perfect now! ELIAS(confused)Uh, yeah... sure. But the year? WOMAN(giggling)2044! We're all so happy now! She walks away, still smiling. Elias watches, disturbed. He looks around—everyone is acting the same, smiling, laughing, but with empty eyes. CUT TO: EXT. PARK - DAY Elias sits down next to a MAN (50s, scruffy, but with a faint, flickering smile that comes and goes). Unlike the others, he seems... conflicted. ELIASWhat’s going on here? Why is everyone... like this? The Man glances around nervously, his smile faltering for a moment. MAN(whispering)The chip... it's the BlissChip. ELIASThe what? MAN(sighing, his smile returning)A chip implanted in your brain. Makes you happy... all the time. No more sadness, no more anger. Just... bliss. Elias stares in disbelief. ELIASThat’s impossible. You can't just erase emotions like that. People need to feel other things—grief, ambition, fear. MAN(voice shaking)They didn’t think about that. They thought it would fix everything—end suffering, make society perfect. But... The Man's smile flickers again, almost in pain. MAN(whispering)They didn't realize it would erase everything else too. No ambition, no empathy... no love. Just this... emptiness. Everyone’s a prisoner in their own mind, and no one even knows it. Elias' face darkens with realization. ELIAS(urgently)But why don't people resist it? Why are they still... smiling? MANThey can't. The chip makes them want to be like this. If you resist too much, you’re... removed. Seen as a threat to the 'harmony.' The Man's eyes widen with fear. MANI'm one of the last ones who can still feel without the chip fully taking over. But soon... I won’t even have this. Elias looks around, seeing the crowds of smiling people in a new, horrifying light. ELIAS(realizing)I need to go back. I need to stop this. MAN(urgently)Yes! Before it's too late. Tell them in your time—don’t let this happen. CUT TO: EXT. TIME MACHINE - DAY Elias races back to the time machine, heart pounding. He steps inside, hurriedly pressing buttons as the machine hums to life. Through the window, he sees the people still walking, still smiling, oblivious to the emptiness within them. ELIAS(to himself)Not if I can help it. The machine WHIRRS and disappears into the fabric of time. CUT TO: INT. DR. ELIAS RENFORD'S LAB - NIGHT - 2024 Elias emerges from the pod, breathing hard, back in 2024. The lab is cluttered, chaotic, and full of imperfections—but it's real. He looks out the window at the world, still filled with struggle and emotion. ELIAS(softly)At least we still feel. He sits down, his mind racing, knowing the future he has to fight for. FADE OUT.