Patent - a Cyberopera
Jan. 27th, 2011 05:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daibhidcRemember that cyberpunk pastiche of The Threepenny Opera I did a while back? Well, I just found this on my computer, which I wrote at the same time, then forgot about.
We’re in the posh end of Generic Cyberpunk City, where decadent rich folk spend all their time in virtual realities. On the 1881st floor of Swynbun Tower lives Reggie Swynbun, a skilled VR designer, and noted tempermental artist. Swarms of e-groupies mob his virtuality node, although Jayne, moderator of the Swynbun discussion board, says he’s actually interested in the cyborg Patent (who comes from the slums at the base of the tower). Patent, however, believes that her cybernetic implants have left her incapable of emotions such as love. They have certainly left her incapable of appreciating Swynbun’s VR worlds.
Swynbun tells her he’s not that interested in the VR thing anyway, and his artistic temperment is mostly an act. This doesn’t help, but she has a long conversation with one of the e-groupies, 4ng3l, who convinces her that she should embrace her humanity and fall in love as soon as possible. Rather than Swynbun, however, she tracks down Arc Groves, a childhood friend from before she got her implants. He turns out to be another VR designer. He is also the ultimate transhumanist, having brought himself to the pinnicle of genetic, memetic and cybernetic engineering (unlike Patent, his cybermodification works in harmony with his emotions, explaining why she sees him as “above” her). Patent is unsettled by the idea of loving a “perfect being”.
Swynbun announces to the e-groupies that he will auction himself on v-bay, with all proceeds going to charity. Before the bidding can begin, Patent sends him an e-mail saying she will love him. The e-groupies instantly switch their allegence to Groves, much to his and Swynbun’s dismay.
Jayne, now the only poster on the Swynbun boards, still harbours hopes of replacing Patent. Groves is tired of being the “next big thing”; he’s constantly cranking out more VRs, and perpetually hassled by the e-groupies. Patent tells Swynbun she how she feels about Groves, and he reacts by using illegal bodymods to turn Groves into a baseline human. This backfires; now that he’s no longer perfect, Patent feels she can love him. The e-groupies get bored of the whole thing – the biomodded soldiers who’ve been hanging around the background of the story this whole time are deemed to be the new fad, and they arrange to meet in realspace . Swynbun ends the film alone in his VR world.
We’re in the posh end of Generic Cyberpunk City, where decadent rich folk spend all their time in virtual realities. On the 1881st floor of Swynbun Tower lives Reggie Swynbun, a skilled VR designer, and noted tempermental artist. Swarms of e-groupies mob his virtuality node, although Jayne, moderator of the Swynbun discussion board, says he’s actually interested in the cyborg Patent (who comes from the slums at the base of the tower). Patent, however, believes that her cybernetic implants have left her incapable of emotions such as love. They have certainly left her incapable of appreciating Swynbun’s VR worlds.
Swynbun tells her he’s not that interested in the VR thing anyway, and his artistic temperment is mostly an act. This doesn’t help, but she has a long conversation with one of the e-groupies, 4ng3l, who convinces her that she should embrace her humanity and fall in love as soon as possible. Rather than Swynbun, however, she tracks down Arc Groves, a childhood friend from before she got her implants. He turns out to be another VR designer. He is also the ultimate transhumanist, having brought himself to the pinnicle of genetic, memetic and cybernetic engineering (unlike Patent, his cybermodification works in harmony with his emotions, explaining why she sees him as “above” her). Patent is unsettled by the idea of loving a “perfect being”.
Swynbun announces to the e-groupies that he will auction himself on v-bay, with all proceeds going to charity. Before the bidding can begin, Patent sends him an e-mail saying she will love him. The e-groupies instantly switch their allegence to Groves, much to his and Swynbun’s dismay.
Jayne, now the only poster on the Swynbun boards, still harbours hopes of replacing Patent. Groves is tired of being the “next big thing”; he’s constantly cranking out more VRs, and perpetually hassled by the e-groupies. Patent tells Swynbun she how she feels about Groves, and he reacts by using illegal bodymods to turn Groves into a baseline human. This backfires; now that he’s no longer perfect, Patent feels she can love him. The e-groupies get bored of the whole thing – the biomodded soldiers who’ve been hanging around the background of the story this whole time are deemed to be the new fad, and they arrange to meet in realspace . Swynbun ends the film alone in his VR world.
