“It’s foolproof, why did it have to be me? You said it would work, what’s wrong with me? Why do I have to be in the 1%?”
Arwen had been visiting the doctor’s office for three weeks, but what was meant to be a medical appointment was beginning to feel more like a psychologist visit. She had recently received the treatment that was meant to revolutionise the medical world. They called it the ALGAE; a minute bead inserted inside the brain that remedied your pain before you even felt it. ‘A miracle sweeping the world’ ‘Permanent pain relief’ the headlines proclaimed. But for some reason it didn’t work for Arwen.
On her way out of the clinic she picked up a newspaper.
“Oh, it’s available for babies now, of course it is,” Arwen scoffed, flicking through the pages. “Another athlete died, who cares. They’re dropping like flies nowadays,” she told the lady at the bus stop, who wasn’t really listening.
The bus trundled along to the stop, its paint peeling and oil dripping onto the road. Arwen cautiously sat down on the threadbare seat, eyeing the other passengers who all seemed to be content in this vessel of squalor.
“No one is bothered to fix anything around here anymore, they just aren’t worried about getting hurt,” Arwen thought.
When she got home, she flicked on the TV and of course, look who was there.
“That Oliver will do anything to please those producers,” she mumbled before switching it off.
***
Every district had one. There was no use for pharmacies anymore, there was no need to feel better because they always did. The crowded shelves had been cleared and removed in favour of sleek surgical suites. ‘A simple operation, and pain was a thing of the past,’ at least that was what they promised.
***
Oliver had just sat down as the teleprompter began to roll. He took a deep breath and began the announcements.
“Today the nation mourns the loss of yet another mountaineer, 42-year-old Emma ‘The U’ Underhill’s frozen body was found this morning at K2. The cause of her death has not yet been released to the public; conspiracy theorists believe it could be linked to ALGAE. The authorities have discounted these theories.”
He had been called in to fill the segment as the regular presenter was off at her scheduled appointment and the station was running short on staff. There seemed to be less of them each day.
Lunchtime came around and Oliver was still milling around as he had nowhere else to be. The vending machine was broken. THUMP, nothing, THUMP, still nothing, THUMP, nothing again. Oliver was kicking it with great force by now, the ALGAE pulsating in his brain keeping the pain at bay.
It had been one month since his operation and life had been sweet ever since. He had been one of the first in the area, being a local celebrity had its perks. The first few days after had been sensationless, he couldn’t feel anything. The doctors had told him that this was perfectly standard reaction, and he would be back to normal soon.
***
The numbers were now in the thousands, people dying without realising they were sick, athletes pushing their bodies to the limit in the name of sport. The tabloids were flooded with rumours and theories penned by conspirators playing scientists. Yet people still went under, the promise of a painless world tantalising to the masses.
***
Amelia had just had a pain free childbirth and now it was time for The Decision. The ALGAE was nestled in a tray beside her. A surgeon lurked in a corner ready to whisk her child away to theatre. A clipboard laid out in front of her clipped onto it a single page.
Amelia’s life had turned around drastically since The ALGAE came into her life. She was now fitter than she’d ever been before, running every day for hours on end, painless despite her pregnancy. She could sleep better without her back pain.
Her running partner was a different story. Amelia couldn’t of predicted what would happen to Olive. The two would run together each morning before things changed. They set goals together, pushed each other, until Olive got The ALGAE.
She began running without Amelia for fifteen hours a day. Skipping mealtimes in favour of fitness. Working out instead of sleeping. This continued for weeks till one day Olive was found collapsed on a path, body cold. Amelia vowed to never let herself live like that and leave her baby alone in the world.
Though the doctors always knew what was best.
“Why on earth would I want my precious baby to be in pain?” she winced as she signed the form.
Why are we still asking Stephenie Meyer for Midnight Sun?
Doesn’t it seem a little odd that we want another book from an author that we don’t really like and whose writing we ignore 80% of? Like we’d just end up ignoring everything canon about it and spend the next few years rewriting it to our own collective taste. Honestly I feel like writing our own version would be less work.
