IN THE NEAR FUTURE
It’s time for a new world order. Large private corporations have gained complete control over the world and its resources. Countries and states have become just pawns, ready to follow the interests of private companies for money. The whole world is united by the thirst for money and power. In the history of mankind, there has never been such a big difference between the rich and the poor, between the elite and the rest of the people – each of which was turned into slaves, into tools for making money for the 1% of people who consider themselves the rulers of the world.
Most of the population refuses to accept this state of affairs. Repressive police and military forces kept the situation under control, but more and more people are beginning to turn against the rulers, openly showing their defiance and calling for justice. They are considered criminals and transported to private correctional facilities. Once imprisoned, few survive long enough to get out alive. And those few who survive imprisonment tend to suffer from mental disorders and die shortly after being released, unable to return to society. There are rumors that illegal experiments are being done on the prisoners, but at the moment, these are just rumors.
REALITY SHOW
The elite wants to keep everything under control and maintain the current order of things at any cost. Despite the fact that the death penalty is announced even for petty crimes, this does not help. And finally, the proposal of the global broadcaster TEC1 was accepted and the project ‘Island’ was launched. The solution proposed by this company is very simple: instead of oppressing people even more, a special 24/7 reality television show will be launched, and as long as people are addicted to the TV show, they will forget about real problems! This concept has already proven its effectiveness many times and will do it again!
For this show, a whole island was allocated, which was converted into a specially protected area. Surveillance equipment was placed all over the island, and the island was inhabited by modern gladiators, that is, prisoners sentenced to death. The inhabitants of this island were resettled, and those who did not want to leave were simply left to die. The prisoners are parachuted onto the island in small groups and left to build their violent society.
Despite the fact that the perimeter of the island is heavily guarded, many are trying to escape, however, there has not yet been a single official confirmation of a successful escape. There are also rumors that there are a few lucky ones who managed to escape during the first season of the show, and that they formed a secret alliance “Renegades” to resist the oppression of the authorities. So far, the government has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the Renegades.
BODY CONTROL IMPLANTS.
For this show, bio-control modules (ICD-2) were developed and implanted into the spinal cords of prisoners. MCD-2 is the first mass-produced bioengineered artificial intelligence system capable of controlling any kind of living organisms. MCD-1s were originally used exclusively for medical purposes: they stimulated the vital functions of brain-damaged people by putting them in a coma until they got better. However, an improved version of the module was developed for industrial and military purposes. An improved version, the so-called MCD-2, is a remote-controlled module with more capabilities, capable of replacing the subject’s basic brain functions. This means that once the real brain dies, the company can easily take control of the subject’s body by programming the implanted ICD-2.
ICD-2 is designed to take control of the body of a deceased subject. In the event of death, MCD-2 activates vital processes in the body and in a few minutes will fully resume the functionality of the body. Once this happens, the corpse will be reanimated and thus brought back to life. To remain operational, the module must provide an adequate supply of energy through food intake. Subjects controlled by the ICD-2 are programmed to attack living prisoners, eating the victim’s flesh until they are dead and taken over by the corporation. MCD-2s have the ability to communicate via shortwave radio signals in the range up to 250 m. Depending on the program, MCD-2s can reproduce various body movements, such as: walking, running, jumping, climbing and grasping. To a certain extent, they can even coordinate their limbs to perform complex actions such as carrying a weapon or throwing a stone. If the module is fully charged, it can stimulate the body to move faster than normal humans, but once the energy runs out, the controlled subjects slow down and experience only occasional bursts of energy. These subjects are also known as: “puppets”, “ghosts”, “starving”, “walkers”, “pawns”, “tramps” and “runners”
ICD-2 is able to broadcast on behalf of the subject, this feature is very popular with viewers. The ability to capture the last moments of a dying person’s life from their perspective allowed TEC-1 to take reality TV to the next level. The ICD-2 software can be updated in real time over the Internet. There are rumors of new software, with support for the Pay to Manage service, which allows viewers to take control of the puppets during the broadcast of the show.
All MKB-2s are equipped with a locator and a small explosive that is activated when attempting to remove the device. In fact, getting rid of ICD-2 is possible, but some knowledge in surgery and electronics is required. Also, the operation must be performed under general anesthesia. Also, ICD-2 can be hacked and disabled for a while or permanently. In any case, this will require special equipment and software. Device hacking can limit or interrupt communication between the implant and the command and control server by creating interference. Using jammers for extended periods of time can cause ICD-supported orgasms to self-destruct. After activating the self-destruct, the prisoners have some time to re-establish communication between the ICD and the main server. As soon as the connection is restored, the self-destruct program is disabled. In order for the MCD-2 to stop working, it must be reprogrammed to simulate communication with the main server. This can be done using a device capable of communicating with the ICD, as well as using software disguised as an ICD update. Before turning off the device, it is necessary to cut off communication with the main server, otherwise, the device will detect unauthorized access and start the self-destruct protocol.
All “puppets” can be eliminated only by turning off or destroying their ICD. Implants can be torn out of the neck or broken with a heavy object. After destroying or removing the module, the self-destruct protocol will start (accompanied by a beeping sound) and after 30 seconds, the device will explode.
NAME OF THE GAME
Prisoners are brought to the island by parachuting. Before they are sent, they are allowed to take a few items of their choice. They can choose from a limited list of items: self-defense items (Knives, brass knuckles, pepper spray, hand axes, etc…), survival items (Swiss knives, compasses, flashlights, maps, lighters, matches, survival instructions, fishing gear, etc…) , treatment items (insect repellent, first aid kits, bandages, antiseptics, alcohol, plasters…) or they can choose food and water supplies (Army dry ration, 0.5l bottle of water, canned food). The newcomers are dressed in the usual orange overalls of prisoners and are equipped with parachutes. After arriving at their destination, they are pushed off the plane. Most manage to open their parachute and survive the fall. But rightly so, the prisoners are already waiting for the newcomers and killing them as soon as they land, hoping to take their equipment. It is recommended to open the parachute at the last moment in order to buy some time to escape from the landing site. In addition to prisoners, planes also drop supply crates. They can contain anything: food, weapons, clothes or gadgets. Sometimes, under the guise of supply boxes, mines are dropped – traps. The cargo landing site immediately becomes a flashpoint, as the cargo attracts groups of prisoners ready to fight for the contents.
Successfully landed prisoners are free to do whatever they want to survive – there are no strict rules. In any case, most of them will die in the first 24 hours. And the rest, those who managed to survive, have a chance to become celebrities along with movie stars. Those who achieve celebrity status have a chance to receive sponsorship in the form of survival items dropped as close to them as possible. However, this status also comes with some danger, the more popular you are, the greater the bounty on your head! The easiest way to get attention and win over an audience is to kill a celebrity. Popularity and achievements are to some extent proportional to the time of survival on the island. As a rule, the more you kill, the more your popularity, but sometimes it’s enough just to survive, or find a way out of a dangerous situation, to get even more points. It is unusual for the audience to see positive characters in prisoners suffering and in eternal struggle. Despite this, bastards always get more attention from viewers, because good characters rarely manage to survive for long. In the first season of the show, several extremely positive characters banded together to survive. Over time, the group grew larger and more powerful, and finally became strong enough to transform the chaos into an organized society. Soon enough, the audience began to regard them as heroes, and hope arose in ordinary people, followed by even greater defiance of the government and the ruling elite. Since canceling the show would make people even angrier, the producers decided to put the goodies in more difficult situations, and came up with some new death scenarios in an attempt to eliminate the band’s leaders, who always somehow managed to survive. The ratings went up, and already the whole world was watching the show. The first season ends with the disappearance of the group’s leaders, who have been busy feuding with the hunters (a mercenary squad sent to the island to hunt down and kill prisoners for a bounty). Apparently, their bodies were completely torn apart by the explosion, at least that’s what the producers claim. The last episode of the season broke all the ratings, with over 70% of the population supposedly watching the end of the first season. Thus, “The Island” becomes the most successful show in the history of television. But the story does not end there – a few weeks after the end of the first season, the activity of the “Renegades” was recorded. According to rumors, the leading characters survived, removed their implants and managed to get off the island. The rest of their allies have broken into small groups, and everything leads to the fact that the island will soon plunge back into the original chaos.
Newcomers upon arrival on the island must provide themselves with basic necessities, that is, food, water and clothing. No matter how comfortable prison overalls are, they are easy to spot from a distance, and one of the rules of survival is to merge as much as possible with the environment. Nobody wants to be an easy target. There are many things to find on the island. Items can be taken from the puppets or from other players, but they will most likely keep their possessions in as secluded places as possible. Each encounter can be fatal, so it’s best to be very careful when encountering other prisoners or puppets. In addition, prisoners can form clans and search for supplies together, but you should not trust anyone, because there are as many friends on the island as there are tooth fairies. Once a day, the ICD projects five of the best prisoners to everyone on the island.
Most prisoners tend to set up a base or stronghold, and once they group up they decide whether to stay or go in search of a better place. The group must be strong enough to fight off attacks on their base, and if they succeed, they will become influential. During the show, there were several instances where inmates tried to rally into a community, and some communities even lasted for a while. Unfortunately, no group managed to survive the entire season, mainly due to conflicts between existing factions.
COLLISIONS
For most of the first season, there was no script, just footage of the life and moments of death of prisoners and puppets. Occasionally there were chance encounters with wild animals and former residents of the island, and it wasn’t until the end of the first season that the producers decided to add the scripts. The main reason for interfering in the lives of prisoners was the need to limit the faction that threatened to take over the island. A detachment of security forces was sent directly to the base of the faction. The audience wanted to see similar scenarios in the second season, so the producers prepared several scenarios to escalate the situation on the island.
First, the puppets were modified with new software that allowed them to perform new actions – for example: group interaction. Now, with the help of them, you can carry out a large-scale attack on a given target, or send a horde of puppets to patrol the territory along a certain route. In addition, these hordes can act as human walls that can block prisoners or redirect them, as well as, if necessary, divide large groups of prisoners into smaller ones.
For the show, the producers also created a weather control system. Most of the time they leave the current weather, but sometimes, when it is necessary for more atmosphere of what is happening, they change the weather by catching up thunderclouds and starting storms.
Massive disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes and floods can also be triggered at the request of the producers. At their request, you can even send genetically modified insects (mosquitoes, killer bees) to certain areas of the island.
Many companies have invested large sums of money in bioengineering research; years of research and development have gone into creating specific types of animals for military purposes. These animals are equipped with the latest versions of the ICD, they have a strong, armor-like body, some of them are bioweapons, and there are also genetically modified animal hybrids. Testing these animals in the conditions of the island is unique. The company wants to land a few of these creatures in a certain part of the island, and leave them to wreak havoc until they die. Each new generation of these artificially created animals will be improved until the “perfect killer” is created.
In the second season, the company will release several special episodes in which viewers will hunt prisoners and act as participants in the show. Some of the participants are wealthy citizens, and some were chosen by lottery. They are landed on the island for a period of 1-3 days, and left to hunt the prisoners. The hunters with the highest score are richly rewarded, usually in cash or in kind, but most of the participants come just to have fun and become famous. Their goal is to hunt down popular prisoners and kill them. The more popular the prey, the more audience admiration the hunter will receive. All hunters choose their own weapons and armor. They are usually well equipped, but there is no guarantee that they will make it off the island alive. In fact, the mortality among hunters is quite high, because most go to the island unprepared. Also, the prisoners see them as a fantastic opportunity to get weapons, armor and equipment. This is what audiences really love! As soon as the hunters stay on the island ends, they must choose the zone in which the transport will be waiting for them. If they do not make it to the transport zone in time, they will have to stay on the island until the next group of hunters arrives.
In some cases, special detachments of security forces are landed on the island. The purpose of their landing is to destabilize large groups of prisoners or eliminate the most popular criminals who pose a threat to national security. These covert operations are hidden from the cameras. The last operation was carried out in the second season, its purpose was to rescue the surviving flight MB324, during which the plane crashed on the island. Apparently, the producers planned the plane crash to attract more viewers.
ISLAND
The island was chosen for several reasons: it is remote from civilization, and also does not intersect with sea routes. Before the Ostrov project, about 200 thousand people lived on the island. It has several small towns, villages, farms, an airport, a military base, several industrial zones and, of course, a prison. It is a green island with a Mediterranean climate: the forests and fields are filled with wildlife, making the island a comfortable place to live. The coastline is home to excellent beaches, hotels and resorts, while the central part of the island features year-round snow-capped mountains surrounded by dense, dense vegetation.
So what’s the deal? In general, nothing complicated: everything is subject to money! With the help of the local government, corporations deprive all residents of their jobs, justifying this act as a failure in business. Without jobs and sources of income, everyone leaves to look for earnings on the black market, which is controlled by the same people. The level of crime and violence has risen, along with criminal activity. Police and military began patrolling the streets and a dusk to dawn curfew was put in place. However, these precautions still do not provide security; instead, they continue to overwhelm people, whether they are obedient or not. Then, as if things weren’t going bad enough, there’s an “accident” at a chemical plant that causes toxic substances to spread through the air and water. This release, subsequently, leads to an epidemic, during which people begin to die en masse. Quarantine zones were created and all the sick and infected were successfully “neutralized”. The rest of the survivors were offered small settlement fees if they agreed to leave the island, as a thorough investigation was needed by the government. The smart ones agreed and left the island, while the remaining ones went missing during the operation to clear the island. Once the ostensible decontamination is over, the government claims that everything is under control, but the former residents (several thousand who remained on the island and miraculously survived) are not interested in returning to their homes. The global network TEC1 leases the island and a few months later announces the reality show “The Island”. Soon after the start of the show, everyone forgot the sad past of the island and its inhabitants.