The Ashes of the Techs- Part 2"

 

CONTINUATION: "The Ashes of the Techs- Part 2"

EXT. FOREST CLEARING – NIGHT

The firelight flickers, casting dancing shadows as the HOODED FIGURE clutches the cracked MONITOR like a lifeline.

LILA

It doesn’t work anymore.

The figure stiffens, his gaze darting to the children. His hollow eyes narrow, suspicion taking hold.

HOODED FIGURE

(whispering)

Don’t come any closer. It’s mine. You don’t touch it!

The children exchange uneasy glances.

BENJI

(softly)

We’re not going to hurt you.

The figure rises abruptly, clutching the monitor against his chest like a shield. He stumbles backward toward the edge of the clearing, his voice growing frantic.

HOODED FIGURE

You don’t understand! I’ll fix it. I’ll save it. I’ll save you, baby.

LILA

(firmly)

You don’t need it.

The hooded figure’s breath catches. He shakes his head violently, his words tumbling out in a desperate plea.

HOODED FIGURE

You’re wrong! It needs me! And I—I need it. It’s all I have left.

His voice cracks, raw with years of isolation and sorrow.

BENJI

(quietly)

But it doesn’t need you anymore.

The figure freezes, the words sinking in. For a moment, he looks at the monitor in his arms, his grip faltering. His fingers trail across the broken screen, almost tenderly.

Then, panic overtakes him.

HOODED FIGURE

No! You can’t have it!

With a sudden burst of energy, he turns and bolts into the darkness of the woods, clutching the monitor like a lifeline.

BENJI

(shouting after him)

Wait!

The sound of snapping branches and hurried footsteps fades into the distance. The clearing grows still once more.

The children linger in silence, the flickering firelight illuminating their puzzled faces.

LILA

(whispering)

Do you think he’ll come back?

BENJI

(quietly, unsure)

I don’t know.

The camera pans out, the firelight shrinking as the vast, empty forest stretches endlessly around them.

FADE OUT

The Ashes of the Techs-Part 1

 The Ashes of the Techs- Part 1 

A Screenplay Concept by Tina Winterlik (aka Zipolita)

Introduction

Welcome to a glimpse into the future—a haunting yet hopeful tale of survival, adaptation, and rediscovery. In this screenplay, I imagine a world where technology took over, imploded, and left humanity to rebuild from its ashes. Set around a flickering fire, children whisper tales of the past, their words piecing together the rise and fall of a tech-obsessed world. This is "The Ashes of the Techs."

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FADE IN:

EXT. FOREST CLEARING – NIGHT

A small fire crackles in the center of a dense forest clearing. Around it, a group of CHILDREN—ranging in age from 6 to 12—sit cross-legged, their faces flickering in the warm glow. They lean in close to each other, speaking in hushed tones.

The firelight reflects in their wide, curious eyes. They poke at the flames with long sticks, but with care and respect.

LILA

(whispering)

Papa says the Techs were the first ones. They started it all.

JAY

(skeptical)

The Techs? That’s just what old people say to scare us.

LILA

(shaking her head)

No, it’s true! They were obsessed with their screens. Couldn't stop looking at them. They even had rules for what to watch, when to look.

The group murmurs. One boy, BENJI, clutches a charred piece of wood like a talisman.

BENJI

(serious)

My grandma told me. She said, back then, everyone was a Techie. Even her. But then... it all broke. Everything. The screens, the cities, even the skies.

JAY

(snorting)

Grandmas always say the skies broke.

BENJI

(insistent)

It’s real! First, it was just small things. Phones, tablets. Then they needed bigger ones. Whole walls!

LILA

And those men... remember? The ones with the three screens?

The kids nod knowingly, their imaginations filling the dark spaces of the forest.

BENJI

(grinning)

Sports on one screen, news on another, and...

LILA

Movies. (grimly) Or games.

BENJI

(adding)

And they sat there, all day and night, eating, drinking, their big bellies sticking out. Never moving unless they had to.

JAY

(shaking his head)

That's so gross.

BENJI

My mom said some of them barely even looked outside. Just switched between couch, chair, and bed.

LILA

(solemnly)

Until the storms came. And the quakes. That’s when it ended.

JAY

(leaning in, whispering)

What happened to them?

The group is silent for a beat. The fire pops and crackles.

BENJI

(softly)

Some died. Some lost their way. But a few... they stopped. Went sober. They threw the screens away and started over.

JAY

No one throws a screen away.

LILA

They had to. The cities were gone. Flooded, or too hot. No work, no food. They came here, to the forests.

BENJI

They learned how to live again. No screens. Just... fires like this.

JAY

(looking uneasy)

And now it’s just us. Right?

BENJI

(tilting his head)

Not just us. Some of the Techs are still out there.

The group shivers collectively. Lila reaches forward to poke at the fire, but suddenly stiffens.

LILA

(urgent, whispering)

Shh!

BENJI

What?

LILA

(whispering)

Someone’s coming!

The kids freeze. The distant sound of footsteps crunching leaves grows louder. They exchange panicked looks, then scramble to their feet.

BENJI

Quick! Hide!

They scatter into the shadows of the trees, leaving the fire flickering alone. The camera lingers on the firelight as the footsteps approach. A faint silhouette—adult, hooded, carrying something large—emerges just outside the clearing.

CUT TO BLACK.

**TITLE CARD: "The Ashes of the Techs"

TO BE CONTINUED...