The Arrival of Light
The future is here. And, this man is determined to fight it.
Insurance companies, actuarial firms, and transnational corporations have spent millions on planning for a future where smart machines will eradicate the possibility of human error and accidents.
But what if you, personally, could eliminate any risk from your own life? No more worries about a heart attack, getting run over by a bus, or drowning while swimming. When you wake up in the morning, you wouldn’t have to wonder if today will be your last day. And, the magical device that would provide this peace of mind is so small, you could wear it on your wrist.
Or, as the case may be, you would have to wear it on your wrist. This is the dystopic future that Steve Miles has offered up in The Arrival of Light.
For a price, customers can upgrade their units and be allowed to engage in activities that get some adrenalin running. Unfortunately, our protagonist, Levine, doesn’t have that kind of money. And, he sorely misses a former life, when the pursuit of thrills like going for a swim in the ocean weren’t being monitored by powers via a machine attached to his forearm.
Levine attempts to find some contentment in small rebellious escapades. But he’s denied even the most minor entertainment.
He waits at the edge of a busy road, lining for a break in the flow. He steps from the curb, coiling, ready -
The watch BUZZES. Flashes red.
He gauges the distance to the other side, weighing the risk, steeling himself to make a run for it.
The BUZZING rises to a pitched WHINE.
Levine steps back onto the pavement.
Levine knows his transgression will not go unnoticed. And it doesn’t. Nothing goes unseen anymore. Unless…
Levine has a plan. By the end of the script, audiences will be cheering him on—perhaps nervously checking their own devices as they do so.
The genius of Arrival of Light is that Levine is someone we can relate to, and his world not so different from one we all know. You won’t want to miss the chance to find out how it all ends.