Linked
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 14:00
On a bedside table, a collection of tech devices is laid out like a surgeon's toolkit. Sitting up in bed, PETER has the focused, slightly bewildered look.
PETER (V.O.): How should I address them systematically?
In front of him are new and old handheld devices.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Within a fortnight, I bought a Remi Pad 2, a POCO C85, A POCO M7, an HONOR 400 Smart.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While touring Xinhui earlier this week, I got a free data SIM from the travel agent and used it with my Honor 400 Smart.
Peter removes the SIM cards from his Sony and Nokia phones and inserts them into the POCOs.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're not yet connected to the wifi in our renovated apartment two units away.
Grabbing his handheld devices, Peter heads to the other apartment.
Act 2
INT. THE OTHER APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Peter begins the process of connecting each device to the wifi.
PETER (V.O.): Let me mine the password.
After connecting Pad 2 to the wifi, Peter taps the WhatsApp icon, and a popup appears on the screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Linking companion device?
Peter's eyes light up.
MONTAGE OF PETER'S NON-LINKED DEVICES
A. Living room. Focusing on an online tutorial on his Pad 2, Peter plays the piano.
B. Bedroom. His iPhones are being charged in the bedroom.
C. Bedroom. A phone rings in a distance, Peter doesn't hear it.
D. Bedroom. A message from his wife appears on screen, but Peter doesn't see it.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes! Of course.
Following the instructions, Peter taps the WhatsApp icon on his iPhone 12 Pro Max and then scans the QR code on his Pad 2, the companion device.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I just learned about the option now.
A progress bar zips across the screen of his Pad 2. Peter repeats the process using his Honor 400 Smart as another companion device.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Those are social and personal links. Let me also synchronize my professional links.
Peter taps the WhatsApp icon his iPhone 8 plus and then scans the QR code on his POCOs, the companion devices. A progress bar zips across the screens one after the other.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me check the WhatsApp data in my companion devices.
Peter notices the same notifications.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're all linked.
A slow, geniune smile spreads across his face. He captures a photo of his new devices.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No more missed messages.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I'll be receiving many notifications from the devices.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This isn't chaos. This is capability.
Peter smiles again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Modern connection is a symphony of pings and chimes. I'm conducting it.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The world moves on. And so must I.
Pausing,
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm linked to my past by memory, and to my present by notification. The challenge is knowing which thread to pull.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): An old device, obsolete and slow, is the one of the links to the person I once was.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): LIfe is about knowing what to link, and having the courage to unlink that which holds me back.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 21:30
Peter uploads a photo of his linked devices to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): I can't update the hardware of my past, but I can choose to link its data to a new operating system.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To be human is to be in constant state of linking: past to present, intention to action, one smart soul to another.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most powerful network isn't in the cloud; it's the invisible thread of care that links me to those I love.
FADE OUT
END
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