Shelf Life
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 20
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 07:30
Soft light bathes the room. Stacks of books lean against the wall beside him: titles on Philosophy, Law and Leadership are visible. PETER sits up in bed with a mobile in hand,
PETER (V.O.): I pose the same question to DeepSeek and Grox, compares their responses, and evaluiate which one carries more weight.
He glances at the books.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Wisdoms from ages past...can it compete with AI?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I spent five years studying Philosophy, six years on Law and decades learning Leadership on the job, yet AI can provide answers in seconds.
Pondering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Why would I spend a month wrestling with a single text when I can have a dialectic with the collective wisdom of every philosopher, jurist or professor who ever lived?
He glances at the books again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're becoming functionally obsolete. They're historical artifacts. The only books that retain any value are the timeless classics.
Act 2
MONTAGE - BOOKS AS DECORATIONS
A. Cosy Cafe - Books are scattered around small tables, creating an inviting vibe.
B. Trendy restaurant. Shelves lined with colourful books create a cosy atmosphere.
C. Club. Dim lights illuminate a bar lined with books.
D. Hotel lobby. A lobby features a grand shelf filled with classic novels.
E . Shopping mall. Book covers are artfully stacked on a high wooden display, creating an eye-catching focal point.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Books have been demoted to set dressing. I see it everywhere.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're not for reading; they're for ambiance.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A signifier of intelliegence, without the requirement of being intelligent.
INT. STUDY - 15:30
A beautiful, built-in bookshelf has been recently installed, expertly lit by discreet, warm LED strips.
PETER (V.O.): It doesn't hold my serious volumes, it's too small for them.
Peter stares at the bookshelf.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But it softens the room. This is a place for thought, for comfort.
Peter keeps looking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Aesthetically, it's a complete success.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm a man of logic and argument.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My character isn't defined by my birth date, but by the shelf life of my promises.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In terms of humanity, my goal isn't to extend my shelf life, but to ensure that I become a rare vintage, not a mass-produced commodity.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most valuable items often have the shortest shelf life, a ripe piece of fruit, a moment of silence, a genuine compliment.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Memories have no shelf life. They're the one perishable good that never truly spoils, they only ferment, becoming something richer and more potent with time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Modernity is obsessed with extending the shelf life of everything - fruit, faces, feelings - while shortening the attention span to enjoy them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): Don't fear a short shelf life. Fear a long one spent gathering dust on the wrong shelf.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Data and information have a half-life, while wisdom possesses a shelf life measured in the span of civilisations.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Incidentally, grudges have an indefinite shelf life. The trick is to be the one who stops restocking them.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 21:00
Peter uploads an image of books in a shelf to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): A classic isn't defined by an endless shelf life but by its endless ability to be taken off the shelf, time and time again.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): AI can calculate the shelf life of milk, but only a human can tell you which book on the shelf will norish a crumbling soul.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I worry about the book's shelf life, but I believe it's the shelf that truly gives it life - a place in a home, a space in the heart.
FADE OUT
END
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