001: WE ARE THE 1%

Genre: Dystopian, Futuristic, Cyberpunk

Rating: M
Warnings: Violence

“Hey? Jeonghan? You need to hurry up.”

What? Are…they calling…me? Am I Jeonghan?

“You need to run away.”

Run? From who?

—TODAY—

Jeonghan has been moving from city to city for 5 years. He never stays in the same place for too long. He’s afraid. He’s
afraid, but he hides it well. He always has. But he always becomes self-conscious when someone stares too long, or looks
in his direction. He narrows his eyes at them.

Did they notice?

His anxiety prevents him from keeping still. As he passes the windows to various stores in Hongdae, he stops to look at his
reflection.

Do I look human enough?

Jeonghan sits down at the nearest bench and looks around. He’s been undetected for 5 years, and he blends in easily by
learning from those around him. He sees a young girl who blinks her wide eyes at him, murmuring to her mom about how
plain he looked.

He laughs to himself. In the year 2075 it seemed that most people had gadgets or grafted cyborg arms, it makes sense to be
stared at time to time, he supposes.

The mom took a look at Jeonghan and a look of horror spread across her face. She clutches her daughter closely as her lips
tremble and her legs take her and her daughter steps away from Jeonghan.

Jeonghan began to think the worst.

Did they notice? That I’m not like them?

He reaches out his hand to the them, his words dying on his lips.

What should I say?

No one that Jeonghan observed had to justify that they were human. No one but him. But before he could say a word a choir
of voices began to fill the street and the woman gasped before carrying her daughter and running the opposite direction of
the voices.

Jeonghan got to his feet, “I’m sorry is something the mat—“

“Get away from us you sick extremist,” she hissed before continuing to run away.
Dazed and confused, Jeonghan remained shocked in his place. Jeonghan’s breaths came short and fast. He looked around
him and so many people were running. So many. Jeonghan’s eyes frantically searched around him, and he remembered
that day. Or did he? Jeonghan’s head began to throb as his breaths came more shallow.

The voices came closer.

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good old way

And who shall wear the starry crown

Good Lord, show me the way!

O sinners, let’s go down

Let’s go down, come on down

O sinners, let’s go down

Down in the river to pray

Jeonghan turned towards the source and found a boy with jet-black hair leading the choir with a strange smile on his face.
They all wore clothes he’s never seen before. More gaudy, lavish, —expensive.

And fuck, god, what the fuck were they doing?

The people in the crowd were singing and laughing as they destroyed everything in their path. They took people by the hair
and incinerated them with just a swipe of their hand. Half of the equipment they used he couldn’t even recognize. Most of
the people didn’t even carry weapons — they were strong on their own.

All of them had marks all over their bodies. Glowing lines that covered them head to toe. The one in the front had the most
lines. He was laughing so hard, showing no remorse for his actions.

“Long live the 1%!” he yelled, and his entourage mimicked the same enthusiasm.

Jeonghan was frozen in place, he didn’t know what to do in this situation.

What would a human do?

He thought about the woman and her daughter. But then he thought about the people in front of him causing all the chaos.

What’s the right thing to do?

Jeonghan turned to run, but locked eyes with the boy leading the group. He smiled strangely, and entered a stance to run.
The boy began to sprint towards Jeonghan. The lines around his arms and legs were glowing brightly.

He’s fast. I can’t outrun him. He’ll find out. He’ll find out and kill me, or take me to them.

Before he could continue, something from Jeonghan’s peripherals knocked the glowing boy from his initial trajectory in the
ground. That same thing punched the boy near his neck, and his arms and legs turned dark.

The crowd became shocked and began to yell for the glowing boy’s name, but he couldn’t hear it. Before Jeonghan could
process anything else, he was lifted from his place by the same being and they were in the air.

He was dropped unceremoniously onto the top of a building and Jeonghan ran to heave from traveling so fast in the air.
“Fancy seeing you here,” the unknown voice spoke cheekily.

Jeonghan wiped his mouth and turned to the thing, “What are y—“

For the second time his words died at his lips.

He looked at the thing—no, person? and saw what he thought was a reflection.

The boy had lines down his left eye that glowed brightly. His chest also split in half, a clear indication where the two sides
were fused together. He had black hair and his eyes glowed with kindness.

He didn’t hide it, why didn’t he hide it? Isn’t he afraid?

The stranger scratched the back of his neck shyly, “Sorry for taking you here so suddenly…it’s just…it’s been long since I’ve
met another Android.”
 CYBERPUNK SVT

Androids were part of an inhumane government experiment to try to recreate life. When the government realized that they
cannot replicate a human soul, they abandoned the experiment and exile the android bodies. Three androids from batch 95z
managed to awaken and escape. The government becomes aware of the situation and tries to stop them, but they have
been unsuccessful for 5 years. The government realizes that maybe their experiment wasn’t a failure and starts the project
once more and issues a manhunt for the remaining androids. 95z are born androids, & seek revenge.

Living in this dangerous world means that the weak will die and the stronger will prevail. One of the current known and
available methods to become stronger other than DNA-AI serum is to become a cyborg. Wonwoo and Hoshi became
cyborgs legally by serving in the army, while Woozi and Junhui obtained their android arm illegally in the black market. They
are born human, modified with physical android parts.

Mingyu, Seokmin, and Minghao are the exclusive & privileged 1% who can afford and obtain DNA-AI altering serum. The
serum enhances human capabilities with artificial intelligence (AI capabilities) and activates the brain to the full potential. No
known side effects are known as it was released recently. 97z are born human, with DNA alterations to have AI code
running through them.

Vernon, Seungkwan and Chan are part of the growing new generation trying to understand their role and purpose in the
world. They are fully human with no permanent robot fixations. However, they are prodigies in their craft, with their
intelligence allowing them to create human “add-ons” that enhance their human capabilities.