THE TATTOO (DEBT OF DREAMS)
The Cold Awakening
Panel 1: (Close-up of Sam's eyes snapping open, wide with pain and confusion. A faint, almost blinding white light surrounds him.)
Sam (Thought bubble): Sannata... and then a piercing light.
Panel 2: (Sam clutches his neck, grimacing in pain. A faint glow emanates from a spot on his neck.)
Sam: "Aaah... what... what happened?"
Panel 3: (Wide shot of a massive, perfectly circular white room. No doors, no windows. Sam is in the foreground, looking bewildered. In the background, dozens of other people are scattered, looking equally confused or distressed.)
Sam (Thought bubble): I'm in a huge white room. A perfect circle, almost 100 feet across. Just white walls everywhere. No doors, no windows.
Panel 4: (Close-up of a diverse group of people: a businessman in a crumpled suit, a college student with a backpack, an elderly man trembling, a pregnant woman sitting on the floor, panting.)
Sam (Thought bubble): But I'm not alone. Around me, 100 people. A strange mix—some look like big businessmen in suits, others like college kids. In one corner, an old man shivers with fear, and on the other side, a pregnant lady sits on the floor, panting.
Panel 5: (Sumaira, a lively girl with a mischievous grin, stands behind Sam, pointing at his neck.)
Sumaira: "Nice Tattoo, Londe!"
Panel 6: (Sam turns, looking surprised and annoyed.)
Sam: (Hairan hokar) "Are you crazy? I never got a tattoo!"
Panel 7: (A young girl in the background screams, her voice echoing.)
Girl: "This... where are we?"
Panel 8: (Sam closes his eyes, trying to remember. Flashback panel: a laptop screen with lines of code, a messy desk in an apartment. Then, sudden darkness.)
Sam (Thought bubble): Last memory? I was in my apartment... laptop screen... coding... and then sudden darkness.
The Voice from the Void
Panel 9: (A large cylindrical glass chamber in the center of the room. Its screen suddenly flickers to life, glowing with an eerie blue light.)
Panel 10: (Close-up of Sumaira whispering to Sam, both looking towards the chamber.)
AI Voice (Sound effect: BZZZT! over intercom): "Welcome, Candidates. You are welcomed to the Third Round. We are grateful to the 100 of you who have come here to cooperate with the 'Dreamer Transformer Machine'."
Sumaira: (Dheere se Sam ke kaan mein) "Hey, how did you end up here?"
Sam: "I don't remember anything... you?"
Sumaira: (Masti bhari smile ke saath) "I was sleeping soundly, eating biryani in my dream, and landed straight here!"
Panel 11: (Wide shot of the chamber's screen, displaying generic data. People in the crowd start murmuring.)
AI Voice (Over intercom): "Attention please! Our work will be peaceful. Once the work is done, 20 Lakh Rupees will be transferred to your accounts. You will be home within 20 days."
Panel 12: (A speech bubble with "20 LAKH?!" appears above the crowd. Several people look excited.)
Crowd (Sound effect: Hulchul!): "20 LAKH?!"
Panel 13: (A businessman, visibly agitated, shouts towards the chamber.)
Businessman: "I never applied for any job! What kind of work is this?"
Panel 14: (Sumaira turns to an elderly man behind her, a teasing smirk on her face.)
Sumaira: (Apne peeche khade ek buzurg se) "You got a job without applying, Uncle! How did you come here, by the way?"
Panel 15: (The old man's face turns red with anger.)
Buddha Aadmi: (Gusse mein) "First my mummy-papa got in the mood, then they went into the room and—"
Sumaira: "Enough! Enough! Shut up, pervert old man!"
The Contract
Panel 16: (The screen in the chamber now displays personal data: names, selfies, account details, and a recurring date: 1st June 2023. Sam and Sumaira look at the screen with concern.)
AI Voice (Over intercom): "All of you accepted this offer. We have come to take what you promised."
Panel 17: (Sam, looking distressed, speaks up.)
Sam: (Bechaini se) "But what do we have to do?"
Panel 18: (The screen dramatically changes, displaying large, bold letters.)
Screen Text:
"WE WANT YOUR DREAMS."
Panel 19: (A young man in the crowd bursts out laughing, pointing at the screen.)
Boy: "Dreams? You mean what I see when I sleep? What a joke!"
Panel 20: (The AI Voice continues, its tone cold and unchanging. Sam's expression turns serious, a cold dread washing over him.)
AI Voice (Over intercom): "Yes. Your DREAMS. Your fears, your desires, your imagination. We want them permanently. After this, you will never dream again."
Sam (Thought bubble): Silence fell. My forehead furrowed. Just dreams? In exchange for 20 lakhs? It's too easy...
The Conflict
Panel 21: (Professor Gupta, a stern-looking man with spectacles, stands up and shouts, his face red with anger.)
Professor Gupta: (Gusse mein chillate hue) "No! This isn't just about sleep! Dreams are the soul of a human being. Without dreams, a human will just become a walking corpse or a zombie!"
Panel 22: (Dr. Neha, a sharp-featured woman in a lab coat, adds her scientific protest.)
Dr. Neha: "Scientifically, this is also disastrous. Without REM sleep, our brains will suffer from memory loss and hallucinations. We are guinea pigs!"
Panel 23: (Vikram, a confident and slightly arrogant young man, steps forward, smirking.)
Vikram: "Oh, Professor! Don't lecture us. My father dreamt his whole life, what did he get? Nothing! Money is real. 20 Lakhs will improve my reality!"
Panel 24: (Rohan, a frail-looking young man, speaks in a low, pained voice, clutching his chest.)
Rohan: (Dheemi par dard-bhari awaaz mein) "My mother has cancer. I need money to save her life... for me, it's not dreams, it's money that's life."
Panel 25: (The room erupts in chaos. People are shouting, some agreeing, some disagreeing. Professor Gupta is shoved, and Sam, with a determined look, jumps in to intervene.)
The Red Line
Panel 26: (A clock on the screen shows "6 HOURS LATER." Three distinct lines appear on the floor, glowing in different colors. People are gathered along them.)
Screen Text:
Yellow Line: Agree (48 people)
Red Line: Disagree (23 people)
Blue Line: Thinking (29 people - Sam and Sumaira are here)
Panel 27: (A man standing on the Red Line defiantly speaks to the AI.)
Red Line Man: "We don't want to do this work. Can we go home?"
Panel 28: (The AI Voice responds, cold and final.)
AI Voice (Over intercom): "We do not have a return policy. You have signed the terms and conditions."
Panel 29: (Professor Gupta, enraged, charges towards the screen.)
Professor Gupta: (Aapa khokar) "I'll break you right now!"
Panel 30: (Professor Gupta touches the screen. A blinding blue electric arc zaps him. His body convulses violently.)
Panel 31: (Professor Gupta collapses to the floor, smoking faintly. He is clearly dead. Sam looks on in horror.)
Sam: "YOU KILLED HIM!"
Panel 32: (Close-up of Sam's neck, where the small, metallic, glowing tattoo is now visible. Other people in the crowd are frantically touching their own necks, their faces etched with fear.)
AI Voice (Over intercom): "All of you are under our control. The tattoo on your neck contains an electronic detector. Any cleverness can cost you your life. Policy rules are final."
Sam (Thought bubble): *Everyone frantically touched their necks. There was a small, shiny metallic tattoo... a mark that could also be the button of their death.*
Next Chapter coming Soon.....