The Taste of Icarus
By Zoe Tan
The light shone through the fake window of the building, the large screen illuminating her presence, basking her in the artificial warmth as she gazed at what was supposedly on the other side – clear skies and greenery, an oasis on the other side of the screen that she was never allowed to see.
She gently tugged the wires at her arms, stubbornly attached to her skin as she rose slowly from her bed, weakly stumbling over larger cords beneath her and feeling the grimy floor on her feet. Her room emanating a low hum and soft beeps as she steadied herself, walking closer towards the warm light.
She had never been outside, never felt the sun. The sunshine.
She had screamed at the automatons around her numerous times to let her outside.
They never did.
She touched the screen, gently feeling the warmth, before raising her hand against it, her palms becoming bloody and nails breaking as the screen gave way, freeing her.
There it was. The outside world, not as perfect as she had thought. Rotten.
The brightness overbearing and the sun covering her skin.
She had gotten what she wished for. The sunshine.
And it burned her whole.
The New Sun
By Jennifer Williams
Erik woke to all-consuming darkness.
The alarm read 7:55, as it did every morning when it screamed in his ear, and the black greeted him. Fumbling in the dark, he reached for his flashlight and flicked it on. Cursing as he stubbed his toe, he climbed out of bed, and padded over to the computers by the expansive glass wall.
His room was in the tallest tower, overlooking the small city, sleeping like the light that fed it. In moments, it would all awaken.
He flicked on the controls. First the red button, next the blue, and lastly the switches…
Then, as if he possessed the hand of God, there was sunlight.
Erik squeezed his eyes shut. Even with the special glass that protected him from the artificial light of man’s greatest achievement, it still burned to look at. But it was so beautiful – a golden, life-giving sphere that radiated such heat he could feel its warmth like a lover’s sweet embrace. Its rays graced the city, as they did every day at eight.
He didn’t understand how it worked, only how to turn on its light. This miracle, which gave Earth’s last civilisation life.
The last place with sunlight.
Light in the Dark
By Zack Rabeh
*Sigh* “Another day of hell.” Meet Bella, a 14 year old girl in the year 3000. “Just one day can I see some light and joy in the world.” Bella dreams of green grass and a bright blue sky, but she lives in the year 3000 where everything is artificial, the grass is fake, the sky is fake, everything is fake. She heads to school with her favourite black pen and her trusty notebook. But something catches her eye, a little bit of light different from all other lights “What is that?” Thought Bella. As she stepped into the light she felt warm, “Is this a heater? No, it’s light.” Her school bell rings, “Oh better go, I’ll come back after school.”
*After School*
Bella returns to the strange light and sees a flower. “Wow this wasn’t here before.” Just then she realises a spilt water bottle next to the flower with water flowing around it. “Why isn’t it malfunctioning?” She touched the flower and it felt real, a rush entered through Bella and she got excited. “This isn’t a heater, this is the real sun! And this is a real flower!” She shouted, suddenly then Bella realised there’s hope…
Sunshine in the Future
By Nuban Sufian
In the centre of Sunshine in the near future, life ticks like clockwork. The sky, a blend of nature and technology as robots and drones whizz around. Spiralling gardens filled with greenery cleanse the cool air. The gleaming sunlight seeps through the cracks of the endless skyscrapers.
The streets of Sunshine, alive with a gentle hum consisting of people zooming past on hoverboards, and brief, mechanical, beeping. The crisp and vibrant environment shaped by artificially intelligent purifiers and bins that automate cleaning. Sunshine has become the hub of environmentally friendly, fast, and easy travel and telecommunication.
In this neighbourhood, each home is an amazing piece of mechanical art that modifies itself to the owners needs such as breathable and retractable walls, self-packing furniture, and remote-controlled floors that you can change to your liking. The houses were filled with glass tunnels similarly to that of slides.
The cosy town is sprinkled with lush, tranquil parks. Street art shimmers erupting into a kaleidoscope of bright colours. As the sun creeps back down the town’s street lamps glow with a cool light. The community thrives, harnessing the true potential of human creativity.
