IDEA - 9-23-2020
by
Patrick Ryan
1,598 Words
In the future, after decades of research into phytochemicals, pharmaceutical companies have finally created the right mix to mellow everyone out. It is healthy, non-addictive, and creates an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and togetherness. Everyone is in a good mood, and production is way up. First, they began marketing the mood booster as a vitamin, then as a drink, and eventually as a food additive. Eventually, the government allowed the drug to be placed directly into the water supply; that's when things began to change. The comment section on the Internet became a happy place. Political demonstrations and protests have disappeared. Just because people were not in agreement did not make them mortal enemies, determined to destroy one another. Of course, the mood booster had its opponents. Eli Barton was an avid conspiracy theorist, sourcing his own water, growing his own food, and holding stocks of a chemical that counteracts mood boosters' effects. He found that the government has introduced additional additives to water and food in America through his research, such as fluoride, to avoid tooth decay and vitamins and minerals to improve health. In a violent demonstration at the food and drug federal building, he smashed windows and set garbage on fire before the police arrived. Eli ran as the police approached. Eventually, happening upon Evan Burke, waiting at a stoplight, humming along to Air Supply. Eli jumped into the passenger seat and pulled a gun, "drive!" Evan panicked and sped through the red light, a flash from the police camera reflected brightly in his windshield. Eli took Evan to his underground bunker in the warehouse area. He explained why he was so upset, showed him facts, and gave him an antidote to the mood booster. As the real personality of Evan began to emerge, he liked the feeling. "This is the first time I feel real." Evan started to get upset about all kinds of things, his girlfriend's "guy friend" was sleeping with her, he was underpaid at work, while the manager's buddies were getting all the overtime, and the last season of his favorite show wasn't that good. Both Eli and Evan's photographs are published all over the news for violating the disturbing peace ordinances that were strengthened a few years earlier. Eli explains that he intends to spike the water supply with a mood booster antidote, which happens to be three times more powerful than a mood booster. Evan acknowledges that all people should have the opportunity to see what it's like to be off the mood booster, but he was afraid that his life would be totally ruined. In the last attempt to persuade Evan, he took him to a disgusting nursing home; the walls were moldy, it smelled like urine and trash, and the workers were hanging out in the office, texting on their phones. "You see, complacency leads to inadequacy, if no one complains about it, then issues don't get solved and living standards decline." Evan agrees to help, and Eli reviews an ambitious mission impossible style plan to sneak into a water treatment plant with top-notch security. The plan failed tremendously; however, a security guard named Karen was given a dose. A few days later, she would turn up at the warehouse and take over the operation. Karen's guidance and a little support from her two best friends, also named Karen, sent a loud and compelling message to the American people about the mood booster's risks. They never convinced everyone, but enough people to vote out the politicians enabling the pharmaceutical industry and mood booster was taken out of the water and food supply. The comment section returned to being a dumpster fire, political debates at Thanksgiving resumed, and citizens were able to get angry again and take it out on the wrong people. Yet, we are human, which is better than going through life stoned on mood booster.
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