SERUM
STORY BACKGROUND
The huge increase in pollution in the mid-21st century led to the outbreak of a toxic plague called the Blight.
The plague spread rapidly around the world, causing deadly and previously unknown diseases. It started with plants and animals. Soon after, people began to die. The Earth was on the brink of destruction.
Pharmaceutical companies scrambled to find a cure. The attention of the small company Evas* was drawn to the inhabitants of the island of Matamis, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, who were the only ones in the world resistant to the Blight. A team of scientists was sent to the island. They were surprised by the vitality of the inhabitants, the dense forests and the abundance of animals.
During the research, it was discovered that Matamis was shaken by a powerful earthquake at the beginning of the 21st century. As a result, a mysterious greenish substance with medicinal properties appeared in the river flowing through the island. The strange anomaly became famous. For several years, the place became a tourist hit. The inhabitants even changed the name of the only town on the island to the marketing catchy Green River.
Water from the river had a positive effect on the human body, like water from mountain spas. It was invigorating, but not miraculous. There were no spectacular and quick healings, so interest in the Green River began to wane. Eventually, the healing properties of the mysterious substance were forgotten. For several dozen years, only a few inhabitants of the island, plants and animals enjoyed the benefits of the river.
Scientists from Evas analyzed the greenish water in detail. They quickly discovered that the substance it contained had a beneficial effect on living organisms. It not only cures diseases caused by the Blight, but also provides effective protection against it. Studies conducted on the island’s inhabitants showed no side effects associated with its long-term use. So the company decided to go into mass production. The substance was extracted from the river water and marketed in a purified form. It was called Serum and heralded as a new generation of medicine.
The year is 2098. The Serum has been sold worldwide for fifty years. It is the only effective medicine against the Blight. All people in the world take it with a timer attached to their hands. The device introduces the Serum into the bloodstream and indicates the duration of the drug’s effect. It accurately counts down the time the Serum is effective. The Blight is an extremely dangerous plague, so even one minute without the Serum’s protection can be fatal. People must take it regularly and continuously.
The basic form of the Serum is widely available and inexpensive.
The Serum is also added to fertilizers used in agriculture and forestry. It is sprayed on fields and forests. Thanks to this, the Earth’s green lungs begin to rebuild. The animal population also increases. People are convinced that this is the only way to overcome the effects of the Blight. They believe that the restored flora will become a natural filter that will absorb the heavy metal elements accumulated in the atmosphere that caused the plague. However, the process is a long one. The first effects are already visible, but it will take many years to return to the life before the Blight.
In the course of ongoing research, it has been discovered that the mysterious substance from Green River also has other beneficial effects on the human body. Different Serums are available for sale. Some are more detoxifying than others, some improve vitality, others strength, speed, intelligence, some even prolong life. „Life is better with Serum”, „Serum – a chance for the Earth”, „Serum – hope for a better tomorrow”. These are the most popular marketing slogans of the corporation that Evas has grown into over the years. The Serum is also used in industry as a data and energy carrier. It is the most important element of new technologies.
The Serum is produced on the island where it was discovered. This is the only place in the world where it exists. The island is heavily guarded and has been owned by a corporation for years. No one can enter it without the company’s permission. A production center, laboratories, and the management headquarters have been built on the island. New, expensive types of elite Serums are being researched there.
The protagonist of the game is Adam, who is about 40 years old. His only son is very sick and needs to take better and very expensive Serum regularly. Unfortunately, Adam cannot afford it. For this reason, he is hired by a company for a tester of Serum prototypes.
The job of a tester is very well paid. Many people want to do it, but the company only hires those who pass detailed tests. These are the security requirements. Adam is the lucky one who makes it. Upon arrival on the island, his hand is implanted with a special lab timer that records the body’s reactions to the Serum prototypes he is given.
The game begins on his last day of work on the island. Adam undergoes surgery to replace the lab timer with a regular, commercial one. He wakes up in the middle of nowhere with no idea where he is or what is happening. No one around. The only thing he notices is that the time on his timer is running out quickly.
* The company name Evas has two hidden meanings:
1. (mundane) the word „evas” read backwards means „save”, which fits the mission of the pharmaceutical company and the idea of the survival game,
2. (deeper) refers to the name Eve (in most languages of the world it is spelled Eva); the protagonist is Adam, so there is an analogy to the biblical story of Adam and Eve; Eve took the fruit of the forbidden tree and condemned Adam to exile from paradise; in a way she turned out to be evil; it’s the same in the game; the corporation is evil and wants to take advantage of Adam; it’s the symbolic Eve and wants to lead Adam to fall; In this sense, Evas should be read as „something of Eve”, implicitly a sin – Eve’s sin.