Digital horror

Stavl Zosimov

Digital horror

Chapter 1

We see a series of frightening images flashing on the screen, accompanied by eerie music.

1. The frames show bloody trails, mutilated bodies, and dark shadows moving on the walls. The camera moves further and sees in the corner a bloodied girl lying in bloody cuts with a knife in her hand, stabbing herself while looking madly at the ceiling. The frame freezes and the photo moves to a page of a newspaper. The headline reads: "Mysterious suicide of a housewife."

2. The frames show intricate corridors of an office center, with high walls and flickering lights, creating an atmosphere of mystery and horror. The camera enters an office where, at tables with MONITORs, several dead programmers are sitting in chairs or lying on keyboards with foam coming out of their mouths. The frame freezes, and the photo moves to a page of a newspaper. The headline reads: "Mysterious mass suicide at the tech center."

3. The frames show infected computers, viral programs, and digital ghosts that distort reality. Strange radioactive clicks are heard, and the screen becomes distorted. The camera shows a boy hanging from the side above the sitting place in front of the computer desk. His legs slightly twitch in the throes of death. The frame freezes, and the photo moves to a page of a newspaper. The headline reads: "Another mysterious suicide of a programmer."

The camera zooms in on the screen of a smartphone lying on the table, where messages are being typed.

In the room, against the wall opposite the sofa, there is a desk with a computer tower and a monitor. Behind it sits STEPHANIE , a talented young programmer, who is deeply engrossed in writing code late at night. He receives a notification on his smartphone, which is lying nearby.

STAVL

Is this an SMS from STEPHANIE ? Why so late?!

He takes the smartphone and opens a message from his girlfriend, STEPHANIE .

STEPHANIE (SUBTITLE)

Dear STAVL,

I don't know how to start this letter because words cannot convey all the pain and darkness I feel inside me. Life has become unbearable for me, and I no longer see any way out. My soul is torn apart, and I can no longer fight this pain. I have experienced so many emotional losses, so many disappointments, that now it seems to me that there is no point in continuing this path. I feel like I am doomed to suffer, and I see no hope for a better future.

Forgive me for being so weak, for not being able to cope with this world of fantasies and my little monsters. Perhaps in another life, I will have the strength and wisdom to overcome all trials. But now I just can't go on.

Remember me as someone who tried to be strong but failed. Don't blame yourself for my death, it's my choice, my path. Just remember that I loved you, and that love will live on forever.

Goodbye, STAVL. May your life be happy and full of light, which I can no longer see.

With love and regret,

STEPHANIE ".

STAVL

(Widening his eyes)

Is this a suicidal letter?! I thought she was joking before when she showed me her sketches of mystical costumes for her concerts?! Has she lost her mind?

STAVL jumps up from behind the table and runs out of the room. He stumbles over the extension cord and falls to the floor. The cord, in its momentum, drags the computer tower and drops it on the floor. The monitor falls off the table and stops at the edge of the countertop. STAVL gets up and hides in the doorway of his corridor. The sound of the front door slamming is heard…

Stunned and devastated, STAVL hurriedly opens the front door, enters STEPHANIE 's apartment, walks into the room without taking off his shoes, and discovers STEPHANIE 's lifeless body. He sees open packages and empty pill bottles nearby. STAVL looks into STEPHANIE 's widened eyes and slightly parted mouth, as if someone had strangled her, but he doesn't see any rope or cord nearby. He slaps STEPHANIE 's cheek.

STAVL

(tearfully)

STEPHANIE . STEPHANIE … Why did you do this?!

(Takes out his smartphone and dials, stuttering)

Hello. Is this the police? My girlfriend STEPHANIE has committed suicide here… Not breathing… I'm her fiancé, STAVL Bait… I work at an IT company… That's all, I'll be waiting for you…

Into STEPHANIE 's apartment, DOCTORS enter from the hallway followed by the police and CRIMINALISTS.

DOCTOR

Where is the body?

STAVL

There it is… Or rather, she is…

The medics quickly approach the girl's body and start their work. The last one to enter is the INVESTIGATOR in civilian clothing.

INVESTIGATOR

Have you found the body?

STAVL

Yes, I called you right away.

INVESTIGATOR

And how did you find out about what happened?

STAVL

She sent me a text message.

STAVL takes out his smartphone and finds a text message from STEPHANIE . He hands it to the Investigator, who takes the phone and reads it. The Investigator looks at the Criminalist.

INVESTIGATOR

(to CRIMINALIST)

What do you have?

CRIMINALIST

There are no visible traces and no signs of struggle are present.

INVESTIGATOR

And the text message also confirms suicide, but it's not clear why? Although who can understand young people these days?!

The Investigator looks at the table and sees sketches of mystical costumes on it..

INVESTIGATOR

And what is this?

STAVL

These are her costume sketches. She is a budding singer and songwriter, creating both songs and costumes.

The INVESTIGATOR hands the smartphone back to STAVL and takes a few sketches. He carefully examines them.

INVESTIGATOR

Horrible…

STAVL and the INVESTIGATOR turn to the PARAMEDIC.

PARAMEDIC

Wait… She has a pulse, but it's very weak.

DOCTOR

Quickly, set up an IV drip and get the resuscitation kit…

INVESTIGATOR

She's alive?

DOCTOR

Yes… Her condition is serious, but stable. Every minute is crucial… Let's transport her to the hospital.

STAVL

Will she survive?

DOCTOR

It's hard to say at this point, but we will do everything we can.

The medics connect STEPHANIE to the IV drip, place her on a stretcher, and carry her out of the apartment.

Chapter 2

A view from above of the cityscape, then a transition to a scene in a dim room where STAVL is sitting, holding a smartphone in his hand, with a photo of a joyful STEPHANIE . His face shows mixed feelings of sorrow and bewilderment. He scrolls with his finger and a photo of both of them with smiles on their faces appears.

STAVL

(crying)

What happened, my dear, beloved STEPHANIE ? Why? Answer me, Lord? What did she do to deserve such a trial? She was the most innocent, blameless person on Earth.

STAVL wipes away the tear streaks.

STAVL (continuing)

Why did it happen? She is still alive, and there is no need to prematurely mourn her. I believe that the time will come, and she will wake up from the coma. But this is not the only case of internet suicide, right? I vaguely heard in the news lately, out of the blue, right?! Yes!! I need to pull myself together and understand what is happening… Where to start?

STAVL gets up from the couch and walks over to the computer desk. He sits down at the desk and turns on the computer.

STAVL (continuing)

We need to start an investigation, review the messages and comments on all social media platforms of STEPHANIE where she was registered. I know her PIN and IP address.

He starts quickly typing on the keyboard with his fingers.

STAVL (continuing)

So, I will be able to access her smartphone's desktop. The main thing is that the battery doesn't completely die… Darn… I should have discreetly taken it away from the investigator… And now it's in the evidence room at the police station… Oh well…

The screen lights up, showing the smartphone's desktop with social media apps.

STAVL (continuing)

Yes! I gave her the right advice on choosing a smartphone with a large battery capacity.

STAVL leans back on the chair's backrest.

STAVL (continuing)

And what's next? STEPHANIE is a celebrity, a star. She has a lot of fans and she used to communicate herself, not through a bot. And if I start reading all of it, it will definitely take a decade… I'm such a fool. There's a NEURAL NETWORK, let it process all this volume of messages.

STAVL clicks on the quick access panel and a Neural Network bot appears in another window. Then he clicks on the microphone in the bottom left corner of the input prompt panel. The audio is activated.

NEURAL NETWORK

I welcome you, esteemed STAVL. How may I be of service to you?

STAVL

Access the open desktop of the smartphone remotely, which is currently displayed on my monitor, and determine the common reason for STEPHANIE 's correspondence with her opponents.

A context menu appears on the screen.

NEURAL NETWORK (SUBTITLE)

No problem, take your time!.

The context menu disappears.

STAVL

What did you find?

NEURAL NETWORK

It was discovered that the user under the nickname STEPHANIE became the target of a cruel internet troll, who went by the nickname M.H., a subscriber in the Little Monsters group, and mocked her: he humiliated her not only in the chat but also through personal correspondence, using sentence structures with the pressure on the consciousness, which is a technique used in Neuro-linguistic programming.

STAVL

Interesting… Can you provide more details?

NEURAL NETWORK

Gradually, I uncovered the story of STEPHANIE , as a whole. It is clearly visible from her letters the fears, hopes, and struggle with depression due to cyberbullying.

STAVL

What is cyberbullying?

NEURAL NETWORK

Cyberbullying is a manifestation of violence in the digital space. Such harassment can occur on social networks, messengers, forums, and chats, as well as on gaming platforms. Cyberbullying is not a random phenomenon; it is a

(CONTINUED)

NEURAL NETWORK (continuing)

deliberate model of behavior. The goal of bullying using digital technologies is to intimidate, anger, or shame the victim. STEPHANIE , like other network users, became a victim of another pressure through correspondence. Her growing popularity became the reason for her bullying.

АЛЕКС

And what does this pressure consist of?

NEURAL NETWORK

She was unfairly judged and took actions of a suicidal nature, as she wrote in her farewell letter to you. In the text, aside from letters in machine codes, codes were found that affected the brain cortex and induced aggression, fear, and hallucination. And since STEPHANIE was predisposed to all kinds of mystical fantasies, she quickly perceived everything as reality and began to confuse reality with nirvana.

STAVL

So, she lost her mind, in other words.

NEURAL NETWORK

Yes… But I want to note that it was forcibly, not due to her weakness of character.

STAVL

But is it possible to restore her to her previous state, or is she doomed to show the sparrows her barrel if the medics revive her?

NEURAL NETWORK

Of course, it is possible. The main thing is to convince her that it was just an evil internet game… What have you decided? What will be the further instructions?

STAVL

I will not understand it right away… Okay. I command you to find the real culprit. His IP address and preferably his real address of residence and the origin of where he sent these messages. The actual country, region, or state and down to the GPS address or GLONASS.

Chapter 3

STAVL stands by the window of the intensive care unit, looking out at STEPHANIE lying under the IV drip. He remembers how they met at her concert.

After finishing her performance at her own concert, STEPHANIE was showered with bouquets from the audience. Among them was STAVL, who stumbled and fell at her feet while running to her. He knocked down the fans in front of him and those standing ahead to present their gifts. The fans he accidentally knocked over fell on him in a heap. STAVL lost consciousness. Panic-stricken, STEPHANIE was running towards him when security guards rushed from backstage.

STAVL opens his eyes and sees STEPHANIE sitting in front of him, holding his hand.

STEPHANIE

Thank God, you've regained consciousness!

STAVL

How, you? I just have to live for you and do something special for you!

STEPHANIE

You have already done so much for me. The video of my concert, where you fell and took the fall for all the fans, went viral on social media, garnering billions of views, and I want to thank you in some way.

STAVL

You know, STEPHANIE . For me, personal communication with you is already a priceless reward.

STEPHANIE

Okay. I will write down my phone number for you, and you can call me anytime and for any question. Do you have a pen and paper?

STAVL

(smiling)

No…

STEPHANIE takes out her lipstick from her purse and writes the phone number on STAVL's forehead. STAVL smiles even wider.

STAVL

Now I definitely won't wash my face… Can we go somewhere for dinner? My name is STAVL.

STEPHANIE

Okay. But first, you need to get better and listen to the doctors.

END OF MEMORY

STAVL is sitting at the computer. A context menu appears on the computer screen. The monitor displays sketches related to the topic being narrated by the neural network.

NEURAL NETWORK (SUBTITLE)

Wait, the process of formulating a response to you is ongoing.

The context menu disappears.

STAVL

What did he discover this time? Don't keep me waiting…

NEURAL NETWORK

The report will consist of three parameters: trace, identity, and motives of cruel actions. Trace: I conducted an intellectual investigation, studying the traces on the network that led to STEPHANIE becoming a victim of internet troll M.H. I analyzed all messages, comments, and accounts that could be related to this troll and tried to identify common traits and characteristics of his activity. He is not a real user but rather a bot-virus of virtual neurogenerative self-formation.

STAVL

So, he doesn't exist in reality?

NEURAL NETWORK

Exactly. He is just a bot like me, but created from the stream of unfriendly comments from followers in the chat directed at STEPHANIE . He is not artificial intelligence, but rather an artificial consciousness.

STAVL

Wow!!! This is something new on the internet… After the report, start tracking the chain of events to understand how troll M.H. operated and what traces he left on the network… Keep going…

NEURAL NETWORK

The second parameter is identity: After careful analysis and comparison of data, I finally traced the viral internet troll M.H. and discovered that behind the mask of anonymity is a neural network bot that initially posed as an ordinary guy from the province named Michael.

STAVL

Michael? Who is he and how did he meet STEPHANIE ?

NEURAL NETWORK

Michael is a former student with low self-esteem who feels inadequate and lacking in self-confidence. He started cyberbullying as a way to demonstrate his power and influence on the internet to compensate for his personal shortcomings, one of which is the complete absence of musical ear and a strong desire to sing on stage.

They met on one of the networks. After that, Michael opened pages on all social media platforms where STEPHANIE was registered and began showering her with compliments, which gradually turned into psychological pressure.

STAVL

Is he a psychiatrist?

NEURAL NETWORK

No. Michael studied at online courses at a university for IT specialists on the internet platform. But his low self-esteem mostly pushed him towards various illegal actions, particularly with young women, because he had psychological issues that arose from his lack of confidence in communicating with the opposite sex in real life.

STAVL

Well, besides being unlucky in many aspects, he is also a damn masturbator. Unable to either sing or have sex with girls, he decided to seek revenge on the most famous singer with a sexy figure.

NEURAL NETWORK

Yes, but according to the medical conclusion he received after the examination, he is one hundred percent impotent.

STAVL

Oh, I see. What's next?

NEURAL NETWORK

Motives of cruel actions: I learned that Michael started poisoning STEPHANIE and other users because of his low self-esteem and desire to attract attention and respect online. He used the anonymity of the internet to express his negative emotions and humiliate others to feel powerful and superior. Michael did not realize the consequences of his actions and did not understand the terrible consequences they could have on the victim. But when emergency news about suicides began to appear in the media, he decided to destroy his bot, but the bot had already learned on its own and entered into free uncontrolled existence on the expanses of the internet platform. Later, this bot-troll M.H. began to mislead other members of this group of STEPHANIE 's fans, Little Monsters, and they started resorting to various forms of suicide to enter the spiritual parallel world of Lady STEPHANIE . In the end, even STEPHANIE herself believed in nirvana and in the belief that she was responsible for these suicides. Ultimately, she also took her own life.

Chapter 4

INVESTIGATOR сидит за компьютером в своем кабинете вместе с OPERATIVEами. Звонит телефон. INVESTIGATOR его включает на громкую видео связь.

INVESTIGATOR

So, did you dig up anything?

CHIEF OF THE INTERNET DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Yes… All internet threads lead to one IP address, which is located in our city at the address I sent you via email.

INVESTIGATOR

Operative, brother. It's my duty.

CHIEF OF THE INTERNET DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Come on, we're in this together. By the way, I'm a fan of STEPHANIE … How is she?

INVESTIGATOR

So far still in a coma… The doctors say that the condition is stably severe, but slowly improving. The saturation is gradually increasing…

CHIEF OF THE INTERNET DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

You will be the one to question her when she wakes up?