Cherreads

Chapter 4 - CHAPTER 4 - MALCOM

LOMAN'S HEAVEN – CHAPTER 4: "MALCOM"

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EXT. FARMING TERRACE – DAY

Miraya walks up holding a basket of herbs. Vimar waves as Kamal stands beside him, awkward but trying to smile.

MIRAYA

Hello Mr. Vimar.

VIMAR (smiling)

Hey kid, how are you? How are your parents?

MIRAYA

We're fine. Everything's good.

She glances curiously at Kamal.

MIRAYA

Is that your friend?

VIMAR

Yeah...

MIRAYA (to Kamal)

Hello! I've never seen you before.

KAMAL (stiffly)

I'm not from here.

MIRAYA

What brings you here?

KAMAL

Actually, I—

VIMAR (cutting in)

Hey kid, we've gotta go. Come on, Kamal. See you, Miraya.

Vimar grabs Kamal and walks off quickly.

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EXT. HILL PATH – MOMENTS LATER

KAMAL (yanks his arm free)

What the fuck is your problem, old man?

VIMAR (annoyed)

Don't fucking tell people you're from another planet or vanished for a week. This isn't Earth. People don't take that shit lightly here. You'll cause chaos.

KAMAL

Alright, alright. Chill.

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MONTAGE – DAYS PASS

A sequence of Kamal and Miraya meeting more and more often:

They laugh while sitting near a stream.

Miraya playfully throws berries at Kamal while they collect fruit.

They walk barefoot across the meadows under a sky full of stars.

Kamal teaches her Earth games like rock-paper-scissors, and she shows him how to tame wild birds.

KAMAL (V.O.)

I don't know what the fuck this place really is…

But man… I love this planet.

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EXT. FOREST EDGE – ONE EVENING

Kamal and Miraya walk side by side as the sun sets in golden hue. Kamal suddenly stops, staring at something in the distance.

KAMAL

Yo... What the hell is that?

He points to a massive concrete wall rising in the distance, half-covered in vines.

MIRAYA

That's the end of our region.

KAMAL

Why such a big-ass wall?

MIRAYA

To separate us from... another world.

KAMAL (intrigued)

Another world?

MIRAYA

Yeah. It's just jungle and like… 40, 50 people. Nothing useful. No farms. No system. Just wild.

Kamal takes a few steps toward the wall.

KAMAL

Let's go check it out.

MIRAYA (pulling his arm)

No. Don't.

KAMAL

Why?

MIRAYA (serious)

I don't know exactly. But everyone says people who go there… they don't come back.

KAMAL (staring at the wall)

Damn...

MIRAYA

Let's just go. Please.

Kamal nods slowly, letting her lead him back.

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EXT. PATH TO VIMAR'S HUT – LATER NIGHT

Kamal walks alone, now speaking through his hidden Bluetooth.

KAMAL (low)

Yo, Manohar. What the hell was she talking about? That wall, that world… Is it real?

MANOHAR (calmly)

Oh yeah. It's real. That's MALCOM.

KAMAL

What the fuck is Malcom?

MANOHAR

It's another experiment. We dropped a few humans there… no guidance, no systems. Unlike Loman's, there's no inbuilt design. We wanted to see how raw evolution works.

KAMAL

So why don't people come back?

MANOHAR

Simple. Time moves differently. One hour here in Loman = one year in Malcom.

KAMAL (stunned)

So they're stuck for decades if they cross over?

MANOHAR

Exactly. For every day they spend there, years pass from their side. That's why no one returns. And frankly, we didn't want them to. It's a full timeline simulation.

KAMAL

Can they ever come back?

MANOHAR

Maybe. Depends on how much time they spend and whether their minds survive it.

KAMAL

Dude… this is some Interstellar shit.

MANOHAR (laughs)

Welcome to advanced god-mode gaming.

KAMAL

Why the fuck are both worlds next to each other?

MANOHAR

To track evolution, philosophy, behavior—up close. Also? It's fun. Entertainment, bro.

KAMAL

And no one from Loman's knows?

MANOHAR

They were never meant to.

KAMAL

So... MALCOM?

MANOHAR

Yeah. That world's called Planet MALCOM. And if you're curious...

Pause. A subtle static noise.

MANOHAR (dark grin)

You might get to enter it. Soon.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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