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Part 1

My day had been perfect, I had just earned 200 points, making my social credit 1200 and my name was on all the television screens. The highest score in my age division. I was frail, but I was agile and that was how I saved Mrs. Jane's daughter from the fire. I replayed the scene in my head, me reaching the window where she was, her glancing at her saviour, seeing the ash marks on my tanned cheek. Them thanking me, "Thank you so much, Jin Seon-mi". The reporters crowding around me, me thanking them and going home.

I reached my house and washed my face with soap and water. I had a big house, but not an entirely happy life, my mom had been taken last week and she was dead. Her suicide had been reported in the news yesterday, and I could imagine why she had done that. Being shunned by society for her score, living in a jail cell. Those rude and judgemental stares at us before she was convicted. How she was sacked and convicted to home arrest before she was taken by the credit police. I dried my face and looked in the mirror, at my brown hair, dark eyes which were no longer happy and careless but, sad and restrained. I looked at my slim, frail body, and then to my honors badge that I had gotten for being the highest score in my age group. A sudden madness overtook my sensibility, I ripped the badge and threw it down and ran out of my house.

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care", I whispered to myself as I smashed all the cameras, the cameras that were used to spy on people, the ones that framed my mother for something she didn't do. My fists were getting bloody, punching all that glass and I could feel hot sweat beading on my forehead. I saw my face in the television screens, but this time rather than congratulations to be at the top score, it was a statement, I had to be shot on sight and anyone protecting me will have 100 points reduced. Everyone owned guns now, I thought to myself, to do the dirty business for the government and supposedly for protection against low creditors. It was required by the government and any citizen was allowed to murder if a statement had been shown on screen as mine was.

As soon as I finished reading the screen, a shot echoed through the streets and I felt a lead bullet piercing the skin in my chest. Right below my heart, I scoffed inwardly. this person has good aim, I thought while falling to the ground.

My sensory system finally started working as pain flared across my stomach and chest. I fought my will to give up and die. "I can s-urvive, I can do this, I can-..." and then my eyes drooped, not heeding for a second the chanting in my head.