Equinox

the return

I have a faint memory of a story my mother used to tell me about my grandmother, Lucine.

When she was tucking me into bed, I would say, “tell me the moon and sun story!” And my mother would sit on the bed next to me and begin:

Lucine was goddess of the moon. She kept watch over the evening sky, guiding the waxing and waning moons. Lucine had one child. Her name was Anahit. She was goddess of the sun.

The story was about how the moon, the sun, and the earth came to be what they are today. But I can’t remember the rest of the story. Just that my grandmother’s name was Lucine and my mom’s was Anahit, and I used to love this story when my mom would tell it.

I was told that none of my family survived.

It’s been fifteen years now.

When we were in the system,
they called us COR’s.
Children of Resistors.

Now that we’ve escaped,
we’re known as defectors,
renegades.

There aren’t many of us,
but we’re around.

Some of us just blend in with rest. We change our identities as often as possible, or move to new sectors so we aren’t recognized.

Those of us who were more public about our stance against the ONE had to go fully underground. But we’re here, and we have factions across every major city.

Seline was adamant about my taking the Pledge. But after visiting the doctor… I just…
I just can’t.

The decision to leave wasn’t an easy one, even as it felt less like a choice and more like a necessity.

Everything looks to be in order according to her state files

DOCTOR’S NOTES:

Standard COR implant procedure.

No known previous conditions, prime candidate.

Patient is nearing age 25, studying for allegiance test.

Patient history:

– Placed in the care of foster family at age 8.

– Biological parents eliminated during last wave.

– Foster parents deceased.

– Guardianship transfered after foster parents’ death.

– Placed under guardianship of foster sister (Seline).

– Sister seems unaware of patient’s hesitance.

Velouria. May I speak with you for a moment?

Do you understand what you’re pledging to?

Because it’s very important that you do.

As I walked away, I knew that was the last time I’d see Doctor Briggs.

I have two jobs. One is to remind these kids about who they are and where they come from, and the other is to get to them before they cave. As descendants of those who spearheaded the last wave of resist
ance, their options are pretty grim. Until we pledge allegiance to ONE, we’re restricted from joining their society. At the age of 25 we are given the option. I guess they figure that by that point, we’ve lived long enough to see the harsh realities of being an outsider. So we’re given the choice to take the pledge and become an ONE citizen.

If we reject them, we’re assigned to live as outsiders for the rest of our lives. Separated from our foster families, from the places we learned to call home after being taken and displaced as children. Most of us are too scared to be displaced again, so, I understand why some COR’s chose what seems like the safer option.

We work for a different option, though.

To join us, the new resistance movement.

When we got home,

I sat wondering what I could do

Before I could ask what was in the package she gave me, she was gone.

And I was left wondering…

There are more of us.

They want us to believe that they were all killed. But some survived.

We have reason to believe that Lucine is alive.

Come find us, when you’re ready.

– Zulal

TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED INTERVIEW

WITH SELINE OHANIAN: PART 2

Sector 82 ONE Headquarters

09/28/2029

Detective Driver: We’re here with Seline NAME at the Sector 09-30 ONE headquarters. The date is XXX. Time is 13:40. Ms.

Ohanian, please declare yourself into the recorder.

OHANIAN: Present.

Detective Driver: State your name, please. Don’t be smart.

OHANIAN: My name is Seline Ohanian. I have been here for over 37 hours with no legal—

Detective Driver: That’s enough.

OHANIAN: Yeah, exactly.

Detective Driver: We don’t want to take up too much more of your time, Ms. Ohanian. We’re just trying to help you find your COR.

OHANIAN: She’s my sister. And I already told you, I don’t know where she is.

Detective Driver: Can you tell us about the last time you saw her?

OHANIAN: Didn’t you record the last interview?

Detective Driver: We’re just trying to confirm the details here.

OHANIAN: Right. We came home from the doctor’s appointment and—

Detective Driver: The consultation for implant surgery, correct?

OHANIAN: Will you let me finish?

Detective Driver: Go on.

OHANIAN: We got home from the appointment, ate lunch, she went into her room, and I went to work. When I got home, she was gone.

Detective Driver: Did you have an argument before or after lunch?

OHANIAN: I never said we argued.

Detective Driver: Was it about the surgery? Was she having doubts about her ONE pledge?

OHANIAN: No, it wasn’t about the surgery, because there was no argument.

Detective Driver: So she was having doubts then?

OHANIAN: Are you hearing me? I said we did not argue. She is fully committed to taking the pledge. She’d been studying for months.

Detective Driver: The notes we procured from the community clinic indicated that—

OHANIAN: Those are private medical files, the ONE has no right to—

Detective Driver: Our records show that you were once involved in an altercation during which you physically assaulted a classmate and ONE citizen who was following state-sanctioned protocol—

OHANIAN: That’s bullshit. Did your records also tell you about how that classmate had been bullying Velouria for almost a decade? Is that what you mean by state-sanctioned protocol?

Detective Driver: I can appreciate that you feel responsible for your COR, the ONE acknowledges your service.

OHANIAN: Her name is VELOURIA. Stop fucking calling her my COR.

Detective Driver: I’ll ask you one more time, do you have any idea of the whereabouts of your COR, Ms. Ohanian?

OHANIAN: I have to use the bathroom. Are you going to take me or is pissing my pants part of the protocol too?

There’s evidence Lucine is alive.

Zulal and the others are helping me find her.

I have a faint memory of a story my mother used to tell me about my grandmother, Lucine.

When she was tucking me into bed, I would say, “tell me the moon and sun story!” And my mother would sit on the bed next to me and begin:

Lucine was goddess of the moon. She kept watch over the evening sky, guiding the waxing and waning moons. Lucine had one child. Her name was Anahit. She was goddess of the sun.

The story was about how the moon, the sun, and the earth came to be what they are today.  I might not remember the story, but we have discovered that Lucine might be alive. She can tell me the story, when I find her…

EQUINOX

the return

Story Concept:

lee williams boudakian

Web Design:

Kamee Abrahamian

original story & film:

Anoushka Ratnarajah, PonyBoy, Yulia Arakelyan, Ali Chavez Leeds, Kamee Abrahamian & lee williams boudakian

cast:

Velouria ~ Anoushka Ratnarajah

zulal ~ ali chavez leeds

seline ~ kamee abrahamian

Special thanks to the Canada Arts Council supporting this project.

EQUINOX

the return

I have a faint memory of a story my mother used to tell me about my grandmother, Lucine.

When she was tucking me into bed, I would say, “tell me the moon and sun story!” And my mother would sit on the bed next to me and begin:

Lucine was goddess of the moon. She kept watch over the evening sky, guiding the waxing and waning moons. Lucine had one child. Her name was Anahit. She was goddess of the sun.

The story was about how the moon, the sun, and the earth came to be what they are today. But I can’t remember the rest of the story. Just that my grandmother’s name was Lucine and my mom’s was Anahit, and I used to love this story when my mom would tell it.

When we were in the system, they called us COR’s. Children of Resistors.

Now that we’ve escaped, we’re known as defectors, renegades.

There aren’t many of us, but we’re around.

Seline was adamant about my taking the Pledge. But after visiting the doctor… I just… I just can’t.

As I walked away, I knew that was the last time I’d see Doctor Briggs.

We work for a different option, though.

To join us, the new resistance movement.

Before I could ask what was in the package she gave me, she was gone.

And I was left wondering…

There are more of us.

They want us to believe that they were all killed. But some survived.

We have reason to believe that Lucine is alive.

Come find us, when you’re ready.

– Zulal

TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED INTERVIEW

WITH SELINE OHANIAN: PART 2

Sector 82 ONE Headquarters

09/28/2029

There’s evidence Lucine is alive.

Zulal and the others are helping me find her.

I have a faint memory of a story my mother used to tell me about my grandmother, Lucine.

When she was tucking me into bed, I would say, “tell me the moon and sun story!” And my mother would sit on the bed next to me and begin:

Lucine was goddess of the moon. She kept watch over the evening sky, guiding the waxing and waning moons. Lucine had one child. Her name was Anahit. She was goddess of the sun.

The story was about how the moon, the sun, and the earth came to be what they are today. I might not remember the story, but we have discovered that Lucine might be alive. She can tell me the story, when I find her…

EQUINOX

the return

When we were in the system,
they called us COR’s.
Children of Resistors.

Now that we’ve escaped,
we’re known as defectors,
renegades.

There aren’t many of us,
but we’re around.

Seline was adamant about my taking the Pledge. But after visiting the doctor… I just…
I just can’t.

The story was about how the moon, the sun, and the earth came to be what they are today.  I might not remember the story, but we have discovered that Lucine might be alive. She can tell me the story, when I find her…