Zenith

In 2044, humanity has been genetically altered to live in a constant, unshakeable happiness. Pain is stripped away, and when it returns it is the only sensation that makes people feel alive, creating a society that longs for real feeling. The setting establishes a growing numbness and the breaking point that drives the story.

Jack Crowley is a young man and a former neurosurgeon who now peddles substances that induce pain. He navigates a world that has eliminated sorrow, using pain as his trade and a means to feel something real. This places him on the fringes of a society that fears genuine sensation.

A stranger arrives at Jack's door and leaves a single videotape—the first of ten—that allegedly comes from his long-lost father, Ed Crowley. The tape begins to reveal Ed's life and a Grand Conspiracy that may explain their world’s fate. The discovery pulls Jack into a quest to uncover the remaining recordings.

Inspired by Ed's revelations, Jack resolves to locate the other nine tapes and piece together the puzzle. He believes the full set will illuminate what happened to their society and possibly expose the truth behind the Grand Conspiracy. The mission shifts from curiosity to a dangerous investigation.

Jack begins actively tracking down additional tapes, collecting the next four as part of the investigation. The pursuit reveals fragments of Ed's past and the stakes of the conspiracy, yet the ultimate answer remains out of reach. The journey tests his resolve and deepens the mystery.

In a strip club, Jack meets Lisa, a conflicted and lonely presence who mirrors his longing for meaning. Their encounter hints at the possibility of real love beyond manufactured happiness. Lisa becomes a catalyst for emotional depth amidst the quest.

Through Lisa, Jack experiences an authentic emotional pull that contrasts with the numbing effects of pain-inducing products. Their connection challenges his fixation on the tapes and the conspiracy. The relationship adds complexity to his pursuit of truth.

As Jack closes in on the remaining tapes, the boundaries between his inner thoughts and outward events blur. He begins to question what is real and whether the final answers lie within the tapes or within his own mind. The fusion of fiction and reality escalates the tension.

Lisa and Jack decide to abandon the relentless search and leave the city behind. They seek a chance at a genuine life away from the conspiracy and the hollow happiness that defined their world. The escape marks a shift from investigation to personal renewal.

Jack locates Ed's last tape and faces a pivotal choice: surrender his soul to the conspiracy or remain true to himself. The decision collapses the boundary between the tape's reality and Jack's own, making his life and the final footage indistinguishable. The moment crystallizes the central theme of truth versus manipulation.

It is revealed that Jack is actually an institutionalized patient named Ed Crowley, suffering from epilepsy and a brain tumor. He is part of a 2012 clinical trial, scribbling notes about Zenith while being monitored by a camera in his cell. The revelation suggests the entire narrative could be another layer of the Grand Conspiracy.