Sanjar nodded silently, not knowing what to say. He was sure that before him stood a man who knew much more than he could imagine. But this man was offering him something that went beyond ordinary understanding, something that could change his life.
“I invite you to see the future with your own eyes,” Richard continued, his voice becoming almost hypnotic, as if he really had the ability to see beyond the veil of time. “Imagine how your knowledge and understanding of what is to come can influence your today, your decisions, your dreams.”
Sanzhar, feeling his head filling with more and more questions, slowly shook his head. He understood that the offer sounded tempting, but also incredible.
“Sorry, Richard,” he said finally, trying to sound as confident as possible. “I can’t accept such an offer. I’m a student, I have my own responsibilities, my studies. It’s too… incredible.”
Richard frowned slightly, but then his face took on a friendly expression again.
“I understand,” he said, nodding respectfully. “It’s not easy to make such a choice. But know that the offer still stands. If you change your mind, I’ll be happy to help you see what others can only dream of.
He extended his hand to Sanjar again, and Sanjar shook it automatically, feeling for a moment the cold hardness of the ring, which again reminded him of the mystery of this man.
“I hope that we will see each other again,” Richard said before turning and heading down the corridor towards the lecture hall.
Sanjar remained standing, feeling how his heart slowly began to beat in a normal rhythm. He glanced at his watch and realized that it was time to go to class. But something about this meeting continued to bother him, like a slight breath of wind that could not be caught or explained.
Running into the classroom with the last students, Sanjar tried to concentrate on the lesson, but thoughts about the strange meeting did not leave him. His comrades were cheerfully discussing something and joking, the teacher, looking at his watch, stood up from the table and began the lesson:
“Hello everyone. So, I ask for silence and attention. Today our lesson will be devoted to… But Sanzhar was still thinking about that hallway where the strange man in the hat had offered him a glimpse into the future, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that this day would be the beginning of something greater than he could have imagined.
2:3 Coursework. Sanzhar hurried to his seat in the classroom, noticing that the students had already taken their seats and were quietly discussing the upcoming lesson. The huge screen, occupying the entire front wall, was already ready to show a film, and the soft, subdued lights in the hall created an atmosphere of anticipation. He quickly sat down next to his friend, who nodded briefly in greeting.
The teacher, Professor Miras, known for his passion for cinema and his meticulous approach to film analysis, stood behind the lectern. He was short, but had an impressive charisma, and his presence immediately attracted the attention of the entire audience.
“Good morning, students,” he began, looking around at the audience. “Today we will not just watch a film, but also an in-depth analysis of one of the most significant works in the science fiction genre. I chose this film for a reason. It raises questions that concern not only technology, but also philosophy, morality, and what it means to be human. The professor paused, giving the students time to absorb the importance of the upcoming lesson.
– Today we will be watching the film Blade Runner by Ridley Scott. This film is not only a cult classic in the world of cinema, it touches on themes that remain relevant today. I want you to pay attention to how the film explores the boundaries between artificial intelligence and the human soul, its visual style and atmosphere.
Sanzhar felt a little excited. Blade Runner was one of his favorite films, and now he had the opportunity to look at it from a new perspective – as a student who was about to make a critical analysis.
As the lights in the classroom dimmed, Sanzhar settled into his chair, preparing to watch. The opening credits began to appear on the screen, and within moments the entire audience was immersed in the dark and rainy world of futuristic Los Angeles.
The film began and Sanjar became completely immersed in what was happening on the screen. Each scene was carefully thought out, every detail recreated the atmosphere of the future, where technology and man intersect in a complex web of moral and ethical questions. Sanjar noticed how the light and shadows created tension, how the camera followed the characters, capturing their emotions, and how Vangelis’s music emphasized the atmosphere of despair and the search for meaning.
The film became increasingly captivating, making him think about the depth of the questions raised by the director. He mentally returned to the professor’s words when the film raised themes of the nature of human existence, identity and consciousness. These themes seemed to touch on something very personal, making Sanjar think about his own place in this world and about the future, which may not be so distant.
After the film ended, the lights in the auditorium came back on and Professor Miras stood up to conclude the lesson.
“I hope that this viewing has evoked many thoughts and questions in you,” he said, looking around at the assembled students. – I expect each of you to give me a critical analysis of this film in a week. Please pay attention to details that you may not have noticed before and try to look at them from a different angle.
The professor paused and then added:
– Also, I would like to remind you of your first term paper. You must write a science fiction story by the end of the semester. Your task is to create a completely new plot, something our world has never seen before. I ask you to approach this task with complete seriousness.
Sanzhar felt a slight anxiety. Writing a criticism of a film that he knew so well did not seem like a difficult task to him, but coming up with a completely new story… This task was much more difficult. All the ideas seemed to have already been used, and finding something truly new and original seemed almost impossible.
He stood up from his seat, following the other students who were leaving the classroom, and his thoughts began to revolve around the task that the professor had just set for them. Excerpts from the film, questions he wanted to discuss in his work, and images that could form the basis for a new story were spinning around in his head. Sanzhar headed towards the gym, where he had a physical education class. He walked, thinking about how to find that one idea that could amaze both him and his teacher. But while chaos reigned in his head, he hoped that the answer would come by itself at the right moment.
2:4 Team play. Sanzhar walked slowly down the corridor leading to the gym, deep in his thoughts. The idea that the professor had given them in the previous lecture – to write a science fiction story with a completely new plot – was haunting him. He tried to come up with something truly unique, but each time his ideas seemed to have already been realized in some film or book. Images from the Blade Runner he had just watched were spinning in his head, but although they were inspiring, they did not give him the desired novelty.
When he entered the locker room, it was already in full swing. Students were changing into sports uniforms, discussing their plans for the weekend, upcoming competitions and, of course, the latest news from the world of sports. Sanzhar mechanically changed, almost not noticing those around him, and headed to the gym, where the coach was already waiting for them.
The gym was spacious, with high ceilings and large windows through which bright daylight penetrated. The floor of the gym was perfectly leveled and ready for the upcoming game. A volleyball net was stretched in the center of the room, and the boys began to warm up, throwing the ball to each other.
“Today we have volleyball,” the coach announced, gathering the