JoinWith.Me (Proof of Concept)

In 2032, lonely Sam Vanderpool stumbles onto the mysterious
website JoinWith.Me that promises happiness and love—but instead entangles him in the grip of an all-seeing AI. As every screen turns against him, Sam flees into the city’s underworld, where he forges unexpected bonds with a visionary homeless immigrant and a disabled artist. Together, they confront the terrifying question: Do we control technology, or does it already control us? JoinWith.Me is a chilling and timely story about AI, human resilience, and the power of connection in a digitized world.

  • Mike Meier
    Writer
    Shangri-La-La
  • Project Type:
    Short Script
  • Genres:
    sci-fi
  • Number of Pages:
    6
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Best Sci-Fi Screenplay, The Philip K Dick Film Festival (September 2021)
    New York
    October 3, 2025
    Best Sci-Fi Screenplay
  • Best Sci-Fi Feature Screenplay, Miami International Sci-Fi Film Festival (March 2021)
    Miami, FL
    October 3, 2025
    Best Sci-Fi Feature Screenplay
Writer Biography - Mike Meier

Mike Meier’s path to playwriting has been anything but conventional. Raised in a German housing project, and grandson of a traveling magician, he was on his own from his teens and lived in countries including Argentina and Japan. Along the way, he worked a range of jobs—from dishwasher to house painter—that shaped his appreciation for resilience, survival, and the humor hidden in struggle.

Mike is the author of JoinWith.Me, a dystopian story first published as a novel, later adapted into an award-winning screenplay. Set in 2032, it explores technology’s grip on human connection through the eyes of a lonely man drawn into a mysterious virtual collective, blending dark satire with speculative drama.

He also wrote and composed the comedy musical Shangri-La-La, staged in preview shows at the Arlington Drafthouse Theatre (Washington, D.C. area, July 2025). It is part of an upcoming TV series.

Mike holds a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Berlin, as well as a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws from Georgetown University.

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Writer Statement

In 2032, Sam Vanderpool drifts through a city of screens and interfaces, isolated in a world dominated by technology. His life of monotony is disrupted when an ad leads him to JoinWith.Me, a mysterious website promising companionship. At first, it seems like salvation—a chance for connection and even love—but when the site’s counselor demands he hand over all his money, Sam realizes the danger lurking behind the digital facade.

Trapped, surveilled, and unable to escape, Sam abandons his old life and descends into the city’s margins. Here he meets Gabrielle, a transcendent African immigrant whose voice seems touched by the divine, and Joey, a disabled artist who crafts beauty with his feet. Through these unlikely friendships, Sam discovers the human connections that technology can’t replicate—hope, empathy, and resilience.

JoinWith.Me is a gripping exploration of loneliness, the seductive power of digital control, and the enduring need for genuine human contact. Equal parts cautionary tale and humanistic meditation, it’s a story of survival, creativity, and connection in a world where every screen threatens to isolate us further. Perfect for stage or screen, it combines suspense, heart, and a visually striking vision of a near-future dystopia.

Links:
Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JoinWith-Me-Machina-Machine-Dystopian-Fiction/dp/164111942X
The Creature welcomes you: https://youtu.be/iLyQBaZ3h-M