Spotlighting - Part 2 of 4

Mitch scowls at Lucas and exits. Lucas, careful of his button, picks up his manual to read again. He begins to yawn, tries to stop himself, but fails. He stands and stretches. He crosses to the panel and taps on it curiously. He crosses to Mitch’s desk and studies the work station. He picks up and looks at the top sheet of the ream of paper in the “In” box. He seems unable to decipher it and puts it down in confusion. He looks over his shoulder, wary of Mitch’s return, then begins slowly manipulating the panel. A knob turned here, a switch flicked there - all indiscriminately. Suddenly, the overhead lights dim and the machine hums to life. The backlights behind the panel pulse and shift. The lights quickly focus and form a silhouette on the panel.

 

LUCAS (Cont.).  Oh, shit.

 

He makes a beeline for his desk but stops when the silhouette speaks.

 

SILHOUETTE 2: (Dazed.) Hello? (Slight panic.) Hello?

 

Lucas creeps back to Mitch’s desk and angles the mic towards himself.

 

LUCAS: Hey. (He clears his throat.) How’s it going?

 

SILHOUETTE 2: Where the hell am I? What is this?

 

    Lucas looks over the console and the papers in a panic.

 

LUCAS: Nothing to, uh, worry about. You just stay put and relax, I’ll get you - 

 

SILHOUETTE 2: I can’t move. Why can’t I move!?

 

LUCAS: Just give me a sec - 

 

SILHOUETTE 2: Who is this? Are you in my head?

 

LUCAS: Please, just don’t mind me, I’ll -

 

SILHOUETTE 2: No! What the hell is going on!?

 

    Lucas crosses back to his desk.

 

LUCAS: Sorry, sorry, sorry! 

 

SILHOUETTE 2: (Scared.) What is this?

 

Lucas presses his button. The backlights behind the panel turn off, the silhouette disappears, the panel becomes opaque, and the mechanical hum slows to a stop. Overhead lights rise. Lucas sits and sighs in relief. Pause. Mitch enters with the two cups.

 

MITCH: No one made a new pot, so I had to. It’s not my job, but - (He notices Lucas.) What’s wrong with you?

 

LUCAS: I, uh…it’s nothing, I, uh…

 

MITCH: Charley horse?

 

LUCAS: What?

 

MITCH: Got a shooting pain in your leg?

 

LUCAS: Yeah! (Feigning pain.) Yeah, it’s a Charley horse alright.

 

MITCH: I get those, too. That’s what we get for sitting around for nine hours a day. You can’t stand up too quick, your body’ll give you all sorts of shit for it.

 

LUCAS: Ooo, ow, yeah, I feel it.

 

MITCH: Thank god they only last a few seconds.

 

LUCAS: Huh?

 

MITCH: They go away pretty quick.

 

    Lucas shakes his leg out.

 

LUCAS: Hey, look at that! That was quick.

 

MITCH: Come grab your coffee. 

 

Lucas crosses to Mitch to grab the coffee.

 

LUCAS: Any good?

 

MITCH: Hell no. 

 

Lucas grabs the coffee and returns to his desk. Mitch catches a whiff of something in the room that bothers him.

 

LUCAS: What’s wrong?

 

    Mitch sniffs some more.

 

MITCH: You don’t smell that?

 

LUCAS: No? I don’t smell anything.

 

MITCH: It’s like a static smell.

 

LUCAS: Static doesn’t smell like anything.

 

MITCH: Oh, yes it does. (Mitch tracks the smell to the panel.) It’s around here.

 

    Lucas shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

 

LUCAS: Really?

 

MITCH: Did you use this thing while I was gone?

 

LUCAS: Use it? No, of course not.

 

MITCH: The machine smells like it might’ve been used.

 

LUCAS: Maybe it’s broken.

 

MITCH: I think we’d know if it was broken.

 

LUCAS: I don’t even know how to turn the thing on, you know.

 

    Mitch sniffs the air one more time.

 

MITCH: It’s gone. It was really bad there for a second.

 

LUCAS: Maybe it was nothing.

 

MITCH: And you didn’t smell -?

 

LUCAS: Nope.

 

MITCH: Huh.

 

LUCAS: Maybe you’re having a heart attack.

 

MITCH: What?

 

LUCAS: You start smelling funny things when you’re having a heart attack, I think. Sit. Take it easy. 

 

Mitch, reflecting, sits down and absent-mindedly scratches his chest.

 

MITCH: Are you sure you didn’t touch anything?

 

LUCAS: I was just reading my manual, man.

 

    The intercom chime plays. Both men look to the ceiling.

 

INTERCOM: Break’s over, Operators. Operator Lucas, we detected an, uhh, unscheduled docking coming from your station. It was performed, uhh, against protocol on a user. We are anticipating that the user may contact support with a complaint when they wake up.

 

MITCH: (To Lucas.) You sonofabitch.

 

INTERCOM: Operator Mitch, we detected that you were, uhh, not present during this unauthorized procedure.

 

MITCH: You’re damn right I wasn’t.

 

INTERCOM: It’s, uhh, against protocol to leave a new operator unattended at any time. Always have to be vigilant over the new guys. They all want a peek behind the curtain from time to time but, uhh, gotta keep an eye on them. We don’t want any wasted sessions or for users to suspend services or anything. Makes it a lot harder to get info that way, right? That’s going to have to be a point on the record, Operator Mitch.

 

LUCAS: What about me?

 

INTERCOM: Operator Lucas, uhh, keep up the good work. Ten out of ten. Shows a lot of initiative and you, uhh, have a bright future with us. Let’s get back to work, Operators.

 

Another chime chime plays the intercom out.

 

LUCAS: Are you sure they can’t hear us?

 

MITCH: How’d you even get this thing on? You have to have training and - 

 

LUCAS: I just hit some buttons, flipped some switches and -

 

MITCH: You know what? I don’t care. We don’t have time for this. Just shut up and don’t do it again.

 

LUCAS: Yessir. (Lucas sips his coffee and gags.) Ugh, this is disgusting.

 

MITCH: Told you. Our floor doesn’t get the good stuff.

 

LUCAS: The last pot wasn’t this bad.

 

MITCH: Are you going to ding my record too? Coffee’s coffee. Just down it.

 

LUCAS: How do we get the good stuff?

 

MITCH: You get promoted.

 

LUCAS: How do I do that?

 

MITCH: You stop asking dumb questions.

 

In a huff, Lucas tries to focus on his manual again. Mitch retrieves his flask again and pours a splash more alcohol into his cup. Lucas notices.

 

LUCAS: Are we allowed to drink on the job? (Mitch ignores him, focusing on the next sheet and adjusting his panel.) Can I have some?

 

MITCH: No.

 

With a few more adjustments, the overhead lights dim, the mechanical whirring picks up, and the backlights behind the panel begin shifting. 

 

LUCAS: What’re we looking at now?

 

MITCH: Easy one. Newer user.

 

LUCAS: Alright. (He sips his coffee.) I really don’t like this.

 

MITCH: Machine’s on.

 

LUCAS: Sorry.

 

The backlights focus and form another silhouette. Mitch covers the mic.

 

MITCH: How’s that for slow? (Lucas gives Mitch a thumbs up. Mitch uncovers the mic and speaks into it.) Good evening.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Good…evening.

 

MITCH: Everything alright for us tonight?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Spinning. Swimming. Falling. Head is…about to pop. What time is it?

 

MITCH: Well, it’s late, isn’t it? Must be very late.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Late. Very late. I didn’t know I fell asleep.

 

MITCH: (Correcting.) We didn’t realize we fell asleep.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We?

 

MITCH: We. We’re on the same page, aren’t we?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We guess.

 

MITCH: We’re nineteen years old, aren’t we?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Nineteen.

 

MITCH: Good, good.Caucasian, male, nineteen?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: That’s us.

 

MITCH: Yes, it is. Now that we have that out of the way…what’s on our mind? What are we thinking about?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Spinning. Falling. Throbbing.

 

MITCH: Right, let’s skip past that. Let’s push through. What’s on our mind?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Work. Have to get up early. Work tomorrow.

 

MITCH: Ah, of course. Where do we work?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Work. Punch in. Punch out.

 

MITCH: Yes, work. We get up, we’re ready for work, where do we go?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: The store.

 

MITCH: Retail?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Yes. We’re a retail…person.

 

MITCH: A, uh… (He covers the mic.) Whaddya call it? (He uncovers the mic.) A sales associate?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: It goes on the shelves, it comes off the shelves. It goes in the back, it goes out front.

 

MITCH: We’re a stock boy.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We’re a stock man.

 

Mitch covers the mic. Mitch and Lucas laugh at this. Mitch snaps back to business quickly.

 

MITCH: (To Lucas.) Shh! (He uncovers the mic.) So, tell us - 

 

    Silhouette 3 groans sickeningly.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: (Out of trance.) My head…oh, my head.

 

MITCH: Our head.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Oh, god. Give us a sec.

 

    Pause.

 

MITCH: Hello?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: (Back in trance.) We feel far off the ground. Floor’s gone.

 

    Mitch covers the mic. He chuckles as he makes notes.

 

LUCAS: What’s wrong with this guy?

 

MITCH: He’s drunk.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We’re drunk aren’t we?

 

    Mitch gestures for Lucas to be quiet. He uncovers the mic. 

 

MITCH: We sure seem to be.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Oh, man…are we at least home?

 

MITCH: Let’s see… (He looks over the paper.) No, we’re not. (He chuckles.) We must be gone.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Gone?

 

MITCH: Gone.

 

    Pause.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: (Out of trance.) Am I dead?

 

MITCH: Are we dead.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Holy shit, we’re dead!

 

MITCH: (Recovering.) No! No, we’re not dead. We meant “gone” like drunk. Wasted. Plastered.

 

LUCAS: Half in the bag.

 

    Mitch covers the mic and scowls at Lucas.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Mom’s going to kill us.

 

    Mitch uncovers the mic.

 

MITCH: Mom, huh? Is our mom strict?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We don’t know?

 

MITCH: Remind us.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: She’s not really strict. She just worries.

 

MITCH: Do we give her reasons to?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Yeah. We do. We drink a lot.

 

MITCH: Let’s focus on that. What do we -

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We gotta wake up and get home. She’s probably pissing herself and we’ve got work in the morning.

 

MITCH: We’ll deal with mom later, okay? We need to finish sleeping.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We gotta get home.

 

MITCH: It’ll be a bit. We set our device for - (Reading off the paper.) - twelve hours!?

 

LUCAS: (Laughing, incredulous.) Oh my god!

 

    Mitch covers the mic.

 

MITCH: Enough!

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We knew we needed to sleep off the hangover.

 

    Mitch uncovers the mic.

 

MITCH: We’re still going to be feeling something in the morning. We know that, right?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Home. How do we get home?

 

MITCH: Once we’re awake, we’ll call a rideshare. Have we ever done rideshare?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Uh…no. We take the bus.

 

MITCH: Do we blackout away from home often?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We guess.

 

MITCH: Then we should start using rideshare.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We should start using rideshare.

 

MITCH: Alright, let’s get back to alcohol. What do we like to -?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Are you my conscience?

 

MITCH: Are we our conscience.

 

LUCAS: What?                     SILHOUETTE 3: What?

    

Mitch clears his throat.

 

MITCH: Let’s focus. What do we like to drink?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Like to drink?

 

MITCH: Yes. What is our alcohol of choice?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Bottoms up.

 

MITCH: Yes, yes. What do we like to drink?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We haven’t thought about it…

 

MITCH: Okay… (He thinks.) Why do we like to drink?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: It’s easy. Everyone else is drinking.

 

MITCH: Okay, good! Who is everyone else?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Everyone else.

 

MITCH: Who do you drink with?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Co-workers.

 

MITCH: Are they our friends?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: No.

 

MITCH: Then why drink with them?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: They’re older. They can get the drinks.

 

MITCH: We drink at their homes?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Yes. We won’t get carded there.

 

MITCH: Eight-three-six Midland Lane. That’s where we are right now. Is this one of their homes?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Yes.

 

MITCH: Good thing we brought our headset. So what do we end up drinking?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Beer usually. It’s cheap.

 

MITCH: Beer. Do we or do we not like beer?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Not really, but it’s there.

 

    Mitch sips from his cup. He looks at it, thinking.

 

MITCH: What if we drank something stronger?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Stronger?

 

MITCH: Right. Something stronger. Get us drunker faster.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Does it taste good?

 

MITCH: No, but you don’t have to drink as much. That’s a plus, right?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We wish we could just drink at home. But mom - 

 

MITCH: Would kill us, yes?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Yeah.

 

MITCH: How would we feel about a place of our own?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Our own place?

 

MITCH: Yes.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: What place?

 

MITCH: On our budget? Probably an apartment. Sounds better than mom’s, right? (Pause. Silhouette 3 groans again.) Hello?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: (Out of trance.) It feels like my brain’s trying to burst from my head.

 

MITCH: Our brain. Our head. Let’s hold out for just a few more minutes, we’re getting good stuff, okay?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Screw you, man. Let me sleep.

 

MITCH: Screw us, let us sleep. Let’s think about the apartment some more, huh? No moms allowed.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: (Back in trance.) No mom? Just us?

 

MITCH: Just us. Sound good?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Our own house.

 

MITCH: Let’s stay realistic. Our own apartment. Probably a studio. Doesn’t that sound good?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: We’re saving up for college. We took a year off.

 

MITCH: We’re going to be stocking a long time if we’re trying to save up for college. Let’s stay focused on that apartment. How does that sound?

 

SILHOUETTE 3: Apartment. Ours. Good.

 

MITCH: Alright, let’s get us back to sleep. One more question and then - (The backlights behind the panel turn red. Mitch covers the mic.) Ah, shit.

 

    Silhouette 3 groans louder.

 

SILHOUETTE 3: I don’t feel so good.

 

MITCH: We don’t feel so - ah, screw it!

 

LUCAS: What’s happening?

 

Mitch rips off the sheet of paper from the ream and places it in his “Out” box.

 

MITCH: Hit the button.

 

LUCAS: But -

 

MITCH: Just do it!

 

Lucas hits his button. The backlights behind the panel turn off, the silhouette disappears, the panel becomes opaque, and the mechanical hum slows to a stop. Overhead lights rise. Mitch sighs, frustrated.

 

LUCAS: What was that all about?

 

MITCH: Poor little prick was probably about to throw up.

 

LUCAS: I’ve never seen red lights like that before.

 

MITCH: Jesus, haven’t you been reading the manual? It means something was up with his body that needed to trigger the device to end sleep. You have to do manual override when they’re in docking, though. (He lifts the sheet from his “Out” box to gesture with it.) I was getting good stuff, too!

 

Mitch returns the paper to the “Out” box.