ACT [N]
SCENE [N]
AN ALIEN CHAMBER
(Pilot is seated, motionless for a moment.)
PILOT
Not dead. But… What? I don’t remember…
PILOT
So they got me after all. Wonder how long I’ve… Place looks a little… Organic.
PILOT
Hey, I’m awake now. You must be listening. So yeah, I’m a human, and I’m not supposed to be here. I’m Away Without Leave, ‘cuz they don’t like using Killed In Action in the news.
PILOT
(Pauses for a moment.)
Blue. What do you call that color?
PILOT
I wouldn’t say I’m a very good representative of the species, and probably the wrong person to make first contact–– but I have a few questions for you as well.
PILOT
Chickened out? Um, not taking action because of fear.
PILOT
No, I had no plan. I’ve just been thinking that we’re going in the wrong direction with all this. We could have done better things with the Green Stuff. But I did want to ask you to consider maybe not destroying us all.
PILOT
I can’t pronounce that! Wait––
(Stands up.)
PILOT
I’m not hearing you with my ears.
PILOT
No, I’m not authorized. But maybe I have a slight chance of changing your mind.
PILOT
That? We like it, don’t you? Even if it makes us stupid sometimes.
PILOT
So–– that Green Stuff, you see, I’ve been telling people that you meant for this to happen. Not the war, so much, but the––.
PILOT
That was a place I visited a long time ago, up in the mountains. Just sitting there, watching the water go rushing by.
PILOT
I think you’re a lot like us. That’s why you came here. You hoped we’d be more like you than we are. But we’re petty. And stubborn in defending our ignorance.
PILOT
Yeah, I’m worried about my kids. Everyone’s kids.
PILOT
When I first heard about it, I thought it would be a good thing. A different form of energy, something that could take us to the stars as well. But that’s not what happened. All we heard about was The Enemy. The Invasion. Drive the Slimeys back out of the Solar System.
PILOT
Wait, can I do that?
(Tries to project thought, and fails.)
Nope.
PILOT
You’ve let this go on, even though you could finish us whenever you wanted. What are you waiting for?
PILOT
I was scared. I thought I wanted to die, but I’ve never been able to go through with it. Thought you might do that for me.
PILOT
Is it something about intelligence? The nature of thought?
PILOT
Her? I should have–– but I just went on to mess up a bunch of lives instead.
PILOT
Do you get lonely? What does sadness mean to you? How do you grieve?
PILOT
There was a moment when we could have said we were wrong. That we were sorry, and wanted peace. I guess there weren’t enough of us.
PILOT
So you have been listening for a while. There’s lots of different kinds to choose from.
PILOT
We failed the test. But a lot of people deserve better. Your people deserve better than to have some crazy neighbors with lots of guns.
PILOT
I do the right thing, but often in the wrong way. Like now. I’ve been wondering, maybe, if one person wished to repent, could they reach you?
PILOT
Were you waiting to see if someone might try?
PILOT
Something is always hurting now!
PILOT
If I were the last one to die? That would be okay.
PILOT
If you send me back?
PILOT
(Nods slowly)
They might kill the messenger.
PILOT
But I said that’s what I wanted?
PILOT
Oh. Right. If we do this, will it end?