'The only person standing in your way is you.' - Black Swan
'You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world. In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light.' - Seth Adam Smith
It was an old building about a mile from
the main campus, right in the heart of the Vancouver forest. Dan was getting ready for drama class, walking Katie, a fellow student, to the door. Everyone liked her; she had exceptional talent as an actor, having already appeared in two popular Netflix shows and on track to stardom. However, Dan confided in her that he didn't understand why no one thought his acting was good.
As they opened the door, they were greeted by Mr. Johnson, their Drama teacher, who sported his usual glasses. "Hey, Mr. Johnson," said Katie. "Hey, Dan, Katie, class is starting. I just need to grab the script for today's read, and I'll be right there." "Anything you say, Mr. J," Katie replied.
The two made their way through the halls until they reached the door which read, "If you feel like your acting it's because you are - Advanced Drama. Method acting can be dangerous." At that moment, Katie's friend appeared. "Oh, hey guys, what are you doing, kissing on the first date?" They all shared a laugh, but Dan's intense stare hinted that he didn't find it funny. "You see Mr. J, Katie?" "Ugh, yeah, he said he was getting today's script."
"What's that, Monster J?" Samantha nudged Katie. "Hi, Dan," Samantha said brightly. "Hey, Samantha." They then entered the drama room, which was equipped with backstage lights and metal bleachers for seating. An old upright piano sat in the back corner, mostly serving as a decoration. In front of the others, a spacious dance floor with old burnt sienna hardwood flooring awaited.
Mr. J entered the room, announcing, "Okay, listen up. I know many of you are advanced and serious about being great actors. But not everyone is going to make it in this business; in fact, very few do. So, I know some of you are just here to finish school, graduate with an acting degree, and move on with your lives. That's fine! That's what we're here to do because, as one student once said, acting is a big business, and we all work together in this business to make it work.
"You all did well at the last table read, and I'm very proud of you, but this one may be tricky. Here, Samantha, help me pass these out." As Samantha distributed the scripts, Mr. J continued, "I don't know where this script came from or who wrote it; it was simply handed to me as the new project.
Luke, a student in the class, laughed as he read the title of the script - "Dan II." "You've got to be joking," he exclaimed. Mr. J replied, "This is a script that will require all of you to deliver your best acting yet because, are you ready?" "Ready for what?" Jill snickered, who was sitting by the piano, chewing gum, asked.
Mr. J then unveiled a man hidden in darkness under a black cover in the room. "Meet Dan II," he said as he turned it on. Everyone was awestruck as the AI actor introduced itself and acted like a real person. "I'm Dan, and who are you?" it said.
Katie felt an instant attraction to the robot, prompting her to take Dan back to her apartment and engage in a passionate encounter with him. The following week it became increasingly challenging to distinguish between the two Dans, since both had straight blonde hair.
One night, after acting class had ended, Katie, along with her friends Jake and Tina, decided to "borrow" Dan II for the night. However, Dan II was the human Dan, devoid of any emotions. It was as if he was suffering from Alexithymia, disconnected from the world. He now existed without a personality, his essence stale, cold, and dank.
He had transformed into a robotic being, a living, breathing machine in human guise, possessing all the organs of a man - heart, liver, adipose tissue, blood, and veins. However, as long as Dan II lurked in the shadows, Dan would remain its counterpart.
