Project M

Test results of Memantine

Scene 1 

Lights go up in a brightly lit, sterile looking room. The set looks clean and modern, like a hospital facility. A fan can be heard as well as a clock ticking by to indicate time passing. The SUBJECTS are seen asleep on cots.

DAVID. (Mumbles) 

Long Pause

DAVID. (Sits up, Starts to realise where he is) What the?! (Tries to move away from the bed but restraint holds him back) Hey!! (No Response) HELLO?!?! (Sees other people beside him on the ground, shakes MARY) Hello?? Are you awake? Miss?

MARY. (Slowly wakes up) …..Huh? What? 

DAVID. Miss, do you know where we are or why we’re tied up?

MARY. What? (Notices she’s tied up) What?! Who are you?

DAVID. Miss, I just woke up here myself. I’m David (shakes her hand) Wake the person next to you and I’ll do the same.

(MARY wakes JESSIE and DAVID attempts to wake EDDY)

MARY. Hey, hey wake up. Don’t freak out, we're all confused.

JESSIE. Who are you?

MARY. My name is Mary and this is David. (Points to David who is shaking Eddy)

DAVID. He’s not waking up! What should we do?

SAM. (over the intercom) Subject 1 is experiencing a prolonged medically-induced coma. Do not be alarmed. Your first task is to remove your restraints. Do not attempt to help Subject 1.

(JESSIE starts to try and untie herself. DAVID turns to help MARY)

MARY. Wait, are you allowed to help me? What happens if we break a rule? We don’t even know how we got here-

DAVID. (interjecting) All these questions can be answered with our hands tied or untied and I prefer untied. (DAVID holds out his hands for MARY’S help)

(DAVID and MARY are now untied, JESSIE is still struggling)

MARY. (to JESSIE) Need some help?

JESSIE. (slightly annoyed) Fine.

SAM. (over intercom) Congratulations, subjects. You have passed your first test. This was a simple test to observe your fine motor-skills after inoculation.

DAVID. (Gesturing towards EDDY) I wouldn’t exactly say HIS motor-skills are fine. Wait, what am I doing? (Goes to walk out the door, puts his hand on handle, it shocks him) OW

SAM. (over intercom) I implore Subject 2 to contain himself! In order to persuade you to complete testing we have installed a harmless shock to the door handle but please know we would never put our subjects in any real danger. This also goes for Subject 1, his prolonged comatose state is of no concern, and should it be, the test will be postponed and Subject 1 would receive proper medical treatment.

DAVID. Hey since you know everything, answer this, where are we and why are we here?

JESSIE. Yeah, where are we?

SAM. (over intercom) In order to preserve the authenticity of this test, we may not disclose your whereabouts but please be reassured in the fact that this test is completely legal.

MARY. How reassuring.

DAVID. You didn’t answer why we’re here. 

No Response