SIREN
(Groggily, still looking around.)
Where am I?
(Pause.)
Ember? Can you hear me?
(She listens for a moment.)
(There
is no response.)
SIREN
So he can put me here, but he can't reach me? Is that it?
(She cocks her head, as if listening to herself.)
And I don't seem to have any inner monologue here either. Great!
(Pause.)
So what am I looking for?
(She cups her hands around her mouth.)
Ellis! Ellis, are you here?
(Her
voice seems to echo.)
SIREN
Fantastic! Do I just have to wait
here, then?
(Tapping her feet.)
You know, Ellis, your mind could do with a little light reading material!
(A
mechanism starts up somewhere beneath the stage, a trapdoor opens and ELLIS
rises up through the clouds.)
SIREN
Ellis! There you are!
(ELLIS
stares off into space, apparently unable to hear SIREN's voice.)
SIREN
(Worried.)
Ellis? Are you listening to me?
(Now frustrated.)
Can you even hear me at all?
(She throws her hands up into the air in exasperation.)
This is hopeless. I thought that,
in your mind at least, I might be able to have a decent conversation with you!
(Footsteps
from offstage left. SIREN turns to face
their source and then looks startled as ELLIS(A) approaches through the clouds.)
ELLIS(A)
(Haughtily.)
He can't hear you because he's not really there.
SIREN
(Confused)
Then where is he?
ELLIS(A)
He's been split.
SIREN
Split?
ELLIS(A)
Yes, as a defence. That dummy there
is one part, but it's just a shell. I'm
another and there are more. He's like a
Matryoshka doll, only all the dolls inside have fled.
SIREN
I don't know what... one of those dolls is, but I think I get the
idea. His... er... your personality has fragmented, right?
ELLIS(A)
That's it!
SIREN
(Hopeful.)
Then how do we put it back together?
ELLIS(A)
Oh, no. You can't do that.
SIREN
Why not?
ELLIS(A)
Because we like it this way. It's
much easier and there are far, far fewer contradictions to deal with.
SIREN
(Getting angry.)
But he's walking around like a zombie up there! He can't stay like that!
ELLIS(A)
Why not? It's what we want.
SIREN
Because it's dangerous out there and he can't defend himself. Because he's missing out on so much. Because I
miss him.
ELLIS(A)
But you're here now.
SIREN
I can't stay here forever and neither can you.
ELLIS(A)
(Laughing cruelly)
Try and stop us!
(ELLIS(A)
runs off stage left.)
SIREN
(Lets out a growl of frustration, then turns back to ELLIS, centre stage.)
Why do you have to make things so complicated?
ELLIS(B) offstage.
(Melancholy.)
Because that's how life is.
(SIREN
turns to face stage right, where ELLIS(B) approaches slowly, head down.)
SIREN
Another one?
ELLIS(B)
'Fraid so. There are lots of us here.
SIREN
But why? Why so many?
ELLIS(B)
Because we don't know who we are.
SIREN
You're Ellis, Ellis Graves!
ELLIS(B)
But who is Ellis Graves, really?
Isn't he just a construct, a cleverly put together piece of hypostatick
energy designed to think he's a person?
There's nothing real about Ellis Graves, at all.
SIREN
What about his life in Larksborough?
ELLIS(B)
I've worked that out, too. It was
all just a smoke screen. He adapted to
that world, absorbed all he could about it so as to better achieve Doctor
Barkham's goals. All that he was on
Earth was a lie. Even his family weren't
really his. He adopted them, made them
think he was part of them, and now he's left them they'll get on with their
lives again, with only a hint of the hollow emptiness of whatever was there.
SIREN
Then what about your time with us here in Shadow?
ELLIS(B)
That must be a lie as well. A construct
is designed to adapt, so that's what Ellis did.
SIREN
But you believed you were real, doesn't that lend credence to whatever you
felt and did?
ELLIS(B)
False logic. I did what I was
designed to do, no more.
SIREN
(Stepping closer)
And what about our kiss on the landing that night?
ELLIS(B)
An anomaly. It sped up the decline
of his hypostatick energy reserves.
SIREN
(Hurt.)
And that's all there was to it?
ELLIS(B)
That's all there ever could be.
Ellis Graves is not real.
(ELLIS(B)
begins to flicker. SIREN rushes towards
him, but by the time she reaches the point where he was, he has vanished.)
SIREN
(Sounding lost)
I just wanted to...
ELLIS(C)
(offstage, speaking softly)
Oh, Siren. Look what he's done to
you.
SIREN
(Looking around again, trying to find the source of the voice.)
Ellis?
ELLIS(C)
You were so brave, so courageous, so much the pirate.
(He begins to flicker in beside SIREN.)
I can't bear to see you like this.
SIREN
(Turning.)
Like what?
ELLIS(C)
Lovesick.
SIREN
(Angry.)
Oh? Is that what I am?
ELLIS(C)
(Still speaking gently.)
I don't mean to be harsh. If Ellis
were real, then it would be admirable. We would support it all the way. But he's not and yet here you are, trying,
hopelessly, to save him. It's a tragedy.
SIREN
Only if you let it be.
ELLIS(C)
(Putting a hand on SIREN's shoulder.)
No. It's you who has to let
go. We want you to be happy, to be
free. You're better off without him.
(SIREN
lets ELLIS(C)'s hand rest there for a moment, then brushes it off violently.)
SIREN
No. Ellis you have to wake up out of this. I don't care if you're a construct or
not. I don't care why Rosetta brought
you into being and I don't care that all I thought I knew about you before you
came to Shadow was a lie. I've got to
know you, Ellis, the real you and you
are no less real than anyone else.
You're a person, a gentle person of subtle bravery.
Sure you could be more confident, you could lead more - I've seen it in
you - but that's just a side effect of your own uncertainty. Here you have a chance to work out who you
really are. Put the pieces back together
and get on with your life!
(Takes a deep breath, then, more softly.)
If not for your sake, then for us, for your friends... for me.
(ELLIS(A)
approaches from stage left and ELLIS(B) flickers in towards stage right)
ELLIS(A)
(Arrogantly.)
You don't understand, do you, Siren?
It's not that simple!
ELLIS(B)
(Dejected.)
There is no hope.
ELLIS(C)
(Gently.)
Be free of us, Siren.
SIREN
(Really angry now.)
No. You aren't listening! I've
been gentle with you so far, but this has gone far enough. Yes, I know that life has turned out
differently than you thought it should - you learnt some things you'd rather
not deal with in real life and so you've retreated here to be comforted by all
the fragments of your being who can tell you exactly what you want to hear-
that you're worthless, that everyone else would be better off without you, that
everything is a lie, but that's simply not true.
This-
(She waves her arms around, scattering clouds and revealing glimpses of
the dishevelled theatre.)
This is the lie. There's a real world out there with real
people who are hurting because you aren't being man enough to face the
truth. Who cares if you were made by
Doctor Barkham? Who cares! You have friends who care about you and who
give a damn that you don't seem to care enough about them to face this crisis
by their side.
(She sighs.)
I'm tired of this Ellis. I'm tired
of you not knowing who you are, not having the confidence to just come out and
say what you're thinking and feeling.
I'm tired of you hiding away behind one excuse or another. You're real, you're here in Shadow and you're
no less lost and confused than any of the rest of us. Wake up, Ellis and help us, gods damn you!
(The
ELLISes (A), (B) and (C) blink, then flicker away and SIREN is left alone on
the stage with the original ELLIS, who still stands frozen centre stage. The clouds begin to dissipate and ELLIS
begins to move, first blinking, then looking down at his arms and legs, moving
them cautiously. He sees SIREN and is
surprised, turning towards her.)
ELLIS
Siren? What are you-? Where am I?
SIREN
(Cautiously relieved.)
Ellis? Oh thank the gods, is that
really you, Ellis? You're not just
another fragment, are you?
ELLIS
(Confused.)
What do you mean?
SIREN
It's a long story, but first... I think you need to wake up.
ELLIS
Wake up? But I'm not...
(He yawns.)
Actually, I am rather sleepy.
SIREN
(Also yawning.)
You're telling me. Ember? If you can hear me now would be a good time
to pull us out of this!
ELLIS
Ember? Who's...?
(He collapses onto the stage.)
(SIREN
stares at ELLIS a moment, takes a tired, unsteady step towards him, then
collapses beside him, her arm falling over his unconscious form.)
(Blackout.)
Fantastic
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