g.u.t.: the grand unified theory a one-act play with seven blackouts

8/14/2019 G.U.T.: The Grand Unified Theory A one-act play with seven blackouts

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G.U.T.:The Grand Unified Theory

A one-act play with seven blackouts

byS.A. Scoggin

2009

[email protected]


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CHARACTERS

THOMAS GIBBS, associate professor of physics, is a fit man, mid-thirties, with short unbehaved hair. He talks with his hands

while speaking as though continuously giving a logical proof.

ELLEN MARIST, assistant professor of physics, is younger thanThomas. She dresses for comfort: no jewelry, no makeup, hairtied back. We do not need any of those enhancements to know thatshe is attractive.

SEBRENTHA OF SYROS is a dark beauty, painted to reinforce that,gowned and jeweled to celebrate it.

The JANITOR is a thin black man of indeterminate age who singshymns as he works. He has a strong island accent.

The CHIEF is at the apex of authority. White haired and wise, hespeaks and moves as someone who will be heard.

Nurses and doctors are interchangeably white, young, energetic,competent.

GOD appears. HE needs no introduction.


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SCENE

A large, spare hospital room. Stage-right is dominated by ahospital bed around which are racks of electronic monitoringdevices which beep and whir and hiss throughout. Above the headof the bed is suspended a flat rectangular panel, slanted down,about two feet above where the patients head will lie. Standingjust beyond the foot of the bed is a large video monitor angledso both the audience and the occupant of the bed can see it.Center is a door which opens to a hallway. Stage-left there is ahigh window, pretty big, which shows the sky and the tops oftrees.


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ONE

The lights come up.

In the window is brilliant blue sky. The sun isshining, though it cannot be seen.

Text appears on the monitor, deliberately, one letter at a time.

MONITORthe quick brown foss

The text disappears.

MONITORTHE QUICK BROWN FOSS

The text disappears

MONITORfoxfoxfoxfos

The text disappears.MONITOR

fuchjkl

The Janitor bumps open the door with his cart, a lopwheeledwooden vehicle piled high with columns of toilet paper, blocksof tissues, and various spray bottles. Overstuffed plastic bagshang heavy from the sides like ballast. He empties the trash

can, then takes out a rag and begins to wipe the video screen.

MONITORclose the dorr

The Janitor does not see the words as he polishes them.

MONITORclose door

The Janitor sings softly.


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MONITORHEY YOU!!

JANITOR

(to the screen)Me?

MONITORyuo close the door

JANITOR(closer to the screen)

Who dat?

MONITORbed

The Janitor turns to the bed.

JANITORIs that you making the words?

MONITORyes

JANITOROh. Cant make the talking no more?

MONITORno

JANITORThats bad. I wouldn't like to be without my

talking parts, no man.

MONITORdoor?

JANITOR

The wife wouldnt like that neither. I thinkshe dont never want to be right without agood argument about just how right she is.

MONITORhey


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JANITORThe neighbors would like that, though. I

would get to listen to all their troubles,then, you bet.

MONITORHEY!!!!!!!

The Janitor looks at the screen again.

MONITORclose the door

JANITORNo problem, mon.

He pulls his cart into the room and lets the door swing shut.

JANITORI dont blame you at all. Lots of people inthis world want to know all about everybodyelses business. Thats not for me, no sir.I dont bother nobody when I put things inthey place. Anything I can do for you, man?

MONITORno thank yu

The Janitor nods and picks up the hymn where he had left off. Hetakes a spray can and begins to clean the window.

The door cracks open. Ellen peeks in, looking around the roomwithout seeming to notice the Janitor, then she comes in. She

carries a briefcase to the bed and sits in the chair. As shelooks down sadly at the patient, her hands go to her mouth, thenslowly to her ears, then absentmindedly to her hair, which shepulls hard through her fingers.

MONITOR

ellen

Ellen jumps.

ELLENSorry, I thought you were asleep.


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MONITORnever sleep agin wast of tim

ELLEN

I have the latest cross-section data.

MONITORtop quark?

ELLENNot yet. I called Grimm at CERN, but he wasunderground all day.

MONITOReed quark numbers higs boson

ELLEN

Higgs boson? What does Higgs boson have todo with quark cross-sections?

MONITORn dimensional

There is a commotion outside the door, like many eager feetslapping tile.

MONITORshit

A phalanx of white-coated doctors burst in. They gather as abody around the bed and then part in reverence for the Chief ofNeurology. He strides to the front and nods at one of the crowd.

CHIEF

Doctor?

DOCTORYes, sir. The patient is a Thomas Gibbs, agethirty-nine. White Caucasian male. Professorof Physics at the University. Admitted to

the ER two weeks ago with head traumaresulting from a traffic accident. Patient

was riding a bicycle which was struck by agarbage truck. He was wearing a helmet.Presented with double vision and a slightheadache. Ringing in the ears. CAT scan wasnegative. MRI showed some edema. Patient was


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prescribed anonsteroidal antiinfammatoriesand was discharged after twenty-four hours.

He was readmitted two days later complaining

of weakness in the extremities and loss ofcoordination. Steadily diminished control ofvoluntary responses. CAT scan and MRI arenormal. Edema was resolved. Blood work allnormal. No diagnoses is offered yet. Patientnow communicates with a visual responsekeyboard.

CHIEFThank you. Ill see anyone with specialcases in my office.

The doctors break ranks and file meekly out the door. The Chiefpicks a clipboard hanging over the bed and makes a note on it.

ELLENDoctor?

CHIEFGood day, Miss....

ELLENDr. Marist.

CHIEFForgive me. How can I help you?

ELLENI need-

She stops, then walks slowly as far away from the bed as shecan. The Chief follows.

ELLENI need some hope, here, Doctor. Have you

seen any improvement?

CHIEFJust the opposite, Im afraid. With everypassing hour he has less control over hisvoluntary muscles. The plain fact is,theres no reason for it. He should be


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getting better. He had some bleeding afterthe accident, but nothing major. Wevescanned his brain with radiowaves, with X-rays,and positron-emitting radioactive

glucose. Weve checked for viruses,bacteria, and toxins. Frankly, hes got usscraping at the bottom of the diagnosticbarrel.

ELLENHe can barely move his eyes today.

CHIEFI see that. You want me to try acupuncture?

Aroma therapy? Cupping? Ill do anything atthis point. Ill bite the head off a chicken

and smear the blood on my naked butt if hedjust get the hell up out of that bed.

ELLENYouve got to do something. Hes right inthe middle of something very important.

CHIEFDoctor Marist, I have a five year old up incritical care with a subdermal haematoma thesize of your fist. From a fist, as a matterof fact. Is that not important?

ELLENYes, of course. I didnt mean-

CHIEF

Never mind. What was he in the middle of?

ELLENHave you heard of the Grand Unified Theory?

CHIEF

Sure. The Theory of Everything.

ELLENThats close. We call it the GUT. The GUT isthe theory well, it is the hypotheticaltheory - that reunites three of thefundamental forces of Nature.


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Electromagnetism, the weak force and thestrong force.

CHIEF

Theyre not united already?

ELLENThey interact, sure, and we have models thatexplain each one by itself pretty well. Butthey should be able to be fit into one biglong equation. In the Big Bang, there wasinitially just one tiny point of pureenergy, and all the forces were crammedtogether, indistinguishable. As it expanded,

matter formed. All the forces layered out.Like salad dressing. You shake it and its

homogeneous. Let it sit and you see the oiland the water.

CHIEFAnd the Grand Unified Theory does what aboutthat?

ELLENIt doesnt do anything. It would just be anequation, maybe a really simple equation.Like e equaling mc squared. That little

mathematical relationship lets us predicthow much energy is contained in matter. Itguided the physicists who produced fission.But the Grand Unifying Theory is only three-quarters of the whole. There is a Theory ofEverything, the last truth, the link between

all forces everywhere, including gravity.Think what we could do if we had gravity,for example, under control the same way wehave uranium rods in nuclear plants.

CHIEF

I dont know about this stuff. I only dobrain surgery.

ELLENThomas - Dr. Gibbs - called me just beforethe accident. He said that hed had abrainstorm. He had seen a way to build a


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workable framework. And not just the GUT,but the Theory of Everything. He wasdreaming, a dream involving some regressivedimensional topology, and the answer shaped

itself in the walls of his dream. He wasyelling at me on the phone. Something aboutorigami tigers and flaming circus hoops. Hehopped on his bike and rode off to hisoffice, but he never...

CHIEFDr. Marist, you seem to be the nearest thingto family he has, so Im going to be blunt.We dont know the mechanism of this type ofdegeneration. We dont have an equation forit. Hell, we dont even have a clue. And it

appears to be accelerating. So whatever youneed to do together, make it soon.

ELLENYou have no hope to give me, then?

CHIEFDoes he have faith? Prayer may be all wehave left.

ELLENThomas? He doesnt believe in the existenceof a God.

CHIEF(Glancing at his watch.)

Damn me. Im very late. Youll have to

excuse me, Doctor Marist. Dont you worry.Things are going to change - I can feel it.

He hurries out. Ellen approaches the bed.

ELLEN

Did you catch any of that?

MONITORall

ELLENWant to stop?


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MONITORno

ELLENWant to tell me?

MONITORbefoer I fade away?

ELLENI didnt mean it like that.

MONITORi do

ELLENYou mean it?

MONITORask

ELLENOkay. Okay. Uh...why is the muon crosssection so damn important?

MONITORn space

ELLENOh Jesus oh shit. The cross section goesinto more than the two dimensions? Is ittime variant? Three dimensions? But you said

there are thirteen dimensional choices. Ohyes.

MONITORthats adfg asffffff sleep ok

ELLENYes. Of course. Get some sleep. I have to goreread Bartles paper in J Phys. Bubbletheory in multidimensional universe

models...

She leaves, deep in thought.


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MONITORmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,

Ellen comes back in and picks up her briefcase. She notices themonitor.

ELLENThomas?

She touches his arm.

ELLENThomas?

She shakes him, gently at first, then roughly.

ELLENThomas! Dont go! Not yet!

Ellen runs from the room. After a moment, the nurse walksbriskly in and begins to check the patients vitals. Two doctorsrush in. One shines a light into Thomas eyes; the other taps atthe monitors. Ellen returns. She shrinks away from the activityat the bed, into the far corner where the Janitor, unnoticed, iscleaning away. The Chief comes in and looks down at the patient.

CHIEFLadies and gentlemen, it appears that wehave lost voluntary response. ProfessorGibbs can no longer make his desires knownto us. Doctor? Path forward?

DOCTORContinue intravenous feeding. Monitorvitals. Chart respiration for possibleprophylactic respirator therapy.

CHIEF

Good. What else?

The doctors ponder in silence.

CHIEFBedside manner?


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The doctors are stumped.

CHIEFProfessor Gibbs is incommunicado, but do not

let that deceive you. He may very likelystill be able to hear what is going on inthe room. Let us not indulge in that morbidpatter I hear from you in the OR. You willaccord him every respect.

The Chief leads them out. Ellen lingers after, gripping the railof the bed with all her might, then she runs from the room. TheJanitor pauses in his sweeping to move over to the monitor andunplug it.

Blackout.

TWO

The lights come up. The bed is in partial shadow.

Out the window, it is still a beautiful day.

Just to the left of center stage is a tall metal cage made ofthin bars which run vertically. The structure is rounded at thetop like an old fashioned birdcage. Inside stands Thomas Gibbs,his back to the audience. He is wearing a flimsy hospital gown

which shows flashes of his butt as it parts. He spreads his armsand turns slowly around.

THOMASI can move! I can talk! Hey!

The Janitor looks up from mopping.

JANITOR

You feeling better now then?

THOMAS(He flexes his muscles.)

Great!(He slaps the inside of the cage.)

Whatever this thing is, it worked!


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JANITORPraise the Lord.

THOMASWhat is this - wheres the nurse? Nurse! Heypal, will you push the call button for me?

JANITORShe be on the way now.

The nurse comes in with an armful of linen. She goes directly tothe bed without looking around.

THOMASGet my doctor! Hey! Im cured! Its gone!

NURSE(To the bed, too chipper.)

Its that time again, honey. Fresh sheets inthe morning time.

She begins to change the linen. There is still a body in thebed.

NURSELets straighten out this mat. We dont wantany bedsores, dearie.

THOMASWhat the hell is this? You put somebody in

my room before I can even get dressed?

NURSEShall I tie up that gown a bit? I think so.One big old bow. There we go.

THOMASAnd where are my clothes? And wheres the

door on this thing? Let me out of here. Ihave work to do.

The nurse finishes and gathers up the laundry.

NURSESponge bath at four. Dont go away - the


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water is just fine today.

She heads for the door.

THOMASSponge bath my ass! Get me the fuck-

But she has gone.

THOMASGod damn her! What is her problem?

JANITORFeel like youre talking to yourselfsometimes.

THOMASYeah. Help me get out of this contraption,

will you? Looks like Ill have to checkmyself out of this place. I hope I had somemoney in my wallet. Have to catch the busback to the University. Do you see a door onthis thing? Some kind of handle maybe?

JANITORNo, man. I dont mess with nothing likethat.

THOMASOh, come on. Go get my doctor, then. Anddont bring back that crazy nurse.

JANITOR

But Im not done with my cleaning here.

THOMASI cant waste all day in this...whatever itis. Just pass that phone over here. See ifitll reach. Ill page the guy.

Ellen comes in. She has been crying but has steeled herself forher entrance. She goes to the bed.

ELLENThomas? The doctor said I could talk to you.That it would help if I kept talking.


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THOMASEllen! Thank God. Over here! Look, I can

move!

ELLENCan you still hear me? Please, Thomas, stillhear me. I will bring you the data. I wontleave you alone.

THOMASI can hear you fine. Ellen?

Drying her eyes, she opens a manila envelope.

ELLEN

Anyway, Peng and Xiang faxed you the numbersfrom their resonant ionization calculations.

THOMASWhats going on?

Ellen walks across the stage, past Thomas, past the Janitorwithout acknowledging them. She looks out the window.

ELLENWhat a glorious shade of blue. Thank God forRayleigh scattering.

She returns to the bed and makes a minute adjustment to thecovers.

ELLEN

Take care, Thomas. Ill be back tonight.

She leaves. Thomas legs seem to lose their resolve, and hesinks to the floor.

THOMAS

I feel like Im going to puke.

JANITORThis just the place for that.

THOMASWhy wont they talk to me? Is that some


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looney therapy?

JANITORIm no doctor, mon. Maybe you dreaming it

all?

THOMASThis is no dream. This too tactile. And theresolution is too good.

JANITORMaybe you crazy in the brain, then?

Thomas leaps to his feet.

THOMAS

That could be it. My brain swelled up. Ivenever been delusional before. This must be

what its like.

JANITORThen theres no problem.

THOMASIve got brain damage, and Im psychotic. Ofcourse theres a problem. What if Im dying?

(He bangs his head against thebars and flinches in pain.)

This is very real.

JANITORMaybe its all real, then. Seems pretty realto me.

THOMASAnd who is that in my bed? They have somemighty nerve to bring in somebody with mestill right here.

The Janitor moves slowly toward the bed.

THOMASYou tell him that this is my room. Myprivate room. He can have it when I leave.Which will be just as soon as I can getsomebody besides you to respond. And bring


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me my damn pants.

The Janitor is looking down at the body in the bed.

THOMASAnd call the nurse again. Maybe shessobered up by now.

The Janitor is speaking quietly to the body in the bed.

THOMASWho is it?

The Janitor reaches out to the bed, not touching anything.

JANITOR

You know who it is.

THOMASLet me see him!

The Janitor lifts the cover just so the face is visible. Thomassees that it is his face, and he slumps against the bars. TheJanitor comes over to the cage.

JANITORDont be getting down. Still no problem.

THOMASEllen couldnt see me because Im dead. Ima ghost. God damn it!

JANITOR

No, mon. You not a spook yet. I hear thelife still beeping in you.

They pause to listen to the soft electronic pulses from thebedside equipment.

THOMASWait a minute. You see me.

JANITORI see you loud and clear, boss. Better tiethat robe up tighter, everybody else beseeing you too.


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THOMASHow come you can see me? Who are you?

JANITORIm just the one who cleans up around thisplace. Like I told you. Keep things inorder.

THOMASYoure a ghost, too!

JANITORNow do I look like a ghost, mon? I the one

who bring things in when they need to comein. I polish anything that gets all grimy. I

sweep up anything that gets spilled.(He moves to the bed and examinesan instrument.)

And when its time for something to go out,I come around and take it out.

He reaches out to the bed. Thomas slams his hands against thebars.

THOMASGet away from him!

The Janitor steps back, startled.

THOMASI know who you are! Youre a demon. Youre

trying to kill me. Help! help! Somebody!

JANITORMon, you like some people never throwanything out. My wife, she got a box full ofold lipsticks all worn down to the nubs. But

will she let me take them out? No, sir.Cant get this color no more. Or this onereminds her of that special night. Or thisone has such a pretty case. Got a reason tokeep every one.


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THOMASStop it! You dont have a wife! Im notgoing anywhere with you!

JANITORSorry, mon. I dont make the schedule.

THOMASYeah? Come on in here and try to take me.You think because Im a physicist that Imsome nerd you can push around? Come in here,pal. Ill make your schedule for you.

JANITORDont be in an uproar, mon. Im not likethat. See that gum on the floor over there?

Most people see that old dry gum plasteredon the tile and they get out their tool andthey hack and they gouge off that gum. Maybethey break the tile. Then you got bigtrouble. But me, I have a secret. You wantto hear it?

(Pause.)The secret to getting up that old gum

without making a fuss about it is right herein this little packet.

(He takes something from hispocket.)

Mayonnaise from the cafeteria. I squeeze itout onto the gum when I start cleaning,cover it over with a rag wrung out in hot

water. By the time Im near the end, thatold gum is nice and soft. Come right up in

the rag.

THOMASYou keep away from me with that.

JANITOR

That not going to persuade you, is it? Say,you a smart man. How about you meet somebodyreal smart?

THOMASWhat do you mean?


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JANITORHowd you like to meet the smartest personin the whole world? Smartest person thereever was, I think.

THOMASMore ghosts?

JANITORMaybe.

THOMASWho? Whos the smartest? Einstein?

JANITORNo.

THOMASNewton?

JANITORNo.

THOMASFeynmann?

JANITORHa ha. That funny man? No, not him.

THOMASI give up. Freud? Plato? Da Vinci?

JANITOR

No way.

THOMASOkay, I give up. Whats the point? Im dead.Or if Im not, Im having a near-deathexperience. Shouldnt there be a tunnel of

darkness with light at the end? Arent Isupposed to see all my dead family calling

me into the light? Or is it stay away fromthe light? Let me see. Was it stay away fromthe light, Carol Anne, or go into the light,Carol Anne? Oh my God! I cant remember!


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JANITORI got no tunnel for you, mon. And no lightfor you to mess around with.

Blackout.

THREE

The lights come up.

Out the window is a bright sun shining onarid dunes. On the monitor, fronds like

palms are waving.

Thomas is dressed in a tunic bound about the waist by a wideleather belt. His feet are in sandals; thin straps wind up hiscalf.

Peering at him through the bars is Sebrentha, a beautiful black-haired woman of roughly his own age. She is draped in a longgown decorated with the device of an eye and inlaid with tiny

mirrors. Her hair is gathered into a bun held by golden combs.Around her neck is a chain which holds a metallic oval engravedwith a few simple symbols.

SEBRENTHAThis is the one?

JANITOR

Thats him. Look out for yourself. Hes in abad mood.

SEBRENTHAI shall be tender. Greetings, Thomas Gibbs.I am Sebrentha, Oracle of the Temple of

Asmara.

THOMASYeah. Whatever.

SEBRENTHAYou are in foul humor.


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THOMASLook, maam. I got hit by a fucking garbagetruck a couple of weeks ago and it fucked up

my brain, all right? Now I am hallucinatingthis evil bastard over here and Im trappedin this tweety bird cage and I got you in myface.

SEBRENTHA(To the Janitor.)

Foul humor.

JANITORI knew it.

THOMASStop that! What is she here for? You goingto gang up on me? And what the hell is thisdress?

JANITORYou the one been yelling at me, you know. Dothat. Dont do that. How am I supposed toget my work done like that?

SEBRENTHAUnacceptable.

JANITORYou tell him.

THOMAS

Oh yeah. I Dream Of Jeannie?

SEBRENTHAYou are a stubborn man.

THOMAS

Back into your bottle.

JANITOR(Picking up a rag, he walks to the

window and begins to clean it.)Call me when youre done.


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SEBRENTHAI did not come to provide you entertainment,Thomas Gibbs.

THOMASOkay. Ill be the straight man, then. Whydid you come?

SEBRENTHATo bring you with me.

THOMASAh ha! The ghost of Christmas past? This isthe airborne part of the dream, where yousprinkle me with pixie dust and we fly outthe window?

SEBRENTHAI am not that ghost. Nor am I a demon.

THOMASThis is my dream. Youll be what I want youto be.

SEBRENTHAI shall not. I am Sebrentha, Oracle of -

THOMASYou have a pedigree! Not necessary! Thecourt will stipulate as to your expertcredentials. Get on with it or Ill hold youin contempt! One more outburst like that andIll clear this courtroom.

SEBRENTHAIf you persist in making sport, my task willbe most difficult.

THOMAS

Heres a simple solution: Youresupernatural, make with the special effects.Morph your face into snake heads and rottedflesh. Scare the living shit out of me.

SEBRENTHAThe grander the demonstration, the more you


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would resist it. You would reason away anytrickery.

THOMAS

Youre not a very good Jeannie.

SEBRENTHAI am no sorceress. I am Sebrentha, Oracleof-

THOMASWhen you go to the store do you have to

write Oracle on your check?

SEBRENTHANonsense! I am Sebrentha, She who-

THOMASDo you even have a last name? Or is it aCher slash Madonna thing?

SEBRENTHABe still! I am Sebrentha, Bringer of-

JANITORShes the smartest person in the world, mon.Thats all you need to know about that.

THOMASI agree completely. The smartest person inthe world shouldnt even need a title afterher name.

SEBRENTHAAs you please.

THOMASWait. Youre not that woman in the Sundaypaper, are you?

SEBRENTHAOne of your Sundays? I think not. I havelain in my grave for five thousand years.

THOMASSo how can you be so smart? Five thousand


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years ago there werent any - anything. Nophones, no lights, no motorcars. Not asingle luxury. Dadadada, primitive as canbe.

SEBRENTHAWe had none of your toys, true. Yet my

mother could weave her own garments. Myfather could forge his own sword. I cannotimagine you to have these skills.

THOMASThat makes you smart? Hammering out knives?

JANITORTell him about the chops.

SEBRENTHAIt does not spark or spin. He would mock it.

THOMASChops?

JANITORHell listen to that. Then hell know you.

SEBRENTHAOne chance he shall have, then. Shall I tellyou a tale, Thomas Gibbs?

THOMASKnock yourself out. Im just waiting here inthis nightmare until the neighbors dog

wakes me up around six-thirty.

SEBRENTHAI am Sebrentha, daughter of Cuutenay, acitizen of Syros. At my marrying year I wasbetrothed to Cuthver, who kept the treasury

of King Uskudar. In that same year I wasunbound of Cuthver and pledged to thegoddess Asmara. Good Asmara, who seestomorrow.

THOMASUnbound? Left at the altar? Jilted?


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SEBRENTHACuthver died of plague in my marrying year.In our marrying year. As a promised virgin

in my year of service to Asmara, I wastherefore forever hers.

THOMASIm lost already. You get engaged; the guycroaks; you get - what? - sacrificed to somegoat god?

SEBRENTHAYou understand nothing. Betrothed virginsserved Asmara from one harvest to the next,then they might marry. Asmara saw in her

wisdom to take Cuthver during my time ofservice. Thus she must have wanted me tostay with her. I joined the others who livedin the temple.

THOMASLike a prehistoric nunnery.

SEBRENTHAAsmaras temple was the heart of thekingdom. All sought her wisdom. All came toask of tomorrow, to lie with Asmara, toreceive her vision.

THOMASLie with her? People had sex with a goddess?

SEBRENTHANot with Asmara herself. With her servants.

THOMASSo you were a hooker. A hooker in a church.

SEBRENTHASo much inanity has become history and yetthe memory of good Asmara has been lost. I

was only betrothed to Asmara and notprivileged to serve in her bed. Those were

women who had taken husbands. Each marriedwoman of the kingdom would become Asmara for


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five days each cycle of seasons. We who werebut betrothed to the goddess collected theofferings and kept the Temple.

THOMASI got news for you, lady. That was awhorehouse, not a temple.

SEBRENTHAThe men of Syros would take pity on you.

THOMASMe? Their wives are fucking strangers in thechurch basement.

SEBRENTHA

Becoming Asmara was the greatest honor.

THOMASAnd what if you didnt want to spread emfor your goddess?

SEBRENTHAThere were those who could not serve. These

were allowed to send another in their stead.There were no lack of volunteers. Many wouldstay more than their time.

THOMASWhy? Was the pay that good?

SEBRENTHADonning the mask of Asmara was not for

reward.

THOMASYoure freaking me out. They wore a freaking

mask while getting banged?

SEBRENTHAIt was thus: The supplicant would enter theTemple of Asmara and place his offering uponher altar. There he would abide and prayuntil the Oracle appeared to hear hisrequest. He would be hooded and led to

Asmaras chamber where he was bathed and


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anointed with scented oils by the betrothedof Asmara. Asmara would enter through theblue smoke of incense wearing her robe ofgold and ruby red. She would open her robe,

and he would join her inside. There he wouldhave a vision. After, he would describe hisvision to the Oracle, who would show himtomorrow.

THOMASOkay, thats a high class whorehouse.

SEBRENTHABy and by, I was chosen by Asmara to be herOracle. I kept the tally of offerings. From

moon to moon, their number must appear in

groups of five fives. No offering shall notappear in a group which is not five fives,for five is the holy number.

THOMASWhy five?

SEBRENTHAWhy not five?

(She produces a flat, rectangularclay tablet.)

Each offering is taken for the good ofAsmara. Food feeds her servants, beasts aretaken to her herds, gold and silver andjewels are hidden in her secret place. Each

worthy offering is marked by a chop upon atablet. Thus the fives are kept.

The kingdom of Syros prospered upon thewisdom of Asmara. Offerings came inabundance and filled the fields and thesecret place. The chops filled tablets,tablets littered the floor and pressed

against the doors so one could barely enter.Yet we dare not misplace a group of fivefives, for that would offend Asmara.

One evening as I prayed to Asmara, I held myhands out to the fire on her sacred altar.She spoke to me through my spread of


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fingers.

I cried for a fresh tablet as the servantsof Asmara and the betrothed of Asmara

gathered around. I said that Asmara hadshown me a new way to keep the tally.

On the monitor is a close-up of a glistening, soft tablet. Handsare wielding a short stick to make short lines upon it.

SEBRENTHAThe tablet would be divided thus. In thispart the chops are as before, one chop forone offering. In the next part, each chop isnow made for each group of five and five. Inthe next part, each chop is made for a group

measuring five and five on a side.

Upon such a tablet, three chops each in itsown home would mark a tally of one plus fiveand five plus a square of five and five-

THOMASA hundred and eleven.

SEBRENTHAYou take it for granted.

THOMASYou think you invented counting in base ten?

SEBRENTHAAsmara showed me in the vision.

THOMASOh, come on. History is full of advances

made in parallel by civilizations thatdidnt even know about each other. Okay, soit was a big deal in your little cathouse

slash church. Smartest person ever? Whatabout a guy named Einstein. Huh? Generalrelativity ring a bell? That was a leapforward. Newtons calculus? Keplers orbital

mechanics? Better than marking up a hunk ofwet clay?


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SEBRENTHAThe system of accounting the offerings to

Asmara was used to keep measure of the grainin our storehouses and the beasts in our far

pastures. We traded these as we needed andpassed the tablets on to merchants as recordof the deed. The method pleased them, andthey began to use it. The kingdom honored

Asmara as never before. The goddess in herwisdom then gave another gift to her people.

As the temple prospered and the kingdomgrew, it became harder to mark who hadserved Asmara and who was yet to serve. Thistime Asmara came to me unbidden, in a dream.Coiled about her arm was a great hissing

serpent. The goddess spoke to me, and shesaid: Sebrentha, this snake begins to speakyour name.

Then I awoke. Again I called the templeabout me and told them of my vision: That

Asmara had bid me choose a creature to speakeach sound in our tongue.

And she commanded, as the serpent speaks itshiss, then its picture shall be so marked to

mind us of the sound that begins my name.

The monitor shows a crude S marked in the clay.

SEBRENTHAAnd then the great oxen, which we call e-

moo.

A horned cow head is marked next to the S.

SEBRENTHAThen the scarlet delta ibis, which makes the

cry of Bra! Bra! to greet the rising sun.

A long-legged bird is rendered.

SEBRENTHAWe did these for all the sounds in ourtongue until our words, which before that


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time had been heard only, might be seen aswell. And scribed onto a tablet which couldbe sent away to summon a servant to Asmara.

We fashioned a medallion for each woman whohad served, as proof of her devotion toAsmara. It bore her beast name.

THOMASWait a minute. Your story has a continuityproblem. You have a necklace. I thought younever did time on your back.

SEBRENTHAThis is the beast name of Cuthver. My onelove, my last love.

King Uskudar, seeing how any citizens namemight be marked, called the servants ofAsmara to count his kingdom by their names.Merchants came to the Temple to be taughtthe beast naming so they could keepaccounts. Children learned it so they mighttease each other by marking upon walls withhalf-burnt sticks.

On the monitor is a rough fence on which is drawn in black aheart. Inside the heart there is are two strings of symbols, oneabove the other and separated by a plus sign.

THOMASAll right, all right, all right. You win.You were the brightest bulb in the fixture.

Or torch, or candle, or whatever you had.You invented base ten and the writtenlanguage and gunpowder and toilet paper.Fine. You can do whatever you want. But Imstill not letting that son of a bitch overthere anywhere near me.

SEBRENTHAIf indeed you grant me all that, then youshall listen to me and hear me. He is afriend.


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THOMASNot of mine. Dream or no dream, hes tryingto take my soul. Even if I dont believe inhim, its still my goddamn dream.

SEBRENTHASo your world is only as it seems to youreye? You talk of particles being waves, of acat in a box being dead and alive at thesame time. How can you have faith in those?You cannot see those things, yet you knowthem to be true?

THOMASThose are subatomic phenomena. This isnt.Those are able to be substantiated by

experiment. This is just my mind racing.

Sebrentha moves to the bed.

SEBRENTHAFact only moves you. I understand.

(She puts her hands on the body.)The palsy has reached that part which mutesraw sensations. This is what the body nowfeels.

Thomas screams in pain, doubles over, and collapses. Sebrentharemoves her hands and comes back to the cage.

SEBRENTHAHave you not yet recognized your prison?

Thomas struggles to his feet and reexamines his cage.

THOMASSomething about it-

A silver globe descends from above until it is inches away from

the top of the cage. There is a humming, then arcs of whitebrilliance begin to spark between them with loud reports.

THOMASIts a Faraday cage!


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SEBRENTHANot a prison?

THOMAS

Static electricity its all the samecharge. It tries to get as far away fromitself as possible. It coats the outside ofthe metal. There could be a million volts onthe outside, but you can touch the insideand not feel a thing. Thats why youre safein a car during a lightning storm. Just aslong as you dont touch the outside of thecage.

SEBRENTHAOnce you felt trapped, now the cage is your

haven. Might this gentle one not be theenemy you feared?

THOMASI dont know.

SEBRENTHAYou do know. It was proven to you when I letyou taste the torment of that flesh.

THOMASNo! This is fantasy!

SEBRENTHAHe wishes only to release you from thatpain. He can remove these bars.

THOMASI cant leave. You dont understand. I cantleave!

SEBRENTHADo not presume to know what I can

understand.(She hold up her tablet.)

I understand why the kingdom of Syrosflourished.

THOMASIm not talking about little stuff. Im


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working on the unification. The whole damnball game. Not addition or the abcs. Theunification of all explanations; each andevery thing in the whole universe explained,

lady. I cant go with you now. Im not done.

SEBRENTHAThe wealthy of Syros lived in larger homeseach year. The lowest laborer returned eachnight to a fine hearth, a happy wife, fat,healthy children. King Uskadar built two

wings onto the palace and had the Temple ofAsmara decorated with such riches that thenight sky envied it. The kingdom floweredlike a pomegranate tree in a warm wetspring.

THOMASWhat makes you think I care?

SEBRENTHAI saw tomorrow through Asmara, yet I did notsee that we were that tree, beautiful. Heavy

with fruit, and inviting to the hungry. Theend came so quickly that calls for Asmaras

wisdom went unanswered. From the south andfrom the east they came, a horde ofbarbarians raising dust trails which dimmedthe sun. They swept over the kingdom ofSyros as locusts over the grain. They slewthe merchants and the laborers and the wivesof each. They quartered good King Uskudarand hoisted the pieces upon poles at the

city gates. They melted down the goldenstatues into crude bars to be carried away.They cared nothing of counting or chops orbeast names or tomorrow.

When they came to the Temple of Asmara, they

entered without gifts. They raped Asmarasservants, and they seized the Oracle whoseprophecies had fame even in their barbarianland. She they feared more than any ofUskadars warriors.


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THOMASYou?

SEBRENTHA

They dragged me behind a chariot for a time.And when they stopped, they cut out mytongue. Because they feared my words. Theysliced off my breasts because they hated mysex. Then they burned me upon a pyre ofbrush. I do not know why they did that.Perhaps they were cold. It was thin brush,and dry, and the flames did not kill me.

On the monitor: Sebrentha bloody and blackened, writhing on theside of the road. The Janitor appears on the road leading adonkey and dressed in a ragged robe. He stops and kneels beside

her.

SEBRENTHAStrange. There was no pain. I thought that Icould reach the house of my father. Hisservants would bind my wounds and salve myburns. I did not know that my father lay inhis own blood, his house in ashes. Then thisone appeared. He did not speak. I could notspeak. I knew that he was come for me, thathe was merciful Asmara in the flesh there tocarry me in her chariot to the east, wherethe sun waits, where it is already tomorrow.

Yet I did not want to go. I was the Oracleof the Temple of Asmara. I was wise for her.I was beautiful for her. My life, lived for

the Goddess, pleased me each hour of eachday.

Somehow I lifted my head. I turned my eyesdown into the city and saw the inferno wherethe Temple of Asmara had once stood, in the

middle of the ruins where once the greatcity had surrounded it. Then this one held aglass so that I might see myself.

On the monitor: Sebrenthas face in a round mirror is burntbeyond recognition. Two white terrified eyes stare from a black

mask.


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JANITORSuch a waste.

SEBRENTHAI knew this one cared for me by his ownchoice, for I had no words to sway him, nolovely face to entice him. I was an ember,bleeding in the dust and ashes of Syros.

JANITORAnd she didnt give me any trouble then,just let me do my job.

THOMASBut Im so close. Just let me stay for a

little longer.

JANITORI told you. I dont make the schedule.

SEBRENTHAPerhaps you would rather return.

(She points to the bed.)

THOMASIf thats what it takes.

SEBRENTHAWhat whips you so? It cannot be love, nor

money. Not power. Fame and glory? Would yourtheory be so grand that your name might liveforever?

THOMASAre you joking? The guy who gets Theory ofIt All? Its the Triple Crown, the SuperBowl, the heavyweight championship of the

world.

SEBRENTHAAt least you have a simple motive.

THOMASIts not like that. Nobody ever became aphysicist to get famous. That stuff is just


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byproduct: the cover of Time and all thatcrap. A thousand nightly news Ken andBarbies asking the same question over andover, none of them having a clue. Ninety-

nine and nine tenths of the population knowsangular momentum from the skidmarks in theirshorts, but they still want to buy your bookto toss on the top of the pile on the coffeetable.

And what the fuck is wrong with that,anyway? You can hit two fifty in theNational League and make a million dollars,but be the best theoretical quantumphysicist in the world and have to tutoralgebra one to make the payments on a one

bedroom condo.

SEBRENTHAThen it is riches you desire.

THOMASNo! I just want to know. You take all therest, you and the custodian here. Take itall. Put me in a white room with blackcurtains, a chair and a table. I just wantto know the damn connection between gravityand electromagnetism and the nuclear forces.Is that so much to ask? Just to know? Idont see the problem with that.

SEBRENTHAI have no quarrel with you, Thomas Gibbs.

For those of us who wish nothing more,knowing is pure. It is invisible, yet it cangive you much strength and joy. The troublebegins only when your knowing is made

manifest.

THOMASYou think youre responsible for what thosebastards did to your town?

SEBRENTHASyros without chops, without beast names,

would have been as happy a place. Barbarians


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do not travel far to fill their sacks withhappiness.

THOMAS

Bullshit. People are always killing eachother over something. Reading, writing,arithmetic, gold, water, land, women.Sommetimes youre just in the wrong place atthe wrong time. Syros would have gone underfor one reason or another anyway.

SEBRENTHABut I was that one reason, and I cannotconsole myself with eventualities. I saw thereality of my home and friends butchered. Iknew that it was not the bloodthirsty hordes

to blame, but my greed. My vanity. I was afool; I wanted to create a new way. To knowthat I had knowledge inside myself and tocast it out among the people and watch themembrace it.

THOMASWell, believe me, the people are not goingto embrace the Grand Unifying Theory anytimesoon.

SEBRENTHAIt is so trivial? Is it of no use?

THOMASNo use? Once we know the connection betweeneverything, we can get down to figuring out

how to do anything. The Theory will be likeThe Joy of Cooking. Up to now, all we know

was that butter and flour and milk arediscrete entities.

SEBRENTHA

So there is no danger, just some baking.

THOMASNothings one hundred percent safe. What doyou mean by safe, anyway? The Theory is asymbolic representation of an abstract.Could it be used for evil? Sure. So can


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sticks, so do we chop down the trees? I gotgot a little scar right here from gettinghit in the forehead by a rock when I was infifth grade. Cant we go around and glue all

the rocks to the ground? You see tomorrow.You tell me. Tell me that the Theory itselfis evil and Ill give it up. Ill gopeacefully down that tunnel.

SEBRENTHAIn truth, I cannot.

THOMASThen get out of my face. I think youre theone who needs help.

SEBRENTHAI did not come here to help myself.

Ellen enters, several papers and a FEDEX envelope in her hand.

THOMASEllen!

SEBRENTHAAnd what of her?

THOMASLeave her out of it.

ELLENDelaney sent these by email...

SEBRENTHAIs she betrothed to another?

THOMASQuiet!

ELLENHeres some interesting data from CERN, the... detector....

SEBRENTHAIs she your Oracle?


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THOMASStop it. What was that last value?

ELLEN

Goldensteins team finally got powered up.He sent some raw numbers from the muon crosssection scattering experiment. They haventeven crunched them yet, but I knew youd

want to see the trends...

SEBRENTHAI came here to help you, Thomas Gibbs.

THOMAS(He listens only to the numbersread by Ellen.)

That value makes no sense...

SEBRENTHAI may grant you some favor.

THOMASOkay, okay. Squared is...

SEBRENTHA(She produces a thin clay tablet.)

Take this tablet to your breast.

THOMASDetector glitch there...

SEBRENTHAIt carries the beast name which allows one

indulgence.

THOMASFifth root...

SEBRENTHA

It will carry you back into your brokenbody.

THOMASTheres a pattern...


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SEBRENTHAIt will mend you.

THOMAS

Seven?

SEBRENTHAYou would know nothing of this Theory.

THOMASThats got to be dimensionless...

SEBRENTHAYou would be husband to this woman.

THOMAS

Thats the matrix divisor...

SEBRENTHAHappiness, Thomas Gibbs. Here is the tablet.

THOMASExchange values...

SEBRENTHAChoose carefully.

THOMASStack...

SEBRENTHAChoose well.

THOMASMuon mass is...

SEBRENTHATake the tablet!

THOMASIts linear!

SEBRENTHANo one has ever been given such a gift!


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THOMASIntegrate over n space...

SEBRENTHA

Theory cannot love you!

THOMASSlope is-

SEBRENTHAShe loves you!

THOMASIntercept is-

SEBRENTHA

Time to choose!

THOMASIve got it!

Sebrentha turns away, defeated. She drops the tablet; itshatters to bits.

SEBRENTHAI can do no more.

Black out.

FOUR

In the window is a pastel rendering of acity skylight at night, too stylized to be

mistaken for real. Music begins: a jumpingelectronic theme. A light shines on theJanitor - in black tie and tails and holding

a microphone. He delivers now in astentorian bass like a ringmaster, with notrace of accent.

JANITORLadies and gentlemen! Please welcome to yourreality the lovely and talented Sebrentha of


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Syros!

Sebrentha enters through the door, waving acknowledgment. She isin a skintight white gown; her hair hangs down her back.

JANITORAnd now: the one who makes it all happen;the reason we are here today; the designer;the builder; the owner/operator of all thosedimensions; the one you call many names and

we call Boss; the one, the only: SupremeBeing!

An APPLAUSE sign flashes above the stage. Colored lights run andflash. On the monitor are electronic fireworks.

God trots onstage. He is the Chief in a white suit: white shoes,white tie, white shirt. He waves to the audience, bows, blowssome kisses.

GODHello everyone. Glad you could make ittoday. Sebrentha, you look marvelous. Andannouncer guy, I see youre still

moonlighting at the piano bar.

JANITORJust something off the rack.

GODTell us about our winner.

A light illuminates Thomas, who is now wearing a brown suit.

JANITORWell, Your Omnipotence, his name is ThomasGibbs. He is a Professor of Physics, thirty-five years old and single. A Taurus, hishobbies include tennis, origami, and

unfortunately, bicycling.

GODHello, Thomas Gibbs. Congratulations.

THOMASWhat the hell is this? What kind of fucking


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left turn....

GODOh my. You dont believe it.

(To the others.)He does not believe it.

JANITORHe fell on his head.

GODAh.

God raises his hand and a brilliant shaft ofwhite light shines on Thomas. There is abrief chord which is part heavenly chorus,

part demonic shrieks, part childrenslaughter. The light snaps off; Thomasstaggers. The APPLAUSE sign flashes.

THOMASWhat? What did I do to you?

GODTo me? You misunderstand, Thomas. You won.This whole reality can be proud of itselffor producing you.

THOMASThis is some kind of a game to you?

GODQuestions, yes, ask away! All the unanswered

and unanswerable questions this space-timeline has accumulated. Is there free will?How many angels can dance on the head of apin? What happened to Amelia Earhart? Can Icreate a rock so heavy that I cant move it?Who shot Nixon?

JANITORKennedy.

GODRight. Who shot Kennedy. Answers to allthese. Just one of the many glorious prizes


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you have won for your reality.

THOMASWhat is this thing about my reality? There

are other realities?

GODYou couldnt have thought this was it? Onelinear time line? Not since the beginning.But by now, oh so many.

THOMAS(Mostly to himself.)Every time a particle chooses between twoquantum states, the universe, the time lineis split.

GODExactly! Strings, too, as you call them.

THOMASThen there are twenty-six dimensions.

GODYes, well, more or less. Here, anyway.

THOMASAnd every particle and every string sincethe beginning of the universe generated twoparallel realities every time it chosebetween two quantum states?

GOD

Didnt I just say that?

THOMASThats an unimaginable number of paralleluniverses.

GODDont I know it. What a logisticalnightmare.

THOMASSo much for the sparrow.


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GODOh, the alleged sparrow etcetera. Sure, Ikeep track of all, small birds included.Universes pretty much run on their own,

though. At least they do since I introducedmomentum. I dont actually reach in andadjust things much.

THOMASThen you havent been here all along.

GODYes and no. But now I am here: large in theflesh and occupying every dimension in thisreality, including the ones that are allrolled up. And all because of you. You made

the connection. You found the hiddenblueprint.

THOMASThe unifying theory? I sprang your trap witha wild hypothesis based on flimsy, unrefineddata and - this?

GODBingo.

THOMASWhat now?

GODYou go forth into the world and cry it tothe multitudes. The hypothesis will be

confirmed; the theory proven. It shall befact. It will be faith spread to everyoneeverywhere. Not your whims of belief, butirrefutable demonstrable faith the likes of

which your reality has not seen. All willknow that the prize has been won, and the

race has reached its end.

THOMASThe prize? The race? You son of a bitch, youknow the suffering thats been going onhere. Wars and starvation and sickness andyou could have put a stop to it anytime, but


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you waited like a kid watching an ant farm -

GODThats another question to add to the list.

Do I have a mother and/or father, i.e.,where did I come from?

THOMASWhat about my question?

GODOh, the pain thing. Pain is proof that youare aware.

THOMASOh! That is so lame! I expected a lot more

depth from God.

GODDont you think this floor here would liketo be able to feel pain? This chair? Ipromise you that the grandest mountain wouldgladly trade places with the most wretchedhuman you could ever find.

THOMASAnd now all pain ends? By this freak? By adream and a garbage truck? You should have a

more coherent plan, because I am not somekind of prophet. I dont see tomorrow likesome people. I dont sit alone in the dark

waiting for it to hit me. I got two dozenexperimental groups sharing data. There are

hundreds of highly trained theoreticiansbacked up by thousands of technicians,tradespeople, support staff, millions ofdollars. Pounds, francs, marks, rubles even.This is cream, this kind of research. Abovesurvival, above comfort, above luxury. Pure

speculation funded by a civilization flushfor the first time. Suppose we took anasteroid, or some disease cut us apart.Were not so strong that we couldnt go Dark

Ages in a hurry. Were not so strong that wecouldnt be hanging witches again in tenyears. You left us to chance? One little


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stumble and we might never find our way backto this level.

GOD

You got it easy. Ten thousand years of warmweather just right for crops. Stable braincapacity. Opposable thumbs and stereoscopicvision. You should see how many realitiesthere are out there where organic matterhasnt begun to replicate. Some universesare still amorphous. Matter hasnt clumpedup. You should complain? Your friends willnot quibble over such minutia when they seethe grandeur which awaits.

THOMAS

Then this is Judgement Day.

GODOnly in the good way. It shall be paradiseon Earth, the Heavenly Gardens incarnate,that whole scenario.

SEBRENTHABoss.

She points to the bed.

GODOh. Damn. You cant spread the word.

THOMASSure I can. Heal me. Put me back. Ill tell

everybody.

GODIt would be a miracle.

THOMAS

Yes.

GODI hate miracles. You people think one comesalong every three minutes. Really, I havent

made one here since that pass from Flutie toPhelan. Coming out of a little coma isnt


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THOMASShes a good friend.

SEBRENTHAShe loses more than a friend.

THOMASI know what youre getting at. Its not agood idea to date your coworkers. I knowpeople do it anyway, but it usually ends upbadly, and then youve got to go in in the

morning and avoid the person all day.

SEBRENTHAShe is not betrothed. Not to be here like

this.

THOMASI like Ellen. I like her a lot, actually.

SEBRENTHAYou never spoke to her of your heart.

THOMASYou cant just say whatever the hell you

want. Maybe they did in your time, but notnow.

SEBRENTHAHow timid man has grown.

THOMAS

What am I supposed to do? Toss her on theground?

SEBRENTHAWould you?

THOMASTouch her? I couldnt - even - . We were inChangs lab the Friday before my little bumpon the noggin. Looking at a detector frozendown in liquid nitrogen. She had on thisthin blouse and no bra, and when we wereleaning over the cooling bath, her nipples


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popped out like iron rivets. I was staringat them. And she saw me staring at them. Isaw her see me staring at them. Shesmiled....

SEBRENTHAAnd?

THOMASWe were alone in the lab.

SEBRENTHAYou spoke?

THOMASI said I was freezing. And I walked out.

SEBRENTHAWould you like to know what she wanted youto say?

THOMASI thought you did futures.

SEBRENTHAI need no vision for this.

THOMASWhat, I should have gotten on my knees? Ishould have told her I loved her madlybecause seeing her erect nipples made myblood flow around differently?

SEBRENTHADid you love her?

THOMASI think I did. Do. I fucked it up royally,didnt I?

SEBRENTHAAll you must say in that moment is sometoken of kindness. Your gown is mostpleasing, or your hair is shining, or youreyes are so beautifully brown or blue orgreen or hazel, or will you do me the honor


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of breaking bread with me.

THOMASI was freezing.

SEBRENTHAYou are not the only man to ever make theleast of an opportunity.

THOMASYeah, believe me, if I ever get anotherchance-

SEBRENTHAYou shall not. Listen. The breath islabored. The heart makes an uneven rhythm.

The end is near.

JANITORDont look at me. I told you I dont makethe schedule, but that dont mean you donthave to keep to it.

THOMASEllen! Ellen!

SEBRENTHAYou chose.

THOMASOver here!

SEBRENTHA

There is nothing to be done.

THOMASIll show you nothing to be done, God damnyou all.

He beats the inside of his cage, kicking it with a fury,pounding his head against it.

THOMASWisdom and power of the Goddamn agesomnipotent and cant give me one littleGoddamn thing-


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Sparks are flying from the silver globe to the cage, crackling,growing more intense. Thomas continues to attack the inside ofthe bars.

SEBRENTHAYou rage to know tomorrow? Men crushed thetemple. Men murdered the Oracle.

THOMASI had nothing to do with that!

SEBRENTHAYou could have rebuilt it. You could havesought a new Oracle.

THOMASThat was thousands of years ago!

SEBRENTHAYou have a theory, words and chops. Can ittake you into its robe and show you avision?

THOMASEllen!

He grabs for the outside of the cage. Sparks fly. There is athunderclap and a flash of light.

Black out.

FIVE

The lights come up. The cage is empty. Sebrentha and the Janitorhave not moved. Ellen lifts her head, then leans in close to the

bed.

ELLENWhat?

She listens again, then grabs the call button.


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ELLENHes awake!

Alarms ring and shriek. The nurse runs in as all the monitors

flatline. She moves Ellen roughly out of the way and rips theleads off of the patients chest.

ELLENHe was here-

Two doctors bolt in with a cart and set to work: ventilator,paddles, hypos. The Chief comes in waving his hands.

CHIEFHes a DNR, people.

The crash team stops in midaction and quickly goes through thesame motions in reverse, packing up their gear.

CHIEFIm sorry, Doctor Marist.

Ellen reaches out and closes Thomas eyes.

ELLENCan I stay with him?

CHIEFYes. Of course. Im terribly sorry.

He leaves. Ellen sits back down and takes Thomas hand again.

Blackout.

SIX

Lights up. The cage is gone. Thomas gasps for breath on thefloor where the cage once stood. Sebrentha rushes to help himsit up.

SEBRENTHAYou are free.


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THOMASI couldnt breathe!

SEBRENTHA

The body will trouble you no longer.

THOMASBut I didnt care. He was right about pain.I didnt care, as long as I was alive....Where did they take me?

SEBRENTHAYou are here. The rest is shed skin.

THOMASBut I miss it! Dont you miss the skin?

SEBRENTHANot so much that I would have the boldnessto do what you have done. I let a tiny pieceof the agony touch you so that you knew itsface and yet you flew wholly back to it. Ihave never seen such bravery. But the sourceof it escapes me. Was the need to pass yoursecret so great? Does she now have the seedof your knowledge, that she might possessthis great theory which means all to you?

THOMASNo.

SEBRENTHAThen what? What is more to you than that?

THOMASFor all that its worth now. I told her Iloved her. Like I should have before.... Oh,hell. Ive pissed it all away - love, life,the Theory - the whole fucking world.

SEBRENTHAYes, I agree that many of your choices were

made unwisely.

THOMASWhat now? Heaven or hell?


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SEBRENTHAYour mythology is all pleasure or pain.

THOMASMy mythology? Youre the ghost. Or is itdemon now?

SEBRENTHANeither. I am an Oracle.

THOMASOkay, do you oracle in heaven or hell?

SEBRENTHAWherever I am needed. As here.

THOMASWell, youre all done here.

SEBRENTHANo. I am not.

She points to the monitor. It turns on. The picture is a sunnyfield: green turf, blue sky. Into the frame walks Ellen. She is

wearing a long summer dress, and her hair is down. A child, agirl of six or so, runs up to her.

CHILDWheres Daddy?

ELLENI dont know. Lets call him.

CHILDDaddy!

ELLENTom!

THOMASWhat is this? What are you doing this for?

SEBRENTHAYour family is calling.


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THOMASI dont have a- I dont have this family.

SEBRENTHA

No. Not here.

THOMASOh. You....

SEBRENTHAThe Oracle has many privileges. I offer youone last choice. You may stay here, a shade,and discover all the things a shade may be.Or you may put off that day and assume fleshonce more, with this family, and live as you

may. Until we meet again.

THOMASOh yeah? Whats the catch? I have to give upthe Theory? I remember nothing? I have to bea carpenter and never again tinker with thefabric of cosmology?

SEBRENTHAThis gift is freely given. Be what you willand do what you will. Take from this life

what you wish. In either place you will livewith your choices.

CHILDDaddy? Come out, come out, wherever you are!

THOMAS

If you are a true Oracle, then you know.

SEBRENTHAYes. I do know.

Blackout.

SEVEN

The lights come up.


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Thomas stands in the monitor now, back to the camera. He turnsslowly around.

THOMASThank you.

The child runs up to him and takes his hand. She swings on itlike a vine.

CHILDDaddy, who are you talking to?

THOMASAn old friend, Punkin.

CHILDUp!

Thomas swings her up onto his shoulders. Ellen comes up and hugsthem both.

ELLENWe thought you were lost.

THOMASI was. I was lost and gone forever.

CHILDBut I found him!

They walk together down hill, out of the picture. Sebrenthamakes a sweeping motion and the monitor goes black. The janitor

pushes his cart over to the door.

SEBRENTHAWhat? You do not approve?

JANITOR

Oh, no. You know me. I love a happy ending.I knew youd make everything all right.

SEBRENTHAYes, I know you. You were about to say?


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JANITOR

Im all done. This place is all clean now.Everybody happy. Whats that? You crying?

SEBRENTHAI? You are mistaken. Tears are for those whocan be caught unawares. Do not forget: I amSebrentha, Oracle of Asmara, and I seetomorrow.

Blackout.THE END

g.u.t.: the grand unified theory a one-act play with seven blackouts

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