Archived
2022
Episode 1
Key-pad beeps. Door screeches, foot steps, then a clang.
Rayne: House-System, I’m back.
House-System: Welcome back Rayne. Turning lights on.
LYAN’s wailing echoes.Some sound effect, faint sobbing can be heard from LYAN
Lyan: (faintly) Mamaaa… Where are youuuuu? Mamaaaaaa!
RAYNE’S frantic footsteps heard. Wailing sounds intensify.
Rayne: Li? Lyan, don’t worry Auntie Ray is here… everything is alright.
RAYNE’S makes soothing and shushing sounds.
Lyan: I want Mama.
Rayne: I know, I know. Let me see if she left a message… House-System, are there any messages left by Zilla?
House-System: (automated voice) There are 3 unopened messages. Playing first message now.
Zilla: Rayne, listen, I am so so so sorry for dropping Li off at your place. Some problem at work- The neighbour is busy and I didn’t have any other place to leave her. She’s just going to nap, so just check in occasionally? I will be back in 2 hours, promise.
Rayne: (whispered) Not again…
House-System: Second message playing now.
Upbeat jingle blasts.
Joul-E: The Archive; the industry-leading organisation for Memory Capturing. Your firsts, lasts, highs and low – we capture them all. The Archive is your best option to-
Rayne: Skip! God, I really need a spam filter.
House-System: Third message playing now:
Dr K: Good evening Ms Oras. Dr K. here. There has been a development in your mother’s condition. Please make your way to the hospital as soon as possible.
Rayne: Change of plans Lyan. We need to see Nana…
Lyan:Yay yay!
Objects clang as they are picked up and placed in a bag quickly.
Zilla: I do hope so. House-System, we are leaving!
House-System: Safe travels.
Door screeches open, then closes. Key-pad beeps morph into a pulsating heartbeat. Heartbeat quickens in pace. The swoosh of an electronic door is heard. Heartbeat stops.
Rayne: Li, we are just going to wait for your mama hear before we go see Nana, ok?
Lyan: Yes Auntie Ray.
LYAN walks away. A clock’s ticking is heard. People are murmuring in the background.
Rayne: (muttered) Will it-Maybe it’s good news? Dr K called me and Zilla to his office for good news, yes… then this will be over. Zilla can stop with working overtime and be around for Lyan more…
The clock’s ticking gets louder.
Rayne: God where is she… Did she even get the message- She had to, right? Dr K. probably called her office…
The clock’s ticking gets louder.
Rayne: Wait no- Don’t be stupid…It’s all going to-
TickLoud automated pinging is heard.
Automated voice: Zilla and Rayne Oras please make your way to Medical Wing 10 Room 315. Doctor K will see you now.
RAYNE inhales deeply.
Rayne: Let’s go Li!
There is the squeak of a chair being pushed back, followed by footsteps. Doors swing open.
Dr K: Greetings Ms Rayne and (pause) child. Will your sister be joining us today?
Rayne: Hi, hello Dr K. Yes, is almost here. She is making her way from her office right now as we speak. I apologise-
Dr K: I understand. I shall wait before I continue.
LYAN titters to herself. A monotonous mechanical buzz is heard for some time.
Rayne: I could call-
Doors swing open. A bag bangs against glass.
Dr K: Good for you to finally join us Ms Zilla.
Lyan: (squeal) Mama!
Zilla: I came here as soon as I could. How is she? How’s Ma? She’s okay right, this is going to be good news? I re-
Rayne: If you let him speak maybe he’d be able to tell us. (pause) Dr K, could you please explain this development?
Dr K: (hesitantly) Of course. I apologise for the suspense. Your mother is still in a coma. She has been under constant care by our MedDroids and other doctors. We reevaluated her progress just this morning. I am afraid I have bad news for you. Her condition is deteriorating rapidly.
Zilla: Oh my god…Oh my-
Rayne: She…I was just- we were just… What’s the next step? What can be done to…
Dr K: As her doctor, I would recommend that you consider the various options. Keeping her on life support is-
Zilla: No, no, no… it can’t be…
ZILLA sniffles.
Rayne: Yes, definitely life support. Then we can wait for a new treatment right? Those are always being released?
Dr K: Life support is expensive.That would be additional to the fees for the previous treatments, medication and all the uh billed hours. With her medical fees being quite (pause) extensive… It is quite difficult to witness loved ones at that state.
There is a pause. LYAN murmurs in the background.
Rayne: And… what are these other options?
Dr K: Well, it is my role as your mother’s doctor to present all options. Therefore…
A button clicks, and an intercom buzz is heard.
Dr K: Send Joul-E in to Room 315 please.
The rapid clack of heels are heard. Doors swings open.
Joul-E: (loudly) Hi! My name is Joul-E! What can I help you with today? Is it inquiries about our programmes, pricing, processes? For the ladies, I would recommend one of our relaxation packages or-
Rayne:(slowly) Uh what’s this android doing- What is she talking about?
Zilla: If this is one of those schemes to take advantage of grieving people, I swear I will-
Joul-E: Of course not madame! I am part of The Archive, the Memory Capture experts,and we aim to do the best for our customers. This is just an amazing option we think you would like to consider.
Rayne: Wait, is this from one of those spam messages, with the annoying jingle?
RAYNE hums The Archive jingle.
Joul-E: You’ve heard of us! What has Dr K. told you?
Rayne: Well he just was on the ‘oh yeah your mother isn’t going to make it’ part so unless this is the usual pace you do this then-
Joul-E: Dr K, the video please?
Click! Slow, majestic music from the TV starts playing.
Television Host: Do you want to be remembered in this world? Do you want your memory to live on? For people to see the world as you saw it?
ZILLA and RAYNE scoff. Music becomes upbeat.
Television Host: Well, join us at the Archive! Here at the Archive, we save your memories for others to enjoy. Loved ones and friends, they’ll all know what it was like to be you. They’ll all see the world through your highs and lows. We even have the Archive Influencer Programme, where we turn your memories into E-experiences! You’ll be famous! Doesn’t that sound like a dream? And better yet you can get up to a million Bytecoins as down payment! And if people like what they see, that number keeps on going up and up and up!
Music fades off.
Joul-E: So what do y’all think?
Pause. Clock ticks.
Rayne: (whispered) Ma’s memories and a million Bytecoins…That could pay the medical fees and Lyan could get Zilla back and things would be better… Lyan could still…We would still have Ma.
Zilla: No. No one touches her memories. Absolutely not. That can’t… this can’t- this isn’t…
Joul-E: How about we listen to some more?
Click! The onscreen audience applauds. The remote buttons are aggressively tapped.
Zilla: Someone must really have screwed up your programming. This isn’t happening-
Rayne: Zilla. Breathe.
Zilla: First, you say she’s gone. And now, you want us to sell her off like she’s some hot commodity. This is- I’m not- No, this is just in my head-
Rayne: Just listen!
Silence.
Rayne: Hear it out… please.
Table is slammed.
Joul-E: Ms Zilla would you like to take a few minutes to calm down. I don’t think your anger will help in your decision making-
Zilla: You THINK!? Listen here-
Rayne: What is the science behind this Dr K?
Zilla: You’re.. Ugh..
Dr K: Medically speaking, it is a non-invasive procedure. A cm long processing chip is attached to your eye. The chip then accesses both the amygdala and hippocampus, which is where all your memories are stored. The information is then relayed to The Archive processor unit. You are then left with earliest memories to the most recent.
Joul-E: And all for your viewing pleasure. There is an amazing package available.
Rustle of paper being handed out.
Joul-E:If you join the Archive Influencer Programme, you get paid for the memories and the extraction procedure is free. If you join us, you would need to upload memories fortnightly. All you have to do is sign here, here and here.
Dr K: Many of my other patients have gone through the process. I can attest to the short process. If your concerns are privacy, the entire streaming condition lasts until the memories reach a total of 2 million accumulated views. Highly achievable as the viewing rate of Memory Captures is lucrative.
Zilla: Can you hear yourself?
Joul-E: I can hear you perfectly. Servicing just gave me a tune up this morning. On the topic of money, your records are showing…
Pause. Data processing sounds play.
Rayne: Oh god.
Zilla: It can’t- How is it- We can still handle that.
Joul-E: You definitely could benefit from this programme. That is a very large number and a whole lot of debt that-
Dr K: I think what Joul-E is trying to say is that, for your particular situation, this is your best option. Other solutions are well, not very sustainable for you guys or your mother. Do you get what I’m trying to say?
Rayne: That this is our best option…
Simultaneously with:
Zilla: No, you know what I’m out of here, I can’t with this-
A chair screeches back forcefully.
Rayne: You’re going to walk out now? We need to talk-
Zilla: Let’s talk then. I refuse to hand HER memories over to be scrutinised by the public and turned into some stupid jingle or 1-for-1 deal. I refuse to let our mother’s legacy be left with the likes of bubble-brained influencers. I refuse to be selfish and let the Bytecoins cloud my judgement!
Rayne: Zee. Would Mom want us to stay like this? This gives us a future. A future she fought so hard to give us.
Zilla: Don’t lecture me about what she would want! Would Mom want us to give all that’s left up? What about her dignity? Her privacy? Her history? What’s next? Do you plan on parading her corpse around the sub-levels!
Rayne: You’re not being rational. Dr K, where are the papers?
Zilla: You’ll sign that piece of paper over my dead body.
Rayne: At the rate we’re going with all the debt, that could really happen!
Zilla: Oh that’s just great then. You get to make double the profit. But I don’t think, “Dead family member memories ready for streaming!” has that great of a ring to it?
RAYNE slams the table.
Rayne: God, can’t you-
Joul-E: Now ladies, ladies. I think we should try calming down, you don’t want those terrible wrinkles and frown lines. Butttt if you do get those, we have a dedicated research team at Archive that has developed-
A chair is screeches back! Forceful yank is heard. Objects clatter to the floor. LYAN begins to crying.
Joul-E: (glitching) Magnificen- Hi! I’m Joul-E! How- Memory captur- System…
Zilla: Now, that felt-
The shuffling of feet is heard. LYAN is still sobbing.
Dr K: Ms Zilla, I understand your frustrations but I must insist that you refrain from any forceful powering down of my androids. Afterall, Joul-E’s are quite delicate.
Electricity crackles. ZILLA makes shushing noises to soothe LYAN. Crying stops.
Dr K: Whilst Joul-E (pause) is taken away, shall we go visit your mother? Would you like to see your Grandma, child?
Lyan: (hoarsely) Yay, Nana!
Dr K: This way then
The door swings open. Slow squeaks of footsteps across the floor.
Automated voice: Welcome to the ICU. Please scan retina to enter. (pause) Scan complete
The door clicks open. 3 set of footsteps, two slower and one faster, are heard.
Dr K: Who would like to visit first?
Lyan: Nana!
Zilla: Shhh Lyan, not so loud.
Dr K: Ok then, the child and Ms Zilla can go first. Ms Rayne and I can watch through the glass.
LYAN giggles. Beeping of life-support machines are heard.
Lyan: (muffled) Nana! How are you?
Zilla: (muffled) Lyan, please don’t touch her.
Lyan: (muffled) I want to hug her!
Silence.
Lyan: (muffled) Nana! Hello! (pause) Mama, why isn’t she opening her eyes?
Zilla: (muffled) She’s… She’s resting…
ZILLA sniffles.
Lyan: (muffled) What’s wrong Mama? Why are there thingies stuck to Nana? Why isn’t she saying anything?
Zilla: (muffled) I think it’s time to go Lyan…
Lyan: (muffled) Mama, I don’t like the beeping noises! Make it stop! I want Nana! No…No! put me down!
Doors open. Beeping of life-support machines stop.
Rayne: Here, give her to me.
Zilla: (whisper) Thanks.
Lyan: Those beeping sounds hurt my ears. I think they’re hurting Nana’s ears too. Maybe that’s why she’s tired…
Silence.
Lyan: Auntie Ray, what happened to Nana?
Rayne: Well, she went away to a nice place. And I don’t think we are going to see her for a while.
Lyan: I don’t want her to go away. I want her back.
Rayne: Me too, Li. (pause) But you know what, we might have a way to keep her stories around. Like your favourite one with the warrior princess-
Lyan: Nana tells the best stories…
Rayne: Yes she does Li. Now, no let’s not be sad. How does your favourite story end?
Lyan: The princess goes back to her family, and they eat a big cake together.
Rayne: Should we go find cake then? I think-
Zilla: Dr K.
Dr K: Yes, dear?
Zilla: Give us the papers.
Rayne: What?
Zilla: Just give us the Influencer Programme papers.
Dr K: Well that was (pause) certainly unexpected. The implications of this are clear to you?
Zilla: Yes. We have no other options.
DR K runs off.
Dr K: (in the distance) Please send a Joul-E over to Level 13 Room 414 with an A Package.
Zilla: Don’t be smug about it.
Rayne: I wasn’t planning to…
Silence.
Zilla: This is what Mom would want right… We are doing the…
Rayne: I think so.
Footsteps. The beeping and mechanical clicks of robots are heard.
Dr K: There was just an opening in a treatment suite. A Med-Droid team is all prepared for the procedure. Please follow me through here
The automatic door opens. 3 sets of footsteps are heard. The life-support machine beeps stop. Door closes.
Dr K: Before the procedure commences, we require both of your consent. Ms Rayne, Ms Zilla, please sign on the dotted line at the bottom of both pages
Pen clicks. RAYNE signs the form.
Rayne: It’ll be fine.
Zilla: I guess so…
ZILLA signs the form.
Dr K: Would you excuse me. I am needed to set up the machine.
Whirring of machine powering up.
Dr K: This is the Memory Dilator, the chrome dome shaped section.
The clicking of buttons and squeak of knobs being twisted are heard.
Dr K: Now, once we attach her to the main frame completely, we’ll be overriding the effect of the life-support machine. Are we all clear to proceed?
Rayne: Do it.
Dr K: Understood. Her upload to the main frame is at 10%. Those wavey lines appearing on the screen are the memories.
Rayne: Look Li! Those lines are going to turn into your Nana’s stories- all of them!
The life-support machine’s beeps are increasing in volume.
Dr K: Your mother is 50% attached to the mainframe… 70%…
The life-support machine’s beeps get louder and faster. Heavy breathing is heard.
Dr K: The life-support machines will stop in…3, 2, 1.The processing will take a second. From then, you will have your mother’s memories.
Rayne: There are millions…
Dr K: It is truly fascinating. Now, you will receive the down payment once you settle which memories you want to keep for yourselves, and which ones you’ll upload for streaming. As per the contract you signed, you have 3 days to make your first upload. I must take my leave. Your 72 hours starts now.
Doors open, DR K’s footsteps are heard. Silence.
Zilla: (softly) How are we going to finish watching all of this?
Rayne: Did we make a mistake?
Zilla: No…Maybe… But we can’t do anything any more.
Silence.
Zilla: Now. Let’s start…
Click! Loading sounds are heard.
Mother: Girls! Over here!
Silence except for heavy breathing. There is a high pitched buzzing sound. Memory plays.
Mother: (muffled) You did amazing! You definitely got all of that talent from me.
Young Zilla: Really! Was our dance everything you imagined it to be?
Mother: It’s even better than my dreams, Zee! You and Raynie were shining! What did you think of the experience? Was it fun, my stars?
Young Rayne: Yes! I felt free, like I could fly by myself, without a hover car.
Mother: That sounds amazing Raynie-
Young Zilla: Did our performance make you happy?
Mother: The absolute happiest! I get to look at your faces, and c’mon these smiles! I love your smiles. How could I not be ecstatic when my girls are this happy?
Young Rayne: But…well… are you proud? Of us?
Chattering can be heard in the background.
Mother: I am. I am so so so proud of you both
Young Rayne: Really?
Mother: Of course. And it’ll be that way always and always.
Young Rayne: That’s a long time…
Mother: It will always be true, my stars…
The same high pitched buzz is heard. Silence.
Zilla: We’re keeping this one…
Rayne: Of course.
Pause.
Rayne: (softly) Do you even remember this?
Zilla: No… Now that we- we have to replay it always. We’ll play it for Lyan so she knows… Maybe every other week or so-
Rayne: I think we did what she would have wanted.
Zilla: Yeah…
Rayne: Then let’s continue.