Poet
   Writer
Dramatist
A short play: The lightspeed project

                                                                Scene 1

A desk in the middle facing audience, laptop on it. Behind those sits a man in white cape, wears glasses, about 50, self confident speaker. He is pushing the buttons, then looks to the right. Another man, about 35 comes in from the right, smiling, proud, in a light, orange worker’s dress with many zippers. There is a chair before the caped guy, where the newcomer sits down after offered.

PSYCHOLOGYST: Welcome!, Please, take a seat dr Lecter!
R. F. LECTER: Thank you.
X He sits down so that the audience can only see his back.
PSYCHO: (happily) So, how are we doing? I see nothing really has changed since our last meeting.
LECTER: Well, actually I am getting a bit more excited with the closing in of the great launch.
PSYCHO: (with tranquillity) That is absolutely natural. Do not worry dr Lecter, the mission is 100% safe. And I personally have great confidence in your skills, when you will be on board, no technical problems can happen. And the other specialists are there for the rest. (clasps hands) How do you feel to be a participant of the century’s breakthrough?
LECTER: Oh, I’m so proud that I’m, I mean, I am honoured to be allowed, to be the fifth human member of the crew. A new era stands before us, and (emphasizes) Our polis is the first, which will benefit from this great step.
PSYCHO: Hahah, I heard governor Wallam gave a great speech about his and your patriotic feelings. Only glory can await such courageous men like your crew. (gesticulates) By the way, how is your family? They surely going to be present at the launch.
LECTER: Thank you, Minne is in best health, and Ray has also an ever cheerful mood.
PSYCHO: Any plans for them while you are away?
LECTER: Yes, we decided so they will visit my mother on the weekend. She lives unfortunately near the jungle, hence I have to bring Ray right after this discussion to the hospital to receive vaccine against that tropical disease, which is spreading so quickly nowadays.
PSYCHO: Of course, better to be careful, however, I heard it is not such a harmful disease and some genes may be even immune to its effects. (strikes his fingers) You Could make a free test at the company’s costs.
LECTER: That’s a fantastic idea, I think I let them make one, which could come in handy, and used later as well. And after that, we will go together to the theme park and enjoy every minute before take off.
PSYCHO: Good, I wish I could go with you! Well, thank you for your time dr Lecter! (they stand up, shake hands) Enjoy your holydays!
LECTER: Good luck till our next discussion doctor! (curtain)





                                                             Scene 2

A kitchen table in the middle. Some chairs. Protagonist, in brown suit, on the left side, woman on the right. (skirt plus T-shirt) They are quarrelling viciously.

LECTER: How could you do this to me?! (often pointing towards her and to himself) How could you keep it as a secret so long, so calmly with such a good consciousness?!
MINNE: Why do you believe everything you see on computers?
LECTER: The Hospital corporation is an unquestionable institution! You!, You! But you, I can’t find words for it! How could you? And especially now!
MINNE: …(hesitates) Lecter dear, you can still be his father if we bring him up! Together, does our love mean nothing to you anymore?
LECTER: LOVE! Hah! Where are the papers, I’ve got nothing to do with you?! With you, and your son, poor Ray, how could you do this to Him?
MINNE: Stop it Lecter! You can surely tell the difference, you can’t see, but FEEL his DNA!
LECTER: How about that, when he gets older, I won’t be able to look at him, he’s going to be a stranger! No relations!
MINNE: Till this time you found those similarities, and now, you don’t!
LECTER: I abhor, I detest this house, only by thinking of it! Oh my! Oh! For so long I had been deceived… (strokes eyes) I’ve got nothing to do with your family!
X He runs out to the left, she falls on a chair, buries her face between her arms. (curtain)



                                                            Scene 3

A bench in the middle. An old man is sitting on it, between 60-70, longish grey beard. Shabby brownish clothes, leaning on an old walking stick, decent shoes, wise look. Protagonist comes from the right, stops next to him angrily.

LECTER: Why did she do that to me?! It’s outrageous!
PLAT: What happened, relax, sit down. (reaches for Lecter’s hand)
LECTER: Stop! Whatwhat?! Whatwhat?! Your daughter!
X Old man stands up, anxious.
PLAT: Has something happened to her? What’s with her?
LECTER: What happened to Her? What happened to Me! (points at himself)
PLAT: Spit it out already! We’re not in the zoo!
LECTER: She! She! My son of a… I mean someone’s son of a…
PLAT: Heh?
LECTER: Ray! Ray!
PLAT: Ray? Ray? What about him? …Wait a second, you are trying to tell me-
LECTER: YES! Don’t say it! Nooh, I beg you!
PLAT: (hesitates) What makes you to think so?
LECTER: An accident, the hospital,…(grabs breath) long story.
PLAT: (looks away in the distance) Weeell… (few seconds silence) Come now, are you sure? There must be a failure in the system!... Ah, you remember when they falsified the DNA results for those criminals! Hohho, what a scandal, it happ-
LECTER: I wish I could believe otherwise! BELIEVE in ANOTHER way, not to be this, The Truth!
PLAT: Be and live in an other way?! Please Lecter, Lecter, listen to me, don’t judge too hastily… listen, nothing bad has happened, which, couldn’t be solved. (tries to distract him) Fortunately you have never seen things like me(thinks), like wars(stares into the distance)… ahh(shakes head), You know that Minne loves you, this situation can have several origins. We, all three, together, should talk this over.
LECTER: Why would I do that! You are a … too. Forget it, the sooner I take off the better. It’s a suicide mission anyway! (ironically) But at least I see now why everyone was so happy about it…
PLAT: Finally, you have realized it!
LECTER: Yes, no one will miss me…
PLAT: No, you dumb boy, I mean I’m glad that you have finally realized that it is a premature grave, that silly mission of yours. Deny your job and be more with your family than with scientists and agents! Your mission should be to reach the mission.
LECTER: Hah! I detest this place more than ever and your emotional babbling around! Facts are, I’m leaving.
PLAT: This is insane, you will clash into a celestial body, or be swallowed by a black hole, or, or just simply get torn into pieces by a gravity field, or anything!
LECTER: “Hell is on Earth”, I go to heaven. Above the skies, above the stratosphere.
PLAT: There is Earth even above the stratosphere, “there’s no cure for that”, an educated man like yourself should know that.
LECTER: The better, cause I’m still leaving… Leave space and time behind, for Ever. (laughs) Your Earth should be inhabited by orphans!
PLAT: DAmmit! You would have done the same in her shoes, people are not planned to love exactly one partner for eternity!
LECTER: I have always felt that she is only an instinctive being, she is limping behind My evolutionary state…(long seconds, wait for audience to laugh) Are there no implants against it, only to it? Sad, in what kind of sick world was I living till this time without noticing it?
PLAT: (amazed) Get out of my sight, I leave YOU!
X He walks out to the right, which is watched from Lecter with amazed face. (curtain)



                                                            Scene 4

Another bench. (can look like the previous one, but its place should be moved) A man, 30, is sitting on it in shirt and trousers. Next to him a backpack, in his hand a paper bag, from which he throws seed on the ground. Lecter comes from the right.

R. E. BATT: (to audience, whispering, with one hand at his mouth) Gossip spreads rapidly.
LECTER: (uncertain, slowly) What are you doing Batt?
BATT: (angrily) What does it look like? (few seconds silencium)
LECTER: But there are no doves.
BATT: Now that’s your problem. Or it’s too difficult for you. (few seconds pause) Ever heard about Shakespeare?
LECTER: Who?
BATT: (aside) Ahh, another from the faculty of natural sciences. (to Lecter slowly) Well, he personally told me once, Imagine this horse as if it were a cavalry!, imagine that this brick, is a castle!, etc., DO You get the point?...
LECTER: (aside) Aaahh, he means that we can’t bring into this theatre tamed pigeons.
BATT: What did you say?
LECTER: O, nothing. (immediately) A terrible thing happened to me my friend! It was-
BATT: (Stands up, pushes aside, talks to audience) With strong belief you can turn on or off at will what you like or dislike, or things that are so, not to be so, things to be true or false… It can be governed by many things: true love, patriotism and other old kinda stuff. (looks to the right) Well, I gotta go.
LECTER: (sarcastically) Thanks for your help.
BATT: Humanity’s failure is to forget good reasons and reasoning. (turns back after few steps) You might think that I’m the smart guy in your dramatic situation, (joyfully) but hey, everyone here is a philosopher. Cheers! (lifts hand as if he held up a glass) (goes out to the right) (curtain)



                                                            Scene 5

The same setting like in the first scene. Lecter comes in from the right, upset. Sits down.

LECTER: Good morning doctor! I can’t wait to get launched.
PSYCHO: What is wrong dr Lecter? You look depressed and upset?!
LECTER: I umm, I… I had a conflict with Minne. But, everything is fine.
PSYCHO: Ooh, I am sorry to hear that. (thinks) Hm, maybe we should give you another mission, so you could accept it when you are more, stable. You have to understand that a huge amount of money was laid into the lightspeed project, we cannot allow any risk. … But don’t worry, your place is in the best hands, a special new prototype android will replace you.
LECTER: But, How?! WHaaat!! (stands up) This is impossible, you would send a machine instead of me? My other life became meaningless, this is my real family, I should be the one going up there! I was trained for years, neglected my home-
PSYCHO: (calmly) Please calm down dr Lecter. There is no point proving that a fish has got into the web. Or shall I say the moth was burnt by the lamp.
LECTER: What!, (sadly) an innocent in the barbed wire, right?, (smiles) I see… (aside) they never intended to use me in the lightspeed project.
PSYCHO: Dr Lecter, I am terribly sorry. I know that-
LECTER: Enough! (shows his palm against him) I’m leaving anyway.
PSYCHO: Can I ask a question?
LECTER: Heck, why not? (laughs)
PSYCHO: Have you got a religion?
LECTER: A what?
PSYCHO: Friends?
LECTER: This is ridiculous!
PSYCHO: And friends when in trouble? (Lecter takes a few steps to the right) Life here is not a psychological game anymore. Who will say it? Dr Lecter! Dr Lecter?
LECTER: (aside, grins) Fine, I’ll take the ship on my way! (curtain)



                                                            E       N       D


Csaba Hegedűs
Enjoyed reading Lightspeed project? Then you'll have to try The Great Escape!:
http://tarhely.sokoldal.hu/hegeduscsaba/fajlok/sajat-honlap-ingyen--sokoldal_hu-thegreatescape.doc


There was a gallery, with gorgeous paintings,
Every half a year, new sets of them waiting.
Most people went just by, unattracted by them,
But some with imagination revived the faintests even.

Donna, an exquisite woman found little delight,
Till a miracle happened: the Moon stopped by, and the knight.
On the opposite walls hung the two enemies
The full Moon with glory, and the black night with ease

Though unseparateable, they’ve divided and went to war,
Donna has been charmed, such paintings were never drawn
By mortal hands, thus, the two must have been encaged souls
Tempting in two directions, to embalm her precious soul.

First, the knight accosted her with a strong woven voice
Meet me at midnight Dame!, and I will grant you your mind’s choice.
Later on, as Donna looked face-to-face with the Moon
The celestial body shone and its glimmer grew

So the images appeared: I shall come down to you
Even during daylight!, Iff, you choose me to be your knight.
Donna became puzzled and the evening was near
She had to hide in there, no matter what she’ll see…

Darkness, knight, Moon came, Donna stood in the hall,
Midnight hour was near, and Donna stood, in the hole.
And when the first sunray came, Donna was not there,
And when the first sunray came, the frames empty ‘n unframed.


Ballad: The Gallery
Content: 1., A short play: Lightspeed project
              2., Ballad: The Gallery