Playing God - Short Script

Please find below a short script myself & two of my close friends worked on last year – all comments &/or advice is welcome...

INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

Open shot of a woman focusing on notes visible on her laptop.

She scribbles barely literate writing on a clipboard that is nearby. Her clinical gloves rub against the paper.

She focuses her eyes onto a chair that is against the opposite wall. It has straps attached to both arms.

Another person who is dressed in the same clinical manner is sat down on the chair.

MARTIN
(Standing up)
Are you sure about this?​

The woman moves on to the next table and comes upon a syringe. The needle is not yet inserted.

MARTIN
Katherine?

KATHERINE
Yes, of course I’m sure.​

She smiles.

MARTIN
I’m just a bit nervous that’s all.

KATHERINE
Well I’m excited too.

MARTIN
That’s not quite what I meant.

KATHERINE
Listen - just trust me okay? You know what this will do for us when it works.

MARTIN
Yes I know.​

Katherine begins to finalize her preparation.

MARTIN
(Nervously to himself)
Please God.
​

Aiden walks into the room with some intent.

KATHERINE
(Smiling)
Oh hello Aiden, I'm glad you could make it.

AIDEN
Don’t be sweet with me Katherine. Don’t tell me you’re actually going ahead with this.

KATHERINE
Well of course...

AIDEN
You are a fool.

KATHERINE
A fool who is about to go down in history for changing the world as we know it.

AIDEN
We need more time. It’s not ready yet.

KATHERINE
(Placing down the syringe)
Whatever happened to you? You used to have so much passion. You told me you wanted to change the world and now that we actually can, you turn your back on it!

AIDEN
I’m doing what’s right! You just seek your own ends, you need to stop with the delusions of grandeur and actually test this drug more thoroughly. Yes it has outstanding potential, but it can’t be rushed!

KATHERINE
It works. I have already proven this.

MARTIN
Hold on a minute, I thought you had tested this thoroughly.

KATHERINE
I have, you saw what it did to those mice. I've spent my whole University career preparing for this moment. This is it, I can feel it.

MARTIN
Whole University career? You're only in the year above me. You just started your third year?!

KATHERINE
Look relax. I’ve tested this formula extensively, all the irregularities have been eradicated... This is the finished article.

AIDEN
You’ve only tested on mice, not on a human subject. It takes years if not decades of trials before we could even begin to think about human testing.

KATHERINE
I have projected potential results on human subjects and I am certain of the outcome.

MARTIN
You are willing to test this on me and all you have is projections? You told me you had advanced to primate tests.

KATHERINE
Well not exactly. Look Martin, you know my work; you surely know I couldn’t get permission for primate tests.

MARTIN
So I am quite literally your guinea pig?

KATHERINE
No, not at all. I would never put you at undue risk.

MARTIN
Excuse me but if you think you are testing your shit out on me then you are very much mistaken.

KATHERINE
I’ve manipulate the genes of mammals to become far more advanced. I hold the make-up of their genetic code in my hands, it is mine to do with as I please.

AIDEN
Yeah, small mammals. You can’t just go straight to human testing!

MARTIN
The structure of a mouse albeit only marginally different, is different enough to result in extremely negative outcomes. It’s way too risky, why would I want to roll those dice?

KATHERINE
Martin, why did you want to become a scientist in the first place?


MARTIN
You know why, to seek the truth. To find enlightenment and enrich everyone’s lives.

KATHERINE
Exactly... This enriched the mice. It made them better in every way, stronger, faster and vastly more intelligent. You could look deep into their eyes and see straight into their soul. I made them more alive than they could ever have been.

AIDEN
Please Kathy, if you have made any breakthroughs you must publish it and then you can get funding for further research.

KATHERINE
No further research is needed, it is ready now.

AIDEN
Did you not listen to me? The last time I checked we are not mice! You have no idea how a human may react to the drug. I wouldn’t want something so unknown loose in my bloodstream.

MARTIN
I second that. You are way too hasty Katherine

KATHERINE
Do you not see the possibilities?

MARTIN
I’m fully aware of the possibilities but this is just conjecture at the moment. We cannot prove or disprove anything, which is why further tests are needed.

KATHERINE
Guys, just - chill the hell out! Anyone listening would think I'm trying to resurrect Frankenstein’s Monster! There is evidence that these results would extrapolate to human trials. Have faith in me would you, please.

MARTIN
How can I put my faith into something so fragile?

KATHERINE
Fragility is the key to strength. What weakens us makes us stronger, which is exactly why we give someone a taste of a disease to make them immune to it. Take a leap of faith for once in your life.

MARTIN
I’ve got hurt too many times. I have very little faith left at all.

KATHERINE
Tell me this. Have you ever wanted to feel what it is like to connect with the spirit of the earth? To feel at one with everything and everyone and then to hold all that in the palm of your hand. To experience pleasure beyond the bounds of human understanding.

MARTIN
I already have. I will never have that again.

KATHERINE
I wouldn’t be so sure. You can connect to her again, feel her in your memory, bring her to life. You can bring her back, Martin.

MARTIN
Don’t you dare use her in your argument, have some respect would you!

KATHERINE
I'm sorry. I'm just speaking the truth.

AIDEN
Look, I think this is going too far. There is no proof that the mice experienced anything like this.

KATHERINE
You saw what it did to the mice Aiden, imagine if that was replicated in a human. Just think about it. Our minds could expand tenfold and beyond.

MARTIN
It wouldn’t be her.

KATHERINE
(Smiling, knowing she got him on her hook)
It would be every bit of her you ever remembered, that’s where she exists now. That’s the beauty of the human mind, it never forgets, however much it likes to make us think it does. You can be with her again Martin and you can be stronger, a better person. Truly human 2.0...

AIDEN
Katherine please...
​

Katherine dismisses him.

MARTIN
It would just be a memory, a faded dream.

KATHERINE
Yes, now it would. But you have to think of what you’d be capable of after you are enhanced, after your brain is so much more. You can access the deepest recess of your mind and bring them to life. Just imagine...

MARTIN
It still needs to be tested further. We have plenty of time.

KATHERINE
New discoveries are being made at such a rapid pace. Health, science and technology - it’s all growing exponentially. Every day it seems another breakthrough is made, who's to say tomorrow someone won’t find what I have found and take it away from us altogether. We'd be legends, immortalized. We'd be Gods.

AIDEN
God’s? I think you need to lose this delusion that is clouding your judgment. I never realized you were so egotistical.

KATHERINE
I’m not at all. We'd all be like Gods, every one of us. It’s the next natural step of evolution, the next epoch of humankind…
(To Martin)
Martin, just tell me you don’t want to see her again, feel her. Tell me you don’t want to live your wildest dreams, be the first human to experience true enlightenment.

MARTIN
I suppose someone has to take the first step...​

Katherine smiles.

AIDEN
No, Martin.

KATHERINE
(To Aiden)
I'm sorry but you can’t hinder the progress of science.

AIDEN
That’s the last thing I want to do, but going into it too quickly just sets you up for a fall and gives science a bad name. I want to do this right.

KATHERINE
I’ve never felt more right about anything in my life.


AIDEN
Then more fool you.

KATHERINE
Martin, would you like to sit in the chair?
​

Martin does so somewhat reluctantly.

Katherine brings over the needle, some cotton wool and a container with some liquid substance inside.

Martin nearly faints at the sight of the needle. He starts to fidget.

KATHARINE
Take your shirt off.

MARTIN
What?

AIDEN
Katherine...

KATHERINE
It's so I can put these on his chest...
(She holds up two round medical sticker pads)
Relax!

AIDEN
Will you stop using that word.

KATHERINE
What... Relax? Relax!​

Ignoring the little tension rising, Katherine undoes Martin's shirt and he takes it off. She attaches the stickers to his chest and straps him to the arms of the chair.

Aiden looks a little alarmed and turns towards Katherine for assurance. There is none. He holds on to the Martin's forearm.

KATHERINE
Look Martin, don't worry if you start to experience headaches, just focus on the thought of invincibility, ok?​

Martin and Aiden exchange a she-really-has-lost-the-plot look.

MARTIN
I really don't know.​

Martin's bare torso starts to tense.

AIDEN
I'm really not sure about this Kathy, just wait a minute.​

Katherine has the sterilized needle adjacent to Martin's right arm.

MARTIN
No, no! Stop. Just wait, please.

KATHERINE
Relax... You'll feel a sharp little prick and then it will all be over. I'll even give you a lollipop after for being such a good boy.​

She smiles proudly at the her little joke, but none of the guys reciprocate, instead they look at each other with further concern.

AIDEN
Just stop Katherine! This is crazy!​

But it's too late, the needle breaks through Martin's skin.

Martin moans a little and Aiden's hand turns white from gripping Martin's arm so tightly.

Martin lets out a sharp gasp.

AIDEN
This is wrong...

KATHARINE
It's alright, it's done. Now we wait.​

Katherine takes her equipment back to the table and Aiden follows her.

AIDEN
Are you out of your mind? Look at him.​

Katherine looks over at Martin who's body starts to shake.

KATHERINE
Yes. He's reacting naturally to the drug.​

Martin starts to shake more violently and begins to screams. The two rush over.

KATHERINE
Martin... It’s ok, it will all be over soon. Are you alright?

AIDEN
Shit!

KATHERINE
(Confidence slightly going)
Martin, can you open your eyes? ​

Martin screams in pain. Aiden holds his left arm down forcefully.

MARTIN
No! Don't touch me! It hurts. It's hurts so much!​

Martin struggles and his body launches forward while the straps cut deeply into his wrists causing him to bleed.

He starts convulsing and in all his movement his left arm comes loose and without intention, he scratches Aiden on the forearm.

Blood starts to trickle from Martin's nose as a panicked Aiden turn to Katherine.

He places both hands onto her shoulders and shakes her viciously.

AIDEN
What the hell have you done? You’re crazy!

KATHERINE
(Grabbing Aiden’s right arm, she notices blood)
Aiden, you're bleeding.
​

Aiden then notices the scratch and the two exchange looks of concern.

AIDEN
Fuck! Quick, put some disinfectant on it!​

Katherine frantically rushes over to her work table and applies some liquid to the wound and presses down on it with some cotton wool.

She lets go and Aiden holds it in place as she returns to Martin, not noticing that Aiden has started to have the shakes.

Martin is now seen frozen in his chair. He does not speak and his eyes are wide open, yet he does not blink.

KATHERINE
(Shining a small torch into Martin's eyes)
Martin? Martin, can you hear me? Blink if you can hear me...
(Martin is unresponsive)
Shit...​

Katherine steps back, worry replacing the confidence she once showed before and turns at the sudden sound of Aiden moaning.

KATHERINE
(Confused)
Aiden?​

Aiden is doubled over, wincing in pain. He is on the floor shaking and holding onto his head.

Katherine lets out a dramatic scream and rushes over to him.

KATHERINE
Oh my God, what have I done? Errrr, just - wait there. I'll fix this.​

Katherine runs over to her laptop and scans through the information.

KATHERINE
(To herself)
Come on, come on! There has to be something. Please...​

Still worried, she looks over at Martin. He is still frozen in his chair. She then turns to look back at Aiden.

The room is silent as she makes her way over to Aiden’s side.

She places a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. He looks up suddenly and stares into Katherine’s eyes.

AIDEN
I can see...

KATHERINE
(Confused)
What?

AIDEN
It’s all so very clear now.​

His eyes quickly focus on Martin. His eye line shifts quickly to the chemicals sitting on the desk and he quickly formulates something in his mind.

He rushes over to the table at a quickened pace and begins to mix different liquids together. He grabs a syringe and fills it with the mixed liquid and rapidly goes over to Martin.

After placing Martin onto the floor, Martin slowly starts to come to.

Suddenly shock and paranoia take over and he frantically starts to fight against Aiden, but Aiden’s super strength forces Martin down and Martin can no longer move.

Aiden forces the drug upon Martin who screams in terror.

Martin suddenly stops his fit and lays perfectly still.

KATHERINE
(Standing on the side lines)
What are you doing?​

Aiden feels Martin's neck for a pulse.

AIDEN
I have put him into a coma.

KATHERINE
What?!?

AIDEN
I had to inject him with a drug that works as an agent against the drug you gave. I formulate that it reacted positively to my blood type however Martin's body rejected your drug and the drug proceeded to rip apart his basic structure, sending him into a fit which would result in his death.

KATHERINE
So what do we do now?

AIDEN
The drug I gave him has thankfully rid his body of the threat of the initial drug. I theorize that it was one component of the drug that was the rouge element, the rest of it lays dormant within him.​

KATHERINE
Ok...​

Aiden moves back over to the table and formulates another drug. He then returns to Martin's side and injects him with the second drug which slowly brings him out of his coma.

Aiden and Katherine watch in anticipation as Martin slowly opens his eyes and sits up.

He turns to the look at the two and smiles.

MARTIN
I can see... ​

Cut to black

MARTIN
(VO)
It's all so very clear now.​

THE END