crossed-line
A play for 5 voices
by maniac

Scene opens with an ordinary phone call....

SALLY    "But it'll only be a small get-together Jenny, and you know you could do with a break from your dull, tedious and thoroughly boring life"

JENNY   "My life is not boring!"

SALLY    "Maybe, maybe not, but you've been spending far too much time away from your friends."

JENNY    "I've been busy."

SALLY    "So I've been hearing. Are you ever going to introduce us to the new hunk in your life?"

JENNY    "Only when I think he's safe from your clutches."

SALLY    "Jennifer, I -"

JENNY    "Listen Sal, I've got to go now. I'll be over about seven. Is that O.K.?"

SALLY   "Great! Are you bringing Mr. X?"

JENNY    "What, and have the lot of you pawing him all night? Not on your life."

SALLY    "Come on Jenny, you know we're all just dying to meet him."

JENNY    "Yes, and I know - "

There is a harsh crackle of static and an agitated voice breaks suddenly into the conversation.........

VOICE    "...on the screen Commander. There's no mistake. We're deciphering the.."

..and just as suddenly, the transmission ceases.

JENNY    "Sal? What was that? Have you got a radio on there?"

SALLY   "Not me. I thought it was at your end."

JENNY    "Oh great, a crossed line. If I - "

VOICE    ".....ship is in bad shape sir. We have visual confirmation of the damage."

JENNY    "Sally, I've got to go now. This dumb line is crackling like...well, whatever. I'll see you...........blasted phone! Sally?"

SALLY    her voice is drowned by waves of interference... "....at seven. Bring....."

...and then silence.

JENNY    "Oh great, now I can't hear a thing. Thank you very much whoever you - "

VOICE    "..can't shoot them down Commander...."

JENNY    "Shoot? What the - ? Hey, listen, who is this? If this is a joke...."

VOICE    "........damaged sir, we can't just......... they're no danger. None whatsoever. Their weapons systems have been destroyed sir.... .......Yes! I can see from here. It would be murder to........."

JENNY    "Oh my God!"

VOICE    "............can't do that sir. They might not be from Earth, but that....sir, it doesn't mean they don't have rights like any other people.......They are people! Not like us, but..........sir, we can't just destroy their ship.........yes sir, I understand that, and I agree. We can't let the aliens make contact with civilians, or even make their presence known, but if I could just...................I know that sir, but there'd be no risk of alerting the public if I were to escort the ship to our Darkside base. They could carry out their repairs and then leave, again under escort. There'd be no problems with...............I'm sorry sir. I'm afraid I must refuse that order. With respect, I refuse to be a party to the murder of several hundred wounded alien students who are, after all, no more than children as far as the........................... .................................... .................................... ........................ ..................... ............. ......... .................... . ..... ....................... ............................

2ND VOICE    ".............Carlson here sir. Captain MacKenzie is dead. He was executed for refusing to carry out a given order, an offence under rule one, paragraph one, National Defence Regulations. I have taken command of the ship, and am at your disposal........................Yes sir, thank you sir. Your orders will be carried out immediately. I will report back as soon as your requirements have been met. Out."

*

NARRATOR    She sits in her room and waits for the voices to return. Say it's all been a joke. Ha, ha Jenny, fooled you. It's all she wants, but she knows deep inside that it's not going to be like that. She feels cold, so she hugs herself. She's scared, but there's nothing she can do about that. She thinks it can't get any worse than she imagines, but she's wrong.

*

2ND VOICE    "....Carlson sir. You orders have been executed. We've left no traces. There are a few scraps around, but they'll fall onto the moon fairly quickly. There'll be no security risk...............................Thank you sir. I hope I can be of further assistance..........................Of course sir, I'd be proud to.......................what..............hang on, that can't be - oh my God! Sir! Control, control!...........................I don't believe it..................oh God please....................Control, do you read me? Please answer...........................sir, I think we - we made a mistake. One hell of a mistake. We shouldn't have shot down that ship..............................Those aliens weren't alone sir, not by a long........................... .......................................................... . ....... ................................................ ........... ...................................................... ................ ........................................... ..................................... .........................................................

NARRATOR    In a room, in a house, in a town, in a country somewhere on Earth, a young woman stands at her window, staring with frightened eyes at the bright, full moon. Gripped tightly in one hand is a telephone. There's no sound but that of crackling static, as she stands

and stares

and waits.

© J.Gomer 2002