#30: HD164595

Written by
Joseph Frost
Draft
8/30/16
written for the 2016 31 Plays in 31 Days project

Joseph Frost, 2016

4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
* member, Dramatists Guild of America

AVERY sits in a lawn chair, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and

shorts, holding a reflecting panel, sunbathing. He has a
small radio that emits static.
He is atop a large metal radio transmitter - the kind that
beams signals into space.
Up a nearby ladder comes PETERSON, a young man
wearing more professional attire.
PETERSON
Avery! Dr. Avery!
AVERY
What do you want, Peterson.
PETERSON
Trying to find you.
AVERY
Do you know what time it is?
PETERSON
What?
AVERY
The time. Do you know what it is?
PETERSON
Yes I do. Do you know?
AVERY
I do. You wanna know how I know?
PETERSON
Youre psychic?
AVERY
I am, but thats not how I know.
PETERSON
Then how?

2.
AVERY
This watch here. Its like a clock I keep right on my arm so I can check it an see what time
it is.
PETERSON
Convenient.
AVERY
I thought so.
PETERSON
Then you know that your shift started a half hour ago.
AVERY
I do.
PETERSON
Do you think you could respond to that fact in any way?
AVERY
I have. I have responded. I have responded by... wait for it... beginning my shift.
PETERSON
You are sunbathing.
AVERY
These are not two mutually exclusive phenomena. There is an overlap in the Venn
Diagrams of these activities.
PETERSON
The equipment is all inside.
AVERY
It is? My god. I never would have expected that. Ive only been working here for 18
months.
PETERSON
You have to monitor the equipment.
AVERY
(points to the radio)
Monitor. Over here. Look at me monitoring. Im like, hall monitoring with the orange sash
and the bathroom key chained to a lunch tray. Im like the class president over here.
PETERSON
Regulations state--

3.
AVERY
Regulations state that the equipment must be monitored by licensed technicians for at least
20 hours a day. Regulation 71C, page 322, paragraph 3, line 2. I know the book, Peterson,
better than you do. Page 323, paragraph 5, line 3: monitoring may include visual or aural
observation. I am observing via aural.
(beat)
Ive been here a long time, Petey.
PETERSON
Ive been given charge of this observatory.
AVERY
I know you have. And if you think I dont resent you for that, you are mistaken.
PETERSON
Nevertheless, I will be the one who decides the proper procedure for the monitoring of our
station.
Avery stands up.
AVERY
Let me explain something to you, Peterson. Dont worry, Ill use small words so youll
understand.
(beat)
Ive been places. Ive seen things. Ive done things, Ive had them done to me. I know you
think youre a big shot, youngest guy to be given the position of spearheading a radio
observatory. And thats great. Im sure your mom is proud. But the station youre in
charge of is literally, and I dont mean figuratively, the most remote, least supported, least
funded, least talked about, and even remembered observatory in the entire system. Not just
the US system. Friggin Togo is like, where is that again? And where the fuck is Togo?
Dont know, dont care. Ive been banished here for the past 18 months, it will be 19 in a
week and a half, and theres not an end in sight. I have a calendar in my windowless cavecell that reminds me of this every morning. Youve been here for 35 minutes. So dont tell
me how to monitor the monitors that are pointed at goddamn space, so if something comes
at us from space we can hear if they want to radio us before zapping and probing us. You
have no power over me, Peterson. If you had any kind of authority to fire me, then by god
I beg you to fire me. Since you dont I will meet the bottom-of-the-barrel minimum
requirement to maintain this station. And not a damn bit more.
Avery sits.
Peterson climbs back down the ladder.

4.
After a moment, the radio emits a noticeably different
static. There is a steady and regular pulse.
Avery sits up and looks at the radio.
He picks it up and listens for a moment.
The lights fade.
End.