The Academy

This excerpt is pages 2-11 of The Academy, following a short scene where our workers Robert and Michael have just executed a patient, they discuss some light topics before moving on to their next subject, Jason.

ROBERT

You guys do anything last night?

MICHAEL

No, I just stayed in and watched Argo.

ROBERT

I’ve been meaning to watch that, how was it?

MICHAEL

It was good.

ROBERT 

Just good?

MICHAEL

Okay, better than good.

ROBERT

Yeah?

MICHAEL

Yes, what more do you want?

ROBERT
I might rent that tonight. Where do you rent movies nowadays?

MICHAEL

Redbox

ROBERT

Redbox?

MICHAEL

Yes, redbox.

ROBERT

What’s a redbox?

MICHAEL

You’ve never rented from redbox?

ROBERT

No.

MICHAEL

It’s like this machine, you swipe your card and you get a movie for a dollar.

ROBERT

Wait, is it those machines outside of CVS and Walmart.

MICHAEL

Yeah.

ROBERT

Okay, I know what you’re talking about now.

MICHAEL

So, you’ve used it before.

ROBERT

No. I just know what you’re talking about now.

MICHAEL
Well. Yeah, I rent my movies from that.

ROBERT

Okay, cool.

(A pause)

What if I want to keep the movie longer?

MICHAEL

They just charge it to your card.

ROBERT

Ah.

MICHAEL

(Changing the subject)

Why do we kill them?

ROBERT

(A beat)

What?

MICHAEL

The patients. Why do we kill them?

ROBERT

Michael, we euthanize them because it’s Academy rules.

MICHAEL

Well, why does the Academy want us to euthanize our patients.

ROBERT

It’s cleaner that way.

MICHAEL

Meaning?

ROBERT

Meaning that we get their reenactment, and it’s better if they weren’t around anymore. Plus, we don’t euthanize them all.

MICHAEL

We don’t?

ROBERT

No.

MICHAEL

What do we do with the ones we don’t euthanize?

ROBERT

Wipe their memory. Then we relocate them.

MICHAEL

Where do we usually put them?

ROBERT

Somewhere where no one will recognize them.

MICHAEL

Okay. Well why did we euthanize Joel McNeal?

ROBERT

He was a “danger to society.” He murdered two people, remember?

MICHAEL

I guess that makes sense. How do we decide if they are a “danger to society?”

ROBERT

What do you think?

MICHAEL

Academy rules?

ROBERT

Academy rules.

(At this moment, the two men from earlier bring in

Jason and sit him at the interrogation room. He is 

blind. This is explained later. Robert looks at his

watch.)

MICHAEL

Almost time?

ROBERT

Yeah, unfortunately. I wish we got longer breaks.

MICHAEL

Academy rules.

ROBERT

Don’t be a smartass.

MICHAEL

Only for you Rob.

ROBERT
And don’t call me Rob, I’m not one of your drinking buddies.

MICHAEL

(Messing with him)

Oh, but Robert. You’re much more than that.

ROBERT 

Come on. The patient is waiting.

(They move to the room by the interrogation

room that acts like the two way mirror and look in

on the room and Jason. Robert reads the file.)

Patient #31202. Detective Jason Slate.  Want to take a look?

MICHAEL

Oh, it’s him.

ROBERT

Yes it is.

MICHAEL

And he doesn’t remember anything yet?

ROBERT

No, not that we know of. We have to handle this one differently.

MICHAEL

Because of the – 

ROBERT

Yes.

MICHAEL

So, do we not read him his Academy rights?

ROBERT

We can’t.

MICHAEL

So, how do we proceed?

ROBERT

We improvise.

MICHAEL

Alright. Well let’s do this.

(They enter)

JASON

Who, who’s there?

ROBERT

No need to be alarmed Mr. Slate.

JASON

Detective.

ROBERT

Excuse me?

JASON

I’m a detective.

ROBERT

Fair enough. No need to be alarmed detective Slate.

MICHAEL

We are only here to help.

JASON

Where am I?

MICHAEL

We cannot disclose that information.

ROBERT

We know you went through a lot yesterday. And like my coworker said, we are only here to help.

JASON

How are you going to help?

MICHAEL

We are going to reenact your day yesterday.

JASON

Reenact? What does that mean?

ROBERT

You, with our help, are going to relive yesterday.

JASON

I barely remember yesterday.

ROBERT

That’s why we’re here.

(As Robert explains this, Michael take’s

Jason’s arm and sticks a syringe in it.)

We are going to give you a drug that helps you with your memory and with your reenactment of yesterday’s events. Don’t move too much, my colleague is injecting the drug now. Alright, now if you could sit back and let the drugs work on you. We are going to step out for a moment.

(They go back to the small room)

MICHAEL

He’s a bit on edge.

ROBERT

Yeah, well the drugs will help that.

MICHAEL

What if he figures it out?

ROBERT

He won’t.

MICHAEL

I’ve been reading his file, there’s a chance.

ROBERT

He won’t.

MICHAEL

Well what if he does?

ROBERT

The Academy has rules, you know that.

MICHAEL

The Academy’s rules haven’t stopped people from dying though.

ROBERT

(A beat)

No, no they haven’t. But that won’t happen again. Understood?

MICHAEL

Understood.

ROBERT

(Pressing a button that lets him communicate with

the room.)

Jason, how are you feeling?

JASON

(The drug has caused awareness in Jason. He is

focused.)

Good.

ROBERT

Alright, we need to start from the beginning. 

JASON

Okay.

ROBERT

Let’s start with yesterday morning. 

JASON

Okay.

ROBERT

Okay, Jason. Why don’t you take us there?

JASON

It was my day off. But I had a case that I wanted to work on so I got up early anyway. My wife made breakfast.

(When Jason is in a reenactment he is no longer 

blind and moves freely in the space. He moves 

looking at files, obsessing over them.)

Honey? What’s for breakfast?

ROBERT

(From within the room)

He has a wife?

MICHAEL

That’s not on file.

ROBERT

Shit, who’s on call?

MICHAEL

Um, let me think.

ROBERT

Well think faster, he’s going to second guess the reenactment if his wife doesn’t show up for breakfast.

JASON

Honey?

MICAHEL

Stephanie. Give her a call. She’s new but she’ll do.

ROBERT

Okay.

JASON

I guess it’s Frosted Flakes and coffee for breakfast again.

ROBERT

She should be here any second.

MICHAEL

Where was she?

ROBERT

In the on call room, sleeping.

MICHAEL

Figures.

(Stephanie walks in groggy and upset. She walk into

the small room. She wears a lab coat like Michael 

and Robert.)

STEPHANIE

I thought I had a break until next patient.

MICHAEL

Well, apparently there’s a wife in this.

STEPHANIE

Dammit.

ROBERT

Why were you sleeping?

STEPHANIE

I was sleeping. I’m working two shifts today because of yesterday’s fuck up.

ROBERT

I don’t want to hear it. Just get in there.

(He stops her)

Wait a minute. I almost forgot.

(He hands out to Michael and Stephanie pills.)

Your Academy reenactment pills. Remember, we don’t have very long. We need to get this done. No mix ups, please.

STEPHANIE

What are these for again?

ROBERT

They help with the reenactment. They heighten your perception and awareness so you can be the people in his life. Now let’s take these, we’ve already administered the drug on Mr. Slate. On three, one, two, three.

(They take the pills)

Stephanie, good luck.

STEPHANIE

Thanks. 

(She enters the room and becomes the wife. From

now on the technicians will assume the roles that

Jason remembers.)