The Echo Chamber.part two

Here is the continuation of Play 1

: The Echo Chamber, picking up exactly where the first scene left off.

Play 1: The Echo Chamber (Continued)Act 1, Scene 2

(SETTING: The same sterile room. The low hum of the extraction machine begins to whine and fluctuate in pitch. The golden mist inside the glass vial swirls aggressively.)

(AT RISE: ALEX frantically types on his console, trying to abort the process. LYRA remains frozen in the chair, her eyes glassy and unfocused.)

ALEX(To himself, hands shaking)Override code... come on, override. Ninety-nine, alpha, delta... clear!(The machine shuts off with a heavy mechanical click. The golden mist settles. Lyra blinks rapidly, gasping for air as if breaking the surface of water.)

LYRA(Clutching her chest)I felt... cold. Like a piece of my brain just fell through a grate. Did it work? Did you get it?ALEX(Quickly slipping the glowing vial into his jacket pocket, out of her sight)The system glitched. Data corruption. The extraction failed.

LYRA

Failed? No, it can't fail! I need those credits by midnight, Alex. They’ll lock my apartment door from the outside. My things are still in there!

ALEX(Urgent, lowering his voice)Listen to me carefully, Lyra. You need to leave. Right now. Through the loading bay door, not the front lobby.

LYRAWhat are you talking about? What did you see on that monitor?

ALEXNothing. It was a power surge. But if the corporate auditors see a failed scan on the log, they’ll quarantine both of us for "mental contamination." You don't want to go to the lower levels. Trust me.

LYRA(Standing up, backing away)You’re lying. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

ALEXI think I just did.(A sharp, red light flashes over the doorway. A synthesized electronic voice chimes: "Warning. Extraction discrepancy detected in Sector 4. Auditor en route.")

ALEX(Grabbing Lyra by the shoulders, looking into her eyes)The yellow balloon. Think about it right now. Do you remember the string? Was it plastic or twine?ALEX(Softly, tears welling)And it had a green knot at the bottom. Because I didn't know how to tie it right.

LYRA(Her eyes widen in shock)How... how could you possibly know that?ALEX

Because ten years ago, I sat in that exact same chair. And I sold you to pay for my life. Now run!(Alex shoves her toward the back door just as the heavy front security door begins to hiss open.)