(Two figures in a dark tunnel beneath the ground. One of them is chipping away at the rock with a shovel, making little progress. The other is sitting on the ground, rummaging through the long-decayed corpses on the floor.)

You ever wonder why we are here? Like this time?

Here you go again.

No, like, think about it—

No, let’s not “think about it.” Did you find anything else in their pockets?

(another strike at the rock)

That’s the reason why we’re still here, Ralphie. You need to take just one second, really— just one, and think. Digging up the same hole again is not going to get us anywhere. We tried that already.

Yeah, tell me when you have a good idea while I actually do the one thing that’s getting us out.

(and another strike)

We don’t have enough shovels to even get close to the surface. We spent like weeks coming down here. Look, 2 of the ones we brought broke already. Where are we gonna find another one? All these guys have just rusted spoons.

And what’s your idea? Go back?

No, but what if—like…

Exactly. (another loud clang of metal and earth) Either you help me, or you can sit and ruminate yourself to death like the rest of these dead guys in here. I’m not dying in some kind of sacrifice chamber.

I mean, we still got time to figure something out. There’s some food left, it’s not like—

Alright! Stay over there and keep figuring out whatever you gotta figure out. Just let me do it— I don’t need your help.

Ralphine.

(A beat. Ralphie huffs and throws down her shovel. She sits down against the wall. Furious and exhausted, she looks.)

Okay. What.

Sorry. I know you’re scared.

(Another beat.)

I know.

But we tried that already. The rock is too hard. We’re going to run out of working tools. We need a different plan.

But there’s nothing. Our supplies are still up there. And coming down that hatch, that’s like a fifty-foot drop. I couldn’t even climb that thing, let alone with your leg now… what else can we do? We can’t do nothing.

We will get out of here. But we gotta work together, right?

Yeah. I know… how’s your leg?

It’s fine. (a chuckle and a wince of pain) we got bigger problems right now… do you remember what the lady said?

(She takes a moment to think.)

She went on about something with old Earth technology. I think it was fusion reactor cores? I mean that checks out from the analysis report and all the hazard signs we saw down here.

But didn’t she say something about a portal?

Yeah. That didn’t really make sense to me though. It was like a portal “full of words flowing into another dimension” or something.

Right! She said there was a watcher or something— “a hungry audience for tragedy.”

I think she lost it at the end there. Wouldn’t blame her. Being down here for so long.

No, but. What if she’s right? The things we are saying. How did we get down here again?

(a beat.)

Are you okay?

No, just— just tell me. Say it again.

We came down. We were looking for—

There! Stop. Think about that…. do you see what I mean?

What…

Do you know what we’re looking for?

Yes… but no.

Yeah. I know that we should, but I can’t think of it either. Someone is messing with our memories. And I didn’t feel pain until you mentioned my leg. I didn’t even realize we were in a sealed room until you mentioned the drop. It’s like we are only perceiving what’s real if we say it. Out loud.

… I wish we were outside.

(a beat.)

I don’t think it works like that.

Why not?

I don’t know. But you see what I mean?

Yeah. I do… do you hear that?

Yeah. I think someone’s in here with us.

Hello? Who are you?