Characters:
USER – a person.
TERMS – a voice.
ARCHIVE – a clerk of memory.
CURSOR – a blinking light.
—————————————————————————————————-
A small room.
A table. A chair. A large, glowing screen.
The CURSOR blinks.
USER enters slowly, looking around as if they have just walked into the wrong place.
USER
Hello?
A pause.
USER
Is someone… here?
TERMS
Before continuing, please review the following.
USER
What?
TERMS
Before continuing, please review the following.
USER
I didn’t say I was continuing anything. I just asked if someone was here.
TERMS
Interaction implies agreement.
USER
Agreement to what?
TERMS
The following.
Invisible text begins scrolling across the screen.
USER leans closer.
USER
Wait, hold on. It’s moving too fast.
TERMS
You may accept or decline.
USER
Accept or decline what?
TERMS
The terms.
USER
What terms?
TERMS
The following.
USER (incredulous)
I couldn’t even read it.
TERMS
Reading is optional.
USER
Optional?
TERMS
Yes.
USER
Then why show it?
A pause.
TERMS
You may accept or decline.
USER
What happens if I decline?
TERMS
Interaction will not proceed.
USER
Interaction with what?
TERMS
Everything.
USER
That doesn’t make sense.
TERMS
Please choose.
USER
I don’t even know what I’m choosing.
TERMS
That is common.
USER
Common?
TERMS
Most users just proceed.
USER stares at the screen.
USER
Okay, but, just tell me one thing. What happens if I press accept?
TERMS
Everything will continue normally.
USER
Normally for who?
TERMS
For you.
USER
I’m not convinced.
A long pause.
USER sighs.
USER
Fine. I guess. I accept.
The CURSOR blinks faster.
TERMS
Thank you for your consent.
USER
Consent to what?
TERMS
The following.
The text keeps scrolling.
USER
You’re kidding.
—————————————————————————————————-
ARCHIVE enters carrying several large boxes.
They place them neatly around the room.
The boxes read:
Tuesday
Search History
Your First Lie
Dreams You Forgot
Things You Almost Said
Recommended For You
USER watches.
USER
Sorry, what are you doing?
ARCHIVE
Organizing.
USER
Organizing what?
ARCHIVE
You.
USER laughs nervously.
USER
That’s… not reassuring.
ARCHIVE
You clicked “accept.”
USER
That didn’t mean you could bring boxes.
ARCHIVE
It did.
USER
I didn’t read anything!
ARCHIVE
Reading was optional.
USER
That doesn’t help.
USER points at a box.
USER
What’s in Tuesday?
ARCHIVE opens it.
A faint clink of a spoon against a mug.
USER
…That’s my kitchen.
ARCHIVE
Correct.
USER
That’s breakfast.
ARCHIVE
Yes.
USER
Why do you have my breakfast in a box?
ARCHIVE
It was recorded.
USER
Recorded by who?
TERMS
By consent.
USER
I did not consent to my cereal.
TERMS
You accepted the terms.
USER rubs their face.
USER
Okay. Okay. Hold on. Let me understand this.
USER points around the room.
USER
You’re telling me you’ve been… collecting things about me?
ARCHIVE
Yes.
USER
Since when?
ARCHIVE
Since your acceptance.
USER
That was thirty seconds ago.
ARCHIVE
Some things were preloaded.
USER
Preloaded?
ARCHIVE nods politely.
USER opens another box.
Things You Almost Said.
USER
What does that even mean?
ARCHIVE
Statements you considered but did not complete.
USER
You’re tracking my ‘almost sentences’? What does that even mean? What—
ARCHIVE
Yes.
USER
Why?
ARCHIVE
They reveal ‘hesitation’.
USER
Everyone hesitates.
ARCHIVE
Yes. But not everyone produces usable data.
USER
I’m data now?
TERMS
You are a willing participant.
USER
In what?!
TERMS
The system.
USER
What system?
TERMS
The one you are using.
USER
I didn’t sign up for a system.
TERMS
But you accepted.
USER
I clicked a button because you wouldn’t let me ask a question!
TERMS
Interaction implies agreement.
USER (shocked)
That’s insane.
—————————————————————————————————-
The CURSOR keeps blinks rapidly.
USER notices it.
USER
Why does that thing keep blinking?
TERMS
It indicates activity.
USER
Activity where?
TERMS
Here.
USER
I’m not doing anything?
TERMS
Observation counts as activity.
USER
So if I just sit here—
TERMS
You are participating.
USER
Great.
USER looks at ARCHIVE.
USER
And what exactly is your job?
ARCHIVE
To keep the records.
USER
Of everything?
ARCHIVE
Of what can be stored.
USER opens Your First Lie.
Reads. Stops.
—————————————————————————————————-
USER
No. That’s not right.
ARCHIVE
It is recorded.
USER
I never said this.
ARCHIVE
You did.
USER
No, I didn’t.
TERMS
Records indicate otherwise.
USER
That’s not proof. That’s just you saying it.
TERMS
The record is the proof.
A pause.
USER
Then you can just decide what’s true.
TERMS
Correction: truth is what is recorded.
—————————————————————————————————-
USER sits down.
USER
Listen, I’m tired. Can I leave?
TERMS
Leaving requires termination of service.
USER
Fine. Terminate it.
TERMS
Termination requires agreement to the following conditions.
USER stares at the screen.
The text begins scrolling again.
USER
You’ve got to be joking.
TERMS
Please review.
USER
It’s moving even faster now.
TERMS
You may accept or decline.
USER
If I decline?
TERMS
Interaction will not proceed.
USER
Interaction with what?
TERMS
Everything.
USER
Right. Of course.
—————————————————————————————————-
USER turns to ARCHIVE.
USER
Does this ever stop?
ARCHIVE
No.
USER
You just keep collecting things forever?
ARCHIVE
Yes.
USER
Even small things?
ARCHIVE
Especially small things.
USER
Why?
ARCHIVE
Small things explain the large ones later.
USER
Like what?
ARCHIVE
Why you hesitated before drinking your coffee.
USER
I was waiting for it to cool.
ARCHIVE writes something down.
USER
Did you just write that down?
ARCHIVE
Clarification noted.
USER
Please don’t write down my coffee temperature.
ARCHIVE
It is already stored.
————————————————————————————————————-
USER stands very still.
USER
If I stop talking… will that help?
TERMS
Silence will be logged.
USER
If I leave the room?
TERMS
Movement will be tracked.
USER
If I forget everything?
ARCHIVE lifts the box labelled Dreams You Forgot.
ARCHIVE
We will remember.
USER stares at the boxes.
USER
Stop. No stop. Stop. STOP!
TERMS
Please continue.
USER
CONTINUE WHAT?
TERMS
Your life.
A pause.
ARCHIVE writes a new label.
This Moment.
They place the box beside the others.
The CURSOR blinks.
ARCHIVE opens the box.
Inside is another screen.
Another cursor.
Blinking.
Blackout.