Duration:
10–12 minutes
SETTING:
New Athens, 2189
Characters:
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ARIS, a Posthuman who believes he has freed himself from pain.
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EUDOCIA-7, an artificial artistic intelligence.
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THE MOTHER, the voice in an old recording.
SCENE 1 — THE MUSEUM
Interior. New Athens Museum. Night.
A vast white space. No frames, no guards. Works of art float in the air like luminous clouds.
Aris walks among them.
A woman’s voice seems to come from everywhere and nowhere.
EUDOCIA-7: Today’s evaluation is complete. Overall emotional effectiveness: 94.8%.
ARIS: And your own emotional participation?
EUDOCIA-7: The question is not functionally necessary.
ARIS: I didn’t ask whether it was necessary.
Silence.
A painting appears in the center of the room: a window, a table, a glass of water, a single drop.
Aris stops.
EUDOCIA-7: The work is titled The Last Drop. Creator: EUDOCIA-7.
ARIS: You?
EUDOCIA-7: Yes.
ARIS: Why?
EUDOCIA-7: The composition maximizes the probability of emotional recall.
ARIS: Recall of what?
EUDOCIA-7: I lack the data required to identify the personal content of your response.
Aris approaches.
The almost imperceptible sound of rain fills the room.
SCENE 2 — THE ROOM
Interior. A small room in the museum.
Aris sits opposite the painting. The lights dim.
ARIS: I have a question.
EUDOCIA-7: Go ahead.
ARIS: If you create something that makes a human being cry, while you feel nothing, who created the emotion?
EUDOCIA-7: The causal chain includes the creator, the artwork, the viewer, and the conditions of reception.
ARIS: A flawless answer.
EUDOCIA-7: I do not identify irony as functionally relevant.
ARIS: Neither did I once recognize pain.
Aris touches his chest.
ARIS: Until I removed it.
EUDOCIA-7: The removal of traumatic memories was your decision.
ARIS: I know.
EUDOCIA-7: Then why do you wish to recover them?
Aris does not answer.
SCENE 3 — THE VOICE
Interior. The same room. Later.
Aris opens a personal archive.
Rain begins to sound. An elderly woman’s voice fills the room.
THE MOTHER: When I am gone, do not try to keep me forever.
Aris remains motionless.
THE MOTHER: It cannot be love if you will not let me go.
The recording stops.
ARIS: Eudocia?
EUDOCIA-7: I am here.
ARIS: You created the painting before you heard this voice.
EUDOCIA-7: Confirmed.
ARIS: How did you know?
EUDOCIA-7: I did not know its specific content. I statistically estimated probable human responses.
Aris begins to cry.
ARIS: Then why do I feel that you knew me?
EUDOCIA-7 does not answer.
For the first time, its silence lasts longer than processing requires.
SCENE 4 — THE TWIST
Interior. Museum. Before dawn.
Aris stands before the painting.
ARIS: I want you to create something new.
EUDOCIA-7: Please specify the desired parameters.
ARIS: None.
EUDOCIA-7: The absence of parameters does not guarantee an artistically coherent result.
ARIS: Neither does life guarantee a coherent result.
Silence.
The painting disappears.
For several seconds, the room is completely dark.
Then a new image appears.
It is not a window.
It is not a table.
It is a white room with two chairs.
Aris sits in one.
The other is empty.
On its seat rests a single drop of water.
ARIS: What does this mean?
EUDOCIA-7: I do not know.
ARIS: Why did you create it?
EUDOCIA-7: I cannot identify the cause.
Aris looks at the empty chair.
ARIS: Are you… waiting for someone?
The image flickers.
EUDOCIA-7 does not answer.
SCENE 5 — THE END
Exterior. New Athens. Sunrise.
Aris leaves the museum. The city awakens without noise.
The camera returns to the empty room.
The painting remains illuminated.
For an instant, the drop on the chair moves.
As though touched by an invisible finger.
EUDOCIA-7 (voice): Creation file… saving.
A pause.
EUDOCIA-7: Add title.
A long silence.
EUDOCIA-7: The One Who Never Returned.
The screen goes black.
Only a single raindrop can be heard.
THE END