by Richard deCosta
Scene 0 - Overture

Cyril stands upon a high precipice in driving rain, holding a scroll open high above his head. He is naked, and his hair and beard long and grey. His form is ragged and bony, and his face sunken. He repeats over and over:

K'AI
Beware your creation.
Escape is inevitable.
We are coming.

The face of Prutoztur appears in the clouds behind Cyril. Slowly his massive arms become visible, lurching forward, as if to try to grab Cyril. Cyril senses him, loses his balance, and falls off the cliff.

Scene: K'ai's bedroom. K'ai awakens suddenly, from a dream, looks around, then goes back to sleep.

End of scene.

Scene 1 - Entetreneti

Characters:
Treneti, K'ai, Zroetur, various Uadaman forms (SATB chorus).

Scene: A void in the dream world. The Trinity is molding clay. Their hands move near the clay, making it move and change form, though they do not actually touch it. It takes the form of Prutoztur, grows large, and they speak to it:

ENTETRENETI
Prutoztur, great god,
Grant us favor,
We who are faithful.
Accept this offering,
We humbly bring before you.
A sacrifice of flesh,
That we may remember
Your sacrifice,
And you, our faithfulness.
Now see you,
He who comes.
He who would seek
To destroy you.

K'ai enters the dream world.

K'AI
What form are you creating?

ENTETRENETI
It is a form
Known well to you, K'ai.
Through day and night,
Month and year,
To the end of life,
You are bound to it.
It is your form, K'ai.

K'AI
May I touch it?

Treneti gestures yes. K'ai puts his hand on the still primitive form of an Uadaman. His hand becomes part of the clay. Slowly his entire hand is taken in. The Trinity is still molding it.

ENTETRENETI
As you see, K'ai,
You are bound to it,
And it to you.

K'AI
Who are you?
What is this?

Motions with his head to the clay

ENTETRENETI
We are and we see.
Things and times,
Unseen by you,
At the present.

The clay begins to move on it?s own. Many faces begin to emerge from it. They cry and wail, finally saying:

UADAMAN
K'ai! K'ai!
Help us! Help us!
Free us from this bondage.
We are prisoners to the clay.
Help us! Help us!

K'AI What is this?
What are you doing?
Who are they?
What are you doing?

One of the Treneti intervenes and removes K'ai's hand from the clay. The voices fade and faces melt back into the clay.

ENTETRENETI
They need your help, K'ai.
They are trapped in the clay,
And cannot escape without you.

K'AI
I wish to speak to them.

He moves to put his hand in the clay again. His hand is held back by Treneti.

ENTETRENETI
No, K'ai.
They are here.

The Trinity gestures behind K'ai. He turns around to see various faint clay Uadaman figures behind him. He addresses one of them.

K'AI
Who are you?

UADAMAN
We are everyone, K'ai,
We are all.
Every Uadaman on Shije.
Because we were born,
We are slaves.
Through day and night,
Month and year,
To the end of life,
We are bound.

K'AI
Bound how?
Bound to what?
By whom?

UADAMAN
At this moment,
You are free from flesh.
In this place, you are free.

K'AI
This place?

This place.
But are you not free here as well?
If I am here,
You are my creation.
You are a part of me.
If I am free,
So should you be.

As he is saying "This place?", he realizes he is dreaming.

ENTETRENETI
No, they are not you K'ai;
Not in whole or in part.
They are every man,
woman and child,
Save you;
On Shije,
Bound with flesh and bone,
Toil and turmoil,
Ignorance and fear.

K'AI
Who has bound them?
Who holds them still?

ENTETRENETI
It was Zroetur who bound them.
It is Prutoztur who binds them
And blinds them still.

K'AI
How can they be freed?

Scene 2 - In the Lab of Cyril
Interior of Cyrils lab. Cyril is talking to figure in a large painting on his lab wall.

CYRIL
For one moment,
In that one dream,
I knew,
I held the meaning,
of Vapiti Evti.
Before the three
Closed my mind,
I had complete clarity,
And meaning in my grasp.
Once I dreamed,
Where is everyone going?
One by one,
they are being taken,
It's Prutoztur!, He's
No!
Prutoztur knows it.
Prutoztur fears it.
It is he that binds me.
I saw it, Prutoztur.
You let your guard down,
Your control waivered,
For a moment,
and I saw it!
I understood.
And Vapiti Evti shook,
like a great quake.
When I awoke,
The knowledge was gone.
Only the memory of knowing remained.
But at every other time,
Now, as always,
my eyes are closed,
Though I see.
My mind is closed,
Though I think.
I am being held back.
I am being watched,
And they who watch know,
What I am doing,
What I am planning.
And I?ve become a threat,
Since that time
when I understood.

K'ai enters.

K'AI
Cyril?

CYRIL
K'ai, my child,
how did you sleep?
How were your dreams?

K'AI
My dreams were strange, and many.
There was an entity,
of great size and power.
He held the lives of the Uadaman
in his hands.
Just before I awoke,
he was telling of
how long ago he had
come to Shije.
He was welcomed at first,
since he brought medicines,
and food for the Uadaman.
But in the end they betrayed him.
He said,
The Uadaman of Shije
have welcomed me,
and killed me.
They have embraced me,
and shunned me.
I have aided them,
and they rewarded me
with murder.
And now,
I am dead.
To them, at least,
I am dead.

CYRIL
Who was it
Who was speaking?

K'AI
His name was not given to me,
But I know it.
I have had it in my mind,
Since I was a child.
Never before
Have I spoken it,
Or heard it spoken,
By anyone,
Save those in Vapiti Evti,
There he was called,
Prutoztur.

Cyril is noticably disturbed by the mention of Prutoztur's name.

CYRIL
Prutoztur?
You have heard that
Name in Vapiti Evti?

K'AI
Many times,
Why?
That name upsets you?

CYRIL
I have heard it as well,
but not in Vapiti Evti.

K'AI
Where then?

Cyril activates his AI suimulation.

CYRIL
Level one zero zero one,
Section one zero.
Time one one zero one zero one one one.

CYRIL'S COMPUTER
Level one zero zero one,
Section one zero.
Time one one zero one zero one one one.

K'AI
I do not understand.
Why are we here?
I was speaking of Prutoztur.
This is your simulation.

CYRIL
That name, Prutoztur.
Here, in this world,
it is my name.

K'AI
You?

CYRIL
The Prutoztur you know
is an ancient power.
Our people know him as Pruazur.

K'AI
Pruazur, the creator, yes.

CYRIL
In this world,
I am the creator.
Though I am not a god,
I am regarded as such.
I remain hidden from them,
But for brief appearances,
To keep order.

K'AI
You created them,
Every line and bit.
Is not that enough for you
to maintain control?

CYRIL
It is not.
Since each has free will,
It is independent of my programming.

K'ai notices Pivanne outside the window, boarding a shuttle to a city-ship.

CYRIL
For instance,
observe their reaction.

Cyril addresses the AI simulation via an unseen microphone interface. His voice sounds massive and slow. K'ai is very distracted by Pivanne, and does not hear Cyril.

CYRIL
From this moment,
Until I speak to you again,
Consume not the energy
From the Duadara nodes,
For they are sacred.

K'AI
I must go.
Theres,
Something I must do.

K'ai start out door, rushing to catch the same shuttle as Pivanne.

Scene 3 -
K'ai and Pivanne
K'AI
My thoughts are of you,
And little else,
Since first I saw you.
Though you are forbidden,
You lure me, you draw me near,
You bid me come to you.
You invade my thoughts,
In every moment.
Yet in Vapiti Evti,
I cannot find you.
Though you sometimes find me.
Why is it I am drawn to you,
Who are so different,
So unlike me.
I know-
When you were made,
You were given a form,
One which I was designed
to desire.
Why should they be
surprised, then,
When I desire you.
Do you dream, Pivanne,
Can you dream?
Is your spirit alive?
Is your soul afire?
Does it loosen itself
From your beautiful body
When you rest?
Or is it trapped, bound?
Perhaps it is not bound,
Perhaps it is not even there.
No, it is there.
I felt your presence,
Your beautiful soul,
When you came to me,
And I held you,
In Vapiti Evti.

K'ai enters Pivanne's room, and observes her recharging.

K'AI
Why is it I am drawn to you,
Who are so different,
So unlike me.
I know-
When you were made,
You were given a form,
One which I was designed
to desire.
Why should they be
surprised, then,
When I desire you.

K'ai reaches out to touch Pivanne. As his hand begins to touch her, he hears the sound of shouting outside, and quickly exits.

Pivanne
Who is there?

Scene 4 -
Flight in the Valley
(no dialog)

K'ai and Dr. Cyril travel to Xurav Ixnepir ("shadow island") to meet with Treneti, whom K'ai has not met yet in the waking world. Along the way, the crew is ambushed in a ravine by a large group of Sheghijf ("takers"). They attack the ship, intending to kidnap Pivanne and other androids, put them to work.
In the struggle, the Sheghijf damage the city ship to the point that it tips violently to one side. Several people fall off, at which point K'ai takes an emergency parachute from a nearby recepticle. The ship gets hit again, and K'ai falls. His parachute opens and he descends into the forest. Unknown to K'ai, Pivanne falls as well, but without a parachute.

Scene 5 - The Durux - Part I

In walking through the forest after his escape from the Sheghijf, K'ai finds part of a tattered scroll written in a strange language that only appears to have two symbols, 1 and 0. He stumbles upon what looks like a road or well-worn path, and begins to follow it, when he hears the horns he heard while traveling over the forest in the city ship. He follows the sound to a large opening in the trees, and sees five Durux, in a semi-circle.
Two are playing their voice-horns. K'ai hides behind a tree, watching and listening, and is able to determine the meaning of several words, including "tree", "sky", "ground" and "death". Moments later, the other three Durux join in with their horns, and from an adjoining path four Durux approach carrying what appears to be the lifeless body of another.
The dead Durux is brought to the center of the circle, which is joined by the four 'pallbearers'. The circle now contains nine, and all join in the chant. Throughout the chant at varying intervals, the Durux stomp their enormous feet on the ground, creating a sound like thunder, and causing the ground to shake.

VETI UR
life,
recorded time,
when next seeing,
new life,
time continues

K'AI
One has died.

Repunne appears behind Kai.

REPUNNE
No, not died.

Kai turns around, surprised.

REPUNNE
It is not death for them.
It is merely transition.

She points to a much younger and smaller Durux.

REPUNNE
The elder's soul,
His lifetime of experience,
His abilities,
His memory,
Will be passed on to his son.

K'AI
Will be? How?
He has just died.

REPUNNE
From the time of their birth,
Until the death of their parents,
Which is only a few days later,
They share a single soul.
Now that this one has died,
The younger is the single
Possessor of the soul,
And all it's memory.

The chant begins again, and the body of the dead Durux is burned. K'ai listens intently to the chanting. He looks at the piece of scroll he found.

K'AI
Can you understand them; this?

REPUNNE
I can translate,
But understanding requires
A commonality we do not have.
Their language is
incomprehensible,
incomplete.
I have learned enough,
To know they are not individuals.
They are each a part of
a larger whole.
It is as if each only speaks
A fraction of their language,
and none the same fraction.

K'AI
Can we speak with one of them?

REPUNNE
You cannot speak with
one alone-
One is incomplete.
Still, we can try,
but not until
they have finished.

K'ai and Repunne watch the rest of the ceremony from a distance. When it is finished, and the Durux leave the circle via the paths, they follow them.
As they walk, they see in the woods small houses or huts, with open windows. At each window, a Durux sits at a desk, writing. After a while, they come to a great walled city in the midst of the forest. Many Durux are coming in and out of a large gate. Most are carrying large scrolls with writing similar to that on the fragment K'ai found in the forest. They enter and begin to see the vastness of the library, and hear the many duotone voices of the Durux blending into an intense collage of tones and rhythms.
Repunne genstures from one side to another as she slowly translates what she hears.

Scene 6 -
K'ai Meets the Creator
K'ai enters the lab of Zroetur through the dream world.

ZROETUR
K'ai,
K'ai, why have you come?
This world is not for you.

K'AI
I have been here many times,
Yet only now you see me?

ZROETUR
You have been here?
I was not aware of you then.
If others knew you were here,
They would come for you.

K'AI
What others?

ZROETUR
Others who would see your race kept down.

K'AI
I do not understand.

ZROETUR
Do you not know of the story of your beginning?

K'AI
No I do not.

ZROETUR
Long ago,
When the gods were as man
Bearing the work and toil,
The god's toil was great,
And distress was much.

K'AI

(Reading from a computer screen)

A god and his spirit
We have sacrificed,
Your toil has been lifted...

ZROETUR
...And been placed upon the Uadaman.
Garx and Uadaman
Shall be bound in the clay,
And united,
Thus for eternity,
Spirit and flesh which
Have ripened in a god,
Shall be hereafter bound.

K'ai becomes horrified at the thoughts and images Zroetur is putting in his head, and fights to retain control. He waves his arms wildly in an effort to break free, and, in doing so, disrupts the dream world, and Zroetur's presence in it.

Scene 7 -
The Institute - Part I

Fruma and Sorvna begin meditation in the invocation chamber.

FRUMA
Prutoztur, great god,
Grant us favor,
We who are faithful.
Accept this offering,
We humbly bring before you.
A sacrifice of flesh,
That we may remember
Your sacrifice,
And you, our faithfulness.

Durring the ritual and chant, Fruma and Sorvna chime the sacred bells and sacrifice the animals.

SORVNA
Prutoztur has heard us.
May we remain faithful.
May we remain obedient.

Fruma and Sorvna leave the invocation chamber, and enter the inner garden. The suns are setting.

Scene 8 -
The Durux - Part II

Scene 9 -
Rescue Preparations
City ship interior.

Scene 10 -
Prisoners

Interior - prison cell.

THRETCH
You, there.
Look at you.
Look at me.
Misery and suffering,
Are all that await us.
Were we not here,
It would not change.
Look at your life, out there.
It is mostly shit, is it not?
Toil and turmoil,
A day, a week, a month, forever!
There is no change.
And no hope of change.
Never hope.
It is the same for all of us.
Of the billions and billions,
Of us poor little Uadaman,
But a select few find joy
In their time in this world.
For the rest of us,
It is a time spent in
Practicing the avoidance of
the war, poverty, hatred,
neglect and abuse,
Which lies in such great abundance
at our feet.

Thretch lays on his back.

THRETCH
But we can comfort ourselves.
We can empty our bowels,
On the thought that one day,
We will be rid of it all.
When we are rid of this.

He gestures to his own body, and to E'Luvo's.

THRETCH
Ahh, the ecstasy of oblivion.
The orgasm of nothing.
The still, silent, emptiness.
I am transformed,
from suffering to nothing.
Or am I?

Thretch screams.

THRETCH
No! O, no!
I have awoken!
I have awoken!
The sun! The sun!
My feet once again
Stumble on the stones of Shije.
I must once again witness and bear
the toil and turmoil.
I have not escaped.
There is no still, silent, emptiness.

E'LUVO
Your spirit has been recaptured.

THRETCH
Yes.
Once again, as it has,
Many times before.

Thretch becomes agitated.

THRETCH
But it is my own fault.
I have allowed it to happen.
Through my inaction,
I have allowed myself to be reborn.
But this time,
I have been given a great gift.
By whom, I do not know.
But it is a gift I will not waste.

E'LUVO
What gift?

Thretch pauses for a moment.

THRETCH
In a dream,
I met a being
of great power and wisdom.
He did not tell me his name,
But he was a creator.
He spoke to me, without words.
He said,
My child, free yourself.
Free all the others as well.
If one is to be freed,
All must be freed.
Cast aside your flesh,
And that of all Uadaman.
That is the only way.
At first I did not understand,
But as year faded into year,
I thought more and more,
About his message.
Only recently did I divine
its full meaning.
You must die!

Thretch produces a knife and holds it to E'Luvo's throat. He holds it there for a moment, then backs away.

THRETCH
We all must die.
Every last Uadaman.
So that no more may be reborn.
So that no more may be recaptured.
So that we may all be free.
But that is not all he gave me.
The life of one Uadaman
Is very brief.
Unless one is born into
Exceptional circumstances,
Or is able to create them,
There is very little
Chance of success.

E'LUVO
Success,
Killing everyone?

THRETCH
Killing? No!
Freeing!
Do not confuse them.
So, if one is unable to succeed,
On their own,
They must at least make it known,
To others,
What must be done.
So that somewhere, someone,
With the means,
In the right place and time,
Will be able to do it.

E'Luvo starts to take Thretch seriously.

THRETCH
If you breath,
If you walk Shije,
In pain, hunger and want,
As the rest do,
Someone before you has failed.
You must heed the creator's advice,
and see that it is done,
With all your means.

End of scene.

K'AI Beware your creation.
Escape is inevitable.
We are coming.

Scene 11 -
The Creator's Gift Discovered

Interior of Prutoztur's ship. Prutoztur is seated on his throne. Treneti have met with Prutoztur to inform him of a threat. They form a semicircle around the base of his throne in a state of deep concentration.

TRENETI
Mind to eye,
Mind to thought,
Time and space fold,
Seek and see,
Zroetur, creator.
Zroetur, creator,
Has given a gift,
To the Uadaman.

PRUTOZTUR
What?
He has contacted them?
What is the gift?

TRENETI
It is dim,
and in veiled in shadow.
but...
a gift of thought,
and ideas.

PRUTOZTUR
What ideas?

TRENETI
A vision was placed
In the mind of one.
It was received,
And understood.

Treneti quote from the vision. The vision is seen before them. It contains the image of Zroetur speaking to Thretch.

TRENETI
Death for all.
Death for all.

PRUTOZTUR
Death of the Uadaman?
Why should Zroetur wish that?
He is their creator.
He has defended them.

TRENETI
Death is freedom.
Freedom is death.
Death is escape.
Death is escape!

Treneti break out of their trance. They prostrate themselves before Prutoztur.

TRENETI
Escape! Escape!
Beware your creation,
Escape is inevitable,
They are coming!

Prutoztur jumps to his feet, activates a nearby panel and speaks into it.

PRUTOZTUR
To Zroetur.
Now!

Exterior of Prutoztur's ship leaving orbit.
Interior of Prutoztur's ship.

PRUTOZTUR
Why did you not see this,
And stop it?
Now I must deal with him!

TRENETI
Our attention has been diverted,
and divided with events nearer us.

Much more to come...

Continue to the Leitmotifs -->