Man-In-Sea

Scene 28

LINK

I’d been thinking for a long time.

MARION

Why the sourpuss?

ED

I’m done! I’ve done nothing but sit up here for the last month and sign papers. I don’t want to do it any more.

MARION

I’m sure we can get an assistant to take care of a lot of this stuff if you want...

ED

No, I don’t want any of this any more. I look out the window onto the factory floor and it just makes me want to scream.

MARION

Look, Ed, why don’t you come home for the afternoon? I’ll make you a nice lunch.

ED

I already had something down at the cafeteria.

MARION

I’d hardly call that fulfilling, now come with me.

ED

I don’t want lunch.

MARION

What’s wrong with you?

ED

An army of killers streaking across the sky, all trained on the Link Blue Box! I built that thing to save lives, not end them more efficiently.

MARION

It does save lives, and the war is over now...

ED

So what good will a state-of-the-art flight simulator be? Until we start gearing up for the next Great War.

MARION

You made something important...

LINK

“The Luftwaffe met its Waterloo on all the training fields of the free world where there was a battery of Link Trainers!”

ED

I just wanted kids to stop crashing! You ever seen someone broken up in an airplane crash? I didn’t want to make a killer!

MARION

What did you think would happen when you signed with the Army?

ED

I have to close the plant in Canada.

MARION

Why?

ED

The RAF canceled their orders. However, they promised to utilize Link technology in the development of simulators for a number of bombers and jets currently being designed.

MARION

You said you could switch the plant to manufacture the Link-anoe?

ED

How many people are going to buy a folding canoe? We can’t employ a factory with that!

MARION

It’s something...

ED

It’s nothing! Even if I did convert the factory, I’d still have to lay off three quarters of the workers. They’re better off all going. Then they can start coming to terms with what I made them do.

MARION

Ed! Calm down, catch your breath!

ED

I’ve built up this juggernaut that smashes everything  in its path, and I’m here chained to my desk, unable to do anything but sign papers. I’m done! Do you understand me? I don’t want this business anymore!

MARION

Look, why don’t you come home, take the afternoon off and get it out of our head.

ED

Yeah, okay... I’ve... I’ve got some things I need to take care of here. I’ll meet you back at the house, okay?

MARION

Home in an hour.

ED

I promise.

MAN-IN-SEA

Cast of Characters:

LINK

An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.

ED

As Link remembers himself.

MARION

Ed’s wife.

CLAY

Ed and Marion’s second son.