Mission to Mars

So this is a scene in my new play in which one of the characters talks to God. I have a feeling that in the next draft of the script I'm going to have to cut it which is why I'm posting it here. I really like it and its going to make me sad to kill this baby.
Anyway, all you need to know is that Elena is on Mars and she's been hearing music that no one else can hear.


Elena listens to the music. After a moment a beautiful Indian man appears playing the violin, we’ll call him KRISH. Elena watches him. After a while the song ends.

ELENA
Hey.

KRISH
Hey.

ELENA
It’s you.

KRISH
Yes.

ELENA
Are you really here?

KRISH
I think so.

ELENA
You could just be missfiring electrons in my brain.

KRISH
I could.

ELENA
But you’re not?

KRISH
I don’t know. You could be a brain in a vat.

ELENA
True.

KRISH
How do you know you’re not.

ELENA
I think therefore I am.

KRISH
How do you know?

ELENA
I don’t know. I try not to think too hard about that.

KRISH
Why?

ELENA
It’s too scary.

KRISH
People used to think about things like that more. Why do you think that is?

ELENA
Scientific method.

KRISH
Perhaps.

ELENA
Are you saying it’s not?

KRISH
I’m not saying anything.

ELENA
What are you saying?

KRISH
Nothing. I’m just talking.

ELENA
To me.

KRISH
Yes.

ELENA
Am I crazy?

KRISH
What is crazy?

ELENA
Am I delusional? Am I hallucinating?

KRISH
What is delusional--?

ELENA
Fine. Don’t answer. (pause) Will you play again?

KRISH
In a minute. My hands are sore

ELENA
Oh. Want me to rub them for you?

KRISH
Sure.

She starts massaging his hand.

ELENA
What is the meaning of life?

KRISH
Why do you ask that?

ELENA
I dunno. I thought that’s what you’re supposed to ask in these sorts of situations.

KRISH
What do you think the meaning of life is?

ELENA
Continuation of the species.

KRISH
Is that the meaning of your life?

ELENA
No.

KRISH
What is the meaning of your life?

ELENA
Dunno.

KRISH
Give it a try.

ELENA
I want to know things.

KRISH
So it’s pleasure.

ELENA
No... I just.. Learning things seems noble. Like, the more you know the easier it is to solve the worlds problems.

KRISH
Is that true in your life now? Are you solving the worlds problems?

ELENA
No.

KRISH
So why do you keep learning things?

ELENA
Pleasure I guess. Other hand?

KRISH
Thank you.

She starts massaging his other hand.

KRISH
You’re hands are warm.

ELENA
I know. I radiate heat through my hands. So what is it?

KRISH
What?

ELENA
The meaning of life?

KRISH
Oh. Would you believe me if I told you I made it with out meaning? I was so enraptured by the beauty of it that I never thought to give it a point.

ELENA
So there is no meaning?

KRISH
It’s sweet of you to try.

ELENA
So why...?

KRISH
Why what?

ELENA
Don’t you stop it? Stop whats going on. Bad things are happening.

KRISH
It’s not in my power.

ELENA
What do you mean.

KRISH
I can’t uncreate something. It’s like writing. Once its been written it’s there. You can’t get that ink back up into the pen no matter how much you may want to.

ELENA
I heard this theory... well, you would know if its true or not.

KRISH
Go ahead.

ELENA
Well you know how time and space are connected.

KRISH
Yes.

ELENA
And how the universe is expanding.

KRISH
Yes.

ELENA
Well when the universe stops expanding and starts to collapse in on itself time will run backwards. The dead will be born out of their graves and live their lives again until they die in their mothers womb.

KRISH
Poetic.

ELENA
Well.

KRISH
Well what?

ELENA
Will that happen?

KRISH
Time only runs one way. But then I only know this universe.

ELENA
The universe is expanding though.

KRISH
Sure.

ELENA
“sure?”

KRISH
Sure. Would that make you feel better? If all this came undone?

ELENA
No.

KRISH
You’ll never know it all.

ELENA
All what?

KRISH
All there is to learn.

ELENA
I know.

KRISH
Why’d you come here?

ELENA
I was sent--

KRISH
Why did you come here?

ELENA
To learn. To know things before everyone else.

KRISH
Fame?

ELENA
God no. Just... satisfaction.

KRISH
Oh.

ELENA
What?

KRISH
You’re weird.

ELENA
I’m sure you’ve seen weirder.

KRISH
Why’d you do this to yourself.

ELENA
What?

KRISH
Close yourself off from humanity--

ELENA
I did not close myself off--

KRISH
You’re on Mars. How much farther can you run?

Elena drops his hand and walks away.

KRISH
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.

ELENA
You don’t have to apologize.

KRISH
Yes I do.

ELENA
Alright. Apology accepted.

KRISH
I’m just curious.

ELENA
About what?

KRISH
Why you left the world behind.

ELENA
Aren’t you ominichant? (he shrugs) I mean I don’t know.

KRISH
People are nice.

ELENA
Ha!

KRISH
What?

ELENA
Do you know people?

KRISH
Why this bitterness?

ELENA
Stop it.

KRISH
What?

ELENA
Stop with the psychoanalyzing question bull shit.

KRISH
Oh. Okay. (pause) I am just curious.

ELENA
Can I ask you a question?

KRISH
Sure.

ELENA
Why don’t you stop it?

KRISH
What?

ELENA
Anything. Pick one. The holocaust, pol pot, Armenians, Rwanda Bosnia, Stalin, Congo ---

KRISH
With what? Locusts? Plague on the first born son.

ELENA
Maybe. It is in your power isn’t it.

KRISH
Yes.

ELENA
Well?

KRISH
I keep hoping you’ll learn. It doesn’t mean anything if I stop it.

ELENA
You know that’s not going to happen.

KRISH
It will someday. Is that why you’re here?

ELENA
No.

KRISH
Ever been to the Congo?

ELENA
..yes.

KRISH
Really where?

ELENA
East. By lake Kivu.

KRISH
How do you still believe in me after that?

ELENA
I believe in you. I believe in science. I believe in rocks.

KRISH
But...

ELENA
People just aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

KRISH
You like music.

ELENA
Yes.

KRISH
Music is people.

ELENA
No.

KRISH
Music is the best part of people. Music is on of my favorite surprises about you. Music and art and writing. You people can make someone fall in love with you with sound. Not pheromones or hormones but sound. Listen
(He plays a note on the violin.)
Doesn’t that make you’re chest ache.

ELENA
They say the music is signaling certain parts of the brain that are connected to emotion centers---

KRISH
So?

ELENA
So what?

KRISH
So it still doesn’t make any sense. Listen.
(He plays the note again)
That serves no purpose for food or procreation or survival. It just is. And it’s human.

ELENA
It’s you.

KRISH
I didn’t invent this. I didn’t even create the potential for it. But here it is.
(He starts to play)
What do you feel in the music?

ELENA
It’s just music.

KRISH
What do you feel?

ELENA
Heart break.

KRISH
Why does your heart break? Why not let it fall in love?

ELENA
I don’t know. It’s what I hear.

KRISH
Play with me.

ELENA
I’m just human.

KRISH
So am I.

ELENA
No you’re not.

KRISH
Aren’t these hands human. Isn’t this instrument wood? There is nothing divine here but the sound. Play with me.

She sits down at the piano.

ELENA
My parents used to play together, my mom on the piano and my dad on violin. I would build a fort under the piano with pillows and blankets and all my stuffed animals. The sounds would reverberate through my whole body, warped and deeper than they should be. In their music I could hear love. And as my body vibrated with the deep notes it was as though I was that love, given form and shape. As though I could feel nothing else in the world but love. It was how I imagine heaven feels. But heaven lasts forever and those moments slipped away so fast.

KRISH
What happened to them?

ELENA
What happens to all living things.

She pushes down the keys. They start to play together. Sad sad music, something similar to “Spiegel im speigel” by Arvo Part. Elena is very good.
The lights flicker off. They continue to play. When the lights come back on Elena is alone.