The Find
I've found something!
What is it? Ohh! What beautiful thing is it?
I can't say. I'm not sure I know what this is.
Well let me see it. Here, let me see it!
Hold on. We need to be extremely careful. I can't just hand it over to you. It's heavy.
Of course! What do you need me to do?
Step back and I'll try to bring it out.
*strains* HERE we go!
Whoooaaaah! That is incredible!
Well would you look at that!
Wow!
I know!
Is this what I...think it is?
I...I don't know... it might be?
Wow!
I know!
Here let me touch i...
NO! I mean, not yet, you have to be careful. I told you.
I know! I know! But you can't just keep it all for yourself.
I wasn't planning on keeping it all for myself.
Then why can't I see it!
You can see it! You're looking at it right now!
You know what I mean. Can I hold it? Can I touch it?
I don't know that anyone can do that. I don't know that anyone should do that.
Well then what do you think it's for? What do you do with it?
All kinds of things! You know, like, maybe have it around for people to look at it
Well, yes, of course that, but I mean, what good is it other than something to look at?
What else do you need? When it comes right down to it, this is truly the most amazing thing that anyone is ever going to see, so why should it have to do any more than that? When people look at it, they're going to feel just how we feel right now, and that will be amazing, will it not? It will bring everyone...hope! Will it not?
I suppose you're right.
Of course I'm right! I found it!
Well I helped. You can't take all the credit.
Now just a second here. You can't tell me that you think you deserve any credit for this find. I seem to distinctly remember that you were right over there behind those rocks when I came across this.
Well, it could have just as easily have been me that found it. You just got lucky. We're both part of the same mission, and I think I deserve a little credit here for being stuck on this godforsaken rock with you.
Let me just say this, then: Maybe you're right, maybe I did just get lucky. But it was still ME, I was the one who got lucky. It could have just as well been you, maybe you're right. Maybe the odds were 50/50. But at the end of the day, the 100% outcome was that I found this and you didn't!
Wow, man. You've got some nerve. I've been doing this for longer than you have. I helped train you! You're telling me that this mission is all yours, all your own, and that I had no part in this find. You're ridiculous, you know that?
*A slight tremor*
What was that?
I felt it. Just a slight tremor. We shouldn't stay here. You want some credit? Fine. Help me move this thing.
I'll get behind and fire the grav hook. Let me get into position and we can try to lift it out that way.
Good.
*Another, less-slight tremor*
Okay, I'm good back here. We've got to hurry. On the count of three, we lift. One, Two, Three.
Up!
All right, let's get this back to base before there's any more tremors.
*A third tremor, both men fall to the ground. The unlucky one is struck in the helmet by a large rock. It happens again, damaging the suit.*
NO!
Ohh! Ugh.
Hold your line! Keep it up!
I don't think I can...eeeyyyaaaahh!
*It falls*
No!
Did it break? What happened?
No...no! Not after all this.
*Stunned Silence. Both men get back to their feet. They look at ground, visibly pained. Pieces of the still-hidden find have been broken.*
I can't believe it. You idiot!
I tried to keep my end up! I couldn't...!
You tried? You...tried!? I kept my end up! You ruined it! On purpose! You just couldn't handle it, could you? My Find! My glory!
*They wrestle, though Lucky is the aggressor. The 'unlucky' one's O2 supply tube dislodges after having been previously damaged. Lucky pins down the opponent, just as the suit depressurizes. The unlucky one pops.*
Oh. Oh hell. Oh Jesus!
*stands, shocked*
Oh no. *grief stricken*
You. I... I...
*collapses back to ground*
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did this. It was... my fault. Was it?
Oh. Oh! Why? Why now? It was so beautiful. It was perfect. We had this. We had what we came for. Why now!?
*sits, grieving for another few seconds, then stands, grabs both grav-hooks and commences bringing in the Find. It finally emerges. It is a corroded piece of grid work, X-shaped. It is clearly not a natural formation*
*Base is reached. Lucky is exhausted. Collapses next to the Find*
I've found it. After all these years. Yet this find did not come without sacrifice.
*Stands. Somber and resolute in appearance*
I will dedicate this find to all those who have died for this cause. To all those who have died in the search. All those lives given up for the sake of something greater than themselves. This is for... my friend.
My friend... my...friend? No. That's not it. My rival. My opponent. He wanted to take all the credit himself, that...idiot. I'm not dedicating anything to that sad mistake.
No, I rededicate this find to the strong. To all those who overcome the dead weight of a failed species. To all those who triumph over selfishness, idiocy, to those who triumph over those human traits. Human! The word itself makes me sick! Humans die. Humans are too weak to keep their insides to themselves. Take ol' Friendo back there. Wasn't strong enough to hold it all in. Dedicate to sacrifice? Dedicate to weakness? Hell no!
*a sound is heard. a shuffling that goes unnoticed by Lucky*
I rededicate this Find to the superior ones, the survivors, the ones who did not sacrifice themselves for some foolish cause, only to die. What blood line lives on? The ones who are strong enough to not give in, to not give up. I will not give up. When I return home, there will be much marveling at THIS survivor, THIS superior specimen! My blood will live on all over the place, I'll tell you that much! Heh!
*a louder sound, then a distorted figure, a twisted spacesuit, appears*
Wha- you. You're alive! Are you... okay?
*No response. The sickly animated figure continues its slow progression towards Lucky*
Hey... man. Oh God. *backs away* Where is... your face?
*The visor is dark red. Lucky is confused, frightened.*
What the...hell?
*The figure reaches the Find. Lucky has backed away several feet. The figure pushes the find over and it thuds into the red dust. The figure sits down, lays back, arms and legs spread out over the gridiron X.*
You want it. For yourself, again, you selfish fiend! Even in death, you come to take what is mine!
*Lucky moves towards the figure and the find. He is cautious, but clearly enraged at the intrusion on his triumph.*
Get off. Get up! *L. grabs a grab-hook and fires it at the figure*
I said get up!
*The figure begins to lift off of L's find, but after a few feet, the figure leaves the grav field, lands back on the find. The suit splits apart. The find becomes covered in blood.*
Oh, come on! You sick, selfish bastard! What have you done to my Find!?
*Lucky uses the grav-hook to set the find upright again. The gridwork cross drips with blood.*
Well, aren't you just so smart. You're just so damn smart, aren't you, Pal? So here's how it goes: I take my Find back, they see it's covered in blood! They find out it's your blood! They ask me what happened, and I say it was an accident, but that doesn't matter, does it? You're all over the Find! You are one with the Find! My Find won't be discussed without your name being mentioned! Was that your plan? Was that your plan all along?
*There is no answer.*
You couldn't let me have it, could you? The one thing I wanted to do to give hope back to Civilization, you couldn't let me have it. Ha ha! Not mine to give, right? Hope?
*Silence. L weeps, briefly. He sits next to the blood-soaked discovery.*
It's not mine to give. It's not mine to give, is it? Hope. Why did you have to do this? Selfish. Smart, smug. Selfish. I could've had it all. You wouldn't let me.
*A grand tremor. Lucky acts as if to escape, but rocks are coming down on him. The only shelter he can find is under the gridiron cross. He tucks underneath. The grand tremor continues and Lucky is protected from the debris. He sits and waits and mutters, shaking his head.*
It's not mine to give. It's not mine. You took it. It's not mine. It' not mine to give. It's not mine.
*Rocks fall. Light fades. And the whispered muttering still continues in the dark.*
