SCENE 1
(Three kitchen tables set across the stage. All tables sit with two chairs each, in these chairs sit ordinary people, one in the pair opens an envelope containing a letter. )

(Focus on the pair far right stage.)
ANDREW
(Opening letter)
I see, don’t you? You see where this is coming from?
Andrew and the woman sitting next to him displays no emotion whatsoever.
ANNE
I can’t see, your finger is getting in the way of the return address.
ANDREW
It’s from Washington.
ANNE
D.C.?
ANDREW
Correct.
Andrew opens the letter and begins to read.
ANNE
And what is the letter’s nature?
ANDREW
We’re being exterminated on account of the world’s overbearing population.
ANNE
Hmm.
ANDREW
Yes. Says here we need to be at our local City Hall at no later than noon on the date of four dash ten dash twenty fifty-five.
ANNE
Why, that’s tomorrow.
ANDREW
Indeed.
(They freeze as the lights fade out on them and the lights fade up on the pair sitting at the second table center stage. The female in the couple opens an envelope. Reads the letter within.)
EMILY
William, it indicates that we will be exterminated on account of the world’s overbearing population.
Emily and the gentleman residing beside her displays no emotion.
WILLIAM
My dear, why don’t we pack our things?
EMILY
We will be exterminated, why, we don’t need them.
WILLIAM
Indeed. I see your point. When will this be taking place?
EMILY
It says that we need to be at our local City Hall at no later than noon on the date of four dash ten dash twenty fifty-five.
(They freeze as the lights fade out on the couple center stage and fade up on the couple far left stage. The male in the pair retrieves a letter from within an envelope. Reads.)
RAY
We’re being exterminated.
Ray and the lady sitting next to him displays no emotion.
FAY
I don’t see.
RAY
Can’t you read?
FAY
Of course. I went to college, in fact attended a university.
RAY
Yes.
FAY
I have been able to read since the first grade.
RAY
Let’s jump back to the original problem. What don’t you understand?
FAY
Well, why are we being exterminated?
RAY
The letter says due to the world’s overbearing population. I wonder who else received a letter? Would we be the only ones?
FAY
I suppose not.
RAY
Indeed.
FAY
When will this take place?
RAY
Tomorrow. At our local City Hall at no later than noon on the date of four dash ten dash twenty fifty-five.
(Lights fade out.)
SCENE 2
(Lights up on the three couples, along with extras, filling the rest of the stage, all looking up at one man standing a few feet above the ground on a box. The men and women talk, still, however, displaying no emotion.)
MAYOR AXLE
Ladies! Gentlemen! Please! Please! Withhold your conversations!
All talking ceases.
MAYOR AXLE
Thank you. Now, down to the reason why we are all here, gathered today at City Hall. I have received conformation from Washington D.C. Our nation’s capital that we indeed have an overbearing world population. The world is not getting any bigger, so we have to shrink our peopling. Not the population of just this town, no, but the population of the entire world. Six billion other men and women from around the globe, much like yourselves, have been selected for extermination. Our world super powers and nations have been agreeable on this and have all collaborated with each other to make this decision. The extermination process will be effortless and painless I may add, and after it’s over there will be men and women whom of which will be able to be fed since there are enough farms, everyone will be able to ride to work comfortably again and will be able to travel without it taking them six hours to get across cities such as Los Angeles because of the traffic. After this is over, here on Earth, life with be effortless, and painless. Much like your extermination process. All we now need is a lesser amount of you, therefore, here we are. Oh, one last thing of obligation, your remains will be carried into capsules and launched into outer space at every nation’s expense. Therefore, there are no worries, just the painless and effortless process to make planet Earth a much better place to exist for the rest of us left here. Okay?
Silence from all, everyone nods their heads and watches the Mayor until-
CHARLES
NO! It’s not okay!
A man fights his way through the crowd of people and stands on the mayor’s box.
MAYOR AXLE
I’m sorry I can’t hear you, that’s it climb up here.
CHARLES
I said-
MAYOR AXLE
Just speak calmly, clearly, and loudly so everyone will be able to hear. Okay?
CHARLES
I said this is not okay! God dammit are you all mad? How can you go along with this man, with the rest of the WORLD for that matter?
MAYOR AXLE
Sir!
CHARLES
Don’t you understand? We will be KILLED. WIPED from this planet and will never return. We need to fight back.
MAYOR AXLE
Sir you need to um, I can’t think of a word suitable, um...
The Mayor points to Charles.
CHARLES
My name is Charles Timothy Zane and I-
Enter two police officers.
MAYOR AXLE
Gentlemen, arrest him at my will!
The two officers take Charles into handcuffs.
MAYOR AXLE
No! SILENCE the man!
CHARLES
I say we stand up and fight the rest of the world for our LIVES! We NEED our lives to live and be on this Earth, we need to continue to have children and give THEM a FUTURE!
One of the two officers thrusts a needle into Charles’ arm. He FALLS to the stage, dead.
MAYOR AXLE
Now, we all need to listen, just step off here to YOUR right and we will get you all situated, record any last words and so on and so forth, come on.
The Mayor leads EVERYONE off stage left until only two people remain, Ray, and his wife, Fay.
RAY
Fay, wait, don’t you go with those people. Didn’t you hear the man?
Suddenly Ray is full of emotion, running through him like wildfire, ready to spread it to his wife.
FAY
Ray? Are you there? RAY?! What are you thinking? You say you want to rebel?!
Fay still holds no emotion.
RAY
Of course! You heard that Charles man, it is our LIFE! We only get one. I...I...I feel almost this, longing for you, this, I can’t think of a word, I....
Ray struggles to find a word.
FAY
Stop, Raymond, for I have heard enough. Don’t you understand the penalties that shall be marked against us for a rebellion?
RAY
I have an idea.
FAY
You do? Well use it to try and tell yourself that rebellion is not the answer. Don’t you see that there are people out there waiting to live a better life? Waiting for us to be gone so they can truly be happy.
RAY
Fay, please don’t leave me, we are going to rebel.
FAY
You are still rather mad!
RAY
I am not rather anything but sane. You know this. Deep down, somewhere, you know I am right.
FAY
What brought this on?
RAY
I saw the...the...OH! Why is it so difficult to think of words to describe the condition of these people. However, Fay, I felt something when this man said his words. Something inside my head began to move and I listened and felt his words moving inside me like a fish, and when he died, his ideas died, those wonderful ideas no one else has called to attention. That’s what has brought this on. Fay please. Take my hand.
Ray holds his hand out to his wife, who hesitates.
FAY
Ray I-
Enter a police officer from off left.
POLICE OFFICER
HEY! You all were have supposed to have gone by now. Don’t you see daylight ceasing? Come on, let’s get you ready for extermination.
RAY
Sir are you being exterminated?
POLICE OFFICER
No.
RAY
Why is this so?
POLICE OFFICER
I am an officer of humanity, serving it well and my duty is to keep order. Without me there would be chaos. Along with the other officers. Most.
RAY
So you were picked to die depending on your job?
POLICE OFFICER
Yes, and on how well you did the job. We NEED mechanics, computer technicians. We don’t need writers, authors of novels and what not. They only add useless information on the past we have already been pasted down by our families. We don’t need actors. We don’t need teachers, there isn’t a damned thing you learn in school that you can’t teach yourself. We do, however, need farmers to grow crops-
RAY
Interesting.
POLICE OFFICER
I’m sorry?
RAY
Your thoughts are so wrong.
POLICE OFFICER
Are they? How would you know?
RAY
I’m not being exterminated.
POLICE OFFICER
You were at the Mayor’s gathering, you were picked, not cooperating would result in your death by needle, implanted by officer.
The police officer reaches for soemthing in his back pocket.
POLICE OFFICER
What’s it going to be?
Ray dashes off stage left as the police officer chases him. Fay is left standing center stage.
FAY
My husband of eleven years. Even though he is mad he is the male, the ruler if you will in our relationship. Would I be mad if I followed him? I want to die in peace, not by force of police officers, murdering me with hate and evil in their eyes as they watch my heart cease to beat.
Fay turns to stage right.
FAY
Peace?
Fay turns to stage left.
FAY
Or by murder with husband? What is this? This thing inside me moving around in my brain and in my heart?
Fay turns towards stage left, then, exits off quickly.
(Lights fade out.)
SCENE 3
(Lights fade up just as Ray enters from the auditorium doors. He dashes up onto the lit stage looking around nervously, fails to notice the Mayor, sitting on a stool facing up stage.)
RAY
Lost him! Thank God. Oh, Fay. My dear, Fay. Oh-
Ray notices the Mayor sitting on the stool facing up stage. The Mayor turns to feast his eyes on Ray.
RAY
Sorry. I-
MAYOR AXLE
And just who might you be, standing in my chambers?
RAY
My name is Raymond.
MAYOR AXLE
Last?
RAY
Turner, sir.
MAYOR AXLE
Raymond Turner. Aren’t you here for the executions?
RAY
Sir-
MAYOR AXLE
Yes or no.
Beat.
RAY
Sir, let me tell you my thoughts.
MAYOR AXLE
Yes or no?
RAY
Yes, however, sir-
MAYOR AXLE
Why aren’t you standing in line like the rest of them?
RAY
That’s what I was about to explain.
MAYOR AXLE
Go on.
Beat.
RAY
Sir, don’t you think what you’re doing is wrong?
MAYOR AXLE
Wrong?
RAY
Yes, you know, if you were to say three times five is four that would be wrong.
MAYOR AXLE
Wrong? I suppose what I and the rest of the nations and towns of the world am doing is not wrong. Are you aware of the officers ready to put you down? PUT ANYONE DOWN whom of which tries to rebel?
RAY
Yes. I am aware.
MAYOR AXLE
Then why aren’t you in line like the others?
BEAT.
RAY
Because I’m rebelling.
The Mayor stands, inches towards Ray. Ray holds up a hand.
MAYOR AXLE
Are you-
RAY
Mad? No, just against the slaughter of billions, sir. I saw that man Charles give his speech and it moved me, something from within moved me and here I am-
MAYOR AXLE
GUARDS!
Raymond DASHES off stage.
(Lights fade out.)
SCENE 4
(Lights up on a stage full of extras feeding on from off left stage. They are all waiting in line for execution as Ray enters and stands on a box up center.)
RAY
Everyone! Over here! I don’t have much time so listen up!
All turn in Ray’s direction. Nod.
RAY
It didn’t move you the first time so let me be the second to address this-this is our lives, and there is a new order, we don’t have to be executed, and whoever tries to tell you different, kill them! Kill them! Fight them to the death until you are the last standing. These are straight from the Mayor and his panel of authority.
No one shows any kind of emotion. They only look up at Ray and nod.
MAN IN CROWD
Direct orders, huh?
RAY
Yes, these are straight from the Mayor.
Enter several police officers, all equipped with pepper spray.
MAN IN CROWD
What about the officers?
RAY
Kill them! They are rebelling against the Mayor!
POLICE OFFICER
What?!
Chaos. Complete and utter chaos as men and woman storm the police officers and are sprayed in the face with the harmful liquid that will blind you when used.
Enter Fay and the police officer from the beginning through the auditorium entrance. They charge towards the stage and are caught in the mix of chaos.
Ray and Fay meet far left stage, the police officer chasing Ray gets caught in the battle with the many civilians fighting the other police officers.
RAY
Fay!
FAY
Raymond!
POLICE OFFICER
It’s you!
The police officer originally chasing Ray breaks free from the crowd of civilians and charges towards Ray with his needle drawn. Before he can reach the couple, a civilian GRABS the police officer, also breaking free from the crowd, and THRUSTS the needle into the officer by force, leading his hand into the officer’s own shoulder. The police officer falls to the floor. Dead.
FAY
Raymond, I couldn’t let you go. Not after all the years we spent together.
RAY
I understand, I had hoped it would end like this. I had a...a....feeling you wouldn’t go on without me, and let those monsters kill you.
FAY
A feeling?
RAY
Yes. That’s the word that seemed right to describe what changed inside. It was a change in...feelings.
Ray and Fay stampede into the audience and exit through the auditorium doors as the chaos continues to unfold on stage.
CURTAIN
THE END