Case A60144

INT. FUTURISTIC OFFICE BOARD ROOM

An antiseptic white room. A long (also white) semi-curved table with four futuretech computer console boards and translucent tablets. In front of each board: a comfortable and practical computer chair. They are — you guessed it — white. The room has no decoration. There are no windows. It is completely still. Only a few recess speakers and a clock on the wall. The sole noise its steady tick, tock, tick, tock.

The automatic door opens. Four people, all 30-40 years old, enter. They have on grey uniforms that are identical, save a small black star on LUCY's. They are chatting as they come in.

DOUG

...as good as they used to be.

KATE

Not since that chef left. What was his name again?

LUCY

Of course not, he made them perfectly.

STAN

You know, I never would have guessed you could taste the difference in a cobb salad. Of all things.

They all sit. STAN, LUCY, DOUG, and KATE, respectively. Each pulling an earpiece from their pocket and putting it on.

DOUG

It's curious they let him go.

KATE

I just saw him. He made my salad and forgot the chives again.

STAN

Of course he did.

LUCY

His eggs taste different. They aren't right.

DOUG

I meant the other guy. What was his name?

KATE

They should switch places.

STAN

Right? Should be reversed.

LUCY

(tapping the power button interface on her console)

What can you do?

The others follow suit and power up. Each glass screen instantly coming alive at eye level, suspended in the air. The lights automatically dim in the room as the clean displays, filled with words of varying font sizes in a simple typeface, light up each of their faces.

DOUG

Okay...case A60144.

LUCY

Confirmed.

KATE

Confirmed.

STAN

(while playing a game on a tablet)

Confirmed.

DOUG taps on a folder within his interface and it lights up with opening files. Documents fill his screen, overlapping one another before a final basic document takes center screen.

DOUG

Male. Six foot. Two hundred and five pounds --

KATE

Over.

DOUG

-- and passed the age threshold yesterday. Location: Ohio. No real family outside of a daughter --

KATE

Yikes.

STAN

Big yikes.

LUCY glares at both of them. She points at Stan's tablet and then down.

LUCY

No tablets. Interface only.

(she waits for Stan to put it away)

Continue, Doug.

DOUG

Limited savings. No neighborhood, club, group, etc. involvement within his community. Had a few elective surgeries in his mid-forties --

KATE

Too late.

LUCY

Major?

DOUG

(checking)

Ah, no. But, otherwise no real health concerns.

LUCY

Long term?

DOUG

Percentages come out low. Some abnormalities in his lineage could pop up. But...low.

LUCY visibly thinks this over. STAN grimaces towards KATE and she silently chuckles. DOUG waits a beat.

DOUG (CONT'D)

Occupation: social worker.

STAN yawns. KATE is looking at her nails. LUCY rolls her eyes at both of them.

LUCY

(to Doug)

So, a humanitarian.

KATE

First mark in the positive column.

LUCY

It is good. Any travel for work?

DOUG

Worked between Cincy and Cleveland, but almost nothing outside of Ohio.

STAN

(sarcastic)

A humanitarian, as long as you're a Buckeye.

DOUG

Give him a --

STAN

Hey, I get it. It's not like the country --

KATE

The world.

STAN

(pointing to Kate)

The world, is a bullet train or plane away.

DOUG

Maybe he preferred his own community?

KATE

So much that he never involved himself in it?

STAN

Or the one in his own home?

LUCY

Okay!

They sit in silence for a beat. They're all looking at and waiting for LUCY. She thinks an extra second before...

LUCY

Okay, okay. Let's just hear it.

Again in unison: all four bring a finger to their earpiece. This position held in silence. Only the clock behind them making any noise while they remain unmoving. Tick, tock, tick, tock...

After about a minute, all lower their hands at the same time.

DOUG

Well that --

KATE

Pretty obvious.

STAN

Indeed.

Ignoring the arguing, LUCY grabs her tablet and scans through some documents.

DOUG

It's not --

STAN

Come on, Doug. One of the easiest cases we'll get and there's still...

(looks at computer interface)

Six more cases to get through today.

DOUG

It's procedure.

KATE

The formalities, Doug, honestly? You know what else is procedure? No small talk before cases. And --

DOUG

That's different. We know --

STAN

And meal breaks alone? We ate together --

DOUG

Jesus, you two are --

STAN

(looking at clock on the wall)

Ten minutes ago --

(noticing Lucy on her tablet)

Hey!

LUCY

(authoritative)

Let's just take it from the beginning, yes?

The other three squirm a bit, but shake their heads in agreement. KATE lets out a small sigh.

DOUG

So...male --

KATE

Overweight male.

LUCY

(glaring at Kate)

Yes. Overweight male. Overweight male with chronic asthma.

DOUG

(scanning the document on his screen)

Asthma?

LUCY

(holding up tablet)

It's in the additional documentation. So can we move him? Arizona?

STAN

(typing and looking)

Full. Found it my interface.

DOUG

Florida?

KATE

Full, too.

DOUG

California?

KATE

Is that supposed to be funny?

STAN

Obviously full, Doug.

LUCY

Texas, New Mexico, the Carolinas...

KATE

All overflow. There's nothing.

LUCY

Okay. No moving, then.

All four tap a red button in the corner of their interfaces.

DOUG

Only living family is a daughter abroad.

LUCY

Estranged?

DOUG nods. LUCY, then KATE and STAN, and finally DOUG tap the red button again.

DOUG

(sighing)

Past the age threshold as of yesterday. Fifty years, one day.

All four tap the red button.

DOUG

(uncomfortable)

Low equity.

KATE and STAN reach for their red button, but LUCY doesn't move.

LUCY

How much?

DOUG

Twenty short of the line.

LUCY

Liquid and savings?

DOUG

Yeah.

LUCY

Debt?

DOUG

A bit. The surgeries.

KATE audibly sighs again, this time louder.

LUCY

(ignoring it)

Assets?

DOUG

House, that's the bulk of his equity. No vehicle.

LUCY

He has a house? What --

DOUG

From the lottery.

LUCY

Okay...so there's an opportunity to --

STAN

Lucy, please.

LUCY thinks for a beat. KATE is irritated, swiping around and closing interface windows furiously. Shaking her head the entire time. STAN continues staring at LUCY for an answer. DOUG is also staring at LUCY, but in a different way.

Finally, LUCY reaches for her button. KATE and STAN follow suit, but DOUG doesn't move.

LUCY

(looking at Doug)

Health, family, age, equity. He --

KATE

He waited too long!

KATE is still moving things around. She holds her hand up at her screen, but this time she's looking at DOUG and accidentally taps a PLAY BUTTON. The audio blares out of the room's speakers...

CASE A60144 (V.O.)

Hello? Am I talking in the right spot?...Okay, okay...Case number six -- Sorry, my name? My name is --

KATE hits PAUSE and then STOP on the audio window. She quickly closes it. But as she's doing so DOUG brings his up, skips ahead a bit, and hits PLAY.

CASE A60144 (V.O.)

...social worker...Ah, all over Ohio, really...Yes ma'am, for about twenty five years now...

KATE gets up and tries to tap the stop button on Doug's screen. DOUG holds her off.

CASE A60144 (V.O.)

...Yes. I have a daughter...She is out of state, I think --

KATE stretches past DOUG's reach and hits the STOP BUTTON.

LUCY

Okay, enough.

KATE looks at Doug as she taps to close the audio window. She shakes her head as she sits back down. DOUG hasn't moved the entire time, just staring ahead. The silence in the room is heavy for a second before he grabs his tablet and hits the PLAY BUTTON on it.

CASE A60144 (V.O.)

...I -- I could call her and find out?

STAN

Honestly, Doug!

KATE gets up, but DOUG steps back immediately and scans ahead in the audio again. Walking around the table to the other side while it plays.

CASE A60144 (V.O.)

...I'm answering your questions here and I don't want to be dishonest. I want to tell you the truth. The truth is this isn't life. This is -- it's -- it's stats. It's nutritional info. Numbers on paper that are easily judged. Doesn't tell you who a person is, or how they treat people, or what their laugh sounds like. I --

DOUG is standing on the other end of the table now, his tablet held away from his co-workers and towards the door.

KATE

Jesus Doug!

CASE A60144 (V.O., CONT'D)

I miss my daughter. I know I screwed up but -- It used to be better. For me, you know? I had my work and everything but...

KATE begins to get up. STAN is watching her and almost does the same. DOUG and LUCY are unmoving.

DOUG

Just listen!

KATE

(simultaneous with Stan)

I have!

STAN

(simultaneous with Kate)

We have!

CASE A60144 (V.O., CONT'D)

It was better -- When I was younger and was still with my wife and -- When she was little? She loved the train. Loved it. Every time we were going to see grandma, her eyes lit up when she realized, you know? When she knew we were close? And we'd get our tickets at the window and -- those eyes when she sat down. Looking out the window, smiling at the attendant when they walked by. And then we'd take off and -- I know I screwed up, okay? I know that. So you write down or calculate or whatever you've got to do. That's fine. But this stuff? It's not life. Where's the question about that little girl? Huh? That's life, ma'am. That is life.

LUCY

Enough!

DOUG

(tapping the stop button)

Lucy. Please?

LUCY

Doug...Like I said --

KATE

What is even the case, here?

STAN

It's too late.

DOUG

(to Kate)

That he's a man that can change. Can't you hear that?

KATE

When, Doug? When? It's too --

STAN

I certainly won't be doing it that way.

DOUG

(incensed)

Oh, that's the bar now? How Stan --

KATE

No. But the bar is pretty low already and he's miles under it.

DOUG

Miles?

STAN

Are you blind?

DOUG

Are you deaf?

LUCY

Doug...

KATE

Unbelievable. We are wasting time.

DOUG

(screaming)

Wasting time?

LUCY

(standing up)

Okay!

KATE shoots her hands in the air, thanking god. STAN is shaking his head. DOUG opens his mouth to say something, but LUCY answers with a forceful finger pointing at him.

LUCY

He makes an empathetic case in his testimonial, but it's red across the board, Doug. There is...we can't keep everyone.

KATE

Cut and dry.

LUCY and STAN

(in unison)

Cut and dry.

DOUG

(surrendering, sad)

We can't keep everyone.

All four of them lay a full right palm onto the desk before a small light traces around each handprint. The interfaces go blank for a second before two large buttons appear on each screen. One green, and one red.

Each at their own speed, they tap the red button. DOUG is predictably last, and when he finally hits his the interfaces flush all documentation into a folder. The folder pulses larger for a second with a BIG RED X on it before disappearing with a bell noise.

KATE sits back as LUCY directs and STAN works each of her commands into his interface. DOUG looks down into his lap.

LUCY

(matter-of-factly)

Notify the tax board on the incoming half, and his local orphans fund for the other if his daughter doesn't claim. Contact the city about his house re-entering the lottery, and schedule an estate sale for one month's time. Again, if the daughter doesn't claim.

STAN

(looking at his interface calendar)

One month from today is President's Day, unfortunately.

LUCY

The day after, then. Send a message over to the empath team for a call to him later today. And remind them to emphasize the bodily harm tax that would go to his next of kin if violated. They missed three last week.

STAN

(typing)

Got it.

LUCY

Alright. Schedule the sleep team for two weeks from today and we'll close this out.

STAN

(still typing)

And...closed.

All four sit in silence for a beat, gathering themselves. KATE looks at her nails as STAN looks at her. LUCY scans through the remaining cases and at the clock. DOUG looks through his interface and to the wall beyond, his eyes glazed over. Only the tick, tock, tick, tock of the clock is heard.

STAN

(pointing to Kate)

Luis! That was his name!

KATE

That was not his name.

DOUG

(snapping awake)

Okay...Case C22007...

CUT TO BLACK