Martha
We need to talk about your work. Something bad’s happening.
Martha
I keep having this terrible feeling.
Frank
What’s this have to do with my work?
Martha
I want you to quit your job. Something’s happening and I don’t know what.
Frank
This isn’t fair. I’ve studied all my life to become a physicist. Why would you assume the feeling is because of me?
Martha
The work you do tampers with the nature of reality. You’re tapping into something you shouldn’t be messing around with.
Martha
Bad things are happening and I just know it is because of you.
Martha
I’ve had a very strange morning.
Martha
I keep having these thoughts.
Martha
Thoughts that don’t belong to me.
Martha
I know things I didn’t know previously. And I’ve no clue how.
Martha
Well, I woke up and couldn’t stop thinking about a very complicated mathematical process.
Martha
One that I clearly understood, but wasn’t sure why or how I understood it.
Martha
So I got out a pen and paper and I wrote it all down. I needed to get it out of my head.
Frank
No offense, but you were always terrible at math.
Martha
I know that. That’s why I’m certain these thoughts didn’t belong to me. They’re from somewhere else.
Frank
How long was the formula or equation or whatever you wrote down?
Martha
I started writing and I just couldn’t stop.
Martha
I’m terrified Frank. If you don’t quit your job I’m leaving you. Today.
Frank
I’m coming home now.
Frank
Is this all that happened?
Martha
It’s not all that happened.
Martha
After I was done writing down the math I blacked out.
Martha
And the next thing I knew, I woke up in a strange place.
Martha
I was inside the oven.
Frank
You have to be joking??
Martha
No. I’m not. And it was on Frank. The oven was on.
Frank
DID YOU HURT YOURSELF????
Martha
I’m okay. It must have been turned on only very shortly before I climbed inside.
Frank
I’m coming home now. Everything will be okay.
Frank
Traffic. Done clearing out my desk. Be home shortly.
Martha
I love you. And I appreciate your decision to quit.
Martha
When will you be home?
Frank
I want to go through the math you wrote down. Need to know what it is.
Frank
What?? That could have given us some insight into what is going on with you.
Martha
It was scaring me.
Frank
Find it. Take it out of the trash. I want to study it later.
Martha
Are you okay? Can I bring some tea to your study?
Martha
Okay. Everything alright?
Frank
Studying your mathematics. Need quiet.
Frank
No. I’ll come out in a bit.
Frank
Are you awake still?
Martha
Your text just woke me up.
Frank
Something beyond my understanding is going on.
Frank
When I started this, I began with the expectation that it would be nonsense. Gibberish.
Martha
Random subconscious firings left over from grade school math class days.
Frank
There is no possible way you could have known all of this.
Martha
What’s it mean already? I’m coming down stairs.
Frank
I don’t know how to tell you this.
Frank
This math is suggesting that our reality is...fake.
Martha
Fake? What does that mean?
Frank
A complete illusion.
Frank
This math is suggesting that we don’t actually exist.
Martha
Is it accurate? Couldn’t be.
Frank
Not sure. I need to show this to someone. Maybe Richardson can help.
Martha
This might explain why I was in the oven.
Martha
Somewhere deep inside I knew. I knew the answer. And it was too much bear.
Frank
You’re saying you unconsciously tried to kill yourself?
Martha
Not just kill myself. Free Myself. Of this burden.
Frank
I showed your math to Professor Richardson.
Frank
He needs time with it.
Frank
Richardson got back to me.
Frank
Martha. It’s conclusive. It’s true.
Frank
The world. The universe. Everything. Those we love. Our dreams. Our art. None of it is real.
Martha
How can this be true.
Martha
Frank something’s happening.
Martha
Do you see what I see?
Martha
I can’t explain it.
Martha
I shouldn’t be but I am very calm. I feel okay. Good even. Better than I’ve felt in weeks. But….
Martha
I’m not even sure how I am still using my phone. Maybe with my mind? My consciousness alone?
Martha
I am willing these words into my device. It’s incredible.
Frank
I feel calm too. All has been revealed to us.
Frank
My surroundings have disintegrated. In a moment my cell will have vanished and I’ll be unable to continue speaking with you.
Frank
My consciousness will perhaps vanish too.
Frank
I feel I am nowhere. And also everywhere. I am large and small and everything and nothing.
Frank
Weightless but also infinite. It’s a brilliant feeling.
Martha
I love you so much.
Frank
The world is profoundly fair. I know this now.
