Artificial garden

Scene 8: the queries in every story

The next scene starts with Marie entering a library, she waits patiently for the librarian to pace their way towards the counter. He is a tall man with circular spectacles placed on top of his head and robe-like attire.

Librarian: haven't seen you in a while. How have you been? Marie.

Marie: oh I'm fine thank you, I'm just picking up some books for home.

Librarian: don't get yourself into too much trouble.

Marie: pardon?

Librarian: you blooming noir's are always getting into trouble. I'd advise you to stay out of it but I have a feeling you do so anyways.

(Marie laughs a little)

Marie: what can I say? Once a trouble maker-

Librarian: hah, always a trouble maker.

(The librarian goes to sort out a pile of books near a shelf as Marie looks for the 'strangest' book she can find. Unfortunately she cannot find anything unusual. However she spots an odd looking shelf which she forcefully moves out of the way revealing a room filled with dusty old books and texts. The librarian looks curiously, sighs and continues with his organising.)

(She enters the room)

Marie: look at all this! .....What exactly is it?

(She grabs a book with the title 'Europe and its phenomena's' and looks at it confusingly)

Marie: what's a 'Europe'?

(She opens the book and skims through a couple of the pages)

Marie: so this is one of the continents? Madame Crone said they never had names. Hah! She was wrong! She really was wrong!

Marie: she was just lying wasn't she?

(Marie looks back at the book)

Marie: there's so many countries: Italy? England? Switzerland? What strange names. Why would she want to hide this from us? If we can't leave then what's the point of this?

(Marie grabs another book)

Marie: the Socioeconomics of the world today hmm.

Marie: war, world piece, genocide, communities. Everything she said was right but she missed all of this out: festivals, performances, music and art, holidays everything she never told us about this. She always said that we should be happy with what she and the elders gave us. That we had everything. But we don't. We don't have any of this! I didn't even know that people could have days off or go to other countries just because they want to. This is wonderful!

(Marie pulls out a stack of old newspaper clippings and articles out from one of the shelfs, sits down, and skims through some of them until she spots a name she is quite familiar with)

Marie: Arthur crone?

Marie: Doctor Arthur J. crone, scientist and former leader of the developmental sciences. Has begun to promote new medicine that targets neurological diseases? Dr Crone strikes again, with new psychological discoveries? Tabitha crone, a new generation of science?

(Marie flicks through to the end of the pile and pulls out the last few papers)

Marie: human enclosure developed to create a utopian race? Is that what we really are? Experiments?

Marie: Tabitha crone takes over father's research. Crone publically states that she is involved with eugenics. First subjects submit to lockdown including crone. That's where it ends. We really are just her little toys, play things that she needed to keep a hold of.

Marie: this also means that she really was hiding this information from every one too. I mean, who would expect that she would hide this information behind a mere bookshelf?

Librarian: it's rather cliché if you ask me.

(Marie spins around to face the librarian)

Librarian: perhaps you should work on keeping your thoughts to yourself, could get you into quite some bother.

Marie: ah I'm sorry! Did you hear everything? Please don't tell her! I don't know what she would do if she found out and-

Librarian: pipe down Marie, I have a headache.

Marie: sorry.

Librarian: I don't really care about what you find, if anything, you should keep on researching. People don't even have the free will to do so here (at least nowadays), so it's a nice sight to see. As for the crone, she hardly ever comes here, there's no need for worry.

Marie: but, what about the bookcase? Should I move it back?

Librarian: if you paid attention, it's on wheels. It's fairly easy to move.

Marie: oh.

Librarian: I put it there anyways, I can put it back when I feel like it.

Marie: I'm sorry. I didn't realise.

Librarian: you're too civil, you should be more outgoing.

(The librarian hands here a couple of papers)

Librarian: something interesting to read whilst on your journey.

Marie: how did you know I-

Librarian: believe me, you look the part.

(Marie quietly laughs)

Marie: I, better get going.

Librarian: that you should.

(Marie goes to leave, but stops suddenly and faces the librarian)

Marie: um...sorry to bother again but, why did you put that shelf there exactly?

Librarian: so she couldn't find it.

Marie: I see. Well, goodbye.

Librarian: yes. I suppose it is goodbye.

(Marie opens the door and leaves. The librarian returns to organising some of the books)

Librarian: I wish you well Marie.

Scene end