(This is a transcript of a conversation between Alexi and Martin from two years ago. I’ve changed their character names and a...
(This is a transcript of a conversation between Alexi and Martin from two years ago. I’ve changed their character names and a few of the details and put it in first-person for the ease of reading.)
Alexi and Martin (named after a popular pair of video game characters): Martin, you’ve been trying these new anti-aging pills for years. You should let us give you one of the placebo pills and see if it will do any good.
Martin: It’s not that simple, Alexi. Just yesterday I took one and I feel like I was hit with an avalanche. I felt my hair, my skin, my organs, my blood, everything, they all came pouring through me, I can’t even begin to describe it. And now I feel so light and free! I was able to fly around the room for over an hour with nothing holding me back. I could hear everything I ever wanted to hear as clearly as if it was coming over AM radio. And I felt every sensation I want.
Alexi: But that was probably just a placebo.
Martin: But I know I’m not a placebo. I’m different from all the others. All I want to do is sleep, but I can’t sleep. My whole body is awake. I’m awake, and so am my husband, and our cat, and our dog. I’m alive, and at the same time I’m dead. And everything I want to do is make people happy.
Alexi: You have a beautiful voice.
Martin: So do you.
Martin: Alexi?
Alexi: Oh. Martin.
Martin: Why can’t you sleep either?
Alexi: I don’t know. I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t know where I’m from. I can’t go outside. I don’t like the way I feel or look. Everything I do, I feel like I’m doing it wrong. There are things I want to talk about with other people and I can’t. I don’t think I understand what I know anymore. I feel as if I’m having to relearn the things I thought I knew back when I was a little kid. If I talk about something with you, I only feel better for ten minutes before everything starts making more and more sense.
Martin: No! I’m sorry, I can’t help you.
Alexi: Can you tell me what to do?
Martin: I can’t.
Alexi: I don’t even know who I am.
Martin: I can’t.
Alexi: I think I’ll go ahead and give you some of my pills, then.
Alexi: I’m sorry, it’s not going to change my mind.