William Sugden and Kerry Lewis lie on the cold concrete floor. William's hands and feet are bound with thick rope; Kerry is hogtied with metal cuffs. Both have gags over their mouths. The room smells of damp metal and stale air. Fiona Murray and Harvey Pearson step into the shadows, carrying clipboards and casually examining their captives.
FIONA: (smiling, almost gentle) Morning, sleepers. Did you sleep well?
William tries to move. His gag muffles a groan. Kerry thrashes slightly, the cuffs rattling.
HARVEY: (leaning over Kerry) Quiet, or you'll hurt yourself. Let's make this easier.
Fiona steps forward and removes William's gag first, then Harvey removes Kerry's. Both gasp for air, coughing.
WILLIAM: (voice hoarse) What… what's going on? Who are you?
KERRY: (panicked) Why… why are we tied up? We haven't done anything!
FIONA: (tilting her head) Oh, I think you'll find you've done plenty… or at least, you're about to.
HARVEY: (grinning) We've got a lot planned for the two of you. Lots of work, lots of… movement. You'll see soon enough.
WILLIAM: (struggling) Movement? What are you talking about? Let us go!
KERRY: (desperately) Please! You've got the wrong person! I'm not involved in whatever this is!
FIONA: (circling them like a predator) Oh, Kerry… I think you're very involved. You've been very… helpful. Haven't you?
Kerry thrashes, shaking her head vigorously, cuffs clanking.
KERRY: (shouting) No! I haven't done anything! He—he doesn't even know me!
HARVEY: (mocking) Really, William? She doesn't seem like the type to lie… or does she?
WILLIAM: (looking at Kerry, angry and confused) Is that true, Kerry? You're working with them?
KERRY: (shaking her head frantically) No! William, you have to believe me! I'm not an agent for them, I swear!
FIONA: (leaning close to William, whispering) You see, she's clever. She knows how to make you doubt yourself. That's part of the fun. But it won't last long.
HARVEY: (crossing arms) You're both going to be sold soon. And by sold, I mean we have buyers lined up who want exactly what you can do.
WILLIAM: (alarm growing) Sold? Sold for what?
FIONA: Oh, nothing too… explicit. Just the kind of work that makes your life very, very hard. Forced labour, moving goods, cleaning up other people's messes. Anything that keeps you busy, keeps you under control, keeps you… useful.
HARVEY: (smirking) And there are other things. You've got skills, William. Your hands, your mind… you'll find yourself doing tasks you never imagined. And Kerry… you'll have to follow instructions, every one. No mistakes.
KERRY: (voice shaking) We won't do anything illegal… I won't… I can't—
FIONA: (cutting her off) Oh, that's the beauty of it. You won't have a choice. That's why we brought you here. You'll work, or you'll suffer. You'll be moved between locations, kept on schedule, observed… and you'll learn fast or it will hurt.
WILLIAM: (clutching his chest) You can't do this! There has to be someone—someone to stop you!
HARVEY: (laughing) Stop us? Nobody stops us. That's why we're the ones deciding what happens. And right now… what happens is that you're going to learn your place.
FIONA: (calm, almost maternal) You might even start thinking… maybe Kerry has been helping us all along. Maybe she's been making sure you're both ready for this auction.
Kerry jerks violently, glaring at Fiona.
KERRY: (screaming) No! I've never seen them before tonight! I swear! He has to believe me!
WILLIAM: (conflicted, whispering) I… I don't know…
FIONA: (leaning in) That doubt in your eyes? That's perfect. You'll see soon enough. Everyone has a part to play. Even if it isn't obvious yet.
HARVEY: (walking around them) We've got buyers who want hands that can work, minds that can think, and people who will follow instructions without hesitation. That's you two. That's exactly what they're looking for.
KERRY: (voice breaking) We won't be anyone's tools! We… we can't…
FIONA: (smiling) Oh, but you will. You already are. Every moment you spend here, every second you're under our control, you're learning. You're adjusting. And soon, the buyers will take you from us, and you'll finally see the… full extent of what you can do.
WILLIAM: (trembling) I don't want to do anything illegal… I don't want to hurt anyone…
HARVEY: (mock sympathy) That's the problem with morals. Buyers don't care about morals. They care about results. Clean results, dirty results, fast results. And you'll provide them all. Or you'll regret it.
KERRY: (pleading) William, please, you have to trust me! I wouldn't do this… I couldn't!
WILLIAM: (looking at her, voice cracking) I… I want to… I want to believe you…
FIONA: (leaning back) Belief is irrelevant. Obedience is what matters. And right now, you're at the very beginning. You'll learn fast—or the buyers will teach you.
HARVEY: (grinning) You'll clean, you'll carry, you'll sort, you'll move, you'll follow instructions… and if you do it right, maybe it won't hurt too much. But slip up once… and someone else will show you the consequences.
Kerry bites her lip, shaking her head in despair.
KERRY: (voice low) How… how can they do this? Who are they?
FIONA: (shrugging) People who see opportunity. People who understand value. And you two… you're very valuable. That's why the buyers are interested. That's why we brought you here.
WILLIAM: (swallowing hard) And… we have no choice?
HARVEY: (leaning close) You always have a choice. You can fight, you can resist… but it won't change anything. It'll just hurt more.
FIONA: (smiling coldly) Your choices are simple. Obey, or be useless. And useless people… don't last long.
Kerry's breathing quickens. William presses himself against the ropes, panic rising.
KERRY: (shaking her head) We… we can't do this. We can't survive like that…
HARVEY: (chuckling) Survival is just a matter of following instructions. Learn what you can do, do it well, and maybe you'll get through. Fail… and you won't.
FIONA: (to William) And just to be clear… Kerry isn't your enemy. She's just another piece in the puzzle. But you'll wonder, won't you? You'll wonder if she's helping us, if she's been here from the start, making sure you're… ready.
WILLIAM: (voice shaking) She's… she's not! She…
KERRY: (desperate, eyes wide) William! Don't even think about it! I'm not working for them!
HARVEY: (laughing) Oh, the beauty of fear. It twists everything. Makes you doubt. Makes you… easier to control.
FIONA: (calm, walking slowly around them) By the time the buyers arrive, you'll know your roles. You'll know the tasks, the hours, the orders. You'll understand the consequences of disobedience. And by then, your fear… your terror… will make you perfect.
Kerry presses her forehead against the floor, trying to control her breathing. William stares at the ceiling, pale and trembling.
WILLIAM: (voice barely audible) What… what will we have to do?
HARVEY: (smiling darkly) Everything they need. Moving, carrying, cleaning, running, thinking, following orders… all of it. And anything else they require.
FIONA: (leaning close to Kerry) You'll see, in time. Every task, every order, every instruction… it's all part of the… experience.
KERRY: (whispering) No… no… we can't survive this…
WILLIAM: (gripping the ropes, shaking) What… what are we going to do?
HARVEY: (stepping back, arms crossed) You'll do what you're told. You'll obey. You'll survive if you can. And if not… well, that's not our concern anymore.
FIONA: (smiling, almost gentle) The buyers will decide. And you… you'll see the full extent of what you can do.
Kerry curls slightly, staring at the floor. William shivers, pressed against his bindings, eyes darting between Fiona and Harvey. The room is heavy with silence, the weight of the threat pressing down.
WILLIAM: (whispering to Kerry) We… we have to… we have to survive…
KERRY: (whispering back) I know… I just… I don't know if we can…
Fiona and Harvey exchange a satisfied glance, stepping toward the door as they prepare for the next stage. William and Kerry are left, frozen and terrified, imagining the criminal work and the unknown that awaits them.