FADE IN:
INT. OPTOMETRIST OFFICE - DAY
ALICE is sitting in a chair, leaning forward into a phoropter,
facing an eye chart projected onto a wall. The DOCTOR stands next
to her chair, clipboard in hand.
ALICE
Can you do it again?
DOCTOR
(flipping a switch on the phoropter)
A...B...A...B...
ALICE
Uhh...B.
The DOCTOR jots something down on his clipboard.
DOCTOR
Alright. Now please read off the letters on the
screen, left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
ALICE
R. And then N-D-O-Z-V. Then
K-H-C-M-T-N-D-E-W--Mountain Dew? Does that say
Mountain Dew?
DOCTOR
Please keep reading.
ALICE
(hesitating)
Ok. Let's see, Z-K-N-B-U-Y-H-E-F-T-Y-H-E-F--I'm
sorry did you put ads in this test?
DOCTOR
You're almost done with the visual portion of the
exam. Please continue reading.
A BEAT. ALICE is working something out.
ALICE
Ok, hold on. Doesn't it completely defeat the
purpose of the eye exam if I can infer the next
letters from context? Also how did you get all
these letters? I happen to know that this font was
designed in the 50s and it only contained 10
characters.
DOCTOR
We cannot discuss the terms and conditions
established with our licensors. Furthermore, we
cannot share any information that would alter the
results of the experiment.
ALICE
Experiment?
The DOCTOR is stone-faced.
ALICE
Let me rephrase that, Herr Doktor. Am I currently
participating in an experiment?
DOCTOR
Yes, you are. This is stated on your patient
admission forms. Eye exams are not ordinarily
free, but it is in the interest of Takashi
Enterprises as well as to the general public to
provide eye exams in exchange--
ALICE
Ok ok, I get it. Let's just keep going.
DOCTOR
Very well. Please read the last line.
ALICE
R-C-H-O--and then it just says "kids love the taste
of Count Chocula breakfast cereal."
DOCTOR
Good. You received perfect marks on the
preliminary visual exam, which means we may now
move on to general perception assay. Preparation
will be mostly painless. You will feel a tiny
pinch at the base of your neck.
ALICE
Wait, what?
DOCTOR
(singing rapidly)
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
On the last syllable, the DOCTOR snaps his fingers.
The door swings open. ORDERLY 1 steps into the room, followed by
a cart being pushed by ORDERLY 2. On the cart are cotton swabs, a
bottle of iodine, and a large syringe filled with fluorescent
blue liquid with a massive DAWN logo on the barrel.
ALICE tries to stand up, but ORDERLY 1, standing behind her,
wraps his arms around her shoulders and uses his weight to pin
her to the chair. He's easily twice her size. ALICE turns her
head and bites his forearm.
ORDERLY 1
Ow, fuck!
ORDERLY 1 lets go and punches ALICE in the back of the head.
She's stunned. ORDERLY 2 quickly walks over, disinfects the
injection site near the base of her neck, and takes the sheath
off of the syringe. With a single motion, he places the needle
and sinks it in between two vertebrae.
ORDERLY 2
(viciously pressing the plunger with his thumb)
You're not you when you're hungry, bitch.