Play 26: if You Think About It For Too Long Your Head Explodes

CHARACTERS
1, male, 16
2, male, 16

(They sit in chairs in front of a computer.)

1
Wait, I’m not following you.

2
Okay, so you know how a single point has like no dimensions.

1
Yeah.

2
Well, you like take a point and extend it out and it becomes a line which is one dimension.

(He takes his finger and draws it in a line in the air.)

1
Okay.

2
And if you take a line and extend it it becomes a square, which is two.

(He puts his hand flat and then moves it aside to draw a square in the air.)

1
Okay.

2
And then you take a square and extend it out and you get a cube, which is three.

(He uses both hands to trace a square extending into a cube in midair.)

1
Got yah.

2
So then if you take a cube and extend it out, it becomes a hypercube.

(He starts to try to make a gesture, then stops.)

1
A what?

2
A hypercube.

1
Is that seriously the name of it?

2
Yeah.

1
Like the scientific name.

2
Yup.

1
That’s kinda funny.

2
Yeah.

1
So what is a hypercube?

2
Well, you know how every side of a cube is a square?

1
Yeah.

2
Well every side of a hypercube is a cube.

(Beat.)

1
What?

2
It’s hard to explain. Or visualize.

1
Wait, so that’s like the fourth dimension?

2
Yeah.

1
What even is it?

2
The fourth dimension?

1
Yeah.

2
Time.

1
Wait (beat.) but how does the hypercube have to do with time?

(Pause.)

2
Honestly (beat.) I have no idea.

(Pause.)

1
Wait, so what’s the fifth dimension?

2
No clue.

1
But like, would you just take a hypercube and extend it?

2
Yup, it becomes an ultracube.

1
That’s also the real name I supposed?

2
Yup.

(Pause.)

1
So how many dimensions are there?

2
I don’t think anyone’s sure really. But for String Theory to work there needs to be at least eleven.

1
Eleven?

2
Yeah.

1
What the fuck are they?

2
No clue, I’m not even sure they’ve figured it out really.

(Pause.)

1
I’m thoroughly confused.

2
Yup. Same here.

1
I think my heads starting to hurt a little from thinking of all this shit.

2
Reminds me of a line a science teacher of mine said: “If you’re studying quantum physics and you don’t feel nautious, you’re doing something wrong.” Or something like that.

1
Yeah.

2
So how the hell did this conversation start anyways?

1
No idea.

2
Me either.

1
Wait, so what’s a hypercube look like.

2
Here, one second.

(He starts typing on the keyboard.)

(They both look at the computer screen.)

(Pause.)

1
Holy fuck.

2
Yup.

1
I think I'm way more confused now.

2
Me too.

(Blackout.)