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Prologue
1969
Moonlight
The night of the Moon Landing.
THE ASTRONAUT stands centre-stage, visor down, looking out towards the audience.
We hear radio chatter from the Apollo 11 mission.
SYLVIA enters slowly, watches him, then walks into the arms of THE ASTRONAUT.
He picks her up gently and spins her round before placing her back on her feet.
They look at each other briefly.
She starts to undo THE ASTRONAUTās suit.
The radio chatter increases. Building in volume and intensity.
They are both now fumbling and pulling at each otherās clothes.
A faint, slow countdown starts coming from another room, ā10ā¦ 9ā¦ 8ā¦ā
SYLVIA jumps up and wraps her legs around him, ā7ā¦ 6ā¦ā
She grinds her body against his. (It is the greatest sex imaginable.) ā5ā¦ 4ā¦ 3ā¦ 2ā¦ā
ā1ā¦ā He holds her up into the air.
SYLVIA floats there. She opens her arms in ecstasy. A moment of beautiful silence. She continues to float upwards, above the head of THE ASTRONAUT.
Neil Armstrongās speech fills the room:
āOne small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.ā
THE ASTRONAUT slowly turns, moves away upstage, and disappears.
We hear a cheer from within.
SYLVIA drops suddenly to the floor.
Blackout.
PART ONE
1969
A Party
Earlier that same evening. DENNIS is dressed as an astronaut.
DENNIS. Is it just me or is this bloody amazing.
SYLVIA. Youāre so pretty, Dennis. Has anyone ever told you that?
DENNIS. There is a man on the moon, our moon, as we speak and we know cos we can watch it on a television.
SYLVIA. Has anyone ever talked to you about your eyes?
DENNIS. A box. A box is showing me pictures of another man actually in space.
SYLVIA. I mean really talked to you?
DENNIS. Are you alright?
SYLVIA. Itās just amazing as you say. What about your lips?
DENNIS. What?
SYLVIA. Your lips.
DENNIS. What about them?
SYLVIA. Exactly.
Beat.
She kisses him.
You taste likeā¦ red. Like poppies.
DENNIS. You taste likeā¦ have you been sick?
SYLVIA. A bit, yeah. Earlier. Itās fine now though, Iām sober. Soberer.
We landed on the moon, you know.
DENNIS. I know. Iām trying to watch it.
SYLVIA. Itās amazing, isnāt it.
DENNIS. Thatās what I told you.
SYLVIA. What we can do. What we people can do.
We should celebrate.
DENNIS. You have been.
SYLVIA. What do you think itās like, the surface of the moon?
DENNIS. Itās a rock, isnāt it.
SYLVIA. Wouldnāt it be weird if it turned out to be sticky. Or if theyād got there and there was like, one random cow just stood there staring at them. And it just starts grazing.
DENNIS. What would it graze on, / dust.
SYLVIA. Will you do it with me?
Itāll be romantic.
She points to the television.
Under the moonlight.
She kisses him again. This time DENNIS responds.
They continue to make out sloppily throughout the following.
Oh God.
DENNIS. Yes!
SYLVIA. No, I just thought. What happens if they donāt come back. I mean, what would they say?
DENNIS. Who?
SYLVIA. Everyone. Thatād be so sad, wouldnāt it. Everyone gazing up at the moon and worrying if theyāll see a body.
DENNIS. They wonāt.
SYLVIA stops.
SYLVIA. But think of it.
DENNIS continues, kissing her face and neck. All those lovers staring all wide-eyed at the moon. Those moonlit walks and picnics in the park. You and me doing it. Theyāre all of them washed with blood.
DENNIS stops.
DENNIS. Is this happening or not?
SYLVIA. Iām just saying, did we think of that, before we sent them.
DENNIS goes to kiss her again but she stops him.
Did we realise how much theyād steal from us, those future people all looking badly at the moon. That poor moon. All that time looking longingly at us, dreaming of attention. Touch. Then it happens and they die. The first time you do it with someone and they die on you. I suppose everybodyās first time dies, donāt they. Eventually. Aw, youāve made me all sad now.
DENNIS. I havenāt said a word for about five minutes.
SYLVIA (to the television). Please donāt die, moon people.
DENNIS. Oh God.
SYLVIA. We love you.
DENNIS. Have you taken something?
Beat....
