ACT ONE.
SCENE ONE.

LIGHTS RISE ON OMAHA BEACH, FRANCE. A FEW DEAD SOLDIERS LIE STREWN ACROSS THE STAGE. IN THE DISTANCE, THE SOUNDS OF BATTLE ARE HEARD: SHOUTS, SCREAMS, GUN AND ARTILLERY FIRE, AND CRIES. A SOLDIER, SGT. EDWARD KOVACS, CHARGES ACROSS STAGE BUT IS SHOT DOWN JUST OFFSTAGE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND DIES. TWO BEATS PASS, AND KOVACS RISES AND RE-ENTERS, NOW A GHOST.


KOVACS
What the hell?

PVT. JOHN HARKNESS
(off stage)
Yeah, I was a tad surprised when it happened to me too.

KOVACS TURNS TO SEE PVT. JOHN HARKNESS WALK ON NONCHALANTLY.

JOHN
Try as you like to get back in, but it ain’t gonna work. Not very pretty looking in on your own insides either.

KOVACS
First of all, you will address me as sir. Second, what nonsense are you babbling about private?

JOHN
Well, “sir”, you are dead. I watched you make that charge over there. Wasn’t your best and brightest move, was it?


KOVACS
(charges toward HARKNESS)
YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!

KOVACS MAKES A SWING AT HARKNESS. AS IF IT WAS NOTHING, HARKNESS SIDESTEPS IT, AND KOVACS TUMBLES.

JOHN
And to think: I used to be terrified of you. you gave me nightmares that you wouldn’t believe. I told you: You’re dead. Can’t really do much of anything now. These badges and patches don’t mean shit now. You’re body is sittin’ over there in that crater, and mine is being hit by the waves near that tank trap over there. Now you can yell and bitch and swing at me till kingdom come, but that isn’t gonna do shit.

KOVACS SIT ON THE GROUND STARING AT HARKNESS FOR TWO BEATS, THEN BEGINS TO STAND UP.
JOHN
Haven’t you noticed that no one is shooting at us? We’re standing in the middle of an invasion, and I could drop my drawers in front of those turrets, and no one would notice. Now I’m gonna be the nice guy here and help you out if you’d like.

HE OFFERS HIS HAND TO KOVACS. KOVACS STARES AT IT FOR A BEAT, AND TAKES IT, AND HARKNESS HELPS PULL HIM UP. AS HE DOES SO, HE RIPS KOVACS’ NAME PATCH OFF HIS UNIFORM, AND HIS OWN, AND TOSSES THEM CASUALLY TO THE GROUND (ROUGHLY WHERE ANDREW FINDS THEM IN THE PROLOGUE)

KOVACS
…Ok private. Perhaps you’re right. So why did we come back? I don’t see anyone else walking around here.

JOHN
Well, that I don’t quite understand. Ya see, I’ve met a few other fellas that came back like us, and we mulled it over, and the best we could come up with is that it maybe has something to do with unfinished business, or past sins or something of that sort.

KOVACS
So this is our Purgatory?



JOHN
As far as I can tell, yes. Either that or limbo. I’m here because…well…Eddie, you can keep a secret right? What am I sayin’, ‘course you can. No living soul ca hear you. Anyway, I killed myself. Well, not technically, but I wanted to die. I hate this war. I just wanted to see my family again. I figured that if I died, I’d go to heaven, and have a real easy time flying down to see them. So when I got the chance, I poked my head out from behind that tank trap. Guess God saw through my little scheme. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to take the long way and walk. Ha ha.

KOVACS
Dear God man! Why the hell would you think that getting yourself killed would be a good idea? Fuck, you really were the the most god awful, idiotic soldier I have ever met.

JOHN
And you really are the most black hearted jackass I’ve ever met. I don’t know what bug crawled up your ass, but it must have bit down hard for you to be like that. I’ve tried to be pleasant to you. I’m trying to help you out here and help you find out why you’re stuck in this Limbo/Purgatory as well.

KOVACS
Well perhaps I am not in need of your “spiritual” assistance. My life is my own business. Thank you for your concern, but I believe that I should be able to handle this afterlife perfectly fine. When I do finally go see my family, that will be at the time of my own choosing. I am first and foremost a Sergeant in the United States Army, and I will finish my job here first.

BEAT.

JOHN
Wow. You’re pretty serious about all of this, aren’t you?

KOVACS
Yes. Problem?

JOHN
No, not at all. Just…I think Iim gonna go about things differently. I still want to see my family. I don’t exactly have wings or some holy power to get me there, so I might as well start walking.

KOVACS
But that could take years. Hop on aboard a plane or ship or something. Get there in a couple weeks or less.

JOHN
Nope. I want my time to think.
(turns to leave)
Last chance: want to come with me?

KOVACS
…No, I’ll stay here.

JOHN
As you wish.

JOHN WALKS OFF-STAGE. WE HEAR THE OCEAN WAVES LAP AGAINST THE SHORE AS HE WALKS INTO THE SEA. KOVACS SITS DOWN. HE IS ALONE. HE REACHES INTO HIS UNIFORM, AND PULLS OUT A WRINKLED PHOTOGRAPH. HE LOOKS AT IT, AND A SMALL TEAR FORMS. HE LOOKS TOWARDS FRANCE FOR A SMALL MOMENT, THEN LOOKS TOWARDS THE SEA, AND AMERICA, AS THE LIGHTS FADE.