Chapter 5 of 10 · 2'29"
Friends press an unbelievable story and ask why it is being told. One line says it would vanish in disbelief, and that belief would fade within a month. Later someone says "there's absolutely no way to disprove it." Training cannot close the case, so the last question is whose reality.
❝ Monologue · 5 lines The Story Vanishes in Disbelief
❝ Monologue · 7 lines No Way to Disprove the Story
In one room, friends ask why an unbelievable story is being told at all. The next line says it would vanish in disbelief, and a later line says even belief would not last a month. Someone then says there is no way for John to prove it and no way for the others to disprove it, so they might as well go with it. What follows is "Believing? Whose reality?"
What to do with a story that will not settle is the whole argument. Someone says, "It would vanish in disbelief." A goodbye shows up in the words "As yourself." One line expects anger at a pointless joke, and the next says some people are angry now. After "Easy, Edith" and grading homework, Dan is named: "You're playing the good cop." Concern is said outright, and the answer is "Yes, I'm cutting out paper dinosaurs," which does not pick up the story. A longer speech says there is no way for John to prove it, "just like there's no way for us to disprove it," however outrageous it seems. Three labels follow: a caveman, a liar, or a nut. Then comes the suggestion to go with it, in case the room is jolted into belief or he is jolted back. The last line asks, "Whose reality?"
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
“Even if I could make you believe me, in a month, you wouldn't.”
Belief is given an expiry date, and the unsaid verb makes the fade sound certain.
Neutral
“'Cause I wanted to say good-bye- As yourself.”
As yourself names the identity the goodbye is tied to, not the person it is aimed at.
Informal
“I think you've done that, whoever that self is.”
It grants the goodbye, then pulls the identity out from under it.
Informal
“Yes, I'm cutting out paper dinosaurs.”
The nonsense craft answers real concern and admits they think he has come unglued.
Informal
“No matter how outrageous we think it is, no matter how highly trained some of us think we are, there's absolutely no way to disprove it.”
Two concessions flatten both outrage and expertise, then leave the story still standing.
Formal
“I mean, hell, who knows, he might jolt us into believing him, or we might jolt him back to reality.”
The same verb hits both sides, so neither belief nor reality is settled yet.
Informal
It would vanish in disbelief. A story that goes around the room. No credibility. Even if I could make you believe me, in a month, you wouldn't. Some of you would call me a psychopath, Others would be angry at a pointless joke.
Let me just say something right now. There's absolutely no way in the whole world for John to prove this story to us, just like there's no way for us to disprove it. No matter how outrageous we think it is, no matter how highly trained some of us think we are, there's absolutely no way to disprove it. Our friend is either a caveman, a liar, or a nut. So while we're thinking about that, why don't we just go with it? I mean, hell, who knows, he might jolt us into believing him, or we might jolt him back to reality.
Up next · 06survivor's guiltThe scene: John on Dying and Survivor's GuiltA line says they might leave and tell everybody. The next line is "It would vanish in disbelief." After that, it is "A story that goes around the room," then "No credibility." The vanish line itself does not say the story dies only outside the door.
The speech says there is no way in the whole world for John to prove it, and no way for the others to disprove it. Outrage and training do not change that. What remains is three labels: a caveman, a liar, or a nut.
While they are still thinking, the speech says they might as well go with it. He might jolt them into believing him, or they might jolt him back to reality.
It answers the concern just before it: "these people are all very concerned for you." The next line is "Yes, I'm cutting out paper dinosaurs." It meets that line with a silly craft and does not take up the story.
