EVENING LABORATORY - FLASHBACK
We return to the time before the fire when Vita Kindergarten was still in the process of researching and experimenting with batches of subjects. ASSISTANT 2 is updating reports on a tablet/clipboard, when Dr Graves walks in.

ASSISTANT 2: Dr Graves! I have those status updates from the current batch.

GRAVES: (distracted) oh, uh… that… batch. Thank you.

ASSISTANT 2: The rate of anomalies is so low - and they are so minor - it looks like we should be able push all of them through to term.

GRAVES: They are… doing very well.

ASSISTANT 2: (with a glimmer in her eye) I know it’s a little… oh but I can't wait to meet them.

GRAVES: (pausing for a long time) They… (sighs, turns to do some work)

ASSISTANT 2: What’s wrong?

GRAVES: (pauses) We… we have to clear out all of the pods.

ASSISTANT 2: (not quite realizing the meaning) What?

GRAVES: Immediately - it has to happen tonight.

ASSISTANT 2: (in horror) What, All of them?
GRAVES: Yes, all of them immediately, so..

ASSISTANT 2: (Horrified, and loud) We're getting rid of them?!

GRAVES: Jesus! Keep your voice down! They… we have to.

ASSISTANT 2: Why?! They're about to go into the third trimester! They can all make it! The only problems we have are easily curable! Only 3 have any kind of nutritional difficulty - which I'm sure we can figure out, and G14’s condition can almost certainly be improved with some simple hormone balancing, and--

GRAVES: (cutting her off) It was decided soon after we started this batch that it would be purely for testing. This is the last batch before we continue to official production. In order to facilitate that production, we need space, which we don’t have unless we vacate the pods.

ASSISTANT 2: But we don't have to get rid of ALL of them, do we?! Why can't we let the totally viable--

GRAVES: It's been decided. It's been decided for--

ASSISTANT 2: (cutting him off) They're totally viable!

GRAVES: Please, you know the plan the company set out with was to produce one subject per week, once production has stabilized--

ASSISTANT 2: Things have changed! We can't do that!

GRAVES: (in disbelief) What?!

ASSISTANT 2: We can’t just scrap an entire group of 20 viable subjects!!

GRAVES: …We've been doing that.

ASSISTANT 2: No we haven’t we’ve--
(it dawns upon her that she may not have the full picture)
… What?

GRAVES: We've been… that's always been the plan. The first trimester unit has been testing batches of 5 every month for the last year.

(Beat)

GRAVES: That was confidential, I shouldn't have said that…

ASSISTANT 2: No… No, our plan was to create children! For people to ADOPT!!

GRAVES: Our… Yes, it… please, you know that we have to… I can't right now, we have to terminate this batch--

(Graves is cut off by Assistant 2 as she jumps in front of him, blocking his way out of the room)

ASSISTANT 2: NO! I won't let you!

GRAVES: What the devil-- What are you doing?!?

(He tries to push past her, but she's younger and quicker than he)

ASSISTANT 2: You can't! You'll kill them!

GRAVES: Kill them? we have to terminate the ba--

ASSISTANT 2: (Interrupting again) STOP SAYING THAT!! That's not happening to them! They don't deserve that!!

GRAVES: Let me-- “Deserve?”

(Graves and Assistant 2 are stepping over each other's words while trying to to physically push each other aside)

ASSISTANT 2: Please! You can't do this! They deserve to live!

GRAVES: LET ME THROUGH! THAT'S AN ORDER!

ASSISTANT 2: THEY DESERVE TO LIVE!!!

GRAVES: DON'T MAKE ME-- YOU'RE COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE!! The entire operation will be shut down if the pods are not vacated by morning!

ASSISTANT 2: (Erupting) NO!!!

(Assistant 2 grabs Graves by the shoulders, staring into his eyes and praying she heard wrong)

GRAVSS: It's been decided for three months now! The board agreed on this back in May . We can't do anything different.

ASSISTANT 2: You can't!! No no no no no!! Can't you get them to delay?! Even by a day or two-- please Dr Graves please you have to! You have to!

GRAVES: What on earth has gotten into you? I don't even have that authority… I've never seen you like this before. What's wrong?

ASSISTANT 2: (desperate) Please, please, let-- let me show you what-- I've been…
(flips through clipboard to the back, behind the official notes before she begins rapidly reading off her personal notes)
6/17 - 8:12pm, G9 became especially active today, like it was trying to swim around… 7/1 - 4:39pm G14's movements and hormones almost look like they are hungry, and having a fit… um…

GRAVES: What are you…?

ASSISTANT 2: 7/4 6:00pm G2 looks happy today. I wonder if she is having a good dream.

(At the word “she” Graves perks up and becomes more directly attentive of Assistant 2’s notes)

ASSISTANT 2: (continuing) 7/29 - 11:21pm G9 is definitely swimming around her pod. She seems quite adventurous. It looks like she's having fun. 8/02 - TWO WEEKS AGO!!! - uh, 5:27pm G9 has figured out how to spin with her little arms and legs. It's a good thing the umbilical cords swivel, otherwise she may have tangled herself. Continued, 7:44pm Genora has op--
(Catching herself)
G9 has opened her eyes for the first time and I think she saw me--

GRAVES: You didn't-- you gave them names?

(A long pause as they both realize the distance between each other)

ASSISTANT 2: (dejected, powerless) … they… they deserve them. Genor-- Genora deserves it. She deserves to… to grow up.

GRAVES: Goodness… you’ve… this is why Vita Kindergarten doesn't want… in your first day of training, they told you the most important step to learning how to work here, right? (Expectantly)

(Assistant 2 nods)

GRAVES: Then…! *Sigh* Livestock receive numbers instead of names, because we know that most of them will not be around for a very long time. You can't get attached to the organisms that require termination to accomplish your job.

(Assistant 2 is mortified)

GRAVES: Don't you understand, Lillian? It's always been the plan. It's been decided. Even I have to follow this. Ok?

(Lillian, petrified, drops her clipboard and clutches her arms)

GRAVES: (sighs) I can wait until midnight, but we have to work fast to prepare…
(Lillian winces)
…for the morning shift. That gives you two hours.

(Graves exits, while Lillian stares into space)

LILLIAN CROSS: They don't deserve this… they don't deserve it… they don't… they don't…

(Blackout)