No Longer Available

SucreBluR

dark musical-comedy, contemporary

[Hold-music piano]

RECORDED VOICE:

Your operator will return shortly.

ELENA:

No, she won’t.

BRENDA:

You missed your opening shift.

ELENA:

I was present.
Viv was unavailable.

BRENDA:

You are Viv.

ELENA:

According to which form?

BRENDA:

According to payroll.

ELENA:

Payroll also says
my chair is ergonomic.

BRENDA:

This attitude is disappointing.

ELENA:

Put it in a metric.

[Drums enter]

I am no longer available
for sorrow dressed as praise,
for men who rent a woman
then pursue her for three days.

I am no longer available
for “Baby, don’t be cold,”
from customers who purchase warmth
and think the heater’s sold.

I can work.
I can speak.
I can choose what I provide.
But no invoice grants a stranger
private access to my life.

BRENDA:

You signed an agreement.

ELENA:

I signed to answer telephones.
I did not sign away
the person answering them.

ENSEMBLE OPERATORS:

No longer available.
No longer on demand.
No longer company property
because she took your hand.

BRENDA:

This is becoming disruptive.

ELENA:

Good.

BRENDA:

There are procedures.

ELENA:

Good.

BRENDA:

There will be consequences.

ELENA:

There already were.

[Low organ]

You recorded every silence.
You reviewed each tired breath.
You coached us to sound interested
while boredom approached death.

You called harassment passion.
You called exhaustion tone.
You called our personalities
an asset that you owned.

Well, this asset has conditions.
This resource has a spine.
This operational voice
has discovered it is mine.

ENSEMBLE:

Boundaries.

ELENA:

Not a slogan.

ENSEMBLE:

Overtime.

ELENA:

Paid in full.

ENSEMBLE:

Hydration.

ELENA:

And a chair
not stolen from a middle school.

BRENDA:

Are you resigning?

ELENA:

I’m renegotiating.

BRENDA:

You have no leverage.

[All phones begin ringing]

ELENA:

Neither do you
if nobody answers.

[Other operators remove headsets]

OPERATOR ONE:

My caller mailed hair.

OPERATOR TWO:

Mine found my sister.

OPERATOR THREE:

Mine thinks silence
means consent.

BRENDA:

Everyone,
please remain professional.

ELENA:

Professionally,
we are done pretending
that danger is retention.

[Music builds, but stays controlled]

ALL OPERATORS:

We are no longer available
for policies that bend.
We can sell a fantasy
without becoming it off shift.

We are no longer available
for threats wrapped up in charm.
A customer is not always right
when being right causes harm.

BRENDA:

You’ll all be replaced.

ELENA:

Then replace us.

[Phones continue ringing]

BRENDA:

Elena—

ELENA:

You remembered.

[She walks to the recording console]

RECORDED VOICE:

Thank you for calling Fantasy After Dark.
Your usual operator—

[Elena presses record]

ELENA:

Viv is no longer available.

For boundaries, press one.

For management,
hold indefinitely.

[She presses save]

[Automated hold music continues]

RECORDED ELENA:

Viv is no longer available.

[Blackout]

2908/7500

[Hold-music piano] RECORDED VOICE: Your operator will return shortly. ELENA: No, she won’t. BRENDA: You missed your opening shift. ELENA: I was present. Viv was unavailable. BRENDA: You are Viv. ELENA: According to which form? BRENDA: According to payroll. ELENA: Payroll also says my chair is ergonomic. BRENDA: This attitude is disappointing. ELENA: Put it in a metric. [Drums enter] I am no longer available for sorrow dressed as praise, for men who rent a woman then pursue her for three days. I am no longer available for “Baby, don’t be cold,” from customers who purchase warmth and think the heater’s sold. I can work. I can speak. I can choose what I provide. But no invoice grants a stranger private access to my life. BRENDA: You signed an agreement. ELENA: I signed to answer telephones. I did not sign away the person answering them. ENSEMBLE OPERATORS: No longer available. No longer on demand. No longer company property because she took your hand. BRENDA: This is becoming disruptive. ELENA: Good. BRENDA: There are procedures. ELENA: Good. BRENDA: There will be consequences. ELENA: There already were. [Low organ] You recorded every silence. You reviewed each tired breath. You coached us to sound interested while boredom approached death. You called harassment passion. You called exhaustion tone. You called our personalities an asset that you owned. Well, this asset has conditions. This resource has a spine. This operational voice has discovered it is mine. ENSEMBLE: Boundaries. ELENA: Not a slogan. ENSEMBLE: Overtime. ELENA: Paid in full. ENSEMBLE: Hydration. ELENA: And a chair not stolen from a middle school. BRENDA: Are you resigning? ELENA: I’m renegotiating. BRENDA: You have no leverage. [All phones begin ringing] ELENA: Neither do you if nobody answers. [Other operators remove headsets] OPERATOR ONE: My caller mailed hair. OPERATOR TWO: Mine found my sister. OPERATOR THREE: Mine thinks silence means consent. BRENDA: Everyone, please remain professional. ELENA: Professionally, we are done pretending that danger is retention. [Music builds, but stays controlled] ALL OPERATORS: We are no longer available for policies that bend. We can sell a fantasy without becoming it off shift. We are no longer available for threats wrapped up in charm. A customer is not always right when being right causes harm. BRENDA: You’ll all be replaced. ELENA: Then replace us. [Phones continue ringing] BRENDA: Elena— ELENA: You remembered. [She walks to the recording console] RECORDED VOICE: Thank you for calling Fantasy After Dark. Your usual operator— [Elena presses record] ELENA: Viv is no longer available. For boundaries, press one. For management, hold indefinitely. [She presses save] [Automated hold music continues] RECORDED ELENA: Viv is no longer available. [Blackout]

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