Beyond the Dark Production - ‘The Strata’ - Chapter 6 | Original audio drama
Jessica for Eileen
**This is a supporting character role, but the payment has been doubled since it’s an especially large part.
Eileen is a detective in the Midtown Police Department, and has been the partner of the protagonist Cavanagh for the past 24 years. Although she is aged in her sixties, Eileen has recently undergone ‘Rejuvenation’ therapy and this has reversed the ageing process. She now looks and sounds like someone in her mid-twenties.
As part of Rejuvenation, Eileen also chose several ‘upgrade’ packages that have given her enhanced vision, hearing and athletic prowess. She also opted to make several changes to her face, smoothing out what she considered to be undesirable features.
Eileen has always been tough, dedicated and loyal. She cares about the citizens of The Strata and wants to protect them in any way she can. Whereas once she felt old and weary, she has now been given a new lease on life. After Rejuvenation, she has become more upbeat and energetic and radiates positive energy. She is optimistic about the future and excited to try new things again, both in her personal life and in her approach to carrying out her job.
Although most of these changes have been positive, Eileen is struggling with several aspects of her new self. Firstly, the procedures have resulted in some memory loss. While she remembers most of her past, there are certain events and people that she cannot recollect. She is also still coming to terms with what it means to be young again - experiencing romantic encounters with younger men and embracing a much greater social life. But most of all, the changes to her body have affected her relationship with her best friend and partner Cavanagh. Since the Rejuvenation was a spur of the moment decision, Cav was taken unawares and is having difficulty coming to grips with this ‘new Eileen’. He disapproves of the changes to her appearance and the fact that she ‘blew’ her retirement savings on the Rejuvenation.
Although she hasn’t admitted to the memory loss, Cav suspects there are problems since she won’t engage in banter about their old adventures together, a key aspect of their camaraderie. He also dislikes the more modern approaches she has taken to detective work. Overall, the relationship between the two friends has fractured and is falling apart at the most inopportune time - just as they are about to close in on the ganglord Skerridge, who has been their primary target for more than a decade.
(Defending her decision to make alterations to her appearance - trying to downplay it by using some self-deprecating humour) “Come on, Cav. There was plenty wrong with my old face. Not exactly an oil painting, right? So when time came for the procedure, I just threw in a few extras. I mean, why not?”
(Wistful and pensive as she recalls a fond memory of Cavanagh’s deceased daughter) “Annie. She drew me a birthday card once, when she was little. Had me on top of a tall building, like King Kong, because I told her I was going to retire in Highgate City one day. She was a hell of an artist, even at that age.”
(Outraged after Cavanagh suggests she sacrificed her most important qualities just to look young again) “Oh really? They offered me a pension when I made it to retirement age. A big one. I could be floating in a nice offworld habitat right now, far away from here, but I chose to come back. I chose to Rejuvenate so that I could keep chasing after guys like Skerridge. So don’t you dare lecture me about sacrifice.”
Thank you, I like the emotion coming through in this one :)
Thanks so much for listening! I hope you enjoyed :)