Setting: A private island in present-day Greece. Nico, a mad scientist, is there, along with his chef and personal assistant, Arkalia. A woman clad in Egyptian clothing is lying on a bed.Nico is attempting to revive her. She coughs, and her eyes flutter open. She’s alive.
Cleopatra: (speaking in Greek) Where am I? The afterlife? Where’s Marc?
Arkalia: Mark who? (also in Greek)
Cleopatra: (snapping) Marc Antony, my husband, who else?!
Nico: He is dead, my Queen. Everyone you knew is dead. But this is not the afterlife. You have been revived in a present-day, thousands of years after the one that you lived in, thanks to the efforts of your priests who were to prepare you for burial.
Cleopatra: Why did they do this to me?! I was supposed to die with Marc, as we had planned. It was the only way to die with honor.
Nico: Your priests thought it best that you live and try to regain your throne at a later time. It’s all explained here, in the scrolls they left behind. (tosses the scrolls to her)
Cleopatra: (burying her face in her hands)They should have let me die with Marc. (she’s quiet for a few minutes, then looks up at Nico) What about my children?
Nico: Caesarion died in the desert, by Octavian’s order, as you know. Your other children were taken to Rome…….only one of them lived to adulthood; Cleopatra Selene, your daughter. She married and became Queen of Mauritania. But that was thousands of years ago, my Queen.
Cleopatra: Why did you revive me? You should have let me die!
Nico: You will feel differently, in time. We have time to discuss what you truly want, later, once you are refreshed and rested. Arkalia here will bring you anything you desire to eat, and some fresh clothing. She is an expert on ancient civilizations, so everything should be pleasing to you.
Arkalia: It will be an honor to serve you, Queen Cleopatra. Is there anything in particular that would please you?
Cleopatra: I would like some water with summer fruits and a splash of pomegranate juice, and some olives and cheese.
Arkalia: Gladly, my Lady. I shall bring some fresh clothing for you, as well.
Setting: In a short while, Arkalia brings a platter of olives, cheese, flatbread, and dates, along with a pitcher of water that has chunks of summer fruits and a splash of pomegranate juice in it. Cleopatra eats ravenously. When she is finished, Arkalia leads her to a sunken tub with rose petals floating in the water. She assists Cleoptra with removing her clothing, and getting into the water.
Cleopatra: If you have some attar of roses, I should like a massage when I am finished bathing. Also, I noticed some pubic hair that I would like plucked.
Arkalia: Yes, my Queen. (she assists Cleopatra out of the tub, and onto a soft towel to be dried off. She begins massaging her body with the attar of roses. Nervous about plucking the Queen, she nonetheless picks up some tweezers, and removes the hair from between her thighs.)
Cleopatra: What am I to wear? I daresay that you don’t have any Egyptian clothing.
Arkalia: I have brought something that you will find comfortable and appropriate, Queen Cleopatra. (she shakes the folds out of a sea-green silk sarong, designed to tie over one shouler.) This should do nicely. There are beaded sandals to match it.
Cleopatra: (smiling, as she ties on the sarong)Perfect! It’s the color of the sea at Alexandria…….is Egypt still as beautiful now, as it was then?
Arkalia: Well, some things have changed since then….. but Egypt is still beautiful, yes. Perhaps when you are well and rested, Nico will take us on a trip there.
Cleopatra: I’ll ask him!
Arkalia: You DO need to be prepared, first, for how different things are now than they were when you lived, Queen Cleopatra. Nico and I will try to tell you of history until now, and there are books and pictures we can show you.
Cleopatra: Do you suppose……is there any way….that Marc could be revived, as I have? Then we could be together again now, instead of waiting for the afterlife!
(Nico enters the room.)
Nico: (shaking his head) No, my Queen, such a thing would not be possible, for Marc Antony was not preserved in the manner in which you were. He is truly gone.
Cleopatra: (tears in her eyes)(quietly) Very well. Since you have seen fit to keep me alive in this strange new world, what do you plan to do with me?
Nico: Reveal you for the miracle of science that you are….if you agree.
Cleopatra: And if I don’t?
Nico: Then I will have to make another plan, one that you like better. But I hope, after seeing the world as it is now, that you will see things my way.
Cleopatra: I don’t know what to do!
Arkalia: You don’t have to decide right this minute, Queen Cleopatra. You have only just awoke. Give yourself some time to rest and recuperate, and become accustomed to your new reality.
Cleopatra: (nods) Yes, perhaps that would be best.
(In the next few weeks, Cleopatra is educated on the modern world by Nico and Arkalia, and the three of them also make a trip to Turkey,and Rome, as well as her beloved Egypt….she becomes convinced that letting Nico introduce her to the world of modern science is the right decision. She embraces some modern inventions, but remains devoted to Egyptian cuisine and manner of dress.)
(Three months later, at a press conference…..)
Nico: Ladies and gentleman, I give you Her Highness, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt…….
Arkalia: Mark who? (also in Greek)
Cleopatra: (snapping) Marc Antony, my husband, who else?!
Nico: He is dead, my Queen. Everyone you knew is dead. But this is not the afterlife. You have been revived in a present-day, thousands of years after the one that you lived in, thanks to the efforts of your priests who were to prepare you for burial.
Cleopatra: Why did they do this to me?! I was supposed to die with Marc, as we had planned. It was the only way to die with honor.
Nico: Your priests thought it best that you live and try to regain your throne at a later time. It’s all explained here, in the scrolls they left behind. (tosses the scrolls to her)
Cleopatra: (burying her face in her hands)They should have let me die with Marc. (she’s quiet for a few minutes, then looks up at Nico) What about my children?
Nico: Caesarion died in the desert, by Octavian’s order, as you know. Your other children were taken to Rome…….only one of them lived to adulthood; Cleopatra Selene, your daughter. She married and became Queen of Mauritania. But that was thousands of years ago, my Queen.
Cleopatra: Why did you revive me? You should have let me die!
Nico: You will feel differently, in time. We have time to discuss what you truly want, later, once you are refreshed and rested. Arkalia here will bring you anything you desire to eat, and some fresh clothing. She is an expert on ancient civilizations, so everything should be pleasing to you.
Arkalia: It will be an honor to serve you, Queen Cleopatra. Is there anything in particular that would please you?
Cleopatra: I would like some water with summer fruits and a splash of pomegranate juice, and some olives and cheese.
Arkalia: Gladly, my Lady. I shall bring some fresh clothing for you, as well.
Setting: In a short while, Arkalia brings a platter of olives, cheese, flatbread, and dates, along with a pitcher of water that has chunks of summer fruits and a splash of pomegranate juice in it. Cleopatra eats ravenously. When she is finished, Arkalia leads her to a sunken tub with rose petals floating in the water. She assists Cleoptra with removing her clothing, and getting into the water.
Cleopatra: If you have some attar of roses, I should like a massage when I am finished bathing. Also, I noticed some pubic hair that I would like plucked.
Arkalia: Yes, my Queen. (she assists Cleopatra out of the tub, and onto a soft towel to be dried off. She begins massaging her body with the attar of roses. Nervous about plucking the Queen, she nonetheless picks up some tweezers, and removes the hair from between her thighs.)
Cleopatra: What am I to wear? I daresay that you don’t have any Egyptian clothing.
Arkalia: I have brought something that you will find comfortable and appropriate, Queen Cleopatra. (she shakes the folds out of a sea-green silk sarong, designed to tie over one shouler.) This should do nicely. There are beaded sandals to match it.
Cleopatra: (smiling, as she ties on the sarong)Perfect! It’s the color of the sea at Alexandria…….is Egypt still as beautiful now, as it was then?
Arkalia: Well, some things have changed since then….. but Egypt is still beautiful, yes. Perhaps when you are well and rested, Nico will take us on a trip there.
Cleopatra: I’ll ask him!
Arkalia: You DO need to be prepared, first, for how different things are now than they were when you lived, Queen Cleopatra. Nico and I will try to tell you of history until now, and there are books and pictures we can show you.
Cleopatra: Do you suppose……is there any way….that Marc could be revived, as I have? Then we could be together again now, instead of waiting for the afterlife!
(Nico enters the room.)
Nico: (shaking his head) No, my Queen, such a thing would not be possible, for Marc Antony was not preserved in the manner in which you were. He is truly gone.
Cleopatra: (tears in her eyes)(quietly) Very well. Since you have seen fit to keep me alive in this strange new world, what do you plan to do with me?
Nico: Reveal you for the miracle of science that you are….if you agree.
Cleopatra: And if I don’t?
Nico: Then I will have to make another plan, one that you like better. But I hope, after seeing the world as it is now, that you will see things my way.
Cleopatra: I don’t know what to do!
Arkalia: You don’t have to decide right this minute, Queen Cleopatra. You have only just awoke. Give yourself some time to rest and recuperate, and become accustomed to your new reality.
Cleopatra: (nods) Yes, perhaps that would be best.
(In the next few weeks, Cleopatra is educated on the modern world by Nico and Arkalia, and the three of them also make a trip to Turkey,and Rome, as well as her beloved Egypt….she becomes convinced that letting Nico introduce her to the world of modern science is the right decision. She embraces some modern inventions, but remains devoted to Egyptian cuisine and manner of dress.)
(Three months later, at a press conference…..)
Nico: Ladies and gentleman, I give you Her Highness, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt…….
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