As part of a research program, a man volunteers to live alone in an underground house with no windows and only one entrance/exit, and where there are no days, no nights, no clocks, no live TV or live internet – no concept of time.

SYNOPSIS:

Lifeway Industries, a research corporation, receives a massive federal grant to research circadian rhythm patterns and how individuals would live and function if there is no time – no days, no nights, no clocks, no live TV or live internet – no concept of time.

Bob responds to an ad for individuals to participate in a “Big Brother” type of experiment for 18 months. Participants will receive $100,000 at the end of the 18-month time period if they successfully complete the program.

Bob undergoes intense physical and psychological testing to ensure that he is physically and mentally capable of participating in this program. Participants must be in excellent physical and mental health and cannot be taking any medications. Bob doesn’t realize it, but of the hundreds of applicants, he is the only one who qualified and was selected to participate in this program.

The key elements of the contract are straight-forward:

(1) Participants shall reside in an underground “house” for 18 months in order to receive the $100,000 reward. The house will have an open floorplan concept, consisting of a small kitchen area and “great room”, one bedroom (with a bed size of the participant’s choice) and one bathroom.

(2) There will be no physical human contact during this 18-month period. However, participants will be able to converse with an AI-generated being.

(3) All rooms, except the toilet closet in the bathroom will be under 24-hr surveillance.

(4) Detailed notes and recordings will be taken and made on activities and functions such as sleep, fatigue, alertness and attentiveness, personal hygiene, digestive functions (eating and eliminating waste), attitude and demeanor (e.g., happiness, sadness, loneliness, anger, frustration, etc.), health/physical attributes (e.g., weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, oxygen level, etc.).

(5) Participants can request just about anything they desire to make their life easier/better (e.g., exercise equipment, music equipment, other hobby items, types of food, etc.). However, there is no guarantee that the item(s) will be provided. Approval of requested items rests with the program manager.

(6) Participants will have a computer and access to the internet, but everything will be screened and filtered to eliminate any context of time or date.

Episode 1 (Pilot): The selection process and Bob getting introduced to his new environment.

Episode 2: Bob gets to select his AI-generated “friend”, and selects Toni (female voice). Initially, Toni’s words are typed by someone in the control room, and broadcast as a human-like voice over the intercom system. As time progresses, and with the implementation of AI, Toni develops her own responses and communicates with Bob when no one is staffing the control room. Bob begins writing his own journal entries on the computer.

Episode 3: Boredom sets in. Bob watches a lot of old sports events, movies, and TV shows. He is fascinated with a cooking show. End of each episode, Bob is typing into his journal

Episode 4: Bob requests a cookbook and learns how to cook.

Episode 5: Bob notices he is beginning to gain weight and requests exercise equipment – treadmill, stationary bike, weight bench and weights and begins exercising.

Episode 6: Bob requests a guitar, keyboard, drum set, and some recording equipment and tries recording some music.

Episode 7: Bob tries his hand at art – painting and sculpting with modeling clay. Gets frustrated with his lack of artistic ability.

Episode 8: Bob begins to write a novel, or a screenplay, or a television series. Argues with Toni about it.

Episode 9: Boredom is Bob’s greatest foe. Bob finds himself staring at a Roomba vacuum as it cleans his floor. He requests a set of encyclopedias and begins reading them. Anger arises when Bob’s request for a pet is denied.

Episode 10: Bob tries to trick Toni into identifying the date, asking questions about the election, the world series, the super bowl, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

Episode 11: Bob loses his temper and withdraws when his plan and request to redecorate the place is denied.

Episode 12: Bob spends more and more time in the toilet closet in the bathroom. His appearance is beginning to look ratty.

Episode 13: Bob develops a plan to get Toni jealous.

Episode 14: Bob opens up about his love feelings for Toni and plans a big date with Toni. He cleans himself up and cleans up the place, makes a 3-course dinner for the two of them, sits down and eats the meal while conversing with Toni, “Toni, you haven’t even touched your food.” Bob becomes enraged, thinking that Toni doesn’t love him back.

Episode 15: Bob becomes paranoid and develops a secret plan to escape, being real sneaky about it and hiding it from everyone, including Toni.

Episode 16 (Final episode?): Bob attempts to burn down the house. Smoke conceals his movement within the house. The program manager, terminates the program and fire & rescue team is sent into the house to squelch the fire and rescue Bob. Bob is mumbling incoherently as he is evacuated by stretcher. A young ambulance-chasing attorney slips a business card into Bob’s shirt pocket as Bob is wheeled into the ER. Bob’s request for his $100,000 payment is denied because the program was terminated one month prior to the completion of the 18-month period. Bob is told he is lucky he isn’t being billed for the fire damage, his evacuation, and his hospital stay. Bob finds the business card and calls the attorney. “I didn’t terminate the program, they did.” This opens the door for additional episodes and/or possible return to the house, and/or other participants entering and experiencing the program.

MAN WITHOUT TIME