They sit DOWN in FRONT of FLETCHER.
MURRAY
What you’re about to hear is totally secret and known by no-one on earth outside the UN Special Operations Command. That means fewer than 1000 people out of a population of 6 billion.
And most of them only know a fraction. Just what they need to know to do their jobs.
Only fifteen people know the full account of what happened two years ago. You’re the sixteenth.
You understand that we’re trusting you with everything we have.
FLETCHER NODS.
MURRAY
Okay.
DAVE
Okay, Fletch, do you remember Brother Aidan’s experiment?
FLETCHER
The Liberation Chambers, of course.
They’re all over Arcadia now.
DAVE
Well after you were transferred, Brother Aidan remained as concerned about the security of the project as he always was.
Especially on the day the first chamber went online.
The CAMERA passes DAVE’S HEAD
WHITE FLASH.
17. INT. BROTHER AIDAN’S LABORATORY. DAY.
FLASHBACK SCENE. BLEACHED OUT LIGHTING.
A CAVERNOUS ROOM in the CATACOMBS of the ARCADIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.
Exposed BRICKWORK is EVERYWHERE.
A MAKESHIFT BED lies in ONE CORNER of the ROOM.
TECHNOLOGY fills the ROOM. Like ALL ARCADIAN TECHNOLOGY it is FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY like A MEDIEVAL PERSON might have BUILT.
IN THE CENTRE of the ROOM stands the LIBERATION CHAMBER. It is a LARGE CAGE made out of the SAME MATERIAL as the WEAPONS DAVE MAKES. LIGHTS shine into the CENTRE of IT.
A MAN stands in the CENTRE of it. HE is PARTIALLY CLOTHED.
MEN in MONK STYLE HABITS tend to the TECHNOLOGY taking READINGS. A OLDER MONK WEARING A SILVER HABIT APPEARS to be in CHARGE. This is BROTHER AIDAN.
DAVE walks QUICKLY into the ROOM.
DAVE
Okay, Brother Aidan, I have a very busy day so can we please get this over with so that I can get on with more important things.
BROTHER AIDAN
Sometimes, Lord Agricola, I get the feeling that you do not hold my project in high esteem.
DAVE
Really, now, whatever gave you that idea.
Could it be my reference to have to do things that are more important?
Such as sleep.
BROTHER AIDAN
Lord Agricola. The technology I’m working with could lead to the greatest single advancement of the human race ever.
I would ask that you didn’t treat it with such levity.
DAVE
No insult was intended, Brother Aidan.
But you have had me down here at least twice a day for the last six months.
BROTHER AIDAN
To upgrade the security. It wasn’t adequate.
DAVE
Its perfectly adequate.
BROTHER AIDAN
This project is the greatest…
DAVE
Single advancement in the history of the human race, yeah, right I know.
But look at it, Aidan, there is no way its going to get thieved.
BROTHER AIDAN
Who knows the dark forces that could be seeking to claim this research as their own?
DAVE
Aidan! Its massive. It would take me and a whole squad of the guard an hour to just get it to end of the corridor.
BROTHER AIDAN
They have ways and means.
Word has gone out. Brother Aidan of the Order of the Mercian Brothers has finally discovered the answer to true purity.
DAVE
You are completely paranoid.
No-one knows about this.
No-one cares about this.
I’m the only person outside you and your little crew of acolytes who even comes down here.
And only because I’m told too.
BROTHER AIDAN
And you will be witness to the final vindication of my theories.
DAVE
(Under his breath)
Or witness to the final erosion of your sanity.
BROTHER AIDAN
What was that?
DAVE
Nothing.
Okay, so how is this machine supposed to work and why do you have one of the guards best men strapped into it?
BROTHER AIDAN
The greatest barrier to true perfection in this world is ourselves. It is when we fail in the battle with our darkest feelings that we slip from perfection.
This Liberation chamber will remove the negative emotions totally. Opening the way to true perfection.
DAVE
You okay with that, soldier?
CRIMSON GUARD
You know me Sven, I’m always looking for perfection.
This way I get it with none of the work.
The ladies will love it.
If it works.
DAVE
If it works.
Okay, Aidan, are you ready?
BROTHER AIDAN
Indeed.
DAVE
(V.O.)
It was routine. The same sort of experiment that Brother Aidan had done all our lives.
Only this time, it was anything but routine.
AIDAN MOVES TOWARDS a CONTROL PANEL.
He PRESSES A BUTTON. The LIBERATION CHAMBER fills with MIST. ELECTRICITY STARTS to CRACKLE THROUGH IT. The CRIMSON GUARDSMAN starts to SCREAM.
DAVE
That doesn’t sound good Aidan, get him out of there!
BROTHER AIDAN
The removal of negative emotions will obviously take some pain.
DAVE
Some pain! I’ve heard men dying in battle make less noise. Get him out now.
THE ELECTRICITY starts to ARC out of the CHAMBER. CRACKLING OFF the WALLS and EXPLODING CONSOLES.
DAVE
Aidan, Stop it now!
AIDAN moves to a CONSOLE. He WORKS at it FRANTICALLY.
AIDAN
It won’t stop!
DAVE
It must do!
AIDAN
Only once the programme has run its course.
The MIST is CREEPING out of the CHAMBER.
A MONK/TECHNICIAN is CAUGHT BY IT and STARTS to SCREAM.
Other MONKS run OUT or are CAUGHT by the MIST and LIGHTENING.
AIDAN
We need to get out of here.
DAVE
No, I won’t leave them.
AIDAN
We don’t have a choice. We can’t get to them without going through the fog and it seems to be having a detrimental effect on people coming into contact with it to say the least.
Once the experiment runs its course we’ll come back for them.
DAVE
We’d better.
They RUN out of the LAB. As they get to the DOORWAY of the LAB AIDAN presses a BUTTON and a BLAST DOOR comes DOWN.
They STOP RUNNING.
They TURN and LOOK through A WINDOW in the DOOR.
The CAMERA shows their POV. A Monk RUNS TOWARDS the DOOR and STARTS BANGING on the WINDOW. The MIST CATCHES him and HE FALLS. HIS HAND is the LAST THING WE SEE as it SLIPS DOWN THE GLASS. EXPLOSIONS CAN BE SEEN as THE LAB IS DESTROYED.
DAVE
(V.O.)
The experiment was a disaster, but worse was to come.
It took two hours for the experiment to run its course and the mist and vapour it had caused to dissipate.
18. SCENE MONTAGE.
AS DAVE describes WHAT HAPPENED next, we see what he is describing, but without sound.
DAVE
We went into the lab.
DAVE and BROTHER AIDAN wearing ARCADIAN PROTECTIVE SUITS along with OTHER CRIMSON GUARD.
ALL that is LEFT STANDING in the LAB is the LIBERATION CHAMBER. The MONKS like UNCONSCIOUS on the FLOOR. The CRIMSON GUARDSMAN is STILL STRAPPED into the LIBERATION CHAMBER.
DAVE
Miraculously, they were still alive.
We took them to the infirmary of the Sisters of Wessex.
And it was there that we finally started to realise something had gone terribly wrong.
The INSIDE of A MONASTERY-LIKE BUILDING is SHOWN.
THE MONKS and THE CRIMSON GUARDSMAN lie ON SIMPLE COTS. COVERED up. A NUN walks in with a BOWL with a CLOTH in it. She SITS DOWN next to ONE OF THE COTS and STARTS to MOP A MONKS BROW. SUDDENLY HE GRABS her HAND and TRIES TO GRAB HER HABIT. SHE GETS UP and TAKES a STEP BACK, RIGHT into ANOTHER MONK who is NOW OUT OF BED.
HE makes a GRAB for HER. A LEER ON HIS FACE.
She BACKS AWAY. Only to REALISE THAT SHE is SURROUNDED BY THE MONKS.
She TRIES to RUN TO THE DOOR.
The MONKS stop HER.
They ADVANCE in on her.
The DOOR OPENS and SEVERAL CRIMSON GUARDSMEN GRAB THE NUN and fight their WAY back out.
The CRIMSON GUARDSMEN EXPERIMENTED UPON watches from the BACK OF THE ROOM.
DAVE
Everyone exposed to the mist experienced a violent mental reaction. Not only did the Liberation chamber not do what it was meant to do, it appeared to do the very opposite, ramping up negative emotions rather than quelling them.
Within the space of a few hours it became obvious that many of the experiments subject had become little more than animals, driven by the basest human desires and emotions. Lust, anger, hunger, envy.
Also their strength seemed to have been greatly increased.
The CRIMSON GUARDSMAN APPEARS to INSTRUCTING THE MONKS in SOMETHING. THE DOOR OPENS and THEY MAKE A BREAK FOR IT.
THEY PULL THE NUN AND CRIMSON GUARDSMAN OUTSIDE into the INFIRMARY. Then THEY RUN OUT.
DAVE
They escaped.
And headed straight for the Liberation Chamber. They easily subdued the men I had guarding it
A SHOT of the MONKS STRAPPING CRIMSON GUARDSMEN INTO THE LIBERATION CHAMBER.
DAVE
The result was the same.
A SHOT of the CRIMSON GUARDSMEN RECOVERING from the CHAMBER.
DAVE
They cut off all communications out of the Capitol.
A SHOT of the COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OF THE CAPITOL being TRASHED.
DAVE
Within a day, they had “liberated” a third of the Capitol’s population. And our first test subject was installing himself in a position of power. He took a new name, Erebus.
A SHOT of EREBUS ordering LIBERATED ARCADIANS AROUND.
DAVE
I realised that the situation was dire to say the least. I decided to get Athena and regroup outside the capitol.
A SHOT OF DAVE, ATHENA and an ASSORTED GROUP OF ARCADIANS MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH ARCADIAN TUNNELS.
DAVE
That was the last time I saw Orion, our Capitol and its shimmering towers.
19. INT. MCC INTERROGATION ROOM. DAY.
WHITE FLASH.
The INTERROGATION ROOM again. DAVE is STOOD LOOKING at TWO WAY MIRROR and MURRAY is SAT OPPOSITE
DAVE
And that is all we know for sure.
I left Arcadia a couple of weeks afterwards.
I found Murray’s expeditionary team and escaped through the incursion during the battle of Five Vales.
FLETCHER
Where’s Athena
DAVE
We lost her at the battle of Five Vales.
FLETCHER
I’m sorry.
DAVE
Well that is everything we know.
FLETCHER
Its kind of light on information isn’t it?
DAVE
It took barely the space of a day from the experiment going wrong to Erebus breaking back into the Liberation Chamber.
I wasn’t exactly taking notes.
So do you believe me or was this all for nothing.
FLETCHER
I believe you, if for nothing else it explains where the new head of the Regent’s Council came from.
DAVE
Erebus?
FLETCHER
Appeared from out of nowhere after Liberation Day.
Also I’ve seen the results of the Liberation Chambers myself. In fact one of the kids in my unit just lost his future wife to some Crimson Guard creep with a Chamber.
I presume you’re here to take back Arcadia from them.
And the soldiers from Earth?
MURRAY
Well I just wanted to get Dave home, but every time one of these things opens a whole bunch of lust crazed animalistic nutcases will come through and kill everyone. And sooner or later they could end up bringing a Chamber through. We’d like to neutralise the threat if its all the same with you.
FLETCHER
Okay, I’m satisfied.
If there’s anything I can do to help you, I will.
You see it never made sense for me to take sides until I knew for certain what had happened.
MURRAY
Take sides?
FLETCHER
I’ve been hearing about a Resistance movement for a while now. I wasn’t going to join them even with the Chambers doing what they’re doing. Not until I knew what was going on. But I also didn’t tell anyone else about them.
DAVE
You know where they are?
FLETCHER
I can find out.
So do you trust me?
MURRAY
At the moment its not like we have much choice.
20. INT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTRE CONFERENCE ROOM. DAY.
BROWNING is on the CONFERENCE COMPUTER SCREEN. JENSEN, MURRAY and DAVE are SAT AROUND the CONFERENCE TABLE.
BROWNING
You’re right, we don’t have much choice.
JENSEN
What’s going on back there?
BROWNING
Aird and Waysell have been quietened down for a while. Try as they might they couldn’t explain away invading the facility with armed Star Chamber Officers with shoot to kill orders on you.
You’ve got some time, not much, but some, before they can find some way to get over there.
So you better get this sorted quickly. For the moment the facilities ready to receive you back at anytime.
Check out the Resistance lead that Dave’s friend’s given you.
I’m not sure we can entirely trust him but we don’t have a choice, we have to trust someone.
Get comfortable.
The Special Operations Committee has dropped all charges against you.
With everything that’s happened over the last couple of days I think they’d rather have you out there causing trouble for the Liberated Arcadians than back here getting caught up in turf warfare with Star Chamber.
DAVE
Only because they know we’d win.
MURRAY
He’s got a point.
BROWNING
You got off easy, but don’t get cocky. Because if you pull another stunt like this I’ll come after you and then nobody will be able to save you.
Let me make this clear, Star Chamber have been humbled but we’re still just one step away from them getting operational control.
So, go easy will you?
JENSEN
Yes, Sir.
BROWNING
Okay, I’ve got a meeting. Can I trust you to not cause an inter dimensional incident for five minutes.
JENSEN
Yes, sir.
BROWNING FROWNS.
THE CONFERENCE COMPUTER SCREEN goes BLACK.
DAVE
Well, Chernenko wants me to share some vodka with him.
So I’m going to go.
JENSEN
Okay, dismissed.
DAVE walks out of the DOOR.
JENSEN starts to pick up FOLDERS and FILES from the CONFERENCE TABLE.
JENSEN
Is he really going to share some vodka with Vasily?
MURRAY
Well theres not going to much sharing going on.
Vasily will have drunk him under the table within four hours. And he’ll carry on drinking for another twelve hours after that.
Trust me, I know. The one time I tried to share some vodka with him, I was in bed with for 48 hours, Kate even had me put on a saline drip.
JENSEN
Talking about Kate, I hear you two were all loving kindness in the infirmary yesterday.
MURRAY
Don’t you start too.
JENSEN
You decided to talk to her about you two in the middle of an emergency situation.
MURRAY
Yes.
JENSEN
You have lousy timing.
They walk out of the CONFERENCE ROOM and into the CORRIDOR.
They WALK DOWN the CORRIDOR.
MURRAY
So I’ve been told.
JENSEN
You really mucked up there you know.
MURRAY
Thanks for your, oh so enlightened opinion. Unsolicited I might add. I’ll just add it to everyone else’s.
JENSEN
Yeah, whatever. Seriously get it sorted, because you getting into slanging matches with the Chief Medical Officer isn’t helpful.
MURRAY
I wouldn’t call it a slanging match exactly.
More raised voices, than slanging match.
JENSEN
Cal!
MURRAY
Okay, I’ll get it sorted.
JENSEN
You know something, you’re so smart, how come you’re so useless at relationships.
MURRAY
I ask myself that all the time.
JENSEN
Also, why did Dave hold back earlier?
MURRAY
What do you mean?
JENSEN
Don’t act all innocent with me.
Why didn’t he tell Fletcher everything about what happened that day. Why didn’t he tell him exactly what happened to you two and what happened to Athena.
MURRAY
Because I told him not to.
JENSEN
We’re expecting this guy to trust us, if he finds out you lied to him…
MURRAY DRAGS JENSEN into a DOORWAY.
It is the WOMENS LOCKER ROOM. A PARTIALLY DRESSED WOMAN is KISSING PLAYBOY. She SEES THE TWO MEN and SCREAMS.
MURRAY
Playboy, how many times have I told you, if you must systematically work your way through the enlisted females can you do it outside the female locker room. There’s nothing more likely to blow open a top secret military division than a legal claim for sexual harassment.
PLAYBOY
To be honest, Cal, she invited me in. She didn’t invite you two.
MURRAY
First off all, Playboy. Its sir, not Cal. Especially when I catch you in flagrante with enlisted personnel. Secondly, look at my face, do you think I am in any mood to put up with your usual levity.
Clear off. Find Hotshot. I’m sure you two are running a book on something.
PLAYBOY KISSES the GIRL.
JENSEN
Lieutenant!
PLAYBOY STORMS OUT.
MURRAY TURNS back towards JENSEN. HE is ABOUT to talk when he REALISES the GIRL is STILL in her PARTIALLY DRESSED STATE.
MURRAY
Excuse me, Corporal.
He DRAGS JENSEN out of the DOOR and ACROSS THE CORRIDOR. He OPENS a DOOR DIRECTLY OPPOSITE the FIRST ONE. This is the MALE LOCKER ROOM.
MURRAY
I am perfectly aware of what happens if he finds out we lied to him. But its not exactly like we can explain what happened.
And how could he trust us if he knew what really went down?
JENSEN
What went down? Who talks like that?
MURRAY
Sorry, gangster movies.
JENSEN
I trust you and I know what went down.
Now you’ve got me doing it.
Look, why am I so different to him?
MURRAY
Your society hasn’t been torn apart by the Chambers over the last two years. I think he’s had enough revelations for the day.
JENSEN
Okay, fair enough. But if he proves himself, you’ve got to tell him.
MURRAY
Tell him what exactly?
JENSEN
You know what.
MURRAY
I’m not sure I really do.
I still can’t explain how we survived and I’m spent two years trying to work it out.
JENSEN
Yeah, well you may not have a choice. When Dave kicks into one of his Berserker rages his old friend is going to start asking questions.
MURRAY
Okay, sure. But lets table the discussion till then, okay? I think we’ve all had enough for the moment.
JENSEN
Fair enough.
All in all, not bad for a days work.
MURRAY
Yeah, lets just hope tomorrow works out just as well.
HE WALKS OUT of the ROOM.
CUT TO.
21. INT. CHERNENKOS QUARTERS. NIGHT.
CHERNENKO’S QUARTERS are IMPOSSIBLY SPARTAN. NOTHING within it seems to be DESIGNED for COMFORT. MACHINERY lies STACKED in any AVAILABLE SPACE.
DAVE sits at A TABLE MADE of A CHUNKY METAL CRATE. He is SITTING on what APPEARS to be, an OIL BARREL. CHERNENKO is FIDDLING with a MACHINE on a WORKBENCH. A TUBE LEADS to a GLASS he HOLDS in HIS HAND.
DAVE
When I said I’d join you in a shot of vodka, I didn’t think it would be homemade.
CHERNENKO
Best way.
Only way in fact,
Yes, indeed the only way to truly enjoy vodka.
My family have been distilling vodka for nearly 500 years.
Of course, I have made my own special contributions to the overall recipe.
The TUBE discharges A CLEAR LIQUID into THE GLASS. CHERNENKO places IT onto A “TRAY”, which of course isn’t really a TRAY but what looks like A PANEL of AN ARMOURED VEHICLE. There is already ONE GLASS THERE.
He BRINGS the TRAY to the TABLE.
CHERNENKO
Chernenko’s Patented Engine Oil.
Drink up.
DAVE looks SLIGHTLY ILL already and HE HASN’T TOUCHED a DROP YET.
HE takes it GINGERLY.
CHERNENKO knocks HIS BACK and then LAUGHS.
DAVE knocks HIS BACK and THEN COUGHS.
DAVE
Very smooth, once you get past the taste of diesel fumes and pesticide.
CHERNENKO
And there was I thinking Arcadians had no sense of humour.
Another?
DAVE nods.
CHERNENKO walks back to the DISTILLING MACHINE.
CHERNENKO
So how does it feel to be home?
DAVE
Lousy. What do you think?
I’m back but I’m not back.
I still have no idea what’s really gone on here, Fletcher doesn’t really know anything more. He’s been stuck out on the frontier and all he knows is Erebus is now head of the Regent’s Council, Parliaments been dismissed and Liberation Chambers are everywhere.
Oh, and an unconfirmed rumour about some Resistance cell.
Its so little to go on.
It feels like I’m in the middle of one of those tv series back on Earth where people advance on the flimsiest of intelligence simply because the writer can’t be bothered to come up with anything for them to go on.
CHERNENKO
I like those kind of series. It reminds me of some of the generals I’ve served under, who needs intelligence when you have cannon fodder.
HE brings THE REFILLED GLASSES to the TABLE.
CHERNENKO
Anyway, it’s the end of only our first day here. Look on the bright side, we survived Aird’s little assassination attempt, came through the Incursion okay, neutralised the immediate military threat in the area, stopped the MCC from being blown sky high and throughout it all Caspar didn’t shoot himself in the foot.
DAVE
But it still leaves me no closer to Athena, to finding out what’s happened to her, if she’s even still alive.
My world is destroyed and I have done nothing to save it.
CHERNENKO
These things take time, my friend. There are always a process of attrition. I was in Afghanistan in 1979, who would have thought that the Afghans would beat back the might of the Soviet army but they did and we did the same thing to the Nazi’s in the Second World War.
It all starts with small steps my friend, small steps.
In 1943, we were fighting running battles in the streets of Stalingrad and Shostakovich was writing his symphony in the besieged Leningrad. By 1945 we rolled into Berlin the victors. It takes just the smallest steps to start something like this.
And you will find your sister I’m sure. If my father could find his sister as a child in the ruins of Stalingrad then so can you within the ruins of your society.
Now drink up! For tomorrow is a new day.
DAVE
But you’re a career soldier like myself, we both know that things seldom change for the better.
CHERNENKO
True, but there is always hope, for tomorrow is always new and yesterday has long gone and today’s worries are only fleeting shadows.
CUT TO.
22. INT. MCC CONTROL ROOM. NIGHT.
The LIGHTS are LOW. TINKERBELL is AT HER CONSOLE. CASPAR is ASLEEP AT HIS CONSOLE. Another FEMALE OFFICER is AT A CONSOLE in the BACK OF THE ROOM.
TINKERBELL gets up FROM HER SEAT and STARTS to GATHER up HER THINGS.
She NOTICES CASPAR is STILL AT HIS CONSOLE.
She WALKS OVER and GENTLY SHAKES HIM.
TINKERBELL
Hey, what are you still doing here?
Your shift ended hours ago.
CASPAR
What? Oh, just catching up on something.
What are you still doing here?!
TINKERBELL
I’m asking the question and I’m not going to exchange insults with you like Dave or Murray do. I really can’t be bothered.
So what are you still doing here?
CASPAR
I don’t know.
TINKERBELL
Yes you do. You’re worried that if you’re not here and something goes wrong, you won’t be able to forgive yourself.
CASPAR
Its not that, its just… Okay, I suppose you might have a point.
TINKERBELL
A tip from someone who’s been there. Let it go. You’re going to see some pretty difficult things in this job. Things that nothing in your life could prepare you for.
And there’s going to be days in your life when you’ll close your eyes and all the sights you’ve seen in that day will threaten to overwhelm you.
So when it comes to the easier days when we get where we’re meant to go and we don’t lose anyone along the way, you get to the end of the day and you go off duty and you let it go.
Tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Today is almost over. And you can’t prove yourself to Cal, or Dave, or Jensen if you’re tired out from staying up all night in front of a computer screen that in all likelihood isn’t going to change.
And if something happens, there’s always alarms and personal communication devices in all colours of the rainbow.
And you did well today, so take it as a win.
Come on, I’m going down to the Mess Hall. Hotshot and Playboy are meeting Jackson and I down there in a few minutes. Beers and banter, the perfect way to let go.
CASPAR
What even if you’re the butt of the jokes.
TINKERBELL
Well you are the newbie, is that correct hacker jargon?
And you give as good as you get.
And who knows Cal might pop in later.
He’s got something to sort out.
CASPAR
If he’s still working what’s wrong with me still working.
TINKERBELL
He’s been doing it for a long time and never listens to me when I give him advice like that. And who said he was working.
He’s just got something to sort out.
FADE INTO.
23. INT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTRE INFIRMARY. DAY.
The LIGHTS are DOWN LOW. NIGHTINGALE is SAT at HER DESK WORKING, her DESK LIGHT BRIGHT in the DARK ROOM.
SOMEBODY COUGHS BEHIND HER.
She TURNS, it is MURRAY.
He is HOLDING a BUNCH of WILDFLOWERS.
The NURSE from the PREVIOUS SCENE is WORKING in a CORNER of the ROOM.
NIGHTINGALE
Hannah, can you give us a minute.
HANNAH
Of course, Doctor.
MURRAY
So I’ve been informed, by a number of people including yourself that my timing leaves a lot to be desired.
NIGHTINGALE
That sounds like something I might have said.
MURRAY
You did say it, quite eloquently in fact.
NIGHTINGALE
Yes, because eloquence was what I was aiming for.
MURRAY
Sarcasm, nice. I suppose I deserved that.
Okay, I KNOW I deserved that.
But I’m hoping I’ve judged the timing better this time
I even brought flowers.
HE WALKS towards HER.
She LAUGHS.
NIGHTINGALE
Where did you get those?
MURRAY
I made Caspar pick them when we out there today.
I told him they were for a botany experiment.
NIGHTINGALE
Are you going to let up on him sometime soon.
MURRAY
At some point. I mean you have no idea what it was like working with him in that factory for two years. Believe me I’m not stopping until I get some payback.
MURRAY gives HER the FLOWERS.
MURRAY
And I may have seemed a little self-centred before.
For the record I do know that the last couple of years weren’t just hard on me.
And I know I should have found a better time and place to try to talk to you about it.
NIGHTINGALE
I’m not going to disagree with you on that account.
MURRAY
You’re not going to make this easy for me either are you?
NIGHTINGALE
No, I wouldn’t be worth the effort if I let you off easily.
MURRAY
Can’t argue with that.
Okay, here goes, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just left and I should have listened to you.
Its just I felt responsible.
NIGHTINGALE
I know.
MURRAY
I was the one who discovered the Incursion. I was the one who trapped Dave on Earth.
NIGHTINGALE
I knew you felt responsible.
I just wish you’d let me know about it.
Openess is generally considered a sign of a good relationship.
And if I you had told me, I would have come with you.
MURRAY
I know. And I love you but I couldn’t ask you to do that. It was bad enough I’d trapped Dave here, I couldn’t mess your life up either.
NIGHTINGALE
Don’t you think that’s my decision.
MURRAY
That’s exactly what I’d thought you say.
I knew you’d say that and you’d be stubborn and follow me no matter what.
NIGHTINGALE
You’re full of yourself you know that.
MURRAY
I think you’d told me that once or twice before.
Look can we start again?
NIGHTINGALE
I must be mad.
I would have gone with you, not because I’m stubborn but because from the very first moment I saw you, I’ve loved you.
My career is not more important than you.
How can I not forgive someone who nearly gave up everything to help out a man he barely knew.
Sometimes you make it so difficult to hate you.
So yes we can start again but lets take it slow okay.
I’m still pretty mad at you.
MURRAY
Okay, so you fancy going for a drink?
Its just that you know the guys are meeting at the mess hall and I was wondering…
NIGHTINGALE
I didn’t quite mean that slow.
MURRAY
I know.
HE kisses HER.
She kisses back.
NIGHTINGALE
Just one thing.
MURRAY
What?
NIGHTINGALE
Next time, you get the flowers.
I’m worth it after all.
She KISSES him again.
An ACOUSTIC SONG starts to KICK in.
FADE into.
24. MONTAGE SCENE.
An ACOUSTIC SONG plays OVER SCENES of the CREW. The sort of MUSICAL MONTAGE BELOVED by AMERICAN TEEN PROGRAMMES.
MURRAY and NIGHTINGALE still KISS.
CHERNENKO and DAVE DRINKING.
CASPAR and TINKERBELL ARRIVE at the MESS HALL. The OTHERS GREET THEM.
CHERNENKO is NOW DRINKING ALONE. DAVE is SLUMPED AGAINST A MACHINE PART.
MURRAY and NIGHTINGALE COME into the MESS HALL and SIT down with the OTHERS.
IT TAKES A THREE MINUTE SONG TO GET THROUGH THE MONTAGE.
The SONG FADES OUT
CUT TO.
25. INT. OBSIDIAN GUARD HEADQUARTERS. NIGHT.
A COMPLETELY BLACK ROOM. NOTHING can be SEEN APART FROM A SINGLE SHAFT of LIGHT which is CAST DOWN onto a THRONE LIKE CHAIR. A FEMALE FIGURE sits in IT, partially IN SHADOW.
CLEAR CRYSTAL DOORS open and GUILLAME DE MORTE WALKS INTO the ROOM.
AS he WALKS THROUGH the ROOM LIGHTS PICK out HIS WAY and the FADE AFTER HE’S WALKED PAST.
IN the END he KNEELS BEFORE THE FIGURE on the THRONE. A LIGHT IS STILL on HIM.
DE MORTE.
My Lady.
LADY ERIS
Speak.
DE MORTE
The forces from Earth have arrived. They are lead by Murray and Bloodhelm as we expected.
They easily routed the Crimson Guard garrison nearby.
LADY ERIS
So did Erebus give the job of their apprehension to us?
DE MORTE
(Nervously)
No, my lady, he decided to give the Crimson Guard another opportunity to prove themselves.
LADY ERIS
That man has no spine. He is weak, weak do you hear me, De Morte.
No matter, the Crimson Guard will fail and then I will get my revenge on Murray and that pathetic traitor Bloodhelm. Oh yes! Bloodhelm. I will take special pleasure in watching him beg for his life as my sword rips the lifeblood out of him.
Her HAND CURLS around A SWORD by the SIDE OF HER THRONE.
LADY ERIS
They will pay for what they did to me!
CUT TO
END CREDITS.
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