The Beautiful Ones Act Two
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
EXT.LOGAN�S BUILDING -- DAY
The Mysterious Man is standing outside of Logan�s building
looking up at the penthouse apartment. Normal passes him as
he enters the building.
INT.LOGAN�S APARTMENT -- DAY
The doorbell RINGS. Logan wheels to the door and opens it.
He sees Normal standing there and looks surprised.
NORMAL
Okay buddy, where is she?
LOGAN
I don�t know what you�re talking
about? Where is who?
NORMAL
Max?
LOGAN
I haven�t seen Max since last night.
NORMAL
I believe you have me confused with
the imbeciles I manage day in day
out. I noticed Max started
disappearing a lot more once she met
you. And I�m sure it boost
your ego to play sugar daddy to a
beautiful young girl, especially in
your a present
(glances at wheelchair)
�state�--
LOGAN (ANGRY)
You're out of line.
NORMAL
No, you're out of line. I have a
business to run and your romantic
rendezvous are interfering with her
job.
LOGAN
First of all, Max and I don�t have
that kind of relationship. Second,
if she�s missing from work, I�m sure
it�s for a good reason.
NORMAL
Rich guys, pre-pulse, post-pulse,
always the same, trampling on the
working class.
Logan closes his door in Normal�s face.
INT.HALLWAY OUTSIDE LOGAN�S APARTMENT -- DAY
Normal grumbles and leaves.
INT.LOGAN�S APARTMENT -- DAY
Max comes out of the study. She goes up to Logan�s side.
MAX
Sorry about that, Normal�s an idiot.
LOGAN
I�ve noticed.
Logan and Max smile, then walk back into the study.
INT.STUDY -- DAY
Logan wheels around to his computer while Max stands nearby.
MAX
So, back to our Doctor Quince.
LOGAN
What I was about to say before we
were rudely interrupted was that
Quince was actually kicked off the
Manticore project.
MAX
What?
LOGAN
Yeah, it seems his psychological
test didn�t go so well.
MAX
Lydecker probably doctored it up so--
LOGAN
I don�t think so. He�s anti-social,
unmarried, no kids--
MAX
So what?
LOGAN
And he KIDNAPPED one of your siblings.
MAX
What do you mean �kidnapped�?
LOGAN
I mean when he was forced out of
Manticore he took someone with him.
MAX
So the X5 could have left voluntarily.
LOGAN
What I�m saying is this man, this
doctor you recall so fondly, this
Doctor Quince Thomas. He was a
brilliant man, which is why Manticore
wanted him, but he wasn�t mentally
sound. He�s obsessed with you kids.
He didn�t just take a Manticore
prototype, he stole some of the
Manticore files.
MAX
Whatever you think of him, Logan,
have you forgotten why I need him?
LOGAN
Of course not. But until we find out
why he�s in Seattle, what he took
the files for, and why he took an
X5, I don�t think you should approach
him. And not only that, you're
exposing yourself to someone
Lydecker�s after. If Lydecker catches
up with him, he catches up with you,
too.
MAX
Logan, I NEED him. How many times do
I have to say that?
LOGAN
You�ve survived fine without Manticore
all these years.
MAX
Well, I found out I fear something
more than Manticore, Death.
INT.MEETING ROOM -- DAY
The Bald Man who visited Jam Pony earlier stands in front of
a long table. A woman sits at the end of the table, her back
is to the man. She�s known only as MADAM X.
BALD MAN
We�re pretty sure Quince has the
package. How long before we move on
him?
MADAM X
I don�t like pretty sure. I like
sure. Remember, our goal is to capture
or kill the X5s, whichever proves
more efficient.
BALD MAN
Madam, why don�t we call in Lydecker?
MADAM X
Lydecker spends more time losing
these expensive human weapons than
retrieving them. You know how much
it cost to create and train one X5?
To keep up the Manticore base?
BALD MAN
No Madam.
MADAM X
More than you have in your paycheck
each week and you're paid pretty
well. And that�s not including feeding
them and the medical research that
goes into correcting their �flaws.�
Quince is a fool if he thinks he can
ever get the funding to create his
own stock of Manticore children. He
needs more cash than he could ever
get on the black market. However,
what he does have to his advantage
is a male thoroughbred, one we didn�t
�fix.� And we have to get it back or
destroy it before he finds a female
to breed it with. And sources say he
may have found one. That annoying
one that Lydecker can�t seem to
capture.
BALD MAN
What do you want me to do?
MADAM X
Continue to pretend to be a foreign
interest. We�ll flushed out what X5s
we can and capture them.
INT.HALLWAY OUTSIDE MAX�S APARTMENT -- DAY
Normal walks down the hall of Max�s building. It is an
unfinished high rise whose construction was abandoned when
the pulse hit. Normal is obviously displeased with his
surroundings.
NORMAL
How can civilized people live this
way? Oh, I forgot, this is where Max
lives.
Normal knocks on Max�s door.
KENDRA (O.S.)
I�m coming.
The door opens. Kendra is standing there drying her hair and
wearing nothing but a towel. Normal�s expression is one of
complete shock. He is unable to speak for a moment.
KENDRA
Yes?
NORMAL
(clearing his throat)
Raegan Ronald, Max�s boss.
KENDRA
Normal?
NORMAL
Yeah
KENDRA
Oh, hello. Max and Original Cindy
talk about you all the time.
NORMAL
Yes, well um, don�t believe what
they say. It�s not true. Is Max here?
We had a problem with a delivery and
I need to check something out with
her.
KENDRA
Well, she�s not here.
Kendra opens the door wide enough for him to come in. Normal
steps into the apartment.
INT.MAX�S APARTMENT -- DAY
Normal looks around the apartment. He sees Max�s messenger
bike sitting in a corner.
NORMAL (TO HIMSELF)
Funny, when I�m sick, I usually come
home.
A look of understanding flushes Kendra�s face.
KENDRA
You know what, Normal, I mean Raegan.
(smiles)
Max called and said she was seeing a
doctor about something.
NORMAL
(with a raised eyebrow)
Oh really.
KENDRA
You know, you walked all the way
here, the least I could do is give
you some coffee. Why don�t you have
a seat and I�ll get dressed and be
right back.
Kendra slips into her room, which is only cut off from the
rest of the apartment by a bed sheet. Normal looks at her
silhouette through the sheet. He sees her shadow drop her
towel and his eyes remain glued to the image.
INT.QUINCE�S APARTMENT -- DAY
Quince is on the phone again. He�s talking to his source at
Manticore.
QUINCE
I got the photos today. . .they�re
all so beautiful. . .you know I held
each one when they were first born.
(long pause)
You�ll never guess what I found, a
Manticore female. I believe she�s
fully functional. . . .I�m so close
I can feel it--
Quince crosses past his open briefcase on a table. The Medical
files and Manticore children's headshots are inside. A
duplicate set is in a box beside it. A brochure for Japan,
which is called �The Golden World� on the advertisement,
sits beside both of them.
QUINCE
And no one is going to stop me.
Quince hangs up the phone.
QUINCE
Not even you, trader.
Quince picks up the brochure then reaches down into the box
with the duplicate files. A picture is ripped part of the
way and we see the picture is really some type of high tech
bugging device. He puts the picture back down in the box and
closes it, wraps it up, and throws a label on it. He then
picks up a brochure. He looks at the picture of Japan.
QUINCE
Golden world? That�s just the place
my kids belong.
Quince grabs the box and exits the apartment.
EXT.MARION APARTMENTS -- DAY
Quince exits the building He is carrying the box. As he passes
the parking lot, we see Bald Man step out of the shadows
holding a cell phone.
Quince disappears around a corner. Bald Man opens the phone
and dials.
BALD MAN (ON PHONE)
Follow him, I think he might be onto
us.
INT.QUICKTIME COURIER -- DAY
Quince steps into QuickTime carrying the box. He goes to the
MAN AT THE DESK and hands the man the box.
QUINCE
It�s urgent, get this to its
destination as soon as possible. Do
you have a back door by the way?
MAN AT THE DESK
Sure, right there.
He points to a back entrance and Quince heads that way.
EXT.ALLEY -- DAY
The skies are just starting to dim as Quince exits into the
alley behind QuickTime. He looks around and then slips through
a nearby broken fence.
INT.MAX�S APARTMENT, KITCHEN AREA -- DAY
Kendra is now dressed. She�s obviously been sitting with
Normal awhile because she has an empty used cup in front of
her. Kendra�s smiles politely at Normal as he sips on his
coffee and complains.
NORMAL (RANTING)
I try, you don�t know how hard I
try, but they defy me at every turn,
they don�t know how hard it is to be
in charge. When Sketchy decided to
battle with the packages and they
got mixed up, who got a gun put to
their head and a threats of
defenestration, not Sketchy, Raegan
Ronald, that�s who. How was I supposed
to know the packages were mixed up?
KENDRA
But sometimes, aren�t you just a
little too rough on them? I mean,
they did put themselves on the line
to save you that time.
NORMAL
That was,
(short pause)
A moment of unexpected maturity.
KENDRA
Why don�t you ease up on Max? If
she�s missing, I�m sure it�s for a
good reason. Max is basically a good
person.
NORMAL
Tell that to the client whose package
she wasn't to deliver.
KENDRA
How do you know it wasn�t delivered?
Normal doesn�t answer, he takes another sip of coffee.
NORMAL
(Changing the subject)
What did I do to become so disliked,
so �Normal?�
KENDRA
Maybe if you were just a bit kinder
to your people, they�d be nicer to
you.
NORMAL
Well, it would be easier if they
were good listeners like yourself.
Kendra is thrown off by this compliment, evident in her
confused expression. Then Normal smiles at her and his
message becomes clear.
KENDRA
You know what Normal, I have to meet
someone in an hour and a girl needs
to fix herself up.
NORMAL (STANDING)
Oh, no problem, you�ve been more
than kind. Thanks for listening.
Not many people would bother,
especially for me.
KENDRA
(as she walks him to
the door)
It was no problem, come see me again.
NORMAL
(as he exits)
I will
Kendra closes the door and breaths a sigh of relief.
KENDRA
(to herself)
Come see me again? What were you
thinking?
EXT.SEATTLE STREETS -- NIGHT
Max rides down the street on her motorcycle. In the distance,
we see the motorcycle of the Mysterious Man following her.
As Max approaches Quince�s apartment, she sees Quince running
from something. Seconds later she sees TWO MEN, huge body-
builder-sized guys, chasing him down.
Max revs up her bike and speeds ahead of the pursuers. She
sharply cuts off the chase and leaps off the vehicle.
The men pull out their guns and point them at Max.
MAX
Boys, I should warn you. Guns make
me nervous.
The Mysterious Man pauses to watch the fight.
MYSTERIOUS MAN POV
Max quickly snatches the guns out of the men's hands and
takes them apart. The men look at each other confused and
then attack Max.
Max kicks the first guy into a wall with so much force, he�s
immediately knocked out.
Max grabs the second guy and throws him into his buddy.
BACK TO SCENE
She mounts her bike and turns toward Quince.
QUINCE (TO MAX)
I knew you would come back to me.
MAX
No time to talk, let�s go.
Max speeds off into the night.
ANGLE ON MYSTERIOUS MAN
He mounts his vehicle as he watches Max flee. As he turns
his bike to follow Max we see the barcode on his neck.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.WOODS OUTSIDE MANTICORE -- FLASHBACK
We see the barcode of the boy the man used to be. His name
is KELLY. Kelly kneels in the snow with a group of CHILDREN,
wearing only a nightgown, yet unaffected by the extremely
cold temperatures.
PULL BACK to see YOUNG ZACK splitting up the escaping kids.
Young Kelly nods as Zack tells him, with hand signals, which
direction to run in.
He gets up and runs off with his partner, a SMALLER BOY.
The two boys are seen running in the woods. GUN SHOTS ringing
out. The smaller boy falls.
Kelly runs back to pick him up. Kelly attemps to run carrying
the boy and is shot down himself. He smiles as he looks at
the sky.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.MANTICORE -- DAY
Kelly sees blurry images as he awakes. Ghost like figures.
As the figures clear, we can see the faces of Doctors. A
doctor leans over Kelly. It�s Quince Thomas.
QUINCE
You won�t die, not today.
ANGLE ON KELLY
A tear falls down his face.
FADE OUT
END OF ACT TWO
The Beautiful Ones: Act 1 Act 3 Act 4
