TV-14
(Language)
Starboard
Side
Episode
104: The Conductor
Written
by Jared Williams
Black Screen
A brilliant yellow flash of light encompasses the screen,
accompanied by new age music, a serene choir. [hear
example]
Nemo’s Voice
It was
created by the ones before us…
The yellow flash fades into a sun, and
the camera pans down to an ancient city, resembling that of the Aztecs. The
pyramids have circular bases, and there is a large temple in the center of it
all. The camera pans down to two humanoid natives of this world, dressed in
silver decorations with dark tanned skin. Only the shoulders and below can be
seen.
Nemo’s
Voice
…when
this planet thrived.
The first native hands an artifact to the second. It appears to be
the piece of jewelry Nemo had around his neck in the end of The Chase. With their free hands the two
natives shake.
Nemo’s Voice
Passed
from priest to priest, the conductor was only part of something much larger.
Cut to:
Ext – The
An angle from the base of the temple shows its true size. Several
natives walk by, silhouetted in the sun.
Cut to:
Int – The temple
Inside the chamber of vision, a single priest walks in through a
large arched door. His face is invisible in the darkness, as are most of the
details of his body. He carries the device forward, as the camera pushes back
to reveal the
[The
The priest walks forward to the
The pipes along the edges of the corridor, the ones that lead into
the tower, begin to glow. Some have a slightly red aura to them, others are
slightly blue. The ones that glow red seem to lead into the top of the Tower,
and the ones that glow blue lead to the bottom. The light is drawn into the
tower, and the vents begin to change color. The top vent becomes red, and the
bottom becomes blue.
Nemo’s
Voice
It was
believed that the Tower would allow the priest clairvoyance, to see everything
he needed to see in order to protect the city.
The top of the column disperses a broad red aura, absorbed by the
conductor, which concentrates it into a single, super intense red beam through
the jewel in the center. It is discharged into the bottom half of the tower.
The bottom half reacts and sends a blue aura into the break, once again
absorbed by the conductor which ejects a sharp blue beam into the top half of
the tower.
The priest turns and walks along the path to the end of the path
where the pad sits. The process speeds up until the individual motions can no
longer be seen. The loud hums fade into one sustained, rather moderate hum. The
aura is a constant purple now. A seemingly constant blue beam is being ejected
into the top half of the tower, along with the red beam being ejected into the
bottom half.
The priest turns to face the machine and gets down onto his knees.
He leans his head back, his face overshadowed. His closed eyes begin to glow
with a mix of red and blue aura seeping out. The slight outlines of his face
can be seen in this light.
Nemo’s
Voice
The
priest could see into other dimensions, he would know what the wrong choices
would lead to, and the cities thrived.
The scene fades through white light, as
it fades a second character can be seen standing in the entryway to the room of
the
Fade through white:
The
The sun is beginning to go down, but the city is still well lit.
Nemo’s
Voice
Then
the waters came.
Several tighter shots show the city beginning to shake and rumble, people (still at shoulder level) begin to shake and wonder
what the trouble is. Cut to a shot of a domed pyramid. A wall of water suddenly
rushes past, wiping out the outermost bricks of the pyramid.
Cut to another wide-out shot of the city. The
wall of water rushes through, engulfing it. The wall continues until it
reaches the camera, and the POV is flushed. Through the water, the view fades
to a top-level shot of the seas. Two small bubbles rise to the surface, then
two more. The conductor rises to the surface. Several seconds later a hand of
an off-screen man (probably on a boat) snatches it out of the water.
Nemo’s
voice
A
traveler found the piece, millennia later. He took it back to Earth, where it
was shuffled about for too long, but eventually I found it in my possession.
Fade to:
Int – Nemo’s Boat
Cassandra is sitting at the steering wheel. Nemo is sitting silent
next to the motor, pressing the pedal every so often. He is caressing the
conductor in his hands, feeling over the markings.
Nemo’s
Voice
I knew
what it was worth, and I couldn’t let that get away from me. So I ran with it… I’ve
been running too long. I’ve finally returned to the source, to sell this to
someone who knows what it means to own it.
A new angle on Nemo shows his face, and
Cassandra behind him at the steering wheel.
Cassandra
We’re
coming up to the port!
Nemo
All
right, just keep it calm…
Cut to a wider angle of the boat as it approaches a small port
with a repair station on it.
Cut to:
Ext – Docks
An eye level shot shows the floor of the docks and the top of the
ladder attached. Suddenly a hand reaches up out of the water, dripping wet.
Jerry proceeds to crawl out of the sea, on to the dock. His jacket is missing
now, and he’s dripping wet.
Cut to a wider shot. Jerry takes off his life vest and tosses it
into the water, then moves to the ladder where he kneels over and helps Camella
out of the water. They breathe heavily as they recover from the swim.
Camella
[angrily]
Twelve
boats… not a single one stopped to help us.
[She turns
and shouts out to the crowded port]
See if
I ever help you!
Jerry gives Camella a slightly annoyed/interested look as Amideas
climbs up out of the water. The water seems to simply slide off of him, rather
than soak into his coverings.
Camella [turning to Jerry]
Now I’m a little lost, stranger. Who were those two people who tried to kill us, again?
Through
his panting, Jerry looks up at Camella.
Cut to:
Int –
Diner
At a table in the center of a diner Camella, Jerry, and Amideas
sit in a triangular pattern. Camella and Jerry are a bit dryer now. A cup of
coffee is brought to Jerry by a rather nice looking waitress.
Jerry
[to waitress]
Thanks
The waitress smiles and walks away. Jerry begins to open a packet
of sugar and pour it into his drink.
Jerry
The man
was Nemo Smithe. He’s an antique dealer… so to speak.
Amideas
He
steals them?
Jerry
…More
money in that. He’s been trying to pawn off the same piece for a couple of
months, now.
Camella
It must
be worth a lot, then.
Jerry
We’re
not even sure what it is, but we know he’s come here to sell it. If we’re gonna
catch him, we’ve gotta do it soon.
Amideas
And
Cassandra? She was your partner?
Jerry
I don’t
know how she got past our referencing system, but she obviously wasn’t a real
detective.
Camella
Wait,
I’m confused… Nemo’s only had this thing a couple of months? How long was she
your partner?
Jerry
…Three
weeks. My last partner was… killed; you can thank Nemo for that one, too.
Camella
Whoa…
Jerry breaks eye contact with the other two and looks down at his
drink.
Amideas
Do you
know who they plan to sell the item to?
Jerry
We had
some leads, but…
Camella
But
Cassandra took care of those, huh?
Jerry
Yeah…
Camella
[to Ami]
Any
ideas?
Cut to:
Ext – Port
Cassandra leads Nemo up the trail, away from the dock. Several
employees are moving towards their boat in the background, beginning to work on
it. Nemo is carrying a single case.
Nemo
What
happens when they check our credentials? They’re not gonna let us leave.
Cassandra
I
wouldn’t worry about that…
Suddenly the boat explodes, engulfing the surrounding people and
shattering the dock. Taken, Nemo lurches forward, nearly dropping the case.
Cassandra remains calm.
Cassandra
…They’re
going to be a bit distracted.
Nemo recovers, and looks back at the explosion just a little
surprised, then back at Cassandra with an angry face.
Nemo
What’d
you do that for!?
Cassandra smiles slyly, and the two proceed to the parking lot.
Cut to:
Ext – Computer Terminal
Amideas, Camella, and Jerry stand on the corner of the street
where a public access computer terminal is set up. Amideas presses a panel on
his wrist. It peels back revealing a small plug attached to a thin cord. Amideas nods and Camella reaches for it, pulling it out toward the
terminal.
Jerry
You
know I’m fairly sure hacking into these things is considered illegal by most
people…
Jerry looks around nervously at the bystanders pacing by, giving
them casual smiles.
Camella takes Amideas’s plug and sticks it in the port on the side
of the computer terminal.
Camella
Done!
A new image of Amideas’s POV appears on the terminal screen. It
reveals Nemo holding up the artifact around his neck in the climax of the
previous episode.
Jerry
There!
Freeze it.
The image freezes, and Amideas pushes in on the image of the
medallion.
Jerry
That
oughta do, go ahead and run the search.
A grid flashes over the medallion, and the background disappears,
turning to black. The medallion is brought to the corner of the screen and sat
up right while the rest of the screen begins to fill with information.
Jerry
Good,
good. We’ll start with the local historians; see if they can tell us who
might’ve been interested in buying this thing off of Nemo.
Push in on the image of the conductor.
Fade to:
Int -- Museum
Fade to a print out of the conductor, the image identical to that
of the last scene. Push out to reveal an older native to the planet looking
over the piece of paper. The man is sitting at a table in the back of a museum,
other artifacts and statues positioned around the table. Jerry alone stands on
the other side of the table, waiting for a response from the old man.
Curator
Ah,
yes…
Jerry
You
know what it is?
Curator
Well I
don’t know a single curator worth his salt that wouldn’t.
Jerry
That file
called it a “conductor.”
Curator
A loose
translation, I suppose, but it fits. Its powers are a myth, but it’s supposed
to give its owner an unlimited reach through “the worlds beyond,” or something
like that.
Jerry
How
much would something like that fetch a person?
Curator
Well,
if he knew how to haggle a man could get an easy… five or six…
Jerry
…Million?
Curator
[surprised]
Oh! Oh
no, hundred-million.
Jerry
Wow,
any idea who would be interested in buying it?
Curator
Well, I
don’t know much about that sort of thing. There was, however, a younger man
come by here not too many weeks ago.
Jerry
Do you
remember his name?
Cut to:
Ext – Museum
Jerry rushes down the front stairs of the museum carrying a
document excitedly. He meets up with Amideas and Camella who are waiting around
the corner of the stair case.
Jerry
We got
our buyer!
Amideas
What’s
his name?
Jerry
Rico
Jyraan.
Cut to:
Ext – Jyraan Estate
Nemo and Cassandra reach the exterior gates of an obviously
wealthy man, Rico Jyraan. The gates are black and the house is white, shrubbery
and gardens decorate the massive court yard. The mansion itself has
crenellations running along the roof.
Nemo is carrying a small case now, presumably with the conductor
inside. Cassandra pauses before Nemo presses the comm. button.
Cassandra
Are you
sure this man is a serious buyer?
Nemo
What?
Yes, of course I’m sure.
Cassandra
And
he’s ready to buy it? Just like that?
Nemo
[hesitating]
Well…
no, not exactly. He’s fairly certain he’ll want us to test it first.
Cassandra
Test
it? How?
Nemo
He said
he’d explain when we got here. Well, here we are. [He smiles.]
Cassandra
Okay.
[She nods.]
Nemo nods and sets the case down before pressing the
communications button. It beeps.
Jyraan’s
voice
Yes…
Hello?
Nemo
Mr.
Jyraan?
Jyraan’s
Voice
Yes,
Hello. Who is this?
Nemo
It’s
Nemo Smithe, Mr. Jyraan.
Jyraan’s
Voice
…Oh
yes, of course! Allow me to buzz you in. Give me just a moment, please.
Nemo
Take
all the time you like, Mr. Jyraan.
Several seconds pass before there is another beep, and the gate
unlocks. Nemo smiles and picks up the bag. The two move forward along the long
path to the house.
Cut to:
Int –
Jyraan Estate
A large native, Rico Jyraan has a deep voice and an equally deep
stomach. He is wearing a nice suit of beige. Nemo and Cassandra enter his large
deck in the back of the house with its own man-made beach. It’s a beautiful
scene. Jyraan is munching on something that resembles barbecued chicken wings. Upon
seeing Cassandra and Nemo, he stops eating and moves for napkin, wiping his
face.
Jyraan
Ahh, my
good friend, Nemo Smithe, every day is a great day when I see you.
Nemo
It’s
been too long, Rico.
Jyraan
Would
you care for some cuisine? Perhaps a drink for your lady
friend? [He chuckles]
Cassandra
[Flatly]
I’m fine, thank you.
Jyraan
Straight
to business then, eh? Well okay. Have you brought it?
Nemo
Of
course.
Nemo brings the case over to the table and sets it down in front
of Jyraan. He looks it over.
Jyraan
Ahh…
Good.
Jyraan flips the locks on the black, leather case and lifts it
open. He gives another sigh and lifts the conductor out of the case, feeling
along the edges and admiring the jewel in the center.
Jyraan
It’s
just as beautiful as I had imagined.
Nemo smiles, happy with the deal he is about to complete.
Jyraan
But…
Nemo’s smile fades.
Nemo
But?
Jyraan
But
I’ve seen forgeries this beautiful before. I’m not willing to let it happen
again. I need the real thing, like we discussed.
Nemo
No, I
told you, we can’t test the piece. The machine it goes to has been lost
underwater for millennia…
Jyraan
Ahh,
have faith in an old friend, Nemo. I’ve been prepared for this.
Cut to:
Int – Private Dry-dock
A pan shot of a Private Excavation Unit, or E.U. It sits suspended
over the sea by large wires, walls and a ceiling on all sides of the small
dock. Several scientists in white uniforms pace by, checking things off of a
clip board as they examine the vessel.
[The E.U. most closely resembles a submersible, except the flat
underbelly is surrounded by a large ring of light, and suspended from the
underbelly is the actual, spherical cockpit with large pipes hanging down from
either side. The glass of the sphere is tinted. The topside of the E.U. is
equipped with massive vents and steering apparatuses, topped off with a sleek,
black design. It looks powerful, but still rather slapped-together in haste.]
Jyraan’s
voice
For you
see, in anticipation of this event, I have had one of my lesser-known
businesses setting up.
Cut to:
Ext – Back to the Deck
Jyraan
A
top-of-the-line excavation vehicle and just last week I learned that my
scientists had discovered the location of the original temple.
Nemo
Whoa,
wait, that’s a little extreme…
Jyraan
Completely
innocent, I assure you. I wish only to see if the piece fits in the machine,
which is why you shall document the excavation. If it fits you shall be paid
for your findings, no strings attached.
Nemo
I don’t
know, Mr. Jyraan…
Cassandra
[suddenly]
Nemo,
can I talk to you for a second?
Nemo nods, and Cassandra pulls him aside.
A reverse angle shows them huddle together, their backs to Jyraan.
Cassandra
Nemo,
this is a lot of money…
Nemo
We
don’t know the first thing about operating a submarine!
Cassandra
[grabs Nemo’s shirt]
Listen,
don’t you blow this for us! We didn’t come this close!
Nemo gets an agitated look on his face and Cassandra backs off,
realizing she may have gone a bit too far.
Nemo
Okay…
Okay, we’ll do it.
Cassandra nods. The two turn around to face Jyraan once again.
Jyraan has a look of anticipation on his face.
Nemo
Well
all right, Mr. Jyraan, you’ve got yourself a deal.
Jyraan
Excellent!
Jyraan stands and moves around to the other side of the table. He
moves in between Nemo and Cassandra and puts an arm around their respective
shoulders.
Jyraan
An
escort will be waiting at the front of the house to bring you to the dry dock. If you’d lead the way, Nemo.
Jyraan hands the case with the conductor inside to Nemo, who
shrugs and takes it. Jyraan lifts his arm off of him and Nemo moves toward the
front of the house, leaving Jyraan and Cassandra alone.
Jyraan
I do
not know how assured I am in betraying such a dependable business partner.
Cassandra
Don’t
worry, Jyraan… you’ll get what you want.
Jyraan
I had
better…
Cassandra smiles slyly, and the two take to following Nemo into
the house.
Cut to:
Int – Entryway
Nemo stands waiting at the front door as Cassandra and Jyraan
catch up. He is looking at a monitor fastened to the side of the front door. It
shows the front gates.
Jyraan
What’s
the matter?
Nemo
Look
for yourself.
Nemo gestures to the monitor. It revealed to be Jerry, Camella,
and Amideas standing at the front gates, talking amongst themselves.
Jyraan
Friends
of yours?
Cassandra
Not
anymore…
Jyraan
Ahh,
the pleasures of uninvited company! All right. Nemo,
take your partner out through the side entrance.
Jyraan presses a few buttons on the monitor’s controls.
Jyraan
My
escort will be waiting for you there.
Nemo
Thanks,
Rico.
Jyraan
Don’t
mention it, eh?
Nemo grabs Cassandra’s arm, and they head to the side of the
house. Jyraan watches them leave and then turns his attention back to the
monitor.
Cut to:
Ext – Jyraan Estate
Camella, Jerry, and Amideas stand outside the locked main gates,
debating whether or not to ring the bell.
Jerry
We
can’t just ring the bell! He’s gonna know something’s up!
Camella
Well
then how else is he gonna know we’re here, Jerry? Huh? How?!
Jerry
We
don’t want him to know we’re he…
Camella presses the buzzer. It beeps. Camella smiles
sarcastically.
Jerry
…Here.
Another sudden beep comes from the comm. panel, followed by
Jyraan’s voice.
Jyraan’s
voice
Yes?
Jerry
[improvising]
Uhm,
yeah! Mr. Jyraan, I’m Jerry Williams. I’ve got a few questions I’d like to ask
you about a man named Nemo Smithe?
Jyraan’s
Voice
Who? I
don’t know a… what did you say his name was?
Jerry
Nemo
Smithe, sir. I’d just like to ask you a few questions.
Jyraan’s
voice
Well,
yes. Of course, leave me a moment to buzz you in.
There is a final sudden beep from the comm. panel as it shuts off.
Jerry smiles at Camella a bit.
Camella
There?
You see?
Jerry nods his head in approval, still trying to keep down a
smile. The gate clicks unlocked, and Amideas pushes it open.
Amideas
Let’s
go.
The three move into the courtyard; Jerry leading, Camella
following, and Amideas cautiously bringing up the rear. There are large flowers
on either side of the walkway. The trees are thick enough to where you cannot
see through the branches. It’s ominously quiet.
Amideas
This
would be a superb opportunity to launch an attack, Jerry.
Camella
Oh,
have some faith, Robot. Not everyone’s against us. You really need to lighten…
At the center of the house, a single automated turret pops up
through the crenellations, making a loud, mechanical sound as it does. It
points directly at the trio.
Camella
…Uh oh.
The turret opens fire. It fires large rounds, the shells clunking
as they bounce out of the turret and fall on the roof.
Jerry
Move!
The three split off into different directions, attempting to take
cover. Camella dives behind a bed of flowers, Jerry hides behind a brick light
post toward the gates. Amideas moves behind the nearest tree, much larger than
him.
Jerry
[Shouting]
So much for a warm welcome!
A total of ten turrets now rise from the crenellations along the
roof, from left to right. The camera pans across as they do so. They split up,
the left most targeting Camella, the middle targeting Jerry, and the right
targeting Amideas. They continue firing, failing at their shots.
Jerry
Still
glad you rang the bell now, Camella?
Camella
[Shouting
back] You’re never gonna let that go, are you?! [Turning her head to Amideas] I
thought you could tell when people were lying!
Amideas
[heightening his volume]
Its function
is based on visual contact, Camella. Jerry, do you think you can target the
turrets with your pistol?
Jerry
What?
Who do you think I am? …You?!
Camella
Amideas,
wouldn’t it be smarter to start bringing your own guns?!
Amideas looks around, only to turn his head right to find himself
starring down the barrel of a turret which has lowered itself from the branches
of the tree. As it charges up he pulls it off of the arm it’s connected to,
causing it to stop charging. He holds it up right, trying to figure out how to
use it manually.
Jerry
Is that
gonna work, Amideas?
Amideas
I
believe so.
Amideas holds the turret upright after having inspected it. He
places one hand under the barrel and the other on a switch toward the back. He
presses the switch and fires off a single shot at the turrets aimed at Jerry.
They explode, turning into puffs of smoke.
Jerry
[Moving
out slightly from behind the post]
All
right!
A new set of turrets rise out of the crenellations, replacing the
ones that were destroyed. Shots continue to fire. Jerry rushes to the rear of
the post again, hiding.
Jerry
…Crap!
Camella
Not
here, it’ll draw…
Jerry
[Fed
up] Don’t say it, Camella!
Amideas sets up aim at the turrets targeting Jerry once more. He
surveys the terrain before firing, however.
Amideas
Jerry,
when I say so, run to the tree on your seven; 13.3 feet away.
Jerry turns around to face his seven, finding a tall tree capable
of providing considerable cover from the fire. He nods. Amideas turns his
attention back to the turrets.
Amideas
Now.
Amideas fires at the turrets as Jerry runs out from behind the
brick post. The turrets attempt to retarget him but shatter from Amideas’s fire
before they get a chance. Jerry dives behind the tree before they can
regenerate.
Jerry
I’m
there.
Amideas retargets the turret from behind the tree, now pointing at
the turrets targeting Camella. She’s still lying with her hands over her head
in the flower gigantic flower patch.
Amideas
Camella,
you need to do the same. Can you crawl over to the post through the meadow?
Camella starts to crawl forward, reaching forward with her hands.
She makes it several feet before a row of spikes shoot out from the ground,
beneath her hand and missing it by centimeters. She cowers back a bit.
Camella
I think
I’ll just stay here if it’s all the same to you, Robot.
Amideas looks over the gap between him and Jerry. There is a tree
across from Jerry’s on the opposite side of the walk away, a gap of about five
feet between them. From where Amideas stands now there are roughly twenty feet
between them. A shot from Amideas’s POV shows him measuring these calculations
with grids, perspective linings, and 3-D referencing.
Amideas
Jerry,
I’m going to toss you the turret. You’ll need to shoot down the guns targeting
me.
Jerry
[Peering
around the tree at the three turrets aimed at Amideas’s tree] …Okay. I can get
‘em.
Amideas points the turret at his own tree and shoots out a couple
of well-sized branches. The crash onto the ground, and
Amideas picks them up. With the turret in one hand and the branches in the
other, he tosses them over towards Jerry, the branches at a slightly higher
angle than the turret.
The turrets along the roof aim at the branches and shoot them out
of the air while the turret falls undamaged next to Jerry. He picks it up and
aims toward Ami’s turrets. As he aims a black vehicle, quite similar to the
one’s seen in ”The Chase” only more expensive looking flies out from the side
of the house, taking off into the road and making a quick get away.
Amideas
Nemo
and Cassandra have gotten away.
Jerry resets his aim and squints his
eyes.
Jerry
Then
we’ll just have to figure out where they went, huh?
Jerry fires the turret at the roof, and, if a little ugly, manages
to hit the turrets aiming at Amideas. The robot sprints out
from behind his tree and rolls to the tree in front of him; the tree across
from Jerry. He gets up to his feet as bullets begin to slam into the new
hiding place.
Jerry
Hi, how
ya doin’?
Jerry tosses the turret at Amideas underhand with both hands, and
Amideas catches it in one hand with ease. He turns around and faces the turrets
pointing at Jerry. Jerry looks around his tree; it’s only about fifteen feet to
the door. He turns back to Amideas and nods.
Amideas fires the gun at the turrets along the roof. They explode,
and Jerry takes off once more toward the house. He reaches to his side and
brings out his pistol, shooting at the lock to the door. Through the window he
can see Jyraan gasp and move away from the monitor console, trying to hide.
Jerry kicks the door in and fires off his weapon, into the
ceiling. The sudden, loud sound causes Jyraan to stumble, and he crashes to the
floor. Jerry aims his gun at him before looking over to the monitor console and
pressing a button. Through the monitor he can see the turrets stop firing at
his allies. Jerry runs over to Jyraan and sits on top of his back, pointing his
gun at Jyraan’s head.
Jerry
All
right, Jyraan. You’re gonna tell me everything I need to know.
Jyraan
Ahh,
no! You’re police; you can not make me do anything.
Jerry
Oh, I’m
sure you’d like to think so, but that was just a ruse, see? I’m really lookin’
for that piece your little home boy was packin’! And if I don’t figure out
where he went I might just get a little trigger happy, understand?!
Jyraan
I don’t
knuh…
Jerry
I’d
pick my words carefully if I were you, big boy!
Jyraan
All…
All right, I’ll tell you, just… I’ll tell you.
Jerry
Start
talkin’!
Jyraan
It’s
his girl, Cassandra! She’s set it all up. She’s going to use the machine!
Jerry
…What?
Jyraan
She
needed the conductor, and an excuse to use the machine. I gave it to her. She
and Nemo are headed there now! She said she’d make it worth my while, that she
could give me anything I wanted once she used the machine!
Jerry lets off of the pressure he was applying to the gun. He
slowly gets off of Jyraan and turns around to reveal Amideas and Camella, who
have been watching him for a considerable amount of time. He walks past them
without looking them in the eye, anger still in his eyes.
Jerry
I’m
going to get a car. Amideas, you find out where they’re going…
Cut to:
Int – Dry-Dock
Cassandra and Nemo pace up to the E.U.,
moving toward the walkway which will allow them to climb into the cockpit. They
are confronted by a native in a tan uniform with quite a professional smile on
his face. This man is the pilot.
Pilot
Mr.
Smithe, Ms. Blanch. I’ll be your pilot for the trip.
Nemo
Thank
God, I thought we were going to have to drive this thing ourselves.
Pilot
Oh no,
we’d never consider a thing like that. If you’ll step on board we’d be happy to
get started.
Cut to:
Ext – Street
A small, black vehicle turns crudely onto a main road, as it
approaches camera we can see that Jerry is driving.
Cut to:
Int – Car
Camella gives Jerry a dirty look from the back seat as Jerry
recovers from the sharp turn. They’re obviously in a hurry.
Amideas
You’ll
want to make another right up here.
Jerry
I got
it!
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
The E.U. has now submerged, and is in deep, deep water, well along
its journey. The pilot sits in the front seat while Nemo and Cassandra share a
wider seat in the back. The pilot still has a smile on his face.
Pilot
Is it
fast enough for you?
Nemo
I don’t
know, it’s water, it all looks the same? How fast are we going?
Pilot
We’ll
be up on the city in about two hours.
Nemo leans back in his chair, awestruck at the power they’re
achieving. Cassandra smiles at him, equally enthused.
Cut to:
Int – Dry-Dock
The dock is now abandoned as Jerry, Camella, and Amideas enter,
looking about for signs of anybody, anyone that can tell them where they went.
Jerry
We’re
too late! The ship’s already gone, I knew it! Damn you, Cassandra.
Camella
There’s
got to be something. Let’s look around.
The three split up, rummaging through the computers and mainframes
for any sign of where the ship went.
Cut to:
Ext – Sea
The sun speeds up to show time moving along, two hours worth. It
is just slightly reaching sea level when the camera cuts away.
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
Cassandra’s head is resting on Nemo’s shoulder as she sleeps. Nemo
couldn’t seem more interested in the scenery, looking at the pieces of debris
which are becoming more and more common along the sea floor.
Nemo
Wow,
look at that. That’s almost an entire chunk of a wall, isn’t it? It’s bigger
than this ship.
Pilot
You
ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
The pilot flips a switch on the console which causes the lights to
angle upward a bit more. Nemo’s eyes widen as the outline of the ancient city
can be seen.
Cut to:
Ext –
The small E.U. moves past the first buildings of the city. It
looks just the same as it did in the first scene, save that the buildings have
been eroded considerably. There are no algae however, and there are no fish.
This place seems to have rested nearly undisturbed.
Cut to:
Int – Cockpit
Nemo sits awestruck. He leans forward, disregarding Cassandra who
slips off of his shoulder and wakes up. Nemo is nearly resting his own head on the pilot’s shoulder.
Nemo
It’s
beautiful.
Cut to:
Ext –
The E.U. makes its way through the city with the use of cuts and
interesting angles, finally settling down above the temple. It hovers there;
making sure it’s positioned directly above the center of it.
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
The pilot flips a few more switches, and the ring around the
underbelly of the ship lights up. Nemo looks around the sphere, admiring the
light show.
Pilot
We’re
here. I’m starting the excavation procedure.
Nemo
This
ought to be interesting.
Cut to:
Ext –
The E.U.’s rim lights up even brighter, and suddenly a blue wave
of energy is cast from the rim to the ocean floor, expanding as it goes. It
soon encompasses the entirety of the temple and the outlining areas. The force
field stabilizes upon impacting with the sediment on the ground. The result is
a sort of fishbowl surrounding the temple, powered by the E.U.
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
Nemo looks around the sphere, admiring the cascading blue force
creating the field around them.
Nemo
That’s
impressive.
Cut to:
Ext –
The two large pipes along the sides of the sphere drop down,
moving toward the ocean floor. A quick angle inside the cockpit shows Nemo
looking down, trying to follow them. They extend much further than they look
like they should, impacting with the ocean floor and
bending so that the ends are resting flat against the sand.
Suddenly a large whirring noise is heard. The pipes begin to suck
water up into them, in a sense trying to drain the fishbowl.
A new angle of the E.U. shows the vents on the top of the vessel
begin to push water out of them, illustrated by an insane amount of bubbles
trying to reach the surface. The process is very, very loud.
A new angle inside the E.U. shows Jerry’s surprise as the water
level begins to go down. The water line along the sphere begins to drop.
Cut to:
Int – Dry-Dock
Jerry sits with his head resting against a bunch of papers at a
desk inside a tiny office inside of the dry-dock. He
is obviously frustrated. He lifts his head up, revealing a tired face and a
look of defeat; and then says, not to anyone in particular
Jerry
Time to
give up…
Then, as if from no where, bursts in Camella. She’s carrying a lap
top. Amideas enters just behind her. She sets it down in front of Jerry for him
to see. It’s a digital display of a map. It shows the shore, the ocean, and a
blinking red dot.
Camella
We
found this in one of the back rooms. I bet you can’t guess what that red dot
is…
Jerry
[Restored]
I love you, Camella. [He gets up.] Let’s go! The sub, the one in the dock 2! We
can’t waste any more time!
Jerry moves around them and rushes along the pathway to the second
dock. Amideas and Camella move to follow. The camera follows the latter two
until they reach the second dock, then switches angles to reveal a small
submersible, not as high-tech as the E.U. Jerry moves around to the ladder, in
an unmatchable hurry.
Jerry
[Desperate]
Come on you guys, come on!
Amideas and Camella stand silent,
Camella’s looking at the ground.
Jerry
What
are you waiting for?
Camella
You
read the report on the conductor… It’s too late, Jerry. They’re out of range.
We’ll never catch them in time.
Jerry
We
can’t give up, you guys. We can’t…
Camella and Amideas stand silent. Jerry breaks down and closes his
eyes, on the verge of tears. He slowly climbs down from the submersible.
Camella looks down, swallows her pride and moves over to Jerry. She hugs him as
he starts to cry, accepting his failure.
Wipe to:
Ext –
The pipes suck up the last of the water as final puddles form and
the pipes gurgle. The camera widens to reveal the now virtually dry temple. A
new angle on the vents shows them stop pushing out water.
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
Nemo sits back in his chair; Cassandra is now peering out of the
window. The pilot presses another switch on the console which releases another,
smaller switch pad on the side of the cockpit. He moves it closer to himself.
Pilot
I’d
hold on, this part’s liable to get a little bumpy.
The pilot presses a series of buttons on the new console, and the
cockpit begins to shake.
A quick angle from the outside shows clamps holding the sphere to the rest of
the E.U. disengage. The sphere begins to fall.
Back inside, Cassandra’s eyes widen and Nemo lurches forward. He
taps the pilot on the shoulder. The pilot flips another switch.
Another quick angle shows the sphere on its plummet. Small
thrusters along the bottom ignite, discharging a small blue thrust. It slows
the sphere considerably on its descent. Finally it sets down into the sediment,
just outside the temple thanks to the steering of the pilot.
Back inside the sphere, the pilot turns his head back to his
passengers.
Pilot
Here we
are.
Cut to:
Ext –
The glass sphere slides open along the top, and Nemo moves to
climb out. Upon doing so he slides to the ground, bracing himself with his
knees. He paces toward the temple, to amaze by it all to pay attention to the
already-tinted sphere.
Cut to:
Int – E.U.
The pilot turns back to his console the camera facing him. He’s
flipping several switches to ensure everything is secure.
Pilot
All
right, Ms. Blanche, if you’ll climb out I’ll be there right behind yeuh…
The pilot’s expression turns to that of shock and pain. He lurches
forward to reveal Cassandra standing behind him. The camera focuses on her to
blur the knife sticking out of the pilot’s back. Cassandra
smiles.
Cassandra
I think
we’ll manage on our own, thank you.
Cut to:
Ext –
Nemo starts climbing up the steps to the
temple as Cassandra hops out of the sphere and jogs up to him
carrying two light-rods. He looks over his shoulder at her.
Nemo
Where’s
the pilot?
Cassandra
He said
he needed to get the video equipment. He’ll meet us inside.
Nemo
[Almost
entranced] All right.
Nemo and Cassandra begin climbing up the steps into the wide mouth
of the temple.
Cut to:
Int – Chamber of Vision
The room is completely black, with no light getting into it. A
grunt from Nemo can be heard, as if he’s pushing something. There is another
grunt, and a stone slab falls forward, revealing Nemo and Cassandra carrying
the now-lit light rods in one hand. She also has the conductor case in the
other hand.
Nemo steps forward, panting after pushing down the stone slab
covering the doorway. He takes his light rod and moves forward slowly. He
watches his step, and his foot stops suddenly. Below his foot is a skull,
closed-mouthed. The camera pans across to reveal an entire skeleton wearing the
covering the priest wore in the first scene. Nemo leans down slightly to look
at it.
Nemo
Poor
guy must’ve gotten locked in here. [He turns back to Cassandra] He protected it
until the very end.
Cassandra
Yes,
that’s a nice history lesson. Can we get back to the job now, please?
Nemo nods and turns back to the machine. He steps over the
skeleton and takes a few more steps before stepping onto the pad. Once both
feet are on it, a wave of white energy works its way through the pipes along
the walls and into the
Nemo
Well
that’s just good craftsmansh…
Nemo grunts as Cassandra brings her light rod down upon his head.
It shatters, and he instantly falls to his knees. A second later and he’s fallen to the ground. Cassandra drops what remains of
her light rod and moves around to Nemo’s legs. She begins to drag him with
conductor case tucked under her arm.
A new angle just outside the chamber shows her let go of Nemo. She
leaves him in the corridor and moves back into the chamber. She steps on the
skull and it shatters under her feet.
She walks past the pad, up to the machine and opens the conductor case.
She takes out the conductor and tosses the case aside, admiring the conductor
just briefly.
A quick angle on Nemo shows him grunt and slightly lift his head
off the floor.
Cassandra places the conductor into the blue light of the column,
and it draws it in. The edges split open, and she smiles. The blue aura fades
away. She steps backward as the blue and red pipes begin to glow, slowly making
her way to the pad. The vents change from white to red and blue. Her eyes widen
as a red aura is released from the top half of the column, and concentrated
into a tight beam. The bottom half does the same with blue light. Cassandra’s
smile grows as the process speeds up.
The lights dim, and the purple aura of the conductor’s energy is
all that brightens the chamber. Cassandra reaches the pad and kneels down. She
lets her head relax, falling backward.
Another angle on Nemo shows him regain partial consciousness. He
turns his head to look into the chamber, and sees Cassandra kneeling down. He
reaches his hand outward to her.
Nemo
No!
The stone slap lifts up in front of him, presumably from
Cassandra’s energy, sealing the chamber.
Cassandra’s eyes are closed now, the red and blue aura beginning
to seep out. She slowly begins to smile, and then laugh, and finally opens her
eyes.
An unbelievable amount of energy bursts outward, from her eyes.
The reds and blues swirl into a massive funnel of purple, extending upward to
the top of the ceiling. A wave of energy also pours outward, extending to the
walls and finally through them.
The angle cuts back to Nemo, who is engulfed in the energy bubble
as it extends outward toward him.
Cut to:
Ext –
The bubble of energy extends past the temple, moving through the
walls with ease. The funnel is also extending higher and higher, quickly
reaching for the top of the ocean.
Cut to a new angle above the surface of the sea. The sun is almost
gone now, and suddenly the bubble breaches sea level, pushing on without limit.
The angle cuts to an exterior shot of the dry-dock.
The wave of energy moves past camera, toward the dry dock, water being pushed
aside every which way.
Cut to:
Int – Dry Dock
Jerry and Camella are still standing close to each other, and
silently look outward as the wave approaches them. It moves through the wall,
engulfing all three characters.
Cut to:
Ext – Space
The bubble moves much more quickly now, and soon engulfs the
entire planet in energy. The funnel is reaching higher than the eye can see,
out of frame and continuing. The bubble continues outward past the planet into
space, and the camera pushes back to reveal it as it engulfs several
surrounding planets.
Cut to:
Int –
Vision Chamber
The camera follows the funnel down through the atmosphere, into
the water, through the fishbowl, and into the vision chamber. It continues
pushing in until it reaches Cassandra, whose eyes are still unleashing a
constant wave. Her laughing has become stronger now, uncontrollable. The music
builds before we
Cut to Black
To Be
Continued
Episode
104: The Conductor
Copyright
2003 Bloodbought Productions
Camella
Winchester is property of Hannah Carlson
All
other characters, unless stated otherwise, are property of the writers.