THE VOICE OF ATON "A CUP OF HOT MUD" by GORDON D WENN CAST LIST --------- BENNY VICK FRANK KARL SET LIST -------- EXTERIORS --------- ESTABLISHING SEQUENCE MUD HOLE Copyright (c) 2003 - All rights reserved - KitsWriter@Yahoo.com # 1. ACT ONE FADE IN: EXT. - ESTABLISHING SEQUENCE - DAY DARK LETTERS: ONE MOMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE Initially we see a rather idyllic view of blue sky and white puffy clouds. Followed by: STOCK SHOT: THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSION - LOUD Then we see a wave of destruction obliterating everything in its path. The skies become dark and depressing. The landscape bleak and foreboding. EXT. - MUD HOLE - EXTREMELY OVERCAST DAY We see the CAMERA MOVE quickly along the ground, mimicking the motion of someone running. Ahead, we see the shape of a man sitting in a depression in the ground. We move closer, running faster. Then the CAMERA appears to leap and land in front of him. The man looks up, startled. Then oddly, he smiles. BENNY (happy) Damn, I didn't think anybody else had survived. (holds out hand) My names Benny. VICK (embarrassed) Mine's Vick. They shake hands. Then BENNY gives VICK a curious look. BENNY (loud) You were going to eat Me! VICK (denial) No I wasn't! BENNY (smiling) Sure you were! VICK (gestures) No really, the thought never crossed my mind. # 2. BENNY Hey, I know those moves. They're classic. That's the standard Leap and Eat. There's a glimmer of understanding on VICKS' face. VICK You're sure it's okay? BENNY Oh, yeah. Sit. Take the load off. VICK looks down at the bottom of the pit. VICK What's with all this Mud? BENNY This is a HydroThermal Vent. Nice and cozy. Sit, squish around a bit. It's very relaxing. VICK frowns, but sits down anyway, oozing into the Mud. He becomes noticeably relieved. VICK This is pretty nice. BENNY Let the heat and moisture sink into your skin. Your probably severely dehydrated. BENNY turns slightly to his left. We see a bucket, half buried in the Mud, beside him. An ornate teacup hangs delicately from the handle. BENNY takes the cup, fills it from the bucket, then offers it to VICK. VICK (surprised) You want me to drink Mud? BENNY Don't worry it's fine. And the temperature is almost perfect. VICK (intrigued) Really. BENNY It's chock full of vitamins and minerals. Plus, it also comes with a surprise. # 3. VICK What's the surprise? BENNY Moss. VICK Moss? BENNY Oh Yeah. It's probably the only thing left alive. VICK looks at him oddly, but takes the cup and drinks. Brown fluid drips down his chin. We see large pieces working their way down his throat. He finishes, handing the cup back to BENNY. VICK (pleased) That's not bad. It's giving me this nice warm fuzzy feeling. BENNY (takes cup) More? VICK Yes, please.... Moss? BENNY hands him another cupful. BENNY Think of it as liquid salad. VICK Yeah, but Moss? BENNY It's nice, organic and doesn't give you that bloated feeling in your stomach. VICK (uneasy) Stomach? BENNY (remembers) Oh right! The Radiation Sickness. Stomachs were the first things to go. Hair, nails, feet, earlobes.... # 4. VICK (interrupts) Enough, I Remember. There's no need to list everything. BENNY Feeling squeamish? VICK (nervous) It's all old news. Different lifetime, different problems. BENNY thinks for moment. BENNY I understand. But this Moss is unique. It removes the Radiation and actually helps rebuilds damaged tissue. After a while it just begins to grow on you. BENNY smiles, then shows VICK the back of his right hand. It's covered with a layer of Moss. VICK cringes back in disgust. BENNY(CON'T) Don't worry. It's cool. It's just growing on the dead surface layers of my skin. A symbiotic relationship. Life works in mysterious ways. VICK doesn't appear to be too happy with the idea. VICK Yeah, well.... BENNY You know, after the first few hundred cups, everything begins to function again. Sight, sound, taste, touch and especially smell. The World really stinks. VICK Really? I hadn't noticed. BENNY Putrid just doesn't come close. # 5. VICK (unsettled) Okay. BENNY If you had a stomach, you'd heave. VICK (displeased) Fine! BENNY Hey, Remember the Vomit Song? (sings) Your gonna end up Face down dead in your own Vomit. Face down dead in your own Vomit. Face down Deeeeeeead. In your own Vomit. Vomit. Vomit. Vomit. VICK (loud) DO YOU MIND? BENNY What's your problem? VICK You! BENNY What, you don't like Country and Western? VICK folds his arms, then looks at something other than BENNY. BENNY relents and changes the subject. BENNY(CON'T) Have you noticed that you really can't tell if it's midnight or noon. Do you remember noon? I don't. VICK What are you on about now? BENNY At night, the Radiation glows something fierce. Days are just dark and greasy. Time is meaningless. VICK however, hasn't heard him. Some internal pressure grips him. His eyes widen. He grabs his head, squeezing it with his palms. # 6. VICK My brain hurts! VICK suddenly holds his chest. Not sure of what's happening. BENNY (concerned) Are you in any pain? VICK burps. Really loudly. BENNY(CON'T) It'll come out the other end pretty soon. VICK (loud) Stop! BENNY (shrugs) Nope. Sorry. The whole grand pageant of life, in its effervescent glory. Can I freshen your drink? VICK seems hesitant, but chugs down another cup, then hands it back for a refill. VICK So the fun, the filth, The whole nine yards. BENNY (nods) Pretty much. VICK (frowns) It was just so long ago. And all very disgusting. BENNY You sound like a Vegetarian. VICK (put off) Pardon me! BENNY (changes subject) Are you from the Old Country? VICK (confused) No, Chicago. # 7. BENNY I've never been there. Of course I can't go there now, it's gone. Everything's gone. It's such a waste. VICK listens to an unknown noise in his right ear. He sticks his right pinky finger in it, cleaning out something odd. BENNY(CON'T) Throw something at me if I get too maudlin will you. Something big. Shoes are good. I ate my last pair. (pause) You? VICK (distracted) Sorry I wasn't listening. BENNY When I start thinking about the old days, I get nostalgic. Depressed. Followed by regrets, misgivings and full blown guilt. It's not a pretty sight. VICK half listens to BENNY, then becomes alert to another sound. VICK (looking around) I hear something. BENNY (nods) Oh yeah. That would be that other guy. VICK (confused) What other guy? BENNY I don't really know. He's been around for a few days. I thought you were him. VICK So what do you think he wants? # 8. BENNY He probably wants to eat us! At that moment, another man leaps into the mud hole. He holds his hands up like claws. Growls. There is a tense moment. Then BENNY and VICK break up laughing. The other man, who we will come to know as FRANK, doesn't seem impressed. FRANK (frowning) Swell. VICK (smiling) Nice form. BENNY (joking) Yes. Excellent follow through. VICK I'm Vick, that's Benny. BENNY Sit down. Take the load off. FRANK I'm Frank.... I'll be right back. FRANK disappears into the bleak wasteland, then returns shortly with a sack. VICK (looks at sack) What's that? FRANK It's Karl. BENNY Oh, so it's a "Who's that". FRANK Right. VICK points to an open spot on his left. VICK Put him down over here. FRANK In the Mud? BENNY It's great stuff. # 9. VICK Apparently very beneficial. FRANK lays the sack down in the Mud, then eyes a spot for himself. BENNY lifts the edge of the sack, looks inside. BENNY Damn, most of him's gone! FRANK (sits) Hey, he's fine! BENNY (defensive) I didn't say he wasn't! VICK (annoyed) Please. We're all fine. The worlds gone to hell. But, we're fine. BENNY Now who's getting maudlin? VICK (sniffs) Yeah well, my sense of smell's beginning to return. FRANK looks down at the Mud, squishes around a bit. FRANK (surprised) This is nice. BENNY (manners) Care for the House Wine? VICK returns the cup to BENNY, who refills it, then hands it to FRANK. VICK Try some, It'll make a new man out of you. BENNY (smiling) It'll put hair on your chest. (pause) Among other things. FRANK takes the cup, looks at the Mud, he seems reluctant. # 10. FRANK (looks in cup) There's other stuff in here. BENNY That's the Moss. Don't worry, it's good for you. VICK Drink up. Don't hog the cup. FRANK gives them an odd look. FRANK So, we're all drinking from the same cup. BENNY and VICK start laughing. FRANK looks a bit put off, but then joins in with them. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. - MUD HOLE - SOMETIME LATER - GREYER DAY The sky has become greyer. Overcast, but a little less depressing. We see a dark green carpet of Moss, spreading out across a changed landscape. Three figures appear in the remnants of their beloved Mud Hole. They sit, unmoving, covered with a thick layer of Moss. FRANK speaks. FRANK I think it was Aliens! BENNY We know. VICK You told us that before. FRANK I did? When was that? VICK Everyday for the past whenever. FRANK So, who do you think it was? BENNY Frank, the world's moved on. Everything's fresh and new. It's been getting on without us for some time now. What's the point in dredging up things long dead and gone. # 11. VICK That sounds a little Maudlin. BENNY It was my turn. VICK Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot. FRANK suddenly begins to move. Tearing through the layers of Moss covering his body. His upper torso breaks through the surface, shattering the Moss into myriad chunks. He stands looking down at his dark green stained, rather perfect, new body. His lower half, still conveniently covered with Moss. FRANK Damn! I'm gorgeous. FRANK stretches, groans. Flexing unused Muscles. VICK What are you going? FRANK To find those pesky Aliens. BENNY Better use lots of Sun Block. They collectively look up at the sky, checking the overcast. BENNY(CON'T) (laughs) Made you look! VICK stirs, lifting himself up and out of the Moss. VICK I might as well go with you. FRANK (nods) Fine by me. BENNY I'll stay here and look after Karl. VICK Are you sure you don't want to come with us? BENNY No. I'm good. KARLS' hand breaks the surface, he waves goodbye. # 12. FRANK (points) I've got a good feeling about that direction. VICK Works for me. FRANK and VICK move off towards the horizon, shedding Moss as they go. BENNY speaks to KARLS' hand. BENNY Well Karl, It's just you and me now. KARLS' hand forms a Vulcan salute, then disappears underground. BENNY, albeit, covered with Moss, looks slightly despondent. BENNY(CON'T) (to himself) Yeah, just you and me. Alone. Time to think. Remember things.... The good, the bad.... You know, I used to care about everything. But then it got to be so damned overwhelming. Way beyond the ability to really give a damn. BENNY speaks into the hole that KARLS' hand made. BENNY(CON'T) What do you think Karl? KARLS' hand doesn't appear. BENNY(CON'T) (to Karls' absence) It's guilt, plain ordinary gut wrenching guilt. But what are you supposed to do? You've got to make a living. Somebody had to be exploited. BENNYS' arms break the surface of the Moss. He raises them up to the sky, Mea Culpa. BENNY(CON'T) (loud) Why did it all have to turn to crap? BENNY turns back to KARLS' hole. # 13. BENNY(CON'T) Better get the Net, Karl. I think I'm going to jump. BENNY suddenly gets the feeling that someone else is there. He turns, looks up and sees VICK crouching over him. BENNY(CON'T) Forget something? VICK (confused) Benny, I've been gone for three months. BENNY No kidding! Where does the time go? BENNY surveys the landscape. Taking solace in the dark green carpet as it merges with the horizon. VICK regains his attention. VICK Benny, try to follow me. Frank and I, walked to the edge of the Moss. About four hundred miles to the west. BENNY So, where's Frank now. VICK He's moving clockwise around the edge. I'm cutting straight across the middle. We'll meet up on the other side. BENNY takes an intense look at VICK. BENNY Nice pants. They look hand made. I thought you said you weren't from the old country. VICK Benny, I need you to focus. It's been two hundred and seventeen years. BENNY What has? # 14. VICK Us. We've been sitting in a hole for over two centuries. Doing nothing. BENNY looks around at the countryside. BENNY What about all this Gardening? VICK That's not the point! BENNY Sure it is. This was a group effort. Our collective wills, conquering all the evils in the World. Doesn't all this make you happy? VICK Yeah. It's good. Very colourful. BENNY Anything else alive out there? VICK I saw some Oak trees and Ants. BENNY There you go! VICK almost smiles. VICK Benny, I came back to get you. It's time you got out of that hole. There's a whole new World waiting. BENNY doesn't move. VICK(CON'T) Well, what do you say? BENNY Well right now I'm pretty comfy. And a moment ago I was getting maudlin. Just shoveling that guilt, as fast as I could. It was really nice. # 15. VICK Benny, just get out of the hole. We sucked all the heat out of it years ago. It's just a wet, smelly pit. C'mon, lets go. There's a lot to do. BENNY (pedantic) Right, the heat. Or should I say, energy. You really can't create or destroy energy. So where did it go? Perhaps out there, into this fuzzy green paradise. (pause) Are we not the Progenitors of this new Eden? VICK doesn't answer. BENNY(CON'T) Aren't we? BENNY looks around. VICK isn't there. BENNY(CON'T) (chatty) Fine. I can take a hint. I know what's going on. I'm not nuts. I'm in control. I'm not talking to myself. Hmmm.... I wonder what happened to my tin foil hat. KARLS' hand comes out of the ground. His fingers form a Peace Sign, then slip back underground. BENNY(CON'T) Thanks Karl. I needed that. BENNY relaxes in his Moss Cocoon. Smiling the time away in his own personal Nirvana. The weak sunlight arcs across the mud hole. Time flows by quickly. Then a very loud noise, brings BENNY back. BENNY(CON'T) (startled) What the hell, was that? A large heavy object falls onto BENNY. He recognizes it. BENNY(CON'T) (annoyed) Jeez Frank, grab a brain will you! # 16. We see FRANK seemingly on the edge of death. He appears beaten and bloody. He crawls over to BENNY, clutching his chest. FRANK (gasping) Aliens! FRANK collapses beside BENNY. His hand drops away from his chest, revealing a large smoking wound. BENNY stares at it intently for a moment. Then smiles. BENNY (impressed) Cool chest wound! FRANK lifts his head back up with a "gotcha" smile. He rolls away, then starts ripping up large chunks of Moss, sticking them into the hole in this chest. BENNY begins to focus on FRANKS' arrival. BENNY (disbelief) Frank, is that really you? FRANK Yeah Benny, it's me. (stuffing moss) I really don't know what we would have done without this stuff. It's fantastic, it heals everything. (pause) By the way, we have this situation, we need your help. BENNY Where's Vick? FRANK Oh, he's keeping tabs on the Aliens. BENNY Aliens! Really? FRANK Really! FRANK stops stuffing himself. BENNY Vick said something about Oak trees and Ants. # 17. FRANK You've got a very strange sense of priorities, Benny. But, yeah. There's lots of trees and bugs. And we have you to thank for it all. BENNY Thanks Frank. Thanks a lot. How long has it been? Vick said about two centuries. FRANK How long has what been? BENNY Since everything went to Hell. FRANK Maybe three thousand years. Give or take. BENNY looks at the Moss. BENNY How far does it all go? FRANK It covers the entire Planet. BENNY looks at FRANK, slightly more serious. BENNY It all came out of us, you know. Vick really hasn't come to terms with that end of reality. FRANK Well we all have our own inner Demons. How's that guilt thing going? BENNY (nods) Not bad, I'm still taking it one day at a time. Of course, there's no one around to exploit. So I really haven't been tempted. FRANK wiggles his eyebrows at BENNY, rather knowingly. BENNY(CON'T) (shocked) There's people left? # 18. FRANK Nope. Just them pesky Aliens. BENNY (shrugs) Little Green Men? FRANK Nope. Full size and Red blooded. BENNY appears physically shaken. He trembles, then twitches, fighting some inner conflict. Then the CAMERA TURNS TO FRANKS' chest, which begins to smoke, then glow with a fierce heat. FRANK looks oddly distressed. He lurches forward belching out a large flame. He coughs, smoke wisps from his mouth. We see his chest whole and healed. FRANK(CON'T) Pardon. The Moss covering BENNY appears singed. FRANK(CON'T) So Benny, are you with us on this? BENNY looks at FRANK with an odd hunger. BENNY (nervous) Red blooded, huh? FRANK (nod) Yup. A deep primal growl emerges from BENNYS' conflict. He bursts out of the Moss, showering FRANK with large clods of dirt. FRANK(CON'T) (proud) That's my Boy! BENNY rages, releasing his inner beast. He lunges towards FRANK, his canines growing larger, out of a devilish grin. FRANK is also showing a very toothy smile. Then he speaks to KARL just below the ground. FRANK(CON'T) (loud) Hey Karl. Time to go to work. (to Benny) You know, he does a great Wolf. The ground below them begins to move. # 19. BENNY Pants. I need Pants. Vick had great Pants. FRANK pats BENNY on the shoulder. FRANK Sure Benny, we'll get you Pants. FADE OUT. THE END #