THE VOICE OF ATON "THE AUDITION" by GORDON D WENN CAST LIST --------- NADINE PHYLLIS ED LARRY SYLVIA SET LIST -------- INTERIORS EXTERIORS --------- --------- REHEARSAL STAGE INSECT PLANET COMMAND CENTRE Copyright (c) 2004 - All rights reserved - KitsWriter@Yahoo.com # 1. ACT ONE FADE IN: INT. - REHEARSAL STAGE We see some overhead stage lights and hear a piano, being played very slowly. CAMERA PANS DOWN to reveal the inside of a theatre being used as a rehearsal hall. Our view moves across rows of empty seats, then to a wide shot of the stage. Large curtains flank the wings, with sections of scenery, randomly stacked on the concrete wall at the back. On the left, we see a wooden rail, to be used by some unseen dancers. On the right, the upright piano that we've been hearing. Although, we don't see anyone sitting at the keyboard, while it plays. We do, however, see a pretty young woman, who we will come to know as NADINE, standing next to the piano. She appears to be in her late twenties, but seems to have dressed slightly older. She is holding some sheet music in her right hand, waiting for the cue to start singing. An impatient voice from a man who we will come to know as ED, prompts her from the audience. ED(VO) (loud) Anytime you're ready Miss Sullivan! She doesn't seem to have heard him. The voice becomes slightly more impatient and louder. ED(VO)(CON'T) (louder) You may begin now, Miss Sullivan! She doesn't seem to be really focused on her surroundings. ED walks up onto the stage and confronts her. ED(CON'T) (impatient) This is not the time for stage fright, Miss Sullivan! His presence seems to force her to focus. Although, we get the impression that something is holding her back. We see her making a very visible effort to move past these unseen restraints and speak. NADINE (confused) What?... Who?... ED moves into her personal space. Pushing her closer to something more coherent. # 2. ED We haven't got all day, Miss Sullivan! There are other people waiting! She looks around, still not entirely sure of her situation. NADINE Where?... There's no one else here. Then she follows his gaze to the back of the scenery stacked at the back of the stage. An odd clarity seems to grip her. NADINE(CON'T) (confused) But, there's no one there. Just that stage set. Those people are just painted on the scenery. ED doesn't seem to take any interest in her observations. NADINE seems nervous, trying to fathom her current reality. The piano takes her interest. NADINE(CON'T) Who's playing that piano? ED (casual) It's automatic. NADINE But the keys aren't moving! She walks around to the front of the piano, she touches the keyboard and makes an odd discovery. NADINE(CON'T) (surprised) It's not real, it's made of cardboard! She rudely tears off a piece of the piano lid, then turns back to confront ED, with her evidence. Who, just seems to ignore her outburst. NADINE however, refuses to be ignored. NADINE(CON'T) (loud) Who are you? Where is this place? ED doesn't budge. He looks at her as if she were some small child having a tantrum. NADINE stops, finding his reaction very confusing. Then the lights at the back of the auditorium draw her attention. # 3. For a brief moment they seem to form a pattern. They look like four sets of compound insect eyes. Then they fade away, as if being watched frightens them. NADINE(CON'T) (puzzled) What the hell?... What was that? ED What are you looking at? ED turns, looking at the back of the room. He sees nothing, then turns back to NADINE and shrugs his confusion. Then, as if on cue, an insect crawls across the floor in front of NADINE. She steps on it, with a very audible squish. ED seems to take this action very personally. ED(CON'T) (loud) Don't do that! NADINE Why not? ED (agitated) What do you mean, why not? Just don't!... Understand? NADINE But, it's just some stupid bug! ED becomes slightly frothy. ED (loud) Stupid Bug? Stupid Bug? Are you insane?... NADINE gauges his reaction to this rather minor incident and decides to use it to her advantage. As she still isn't quite sure of her current situation. She decides to push ED into revealing some unknown and unsaid truth. NADINE You see, the stupid bugs are the ones you see, so you squish them. Thus making the ones you don't see, slightly smarter. # 4. NADINE(CON'T) They have a greater capacity in not being seen and become the ones that reproduce. It's a form of natural selection. (pause) Plus the fact that, well, they're really icky. EDS' becomes a touch rabid. ED (louder) ICKY? THEY'RE ICKY! NADINE stares at him defiantly. Then steps forward, grinding her foot onto the dead bug on the floor. A deep-rooted rage begins to build in ED. She smiles at him, hoping to push his odd anger into action. But then another woman's hand appears on EDS' shoulder, calming him down. SYLVIA (concerned) Now Ed dear, calm down, remember your blood pressure. ED nods, taking deep breaths, the woman's touch seem to relax him. NADINE steps back, trying to fathom this new twist in an increasingly odd scenario. She speaks to her. NADINE (confused) Who are you?... Where did you come from? SYLVIA (smiles) Sylvia Katz dear, your agent. NADINE (calmly) No. No you're not.... (pause) I don't have an agent. I don't need an agent. Because I don't sing. (gestures) All of this is just some psychotic fantasy, the two of you conjured up. None of this is really happening. # 5. SYLVIA moves closer to NADINE, with a slightly more rational expression. SYLVIA Nadine darling, I can understand your misgivings. We all get nervous in stressful situations. Back in my day, I'd get seriously paranoid before I went on. She turns and smiles at ED, who gives her an understanding wave. SYLVIA(CON'T) (to Nadine) But this does not give you the right to treat Ed so badly. He's very sensitive. NADINE takes a moment to respond. She looks at SYLVIAS' stiff office wardrobe, her chastising demeanour and questions her rather impromptu arrival. She responds accordingly. NADINE Really? Did one of his friends have bad kharma and reincarnate as a bug? (loud) I'm not buying any of this! SYLVIA seems to ignore her, but then corrects her behaviour. SYLVIA Don't say Bug, dear. It's not very lady like. NADINE scowls at her. NADINE (loudly) You're not really listening, are you?... None of this is real! I'm not really here! And you.... NADINE stops and stares at SYLVIA, as a memory surfaces. NADINE(CON'T) (quietly) I do know you. I remember.... NADINE stiffens slightly, as her thoughts begin to focus. # 6. NADINE(CON'T) (frowns) You're my friend Judys' aunt. I met her once, she was really bossy. And.... NADINE stares oddly at SYLVIAS' clothes. NADINE(CON'T) (surprised) You're wearing the same clothes! But that was years ago. You haven't changed at all.... (shakes head) No. No. I'm not nuts. You people have made a mistake. A big one. You just blew this whole fantasy. They just stare at her for a moment. Then they shake their heads from side to side. NADINE focuses on ED, as another thought enters her mind. NADINE(CON'T) (to ED) You're that friend of my dads. That guy who never stopped talking. He had an opinion on everything. I'm not sure, but I think you're also still wearing the same clothes. (pause) It's odd that you would have gotten that wrong. You almost got it right. But something.... She turns and addresses the lights at the back of the auditorium. NADINE(CON'T) (to lights) You're not fooling me! Whatever you have planned isn't going to work! I know you're there! Come out into the open, if you're not too afraid! End this stupid.... NADINE is interrupted by a very belligerent SYLVIA. # 7. Who pulls her forward, then grabs her by the throat with her left hand. We see SYLVIAS' left thumb pushing down on a spot just below NADINES' left ear. Then her right hand cups NADINES' head. Her right thumb pressing into NADINES' left temple. SYLVIA Pain! NADINES' face muscles become tight. She grits her teeth against a wave of intense pain. Her hands flail about trying to remove SYLVIAS' grip on her head. We see her mouth open, forming a silent scream. Her eyes roll back, the lids blinking uncontrollable. Then her whole body begins to spasm. The auditorium gives way to a bright white light. MATCH TO: DISSOLVE TO: EXT. - INSECT PLANET .... The light is replaced by a sky filled with a heavy pall of smoke, rising up from several tall alien towers. The sun tries to penetrate the gloom, bathing everything in a brownish orange tinge. We see NADINE standing in this canyon of strange architecture. Tall thin buildings flank her, creating an avenue of broken rock and unknown refuse. She stares at them, wondering what hand could have created these irregular shapes and fluted towers, belching poison into the sky. Oddly, NADINE is not wearing her previous prim clothing, but a well-tailored dark blue coverall. She touches the material, hoping for another memory. But is cut short, as a living carpet of insects flow out onto the avenue. She stands silent as they converge on her position, pulling her down onto the ground. Then everything turns black. MATCH TO: DISSOLVE TO: INT. - REHEARSAL STAGE .... As the lights return, we see NADINE again standing on the stage in her previous costume. The sheet music is back in her hand and the piano is still playing. She scowls, giving the piano a glance. It appears unscathed from her previous attack. Then a rather familiar impatient voice, again prompts her from the audience. ED(VO) (loud) Anytime you're ready Miss Sullivan! She looks out into the empty theatre as ED continues the litany. # 8. ED(VO)(CON'T) (louder) You may begin now, Miss Sullivan! ED walks back up onto the stage and confronts her, again. ED(CON'T) This is not the time for stage fright, Miss Sullivan! NADINE decides to change the sequence of events. NADINE (aggressive) So what, you just reboot this whole fantasy, hoping I'll just fall into line somehow? Well, we've done this bit! Can we move on to something else? ED moves into her personal space, again. ED We haven't got all day, Miss Sullivan! There are other people waiting! NADINE shoves him back, becoming very verbal. NADINE (angry) Listen moron, it's over! Understand? We're not doing this anymore! Get it? I'm not playing this stupid game again! Or is that too hard to for your tiny bug brain to grasp? ED stares at her for a moment, then very nonchalantly stabs her in the stomach with a very large knife. He releases the knife and steps back as if this were an ordinary occurrence. NADINE doubles over, grabbing the knife with both her hands. She doesn't scream, but makes an odd grunt as she pulls the knife out of her stomach. She half crouches, holding the knife in her right hand. Her left hand held hard against the wound. She sees her blood dripping off the end of the knife. Then she brings her left hand up, covered with more of her blood. She takes a short painful breath, then brings her left hand back to the wound. She twists her body slightly to the left, making a hissing grunt from the pain. # 9. Then we see her eyes roll back, the lids blinking uncontrollable. But this time, her body doesn't spasm out of control. Instead, she seems to bend at an odd angle, muttering something rhythmic under her breath. As if she were exercising some inner demons. Then as she begins to straighten up, we see what appears to be a smile on her face. A slightly cruel, yet happy understanding of what is yet to come. As THE CAMERA CLOSES IN ON the knife, we see the blood disappearing. She brings her left hand back into to view, completely clean of blood. Slowly, her posture becomes more aggressive. Then with a forward thrust of her whole body, she plunges the knife into ED. Her hand and forearm continue into his abdomen, propelled by an unstoppable momentum. NADINE Squish, Squish. Bug Boy! ED arches back in extreme pain. Green foam bubbles out of his mouth. He convulses, as NADINE easily lifts him off the floor. His body makes a few final jerking motions, like some insect mounted on the end of her arm. Then, he just vanishes. NADINE swivels about, facing the empty theatre, ready for another assault. But none comes. The theatre remains empty. She relaxes, then addresses an unseen audience. NADINE(CON'T) Sylvia? Silence. NADINE(CON'T) (loudly) Come out Sylvia. I know you're out there, I can smell you. Come out and face me. (pause) Ed or whatever Ed was, is dead. Silence. NADINE(CON'T) (taunting) I've seen the outside, Sylvia. I know what you want. I can help you. We should talk. The lights at the back of the room change briefly, watching her. As they fade, the lobby door opens, SYLVIA walks down the aisle and onto the stage. After a brief pause, SYLVIA starts the discussion. # 10. SYLVIA (unconvinced) So you know what I want. And what would that be? NADINE I've seen what you've done to this World. The poisons filling your sky. The toxic waste, that's been killing your Planet. SYLVIA (skeptical) How could you possibly know that? NADINE You didn't delete all my memory. Most of it remained intact. SYLVIA Really? What makes you so special? The others weren't this difficult. NADINE I have a disease. SYLVIA A disease? NADINE Hobarts Lymphoma. Always fatal and extremely painful. SYLVIA (puzzled) I don't understand. NADINE The drugs can only handle the pain in the early stages. Later, it becomes necessary to develop certain mental disciplines.... You begin by imagining the pain somewhere else. SYLVIA (disbelief) Really! # 11. NADINE It's a meditative process. (chants) You train your brain to ignore the pain. SYLVIA doesn't quite get it. SYLVIA That's very interesting. NADINE Eventually your control grows and you get to live a normal pain free life. (shrugs) Well, until it kills you. Which is why they sent me. SYLVIA They sent you? NADINE Yes. SYLVIA To make contact with us? NADINE Yes. SYLVIA And why are you here? NADINE You need something. SYLVIA What would that be? NADINE You've destroyed this Planet. You need to leave. But you don't know how to do that. SYLVIA And you're just going to give us the technology? NADINE That depends. SYLVIA On what? # 12. NADINE You could ask nicely, instead of attacking our ships. SYLVIA Just ask you? NADINE Sure. Talking is a lot more cost effective than open warfare. SYLVIA You invaded our Planet. NADINE No. We were transmitting friendship messages. You know, hello, how's it going, please don't kill us, yada yada. SYLVIA seems puzzled. SYLVIA So all we have to do is ask for the technology and you'll give it to us. NADINE Maybe. But you have to ask nicely. SYLVIA Fine. Will you give us the technology. NADINE No, of course not. You're Bugs. That would be wrong. SYLVIAS' demeanour changes rather rapidly, as she lunges out, grabbing NADINES' throat as before. But, finds her right hand blocked, by a very immovable NADINE. SYLVIA, however, persists very single mindedly on her course of action. Which after a while seems futile, as NADINE is fixed solidly in place. NADINE(CON'T) Sylvia, you should stop. This is pointless. You can't hurt me.... I'm in my happy place. # 13. SYLVIA isn't listening, she continues trying to hurt NADINE. Who is becoming extremely irritated. NADINE(CON'T) (pleading) Sylvia, stop.... Stop.... I don't want to hurt you. NADINE realizes she has to change her tactics. She grips SYLVIAS' hands, peeling one of them off her throat, then looks directly into her eyes. NADINE(CON'T) (hypnotic) Pain, Sylvia. Extreme Pain. You can feel it flowing into you. Feel it burning every nerve and fibre of your being. It fills you with an intense all consuming fire, cooking every cell in your body.... SYLVIA arches back, then emits a high frequency scream. The green foam starts to bubble out of her mouth. NADINE releases her, she falls backward hitting the stage floor. Then shatters into small pieces, as if made of pottery. Oddly, all the broken pieces begin to morph into small insects. NADINE looks down at them with a certain impatience, then waves her arm at the bugs on the floor. NADINE(CON'T) (loud) Pull yourself together Sylvia! We haven't got time for this! They begin to reform, morphing back into SYLVIA. Who seems to recover rather quickly, as she sits up, giving NADINE a disgusting, albeit painful scowl. As if on cue, the carpet of insects return. Flowing down the aisles and onto the stage. They stop, surrounding NADINE and SYLVIA inside a three meter circle. SYLVIA seems oddly confused at the circle. SYLVIA (loud) Why did they stop? What have you done? # 14. NADINE I told you I could smell you. You're insects, you communicate, with chemical signals. Right now I smell like you. So they have no reason to attack me. NADINE turns and waves her arm at the carpet. NADINE(CON'T) (to carpet) Shoo! The carpet exits stage left. SYLVIA stands back up glaring at NADINE. Who holds up her palms in a sign of truce. NADINE(CON'T) I still want to talk, Sylvia. SYLVIA (angry) What is there to discuss? NADINE Other options. SYLVIAS' demeanour changes slightly, but not entirely. NADINE continues. NADINE(CON'T) To begin with, I know how all of this was created. She gestures at the stage and auditorium. NADINE(CON'T) My race is immune to any mental voodoo. Our skulls are thicker and there's a denser layer in the speech centres of our brains. (pause) So you've probably connected yourself directly into my head. SYLVIA nods, nonchalantly, in agreement. SYLVIA (flatly) That's how it's done. # 15. NADINE also nods, but not really happy she was right. NADINE Okay, then.... SYLVIA (frowns) It's that double hemispheric brain you have. It's very difficult. We had to use this construct for the interrogation. NADINE Did you learn anything from the other people who were here? SYLVIA No. We would put them through the program two or three times, then they'd just die. I'm sure they enjoyed themselves though. They all seemed happy. NADINE How many times was I in the Program? SYLVIA Oh, this was your first time. NADINE perks up at this remark. NADINE Really. Well I guess my special training helped. SYLVIA presses home one of her concerns. SYLVIA So, who was it that sent you? NADINE changes the subject. NADINE (adamant) Sylvia, I'm dead. It doesn't matter. The disease is going to kill me and you're going to dispose of me anyway. Right? # 16. SYLVIA Well, yes.... How long do you have? NADINE (shrugs) Oh, thirty or forty years. SYLVIA What? NADINE I know it's not a lot of time. But, well, everyday is a new one. Life is its own reward. SYLVIA (confused) I don't understand. How old are you? NADINE Three hundred and twenty eight. SYLVIA (still confused) How long are you suppose to live? NADINE About fifteen hundred years. (pause) And before you ask, I should point out that it's natural, there's no magic elixir. SYLVIA (interested) How then? NADINE You see, my race has been out here in space for thirty thousand years. The glib answer being that we were the best at adapting to all the new environments we encountered. (pause) But originally, I think it was just dumb luck, combined with some happy half-preplanned accident. # 17. NADINE(CON'T) Plus, our own personal manipulation of the gene pool. SYLVIA I don't understand. Could you elaborate. NADINE Sexual reproduction is very aggressive. (pause) Are we icky to you? SYLVIA (shrugs) I suppose, it's not something we think about. (pause) Why do you feel that way about us? NADINE Multi-cellular life forms evolved on our home world about five hundred million years ago. They eventually crawled up out of the sea and onto dry land. Insects were some of the first species to evolve in this new ecosystem. They're thriving there now. SYLVIA That all sounds very interesting, but why do they disgust you so much? NADINE Insects eat everything. But mostly dead things. It's their primary strategy for survival. This keeps the environment clean and healthy. SYLVIA (nods) So, these dead things would also include you. # 18. NADINE It's all part of that grand pageant we call life. Everything eventually rejoins the carbon cycle. (pause) It's just how you get there that's just a bit disturbing. SYLVIA Icky! NADINE Well, yeah. But everything has a purpose, they're very good at micro-managing the biosphere of a planet. SYLVIA (lost) I don't understand. NADINE Most planets in the universe are just big balls of toxic gas. We introduce a biological accelerant, which cooks everything into a rich primordial soup. Bacteria eventually reduce the gas. The heat and pressure fall within a livable range and you're left with Oxygen, Oceans and a lot of Wet Moss. Then Organisms higher up the food chain maintain the environment. SYLVIA seems impressed. SYLVIA How many of these Planets do you have? NADINE (shrugs) In this galaxy, two to three million. SYLVIA (direct) If you have so many, why are you concerned with our Planet? # 19. NADINE Your world, like our original home, is what we call a Primary. Life evolved here independently. There are only twelve in this Galaxy. They're unique. SYLVIA (interested) Really. What are these other worlds like? Are they habitable? NADINE Initially, life takes root as Bacteria. This usually lasts for several Billion years. Then some event causes them to evolve into more complex forms. However, their success is limited, as a rather odd larger cycle takes hold. Eventually all the Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed into the geology. The Biosphere dies. The other ten planets are now covered with a bacteria rich soup, we call Red Tide. Everything flows back, returning to the beginning. SYLVIA takes a moment to digest these new ideas. SYLVIA (inquiry) So, your Home World, Silvanus. It isn't covered with this soup? NADINE corrects SYLVIA. NADINE No, you've gotten that wrong. Our Home World is called Mother Dirt. Silvanus was the first Planet that we ever colonized. What made you think it was our Home World? # 20. SYLVIA seems put off by her mistake. SYLVIA The other people in the construct had memories of it. We assumed it was your Home. NADINE thinks for moment before answering. NADINE Silvanus is a real World. Yet, it's surrounded by this romantic myth. SYLVIA shrugs a certain amount of confusion. SYLVIA Explain. NADINE It represents all the good things we've done and all the dark evil still trapped in our souls. It's a symbol of freedom and courage. (pause) As well as misery and death. SYLVIA That seems odd. How can a place be all that? NADINE There was a War. Billions Died. SYLVIA I don't understand. Could you define this concept? NADINE You mean War? SYLVIA Yes. You mentioned it before. NADINE walks over to the cardboard piano and picks up a weapon, which just seems to have appeared there. SYLVIA(CON'T) Where did you get that? # 21. NADINE I added it to the construct. SYLVIA How? NADINE Sylvia, I'm dead. Remember. (pause) All that really matters is that I'm trying to help you. SYLVIA (unconvinced) Fine. Proceed. NADINE shoulders the weapon. NADINE This is our standard assault rifle. It can fire a single eight point eight nine millimeter round. She fires a single round, exploding a small piece of the concrete on the back wall. NADINE(CON'T) Or on automatic fire. Multiple rounds destroy more of the concrete. NADINE(CON'T) There are also different types of ammunition. Such as Armour Piercing. NADINE puts a half-meter hole in the wall. NADINE(CON'T) Or with explosive heads. She fires again, doubling the size of the hole in the concrete. NADINE(CON'T) It also comes with a forty-seven kilowatt pulse laser. NADINE then rearranges several components on the forestock of the weapon, changing its capabilities. Then she fires several bursts of coherent light at the wall. Creating even more damage. # 22. NADINE(CON'T) It also has an adaptation for a grenade launcher. She hands the weapon to SYLVIA, who seems numbed by the demonstration. SYLVIA (holding weapon) Why do I need this? What do I do with it? NADINE (loud) War Sylvia! War Incarnate! Destruction, Devastation, and Death! Lots of Death! SYLVIA seems a bit overwhelmed. SYLVIA What? NADINE waves her arm at the back wall. The concrete heals itself. The lights in the auditorium begin to dim, then flickering images are projected onto the back wall. We see what appears to be STOCK FILM of weapons being fired and several large explosions. NADINE Look Sylvia. The engines of War. Artillery, Tanks, and Bombs. (smiles) Lots and lots of Bombs. Bombs from the land, the sea and the air. Raining down, plowing the land with a fresh crop of steel. SYLVIA (horrified) Stop! NADINE continues her sales pitch. NADINE (shrugs) Well, there's always gas. Although, for your purposes I'd recommend Chlorine. SYLVIA (frozen) What? # 23. NADINE But, you know, for that sense of overkill. I'd go with a nice Binary Reagent. (points to screen) Take a look. The screen shows two clouds of gas, one yellow and the other blue. They flow together becoming a single green colour. NADINE(CON'T) By themselves, they're inert. Together, they react, absorbing all the Oxygen in the atmosphere, suffocating anyone in the area. But shortly after that.... NADINE brings her gaze back to the screen. The green gas suddenly flashes over, creating a huge fireball. NADINE(CON'T) It's an exothermic reaction, with a blast radius of five kilometers. It's the standard alternative to Nuclear Weapons. SYLVIA ends the demonstration. SYLVIA (loud) Stop this, stop it now! NADINE half smiles, then SYLVIA points the weapon at her. The show stops and the house lights come back up. NADINE walks back to the cardboard piano, she picks up and opens up a small box. The box also seems to have just appeared on top of the piano. We see a Biohazard symbol on the lid. NADINE Of course, you could also choose from a nice selection of Bio-weapons. These aren't real however, but I'm sure you'll have no problem developing your own. She takes one of the vials from the box, showing it to SYLVIA. SYLVIA (nervous) Put that away! NADINE puts it back in the box, then steps closer to SYLVIA. # 24. NADINE (puzzled) What's the problem? None of this is real. You're not in any danger. I'm just here to help you. She steps slightly closer, then SYLVIA brings the weapon back into view. SYLVIA (frightened) Why are you telling me any of this? What does it have to do with anything? Why do I have to know any of this? NADINE assumes a slightly more rational stance. NADINE Sylvia, we can't just give you the technology. You have to develop it for yourself. Which means you need a logical persuasive argument to expend any of your limited resources. War supplies all the logic you'll ever need. It's very compelling. SYLVIA You're not making any sense? NADINE Your bugs, Sylvia. You communicate by smell. You all have to have the same smell. If you smell different, you're dead. Which means you all have to wait until there's a consensus to get anything done. You don't have the time. Your Planets Dying. SYLVIA musters a rebuttal. SYLVIA (angry) We've heard all this before. From the others who wanted us to fight and die in their Wars. # 25. NADINE What others? SYLVIA (gestures) The ones who came before you, with promises and hope. They wanted us to join them and help defeat their enemies. NADINE (concerned) Sylvia, that was nine hundred thousand years ago. They're long dead, less than dust. SYLVIA (suspicious) How do you know that? NADINE We analyzed your technology and matched it to another Race in a nearby Star System. They've been dead for millennia. SYLVIA (surprised) What?... We thought you were their enemy. That you wanted us to fight them! NADINE (explains) Sylvia, there's nobody else out there. It's just the two of us. We killed, cooked and ate everything in seven galaxies. SYLVIA Then, who do you want us to fight? NADINE (flatly) Yourselves. SYLVIA (shocked) What? # 26. NADINE It's the only way to save this World. SYLVIA (loud) By destroying it? NADINE Yes. SYLVIA (loud) That's insane! NADINE Not really. You see, all those bombs and bullets will give you a good understanding about ballistics. Which is just a short step into orbit by Rocket. Then you seize the high ground, building colonies on your three moons and the other planets in this system. SYLVIA (loud) I don't believe you, you're lying! NADINE (calmly) No Sylvia, I'm telling you the truth. This is how my Race got started. We just loved slaughtering each other. Tribe versus Tribe. Village against Village. Horde attacking Horde. World War One, Two, Two and a half, Three. (pause) Then there was the War that engulfed Silvanus and nineteen other planets. Eight Billion people died. It was horror beyond belief. Yet it laid bare all our strengths and weaknesses, in that grand crucible we call conflict. # 27. SYLVIA looks at her blankly. SYLVIA No. NADINE No? SYLVIA There has to be another way. NADINE There isn't. SYLVIA But, what would be the point. If you've destroyed everything in seven galaxies, what can there be for us. Your plan is useless. It solves nothing. NADINE corrects SYLVIA, again. NADINE Actually what I said was, that we had killed everything in seven galaxies, not destroyed everything. There's a big difference. In fact we've created tens of millions of thriving Biospheres. With life from our home planet of course. You could do the same thing. There are still plenty of gas balls left. SYLVIA seems resolved to something. SYLVIA I don't believe you. You're lying. NADINE Sylvia, you're repeating yourself. You know I'm telling the truth, because you're in my head. You'd know if I was lying. You also know that I'm right, and that it's your only salvation. # 28. SYLVIA (blankly) No. NADINE takes a few steps closer to SYLVIA. Who seems lost in some internal conflict. But then she nervously points the weapon at NADINE. NADINE Are you going to shoot me, Sylvia? NADINE moves closer. NADINE(CON'T) (goading) Go ahead, pull the trigger. It's easy. I don't mind. I'm already dead. Remember. (closer) So Shoot Me! You'd be doing me a favour. C'mon blow me away. You know you want to. (loud) Shoot Me, You Stupid Bug! Shoot Me! It's Easy! We see a single tear roll down SYLVIAS' left cheek. SYLVIA No. The weapon erupts with two large pulses of light, exploding NADINE. Then there is a brief moment of darkness. When the lights return, we see that the construct has been reset. SYLVIA is standing on the stage wearing NADINES' clothes. The sheet music is in her hand and the piano is playing. Then a familiar impatient voice, prompts her from the audience. ED(VO) (loud) Anytime you're ready Miss Sullivan! SYLVIA looks out into the empty theatre. SYLVIA (confused) What are you doing? ED(VO) (louder) You may begin now, Miss Sullivan! # 29. ED walks back up onto the stage and confronts SYLVIA. ED(CON'T) (impatient) This is not the time for stage fright, Miss Sullivan! Sylvia tries to take control of the situation. SYLVIA (command) System Override! Delete Program! Reset Secondary Logic! Delete Control Buffer! Override Program Matrix! Delete! The program continues. ED moves into her personal space. ED We haven't got all day, Miss Sullivan! There are other people waiting! She doesn't see the knife, as he stabs her in the stomach. We see the green foam flow out of her mouth. Then Ed speaks, but with NADINES' voice. ED/w NADINE voice Squish, Squish. Bug Girl! Then behind ED, we see the lights reform into the four sets of compound insect eyes, only now glowing an ominous red colour. Then they begin to blur slowly, changing focus. MATCH TO: DISSOLVE TO: INT. - COMMAND CENTRE - LATER .... The red lights begin to blink in the background. Then we see a hand enter our view, which presses a button. As our view expands back, we see a young woman wearing a well-tailored dark blue coverall. She is sitting in front of multiple electronic control systems, monitoring a steady stream of data. She presses several more buttons, then makes a report. PHYLLIS Commander, the last Chip-Link has just gone off line. The monitors are clear. Their system has crashed. # 30. Our view then expands slightly farther back. We see a man wearing identical clothing, sitting directly behind her, at an almost identical control station. He turns to his right and speaks to her. LARRY (ironic) You know Phyllis, I'm still sitting right behind you. PHYLLIS (nods) I know Larry, I was just being official. That was the last chip. It's over. LARRY Did the battery die? PHYLLIS No, they're entire computer network has finally gone down. LARRY (thinks) So.... It's over, over. As in, we get to go home. PHYLLIS (nods) Yeah. He moves nervously in his seat. LARRY (confined) Did this place suddenly get smaller? PHYLLIS (taunting) Gee Larry, it was big enough last night. He takes control again, albeit impatiently. LARRY Okay.... Whose chip was it? She checks the system. # 31. PHYLLIS (checks screen) Um.... Nadine Sullivan. (turns left) Why? He inputs some information into the system. LARRY I'm running a rough Biosphere recovery program. PHYLLIS Don't the Paleo-Biologists do that? LARRY True, but they don't know the honoured dead. (finishes) Monitor two. She looks at the screen. PHYLLIS (inquiry) What?... The brown blob surrounded by that blue stuff? LARRY I give you NadineLand. PHYLLIS (turns left) I thought that was East Buggonia? LARRY It was. But I changed my mind. Rank hath its privilege. PHYLLIS (thinks) You know, I really don't remember her. LARRY I think she was the one with the 'Big Pain'. Phyllis nods, then LARRY reasserts his command authority. # 32. LARRY(CON'T) Radiation Levels? Anything over fifteen? PHYLLIS (checks) No. It's all between eleven and twelve. LARRY Bio-weapons rating? PHYLLIS (checks) Nothing really nasty. It's all under sixty. He leans back in his seat, with a self-satisfied smirk. LARRY Well, then there's only one thing left to do. PHYLLIS (turns left) What's that? LARRY (loud) Cry Havoc, Let Loose the Cockroaches of War! PHYLLIS seems reluctant. PHYLLIS (turns left) What? LARRY Press the button. PHYLLIS turns back to her console. PHYLLIS What button? LARRY The button that releases them from the cargo bay. PHYLLIS grunts something unintelligible. LARRY(CON'T) There's nothing down there that can hurt them. # 33. She says nothing. He turns, trying to face her. LARRY(CON'T) (confused) What's the problem? PHYLLIS There's no problem. LARRY (irked) Then press the button. We need them to clean up the planet. PHYLLIS (edgy) I don't care. You press the button. LARRY Why? PHYLLIS (whiny) I don't want to. LARRY Why not? PHYLLIS (turns left) Because! LARRY Because what? PHYLLIS (squirms) Because their Icky! Neither of them seems to be in a big hurry to press the button. FADE OUT. THE END #