Canker ThirdDraft forSimplyScripts
Canker ThirdDraft forSimplyScripts
by
J.Anthony Cangialosi
jthony@gmail.com
www.ReDefineEntertainment.com
The driver falls out the vehicle -- sort of a Doc Brown type.
If you profiled him as a scientist, you get the artichoke
heart. This is Gerold, our “good” man of science. For that,
let’s call him G. SCIENTIST. He pops on a pair of glasses
left in the drivers seat before he fumbles with the handle to
the back door.
G. SCIENTIST
Brai. Brai, it’s time to wake up.
G. SCIENTIST
Listen to me. It’s time to do what
we talked about. Remember? It’s
time for you to go now. Here...
G. SCIENTIST
But only if you need it.
Understand?
2.
G. SCIENTIST
In there. You run to those trees
and you don’t stop. You keep
running.
G. SCIENTIST
Brai, do you understand?
G. SCIENTIST
Then go. Hurry!
Brai obeys. She runs for the tree-line, way off yonder. But
then a fresh rumble of noise adverts the scientist’s
attention: Vroom-Vroom! And somewhere along the same path he
traversed, dust rises again. He pops the trunk open to reveal
a large grey case.
The VROOM! claps like thunder once more. He climbs his way
out, to the opposite side of the embankment, and scurries
toward an open field.
G. SCIENTIST
It’s done. It’s done. You won’t
find her.
G. SCIENTIST
(pleading)
You shouldn’t do this. You
shouldn’t help them. If you’ve seen
the grave, you’d understand --
hundreds of bodies!
(swallows)
Your people will be next. And --
and I have new information... not
just the Clergy but, but--
In one fell swoop, the Rider heaves the ice-pick. The spike
rips into the scientist’s temple. We hear the crack of skull
and bone.
DISSOLVE TO:
This is H/NT/R (the best name I can give him, for he does not
own one of his own. It’ll make sense later).
4.
REGAL
Hey there, boy! C’mon, get back
ov’r here.
Oh, have I not mentioned Trolly yet? Put it this way: she’s
the kind of woman you’d want to piss off, if only to find out
how close to death she’d bring you before her knife released
your manhood from your shameful existence -- all in some sort
of perverted sexual euphoria you might fantasize about.
REGAL
Jesus, that’s a fine stink. How
long’s it been?
TROLLY
Eight days. The record stands at
seventeen.
REGAL
Damn. Really thought we’d make some
money on this one. Shame to take
him out so early. He could have
made it to twenty-two. Twenty,
easily.
(beat)
Hell, better wake him. Douse him
with some fresh sauce.
REGAL
(to H/nt/r)
Mornin’, sunshine.
REGAL
Hate cuttin’ the game early, but
word up riv’r is that the local
stench has a play at somethin’ new.
He don’t think we can handle it and
wants us to cut his favorite cock-
birthed spunk free.
TROLLY
And who are we to argue with our
beloved sheriff?
REGAL
It’s your lucky day, purple.
(beat, to Trolly)
Let’s pry him out, Trol. Grab the
crowbar.
TROLLY
The milk’s been workin’.
REGAL
Worth ev’ry drop we made him
swallow. Shittin’ himself fine.
(beat)
Help me roll him.
They tip the boat and H/nt/r dives into the river. Together,
the siblings drag his ass from the river to the truck bed.
REGAL
(to H/nt/r)
No hard feelins’. If anythin’, let
this be a lesson for ya: best leave
me an’ my sister be -- no matter
what the bounty on our heads fetch.
CUT TO:
6.
TROLLY
In case you get thirsty!
He fills it quickly. When the tap runs dry, he lifts the warm
golden refreshment to the edge of his lips. Then... it’s down
the ol’ hatch -- Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
PAPPY
headed ta town?
H/NT/R
Yeah.
PAPPY
care ta join, clergy friend? on my
way ta the saloon.
H/NT/R
Another time, old man.
PAPPY
suit yerself.
BRAI (O.C.)
Is there water in there?
It’s the small girl the scientist released into the wild, and
the same eyes that spied on him in the last short scene. She
has the gun, points it to the back of H/nt/r’s head. Like the
honey badger, though, H/nt/r don’t give a shit.
BRAI
Hey! Do you have water?
He undoes the jug that hangs from his waist, pitches it back
to her. There’s maybe a swallow or two of piss left.
H/NT/R
Best I got, kid.
BRAI
(disgusted)
What’s in the box?
H/NT/R
Rations.
H/NT/R
And careful with that piece. Could
drop it -- shame to stub your toe.
BRAI
(nervous)
I -- I could kill you.
H/NT/R
Only one bullet. Might even be the
last there is in this county. Best
to save it for something a little
more dangerous than me.
BRAI
Relax, kid. Ancient technology.
H/NT/R
Have whatever’s left in the box,
kid. Then scram. Not safe out here.
Hidden atop the bluff, H/nt/r peers toward the road. He sees
a trail of dust. At its forefront, a man rides a motorcycle.
H/NT/R
(sotto)
Simon.
CUT TO:
10.
Brrr-ing. Brrr-ing.
OCKLEY (V.O.)
(filtered)
It’s been twenty-four hours. Is it
done?
SIMON
I pursued the scientist until he
abandoned his vehicle. I’ve
neutralized him as a threat.
OCKLEY (V.O.)
And the girl?
SIMON
Tracks lead from the car to the
woods, after which the trail runs
cold. I’m patrolling the perimeter.
If she breaks for town, I’ll spot
her.
OCKLEY
You’re not being paid for breaks.
I’m paying you for dead. Got it?
SIMON (V.O.)
(filtered)
Sir, she doesn’t read on my
instruments or tracking guides. No
prints, no heat signature...
OCKLEY
Flush her out. Get it done.
SIMON (V.O.)
Copy.
11.
Bleep.
OCKLEY
Maybe he’s not cut out for this
particular job.
MS. >
Always more options, of course.
OCKLEY
(recants)
Simon can handle it.
MS. >
Let’s not forget who he is, where
he comes from. A young child as a
target -- he might hesitate.
OCKLEY
He’s a hunter, as far as I’m
concerned. And if anything, he’s
loyal to money.
OCKLEY
So if we want to keep him loyal,
best we shift the market to our
favor.
At the pace with which Ockley walks, it’s like he were late
to a bidding war to option this very screenplay. Ms. >
scurries to keep up, and yes, it’s adorable.
MS. >
So you mean to continue with
testing?
12.
OCKLEY
I do. And Edwin is every bit as
capable of synthesizing a reliable
strain. Maybe more so than our
former doctor. In light of recent
events, however, it wouldn’t
surprise me to learn if Gerold
sabotaged 732.
MS. >
Sir, 731 has shown promise. I think
if we postpone testing, only for a
another week, we cou--
OCKLEY
Testing continues.
(beat)
I want Jax. You’re aware of which
unit?
She nods -- but only because she dare not anger him further.
OCKLEY
Prep him. Tomorrow.
OCKLEY
(through window)
Kids! Miss me?
CUT TO:
But there’s one thing you don’t see any of... children.
REGAL
(hollers to H/nt/r)
Ain’t that somethin’. Look who
crawled his way out of the
hellfire. Hey there, sexy!
REGAL
Hungry? Why don’t you come ov’r and
have a bite of hog.
REGAL
Got some fresh, right here for ya.
Regal is still alive when rolled out from the flames. A few
gang members head after H/nt/r.
14.
TROLLY
Back off! He’s going to see the
sheriff. We’ll take him when he
comes out.
REGAL
Son of a bitch -- where is that
purple-eyed fuck? I’ll shank him.
I’ll make a hat out of his useless
foreskin!
TROLLY
Easy, sweets. I’ll save a blade for
his throat.
We were warned not to piss her off. You have to wonder if the
scowl that rips across Trolly’s face is any indication of the
demon yet to come?
SHERIFF CHONG fights with LORD JACKSON VON KRAZY. The former:
fit, mid-forties, and with a bit of an Irish accent. The
latter: skinny, early-twenties, and an incoherent mess.
SHERIFF CHONG
Dammit, Jackson! Put down the
vacuum.
SHERIFF CHONG
I told you, boy -- I warned you. In
the cage, now!
Sheriff Chong pushes and locks Lord Jackson von Krazy into
one of the cells. The boy tears into the cleaner bag.
15.
H/NT/R
Family trouble?
SHERIFF CHONG
Hey there, old chap. Wondering when
I could expect ya. How far into the
desert were you let go this time?
H/NT/R
Never matters. Wherever I am, it’s
all in walking distance to where I
need to go.
SHERIFF CHONG
Ain’t no concern of yours.
(to H/nt/r)
Every day with that boy. Maybe I
ought to get him married off. Let
some dame take him off my hands.
Hoping I just need to get him laid
though.
H/NT/R
Him and half your town.
SHERIFF CHONG
Long as nobody’s shootin’ and
shittin’ in the streets, the town
and I have a peace-keep.
SHERIFF CHONG
Or maybe not. What’s this about?
H/NT/R
Shootin’ the shit.
SHERIFF CHONG
You mind taking that off for a sec?
I barely understand a word you say.
SHERIFF CHONG
World’s gone to shit three times
over -- must be nice to juice
yourself when you catch a canker
sore kissing your member.
H/NT/R
I find I’m more paranoid than most.
SHERIFF CHONG
Sometimes I think I envy the Clergy-
born. Then I look at my boy over
there and realize it’s better to
pick up strays straight off the
street. Cheaper.
H/NT/R
Safer.
(beat)
My river cruise was cut short, just
as I began to relax. Why am I here?
SHERIFF CHONG
Take a look.
H/NT/R
What is this?
SHERIFF CHONG
A bounty. If you’re up for it.
H/NT/R
The girl, what’d she do?
SHERIFF CHONG
A runaway. Somehow she escaped that
Institute -- you know the one. That
facility with all them kids.
17.
H/NT/R
(suspicious)
Who’s hosting this bounty? And
what’s the price?
SHERIFF CHONG
The price -- it ain’t nothing I can
make worthwhile. This comes from
the Clergy. Cardinal Eleanore.
H/NT/R
Forget it. I won’t do it.
SHERIFF CHONG
Bullshit. I’m doing you a favor
here. You’re telling me I got you
off that lagoon, saved you from
pooper-hole eating maggots, only so
you could say no?
H/NT/R
If the Clergy want her, that means
the Institute's out for her too.
SHERIFF CHONG
It’s a chance to get what you want.
What else matters?
H/NT/R
Simon.
SHERIFF CHONG
Your brother?
H/NT/R
He’s good with the Institute.
They’ll put him on this.
SHERIFF CHONG
Then get to her first. Alive this
time. Very important, that point.
H/NT/R
(pause)
I’ll need an advance. Deduct it
from a future bounty. I need
supplies.
SHERIFF CHONG
No can do.
18.
SHERIFF CHONG
Used what was left in the budget to
pay off Regal and that slice of
sister he’s got... for your hide.
(beat)
Appears you already crashed their
B.B.Q. celebration.
(beat, smile)
‘Course, they both got a bounty on
each of their heads. Dead or alive.
H/nt/r exits, and blows past the deputies who polish their
guns (similar to Simon’s). The orcs follow.
SHERIFF CHONG
(to his deputies)
Make sure there ain’t any trouble.
The deputies maintain order and stay between them and H/nt/r.
Tensions rise.
TROLLY
Easy now. Arrow didn’t go all the
way through. I have to push it out
your back, cut it--
TROLLY
--then pull it though again. We’ll
have to cauterize both wounds.
REGAL
Had it worse in the last two
Scourges I fought in. Get it over
with.
TROLLY
Hard part’s over. Almost done.
H/NT/R (O.C.)
Let me help finish up.
H/nt/r rips Trolly away and pulls the arrow out from Regal’s
flesh. He then sticks it back into him, this time through the
neck, and out of the back spine. A spray of red. Choking.
Next, death.
When the fight draws neigh, H/nt/r yields under the clutches
of a headlock and a good wranglin’. Trolly pulls the poker
from the gut of her fallen comrade and teases H/nt/r with it.
She waves it from purple eye to purple eye. Sweat pours.
BANG!
That was a shotgun blast, and Chong brandishes his piece with
superior confidence. The barrel still coughs smoke.
SHERIFF CHONG
(to his deputies)
Dammit, I said make sure there
ain’t no trouble.
(to Trolly)
Problem here?
TROLLY
No, sheriff. Everythins’ fine. Lil’
disagreement, is all.
20.
SHERIFF CHONG
Glad it was squared away.
(to H/nt/r)
I was hoping you’d be a little more
discreet.
(looks at Regal)
Shit. But I guess that’ll do. You
can collect his bounty at the bank.
(to Trolly)
You. Better be on your best
behavior, ya hear?
SHERIFF CHONG
(to H/nt/r)
If you haven’t heard, town’s
getting a new Clergy -- a Bishop.
Your father’s been recalled. Give
her a visit before she heads out.
Misses ya.
Sheriff Chong eyeballs the crowd and leaves. They know the
rules, otherwise it’s the noose for all of them.
TROLLY
I’ll be coming for ya, purple. I’ll
keep an open spot on the river.
There’s a seventeen day record I
want ya to break.
CUT TO:
He finds an empty water bottle. He pulls off his gas mask and
sniffs it. Then sniffs the air, Sniff-sniff. He coughs. It’s
not much of one, but he forces his mask back on.
He kicks it closed.
SIMON
(sotto)
Brethren hunter. What takes you off
the water?
CUT TO:
His face is bruised after his ass whooping. He puffs the last
of his pipe, empties it, and enters the church.
Not since the screening of my last movie have you seen a room
more empty. If it were the rapture that left the outside
world so forsaken, it made sure to leave this place of
worship even more miserable. At the entrance, H/nt/r is
greeted by someone who wears both a cloak and hood, all
violet garb with gold trim, whose face is invisible by the
thick cloth that cloaks everything; even the brow.
H/NT/R
You the Bishop?
H/NT/R
I’m here to see Father Mary.
FATHER MARY enters from some door to the side. Unlike the
Bishop, however, she dons a plain and simple cassock. She is
twice the age of H/nt/r, kind eyes, and a warm smile.
H/NT/R
Tired.
FATHER MARY
We must work the works of those
that have sent us, while it is day;
the night comes, when no man can
work.
H/NT/R
Bible versus, father?
FATHER MARY
Advice. From a father to her son.
H/NT/R
My work comes at all hours.
FATHER MARY
And your health suffers for it.
FATHER MARY
People will never fully understand
us. The good we do. The people we
help. It’s a shame they punish what
they do not understand.
H/NT/R
They understand me. They understand
that people like me come at a
price. Few to none can bare
children of their own, and less,
still, can afford one. It all comes
at a price, father -- which is why
people feel resentment toward me.
FATHER MARY
You did not come at a price.
H/NT/R
No one pitched a few bucks to birth
me, sure. Not like my brother,
anyway. Still, Simon has the very
thing I will never have, and still
I can’t escape his hate.
23.
FATHER MARY
(sympathetic)
Only because I’ve shown you favor.
You are my true born, after all.
But I love you both.
FATHER MARY
You are aware that I’ve been
recalled to the Vatican?
H/NT/R
I am.
FATHER MARY
I leave first thing. I’ll spend the
rest of my years serving the
Clergy, helping new priests who are
called to the Faith with their own
transformations -- through
pregnancy and birth.
H/NT/R
This town will lose a good priest.
FATHER MARY
I don’t know about that.
H/NT/R
(from left-field)
Simon’s after her, too -- the
escaped girl from the Institute, I
mean. Did you know?
FATHER MARY
I cannot protect you from him
anymore, now that I’ll be gone. The
two of you must follow your own
paths. Maybe, someday, they will
bring you together.
(beat)
But it’s important you find her
first.
She pulls the gas mask on back over his face, clicks in the
fresh canister -- Pa-shhhhh. His bruises begin to heal.
H/NT/R
Why? The girl... who is she?
24.
FATHER MARY
(smiles)
Hope.
(beat)
I should see where the new Bishop
has gone to. I haven’t filled her
in on everything yet.
FATHER MARY
Time to go, child.
(beat)
You’re being watched.
CUT TO:
Brai runs toward the car. There’s another flash of white and
a loud boom. She pops the trunk open and dives in, then
closes herself inside.
CUT TO:
25.
JAX
Brai!
MS. >
Jax. What’s wrong?
He’s the same kid that was huddled near the corner in the
classroom earlier.
JAX
(embarrassed)
Um, just wondering when Brai was
coming home. Haven’t seen her in a
while.
MS. >
Bedtime, Jax.
(to the children)
Bedtime for everyone. Come on! You
all must be starving.
CUT TO:
26.
Step, step, step... the girl prattles on. With any luck,
she’s truly alone. And with any more luck she can -- Ve-a-ra-
braummm!
Our S-1000 hops his bike and closes in on the girl. He fires
his weapon but misses. Another round. Miss. Fire. Miss.
Debris explodes around Brai. Up ahead, the crossing bridge --
then, Ve-a-ra-braummm! Direct hit as the girl soars like an
eagle. But it’s a violent landing when gravity pulls her back
toward earth. This time she’s out for the count.
He ties Simon off, leaves his brother in the tree, and runs
back toward Brai. He picks the girl up, now conscious, and
dashes for the car. Suddenly -- Ve-a-ra-braummm! Though in a
noose, Simon fires at them with deadly accuracy.
27.
H/nt/r dodges a few blasts, but the last one catches him and
he and Brai go flippin’ and a’ tumblin’.
Back at the tree, Simon brandishes a knife and cuts the rope.
He lands on his feet -- like a rabid, pissed off feline.
H/NT/R
Hold your breath.
--and tosses her into the ditch -- SPLASH! The current sweeps
her away, toward the culvert. Simon continues to shoot at
H/nt/r. Our hero jumps over the water, onto the opposite
embankment, and chases after Brai.
H/NT/R
Nice shot.
H/NT/R
Put that down, will ya?
H/nt/r crawls inside the car. The keys are in the ignition.
He starts it up. He and Brai drive off--
Fingers twitch. His wounded hand fidgets. Life, uh, uh, finds
a way...
BRAI
Did I kill him?
No answer.
BRAI
I thought I’d miss.
H/NT/R
You didn’t.
BRAI
I wanted to miss.
29.
H/NT/R
Then we’d both regret it.
BRAI
He’ll be okay?
H/NT/R
(almost disappointed)
Barely a scratch.
BRAI
He wanted to kill me?
H/NT/R
You dead?
H/NT/R
Can’t promise for how long.
(pause)
You from that Institute? How’d you
get out here?
BRAI
Where are we going?
H/NT/R
The Vatican.
H/NT/R
People there are looking for you.
I’m taking you to see them.
BRAI
People like you? The place with the
purple-eyed monsters?
H/NT/R
Yeah, something like that.
BRAI
Neat.
H/NT/R
If you say so, kid.
30.
BRAI
Brai. My name is Brai.
(pause)
What’s yours?
H/NT/R
My brother... his name is Simon.
BRAI
Oh. Who’s that?
H/NT/R
You shot him in the eye.
Oh...
BRAI
But what’s yours?
H/NT/R
My brother has a name. It’s Simon.
Silence.
BRAI
I’m hungry.
CUT TO:
MS. >
(to phone)
I see... well, that’s very
disappointing. No. I’ll tell him.
Best if it comes from me.
MS. >
(to phone)
Just make sure it gets done. Hate
to hire someone else.
31.
MS. >
(to Jax)
Help these days. So many excuses. A
bit of advice: be a forward
thinker. Timely competent
anticipation. Understand?
MS. >
Just means to be good on your word.
Take action, be vigilant, and
always stay honest.
MS. >
You’re precious to me, you know
that? You. Brai. The rest of the
children.
JAX
Are you okay?
MS. >
I want you to be strong. Okay? When
you go in that room, know that this
is all for your brothers and
sisters. To make you stronger. To
make them stronger.
MS. >
(composed, but lying)
Good news, Mr. Ockley -- our
problem has been taken care of.
OCKLEY
(distracted)
Yes, good. That’s a relief.
32.
OCKLEY
(to Ms. >)
I knew Simon would come through.
Let’s make sure we do the same.
(to Jax, excited)
And there’s my boy!
OCKLEY
Today’s a big day, son.
JAX
What is this place?
MS. >
It’s where you’ll be able to help
your brothers and sisters, Jax.
Like we talked about.
OCKLEY
The doctor, here, he’s been working
on... on a kind of medicine.
JAX
What medicine?
OCKLEY
One that will help you see the
outside of these walls. Meet new
children. Grow strong. Would you
like that?
Ockley lifts Jax into the chair. The scientist straps him in.
MS. >
We’ll be in the next room. Be
brave.
JAX
Wait -- you’re leaving?
For a split second, Ms. > hesitates. But with a single look,
Ockley scolds her and she follows him to an observation room.
33.
Ockley and Ms. > watch the scientist fit a gas mask over
Jax’s face. Hoses connect to it, then run up the ceiling, and
to a bright area to one corner of the room, in which we see a
clear chamber, protected by glass. Think “mini-warp core.”
MS. >
If this works? The boy survives?
OCKLEY
We make plans to deliver.
MS. >
And if doesn’t?
OCKLEY
Try, try, and try again. The Clergy
will still be there.
(beat)
You good with this?
She nods to assure him -- but we know she lies. Anyway, back
inside the lab the scientist sets himself up at the control
station.
OCKLEY
Will the bounty hunter bring Brai’s
body back to the Institute?
MS. >
If you like.
OCKLEY
No. I don’t want to risk exposing
it to the children. Tell him to
burn it.
E. SCIENTIST
(over intercom)
Now administering virus seven
thirty -- uh, er, two? Yes, seven
thirty two -- into the test
subject. It has been synthesized
with an enhancing agent to speed
infection time. This will cause
momentary pain in the subject, but
should result in relaxation after
the virus has been accepted into
the host cells.
34.
OCKLEY
Try, try, try again. We’ll need a
new test subject.
He exits. Alone, Ms. > looks through the glass at Jax. She
could very well cry...
CUT TO:
H/NT/R
You okay, kid?
BRAI
(confused)
I -- I don’t know. I thought I felt
something?
H/NT/R
What?
BRAI
Just... hurt.
Rotted meat boils and bubbles in the fryers. The patrons are
almost all exclusively men. Except for the waitstaff -- they
happen to be young women, very sad, with purple eyes.
H/NT/R
We’ll both have the stew.
BRAI
And orange juice.
The Waitress calls out the order to some fat sac of pus who
works the grill. In turn, he throws down two bowls.
BRAI
She looks like you.
H/NT/R
Think I’m the only one, kid? I’m
taking you to see the purple-eyed
monsters, remember?
The Waitress hands them back the stew and two empty glasses.
WAITRESS
Your stew.
(to Brai)
You want oh jay? Piss in these.
H/NT/R
Not something you probably eat, but
it’ll keep your stomach fu--
Brai wolfs it down. Looks like she might even enjoy it.
BRAI
Not bad. Tastes good.
H/NT/R
Trust me, your piss tastes better.
BRAI
This place is nice.
(beat)
What’s everybody looking at?
H/NT/R
Dessert.
BRAI
You don’t want to keep me?
H/NT/R
S’cuse me?
BRAI
Why can’t I stay with you?
H/NT/R
Because you have a bounty.
BRAI
What’s that?
H/NT/R
A reward.
BRAI
You should just keep me.
H/NT/R
Then I wouldn’t get my reward.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
(to H/nt/r)
What’s the bounty? I’ll double it.
H/NT/R
Eyes back on your plate, old man.
37.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
This would be a “reward.” Like you
said, a simple reward for this--
Scooma slides his ass off the stool -- leaves behind a wet
streak of stool on the seat that bleeds through his pants.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
--this feral lil’ kitten.
(to Brai)
Would ya like that, kitten? I’ll
keep ya real nice. Real warm. Just
like my other kittens -- the ones
with them pretty eyes. See ‘em? All
strays. Strays I keep nice and
warm.
Sad creatures they are, the ones with the “pretty eyes.” They
continue to work, and dare not speak against Scooma.
H/NT/R
Back to your seat. Finish your
plate.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
Name your reward, hunter. I’ll
oblige it to ya. I ain’t neva’ see
one so pure an’ young before. She’d
do good at my restaurant.
H/NT/R
Bad business manners, old man.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
Mmm... whatever you say, hunter.
Yes, manners on this one.
Scooma’s thumb presses into the girl’s lips. He wipes off the
leftover pieces of stew from the corner of her mouth and
transfers the goods onto his own rotted tongue.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
She’s right, I do serve up some
tasty food here.
H/NT/R
Try the stew.
38.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
(gagging)
Kill him. Kill him!
H/NT/R
(to Brai)
Terrible at picking restaurants.
SCOOMA BAGGARD
You had your chance. Now I’m gonna
keep the both of ya. Both of ya
gonna be my kittens!
A pickup truck pulls in front and Trolly steps out the cab,
“Road Warrior” as fuck -- her getup made up of nothing but
blades and death. In her hand, a beer bottle with a rag that
sticks out of the top. She lights it and throws it inside
H/nt/r’s former ride. The interior explodes with a great
fireball as she snags another beer bottle and walks to the
window where H/nt/r’s at.
H/NT/R
(to a customer)
You want the kid?
(to another)
Want the kid?!
(nods to Trolly)
Keep me away from her.
H/nt/r release him, his whole body erupts into a fiery mess
of awesome. Scooma crashes atop the table, rolls, and falls
out the window.
H/NT/R
(calls attention)
The girl, goddammit!
H/NT/R
Still want her? You keep that bitch
the fuck away from me.
Easily, the patrons could walk from this deal and production
would save money. But I’d rather pu$h more dollar $ign$ to
write the next $equence of event$:
They attack, and filter out through the window. Some of the
slightly more clever ones go out the door--
--as each make their play to fight Trolly. Plenty have their
own makeshift weapons when they go at her. She sticks one,
slices another -- cuts through them easier than a Jedi
sparring with one of those stupid soldier droids.
The young waitstaff have scattered, and only one patron has
stayed behind: Lord Jackson von Krazy.
H/NT/R
Daddy let you out of your cage?
40.
H/NT/R
And not for keeps.
H/nt/r grabs Brai. Pulls her around the counter toward the
back exit.
ONE-SHOT (STEADICAM):
-- H/nt/r grabs Brai and they dive out the way of the truck.
BRAI
(worried)
Is he dead?
TROLLY
No such luck. Let’s put him in the
pickup.
CUT TO:
OCKLEY
What’s this mean for us?
E. SCIENTIST
Without significant alterations to
their makeup, I don’t see how we
can push the children past
adolescence. If we introduce them
to the virus at this stage in their
development, the results could turn
from our favor.
OCKLEY
That’s not news. We’ve never had
the upper hand here.
OCKLEY
These children... they represent
everything we’ve lost. They’re a
reminder of our past. Proof we can
get back to a more natural state.
(to Ms. >)
Keep the children on the same
feeding regimen. Somehow, we need
to buy ourselves more time.
42.
E. SCIENTIST
Might I say something, sir? There
was a reason my, uh, former
colleague, um, focused on the girl.
Brai, I believe her name is.
E. SCIENTIST
I researched a bit of data -- both
her body and cells were aging
normally, without any signs of
degradation. In fact, it’s quite
possible the girl who was abducted
has probably already reached
puberty before taken offline. I
never had access to her, myself,
but if I was permitted to examine
the--
OCKLEY
--out of the question. Her, her
unit, has been compromised. The
girl has been disposed of.
Understand?
MS. >
Excuse me, please. Something I need
to take care of.
OCKLEY
Everything all right?
MS. >
(smiles politely)
Nothing of concern.
E. SCIENTIST
Perhaps we’re going about this all
wrong, sir.
(beat)
The design of the virus is to serve
one purpose -- but we can’t infect
the children without certain...
setbacks. Their limited shelf life
has always been the problem.
(MORE)
43.
E. SCIENTIST (cont'd)
And if we don’t solve that, then
there’s no reason to introduce them
inside the Vatican.
OCKLEY
What are you saying, doc? We allow
the Clergy to maintain their
monopoly on the market? Might as
well board up the windows now.
E. SCIENTIST
I suggest a more traditional plan
of attack.
OCKLEY
In what way?
E. SCIENTIST
It’s like you said: a return to our
roots. To our natural state. These
children, they are not weapons.
OCKLEY
Then what are they?
E. SCIENTIST
What they were always designed to
be:
(beat)
Soldiers.
E. SCIENTIST
We allow nature to take its course,
wean the units off the medication.
Allow the children to... evolve.
OCKLEY
You know the dangers in that.
E. SCIENTIST
I do. And there will always be a
ceratin level of danger. But as
soldiers they’ll persevere. The
data alone we could collect in our
research -- death, compensation,
survival -- it could prove
invaluable. It could put this
company on track again.
OCKLEY
And in what sort of time frame?
Three years? Ten years? Twenty?
(MORE)
44.
OCKLEY (cont'd)
We don’t have that kind of luxury.
(dead-fucking serious)
We stick to the plan.
Exit Ockley.
MS. >
And to what do I owe the pleasure
of your visit... sheriff?
SHERIFF CHONG
In the neighborhood. Thought I’d
say hello.
MS. >
We don’t have neighbors. Makes one
suspicious. You know, I read in the
archives that before the Scourges,
citizens could request protection
from the courts of the day.
Something called “restraining
orders.”
SHERIFF CHONG
Now why would you wanna order or
restrain me from anything, darlin’?
Who’d keep you safe from all them
rapscallions of the world?
MS. >
(annoyed)
Is there a reason for your... ill-
advised visit, sheriff?
SHERIFF CHONG
(smile, beat)
Virus 731.
MS. >
(through teeth, sotto)
Might you join me for a walk?
Compliance.
Over yonder, children are at play. Ms. > walks with Sheriff
Chong along a pathway with trees lined on either side.
MS. >
You shouldn’t be here.
SHERIFF CHONG
I miss you.
MS. >
Don’t be vulgar.
SHERIFF CHONG
A thousand pardons, madame.
Wouldn’t want innocent ears to
partake in my vulgarity. You’d get
the wrong idea that there were
secrets run amuck.
MS. >
Secrets that some would find it in
their best interest to keep.
SHERIFF CHONG
As far as secrets go, my lips are
shut tighter than those between
them legs of yours. My concern is
safety. Namely, for myself.
MS. >
What makes you think you can’t
trust me?
SHERIFF CHONG
Priorities.
MS. >
Oh?
SHERIFF CHONG
I put your plan into motion, sent
my hound off to sniff out your lost
puppy.
(MORE)
46.
MS. >
If that’s true, then you have
nothing more to worry about.
SHERIFF CHONG
I’m worried about catching a cold.
MS. >
I told you, the virus will only
infect--
SHERIFF CHONG
--yes, I know. But I also know
you’re smart. You’re ruthless and
cunning...
MS. >
I’m only trying to do what’s best
for my children.
SHERIFF CHONG
I know you love your children.
That’s abundantly clear. And you’d
do anything to protect them. But I
also know, that like me, you’d do
anything to protect yourself -- if
only so you can see them in action.
To... oversee their progress, bear
witness to their growth.
(beat)
Hey, I know the feeling. I’m a
parent too, remember?
CHILD
(to Ms. >)
Sorry! Kicked it too hard.
MS. >
It’s all right, dear. Go play.
SHERIFF CHONG
(sotto)
If this virus does what you say it
does, that means you’re vulnerable.
So I’m thinking... you got a trick
up your sleeve. Something that
protects you. An anti-virus, maybe?
MS. >
Don’t be ridiculous.
SHERIFF CHONG
Come on -- I know you despise me,
but in that brief time we went
together I did a few things right.
I knew how to move ya. How to make
ya squirm. Not only could I get ya
to open up under the sheets, but I
found one or two ways to make ya
squawk as well.
(beat)
Your hate doesn’t simply stop at
the Vatican.
MS. >
How dare you make assumptions. You
know nothing about me.
MS. >
Bastard! What was that?
SHERIFF CHONG
I think you’re lying. I think
you’ve always been lying. That will
prove it.
MS. >
Lying about what?
SHERIFF CHONG
Children. How you can’t have any.
MS. >
You injected me with your filth?
48.
SHERIFF CHONG
That’s stupid. I’ve survived three
Scourges -- my boys is fried. No,
what I put into you, there, I got
from out there.
SHERIFF CHONG
I’d like to survive one more, if it
comes to that. If there is an anti-
virus, you’re going to give it to
me. If you don’t, I’ll introduce
Ockley to the father-to-be. I know,
as much as you do, if that were to
happen, you won’t ever see them
kids’ graduation day.
DISSOLVE TO:
H/NT/R
That really need to be in here?
TROLLY
He ain’t sleeping in the cold.
H/NT/R
Bastard is cold. And he stinks.
TROLLY
Talk like that, and you join him.
H/NT/R
Then who’d you put back on the
river?
Her cold eyes cut deep into his tragic ones. An even colder
smile is already enough to slit him from ear-to-ear.
49.
TROLLY
The water’s gonna take ya. Me and
Reg’s will see to that. No, purple.
I’m ain’t gonna slit ya. You’d find
that to be too much of a welcomed
ease, I’d reckon.
H/NT/R
You’re both pussies. Stinkin’
pussies.
TROLLY
Enjoy it, love. Might be the last
whiff of pussy you get in a while.
BRAI
Is pussy something you can eat? I’m
hungry still.
TROLLY
When you’re older, sweets.
(to H/nt/r, sotto)
For now, we keep ya alive.
H/NT/R
(to Brai)
Can’t get rid of you, can I?
BRAI
Nope. Nope.
Trolly busies herself, works the campfire and tosses more old
logs into it.
TROLLY
(to H/nt/r)
Where ya passin’ her to?
H/NT/R
Clergy.
TROLLY
No shit? Yer kin?
(beat)
What’s the bounty?
TROLLY
Big number. How ‘bout we split it.
H/NT/R
Ain’t that big.
TROLLY
And I ain’t a fool. This ain’t a
negotiation. If there’s a bounty on
her, we take a cut. Split it three
ways?
H/NT/R
What goods do you think the Clergy
barter in? Money or gold, or some
shit? That’s not where their wealth
comes from. Not like the old days,
before the ruin of war. They deal
in flesh. Trade in blood and bone.
It’s a corporation which buids a
very delicate product. So high in
demand, is it, that any reward they
could offer would be found as an
insult if divvied as printed bills.
TROLLY
So I’ve been told, purple-ranger.
(beat)
Ya mean to say yerself, I take it?
H/NT/R
(weak)
No me.
TROLLY
It’s no secret, purple. Why do ya
think people look at ya so? It
ain’t only them fancy eyes. It’s
that time ya spend in church, with
that creature turned inside-out.
Everyone knows ya call it daddy.
H/NT/R
My mother is my father.
TROLLY
A donor is all that priest of yers
is. Ya must have come out the wrong
end of that thing if no one wanted
to take ya in. Yer whole life,
raised in shame. Stripped from the
right to bear a name.
51.
H/NT/R
My brother has a name. It’s Si--
TROLLY
--it’s bullshit. That’s what it is.
(beat)
My brother has a name.
TROLLY
Even in death, Regal has a name.
But you -- as ya shit and breathe --
have nothing.
(beat)
I’ve heard them stories ‘bout the
Clergy -- what goes on with them.
Babies born from priests need
families to take ‘em in. That’s the
deal, ain’t it? They’re like
machines, yeah? Not people. Can’t
be parents -- otherwise you’re the
result. You was raised by a machine
-- and without a parent to give and
call ya by name, yer silent. An
anonymous bastard.
BRAI
I can hear you. You just talk
quiet. We’ll give you a name.
TROLLY
(wicked)
That’s it, ain’t it? Yer price for
the girl? What’re ya hoping for:
“Hector?” “Joseph?” “Miranda,”
maybe? Or “Bob?”
H/NT/R
Fuck off.
TROLLY
(considers)
That be yer first name, or last?
TROLLY
Put her there, Fucker. Name’s
Trolly.
52.
TROLLY
It’ll take some gettin’ used to.
(beat, looks at fire)
Shit. Need more wood.
(to Brai)
You and Mr. Fuck Off, here, get
some sleep. We have a reward to
collect in the mornin’.
(to H/nt/r)
Split three ways.
Hate to see Trolly go, but love to watch her leave. Brai
nuzzles under H/nt/r’s arm. Cute, but makes him uneasy.
H/NT/R
What’re doing?
BRAI
Ms. Trolly said to get some sleep.
H/NT/R
So? Sleep. Don’t hang on me.
BRAI
I’m cold.
H/NT/R
There’s a fire.
BRAI
This is better.
(pause)
She’s a funny lady.
H/NT/R
Yeah, barrel of laughs.
BRAI
She likes you.
H/NT/R
Get some sleep, kid.
CUT TO:
53.
CUT TO:
--sunk into a hill, and almost buried in its own parts. Like
a naughty whisper caught on a shy breeze, H/nt/r makes a
sharp stroll toward the spot, crossbow at his ready. He hears
a clank from inside -- a boom, boom! He grabs the handle...
and in one... two... three -- rips the door open!
BRAI
Hi’ya!
H/NT/R
What are you doing?
BRAI
Poopin’.
H/NT/R
Finish up. Time to go.
54.
BRAI
A little privacy?
H/nt/r shuts the door. A few moments later, Brai pops out the
refriga-potty and heads toward the barn.
H/NT/R
Where ya going?
BRAI
Ms. Trolly and Mr. Regal. They’re
coming with, aren’t they?
H/NT/R
We go this way...
TROLLY (O.C.)
Get there faster in the pickup.
TROLLY
Brai, you can ride in the front.
H/NT/R
The kid comes with me.
TROLLY
Nope. Deal is we all take her.
H/NT/R
There is no deal.
(to Brai)
Kid, let’s go.
TROLLY
Come, Brai.
H/NT/R
This way.
TROLLY
With me.
H/NT/R
Me.
H/NT/R
You’re coming with me, kid.
SIMON
Tell me, brother, why I shouldn’t
kill you?
H/NT/R
(immeasurable pain)
I’m father’s favorite.
56.
SIMON
Then by all means, live. And suffer
for it. As you always have.
Simon leaves the bloody piñata hung in the tree, and saddles
his bike. Across the field, he acknowledges Trolly, sword
drawn, near Brai’s body in defiance, as if to say “If you
want her, come and claim her!” He doesn’t. Instead, he rides
off, a lone member of Sam Crow.
CUT TO:
E. SCIENTIST
My dear. What brings you by the lab
this early?
MS. >
I was -- was monitoring the
children’s supplement intake. Some
showed signs of low, uh, potassium
and I wanted to make sure they were
getting their proper dosage.
E. SCIENTIST
I see...
MS. >
How’s progress, with the virus?
E. SCIENTIST
Oh, well, programming the strain is
proving difficult. Particularly,
administering its RNA into healthy
cells without causing permanent
damage. The result, as we’ve seen,
is less than desirable. However,
I’m more concerned with infection.
MS. >
How so?
57.
E. SCIENTIST
This is something Gerold and I
struggled with -- designing virus
731 to attack only Clergy. Not an
easy problem to overcome when put
against the Clergy’s own
proprietary gene sequencing and
synthetic security parameters.
Specifically, those which cause,
well, Alexandria Genesis.
MS. >
Purple eyes.
E. SCIENTIST
With a few other built-in
modifications -- such as their
ability to rejuvenate cells. The
Clergy purposely administer the
gene into all their offspring. We
haven’t been able to exclusively
assault it. As we stand, now, virus
731 is our prime source. But it
bears no discrimination -- it’s a
killer.
MS. >
And virus 732? A failure?
E. SCIENTIST
As you saw with the Jax-test.
Gerold might have made progress on
his strain. Unfortunately, he
destroyed all his research.
(pause, suspicious)
You’re relieved?
MS. >
I... feel it’s in our best interest
to bide our time.
E. SCIENTIST
They’re a means to an end; the
children. Always were.
MS. >
Of course.
The scientist moves past her, observes the chamber behind the
glass. The warp core which harbors the virus.
58.
E. SCIENTIST
But you’re right, you know. Ockley
is growing impatient. If cornered,
he could authorize me to administer
the virus right now, even before
the children wake in their beds.
(beat)
Years of tests, more experiments
than I can count, have gone through
this chamber. Hundreds of units --
none with the knowledge of the
chemicals we put into their bodies
as they sleep.
MS. >
With just a flick of the switch.
(marvels at the chamber)
May I ask you a personal question?
Off the record.
(beat)
You’re aware of my background?
E. SCIENTIST
Personal background?
(beat)
I’m aware, I suppose, that you came
to this institution as a small
child, correct? Ockley took you in.
MS. >
But do you know where I came from?
Why he took me in?
MS. >
I was a miraculous birth, as they
call it. Means someone paid to have
me conceived. I lived in a good
home. My suitors treated me well.
(beat)
I can’t remember exactly when I
realized it, but I knew I was
different. And not in a good way.
The best I can describe it is, that
after I ran away, when I faced
starvation and rape daily, it was
still a relief to know I didn’t
have to be some contrived piece of
merchandise.
(beat)
I met Mr. Ockley in a failed
attempt to pick his pocket.
(MORE)
59.
E. SCIENTIST
(pause)
My sympathies. I didn’t know.
MS. >
I’m going to protect my children,
doctor. When you’re ready for the
next test, the virus better work.
No more mistakes.
CUT TO:
SIMON (O.C.)
A word?
SHERIFF CHONG
Jesus, what is it with ya guys?
60.
SIMON
The girl has been neutralized.
SHERIFF CHONG
Do me a favor, take that off.
Seriously, how do ya have a normal
conversation wearing that damn
thing?
ABIGAIL
I think he looks badass with it on.
SIMON
It serves a purpose.
SHERIFF CHONG
Right. One of the perks of being,
ya know, whatever the hell ya are.
Bet that magic healing juice comes
in handy. Hell is that shit you
pump into your lungs anyway?
SIMON
It’s a synthetic bio-reconstructive
agent, biopolymer 61-H. It works
with my explicit cell design to--
SHERIFF CHONG
--know what? Second thought, I
don’t care.
ABIGAIL
Does it get ya high? Can I get a
hit?
SHERIFF CHONG
Tell me what ya want, hunter?
SIMON
A hit on my brother -- payout only
if he’s dead. Or send your deputies
after him. Hang him afterwards.
SHERIFF CHONG
Shit, I don’t make those kinds of
decisions. He’s got to break the
law first.
(MORE)
61.
SIMON
As I made mention, the girl’s been
exterminated.
SHERIFF CHONG
(surprised)
Shit, you got the kid first? Banked
your brother would snag her. What’d
the Institute pay ya on that?
ABIGAIL
He sayin’ he killed a lil’ girl?
She didn’t put out, or somethin’?
SIMON
My brother’s under Clergy-
protection. I want him flushed out,
put away. Sail him back on the
river if that suits you better.
SHERIFF CHONG
Why?
SIMON
Family business.
SHERIFF CHONG
I get it... ya got baggage.
SHERIFF CHONG
Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? Church-
daddy, well, she always gave him
more attention -- even though you
was the miraculous birth. Ya got to
go home with a new shiny set of
parents who gave ya a fancy name
and everything. But ya never got
her love -- our town’s beloved
Father Mary -- because your brother
came along and took the spotlight.
If I were ya, I’d be more curious
about who your father broke her
vows with.
(beat, cold)
(MORE)
62.
ABIGAIL
Goddamn if he ain’t no pussy. Who
kills a kid jus’ ‘cause he don’t
like his brother. I gots a sis’er
myself, an’ whenev’r we’s argue
‘bout which ugly fool we gotta fuck
we flip a coin. And the los’r, no
matter what -- no matter what! --
has gots to fuck that fat son of a
bi--!
SHERIFF CHONG
That’s going to get ya in a lot of
trouble.
SIMON
No laws, sheriff.
SHERIFF CHONG
Ya ain’t got no soul, purple. None
of your kind do.
SIMON
Don’t ever question how I do
business or what I’m capable of
again. That little girl... ? I
never even so much as flinched.
These eyes stayed wide open.
SIMON
The purple has you marked.
Exit Simon.
CUT TO:
63.
FATHER MARY
My son, it is good to see you.
(to Trolly)
You too, my dear. Those outside the
Clergy community are always welcome
here. Trolly, if I’m not mistaken.
(peeks inside the truck
bed)
And your brother Regal, yes?
Appears his condition has worsened
since last I saw the two of you in
church.
(beat)
Only time I’ve seen you in church.
(to Brai, saddened)
Such a shame. The cardinal was
hoping to speak with the girl in
person.
(to the Clergy)
Bring both bodies inside.
The Clergy nod and begin their work. Father Mary observes
H/nt/r’s battle wounds.
FATHER MARY
Let’s get you fixed up.
(sighs)
This was your brother, no doubt.
TROLLY
This is where ya breed them?
FATHER MARY
This is where we facilitate our
miracles, yes.
TROLLY
What happens to these miracles
after they’re born?
FATHER MARY
They go to families who have
reserved them. Often, adoptive
parents need to meet strict
requirements after they submit an
application.
TROLLY
Ya mean they need ta be rich?
FATHER MARY
It’s more complicated then that.
Our embryo stock is limited, so it
makes sense to work with clients
who have a record of financial
stability.
TROLLY
How many can a priest have?
FATHER MARY
There’s an intense strain on our
bodies when we undergo pregnancy.
Generally, only one.
(beat, sotto)
Though that isn’t always the case.
TROLLY
Why only one?
FATHER MARY
The male immune system proved more
resilient to fallout and chemicals
used in weapons during the First
and Second Scourges.
(MORE)
65.
TROLLY
So what’s with the purple eyes?
FATHER MARY
Branding, of course.
TROLLY
Who’d do this shit?
FATHER MARY
Those that are called to a higher
power, my dear. Those that are
called to a higher power.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Come in, children. Come, come!
66.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
(to H/nt/r)
Look at you, boy. Hot and battered
like a tasty ol’ fish stick
fightin’ its way out my ass on Good
Friday.
(beat)
You’ve grown since last I seen you.
Wouldn’t mind takin’ you on for a
shag or two.
H/NT/R
Very kind, Cardinal. Young as ever.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
We need to get you fixed up. You
look worse than I do after a night
at the brothel.
H/NT/R
Yes, Cardinal.
Father Mary tends to her son, provides him with a gas mask.
The Cardinal bumps between the stretchers.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
(to Regal)
And this? Why is this here? Ew...
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Ripe, isn’t he?
(to Trolly)
He with you? Your name?
TROLLY
Trolly. This my brother, Regal.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
How fun. And what happened to him?
TROLLY
(points to H/nt/r)
Your science experiment.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
(shrugs)
Maybe for the best.
(MORE)
67.
TROLLY
Second and Third Scourges.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
(to H/nt/r)
How’d you kill him?
H/NT/R
Crossbow.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Fascinating. Ah well, these
skeletons were built on the
foundation of some rather shitty
technology.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
I’ll assume by the tags around his
neck that they’re his and not
trophies of fallen soldiers he’s
killed.
(beat)
In which case, we can provide him
with a soldier’s burial.
Satisfactory?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
If you’d rather have a cash reward--
(looks to Brai)
--for her recovery, there won’t be
one. A decent burial is the best I
can give you.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
And while on the subject of dead
soldiers, this one’s a
heartbreaker.
(beat)
A beauty, isn’t she? Hard to
believe anything so delicate
retains so much lethal force.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
So much information. Let’s pray
it’s not all together lost.
(to H/nt/r)
We’ll need to renegotiate our deal.
H/NT/R
Yes, Cardinal.
TROLLY
What’s so special about her?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Little fire-sprout, we’re about to
find out.
She picks away at the red goo, then -- CLICK! -- pulls out
the same little computer chip the scientist inserted into the
back of her neck from the teaser.
H/NT/R
The hell is that?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
They all have them. Sort of an
operating system which helps them
function better. Makes them more
precise soldiers.
TROLLY
What’s it used for?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
A multitude of functions. Recording
and storing data. Contains ethics
programs, gender relations, you
name it. Even communication tech to
interact with other units.
TROLLY
Units? How do you know all this?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
My dear, before I found my faith I
helped build these things.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
The chip’s been damaged by head
trauma. Hopefully, most of its
information is still intact.
Nothing new here -- just good ol’ fashioned hacker crap. The
Cardinal over and under writes code until -- Shhh-tic-tic!
Shhh! -- an image appears on the monitor. It’s Gerold, the
good scientist. Hold onto your butts...
G. SCIENTIST
(on monitor, unsettled)
--great danger. Managed to falsify
their inventory to buy time. I
can’t predict how long this
discrepancy will go unnoticed.
G. SCIENTIST
If you’re watching this, Eleanore,
the information I’ve shared with
you over the years is now in
practice. The virus is complete --
but I’ve forged its bio-signature
to cover its progress.
(beat)
My lab partner has become
suspicious of me, and I’m afraid I
can’t stall Ockley any further.
G. SCIENTIST
As you know, the initial concept
for the children failed. The
soldier program has been shut down.
But the company’s bankrupt, and
there’s a surplus of units Ockley’s
unable to sell in the marketplace.
That’s the purpose of the virus: to
remove the Clergy from the equation
and boost profits.
(catches his breath)
Ockley means to release several
units into the population. The
children released are perfect
incubators for virus 732. It’s an
airborne strain designed to lay
dormant until it comes into contact
with the synthetic cell-structure
developed into Clergy bio-
technology.
(MORE)
70.
G. SCIENTIST (cont'd)
(beat)
There’s a reason I chose Brai, the
girl. She’s been through a major
trauma, but I think it’ll work to
your advantage. If the virus is
indeed released, she carries with
her a cure. An anti-virus.
G. SCIENTIST
The unit you have -- if you even
have her -- is a diversion. She’s
not the prime source. That’s why I
falsified the inventory. The real
unit... I’ll find a place to hide
her. At the end of this recording
you will be prompted to a location.
Once the unit is activated, she’ll
give further instruction. In
addition to the virus, the new
information she contains is, to say
the least, horrifying. But people
need to know. This is the best I
can offer.
(furious swallow)
One more thing: Brai -- the second
unit -- she’s pregnant. Again,
she’ll brief you.
(beat)
Please, keep her safe.
H/NT/R
This Ockley... he means to wipe out
the Clergy?
FATHER MARY
And rid the world of all our kind.
H/NT/R
How can this be done with a virus?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
By having it attack the specialized
cells the Clergy have developed to
transform us into women -- the same
cells which help you rejuvenate.
TROLLY
Does this mean I’m in the clear?
71.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
I’d say so. Of course, what affects
one affects us all.
(to H/nt/r)
So what will it be?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
How much does identity mean to you?
When you’re lowered into the ground
after whichever fate ultimately
takes you, how important is it that
your tombstone read the letters of
your name?
H/NT/R
(pause)
It means everything.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Then go get that girl. Save our
people.
H/NT/R
I know exactly where to find her.
CUT TO:
The Stock room is filled with large grey cases stacked atop
one another -- identical to the case Gerold dragged out of
the beater car at the start of this picture. Edward, our evil
scientist, inspects them and punches data into his Steampunk
iPod.
The story doesn’t get past, “Mr. DNA! Where did you come
from?” before E. Scientist barges in and interrupts--
E. SCIENTIST
Sir. A word, please?
Here’s a key scene: the children all look back at him. We see
a mix of faces to be sure, but then again, we see those faces
repeated -- over and over again. And look, there’s Jax!
Wasn’t he dead? Not so much apparently. And there’s Jax again
over there, and over there, and over there...
OCKLEY
(stern, stone-cold)
I’m reading to the children.
Whatever it is, it can wait.
E. SCIENTIST
Sir, I really must insist you take
a look at--
MS. >
(to Ockley)
--I’ll handle it.
E. SCIENTIST
My apologies. I felt this warranted
immediate attention.
(catching his breath)
I was manually cataloging our units
-- everything we own, currently
inactive.
MS. >
Why? We’re not yet mid-quarter.
E. SCIENTIST
Virus 731. I found an
inconsistency.
MS. >
Lower your voice, doctor.
(beat)
(MORE)
73.
E. SCIENTIST
I thought so too. Until I ran an
inventory on our stock -- bracketed
what we would need synthesized in
order to compensate for our present
units on hand.
(beat)
But when I compared the results to
a previous report I noticed a...
glitch, I suppose.
MS. >
Meaning?
E. SCIENTIST
Well, I ran two more cycles and the
glitch kept popping up. It looked
as if someone had tampered with the
inventory report. And then there
was this.
He slips her the iPod. It’s a photo of the open case, empty.
MS. >
What am I looking at?
E. SCIENTIST
The storage cases monitor any sort
of internal or external activity.
She was infected with the virus --
the 732 strain -- separate from the
one I designed. But the strain
Gerold completed, it works. And the
only production of it was planted
on one of the two Brai-units. The
one designated to this storage
case. But a second unit, and her
storage chamber, are completely
missing from the stock. What I
can’t figure out is, why he would
steal a second unit?
MS. >
(pause)
Thank you, doctor. I’ll bring this
to Mr. Ockley’s attention. If
there’s more than one missing unit,
we’ll find her.
(beat)
(MORE)
74.
E. SCIENTIST
Of course.
MS. >
(distaste in voice)
Hello, sheriff. Time to send Simon
to the Clergy, allow him to see the
situation for himself.
(beat)
And the second unit -- contact me
as soon as your bounty hunter finds
her. I want the child alive, safe.
Transmission over.
CUT TO:
TROLLY
Don’t see another kid here.
TROLLY
This is bullshit. Waste of time.
H/NT/R
You’ve been compensated. No reason
for you to stick around.
TROLLY
Ain’t been compensated in the
least. Still got business with you
to put away.
H/NT/R
If you’d prefer, sail me on the
ditch.
75.
TROLLY
I keep my promises. Ain’t about to
hide ya in a ditch.
H/NT/R
Plenty of other things to hide.
TROLLY
(grunts)
What’s with yer family, anyway? No
secret yer branded. Not sure I ever
knew the rules -- why ya ain’t got
no name, other than you jus’ don’t?
H/NT/R
(manly grunts)
To be Clergy-born is both an honor
and a privilege. However, actions
they tolerate from their members
and miracles are... limited.
TROLLY
How so?
H/NT/R
Runaways. If caught they could be
sold into slavery. Or... priests
caught breaking their vows.
TROLLY
I take it you was the red hand to
the latter.
H/NT/R TROLLY
How does it open? How does it open?
BRAINITIAL
(smiles)
My hunter. You found me.
H/NT/R
Easy, kid. Let’s get you out.
TROLLY
How far along are you?
BRAINITIAL
Almost six months. I think.
TROLLY
You remember us?
BRAINITIAL
I do. Trolly. I like your name.
BRAINITIAL
(curious)
You well?
H/NT/R
The other girl -- the one who looks
like you -- you know she’s dead?
BRAINITIAL
I do. I have been downloaded with
some of her memories... before --
your brother.
BRAINITIAL
Come, I need to show you something.
77.
The girl backtracks the other way, toward the pickup now.
TROLLY
(to H/nt/r)
Do you trust her?
H/NT/R
The Clergy do. That’s a sign for
caution.
CUT TO:
Beep. Beep.
SHERIFF CHONG
Thank ya, Bishop. I’ll see ya this
evening at the ceremony. And might
I say, it’s an honor to have your
presence grace our town.
SHERIFF CHONG
It’s time. Round up the others. And
make a call to locate my son. It’s
going to be a big night for him.
CUT TO:
TROLLY
Where ya takin’ us, Brai?
78.
BRAINITIAL
A place where bad boys and girls go
to stay. I’ve never seen it before.
H/NT/R
How do you know about it then?
BRAINITIAL
Because I almost stayed here once.
It’s more than just him. Indeed, there are stacks and stacks
of the nameless bodies -- the ones we’ve seen and met so
often at the Institute, or in the classrooms with Ockley.
It’s unending, unnerving. Ungodly. H/nt/r and Trolly could
easily vomit themselves.
BRAINITIAL
Most of them I never even met. But
somehow, though, I remember them.
H/NT/R
Because of your chip. You can
access their memories? Thoughts?
BRAINITIAL
Bits and pieces. Not like I can
Brai though.
(beat)
Thoughts between the same units are
sometimes stronger. Brai was my
only sister -- so I was able to
hear her better.
H/NT/R
The scientist from the Institute
tell you about this place?
She touches the back of her head where the computer chip is.
BRAINITIAL
I... I just knew.
79.
H/NT/R
How’d this one die?
BRAINITIAL
He was my friend. I could talk to
him. I... I--
(tearing up)
--didn’t know he was dead.
BRAINITIAL
Jax was the only one who knew. He --
he saw...
H/NT/R
(hesitant)
Saw what, kid?
BRAINITIAL
Mr. Ockley...
H/NT/R
Where was Mr. Ockley?
BRAINITIAL
He had me take my clothes off. And
then he... it would always hurt. I
just -- it just felt like hurt.
BRAINITIAL
And one night -- Jax came looking
for me. He saw. Then... then he hit
Mr. Ockley. Jax pushed him and hit
him over and over again. I wanted
him to kill Mr. Ockley.
(pause)
Jax is a bad boy.
H/NT/R
No, kid. He ain’t.
(to Trolly)
We need to tell the Clergy about
this place. The sheriff should
know, too.
80.
SHERIFF CHONG
I’ve known about it for a while,
unfortunately.
H/NT/R
(suspicious)
What brings you out here, sheriff?
SHERIFF CHONG
A slice.
(to Trolly)
Much obliged, darlin’.
H/nt/r is faced with that moment when the person you thought
you could trust, Trolly, ain’t someone you can trust no more.
TROLLY
There’s a bounty on ya. I had to
call it in. Make up for the loss
that woulda been Regal’s share.
Sorry, ol’ purple.
She kisses him. He goes with it, but then remembers what the
hell she just did -- and pushes her the frak away.
H/NT/R
Regal’s dead, for Christ’s sake!
(to Sheriff Chong)
The hell she talking about?
SHERIFF CHONG
Don’t know about any bounty.
SHERIFF CHONG
I might have mentioned a little
reward, for anybody willing to tail
ya. But as you both know, the
bank’s busted. Comes down to civil
duty.
TROLLY
You son of a bitch.
SHERIFF CHONG
Call it as you see it, babe.
81.
H/NT/R
What do you want with me?
SHERIFF CHONG
Not a goddamn thing. I’m here for
the girl.
(to Trolly)
Appreciate the heads-up.
(to his deputies)
Bag ‘em.
SHERIFF CHONG
No one hurt the girl!
SHERIFF CHONG
Take down the bounty hunter!
Another deputy raises steel -- looks a lot like the gun Simon
uses, only bigger. He fires it at H/nt/r -- the blast-radius
is huge -- and WHOO-APP! -- a plasma charge knocks the fuck
out of him. Smoke steams from his mouth, eyelids, and ears.
SHERIFF CHONG
The outlaw, too.
BRAINITIAL
Ms. Trolly!
SHERIFF CHONG
Goddammit. Somebody net her!
82.
SHERIFF CHONG
Apologies for this. Just tryin’ to
make my boy happy, ya know?
He flips the shotgun over. The butt comes down, cracks her
hard in the face. G’night.
CUT TO:
Sheriff Chong sits atop of the wheel well, scouts the lands.
SHERIFF CHONG
Ya ask me, I’d point my finger at
science. Progress, some would call
it. We built some heavy duty shit
to wipe each other out.
SHERIFF CHONG
I’m jealous of ya, purple. I think
the Church was the only sound
fixture in all that chaos to
realize the shit we caused
ourselves. Did what they could to
prepare.
(beat)
We always want to do right by our
children. Now... there’s so very
few of those to go ‘round. Not
enough for everyone.
(MORE)
83.
SHERIFF CHONG
If God didn’t exist, how do ya
explain that? The beauty of that?
(beat, to H/nt/r)
Your brother wants me to kill ya.
He don’t know that you’re already
dead. So is he.
(beat)
But, for now, I’d rather celebrate
what little life we do have left
and make an effort to do right by
my son. Embrace him in God’s love.
You’re cordially invited to a
wedding this evening. Hope ya can
make it, purple.
CUT TO:
OCKLEY
Were they infected?
(beat)
Did the virus penetrate the
Vatican?
84.
OCKLEY
Did the child infect the Clergy?
TROLLY
(disoriented)
Where am I? Who are you?
OCKLEY
Were the Clergy exposed to the
goddamn virus? Don’t play stupid
with me, bitch.
TROLLY
N -- no. Scientist -- destroyed it.
OCKLEY
(relieved)
Good. No, that’s good. We weren’t
ready.
MS. >
Her being here is evidence of that.
OCKLEY
How do you mean?
MS. >
I learned of Gerold’s progress with
the virus. It was remarkable. I had
him under surveillance for months.
But in that time he began to
question himself -- question the
operation. He intended to destroy
the strain. I had to act quickly.
OCKLEY
Meaning?
TROLLY
Meanin’ she infected the girl, fat
shit.
85.
OCKLEY
(to Ms. >, heated, angry)
You acted in secrecy? Against my
authority?
MS. >
I did. For the good of this
Institute, and for the children.
(beat)
I’m prepared to accept the
consequences.
OCKLEY
And the presence of this whore,
dropped on my doorstep... how is
she evidence of that?
MS. >
Did you find the child? The second
one, six or so months pregnant?
TROLLY
The girl yer boss, here, defiled --
we did.
MS. >
(to Ockley)
I had the sheriff pick her up after
she was located. He purposely gave
us back this creature. I wanted
Brai returned. He’s playing us for
fools.
OCKLEY
Clergy-filth! For fools? Do you
have any idea what I’m trying to do
here? There was a time frame in
place. The children aren’t ready.
MS. >
When? If not now then when? They
can’t stay here forever. They need
to grow an--
OCKLEY
--enough!
86.
OCKLEY
They’re not soldiers anymore.
They’re a product. My product! And
I can’t sell them if we haven’t
first fixed their defect.
TROLLY
How many of them defects ya gotta
go through before ya get it right?
The hundreds I saw -- each of ‘em
have a defect, too?
MS. >
(to Ockley)
The hell is she talking about?
TROLLY
What? You don’t know... about the
grave? Dead children -- like the
ones here, buried deep in a hole.
MS. >
Is this true?
He grabs Ms. > by the throat -- smashes her against the wall.
MS. >
(gasping)
You said you buried them. Proper.
OCKLEY
What I do with my property is my
own business. And right now, I can
barely keep it afloat. You
destroyed the Institute and you
destroyed the children.
MS. >
I’m setting them free.
OCKLEY
I would have you suffer their
fate... the same as your kind,
nameless foul. So low are you that
when I bury you in that grave, God
Himself won’t be able to tell you
from woman or abomination.
MS. >
Like I said, I’ll accept the
consequences put upon me.
OCKLEY
Then don’t let me stop you.
He releases her. Ms. > gags to catch her breath. She looks at
Trolly, back to Ockley, then gets the fuck out of there.
OCKLEY
Now, my vicious outlaw...
(turns to face Trolly)
...what do we do with you?
This might be the only time I’ve seen Trolly even slightly
worried.
CUT TO:
FATHER MARY
(surprised)
Simon, what are you doing here?
SIMON
What has happened?
88.
FATHER MARY
The girl carried a virus --
engineered to attack Clergy. Are
you breathing synthetic air?
SIMON
Yes.
FATHER MARY
Don’t remove it. Virus is airborne.
We’ve notified other districts
about the pandemic -- but we can’t
be certain how far it’s spread.
SIMON
I’ve missed you, father.
FATHER MARY
(genuine)
I’ve missed you, too, my son.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Father, if you wouldn’t mind... ?
SIMON
What are you doing?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
We need more information. The chip
contained in the girl has been
damaged some.
(caustic)
I’m not pointing fingers, sweetie.
(beat)
If I can access it through its bio-
circuitry, this delightful
gentleman might be able to give us
a few more answers. His
endoskeleton is crude technology at
best, but the software these
Dreadgen-Soldiers operated on was
some of the best for its day. All
stolen, of course. Anything to make
a better soldier.
89.
SIMON
You mean to bring him back to life?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
His body is dead. No salvation
there. But the machine -- that I
might be able to re-boot...
She activates the power switch and we steal the rest of this
sequence from any Frankenstein movie you want until we get
“IT’S ALIVE!” The Monster’s head moves, and the jaw opens and
closes. The Cardinal inserts Brai’s computer chip into an
open slot inside his chest. A hack or two and a bypass later,
the chip syncs with Regal’s operating system. Science, bitch!
CARDINAL ELEANORE
What is your name?
CARDINAL ELEANORE
Tell me your name.
REGAL
(scratchy voice)
Gerold Williams. I am the head of
research and development at the
Institute.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
There’s been an outbreak, at the
Vatican. You warned us about a
virus, but we were too late to stop
it. It was stored inside the child.
REGAL
Yes, the first clone to accept
virus 731 and 732 without damage to
her system, as well as harbor and
administer it. However, I did not
infect her -- someone else at the
Institute did. Unfortunately, I
came across the information too
late. My plan to safely smuggle the
girl from the compound was
sabotaged.
(beat)
Apologies. I had so little time.
90.
FATHER MARY
The girl. The one you told us was
pregnant, you said her baby housed
a cure should anything happen.
REGAL
(accesses, remembers)
That’s right... yes. I developed an
anti-virus. If you access the fetus
you can extract a cure. But it
needs to be administered in the
first twenty hours of contact.
Otherwise, your chance of survival
is significantly diminished.
REGAL
I never wanted this -- tried to do
good. I was forced against my
will... I -- I love you Eleanore...
SIMON
I will find this child. Bring home
the cure.
FATHER MARY
Simon, your brother will make this
right. Both of you bring her here
safe.
SIMON
I love you, father. But this chaos
is because of him. I had not the
courage to stop him before -- but
you cannot protect him from me
anymore. I mean to destroy him.
CARDINAL ELEANORE
They will find peace with one
another before the end. They will
save us.
CUT TO:
91.
Our evil scientist, Edward, leads Ms. > to this gruesome spot
for her first time. She fights back the tears.
MS. >
Ockley will pay for this.
E. SCIENTIST
Maybe you should not make mention
of what you’ve seen.
MS. >
We lost so many children to our own
madness -- I lied to myself, said
it was for the greater good. Ockley
swore he treated their bodies with
respect. Now I see he’s done no
such thing.
E. SCIENTIST
Small wonder he never told you.
MS. >
My eyes are open. I know I’ve made
the right choice -- to release the
virus.
E. SCIENTIST
The plan, to take down the
Vatican... for Mr. Ockley it’s
personal gain; a financial strategy
to remove his competition.
(beat)
What is it for you? They are, after
all, your own people.
MS. >
Because of how they made me -- so
selfishly as they did. I’m
constructed with the inability to
bear children of my own. They do
not get to dictate that.
(beat)
The Clergy do not get to decide
that for me.
E. SCIENTIST
In response you facilitate the
annihilation of an entire people?
92.
MS. >
We’re not people.
(beat)
If you wouldn’t mind, I need to
return. I should see the children
to their beds.
E. SCIENTIST
I’ve searched the logs. An anti-
virus was made. You’ve taken it.
MS. >
That’s a big maybe, Edward.
E. SCIENTIST
You also filtered it through their
nightly nutrient supply. That’s why
you were in the lab this morning.
The units were never low on
potassium -- they were administered
a vaccine. Which makes me
curious...
MS. >
How so?
E. SCIENTIST
If virus 732 was made to destroy
the Clergy, why you would feel the
need to treat the children against
it? It’s as if you were preventing
them from a virus 731 outbreak.
MS. >
(sotto)
Because my children don’t need to
live in a world like this.
MS. >
The test strain -- the one you gave
Jax. Killed him instantly,
remember?
93.
E. SCIENTIST
Rash! You dirty, fucking plague!
E. SCIENTIST
You’ll never get away with this.
You -- you’re mad! Inhuman!
MS. >
So I’ve been told.
She pushes him into the pit. After a few moments, she leaves
him there to toil and die in ravaged despair amongst the
lifeless children he’s helped massacre for all these years.
CUT TO:
H/nt/r returns to this ol’ one-hat town and its night life --
devoured by bandits and debauchery. At a fork-in-the-road he
has the choice to make for the church (lit up with activity
somewhere inside), or the saloon. Guess where he picks?
PAPPY (O.C.)
c’mon there, ye ol’ clergy rascal.
it ain’t gonna drink it’self.
H/NT/R
What good is it, old man?
PAPPY
what good is it? ain’t nothin’
bett’r ta clear the mind wit’.
(MORE)
94.
PAPPY (cont'd)
yers, i bet’cha, be a batter’d
bunk’r of bust’d bull balls.
H/NT/R
Sums it up.
PAPPY
i ain’t no clergy, but i can tell
ye there ain’t no liquor out there
could be consider’d a sin. does
nuthin’ but put life back inta ye.
PAPPY
there’s talk, clergy. sickness
goin’ ‘bouts. vatican folk they
say. like ye, i reckon. it true? ye
got the sickness?
H/NT/R
Couldn’t tell you what sick is.
Never felt it, old man. This I
know: been shit on more times than
I’ve pushed out; felt fist, iron,
and lead; bones broken, face
busted. None of it I put much
thought toward. Didn’t have to --
always could fix myself up. Pain
didn’t matter, and without it
neither did the fear. So what’s
sickness to me?
(beat)
In that case, what’s death?
(twirls the shot glass)
It’s this shine, old man. Never had
a sip. Looking to be my last.
PAPPY
ye at least live the way ye want’d?
PAPPY
yer luckier than most, i s’pose. ye
did it all fer good reas’n?
H/NT/R
Never had much use for it.
95.
PAPPY
we all got reas’ns fer doin’
things, good or bad.
H/NT/R
You got a reason for not bathing?
Touché!
PAPPY
(laughs)
never had much use for it.
(beat)
what’s yer name proper, anyway?
H/NT/R
Haven’t had the honor.
PAPPY
shit. well, what’da people call ya?
PAPPY
seems ye ain’t much use if ye can’t
claim own’rship ov’r yerself, boy.
maybe there’s that fear ye was
lookin’ fer.
(beat)
ye ain’t doin’ nobody no fav’rs
‘cause ye can’t do one fer yerself.
that teaches ye somethin’. teaches
ye that reas’n we was discussin’ --
an’ hows ta go ‘bout it.
H/NT/R
How’s that?
PAPPY
ain’t ‘bout doin’ shit fer yerself
when ya know who ye are. jus’ ‘bout
doin’ somethin’ ‘cause ye know it’s
the right thang ta do.
(hold up his drink)
that, clergy friend, is life.
CUT TO:
96.
TROLLY
Ya gonna stare at me all night, or
ya gonna make the first move? Maybe
I’m just too old for ya?
OCKLEY
You think you’re a clever girl, but
you have no clue the moves I have.
TROLLY
Corporate greed. Rape. Murder.
Genocide. I forget anything?
Suppose ya got a big dick, too? But
maybe to a ten-year-old anything
could look impressive.
OCKLEY
You have no comprehension how much
I care for my children. The lengths
I’ve gone through to ensure what
they are. What they were to become:
to be the best. Best at everything.
War would have proved that -- would
have shown the world their majesty
on the battlefield.
TROLLY
Instead the canons stopped firing.
OCKLEY
And funding ran out. No one wanted
soldiers anymore -- no matter how
perfect they were. But there’s one
commodity that won’t ever go out of
style.
TROLLY
Little bundles of joy. Ones with a
proper count of appendages, I
reckon.
OCKLEY
Maybe you are clever, outlaw.
97.
TROLLY
Turn ya on?
OCKLEY
What the Clergy offer with their
product, at best, is nothing more
than smegma. Dead cells that fester
and pollute an already unclean
environment. You only need to pull
back the foreskin to see it.
TROLLY
(explicit)
Done my share of pullin’.
OCKLEY
I only want the chance to offer
people a quality product -- without
the competition. Remove the
perversion.
TROLLY
So why not have fun with your toys
beforehand...
OCKLEY
I call that product testing.
TROLLY
Bet I can guess the defect--
She jams the pick into Ockley’s groin -- yeah, where his
member would be. He screams and falls to his ass.
TROLLY
--a bad marketing strategy.
OCKLEY
I’m going to kill you!
98.
He pulls the pick out -- “member” blood all over his hands.
He’s in pain. Whatever... it’s Trolly’s turn to get fu--
CUT TO:
SHERIFF CHONG
Ah! Our final guest has arrived.
Worried you wouldn’t make it.
SHERIFF CHONG
Maybe I shouldn’t have dropped ya
in the desert. Forgive me, I was
trying to be poetic.
H/NT/R
The hell is this?
SHERIFF CHONG
A wedding -- soon as our Bishop
arrives.
(to mystery person)
Don’t be rude, son, greet our
guest.
H/NT/R
Once or twice.
(beat)
This the part when I can object?
SHERIFF CHONG
Means he don’t feel you’re
qualified to marry the girl.
H/NT/R
And I told you she wasn’t for
keeps.
SHERIFF CHONG
Goddammit.
SHERIFF CHONG
He’s a sensitive boy. Can’t talk
down to him. Riles him up.
(beat)
Might surprise ya to know that when
I found him as a boy he was as calm
and collected as anyone could get.
Bright, too. Sharper than them tits
on ol’ Trolly’s chest.
(disparaged)
But puberty -- that did a number on
him. Mother Nature wasn’t so kind.
H/NT/R
Maybe it was bad design.
Say again? Did H/nt/r guess what the sheriff thought he did?
SHERIFF CHONG
How’d ya know?
H/NT/R
Said you found him as a boy. Not
much of them these days.
(MORE)
100.
H/NT/R (cont'd)
Makes sense if he were a clone. I’d
say that’s how you also knew of the
grave site.
SHERIFF CHONG
They left him there for dead. Don’t
know for how long or how many
bodies he was buried under before
escaping. Came across him naked and
starving on the side of the road.
(beat)
Ya curious why ya only saw bodies
of children in that pit? Because
he’s what ya get when one of them
Neverland kids grow up. Institute
couldn’t keep them stable past
puberty. Always went crazy -- could
never figure out why. Some defect.
In the long run, they were always
gonna make for lousy soldiers. But
between you and me, they make for
even worse pets. But ya love them
regardless.
H/NT/R
That what this bullshit is about?
The sheriff leads H/nt/r to the front pew, seats him there
with one of his deputies as company.
SHERIFF CHONG
I recognize and accept my child’s
flaws. But instead of criticizing
them, I’m gonna try my best as a
parent to make the best of it.
(sotto)
And, if I can piss off that frigid
bitch at the Institute while I’m at
it, all the better.
(to the Congregation)
Now, let’s have ourselves a
wedding!
BISHOP
Let us pray.
All bow their heads -- all except for H/nt/r and BraInitial.
At this moment, the Bishop pulls back his hood -- and good
God, it’s frakkin’ Simon!
101.
Lord Jackson rushes to aid his headless pa, shouts his name.
Deputies take action, but Bishop Simon unleashes hell unto
them as they duck and cover behind the pews. One meets a
bloody blast, and certain death. H/nt/r sticks an arrow (the
one he collected from Regal’s throat) through the neck of the
deputy next to him, then takes cover. Simon makes after him.
SIMON
I will make you pay for the death
you’ve caused.
Since H/nt/r’s under the weather, it’s not long before Simon
fights him into a grip-lock, ice-pick at full salute.
However, Lord Jackson doesn’t exclude himself:
BRAINITIAL
Enough!
BRAINITIAL
Jax. Do you remember me?
BRAINITIAL
No, do you remember who I am? We’re
friends.
BRAINITIAL
You don’t have to do this. We’re
friends -- and I say you let my
hunter go.
H/NT/R
No, kid...
BRAINITIAL
I can help you, Jax. You have to
trust me.
-- Bedtime, gas masks, and Ms. > who tucks him in.
JAX
...wondering when Brai was coming
home. Haven’t seen her in a while.
Same ol’ routine: Ms. > tucks away the kids into their beds.
Presently, she’s with a Jax-unit.
MS. >
Sleep well, angel.
She’s about to place the gas mask over his face -- but the
boy thrusts out his arm, grabs her tightly by the neck.
JAX
Where is he?
INTERCUT - CHURCH/INSTITUTE
Ms. > chokes. She struggles to pry herself free from Jax, but
to no avail.
JAX
(deadpan)
Where is Ockley?
MS. >
La -- lab. The lab.
JAX
--all. We’ll make him pay.
H/NT/R
What’s he doing?
105.
BRAINITIAL
Leading them.
H/NT/R
Who?
BRAINITIAL
The kids. He’s helping them.
OCKLEY
My babies. Help your old man, would
you? Look what this creature has
done to your father. Look!
OCKLEY
Kill her. That’s an order!
Ms. > rushes in and drags the outlaw away from the butchery.
She pulls out the pick from Trolly’s shoulder and uses it to
slice open the net. Trolly then siezes her -- ready to rip
out Ms. >’s throat with nothing more than her fingernails.
MS. >
Let go. I’m trying to help you.
TROLLY
(to Jax)
This one -- she’s mine. Understand
me? I ain’t walkin’ away empty
handed again. I’m takin’ her.
JAX
You going to kill her?
106.
TROLLY
No. I guarantee you that. I’ll keep
her alive as long as she’s willing
to stay so.
JAX
You can take her then. But treat
her kindly. Pa tells me--
TROLLY
Sure. Sure thing, boy.
MS. >
(to Trolly)
Wh -- what do you want with me?
TROLLY
Ain’t gonna spoil the surprise,
sweets.
BRAINITIAL
(gently)
So are you.
BRAINITIAL
What about you?
107.
BRAINITIAL
What can I do for you, my hunter?
H/NT/R
I’m tired, Brai. I’m so tired.
BRAINITIAL
Kid.
(pause)
I like it when you call me “kid.”
H/NT/R
Take me home, kid.
CUT TO:
TROLLY
In case you get thirsty.
MS. >
You’re a wicked woman.
TROLLY
No denying that.
Ms. > rejects her new home. She shows her objection with, at
first, a twitch. Her breathing, soft and rhythmic at first,
begins to crescendo -- it gets heavier and heaver until, at
last, she howls. Her scream sounds like a Wraith on Wings.
CUT TO:
H/NT/R
You’ve got to take care of yourself
now. That baby gets to the Vatican.
BRAINITIAL
I will. I’ll get him there.
Promise.
H/NT/R
That’s a good girl.
BRAINITIAL
I love you.
H/NT/R
(touched)
You’re all right, kid.
BRAINITIAL
Sorry you didn’t get your reward.
H/NT/R
Didn’t need it. Although, I think
I’ll keep ya. Reward enough for me.
CUT TO:
109.
REGAL
Relocating backup file. Accessing.
Accessing. Accessing... File found.
REGAL
File found...
FATHER MARY
Open file.
Regal’s eyes jerk back and forth -- real hacker shit here.
REGAL
I -- I made a grave error in
judgement.
FATHER MARY
Is this Gerold?
REGAL
Yes.
(accessing)
The woman -- she tampered with my
research. The vaccine, it’s -- it’s
no longer contained within the Brai-
unit’s child. It’s... been
replaced.
FATHER MARY
Replaced with what?
REGAL
Virus 731. The strain is not
exclusive to Clergy. Ninety nine-
point-nine percent fatality rate is
expected.
FATHER MARY
Expected of what?
REGAL
To infect current population.
110.
CUT TO:
FADE OUT.
POST-CREDITS SCENE:
Fingers twitch...
CUT TO BLACK.