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Domed Cities/Bunkers
New -- October 1, 2003 Multiple Choice Episode VI INT: WATER RECREATION CENTER IN A DOMED CITY -- CIRCA 2050 A.D. David enters in the same whirling rush of water, this time via a “Waterworld” style tube of water cascading into a recreational pool. He goes under the water, and then pops back up, sputtering and trying to catch his breath. For a moment, he settles down to dogpaddling, maintaining his position in the pool. Abruptly, another person hits the water just behind him. David glances at the new arrival, and then swims out of the way. As he does so, he glances around at the other people swimming and frolicking in the immediate surroundings. LOUDSPEAKER (voice over) Time period twenty-two fifty. Everyone out of the pool! Everybody around David immediately begins to obey, and he follows suit, albeit somewhat slower than the others. Several glance at him as he pauses by the pool’s edge, still in the water. Then one or two of the other onlookers begin to display surprise and genuine concern as they see him loitering. Suddenly amidst a loud noise, the water around David begins forming a substantial current, as if the pool was quickly being drained (which it is). David quickly leaps out and onto the bank, his expression one of surprise. One WOMAN, moving toward him with her hand extended, quickly smiles in relief. WOMAN Thank the Regents. For a moment I thought you might get caught in the undertow.
DAVID No problem. I just had a bit of a cramp.
WOMAN Really!? The woman, with a decided look of disbelief, turns and walks away. David follows her, moving quickly to catch up with her. He quickly finds himself last in a line of people leaving the pool area, stepping through the same overhead blower arrangement which is blowing everyone dry, just before it shuts off. He then follows the woman to a junction area where a variety of small mobile cars are being taken by groups of one to four people. David watches the woman step into one, and with the door automatically closing, sit down, place her hand on a console, and say something. Her unit then speeds away. David steps into the last available unit, and sitting down, puts his hand on a stylized hand print. DAVID Take me to my residence. The unit quietly accelerates. David smiles and leans back in his seat.
INT: DAVID’S RESIDENCE IN THE DOMED CITY-- MOMENTS LATER David enters his residence, consisting of a set of three cubicles (living/eating, sleeping, and a bathroom) to find Cathy lounging on a couch arrangement, reading from a console. DAVID Cathy!
CATHY Hi. Have a nice swim?
DAVID You’re here! As Cathy turns back to her console, David walks to her, his smiling eyes never leaving her. CATHY Where you’d expect me to me? I’m alone. As opposed to your frolicking in the pool.
DAVID Frolicking? David reaches over from behind the couch to touch her hair. Cathy reacts only slightly, tilting her head away from his touch and frowning slightly. CATHY You don’t have to make it sound so ho hum. I’m no longer jealous. Well maybe a little. But you did deserve the honor, and I’ll have my chance. Of course, the Cities don’t honor nurses as much as technologists.
DAVID You don’t remember?
CATHY Remember what? You know. Sometimes you and all the crazy things you do really make me wonder. David frowns slightly, shrugs his shoulders, and sighs. DAVID There’s a lot of that going on right now.
CATHY If you say so. David takes a long look at Cathy, his smile a loving, thoughtful one. DAVID I really missed you. Cathy looks up from her work and turns her full attention to David, turning her back on her console. A patient, condensing smile crosses her face. CATHY That’s nice, dear. But you don’t have to feel guilty about the swim. I totally understand.
DAVID That’s not what I was feeling. It’s just that wouldn’t it be nice to be able to be doing things like that together?
CATHY I suppose it would. But right now we seem to have different agendas. Don’t you think?
DAVID Apparently. So... How was your day? Cathy turns back to her console, the momentary, limited intimacy at an end for her. CATHY Couple of break-ins, but the automatics took care of all but one. That was a bad one. We had to send two Intervention Teams to it.
DAVID Intervention teams? Any problems?
CATHY No. Nobody was hurt, except the intruders, of course. They pretty well took in on the chin. They really don’t have much of a chance against our superior technology. Cathy stands up, leaving her console, and thinking out loud. CATHY Which is too bad in a way. I mean, I can’t say I blame them, living in the bowels of disease and filth. But there’s just not enough room in the Cities. Perhaps in a hundred years, when the surface becomes habitable again.
DAVID That could be a long time to wait.
CATHY I know. But there’s always the possibility of a technological fix. And then we could leave the Domes. At least for short periods.
DAVID I think I’d like that.
CATHY I know, dear. You really love getting wet and running barefoot through the park. But most of us sane folk are not so eager to leave our controlled environment. Frankly, my dear, I for one don’t enjoy being windblown and wet. Not exactly my idea of fun. Suddenly, an alarm goes off, followed by a blast in a portion of the floor from beneath. CATHY Oh, shit! Not here! David reacts as well, turning toward the blast hole, approaching it and ready to do battle. CATHY Look out! A section of the ceiling slams down over the blast hole covering it. Cathy is looking at David with amazement and shock. CATHY Are you crazy? You almost got in the way! Before David can answer, the ceiling cover is blown up and out of the way. Cathy grabs for another device which she turns and aims in the direction of the hole. A transparent shield is suddenly projected between her and the hole, just as the reincarnation of Ugly Dude comes crawling partially out of the hole. Behind him in the totally different guise of an Underworlder (and similar to Ugly Dude’s dress), Robyn starts working his way out as well. Ugly Dude, with a quick movement, throws a electronic sling at Cathy’s shield and abruptly defuses it. Defenseless, Cathy starts to panic. David turns and grabbing an oversized chair, begins shoving it in the direction of the hole. Ugly Dude sees the attempt, but too late. The chair, with David pushing it, slams into Ugly Dude, knocking him back into the hole and against Robyn. Both lose their footing and disappear, with the chair momentarily plugging the hole. Three uniformed individuals, with Intervention Team insignia, rush into the room. Two are men and one is Aris. They look very surprised -- their mouths open -- as they survey the scene. The FIRST MAN then looks at David. FIRST MAN You used a chair!?
SECOND MAN What happened to the automatics?
DAVID What can I tell you? Sometimes the best of technologies just don’t work. The two men and Cathy look at David with sudden horror at the heresy. The men turn their heads slightly and glance at each other. Aris looks at David with a surprised, approving look, while Cathy’s attitude abruptly changes to a nervous laugh. CATHY Oh, David, you’re such a kidder!
DAVID Uh, yeah, I guess I am.
ARIS We may have to keep our eye on you. The men are relieved and quickly go about sealing the hole with their mobile equipment. David, with a quick glance at Aris, goes into the kitchen. An unhappy Cathy follows him. CATHY Sometimes, David, you actually scare me...
DAVID Sorry.
CATHY Ohhhh. Forget it.
DAVID It’s just that I would have liked to...
CATHY Liked to have what?
DAVID Take responsibility, I suppose. Before, I always went along with whoever was in charge. Never bucked the system.
CATHY What’s wrong with that? There’s a reason for having authorities, people in charge.
DAVID Yeah. But almost never a good reason. Usually it’s just to maintain the status quo, and keep one group or another in power.
CATHY What’s the alternative, David? Allow the Underworlders -- with all their disease and chaos -- to rise up and overthrow us? There’s not enough food in all of the Cities to feed even a portion of them. We’d be dooming ourselves to their fate.
DAVID Maybe. But if we weren’t living on a toxic Earth, or hidden away in cities totally dependent upon technology just to survive...
CATHY What...?
DAVID It’s just that I was on my way to some place where I thought I could change things. Take responsibility for my actions. But somehow, I seem to have been waylaid.
CATHY You’re not doing exactly, precisely what you want? David’s expression suddenly brightens -- his eyes wide and his lips pursed. DAVID Hmmmm. Maybe that’s the point.
CATHY Look, Husband, you really do make a difference! Now, why don’t you take a nice bath? We can afford it, and you, apparently, need the relaxation.
DAVID Good idea! Maybe we could take a shower together!
CATHY Do what...?
DAVID Never mind. David leans toward Cathy and gives her a gentle kiss. She is still looking bewildered as he grimaces and exits through the bathroom door. Cathy stares at the closed door, her expression one of puzzlement. Then her face brightens, as if suddenly realizing something. Her eyebrows raise and she turns her head, searching for a memory.
INT: DAVID’S MODERN BATHROOM IN THE DOMED CITY David enters the bathroom to find a small, three foot square tub. There are no shower connections. With his clothes still on, he steps into the tub and looks up. DAVID By the way... If you have some means other than a blast from a water cannon... Abruptly, a wall of sand hits him, and the scene phases.
EXT: DESERT LANDSCAPE -- FUTURE David is blown over by a raging sand storm, and begins to skid down a huge sand dune. He struggles for several minutes against the wind, until a momentary lull in the storm shows a rock formation just downwind of him, and he scampers for it. He crawls around the rocks to a cleft in the rock cliff, where he crouches to wait out the sandblasting. DAVID Crap! What in the world was I thinking!? The sand continues to blow, slowly obscuring David from view.
EXT. LATER As the wind dies down, David, sand-covered and squinting at the reflected light, begins to shake himself off and crawl out of his shelter. His movements are tentative and uncertain, as he slowly stands up and begins to look around. A beautiful, but stark and forbidding scene rolls out before him -- a desert of sand and rock with absolutely no signs of life. In the sky, the only action beyond the wind blown sand is a virtually constant and intense lightening storm in the distance. There is no hint of moisture, rain or coolness -- nothing even remotely suggesting life. Everything is dead. Looking up, he sees the Moon in the late afternoon sky. It looks different, as if blasted or somehow devastated. DAVID Jesus! If they did that much damage to the Moon, the Earth ought to really be toast. Then again, maybe it is. David looks around for a moment at the devastated landscape. He shakes his head for a moment, before he begins walking and looking about the lifeless desert of rock and sand. He licks his dried lips, and tries to swallow. Then his hand gently massages his throat. DAVID Okay, kid. Remember your survival training. Otherwise, it’s going to get awfully thirsty. Jesus! Not even a frigging cactus! David begins to stagger up a dune, as tons of sand cascade down beside him, slowing him. Above him is a blistering hot sun. David keeps moving, climbing and then sliding down the sandy dune. He tries to shade himself from the sun, but appears increasingly dry. He keeps walking until he comes upon an old paved road -- one which is in dismal shape. He smiles slightly, only to shake his head when he sees nothing in either direction. He turns left, and sets off down the yellow broken-pavement road. Rounding a bend, his movements now more of a stagger, he sees up ahead an old dilapidated gas station. He perks up at the sight and moves quickly and expectantly toward the old wooden building.
EXT. AN OLD DILAPIDATED GAS STATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT Before David reaches the building, he slows, glancing around, still looking for the slightest sign of life. Frowning, he steps through the shattered front door, and finds two skeletons, one in a chair, and one sitting on the floor nearby. Bits of skin, preserved by the desert dry air, hang from their bones. David leans against the doorframe, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. Then his eyes catch something, and he steps slowly to the opposite wall, where a dusty, faded “official notice” is tacked to the wall. He brushes some of the accumulated sand from the poster (causing some parts of the poster to flake off and fall to the floor). The remainder reads: “Emergency Order 30 - ... All personnel movements, other than authorized........ unlawful and punishable on site by death. Any attemp........ underground facilities will result in immediate executio........ advised to remain w....... .. ... preserve law a......” He reaches up to brush more sand away and inadvertently causes the rest of the notice to flake off in pieces and fall to the floor. He winces as he looks down at the trash. The sound of wind picking up gathers his attention, and he steps to the doorway, where he sees a small twister moving along the road just outside the gas station. David turns and looks at the skeletons in the gas station, and then back at the twister. He steps outside and starts toward the miniature tornado, his staggering gait showing considerably more confidence than before as he breaks into a near run. DAVID Forget what I said about no more water. I love water! I love to go with the flow. Feel free to hit me with everything you’ve got... Just as long as it’s water!! Without breaking stride, he steps directly into the small twister. The scene phases.
EXT: A TREE-FILLED VALLEY WITH MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE. The pristine view (the same as the first scene) slowly expands to show evidence of distant structures apparently destroyed by fire, and nearby surroundings indicating war and blast damage. David enters the scene, dropping into the pond with a rush of water. He quickly bounces back up, his expression one of delight. Cupping portions of the water with his hand, he throws some on his face, drinks some, and tosses some into the air in celebration. DAVID Oh, yeah! This is more like it! Then his expression turns to a frown. He spits several times and glares at the water -- which has the appearance of industrial or war-torn runoff. He frowns at the chest-deep water, shaking his head in disgust. Abruptly, a laser weapon beam crosses above his head. The shot is apparently not intended for David, but is close enough that he automatically reacts by ducking. There are several other flashes and return fire -- with the battle appearing to move away from him. David moves quickly to the shoreline, as the flashes continue at increasing distances. As he approaches the shore, he notices he’s now wearing the combat uniform he wore in his dream. The uniform is dirty, torn, lacking in style, but includes a pistol, flak jacket, and reams of ammunition. David ducks again, as a lone spacecraft, still firing its laser, roars overhead. He looks around for shelter, and sees the bunker -- the same as the one in his dream -- some distance away. He begins to run for it and then suddenly stops. When the bunker is not blasted, he continues and goes inside.
INT: INTERIOR OF A DIRTY, SANDBAGGED BUNKER David’s arrival causes a few of the soldiers to turn, but upon taking a quick glance at him, they return to lounging about, apparently trying to get some rest -- typical front line soldiers looking for a brief respite from the battle and treating David as just the latest arrival in their little enclave. There is no technology apparent in the area, other than what is being worn by the weary fighting men and women. David grimaces slightly at the scene, and then moves to one side. Against one wall, he sees Aris with her eyes closed, dressed in similar garb -- dirty, torn and battle-scarred. As David drops down beside her, she opens her eyes and glances at him. Then she closes her eyes and turns back to face front. ARIS Where the hell have you been?
DAVID Took a few detours. How about you?
ARIS You almost missed the best part of the show.
DAVID God forbid. Aris then leans against him, her eyes still closed, one hand reaching around his arm. ARIS I thought maybe you were dead.
DAVID No chance! They’re not about to let me out of this... this bouncing all over the universe!
ARIS Not that it’s important, but what the hell are you talking about?
DAVID Yeah. That was one of the choices. And this is apparently another one.
ARIS I’m too tired to try and keep up with you.
DAVID Don’t bother to try to figure it out. I can’t. David is startled by Jeremiah’s entrance in an officer’s uniform. Several of the grunt soldiers, glance up and begin to show signs of life at the arrival of the command figure. JEREMIAH Party time’s over, gentlemen, ladies. Gather around. We’ve got new orders. There are grumblings around the room voicing where Jeremiah can stick his orders, but everyone slowly begins to move toward the center of the bunker where the officer has knelt down underneath the bunker’s only light fixture. Jeremiah lays out a map on the dirt floor underneath the light. He ignores the comments and complaints, and busies himself with the map until the soldiers have gathered around. JEREMIAH It’s all pretty simple. We wait here until twenty one hundred hours. About an hour from now. We flank the north cliffs, where the enemy is holding one of our allies prisoner. We’ll scale this overhang. They’ll never expect us, so that we should be able to take the bastards by complete surprise. Probably be done by morning, just in time for an airlift breakfast.
SOLDIER ONE Just one question, Sir: How do we know who’s who? I mean like I can’t tell a bad alien from a good one. Much less one who’s a prisoner of the other.
JEREMIAH Right now, it looks as if the Mintakans are the ones we’re here to help, and the Sirians are the ones we want to kill. Jeremiah takes out several pictures and hands them out to the troops. As the pictures are passed around, there are several raised eyebrows and shared expressions of disgust. SOLDIER TWO takes a long look at both pictures, holding them side by side. SOLDIER TWO They’re both pretty ugly, if you ask me.
SOLDIER THREE Just don’t tell a Mintakan they’re ugly. I hear they have a real mean temper.
JEREMIAH You’re not obligated to sleep with one. Just do what I tell you. Follow orders.
SOLDIER ONE I don’t know. Sex with this here beauty could be kind of kinky. Several of the others grunt with apparent amused agreement at the sexual overtone. Jeremiah concentrates on looking around at the various faces. When no one makes any further comment, he takes the pictures back and puts them in a shirt pocket. JEREMIAH Stay here, get your gear together, and be ready to move in forty minutes. As he gathers his map, David takes a long look at him. Jeremiah looks back at David with the same keen interest, then quickly leaves the bunker. With Aris watching David with a puzzled look on her face, he gets up, gesturing to the outside. DAVID I’m going out to talk to him. David exits, as Aris looks around and prepares to leave as well.
EXT: OUTSIDE THE BUNKER David exits the bunker and looks around. Jeremiah is already some distance away, moving rapidly to a small fortified dugout. David moves at a slower pace, watching Jeremiah as he drops down in the dugout, pulls out a strange-looking electronic device and fingers it for a moment. Then the officer puts the device back in his pocket and leans back against the sandbagged wall of the dugout, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. David walks up and casually drops into the dugout, his abrupt appearance causing Jeremiah to quickly become defensive. David slowly leans against the opposite wall of the dugout from the officer. Jeremiah hides his surprise at David’s sudden appearance, and stares at him. Jeremiah has the look of someone very tired and ready for a rest from responsibility. JEREMIAH Problem, Kincaid?
DAVID No, Sir. Just curious.
JEREMIAH I hear that can be dangerous.
DAVID What’s really happening here? Jeremiah does a double take at David. He then glances up as Aris slips into the dugout as well. Without a word, she takes a seat next to David, facing Jeremiah. The officer looks at the two grunts, his eyes squinting in suspicion. JEREMIAH Mutiny?
DAVID No, Sir. Not a chance. Just want to understand a few things.
JEREMIAH Like what?
DAVID Like whether or not it’s too late. Whether or not we asked for help in time.
JEREMIAH Asked who? What are you talking about, Kincaid?
DAVID I don’t know. Maybe a general distress signal. To whoever’s listening. But the guys are right. We really can’t tell the good aliens from the bad ones. So what are we supposed to do? Believe what they tell us? Pretend we’re sheep? Jeremiah looks at David, then Aris. The officer looks down, avoiding their eyes. JEREMIAH Maybe it’s not really them at all. Maybe it’s us. Our need for stability and non-change in a constantly changing world.
ARIS “We have met the enemy and he is us?”
JEREMIAH Something like that.
DAVID I think what I’m asking is: What are we doing here?
JEREMIAH Trying to make a difference?
DAVID But we really don’t. It’s just one possibility among many. Why can’t we just pick and choose, and avoid all the drama?
JEREMIAH I’m not following you, Soldier.
ARIS I think I’m beginning to. David and Aris exchange smiles. The moment is shattered by a direct hit on the bunker. Jeremiah, Aris and David hit the dirt. As the debris settles around the total destruction of the bunker and their comrades inside, the three quickly begin to scramble for better cover. Aris and David take off in one direction, while Jeremiah goes in the opposite direction. As the two scramble over an embankment into a huge crater, David looks around. DAVID Shit! We lost him! David scrambles back to the top of the embankment, with Aris following his lead. From the top of the embankment, Jeremiah can be seen suddenly confronting an alien ground trooper, who seems ready to kill him. The officer flashes something, and the alien abruptly lowers his weapon and salutes him. Jeremiah quickly points in the direction of David and Aris. The alien ground trooper turns and heads toward them. ARIS Fucking collaborator!
DAVID Why am I not surprised? Aris and David scramble back down the embankment, and then break into a run toward the other rim of the crater. They top it and angle down a small ridge. Several laser cannon blasts are hitting the ground in various locations, but none seem concentrated on them. Then a smaller scale blast, from a hand-held weapon, hits a piece of debris near them, and both dive for the ground. When they look up ahead, they see an old destroyed crane, hanging over a deep blast crater. The two of them quickly scramble toward it. But just as they get near it a laser blasts slashes above them, directly hitting the crane and causing part of the still standing structure to come crashing down. Aris, in the lead, is hit by a piece of the collapsing crane, knocking her to the ground and momentarily pinning her down. David is quickly at her side, trying to help her by lifting the twisted metal. Aris is apparently not seriously hurt, but has one leg trapped. Her eyes suddenly widen as she looks just beyond David. ARIS Look out! David turns as another, smaller blast hits near him. After a quick dodge of the debris, he leaps to his feet and turns to face the attacker. Aris grabs his leg with all her remaining strength, and in the same fashion as in the first dream sequence -- but now more seriously (as if the current action is for real). The alien ground trooper, now seen close up and looking like a made over version of Ugly Dude comes running over the embankment, ready to blast both of them. David aims pointblank, but his pistol fails to fire. The alien ground trooper, who was about to duck, suddenly realizes he’s dealing with defenseless quarries. Something resembling a smile crosses his ugly face, and he begins to saunter up to David and Aris, raising his weapon and preparing to make toast of both the helpless Earthlings. Aris holds David’s leg even more tightly, closing her eyes, while David looks disbelievingly at the situation -- in strong contrast to the first dream scene. He is still looking around for any kind of help, when suddenly, his expression brightens. DAVID Wait a minute! Ugly Dude, also known as an Alien ground trooper, hesitates, momentarily stymied by the inexplicable, as David yells in a loud, authoritative voice. DAVID Cut! A wave of water slams into David and Aris. The scene phases. Forward to: Episode Seven -- Druidland |
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