The adventures continue as Luke and Trinity search for a Centre 16 doctor and Justin helps a footballer whose future is in jeopardy...

FILE THREE – Kick
(Written By Vokal)

WIDE on a nightclub scene. Laser lights circle the dance floor, hundreds of people dance close together. CLOSE IN on Trinity and Dina, they dance together in the centre of the dance floor. They are smiling, having fun.

CUT TO; Mercedes leaves bar area balancing three drinks. She sits down at a table with Justin and Luke. Luke seems extremely uncomfortable, almost disgruntled. Mercedes looks at him and smiles.

MERCEDES
(to Justin, motioning to Luke)
Woss wrong wid Skywalker?

JUSTIN
Luke thinks we should be out hunting down some doctor from The Centre's glory days. What's with the Lingo?

MERCEDES
Oh, dat's club talk.

JUSTIN
And?

MERCEDES
Assimilation my brother, assimilation. We gotta stop being so conspicuous, 'specially you with all your 'mustn'ts and 'shalls' and proper language. Here, give it a go, 'You down widdat?' It means, 'Is that okay by you' or 'Is that alright'.

JUSTIN
No, Mercedes, the way I talk has nothing to do with the fact that I've spent 16 years of my life living underground; it's just that I like to talk correctly. Besides, I'm too old…

MERCEDES
Come on…. 'Down widdat' say it come on…

Mercedes hassles Justin, Luke laughs, enjoying Justin's torment.

MERCEDES
'Down widdat'…. C'mon.

JUSTIN
No… Mercedes, no.

MERCEDES
'Down widdat', Justin, say it, c'mon, it's not going to kill you.

JUSTIN
Okay, alright.
(softly)
You down widdat?

MERCEDES
Louder, c'mon, it's not gonna hurt, we won't judge.

JUSTIN
(slowly, loudly)
Are you down widdat?

MERCEDES
No, there's no 'are', it's just 'You down widdat'

Suddenly, their conversation is interrupted by a guy;

JIM ~ 23 years old ~ Male

who crashes onto their table. They back away from the table, blending into the circle created by patrons at the club. Another guy;

NATHAN GREEN ~ 23 years old ~ Male

walks up beside him and grabs him by his shirt. He is angry

NATHAN
My entire future, Jim, I hope you know what you're doing. Cos as soon as I get proof, I'm gonna kill you.

JIM
I don't know what you're talking about.

NATHAN
You set me up, don't lie to me

JIM
Nathan, man, I don't know what you mean

NATHAN
Then I'll explain it slowly, you gave me something before the game last Sunday, I came up positive, and now I've lost my scholarship, and I'll probably never play football again.

JIM
Look, man, it wasn't me, I didn't do nothing…

NATHAN
Don't lie to me, I don't do drugs, I know it was you…

Club security arrives and pries the two young men apart. They are carried off. Trinity and Dina come up behind Justin. Justin turns to leave.

MERCEDES
Where you going?

JUSTIN
To college

Luke rolls his eyes, Dina has a 'Not again' look on her face, and Trinity seems confused.

OPENING CREDITS

From 1982 – 1998, an insular, secretive agency known only as 'The Centre', carried out the most advanced program ever attempted by such an organization. The program, deemed 'Project Prodigy', involved the most talented and intelligent minds of this millennia; 15 children, raised from infancy in the sub-levels of Centre 16, Salt Lake City, Utah, whose collective intelligence exceeded even advanced computer systems. They were The Prodigies. Child Geniuses. A resource unlike any other. A living super-computer with the ability to think, feel and predict. For more than a decade these children fabricated some of the most highly developed systems and programs ever created by the human mind… until one night, The Prodigies ran away…

CUT TO; Night. WIDE on Centre 16.

CUT TO; File Archives room.

Text On Screen:
File Archives
Prodigy Wing
Centre 16
Salt Lake City, Utah

Miss Monroe is at a file cabinet. The room is dark, lit only by a small lamp and the moonlight filtering in through the large glass window. She rifles through the cabinet, pushing files aside, searching. She arrives at a file labelled 'Prodigy', she pulls out the folder, positions it under the small lamp and opens it, only to find it empty. Scowling and annoyed, she moves on to a different cabinet, labelled 'Personnel'. She pulls it open, and searches through until she comes to one labelled 'Calvin, P'. She opens it, it too is empty. In the top left hand corner the letters M, E and N are written in thick black pen. She drops it to the ground, gets JC's and opens it. It is full, but of seemingly unimportant information, as she disregards it and drops it to the ground. When Miss Monroe finds Roschelle's, she opens it to find a photograph of a woman ~ 30 years old, with long red hair standing out the front of Centre 16. Miss Monroe puts it inside her jacket. She glances back at the folder, the letters T, O and R are written in the top left hand corner, in the same pen as on Calvin's file. She looks at it quizzically, then puts the folder on the ground. She hears footsteps echoing down the corridor. Miss Monroe gathers the files together, and goes to leave, but is suddenly compelled to go back to the Personnel Filing Cabinet. She opens it again, and retrieves a folder labelled 'Monroe, M'. She opens it. It contains a photograph of her father and Calvin like the one on Calvin's desk. She puts the photograph inside her jacket, before running her fingers across the letter T and number 13 written in the same way as the other files. She glances up at the window, in thought. Suddenly, JC opens the door. He gives Miss Monroe a fright.

MISS MONROE
JC, don't do that. Not around this place anyway.

JC
(partly suspicious)
Ok, sorry, but Calvin's been looking for you, something's going down and he wants you to be there. What are you doing up here anyway?

MISS MONROE
Research. Not that it's any of your business

JC
In the dark?

MISS MONROE
The lights aren't working.

JC flicks a switch, and the room lights up

JC
Oh?

MISS MONROE
Well, they weren't, let's go.

She walks out the door, slightly concealing the files she holds. JC follows.

CUT TO; Night. Hotel room. Trinity walks from the adjoining bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and wearing a white hotel robe.

TRINITY
So what's with Justin anyway?

She walks past Luke, who sits at a desk, working on his laptop, and joins Dina, sitting on the double bed shuffling cards.

DINA
Well, it's a long and complicated story, incorporating 16 years of guilt over developing those simulations that resulted in mass wrongdoing and a Centre Urban Legend, that Justin believes so strongly in.

Trinity watches Dina shuffling carefully, then Dina holds them up, so that Trinity can't see them. Trinity picks two cards, and places them on the bed facing upwards; they are two Aces.

TRINITY
An Urban myth?

DINA
Well, apparently there are pretenders among us… geniuses who can become anyone they want…

TRINITY

Pretenders? Like us? Others?

She picks another two cards and places them on the bed; they are also a matching pair, a king of diamonds and a king of hearts.

DINA
Hmm… particularly one other, who goes about helping the downtrodden, protecting the defenceless… from another Centre…

Luke interjects…

LUKE
An urban legend the lot of it, told to snivelling Directors so that they won't allow their subjects to escape and risk turning America into a nice place to live…

DINA
Justin believes…

LUKE
It's more like Justin just wants to be a hero…

TRINITY
Well I think it's good that he would want to help…

Camera CLOSES IN on line of cards Trinity has created on the bed. They are all organised in matching pairs. MOVE TO Luke's face, as he looks earnestly at Trinity.

LUKE
Yeah, but one day it's gonna get us all killed…or reclaimed.

At that moment, Justin walks in the room. He senses that they have been talking about him. He looks at Luke knowingly, Luke looks toward his computer. Justin walks over beside the bed and sees Trinity's rows of cards. He looks up at her.

JUSTIN
Not bad…. Maybe we should all get some sleep…

He glances at Dina and Mercedes, they understand his look, and they pack up the cards and walk through a door into an adjoining room. Justin looks at Luke, who glares back at him defensively.

CUT TO; Miss Monroe enters Calvin's office. She is annoyed.

MISS MONROE
What is it Calvin, and it better be global…

CALVIN
Miss Monroe, we've got another lead, there have been sightings in Memphis

MISS MONROE
Tell me you're not talking about Elvis?

CALVIN
Subjects 02, 03, 05, 06 and 07.

MISS MONROE
And?

CALVIN
I think we should head down there…

MISS MONROE
Do you have even the slightest comprehension of just how busy I am? Do you know how many Special Projects I have to direct? I can not afford to fritter away valuable hours chasing some stupid sightings… Now, you can deploy the team, go ahead, but stop wasting my time…

She walks out of the office hastily.

CUT TO; Hotel room. Trintiy lies in the middle bed of three single beds evenly spaced along a hotel room. To the left of her lies Dina asleep, and to her right, Mercedes, who is also asleep. Trinity is shaking, and coated in sweat. Justin and Luke are heard arguing from the next room, their voices slightly muffled. Trinity listens to them. Cradling her legs, to her body and turning over in her bed.

LUKE
(shouting, offscreen)
Justin this is important.

JUSTIN
(shouting, offscreen)
But it's not safe…

LUKE
(shouting, offscreen)
Justin wake up! Nothing we do is safe, and it never will be. What? You think you and your fruitless crusade isn't dangerous?

JUSTIN
This has nothing to do with that.

CUT TO; Hotel room where Luke and Justin are. They are aggressive.

LUKE
(banging his hand down on the desk)
It has everything to do with that… Every time you launch one of your ridiculous quests you endanger us all by risking exposure. We need to find this doctor…

JUSTIN
Luke, I said no, we're not discussing this further…

LUKE
(laughing cynically)
You're trying to order me? I'll do this, with or without your help…

Luke picks up his jacket, opens the door and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. Justin looks at the closed door intently.

CUT TO; Trinity lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, the shouting next door has awoken painful memories.

CUT TO; Trinity's FLASHBACK YOUNG TRINITY ~ 10 years old, lies in a bed in a small room, lacking windows, and containing only one door, solid, bar for a small window ¼ of the way down the door. YOUNG TRINITY gets out of bed, she hears muffled shouting. She stands, and walks to the door. Stretching onto her tiptoes, she strains to look out the small window on the door. As she does, her shirt lifts slightly at the back, and camera CLOSE IN on her tattoo – 03. Peering through the small window, she sees YOUNG CALVIN ~ mid 40's, and YOUNG MR MONROE ~ 46 years old. They are in the hall, arguing.

MR MONROE
You know we can't do that Calvin, sooner or later someone is going to realise…

CALVIN
Think of the project, Malcolm, think of Prodigy.

MR MONROE
I am thinking of the project, we can't do anything that may jeopardise its progress.

They glance toward Young Trinity's room, and see her peeking through the window. Young Trinity, panicked, ducks below the window, and holds her breath, After waiting for a few beats she looks over the window again and sees that the two men have left.

CUT TO; Miss Monroe's office. Miss Monroe sits at her desk. It is night, and she has the desk lamp on. Her desk calendar indicates it is July. She has in front of her the letters M, E and N, T, O and R, and T, and the number 13, written in the corner of the files she uncovered earlier that night. She has ripped them from the folders and is arranging them in front of her. She first arranges them to spell MENTOR T13, and then T TORMEN 13, and finally TORMENT 13. Camera CLOSES IN on this arrangement. Miss Monroe stares at them intently, and without emotion, before running her hand across them, sending them into disarray. She leaves them in a pile on her desk, stands, turns off the lamp, and walks out of her office. She turns slightly to turn off the main light switch, and glances again at the pile of letters on her desk. She leaves her office, closing the door behind her.

CUT TO; Miss Monroe's apartment. Night. Her apartment is neatly furbished, very professional and lacking distinctive feminine aspects. She lies in bed, staring at the ceiling. She looks toward the end of her bed, and sees Justin sitting there. He is very pale, and has sunken eyes surrounded by thick black rings. He mouths the words 'help me'. Miss Monroe sits up abruptly, she was dreaming. She is breathing heavy. Obviously disturbed. She gets out of bed, walks to a basin in the adjoining bathroom, turns on the tap and splashes her face with water. Her mascara runs. She has a FLASHBACK

YOUNG MISS MONROE ~ 22 years old, walks past a room in SLOW MO with a row of beds in it. Sitting on the edge of a bed is YOUNG MERCEDES ~ 20 years old. She is wearing the subject's uniform of stark white clothing resembling surgical scrubs. Her face is gaunt, her eyes clouded, hair matted. She lifts her head and stares helplessly at Young Miss Monroe as she walks past. Miss Monroe keeps walking.

Miss Monroe shakes off the flashback, and noticing that the tap is still running, turns it off. She walks back into her bedroom, and sits on the edge of her bed, head in hands. She runs her hands through her hair, sighs, and lies down on her side.

CUT TO; Morning. Justin's jeep. Justin, Mercedes and Dina are driving down the street. Dina is driving, Mercedes sits in the front seat and Justin is in the back.

MERCEDES
(turning to look at Justin)
Look, J, I know you're just trying to help, but you don't know the first thing about American football.

The camera shows Justin, sitting in the back of the jeep, surrounded by books on football. He is reading one entitled 'The basic rules of American gridiron'. He smiles.

JUSTIN
I will by the time we get there

Mercedes turns back to the front and smiles. Before turning to Dina.

MERCEDES
We've never been to a football match before Dina.

JUSTIN
(still engrossed in his book)
Well, apparently you're not missing much, just a bunch of guys in tight clothes, getting sweaty and chasing a sheep's gut around a field, before tackling each other to the ground.

Camera shows Dina and Mercedes, watching the road, smiling mischievously

DINA
Not much at all…..

CUT TO; Trinity's hotel room.

She lies asleep underneath her bed. Luke walks in and notices her peculiar sleeping position. He stands at the door and continues watching her. He has a FLASHBACK

YOUNG LUKE ~ 20 years old, is being led down a sterile, white corridor.To his left are the prodigy subject's living spaces, small white rooms devoid of furniture, except for a bed. He struggles madly against the doctors and centre personnel who force him down the corridor. He refuses to stand and walk, so they half pull, half drag him down the corridor. He screams, loudly, he bites, kicks, scrambles, and cries desperately.

LUKE
Don't take me there, don't take me there…

When he walks past Trinity's living space, he sees through the small glass window in the door that she is asleep, underneath her bed. He stops struggling, and the personnel wonder why. Not knowing what is wrong, they stand around dumbly. Luke scrambles closer to her door, and peeks through the window. He watches her closely, watches her breathe, serenely, calmly. This seems to quiet him down. He reaches his hand up to the glass window, and his warm hand leaves a mark on the cold glass. A doctor hits him on the head and he is knocked unconscious.

Luke comes out of the flashback, he has a calm look on his face. He continues to watch Trinity breathe, himself breathing in time with the rise and fall of her chest. He smiles at her, and the camera shows us that he has his laptop in a bag with him. Luke sighs and whispers.

LUKE
Goodbye Trinity

He closes the door softly as he leaves.

CUT TO; Centre 16.

Text On Screen:
Prodigy Wing
Centre 16
Salt Lake City, Utah

Miss Monroe walks into her office. She is wearing dark glasses, and is not happy. She is greeted by JC, who senses something is not good.

JC
Rough night?

MISS MONROE
Well if you must know JC…

She goes to explain her sleeplessness, but decides not to.

MISS MONROE
(sarcastically)
After I finished shaking my thang down at Hickeninnies Bar for Desert people, I hooked up with a wild lover and we spent the whole night banging the gong.

JC
The gong?

MISS MONROE
My gong. We're done now JC unless there are any other private details of my private life you would like to pry into?

JC
I've had enough visual aids for one day thank-you.

MISS MONROE
I'll bet you have.

JC just stands around. Miss Monroe looks at him.

MISS MONROE
Can I help you with anything?

JC
(oblivious to Miss Monroe's request for him to leave)
No, I'm fine.

Miss Monroe continues watching him, annoyed. He looks at her, realising that she wants him to leave. He turns to leave, but before he does, he turns back to her

JC
Where's your Diploma?

MISS MONROE
What for?

JC
Behavioural sciences? It's not up in your office.

MISS MONROE
I don't have it.

JC
No, I didn't think you did.

He leaves, Miss Monroe watches him close the door. She pulls the pile of letters from the files she found last night toward her. She examines them closely then picks up a photo of her dad on her desk, muttering to herself, or to the photo.

MISS MONROE
What is it you want me to do?

She sighs and puts the photo down. She opens a desk drawer and pulls out JC's file. She opens it, just as Roschelle walks through her door.

MISS MONROE
Does no one knock?

ROSCHELLE
You know you're not going to find what you're looking for in there.

MISS MONROE
I don't know what you mean.

ROSCHELLE
Yes you do.
(she looks at Miss Monroe earnestly)
You can trust me… you know, if you need to talk…

MISS MONROE
What are you doing here, Roschelle?

ROSHELLE
What are you doing here, Miss Monroe?

MISS MONROE
It's my office

ROSCHELLE
No, here, at The Centre.

MISS MONROE
I'm here to bring the subjects home.

ROSHELLE
This is not their home

MISS MONROE
You act like you oppose what went on here, and yet you were an active participant in everything… I don't understand.

ROSCHELLE
Like I said before, none of us are here by choice. You are here because you feel duty-bound because of your father…, JC was pulled from prison, his family thinks he's dead, Calvin's here because he made a few too many mistakes three years ago, and I'm here, well, I'm here because I trusted the wrong people…

MISS MONROE
(changing the subject)
What was it that you wanted?

ROSCHELLE
I heard you were having trouble sleeping, thought these might help…

She produces a pack of unmarked pills.

MISS MONROE
Word travels fast… What are they?

ROSCHELLE
Just something to help you sleep

MISS MONROE
(shaking her head)
No. Thank-you, but I don't need them.

Roschelle gets up to leave, putting the pills on Miss Mornoe's desk.

ROSCHELLE
You will…

CUT TO; Football field. Footballers run past a man wearing an 'Assistant Coach' jacket, poring water from a jug. The man turns around and drinks the water, revealing that he is Justin. Justin smiles a devious smile as Jim from the nightclub runs past. In the grandstand, Mercedes and Dina watch the footballers. They seem disappointed.

DINA
Not as much fun as I though it'd be…

MERCEDES
No, I just don't see a point to the game…

Mercedes looks around at all the people in the grandstand.

MERCEDES
But a lot of people seem to like it…

DINA
Must be some bent normal-person thing…

As they are speaking, Mercedes raises her hand to stretch. A peanut selling guy mistakes this movement as a request for peanuts, and so he throws her a packet. The packet of peanuts lands in her lap. Mercedes and Dins look around, confused and not knowing what to do. Mercedes looks at Dina for answers and Dina looks at Mercedes. Mercie picks up the bag and throws it back at the peanut guy, hitting him in the head, and he drops his tray of peanuts, they go tumbling down the stairs. He looks at Mercedes, a bit angry, and her and Dina leave the game, embarrassed.

CUT TO; Trinity's hotel room. She sits cross legged on her bed. She has just showered, as her hair is still wet. She seems sad, as though she knows that Luke has left. She stands, and walks up to the door, going to open it. She has a VISION of Luke standing at the door, watching her breathing. She opens her eyes, and smiles.

CUT TO; Donut shop. Luke sits at a booth. He is pulling his donut apart, but not eating it. Trinity walks up behind him, and joins him at the booth. He looks up.

LUKE
How'd you find me?

TRINITY
I'm an empath remember, I can absorb your personality, feel your feelings…

She gives him a knowing look, and the tension increases as the pair shares a silent moment.

LUKE
And?

TRINITY
(breaking the tension, and looking at his drink)
And you felt like a hot chocolate

LUKE
Oh…

He looks away, then changes the subject.

LUKE
(picking at his donut)
Okay, so this is what I don't understand, I get the dough bit right, but I can't find the nuts, it doesn't look like a nut, and it certainly doesn't taste like one…

Trinity smiles at him, and he smiles back, one of his brilliant smiles that Trinity had grown accustomed to.

TRINITY
I think it's just a name

LUKE
Right, so I shouldn't dwell on it?

TRINITY
Not unless you want to go nuts.

LUKE
Funny

TRINITY
Well, I'm a funny girl

They smile at each other again, then Trinity again breaks the mounting tension

TRINITY
So let's go find this doctor shall we?

LUKE
You'll help?

TRINITY
Have I got anything else to do?

She stands and leaves; Luke smiles secretly behind her back. He is happy she is with him.

CUT TO; JC sits in a large room lined with computers. It is empty except for JC

Text On Screen:
Tech Room
 Sub-Level 2
Prodigy Wing

Miss Monroe walks into the room, over to where JC is sitting. She sits down next to him, uninvited. JC doesn't look happy.

MISS MONROE
(forcefully, but not unkind)
Let's get one thing straight, little boy… Don't threaten me, ever…

JC goes to protest, but Miss Monroe stops him

MISS MONROE
I know you were threatening me, JC, don't make things worse for yourself by lying. I also know that you know that I am not really a scientist… and that doesn't bother me…

JC
But…

MISS MONROE
But I know you wouldn't be stupid enough to tell anyone that, right?

She looks at him questioningly

JC
No…

MISS MONROE
So we have an understanding, then?

JC
I'm not quite sure…

MISS MONROE
You don't tell them my secrets, and I won't tell them yours…

JC
Mine?

MISS MONROE
Don't play games with me, because I'm sure you'll find that I'm not that much fun…
I know all about your little stint in the slammer, hacking right?

JC
(dumbly, as though he can't remember)
I may have intentionally armed several nuclear warheads from my laptop…

MISS MONROE
Just like The Centre may have intentionally framed your death, extracted you from our (sarcastically) 'highly secure' American prison system and blackmailed you into working for them.

JC nods slowly

MISS MONROE
And just like you may have been told not to contact your family…

She looks at him knowingly; JC seems to understand what she is getting at.

JC
What do you want?

MISS MONROE
A house, a dog, white picket fences… a normal life

Miss Monroe becomes serious

MISS MONROE
...and revenge, or as a like to call it, closure.

JC
I don't understand…

MISS MONROE
My father was a scientist and consultant here at Centre 16 for my whole life, and probably before that too… He headed Project Prodigy with Calvin and Roschelle for it's entirety and was tracking the subjects after their escape up until December 18, 1998.

JC
What happened on December 18?

MISS MONROE
He was murdered…

JC seems to realise that Miss Monroe is deadly serious, and watches her expressions grimly.

JC
By who?

MISS MONROE
That's what I'm here to find out… I never knew my father that well, he was always working, and later I was too… for The Centre, of course. But before he was killed he called me and told me that we should get together, that he had something to tell me, but if that if anything should happen in the meantime, I was to finish his work.

JC doesn't seem to know what to say.

MISS MONROE
I'm going to finish his work… I'm going to bring in those subjects, and I'm going to find Daddy's murderer…

JC
You think it was one of the escapees?

MISS MONROE
Or someone inside The Centre

JC
Why are you telling me this?

MISS MONROE
Because I am going to need your help

JC
How do you know you can trust me?

MISS MONROE
I don't, but I am hoping I can.

She looks at him questioningly. JC nods.

MISS MONROE
There is something strange going on in this place, and I don't just mean Johanesson's toupee. Someone isn't telling us the whole truth… and I intend to find out who…

JC
How will you do that?

MISS MONROE
By planting seeds, JC, and waiting for them to grow

He looks at her curiously

CUT TO; Dina and Mercedes walk along the streets of Memphis. They pass an Elvis impersonator. Mercedes doesn't seem to grasp the concept. She turns to Dina

MERCEDES
There really are Pretenders among us…

She stops suddenly when she sees a brilliant sports car. She smiles, Dina groans.

MERCEDES
I need it.

DINA
Mercie, it already belongs to someone…

MERCEDES
I know, but I need one like it…

DINA
You don't have any money…

MERCEDES
Dina, we're geniuses, how long is it going to take us to get cash…

DINA
But it's not right, hasn't your brother's preaching taught you anything? We have to honestly earn what we take.

MERCEDES
(shocked)
What are you saying? That we should actually get real jobs and… and… work?

DINA
Exactly

MERCEDES
(looking at the car)
Maybe I don't want it that bad…

The girls walk past a Diner with a sign out the front saying 'help wanted', Dina drags Mercedes inside.

CUT TO; Justin is leaning against Jim's locker in the footballer's locker rooms. He listens to the sound of the combination lock as he turns it. He unlocks the locker, and smiles. Inside the locker, he finds a gym bag. He opens it, and recoils in horror. It smells really bad. He cautiously picks his way through the bag, keeping his nose a safe distance away. He puts the bag aside. On the inside of the door of Jim's locker are pictures of scantily clad women. Justin sees them and is intrigued. He examines them closely (of course J) before continuing his search through the locker. On the top shelf he finds a letter. Camera closes in on text;

Mr Jim Suberson,
We regret to inform you that, due to circumstances beyond our control, your scholarship has been terminated. Please contact your student administration for information regarding other student offers.

Justin reads the letter, and gives a knowing grin. He whispers to himself

JUSTIN
Motive…

He looks at a small bottle at the back of the shelf…

JUSTIN
Means…

CUT TO; Trinity and Luke sit in a vehicle outside a hospital.

LUKE
Now, are you sure this is it this time?

TRINITY
Positive

LUKE
That's what you said last time

TRINITY
(in defence)
It's not like I can just empath-up an address you know… It's just like feelings… images…thoughts… And it's not like I had a lot to work with… I mean, a 10 year old photo? The guy could have put on thirty pounds…

LUKE
Well I had the city… all you had to do was find the hospital the guy worked at…

TRINITY
Hospitals… they all look the same… And we're not in Memphis anymore…

Luke smiles widely.

LUKE
Close enough to be correct.

TRINITY
(annoyed)
Are we going?

LUKE
(still grinning)
After you…

He reaches into the back of the vehicle and pulls out a bunch of flowers. There is medical equipment in the back. A WIDE shot reveals they are sitting in an ambulance. They get out of ambulance; take of their ambulance jackets, and go inside the hospital.

CUT TO; Inside the hospital, Luke and Trinity walk up to the nurse's station. Luke looks at a clipboard while the nurse is busy. He is reading it upside-down. The nurse walks over to him.

NURSE
Can I help you?

LUKE
Yes, Frank Handino please…

NURSE
(looking at the clipboard)
Room 347, second floor.

CUT TO; Trinity and Luke are in an elevator. When it stops, Luke tries to open the doors manually, but they won't budge. He looks at Trinity, confused. She shrugs her shoulders. Suddenly the doors open automatically, and the pair jump in fright. They walk out, Trinity runs back and has a look as the doors close. She looks at Luke, dumfounded.

TRINITY
The one in my building was always out-of-order… I didn't know they did that.

They head down a corridor. They look at the numbers on the doors; 345, 346, 347… Trinity pushes the door open, and inside an old man lies in bed. He watches them as they walk in, not recognising them.

LUKE
(cheerfully to the old man)
Hey grandpop, how are the nurses here? Not causing any trouble for 'em hey? (he winks)

The old man smiles, still not recognising the pair. Trinity looks at Luke, not sure what he is up to.

LUKE
It's me, Luke, your grandson, and you remember my girlfriend Trini.

Trinity seems uncomfortable about being called his girlfriend, but Luke doesn't seem to notice. The old man nods, smiling, but obviously not recognising Luke and Trinity. Trinity walks up next to Luke and whispers in his ear.

TRINITY
What?

LUKE
(whispering back)
Alzheimer's

TRINITY
Oh…

They both look to the old man and smile. He smiles back. Luke sits on the edge of his bed and picks up his chart. He reads it. Camera CLOSES IN on text

'Dr Bernard'

He passes it to Trinity, who also reads it, and they look at each other knowingly. Luke replaces the chart, pats the old man's legs and starts a conversation with him.

LUKE
So what's the food like here Pop?

CUT TO; Diner. Dina is at the counter, dressed as a waitress, and taking orders from customers.

CUSTOMER 1
I'll have 6 hotcakes and syrup please and 2 chocolate milkshakes.

Dina scribbles madly on a notebook, customers are shouting orders at her. She seems to have no trouble handling the chaos. She rips off the page of notepaper and takes back into the kitchen where it is taken by Mercedes. The kitchen is a complete mess, pots, pans and foodstuffs everywhere. Mercedes takes the notepaper and Dina heads back out to the counter. Mercedes looks at the notepaper. Camera CLOSES IN on the text

'hotcakes'

Mercedes looks confused. She goes to the freezer and pulls out a frozen cake, cuts it violently into six pieces with a knife, then puts it in a microwave dish. She put it in the microwave, and searches through the buttons until she finds the start button. She takes a cup, puts some chocolate in it, adds some milk, and then swishes it from side to side. Realising that this isn't achieving anything, she covers the cup with her hand and shakes madly. Milk splashes out everywhere. She puts it down on the bench. The microwave signals it's completion, and Dina walks in carrying another piece of notepaper, hands it to Mercedes, and takes the cake and 'milkshakes' out the front. Mercedes looks at the next order. Camera CLOSES IN on text

'hotdog'

Mercedes looks at in horror and confusion, then shrugs, excepting what is written. She goes to the back door that leads into an alley. She sees a dog rummaging in the bins. She looks at it, and raises one eyebrow…

MERCEDES
No… Surely not…

Suddenly a yell is heard from the Diner. Mercedes rushes back inside. It is the cook, mad, and turned a bright red colour.

COOK
I leave you alone for 5 minutes, and you destroy my business!

Mercedes looks at him, confused. The cook picks up the six pieces of hot cake in it.

COOK
This, this is not hotcakes…

Dina walks into the kitchen, the cook turns angrily to her.

COOK
And you… you served this to my customers?

The girls look back at him, not understanding why he is yelling.

COOK
(waving at them wildly)
Out! Out! Out!

Mercedes and Dina rush out the back door and into the alley. Mercedes spots the dog and goes over to it.

MERCEDES
(whispering to the dog)
I'd get out of here if I were you

The dog looks at her blankly

MERCEDES
One word for ya… hotdog

The dog yelps, and runs away.

CUT TO; Hotel room. Justin is mixing substances together in scientific beakers carefully. He adds the finished substance to a water bottle, and smiles. He stands, walks over to the desk and picks up an opened letter that he has read beforehand. It is from Luke. He frowns, and crumples the letter up. Justin leaves the room.

CUT TO; College campus. Justin sits with Nathan and they are talking.

NATHAN
My parents never had much money, but they said I had a gift, so they sent me to all the best football camps and schools. And I was good… I was the best… without drugs. Why would I need them? I had everything going for me… until now. I need that scholarship, but not even that... I mean, they're gonna kick me outta school.

JUSTIN
(quietly, attempting the phrase)
You down widdat?

NATHAN
What?

JUSTIN
Nothing… Look, if someone set you up, I'm going to find out who, you have my word.

NATHAN
You play football when you were a kid?

JUSTIN
No

NATHAN
How long you been playing?

JUSTIN
I never have

NATHAN
Then where'd you learn to play…? I mean, you are an assistant coach…

JUSTIN
Actually I read about it in a book…

Nathan thinks Justin is joking, and starts to laugh. Confused, Justin laughs along with him.

CUT TO; Hospital room. The old man is asleep, and Trinity and Luke sit in chairs by his bed. Luke is playing with Jell-O from a meal tray. He is holding it in his hand, and moving his hand from side to side, making the Jell-O wobble. Trinity is watching him, smiling.

TRINITY
You act like you've never seen Jell-O before…

LUKE
Oh, I've seen it… on TV

TRINITY
You my friend, are missing out on a valuable part of American culture…

LUKE
(watching the Jell-O wobble)
So I can see….
(reflective)
After the escape, I didn't know what was happening. One of the smartest men in America and I was completely lost… I felt so juvenile… never having even driven in a car. I hid, for a long time Trinity, a long time. At the beginning of the year when I got the call from Justin, I wasn't sure what to do… wasn't sure if I was ready…

TRINITY
Ready for what?

LUKE
Freedom. I had still been living at the centre, maybe not physically, but in my mind. I even made an exact replica of our living spaces in an apartment – top floor – and never left it. Somewhere where I could see all the people but never actually have to… you know.

TRINITY
I do know

LUKE
It's like, I hated that place so much, more than I have ever hated anything in my entire life.. but once we left, I, I didn't know if I could live without it… it was all I had ever known…

TRINITY
What made you join with the others?

LUKE
Jell-O. Well, not exactly Jell-O, but everything I had been missing out on… and you

He looks down. Camera CLOSE IN on his face

LUKE
I'd die before I would go back to Centre 16… what about you?

TRINITY
What do you mean?

LUKE
How'd you get started, how'd you meet that, what's his name?

TRINITY
Ross

LUKE
Yes, how'd you meet that Ross character you were engaged to…

Trinity takes a deep breath, indicating it is a long story.

TRINITY
Well, after the escape I just ran… I ran across two states to Las Vegas, before the police picked me up. They thought I was crazy, I had scratches all over my feet, dirty clothes, and I was empathing with everyone I came into contact with… I had never been exposed to that many people before. So they put me in an institution… for insane people.

LUKE
(making a joke)
So that's where you met Ross… figures

TRINITY
Actually I did. He was a social worker there at the time. He realised I wasn't crazy, I bit different, but not crazy. He gave me some drugs to take… to subdue my empathic abilities… and I was out of there in no time. I never really loved Ross, I was just……. Grateful, I guess and…. He was nice, and normal….

LUKE
(smiling)
So you agreed to marry him?

TRINITY
(smiling back)
I'm young; I'm supposed to make mistakes

Suddenly, Dr Bernard walks in the room. A flicker of recognition crosses his face, but he soon recomposes himself.

DR BERNARD
Hello, are you relatives of the patient?

LUKE
(angrily)
No, and you know that.

DR BERNARD
Well I'm sorry, but only family of the patient is allowed to be in here… I'll have to call security…

Luke pulls out his gun and aims it at the doctor

LUKE
Move one muscle and I'll shoot you a new place to hang your stethoscope …

DR BERNARD
Look, I don't know what this about…

A nurse walks in, sees the commotion, and runs down the hall…

TRINITY
Luke just put the gun down

DR BERNARD
I think you should listen to your girlfriend, son, this doesn't have to get violent…

LUKE
Centre 16? Project Prodigy? You know what I'm talking about…

DR BERNARD
I think you've mistaken me for someone else…

TRINITY
(looking around the door and seeing the nurse talking to security)
Luke I think we should go…

LUKE
I need to know… Trinity, you said it was important we find answers, well here they are staring us in the face…

TRINITY
And what good are answers gonna be if we wind up in prison, or back in the centre or dead? Let's go…

Trinity and Luke head out the door and run down the hall, they run down a flight of stairs, avoiding the elevator. Dr Bernard watches them go.

CUT TO; Centre 16, Miss Monroe's office. Calvin and Monroe sit at her desk, they are going over files. Weston bursts in the room.

WESTON
Calvin, 2 subjects have been located near Memphis…

CALVIN
Memphis?

WESTON
They have attempted contact with Bernard

CALVIN
Bernard

WESTON
Should we get the jet ready?

CALVIN
We won't get there in time, dispatch a local sweeper team

WESTON
For the subjects?

CALVIN
For Bernard

Miss Monroe, who has been sitting in silence, watching the exchange, suddenly speaks up

MISS MONROE
Who is Bernard?

CALVIN
He is of no importance…

MISS MONROE
Like hell… you just possibly issued the man's assassination, it doesn't take the powers of Nostradamus to know this man is of some importance

CALVIN
(as Weston leaves)
He is of no importance to you

MISS MONROE
Don't cut me out of this, Calvin, because I swear I'll cut my own way back in, and it won't be pretty…

CALVIN
(reluctantly)
Bernard was a doctor with the Centre about the same time your father was with us… He was instrumental in several procedures involving the prodigy subjects…

MISS MONROE
And?

CALVIN
And let's just say he saw some things…

MISS MONROE
What sort of things?

CALVIN
I don't think you're ready to know…

MISS MONROE
I'm always ready…

CUT TO; Miss Monroe and Calvin are in Calvin's office, watching DSAs of Project Prodigy.

DSA 1
Small text in the lower left hand corner reads; Project Prodigy
For Centre Use Only

Luke is strapped onto the operating table, as in his flashback in 'Origin'. Young Roschelle begins to cut a 'T' shape into his back.

YOUNG ROSCHELLE
Calvin, are you sure we can't do this with anaesthetic?

CALVIN
Yes, the anaesthetic would affect the results. Please, continue.

Roschelle closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, as if composing herself, and continues to cut a large 'T' shape into Young Luke's back, stretching from shoulder to shoulder and half way down his spine. Young Luke screams, tears welling in his eyes. He bites his lip, and it begins to bleed. We see Mr Monroe in the corner, watching carefully. Dr Bernard walks in, carrying a tray of medical equipment. He stalls as he walks in, seeing the experiment taking place, and shocked. Suddenly, Luke begins to convulse in spasmodic attacks. He shakes on the operating table, and Roschelle stops cutting.

MR MONROE
What's going on?

ROSCHELLE
I don't know… I need help

She looks toward Dr Bernard, who rushes over with cloth. Both him and Roschelle apply pressure to Luke's wounds, but blood flows freely down their arms, saturating the cloth. Their efforts are fruitless.

Miss Monroe turns away from the DSA player, composing herself. We see her internal struggle reflected in her eyes, but Calvin is oblivious, as Miss Monroe is facing away from him. She turns back to the player, Calvin changes the DSA.

DSA 2
Small text in the lower left hand corner reads; Project Prodigy
Simulation Room 1
Subject 06
For Centre Use Only

Justin paces the floor of a simulation room, a bare room, devoid of furniture except for a desk, at which sits Mr Monroe.

YOUNG JUSTIN ~ 23 years old
If the explosives were placed at the rear of the building, it would cause the most structural damage, yet still allow for the safe evacuation of the occupants.

MR MONROE
We need to know, where do we place the bombs if we wanted to kill the occupants?

YOUNG JUSTIN
Why would you need to know that?

Mr Monroe looks at him threateningly

YOUNG JUSTIN
I won't do it, you can't make me do it…

MR MONROE
I think you'll find we can

He motions to someone off camera, and Dr Bernard comes in the room with 2 needles. Mr Monroe points to the first needle

MR MONROE
This needle will hurt you… a lot…

He points to the next needle

MR MONROE
But this needle will take the pain away…

JUSTIN
(defiantly)
I won't... all those people will die

MR MONROE
But do you want to die?

JUSTIN
(just above a whisper)
Yes…

Mr Monroe nods to Dr Bernard, who looks at him reluctantly.
Two male nurses enter the room and hold Justin down, as he kicks and yells… Dr Bernard injects Justin with the bad needle, and Justin begins to take short breaths, he looks in great pain. There is still solution in the syringe. Mr Monroe nods to Dr Bernard, as if saying 'again'.

DR BERNARD
But sir.. it may kill him…

Mr Monroe goes down to Justin's face, who is now writhing in pain on the floor

MR MONROE
Do you want to die, subject 06? Is that it?
(to Dr Bernard)
Again…

Dr Bernard injects the rest of the solution in the syringe, Justin screams.

MR MONROE
(to one of the male nurses)
Take him to infirmary; he's no good now…

The male nurses pull Justin to his feet. His eyes are hazy, and he cannot stand. He is sweating, and in a lot of pain

Miss Monroe sighs and runs her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes.

CALVIN
I told you you weren't ready

MISS MONROE
(angrily)
So what? It would have just been better if I'd never known, is that what you're trying to say…?

CALVIN
He wasn't an evil man…

MISS MONROE
(sarcastically)
You tell that to him…

She points to the DSA, which is still running, showing Justin being dragged out of the Sim Room, delirious, mumbling.

MISS MONROE
I don't know, maybe Daddy got what he deserved…

CALVIN
Don't ever say that, your father was a great man, dedicated to his work… no-one deserves to be killed…

Miss Monroe glances back to the DSA. Calvin sees this, and turns the player off.

CALVIN
Maybe I should turn this off...

CUT TO; Dusk. Football field. Justin sits alone on the bench. He has in his hand a bottle of some sort of substance we presume is drugs. He rolls it around in the palm of his hand. He turns off the lid, and drops a tiny amount in the water bottle next to him, before pouring the whole bottle in. Jim runs off the field and drinks from the water bottle. Justin smiles at him.

JIM
Ready for the game tonight?

JUSTIN
Oh, I'm ready…

CUT TO; Exhausted, Trinity and Luke walk into a cheesy motel room. They are talking.

TRINITY
He could have made an involuntary visit to the Renewal Wing, you know what it's like, mind control, brainwashing… I heard they once succeeded in making an intern think he was the reincarnation of John Lennon.

LUKE
He recognised us, Trini, I could see it in his eyes…

They suddenly realise that there is only one double bed in the room. Trinity sits on the edge of it, then flops down onto her back

MUSICAL TRACK: 'Breathing' by Lifehouse (click here to listen)

TRINITY
We can share, I'm too tired at the moment to even care…

Luke hops onto the bed next to her, also lying on his back.

LUKE
You'll probably just end up sleeping underneath anyway.

They make themselves comfortable; a long silence ensues.

LUKE
Why is that?

He rolls onto his side to look at Trinity

TRINITY
(half asleep)
What?

LUKE
Why do you sleep underneath the bed?

TRINITY
(sighing)
When we were back at the centre, 09 used to tell me stories of how there were monsters underneath the beds… Her older brother used to tell her that anyway…

LUKE
And?

TRINITY
And I wanted to be with those monsters…

Trinity has a FLASHBACK to Calvin, Mr Monroe and Roschelle standing outside her door and peering through the glass window.

She turns on her side and faces Luke, her eyes becoming tearful

TRINITY
'Cause then maybe the monsters outside my door wouldn't come to get me… I guess I just sleep where I feel safe...

She closes her eyes, and Luke lay for a while, watching her breath as she sleeps

CUT TO; Miss Monroe's bedroom. Night. She comes out of her adjoining bathroom in her pyjamas, her hair wet. She has a FLASHBACK to Young Justin at the Centre 16 infirmary, mouthing the words 'help me'. She also has a FLASBACK to the DSA on Luke she had witnessed that afternoon. Camera closes in on his pained face. Miss Monroe pushes the hair back off her neck. She glances to her bedside table. On it is her gun, and the sleeping tablets Roschelle had given her. Miss Monroe pops out two pills and swallows them, before laying down in her bed, and turning off her bedside lamp.

CUT TO; Justin is in the locker rooms. Jim enters, covered in an unnatural sweat.

JUSTIN
What's wrong?

JIM
I need a little something man.. I don't feel so good…

JUSTIN
What? Like an aspirin?

JIM
No… I think I might have taken something… not in the rulebook

JUSTIN
(going over to examine him)
Have you used before?

JIM
Not much man I swear… please, I can't take my sample like this I'll test positive…

JUSTIN
(pulling a syringe from a medical bag)
Well, you're in luck, I just happen to have something here that will make all the bad go away

JIM
Don't patronise me, just give me the shot…

Jim is almost doubled over, and clutching his stomach.

JUSTIN
Or what? You'll test positive and maybe lose your scholarship? Bit late for that isn't it?

JIM
My scholarship was reinstated

JUSTIN
Only because the team couldn't afford to lose another player… Not after you framed Nathan Green and got him kicked off the team…

JIM
I don't know what you're talking about

JUSTIN
Yes you do (he taps the needle to the side of his leg) and unless you want this shot, you'll tell me the truth, all of it…

JIM
Just give it to me, c'mon, what is this…

JUSTIN
Payback; I hear it's a real female canine…

Jim is in a great deal of pain. He is squinting, and clutching his stomach. His vision is blurred.

JIM
Alright, I did it. I framed Nathan so I wouldn't lose my scholarship… Is that what you want to hear?

JUSTIN
Is that the truth?

JIM
(agonised)
Yes…

JUSTIN
Then that's what I want to hear…

He hands the syringe to Jim, who injects himself immediately. The coach, Nathan and the rest of the team walk out from behind the lockers. They had heard the entire interlude. Jim looks up at Nathan.

JIM
(to Nathan)
I'm sorry man, I didn't want to… but I didn't deserve to lose my scholarship…

NATHAN
Neither did I…

Nathan turns to Justin

NATHAN
Thanks, coach, what can I ever do to repay you…

JUSTIN
Just ensure you make it to the big league, eh… And thank your parents; they've done a lot for you…

CUT TO; Justin walks into the hotel room and throws his car keys on the desk. Dina and Mercedes lay on his bed, absolutely exhausted. Containers containing and half-eaten hotcakes are strewn across the floor and on the bed. Most of them are empty.

JUSTIN
Big day?

DINA
We managed to obtain and lose employment in one day

MERCEDES
Hotcakes are good…

DINA
Where's Luke and Trini?

JUSTIN
Just outside of the city… they've gone after that doctor…

CUT TO; Luke and Trinity are asleep. Trinity lay wrapped in Luke's arms, and not underneath the bed. Camera RUSHES TOWARD Trinity's eyes, which suddenly open wide on the sound of a gunshot. She grabs her back, as if she is in pain. She wakes Luke up by shaking him.

TRINITY
Luke, wake-up, we have to go…

CUT TO; Car park out the front of hospital. Luke and Trinity pull up on Luke's motorbike. They jump off quickly and run beside a parked car, where they find Dr Bernard laying in a pool of his own blood. He has been shot. Trinity tries to comfort him, but it is clear that he is dying.

LUKE
I'll get a doctor…

TRINITY
Get down! The sweepers are still around

LUKE
How do you know?

TRINITY
I know…

Sputtering, Dr Bernard tries to talk to them

DR BERNARD
I'm… (cough) I'm sorry

TRINITY
It's okay…

DR BERNARD
I…. (cough, splutter) I wanted, I wanted to help… but (cough, splutter) I was afraid..

TRINITY
Don't try to talk…

He hands her a piece of bloodied paper… On it is written the word 'Mentor T13'.

DR BERNARD
It is important… urgent…

LUKE
Why?

DR BERNARD
For your survival…

Dr Bernard dies. Trinity and Luke look at each other fearfully as the screen fades to black…

NEXT WEEK: Survival - Mercedes must pretend to be an heiress in an attempt to draw out an assassin, while Luke and Trinity delve further into the depths of the Centre 16 conspiracy…...