EXT. MADAM HOLU'S HOUSE OF EROS - NIGHT

Intoxicated gangsters stand outside the door in a line that stretches halfway down the block while a pair of enforcers block the door. A mutant thug at the head of the line, CALVIN, grows impatient when he sees his scantily clad date, FIFI, making eyes at another one of the men in line. In an attempt to act tough and recapture her gaze, he gets in the face of the nearest enforcer, TRODDOSOM.

CALVIN
Come on, bonzi, I seen like five guys leave and no one's gotten in in over an hour.

TRODDOSOM
Full up.

CALVIN
That's frakked up, bonzi. It ain't no fulled up. You just gettin' off on it. That's what I think. Makin' us wait. I got da gold. I got to be in.

Calvin flashes gold paper currency.

Troddosom looks at the money, then at Calvin, who gives him a nod as if to say "go ahead, take it". Troddosom does. He wipes his nose with the bills, then crumples them up and uses Calvin's jacket pocket as a garbage pail.

Calvin's date laughs. Troddosom winks at her and smiles.

CALVIN
Frak this. You wanna throw down, bonzi? That what you want? That was perfectly good currency!

Brick explodes out of the front door to the club, followed by several other well armed enforcers.

BRICK
Fan out. Sweep the streets. They couldn't have gotten far.

Brick's men fan out.

BRICK
(to Troddosom)
Closed for the night. Send everyone home.

Calvin, who overhears this, grows even more belligerent.

CALVIN
Are you frakking kidding me, bonzi? I been out here forever.

Brick kicks Calvin in the stomach, then grabs him by the neck when he doubles over. With one arm, he launches Calvin into the middle of the street and directly into the path of a moving shuttle. No more Calvin.

Everyone else in line looks on in shock as the shuttle, its windshield shattered, brakes to a stop at the corner. We hear some mumbled curses from the driver inside.

BRICK
That's the last shuttle to town center. Anyone here need me to get them a cab?

Everyone in line races to board the shuttle.

BRICK
(to Troddosom)
Get your gun.

Troddosom nods.

INT. SHUTTLE

Broken glass from the shuttle's shattered windshield crunches under foot as people from outside the club board the bus. They pay at the front and do their best to ignore Calvin's mangled dead body, which is lodged at an awkward angle in, over, under, through, and around the front seat on the passenger side.

The shuttle driver, ED, is more concerned about using an ice scraper to clear shattered bits of glass from his view than the dead body... and making sure everyone pays their fare. When Fifi boards, she is so distraught over the sight of her boyfriend's body, she freezes. Ed notices, stops what he's doing and talks to her in a soothing voice.

ED
Is that your boyfriend, dear?

Fifi nods, fighting back tears.

ED
I see. Well, if he's gonna be in a seat, you're gonna have to pay his fare.

She cries... and pays for two seats before walking to the back.

As Fifi walks by, we notice Rat the Mic and Arielle ducking down in the second seat of the passenger's row. Calvin's broken and bloodied arm is draped over the back of the seat in front of them. The two of them stare at it, wide-eyed.

RAT THE MIC
I'm not encouraged by our progress so far.

Arielle shakes her head.

INT. DUNGEON - MADAM HOLU'S HOUSE OF EROS

The Doctor once again finds himself chained up in the dungeon. Greevo Shanbor enters, accompanied by several enforcers and Madam Holu. She and the Doctor share a glance.

GREEVO SHANBOR
The Madam tells me you're some kind of mercenary.

DOCTOR
Did I say that? I don't remember saying that.

GREEVO SHANBOR
Trying to squeeze yourself into a piece of the action? Sell her to the highest bidder, that your play? Where is she, Doctor?!

The Doctor motions to Holu.

DOCTOR
Right there. Next to you. Can you not see her? Good lord, how much of that Euphormia stuff did you give me?

Greevo slaps the Doctor across the face.

GREEVO SHANBOR
Not Holu, the Prime Minister's daughter.

DOCTOR
Well, you can't blame me for being confused. You weren't specific. You just said 'she'. 'She' could be anyone. Well, not anyone. About half of anyone. Point is 'specificity'.

GREEVO SHANBOR
I am not playing games with you.

DOCTOR
Of course not. You're all angry and growly. If we were playing games, you'd be smiling and laughing. Everyone loves games. Maybe we should play a game. How about Parcheesi?

Greevo punches the Doctor in the gut. He coughs through the pain.

DOCTOR
You're right. Nobody likes Parcheesi. Everybody has it, but have you ever seen anyone actually play it?

GREEVO SHANBOR
You're not affiliated with any law enforcement agency or trading union I'm aware of, which means you're just a hired mug with a price. I make you this one time offer. Name your price. I advise you to take it. If my men find her before you give her up, I assure you that your death will be the happiest bit of the rest of your existence.

DOCTOR
I'm very sorry. Wish I could help, but I honestly haven't the foggiest where they've gone to.

Greevo makes like he's going to punch the Doctor again...

DOCTOR
But...!

Greevo pauses.

DOCTOR
... but... but...

Growing impatient, Greevo rolls his eyes.

GREEVO SHANBOR
But?!

The Doctor chuckles and looks at Madam Holu.

DOCTOR
Hehe, made him say 'butt'.

Greevo raises his fist.

DOCTOR
But seriously, if you want to get her back, the price is fifty million. Non-negotiable. And I leave here with all my fingers and toesies. I'm especially fond of the big ones.

GREEVO SHANBOR
You just said you don't know where they are.

DOCTOR
Course not. We both try and find her, get her out. Whichever one of us does, we take her somewhere the other doesn't know about. That way, we can't be 'persuaded' into giving up the location. But I know how to find him, and she's with him, ergo, I can help you to find her.

Greevo studies the Doctor's face for hints of deception.

DOCTOR
And if something should happen to my partner along the way, I wouldn't have to split the money.

GREEVO SHANBOR
(to an enforcer)
Unlock his chains.

The enforcer does. The Doctor rubs his chaffed wrists.

GREEVO SHANBOR
You'd better not be toying with me, Doctor.

DOCTOR
Honestly, what were you like as a kid?

The Doctor turns to Holu. He points to Greevo.

DOCTOR
No fun at all, this one. Least I got the sex with you.

GREEVO SHANBOR
Bring him.

The enforcers drag the Doctor out. Madam Holu stays behind to consider her next move.

-To be Continued...-