TITLE
ACT 2
INT – COMMAND BRIDGE
A cranky SONYA who has turned her entire screen into a clock counting to noon from 11:57 she sits frustrated and bored, like the constant sound of the humming bridge, buzzing computers and bleeping phones are getting to her. RACHEL paces past SONYA.
RACHEL
You know, Sonya. It's good.
For the first time we have all
the EVA units repaired and
operational. All of our defense
grids are refurbished and ready.
Not to mention that with the
recent success and UN bargain
everyone got a 10% pay raise.
we're in the best position we've
been in. I don't know why you're
looking so intense.
SONYA
I'm turning my back on the kids
for too long. Shane and Amanda
will be at each others' throats
after everything we've put them
through the last time.
RACHEL
Well, I always started with the
throat usually with my tongue.
SONYA
Don't go there. I just want
to go home to an orderly house
before my second shift.
RACHEL
Why are you even on two shifts
today? You're salaried. Who
needs the hours?
SONYA
I have to work out more variables
with the department of logistics
and strategies.
RACHEL knows.
RACHEL
Logistics. Strategies. Kevin. Right.
SONYA
You have a problem with that, Rach?
RACHEL
As long as the work gets done I
don't have any problems. Both
the commander and I agree on
that.
SONYA
Look, Kevin is the only one…Who…
SONYA long pause of empty thoughts to pass off as excuses before realizing there is no excuse.
RACHEL
The only one is he?
SONYA slumps back to watching the clock, when it finally ticks over to noon, she rises.
SONYA
The com is yours. Good luck.
RACHEL
Yeah. You too.
SONYA
Goodbye.
RACHEL
Whatever you do with him.
Stay focused is all I ask.
Shipshape means no loose cannons.
SONYA steps on to the platform and elevates away.
WINTERS (V.O.)
Why is this cannon deployed?
EXT - MORNING STAR – DAY
WINTERS and a TECH are looking at a deployment building that has has deployed a handheld PHALANX cannon adapted for handheld use for EVA units.
TECH
I don't have any answers for you,
commander Winters. There've been
shorts and hotwires all through
the grid since last night. They
were going to discharge somewhere
and they set of this building.
WINTERS
I'm throwing the blame for this
on your department. You're
exposing a C-WIZ machine cannon
to the street in broad daylight.
This shit is going to be all over
the news.
TECH
It's just a technical hiccup.
We're rewiring.
WINTERS
Rewiring? This isn't a goddamn
Christmas tree!
TECH
You ever work with electricity?
Everything is a Christmas tree.
Blown bulbs and tangled wires.
All those maps and schematics
you keep? Forget it.
This wasn't even spec
when we opened it up.
WINTERS
I want this wrapped by the end of the day.
I'll be checking in.
TECH
All due respect, sir, do you
think we're throwing a party
here?
Soundtrack: Shot through the heart and you're too blame.
SONYAS' APARTMENT – DAY
SHANE is dressed as Leonardo DiCaprio from Romeo + Juliet. AMANDA is dressed as an anarchy cheerleader from the smells like teen spirit video. SHANE and AMANDA dance to "You give love a bad name" by Bon Jovi. ZERA dressed as Mia from Pulp Fiction sits on the couch reading. SHANE hammers out the main lyrics while AMANDA belts "You give love a bad name" along with him. The music stops. AMANDA and SHANE look around and see SONYA at the stereo.
SONYA
What is this Mickey mouse shit?
SHANE
What are you doing home?
SONYA
You thought that because I had a
double shift today that I wouldn't
come home for lunch, huh?
AMANDA
It's just a little party.
SHANE
Yeah, isn't it kind of a holiday?
SONYA picks up an empty can.
SONYA
A little party that drank my six
pack?
SHANE
…I was gonna pay you back…
SONYA
You kids can't drink! Oh my
God, I just remembered!
They only make this batch once a
year and they already sold out!
SHANE
you can get other wine.
SONYA
It's not wine, it's pulque!
You know how hard it is to
find good pulque!?
SHANE
I bet it's hard because it's
not good.
SONYA
Sit your asses down!
S.O.S.
SONYA gathers the six empty cans, looking SHANE and AMANDA in the eyes, ZERA watches from the end of the table. She holds up a can. SHANE gives a straight expression, AMANDA sneers. SONYA slams the can down in front of AMANDA. SONYA holds up the second can. SLAM! It's put in front of SHANE, who has rolled his eyes. SONYA holds up the third can. SLAM! It's put in front of AMANDA leering at the ceiling. SONYA holds up the fourth can. SLAM! It's put in front of pouting SHANE. SONYA holds up the fifth can. SLAM! It's put in front of crestfallen SHANE. SONYA holds up the sixth can. Both SHANE and AMANDA are straight faced. SONYA is perplexed for a moment, then looks to her right. ZERA looks away to the side with a blank expression that still belies guilt. Shot of SONYA about to blow her top. Shot of ZERA as the last can is thrown from off screen and lightly bonks off of the top of ZERA's head.
EXT – APARTMENT LANDING – DAY
SONYA tosses the three pilots out.
SHANE
What? Should we say we're sorry?
SONYA
There's no apologizing for this shit.
Take a walk. Sober up.
Learn how to be adults and act
with responsibility!
SONYA slams the door on them. The lock audibly clicks. Shane knocks. No response. Amanda knocks on the door.
AMANDA
Give me my purse, Sonya!
The door opens, SONYA tosses the purse at AMANDA then closes the door again.
SHANE
Well, I don't have my keys.
You, Amanda?
AMANDA
Damn. I left them on the desk.
We're locked out. So now what?
SHANE
Let's go.
The pilots leave. SOS of the city to express the passage of time. In the distance a dark eye is lighted up from beneath the waves. In the dark and the deep a giant spider like monster emerges and makes for the surface.
EXT – PARK – LATER
SHANE lays on the ground, AMANDA has rest her head on ZERA's shoulder and ZERA has her head on SHANEs' belly. They're all asleep.
TITLE
To Hell with that
pot of gold.
EXT – SONYAS' CAR – EN ROUTE
SONYA curses and beats her steering wheel, whining at her lost six pack.
INT – BRANCH 7
SONYA barges onto the single cubicle office of tactics and logistics. Half flexing her warpath march goes right to KEVIN himself. In this area there is also an alcove with a restroom.
KEVIN
Captain. What can logistics and
tactics do for you today?
SONYA
Explain to me why I needed a second
shift.
KEVIN
It's the only window I had, Sonya.
SONYA
What have you got for me?
KEVIN peers up at a security camera that has full view of that room. Low saturation image of the room, distorted and reflected in the lens of the camera.
KEVIN
Can you at least pull up a
chair and look busy so we can
pretend to be doing our jobs?
OWNER (V.O)
You do know I got work to do here,
right kid?
RECORRD STORE – DAY
The shop OWNER is at the register. "Lullaby" by Honda Minako plays softly in the background.
SHANE lays down some CDs and picks out a few potentials. He approaches the counter and lays out the CDs for the OWNER. Nineties classics like Alice in Chains' Self titled - tripod, Soundgardens' down on the upside, Tupacs' all eyez on me, Notorious BIGs' Life after Death, Beck's one foot in the grave and Green Days' Dookie. ZERA is in the Celtic section and picks up a disc with 'the road to Dundee' on it and goes to the register to check out.
SHANE
You know who I am?
OWNER
You think I care?
SHANE
No and I don't care if you don't.
Tape them!
OWNER
I'll sell you the tapes.
SHANE
With the songs on them.
OWNER
Copyright law-
SHANE
Nobody is left to enforce that
shit. Last time anyone went to
congress there were alligators
in it.
AMANDA walks up behind him and lays a copy of Mellon Collie and the Infinite sadness on the counter.
AMANDA
What's this? It looks cool.
SHANE
Pretentious horse shit written
at a fifth grade level.
AMANDA
So you don't recommend?
SHANE
I wouldn't except it also has 1979,
the best coming of age song ever
written. The riff for zero is
pretty good too. It taught me harmonics.
Check the singles
rack for those two songs you're not
missing anything off the main album.
AMANDA barely interested flips the album over and reads one of the song titles at random.
AMANDA
Bullet with butter-
SHANE
Oh, no. Oh, god no. Put it back.
AMANDA departs.
OWNER
You gonna leave? I'm not risking my
business and I'm not a pirate.
SHANE
Oh, yeah, like you got all these
discs from a distributor that
dutifully passes the profit back
to the artist? You got these
CDs the same way we get
everything. Scavenger parties
going out into the wastes to gnaw
the bones of civilization! Everyone
who made this music is dead. Making
copies is the only way to keep
their songs alive. Stop acting
fake and appreciate what you're
doing, distributing the art of the
fallen world.
OWNER
I'd like you to leave.
SHANE
I'm going to pay
full price for every CD you copy.
plus these DAT tapes. Say no again
and I leave angry and you miss
your best sale of the day. Thirty
pieces of silver for your soul, what
do you say?
The OWNER waits for a moment.
OWNER
Come back tomorrow and you can pick
up your tapes.
SHANE lays down his NERV business card.
SHANE
Thank you. Jesus.
EXT – OUTSIDE THE RECORD SHOP
ZERA waits on the corner. Two delinquents, BALK and SKALL, stoned, observe from down the street. On the side of the street SHANE and AMANDA exit onto the street.
AMANDA
First time I ever seen you flex nuts.
SHANE
I'm passionate about music.
ZERA
I want to change clothes.
AMANDA
Don't complain. It's all I could
put together on short notice.
ZERA
Are we ready to go?
AMANDA
I need to pee. Maybe the department
store will let me use the restroom.
AMANDA departs. ZERA follows.
AMANDA
You too, top notch?
ZERA
Yes.
THE GIRLS depart. Shane is standing around, noticing how barren everything is in town.
SHANE
This town gets more empty every day.
Time passes SHANE in a bored manner kicks the curb and paces. BALK and SKALL talk to one another. SKALL folds and closes his hikers' knife. SHANE is leaning against the wall of the store when BALK and SKALL approach him.
BALK
Hey, man.
SHANE
Hey.
SKALL
What's up?
SHANE
Can I help you?
BALK
Where are the girls?
SHANE pauses a moment.
SHANE
What girls?
SKALL punches SHANE in the stomach. SHANE keels over.
They beat up SHANE until he's left being kicked on the ground.
From off screen AMANDA calls.
AMANDA
Hi, Hi, Hi there!
AMANDA approaches.
BALK & SKALL
Well, hello.
AMANDA approaches BALK and enters his personal space. He backs up.
AMANDA
You want something from him,
my friend? The collapsed wimp?
BALK
I don't want anything from him.
I wanted to get some from you.
AMANDA
Some what?
BALK
Well…You know.
AMANDA
No, I don't. Tell me. Pretty
please. What do you want with sweet
little me?
BALK
Well, I'll tell you. I want to toss
the clothes off your body and strip
you so fast that you're baby naked
before your dress hits the floor.
I wanna squeeze those pear shaped
titties of yours and lick those nipples
until they thimble. You got a fat cunt?
I love puffy pussy lips.
AMANDA (Giggles)
I just can't resist a romantic.
BALK
Do you like what you see?
AMANDA (Getting close)
I like one thing. Your chin.
BALK (Stroking his chin)
Manly right?
AMANDA
Just needs one thing. My adidas.
BALK has a confused reaction. AMANDA frowns. BALK has an all to late moment of realization. AMANDA kicks him in the Chin. Continuity breaks to see the blow from two additional angles. BALK keels over backwards and he props himself just in time to be kneed in the face by AMANADA. SKALL flips out his knife and brandishes it towards AMANDA. AMANDA holds one pointer finger up at him.
SKALL
Now what do you think you're doing
you fire crotched bitch? You want
me to cut off all those good looks?
AMANDA
Wait for it.
SKALL
For what?
From off screen, ZERA grabs the forearm and thrusts her open right palm to the knife wielding fist of SKALL hitting at the knuckles of the pinky and ring finger. SKALL loses his grip and the knife falls to the ground. ZERA steps in under him to bar the arm, steps out to reverse the bar, steps in to force him to the ground and steps to his back to chicken wing his arm to his back.
AMANDA (To Zera)
Wait for it.
SKALL props himself up and tries to wrench his head around. ZERA clocks his jaw. SKALL is out. ZERA looks at AMANDA who still has her finger raised.
AMANDA (CTD)
Wait for it.
BALK warily gets to his feet.
BALK
You little-
AMANDA
Now.
BALK rushes AMANDA but without even looking she backhands his throat. Choking BALK is defenseless as AMANDA lands two solid kidney punches and finishes him off with a left hook to the side of his dome. BALK is out. SHANE staggers to his feet.
AMANDA
Distress beacon?
ZERA
Activated when I saw them attacking
Shane.
AMANDA
OK.
SHANE
You guys kicked ass. My god.
You girls can do that?
AMANDA
You can't?
SHANE
What do you mean?
AMANDA
Shane, I've spent half my life
training to be an EVA pilot.
Now I'm paying it back.
Combat training, hand to hand, small
arms, tactics any way they could train
me to fight they did. The same is
true for Zera, I'm sure. Right top
notch?
They both look at ZERA who gives no reply to AMANDA.
ZERA
How are you Eastman?
SHANE
Roughed up. I'm alright.
Out of nowhere cars and vans roll in. Agents pick up BALK and SKALL and quickly whisk them away. The trio is left awkwardly standing there.
SHANE
What happens to them?
AMANDA
I'm sure attacking us carries
a mandatory relocation requirement.
They'll probably be sent to Azusa
before they even talk to a lawyer.
SHANE
Bummer.
AMANDA
You hurt?
SHANE
Pride, mostly.
A trickle of blood creeps down SHANEs' nose.
AMANDA
Let's clean you up someplace.
SHANE wipes the blood off.
SHANE
Where to?
ZERA
We'll go to my place.
SHANE
Are you sure you want us in there?
ZERA
You can come over, Shane.
AMANDA knows she's been slighted. The trio walk a little ways, removes the brick and unearths the key before resetting the brick again. She places the key in her breast pocket and buttons it down. Then AMANDA, looking anxious speaks up.
AMANDA(ctd)
Hey, first child, That was an
impressive disarm on that knife.
Do you know Wushu?
ZERA
A little.
AMANDA runs ahead of ZERA then turns and claps her hands in front of her. ZERA does the same. They bow to one another.
SHANE
What are you guys doing?
AMANDA
Shush. Ok slow sparring.
punch-block-punch-block.
ZERA
Very well.
AMANDA and ZERA slowly exchange kung-fu punches and blocks. They step in and then away from one another and with meticulous motions they feel out one anothers' fighting style. Subtly, gradually AMANDA increases her speed and the impact of her blows. ZERA responds with faster blocking building until she shoves AMANDA back. ZERAs eyes are even colder than usual while AMANDAs gaze becomes more fiery. The two calm themselves, reset and resume practice but the intensity builds much faster and the blows become nearly realistic until they both reach their hands out to an attack on the others' neck. ZERA lifts AMANDAs' chin with her fingertips and they lock glares, unsure exactly how to defuse this situation or if they would even want to. One thing is sure: they both know who threw the final blow faster.
AMANDA shakes her head slightly. She bites the inside of her lip before speaking.
AMANDA
That was more than a little.
ZERA
You didn't have to hold back.
But it wouldn't have made a
difference
AMANDA
I'll get you next time.
ZERA
I doubt it.
SHANE
OK, guys. I've seen enough fighting.
AMANDA and ZERA break off, clap hands and bow.
AMANDA
Relax, Shane. This wasn't serious.
You can always tell a real cat fight
because the first thing bitches do
is grab each others' hair.
SHANE
Let's head to base real quick. I
want to try to smooth things over
with Sonya.
AMANDA
Kiss ass.
SHANE
Just trying to keep the peace,
Langley.
They walk in an awkward silence. The power goes out from traffic lights and stores. AMANDA lets out a roaring outburst that stops them all flat in their tracks:
AMANDA
Pear shaped he says! Can you
believe that? My boobs are not
shaped like pears. What a dick!
Good riddance.
The trio resume their walk to the base. In a long shot that draws attention to nothing the lights on the signs in all the windows and a traffic lights are out.
SHANE
Shit. Could have sworn this place
was open a second ago.
AMANDA
You thought wrong.
VANCE (V.O)
No, I was right!
BLACK
There is chatter in the background the bridge crew speaks up.
JEFF
Well don't look at me. Everything
was nominal, then *BAM* lights out.
AUTUMN
Cut the chatter! Backup
will be coming-
INT – COMMAND BRIDGE
The emergency spot lighting kicks on. The bridge consoles are out. WINTERS enters the command post.
WINTERS
What have we got?
AUTUMN
A whole lot of nothing sir, The CPU
green light is still on so the
MAGI have switched into safe mode
on their independent UPS.
EARL
Reconnect to the backup circuits.
JEFF
Sir, that should have already
happened. The redundancies
should have kicked in even
before brown down.
VANCE
He's right, Sirs, this looks
systemic and…probably
coordinated.
WINTERS
You mean to tell me this is
sabotage?
VANCE
With respect, can you think of
another way to kill the power
between us and the chalice?
EARL
Reestablish MAGI control.
Where the hell is Rachel?
I want full analysis.
JEFF
I don't know Sir, as of now we
are completely locked out.
AMANDA (V.O)
We can't be locked out!
EXT – GATE – TOPSIDE
SHANE swipes his card over and over through the card reader of the sealed armored door. All electricity is dead and SHANEs' behavior is clearly spiteful.
SHANE
You want to try?
AMANDA walks to the door and kicks it.
AMANDA
Son of a bitch!
AMANDA slumps against the door while SHANE and ZERA lean against the card swipe kiosks.
SHANE
Alright. Back to the original
plan. We can go to Zeras' place.
ZERA opens her hand and looks at the two identical keys on her key ring.
AMANDA grumbles.
AMANDA
Three's a crowd.
KEVIN (V.O)
Well, it's just the two of us now.
INT – LOGISTICS AND TACTICS
SONYA sits leaning against a wall. KEVIN walks in from a hall.
SONYA
What do you mean?
KEVIN
The shutdown shorted out a
security bulkhead. Until power
comes back on we're locked down
in here.
SONYA
Well, that seems convenient.
KEVIN
Convenient for who exactly?
SONYA
Whoever would want us stuck in
here.
KEVIN
And who do you think that might
be?
SONYA
Your guess is as good as mine…
in fact I bet it's better.
KEVIN
Are you suggesting something
Captain?
SONYA
I can't think of a way out of
here, so I can't suggest anything.
KEVIN
I'm sure you'll think of something.
SONYA
Yeah. It's my job.
KEVIN
My job. You just get
all the credit.
SONYA
You get credit. From me anyway.
KEVIN
Not nearly enough.
SONYA
You're so ungrateful.
KEVIN sits on the wall next to SONYA who leans on his shoulder.
SONYA
I don't like the dark.
KEVIN
Don't you just light up the room?
SONYA smiles.
SONYA
Not today. Hold me.
AMANDA (V.O)
Get off.
INT – ZERA'S APARTMENT
SHANE is in the middle of ZERAs' bed. ZERA staddles a chair looking towards him. On the pillow is a pile of unwrapped bloody bandages along with used pill containers. There is more detritus in the room. AMANDA is demanding that SHANE make way for her. SHANE scoots over to the foot of the bed.
AMANDA
I said get off.
SHANE
No.
AMANDA brushes off the dirty bandages and pill chaff which fall to the floor. She flips the pillow over and lies down, landing her feet swiftly on SHANEs' lap.
SHANE
Are you just going to leave those
on the ground?
AMANDA
I'm already in a bad mood.
SHANE tosses off AMANDAs' feet, goes to the kitchen for a bag and returns to clean up the mess and also picks up the shredded paper and trash shit littering around.
AMANDA (CTD)
Oh, my god. The indomitable Shane
stoops to cleaning trash. He doesn't
just save the world. Bet
he'll wash our feet next.
When he is done he turns back to ZERA.
SHANE
It was all trash right?
ZERA is at a loss for words for a moment. She blushes.
ZERA
Thank you.
SHANE leaves the trash in the kitchen and returns to the bed. AMANDA takes up the whole mattress defiantly.
SHANE
Cut me a break, will you?
AMANDA
No.
AMANDA scooches over to the side closest to the window.
SHANE
What do you want?
AMANDA
Just lie down. Right next to me.
You think she cares? Lie down.
SHANE thinks for a moment before lifting the sheet and throwing it over AMANDA making a burrito out of her. He sits on the now exposed bed side and looks at ZERA.
SHANE
Sorry for messing up your place.
ZERA
I understand.
AMANDA
Pussy.
SONYA (V.O.)
That's all you guys think about.
SONYA and KEVIN are relaxed together on the floor.
KEVIN
Give men a little more credit
than that.
SONYA
I've known too many men. They
have a one track mind. It all
comes back to sex.
KEVIN
And women are immune?
SONYA
It's different.
KEVIN
It's only different because men
follow their appetites. Women
follow their tastes.
SONYA
If you argue that women are tasteful
then I'll agree.
KEVIN
You ever hear of the Beatles?
SONYA
Yeah. Love 'em.
KEVIN
I saw a film once of the beatles
going out in public and there
were thousands of girls chasing
after them. Everywhere they went
women were throwing themselves
at them. Police lines had to protect
the fab four. A woman having a taste
for a particular man is a savagery
that men can't even imagine.
SONYA
Absolutely doesn't count.
KEVIN
You hungry?
JEFF (V.O.)
Oh, my god I'm starving.
INT – BASE COMMAND CENTER
AUTUMN enters.
AUTUMN
Have we made contact with Dr. Archbold?
JEFF
I haven't heard anything and
I haven't moved. I'm too hungry.
AUTUMN
Without Dr. Archbold we don't
have any means of diagnosing the
MAGI.
VANCE
The system is in UPS. Why
do you really want to see her?
AUTUMN
You know what I don't like about
you, Vance?
VANCE
What?
AUTUMN
You're unprofessional. Snide is
not in the job description. As
for myself and the doctor we have
very real commitment to the job
and you'd never catch us being
unprofessional.
INT – EARLS' OFFICE
EARL is having sex with RACHEL on his desk.
RACHEL
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck me.
Oh my God. Fuck me. Oh, my God.
INT – COMMAND BASE – A LITTLE LATER
EARL and RACHEL enter. RACHEL moves past WINTERS and heads to the lower command bridge. EARL dabs the sweat off of his face.
WINTERS
Commander. Time and place, please.
We have a situation. Power has been
down for one hour forty five minutes.
EARl just stares at WINTERS.
EARL
Do we have a strategy?
WINTERS
The internal redundancies of our
infrastructure make this scenario
a near impossibility. This is a
major security breach. Someone
inside is a mole.
EARL
Then find the rat.
INT – KEVINS' OFFICE
Shot of KEVIN.
SONYA
So now you know I'm afraid of the dark.
What's your biggest fear?
KEVIN
It's stupid.
SONYA
I'm glad you're here.
KEVIN puts his arm around her.
KEVIN
OK.
SONYA
No. I'm just afraid of being alone.
I've made more than a few bad
decisions stayed with lousy
people on the judgment that
at least I would not be alone.
Every time, I was faced with
the same conclusion. It's not
other people that make me empty.
KEVIN
Death.
SONYA
What?
KEVIN
I have an irrational fear
of death.
SONYA
Everyone is afraid to die.
KEVIN
I literally can't think
about it for any period of time.
Memento mori thanataphobia.
Death. I can't stand the thought
of the moment of my annihilation.
How do people even get skull
tattoos? I can't talk about this
anymore.
SONYA
I don't worry about it much at all.
I just don't think the world would
be missing very much after I was
gone.
KEVIN
Please don't ever say that.
SONYA
Don't say the way I feel? Do you
want me to be honest or do you want
me to be quiet?
KEVIN
I want you to be here.
SONYA rests her head on KEVINS' shoulder.
SONYA
Neither of us have to worry.
As long as those kids stay safe
we won't have to confront
ourselves. Whatever happens they
can handle it.
MEANWHILE - INT - ZERAS' APARTMENT
SHANE sits in the chair while AMANDA and ZERA are on the bed, AMANDA rolled up in the blanket and ZERA laying up with her eyes closed. SHANE halfheartedly scans a book of Blake poetry while the girls sleep until a noise at the window rouses his attention. He looks to the mountain ridge and from behind emerges a four legged incectiod angel with a high craned head like a horses' skull. The beast is crested with eyes at the ridges of it's bony body parts and there is one red eye on a creeping tendril which hangs from the left jaw of the creature. SHANEs' eyes widen in shock and alarm and he immediately rouses AMANDA and ZERA.
SHANE
Up! Now!
AMANDA
Five minutes.
SHANE
Look out the window! There!
The girls roll out of bed and see the angel as it comes out from the hills. A bus in the distance stops and the driver and passengers flee. The tendril of the angel extends from its face and a beam of red scanning light is from there emitted. It scans the passengers as they flee.
SHANE
What does it want with them?
AMANDA
Doesn't look like it wants
anything. It's moving on.
The ANGEL walks away from the bus, disinterested.
SHANE
We need to get to HQ.
AMANDA
With the power out? We can't
even get into a gravity sled.
without our cards.
ZERA
Eastman is right. We need to
move.
AMANDA
Yeah, but where to?
ZERA
Look.
The beast moves forward, scanning its beam across the land. By chance the beam comes across ZERAs' window. ZERA and AMANDA start to glow soft but distinctively sunset orange in the light SHANE glows blue. AMANDA looks at her hand glowing in the beam of light.
AMANDA
What the hell? And why are you blue?
SHANE
I don't know.
The Angel stops the scan and moves directly toward ZERA's apartment building. The ground rumbles as it approaches and deep resonant sounds emerge from within the carapace of the monster.
Upon reaching the building the tendril enters through the window of the apartment and scans everything around. The tendril scans the kitchen and enters into the bathroom.
AMANDA, ZERA and SHANE are crammed into ZERA's closet and they watch as the angels' light probes through the crack at their feet. The light dies away and with a rumble that repeats becoming low, booming bass thuds the angel is heard walking away. The pilots bail out of the closet and run out the door.
EXT – ZERAS' APARTMENT COMPLEX
The pilots scamper down the stairs and get to the landing, then to a stairwell that goes even lower into the building, being sure to protect themselves from all sides by concrete.
SHANE
What just happened?
AMANDA
Why were we glowing like that?
SHANE
Are you asking me?
ZERA
It seems this Angel can detect
us particularly.
SHANE
Are you sure?
ZERA
When it scanned the passengers
there was no response but the
beam made our skin incandescent.
The only chemical difference between
ourselves and anyone else would be
our exposure to LCL. The angels' beam
may cause the solution to luminesce.
SHANE
So it's targeting us specifically.
I think we have to stay out of
sight.
AMANDA
Enough babble. Follow me. Don't
ask questions.
AMANDA walks down a corridor but ZERA stops her with a hand on AMANDAs' shoulder. AMANDA immediately grapple and grabs her wrist.
ZERA
That path goes out of town.
We need to access the service
tunnels and head to the manual
gate at entry point R7. It's
the only mechanical security
passage.
AMANDA sneers and unhands ZERA.
AMANDA
OK. Lead the way, navigator.
The towering angel moves through the streets with impunity, slowly plodding and probing the buildings. The pilots wait for the angel to clear and then move from cover to cover: Cars, telephone poles, post boxes, anything for cover.
The pilots scamper across roads and to a service station. They open the service portal and below there is a crawl space. ZERA opens the gate, lights a pen flashlight and enters. AMANDA motions to SHANE.
AMANDA
Move it.
SHANE
You're going last? That's not like
you.
AMANDA slaps her own ass.
AMANDA
Were you expecting a view?
SHANE cows his head and goes in.
SONYA (V.O.)
Which do you like better, boobs or
butts?
MEANWHILE – INT – KEVIN'S OFFICE
KEVIN
You're beautiful.
SONYA
Shut up. I'm just asking.
KEVIN
Unfair question.
SONYA
Because you don't have an answer.
KEVIN
I think a true man must
aspire to appreciate both boobs
and butts in equal measure.
Love tits to get closer to her heart.
Love ass so you can put up with her
shit.
SONYA laughs.
SONYA
You're an asshole!
KEVIN
You asked. Don't even.
SONYA
Shut up. I said something
funny, now you.
VANCE (V.O.)
So then the Jew says 'Oh, I should
have come yesterday.'
MEANWHILE - INT – COMMAND BASE
JEFF massages his throbbing temple.
JEFF
Shut up, Vance.
AUTUMN
I'm half Jewish, you know.
VANCE
Oh, good. Then its' an inside
joke.
AUTUMN
Fuck you.
Above the deck on the command bridge, WINTERS, EARL and RACHEL hold a candlelight meeting.
RACHEL
Whatever they killed the power
for, they don't want to kill us.
EARL
How can you be sure?
RACHEL
We'd be dead already. The chalice
is still pumping out juice.
It hasn't overheated, so that means
the cooling systems are still online.
WINTERS
How did they cut us off from our own
power source and still keep it
operational?
RACHEL
I don't know. If they want to get
an overview of our infrastructure
based on how we recover that would
make sense. But, you'd have to
already possess a sophisticated
understanding of our base just to
do this in the first place.
Once we're back online I'll run a
dummy protocol through the MAGI it
will throw up some static for any
further probes.
WINTERS
To think that the first major
infiltration of the facility would be
from just another asshole off the
street.
EARL
Humanity conquered nature so that
it might war with itself. This will
not be the last time that we will be
in a struggle with our own kind.
MEANWHILE – EXT – STREETSIDE
SHANE and AMANDA emerge from the crawl space and crouch in an alcove as ZERA peers around the corner, backs against the wall.
WINTERS (V.O.)
I swear. Our backs are against the wall.
Let's adapt and overcome.
The booming of the steps get more distant.
ZERA
We're clear. The route across
the street will take us to R7.
AMANDA steps up and pushes ZERA aside.
AMANDA
Out of my way.
The three cross the street and enter the interior.
INT – CORRIDOR
There is a window. AMANDA goes to the window. It is deep and at the end of a shaft, with a grated cover. AMANDA removes the cover and looks out. AMANDA watches as the angel walks into view on the street. SHANE gets next to AMANDA to look at it, but he's scared of the angel.
SHANE
Let's get out of here.
AMANDA
This is basically a bunker. What is it gonna do?
The angel scans them from far away. The pilots begin to glow. ZERA comes from behind the other two.
SHANE
That.
AMANDA
Ooh. Scary. Glowing LCL, huh?
Crazy.
The angels stops scanning and its head unlocks and morphs to charge energy from its body. From their vantage AMANDA and SHANE are transfixed on what is going on. ZERA has an inkling that she's looking down the barrel of a gun and grabs both the other pilots by the shoulder and lunges them back just as the ANGEL unleashes a pulse from its head. As the pilots hit the floor the bast impacts the building just above the window, blowing it in. The pilots scramble to their feet, except ZERA is stuck. AMANDA in a shocking moment of comradery turns back to her.
AMANDA
Shane!
SHANE
Zera!
SHANE turns to help. There is a beam and some insulation rubble pinning in ZERAs' ankle. The rumbling of the angel closing in begins booming. AMANDA Turns her back to the beam, grabbing it and lifts in reverse with her legs.
AMANDA
Lift this fucking thing!
SHANE joins her and the two manage to dislodge ZERAs' leg.
AMANDA
Take my hands!
SHANE doesn't ask questions and as soon as the two join hands. AMANDA lunges her hand forward and takes SHANE by the wrists, and SHANE follows exactly. ZERA obliges by sitting into their arms. ZERA throws her arms over the two of them and AMANDA and SHANE rush her off down the corridor. As they leave the angel's legs break into the rubble and smash up their previous cover. The tendril scans them as they run away but the pilots round a corner and keep running. After 30 seconds or so ZERA speaks up.
ZERA
Put me down.
SHANE and AMANDA slow to a walk.
SHANE
Are you OK?
ZERA
Just put me down. Let's size
up the situation.
ZERA gets put down. AMANDA goes to the opposite side of the corridor hall and SHANE crouches by ZERA
SHANE
Anything broken?
ZERA
I don't think so. Bruised at
worst.
AMANDA
Let's not linger here long.
SHANE
Now's not the time to be giving
orders, Amanda. We almost got
our asses blasted off because
you had to do something stupid.
AMANDA
I'm stupid!?
SHANE
The results speak for themselves.
AMANDA
You want to say I fucked up?
Fine, I'll own that. All I can say
is that we know more
about that angel than we did
two minutes ago!
SHANE
Oh, my god! You don't have to
prove a point about yourself
all the fucking time.
AMANDA laughs in his face.
AMANDA
Clueless! I don't have to prove
a thing to you or-
ZERA gets up and walks away.
AMANDA
Where are you going top notch?
ZERA
We are wasting time. Follow me,
and if you don't want to resort
to emergency actions, don't
cause an emergency.
AMANDA is boiling hot emotionally at this point.
AMANDA
Nice for you being teachers' pet,
huh? Zera Stanley, the first
child. First seen, first groomed,
first picked fruit of the harvest.
SHANE
This is not the time, Amanda.
AMANDA
You're very impressive, Zera. Does
nothing bother you? Maybe you get
such a nice treatment from the
commander that you look down on us
and don't have to concern yourself
with others.
SHANE
Amanda, if this is not mission critical
clam it, please.
AMANDA
Get over yourself. You hear me?
Look me in the eyes.
AMANDA comes in front of ZERA and stares her down.
ZERA
Don't get in my way.
AMANDA
They might treat you best
but that doesn't make you
superior. We're the same.
ZERA
We have nothing in common, and they
don't treat me any better than you.
I know that quite well. How was your
worst day? Do you like hospital food?
The one thing you need to understand
is that to them…To him…We are
replaceable.
AMANDA
No. Fuck you. There's nobody else.
ZERA
Us, the command staff, the base and
its' armaments, even the EVAs
themselves are all replaceable. The
only things they don't replace are
the angels. You kill one and it will
never come back. That's why they
need us, at least for now. If you
still want to do this job then you'd
better accept that fact and move on.
ZERA walks past her and off. AMANDA leans into SHANE.
AMANDA
Terrifying isn't it? Bitches
with superiority complexes are
the worst.
AMANDA and SHANE follow ZERA. The angel pulls out of the building and follows the street in the direction the pilots are traveling underground.
S.O.S.
SONYA and KEVIN are asleep on each others' shoulders. The bridge crew await with nothing to do kill their boredom, Jeff getting more angry with hunger by the moment. WINTERS and EARL maintain their stoic composure.
MEANWHILE – STREET
ZERA, AMANDA and SHANE have emerged from the passage and they stare across the street seeing the open manhole where the TECH was previously working, the deployed canon and the gate marked R7 are here along with the TECHs abandoned van and an open manhole. The angel thunders in the distance somewhere, prowling the streets.
AMANDA
So that's it?
ZERA
The hatch is rotary. It will unlock
with my emergency keys and it will
fix itself open after fully cranking.
The release lever within will close
the door behind us.
AMANDA
They key goes in that right panel?
ZERA
Correct.
AMANDA
Heavy door?
ZERA
Opening the hatch takes about as much
strenuous effort as cranking a car
jack.
AMANDA sits back and thinks to herself.
AMANDA
Shane, run across the street, open
the gate. Then I'll send over Zera.
SHANE
Why me?
AMANDA
I said so.
SHANE
Yeah. And you think that's good
enough?
AMANDA
You got a problem?
SHANE
It just seems, I don't know,
hypocritical. You want to be
in charge but suddenly when
someone has to stick their neck
out to maybe get killed the first
person you think of is me. To
you I'm expendable?
AMANDA
You're a boy you jerk! Thanks
for making me say it. You have
a little more upper body strength
than either of us so you can crank
that door. Congratulations, you are the
best pick for the job. You don't
think?
SHANE stops his argument and feels dressed down.
SHANE
Alright. You made your point.
AMANDA
Step up and step on it. Sheiβe.
SHANE lines up to run across the road. He looks back and the girls give him a nod of confidence in their own way.
S.O.S.
SHANE runs for the hatch, past the abandoned repair van and the open manhole, pulls the handle and starts cranking. The rumble of the angel thunders out distantly down the street. AMANDA and ZERA look on nervously. Once the door is cracked all the way open SHANE takes the key and slips himself inside the door. From within he gives a wave in the doorway to signal the other two pilots. AMANDA nods at ZERA who runs for the door and uneventfully arrives, when another noise louder than before echoes down the way. SHANE signals ZERA to enter the doorway but she looks back, seeing AMANDA sprinting towards her. ZERA knows the angel is coming and raises her arms into an X to signal her to stop. AMANDA does not heed her warning and continues running. The spotlight beam comes across AMANDA and she lights up. SHANE and ZERA freeze as AMANDA looks down the shaft of light towards the angel. The angel charges at AMANDA who quickly hides behind the van. The angel approaches and with its tendril extended takes a low profile against the van. The tendril lowers and scans the side of the vehicle before coming around and peeking on the side where AMANDA hid. She is not there. Shot of AMANDA hiding under the van. The tendril prowls around the van before turning and scanning the curb. It is about to scan under the van when one of the legs pierces the top of the vehicle and tips it over. As the wheels rise AMANDA scoots away.
ZERA
Hey!
The tendril and angel come about. ZERA is running at full speed towards it and the VAN tips over, fully exposing AMANDA, but the ANGEL is focused on ZERA now. It backs up and charges is blaster beam. ZERA runs towards it with all her energy and before the beam can fire, she jumps into the manhole, grabbing the rim with her fingers before dropping herself down. The explosion and fire above halo around her in the hole. and she turns and runs. From behind the tendril enters the manhole and lights her up just as she runs around a subterranean corner. The angel withdraws and redirects its' attention back to the spilled van which AMANDA leans against, fearing certain doom. As the angel is about to reveal her once more SHANE calls out.
SHANE
Hey you bitch! Over here!
The light again illuminates him and the angel charges its beam. SHANE books it down the street, the energy shot flying by. The Angel goes into hot pursuit. SHANE gets to the end of the block and hangs a right just as another beam blasts past him. The corridor he has taken is narrow and he ducks and twists in the alley to run out the other side of it. When he emerges the ANGEL clears the corner behind him. Three more blasts miss as he jumps a car. As he clears the final corner AMANDA has lingered away from the van but was waiting for him. When she sees that he's alive they both tear ass for the door. AMANDA gets in and SHANE quickly follows, hitting the release latch and the two of them shuffle down the stairway within lit by emergency lighting. The door blows open behind them but they don't pay it any heed. They reach a landing before looking back. The route sounds like it's caving in behind them.
SHANE
Zera! Zera!
AMANDA
She can't hear you.
SHANE
We have to go back.
AMANDA
We can't.
SHANE
She might be in trouble.
AMANDA
Shut up! We need to get to
base. That's all we can do now.
SHANE
Then what?
AMANDA
We tell them about the angel.
TECH (V.0.)
Angel! Angel!
INT – BASE
The TECH from earlier runs into the base screaming. He runs to the lower platform and calls up to the commanders.
TECH
Sirs! I just came in from R7.
An angel has arrived!
I saw it with my own eyes and
I've been running through
conduit shafts to get here.
EARL
Winters, to the cage.
WINTERS
It's shut down, Earl.
EARL
Get the backup generator online.
Pump the diesel. We should have
three hours of operational time.
WINTERS
You're planning to launch the EVAs
but where are the pilots?
EARL
The only thing we can do is prepare
for them. So let's get to it.
RACHEL
Did you not hear him?
Let's go, lets go.
SOS - Montage
Command staff and Techs open up valves on the deisel generator and flip switches to crank on the emergency power. The cage is lit not with its' dominant soft overhead light but in spotty, hot overhead backup lamps. The crew crank open the backs of the EVAs, lassoing the terminal plugs and hoisting them out before craning over the entry plugs and inserting them into their slots. EARL and Winters take axes and cut off the pipes that supply the locking valves. The supports drift loose on the EVAs which stand ready for operation.
RACHEL
Commander, we're ready. You think
they'll make it?
EARL
So long as they are not preoccupied.
MEANWHILE - KEVINS OFFICE
KEVIN awakens and looks at SONYA. SONYA awakens and looks into KEVINs' eyes.
SONYA
What the hell have you been waiting
for?
KEVIN
An excuse.
SONYA
Come on.
KEVIN
We shouldn't be complicating this.
SONYA
I don't care.
KEVIN
You know what I'm trying to do
and so you must question if you
can trust me.
SONYA tackles him.
SONYA
I need this. Stop overthinking
it.
SONYA starts making out with KEVIN and he peels her jacket off, leaning up, kissing her neck. She caresses his hair. He lifts her up by her ass and puts her on his desk. Banging sounds resound as he tosses everything off his desk. The banging continues as the desk rocks back and forth. She loosens the straps of her top and frees her arms, exposing her bra. KEVIN lays her over the desk and runs his hand up her leg she clutches his neck. The banging continues and SONYA stops KEVIN.
SONYA
Wait. What's that?
KEVIN stops and they listen as the banging increases. Through a vent on the side AMANDA and SHANE crash into the room and roll out on top of each other. The two piles of entangled people stare at one another awkwardly.
SHANE
This isn't what it looks like.
SONYA
Us neither.
AMANDA springs to her feet.
AMANDA
Fucking hypocrite! Hello, Ms.
responsibility.
SONYA re-does her top, and straightens out her skirt.
SONYA
Nothing happened. We were playing.
AMANDA
Yeah. You two down here playing
while we were up there risking
our lives!
KEVIN
What are you talking about?
SHANE
Angel! There's an angel up there!
We only barely made it here alive.
SONYA
Oh, my God. What about Zera?
Where's Zera?
AMANDA
We got separated. She could be
anywhere.
ZERA kicks out an overhead vent, drops in and lands in a perfect gymnastic pose. She does not, however, take a bow.
SHANE
Zera! You're alright.
How did you get here?
SHANE runs to her, about to hug her and stops, not knowing how to be happy about it.
ZERA
Access tunnel that I didn't
know about. Nothing is spec
is it? We have to get to the cage.
KEVIN
With the power out, we-
ZERA goes to a filing cabinet and moves it to one side. There is a large vent in the wall. She takes off the grate and undoes a grate directly adjacent which leads to a corridor out to the cage. ZERA unintentionally sneaks up behind RACHEL.
ZERA
Doctor.
RACHEL
WHAAA! Like a ghost I swear
to god.
ZERA
We're here and ready to deploy.
RACHEL
The angel, I know.
ZERA
Do we have a plan?
INT – MEETING ROOM
RACHEL addresses the group. The command staff are behind her and she speaks directly to the pilots. Flashlights.
RACHEL
The only way quick enough to get
you to the surface is the main
dumb weight.
AMANDA
What?
RACHEL
It's reliable. There was a time
it did most of the heavy lifting
to the surface.
ZERA
When was it last used?
RACHEL
Three years ago, I think.
AMANDA
Great.
RACHEL
It receives regular maintenance.
AMANDA
Sure, and then once we get to the
top, then what?
RACHEL
Arsenals are locked down due to
the power out. You'll have to
engage in manual combat.
SHANE
You think I'm going to run face
first into a cannon slug? Are
you out of your fucking mind?
RACHEL
We don't have options, Shane.
Adapt and overcome.
TECH
You've got a gun!
SONYA
Who are you?
TECH
Doesn't matter. There's a CWIZ
Gatling pistol deployed up top.
SHANE
Yeah. I saw that. I remember.
RACHEL
Can you get there from the
dumb weighter?
SHANE
Just across town. It's a
breeze.
TECH
That's all I can get for you.
Sorry, Commander Winters, just
couldn't fix it in time.
WINTERS
Your incompetence deserves a
commendation.
RACHEL
OK. The three of you report to
EVA. We will counterbalance the
dumb weight with cargo palates
Dismissed.
ZERA crosses near EARL. ZERA tenderly lowers his hand and places a small, unseen object in his palm. KEVIN takes note of this before ZERA departs to join the other pilots.
S.O.S. in which the pilots are injected into the EVAs by a cranking mechanism and the plugs are capped behind them with internal pressure seals. EVAs activate, unplug and five minute timers kick off. The units walk through the base to the lift. They pick up cargo containers as counterweights.
EVAs step onto the platform stacking their counterweights.
SONYA
We're set, crank it!
EARL and a team of hard hats crank the release spool and they finally meet resistance that stops them. They all put their backs in to it and the clutch high above the base releases. The cable jolts tight with a whipping wave from above. Nothing happens. Beta unit looks at Omega unit.
AMANDA (Beta unit overhead speaker)
Zera! Go on a diet!
Beta unit kicks a counterweight off and the elevator starts its way up, slowly at first and working up to a very fast speed. SHANE plays his DAT "The fun loving criminal" by Fun Loving Criminals which serves as the BGM. At the height of its climb the elevator hits a series of pressure release valves that slow its ascent until the entire aperature hits a huge stop spring that drops the exterior door exposing the EVAs in the shaft and as bad luck would have it, the dropping door reveals the angel which immediately powers up its blaster. ZERA hops Omega unit into action and spreads the AT field. The angel fires and the particle blasts strike the field and send shudders into ZERA and interfering with her synch ratio. Omega unit collapses and unit Alpha tosses its prog knife in desperation at the angel. The blade weakly pierces the side of the angel and in response the angel backs down, giving the EVA's enough time to regroup. Alpha unit shoulders up Omega and they run behind the elevator exit while unit beta slips around the other side.
AMANDA
Zera, are you OK?
ZERA
The angels' attack interferes
with synchronization. Just defending
ourselves may completely shut down
our EVAs.
AMANDA
Nice knife, toss by the way, Shane
that leaves us one less offensive
option.
SHANE
I'm not getting near that goddamn
thing. It can take my knife. Shit.
ZERA
We need a strategy.
SHANE
Obviously. Our internals will be
out in less than three minutes, the
gun is on the other side of town
and that asshole is between here and
there.
AMANDA
Then here we go. Zera, you're on
recovery. Flank and recover the weapon
without detection and deliver it to
Shane. Shane, get to the top of the
Webb building. You'll have the best
shot.
SHANE
And you'll be…
AMANDA
Diversion. I'll bait the angel
away from the gun and when recovery
is complete, lead it into firing
position.
SHANE
Under fire?
AMANDA
If that how he wants it.
SHANE
That's way too dangerous.
AMANDA
Says you. Don't think I forgot
about you running in front of an angel
to draw fire off of me but I can't do the
same thing? Get over yourself. Zera, flank out.
Shane, paint the target and wax that bitch.
ZERA steels herself and moves the EVA out.
SHANE
You don't have to prove yourself
here, Amanda.
AMANDA
Fine. But you do. Hit the mark.
Good luck.
Beta Unit sprints through the street and comes across the angel. AMANDA kicks on the loudspeaker.
AMANDA
Verfüttere es den Wölfen!
AMANDA spreads the AT field of the Beta unit and the Angel unleashes blasts that shake the AT field and AMANDA feels the pain. SOS: As the blasts hit her in AMANDAs mind are images of her mother, HELEN holding a doll and brushing its' hair.
AMANDA (CTD)
Not now.
AMANDA breaks off and runs around the city block. She glances at a console that reveals her synch ratio has fallen from 89% to 74%
AMANDA (CTD)
Goddamn it. Shane get up there.
MEANWHILE
ZERA sprints for the weapon the Omega unit seizes it as SHANE takes the Alpha unit to the top of the building. He extends his reach.
SHANE
Stanley!
Omega unit tosses the gun to the Alpha unit, which affixes the gun to its' forearm.
MEANWHILE
AMANDA sends the beta unit charging at the Angel and she smashes the feet of the EVA into the Angels' head before jumping off and charging down the street, evading the blasts. SHANE is trying to lock on through the buildings.
SHANE
Amanda! Get clear!
As AMANDA goes the Angel unleashes a flurry of attacks that blast away the AT field of the EVA, and forces her to deactivate. The giant robot face-dives into the pavement and skids out down the street. The angel moves in for the kill, but it clears into an opening and from above SHANE takes aim.
AMANDA
Take the shot!
SHANE
What's up punk?
The Eva lets out a burst of hot orange bullets that shred into the angels' left side, but the burst only lasts a second and a half. SHANE looks at his HUD and the barrels are cooling. The angel rights itself, and is about to return fire when the High explosives in the bullets explode in succession, blasting off half of the Angels' front leg. The barrels cool as the head of the angel is about to recoil. SHANE beats it to the punch and fires again. This volley tears into the angel's craning face and when the rounds go off the head of the angel is severed and the Angel explodes in blood that floods the streets. The alpha unit undoes the gun and stands Triumphant. SHANE can't help but express his exhilaration.
SHANE
Damn! Wu-tang clan ain't
nothing to fuck with!
Beat. AMANDA laughs.
AMANDA
Say what?
SHANE
What?
AMANDA
Wu-Tang? What?
SHANE
Nothing. Never mind. Forget I
said it.
AMANDA
You're such a nerd!
The EVAs shut down, collapsing in the streets and on the top of the building. The pilots eject. ZERA comes to the Beta unit, and checks up on AMANDA who gives her the thumbs up. They look to the top of the building and SHANE is waving his arms in victory. The other pilots wave back.
S.O.S.
SHANE meets the other pilots street side and takes a seat. AMANDA approaches and with a smile of slight self-satisfaction extend a hand. SHANE takes her arm by the wrist. AMANDA slides her hand down and takes him by the hand, pulling him to his feet. The pilots leave the scene.
From the manhole the TECH emerges and pulls out the command team from the underground and into the street in the fading daylight.
The sun is approaching the horizon.
LATER – PARK – LATE IN THE DAY
The pilots sit where they had slept, now in their plugsuits, back where they started, now trying to soak in from all the adrenaline. From across the park comes a troupe of strange people in loose fitting folk clothing colored in orange, brown and black. They march to light Celtic drums and carry white candles on metal poles and swaying chalices. Some have face painting and many carry wreathes. A draft horse and wagon are being drawn along and the wagon is festively decorated with musical instruments and food of breads, cheeses, cured meat and kegs of cider along with bottles of wine and mead and a black cauldron which burns incense. Strung along the wagon are orange streamers and plaster of Paris skulls. Hand carved wooden runes and knick knacks embellish the cart and a raven perches on the front of the cart by the driver.
AMANDA
I'll be damned.
As they march along, FREDRICK a twenty something man with a scraggly ginger beard stops to greet the pilots.
FREDRICK
Wow. You kids must be the pilots. Hi, I'm Fred.
SHANE
OK. Hi, Fred.
FREDRICK
We were watching. You did a
good job.
SHANE
Yeah. Thanks.
AMANDA
Where are you going?
FREDRICK
The Chinook tribe. They agreed
to hold our Samhain festival. Might
even join us.
ZERA gets up and walks after a girl who is dancing with poi.
SHANE
Zera!
FREDRICK
How about you? Would you like
to join us?
AMANDA and SHANE share a glance and look back with a smile. They look at ZERA who has been handed a pair of her own poi and is winging them around, following by example.
SHANE
We're not dressed for the occasion.
EXT - HILLSIDE – GOLDEN HOUR
Drums beat away in the background. There are three curtains held up by ropes. SHANE sits with a pile of clothing on his knees. An orange dress sits folded on the bench next to him. In the background ZERA is being instructed on basic poi moves by the girl she followed. AMANDA comes into the scene, wearing her wetsuit and takes clothes with her behind the curtain. She looks back at SHANE.
AMANDA
No peeking.
SHANE
OK.
AMANDA gets behind the curtain and her legs are in view as she strips away the wet suit. SHANE leans his head over to check how far up the curtain he can see. As he does this AMANDA peeks back at him. He snaps to the moment he realize he's been caught.
SHANE
Sorry.
AMANDA
I knew it. Perverted jerk.
SHANE cringes to himself, AMANDA goes back to changing and comes out quickly in an orange and black gypsy dress with her red hair loose and flowing. She walks to a pile of clothes, frilly, colorful and garish. She tosses the pile of clothes to SHANE. He holds the clothes up, looking equal parts confused and in distaste.
AMANDA
Put them on.
SHANE
This?
AMANDA
What are you waiting for?
Get moving!
CUT
SHANE emerges from behind a bush overdressed and ostentatious into a crowd, a peacock among chickens. AMANDA crosses by him, smirking.
SHANE
Jesus.
AMANDA
I knew it would fit you.
AMANDA walks away. SHANE meanders through the partygoers, and takes a seat.
BLACK
From out of the darkness two flames are lit. Drums. ZERA, dressed traditionally steps into the picture and takes the two flames by extended rods. They are poi. She lifts the poi and twirls them, dancing to the beat of the drum. SHANE, now surrounded by a company of onlookers. ZERA dances with the whirling flames with rudimentary motions but that capture the fluidity of the human body and the brilliance of twirling flame. She finishes after a short demonstration to polite applause. The drums resume, but softly and with a more loose, improvised and experimental feel. AMANDA sits next to SHANE. AMANDA has a mug.
SHANE
Are you drunk?
AMANDA
Are you my mom? You know where
I can find her?
SHANE
Shut up.
AMANDA
Fuck you. You want to undress
Zera with your eyes a little
harder? God, I hate you. You
synchronized on your first try?
SHANE
Looks like it.
AMANDA
Yeah. Zera was right.
SHANE
About what?
AMANDA
The hospital food. I hate it.
It's the taste of defeat.
prepackaged and undercooked.
For about two years I'd try
to synch and not know what
happened. I'd wake up in the
hospital. They told me I did
better every time. But being
in the hospital meant that
I had failed to activate
the EVA. OK.
SHANE
Well you did it eventually, right?
AMANDA
And you did it your first try?
SHANE
I wasn't trying.
AMANDA
Don't rub it in.
SHANE gets up and leaves.
AMANDA (CTD)
Why do you do that, Shane?
SHANE
What do you mean?
AMANDA
Don't play dumb. Why do
you back down and walk away
when this comes
naturally to you?
SHANE
Don't go down this road with
me. Not yet anyway
AMANDA
I gotta know. We're in this together.
My life has been and will be in your hands.
SHANE
I don't care if you got in a hospital
to pilot an EVA. Lucky you,
princess. While you were in the
comfort of the last fortress of
civilization, I had run away from my
father. I spent life with my teacher
and we learned to duck and dive into
cover, keep our heads low because at
any moment a band of marauders, rogue
soldiers or just some lunatic with
a gun might bust through the door.
AMANDA
What did you do?
SHANE
What do roaches do when the lights
come on? They run back into the
dark. If they stay in the light
they'll get squashed under a boot.
I run away because that's what I
know works. Keep your head down,
get out of the way. Otherwise,
it's your ass.
AMANDA reflects.
AMANDA
You're not the roach anymore, Shane.
You're the boot.
SHANE reflects.
SHANE
Don't remind me.
SHANE stands and walks towards the sound of a guitar. He finds a band circle. ZERA is seated there, and FREDRICK plucks the guitar.
FREDRICK
Hey, man.
SHANE
Hey.
FREDRICK
Want to play?
SHANE
It's your guitar.
FREDRICK
If it weren't for you I might
not be here to play it.
FREDRICK holds the guitar to SHANE
FREDRICK (CTD)
Know any songs?
AMANDA enters, still drunk, ZERA takes a seat to hear SHANE play and AMANDA sits next to ZERA. SHANE takes the guitar and sits at the campfire.
SHANE (CTD)
Well. Here's an oldie. I don't
know. Here goes.
SHANE plays the opening three chord repeats of "Searching for a rainbow" by the Marshall Tucker band, and goes right into the song.
SHANE (CTD)
I pulled into town today.
In my mind, I said lord,
I'd love to stay.
Something in me said, 'boy move on.'
Don't know what it is.
The good lord bred it in my bones.
And I'm searchin' for a rainbow
and if the wind ever showed me where to go
you'll be waitin' at the end and I know
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
This old mount I'm riding,
she's getting' kind of tired.
but in my heart, she knows
there's this one desire.
She's gonna take me
to the end of our road.
When she lays down and dies,
I'll say God rest her soul.
And I'm searchin' for a rainbow
and if the wind ever showed me where to go
you'll be waitin' at the end and I know
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
Taking in the song, AMANDA leans her head on ZERAs' shoulder. A flute player improvises over the simple G-D-C progression. AMANDA kisses ZERAs' neck, drunkenly, then basically passes out and falls off.
SHANE (CTD)
And I'm searchin' for a rainbow
and if the wind ever showed me where to go
you'll be waitin' at the end and I know
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
I'll say to Hell with that pot of gold.
Polite applause to blackout.