Virtue's Ploy
Page 5
Upon seeing the vile scene around the corner he drops his hands to his side and stares in both disgust and horror.
BLAM
Jack's foot comes flying out the door knocking the gun out of his hand.
BOOM
The door comes flying open, knocking the soldier over.
Jack bolts after the gun as it slides behind and away from the gunner.
Before the gunner can draw his handgun, Jack has hold of the gun and...
B-B-BANG
... shoots.
Silence...
Jack lies on top of the gun completely motionless.
Footsteps.
Another gunner runs around the corner.
Before he can comprehend the scene Jack points the gun out from below him and...
B-BANG
He scurries over to the dead body, excited, picks a grenade off of the soldier's belt and continues down the corridor he came from.
After rounding a few corners he hears the whispers of the Team Leader instructing his team on their approach.
Without hesitation Jack puts his back to the corner, pulls the pin on the grenade and tosses it toward the whispers.
BOOOOM
INT. PILOT'S COMPARTMENT
ELIZA
There is a team of governmental soldiers coming up now, Brian. You are not a threat to them, but they are to you. They will detain you and we will work from there.
BRIAN
(sighs)
Know that this isn't really directed at you.
Brian punches the screen and kicks the chair out from underneath him.
ELIZA
Are you five?
BRIAN
If I were five...
Brian's got nothing.
ELIZA
Yeah, you've got nothing.
Brian throws her a middle finger.
ELIZA
Well, fuck you too, Brian, but you're the bad guy here.
BRIAN
Maybe.
ELIZA
There's no maybe about it, you are a complete asshole.
BRIAN
Fine.
He walks out of the room.
ELIZA
Brian?
INT. SPACE STATION CORRIDORS
Brian walks about practically identical corridors, the only thing that sets apart the next turn from the last is the new faces and absurd death positions.
BRIAN
They always find ways to complicate things. Draw them out. Make the movie boring. Let's just hope we can get to the ship without running into them. From there I can--
Brian drops to the floor grasping his head.
In agonised cries he curses, pulling at his hair.
BRIAN
MOTHER...
His screams intensify.
He then stops, leaving a bone chilling silence for a couple of seconds.
Brian begins to sob and whimper, curling up into the fetal position.
BRIAN
(trying to suppress his pain)
Fuck... fucking fuck...
He lies still for a second more before getting his feet under himself.
He stumbles down the corridor and around a corner.
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
The cockpit is completely silent, a few lights flash, but all is calm.
Brian ambles in. All stays silent apart from his heavy breathing.
He makes it over to his seat and falls into it.
BRIAN
Don't you dare send out the emergency signal or I swear we are going to fall out, Scarlett. I need you to open up my luggage compartment and hand me the silver box.
SCARLETT
I'd love to help, Brian, but I'm a spacecraft. I'm not sending the emergency signal as of now but if--
BRIAN
Forget it. I was joking.
He throws himself out of his chair and crawls over to a small door in the base of the control panel.
BRIAN
This... was not planned... and, yes, the trip down...
(groans with pain)
... was uneventful. Just slow and painful. Thanks for your concern.
Brian pulls himself up against the control panel and wipes some drool from his chin.
He takes a deep breath, then pulls the door to his side open. From inside he picks up a silver box.
Inside's a clear plastic bag holding a vial of clear liquid and a few syringes.
BRIAN
Always plan ahead.
He pulls a syringe and the vial out.
BRIAN
I hate needles.
He draws a non-specific amount of liquid from the vial and plunges the syringe into his leg.
He sighs with ecstasy.
BRIAN
Shit, that felt good.
He groans and lies flat out on the floor.
BRIAN
Yes, that was a drug. No, it wasn't heroin. It's a synthetic and very powerful chemical that kind of acts like interferon, except this thing kicks ass. It's Bruce Lee to those dickheads on YouTube. Jackie Chan to--
Brian suddenly doubles over, cursing.
BRIAN
Fuck me, this shit won't go away.
He throws up then moans.
INT. ON-SHIP BATHROOM
Brian throws himself into the room and toward the toilet, violently hurling more than a lung.
He stands up, spits into the sink then looks in the mirror.
He puts his hand up to his eyeball which is slowly turning blue, not the iris or the white, but the whole eyeball.
BRIAN
What the fuck?
He keeps staring in pure intrigue at his left eye as a pale blue haze glazes it over.
BRIAN
This is new. Freaky, isn't it? Jesus... I've studied virology though. Don't think I haven't seen worse.
INT. STORE CUPBOARD
Brian reaches in pulling multiple bottles from the shelf.
INT. BATHROOM
Scanning the ingredients list on bottles Brian tugs at his ear.
He has set up two groups of bottles, once he finishes reading the back of the one in his hand he puts it into one group, pulls a few from the other and then dashes all the rest to the ground.
Brian runs the taps a second to clear the vomit then, pouring liquids into the sink, counts:
BRIAN
One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three.
He stops pouring the contents of one bottle and moves onto another.
BRIAN
One Mississippi, two...
INT. DOCKING BAY 1
Jack wanders through to the bay, uninterested in where he's going. He looks up at a huge spacecraft and thinks.
He walks around it looking for an opening, but sees nothing.
INT. BATHROOM
Brian stirs the concoction in the sink with a toothbrush then throws it away.
BRIAN
No, it's not specific, but remember...
(stops because of the pain)
... I'm a genius.
A bolt of pain runs through his brain, he clenches handfuls of hair and screams in the mirror.
The scream fades into manic laughter.
BRIAN
Me, get ill? Isn't this fucking ironic. Killed by my own weapon? Not fucking today, I'll tell you that!
He pulls a syringe from the clear bag and fills it with the solution in the sink.
The needle snaps.
BRIAN
Bitch.
He throws the syringe out the bathroom door and sticks his head into the sink.
SPLASH
Gasping for air, he quickly pulls his head away.
BRIAN
My fucking eyes!
He looks back into the sink.
BRIAN
My life.
SPLASH
He plunges his head back under.
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
Brian groggily walks in, dropping a towel over the puke in the corner, slumping down into his chair.
BRIAN
Chemicals. Can't stick your face in them, can't live without them. Nonetheless, I feel better, thanks for asking.
Brian, embellishing the effort, reaches for the draw below the control panel, talking out a notepad.
BRIAN
Scarlett, have your security cameras picked up any movement within the last forty-five minutes.
SCARLETT
No. Are you feeling better now?
BRIAN
Look at this, if you had a face I'd kiss it and if you had tits I'd squeeze them. Yes, I'm okay. Thank you.
(to us and Scarlett)
I used a chemical solution similar to that I use in the N-S-V-Is to slow down the virus or viruses I've contracted. I'm pretty sure I could die any time soon either because my metabolism screeches to a halt or this virus tears me a new one, but I've got work to do.
Brian starts scribbling on the notepad.
BRIAN
If my prosthetic interferon didn't work on this virus that means I'm in trouble. I'm not definitely sure, but I think one of my viruses has mutated. I've seen one mutate before, it fed off interferon, which is kind of awesome because that's the stuff that will take viruses down. Obviously it was just too dangerous so I've never used it. Now something like it must be airborne. Don't think I'm stupid, these diseases are engineered to overtake a body with no resistance capable of stopping it. There should be no need for them to mutate as they are perfect as is. Here I am though. Just got to do some math to--
SOLDIER
Freeze! Get your hands up, now!
Brian turns around and looks at the SOLDIER aiming an assault rifle at his chest.
BRIAN
Shit, Scarlett, you could have warned me.
SOLDIER
Shut up! Get your hands on your head and shut up!
BRIAN
(putting his hands on his head)
You said that already.
The soldier walks over and lifts him out of the chair.
BRIAN
I can manage.
He pushes Brian a few steps in front of him and pulls his gun back up.
SOLDIER
Walk, now!
BRIAN
Ok, you can stop shouting now, I can hear you.
SOLDIER
Move!
Brian rolls his eyes.
INT. DOCKING BAY 2
Brian walks down Scarlett's access ramp with the soldier following behind him.
SOLDIER
To the left!
BRIAN
Yeah, I get it, we are going to your ship.
SOLDIER
Say another word and I put a bullet in you!
Brian rolls his eyes.
He slowly paces toward the Soldier's spacecraft, sideways glancing us.
The soldier stops and coughs. Brian perks up.
BRIAN
Well, you're fucked then.
He stops, turns around and puts his hands down.
The soldier continues spluttering.
BRIAN
(to us and the soldier)
There's no protection in this place, it's a hostile environment no human in his right mind stays in. I'm just glad this didn't happen on the ship in the middle of nowhere with me locked up.
Still spluttering the soldier lifts the gun and sprays a few rounds past Brian.
B-B-B-B-BANG
He drops to the floor.
BRIAN
Jesus, fuck! What is wrong with you?
The soldier gobs then stands back up lifting his assault rifle to his shoulder.
SOLDIER
Move!
Brian gets to his feet and starts walking again with a few groans.
BRIAN
You look ridiculous by the way.
SOLDIER
Shut the fuck up!
BRIAN
Oh, hush, it's not like we're going to make it to the ship.
The soldier pops a few more rounds past Brian.
B-B-BANG
He jumps out of his skin.
BRIAN
I don't appreciate that. I'm not bullet proof here.
SOLDIER
Don't make me question that...
He coughs.
BRIAN
(whispers to us)
Shit joke incoming.
SOLDIER
... you don't want me to test if your lying.
Brian just rolls his eyes.
They continue walking to the edge of the bay where the soldier's ship is parked, all the way there the soldier coughs.
They get to the ship and the soldier pulls out his radio.
BRIAN
Shit that thing is old. You carry that and you don't carry handcuffs?
SOLDIER
How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?
After a few seconds of silence...
SOLDIER
These suits don't come fitted with anything better. The braces are on the ship.
BRIAN
So you look stupid and are poorly equipped.
SOLDIER
You're off C-C and I don't think so...
He pulls his gun up.
The soldier breaks into a coughing fit, getting speckles of blood all over the inside of his visor.
He throws the radio and pulls the visor off, gasping for air.
BRIAN
You're definitely fucked now.
The soldier falls to his knees, spewing blood over the place.
Brian walks away from him back toward Scarlett.
BRIAN
Some idiots? I believe C-C stands for close contact by the way. At least, that's what the cops on T.V say.
INT. DOCKING BAY 1
Jack wanders out of docking bay 1...
INT. CORRIDORS
... through a series of corridors without apparent direction before reaching docking bay 2.
INT. DOCKING BAY 2
Jack steps into this massive bay and looks up at the ceilings seemingly miles high. Continuing to walk forward he hums to the beat of his footsteps.