by Daniel Slack
(sighs)
It sounds stupid to say, but I think the virus has taken over your mind.
JACK
My mind?
BRIAN
Uh-huh. Well, that and it's a metaphor.
JACK
What does that mean?
BRIAN
That you are slave to a new owner.
JACK
What about you?
BRIAN
What about me?
JACK
Who's your owner?
BRIAN
What's your name?
JACK
Jack.
BRIAN
Then that is your owner, leaving mine to be Brian.
JACK
But, why?
BRIAN
Because without a name we are told we are nothing, Jack. Without a name you might as well not exist.
JACK
But, you can still affect the world.
BRIAN
Sure, you can kill people, but what will it mean to anyone other than a nameless body?
JACK
I have a name.
BRIAN
Yes, you do, but who knows it?
JACK
Who knows your name?
BRIAN
You for starters, Eliza upstairs, Ed, Joe... I could go on.
JACK
So, you mean more to the world than me?
BRIAN
Who am I to say? But, yes, why not.
There is a long silence.
JACK
What am I to do now?
BRIAN
About?
JACK
I don't know?
BRIAN
Then why ask?
JACK
To get answers.
BRIAN
Without asking the right question you will never get the answer you want. Jeez, this is turning stichomythic.
(to us)
Why I paid so much attention in English and not physics will always astound me.
JACK
Will you come out here?
BRIAN
No, there's no chance of that.
JACK
Why?
BRIAN
I don't trust you.
JACK
You don't trust me?
BRIAN
No, I don't. Only myself.
JACK
But, we're the same.
BRIAN
You and me? No.
JACK
I have a growing desire to get my hands around your neck.
BRIAN
Nice to know.
They stare at each other.
BRIAN
We have reached some kind of impasse. Here you are, wanting to kill me, here I am, wanting to get back out there.
JACK
Why?
BRIAN
Do you remember the name Eliza? Well, she is going to help me get where I need. There's been a whole kerfuffle with this disease nonsense, but, I'd like to get on.
JACK
And where's that?
BRIAN
Where I need to be? The top of the world.
JACK
But, we're in space.
BRIAN
That means nothing.
JACK
We are alone--
BRIAN
And so mean very little. Yeah, yeah.
Jack grows restless.
JACK
You should get out of your own head.
BRIAN
And go where exactly?
JACK
You could step out here.
BRIAN
Why?
JACK
I want to see the life leave your eyes.
BRIAN
I can't say I don't want to see the same in you. How do you feel right now?
JACK
A little tired.
BRIAN
Like you need to sleep, or your body is going to give out on you?
JACK
A bit of both.
BRIAN
How sad.
Jack laughs.
BRIAN
Well, would you look at the emotion! Jack, is killing fun to you?
JACK
No, it's more like an itch that needs to be scratched.
BRIAN
You can't scratch an itch away just like you can't laugh happiness away.
(to us)
Aphorisms.
JACK
Nonsense.
BRIAN
For what reason?
Jack scratches his neck.
BRIAN
Uh-huh.
JACK
Why do you kill, doesn't it feel good?
BRIAN
All I did was push a button.
JACK
And then what?
BRIAN
A whole lot of viruses killed a whole lot of people.
JACK
Then you killed them.
BRIAN
I get why you say that... and I guess I agree.
JACK
It felt good?
BRIAN
It felt like I had done something I was never supposed to and never thought I could do.
JACK
What happens to you now?
BRIAN
Well, that is dependant on how this pans out.
JACK
What about the people that are after you?
BRIAN
Maybe I just leave them to you and you to them. You seem pretty good with a gun, and a grenade.
JACK
It's not hard to squeeze or to let go.
BRIAN
Doesn't that seem to be the case for the both of us?
JACK
Maybe I won't kill you.
BRIAN
Maybe I still don't trust you.
Jack stares Brian straight in the eye.
BRIAN
Especially when you look me in the eye.
Jack crosses his arms, growing angry.
SCARLETT
Brian, please come to the cockpit.
BRIAN
(imitating Arnold)
I'll be back.
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
Brian rushes in.
BRIAN
What is it?
SCARLETT
That ship is on approach. It's on screen.
BRIAN
Look at this, maybe the soldiers can kill Jack for me.
SCARLETT
Who's Jack?
BRIAN
The guy upfront.
SCARLETT
They've entered the airlock.
BRIAN
Shit! Ok, um...
Brian runs out of the room.
INT. SCARLETT'S BAY DOORS
Jack looks toward the sound coming from the airlock.
Brian knocks on the screen.
BRIAN
You might want to run, they will probably kill you.
A military spacecraft comes through the space station bay doors.
Jack walks away from Scarlett.
INT. SCARLETT'S COCKPIT
Brian speed walks in, squeezing the bridge of his nose, thinking.
BRIAN
Scarlett, have you managed to get that feed from the pilot's compartment?
SCARLETT
No, I'm trying. I know where it's coming from and can put in a call, but that involves making our network vulnerable.
Brian paces, thinking.
BRIAN
Could they take over the ship?
SCARLETT
It's possible.
BRIAN
To what degree?
SCARLETT
It'd take about thirty minutes, but they could get full access. We could by-pass that though by taking off. Safety procedures would protect us, giving us a further hour before they could remotely control us entirely.
BRIAN
Ok, put in the call.
SCARLETT
&nb
sp; How do I get their attention?
BRIAN
What?
SCARLETT
What do I say?
BRIAN
Hey, it's Brian?
SCARLETT
That should work.
(calls)
Oh.
Eliza pops up on the control panel screen. Brian takes his seat in front of it.
She sees the state of him, but before she can react:
BRIAN
Thank you, Scarlett, and hello Eliza. It's been a while.
ELIZA
Brian, I don't know what you did with the last team, but there is a new one coming to collect you now.
BRIAN
Scarlett, could you please send Eliza the footage of Jack.
SCARLETT
Will do.
BRIAN
Thanks. Eliza, what is being sent to you right now is footage of what happened to the soldiers. So, if you would, could you watch the video and then send the team after Jack.
ELIZA
(watching a second screen)
This guy is almost as sick as you.
BRIAN
Hey.
ELIZA
Ahh... he's eating from that bowl... that's fucking disgusting. Maybe you aren't the same.
BRIAN
Thank you.
ELIZA
I don't have control over the team, but I think they need to know this guy is up there. Give me a minute.
The screen goes off.
BRIAN
Scarlett, is there an accessible feed of the ship that just landed?
SCARLETT
I think this is it.
Security camera footage shows up on the screen.
It shows a team of fifteen men in a line being given commands by another.
The soldiers break up and head toward the docking bay exit.
Eliza pops back up on the screen.
ELIZA
Seems that nobody likes Jack around here. Do you know I talked to him earlier?
BRIAN
Really?
ELIZA
Yeah, he didn't have much to say. I did suggest that the team break into two and that one half should detain you--
BRIAN
Rhyme.
ELIZA
(sighs)
But, they're all after Jack. So it looks like you're going to have to sit tight.
BRIAN
(not grateful)
Thanks.
ELIZA
What? It's been a long night. The sooner you're detained, the sooner I get to go home.
BRIAN
Well, we've lost our action packed third act. I envisioned chases, guns, timers, with the thirty minutes 'til shut down and having to take off. My plate spinning skills could have come into play... I don't know, maybe we can just put it on hold. Anyway, isn't this stuff exciting for you?
ELIZA
No.
BRIAN
It's not everyday you deal with a mastermind like me though.
ELIZA
It's not everyday that I have diarrhoea. Doesn't mean I look forward to it.
BRIAN
Fair enough. What's that like then?
ELIZA
What?
BRIAN
Going home after work.
ELIZA
You don't have a home?
BRIAN
No, I do. I just meant: what goes on with Eliza after all this? Let's find out a bit about your character.
ELIZA
I go home and sleep. What makes you so curious?
BRIAN
I only ask for the sake of conversation. Don't think I'm coming onto you, I'm taken. Isn't that right, Scarlett?
SCARLETT
So embarrassing.
Brian laughs.
ELIZA
Wow, in love with you on-board computer. Original.
BRIAN
It's better than anything you've got.
ELIZA
That's true. I'm happy for you two.
Scarlett tuts. Brian dismisses it.
BRIAN
What? You mean there's no cat at home waiting for you?
ELIZA
I hate cats, evil things.
BRIAN
Maybe I should get one.
ELIZA