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SECOND TRIUMVIRATE Chapter One
By The Host
Howdy, folks. Here's the first installment of SECOND TRIUMVIRATE, only a year too late. Oh, well. As always, this is a work in progress and has not been edited yet -- so please ignore any typos, grammatical mistakes, or what have you.
That said, please leave a comment -- even if it's just to say you've taken a look at it. This is a big project for me, and I pour my heart and soul into it; a little bit of encouragement -- or, better yet, constructive criticism -- goes a long way toward inspiring me to write and inspiring me to write better.
Anyway, that's my spiel. Hope you enjoy the story! What follows represents the first eight minutes of the film -- roughly half of an extended pre-credits sequence. Already you can see the plot thickening.
Chapter Two should be ready later tonight or tomorrow.
SECOND TRIUMVIRATE
by
Matt Boudreau
HOLD BLACK FOR SEVERAL SECONDS
ROBERT JOHNSON (V.O.)
Jack, you scared?
CUT TO:
INT. DAVIES'S BEDROOM -- DARK
JACK DAVIES bolts upright in bed, unceremoniously torn out of
his slumber. His chest heaves; sweat soaks his forehead; his
eyes dart around him wildly. He sits there huffing and
puffing for a moment, trying to control his ragged breathing
and his pounding heart. He looks down and absently twists his
nose between his fingers.
SUPER:
Twelve Years Later
It is dark in Davies's room, but only for a moment. A modicum
of self-control restored, Davies reaches over and lightly
taps a small stainless steel panel next to him. The room is
bathed in light and he is forced to blink a few times before
things come into focus.
Yeah, it's the same room as always. Same room it's been
almost a dozen years. A large, empty room, irregularly shaped
-- as if designed to hide away angry shadows in lonely
corners. Davies sighs inwardly and slumps his shoulders as he
swings his legs down over the bed, settles his feet onto the
cold war, and hangs his head. He sits there like that for a
long moment, barely stirring. Silence weighs down upon him.
Nothing. Finally, he hauls himself to an upright position and
stares forlornly ahead.
After a dull moment there is a BEEP at the door. Davies
ignores it; he doesn't even flinch. After a long moment there
is another BEEP, this one more insistent. Davies stands now,
looks down at the table beside his bed. There is another
BEEP, then another, and then muffled knocking and the barely
heard voice of an ATTENDANT.
ATTENDANT (O.S.)
Mister Davies! Mister Davies, sir?
Mister Davies!
Davies closes the table drawer, which he had been absently
peering into, and grumbles to himslef as he shuffles toward
the door.
DAVIES
Six thousand years of continuous
human development and they can't
get me a soundproof door.
(Louder)
Yeah, what is it?
ATTENDANT (O.S.)
Mister Davies, are you all right?
Davies waves his hand across a panel next to the door. It
noiselessly slides open revealing the young, well-built man
standing on the other side.
EXT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
Davies stands in the doorway of the well-lit hall as he
speaks with the Attendant.
DAVIES
Yeah, what is it?
ATTENDANT
Sir, you have to come with me--
DAVIES
What's your name?
ATTENDANT
Excuse me, sir?
DAVIES
Your name, what's your name?
ATTENDANT
Barry, sir. If you could come with
me--
DAVIES
Barry, is that your first name or
your last? Tell me your full name.
ATTENDANT
Last, sir. Darren Barry.
DAVIES
Darren Barry, do you realize that
it's -- what time is it?
ATTENDANT
Oh four hundred. Sir.
DAVIES
Darren, do you know it's four
o'clock in the morning?
ATTENDANT
Sir, it's the Emperor.
A sudden concern washes over Davies's face and he is awake in
an instant.
DAVIES
The Emperor?
ATTENDANT
Yes, sir.
DAVIES
I'll be right there.
With that Davies withdraws back into his room, the door
shutting behind him.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MAGNAPOLIS - DAY
Magnapolis, glorious seat of the United Star Systems, basks
in the clear light of day. It has been rebuilt magnificently
in the twelve years since battle scarred its streets.
Intricate towers stand like mighty silent sentinels in the
air frowning down on a procession of vehicles that snake
through the city's core.
Past palaces and gardens, artificial waterfalls and gleaming
high-rises, buildings stretching tens of thousands of feet
into the clouds, a string of eight dark shuttles plunges
through the busy city, avoiding traffic as it makes its way
toward the Grand Palace.
INT. SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS
The shuttle's cabin is small but comfortably appointed. RICH
MEN in expensive business suits sit quietly in comfortable
leather seats as the bustling metropolis speeds past.
EXLER JOGGINS is the chief of their number; a man of about
fifty with well-defined features and a stern lip. He sits in
silent thought, staring blankly ahead as beautiful sights
sweep by behind him. He says not a word, makes not a move.
After a moment an annoucement is made over the shuttle's
intercom.
PILOT (V.O.)
We are approaching the Palace,
gentlemen, and should be there in a
few seconds.
The men shuffle their papers and grab their DataPads and
shove their cases under their arms and stand and stretch and
one makes a mundane comment about the weather or his last
fishing trip. But they all fall to expectant silence waiting
for Exler Joggins to join them.
Finally, slowly, he draws himself up, glances out the window,
and sighs.
EXT. GRAND PALACE - CONTINUOUS
The Palace is dizzyingly large and labyrinthine, sprawling
over dozens of wide terraces and lawns. It sits perched on a
clifftop high above the city center, yet far below the peaks
of the tallest towers. It is splendidly built of marble and
gold, as if by a Rockerfeller or Vanderbuilt of the Guilded
Age, and adorned with exquisite statuary and gardens and
fountains and art.
The shuttles make for a high circular terrace, its
cobblestones forming in mosaic the Emperor's seal. The
shuttles land and Joggins and the others make for an entrance
nearby.
INT. GRAND PALACE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
They emerge into a lavish hall, maybe thirty feet wide and
sixty high, with great arched windows looking onto the
terrace on one side and wide mahogany doors on the other. It
is richly furnished, richly carpeted, richly adorned, richly
designed.
Joggins and his entourage make their way through the bright
and airy hall, which is people by a dozen or so SERVANTS and
AIDES going quietly about their business. After a moment the
Imperial Treasurer, WELSH, a round and balding little man,
runs breathlessly up to Joggins.
WELSH
Consul, Mister Joggins, sir.
JOGGINS
How is he?
WELSH
Not well, sir. The doctors say he
might not make it another week.
JOGGINS
(Beat)
All right. Is he a wake? Can I
speak with him?
WELSH
He's awake, sir, but you'll have to
wait to speak with him. Mister
Davies is in there now.
They come to another lofty hall to their left, this one with
a grand spiral staircase rising to a balcony thirty feet
above at the far end. Joggins and the others halt.
JOGGINS
Davies? How long has he been in
there?
WELSH
I don't know. Maybe an hour, maybe.
Maybe a little more.
JOGGINS
I'll wait.
INT. GRAND PALACE - HALLWAY - LATER
Joggins sits alone in a plush red chair against one of the
walls. He sits up straight as an arrow, staring into space in
quite contemplation. His thoughts are interrupted when a set
of doors behind the staircase open and Jack Davies emerges
from beyond. Joggins gazes at Davies for a moment: the man's
face is drawn, his skin white, his eyes downcast. Welsh jogs
over to him and they talk together gravely and quietly.
Joggins is too far away to hear their conversation but he
stands erect and alert, as though trying to catch a phrase on
the wind. Davies looks up for a second and seems to notice
Joggins for the first time; their eyes lock for a moment and
then Davies looks away. A few seconds later, with a slow nod,
he leaves Welsh and moves toward Joggins.
JOGGINS
Jack.
Davies takes a deep breath as he reaches Joggins, stands, and
stares the other down for a moment. Then Davies's eyes dart
away; he sniffs and speaks in a low voice.
DAVIES
He's dead.
Joggins barely flinches; just slowly nods his head. Davies's
eyes search the floor; he absently touches his nose.
DAVIES (CONT'D)
He, uh. . .
(Long beat)
He said. . . He said me.
JOGGINS
(Softly)
What?
Davies brings his eyes to meet Joggins's, if only for a
second.
DAVIES
He's given me the throne.
Joggins doesn't respond. His lips tighten slightly, almost
imperceptibly. Otherwise he says nothing. Davies akwardly
places his hand on Joggins's shoulder.
DAVIES (CONT'D)
I'm sorry.
Taking his hand away he nods slightly, as if to himself, and
moves quietly away, still staring at the ground. Joggins
watches him leave as Welsh approaches tentatively from
behind.
WELSH
Sir?
Joggins turns to him, reluctantly taking charge.
JOGGINS
Yes. Call . . . Let the chief
Senators know. And the Cabinet. The
Praefect. Media. Call them all.
WELSH
What should I tell them?
JOGGINS
Tell them . . . Whatever you think
is best.
Welsh nods and rushes off.
EXT. THE UNITED CENTER - DAY
The squarish Untied Center stands in the heart of Magnapolis,
at the edge of a greenspace where monuments to the fallen
Corporate and Presidential Towers now stand. Great banners,
one emblazoned with the Imperial Seal and the other with that
of the United Star Systems, flank the grand entrance. Traffic
buzzes all about.
INT. THE UNITED CENTER - DAY
The interior of the United Center is like a large
ampitheater, with seating for Senators above the grand
entrance and seating for other guests along the sides. High
above the entrance stands a line of REPORTERS, trying their
damndest to get a good shot of the stage from over their
shoulders. WE DOLLY BY and catch a few snippets of their
reports.
REPORTER #1
It is expected that the quickly
called address will be on the state
of the Emperor's rapidly failing
health. . .
REPIRTER #2
The Emperor has ruled peacefully
now for twelve years, restoring
peace and prosperity to the United
Star Systems. . .
REPORTER #3
Before he took the title of
Emperor, even before he took the
name Augustus, he was Dawson, a
respected Admiral in the United
Fleets. . .
REPORTER #4
Of course Dawson delivered the USS
from the hands of the evil
Corporation. Now one must wonder if
he will live to fight again. . .
REPORTER #5
And as he has already -- oh, wait,
here they come.
The reporter turns as everybody in the room stands solemnly.
NEW ANGLE as Exler Joggins enters onto the stage, heading for
a rostrum directly in front of him. Hundreds of WELL-DRESSED
MEN silently stand as Joggins reaches the podium. He speaks
simply and directly, his voice amplified, his visage
magnified on giant screens hanging behind and above him.
JOGGINS
Please be seated.
The entire assemblage sits down, save for a few men on stage
and Joggins himself. Joggins takes a moment to survey the
faces before him, then launches headlong into his address.
JOGGINS (CONT'D)
For twelve years I have had the
singular honor and pleasure of
serving, as Consul, the Emperor and
President of the United Star
Systems: The Emperor Augustus. For
twelve years before that I served
him as a soldier. Of course, then
he was only the Admiral Dawson, but
with a change of name and a change
of title does not come a change of
man. The Admiral, the President,
the Emperor -- he was a man of
vision and a man of integrity. He
delivered himself upon the people
at great personal sacrifice in a
time of trouble, when the state was
beset by war, and he has granted us
an age of prosperity and freedom --
freedom from want and freedom from
fear -- that mankind has ever known
before or is likely to know again.
He served only his people and never
himself. He served for twelve
years.
(Beat)
The Emperor is dead. Long live the
Emperor.
Joggins turns and leaves the stage, followed by his men. The
audience is abuzz: some are surprised, some distraught, some
clearly expected this to happen; some might even have wished
it. The reporters all immediately turn and chatter excitedly
away, repeating that the Emperor is dead, that he was a great
man, and that you heard it here first.
FADE OUT.
So, that's it. Again, please comment!
Thanks,
The Host
NEXT CHAPTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
8/18/2004 8:29:14 PM
(Updated: 8/19/2004 12:28:36 AM)
(Updated: 8/19/2004 5:53:28 PM)
(Updated: 8/19/2004 5:55:01 PM)
(Updated: 8/20/2004 3:17:38 AM)
(Updated: 8/20/2004 3:18:23 AM)
(Updated: 8/20/2004 3:20:48 AM)
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