SECOND TRIUMVIRATE Chapter Three
By The Host
Here you go, the third installment. This chapter finishes the initial set-up and gets the story rolling. It;s shorter than the last two installments, representing only about five minutes of screen time and bringing us to the twenty-two minute mark. The next installment should be ready tonight or tomorrow.
INT. USS MAJESTY - BRIDGE - DIM
CLOSE-UP on a black screen marked with a series of concentric
green circles. Suddenly a red dot begins to flash,
accompanies by an insistent BEEPING sound.
PULL BACK to reveal an ENSIGN sitting at the display and a
well-manicured OFFICER standing over him. They are in the
dark bridge of the massive United Star Systems Ship Majesty,
the bulk of which stretches out below the high windows that
surround the busy room.
OFFICER
What is that? Where?
ENSIGN
Freighter. Al T'Haran. It's just
past Sector 1101.08C.
OFFICER
Past it?
ENSIGN
Yes sir.
OFFICER
Who's closest?
ENSIGN
We are, sir.
The officer nods and walks away, approaching the captain's
chair.
OFFICER
Captain?
The chair turns. In it sits a paunchy man in his mid
thirties, who looks vaguely familiar: his name is COPLEY, and
he is at least thirty years younger than he was when we last
saw him.
OFFICER
Captain Copley, sir, we're
receiving a distress signal from an
Al T'Haran freighter. We're the
nearest ship with rescue capability
but it's wondered beyond the
Frontiers, so it's up to you
whether we extend aid or not.
COPLEY
Goddamn Al T'Har. But I won't see
fellow travellers die when we can
do something to help.
Communications, send a message to
United Command requesting
permission to divert our course.
Nav, be ready to move the minute
the order comes through. And
somebody get me Commander Dawson!
The crew springs into action.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MAGNAPOLIS - DAY
It is a dismal afternoon. The great city stands as ever,
enveloping and humbling the specks of people that live there
or visit. This is an old part of the city, its exquisite
towers eroding with the passage of time and crawling with
shuttles like maggots on great rotting corpses. Past one such
building is a wide field of marble and grass absolutely
packed with MILLIONS OF PEOPLE; in its center is a single
square stone building with a small dome on top.
EXT. MASOLEUM - DAY
The people surround this scowling edifice, quietly reverent,
eyes collectively averted, as though observing some ancient
ritual of sacrifice and appeasement. We CRANE DOWN to the
other side of the stone Masoleum, dominated by a pair of
heavy wooden doors, at least twenty feet high and five feet
wide each, now open to the smothering darkness inside.
Presently a half dozen MEN IN DARK SUITS, including Davies
and Joggins, emerge from the shadows and descend the steps to
a grassy lawn below.
They turn to regard the building as TWO GUARDS slowly, and
with some effort, heave the great doors shut.
The two stand side-by-side, quietly watching. After a long
moment Davies speaks out of the corner of his mouth.
DAVIES
The Senate will have to be called
to appoint a new President.
JOGGINS
(Looking straight ahead)
You mean 'Emperor'.
DAVIES
Turn. Try to look somber.
JOGGINS
I feel somber.
They turn together to regard the crowd, posing for media
images. They make great displays of resolve and friendship,
shaking hands one moment, putting arms around each other's
shoulders the next, looking forward to a grim future. They
are far enough away, though, that their words cannot be
heard.
DAVIES
Exler, look, I want to tell you
something, and please hear me out
before you respond, okay? Look, I
know you want this, and I know I
said I didn't. That was true at the
time, it was, and I think you'd be
a great President, you really
would, but I want this now, and I
wouldn't be going after it if I
didn't think I was qualified. Best
qualified.
(Beat)
I know you. I do. I know what you
think of me; you think I'm
incompetent. You think I have my
own interests in mind and not the
state's. That's not true. I mean,
of course, a little bit. Honestly,
who wouldn't want to be Emperor? I
know the power attracts you, too. I
can tell. But don't get me wrong,
that's not to say you're just in it
for the power. Nobody questions
your integrity.
And you've known Dawson longer, and
worked harder, and have more
experience, and you almost
certainly are smarter than me and,
I guess, more qualified. And I can
even understand if you have a
certain sense of entitlement. But
trust me, you wouldn't be a better
President. It takes a certain kind
of man, a kind of man willing to do
things other men won't. That's the
main thing I've learned from
watching Dawson.
(Beat)
Look, I'm sorry, but let's be
honest here. You'd make a great
President, but I've got the votes.
I've got at least 214 Senators
backing me -- all the biggest
factions. There are 400 Senators,
so you do the math. I know you want
this and even think you deserve it,
but you're only going to embarrass
yourself, Exler. You might
otherwise still have a strong
political future; you have a chance
to stay on as Consul and even
become Emperor someday when I step
down. But not if you oppose me. Of
course I don't want you to; it
makes things messy when what we
need right not is unity and
stability, not opposition and
division. And I'd like to work with
you. I regret we were never really
friends. You back me and I'll make
sure you're well-rewarded, and you
might even be Emperor someday. I'm
gonna leave it up to you, of
course. This isn't a threat. I'm
just being honest and, again, I'm
truly sorry.
The two men have started walking together, flanked at a
distance by GUARDS and OFFICIALS, and still some distance
from the crowd. Joggins considers Davies's suggestion for a
long moment. Then:
JOGGINS
It's time, Jack, to give the USS
back to the people--
DAVIES
(Exasperated)
Jesus, we've been through this--
JOGGINS
--And if you think that wasn't
Dawson's plan you're wrong or
you're lying.
DAVIES
It was never his plan. He gave the
throne to me to ensure the
stability of the state.
JOGGINS
Then you're a liar, Jack, but you
aren't a fool. You have a
particular genius for political
skulduggery. But your talents do
not dispose themselves to
leadership or even to management.
You have no great ability to wield
power, only the ability and the
ruthlessness to attain it. You
can't imagine why a man like me
would want power, why I'd want to
make others' lives better and not
my own. You don't understand that
for some people the assumption of
power is a sacrifice, not a
benediction. That you would
question my motives is an insult;
that you would try to buy me, an
abomination. And if you honestly
believe that Dawson intended to
forge an empire to stand the test
of time, then you did not know him
as well as you think.
DAVIES
Dawson was my father.
JOGGINS
Your father died long before Dawson
did. Both would have seen the
Republic restored.
DAVIES
Dawson understood that the people
don't want freedom, they want
order, and safety from the
barbarians living past our borders
when they strike out against our
honour and wealth. The Republic
failed to provide either, and when
it tried it was purchased wholesale
by the Corporation and became a
force for marketing, not stability.
The Republic was broken before you
or I or even Dawson was born. The
Republic failed. Now Dawson has
placed his trust in me to see
Imperial glory and power secured.
Joggins halts and turns toward Davies, looking him in the
eye.
JOGGINS
You're wrong, and I'll fight you.
DAVIES
I know.
Joggins walks on ahead. Davies, after a moment, follows.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Please don't forget to comment!
Thanks,
The Host
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
8/21/2004 5:38:28 PM
(Updated: 8/22/2004 1:29:17 AM)
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
