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TRIUMVIRATE (Installment Fourteen)
By The Host
Here we go! (Thirteen minutes, to two hours forty-four minutes)
EXT. CORPORATE TOWER -- NIGHT
The great gothic tower stretches thirty thousand feet above the level of the street, inspiring awe and terror in all that see it.
INT. LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS
Davies, Macy and Johnson enter the vast lobby of the Corporate headquarters. It is an immense square room, the upper levels of the walls carved with intricate motifs, dominated by a cross. HUNDREDS OF WORKERS in suits pack the room, going about their business.
JOHNSON
This place isn’t empty!
Macy sighs.
MACY
A lot of people are going to die.
DAVIES
This couldn’t have been Dawson’s intention.
MACY
Let’s find a lift, get to the top.
At that moment, alarms go off in the building. Above the doors flashing words: SECURITY.
MACY (CONT’D)
They know we’re here.
DAVIES
How?
JOHNSON
We can’t use a lift now; they’ll track us for certain.
MACY
Yes we can. Follow me.
He leads them through the lobby.
INT. GLASS BRIDGE -- CONTINUOUS
The reason for the alarm now becomes clear: Willem and Steve and the cabbie run across a glassed-in footbridge over a busy highway; at the far end the words ‘CORPORATE TOWER’ are inscribed above the door. ‘SECURITY’ flashes just below that.
CABBIE
They know we’re here.
STEVE
Hell of an entrance you made back there.
Guards are now in the bridge behind them. The glass doors ahead begin to close. Willem and Steve and the cabbie speed up; they make it through the doors just as they close, just as the guards’ first laser blasts are let loose, now harmlessly blasting the door.
INT. CORRIDOR -- CONTINUOUS
Now they find themselves in a wide hallway which leads to the lobby. They stop to catch their breath.
WILLEM
Why are they still chasing us if you left all of your loot back in the cab? Don’t they have more important things to do?
STEVE
(Indicating he and Willem)
I assume they’re chasing us.
CABBIE
Some hostages you are.
STEVE
We’d better get going. There’ll be more after us before long.
CABBIE
I’ll stay here, face the music. I’ll just slow you down.
STEVE
You said you used to work in this building?
The cabbie nods.
STEVE (CONT’D)
You’re coming with us, then. C’mon.
The cabbie nods and they disappear into a side corridor just as the guards get the glass doors open and plunge into the corridor.
INT. CORRIDOR –- MOMENTS LATER
Davies and Macy and Johnson make their way through a bright, empty corridor. They come to a monitor set into the wall; Macy halts.
JOHNSON
So what do we do?
MACY
The lifts here work on an enhanced-grav system: there’s no motors, they just manipulate the strength and direction of gravity to get these things to move. Now, there should be a lift just around this corner. I have some skill with these things; I can disable it, make it zero-gee, open the doors for you, and you go in. You’ve got boosters in your packs. Use them to go up the shaft. It’ll take a while, but it’ll be safe. It’ll just look like a malfunction to security, and they won’t be able to tell what floor you get off on.
JOHNSON
Where’d you ever learn to do something like that?
MACY
I was an engineer in another life.
JOHNSON
God help us.
DAVIES
(To Macy)
What about you?
MACY
I’ll stay here until I get it set up, hold anyone off for a few minutes. Then I’ll come behind you.
Macy’s already at work with the computer system.
MACY (CONT’D)
Go on, go! This’ll only take me a second.
The two nod; before they run off, Johnson unhooks his pack and throws it to Macy.
JOHNSON
Here, you might need this. We’ll only need one.
Macy nods his thanks and Davies and Johnson escape around the corner.
INT. CEO’S OFFICE -- NIGHT
The CEO holds a drink in his hand, still full. He watches battle rage over the city outside his window. The sky is beginning to lighten: dawn will soon come, shedding light into his darkened office.
Just as the CEO take the drink to his lips there is a beeping sound and the image of Admiral Copley appears behind him. The CEO turns and places his drink down on his desk.
COPLEY
Driven to drink?
(Beat)
Good, good. The war with Al T’Har is over here. We won. Of course.
THE CEO
Congratulations.
COPLEY
Yes, yes, thanks. Meanwhile, your battle? I’ve been watching on the holovision, of course, but I wanted to hear it from yourself.
THE CEO
We’re awaiting your reinforcements.
COPLEY
Yes, about that. I see you’re currently out-numbered six to one, and you’re taking more casualties than Dawson. With my reinforcements you’ll only be out-numbered three to one.
There is a long, bitter pause. Then:
COPLEY
It’s all broken, our Triumvirate, our plan. Yours is a sinking ship. Well, I’m keeping my head above water. Good luck, good riddance, good bye.
Copley disappears. The CEO falls heavily into his seat and downs the alcohol.
EXT. SPACE
A convoy of freighters makes its way through the raging battle. In the distance the Gemini makes quick work of any vessel that dares attack it.
INT. GEMINI –- STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson looks up from his view of the battle as Exler Joggins enters the room.
JOGGINS
Sir, there is a train of supply vessels leaving the planet, several hundred of them, with minimal escort, making their way to the hypergate.
DAWSON
That’s them.
JOGGINS
We don’t attack?
DAWSON
Of course we don’t attack!
Joggins nods and leaves the room. Dawson returns to his view of battle.
INT. CORRIDOR
Davies and Johnson reach the end of the corridor – and the doors to a lift. A sign overhead blinks ‘OUT OF ORDER’.
JOHNSON
Come on!
He jams his fingers into the crack between the doors and pulls. Davies joins them and they heave the doors open.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
They peer into the shaft, surprisingly well-lit, which plunges down several stories and stretches up to indeterminate height. Johnson takes a deep breath.
JOHNSON
Here goes nothing.
He steps into the shaft – but he doesn’t fall. Instead he floats slowly in the direction he had stepped. He hits the opposite wall and turns, pushing himself off and coming back to the doors.
JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Secure yourself to me, Jack.
Jack reaches out and grabs Johnson by the shoulder, turns him around, and hooks himself to Johnson’s pack so that they stand back-to-back, Davies on the floor and Johnson floating in the shaft. Johnson reaches down and pulls a tab on his backpack; a strange device protrudes from the bottom and shoots out a jet of gas. The two begin to rocket up the shaft.
INT. CORRIDOR
Hawk Macy finishes his work with the monitor and turns to follow Davies and Johnson – and bumps into a patrol of FIFTEEN CORPORATE SOLDIERS. The lead soldier halts the brigade, looks at Macy, looks at the lift, and then motions his men forward.
SOLDIER
Get him!
Macy turns and sprints; some of the soldiers follow, withdrawing their laser guns; others halt to aim and fire; still others move to the monitor. Macy runs through a nearby doorway.
INT. BOARD ROOM -- CONTINUOUS
Macy finds himself in a small corporate boardroom. He runs across and crouches behind the long table, kicking chairs out of the way and reaching into his pack to withdraw a large laser rifle. He frantically clears papers from the table and sets the gun down in time to cleanly shoot the first two Corporate soldiers that come into the room. The next two assume positions on either side of the entrance, shooting at Macy. He ducks under the table; they miss.
INT. CORRIDOR
Steve and Willem and the cabbie make their way through a dark hallway lined with rich mahogany paneling.
CABBIE
So what are we doing?
WILLEM
I guess first we have to find our friends.
STEVE
Yeah, but – waitaminute!
WILLEM
(Reaching into his pocket)
Christ, I forgot!
He pulls out the bullet-shaped communicator and places it into his ear; Steve follows suit. The cabbie watches on.
WILLEM
(Tapping his ear)
Macy? Johnson? Jack? Where are you?
INT. BOARDROOM
Macy continues to shoot. Now soldiers are entering the room, crouching, rushing along the sides.
WILLEM (V.O.)
Macy?
MACY
Guys, I could use some help here!
INT. CORRIDOR
Steve and Willem smile.
CABBIE
What?
STEVE
Where are you, Hawk?
INT. BOARDROOM
The soldiers almost have him. He looks up at the door.
MACY
Boardroom eighteen.
The nearest soldier is upon him. He picks up the rifle and hits the soldier across the face with it as two more come from behind.
INT. CORRIDOR
Steve turns to the cabbie.
STEVE
Boardroom eighteen! You know where it is?
CABBIE
Yeah, that’s right nearby, this floor! Come on!
They run along the corridor, following the cabbie, withdrawing their weapons.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
Davies and Johnson continue to fly up the shaft.
JOHNSON
So how’s life been with the Black Aces?
DAVIES
Exciting.
JOHNSON
Yeah.
He smiles. At that moment the lights, glowing white, begin to pulse amber. There is a great moaning sound growing quickly louder and deeper.
DAVIES
What does that mean?
JOHNSON
Hold on to something!
Johnson swings around and grabs onto a small metal protrusion from the side of the shaft, reaching down and shutting off his jetpack. At that instant everything goes topsy-turvy. Their legs are drawn up, they dangle up, as though they are hanging from an upside-down cliff. Johnson strains to hold on, but then they see something below them, rapidly approaching: the lift!
DAVIES
What the hell?
JOHNSON
They must’ve got Macy! Hold on!
And with that he lets go. They fall up the elevator shaft at incredible speed, the lift ‘falling’ behind them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, a roof panel of the lift is pushed aside and THREE CORPORATE TROOPS emerge. They stand atop the elevator car and begin shooting at our heroes.
INT. CORRIDOR
Steve and Willem and the Cabbie run through the corridor. Steve carries a laser rifle, smaller than Macy’s; Willem carries the same and is drawing a smaller gun from his belt. They tear around a corner, coming upon six of the Corporate soldiers; in their midst walks Macy in handcuffs. Immediately Steve and Willem and the cabbie assume defensive positions on either side of the corridor. Willem throws the cabbie his smaller gun.
CABBIE
Thanks.
STEVE
And don’t shoot the guy in the middle!
They shoot at the troops, who wheel around and exchange fire.
INT. LIFT
Davies and Johnson, still falling, fire back at the troops on the lift. Johnson reaches down to turn the rocket pack back on in an attempt to slow their ascent. One of Davies’s blasts connects and a soldier falls back into the lift car; an opposite blast strikes Johnson’s arm. He yelps, but it’s merely a flesh wound, and he turns back to the backpack. Suddenly the rocket’s back on and they plow through the air toward the lift below, still shooting.
INT. CORRIDOR
Two of the Corporate troops lie dead; two more grab Macy and flee the scene. Steve and Willem leap out from their spots hiding in door-frames.
STEVE
Come on!
Still firing, they run toward the soldiers. The cabbie remains behind a moment, and is able to shoot one more soldier. Then he bounds away through a side door. Meanwhile, the other two have reached the junction of corridors. Willem bludgeons the remaining soldier with his rifle; he crumples to the ground. Now it’s three chasing two, but they can’t shoot, because one of the remaining soldiers has Macy in a death grip, and turns, his gun to Macy’s head.
SOLDIER
Shoot! I dare you!
The second soldier wheels around behind the first and raises his gun to make short work of Steve and Willem, who halt in their tracks, when suddenly the cabbie emerges from a door behind the two Corporate soldiers. He hits the nearest on the head with the butt of his gun and shoots the soldier holding Macy before that soldier can react. The cabbie begins to undo Macy’s cuffs as Willem and Steve rush up.
MACY
Who’re you?
CABBIE
Leonard J. Forsythe III at your service, sir, but call me Leo.
Macy nods his thanks as the others arrive, breathless.
STEVE
Where’s Jack and Robert?
MACY
Come on, I have to find a monitor!
They run together down the hall, Willem and Leo flanking with their laser guns at the ready.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
And Davies is close enough now to reach out with his gun and strike the only remaining soldier (the other’s body lies bloodied to one side). This soldier grabs Davies and spins him over to face him; Johnson is taken along for the ride, shutting off his rocket pack. Davies lands on the lift’s top and immediately throws a punch at the soldier; Johnson dangles over the open hole in the ceiling of the lift – there are SOILDIERS yet inside. One of them grabs his legs and pulls. Davies grapples with one of the soldiers as he is pulled down. Johnson is able to unhook himself from his pack before he is pulled into the lift itself. Davies and the soldier on top continue to wrestle.
INT. CORRIDOR
Macy and his entourage reach a monitor. Macy’s fingers fly across it as the others form a barrier around him, watching for any sign of resistance.
INT. LIFT
Johnson holds his own with the three soldiers in the lift, fighting with them. He punches one, knocks him down over the body of the first fallen; another kicks at Johnson, knocking the wind out of him; this continues.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
The lift suddenly begins to slow. The soldier looks away from Davies in momentary surprise; Davies takes this opportunity to lunge at the soldier, holding him down as the lift comes to a stop and begins to fall.
INT. CORRIDOR
Macy curses.
MACY
Goddamn it, I screwed it up . . . Hold on, hold on. . .
INT. LIFT
Johnson’s enemies are all down or momentarily stunned; he takes this opportunity to flip the switch on his rocket pack.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
He emerges to see Davies repeatedly punching the soldier he has down.
JOHNSON
Let him go, Jack. Come on.
Now the lift is slowing again. Two soldiers climb out as Davies hooks onto Johnson and they kick off shooting. Johnson maneuvers as Davies shoots below, picking off one of the soldiers.
JOHNSON (CONT’D)
Almost there.
INT. GEMINI –- STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson watches the struggle in the shaft, looking away from his strategic display for the moment. He smiles, speaks.
DAWSON
Good job, Jack.
INT. LIFT SHAFT
Jack and Johnson zoom up along the shaft now, the lift rapidly falling out of sight.
DAWSON (V.O.) (CONT’D)
You’ve made it, lad. Now don’t let me down.
Hold it right there. Hit the comment button and tell me something! Then go read the next chapter, damnit! There's only one left!
-H
12/29/2002 7:43:33 PM
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