|
TRIUMVIRATE (Installment Ten)
By The Host
So I haven't really got time to format this quite correctly. It's Christmas Eve, for Chrissake, so quit yer complaining! Also, for some reason, the logo doesn't seem to be working right now, so I'll nix posting it this time around for the moment. Ah, well. The most important thing is the story, and I hope you'll enjoy that. The next two chapters are rather short but absolutely bursting with plot and character development and a veritable crapload of surprises. Hope you like 'em! (Next eleven minutes, to the one hour fifty minute mark.)
FADE IN:
INT. MACGUFFIN BASE –- CONFERENCE ROOM E –- LATER
Conference room E is a large, long room, modern curves all grey and steely blue. A slender table runs through the center; like the room itself it is curved concave. A wall of windows on the outer side of the room bow over to form much of the ceiling. Outside, the area surrounding the base is well-lit. Countless bubbles stream out of the damaged portions of the underwater facility; hundreds of small, remote-controlled vehicles work alongside divers to inspect and repair the damage.
Exler Joggins stands alone looking at the work progress. After a moment Admiral Dawson enters from a side door; Joggins turns around to face his grave superior.
JOGGINS
So?
DAWSON
The President wants to meet with me as soon as possible in Magnapolis. I’m allowed an escort of three vessels and eight men.
JOGGINS
Will you go?
DAWSON
What choice do I have?
JOGGINS
You think it’s a trap?
DAWSON
He’s not smart enough for that, or else he’s too honest. No, he means to do this.
A brief silence passes between the men.
JOGGINS
This jeopardizes your plan?
The statement falls heavily before Dawson. It is a question, but it answers itself. Dawson breathes slowly in, then out, and finally speaks.
DAWSON
I had best be off. Take care of things here before you return to Gauleius, will you?
JOGGINS
Sir.
Dawson curtly nods and marches out. Joggins sighs, then turns back to gaze outside.
EXT. MACGUFFIN BASE –- CONTINUOUS
Joggins stares out the window. PULL BACK to reveal the scarred surface of the sprawling base. WE CRANE DOWN as a transport vessel detaches from the station’s hull below the windows of conference room E and lumbers off through the water. We pass through thick glass to arrive in—-
INT. BRIEFING ROOM 37
The briefing room is much the same as the conference room, although smaller. A DOZEN SOLDIERS stand around in small groups talking in hushed voices. Hawk Macy sits in a comfortable chair in the middle of the room quietly speaking to Steve Jameson; Willem is in the background pouring them some coffee. A UNIFORMED MESSENGER then arrives.
MESSENGER
Lieutenant Harrison Macy?
Hawk stands and turns to the messenger, who salutes him. Macy salutes back, and the messenger passes him a hand-held monitor.
MESSENGER (CONT’D)
Lieutenant Macy, sir, you are now ranking officer of Flight Wing Eleven and as such shall be commanding said Wing until such time as more permanent arrangements can be made. Congratulations, sir. Please come with me.
Macy accepts the monitor silently, nods farewell to Steve, and follows the messenger out of the room. Willem comes up behind Steve with the coffee.
WILLEM
‘More permanent arrangements.’ Hmph. There’s no such thing as a four-man flight wing, not even for us. I guess this is it for the Black Aces.
Steve just looks at Willem, takes his coffee, and walks away. He moves across the room to where Jack Davies is sitting quietly alone, looking outside at the divers and shuttles moving to and fro. Steve sits down next to him and offers Davies his own coffee. Davies gladly takes it.
DAVIES
Thanks.
STEVE
How are you?
Davies takes a long drink.
DAVIES
Fine. I guess.
(Beat)
How are you?
STEVE
Alive.
DAVIES
I di—
He cuts himself off. Steve looks at him, questioningly, as Willem joins them.
STEVE
You what?
DAVIES
(Beat)
I didn’t really know Doyle. Not well. But he seemed like he was a good guy. Getty too.
STEVE
Yeah.
(Long beat)
You know, you did pretty well for yourself out there today.
DAVIES
I didn’t do anything, except nearly get killed.
STEVE
Yeah. But you didn’t get killed.
DAVIES
For what that’s worth.
STEVE
These days? A lot. Everything.
Together they silently watch the divers continue their work.
EXT. MAGNAPOLIS -- SUNSET
The sun faintly casts its dying light over Magnapolis. Traffic scurries through the city, now lit up like a Christmas tree – or, more accurately, an unending forest of them. As always, the Presidential Tower looms over all.
THE CEO (V.O.)
Mister President, you don’t know what you’re doing.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE –- CONTINUOUS
The CEO and Admiral Dawson both sit before The President at his desk.
THE PRESIDENT
I know full well what I’m doing, Your Reverence.
THE CEO
You can’t declare war on a corporation. That’s absurd! It’s a legal entity, it exists only on paper. You can sue a corporation; to presume to do more—
THE PRESIDENT
This Corporation is more than a figment of some lawyer’s imagination. You have real ships, real weapons—
THE CEO
And a real need which you refuse to recognize.
THE PRESIDENT
The United Star Systems doesn’t have to rely on a corporation, a ‘legal entity’ as you put it, for protection. We can fight our own battles.
THE CEO
But you do need us, sir. We are your production base, your defense industry, your everything—
THE PRESIDENT
And that’s the problem.
THE CEO
You have much larger threats to face. We have to work together—
THE PRESIDENT
We could never hope to be equal partners—
THE CEO
We have to be. You’re destroying yourself, you know that, and at the worst possible time! And for what?
THE PRESIDENT
For freedom. For sovereignty.
THE CEO
For power?
THE PRESIDENT
You’d know about that.
THE CEO
And what’s your angle, Dawson?
Dawson turns to The CEO.
DAWSON
I’m here on orders, Your Eminence.
There is a pause. The CEO stands.
THE CEO
The Senate won’t let you get away with this. If it looks like they will, I’ll employ my considerable powers of persuasion to ensure that they won’t. Your little war is going to be over before it begins.
The President stands.
THE PRESIDENT
We’ll see about that. Go.
The CEO leaves. The President sits down and slowly calms down. After a moment, Dawson speaks.
DAWSON
Sir—
THE PRESIDENT
I’ll be frank. I don’t like you, Admiral. I’ve heard a lot about you. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re even fighting on our side.
DAWSON
Sir, I—
THE PRESIDENT
But as long as you are, I’ll place my confidence in you. Who else have I got to trust? I’m new at this game, Admiral, and The CEO isn’t the only one that thinks he can use me. Probably you do too.
DAWSON
Sir, not—
THE PRESIDENT
So: do it. I’ll give you my fleets. Use them, use me, just smash that goddamned Corporation. I can’t command an army. You can, better than anybody else.
DAWSON
Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT
You can go now, take a rest. Right now I’ve gotta call an emergency Cabinet meeting. If you want, we can play foosball later.
DAWSON
Sir, I’d like that very much.
THE PRESIDENT
I’m sure you would.
EXT. PRESIDENTIAL TOWER –- LANDING PAD –- MOMENTS LATER
The CEO and his entourage board a dark shuttle which then launches from the Presidential Tower toward the Corporate Tower not far away.
INT. SHUTTLE –- COMMUNICATIONS ROOM –- CONTINUOUS
The CEO stands in front of a round, white platform set onto the floor in his shuttle’s cramped communications room. Suddenly Admiral Copley, standing curtly, flickers into existence before The CEO’s eyes.
COPLEY
Papa. How’d it go?
THE CEO
He’s an idiot.
COPLEY
That well? We’ll be better off without him.
THE CEO
Surprisingly, Admiral, I’m not sure we will.
COPLEY
Yes, yes. We’re on opposite sides now, aren’t we? Mortal enemies and all that? I suppose our little Triumvirate’s gone to hell.
THE CEO
It hasn’t quite been a Triumvirate since Dawson left it.
COPLEY
Dawson? He was there too, now, wasn’t he?
THE CEO
Yes.
COPLEY
Ah, and how’s he doing? It’s been a long time.
THE CEO
He’s tilting at windmills.
COPLEY
Always was.
THE CEO
But you know what?
COPLEY
What?
THE CEO
This time I think he might win.
EXT. UNDERGROUND CITY
The towers of the Underground City sparkle like diamonds placed in the yawning cavern.
INT. GAULEIUS BASE –- QUARTERS
Steve lounges on a couch in quarters reading quietly from a monitor. Willem busies himself in the kitchen. Macy enters from the hall holding a monitor with him; Steve rolls over to see what it is.
MACY
Just got our orders, guys.
Steve flips himself over the couch, flopping onto the floor. Willem turns around, watching intently, as Steve scrambles to his feet and grabs the monitor from Macy’s hands. He pores over it.
MACY (CONT’D)
Good news. They’re not breaking us up.
Willem is incredulous.
WILLEM
But that’s crazy! We can’t have a unit with four men.
STEVE
(Reading from the screen)
Five.
WILLEM
Four.
MACY
Five.
WILLEM
Five?
MACY
We’ve got a new wingmate coming in. Should be here any minute. Transferred from One One Four, Jack’s alma mater. Wait a minute, where is Jack?
Willem smirks, rolls his eyes.
WILLEM
Out for another stroll with the Admiral.
INT. GALLERY
Jack Davies strolls with the Admiral along a curving glass-walled gallery hanging from the roof of the great cavern. The city sprawls out below them; CITIZENS AND SOLDIERS shuffle past – many, as usual, taking a moment to greet Dawson.
DAVIES
So what’s happening now?
DAWSON
We’ll fight the Corporation. They have a mighty army and the CEO is a ruthless, cunning man. But we have considerable resources at our disposal. And the President is far more clever than I would have expected.
DAVIES
You could’ve fooled me.
DAWSON
He’s been clever enough to leave this war to the admirals.
DAVIES
Then what’s your first move?
DAWSON
We’re making strikes at Corporate outposts across the known galaxy as we speak. But those are mere pot-shots, storms in teacups. We’re placing our first pieces. Then we move for endgame.
DAVIES
Which is?
DAWSON
Magnapolis, probably.
DAVIES
The city?
DAWSON
It’s also The Corporation’s primary manufacturing base. There they’ve built their terrible weapon, their great disease, in the roots of our nation’s capital. There, I suspect, we shall strike, and soon.
DAVIES
But so many civilians could die. . .
DAWSON
So many more will die if we do nothing. But now it’s too early to say what the future may bring, what choices we will have to make, and what sacrifices. As long as our ends remain clear and sacrosanct – unsullied by whatever means we should have to employ – all will be well.
An ATTENDANT runs up to the two men, breathless. He salutes Dawson, who salutes back.
ATTENDANT
Admiral, sir, you have an urgent communication waiting.
Dawson nods and turns to Davies.
DAWSON
I’m called for, Jack. I suppose I won’t be seeing much of you in the coming weeks. That’s all right. I suspect you might soon meet an old friend.
DAVIES
Who?
DAWSON
You’d best retire to quarters, Jack. Get some rest.
Dawson disappears into a side door, following the attendant. Davies grins and turns, running back the way he came.
INT. CORRIDOR –- MOMENTS LATER
Davies bounds around a corner, almost knocking over a SOLDIER, and comes to the entrance to his quarters. He quickly places his hand to a panel beside the door and the doors open.
INT. QUARTERS –- CONTINUOUS
Steve, Macy, and Willem sit together talking to none other than Robert Johnson when Davies enters the room. Johnson stands, beaming.
ROBERT
Jack!
Jack comes quickly to him; he grabs Robert’s outstretched hand but they pull each other into a brief embrace. Steve smiles broadly and exchanges glances with Macy and Willem, both amused.
INT. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Dawson stands in a large communications room, speaking to The President, who seems to sit before him at his desk. Behind the President, Magnapolis lies almost completely veiled in darkness.
THE PRESIDENT
It’s over.
DAWSON
It can’t be.
THE PRESIDENT
The Senate’s failed to ratify my edict of war. All troops are being recalled and told to stand down.
DAWSON
The Senate has never acted so quickly before!
THE PRESIDENT
And I doubt they ever will again.
DAWSON
So that’s it, then? We give up?
THE PRESIDENT
No. Of course not. I’ll keep on; I’ll resign if I have to, or launch a coup d’etat, I don’t know. I’ll have my guards dissolve the Senate and kill all resistance if I have to. I won’t stand down. But I’m afraid Magnapolis is gonna become a war zone sooner than I thought.
As always, please comment! (I'm looking forward to what you have to say, as always, JPJunkee and Dark Hunter!)
-The Host
12/24/2002 10:21:21 PM
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
|
|
