TRIUMVIRATE SE Chapter Seven
By The Host
INT. QUARTERS - BRIGHT
Robert Johnson, sitting at the desk at the rear of the room,
interrogates his friend seated across from him.
JOHNSON
So are you gonna go with him?
DAVIES
I don’t know. I think so. I mean,
what else can I do? It’s not safe
for me here.
JOHNSON
Maybe you should just come clean
with Copley. I can’t imagine he’d
do anything to you, Jack. He’s a
good guy.
DAVIES
Do you know him?
JOHNSON
He’s a fair commander, Jack. No, I
don’t know him any more than you
do. But I know he’s a good person.
Call it my woman’s intuition.
DAVIES
Robert, I want you to come with
me.
The question falls to the floor. Johnson stares down into
nothingness for a moment before picking up the gauntlet.
When he does so he speaks slowly, carefully choosing his
words.
JOHNSON
I don’t think that’s very fair of
you to ask me.
DAVIES
Why not? What does it matter? Come
with me, I’m sure Dawson’ll let
you.
JOHNSON
Jack, don’t ask me to choose.
DAVIES
(Incredulous)
Choose? What choice? You know what
the USS stands for.
JOHNSON
I know what you think it stands
for.
DAVIES
It stands for the Corporation,
nothing else. Jesus, for as long
as I can remember the President’s
been a Corporate stooge. You can
see the strings tugged every time
he speaks.
JOHNSON
We’ve been through this before,
Jack.
DAVIES
I just, I don’t understand you,
your- Sometimes I think you’d give
your life for the USS.
JOHNSON
I would. I would, Jack; that’s why
I’m in the fleet. For me it’s not
just about money and a future.
DAVIES
You’ve got money and a future. But
I couldn’t imagine giving my life
for, for what? For a government?
For Congress, President, for the
Corporation? I mean, why are we
even at war with Al T’Har? Can you
tell me that? Do you think anybody
on this goddamned station knows
why?
JOHNSON
It’s for my family, Jack. You know
what that is? You remember? It’s
the people that constitute a
nation, that’s what matters. I
would die in an instant to keep my
family safe from savages like the
Al T’Harans.
DAVIES
You’re so bloody noble. Would we
even have to protect your family
from Al T’Har if it wasn’t for the
aggression of this State?
JOHNSON
Pax Imperia lasted two centuries
before last month; I don’t think
our government has a history of
involving itself in frivolous
wars—
DAVIES
Our government. Our government and
the Corporation. Maybe that’s what
you should be protecting your
family from.
JOHNSON
Oh, no, Jack. Our government isn’t
perfect, and maybe it’s even under
the Corporation’s thumb, but the
fundamental institutions of
freedom and security are still
intact. It’s a great leap from
incompetence to malevolence.
Jack just shakes his head.
DAVIES
So that’s it? You’re not coming
with me?
(He forces a smile)
For backup?
JOHNSON
(Struggling with an answer)
I can’t. Jack. I’m sorry. I just
can’t.
Jack doesn’t know how to respond. He rubs his nose with his
fingers quickly, twice, looks away from Johnson, shakes his
head, then looks back.
DAVIES
Then this is it, then. Twelve
years of friendship means this
much to you.
JOHNSON
That’s not fair, Jack.
DAVIES
No it’s not. It’s really not.
Johnson stares silently as his friend leaves.
AUTOR'S COMMENTARY:
One of the more emotional scenes in the story, I guess. It’s
built on the skeleton of scenes from earlier stories but, as
I’ve said above, the big difference in Triumvirate is that
Davies and Johnson choose to part ways. By the time I was
writing this I had changed my mind about how the entire film
was going to end (that’s a step I rarely take – I like to
have my stories clearly mapped to their conclusion before I
write ‘em), and I foreshadowed it in this scene. When you’ve
finished reading the screenplay you should compare the next-
to-last scene with this one. It adds some nice symmetry to
the story, I think.
Still I struggle with this. I can’t help but fear that the
opening act of Triumvirate is too slow and too talky, and
this scene is one of the prime culprits. I’ve tried to
shorten it but haven’t the heart to axe any more. I can’t
help but wonder, though, if I’ve just beat this disagreement
between Davies and Johnson to death several times in the
script. This scene is either really good or really long, but
it can’t be both.
This scene, by the way, is when I started to dislike Davies.
I thought he was swell up until now. Now I started to
suspect that in addition to being a little naïve he was also
spoiled and passive aggressive. He treats his friend pretty
badly, I think. Feel free to disagree.
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4/11/2003 10:05:05 PM
(Updated: 4/12/2003 5:39:59 PM)
(Updated: 4/12/2003 5:51:56 PM)
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