TRIUMVIRATE SE Deleted Scene 8
By The Host
Finally, the final show-down is somewhat different. Not
significantly. A brief action sequence doesn’t appear in
this earlier version; also, the earlier version is longer
and a little more abrupt, I think. It was shortened mainly
to cut down on the length of the story and so that the
climax would be better-paced. Also, the CEO curses at the
end of this version – I don’t think that’s within character
for him. I changed it for the new draft.
This scene picks up where the last deleted scene left off.
INT. CEO’S OFFICE
The door opens. The lights are now on. The CEO stands at the
window still; he turns to face the two intruders.
THE CEO
You’ve come to kill me, I suppose.
DAVIES
We’ve come to kill your project.
Dawson wants you alive, though I
can’t fathom why.
The CEO moves toward them.
THE CEO
Can I have my say?
JOHNSON
Yes.
DAVIES
No. Turn the safeties off.
THE CEO
The safeties . . . ? Oh. You’re
taking the building down, are you?
You know there are still people in
here?
DAVIES
I know.
THE CEO
You can’t exactly evacuate a
quarter of a million people very
quickly.
Johnson is dumbstruck.
JOHNSON
Is that how many are in this
building? A quarter of a million?
THE CEO
About that.
He reaches a monitor near Johnson and Davies; he places his
palms to it, presses a few buttons. Davies watches on. After
a second, Johnson speaks again.
JOHNSON
How many are going to die if we do
this?
THE CEO
I expect a million, maybe. Maybe
less. Maybe more.
DAWSON (V.O.)
Don’t listen to him, Jack.
DAVIES
Don’t listen to him, Robert.
The CEO spins. He looks directly at Davies.
THE CEO
You don’t know Dawson. I do.
Davies eyes him suspiciously, raises his rifle.
DAVIES
Safeties off?
THE CEO
I touch my hand to this screen,
and they’re gone.
DAVIES
Do it.
JOHNSON
Wait.
INT. GEMINI – STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson is sweating, nervous. He speaks soothingly but
firmly.
DAWSON
Don’t let him do this, Jack. You
can’t let him do this.
INT. CEO’S OFFICE
Jack hears the voice in his head, hesitates.
DAVIES
(Motioning the CEO toward the
screen)
Do it. NOW!
JOHNSON
Jack, no. I want to hear him.
Jack says nothing.
DAWSON (V.O.)
Don’t let him.
Jack says nothing. The CEO speaks.
THE CEO
There is a great threat to
humanity. We developed the
disease, Dawson, Copley, and I, to
combat it.
DAVIES
To combat what?
THE CEO
Aliens.
DAVIES
That’s a lie. They don’t exist.
THE CEO
They do exist, Mr. Davies. The
hypergates – where do you think
they came from? Certainly humans
didn’t construct them. We haven’t
suffered a major scientific
advance in eight hundred years.
DAVIES
Ludicrous!
INT. GEMINI –-STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson remains edgy.
DAWSON
That’s right, Jack. It’s
ludicrous.
INT. CEO’S OFFICE
The CEO continues. Johnson listens carefully.
THE CEO
We haven’t the resources to combat
them. They’re building an army
now. We don’t know how long it
will be before they attack. We’ve
been developing the disease for
half a century.
DAWSON (V.O.)
What about Al T’Har?
DAVIES
What about Al T’Har?
THE CEO
I don’t know; honestly I don’t.
Somehow the disease spread there.
DAVIES
And you attacked them because they
developed a cure.
THE CEO
The weapon is useless if there’s a
cure.
DAVIES
Then the disease has existed since
. . . Well, at least since it
spread to Al T’Har. Why not
unleash it then?
THE CEO
Some wanted to. Dawson wanted to.
But we’ve been developing our own
cure.
DAVIES
I thought you said—
THE CEO
We’re not that reckless. But we
can’t have just anybody handling
or developing a cure. We must
maintain control.
INT. GEMINI -– STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson speaks, Davies hears.
DAWSON
Control. That’s what it’s all
about. Unleash the disease,
control the only cure, and you
control the world.
INT. CEO’S OFFICE
The CEO continues.
THE CEO
Now Dawson wants the cure, he
wants the disease, so that he can
vault himself to power.
DAVIES
That’s not true!
THE CEO
Less than an hour ago a fleet of
transports departed this planet
for every corner of the United
Star Systems bearing the disease.
They were not ordered to do so by
me. They were ordered by Dawson.
Johnson is wide-eyed.
INT. GEMINI –- STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM
Dawson is upset by this.
DAWSON
He lies! You know me, Jack!
INT. CEO’S OFFICE
Davies sputters.
DAVIES
That’s not true. He wouldn’t do
it. You did.
THE CEO
You destroy this facility and you
destroy the cure. That’s what
Dawson wants.
DAVIES
I destroy the disease. It’s
manufactured here.
THE CEO
I’ve told you it’s too late for
that. And the cure is manufactured
here as well.
Davies raises his rifle.
DAVIES
Do it. Now. Or I’ll shoot you dead
and press your hand to it myself.
Johnson suddenly springs up, stands between Jack and the
CEO. Jack grows increasingly distressed.
JOHNSON
Jack, no. Don’t do it.
DAVIES
Get out of the Goddamned way,
Robert.
JOHNSON
For Christ’s sake, think, Jack.
Bring him back to Dawson, do
whatever. Just don’t destroy the
cure now. What if he’s right? What
if he’s telling the truth?
DAVIES
He’s not. And I’m not destroying
the cure.
JOHNSON
You still have it?
DAVIES
Dawson has it.
JOHNSON
Don’t you see? That’s what he
wants!
DAVIES
You don’t know him. Now get out of
the goddamned way.
JOHNSON
I won’t, Jack. You’ll have to
shoot me.
Davies halts, distraught.
DAWSON (V.O.)
We all have to make choices, Jack.
. .
DAVIES
(Near tears)
Don’t make me choose.
Johnson is incredulous.
JOHNSON
Choose? What choice, Jack? What
choice is there?
DAWSON (V.O.)
I’m sorry, Jack. I can’t tell you
what to do.
A tear slowly crawls down the left side of Jack Davies’s
face, leaving a snail trail of moisture.
JOHNSON
Jack, no.
Johnson’s voice seems to fade. The room seems to fade,
leaving only Jack Davies and the tinny voice in his ear.
DAWSON (V.O.)
I can only guide you. But I think
you know what the correct choice
is. You trust me, Jack. I trust
you. That’s why I gave you so
important a task. Don’t fail me
now, Jack. Jack, please, don’t
fail me now. I won’t abandon you
the way Robert did. The way your
father did. Jack, son, please.
Everything suddenly comes into clear focus. Jack dries away
his tears and wipes his nose with a quick motion; Johnson
starts to ease up; and Jack Davies brings his gun down and
shoots Robert Johnson in the abdomen. Johnson is shocked. He
stumbles back, mouth open, terrified. Blood comes out of his
mouth. He falls down dead. The CEO can’t believe his eyes.
He looks from Robert to Jack, crying still.
THE CEO
You fucking killed him!
Jack shoots the CEO, strides over, picks his dead hand off
the floor, and places it on the monitor screen. There is a
click and a beep and warning lights and a voice says
‘SAFETIES OFF’ and then ‘WARNING’ but Jack doesn’t listen,
Jack doesn’t care. He screams, he throws his rifle away, he
plods in a daze away from the bodies, out of the room.
SCENE ACCESS
MAIN MENU
4/12/2003 3:35:20 AM
(Updated: 4/12/2003 6:11:36 PM)
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