Found Writing #2

This is the second, less developed script.  It would have been around Ep.8.  But I was really sloppy with the pacing, so I don’t know…

“MERCY: AWARENESS
SERIES 1, EPISODE 8″

FADE IN:

Ext. bionet main lab – night

A futuristic glass and white walled building is surrounded by soldiers.  CAPTAIN RUMFORD (42) – cold, angry, manipulative, dangerous but hands off – arrives on the scene, looks around, unimpressed.

Rumford

What is this?  I can see you all plain as the barriers.  Get in there and find them.  Now!

The soldiers run in.

int. bionet main lab – night

BRIGS and MYERS (Mid-30s) –geek chic scientists- are putting things into iceboxes, tidying up.

Brigs

If this ruins my personal experiments I’ll…

MYERS

Grovel for your job back after whatever it is you do gets you fired?

brigs

We don’t need them, after what we worked on…

Myers

And who’d we tell?  Who knows…?

Brigs

Will you stop interrupting me!

Soldiers burst in and aim their guns at the scientists.

Brigs

Uh, gentlemen…

soldier

Shut up!

brigs

O.K…

soldier

(On radio)

Captain Rumford, Sir, they’re gone.

int. bionet black division i warehouse – day

The warehouse has minimal lighting and contents.  A van with the Bionet logo is parked in the middle.  BARINFIELD (50)- who still acts like a young ambitious career man- watches as two large cloth covered spherical objects are loaded onto the van.  LaMont (23) – identical to Barinfield, except goofier- stands next to Barinfield, smile on his face.

Lamont

I love this top-secret James Bond crap!

Barinfield

Really…? Interesting.

Barinfield pulls out a mobile phone.

lamont

Is that a mobile phone?

(He grabs it)

I’ve never seen one before.  How is the signal?  Not many service providers left anymore…

Barinfield elegantly plucks the phone back.

Barinfield

Excuse me.

He walks off to the corner and dials.

int. mercy training hall, shooting range – day

GARRETT (37) – charming rogue, amoral, financially motivated- is shooting at target pads.  He is clearly relieving stress.

int. Mercy traing hall, gym – day

WESLEY (25-35)-Intelligent with fading naivety and very perceptive- is on the bench press in a gym made of equipment in a hall of a large warehouse.  He is benching a lot, the sight of which is slightly odd, but not so that you can tell immediately what is wrong.  There is the sound of gunshots in the background.

Wesley

Nine, nine, nine… One thousand…

Ed

Five hundred more, then one more set.

ED (42) – cold, reptilian, unreadable- puts down a clipboard and moves to Wesley’s side.

Wesley

Oh.  Good, that’ll be what?  Four-thousand, five hundred total?

ed

Right.  It is fascinating.  Your healing allows you greater recovery time.  In a…

(Gunshots)

In a matter of days you will be equal to Olympic level…

(More gunshots)

Olympic level ath…

More gunshots sound.  Ed faces the direction it comes from.

Ed

Shut up.  Wesley here needs to concentrate.

int. mercy training hall, shooting range – day

Garrett turns swiftly and shoots.

int. Mercy traing hall, gym – day

The bullet hits Wesley’s wrist.  He drops the weight on his neck.  It’s there a few seconds with Wesley lifting, before Ed tries to help.  As Ed grabs the bar he lets go fast, as if it is very hot.  Wesley manages to lift the bar onto its bracket.

ed

(Very angry)

What the hell?  You could have fucking…

int. mercy training hall, shooting range – day

Garrett

Relax.  What good’s a team-mate who can re-grow limbs if you can’t shoot them once in a while?

(To Wesley)

Right, Weslerine?

int. Mercy traing hall, gym – day

Wesley is breathing hard, choking.  Ed helps him up and they head to the…

int. Mercy main floor – Day

Main floor where their vehicles are stored.  KARIN (26) – friendly, smart, scary and dangerous- gets out of her car, rushes over.

Karin

You done?  There are books I want to get him to start.

Ed

He is no child…

Karin

Heard of that old film from fifty, sixty years ago with the character who could heal himself?  They said he was much older than he looked…

Ed

He is no film.  Besides, Wesley is slower at healing.

Wesley

(Choked)

Am… Here…You know?

Karin

So I thought Wesley wouldn’t appreciate being an idiot forever…  Why are you carrying him?

(To Wesley)

You okay?

Wesley

(Laboured)

Yeah… I am.

(Better)

La.  La, la…

The bullet works its way out Wesley’s wrist.  Karin looks over at Garrett.

ANGLE: Garrett as the bullet drops.

Ed

He shot him.

Karin

Yep.  That he did…  Remember to destroy Wesley’s samples when you’re done.

She hands Ed the bullet.  They all leave the floor.

int. olivia’s office – day

OLIVIA (31) – Acerbic, reluctant leader – is on the phone, it is corded and stretched across the office as she searches a filing cabinet.

Olivia

Well, Mr. Barinfield.  Jamie is… missing.  Jamie, our leader?  The man you hired in the past.  JW junior?  That’s weird.  Of course we can take still on the mission.  Karin, our admin, will call you later for details.  Yeah, you can check the team out tomorrow.  See you then.

int. Mercy traing hall, Shooting Range – day

KArin

(Shouting)

Which part of that little thing you call a skull told you it would be wildly pleasant to shoot Wesley?

Garrett points the gun at his head.

Garrett

Hmm, this part, right here.  What’s it to you, secretary?

(He playfully points the gun at Karin)

He’s not the boss, you realise that?

Karin grabs the gun, turns Garrett around and restrains him with his arm behind his back in one smooth motion.

Garrett

Kind of sexy… secretary.  Mmm, mmm.

(Karin applies more pressure)

Ow, ow!  Hey, an idea.  How about letting go!  Crap what was the safe word?

Karin

Hey, another idea.  How about I get a vacuum, a pencil and this gun here and…

Olivia (O.S.)

Karin, my office.

(Karin goes off screen as Olivia comes onscreen)

Garrett, put your toys away.

Garrett

Make me, please.  Never forget the please.

olivia

(Disdainfully)

Please… (more)

olivia (Cont’d)

Haven’t you been made enough a one day?

Garret looks hurt.  Mock or true, it’s hard to tell.  It passes.

Garrett

Well.  You know how much I love bondage.

He leaves, without putting the guns away.

ANGLE: Karin still there.

Olivia

You heard of Bionet?  Barinfield?

Karin

Yep.  Barinfield usually calls for “JW”.  Uh, Jamie…  Jamie flies solo for him a lot.  Other than that not much more, Jamie’s sort of hush about them.

Olivia

(Cold)

Except he used to talk in his sleep…

Karin

“Used to”?

Olivia

“He is”?  Wesley is not Jamie.

Karin

Maybe, maybe not.  Doesn’t mean he’s dead.

olivia

Even if that is his body, you really think he’d be the same person?

int. mercy infirmary – day

Ed is checking on Wesley.

Ed

I hope you have ventured beyond Karin’s recommended reading.  You should read the Art of War or perhaps some Aristotle.

Wesley

For now it’s English I’m sticking to.  I’m not sure I can trust information that has to pass through other people.

Ed

It is like that for any text.

wesley

I like to see the intentions directly.  The mistake, the motives aren’t hidden by another person.

ed

(Ed’s expression unreadable)

Interesting theory.  Well, I think we’re all done.

wesley

Thanks Ed.

Wesley leave.  Ed waits a few beats before finding the sample of Wesley’s blood.  He looks at it a while.

EXT. University – DAY

Ed approaches the science building of the University.  He looks conspicuous and cautious.

int. university lab – day

There is a column of cold storage lockers in the middle.  Workstation cubicles surround it.  Ed heads to one and writes a post-it not.  He opens a locker by typing in a code on the keypad and sticks the message to the locker and leaves Wesley’s blood in it.

int. University hall – day

NADINE (24)- cold, reptilian, unreadable – walks towards the lab door.

int. university lab – day

Ed is by the door waiting to attack or sneak out, we can’t tell.  Nadia opens the door and walks to the station Ed was in.  She touches the post-it pad, which has been moved.

Nadia

Hi dad.

Ed

Nadia.  I am going to keep something here.  The base got broken into a few weeks back…

Nadia

I see you’re still not big on questions and still playing scientist, dad.  Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Ed

Not big on questions?  I ask questions.  I just did not have one that particular moment…

nadia

Sure you do.

Ed

Fine.  Can I leave my sample here?

Nadia

Yes, you can.

ed

(Checks watch)

I have to go.  See you soon.

Ed leaves and Nadia gives poker face.

int. mercy Wesley’s room – day

Wesley is reading a novel.  Garrett barges in.

Wesley

Hey, it’s the second gunman…  What are you doing here?

Garrett

Funny.  Very.

(Eyes the book)

Interesting, well written.  Needs more explosions though.

wesley

You read?

Garrett

Only the rich had TV.  Got right up their arses when the poor got educated and all they got were re-runs.  We have a meeting.

Garrett leaves.  Wesley puts the book page down and leaves as well.

int. Mercy main floor – day

Garrett is at the bottom of the stairs heading for the meeting room.  Wesley is approaching.

Garrett

Ed…  Meeting!  Ed.

Wesley peeks towards the infirmary and the computer room.

Wesley

He’s gone.

garrett

Figured.  Ah, why do we need him anyway?

They head to…

int. Mercy Meeting room – day

Karin and Olivia are sat around a large table.

Olivia

Ed on the way up?

Garrett

Nope.  Gone.

Karin

We’ll work the kinks when he’s back.  Our client, George Barinfield wants us to escort a shipment across the section 6 no man’s land.

garrett

I hate that sinkhole.  It’s like they rounded up two of every crazy and dumped them there…

Olivia

It’s worse than you think.

karin

What it is we’ll be hauling and who’s after it is irrelevant.  Not our place to question…

Garrett

Hey, I’m in.  Don’t need a pitch.

Wesley

Hmm, there’s a shocker.

garrett

I like to stick to the classics.

Olivia

Maybe you’d want to listen.

Karin

That’s all.  Until Ed gets back so we can work the route.

int. bionet black division i warehouse – day

Barinford is on the mobile, standing by the van.  He looks nervous.

Barinford

Yes Sir, it’s scheduled for tomorrow.  Don’t worry sir.

(He pats the van)

They won’t be found.

int. Garrett’s Flat – Night

The flat is full of luxury and the best technology Garrett could acquire, most notably a huge TV and stereo system, but also a computer.  He is on it right now.

montage:

A)     Garrett reading several pages about Bionet.  Information is mostly PR fluff.

B)     Garrett listening to music.

C)     Garrett looking at maps.

D)     Garrett watching his huge TV.

E)     Garrett printing off pages.

Int. Olivia’s Flat – Night

It is clear Olivia used to share the flat; there is a mish-mash of styles.  She’s listening to music on a basic hi-fi stereo system (still slightly futuristic, but worn).  She drifts through the living room and stops at a picture of her and Jamie, who looks like Wesley, but older with slightly different noses and other barely there differences.

She picks up the photo and stares.

int. university lab – night

Nadia opens the locker and removes Wesley’s blood sample.

She’s looking at it through the microscope and the poker face is back.

end act

int. Mercy main floor – day

The gang are all there.  Garrett is listening, but looks like he’s about to speak.  Normally he would have spoken.

Ed

The gateways we will be passing through are on both ends of section 6.  A straight line is the best way.

Karin

Watch yourself in there Wesley- the locals aren’t accustomed to strangers.

A buzzer sounds.

Olivia

That’ll be Barinfield.

int. Mercy Meeting room – Day

Barinfield inspects the team members. Ed, Garrett, Karin…

Barinfied

Small roster…

Olivia

Larger than just Jamie…  And we’ve gained a new member.

Garrett

(Muttering)

We lost someone too.

Barinfield pauses as he inspects Wesley.

Barinfield

Everyone is weapon trained?

Olivia

I know mercenaries have the reputation of sub-par training, but that’s in the past.  Most people here were drafted.  Ed used to be black-ops, still won’t tell us what he did, but he can handle himself.  Garrett… is probably the second best soldier I’ve seen.  Karin was an assassin for the recon army.

Garrett

Knew it!

Barinfield

(Eyes Wesley)

And him?

Olivia

He’s the best soldier I’ve seen.

Barinfied

Excuse me.

Barinfield walks out to the balcony.  Garrett watches intently.

int. balcony – day

Barinfield takes out his mobile and phones LaMont.

Barinfied

LaMont.  It’s Barinfield.  Has the equipment been tampered with?

INT. bIONET Black Division I wAREHOUSE – dAY

LaMont opens the back door of the van, he picks up the receiver he left hanging by its cord.

Lamont

Still here.  Wrapped up tight.

Int. Balcony – day

Barinfield looks puzzled.  He heads back to the:

int. Mercy Meeting Room – day

barinfield

I’ll take them all.

Garrett

Question…

Olivia

(Warning)

Garrett…

Garrett

(Smiles)

Question.  Why us?  Subtext I read tells me you wouldn’t want a Robin Hood operation.

Barinfied

Lately there hasn’t been any Robin Hooding here.  My guess is that all that was an act to get your name spoken.  Don’t be surprised when it works.  Besides.  “Jamie” was a good client.

Wesley

Client?

barinfield

Employee, whatever, “Wesley”.  Can we please get to the warehouse?

Garrett

Good thing we need money.  Otherwise we’re liable to get suspicious…

INT. bIONET Black Division I wAREHOUSE – dAY

Wesley gets out of Karin’s car.

wesley

Wow.  Place was really hard to find…

Olivia

(About his tone)

You’re beginning to sound like Garrett.

wesley

Yes, maybe it’s the social circle I run in.

Olivia

Garrett and I’ll go in front.  Ed, go with the driver and Barinfield…

Barinfield

Actually I’d like to ride in the rear car.

olivia

It’s dangerous.

Garrett

Makes no sense.

Olivia

See, if he agrees with me…

Barinfield

Indulge me.

garrett

(To Olivia)

He dies, better still get paid.

Olivia

Okay, you ride with Karin and Wesley.

They get in their respective vehicles.

int. Rumford’s office

A communications OFFICER charges in.

Rumford

Soldier.  This is an office.  Further more this is MY office.  So you better have a good…

Officer

Sorry sir.

rumford

You’re interrupting.

officer

Captain! We traced a local mercenary’s search.  He’s been researching Bionet and maps of the local area, sir.

rumford

I think I know where he’s headed.  Send recon along the section 6 A road.  Have several units ready to deploy.

ext. Barrier 6a – day

The cars approach car sized barriers, which look like ones found in tube stations.

int. olivia’s car – day

Olivia rolls down the window and swipes a card in the slot.  Drives through the opening.  She grabs the hand radio.

Olivia

(Over radio)

Be careful, don’t let anyone get too close.

Garrett

Something stinks here.

olivia

I think it’s the inhabitants.

garrett

No, this plan.  Why us?  Did you not prep?

olivia

That’s why Karin’s on staff.

Garrett

Leaders should know all.  Besides I don’t think that is why Jamie hired her…

Olivia looks at him with venom in her eyes.

Garrett

Probably her bad arse assassin skills.

Ext. Section 6 – day

A recon team spots them from a block away.

Team Leader

Target sighted at barrier 6A.

Rumford

(Over Radio)

Intercept at 7A.  Deploy the unit.

int. olivia’s car – day

Olivia and Garrett are silent until they get near 7A.  Garrett looks around, he’s about to talk.

Olivia

I see them.  Be subtle.

Garrett smirks and cocks his gun.

Int. Karin’s car

Wesley eyes the sniper rifle in the back seat.

Wesley

Switch places.

karin

Why?

Olivia

(Over radio)

Be alert, hostiles at 7A.

Karin looks at Wesley impressed.  Then switches places and sets up the radio.

Barinfield

What’s going on?

Wesley

Like you weren’t listening.

ext. Barrier 7A – day

SERIES OF SHOTS:

A)     A gunfight breaks out, with Garrett getting out and showing why they keep him around as he fights off soldiers storming them almost too well.

B)     A few distant soldiers get sniped off by Karin.

C)     Olivia continues the convoy.

D)     Ed shoots a few soldiers approaching the van.

E)     Wesley drives and shoots behind them.

F)     Wesley gets shot.

G)     Enemy soldiers are losing.

Team Leader

(Over radio)

Retreat! Retreat!

ext. Barrier 7a – Day

Garrett runs back towards Olivia’s car, still cautious.  He opens the door.

Olivia

It’s not over.

EXT. BIONET BUNKER – DAY

The convoy drive up to the entrance.

INT. KARIN’S CAR – DAY

Barinford

That was relatively uneventful…

Wesley and Karin feign agreement, but are suspicious.  They come to a stop and get out.

int. bionet bunker – day

Olivia and Garret get out, guns drawn.  Wesley’s is half-drawn.  Barinfield hits Wesley in the arm he was shot in, he’s surprised but not hurt.

Barinfield

Are you JW?  That’s impossible, both pods are…

Barinfield is shot in the head.

Garrett shoots the shooter.

Garrett

Guy was good.  Wonder how we’ll get paid?

Wesley

(Heads to the van)

I want to see what’s in there.

Driver

No, you can’t!

Wesley throws him, hard.  Ed rushes to the driver and checks him.

Olivia tries to stop Wesley but he rips open the back doors.

Lamont

Wait.  Stop.  You’ll get paid in full.

Wesley stops, careful.  Did LaMont see?

It’s later and they leave.

INT. OLIVIA’S OFFICE – EVENING

Wesley and Olivia are in it.

Wesley

Do you know who JW is?

olivia

Of course.

(Slightly unsure)

It’s not you.

INt. Bionet bunker – Evening

LaMont watches as Bionet employees start to take away Barinford’s body.  Barinford’s phone starts ringing.

Lamont

Wait.

He fishes out the phone.

Lamont

This is LaMont.  Barinfield is dead.  Thank you sir.  Yes, James Wesley Clarke is still in the pod.  Yes, we’re ready for the final move.

int. bionet bunker – night

The doors burst open, Wesley is in the doorway, almost immediately he begins to walk away and is shot in the back many times.  LaMont and multiple soldiers step out of the shadows.

LaMont calls a number.

Rumford

(On phone)

Rumford.

LaMont

We’ve found it.

THE END

Found Writing #1

Okay, this was an assignment for Writing for the Screen in university, so it’s from way back in 2006.  I was pretty sloppy with university work and way less comfortable pushing themes the way they should be, but here are two scripts from my faux TV show MercY (Some details are repeated because of the nature of marked works. (Formatting was lost in transit.)

Pilot:

“MERCY: PILOT EPISODE
“TABULA RASA”

FADE IN:

Darkness fills the screen.

Woman(V.O.)

(Hysterical)

No!  Remember who you…

A muzzle flash is seen and a gunshot is heard.  The screen fills with…

Int. hotel suite- day

The hotel is upscale, there is a bathroom visible through an open door and it equals the size of the room.  The room’s walls are polished black marble.  The bed is large enough for five people and the covers are red.  The left and the right side are unmade but the middle is untouched.  There is a red couch and a black table top on the other side of the room- it is attached to the ceiling.  One side of the room has a medieval knight on a horse charging, with a joust in hand until it reaches a clear screen.

WESLEY (25) – Toned build, with slight bulk, intelligent but naïve, dirty blond- has his hands to his head; there is a gun in his right hand.  He is on his knees, he is grunting in pain as he stares down at the WOMAN (37)-Pretty, in shape, a look of betrayal worn on her face forever- whose head is producing a pool of blood, which soaks into her white dress.  Wesley puts his hands down; the gun clacks on the marble floor.

Wesley looks into her face for a few beats before looking around.  He sees a floor to ceiling window on one side of the room.

On the other side is a door.  He heads for it, pulls at it and then spots small screen and places his thumb on it.

int. Hotel hallway- day

Wesley’s head sticks out to see soldiers heading towards him.  The walls are a similar marble to the suite.  The soldiers are dressed in fatigues and look like ordinary soldiers.  They see Wesley’s head and rush towards him.

SOldier One

Get him before…

Int. Hotel suite- day

Wesley slams the door into the soldiers.  He runs at the table, detaches it from the ceiling and throws it at the windows.  He jumps after it, the soldiers blast open the door and fire a few shots at Wesley.

ext. hotel- day

Wesley falls from the sixth floor, is high enough to see that the streets are walled off by metal barriers five stories high which curl inwards with the tops being barb wired and that in some parts even day is in the shadows.

The tabletop lands swiftly followed by Wesley who lands on his left hand.  He is still holding the gun in his right.

Wesley

Argh!

Knight soldiers carrying riffles with knives attached to them surround Wesley as he turns onto his back.  They resemble the medieval knight, mixed with a ninja, in black Kevlar armour, with glowing eyepieces.

Knight Soldier One

You better just stay right there.

He looks around, his wild uncomprehending eyes burn with anger and he lashes out, hurting a few of them before running off.

Knight soldier one

Shoot him!

The four standing Knight soldiers aim at Wesley, but he turns a corner.  They hesitate as they look at the fallen soldiers and then they run after him.

Knight Soldier One

You two, loop around the block, come in from the front.  You two, follow me!

Knight Soldier two

Sir!

Ext. High street – day

KARIN (29) – Deceptively cheerful, capable, dangerous, brunette, toned to hardness, stylish- is carrying a large duffle bag that does not suit her clothes.  She looks into the window of a high street store at a white dress, similar to the one worn by the woman.  The price tag is “£800” although the dress is not that impressive.  She lingers on it. Deep thoughts of the past passes through her mind.

Karin

(Deeply sarcastic)

Thanks Mum…

(sigh)

Sorry…

Karin walks on and we see the street is dirty and there are few people. MIIKE (50)- Yakuza Oyabun, but looks like a Japanese business man- is getting out of a car.  Wesley runs into Karin.  They fall and he drops the gun.  His eyes are all apologies.  She’s quiet for a moment, hopeful and shocked.

Karin

Jamie?!  How nice of you to run into me…  Where have you…

But he’s looks past her.  She follows his eyes and sees the Knight soldiers.  While she scrambles for the gun, Wesley gets up and runs down the street.

Karin

Wait, there’s a barrier down there.

Karin unzips her bag and we see sniper riffle parts inside, she puts Wesley’s gun inside and zips it up just before the Knight Soldiers pass.

Wesley is at the barrier, the soldiers corner him.  He climbs the wall a bit and vaults over the Knight soldiers using one of their heads.  He runs towards Karin, but turns off into a side street.  Karin watches as the Knight soldiers follow.  She looks conflicted, and then looks back at the store.

Ext. Mercy Base- day

GARRETT (37) – large, wrestler type, gruff- walks around the side of a warehouse, it has cameras following him and on those cameras are little laser sights, which are currently off.  He goes to the double front doors which are as high as one story and a smaller door slides open with a whirl.

int. mercy base- day

The base is two levels.  Garrett enters the lower one and steps around a grey SUV type car.  He looks towards the training area, where the gym and target range are.  He heads towards it and hears ED (45) – Intelligent, cold, athletic, slightly creepy– laughing.  He looks next to the training section and there is nobody there.  Ed is just sitting there, laughing at nothing.  Garrett pulls a ‘what is he laughing at’ face and walks out of shot.

OLIVIA (32) – guarded, uptight, insecure, expert in body language, while having bad body language herself- is carrying boxes up the metal stairs to the second level.  The floor of which is metal grating on the balcony with railings.  She passes the meeting room.  Through the glass there is a glass table, with projector technology below it, housed in a silver box.  Around the table are several seats.  She enters…

int. Olivia’s office- day

Everything about this office screams Film Noir.  There’s an old wooden desk and lockers as well as carpeting and a sign on the door which reads “Jamie Jones”.  Olivia places the boxes on the desk.

Garrett is spinning in the office chair.

Garrett

He’s been gone a month.  We have to talk about who gets to sit here.

olivia

What is there to talk about?  I’m married to him.  I take over.

garrett

That’s all you think you need to qualify?  You know what it’s like to…

olivia

Lose someone?  I think I have an idea, don’t you think?

garrett

…What it’s like to plan for everything and still know it could go bad and still have to do it again the next day.

olivia

You go on missions, pretend you’re training to be the leader, yet still you couldn’t prepare for his disappearance.

garrett

Cause he didn’t stick to the plan that we all came up with.  You know that.  Could have been visiting a whore in the Red Zone, for all I know…

This clearly hits a chord.  Olivia is very angry, but tries to hold it in.

olivia

You are going to get out.

Garrett

Out?

Olivia

Out of my chair, out of my office, out of my agency.  You’re fired, Garrett, fired.  Try playing the leader now.  Take your crap.

Garrett

Well rehearsed, for once.  How long were you planning this?  Jamie hired me to take his spot.  Think he would have done that, if he thought you could do the job, Olivia?

Olivia is uncertain for a moment, but hardens.

Olivia

Still here?

Garrett

Just keeping the seat warm.  Want to take over for a bit?

Garrett leaves the office.  The phone, which is old and rotary style, rings.  Olivia picks up.

Olivia

Good afternoon, Mercenaries of Yesterday.

int. Ed’s lab- day

The lab is white and looks plastic, with glass intercepting much of the free space.  A mini-version of the table seen in the meeting room is in the middle, with a cheap chair by it.  A map of the stars is above the table, zooming through the plants.

Garrett enters and sits on the chair.  He waves his hand over it the lines and a “Windows 2060” pops up.

Garrett

Can’t believe you’re still using this, Ed.  I hate the cheesy space travel fantasy screensaver.  Get ’66 or at least change the ‘saver.

Ed

That version has too many bugs and is open to viral attack, not to mention Trojan Horses.  Find me a system not open to attack and I will gladly switch to it.

Garrett grabs a clear plastic tablet, which lights up in blue liquid.  A keyboard appears.

garrett

What were you laughing at earlier?

Ed

I was remembering an amusing anecdote.

Garrett

But you have no sense of humour…

ed

How long are you going to be?  I have results I want to check on.

Garrett

Not long.  Need to get some files.  Bitch fired me.  Don’t care, absolutely don’t care.  Bitch couldn’t lead a thirsty dog to water.

Ed

Depends if it a male dog.

Garrett

No humour…  Hey, where’s Karin?  I haven’t seen her lovely arse today.

Ed

Olivia requested that she buy some feminine hygiene products of some sort.

Garrett

Tampons?  Bitch has the best…

(Eyes Ed)

Second best data gatherer I have ever met buying Tampons?  Oh no, she’s coming with me.  We joined the team as a two for one, we can leave together as well, me and her.

(Incredulous)

Tampons!

int. High Street shop- day

The shop is bright and electronic music play with a jazz and classical edge.  The clothes are in glass cabinets.  Karin sorts through various items of male clothing and shoes as she opens a different cabinet for each item.  She puts together a specific look as if from memory.

She puts a lot on the mirrored counter, images of products show on the surface.  The total comes to “£200,000”, the price is also shown on the surface in blue light.  Karin looks her bracelet which looks traditional and expensive, but has the time on a silver disc face, in blue.

Karin

(Muttering)

Olivia’s going to love me for this…

(Smiles brightly)

Charge it.

She passes the card to the cashier.

Ext. Street- day

Wesley is still running, he’s not any more tired, but the Knight soldiers are showing signs of fatigue.  Finally he comes across a tube station entrance.  He turns into it and jumps the stairs.

Int. tube station- day

It is crowded.  It is old, badly maintained and tiles have fallen all over the place.  The tube station is swarming with homeless, zoneless people and they barter and dressed in rags.  It’s like a village full of squatters down there.  Wesley walks up to the underground barriers and knocks.

ZEKE (80) – Youthful old man, in T-shirt and jeans of 2006- saunters up to Wesley.

ZEKE

Hey, brother… There’s a hole on the left side.  Wait, you’re not an ‘official’ come to take away the zoneless pathway are you?

Wesley

Hey… Brother.

ZEKE

Aww, hell no.  Are you one of the escaped mental zone residents?

The knight soldiers come down the stairs and the crowd are parting.  Wesley looks around in a panic, looking like a cornered animal.  The Knight Soldiers advance, but they haven’t seen him.

END ACT One

Act two

Wesley is against the wall, in amongst the homeless.  Zeke has his arm in front of Wesley.  He’s protective.

ZEke

Calm down, brother.

The knight soldiers are at the barrier.

Knight soldier Two

There’s a hole here.  He must have escaped.

Knight Soldier Three

He could still be down here.

Knight soldier TWO

Oh, you want to volunteer to look for him?

(beat)

Thought not.  We will get the hole patched up though.  Damn rats.

A murmur of protest is faintly heard in the crowd.

Wesley

(Quietly repeating)

They can’t do that!

ZEKE

Hell no, they can’t.  They know it.  They’re just blowing hot air out their collective backside.  Too many of us ‘rats’ down here.  They also know once we’re on the street- we’re vulnerable.

Wesley slumps down, holds his head, remembering his only memories of the last few minutes.  He listens to the crowd, watching, taking in the language.  People are greeting each other, arguing and flirting, bargaining, making small talk and generally living life the best they can.

Int. ed’s lab- day

There is a stack of cards, with a metal scan plate on one side.  Some are green, some are red, and some are blue.  They lay on top of the computer table’s glass surface.  Ed and Garrett are sat around it.

Garrett

So you’re definitely in?  I could be living off of your money for a while.

Ed

I can quite easily answer any question you can come up with.

Garrett

Don’t be so sure.  I’ve read a lot.

ed

Is that to imply I have not?  I’ve read a lot and have a photographic memory.  Did you forget that?

Garrett

No, but even you can’t know everything…

ed

So are we going to give this a go then.

Garrett

Okay.  What temperature does paper bunched together burn at?

Ed

Do you mean like a book?

Garrett

Hey, no clues.  But yeah.

Ed

233 degrees Celsius.

Garrett

Uh, what is that in Fahrenheit?

ext. shop/high street – Day

Karin leaves the shop.  She spot Miike with a younger man.  TAKASHI (25) – Yakuza Kobun, with a missing pinkie finger.

Takashi

Is anything I do ever going to be good enough?

Miike

Don’t complain.  You expect everything to be handed to you.  A little work and you think I am being harsh.

takashi

All I’ve ever got for my effort is a missing finger!  No more.

Takashi nods to his two men, who follow him.  As he leaves he looks at Karin and walks off.  Karin looks at Miike who is lingering outside his car.  Karin grips her bag harder.

int. Ed’s Lab – Day

Garrett and Ed are still betting.

Garrett

Okay, okay, all or nothing.  Who said “I’m like a man born blind who has been given the chance to see light.”?

Ed looks blank for a moment.

Ed

What is the context here?

garrett

Eh, no clues remember…

ed

Give me a second…

garrett

Second’s up.

ed

And the answer?

Garrett

Charlie Gordon, from the Daniel Keyes novel ‘Flower’s for Algernon’.  The story of a dumbass that got smart and started questioning his identity as soon as he was aware enough.

Ed looks at him oddly as Garrett scoops up the cards gleefully.  Olivia enters Ed’s lab.

Olivia

Ed, is Karin still…

(To Garrett)

Still here?

Garrett

Just collecting my files.  There’s a lot of them.

Olivia eyes the cards.

Olivia

I can see.

She looks at Ed, looking curious about how he lost.

Ed

Um…Karin is still out.  Tell me, what is it you have her doing?

olivia

Oh, just shopping.  Sales…

Ed looks blank for a moment then snaps back to intelligent and cold.

Ed

Something is bothering you.

olivia

Nothing’s bothering me.  I’ve got to go.  Work.  Get back to work.  Except you.

Olivia points at Garrett.

Olivia (Cont’d)

You’re fired.

Garrett

Ouch, pour salt in the wounds, why don’t you?

Olivia leaves.

Overlapping dialogue:

Garrett She’s calling ‘Wolf’ but I’m not buying it.

Ed Something is bothering her.  There are no sales.

int. tube station- day

Wesley is wondering the station still taking in the sights and sounds.  Zeke has moved on.

Wesley

(Repeating)

Hello!  It’s good to see you…  I thought you’d died.

He bumps into Karin, who is holding a remote control like device.  It is flashing rapidly.  Karin plucks a tracer from Wesley’s pocket.  Her bag is now jammed full.

Karin

You thought I died?  What are you doing down here?

Wesley

Walking…

Karin

Just walking?  Walking where?

Wesley gestures in a vague direction.

Karin

Does the name Jamie Jones mean anything to you?

Wesley

Hell no.

karin

So, you know who I am?

Wesley

Nah.

Karin

Your own name?

Wesley

Nope.

Karin sticks her hand out.

Karin

Come with me if you want to know.

Wesley hesitates before taking it.

Int. Ed’s Lab- Day

Garrett is still at the computer desk.  Ed is sitting with a blank look on his face, but posed as if he’s busy.

Garrett

Shouldn’t it be you breaking into Olivia’s account?

Ed’s face snaps to attention.

Ed

You are already fired, you cannot get in any more unemployed.

Garrett

Hmm.  Point.

Ed

I know what she’s up to.

int. pub toilets- day

Wesley is checking his new clothes in the mirror, which are floor to ceiling.  The tags are still attached.  A sinkhole slides open in the mirror, in the un-opened section of mirror is a television image showing through.

JAKE (19) –guitarist, hipster- walks in.  Eyes Wesley, spots the tags.

Jake

Oh, ho, ho…  You wouldn’t believe it.  One crazy lady tried to stop me coming in here.  I can see why now.  Is she your bird?

Walks to the stall, which is full of Wesley’s new clothes.

Jake

Silent type, eh?  You must be new to money.  Otherwise you’d know better than to have this gear in public.

Jake takes a jacket and leaves the toilet into…

Int. pub hallway – day

A traditional looking pub hallway, wooden and creaky.  Karin grabs Jake’s hand, he smiles until she crushes it.  It cracks several times.

Jake

Ow, ow, owww…  My hand!  I have a set coming up!

Karin

In some places, they used to chop the hands off of thieves.

She lets go and Jake scurries off.  Wesley emerges with the rest of the clothes stuffed in the plastic bag.  Karin laughs and then removes the tags affectionately.  Wesley looks at her, questioningly, yet with tenderness.

Karin

If you were just playing you’d admit it, wouldn’t you?  I mean, sure, you look younger…

Wesley

I’d admit it.  I think.

Wesley lifts the bag.

Wesley

Thanks for the…uh?

Karin

Clothes.

Wesley

Thanks for the clothes.

He is about to leave when Karin grabs his arm.  He swings his fist at her, but stops short of hitting her.  He looks ashamed.

Karin

If you’re really amnesiac then you should come with me.  The world is more dangerous than it has ever been- especially for someone like you.

Wesley

Okay.  I’m regretful…

Karin

You mean sorry?

Wesley

You betcha.

ext. Another Barrier- day

It is another street, another barrier, but still dark and dirty.  A CCTV camera whirls at the barrier.  Wesley watches it.

Karin

Oh, crap.  I parked on the other side.  You don’t happen to have a dent card, do you?

A MAN (50) – business man- walks up to the barrier and touches a pad.  A tiny section of the barrier slides up.

Wesley watches the camera and then follows another man for a moment before returning.  He shows the card to Karin.

Karin

Impressive… Where did you learn that trick?

Wesley

Don’t know.

They touch the pads and go through.

ext. another street- day

This side of the barrier has a different look, like it had been bombed.  It is severely run down.  It has more people and litter in the streets and the buildings are boarded up or crumbling.  Wesley stares.  Karin and Wesley walk down a street before opening the doors of a grey SUV.

Int. Locker room- Day

Garrett is in a bare-bones style locker room.  There are the lockers and a bench.  Garrett is taking the gun out of his locker, checks it and stuffs it in his waistband.

Garrett

Just keep letting her think I’ve left.  She coming?

ed (O.S.)

I will let you know once I see her. She is going to be angry when she finds out about this.

garrett

(Smirking)

Think of this as a final lesson.

int. karin’s car- day

The car looks normal on the inside, apart from a flashing dashboard as it disappears into darkness Karin hits it.

Karin

I need a new display for this thing, the old one’s broken…

(beat)

You’ve noticed the unusual barriers already…

Wesley

Hell yeah.  How are they… unusual?

Karin

Please don’t say ‘hell’ anymore…

(pause)

There was a time before the barriers were put up, they started when I was seven.  Their purpose is supposed to protect us from bombing.

Wesley

How?

Karin

The government thought- it’s been the same people for nearly twenty years by the way-

(more)

Karin (Cont’d)

They thought by separating the country would physically, it would be easy to protect.  One area gets bombed, there’d be an intact one next to it.  Sometimes rumours slips though, but real information is hard to find, I’m pretty good at uncovering it, so if you have any questions. Ask me.

Wesley

Fine.

Karin

Usually it’s more polite to say something like ‘okay’ or ‘thanks’.

Wesley

Why do you act like everything is… um?  ‘What?  That’s a rip-off!’

Karin laughs a little.

Karin

I’m sorry…

(pause)

You mean unfair or altered?  Because it is.  This isn’t how the world would have been.  It’s not how it’s supposed to be.  You see some of the stuff in some zones and you, well, I wonder what it’d be like if every zone is like that.

They sit in silence until pull up to MercY base.  Karin presses a switch on the dashboard and the big doors open.

Int. Mercy Base, main floor- day

The car parks next to the other grey SUV.

Wesley gets out and Garrett presses his gun to the back of Wesley’s head.  Garrett cocks it.

Garrett

Who’s this fine gentleman?

End Act two

act three

Int. Mercy base, main floor- day

Wesley doesn’t say anything.  Garrett moves the gun to one side of Wesley’s head and shoots.  The bullet hits the mechanics of the closing door, causing it to stop.

Karin rushes Garrett.  Garrett puts the gun away.

Karin

Are you stupid?  This could have been a client.

Wesley walks up to Garrett and punches him in the gut.  Garrett doubles over.

Garrett

(Winded)

Charmed… I’m sure.

Ed emerges from his lab and has a gun trained on Wesley.  Olivia runs down the stair, eager, and then pauses when she sees Wesley.

Olivia

That’s not him. On the phone you said you found Jamie.

Karin

It could be.  Ask Ed why- I overheard Jamie talking to Ed on the phone when he…

olivia

Was staying in your flat and in your bed?

Anger is bubbling beneath the surface, but Olivia tries to hide it, pass it off as a matter-of-fact moment.

Karin

You knew?

olivia

Yes, I knew.

Olivia walks to Ed’s lab.

int. ed’s lab- day

Ed opens a secret section of his lab.  The section is down a trap door with stairs below it.  Garrett, Wesley, Karin and Olivia are also in his lab.

Int. ed’s basement- day

Ed descends the stairs.

Ed

Lights on.

The lights flip on to reveal a dentist chair and a metal cabinet as well as a metallic mini fridge.  Another computer table is next to the fridge.  Olivia, Karin, Wesley and Garrett follow him down the stairs, they stand around the dentist chair.

Ed

Jamie had been going to Biotech and took part in an experiment.  He would not tell me what the experiment entailed, but he wanted me to check up on him, just in case.

Ed gestures to the fridge.

Ed

I thought it prudent to keep Jamie’s blood hidden. What I discovered…

Ed starts up the computer table.  Lights burst out of the surface.  It shows blood cells in a three dimensional hologram.

Ed

Is that his blood was destabilising and not just his blood…

The image zooms out to shows a human male, the body is falling apart.

Olivia

God…  And you didn’t stop him?  Is he dead?

Ed

I do not know if he’s dead and of course I tried to stop him.  I practically begged him to have nothing to do with Biotech!

olivia

So why didn’t he stop?  Why didn’t you force him to stop?

Ed

Jamie got the idea that the only way to survive is to keep going.  If he was wrong… If he was wrong, he would have died anyway.

Garrett

You had a one month to fess up.

ed

I wanted to make sure; I could have found out for sure what happened and to see if I had made a mistake.

Olivia

You say that now, but what about when I was wondering what happened to my husband?

Garrett

We done being melodramatic?  I want to stick a needle in this stranger and find out if what the girls think is crazy cuckoos as it sounds.

ed

Only one way to find out…

Ed gestures to the dentist chair.

Garrett

That means sit, Scooby.

Ed

It means please sit.

garrett

Isn’t it pronounced with a silent ‘please’.

Karin takes Wesley’s coat before he straddles the dentist chair and lays back.  Ed takes a needle from the cabinet.  Ed sticks in the needle and draws the blood.  The needle snaps off when he tries to pull it out.  Wesley grabs the end of the broken needle and pulls it out cleanly.

Ed

Let us see now.

Ed prepares a slide of Wesley’s blood and slots it into the computer table.  An image of the blood breaking apart is seen, but then it is rebuilding.  Ed looks blank for a moment.

Ed

What appears to be happening is that this fellow’s blood is destroying itself, like Jamie’s but unlike Jamie’s blood, it is reconstructing.  If indeed he is Jamie, this could explain his youth.  But the blood is constantly changing from type to type.  I’m guessing a lot of work is going on to keep his DNA stable, but generic.  His identity is not meant to be easily deciphered.

Olivia

So is he Jamie or isn’t he?

Ed

Hard to say.  ‘His identity is not meant to be easily deciphered’.  I will need to perform further testing.

Int. Mercy Base, Main floor- day

Garrett leaves Ed’s lab followed by Karin, Ed, Olivia and Wesley.  They see Takashi checking himself out in the mirror of the SUV.  Behind Takashi more Neo-Yakuza’s stream in through the open doors.

Garrett

Okay, maybe shooting was a mistake.

Karin

You think?

Garrett

Yeah, well I intend to make up for it…

Garrett reaches for his gun in his waistband, but it’s gone.

Garrett

Okay, my gun is gone.  Where did my gun go?

Wesley sees this and takes out the gun he took from Garrett and aims it at Takashi.  Who draws a sword and throws it.  It spins through the air, slices Wesley’s arm off at the shoulder and embeds in the wall.

Wesley

Okay, my… gun holder… is gone.

garrett

Huh.  Ecstatic that wasn’t me…

Takashi

Anyone else want to lose their arms?

Garrett

Your sword is stuck in the wall there.

takashi

We’ll have to settle for hundreds of holes caused by bullets then, won’t we?

Karin

Not my second choice.

Takashi

Don’t you realise I’m going to kill you all?  Stop being so… disrespectful!  You failed and you know who I am.

The Neo-Yakuza raise their machine guns.  The MercY crew raise their arms.  Wesley stops bleeding and raises an arm.

takashi

I hired ‘MercY’ because it had a reputation of getting the job done.

(more)

takashi (Cont’d)

Even if it favours the underclass, I figured your group would be more than happy to get rid of the man I paid you to kill.

Takashi walks up to Olivia and holds her chin close to his face.

Takashi

The man I told you to assassinate extorts the extorted.  He oppresses the oppressed and worse yet.  My father never forgets anything, never forgives.  If I let you live, you could tell.

He waves his pinkie-less hand in her face.  Olivia looks mildly surprised, Garrett rolls his eyes.

Olivia

Father?

Karin

What if we promise not to tell?

Tahashi

I like you.  I might let you live…

karin

What as, your Geisha?

Takashi

Hmm…You’re wondering what kind of man kills their own family…

MiiKE (O.S.)

This kind.

Takashi turns around and is about to speak when Miike shoots Takashi in the head.

Takashi’s men are unarmed as Miike’s men surround them and are taking weapons.

Miike

Thank you for warning me of my son’s inevitable betrayal.  It is unfortunate that his ambition far outweighed his ability.

Miike scoops up Takashi’s body and all the Yakuza’s and Neo-Yakuza’s leave.

Garrett

Sound like anyone we know?

Karin

I can think of two people…

Karin covers it up, laughing.

Karin

No disrespect, guys.

Olivia and Garrett eye each other.

The Yakuza pull the doors shut and the bullet pings out of the mechanics of the door.

int.Olivia’s office- Night

Olivia is sat in the office chair and Garrett is sat on the client side of the desk.

Olivia

Did you alert the client’s father?

Garrett

You know the answer.  Use your intuition thing.  It’s what you’re best at.  Planning ahead?  Really not your thing.

Olivia

(beat)

Um, would you like your job back?

Garrett

Just like that?  I don’t know.  I’ve got all this stuff and not enough time to use it all.  It might…

olivia

Okay.  I was harsh though.  It’s… You reminded me that Jamie wasn’t exactly faithful…

garrett

Wait.  Yes I would like a job.

olivia

No, not that job.  If you want your old job, you’ve earned it.

(pause)

Go around me again and…

Garrett

And we’d know that you messed up…

(Sigh)

Boss.

(pause)

You know.  At first I thought new boy was your assassin…

Olivia

You never find out from me.

garrett

Only one of us was gone today.

Olivia

How are you sure I didn’t hire an outsider?

garrett

If it is the secretary though- I don’t blame her.

int. Ed’s lab- night

Karin is on the computer, she is looking at an article about a recent assassination and highlighting details.  She pauses a moment and switches to an older article about a female Prime Minister’s assassination in 2045.  She looks at the face of the Prime Minister slightly longer than necessary.

Int. Ed’s Basement- night

Wesley is on the dentist chair, unconscious.  Ed is looking at Wesley’s face.

Ed

Jamie?  If that is in fact you.  Then I apologise for letting this happen to you.

Garrett (V.O.)

Sometime we all need a blank slate.

Wesley’s arm is poking through a singed bandage and has grown back to the middle of the bicep.

THE END

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The first I heard of this trilogy was in January in when I was new to a rapidly disintegrating bookclub.  It didn’t get the vote, but a book I hated did and probably coloured my view of the rest of the choices, so consequently: This book.

It wouldn’t be until months later when I kept seeing it, like a bad stalker that I paid attention to the buzz, even then it took me even longer to pick up a copy.  I’m glad I did.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist became famous when he discovered the whereabouts of bank-robbers at the beginning of his career, where he earned the nickname ‘Kalle Blomkvisit’ because of his youth (Kalle Blomkvisit or Bill Bergson is a boy with a knack for detective work).  At the beginning of his novel he became infamous for attempting to expose a monetary scam by Hans-Erik Wennerstrom.  The resulting charge of libel and defamation made Mikael exile himself to save his magazine, The Millennium, from the fallout.

Henrik Vanger, a haunted old man decides Mikael is the perfect person to find out what happened to his niece in the 1960s, she disappeared but he’s spent the following years obsessing over the details.  He needs fresh eyes, and he knew Mikael as a boy, but still he hires Lisbeth Salander to find out about the man he became.   Everybody thinks Henrik is a lost cause, that the loss derailed him; even before, the Vanger’s were and are a dysfunctional dynasty and he believes one of them killed her.

Lisbeth Salander, a hacker and an obsessive when it comes to her own agendas, she dislikes most people and hates the Police.  She is smart, dedicated, and good at what she does; few people know this.  Especially not the government, as she was a problem child who never allowed them to assess her and don’t know what she does at Milton Security.  Eventually she joins Mikael in his search for the truth of Harriet Vanger’s disappearance.

The story is interesting, sharp, and knows just when to tease you with a bit of personal interest and insight into the character’s lives, with disparate elements joining together well.  The supporting character’s don’t feel excessive, they are very much the stars of their own worlds, which makes the main characters really feel alive as they all have connections to other people that is not always smooth or easy, they do not come from perfect cookie cutter lives before the story begins and these stories do not go away just because the main character’s are occupied.

The mystery, while at times can feel a little bogged down with Vanger family history, as well as research habit, is interesting enough to keep you going through it’s 500-plus pages.  Especially with the characters traversing Sweden, with just enough information for the locations to warrent some exploring.

Spoilers Below

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Planning #1

26-28/07/09

Okay, so here’s the deal.  The admitedly self-appointed brief is to write one of these for each day I don’t write creatively, but it’s fuzzy when it come to the planning stages.  I’ve been mostly planning because I am terrible at spontanious writing, I sway and go off track, which is fine, but I enjoy knowing the path, the points to hit etc.  But planning takes time, so where does that fall?  You could easily count it, because it IS a big part of my process, but I think it’d be better if I staggered the stories, ideally, but when are things ever ideal.

But if I discount it sloppiness could ensue while I rush through the planning stages.  I don’t know, I think I’ll count it.

Planning #1

Came up with a simple Zombie fighting story called Z-Bar.  Except it’s really about the loss of creativity, when their last musician is turned.  Wrote a bit before I went back to planning due to too much drift.  Removed Zombies and came up with own monster idea, re-named it Days Go On & On. Made character sheets, wrote down key conflicts and dialogue snippets.  Stopped to cook.

Excuses for Not Writing #4

25/07/09

You know, I don’t really have an excuse, but this exercise dictates that I do a page of text every day that I don’t do creative writing.  I wrote two days worth of excuses and a review for Moon and fully intended on doing some creative work, but it didn’t turn out that way.  Mainly because of what I wrote in the excuses, it made me feel bad the rest of the day.  But the output should not be dictated by the way you are feeling, to be a writer and to do it well I believe you have to do it often.  You have to read and write and learn, except sometimes knowing there isn’t a finish line doesn’t help.  A usual response is to give up, but I don’t want to, because I don’t feel I have tried hard enough.  There is more I can do to improve and there always will be, the trick is knowing and still working hard, I guess.

But I say for this particular day I just let things pile up.  There is really no excuse, writing is something I want to do and there are people out there that have to do things they don’t want and work so much harder at it than I do for this thing I want to do.  I may have legitimate reasons for feeling beaten down, but it’s far from the worse thing that could happen to a person.

Another reason I didn’t do anything creatively, I’d say, is that I justified it by the fact I did the excuses exercise and the review and that was it, but it’s a separate thing, but just because it’s similar doesn’t mean anything, the wordcount doesn’t go up.

I’m beginning to remember how hard this thing gets, after a few days of writing them, you run out of excuses and everything seems weak.  So here’s hoping I don’t need to write one tonight.  And is it end scene yet?  No?  Come on!

Review: Moon (Non-Spoiler)

An hour or two before the film was set to air there was a town-wide power cut, it lasted an hour.  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to watch the film, or if it’d stop in the middle (or begining or end too).  The reason I mention this is it lends to the reality of the film, which gives the reason for the Moon-base as the lack of energy on Earth.  The Lunar corporation sends Sam Bell for a solo three-year stint collecting energy from the rocks of the moon itself.  Why they would send a single person for this mission is odd, but it works for the story.  It creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that is fitting for a sci-fi film set on the moon.  The loneliness of Sam Bell is delicioiusly layered, especially with the additional problem with the live feed being down.  His only companion is the wonderful moon-base A.I GERTY, who is played with all the ambiguity of a machine by Kevin Spacey.  This loneliness leads to Sam questioning the things he sees, especially when he sees another, younger, version of himself.

Sam Rockwell’s acting is powerful, and he displays a wide range from the veteran Sam to the rookie Sam and their attitudes, highlighted by the scene where veteran Sam wanted to shake hands.  There has been an emphasis placed on the twist, but I feel it was predictable, but I also feel it was not the point of the film.  It is character based and Sam is a hell of a character.  I really liked this film.

4/5

Excuses for Not Writing #2-3 (Daily Count #2)

23/07/09 – 24/07/09

You know how it is, it’s the day before your birthday and you’re trying to make sure you do something even if it turns out to not be a lot.  But to go back to Thursday, I don’t know what happened really, but Wednesday after a thousand or so words, I really thought that spontaneous plotting isn’t me, even in a short story.  I learned a lot from screenwriting, even when I’m doing prose, think I like to figure out before hand every plot point, keep track of each person.  Their emotions, physicality and I hate to say motivation (because it’s a big cliché).  I like to have everything figured out before-hand and sometimes I suspect I get too deeply into that.  People have expressed how knowing how everything turns out ruins the writing experience, but even knowing that you have plenty to tinker with, the details within the details and every usage of a comma, dash or speech mark, separating each character and perfecting their voices.  I like to know everything they would know, their training, their education and then creativity comes in, because you can’t experience another persons life, you can guess and then you can fudge a few details to make the person more interesting.

And that is why I don’t write everyday, I am a really bad juggler.  Sometimes I feel I am more of an editor or a sculptor, but to sculpt, I need the right material.  So I do need to write, and write until I have something I can chip at.  If I start chipping early, it will just crumble and turn to dust.  I know this, so I need to change some things.  But I’d be lying to say that is the only reason I’ve not been writing and to be honest, what I just wrote sounds like spin or justification, I don’t need that.  I need to finish ideas, or anything.

If I am really going for justification, I’d tell myself I haven’t wrote the story I really want to tell and I know it.  But I’m not ready to tell that.  I mean writing saved my life, it stopped my mind from drifting away after some seriously bad situations.  What people don’t understand is that I’ve not always been here, I mean I know people say that they were somebody else in the past, but I feel like I haven’t existed as long as my body has, but I feel that way some of the time, I mean the concept of writing itself was introduced as a distant memory in primary school.  You know what it’s like?  It’s like what people describe psychic flashes as.  The memory is not a part of me, but I have access.  This may all be bullshit, but it’s true to this version of me.

According to a post on the Velvet, Karen Novak once said: Every novelist is born in revenge. Sure, everybody has story ideas, but you won’t get the dedication you need to write a novel until someone or something damages you. That’s the moment you become a “writer”. That moment creates a story you actually want to write. You need retribution that’s impossible in real life, so fiction becomes your outlet. You might try a thinly veiled direct approach, or maybe you’ll bury the revenge in metaphors.  The advice is: Write this story first, because it will suck. It won’t get published.

If that’s true, I have what it takes to be a writer, because it’s my output of choice, but maybe I’m not because I am not going near the real story I want or don’t want to tell, but it is the one I must write before I can write for it’s own sake, because treating it as something I use to counter my past is going to corrupt it and I am not going to write a lot.  It’s a version of the truth, sure I want to one day see it as pure art, but that may never happen.

Another truth is I didn’t write because it was my birthday.  The result is the same.

(Project: Floater

Words Today: 1,000

Total: 1,503

New Total: Zero.

Achieved: Seeded the Joggers as suspects, expanded lead character

Reason for Stopping: Wanted to go back to planning.)

Excuses for Not Writing #1

One of the old exercises I used to do was write a page of free-flowing excuses for not writing if I do not do any creative writing.  I am starting the practice again and sharing.  The theory is that you’d get so fed up of writing these that you end up writing.

Today I didn’t write because I woke up late.  Again.  Then when I got round to seeing the time, I thought ‘Fuck!  I am going to miss Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls.’  I justify watching those shows because of how pro-active Veronica is, I mean if people are half as pro-active as that fake teenage and barely noir girl, we’d all get a lot done.  But something sad has to happen to you.  Is that a good trade off?  I don’t think so.

Gilmore girls is good for unusual and witty dialogue, I know it may seem a bit odd, but it appeals to me to have a town where dialogue like that flows freely from everybody’s lips.  To justify this TWO HOUR block, I got on the exercise bike while watching it.  I may try that again some time, but I really don’t feel it is anything like a good excuse.  But yeah, seeing Kirsten Bell, Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham most weekdays is not bad, especially when they are being literate.  M Sommerset Vaughan and Cormac McCarthy jokes?  Yes, please.  But again, that is two hours, which is not good enough.

Some time later, after some reading, The Outer Limits was on and it was the ‘A Stitch in Time’ episode, I’ve always loved that episode.  The question of changing your past has always been appealing.  That is part of what drove me to writing, the past, and the need to question it and how it affects peoples future.  I liked the episode so much I followed it up on a plus one channel while I cooked.

Then I saw that the new BBC show Desperate Romantics was on, about Pre-Raphaelite painters and told myself I’d write after that.

Well you see how well that worked out, so here I am, writing my excuses.

Daily count #1

Project: Floater

Words Today: 503

Total: 503

Achieved: Introduced the DCI, some joggers, the riverbank…

Reason for Stopping: Hunger pains.

A really slow day  but I’m trying to be honest.  I am getting lethargic.  Need to snap out of it.

8ighteen

Two films called Nine/9.  Very different, but I want to see both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bzB79_gkZY

NINE

Based on the musical the movie is about the director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion.  Following his biggest creative success he struggles to complete his latest film, all the while balancing his relationships with the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnoJecu9e7c

9

9 takes place in a world parallel to our own, in which the very legacy of humanity is threatened. A group of sapient rag dolls, living a post-apocalyptic existence find one of their own, 9 (Elijah Wood), who displays leadership qualities that may help them to survive.

The original short film can be found here.