Scene 4.15 - Side Mission
EST: EXT. Indica, beached at the Isle Of Dread
CU: JOHN THOMAS’ face, same angle as before, except in a different setting
(He’s been out for a little while.)
JOHN THOMAS
Wha- wha, who? Diablo!
(Tries to get up.)
ROD
Easy, there. You've been through a lot; you need to rest a second.
JOHN THOMAS
No time! (Sits up.) What? How'd I get here?
PETER
Patch togustah wayou wah. Yuwer out cold. Nevazeendatwon, Jaytee -- what'appen?
JOHN THOMAS
Diablo's got a new robot. She’s potentially lethal. We've got to warn Central Command and stop her invasion!
WOODY
She's attacking Central Command? Jeepers, she won't stand a chance against their laser defenses. (Tries to demonstrate via kung-fu forms with his hands-) They'll slice through that orb like a hot knife through butter.
JOHN THOMAS
No, she’s got a new robot. She's got something I don't think anything can stop. (Pause) Unless -- ready the Sativa! Come on, Patch! Gotta go!
PATCH
Bark!
ROD
(Trying to stand in his way, not doing a bad job of it either-) Really, John, you've been through the wringer, you need to rest. (Raises arm, open, palm upright, not to indicate nor exclude himself-) Let one of us go.
JOHN THOMAS
(Tired and worse than they’ve ever seen him. He gasps for breath, and smiles to himself over their undying and perfect loyalty.) No time -- in the Forbidden Zone, having directions won't do any good. I’ve been there, when I was a kid, when I noticed everything, when I had maps and posters on the walls of my room -- (Sees the others wondering whether he’s had a concussion.) I'll go, I know what I'm looking for and where to get it. (Pause.) The rest of you get back to Luna and help defend Central Command. I'll meet you there as soon as I can.
WILLIE
Diablo's got a head-start, Jon-Tom.
JOHN THOMAS
(Painfully his old self. He has horse sense -- this firestarter knows the practicality of knowing how to feast without having to hunt or gather for the tribe. He inherently knows what keeps him alive and that’s all that matters. It’s why he’s immortal. He did something right for someone else unconditionally. Of all the martial disciplines of the mind, his is the most dominant and the most mastered; albeit never perfected. It’s proven to work every time. This cast of paladin is not marred by the Lancelots of the world. He regards his friends [and enemies] as fellow prophets. He never underestimates anything and is trusted with the knowledge of Armageddon solely because he is the last person anyone else expects to use that knowledge solely for personal gain. Ironically, he doesn’t use it because he is entrusted with it and he realizes that the trust of power is more valuable than the entrusted power itself. As best as he can, urgent:) Yes, but I bet you know a few short-cuts to the moon that Diablo doesn't. Get there before she does and have them activate the command's sonic scramblers. That will force Diablo to abandon her ship in order to mount an attack. You’ll have a better chance at getting her while she’s off her ship. Knock her out if you have to; and the robot; even if it means us and our way of life, humanity’s at stake here. Things that are dead should stay that way. She’s resurrected a monster. You’ve got one real mission and one real mission only -- destroy that robot at all costs.
WOODY
(Swallows-) Yes, sir.
JOHN THOMAS
(Sensitive to the common objections to murder, even if it’s only a sentient machine-) If you are unable to deactivate it, at least contain it -- keep her away from the populace -- it may buy me some time. Keep your headlamp beacon on your head, I’ll keep my fix to that and we’ll be back in a flash. (To PATCH, who is still waiting in the cockpit driver’s seat, only to be moved-) Let's go!
(The Lunar Star Destroyer SATIVA taxis from the INDICA'S bomb bay. JOHN THOMAS loads minimal supplies while PATCH jumps about inside and excitedly waits for JOHN THOMAS to fire up the engine. Suddenly, RUBY enters, in a completely different outfit, a la suburban housewife, 1950s, red shoes, blue pedal-pusher jeans, red and white picnic-table flannel blouse tied in front, hair up with a red taffeta scarf.)
RUBY
Pita, Baby, here's your banana-honey-and-peanut-butter sandwich. (Places on extraneous panel protruding from the INDICA.) I put extra everything on it like you like.
PETER
Evrathin-evrathin?
RUBY
Everything, and here's an ice-cold milk to wash-it-down, Sweetheart.
(Kisses him on the cheek.)
PETER
Ya, Hunee, dat's grayed. (Wipes-off the lipstick, pats her butt.) D’ya think ya cud go gitdee uddergirlz-
CUT TO: AMBER CHILLING ON AN EXPLOSIVE TANK PROTRUDING FROM THE INDICA
AMBER
(Becoming visible in yellow sandals, faded yellow-and-white cut-offs and sunrise-yellow bikini top. Without looking up:) They're sunbathing.
(While lazily-reading a small romance novel aloft in her left hand, AMBER is giving herself a cool tattoo on her left arm with a laser from her right index finger, which she erases with her thumb and re-draws a different design as she changes her mind about its symbolic theme. She knows to draw the symbols so other people can see them, rather than merely from her own point-of-view.)
DICK
Amber, sweetie, we've gotta go!
AMBER
Ooh! Road trip! Goody!
ECU: Tattoo, zoom out with the action
(AMBER decides on keeping a small, cute, red valentine’s heart on her left bicep with DICK darkly-stenciled inside the tattoo, in black. She puts her book in her back pocket and hops from the tank.)
JOHN THOMAS
(Pause, both he and PATCH are strapped-in their seats and both, in unison, tilt their heads; perplexed:) Would you gentleman care to explain, or should I continue to lose my mind over here?
ROD
We'll fill you in later; it can wait.
(A green-white-and-Earth-orange-clad COPPER saddles up to ROD.)
PETER
Gudluc, Jaytee, upzeedayzee!
(RUBY picks-him-up easily, cradling PETER.)
JOHN THOMAS
Good luck ... to ... all of you. We're all gonna need it. See you back at headquarters!
(He zooms away.)
FTB