Scene 10.11 - Parlor Tricks
INT. Moms Parlor, Isis Station
(We've left the adjacent mobby lobby and see a large parlor, complete with bean bag chairs, a long black-and-red couch, a monster flat screen television and a fully-stocked bar. The men are all drinking beer and have apparently cleaned up a bit from urinating on themselves. VYLENCIA, seated center of the couch and facing the wall sized monitor is playing a popular video game called "Crash!" and never looks away as she furiously taps and pulls triggers, buttons and joysticks on an odd-shaped video game controller. From cutaways, we see the game for what it truly is: A series of increasingly elaborate crash sequences; where more damage to the crashing vehicle equals more points. SALVATORE and STEPHEN flank VYLENCIA, who is engrossed. SONNY is sleeping in a nearby bean bag chair, an open bag of chips on his lap, cradled by his sleeping arms.)
MS: COUCH
VYLENCIA
This next one's a doozie. Two turns, seven ramps, four pedestrians, two tanks and a concrete barrier -- all before you get to the boardwalk.
STEPHEN
You've got a lot of gold -- you gonna upgrade your plating in that depot over there?
VYLENCIA
Nah, it will weigh it down too much and I won't be able to jump the river -- gonna add a rocket launcher and a nitrous pack, tho.
STEPHEN
(Pulls chips from the bag resting on a sleeping SONNY. Washes them down with his beer.) You'll never get around the movie theater; you got a line of people going around the block.
CUTAWAY
(We see a sports racer with a mounted turret drive toward a movie theater showing "Love 'Em or Leave 'Em" and see the car careen toward a Coming Attractions poster advertising a zombie movie called "Dawn Of Disco" and see the car crash through a wall, drive through a set of double doors, launch from an empty balcony and dive though a movie screen playing an ad for refreshments. Singing hot dogs, popcorn buckets, soda bottles and candy boxes continue to strut while the car punches a hole through the screen's center. A rocket is fired and the movie theater's back wall is blasted away, revealing an alleyway with dumptsters, orange cones and scaffolding. The Game's CG reads: Bonus! Secret Area Unlocked!)
VYLENCIA
Nah, I don't go around it - there's a roadblock that sucks to get around there and doesn't give you squat -- or so little that you lose whatever you got when you hit the people waiting in line -- and you have to mow down at least one squad car to get through the checkpoint -- Instead, I go through the theater -- see there? On the left side -- just above that horror movie poster -- there's a crack in the mortar on the bricks there -- see? And yep, we go right through like it was nothing, but you got to make sure not to hit the usher standing by that column taking the toke break, then you drive up the stairway, go to the center of the balcony -- don't worry, those aren't people in the seats, just old popcorn buckets -- and you gotta puch the nitrous right before going off the balcony or the crash happens here and you only get one prestige. I like to shoot for that box of mints, that puts me in the center, but as long as you make it to the screen you won't crash yet... Then I blast away the back wall next to that fire extinguisher and behold! Look! No people!
SALVATORE
You found a secret area!
VYLENCIA
Now if I can hit all the orange cones without hitting the dumpster, I can get an extra battery pack.
SALVATORE
What'll that getcha?
VYLENCIA
Another battery means I can mount lasers on my headlights when I get to the next depot.
(A drunken, unshaved wino staggers from behind the dumpster, brown bag in hand.)
SALVATORE
Look out for that wino!
VYLENCIA
Oh, damn, I forgot about the wino. Thanks; almost clipped him... There's also a pimp that comes out of that yellow doorway by the end of the alley, gotta watch for him too.
CUTAWAY
(We see an aloof pimp dressed to the nines drop his cane as the car races by, surprising him. As AZALEA hits the shopping cart at the end of the alley, his car takes a hard right turn and we see a causeway jut from a long boulevard flanking an ocean view to the East.)
STEPHEN
What about that bag lady up there? She's not moving very fast.
VYLENCIA
If I hit her, I lose all my ammo but if I just run over her shopping cart all the aluminum plating on my undercarriage gets set to maximum.
SALVATORE
Looks like you need it... your health is at thirty-one...
VYLENCIA
Nah, we're coming up on the Bayside Health Clinic. There's an ambulance parked in the back parking lot, if I can ram it without taking out any orderlies, my health gets fully restored.
MS: Wet bar
(LEONIDAS is seated at the bar in the back of the room, behind the couch, sipping a cocktail and watching a very colorful basketball game on a small television behind the bar. It's the Capital City University Moonmen at home against the visiting Orion University Spacemen. Apparently, the regulations of basketball have not changed despite the lessened gravity on the lunar court. Players are leaping and bouncing across to half-court with phenominal ease, and dunking the ball seems to be the rule rather than the exception. TOM enters with two thugs; formerly dressed as cops, now as gangsters. TOM turns to LEONIDAS, who sees his revolver and immediately begins to stand.)
TOM
No, no, don't get up on my account. Who's playing?
LEONIDAS
Moonmen and Spacemen. The Spacemen are getting their asses handed to them.
TOM
(Sits, places gun on bar. Looks to LEONIDAS, who is engrossed.) You a lunatic?
LEONIDAS
Nah, I ain't a loony, but I like them tho. My team's the Thundercats.
TOM
Sheesh! North Carolina? They don't even have a winning season.
LEONIDAS
Tell me about it. They suck this year. That new coach they got is no better than the last one. (Sips beer.) Worse, if you ask me.
TOM
But didn't they get that one guy? The high-school wonderkid that broke all those records?
LEONIDAS
Where have you been? He was expelled last year for doping. He's been banned from the sport for life. Now he's doing some lame-ass talk show; spouting off about having ethics now.
TOM
Figures. Looks like the Moonmen got this game.
LEONIDAS
Loonies will have plenty reason to celebrate tonight. The Moonmen are still undefeated.
TOM
Look! Another turnover. The Spacemen keep losing the ball, huh?
LEONIDAS
And then some. They can't play on the moon. They ain't even got dribbling down.
TOM
Alot of traveling calls?
LEONIDAS
That and a load of Technical Fouls. Their captain carries, and he done fouled-out this half.
TOM
What's the score?
LEONIDAS
Score's 84-16. Four minutes on the clock. They ain't got a chance.
TOM
So, are you the bartender around here? Think I could get a ginger ale?
LEONIDAS
Nah, I ain't the bartender; help yourself tho.
TOM
You run this place? You the guy (Points to CAMEO 10) Georgie-Boy called from the hotel?
LEONIDAS
Nah, I don't work here. (Doesn't look away from the game for even a second.) Nah, he called Vy to find out where we are; I see you all found us.
TOM
Vy?
LEONIDAS
Vy's the lady on the couch playing video games.
TOM
Mindless video games? The Moon Queen? Does that alot, does she?
LEONIDAS
All the time. She usually doesn't have an audience, though. I sure as hell don't think it's fun to watch someone play games. I leave her alone to do that. She's hamming-it-up today.
CUTAWAY
(The two moon cops have joined the trio on the large couch and all seem very interested in what VYLENCIA happens to be doing. We've been seeing a little here and there in the background, during the bar dialogue, but now we get a much closer view of the game's progress as we cutaway to a medium shot of the flatscreen, with one intense woman, four alert men and one sleeping man all facing away from us in the forground of the shot. VYLENCIAis taking her car through an amusment park, and uses a maintenence vehicle with a ramped back to jump to a boardwalk which runs alongside the beginning part of-)
SALVATORE
(Points, as if VYLENCIA didn't see it.) A roller-coaster! Can you get on the tracks?
VYLENCIA
Yeah, but I gotta shred my tires first on all those boards and rebar lying in that heap behind the Wacky Shack and then I gotta double-back to the gate to get on the tracks just right or I'll fly off and then when I do get off on that last jump, I have to land in that pile of tires in that junkyard over there or I won't be able to get back on the road again without having to limp to a fuel depot first and the nearest one's way across town so I gotta do this one right. Let me save it here while I'm at a checkpoint, I gotta pee so bad I can taste it.
(She pulls over to a ticket booth and saves the game. SALVATORE and CLARKE also get up.)
STEPHEN
I could use another beer.
CAMEO 10 and 11
(In unison, crossing to the bar:) Yeah, beer!
SALVATORE
This one's going right through me, so I'll follow you, Vy. I better go now, cuz urinating in my pants once today was already one time too many. Hey, who in the hell are you?
TOM
I'm the guy who's gonna be asking the questions around here. Let's see: You're the Moon Queen, you're her shrink, and I take it you are the dream doctor with DreamWorx?
STEPHEN
Affirmative. I am a neuro-
TOM
I ain't interested in your particulars -- I don't care if you're a Capricorn or a Scorpio or anything -- I ain't looking for a date, I'm looking for answers from the Moon Queen. (He lights a filterless cigarette.) And you, Thundercat: You also work for this gal?
LEONIDAS
I'm her personal assistant.
TOM
You mean her bodyguard.
LEONIDAS
Yes. Among other things.
TOM
Boyfriend?
VYLENCIA AND LEONIDAS
No.
TOM
Oh. Who's the kid passed-out in the bean bag chair?
LEONIDAS
Sonny. He's our dealer. Helped me score some Ava.
TOM
Yeah, I heard about you all getting some Gelatin-A. You all tripping now?
VYLENCIA
We're tripping balls. You want some? You look like you could use a jolt.
TOM
(All business. Sips his Ginger ale:) Never touch the stuff; it clouds your thinking.
VYLENCIA
If you're not here for Ava, why are you here? And what's with waving that gun around?
TOM
I'm looking for you, Moon Queen. You're the woman of my dreams.
VYLENCIA
Hold that thought- I'm about to spring a leak-
(SHE exits.)
TOM
You: Doctor -- you work for that chick with DreamWorx, right?
STEPHEN
Ms. Amaraero has brought me here to-
TOM
Like I said, I don't care if you're a Pisces. Tell me: Where's she at? (Nods to restroom.) If that trippin' daisy ain't the one behind these crazy dreams I'm havin', then your boss has got to be the one pullin' the strings.
STEPHEN
She's not my boss. I doubt she's involved other than also being affected by the intrusions -- as we all are.
TOM
Intrusions is right. And we ain't the only ones. There's another guy; "My Client" -- he says-
SONNY
(C-23 wakes up.) You guys waiting on me? Sorry I dozed off. You all ready to go get your merchandise -- whoa! Who's the cat with the gun?
STEPHEN
I'm sorry, I don't remember you telling us your name.
TOM
I didn't. (Snuffs out cigarette in ashtray.) Tomas Andreo, private investigator. I've been hired by someone to look into this dream-sharing mess. Both my client and I both have been having messed up dreams for at least two months now. We're going to fix this, one way or another. Even if it means shutting down the whole DreamWorx empire.
SONNY
(Getting up:) Look, I don't think any of this has to do with me, so I'll be going.
TOM
Nope! You just stay seated in that bean bag chair, Son, don't move until I figure this out. You're in my dreams too, kid.
SONNY
I don't remember my dreams.
TOM
Whether you remember them or not, you're involved.
VYLENCIA
(Back; drying her hands.) What do you want? What do you plan to do?
TOM
Well, I was sure you were the one behind it all, but now I'm not so sure of anything.
VYLENCIA
Well, I can be sure about one thing; I've just closed a quarter-billion-dollar deal and if I don't go get my product soon, I'm liable to get burned -- so can we take this elsewhere?
SONNY
Moms won't screw you; she's getting your product right now. You won't get burned.
VYLENCIA
Yeah, dude, I have a date with a little lady about some Ava acquisition. You wanna keep swinging that piece around, feel free. I'm leaving. You want to tag along and find out what we find out, great. You wanna join us for the Eclipse, that's cool; but you gotta holster that side-arm. I don't want any accidents. Not while I'm just here for the kicks, okay?
TOM
That sounds reasonable enough. Where are you going from here, Moon Queen?
VYLENCIA
Call me Vy. I dunno. Sonny, where are we going from here? Where's Moms?
SONNY
Hub Central. Meetin' in Room C-A Eleven Twenty-Seven. It ain't a party, tho. Private.
TOM
Oh yeah? Really? (Holsters revolver in shoulder harness.) I think I'll tag along then.
STEPHEN
Eleven twenty-seven? Isn't that the room where David Davis-
SONNY
Yeah, where that guy killed someone on purpose. The room's got a bad history, but we don't talk about that.
SALVATORE
I would have thought they would have had it sealed off or something.
TOM
This should be interesting. I happen to know a few things you all apparently do not.
VYLENCIA
Such as?
STEPHEN
Please, enlighten us.
TOM
(Swigs from a bottle he found to his liking and replaces the revolver with a multi-chamber pipe. Tokes.) For one, I know they didn't seal off that room. For another, I personally know that David Davis didn't kill Nancy Lee.
VYLENCIA
That's some wild speculation. Somebody killed her, that much is true.
TOM
I don't believe it is. I think The People have been lied to about her disappearance.
STEPHEN
You mean her murder.
TOM
I mean diappearance; they never found her body, you know.
SALVATORE
Of course they didn't -- she was chucked into space!
TOM
Was she now?
SONNY
Sure she was! I saw the video on the... everywhere! Her guts went flyin' everywhere!
VYLENCIA
You know something to the contrary?
TOM
I do know that she's in my dreams as much as you are in my dreams, and you're certainly alive. And, like my client, I'm beginning to suspect that Ms. Lee may not be dead after all.
CAMEO 11
Mr. Andreo-
TOM
Tom-
CAMEO 11
Tom: Do you know the whereabouts of your client right now?
CAMEO 10
We've been sent to find him and take him back to Osiris. We can charge you with obstruction if you willfully keep information on his whereabou-
CAMEO 11
No we won't. We're only askin' cuz we got to find him or it's our asses, and we got bills to pay like you do. Do you know?
TOM
Yes. I'll cooperate with you, fully. Relax, he's here, all right? You'll see him soon enough. He's right where we're heading.
CAMEO 11
I'm not following you.
TOM
He's in room C-A eleven twenty-seven right now. I'm quite sure he'll be very glad to see me; not too sure how he'll feel about seeing either of you guys, though, even if you ARE dressed like Twentieth-Century hitmen.
CAMEO 11
No doubt. I'm sure he'll just jump for joy.
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