Scene 3.29 - Call It Something Else
EST.: INT. Archemedes' Aft Bay/Eliza's Gamma Corridor Terminus - Afternoon
(AZALEA’S image pops on the blast-shield portion of RONNIE’S helmet.)
AZALEA
Azalea to Verne. Verne come in. Baby, we’ve gone into orbit. Azalea to Verne-
RONNIE
(Takes off helmet and looks into it.) He’s in the cockpit, chain-smoking. Who should I tell him is calling?
AZALEA
I’m Azalea. His girlfriend. W- who are you?
RONNIE
Ronica. I’m a robot.
AZALEA
Really? (Sparks a joint.) Did Verne make you?
RONNIE
(Confused:) Er, yes, sort of, since he killed and assimilated T-K four-twenty and then let me take human form. You could say he’s kinda my step-daddy.
AZALEA
And you’re made to look like a woman?
RONNIE
He said you wouldn’t understand.
AZALEA
Oh, he said that? Oh, sweetie, I understand. You know you haven’t done anything wrong, right? I think you’re very pretty and I bet you’re real-smart, too. It- it's okay. You’re with a friend now. Hmm, did he tell you how was he planning on explaining you to me?
RONNIE
He told me to keep my helmet on so it wouldn’t wreck what we had worked on together.
AZALEA
Oh, really? (Deep toke.) Ronica, darling, this might seem strange, but, while you were "working" on things together, did he ever... touch you?
RONNIE
N- No.
AZALEA
Hmmm. Has he ever kissed you?
RONNIE
Well-
AZALEA
It’s okay.
RONNIE
Well, once.
AZALEA
Hmmm. Sweetheart, has he ever... shown you anything?
RONNIE
Yes.
AZALEA
What, honey? What did he show you?
RONNIE
The power of the buzz.
AZALEA
Something like his Red-Eye training?
RONNIE
Yes. He was showing me how to act more like a human.
AZALEA
I- I know this might be difficult, Ronica, but can you play back for me exactly what he said?
VERNE V.O.
(Audio only:) Want some of this? Come on, it’s okay, it’s a human thing to do. Relax, you’ll enjoy it. Can you suck-in with that mouth-looking thing or what?
AZALEA
I know, I know it might be disturbing, but can you play for me what led up to that?
RONNIE
Okay. This is right before we got aboard The Archimedes.
(RONNIE plays audio without moving her lips. Recorded from inside the helmet. Of course, when RONNIE’S voice is replayed, we do not hear as VERNE heard before. We hear no distortion, no electronic vibrato -- only a perfectly feminine, youthful and innocent voice.)
RONNIE (Cont’d)
Here it is. We’ll never get it out.
VERNE V.O.
I’ve seen it looking worse for the wear. Do it the way I showed you, use the buzz.
RONNIE
I’ll try.
VERNE V.O.
No! Try not. Do, or do not.
(Sounds of RONNIE moaning and struggling with something.)
VERNE
(Enters, over moaning:) Ronnie, I was thinking about before-
AZALEA
Cool your heels, Verne. You’re in hot water.
VERNE
Azalea-
RONNIE
It’s too big. Reeds and Twigs are one thing, but this, it’s completely different.
VERNE
No! No difference! Only different in your mind! Have you learned nothing about being human? Have you heard nothing I’ve said? Look at me, frail and weak am I, small am I, but my power of the buzz, yes, the buzz is strong in me, big am I with the power of the buzz!
RONNIE
I am but a machine. I’ll never be like a human. I cannot do what you ask.
(More hot moaning in a woman’s voice. A slightly-different, patient Nemo glance.)
VERNE
Let go. Yes. Feel it. Feel the buzz, feel it flow into you, through you.
(The moaning continues for a second.)
AZALEA
I’ve heard enough. Ronica-honey, I want you to climb back into the aft thruster-bay. Right now. It’s a thousand degrees in there. He can’t follow you. Then I want you to tell me when you’re safe back there. Okay, sweetheart?
VERNE
Baby, you got this all wrong.
AZALEA
I’m not your baby. Go watch a movie, pound salt, jump in a lake, fly a kite or take a long walk off a short pier, I don’t care what you do anymore. We need space, Verne.
(RONNIE walks aft with her helmet cradled in her gloved hand. She walks to a warning sign and opens a lock sequence. AZALEA glares at VERNE throughout. RONNIE quickly dons her helmet and exits through a hatch filled with plasmic fire.)
CU: VERNE
VERNE
(To no one in particular:) But, that’s not how it happened!
FTB