Scene 6.07 - The Moment Of Truth
ANIMATION STYLE 1
EXT./INT. The Savage Gardens, The Internexus
(VERNE and RAMONA are leisurely-strolling, arm-in-arm, along a promenade, parasol and all. Copious varieties of flora and fauna are littered about, blooming, dying and regrowing at a rhythmic pace. RAMONA is dressed in white Victorian dress, yet it is similar to what she wore before -- her white, leather boots still contain the Derringer and the stiletto, and red roses replace the embroidered blue ones, yet her engagement and wedding rings have remained unchanged. Her “purse” has become a 1860s carpet-bag. While she marvels at the costume change and how her hair became about two feet longer in length and is tightly wrapped and braided into some kind of old-school bun kind-of-thing with weird, ivory hat pins sticking out --VERNE patiently waits, unimpressed that he looks quite debonair and classically antiquated -- like an old rag-oil painting of a dapper, country gentleman; circa 1880. They are alone in an Elysian, quiet, impressionistic garden whose horizon seemingly goes on forever. They reach a patio expanse, crafted by Artesians and as it is ageless it displays a breath-taking vista of a Spring without the allergies. There’s an ornate, Art-Noveau gazebo in the middle of the boardwalk and a Monet-esque bridge over a slow-moving creek. The sky is a melange of orange and gold hues, glistening, as if filled with glitter from a cosmic snow globe. They stop on the bridge and light a phat joint. It’s quite a moment for them.)
RAMONA
This is incredible; so cool. It’s so... natural.
VERNE
(Smells:) Ah, Zetan air -- drafts blown in from the Internexus; it just keeps getting better every time.
RAMONA
Hmmm. (Tilts her head, begins feeling aroused, fondles her Victorian cameo and strokes the railing on the footbridge. Pause.) So are we completely alone in here?
VERNE
Absolutely. All alone; nothing but the future ahead. (Gestures toward the gazebo:) The great unknown. A whole universe of possibilities out there.
RAMONA
Yeah, I see what you mean. (Stands next to him, sighs.) So, while we got time and all, you wanna?
VERNE
Huh?
(A spark flares within her; she touches him; only one thing apparently on her mind.)
RAMONA
Want to? This place is private enough; you got a condom?
VERNE
A what?
RAMONA
Don’t tell me they don’t have condoms in the future. Don’t you guys use birth-control?
VERNE
Birth-control? In the future, women don’t have babies; most can't. Instead, people are selectively-bred in tanks at Mt. Adlous.
RAMONA
What? (Crinkles face:) Really? Huh. So you guys don’t have sex?
VERNE
Sex? Well, why, uh, yes, we have sex. Lots of sex.
RAMONA
With other people; like women, right?
VERNE
Uh, yeah. I’m a ladies’ man, Mona.
RAMONA
Yeah, sure, (Deeply tokes.) I guess it’s okay, I haven’t had my period in over a year, so W-T-H-or-F-for-that-matter, just be sure to pull-out, okay? Women in my time can have kids by just thinking about sex.
VERNE
Really?
RAMONA
No, silly, I'm just saying I could be a fertile Myrtle cuz I lost track of exactly what day it's supposed to happen cuz I haven't had cramps like, since gymnastics in high-school and I hardly bleed at all.
VERNE
(Didn't get a word of it. He's eyeing her cleavage.) Okay then. Sure.
RAMONA
I ain’t a sleaze, but I ain’t gonna be like every other girl and tell you I’ve only been with three guys or some sob-story like that; It’s not like I’m a crack-ho or anythin’ I just know when I want something and when I’m in the mood and all.
VERNE
Yeah.
RAMONA
(Light kiss on VERNE’S cheek.) Sure there’s a few guys I don’t like to count, but you, (Smiles, caresses his shoulder, feels muscles:) you seem nice enough; you’re sure better than some of the other creepy old guys I’ve been with. (Nuzzles up to him a little. It warrants a curious glance from VERNE.) This place, all that’s happened; well, to put it to you kinda like I want you to put it to me... Let’s just say I’m really in the mood for your rock-hard d-
(VERNE steps away from the goddess... is he completely mad, or is it Holy-Erectile-Dysfunction-Batman?)
VERNE
Doctor Wells said Clarke took The Baron to Zeta. Perhaps we should start looking for them. They must be in a nearby quantum-corridor. I can locate the party and Clarke with a single-
RAMONA
Hey, Jules, doncha get it? I’m coming on to you, so what’s da matter? Doncha wanna fool-around?
VERNE
I’m really not sure this is the right time or the right place-
RAMONA
You kidding? This place is perfect. Come get some. I can talk dirty to you, you like it when a girl talks dirty?
VERNE
Well yeah, sure... but...
RAMONA
But?
VERNE
I- I thought you were a lesbian.
RAMONA
I do what I want, who I want; don’t put no labels on me, baby. Come on, whip it out, lemme play with it a while...
VERNE
It’s just that, I‘ve never-
RAMONA
Never what? (Pause. A double-take pause.) You’re serious. Huh. Hey, how old are you?
VERNE
Thirty centuries, give or take, but most of that was due to time-displacement. Around seven hundred or so years, physically. Technically, now, though, I’m in the negative...
RAMONA
Never mind-
VERNE
(Looking up, as if the answer's there:) Hang on hang on hang on, I’ve never really thought about it since all the mess began. I betcha I got at least a decade of back-pay coming to me from those Ensign Sickle days. Let’s see, I got stationed on The Roanoke after my second-station reserve duty at 109, and that was over that holiday break that was in ‘77 or '78, and that was such a messed-up year I lost track of what happened when, so I know for sure it was when I got out of reception station, so we add eighty-two years and seventy-one of those in private practice, and a return to active duty in '75 and then a few lonely years with the machines and then the actual three long years and thirteen chaotic days and thirteen gruesome hours on board The Roanoke, of course not counting the nine-hundred-sixty-nine-year time-differential from skimming-across the event-horizon which is still unknown to me exactly where it was, but I crossed it -- and came back -- so I gotta add a few years here and take a few away there, plus I gotta add the four-and-a-half years to count all the other ships leading up to The Eliza. Hmmmm. I guess that physically, to you, I’m probably like old enough to be like your dad in one way -- to you, like maybe I'm about 40.
RAMONA
Hmm. Yeah, my dad is 42... (Kinda lost the mood. They’re leaning on the bridge railing; she glances away momentarily.) A 40-year-old virgin. I never thought I’d live to see it. Well, so much for my fantasy. (Looks back at him, kills the roach, flicks it.) Go figure, I thought a guy like you would have ravaged a woman in every port.
VERNE
I got plenty of spaceport frequent-flyer miles, so there’s a hologram in every port -- I, I may technically be a virgin, but I know how to ravage plenty, if that’s what chore asking. (Sighs, sips a flask, looks away.) I’ve been with my fair share of instructional holograms, sure, but honestly, none ‘em ever prepared me for the real thing; not like this, anyway. Those holograms, even the ones I get with my Titanium Rewards Card: they’re never as smart or as beautiful as real girls like you, never.
RAMONA
(She touches him, tilts head, he looks back at her.) You think I’m beautiful?
VERNE
Yes, Mona, you are. Unique. I’ve- I’ve never met a woman like you before.
RAMONA
Keep talking, I like what you’re saying now... and while you’re at it, help me get out of this corset thing, willya? It’s tied like a ship’s rigging, and it’s squeezing my boobs like they’re overripe grapefruit.
VERNE
Is that... talking dirty?
RAMONA
(Laughs; it hurts her breasts; hands him her the stiletto to cut the corset’s bindings:) Oh no, when I get to talking dirty, you’ll know.
VERNE
I think this knife of yours will do the trick. How did you make it pop out like that?
RAMONA
Don’t cut me; I keep it razor sharp. (Hears something:) Are you sure we’re alone in here?
VERNE
Yes. I told you already: Just flowers, lilypads and coy. (Looks at tell-tale "jumping-fish-ripple" in slow-moving stream.) This is our private hidey-hole. If we want to, we can see out, but they can’t ever see in. In the Phantom World, on Earth and even on Zeta, we’re still inside a painting; between dimensions.
RAMONA
What about Z-girl? Leah? Azalea?
VERNE
Oh, her. Yeah, we can get to Zeta from here and see how far she went back to fix-
RAMONA
Okay, right there, but slower. Yeah, yeah, slower, it’s not a car part, baby.
VERNE
(Kisses her neck:) So, you do this kind of thing often?
RAMONA
(Stops. Slides back. Calm:) All right, that’s it. Go to that gazebo, take off your clothes, lay down and keep you’re mouth shut. If you say one more word, I won’t get naked and we won’t have sex, understand? (Pause.) Huh?
VERNE
...I don’t want to say another word.
RAMONA
Okay. (Cops a feel-) Oh my! I hope that’s not just a big flashlight.
(RAMONA takes off her skirt and joins VERNE in the gazebo. She’s down to boots, stockings, garters, a loosely-hanging corset and panties, he’s in silk boxers, leg-garters and socks. We don’t graphically perceive his arousal, but it’s there, all right.)
RAMONA (Cont’d)
Okay! Lie down, Mister, it’s time for the show.
MS: RAMONA'S BIRTHMARK
(RAMONA finally removes her corset. All we see is her back -- not even her butt, just the black widow birthmark. VERNE drops to his knees, in awe, his face just to the right and five feet from her.)
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