Republic Of Londonium
ACT 2
EXT. BRUMLEE, SECTION 5 - TODAY
A figure shimmies across the rooftops of the city. Jorvik
Tiago, but not as we know him. Gone is the military cut and
fatigues. And in its place, a long-haired, wild-eyed man. Yet
he has lost none of his physical power.
JORVIK
And if you shall sin, so shall you
repent, and wrath shall rain on
thee!
(bursts into song)
Now so long, Marianne, it's time
that we began
To laugh and cry and cry and laugh
about it all again
(stops singing)
The day of wrath, that day will
dissolve the world in ashes.
He looks around.
JORVIK'S POV:
We see Brumlee as it was, a mere ten years ago. The
resplendent Capital of the Republic of Londonium. Glassy
skyscrapers jostle for space with five hundred year-old
buildings. The streets are clean, and people going about
their business as they do everyday in other great cities--
Paris, New York, and London --.
He sees a packed stadium, where MJS is about to deliver a
speech...In Latin. She catches his eye and blows him a kiss.
Jorvik jumps up, catches the kiss and eats it furiously.
Laughter breaks him out of his hallucination. He is in the
Brumlee of today. And in front of what looks to be a place of
worship. A temple perhaps? He knocks on the great brass
handle.
A man opens the door.
MAN
So you're the one.
(smiling)
Its not everyday one is so lucky as
to meet the messiah... That is, if
you are the messiah...I've waited a
long time for you.
Jorvik follows him in. The hall is empty . Ascetic.
MAN (CONT'D)
Something to drink? Water? Wine? I
suppose you could manage that quite
well yourself, if you wanted to.
Jorvik trembles. The MAN watches. The trembling turns into a
full on fit.
The man still stands over Jorvik, watching.
JORVIK
(struggling)
Help..
The man raises his hand and PLUNGES a syringe into Jorvik's
neck, emptying it into him. The fitting gradually ceases.
JORVIK (CONT'D)
Thank you.
The Man nods. He surveys Jorvik as a cat would a near-dead
mouse. The faintest smile playing on his face.
JORVIK (CONT'D)
Jorvik Ti...
PAPA PIETO
..ago. I know. The Great Martyr of
the Blackout. The Messiah of the
Final Chapter. Our conduit to
Otherworld.
JORVIK
I need the guide.
PAPA PIETO
Dont we all...
Papa Pieto takes out a roll from under the altar table. Hands
it to Jorvik.
PAPA PIETO (CONT'D)
Maps.
Jorvik nods.
PAPA PIETO (CONT'D)
If you need more supplies, we have
them. We have everything you need.
Just don't fail us... Messiah.
Jorvik spreads the parchment out. It is the blueprint of the
Governor's Palace which houses all foreign dignitaries. But
rather than the blueprint of the actual architecture, it is
the blueprint of the underground bunkers that run through the
length of Commonwealth Avenue, the Main thoroughfare in
Brumlee and the one with all the important Government
buildings in it.
In a corner of the map, a stick- figure moves across one of
the corridors in the map, which becomes...
INT. UNDERGROUND BUNKER, MINISTRY OF SCIENCE - CONTINUOUS
Gia walking across the corridor towards her boss's Office.
She is on the phone and looks as always, completely fabulous.
A genius wrapped in a bombshell, Gia has not only survived
her last bruising encounter with MJS, but has thrived here,
as Deputy Head of development in the Ministry of Science and
Industry.
GIA
Yes, Mama Rose... I got the waiver
last night. Till ten. I can stay
out till ten... Its just a few
hours after the curfew... OK, five
hours after... I have to work Mama
Rose... Look, I have to go now...
I'm just about to step into a
meeting... Mama Rose... I love you.
She knocks on the door.
KRISTOF
Come in!
Gia walks in to find Kristof Campbell (65) on all fours under
the table.
GIA
Have you had the meeting?
KRISTOF
I'm fine thank you Gia, how about
you?
GIA
Kristof... you know this is
important.
KRISTOF
Can you reach down here and get
that ball? The damn thing has
lodged itself between the desk and
the wall and my hands are too
big...
Gia fishes for Kristof's golf ball at the back of the desk
and hands it to him.
They both sit uncomfortably under the desk.
GIA
Well..?
KRISTOF
We talked about safety parameters.
What the expedition would entail..
How far we could go without any
further cost to human life. It is a
very dangerous thing we are
proposing...
GIA
I know it is... I did the
calculations... I found the seam...
KRISTOF
Of course you did. You're the
cleverest scientist, no, the
cleverest human I know-- and
someone who's indispensable to the
project....
GIA
Then I'm going?
Unfortunately,
KRISTOF
No.
GIA
That vengeful bitch! She would nix
it wouldn't she?
KRISTOF
She didn't. I did Gia.
GIA
What?
KRISTOF
You're indispensable. I cannot risk
your life up north. Not you.
GIA
You won't have to. I'll lead the
team up there, we'll find the seam.
Set mining domains and come back
before you know it. It's the
easiest way.
KRISTOF
We can't risk it Gia. We can't risk
you going there.
GIA
Why?
KRISTOF
For a genius you're remarkably
dense sometimes.
GIA
Stop being a shit Kristof.
KRISTOF
Not to mention rather offensive.
GIA
For the past ten years. I've worked
on nothing but this. This is
everything I've ever wanted. I've
risked curfew, I've lied to stay on
past time, I've given up my life.
For this. And now you tell me I
can't have it?
KRISTOF
No Gia. Now I tell you, that its
time to let the science take over.
GIA
Are you going?
KRISTOF
Yes. I have to.
GIA
Fuck you Kristof.
She scurries out on all fours at first, and then marches out
as proudly as she can under the circumstances.
EXT. BRUMLEE, SECTION 2 - EVENING
Vira and Frito walk through the street. Frito carries her
doll, as always.
Brumlee is battening down for the curfew. The street is
quieter. In fact it is much too quiet.
They turn the corner...
And see Jean Claude. He is carrying a tin bowl of rice and
beans in the crook of his arm.
JEAN CLAUDE
Hey Vira! Frito! What a
coincidence! I was just on my way
to your place.
FRITO
Really?
JEAN CLAUDE
Yeah. I shouldn't have chased you
off like that. Friends again?
(holding out the bowl )
For you. On me.
He is both sweating and grinning... sweating, and grinning.
Vira looks into his eyes. There's something odd about the man
today... FUCK!
VIRA
Frito. RUN! GO!
Jean Claude leaps on Frito but she shoves him off.
She RUNS from the scene, in the opposite direction of Vira.
Vira RUNS! Two THUGS APPEAR from behind a cart give CHASE.
She DUCKS into an alleyway. The thugs RUN after her.
She JUMPS into a shack and then OUT through the window. The
THUGS FOLLOW still..
She LEAPS...onto a tin roof.
She looks behind her. The thugs are nowhere around.
She SWINGS down into a room...to find Thug One (Buck) waiting
for her. OOPS!
She SWINGS back up like a trapeze artist executing a turn.
ONWARDS over the rooftops. The thugs after her.
Vira LEAPS DOWN over stacks of boxes outside Rusty's Bar.
A cycle leans agaisnt the wall. Vira picks it up and RIDES
FULL TILT out of the gates of West Brumlee.
A sign reads: Welcome to West Brumlee. Curfew hours 5 p.m. to
5 am. And below it, a clock that shows the time: 4: 33 p.m..
EXT. STREETS OF BRUMLEE, SECTION 2 - CONTINUOUS
Frito RUNS as fast as her little powerful body will take her,
her doll tucked into her belt.
She barrels through the alleyway and runs SMACK INTO a
hustling ice-cream cart, sending cart and vendor sprawling on
the street.
VENDOR
..the fuck? You goddamn retard.
FRITO
(forceful)
I have Downs. Im not a retard.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
Well get those goddamn popsicles
back into my cart Downs. Before I
smack you on the head.
Frito starts gathering the popsicles and putting them back in
the toppled cart. She spots a strawberry explosion. It has
burst out of its wrapper
FRITO
Can I have this strawberry
explosion?
She hands him five dollars.
VENDOR
Sure Downs. Take that one.
He takes the five dollars.
FRITO
I need 50 cents back.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
What the fuck did you say?
FRITO
I need 50 cents back. Please.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
Fucking retard. Now get outta my
way freak, before the curfew gets
us both.
FRITO
(holding her ground)
I want my 50 cents.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
Listen freak. I don't got no 50
cents left to give you back. Let it
go.
FRITO
Vira said I need 50 cents back.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
Well you tell your Vira... to go
fuck herself, OK?
(mutters under his breath)
Fucking retard.
FRITO
I am NOT a RETARD!
She BARRELS into the Vendor, THROWING him against the wall.
VENDOR
You bitch!
He SWINGS at Frito, LANDING A PUNCH square in her jaw.
She BURSTS out crying.
The vendor KICKS Frito across the street
And onto...
EXT. STREET, SECTION 2 - CONTINUOUS
Two burly men walking home.
MAN 1
Hey!
(recognizing Frito)
You leave this kid alone!
He GRABS the Vendor and PUNCHES him.
A crowd gathers around. Oh, this is good entertainment!
The burly man and the ice- cream vendor are in a FULL BLOWN
FIGHT. CRASH! An onlooker throws a beer bottle in. It catches
Burly Man in the back. He ROARS and dives into the crowd,
SMASHING and PUNCHING anything in his wake.
More people JUMP in. Someone THROWS a box into a shop window
setting off the alarm.
People SWARM into the shop, Frito follows.
A wail of sirens as...
EXT. STREET, SECTION 2 - CONTINUOUS
Three ROL guard cars come crashing in.
EXT. AT JEAN CLAUDE'S CANTEEN, SECTION 2 - CONTINUOUS
Jean Claude nervously covers his pots up. Cleaning will have
to wait till tomorrow. He needs to be home by curfew and it's
going to be going to be touch and go today.
A man walks up.
JEAN CLAUDE
Sorry. Closed.
BOYO
Are you, now?
Jean Claude's lips have suddenly gone dry. He is
uncomfortably aware of his racing heartbeat.
JEAN CLAUDE
Mr. Straights...
BOYO
Rice and bean please. Not too
spicy. Got a delicate stomach.
He smiles. An endearing smile.
JEAN CLAUDE
She ran. I tried... I swear.. I
offered her rice and beans..
BOYO
And she ran. I know. I saw it. We
all have our bad days..
Jean Claude hands Boyo a steaming plate of rice and beans
from the pots. Watching the clock.
BOYO (CONT'D)
Don't worry. You're with me.
(of the food)
This is good. Not kidney beans.
JEAN CLAUDE
No..
(then)
Lima.
BOYO
Butter beans. My mother used to
make Daal and rice. She got the
recipe off an Indian friend of
hers. A little cumin, garam masala,
and wham!..
Jean Claude jumps.
BOYO (CONT'D)
Scared you did I?
(back to the beans)
Best damn beans I had. But this ...
this is pretty fucking good.
Jean Claude murmurs something.
BOYO (CONT'D)
What?
JEAN CLAUDE
Daal... is made of lentils, not
beans.
They look at each other.
JEAN CLAUDE (CONT'D)
(verbal diarrhea now)
All daals are lentils... they're
made of lentils... But I'm sure
there are some made of kidney
beans. Oh GOD PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!
BOYO
(amused)
Seriously? I'm not going to kill
you.
(another spoonful)
They are.
Nods to two more thugs (Bronco and Horse) as they round in on
Jean Claude.
Boyo finishes up his plate. He looks at the cart and picks
up the festive ribbons Jean Claude ties to the roof of his
shutters.
EXT. BRUMLEE FENCE - CONTINUOUS
Buck and another thug, Mick, are chasing Vira on motorbikes.
She can't keep up. She jumps off and starts climbing the
fence surrounding West Brumlee. Buck shoots at her.
MICK
You fucking crazy? Boss says alive!
Buck climbs up, behind Vira.
He grabs her leg. She kicks him off.
The time shows 4:58 p.m..
Mick rides around to the other side and waits for Vira to
jump down.
Vira leaps, barely grasping a tin roof with her fingers. She
hauls herself up.
She runs across the roof and jumps... onto the back of a
passing laundry van that has screeched in before the curfew.
Sirens sound. The curfew is on. Mick and Buck duck into a
doorway.
Police vans move in.
INT. CAPITAL HQ. MEETING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
MJS is preparing a speech. She isn't happy with what is
written down. And she has a splitting headache.
MJS
(murmuring to herself)
We have a great debt owed to those
that died this day , ten years ago,
many of them sacrificing their own
lives so that we who stand here,
shall live...
(no, that doesn't sound
right)
So that we can rebuild our
devastated...
(tries a different tack)
Like you, I lost my dearest to the
Blackout...
She looks up to see Jon there.
MJS (CONT'D)
Who did you lose, Jon?
JON
My father, Madame and my older
brother.
MJS
Your mother?
JON
Breast cancer. A few years before
that.
MJS
Do you remember much before the
Blackout?
JON
Some things.
MJS
You must have been a child then.
JON
I was twenty.
MJS
Huh. I wouldn't have put you in
your thirties. You look much
younger.
JON
It mostly works in my favour
madame.
He smiles at her. She smiles back.
She goes back to her speech. Jon leaves a cup of tea and a
sugar bowl on her table.
