DATABASE COMPUTER MONITOR
The Words: MODELS and DEVIANTS, appear on the Screen.
INT. DATABASE CONTROL ROOM
EXTREME CLOSE-UP ON A MAN'S MOUTH:
LIPS
Deviants.
The screen populates with names, alphabetical order.
LIPS (CONT’D)
Caston Harding.
The name CASTON HARDING fills the screen.
FILE UPDATED on 5.20.2057 3 HOURS AGO
Criminal Record:
NEURAL IDENTIFICATION:
BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE:
ACCESSING BCI Sessions: Information populates the screen
6.12.2049
6.26.2049 Modified 3 Hours AGO
7.01.2049
8.12.2049
8.13.2049 Modified 3 Hours Ago
LIPS (CONT’D)
6.26.2049
ABRUPT CUT TO:
EXT. SPACE--INSIDE THE VACUUM
NO SOUND:
At a glacial pace, an ORANGE SPACE SUIT sails through the vacuum. Far from the bulky explorer suit, this one is streamlined, flimsy, not the ideal protection from the unforgiving black void.
The suits limbs rest frozen stiff. The helmet, even in the vacuum, looks to way a ton. If there’s life inside this suit, it’s by a miracle.
The Back of the OXYGEN TANK Reads: GARRISON STATE
CORRECTIONAL... moving closer and Busted glass is floating away from the helmet, as STEAM spews from the run down protective headgear.
THE MOON, bearing down on us, now becomes a backdrop, a rock of glowing of lights-- the signs of a populated city-- makes the suit an infinitesimal speck of light... just outside the moons orbit where a transport hovers; through it’s air lock, a man’s dark aviators peers down.
All Subtitles:...their lips move--no sound.
COWBOY
You’re are a persistent Sum’ Bitch
aren’t cha?
Inside the busted helmet... a MAN exposed to the vacuum. He’s suffering from asphyxia, his tongue turning a deep blue. The moisture in his eyes fizzes, while all other water in his body evaporates to steam.
From a far...there's the astronauts hands, stretching towards the green and blue ball, now waxing and as distant as ever.
ASTRONAUT
One last time. Me and You.
ABRUPT CUT TO:
INT. DATA BASE COMPUTER MONITOR
We see the word DEVIANTS:
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
SOUND RESTORES:
GARSSION STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY :2049
We see our Astronaut, his eyes trail, he’s oblivious, as beads of sweat flow between a highway of wires and beeping lights--all connecting to his temples, forehead, and the rest of his skull.
2.
A METAL rod sprouts from his left nostril and a wire freely
runs from the right.
Meanwhile, a monitor behind him displays data, fluctuating numbers, another shows a playback of the orange space suit. The center of attention, a monitor twice the size of its counterparts, displays NEURAL ACTIVITY; a ball of GREEN WAVES swarm, engendering by the second.
Our astronaut begins to twitch violently, neural activity skyrockets; he grits his teeth. THE ASSISTANT Panics.
CUT SHOTS: DATA BASE COMPUTER MONITOR.
...the words: REHABILITATION PROGRAM
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
ASSISTANT
I think we’re prepped for the
Neural Identification.
DR. LEEVE
Trevor, I’m fully aware my duties.
You are the assistant, remember
that. Never question me again.
TREVOR
Understood.
TREVOR glances at a monitor playing back the Orange suit.
TREVOR (CONT’D)
Doctor, what do you make of this?
DR. LEEVE
I’m not sure. We’ve been at it for--
TREVOR
Five hours.
DR. LEEVE
(Irritated)
Quite some time, and not a thought
from his past, just these
ridiculous conjectures of the
future.
DR. LEEVE takes his eye from the screen, we see Caston in his
suit, stretching towards Earth.
Close on CASTON HARDING, his stringy yet COARSE HAIR, invades his face, his eyes peer through the strands;
3.
...his head bobbles until he catches wind of a FLY perching on the wall. A speck of light shines from the insects eyes; for a split second, consciousness over powers his lethargy, only to fall weary once more.
CASTON (V.O.)
Doctor Leeve wants inside, wants to
know what makes a deviant tick.
Story of my life, me verses planet
Earth, and everyone and everything
in it. I couldn’t let em’ get me.
Not me. I kept em’ out as long as I
could. But eventually...
something’s gotta break.
TREVOR
Dr. Leeve!
Dr. Leeve springs to life and gawks at the screen: A young Caston Holds a knife to a girls neck, straddling against the wall, tears streaming down her face.
DR. LEEVE
We got it. Start recording!
TREVOR
On it.
DR. LEEVE
Pull up his file.
CUT SHOTS:
CASTON JAMES HARDING
BORN February. 18.2024
CONVICTED OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY: 2041
CONVICTED OF PANHANDLING: 2044
CONVICTED OF TRESPASSING: 2044
CONVICTED OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: 2046
CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER/CONSPIRACY CONVICTED WITH
DRIVING WITHOUT LICENSE, JOYRIDING, FRAUD: 2049
TREVOR
That’s her isn’t it.?
DR. LEEVE
Cynthia Burbank.
4.
Caston jaws contract, muscles pulse, a bubbling reservoir of emotion, approaching a point of no return.
CASTON HARDING (V.O.)
No where to hide now. Something in
side says hold on Cass, just hold
on.
DR. LEEVE (V.O.)
Pull up the Burbank Case.
CUT SHOT: DATA BASE COMPUTER
CONVICTED OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY: 2040.
CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: 2040
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
CASTON HARDING (V.O.)
Surrounded on all sides.
DR. LEEVE
Talk to me about Cynthia Burbank.
Caston grits his teeth.
DR. LEEVE (CONT’D)
Do you think he’s resisting?
TREVOR
I’m not sure.
CASTON HARDING (V.O.)
Back against the wall. Time running
out. Story of my life.
INT. CASTON HARDING’S MIND
BLACK AND WHITE:
The only Light inside infiltrates through two sockets in the shape of eyes, it’s an intense light, casting harsh shadows; human figures mope in the dark, breaking the rays of light. In the background, CASS, the inner version of Caston, sits back against wall, on the shiny wood floor, wearing a cocky grin.
DR. LEEVE (V.O.)
Do you hear ME?
5.
CASS
I hear ya.
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
CASTON HARDING
I don’t think about it that much.
DR. LEEVE
(relieved)
I need you to think about the
Burbank Case.
CASTON HARDING
I...I was sixteen-years-old.
INT. CASTON HARDING’S MIND.
Cass sits-- now with his knees in his chest. The dark figures fall frigid as streaks of light swoop past them, illuminating a young Caston pinning CYNTHIA BURBANK to wall. Caston digs his forehead in to the side of her face, his knife ready at her throat. A THIRD FIGURE, LAMAR, Watches.
The reenactment hypnotizes Cass.
LAMAR
Man, cut that Uppity Bitch. I’m
trying to see some fucking blood.
CASS
(Calm)
You said you was different.
CYNTHIA
(Sobs)
Don’t take this out on me. I’m
innocent.
CASS
I told you how Elaine did my
father.
LAMAR grabs her dress, and rips it.
LAMAR
Never Had me a uppity Bitch.
CYNTHIA
Why are you listing to him? Please--
6.
LAMAR
Bitch shut the Fuck up. I wanna to
see some Fucking blood, Cass.
CASS
I can’t control him.
LAMAR
I wanna see some FUCKING BLOOD,
CASS.
CYNTHIA
You said you loved me, you wrote
me--
LAMAR
You wrote a message, Cass?
An obnoxious boisterous laugh explodes from Lamar.
LAMAR (CONT’D)
I done seen it All; a damn
“Deviant” falls
in love with an uppity Bitch.
CASS
(Breaks his cool)
I’m not a deviant! Lamar give me a
minute!
LAMAR
What?
Silence.
LAMAR (CONT’D)
Aight... I still wanna see some
fucking blood.
Lamar walks into the shadows snickering.
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
DR. LEEVE
What happened next?
CASTON HARDING (V.O.)
My life changed.
We see the play back on a monitor: Inside a room fit for palace, lavender walls, adorning shimmering light fixtures, and classic paintings, and a gorgeous queen sized bed.
7.
The only element that’s incongruous, the scruffy young Caston Harding.
Dr. Leeve watches in awe.
MONITOR
(Cynthia): Why didn’t you Fucking stop Lamar?
(Cass): Fucking? (laughter) (Cass): I told him to
do it, he was putting on a show. It
went too far. I had to make you
understand; You stepped on me the
same way. (Cynthia): You could have
controlled your cronies. (Cass): I know.
I’m sorry.
TREVOR
I can’t believe it.
CUT SHOTS: They embrace; She kisses him; He takes off his shirt. Shes now laying down, looking up, eyes locking on something off screen. Caston eases into the frame.
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
Caston Harding begins to rattle in his chair.
TREVOR
I think he’s had enough.
DR. LEEVE
I’d like to see where it goes.
TREVOR
He's been on BCI going on six hours!
INT. CASTON HARDING’S MIND.
CASEY BURBANK, dark face, showing signs of balding, waits in
a hall way.
The Human figures, silhouettes, gather around the scene but careful not to intervene. Casey greets a young Caston, coming out a room, Cynthia on his arm. Casey’s nostrils flare, his eyes bulge, draining the life from Cynthia.
CASEY
Guilty as sin (CYN), that’s the
reputation you give yourself? You
choose a future deviant from the
other side?
8.
(MORE)
And you, you know what awaits you?
A nasty machine they call they B.C.I.
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
Caston, in a teeth gritting-rasp, bites down, eyes sealed shut. His fist clinch, turning his fair skin beet red. A jolt of pain rides up his spine; his eyes shoot open. Caston catches glimpse of a fly on a wall, it’s eyes glowing red.
Birds Eye view:
CASEY (V.O.)
It’s a horrid technology. I
know. It eats men whole. Any
manhood you thought you had will be
stripped, and your thoughts-- mere
fingerprints. That’s the business
of Neural Identification.
DR. LEEVE (V.O.)
I’m starting the Neural
Identification.
INT. CASTON HARDING’S MIND.
CASEY
You know who I am?
Caston smiles.
CASEY (CONT’D)
Mother Fucker! You think you can
come in my house and make a mockery
out of my family? You’re all the
SAME! What do you think this is, a
brothel?--
CASTON
(Cool)
--Yes...I do...But You’re the only
whore standing here.
Caston Smiles. In blast of furry, Casey explodes down the hall, His dexterous fingers, rigid like claws; he sails through the air, soaring above the silhouettes, raining down on his target. Caston stares off to the side.
9.
CASEY (CONT'D)
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
On the monitor, Blood runs from Casey’s face, His eyes, swollen shut. Cynthnia pleads in terror, but the kicks pound Casey’s rib cage, and fist rip through flesh. Trevor, back to the monitor, stares at Caston.
TREVOR
I remember the Burbank Case.
From above, the fly leaves its position, slowly swooping down.
The monitor flickers, alarming Trevor.
INTERCUT BETWEEN FLY AND MONITOR:
The Fly swoops down: we see the EXCOSKELETON, made of tiny gizmos, pulsing and gyrating.
MONITOR:
CUT SHOTS. Cynthia, on the Stand, buries her head.
MONITOR
(Prosecutor): How did Caston get inside? (Cynthia): I let
him in through my window. I didn’t
expect for it to get out hand. (Prosecutor): How
did it got out of hand?... He
forced me to kiss him. (Prosecutor): What else?
Objection, your honor. (Cynthia): He touched
me.
ON THE MONITOR: Casey Burbank stares, a countenance that
could kill a man.
Caston Cranes his neck back; the fly swoops down.
MONITOR (CONT’D)
Sixteen-year-old Caston Harding was
found guilty of sexually assaulting his
high school classmate--
--Truncates, A WOMAN flashes on the screen.
DR. LEEVE
Dr. Stone.
DR. STONE, female, early 50s, wears menacing grin.
MONITOR
(Dr. STONE): Caston Harding-- alone-- is the reason
why I’m a proponent of BCI.
10.
(MORE)
If it was up to me, I’d have not
only Caston, but Lamar Hicks,
Marlena Greene, and the rest his “H-Gang”
removed from Garrsion city.
MARLENA GREENE, a beautiful black-blonde stares right at us.
DR. LEEVE
Marlena Green.
MARLENA
You’re a question mark, Caston,
that’s why they fear you--
--The Fly, just a foot way, nears the center of Caston's
forehead. The Screen Flickers.
DR. LEEVE
Who’s this?
TREVOR
I can’t say. A childhood figure
maybe?
MONITOR
The battle between good and evil is
real. It’s no exaggeration!--
The Fly moves in closer. We see a Black male in a suit,
behind a podium on the Monitor.
MONITOR (V.O.) (CONT’D)
However, our mistake-- we feel
obduracy is a battle for one man.
Sure. One man can bring down the
collective. But only the collective
can thwart the efforts of that one
man.
The fly docks with Caston’s forehead. A needle extends from its mouth, pricking the skin, varicose veins protrude. Jolts of energy travel through the brain, running through fleshy tissue, burrowing their way to the cerebellum.
The fly docks with Caston’s forehead. A needle extends from its mouth, pricking the skin, varicose veins protrude. Jolts of energy travel through the brain, running through fleshy tissue, burrowing their way to the cerebellum.
INT. CASTON HARDING’S MIND.
The rays of light dim from the sockets. Darkness washes over the figures like tidal waves. Cass slouches in the dark, as blackness runs over his body; he doesn’t flinch. He sits gazing into the last light with a grin.
11.
MONITOR (CONT'D)
INT. GARSSION COMPLEX-- LABORATORY
The activity of the green waves decelerate.
Doctor Levee rushes over. Caston’s eyes roll backwards.
TREVOR
This our doing. We’re killing him.
DR. LEEVE
He’ll pull through it. And when he
does. We keep our lips sealed.
The monitor flickers. We see the orange suit, the hands
reaching towards earth--
Caston’s head drops down his chest--A hologram, like walls in a MAZE surrounds his head, but quickly dies. Session Truncates. We see the words: END OF SESSION.
INT. DATABASE CONTROL ROOM
Caston, at his current age of 35, stares into the screen.
INT. DATA BASE COMPUTER MONITOR
SESSION
6.26.2049 Modified 3 Hours ago
Session 001
< Start: 17:25 Ending 18:21 58 minutes>
Notes: As senior neurologist, I fully understand the potential dangers in sessions exceeding one hour. Given the circumstances of such a high profile inmate, CASTON HARDING, and his long history of deviancy, I felt it was imperative to extend his time on the Brain Computer Interface....
INT. DATABASE CONTROL ROOM
The Data base is one large make shift media center, completely in disarray swamped with inoperative technology. Twelve Large SUPER DRIVES, eight feet in height and twenty feet in length, line the wall, creating narrow hallways. Each drive, accessed threw a old twentieth century CPU, all displayed on an old monitor and a Large Projector.
12.
A HUMANOID ROBOT, navigates through the liter. The projectors
light dances on the it’s metallic skeletal muscles.
MACHINE
I regret to inform you, we could
not obtain the full session. The
intercessor, greatly apologizes.
CASTON
That fly? It looks like Eugene--
MACHINE
--The intercessor.
CASTON
Whatever. He created that thing
with same parts as you?
MACHINE
Yes, it is the same technology used
to create my model. You will find
all the information in these data
bases.
CASTON
Freak show. Story of my life. When
can I expect my helmet?
MACHINE
It’s near completion.
CASTON (V.O.)
I don’t see anything wrong with the
prototype.
Caston stares at a HELMET, a transparent mask, with visible
running wires connecting to eye sockets.
MACHINE
I assure you, the prototype will be
inferior to the new model.
CASTON
We’ll see. You tell your
intercessor-- he’s overdue for an
upgrade, this is some prehistoric
shit here.
MACHINE
I will pass along your concerns.
Farewell Caston Harding.
The Humanoid leaves Caston to the junk and the humming of the
data bases.
13.
CASTON
Gimmie the latest reel on Dr.
Stone.
Information populates the screen:
<File 00076289> acquired 6.23.2059 Ten Minutes ago.
The monitor flickers. We see Dr. Stone, in an armchair,
sitting next to a bald man, THE HOST, wearing a bow tie.
HOST
What’s your vision for Garrison
City?
DR. STONE
I want to restore the city to its
former glory.
Caston slides on his helmet and raises his right hand parallel
to the floor.
DR. STONE (CONT’D)
Simply put, I want Garrison to be a
model that represents the God
fearing and the law abiding.
HOST
That’s all very laudable, but how?
DR. STONE
Come on, Landon, you know my stance,
we must use our break through in
technology to reinforce positive
models.
LANDON
Some say the technology itself is
the problem.
DR. STONE
And I say to them... are we to
scrap all of our achievements?
LANDON
Your technology, from your
facilities, finds it’s way into our
streets.
DR. STONE
And we are doing everything in our
power to stop it.--
14.
LANDON
--- Meanwhile, People are replacing
their organs with machines. They’re
looking for software updates;
(Laughs) It’s mind-boggling, the
only model people are emulating are
machines.
DR. STONE
Technology is not the problem, it’s
how we use it. Put an end to the
constant display of licentiousness,
and you’ll see true advancement.
LANDON
So technology is the savior?
DR. STONE
You said it yourself, the model
people are emulating are machines.
We have to use what’s in place.
HOST
Dr. Stone. I’m sure you’re aware
what we have in place is becoming
more dangerous.
DR. STONE
You’re not sold on the ghost
stories, too?
Caston flips over his palm. A MACHINE materializes, a fuzzy hologram hardens into a bulky structure. Standing 9 feet tall crouching over, it’s outer shell a thick armor, the texture
of brick. This is EROS. A large helmet covers most of his face, revealing two BLUE GLOWING EYES.
LANDON (V.O.)
I, for one, am terrified of even
the thought of what’s lurking our
streets.
DR. STONE
Landon, I can’t believe a reputable
journalist would resort to such
sensationalism.
LANDON (V.O.)
These bodies, we continue to find,
far from sensational. Reports say
it’s in retaliation for Larmar
Hicks. Your guy.
15.
DR. STONE (V.O.)
I refuse to entertain that
speculation.
LANDON (V.O.)
Dr. Stone. What can you acknowledge?
DR. STONE (V.O.)
We know what we’re dealing with.
These men--and women-- fear our
prosperity, they fear a world
without suffering, they fear life
outside the shadows and most of all
they fear playing a role in our
collective.
A second Machine, a fraternal twin arises: AGAPE. He rest on knee. He’s nearly identical, but the pattern of his texture moves in the opposite direction, in his hand a long metal staff, with sharp tip, a glowing blue plasma.
DR. STONE (V.O.) (CONT’D)
But we’ve been successful with
individuals such as these. You
haven’t spoken the names Merlanea
Green, Lamar Hicks and Caston
Harding in years. But Our work has
received little credit.
LANDON
Interestingly, Caston’s release has
got people taking about the H-gang
again. Any correlation?
DR. STONE
Caston Harding has shown no recent
activity in our system; as for the
individual responsible for these violent
crimes, we will find him; Once
tried, he will reach our labs, and
we will seek understanding.
CLOSE on Caston’s mask.
DR. STONE (V.O.) (CONT’D)
People often forget, this a
continual battle. These deviants
arise from our imperfection, our
meaning the collective; we must
understand, as my father
understood, one man can bring down
the collective, but only the
collective can thwart the efforts
of that one man.
16.
(MORE)
You see the blood in streets, they
look forward to it, they enjoy it,
How do you defend yourself
against that? These men don’t
concern themselves with such things
as Gloy, they’re Anti-glory.
The Monitor fades into the background.
CASTON
Eros. Agape. I think it’s time we
round up the H Gang. Why do you
say?
Like loyal servants, the machines kneel before their master.
CASTON (CONT’D)
You two are way too compassionate to
be so Anti-Glory.
Caston stares. On the projector we see a bloody man, laying
in a alleyway.
CASTON (CONT’D)
Gimmie what you have on Marlena
Greene.
Roll tittle:
ANTI-GLORY
FADE TO BLACK.
17.
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