Edifice (7) You showed up this morning and that's all I know. The two agents stare at one another as Hawkins puts the .38 on the table. HAWKINS Look, if you don't believe me ask the Lots. KELLY We already did Jack and they verify what you've said. You understand we have orders to take you back with us? HAWKINS I understand. You wanna cuff me? MARSHALL That’s not necessary, if you’re willing to play ball? We still need someone to take the heat off until the launch? HAWKINS I’m game. MARSHALL Good; we’ll copy you on route. They’ll retrieve Frank’s car. HAWKINS So, how's he doing? KELLY Well, from some of the things he's said, I think he's still a little out of it. HAWKINS Like what? MARSHALL He’s talking crazy. He keeps rambling about some six-year old. Do you know anything about a little boy? Abe and Sarah step in from the back porch. Wrinkles have returned to their faces. HAWKINS Not a thing. Is one missing? KELLY Well Frank claims Mr. and Mrs. Lot are his parents. He says Jesse Lot took him. The two agents stare at the Lots. Hawkins begins to laugh and make eye contact with the Lots. Taking his lead, the Lots begin to laugh with him. HAWKINS Kelly, take a good look at this lady. Mrs. Lot is in her seventies. Is it logical she could have given birth . . . six years ago? KELLY That would be a miracle. SARAH Yes it would. It sure would. MARSHALL They could have adopted? HAWKINS Then there’d be a record of it. Did you check with doc Ford? KELLY He mentioned the Lots have been childless for over fifty years. Sarah begins to weep. HAWKINS Then what the hell are we talking about? Hasn't Frank upset these good people enough? Kelly walks over to Sarah. KELLY Forgive us Mrs. Lot. We're just doing our job. We'll be leaving you now. Sorry for any trouble. Suddenly Frank steps into the kitchen holding a pad and pencil. He glares angrily at Hawkins, then at the Lots. He gives them a sarcastic smile, revealing the wires in his mouth. HAWKINS Well, I'll just say my good-byes to the folks. The Lots and Hawkins move into the living room as Frank scribbles something down on the pad and hands it to Marshall. MARSHALL Why would they all lie Frank? Jack’s volunteered to go back with us. If there was a problem, why didn't you let him call us? Frank grabs the pad and scribbles again. He shoves it to Marshall. Marshall reads it aloud. MARSHALL Jack broke my car phone. That's why you didn't call us sooner? We've checked your car, Frank. There's nothing wrong with the phone, or the phone here at the house. Frank frowns at Marshall and grabs the pad. He scribbles again. This time he shoves the pad to Kelly. KELLY Jack shot me and I died; the boy brought me back to life. Jack smothered me; but the boy brought me back to life. Then Jack broke my jaw. (beat) Guess he got tired of killing ya, eh Frank? Agent Marshall lifts the .38 and checks it. MARSHALL It has been fired recently. Two rounds are missing. KELLY Okay Frank, how many times did he shoot you and where? Frank scribbles again. KELLY I shot Jack's ear off then Jack shot me in the stomach. That must have been painful. So, you shot Jack's ear off? Did it grow back? Frank scribbles again and hands it to Marshall. MARSHALL The boy healed the both of us. Again with the boy? Okay Frank. We know you and Jack have been under some pressure here, so try to remember, this is only temporary. As soon as Judas II is in place, they’ll be cuttin’ the both of you loose; now take it easy, okay? You best ride in back with me where I can keep an eye on you. The doc says you will be fine in a few days. Here, Mrs. Lot made you some nice soup. Kelly hands him a cup with a straw in it. Frank looks down at the soup and frowns. EXT. DRIVEWAY DAY Hawkins is seated in the front seat as the two agents bring Frank out of the farmhouse. As Frank glares at the smiling Hawkins, they open the back door to the car. Suddenly Frank pulls out his pad from his coat pocket, startling the agents. KELLY Frank, please, do me a favor? Don't make anymore sudden move- ments? Frank gives him a surprised look, then scribbles on the pad. He hands the note to Kelly who reads it. KELLY The boy came from the box? Frank writes: THE ROSWELL INCIDENT! The agents read it, then stare at each other. KELLY The box was a front. It’s cover, Frank; it wasn’t real. MARSHALL Okay Frank, in the back with me. Once they have placed Frank in the backseat and closed the door, they talk before entering the car. MARSHALL You think there’s any truth to it? A boy with the power to heal? KELLY Of course not. Frank’s gone. MARSHALL Well, how do you know? KELLY What, the boy couldn’t heal his jaw? Frank needs a specialist. MARSHALL That's a problem. Where are they going to find a specialist with Frank's security clearance? KELLY They'll probably just put him on ice until this is over with. MARSHALL Poor bastard. The car pulls away from the farm with Hawkins smiling and waving goodbye to a much older Abe and Sarah. INT. TRUCK NIGHT Jesse is off on a side road, reading a map. It’s obvious he is lost. Isaac is calmly looking at a light in the distance. JESSE How can this be? ISAAC You were lost once, but now you are found. JESSE Isaac please, not now. I’ve got to find out where we are. We’re driving on fumes. Isaac punches Jesse in the arm. When he looks, Isaac points to a neon light, shining in the darkness. Jesse smiles sheepishly and heads for the light. EXT. GAS STATION NIGHT Jesse is conversing with an OLD MAN as the attendant fills his tank with gas. Beside the station is an old wooden house. On the porch sits a woman, rocking a little girl in her lap. Except for an occasional jerking of the head, the child is limp. The woman is in the midst of singing to the girl when suddenly Isaac appears at the bottom of the steps. Seeing this, Jesse starts to walk toward them. The old man, chewing tobacco, spits some on the ground. OLD MAN That’s my daughter and granddaughter. They’d enjoy the company. JESSE The little girl, is she alright? OLD MAN She’s got M.S. Singin’ helps relax ‘er muscles, helps ‘er sleep easy. JESSE Is there a father? OLD MAN No-good bastard run off when she was born. Most folks don’t want nuthin’ to do with no handicappers. The man finishes filling the tank and Jesse pays him for the gas. Suddenly the little girl begins to scream. Jesse looks up to see Isaac running for the truck. The screaming little girl is hot on his heels and her mother is close behind. Jesse opens Isaac’s door, jumps in and starts the engine. OLD MAN (swallowing his tobacco) HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, THIS CAN’T BE! SHE’S GOT M.S.! JESSE NOT ANYMORE! YOU TAKE CARE NOW. As soon as Isaac jumps in the truck, Jesse hits the gas. JESSE You wanna warn me before you do that? Isaac, out of breath, shakes his head yes. As they drive off into the darkness, Jesse watches the family jump for joy in his rear view. Once they are clear, Isaac and Jesse stare at one another for a moment. Isaac tries to catch his breath. ISAAC She likes . . . to run. She will be . . . president. JESSE President huh? I see you like to run too. You’ve got some pretty strong legs there. ISAAC I have many mountains yet to climb. Isaac sticks his head out of the window and waves. ISAAC (aping terminator) ASTA LA VISTA . . . BABY! JESSE (laughing) THE PROCREATOR! EXT. MALABU DAY Jesse drives through a rain-soaked seaside neighborhood. Amid the sights and sounds of fire engines and crumbling houses, Jesse searches for his parent’s home. He stops in front of a vacant muddy hill. He and Isaac get out and stare at the wrecked house at the bottom of the hill. JESSE My god! That was our house! It's completely trashed! A policeman walks up to Jesse and taps him on the shoulder. Startled, Jesse jumps back. POLICEMAN Do you live here? JESSE No, but my parents did. Do you have any idea where they might be? The officer points to a church on a hill above a cul-de-sac. POLICEMAN Try the church, up the street. If they don't have a place to stay, they would be there. INT. CHURCH EVENING Huddled in a corner of the over-crowded church, Jesse spots his parents. They are sitting on a cot wrapped in blankets. A few possessions lay around them. A temporary hospital has been set up near them, as paramedics work to stabilize an injured woman. When Lucy sees Jesse, she cries out. George stands and smiles as Jesse hurries over to them. Lucy and Jesse hug. While Isaac stares at a large wooden cross of Christ, George and Jesse stare at one another. JESSE How ya been pop? GEORGE Oh, I’ve been better. I thought you would have matured by now, I mean . . . you look so young. JESSE Well, I was dead once, but I came back to life. George stares at Jesse, then smiles. GEORGE I never thought of you as dead. You’re my son. I just thought you were misguided. So, I hear you finally quit the government. How come? JESSE They were just like you said, pop. Greedy, selfish and untrust- worthy. I spent quite a few years, . . . proving you right. They both smile at one another, shake hands, then hug. LUCY Who's your little friend? JESSE His name is Isaac Lot. He's your cousin. Lucy and George stare at Jesse in disbelief. Jesse looks back at Isaac. Seeing the frightened look on his face as he stares at the cross, Jesse walks over to him and bends down. JESSE Relax Isaac. Remember, you know how to run. Isaac smiles and the two rejoin Jesse’s parents. LUCY Abe and Sarah had a son? I don't believe it. Hello there, Isaac. ISAAC Hello. Isaac turns and walks toward a makeshift hospital area. LUCY Doesn’t talk much does he? JESSE He has a way of getting his message across. I promised Uncle Abe and Aunt Sarah I’d look after him. We're going on a trip. GEORGE Where to, son? JESSE Hong Kong. I’ll bring back some pictures. GEORGE Are you sure your feeling well? JESSE I've got uncle Abe's truck outside. I sort of promised him you would return it for me. Were you able to save much? GEORGE Just what you see. Jesse reaches down and picks up a piece of paper from a soggy box. JESSE What's this? GEORGE That's just something Abe sent me years ago. JESSE It's the deed to the farm. You know Abe and Sarah want you to live with them? Nothing is tying you here now. What do you say? Lucy smiles as she looks at George. LUCY They are getting on in years. George frowns. Jesse chuckles. JESSE Yes, but they’re really young at heart. GEORGE I'll think about it. JESSE No time for that. We're catching the next flight out. You and mom must leave here, tonight! Drop us at the airport and head straight for the farm . . . fast. LUCY Why Jesse? JESSE I have it from a reliable source that L.A. might not exist tomorrow. GEORGE Reliable source? Those government bastards? Lucy sees a priest giving last rites to a woman who has died. Once done, he turns and begins talking to the paramedics. LUCY George, that poor woman. She didn't make it. All three are staring at her body when Isaac enters the picture. GEORGE You should take the boy away from there, son. JESSE No, . . . watch this. Isaac touches the woman on the head, then walks away. Slowly, the woman rises from the gurney. She looks around, then taps the priest on the shoulder. When he sees her, he screams and faints into the arms of stunned paramedics. The woman smiles and looks around the room. Isaac has returned to Jesse’s side. Lucy and George gawk at him. Jesse laughs at their expressions. JESSE Is that cool or what? Pop, meet my reliable source. GEORGE (amazed) Well, . . . I guess we best get a move on then. INT. CHURCH NIGHT Once they have collected their possessions, the group heads for the church exit. As they reach the front door, Jesse holds it open to allow George and Isaac to walk through. He pauses for a moment to speak with his mother. JESSE Mom, we've lived most our lives in this city, so I know how much you're gonna miss it. Now I’m not really sure about this, but, just to be on the safe side, when you leave L.A., . . . don't look back. EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE NIGHT George and Lucy are speaking inside the truck's cab. GEORGE Now honey, Jess said we were to leave, straight from here. LUCY It won't hurt to make one more stop at the house. There might be more left. Mother would want me to try. GEORGE Alright, but I'm telling you, I looked. Just as he turns the truck on, lightning claps loudly overhead, making Lucy jump in her seat. Rain begins to splash down hard across the windshield. GEORGE We've got to head southeast. We'll need to go through Arizona to get to New Mexico, and that means the San Bernardino Mountains and plenty of mud. Now we've got two full tanks and a four-wheel drive. You still want to make that stop at the house? Lucy shakes her head no and George smiles. INT. MALIBU NIGHT Numerous expensive villa’s overlooking the ocean, begin to slowly slide into the sea. In the sky above, Jesse is listening to the news on the 747's earphones. REPORTER Southern California is experi- encing the worst flooding in it’s history. Up and down the coast, huge tidal waves are washing land masses out to sea. A state of emergency has been declared. Jesse takes off the earphones; he is clearly upset. JESSE Hong Kong's airport is closed; we'll have to fly into Taipei. From there we can take a bus to the port of Kaohsiung, then a boat over to the island. Isaac nods his agreement. JESSE You know Taiwan gets hit with a typhoon every single year? Isaac nods yes. Jesse becomes frustrated. JESSE Isaac, are my parents gonna live? ISAAC Yes. JESSE But the city must be destroyed? ISAAC Yes. JESSE L.A. can't be completely dead. I was born there. Can’t it be revived? ISAAC Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. JESSE There are far worse places in the world than LA. Right now, children are being starved in the streets of India. China's still using prison-labor. Must the innocent die for the sins of their oppressors? ISAAC Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hard- ship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue. Jesse looks out the window and smiles. JESSE Let's suppose for a minute that there's fifty innocent people living within the city limits? Will the Lord still destroy it? Isaac? Jesse turns back to find Isaac fast asleep. Frustrated, he puts his earphones back on and listens to further news. REPORTER A powerful quake has struck the southwestern section of China’s Yunnan province, killing 210 people and injuring over 3,000. A preliminary magnitude of 7.0 has been reported. The quake, capable of causing widespread destruction, is centered near the Burma Road. It has already damaged roads, buildings, water and electricity lines and one in every ten homes. Jesse stares in awe at the sleeping Isaac. EXT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER DAY Space shuttle Columbia is being rolled onto the tarmac. INT. HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS NIGHT Inside a mountain, where an elaborate missile facility has been erected, a group of Chinese scientists are preparing a missile warhead for launch. Outside, the aftermath of the earthquake is evident. INT. 747 JETLINER NIGHT Jesse and Isaac are sleeping when suddenly the plane begins to toss. The PILOT’S VOICE comes on the overhead speakers. PILOT(VO) Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some turbulence caused by a storm brewing off the coast of Taiwan. Please take your seats and fasten your seat- belts. It’s going to get bumpy. Jesse looks at the still sleeping Isaac. He reaches over and fastens Isaac’s seatbelt. Suddenly the plane goes into a dive, sending everyone into a panic. STEWARDESS’ are handing out pillows as they make their way down the aisles. Several passengers are screaming for their lives. STEWARDESS Everyone please remain calm. The pilots will gain control moment- arily. Please place your pillows between your legs and your heads on the pillows. Jesse is staring at Isaac, who is still fast asleep. JESSE ISAAC! WAKE UP! Isaac awakens to find himself hanging forward in his chair. He smiles at Jesse. JESSE This is not a joke Isaac. Can you do anything? ISAAC You want me to fix the plane? JESSE Yes Isaac. Fix the plane. ISAAC (mimicing Abe’s voice) Sorry; it can’t be fixed. The plane is filled with confused and frightened passengers placing their heads in their laps and pillows over their heads. Jesse is struggling to remain calm. JESSE Isaac; remember your toy plane? ISAAC Yes; it broke. JESSE And-what-did-you-do-when-it-broke? ISAAC (mimicing Jesse) I-threw-it-out.
Copyright © 2000 David Duane Fortner |