A3S3

Scene 3

Victor’s office. The Prime Minister now hangs in chains behind his desk. His clothing is shredded and soaked in blood, arms held wide. The hooded Creature lounges in Victor’s throne-like chair, hands knitted behind his head, is the hooded Creature. When the first missile hits he makes no motion. In the following silence, we can hear people screaming. The second missile wakes the Creature.A few moments later, the second missile hits, and this seems to “wake him up.”

CREATURE

Time to pay the piper, eh, old man? I bet you’re laughing your sick head off wherever you are, aren’t you? You were so patient, so conniving, biding your time, pushing each one each one to do exactly what you wanted. It was brilliant.

The third missile hits. A moment later AIDEN QUARTERMASS runs in.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS

Even while the missiles hit around us, you still wait.

CREATURE

I’m waiting to see what comes around.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Manasseh Kupp is dead.

CREATURE
That’s what happens when you bring plants into the temple.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
What?

CREATURE
A metaphor. These missiles should stop soon, General Hallis can only hit the ‘fire’ button on his missiles so many times before his fingers mutate away. Is Fischer dead too?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I suspect she'll be here any moment.

Another missile hits, and Aiden almost falls. The Creature is unaffected.

CREATURE
That’s good, I’d like to see her one last time before this all goes away. She’s a smart girl. You know, in a better story, you two would have been a love interest, not trying to kill each other. That’s one part I don’t want history to remember.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
The world is ending around us, and you can only talk about literature.

CREATURE
Only our world. You shouldn’t take things so seriously. Look, the old man is happy!

He tears Victor's hands off the nails and claps them. Aiden turns away.

CREATURE
Fischer doesn't have the stones to kill you.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You can ask the Minister of War about that.

CREATURE
One less fate for you to decide.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Right now I'm only worried I've already decided my own.

CREATURE
I've always expected to be the monster. You can use that if you'd like. I won't mind.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I'll need a little time to form that strategy.

CREATURE
You don't have much. This building will be raided in a few hours. You're going to be in handcuffs before the sun is up. That's why I acted when I did, and why I was also hired to make sure Fischer does her part as well. Don’t worry, the old man kept your name off anything incriminating.

The creature taps the journal.

In fact, he lists you as a defector. My question is, what will you do to the man who stuck the knife into the Great World Leader?

Aiden is uncomfortable.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You will be tried, as is justice. You will most likely have the Prime Minister behind you.

CREATURE
No pardons?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I... I don’t think I can rightly answer these questions right now.

CREATURE
What will you do with him?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
He will be buried in his family lot.

CREATURE
Not the body, that’s being handled by the proper authorities. You won’t be locked up long, but long enough for them to destroy his body. It's only fair. What will you do when you sit in his chair?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
His legacy? I have a billion deaths I must to atone for. I’m the one to tell the world we're sorry. I have to apologize for people that died when I was eight years old. His legacy? I will tear him down and see history hold him as a murderer.

CREATURE
Then he picked the right man for the job.

FISCHER enters.

FISCHER
You won’t have the opportunity.

She points the gun at him and smiles.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Do you really think that’s the best idea?

He steps out from behind the desk to give her a clear shot.

If you shoot me, Fischer, you save me. I don’t have to do any of those things. Nothing. Go ahead, shoot me.

CREATURE
Do you want to make this country leaderless? This man wants to change all that’s been done. If you kill him, they have to find someone to replace him. Who will it be? Will it be just another power-hungry maniac? Someone itching to drop the most powerful weapon in the world?

FISCHER
While I’ve got Tarnikesh hunting me down for not accomplishing my mission.

CREATURE
The people who gave you that job are dead. (Beat) Hallis didn’t want Aiden in power, because he wanted LPDM for himself.

FISCHER
No!

She aims the gun at Aiden again and tenses, about to fire. The creature jumps out of the chair and over the desk, lunging at her. She is caught off-guard, but turns and shoots at the creature, catching him in the chest. The creature falls in a heap. Aiden jumps at her, wrestling the gun away. She rolls away and grabs the Creature's knife.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Don’t do this, Fischer. Stop while we still can.

She lunges and Aiden shoots her in the shoulder. Fischer stumbles, and gets to her feet, clutching her wound.

Now stay where you are, or I'll finish the job.

She takes a tentative step toward him.

FISCHER
You won’t kill me.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Don’t do this, Fischer.

She takes another step toward him, lifting the knife. She gives him a sultry grin.

FISCHER
I’ve seen the way you look at me.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
In a better story, we would have been a love interest.

FISCHER
You wanted me as much as I wanted you.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Put down the knife, Fischer, we can make this a better story.

She lifts the knife slowly to her chest, looking from it to him. She takes another step forward. Aiden tenses, about to fire.

I said put the knife down.

FISCHER
You won’t kill me.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I’ll do what I have to.

She takes another, pained step forward.

FISCHER
I came here to do a job. I’m going to do it. Die like Saturnine, Mr. Prime Minister.

Fischer charges. Aiden tenses. The Creature grabs Fischer's head and snaps her neck. He pushes the body aside and stands over Aiden.

CREATURE
You have enough blood on your hands.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You said said she didn't have the stones.

CREATURE
I owe you a drink.

The Creature falls to a knee clutching his chest.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You aren’t the child that was brought before Victor.

CREATURE
I don’t know what you mean.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
That child died a year later.

CREATURE
Where would you read a thing like that?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I saw a newspaper article about it several years later. It wasn’t widely publicized, it only even appeared in a local paper. At the point I heard about it, the legend was already circulating that the child would one day come back for revenge.

CREATURE
Did Victor know of this?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I don't think so. I'll know the truth in a few minutes when your body is cold, will you show me your face now?

CREATURE
I thought you'd figure it out.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I’ve had my suspicions. I don’t expect to be surprised.

CREATURE
I guess...

He coughs and spits blood.

I guess you’ve earned it.

It is only with great strain that he can lift his hand to his hood. He stands motionless for several seconds. Outside, the dawn is starting to break.

The troops will be here soon to arrest you.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I’m not worried.

CREATURE
You shouldn’t be.

The Creature pulls back his hood, revealing himself to be Samuel Dagon.

CREATURE
Are you surprised?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Not particularly. A little. I was fairly certain you weren’t dead. I couldn’t find any records of your burial.

SAMUEL
I was wearing a vest that day. (Beat) (Pained) Not today though.

Samuel falls. He smiles.

The old man never figured me out.

OS, there is a commotion.

Sounds like our guests have arrived.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I guess any parting wisdom should be now.

SAMUEL
You should have all you need right now.

Samuel dies, still smiling. Aiden goes to the throne-like chair. He opens the journal and reads. FRANTZ and KIMBLE enter, looking scared.

KIMBLE
Mr. Mercurian, Mr. Quartermass, we're under att...

Kimble sees the horror of the situation. A missile strikes, far off, only slight shaking of the foundation.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You might as well have a seat.

FRANTZ
Did you do this?

Aiden rolls his eyes up to study them a moment.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Maybe.

FRANTZ
Mr. Quartermass, we remain loyal to the Prime Minister, whomever he may be.

KIMBLE
Can we help you clean up?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
No, you can sit. Like I asked.

FRANTZ
Yes, sir.

KIMBLE
Of course, sir.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
You'll need to answer a lot of questions.

FRANTZ
Yes, Sir.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
A lot of questions.

KIMBLE
Yes, Sir.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Men are coming to arrest me, they may already be on the grounds. When they come here, I want you to be completely honest, do you understand. Tell them everything you've seen here.

FRANTZ
Yes, Sir.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
Not just here, but anything they ask you about anything in your time spent in these walls.

KIMBLE
Yes, sir.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
I want the full blight of Victor's reign to be known, uncover all his crimes. Everything. Do you hear me?

FRANTZ
Yes, sir.

KIMBLE
What about you, Sir?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
They will decide my guilt. I may sit in this throne, or I may hang from a pole. I have no say in the matter. All I can give them is this.

Aiden taps the book.

FRANTZ
And what is that, sir?

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
His journal, his most intimate acquaintance. He wrote down every thought and every detail.

Aiden opens to a page and reads.

"I can't have the boy's father running around, influencing him on whatever morality the family may have developed. If this boy is to grow into my plan, I must have complete control over his life and learning. I will make my negative. I will erase my crimes."

Aiden slams the book closed.

On the last page, he calls me a traitor, says I hired an assassin. He wanted me to rise in his wake and clean up after him. Every move was made to make me hate him so when he fell, I'd be there to cast down his image. Victor orchestrated this entire operation, marching us out in our own directions, feeding off our individual arrogance, knowing we'd never suspect we were only pawns. Victor made me to unmake him. The United Nations will decide if I deserve to live long enough for that.

KIMBLE
I've heard enough, lock him up.

FRANTZ
Yes, Sir.

Kimble draws a gun and trains it on Aiden.

KIMBLE
Aiden Quartermass, I'm placing you under arrest for war crimes against the the global community.

Frantz handcuffs Aiden behind his back, slamming him face down on the book.

AIDEN QUARTERMASS
This has all been scripted for me.

END