tc1x04
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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TEASER
FADE TO:
INT. MORGAN RESIDENCE - VI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The full moon is seen through a closed bedroom window. The
CAMERA slowly PANS DOWN and ACROSS to reveal VI MORGAN'S
sleeping form.
The bedroom door CREAKS OPEN, a shaft of unnatural light
beams onto Vi's face. She stirs and opens her eyes
blearily.
VI
What... What is it? Is it
morning?
CAM MORGAN stands in the doorway. He wears his pajamas but
looks wide awake.
CAM
Get up. You're not gonna believe
this...
He scampers away. Vi, confused, sits up slowly.
INT. MORGAN RESIDENCE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Vi stumbles out into the hallway, dressed in a pair of
plain pajamas. Her feet are bare.
Cam stands a little way down the hall, his hand on the
doorknob to his room. He motions her forward with the other
hand.
CAM
Come on.
He pushes open the door, steps inside, and is swallowed by
the darkness. Vi follows.
ANGLE ON HER FEET
She steps onto the blue carpet of Cam's room. As she walks,
the carpet gradually becomes a hard, sticky plastic floor.
CRUNCH.
Vi stops. Her hand reaches down into frame and picks
something up.
We FOLLOW HER MOVEMENT as she lifts the object up for
closer inspection. It shimmers in the moonlight. It is a
large piece of broken glass.
VI
Cam, be careful. There's glass in
here. Did you break a beaker or
something?
She turns and fumbles for the light switch. Her fingers
find it and flick it on. She is in...
INT. LIQUOR SHOP - NIGHT
Vi is completely alone. She drops the glass - stunned.
VI
Cam?
(beat)
Where'd your room go?
There is the SOUND of a GUN BEING READIED. Vi, fearful,
turns around slowly to see - -
- - ALISTAIR BENSON
Standing in front of the counter. He aims a gun directly at
her face. With a cold smile, he says:
BENSON
Welcome to the team.
The bullet EXPLODES from the barrel of the gun and we:
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. MORGAN RESIDENCE - VI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Where Vi, lying in bed, suddenly jolts awake. She's
sweating and breathing heavily - obviously disturbed by the
dream.
It takes her a moment to register a soft BUZZING sound is
coming from somewhere in her room.
She reaches across to her night stand and plucks up her
mobile phone. She quints at the screen... And groans.
After a moments hesitation, she accepts the call and puts
it to her ear.
ANDREW (O.S.)
(filtered)
Whatcha doing?
EXT. MORGAN RESIDENCE - STREET - SAME
Andrew sits cross legged on the hood of his car. In the
chill, he has tucked his hands as far as they will go into
the sleeves of his jacket, clutching his mobile phone
awkwardly in one hand.
INTERCUT:
Vi rolls her eyes and props herself up on one elbow. She
speaks in a hushed whisper.
VI
Interviewing the Dali Lama. Go
away.
ANDREW
We've got a meeting.
VI
I don't care. I'm sleeping.
ANDREW
Through your interview? Kinda
rude, don't you think?
VI
Seriously, I'm not doing this
now.
ANDREW
Stop screwing around. This is
your job whether you like it or
not. Now, either we go to collect
our assignment or...
Vi sits up fully.
VI
Or what?
ANDREW
Or I start singing.
VI
But you can't sing.
Beat.
ANDREW
Exactly.
And off Vi's somewhat concerned expression, we CUT TO:
INT. THE COMPANY - RECEPTION - LATER
With a sharp CHIME, the elevator doors open to reveal
Andrew and Vi (who wears her pajamas and slippers). Neither
of them look too happy to be there.
As they step out, they are ambushed by JENNA COOKE. The
only other person in the room. Jenna looks tired - her
business attire is rumpled and her hair is less than
perfect.
JENNA
Finally!
Vi and Andrew move further into the room.
JENNA (CONT'D)
I've been waiting for over an
hour.
ANDREW
Then maybe you should consider
calling at a reasonable time. One
that doesn't end with the letters
A and M.
Jenna turns to Vi.
JENNA
Is there anything you'd like to
say?
Vi yawns.
VI
I would but... sleepy.
Jenna turns and moves toward the conference room. She
notices the other two aren't following. She turns back.
JENNA
Well?
ANDREW
Where is everybody? Where's
Benson?
JENNA
At home. It's the night shift.
(beat)
You didn't think he lived here
did you?
Vi and Andrew share a look. Obviously, they did.
JENNA (CONT'D)
Well, are we going to do this or
not?
VI
Why are you here?
JENNA
I had work to do.
ANDREW
You always have work to do. You
should just move into Domestic.
Seriously, you wouldn't even have
to commute.
VI
What's Domestic?
ANDREW
Living quarters in the building.
I applied by apparently I didn't
"qualify".
JENNA
You lied on your application.
ANDREW
And who the hell says I'm not a
war veteran?
JENNA
Just come on!
She turns and stalks into the conference room. Andrew leans
down to Vi.
ANDREW
(sing-song)
Looks like someone didn't have
her Vegemite this morning.
Vi smirks.
INT. THE COMPANY - CONFERENCE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Jenna sifts through a manila folder. She hands a piece of
paper to Vi.
ANDREW
And that was so hard to do out
there because... ?
JENNA
The conference room has a
purpose. To give assignments - -
ANDREW
(to Vi)
Surprisingly, we've never had an
actual conference in here.
JENNA
And when we don't use it for that
purpose it becomes obsolete.
A beat.
ANDREW
Get some sleep!
VI
(reading paper)
Duke Jones.
(to Jenna)
Let me guess... cowboy?
JENNA
That's your job to find out.
(beat; sincere)
Look, I'm really sorry for waking
you guys up. We only de-coded
your assignment a couple of hours
ago and it came with specific
instructions to give it to you
straight away.
VI
It's okay.
ANDREW
What part of "A" and "M" is okay?
Man, you really are one of the
team now.
Vi's face pales a little.
JENNA
So, you think you can start this
assignment as soon as possible?
There's a pause and then -
VI
(insincere)
Yeah, totally. I'll get right on
it.
Vi gives Jenna a weak smile.
CUT TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. GARRETON ACADEMY - MORNING
Establishing shot. A BELL RINGS.
INT. GARRETON ACADEMY - CLASSROOM - MORNING
KIDS file in - chattering and laughing happily. Or at least
as happily as high school kids going to class can be.
Among the group is Vi, SHANE EVANS, ERIN FOWLER and BIANCA
PARRY. Bianca pushes past Vi as she heads to her desk at
the back of the room. Vi ignores this as she collapses into
her own - placing her head down on the top. Shane sits in
the desk next to her.
The teacher, MR. DUFFY enters. He is the "angry teacher"
from Episode 1x01.
MR. DUFFY
Alright, alright. I know you're
all excited about catching up
with friends and such. I'm sure
that stretch between first period
and now was unbearable but from
this point all that matters is
you sitting up - -
He throws a pen lid at Vi and the class chuckles as she
sits up - startled.
MR. DUFFY (CONT'D)
- - Paying attention and
listening to what I am about to
say or I will fail you.
He lifts a cardboard box from the floor and SLAPS it onto
his desk.
MR. DUFFY (CONT'D)
I had a dream. I had a dream that
every person in this class had
thought about, decided on,
planned and submitted their
proposal for this terms
assignment.
The class starts to shuffle and murmur uncomfortably. Oh,
yeah, there was something they forgot to do last weekend.
A confident (or is it stupid?) BOY leans back in his chair
and smirks.
BOY
I had a dream that I dropped out
of school to open an ice-cream
factory but hey – I'm still here.
Mr. Duffy chuckles and then - -
MR. DUFFY
(deadpan)
Get out.
He points to the door and the Boy sighs, stands and leaves.
MR. DUFFY (CONT'D)
If your proposal is not in this
box in the next five minutes I
will design your assignment for
you. I will include the elements
of...
(counts on his fingers)
... Hard work, hours of research
and the Garreton rest homes
annual Shuffleboard tournament.
Get to work.
The class does so and begin to talk amongst themselves.
Shane leans over to Vi.
SHANE
What are you doing?
VI
About what?
SHANE
Society and Culture assignment.
No response.
SHANE (CONT'D)
Design an experiment around an
aspect of the local community in
which you can monitor the
reactions of a catalyst from an
outside environment.
Still nothing.
SHANE (CONT'D)
Stick a thing in a place and see
what happens.
VI
Oh... Then... No.
SHANE
Vi, it's fifty percent of our
final mark.
VI
And who's fault is that?
SHANE
What?
VI
Ugh! Sorry. I've just been...
Sleep has been pretty much non
existent lately. And when I do
get sleep I get woken up by
nightmares or phone calls and...
She trails off. Knowing she's already said too much. Shane,
however, seems to pick up on the "nightmares" part and
takes out his own proposal sheet - scribbling her name at
the top alongside his own.
SHANE
Here. We'll be partners.
Vi brightens - a little surprised at this gesture.
VI
Thank you so much, Shane. You're
the best.
(re: Mr. Duffy)
When did he tell us about this
assignment? I can't remember ever
getting it.
(laughs)
I must have been dead.
Shane's face drops and Vi reacts to this.
VI (CONT'D)
(awkward)
I mean I... forgot.
Vi conspicuously pushes her pen off of the desk.
VI (CONT'D)
Oops.
As she bends down to pick it up, Bianca smoothly steps in
her way as she makes her way to the front of the room. She
slips her piece of paper into the box. Vi sits up.
VI (CONT'D)
Is it just me or are there some
major hate vibes being sent my
way?
As Bianca passes again, she deliberately glares at Vi.
SHANE
I think some just bounced off you
and poked me in the eye.
VI
I've tried talking to her and she
calls me a stalker. I saved her
life and she - -
SHANE
Wait. When did you save her life?
VI
When I... The other day, I was in
front of her at the coke machine
and I bought the last can and so
technically, I saved her from
rotting her teeth which would
then mean that she couldn't eat
or at least she'd be too
embarrassed to go out in public
to buy, like, mushy food and
stuff. Therefore, you could say
that I saved her from death by
starvation.
A beat.
SHANE
I'm gonna hand this in.
He stands and Vi sighs. She's way too tired to handle this
right now. She leans forward again, her forehead hitting the
desk top.
EXT. GARRETON ACADEMY - LUNCH COURT - LATER
Vi exits the building and steps into the sunlight. As she
makes her way over to her usual lunch table, we notice that
she holds no lunch. This is remedied moments later when Cam
appears at her side. He shoves a 'Disney Princess' lunch box
at her rather sourly.
CAM
Here.
Vi looks down at the girly design.
VI
I'm trying to come up with
something witty but... no.
CAM
You left before mum could give
you money for lunch so she made
you some.
VI
Do I even own a Disney Princess
lunch box?
Off Cam's nervous fidgeting...
VI (CONT'D)
(incredulous)
Is this yours?
CAM
(defensive)
It's the perfect size for my
magnifying glasses! Shut up!
Vi smiles.
VI
Not a word.
CAM
I already scarred my reputation
enough by carrying it across the
yard for you.
Vi grins wider - obviously not being able to help herself.
VI
You mean your reputation of itty
bitty science geek? Aww.
CAM
And I thought you were the nice
sister.
Vi throws her arms around him and hugs him tightly. Cam
squirms and tries to wriggle away.
VI
I'm sorry, Cam.
CAM
Stop! Get off!
Struggling free, he straightens his tie and glares at her.
CAM (CONT'D)
This is the last time I offer to
help you!
He leaves.
VI
(calling)
Apology accepted, then?
Vi sits down and opens the lunch box to find a neatly
folded note on top of a sandwich, apple and small bottle of
juice. Vi takes the note and opens it.
It reads, "Hope you're feeling OK. Call if you need
anything. Love, Mum. XOXO".
Vi looks touched for a moment but overcomes this and
scrunches up the note - tossing it back inside the lunch
box.
Then, Andrew slides smoothly into the seat across from her.
ANDREW
The Happy Vampire lunch special
ends at one. If we hurry, we can
make it.
Vi looks shocked.
VI
I don't get it. Do you not have a
life? Family, pets, cactus –
anything? There has to be
something besides me that you can
annoy.
ANDREW
I have a cat. His name's Stuart.
He's a biter, though. Gets sick
of me pretty easily.
VI
I wonder why.
Andrew raps his knuckles impatiently on the table top.
ANDREW
So, come on. Let's go.
VI
Uh... School. Hello!
ANDREW
Uh... Assignment. Hello!
VI
I can't.
ANDREW
Meaning?
VI
I have classes and friends -
Well, not in the plural - but
there are people who are
expecting me to be in school and
not go running all over town on
some insane scavenger hunt from
the beyond. I can't just drop
everything when a girl with a God
complex hands me a piece of
paper.
ANDREW
You'd be surprised at what you
can do when Signs are involved.
Vi looks around.
VI
Well, I don't see any Signs. If
you want to start the assignment
so badly, you do it.
She pulls the assignment sheet from her pocket and hands it
to him. Andrew reacts, taking it, before he thinks.
ANDREW
But it's yours.
VI
I don't care.
Frustrated, Andrew stands.
ANDREW
Benson's gonna be pissed.
VI
And who's he gonna blame? I'm the
newbie, remember?
ANDREW
And I'm not your scape goat. Two
assignments in the bag and you're
freaking out now? God, Violet –
What's the matter?
A beat. Vi takes a deep, shaky breath.
VI
The matter is you being here. In
my school. Outside my house.
There's my life and there's the
Company – they don't mix and I
don't want them to.
Mr. Duffy approaches.
MR. DUFFY
(to Andrew)
Hello, My name is Mr. Duffy –
Garreton Academy's Deputy
Principal. And you are?
Andrew - taken by surprise - is lost for words. He throws
Vi a desperate glance, asking for help.
VI
He just wandered in here.
(pointedly; looking at
Andrew)
I think he's drunk.
Mr. Duffy goes into serious mode, taking Andrew by the arm.
ANDREW
Hey, I'm not - -
MR. DUFFY
I'm going to have to ask you to
leave the premises, Sir. This is
private property.
Andrew glares at Vi and reluctantly allows himself to be
led away. Vi looks down and un-scrunches the note from her
mother – possibly hoping to find some comfort in it.
Instead, she sees a Sign, "Find Duke Jones".
ANGLE ON VI
We look up at her from inside the lunch box as she tears up
the paper and throws in over us. Then, she SLAMS the lid
closed - leaving us in darkness.
EXT. GARRETON CITY CENTRE - AFTERNOON
A BUS rolls down the street lined by busy shops - some
quaint and charming, others obviously part of corporate
chains.
INT. BUS - CONTINUOUS
Vi and Shane sit on a two seater on the partially full bus
with Vi next to the window. They both wear casual clothes
and Shane has a box on his lap. Vi stares out of the
window.
SHANE
Vi?
VI
Hmmm?
She turns to him.
SHANE
About today... I didn't mean to
act so weird when... What I mean
to say is... Ah...
VI
Shane, before you go any further -
Can this conversation have sub
headings and footnotes because
I'm not entirely sure what page
we're on.
SHANE
(awkward)
The "I must have been dead"
thing.
VI
(realising)
Ah.
SHANE
(quickly)
I kind of froze up and I don't
want you to think that I'm
freaked or that I think you're
weird or anything.
VI
I'm not weird? News to me.
SHANE
C'mon, be serious.
VI
I totally am. Or... Not really
but you've gotta understand that
not being serious is how I be
serious now.
(beat)
I get that we aren't exactly onto
death-joke territory yet. So, my
bad.
SHANE
You scare me sometimes.
VI
"You're not weird but you scare
the hell outta me". Oh, that's
better.
SHANE
It scares me that I don't know
what you're thinking.
That I don't know when you're
upset or freaked out about what
happened because you act like
every thing's normal. Like it
never happened.
A beat.
VI
Maybe that's for the best because
that was then and this is now.
And now is about me being me.
Perfectly normal.
She gives him a weak smile. The PASSENGER in front of them
stands up to move towards the bus doors. Their back of their
denim jacket has the words "Find Duke Jones" stitched in
silver thread. Vi's eyes widen and she quickly averts her
gaze - turning to stare out of the window.
Outside, standing on the footpath is a HOMELESS MAN in
grubby, stained clothing. He stands on a wooden box
YELLING at the passers by. His words, however, are blocked
by the windows of the bus.
He holds a cardboard sign which reads, "Find Duke Jones And
The World Is Saved - Jr 50:22-23".
Vi turns back to Shane.
VI (CONT'D)
Our stop is how soon?
The bus jerks to a shaky stop and the doors HISS as they
slide open.
SHANE
Right here.
He stands.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.