Act 3, Scene 3: Firestarter

INTRO

%SND% Telephone Rings

%SND% Haywood: "Chief Allan Haywood"

%SND% Bennett: "Officer Bennett. Good morning Chief, you wanted me to call back?"

%SND% Haywood: "Yes. I got your update about the incident in the harbour, but a few things don't add up, so I wanna make sure I got this right."

%SND% Bennett: "Sure. Whaddayawannanow?"

%SND% Haywood: "You say you got a call around 3am that some woman by the name of Monica Rowland got kidnapped by University Professor George Baily."

%SND% Bennett: "That's right. The caller hung up immediately, sounded like a prank call. We sent the nearest unit to check it out anyways, and they arrived just in time to see an older man, german shepherd, drag the woman out of the trunk of his car. Few moments later ther was gunfire, apparently two more persons, a bat and a serval, had been waiting for them. We immediately dispatched the special response team."

%SND% Haywood: "What is this? Some sort of bizarre drug gang fight?"

%SND% Bennett: "Hard to say, the situation is pretty complex. When the shooting stopped, our officers decided to go in, and they saw the woman that came out of Bailey's trunk holding a gun to the serval's head. She forced the bat to put a barrel containing an unknown substance into a dinghy and then drove off with thenm into the night."

%SND% Haywood: "That's the part I don't get. Rowland gets abducted by Bailey, taken to the harbour in the trunk of his car, someone shoots Bailey down, probably saving her life, and then in turn she takes her rescuers hostage? Why?"

%SND% Bennett: "Apparently to escape us."

%SND% Haywood: "Whatever is in that barrel must be very valuable. They're either trying to bring it to another ship or get rid of it, probably including the hostages."

%SND% Bennett: "The coast guard's already going for them, they've deployed five defender class response boats, and two aircraft with thermal imaging cameras on board. Catching them will still not be easy though, it's a very small boat, pretty fast, no lights, invisible on radar, and they got a pretty good head start."

%SND% Haywood: "If you get them, make sure they don't get rid of the evidence. I definitely want to know what's in that barrel. What about Bailey? Did you get him to say anything useful?"

%SND% Bennett: "He's at the hospital right now and they're keeping him in a coma. Apparently he lost a lot of blood, but they say he's going to live."

%SND% Haywood: "Good. Because I'm dying to hear his story when he wakes up. Who's in charge of the response team?"

%SND% Bennett: "Lieutenant Mark Spencer."

%SND% Haywood: "Good, that guy knows what he's doing, so I'm not going to take any more of your time. Thanks for bringing me up to date. If you've got any results, give me a call, I'll be up all night."

MAIN DIALOGUE

%HND% Curtain - open

%LIG% Lights on (Dark Blue)
%LIG% UV on

%AMB% amb-1001 - Night Ocean
%SND% snd-1001 - Motorboat noise and water.
%MUS% mus-1001 - Cue 1 (start)

%ACT% Makani is in the back of the boat, operating the rudder

%ACT% Monica is sitting in the front of the boat, pointing her gun at Savannah and Makani

%ACT% Savannah is sitting in the middle of the boat.

Monica: "Stop the boat. Here we are. Bailey's plantation. Makani, please open the barrel."

%ACT% Makani stops the motor.

%SND% snd-1001 - FADE
%SND% snd-1002 - Motor dies down.

Makani: "Please? Well, it's not like if I have a choice … Jesus Christ …"

%ACT% Makani opens the barrel

%SND% snd-1003 - Metallic Clang

Makani: "There… and now?"

Monica: "Dump it."

Makani: "Into the water?"

Monica: "Yes! Throw it overboard! Quick!"

Makani: "Okay, fine!"

%ACT% Makani pushes hard, and the barrel tips over, spilling it contents into the sea.

%SND% snd-1004 - Gloooorsh!

%ACT% Makani pushes the empty barrel overboard.

%SND% snd-1005 - Splash!
%MUS% mus-1001 FADE
%MUS% mus-1002 - Cue 2 (sad)

Monica (exhausted): "Finally."

Makani: "Now tell me, what the hell did I just do?"

Monica: "Save the world."

%ACT% Monica lowers the gun.

%ACT% Monica shivers and starts to cry.

Makani: "What?"

Monica (crying): "I'm so sorry. I knew George was reckless, but I never expected him to try and kill anyone. You were never supposed to get involved in this mess. I never wanted anybody to get hurt."

Savannah: "That's hard to believe coming from someone pointing a gun at us."

Monica: "I had the safety on the whole time. Here, take a look for yourself! I could never harm you, Savannah!"

%ACT% Monica drops the gun in front of Savannah's feet.

Monica: "I'm sorry for threatening you like that. I had to fake your kidnapping or else the police would have confiscated the only thing that could neutralize the toxic seaweed. A hurricane or even a big storm could have scattered the poison seaweed all over the world. I couldn't let that happen."

%ACT% Monica coughs, and cringes in pain, dropping to her knees. She gasps for air.

Savannah: "Monica, are you all right?"

%ACT% Savannah rushes forward catching Monica

Savannah: "*GASP* Holy crap, you're bleeding! That was Bailey, wasn't it?"

Monica: "He wanted to kill you. I tried to stop him."

Savannah: "That was very brave of you!"

Monica: "I got exactly what I deserved. Everything Bailey said about me is true. I lied to you. I'm not one of the good guys. I really do work for Peak Oil. It was my job to sabotage Bailey. He didn't risk the disaster. We did. We made his seaweed toxic to get his patent without having to bid against our competition. Sell us all intellectual property, or be held responsible for the disaster. It was blackmail, plain and simple."

Makani: "Why did you have to do this?"

%ACT% Monica starts another crying fit.

Monica: "I … I …"

Savannah: "Let me guess. They offered you a lot of money. Enough to fulfill all your dreams and solve all your problems, once and for all."

Monica (sobbing): "That, and I always wanted to get back at Bailey, that stuck-up arrogant dog. But I didn't realize how dangerous our plan would become. And how unethical. Your curiosity, the way you reject authority and make up your own mind - none of the students I've met before managed to inspire me like you did. I care about you, and that really opened my eyes. I once had ideals, too, you know. Now look what I've become: a greedy old fool who has lost everything. My job, my friends, and my dignity."

Savannah: "That's not true. I was miserable when I arrived in Hawaii. Only one person listened to my problems. She was there when I needed help and she accepted me exactly the way I am. And that was you, Monica. Maybe you made a mistake. Well, so did I. But that doesn't make us bad people."

Monica: "The coast guard will be here any minute. Then I will get what I deserve for my crimes."

%MUS% mus-1002 FADE
%MUS% mus-1003 - Cue 3 (uplifting)

Savannah: "What about Peak Oil? Won't they bail you out? It wasn't your fault that the plan failed."

Monica: "There's a ship waiting to pick me up just a few miles away. If I wanted to I could be on my way to some nice Caribbean island, with a new passport and a six figure paycheck in my pocket."

Makani: "Then what are you waiting for?"

Monica: "Are you serious? I would never be able to live with myself!"

Savannah: "And you think jail time is going to fix that? If I were you, I'd get the hell out of here, and work to make things right."

Monica: "But … how?"

Savannah: "Use that money for a good cause!"

Monica "How so?"

Makani: "I could use a new boat!"

Savannah: "Exactly! And didn't you say Bailey did all his research on university resources? We'll blow the whistle on him and get this patent assigned to whom it really belongs! The university! There are so many ways you can make a difference! I'm not going to stand by and let you get arrested."

%SND% snd-1006 - Seaweed Bubbling
%MUS% mus-1003 FADE
%MUS% mus-1004 - Cue 4 (seaweed)

Makani: "Uh oh … what's that?"

Monica: "The dead seaweed is floating to the surface. The deactivation agent acts fast."

Makani: "So in order to save the world we just created the next Exxon Valdez disaster?"

Monica: "It's a lot more volatile than a regular oil slick, so it's not nearly as dangerous. Unless someone drops a match on it, that is."

%SND% snd-1007 - Coastguard Boats Coming nearer

Makani: "The coast guard is here!"

Savannah: "We've got to hurry! The University has a wave buoy somewhere out here - it should be big enough to stand on. If you drop us off there, I can distract the police long enough for you to escape."

Makani: "But how?"

Savannah: "Just wait for it …"

%HND% Beam of light from [7] (searchlight)

Makani: "They're trying to surround us! Let's get out of here!"

%ACT% Makani starts the boat and goes full throttle.

%SND% snd-1007 FADE
%SND% snd-1008 - Motorboat speeding up
%MUS% mus-1004 FADE
%MUS% mus-1005 - Cue 5 (action)

%HND% Tilt the boat

%HND% Beam of light moves down and disappears.

Savannah: "There's the buoy!"

%HND% Roll the buoy into view from [1] until it's next to the boat.

%SND% snd-1008 FADE
%SND% snd-1009 - Motor goes into idle

Monica: "Now what's your plan?"

Savannah: "Do you have a flare gun on board?"

Monica: "Of course. Here. Careful when you fire it or you'll light this place up like a birthday cake."

%ACT% Monica hands Savannah the flares

Savannah: "Exactly! Now take the boat and go. Blow your horn when you're on the other side of the spill, and I'll give them a fireworks show they'll never forget."

Monica: "That sounds like a really bad idea."

Savannah: "What could possibly go wrong?"

Makani: "Worst sunburn ever?"

Savannah, Makani: "Worth it!"

Monica: "I love you guys. Take care!"

Makani: "Take care!"

Savannah: "Take care!"

%ACT% Makani and Savannah hug Monica, and leave the boat to get on the buoy.

%ACT% Monica revs up the boat

%SND% snd-1009 - FADE
%SND% snd-1010 - Motorboat speeding up / moving away
%MUS% mus-1005 FADE
%MUS% mus-1006 - Cue 6 (Finale)

%HND% Roll the boat off stage past the buoy

%HND% The boat disappears to [1]

%ACT% Makani and Savannah look after Monica for a while

%ACT% Savannah turns to Makani

Savannah: "Hey, batman."

Makani: "What is it, catwoman?"

Savannah: "I love you."

Makani: "I love you too."

%HND% get the flare ready

%ACT% Savannah hugs / kisses

%ATT% Savannah needs one free arm.

%SND% snd-1011 - Monica sounds the signal

%ACT% Savannah shoots the flare gun (lighting up the fuel on the water)

%SND% snd-1012 - FUMP (Flaregun)

%HND% Flare shoots in a low angle off stage

%SND% snd-1013 - KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
%SND% amb-1001 - FADE

%FOG% Fog of doom!

%LIG% Flash of doom!

%HND% Giant fog explosion and bright red / yellow light from below, blinding the audience.

%LIG% Lights out

%HND% Curtain - close

%VID% Roll Credits

%ATT% * YOU MADE IT! CONGRATULATIONS! *