Dominion Page #4

CLAIRE:

What happened to your head?

ALEX:

There were Eight-Balls by the

truck.

CLAIRE:

What?!

ALEX:

Your father told me to keep

quiet... so you can’t say anything

about it.

CLAIRE:

They attacked you!

ALEX:

(smiles)

That’s what they do. I’m fine.

(reassuring)

Your father wasn’t worried.

She hugs him close, protective. He grimaces from the pain in

his back, doesn’t show it to her.

Claire

Thank the Savior you’re okay.

ALEX:

(pointed)

You need to speak with your Dad.

CLAIRE:

I will. Tonight. I’ve asked to

see him. I’ll tell him about us

and get his permission... to marry.

(grins)

But you still have to do the knee

and ring thing.

ALEX:

Just so happens I have a knee and a

ring...

15.

Off Alex’s unsure look.

CLAIRE:

He’ll say yes. Trust me. I know

him.

She touches a SCAR along his neck.

CLAIRE:

You’re my shield... you took a

knife for me. There’s no me

without you.

ALEX:

We’re different.

CLAIRE:

You think you know him better than

me?

ALEX:

I know the system better than

you...

He kisses her.

ALEX:

The Rover is ready. We have enough

supplies to easily make it to

Delphi. Claire, they don’t have

numbers there, everyone’s equal...

we could start a new life... but

it’s got to be tomorrow night. The

city will be busy with the Jubilee

and you can slip out.

CLAIRE:

It won’t come to that. He’ll say

yes.

Off his look.

CLAIRE:

(smiles, kisses him)

But if he doesn’t... where you go,

I follow.

Alex grins and turns to go to his post outside, but finds...

WILLIAM WEEL (30) standing in the doorway. William is

handsome, but masks insecurity with vanity. He wears what

can only be described as the clothing of a religious man.

16.

We’re not sure how long he’s been there as William looks at

Alex then to Claire, shrewdly weighing what his eyes are

telling him. Something passes over William’s face then he

warmly smiles.

Alex heads for the door, but William stops him...

WILLIAM:

What’s your name soldier?

ALEX:

Alex Lannen.

(hates saying his

designation)

v-2. House Rysen. AA Corp.

WILLIAM:

Alex Lannen... it’s against our law

for you to be alone with Claire, so

next time make sure you’re

accompanied by another guard.

A velvet gloved slap. Humiliated, Alex nods, takes it,

exits.

Claire is forced to hide her feelings behind her usual mask

as William turns to her.

WILLIAM:

You missed services tonight.

CLAIRE:

I was teaching.

William’s a charismatic politician, with easy charm.

WILLIAM:

Ah, that’s right. History is

vital. But there’s another subject

even more so. Faith.

(he approaches)

It’s important to remember that our

faith must be nurtured, it must be

kept like a promise. I’m troubled

because so many of Vega’s citizens

have forgotten this simple truth.

(beat)

Let us pray.

Claire lowers herself to her knees, closes her eyes. William

watches her a beat, then kneels beside her.

17.

INT. RYSEN’S BARRACK’S TOWER – 35TH FLOOR – NIGHT

What once were guest rooms are now modern barracks, walls

removed, housing thousands of soldiers. Tightly packed like

the interior of a submarine, the bunks are stacked.

A number of solders both male and female, read, sleep and

play games. Alex enters with Eli and goes to his bunk. Eli

curls up, exhausted from the day.

Alex sits painfully, his back sore from the whip. Alex

begins to peel off his shirt and out of the corner of his eye

sees a GIRL (11), BIXBY, staring at him from the shadows like

a mouse.

Bixby’s “designation” is v-1, and in the slang of Vega,

“Fodder,” as in cannon fodder. She’s an orphan, the very

bottom of society. Alex is an orphan too, but as a soldier,

he is a v-2, a “Grunt.” Bixby works in the barracks for food

and shelter.

He grins. She frowns.

BIXBY:

What did you do now?

ALEX:

Got on the wrong side of the

Peacock, but Rysen stepped in.

Bixby comes over and helps him off with his shirt. She

cleans the shallow wounds on his back as they talk. We sense

their love for one another.

BIXBY:

He’s a kind man... but you should

keep outta anything to do with the

Tops. No good can come of it.

ALEX:

They’re no different than us just

got a better number.

Alex stares at her warmly, Bixby really his only family,

lowers his voice.

ALEX:

You want to know a secret?

Bixby grins, leans in close, excited.

18.

ALEX:

One day... we’re gonna live

somewhere where there aren’t any

numbers, where we aren’t told what

to do, where to eat or sleep, or

whom to marry. One day we’ll be

free.

Bixby repeats the word free silently...

BIXBY:

Promise?

ALEX:

Promise.

They do a practiced shake, a ritual. He stands, musses her

hair.

ALEX:

Stay close the next day or so.

Something important’s going to

happen and whatever way it goes,

you’re coming with me...

INT. RYSEN’S OFFICE (RYSEN COMPOUND) – NIGHT

In an enormous room with the RYSEN SYMBOL painted on one

wall, the kind of office Saddam Hussein once had, Rysen goes

over paperwork.

SENATOR DAVID WEEL (48) enters. He exudes the power of a man

who sees politics as a blood sport. As the leader of the

Senate of Vega, he is the de facto head of the civilian

authority.

RYSEN:

Senator.

DAVID:

There was an angel attack on a

soldier outside the walls today.

Rysen stops what he’s doing.

RYSEN:

I see swearing the men to silence

means nothing...

David calmly watches Rysen, the proverbial cat that ate the

mouse. David smiles, enjoys this game they play.

19.

RYSEN:

It was a small group, four angels

and they were easily destroyed.

DAVID:

Not all of them. One survived.

Rysen stares at David.

DAVID:

Don’t worry. It’s been taken care

of, but the Archangel is concerned

and you should be too.

RYSEN:

Michael sees evil portent in

everything and everyone. It was an

isolated incident, nothing more,

with no further reports of any

sightings from our long range

scans. I deployed the drones, it’s

clear.

(firm)

We don’t need it getting out, it

could cause a panic.

DAVID:

Perhaps that’s not such a bad

thing?

Rysen’s eyes narrow.

DAVID:

We’ve done our job too well. Vega

has grown complacent. Lazy.

Rysen is done, he goes back to his paperwork, expecting his

order to be carried out. It’s clear the men do not like one

another.

DAVID:

Are we still going ahead with the

announcement at the Jubilee?

Rysen looks up, like he has a bad taste in his mouth but...

RYSEN:

Yes.

DAVID:

Good.

David turns to exit. Rysen stares at him, wondering if he’s

Caesar watching Brutus leave the room.

20.

INT. SHOWERS – NIGHT

Alex stands in an enormous hundred head shower, water

spilling on his face. He’s alone until someone gets under

the shower head next to him.

A female soldier named NOMA (25). She has dark hair, olive

skin and is that vision of angel and devil that has lead many

men to ruin, but she is also an unabashed tomboy, as tough as

any man, tougher.

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