Morning Star Page #21

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MIA:

Everything I look at is one big,

dull, grey, disgusting thing. Ilook at a chair, a rock, your face -

they’re all just broken bits ofsomething broken... You live likethis?

Webber's face answers for him.

WEBBER:

These effects will fade. You'll be

safe on a train in an hour.

101.

MIA:

On a train? Where am I going?

WEBBER:

Madrid, first. There'll be someone

on the other end to guide you fromthere. I've used this escape routebefore. It's safe.

MIA:

But why do I need to run? I didn'tdo anything. I... I didn't know...

WEBBER:

The UN already suspected you before

you stabbed one of their agents.

They’ll dump you in a Black Sitefor interrogation, if they gettheir hands on you. And my sidewants you dead. So, yes, you needto run. It's not fair. I'm sorry.

MIA:

You're sorry...?

She literally starts laughing and crying at the same time.

Webber wants to comfort her but he doesn't know how, so he

just stands there, watching.

WEBBER:

I wish I could take you myself butthere's a small chance I can

prevent this war. There's a man outthere who's going to sabotage thepeace talks but I can stop him.

Maybe. I'll have to kill him, ofcourse... He happens to be the onlyperson on this planet I have anyreal connection to.

MIA:

Why are you smiling?

WEBBER:

I’m just enjoying this opportunityto say what I’m actually thinking.

He crosses to her. She looks up at him. He kisses her, as ifcompelled. They're both surprised. Even more so when shekisses him back. For several, long seconds, they clumsilygrope each other. Until, as if by mutual decree, it stops.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

Are you alright?

102.

MIA:

That’s a weird question but yeah...

Yeah.

Mia looks at him as if trying to sort out her feelings. Asudden, wayward thought...

MIA (CONT’D)

What do you look like under yourskin?

WEBBER:

I look like you. Is that a relief?

She laughs a little. Webber’s expression changes suddenly-

Mia’s confused as Webber walks toward a rear hall. Stands

there, listening. She starts to ask. He motions for quiet.

A SHADOW flits across daylight at the base of the back door.

Mia looks terrified. Webber gives her a reassuring look, thenducks back... as the back door CREAKS open. An INFILTRATORwearing a suit enters, gun out, silhouetted by sunlight as hecomes down the hall. Until Webber flips a wall switchactivating a PULSE MINE on the floor. Instantly, thesilhouetted Infiltrator’s body crumples and collapses.

Webber nods for Mia to take shelter in the corner. He selects

a length of rusty pipe from the debris on the floor.

More CREAKING - the stairs. Webber positions himself.

Mia bites her hand to keep from making noise as a PAIR OFMEN’S SHOES appear on the steps, followed by the man himself.

Webber lets the Infiltrator get all the way down, then hetakes a chunk of the guy’s scalp with one swing of the pipe.

Webber retrieves the Infiltrator’s dropped ALIEN WEAPON,

which resembles a shotgun. He takes out his own pistol andhands it to Mia. She looks skeptical.

ALIEN VOICES from the next room, muffled.

Webber levels the weapon at the wall and starts BLASTING.

Devastating plasma rounds punch through the wall.

Walking around the other side of the wall, Webber finds, amidclearing smoke, three DEAD INFILTRATORS on the floor. Abraxas-

now in the human guise of an elegantly dressed older woman-

lies among them, wounded but alive.

103.

ABRAXAS:

I’m an outcast, as much as you andKemp. All of us who dirty our handsdown here. Instead of being honoredfor our sacrifices, we’re

scorned...

Webber levels the weapon. She grows more urgent-

ABRAXAS (CONT’D)

You don’t understand- it would have

been impossible for you to have alife in the Vale before but that's

about to change...

WEBBER:

What’s going to change that? War?

(realizing)

The Hex never wanted war. Kemp’smission was you forcing their hand.

ABRAXAS:

They’re incredibly stubborn butafter today they’ll have no choicebut to commit. A full assault.

Finally.

WEBBER:

The peace talks are happening.

That’s Kemp’s target.

ABRAXAS:

A new world will rise from this.

One where you’ll finally belong.

Where you will be treasured, as youalways should have been.

WEBBER:

It may be a failure of imaginationon my part but I can’t envision anybetter world with you still in it.

Webber whacks her across the skull with the butt of his gunand reaches for a length of electrical cord on the floor.

In the other room, Mia glimpses something moving outside.

MIA:

Hey... hey!

Webber quickly finishes tying unconscious Abraxas to a rustyheater and grabs the weapon...

104.

Mia raises the gun Webber gave her with two hands and startsbacking up the stairs... not seeing the INFILTRATOR appearingon the stairs behind her. She does HEAR a floorboard sag. Shewhips around and FIRES, eyes closed. She hits the man,

miraculously. He keeps coming, though. Staggering at her,

aiming his gun hand...

Till Webber arrives and cuts him in two with a plasma blast.

Mia freaks as unidentifiable alien appendages flail for a fewmoments from the Infiltrator’s ruined body. Webber grabs her.

WEBBER:

You’re ok. You can’t do this now.

She pulls it together, sort of. Webber leads her back to theother room, to check on Abraxas.

They find:
the electrical cord lies curled in BLOODY TISSUE,

the skin of her human arm, discarded like a snake’s skin.

Webber rushes to the window. He sees TWO TRAILS of flatteningweeds swiftly descending from the road above into theovergrown field in front of the house. Cars.

A CLEARING IN THE WEEDS

A BLACK CAR parks, AN INFILTRATOR gets out, nerdy, wearingglasses. A second CAR emerges from the weeds. A THUGGISHINFILTRATOR emerges from that one- accompanied by Abraxas,

her exposed alien arm dangling at her side.

Mr. Glasses sets a METALLIC CYLINDER on the ground. Itsprings to life, unfolding into a large, frightening CYCLOPSon tripod legs like the ones glimpsed in the Alien Zone.

FIELD:

Webber leads Mia through the tall weeds, fleeing on atrajectory away from the cars. Webber stops short, listening.

He hears something coming toward them through the weeds, aWHIRRING. He knows what it is. He turns to her.

WEBBER:

Follow the tree line north. There’s

a train station, three miles that

way. It looks deserted but today atrain will stop there.

MIA:

No! I'm not going alone. We can geton the train together.

105.

WEBBER:

That window’s closed.

The WHIRRING is growing louder, closing in rapidly.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

Run. Please.

(cutting her off)

If you run and I don’t see you die,

then for the rest of my life,

there’ll always be a chance you

made it. Give me that.

Mia’s eyes fill with tears as she realizes she has no counterargument.

Then she’s off. It’s so abrupt it surprises Webber.

He wants to call after her.

The WHIRRING is almost on him now. He takes off in the

opposite direction Mia ran, running uphill. He reaches apoint where he can see the silver top of the Cyclops pokingabove the weeds, plowing toward him.

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