The Man from Earth: Holocene Page #6

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I regret it, Gill.

Deeply, I do.

Well, obviously, I can't give you a

recommendation under these circumstances.

Everywhere you go, I'll have to tell them

about this mess you're dumping in my lap.

I understand.

Paperwork for the semester all wrapped up?

Grades logged, evaluations, all that?

Yes. The last couple of things,

I'll take care of today.

You're leaving that soon?

I truly hope that eventually

there are no hard feelings.

I'll get over it.

But this stinks.

I was hoping to give you my

chair in five or six years.

(EXHALES)

I'd have been honored to take it.

What the hell were you thinking?

(WORRILY) I don't know.

I just... You know.

Okay, what else did he say?

Nothing.

But...

What?

What else?

I think I maybe spilled

the beans a little bit.

What beans?

That we know about him.

Oh, my...

What exactly did you say?

Um...

Well, I... I mean, does it matter?

If he knows that we know...

Then he'll disappear for good!

Oh, crap, Jenkins is on his way down here.

He's on the road right now.

- Well, can you call him?

- Yeah.

(ISABEL EXHALES)

(GRUNTS)

(NERVOUS SIGH)

Voice mail.

(NERVOUS SIGH)

(WORRILY) Hey, Dr. Jenkins.

It's Isabel Chang. Listen, um...

Professor Young maybe knows we know and

might be leaving here really soon.

Please let me know what time you're

gonna get here. What we should do.

(SIGHS, GRUNTS)

Okay.

Let's find the guys.

- It's gonna be okay.

- All right.

- I knew it. I just knew it.

- Carolyn, please...

What, stay calm? Don't get worked up?

No, why would I?

I'm only asking that you...

Let you slip away quietly, huh?

No muss, no fuss?

I've left you money, of course.

I don't want you to be...

I don't need your f***ing charity, John!

I have a job.

I need you.

I'm sorry.

I don't understand why you're leaving.

I mean, the explanation part

got by me somehow.

I told you from the start

that I would eventually move on.

Yeah, but that's something people say.

Like

"I hate dogs", "I'm never getting married",

"I don't want kids".

People say that sh*t all

the time, and guess what?

Five years later,

they're married, with kids.

- And a dog!

- Not me.

Well, apparently not.

Oh, Jesus, John...

How can a man with so

much passion be so cold?

What was this to you?

I've told you how I feel.

Because I'm leaving does not mean

that I don't care about you.

Oh, wow.

That's all I'm going

to get out of you, isn't it?

- Carolyn...

- No, just save it. Look.

I'll be back in a few days.

I assume you'll be gone by then?

Yes.

Well, Merry Christmas, John.

Thanks for everything.

(FOOTSTEPS DEPART)

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

Well, just keep him there.

How are we supposed to do that?

I don't know. But just keep him there.

I'm still about two hours away.

You can't get here any faster?

No.

I can only go so fast.

But don't tell him I'm coming.

That'll only make him leave faster.

Alright.

Do your best.

Yes, I will do my best.

(ISABEL EXHALES)

- Just keep him there? How?

- We know where he lives.

Oh.

You wanna go talk to him again?

You think that's the best

course of action right now?

What choice do we have? If we don't go

see him now, we'll never see him again.

Let's go.

(FIRE CRACKLING)

(SNIFFLES)

- Hello.

- Please don't leave yet.

Just stay one more night.

- Have dinner with us.

- We only want to talk.

I think it's best for everybody

if I hit the road now.

Please, Professor.

I have so many questions for you.

I'm sure my replacement will be at

least as knowledgeable as I am.

You know that's not what we mean.

(EXHALES)

I don't know what you want from me.

- We don't want anything from you.

- I want to learn from you.

This looks a lot more like stalking.

We read the book.

(NERVOUS CHUCKLE)

Don't deny that you're John Oldman.

I see.

I'm-I'm sorry.

It's fiction.

Yes, I knew Art Jenkins.

And yes, we gathered at my cabin.

And played a game.

A game. A bunch of eggheads

playing intellectual charades.

Maybe it went too far.

Art got angry and I guess

this was his response.

And it's my understanding that

things have not gone well

for him since its publication.

Early retirement.

Laughed out of academia.

That can happen when you publish

a science fiction novel as fact.

So you're saying it's all lies.

That Jenkins just made the whole thing up.

I'm saying that just because you write

a book and call it 'non-fiction'

doesn't make it true.

You're safe with us.

We respect you and want to

help you spread the word.

- What word?

- The word...

of God.

You think I'm trying to

spread the word of God?

- Aren't you?

- No.

I am a teacher, not a preacher.

Jesus was a teacher.

His last words were: "Go ye into

the world and teach all nations."

- You said that.

- Maybe in class. I teach the Bible.

You are the living embodiment

of Jesus Christ. You are Him.

Always have been, and still are.

That is...

What's the word I'm looking for?

Nuts.

I'm not even Christian.

Were you or were you not Jesus?

Whatever it is you kids are looking for,

whatever it is you think I can tell you...

You're going to have

to find it somewhere else.

Alright, Professor.

- Have a good life.

- A good, long life.

(TASER CRACKLING)

(GRUNTS)

(BODY THUMPS)

Oh, sh*t.

- What happened?

- What did you do?

- I just tried to keep him here.

- So you killed him?

I didn't kill him. I tased him.

He hit his head.

Is he breathing?

Well?

- Yeah, he's alive.

- You are a lunatic.

- We have to call an ambulance.

- Hang on, hang on. Wait.

What, you wanna make sure he's dead? You

wanna be the guy who killed the immortal?

- Well...

- Hello?

If Jenkins' story is true...

Then he's been through a lot worse.

You are insane.

We have to get him to a doctor.

- ISABEL:
(NERVOUS) Hello?

- What did you take?

- I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

- Art.

Art Jenkins.

Dr. Jenkins.

What's up?

My car died.

Piece of crap.

I'm broken down by the side of the road.

You didn't let John leave, did you?

- Please tell me you didn't.

- He's still here.

- Where are you?

- I don't know. Red Bluff.

That's about an hour away.

- His car broke down in Red Bluff.

- Where's that?

- Can you tell me exactly where you are?

- It's where the 99 meets the 5.

There's a motel, and a lot of dirt.

- Can't he just take an Uber?

- You guys go. I've got this.

Okay, Dr. Jenkins.

We're gonna come pick you up.

Just stay there.

We're on our way.

We'll call when we're close, okay?

Okay.

Thank you.

(GRUNTS LOUDLY)

God dammit!

Okay, so is there anything

else that I should be doing?

How long until you get here?

Okay.

Yeah. Okay, okay, I'll see you soon.

Thank you.

Okay, just...

You guys go.

Ambulance is on the way, okay?

- And take the idiot with you.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah, I got it.

- Oh, my God.

What's gonna happen when he wakes up?

He's gonna be so pissed.

Well, he forgave Judas.

Let's go.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(DUCT TAPE RIPPING)

(GRUNTS, COUGHS)

Philip.

You need to release me.

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