Fictional Motion Picture Screenplay

© Darren White 1999. All Rights Reserved.

" F i r e w a l l "

b y

d a r r e n w h i t e

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Excerpt of Firewall:

© 1999 Darren White

INT. CORRIDOR, STALLITANO SPACE STATION, DIM

FALSE EYE smiles a mischievous smile. JED and three CRIMINALS are standing by a door in a stark, drab corridor. He motions to JED and another CRIMINAL.

FALSE EYE

Gentlemen. Care to join me? You two - no one comes in.

FALSE EYE smiles as he opens the hatch. They step through into -

EXT. COUNTRY MEADOW, SUMMER, BRIGHT

- an explosion of green assaulting the eye. Butterflies flutter soothingly over a flower splattered, grassy meadow. Bird song fills the air. A warm sun pours from a strikingly blue sky, between pillows of fluffy white clouds.

The sun drips over the field and warms the face of a stranger as he squints into the sun, the expression in his eyes neutral. Over his shoulder is a beautiful tranquil scene.

The sunlight explodes around him to -

INT. ENVIRONMENT STUDIO, STALLITANO STATION, BRIGHT

- REVEAL his arms stretched out diagonally. He is bound in a circular gyroscopic exercise machine. FALSE EYE, JED and another CRIMINAL walk in a tight triangle over the metal floor towards him. A huge, ultra high definition, three dimensional dome screen covers them, breaking the illusion. The stranger is pulled into a star shape. He is naked to the waist with a tape gag over his mouth.

JED

Enjoying the view?

FALSE EYE smiles as he walks towards the bound prisoner. He holds a leather sheaf up to eye level and slowly pulls a long knife from it.

FALSE EYE

Hello Jack. So nice of you to see me like this. At such short notice and all.

The bound man struggles against his restraints. FALSE EYE walks right up to him.

FALSE EYE

I guess you already know why you're here.

FALSE EYE spins the gyroscopic machine vertically and begins to slowly circle it.

FALSE EYE

You got greedy Jack. Very greedy. You could have just taken your bribes like a good little boy and been happy.

FALSE EYE suddenly reaches out and catches the machine, stopping it with one hand. He begins to run the blade of his knife over the prisoner's naked skin.

FALSE EYE

But no, you decided that you could make more money by playing me off against the authorities. You sold them information about us with one hand while you took my money with the other. You treated me like a fool, Jack, and I just can't allow that.

The image on the dome screen around them switches to a desert scene. They are suddenly surrounded by miles of wind swept golden sand under a burning sky. The sound of an ersatz wind whistles around them. FALSE EYE stops before his bound prisoner.

FALSE EYE

Normally, I throw people out of an airlock for what you've done. Have you ever seen what happens to people who accidentally fall out of airlocks? It’s not recommended.

JACK squirms. FALSE EYE holds the knife blade up to his cheek bone.

FALSE EYE

The air in their bodies erupts out through their skin.

FALSE EYE whips the blade tip down the line of his prisoner's cheek bone, opening the skin. JACK writhes in pain as the line of blood spreads from the cut.

JED winces in the background.

JACK moans through the gag. FALSE EYE cuts the other cheek as he walks around him. The image changes behind them. It’s suddenly a huge waterfall over black rock. The raging waters churn up mounds of foam and the sound of the elemental passion almost drown FALSE EYE’s voice,

FALSE EYE

The skin splits wherever it’s taut over bone.

FALSE EYE slices the skin over his prisoners’ shoulder blades.

FALSE EYE

And the longer you're out in space, the more it splits as more air escapes.

FALSE EYE slices the skin over the prisoner's elbow. Then he pauses, considering the moment. He smiles.

FALSE EYE

Did you hear about Neil and Jeri’s wedding last week? You’re going to love this. They played a game, with Neil and Jeri and two couples. A game where you take one of the people in the couple away, make sure they can’t hear and you ask their partner all sorts of questions about them. Sneaky, huh?

FALSE EYE runs the blade tip lightly down the prisoner's back. He moans in pain and fear. The image of the waterfall is suddenly replaced with a vista of a tropical island. Lush green foliage sways relaxingly over white sands. A clear sea laps at the beach edge, filling the room with a soothing soundtrack.

FALSE EYE

The partner you shouldn't double cross.

(a beat)

Questions like what’s your husbands’ favourite food? How long does he wear his shorts? How long can he keep it up for? Well, you know how people are.

(a beat)

Then they bring the other one back and ask them the same questions. Test how much they know about each other. Except they rigged it so that Jeri and Neil get to the final. They start by asking normal, boring questions. Then the final question is ‘where's the most unusual place you've fucked?'

FALSE EYE walks back around to the front of his prisoner. The image on the dome fades and is replaced with the infinite blue of a deep underwater scene. The piercing blue seems to hum from the background. The soft sound of aqualung breathing sighs around them.

FALSE EYE

Are you following all this?

(a beat)

His answer is in a church yard, against a grave stone. The fucking degenerate. Then they bring her back. They ask her the easy, geeky questions - which she gets right - then they come to the question about where she’s been fucked.

The image behind them is replaced by an autumnal forest. Foreboding golds, browns and rusts fill the space between them, while melancholic bird song fills the air with nature’s lament.

FALSE EYE

She says that she can’t answer that. She’s really freaking and laughing and saying that she just can’t answer that question. Everyone says that she’s got to. It doesn’t matter anyway. He already answered. He’s already told them.

(a beat)

He's already betrayed their secrets.

FALSE EYE holds the knife tip up to his victim's eye, as if he’s about to pierce the eyeball. It glints in the golden light.

FALSE EYE

Are you beginning to get my point? Are you beginning to see the relevance of this story to you and me?

(a beat)

She can’t answer for ages. They crowd are all baying for an answer. Chanting and clapping to encourage her, until finally she gives in. She tells them that the most unusual place that they’ve had sex is…

(a beat)

…wait for it…

A bright snow scene erupts from the screen, burning away the shadows from their faces. The laughter of children drifts almost imperceptably from hidden speakers. FALSE EYE moves back around to the rear of his prisoner. He begins to pull the prisoner's shorts down. His intentions are hidden. The prisoner squirms in absolute terror, unsure of FALSE EYE’s motives.

FALSE EYE

…she says that the most unusual place they’ve had sex is right up her arse!

FALSE EYE rams the knife up his prisoner's anus. The prisoner squeals a muffled cry. Far off children’s laughter escapes from the screen again, ringing like distant chimes. FALSE EYE continues to thrust the knife further and further up as the prisoner desperately writhes around. FALSE EYE looks manic. His teeth are clenched.

The snow scene dissolves to a burning sunset. A huge, red sun boils over a dark landscape as it slips beneath a shadowed horizon. The brightness of the snow scene surrenders to the vague, warm glow. The light begins to fade quickly to black.

FALSE EYE

Right up her arse How about that? Right there in front of everyone.

FALSE EYE yanks the knife from the prisoner’s body, wiping it quickly on the prisoner’s skin. He stands behind the prisoner, fighting to regain control of his breath and emotions. The fading light around him mirrors the calming of his mood. The sun has almost slipped beneath the horizon, leaving just a burning line marking the boundary between land and sky.

As the light drains FALSE EYE seems to merge into the shadows. When the light finally disappears all that remains is the sound of FALSE EYE’s rasping breathing in the all-consuming darkness.

FALSE EYE

Leave him to bleed. Leave him here for everyone to see.