FINNEGAN'S SQUAD: "Cave Canem" - teaser/opening act
COPYRIGHT © 2004 | TITAN-RAINBOW Media Productions | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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       FINNEGAN'S SQUAD: "Cave Canem"


               BEGIN OPENING ACT:

               EXT. SPACE - AT MARS

               A medium sized space platform glides majestically in orbit
               around the red planet.  Various space vessels are parked
               nearby while a couple are actually docked against the lower
               part of the facility.

               Approaching one of these lower docking ports is the bug-like
               lander craft used to ferry people between the surface of Mars
               and this orbital platform.  The lander docks.

               INT. MARS ORBITAL PLATFORM - MAIN HALL

               A high, wide wall-of-glass frames Mars dramatically.

               The Public Address announces the arrival of the MARS LANDER
               from the surface with connections to STATION ONE and EARTH. 
               This broadcast is met with little reaction by those strolling
               down the main hall of this orbital facility.  

               Among the hustle and bustle of the crowd of shoppers moving
               between Automated Retail Outlets to Kiosks and back are one
               FEMALE SHOPPER and her HUSBAND.

               The Female Shopper reaches out for a draping piece of fabric
               at one shop, picks up the corner of the material and then
               lets it drop.

               She glances over her shoulder when she notices her husband
               looking toward the new arrivals.

               She turns and sees what's got his attention.  

               It's a strikingly beautiful WOMAN who glides past them as
               though on a fashion catwalk.

               She is wearing a hodgepodge of puffy, crinoline pockets that
               seem sewn inside out and tacked onto a long unevenly flowing
               coat.

               The coat is draped around her form in such a way as to make
               the casual viewer believe she is overweight, except she can't
               be because every visible part of her jutting out is so thin.  

               The Female Shopper watches the Woman as she passes them.  

               The Woman's eyes are covered by a pair of retro-style Hover
               Sunglasses.  Her face is lined in a mass of crimped, stringy
               brown hair which simply completes the obvious fashion
               disaster, even by 23rd Century standards.  

               After the Woman passes the Female Shopper turns to her
               Husband. 

                                   FEMALE SHOPPER
                         If I ever consider going out
                         dressed like that, do me a favour
                         and shoot me.

               The Husband nods, his gaze continues to follow the Woman as
               she approaches and enters an Elevator.

               INT. MARS ORBITAL PLATFORM - ELEVATOR

               The Woman in the baggy crinoline suit is Evangeline, though
               you'd never have guessed that up to this point.  

               She pulls a small card from one of the many pockets on the
               coat, and slides it into a port on the elevator controls, an
               action which causes a noticeable change to occur in the
               operation of the elevator.  For one thing, the DECK DISPLAY
               goes blank.

               Then while the elevator begins its ascent Evangeline sheds
               her coat in one motion revealing herself in the same skin
               tight, black body-glove outfit we've seen her wearing before. 

               She removes the wig and carefully folds it properly before
               stuffing it inside one of the outer pockets of her coat.

               Then she picks the coat up and begins to pull and push at
               various out hangings in ways that can't possibly result in
               what she achieves, but by the time she's done and reverses
               the coat it is a smooth cream colored calfskin long coat that
               lays flat to her body when she slides it back on.  

               Isn't the future wonderful?

               The final step is pocketing the Gravity Sunglasses before the
               elevator glides to a stop. 

               INT. MARS ORBITAL PLATFORM - STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE OFFICES

               Evangeline pulls the card out of the port and steps onto the
               deck, crossing the empty private foyer between it and a
               PORTAL.

               The Portal is an archway bracketed by two reliefs of a human
               face on either side that act as the interfaces.  The archway
               leads to a security hall that cannot be breached without
               clearance.

                                   ORACLE (V.O.)
                         Identify.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         A-zero-B-one-R-zero Override.

                                   ORACLE (V.O.)
                         A-zero-B-one-R-zero Override.
                             (pause)
                         Confirmed.  Proceed please.

               The lights around the portal wink out and Evangeline crosses
               between the two faces, entering the security hall.

               INT. MARS ORBITAL PLATFORM - OFFICE

               Coombs is inside the office, visibly upset while she packs up
               the displays and files in the office and prepares to leave.

               Evangeline enters the tiny office.

               Coombs looks up in stunned silence at her arrival.

                                   COOMBS
                         Vange!  How...?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         You think I didn't know about the
                         codex?

                                   COOMBS
                         I don't understand.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         The Zizu were... there was more of
                         them than I could handle, and I
                         couldn't take out the Leader
                         without the rest, so I stayed until
                         you guys painted the place.

                                   COOMBS
                         And then you escaped?  How?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         I found shelter.  Their set up went
                         deep inside that mountain.  Had
                         they been smart they would've just
                         left the front area and gone out
                         one of the back ways.

                                   COOMBS
                         Oh thank Pete!  We thought you'd
                         gone native.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Yeah.  Well, like I said, there
                         were more of them than I could
                         handle on my own.

               Evangeline stares out the viewport at the glory of Mars
               beneath them.  The fingers of her right arm playfully twirl a
               strand of her hair and a warm grin forms on her face as she
               stares out the window, then it darkens.

                                   COOMBS 
                         Vange?  Are you alright?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Yeah, I suppose.

                                   COOMBS
                         What happened down there?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         You know that bad mood I've been in
                         for the last while?

                                   COOMBS
                             (nodding)
                         The last year or so.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Well, it was because someone close
                         to me died.  Or at least, that's
                         what I thought.

                                   COOMBS
                         We figured it was something like
                         that.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         We?
                             (shakes her head)
                         Anyway, it turns out the guy you
                         sent me here to kill, it was the
                         same guy.

                                   COOMBS
                         Gabriel?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Ethan.

                                   COOMBS
                         Right.
                             (realization)
                         Oh my!

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Yeah.

                                   COOMBS
                         Oh, Vange.  I'm so sorry.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         It's not like you could've known. 
                         We were very discrete.

                                   COOMBS
                         Was it difficult?  You know, when
                         you realized it was him?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         No.  We picked up right where we
                         left off.  It was the best week
                         I've ever had.

               Coombs is stunned.

                                   COOMBS
                         Just before you killed him?  That's
                         pretty cold, Vange, even for you.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         I didn't kill him.  I couldn't kill
                         him.  We were soul-mates. 

                                   COOMBS
                         I don't understand.  Is he still
                         alive?

                                   EVANGELINE
                         No.  You took care of that.  When
                         you painted me and then ordered
                         that strike force to level the
                         mountain.

               Evangeline stands, then raises up her right hand.  In it is a
               long-nosed PISTOL aimed directly for Coombs' head.

                                   EVANGELINE (cont'd)
                         I'm here to even the score.

                                   COOMBS
                         Wait a minute.  What? 

               Evangeline's expression goes cold and dark now. 
               Professional.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Ethan and I were soul mates. 
                         You've taken him away from me...
                         twice.

                                   COOMBS
                         Vange, I...

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Were you the one who gave the
                         order?

                                   COOMBS
                         No!

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Who did then?  Fiche?

                                   COOMBS
                         We thought...

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Browning then.  Yeah, it had to be
                         Browning.

                                   COOMBS
                         It was an opportunity to start
                         over.  He wasn't obeying orders. 
                         You know how it works, it had to
                         happen!

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Yeah.  I understand all about that. 
                         Things need to happen sometimes.

                                   COOMBS
                         Exactly.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Even when it's unpleasant.

                                   COOMBS
                         Most of the time, yeah.

                                   EVANGELINE
                         Like now.

               Evangeline fires.  Coombs' head snaps back and then she drops
               forward.  Dead.

               Evangeline holsters the weapon and comes around the table
               stepping over Coombs.

               She doesn't do this to check on Coombs' vitals because she
               knows what the weapon did.  

               Evangeline comes around Coombs so she can turn toward the
               corner of the room and look squarely into it.

               In the corner is a pinhole camera.  Evangeline doesn't say
               anything, she just stares into the lens with murderous
               intent.  

               Then she turns and departs the room without looking back.

               END OPENING ACT:
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COPYRIGHT © 2004 | TITAN-RAINBOW Media Productions | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED