LOYALTIES
Page 1
Panel 1 - Page-wide panel. In the foreground, Samantha Snow is on her knees on the floor, her back to us. She's praying, her upper body hunched forward so that her forehead nearly touches the floor. We're behind Sam, looking over her back and shoulders and bowed head at the far wall, so that, at this point, she's not much more than a lump on the floor. The small room-Sam's bedroom-is spartan. A small twin bed (neatly made) and a night table with a lamp are along the wall to the left, a chest of drawers opposite them on the wall to the right. A crucifix-the room's only decoration-hangs in the center of the wall facing us. Sunlight shines in through windows on either side of the crucifix .
Caption: SHE DOESN'T FEEL THE COLD, HARD STONE BENEATH HER.
Caption: THE WORLD OUTSIDE HER WINDOWS MAY AS WELL NOT EXIST.
Panel 2 - Another page-wide panel, now giving us a nice side view of Sam hunched over on the floor. Her eyes are closed, her face calm. Her hands are steepled together in prayer and rest on the floor just beneath her face. She's wearing only a white tank top and underwear.
Caption: FOCUSED, SINCERE, SAMANTHA SNOW HAS GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY FOR THE EMPTINESS THAT LEADS TO SAMADHI.
Caption: AS SHE DESCENDS WITHIN HERSELF-PAST THOUGHT, PAST DESIRE-
Panel 3 - Same angle, closing in on her head an shoulders.
Caption: IT BECOMES HARD TO TELL WHERE SHE LEAVES OFF AND HER GOD BEGINS.
Caption: CENTERED AND AT PEACE-
Panel 4 - Same angle, close-up on her face. Her eyes open.
Caption: SHE WAITS ONLY FOR THEM TO CALL UPON HER.
Caption (Edwards): "WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER, YOU SEE?"
Page 2
Panel 1 - Cut to the interior of the boardroom of the Ellium's corporate headquarters. It's a large room, the outside wall made up of floor to ceiling windows, giving a nice view of the city skyline. It's late morning, the sun high in the clear, blue sky. A large, mahogany conference table takes up the center of the room, surrounded by eight high-backed, leather chairs. We're looking down the conference table, the Ellium's logo visible on the far wall, beyond the head of the table. At the head of the table sits Brodecker, one of the leather chairs pushed aside to accommodate his wheelchair. He's leaning back, his expression skeptical, elbows on the arms of his chair, hands clasped as if in prayer. To Brodecker's right is Downs. He's unthrilled by the whole thing, his arms folded across his chest. Sitting across the table from Downs is Stuart Edwards, Executive VP of TeraDyne. Edwards is a tall, stocky, black man in his late thirties. He's dressed in a nicely-tailored grey suit, shirt, tie, cufflinks-the whole nine. He wears wire-rimmed glasses, and his head is clean-shaven. He's reclined in his chair, casual, confident.
Brodecker: I'D LIKE TO BELIEVE YOU, MR. EDWARDS, BUT THE ELLIUM'S DEALINGS WITH YOUR COMPANY HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT LESS THAN CORDIAL OF LATE.
Brodecker: THE LAST TIME I BROACHED THE SUBJECT OF A JOINT VENTURE WITH YOUR MR. REGNIER I BELIEVE HIS EXACT WORDS WERE, "OVER MY DEAD BODY."
Edwards: YES, I KNOW, AND I REGRET THAT.
Panel 2 - Now we're looking between Brodecker and Downs (maybe we see the backs of each of their head and shoulders), across the table at Edwards. He's looking up, hands out to the sides, palms up as if saying, "Hey, what can I do?"
Edwards: GERALD CAN BE…WELL, LET'S BE BLUNT-GERALD CAN BE A BIT OF A PRICK.
Edwards: HIS VISION FOR TERADYNE IS OLD AND OUTDATED…NOT UNLIKE HIMSELF, ACTUALLY.
Panel 3 - Medium shot of Edwards as he leans forward, suddenly intent.
Edwards: LOOK, TERADYNE IS THE LEADING CONTRACTOR OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. GERALD SEEMS CONTENT WITH THAT. FINE. I'M NOT.
Edwards: WHEN HE'S GONE, THE COMPANY'S MINE TO RUN, AND I PLAN ON GROWING IT.
Panel 4 - Pull back as Edwards holds out his hands towards Downs and Brodecker as if in offering.
Edwards: ASIA AND AFRICA. THAT'S TERADYNE'S FUTURE. WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE INROADS, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE CONTACTS THERE. THE ELLIUM DOES.
Edwards: YOU CAN HELP US…JUST AS WE CAN HELP YOU.
Panel 5 - Medium shot of Brodecker. Same pose as before, but now he's a bit more interested.
Brodecker: I-THAT IS, THE ELLIUM-WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH.
I DON'T THINK YOUR MR. REGNIER WOULD AGREE, HOWEVER, AND HE IS THE ONE THAT HOLDS THE REIGNS.
Page 3
Panel 1 - Edwards leans back in his chair, one elbow on the arm of the chair, hand holding his chin.
Edwards: FOR THE MOMENT.
Edwards: IT'S TOO BAD ABOUT HIS HEALTH, THOUGH. YOU KNOW HE'S BEEN HAVING A HARD TIME OF LATE? IT HIS KIDNEYS.
Panel 2 - Pull back so that we can see all three of them.
Brodecker: I HAD HEARD. AND, YES, IT IS TOO BAD.
Edwards: HE'S ONLY GOT ANOTHER THREE TO FIVE YEARS…IF HE'S LUCKY.
Panel 3 - Close-up on Brodecker, his expression serious.
Brodecker: I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT A MAN MAKES HIS OWN LUCK.
Panel 4 - Close-up on Edwards, his expression matching Brodecker's.
Edwards: YES, I KIND OF GOT THAT IMPRESSION. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN.
Panel 5 - Pull back across the table as Edwards stands.
Edwards: WELL, YOU'VE HEARD MY PROPOSAL. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU SOMEDAY.
Panel 6 - Brodecker's POV as Edwards grins slyly and extends his hand.
Edwards: WHEN THE TIME COMES?
Panel 7 - Edwards' POV as Brodecker takes the offered hand, a matching grin on Brodecker's face.
Brodecker: WHEN THE TIME COMES.
Page 4
Panel 1 - Cut to the hallway outside of the conference room as Edwards leaves, pulling the door closed behind him. The wall separating hallway from conference room is floor-to-ceiling glass, with horizontal blinds on the inside to be shut for privacy if need be. The blinds are open so that in the background we can see Downs and Brodecker still seated at the conference table. An attractive woman, professionally attired, walks past as Edwards exits, and he gives her his most charming smile.
Caption (Brodecker): "YOU'RE AWFULLY QUIET, ROBERT. CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?"
Panel 2 - Back inside the conference room now. Brodecker, curious, arches an eyebrow at Downs. Downs is not happy and glares at his boss.
Downs: I DON'T LIKE IT, ARMEN.
Brodecker: DON'T LIKE WHAT?
Downs: DON'T PLAY STUPID. "A MAN MAKES HIS OWN LUCK." WHY NOT JUST COME OUT AND ASK HIM IF HE'D LIKE US TO KILL HIS BOSS?
Panel 3 - Downs' POV as Brodecker grins at him.
Brodecker: WELL, YOU HEARD MR. EDWARDS: THREE TO FIVE YEARS, IF THAT. HELL, WE'D PROBABLY BE DOING THE BASTARD A FAVOR.
Brodecker: ANYWAY, I'D THINK KILLING BOSSES WOULD BE RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY. I'M SURE YOU'VE CONCOCTED ANY NUMBER OF SCHEMES TO DO ME IN.
Panel 4 - Brodecker's POV as Downs leans toward him, all business.
Downs: FUNNY. THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
Downs: MY CONTACTS WITH REGNIER OVER THE PAST MONTH HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE. HE IS STARTING TO COME AROUND.
Downs: GIVE ME SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR AND I'LL HAVE TERADYNE IN MY HIP POCKET.
Panel 5 - Medium shot of Brodecker as he looks out the windows.
Brodecker: I THINK I'D PREFER THEM IN THE ELLIUM'S POCKET, ACTUALLY.
Brodecker: ANYWAY, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN WAITING THAT LONG. WITH THE ELECTION NEXT YEAR WE NEED TERADYNE'S CLOUT ON CAPITOL HILL.
Panel 6 - Medium shot of Brodecker (different angle from last panel) as he turns back to Downs, leaning forward, suddenly serious.
Brodecker: YOU KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A BIG ENOUGH LOBBY IN WASHINGTON. TERADYNE DOES, AND I WANT SOMEONE SYMPATHETIC TO OUR CAUSE IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
Downs (off): ARMEN-
Brodecker: YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT, ROBERT. I'M SORRY-
Page 5
Panel 1 - Cut to Regnier's house. It's a huge, 26-thousand square foot mansion, surrounded by a ten-foot tall brick wall with a gated driveway that leads up to the house and off to one side where there's a five-car garage. It's night (or early morning, depending on how you want to look at it), about one-thirty AM. The lawn is nicely manicured with great, big oak trees scattered throughout.
Caption (Brodecker): "BUT I'M AFRAID MR. REGNIER'S LUCK HAS RUN OUT."
Panel 2 - Now inside the grounds as a guard patrols just inside the wall. He's dressed all in black and holding an M-16 which is slung over his shoulder. The radio clipped to his belt squawks to life.
From radio: HARRINGTON, STATUS?
Panel 3 - As the guard picks up his radio to respond, Sam, nothing more than a shadow, appears on top of the wall behind him.
Guard: GREEN. STATUS IS GREEN. STATUS WAS GREEN, STATUS IS STILL GREEN.
Guard: JESUS, BILL, THIS JOB IS FUCKING BORING.
Panel 4 - The guard continues walking, heading off-panel to the right so that all that we see is just his side and an arm. Sam takes up the center of the panel as she drops silently into a crouch on the ground behind the guard.
From radio (Off-panel): RAY, THAT'S A GOOD THING. EXCITING MEANS WE'VE GOT PROBLEMS. STAY SHARP, ALL RIGHT?
Panel 5 - We're looking at the guard from behind as Sam comes after him. All we can see of her are her hands and arms as she reaches toward his head from the left side of the panel.
Guard: YEAH, RIGHT. WHATEVER. OUT.
Panel 6 - The guard, now dead, is lying on the ground face down, the gun under him, arms splayed out to the sides, his neck-broken-twisted at a funny angle. Beyond the guard, in the background, the house sits there, open and inviting.
Caption (Cain): "I WAS AFRAID OF THIS."
To be continued...
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