EIDOLON - Pilot Episode: EIDOLON (Scenes 1, 2, 3 & 4)

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SCENE ONE2

**Insane in the Brain – Cypress Hill**3

(Opening scene begins on the streets of a post apocalyptic world. The camera follows the wheels of a bike as it is being pushed out of a building. We then see a very pretty young woman jump on it smoothly, even though she is carrying large pizza boxes. She is slender, with slightly tanned yet still pale skin, brunette hair cropped short and in many layers pointing in all directions, and deep blue eyes that had just a hint of gold around the pupil – barely noticeable. She balances the boxes between the handlebars, and begins to navigate herself through the city of crowded people. The city itself is unrecognisable, it is bigger than any city ever seen before, and there is no possible way to determine its origin, as there is a miss-match of every culture imaginable) 4

ANYA NARRATION: Welcome to the new and still ‘yet to be approved’ world. Yes, it’s the one you used to know like the back of your hand (She rides past a clearing of space that houses half the Eiffel Tower of Paris. Joined to it, in place of its missing half as though the tower were merely an extension, is Russia's Dom Cathedral) but it just goes to show how foreign the back of your hand really is.5

Everything was as normal as usual. Turmoil in the global economy, natural disaster zones being declared left right and centre due to global warming, and wars overseas. Global warming is the least of everyone’s problems now, and the economy’s state is less of an issue and more of a slice in history when things were a bit easier. There isn’t even an overseas anymore, there’s just an ‘Everything’ – right here.6

(The camera not only follows the girl on the bike, but also shows scenes of what she is riding through. A banner can be read as: ‘YOU WANTED UNIFICATION’. People are living on the streets as there is not enough room in the derelict buildings for all to live comfortably)7

ANYA NARRATION: Eight months ago, tiny holes in time and space tore this world – and a number of parallel Earths – apart; then stitched them back together as well as a blind dead man.8

(We continue to follow the girl until she comes to a skidding stop directly outside a shabby front door, knocking on it while she slides her bike to a stop.) **Insane in the Brain – Cypress Hill, ends**9

ANYA: Pizza’s here boys! (She calls while waiting for a response from her knocking. The door opens enough for Anya to gain entry into the ground floor of the shed-like residence. She hands the pizza boxes over to one of four men, and receives cash money for her work. Without their knowledge, she quickly scans an expert eye over the room, as well as the four men – all dressed in scrappy business attire.) Pleasure doing business with ya. (She turns and exits, getting on her bike. Before she is able to push off though, one of the men reaches through the still open door and grabs hold of her handlebars.)10

MAN: What’s this then? (Waving the open pizza box in front of her face. It contains toasted bread with very few toppings on it.)11

ANYA: (Inspects the box.) That, my boys, is what a pizza is these days. (In her slight distraction she has freed her handlebars, and she then takes off without another word.)12

ANYA NARRATION: Same old world. Many new ones. All right here, together.13

CREDITS – SCENE TWO14

(Opens in a flashy room, focusing on the expensive furnishings – an extreme contrast to the scene we have previously been exposed to on the streets. A small boy with dark hair and bright green eyes, with a dash of gold flecked through them, runs giggling through the room. A man is following him, obviously playing a game with the child. He scoops and picks him up in him arms, tickling him, causing the boy to giggle even more.)15

ALEC: Okay, go on Noah, I think you’ve earned that snack now. (Laughingly, the man puts the boy back on the ground.)16

NOAH: I win! (Flashing a huge grin he runs back out of the room to a kitchen.) I beat you Alec!17

ALEC: That you did.18

(Alec, still smiling, picks up a cup of coffee, and turns his back to the camera. We follow his back as he walks into the next room while he drinks his coffee. It is a small room, with a couple of good quality computers set up in a network. The only thing not contrasting this to the outside scenes already seen is the eroded cables that run between the pieces of equipment. Alec, with his back to us still, walks past a screen with information about an explosion on it, and heads across the room. While he is walking, he pauses at a table in the middle of the room to put his coffee mug on it. We follow the coffee mug, and can see the print out of what was on the screen before, along with the mug shots of the four men Anya had previously delivered pizza to. A clicking noise can be heard as the camera swoops back up again, and he now has a gun in his hand.)19

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ANYA: Yo Milla, get your fine self out here and give us a hand! (Anya calls halfway up a stairwell. She has multiple brown paper bags as well as her bike. A tall, slender, dark skinned girl with dark hair that hung loosely in ringlets to her shoulders appears soon after and takes the bags out of Anya’s hands, leaving her to manage just the bike.)21

MILLA: Whatchya score this time? (Looking curiously into the top of the bags.)22

ANYA: The usual...23

ANYA NARRATION: Milla Dormandi. Not exactly a local girl as you would say, but seems to find this world easy enough to deal with. I’ve only known her since after the change, but being practically inseparable, we live, work, and party together. Then again, I guess I’m not exactly local either. Not anymore anyway.24

(They enter their rundown living arrangements, comprising of four rooms compressed into one small area. A small bathroom, two small bedrooms, and the extra area remained as both the lounge and kitchen. Mill stacks the brown bags onto the counter, while Anya stores her bike out of the way.)25

ANYA: Also got you a little something... (She reaches into one of the bags and pulls out a jar of coffee) Happy birthday girl!26

MILLA: You’re kidding, how’d you get your hands on this?27

ANYA: (winking) A trusted bike messenger never reveals her sources.28

(Fades out with the two laughing)29

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**Jesus Christ – Brand New**31

(Fades back into a time much later that night. Outside it is raining hard enough to almost drain out the noise of the city below, but inside Anya and Milla’s apartment it is dark and silent, indicating that its tenants must be sleeping. This is the case with Milla, however Anya can be seen in the semi-blue light of the window. She is standing silently, just watching the rain. Parts of her reflection can be seen in the rain streaked window, and there is no emotion on her face. It seems as though her eyes are remembering a story, but her mind has forgotten to keep up with it. A single tear rolls down her cheek, imitating the rain outside – only it is edged in gold – and falls into her dark jacket. All of a sudden, Anya snaps her head around, and even though her face is still lacking any emotion, her eyes are focused on the now. She heads for the door, picking up a black bag on the way. The camera remains by the window, and while we don’t see her actually leave, we hear the door softly click shut. The camera tilts down towards the street outside, and through the same rain streaked window, we watch Anya leave the main entrance to the building, and start walking down the street. She keeps on walking, not showing that she is at all cold, until – with her dark clothing – she eventually disappears in the rain.) **Jesus Christ – Brand New, ends**32

SCENE THREE33

(The scene opens and it is the next morning in Anya and Milla’s apartment. Anya is in the kitchen boiling water and listening to the TV quietly.)34

TV: ...police say that the thief or thieves knew the layout perfectly, and are considering it to be an inside job. They also fear for those involved, as it has been reported that the stolen pre-change memorabilia, worth $40 000, are that of notorious crime lord James Dorelli...35

(Milla emerges from her room, rubbing her eyes and smoothing her hair, yet already fully dressed.)36

MILLA: (Sleepily) Morning.37

ANYA: Hey. (Anya looks up and smiles, sliding her black bag off the counter before it came into eyesight of Milla.) Coffee?38

MILLA: (Stretching) Mm, yes please! (Milla walks over and accepts the mug Anya places on the raised bar of the counter.) So where are you today then?39

ANYA: Back to mail again, you?40

MILLA: Yeah still there girly. Nice to hear the pizza service has had their monthly quota of you. I swear they think you’re some type of bike delivery goddess.41

ANYA: (laughingly) I’m not sure; do Goddesses damage the pizza ovens?42

MILLA: (Laughs and then takes a few mouthfuls of coffee.) Oh, Kane was looking for you in the mail room yesterday.43

**The Archers Bows Have Broken – Brand New**44

ANYA NARRATION: Kane Flannigan. A failure of life who, while is in the same financial status of most people nowadays, has enough Irish mob relatives to sink any ideas of work. Instead he spends his days drinking, gambling, working out, and walking the streets. (The camera shows Kane partaking in his daily activities whilst Anya talks. He is very tall, with thick muscles, short spiky brown hair, and dead hazel eyes.) And in being a true and honest child of criminals, his head is as thick as his muscles are. Whatever Kane wants, Kane takes, usually by force rather than will power or cunning. (Shows Kane throwing a small man over the counter of his outdoors shop, smashing the glass display box, and taking a hunting knife.) He likes to pretend to many people that he isn’t an associate of the Flannigan’s in order to “fit in” with the street crowd. (Kane now looks around a pub to make sure he doesn’t recognise anyone, before telling another man that his name is Kane Strang.) Most unfortunate though, is his attachment to me.45

**The Archers Bows Have Broken – Brand New, stops**46

ANYA: He was? (Surprised)47

MILLA: Yep. Something to do with tickets for something or rather.48

ANYA: (Laughingly) Miss Dormandi, I must thank you for keeping details for me!49

MILLA: Anytime. (She finishes her coffee, gets up and heads for the door of the apartment.) You coming?50

ANYA: (Hesitantly) Yeah, in just a minute. (When she sees Milla slow to wait for her she adds) I’ll see you at work.51

MILLA: (Shrugging shoulders and flashing a wide smile) K, just don’t be too late. I don’t think I’m creative enough to give the boss an excuse for your lateness today.52

**Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio**53

(The door clicked shut behind Milla, and Anya immediately grabbed her black bag off the floor, dragged a stool behind the kitchen counter, climbed onto it, and reached up above the top wall cupboard. With a little fumbling, her fingers managed to slide a portion of the wall across. She flung her bag above the cupboard and into the gap of the wall, then sealed it back up again. She replaced the stool, picked up her khaki green work bag, collected her bike, and left, locking the apartment door behind her.54

Outside, Anya springs onto her bike and takes off through the streets, taking shortcuts through back alleys and manoeuvring obstacles delicately whilst maintaining a high speed. As she approaches a road block, she sees two police cars, the officers questioning people on the streets. Reaching down to her bag she pulls out a navy baseball cap. Pulling it low on her head so that only dark spikes can be seen shooting out under it, she continues to ride without any hassle. On her way past, she catches a look at one of the flyers a police man has in his hands. It has photos of Dorelli’s shabby downtown storage and transport hideout. It is basically a shed, yet he still houses expensive artefacts there. The pictures, although only seen quickly, are strikingly similar to – and probably is – the place that Anya delivered pizza to the day before)55

ANYA NARRATION: Typical. Instead of patrolling the streets, the cops are out in force protecting their off the books, gang-funded pay packets.56

(She keeps riding through what resembles a war torn street, until she comes to a large group of small factories, kept together in a unit with large electronic gates at the entrance. Anya rides her bike through the gates, the ID hanging from her handlebars is scanned as she does so. A screen above the gates brings up the name ‘ANYA KAHIL’, along with a photo, date, and time of entry. The camera focusing on the screen then moves to a wide shot of the factories. There are people going in and out of them, with various items for delivery. Anya winds her bike at a relatively high speed to a factory with the sign ‘MAIL’ glowing above its door, and she rides through the entrance, coming to a stop at the front counter, timing it perfectly so that she could ring the desk bell loudly, and smile laughingly at the man behind it.) **Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio, ends**57

ANYA: Good morning England (Over sweetly and enthusiastically.)58

BLAKE: (Correcting her in an English accent) Blake to you. You’ve only been out of the mail room for one week Missy, that’s not long enough to forget the ropes around here unfortunately. No riding inside.59

ANYA: Don’t think I don’t know that my leaving pizza again wasn’t due to that small explosion I may have caused. I know you pulled strings to get me back. (Smiles extra sweetly with a touch of sarcasm.)60

BLAKE: You’re a menace. The only reason you were booted back here and not off the premises is because you’re the best damn messenger... (Looking up and eyeing Anya he adds) ...Unfortunately.61

ANYA: And to think you may have missed me in that time.62

BLAKE: Miss you? Not likely. Here (He hands her a stack of letters and some parcels) get your delivery board and get to work.63

ANYA: Try not to strain a muscle there, Blake. (Anya takes the letters and parcels from him, and walks her bike towards the back of the large room where she found her locker. She smiles at the fact that it hasn’t been given away. No matter how many times she works for the other factories, she always comes back to the mail room.)64

ANYA NARRATION: Since e-mails have become unreliable after the change with 9 out of 10 being sent to the wrong people, work at mail delivery has increased. Mainly its just a matter of convenience. Nobody wants to be a bitch to people’s faces these days. Of course, when what is a backstabbing and gossip-filled e-mail that is addressed to a friend, gets sent to the person of interest who just happens to have a collection of rifles under their bed, you can be sure things won’t end well.65

(Opening her locker, she pulled out her delivery board – an electronic mini screen, much like the one that scanned her ID at the gate. Anya shut her metal locker to reveal someone waiting for her. A tall, muscular man with short spiked brown hair and cold eyes.)66

ANYA: (Smiling but not overly happy to see him) Hey Kane, what are you doing here?67

KANE: (Heavy Irish accent) I’m working baby. (He puts an arm around Anya’s waist, pulling her away from her locker. Milla, sitting a few metres away caught Anya’s attention and rolled her eyes.)68

ANYA: No, Kane, I’m working. You don’t work, remember? (Anya detached herself from his arm.)69

KANE: (Pulling her back again, this time using both arms to stop her from leaving, using his height to intimidate her.) Nah baby, I work here too now. Blake gave me a job last week.70

ANYA: (Purely shocked) Really? Oh. (Smiling sweetly to distract Kane, she manages to get out of his grasp again.) Well then, I guess you’ve got a lot of work to do then. (Anya backs towards where Milla is sitting) I know we do, Don’t we Milla? (She throws a look at Milla.)71

MILLA: Yeah, we’ve got to have... uh... things – mail type things – across town by mid morning. (She stands, linking arms with Anya, and directs her to where the bikes are. When Anya gives her a look once they are out of Kane’s hearing, she responds with) I may have kinda forgot to mention that to you, huh?72

ANYA: Ya think?73

(Kane watches them go, a look of malice beginning to work its way into his face. He runs his hands through his hair and breathes loudly; calming himself, as he Anya and Milla walk their bikes outside and disappear from sight. Scene closes.)74

SCENE FOUR75

(The camera opens up again to show the inside of Alec’s apartment. We follow Alec as he walks through the door; sorting through his mail, he selects one particular envelope, placing the others on the kitchen counter. He continues walking through his apartment as he opens the letter. We follow him as he walks past Noah’s room, where the little boy is still sound asleep.)76

ALEC: You thinking about getting up? (Alec calls out. When he receives no reply, he backs up and knocks on the open door. Noah stirs in his half-sleep, before sitting up and rubbing his eyes.) Morning sleeping beauty.77

NOAH: (Disgusted) But she’s a girl!78

(Alec pulls a face and walks away, pulling the letter open to read it. We see that it is a short letter on cheap looking paper, and signed by the head of child services.)79

LETTER: “Dear Mr. Winter,80

As part of our routine and random checks, we have noticed that the child known as Noah Winter is now living in your sole care due to the death of Summer Black. Whilst we recognise that both yourself and Summer adopted Noah, it was signed on the proviso that you both remained his legal guardians. Since situations have changed, a re-evaluation of your care for the child shall be undertaken in the near future.”81

ALEC: Great (!) (He looks up as Noah emerges from his room.) Breakfast? (He throws the letter into the bin on his way back to the kitchen. He walks past a window, and the camera leaves him to look out onto the street far below. It then zooms down the outside of the building, stopping at a window on the second floor. Going into this room, we see an elderly lady fumbling in her coin purse. Taking out some coins, she goes to the door where two bike messengers stand, and hands them the tip.)82

LADY: Thank you, girls. Off you go now. (Without waiting for a response, she closes the door on Anya and Milla. The camera however follows the two girls.)83

ANYA: Well. Isn’t it nice to know how appreciated our work is (?)84

MILLA: Oh, incredibly (!) Old biddy. I’d like to see Kane’s reaction when he gets his first one of these. (She jerks her thumb back towards the door they were now walking away from.)85

ANYA: Ten O’clock news anyone (?)86

ANYA NARRATION: (Anya and Milla get into an elevator) So what does it mean when you believe your boyfriend – and I cringe at the use of that word – to be capable of cold blooded murder? (Elevator doors close)87

(The elevator doors open and Anya and Milla walk out, halfway through a conversation.)88

MILLA: I’m just saying, the guy’s a creep.89

ANYA: I don’t think “creep” actually defines it. (A broad shouldered Asian man knocked Anya as he walked into the elevator.) Hey!90

(The man said nothing to Anya, instead he pushed a button inside the elevator and waited for the doors to close. The camera leaves Anya and Milla to follow the Asian man, who as he leaves the elevator which shows that it is on the top floor, walks to the very end of the hallway, through the fire escape door, and up a short flight of steps to the apartment on top of the building itself. Knocking once on the door, he waited with his hands locked behind his back until Alec opened the door and let him in.)91

ALEC: Mr Yao... Hi... (Throwing a quick glance behind him to where Noah was eating breakfast) You’re early.92

YAO CHING: We have much to discuss, it is not a problem is it Mr Winter? (His voice was very formal and direct.)93

ALEC: (Hastily) No! No, no. I just wasn’t expecting you. My son’s still having breakfast.94

CHING: (Questioningly) You’re son?95

(Alec stepped aside to reveal the small boy at the table. Yao seemed disinterested in the child, until Noah looked up at their guest with his bright green eyes, causing a mixed reaction of shock, confusion and disbelief, all of which he quickly masked from Alec.)96

ALEC: But, my study is private enough, Noah won’t disturb us in there. (Hastily showing Yao towards the room with the computers. Yao however could not tear his eyes from Noah’s green ones until Alec shut the door of the study behind them.)97

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**Showbiz – Muse**99

(Late night. Anya and Milla walk towards a building with a low roof, as high off the ground as the top of the double doors. A line of motorbikes stand beside the entrance, and cracks in the corrugated iron roof allow snippets of smoky blue light to escape. Anya slipped a monetary note to the over sized bouncer at the entrance, who opened one of the doors to them. The two girls walk through the door, onto a small landing, and then proceed down a long flight of iron stairs along the east wall of an underground club.100

The camera leaves the girls to sweep through the club. Running the length of the north wall behind the stairs is the bar, where two men – one of Korean descent and the other of German – are busy with requests for beer. The west wall opposite the stairs has a band playing on a stage, and people crowded around dancing. The south wall was only two metres high and made of plain iron, with two sets of smaller stairs leading up to reveal a second level of the underground club. This is where there are some tables, chairs, couches, and gaming entertainment such as a pool and foosball table. The camera then turns back to Anya and Milla who have crossed the lower level and are approaching the top of the south stairs.)101

ANYA NARRATION: Welcome to ShowBiz BlackOut. A small slice of normality. This street bar is frequented majorly by the messengers, street kids, and others of this derelict area. While this whole area of the city is the bad part of town, this street somehow finds itself in the slightly worse part of the bad. The equivalent of five bucks at the door sees anyone in, and the beer being dirt cheap is the only thing other than water up for hits here.102

(Milla spots people they know, and pulls Anya over to the couch and table in the corner. Already sitting there is two men and a girl. The girl is small, not overly pretty, but with striking features, with silky straight honey-blonde, mid-length hair, pale skin, and pale blue-grey eyes. Sitting next to her is a tall, lanky guy with sandy blonde hair that hung in dreads around his suntanned skin, and next to him is Kane. Kane is the first to notice their arrival, and watches greedily as Anya, in dark jeans, a slinky halter top, and dark red heels, comes towards them.)103

KANE: You’re here (reaching out he pulls Anya onto his lap.) Logan here bet you wouldn’t. (Points towards the man next to him.)104

MILLA: (Rolling her eyes so that only Anya, who was looking uncomfortable on Kane’s lap, could see) And yet here she is in all her shining glory (!)105

KANE: (Ignoring Milla with some degree of resentment, and speaking only to Anya affectionately) Yet here you are. (He squeezes her tighter.)106

ANYA: Ok, so we’ve all established that I’m here. (Somehow getting out of Kane’s grasp.) Next round’s on me.107

(At the bar)108

ANYA: (Putting a note on the bar, which is then collected by the German barman.) Hey there Marc , a round for five thanks.109

MARC: Sicheres Ding. (Turns to leave)110

ANYA: Oh, and Marc, do you think you could see if your boss could spare a minute’s time?111

MARC: (nods once, then in a heavy German accent of someone still learning English) I am certain he will Anya. (Leaves to get the ordered drinks)112

(Marc returns shortly with a large pitcher of beer and five glasses for Anya, and following him is his boss – the Korean man.)113

KOREA: (Once Marc has returned to serving) So Anya, what can I do you for?114

ANYA: I have some things for market.115

KOREA: Hmm? (Raises his eyebrows in request for more information)116

ANYA: (Quietly) Dorelli.117

(They are interrupted when a tall lanky, and quite good looking man with brown hair and a brilliant smile pushes a pretty blonde girl in hardly any clothing up against the bar counter – the two a little over enthused in each other.)118

OLIVER: (Tearing his mouth from hers; an English accent with a trace of Scottish) Two beers thanks. (He shoots a sideways look at Anya, unaware that she sees this herself, before returning to the blonde girl who is giggling.)119

ANYA: (Feeling cautious of the man’s sudden presence) 내가 나중에 올 것이다 (Korean to English Subtitles: “I will come back later”)120

KOREA: (Looks at the couple and nods to confirm) 폐점 시간 (Korean to English subtitles: “Closing time.”)121

(Anya picks up the beer and heads towards the south end again. The man at the bar watches her discreetly as the blonde girl nibbles at his neck.) **Showbiz – Muse, ends**122