Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Janeway's Third Law




• Keep Your Shirt Tucked in

• Always Go Down with The Ship

• Never Abandon a Member of Your Crew.


They'll PUSH You. 

They'll THREATEN You. 

But They NEED You


They NEED This Alliance. 

You HAVE to Make This WORK. 

I WANT You to Make This Work. 


GET This Crew HOME.


The Three Kings were distinguished foreigners in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition. 


They are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 





AMIR

That's right.

TROY

What are you doing here?

ARCHIE GATES

He helped us find you.


TROY

All right. You're all right.

He hugs Amir. Archie scans nervously.

TROY

How's your girl?


AMIR

She's Safe. For The Moment.


TROY

Outstanding

Excellent

How can we help?


AMIR

We had a deal to get us to The Border, 

but we need more vehicles for these people.


Troy moves nervously.


TROY

We're gonna work it out

We can do it. 

We have to work it out.


CHIEF

I'm not sure how. 

This is a lot of people.


TROY

Okay, you choose who we take. 

You tell the others it's not convenient

they'll have to die.

Hey -- where's Conrad?


Troy and Archie look at each other. It is silent again.

Amir hears a NOISE. They all jerk to the side, weapons

pointed. The wind blows, silently. They wait.


VIG (O.S.)

Yes. Yes. All right.

They all turn to look.


211 EXT. DESERT - NEAR OASIS BUNKER #3 - 

WIDE SHOT - DAY 211


Vig pops up in the desert, 150 yards away. 

VIG

You made it.

Vig comes running.

VIG

I thought that was you. Yeah.

Troy smiles as he steps in the direction of Vig.

Suddenly a RIFLE SHOT RINGS OUT, Troy jumps.

SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION -- Vig is hit in the collar bone,

ONLY the SOUND of the BULLET SMASHING his FLESH and BONE.

He is jerked, falls to his knees, but gets up, keeps

staggering toward Troy, 125 yards away.

Troy looks stunned.

Archie turns sharply to his right and, in pain, wound

bleeding, FIRES a RIFLE.

A Republican Guard 150 yards to the side, drops to the

ground as Archie and Chief continue to HIT him with

GUNFIRE.

Troy runs as hard as he can toward Vig.

ARCHIE GATES

Cover him.

Chief looks around frantically with his pistol pointed.

Archie scans the area and directs three civilian riflemen to spread out.


ARCHIE GATES

Lock it down. Shoot anything that moves.

AMIR

(in Arabic)

Shoot them if they move.

Troy runs, catches the staggering Vig in his arms and

embraces him. 

Blood runs from Vig's mouth, onto Troy's

shoulder, as Vig tries to talk.

VIG

You made it, man --

Troy cries as he runs with Vig in his arms.

TROY

Help him.

Chief takes Vig from Troy's arms and carefully lays him

on the ground, cradling his head in his lap. Vig spits

blood.

VIG

What happened to the Jesus fire, Chief?


CHIEF

It's around you right now, man, 

it works on this side or the other side.


VIG

You never told me that part.


CHIEF

That's what it's all about.


VIG

I'm going to hell for this.


CHIEF

I told you, we did exactly what

Jesus asked us to do, My Man,

starting with The Gold.


VIG

Lemme go to one of them shrines

that erase the bad you did, cuz

I'm going to hell for this --


TROY

We made The Right Choice today,

Conrad.


VIG

Yeah, all right, Troy.

The hole in Vig's collar bone is pumping out blood. Troy puts his hands over it. Chief looks sad and scared as he tries to turns Vig's head to help him breathe.


CHIEF

Dear Lord watch over this man,

Help Him if You can. 

Our Father who art in heaven --


Fifty prisoners -

- children and adults -

- sit on the ground near the bunker, watch from afar.

Troy stands up looking around helplessly.


TROY

Help.


CHIEF

-- Hallowed be Thy Name, 

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on

earth as it is in heaven --

A GUNSHOT RINGS OUT and -- SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION -- hits Troy in the lower right chest -- and comes out again

three inches over, piercing a thin piece of his side --

with ONLY the sound of TEARING TISSUE. 

Troy looks stunned as he is spun around by the shot.

Archie spins around in the desert and looks at Troy.


ARCHIE GATES

Goddamn it.

He runs hard across the desert toward Troy.

Troy falls next to Vig and they look at each other.

Troy's eyes are wide with pain as he breathes with great difficulty -- rasping.


217 INT. TROY'S RIB CAGE 217

His breathing creates an air pocket, 

crushing his organs to the left side.


218 EXT. DESERT - NEAR OASIS BUNKER #3 - TROY'S POV 218

thru thru

221 LOOKING UP AT Chief, who is saying something to Troy, 221

there's NO SOUND -- except Troy's LABORED BREATHING.

The POV TURNS TO the side -- Vig is no longer breathing.

Archie and Amir step INTO FRAME. Archie looks down at

Troy, opens his waist pack, pulls out a sterile wrapped

scalpel.


221 CONTINUED: 221

Troy's POV TURNS TO the side --

FISH-EYE LENS

The Jaguar pulls up in SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION.

Amir's little girl gets out of the passenger side,

SLIGHTLY SLOW MOTION, NO SOUND. 

Amir scolds her and gesticulates, indicating she should be back with the others where it is safe. 

The little girl embraces Amir and stares down at Troy over her father's shoulder.

EXT. DESERT

Troy's eyes are wide, staring up at the girl as he has

great difficulty breathing. Archie rolls Troy's shirt

up, exposing Troy's chest, with the bullet wound. Archie points to a spot on Troy's upper chest, near the collar bone --

Chief squeezes a small tube of brown disinfectant gel

onto this spot -- the only sounds are the SQUIRT of the

OINTMENT and TROY'S BREATHING.

Archie looks nervous, then focused as he brings the shiny

metal scalpel down. Troy is in great pain as he watches

Archie plunge the scalpel into his upper chest. Archie

twists the scalpel to open the incision wide --

There is a pronounced HISSING as trapped AIR RUSHES OUT.

Huge relief comes over Troy's face as he breathes

normally.

REGULAR SOUND FADES BACK IN, the first sound is the

GIRL'S THIN, INTERMITTENT HUMMING --

TROY'S POV (FROM GROUND)

LOOKING UP.

ARCHIE GATES

I've been waiting 18 years to get that right.

He tears open a short IV tube and plunges the IV into the

scalpel hole. 

There is a small valve on the end of the tube, which he tightens.

A GUNSHOT sounds -- Archie turns and looks over --


222 EXT. DESERT - OASIS BUNKER #3 - DAY 222

Five civilian riflemen chase down and SHOOT, at 30 yards, the last Iraqi gunner in the desert.

Troy sits up slowly and watches for a moment.

223 EXT. OASIS BUNKER #3 - FRONT - LATER 223

thru thru

224 The Twins and Amir wrap Vig's body in cloth while they 224 chant; Troy, Chief, and Archie watch and chant also.

Troy cries.

Civilian women and children chant and pray around Vig's corpse as it lies in the open trunk of the Jaguar. Troy and Chief do a muted version of Vig's karate arm dance as they look down at his corpse -- only Vig's closed eyes are visible now.

CHIEF

He wanted to go to one of those shrines.

TROY

(tearful)

Did he say that?

Chief nods.

AMIR

Kajatar in Iran. We can take him.

Archie takes Vig's glasses off.

ARCHIE GATES

Good. Take him there.

Troy tightens Vig's wrapping.

225 EXT. DESERT/OASIS BUNKER #3 - LATER 225

Troy sits in a folding chair nearby. He looks pained

and uncomfortable.

ARCHIE GATES

Air pressure will build up about every fifteen minutes. Release the valve, close it up again.

Archie unscrews the valve on the tube in Troy's chest,

and AIR HISSES out. 

Troy looks relieved. 

Archie closes the valve.

TROY

How long can I keep doing this?


ARCHIE GATES

Maybe four hours, if you're not bleeding too bad inside.


TROY

I'm really thirsty.

AMIR

There's no water anywhere.

CHIEF

(to Archie)

You're hooked for the call.

LATER. Archie operates a radio hooked up to a car battery.

ARCHIE GATES

(into the radio)

Bolo, this is Brer Rabbit, do you read me?


TROY

We're going to jail.


ARCHIE GATES

No, We're Not.


Chief watches, tense.


ARCHIE GATES

(into the radio)

Bolo, this is Brer Rabbit.


226 EXT. DESERT - WALTER - DAY 226

Walter drives the dune buggy, nude, wearing his helmet

with radio attachment. Cruz and Paco ride along. Walter

picks up his handset. Archie is heard in a CRACKLING

RADIO transmission.

WALTER

(into radio)

This is Bolo, come in.


ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)

Where are you?


WALTER

(into radio)

About two clicks outside camp.


ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)

We're about ready for the briar

patch, over.


WALTER

(into the radio)

Right.

He looks uncertain, worried. 

Adriana tries to grab the radio.

ADRIANA CRUZ

Let me talk to him. 

I want to know where he is.


WALTER

Ma'am, please. I'm transmitting a code goddamn it.


ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)

You got me, Bolo?


WALTER

I think so -- who handles the briar patch?


ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)

You do.


WALTER

Oh, okay, and the Tar Baby goes to the briar patch if everything's okay, right?


ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)

No, the other way around.


WALTER

Right. Shit, I don't remember how

the code goes, sir, I'm sorry --


INTERCUT WITH:

227 EXT. DESERT/OASIS BUNKER #3 - ARCHIE - DAY 227

who looks exasperated. He is sweating with a fever and

his arm hurts.


ARCHIE GATES

I need three personnel trucks and a humvee.


WALTER

That's a tall order for a secret op, sir.


ARCHIE GATES

Talk to my friend Teebaux. 

Each driver will get 100K.


WALTER

Did you say 100K?


ARCHIE GATES

Roger. Brer Rabbit at 239 North.

Add one medavac pack to the order,

and be sure to bring the reporter.


WALTER

Roger. Give me two hours.

(turns to Adriana)

Don't ever grab my helmet like that, ma'am, not ever. 

And don't mess with me when I'm working a code.

228 INT. BUNKER #3 - SNOW GLOBE ROOM - CLOSEUP - SNOW GLOBE - 228

DAY

is shaken and little green dollars swirl inside the

little world, settling upon an early desert oasis, old

buildings, palm trees, donkeys, Three Kings, peasants

carrying the baby Jesus, and a Mobil gas station.

WIDEN to reveal hundreds of snow globes are pulled from the shelves and put into old cloth bags.


229 EXT. OASIS BUNKER #3 - DAY 229

Chief cracks open a snow globe with pliers as all the

water and dollars drain out. Amir filters the water

through a cheese cloth held above an urn.


CLOSE ON PLASTIC THREE KINGS AND BABY JESUS with the Mobil gas station glistening in the wet palm of Archie's hand.

BACK TO SCENE

Archie looks at the Three Kings in his hand.

Troy cracks open a snow globe, filters water with an Iraqi civilian.

Dozens of civilians are doing the same.

Archie passes an urn to some parched civilians who drink the water thirstily. Troy, Chief do the same. Archie turns to Chief.







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