here. I ran out of money so...
JEREMY
So you became a prostitute? You're still
my wife.
She tries to slap him.
He grabs her wrist.
She knees him in the groin.
He falls back against the vine covered wall.
His pain is transformed into rage. He throws her hard against the wall.
She falls to the ground. Screams hysterically.
JEREMY (CONT’D)
Tara, I didn't mean-
Her screams grow louder.
Jeremy panics.
He runs across the arboretum and slips into a long glass hallway.
He arrives at a luxurious intersection. Long couches circumvent its perimeter.
An OLD WOMAN is sleeping on one of the couches.
Jeremy sees Tara coming up the hallway.
He hides behind a large potted plant.
Tara moves through the intersection and down another hallway.
TARA (O.S.)
(pounding on a door)
Come out of there you bastard! You want
to know what I've been doing at night?
Jeremy moves to look down the hallway.
Tara runs right into him.
They both hit the floor.
Tara gets up and stumbles back toward the arboretum.
Jeremy gets up.
A bloody knife is on the floor.
He picks it up.
The woman on the couch opens her eyes. She gapes at Jeremy in horror.
OLD WOMAN
Please don't hurt me.
Jeremy drops the knife. Looks down the hallway.
A body is lying face down at the far end. Blood soaks the carpeting beneath it.
The old woman carefully peers down the hallway.
Jeremy runs toward the arboretum.
OLD WOMAN (CONT’D)
Murderer!
INT. SIERRA TWILIGHT CLUB - NIGHT
Jeremy sits in a dark corner.
Four empty shot glasses and a half pitcher of beer sit on his table.
Behind him, a black light subtly illuminates a tacky painting of two spiral galaxies colliding.
A huge BALD MAN approaches.
His thick leather jacket CREAKS as he leans forward.
He rests his knuckles on the table. Brings his face down to Jeremy's.
BALD MAN
You're the troublemaker that everyone's
been talking about.
Jeremy presses back in his seat. Avoids eye contact.
JEREMY
What do you mean?
BALD MAN
You stole Al's whore. And now you have
the nerve to come back here.
JEREMY
That whore is my wife.
BALD MAN
Your wife? Tara?
The bald man straightens. Begins laughing.
He turns and walks away.
His laughter grows louder, catching the attention of several people.
A SECURITY OFFICER approaches the table.
SECURITY OFFICER
Please come with me, sir.
JEREMY
What did I do?
SECURITY OFFICER
Just come with me, sir.
He takes Jeremy to a small medical transport ship.
INT. MEDICAL TRANSPORT SHIP
The security officer is piloting the ship.
Jeremy sits beside him.
A coffin sized crate is nestled behind them.
They are approaching Earth.
The security officer places a call on the ship's videophone.
Cecil answers.
The officer reaches over and activates the screen in front of Jeremy.
Jeremy grins, relieved.
JEREMY
Cecil, old friend. It's great to see your
face. I can't believe you got me out of
there.
CECIL
I apologize for the accommodations. The
Chinese are still firing on American
ships. Medical transports are the only
exception to the blockade.
JEREMY
It's been over three months since the One
Day War. I assumed hostilities were over.
CECIL
No one knows what's going on inside
China's borders. Even space based
observations have provided little detail.
We'll talk more when you get here.
EXT. EARTH ORBIT
The medical transport ship arrives in Earth orbit.
A monstrous hurricane looms above Florida.
The ship plunges into the hurricane's eye.
EXT. FLORIDA EVERGLADES - DAY
The ship arrives above the everglades.
The weather is eerily calm, surrounded by wicked storm clouds and distant lightning.
A large impact crater passes beneath the vehicle.
Microcore approaches. The complex is heavily damaged.
The vehicle lands on a patchwork runway.
It enters a STORM HANGAR just as the wind picks up and rain begins to fall.
Within moments, the hurricane is audibly battering the hangar.
INT. STORM HANGAR - DAY
Jeremy is led to a singlecar by A MAN WITH A RADIO.
Jeremy boards the singlecar.
It moves through a small opening and out into the storm.
EXT. MICROCORE MAIN TARMAC - DAY
The wind pushes forcibly on the singlecar as it glides toward the base of Cecil's office tower.
Dangerous debris flies past.
The singlecar enters the base of the tower.
INT. CECIL'S OFFICE - DAY
The elevator door opens. Jeremy steps into the office and takes a seat.
JEREMY
You have no idea how good it is to be
back on Earth.
CECIL
I'm glad you think so, considering there
are four radioactive hot zones around the
country. A lot of people would rather be
offworld.
JEREMY
Where is Steve these days?
Cecil lights a cigar. Offers one to Jeremy. Jeremy politely
refuses.
CECIL
I'm not sure how to tell you this so I'll
just come right out and say it. Tara
killed Steve at Crater Cove. His body was
aboard the medical ship that brought you
back. There was a witness who identified
you at the scene. That's why I had to get
you out of there. That would've been the
perfect excuse for the government to
detain you.
JEREMY
That was Steve on the hallway floor?
CECIL
I'm so sorry, Jeremy. He left the
Receiving Platform to move in with Tara
last year. I'm afraid the news gets
worse. Tara committed suicide shortly
afterward.
Jeremy paces the office. Fights tears.
He finally collects himself and sits back down.
CECIL (CONT’D)
I won't even pretend to understand your
pain. I lost Gwen in the attack, along
with many good friends.
JEREMY
A quarter billion people were killed in a
single day. They were victims of The One
Day War like millions of other people.
CECIL
I suppose they were.
JEREMY
How are you holding up?
CECIL
You know me, always another asteroid to
crush. I don't mean to be insensitive,
but you do still have the crystal, right?
JEREMY
It never leaves my person.
Jeremy rubs the crystal through his pocket.
CECIL
I'm glad to hear that. Are you aware that
the NASA scientists aboard The Himalia
recorded your conversation with Carlos,
and that they bugged your room?
JEREMY
No. How could you know that?
CECIL
I have spies, too. Actually, that's why I
insisted on getting you, Tara, and Steve
offworld. I knew that a search warrant
was inevitable.
JEREMY
What would a search warrant for Microcore
have to do with Tara or Steve?