Distant Star:
Episode Two-
Far Future
By W. A. Patterson
Copyright 2010 W. A. Patterson
Future Useless *
Distant Star: Episode One - In The Twilight
DISTANT STAR- EPISODE 2 - FAR FUTURE? - TEASER
FADE IN:
INT. MAX'S APARTMENT - DAY
MAX DEIL sits at a desk working at his computer. Behind him we can see the rest of his apartment is untouched by order or cleanliness. In short, Max is a slob or a typical male with no females due to arrive soon.
FX: DOORBELL RINGS
Reluctantly Max gets up from his desk and goes to the door. We can see now that his clothes are dirty, his hair unwashed and a mess. When he opens the door he sees a dapperly dressed and polite looking man bearing a briefcase. This man is DOUG BROWN. He is a salesman, of a sort.
MAX
Yes? Can I help you?
DOUG
Of course you can Mr. Deil! It is Mr.
Maxwell Deil isn't it? Or is it Max?
MAX
Yes. I'm Max Deil, but I don't know who
you are Mr. ... ?
DOUG
Oh me? I'm Doug, Doug Brown.
MAX
Well Mr. Brown, I-
DOUG
(interrupts)
Just Doug please, no need to stand on
Ceremony.
MAX
Well, Doug, I'm afraid I have no idea
what you're doing here. ... I have no
money so I can't buy anything, and I
don't ever remember meeting you.
DOUG
Well, Max, I'm a salesman, but I'm not
here to sell you electric butter-knives
or self-tying shoe-laces or anything
like that. I'm actually here to offer
you a job.
Max looks at Doug in disbelief, and then takes the card Doug hands him, looking at it, and unconsciously backing away from the door as he does so. Quick as a blink, Doug steps inside and looks around.
Max notices this and then Steps back to block Doug's way farther into the apartment.
DOUG
This is so fascinating. How can you fit
so much clutter in such a small place
Max?
Max looks around and notices the sty his apartment has become.
MAX
I don't think its that bad.
DOUG
Oh, this place is positively Rancid!
When's the last time you took out the
garbage?
MAX
Last week sometime. What's it to you?
DOUG
Well, Max, although the job I have in
mind for you has no particular need for
tidiness, I do like to know the people
I'm hiring as well as I can.
(looks around again)
It looks like you're more of an
abstract-random sort of character.
Doug gently pushes Max out of the way and Max takes a
second to look at the card.
CUT TO:
CARD- CLOSE UP
DOUG BROWN- AXIS SYSTEMS- CHICAGONOIS- NORTH AMERICA
MAX
Chicago-nois? Where the hell is that?
DOUG
Oh, You'd call it Chicago Max. It was
in the state of Illinois until the city
grew big enough to reach City-State
Status. They usually change the name
at that time, except for New York, They
were the first so they never changed
it.
MAX
City State? What's going on here?
Doug looks in Surprise at Max, then recalls something, slapping his forehead as he does so.
DOUG
Sorry, I'm being foolish again. I
forget that they restore your mind
without remembering anything. ... You
died in 1999 Max. Your body was Frozen
in Cryonic Suspension. You remember
signing up for that?
(Max nods)
Its now the Year 2837 and your body is
about to be revived. I'm here to see if
you want to work for me and see if
paying to have you thawed out is worth
the cost.
Max Looks to Doug for a moment and then at the apartment around him, then laughs.
MAX
That's funny Doug, but not quite funny
enough. Who put you up to this? Was it
Russell?
DOUG
Russell? ... Who's- ... OH! I get it!
You think this is a Joke! Sure! That
happens almost every time. ... Well
watch this.
Doug claps his hands twice and then gestures around him. Max looks and sees that the trashed apartment is now spotlessly clean and tidy.
DOUG
This is a computer simulation Max. Its
not real. But what is real is the fact
that is that you're dead and you can be
resurrected if you want.
Max looks at Doug for a few seconds and then faints away completely, his head making a nice THUNK as it hits the floor.
FADE OUT: