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FOLLOW THE NOSFERATU
* CHAPTER 1 * - Rainfall
* 9 * - Lost in the Rain
NOS / CAPT. QTRS. / JAYMAN:
With Commander FALL's defiant response, Captain JAYMAN swivels his chair, adjusts his wireless headset,
and smiles wickedly.
"Awww!" (JAYMAN leaps to his feet and heads for the doorway.) "Such sweet sentimentality from such an
empty shell..." (He steps through the doorway and strides to the CORE.) "That's a nice lie, almost as nice as 'blocking the line'..."
(He glances at CRYS and ANDY along the way.) "Hahaha! What kind of pathetic lie is that?" (And he stops right beside FALL's
chair.) "Don't tell me a Mozart like you, all of a sudden can't orchestrate her way around a few simple comm lines..."
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
JAYMAN focusses his burning eyes directly and seriously onto FALL.
"Fall... As of this moment, I'm relieving you of your post as Operator, Commander, and First Officer. Any
further act of insubordination will result in your immediate court martial..."
JAYMAN smiles.
"Of course, aborting and postponing our missions won't make the crew very happy... I suppose I could
let Crystal and Andy decide what to do with you... And I know you don't want that..."
JAYMAN circles slowly around the ring of chairs.
"By the way, you should keep in mind that you don't exactly have the most respected reputation in the
Fleet... Back then, your adolescent affinity for alcohol was no secret... Even now, your callous cold-hearted attitude is
infamous... In fact, your only shred of credibility was born when Kan-chiang chose to recruit you, despite your age...
And when he died, your credibility only existed as a reflection of my own..."
JAYMAN completes the circle back to FALL's chair.
"Even your own crewmates could care less, let alone the rest of the Fleet... Without me, you have no
credibility, no authority, no nothing... Face it, whether you like it or not, whether you accept it or not, I'm the last ally
you've got..."
JAYMAN straightens.
"You will remain in your quarters until I know what to do with you... Dismissed!"
NOS / MATRIX / STAIRWELL / CRYSTAL:
With a slight victorious grin on her face, CRYSTAL steps carefully into the stairwell before ANDY, her eyes
trying to get used to the deep darkness.
Dammit, Fall... If there was another, easier way to get out of here, and you kept it secret just
to amuse yourself with our struggles, I'll kill you for sure...
The stairs are scrunching a little as CRYSTAL takes the first step downstairs. Darkness is all around. The
windows are boarded up. The stairwell lights aren't working. Some of them are shattered, some of them are missing, or there are
only cut wires hanging off the walls and ceiling.
I won't give any satisfaction to you... CRYSTAL notes, determined with a sneer. She moves her free
hand inside of her trenchcoat, into its hidden pocket, and pulls out a miniature torch/flashlight.
"The first and most important rule in the Matrix: 'You never know what may happen, so be prepared...' "
CRYSTAL switches the torch/flashlight on, smiling confidently, then adds, "Especially if your Operator is named Fall!'
NOS / MATRIX / STAIRWELL / ANDROMEDA:
Silence.
NOS / MATRIX / STAIRWELL / CRYSTAL:
Getting no reaction from ANDY, CRYSTAL turns her head back to the stairs.
Okay, CRYSTAL shrugs, No energy for a talk. If you want to act that way, I'm okay with it.
You think your silence will annoy me, huh? Well, you're wrong, very wrong... I'm used to working on first-contact missions
alone after all. And I still would be if...
Walking down the stairs, carefully, paying attention to the wires and splinters of another bottles,
CRYSTAL gets lost in her thoughts again.
Why does Jay want me to train Andy? Is he not satisfied with my work? Does he wants another person
to be first-contact specialist instead of me? Have I done something wrong? Or is it because... CRYSTAL sighs,
the thought rends her heart. Is THAT the reason? Do you want me to leave the ship? Is THAT why you don't talk to me,
pushing me farther than ever... Is THAT why you want Andy to replace me as first-contact... But why?
CRYSTAL screams in her mind. Why? After all... Your excuse wasn't right either... You left me not because of duties
and pain... That was a lie... But why did you have to lie to me, Jay? Why? The question desperately echoes in her mind.
Maybe I was too blind to see your reason back then... But now it's clear... It was only a game for you...
Just to have fun... CRYSTAL bites her lip.
Finally, CRYSTAL and ANDY reach the bottom of the stairs, which leads them to the main lobby of the
first floor. The scenery is the same, boarded windows and doors, depressing, awkward darkness all around.
CRYSTAL strengthens her grip on the mini-torch/flashlight.
Anyway, she grits her teeth, I won't surrender... No way...
With a newfound strength and determination, CRYSTAL looks for a possible exit. The alleyway on the right
is also boarded, while the left...
Yes, that's it! Discovering some weak light filtering through the partially covered window,
CRYSTAL turns to ANDY.
"That way," CRYSTAL points towards the window with her torch. Her voice is emotionless and firm.
Just like a real soldier's...
NOS / MATRIX / STAIRWELL / ANDROMEDA:
"Yeah, okay," ANDY replies and follows CRYSTAL through the narrow passage. The light hits her eyes and
she is forced to shut them for a couple of seconds.
Precious seconds, if Agents are stalking them, ANDY tells herself. Enough with the paranoia already!
At least I managed to shut my mouth with all the silly comments I was making. Sounding like a rookie, really.
This whole scenario was an awkward one for her. My feelings were enough, but now I'm
training for Jay's ex's job? And why the hell? Contact was never my thing. I know how to blow things up, not how to baby talk
them!
She puffed and shook her head sideways. Ah well. Might as well learn something.
NOS / CORE / FALL:
With the captain's circling words battering and splattering all around her like a freezing black rain, FALL
fearfully yet willfully weathers the thunderstorm like an unsheltered yet unyielding autumn flower, her mind disregarding and
disbelieving, her heart racing and breaking, her eyes blinking and blurring, her body burning and trembling... trembling in fear...
trembling in rage...
Fiery thoughts burn within FALL: You bugger! Who are YOU to criticize my life when we're all dead!
Everyone who cared about us in the Matrix, thinks we're all dead!
Through the fire, she can barely hear JAYMAN: "You will remain in your quarters until I know what to do
with you... Dismissed!"
Trembling, still trembling, FALL tightens the taut muscles in her arms and clenches the firm fingers in her
fists.
We're all dead!
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
Painfully recalling the memories of the shivering 15-year-old girl they rescued six years ago, cold, alone,
and innocent in the starkness of the Real World... and the shaking 18-year-old girl he promoted to commander three years
ago, colder, harder, her uncrackable shell cracking for just a moment... JAYMAN just-as-painfully stares at the trembling
21-year-old girl still facing the flickering screens... still sitting at her station... still trembling before him...
I'm so sorry, Kan-chiang, JAYMAN defends himself in his mind, But I'm so tired... so very tired...
I can't protect her anymore... I can't save her anymore... How can I help her if she isn't willing to let me?... How can I trust
her if she isn't willing to trust me?
Regretfully and tearfully, JAYMAN repeats, "I said 'Dismissed!'"
NOS / CORE / FALL:
Suddenly, with the terrible wrath of a hundred storms, FALL screams, "Noooo!" and swings her powerful
left forearm -- SMASH! -- hard into JAYMAN's chest. In the next moment, she swivels to the right, and with an almost
cat-like grace, leaps from the operator chair.
FALL cries out through burning tears, "I'm dead anyway! We're all dead!"
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
Caught completely by surprise, JAYMAN staggers backward from the blow. Catching his breath, he steadies
himself and glances up to find FALL dashing around the suspension chairs to CRYSTAL and ANDROMEDA.
No! JAYMAN risks the thought, No! She can't possibly be serious! She isn't thinking what I think
she's thinking!
Grabbing his chest, JAYMAN forces his feet forward and struggles to shout, "No! Stop!" But it comes out
pathetically as breathless rasps.
Please! No!
NOS / CORE / FALL:
Tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, FALL swings past the first suspension chair, and thrusts herself
behind the next two chairs occupied by CRYSTAL and ANDROMEDA.
Through her sobs, FALL yells at JAYMAN, "Everyone who cared about ME in the Matrix, thinks I'm dead! My
family thinks I'm dead! My friends think I'm dead! Why was I saved from the dead? For what? For this? For this hell after
death? We're just gonna lose this war and die AGAIN anyway!"
FALL blinks down to her right, as her shaking fingers reach for the head-needle connector behind the
dark lieutenant called ANDROMEDA.
"I don't deserve this! Nobody deserves this!"
NOS / CORRIDOR / VERITAS:
Wanting to leave her quarters, wander about, and stretch her legs, VERITAS gets up, swings open her
door, and suddenly hears the unusually loud voices echoing through the corridors.
Is that Fall? she wonders curiously.
Slowly and silently making her way towards the CORE, stepping over the random tools and pipes and
cans along the wall, VERITAS can see JAYMAN looking at someone beyond the edge of the corridor. With a few more steps,
she can finally see that he's looking at FALL.
What the heck is Fall yelling about? Then she looks closer. Wait-- Why is her hand--
That can't be--
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
His heart pounding in frantic fear, JAYMAN desperately manages to focus his mind and find his voice.
"Fall! Think about what you're doing! Think about your family on Zion!"
Please listen to me! he screams in his mind. Please!
Then in the corner of his eye, JAYMAN notices a movement, a shadow in one of the corridors behind FALL.
But he doesn't dare move his head or his eyes if FALL happens to catch him.
Veritas!
NOS / CORE / FALL:
With her free hand, FALL wipes the tears from her reddened eyes and cheeks.
"What family? I don't give a shit about Zion! I don't give a shit about the Real World! Can't you see that,
through your tiny buggy eyes?"
FALL looks back down at ANDROMEDA, so peaceful in her chair, and recalls all of the sadness and angst
and confusion in the young lieutenant. FALL tightens her grip on the head-needle connector, and smiles sadly.
"I can see so clearly how miserable she is... and you're just making it worse for her... She doesn't
deserve this... I should-- I should put her out of her misery..."
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
"No, wait!" JAYMAN pleads to FALL. "If you don't care about Zion, what do you care about?
Maybe we can help!"
Please listen to me!
NOS / CORE / FALL:
With the cold and dead gaze of a lonely young girl, lonely for so many years, lonely for more years than
any girl should be, FALL quietly turns to JAYMAN. Her lost voice rings faintly and distantly through the stark interior of the
CORE.
"I just-- I just want to go home."
NOS / CORE / VERITAS:
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, VERITAS rushes up behind FALL and swings a heavy pipe -- BASH! --
into the back of her head. In utter shock, VERITAS can feel the horrible collapse of the skull and the sickening spray of
blood.
Oh God! her mind screams.
Dropping the pipe with a piercing clank, VERITAS realizes the terrible finality of her act, and falls in
slow-motion to her knees.
"Oh God!" she cries out, "Oh my God! I didn't mean to-- What did i do? Oh God! Noooo!"
NOS / MATRIX / 3RD AVENUE:
The alleyways on either side of the apartment building lead to 3RD AVENUE at the front doors, and to a
chain-link fence at the back. The quickest route to 4TH AVENUE and 12TH STREET location given by FALL, is to take this
3RD AVENUE, which has two lanes in each direction.
It is about 3:15 in the afternoon, cloudy with light drizzle. There is slow-and-steady bumper-to-bumper
traffic in each direction, and there are handfuls of pedestrians on either side of the street. It would be best to act slowly
and quietly, and blend into the crowd, but by this time, LOTUS should already be home.
There are no immediate threats such as AGENTS or POLICE, but it is still up to CRYSTAL whether or not
they need to ask for help, whatever it is.
NOS / MATRIX / 3RD AVENUE / CRYSTAL:
Getting out of the horror-castle, CRYSTAL takes a deep breath of the fresh air. At least, that is what
the Matrix makes us believe, she notes in mind. Her shades covering her eyes despite the cloudy, drizzly light, she
suspiciously looks around.
There's something wrong, she feels it. Can't explain why, she has misgivings. Trying to get rid of the
bad feeling, which she considers as another sign of her recent desperate thoughts, CRYSTAL wonders how they should
get to the junction of 4TH AVENUE and 12TH STREET. If they take 3RD AVENUE by car, they'll never reach their
destination because of the terrible traffic jam. Same thing on foot... It would be too slow... CRYSTAL sighs.
CRYSTAL ponders. The best solution would be to take the narrow, not-so-frequented backstreets
behind the buildings. The only problem is that it would also take a lot of time on foot... What we need is...
That's it! CRYSTAL realizes the solution with a smile.
"Come Andy," CRYSTAL glances at her companion. "Let's take the backdoor!"
Heading to the chain-link fence behind the building, CRYSTAL pulls her phone out of her coat pocket,
and dials their operator.
The phone begins to ring...
NOS / MATRIX / 3RD AVENUE / ANDROMEDA:
ANDY raises an eyebrow and looks at CRYSTAL.
"What back door?" ANDY asks. But before she can get an answer, CRYSTAL is holding her cell phone.
With watchful glances around the street, ANDY follows CRYSTAL to the chain-link fence.
I know she knows what she's doing, but what the hell IS she doing?
NOS / CORE / JAYMAN:
FALL quietly turns to JAYMAN. "I just-- I just want to go home."
As his heart begins to break, JAYMAN sees VERITAS flash forward with the pipe raised over her shoulder.
In the slow-motion beat of a heart, his body locks up in shock as his mind cries in horror.
NOOO!
As FALL crumples lifelessly to the cold floor, VERITAS falls to her knees.
VERITAS cries out, "Oh my God! I didn't mean to-- What did i do? Oh God! Noooo!"
With only a dim flicker of hope, JAYMAN rushes to FALL's side and reaches gingerly for her neck to check
her pulse. And the last flicker of hope is swiftly snuffed out. Closing his tearful eyes and lowering his head, he suddenly
hears the phone-call buzz coming from the Matrix into his headset.
JAYMAN leaps to his feet, hops into the operator's chair, and hits the receiving switch while scanning
the monitors for CRYSTAL and ANDY.
"Captain here!" he utters. "We have a problem."
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