DAY’S END

By
John Klyza
Left Blank on Purpose
 2.

FADE IN:

SCENE 1.

A vein pulses rhythmically to the heart’s beat. Blood cells

caught within a raging torrent of serum twist, collide and
jostle each other in their mindless race to be oxygenated.

Glass-like nanobot machines, brimming with tools skitter

and wiggle by, others anchored by barbs to the vein’s wall
industrially drill, snip, inject, and dissolve
obstructions.

VOICE OVER (O.S.)

2015. Biotechnology is common,
especially nanotechnology which
is used extensively in the
medical field. Bioethics related
to the technology is highly
regulated, but, nonetheless,
because of the large amount of
money that can be made, some
unscrupulous companies abuse
their trust - one such company is
NanoByte.

FADE TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

BRANDO POWER, a tall man of fifty is agitated.

DARREN WEST, early thirties stands before Brando.

BRANDO
Listen here Darren; I want that
prick Jason Maroon dead. I don't
like being blackmailed. You hear
me, not at all. I like clarity;
cause and effect. I like neat and
orderly.

Brando stops pacing and stands before Darren.

BRANDO (CONT’D)
Hurting me hurts a lot of
people... and that prick can ruin
us... I want him dead, OK. I want
you to arrange an accident, you
understand me.

DARREN
What did he do boss?
 3.

BRANDO
I met up with Sergie, you know
Sergie don’t you?

DARREN
I don’t recall...

BRANDO
He’s head of the local Russian
Mafia. We’re trying to get a deal
going. That prick Jason happened
to be shooting close by and I
guess he put two and two
together, and recorded us...

SECRETARY
...Excuse me Mr Power.

BRANDO
WHAT!
(loudly)
Get the fuck out of here you
moron...

SECRETARY

Runs out sobbing.

CUT TO:

INT. LOUNGE ROOM - NIGHT

The room is sparsely furnished. A table holds a radio, few

magazines, and a reading lamp. A chair faces a divan. Music
emanates from the radio. The room is dimly lit.

ZOE FELDMAN is sitting, reading a book. She is in her mid

twenties and of medium height, with high cheekbones and
pale blue eyes. She is discreetly dressed, her clothes of
excellent cut and material.

A knock on the door startles her. She rises to answer the

door.

Darren West, stands on the threshold and stares at her, an

appraising look on his face.

ZOE
Don’t you ever keep decent hours.
(She smiles grimly and
backs into the room)
This had better be good.

Darren steps inside, pulls the door shut behind him. He

follows Zoe as she walks towards the divan.
 4.

DARREN
I have a rather delicate job for
you. It's important and very
lucrative.

ZOE
Standard rates?
(Zoe sits down.)

Darren stops momentary before her.

DARREN
Its for NanoByte and they’re
willing to pay extra.

ZOE
Ah huh! Am I to kill this person?

Darren walks around to Zoe’s side and strokes her hair. She
pulls away from him. He shrugs, and walks back to sit
before her. He pulls out an envelope from his pocket and
extracts a photograph and throws both onto the table. Zoe
picks up the photograph and examines it.

DARREN
That's what I admire the most
about you Zoe - so forthright.
Anyhow, its all in the brief.
(Stands)
I’ll see my self out.
(Walks toward the door
and pauses)
Oh! I forgot to mention, it must
be done today.
(Closes the door behind
him.)

CUT TO:

INT. STUDIO MONITOR ROOM - DAY

JASON MAROON a large, thick set man, is slumped in a chair.

Fingers drum against the side of his head, a worried man,
stares into infinity.

Jason’s mobile phone rings. He walks over to the control

room door, whilst looking at the phone’s screen. Opening
the door he enters.

JASON
(into phone)
Yes.
 5.

EXT. CANTEEN - DAY

ZOE
(into phone)
Jason Maroon?

INTERCUT:

JASON
Yes, and you are?

ZOE
That’s not important.

JASON
I see.

ZOE
Meet me downstairs at the
canteen, I’ll be wearing a blue
dress. Bring the data cube from
yesterdays shoot. You know the
one I mean.

JASON
You have the money?

ZOE
Yes, yes...
(hangs up)

Jason hangs up and goes to a bottom draw. He stares down at

a gun, gulps, takes gun and places in his pocket.

He steps over to a stack of data cubes, rummaging, he

selects a data cube. He opens a second draw and picks up a
flask of whisky. He takes a swig and places the flask in
his back pocket and enters the monitor room.

JASON
Look guys, let’s have an early
lunch.
(Taps his watch )
Okay, lets all get back here at
2.
( Jason walks out
without a backward
glance.)

CUT TO:

EXT. CANTEEN - DAY.

Zoe is seated. She looks around, making sure no one is

watching, and from her bag takes out an automatic injection
pen and places it on the seat next to her.
 6.

She looks up and spots Jason entering the canteen area.

Smiling, she follows his progress.

JASON (CONT’D)
Are you waiting for me?

ZOE
I am.

JASON
What now.

ZOE
First, take your hands out of
your pockets so I can see them.
Second, sit down. (He sits down
opposite her.)

JASON
Sooo...
(Hand gestures.)
You have my money?

ZOE
You have the data cube?

JASON
I repeat, do you have my money?

ZOE
No I don’t. The situation is a
little bit more serious than
money, I’m afraid.

JASON
What does that mean?
(Looking worried)

With speed Zoe picks up the injection pen, leans forward

and injects Jason in the upper arm.

JASON (CONT’D)
(Surprised.)
What the fuck was that!
(Rubbing his upper arm.)

ZOE
I’ve infected you with nanobots.

Jason stands up and pulls out his gun. His face red with
rage.

JASON
WHAT! You put machines in my
body?
 7.

ZOE
If you want to save your life I
suggest you put that gun away and
SIT DOWN.
(Jason sits down.)
Now...the nanobots have been
programed to manufacture a neural
toxin. On release of those
toxins, you will, I must say, die
in a very painful manner.

JASON
How long do I have?

ZOE
(Looks at her watch.)
A little less than twenty
minutes. Now Jason...
I have the antidote and in
exchange for that antidote all
you have to do is give me the
data cube.

Jason looks long and hard into Zoe’s eyes.

JASON
What’s to stop me from killing
you and taking it.

ZOE
(Shrugs.)
Now, I may have it on me or not.
(Taps her watch.)
Times running out, do you want to
take that chance?

JASON
I guess I have no choice.
(Hands over the cube.)

Zoe accepts the data cube and hands Jason an injection

device.

ZOE
Enjoy.

JASON
Fuck you.

Zoe collects her gear, stands up and walks off. Before

turning the corner she pauses and turns her head to look at
Jason.

ZOE
By the way Jason, I lied, there
is no antidote.
(She disappears around
the corner.)
 8.

At first Jason is stunned, but soon recovers his composure

and makes a decision. He takes out his phone and dials.

JASON
(Mutters into phone.)
Come on, come on will ya. Answer
the bloody phone.

INT. WDO7 STUDIO - DAY.

DAVE STEWART a skinny young man is sitting at his desk,

feet up and his hands behind his head. He almost falls off
in his attempt to answer the phone.

DAVE
(Into phone.)
Jason, what’s going on mate?

INTERCUT:

JASON
(Into phone.)
Look I haven’t much time, so just
listen, OK... That data cube I
asked you to hold for me, well I
want you to broadcast it. It’s a
big scoop for you Buddy, don’t
let me down.
(Hangs up.)

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - DAY.

Zoe sits in her car dialing.

ZOE
(into phone.)
...It’s taken care of.

INT. OFFICE - DAY.

Brando stands before his holovision watching a program. The

sound is quite low.

BRANDO
(Into phone.)
Good, good Zoe, but just to be
sure can you upload the cube’s
content to me.

INTERCUT:
 9.

Zoe takes out the data cube and places it in the phone’s
reader. She looks at the screen and is puzzled.

BRANDO (CONT’D)
What the fuck is this! Its all
crap.

Zoe retries, but once again there is only static.

ZOE
I don’t understand?

Jason rounds the corner, a gun in his hand. He winches with

pain-staggers. Zoe looks up and on spotting Jason pulls her
gun out and begins to shoot at him. Jason attempt to weave,
but is shot. He returns fire and manages to shoot Zoe in
the head. Zoe slumps over the steering wheel.

Jason staggers to the car and reaches in to pick up the

phone.

Brando is still on the phone, and hears the sound of

shooting.

BRANDO

Zoe, Zoe, what’s going

on?

JASON
(Into phone.)
Your finished arsehole.
(Falls to the ground.)

INT. OFFICE - DAY.

Brando turns around and drops the phone. He notices a news

bulletin on the holovision showing himself and Sergie
sitting in a cafe talking.

ANNOUNCER
We interrupt our current schedule
to bring you this breaking news.
A short time ago we at channel
WDO7 received this footage from
the well known holovision
producer Jason Maroon. The
footage shows Brando Power CEO of
NanoByte conferring with the head
of the local Mafia boss,
Sergie...
 10.

A look of disbelief shows on Brando’s face. His eyes became

fearful.

BRANDO (O.S.)

Oh, Shit.

FADE TO BLACK:

[THE END]