"Loyalty" By Rygar First draft - 2/09/10 Second draft - 2/20/10 Final draft - 3/25/10 Edited by WatsonSword SCENE 1 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The AIR MARSHAL sits at his desk, speaking into its integrated comm. The face of PROFESSOR GLUTGRAVE is on the screen. AIR MARSHAL (into comm) You had best be able to deliver results this time, Glutgrave! GLUTGRAVE (over comm) I told you, Air Marshal. The failures of the past have been overcome. Everything is proceeding smoothly with this specimen. The final touches should be complete within a week. AIR MARSHAL I want to be there when you're ready to open the canister. GLUTGRAVE Of course. That can be arranged. AIR MARSHAL Excellent. I expect another report in two days. Not waiting for Glutgrave to respond, the Air Marshal ends the transmission. He sighs and looks over the papers on his desk as he mumbles to himself. AIR MARSHAL (picking up various papers) Well, that's finally going somewhere. That leaves me with the underground mines on Puppis, the advanced mind control project on Vulpecula, the slave smuggling route through Cygnus, and, of course, our little plan with the sleazasaurs. The Air Marshal scratches his head, looking a little confused. AIR MARSHAL There are so many projects going on, I can barely keep everything straight. I hate all this sneaking around and avoiding direct conflict with the mammals. It's just not my style! I liked it better when things blew up! The Air Marshal looks at himself in a small mirror on his desk. From some angles, he can barely recognize himself. He first notices the patch covering the hole where his left eye once was. The scars along both sides of his face and his forehead also garner his attention -- reminders of when he tortured Bucky O'Hare and later had the tables turned on him. Looking at his war wounds, the Air Marshal almost doesn't notice the bags under his eyes, the sunken cheeks, and the generally unhealthy look that covers his entire face. AIR MARSHAL I actually miss the way things used to be. The Air Marshal quickly catches himself. AIR MARSHAL No, never! Never dwell on the past! Always look to the future! Always glory for KOMPLEX! The Air Marshal punches his head in a salute to KOMPLEX. He then gulps, grabbing at papers and trying to look busy in case KOMPLEX appears and sees him in a moment of weakness. SCENE 2 - JENNY'S APARTMENT, GENUS FIRST MATE JENNY sits on a thin mat in the middle of her nearly bare apartment. There is little furniture, and it looks as though many pictures have been taken down off the walls and off the few pieces of furniture present. Jenny sits in a meditative position. At first, she does not move, and the room is silent. Eventually, a low humming noise can be heard. Jenny occasionally twitches slightly. Whatever she is thinking is agitating her. Jenny's face slowly twists into a scowl. She appears to be trying harder to concentrate and failing. A soft pink energy emanates around her form as her emotions simmer, harder and harder to control. Jenny grits her teeth and tries to steady herself, but her anger finally gets out of control. The pinkish energy haze changes from soft curving lines to harsh, sharp ones. In a flash, the power escapes, coating the room instantaneously with dark pink energy. The walls shake. The few objects standing fall over. A few of them, including a lamp, shatter upon hitting the ground. Then, as quickly as it all happened, the disturbance ends. Jenny sits quietly in the middle of the room and opens her eyes. Her face remains as calm as she can possibly make it. She slowly rises from her sitting position and looks around, surveying the minor damage her outburst caused. Without saying a word, Jenny walks up to one of the bare walls. She lingers for a moment, looking at a slightly discolored rectangular space that indicates a picture once hung there. She looks down at the floor and sees the picture leaning against the wall, the back of the frame facing her. Jenny picks up the frame, turns it over, and looks at it. The picture is a sunny shot of her and Bucky standing on a beach. They smile for the camera, but their smiles are genuine. Bucky has one arm around Jenny, who has one arm around Bucky and the other arm keeping her hair out of the wind and out of her face. Jenny gets a faraway look in her eyes, as if remembering the day the picture was taken. She pauses, letting the old emotions flow through her. Once that has run its course, however, the anger returns to Jenny's face. She glares at Bucky in the picture. The glass holding the picture in the frame shatters, spiraling out cracks that emanate from Bucky's smiling face. Some of the cracks run through where Jenny is in the picture. Jenny drops the picture in a smooth motion. The frame lands on the floor with a thud, and shards of glass spill onto the wood. Jenny gathers her composure and slowly walks out of the room, the clicking of her heels sharply breaking the silent air. SCENE 3 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal reads a field report, trying hard not to let his mind wander. He doesn't succeed. His eyes drift slightly, and he begins to replay an old memory in his head. The year is 3188. It's late afternoon in the inner city of New Bufona, the capital city of the toad planet, Anura. The air is thick with smog, though the sky is still visible as blue, contrasting with the green of the mossy land and the abundant trees. The houses in this neighborhood are rundown but not decrepit. Outside a nondescript house in the middle of the street, a short, squat TOAD about seven years old plays in the front yard with a toy airplane. TOAD (carrying the toy plane) Whoosh! Hehe! The toad runs to and fro, making the plane glide through the air. He trips and falls, getting his face covered with muck, but he quickly recovers. Still grinning, he continues to play with his toy. TOAD It's flying! The plane is flying all over the place! The house's front door opens, and a toad WOMAN steps through, her hands on her hips. She is dressed in a simple homemaker's outfit. WOMAN (yelling) Amadeus! TOAD Huh? Amadeus stops in his tracks. His arm falls to his side, ending the plane's voyage. TOAD What's wrong, mom? WOMAN (angrily) Amadeus Q. Mosswater! Get in here right now! Amadeus frowns. It's never good when his mom uses his full name. AMADEUS (head hanging) Yes, mom. The sad Amadeus walks into the house. His mother slams the door behind her. WOMAN I just got a phone call from Ms. Wartley. Do you know what she told me? AMADEUS (protesting) I didn't put any fly paste in Cinny's hair! It wasn't me! WOMAN She left *that* part out. She was calling to tell me you almost failed math and science! Again! AMADEUS Mom, those things are hard! I don't like 'em! I try, and I try ... WOMAN No son of mine is going to end up failing out of school! Look around you! Do you want to live like this when you're a grown toad? Well, that's going to happen if you keep failing all your classes! AMADEUS (softly) I got a good grade in music. WOMAN Oh, well, that's wonderful! Music! That's your ticket out of this snakehole. (glaring) You're grounded. No more playing outside for a week. And you better improve your grades, young man! AMADEUS (sadly) Aw, mom! Just then, the door swings open. A haggard looking toad MAN comes through. He wears a dirty white button-down shirt and long threadbare pants. His skin is dirty and rough. His bushy eyebrows intensify the scowl on his face, making his eyes barely even visible. MAN What'd the little squirt do now? WOMAN Oh, Stanard! I didn't know you'd be home early. STANARD Yeah, it's the boss's birthday, so they let us off twenty minutes early. Whoop-dee-doo. WOMAN The food's not ready! I hope you don't mind. STANARD (uncaring) Whatever. Take as long as ya need to burn it. (looking at Amadeus) What happened this time? WOMAN He's failing math and science again. STANARD So what? That ain't new. WOMAN Stanard, if he doesn't do well in school, he is never going to get a good job! STANARD I don't have a good job, is that what you're sayin'? You're ashamed of me for puttin' a roof over your head and burned food in your belly? WOMAN (passive) That's not what I meant, honey. You work so hard for this family. STANARD Damn right I do! I work my fingers to the bone. (to Amadeus) And this is my thanks? A kid who can't even add two numbers together? AMADEUS I can add! (softly) I just can't do that thing where you take the numbers apart again. STANARD Well, learn how to do it! (walking off) I'm gonna go lie down. Come get me when dinner's ready. Stanard storms off. Amadeus looks down at his shoes. AMADEUS Can I go to my room now? WOMAN Yes, go on, get out of here. I have to finish dinner, or else your father will get mad! The woman dashes off to the kitchen. Amadeus kicks his foot in the air glumly, then walks off to his room. Amadeus's bedroom is sparsely decorated. No posters line the walls. A couple drawings lie on his desk next to a stack of textbooks. Many dirty clothes lie on the damp floor. A large fishbowl sits in one corner of the room. Amadeus walks over to it and places his hands on the glass. A large tadpole with no limbs notices and swims over to greet Amadeus. AMADEUS (a little happier) Hey, Shelley. You're looking bigger today! (beat) Mom and dad are mad at me again. Amadeus looks his uncomprehending little sister in the eyes. AMADEUS I hope you like me when you're big enough to walk around. I hope you understand me more than mom and dad do. I hope you like music too. Amadeus lingers at the fishbowl briefly, then goes and sits down on his bed. SCENE 4 - THE OSBOURNE RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH WILLY DUWITT and SCOTT OSBOURNE sit on the couch, watching TV. Scott operates the remote, flipping through the channels pretty quickly. No one else is around. WILLY You sure your aunt won't mind that I'm here? SCOTT She's on vacation. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Just don't step on the dog or break any of her Jesus statues, and it'll be fine. Willy looks around. There is indeed a lot of religious imagery adorning the walls and furniture. WILLY I'll be extra careful. (turns to the TV) Would you slow down? SCOTT (still flipping channels) Nothing's on. WILLY How can you tell? You stay on each channel for like half a second. SCOTT So far, it's been infomercials, reruns, a game show, a telethon, and some commercials. Did you want to watch any of that? WILLY I don't know. I haven't really watched TV in years. Well, here on Earth, anyway. SCOTT Your folks are anti-TV, too, huh? WILLY They're anti-pretty much everything. SCOTT Except whales and marijuana. WILLY Well, yeah. SCOTT You said you don't watch TV on Earth. What's it like in the aniverse? WILLY I haven't seen that much of it, but it's weird. Each animal race has their own kind of shows that they like, and different planets can afford to spend different amounts on their shows, so it's all a huge mix. You never know what something's going to be like. (beat) The toads have their own TV programming, too. Don't ask me about it. It's torture. SCOTT Like QVC? WILLY Is QVC's most popular show a half-hour of one toad just staring at the camera with hypnotic eyes? SCOTT If it gets you to buy stuff, then probably. SCENE 5 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal jerks forward, awake. He realizes he was daydreaming. He panics for a moment, hoping that KOMPLEX didn't notice. A far more pressing matter quickly emerges, though: His eye socket itches. He scratches at the eye patch, but it does no good. AIR MARSHAL Oog. Wincing, the Air Marshal lifts the patch. His eye socket is a charred, black crater in his face. The actual socket is scarred over, and many of the scars run farther down his face. The Air Marshal makes sure not to look in the mirror as he scratches urgently at the socket. AIR MARSHAL (relieved) Phew! The Air Marshal replaces the eye patch, then looks at himself in the mirror again. His mind returns to wandering. Still seven years old, Amadeus is walking home from school one day. He swings the door open and is about to call for his mom when he sees her sitting by the phone, motionless in quiet fear. AMADEUS M-mom? What's wrong? WOMAN (softly) The factory called. There was an accident. AMADEUS (surprised) An accident? What happened? WOMAN I don't know. Your father had to go to their infirmary. AMADEUS Is he OK? WOMAN They said he'd be OK, but he got hurt. AMADEUS Are we gonna go see him? WOMAN They said they were able to bandage him and send him home. He should be here soon. AMADEUS Oh. Unsure what to do, Amadeus drops his backpack onto the floor and walks up to his mother, who has a mixture of pained emotions present on her face. The two sit in quiet solidarity for a moment, until a loud noise shatters the silence. STANARD Dammit! The front door swings open violently, and Stanard Mosswater walks through. There are bandages wrapped around his head and around his right eye. Some dried green blood runs down his right cheek, tracking along a scar. STANARD (enraged) My eye! It gouged my damn eye out! Stanard slams the door shut and throws his lunch pail on the ground. WOMAN Honey? STANARD Don't you honey me! This is because of you! Stanard approaches his wife, his arms flailing wildly. STANARD Every day for ten years, I've slaved away in that goddamn factory making goddamn toys for goddamn stupid kids like you ... Stanard slaps Amadeus hard. Stunned, the child falls to the ground, dazed. STANARD ... all for a kid who's dumb as shit, and a wife who can't even cook or keep this place clean for me! WOMAN (afraid) Honey, please ... STANARD I said don't call me that! Stanard slaps his wife in the face. She falls against the back of her chair, stunned. STANARD This is what I get! Ten years! Ten years of ungratefulness! Ten years of a shit job and a shit family! My damn eye! Amadeus gets to his knees, tears running down his cheeks. AMADEUS Dad! Stanard responds by hitting Amadeus again, sending him back to the floor. STANARD You little piece of crap. I never wanted you. (pointing at his wife) And you! You had to give me a son I didn't want! A little pipsqueak that's even dumber and even shorter than all the shitheads in your family! He might as well be a little girl! A mean glint appears in Stanard's unbandaged eye. STANARD And then you gave me a little girl I didn't want! Like we can afford another worthless mouth to feed! WOMAN (dazed) Stan, please ... Instead of responding, Stanard leaves the room purposefully, heading toward his children's room. WOMAN (afraid) Stan, what are you ... A loud crash is heard, like the sound of glass shattering against a wall. A splash comes next as water hits carpet. Amadeus's eyes grow wide in fear. AMADEUS Shelley? SCENE 6 - MIKE MARISON'S APARTMENT, GENUS ENGINEER MIKE MARISON is sitting at the kitchen table in his military-appointed apartment on Genus, about to chow down on a frozen dinner. The place is pretty cluttered, but in an orderly fashion. Odd little adornments, like cartoon action figures and posters of movie characters, fill the empty space. MIKE Spinach ravioli again. (shaking his head) Just because the packs were on sale didn't mean I had to buy ten of them. Mike is about to take a bite when he hears a knock at the door. Startled, Mike gets up and walks to the door. He peers through the keyhole and recognizes Jenny's poof of pink hair. MIKE (confused) Jenny? Mike opens the door and lets Jenny in. She is dressed in a silver raincoat that conceals her entire body. MIKE What ... what are you doing here? (confused) Is it raining? In response, Jenny slips off her coat to reveal that she is wearing a slinky black dress that leaves little to the imagination. Jenny looks directly at Mike, her eyes slightly wide. JENNY Do you still want me? SCENE 7 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal is now actively immersed in his memories. He's leaning back in his chair, gazing at nothing in particular. He absentmindedly fiddles with a pencil in his left hand. Amadeus, now sixteen, closes a suitcase on his bed. It contains most of his meager belongings. Next to it sits a violin in a case. It's not a particularly impressive instrument, but it took him a year to save up for it. Amadeus takes a deep breath, then picks up his two pieces of luggage. His mother, now looking ten years older, stands in the doorway. WOMAN Are you sure you want to do this? AMADEUS Yeah. WOMAN You've done so well in school these past few years. Don't you want to go to a regular college? AMADEUS No. I want to play music. That's all I want to do with myself. WOMAN Your father doesn't approve. AMADEUS He's never approved of anything I've done. I don't think he could start now. Amadeus glances over at the corner where his sister's fishbowl once sat, long ago. AMADEUS (sighing) We could never please him. Not me. Not you. WOMAN Your father loves us. He's worked so hard to keep this family together. AMADEUS Then why do I want to move away? Amadeus's mother doesn't respond. Amadeus grits his teeth as he carries the luggage through the door. As he passes, his mother throws her arms around him in a hug. WOMAN Promise you'll write. AMADEUS I'll write you, Mom. I promise. WOMAN Promise you'll visit. AMADEUS (defeated) Whenever I can. This placates Amadeus's mother, who lets him go. He walks into the living room and stops. Stanard is sitting in an old recliner, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. He has an eye patch over his eye. The intervening nine years have given him quite a beer gut, and the drink in his left hand isn't helping. He flips TV channels with the remote in his right. Amadeus hesitates but finally decides to speak. AMADEUS Bye, dad. STANARD (not looking away from the TV) Hrmph. Good riddance. Amadeus just nods at this, then turns toward the door. STANARD You coulda been something, you little runt. Amadeus opens the door, not listening. STANARD You're the damn smallest toad I've ever seen, and you couldn't work a real job if your scrawny life depended on it. But you finally wised up and got good grades, and you coulda got some namby-pamby job and made enough money to support you mom and me when we're too old to work. (beat) But no, you're too special for that. You've got to go to music school and play music with a buncha girls. (beat) You're a disgrace to this family. I never wanted you. Far as I'm concerned, I have no son. AMADEUS (walking out the door) Far as I'm concerned, I never had a father. Amadeus slams the door shut behind him, then begins his long walk to the nearest bus stop. As he's leaving his yard, he hears someone call his name. VOICE Amadeus! Amadeus turns and looks behind him. He sees his neighbor, MRS. PADDINGTON, waving at him. She's a thin toad in a blue dress. AMADEUS Mrs. Paddington? PADDINGTON (calling) Where are you going? Amadeus walks over to the house next door, where Mrs. Paddington stands on the front steps, a fishbowl in her hand. AMADEUS I've been accepted to the New Bufona Conservatory of Music and Product Placement. PADDINGTON That's wonderful! Congratulations. AMADEUS I didn't know you were out of the hospital. (looks at the bowl) How was the delivery? PADDINGTON (smiling) I had twins! Mrs. Paddington holds up the bowl. Amadeus squints and can just barely make out two tadpoles swimming around. AMADEUS Gosh, they're tiny! Is that because they came so early? PADDINGTON Yep. The docs were worried there might be problems because they came so early, but look at 'em go! Amadeus looks closely. The two tadpoles swim haltingly and erratically, as if they're not exactly sure what to do. He looks at their still-developing faces and notices that one has a much larger chin than the other one. AMADEUS (diplomatically) Yeah, they're doing great! PADDINGTON You'll have to come visit and watch them grow up! AMADEUS You know I will, Mrs. Paddington. Have you named them yet? PADDINGTON When I thought I was having one, I was going to name him after his father, but I can't call them both Frex Junior, now can I? AMADEUS (smiling) I'm sure you'll think of something. (looks at his watch) I have to go, Mrs. Paddington. I don't want to miss my bus. PADDINGTON Of course you don't. So nice to see you, Amadeus! Good luck! AMADEUS Thanks! Amadeus turns around and begins walking down the sidewalk. SCENE 8 - FRONT YARD, THE OSBOURNE RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy and Scott stand about twenty feet apart in Scott's front yard. Willy has on an ill-fitting baseball glove, and Scott is tossing a baseball up and down, a better-fitting glove on his left hand. WILLY Are you sure this is a good idea? SCOTT Why not? I mean, I'm not Mr. All-American, but I'm taking it upon myself to show you the things normal people do. WILLY (looks at his mitt) Are you sure this is what normal people do? SCOTT I have no idea whatsoever. Catch! Scott lobs the ball at Willy. Willy, despite never having played baseball in his life, catches it smoothly in the mitt. SCOTT There you go! Nice catch. WILLY (blushing) Thanks, I guess. SCOTT You've got some reflexes. You sure you never played sports? WILLY Nope. Just dodged a lot of plasma fire. That probably explains the reflexes. (beat) So I throw this back to you, or what? SCOTT Yep. Willy tosses the ball, which goes about three feet to Scott's left and a few feet over his head. Scott has to run after the ball to get it. SCOTT I believed you when you said you'd never played. You didn't have to prove it! WILLY Sorry. I'll work on that. SCOTT (having retrieved the ball) It's all good. So really, your dad never played any sports with you at all? WILLY Nope. My dad hates sports. (catching the ball) He said they were designed as mindless entertainment for the unenlightened masses. He also complained about how they discriminated against people who couldn't afford the equipment. Willy throws the ball back, slightly more accurately this time. Scott manages to catch it. SCOTT That sounds in line with everything else you've told me about your folks. I just can't believe you've never held a basketball or swung a tennis racket or anything. WILLY Oh, I had to play basketball and stuff in school. I was terrible at it. I always got picked last for teams and stuff unless we were playing Frisbee. SCOTT (tossing the ball) Frisbee? WILLY (catching it) Yeah. My dad and I actually did play Frisbee a lot. He liked that it wasn't a big, nationalized, televised sport industry. And it was also egalitarian. You didn't need an expensive football helmet or basketball hoop. Just a dollar piece of plastic. (beat) I mean, he hated that the Frisbees weren't biodegradable, but he wasn't *that* unreasonable. SCOTT Crazy. Well, after I teach you some baseball, you should teach me some Frisbee. I never was very good at it. WILLY I can do that. Heck, I actually taught a bunch of four-armed ducks how to use a Frisbee as a war weapon. SCOTT (blinks) That's going under the category of "things I'm just not going to ask you about." WILLY That's getting to be a pretty big category, isn't it? SCOTT Everyone's got stuff like that. Knowing what questions not to ask is part of being someone's friend. WILLY (smiles) That makes sense. SCENE 9 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal is staring off into space when his comm beeps. AIR MARSHAL Wha? ... Jerking forward in his chair, the Air Marshal answers the call. AIR MARSHAL (into comm, a bit dazed) What? What is it? A STORMTOAD on the other end shrugs. STORMTOAD (over comm) It's Sergeant Krug, sir. He wants to know when ... AIR MARSHAL Tell Krug it'll be ready when it's ready! I'm making them work as fast as I can! STORMTOAD OK, sir. The Air Marshal deactivates his comm, grumbling. He shakes his head. AIR MARSHAL Impatient buffoons, all of them! The Air Marshal, still tired, leans back in his chair again and continues daydreaming. It's now 3209, the year KOMPLEX took over and brainwashed the toads. A twenty-eight-year-old Amadeus has returned home for the first time in years. His mother, now almost fifty, greets him at the front door. She is freshly brainwashed, as is Amadeus. WOMAN Hail KOMPLEX! AMADEUS Hail KOMPLEX! WOMAN It's good to see you, son. AMADEUS It's good to see you too, mom. I just wanted to come home and tell you that I've been drafted into the army to serve KOMPLEX! WOMAN (beaming with genuine pride) That's wonderful! I knew you would be among the ninety-eight percent of toads ages twelve to forty-five chosen to serve! AMADEUS (a little worried) Is ... dad here? WOMAN Of course not. He's working hard at the factory. It makes military weapons now, all to crush the mammals for the glory of KOMPLEX! AMADEUS Glory to KOMPLEX! WOMAN He'll be so happy you are fighting in the military instead of teaching violin lessons anymore! Deep down, this sparks a painful response in Amadeus. The brainwashing is certainly powerful enough to override this feeling, but not enough to completely destroy or mask it. AMADEUS I ... I am happy, too! To think of all the years I've wasted by not serving the military! WOMAN But now we are a happy family again, all thanks to KOMPLEX! Amadeus smiles -- a genuine, if basically involuntary, smile. Just then, there's a knock at the door. MRS. PADDINGTON Amadeus? Is that you? Amadeus opens the door. AMADEUS Hi, Mrs. Paddington! Glory to KOMPLEX! MRS. PADDINGTON (smiling) Glory to KOMPLEX! I just came over because I saw you were here. You're going into the military, I bet! AMADEUS Happy to serve KOMPLEX! Mrs. Paddington's next words are as serious as they can be, considering the brainwashed bliss everyone is under. MRS. PADDINGTON Will you please look after my boys in the military, Amadeus? You know they're not the smartest or the strongest. They want to serve KOMPLEX so much, and I'm worried they won't reach their full potential! AMADEUS Sure! It's a big military, but I'll do anything I can to make sure they serve KOMPLEX to the best of their abilities! WOMAN You're such a loyal toad, Amadeus. AMADEUS Thanks, mom. WOMAN Don't thank me! Thank KOMPLEX! AMADEUS, WOMAN, and MRS. PADDINGTON (in unison) Hail KOMPLEX! SCENE 10 - MIKE MARISON'S APARTMENT, GENUS Mike's jaw drops. He stammers and sweats as he tries to speak. MIKE I-I-I ... what? Jenny smoothly closes the door behind her, and it shuts with a click. She takes a few steps toward Mike, her heels making sharp clicking sounds that resonate through the room. She holds her body seductively and speaks in a silky smooth tone. JENNY I said ... do you still want me? Mike feels his temperature rise uncomfortably. He takes a step back. MIKE I ... I don't know what you mean? JENNY (smiling) You know exactly what I mean. You've been thinking of me ever since you joined our ship. MIKE Y-y-yeah, but that was before I knew ... JENNY (raising an eyebrow) Knew what? MIKE You know, er ... about you. About you and Bucky. JENNY (smoothly) I don't want to hear that name. Jenny continues to step forward, swaying as she walks. Mike backs up in response, nearly at the wall now. He feels a funny sensation all through his body. MIKE But-but-but ... I know you've been mad at each other lately, but you love him. JENNY This has nothing to do with love, Mike. You should know that. MIKE I-I ... I what? I have no idea what's going on here. Jenny puts her paws on her hips and smiles. JENNY You really *don't* know anything about Aldebaran, do you? Jenny reaches forward and places one finger on Mike's chest. She traces a few circles and then begins to run the finger up his neck. JENNY I really should teach you about your heritage. MIKE (dripping sweat) I-I-I ... this is wrong, this is ... JENNY (peering into Mike's eyes) If you don't want this to happen, then say just so. Mike gulps. MIKE Well, I-I-I ... I wouldn't say *that* ... Jenny grins. SCENE 11 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal is fast asleep at his desk, dreaming of his past. Amadeus, now wearing an athletic shirt and a pair of boxers emblazoned with bold K's, stands next to his bed in the toad military barracks, folding the sheets. Fortunately for him, it's the lower bunk. All around him are similarly dressed TOADS attending to their small personal spaces. Amadeus finishes tidying up, then glances at his small satchel underneath his bed. It contains only a few pairs of clothes; his violin is nowhere to be seen. A very small hint of sadness is visible on his face. Just then, the walls light up as several monitors spring to life, displaying the sneering face of KOMPLEX. Every toad, Amadeus included, snaps to attention, saluting with a punch to the head. KOMPLEX My loyal toads, listen well to what I have to say to you. You know me as KOMPLEX. I have spent years molding and shaping this society, guiding it so that it may achieve its full potential. That potential has now been realized. (beat) Now, we must look beyond Anura. We must set our sights upon the rest of the aniverse. It is ours for the taking. Just because mammals inhabit other planets does not mean those planets belong to them. They belong to us. They belong to me. And we will remind them of that fact through whatever means necessary. (beat) You are called to do your best for KOMPLEX. Your mothers and fathers shall work in our factories, producing the finest in military equipment. Your skilled peers will staff our laboratories, designing newer and deadlier technology. Your sisters will monitor all activities and keep our society running smoothly. And you and your brothers will found the glorious new Toad Empire with your blood and your sweat, your bones and your corpses. Every toad responds in unison. TOADS (calling) Yes, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! KOMPLEX continues. KOMPLEX You come from different backgrounds, different ways of life. But there is much that unifies you. You are all toads. You are all soldiers. You are all superior to those beyond our borders. And you are all loyal to me. (beat) Fear not if you are not the smartest toad, or the bravest toad, or the strongest toad. You all will have your chances to please your ruler. You all serve a role to KOMPLEX. A swing-arm whooshes down from the ceiling. Its monitor also displays KOMPLEX's likeness. He looks around momentarily before settling on Amadeus. KOMPLEX Even this toad. This short, unpleasant toad. Your name is Amadeus Quiglet Mosswater, is it not? AMADEUS (trembling slightly) Y-yes, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX This toad may not appear much on first glance. He is the shortest among you all. But he has a bright and glorious future for KOMPLEX and for the glory of all toads. With his loyalty, he will reach his full potential. (beat) Do your best, Amadeus, for me, and I will greatly be pleased. The glory of KOMPLEX will shine upon you. The swing-arm slides back up to the ceiling. KOMPLEX continues to speak on the other monitors. KOMPLEX All of you shall please KOMPLEX! All of you shall dedicate your lives to the glory of the Toad Empire and the destruction of all those who oppose it! Now go, my loyal toads! Fight! Destroy! Conquer! The room erupts in loud cheers. Amadeus is among the toads celebrating the awe that their leader has inspired. In the back of his mind, another thought emerges. AMADEUS (thinking while cheering) As the toads cheer, Amadeus's voice echoes even louder. SCENE 12 - GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UAC HEADQUARTERS, GENUS Restrained chaos runs throughout the assembly as everyone murmurs excitedly or apprehensively among themselves. VICE CHAIRMAN SANZER GRIFF bangs his gavel at the front, to no avail. GRIFF Order, order! Control yourselves, all of you! A weary CHAIRMAN SIRIUS DOGSTAR stands. DOGSTAR I don't think they plan to control themselves at all, Dogstar. (shakes his head) I see no reason to deny you your voice. The senator from Terra may continue. A stocky kat in a clean business suit remains standing among the general disarray. SENATOR NURAS clears his throat before continuing. NURAS That is very civil of you, Chairman. Thank you for not suppressing me and my voice, as some others might have tried to do. (beat) However, despite your respect for protocol, I must repeat my call for you to resign. (looking around) You have no support here, Chairman, and you know it. Your policies are quickly bankrupting the UAC. Your desire to fuel the war machine despite unprecedented quiet from the toads has had deleterious effects whose repercussions may last for generations. At this, COUNCILMAN JOSEPH MORELAND, the hare representative from Warren, jolts up from his seat at the Security Council desk and glares at Nuras. MORELAND Unprecedented quiet? They destroyed the APES system! They tried to turn the Canards against us! The toads aren't being quiet! They're just being sneaky! DOGSTAR Councilman Moreland, I appreciate your support, but it is not your turn to speak ... MORELAND Cram it, Dogstar! These people aren't following the rules of order, so why should I? (facing the crowd) Your people are suffering from decreased morale, yes. But imagine what their morale would be like if they were forced into slave labor by the toads! My people -- my entire people -- were enslaved, and I among them! How can we possibly underestimate the toads? COUNCILMAN CHANNOC FADRIGO, the wolf representative from Carno I, responds. FADRIGO No one is underestimating the toads. And don't you forget they enslaved me, too! But that doesn't mean we can't question Dogstar's leadership. There has to be a better way to spend our funds! We can't purchase our way out of this war! We have to think our way out of it, and we have to fight our way out of it! An elderly PIG in the General Assembly stands and speaks. PIG And we don't have to do it through the UAC, either! A dozen planets have left this governing body since Dogstar took over. That's more than have left in the thirty years prior combined. And I should know, because I've been here! Maybe the time for the UAC is over. Maybe we should all decide on our own how to fight the toads. The frenzy heightens even farther. Nuras looks around, as if pleased at the commotion he has started. Griff continues to bang his gavel, futilely. GRIFF Order! What is wrong with everyone? Order! DOGSTAR What is wrong is that they're fed up. Not everyone hears Dogstar over the noise, but those that do turn to him. DOGSTAR I am fed up, too. I wish this war were over. I wish I could say this military spending was unnecessary. (beat) But all of you elected me to fight a war, and to my dying breath, I will fight this war. If you don't want to help us fight the toads, then get out. I have no use for you. The UAC has no use for you. But if the toads give you any trouble, don't come crying to me. There is no greater threat facing the aniverse than the toad menace. Either we can unite against it, or we can let it crush us one by one. (beat) There. I have spoken out of turn, as many of you have. I would like to humbly request, in my startlingly limited authority as Chairman, that we return to the rules of order that define us as a civilized, sophisticated governing body. By now, the noise has quieted considerably, though by no means completely. DOGSTAR Senator Nuras from Terra. Any other statements? NURAS None, sir. DOGSTAR (under his breath) Good riddance. Griff sighs as he continues the proceedings. SCENE 13 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal is still asleep. Propped back in his chair, he has a smile on his face. His left hand clutches the medals pinned to his chest. Amadeus stands in the control room of a climate converter. Looking a few years older, he wears a commander's uniform, and five medals are pinned to his chest. He stands straight and proud, if not particularly tall. Through the windows of the converter, storm clouds give up a torrential downpour, and howling winds whistle through the air, though the converter stands firm. Monitors surveying the scene on the ground show lines and lines of mammals standing in the mud in chains, taken as slaves by the stormtoads pointing guns at them. Amadeus stands in front of monitor showing the face of a SQUAD LEADER. SQUAD LEADER (over comm) The planet is secured, Commander. These mammals actually put up a bit of a fight, but they were no match for us. AMADEUS (excellent) Excellent! That will teach those mammals to defy the will of KOMPLEX! SQUAD LEADER Sounds like another medal for you, sir. AMADEUS (beaming on the inside) All for the glory of KOMPLEX, of course! The Squad Leader's face suddenly vanishes, to be replaced by that of KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Commander Mosswater. I have received word of your successful conquest of planet Arctuus. AMADEUS Yes, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! We'll have those mammals working in the iridium mines before dusk! KOMPLEX Excellent. Your master is once again proud of you. This is the fifteenth planet you have conquered for the Toad Empire. Such an accomplishment has seldom been matched, and a reward is in order. AMADEUS (hopeful) Another medal? KOMPLEX No, Commander. For your valor, bravery, cunning, and commitment to the Toad Empire, I am promoting you to my third in command. Commander Mosswater, I have had my eye on you ever since you were a lowly stormtoad. But today, you fill a much greater role. You are one of my most trusted soldiers. You are now my Air Marshal. Amadeus does not speak at first, being at a loss for words. The feeling of being appreciated, being loved, always drives him to work harder, and this particular reward feels euphoric. AIR MARSHAL Thank you, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! I shall continue to serve the Toad Empire to the best of my ability in my newfound role. KOMPLEX Report back to the Homeworld for your new uniform and next assignment. (beat) Also, as Air Marshal, you shall require two attendants. Please choose carefully and inform me of your decision. I require that you not choose valuable soldiers whose loss on the battlefield would be felt. AIR MARSHAL (pondering) I already have two in mind, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Excellent. You think quickly in all matters, Air Marshal. Congratulations again on a job well done. SCENE 14 - THE OSBOURNE RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy and Scott walk in the front door, both of them slightly sweaty. SCOTT I'd definitely say you've got the hang of catching, Willy. Next time, I'll take you down to the batting cages, and we'll see how hard you can hit. WILLY (wiping his brow) That was actually kinda fun. I'm not used to getting that much activity unless I'm running from the toads or something. SCOTT You've missed out on a lot, lemme tell ya. WILLY (pats his stomach) Right now, I'm missing out on dinner. My folks aren't expecting me, so I can hang out a little longer. SCOTT Well, where do you want to eat? WILLY Well, I'm not a very good cook ... SCOTT (blinks) Cook? Willy, you're a sixteen-year-old guy. Your dinner options are McDonald's, Burger King, and Jack in the Box. WILLY Huh. Fast food. I didn't even think about that. SCOTT Wait, your parents are hippy-dippy vegans, right? When's the last time you had a burger? WILLY Well ... I'm guessing tofu burgers don't count? SCOTT Nope. WILLY And most folks in the aniverse don't eat burgers, for obvious reasons. I mean, I've had them at school every now and then ... SCOTT Dude, I am not going to let *school* be the only place you have a normal life. C'mon, I'm gonna show you a treat. Let's go to In-N-Out Burger. You'll never want to eat bean sprouts again. WILLY (smiling) I never wanted to eat them in the first place. SCENE 15 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD It is now evening on the Toad Homeworld. The Air Marshal, having made it the entire day without KOMPLEX yelling at him, packs up his belongings and begins the short walk to his nearby bedroom. As he walks down the hall, his mind wanders yet again. Amadeus, now in his full Air Marshal regalia, walks up to the front door of the house he can barely remember. The building itself now has a steel frame covering it, but it's recognizable as the house he grew up in. All along the block, the yards have been replaced with metal, converting the trees and swampland into part of the planet's mechanical landscape. It's been years since Amadeus's last visit, which happened right after KOMPLEX took over. He knows his parents are alive, but otherwise he knows not what to expect. The Air Marshal steels himself, then knocks on the door. After a moment, it creaks open, and his mother appears. She has not aged well, but she still musters up the energy to welcome her son. WOMAN Amadeus! Look at you! AIR MARSHAL (smiling) Hey, mom! The old woman manages to give her son a hug. WOMAN It's so good to see you! We haven't forgotten about you, you know. AIR MARSHAL I know. I haven't forgotten you either. This is the first vacation I've had in five years. WOMAN Well, we are so glad you could visit! Come in and tell us all about the glory you've brought to KOMPLEX! The Air Marshal enters. The house is as he remembered it, except clearly older and more run down. He looks around, and he spots movement in the living room chair. It's Stanard. The gruff, muscular toad of Amadeus's youth has been replaced by a thin, feeble old toad wearing the same ragged clothing as always. He turns and looks at his son. STANARD Amadeus. The Air Marshal looks closely. The gleam of anger he remembers as characterizing his father's eyes is gone, replaced with the dim fog of brainwashing. STANARD I hear you've done great things for KOMPLEX. AIR MARSHAL (hesitantly) Y-yeah, dad. I have. STANARD I always knew you would. Stanard coughs. STANARD Ever since you were a young boy, you've been so devoted to KOMPLEX. This statement strikes the Air Marshal as not being quite right, but somehow, he can't figure out what's wrong with it. STANARD I am so, so proud to look at my boy and say, "That is the son I raised. That is the man I gave to the service of KOMPLEX!" (beat) Your mother and I are very proud, son. The Air Marshal just stands silently for a moment. Even with the brainwashing in place, he remembers having an unhappy childhood. He remembers his father losing his temper all the time. He remembers once having a sister. And now, his father is acting as though nothing ever happened, as though he's always been proud of him. The Air Marshal feels all the energy and motivation drift out of him at once. He takes a few steps forward, approaching his father. AIR MARSHAL Thanks, dad. STANARD (coughing) Thank you, son. I just wish your sister could be alive to see you like this. (shakes his fist feebly) Those damn mammals had to take her, didn't they? (turns to his son) But you got them back, all right. You got them good. (coughs) Remember when you wanted to play the violin? You were such a funny kid. The Air Marshal looks at the withered, addled husk that represents all the suffering he went through as a child. He thinks of all the times he tried to please him. He thinks of all the effort he put into pleasing KOMPLEX instead. And now, he doesn't know what to think. SCENE 16 - MIKE MARISON'S APARTMENT, GENUS Mike groans and rolls over, pulling the sheets with him. He's asleep in his bed. Sunlight peers through the blinds, but he's an expert at sleeping in. Only the clacking of heels pulls him from his slumber. MIKE Huh? Mike slowly sits up and looks around his room. He spots Jenny zipping up the back of her black dress. The memories from last night flood back. MIKE Oh ... (blinks) Oh, boy. Jenny walks up to Mike and smiles. She puts a finger underneath his chin and brings his gaze up to meet hers. JENNY You're more of an Aldebaran than I realized. How fortunate. Taking a step back, Jenny turns toward the door. JENNY Thank you for last night. (smiling) Don't forget. We have patrol in three hours. See you there. Jenny closes the door behind her. Mike rubs his eyes, still sitting up, still confused. The ramifications of his actions slowly dawn on him. His tail goes limp, and his ears droop. He rubs his face with his paw. MIKE Oh, this is not gonna be good. SCENE 17 - THE AIR MARSHAL'S BEDROOM, THE TOAD HOMEWORLD The Air Marshal sighs as he opens the door to his bedroom -- a small, dingy cell of a room with only a few decorations on the walls and a relatively soft mattress that indicates the Air Marshal's position of status. He rummages through the small dresser against the wall as he pulls out a pair of red pajamas. Dressed for bed, the Air Marshal flicks off the light and climbs under the covers. He stares at the ceiling, unable to sleep. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) The Air Marshal suddenly closes his eyes and shakes his head, afraid of his own thoughts. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) Working up a sweat, the Air Marshal calms down. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) (beat) This thought scares the Air Marshal. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) (beat) (beat) In a moment of weakness, compounded by not watching Toad TV all day and by the thoughts he's occupied his mind with, the Air Marshal dares to think an unforgivable thought. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) SCENE 18 - COCKPIT, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE sits in his seat onboard The Righteous Indignation, checking sensors and preparing for another day on patrol. A few minutes before launch, Jenny walks in, wearing her normal silver armor. Bucky immediately notices that she's carrying herself differently, and she seems quite pleased with herself. BUCKY What's up? Jenny says nothing as she sits down and begins checking her station. BUCKY (sour) Still not talking to me? Again, Jenny does not respond. BUCKY You're going to have to talk to me if we're going to make it through this patrol successfully. JENNY (looking at the control panel) If it's about patrol or about this ship, I will talk to you. BUCKY But past that? Jenny responds by pressing a button and activating the comm to the engineering bay. JENNY (into comm) Mike, are you there? MIKE (over comm, skittish) Uh, yeah. I'm here. JENNY Good. You made it. I just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful evening. There is silence for a moment. Mike finally responds. MIKE Can we talk about that later, please? JENNY Of course. We *are* about to launch, after all. Jenny closes communications. Bucky gives her a sideways glance, not sure what is going on but sure it's not good. BUCKY What was that about? JENNY We're ready to launch, Bucky. BUCKY (irritated) Dammit, Jenny, this is about my ship. This is about my first mate and my engineer. What was that all about? JENNY You withheld information from me. I'm just following the example of my Captain. Bucky's eyes grow wide. He presses the comm button. BUCKY (into comm) Mike, get up here! JENNY (protesting) You leave him out of this. BUCKY You clearly didn't leave him out of this! JENNY This has nothing to do with Mike. Mike climbs into the cockpit slowly. MIKE Yes, Captain? BUCKY (knowingly) What's going on between you and Jenny? JENNY Don't answer him, Mike. Mike's ears droop. MIKE Captain, I know you and Jenny have been having arguments lately, and I know as a crewmember, I'm going to get sucked into them, but I'd really like to stay out of this if at all possible. BUCKY Then you shouldn't have slept with her! JENNY (to Bucky) Well, you shouldn't have slept with Mimi! BUCKY (to Jenny) Well, you shouldn't have abandoned Genus! In the shouting match that ensues, Mike quietly slips back down the ladder, thankful to be unnoticed. MIKE (under his breath) This was the dumbest thing I could possibly have done. I can't believe I slept her with her just because she showed up at my doorstep in that outfit and asked me to. Mike continues talking to himself as he returns to engineering bay. MIKE (glumly) Actually, when I put it like that ... SCENE 19 - THE OSBOURNE RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Scott and Willy sit on the living room couch. Willy clutches his stomach. WILLY Man, that was delicious. I haven't eaten like that in forever. SCOTT Glad I can show you there's good stuff to do on Earth after all. WILLY Very funny. (beat) Now that you mention it, though, I do need to get back to the aniverse at some point. SCOTT I thought you said you resigned from their ship. WILLY I did, but I'm still working there. They have a lab set up for me. At first, I was trying to figure out a way to get past the toad planet's defenses, but I came across this weird old Aldebaran technology Jenny brought back from her planet, and I've been tinkering with it. Scott flattens his right hand and puts it on top of his head. SCOTT This is me. Scott raises his hand up about a foot. SCOTT This is what you just said. Scott curves his hand behind his head in one smooth motion, simulating something going over his head. SCOTT Whoosh. WILLY You know, if you ever want to come check it out, I'm sure they'd be happy to ... SCOTT (waving his hands) Nah, that's OK. I have enough trouble keeping things straight on one planet. No reason to complicate things even more. WILLY (a little disappointed) Oh. SCOTT Does it really mean that much to you? WILLY I guess not. It's just, you know, that place is my second home. And I'm finally making Earth my *first* home, and I guess I want to integrate the two. SCOTT Dude, if you get different things out of each of them, just keep them separate. Otherwise, if one goes bad, both go bad. WILLY Fine, fine, I'll drop it. SCOTT But you had a good time today? WILLY Definitely. We should hang out again next time you're free. SCOTT My aunt is actually out of town next weekend, too. You free that Friday? WILLY (pauses) Actually, no. I'm hanging out with Jeff and Susie that Friday. Scott raises his eyebrows. SCOTT Jeff and Susie aren't unicorns or anything, are they? WILLY (rolling his eyebrows) Ha, ha. No, they're these two people I went to middle school with. We kinda ... got back in touch. SCOTT Well, damn. And here I thought I was your only Earthling friend. Count me jealous! WILLY C'mon, Scott. SCOTT I'm kidding, I'm kidding. (beat) Are they hot? WILLY They? SCOTT Susie. She hot? WILLY I ... dunno. (pondering) I guess I haven't really thought about it ... SCOTT When's the last time a girl came on to you, man? And if you say school again ... WILLY (thinks about Felicia) It's ... never happened. SCOTT Well, here's your big chance! Willy gives Scott a look. WILLY She didn't come on to me. And Jeff is gonna be there. I don't know where all this is coming from. SCOTT I just want you to have fun, man. You've shown me you can get your head out of a science textbook and not think about talking cats for a while. Keep up the good work. Willy is silent for a moment. WILLY This was really good for me today. Thanks, Scott. SCOTT Happy to help, man. I've seen my share of troubles, too. Gotta enjoy the good times whenever you can. WILLY I'll call you? SCOTT You better. WILLY I will. Have a good night, Scott. SCOTT Seeya. With a happy look on his face, Willy walks out the front door, closing it behind him. SCENE 20 - CITY STREETS, GENUS That night, Bucky is lost in his thoughts as he drives toward his apartment. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky turns hard to the right. BUCKY (thinking) (beat) Bucky grits his teeth. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky's grip on the steering wheel tightens. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky slows down as he pulls into his apartment complex's parking garage. BUCKY (thinking) A twinge of sadness running through him, Bucky steps outside of his vehicle and locks it. He walks outside the parking deck and begins crossing the street to his building. Distracted, his gaze wanders around his surroundings and happens to barely catch a glint of light coming from a window in the building next to his apartment. The warning is just enough. Bucky instinctively steps to the left, and a maser rifle blast whizzes past, going right through where he was standing. BUCKY Frell! His mind focused, Bucky dodges into the shadows as two more blasts follow. Adrenaline racing, Bucky keeps his mind sharp. BUCKY (thinking) Pausing to make sure no more fire is coming, Bucky darts across the street. One more shot rings out, but it doesn't come as close to him as the first few did. Bucky continues running, then makes a mighty leap four stories up, landing at the open window his assailant is firing from. Bucky doesn't even wait to make out the SNIPER. He kicks at the form in front of him as he dives through the window. SNIPER Oof! The figure falls backward, and his positioned rifle falls to the side. Bucky pulls out his blaster as he steps forward and kicks the sniper again. The sniper scrambles to get up, but Bucky has his weapon trained on him. Bucky gets a good look at the fox standing in front of him. He wears a black shirt, black pants, and a tight black hat. Bucky doesn't recognize him. BUCKY (angrily) Who sent you? SNIPER Bite me. Bucky responds by shooting the sniper in the shoulder. The fox roars in pain and reaches for his wound. His assailant distracted, Bucky takes his blaster and clocks the fox in the face with it. The fox falls to the ground, unconscious. Bucky, breathing heavily, takes a step forward. BUCKY Cryer said there was a bounty on my head ... but I thought he was just crazy ... Bucky searches the sniper's unconscious body. Finding a pocket comm, he reviews the most recent frequencies contacted. BUCKY These aren't on Genus, wherever they are. Keeping one eye on the sniper, Bucky dials the most recent contact. After a moment, a VOICE comes through the comm. It's garbled and muffled, keeping Bucky from possibly recognizing it. VOICE Is he dead? BUCKY Not quite. Who is this? The comm falls silent. Bucky shakes it. BUCKY (louder) Who is this?! Bucky barely restrains himself from flinging the comm across the room. He looks at the unconscious sniper, then back at the comm. BUCKY Dammit. THE END