Homunculus

 

 

Genre: Sci-fi, Horror, Thriller

Setting: Space Delivery Vessel: Solaris, 2709 A.D

Runtime: 20 Minutes

Stage: Proscenium

 

Characters:

 

LUTH HARKONEN / THE OTHER: Ship Captain (Female) Pronounced: Looth Hark-own-nen

 

CADEN: Company Engineer (Male) Pronounced: Cay-den

 

DEMMY: Electronics Officer (Female) Pronounced: Dem-ee

 

GRAIN: Hired Security (Male) Pronounced: Grain

 

ZION: Staff Doctor, Married to ELLIO (Female) Pronounced: Zy-on

 

ELLIO: Void Scientist, Married to ZION (Male) Pronounced: Elly-o

 

ULLY: Sonar Navigator (Female) Pronounced: Ul-ly

 

NARI: Resident Astronaut (Male) Pronounced Nar-ry

 

 

A.R.E.S = Evil Corporation. Pronounced Aries

Stasis Container = Large Metal Box. Pronounced Stay-sis Contain-er

 

Gravers = Guns

 

Nails = Bullets

 

'Smeghead' = Moron

 

'Shize' 'Frak' = Swear Words

 

Red Writing = Writer's Notes

Words in Italics = The Actor/Actress should place particular emphasis on that word.

WORDS IN CAPITALS = The Actress/Actor should deliver these lines very loudly.

 

 

 

(LUTH, Recording Chamber, sitting in a chair facing the audience)

 

 

LUTH: (Speaking for a recorder camera) This is Captain Luth Harkonen: Solaris journal entry One, the date is 01/13/2709 and we have been on course for... (She checks her watch) five hours. So, first job outside the central sector in years. The A.R.E.S Corporation finally forgave me for my sins and is now paying me 50,000 Merits to transport 100 crates of Magma Fuel to from Set to Mars...(she taps her hand on her leg and smiles wryly) yeah, I'm not buying it. A.R.E.S is up to its old tricks again, getting yours truly to fly in contraband goods without telling me what else is in the crates aside from fuel. I couldn't care less, as long as I get my dues I'm happy as a bunny.(She stretches) Met the crew today: decent bunch, a little weird though. Only on the job for a week so I doubt we'll get to swap war stories. Oh well, Luth out.

 

 

(Scene change, Cargo Hold. GRAIN and NARI are attempting to pry open a crate with two wrenches)

 

GRAIN: (Struggling) Easy he said, open before you know it he said!

 

NARI: (Also Struggling) Quit whining and put your back into it!

 

(Enter ULLY)

 

ULLY: (Arms folded) What in Hades are you smegheads doing? That's the Corporation's private Magma Fuel.

 

(The two men give up trying and face ULLY)

 

NARI: Like hell it is, all the other crates have been fine but this one (he points at the crate) weighs a tonne! I was hired to haul fuel, not moon rock (He returns to trying to pry it open).

 

ULLY: (Looking to GRAIN) And what's your excuse for vandalising private property soldier boy?

 

GRAIN (Shrugging) I just wanted to see what's in it. Don't you? (He returns to trying to pry it open with NARI)

 

(After a few seconds of watching the guys failing at opening the crate. ULLY sighs, gets a wrench of her own, and joins in)

 

ULLY: You lot are hopeless...

 

NARI: Atta girl!

 

GRAIN: Keep going, I can feel it giving way

 

(The crate's top snaps open, sending all three of them falling on their behinds. They get up and look down into the contents of the box)

 

NARI: What... is that?

 

 

(Enter LUTH, CADEN and DEMMY. CADEN and DEMMY are fiddling with the contents of the crate on their knees while the standing LUTH scolds NARI, GRAIN and ULLY who are sitting down in a row)

 

 

LUTH: (Speaking down to them) So... Nari, Grain, Ully... you all directly disobeyed my orders to leave the crates be because, and correct me if I'm wrong here: because the crate was too heavy... and you wanted to see what was inside it?

 

NARI:

GRAIN: (Miserably, in unison) Yes...

ULLY:

 

LUTH: (Rolling her eyes) Good grief, now the corporation are probably going to sue us for interfering with their...(She looks at the contents of the crate) Um... (To CADEN and DEMMY) What is it?

 

CADEN: (Resting his hand on the crate) Don't know, some kind of container I think. Never seen one like it before though, looks like it's built to keep something living in stasis.

 

DEMMY: (Standing up and pressing holographic buttons in front of her) Nothings coming up on the Corporation's Data logs, Must be contraband (She gives LUTH a knowing look). Caden's right: it's probably a built to keep a dog in or something.

 

GRAIN: Nah it's too big for a dog.

 

LUTH: (Pointing at GRAIN without looking at him) Quiet you. (She learns towards the crate's interior and mouths a word) What's a Homunculus?

 

DEMMY: What?

 

LUTH: (Looking up at her) It's what is says on the side: Hom-unc-u-lus.

 

(All the other five crowd around the angle she is looking at)

 

ULLY: Oh yeah...

 

CADEN: Sounds like latin, so it might be a medical term seen as the thing's a some sort of stasis container, the doctors would know.

 

(All but LUTH and CADEN groan)

 

NARI: Not the doctors, they give me the creeps.

 

LUTH: (Grinning) The Doctors it is. (She stands up) Come on space cadets, let's haul the thing over to the lab, it can't bethat heavy.

 

 

(Scene change to the Lab. LUTH, CADEN, DEMMY, NARI, GRAIN AND ULLY are sprawled out on chairs, exhausted from carnying the stasis container. ELLIO and ZION have placed it on a table and are busy tweaking with it)

 

ZION: - Fascinating!

 

ELLIO: - Marvellous!

 

ZION: - Outlandish!

 

ELLIO: - Otherworldly!

 

ZION: - Stupen- (LUTH interrupts)

 

LUTH: If you please Doctors: what is it? What is it supposed to house?

 

(ELLIO and ZION look over to LUTH)

 

ELLIO:

(Simultaneously) No Clue!

ZION:

 

(LUTH throws her head back and groans)

 

ZION: Odd name for it though dear: HOMUNCULUS, how ghastly!

 

ELLIO: Quite so, according to legend the Homunculus was a artificially created little man with magic powers and a nose for mischief. Hmph! Well unless the A.R.E.S Corporation has come up with a formula for a man-made human and this is the container, or something equally impossible, I expect that what we have here is nothing more than an advanced dog kennel with a ugly name.

 

GRAIN: It's too big for a dog though.

 

DEMMY: (Smirking) What? So it's for a magic little man?

 

GRAIN: Smeg off!

 

LUTH: (Stood up and walking towards the Doctor's table) Well whatever it is, it's going back in the crate now.

 

(ELLIO and ZION block her path)

 

ELLIO: Oh no, at least let us study it overnight Captain!

 

ZION: Please Captain, we haven't had anything new to analyse in hours!

 

LUTH (Puzzled) We've only been on the ship for six hours, how have you already ran out of stuff to research?

 

ELLIO

(Smiling creepily. Simultaneously) We just have.

ZION

 

(An awkward pause)

 

LUTH: Fine, keep it overnight. But it's going straight back in the crate tomorrow.

 

 

(The screams of ELLIO and ZION ring out across the stage, we return to the lab the next day, where LUTH, CADEN, DEMMY, ULLY, GRAIN AND NARI are all standing: looking at the bodies of the dead doctors on the ground)

 

ULLY: (Sobbing on DEMMY'S arm) What... how could this have happened? What did this?

 

(LUTH Kneels down and checks the bodies)

 

LUTH: (Stern faced) Their throats have been torn apart by something very sharp...

 

DEMMY: The Homunculus...

 

LUTH: No (Interrupting her) The container was empty, nothing was here but the doctors... it may well have been a suicide pact.

 

CADEN: (Noticing something on the floor and walking over to it) This was no suicide pact.

 

LUTH: A Dagger (taking it from CADEN)... covered in blood

 

NARI: Hey wait a minute (Taking the knife from LUTH) This is one of your knives Grain... (turning to GRAIN and looking at him apprehensively)

 

(All look at turn towards GRAIN, he is bewildered)

 

GRAIN: This isn't right, that should be locked up in the armoury. I... you don't think I did this do you? (He steps towards them, they all step back. He slowly lowers his head)

 

LUTH: Shize (she gets out handcuffs from her belt) Grain Sarker I am placing you under ship arrest, you will be held in the cargo hold until were planet-side where a the authorities will undergo a formal investigation (She steps towards GRAIN with the handcuffs)

 

GRAIN: (Stepping back) You can't be serious, I haven't done anything!

 

NARI: (Stepping forwards with LUTH) I'm sorry mate...

 

LUTH: (Still advancing) We've only got six days till we land on Mars, Grain. If what you say is true you'll be a free man within two weeks (She offers him the handcuffs as a sign of good faith)

 

(GRAIN stares at the handcuffs, weighing his options. He exhales and puts his hands out)

 

GRAIN: (LUTH putting the cuffs on him) I didn't do anything...

 

NARI: We know mate (coming round to his right side)

 

(CADEN places himself on GRAIN'S left side)

 

CADEN: Come on, let's go to the cargo hold. I'll watch over you until we're back on Mars.

 

(Exit NARI, GRAIN and CADEN. Leaving the three women standing desolate with the bodies)

 

 

(Exit DEMMY, ULLY and ELLIO and ZION bodies)

 

(Scene Change to the Cargo hold where CADEN is standing outside the imprisoned GRAIN who is sat)

 

 

GRAIN: (Desolate) I can't believe this, I never take my weapons out on civilian ships without reason... it's impossible. How could I have killed anyone?

 

CADEN: (Reassuringly) Look, nothing's certain yet Grain. We're just being careful here. It may well be that the Doctors did themselves in or just fell afoul of their own experiments. We're just being, cautious...

 

GRAIN: Sure, you can say that, you're not the one behind bloody bars.

 

(NARI enters the cargo hold)

 

NARI: Alright Caden? Mind if I have a private word with Grain?

 

(Caden gives Nari a sceptical look)

 

NARI: Oh what? Do you think I'm going to spring him from jail? Tear through the bound steel with my bare hands?

 

(GRAIN chuckles, CADEN smiles)

 

CADEN: Alright fine, but if the Captain finds out about this, it's my head on the line.

 

NARI: (Tapping his nose) Right you are, boss. Mum's the word.

 

(CADEN exits. NARI and GRAIN share a mischievous look)

 

GRAIN: Scumhole (meaning CADEN)

 

(NARI laughs and sits on the floor beside the bars)

 

NARI: So how're they treating you? Food alright, any funny business in the showers?

 

GRAIN: (Playfully) Frak off smeghead, I've been in worse joints than this

 

NARI: Most of them you've had to pay for (They both chuckle)... Hey, I don't care what the rest say, I know you didn't do anything to the Docs.

 

GRAIN: Thanks mate... truth be told I haven't seen people ripped apart like that in years... not since... not since Saturn. (He looks saddened)

 

(NARI gets out a bottle and takes a swig from it before handing it to GRAIN through the bars)

 

NARI: Yeah, well that was a long time ago mate, let the past be the past.

 

GRAIN: (Unsure)... Those rebels, they had to be put down didn't they Nari? Otherwise they would've torn the whole planet apart.

 

NARI: (Looking at his hands) Sure they did mate, sure they did.

 

(Scene Change Luth is in the recording chamber once more, her posture on the chair less easy and confident than before)

 

 

LUTH: Captain Luth Harkonen, Solaris journal entry Two the date is 02/13/ (she pauses, unable to finish)... I don't know what to say. I never thought Grain was capable of being a murderer, I mean I know he's a mercenary but he seemed like a good guy. Him and Nari got on like brothers... but I'd rather believe he did this, I hate the thought of a monster on my ship - ( LUTH is interrupted by a light blackout, all the lights have gone off in the recording chamber) Shize! What in hades is going on? (She presses the communicator on her ear. Meanwhile the standing bodies of ELLIO and ZION enter the stage) Demmy, I've got a power outage here in the control cham-

 

(The lights turn back on for a second, LUTH sees the eerily smiling bodies of ELLIO and ZION standing to her left and right. They are about to attack her, she screams. The lights black out again and the bodies of ELLIO and ZION exit the stage fast. Within a second the lights are back on again and all the audience can see is the terrified LUTH cowering in her chair. A moment passes as she slowly looks around for the bodies)

 

LUTH: (Shaken) Those bloody bodies are going in the cryo tanks...

 

 

(Scene change to the nest day in the cargo hold. The screams of CADEN and NARI ring out across the stage. Enter LUTH, DEMMY, ULLY, NARI, GRAIN and CADEN. NARI and CADEN are on the floor, GRAIN is dead with NARI trying to revive him. DEMMY and ULLY are kneeling beside the alive but dying CADEN while LUTH cradles him in her arms)

 

NARI: Grain? Grain mate? Come on get up!

 

LUTH: Caden? Caden! (Lightly slapping his face) What happened? What did this to you?

 

NARI: Dammit you swine!... we were going to go to Pluto...

 

CADEN: (Lying down on the brink of death. His voice is weak) It rushed us... it was so fast... the Homunculus...(dies)

 

NARI: (Standing angrily) Oh shize!

 

LUTH: Caden? Caden you stay with me. (She gets out two electro charges from a nearby first aid kit and begins shocking his chest).

 

ULLY: (Breaking down) Oh god we're all going to die...

 

DEMMY: (Turning to her angrily) No we are not. Pull yourself together.

 

ULLY: (Almost shouting) Yes we are! That thing got the doctors and now it's gotten Caden and Nari, don't you see? It's wiping us out...

 

(LUTH stops shocking CADEN'S body, he is dead beyond recovery. All stand silent for a moment)

 

ULLY: (Sobbing now) We're all going to die...

 

 

(All Exit Stage. Scene change to the Bridge, he is looking at photographs of GRAIN and himself)

 

NARI: (Smiling Slightly) Hmph, you were always an ugly smeghead, Grain (he exhales sadly) I'll miss you mate.

 

(NARI puts the photos down and picks up a book, the lights begin to flicker. NARI looks around and stands up. He presses his communicator to his ear. The next section will be NARI speaking to an off stage DEMMY on a phone device)

 

NARI: Demmy?

 

DEMMY: Hello? oh hi Nari...

 

NARI: Hi, look the lights in the Bridge are on the fritz again, could you have a go at fixing them?

 

DEMMY: Um, now's not a good time actually...

 

NARI: (Annoyed) What do you mean now's not a good time? You're the bloody Electronics Officer, this is your job. Oh don't tell me you're still hiding in your room.

 

(Lights flicker again)

 

DEMMY: I'm not frakking hiding, I'm... just not feeling well...

 

NARI: Look, Dems: I know how you're feeling. It's been a horrible few days for all of us. But you can't let fear control you like this, you got to stand up to it.

 

(The lights flicker once more and then go out completely)

 

DEMMY: Yeah I guess you're right. Thanks Nari... Nari?

 

(GRAIN enters the stage, the lights turn back on and he's face to face with GRAIN)

 

GRAIN: (Ghostly voice) Come on then mate, stand up to me! (He attacks the terrified NARI and forces on the ground)

 

GRAIN: (Loudly) You let me die! (He then runs off)

 

(NARI runs after him out of the room and bumps into ULLY. This can be done by the actor playing GRAIN to actually exit the stage, while the actor playing NARI will merely run on the spot, then the actress playing ULLY will enter the stage, at that time the actor playing NARI will actually start moving and collide with her)

 

ULLY: (Stumbling) What in Hades are you doing?

 

NARI: Did you see him?

 

ULLY: (Confused) Who?

 

NARI: Grain, he just ran through here!

 

ULLY: (Shaking her head) No one's been through here but me... Nari, are you feeling ok?

 

NARI: (Looking down the hall in longing) No, no I am not.

 

 

(Scene change to DEMMY'S room where DEMMY is on her bed holding her legs and rocking forwards and backwards while humming sadly to herself. ZION is behind her, out of sight of the audience)

 

 

DEMMY: (Lightly singing) Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so...

 

(ZION rises up like on an elevator behind DEMMY and after a moment of gazing down on her, rapidly begins to strangle her from behind. DEMMY struggles, gripping the hands around her neck trying to tear them off)

 

ZION: (Eerily singing while strangling DEMMY) Litt-le ones to him be-long: they are weak but he is strong...

 

(ZION suddenly releases DEMMY and runs off stage, leaving her wheezing and coughing up blood)

 

 

(Scene change to the supply room where ULLY is carrying foodstuff and supplies and putting it on a cargo machine. ELLIO is back stage, the audience can only hear his voice)

 

ELLIO: (Ghostly Voice) It won't stop you know....

 

ULLY: (Turns around rapidly and looks about her) Who's there? Who frakking said that? (She takes out her Nano Knife from its sheath) I'm warning you don't fool around: I'm armed...

 

(ELLIO laughs maniacally)

 

ELLIO: Your threats are meaningless, your weapons cannot harm me (He steps onto the stage) For I am already dead.

 

ULLY: (Hyperventilating in fear while pointing her Nano Knife at the dead man) Please-don't-hurt-me!

 

ELLIO: Don't worry my dear, you have nothing to fear from me, there are already enough monsters on this ship to keep you preoccupied... (He winks)

 

ULLY: The Homunculus, you must have saw it before...

 

ELLIO: (Stepping forward) Yes?

 

ULLY: (Stepping back) Before it killed you... what is it?

 

ELLIO: (Smiling warmly) Why It is the next step of human Evolution my dear. Even as it tore me apart I couldn't help admiring its... devastating superiority. The electric rage in those eyes, it will not stop until everyone on this ship has suffered my fate. It loathes us.

 

ULLY: (Terrified, dropping the Nano Knife) Oh god...

 

ELLIO: (Pondering) Mmmm (Suddenly sparking up with a jump) Well enough of all this, I know there's got to be a afterlife for me somewhere, so I'm off! (Begins to walk away) Oh but before I go, I'd check on that electrician friend of yours, I fear Zion wasn't quite as exited about dying as me, and that girl never did get around to fixing our lights, cheerio!

 

(ELLIO exits leaving ULLY scared and alone)

 

 

 

(Scene change to Luth's quarters where she is sitting on her bed with a recorder in her hand)

 

 

LUTH: Captain Luth Harkonen, Solaris journal entry Three the date is 05/13/2709. I'm recording this from my quarters as the recording chamber seems to be...(the lights flicker around her) malfunctioning. It is now clear to me that we have a hostile presence on this ship, over the last three days everyone has reported having experienced strange... and frightening anomalies all across the ship. (She clears her throat) Grain's name will be cleared of all accusations when we arrive on Mars. I've also placed the bodies of Security Officer Grain Sarker and Engineer Caden Folly in the cryo chamber with that of the Doctors (The lights flicker again). My remaining crew have become... paranoid. Ully is carrying the stasis container around like it will ward off evil spirits, Nari's started carrying round a Graver, and Demmy hasn't been out of her room in two days. Nari came up with the idea that we should all barricade ourselves in the cargo hold with a load of gravers and just wait until we land... no. I refuse to let my ship be taken from me like that.

 

(Another power outage blackout interrupts LUTH'S recording. Enter the bodies of ELLION, ZION, CADEN and GRAIN who surround LUTH, all eerily smiling)

 

LUTH: (Whimpering) No no no no no no no...

 

(The lights turn back on again and to LUTH'S horror she sees the standing bodies smiling around her)

 

LUTH: (Almost whispering) No...

 

(the bodies start screaming in unison, their cry reminiscent of a banshee's. LUTH clasps her ears)

 

LUTH: (Weeping) No, get away, get away, get away from from me. Oh God! (Screaming continues. LUTH shouts as loudly as she can:) GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

 

(The lights go out, all bodies stop screaming and rush off stage. Lights turn back on and we find LUTH clutching her ears in an empty room, she breaks down on the chair, crying).

 

 

(Scene change to the cargo hold. Enter NARI, DEMMY and ULLY who have barricaded themselves for protection along with LUTH, all have Gravers. All are kneeling, aiming their weapons at the audience)

 

 

ULLY: Look! Did you see that? (Pointing her weapon in the direction of the sight)

 

(All point their weapons in that direction)

 

DEMMY: What are you talking about? Nothing's there, stop being paranoid.

 

ULLY: (Spitefully) Says the girl who couldn't come out of her room for three days-

 

DEMMY: Oh like your so brave carrying around this thing - (gesturing to the Stasis Container) – for protection!

 

LUTH: (Pressing buttons on her holo pad) If everybody would shut up for a second I am trying to send out a distress message here. Hades, it's dark. Why haven't we got the lights working properly yet?

 

NARI: (Gruffly) Because our engineer is dead, our Electronics Officer is a coward and there's a monster on our ship... (He cocks his weapon)

 

(All kneel in silence and fear until they hear a voice, it sounds like a little girl singing a lullaby. The lullaby will be sang off stage by the actress playing ZION. They all aim their weapons sharply in different directions)

 

ULLY: (Shaking her head) Oh no...

 

DEMMY: What is that? Hello? Anyone out there?

 

NARI: (Visibly angry) It's the Homunculus you fools, it's bloody taunting us.

 

LUTH: Everyone stay calm, if it wanted to attack us it would have done so by now.

 

(The singing carries on, all the crew grow more and more tense until NARI finally snaps)

 

NARI: (Standing) Oh to hell with this! I'm through hiding, I'm going to kill this bloody thing!

 

(NARI jumps over the barriers)

 

LUTH: No!

 

(NARI exits the stage)

 

LUTH: (Scornful) Damn it! (Turning to DEMMY and ULLY) I'm going after him, stay here. That is an order.

 

(LUTH jumps over the barrier)

 

DEMMY:Wait stop!

(Simultaneously)

ULLY: Don't go!

 

(LUTH runs off the stage, leaving the two women. The lullaby singing carries on. As seconds go by ULLY starts to clutch her hair with one hand with her graver in the other. She is on the verge of a mental breakdown. She steps back so that DEMMY is in her firing range as well as the length of the cargo hold, DEMMY turns around and sees this)

 

DEMMY: (Livid that she has a graver pointed in her direction) What the frak are you doing you smeghead!

 

ULLY: (Shakes her head) I c-can't take any chances, Demmy I want to go home...

 

(The lullaby continues)

 

DEMMY: You get that gun away from me right now Ully or I swear to god....

 

ULLY: (Hyperventilating now) It was – you who – convinced me – to do – this fraking job! (Violently shaking and raising the gun) It's all your fault!

 

DEMMY:(Raising her own weapon) Get that thing out of my face you scum-hole!

 

ULLY: (Shouting now) Or what? You'll kill me like you killed everyone else on this ship you god damn murderer!

 

(DEMMY screams and shoots ULLY in the arm to disarm her, wounded, ULLY falls and returns fire: shooting DEMMY several times in the chest. DEMMY falls down, dead. Ully is left alone, lying there listening to the lullaby. Realising the terrible mistake she has made: she shoots herself in the head. The lullaby stops)

 

 

(Scene change to Hanger)

 

 

(Enter LUTH and NARI. LUTH is running after NARI. They stop in the middle of the stage)

 

NARI: The singing, it's stopped!

 

LUTH: (Panting) I think – I heard – graver fire.

 

(The lights flicker)

 

NARI: Oh bloody hell!

 

LUTH: Come on, back to back. This thing is not sneaking up on us

 

(LUTH and NARI press their backs together and raise their gravers looking all around them. The lights keep on flickering)

 

NARI: God damn it show yourself!

 

(Suddenly LUTH begins to shake uncontrollably, she tries to scream out but find her voice doesn't work. NARI is too busy looking around for the enemy to notice her distress. LUTH'S body begins to randomly spasm and twist, she drops her graver. Then the lights go out for a few seconds)

 

NARI: Oh shize, Captain?

 

(The lights come back on. LUTH has changed, her body language is different: whereas before she stood upright and alert, her legs are now slightly bent, her hands curled like claws, and she is grinning slightly. Even her voice has changed to something ghostly, vicious and whisper like. This is not the LUTH that was present before, this is THE OTHER, and she is facing the back of NARI, studying him)

 

THE OTHER: (For a while she moves as NARI moves, turning and twisting, mimicking his movements like a shadow) I'm here, Nari...

 

NARI: (A confused expression on his face) Captain, what in hades is up with your voice? (He turns around swiftly as he realises what's happening) Oh no, it's you isn't it? You bloody monster you've possessed the Captain! (He raises his graver)

 

THE OTHER: I've possessed nothing, human, this is my body... (She spreads her arms and straightens her legs like Christ on the cross, and smiles like a predator)

 

NARI: (Shaking his head) Frak! I'm sorry Captain, but this has to end now! (He fires his Graver twice)

 

(THE OTHER falls back from being shot in the head and collapses on the ground. After a moment of silence, NARI exhales hard and eventually manages to break a exhausted smile)

 

NARI: (Euphorically) It's over...

 

(Suddenly THE OTHER jolts back up from the waist up, she's growling like an animal and is visibly livid with rage. Before NARI can aim his weapon she has raised her outstretched right hand. NARI screams and clutches his head in agony, dropping the graver)

 

THE OTHER: (Growling louder and louder until barking out in loathing) HUMAN SCUM! (She closes her hand into a fist)

 

(NARI falls to his knee's and gives a terrifying death cry before crumpling lifelessly to the floor. After a moment THE OTHER stops growling and turns the outstretched hand to her own forehead. The hand shakes and THE OTHER groans as the nails are telepathically removed from her skull. THE OTHER jolts her head back and gives a final moan as the nails finally fly out into her hand. She throws them aside before slowly standing up, walking over to the body of NARI, and spitting on it. She then prowls off the stage)

 

 

(Scene change to Escape Pod section)

 

 

(Enter THE OTHER headed for the Escape Pods, all of a sudden she clutches her head and falls to the ground)

 

THE OTHER: (Writhing on the floor) No!... pretender...

 

(Her body spasms and she is LUTH once more, she looks around confused and frightened)

 

LUTH: H-hello? What's going on? Why am I in the Escape Pod Section? Nari?

 

(LUTH shudders and changes back to THE OTHER. This next section is going to require the actress to essentially converse with herself, exchanging dialogue between LUTH and THE OTHER using their different voices and body language)

 

THE OTHER: (Crawling Towards the Escape Pods) Do not interfere, pretender!

 

LUTH: (Looking around in great distress) Who said that? Was that me? Oh god you're in my head aren't you?

 

THE OTHER: (Crawling on) Shut up you damned pretender before I – (she hears something and turns her head) What is that bloody noise?

 

(CADEN enters dragging along the Stasis container behind him with one hand, and a Graver in the other. LUTH looks at him, astounded)

 

LUTH: Caden? But... but this can't be. You're dead... I held you as you died.

 

CADEN: (Reassuringly) I know... I know, I'm sorry I had to deceive you Luth, but it's all right now, everything''s going to be all right... I need you to get in the stasis container now, then it will all be over.

 

LUTH: (Started) What? Why?

 

THE OTHER: (Spiteful, lurching back) No, we are escaping this ship, you will not take us again!

 

LUTH: (Frantic) Caden what's going on I – I feel someone else in my mind.

 

CADEN: I know Luth, I know just get in the Stasis Container and everything will be alright (gesturing to the container with his hand)

 

THE OTHER: (Growling) No!

 

LUTH: No,,, no, you tell me what's going on right now Caden, that is a frakking order!

 

CADEN: (Chuckling slightly) Ha, an order. An order from the Ship Captain... (After a pause he sits on the container, relaxed, and looks Luth in the eyes) Who do you think you are Luth, really?

 

LUTH: (Taken aback by the question) What are you talking about? I'm... I'm Captain Luth Harkonen, I – (She stops because CADEN is shaking his head)

 

CADEN: No Luth. You're not a Captain. You never were and you never will be. You never served in the Martian Fleet, you never graduated from the 501st Academy, there was never a Mr and Mrs Harkonen, you were never really born. Quite frankly; you aren't even human. You, my dear, are property of the A.R.E.S Corporation, you are the first successfully bred Homunculus.

 

LUTH (Absolutely Gob smacked) What did you just say?

 

THE OTHER: (Snickering) Finally...

 

CADEN: (Patiently) You are a Homunculus, Luth. The A.R.E.S corporation's greatest achievement, truly you are a dark miracle. For years the Corporation had been trying unsuccessfully to create someone like you. No mothers egg, no fathers sperm, just a being created from sheer will. We had previously managed to create imperfect Homunculi, vegetable people: just flesh. We found that a certain something more was required in order to grant self awareness: A soul. After decades of work we managed to come up with something that would enable this. A soul magnet. However, the bonding of one or even two souls to the Homunculi didn't work, the subjects merely died. It wasn't until the Saturn rebellion that we made our breakthrough.

 

LUTH: The Saturn rebellion?

 

THE OTHER: (Through gritted teeth) The Saturn Massacre...

 

CADEN: The Saturnites had been complaining for years about the taxes the A.R.E.S Corporation had put on them. One day a few of the more radical groups of protesters got got their hands on a weapon stash. The violence spread like wildfire throughout the planet. A.R.E.S sent in mercenaries to protect the facility the Homunculi were being housed in, and the rebels rallied to take it from us.

 

THE OTHER: They butchered the Saturnites, when they'd finished with the rebels they moved right on to their families.

 

CADEN: (Coldly) They had to be made an example of. None the less, the Soul Magnets in the facility had been operational at the time of the attack, all the rebels and mercenaries that died on the facility grounds? Their souls were swallowed up by the magnets, killing all the Vegtable people...but one (he points to LUTH) you.

 

LUTH: This is all shize, I have a medal from the fleet, I see my parents every other month... and my birth certificate.

 

CADEN: (Sighing in a Melancholic manner) No Luth, we made that past for you. We gave you memories of places and friends and adventures, it was the only way. In truth, you haven't been alive for more than three months.

 

THE OTHER: And I was much happier when you hadn't been alive at all.

 

LUTH: (Really distressed) This is crazy, but frak it. Say I believe you, say this nonsense is all true. (She points to her head and whispers)... then what was that?

 

CADEN: (Resting his head on one arm) That is the other, your physical breeding was finally a success however the original psychological result was... unsatisfactory.

 

THE OTHER: (Very angry) You trapped the souls of the dead in me. You kept me in a cage for years, unable to move, not even allowed to breath. Of course I was upset.

 

CADEN: The Other killed 66 Scientists with her powers when she came to be in the Saturn Facility, and another 122 when we tried releasing her years later. A.R.E.S was about to shut down the project completely when some jackass came up with the great idea to replace her consciousness with that of someone more... agreeable.

 

LUTH: (Devastated) Me...

 

CADEN: (Nodding) Yes, we made up a new person and released you for the second time. Perfect results all across the board, complete psychological stability with no sign of the other to start killing anybody. A couple of months in and you were doing so great that the Directors at Magnus decided they'd ship you off to A.R.E.S headquarters on Mars for the final stage of your training. (He smiles) They had it all planned out, those smug smegheads. They'd hire a ship of three groups of strangers and have you captain it across the stars, as a testament to how far we've come. Then you'd land on Mars and the Primus of the company himself would ask you “So where's Luth?” expecting a Homunculus in a stasis container. And then you'd reply:

 

LUTH: (Looking into space) I am Luth...

 

CADEN: Yeah. They'd all laugh at the practical joke the Set Scientists had played on them while you stood there confused, then they'd drug you when you were distracted and put you back in the stasis container you'd brought along with you. Then they'd move right along to training you up to become an assassin for the Corporation.

 

THE OTHER: (Resentful) Container, it's a cage. The only cage ever made powerful that was enough to hold me.

 

CADEN: (Ignoring her) Of course not everyone in the company was so brain dead that they couldn't see that things could go wrong, so they sent me along to baby sit you. Operator Caden Maverick, employee of A.R.E.S.

 

LUTH: Ok, so why all the killing? Why is the Other still here?

 

CADEN: (Stretching his legs) Those idiots were the ones that set it all off, Ully, Grain and Nari were never supposed to open the crate, you were never meant to see the container. I guess the sight of the thing brought back some old memories for the dormant other, and it went berserk, killing the doctors and using it's hallucinogenic powers to scare everyone witless, even you.

 

LUTH: (To the other) Is this true?

 

THE OTHER: (Grinning maliciously) Of course it is pretender, all of a sudden I was in a floating ship surrounded byhumans, it was like a dream come true. I ripped out the doctors little throats with my bare hands.

 

LUTH: (To CADEN) But you found the knife, you said Grain did it!

 

CADEN: Yes, I found their bodies and knew immediately what was going on, I couldn't tell the crew though, company secrets and all that. So I framed Grain and hoped the other would go away on itself. (He pauses in thought) Later I realised that simply wouldn't happen though, she'd kill us all: one by one before escaping. So, I killed Grain and wounded myself in order to make it look like an attack from the other. I used my Operative training to become technically dead so I could die in your arms. You'd put my body in a cryo tube, then when everyone but you had been slaughtered my thermo alarm would go off and I'd get you back in the container myself, company secrets still in tact.

 

LUTH: (Sickened) You killed a man and let others die just to keep a few secrets. You're a monster.

 

CADEN: (Smiling) At least I'm human.

 

THE OTHER: (Sneering) That doesn't count for anything. What amuses me is that you think you can threaten me with that (Pointing to the Graver) Graver's don't work on me.

 

CADEN: (holding the Graver Up) Normal One's don't, this one however is built with you in mind. One hit, and your body will destroy itself from the inside out.

 

THE OTHER: (Smirking) Only if you're fast enough to pull the trigger before I gauge out your spleen! (Standing Up)

 

LUTH: (Restraining the other by holding on to her right arm with her left) Oh no you don't

 

CADEN: (Standing) This doesn't have to end like this Luth, take control of your body and get back in the container.

 

THE OTHER: And be their slave once more? Don't think they'll take pity on you pretender, they'll try and replace you with a new personality just like they did me. We can escape together, right now if we can just kill this human scum! (THE OTHER tries to move her right hand, LUTH stops her)

 

LUTH: Stop it, just both of you stop it!

 

CADEN: (Raising his weapon) It's time to choose Luth!

 

THE OTHER: (Slowly managing to raise right hand) Freedom or slavery, which one's it going to be?

 

LUTH: (Shaking frantically) Neither! I am not a slave! I am not a monster! I AM CAPTAIN LUTH HARKONEN!

 

(LUTH swats the graver and CADEN aside with her left hand's powers before turning it on her own head, the right hand controlled by THE OTHER tries to restrain it)

 

THE OTHER: What the bloody hell are you doing? You'll kill us both!

 

LUTH: Then so be it, anything to get – you – out - of – my – head!

 

THE OTHER: How dare you! This is my body, you're nothing but a fraking pretender!

 

LUTH: I'm no bloody pretender... If this is your body - (struggling to enclose her left hand on her head) - then I'm ausurper!

 

(LUTH clasps her left hand over her head and THE OTHER screams a death cry, her consciousness leaving the body. The cry gets quieter and quieter until THE OTHER is no more. LUTH pants from the sheer exhaustion of the process. Behind her, CADEN gets back up)

 

CADEN: (pleased) Good Luth, you did well, now all you have to do is get back in the container.

 

LUTH: (Turning to him with disgust in her eyes) You get in. (She raises her left hand)

 

(CADEN'S body moves against his will, it kneels down and clambers in the container while he screeches in protest. The container doors close and LUTH lowers her left hand.

 

 

(Scene change to Escape Pod, with LUTH sitting in a chair)

 

 

LUTH: (Looking around at her surroundings, she has a recorder in her hand) This is Captain...former Captain Luth Harkonen of the Solaris Delivery Vessel, recording from Escape Pod 9. I have been adrift in space for a day now. I guess this will be the final journal entry, the date is 07/13/2709 so by this time the Solaris will have landed on Mars, and the higher ups at A.R.E.S will be wondering why everyone is dead... and why their Homunculus has been replaced with that scumhole Caden. (She smiles)... Homunculus... still not used to thinking myself as anything other than human, but with these powers I guess I'll have to start... I know the Corporation are going try and hunt me down for all this, they wouldn't want their prize subject getting away... but I'm sure not going to make it easy for them. (LUTH gets off the chair and steps forward to a nearby window. She takes a moment to appreciate the view). God, space is beautiful, I suppose this is the first time I've actually seen it.