Idea created: 08/12/2002 WARNING – contains bad language

The year is 2200 – a minority of mutants have been terrorising earth.  The government have created a police force to control them.

Scene 1:

Marcus Hammel, Richard Shore, Chris Maxwell, Martin Collins, Stuart Hopkins and Gary Ross are all mutant control police.  They are playing pool in the local pub when their conversation turns to work and people they know.

Marcus:  “If you’ve been getting into trouble again with those idiots, I’m not going to help you out!”

Chris:  “Not to worry… those guys aren’t going to touch me!  They won’t mind waiting for the money a while longer”.

Martin: “Hey… just cause we’re police doesn’t mean they can’t have issues with us!  I’ve heard about these guys – they don’t take shit for long – and if you owe them a few grand they’re going to get it back one way or another”.

Chris:  “… look at it this way – if they punch me about, I can set them up for any offence I want.  Trust me – they won’t try anything!”

Gary:  “Oh fuck!”

Richard:  “What is it?”

Gary:  “Well, I think Chris’s going to find out how much those guys want their money!”

The camera pans over Chris’ shoulder as he lines up a shot.  The three guys he has been talking about have walked into the bar.  Although they are not expecting Chris to be in the bar, they quickly notice the pool table where he is playing.

Chris:  “Shit… just act normal and it’ll blow over, okay?”

Stuart:  “We’re going to keep out of this – don’t involve us in your gambling debts!”

Chris takes his shot and stands up straight knowing that the three men are approaching his table.  He turns around to face them.

Chris:  “Alright guys?  Anyone up for a game of pool?”

Thug 1:  “I would play you – for double or quits – but I’m not too great at pool and you owe me fourteen grand.”

Chris:  “All in good time, man – all in good time!”

Thug 1:  “Stop fucking me around!  Just ‘cause you’ve got your police buddies with you, doesn’t mean we can’t fuck you up!”

Chris:  “Hey… you’ll get your money once it’s ready – I’m working on it!”

Thug 1:  “Well you can start with a deposit if you like!”

Chris:  “Don’t think so… I’m a bit low on the money at the moment!”

Thug 1 leaps forward to grab Chris but Richard and Stuart intervene just as things are getting out of hand.

Barman:  “Hey… take that outside and away from here okay?  I could shout “Citizens in danger” and they’d lock you up tonight!”

Thug 2:  “Okay!… Okay!”  (whispers)  I want that fucking money – tonight!”

Chris looks at the Thugs as Richard and Stuart usher him away.  The camera turns to the Thugs leaving the bar, and then back to Chris and the others.

Richard:  “Now you’ve got us involved!  We don’t want any more grudges with people – being Control-police is enough reason for them to hate us anyway!”

Chris:  “…let’s leave then – that’ll calm things down and everyone will forget it by tomorrow!”

Stuart:  “Finish your fucking game first!  Then we’ll leave!”

Chris pots his last two balls whilst the others put on jackets and check the atmosphere around the bar.  They then begin walking towards the exit of the bar.

Scene 2:

Chris and the others exit the bar and begin arguing with each other on the walk home.

Chris:  “I don’t care what you say – they’re not getting their money now.  They’ve stepped over the mark.”

Richard:  “You’re going to have to watch your back from now on – we’re not getting into a fight.  If anything happens, we can wave goodbye to our jobs – you know that don’t you?”.

Chris:  “This is nothing compared to some of the crap that’s going on in the world already – the police won’t give a shit if you step out of line over a petty argument.”

Stuart:  “Let it go for just now – I’m sick of talking about Chris’s problems!”

Chris and the others begin to walk through a school grounds to get home quicker.  All of a sudden Marcus hears some noises in the close distance.  He stops and turns around – suddenly a dart flies past his face hitting Chris square in the neck.

Marcus:  “What the fuck!? … someone’s shooting at us!”

Martin:  “I think we can guess who’s playing this shooting game!  Start running!”

Martin reveals a gun from his inside jacket pocket and covers the others whilst they run.  Chris joins them but begins to look pale and ill.

Chris:  “Hey wait!”

Chris falls to the ground.  Gary runs to his aid – but another dart hits him in the side.  Gary groans in pain and reaches to take the dart out of his side.  Meanwhile Martin has decided to run as well – but in a different direction in an attempt to save the others from being shot.  Gary is attempting to revive Chris when his eyes begin to roll back and he then collapses to the ground alongside Chris.

Marcus, Richard and Stuart are now running deeper into the school grounds.  They are disorientated after the shock and stop to gain their bearings.

Marcus:  “I say we split up and meet back at Martin and Chris’s house.  We’re like sitting ducks if we stick together.”

Richard:  (breathlessly)  “Right… I’ve got a key for their flat, so I’ll head this way and get there first!”

Marcus:  “Sounds good… I take it Martin was the only one to take his gun out tonight?”

Stuart:  “Yeah… but I doubt it’s going to come in handy anyway.  Those guys are sniping on us – I didn’t see anyone when Chris was shot!”

Richard:  “Where’s Gary?  He was right behind me a minute ago!”

Stuart:  “We can’t go back – it’s a trap!”

Richard:  “… I’m going back!  I’ll give you the keys for the flat and meet up with you later!”

Stuart:  “You’re going to get killed if you go back!”

Marcus:  “(shaking his head)  He’s right!”

Richard:  “You two can go your own way then… (he throws Stuart the keys to the flat)  I’m going back!”

Richard runs back towards Gary and Chris. 

Marcus:  “Are we getting out of here then?”

Stuart: “Yeah – I’ll head straight to the flat, okay?”

Marcus and Stuart run in different directions. 

Scene 3:

The camera turns back to Martin who is playing his own sniping game by creeping about in the trees surrounding the school grounds.  We get a view of Martin standing with his back to a tree.  We can also see a figure jump from one tree to another in the close distance.

All of a sudden Martin can hear footsteps running into the distance.  He turns to look back in front, and catches a glimpse of someone running around the other side of the school where they could well bump into Stuart.  Martin turns his attention back to the person obviously sniping from the trees.  Amazingly the person runs right by him and Martin takes quick aim with his gun.  As he does so, he steps out from behind the tree and is shot in the back with a dart.  The person who ran right by him, stops and raises a thumb to whoever shot Martin.  He then runs towards the bodies of Chris and Gary

Scene 4:

The camera turns to Stuart who seems to be lost in the school grounds.  He turns a corner and then watches as a shot hits the wall just in front of him. He takes cover behind the wall he just came from.

Stuart:  “Fuck!”  (he sighs to himself)

Stuart looks around the area of the school grounds for a better hiding place, but cannot find anything suitable for hiding behind.  He then looks at a glass door entrance to the school and decides that he should break in.  He grabs a litter-bin sitting nearby and smashes the door.  He runs into the school as we see a person appear from the corner that Stuart had used for cover.

As he runs into one of the main corridors of the school, he notices a different person run into the corridor through another connecting door in front of him.  Stuart decides to hide in the main hall through a door just to his right.  As the door swings back into place, the person who shot at Stuart appears in the corridor.  He almost immediately takes a shot at the person behind the connecting doors but misses him.  He takes a walkie-talkie from his pocket and switches it on.

Thug 2: “Come in… (the walkie-talkie crackles and a voice can be heard saying “go ahead”).  They’re both in the school now.  One of them is in the main hall, the other running down the west side corridor.  I’ll take care of the one in the hall… if you can use school doors 4 and 5 you should corner the other – over”

Thug 2 enters the hall.

Scene 5:

The camera turns to inside the hall where Stuart can be seen clambering into one of the wings of the Main Stage in the hall.  The camera angle also catches Thug 2 entering the hall. 

Thug 2 walks into the centre of the hall just as Stuart knocks over a piece of furniture at the back of the stage.  Thug 2 is alarmed and raises his gun towards the stage in anticipation. 

All of a sudden, electrical switches hum into life and the curtains on stage begin to open.  Thug 2 appears nervous, but does not panic.  

The camera then turns to Marcus who soon walks into the dining room that connects to the hall – it is now clear that the person who was shot at behind the connecting doors was Marcus.  He decides to look around the dining hall for something to use as a weapon.  As he continues the search, he notices Thug 1 approaching what is clearly “School door 4” through the large set of windows that look out of the dining hall.  He hides slightly and watches Thug 1 walk into the school door and head in the wrong direction.  Marcus then notices a rack of knives that could come in handy.  He picks up the most useful looking ones and then turns towards the large sliding doors that clearly connect to the Main hall.  He carefully slides one open to get a view of what’s happening in the hall. 

Thug 2 can be seen walking towards one of the stage wings as Stuart waits to emerge from the other.  Thug 2 hides in a corner for the moment when his walkie-talkie crackles.  Thug 2 looks shocked as he attempts to hide even further and mask the noise of the walkie-talkie.

Thug 1 over walkie-talkie:  “Come in… I think we’ve been given the slip – there’s no sign of him – Over”

Thug 2:  “Okay – could do with some back-up in main hall – I think I’m about to flush the other one out – Over.”

Thug 1 over walkie-talkie: “No problem – we’ll put people on doors 4 and 6, and I’ll join you ASAP – over.”

Thug 2 puts away his walkie-talkie as he notices Marcus crawl into the seats at the back of the stage and Stuart hide back into the other wing of the stage.  Thug 2 hides even deeper into the hall and grabs at his walkie-talkie once again.

Thug 2:  “Both targets are in the hall, get over here now!”

Thug 2 puts the walkie-talkie back into his pocket and notices a door that will lead onto the hall floor and a ladder leading to the lighting rigs.  He hides in a corner and slowly opens the door with his outstretched hand.  As the door opens almost completely, he begins to climb up the ladder to the lighting rigs.  The camera turns to Stuart who soon notices Marcus at the back of the hall from the stage wing.  Stuart uses arm signals to warn Marcus of Thug 2 who he knows is hiding up the ladder ready to ambush him. 

Marcus nods to Stuart and sneaks towards the open door behind the rows of seating in the hall.  Marcus then creeps up the side of the hall which is made up of large windows and windowed doors, and stays out of view of the lighting rigs.  We then notice Thug 1 in the school grounds behind the window Marcus is creeping beside.  Thug 1 quickly notices Marcus and begins to aim with his dart gun.

The camera turns to Stuart who has seen the exact whereabouts of Thug 2, and he is ready to pounce on him.  Stuart picks up a basketball from behind the stage area and gets closer to Thug 2 who is awaiting Marcus. 

Thug 2 takes one last glimpse around the stage area before beginning to line up a shot near the door left open for Marcus.  Stuart notices his opportunity and throws the basketball at Thug 2’s hands.  Stuart catches Thug 2 unawares and he loses grip of his gun.  Stuart and Thug 2 race towards the gun, but Stuart is the quickest and is able to force Thug 2 into the corner with the gun in hand.

Stuart:  “What the fuck are you doing this for, huh?”

Thug 2:  “We found an easier way of getting our money back – plus a lot extra!”

Stuart:  “Someone’s paying you for this?!”

Thug 2:  “We’ve already got your friends anyway – you might as well give up and join them!”

Stuart:  “That’s not quite right…  Marcus!!”  (Stuart waits for an answer)  Marcus!!!”

Thug 2:  “I think my plan’s working out better than yours!”

Stuart:  “Fuck you!!”

Stuart raises the gun to Thug 2’s throat just as Thug 1 appears through the door.  Stuart then notices Thug 3 behind him, but before he can react he is shot in the shoulder.  He looks straight into the eyes of Thug 1 before letting go of Thug 2 and slowly falling to the ground unconscious.

Fade out.

Scene 6:

The scene opens with Marcus awakening in a large, strange science laboratory.  The camera then pans back to show him collapse out of a strange cubicle.  Marcus notices people standing around the laboratory and begins to become more aware of his surroundings.

Marcus:  “What’s going on?”

The scientist:  “Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon.  Just do as your told for the time being.” 

Want to read more? Navigate to the top or bottom of this page to access links to both parts of the script.