Grieversoft
10-11-2008, 07:20 PM
[Fade in to a ruined futuristic skyline, the sky covered in dark gray clouds. Pan down to a ruined street with several people in futuristic garb, wielding futuristic weapons. They are running away from an unknown enemy, stopping occasionally to fire a series of plasma shots into the distance. Cut to a side view of the group running past the camera. One stops to shoot the enemy. Pan over to their pursuers: people in colored armor suits, ambling like zombies. They have a distinct resemblance to the Power Rangers of old. There are five of them: one in Red with its right hand replaced by a sword, one in Black with both of its arms replaced by massive mechanical prosthetics, one in Yellow with both of its hands replaced with short blades, coursing with electricity, one in Blue wielding a large pike, and one in Pink with a whip generated from its palm. They would occasionally stop to fire bolts of plasma from their palms, effortlessly and efficiently dispatching the ones on the run. Cut to a group of three stopping to attack the one in black. It raises its arms and slams its fists into the ground, creating a chain of spires that rises from the impact point and striking the three rebels. Each are killed. The 'Ranger' continues its pursuit. Cut to the main group of rebels, their faces obscured by goggles and a helmets; a petite woman, an average sized male and a younger looking male. They would periodically stop to shoot their pursuers. Cut to the woman.]
Woman: Oh, God! There's only three of us left!
Average Man: We'll make it, Corporal! Just keep running!
Younger Man: They got Dennis!
Woman: I know!
[Cut to the 'rangers' who have caught up to the three. The three stop and begin pummeling the one in blue with plasma fire from their rifles. As each bolt tears through it, spurts of red blood jet out, along with shards of metal. Its chest explodes, and a mass of bone, sinew and metal falls to the ground while a floating cloud of yellow gel rises from the remains. It solidifies into a floating cephalopod-like automaton, and begins gliding over to the Average Man. It changes back into the gel and wraps itself around him, seeping into his pores until it is completely inside him. He convulses for a moment while armor plates begin to grow all over his body, and eventually, he resembles the enemy from before. It begins to pursue them along with the others. The remaining two continue to run away. Cut to the the two fleeing into an underground tunnel. Cut to the tunnel, lined with images reminiscent of Star Trek, although completely cracked, shattered, overall ruined. The squadron continues their pursuit. Cut to a large door, which opens before them and closes behind them. The woman fires her weapon at an adjacent control device. The lights on and near the door shut off. Cut to the two running through a cavern, knee deep in water. The cavern is lined with massive white crystal spires, light shines through holes from above. In the center of the room is a crystal dais, above which is a weak source of light: a glowing crystal, hovering above the dais and emitting weak light. Occasionally, a red, blue, green, or yellow spark would fly off. Cut to the two standing in awe. The woman removes her helmet, revealing a beautiful face with brown curly hair and brown eyes, her sharp facial features populated by freckles. She removes a device from her satchel and presses a few buttons.]
Woman: This is the source of the energy spike we were sent to investigate...
Younger Man: Corporal, do you think this is it...? The source of the Power?
Woman: I'd say so, Hart. C'mon, let's get this thing ready to go.
[Cut to the door, which is flayed apart by a large explosion. The five pursuers begin marching through. One fires a salvo a blasts from the palm of its hand. Cut to the one called Hart.]
Hart: Carrie!!
[Hart lunges in front of the woman, taking each shot. One of them throws his helmet off. He collapses to his knees, clutching the wounds on his stomach and shoulder. Cut to the one he called Carrie.]
Carrie: Dammit, Hart...
[She steps in front of him and draws a grenade. She throws it at the group, and an explosion rips them all limb from limb. Cut to the two, Carrie helping Hart to his feet.]
Carrie: Hart, what was that about?
Hart: I didn't want to lose you...[Coughs]
Carrie: Idiot...don't worry about me, It's my job to worry about you. Sit on this rock for a second.
[Carrie helps Hart sit on an adjacent boulder. Cut to the crystal, where a side view of Carrie's face, illuminated by the crystal's light is seen. She reaches up to grab it. As soon as her hand makes contact with the crystal, a strange sound is heard, a sound that almost resembles a vocalization of the word 'Zeo.']
Carrie: [Whispering] Wow...
[Cut to the remains of the five pursuers. The gel has risen from their bodies and formed the cephalopods. They slowly glide to the two as if they were ghosts. Cut to Carrie who stuffs the crystal into Hart's satchel. She fires a rocket from her rifle at the nearby wall, unveiling a hole.]
Carrie: Take the crystal back home, Hart. Don't worry about me, I'll buy you time!
Hart: No! I won't do it, Carrie!
Carrie: That's an order, PFC! And it's Corporal O'Dea!
[Cut to Hart, who is standing now, and simply stares at her.]
Carrie: GO! NOW! PLEASE GO!
Hart: I can't...I don't wanna leave you here...
Carrie: Just...just go, Leonel.
[Cut to Leonel. He slowly walks away, and segues into a limping run towards the hole. As he passes through the hole into a new corridor, a blast from Carrie's rifle causes it to collapse after him. Cut to him running through the tunnel, tears streaming down his youthful face, his red hair moist with sweat, his eyes having reddened sclera around gray irises. The tunnel leads in a dead end, so he stops and fires a rocket form his rifle. After the explosion, the tunnel is filled with natural light. Cut to him exiting the tunnel into a ruined cityscape, before collapsing into a prone position, crying. After a moment, he stops and notices the enemies surrounding him. They are blown apart by the fire from a hovering aircraft above them. A ladder lowers from the airship and Leonel weakly climbs aboard. The aircraft flies away toward the horizon. Fade to black.]
Grieversoft
10-12-2008, 04:22 AM
[On a black screen the words Two Years Later appear. Fade in to the interior of a ruined building, held together by jury rigs. It is populated by various people in similar garbs to the ones in the previous chapter. Cut to an older Leonel Hart, wearing mostly red futuristic clothing, rife with clasps and zippers. He is walking with a taller hispanic man with glasses, wearing mostly blue, but similar attire to Leonel. Leonel has a red crystal attached to a chain around his neck. Held under the other man's left arm is a parcel in a futuristic metal box.]
Leonel: I used to live here, you know.
Man In Blue: Back in your resistance days? Why did you quit?
Leonel: It just...isn't me, Scott.
Scott: It j ust isn't you, yet you're willing to ship arms to these guys, huh?
Leonel: Well, I gotta make my living somehow, but forget Eden and the Choir. I have my reasons...
Scott: Maybe we'll find out from your old friends.
Leonel: Assuming they're alive. What a pointless waste of human life...
Scott: And yet, we're supporting this waste of human life. [He taps the box under his arm.]
Leonel: What I've noticed, though, is...oh, hey!
[He runs ahead down the hall to meet with an older, bearded man.]
Leonel: Gunny!
[The man called Gunny, with the beard raised his head to look at Leonel.]
Gunny: What? Oh! Hart! How ya doin, man.
[The two shake hands. Scott walks up to them.]
Leonel: Gunny, this is my associate Scott Morales, we got into the 'courier business' together. Scott, this is Gunnery Sergeant Kwan. He was my Staff NCOIC when I was in.
[The two shake hands.]
Gunny Kwan: Hart, it's good to see you again. Do you guys have what I ordered?
Scott: Yes, Gunny Kwan, we got it, [Scott opens the case, revealing a blue crystal, not unlike Leonel's.] the missing crystal from your reactor core.
Gunny Kwan: Yeah. Thanks to then PFC Hart, we were able to secure a powerful crystal. We thought we'd unlock the power of the legendary Power Rangers from that crystal, but we obviously couldn't. So, we split the crystal up and shipped the pieces to different facilities, kept one for our reactor core, and gave one to Leonel as a souvenir. Some worthless spy for the Choir of Seraphim stole our crystal, and we went without power for six months. Once this baby goes back inside, we'll be golden. How did you guys get a hold of it? What did you guys break into a Choir facility?
Leonel: Well, Gunny, we-
Gunny Kwan: Because if you did, you were being very foolish. If they had the crystal in a place like the Babylon Facility, then you should have asked for help first. You ever need help from Galatas, just say the word, and we'll be there to help.
Scott: Well, thank you, Gunny, but-
Gunny Kwan: I'll bet mercs have a pretty hard life, but if you'd just work with us, it would get easier. If there were more people working for us and with us, we'd be able to give that damn Choir a piece of our minds...but, I digress. How did you end up getting it?
[The two stare at Gunny Kwan for a minute in silence. After a moment, Leonel takes a breath before speaking. Suddenly, a blond girl appears out of nowhere and speaks to Gunny.]
Girl: Gunny, I've got a question.
[Leonel and Scott sigh heavily, rolling their eyes.]
Gunny Kwan: What is it, Weiss?
Private Weiss: Well, Gunny, I was wondering what to do about the lights in Sector Seven, they've been turning off and on all day, and nothing we're doing seems to be working, Croire and I are trying everything we can.
Gunny Kwan: Well, have you tried replacing the central capacitors?
Pvt. Weiss: No, Gunny, we haven't, but, we'll try that. Thank you, Gunny.
[Her eyes drift over to Leonel.]
Pvt. Weiss: Hi, Corporal Hart. How are you?
Leonel: It's just Leonel, Tara. How you been? How's Vasquez?
Tara: Everything's going okay, I guess. Still haven't been in a fight. [Turns her head to Gunny.] Hint-hint. [Turns back to Leonel] Jimmy's fine, he got out, like you did.
Leonel: Did you two get married, yet?
Tara: Well, not yet, but it's gonna happen, soon.
Gunny Kwan: Alright, leave Mr. Hart alone, Weiss. Go help Croire fix the capacitors over in Sector Seven. We got some business to discuss.
Tara: Roger that, Gunny. I'll be seeing you, Leonel.
Leonel: We'll catch up, later.
Tara: Bye.
Leonel: Bye. [He smiles.]
Gunny Kwan: Well, how did you guys get that crystal back, anyway?
[Once again, there is a pause, longer than last time. Once again, Leonel takes a breath before speaking. However, he is interrupted by the sound of Gunny's watch beeping. Gunny looks at his watch.]
Gunny Kwan: Wow, look at the time. Wanna discuss this over lunch?
[Scott facepalms himself while Gunny beckons them down the corridor. Cut to Scott and Leonel boarding a train. Cut to the inner cabin where the two sit down. It is dank and reeks of used future.]
Scott: Dear God, that guy just won't shut up.
Leonel: Wait till he does that in formation...cold wind's blowing...hot sun pounding down on us...ugh...
Scott: How come you weren't catching up with your friends, like that Tara girl. She's pretty cute.
Leonel: She's engaged, dude.
Scott: Yeah, I forgot. But, I couldn't help but notice a little tension.
Leonel: Naw, we're just friends. We both prefer it that way. I actually haven't dated in a very long time. You know, the war.
Scott: Well, obviously Galatas soldiers are gettin' it on. Why don't you? If not that Tara girl, then there should have been somebody.
Leonel: Yeah- umm...well...
Scott: We've been in business for a while, Hart. Tell me, man.
Leonel: There was this one girl...but she was completely unattainable. She was older, she outranked me...it was always awkward...for me, anyway.
Scott: Well, what about her? How did she feel about you?
Leonel: She was always really nice to me. Telling me to smile all the time...She was cheerful with her friends, but awkward around me... I couldn't open up to her. I was always nervous.
Scott: Wow... why? There's only one way to find out if she likes you or not.
Leonel: Or liked. She's dead as far as I know.
Scott: Good Lord, what happened?
Leonel: Well, there's a reason a lowly little Private First Class was credited with retrieving that crystal...I was the only survivor. Everyone else was killed or...assimilated.
Scott: Made into a Cherub... what a horrible way to go.
Leonel: Right. After we found the crystal in that ruin, we were ambushed. She helped me escape with the crystal, but I never saw her after that. That's why I don't want to fight anymore. Because she could end up being one of those...Cherubim...I could never bring myself to hurt her, even if she is one of them.
Scott: Wow...you know, by supporting the war...
Leonel: I know what you're getting at...I'm selling the weapons that could potentially kill her... I just don't want to be the one pulling the trigger. Like I said, I gotta make a living somehow, but not through Eden or the Choir.
[Cut to a view of the train, the camera panning farther away, revealing a ruined cityscape with desert at its outskirts. The tracks lead to a massive cross shaped building. Cut to it being viewed from inside of the cabin out the window, a reflection of Leonel's face overlapping it.]
Leonel: Eden...that's where the last twenty percent of humanity live after the war. That's where the Choir rules the entire world, or what's left of it.
Scott: What brought that on?
Leonel: Affirmation, I guess...The Choir took my mom, my dad...Carrie...I hate the way things are right now...
[Out of nowhere, the train begins to shake violently. An aircraft can be heard through the walls, zooming above the train. An explosion can be heard two cars down. Leonel and Scott spring to their feet. Cut to the door outside the car opening and Leonel and Scott springing out. They look above, followed by a camera pan to the top of the cars. An aircraft used by the Galatas flies overhead and stops on the car in front of them. Its underbelly hatches open, allowing two Galatas soldiers to rappel down. Cut back to Leonel and Scott climbing up the ladder. The two soldiers that rappelled down were Tara and a black female soldier.]
Leonel: Weiss! Croire! What the hell!? Why would Galatas attack a train heading toward Eden!? And where are your NCO's!?
Tara: Cpl Hart! This train has a crystal fragment on board! The Choir stole it from our energy plant! We're on a mission to retrieve it. Gunny sent us! Cpl Nessy is flying the Wasp!
Scott: It's only a matter of time before they send Cherubim! Are you sure you girls can handle it!?
[The soldier named Croire steps forward, cocking her weapon.]
Croire: You're damn right we can handle it!
Leonel: We're going with you. Scott, our weapons crate is a few cars down, right? Tara, where is the crystal supposed to be?
Scott: Leonel! You wanna face those things?! What about what you said earlier!?
Leonel: I know what I said, but she died for that crystal! I'm not letting those bastards at Eden have it!! No friggin' way!
Scott: Alright...I'm going with you. You two have a problem?
Croire: Only if you promise not to get us killed!
Leonel: Leave him alone, Jada. Let's go, Jada take the rear, Tara take point.
[The four make their way along the train, carefully jumping from car to car. By the time they make it to the damaged car, they traverse the mangled mass of metal, looking around for the crate containing the crystal shard. When Jada finds it, it begins to glow green. Leonel's is glowing red. Pan to the sky where an aircraft flies ahead, deploying Cherubim. A larger entity is deployed at the locomotive. The train begins to shake violently as the locomotive's systems are assimilated by nanites. Cut to the group standing in the ruined car.]
Leonel: Why? Why are they here!!? We gotta go stop them! They'll turn everyone into Cherubim! They Choir will judge this whole damn train as Dissenters!
Tara: What do we do!?
Leonel: We're going to fight our way to the locomotive! We'll unhook the cars so the nanomachines don't spread and get to the passengers. The drivers are already screwed. We got no time to waste, let's go!
Jada: Wait, what about us!
Leonel: We'll figure something out...let's go! The next car has weapons we can use.
Scott: Wait, if we use them, we can't trade them!
Leonel: Who cares about trading right now!!
[The four make their way to the next car, go inside and find a crate full of weapons, although it is labeled 'Foodstuffs' in Spanish. With all four armed with buster rifles, they make their way out of the car and continue to run along the tops of the cars. The massive skyscraper that is Eden gets closer and closer. Eventually, they start fighting Cherubim, which resemble mass-produced Power Rangers ambling about in a zombie-like fashion. They blast their way through, and when they get close enough, swing the weapon for a meelee attack. They make their way to the locomotive, where a large humanoid entity stands, staring at the sunset. It is a large, mechanical anthropomorphic lion, with flames as its mane. It turns around to face the others.]
Scott: That's a big Cherub.
[Its voice is very deep and buzzing, as if it were run through a vocoder.]
Entity: I am no Cherub. I am Leo of Fire, an artificial Power Ranger created to serve the Choir of Seraphim. I have been sent to retrieve the Zeo Crystal.
[Leonel clutches his crystal on his chest.]
Leonel: No. We'll stop you.
[He raises his rifle and begins to shoot a salvo of plasma bolts at the creature. The shots tear through it like a knife through butter, blood and shrapnel flying out of the exit wounds. The creature kneels and moans in pain.]
Leonel: Do you think... [Shoots] that I'm just going to... [Shoots] let you go and hurt anyone because a bunch of people... [Shoots] wanna rule the friggin' world! No! Screw you!!
[He turns around to face the others. His cold expression is quite unsettling.]
Leonel: Go disengage the other cars! Leave me here, I'll buy you time!
Tara: No! We'll figure out a way to get off this train together!
Scott: You're not about to give your life up for a girl you hardly knew!!
Jada: Let's just kill this guy!!
[She cocks her weapon and begins firing salvos of missiles at the artificial Power Ranger, kneeling and tending its wounds. It eventually explodes, while the gelatinous mass of nanomachines begins to rise and solidify above its remains. Leonel attempts to prevent it from substantiating by shooting it repeatedly.]
Leonel: Go...[Shoots] disengage the damn cars...[Shoots] and get off the locomotive...[Shoots.] I'll buy you time. GO!!!
[Just then, a pair of aircraft rise on to their left and right. They both deploy a legion of Cherubim, who surround the four. Leonel stops shooting, and the mass of nanites closes in on Leonel, engulfing him in yellow gel. The gel courses over his body as he falls, convulsing on the ground. The others lower their weapons. Cut to Leonel convulsing on his back. Cut to the red crystal, pulsing with light. As soon as the gel makes contact with the crystal, it begins to glow brighter. Cut to a wide view of everyone. The crystal on Leonel's chest flashes briefly before emitting a white shockwave, sending everyone reeling back. A brilliant light slowly expands from the crystal and engulfs the screen, whiting it out. Cut to a view of Leonel rising to his feet as sparks of red energy emits from the crystal now in his hand. Flame erupts around his body. The gel begins to solidify into two bracers around his wrists, the crystal settling into one of them while the other shapes itself into a mounted box of sorts, with a flame-shaped emblem at its core. Cut to his legs, where plates or armor form from the gel, the same thing happens at his chest, arms and head. Cut to the group of Cherubim being blown off the train by a shockwave. Fade into a view of Leonel encased in red and white armor, a helmet wit four spikes adorning it as well as a flame-shaped visor with four points covering his face. The visor and a diamond-shaped gem on his forehead begin to glow red as four yellow tendrils extend from the back of his neck. The light abruptly cuts, and the tendrils fall down to his back, as if they were a cape. Leonel raises his head and draws a large pistol. He systematically shoots each one in the head. The ones that he misses, begin to close in on him. He holds the pistol closer to him as he adjusts its grip to resemble a sword hilt. A beam issues from the end of the hilt and solidifies into a beam sword. From there, he runs around slicing each one apart. Cut to Tara coming to and looking around at the chaos around her. She helps the others up. Cut to Leonel slashing Cherubim with his sword. They begin to explode, unleashing their nanites into the air. They are all defeated, however, the masses are floating all around. Cut to Leonel, who begins to emit a light from the crystal on his wrist. The masses of gel begin to fly into the crystal and disappear into his armor. However, he misses three, and each one flies into and engulfs Scott, Jada and Tara. Cut to Leonel.]
Leonel: No...
[Cut to Scott, who collapses onto his stomach in slow motion. He starts twitching.]
Leonel: No!
Cut to Jada, who falls onto her side, twitching.
Leonel: NO!!
Cut to Tara, who falls onto her back. Cut to Leonel, who clutches his stomach and falls to a kneel. Something is happening to him.
Leonel: NO! NO!!!
[He falls onto his stomach. In a flash and a cascade of flame, his armor vanishes, but he's still wearing the bracers. He falls unconscious as the train rolls forward.]
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