Hyper Nocturnal
Episode 6
By Charles Davis
INTRO/COMMERCIAL
Scene: In the labyrinth verse. It is all a dimly lit, dirty wooden corridor.
(Sound fades in. Tanya and Matti are walking through the corridor.)
Tanya: (walking) I’m starting to think this hallway isn’t going anywhere. We’ve been walking for hours and it still is just a constant corridor of turns. There haven’t been any forks or choices of where to move at all. We haven’t come across any stone doors either.
Matti: (walking) Yeah…
Tanya: (walking) Well… do you know anything about this? Is there any sort of secret demon knowledge on how to get through here?
Matti: (walking) Not that I can think of at the moment. I never came across any demons who controlled labyrinths in my studies. I just know of the one with the minotaur from greek mythology.
Tanya: (walking) Daytras, you got any ideas?
Daytras: I’m afraid I do not. Labyrinths have not been an item of deep study for me. I guess I would ask if you see anything around you other than the corridor? As I have stated before, if the obvious does not offer a solution, explore the un-obvious.
Tanya: Hmmm (they stop walking). Well… (sound of her taking a couple steps then stopping). There are candles on the walls. (sound of her pickup a candle) I picked one up… it didn’t seem to do anything.
Daytras: Is there anything else around?
Matti: Not really… it’s just a long wooden corridor. There’s dirt and dried blood on the walls, maybe that means something?
Tanya: Maybe… (Sound of her walking up to the wall). I don’t see any patterns or anything with the blood or dirt. I’m not sure. It’s kind of hard to see with this light though.
Matti: Try lighting it on fire with the candle.
Tanya: Why would I do that?
Matti: If there is a pattern, we will be able to better see it if it’s flaming.
Tanya: Yeah… but the entire corridor is made out of wood. It will light the whole things on fire.
Matti: We’ll just run away from it then. Besides, maybe burning down the walls will give us access to new points.
Tanya: Can blood even ignite?
Matti: Not when it’s in liquid form. But when it is dried, yes.
Tanya: …I shouldn’t be surprised that you know that.
Matti: You asked.
Tanya: You really think that demons would hide a pathway that could only be revealed by lighting blood on fire?
Matti: As a demon expert, that sounds exactly like something a demon would do.
Tanya: (Sighs) …Alright. Here we go. (sound of her walking over and igniting the blood on the wall. Sound of the fire racing down the wall). Whoa! It worked.
Daytras: What happened?
Tanya: The blood on the left wall. I ignited it with the candle. The fire took off and spread down the corridor on the left side and also up to the left side of the ceiling. It’s all in connected patterns too. The swirls spread down and make spirals and triangles and upside down pentagrams as it moves down the wall. It’s like the recipe to a satanic kids cereal.
Daytras: Is it burning the wood in the corridor?
Tanya: No. It seems to just be staying on the blood. We seem to be safe.
Matti: Try igniting the other wall too.
Tanya: (sound of her walking over and igniting the wall). Done. The right side is ignited. Same thing happened.
Matti: Yes, but look, now there are connected patterns on the ceiling.
Tanya: Do they make any sense to you?
Matti: Um… (Sound of him taking a few steps) …Not yet… but come on. We can keep following it and maybe something will become clear. (sound of them walking down the corridor.) Wait. (They stop walking) This symbol here on the ceiling. It means something. It’s a symbol that often represents a passage or a door.
Tanya: Ok. So what does that mean? We are still in this corridor. I don’t see any doors or additional passages.
Matti: I’m going to trying touching the center of the symbol. (Sound of Matti touching it and something moving.) Ah! The ceiling moved!
Tanya: Is it a trap door?
Matti: Yeah, I think that’s what it is! It’s like a hatch on the ceiling. I can push it up and over to the side. (Sound of him pushing open the hatch and sliding it over. Sound of hissing and squirming. Sound continues on int he background.)
Tanya: Whoa! Daytras, we opened the hatch and there are monsters in it.
Daytras: Run!
Tanya: No… I mean… they’re monsters, but they aren’t attacking us. I’ve seen one of these guys before. Back on the ship, when we first died, there was one fused to the wall. They just repeat their same actions over and over again.
Matti: Residual spirits.
Tanya: Yeah… These guys, they look exactly the same as the one I saw on the ship. They are fused into the wall with their stomachs are slashed open. Pale skin, sharp teeth. The whole thing.
Matti: It looks like the hatch in the ceiling opened up to a shaft that goes up. These things are lining the walls of the shaft all the way up.
Tanya: It looks like there is another pathway going forward at the top of the shaft. How are you going to get up there though?
Matti: We climb up them.
Tanya: What?
Matti: These residual spirits that are fused to the wall. We can use them like a ladder. Just grab on to one and start climbing and we’ll be up to the top in no time.
Daytras: I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.
Tanya: Yeah… maybe we should just keep walking until we find another opening.
Matti: We could be walking for hours. For all we know this could be the only opening in this corridor and we managed to stumble upon it. Besides, these things aren’t going to hurt us. They likely aren’t even aware that we are here. Just avoid their teeth and we should be ok.
Tanya: (sighs) …I really do lead a charmed after-life don’t I? (Sound of her putting down the candle) …Alright, let’s go.
Daytras: Be careful Tanya.
Tanya: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
Matti: Ok, grabbing hold and starting to climb. (Sound of him grunting as he grabs on and starts pulling himself up).
Tanya: Coming up behind you. (Sound of her grabbing on and climbing up. Grunts as she climbs.) Ugh… this is disgusting. I just had to grab onto one of their open stomach slits in order to pull myself up.
Matti: (climbing) Yeah, I’m trying to avoid those.
Tanya: (climbing) God, if I was alive I would probably be making a comment about how many germs I’m getting all over my hands right now.
Matti: (climbing) At least they don’t smell.
Tanya: (climbing) Yeah. (Sound of Tanya suddenly loosing grasp) Aaaah!
Matti: (stops climbing) Tanya!
Tanya: (Catching herself) Oof! (takes a breath). I’m alright! The one I was grabbing onto did its reset thing and I lost my grip and fell. I was able to grab onto another one though. Continuing to climb (sound of her continuing to climb).
Matti: Ok, I’m continuing to climb too. (sound of him continuing to climb). I’m almost at the top. (Sound of him climbing out of the shaft) Ok I’m out. I’m at the top.
Tanya: I’m coming. (Sound of her continuing to climb.)
Matti: There you are.
Tanya: (climbing out and taking a few steps). There. Out. Daytras, we reached the top. Crap, it’s just another corridor though. Same thing as before. Made of wood with candles on the sides.
Daytras: Is there blood on the walls again?
Tanya: Yeah.
Daytras: Than light that on fire too.
Tanya: Good point. (sound of her walking over to the wall and grabbing the candle. She lights the wall on fire and then walks over to the other wall and lights it on fire too. Sound of her putting down the candle) Ok, both walls are lit. Same thing, lots of symbols.
Matti: Well, let’s follow it. (Sound of them walking down the corridor.) Here. (They stop walking) It’s another symbol like before. But this one is on the left wall and is bigger. Opening it up. (Sound of him pushing on the wall, opening it and sliding it over). Oh.
Tanya: It’s a drop off. Daytras, there is another shaft, but it’s going down. Way down. It disappears into darkness from where we are standing.
Matti: We must have to jump down it.
Tanya: No way.
Matti: I don’t think we have a choice. It’s where the symbols are pointing to.
Tanya: We have no idea how far this thing goes down or what’s down there. This goes way way farther down than the shaft we just climbed up too. We’re going to be going subterranean here.
Matti: Yeah… and we didn’t know what was waiting for us at the top of the shaft we just climbed up. This is our best guess.
Tanya: …Look, I’m kind of having an emotional issue with people falling from high places today…
Matti: Well I’m jumping.
Tanya: Wait! Wait! (sound of Matti jumping down the hole). …Damn it, he jumped… (Sighs) …Alright, Daytras, I’m jumping.
Daytras: Are you sure about this Tanya?
Tanya: No… I’m never sure about anything… Here I go! (sound of her jumping. Sound of her falling). AAAAh! WAAAAh! Falling! Falling! Oh jeez! AAAAh! God! Still falling! Gnah! Gaaaah! (Sound of her hitting the ground) Oof! (Sound of her getting up after a moment.) Landed. I’m ok. Matti?
Matti: Yeah… I’m here.
Daytras: Where are you now?
Tanya: Uh… Another wood corridor. Damn it. Everything is all the same.
Matti: Yeah, but this one is much more decrepit though. Look at the walls. The wood is all rotted and water damaged. It’s dimer in here too.
Tanya: Any blood around to light on fire?
Matti: No, I don’t see any.
Tanya: …Well, come on… Let’s see if there is anything further down.
Matti: Ok
(Sound of them walking)
Tanya: There is a turn up ahead. (Sound of them walking and turning the corner. They stop walking.) …Crap.
Matti: There’s another drop off. But this one is right here in the middle of the floor.
Tanya: Where the hell is this all leading to?
Matti: Only one way to find out. Huup! (Sound of him jumping down).
Tanya: Jumped again, the bastard. Alright, I’m going too. (Sound of her jumping) Gah! Ngaaaah….. Falling….. falling… ngaaaah…. (sound of her landing) Oof! (Sound of her getting up) Ok, where are we now?
Matti: Metal. It’s another corridor, but it’s a little bit larger than the previous ones and this one is made completely out of rusted metal.
Tanya: Well… at least we are out of the wood.
Matti: Come on, let’s go walk.
Tanya: Give me a second, I just had to jump down two mine shafts in a row.
Matti: I’m not stopping. Come on. (Sound of him walking).
Tanya: Asshole. Alright, hold on I’m coming (Sound of her walking and catching up. They stop walking.) Oh come on, this is just getting ridiculous.
Matti: Another drop.
Tanya: Another one of these and we are going to be in the Earth’s core! Or… at least would be if we were on Earth.
Matti: Come on.
Tanya: Matti! Just wait a damn minute alright! I don’t think my heart can take doing another jump so quickly.
Matti: …I’m going. (Sound of him jumping).
Tanya: Hey! (groans). Alright. (Sound of her walking to the edge.) How many more of these could there be? (Sound of her jumping) Gah! Gnaaah! Jesus! It feels like I’m falling faster this time! Bah! Ngaaah! (Sound of her landing on rocks) Ugh! (Breathing heavily, she finally gets up). Jesus. Crap… I’m not doing that again ok Matti?!
Matti: Yeah… fine, whatever.
Daytras: Where are you now?
Tanya: Stone… We are at a stone cave. (Sound of Tanya taking a few steps forward and then stopping) The entrance to the cave is in front of us. There are two candles on either side of the cave shinning a little bit of light on where we are. I don’t know what’s in the cave though. It’s all dark inside. No candles or lights. (Sound of Tanya breathing heavy).
Matti: Come on, let’s go in.
Tanya: Matti… just wait a damn minute alright! I… just… need to sit down for a little bit ok?
Matti: What, are you tired?
Tanya: Physically, no. Emotionally, very much so. I’m just going to sit her for a minute and get myself back together. (sound of her sitting down).
Matti: …Fine… I’m going to grab one of the candles and scout ahead. I’ll be back.
Tanya: Yeah… Fine… (sound of Matti walking over, grabbing a candle and then walking into the cave. His footsteps fade out. Moment of silence. Speaking weakly.) You there Daytras?
Daytras: Yes…
Tanya: I’m having a hell of a day today huh?
Daytras: I would say so.
Tanya: I find out about your crap with the Hyper Nocturnal drive, I find out Matti’s into devil worship… (let’s out a slight cry) and I lose Wolfgang…
Daytras: I know…
Tanya: This place is horrible. It’s really horrible… It just tests every part of you and it never lets up.
Daytras: I don’t know what to say.
Tanya: I’m not really looking for you to say anything. I just want someone to listen.
Daytras: Ok
Tanya: God… I used to think that never being able to see my sister and niece again was the worst part about being dead. But now that’s like the least worst apart about it isn’t it? At least I know they’re safe and happy where they are. It’s here where everything is miserable. Back home I only had the stress of my day job and immediate friends and family to worry about. Here I literally have the weight and responsibility of the entire universe on my shoulders. And I’m the person who threw up on stage during the 7th grade spelling b finals due to anxiety.
Daytras: Well… spelling b’s can be stressful.
Tanya: (Laughs a little) Yeah…You’re telling me. God… back on Earth, everyone always talks about how much better life is going to be when you’re dead. Or they talk about how bad it’s going to be. They all talk in complete absolutes. But nobody ever suggested that the dead world would be just as messed up and confusing as the living world. (Sighs) When all this is over… if we are actually able to save the day… what am I going to do with myself? Just hang around? Float about in between the dimensions and be bored?
Daytras: Doesn’t sound boring to me.
Tanya: Well, It does to me. Look, I may be a pilot, but I’m not an explorer. All the things I wanted in my life I already had at home. Frankly, the worst parts of my life were when I was traveling, because it took me away from the stuff that made me happy. More than once have I seriously considered that I took up the wrong profession. I probably would have been happier being a window washer or a parking lot sweeper frankly. You get to just kind of stay put. And besides, after experiencing how horrible all of this is now that I’m dead… I think I’ve seen enough. I really have no desire to explore into this world, er, worlds further. I don’t know. After all of this I think I may try to make my way back to Earth… in a ghost form I can still watch over my sister and my niece, even if they don’t see me. …I think I may now understand why people keep saying they sense their deceased friends and family watching over them…
Daytras: But you are wrong about something Tanya. You will be alive at the end of this. As Humbaba said, if you are able to pass the final test, you will be alive again.
Tanya: …Good point… I guess I do have something to look forward to then.
Daytras: Yes, you do.
Tanya: Hey… how did you get involved with science? What made you decide to do what you do?
Daytras: Well… I was good at it I suppose. That was probably the biggest factor. It was something I easily understood, I found exciting and that I was really really good at. I come from a different mold from you. I love exploration. Both in the physical sene and in the mental sense. The most fun I have in my life is exercising my mind and exploring all possibilities of logic, reason and science. It’s what gets me excited.
Tanya: (Sad) Yeah… Wolfgang told me that he was the same way…
Daytras: Yes… I got that sense. (silence for a moment) …Anyway… as it were, the most functional aspect of my body has always been my mind. I guess it’s good luck that using my brain ended up being the thing that gives me the most joy in life.
Tanya: Yeah… is it ok if I ask you how long you have been… um…
Daytras: In the chair? It’s fine, you can ask. It’s been most of my life. I don’t really remember not being in it very much frankly. I was diagnosed with my condition when I was very young. About 5 years old. Things quickly deteriorated and I was in the chair. That’s pretty much it.
Tanya: You’re never angry about that? …Sorry that may have been too personal of a question.
Daytras: Tanya, I think at this point in our relationship subtle politeness doesn’t really need to be called upon anymore. But to answer your question… no. Not really. I mean… it’s all I’ve ever known. I don’t really miss being able to stand up and run around because it’s not something I ever got a chance to enjoy in the first place. It’s like you and religion. To be honest, I’ve never really felt like I was quote “disabled.” I suppose if I was born in another time, with different technology it would be different, but as it is, the chair has always been able to get me where I needed to go. Friends and family have been able to help where I needed it. Sure, I can’t play football, but I never really had any desire too. Something kind of tells me that even if I were able to walk and move normally, my nerdy personality and interests probably would have kept me from playing football anyway. So no… I stopped being upset about my physical capabilities fairly quickly.
Tanya: Huh.
Daytras: …But… This is not to say I’ve never been upset and frustrated in relation to my condition. I suppose it’s not a physical frustration as much as it is a mental frustration. An emotional frustration. Dare I say it, a social frustration. What I’ve discovered is that… no matter how smart and normal you might be as a person… how with it you are socially… how funny you are… how positive you are… just generally how likable you are… people still sort of treat you… different. Not in the sense that they run away screaming or are rude or anything. They just… treat you different. Look at you different. Take a different tone of voice when they’re talking to you.
I’m 55 years old, I have 3 Phds and I’m considered to be the smartest man alive. But when my car pulls up into that parking spot and I wheel out, people still just sort of think about that blue rectangle with the white figure on it. And I still get that slight change in look and tone of voice that suggests that someone feels bad for me. Like they’re talking down to me. No matter how nice people try to be, I’m still sort of on the outside looking in… at least from a social stand point. The worst thing about being handicapped isn’t not being able to do things. The worst thing about being handicapped is everyone telling you that you’re handicapped.
Tanya: Yeah… That sucks.
Daytras: If I had the ability to laugh out loud I would be doing so at that comment. that may have been a more direct way of saying what I was trying to express.
Tanya: (laughing) I’m glad you liked it.
Daytras: But, it’s not all bad. Being on the outside. It has taught me a lot about the importance of individuality. The importance of developing yourself into a person YOU like, as opposed to a person a collective of other people like. I think that’s something most people disregard out of a perceived need to fit in. In a weird way, I feel like I socialize better with people because I have a strong sense of myself compared to people whose identities are completely dependent on the boundaries of the groups they have been assigned to. I never feel like I need to second guess my choices out of fear that some other authority will disapprove. I almost feel like people who are so very attached to their collectives and designated causes are really the handicapped ones. They’re the ones who are being limited in their ability to grow… at least in the ways that I think are important.
Tanya: Now that’s something I can certainly understand.
Daytras: Has Matti come back yet?
Tanya: No… not yet. Where is that guy? Alright (sound of her getting up) I’m going to grab the candle and head to the cave. See if I can find him. And, yes, before you ask, I’ll be careful.
Daytras: You took the words right out of my chair.
Tanya: Alright, in I go.
(Sound of Tanya walking up to the candle and grabbing it. Sound of her walking into the cave. Sound fades out.)
End Scene
COMMERCIAL
Scene: In the cave
(Sound fades in of Matti walking through the cave.)
Monroe: (Through body part) Matti, are you alone.
Matti: (Stops walking. Whispering.) Yes. I entered the cave alone. Tanya is back by the entrance.
Monroe: (Through body part) You are as trustworthy as you are talented.
Matti: (Whispering) I’m surprised you want to talk to me. After all the trouble we’ve caused. That I helped cause.
Monroe: (Through body part) I am aware of your indiscretions Matti. But I am willing to over look them if you were to explain yourself perhaps.
Matti: (Whispering) I… I’m sorry. But… it just seemed so different when I was over here. So different from how I thought it would be when I was alive. It changed my perspective. When I was faced with the dead world right in front of my face it frightened me. It seemed like everything was out to get me! Everything WAS out to get me! I panicked. I fought against you, against your minions, against Humbaba. I don’t know what to say, It seemed like the logical thing to do.
(stops whispering) But what was I supposed to think? There was no sign of reward for my strength in this world. And don’t you dare tell me that I wasn’t strong or deserving enough of reward! When I was alive I trounced every weakling beneath me in my life! I rose to every level of glory and fame within my field that could be achieved! I was worshipped as a god-man amongst the populations of Earth and its colonies! Yet, when I arrived beyond the gates of death, I am attacked! Attacked by my own food! And by your minions! After all I had worshipped to you!
Monroe: (Through body part. Let’s out a chuckle.) Oh Matti, you can be so simple minded and foolish my friend. Yes! You are mighty! You are strong! I have seen it in your world. I heard your prayers and felt your offerings. I have known and watched you since the day you were born. However, I needed to be sure that that same strength when you were alive carried over. That is why I tested you!
Matti: You tested me! Of course! It was all just a test! This whole time!
Monroe: (Through body part) Yessss. You see, when the spirits from your world cross over, they often will not exhibit the same strengths that they had shown in their lives. I needed to test you to make sure your strength was true. Oh and it was true Matti. It was glorious to see how true it was. Your strength is more powerful than any I have ever seen. You resisted Humbaba’s possession, you destroyed his aura, you escaped from the white verse. You Matti are a very strong man.
Matti: (Sighs with relief) I knew it. I knew you would think so.
Monroe: (Through body part) Matti, I have so many rewards in store for you. Riches and pleasures beyond what you ever could have imagined to experience on Earth. But I have to ask you first, how do you feel now? How do you feel about me?
Matti: How do I feel? Well… I feel great! I feel vindicated! Ha… I feel like this world isn’t so different from what I originally thought now. I just wasn’t thinking about it from a high enough level. And you! How do I feel about you? I feel flattered! I feel proud to be talking to you! God… I’ve praised and worshipped you. I feel like I’m talking to a celebrity right now!
Monroe: (laughs) Good Matti, good. As I said I have rewards for you, but I have a problem now. I can’t give you what you deserve until I am lord of the Black Curtain. Until I am the master of all. But your companions are trying to stop me. I need your help.
Matti: You need my help?
Monroe: (Through body part) Yes. I need you to take care of the woman. And then I need you to make your way through the labyrinth and to the ship, where you will enter the room that I am not able to and stop the man in the chair.
Matti: …I see…
Monroe: (Through body part) Do you swear allegiance to me Matti?
Matti: ….Yes…. Yes of course I do. I’ve always sworn allegiance to you.
Monroe: (Through body part) Then you know what you need to do. Get rid of the girl. Destroy her spirit or drive her into the Black Curtain. But you’ll have to be crafty about it. You do not possesses the strength I have, so you will not be able to simply strike her down with your hands like I did with Humbaba. But, there are hazards ahead of you in the labyrinth. Have her fall to one of them. Make it appear as an accident though. If she knows you are trying to finish her off she will make it more difficult, and the man in the chair will be on to what’s happening. We need him to remain unaware as well so that you are able to easily access the room he is in in order to finish him off.
Tanya: (Yelling out to him as she walks up) Matti?! Are you there?
Matti: (whispering) She’s coming!
Monroe: Do not attempt to talk to me when she is near. The head will allow her to hear us. You know what you need to do.
Matti: (whispering) Yes! I know what I need to do and I will do it!
Tanya: (Walking up) Matti?!
Matti: (yelling back) Yeah! Tanya, I’m here!
Tanya: (walking up) Oh there you are. (Stops walking) Find anything?
Matti: Uh… no… just rocks. The passage goes deeper though. I haven’t come across any more drop offs yet. I think we may be done with those.
Tanya: Thank god for that. Alright, let’s see what this cave of mysteries hold. (Sound of them walking into the cave).
Matti: (Walking. After a moment.) Hey… Tanya…
Tanya: (Walking) Yeah?
Matti: (Walking) ….Nothing…
Tanya: (Walking) …What? …Oh… god… you heard me and Daytras didn’t you? You heard us talking through the body part you’re wearing.
Matti: (Walking) Uh… yeah…
Tanya: (Walking) Well… hey look… I get weird and emotional and reflective sometimes too you know. I am human… just… let’s not talk about it alright?
Matti: (Walking) Yeah… ok…
(Sound of them continuing to walk for a moment. Sound of them stopping walking.)
Tanya: Another room… Daytras, we’re in a new room, in the cave. It’s a small cavern, still made of stone. There’s furniture in here. (Sound of her taking a few steps) It’s all covered in cobwebs. What does this mean?
Daytras: What kind of furniture?
Tanya: Um… I don’t know. All kinds. Chairs, tables, desks, cupboards. There’s a standup wardrobe. There’s even a coffin. They are sort of just scattered all around. Doesn’t seem to be any sort of pattern. …Well, nothing is jumping out and attacking us, so I say we just move through. (Sound of her taking a few steps. Sound of of a wardrobe beginning to fall.)
Matti: Look out! Oh!
Tanya: Huh?! Waah! (Sound of her jumping back as the wardrobe crashes). Damnit… That’s how it’s going to be huh?
Daytras: You alright?
Tanya: I’m fine. I took a few steps in and one of the wardrobes almost fell down on top of me.
Matti: Yeah… and I… called out… so that you could jump out of the way….
Tanya: Yeah, thanks for that.
Matti: You’re welcome. It was just… a sudden reaction.
Tanya: Alright. So what does this mean? (Takes another step and one of the piece of furniture moves). Hmmm… I took another step and a chair moved in front of me. It looks like this furniture is trying to crush me and every time I move it gets closer.
Matti: Maybe… you should try just running really fast out of there
Tanya: Well that’s a bad idea. It seems like it moves every time I move.
Matti: Oh I don’t know about that, it doesn’t seem to be moving when I step (sound of Matti taking a step and table moving and bumping into him) …ok, yeah, I just took a step and table smacked into my leg.
Tanya: Crap… so every time we move these furniture pieces come closer. I would guess that eventually they will get to the point that they crush us. So what do we do?
Matti: I really think we should just run for it.
Daytras: Is there anything inside the drawers or on the tables? Are you near anything that you can open up without stepping?
Tanya: Yeah, there is a dresser near me. Hold on. (Sound of her opening up the drawer) Uh… (sound of her digging through). There’s a lot of random junk in here. Forks, rags, clothes. Huh… There’s a newspaper in here. (Sound of her pulling it out.) It’s in English… That’s good. (Sound of her looking at it). It’s dated December 1st, 1947. The headline on the front page says “Sometimes I hate myself.” There’s a big picture of a coffin on the front. It’s like an old timey stereotypical coffin though, made all out of wood. There is an upside down pentagram nailed to it. …Weird, it looks just like the coffin over there.
Daytras: Does the paper say anything else? Any other stories or headlines?
Tanya: Um… the text of the articles just say “I am perplexed. Air raid siren.” Over and over again. “I am perplexed. Air raid siren. I am perplexed. Air raid siren.” …The article is written by a… Mr. W. H. … Matti, does this crap mean anything to you?
Matti: (hiding the fact that he knows) Uh… no… no it doesn’t. I have no idea what that is.
Tanya: Any ideas Daytras?
Daytras: I’m stumped.
Tanya: Well, the picture of this coffin looks exactly like the one that is propped up over there. Maybe there is something to that. It’s a few steps away from me. I’m going to go for it.
Daytras: Tanya, you could crushed.
Tanya: It’s just three steps. I think I’ll be fine.
Matti: Yeah, I think you’ll be fine.
Tanya: Alright… step one (sound of taking step and furniture moving.) Step two (step and moving furniture) Ay yea yea! That’s close. That’s getting real tight. Ugh… Alright, step… 3 (Sound of her squeezing through and taking another step. Sound of furniture moving). Ugh! Ok. I’m here. But this furniture is right up close now. One more step and I’m crushed.
Daytras: Can you get the coffin open?
Tanya: Yeah… I think there is space to. Opening. (Sound of her opening the coffin). Huh… there’s just a dust rag in here. Hanging on a hook from the back of the coffin. (Sound of her taking it). Grabbed it. Now what am I supposed to do?
Daytras: Dust?
Tanya: Really?
Daytras: Best idea I can think of.
Tanya: God this labyrinth is stupid. Ok, rubbing the furniture with the cloth. (Sound of her rubbing the furniture with the cloth. It moves.) Oh! Hey it moved! It moved back. Ok, continuing to dust. (Sound of her dusting the furniture and it moving back. She walks forward as she dusts.) Hey! It’s working! I dust and the furniture moves back. Matti, come on, follow my trail!
Matti: Uh… yeah, ok coming.
(Sound of them walking as Tanya dusts. She stops dusting and they walk out.)
Tanya: Ok, we’re out! (sound of them stopping walking). …Dusting…so weird. (sound of them walking off.)
(Sound fades out. Musical interlude.)
End scene
Scene: Lava pit area of the labyrinth.
(Sound fades in. Tanya and Matti walking up. There is the sound of steam and pumps. They stop walking.)
Tanya: The labyrinth is changing. Daytras, we just walked out of the stone cave. We are in a corridor made of metal now. There are like steam tubes and pumps all around. It’s like we are in the basement of a factory or something. There is a red light coming out from around the corner up ahead too.
Matti: Good, I was tired of walking by these candles. (Sound of him dropping the candle.)
Tanya: Yeah, me too. (Sound of her dropping her candle). Alright, we’re going forward. (Sound of them walking forward and turning the corner. They stop walking.) Oh… lava pit. Of course. Daytras, there’s a giant lava pit in front of us. The walk way continues on the other side. Well, we must be heading in the right direction, since we keep getting obstacles thrown in front of us.
Matti: So how do we cross it?
Tanya: Hmm. (sound of her taking a few steps.) Well… look… there are two parallel wires hanging over our heads. They go across, from one side to the other.
Matti: What do you think we do?
Tanya: We pull ourselves up and try to walk across on them. One foot on each wire. Here, help me up. I’ll grab you and pull you up when I’m up there.
Matti: Ok. (Sound of Matti walking over and grabbing Tanya.)
Tanya: Up I go. (Sound of him grunting as he lifts her up.) Grabbed it. I’m going to pull myself up. (Sound of her grunting as she pulls herself up.) There. Up. Balancing. (Sound of her shimming) Ok, got it. Ha… when I was alive I was never able to do a pull up and it always drove me nuts. Here, it’s no problem. Ok, reaching down to help you up Matti. (Sound of her bending over.)
Matti: Ok. (sound of him jumping and grabbing) Got you. Pull me up.
Tanya: (Grunting as she pull him up). Ok, got you up. You set?
Matti: Yep, balanced.
Tanya: Ok, walking forward. Move slowly. We fall into that lava our spirits are toast.
Matti: Ok…
(Sound of them walking forward. Sound of the wires shaking after a moment.)
Tanya: (stops walking) Hey, what was that?
Daytras: What is it?
Tanya: The wires, it felt like they were shaking. Matti, did you feel that back there?
Matti: Uh… No, I didn’t feel anything.
Tanya: Huh… Ok, continuing walking (sound of them continuing walking. Sound of wires shaking again, she stops walking.) Whoa! Jesus! I almost fell! Matti is that you? Did you shake the wires?
Matti: Yeah, sorry, I just stepped on them weird and it made it shake.
Tanya: Well be careful!
Matti: Ok
(Sound of them continuing to walk. Wires start shaking again. Stops walking).
Tanya: Ah! Again! God! Hey! Matti! Stop it! Stop shaking the wires! (Matti doesn’t respond.) What is going on back there? (Sound of her looking behind her). Whoa! Matti! What the hell are you doing?!
Matti: (as he jumps up and down) What does it look like I’m doing?! I’m jumping up and down on the wires!
Tanya: (Trying to keep balance) Yeah! I see that! Why?!
Matti: (jumping) Because I’m trying to make you fall you stupid bitch!
Tanya: What?
Monroe: No Matti!
Tanya: Who was that?!
Daytras: Tanya! Marchosias just spoke through the body part! He’s been listening in on us! The other body on the bridge! He must have been hearing us through them this whole time!
Tanya: (keeping balance) Oh crap!
Matti: (jumping) That’s right he has! And I serve him now! He asked me to make you fall, so I make you fall! Now get off this wire you bitch!
Tanya: (being shaken) Damnit! Damnit!
Monroe: (through body part) Matti you fool! You exposed yourself!
Daytras: Get out of there Tanya!
Tanya: (being shaken) I’m trying! I’m trying!
Matti: (jumping) Fall! Why won’t you fall?!
Tanya: (being shaken) I knew there was a reason I always hated you Matti!
Matti: (jumping) Die! Die!
Tanya: (falling) Whoa! (grabbing onto the wire) Gah!
Daytras: Tanya!
Tanya: Daytras I fell! But I grabbed onto the wire with my hand!
Daytras: Climb up fast!
Matti: Graaaah! I will make you fall as my master commands! (sound of him walking over).
Tanya: He’s coming after me! I’m trying to get back up!
Daytras: Don’t let him near you!
Matti: Let’s see if my foot in your face fixes your disposition!
Tanya: (getting kicked in the face) Ugh!
Matti: Not enough yet? How about another one!
Tanya: (Getting kicked in the face and falling) Gah! Aaaah!
Matti: There we go! Now you’re falling!
Daytras: No!
Tanya: (Grabbing onto the side of the wall) Oof!
Matti: Damn it!
Tanya: Daytras, I’m still alive. I fell but I grabbed onto the edge of one of the pumps on the side wall.
Daytras: Get out! Get out!
Monroe: (through body part) There is no getting out for you Tanya! Just give up and let yourself fall!
Tanya: (Shimming along the wall) Gnaaah, I’m trying to shimmy myself along the wall. Trying to get to the other side.
Matti: Oh no you don’t! Graah! (Sound of him jumping) Aaaah! (Sound of him grabbing onto the side wall). Now I’m on the wall too Tanya.
Tanya: (Shimming) Raaah! I’m almost to the other side!
Matti: (Shimming) And I’m almost to you!
Daytras: Go Tanya! Go!
Tanya: I made it! Climbing up! (Sound of her starting to climb up.)
Matti: Got you! (Sound of him grabbing her).
Tanya: Gah! He’s got my leg! Raaagh! (Sound of her kicking him in the face.)
Matti: Ah! (Sound of him letting go)
Tanya: I’m out! (Climbing up) I’m up! I’m on the other side!
Matti: You kicked me in the face you bitch!
Monroe: (through body part) Matti you fool! You should have climbed across on the wires and waited for her on the other side!
Daytras: Run Tanya! Just run!
Tanya: Ok! (Sound of her running off)
Matti: (voice trailing away) Your escape is fleeting Tanya! I will catch up to you!
(Sound of Tanya running. Sound fades out.)
End Scene
COMMERCIAL
Scene: In the forest part of the Labyrinth.
(Sound fades in. Tanya running. Suddenly starts running on dirt. She stops running.)
Tanya: Daytras, I’m in a new area. It’s like a forest and there’s a path. But the trees are so thick and close together on the sides of the path that I can’t move off of it. I still have to keep moving forward.
Daytras: Tanya, stop talking to me, they can hear you!
Monroe: (through body part) Matti! She’s in the woods! Get her!
Matti: (through body part) I’m coming!
Tanya: Ah! Crap! (Sound of her taking off and running more.) Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Monroe: (through body part) Where do you think your going to run to Tanya? Where do you think you’re going to be able to hide where my ears will not hear you?
Tanya: (running) Shut up! Just shut up!
Daytras: Tanya, he can hear you through the head! Throw it away!
Tanya: (running) No! I won’t have a way to talk to you if I do!
Monroe: (through body part) Head or no head, you’ll never escape the watching eye of me and my legions.
Tanya: (running) Daytras, there’s a fork in the path with an option to go left or right. I’m going right!
Daytras: Tanya! Stop talking to me!
Tanya: Well I gotta have someone to talk to damn it! I’m all alone out here!
Matti: (through body part) I’m in the woods Marchosias! I am almost to her!
Monroe: (through body part) Matti, when you reach the fork go left!
Tanya: (running) What?!
Monroe: (through body part) You think I’m a fool Tanya?
Tanya: (running) …Damn it…
Matti: (through body part) Turned the corner!
Tanya: (Sound of her tripping and falling into mud) Gah! (Struggling) Ah! Damn it! I fell! There’s mud everywhere.
Monroe: (through body part) Matti! She’s trapped! Get her!
Tanya: What do you mean trapped?! (Struggling to get out) Gah! Ah! Damn it! I can’t move in this mud! It’s clinging to me! Graaah!
Daytras: (through body part) Is there anything you can grab onto to pull yourself out? A branch or something?
Tanya: (struggling) Gaah! No! There’s nothing! Damn it! Grrrnaaagh! I’m moving a little bit… Grraaah! It’s like moving through glue!
Matti: (running up and stopping running) Found you.
Tanya: Ah crap.
Daytras: (through body part) Matti! Don’t do it! Whatever Marchosias is promising you is lies!
Monroe: (through body part) Silence broken man! You know nothing of my integrity!
Tanya: Let’s not do anything crazy now Matti… Or I should probably say let’s not do anything else crazy. Hey, when did you loose all of your clothes?
Matti: When I decided to become the pure animal of emotion that I now am. You behold me in my nudity as a display of all my potential glory realized. I need no clothes now to mask my body! I need no emotional filters placed on my mind to mask my emotions! I am power incarnate! Marchosias has made it so!
Tanya: (Struggling to get out) Yeah, well if you want me, then you will need to get into this pit with me!
Matti: Don’t think that the threat of that mud will limit my desire! I am too strong now in order to hindered by such obstacles! (Sound of him jumping in) Grah! I’m in! And I’m coming after you!
Monroe: (through body part) Matti you fool! Now you are stuck as well!
Matti: (struggling to get through the mud) No Marchosias! I can feel the power you have granted me! I will move through this like a rock cuts through water!
Tanya: (struggling) You look pretty stuck to me Matti!
Monroe: (through body part) I haven’t given you any power you imbecile!
Matti: No! You have! I can feel it!
Monroe: (through body part) Get to her before she gets out!
Matti: (struggling) Yes! I will master! I will!
Tanya: (struggling) Come on Matti! After everything we’ve been through you turn just like that?! All of this stuff hasn’t meant anything to you?!
Matti: (struggling) My cooperation with you and Wolfgang was only out of the necessity to prove myself to my true master. He was testing me Tanya! The whole time! It was all just a test! And I used you and Wolfgang in order to pass the test! You were nothing but weak people to be used as tools and that’s what I did!
Tanya: (struggling) That’s a nice revisionists version of history you have there! The way I remember it is that you were just as eager to defeat these demons and save Earth as we were! Don’t pretend like this recent conversion of yours has re-written the context of your previous actions!
Matti: (struggling) Don’t you tell me what my past is! I get to decide what my past is! I get to decide what has happened to me in my life! I get to decide how it was that I got to where I am! It is the power of I Tanya! The power of an individual so mighty that someone like you would never understand.
Tanya: (struggling) You’re not an individual Matti! You’re a maniac! Powerful people don’t decide what happened to them in the past! Powerful people decide what will happen to them in the future! But you just sold that opportunity to Marchosias! You’re nothing now! I’m not impressed by you! You’re destiny is in the hands of someone else now! You might as well just be a lifeless rock laying on the ground as far as I’m concerned! And what did you sell it for huh?! Promises of treasure?! Shiny metal objects that can look back at you and tell you you’re validated for being an ass all this time?! Or was it promises of ego?! Like you didn’t have enough people praising you when you were alive!
Matti: (struggling) Shut up! You don’t know me! You don’t know my choices!
Tanya: (struggling) Oh God, not knowing you is the one thing in the universe that I wish were true! I know you better than anyone should know a douche bag of your caliber! You and your need for power in the form of shiny and ego stroking rewards! It’s like a drug! Once you had a hit you need to keep getting them don’t you?! That’s why satan worship sounded so great to you huh? Blow some smoke, kill some people, do some rituals and poof! Now you don’t just have validation from normal living people, you have validation from supernatural people! You already stated how little you think of humans, but that doesn’t change your human need for phony approval from a perceived authority does it? So now, at the first hint of the idea that these demons we’ve been dealing with might like you, no matter how full of crap it is, you jumped at it and you sold your damned soul. You sold it to the only thing you thought you could respect, which was some outer-worldly voice who claimed to have all the answers.
Matti: (struggling) Shut up! Shut up!
Tanya: Well guess what Matti?! That other worldly voice doesn’t have all the answers! That other worldly voice is just as full of crap as every other voice around you! But it’s too late now, because the deal is done! You’re Marchosias pawn now! All this crap about you being a person full of power and might is meaningless if you don’t have a say in where your life is going! But guess what Matti! For all of that worship and devotion you’ve given to a demon, you’re still stuck in the mud! And I’m… Graaah! (Sound of her climbing out of the pit) OUT OF THE PIT! (Sound of her taking a few steps). Daytras! I was able to get to the edge and pull myself out!
Matti: (struggling) Damn it! I will get out of here too Tanya! You have no where to run!
Daytras: Tanya, get out of there!
(Sound of her starting to run)
Monroe: (through body part) Daytras… oh Daytras… I found something…
Tanya: (Stops running) What? What’s going on?
Monroe: (through body part) I’m on the bridge Daytras. I discovered your little secret.
Daytras: Marchosias… no…
Tanya: What secret? What’s going on?
Monroe: (through body part) The body Daytras. I discovered it and I’ve been listening to you through it… However, I never took a good look at his face until now. I feel like a fool to be honest with you! To think the havoc I could have caused had I known who these bodies were! But I was so busy working on controlling the ship and trying to squash your little rebellion that I never looked past the blood and the injuries on his face to realize who it really was that was up here. It’s quite embarrassing really, seeing as how I was the one who killed them hahaha! …You know, it’s like they always say, you concentrate on work too much and you really miss the little fun things in life don’t you?
Daytras: Stop…
Monroe: (through body part) Tanya, the head you now wear around your neck wrapped in a cloth, the other body on the bridge… who did Daytras tell you they belonged to?
Tanya: …He said they were of another scientist and a politician from the lab.
Monroe: (through body part) HAHAHAHAHA! Oh Daytras! You dog! You silly lying dog! Tanya, I think you may want to unwrap the head you have been wearing this whole time! I think the face may seem familiar!
Tanya: …What?
Daytras: Tanya… Don’t…
Tanya: What have you been hiding from me Daytras?
Daytras: I… Just run Tanya…
Tanya: …I’m un-wrapping it! (Sound of her taking off the head and starting to unwrap it).
Monroe: (through body part) Hehehehehe…
Daytras: No…
Tanya: (Finishes unwrapping. Let’s out a gasp) ….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Monroe: (through body part) HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! SAY HELLO TANYA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Tanya: MY FACE! IT’S MY OWN FACE! (Sound of her dropping her own head). Oh God! (Sound of her running away).
Matti: HAHAHAHA! Tanya, where are you running to?! You just dropped your head!
Tanya: (Running away, the sound of Matti and Monroe laughing fading out as she runs) Oh god! Oh god!
(Sound Fades Out)
End Scene
CREDITS/COMMERCIAL/OUTRO