Third Life - Draft 3
Draft 3. Third draft of my first short screenplay.
int. Casino Parlor - Brightly Lit
Robert Theive
Got it.
Balanand Vindelar
You brought it here? You are mad??
ROBERT THEIVE
No... Why?
BALANAND VINDELAR
It would have been most unfortunate. My associates will
have secure transfer protocols established shortly. Please enjoy my
hospitality while we wait.
INT. VICTORIAN DRAWING ROOM - DAYTIME
Victor Bespoke
Are you ready?
JESSICA BANTLING
I think so. Explain it to me again, how this is
supposed to work.
VICTOR BESPOKE
It's all about balancing the system. Two plus two is?
JESSICA BANTLING
Four!
VICTOR BESPOKE
Right, but if the system sees two plus two on one side and
three on the other, the missing one has to come from somewhere.
JESSICA BANTLING
And?
VICTOR BESPOKE
He took the one, so we're helping him keep the system
balanced.
JESSICA BANTLING
I think I get it. Do these bandages have
to be covering all of me?
VICTOR BESPOKE
Yes, and no peaking! As long as you can't see him, he can't see you.
INT. SCOTTISH CASTLE LIBRARY - DARKLY LIT
JESSICA BANTLING (O.S.)
If you say so. Call me Cleopatra!
VICTOR BESPOKE
Ok Cleo. His system should be picking me up and
alerting him right. About.
ROBERT THEIVE (O.S.)
Hey!
int. bare room - darkly lit
VICTOR BESPOKE
Now.
Robert Theive
Who are you?
Victor Bespoke
Why?
Jessica Bantling
Where is everything? What did you do to me?
Robert
Theive
What am I doing back.?. No. Where am I?
int. Victorian drawing room - daytime
Jessica
Bantling
(O.S.)
Can it be undone?
Victor
Bespoke
If he thinks to give it back. Otherwise, what's done is
done. Care for a drink?
ROBERT
THEIVE (O.S.)
Why?
Victor
Bespoke
Because I'm thirsty.
int. Scottish Castle library - darkly
lit
ROBERT
THEIVE
Why was I... where I was, and now I am both here and in that other room?
Victor
Bespoke
Where?
You were the one wearing the dress.
Robert
Theive
Kilt.
Victor
Bespoke
What?
Robert
Theive
I'm wearing a kilt.
Victor
Bespoke
I know that
is a kilt. You were wearing the dress last night.
Jessica
Bantling (O.S.)
What did you do to the dress?
INT. BARE ROOM - DARKLY LIT
Victor
Bespoke
So let me get this straight. The dress you were wearing last night was yours. You didn't steal it from this room?
Robert
Theive
No.
Victor
Bespoke
You were wearing your dress.
Robert
Theive
I was not wearing my dress, or
anyone else's for that matter!
Jessica
Bantling
I didn't think it would fit.
INT. SCOTTISH CASTLE LIBRARY - DARKLY
LIT
Victor
Bespoke
It was hers, you
know.
Robert
Theive
Hers?
Jessica
Bantling (O.S.)
Mine.
Victor
Bespoke
Yes. The dress, the bare room, all aspects of
her.
Robert
Theive
Huh. It's not like she was going to use it or anything.
INT. BARE ROOM - DARKLY LIT
Jessica
Bantling
Not going to use it? In this state? Of course I wasn't
going to...
Robert
Theive
Why do you care?
Victor
Bespoke
It's a package deal. Take one and you take them all.
INT. SCOTTISH CASTLE LIBRARY - DARKLY
LIT
Robert
Theive
Ok...
VICTOR
BESPOKE
Why did you take it?
ROBERT
THEIVE
Nobody else was using it.
Victor
Bespoke
Prove it.
Robert
Theive
Why should I have to prove anything to you?
Victor
Bespoke
You don't. I have all I need.
INT. BARE ROOM - DARKLY LIT
Jessica
Bantling
That's all? Aren't you going to, you know, do something?
Robert
Theive
Hey! Who are.?.
VICTOR
BESPOKE
You peeked! No, all that would do is display malicious
intent and void the
terms.
ROBERT
THEIVE
Can't you see this is a private
conversation?
Victor
Bespoke
Did anyone invoke a privacy clause?
Robert
Theive
No, I suppose not.
Victor
Bespoke
For all you know, I might be broadcasting this live, for all
to see. Some cheesy Candid Capture machinema peep-fest...
Robert
Theive
You didn't!?!
Jessica
Bantling
You should have.
Victor
Bespoke
No, I didn't. And it wouldn't have been in our best interests either.
INT. VICTORIAN DRAWING ROOM - DAYTIME
Jessica
Bantling
What do you mean?
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
What?
Victor
Bespoke
You see, when he took the bait...
Jessica
Bantling
The dress.
Victor
Bespoke
Yes, when he stole the dress...
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
I didn't steal the dress.
Victor
Bespoke
Thank you. As I was saying, he chose to take it and as
the saying goes, possession is nine-tenths of the law. As clearly stated
in the dress's
embodied End-User License Agreement...
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
Uh oh.
VICTOR
BESPOKE
You did ask the dress what its terms of ownership were,
didn't you?
Jessica
Bantling
So it's viral?
Victor
Bespoke
No, it doesn't replicate. Think of it as a Trojan
horse. It's a digital rights management
loop-hole. He is in fact on public record, with dozens of witnesses I might add, prancing around town in
what used to be your very unique dress.
Jessica
Bantling
I never figured you for a tranny.
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
I wasn't wearing the dress!
INT. BARE ROOM - DARKLY LIT
Victor
Bespoke
Oh really? What are you wearing right now?
Robert
Theive
I told you before, a kil... GAH!
Victor
Bespoke
Tricky little number, isn't it? What did
you think you were going to do with a designer dress like
that?
Robert
Theive
Sell it.
Jessica
Bantling
Sell it? Hah! You don't just sell a vicky-tech dress on the
street. All you're pushing are polygons without the hardware and wetware
links!
INT. VICTORIAN DRAWING ROOM - DAYTIME
Victor
Bespoke
Not too bright, is he? Let him keep the dress.
Jessica
Bantling
But I was so looking forward to...
Victor
Bespoke
Forget the dress. The transfer is complete.
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
Transfer?
Jessica
Bantling
That's all there is to it?
Victor
Bespoke
That's all.
INT. Scottish Castle Library - Darkly
lit
Robert
Theive (O.S.)
What transfer?
Victor
Bespoke
We humbly accept your castle and all your possessions as
payment. Have a nice day!
Jessica
Bantling
I think I can get used to this.
ROBERT
THEIVE (O.S.)
Wait!
Jessica
Bantling
Can I take off the rest of these bandages now?
ROBERT
THEIVE (O.S.)
Hello?
Victor
Bespoke
Yes, you can take them off. The place is yours, sight
unseen if you'll pardon the pun.
JESSICA
BANTLING
Alright, that's enough. Let's see, here's the bar...
ROBERT
THEIVE (O.S.)
How do I take this thing off? Where's my kilt??
Jessica
Bantling
Ah, this
looks good. Care for a glass?
INT. BARE ROOM - DARKLY LIT
ROBERT
THEIVE
I said... Hello? I can't seem to find the
door. Hey! You can't just leave me here!
BALANAND
VINDELAR (O.S.)
There you are. Truth does not come easily to you, does
it?
INT. CASINO PARLOR - BRIGHTLY LIT
BALANAND
VINDELAR
Not only did you lie to me, the dress is now useless.
ROBERT
THEIVE
I can explain!
BALANAND
VINDELAR
I do not want to hear excuses.
ROBERT
THEIVE
Sorry.
BALANAND
VINDELAR
You would do well to grovel, for your bottom is grass and I
am a very hungry bull. Much is owed me, and I intend to collect.
ROBERT
THEIVE
What can I do? They took everything!
BALANAND
VINDELAR
That would be your problem. Bring the woman to me.
END.
