Distant Star: Episode Two - Far Future Read online

Distant Star:

  Episode Two-

  Far Future

  By W. A. Patterson

  Copyright 2010 W. A. Patterson

  Future Useless *

  Distant Star: Episode One - In The Twilight

  DISTANT STAR- EPISODE 2 - FAR FUTURE? - TEASER

  FADE IN:

  INT. MAX'S APARTMENT - DAY

  MAX DEIL sits at a desk working at his computer. Behind him we can see the rest of his apartment is untouched by order or cleanliness. In short, Max is a slob or a typical male with no females due to arrive soon.

  FX: DOORBELL RINGS

  Reluctantly Max gets up from his desk and goes to the door. We can see now that his clothes are dirty, his hair unwashed and a mess. When he opens the door he sees a dapperly dressed and polite looking man bearing a briefcase. This man is DOUG BROWN. He is a salesman, of a sort.

  MAX

  Yes? Can I help you?

  DOUG

  Of course you can Mr. Deil! It is Mr.

  Maxwell Deil isn't it? Or is it Max?

  MAX

  Yes. I'm Max Deil, but I don't know who

  you are Mr. ... ?

  DOUG

  Oh me? I'm Doug, Doug Brown.

  MAX

  Well Mr. Brown, I-

  DOUG

  (interrupts)

  Just Doug please, no need to stand on

  Ceremony.

  MAX

  Well, Doug, I'm afraid I have no idea

  what you're doing here. ... I have no

  money so I can't buy anything, and I

  don't ever remember meeting you.

  DOUG

  Well, Max, I'm a salesman, but I'm not

  here to sell you electric butter-knives

  or self-tying shoe-laces or anything

  like that. I'm actually here to offer

  you a job.

  Max looks at Doug in disbelief, and then takes the card Doug hands him, looking at it, and unconsciously backing away from the door as he does so. Quick as a blink, Doug steps inside and looks around.

  Max notices this and then Steps back to block Doug's way farther into the apartment.

  DOUG

  This is so fascinating. How can you fit

  so much clutter in such a small place

  Max?

  Max looks around and notices the sty his apartment has become.

  MAX

  I don't think its that bad.

  DOUG

  Oh, this place is positively Rancid!

  When's the last time you took out the

  garbage?

  MAX

  Last week sometime. What's it to you?

  DOUG

  Well, Max, although the job I have in

  mind for you has no particular need for

  tidiness, I do like to know the people

  I'm hiring as well as I can.

  (looks around again)

  It looks like you're more of an

  abstract-random sort of character.

  Doug gently pushes Max out of the way and Max takes a

  second to look at the card.

  CUT TO:

  CARD- CLOSE UP

  DOUG BROWN- AXIS SYSTEMS- CHICAGONOIS- NORTH AMERICA

  MAX

  Chicago-nois? Where the hell is that?

  DOUG

  Oh, You'd call it Chicago Max. It was

  in the state of Illinois until the city

  grew big enough to reach City-State

  Status. They usually change the name

  at that time, except for New York, They

  were the first so they never changed

  it.

  MAX

  City State? What's going on here?

  Doug looks in Surprise at Max, then recalls something, slapping his forehead as he does so.

  DOUG

  Sorry, I'm being foolish again. I

  forget that they restore your mind

  without remembering anything. ... You

  died in 1999 Max. Your body was Frozen

  in Cryonic Suspension. You remember

  signing up for that?

  (Max nods)

  Its now the Year 2837 and your body is

  about to be revived. I'm here to see if

  you want to work for me and see if

  paying to have you thawed out is worth

  the cost.

  Max Looks to Doug for a moment and then at the apartment around him, then laughs.

  MAX

  That's funny Doug, but not quite funny

  enough. Who put you up to this? Was it

  Russell?

  DOUG

  Russell? ... Who's- ... OH! I get it!

  You think this is a Joke! Sure! That

  happens almost every time. ... Well

  watch this.

  Doug claps his hands twice and then gestures around him. Max looks and sees that the trashed apartment is now spotlessly clean and tidy.

  DOUG

  This is a computer simulation Max. Its

  not real. But what is real is the fact

  that is that you're dead and you can be

  resurrected if you want.

  Max looks at Doug for a few seconds and then faints away completely, his head making a nice THUNK as it hits the floor.

  FADE OUT: