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recently , there has been much interest in the unusual magnetic and magnetotransport properties of 2-dimensional ( 2d ) electron gas ( 2deg ) at low densities , as exemplified by the inversion layers in silicon metal - oxide - semiconductor field effect transistors ( si - mosfets ) @xcite , or by gaas quantum wells .
specifically , indirect magnetisation and susceptibility measurements @xcite indicate an increase of low - field magnetic susceptibility with lowering the 2-dimensional carrier density @xmath0 toward the critical value @xmath1 , corresponding to the metal - insulator transition ( mit ) .
this might imply the presence of a ferromagnetic transition at or near mit @xcite , although the situation remains uncertain due to experimental difficulties . on the theory side ,
the possibility of ferromagnetism in a 2deg at low density was raised in the numerical investigations@xcite .
later , a divergence in susceptibility with decreasing @xmath0 toward @xmath1 was reported based on an advanced renormalisation - group treatment in ref . @xcite . on the other hand , numerical studies based on the diffusion monte carlo technique@xcite
did not find any critical behaviour of susceptibility in a low density two - valley 2deg .
the effects of finite thickness of the inversion layer on the quasi-2deg susceptibility were addressed , _
e.g. _ , in refs . @xcite . in these investigations , the appropriate diagrammatic summations
@xcite or the monte - carlo numerical results @xcite are generalised for the quasi-2d case by including the appropriate formfactors@xcite , whereas for interpreting the experimental findings in ref .
@xcite , orbital effects of the in - plane magnetic field ( which can be non - negligible for a sufficiently thick layer ) were invoked .
we note that within the general framework of delocalised - electron magnetism , an important benchmark is provided by stoner - type mean - field theories .
the underlying assumption is the presence of a local repulsive interaction between opposite - spin electrons . in the case of a quasi-2deg , where an important role is played by long - range coulomb correlations , such an assumption does not at the first sight appear too realistic .
yet we suggest that it might be worthwhile to study it in some detail , especially as a relative simplicity of the situation allows for a full mean - field treatment including the electrostatic effects .
we thus aim at generalising the classical ref .
@xcite to treat the magnetic response of a silicon inversion layer , where in addition to the long - range coulomb interaction ( which at the mean - field level is included in the effective electrostatic potential ) , contact ( on - site ) repulsion between the carriers is also taken into account .
we note that in the case of silicon , recent density functional theory results@xcite suggest a rather large value of on - site repulsion @xmath2 .
this is somewhat unexpected for a semiconductor with covalent bonds , and perhaps provides an additional motivation for the present study .
the validity of our mean - field approach will be discussed elsewhere .
following ref .
@xcite , we consider an @xmath0-doped si inversion layer , with the value of chemical potential fixed at the top of the valence band @xmath3 of the bulk silicon .
we set @xmath3 to be our zero of energy , and we further assume the presence of an acceptor level at @xmath4 , with the volume density of acceptors @xmath5 .
the bottom of conduction band bends from its bulk value @xmath6ev ( attained far away from the surface , where the transverse co - ordinate @xmath7 is large and positive ) to a variable value @xmath8 at the surface ( @xmath9 ) , which is controlled by the electrostatic potential @xmath10 at the metallic gate , @xmath11 here , we assume that the potential @xmath12 vanishes deep within the bulk ( more precisely , at @xmath13 , where @xmath14 is the depletion layer width ) ; @xmath15 is the electron charge , @xmath16 is the capacitance per unit area of the oxide layer , and @xmath17 is the ( positive ) surface charge density at the gate , which exactly compensates the induced charges in the semiconductor : @xmath18 , with @xmath19 ( @xmath20 ) being the density of the 2deg carriers with spin up ( down ) .
the constant difference in work functions is absorbed into @xmath10 .
the value of @xmath21 at @xmath22 is found from the ( self - consistent ) poisson s equation as @xmath23 dz''\ , , \label{eq : phi}\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath24 is the static dielectric constant of bulk si .
the wave - functions @xmath25 ( with @xmath26 ) of the transverse motion are the ground - state eigenfunctions of the effective mean field one - dimensional hamiltonian ( we recall that in the underlying quantum mechanical problem transverse carrier motion separates from the in - plane one , the latter being free ) : @xmath27 here , @xmath28 is the transverse effective mass [ for si-(100 ) surface , @xmath29 in the units of free electron mass @xmath30 , @xmath31 is the in - plane magnetic field in units of @xmath32 ( bare @xmath33-factor times bohr magnetone ) , and @xmath34 is the pauli matrix .
orbital effects of the in - plane field , which have been discussed elsewhere@xcite , are not included in our @xmath35 .
@xmath36 is the contact repulsion ( or an @xmath37-wave scattering ) potential , which is related to the on - site repulsion @xmath38 on the underlying discrete lattice roughly as @xmath39 with @xmath40 the lattice period .
while for the si-(100 ) surface two equivalent electron valleys should be taken into account , here we assume that the hamiltonian is diagonal in the valley index .
in writing eqs .
( [ eq : ham][eq : schroed ] ) , we assumed that only the ground states @xmath41 ( for @xmath42 ) can be populated by the carriers ( electric quantum limit @xcite ) .
are active is straightforward .
] then the respective carrier densities at zero temperature are given by @xmath43 where the factor 2 accounts for the valley degeneracy , @xmath44 is the heavyside function , and @xmath45 is the effective mass of the in - plane motion . the net carrier density and magnetisation ( in units of @xmath46 ) are then @xmath47 the self - consistent mean field scheme is completed by an equation for the depletion layer width @xmath14 , viz .. @xmath48 where @xmath49 is the average value of @xmath7 for spin - up or spin - down carriers . in the @xmath50 ,
@xmath51 case using an _
ansatz_@xcite @xmath52 with an appropriate @xmath53 yields the values of @xmath54 which agree quite well with numerical solution of eqs .
( [ eq : ham][eq : schroed ] ) .
we find a similar behaviour in the @xmath55 , @xmath51 unpolarised case , where the equation for @xmath53 now reads @xmath56 the addition of the second term on the l. h. s. results in a slight decrease of the value of @xmath53 ( and hence in an increase of @xmath57 ) in comparison to the non - interacting case , as can be expected on general grounds .
conventional stoner picture in the uniform three - dimensional case involves the energy shifts of the two spin subbands under the combined effect of @xmath31 and the hartree field _ without _ changing the wave functions .
when using the _ ansatz _ ( [ eq : stern ] ) in the case of an inversion layer in the electric quantum limit , this approach yields the following expression for the magnetic susceptibility : @xmath58 we note that @xmath59 depends on the carrier density @xmath0 , due to the presence of an @xmath0-dependent quantity @xmath53 in the denominator .
this is in turn due to the fact that @xmath36 is a three - dimensional contact interaction , whereas the two - dimensional contact repulsion between the 2deg carriers is in general obtained by integrating over @xmath7 as @xmath60 in the unpolarised case , while also using the _ ansatz _ ( [ eq : stern ] ) , one obtains @xmath61 . since @xmath53 increases with @xmath0 @xcite , so does the susceptibility , eq .
( [ eq:2dstoner ] ) ( see below , fig . [
fig : susce ] ) .
it is however obvious that for @xmath55 the transverse - motion wave functions @xmath62 do change when spin polarisation is induced . in order to clarify this
, we will first assume that for each spin projection , only the ground state @xmath41 of @xmath7-axis motion is populated with carriers .
while this assumption is quantitatively adequate only for smaller densities below @xmath63 @xmath64 , it allows an easy insight into the generic qualitative behaviour which persists also in a complete ( and more cumbersome ) multi - level picture needed at higher densities , which we will discuss later . in the presence of spin polarisation , the hartree field of spin - up ( majority ) electrons creates a potential bump for the spin - down electrons [ see eq .
( [ eq : ham ] ) ] , with the result that spin - down electrons are pushed towards larger @xmath7 .
this new spin - down electron distribution in turn creates a ( smaller ) bump for the spin - up electrons at these larger values of @xmath7 , as a result pushing the spin - up electrons closer to the surface .
this situation is shown schematically in fig .
[ fig : scheme ] .
while for simplicity we show the electrostatic potential @xmath12 as a single dotted line ( as if it does not change when polarisation arises ) , in reality it is affected by the change in wave functions [ see eq .
( [ eq : phi ] ) ] , and the resultant new @xmath12 must be fed back self - consistently into eq .
( [ eq : ham ] ) .
the interaction energy decreases with decreasing wavefunction overlap , so that sufficiently large @xmath36 would imply , at the mean field level , a tendency towards ferromagnetism which ( unlike in the usual stoner picture ) involves a degree of spatial separation of opposite - spin carriers along the transverse direction . schematic representation of the effect of spin polarisation on the transverse - motion wave - functions at @xmath55 . while in the unpolarised case spin - up and -down wavefunctions coincide ( dashed line ) , this is no longer true at @xmath65 ( solid lines ) .
dotted line represents the electrostatic potential energy , @xmath66 . ] in order to probe this picture variationally , we write instead of eq .
( [ eq : stern ] ) : @xmath67 here the parameters @xmath68 and @xmath69 control the behaviour of wave function at small and large values of @xmath7 respectively , whereas @xmath70 is a normalisation coefficient . in the absence of polarisation ,
the coefficients here do not depend on the spin index @xmath71 .
the values of @xmath53 and @xmath72 can be found by minimising the appropriate thermodynamic potential @xmath73 .
it is somewhat simpler to work this out at a fixed total charge @xmath74 and hence fixed @xmath75 [ cf .
( [ eq : phigate ] ) ] , as opposed to fixed @xmath10 ( while the actual situation corresponds to fixing @xmath10 , the two approaches are equivalent for @xmath76 or for an infinitesimal @xmath77 needed when calculating susceptibility ) . in the unpolarised case
, we have @xmath78 here , the first four terms are transverse and in - plane kinetic energy of the carriers , the band - gap contribution and the interaction energy ; the next two terms are the electrostatic energies of carriers and acceptors [ see eq .
( [ eq : phi ] ) ] , and the last term corresponds to the appropriate choice of thermodynamic potential for the case of fixed @xmath75 as explained above .
the values of @xmath14 and @xmath0 are found self - consistently from eqs .
( [ eq : zd ] ) and ( [ eq : nalpha][eq : nm ] ) , respectively , where in eq .
( [ eq : nalpha ] ) one has to substitute for @xmath41 the variational energy value , @xmath79 further details can be found in the appendix .
we note that even in an unpolarised case at @xmath50 , the wavefunction ( [ eq : wf160 ] ) represents an improvement in comparison to eq .
( [ eq : stern ] ) , as indicated by a non - zero value of the coefficient @xmath80 found from the energy minimisation . with increasing @xmath36 , the value of @xmath72 decreases but stays positive throughout physically relevant range of parameter values .
when a polarisation is induced , @xmath81 , the parameters of the wave function ( [ eq : wf160 ] ) depend on the spin index . as long as polarisation is small , @xmath82 , we write to leading order @xmath83 collecting the leading - order corrections to the self - consistent electrostatic energies of carriers and acceptors , as well as to the variational energies @xmath41 of the transverse motion , enables one to evaluate the susceptibility .
the resultant expression is somewhat cumbersome and is given in the appendix [ see eq .
( [ eq : suscevar ] ) ] .
results are presented in fig.[fig : susce ] ( a ) , where the dashed line corresponds to the variational calculation based on eq .
( [ eq : wf160 ] ) .
the computed value of @xmath59 exceeds that of the non - interacting case ( pauli susceptibility , @xmath84 in our notation ) , and increases with increasing @xmath0 .
one can see that the variational calculation somewhat overestimates the tendency toward ferromagnetism , suggesting a transition at @xmath85 @xmath64 , whereas the numerical solution of mean - field equations [ including the schrdinger equation ( [ eq : schroed ] ) ; see solid line in fig . [
fig : susce ] ( a ) ] yields the critical value @xmath86 @xmath64 .
importantly , the `` variational stoner '' approach , using eqs .
( [ eq : stern ] ) and ( [ eq:2dstoner ] ) ( dotted line in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( a ) ) , strongly underestimates @xmath59 and misses the transition .
indeed , the ratio @xmath87 slowly increases with density , reaching the value of 2 only at @xmath88 @xmath89 ( this is for @xmath90 erg/@xmath91 , as used in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ) ; on the other hand , we find that for @xmath92 to diverge at @xmath93 , one must increase the value of @xmath36 to @xmath94 erg/@xmath91 , _
i.e. _ , by a factor of 4 .
if one neglects the effect of wavefunction change , depicted schematically in fig .
[ fig : scheme ] , the stoner criterion of ferromagnetism is determined precisely by the divergence of @xmath92 , eq .
( [ eq:2dstoner ] ) as @xmath95 _ i.e. , _ takes on a purely-2d form .
we see that treating the @xmath7-axis motion properly ( which includes taking into account interaction - induced wave functions change in the presence of spin polarisation ) _ relaxes _ the stoner criterion .
the inset in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( a ) shows the numerical results for the behaviour of spin polarisation degree @xmath96 above the transition .
it is seen that @xmath77 increases continuously , and the transition appears to be second - order .
this is an important difference from a conventional stoner theory in two dimensions where ( in the case of a perfectly flat density of state and at a fixed @xmath0 , and at the level of the present treatment ) the total energy at the critical point does not change as @xmath96 is varied from 0 to 1 , and a fully spin - polarised state is stabilised beyond the transition , resulting in a magnetisation jump . in reality , however , the opposite - spin transverse wave functions overlap decreases with increasing @xmath77 ( cf . fig .
[ fig : scheme ] ) , hence the effective two - dimensional repulsion , eq .
( [ eq : u2d ] ) and the hartree field also decrease , resulting in a smooth transition . as explained above , the results plotted in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( a ) are only indicative , as in reality at those densities where the critical behaviour is suggested more then one quantum - mechanical level of the @xmath7 axis motion is populated . in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( b ) , we show the results of full numerical calculation of susceptibility .
these are obtained by solving eqs .
( [ eq : phi][eq : nalpha ] ) , generalised for the case of multiple active levels . with increasing density
, carriers begin to populate the 2nd , 3rd , 4th , and 5th level at @xmath97 @xmath64 , @xmath98 @xmath64 , @xmath99 @xmath64 , and @xmath100 @xmath64 , respectively .
this gives rise to the vertical steps in susceptiblity , which are clealy visible in fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( b ) . aside from these , the overall behaviour is qualitatively similar to the single - level results of fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( a ) , although the actual _ mean - field critical density for the ferromagnetic transition , _
@xmath101 @xmath64 , is larger than @xmath102 . at @xmath103
, we find 4 active levels for each spin projection .
the increase of critical density as compared to the single - level results of fig .
[ fig : susce ] ( a ) is due to a broader spatial spread of higher - level wavefunctions ( which reduces both the effective 2d interaction and the wavefunction change under the effect of magnetic field ) .
note that in fig .
[ fig : susce ] , variational results are presented for the single - level case only , as the required calculations become more cumbersome in the case of multiple occupied levels .
so far , we found that the magnetic susceptibility @xmath59 increases with increasing density @xmath0 , with a transition to ferromagnetism deep inside the high - density metallic region .
an important underlying assumption was that the in - plane carrier motion is free , which is no longer adequate for smaller densities close to mit .
indeed , in this region the dominant role is played by the in - plane coulomb correlations , as indicated by the measure of the interaction strength , @xmath104 , exceeding unity .
very recently , it has been suggested@xcite that the available data at low densities can be described by a phenomenological model of a 2d fermi gas with a renormalised in - plane mass : @xmath105 the pauli - like in - plane magnetic susceptibility would then be@xcite @xmath106 when @xmath0 approaches @xmath1 from above , @xmath107 increases because of the effective band narrowing , which does not necessarily imply a magnetic instability ( in agreement also with ref .
@xcite ) .
since there appears to be no reason to expect that the _ transverse _ motion of carriers is affected by the correlations , we suggest that the effects of a short - range @xmath36 can be taken into account by substituting @xmath108 in our treatment as described above .
it is readily seen that , for example , the variational stoner susceptibility ( [ eq:2dstoner ] ) would diverge at @xmath109 , corresponding to a zero of the denominator . for the purpose of an estimate
we may use a non - interacting ( @xmath50 ) value of @xmath110 @xcite , yielding an equation @xmath111^{1/3}=1\,.\ ] ] this suggests that a ferromagnetic state is stabilised at @xmath112 .
further refinement can be obtained by using a more adequate variational _
ansatz _ such as ( [ eq : wf160 ] ) , or by solving the mean - field equations numerically .
this is illustrated in fig .
[ fig : dolgo ] . magnetic susceptibility @xmath59 divided by the bare density of states @xmath113 [ see eq .
( [ eq : nalpha ] ) ] at low densities .
in - plane carrier mass is renormalised according to eq.([eq : dolgo ] ) .
solid , dashed , and dotted line correspond respectively to the numerical solution of the mean - field equations , `` stoner '' susceptibility calculated using eqs.([eq : stern]),([eq:2dstoner ] ) with @xmath114 , and pauli susceptibility ( [ eq : pauli ] ) .
the parameter values are @xmath115 @xmath116 , @xmath90 erg/@xmath91 , and @xmath117 @xmath64 . ]
indeed , we see that while @xmath107 , eq . ( [ eq : pauli ] ) , does not show any divergence above @xmath1 , both the variational stoner result and the numerical solution suggest a transition ( at @xmath118 for numerical and at @xmath119 for variational stoner ; this is for the value of @xmath36 used in fig .
[ fig : dolgo ] ) .
while the two follow each other rather closely in this regime , the numerical result for @xmath59 ( and hence for the density value at transition ) is larger than the variational one , mostly due to a pronounced difference between the exact transverse wavefunction and the variational one [ given by eq .
( [ eq : stern ] ) ] in this regime .
as explained above , the transition is expected to be second - order . indeed ,
numerical results imply that @xmath120 is continuous at the transition point , @xmath121 , and rapidly increases with decreasing density , reaching full spin polarisation at @xmath122 .
full spin polarisation is then sustained in the region @xmath123 . alternatively , taking into account the accuracy of experimental data
, it appears possible that the actual mit takes place at the point @xmath124 , whereas @xmath1 , which enters eq .
( [ eq : dolgo ] ) , plays the role of an asymptotically defined parameter ( a point where the effective mass would have diverged ) .
we constructed a stoner - type theory of magnetism for electrons in an inversion layer , addressing both the behaviour of the system in the metallic high - density region and the correlated low - density regime immediately above the metal - insulator transition . while we specifically aimed at describing si-(100 ) mosfets , our results are expected to be qualitatively relevant for other 2d electron systems of finite thickness .
these general conclusions are : ( i ) at higher densities , proper treatment requires taking into account the wave function change under the applied in - plane magnetic field ( see fig .
[ fig : scheme ] ) .
this effect leads to an increased susceptibility in the paramagnetic state , and enhances the tendency toward ferromagnetism . as a result ,
the stoner criterion is somewhat relaxed in comparison to a more conventional treatment , which in turn may give rise to a ferromagnetic transition .
( ii ) even though the overall behaviour at low densities is dominated by long - range coulomb forces , the magnetic susceptibility can be significantly affected by the on - site carrier repulsion , which is of course always present .
we close with a brief summary of our results for a silicon mosfet . in the high - density metallic regime , when one neglects the in - plane coulomb correlations ( main body of sec .
[ sec : susce ] ) , the relaxation of the stoner criterion translates into a lower value of critical density corresponding to a ferromagnetic transition ( in comparison to the conventional stoner approach ) .
still , the transition to ferromagnetism occurs at rather large @xmath0 , and it is far from clear whether the corresponding values can be reached in case of si - mosfets .
however , the increase of susceptibility with increasing @xmath0 should perhaps be observable at large yet readily accessible densities , @xmath125 @xmath64 .
describing the magnetic response of the system at lower densities close to the metal - insulator transition requires taking into account the strongly - correlated nature of the 2deg in this limit .
this was carried out at a phenomenological level in sec .
[ subsec : dolgo ] , and results suggest a ferromagnetic instability above the metal - insulator transition .
this finding contributes to the on - going debate in the literature@xcite .
the mean - field transition to ferromagnetism is found to be continuous in all cases , and a sublinear behaviour of @xmath126 at larger @xmath31 is anticipated ( due to decreasing wavefunction overlap )
. another important and novel feature of our approach is the spatial separation ( in the transverse direction ) which arises between opposite - spin carriers in the ferromagnetic case or whenever spin polarisation is induced ( the average values of the transverse coordinate of spin - up and -down electrons then differ , @xmath127 ) .
this issue will be addressed in more detail elsewhere .
the author takes pleasure in thanking r. berkovits , k. a. kikoin , b. d. laikhtman , s. v. kravchenko , i. shlimak , and l. d. shvartsman for enlightening discussions .
this work was supported by the israeli absorption ministry .
as a first step , one has to determine the values of the wavefunction parameters @xmath53 and @xmath72 in the unpolarised case by minimising the thermodynamic potential @xmath73 , eq .
( [ eq : g ] ) . evaluating all terms in eqs .
( [ eq : g ] ) and ( [ eq : e0 ] ) in the usual limit of @xmath128 and differentiating , we find @xmath129 + \frac{3}{2^{12}}bnu ( 69 \xi^2 - 210 \xi + 205 ) - \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!-
\frac{12 \pi e^2 n_a z_d \xi}{\epsilon b } -\frac{3 \pi e^2 n}{512 b \epsilon}(435 \xi^2\!\!-286 \xi+555)\!\!=\!\!0\ , , \label{eq : b160 } \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ ! b^2\frac{\hbar^2 a^2 } { 4 m_\parallel } \left[-2 - 6a^2 + 24 \gamma a^2 + \frac{\gamma}{2\gamma}(1 + 24 \gamma a^2 ) + \frac{\omega}{2 \gamma^2 } \right]= \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ ! = \frac{3}{256 } bnu a^4 ( 69 \xi -105 ) + \frac{96 \pi e^2 n_a z_d}{b \epsilon}a^4 + \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ ! + \frac{3}{32 } \frac{\pi e^2 n}{b \epsilon}a^4 ( 435 \xi-143)\ , .
\label{eq : gamma160}\end{aligned}\ ] ] here , the quantities @xmath130 and @xmath131 depend only on @xmath72 , and are expressed in terms of sine and cosine integrals : @xmath132 @xmath133 is the normalisation coefficient in eq .
( [ eq : wf160 ] ) at @xmath134 , and @xmath135 is defined according to @xmath136 , so that @xmath137 .
( [ eq : b160][eq : gamma160 ] ) must be solved numerically , together with eqs .
( [ eq : zd ] ) and ( [ eq : nalpha][eq : nm ] ) .
when an infinitesimal in - plane magnetic field @xmath31 is applied , the spin - up and -down wavefunctions begin to differ from each other according to eq .
( [ eq : betadelta ] ) .
this effect , along with the zeeman splitting of the spin subbands , contributes to the magnetisation , @xmath138 \left[1\!-\ !
\frac{3bu\nu}{512 } ( 69 \xi^2\!\!-\!210 \xi \!+\!205 ) \right]^{-1}\!. \label{eq : mvar}\end{aligned}\ ] ] the thermodynamic potential acquires a correction , @xmath139 , which is quadratic in @xmath140 , @xmath141 , and @xmath31 .
the values of @xmath140 and @xmath141 can be found by minimising @xmath142 , yielding magnetisation @xmath77 [ with the help of eq .
( [ eq : mvar ] ) ] , and hence the susceptibility @xmath59 .
a straightforward , if somewhat tedious , calculation yields @xmath143^{-1 } \label{eq : suscevar}\ ] ] here the first two terms correspond to the stoner susceptibility , computed using the wavefunctions ( [ eq : wf160 ] ) of the unpolarised case [ instead of ( [ eq : stern ] ) ; cf .
( [ eq:2dstoner ] ) ] , whereas the quantity @xmath144
\nonumber % notes ( 197)\end{aligned}\ ] ] accounts for the field - induced change of the spin - up and down wavefunctions , as illustrated by fig .
[ fig : scheme ] .
the coefficients @xmath145 , @xmath146 , and @xmath16 are given by @xmath147 - \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ ! -\frac{3 \pi
e^2 n^2}{4 \epsilon b } ( 1305 \xi -429 ) a^6 - \frac{2 ^ 8 \cdot 9 \pi e^2 n_a z_d n a^6}{\epsilon b } + \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ !
+ \frac{9}{64 } u b n^2 ( 95 - 69 \xi ) a^6 \,,\nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ ! b= \frac{\hbar^2 a^2 n b^2}{2m_\parallel } ( \gamma-\frac{1}{2}+ 2 \gamma)- \frac{3 \pi e^2 n^2}{2 ^ 9 \epsilon
b}(975 \xi^2 - 2638 \xi + \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ !
+ 1215 ) + \frac{24 \pi e^2 n_a
z_d n \xi}{\epsilon b } + \frac{9}{2^{11}}ubn^2(-199 \xi^2 + 510 \xi - \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ !
-375)\ , , \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ !
c=\frac{\hbar^2 a^2 n b^2}{2m_\parallel } \left[-\gamma \left(\frac{1}{2\gamma}+12 a^2 \right)+ 2 + 6 a^2 - 24 a^2 \gamma^2- \right .
\nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\ !
\left.-\frac{\omega}{2 \gamma^2 } \right ] - \frac{3 \pi e^2 n^2}{64 \epsilon b } ( 435 \xi -751 ) a^4 - \frac{96 \pi e^2 n_a z_d n a^4}{\epsilon b}+ \nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\
! + \frac{45}{32}ubn^2 a^4 \ , .
\nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] s. v. kravchenko , a. a. shashkin , s. anissimova , a. venkatesan , m. r. sakr , v. t. dolgopolov , and t. m. klapwijk , ann . phys . * 321 * , 1588 ( 2006 ) ; a. a. shashkin , s. anissimova , m. r. sakr , s. v. kravchenko , v. t. dolgopolov , and t. m. klapwijk , phys .
* 96 * , 036403 ( 2006 ) . | arxiv |
fractals have been largely applied to characterize the dynamics of systems with multiple modes of exit @xcite .
for instance , in the capture of orbits by attractors @xcite , in the scattering of particles by located @xcite and by nonlocated potentials @xcite , and in the initial - condition sensitivities caused by chaotic transients @xcite . in this context ,
fractal sets are : boundaries among basins of initial conditions going out via different exits , singularities of scattering functions , or singularities of exit - time functions .
an exit system has in general either one of the two following kinds of behavior : a ) the system is stable , which is the open counterpart of nonchaotic closed systems , or b ) the system presents some sensitive dependence on initial conditions , the open analogous of chaotic closed systems .
the behavior exhibited by the system is determined by the nature of the nonattracting invariant set of trapped orbits .
more precisely , it is through the dimension of the future invariant set that the sensitivity of the system is quantified @xcite .
this dimension can go from zero ( no instabilities ) to the energy surface dimension ( maximal sensitivity ) , relating the cause of the sensitivity ( invariant sets ) with the phenomenon itself ( fractal structures in basin boundaries , exit - times , etc ) .
the aim of this paper is to discuss relations between different fractal sets , the dependence of the dimension of the basin boundaries with the definition of the basins ( equivalently , the definition of the exits ) , and the dynamical consequences of fractals in closed ( nonexit ) systems . among the motivations of this work
are the so far unanswered questions : ( 1 ) how arbitrary can be the definition of the basins ?
a basin boundary gives information about the system when its dimension reveals the dimension of the future invariant set . since the future invariant set and the basin boundary are in general non identical sets , conditions on the definition of the exits that ensure the equality of the dimensions have to be found .
( 2 ) how to study a system whose orbits `` choose '' the exits only after the time evolution of the initial conditions by arbitrarily large periods of time ?
as an example consider the orbits of light traveling around a periodically perturbed black hole @xcite . by physical considerations , almost all orbits starting on a poincar section
are ( eventually ) captured by the black hole or scattered to infinity .
suppose that we are interested in measuring the sensitivity of the system for these two exits by computing the dimension of the invariant orbits on the poincar section .
for some initial conditions , the trajectory integrated on a finite period of time goes unequivocally to the black hole .
other orbits , however , remain around the black hole for a long time and it is in general difficult to determine whether the final state will be at the black hole or at infinity .
this problem is a consequence of our inability in integrating the system for an infinite interval of time .
( 3 ) what sort of relation communicates fractals in exit systems with chaos in nonexit systems ? fractal structures and chaos present a number of analogous implications .
for instance , both chaos and fractals prevent integrability .
accordingly , it worth looking for a common mechanism determining fractals in open systems and chaos in closed systems .
in order to answer these questions we restrict the discussion to a class of autonomous systems for which almost all orbits of interest eventually exit , and the exits are defined regions of the phase space . for these systems , we shall consider each @xmath3-dimensional manifestly invariant part of the phase space ( e.g. , each energy surface ) , where @xmath3 is refered as the effective phase space dimension .
in section 2 we observe that the basin boundary dimension is largely independent of the choices of the basins if the _ total _
exit is fixed . in this context
we also discuss relations between the dimensions of different fractal sets for different concepts of dimension .
the dimension decreases , however , when the total exit is enlarged .
the enlargement of the exits as a technique to study systems whose capture of orbits by the exits takes arbitrarily long time is considered in section 3 .
the limit of small exits , on the other hand , reveals the chaotic or regular character of the corresponding closed system .
relations between fractals in exit systems and chaos in the associated nonexit system are studied in section 4 .
finally , our conclusions are presented in the last section .
the discussion is accompanied by explicit examples of one - dimensional maps .
non standard definitions used along the text are summarized in the appendix .
let us consider the map @xcite @xmath4 where @xmath5 is a positive parameter ( @xmath6 in this section ) . in spite of its noninversible and discontinuous character , this map can be seen as a canonical model for hyperbolic scattering systems .
the noninversibility is a consequence of the reduced dimension of the model .
the discontinuity would be avoided by employing a tend - like map or a logistic - like map , which is also smooth , with no relevant changes .
we prefer this map , however , because of its simpler symbolic dynamics . for a uniform distribution of initial conditions in
@xmath7 $ ] , the decay rate with the number @xmath8 of iterations is @xmath9 .
a half of the points goes to @xmath10 and then asymptotically to @xmath11 , and the other half goes to @xmath12 and then to @xmath13 . in fig .
1 we show in two different colors the attraction basins associated to @xmath11 and @xmath13 as a function of @xmath5 . in this figure
we see the complex structure of the basin boundary ( also present in any magnification ) , a feature of systems with sensitive dependence on initial conditions . the box - counting dimension of the basin boundary numerically estimated by a method presented in ref .
@xcite is fitted by @xmath14 . on the other hand ,
since the points that go out in one iteration are those of the interval @xmath15 , we can reinterpret the total exit as being this interval . in fig .
2 we show the exit - time function for @xmath16 .
in computing the uncertainty dimension of the singularities of the exit - time functions by the method of @xcite we also obtain a curve fitted by @xmath17 .
the coincidence of the above fractal dimensions is due to the presence of an invariant bounded set ( the future invariant set ) with box - counting dimension @xmath18 , which is chaotic since the lyapunov exponent @xmath19 is positive .
the box - counting dimension is defined by @xcite @xmath20 where @xmath3 is the number of @xmath21-interval needed to cover the set .
the invariant set is a cantor set of lebesgue measure zero obtained as follows .
remove the @xmath22 open interval in the middle of @xmath7 $ ] . from each one of the two remaining intervals
remove the same fraction in their middle , and so on . in terms of fig .
1 , the invariant points correspond to the nonisolated points of the basin boundary for each @xmath5 .
a countable set of isolated points , like @xmath23 , are in the basin boundary but are not invariant .
this set , refered here as the _ intrinsic frontier _
, is a consequence of the definition of the basins and , in this case , do not affect the dimension of the boundary .
( the intrinsic frontier is completely avoided by coloring in black and white the points that leave @xmath7 $ ] in even and odd number of iterations , respectively - see fig .
moreover , the basin boundary dimension remains invariant if we redefine the exits as @xmath24 $ ] and @xmath25 for @xmath26 ( fig .
1 corresponds to the choice @xmath27 ) . in fig .
4 we show the basin boundary as a function of @xmath28 for @xmath29 . in spite of the morphological changes in the basins , the variation of @xmath30 just dislocates the intrinsic frontier so that the basin boundary dimension is still the dimension of the invariant set .
let us put the above discussion in a more general context , where we consider two exits @xmath31 and @xmath32 so that @xmath33 , @xmath34 , @xmath35 and @xmath36 ( @xmath37 denotes the lebesgue measure ) .
the question we address is : how arbitrary can be the choices ( definitions ) of the exits @xmath31 and @xmath32 ?
we denote by @xmath38 the set of extremes of the intervals that appear in the construction of the cantor set , by @xmath39 the remaining invariant set , by @xmath40 the ( total ) invariant set the _ restricted _ invariant set .
the distinction between @xmath39 and @xmath40 is in order to show that there is no relevant differences between an open total exit @xmath41 with invariant set @xmath40 and a closed total exit @xmath42 $ ] with invariant set @xmath39 . ] @xmath43 , by @xmath44 the set of points of the intrinsic frontier in @xmath45 ( that go out in the first iteration ) , by @xmath46 points of the intrinsic frontier that go out in the @xmath47 iteration , by @xmath48 the ( total ) intrinsic frontier @xmath49 , and by @xmath50 the ( total ) basin boundary @xmath51 .
taking the hausdorff dimension ( see @xcite for the definition ) , @xmath52 where we used @xmath53 since @xmath38 is a countable set , and @xmath54 because @xmath48 is a countable union of similar copies of @xmath44 @xcite .
therefore , the dimension of the basin boundary is equal to the dimension of the restricted invariant set if and only if @xmath55 . when this inequality is not satisfied , the basin boundary dimension is just an effect of the definitions of the exits . in the sense of hausdorff dimension ,
are good exits those ones for which @xmath56 .
it includes all @xmath44 countable , as in the case of @xmath31 and @xmath32 defined as finite unions of intervals . alas , in general we can not measure @xmath57 but @xmath58 , where by definition @xmath59 for any set @xmath60 @xcite .
considering the box - counting dimension : @xmath61 from ( [ def ] ) we can show that @xmath62 and @xmath63 . if @xmath44 is finite , @xmath64 and @xmath65 .
it is the case for the exits consisting of a finite union of intervals .
one example is provided by fig .
4 , where @xmath66 .
if @xmath44 is infinite , however , @xmath67 may be positive even if @xmath44 is countable ( see @xcite , p. 103 ) .
the equality , @xmath65 , is satisfied whenever @xmath68 . in this case
we also have @xmath69 .
the basin boundary dimension is greater than the invariant set dimension when @xmath70 . in numerical computation
, the box - counting dimension is estimated from the uncertainty dimension ( @xmath71 ) @xcite .
it is conjectured that typically @xmath72 in dynamical systems ( see @xcite and references therein ) .
let us argue about this identity in our example .
first we consider the invariant set @xmath40 .
a point @xmath73 is @xmath21-uncertain if @xmath74 , and we denote by @xmath75 the fraction of points that are @xmath21-uncertain .
the dimension of the invariant set is given by @xmath76 and it follows from ( [ def ] ) that @xmath77 .
now we consider the boundary set @xmath50 for @xmath44 finite . introducing the exits @xmath31 and @xmath32 , a point @xmath73 is @xmath21-uncertain if @xmath78 and @xmath79 go out by different exits .
the fraction of uncertain points is @xmath80 where @xmath81 and @xmath82 are constants .
here , @xmath83 is the fraction of points @xmath73 in @xmath84 such that @xmath78 and @xmath79 are in the same basin , and it implies the term @xmath85 .
the contribution of the intrinsic frontier is @xmath86 , which represents the scale structure of @xmath40 for @xmath44 .
it implies the term @xmath87 .
accordingly , @xmath88 this identity allows the use of the uncertainty dimension , which has nice numerical properties , to calculate the box - counting dimension .
back to fig .
2 , the set of singularities ( @xmath89 ) of the exit - time function ( set of point where the exit - time is infinite ) corresponds to the invariant set @xmath40 . for the exit - time @xmath90 ,
a point @xmath73 is @xmath21-uncertain if @xmath91 .
therefore , in the computation of the uncertainty dimension we are in fact estimating the box - counting dimension of the discontinuities of the exit - time function .
( in this case there is no intrinsic frontier , since the exit - time is defined with respect to the total exit . )
the set of discontinuities can be identified with @xmath38 , forming sequences that converge to the singularities .
it implies @xmath92 once more the uncertainty dimension is the same as the box - counting dimension .
although discussed for a specific case , the above results are far more general since our system models a vast class of exit systems . for any system with a finite number of basins ,
the dimension of the union of all basin boundaries is equal to the dimension of at least one of the boundaries .
so , it is enough to consider systems with only one boundary ( two exits , @xmath31 and @xmath32 . )
when the effects of the intrinsic frontier are avoided , the basin boundary has the same dimension as the future invariant set . since the latter set does not depend on @xmath31 or @xmath32 but just on @xmath93 , it leads to an invariance of the dimension with the definition of the basins .
roughly speaking , in spite of possible morphological changes , the basin boundary dimension will be the same for any nonpathological couple of exits @xmath94 and @xmath95 with positive probability of being reached , even since satisfying @xmath96 .
then , there is usually great freedom in defining the exits for a fixed total exit .
this invariance of fractal dimension allows us to choose among several alternatives the best one to measure the invariant set dimension and hence the sensitivity of the system .
also , it gives us confidence that the result reflect a true dynamical property of the system and not an immaterial effect . in this section
we studied measurements of fractal dimensions when the total exit is fixed and , therefore , the invariant set is fixed .
next , in sections 3 and 4 , we discuss the complementary situation , that is , variations of the invariant set ( and of its dimension ) under changes of the total exit .
a fundamental feature of map ( [ mapa ] ) is the monotonous increase of the ( future ) invariant set dimension with the reduction of the parameter @xmath5 . for @xmath97 ,
the invariant set is a zero measure set satisfying @xmath98 for @xmath99 .
this property is very general and closely related to a conjecture of moura and letelier @xcite in the context of hamiltonian systems : the dimension of the invariant set of a chaotic scattering system goes to the effective phase space dimension when the energy tends to the escape energy . in both cases the reduction of a parameter , @xmath5 or the energy , blinds the exits and increases the number of oscillations of typical orbits before going out .
accordingly , it `` fattens '' the invariant set , increasing its dimension .
let us consider an extension of the above situation to one where the total exit is enlarged . instead of @xmath41 ( the natural exit determined by points that go to @xmath100 )
we define the new total exit @xmath101 for @xmath102 and @xmath97 .
the invariant set @xmath103 will be in @xmath104\cup[1 - 1/2\eta+\alpha,1]$ ] and its dimension can be easily computed from the exit - time function . in fig .
5 we show the dimension of the invariant set as a function of @xmath81 for @xmath105 . the fractal dimension is a decreasing function of @xmath81 , but _ not _ strictly decreasing .
the dimension presents a pattern of plateaux due to the existence of gaps in the invariant set .
a gap @xmath106 in the invariant set @xmath107 implies a plateau in the interval @xmath108 : in increasing @xmath81 the dimension changes only when the enlarged exit advances on points of the invariant set @xmath103 .
the result is a graph with a staircase structure where the derivative is null in the complement of a cantor set .
moreover , the limit of small @xmath81 is well defined and recover the original dimension , that is , @xmath109 for @xmath110 .
it is instructive to consider the invariant set explicitly in terms of its symbolic dynamics .
the symbolic dynamics can be associated to the invariant set of map ( [ mapa ] ) as follows . for the exit @xmath15 , an invariant point
@xmath111 $ ] is represented by @xmath112 where @xmath113 if @xmath114 and @xmath115 if @xmath116 .
the grammar of this dynamics is the bernoulli shift grammar and @xmath117 is represented by @xmath118 to simplify , suppose the exit is enlarged only on the left becoming @xmath119 , where @xmath82 is so that points in @xmath120 are represented by @xmath121 for some integer @xmath122 .
the points of the invariant set with respect to the exit @xmath15 that go out in fewer than @xmath123 iterations are those points represented by sequences of @xmath124 and @xmath125 with the word @xmath126 somewhere in the first @xmath123 letters . subtracting these points ,
the fraction of invariant points with respect to @xmath15 that remain invariant with respect to the exit @xmath127 for @xmath128 iterations is @xmath129 \right\}. \label{km}\ ] ] it gives the scale of the hierarchical construction of the cantor set structure , from which follows that the box - counting dimension of the new invariant set is @xmath130 for @xmath131 , the computation of the sequences in a different order leads to @xmath132 where @xmath133 , @xmath134 and @xmath135 are the fibonacci numbers .
the case @xmath136 is trivial since @xmath137 and the dimension of the invariant set is zero .
the dimension computed from ( [ km]-[ab ] ) is identical to that one computed by the uncertainty method . in fig .
6 we show this fractal dimension , normalized by the factor @xmath138 , as a function of @xmath122 . the exit size is reduced as @xmath122 is augmented , increasing the dimension .
the enlargement of exits is useful and sometimes necessary in numerical computation of fractal dimensions .
an example is given by the orbits of light traveling around a black hole , as discussed in section 1 .
the difficulty in determining the final state ( at the black hole or at infinity ) is removed by enlarging the exit at infinity .
the new exit may be defined as @xmath139 , instead of @xmath140 , where @xmath141 is an adequate distance from the attractor center .
the dimension so obtained is an under bound of the exact invariant set dimension ( associated to the original exits ) since part of the invariant set is lost throughout the new exit .
the difficulty illustrated here is present in a vast class of systems .
it has frequently appeared in the literature where , in general , some kind of enlargement of the exits is implicitly taken into account .
the above discussion intends to provide subsidies to clarify the effects of this procedure .
exits can be defined even when the system has no natural exits . as an example consider map ( [ mapa ] ) once more , but now for @xmath142 ( it is analogous for @xmath143 ) . in such case
the interval [ 0,1 ] is mapped to itself , and the symmetrical exit defined in section 3 reduces to @xmath144 . in fig .
7 we show a graph of the dimension of the ( zero measure ) invariant set as a function of @xmath81 . the graph presents a pattern of plateaux similar to that of fig .
5 . in fact
, it is a consequence of a simple relation existing between fractal dimensions for @xmath6 and for @xmath142 .
this relation follows from a one - to - one correspondence , via symbolic dynamics , all the interval @xmath7 $ ] is associated to the bernoulli shift symbolic dynamics .
the picture is analogous to that one for @xmath6 , except that the original invariant set ( for @xmath145 ) has measure zero for @xmath6 and measure one for @xmath146 .
] , between invariant sets for different values of @xmath5 . in terms of symbolic dynamics
, the exit @xmath147 can be denoted by @xmath148 , where @xmath149 and @xmath150 .
this notation ignores the plateaux due to the original exit since @xmath151 where the function @xmath152 is constant on gaps of the original invariant set .
accordingly , from ( [ def ] ) follows that the box - counting dimensions for @xmath146 and @xmath6 differ just by the overall scale factor @xmath138 , @xmath153 ( relation ( [ e1 ] ) is valid for any exit , not only for the one considered here , e.g. fig .
6 where @xmath154 for @xmath146 . )
an important feature exhibited in fig .
7 is that the dimension is fractal and goes to @xmath125 as @xmath81 goes to @xmath124 .
this behavior is closely related to the fact that the original map , with no exit , is chaotic : the map has a dense set of unstable periodic orbits and the lyapunov exponent is positive ( @xmath155 ) . in order to better understand this relation ,
let us consider the logistic map @xmath156 in the unit interval @xmath7 $ ] for @xmath157 ( chaotic ) and for @xmath158 ( nonchaotic ) . in fig .
8 we plot the exit - time function for @xmath157 with respect to the exits @xmath159 ( fig .
8a ) and @xmath160 ( fig .
these graphics present successive steps in the construction of the cantor structure of the invariant set .
they must be compared with fig .
9 , where we show exit - times for @xmath158 .
the exit - time for @xmath157 presents a complex structure that becomes even more complex when the exit is reduced .
it reflects the increasing of the invariant set dimension , @xmath161 in fig .
8a , @xmath162 in fig .
8b , and @xmath163 in the limit of small exit .
a different behavior takes place when @xmath158 .
in fact , figs . 9a and 9b show a regular exit - time where no complexity is added when the exit is reduced . in terms of invariant
set dimension it means that its value is zero even in the limit of small exit .
the transition of the dimension of the invariant set from small exit to no exit is , in this case , discontinuous since it jumps from @xmath124 to @xmath125 . the behavior described in preceding paragraphs is very general and
may be summarized as follows : chaotic nonexit systems present invariant sets with _
dimension when small exits are defined , and the invariant set dimension tends to the effective phase space dimension when the exits are arbitrarily reduced . on the other hand
, nonchaotic nonexit systems do not present any fractal structure in the invariant set when exits are introduced , and the invariant set dimension jumps ( discontinuously ) to the effective phase space dimension when the exits are removed .
we conjecture that this behavior is typical for dynamical systems in general .
basically , this conjecture states that chaos in closed systems and fractals in open systems are different manifestations of the same phenomenon .
chaos in closed systems is essentially determined by the presence of a somewhere dense set of unstable periodic orbits .
fractal structures in exit systems are determined by a fractal invariant set that consists of unstable periodic orbits and an uncountable number of nonperiodic orbits surrounding them .
therefore , the introduction and removal of exits leads from one situation to the other ( in most cases , because of the density property , the box - counting dimension of the periodic orbits equals the future invariant set dimension in exit systems and the effective phase space dimension in closed systems . ) physically , an exit system with fractal invariant set evolves chaotically for a period of time before been scattered .
when the exits are removed the system evolves chaotically forever .
conversely , chaotic nonexit systems present sensitive dependence on initial conditions .
the introduction of small exits detect this sensitivity through singularities on exit - times , scattering functions , etc .
it is also opportune to consider a couple of related works , @xcite and @xcite . in the former
, the authors studied the sinai billiard with two holes in the external wall .
they show that the boundary between the initial - condition basins of attraction defined by the two exits is fractal . in the context of our discussion , this result is a consequence of the well known chaotic dynamics of the ( closed ) sinai billiard . in addition
, we verified numerically that the basin boundary dimension in fact tends to the effective phase space dimension when the two exits are reduced .
in the latter work , the question over whether or not the bianchi ix cosmological model is chaotic was finally solved .
the trouble with this question was that standard indicators of chaos , like lyapunov exponents , are not invariant under space-_time _ diffeomorphisms and can not be used since the model is relativistic .
following a suggestion first made by @xcite , the authors show that the system is chaotic by defining three exits and measuring the basin boundary dimension .
( the approximation of the dimension to the effective phase space dimension when the exits are reduced was also verified . ) in that work , the relation between exit and nonexit systems together with the invariant character of fractal methods played a fundamental role in the solution of the problem .
the potential use of our conjecture as an invariant method to study chaos in closed systems of several dimensions is considered in @xcite .
we have studied , via examples , a number of questions concerning fractals in exit systems . in particular the three questions stated in section 1
were discussed in sections 2 , 3 and 4 , respectively .
we observed that basin boundary dimensions are independent of the definitions of the exits since the total exit is fixed and the intrinsic frontier effects are avoided .
the dimensions increase , however , with the reduction of the total exit .
our main result refers to the limit of small exits , where a distinctive behavior was found concerning whether the corresponding closed system is chaotic or not . in the former the dimension changes continuously , while in the latter it jumps avoiding noninteger values .
special attention was also given to understand the relations between the dimensions of different fractal sets , and the relations between different concepts of dimension .
finally , we stress that most of the results presented here are also valid for nonhyperbolic systems @xcite .
it is the case of the invariances of fractal dimensions discussed in section 2 , since the arbitrariness in choosing the exits is analogous in hyperbolic and nonhyperbolic systems . concerning section 3 , however , the dimension changes with the total exit only when the nonhyperbolic character is lost in enlarging the exit . in such case ,
the behavior of hyperbolic systems discussed in section 3 may take place .
nonhyperbolic exit systems are supposed to have invariant set with maximal dimension ( equal to the dimension of the effective phase space ) @xcite . in this sense , and in the context of section 4 , the relation between closed and open nonhyperbolic systems is even stronger than in the hyperbolic analogous .
the following definition refers to phase spaces of autonomous systems for both maps ( discrete time ) and vector fields ( continuous time ) : ( 1 ) an _ exit _
@xmath164 is any set of the phase space ( possibly at infinity ) which may be reached in a finite time or asymptotically .
( 2 ) the _ total exit _ @xmath165 is the union of all exits of the system . (
3 ) the _ size _ of an exit is given by its phase space volume , and an exit @xmath164 is _ smaller _ than another exit @xmath166 if @xmath164 is a proper subset of @xmath166 .
the size of the total exit is defined analogously .
( 4 ) given a set of exits @xmath167 , the _ basin of attraction _ @xmath168 of the exit @xmath169 is the set of all initial conditions whose time evolution reaches @xmath169 before reaching any other exit would be defined as the closure of this set , with no relevant changes . ] .
( 5 ) the _ basin boundary _ @xmath170 is the set of points arbitrarily close to points of @xmath171 , ... , @xmath172 , and @xmath173 . (
6 ) a _ scattering function _ is a function that describes the behavior of the final phase space variables ( when the exits are reached ) as a function of the initial ones .
( 7 ) the _ exit - time function _ ( `` time delay '' in scattering processes ) is a function which associates to the initial conditions the minimal time needed to reach the total exit .
( 8) the _ nonattracting invariant set _ is a set composed by nonattracting orbits that do not reach any exit ( not even asymptotically ) for both directions of the time .
stable _ and _ unstable manifolds _ , when exist , are the future and past invariant sets , respectively
. 10 e. ott , _ chaos in dynamical systems _
( cambridge university press , new york , 1994 ) . c. grebogi
_ et al . _ , physica * 25d * , 347 ( 1987 ) . q. chen , m. ding , and e. ott , phys . lett . *
145a * , 93 ( 1990 ) .
de moura and p.s .
letelier , phys .
256a * , 368 ( 1999 ) .
s. bleher _ et al .
rev . * 38a * , 930 ( 1988 ) .
s. chandrasekhar , _ the mathematical theory of black holes _ ( oxford university press , oxford , 1992 ) .
lau , j.m .
finn , and e. ott , phys .
* 66 * , 978 ( 1991 ) .
k. sandau , physica * 233a * , 1 ( 1996 ) . g. troll , chaos soliton fract * 7 * , 1929 ( 1996 ) .
a.e . motter and p.s .
letelier , `` mixmaster chaos '' , submitted .
cornish and j.j .
levin , phys .
* 78 * , 998 ( 1997 ) .
a.e . motter and p.s .
letelier , `` a fractal method for chaos in conservative closed systems of several dimensions '' , submitted . | arxiv |
Is the fact that table salt is composed of Na & Cl a chemical or physical property?
So I came across this question asking whether something is physical or chemical.
>
> Table salt is composed of $\ce{Na}$ & $\ce{Cl}$. Is it a **physical** property or a
> **chemical** property?
>
>
>
I really don't understand why the answer says its a **chemical** property. I asked the others and they did not give me an understandable answer.
**Edit:** Now as I think about it, I really don't think there is an accurate answer, even if the book said it was chemical. Bad question from the book.
The problem rises when we are mistaken about what a property is.
>
> The different types of matter can be distinguished through two components: composition and properties. [UCDavis](http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Analytical_Chemistry/Chemical_Reactions/Properties_of_Matter)
>
>
>
Do a search about chemical property, and you get:
>
> a property or characteristic of a substance that is observed during a reaction in which the chemical composition or identity of the substance is changed. [Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chemical+property)
>
>
> A chemical property is any of a materials properties that becomes evident during a chemical reaction; that is, any quality that can be established only by changing a substance's chemical identity. Simply speaking, chemical properties cannot be determined just by viewing or touching the substance; the substance's internal structure must be affected for its chemical properties to be investigated. However a catalytic property would also be a chemical property. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_property)
>
>
> Any **characteristic** that can be determined only by changing a substance's molecular structure.
> [Boundless](https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/introduction-to-chemistry-1/physical-and-chemical-properties-of-matter-28/physical-and-chemical-properties-of-matter-181-1817/)
>
>
>
What's a physical property?
>
> A physical property is any property that is measurable whose value describes a state of a physical system. The changes in the physical properties of a system can be used to describe its transformations or evolutions between its momentary states. Physical properties are often referred to as observables. **They are not modal properties.** - [Physical property in wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_property).
>
>
>
Basically, a physical property is what that doesn't deal with the composition of matter; but other factors, such as it's physical state. "Physical" isn't at its literal meaning.
Table salt is never pure $\ce{NaCl}$; because simply there's nothing pure in the nature. It's *mainly* composed of Sodium Chloride crystals. But if, and only if, we consider it to be only made from $\ce{NaCl}$, we are talking about its chemical composition and therefore, it must be a chemical property.
I understand that sometimes there are wrong questions for us to answer, so if composition is to be a property, it **must** be a chemical one.
First, table salt is composed of $\ce {NaCl}$ wich is different from $\ce {Na}$ & $\ce{Cl}$.
Second, actually table salt isn't exclusively composed of $\ce {NaCl}$ depending of the soure but contains also a fair amount of $\ce {KCl}$
Third, composition isn't what you can call a "property". I mean, it's a definition, compound containing only $\ce {NaCl}$ or other $\ce {KCl}$ is table salt that's all.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
Jackson is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 816 at the 2010 census. Jackson is an elegant resort area in the White Mountains. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west, north and east.
History
Once consisting of several large land grants by Colonial Governor John Wentworth, the town was first named New Madbury, after the seacoast town of Madbury. In 1772, a road was built through Pinkham Notch, and the area was first settled in 1778 by Benjamin Copp and his family. In 1800, the community was renamed in honor of President John Adams, who was then in office. The name Adams stuck until the town was incorporated in 1829, when Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, was inaugurated president. Governor Benjamin Pierce, a staunch backer of President Jackson, was influential in changing the name to Jackson. Only one vote was cast against the switch.
In 1847, artists of the White Mountain School began arriving in Jackson to paint the scenic beauty of the White Mountains. Others would follow, and in 1858, Joshua B. Trickey opened the Jackson Falls House. The Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad began service to Glen station at nearby Bartlett in the early 1870s, and several hotels were built to accommodate a growing infusion of tourists. Thorn Mountain House, built by Trickey in 1869, would evolve during the 1880s into Wentworth Hall, still in business today. Designed as a grouping of cottages around a main service building, the hotel included such amenities as a casino, built in 1886, and a hydroelectric plant, built in the 1890s. By the 1920s, 40 trains a day delivered passengers to Jackson.
The increasing use of automobiles, however, reduced travel by train, as vacationers could venture beyond the limits of rail service. Consequently, some grand 19th century hotels lost patrons and closed, although the town itself would never lose popularity. Jackson is one of the region's most picturesque villages, famous in part for Jackson Falls and Jackson X-C, a 150+ kilometer cross-country skiing trail system, rated one of the best in the world. Wildcat Mountain, with an unsurpassed view of Mount Washington, is a favorite alpine skiing destination. Jackson is perhaps best known for its red covered bridge the Honeymoon Bridge, built in 1876, one of the most photographed in the state.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which 0.01 is water. Jackson is drained by the Ellis River and Wildcat Brook. The highest point in Jackson is above sea level on Wildcat Ridge, at the northern boundary of town. The ridge continues to rise north of town to the summit of Wildcat Mountainin the neighboring township of Bean's Purchase. Jackson lies fully within the Saco River watershed.
Adjacent municipalities
Bean's Purchase, New Hampshire north
Chatham, New Hampshire east
Bartlett, New Hampshire south
Sargent's Purchase, New Hampshire west
Pinkham's Grant, New Hampshire northwest
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 835 people, 377 households, and 240 families residing in the town. The population density was 12.5 people per square mile 4.8/km². There were 910 housing units at an average density of 13.6 per square mile 5.2/km². The racial makeup of the town was 99.28 White, 0.24 Native American, 0.12 Asian, 0.12 Pacific Islander, and 0.24 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.12 of the population.
There were 377 households out of which 21.0 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8 were married couples living together, 5.0 had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1 were non-families. 27.1 of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the town, the population was spread out with 18.0 under the age of 18, 2.2 from 18 to 24, 28.7 from 25 to 44, 29.3 from 45 to 64, and 21.8 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,583, and the median income for a family was $59,327. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,718. About 6.1 of families and 8.1 of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7 of those under age 18 and 14.5 of those age 65 or over.
References
External links
Town of Jackson official website
Jackson Historical Society
New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce
Category:Towns in Carroll County, New Hampshire
Category:1829 establishments in New Hampshire
Category:Populated places established in 1778
Category:Towns in New Hampshire | wikipedia |
as an interesting research issue , experimental studies of the hadronic transitions of @xmath22 have been focused on by the belle collaboration in the past decade .
when surveying the reported hadronic transitions of @xmath22 , we found their general property , i.e. , their observed hadronic transitions have large branching ratios .
for example , belle observed anomalous decay widths of the @xmath23 @xcite , and @xmath24 transitions @xcite .
in addition , two bottomonium - like states @xmath25 and @xmath26 were observed in @xmath23 @xcite . as indicated in a serial of theoretical studies @xcite
, the puzzling phenomena happening on @xmath22 transitions reflect an underlying mechanism mediated by a coupled channel effect since @xmath22 is above the thresholds of @xmath27 @xcite . in the bottomonium family
, the @xmath28 has the similar situation to that of @xmath22 .
we have a reason to believe that the coupled channel effect is still important to the hadronic transitions of @xmath28 , whose exploration is , thus , an intriguing topic .
this theme can provide us a valuable information of the coupled - channel effect on these decays . in this work , we calculate the @xmath14 ( @xmath29 ) along with @xmath18 ( @xmath29 ) processes via the hadronic loop mechanism , which is an equivalent description of the coupled channel effect @xcite . by analyzing these transitions ,
the relative decay rates of @xmath14 ( @xmath29 ) and @xmath18 ( @xmath29 ) , which are a typical physical quantity given by our calculation , are determined . especially , our results show that these relative decay rates are weakly dependent on the model parameters .
thus , experimental measurement of these rates can be a crucial test of the hadronic loop mechanism in the @xmath14 and @xmath18 decays .
in addition , we also estimate the typical values of the branching ratios of @xmath14 and @xmath18 , which can be measured experimentally in near future .
anyway , we would like to inspire experimenlists interest in searching for the @xmath14 and @xmath18 decays by our results presented in this work .
this paper is organized as follows .
after introduction , we present the detailed calculation of @xmath30 and @xmath31 via the hadronic loop mechanism in sec .
the numerical results are presented in sec .
the paper ends with a short summary .
under the hadronic loop mechanism , the @xmath32 transitions occur via the triangle loops composed of @xmath34 and @xmath35 , which play a role of the bridge to connect the initial state @xmath28 and final states @xmath36 and @xmath37 . in figs .
[ fig:6s - phi - chib0]-[fig:6s - phi - chib2 ] , we list the typical diagrams depicting the @xmath38 transitions . for
the @xmath33 transitions , due to very different quark contents between @xmath36 and @xmath39 , the bridges change to @xmath40 and @xmath41 and the diagrams change simultaneously as in figs .
[ fig:6s - omega - chib0]-[fig:6s - omega - chib2 ] . for the interactions between a heavy quarkonium and two heavy - light mesons ,
the lagrangians are constructed based on the heavy quark effective theory . in the heavy quark limit ,
the light degrees of freedom @xmath42 is a good quantum number .
thus , each value of @xmath42 is assigned to a doublet formed by the states with a total angular momentum @xmath43 , while for the heavy quarkonium , since the degeneracy is expected under the rotations of two heavy quark spins , there is a multiplet formed by heavy quarkonia with the same angular momentum @xmath44 .
therefore , under the framework of heavy quark symmetry , general forms of couplings between an s - wave or p - wave heavy quarkonium and two heavy - light mesons can be constructed as @xcite @xmath45 + h.c .
, \nonumber\\ \mathcal{l}_p & = & ig_1 \mathrm{tr } \left[p^{(q\bar{q } ) \mu } \bar{h}^{(\bar{q}q ) } \gamma_\mu \bar{h}^{(q\bar{q})}\right ] + h.c.,\end{aligned}\ ] ] in which @xmath46 and @xmath47 denote multiplets formed by bottomonia with @xmath48 and @xmath49 , and their detailed expressions , as in ref .
@xcite , can be written as @xmath50\frac{1-\slashed{v}}{2},\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath51 \frac{1-\slashed{v}}{2},\end{aligned}\ ] ] respectively .
@xmath52 represents a doublet formed by heavy - light pseudoscalar and vector mesons @xcite @xmath53,\end{aligned}\ ] ] with definitions @xmath54 and @xmath55 as in ref .
@xmath56 corresponds to a doublet formed by heavy - light anti - mesons , which can be obtained by applying the charge conjugation operation to @xmath57 . for the interaction between a light vector meson and two heavy - light mesons , the general form of the lagrangian reads as @xcite @xmath58 + i\lambda \mathrm{tr}[h^j \sigma^{\mu\nu } f_{\mu\nu } ( \rho )
\bar{h}_i],\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath59,\end{aligned}\ ] ] and a vector octet @xmath60 has the form @xmath61 with the above effective lagrangians , we can write out the amplitudes of hadronic loop contributions to @xmath38 . for the @xmath2 transition , the amplitudes corresponding to fig .
[ fig:6s - phi - chib0 ] are @xmath65\nonumber\\ & & \times [ -i g_{b_s b_s \phi } \epsilon^*_{\phi\lambda } ( ( -i k_1)^\lambda -(i q)^\lambda ) ] [ -g_{b_s b_s \chi_{b0}}]\nonumber\\ & & \times \frac{1}{k_1 ^ 2-m_{b_s}^2 } \frac{1}{k_2 ^ 2-m_{b_s}^2 } \frac{1}{q^2-m_{b_s}^2}\mathcal{f}^2(q^2),\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath66\nonumber\\ & & \times [ 2 f_{b_s^ * b_s \phi } \varepsilon_{\lambda\rho\delta\sigma } \epsilon_\phi^{*\lambda } ( i p_2)^\rho ( ( -i k_1)^\delta - ( i q)^\delta ) ] [ -g_{b_s b_s \chi_{b0}}]\nonumber\\ & & \times \frac{-g_\alpha^\sigma + k_{1\alpha } k_1^\sigma / m_{b_s^*}^2}{k_1 ^ 2-m_{b_s^*}^2 } \frac{1}{k_2 ^ 2-m_{b_s}^2 } \frac{1}{q^2-m_{b_s}^2}\mathcal{f}^2(q^2),\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath67\nonumber\\ & & \times [ -2 f_{b_s b_s^ * \phi } \varepsilon_{\lambda\rho\delta\sigma } \epsilon_\phi^{*\lambda } ( i p_2)^\rho ( ( -i k_1)^\delta - ( i q)^\delta)]\nonumber\\ & & \times [ -g_{b_s^ * b_s^ * \chi_{b0}}]\frac{1}{k_1 ^ 2-m_{b_s}^2 } \frac{-g_\alpha^\zeta + k_{2\alpha } k_2^\zeta / m_{b_s^*}^2}{k_2 ^ 2-m_{b_s^*}^2}\nonumber\\ & & \times \frac{-g^\sigma_\zeta
+ q^\sigma q_\zeta / m_{b_s^*}^2 } { q^2-m_{b_s^*}^2}\mathcal{f}^2(q^2),\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath68\nonumber\\ & & \times [ \epsilon^*_{\phi\lambda } ( i g_{b_s^ * b_s^ * \phi } g^{\delta\sigma } ( ( -i k_1)^\lambda -(i q)^\lambda)\nonumber\\ & & + 4 i f_{b_s^ * b_s^ * \phi } ( i p_2)_\rho ( g^{\lambda\delta } g^{\rho\sigma } - g^{\lambda\sigma } g^{\rho\delta } ) ) ] [ -g_{b_s^ * b_s^ * \chi_{b0}}]\nonumber\\ & & \times \frac{-g_\delta^\alpha + k_{1\delta } k_1^\alpha / m_{b_s^*}^2}{k_1 ^ 2-m_{b_s^*}^2 } \frac{-g^{\beta\zeta } + k_2^\beta k_2^\zeta / m_{b_s^*}^2}{k_2 ^ 2-m_{b_s^*}^2}\nonumber\\ & & \times \frac{-g_{\sigma\zeta } + q_\sigma q_\zeta / m_{b_s^*}^2}{q^2-m_{b_s^*}^2}\mathcal{f}^2(q^2),\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath69 , @xmath70 and @xmath71 are momenta of @xmath28 , @xmath72 and @xmath37 , and @xmath73 , @xmath74 , and @xmath75 are momenta of internal @xmath76 and exchanged @xmath76 , respectively . in these expressions of the decay amplitudes ,
the monopole form factor is introduced , by which the inner structure of interaction vertices is reflected and the off - shell effect of the exchanged bottom - strange mesons is compensated . here
, the adopted form factor is taken as @xmath77 , with @xmath78 being the mass of the exchanged boson and the cutoff @xmath79 being parameterized as @xmath80 with @xmath81 gev as in refs .
we need to specify that the monopole behavior of the adopted form factor was suggested by the qcd sum rule studied in ref . @xcite . in a serial of published papers
( see refs .
@xcite ) , the monopole form factor was adopted to study the transitions of charmonia and bottomonia , and @xmath82 decays .
thus , this approach has been tested by these successful studies . in a similar way
, we can further write out the decay amplitudes of @xmath3 and @xmath4 , which are collected in appendix . by considering the isospin symmetry , a general expression of the total amplitude of @xmath83 with @xmath84
is written as @xmath85 then , the partial decay width reads latexmath:[\ ] ] k. f. chen _ et al . _
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Why we don't utilize most of the radio or microwave spectrum?
WiFi is from 2400-2500MHz or from 5000-5100. Fm Radio is 87-108Mhz, Phones : 450-3400Mhz But most of the spectrum is "wasted". For eg - Why we don't use above 5Ghz?
The spectrum is allocated over all useable ranges. There's a lot more going on then what you named. Here's the regulatory allocation chart for the US as an example. It has allocations up to 300 GHz.
<https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/2003-allochrt.pdf>
As for why certain frequencies are used for certain things and not others, that's partly a regulatory judgement call but also related to physics. For example, some frequencies are heavily attenuated by atmospheric water, which make them good for applications where you don't want to signal to travel far (or you want to heat water). Other frequencies correspond to natural phenomena and are reserved for radio astronomy. Others have good penetration depth into buildings. Others require very large or very small antennae, making them good or bad for different applications. Etc.
| stackexchange/physics |
An Amazing Fact: Hermit crabs are curious creatures found near the coasts of Europe and the Americas. Most are aquatic, but a few species, like the coconut crab, live on land and can attain a length of up to 18 inches. Hermit crabs are sometimes called robber crabs because they are born without armor and must survive by borrowing the empty shells of dead mollusks as a protective home. These comical scavengers insert their soft abdomens into the abandoned shells they claim and drag about with them for defense. Their strong abdominal appendages are especially modified for gripping the shell firmly to their body.
As they grow, hermit crabs are often forced to seek new, bigger shells because they have outgrown their old ones. Sometimes they may change their housing whenever they chance upon a stronger shell. But these shells don't provide protection from all predators. The most feared antagonist of many hermit crabs is the octopus, which uses a parrot-like beak to pluck the hermit crabs from their shells.
But God has given a few species of hermit crabs an amazing defense against even these intelligent enemies. These clever hermit crabs will attach sea anemones to their shells. Sea anemones are armed with an array of poisonous tentacles that they use to subdue prey. The hermit crab will gently pry the sea anemone off the surface of a rock and transfer it onto its shell. The hermit crab and the sea anemone both benefit from this arrangement. The hermit crab benefits from the potent toxin of the sea anemone as a predator deterrent. Even an octopus will think twice before attacking a hermit crab smothered with poisonous anemones. On the other hand, the sea anemone can feed on food fragments produced when the hermit crabs eats. This mutual relationship, where both organisms benefit, is known as symbiosis.
Did you know the Bible teaches us about another symbiotic relationship between the Spirit and the Word? When we read the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be lead into truth that is life-changing. Jesus once explained to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Both are harmoniously at work in the heart of true believers. Together they bring us into a saving relationship with Christ that no enemy can break apart. | slim_pajama |
this supplement provides additional figures and a description of the theoretical models used to model the qec emulation experiments .
figure [ fig : figs1 ] shows the device and experimental setup , including a full wiring diagram .
the chip contains ten transmon qubit - resonator pairs . all experiments presented target pair 2 .
the experimental setup is similar to that of previous experiments @xcite , but with an important addition labeled qutech control box .
this homebuilt controller , comprised of 4 interconnected field - programmable gate arrays ( altera cyclone iv ) , has digitizing and waveform generation capabilities .
the 2-channel digitizer samples with 8-bit resolution at @xmath119 .
the 6-channel waveform generator produces qubit and resonator pulse envelopes with 14-bit resolution at @xmath119 .
figure [ fig : figs2 ] contains the calibration of the photon number using allxy error ( @xmath74 ) as a detector .
@xmath74 is defined as the average absolute deviation from the ideal 2-step result in an allxy experiment . to calibrate the detector
the resonator is populated using a long ( @xmath120 ) readout pulse with a varying pulse amplitude before measuring the allxy .
this pulse amplitude is converted to an average photon number using the single - photon power that is extracted from a photon number splitting experiment .
we fit the form @xmath121 to the data for each input state separately , with @xmath77 and @xmath78 as free parameters .
the best - fit functions are used throughout the experiment to convert @xmath74 to @xmath68 .
measured directly after a readout pulse of @xmath120 duration drives the resonator into a steady - state photon population , @xmath68 , for input states @xmath2 and @xmath3 .
the lines show a bilinear fit to the form @xmath121 .
inset : photon - number splitting experiment @xcite used to calibrate the single - photon power level , @xmath122 . ] figure [ fig : figs3 ] shows the emulated multi - round qec for a non - flipping ancilla when the qubit is initialized in the excited state .
this variant of the emulation uses the same sequence as fig . 4 but with the qubit initialized in @xmath3 .
varying @xmath13 , we find the optimum tradeoff between errors induced by leftover photons and by relaxation for the three methods .
unconditional depletions performs best , increasing @xmath21 by a factor @xmath123 with respect to passive depletion .
note that passive depletion produces a spurious increase in @xmath21 for very short @xmath13 .
the high photon number detunes the qubit so much that qubit pulses are inoperative , causing the qubit to remain in the same state and yielding long strings of identical , expected measurement outcomes . .
* this variant of the emulation uses the same sequence as fig . 4 but with the qubit initialized in @xmath3 .
( a ) mean rounds to error detection event , @xmath21 , as a function of @xmath13 .
( b ) per - round probability of encountering event of type @xmath94 as a function of @xmath13 .
added curves correspond to the simple and extensive models described in sec .
[ sec : model ] . ] figures s4 and s5 summarize our further investigation of depletion - pulse optimizations for conditional and unconditional depletion , respectively .
for a variety of pulse lengths @xmath124 , the optimized pulse amplitudes and phase parameters are shown , along with residual photon levels and results for multi - round qec emulation . for conditional depletion ,
the optimal amplitude @xmath125 ( @xmath126 ) of @xmath127 ( @xmath67 ) decreases smoothly as @xmath124 increases , whereas the optimal phase @xmath128 ( @xmath129 ) remains constant .
the discrimination infidelity @xmath104 is inferred from single - shot readout histogram experiments and is defined as the fraction of overlap of the best - fit gaussians .
the residual photon number and readout discrimination infidelity do not show any dependence on @xmath124 .
as expected , there is no dependence of the fidelity on @xmath124 as there is no overlap between the depletion pulse and integration window .
the average rounds to event and per - round probability of type-@xmath94 event for emulated qec in the flipping configuration do not show any dependence on @xmath124 either .
for unconditional depletion , the optimal values of the four parameters defining the universal depletion pulse @xmath70 evolve smoothly as @xmath124 is varied .
the optimized @xmath68 first decreases weakly with decreasing @xmath124 but increases sharply for @xmath130 .
a smooth decrease in @xmath131 is observed for decreasing @xmath124 .
we attribute this effect to the overlap between @xmath70 and the measurement integration window .
@xmath21 is unchanged for @xmath132 , suggesting a trade - off between errors due to @xmath68 and @xmath131 .
this trade - off is reflected in the corresponding increase of per - round probability of type-@xmath94 event . .
* the dashed line indicates @xmath82 , used in figs . 2 to 4 and fig .
[ fig : figs3 ] .
all data were taken at a fixed @xmath89 .
( a ) optimal pulse parameters .
( b ) residual photon number for both qubit states and discrimination fidelity @xmath131 . ( c )
average rounds to event and per - round probability of type-@xmath94 event for emulated qec in the flipping configuration . ] .
* the dashed line indicates @xmath98 , used in figs . 2 to 4 and fig .
[ fig : figs3 ] .
all data were taken at a fixed depletion time of @xmath99 ( a ) optimal pulse parameters .
( b ) residual photon number for both qubit states and discrimination fidelity @xmath131 . ( c )
average rounds to event and per - round probability of @xmath94-event for emulated qec in the flipping configuration . ]
we use two models to compare to data in figs . 3 , 4 , and s3 labelled simple and extensive .
the simple model includes ancilla relaxation and intrinsic dephasing , providing an upper bound for the performance of the emulated multi - round qec circuit .
the extensive model further includes ancilla readout error and detuning and dephasing from the photon - induced ac stark shift .
these models use separately calibrated parameters .
the ancilla sans photon field is modeled considering amplitude and phase damping as in @xcite .
single - qubit gates are approximated as @xmath133 decay windows with perfect instantaneous pulses in the middle .
this leads to the following scheme : @xmath134 of @xmath52 decay , followed by a @xmath60 pulse , then @xmath135 of @xmath112 decay ( with a @xmath59 pulse in the middle ) , another @xmath60 pulse , and @xmath136 of @xmath52 decay .
measurement is modeled as a perfect state update @xmath137 , followed by a @xmath11 decay window , and a second state update @xmath138 .
the measurement signal is conditioned both on the state post-@xmath137 ( @xmath139 ) and post-@xmath138 ( @xmath140 ) .
if @xmath141 no decay occurred , and the incorrect measurement is returned with probability @xmath113 [ fig .
s4(b ) ] . the only other possibility is for a single decay event ( as we do not allow excitations ) . to zeroth order in @xmath142 ,
this situation has equal probability of returning either measurement signal . during the coherent phase ,
the off - diagonal elements are affected by the photon population .
we model this effect following ref .
: @xmath143+\gamma_1{\mathcal{d}}[\sigma_-]{\rho^{\mathrm{qb}}}+\frac{\gamma_\mathrm{\phi}+\gamma_\mathrm{d}}{2}{\mathcal{d}}[\sigma_\mathrm{z}]{\rho^{\mathrm{qb}}}.\ ] ] here , @xmath144 $ ] is the lindblad operator @xmath144\rho = x\rho x^{\dag}-\frac{1}{2}x^\dag x\rho-\frac{1}{2}\rho x^\dag x$ ] , @xmath145 and @xmath146 the pure dephasing rate [ @xmath147 .
@xmath148 is a constant rotation around the @xmath149 axis of the bloch sphere , and so is canceled by the @xmath59 pulse in the coherent phase .
@xmath150 is the measurement - induced dephasing , with @xmath151 the qubit - state - dependent photon field amplitude and @xmath152 the dispersive shift per photon .
this contributes a decay to the off - diagonal element of the density matrix during the coherent phase , multiplying it by @xmath153,\ ] ] where the integral is taken over the coherent time window .
@xmath154 is the ac stark shift , which detunes the ancilla by an amount equal to the difference in the average photon number over the two parts of the coherent phase .
this multiplies the off - diagonal terms by a complex phase @xmath155 here , @xmath156 and @xmath157 are the time windows in the coherent phase on either side of the @xmath59 pulse .
the magnitude of the photon fields post - depletion is taken from fig . 2 , and experiences an exponential decay at a rate that is obtained by fitting curves to the same figure .
the phase difference between the fields associated with the ground and excited state grows at a rate @xmath152 , as extracted from fig . 1 .
as we do not model photon - induced pulse errors , we restrict our modeling to @xmath114 , where these effects are negligible .
the experiment is simulated by storing the error - free ancilla population as a unnormalized density matrix and applying repeated cycles of the circuit . at each measurement step , the fraction of the density matrix that corresponded to an event is removed and the corresponding probability stored . the removed fraction of the density matrix in evolved for one more cycle in order to extract the event type probabilities .
this is repeated until the remaining population is less than @xmath158 .
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+ 12$12 & 12#1212_12%12@startlink[1]@endlink[0]@bib@innerbibempty @noop * * ( ) @noop * * , ( ) @noop _ _ ( , , ) @noop * * , ( ) | arxiv |
pubmed |
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malaria is an infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by plasmodium parasites . according to the latest who estimates ,
there were about 198 million cases of malaria in 2013 ( with an uncertainty range of 124 million to 283 million ) and an estimated 584 000 deaths ( with an uncertainty range of 367 000 to 755 000 ) in the world .
malaria mortality rates have fallen by 47% globally since 2000 and by 54% in the who african region .
the vast majority of deaths in sub - saharan regions are caused by p. falciparum , while p. vivax , p. ovale , p. malariae , and p. knowlesi cause generally milder form of malaria which other than p. knowlesi is rarely fatal [ 1 , 3 ] .
p. vivax is responsible for most malaria cases in asia and latin america but it is almost absent from most of central africa due to the absence of duffy antigen , the receptor which p. vivax uses to invade human erythrocytes . in eastern and southern africa
, p. vivax represents around 10% to 40% of malaria cases but < 1% of cases in western and central africa [ 4 , 5 ] . in sudan until recently the majority of malaria cases were caused by p. falciparum .
p. vivax is relatively rare ; 95% of cases are caused by p. falciparum and the other 5% are caused by p. vivax .
however , in recent years many clinicians observed recurrent relapses of malaria infections in different areas in sudan suggesting perhaps a higher than expected transmission of non - falciparum malaria parasites ( most likely p. vivax since it is the second most important malaria parasite species in sudan ) .
the objective of this study was to document the suggested rise in the proportion of p. vivax infections among suspected malaria cases in white nile state in sudan .
the study was approved by the ethical committee of the institute of endemic diseases , university of khartoum .
this study was a cross - sectional study carried out in the white nile area which is one of the central sudan states , figure 1 .
it lies between latitudes 33 and 30 - 31 north and longitude 13 and 3012 east , occupying an area of around 675000 km , with population of 1.675 million .
the study was conducted in aljabalain area , 80 km south of rabak town , the capital of white nile state .
the area is considered mesoendemic for malaria ; transmission follows mainly the rainy season ( july to october ) .
four hundred suspected malaria cases based on patient 's symptoms ( fever , headache , sweating , nausea , and vomiting ) and signs ( pyrexia , pallor ) were chosen randomly from aljabalain hospital and aljabalain military hospital aged > 1 year old regardless of gender .
all suspected malaria cases were treated with a standard regimen ( artemisinin based combination therapy ) by the local malaria control program according to the sudanese malaria treatment guidelines in sudan national malaria control program ( nmcp ) , and the national protocol for treatment of malaria ( federal ministry of health , khartoum , sudan , 2013 , unpublished ) .
both thick and thin blood films were used , fields were read at least twice , and the procedure was followed according to quality control guidelines of who .
the pcr was performed at the institute of endemic diseases , university of khartoum , with quality control in place ( both positive and negative control were used ) .
a fragment of the plasmodial 18s rrna gene was amplified by pcr and species identification was performed with species - specific oligoprobes using the following primers : for p. falciparum , rplu5 : 5 cttgttgttgccttaaacttc-3 , rplu6 : 5-ttaaaattgttgcattaaaacg-3 ; for p. vivax , rviv1 : 5-cgcttctagcttaaccacataactgatac-3 , rviv2 : 5-acttccaagccgaag caaaga aag tcc tta-3 , as described previously .
data were analyzed using spss ( statistical package for the social sciences ) version twentieth software .
in our study , both males and females are affected by malaria ; however more females were represented in aljabalain hospital ( 64.4% ) and more males were represented from aljabalain military hospital ( 64% ) .
the average haemoglobin level in all patients from the two study sites was 11.9 g / dl .
the prevalence of anaemia among malaria patients was high , more than two - thirds in both study sites .
the majority of malaria cases ( more than 90% ) had low parasite level ( 500 parasite/l of blood ) , table 1 . in both study sites ,
microscopy results showed that 30 ( 15% ) and 50 ( 25% ) of malaria infections in aljabalain hospital and aljabalain military hospital were caused by p. vivax .
the results were even higher with pcr ( figure 2 ) ; 66 ( 33% ) and 80 ( 40% ) of samples from aljabalain hospital and aljabalain military hospital were positive for p. vivax , respectively .
mixed infections ( p. falciparum + p. vivax ) were detected in 2.25% of samples in average from both study areas , table 2 .
this study was carried out in an area characterized by seasonal and unstable malaria transmission . the most remarkable result in
this study was the unexpected high proportion ( about 40% by pcr ) of p. vivax infections among suspected malaria cases , eight times more than that previously reported in sudan .
this change in pattern is most likely due to the recent varied composition of the community resulting from several migrations of people from several asian and african countries to work at petroleum and new sugar companies in white nile area especially from ethiopia where high prevalence of p. vivax infection ( 31% ) among malaria cases was found . another suggested explanation for the emergence of p. vivax is parasite 's development of alternative mechanisms to invade human erythrocytes other than the duffy antigen .
this is a plausible explanation since p. vivax infection of duffy negative genotype was reported previously in many african countries [ 816 ] .
this is the first study of its kind to document the significant rise in malaria p. vivax transmission in sudan . and
it has important health policy implications since p. vivax infection requires eradication of liver stages with primaquine due to presence of dormant hypnozoites within hepatocytes [ 17 , 18 ] .
recent data showed that p. vivax infection is becoming more severe especially in children , and further studies are required to understand the exact causes of this pattern . the sampled population ( four hundred cases ) of this study
was selected based on their highly suspected symptoms of malaria and positive blood film microscopy done in hospitals ' laboratories .
this obvious result of malaria overdiagnosis by a factor of two is probably due to lack of training in general hospitals , low quality control microscopy , and high work load .
the same result was previously found in tanzania where malaria was overdiagnosed by a factor of five [ 20 , 21 ] .
pcr diagnosis for malaria is accurate especially for differentiating between plasmodia species , but it is expensive and needs well - trained personnel . in this study quality control microscopy allowed for 20% of plasmodium
this may be due to difficulty in differentiation between species based on a single ring form especially for untrained personnel . in this study
more than 90% of slides had low parasite density ( 500 parasite/l ) ; this also makes differentiation between plasmodia species very difficult .
our study confirmed the observed high percentage of p. vivax infections in white nile area , central sudan .
this result has important implications for the malaria control and necessitates modification of current guidelines for the treatment of malaria in sudan . | pubmed |
Solubility of C5H11OH and C5H11Cl
Objectively, what makes the solubility of $\ce{C5H11OH}$ greater than the $\ce{C5H11Cl}$ in water?
In the case of the water solubility what you want to know is how powerful the secondary interaction of the compound that you are going to dissolve with water?If the compound that you wish to dissolve have hydrogen bonding then it's definitely dissolve in water .It does not mean others are insoluble in water.
But the compounds do not have hydrogen bonding are less soluble in water when compared to the ones which have hydrogen bonding.Because ones which have hydrogen bonding interact with water molecules easily than others which do not have hydrogen bonding
Now take a look at the image below,

It shows two water molecules which posses the hydrogen bonding interaction.
Now give the eye on compounds that you have got,
The compounds that you going to dissolve may form interaction force with water as above image. **If that interaction force is hydrogen bonding ($\ce{C5H11OH}$) then it's solubility is greater than ones which do not have hydrogen bonding($\ce{C5H11Cl}$) (dipole dipole interactions)**
So because of that solubility of $\ce{C5H11Cl}$ is less than the solubility of ($\ce{C5H11OH}$) with water.
Then the bottom line is ,the solubility of a compound is vary according the secondary interaction between the solute and solvent.In the case of water acting as the solvent solubility is highest in compounds which having **H bonding** , than which haaving dipole-dipole forces and weak dispersion forces.
I believe the $\ce{C5H11OH}$ is more soluble because it has dipole dipole, H-bonding and London Dispersion. The $\ce{C5H11Cl}$ only has dipole dipole and London Dispersion. The H-bonding is highly soluble in water
| stackexchange/chemistry |
Measurement of position of particle
Say a particle was found to be at $C$. If I measure the position of particle immediately, its given in Griffith's book that it will still be at $C$. In the macroscopic world, isnt this true only if the particle is at rest? Does this mean that the particle is at rest in the microscopic world as well?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CQl8o.png)
I think he (Griffiths) means that the observables are continuous in time. If we make a measurement immediately after the first, that is an infinitesimal time interval later, because of continuity, the value of the observable in the second measurement must be arbitrarily close to the first.
Well, position, momentum etc are non-normalizable. That's the reason why you wouldn't get exactly the same value everytime you measure after the first measurement but rather get a "spread" that would be dependent on the imprecesion of the measuring device. So you'd get linear combination of a tight range of wavefunctions(more precise your measuring device the tighter the range) rather than one value C.
The C referred to in the Griffith's book is for normalizable wavefunctions.
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> Say a particle was found to be at C. If I measure the position of particle immediately, its given in griffith's book that it will still be at C. In the macroscopic world, isnt this true only if the particle is at rest? Does this mean that the particle is at rest in the microscopic world as well?
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The keyword is **immediately**, no matter what position or momentum the particle has. Before you measure it, it is in a certain superposition of states. As soon as you measure it, it drops to one state.
Right, you have measured it. You have taken your eye off it for even a split second. So there is a tiny probability, increasing over time, that it will drift away from that measured state, even if it was travelling at **any** arbitrary velocity.
In the classical world, the same idea applies, but with much less probability, so a soccer ball will almost certainly be in the same state 5 seconds after you measure it, but you can't apply this confidence level to quantum particles.
First of all rest is obviously a relative term. That being said measurement changes the system, it's the transference of information if you will. So it is impossible for a system to know anything about another without affecting it.
That being said a particle could show up in the same even if it were "moving" due to the statistical properties of QM. The "same place" also being an ambiguous term. To what degree of precision?
What Griffiths means by "immediately" is that the second measurement is made after the first one after a time interval $dt \to 0$ where $dt$ is the time interval separating the two measurements.
| stackexchange/physics |
THE SESSIONS(formerly The Surrogate)Written byBen LewinBased On A True StoryEXT. BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA. DAY11SUBTITLE Berkeley, California -1981-DISSOLVE TO ACTUAL TV NEWS FOOTAGE FROM 1981A busy intersection near the UC Berkeley campus. A strange, self-propelled motorized gurney whirrs into view and makes its way over a pedestrian crosswalk. The passenger, MARK O'BRIEN, in his early 30s, is visible only from the neck up. The rest of him is covered by a blanket. He operates the gurney with a mouth control and a set of mirrors positioned around his head.NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)Mark O'Brien has been going to UC Berkeley since 1978. That's O'Brien in the motorized gurney heading for class last week.The gurney continues along a leafy promenade on the campus. Passers-by just go about their normal business.NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)He had polio when he was 6 years old. The disease left his body crippled but his mind remained sharp and alert, and since he wanted to be a writer, Mark O'Brien entered Cal to major in English and learn his trade.We hear a voice reciting a verse of poetry as we follow Mark in his contraption.MARK (V.O.)GraduationToday I hear the crowd’s applauseReceive congratulations from my friendsToday I ask if I’ve found a place among the restI hope you see a man upon this stageWho studied...read..wrote, and passed the testIn cap and gown, diploma on my chairTHE SCENE CHANGES to the interior of a large auditorium. A graduation ceremony is in progress. Suddenly, everyone in the hall, GRADUATES, their FAMILIES, ACADEMICS and OTHERS, rise to their feet as Mark, in his gurney, buzzes across the stage, a mortar board hung on one of the handles.NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)And so, Mark O'Brien graduates from Cal, one of 250 English majors to receive degrees today.Final Shooting Script1A.The DEAN steps forward, congratulates Mark and places a diploma on his blanket. The gurney makes its way across the rest of the stage to thunderous applause.THE SCENE CHANGES BACK to the campus exterior. The news reporter talks to camera.NEWS REPORTERIf this report tells us anything, it is that a disability is not necessarily a handicap.In the background, Mark's family and friends are gathered round him in a jubilant mood.NEWS REPORTER (CONT’D)Mark O'Brien teaches us that courage and perseverance overcome obstacles.With Mark O'Brien at UC Berkeley, Bill Hillman, Channel Five Eyewitness News.END OF NEWS FOOTAGEEXT. SAN FRANCISCO. NIGHT1A1AClassic shot of the illuminated Golden Gate Bridge.SUPER CAPTION: “A FEW YEARS LATER”EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK’S. NIGHT22It is about 4.00 a.m. All is quiet. We follow a mean-looking alley cat to the front of a modest, ground-floor apartment. It pauses, then slinks round the side, onto a ledge and in through a partially-opened window.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT33The cat comes through the window, hops onto the floor and quickly finds a nice little plate of food scraps that has been set out specially. As it settles down to its meal, we become aware of a heavy and regular sound, like a ship's pump, coming from somewhere close-by.In the center of the room is an object that looks like a prop from a ‘50s sci-fi movie. A human head protrudes from one end. The object is an iron lung, and its purpose is to keep its occupant, Mark O'Brien, breathing. Every 4.5 seconds, the pump mechanism creates a vacuum inside, forcing Mark's chest to expand and suck in air. He is fast asleep.Final Shooting Script2.MARK (V.O.)BreathingLook youThis most excellent canopy, the air, Presses down upon meAt 15 pounds per square inchA dense, heavy, blue-glowing ocean.Teasing me with its nearness and immensity.And all I get is a thin stream of it.A finger’s width of the rope that ties me to life.Having now eaten its fill, the cat has a good scratch, then wanders over to the iron lung. Final Shooting Script2A.It hops up onto the small platform that supports Mark's head and slides itself along his face, once this way, once the other way, then jumps on top of the iron lung and walks its length. Through the portholes, we just make out the shape of Mark's bent, undersize body. Suddenly, Mark's nose twitches. He opens his eyes and grimaces.MARKShit!His face continues to contort as he tries to cope with the terrible itching. He shakes his head violently, then stops suddenly and closes his eyes. We hear his thoughts.MARK (V.O.) (CONT’D)Okay, just focus. Now, scratch with your mind, okay, your mind, scratch with your mind...After a couple more nose twitches, he settles down. It seems to have worked. In his peripheral vision, Mark can see the cat making itself comfortable in a corner chair, one of the only other pieces of furniture in the room. The first hints of dawn start to appear through the curtains. They illuminate a large framed portrait of the Virgin Mary hanging on the wall. Mark acknowledges it.MARK (CONT’D)Good morning.Sunlight streams in, making the picture look truly sacred.EXT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY44JOAN, a solid but slovenly woman in her late 30s, walks up to Mark's front door, takes a key from her purse and lets herself in.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY55She comes in.JOANGood morning.Mark does not immediately acknowledge her.MARKYou're late.A LITTLE LATERThe center of the iron lung, basically a thin mattress, has been slid out, and Joan is in the process of giving Mark a bed bath. He is frail and helpless. Final Shooting Script3.There is a look of resentment in his eyes as this apparently unfeeling woman exercises total control over him, at least temporarily.MARK (V.O.)JoanI swear this was one crazy bitchWho’d swing me about enough to scare me,But careful enough so she could say:“Now what was all the yelling about? You polios are screamers. Always were.”I didn’t say a word, but typed my skinny novel in my head,And thought about revenge.In the course of washing his private parts, Mark has an involuntary erection. Joan gives him a shriveling look. He feels belittled and humiliated. A LITTLE LATERMark is on his side, his trousers are on and she is buttoning up a bright red shirt. It is an awkward business. They do it in silence, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK’S PLACE. DAY66Joan pushes Mark along in a gurney, similar, but slightly different from the one in the news clip. There are no mirrors and no motor, just an oxygen tank, a tube and a mouthpiece just next to Mark's mouth. Most of him is covered with a colorful blanket. The whole thing is a sports-coupe version of his iron lung.JOANWould you mind if I asked you a favor?MARKYou need help moving furniture?She has no apparent sense of humor.JOANI need an advance on my pay, like two weeks. That's not a big ask, is it?Mark looks rightfully shocked.MARKWhat if you don't last another two weeks?Final Shooting Script4.He gives her a look, and means it. We hear his thoughts.MARK (V.O.) (CONT’D)Joan never failed to put me in a crappy mood. It was also a drag that I was no longer allowed to use my other gurney, the self-propelled one. It had caused a couple of spectacular accidents.They turn a corner and approach a church.Final Shooting Script4A.MARK (V.O.) (CONT’D)Basically, in spite of all the mirrors, I couldn't see where I was going.EXT. CATHOLIC CHURCH. DAY6A6AJoan pushes Mark’s gurney into the sanctuary. INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH. DAY77FATHER BRENDAN is giving a sermon. Mark listens with satisfaction. There are not many others there.FATHER BRENDANThe Apostle Luke tells us that when Elizabeth spoke to Mary, the baby in her womb leapt - “For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy”. So Mary's fear and apprehension slowly gave way to pride and purpose. Elizabeth saw the greatness in Mary. “Blessed art thou among women”. Elizabeth, pregnant herself with St. John, felt the power of this wondrous woman. It was Elizabeth, and her absolute faith, that gave Mary the courage she was lacking, and she gave thanks saying: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”.May the spirit of the Lord be amongst you and remain with you always. Mass is over. PEOPLE come up to Mark and place a hand on his head or chest and say, “God bless you.” In the background we can also hear Father Brendan.FATHER BRENDAN (V.O.) (CONT’D)May the peace of the Lord be with you.PARISHIONERSAnd also with you.A LITTLE LATERFinal Shooting Script5.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY7A7AMark waits alone in a tiny chapel off to the side of the church. He turns his head, takes a suck on the mouthpiece of his portable respirator, then looks around at the impressive stained glass windows. The expression on Mark's face is that of a true believer.MARK (V.O.)I’m definitely a true believer. But I believe in a God with a sense of humor. A wicked sense of humor. One who created me in His own image.Father Brendan enters. There is an awkward short moment when he realizes that there is no point in offering to shake hands. For no good reason, he nods instead.FATHER BRENDANHello. I'm Father Brendan. I don't think we've met.Final Shooting Script5A.MARKNo, we haven't. I’m Mark O’Brien. I knew Father Seamus very well. I'm sorry that he's not here any more.FATHER BRENDANAs are many others. I'm going to do my best to fill his shoes. I understand you'd like me to hear your confession.MARKYes, I would. By the way, I enjoyed Mass. I liked your tone.Father Brendan is not sure how to take this.FATHER BRENDANThank you.MARKYou don't believe absolute privacy is an essential part of the confessional, do you?FATHER BRENDANNo, I do not. I believe sincerity is the most essential part.MARKI told my attendant to come back in half an hour. Is that okay?FATHER BRENDANYes, take your time. I'm in no rush.MARKDid Father Seamus say anything to you about me?FATHER BRENDANNo one said anything to me about you. MARKI can be a bit time consuming, but I’m worth the trouble. Father Brendan breaks a smile for the first time. FATHER BRENDANI’m here for you Mark.Final Shooting Script6.MARKLook, this is not exactly a confession. I haven't yet done the deed. I was hoping to sort of get a quote in advance.Father Brendan sits down.FATHER BRENDANTell me what's on your mind.MARKThe most immediate thing on my mind would be my attendant, Joan. I'm thinking of getting rid of her. It's an evil thought, but I can't help it.FATHER BRENDANIs she dishonest, or incompetent?MARKNo, neither of those. She looks at me the wrong way. It's that you-need-me-more-than-I-need-you look. I'd like to show her she's wrong, just for the evil satisfaction it will give me. Is that a sin, Father?FATHER BRENDANWell, it obviously troubles you.MARKYes, it troubles me a lot. Because maybe it's really a power trip. Me against her. Me against the world.FATHER BRENDANI really wouldn't worry too much about that. The question is whether you like having her around.MARKI can't stand her.FATHER BRENDANThen get rid of her. If I were in a position to choose, I'd get someone nice. Even it was a power trip.MARKThen I have your blessing to fire her?Final Shooting Script7.FATHER BRENDANUnofficially, yes.MARKThat's good enough for me.FATHER BRENDANPlease, if ever you feel I can be useful, do let me know. It was a pleasure talking with you.MARKSame here.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY88We see a pencil eraser on the end of a stick slowly tapping the keys on an electric typewriter. At the other end of the stick, which is about a foot long, is Mark, manipulating it adeptly with his mouth. There is a white index card in the typewriter on which he is typing a job notice. We see the first word. “POET”EXT. BERKELEY COLLEGE. DAY99A community notice board. A young female hand reaches in and takes an index card off the board. The card reads:POET/JOURNALIST REQUIRES ASSISTANT WITH ADVANCED SENSE OF HUMORWe see Amanda's face as she smiles. She is in her early 20s.MARK (V.O.)Amanda would have been a pretty girl to touch, to hold, to kiss, to take to bed.OMITTED1010INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY1111Mark is in his iron lung. Amanda sits in a stiff chair a few feet away, being interviewed. Rod is working in the kitchen. Mark’s poem continues. Final Shooting Script8.MARK (V.O.)Her perfect, pale skin,Her Tudor court faceHer strong, fleshy legsDrove me into ecstasies of despair.Mark asks a question.MARKDo you have any experience?AMANDANo, none at all.MARKThat sounds perfect.Mark stares at her lovingly.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY1212From Mark's POV, Amanda slides him out of the iron lung. It is her first time, and it is an awkward business.AMANDAHow long can you stay out?MARKThree or four hours. Depends whether I’m having fun. INT. MARK’S PLACE. DAY12A12AIt is some time later. Amanda is giving Mark a massage. With enormous satisfaction, he feels her curvy parts moving around him and sometimes pressing against him. He also gets a bird's eye view of her breasts.MARK (V.O.)She'd count in French before lifting me, un, deux, trois, quatre! I'd screamTugged by her athletic armsFrom the everlasting gravity.EXT. PARK. DAY1414Mark, on a blanket, is on an outing with Amanda, Matt and another COUPLE. They are playing Scrabble. Final Shooting Script9.MARK (V.O.) She took me on a picnic once,With her boyfriend and another couple. Lust crackled in the air between those twentyish people.Amanda is clearly paying more attention to Mark than to Matt.MARK (V.O.)What did the boyfriend think?That I was in his way?I'm always in somebody's way, I thought, the sun in my eyes.Final Shooting Script9A.We sense Mark's deep satisfaction as he closes his eyes and the sun warms his face.MARK (V.O.)As she glided through crowds of lives She couldn't leave me lying there Dried out bubble gum stuck on the underneath of existence.INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT1313Amanda and her boyfriend MATT, are sharing the tub.MATTDo you touch him?AMANDAI do everything. Any other questions?MATTYou don't have to be so defensive. I'm not about to get jealous.AMANDAWhy not? He's a much nicer person than you are.She gets out of the bath suddenly.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY1515Amanda is shaving Mark. MARKWhat does your boyfriend think of me?AMANDAHe's an asshole. It doesn't matter what he thinks of you.MARKI'm interested in the opinion of an asshole.AMANDAHe thinks you're some kind of Svengali, and that you're going to hypnotise me into your cult.MARKHe's right.Final Shooting Script10.AMANDAHe says he can already see changes.She finishes shaving him and cleans him up. His eyes feast on every detail of her face. Cut to somewhere at night, Amanda is giving Mark a pole dancing demonstration, complete with disco beat and mirror-ball lighting.MARK (V.O.)So with her gentle fearless heartShe took me in.I thrived in her gardenAnd wanted more.EXT. STREET NEAR CLOTHING STORE. DAYA16A16Amanda wheels Mark towards a clothing store.INT. CLOTHING STORE. DAY1616Amanda is wheeling Mark in his gurney around the store, stopping from time to time to take something down from the shelf. She picks out a shirt.AMANDAThis you must have.As she leans over to show it to him, Mark doesn't seem to be listening. He whispers to her.MARKI love you.She says nothing and gives the faintest of smiles, then puts the shirt back. They continue round the store in thoughtful silence and avoid eye contact with each other. We sense from the looks on their faces that this moment spells the end of a beautiful friendship.OMITTED1717INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY1818Mark and Father Brendan are huddled together in the little chapel.FATHER BRENDANDid she reciprocate your feelings?MARKShe didn't seem to.Final Shooting Script11.FATHER BRENDANSometimes people can be very shy about their emotions.Final Shooting Script11A.MARKWell, in case she didn't get it the first time, I told her again that I was in love with her, and wanted to marry her, thinking it might swing things.FATHER BRENDANDid it?MARKYes. She left.They sit in silence for a while. Father Brendan seems to be at something of a loss.FATHER BRENDANI wish I knew what to say. I mean, welcome to the human race. Every day someone breaks someone else's heart. And as I said, I'm here for you. I just wish I had something more useful to offer. All I have are these vague ideas about life and death that priests are equipped with. Have you ever thought of discussing your feelings with a therapist?MARKNot as yet. Father, I think I need a hug.After a moment of surprise, Father Brendan rises to the occasion. He seems to know how to move Mark gently and efficiently. They hug.EXT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY1919Rod is in the front yard picking up the newspaper. He sees VERA, Chinese, mid-20s, a sensible type, approaching Mark's front door.RODHi. Vera?VERAYes.He offers his hand.Final Shooting Script12.RODI'm Rod. I do four to twelve.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY2020Vera sits in the same spot where Amanda was interviewed, but without the same aura, although she is far from ugly.MARKHave you had any experience?VERASome.She is reserved and unsmiling. Mark seems disinterested in the whole process. The phone rings. They both look at it.MARKWould you get that, please.Vera picks up the phone and answers a little hesitantly.VERAHullo.After a few moments, she turns to Mark.VERA (CONT’D)It's Sandy, from Pacific News Service.MARKCould you press that button and put it on the speakerphone.She does as she is asked with perfect efficiency.MARK (CONT’D)Hi, Sandy.SANDY (V.O.)Hi, Mark, how you doing?MARKI'm good. I have a new attendant. She answered the phone. Her name's Vera.SANDY (V.O.)Welcome, Vera.VERAThank you.Final Shooting Script13.SANDY (V.O.)Mark, we’ve gotten sponsorships to do a series on sex and the disabled and we’d like you to do some interviews in the Berkeley area. Could you do that? Say in the next week or so?Mark is momentarily taken aback.MARKWhy now?SANDY (V.O.)No particular reason. If you're working on something else, then we can talk about it later.MARKNo, now is fine.EXT. CARMEN’S DRIVEWAY. DAY2121Vera wheels Mark towards his first interview. The more we see Vera, the more we like her.MARK (V.O.)There was no denying it.A door had opened which I could not close, and in invisible writing it said: “Do not enter”.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY2222We see the slowly rotating reels of a portable cassette recorder. We hear a female voice.CARMEN (V.O.)Some positions, like that one, are pretty much impossible.Carmen, early 30s, is a paraplegic in a wheelchair. She is pretty and animated, and has full use of her hands.CARMENI don't know if you can quite visualize it. It's called a lateral, or sideways reverse cow-girl.It is obvious that Mark cannot visualize it. Although she doesn't give much away, we sense that Vera can.Final Shooting Script14.CARMEN (CONT’D)Don't worry about it then. It's just a question of depth of penetration. Final Shooting Script14A.(MORE)To some people it's really important, like my partner, for example. It's not such a big deal for me. I get just as excited when he licks my nipples, if and when he bothers to do it.Mark looks troubled.CARMEN (CONT’D)I think the tape's about to run out.At that very moment, there is a click, and the tape runs out. Vera flips the tape over, sets it running in record mode, and takes her place again behind Mark's gurney.CARMEN (CONT’D)Do you want to keep going?MARKUh, I think I've actually got enough to work on. Thanks.CARMENGet back to me if you need anything else. Oh, and let me give you Greg's phone number. He's full of stuff you wouldn't think was possible.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY2323Rod vacuums the floor while Mark taps away on his typewriter. Mark looks troubled.EXT. GREG’S PLACE. DAY23A23AWe hear voices.MARK (V.O.)Okay, shall we start?GREG (V.O.)Sure.We hear the cassette recorder click on.INT. GREG’S PLACE. DAY23B23BGreg is a handsome quadriplegic. Vera is there with Mark. Final Shooting Script15.CARMEN (CONT’D)GREGOral sex is a matter of taste. Mark doesn’t get it. Vera, as usual, is impassive. GREG (CONT’D)And one thing that really works in my favor is that I smoke so much weed that my taste buds are pretty jaded. This gives me a great deal of stamina in the tongue department, and stamina is key in cunnilingus. INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT2424The alley cat creeps in through the open window. Mark watches it approach from his iron lung.MARKWho are these people? I feel like an anthropologist interviewing a tribe of headhunters.The cat seems to understand.EXT. UNIVERSITY ADMIN BUILDING. DAY2525A lady with a crisp voice answers the phone.LADY (V.O.)Good morning. UCSF.On the other end of the line, Mark tries to control the shakiness of his voice.MARK (V.O.)Uh, may I please speak to someone in the Center on Sexuality and Disability, please.A pause.LADY (V.O.)I'm sorry sir, the Center on Sexuality and Disability has been shut down.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY2626Mark looks immensely relieved. He closes his eyes.Final Shooting Script16.MARKThank God.LADY (V.O.)Sir?MARKI'm sorry to have bothered you.LADY (V.O.)It's no bother...Sir, before you go, I can give you a phone number for one of the therapists who used to work there. Would you like that?Mark hesitates. He winces under the strain of having to make a decision. LADY (V.O.)Sir, are you there?OMITTED2727OMITTED2828EXT. BUILDING. DAY2929It is a typical, modern, multi-purpose office building. We hear the sounds of grunting, bumping and clanging.INT. LOBBY. DAY3030There is something of a commotion going on at one of the elevators. Vera, and a small, well-meaning CROWD, are trying to get Mark and his gurney inside. It will not fit horizontally. As they angle it up, Mark begins to panic.MARKIt won't fit. It's not going to fit. Let's go back.A muscular LATINO guy reassures him.LATINOHey, it's fine. We got you. This is going to work just fine.Vera guides him.VERAThe top has to go over to the left.Final Shooting Script17.MARKI don't feel so good about this. Let's forget it.The Latino guy takes no notice. Vera is flushed and angry.Final Shooting Script17A.VERALook, do you want to see this woman or not?MARKNo!One more heave and the gurney goes in with a jolt.MARK (CONT’D)Aah!VERAWell, it's too late.The elevator doors close.INT. LAURA'S OFFICE. DAY3131Laura, a well-dressed, attractive woman in her late 30s, sits in a chair a few feet from Mark. His gurney takes up most of the available space in the room.LAURADid you ever discuss sex with your parents?MARKNo. That would have been unthinkable. LAURAWhy?MARKThat’s the way they saw the world. It wasn't just that polite people didn't think about sex. No-one did. It was never discussed. As far as they were concerned, there was nothing down there.Laura listens. She is pretty in a dark, angular way. A phone on her desk rings.LAURASorry about that.She walks over to it, pushes a button, then comes back. She has a noticeable limp.MARKWhat's that from?LAURACerebral palsy.Final Shooting Script18.MARKYou'd hardly notice.LAURAPeople notice. It's not easy, the whole thing, attracting a guy, dating, sex, all very problematic.MARKI find that hard to believe in your case.LAURAWell, you better believe it.MARKSo, what sort of chance do you give me?LAURAOf achieving your romantic fantasy? Very small to minute.MARKLook, there's no need to pull any punches. You can be as direct as you like with me.She smiles.LAURAMark, I'm just a humble sex therapist. I try to help people with sex problems that can be addressed. Your problem, I understand, is that you have never had sex.MARKThat's correct.LAURAWould I be correct in assuming you're unable to masturbate?MARKCorrect.LAURAHas anyone done it for you?MARKNo.LAURAHave you ever asked anyone?Final Shooting Script19.MARKNot specifically. I asked someone to marry me. She declined. Does that come close to masturbation?LAURAYou know, being with the person you love is not the only way of expressing yourself sexually. There are people called sex surrogates.MARKOh?LAURAPsychotherapists and psychiatrists are not allowed to have sex with their clients, even if it seems like a good idea. Sex surrogates don’t have that limitation. MARKWould this be covered by my medical benefits?LAURAUnfortunately, no. You’d have to pay the full fee, whatever that was.MARKSo, basically, I would be paying for sex.LAURAYes Mark, you would be paying for sex. But the person you would be paying is not a hooker. She is a highly trained and sensitive professional, who is not motivated by money. Just as I’m not. In fact, you can think of a surrogate as an extension of me. Do I seem like a hooker to you?Mark thinks. OMITTED31A31AFinal Shooting Script20.INT. LAURA’S OFFICE. DAY31B31BMark comes back to reality. MARKWhat sort of cost would I be looking at?LAURAIt depends how many sessions you need.MARKSay, one, just to try it and see if I like it.LAURAI'm sorry, it doesn't work that way. It's a process. You have to be patient with yourself. There can be quite a lot of talking involved.MARKI've set aside $500. Do you think that would cover things?LAURAOh yes, that's ample. So, what do you think? Final Shooting Script21.INT. CHURCH. DAY 3232Rod wheels Mark into the church.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY3333Mark waits in the little side chapel. Father Brendan enters.FATHER BRENDANHi, good to see you. How are things?MARKThings are sort of confusing at the moment. I would appreciate your advice, as a friend, if you know what I mean.Father Brendan sits down on the end of a pew next to Mark.FATHER BRENDANSure, and I understand what you mean.MARKDo you remember at one point you suggested I might see a therapist?FATHER BRENDANYes.MARKWell, one way or another, it's a long story, I ended up seeing a therapist, a particular sort of therapist, a sex therapist.FATHER BRENDANUh-huh.MARKMy penis speaks to me, Father Brendan. Sometimes I ejaculate during a bed bath in front of my attendant. Final Shooting Script22.
(MORE)All I feel is shame and mortification, while other men, apparently, get pleasure. I'm sorry if I sound angry.FATHER BRENDANDon't worry about it. Go on.Mark pauses to take a few breaths on his oxygen mouthpiece, then goes on.MARKThis therapist suggested I could work with a sexual specialist, have sex with someone known as a sex surrogate, who would be sensitive to my special needs. I've been giving it some thought.Father Brendan interrupts him.FATHER BRENDANHold on. What do you mean “have sex”?MARKWell, I don’t really know how to describe...FATHER BRENDANSorry, that wasn’t what... I mean, are we talking about sexual intercourse?MARKI think so.FATHER BRENDANOutside marriage?MARKI did do my best on the question of marriage. Father Brendan shakes his head with concern.FATHER BRENDANWhat is the difference between this sexual specialist and a common prostitute? MARKI don’t know, but I think there’s a difference. Final Shooting Script23.MARK (CONT'D)FATHER BRENDANHow do you know she’s not some hooker gussied up as a social worker, who’s just going to rob you?MARKI trust what my therapist said about her. FATHER BRENDANHow old are you?MARKThirty-eight.FATHER BRENDANWhy exactly now?MARKI never had any spare cash before. That's a major factor, and I'm probably getting close to my use-by date.FATHER BRENDANAnd this is what you want my advice about? Fornication?MARKYour advice as a friend.FATHER BRENDANAnd do I have the casting vote, so to speak?MARKLet's say I value your advice just as much as I do the therapist's.FATHER BRENDANYou're serious, aren't you?MARKI think sex is a serious matter. It’s one of the most persistent themes in the bible. Final Shooting Script23A.
(MORE)So, is it possible for me to know a woman, in the biblical sense, and do I want to find out?FATHER BRENDANAnd you want my opinion?MARKPlease.Father Brendan contemplates for a few moments. He looks up at the statue of Jesus, then makes a decision. FATHER BRENDANI know in my heart that He’ll give you a free pass on this one. Go for it. MARKWhat?FATHER BRENDANI said, go for it.MARKReally?FATHER BRENDANIf you feel up to it. Do you feel up to it?MARKTo tell the truth, I'm scared.FATHER BRENDANThen we should pray.Father Brendan and Mark pray together.FATHER BRENDAN (CONT’D)Sweet Jesus, Mark and I sit at your feet and pray that You bless this little journey, this one small step for a man.OMITTED3434OMITTED3535Final Shooting Script24.MARK (CONT'D)OMITTED3636OMITTED3737OMITTED37A37AEXT. STREET NEAR CARMEN’S. DAY3838ROD is wheeling Mark along in his gurney.MARKI really feel proud of myself, imposing on someone I hardly know, to fornicate in their home.RODGet over it. It's perfectly normal.They arrive at CARMEN'S PLACE. Final Shooting Script25.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY3939Carmen, in her electric wheelchair, is the woman Mark had earlier interviewed. She pushes a button on a remote control, which opens concertina double-doors, which reveal an adjacent bedroom.CARMENTada!The bed itself is set at a perfect height for someone in a wheelchair or gurney. The room has been decked out with flowers, candles and incense. MARKWow!Carmen points to the bedside table.CARMENThere are all sorts of useful things in that drawer there, if you guys feel like exploring.Mark doesn't even begin to get it.MARKNo, I'll bring my own sheets, towels and anything else we need.CARMENNo, no. Everything will be provided. I'm honored that you asked me. It'll be great karma for the house.EXT. STREET NEAR CARMEN’S. DAY4040Rod is wheeling Mark back home.MARKGreat karma for the house. My God, the pressure, already. I can't stand it.OMITTED4141OMITTED4242Final Shooting Script26.OMITTED4343EXT. STREET. DAY4444We are outside an old-style wooden house with a Volvo wagon parked in front. A phone rings.INT. CHERYL'S KITCHEN. DAY4545We hear the sound of sneakers on a wood floor. TONY, an adolescent with a pony tail picks up the phone.TONYHey, this is Tony.He listens, then looks away from the phone and shouts.TONY (CONT’D)Cheryl!CHERYL (V.O.)What is it?TONYPhone!He talks into the mouthpiece.TONY (CONT’D)She's coming.CHERYL arrives. She is in her mid-30s. She grabs the phone, puts her hand over the mouthpiece and glares at Tony.CHERYLI'm not your girlfriend. When someone calls, particularly someone you don't know, you can use the word 'Mom'.Final Shooting Script27.Tony glares back. Cheryl takes off her right earring.CHERYL (CONT’D)Hullo, this is Cheryl.LAURA (V.O.)Hi, it's Laura.CHERYLI haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?LAURA (V.O.)Pretty well. Look, I called to ask how you would feel about working with a severely disabled client.Suddenly, Cheryl notices that Tony has opened the refrigerator and is drinking straight out of the orange juice bottle.CHERYLHold on a moment, please.She covers the mouthpiece of the phone.CHERYL (CONT’D)Hey, cut that out!He takes no notice. She puts the phone down and moves towards him. He closes the fridge door and runs.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY4646Mark is having a bed bath. His shoulders and neck are covered with soap suds. Rod is washing his back. The phone rings.MARKWould you get it please?RODSure.Rod eases Mark back onto the rubber mattress and goes to answer the phone.ROD (CONT’D)Hullo, Mark O'Brien's phone.He switches it to speaker so Mark can hear.CHERYL (V.O.)Hi, this is Cheryl Cohen-Greene. May I speak to Mark?Final Shooting Script28.Rod holds the phone toward Mark like a question. Mark's face looks drained of blood.RODJust one moment, please.Rod switches the phone off speaker.ROD (CONT’D)What am I doing here? Yes or no? Make up your mind.Mark hesitates, then nods weakly. Rod puts the phone back on speaker.MARKHullo, this is Mark.CHERYL (V.O.)Hi, Mark. I'm Cheryl. Laura called to introduce you. I understand you'd like to meet. Is that right?Mark can hardly speak. He eventually forces the sound from his throat.MARKUh, yes.CHERYL (V.O.)I could see you on the seventeenth, at eleven o'clock. Would that be any good for you?MARKUh, yes, I think that would be fine for me.CHERYLHey, where you from?MARKBoston. You?CHERYLSalem. Small world.MARKWouldn’t want to paint it. INT. CHERYL'S KITCHEN. DAY4747Cheryl is on the phone, holding the receiver with one hand while she puts away groceries with the other.Final Shooting Script29.CHERYLWe'll be talking for a while to begin with. Then, if you agree, we can also start doing some body awareness exercises in your first session.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT4848The iron lung pumps away. Mark is alone. He stares at the picture of the Virgin Mary.Final Shooting Script29A.MARKHoly Mother of God, what are “body awareness exercises"?EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK'S PLACE. DAY4949Vera lets herself in.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY5050Vera holds up two shirts for Mark to see, a dark red and a light blue.VERAWhich one?Mark is lying on his side, shirtless. His face is even more grim than when we last saw it.MARKDoesn't matter.VERAWill you stop acting as if you're going to your own execution.MARKI'm not acting.EXT. CARMEN’S DRIVEWAY. DAY5151Vera wheels Mark to his doom.VERATry and think of something else. Baseball, for example. That's what they usually tell boys to do.MARKWho are “they”?Vera rings the front doorbell. They wait.MARK (CONT’D)She's forgotten.Vera says nothing. She rings the bell again.MARK (CONT’D)My God, she's forgotten, or she's gotten the date wrong. Okay, we might as well turn round and go back. Come on, let's go.Final Shooting Script30.VERAShe hasn't forgotten.From inside the house, we hear the faint buzz of an electric wheelchair approaching. The door opens. Mark closes his eyes in despair.OMITTED5252Final Shooting Script30A.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY 5353Vera eases Mark onto the bed, positioning him so that he can see the doorway. As a finishing touch, she dabs a little cologne behind his ears, then puts the mouthpiece of his respirator within easy reach.Carmen picks up her bag and wheels herself to the door.CARMENOkay, I'm going. I'll be back some time after one. If I'm not here, just let yourselves out.VERABye.MARK(weakly)Bye.CARMENHave fun.She lets herself out.MARKWhat's the time?VERATwelve after eleven.MARKI think there's a strong possibility she's had second thoughts.VERAMark, please calm down.MARKAnd if she does arrive, she would be perfectly within her rights to turn around and run.Final Shooting Script31.The doorbell rings. They stare at the door. Vera finally goes over and opens it. Silhouetted against the light is Cheryl with a substantial bag. She could be the Avon lady. She has a light blouse, light skirt and her long hair is loose.CHERYLHi, I'm Cheryl. I'm sorry I'm late.VERANo, that's fine. Come in. I'm Vera, I'm one of Mark's helpers.Cheryl sees Mark. There is no noticeable reaction in her face, just a smile.CHERYLHi, Mark O’Brien.Mark clears his throat with a little difficulty.MARKHi, Cheryl Cohen Greene.Vera is already at the front door.VERAI'll be back, say, in two hours?CHERYLYes, two hours, that would be perfect.She closes the door behind her. Mark feels totally abandoned.CHERYL (CONT’D)So...Mark blurts out.MARKYour money's on the dresser.Cheryl walks over to the dresser. When her back is turned, Mark screws up his face in self-disgust. She finds an envelope.CHERYLThank you.She puts it in her bag. Mark eyes her carefully.MARKThat was the wrong way to start off.Final Shooting Script32.CHERYLYes, it was. Shall we start again?MARKPlease, you start.She sits down on the bed and looks at him. It is a very frank stare. She is trying to take a lot in.CHERYLAlthough the aim is for us to have sex, I'm not a prostitute and you don't need to pay me up front. I’ve nothing against prostitutes, but there’s a difference. We can talk about that later.MARKI'm sorry.CHERYLThe other thing is, there is a limit to the number of sessions we can have together. Did Laura mention that when you saw her?MARKI'm sorry, I don't remember.CHERYLThe limit is six. But that gives us plenty of opportunity to explore. Now, I understand you are able to have an erection.MARKYes, but not out of choice.CHERYLDo you know how many men there are on this planet who would give anything for a natural erection?She looks around the room.CHERYL (CONT’D)Is this your place?MARKNo, it's a friend's. The only bedroom furniture I have at my place is an iron lung. I've sometimes thought about buying a futon, in case the need arose.CHERYLIt's worth thinking about.Final Shooting Script33.MARKI've got the space. It can be expensive though, a nice futon. I mean, how much do you think a good one would cost?CHERYLMark, just take a deep breath, then let go. MARKDo I seem anxious?CHERYLYou do a little.Cheryl lies down beside him.CHERYL (CONT’D)Laura told me you were a poet. What's it like to be a poet?MARKIt's a way of living inside your own head, which is where I spend most of my time.CHERYLBut not today. By the way, I like your shirt.He smiles, genuinely flattered.MARKThank you.CHERYLSo I need to ask you some basic questions. Okay?MARKSure.CHERYLWhat is the iron lung for?MARKIt keeps me breathing. I can spend a few hours outside of it, with my portable respirator, depending on how I feel. But I work and sleep in the iron lung. Final Shooting Script34.CHERYLHow do you feel right now?Final Shooting Script34A.MARKOut of my league. CHERYLI meant your breathing.MARKOh...fine. In fact, better than usual. CHERYLThat’s great. Do you have any areas of unusual sensitivity? Any parts of your body you don’t want me to touch?MARKI have normal sensitivity all over. It’s just that my muscles don’t work. You can touch me anywhere.CHERYLShall we get undressed then?Mark is taken by surprise by the suddenness of it. He hesitates momentarily.MARKSure.Cheryl starts to unbutton his shirt. Mark's terror is visible in his eyes and she can also feel his heart palpitating. She starts to slowly extract one of Mark's arms from his shirt-sleeve. Suddenly, he lets out a piercing scream.MARK (CONT’D)Ow! Ow! Stop! It hurts!She recoils, shocked.CHERYLWhat's wrong?MARKHoly Mother of God!CHERYLTell me what's wrong.MARKMy fingers! They're caught!She discovers that his fingers have been snagged in the fabric of the shirt and his fingers are being bent backward.Final Shooting Script35.CHERYLOkay, okay, I've got it. Don't worry.She carefully frees his fingers and eases the sleeve off.MARKBe careful, please.CHERYLMark, I'm going to be really careful with you. I don't want to hurt or injure you in any way, but it’s really not sexy when you yell at me. Okay?MARKI won't yell at you any more.CHERYLBut you’ll tell me calmly the moment anything starts to hurt?MARKYes.CHERYLNow, let's do the other arm.Little by little, she extracts the other arm. He grimaces his way through it, but more in fear than in pain. She finally sets his shirt down on the end of the bed.CHERYL (CONT’D)Nice shirt.MARKYou already said that.CHERYLDid I? I guess I’m a little anxious, too. She undoes the top of his pants.CHERYL (CONT’D)Okay, I'm going to slide these down. Hold your breath.She pulls. He screams, in fear more than pain. MARKShit, fuck! No, don’t do that!Final Shooting Script36.INT. BATHROOM. DAY5454Cheryl sits down on the edge of the tub and takes a couple of deep breaths.Final Shooting Script36A.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY5555Mark, his body now under the sheets, looks towards the bathroom door. He can hear the sound of water running. He looks at a wall clock and notes the passing of time.INT. BATHROOM. DAY5656Cheryl turns off the tap. She has done a great job of pulling herself together, and is wrapped in a kimono, which she has brought herself.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY5757Cheryl emerges from the bathroom and starts to undress.CHERYLReady?MARKNo.Cheryl continues undressing, Mark looks away. CHERYLOkay, the difference between me and a prostitute is that I don’t want your return business. I’m here to help you communicate about your sexual feelings, so you can share them with a future partner. She stands there for a few moments, but he keeps his eyes averted. She turns back the sheets, gets into bed beside him and he finally looks at her.MARKWhenever I'm naked, everyone else in the room is usually dressed. Now that I'm in bed with another naked person, I'm very confused.She strokes his hair.CHERYLSo, why is it confusing?MARKI'd always expected that God, or my parents, would intervene to keep this moment from happening.She slides her hand down. She can feel his heart thumping. Final Shooting Script37.CHERYLMark, close your eyes and focus on your sense of touch.He closes his eyes.CHERYL (CONT’D)I’d like you to tell me how it feels each time I touch a different part of your body. If something feels good, tell me. If something feels ticklish or bothers you, let me know. I don’t want you to tolerate anything. I’m going to start with the top of your head...She strokes his hair.CHERYL (CONT’D)You have soft hair. It’s nice to the touch. So you like it?MARKI do.She moves her fingers round behind his ear, then the front of his ear.MARK (CONT’D)That feels weird.CHERYLWeird good? Or weird bad?MARKJust weird. She moves her hand down his neck.MARK (CONT’D)Good.His shoulder.CHERYLStill good?MARKEverything good so far, except the ear. She moves her fingers along his side, very, very lightly. For Mark, so far, this is the best. Final Shooting Script37A.MARK (CONT’D)Are these the body awareness exercises?Final Shooting Script37B.CHERYLYou're clever to have worked that out.Her hands massage their way down his torso. Mark's reactions are a little like shock waves.MARKPeople tell me I'm very perceptive.CHERYLWould you like to see what I feel like?She carefully takes his hand and caresses the fingers around one of her breasts, then puts his hand back. Cheryl's hands move further down his body.CHERYL (CONT’D)Are you wearing cologne?MARKYes.CHERYLMmm, my favorite brand. Okay, I’m going to move my hand along your stomach... and down to your pen...The expression on Mark's face changes to one of shock, then agony, then ecstasy.MARKOh, oh. OMITTED5858INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY5959The clock on the mantelpiece says 12:48. Cheryl is now fully dressed. She snaps open her briefcase, takes out a diary with a pen attached, then walks over to the bed, sits down beside Mark and flips through the pages.CHERYLNext week, Friday the twentieth, same time?MARKThat's good for me.Final Shooting Script38.CHERYLNext time we'll start to work on intercourse.She gathers her things together and gets up.CHERYL (CONT’D)Were you afraid at the thought of seeing me?MARKI was terrified.CHERYLYou can be proud of yourself. You did great. We've made real progress.MARKCan I ask you something?CHERYLOf course. What would you like to ask?MARKAnything, really. Tell me something about yourself. Anything.CHERYLSure. I'm a very private person. I have a private life, I do need you to be aware of that, but that's about it. This therapy is about you.There is a discreet knock at the front door and then a key turns in the lock. A few moments later, Carmen and Vera come in.MARKWelcome back.CHERYLPerfect timing.CARMENI hope you guys kept the noise down.EXT. STREET NEAR CARMEN’S. DAY6060Vera wheels Mark back the way they came. She is very discreet and they travel in silence for a while. Finally, curiosity overcomes her.Final Shooting Script39.VERAHow do you feel?MARKCleansed and victorious.VERADoesn't get any better than that.MARKTell me about your first sexual experience.VERALet me think. It wasn't all that pleasant. I mean, it was consensual and everything, and I really was in love with the guy, but his dick seemed enormous to me, I didn't think it would fit. It was scary. But he was nice. I guess he couldn't help it.MARKWas he Chinese?VERAAre you kidding? I only hung out with white guys at high school.MARKWhy is that?VERAI don't know. To stick it to my mum and dad, I suppose.MARKAre they happy now you've got a Chinese boyfriend?VERAThey're happy. I'm happy.MARKWhat's his dick like?VERAPerfect size.MARKWhy do you call it a dick instead of a penis?Final Shooting Script40.VERAPenis sounds like some vegetable you don't want to eat. Dick sounds like what it is.They continue in silence for a little while.MARKThe thing is, it was all over so damn quickly.VERAYes, tell me about it.EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT6161Cheryl's car is parked outside. The house is mostly dark.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT6262Cheryl is at a tiny desk, dictating into a recorder.CHERYLFirst session. Mark is the oldest of four children and raised Catholic. He was extremely nervous. He yelled a lot when I took off his shirt, but I think more out of fear than pain. He cannot masturbate. Has only had the occasional kissing experience. He is capable of achieving an erection easily, but the unusual curvature of his body could be a serious obstacle to intercourse.She puts the recorder away in a file drawer and locks the drawer with a key, which she keeps with her.INT. CHERYL'S BEDROOM. NIGHT6363Cheryl gets into bed beside her husband JOSH, who is apparently asleep.CHERYLThis gentleman I just started working with. He spends most of his life trapped in a big metal box.Her husband Josh turns over and mumbles something completely incomprehensible. She nudges him. CHERYL (CONT’D)Did you hear what I said?Final Shooting Script41.JOSHYes, I heard what you said. You’re a saint. He kisses her.CHERYLDon’t forget to put the trash out in the morning. She turns around and goes to sleep. INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY6464Mark is in the little side chapel with Father Brendan.MARKI don't know what I had envisaged it would be like, the first time I mean. But that wasn't the image I had. I thought there would be more to it. Not that it was unpleasant. After all, I was in bed with a naked woman. She complimented me on my shirt and my hair. She held my penis. I haven't even seen my penis for over thirty years. Anyway, onward. Am I sharing too much?FATHER BRENDANNo, I’m used to it.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT6565Mark is in his iron lung. With his mouth stick, he turns the page of one of those anatomical instruction books on sex. There are the typical graphic cross-section diagrams of penises entering vaginas. Ravel's “Bolero" plays quietly in the background as he reads to himself.MARK“Sometimes the head of the penis may be too large to penetrate the vaginal opening smoothly, in which case the application of lubricant is recommended to avoid possible...” Oh, my God!EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK’S PLACE. DAY6666This time Rod is wheeling Mark. He seems only slightly less anxious than the first time, but still noticeably anxious.RODWhat's on the menu today?Final Shooting Script42.MARKWe're attempting intercourse.RODUh-huh. That’s a big one. MARKWhat do you think of it? Intercourse.RODOverrated, but necessary. There's plenty of other ways of achieving the same result, but somehow you don't feel you've actually done it till you've gone all the way in.This does not help Mark's state of mind.OMITTED6767INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY6868Cheryl takes off her clothes.CHERYLI want you to look at me this time. Go on, lift your eyes, look at me.He lifts his eyes. She pauses. CHERYL (CONT’D)Do you like watching me undress?MARKI do.As she moves towards the bed, almost naked, the last thing she takes off is her bra.CHERYLFrom now on...She pulls back the bed covers and gets into bed with Mark. CHERYL (CONT’D)You’re going to start to understand the signals from your body...Their bodies touch. He looks blissful. CHERYL (CONT’D)...and learn how to control...Then suddenly... Final Shooting Script43.MARKOh God! Oh God!Mark's expression of bliss turns to one of anger and frustration.Final Shooting Script43A.MARK (CONT’D)Damn! Shit!INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY6969Mark is in the side chapel with Father Brendan.MARKI did it again. This time, I ejaculated on her thigh.Father Brendan winces.MARK (CONT’D)I felt cursed, that the whole enterprise was cursed. It seemed like a totally just punishment. God wasn't actually denying my sexuality. He was merely pointing out to me how useless it was.FATHER BRENDANIt's amazing to me how often God is brought into the sex act. I understand that even amongst non-believers, the most common expression of sexual ecstasy is “Oh, God!”OMITTED7070OMITTED7171INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY7272Cheryl returns from the bathroom and slides back into bed.CHERYLOkay, I don't want to hear any more about God cursing you. I want the credit. It was my overpowering beauty that did it. It took you by surprise. Now, where were we?MARKWhat do you mean, where were we?CHERYLI’m going to touch you... I’m touching you... and when we both feel you’re aroused, then I’m going to guide you into my vagina. MARKIs there anything I need to do?Final Shooting Script44.CHERYLClose your eyes, feel your body, that's all you need to do.Mark closes his eyes. In his mind's eye, he sees the saintly figures in the beautiful stained glass windows of the church with the afternoon sun blazing through. An equally saintly, but naked Amanda floats towards him, her arms beckoning.When he opens his eyes, Cheryl is straddling him, but in a Leaning Tower of Pisa sort of way. It is a struggle for her, but somehow she is managing to get Mark into a workable position for intercourse. Suddenly, he panics.MARKIt won't fit. It's not going to fit.CHERYLNo, Mark, it will fit just fine.MARKNo, it's dangerous. It's too big.CHERYLIt's not too big. Relax.MARKIt won't fit. It'll hurt. It's too risky.CHERYLPlease, stop this. I promise you, nothing bad will happen. Now, let's try again while you're still hard.She attempts to guide him in again. Mark grimaces, makes a strange noise. We realize that he has just ejaculated again involuntarily.MARKShit!INT. BATHROOM. DAY7373Cheryl steps out of the shower.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY7474Cheryl gets into bed.MARKI'm really sorry.Final Shooting Script45.CHERYLStop being sorry. And stop reading those stupid sex manuals.She snuggles up beside Mark.CHERYL (CONT’D)We still have some time. We can talk, which you seem to like, or you can suck on my nipples, which you also seem to like. Or, which one would you like to do first?Gradually, Mark is reassured.EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT7575Cheryl's Volvo is parked in its usual spot out front. There is one light on in the house.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT7676Cheryl is at her desk, dictating her notes. She also has a notepad with some jottings. CHERYLMark seemed to be at his most relaxed when I sucked his penis. At the moment he is fixated on penis-vagina and his anxiety is focused around that. The root of his anxiety is his parents and his religion. He believes he doesn't deserve sex. He believes he is responsible for his little sister's death at the age of seven, because his mother was too busy looking after him.INT. LAURA'S OFFICE. DAY7777A copy of Cheryl's notes comes through on Laura's fax machine. We hear her familiar limp as she comes over to collect them. She reads the notes with interest.CHERYL (V.O.)We discussed his fantasies. They are mostly masochistic. Final Shooting Script46.
(MORE)Again, the idea of being punished. He has never seen female genitalia before and seems quite frightened by the idea.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY7878Mark and Father Brendan are in the little chapel.MARKI'm sorry to lay all this on you, Father. My worry now is that it's never going to happen. I'm never going to have intercourse with Cheryl, or any other woman. Maybe intercourse would prove I was an adult. Maybe I don't want to cross that line. Maybe this was a bad idea.FATHER BRENDANDo you want to know what I think?MARKPlease.FATHER BRENDANI'd forget the psychobabble. I grew up on a farm. It even takes the animals a few times to get it right. Can I suggest you try and enjoy it more? Don't worry about the technical stuff. You're a poet. Be romantic.EXT. CLOTHING STORE. DAY7979Vera wheels Mark and his gurney to a rack in front of the store. She takes shirts and models them for Mark. He settles on a daring but beautiful silk shirt. A man in a pink unitard rides by on a unicycle. OMITTED8080INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY8181Vera carefully does up the buttons on Mark's new silk shirt. Mark looks thoughtful.VERAYou nervous?MARKOnly a little.Final Shooting Script47.CHERYL (V.O.) (CONT'D)VERAWould you like a shpritz?MARKYes, of course I would.Vera gets a bottle of cologne and gives Mark a couple of bursts behind the ears. MARK (CONT’D)I have a good feeling about today, a very good feeling.VERAGreat.MARKI had a terrible feeling it was never going to happen, but I think today's the day.VERACan I make a suggestion?MARKPlease.VERAStop thinking about it.OMITTED8282EXT. CARMEN'S DRIVEWAY. DAY8383Vera wheels Mark up to the front door.MARKYou couldn't have wished for nicer weather.VERAYou're not listening, are you? I said, stop thinking about it.MARKBeautiful weather.She steps up to ring the bell, then hesitates. There is something of a hubbub coming from inside. Both she and Mark can hear it clearly.Final Shooting Script48.INT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY8484The doorbell rings, amidst a loud background chatter. We reveal a ROOMFUL OF WOMEN, gathered for some intense group activity of some kind. Carmen buzzes her way to the front door in her wheelchair. She opens it. She has an expression of horror.CARMENOh, my God, I forgot! Oh, Mark, I'm so sorry.The entire roomful of women stare at Mark and Vera. In the background we see Cheryl's car pull up.EXT. CARMEN'S PLACE. DAY8585Cheryl, Mark and Vera are by the car. Mark looks grim.VERAShe was very apologetic.They are all shaking their heads. Cheryl has a thought.CHERYLLook, it may not be exactly what we had in mind, but I noticed there's quite a nice motel just a couple of blocks from here. Maybe it's worth checking out.INT. MOTEL RECEPTION. DAY8686Mark and Cheryl wait outside while Vera goes in.VERAHave you got anything on the ground floor?The MOTEL CLERK is also Chinese. He looks at the rack of keys.CLERKI've got a single.VERAHow much?CLERKThirty-five plus tax.VERAMy boss is the gentleman in the gurney. Final Shooting Script49.
(MORE)He's supposed to be having a therapy session right now, but the facility we normally use had a scheduling mix-up. We only need the room for two hours. Can you do it for twenty cash?EXT. MOTEL. DAY8787The clerk leads them to the room and opens the door.CLERKThere's a soda machine around the corner.MARKThanks.CLERKAnd an ice machine, if you need it.MARKI'm sure it'll come in handy.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY8888Cheryl, Vera and the gurney enter the room. The clerk watches in the background. Cheryl and Vera lower Mark onto the bed. Allowing for the gurney, there is not a lot of space left in the room.VERAOkay, I'll see you. I've got a book to read. I'll just hang around the reception if you need me.Vera leaves. Mark looks around.MARKVery atmospheric.CHERYLSome people find motels exciting.MARKDo you think I could be one of those people?She sits on the bed and starts to undo his shirt.CHERYLAnother nice shirt.MARKAs in racy and sophisticated?Final Shooting Script50.VERA (CONT'D)CHERYLYou took the words right out of my mouth.INT. MOTEL RECEPTION. DAY8989Vera is having coffee with the clerk.CLERKWhat's wrong with your boss?VERABasically, he can only move his head.CLERKSo what sort of therapy are they doing?VERAThey're having sex.CLERKYou're bullshitting me.VERAOkay, I'm bullshitting you.CLERKNo, tell me for real, what are they actually doing?VERAWell, today, after some appropriate foreplay, they're going to try to achieve full penetration.The clerk stares at her.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY9090We see Cheryl from the breasts up. We hear violent coughing from down below.MARK (V.O.)I'm choking Cheryl moves away. We realize she has been perched astride his face, more or less. The coughing continues. Mark looks a bit panicked.MARKThe mouth-piece.Final Shooting Script51.Cheryl locates the mouth-piece to his oxygen supply and puts it between his lips. After a few breaths he is relatively relaxed. She lies down beside him.CHERYLI guess that one's off the menu until further notice.Mark finally lets go of the mouth-piece. He looks melancholy. She does not fail to notice.CHERYL (CONT’D)Come on, lighten up, will you.Mark smiles. He seems to be lost in some memory.MARKPony girl, Pony girl,Won't you be my pony girl?He looks at Cheryl.MARK (CONT’D)That was what my father used to sing to my little sister, Karin. That was before she died. She was kind of a sad little girl. It didn't do much good. I'm really sorry that the last time I saw her, I fought with her. I made her cry.Mark's eyes begin to look teary.MARK (CONT’D)My parents could have left me in the nursing home, you know. They found out the average life expectancy for polios in nursing homes was 18 months. So they took me home. They gave me a life.Cheryl props herself up on one elbow.CHERYLMark, I'm just going to go the bathroom for a quick pee. When I come back, we're going to achieve full penetration. But before I go, I want you to close your eyes.MARKIs this a game?CHERYLNo, it's not a game. Just do as I say. Close your eyes.Final Shooting Script52.He closes his eyes.CHERYL (CONT’D)Picture yourself as a six year old boy at the beach. Can you do that?MARKYes, very easily.EXT. BEACH. DAY9191The scene has a hazy, dreamlike reality. We see the six-year old Mark, able-bodied and full of energy, running and playing in the sand with his dog.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY9292CHERYLDescribe some of your feelings.MARKI feel very exhilarated, running next to the Atlantic Ocean, feeling the wind and the wet sand between my toes.CHERYLDo you really feel like him?MARKYes, I really feel like him.CHERYLBut can you really picture him?MARKI don't understand what you mean. I said I can feel like him. Of course I can picture him.CHERYLFrom the outside, I mean, as an adult, as you are now, looking at him with his crew cut and his little face?MARKYes.CHERYLAnd are you mad at him? Do you blame him for getting polio? Was it his fault? Final Shooting Script53.Cheryl gets up and goes to the bathroom. Mark is obviously affected by her question.Final Shooting Script53A.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY9393Mark has a faraway look.MARKShe either forgot to close the bathroom door, or didn't bother to close it.Mark pauses as he hears some distant footsteps. Father Brendan looks over his shoulder. They finally pass. Mark continues.MARK (CONT’D)I found the sound of her peeing incredibly erotic, and the sound of her tearing off toilet paper incredibly intimate. By the time she came back I had a terrific boner.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY9494Cheryl gets herself into position on top of Mark.CHERYLI'm going to rub the tip of your cock around my vulva. When it's ready, I'll guide you in. Breathe slowly and think of something delicious.Mark thinks. Through his mind's eye, we see a succession of images. Fingertips stroking a cat's fur. In the background, the sound of tom-toms. A tribal initiation rite. Drums, dancing, trances. Then Ravel's “Bolero”. Clint Eastwood saying “make my day”. Suddenly, and with a big yell, Mark comes.MARKAahh!INT. MOTEL RECEPTION. DAY9595Vera is still there, reading her book. The clerk looks at his watch.CLERKThey've been in there a long time.VERAYes, some people can do that.He does not get it.Final Shooting Script54.CLERKDo you want another coffee?VERANo thanks.CLERKDo you live with your parents?VERANo.CLERKYou at Berkeley?VERAUh-huh.CLERKDoing what?VERAArchitecture.CLERKYou have a boyfriend?VERAYes. Do you?INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY9696Mark and Cheryl are lying together. He has his eyes closed. There is something on her mind.CHERYLYou awake? Final Shooting Script55.MARKUh-huh.CHERYLTo answer your earlier question, I grew up in Salem, brought up Catholic, like you, but the church didn't appreciate my attitude towards sex.MARKYou had an attitude towards sex?CHERYLYes, I liked it. They like to think they threw me out, but I threw them out. So for years I didn't believe in anything, and now I'm converting to Judaism.MARKI guess it's good to have some kind of insurance.CHERYLI didn’t think of that.MARKThen why are you doing it?CHERYLMy husband asked me to do it before his grandmother dies. The idea is, if it makes her happy and him happy, then it will do the same for me. Our son is neutral on the subject, but theoretically, if it looks like it makes me happy, it'll make him happy too. That's the way my husband's family talks, and thinks. The fact that I’m happy already, doesn’t seem to be relevant.MARKWhat's your son's name?CHERYLTony. He's 14 years-old and very smart. You’d like him.Cheryl and Mark lie together in contented silence for a while.MARKDoes he know what you do?Final Shooting Script56.CHERYLHe knows I'm a sex therapist. There’s a certificate on the wall. But he hasn’t had sex yet. So... How much can he really know? He’s not a boy, he’s not a man.MARKHow much do you want him to know?CHERYLWell, I want him to have some idea in his head. I hope it’s a nice one. Final Shooting Script56A.MARKWhat does your husband do?CHERYLHe's a philosopher.MARKWow! You mean, like, at a university?CHERYLNo, in his own mind. He runs the house, plays guitar, thinks a lot.She notices the time.CHERYL (CONT’D)It's kind of late.She gets up and starts to get dressed.CHERYL (CONT’D)Hey, we did really good stuff today. You were fantastic. You're a fully fledged male homo sapiens endowed with a handsome and substantial penis which now has a proven track record. You should be pleased.MARKWas I really inside you?CHERYLYou were really and truly inside me.MARKFor how long?CHERYLFive or six seconds.MARKIs that all?CHERYLThat's a long time for some people. You were pretty excited. I don't know what you were thinking about.MARKI'm sorry, I couldn't tell one thing from another. It was all a jumble of sensations.Final Shooting Script57.CHERYLWell, you definitely achieved penetration. It was penis-vagina all the way. And you definitely get an A for orgasm.She is ready to go. She comes over to Mark and kisses him on the cheek.MARKDid you come?CHERYLNo, Mark, I didn't.MARKCan we try for that next time?She hesitates for a moment.CHERYLIf that's what you want.MARKYes, that's what I want.CHERYLOkay then.INT. LAURA'S OFFICE. DAY9797Laura is on the phone to Cheryl.LAURAHow's it going?INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY9898Cheryl is at her desk.CHERYLHe reads too many books. He has it in his head that after meeting three times, we should be able to have penetrative sex which results in simultaneous orgasm. Boom! Just like that.INT. LAURA'S OFFICE. DAY9999LAURAThat's very funny.Final Shooting Script58.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY100100CHERYLI guess. Yes, it is.LAURA (V.O.)What do you think of him?Cheryl thinks.INT. LAURA'S OFFICE. DAY101101LAURAI said, what do you think of him?CHERYL (V.O.)I like him.EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT102102Father Brendan approaches and arrives at the front door. He rings. Rod lets him in.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT103103Mark is in his iron lung. Father Brendan, wearing civilian clothes, comes in with a 6 pack of beer.FATHER BRENDANI was in the neighborhood. How are you?MARKStill exhausted. FATHER BRENDANSo, on reflection, are you... Fulfilled?MARKIt was okay. I liked some of the other things just as much, or better, but I'm glad it's behind me.FATHER BRENDANWell, so am I. Congratulations.Final Shooting Script59.MARKWhen this is all over, I'm going to write an article about it. After all, sex sells. Seriously.FATHER BRENDANSo you're really doing this for the money.MARKAbsolutely.FATHER BRENDANWell, that makes me feel much better about the whole thing. Can I ask what she's like? Cheryl. You've never really said anything about her.MARKShe's the most wonderful person on the planet. I'm glad we finally had intercourse, because now I realize that everything I do with her feels just great.EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT104104As usual, Cheryl's car is out front.OMITTED105105INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT106106Cheryl crawls into bed beside Josh. She lies there with her eyes wide open, unable to sleep, her mind full of thoughts. Although she has not yet noticed, Josh is also awake.JOSHWhat's on your mind?CHERYLOh, nothing.JOSHDon't believe you.CHERYLOkay, I've been thinking about the whole conversion thing.Final Shooting Script60.JOSHStill don't believe you.CHERYLThen, whatever it is, I guess I’m not in the mood for talking.JOSHWhat sort of mood are you in?CHERYLAnother sort of mood.They get into the business.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY107107Mark is also awake, staring at nothing, his mind full of thoughts. As a distraction, he eventually turns and looks at the picture of the Virgin Mary.MARKSo, what do you think?INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY108108The phone rings. We hear footsteps approaching. Cheryl answers it.CHERYLHullo, this is Cheryl.She smiles.CHERYL (CONT’D)Mark?INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY109109Mark is in his iron lung.MARKCan we meet somewhere for a coffee? Somewhere nice. My treat.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY110110CHERYLI don't normally meet with clients outside of working hours, you know that.Final Shooting Script61.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY111111MARKHow could you possibly describe anything to do with me as normal?INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY 112112MARK (V.O.)We don't have to talk about business.Final Shooting Script61A.Cheryl smiles.EXT. CAFE. DAY113113A WAITER approaches Cheryl and Mark with two beautifully made cups of coffee. One of them has a straw accompanying it. He sets them down. Mark looks up at the waiter.MARKCould you put my cup right on the edge of the table there, and stick the straw in my mouth, please?WAITERSure.The waiter does exactly as asked.WAITER (CONT’D)Is that okay?MARKPerfect.WAITERSir, I'd wait a couple of minutes. That coffee is pretty hot.MARKThanks.WAITERYou're welcome.The waiter leaves. Mark and Cheryl look at each other.CHERYLSo, what shall we talk about?MARKWe don't have to do much talking.Cheryl smiles at him. She is looking gorgeous today.CHERYLThen why are we here?MARKI just want to be seen with you in public. I find that as sexy as anything we've done so far.He sips on his coffee and soaks her in with his eyes.Final Shooting Script62. CHERYLI’m glad you enjoy looking, after all.MARKI want people to say “Who’s the guy with the blonde? How did he get so lucky?”CHERYLOr so rich.MARKOkay, if some old girlfriend from school you hadn’t seen for years turned up suddenly, like right now, how would you introduce me? As your boyfriend?CHERYLNo, as my husband. Why not go all the way.MARKReally?CHERYLDoes that shock you?MARKYes.CHERYLThen I guess it would shock her as well.MARKWho?CHERYLMy old school friend that’s going to come along any moment. MARKYou really can picture me as husband material?CHERYLAs long as we’re pretending, sure. MARKWould you write down your address for me, please?Final Shooting Script62A.OMITTED113A113AFinal Shooting Script62B. EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY 114114Josh walks unhurriedly to the letter box at the front gate and collects the mail. As he flips through the envelopes, he stops at one which is addressed to Cheryl, sniffs it, then opens it. It contains a sheet of paper on which is typed what seems to be a poem. He reads it with interest, which develops into mild shock.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY115115Cheryl and Josh are in the kitchen, arguing.JOSHYou said yourself, it's not supposed to get personal.CHERYLThat's another thing altogether. What I want to know is where do you get off opening my mail?JOSHIt was scented. I assumed it was just junk mail.CHERYLEven less reason to open it. Where is it? Give it to me.JOSHYou're not getting it.CHERYLThis is absolutely none of your fucking business.JOSHYou're still not getting it. I threw it out.CHERYLYou didn't.JOSHI fucking did.Tony arrives home from school. As he comes in, his parents fall silent. He realizes he has walked in on an argument. He looks at both of them.Final Shooting Script63.TONYWhat's up?A LITTLE LATER. The three of them are sitting round the dining table eating dinner in total silence. The hostility between Cheryl and Josh is palpable. When Josh finally does speak, he addresses Tony.JOSHWould you please ask your mother to pass the salt?TONYCheryl, would you please pass the salt?Cheryl glares at Tony and goes on with her meal.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT116116Cheryl is at the dining table, with her recorder and file in front of her, plus a late-night snack.CHERYLMark appears to be indulging in typical transference behaviour. This is not unusual after first successful intercourse, but I think he is especially susceptible. He cannot help seeing me as the multi-functional, all-purpose woman, mother, sister, schoolmistress, whore, lover and best friend. At the same time, his anxiety about sexual performance has diminished.INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT117117Josh crawls into bed with Cheryl. She is still awake. He snuggles up to her.JOSHI’m sorry. I really upset you before.CHERYLNo, you didn’t. I’m fine. JOSHYou sure?CHERYLYes, I promise.JOSHReally?Final Shooting Script64.CHERYLYes, I’ve come around to your point of view. You were right. You’re generally right about these things. JOSHIt was quite a nice poem. I mean, nothing astounding, but heartfelt, at least. CHERYLJosh, I need to go to sleep. Everything’s good.JOSHOkay. Good night.They kiss.Final Shooting Script64A.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT118118Cheryl rummages around in the kitchen garbage. She finds nothing. She storms off to the laundry, flings open a cupboard, pokes around and comes up with a flashlight.EXT. CHERYL'S BACK YARD. NIGHT119119Cheryl makes her way to the end of the yard. Holding the flashlight between her teeth, she rummages around in the outdoor trash bin. Finally, she finds what she is looking for. An envelope. She takes the poem out of the envelope and reads it.CHERYLLet me touch you with my words.For my hands lie limp as empty gloves.She goes over to the back steps, sits down and continues reading.She puts it back in the envelope and walks back inside the house. She is visibly affected.OMITTED120120Final Shooting Script65.OMITTED121121EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK’S PLACE. DAY122122From behind, we see Vera wheeling Mark in his gurney. ANOTHER FEMALE FIGURE creeps up beside Vera and whispers in her ear, all unbeknownst to Mark. The other female figure takes over from Vera, who trails along, a few feet behind. Mark remains unaware. He has a new and different-looking shirt, even more out there than the previous one?MARKDo you think she'll like the shirt?AMANDAI like it. Does that count?Mark can barely believe it.MARKAmanda?EXT. PARK. DAY123123They are stopped at a park bench. Vera is hovering in the background, out of earshot.MARKIt's been a while.AMANDAI know. I'm sorry. I'm going to Germany. I wanted to say goodbye to you before I left.MARKWhy are you going to Germany?AMANDATo study German.Final Shooting Script66.MARKFor how long?AMANDAOne or two years maybe. But we should keep in touch.MARKBut why go to Germany? It's the only place in the world where humor is actually forbidden.She laughs, then smiles quietly, then touches him.AMANDAYou could always make me laugh. I love you, Mark. I really do.Mark's face is a picture of anguish and confusion.MARKReally?INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY124124MARKYes, I love you, but not in that way. I love you, but I'm not in love with you. Blah, blah, blah. You know how it goes.Mark lets out a deep, meaningful sigh. For a time, he and Father Brendan maintain a respectful silence.EXT. PARK. DAY125125AMANDAI think it's great what you're doing with this surrogate lady.She leans over and kisses Mark on the lips.MARKIt could have been you.AMANDAIt could have been, but it wasn't.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY126126MARKI had this faint hope that she would show the merest hint of jealousy. It shows you how naïve I am. Final Shooting Script67.
(MORE)The fact that I was no longer a virgin, that I was a ‘made man', so to speak, made no difference to her at all.EXT. MOTEL. DAY127127Cheryl's car is in the parking lot. We see her draw the blinds.INT. MOTEL RECEPTION. DAY128128Clerk takes two beers from a mini-bar and hands one to Vera.VERAThanks.CLERKYou want to go out some time?VERANo, I don't think so.CLERKWhat, your boyfriend?VERANo.CLERKYour parents?VERANo, I'm busy, that's all. What's wrong with this, anyway? We're having a nice time, aren't we?CLERKIt's okay.VERAOr do you have things to do? I can go for a walk if you're busy and come back later.CLERKNo, no, stay. Is this going to be a regular thing?VERAWhat?CLERKThe therapy.Final Shooting Script68.MARK (CONT'D)VERAI don't know. I'm not the therapist.CLERKWhat sort of a therapist is she, really?VERAI told you the first time, she's a sex therapist.The clerk looks at her closely. She appears to have a completely straight face.VERA (CONT’D)Today they're working on simultaneous orgasm.CLERKWhat's that?INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY129129Mark and Cheryl are in bed, their faces close.MARKBoy, am I glad to see you.CHERYLDon't you say that to all the girls?MARKYes, but I always mean it.They kiss. Then Cheryl's head slides down and disappears from view.CHERYL (V.O.)Remember about the breathing. Concentrate on breathing out rather than in. Think of anything neutral. Sky, water, trees, ships, music, nothing too dramatic.Mark closes his eyes.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY130130MARKThe first time, I really didn't know what was going on. Technically it all happened, but nothing really happened in my head. Final Shooting Script69.
(MORE)This time it did, and my head has never experienced anything like it before. Of course, I ignored Cheryl's advice about having neutral thoughts.INT. SOMEWHERE. NIGHT131131Amanda is giving Mark a pole dancing demonstration, complete with disco beat and mirror-ball lighting.OMITTED132132INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY133133Mark opens his eyes and looks up at Cheryl. She seems divine. His excitement increases. We hear the change in his breathing. Also in her breathing.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY134134The expression of elation on Mark's face morphs dramatically into something else.MARKThen afterwards, there was this moment, this glimpse of an awful sadness to come.Father Brendan closes his eyes and nods knowingly.OMITTED135135OMITTED136136Final Shooting Script70-71.MARK (CONT'D)EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT137137The Volvo is parked out front. The envelope is still on the dash.Final Shooting Script72.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT138138Cheryl is dictating.CHERYLMark achieved an erection as soon as I started to suck on him. He did the controlled breathing, as I had suggested, and I was able to get on top and guide him in quite easily.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY139139We see Mark's face from Cheryl's POV. His eyes are still closed.MARKIs it in? Is it really in?CHERYLYes, it's really in.We hear Mark's thoughts.MARK (V.0.)I couldn't believe it.We hear the sound of typing.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY140140Mark is in his iron lung, typing. At the top of the page, we can see the title of the piece:“On Seeing a Sex Surrogate" Page 8.MARK (V.O.)I was finally there. Too soon, I came. But she kept holding me inside her. Then a look of pleasure brushed lightly over her face... INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY141141We see Cheryl's face from Mark's POV. It is as beatific as we have ever seen it.MARK (V.O.)... as though an all-day itch were finally being scratched. Letting me go, she put her hands down on the bed by my shoulders and kissed my chest. This act of affection moved me deeply.Final Shooting Script73.Cheryl's actions follow Mark's description.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY142142Mark is with Father Brendan.MARKI almost wept. No-one had ever kissed me there before. It was so unexpected and so natural.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY143143Cheryl's lips move away from Mark's chest. She kisses him on the lips, light and lingering. As soon as there is enough space between them, he whispers to her.MARKI love you.She whispers back.CHERYLI love you, too.MARKDid you come?CHERYLYes.INT. CHERYL'S PLACE. NIGHT144144Cheryl continues dictating.CHERYLMark is breathing well and learning to pace himself. There is no real physical impediment to a variety of sexual activities, given the right sort of partner. His deeper emotional needs are outside the scope of my potential involvement.Cheryl pauses, then goes on.CHERYL (CONT’D)As anticipated, this was the final session.Tony appears. He seems to have some understanding of what is going on. He and Cheryl hug. INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY145145They are still in the same intimate position.Final Shooting Script74.MARKWhat happens when... CHERYLWhat happens when what?MARKWhen people become attached to each other.CHERYLWhat people?MARKJust people. What's the chemistry of it all? When people are attracted to each other.CHERYLAre you attracted to me?MARKWe're just talking hypothetically.CHERYLHypothetically, they write poems, they have sex.MARKAnd what happens next?CHERYLAfter poetry and sex? Nothing or everything. The rest is by negotiation, as it were.MARKWhat do you mean?CHERYLI mean, you can just leave it at love and attraction, or you can make things complicated. As most people do.MARKHave you?CHERYLOh, yes.Final Shooting Script75.Final Shooting Script76.INT. MOTEL RECEPTION. DAY 146146The clerk looks bored. Vera looks at the time. She seems a little anxious.VERACan I use that phone to call the room?CLERKSure.Final Shooting Script77.OMITTED147147OMITTED148148INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY149149The phone rings, Cheryl picks it up.LATERCheryl, already dressed, is getting Mark dressed. She does up every button of his shirt lovingly.CHERYLWhat shall we do next time? Any requests?Mark doesn't answer.CHERYL (CONT’D)Mark?MARKI'm thinking.She finishes buttoning him up in silence. A strange feeling, a kind of chill that Cheryl senses, pervades the atmosphere.MARK (CONT’D)We have two sessions left, is that correct?CHERYLThat's right. Or...MARKOr, what?CHERYLOr, we could stop now.MARKYou mean, make this the last session?CHERYLYes.Final Shooting Script78.There is a pregnant pause.MARKWhat do you think we should do?CHERYLIt's not we, it's you, Mark. It's up to you.MARKI want to know how you feel.CHERYLThat doesn't come in to it.MARKYes, it does. I don't just write poems to anyone.CHERYLMark, what do you want me to say? How much I was touched by that? How special this has been to me? Is that going to help you? No, it's going to make things worse.MARKYou mean to say, come the sixth session that will be it?CHERYLYes, that will be it. I explained that the first time we met.Mark has a serious and painful moment.CHERYL (CONT’D)I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, it’s also hard for me to think about it. MARKThen maybe we should pull the plug now.CHERYLI think maybe we should. It's only going to get harder. I guess you might as well save the money. Maybe buy yourself a nice futon.A LITTLE LATER.Final Shooting Script79.Cheryl is getting dressed. Mark watches pensively. She pauses and looks at him. He keeps a brave face. There is a knock on the door.CHERYL (CONT’D)Just a moment.She and Mark make eye contact for the last time. They manage to smile at each other.MARK (V.O.)I desperately wanted to feel that because of Cheryl, my life had changed. But it hadn't.Apart from her usual things, she is also carrying a long mirror.CHERYLBye, MarkMARK (V.O.)Bye.As Cheryl goes out, Vera comes in.VERAEverything all right?CHERYLHe did great. See you. I'm sorry, I have to run.VERASee you.Vera walks in and closes the door behind her.EXT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY150150Cheryl goes to her car and opens the trunk. As she is putting the mirror inside, the Chinese clerk, who is showing a COUPLE to their room, gives her an odd look. Cheryl takes no notice, gets in her car and starts the engine.Just then, Vera runs up and taps on her window. The window winds down. Vera hands Cheryl an envelope with money in it. At first, Cheryl just looks at it, then realizes what it is.VERAYou forgot this.Cheryl smiles.Final Shooting Script80.CHERYLI knew there was a reason I came here today.Vera waves goodbye as she goes and Cheryl sits contemplating the envelope in her lap. Then she tosses it onto the dash and drives away.EXT. STREET OUTSIDE MARK’S PLACE. DAY151151Vera wheels Mark home. They travel in silence.INT. SIDE CHAPEL. DAY152152Father Brendan and Mark are together in the chapel.MARKI felt I'd just been through a ceremony that I didn't know the meaning of. I kept thinking, is that all there is? Just an empty hole at the end of it? A bigger hole than there was before?FATHER BRENDANI'm sorry Mark, you can’t always trust your feelings. You’ve achieved a great thing. It may take you a while to realize that. Time passes.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT153153It is a moonlit night. On the opposite wall from the Virgin Mary is a picture of Amanda and Mark. Mark lies in his iron lung staring at it.MARK (V.O.)I wrote letters to Amanda in Germany.Five, six pages longA year passed,Heard nothing.Was it my fault?Of course it was.But the guilt isn't enough to patch over the rage.I pound the insides of my mind with words, such puny fists,And nobody hears.Final Shooting Script81.The poem ends and we hear instead a RADIO BROADCAST of a Giants' game. Mark is engrossed. Suddenly the broadcast stops. The digital read-out on the clock radio, which says 12:57, disappears. A street light, visible through the window, goes out. The electric pump under Mark's iron lung whirrs to a halt. We hear the sound of air escaping, then an eerie silence. Even the cat is motionless.For a few moments, Mark seems hypnotized. Then, he twists his head and clamps onto his mouth stick. He manoeuvres it over to the speaker button on the phone and manages to press it in the semi-darkness. We hear a dial tone.INT. ROD'S BEDROOM. NIGHT154154There is an answering machine on a bedside table. ROD'S VOICEHi, this is Rod. Leave a message, or not.MARK (V.O.)Rod, it’s Mark. I need help. The power's gone out, including the pump on the iron lung. I'd say I've got about three hours before I start to turn blue. I hope you get this in time.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT155155Mark winces in frustration.MARKOkay... nine-one-one.He swings the mouth stick over to the 9 button. As he presses it, he loses his grip and the mouth stick falls to the floor.MARK (CONT’D)Shit!At first, he seems panicky, but after a few moments he begins to control his breathing and gradually psyches himself into a strange calm.MARK (CONT’D)So this is how it ends.Time passes. We see Mark from a high angle. More time passes. We see Mark's face as he slips into unconsciousness.Final Shooting Script82.INT. MIKVAH (JEWISH RITUAL BATH-HOUSE). DAY156156Cheryl enters the room wrapped in a white, terry cloth robe. The room is dominated by a small, beautifully tiled immersion pool with a hand rail and steps. The MIKVAH LADY gets up from her chair and approaches her.MIKVAH LADYIs this your first time?CHERYLYes, it is. I'm converting.She takes off her robe and hands it to the Mikvah Lady, who does not fail to notice Cheryl's body.MIKVAH LADYSo, what do you do?Cheryl closes her eyes and thinks for a moment.CHERYLI don't think you'd understand.MIKVAH LADYYou can try me.CHERYLOkay. I'm a housewife.MIKVAH LADYWhy shouldn't I understand?CHERYLI guess I was mistaken.Cheryl steps towards the pool.MIKVAH LADYI see you're very comfortable with being naked.She takes hold of the rail and puts her foot in the water.CHERYLThat has never been one of my problems.MIKVAH LADYSometimes new brides come with their mothers. Do I have to take this off? Can I please leave this on? They've never been naked before. No honey, it all has to come off.Final Shooting Script83.CHERYLAnd it does?Cheryl takes another step into the water.MIKVAH LADYAnd it does. They stand on the edge of that pool without anything to cling to but themselves. Nothing to hide behind. This is your body. This is the body that God crafted for you.Cheryl immerses herself up to her chest.MIKVAH LADY (CONT’D)Immerse completely. Go completely under the water, without touching the walls or anything.She immerses completely. We see her under the water. She hears a voice in the distance, her own voice. At the same time, there is a look of elation in her eyes.CHERYL (V.O.)Okay Mark, you can open your eyes now.INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY157157Mark is on the bed alone. He opens his eyes.CHERYL (V.O.)This is your body.A few feet in front of Mark, Cheryl is holding a full-length mirror. The angle is such that he can see all of himself. He is mesmerized by his own image. Flashes of light from the mirror flicker over his face.MARK (V.O.)So this is the body that someone was able to love. Not quite as bad as I thought.INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR. DAY158158Overhead fluorescent lights flash by, as we observe the ceiling from Mark's point of view. We also hear the sound of rapidly rolling rubber wheels, and a voice.VOICEMark, can you hear me? Open your eyes.Final Shooting Script84.INT. HOSPITAL. DAY159159Mark is in a regular hospital bed, with a temporary plastic cocoon over him in place of his iron lung. There is a volunteer called SUSAN in the room with him.SUSANThey'll be letting you go today. Whoever looks after you will leave the portable respirator switched on at night, fully charged, so you'll have at least one back-up system.MARKHow close was I?SUSANTo what?MARKYou know, to that tunnel thing and the light, and the voice saying don't go near the light.SUSANIs that what you remember?MARKNo. I assume I passed out. Before that, I remember feeling sorry for myself.SUSANDo you feel relieved now?MARKNo. I mean, I'm relieved that Rod got to me in time, but I still feel sorry for myself.SUSANI'm sure there's a cure for that. Would you like to talk to someone?MARKI feel comfortable talking to you.SUSANI'm only a volunteer, not a therapist. I can refer you to someone if you like.Mark breaks into a broad smile, then a chuckle.Final Shooting Script85.MARKI'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude. I'm just smiling at the idea that a therapist could do anything useful for me right now. My priest couldn't.SUSANAre you religious?MARKYes. I would find it absolutely intolerable not to be able to blame someone for all this. Are you?SUSANNo, I don't go to any church and I don't think about God very much. But I believe there's a mysterious logic, or poetry to life. I guess that makes me a spiritual type.MARKYes, that would count.SUSANWould you like me to visit you?MARKAre you married?SUSANNo.MARKDo you have a steady boyfriend?SUSANNo.MARKThen please visit as often as you can.EXT. HOSPITAL. DAY160160She smiles. Mark is loaded into an ambulance.SUSANBye. Take care.MARKThere's just one more thing I want to tell you.Final Shooting Script86.She gets into the ambulance and squats down next to him.MARK (CONT’D)I'm not a virgin.She looks genuinely pleased to hear it.SUSANSo, are you in a relationship at the moment?MARKNo, it was a passing thing.The driver is ready to shut the doors.SUSANThanks for sharing that with me.She gets out of the ambulance and waves.INT. AMBULANCE. DAY161161Mark is accompanied by an AMBULANCE OFFICER. We see clear blue sky through the back windows. The sun shines in and warms Mark's face. He closes his eyes in contentment.AMBULANCE OFFICERNice day, isn't it?MARKThe best.AMBULANCE OFFICERGood to be alive, huh?EXT. HOSPITAL. DAY162162We see the disappearing figure of Susan from the point of view of the departing ambulance.MARK (V.O.)I met Susan five years before I died. She was the love of my life. We had the same priorities, baseball pretty much came first, and we wrote each other mushy poems. I never expected it, nor did she, but that's often the way things turn out.INT. MARK'S PLACE. DAY163163Rod shows Father Brendan into Mark’s room.Final Shooting Script87.Father Brendan sits in a chair next to Mark's iron lung.FATHER BRENDANThat was quite something. What do you propose to do for an encore?MARKYep, I almost found out the big secret. But here I am, back with the living. If there is another place, then I think they took one look at me and decided to throw me back.FATHER BRENDANAnd welcome back.MARKAnd thank you for coming to visit.FATHER BRENDANI know it’s been awhile since we talked about this... About Cheryl. At the time, you seemed to feel so badly about her... or about it?MARKI no longer feel like that.Father Brendan is rather taken by surprise.FATHER BRENDANOh? That's good to hear. In the end, you’re glad that you did it?MARKYes, I am. In fact, at this point in time, I feel very blessed.FATHER BRENDANBlessed?MARKYes, blessed. They put me on this new anti-depressant and now I can really see life from the cup half full rather than cup half empty point of view.Father Brendan looks truly amazed.Final Shooting Script88.MARK (CONT’D)It takes about six weeks to kick in, but when it does, you can really tell the difference.FATHER BRENDANHey, that's great.Mark grins.MARKI'm pulling your leg, Father. I'm not on drugs. I have a girlfriend.FATHER BRENDANYou're kidding me. A real girlfriend?MARKA very real girlfriend. She adores me. She'll do anything for me. And I can get pretty kinky sometimes, believe you me. Her name is Susan.FATHER BRENDANI'm flabbergasted. Is she pretty?MARKShe sure is.FATHER BRENDANHas she got a sister?MARKAs a matter of fact...FATHER BRENDANI’m kidding.MARKNo, you’re not. Anyway, we’re starting a publishing company together.Father Brendan smiles and shakes his head.FATHER BRENDANHere I was, all prepared to offer comfort to the forlorn - that's supposed to be my specialty - and now I can just throw away that little speech.MARKNo, no. Please make the little speech. I'd love to hear it.Final Shooting Script89.FATHER BRENDANOkay, but I'll try and keep it short.MARKDon't make it too short.FATHER BRENDANOkay, fine. Here goes. The meaning of love. Love is a journey.Final Shooting Script89A.MARKI already like it.There is a pause.FATHER BRENDANThat’s it. That’s all of I’ve got. I told you it’s short. Love is a journey.Mark laughs.OMITTED163A163AEXT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT164164Father Brendan lets himself out and walks back the way he came. There is definitely a smile on his face.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT165165Mark also has a smile on his face as he lies awake.MARK (V.O.)Actually, I was on drugs, I was taking anti-depressants and they were helping a bit. At least I was able to see the cup-of-life metaphor as a useful tool. Of course, the two halves were never even. Not in my case, that's for sure. Look at all the years of unendurable crap I've had to put up with. That fills most of the cup. But in the little bit that's left, what do I have to show for myself? Journalism? Poetry? At the very least, three beautiful women who all loved me and will all show up at my funeral.EXT. CHERYL'S PLACE. DAY166166Josh saunters out to the mail box. He retrieves the mail, sifts through it and pauses over a letter. He is tempted to open it, but thinks better of it.EXT. CHERYL'S BACKYARD. DAY167167Cheryl is planting stuff in the back yard. Josh approaches her with the letter.JOSHIt's from a Susan Fernbach.Final Shooting Script90.She takes it and opens it uncertainly, somehow anticipating its contents.EXT. CHURCH. DAY168168A full-blown Catholic funeral is happening. Meaningful hugs are exchanged. Eyes are dabbed. We hear Mark’s voice.MARK (V.O.)Three Reasons to Live The mundane:O God, it was boring, but I did itgot it out of the way The transcendent:We had this agreement --God gave me life for a whileI gave Him gratitude for a whileand it worked out OK The curious:You know how every day is different?I just wanted to seewhat would happen nextINT. CHURCH. DAY169169Father Brendan delivers a eulogy. We see members of Mark's FAMILY, all teary-eyed.FATHER BRENDAN (TO MARK)Mark, I know you're watching. I’m sorry, my friend, but we have to do this. Just bear with me, and I think you might like it.FATHER BRENDAN (TO THE CONGREGATION) (CONT’D) I've been branching out lately, reading Native American stories about the character of the trickster. Sometimes he shows up as a coyote, sometimes as a raven, but he always does the unexpected. The trickster breaks the rules. Mark O'Brien, whose life we're celebrating today, was very much the trickster -- anyone who knew him knew that. Final Shooting Script90A.
(MORE)Besides his irreverent humor and alarming honesty, he always did the unexpected. In nearly every aspect of his life, Mark did the unexpected. His was a dynamic voice in a paralyzed body, a full life lived long after he should have been dead. He graduated from college, wrote and published articles and poems, and -- against all odds, by his own admission -- entered into the fully human experience of physical love. In this way, Mark lived from day to day to day, from breath to breath to breath, for 49 years. He loved, and he was loved and in his quiet voice, he spoke loud truths. Final Shooting Script90B.FATHER BRENDAN (TO THE CONGREGATION) We see Rod, Vera and Laura the therapist in various rows. Also Amanda, holding a toddler in her arms and sitting next to a tall, boring-looking HUSBAND.FATHER BRENDAN (V.O.) (CONT’D)Susan Fernbach will now read one of Mark's favorite poems.SUSAN (V.O.)This is called Love Poem for No One in Particular.We see SUSAN at the lectern, reading from a book.SUSANLet me touch you with my words.For my hands lie limp as empty gloves. Let my words stroke your hair, Slide down your back and tickle your belly. For my hands, light and free-flying as bricks, Ignore my wishes and stubbornly refuse to carry out my quietest desires.We see Cheryl, as deeply touched by the words as she was the first time.SUSAN (V.O.) (CONT’D)Let my words enter your mind, bearing torches. Admit them willingly into your being So they may caress you gently within.INT. MARK'S PLACE. NIGHT170170In the middle of the room, moonlit, is Mark's iron lung, empty and majestic, with the cat sitting on top. As we move around the eerie capsule, we hear the sound of the French Can-Can slowly fade up. It continues over END CREDITS.Final Shooting Script91. | screenplays |
Quantum mechanics: "Representation" vs. "basis"
I am confused about the difference between the terms "representation" and "basis" of a state or operator.
For example,
Let us have eigen-kets of Hamiltonian $H$ denoted by $|\phi\_n\rangle $. These eigen-kets make a complete set of basis, $\sum\_n |\phi\_n\rangle\langle \phi\_n|=1$. Using this identity, we can write any state of system $|\psi\rangle $ as
$$
|\psi\rangle = \sum\_n (\langle \phi\_n|\psi\rangle )|\phi\_n\rangle \tag{1}
$$
Similarly, we have eigen-kets of position operator $r$ denoted by $|r\rangle$. They also form a complete set of basis, $\int dr |r\rangle\langle r|=1$. Next, we can write the above equation $(1)$ in terms of wavefunction by applying $\langle r|$ and using completeness identity $\int dr |r\rangle\langle r|=1$
$$
\langle \mathbf{r}|\psi\rangle = \sum\_n \left(\int d\mathbf{r}'\langle \phi\_n|\mathbf{r}'\rangle \langle \mathbf{r}'|\psi\rangle \right)\langle \mathbf{r}|\phi\_n\rangle
$$
$$
\psi(\mathbf{r}) = \sum\_n \left(\int d\mathbf{r}' \phi\_n^\*(\mathbf{r}') \psi(\mathbf{r}') \right) \phi\_n(\mathbf{r})\tag{2}
$$
Questions:
1. In equation $(1)$, by writing the state-ket $|\psi\rangle$ in terms of eigen-kets of $H$, do we say that we have written state-ket $|\psi\rangle$ in eigen-kets representation or eigen-kets basis?
2. In equation $(2)$, we have used eigen-kets of both position and Hamiltonian operator. So, do we have state-function written in position representation/basis or Hamiltonian eigenfunctions representation/basis?
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> 1. In equation $(1)$, by writing the state-ket $|\psi\rangle$ in terms of eigen-kets of $H$, do we say that we have written state-ket $|\psi\rangle$ in eigen-kets representation or eigen-kets basis?
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In this context the word "representation" is used synonymously with "basis". However, in my experience it is more common to use the word "basis" for finite or countable dimensional vectors (i.e. the "spin z basis" in the context of spin), whereas in the infinite, uncountable dimensional case both are common (e.g. "momentum basis" or "momentum representation").
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> 2. In equation $(2)$, we have used eigen-kets of both position and Hamiltonian operator. So, do we have state-function written in position representation/basis or Hamiltonian eigenfunctions representation/basis?
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The fact that your wave function is in the end a function of $\vec{r}$ (namely $\psi(\vec{r})$) means it is in the position basis. In order to get one of the "components" of $\psi$, we need to plug in a position and that's it. The fact that in this case you have expanded the position-space wave function in terms of energy eigenstates is here just a confusing factor.
**However**, there are times when it is not only possible, but necessary, to write $\psi$ in terms of a simultaneous basis of at least two operators at once. Why? Sometimes, specifying just one eigenvalue (e.g. $x$ in your case) is sufficient to get the wave function of the system. But take for example three dimensions - then we need three coordinates, $x, y, z$ to specify which component of $\psi$ we want. $\psi$ is then simultaneously diagonalized in all three coordinates. Each coordinate is its own operator. Not only that, but if we want to model a particle with spin, we would need to specify the component of spin (for example, z-spin $S\_z$ in the up direction) to get a specific complex number from $\psi$. This topic is called "simultaneous diagonalization" and it can only be done among operators that all commute:
$$0 = [x,y] = [x,z] = [y,z] = [x,S\_z] = [y, S\_z] = [z, S\_z]$$
What this means is that there exist solutions $\psi$ to the eigenvalue problem for which the same $\psi$ is an eigenvector to *all* of these operators at once.
Simultaneous diagonalization is a fundamental topic in Quantum Mechanics which you will surely come across if not already.
The term representation is in my experience often used when working with the expansion coefficients, and not with the full state composed of coefficients times basis, i.e working with $\psi(r)$ vs $\int dr |r\rangle \langle r|\psi\rangle$. As long as your equations contain explicit mention of the basis, I would say you work within a basis. If your equations only contain the coefficients with respect to that basis, I would say you work in the representation with respect to that basis.
(2) is not the same as (1), since $|\psi\rangle = \int dr |r\rangle \langle r|\psi\rangle = \int dr \ \psi(r)|r\rangle$. As such I would call $\psi(r)$ the position representation and you are working in a position representation in (2). You would work in the eigenstate representation if you worked with a set of discrete vectors with the expansion coefficients $c\_n = \langle \phi\_n |\psi\rangle $ as elements. In my experience people call that the eigenstate representation.
1. To my understanding, to be precise one would say you have written $| \Psi \rangle$ with respect to the eigenfunctions of the hamiltonian. In particular, this allows you to represent $|\Psi \rangle$ as a column vector (similar to how in Linear Algebra a matrix is said to *represent* a linear transformation). I think "represent" is used because kets, linear transformations, etc. exist as abstract mathematical objects WITHOUT mention of any basis. But, you can REPRESENT these objects with respect to some basis.
2. To my understanding, you have now written $|\Psi\rangle$ with respect to the position basis. It may be helpful to think about how to transform from position space to momentum space, you use the Fourier transform. There is a reason that it is the Fourier transform!
*Basis* is a collection of linearly independent vectors that span a vector space $V$; so the term cannot refer to the state $\left|\psi\right>$, which is a vector in $H$.
You can *expand* any vector in $v\in V$ w.r.t. some basis $(v\_a)\_{a\in I}$ *for* $V$, as in (1): the vector $\left|\psi\right>\in H$ is expanded w.r.t. $(\left|\phi\_n\right>)\_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$, which is a basis for $H$.
The collection of the coefficients $c\_a=\left<v\_a,v\right>$ that determine this expansion is a *representation* of $v$. If $I$ is finite, then $(c\_a)\_{a\in I}$ is a vector in $\mathbb{C}^{|I|}$, if it is infinite but countable, then $(c\_a)\_{a\in I}$ is a vector in $\ell^2$, and if $I$ is uncountable, then $(c\_a)\_{a\in I}$ is a vector in $L^2$.
So, in (1), the sequence $(\left<\phi\_n|\psi\right>)\_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ is the "Hamiltonian representation" of $\left|\psi\right>\in H$, which is a vector in $\ell^2$. In (2) you have both a representation and an expansion:
* the collection $(\psi(r))\_{r\in\mathbb{R}}$, conventionally expressed as a map $r\mapsto\psi(r)$, is the "position representation" of $\left|\psi\right>\in H$, which is a vector in $L^2$.
* similarly, for any $n\in\mathbb{N}$, the map $r\mapsto\phi\_n(r)$ is the "position representation" of $\left|\phi\_n\right>\in H$, which is also in $L^2$.
* the collection of those maps, that is $(\phi\_n)\_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$, is a basis for $L^2$.
* in the expansion (2), the sequence $\left(\int dr\phi\_n^\*(r)\psi(r)\right)\_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ is the "Hamiltonian representation" of $\psi\in L^2$, which is a sequence in $\ell^2$ and identical to $(\left<\phi\_n|\psi\right>)\_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ (which was the "Hamiltonian representation" of $\left|\psi\right>\in H$).
You can do the same for any (hermitian) operator $A\colon H\to H$, starting with the collection $(A\_u)\_{u\in I^2}$, with $A\_{(a,b)}=\left<\phi\_a|A|\phi\_b\right>$ for any $(a,b)\in I^2$. For finite $I$, the collection $(A\_u)\_{u\in I^2}$ is a matrix in $\mathbb{C}^{|I|\times |I|}$, and so on.
And some food for thought: in what kind of space belong the position and momentum eigenstates?
| stackexchange/physics |
many recent theoretical studies @xcite of relativistic matter under extreme conditions , e.g. , those realized inside compact stars and/or in heavy ion collisions , revealed that matter in a strong magnetic field may hold some new surprises .
( for lattice studies of relativistic models in strong magnetic fields , see refs . @xcite . ) here we discuss one of them , which was triggered by a finding that a topological contribution to the axial current is already induced at the lowest landau level ( lll ) in the free theory in a magnetic field @xcite .
this led us to propose that in the realistic case , with interactions , the ground state of such a matter is characterized by a chiral shift parameter @xmath0 @xcite , which enters the effective lagrangian density through the @xmath1 term and is generated at all landau levels .
the value of @xmath0 determines a relative shift of the longitudinal momenta in the dispersion relations of opposite chirality fermions , @xmath2 , where @xmath3 is the momentum along the magnetic field .
this conclusion is approximately valid even in the case of massive particles , if the ( ultra-)relativistic regime is realized .
this is achieved , for example , in matter at a sufficiently high density ( i.e. , @xmath4 , where @xmath5 is the chemical potential and @xmath6 is the mass of fermions ) , or a sufficiently high temperature ( @xmath7 ) @xcite .
the chiral shift parameter is even under the parity transformation @xmath8 and the charge conjugation @xmath9 , but breaks the time reversal @xmath10 and the rotational symmetry @xmath11 down to @xmath12 .
since the global symmetries of dense relativistic matter in an external magnetic field are exactly the same , the generation of the chiral shift parameter is expected even in perturbation theory @xcite .
* model . * here we briefly review the dynamics responsible for the generation of the chiral shift parameter . while we use a simple nambu - jona - lasinio model ( njl ) , we also envision the generalization of the main results to gauge theories . keeping this in mind
, we will utilize a gauge - invariant regularization scheme in the analysis below .
the lagrangian density of the model reads @xmath13 , \label{njlmodel}\ ] ] where @xmath14 is the bare fermion mass , @xmath15 is the chemical potential , and @xmath16 is a dimensional coupling constant . by definition , @xmath17 .
the covariant derivative @xmath18 includes the external gauge field @xmath19 .
the structure of the ( inverse ) fermion propagator is given by the following ansatz : @xmath20\delta^{4}(u- u^\prime ) , \label{ginverse}\ ] ] where @xmath21 and the canonical momenta are @xmath22 ( with @xmath23 ) and @xmath24 .
while the spatial components of the gradient @xmath25 are given by covariant components @xmath26 , the spatial components of the vector potential @xmath27 are identified with the contravariant components @xmath28 .
we choose the vector potential in the landau gauge , @xmath29 , where @xmath30 is the strength of the magnetic field pointing in the @xmath31-direction . in eq .
( [ ginverse ] ) , in addition to the usual tree level terms , two new dynamical parameters ( @xmath32 and @xmath0 ) are included . from the dirac structure
, it should be clear that @xmath32 plays the role of an anomalous magnetic moment and @xmath0 is the chiral shift parameter . in the mean - field approximation , there are no solutions with a nontrivial @xmath32 @xcite .
so , we take @xmath33 below .
note that in @xmath34 dimensions ( without @xmath31 coordinate ) , @xmath35 would be a mass term that is odd under time reversal .
this mass is responsible for inducing the chern - simons term in the effective action for gauge fields @xcite , and it plays an important role in the quantum hall effect in graphene @xcite . *
gap equation .
* in the mean - field approximation , the gap equation is equivalent to the following set of three equations @xcite : @xmath36 which are solved to determine the three dynamical parameters @xmath5 , @xmath6 , and @xmath0 . here
we will not discuss the vacuum solution , realized at small values of the chemical potential ( @xmath37 ) as the result of the magnetic catalysis @xcite , but concentrate exclusively on the normal ground state with @xmath38 , which occurs at nonzero fermion density .
let us start by analyzing the equation for @xmath0 in perturbation theory .
in the zero order approximation , @xmath39 and @xmath40 , while the fermion number density @xmath41 and the axial current density @xmath42 are nonzero . in particular , as discussed in ref .
@xcite , @xmath43 .
( our convention is such that the electric charge of the electron is @xmath44 where @xmath45 . ) to the leading order in the coupling constant , one finds from eq .
( [ gap - delta - text ] ) that @xmath46 and @xmath47 .
the latter implies that @xmath5 and @xmath15 are nonequal ( in the model at hand , this is a consequence of the hartree contribution to the gap equation ) .
more importantly , we find that a nonzero @xmath0 is induced .
the same conclusion is also reached in a more careful analysis of the gap equations , utilizing a proper - time regularization @xcite .
this finding has interesting implications for theory and applications . * axial current density . * as pointed out in refs .
@xcite , the structure of the topological axial current , induced at the lll , is intimately connected with the axial anomaly @xcite .
then , the important question is whether the form of the induced axial current @xmath48 coincides with the result in the theory of noninteracting fermions @xcite , or whether it is affected by interactions .
we find that the dynamical generation of the chiral shift parameter @xmath0 does modify the ground state expectation value of the axial current density @xcite .
the corresponding correction to the current density was calculated using several different regularization schemes ( including the gauge invariant proper - time and point - splitting ones @xcite ) .
it reads @xmath49 , where @xmath50 is a cut - off parameter and @xmath51 is a dimensionless constant of order @xmath52 .
formally , this contribution to the the axial current appears to be quadratically divergent when @xmath53 .
however , it is finite because the solution for @xmath0 itself is inversely proportional to @xmath54 . after taking this into account
, one finds that the axial current density is finite in the continuum limit .
the same is expected in renormalizable gauge theories , in which @xmath0 will be a running parameter that falls off quickly enough in ultraviolet to render a finite ( or , perhaps , even vanishing ) correction to the axial current
. * axial anomaly relation . * the above result for the axial current density , which gets a correction due to the chiral shift parameter , brings up the question whether the conventional axial anomaly relation @xcite is affected in any way .
this issue was studied in ref .
@xcite , using a gauge invariant point - splitting regularization scheme , and it was found that the chiral shift parameter does not modify the axial anomaly .
this is in agreement with the findings of refs .
* fermi surface . *
the immediate implication of a nonzero chiral shift parameter in dense magnetized matter is the modification of the quasiparticle dispersion relations .
these relations can be used to determine the fermi surface in the space of the longitudinal momentum @xmath55 and the landau index @xmath56 . in relativistic dense matter ( @xmath4 ) ,
the corresponding states at the fermi surface can be approximately characterized by their chiralities . taking this into account , it is possible to define quasiparticles at the fermi surface , which are predominantly left - handed or right - handed . without loss of generality ,
let us assume that @xmath57 .
then , the fermi surface for the _ predominantly left - handed _ particles is given by @xmath58 and the fermi surface for the _ predominantly right - handed _
particles is @xmath59 in the massless case , of course , this correspondence becomes exact .
then , we find that the fermi surface for fermions of a given chirality is asymmetric in the direction of the magnetic field . in the left panel in fig .
[ figscombined ] , we show a schematic distribution of negatively charged fermions and take into account that the parameter @xmath60 has the same sign as the chemical potential .
( a similar distribution is also valid for positively charged fermions , but the left - handed and right - handed fermions will interchange their roles . ) for the fermions of a given chirality , the lll and the higher landau levels give opposite contributions to the overall asymmetry of the fermi surface .
for example , the left - handed electrons in the lll occupy only the states with _ positive _ longitudinal momenta ( pointing in the magnetic field direction ) .
the spins of the corresponding lll electrons point against the magnetic field direction . in the higher landau levels , while the left - handed electrons can have both positive and negative longitudinal momenta ( as well as both spin projections ) , there are more states with _ negative _ momenta occupied , see fig .
[ figscombined ] .
if there are many landau levels occupied , which is the case when @xmath61 , the relative contribution of the lll to the whole fermi surface is small , and the overall asymmetry is dominated by higher landau levels . in the opposite regime of super - strong magnetic field ( if it can be realized in compact stars at all ) , only the lll is occupied and , therefore , the overall asymmetry of the fermi surface will be reversed . in the intermediate regime of a few landau levels occupied , one should expect a crossover from one regime to the other , where the asymmetry goes through zero . * compact stars . *
the asymmetry with respect to longitudinal momentum @xmath3 of the opposite chirality fermions in the ground state of dense magnetized matter , discussed above , may have important physical consequences .
for example , the fact that only the left - handed fermions participate in the weak interactions means that the neutrinos will scatter asymmetrically off the matter , in which the chiral shift parameter is nonvanishing . by making use of this observation , a qualitatively new mechanism for the pulsar kicks @xcite
was proposed in ref .
it can be realized in almost any type of relativistic matter inside a protoneutron star ( e.g. , the electron plasma of the nuclear / hadronic matter , or the quark and electron plasma in the deconfined quark matter ) , in which a nonzero chiral shift parameter @xmath0 develops .
when trapped neutrinos gradually diffuse through the bulk of a protoneutron star , they can _ build up _ an asymmetric momentum distribution as a result of their multiple elastic scattering on the _ nonisotropic _ state of left - handed fermions ( electrons or quarks ) .
this is in contrast to the common dynamics of diffusion through an _
_ hot matter , which leads to a very efficient thermal isotropization and , therefore , a wash out of any original nonisotropic distribution of neutrinos @xcite .
it appears also very helpful for the new pulsar kick mechanism that the chiral shift parameter is not much affected even by moderately high temperatures , @xmath62 , present during the earliest stages of protoneutron stars @xcite .
indeed , as our findings show , the value of @xmath0 is primarily determined by the chemical potential and has a weak / nonessential temperature dependence when @xmath63 . in the stellar context
, this ensures the feasibility of the proposed mechanism even at the earliest stages of the protoneutron stars , when there is sufficient amount of thermal energy to power the strongest ( with @xmath64 ) pulsar kicks observed @xcite .
alternatively , the constraints of the energy conservation would make it hard , if not impossible , to explain any sizable pulsar kicks if the interior matter is cold ( @xmath65 ) .
let us also mention that the robustness of the chiral shift in hot magnetized matter may be useful to provide an additional neutrino push to facilitate successful supernova explosions as suggested in ref .
the specific details of such a scenario are yet to be worked out .
* heavy ion collisions . *
it is natural to ask whether the chiral shift parameter can have any interesting implications in the regime of relativistic heavy ion collisions , where sufficiently strong magnetic fields may exist @xcite .
the examples of the recently suggested phenomena , that appear to be closely related to the generation of the chiral shift , are the chiral magnetic effect @xcite , the chiral magnetic spiral @xcite , and the chiral magnetic wave @xcite . as was recently revealed in ref .
@xcite , at high temperatures , i.e. , in the regime relevant for relativistic heavy ion collisions , the chiral shift parameter is not suppressed and generated for any nonzero chemical potential . however , its role is not as obvious as in the case of stellar matter . at high temperatures , the fermi surface and
the low - energy excitations in its vicinity are not very useful concepts any more .
instead , it is the axial current itself that is of interest .
the chiral shift should induce a correction to the topological axial current , see the middle panel in fig .
[ figscombined ] .
however , unlike the topological term , which is also proportional to the chemical potential , the dynamical one contains an extra factor of the coupling constant .
therefore , only at relatively strong coupling , which can be provided by qcd interactions , the effect of the chiral shift parameter on the axial current can be substantial .
following the ideas similar to those that were used in the chiral magnetic effect @xcite , we have recently suggested @xcite that the axial current by itself can play an important role in hot matter produced by heavy ion collisions and lead to a modified version of the chiral magnetic effect , which does not rely on the initial topological charge fluctuations @xcite .
an initial axial current generates an excess of opposite chiral charges around the polar regions of the fireball .
then , these chiral charges trigger two usual " chiral magnetic effects with opposite directions of the vector currents at the opposite poles ( see the right panel in fig .
[ figscombined ] ) .
the inward flows of these electric currents will diffuse inside the fireball , while the outward flows will lead to a distinct observational signal : an excess of same sign charges going back - to - back .
a numerical estimate of the modified chiral magnetic effect has been recently done in ref .
@xcite . concerning the regime of hot relativistic matter ,
let us also mention that it will be of interest to extend our analysis of magnetized relativistic matter to address the properties of collective modes , similar to those presented in ref .
@xcite , by studying various current - current correlators .
the present analysis was performed in the framework of the njl model .
it would be important to extend it to realistic field theories , qed and qcd . in connection with that
, we would like to note the following .
the expression for the chiral shift parameter , @xmath66 , obtained in the njl model implies that both fermion density and magnetic field are necessary for the generation of @xmath0 .
this feature should also be valid in renormalizable theories .
as for the cutoff @xmath50 , it enters the results only because of the nonrenormalizability of the njl model .
similar studies of chiral symmetry breaking in the vacuum ( @xmath67 ) qed and qcd in a magnetic field show that the cutoff scale @xmath50 is replaced by @xmath68 there @xcite .
therefore , one might expect that in qed and qcd with both @xmath5 and @xmath30 being nonzero , @xmath50 will be replaced by a physical parameter , such as @xmath68 .
this in turn suggests that a constant chiral shift parameter @xmath0 will become a running quantity that depends on the longitudinal momentum @xmath55 and the landau level index @xmath56 .
another important feature that one could expect in qcd in a magnetic field is a topological contribution in the baryon charge @xcite connected with collective massless fermion excitations in the phase with spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking .
this feature could dramatically change the properties of that phase @xcite .
it is clear that dynamics in dense relativistic matter in a magnetic field is rich and sophisticated . in particular
, one could expect surprises in studies of the phase diagram of qcd in a magnetic field @xcite .
v.a.m . is grateful to the organizers of the international school of nuclear physics , 33rd course , erice - sicily , in particular , prof .
armand faessler and prof .
jochen wambach , for their warm hospitality .
the work of e.v.g . was supported partially by the scopes under grant no .
iz73z0 - 128026 of the swiss nsf , under grant no .
simtech 246937 of the european fp7 program , the joint grant rffr - dffd no .
f28.2/083 of the russian foundation for fundamental research and of the ukrainian state foundation for fundamental research ( dffd ) .
the work of v.a.m . was supported by the natural sciences and engineering research council of canada .
the work of i.a.s . is supported by the u.s .
national science foundation under grant no .
phy-0969844 .
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a. rebhan , a. schmitt and s. a. stricker , ; f. preis , a. rebhan and a. schmitt , .
d. ebert , k. g. klimenko , m. a. vdovichenko , and a. s. vshivtsev , ; e. j. ferrer , v. de la incera , and c. manuel , ; e. j. ferrer and v. de la incera , ; k. fukushima and h. j. warringa , ; j. l. noronha and i. a. shovkovy , .
d. t. son and m. a. stephanov , .
g. basar , g. v. dunne and d. e. kharzeev , .
k. y. kim , b. sahoo and h. u. yee , .
i. e. frolov , v. c. zhukovsky and k. g. klimenko , .
a. a. osipov , b. hiller , a. h. blin , j. da providncia , .
r. gatto and m. ruggieri , .
a. j. mizher , m. n. chernodub and e. s. fraga , .
s. fayazbakhsh and n. sadooghi , .
p. v. buividovich , m. n. chernodub , e. v. luschevskaya and m. i. polikarpov , ; ; p. v. buividovich , m. n. chernodub , d. e. kharzeev , t. kalaydzhyan , e. v. luschevskaya , m. i. polikarpov , .
m. delia , s. mukherjee and f. sanfilippo , ; m. delia and f. negro , ; f. bruckmann and g. endrodi , . g. s. bali , f. bruckmann , g. endrodi , z. fodor , s. d. katz , s. krieg , a. schafer and k. k. szabo , arxiv:1111.4956 [ hep - lat ] .
e. v. gorbar , v. a. miransky , i. a. shovkovy , .
a. j. niemi and g. w. semenoff , ; a. n. redlich , ; .
e. v. gorbar , v. p. gusynin , v. a. miransky , and i. a. shovkovy , ; e. v. gorbar , v.p .
gusynin , and v. a. miransky , .
e. v. gorbar , v. a. miransky , and i. a. shovkovy , .
v. p. gusynin , v. a. miransky , and i. a. shovkovy , ; . s. l. adler , ; j. s. bell and r. jackiw , .
v. a. rubakov , arxiv:1005.1888 [ hep - ph ] ; d. k. hong , .
a. g. lyne and d. r. lorimer , ; j. m. cordes and d. f. chernoff , ; b. m. s. hansen and e. s. phinney , ; c. fryer , a. burrows , and w. benz , ; z. arzoumanian , d. f. chernoffs , and j. m. cordes , .
a. kusenko , g. segre , and a. vilenkin , .
i. sagert and j. schaffner - bielich , ; .
d. page and s. reddy , . c. l. fryer and a. kusenko ,
. v. skokov , a. illarionov and v. toneev , .
d. e. kharzeev and h. u. yee , .
k. fukushima and m. ruggieri , .
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v. p. gusynin , v. a. miransky and i. a. shovkovy , ; ; v. a. miransky and i. a. shovkovy , . | arxiv |
Topical hand sanitizer production question from tutor; Concentration and dilution of chemicals of known concentrations [closed]
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The question is as follows:
You are in charge of making hand sanitiser based on the WHO Guide to handrub formulations,
FORMULATION 1
Final concentrations:
• Ethanol 80% (v/v),
• Glycerol 1.45% (v/v),
• Hydrogen peroxide 0.125% (v/v)
You are given;
Ethanol @94.45% ABV
H2O2 @6% concentration
Glycerin @100% concentration
Water
Using 10,000L of ethanol @94.45%, what volume of (a)glycerin and (b)H2O2 are needed to achieve the final concentration in FORMULA 1? What would the volume of H2O2 be if given a 3% concentration solution?
(c)What volume of water is needed to be added?
The following is my attempt;
Batch production
For 100ml
100\*80 = 8000 / 94.45 = 84.7008999ml
For 1L Batch
847.008999ml = 0.847008999L
Have 10,000L @94.45% ABV
10000L / 0.847008999L = 11806.25L Total hand san made at 80% v/v ethanol
If 10000L ethanol @ 94.45% then
1806.25L used for dilution between H2O2, glycerine, and water
(a) glycerine @100% conc 1.45% v/v
Glycerine
11806.25L / 100 = 118.0625 X 1.45 = 171.19L
(b) H2O2 @3%
11806.25L / 100 = 118.0625 X 0.125 = 14.78L
14.78L / 3 = 4.919 X 100 = 491.93L
If have 6% conc H2O2
14.78 / 6 = 2.459 X 100 = 245.96L
(c)
1806.25 – 171.19 – 491.93 = 1143.13L water
Am a bit unsure if correct, especially with part (b) H2O2, Thanks in advance!
Yes, I agree in the technical proportions, and here is [another web reference](https://www.usp.org/sites/default/files/usp/document/about/public-policy/usp-covid19-handrub.pdf) with a topical solution prep starting with 96% Ethanol (which may be of interest to you and others).
As a side comment, however, there is only economic loss involved by substituting a higher % H2O2 (if you are interested in a potentially more powerful mix) for your personal use. Supporting comments [from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide):
>
> Hydrogen peroxide may be used for the sterilization of various surfaces,[64] including surgical tools,[65] and may be deployed as a vapour (VHP) for room sterilization.[66] H2O2 demonstrates broad-spectrum efficacy against viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and bacterial spores.[67] In general, greater activity is seen against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria; however, the presence of catalase or other peroxidases in these organisms may increase tolerance in the presence of lower concentrations.[68] Higher concentrations of H2O2 (10 to 30%) and longer contact times are required for sporicidal activity.[69]
>
>
>
where the key takeaway for me is that even with 10% to 30% H2O2, longer contact times can be required for select conditions.
Also, there may be possibly a harsher effect on one's skin, but from a marketing perspective, the hydrogen peroxide boost may be a plus.
If for personal use only, a less convenient option to consider, in my opinion, is not adding the 'distilled water component' until the time of point-of-use in quantities needed. I would consider substituting for distilled water inexpensive raw 'tap water'. This will likely reduce shelf-life and the stability of the H2O2, which could result in the problematic liberation oxygen in the dispensing container. Possibly offsetting, in my view, is the introduction of favorable transition metals salts.
Possibly chemistry with ferrous ions that may be present, for example, which could engage in a [Fenton reaction](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ed084p1290) (web link to 'A convenient lecture demonstration of the Fenton reaction is presented with references to applications in medicine and environmental engineering') associated with the creation of powerful hydroxyl radicals (capable of breaking down organic compounds). Unfortunately, this usually requires more acidic pH (in the current context, from say further adding citric acid). Tap water may also contain manganese, cuprous,..., ions, which could also engage in related Fenton-type reactions (with radical products). Interestingly, [with copper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021951713000377) ions, for example, this usually occurs closer to more neutral pH conditions.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
There are a lot of great Bible for kids out there with different themes that cater to different ages. Usually, when I buy Bibles to give or for our own kids, I have several guidelines. Guidelines such as: are the context too small to read for children, are there any colorful and attractive to keep them engaged, are there special features like memory verse, and lastly, the understandability of the Bible.
The understandability of the Bible is the most important feature. While there are several versions of the Bible, we need to choose a Bible that conveys the word of God and allows them to fully soak the power of his message through reading His Word with enthusiasm. Imagine a kid reading a King James version?
According to Bible Gateway, the New International Version (NIV) is a "completely original translation of the Bible developed by more than one hundred scholars working from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts" (Version Information, para. 1, n.d.). In my humble opinion, I prefer NIV because of its readability and understandability.
With over 9 million copies sold, the Adventure Bible brand is beloved by Christian schools, churches, and families alike. Now, the #1 Bible for kids, including all of the trusted essentials loved by parents, is available in an exciting polar exploration theme! Ready for a frosty Adventure? Embark on a fun, exciting trek through God's Word with the NIV Adventure Bible, now in an all-new polar exploration theme! While on this arctic adventure, readers meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of facts about the Bible.
And most importantly you'll grow closer in your relationship with God.
• The same trusted Adventure Bible content in a frosty new theme.
• A thrilling new glacial cover on metallic paper.
What's my favorite feature? That is very hard but if I were to choose, I love the "Did You Know" section as it adds more insightful information to a young kid, the "Live it" section as it an application, and the "themed pages" such as the feature on ten commandments, how to know you are a Christian , and the famous people of the Bible to name a few.
If you will ask me, it is a perfect gift for kids who are ready for chapter books and this is a great nightly family devotional too.
Can Purchase HERE as well and it includes several resources.
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. The winner is subject to eligibility verification.
To win a copy of this awesome Bible, follow me on INSTAGRAM! | slim_pajama |
Ranma Aftermath : Ranma 12 Godzilla 2000
..
285 years ago The village of Joketsuzoku
The fifteen year old girl was helping her Great, great grandmother inventory the archives both cataloging as well as cleaning. It was a duty the young amazon didn't mind. She loved to see all the various scrolls, tomes, trinkets and weapons, to actually lay hands on the history that was the Amazon nation, a piece of her heritage.
The teen found a small carved box pushed back on a shelf. Curious, as she didn't remember seeing it before, she picked it up to examine it. Cautiously she cracked open the receptcle, revealing a small, onyx statuette. The tiny figure was a twisted, horrid caracature of a man, resembling nothing of the beautiful artwork she was used to seeing from the village artisans. She wasn't certain why she kept staring at it, but the ugliness of the piece was fasinating, almost hypnotic. Lightly the girl ran her fingertips over the surface. The stone felt like ice to her touch.
"What have you found, Grand-daughter?"
The teen amazon started, as if from a trance. She turned towards the small, shriveled old woman who was balancing on a staff.
"Great-grandmother Aquanet, I found this little statue..." She held the box towards the wise old woman.
"My darling girl, I had hoped you would never see this..." Aquanet motioned for her grand-daughter to take a seat, then she herself sat next to her.
"This talisman represents a very dark time in our history, a time when many of our ancestors died because of one man's greedy quest for power. Once upon a time, nearly 1200 years ago, the was an evil man, a wizard named Tzar Tzar. He was a master of the Dark Arts, a Necromancer, and as such held power over the dead. At the hieght of his power Tzar Tzar raised an army of undead warriors and ravaged the land. The Amazons gathered to resist him, but for every Amazon that fell, the death-mage was able to re-animate to his side. Finally, in a last, desperate act, tweleve of our magicians cast a spell that captured his black soul into the very idol you now hold. So bound, his undead army crumbled to dust. It was generations before the Amazon nation could recover from it's loss."
The adolescent looked from her Grandmother to the idol. There was no dought in her mind the tale was true, for Amazon children were taught to honor the teachings of their elders.
"Great-grandmother, is there any way that Tzar Tzar could break free?"
"Only Dragon's fire could break the spell and release the Necromancer upon the world again, my child."
In the distance, the village bell rang.
"Ah, there's the noontime bell. Come, Colonge, let us take our minds off of such a dark subject with a good meal. That is, unless your little friend Happosai has found his way back and stolen it..."
Present Day Western Pacific Ocean Near Japan ...
The Pod of Gray Whales swam serenly and gracefully through the salty sea, gulping mouthfuls of krill as they swam and straining out the water. The meloudious sounds of their calls echoed through the water, keeping each member of the pod in constant contact with each other.
The Gray Whales, classified Eschrichtius robustus, travel between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. They reach a length of about 16 meters (52 ft.), a weight of 36 tons and an age of 50–60 years. As of 2004, the population of Western Pacific (seas near Korea, Japan, and Kamchatka) Gray Whales was estimated at 101 individuals.
Gray Whales were once called devil fish because of their fighting behavior when hunted. The Gray Whale is the sole species in the genus Eschrichtius, which in turn is the sole genus in the family Eschrichtiidae. This animal is one of the oldest species of mammals, having been on Earth for about 30 million years. In the remote past it was preyed upon by Megaladon sharks, which are now extinct. Today, their only sources of predation were from Killer Whales, and from Man.
That was about to change.
The only warning the whale cow recieved was the rising pressure wave from the water below. The Gray began to swim towards the surface, to breach the water and renew her breath when the massive jaws clamped onto her tail. The whale shrieked in pain and terror as claws shredded her blubbery skin, puncturing her chest and lungs, driving the air from her body and filling the water with blood. Many of her Pod mates turned to aid the victim, others sought to flee, but there was no help to be had against THIS predator. The monster simply relaxed and allowed it's 25,000 metric tons to pull the doomed Gray into the ocean's depths.
This was a hunter that could drown whales.
Godzilla, spawn of the Atomic bomb, aptly named King of the Monsters, tore the floundering mammal to bits, allowing him to swallow the larger chunks in a manner not unlike his far distant cousin, the salt water crocidile. Godzilla was headed for land, and needed to make certain that his strength was at it's peak when he got there. For you see, Godzilla was being driven. Some instinct deep within his tiny brain had alerted him to a rival about to enter his territory, and that his boundries must be protected. Protected, and Marked.
With a surge of his powerful tail Godzilla swam once more towards the tiny island nation of Japan.
Tokyo would soon be burning.
TEAM RANMA 1/2 AND GODZILLA 2000 starring in
AFTERMATH
disclaimers; If you saw it on Ranma, it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. If you saw it on Godzilla, it belongs to Toho studios. Tzar Tzar, however, IS MINE, ALL MINE! HAHAHA! not that I have a copyright or anything... :(
9:37 pm, Tokyo time
"...Analysis company at Marashino base reportedly detected a U.F.O..."
"...Dispite warning from the Godzilla Prediction Network , or G.P.N., the CCI says there is no cause for alarm..."
The city of Tokyo was unprepared for the first attack.
Defence force radar detected an object entering the atmosphere, but before any jets could be scrambled the Daikaiju was flying in the sky, a three headed hydra spitting bolts of electrical death and destruction. Covered in scales of gold, it's heads whipped about on three serpentine necks. Connected at the shoulders, instead of arms or forelimbs, were two huge wings that resembled the fins of a fish rather than the pinons of a bird. Dragging behind it were two tails, one snake-like, the other that of a lion.
King Ghidrah had returned to Earth.
The first phase of Ghidrah's assault was to destroy all major roads, bridges and railways, cutting off access out of and into the capital of Japan, trapping the populace. Next, as if guided by some unseen hand, the beast targeted radio towers and power plants, depriving the city of communications and energy. In it's zeal to kill, the King of Terror flew down above the clogged streets, electricuting the helpless citizens at will.
With the lights of Tokyo flickering, the tawny beast winged it's way towards Nerima.
The first sign of Godzilla's arrival was the churrning waters of Tokyo bay. The Daikaiju errupted out of the ocean, trumphanting his pressence with a screaming roar that could drown out a jet engine. The Leviathan strode through the fishing wharfs, loading docks and warehouses, burning a path where needed but mostly simply prefering to plow through the structures before him.
The citizens fled in terror before the march of the 180 ft tall monster. Godzilla was aware of the humans scrambling before him. He had, after all, come to realize that the tiny mice were responsible for the weapons that often were used against him when he made landfall. It was just that Godzilla gave them no more consideration than we would to the insects on the sidewalk when we go for a walk. Godzilla was simply incapable of realizing that the structures he was currently destroying were anything more than landscape, the same as hills or trees. Godzilla entered Nerima.
This, he knew, is where he would meet his foe.
Ryouga Hibiki ran down the street, pushing against the people trying to crowd past him. The Lost Boy knew something was going on, from the sounds of explosions and sirens, but hje wasn't sure what. And with his sense of direction, he couldn't tell if the mob was headed the wrong way, or if he was. Ryouga reached out and snatched someone out of the crowd, a much larger man who struggled against him but was unable to break his grip.
"Pardon me, but can you direct me to the Tendo Dojo?"
" Run, you fool, before we're all killed!" the man kept squirming so Ryouga let him go. What was going on with these people? He'd have to think about that later. If there was some kind of disaster he had to get to the Tendo dojo, to get to Akane. He had to protect her in her time of need. and if he got to put some lumps on Ranma's head, so much the better.
Ryouga broke off his train of thought when he heard the first thunderous boom. He began to look to the evening sky for thunder clouds, fearing rain, when the second one sounded. This time, Ryouga noticed the pavement shake as well. Most of the people began clearing off the street, disappearing behind buildings or down alleys. After the third boom, Ryouga realized it couldn't be thunder, it was too regular a pattern. On instinct, the Martial artist threw himself to the side as lightning laced the street. Ryouga crashed into a storefront, his hair standing on end. He looked up in time to see the huge three headed dragon circle around to land on a building half a block away, crushing the structure underfoot.
Another boom, and Ryouga almost lost his footing the ground shook so hard. A loud crash as another building was destroyed, and a deafening roar of challenge that froze Ryouga's blood. Down the street, entering the teen's field of view, was the biggest movie star of all time, Godzilla.
"So. It's going to be one of THOSE days, is it?"
Ryouga looked about as the two Daikaijiu charged towards each other. He looked at the store he was in front of and realized it was Ucchans. In fact, looking in, he could see Ukyou walking towards the door. Ryouga looked back down the street and saw that Godzilla was a lot closer than Ryouga was comfortable with. In fact, as the monster brought his foot up, it seemed like.
Without thinking, Ryouga rammed the resturant's door with his shoulder, bursting through in a shower of wood splinters.
Ukyou Kuonji was screaming. She remembered screaming as the front of her store was crushed, as if something heavy had landed on it. She remembered hearing someone shout her name as the shattered glass flew towards her. Ukyou raised her battle spat, shielding her face and chest but still felt the razor cuts on her arms. Then the gut-wrenching collsion as something strong knocked her from the lobby over the counter and into the kitchen. Something struck her head, then darkness...
Godzilla moved towards Ghidra. Not wanting to trip over anything, Godzill decided to clear the battlefield.
Nerima felt the touch of his Atomic breath as the niegborhood was razed, filling the night sky with hellish fire.
Ukyou came to with a start. Had she been out for hours, or merely moments? It was dim, with flickers of reddish light the only illumination. She could smell smoke. What was burning?
A bloodcurdling monsterous roar shattered the air, shaking the building around her. Dust and rubble fell about her. The young Okonomiyaki chef began to thrash about as if to swat the danger from the air.
"Ukyou, stop! You'll hurt yourself!"
A figure crawled towards her in the dim light. Powerful, yet gentle hands took her wrists, strong and caring arms pulled her into their protective circle. "Calm down, I'm here with you. I won't let anything hurt you, but you have to be still. I don't know how sturdy this wreckage is, and until we get some light we don't want to risk knocking over something important."
Ukyou stopped her struggles as some small amount of clarity pierced her terror filled brain. The voice had spoken softly, his breath warm against her ear. She tried to peer up at him in the dim light. She could make out the shape of his face, the scruffiness of his hair.
Ryouga gave an exasperated sigh. Couldn't win for losing.
"You are out of it, Ukyou." But then, history had shown that no matter what, this silver medal fiancee was constantly thinking of Satome. Even on that floating island, when Ryouga himself told Ukyou that Kasumi had disappeared without a trace, all she could think about was how it affected her Ran-chan. Ryouga placed a hand on her forhead to get her to relax, then pulled it back, slick and wet.
"Ukyou, your'e bleeding. You must have hit your head on something. I can't tell how bad it is in this light." Ryouga fumbled to remove one of his everlasting bandannas. He pressed it to her head, trying to find the wound. Ukyou tried to speak, but it came out as a whimpering sob. Ukyou's head was throbbing. She wished Ran-chan would quit talking and just hold her. She leaned into his chest and closed her eyes, the warmth and security of his arms comforting her, lulling her to sleep.
Ghidrah flew towards Godzilla, ramming his stout legs into the sea monster's chest, knocking him over onto a building. As Godzilla began to stand the flying dragon circled about for another pass. Shooting lightning at Godzilla's feet Ghidra attempted to ram him again when the giant lizard moved aside, grabbing one of Ghidrah's tails as he shot by. The Hydra was jerked out of the air and sent crashing through an intersection. Trying to stand without arms to help, to of the heads bit into the surrounding building to pull himself up while the third head swivled about to keep track of his foe.
Seeing Godzilla approach, Ghidrah took to the air and winged his way towards downtown Tokyo.
Godzilla stared as his opponent opted for a change of venue. He wanted to run? Fine. Godzilla would follow. After all, it had been a while since he had seen the old town.
Ukyou woke. She found that she was on the floor, covered by a tablecloth, still in her collapsed kitchen. Now, light from a camp lantern illuminated what little space there was. Shakily she felt at her head. Someone had wrapped it in a crude bandage.
Ukyou looked about. Where had her protector gone? "Ran-chan?" She called softly, and realized how dry her throat was. The young chef leaned against the wall, wanting her fiancee to come put his arms around her again. It had made her feel special, almost worth getting hit in the head. She hoped it wasn't a concussion. Ukyou closed her eyes against the pain.
Ukyou heard a scratching sound. Her eyes openned and scanned about for a weapon. Seeing the handle of her Smasher-spat, she began to pull on it, but realized there was no room to swing it. Instead, she pulled several of her smaller throwing spats from her bandalier. She tried to stand when a dark figure pushed it's way through the debree.
"I'm warning you, I'm a martial artist, and I'm armed!"
The figure stepped into the light.
"Ryouga!"
"Well, look who's awake." The bandanna clad youth had a case of bottled water with him, as well as a first-aid kit. Both were most likely retrieved from her store room. "How are you feeling?"
Ukyou slumped back against the wall, partly because of the lack of standing room as well as the pain in her head.
"Thirsty."
Ryouga openned a bottle, carful not to spill any on himself, and handed it to her. He waited for her to drink then said "I want to get a better look at your head now that we have some light." Ryouga pulled the lantern over and he began untying the bandanna wrapped around her head.
Even though she believed she knew the answer, Ukyou still had to ask him something.
"Sugar, how long have you been here?"
"Since the building was stepped on. I was the one who broke through your door and knocked you into the kitchen. But apparently part of the roof still caught you in the head. You were out for a couple hours, I think, so I let you rest."
"So it was you who..." Ukyou couldn't finish, the disappointment building inside her.
"Who what, Ukyou? What is it?"
Tears began to run down Ukyou's cheeks. She sniffled, and her lip began to quiver. Ryouga, who had just taken in stride the fact that two giant monsters were duking it out just down the street not long ago, was at a complete lost at seeing Ukyou crying. She usually seemed so confident, so self assured, so...strong. Clumsily, he began to rub her shoulder.
"What, Ukyou? What'd I do wrong now?"
Ukyou responded by pressing her face into his chest. What had he done wrong now. He had made her, his friend, feel warm, secure, even cared for while the world went to hell around them. Things she had yearned to feel for years. The problem was, she wanted to feel that from a certain pig-tailed boy.
"Nothing, sweety," Ukyou forced her tears to stop. She had no right to feel sorry for herself. "You did everything right."
"Oh. Ok then." Ryouga gave her a quizzical look. He just couldn't figure out girls. He had left Hawaii for this? Granted, he didn't know what the deal was with that talking whale who tried to capture him, but the little girl and her strange blue dog had been nice.
Ryouga removed the crude bandage from Ukyou's head. Her beautiful hair was now matted with blood. He turned her head towards the light to see better.
"Well, how is it?"
Ryouga was no stranger to injuries, nor to first aid. But when he saw the huge gash on her scalp, he almost had to cover his mouth to keep from gasping "I'm not going to lie, you need stitches. We need to find Dr. Tofu. That is, if he's still alive..."
"Is it really that bad out there, Ryouga?"
"I stood three feet away from Godzilla as he knocked down your store. Yeah, I think it's that bad."
Ukyou groaned. Every fiber of her being was telling her to find Ranma, to rush to his side as a good fiancee should. After all, she WAS his fiancee first, wasn't she? And with her at his side, Ranma would see what a good wife she would make, much better than that violent tomboy or the amazon hussy.
But then she thought about Ryouga, who was here at her side. It must be killing him, not knowing what was happening with Akane, wanting to rush off to her side to comfort her, either as a man or pig. Yet here he was, helping someone who needed him. Because THIS was where he needed to be. For the first time in years, an epiffiny openned up inside her bubble-headed operating system, Ukyou grew up, just a little. Her resturant wasn't important, it was insured. Ranma wasn't important, thou she very much wanted to see him. People that she knew, here in this nieghborhood, were hurt, poosibly dead or dying, due to a monster's rampage, and it was her duty as a Martial Artist to help those who couldn't help themselves.
Ryouga cleaned and re-dressed her wound as best he could and helped Ukyou to stand. She began to look about, a grim look crossing her features.
"Pack some of those bottles of water, Ryouga. We don't know how long we'll be without. Tofu's clinic isn't that far so we'll pack light. The food in the freezer will keep for a while. Since the Nekohaten is on the way we'll see if the Amazons need our help as well."
Ukyou picked up her mega spatula. It seemed to Ryouga that she was perparing for battle.
"Let's get moving."
King Ghidrah circled overhead as Godzilla entered the battlefield, downtown Tokyo. The huge Sea Monster roared his famous challenge, as if daring the three-headed beast to come to him. Ghidra landed, his 50,000 metric ton, 100 meter frame cracking the street benaeth him. Spreading his wings to full extention he beat the air, kicking up clouds of dust and debree. Suddenly the three heads of Ghidorah unleashed a Blitzrieg of electrical gravity beams at Godzilla, causing him to stumble backwards. Godzilla rumbled, the Atomic fire already building in his throat. Godzilla issued the terrible energy, but it struck only the ground as his foe tooh to the air. Emerging from the smoke and fire, Ghidrah once again circled overhead, raining gravity beams at his lesiure. Godzilla couldn't reach him, and it would take a little time to re-stoke the atomic flames. Each of Ghidrah's hits were taking their toll, burning and weakening Godzilla, even with his Regenerator-g1, and each of the lightning bolts that missed Big G were striking the surrounding builngs, causing them to explode in fire and ruin.
The space dragon loved fire and ruin.
Ghidrah banked sharply and collided into Godzilla with both feet, toppling the titan into a parking garage. The giant sea monster tried to free himself of the wreckage when a mountain of tawny hydra landed heavily on his head and shoulders, driving him back down. Ghidrah continued jumping up and down upon Godzilla in hopes of breaking ribs, his neck, or even crushing his skull...
-
End chap. 1. Need I say, to be continued?
Writer's notes I hope that it doesn't seem that Ryouga is too OOC here. To me, it seems that Ryouga is more calm and actually able to think of other things if Ranma isn't right there to cause him to seek his revenge. And even if Ranma is right there, he can be sometimes made to direct his energies in another fashion, as when he tried to teach Akane rythmic gymnastics. Even when he is lost in the middle of nowhere and trying to get to the tendo dojo, it seems to become more about the journey itself than the goal.
And in case you couldn't guess, the mention of Hawaii refers to the series Lilo and Stitch. I find it totally believable that with all of his travels, ryouga would come into weird situations in other parts of the world other than just nerima.
End file.
| fanfiction |
the first published description of the bicyclic semigroup was given by evgenii lyapin in 1953 @xcite .
a description of the subsemigroups of the bicyclic monoid was given in 2005 @xcite .
in this article , we use this description to study left i - orders in the bicyclic monoid .
many definitions of semigroups of quotients have been proposed and studied .
the first , that was specifically tailored to the structure of semigroups was introduced by fountain and petrich in @xcite , but was restricted to completely 0-simple semigroups of left quotients .
this definition has been extended to the class of all semigroups @xcite .
the idea is that a subsemigroup @xmath1 of a semigroup @xmath2 is a _ left order _ in @xmath2 or @xmath2 is a _ semigroup of left quotients _ of @xmath1 if every element of @xmath2 can be written as @xmath3 where @xmath4 and @xmath5 is the inverse of @xmath6 in a subgroup of @xmath2 and if , in addition , every _ square - cancellable _ element ( an element @xmath6 of a semigroup @xmath1 is square - cancellable if @xmath7 ) lies in a subgroup of @xmath2 .
_ semigroups of right quotients _ and _ right orders _ are defined dually .
if @xmath1 is both a left order and a right order in a semigroup @xmath2 , then @xmath1 is an _ order _ in @xmath2 and @xmath2 is a semigroup of _ quotients _ of @xmath1 .
this definition and its dual were used in @xcite to characterize semigroups which have bisimple inverse @xmath8-semigroups of left quotients . on the other hand
, clifford @xcite showed that from any right cancellative monoid @xmath1 with ( lc ) we can construct a bisimple inverse monoid @xmath2 such that @xmath9 ; that is , every element @xmath10 in @xmath2 can be written as @xmath11 where @xmath12 and @xmath13 is the inverse of @xmath6 in @xmath2 in the sense of inverse semigroup theory . by saying that a semigroup @xmath1 has the ( lc ) _ condition _
we mean that for any @xmath14 there is an element @xmath15 such that @xmath16 . the author and gould in @xcite
have extended clifford s work to a left ample semigroup with ( lc ) where they introduced the following definition of left i - orders in inverse semigroups : let @xmath2 be an inverse semigroup .
a subsemigroup @xmath1 of @xmath2 is a _ left i - order _ in @xmath2 or @xmath2 is a semigroup of _ left i - quotients _ of @xmath1 , if every element in @xmath2 can be written as @xmath11 where @xmath12 .
the notions of _ right i - order _ and _ semigroup of right i - quotients _ are defined dually .
if @xmath1 is both a left i - order and a right i - order in @xmath2 , we say that @xmath1 is an _
i - order _ in @xmath2 and @xmath2 is a semigroup of _ i - quotients _ of @xmath1 .
it is clear that , if @xmath1 a left order in an inverse semigroup @xmath2 , then it is certainly a left i - order in @xmath2 ; however , the converse is not true ( see for example @xcite example 2.2 ) .
a left i - order in an inverse semigroup @xmath2 is _ straight left i - order _ if every element in @xmath2 can be written as @xmath11 where @xmath17 and @xmath18 in @xmath2 ; we also say that @xmath2 is a _
straight left i - quotients _ of @xmath1 .
if @xmath1 is straight in @xmath2 , we have the advantage of controlling the product in @xmath2 . in @xcite
the author has given the necessary and sufficient conditions for a semigroup @xmath1 to have a bisimple inverse @xmath8-semigroup left i - quotients , modulo left i - order in the bicyclic semigroup @xmath0 , which is the most straightforward example of the bisimple inverse @xmath8-semigroup .
in fact , it is a semigroups with many remarkable properties .
left i - orders in the bicyclic semigroup are interesting in their own right . by describtions left i - order in @xmath0 , we obtain : [ main ] let @xmath1 be a subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then it is straight . in the preliminaries after introducing the necessary notation
, we give some previous results giving the description of subsemigroups of @xmath0 .
we use the classification of subsemigroups of @xmath0 in @xcite to investigate which of them are left i - orders in @xmath0 .
subsemigroups of @xmath0 fall into three classes upper , lower and two - sided . in sections 3 , 4 and 5 we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for upper , lower and two - sided subsemigroups of @xmath0 to be left i - orders in @xmath0 , respectively . in each case , such left i - orders are straight and this proves theorem [ main ] .
throughout this article we shall follow the terminology and notation of @xcite .
the symbol @xmath19 will denote the set consisting of the natural numbers and @xmath20 .
let @xmath21 and @xmath22 be the usual green s relations .
a semigroup @xmath1 is called _ simple _ if @xmath1 does not contain proper two - sided ideals and _ bisimple _ if it consists of a single @xmath23-class .
the bicyclic semigroup @xmath24 is defined by the monoid generated by two elements @xmath6 and @xmath25 subject only to the condition that @xmath26 .
it follows that the elements can all be written in the standard form @xmath27 where @xmath28 .
we can write out the elements of @xmath0 in array .
@xmath29 the multiplication on @xmath0 is defined as follows : @xmath30 we can put the two cases together as follows : @xmath31 the monoid @xmath0 is thus isomorphic to the monoid @xmath32 with multiplication @xmath33 it is easy to see that @xmath0 is an inverse semigroup : the element @xmath27 has inverse @xmath34 . the idempotents of @xmath0
are of the form @xmath35 green s relations @xmath36 and @xmath37 are given by @xmath38 @xmath39 and @xmath40 in the array , the rows are the @xmath41-classes of @xmath0 , the columns are the @xmath42-classes and the @xmath37-classes are points . there is only one @xmath23-class ; that is , @xmath0 is a bisimple monoid ( hence simple ) . following @xcite , we start by introducing some basic subsets of @xmath0 , @xmath43 for @xmath44 we define the _ triangle _ @xmath45 for @xmath46 and @xmath47 we define the rows @xmath48 and in general for @xmath49 , @xmath50 for @xmath51 = \{0,\ldots , d-1\}$ ] and @xmath52 $ ] we define the _ squares _
@xmath53 @xmath54 it is worth pointing out that in @xcite it was shown that a subsemigroup of @xmath0 is inverse if and only if it has the form @xmath55 where @xmath56 is a finite subset of the diagonal ( which may be empty ) .
the function @xmath57 defined by @xmath58 is an anti - isomorphism .
geometrically it is the reflection with respect to the main diagonal . and
@xmath59,title="fig:",height=211 ] and @xmath59,title="fig:",height=211 ] [ subbicyclic]@xcite let @xmath1 be a subsemigroup of the bicyclic monoid .
then one of the following conditions holds : + 1 .
@xmath1 is a subset of the diagonal , @xmath60 .
@xmath1 is a union of a subset of a triangle , a subset of the diagonal above the triangle , a square below the triangle and some lines belonging to a strip determined by the square and the triangle , or the reflection of this union with respect to the diagonal .
formally there exist @xmath61 with @xmath62 with @xmath63 with @xmath64 such that @xmath1 is of one of the following forms : \(i ) @xmath65 ; + ( ii ) @xmath66 .
there exist @xmath67 and sets @xmath68 such that @xmath1 is of one of the following forms : ( i ) @xmath69 ; + ( ii ) @xmath70 ; where each @xmath71 has the form @xmath72 for some @xmath73 and some finite set @xmath74 , and @xmath75 for some ( possibly empty ) @xmath76 , some @xmath77 and some finite set @xmath78 + + we call diagonal subsemigroups those defined by 1 .
, two - sided subsemigroups those defined by 2 . , upper subsemigroups those defined by 3.(i ) and lower subsemigroups those defined by 3.(ii ) .
we begin with the following example which plays a significant role in studying left i - orders in @xmath0 .
[ exrclass ] let @xmath79 be the @xmath41-class of the identity element 1 of @xmath0 and @xmath80 .
then @xmath81 so that @xmath82 is a straight left i - order in @xmath0 .
in fact , it is a special case of clifford s result , mentioned in the itroduction .
[ rems ] any subsemigroup of @xmath0 that contains @xmath82 is a straight left i - order in @xmath0 .
[ identity ] let @xmath1 be a left i - order in @xmath0 .
then for any @xmath42-class @xmath83 of @xmath0 , @xmath84 .
let @xmath85 .
then @xmath86 where @xmath87max@xmath88 , for some @xmath89
. hence @xmath90 , so that either @xmath91 or @xmath92 . thus @xmath84 .
we conclude this section by the following lemma which plays a significant role in the next sections .
[ dimpact ] let @xmath1 be a left i - order in @xmath0 and let @xmath93 . if for all @xmath94 we have @xmath95 , then @xmath96 .
let @xmath97 .
then there exist @xmath98 with @xmath99 where @xmath87max@xmath88 .
now @xmath100 it follows that @xmath96 .
in this section we give necessary and sufficient conditions for an upper subsemigroup @xmath1 of @xmath0 to be a left i - order in @xmath0 .
the upper subsemigroups of @xmath0 are those having all elements above the diagonal ; that is , all elements satisfy : @xmath101 . throughout this section @xmath1
is an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 having the form ( 3).(@xmath102 ) in proposition [ subbicyclic ] .
we have already met one of them , which is the @xmath41-class of the identity . by lemma
[ identity ] , we deduce that any left i - order upper subsemigroup is a monoid .
the next example is of a subsemigroup bigger than @xmath41-class of the identity .
in fact , it is the largest upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
the upper subsemigroup @xmath103 of @xmath0 is a straight left i - order in @xmath0 , by remark [ rems ] as @xmath104 .
in fact , we can write any element @xmath27 of @xmath0 as follows @xmath105 where @xmath106 , that is , @xmath107 is a right i - order in @xmath0 . hence @xmath108 is an i - order in @xmath0 .
it is worth pointing out that @xmath107 is a full subsemigroup of @xmath0 in the sense that @xmath109 .
let @xmath1 be an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath110 , then @xmath1 does not contain any element of form @xmath27 for all @xmath111 , and only contains @xmath112 if @xmath113 .
[ zeroini ] let @xmath1 be an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then @xmath96 and @xmath114 .
since @xmath1 an upper subsemigroup , it follows that for all @xmath94 we have that @xmath115 for some @xmath93 . by lemma [ dimpact ] ,
it is clear that @xmath96 .
it is therefore remains to show that @xmath114 . by lemma
[ identity ] , we have that @xmath116 .
let @xmath117 for some @xmath118 .
hence @xmath119 where @xmath87max@xmath88 , for some @xmath89 .
for @xmath120 we must have that @xmath121 and @xmath122 .
as @xmath123 , it follows that @xmath124 and so @xmath125 .
the following corollary is obvious .
[ rini ] let @xmath1 be an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then @xmath126 . by lemma
[ identity ] , @xmath127 .
as @xmath128 , the following corollary is clear .
[ fd1]let @xmath1 be an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then @xmath129 or @xmath130 .
we now come to the main result of this section which is the first result in this article .
[ uppercondition ] for an upper subsemigroup @xmath1 of @xmath0 , the following are equivalent : @xmath131 @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 ; @xmath132 @xmath126 .
moreover , writing @xmath1 as @xmath133 , we have @xmath126 if and only if @xmath134 and @xmath135 .
the equivalence of @xmath131 and @xmath132 follows from example [ exrclass ] and corollary [ rini ] .
the remaining statement follows from inspection of the description of @xmath1 as in @xmath136 of proposition [ subbicyclic ] .
[ sublowbicyclic ] let @xmath1 be an upper subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then it is straight .
in this section we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the lower subsemigroups of @xmath0 to be left i - orders in @xmath0 . throughout this section
@xmath1 is a lower subsemigroup of @xmath0 having the form ( 3).(@xmath137 ) in proposition [ subbicyclic ] .
we begin with : the lower subsemigroup @xmath138 of @xmath0 is a straight left i - order in @xmath0 . since for any element @xmath139 in @xmath0 we have @xmath140 and it is clear that @xmath141 and @xmath142 are in @xmath143 . [ r1 ] let @xmath1 be a lower subsemigroup of @xmath0 . if @xmath144 , then @xmath1 contains no element @xmath27 with @xmath145 .
[ zerolowecase ] let @xmath1 be a lower subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then @xmath96 and @xmath114 .
since @xmath1 a lower subsemigroup , it follows that for all @xmath94 we have that @xmath115 for some @xmath93 . by lemma [ dimpact ] ,
it is clear that @xmath96 .
let @xmath146 where @xmath118 .
then @xmath147 where @xmath148 , so that @xmath149 .
hence we deduce that @xmath150 and @xmath151 .
we also have that @xmath152 so that @xmath153 so that @xmath154 .
hence @xmath114 . since @xmath155 ,
the following corollary is clear .
[ flo]let @xmath1 be a lower subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then @xmath129 or @xmath156 .
suppose that a lower subsemigroup @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 .
from lemma [ zerolowecase ] , we have that @xmath96 and @xmath114 .
we claim that @xmath157 . by corollary [ flo ] , @xmath129 or @xmath156 , so that as @xmath1 intersects every @xmath42-class of @xmath0 , by lemma [ identity ] , we have that @xmath157 .
we have one half of the following proposition .
[ loweriorder ] a lower subsemigroup @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 if and only if @xmath96 and @xmath157 .
suppose that @xmath96 and @xmath157 .
then @xmath158 for any @xmath159 we have @xmath160 where @xmath87max@xmath161 for @xmath162 .
it is clear that @xmath163 .
the following corollary is clear from the proof of proposition [ loweriorder ] [ stralow ] let @xmath1 be a lower subsemigroup of @xmath0 .
if @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0 , then it is straight .
in this section we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the two - sided subsemigroups of @xmath0 to be left i - orders in @xmath0 .
the two - sided subsemigroups of @xmath0 have the forms ( 2).(@xmath102 ) and ( 2).(@xmath137 ) in proposition [ subbicyclic ] . throughout this section
we shall assume that a two - sided subsemigroup @xmath1 of @xmath0 is proper , in the sense @xmath164 .
let @xmath165 .
then , @xmath166 . for , as @xmath167 , @xmath168
and we have that @xmath169 , so that @xmath170 , that is , @xmath171 for some @xmath172 .
hence for any @xmath94 we have that @xmath95 . by lemma [ dimpact ] ,
the first part of the following lemma is clear .
let @xmath176 where @xmath118 .
then , @xmath177 where @xmath87max@xmath178 , so that @xmath120 .
hence we deduce that @xmath122 . if @xmath179 , then as @xmath180 is an inverse subsemigoup of @xmath0 we have that @xmath181 . in the case where @xmath182 we must have that @xmath183 .
hence @xmath184 so that @xmath124 .
it follows that @xmath125 . hence @xmath174
. let @xmath188 .
then , @xmath189 . for , since @xmath190
, it follows that @xmath191 .
hence @xmath170 , that is , @xmath192 for some @xmath193 and so @xmath171 .
hence for any @xmath94 we have that @xmath95 . by lemma [ dimpact ] ,
the first part of the following lemma is clear .
suppose that @xmath195 , let @xmath196 where @xmath197 .
then @xmath198 where @xmath148 , so that @xmath120 . hence we can deduce that @xmath122 . if @xmath199 , then @xmath200 so that @xmath201 a contradiction and so @xmath202 . hence @xmath203 , but @xmath204 as @xmath205 a contradiction again .
therefore @xmath174 as required .
( @xmath213 ) suppose that @xmath1 is a left i - order in @xmath0
. then any element @xmath214 can be written as @xmath215 for some @xmath216 . by lemma [ dequal1l ] , @xmath96 and @xmath114 .
it is remains to show that @xmath212 .
let @xmath217 .
then @xmath218 where @xmath87max@xmath219 , for some @xmath220 .
then @xmath221 or @xmath222 ; so that @xmath223 for some @xmath224 .
if @xmath225 , so @xmath226 , then @xmath227 , in contradiction to remark [ l1 ] .
111 a. h. clifford and g. b. preston , the algebraic theory of semigroups , vol .
1 , mathematical surveys 7 , _ american math . soc . _
l. descalco , n. rskuc subsemigroups of the bicyclic monoid .
_ j. algebra comput . _ * 15 ( 2005 ) , * 37 - 57
. v. gould , bisimple inverse @xmath8-semigroup of left quotients , _ proc .
london math .
* 52 * ( 1986 ) , 95 - 118 .
e. s. lyapin , canonical form of elements of an associative system given by defining relations , _ leningrad gos .
_ * 89 * ( 1953 ) , 45 - 54 [ russian ] . | arxiv |
Timo Schultz born 26 August 1977 is a former German footballer, now coach, currently assistant coach of German club FC St. Pauli.
Career
Born in Wittmund, Schultz is a youth product of Werder Bremen. After playing for the club's reserves for four years, he went on to play for VfB Lübeck and Holstein Kiel.
In 2005, Schultz joined FC St. Pauli. He made his professional debut in the 2. Bundesliga on 10 August 2007 when he started in a game against 1. FC Köln.
References
External links
Category:1977 births
Category:Living people
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:German footballers
Category:VfB Lübeck players
Category:Holstein Kiel players
Category:FC St. Pauli players
Category:SV Werder Bremen II players
Category:Bundesliga players
Category:Holstein Kiel II players | wikipedia |
Digital certification project for Italian textile machinery
Project aimed at defining a form of digital certification, which can be used by Italian manufacturers to certify the ease of integration of their machinery
| Milan
Knitted Outerwear, Hosiery/Socks
ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has launched a project aimed at defining a form of digital certification, which can be used by Italian manufacturers to certify the ease of integration of their machinery into the production systems of their customers.
"The first step in the project has been the elaboration of a shared reference vocabulary for Italian textile machinery manufacturers, which resulted in the creation of a conceptual model of machine and process production management data that can be useful for textile manufacturers in identifying and calculating related productive KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)," said ACIMIT.
The model was developed by the Manufacturing Group of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, under the scientific guidance of Professor Marco Taisch, an international expert on digital transformation processes in the manufacturing sector, and within the bounds of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, supported by researcher Elisa Negri.
Alessandro Zucchi, president of ACIMIT, explained how this project arose: "A group of member companies felt the need to propose to their customers machinery that can communicate with each other in a common language, facilitating the integration of data between these machines within their customers' operating systems (ERP, MES, CRM, etc.). We therefore turned to Professor Taisch to define a project together that could be useful to all manufacturers in the industry, accelerating their digitization process."
Professor Marco Taisch commented: "New technologies are being developed today that will become increasingly critical for manufacturers. The ability to conduct predictive analytics, using sensors capable of reading data, and the capability of connecting machinery - the so-called Internet Of Things (IOT) - are technologies based on the concept of information that allow for the collection of data, their analysis and the ability to use such data in business processes. The goal of this project by ACIMIT is to work together and exploit a competitive advantage proposed to its member companies, in turn allowing for a rethinking of KPI measurement systems adopted within each individual company and adapting them to a standard language shared by a wider community."
In the long term, the project aims to build customer loyalty, thanks to a common vision of machine data and an easier and more uniform integration of information derived from the machinery of different manufacturers in the operating systems of client companies, ACIMIT says. All this will be rendered concrete in the creation of the ACIMIT Digital Label, a digital certification of adherence for member companies applying this data model.
"The idea of a digital label," adds Taisch, "is that it will allow customers to be provided with a continuous flow of information that is easily interpreted, and above all will allow for the development of additional services and new business models for greater competitiveness within the industry."
Zucchi concludes, stating: "Our proposal to Italian textile machinery manufacturers is to adopt the common language provided in the model to allow their machinery to communicate. The entire Italian textile machinery supply chain will benefit from this, by presenting a single data model for the interface between machines and production systems - and their customers will also benefit, in facilitating the collection and integration of machine data and simplifying business analyses."
Watch the ACIMIT video presentation for the data model...
Symposium for Italian textile machinery in Egypt
Italian textile machinery on show at Irantex | slim_pajama |
Does temperature affect the %oxygen in air by volume? (even though oxygen density varies inversely with temperature according to P/RT=n/V)
I want to investigate how temperature affect the concentration of oxygen in air as it will affect how much oxygen we inhale per breathe. Oxygen by percent composition in air is 20.95%. However, the oxygen concentration/density in air varies due to the expansion of gas particles and varies inversely wth temperature according to P/RT=n/V (where n/V is the density of gas).
I did an experiment that involves the rusting of steel wool to determine the percent oxygen in air by volume (determined by volume of water rose in a test tube divided by the total volume of air in the test tube). However, I'm not sure if the % oxygen I determined is a measure of the oxygen density (if so I can convert the percentage to ppm).
My initial hypothesis is that as there are less oxygen molecules in hot air, water level will rise less since there is less oxygen reacting with the steel wool (compared to cold air). Hence lower % oxygen concentration. Vice versa for cold air.
Then later, I'm thinking that as oxygen molecules (or any gas particles) are heated, they move quicker so each oxygen molecule will occupy more volume. Vice versa if the gas particles are colder. However, since there are more oxygen molecules in cold air than warm air, the increase in number of oxygen molecules will occupy more volume and make up for the smaller volume each oxygen molecule occupy by slower movement.
Therefore, the % oxygen in air by volume I determined by the volume of rising water level over the volume of air, will theoretically be the same and hence it can't be used to determine the oxygen density in air.
But then I also saw a picture of a vernier O2 probe with percentage O2 reading (which im not sure if it's percent by volume or percent composition) that can be converted to concentration in ppm by a click of a button. I then did some research and found out percentage concentration (by mass or by volume) can be converted to ppm (which will be a measure of oxygen density).
**No, the concentration does not depend on density in a well-mixed ideal gas.**
The key principle here is that the atmosphere is close to being an ideal gas. In an ideal gas the components are well mixed and the composition will not change unless there is a chemical change that acts selectively on one of the components.
The ideal gas equation applies equally to each component of the mixture of gases that is air. If you warm a vessel of fixed size, the pressure goes up. If you warm the mixture in a variable volume, the volume increases. But nothing in either process causes the composition of the gas to change, so the concentrations of the components will remain the same.
You seem to be applying the gas equation to just the oxygen and ignoring the other components (Nitrogen, argon etc.). Yes the warmer air will have a lower density, but the composition will be unaltered. So the relative amount of oxygen in the air remains the same. Warm air has an overall lower density (which is why hot air balloons work) and the volume density *of all the components* will decrease. So the percentage of oxygen per litre will be lower but so will the percentage of Nitrogen. Mostly when measuring gas composition chemists talk about the concentration relative to all the components in the mixture not to the volume (and in an ideal gas, the volume/pressure/temperature relationship is the same for all components). So, trivially, the *volume* density of *all* components is lower when the gas is warmer at constant pressure. There is no selective change for just one component.
Below 90.19 K there is definitely an effect of temperature on the % oxygen in air, as it condensates out.
So as general as the question is stated in the header, the answer is 'yes'.
If we observe a closed air parcel so that no gas can go in or out, the amount-of-substance fraction $x$ of each component is given as
$$x\_{\ce{N2}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{N2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.7812=78.12\ \%$$
$$x\_{\ce{O2}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{O2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.2096=20.96\ \%$$
$$x\_{\ce{Ar}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{Ar}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.0092=0.92\ \%$$
Since molar mass is defined as
$$M=\frac mn$$
we can directly obtain the corresponding mass fraction $w$.
$$w\_{\ce{N2}}=\frac{m\_{\ce{N2}}}{m\_{\ce{N2}}+m\_{\ce{O2}}+m\_{\ce{Ar}}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{N2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot M\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.7557=75.57\ \%$$
$$w\_{\ce{O2}}=\frac{m\_{\ce{O2}}}{m\_{\ce{N2}}+m\_{\ce{O2}}+m\_{\ce{Ar}}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{O2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot M\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.2316=23.16\ \%$$
$$w\_{\ce{Ar}}=\frac{m\_{\ce{Ar}}}{m\_{\ce{N2}}+m\_{\ce{O2}}+m\_{\ce{Ar}}}=\frac{n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot M\_{\ce{Ar}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot M\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot M\_{\ce{Ar}}}=0.0127=1.27\ \%$$
Assuming ideal gas behaviour, i.e.
$$pV=nRT$$
we can also calculate the corresponding volume fraction $\varphi$.
$$\begin{align}\varphi\_{\ce{N2}}=\frac{V\_{\ce{N2}}}{V\_{\ce{N2}}+V\_{\ce{O2}}+V\_{\ce{Ar}}}&=\frac{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}\\[6pt]
&=\frac{n\_{\ce{N2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=x\_{\ce{N2}}=0.7812=78.12\ \%\end{align}$$
$$\begin{align}\varphi\_{\ce{O2}}=\frac{V\_{\ce{O2}}}{V\_{\ce{N2}}+V\_{\ce{O2}}+V\_{\ce{Ar}}}&=\frac{n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}\\[6pt]
&=\frac{n\_{\ce{O2}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=x\_{\ce{O2}}=0.2096=20.96\ \%\end{align}$$
$$\begin{align}\varphi\_{\ce{Ar}}=\frac{V\_{\ce{Ar}}}{V\_{\ce{N2}}+V\_{\ce{O2}}+V\_{\ce{Ar}}}&=\frac{n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}{n\_{\ce{N2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{O2}}\cdot\frac{RT}p+n\_{\ce{Ar}}\cdot\frac{RT}p}\\[6pt]
&=\frac{n\_{\ce{Ar}}}{n\_{\ce{N2}}+n\_{\ce{O2}}+n\_{\ce{Ar}}}=x\_{\ce{N2}}=0.0092=0.92\ \%\end{align}$$
Note how $R$, $T$, and $p$ cancel since they are they same for all involved gases. Thus, volume fraction $\varphi$ is equal to amount-of-substance fraction $x$, but only for ideal gas.
Temperature $T$ and pressure $p$ of the air parcel may change, and the volumes $V\_{\ce{N2}}$, $V\_{\ce{O2}}$, $V\_{\ce{Ar}}$, and $V\_{\ce{N2}}+V\_{\ce{O2}}+V\_{\ce{Ar}}$ may change accordingly; however, the volume fraction $\varphi$ remains constant since the volumes are proportional to each other.
---
**Example**
The following values were obtained from the GERG-2008 mixture model, i.e. without using the ideal gas equation.
Assuming dry air with the following initial conditions:
$T\_1=10.000\ \mathrm{^\circ C}$
$p\_1=1.0000\ \mathrm{bar}$
$V\_{\text{air},1}=1.0000\ \mathrm{m^3}$
$\rho\_{\text{air},1}=1.2306\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}$
$w\_{\ce{O2},1}=0.23160$
Thus, the mass of $\ce{O2}$ is
$$m\_{\ce{O2}}=V\_1\cdot\rho\_{\text{air},1}\cdot w\_{\ce{O2},1}=1.0000\ \mathrm{m^3}\times1.2306\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}\times0.23160=0.28501\ \mathrm{kg}$$
The density of $\ce{O2}$ at the initial temperature and pressure is
$\rho\_{\ce{O2},1}=1.3603\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}$
Thus, the initial volume of the $\ce{O2}$ alone is
$$V\_{\ce{O2},1}=\frac{m\_{\ce{O2}}}{\rho\_{\ce{O2},1}}=\frac{0.28501\ \mathrm{kg}}{1.3603\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}}=0.20952\ \mathrm{m^3}$$
Therefore, the initial volume fraction of $\ce{O2}$ is
$$\varphi\_{\ce{O2},1}=\frac{V\_{\ce{O2},1}}{V\_{\text{air},1}}=\frac{0.20952\ \mathrm{m^3}}{1.0000\ \mathrm{m^3}}=0.20952=20.952\ \%$$
If we now heat the air to $30\ \mathrm{^\circ C}$ at a constant pressure, the volume expands, so that the new parameter values are as follows.
$T\_2=30.000\ \mathrm{^\circ C}$
$p\_2=1.0000\ \mathrm{bar}$
$V\_{\text{air},2}=1.0708\ \mathrm{m^3}$
$\rho\_{\text{air},2}=1.1492\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}$
The density of $\ce{O2}$ at the new temperature and pressure is
$\rho\_{\ce{O2},2}=1.2703\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}$
Thus, the new volume of the $\ce{O2}$ alone is
$$V\_{\ce{O2},2}=\frac{m\_{\ce{O2}}}{\rho\_{\ce{O2},2}}=\frac{0.28501\ \mathrm{kg}}{1.2703\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{-3}}}=0.22436\ \mathrm{m^3}$$
Therefore, the new volume fraction of $\ce{O2}$ is
$$\varphi\_{\ce{O2},2}=\frac{V\_{\ce{O2},2}}{V\_{\text{air},2}}=\frac{0.22436\ \mathrm{m^3}}{1.0708\ \mathrm{m^3}}=0.20953=20.953\ \%$$
We can see that, although the volume increased by about $7\ \%$, the volume fraction of $\ce{O2}$ did not significantly change.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
a 76-year - old female presented to the emergency department with the main complaint of 7 days of dyspnea and 1 day of dysarthria and dizziness .
auscultation findings showed an irregular heart beat with a diastolic rumbling murmur in the apical region and crackles in both lower lung fields .
transthoracic echocardiography showed a moderate degree of aortic regurgitation with left ventricular ( lv ) ejection fraction of 70.8% and a 1.631.31-cm complex , echogenic , round , mass - like lesion attached to the left atrial side of the interatrial septum .
transesophageal echocardiography revealed the same mass finding with prominent spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrium and decreased emptying velocity of the left atrial appendage ( fig .
2 ) . the diagnostic coronary angiogram revealed a round , movable mass lesion in the left atrium with feeding arteries originating from the conus branch and atrioventricular nodal artery of the right coronary artery and no significant stenosis in either coronary artery ( fig .
3 ) . the patient was transferred to cardiac surgery and underwent removal of the mass and a maze operation .
macroscopic findings were compatible with myxoma , and the microscopic findings revealed an acid mucopolysaccharide - rich stroma composed of a myxoid matrix and polygonal cells with scant eosinophilic cytoplasm scattered throughout the matrix ( fig .
4 ) . after surgery , the atrial fibrillation was abolished and an electrocardiogram showed a normal sinus rhythm .
follow - up transthoracic echocardiography was performed after surgery and no remnant mass was observed in the left atrium ( fig .
, the patient is admitted to outpatient department regularly and has taken aspirin and angiotensin receptor blocker steadily without specific problems .
the presence of possible tumor vessels originating from coronary arteries may be helpful in the decision on an operative strategy for cardiac myxoma . about 52% of cardiac myxoma is visualized by coronary angiograms according to previous reports , but catheterization of the chamber from which the tumor arises carries the risk of tumor embolization . | pubmed |
chiari malformation ( cm ) is characterized by ectopia of the hindbrain through the foramen magnum1216 ) . typically , tonsillar descent of > 5 mm is defined as cm type 1 . although the exact pathophysiology has not been determined ,
disturbance of free cerebrospinal fluid ( csf ) flow at the craniocervical junction is a common component of several theories6111221 ) .
treatment is indicated for symptomatic patients , particularly when cm is combined with syringomyelia in adult patients818 ) .
there are many secondary causes of cm , such as hydrocephalus , congenital vertebral anomaly and arachnoid scarring , and these factors may contribute to the variation in outcomes231015 ) . in the case of idiopathic cm type 1 , restoration of the cisterna magna by foramen
magnum decompression ( fmd ) and duroplasty seems to be a sufficient treatment for restoration of free csf flow5 ) .
however , caudal migration of the medulla oblongata is present in certain patients with cm type 1 , and this condition is referred to as cm type 1.5 in pediatric patients22 ) . the surgical outcome is poorer in pediatric cm type 1.5 than in cm type 122 ) .
however , the significance of additional migration of the medulla oblongata in adult patients is unknown .
we hypothesized that additional migration of the medulla oblongata would also be associated with disturbed csf flow and that the surgical outcomes would not differ between adult cm type 1 and cm type 1.5 if normal csf flow were restored .
the objective of the present study was to analyze surgical outcomes of adult idiopathic cm type 1 with and without additional migration of medulla oblongata .
the cases of patients with cm type 1 , who were surgically treated at an adult hospital from 19882012 , were retrospectively reviewed .
we included patients with syringomyelia , and excluded patients with possible secondary causes , such as a history of meningitis , encephalitis , hydrocephalus , intracranial lesions , an occipitocervical anomaly , brain or spine surgery , or head trauma .
38 ( 81% ) with traceable medical records and at least a 12-month follow - up period were included in the present study ( m : f=11 : 27 ; mean age , 34.713.8 years ; median , 33.5 ; range , 1863 ) .
preoperatively , all patients underwent whole - spine magnetic resonance ( mr ) imaging , and the mid - sagittal t1- and t2-weighted mr images were reviewed .
thirteen patients ( 34% ) had additional migration of the medulla oblongata , which was indicated when the obex was located below the foramen magnum722 ) .
cm type 1 without herniation of the medulla oblongata was classified as group a , and cm type 1 with herniation of the medulla oblongata was classified as group b. syringomyelia was confined to the cervical spinal cord in 2 patients and extended to the thoracic spinal cord in 36 patients .
the modified mccormick scale ( mms ) ( table 1 ) was used to evaluate functional status of the patients before surgery and one year after surgery17 ) .
clinically , the presenting symptoms / signs were varied , and each patient had a variable combination of symptoms / signs . sensory disturbance in the upper limb(s ) was the most common symptom , present in 24 patients , and lower - limb sensory disturbance was present in 9 patients .
upper - extremity weakness was also observed in 5 patients , and lower - extremity weakness was observed in 4 patients .
other symptoms included the following : neck pain , affecting 13 patients ; headache , 4 ; and dizziness , 1 .
the patients were encouraged to ambulate from the day of surgery and walked home at approximately postoperative day 7 .
the patients were scheduled to visit the outpatient clinic at 3 , 6 and 12 months postoperatively and yearly thereafter .
follow - up mr imaging was performed between postoperative 6 and 12 months and was repeated at 1224 months if the size of the syringomyelia cavities had not decreased sufficiently in the prior image .
the patients were followed up for 72.755.6 months ( median , 56.5 months ; range , 12232 months ) .
suboccipital craniotomy ( fmd ) and removal of the posterior c1 ring were performed in all patients .
additional removal of the c2 lamina was selectively performed if preoperative mr imaging demonstrated that the tip of the tonsil reached the c2 level . in the past ,
more recently , the arachnoid was left intact if there was no arachnoid pathology and if free csf flow was observed in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space . in patients with secondary causes ,
the wound was closed layer by layer , without a closed - suction drain19 ) .
we analyzed factors affecting radiological success , rather than clinical success , because comparison of the diverse clinical symptoms was inconsistent10 ) .
the ratio between the largest diameter of the spinal syrinx on each mr image and that of the spinal cord on preoperative mr imaging was used to evaluate the change in syringomyelia2 ) .
radiological success was defined as when the syrinx ratio decreased by more than 50% during the postoperative 12 months .
clinical ( age , sex , motor symptoms , duration of symptoms , and mms ) , radiological [ the extent of the syrinx ( cervical vs. cervicothoracic ) , sufficient postoperative restoration of the cisterna magna , and migration of the medulla oblongata ( group a vs. group b ) ] and surgical ( arachnoid dissection , tonsillectomy , and syrinx - subarachnoid shunting ) factors were included in the risk factors analysis .
restoration of the cisterna magna was regarded as sufficient when the length of the dorsal csf pathway was 12.0 mm at the level of the foramen magnum in mid - sagittal t2-weighted mr images collected at postoperative 612 months5 ) .
all statistical analyses were performed using the commercially available software spss , version 17.0 ( spss inc . ,
non - parametric continuous values were compared using mann - whitney 's u test or the wilcoxon rank sum test , and dichotomous values were analyzed with the chi - square test .
we certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers / animals were followed during the course of this research .
suboccipital craniotomy ( fmd ) and removal of the posterior c1 ring were performed in all patients .
additional removal of the c2 lamina was selectively performed if preoperative mr imaging demonstrated that the tip of the tonsil reached the c2 level . in the past ,
more recently , the arachnoid was left intact if there was no arachnoid pathology and if free csf flow was observed in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space . in patients with secondary causes ,
the wound was closed layer by layer , without a closed - suction drain19 ) .
we analyzed factors affecting radiological success , rather than clinical success , because comparison of the diverse clinical symptoms was inconsistent10 ) .
the ratio between the largest diameter of the spinal syrinx on each mr image and that of the spinal cord on preoperative mr imaging was used to evaluate the change in syringomyelia2 ) .
radiological success was defined as when the syrinx ratio decreased by more than 50% during the postoperative 12 months .
clinical ( age , sex , motor symptoms , duration of symptoms , and mms ) , radiological [ the extent of the syrinx ( cervical vs. cervicothoracic ) , sufficient postoperative restoration of the cisterna magna , and migration of the medulla oblongata ( group a vs. group b ) ] and surgical ( arachnoid dissection , tonsillectomy , and syrinx - subarachnoid shunting ) factors were included in the risk factors analysis .
restoration of the cisterna magna was regarded as sufficient when the length of the dorsal csf pathway was 12.0 mm at the level of the foramen magnum in mid - sagittal t2-weighted mr images collected at postoperative 612 months5 ) .
all statistical analyses were performed using the commercially available software spss , version 17.0 ( spss inc . ,
non - parametric continuous values were compared using mann - whitney 's u test or the wilcoxon rank sum test , and dichotomous values were analyzed with the chi - square test .
we certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers / animals were followed during the course of this research .
the extent of tonsillar descent was greater in group b than in group a ( p<0.01 ) ( table 2 ) .
the obex was located 11.04.7 mm ( range , 4.319 ) below the foramen magnum in group b. syringomyelia was decreased by more than 50% in 32 ( 84% ) patients ( 21/25 in group a and 11/13 in group b ) .
the preoperative syrinx ratio was 0.750.23 , which decreased to 0.200.18 at the last follow - up ( p<0.05 ) .
the extent of the decrease did not differ between group a ( 75.320.3% ) and group b ( 68.127.4% ) ( p= 0.60 ) .
an analysis of factors related to radiological improvement revealed that sufficient restoration of the cisterna magna ( p=0.01 ; or , 46.5 ; 95% ci , 3.2676.2 ) was the only significant factor ( table 3 ) .
preoperative functional status were mms i in 11 patients and mms ii in 14 patients of group a and mms i in 8 and mms ii in 5 patients of group b. postoperatively , clinical symptoms were improved in 31 ( 82% ) patients ( 21/25 in group a and 10/13 in group b ) . of patients with mms
ii , 8 patients showed functional improvement ( 5/14 in group a and 3/5 in group b ) , from mms ii to i , and there was no case of deterioration from mms i and ii ( table 4 ) . although clinical improvement was noted , minimal change of clinical symptoms was not reflected in mms .
complications occurred in 2 patients in group a ( cerebellar contusion in 1 and subdural hemorrhage in 1 ) and 3 patients in group b ( csf leakage in 2 and epidural hemorrhage in 1 ) .
reoperation was necessary in 2 patients due to epidural hemorrhage and subdural hemorrhage . during the follow - up period ,
intraoperative findings showed that the arachnoid was clear in all patients and was left intact in 11/25 patients in group a and 5/13 patients in group b ( p=0.74 ) . before december 2005 , arachnoid dissection and/or tonsillectomy were performed in 15/17 patients , and they were performed in 7/21 patients after january 2006 .
the following two cases exemplify dynamic changes in hindbrain herniation in response to surgical treatment . a 21-year - old man presented with a 5-month history of decreased sensation in his right leg .
mr imaging showed a cm type i and migration of the medullar oblongata with large syrinx on the cervical spine .
the obex and tonsil were located 16.1 mm and 17.2 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum ( fig .
cm type 1 with syringomyelia was diagnosed , and fmd , removal of the posterior c1 ring and duroplasty were performed .
the arachnoid membrane was left intact because it was clear , and free csf flow was observed in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space .
mr imaging performed 2 days after surgery showed similar hindbrain herniation and syringomyelia ( fig .
his sensation was normalized from postoperative 3 months , and mr imaging performed at 6 months showed a marked improvement in the syringomyelia and normalization of the hindbrain herniation .
the size of the dorsal csf pathway was 14.5 mm , and rounding of the tonsil was also observed ( fig . 2c ) .
a 20-year - old female presented with a 7.5-year history of decreased sensation in her right upper extremity .
mr imaging showed cm type 1 , additional migration of the medulla oblongata and syringomyelia ( fig .
the tonsil and obex were located 6.5 mm and 5.7 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum .
although the arachnoid membrane was clear , arachnoid dissection , tonsilectomy and duroplasty were performed .
mr imaging performed 3 months after the operation did not show rounding of the tonsil , restoration of the cisterna magna or improvement in the syringomyelia ( fig .
the herniation of the medulla oblongata progressed with time , and the locations of the obex at 9 , 15 , and 27 months were 7.2 , 8.2 , and 12.1 mm , respectively .
mr imaging performed at 50 months showed further herniation of the tonsil ( 13 mm ) and medulla oblongata ( obex , 12.9 mm below the foramen magnum ) ( fig .
the patient refused reoperation because her symptoms were stationary and similar to her preoperative state .
intraoperative findings showed that the arachnoid was clear in all patients and was left intact in 11/25 patients in group a and 5/13 patients in group b ( p=0.74 ) . before december 2005 , arachnoid dissection and/or tonsillectomy were performed in 15/17 patients , and they were performed in 7/21 patients after january 2006 .
the following two cases exemplify dynamic changes in hindbrain herniation in response to surgical treatment . a 21-year - old man presented with a 5-month history of decreased sensation in his right leg .
mr imaging showed a cm type i and migration of the medullar oblongata with large syrinx on the cervical spine .
the obex and tonsil were located 16.1 mm and 17.2 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum ( fig .
cm type 1 with syringomyelia was diagnosed , and fmd , removal of the posterior c1 ring and duroplasty were performed .
the arachnoid membrane was left intact because it was clear , and free csf flow was observed in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space .
mr imaging performed 2 days after surgery showed similar hindbrain herniation and syringomyelia ( fig .
his sensation was normalized from postoperative 3 months , and mr imaging performed at 6 months showed a marked improvement in the syringomyelia and normalization of the hindbrain herniation .
the size of the dorsal csf pathway was 14.5 mm , and rounding of the tonsil was also observed ( fig . 2c ) .
the syrinx had nearly disappeared at postoperative month 24 . a 20-year - old female presented with a 7.5-year history of decreased sensation in her right upper extremity .
mr imaging showed cm type 1 , additional migration of the medulla oblongata and syringomyelia ( fig .
the tonsil and obex were located 6.5 mm and 5.7 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum .
although the arachnoid membrane was clear , arachnoid dissection , tonsilectomy and duroplasty were performed .
mr imaging performed 3 months after the operation did not show rounding of the tonsil , restoration of the cisterna magna or improvement in the syringomyelia ( fig .
the herniation of the medulla oblongata progressed with time , and the locations of the obex at 9 , 15 , and 27 months were 7.2 , 8.2 , and 12.1 mm , respectively .
mr imaging performed at 50 months showed further herniation of the tonsil ( 13 mm ) and medulla oblongata ( obex , 12.9 mm below the foramen magnum ) ( fig .
the patient refused reoperation because her symptoms were stationary and similar to her preoperative state .
a 21-year - old man presented with a 5-month history of decreased sensation in his right leg .
mr imaging showed a cm type i and migration of the medullar oblongata with large syrinx on the cervical spine .
the obex and tonsil were located 16.1 mm and 17.2 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum ( fig .
cm type 1 with syringomyelia was diagnosed , and fmd , removal of the posterior c1 ring and duroplasty were performed .
the arachnoid membrane was left intact because it was clear , and free csf flow was observed in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space .
mr imaging performed 2 days after surgery showed similar hindbrain herniation and syringomyelia ( fig .
his sensation was normalized from postoperative 3 months , and mr imaging performed at 6 months showed a marked improvement in the syringomyelia and normalization of the hindbrain herniation .
the size of the dorsal csf pathway was 14.5 mm , and rounding of the tonsil was also observed ( fig . 2c ) .
a 20-year - old female presented with a 7.5-year history of decreased sensation in her right upper extremity .
mr imaging showed cm type 1 , additional migration of the medulla oblongata and syringomyelia ( fig .
the tonsil and obex were located 6.5 mm and 5.7 mm , respectively , below the foramen magnum .
although the arachnoid membrane was clear , arachnoid dissection , tonsilectomy and duroplasty were performed .
mr imaging performed 3 months after the operation did not show rounding of the tonsil , restoration of the cisterna magna or improvement in the syringomyelia ( fig .
the herniation of the medulla oblongata progressed with time , and the locations of the obex at 9 , 15 , and 27 months were 7.2 , 8.2 , and 12.1 mm , respectively .
mr imaging performed at 50 months showed further herniation of the tonsil ( 13 mm ) and medulla oblongata ( obex , 12.9 mm below the foramen magnum ) ( fig .
the patient refused reoperation because her symptoms were stationary and similar to her preoperative state .
herniation of the medulla oblongata was observed in 34% ( 13/38 ) of patients in the present study .
syringomyelia and clinical symptoms were improved in 32 ( 84% ) and 31 ( 82% ) patients , respectively .
the sufficient restoration of the cisterna magna ( p=0.01 ) was the only significant factor .
the reduction in syringomyelia after restoration of the cisterna magna was not dependent on herniation of the medulla oblongata ( p=0.96 ) .
we demonstrated that hindbrain herniation changes dynamically , depending on whether successful restoration of the cisterna magna is achieved in case 1 and 2 .
cm type 1.5 is defined as a combination of brain stem herniation through the foramen magnum in addition to the presence of cm type 1 in pediatric patients22 ) .
the obex has been found to lie 144 mm below the foramen magnum ( 11.04.7 mm in the present study)22 ) . in pediatric patients ,
although no differences in clinical symptoms or the incidence of syringomyelia are characteristic of cm type 1.52122 ) , persistent syringomyelia after posterior decompressive surgery and duroplasty has been reported to be twofold higher in cm type 1.5 than in cm type 1 ( 14% vs. 7% ) , and elective resection of the tonsil has been recommended22 ) .
kim et al.7 ) reported a case of spontaneous progression of pediatric cm type 1 to cm type 1.5 over a 9-year follow - up .
the incidence and significance of medulla oblongata herniation in adult idiopathic cm type 1 have not been reported . in the present study ,
although it was not specified , we found similar findings in other papers579 ) . in those studies ,
if there were no arachnoid pathology , rapid csf flow through the narrow subarachnoid space resulted in a pressure difference between the cranial and the caudal compartments ( the venturi effect ) , which caused hindbrain herniation , and further migration of the medulla oblongata could occur over time4 ) .
these findings suggest that the adverse consequences could be resolved by eliminating the venturi effect itself14 ) .
therefore , the goal of surgery is the restoration of unimpeded flow of the csf across the craniocervical junction by enlarging the retrocerebellar and subtonsillar cisterns ( restoration of the cisterna magna ) , allowing the normal csf pulsations to be transmitted into the spinal subarachnoid space23131820 ) .
the value of opening the arachnoid membrane and performing tonsillectomy to restore the cisterna magna is questionable .
many papers have supported arachnoid opening and/or tonsillectomy12310 ) . however , a successful surgical outcome ( 100% normalization of hindbrain herniation ) was reported without arachnoid opening by heiss et al.5 ) .
klekamp10 ) showed that combined arachnoid pathology was a strong risk factor for symptom recurrence ( or , 7.4 ) in a large case series ( n=371 ) .
the arachnoid membrane was normal only in 59/371 patients , and neurological deterioration was observed in 13% of cases within 5 years and in 19% within 10 years after the surgery.10 ) in contrast , alfieri and pinna1 ) reported that recurrence was observed in only 1.8% ( 2/109 ) of patients over a median of 12.7 years in a study that included only patients without arachnoid pathology .
these results imply that arachnoid pathology might cause an unpredictable surgical outcome , most likely due to different pathophysiology . in the present study ,
the only significant prognostic factor was sufficient restoration of the cisterna magna ; arachnoid opening and tonsillectomy were not significant factors . for patients without arachnoid pathology , adequate restoration of the cisterna magna with fmd , decompression of c1/c2 and duroplasty may be sufficient , even for patients with additional herniation of the medulla oblongata .
although the definition of " adequate " is not established , confirming free csf flow in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space during the operation may lead to adequate cisterna magna restoration1245 ) . first , the present study was a retrospective analysis of 38 patients and the small number may have resulted in a lower statistical power .
second , the surgical procedure was not uniform , and selection of the surgical procedure evolved over time . a prospective randomized controlled trial with long - term follow - up will be essential to establish the practical value of each surgical procedure .
third , the follow - up period ( 72.755.6 months ; median , 56.5 months ; range , 12232 months ) was not sufficient to draw a solid conclusion .
cm type 1.5 is defined as a combination of brain stem herniation through the foramen magnum in addition to the presence of cm type 1 in pediatric patients22 ) .
the obex has been found to lie 144 mm below the foramen magnum ( 11.04.7 mm in the present study)22 ) . in pediatric patients ,
although no differences in clinical symptoms or the incidence of syringomyelia are characteristic of cm type 1.52122 ) , persistent syringomyelia after posterior decompressive surgery and duroplasty has been reported to be twofold higher in cm type 1.5 than in cm type 1 ( 14% vs. 7% ) , and elective resection of the tonsil has been recommended22 ) .
kim et al.7 ) reported a case of spontaneous progression of pediatric cm type 1 to cm type 1.5 over a 9-year follow - up .
the incidence and significance of medulla oblongata herniation in adult idiopathic cm type 1 have not been reported . in the present study ,
although it was not specified , we found similar findings in other papers579 ) . in those studies ,
if there were no arachnoid pathology , rapid csf flow through the narrow subarachnoid space resulted in a pressure difference between the cranial and the caudal compartments ( the venturi effect ) , which caused hindbrain herniation , and further migration of the medulla oblongata could occur over time4 ) .
these findings suggest that the adverse consequences could be resolved by eliminating the venturi effect itself14 ) .
therefore , the goal of surgery is the restoration of unimpeded flow of the csf across the craniocervical junction by enlarging the retrocerebellar and subtonsillar cisterns ( restoration of the cisterna magna ) , allowing the normal csf pulsations to be transmitted into the spinal subarachnoid space23131820 ) .
the value of opening the arachnoid membrane and performing tonsillectomy to restore the cisterna magna is questionable .
many papers have supported arachnoid opening and/or tonsillectomy12310 ) . however , a successful surgical outcome ( 100% normalization of hindbrain herniation ) was reported without arachnoid opening by heiss et al.5 ) .
klekamp10 ) showed that combined arachnoid pathology was a strong risk factor for symptom recurrence ( or , 7.4 ) in a large case series ( n=371 ) .
the arachnoid membrane was normal only in 59/371 patients , and neurological deterioration was observed in 13% of cases within 5 years and in 19% within 10 years after the surgery.10 ) in contrast , alfieri and pinna1 ) reported that recurrence was observed in only 1.8% ( 2/109 ) of patients over a median of 12.7 years in a study that included only patients without arachnoid pathology .
these results imply that arachnoid pathology might cause an unpredictable surgical outcome , most likely due to different pathophysiology . in the present study ,
the only significant prognostic factor was sufficient restoration of the cisterna magna ; arachnoid opening and tonsillectomy were not significant factors .
for patients without arachnoid pathology , adequate restoration of the cisterna magna with fmd , decompression of c1/c2 and duroplasty may be sufficient , even for patients with additional herniation of the medulla oblongata .
although the definition of " adequate " is not established , confirming free csf flow in the subtonsillar subarachnoid space during the operation may lead to adequate cisterna magna restoration1245 ) .
first , the present study was a retrospective analysis of 38 patients and the small number may have resulted in a lower statistical power .
second , the surgical procedure was not uniform , and selection of the surgical procedure evolved over time
. a prospective randomized controlled trial with long - term follow - up will be essential to establish the practical value of each surgical procedure .
third , the follow - up period ( 72.755.6 months ; median , 56.5 months ; range , 12232 months ) was not sufficient to draw a solid conclusion .
normalization of csf flow was the most important surgical goal for adult patients with idiopathic cm type 1 .
migration of the medulla oblongata did not make a difference in the surgical outcome when the cisterna magna was restored .
a long - term follow - up study with a large number of patients will be necessary to confirm these findings . | pubmed |
Luca Lulli born 22 December 1991 in Atri, is an Italian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Cavese.
Club career
On 1 July 2019, he signed a 2-year contract with Cavese.
References
External links
Category:1991 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from the Province of Teramo
Category:Italian footballers
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:Delfino Pescara 1936 players
Category:U.S. Gavorrano players
Category:Como 1907 players
Category:Calcio Catania players
Category:Savona F.B.C. players
Category:S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio players
Category:Pordenone Calcio players
Category:Paganese Calcio 1926 players
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Category:Alma Juventus Fano 1906 players
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Category:Serie C players | wikipedia |
Imperial Beach Sun & Sea Festival This Weekend | Pictures, Schedule, & More Info!
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Pride: 2015 San Diego Pride | Music Festival, Parade, Parties, Rally, 5K Run, & More!
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San Diego Pride is here! The Block Party's on Friday, the Parade is this Saturday, and the Pride Music Festival is Saturday & Sunday. There are lots of events and parties all week! Below is a big list of events to attend.
If you want your Pride event(s) here, you can email info to sandiegopipeline @ gmail dot com.
This entry was posted in Active Lifestyle, All Ages, Art, Comedy, Downtown, Events, Family Friendly, Fashion, Festivals, Food & Drink, Free, LGBTQ, Music, Shopping and tagged 2015 cork and wine classic, 2015 lemon zest and garlic fest, 2015 pride of hillcrest block party, 2015 pride of hillcrest party, 2015 pride parade san diego, 2015 pride san diego, 2015 san diego august events, 2015 san diego cork and wine classic, 2015 san diego july events, 2015 san diego music festivals, 2015 San Diego Pride, 2015 san diego pride 5k, 2015 san diego pride block party, 2015 san diego pride events, 2015 san diego pride music festival, 2015 san diego pride parade, 2015 San Diego Pride Parties, 2015 san diego pride rally, 2015 san diego pride week, 2015 san diego spirit of stonewall rally, 2015 spirit of stonewall rally, free san deigo family friendly events, free san diego all ages events, free san diego concert events, free san diego events, free san diego music events, free san diego summer concerts, pride parade san diego, pride san diego, san diego 5ks, san diego all ages events, san diego august events, san diego concert events, san diego events, san diego family friendly events, san diego food and drink events, san diego free tickets, san diego july events, san diego lemon zest and garlic fest, san diego music events, san diego music festivals, san diego pride, san diego pride 5k, san diego pride block party, san diego pride calendar, san diego pride events, san diego pride music festival, san diego pride parade, san diego pride parties, san diego pride rally, san diego pride week, san diego running events, san diego summer concerts, san diego summer events, san diego win tickets, spirit of stonewall rally, win tickets cork and wine classic, win tickets lemon zest and garlic fest. | slim_pajama |
globular clusters ( gcs ) are effective laboratories for studying stellar evolution and stellar dynamics .
they are ancient building blocks of galaxies which can help us understand the formation and evolution of their parent galaxies .
in addition , gcs exhibit surprisingly uniform properties , suggesting a common formation mechanism .
it is well known that studying the spatial structures and dynamics of gcs is of great importance for understanding both their formation condition and dynamical evolution within the tidal fields of their galaxies @xcite .
structural and dynamical parameters of gcs as described by surface brightness and velocity profiles can be fitted by a number of different models .
the models include those of the empirical , single - mass , modified isothermal spheres @xcite , the isotropic multi - mass @xcite , the anisotropic multi - mass @xcite , and the power - law surface - density profiles @xcite . since the pioneer work of @xcite , three models are often used in the fits .
first is based on single - mass , isotropic , modified isothermal sphere developed by @xcite .
second is a further modification of a single - mass , isotropic isothermal sphere based on the ad hoc stellar distribution function of @xcite .
the third model is based on the @xmath2 surface density profile of @xcite . using the three models
, some authors have achieved some success in determining structural and dynamical parameters of clusters in the local galaxies : the milky way , the large and small magellanic clouds , fornax and sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxies @xcite , m31 @xcite , and ngc 5128 @xcite . due to their proximity , galaxies in the local group provide us with ideal targets for detailed studies of spatial structures and dynamics of gcs .
the gcs of the milky way and m31 have received close attention ( see * ? ? ?
* ; * ? ? ?
* and references there ) . however , before @xcite determined structural parameters for 161 star clusters in m33 , structural studies of the star cluster system of m33 are very limited .
@xcite derived core radii of 60 star clusters in m33 using linear correlations with the measured full width at half - maximum ( fwhm ) of each cluster using the _ hubble space telescope _
( _ hst _ ) images , and found that core radii of m33 star clusters are smaller on average than those of galactic gcs and lmc populous clusters at similar magnitudes . @xcite determined structural parameters for four halo gcs in m33 by fitting king model @xcite to the surface brightness of the _ hst _ images .
these authors presented that the four m33 clusters have similar structural parameters , and fall in the same `` fundamental plane '' and binding energy - luminosity relations as milky way and m31 clusters .
@xcite measured structural parameters of six outer clusters of m33 by fitting the models of @xcite and @xcite , and of @xcite , using the canada - france - hawaii telescope ( cfht)/megacam data as part of the pan - andromeda archaeological survey .
the structural parameters obtained by @xcite include the concentration parameter , and core , half - light and tidal radii .
@xcite presented detailed morphological properties of m33 star clusters using the _ hst _ images .
they derived ellipcities and position angles for 161 star clusters , and found that m33 clusters are more flattened than those of the milky way and m31 .
they concluded that the cluster flattening of m33 is resulted from tidal forces .
@xcite also derived structural parameters for these star clusters including core radii , concentration , half - light radii and central surface brightness by fitting the empirical king model @xcite and elson - freeman - fall model @xcite .
the results of @xcite showed differences in the structural evolution between the m33 cluster system and clusters in nearby galaxies . in this paper
, we will determine structural and dynamical parameters for 10 halo gcs in m33 by fitting three structural models @xcite to their surface brightness profiles , and compare the resulting fundamental planes of gc parameters in different galaxies .
through out this work a distance to m33 of 847 kpc [ @xmath3 @xcite has been adopted . at that distance , 1
arcsec corresponds 4.11 pc .
this paper is organized as follows . in section 2 ,
we present the data - processing steps to derive the surface brightness profiles . in section 3 ,
we determine structural and dynamical parameters of the clusters and make some comparisons with previous studies . a discussion on the correlations of the derived parameters is given in section 4 .
finally , we summarize our results in section 5 .
the sample of m33 halo gcs in this paper is from @xcite , who originally selected 10 star clusters in m33 based on their halo - like kinematics and red colors ( @xmath4 ) .
@xcite considered that these clusters should be as close an analogy as possible to the halo clusters in the milky way .
the observations used in the present work come from the _ hst _ programs 5914 , of which the sample star clusters were observed by the _ hst_/wide field planetary camera 2 ( wfpc2 ) in f555w and f814w bands .
each cluster was centered in the pc1 chip , and was observed with a total exposure time of 4800 s in f555w band and 5200 s in f814w band ( see * ? ? ? * for details ) .
we obtained the combined drizzled images from the hubble legacy archive .
figure 1 shows images of the sample halo gcs in m33 observed in the f555w and f814w filters of wfpc2/_hst_. we want to point out that @xcite have determined structural parameters for four of the sample clusters by fitting king model @xcite to the surface brightness of the same _ hst _ images as those used in this paper .
however , we still selected them as our sample of gcs because we want to study them in the way as @xcite did for the gcs in the milky way , @xcite , @xcite and @xcite did for the gcs in m31 , and @xcite did for the gcs in ngc 5128 .
we will determine not only structural parameters , but also dynamical parameters for the sample clusters .
in addition , we will study correlations between the parameters obtained here combined with those obtained by @xcite for milky way gcs , and by @xcite and @xcite for m31 gcs ( see section 4 ) . especially , @xcite measured the velocity dispersions for four sample clusters using high - dispersion spectra from the hires echelle spectrograph on the keck i telescope .
so , we can compare the velocity dispersions predicted here with those measured by @xcite to check our results .
in addition , another sample halo gc ( u137 ) had been studied by @xcite and @xcite using the _ hst _ images different from those used here .
@xcite derived core radii of u137 using linear correlations with the fwhm . @xcite
derived structural parameters of u137 including core radii , concentration , half - light radii and central surface brightness .
when we calculate the mass - to - light ratios ( @xmath1 values ) which are used to derive the dynamical parameters , the ages and metallicities are used . in this paper
, we used the ages and metallicities obtained by @xcite and @xcite .
@xcite estimated the ages of these m33 halo gcs based on the integrated spectral energy distributions ( seds ) obtained by the beijing
connecticut ( batc ) system with 13 intermediate - band filters .
these authors fitted the seds with the simple stellar population ( ssp ) model to determine the ages of star clusters .
@xcite also estimated the ages of these clusters by comparing the integrated photometry of them with the ssp model in the color color diagram .
@xcite showed that the ages estimated by @xcite are in good agreement with those estimated by @xcite ( see table 1 of ma et al .
2004 for details ) .
@xcite estimated ages and metallicities of 100 star clusters in m33 including four sample star clusters by fitting the theoretical isochrones to the observational color - magnitude diagrams . in general , the ages obtained by @xcite are younger than those in @xcite and @xcite . for the metallicities of the sample star clusters , some works @xcite determined them . using two reddening - independent techniques , @xcite determined the metallicities for four sample clusters . using the integrated spectra , @xcite estimated the metallicities for seven sample clusters , and @xcite estimated the metallicities for five sample clusters , respectively .
@xcite estimated the metallicities for these 10 sample star clusters based on the shape and color of the red giant branch obtained using the images of the _ hst_/wfpc2 .
@xcite estimated the metallicities of 31 m33 old star clusters including these 10 sample clusters based on the ssp model and the photometries of the batc intermediate - band filters . from table 5 of @xcite and their discussions , we can see that the results of @xcite are consistent with those published by previous studies .
the reddening values of nine sample clusters were obtained by @xcite except for r14 . for r14
, @xcite determined its reddening value . in this paper , we adopted the reddening values of the sample clusters obtained by @xcite and @xcite .
the @xmath5 magnitudes of eight sample clusters are from @xcite and @xcite , who presented new @xmath6 photometry for 626 star clusters and candidates in m33 including eight sample clusters ( except for r12 and r14 ) using archival images from the local group galaxies survey @xcite .
the @xmath5 magnitudes of r12 and r14 are from @xcite .
galactocentric distances of the sample clusters from @xcite are adopted here .
the parameters of the sample star clusters are listed in table 1 , which will be used in following sections .
the data analysis procedures to measure surface brightness profiles of clusters have been described in @xcite . here
we briefly summarize the procedures .
surface photometries of each cluster were obtained from the drizzled images , using the iraf task ellipse .
the center position of a sample cluster was fixed at a value derived by object locator of ellipse task , however an initial center position was determined by centroiding .
elliptical isophotes were fitted to the data , with no sigma clipping .
we ran two passes of ellipse task , the first pass was run in the usual way , with ellipticity and position angle allowed to vary with the isophote semimajor axis . in the second pass , surface brightness profiles on fixed , zero - ellipticity isophotes were measured , since we choose to fit circular models for the intrinsic cluster structure and the point spread function ( psf ) as @xcite did . in order to derive required smooth profiles by ellipse , we filtered the images of the sample clusters with an median filter except for r12 and r14 , since the profiles of these two clusters are smooth enough . as @xcite adopted , we filtered the images of the sample clusters with an @xmath7 @xmath8 median filter except for h10 and c20 . for c20 , we filtered its images with an @xmath9 @xmath8 median filter , and for h10 , we filtered its images with an @xmath10 @xmath8 median filter , in order to derive smooth profiles of these two clusters .
figures 2 and 3 plot the ellipticity ( @xmath11 ) and position angle ( p.a . ) as a function of the semimajor axis ( @xmath12 ) in the f555w and f814w bands for the sample clusters .
the errors were generated by the iraf task ellipse , in which the ellipticity errors were obtained from the internal errors in the harmonic fit , after removal of the first and second fitted harmonics .
figure 2 shows that the ellipticities are generally large at small radii for most sample clusters .
figure 3 shows that the position angles are occasionally wildly varying for some sample clusters .
this is likely to be produced by internal errors in the ellipse . in the far outer parts of the clusters , the ellipticities and the position angles
are poorly constrained due to the low signal - to - noise ratio .
it is true that the ellipticities are very different between small radii and large radii for most sample clusters .
so , the final ellipticity and position angle for each cluster were calculated as the average of the values between 0.2 and 1.5 arcsec ( indicate by dashed lines in figures 2 and 3 ) obtained in the first pass of ellipse , where the quantities are more stable .
table 1 lists the average ellipticity and position angle for every star cluster .
errors correspond to the standard deviation of the mean .
in addition , the ellipticities in the different bands are very different at small radii , since the random fluctuations due to individual stars make the fits meaningless at small radii .
raw output from package ellipse is in terms of counts s@xmath13 pixel@xmath13 , which needs to multiply by @xmath14 to convert to counts s@xmath13 @xmath15 .
a formula is used to transform counts to surface brightness in magnitude calibrated on the vegamag system , @xmath16 as noted by @xcite , occasional oversubtraction of background during the multidrizzling in the automatic reduction pipeline leads to `` negative '' counts in some pixels , so we worked in terms of linear intensity instead of surface brightness in magnitude . with updated absolute magnitudes of the sun @xmath17 from table 2 of @xcite , the equation for transforming counts to surface brightness in intensity
is derived , @xmath18 converting from luminosity density in @xmath19 to surface brightness in magnitude was done according to @xmath20 the zeropoints , conversion factors , and coefficients used in these transformations for each filter are from table 2 of @xcite . in this paper ,
the final , calibrated intensity profiles for the sample gcs but with no extinction corrected are listed in table 2 .
the reported intensities are calibrated on the vegamag scale . in table 2 ,
column 6 gives a flag for each point , which has the same meaning as @xcite and @xcite defined .
the points flagged with``ok '' are used to constrain the model fit , while the points flagged with `` dep '' are those that may lead to excessive weighting of the central regions of clusters ( see * ? ? ?
* ; * ? ? ?
* for details ) .
in addition , points marked with `` bad '' are those individual isophotes that deviated strongly from their neighbors or showed irregular features , which were deleted by hand .
the psf models are critical to accurately measure the shapes of objects in images taken with _ hst
_ @xcite . in this paper
, we chose not to deconvolve the data , instead fitting structural models after convolving them with a simple analytic description of the psf as @xcite and @xcite did for m31 star clusters ( see * ? ? ?
* ; * ? ? ?
* for details ) .
a simple analytic description of the psfs for the wfpc2 bands has been given by @xcite , which will be adopted here .
when we fit models to the surface brightness profiles of the sample clusters , we will correct the intensity profiles for extinction .
the effective wavelengths of the wfpc2 f555w and f814w bands are @xmath21 5439.0 and 8012.2 @xcite . with the extinction curve @xmath22 taken from @xcite with @xmath23 , two formulas for computing @xmath24 and @xmath25 are derived : @xmath26 , and @xmath27 ( also see table 2 of * ? ? ?
in addition , for easy comparison with catalogs of the gcs in the milky way ( see section 4 for details ) , we transform the wfpc2 magnitudes in the f555w band to the standard @xmath28 .
@xcite has given transformations from wfpc2 to standard @xmath29 magnitudes both on observed and synthetic methods ( see their table 22 ) .
as synthetic transformations are based on larger color range and more safely employed , they should be considered the norm , unless some indicated cases @xcite .
we used the synthetic transformation from f555w to @xmath28 magnitude on the vegamag scale with a quadratic dependence on dereddened @xmath30 . with the magnitudes in @xmath28 and @xmath31 bands and reddening values listed in table 1 , we found the @xmath30 values of all the sample clusters
are larger than 0.4 .
so , the following transformation formula from @xcite was applied here , @xmath32 for which we estimated a precision of about @xmath33 mag .
as @xcite , @xcite , and @xcite did , we used three structural models to fit star cluster surface profiles .
these models are developed by @xcite , @xcite , and @xcite ( hereafter `` king model '' , `` wilson model '' and `` srsic model '' ) .
@xcite have described the three structural models in detail , here we briefly summarize some basic characteristics for them .
king model is most commonly used in studies of star clusters , which is the simple model of single - mass , isotropic , modified isothermal sphere .
wilson model is defined by an alternate modified isothermal sphere based on the ad hoc stellar distribution function of @xcite , which has more extended envelope structures than the standard king isothermal sphere @xcite .
srsic model has an @xmath2 surface - density profile , which is used for parameterizing the surface brightness profiles of early - type galaxies and bulges of spiral galaxies @xcite .
however , @xcite found that some classical gcs in m31 which exhibit cuspy core profiles are well fitted by srsic model of index @xmath34 .
the clusters with cuspy cores have usually been called post - core collapse ( see * ? ? ? * and references therein ) . after the intensity profiles were corrected for extinction ( see section 2.4 for details ) , we fitted models to the brightness profiles of the sample clusters .
we first convolved the three models with psfs for the filters used .
given a value for the scale radius @xmath35 , we compute a dimensionless model profile @xmath36 and then perform the convolution , @xmath37dx^\prime dy^\prime , \label{eq : convol}\ ] ] where @xmath38 , and @xmath39 .
@xmath40 was approximated using the equation ( 4 ) of @xcite ( see * ? ? ? * for details ) .
the best fitting model was derived by calculating and minimizing @xmath41 as the sum of squared differences between model intensities and observed intensities with extinction corrected ,
@xmath42 ^ 2}{\sigma_{i}^{2}}},\ ] ] in which a background @xmath43 was also fitted .
the uncertainties of observed intensities listed in table 2 were used as weights .
we plot the fitting for the sample clusters in figures 413 .
the observed intensity profile with extinction corrected is plotted as a function of logarithmic projected radius .
the open squares are the data points included in the model fitting , while the crosses are points flagged as `` dep '' or `` bad '' , which are not used to constrain the fit @xcite .
the best - fitting models , including king model ( k66 ) , wilson model ( w ) , and srsic model ( s ) are shown with a red solid line from the left to the right panel , with a fitted @xmath43 added .
the blue dashed lines represent the shapes of the psfs for the filters used .
as @xcite did , the values of mass - to - light ratios ( @xmath1 values ) , which were used to derive the dynamical parameters , were determined from the population - synthesis models of @xcite , assuming a @xcite initial mass function .
the ages and metallicities used to compute @xmath1 values in the @xmath28 band are listed in table 1 .
the basic structural and various derived dynamical parameters of the best - fitting models for each cluster are listed in tables 35 , with a description of each parameter / column at the end of each table ( see * ? ? ? * for details of the calculation ) .
the uncertainties of these parameters were estimated by calculating their variations in each model that yields @xmath41 within 1 of the global minimum for a cluster , while combined in quadrature with the uncertainties in @xmath1 for the parameters related to it ( see * ? ? ? * for details ) . at last , we constructed and listed the fundamental plane of the sample clusters in table 6 , defined by @xcite using mass surface density instead of luminosity surface density in the `` @xmath44 '' parameters defined by @xcite .
@xmath45 @xmath46 @xmath47 @xcite presented ellipticities , position angles and surface brightness profiles for four sample clusters ( h38 , m9 , r12 and u49 ) , and they also determined structural parameters using @xcite model fits for them .
these authors used the same @xmath48 images as we used here .
they filtered the images of the clusters with an @xmath7 @xmath8 median filter .
@xcite presented the ellipticities to be less than @xmath49 for h38 , m9 and r12 comparing with @xmath49 for m9 and r12 and @xmath50 for h38 obtained here .
@xcite presented the ellipticity of u49 to be @xmath51 comparing with @xmath52 obtained here .
in fact , @xcite only plotted the distributions of ellipticities and position angles for four clusters between 0.45 and 4.2 arcsec , and did not calculate the average values .
when we plot the distributions of ellipticities and position angles for them between 0.45 and 4.2 arcsec , we find that , except for r12 , the distributions of ellipticities and position angles for the other three sample clusters obtained here are in agreement with those of @xcite .
we indicated in section 2.2 that we did not filter the images of r12 because its surface brightness profiles are smooth enough ( see figure 5 ) .
however , beyond @xmath53 in the f555w band and @xmath54 in the f814w band , the ellipticity and the position angle of r12 can not be derived here because of low signal - to - noise ratio .
figure 14 compares the values of cluster parameters obtained here with those in @xcite , including the concentration @xmath55 , scale radius @xmath35 , and central surface brightness @xmath56 .
it is evident that , in general , our results are in agreement with those derived by @xcite , and systematic differences are not found .
in addition , @xcite derived the core radius of u137 ( their no .
54 ) in the f555w band .
@xcite derived the structural parameters including the core radius , concentration , half - light radius and central surface brightness for u137 ( their no .
22 ) . in general , our results are in agreement with those in previous studies .
the offset of the core radius of u137 between this paper and @xcite ( this study minus previous study ) is 0.43 pc in the f555w band .
@xcite derived the core radius , concentration , half - light radius and central surface brightness of u137 in the f606w and f814w bands .
the offsets of the core radius , concentration , half - light radius and central surface brightness of u137 between this paper and @xcite ( this study minus previous study ) are @xmath57 pc , 0.11 , @xmath58 pc , and 0.14 mag in the f555w ( f606w ) band , and @xmath59 pc , 0.26 , @xmath60 pc , and @xmath61 mag in the f814w band .
the cluster structural parameters used to compare here were obtained in @xcite , @xcite , and this paper by fitting king model .
@xcite obtained the ellipticity of u137 to be 0.06 in the f606w band comparing with 0.10 in the f555w band obtained here , and to be 0.09 in the f814w band comparing with 0.13 obtained here .
however , when we calculate the final ellipticity of u137 as the average of the values between 0.5 and 1.5 arcsec as @xcite did , we derive the ellipticity of u137 to be 0.05 and 0.11 in the f555w and f814 bands , respectively , which are in good agreement with those of @xcite . one eventual use for the material presented in section 3.2 should be to facilitate the comparison of dynamical star cluster @xmath1 values to the population - synthesis model values that we calculated here . for the star clusters of m33 , the determinations of @xmath1 values are very limited : only @xcite measured observed velocity dispersions for four sample clusters using high - dispersion spectra from the hires echelle spectrograph on the keck i telescope .
these authors determined the @xmath62 values for these four clusters .
the upper panel of figure 15 shows the observed versus model velocity dispersions for the sample clusters in question .
the lower panel then shows the square of the ratio of observed to predicted dispersions , which is equal to the ratio of dynamical to population - synthesis @xmath1 .
figure 15 shows that there is generally good agreement between the observed and predicted velocity dispersions except for r12 .
however , it is true that , because of the limited sample clusters , this conclusion should be confirmed based on a large sample objects . the mean ratio between the observed and
predicted velocity dispersions is @xmath63 , with an interquartile range of @xmath64 .
this corresponds to a ratio between dynamical and population - synthesis - derived mass - to - light ratios of @xmath65 , consistent with the values for this ratio of @xmath66 presented by @xcite for milky way and old magellanic cloud clusters , @xmath67 presented by @xcite for m31 gcs , and @xmath68 published by @xcite for ngc 5128 gcs .
comparing model fits to the same cluster observed in different bands allows assessment of the systematic errors and color dependencies in the fits @xcite .
figure 16 compares the parameters derived from fits to the sample clusters observed in both f555w and f814w bands . in general , the agreement is quite good , with somewhat larger scatter for the @xcite and @xcite model fits than for the @xcite model fits .
this result is in agreement with those presented by @xcite for m31 star clusters .
however , for some sample clusters , both projected half - light radius and ratio of half - light to core radius as fit to the f555w data are a little smaller than those from the f814w data for the three models .
because the model - fit results in the two wfpc2 bands are quite similar , we only consider the f555w model fits from now on .
in addition , fits to clusters in the milky way are performed in the @xmath28 band , allowing us direct comparison without being concerned about possible color gradients ( see section 4 ) . in order to determine which model can fit the structure of clusters best
, @xcite and @xcite defined a relative @xmath41 index , @xmath69 , which compares the @xmath41 of the best fit of an `` alternate '' model with the @xmath41 of the best fit of king model , @xmath70 if the parameter @xmath69 is zero , the two models fit the same cluster equally well .
positive values indicate a better fit of king model , and negative values indicate the `` alternate '' model is a better fit than king model .
figure 17 shows the relative quality of fit , @xmath69 for wilson- and srsic - model fits ( filled and open circles , respectively , in all panels ) versus king - model fits for the sample clusters in this paper .
the @xmath69 values are plotted as a function of some structural parameters , including the half - light radius @xmath71 , total model luminosity @xmath72 , and the intrinsic average surface brightness @xmath73 . in general ,
@xcite model fits the m33 halo cluster data better than @xcite model .
in addition , there is only one cluster which has @xmath74 for wilson - model fits .
the remaining clusters have absolute values of @xmath75 for wilson - model fits .
so , we consider that king and wilson models fit equally well for nearly all of the sample clusters in m33 ( except for one ) .
this result differs from those for the clusters in ngc 5128 @xcite and m31 @xcite .
@xcite indicated that for the clusters in ngc 5128 , @xcite model fits as well as or better than @xcite model , however , @xcite and @xcite showed that for most clusters in m31 , @xcite model fits better than @xcite model .
in addition , figure 17 immediately shows that @xcite model fits the m33 sample cluster data better than @xcite model . based on our small sample clusters of m33
, we can not see these structural parameters strongly affect @xmath69 . for m31 and ngc 5128 clusters ,
the results are somewhat different . for m31 clusters
, @xcite showed that the bright clusters ( @xmath76 ) are better fitted by @xcite model , however , for ngc 5128 clusters , @xcite showed that the bright clusters are generally fitted much better by @xcite and @xcite models .
in addition , @xcite presented a database of structural and dynamical properties for 153 spatially resolved star clusters in the milky way , the large and small magellanic clouds , and the fornax dwarf spheroidal .
the results of @xcite showed that globulars and young massive clusters in theses galaxies are systematically better fitted by the extended @xcite model than by @xcite model .
@xcite model often fits about as well as wilson model but can be significantly worse .
@xcite derived structural parameters for 161 star clusters using the _ hst _ images .
these authors found that young clusters ( @xmath77 ) are notably better fitted by elson - freeman - fall model @xcite with no radial truncation , while older clusters show no significant differences between @xcite and @xcite fits .
figure 18 compares the relative quality of fit , @xmath69 values with a number of structural parameters ( @xmath78 , @xmath71 , @xmath79 , @xmath72 , @xmath80 , and @xmath81 ) for the sample clusters here .
it is evident that the parameters do not clearly vary with goodness of fit .
there is one cluster ( r14 ) with comparable @xmath41 , but large discrepancy of @xmath78 , @xmath80 , and @xmath81 values for king- and srsic - model fits .
arrows are attached to the points for r14 in the figure when the parameter differences fall outside the plotted range in any panel .
in addition , most parameters derived from wilson model are slightly larger than those from king model , while parameters derived from srsic model are smaller than those from king model , especially for @xmath78 , @xmath80 , and @xmath81 .
the mean offsets between parameters derived for the same cluster from @xcite and @xcite models are : @xmath82 , @xmath83 , @xmath84 , @xmath85 , @xmath86 , and @xmath87 .
the mean offsets from @xcite and @xcite models are : @xmath88 ( r14 aside ) , @xmath89 , @xmath90 , @xmath91 , @xmath92 ( r14 aside ) , and @xmath93 ( r14 aside ) .
we combined the newly derived structural and dynamical parameters of m33 halo gcs by king model fits here with those derived by king model fits for m31 gcs @xcite , and milky way gcs @xcite to construct a large sample to look into the correlations between the parameters .
the ellipticities and galactocentric distances for milky way gcs are from @xcite ( 2010 edition ) .
the parameters used in the following discussion for m31 gcs @xcite are those derived on the band close to the @xmath28 band ( e.g. , f555w and f606w ) .
figure 19 shows structural parameters as a function of galactocentric distance @xmath94 for the new large sample clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way . for milky way clusters
the true three - dimensional distance is used , while for m31 and m33 clusters only projected distances are available .
it is evident that all the clusters in the three galaxies present similar trends , although m33 sample clusters are limited in smaller galactocentric distances .
however , m33 clusters have slightly larger @xmath71 and @xmath95 than m31 and milky way clusters for a given @xmath94 , although all the clusters in three galaxies follow the general trend . on the contrary ,
m33 clusters have slightly smaller @xmath72 than m31 and milky way clusters for a given @xmath94 .
we fitted the data of the milky way and m31 and of m33 to linear relations , respectively .
and the results showed that there exit some offsets between the different trends .
the fitting results are as follow .
@xmath96 and @xmath97 for milky way and m31 clusters and for m33 clusters , respectively . @xmath98 and @xmath99 for milky way and m31 clusters and for m33 clusters , respectively . @xmath100 and @xmath101 for milky way and m31 clusters and for m33 clusters , respectively .
we argued that this difference results from small number statistic of m33 clusters .
in addition , some global trends can be seen .
clusters at larger galactocentric distances , on average , have larger @xmath71 and @xmath102 than do those which are located closer to the galactic center .
the correlation between @xmath71 and @xmath94 showed in figure 19 is a general property of gc systems ( see * ? ? ? * and references therein ) , which results from physical conditions at the time of cluster formation as suggested by @xcite for milky way gcs .
@xcite considered that the scale sizes of gcs appear to be determined jointly and universally by their metallicity , spatial locations , and their mass , which are included in their conditions of formation .
in fact , it is true that star clusters with small @xmath94 have small @xmath71 due to tidal disruption .
it should be mentioned , however , that no clear correlation between @xmath71 and @xmath94 exists for the gcs in ngc 4649 @xcite .
so , @xcite suggested that the sizes of gcs are not generically set by tidal limitation .
the luminosities of clusters decrease with increasing @xmath94 , implying that either strong dynamical friction drives predominantly more massive clusters inwards , or more massive clusters have a bias in favor of forming in the nuclear regions of galaxies where the higher ambient pressure and density favor the formation of more massive star clusters ( see * ? ? ?
* and references therein )
. the lack of faint clusters at small distances from the galactic centers may be due to selection effects , since faint clusters are difficult to see against the bright background near galactic centers @xcite .
the metallicities of clusters decrease with increasing @xmath94 , which indicates that metal - rich clusters are typically located at smaller galactocentric radii than metal - poor ones , although with large scatter .
the presence or absence of a radial trend in the metallicity of a gc sample in a galaxy is an important test of galaxy formation theories @xcite .
in fact , some works have presented the metallicity of gcs in the milky way , m31 and m33 as a function of galactocentric radius .
@xcite confirmed the presence of a modest * metallicity * gradient within the system of disk clusters in the milky way .
there are some inconsistent conclusions for m31 gcs ( see * ? ? ?
* and references therein ) .
@xcite did not find the presence of a modest metallicity gradient for old star clusters in m33 .
figure 20 shows the distribution of ellipticity with galactocentric distance , luminosity , observed velocity dispersion , and some structural parameters for clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way , which may show clues to the primary factor for the elongation of clusters : galaxy tides , rotation and velocity anisotropy , cluster mergers , and `` remnant elongation '' @xcite .
we used the ellipticities of the m33 sample clusters obtained from the f555w band , since the ellipticities of m31 clusters from @xcite were obtained from the f555w or f606w band .
in addition , we used the ellipticities of m31 clusters obtained from the f555w or f606w band in @xcite .
in fact , @xcite have presented this distribution for star clusters in m31 and the milky way , and discussed in detail .
we include the sample clusters of m33 in this distribution .
it is evident that all the clusters in the three galaxies show similar trends .
in addition , figure 20 shows that a seeming correlation exists between ellipticity and @xmath94 , @xmath35 , and @xmath55 among m33 halo clusters , and that this correlation does not exist among the clusters in m31 and the milky way .
we argued that this seeming correlation among m33 halo clusters is not true and it results from small number statistic of m33 clusters . in figure 20
, there are only 10 m33 sample clusters .
in fact , @xcite presented the distribution of ellipticity with @xmath94 for 161 star clusters in m33 , and did not find a correlation between ellipticity and @xmath94 ( see figure 2 of san roman et al .
when we include m33 clusters of @xcite in figure 20 , any correlations between ellipticity and @xmath35 and @xmath55 among m33 clusters disappear .
figure 21 plots structural and dynamical parameters as a function of [ fe / h ] for clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way .
the trends of @xmath71 , @xmath103 and @xmath104 with [ fe / h ] appear .
the metal - rich clusters have smaller average values of @xmath71 than those of metal - poor clusters .
this result is in agreement with those of @xcite and @xcite .
the metal - rich clusters have larger average values of @xmath103 and @xmath104 than those of metal - poor clusters . however , all the three trends have large scatters .
it is true that all the gcs in the three galaxies present similar trends except for the panel of @xmath103 . in this panel , there are only four sample clusters of m33 having observed @xmath103 , which have not any correlation or a weak negative correlation with [ fe / h ] . however , for the clusters of m31 , m33 and the milky way together , the observed velocity dispersion @xmath103 increases with metallicity .
we argued that this seeming contradiction is not true and it results from small number statistic of m33 clusters .
in addition , we did not include the data for m31 young massive clusters ( ymcs ) in figure 21 , since their metallicities are not accurately derived .
the solar values of metallicities are adopted for m31 ymcs in @xcite , who have presented this distribution for clusters in m31 and the milky way , and discussed in detail .
@xcite demonstrated that both m31 and milky way gcs do not occupy the full space of four - dimensional parameters ( concentration @xmath55 , scale radius @xmath35 , central surface brightness @xmath79 , and central @xmath1 or velocity dispersion @xmath105 ) , which describe gc structure .
in fact , @xcite performed a detailed analysis of a data set of cluster parameters on 143 gcs of the milky way , and found some monovariate correlations between various properties .
then , @xcite used the principal component analysis to infer the existence of a pair of bivariate correlations in milky way gc parameters which implying the existence of a `` fundamental plane ( fp ) '' , analogous to that of elliptical galaxies . this parameter space
includes a radius ( core , or half - light ) , a surface brightness ( central , or average within a half - light radius ) , and the central projected velocity dispersion .
however , @xcite considered that the statistical analysis can not offer any physical insight into this fp , and he defined an fp using the binding energy and luminosity , which is formally different from that of @xcite .
@xcite derived the relations between @xmath106 , @xmath35 and @xmath79 , and between @xmath106 , @xmath71 and @xmath107 : @xmath108 , and @xmath109 ( see eq .
[ 12a ] and [ 13b ] of mclaughlin 2000 in detail ) based on the basic definitions .
then , @xcite presented the correlations between @xmath106 , @xmath78 and @xmath79 ( @xmath110 versus @xmath79 ) , and between @xmath106 , @xmath71 and @xmath107 ( @xmath111 versus @xmath107 ) and found large offsets between the young m31 clusters and old clusters .
however , @xcite showed that the correlations between @xmath106 , @xmath78 and @xmath112 ( @xmath110 versus @xmath112 ) , and between @xmath106 , @xmath71 and @xmath113 ( @xmath114 versus @xmath113 ) are tight , which are called the mass - density - based fp relations . here
we show the two forms of the fp for the clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way .
figure 22 plots the mass - density - based fp relations for the clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way . in the left two panels ,
@xmath80 , @xmath112 and @xmath113 are computed using the observed @xmath1 values . for both m33 and m31 clusters ,
the observed @xmath1 values are from @xcite and @xcite , respectively . in the right two panels ,
the values of @xmath80 , @xmath112 and @xmath113 are computed using the @xmath1 values from population - synthesis models .
it is obvious that the velocity dispersion , characteristic radii , and mass density for m33 , m31 and milky way clusters show tight correlations , both on the core and half - light scales .
the exist of fp relations for clusters strongly reflects some universal physical conditions and processes of cluster formation .
figure 23 shows the correlation of binding energy with the total model mass for the clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way . in the left panel ,
the values of @xmath115 and @xmath81 are computed using the observed @xmath1 values .
for both m33 and m31 clusters , the observed @xmath1 values are from @xcite and @xcite , respectively . in the right panel ,
the values of @xmath115 and @xmath81 are computed using the @xmath1 values from population - synthesis models .
it is evident that all the clusters in m33 , m31 and the milky way locate in a remarkably tight region .
@xcite concluded that the scatter around this relation is so small that the structures of star clusters may be far simpler than those scenarios derived from theoretical arguments .
in this paper , we present the properties of 10 halo gcs in m33 using the _ hst_/wfpc2 images in the f555w and f814w bands .
the sample of m33 halo gcs in this paper is from @xcite , who originally selected 10 star clusters in m33 based on their halo - like kinematics and red colors ( @xmath4 ) .
@xcite considered that these clusters should be as close an analogy as possible to the halo clusters in the milky way .
we obtained ellipticities , position angles and surface brightness profiles for them .
structural and dynamical parameters were derived by fitting the profiles to three different models , including king , wilson , and srsic models .
we found that , in the majority of cases , king model fit the m33 clusters as well as wilson model , and better than srsic model .
we discussed the properties of the sample gcs here combined with gcs in the milky way @xcite and m31 @xcite .
in general , the properties of m33 , m31 and the galactic clusters fall in the same regions of parameter spaces .
we investigated two forms of the fp , including the correlation of velocity dispersion , radius , and mass density , and the correlation of binding energy with the total model mass .
the tight correlations of cluster properties indicate a tight fp for clusters , regardless of their host environments .
in addition , the tightness of the relations for the internal properties indicates some physical conditions and processes of cluster formation in different galaxies .
we would like to thank the anonymous referee for providing rapid and thoughtful report that helped improve the original manuscript greatly .
we would like to thank dr .
mclaughlin for his help in deriving the parameters of the three structure models .
this work was supported by the national basic research program of china ( 973 program ) , no .
2014cb845702 , and by the chinese national natural science foundation grands no . 11373035 and 11433005 .
cccccccccccc u49 & @xmath116 & @xmath117 & @xmath118 & @xmath119 & 17.08 & 16.30 & 15.31 & 2.07 & 0.05 & @xmath120 & @xmath121 + r12 & @xmath122 & @xmath123 & @xmath124 & @xmath125 & 17.42 & 16.38 & 15.19 & 1.01 & 0.04 & @xmath126 & @xmath127 + r14 & @xmath128 & @xmath129 & @xmath130 & @xmath131 & 17.46 & 16.47 & 15.15 & 0.62 & 0.38 & @xmath132 & @xmath133 + m9 & @xmath134 & @xmath135 & @xmath136 & @xmath137 & 17.88 & 17.13 & 16.11 & 2.19 & 0.03 & @xmath138 & @xmath139 + u77 & @xmath140 & @xmath141 & @xmath142 & @xmath143 & 18.04 & 17.29 & 16.38 & 1.33 & 0.06 & @xmath144 & @xmath145 + h38 & @xmath146 & @xmath147 & @xmath148 & @xmath149 & 18.13 & 17.29 & 16.28 & 2.74 & 0.03 & @xmath150 & @xmath151 + c20 & @xmath152 & @xmath153 & @xmath154 & @xmath155 & 18.43 & 17.58 & 16.59 & 3.77 & 0.02 & @xmath156 & @xmath157 + c38 & @xmath158 & @xmath159 & @xmath160 & @xmath161 & 18.74 & 18.04 & 17.21 & 4.32 & 0.03 & @xmath162 & @xmath163 + h10 & @xmath164 & @xmath165 & @xmath166 & @xmath167 & 19.45 & 18.37 & 17.10 & 2.59 & 0.19 & @xmath168 & @xmath169 + u137 & @xmath170 & @xmath171 & @xmath172 & @xmath173 & 19.13 & 18.32 & 17.26 & 3.16 & 0.07 & @xmath174 & @xmath175 + ccccccc u49 & f555w & 0.0234 & 2047.989 & 2.150 & ok + & f555w & 0.0258 & 2047.598 & 2.260 & dep + & f555w & 0.0284 & 2047.044 & 2.332 & dep + & f555w & 0.0312 & 2046.346 & 2.379 & dep + & f555w & 0.0343 & 2045.563 & 2.419 & dep + & f555w & 0.0378 & 2044.743 & 2.416 & dep + & f555w & 0.0415 & 2043.878 & 2.411 & dep + & f555w & 0.0457 & 2042.969 & 2.398 & dep + & f555w & 0.0503 & 2041.900 & 2.332 & ok + & f555w & 0.0553 & 2040.737 & 2.283 & dep + & f555w & 0.0608 & 2039.297 & 2.229 & dep + & f555w & 0.0669 & 2037.591 & 2.165 & dep + & f555w & 0.0736 & 2035.377 & 2.115 & ok + cccccrcccrr u49 & f555w & 47 & k66 & 7.58 & @xmath176 & @xmath177 & @xmath178 & @xmath179 & @xmath180 & @xmath181 + & & 47 & w & 8.82 & @xmath182 & @xmath183 & @xmath184 & @xmath179 & @xmath185 & @xmath186 + & & 47 & s & 58.47 & @xmath187 & @xmath188 & @xmath189 & @xmath190 & @xmath191 & @xmath192 + & f814w & 48 & k66 & 16.01 & @xmath193 & @xmath194 & @xmath195 & @xmath196 & @xmath197 & @xmath198 + & & 48 & w & 27.99 & @xmath199 & @xmath200 & @xmath201 & @xmath202 & @xmath203 & @xmath204 + & & 48 & s & 26.77 & @xmath205 & @xmath188 & @xmath206 & @xmath207 & @xmath208 & @xmath209 + r12 & f555w & 49 & k66 & 6.32 & @xmath210 & @xmath211 & @xmath212 & @xmath213 & @xmath214 & @xmath215 + & & 49 & w & 3.62 & @xmath216 & @xmath217 & @xmath218 & @xmath219 & @xmath220 & @xmath221 + & & 49 & s & 25.78 & @xmath222 & @xmath188 & @xmath223 & @xmath224 & @xmath225 & @xmath226 + & f814w & 46 & k66 & 7.35 & @xmath227 & @xmath228 & @xmath229 & @xmath230 & @xmath231 & @xmath232 + & & 46 & w & 3.40 & @xmath233 & @xmath234 & @xmath235 & @xmath236 & @xmath237 & @xmath238 + & & 46 & s & 20.27 & @xmath239 & @xmath188 & @xmath240 & @xmath241 & @xmath242 & @xmath243 + r14 & f555w & 47 & k66 & 36.04 & @xmath244 & @xmath245 & @xmath246 & @xmath247 & @xmath248 & @xmath249 + & & 47 & w & 48.97 & @xmath250 & @xmath251 & @xmath252 & @xmath253 & @xmath254 & @xmath255 + & & 47 & s & 102.21 & @xmath256 & @xmath188 & @xmath257 & @xmath258 & @xmath259 & @xmath260 + & f814w & 45 & k66 & 16.16 & @xmath261 & @xmath262 & @xmath263 & @xmath264 & @xmath265 & @xmath266 + & & 45 & w & 18.97 & @xmath267 & @xmath268 & @xmath269 & @xmath270 & @xmath271 & @xmath272 + & & 45 & s & 27.51 & @xmath273 & @xmath188 & @xmath274 & @xmath275 & @xmath276 & @xmath277 + m9 & f555w & 48 & k66 & 69.32 & @xmath278 & @xmath279 & @xmath280 & @xmath281 & @xmath282 & @xmath283 + & & 48 & w & 53.52 & @xmath284 & @xmath285 & @xmath286 & @xmath287 & @xmath288 & @xmath289 + & & 48 & s & 217.63 & @xmath290 & @xmath188 & @xmath291 & @xmath292 & @xmath293 & @xmath294 + & f814w & 49 & k66 & 11.85 & @xmath295 & @xmath296 & @xmath297 & @xmath298 & @xmath299 & @xmath300 + & & 49 & w & 8.27 & @xmath301 & @xmath302 & @xmath303 & @xmath304 & @xmath305 & @xmath306 + & & 49 & s & 60.17 & @xmath307 & @xmath188 & @xmath308 & @xmath309 & @xmath310 & @xmath311 + u77 & f555w & 45 & k66 & 27.50 & @xmath312 & @xmath313 & @xmath314 & @xmath315 & @xmath316 & @xmath317 + & & 45 & w & 29.96 & @xmath318 & @xmath319 & @xmath320 & @xmath321 & @xmath322 & @xmath323 + & & 45 & s & 11.78 & @xmath324 & @xmath188 & @xmath325 & @xmath326 & @xmath327 & @xmath328 + & f814w & 44 & k66 & 29.60 & @xmath329 & @xmath330 & @xmath331 & @xmath332 & @xmath333 & @xmath334 + & & 44 & w & 32.05 & @xmath335 & @xmath336 & @xmath337 & @xmath338 & @xmath339 & @xmath340 + & & 44 & s & 11.60 & @xmath341 & @xmath188 & @xmath342 & @xmath343 & @xmath344 & @xmath345 + h38 & f555w & 45 & k66 & 11.37 & @xmath346 & @xmath347 & @xmath195 & @xmath348 & @xmath349 & @xmath350 + & & 45 & w & 39.54 & @xmath351 & @xmath352 & @xmath353 & @xmath354 & @xmath355 & @xmath356 + & & 45 & s & 198.84 & @xmath357 & @xmath188 & @xmath358 & @xmath359 & @xmath360 & @xmath361 + & f814w & 45 & k66 & 12.52 & @xmath362 & @xmath363 & @xmath364 & @xmath365 & @xmath366 & @xmath367 + & & 45 & w & 7.50 & @xmath368 & @xmath369 & @xmath370 & @xmath365 & @xmath371 & @xmath372 + & & 45 & s & 82.18 & @xmath373 & @xmath188 & @xmath342 & @xmath374 & @xmath375 & @xmath376 + c20 & f555w & 44 & k66 & 27.75 & @xmath377 & @xmath378 & @xmath379 & @xmath380 & @xmath381 & @xmath382 + & & 44 & w & 32.80 & @xmath383 & @xmath384 & @xmath385 & @xmath386 & @xmath387 & @xmath388 + & & 44 & s & 38.91 & @xmath389 & @xmath188 & @xmath390 & @xmath391 & @xmath392 & @xmath393 + & f814w & 44 & k66 & 29.26 & @xmath394 & @xmath395 & @xmath396 & @xmath397 & @xmath398 & @xmath399 + & & 44 & w & 30.70 & @xmath400 & @xmath401 & @xmath402 & @xmath403 & @xmath404 & @xmath405 + & & 44 & s & 49.84 & @xmath406 & @xmath188 & @xmath407 & @xmath408 & @xmath409 & @xmath410 + c38 & f555w & 48 & k66 & 26.88 & @xmath411 & @xmath412 & @xmath413 & @xmath414 & @xmath415 & @xmath416 + & & 48 & w & 29.54 & @xmath417 & @xmath418 & @xmath419 & @xmath420 & @xmath421 & @xmath422 + & & 48 & s & 55.80 & @xmath423 & @xmath188 & @xmath424 & @xmath425 & @xmath426 & @xmath427 + & f814w & 43 & k66 & 33.35 & @xmath428 & @xmath429 & @xmath430 & @xmath431 & @xmath432 & @xmath433 + & & 43 & w & 30.40 & @xmath434 & @xmath435 & @xmath436 & @xmath437 & @xmath438 & @xmath439 + & & 43 & s & 50.08 & @xmath440 & @xmath188 & @xmath441 & @xmath442 & @xmath443 & @xmath444 + h10 & f555w & 44 & k66 & 77.92 & @xmath445 & @xmath446 & @xmath447 & @xmath448 & @xmath449 & @xmath450 + & & 44 & w & 81.04 & @xmath451 & @xmath452 & @xmath453 & @xmath448 & @xmath454 & @xmath455 + & & 44 & s & 42.68 & @xmath456 & @xmath188 & @xmath441 & @xmath457 & @xmath458 & @xmath459 + & f814w & 45 & k66 & 29.59 & @xmath460 & @xmath461 & @xmath462 & @xmath463 & @xmath464 & @xmath465 + & & 45 & w & 32.83 & @xmath466 & @xmath467 & @xmath468 & @xmath463 & @xmath469 & @xmath470 + & & 45 & s & 46.09 & @xmath471 & @xmath188 & @xmath358 & @xmath472 & @xmath473 & @xmath474 + u137 & f555w & 41 & k66 & 44.59 & @xmath475 & @xmath476 & @xmath477 & @xmath478 & @xmath479 & @xmath480 + & & 41 & w & 28.43 & @xmath481 & @xmath482 & @xmath483 & @xmath484 & @xmath485 & @xmath486 + & & 41 & s & 183.52 & @xmath487 & @xmath188 & @xmath488 & @xmath489 & @xmath490 & @xmath491 + & f814w & 43 & k66 & 26.38 & @xmath492 & @xmath493 & @xmath494 & @xmath495 & @xmath496 & @xmath497 + & & 43 & w & 29.79 & @xmath498 & @xmath499 & @xmath500 & @xmath495 & @xmath501 & @xmath502 + & & 43 & s & 121.01 & @xmath503 & @xmath188 & @xmath504 & @xmath505 & @xmath506 & @xmath507 + | arxiv |
the soudan-2 experiment is currently taking data using its fine - grained iron tracking calorimeter of total mass 963 tons . this detector images non - relativistic as well as relativistic charged particles produced in atmospheric neutrino reactions .
it is operating underground at a depth of 2100 meters - water - equivalent on level 27 of the soudan mine state park in northern minnesota ( northwest of sudbury ) .
the calorimeter s modular design enabled data - taking to commence in april 1989 when the detector was one quarter of its full size ; assembly of the detector was completed during 1993 .
data - taking has continued with 85% live time , even though dynamite blasting has been underway nearby for the minos cavern excavation since summer 1999 .
the data exposure as of this conference is 5.40 fiducial kiloton - years ( kty ) .
results presented here are based upon a 5.1 kty exposure .
the tracking calorimeter operates as a slow - drift ( 0.6 cm/@xmath12s ) time projection chamber .
its tracking elements are meter - long plastic drift tubes which are placed into the corrugations of steel sheets .
the sheets are stacked to form a tracking lattice of honeycomb geometry .
a stack is packaged as a calorimeter module and the detector is assembled building - block fashion using these modules @xcite .
the calorimeter is surrounded on all sides by a cavern - liner active shield array of two or three layers of proportional tubes @xcite .
topologies for contained events in soudan 2 include single track and single shower events ( mostly @xmath0 and @xmath1 quasi - elastic reactions ) and multiprong events .
flavor - tagging proceeds straightforwardly : an event having a leading , non - scattering track with ionization @xmath13 compatible with muon mass is a candidate charged current ( cc ) event of ; an event having a prompt , relatively energetic shower prong is a candidate @xmath1 cc event . recoil protons of momenta greater than approx .
350 mev/@xmath14 are imaged by the calorimeter , allowing a much - improved measurement of the incident neutrino direction , especially for sub - gev quasi - elastic reactions .
we measure the atmospheric neutrino @xmath0/@xmath1 flavor ratio - of - ratios @xmath16 using single track and single shower events which are fully contained within the calorimeter ( all hits more than 20 cm from the nearest surface ) .
these samples contain mostly quasi - elastic neutrino reactions , but include a background of photon and neutron reactions originating in cosmic ray muon interactions in the surrounding cavern rock .
the latter rock events " are mostly tagged by coincident hits in the active shield , however some are unaccompanied by shield hits and constitute a background .
the amount of zero - shield - hit rock background in a neutrino event sample is estimated by fitting event vertex - depth distributions to a combination of tagged - rock and @xmath15 monte carlo distributions . as expected
, the fits show the background to be mostly confined to outer regions of the calorimeter .
details of our analysis procedures for quasi - elastic events can be found in refs .
@xcite .
the track and shower event samples for our 5.1 kty exposure are summarized in table [ tab : results ] .
our full detector monte carlo simulation of atmospheric neutrino interactions is based on the 1996 bartol flux for the soudan site @xcite .
.soudan-2 track and shower event samples from the 5.1 fiducial kiloton - year exposure .
[ cols="<,^,^",options="header " , ] [ tab : hires ] the atmospheric monte carlo ( mc ) sample represents 28.2 kiloton years of exposure .
the mc event rates displayed in table [ tab : hires ] have been normalized to the @xmath1 data sample .
this normalization is equivalent to a reduction of the bartol neutrino fluxes by 21% .
the assumption implicit with this adjustment is that the @xmath1 sample is devoid of oscillation effects
[ fig : fig01 ] , [ fig : fig02 ] and [ fig : fig03 ] show hires distributions with this normalization in place . fig .
[ fig : fig01 ] shows the distributions of these samples in cosine of the zenith angle . for @xmath1 events , the shape of the distribution for data ( fig .
[ fig : fig01]a , crosses ) coincides with that predicted by the monte carlo ( dashed histogram ) for null oscillations .
the distribution of @xmath0 data however , falls below the mc prediction in all bins ( fig .
[ fig : fig01]b ) with the relative dearth being more pronounced for @xmath0 s incident from below horizon . distributions in @xmath17 for hires events are shown in fig .
[ fig : fig02 ] . for null oscillations
this variable distributes according to a ` phase space ' which reflects the neutrino points - of - origin throughout the spherical shell volume of the earth s atmosphere .
that is , down - going @xmath15 s populate the peak at lower @xmath17 from 0.0 to 2.0 .
neutrinos incident from / near the horizon occur within the dip region extending from 2.0 to 2.6 , while upward - going neutrinos populate the peak at higher values .
[ fig : fig02]a shows that , allowing for statistical fluctuations , the @xmath1 data follows the shape of the null oscillation mc distribution .
in contrast , the @xmath0 data ( fig .
[ fig : fig02]b ) falls below the null ocillation mc for all but the most vertically down - going flux .
to convert results of our atmospheric neutrino simulation generated under the no - oscillation hypothesis into simulated neutrino oscillation data , we apply to every mc event an @xmath4-dependent weight representing the probability of survival for a given @xmath8 and @xmath7 . an exploratory matchup of @xmath0 data with trial oscillation scenarios is shown in fig .
[ fig : fig03 ] . for the mixing angle @xmath7 fixed at unity
, we plot the mc distribution weighted for @xmath0 to @xmath3 oscillations with differing @xmath8 settings . with @xmath18 ( fig .
[ fig : fig03]a ) , the oscillation prediction lies above the data in most @xmath4 bins . with @xmath19 ( fig .
[ fig : fig03]b ) , the upgoing @xmath15 flux is now better described by the mc , although the expectation for horizontal and down - going neutrinos remains somewhat high . with @xmath20 , a rough agreement overall
is achieved ( fig .
[ fig : fig03]c ) . going to higher @xmath8
, we find that for @xmath21 the oscillation - weighted mc falls below the data in most bins ( fig .
[ fig : fig03]d ) .
these hints concerning the parameters regime preferred by the data are borne out by a more considered analysis , as we now show . to determine the neutrino oscillation parameters @xmath8 and @xmath7 from our data , we construct a @xmath22 function over the plane - of - parameters . for points
@xmath23 in the physical region of the @xmath24 plane , we fit the mc expection to our data at each point .
the mc flux normalization , @xmath25 as well as @xmath26 and @xmath27 , is a free parameter : @xmath28 we assume that the oscillation affecting our data is purely @xmath0 into @xmath3 and that the @xmath1 data is unaffected . the @xmath22 is summed over data bins containing our selected ( hires ) @xmath0 and @xmath1 samples , where @xmath29 are @xmath0 @xmath17 bins , with @xmath30 containing all the @xmath1 events .
the denominator @xmath31 accounts for finite statistics in the neutrino monte carlo and for uncertainty in the rock background in the @xmath15 data .
not yet included are error terms which address systematic errors in the analysis , however preliminary examination shows statistical errors to be the dominant error source in the analysis .
the mc counts @xmath32 for the @xmath33 bin are constructed using oscillation weight factors .
we find the location of minimum @xmath34 , and plot @xmath35 which is @xmath36 .
the @xmath37 surface thereby obtained is shown in fig .
[ fig : fig04 ] . a crater region of low @xmath22 values is clearly discerned , at the bottom of which is a relatively flat basin .
the lowest point @xmath38 occurs at values @xmath7 = 0.90 ,
@xmath39 , with flux normalization @xmath25 = 0.78 .
an additional structure is the @xmath37 ridge which occurs at large mixing angle and for @xmath8 above 10@xmath40 ev@xmath41 . for oscillation solutions in this regime , depletion in the downward - going @xmath0 neutrino flux with sub - gev energies
is predicted for @xmath0 to @xmath3 oscillations by equation ( 1 ) arising from the first oscillation minimum .
our hires events have sufficient resolution to show such an effect if it would be present . however , no pronounced depletion is observed , and so the @xmath22 has a high value there . to find the region allowed for the oscillation parameters by our data at 90% confidence level ( cl )
, we use the method of feldman and cousins @xcite . at each of 2500 points @xmath42 on a grid spanning the physical region of the plane parameters ,
we run 1000 simulated experiments . for each of the simulated sets , we find @xmath43 such that @xmath44 is less than @xmath43 for 90% of the simulated experiments at @xmath23 . the surface defined by local @xmath45 over the oscillation parameters plane
is shown in fig .
[ fig : fig05 ] .
note that the surface is not a plane at @xmath45 = 4.61 , but rather has a concave shape .
the central shaded portion is approximately @xmath37 = 4.6 , however the outlying regions have @xmath37 values which are lower . at each point over the physical region , if @xmath46 is less than @xmath47 , then @xmath23 belongs to the allowed region of the 90% cl contour .
the region allowed by our data at 90% cl is shown by the shaded area in fig .
[ fig : fig06 ] .
although @xmath38 occurs at the location depicted by the solid circle , the relatively flat basin of our @xmath37 surface extends to lower @xmath8 values .
superk has reported their best fit @xmath8 value to be @xcite ; our data is compatible with that as well as with somewhat higher @xmath8 values .
we plan to include more data in the above analysis . an additional data sample is comprised of @xmath0 flavor events which are partially contained . for each event of this category
, the primary vertex is required to be @xmath48 80 cm ( one hadronic interaction length ) from exterior surfaces of the calorimeter , and the final state must contain a non - scattering , exiting track with ionization compatible with a muon mass . this sample is useful because the assignment of @xmath0 flavor is reliable to better than 98% , and because the events are relatively energetic and consequently point well " to the incident @xmath15 direction .
the mean energy for neutrinos which initiate pces is estimated to be 4.7 gev , to be compared to a mean energy of 1.3 gev for @xmath0 hires events .
the mean angular deviation of the reconstructed @xmath0 direction versus the true direction ( in monte carlo ) is @xmath49 .
unfortunately the number of @xmath0 pces is low , less than one - third the population of our @xmath0 hires sample . in order to isolate pce two - prong and multiprong topologies ,
the data events ( with mc events interspersed throughout ) are processed through a software filter ; those which pass are scanned .
the filter is designed to eliminate downward - stopping muons which have endpoint decays . in soudan-2 ,
an electron from a muon decay near rangeout can give rise to a small shower of @xmath50 10 hits from the end of a muon track ; the topology is roughly akin to that of a neutrino - induced two - prong .
consequently care must be taken to avoid remnant up - down asymmetry in pces introduced by the filter .
the problem is avoided by requiring that there be @xmath48 20 hits from a pce vertex which are additional to the muon track . to mitigate against cosmic - ray induced backgrounds we require that any hit in the active shield which is coincident with a pce , must be clearly associated with the exiting muon track .
occasionally it happens that a charged pion ejected from the cavern rock is incident upon the calorimeter .
if the pion penetrates by more than an interaction length and then scatters inelastically , it can mimic a @xmath15 pce topology .
background events of this type are removed by requiring the net momentum of the hadronic system of a pce to lie within the same hemisphere which contains the candidate muon track . with these selections
we obtain 31 @xmath0 events for which the cosmic ray induced background is less than one event . the @xmath0 pce rate predicted by our monte carlo with no oscillations
is 40 events .
the distribution of pce data in @xmath51 can be compared , as done previously for contained hires @xmath0 events , to representative oscillation scenarios having @xmath7 = 1.0 . in fig .
[ fig : fig07 ] we observe that , compared to the data ( crosses ) the oscillation prediction ( dashed histogram ) is relatively high for @xmath18 ( fig .
[ fig : fig07]a ) . however the prediction for @xmath21 ( fig .
[ fig : fig07]d ) is too low relative to the data . figs .
[ fig : fig07]b , c suggest that the scenario preferred by the data lies in the regime between @xmath52 .
in the near future , we will include the partially contained @xmath0 events into our @xmath22 fit to @xmath53 .
additionally , a sample of upward - stopping muon events initiated by neutrino reactions below the detector has been isolated and will be analyzed for oscillation effects .
and of course we will continue to accumulate and analyze new data .
our goal is to keep the soudan-2 detector running and tuned for the change - of - beams incident at our underground site
. the change will be from atmospheric @xmath15 s to fermilab @xmath0 s in fall 2003 , at which time the detector will serve the minos experiment @xcite .
mann , plenary talk at the xix int .
symposium on lepton and photon interactions at high energies , stanford university , august 1999 , hep - ex/9912007 ; t. kafka , _ in : _
taup99 - proceedings of the sixth int .
workshop on topics in astroparticle and underground physics , college de france , paris , france , september 1999 , nucl .
b ( proc . suppl . )
* 87 * ( 2000 ) 186 . | arxiv |
Mass Effect, Warhammer 1. Codex
**Alright dear readers. As the famous phrase goes, ask and ye shall receive. I was asked a couple of times for a codex of sorts. I have decided to include this separate chapter as a codex. Hopefully it shall clear up technical issues and expand on the lore of my little fanfiction. A bit of research and I think I have the general idea of what should be included. Without further adiu, here we go. Oh, and the Note section before and or after the chapter will now be in bold. As I said, ask and ye shall receive. Oh, and this shall only include what exists up to this point. If the story progresses far enough, there might be another two of these chapters, updating with specific details.**
_Dreadnaught Class warship:_
7.9 kilometers in length
Black reinforced Necrodermis armor plate, 9 meters thick
Three Armageddon class singularity power cores.
Fortress class shielding system, layered.
24 twin linked Gauss Beam cannon arrays, arranged to cover all angles of the ship. Effective range of 15 kilometers before weapon spread is too great.
1 spinal mounted Doomsday class Gauss particle beam. Effective range of 40 kilometers, however, size of targets designed to hit reduce need for accurate weapons.
4 half kilometer Fusion cell slug thrower 'sniping' cannon, arranged around the front of the ship with a twelve degree angle correction arc. Meant for long range engagements. Effective range of 29 kilometers.
2000 Neutrino Fusion Tri loaded Torpedo bays, resulting in 6000 torpedoes being able to be launched in under a minute.
Infinity class FTL drive. Utilizing dimensions higher than our own but just below the Warp, travel is capable. Punching a hole just on the edge of this dimension, space is significantly smaller than ours, and even the Warp. Current estimation can put the drive at 800 light years in a day.
_Discovery Class research vessel._
1 kilometer long. 4 single barrel Gauss beam cannons. Less powerful than other models, it is enough to make anyone think twice about attacking it. Equipped with more sensor equipment and labs than strictly necessary, it has the ability to scan for match heads on other planets. The first to explore possible Tomb Worlds and unmapped systems. Can be used in a combat role as real time data gathering ship. However, a surplus of research equipment reduces the defence capabilities of the ship drastically. It makes up for it with increased speed and evasion capabilities.
At any point in time, these ships are researching new applications for Necron technology, to exploring what secrets of the physical universe the Necron's never unlocked, to using experimental techniques to explore the warp.
_Spearhead Class fighter_
Two reality warp engines propel the ship up to unimaginable speeds.
Two Class 8 AI intelligences pilot the ship. One manages combat systems, while the second maintains a constant uplink with the mothership, using onboard sensor suites and the mother ship's own superior sensor array to generate a three dimensional map of the battlefield, available to the Combat AI.
Twin linked Gauss beam guns. Less powerful than ship based guns, but enough for most space superiority dogfights.
_Battlecruiser class_
840 Meters long, shaped much like a sword.
Four Twin linked Gauss beam turrets, arrayed on the 'wings' and nose of the ship. The nose of the ship hides a low grade sniping cannon, packing the most power in it's weapon class, but with a reduced effective range.
120 tri loaded torpedo launchers, for a total of 360 high yield torpedos.
Titan class Shielding provides more of a shield wall, able to protect smaller ships nearby.
Timeless class FTL phase drive. Slower than the infinity class, takeing on average 20 percent longer to travel.
_Frigate Class_
400 Meters long, more oval shaped, with a flat aft area.
6 Gauss stripper guns, meant for closer defence of allied ships.
IRON class Point defence network, firing high intensity lasers capable of burning through missile grade alloys.
30 boarding torpedos, with 10 shuttles in a concealed hanger in the belly of the ship.
_Ship to Ship Human marine_
Mark 3 battle plate armor. Class 2 infantry armor, covering a Necrodermis lined skin suit. Helmet construction is form fitted to each individuals skull, utilizing the living metal properties of Necrodermis to be harder than most known metal alloys of comparable thickness. Green optics continually scan the environment, relaying potential weaknesses in and around the wearer. For a purely intimidation factor, a large black trench coat made of Necrodermis weave is added.
(Note, when attempting to picture this outfit my dear readers, imagine this. Terminus Assault armor, without the extended shoulders. Green lines instead of red, with a Fallout New Vegas NCR duster. Except it's black. And not bullet marked.)
Class 3 semi action rail gun rifle. Because Gauss weaponry generates an incredible amount of localized heat, it's impossible to be used continuously by a human operator. Instead, revisiting the clip based design of semi automatic rifles of Earth's past, the semi action rail gun can fire a 5 gram slug up to 2000 feet per second. Much faster than a conventional bullet system, but slow enough that it doesn't pierce ship armor.
_Standard Necron Warrior_
Necron warrior. Made purely of Necrodermis. Power source is one Necron soul, bonded to the metal form. Virtually immortal, immune to almost all forms of damage.
One standard Necron Gauss rifle. Using advanced technology, it bypasses all known forms of shielding, stripping an object at the atomic layer, combined with a large amount of heat, destroys most objects on target. Recent human researches have added a stun feature. It causes first degree burns, but applies an electrical jolt that incapacitates the enemy.
Stands about 6 and a half feet high with a hunched neck. Skeletal appearance with green light glowing from within. Full combat abilities are unknown to this point, but units are very formidable. Only known weakness is extreme blunt force impact, preferably over a large surface area. Only known weapons to damage are tank grade rail gun weapons and higher. Interesting point, Necron warriors have the interesting ability to repair themselves over time. Despite orbital bombardment tests, a Necron warrior was still able to function several days later.
_Standard Boarding Pod_
Very simple in design. Instead of manually loading troops into pods and shooting them across space, the boarding pod is a small, missile like device. Upon striking the ship, a large explosive charge detonates, fracturing the hull. If penetration is successful, portal coordinates are registered in relation to the boarding pod, where troops may enter the ship without having to traverse space. In the event of emergency disembarkation, the pod can either generate a quick transfer portal, or hand rails along the side of the pod and fast travel out of the immediate area.
2. Timeline
Timeline
500BCE: Citidel Council is founded. Asari and Salarian representatives make up the council at the moment. They mark this day by beginning a new calendar system, called Galactic Standard Time, or GST. First contact is made with the Volus, resulting in a galactic banking system, where the credit is the only form of currency. Turian unification war occurs, resulting in the united Turian Hierarchy.
1969 CE: Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong is the first human being to step foot on an astral body. Two days of rock analysis results in a televised find, completely accidental. A sharp, jagged piece of metal, half buried in the lunar dust is discovered. Limitation of supplies prevents any adequate samples from being taken. Only the surrounding soil is removed, as the object is deeply buried in the moon.
1971 CE: A joint expedition between the US, Canada, Japan and Britain send a space station into the moon's orbit. Billions of dollars are poured into this project, keeping it fueled and supplied. The moon base section of the station is de-coupled, resulting in a fully functional solar powered research base, right over the buried object. Efforts to uncover the object begin. Public opinion has forced the governments to set up a live television feed from the moon to the people.
1973 CE: Russia lowers the Iron Curtain, hoping to get involved in some measure on the Moon research project. While this happens on earth, part of the structure has been uncovered. It is found to be a ship of alien design. While only part of it is revealed, scientists on the moon are already forming conclusions.
1978 CE: With Russia in the fold, money flows faster into the Research project. The object is fully uncovered, revealing a crescent shaped ship, with a pyramid design on the back. The ship is 235 meters wide and 83 tall. Religion is questioned, as many forms of worship aren't compatible with alien life.
1980 CE: After two years, scientists manage to enter the ship. While the moon base expands and research begins, on Earth, all countries band together. A universal thought has been brought to attention. There is alien life, and we would be fools to stand divided before them. While individual countries still exist, they have banded together under the United Nations. Many new laws and regulations are made, with total support from the people. Most have to do with racism and discrimitory ideology, whilst others are more benign, such as the renaming of Earth to Terra.
1981 CE: A year of research has unveiled a host of new technologies. Primarily is the mode of providing power. The ship is found to run off of a type of singularity generator. The science is not understood at this point, so nothing is done with it in the long run. Smaller things though, such as metal alloys found inside the ship, are becoming used. They have remarkable strength and dexterity, whilst being remarkably easy to produce.
1985 CE: Scientists on the Moon base have done the unthinkable. One of the metal skeletons scattered around the ship was activated. Scientists attempted to communicate with it, but it was mostly unresponsive, looking back and forth between the scientists at the moon base. Fusion power is developed, with several fusion plants being constructed all over the earth.
1988 CE: The Skeleton Man, as it is called is still unresponsive. Scientists are certain it is some robotic form of life. However, without a way to interface their computers with it, they are unable to try and fix it. Efforts continue to speak to it. On earth, technologies are being discovered at a breakneck pace. The Personal computer is widespread, storing terabytes of data on slim drives, with detailed screens and high processing power.
1989 CE: The Anniversary of the Moon landing is celebrated. Scientists have finally managed to boot up the starship. Upon activation, the Skeletal Man becomes responsive. Within seconds, the information network, the 'Internet' was hacked and downloaded by Skeletal Man. Humanity watched with bated breath, as the world's greatest minds begin to converse with the being. What they find both amazes them and horrifies them.
1990 CE: A book is published regarding the alien species, known as the Necrons. It details the great war, the hate and scorn showed by 'greater' races of the galaxy during their time. It details the rise, the fall, the bio transference, and the later defection of the Void Dragon. With the Skeleton Man's help, the star ship is repaired, while the other skeleton men, or Necrons, are awakened. A trip to mars results in the greatest discovery of human history, the Black Box that houses the Void Dragon, a remnant from a war millions of years ago.
1992 CE: Humanity sets out on the star ship, with the help of the Necron crew, to a so called Tomb World. With the Void Dragon sleeping still, trapped in the black box, the Necron crew has decided humanity shall act as their Master. Part of the Void Dragon's Lament before his capture was the extinction of so many species.
1995 CE: Humanity opens the Tomb World, however, the sight before them is disheartening. The ages were not kind to the ships, resulting in many being inoperable. Upon suggestions from the UN and advice from the Necron Commander in charge of the Tomb World, Humanity begins to construct their own ships out of the living metal. Radical new methods employing the Necron Gauss tech are created, surpassing the creativity of the Necron. Humanity chalks this up to the idea that as a flesh being, they still can create, where as the Necron could only improve what was there.
1998 CE: The first colony class ship is launched, named '_Redemption'_. Within a month, the human colony is productive. With help of the Necron, Humanity has established a colony off world almost 30 years after the moon landing. Human ships, while created with the living metal known as Necrodermis, are very different from Necron ships in design, leaning towards bulky, utilitarian designs, clearly expressing their purpose in design.
2000 CE: The first human warship is launched. Standing at over one and a half kilometers, and armed to the teeth to fight whatever alien threat would oppose humanity. Utilizing gauss technology in different ways, the ship has been covered with beam turrets, while the ship itself is built around a spinal gauss gun and power core. It is the first in a line of _Defender _class ships. 8 more colonies have been found. On a side note, AI's are available publicly for whoever wants them. They are created through a mixture of Necron data storage and brain scanning technologies.
2050 CE: Efforts to open the black box have been unsuccessful. It seems as though it is the only downside. Humanity lives alongside the Necron warriors. They provide policing, security, and fill a military role alongside humans. It is difficult sometimes, as the emotionless construct that is a Necron doesn't always understand it's human masters.
2150 CE: Human expansion has covered the entire arm of the galaxy. The main limiting factor on human expansion is the population itself. Over 200 worlds have been colonized, with a defence fleet in position over each one. Ship creation has expanded, small ships being labeled between 1 and 3 kilometers in length. Medium ships are between 3 and 5, whilst large ships are anywhere from 5 and up. Massive ships, 8 kilometers long, among the largest currently owned by Humanity, are a Carrier class of ship. Fighters are actually a series of super responsive AI's, hooked up to an advanced sensor suite, supplemented by the mother ship itself. It is on the edge of the Shanxi colony that another object is found. An alien object.
3. Emergance
Well, Great response to my first chapter and first story. I'm quite pleased with the results. From what I've seen, few people get such a response on their first story. I know there were a few errors with the ships and other such things, but I will attempt to fix them here. Oh, and a reviewer commented on the fact that humanity still had a god emperor? No, not in this story. As much as I love the guy, he's not here. Here, without further ado, is chapter two.
Space, an endless expanse of blackness, dotted with oasis' of light, burning orbs of hydrogen plasma. Around these stars were planetoids, heaps of rocks gathered together, or in some cases, large giants made entirely of gas, orbiting around the star. It was at a particular oasis of light though, that there was increased activity.
Through the blackness drifted a ship, black as the space around it, a trifecta of engines at the back, glowing white as ethereal energies pushed it along. It's destination, an artifact of archeological interest, orbiting this star once every thousand earth years.
The ship, massive in scale, almost a full 8 kilometers long, was suited for war. When noticed, it's form was angular, thick armor plates covering it's almost tubular dimensions. Running the length of the ship was a spinal mounted Gauss canon, capable of punching a hole in a planet if need be. Arrayed along both sides were extended mantels, mounted upon were large guns. Each barrel was a collection of 4 rectangular structures, lights glowing green in the light. The twin linked heavy Gauss beam weapon was double mounted, or one on top and one on the bottom of the extended mantle. 6 of those ran along each side. Along the top were thousands of circular depressions, each holding a complement of armor piercing high explosive torpedoes. Arrayed around the front end were a series of lighter cannons, their barrels nigh a half kilometer long. With only a few degrees of movement, they could take out a target many thousands of kilometers away, with a striking distance further than the sensors of the ship itself. Arrayed in a grid like fashion were Gamma pulse lazors, designed to repel slow moving projectile weaponry and boarding craft. In addition, the entire bottom of the vessel split open, revealing thousands of fighters, each controlled by a dual AI system. The ship itself was protected by several overlapping fortress class shield systems. Finally, the entire thing was powered by three macro singularity cores, with numerous cold fusion generators in place as backups. The ship, the _Venerator, _was truly a mobile space superiority platform with no equal. The only other equal was the 9 and a half kilometer carrier ship.
White engines pushed the giant vessel forward, the tuning fork shape of the object ahead of them glowing blue, spinning rings turning lazily.
On board the Dreadnaught class ship, the bridge was subdued, calm, relaxed even. While banks and banks of Necron computational units managed the endless streams of data, hooked into their consoles with great black cables, green segments glowing. Working with devoted AI intelligences, they made sure systems were working, while the singularity cores remained stable.
The human compliment of the bridge deck included a few consoles of human operators, relaying specific data to the captain, who was also human.
In his late 50's, Captain James Cutter commanded one of the most powerful ships in the Human Necron empire. His current goal was, interesting to say the least. The debriefing had told him the object was some sort of FTL drive, activating when a general signal was sent. His job was to travel through the relay, already deemed safe by several probes, both manned and unmanned.
"Sir, we are within estimated activation range of the object," announced an operator. Cutter nodded.
"Send the signal and hold on. Set us at yellow alert." There was a chorus of 'Aye-aye's' and so forth. The bridge, once visible in its bright white light, darkened, before green lighting took over, providing almost more detail than before.
"Shields are primed and ready sir, weapons on standby," reported the weapons officer.
"Signal sent. Object is powering up." The main screen, which was more or less a two story monitor composed of several camera overlays, showed the object.
Indeed, with the signal sent, the rings began to spin faster and faster, the blue light shining brighter and brighter. Nearby were several research ships, but several kilometers out, obviously recording the proceedings.
Without warning, a bright blue lightning bolt struck the ship, running its length. Before Cutter could respond, space warped, pulling at the edges. A moment of brightness as the screen went white, then nothing.
Space was as it should be, black, with a star in the distance.
"Sir, running spacial scans, the stars aren't matching up." Cutter sat up straighter as reports began to flood in. The star was different, class 3 instead of the class 4 they had left behind, while the star pattern was nothing they were familiar with. There were no planets in this area, instead just a giant asteroid belt orbiting the star.
"Sir, sensors indicate three distinct energy signatures on the other side of the system. One is confirmed as another relay." Cutter nodded.
"And the other two?" he asked, leaning forward. His blue naval uniform shining darkly from the green lighting.
"Unknown. Signature alpha is throwing off sporadic bursts of energy, while Beta appears to be heading away." Cutter nodded, thinking. His fingers scratched at his beard, pulling slightly.
"Bring us around, Get us a clear image." The crew got to it. Angling the ship, the engines powered up, pushing the great ship onward.
POV CHANGE
In a flash of white light, a ship appeared. Damaged, only half working, no weapons, and with minimal life support. It was shaped much like a wheel with a large handle, white, with large cargo pods of varying colors strapped onto the side. There were a few holes, black smoke pouring out of them. The wheel like structure was rotating slowly, grinding to a halt as part of the jagged hole caught in the gears. On the back, two faint orange lights sputtered, desperately trying to push the ship forward.
Behind it, another flash of white light appeared, presenting another ship. This one was almost twice as large as the first. A conglomeration of rusted plates, bolted on weapons and shield modules, it was still far superior to the smaller ship.
Onboard the first ship, suited figures ran about, hastily repairing systems, rerouting computer paths and trying to get the mass effect engine online.
In a command chair on the bridge, one man was shouting orders.
"Reroute power to the engines and rear shields. Ignore the weapons, we need to get that mass effect field back online. Engineering, what's the status of the drive core?" Over a rusted, aged intercom, a voice answered back.
"Sorry sir, but even if we could, we've bled too much eezo. There's no way to make a jump!" the ship rocked as another volley of shots hit the ship. Explosions echoed from the depths of the ship, the com signal to the engineering department cut off.
"Sir, I'm reading an energy signature, other side of the system!" shouted one, the voice unit on her mask giving it a slight mono stereo sound.
"Send a distress call! Anybody is better than the Batarians behind us!" shouted the captain.
POV CHANGE
"Sir, we're receiving a signal from the damaged ship, Alpha." Cutter nodded.
"Bring it on screen." Nodding, the comms operator pushed a button, replacing the field of view with the transmission.
A headshot of a person was there, shouting something over the sounds of obvious battle. His head was encased in some sort of helmet, while the rest of him had what appeared to be a hardsuit. The visor was a clear purple, while the faint glow of eyes was visible. An explosion rocked the vessel, the transmission cutting out.
Cutter frowned. Of all things, this was not expected. He was hoping for a nice planet for colonization, maybe some alien ruins. Not an ongoing space battle, clearly once sided.
"Sir, how do you wish to proceed?" Cutter leaned back.
"Initiate burst FLT jump. Get us right up and close and hit ship Bravo with EMP pulse. Prepare boarding parties for ship Alpha. Human boarding parties please. Prepare a Necron barding party for the other ship." The operators nodded.
"Initiating burst FLT jump. Projected firing solutions, EMP pulse emitters charged and ready. Jumping in 3 – 2 – 1, now."
Right in front of the ship appeared a red disk, wide enough for the ship to pass though. A sudden bright white flash, and the engines propelled the ship into the portal.
On the other end of the system, approximately one kilometer away from both ships, the portal reappeared. A huge, black ship poured out, obscuring the vision of the two ships. Guns larger than the ships themselves were present, aimed in their direction. Before either ship did anything, a blue, webbed wave shot from a section of the ship, striking the Batarian cruiser. At once, the ship became little more than scrap.
Onboard the first vessel, the Quarian scout known as _Vassar, _Captain Dra'Kota vas Vassar was stunned. If sensors were right, the mystery ship was over eight kilometers long, with weapons bigger than his entire ship.
"Captain, multiple pods have detached from the vessel and are heading for our ship and the Batarian ship. Orders?" Dra'Kota sat in his command chair, thinking.
"There is nothing we can do. Our weapons are inoperable and we don't have the means to repel boarders. See if you can direct them to docking cradle 4. It's still intact, yes?" The Quarian tech nodded, pushing a few buttons on the still working consol. If everything worked out properly, the lights on docking cradle 4 were on, while the lights everywhere else were off.
Meanwhile, with the Batarian ship, the crew were nervous. It had seemed like a successful job, hit the Quarian vessel, raid the wreckage, go home. Now they were adrift, with no idea of what was outside. The lack of windows was the result of extra armor plating being welded over.
"So, what do you think happened, drive core malfunction?" asked one Batarian, leaning against a section of a wall. His friend was pacing, holding a rifle.
"I don't know. If so, I hope it's fixed. Nailing those vagrants would have made my day." The first was about to respond when two things happened.
First, the wall exploded, introducing the unshielded occupants of that particular hall to the harsh vacuum of space.
Second, three silver skeletons, carrying green glowing weapons appeared. On silent orders, their weapons adopted a blue sheen, and they went to work, stunning the ship's occupants.
Onboard the _Vassar, _there was a small compliment of people waiting outside airlock 4. Chiefly amongst them was the captain, with a few other officers and a basic marine guard. All two of the marines still alive on the ship. There had been, of course, the sound of a docking clamp on the other side of the door, and some noise of disembarkation, but without a working video feed inside, they had no idea what was going on.
"Is the door even working at this point?" asked Dra'Kota, sighing. He could be in a hundred other places right now, helping with repair efforts. Instead, he had to see to this... problem.
"I think so sir, let me just-" Whatever the Quarian woman wanted to say was forgotten as the airlock doors opened, revealing the occupants.
Clad in black hardsuits, with black plate metal over exposed or high traffic areas, with sweeping black trench coats, stood 10 figures. The two in the front had weapons of some sort, what looked like a really large mass accelerator weapon. Their helmets were black as well, green dots in place of their eyes.
Behind them, the 8 other people had various supplies, some looking medicinal in nature, other technological. The rear most figure had a large backpack on, an antenna poking up, just past the top of his head.
What Dra'Kota couldn't get over though, was how _Quarian _they looked.
4. Contact
**Alright, consulting some reviews, I realize my numbers were slightly off. I have possibly played too much Eve online. Battles are a bit closer, usually within a 100K. Although, blaster fan here, so weapon ranges are much shorter. Regarding the weapon ranges, ignore them. Yes, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.**
Boarding officer James Erickson was, more than a bit stunned. His briefing had only elaborated that he and his team were to board the unknown ship and render assistance, if possible. The briefing had only told him that they didn't know what they looked like, what they spoke, if they spoke. All he knew was he had two guns and a boat load of ship based repair equipment. The aliens he found on the ship, were surprising.
Of all the fantastical ideas of what an alien might look like, even taking into consideration Necron knowledge base data, the aliens looked so... human.
Of course, there were obvious differences. For one, they were dressed in some sort of skin tight hazard suit. Perhaps some type of hard suit? The second main difference was their appendages. Three, slightly longer fingers instead of five, shorter ones. Two toed feet, covered in metal armor plate instead of a foot like him. And the lower leg itself was bent backwards, curved gracefully behind.
His sensor suit inside his armor began to scan the environment, taking in a few surprising details. One, the only microbial contaminants he could find were stuck to his suit. This ship was completely sterile, having no microbial growth in sensor range.
Second, the air itself was filled with a disinfectant. This place was probably cleaner than most Empire research ships. His sensor suite was telling him about an almost complete lack weaponry. Well, at least thing's weren't starting off hostile.
"Greetings. Boarding officer James Erickson, Team 2. I come with nothing but good intentions from the Human Necron Empire. Are you in need of assistance?" Unsurprisingly, the alien didn't understand. Resisting the urge to scratch his head and sigh, James emptied the clip of his weapon. A thin metal brick fell out, open at one end, his gloved hand catching it neatly. Turning to the side, he handed it to his second in command.
The alien commander, wearing some type of hazard suit with brilliant red and gold wraps surrounding certain areas, did the same, handing his pistol and what appeared to be a copper cylinder to the one next to him.
"Permission to come aboard?" To accentuate his point, he gestured at the airlock door groove. The alien commander nodded, stepping to the side slightly, arms open. Smiling under his mask, James stepped forward. With no apparent hostilities yet, he put his finger to his ear, activating the com.
"This is Boarding officer Erickson. Peaceful contact has been initiated. No apparent relation to anything in the Necron database. Beginning first contact protocols. Out."
"We read you Contact team. Boarding squad two has subdued the other ship and is in the process of constructing a translator protocol. Standby for further updates." The transmission cut, leaving Erickson and his squad to their own devices.
He looked at the crew of aliens before him. They were sizing him and his crew up, not really sure what to make of each other. Sighing, he rubbed a gloved hand over his head. He prayed the translator program would be ready soon.
**Onboard Batarian Ship**
The three Necron, two warriors and a lord, firing stun bolts, had quickly finished the crew off. Their stunned, sleeping bodies were stacked in rows in what passed for a cargo hold. Inwardly, the head of their little group, a Necron with an elaborate headpiece, metal linked cape and war scythe, scoffed. Necron technology could expand a space many times its original size. Human thinking had just expanded on that principle, making a space that looked several hundred meters long, actually several kilometers long.
Beside him were two Warriors, carrying a Gauss flayer with a stun bolt modification. The lord turned to one of the warriors, a distinctive white streak on his face. Possibly from the slug throwing weapons, if a quarter gram piece of metal could be called a slug.
"Bring me the captain." The warrior didn't nod, didn't salute, only complied. Walking through the rows of bodies, he stopped at one, garnished in gold and silver with fabric of a higher quality than the other bodies.
"Wake him." The Necron nodded, aiming the blue tinted Gauss flayer at the captain. Instead of a solid green beam of energy, an electric bolt shot out, hitting the four eyed captain in the stomach. Eyes opened, mouth in silent protest.
Quick as lightning the Necron Lord reached down with a five fingered hand, grasping the captain's head. His entire being was absorbed, the sum total of his knowledge absorbed, sorted, and anything important saved, while the rest was discarded. Releasing the now smoking body from his hand, the Necron lord straightened up, pondering the information.
"Slavers. With a social system based upon blood and lineage. They would be very resistant to change. They would most likely see us as cattle." Turning to the two Necron warriors, he spoke, while uploading a report to the captain of his ship.
"Copy the computer database of this ship. Construct a translation package for the other boarding team, then overload the engines." The units simply moved, giving no visual indication of orders being received. One headed aft, while the other headed for the bridge. Rather than actually interface with the primitive holograms, the Necron warrior placed his hand on the console and began to interface with the computer, brute forcing paper thin security firewalls with millennia old programs forged from the mind of the Void Dragon himself.
**On Board the Quarian Ship**
Erickson looked at his arm as it beeped. The other aliens looked, one or two actually flinching. Tapping the mail icon, he read the script, a stream of Necron hieroglyphic scrolling across the tacpad on his arm. Pushing a few buttons, the translation program was uploaded to his suits external speakers.
"Greetings. My name is James Erickson, boarding officer of the _Venerator_. On behalf of the Human Necron Empire, I extend the hand of peace." For symbolic sake, he held out his hand, his posture relaxed yet firm.
The alien in front of him looked surprised. Whether this was from a sudden perfect understanding of spoken language to the offer of peace, Erickson wasn't sure. The alien in front of him didn't raise his hand, but did speak back. Thankfully it was understandable.
"Greetings. I am Captain Dra'Kota vas Vassar, of the cruiser the _Vassar,_ of the Quarian Migrant Fleet. It is an honor to meet you. I am not sure we would have survived without help." Dra'Kota looked between Erickson and his men, all dressed the same. The only difference was that while the men had a bronze or copper stripe along their right arm, Erickson had a silver one.
Erickson lowered his hand, seeing as he wasn't going to get anywhere with an empty handshake. "My captain asks that you and a small retinue of either guards or officers accompany you to the _Venerator._ That is, if acceptable."
Dra'Kota nodded, if hesitantly. Bringing his three fingered hand up, an orange structure took shape over his arm, some information scrolling by. A few quick taps with his two main fingers and it vanished.
"I shall be bringing the only two people I feel are suited for the task of meeting a new species, if that is acceptable," stated Dra'Kota. At that moment, the two said people arrived. One was wearing a red plated version of the biohazard suit, with some cream colored cloth covering the obviously male physic. The other was clearly female, dressed in black and purple. The cloth was purple, embroidered with white swirls.
"This is Kal'Reegar vas Necote, a marine. His companion is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, our chief engineer at the moment and the daughter of one of our fleet admirals. They will accompany myself with you." Erickson nodded. A quick hand wave and his men holstered weapons, moving to transfer crates inside the pod.
"My men will remain aboard. They will work with your crew to repair what they can, as I understand your ship has undergone serious damage. They posses fabrication technologies that should help." Stepping to the side, Erickson gestured with his hand. Warily, the three Quarians boarded the vessel, taking seats on the somewhat comfortable seats.
As the door sealed closed, Erickson could hear his men beginning to converse with the Quarian people nearby. Probably to get 3D models of the stuff they would replicate.
**Earth, Imperial Fleet Headquarters.**
The men seated around the table were varied, while some, but only a few, were not even human. The people in the room all had the same black armor on, with a few protective plates, covered in a black trench coat. What made them different was the addition of a Platinum strip along their left arm, with a series of gold rings around the sleeve, marking them as fleet admirals.
"Jameson, I hear you have news?" The question came from Admiral Fredrick, a man in his 60's, with greying hair and warm green eyes.
"Indeed Fredrick. The _Venerator, _an 8 kilometer dreadnaught, was investigating an alien relic, floating in space." A few of the admirals bristled, suddenly becoming more alert.
"Rest assured, it was neither Eldar, Ork or Old one Construction. They have not reared their heads yet, and it remains so. Regardless, the _Venerator_ activated the object. It is an FTL device, something like our inertialless drive, except much less advanced. It appears two of these 'relays' created a tunnel of space where there is no mass. It then accelerates an object to the other end, adding mass to slow it down. Almost instantaneous, but much less efficient." The Admirals nodded, following the debrief on their neural links.
"The object itself is about 7 million years old. Data gathered on the other end ascertained that they were built around the same time. On the other end of this relay, the _Venerator _plotted another relay. We can only assume there is a network of these, joining specific areas. But that's not the interesting part." Tapping a few buttons, a physical hologram appeared, showing the _Venerator_ next to a smaller ship, shaped like a pizza roller.
"Upon entering the system, the _Venerator_ found two ships, one on the receiving end of an ass kicking." A few chuckled, while the Silent Necron in the room just stared.
"The race is specifically called the Quarian, a race of bipedal creatures not too dissimilar to humans, except for obvious differences." Another button press and a three dimensional model of a Quarian with their suit appeared.
"First, the two toed feet. Possibly provides more stability, but we can't be sure. The leg is curved in such a way it provides a faster walking speed, but not much else. Besides two fingered hands and an opposable thumb, they are exactly like us. At least, until we can get more info. A basic translator was set up, but too many of the terms and idioms can't translate over without more of an in depth scan."
Seeing the admirals were listening, Jameson continued, opening another hologram.
"We have been able to pull, from the record of a 'Batarian' ship, the galactic situation happening next door. There is a ruling council called the Citidel council, presided over by three chief races. As this is a brief overview, in depth knowledge has been forwarded to your computers." A few of the admirals pushed a button, opening a blue holographic screen.
"Besides these exist member species. While they exist, this citadel council prefers to use them and their resources for their benefit. Among these are the Batarians, a race of slavers. They are where we pulled the information from, right before the ship was destroyed."
"The Quarian species actually has no homeworld. In short, they lost it in a war of their own creation, and now float amongst the stars on ships. The Geth, the winners of this war, are a race of sentient machines." A few of the admirals were looking at this information, while other's watched Jameson.
"I have tasked the _Venerator _to come to Charlie station, in hopes of forming some kind of diplomatic peace. It is my opinion to make ourselves known to this council, but end it there. Preparation must continue should we come upon any of the old enemies." The room went silent, even the Necrons not moving.
Leaning forward, Jameson intertwined his fingers, resting on his elbows. "Despite what we may do, I fear events will move against us, however small. We never predicted a galactic government, let alone one this full of corruption and decay. The choices made here will impact us greatly. We recess for one hour." The admirals stood up, significantly slower, either pondering or troubled by Jameson words. For now, a diplomatic party was being sent to Charlie station, while fleets were being repositioned in accordance with this 'relay.'
5. Impressions
**Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd it's chapter 4! Well, technically 5 but story wise it's chapter four. Thank you for all the reviews, they have given me ideas. I am still figuring out ranges. I might come up with a perfectly decent solution for them, but until then, enjoy. **
**Onboard the Venerator**
Captain James Cutter, commander of the powerful Dreadnaught, stood in the hangar. Around him were a compliment of both Human and Necron troops. Arrayed around the designated landing area for the boarding pod, Human troops, carrying railguns, stood stiffly at attention. Behind them, one for every two humans, were Necron Lynchguards, ready to place their kite shield in front of the human defenders, should the situation go south. Several phased Deathmarks were placed around the hangar in the upper rafters, again, should the situation devolve into fighting.
He and his aid, the Necron Lord Vargard Obyron, or 'Obi' for short, stood waiting for the shuttle. While he made sure his uniform was presentable, Obi just stood there, white armor gleaming, staff held in his one hand, planted firmly on the ground.
Off in the distance, he could see the shape of the pod gliding towards the hanger bay. Behind that, the pizza roller shaped ship. Already with the help of the boarding party, it was improving. The spinning apparatus had started back up, albeit slowly.
The small boarding party, according to the last update, had subdued the Batarian crew, and was in the process of overloading the ship itself, while looking for anything important. Cutter glanced up, seeing the ship itself was in the hangar and was now landing.
Small black landing struts extended from the boarding pod, anti grav generators onboard making sure it was an equal weight on both sides to within a microgram. Red lights blinked in a rectangular shape, outlining the ramp.
With a hiss and a rush of escaping white gas, the plank lowered, clunking on the deck.
"Ah shit," mumbled Cutter, seeing the interior. Simultaneously, Obi stepped in front of Cutter, taking a defensive posture. 15 rail guns were leveled and aimed, while 9 kite shields were deployed, protecting them. 15 red dots lit up the interior of the vessel.
Inside, Erickson was being held in front, with what appeared to be a type of shotgun aimed at the back of his uncovered head. Behind him were the three aliens. One, the purple female one, had the shotgun. Behind her were the other two, one in a deep blue colored wraps, while the other was wearing bright red and tan.
"Obyron, please step aside. Let me handle this," asked Cutter. It took a second, but the massive Necron stepped to the side, but kept the staff leveled.
"Greetings, I am Captain Cutter, commander of the-"
"Yes, we know, the _Venerator, _a Dreadnaught of the Human Necron alliance. What you failed to mention was the sapient robotic species! You're all at risk! They could turn and kill you at any second!" snapped the one in deep blue. Erickson, his hands on top of his head, could only shrug.
"Sorry sir, I wasn't expecting this kind of reaction," he voiced, weakly.
"Erickson, I don't think we could have expected that kind of reaction either. Now, would you kindly lower your weapon and we'll avoid bloodshed."
"Then tell your mechanical monsters to abandon the ship!" That came from the girl. Cutter, and Erickson, winced when she dug the barrel of the gun further into his exposed head.
"That is very much impossible, as they don't quite fit the description. Did Officer Erickson tell you about the Necron?" The somewhat blank looks, well, from what he could tell, those visors hit a lot, were confused. They had probably made the connection between the Necron and the giant metal skeletons, but anything other than that was unknown.
"The Necron serve humanity just was we serve them. They are a sentient entity. As such, we will not 'throw them out' as you put it. Now lower your weapons."
The three occupants, the one in deep blue not having a gun, were silent. Finally, after what seemed forever, there was a response.
"Lower your guns. We're already in trouble with the council. The last thing our species needs is another species hating us." Almost reluctantly, the woman lowered her shotgun, while the red colored male lowered his small pistol.
"Good. See, cooperation is possible." Erickson looked relieved, standing up and moving out of the pod, if rather quickly. The escort around Cutter lowered their guns, but Obi, the Lynchguards, and the Deathmarks were still in position.
"As captain of the _Venerator_ I welcome you onboard. I hope that we can come to some sort of peace and exchange of knowledge between our two governments." In all actuality, Cutter knew exactly what the galactic situation was. Information pulled from the Batarian computers and the Quarian computers, thanks to the boarding party, had given him a full rundown of the galactic power. Apparently they had no sense of security, as planetary coordinates, technological info, and head of government was all public information. That data had already been relayed to High Command.
"What about the Batarians?" Cutter looked at the red armored Quarian.
"They have been found guilty of slavery and unprovoked attack upon a defenceless species. The only reason we interfered the way we did with your conflict was because our first contact protocol dictates as such. If we are to encounter a civilization, we are to neutralize on captains discretion and engage talks." The Quarian in the blue wraps accepted the logical, if militaristic viewpoint. To be honest, a galaxy with a few less Batarians was a better galaxy overall.
**Later**
Cutter sat at the head of the table. It was a replica, not actual wood, but the Necrodermis metal was manipulated, along with a micro thin hologram and shield to simulate the actual wood texture.
To his right was his navigational officer and head of human security, human division. To his left were the three Quarian crew members. Clearly they were tense, even with the removal of the Necron warriors.
There was Dra'Kota, the captain of the _Vassar_. He found it odd the captain of the ship would so willingly come over. Second was Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, the ships chief engineer. Again, it was odd so many high ranking individuals apart of a boarding party. It's not like this was Star Trek or anything. The third was Kal'Reeger vas Necote, a high ranking marine, brought along so that there was some modicum of protection.
"Well, glad you could sit down for a civilized discussion. I am Captain James Cutter, captain of the _Venerator_. These two are my Chief of navigation and head of security. Now, please, I would like to know why you held my boarding officer hostage." Leaning forward, he crossed his fingers, looking at the purple visors of the Quarian representitives.
"You have AI's onboard you ship. At any moment they run the risk of turning on you and killing you all!" Cutter nodded, resting backwards a bit.
"They are not AI's. The Necron are a sentient race of beings, crafted to fight the great enemy. Because of your position, that is all I am permitted to tell you. But, to belay your fears, they are not artificial intelligences. It is true however, we have artificial intelligences."
The Quarian's looked at each other, silently communicating. For once, the captain was at a loss. Body language was not a universal concept, despite what many would think.
After what felt like a few minutes, Dra'Kota turned to Cutter.
"How do you prevent your AI's rebelling?" The question was simple, cautious, yet the answer needed to be clear and concise.
"I am unsure as to how you developed your AI's, however, ours are created from a person's flash cloned brain. It is a complicated process, but the end result is a very lifelike AI, who knows instinctually that they are not human, but an equal none the less."
"A cloned brain. You posess this technology?" Cutter nodded, grinning slightly.
"I'm only a captain, so I'm not as informed about the latest technological and biomedical advances, but I know enough to get around."
The three Quarians looked at eachother, more of the silent communication going on.
Cutter leaned back into his seat slightly, scratching his ear. This might take a while.
**Earth, Imperial Fleet Headquarters**
A second meeting, regarding the first contact situation, was taking place.
"Jameson, is there an update on the situation?" Admiral Fredrick, covered in shadows, only visable by the embers of his cigar.
"Yes. Contact has been made, and the entirity of the Batarian and Quarian ships databases have been copied. Required translation programs are being distributed onboard the Venerator. We have already verified that the Quarian's, nore the rest of the citadel species, as they call themselves, have any knowledge of our enemies."
There was a veritable rush of air, as several people let out pent up breaths.
"So, do you have any suggestions on how to handle this situation, since any possible contact with our enemies has been negated?" queried a random Admiral. Fredrick nodded.
"As contact with this galactic entity is something to note, it matters very little to us. Definitly we should pursue diplomatic relations, if only to keep them placated." A few admirals nodded, but most just gazed thoughtfully.
Admiral Jackson, one of the younger Admirals, leaned forward.
"I suggest a small fleet to support the _Vennorator._ As well as a registered diplomat. Quite frankly, devoting too many resources to this would be a waste."
"I agree. Say, two carriers, 8 cruisers with support frigates, and a colony ship on standby?" Nods of agreement circled the table. Jameson, standing in the middle of the podium at the center of the admirals, nodded.
"I shall dispatch the fleet to Captain Cutter's authority. I hereby promote him to rear Admiral for the duration of our involvement with this galactic entity."
_**[A.N.] So there. It's taken me almost three months I think to figure out this chapter. I dislike it. I've been attempting to figure out where to go with it. I've figured I'll leave it here, do a time jump nect chapter.**_
_**In other news, I'm heading to college! Yeh! So... I promise you an update... within two months.**_
_**Maybe...**_
_**Hopefully...**_
_**It's the spirit of the promise that counts. **_
_**But seriously, I'll try to get you guys an update sooner. Then again... I have a chunk of time on my hands with litterally... nothing... to do. So maybe you'll be lucky and get a chapter before september! **_
6. The Fall of Titans
**Hello dear readers! It is I! And with a review that came just that much sooner. Now, I have some information that hopefully details why I was taking so long with that last chapter. You see, my computer has been dying. And I don't mean just a little, oh its slowing down dying. I'm talking about full on system restor, begin from anew, install linux to squeeze that little extra bit of life out of it. I'm scedualed to get a new comp middle of next week, so that's nice. Now, thank ye for the reviews, all I'm willing to say is more than a few of you were right on the money with what I was thinking of doing with this story. The objective is to remain as close to the proven formula in crossover fanfiction, yet at the same time, deviate enough to make mine unique. But, without further adiu, the story.**
2150: Humanity makes first contact with a Quarian ship. Upon rescue of the crew from the destabilized drive core, diplomatic negotiations begin with the admiralty board. In return for keeping the secret of Humanity for the time being, they promise to supply the Migrant Fleet with part fabrication stations. With the Colony ship on standby, the Human fleet hunts through systems for a suitable planet. Novam Terram, or New Earth is founded, being far enough away from Council space so as to grow, until such a time as Humanity seeks to introduce themselves onto the galactic stage. The capital city is Sakresh.
It is discovered that the Mass Relay was actually the long lost Mu Relay, blown from it's orbit in a supernova, having regained alignment in the Milky Way Galaxy, connecting the the closest relay in existance. This would explain the lengthened travel time of the support fleet, being a few minutes, rather than seconds. This discovery is kept from the Migrant fleet, for military reasons. The entire situation comes under command of Fleet Admiral Cutter, with Ambassador Udina managing future political negotiations.
2200: Eden Prime grows, becoming a fully realized colony. With 4.5 million citizens, they are a self sufficient colony. Contrary to usual colony plans, many of the larger cities and settlements are built below ground. The surface only has a few cities, amounting to a few hundred thousand of it's citizens. A Dyson Ring is built around the sun, providing energy and stellar material for construction.
2205: After deliberating for an extended period of time, it is decided first contact is acceptable with the Citadel Council. A small detatchment of ships, containing a Battlecruiser and three frigates is dispatched, heading clear to the other side of the known relay network to make first contact.
Present Day
The diplomatic battle fleet, named First Contact, was comprised of the battlecruiser _Invictus, _and three Frigates, approached the dormant Mass Relay. Intelligence gathered from unnamed sources had led to this mission. Activating the mass relay would attract the attention of a Passing Salarian STG ship. After that, they were to engage Diplomatic relations.
A fair bit of deliberation had left humanity with two choices regarding the first contact. They could either make contact with the Asari, a rather diplomatically inclined species. Or the Salarians, who were short lived geniuses. The Turians were deemed too militant for first contact, given that the first species out of the citadel species they met the more or less enslaved.
"Sir, Mission start is now." Captain Miles Baker nodded. Dressed in the formal uniform of the Empire, a black military uniform, with green piping, a name tag and rank in the form of gold, silver, platinum and bronze bars, he was a cutting figure. A smooth black hat, with the symbol of the Empire stitched on the front sat atop his head. The bridge crew were dressed much the same, with differences depending on rank.
"Note it in the logs, Operation First Contact has begun. Please activate the relay." The navigator nodded, bringing up a program. A simple program, gifted by the Quarians in exchange for hydrogen fusion engines. Current models were He3 fusion generators, making it clean, but resource dependant. Standard He fusion generators could be powered by the most plentiful element in existence, hydrogen.
A pulse was sent out, striking the dormant relay the Council knew as Relay 712. Power levels spiked, ice began to melt, and the dynamo core began to spin, emitting a harsh blue glow.
"Mass Relay 712 is online. Council warning beacon detected from our probe on the other end. Engaging cloak on probe." On the other end of the relay, a small, crescent shaped probe, barely 50 meters across, shimmered before vanishing from sight. It was still there, but phased out of reality.
"STG ship projected arrival in 5 minutes. Awaiting orders sir." The Probe managment station finished her report, keeping an eye on the live feed from the probes camera.
"Phase jump us to the other side." Shortly after using the Mu Realy to enter this galaxy, it was discovered relay travel had a detrimental affect to Necrodermis metals. The mass altering properties of Element Zero was found, with repeated exposure to the mass relay, to form micro fissures in the superstructure. The _Venerator _had been in drydock for a month getting the fissures fixed.
The quite engine hum increaesed in pitch, becoming audible to the unaided ear. A slight shudder through the deck and a flash of white light and the transit was done. Around them, there were new constelations, a new sun, a Mass Relay behind them, and four frigates materializing in a wedge formation slightly below the horizontal axis of the _Invictus. _
"Blue shift detected. Incomming ship, ETA 7 minutes." A green hologram took shape, being between the bridge crew and the viewport. It showed the _Invictus _and her escorts, as well as a green rod aimed through the formation. A green ball was flashing, traveling the length of the tube, representing the incoming ship's progress.
"Align the fleet towards the incomming ship. Prepare cyber warfare suites and first contact package. We play this by the book people." The human operators nodded, keying in commands. Below, Necron pilots and operators wired into their consols began carrying out their orders.
Rather quickly, the fleet turned, facing the projected path of the incomming ship. A countdown was hovering above the display, a red sphere showing the projected arival zone.
"Projected arrival in 30 seconds. 20 seconds. 10 seconds. Blue shift decreasing." In a flash of blue light, a ship appeared.
At once, the LADAR ship identification system identified the ship. At 350 meters, Citadel Council labled it as a frigate. Comparitavely, Human ships would classify it as a Corvette. It was beige colored, built like a ship more at home on the sea than the tides of space. Obvious weapon emplacements were scattered all over, with a large spinal gun clearly making the bottom of the ship.
"Begin handshake protocal."
**Onboard the **_**Discovery**_
The _Discovery _ was a Salarian STG ship. Relatively new, it sported a powerful sensor suite, weapons systems, and was famed to have a crew size of only a couple dozen.
"Sir, unknown fleet hovering just outside the relay. Three Cruisers and a light Dreadnaught. The relay is active. First contact in action." The sensors tech, a short salarian with longer horn on his head, dark beige skin and a white military uniform rattled off the information scrolling down his screen.
The captain, a taller Salarian with lighter skin, nodded, quickly thinking.
"Send a first-" He was about to continue when it all went to preverbial hell.
The lights began to flash, screens began to flicker, before the main screen, what was reffered to as the viewport, but was actually a monitor showing a fiew outside, blacked out.
"Sir. Something has penetrated the computer system." Salarian console operators began to try and get a response from their terminals. They paused when the viewport screen played an animation.
A five fingered hand, blocky in shape, colored pure white with a green band at the wrist. Another hand, this time three fingered with a beige strip, appeared on the opposite side. The two moved together, before grasping eachother and moving up and down. The salarians were confused, many things about the situation confusing them.
There was the animation. The only race with a five fingered hand were the Asari. Was it possible they had found another species somewhat like them?
Of course, the main part that had them confused, and scared, was the fact that they had hacked the computer systems and played an animation on their viewscreens.
**Onboard the **_**Invictus**_
"Sir. First contact package is away. Databases copies, markers left in the language and cultural files. Playing message."
The first contact scenario was a strict list of points to accomplish. First was to face whatever fleet there was, providing maximum weapons spread. Second was to install the first contact program, which would sieze the computer systems of the ship, while copying the entirity of it. The program would leave obvious markers as to have been present in the language database, to give the illusion of looking for a common language.
Baker nodded, checking off the steps of first contact. Next was to release the hold the program had over the ship, followed by actual contact.
"Play first contact message, withdraw the virus and prepare for live contact. By the book people." a series of yes sirs echoed across the bridge. Straighting his had, he stood, back straight and sholders back. The area behind him was well lit, a large cloth flag of the Human Necron Empire hanging in the back. The green mark of The Void Dragon on a black background.
**Onboard the **_**Discovery**_
The lights flashed, monitors shut down. After a minute of the animation, everything shut down. The captain was about to issue order when the hum of computer started up, lights turned back on, and the general readiness of the ship hit peak.
"Systems back online and under control. Detecting traces of foreign activity in both language and cultural databases. Hold on, a file is executing."
The Salarian's three fingerd hand clenched the armrest of his chair. The aliens had taken control of his ship, purused the databases and now was just watching them.
A video popped up, taking the bridge crew by surprise. It was of a planet. A perfect garden world by Citadel standards. The planet seemed to be an even split of land versus water, leaving a very green planet. The camera was flung forward, entering the atmosphere and angling up from the ground once inside. It flew over the countryside, before angling sharply to the left, revealing a city. The Salarians watching the video gasped, awestruck by its beauty.
Tall gleaming spires made of a silvery metal, with black glass windows, stretched into the sky. Smaller buildings surrounded them, but the entire city was built like a pyramid, with a tall tower in the middle, with buildings getting progressively smaller the farther away from the center. The city itself was surrounded by a high wall, but shorter than the shortest buildings.
And above the city, high above, hung a ship. A kilometer in length, it hung above the city, a silent protector. Made of black metal, with large weapon emplacements, it floated there by no obvious means.
The camera flew into the city, flying around buildings and streets, finally going up the main spire, before going through a window and observing a figure at a desk.
It looked like an Asari, the facial structure, five fingered hand, humanoid appearance all being the same. But this one was beige colored, the color of a younger Salarian. Fur covered the top of its head, not unlike Quarians when out of their suits. The uniform was obviously military, with a few medals on his chest. Some type of garment hung from a hook against the wall, while some sort of helmet was balanced on top.
His fur was grey and black, looking somewhat like Asari spices. It looked up, seeing the camera.
"I am Fleet Admiral James Cutter. I bring a message of peace on behalf of the Human Necron Empire with no wish for hostilities. Our Empire is composed of two species, us, Humanity, and the Necron."
The camera panned right, towards the door. With a hiss, it slid open, revealing a Necron.
The easiest way the Salarian team could describe it was a silver metal skeleton, with ornate armor green and gold armor covering the limbs. A huge cloak, made of interlocking silver plates hung from its shoulders, while a gold crest sat upon its head. The eyes were green, glowing like two hellish fires.
"The Necron are a race of beings bonded to a metal construct. We work together towards the advancement of our civilization and our goals. We mean you no harm."
The Necron walked towards the camera, before standing before it.
"My title is Imotekh. I will be the liason between your species and ours. Admiral Cutter will facilitate between his species and yours. This planet is known as Novam Terram, and the city is Sakresh. I invite you to bring a diplomatic team onboard the _Invictus_, the large ship ahead of you. They will await a response."
The video ended, showing a green emblem, like that on the side of the ships, on a black background.
The bridge crew sat in silence. The video had been transcribed into perfect Salarian. The city was unlike any ever seen, geared seemingly towards siege warfare. The ship. The ability to be in atmosphere was impossible. The mass of the ship should have torn it asunder under the gravity of the planet. The Alien, a Human, so alike and yet so different from what was known. And the Necron. The Necron was on all of their minds. A person, bonded to a skeletal frame? With such a regal, yet warlike appearance? The Council had to know.
"Send a message to the council. Inform them of what has happened."
**Citadel Council**
The Citadel Council. Masters of the known galaxy, they ruled the species below them, guiding them as they saw fit. If you were Asari, Salarian, or Turian, life could be good. You had the law on your side, should you be apart of the other species, there was a certain level of discrimination levied towards you.
Currently, the three were watching the first contact video, sent to them by the STG ship. The ship had been dispatched when the relay control center had been notified of relay 712, until now dormant, being activated. This was what was sent. Also was a request for diplomats. So far, the encountered fleet had not made any movements.
"The _Discovery_ has forwarded light scan results. For some reason, the scanners cannot penetrate the hulls, but there is absolutely no element zero present. The weapons too are lacking of any element zero." Valern, the Salarian representative, could barely contain his excitement. A race that, so far, did not use element zero. Of course, there had to be an eezo core, how else did they use the relay? They must just use eezo for their drive.
The Turian counciler, Sparatus, was paying attention to the brief images of the ships. The weapons were massive. Clearly they didn't use eezo, or else the barrels would far smaller. Likely it was some propellant based cannon. Without the presence of eezo, shields could also be ruled out. All in all, they couldn't prove to be too much of a threat.
Tevos, the Asari representative, was of two minds. On the one hand, she was glad that this new species advocated peace instead of war. Another species like the Krogan would not do. Observing the Necron however, left her out of sorts. The claim that it was a being bound to a metal form was clearly a lie. The sheer idea was impossible. Clearly it was some kind of artificial intelligence. That wouldn't do.
"So," remarked Valern. Tevos noticed Valern was oddly excited. Possibly because of the new technology. If she was honest, she was a bit excited too. New technology, culture. They would help ease the economic situation.
"Shall we head on over?" he asked, barely containing the excitement in his voice.
"We should bring a fleet. While this new species seems like a small power, we know nothing of their technology. I suggest the _Destiny Ascension,_ coupled with a few cruisers and frigates. About twenty vessels should do." Sparatus nodded to himself, pleased with his idea. Tevos frowned. A show of force would not be a good idea. If they were to guide this species into the fold, they would need to do it quietly. A race of AI's wouldn't do. Careful maneuvering would be needed to shatter this empire of theirs.
"Yes, that would be a good idea. A new race needs to know who they are dealing with!" remarked Valern. Tevos sighed. Oh well. Once the two of them were set on something, it would take a Prothean to change their opinion.
"Then it's agreed. Inform the STG ship to reply that we are on our way." Tevos led the two councillors towards their private shuttle, typing off orders to the required people. For some reason, there was a feeling of unease present, the closer she got to the shuttle.
**[A.N.] There we go people! So soon after I'm amazed! That's progress! Looks like that writers block is gone! And you have almost 3K words to read! Next chapter coming. BTW, I'm heading to Anime Revolution! Wish me luck! **
End file.
| fanfiction |
Captain Charles Hamilton Sorley 19 May 1895 13 October 1915 was a British Army officer and Scottish war poet who fought in the First World War, in which he was killed in action during the Battle of Loos in October 1915.
Life and work
Born in Powis House Aberdeen, Scotland, he was the son of philosopher and University Professor William Ritchie Sorley. He was educated at King's College School, Cambridge, and then like Siegfried Sassoon, at Marlborough College 190813. At Marlborough College Sorley's favourite pursuit was cross-country running in the rain, a theme evident in many of his pre-war poems, including Rain and The Song of the Ungirt Runners. In keeping with his strict Protestant upbringing, Sorley had strong views on right and wrong, and on two occasions volunteered to be punished for breaking school rules.
Before taking up a scholarship to study at University College, Oxford, Sorley spent a little more than six months in Germany from January to July 1914, three months of which were at Schwerin studying the language and local culture. Then he enrolled at the University of Jena, and studied there up to the outbreak of World War I.
After Germany declared war on Russia 1 August - Britain declared war on Germany 4 August, Sorley was detained for an afternoon in Trier, but was released on the same day and told to leave the country. He returned to England and immediately volunteered for military service in the British Army. He joined the Suffolk Regiment as a second lieutenant and was posted to the 7th Service Battalion, a Kitchener's Army unit serving as part of the 35th Brigade of the 12th Eastern Division. He arrived on the Western Front in Boulougne, France on 30 May 1915 as a lieutenant, and served near Ploegsteert. He was promoted to captain in August 1915.
Sorley was killed in action near Hulluch, having been shot in the head by a sniper during the final offensive of the Battle of Loos on 13 October 1915. Having no known grave at war's end, he is commemorated on the CWGC Loos Memorial.
Sorley's last poem was recovered from his kit after his death, and includes some of his most famous lines:
When you see millions of the mouthless dead
Across your dreams in pale battalions go
Legacy
Marlborough and Other Poems was published posthumously in January 1916 and immediately became a critical success, with six editions printed that year. His Collected Letters, edited by his parents, were published in 1919.
Robert Graves, a contemporary of Sorley's, described him in his book Goodbye to All That as one of the three poets of importance killed during the war. The other two were Isaac Rosenberg and Wilfred Owen. Sorley may be seen as a forerunner of Sassoon and Owen, and his unsentimental style stands in direct contrast to that of Rupert Brooke.
The last two stanzas of his poem Expectans expectavi were set to music in 1919 by Charles Wood; this anthem for choir and organ quickly established itself in the standard repertoire of Anglican cathedrals and collegiate churches.
Sorley is regarded by some, including the Poet Laureate John Masefield 18781967, as the greatest loss of all the poets killed during the war.
On 11 November 1985, Sorley was among 16 Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner. The inscription on the stone was written by Wilfred Owen. It reads: My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity.
It Is Easy To Be Dead by Neil McPherson, a play on his life, based on his poetry and letters, was presented at the Finborough Theatre, London, and subsequently at Trafalgar Studios, London, in 2016 and was nominated for an Olivier Award.
On 9 November 2018, a Wall Street Journal opinion commentary by Aaron Schnoor honored the poetry of World War I, including Sorley's poem When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead.
Works
Marlborough and Other Poems. Cambridge University Press, 1916.
Wilson, Jean Moorcroft Ed. The Collected Poems of Charles Hamilton Sorley. London: Cecil Woolf, 1985. .
Wilson, Jean Moorcroft Ed. The Collected Letters of Charles Hamilton Sorley. London: Cecil Woolf, 1990.
Spear, Hilda D. Ed. The Poems and Selected Letters of Charles Hamilton Sorley. Dundee: Blackness Press, 1978.
References
Further reading
McPherson, Neil. It Is Easy To Be Dead. Oberon Books, 2016.
Wilson, Jean Moorcroft Ed. Charles Hamilton Sorley: A Biography. London: Cecil Woolf, 1985.
Nail, Norbert 2017: Der schottische Dichter Charles Hamilton Sorley als Student im Sommer 1914 an Saale, Lahn und Mosel. https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/uniarchiv/inhalte-pdf/der-schottische-dichter-charles-hamilton-sorley-als-student-im-sommer-1914-an-saale-lahn-und-mosel.pdf.
External links
Selected Poetry of Charles Hamilton Sorley Biography and 5 poemsAll the Hills and Vales Along, Barbury Camp, Expectans Expectavi, The Song of the Ungirt Runners, To Germany, When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead
Prose & Poetry Charles Hamilton Sorley
Portrait Chalk drawing by Cecil Jameson at National Portrait Gallery, London
Charles Hamilton Sorley: 191415 in Letters London Symphony Orchestra
Category:1895 births
Category:1915 deaths
Category:20th-century British male writers
Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:British military personnel killed in World War I
Category:People educated at Marlborough College
Category:People from Aberdeen
Category:Scottish male poets
Category:Scottish World War I poets
Category:Suffolk Regiment officers | wikipedia |
Ranma 1. Diclaimer
Changes
Von AWarringer
Declimer
Nichts hier von ist meins, wenn man von der Storyline absieht. Bitte nicht verklagen, ich bin nur ein armer Student und brauche mein BAFöG.
Ranma ½ gehört Rumiko Takahashi und irgendeinem Verlag.
Perry Rhodan gehört der Pabel-Moewing Verlags KG.
C&C sind willkommen.
Flames werden direkt an den Hund verfüttert.
Klaut einer meine Story wird er mit drei Wochen Modern Talking bestraft.
Ansonsten gilt die Warnung:
Fanfics können süchtig machen. Zu den riesigen Nebenwirkungen essen sie die Packungsbeilage und tragen sie ihren Arzt zum Aphoteker.
2. Prolog
Veränderungen
Prolog
Ranma saß auf dem Dach des Tendo-Dojo und sah in die Sterne. Vor einer Wocher war die Hochzeit mit Akane ins Wasser gefallen und seitdem war sie stinksauer auf ihn. Nabiki wurde nicht müde Ranma auszupressen und verlangte für alles Geld. Soun und Genma stauchten ihn mehrmals am Tag zusammen. Noboka war zwar verständnisvoll, aber sie gab Ranma letztenendes die Schuld an dem Desaster. Schließlich hätte er ja etwas unternehmen können. Nur Kasumi blieb sie selbst und immer freundlich.
„Mein Leben stinkt."
Ranma ließ den Kopf sinken und griff nach der Kette, die um seinen Hals hing. An der Kette hing ein Teil des zerbrochenen Naban-Spiegel. Das kleine Bruchstück pendelte langsam vor seinem Gesicht hin und her und drehte sich leicht. Ranma seufzte und ließ das Speigelstück sinken. Dann sah er wieder in die Sterne. Eine Träne stahl sich aus seinem Augenwinkel und rollte langsam sein Gesicht hinunter, um sich an seinem Kinn zu lösen.
„Ich wünschte ich währe irgendwo anders," flüsterte Ranma.
Die Träne fiel auf die Spiegelscherbe. Es gab einen Lichtblitz und Ranm war verschwunden.
3. Kapitel 1 Teaser
Veränderungen
Kapitel 1 Heimkehr
----------------------------
Ich ging langsam auf meine Kabine zu, als eine Durchsage kam.
"Kommandant bitte in die Zentrale."
Ich zuckte mit den Schultern und konzentrierte mich auf die Zentrale der DISCOVERY. Von einer zur nächsten Sekunde stand ich mitten in der Zentrale, knapp vor COMMAND, der erhöhten Kommandoplattform meines Schiffes.
"Was gibt es?" fragte ich Mel Grissam, meinen ersten Offizier und ersten Piloten.
Der Ertruser zuckte zusammen, als er meine Stimme hörte. Er drehte sich langsam um und sah mit seinen zweiachzig Körpergröße auf meine einsneunzig herunter. Er schüttelte den Kopf und strich sich über den Irokesenähnlichen Sichelkamm auf seinem Kopf.
"Kannst du nicht die Tür nehmen, wie jeder andere auch?"
Ich schenkte ihm mein patentiertes arrogantes Lächeln.
"Ich glaube nicht. Es sieht einfach zu gut aus, wenn ein Ertruser zusammenzuckt."
Ich konnte das Lachen von einigen anderen Besatzungsmitgliedern höhren. Mel schloss die Augen und massierte seinen Nasenrücken mit den gigantischen Pranken, die seine Hände waren.
"Was gibt es?"
Mel deutete mit einer Hand auf das Ortungs-Hologramm hinter sich. Dort waren die Blimps von zehn Schiffen zu erkennen. Warscheinlich ein Begrüßungskommando dieser Galaxie. Die Schiffe schienen sich in einer Art Angriffsposition zu befinden. Den Energieangaben nach zu urteilen, die neben dem Ortungsholo schwebten, hatten alle Schiffe ihre Schilde aktiviert und Waffensysteme hochgefahren. Ich machte mir nicht unbedingt große Sorgen. Die Angaben unserer Energiesensoren zeigten, daß die Schilde er Schiffe nur auf HÜ-Level lagen und die Waffensysteme mit hoher Warscheinlichkeit nicht stark genug waren, um den Paratron der DISCOVERY auf zehn Prozent zu belasten. Ich sah wieder zu Mel.
"Kommunikationsversuche?" "Nein." "Irgendetwas anderes als aktivierte Waffen und Schilde?" "Auch nicht."
Ich schüttelte den Kopf. Warum müssen wir immer auf die Völker treffen, die bereit waren zuerst zu schießen und dann zu fragen? Ich ging auf meinen Kommandosessel zu und setzte mich. Ich drehte mich um.
"Funk. Versuch eine Verbindung zu den Schiffen herzustellen."
Ian McGregor, der Funker, der momentan Schicht hatte, nickte.
"Ich versuche es."
Ich konzentrierte mich weiter auf die Ortungsholos. Irgendetwas war hier faul. Ich hatte soeine Formation schon einmal gesehen. Zugegeben, nur in einigen Holoaufnahmen aus Chetreah, aber ich hatte sie gesehen. Diese Formation hatten die Schiffe der Haluter eingenommen, um einen der Sonnenwürmer zu vernichten.
Gleichzeitig stieg die Energieerzeugung in den Schiffen innerhalb von einer Minute um fast 900.000 Megawatt. Nicht gut. Schließlich baute sich ein Holo vor mir auf. Es zeigte kein Gesicht, sondern nur ein Symbol. Eine einzelne Galaxie, die von einer durchscheinenden Balse umgeben war. Ich atmete tief durch.
"Ich bin Ranma Saotome, Kommadant des LFT-Schiffes DISCOVERY. Wir kommen in friedlicher Absicht und möchten nur unsere Rohstoffreserven in ihrer Galaxie auffrischen."
Die Antwort kam sofort.
"Das tut nichts zu Sache," sagte eine unpersönliche Roboterstimme," Sie haben das Gebiet von Osikri verletzt. Dafür müssen sie vernichtet werden."
Na herrlich. Warum immer ich? Kaum hatte die Stimme ihr Sprüchlein aufgesagt, war die Verbindung unterbrochen.
"Scheiße! Schilde hoch. Lücke, intermittierend. Und nicht wie weg hier!"
Die Schutzschilde der DISCOVERY flammten auf. Sechsfachgestaffelte Paratron und fünffach gestaffelte HÜ-Schilde, wobei sich die einzelnen Staffeln ablösten. Erst ein Paratron, dann ein HÜ, noch ein Paratron, und wieder ein HÜ, und so weiter.
Gleichzeitig konnte das geschulte Ohr das leise Aufsummen der vier Hauptmetagravtriebwerke höhren, die dieses gewalltige Schiff der Entdecker- Klasse mit 880 km/sec² aus ihrem alten Kurs rissen und beschleunigten. Es half nichts. Das was ich erahnt hatte, passierte. Ich hasse es wenn ich recht habe.
Um die DISCOVERY entstand ein gigantischer Aufrißtrichter, der alles im Umkreis von einigen hunderttausend Kilometern in den Hyperraum riß. Uns eingeschlossen. Während jegliche andere Materie beim Kontakt mit dem Hyperraum für immer entmaterialisierte, waren wir fürs erste sicher. Gott sei Dank gibt es Paratron-Schilde. Trotzdem gab es jetzt ein Problem. Die Belastungsanzeige der äußeren Paratronstaffel stieg langsam aber sicher an. Im Moment lag die Belastung vielleicht nur bei knapp fünf Prozent, aber es würde nur zwei Stunden dauern, bis die Belastung die einhundert Prozent überschritt, und vielleicht weitere dreißig Muniten, bis der Schirm komplett zusammenbrach.
Und wenn erst die äußere Staffel zusammenbrach, würden die anderen Staffeln im Fünfminutentakt folgen. Also hatten wir knappe drei Stunden Zeit, um uns etwas einfallen zu lassen. Ich sah zu der Chefwissenschaftlerin herüber, die vor einer Ortungskonsole saß und die einzelnen Daten-Hologramme durchsah. Eins muß ich ihr lassen, sie ist wie immer extrem schnell bei der Sache. "Eine Idee, Ryoko?"
Der Rotschopf sah mich an.
"Warte noch ein paar Minuten, Dad."
Ja, sie war meine Tochter. Bereits mit fünfundzwanzig war sie eine der besten Hyperphysikerinen in der LFT. An Bord der DISCOVERY leitete sie das zivile Team von Wissenschaftlern, wie es jedes Schiff der Entdecker-Klasse an Bord hatte. Wenn ich sie ansah, sah ich in ihr oft ihre Mutter. Als sie zwei Jahre alt war, war Kirari bei einem Gleiterunfall ums Leben gekommen. Ein Halbstarker hatte sich mit Vurguzz vollaufen lassen, war in seinen Gleiter gestiegen und hatte die Sicherheitsschaltungen deaktiviert. Einige Minuten später hatte sich sein Gleiter mit achthundert in einen Taxigleiter gebohrt.
Ich sah Ryoko lange an.
Etwa einsachtundachzig groß, ein Superkörper, der selbst mich manchmal neidisch machte, wenn ich denn in meinem weiblichen Körper war, ein immer freundliches Gesicht, das ihr Temperament verbarg und ausdrucksstarke rote Augen, die sie von ihrer Mutter hatte. Kirari war eine Halbarkonidin. Ganz offiziell war Ryoko der intelligenteste je gebohrene Mensch. Und das mit einem IQ von 971 Punkten. In ein paar Jahren konnte sie vielleicht sogar Aagenflet oder Miles Kantor den Rang streitig machen. Und Aagenfelt hatte sich mit seiner Aagenflet-Barriere einen Platz in der Geschichte erarbeitet, bevor ihn Seelenquell umbrachte. Ich speilte gedankenverlohren mit dem Anhänger, den ich um meinen Hals trug. Es war das Bruchstück des Naban-Spiegels, das mich letztenendes vor siebenunddreißig Jahren hier her gebracht hatte. Ich hatte damals zwar versucht wieder zurückzukommen, aber nach zehn vergeblichen Versuchen hatte ich es aufgegeben und mich meinem Schicksal ergeben. Ich hatte mich beim nächsten Amt gemeldet und angegeben, irgendwo in der Wildnis der Erde ohne Kontakt zur modernen Welt aufgewachsen zu sein. Nicht unbedingt das Problem. Damals war das Jahr 1272 NGZ. Ich hatte mich sehr schnell in das Terra dieses Universums eingelebt und einen Schulabschluß gemacht. Danach hing ich ein Studium drangehängt, Raumschiffsbau. 1276 NGZ lernte ich Kirari kennen und verliebte mich in sie. Und sie verliebte sich in mich. Zwei Jahre vor Ryokos Geburt trat ich der LFT- Flotte bei, um ein wenig von der Milchstraße zu sehen. Als Kirari 1284 starb, war ich am Boden zerstöhrt.
Ich bekam die Nachricht, als ich als erster Pilot eines schweren Kreuzers im Sektor Morgenrot auf Patruille war. Nur Ryoko hielt mich davon ab, meinen Schmerz im Alkohol zu ertränken. Ich erhielt einige Jahre Erziehungsurlaub. Aber 1292 NGZ, als Goedda vor der Tür der Galaxie stand wurde ich wieder aktiviert.
Ryoko konnte damals aber schon auf sich selbst aufpassen und war bereits in der Highschool. Zwei Jahre später machte sie ihren Abschluß und begann Hyperphysik am TIT zu studieren. 1297 NGZ machte sie ihren Abschluß und man wollte sie in eine der Mutantenschulen stecken, weil sie Teleporterin, leichte Telekintin und Energiemanipulatorin war. Aber sie zeigte ihre Fähigkeiten nur sehr selten. Es hatte sich aber bereits erledigt, nachdem sich herausstellte, daß sie keine Monocrom-Mutantin war.
Dann kam das Jahr 1303 NGZ und die Bedrohung durch SEELENQUELL. Ryoko half Aagenfelt seit zwei Jahren bei seiner Barriere und ich war erster Offizier an Bord der YAMATO, eines Schlachtkreuzers der ODIN-Klasse.
Im darauffolgenden Jahr kam der Angriff auf das Sol-System und ich war mitten drin. Bei einem Gefecht mit zwei Posbi-Fragmentern war die YAMATO schwer beschädigt worden und konnte nur sich nur mit Mühe zurückziehen. Wir erreichten grade so den Treffpunkt 'Kartagos Fall'. Der Kommandant der YAMATO überlebte unsere Flucht nicht und ich verlohr mein rechtes Auge durch ein Panzerplastschrapnell. Ich bekam ein geklontes Ersatzauge, mit einer grünen Iris - verdammte Mediker -, und dann das Kommando über die reparierte YAMATO. Dann folgten die Gefechte um die Hundertsonnenwelt und Arkon. Als SEELENQUELL duch die 'Sekundärwaffe Geistertanz' getötet wurde, veränderte sich etwas in mir, ausgelöst duch die gigantischem Mengen Psi- Energie. In mir wurden zwei latent vorhandene Paragaben aktiv. Ich wurde zum Kurzstreckenteleporter und zum Energiemanipulator. Aber wie meine Tochter konnte ich trotz dieser Fähigkeiten ein PsIso-Netz tragen.
1306 NGZ bekam ich dann das Kommando über die DISCOVERY, der erste Neubau eines Schiffes der Entdecker-Klasse nach dem SEELENQUELL-Vorfall. Und ich hohlte Ryoko als die Leiterin der Wissenschaftsabteilung. Dann, 1308 NGZ, bei einem Spezialeinsatz gegen eine alte, von den Galactic Guardians besetzte, USO-Basis, stolperte die DISCOVERY über ein instabiles Wurmloch. Es schleuderte uns über 643 Millionen Lichtjahre in die Richtung der Großen Leere, die für uns immer noch etwa 400 Millionen Lichtjahre in Richtung der Milchstraße lag. 4400 Besatzungsmitglieder, 500 Stammbesatzung, 3200 Beibootbesatzungen, 200 Wissenschaflter und 500 Mitglieder der Raumlandetruppe, verschollen im Weltraum.
Jetzt passt wenigstens der Name meines Schiffes. Wir sind jetzt immerhin auf einer 'Odyssee im Weltraum'. Ist zwar nicht 2001, aber man kann nicht alles haben. Wir sind jetzt ein Jahr unterwegs und nur 40 Millionen Lichtjahre näher an TERRA. Naja wir brauchten eine Fabrik, um die Triebwerke auszutauschen, wenn sie nach zweihundert Millionen Lichtjahren ausgebrannt sind. Und jetzt sitzen wir im Hyperraum fest.
Ryoko drehte sich wieder um und riß mich aus meinen Gedanken.
"Ich hätte eine Idee." "Und?" "Wir fahren die Grigoroff-Projetoren hoch und schalten die Schilde aus. Da wir im Hyperraum sind schützt uns das Grigoroff-Feld wie bei einem Metagrav- Flug. Wenn wir Glück haben funktioniert es. Wenn nicht..."
Ich nickte und sah dann die Zweifel in ihrem Gesicht.
"Aber?" "Wenn es klappt, könnten wir die interuniverselle Barriere durchbrechen." "Mit oder ohne Stageness-Schock?" "Keine Ahnung."
Ich schüttelte den Kopf.
"Sind ja tolle Aussichten." "Es ist deine Entscheidung, Dad."
Ich atmete tief durch und drehte mich wieder um. Ich sah Mel an.
"Mel, mach was Ryoko gesagt hat."
Der Ertruser nickte nur, setze sich in den Sessel des Emotionauten und stülpte die SERT-Haube über seinen Kopf. An einigen Kotroll-Hologrammen vor mir konnte ich erkennen, wie er das Gehirn der DISCOVERY wurde und die DISCOVERY zu seinem Körper.
"Ich bin soweit," sagte er. "Dann mach."
Er nickte. Ich konnte ohne Probleme höhren wie die Girgoroff-Projektoren ansprangen und das Sirren langsam in den Ultraschallbereich abdreiftete. Dann, nach etwa einer Minute, war das tiefe Brummen der Schildgeneratoren verschwunden und die Grigoroff-Projektoren brüllten mit einem Mal auf, so laut, das es von jedem gehört wurde. Ich konnte erkennen, wie sich Schweißperlen auf Mel's Gesicht bildeten.
"Beende Metagrav-Flug," stöhnte er.
Das mußte ihn ganz schön mitnehmen. Ein gewalltiger Stoß ging durch das Schiff, so gewalltig, daß er von den Andruckabsondern nicht absorbiert werden konnte und ich aus meinem Sessel geschleudert wurde.
Gleichzeitig flackerten die Hologramme und das Licht. Ich bildete mir ein, Explosionen zu höhren. Als ich wieder auf den Beinen war, konnte ich erkennen, daß Mel in seinem Sitz zusammengesackt war.
"Medo!" schrie ich.
Dreißig Sekunden später stand ein Medo-Roboter nebem Mel und behandete ihn. Ich sah den Roboter an.
"Und?" fragte ich. "Er hat einen leichten Nervenschock erlitten," sagte die Machiene mit einer sympatischen Frauenstimme," ich habe ihm einige Präperate verabreicht, die den Schock ,lindern sollten."
Ich nickte und wandte mich wichtigeren Dingen zu. Den Status-Hologrammen, die über COMMAND schwebten. Was ich sah war schlecht. Verdammt schlecht. Der Übergang in den Normalraum, hatte einen Energiestoß in das Versorgungsnetz geleitet. Fünfundzwanzig Prozent aller Systeme waren zerstöhrt oder schwer beschädigt. Weitere dreißig Prozent wiesen leichte Beschädigungen auf. Wir hatten drei der Hauptmetagrav-Triebwerke verlohren, ausgebrannt. Alle Paratron- und HÜ-Generatoren, explodiert, siebzig Prozent des Bordsyntrons und zehn Prozent der Positronik. Die Steuersysteme der Transformkanonen waren offline und nur drei von sechzig MHV-Geschützen einsatzbereit. Zum ersten Mal war ich froh, daß die Entdecker-Klasse eine hochgradige Redundanz in allen Systemen aufwies. Dadurch hatten wir noch ein unbeschädigtes Not-Lineartriebwerk und zwölf Protonenstrahl-Triebwerke. Das hieß, wir waren immer noch Überlichtfähig. Zwar nur grade eben, aber immer hin.
Die DISCOVERY war auch das einzige Schiff seiner Klasse, das statt eines Not-Transitionstriebwerkes über einen Not-Linearkonverter mit hunderttausend Lichtjahren Reichweite verfügte. Ich drehte mich zum Rest der Zentrale um.
"Navigation, ich will wissen wo wir sind. Funk, alle Normal- und Hyperfunkanäle abhöhren. Ortung, du weißt, was du zu tun hast. Logistik, ich will alle Schäden aufgelistet haben und erwarte einen Reparaturplan in einer Stunde. Fleet, ich will den Status aller Beiboote, bis runter zu den Gleitern."
Damit ließ ich mich wieder in meinen Sessel fallen. Ryoko betrat COMMAND und setzte sich neben mich.
"Du solltest dich ausruhen, Dad. Schließlich wolltest du es tun bevor der Angriff kam."
Ich sah sie mit einem ernsten Gesicht an.
"Ausruhen? Jetzt? Du kennst mich besser, Ryoko. Nicht, solange ich nicht weiß was los ist."
Dann kam Ibrahim Weißbaum, der Navigator, der zur Zeit Dienst hatte, auf mich zu.
"Und, wo sind wir?" fragte ich ihn.
Er schüttelte den Kopf. Sein Gesicht zeigte ganz klare Überraschung.
"Du wirst es nicht glauben," sagte er kleinlaut. "Was werde ich nicht glauben?"
Er räusperte sich und schluckte, um seinen trockenen Hals frei zu bekommen.
"Wir sind im Sol-System. Aber nicht in unserem. Hier existierten Mars und Pluto noch."
Ich schloß meine Augen. Da war es wieder, mein sogenanntes Glück. Ich hatte mal wieder Glück, Pech zu haben. Erst unsere Odyssee und jetzt der Übergang in die Vergangenheit oder ein anderes Universum. Wirklich Su-u-u-per.
"Wo?" fragte ich. "Fahrtlos in L3 des Terra-Luna-Gravitationssystems."
L3, einer der fünf Librationspunkte, in dem sich die Gravitation von Erde und Mond aufheben und eine stabile Umlaufbahn erlauben. Ich drehte mich um.
"Ortung?" "Nichts. Keine Schiffe, nur jede Menge Satelliten und Raumschrott. Eine einfache Raumstation in 400 Kilometern Höhe über Terra und ein Raumfahrzeug, das fast so aussieht wie die STARDUST." "Ich will sie sehen," sagte ich.
Mein Wunsch wurde mir sofort erfüllt und zwei Hologramme bauten sich vor mir auf. Ich erkannte beide. Ein amerikanisches Space Shuttle und die internationale Raumstation ISS. Also fiel die Vergangenheit raus. Ein anderes Universum war es also.
"Sonst noch etwas?" "Ja, zwei leichte Hyperenergiequellen im Großraum Tokio und eine im Großraum Okyama." "Danke. Funk?" "Jede Menge Verkehr im UKW-Bereich. Kein Hyperfunk, den ich empfangen könnte. Die UKW-Signale sind Funk, Telefon, Fernsehen." Ic
h nickte. "Zeig mir einen Fernsehsender." "Kein Problem."
Vor mir baute sich ein zweidimensionales Bild auf. Es zeigte das Bild eines Nachrichtensenders. Vertrau McGregor um CNN zu finden. Das Bild zeigte einen Reporter vor einem Gebiet, das ich fast vergessen hatte. Jusendo. Der zerstöhrte Mt. Phoenix.
"Seit mehr als anderthalb Jahren schweigt sich die Regierung in Peking," sagte der Reporter," über die Vorkommnisse aus, die zur Zerstöhrung dieses Berges führte. Einige sogenannte Augenzeugen aus einem benachbarten Dorf, behaupten, daß ein Teenanger den Berg mit einer Art Energiestrahl zerstöhrt haben soll, aber einige Geheimdienste nehmen an, daß in diesem Berg eine geheime Forschungsanlage existiert haben soll, in der von der chinesischen Regierung eine Art Superlaser entwickelt worden ist, und er bei einem Test den Berg zerstöhrt hat." I ch hörte nicht mehr hin sondern sah auf das Datum im Bild. 29. Februar 2002. Fast ein Jahr nachdem ich verschwunden bin. Das war es schon wieder, mein verfluchtes Glück. Ich war wieder zu hause und meine Leute waren hier fehl am Platz. Scheiße. Ich bin jetzt dreiundfünfzig und hier ist grade Mal ein Jahr vergangen. Ich bin jetzt älter als meine Eltern. Und Ironie des Schicksals, man sieht es mir nicht an. Die völlige Kontrolle über mein Ki und meinen Körper hat es mir erlaubt soetwas wie unsterblich zu sein. Mein Köper ist biologisch gesehen achzehn, aber ich sehe aus wie fünfundzwanzig. Jetzt ist die Preisfrage: Was jetzt?
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Zwei Tage warten vergangen seit die DICOVERY in meinem Heimatuniversum gestrandet ist. Inzwischen sind wir auf dem Mond gelandet und haben mit den Reparaturen begonnen. Da wir nicht wußten ob jemand unsere Ankunft bemerkt hatte und ob dieser jemand friedlich war, lag die höchste Reaparaturpriorität bei den Schilden und den Waffensystemen. Glücklicherweise waren die Beiboote nicht beschädigt worden, immerhin etwas.
Die Reparatur aller Systeme an Bord wird etwa drei Monate dauern. Was unsere momentane Situation anging, nun ich hatte mich an eine Standartprozedur für Extremsituationen gehalten. Ich habe die Crew befragt. Ein Vorteil bei einer so gut wie nicht existierenden Befehlsstruktur. Um das zu verstehen, muß man verstehen, daß es eigentlich keine Ränge in der LFT-Flotte gibt. Die gesamte Befehlsstruktur basiert einfach auf dem Vertrauen und dem Respekt den Vorgesetzten gegenüber. Und wenn man nicht mit einer Anweisung einverstaden war, führte man sie nicht aus oder fragte jemand anderes nach seiner Meinung. Das hatte ich auch gemacht.
Das Ergebnis war äußerst interessant. Fast alle Besatzungmitglieder hatten sich dafür ausgesprochen hier zu bleiben und zu sehen was sich machen ließ. Ich hatte eigentlich erwartet, daß alle nach einer schnellen Heimkehr schrien. Also hatte ich die Befragung drei Mal wiederhohlt. Mit dem selben Ergebnis. Ist schon verrückt, wie sehr eine Besatzung sich mit dem Kommandanten identifiziert. Im Moment stand ich in einem der großen Hagars, etwa einen Meter vor einem Prallfeld, das die Atmosphäre im Schiff hielt und sah auf die blaue Kugel der Erde, die knapp über dem Mondhorizont hing. Die DISCOVERY war im Tycho- Krater gelandet und draußen konnte ich Roboter erkennen, die einige Teile der äußeren Hülle auswechselten.
Ich atmete tief durch.
"Einen Galax für deine Gedanken," hörte ich Ryoko hinter mir. "Ich denke nur grade nach, ob ich vielleicht mal in Nerima nach dem Rechten schaue," antwortete ich ohne mich umzudrehen. "Warum eigentlich nicht, ich wollte immer schon mal meine Großeltern kennenlernen."
Ich lachte auf.
"Die beiden würden ausflippen. Meine Mutter würde dich schätzungsweise nie mehr loslassen wollen und mein Vater wird versuchen mich umzubringen, weil ich" Ich machte eine ziemlich gute Imitation von Genma. "Die Familie entehrt habe."
Ryoko konnte zuerst kaum ihre Lacher zurückhalten, nur um dann regelrecht zu explodieren. Ich konnte nicht anders und leistete ihr bald Gesellschaft. Einige Minuten später hatten wir uns wieder beruhigt.
"Warum eigentlich nicht," sagte ich," Ist ja nicht so, als würde Mel nicht damit fertig." "Genau," sagte Ryoko," Wenn er nicht einer der wenigen Emotionauten wäre hätte er sein eigenes Kommando."
Ich sah sie an.
"Woll'n wir eine Micro-Jet nehmen oder willst du teleportieren?"
Sie dachte kurz nach.
"Teleportieren wir. Ich habe da so eine seltsame Idee, was die beiden Hyperenegiequellen in Japan angeht. Ich schnappe mir nur eben einen Scaner und wir können los." "Gut, ich bin dann in der Zentrale."
Ich teleportierte in die Zentrale und materialisierte hinter Mel.
"Hey, Mel," sagte ich mit einem Lächeln.
Mel zuckte zusammen und drehte sich um.
"Muß das immer sein?" "Yep."
Ich lächelte ihn weiter an.
"Ich bin einige Zeit auf der Erde. Du hast das Kommando." "Und warum?" fragte er. "Ich denke ich sehen mal nach was sich zuhause verändert hat. Und für die Reparatur braucht man mich nicht."
Er zuckte mit den Schultern und drehte sich wieder um.
"Du bist der Kommandant."
Dann materialisierte Ryoko neben mir.
"Hey, Mel," sagte sie.
Mel zuckte wieder zusammen und ich konnte mir nur mit Mühe ein Lachen verkneifen.
"Jetzt fängt sie auch damit an," lamientierte er und ließ sich in einem Sessel sinken.
Jetzt konnte ich mir das Lachen nicht mehr verkneifen. Bevor Mel etwas sagen konnte, griff Ryoko nach meinem Arm und teleportierte uns zur Erde. Wir materialisierten nicht weit vom Ucchan's entfernt. Und ich lachte noch immer.
"Jetzt weiß ich endlich warum du das immer machst, Dad," sagte Ryoko mit einem Lächeln. "Es macht einfach nur Spaß," sagte ich. "Und wohin jetzt?" fragte sie. "Da das Ucchan's am nächsten liegt, denke ich wir fangen dort an." "Hab ich nichts gegen."
Wir gingen also die paar Meter bis zum Ucchan's. Ich sah mich unterdessen um. Es hatte sich nichts verändert, wenn man einmal von dem neuen Straßenbelag absah. Ich öffnete die Tür zu Ukyo's Restaurant. Das Restaurant war leer bis auf einen jungen Mann und Ukyo. Sie sah auf. Und wurde etwas bleich.
"Ran-Ranma?"
Ich legte mein bestes Lächeln auf.
"Hallo, Ukyo."
Sie sprang über die Theke raste auf mich zu und umarmte mich. Die Umarmung war so fest, daß selbst einem Oxtoner die Luft weggeblieben wäre. Der junge Mann sah nur einem gesunden Interesse zu. Dann löste Ukyo die Umarmung und sah mir ins Gesicht.
"Wo warst du das letzte Jahr."
Ich lächelte etwas.
"Ist eine lange Geschichte."
Sie ging wieder hinter den Tresen und lächelte breit. Der junge Mann sah sie an.
"Ich hoffe du bekommst keinen Rückfall," sagte er.
Ukyo wurde rot und der junge Mann bekam einen leichten Schlag gegen den Kopf.
"Hisho," zischte sie.
Wir, ich und Ryoko, setzten uns. Ukyo war bereits dabei, zwei ihrer Special zu machen. Sie sah dabei Ryoko an.
"Wer ist sie," fragte Ukyo. "Ukyo, darf ich dir meine Tochter Ryoko vorstellen," sagte ich.
Sie und Hisho starrten mich an. Sie starrten uns lange an. Sehr lange. So lange, daß die Okiyami verbrannten und sie neue begann.
"WAS??!!" schrien die beiden. "Wie ich sagte, ist eine lage Geschichte." "Ich will sie höhren."
Ich lächelte und zog meinen Anhänger hervor.
"Wißt ihr was das hier ist?" "Nein," sagte Ukyo. "Irgendetwas magisches," sagte Hisho. "Das ist ein Stück des Naban-Spiegels. Eine Art Talisman. Vor einem Jahr bin ich durch dieses Bruchstück in ein anderes Universum geschleudert worden. Ich habe dort 35 Jahre verbracht. Erst vor zwei Tagen bin ich mit meinem Schiff hier gestrandet." "Schiff? Anderes Universum?" fragte Ukyo. "Das Schiff das ich kommandiere. Die DISCOVERY, ein Schiff der Entdecker- Klasse."
Ich wollte weiter erklähren, als ich von Hisho unterbrochen wurde.
"Entdecker-Klasse? 1,8 Kilometer Durchmesser? Kugelraumer? Transformkanonen, Paratron-Schild und Metagrav?"
Ich war etwas überrascht. Ich hatte nicht erwartet, daß hier jemand etwas über mein Schiff wußte.
"Ja. Ein Schiff der LFT-Sonderflotte. S.N.C. 1-9-22. Baujahr 1306 NGZ."
Hisho sah mich an als wäre ich verrückt und warf die Hände in die Höhe. "Das ist unmöglich!" schrie er," Perry Rhodan ist nur eine Figur aus einer deutschen Sience Fiction Serie!"
Müsste ich vielleicht mal überprüfen.
"Wenn ich den Residenten das nächste Mal sehe werde ich es ihm sagen. Da wird er aber überrascht sein."
Ryoko konnte sich ein Kichern nicht verkneifen. Ukyo sah unterdessen wieder auf die Okiyami. Sie waren wieder verbrannt. Ich sah auch auf die verbrannten Okiyami.
"Bist du im letzten Jahr eingerostet?" fragte ich.
Sie gab mir DEN Blick, der mich leicht frösteln ließ. Ich kannte DEN Blick noch von meiner Frau, Kami-sama hab sie selig.
"Was ist eigentlich in meiner Abwesenheit passiert?" fragte ich, um davon abzulenken.
Ukyo hohlte tief luft.
"Also," begann sie," Wir haben die ersten beiden Wochen Nerima auseinandergenommen, um dich zu finden." "Hab ich mir denken können," unterbrach ich sie mit einem Lächeln," Konntest wohl nicht ohne mich leben."
Sie wurde leicht rot und verpasste mir einen Schlag auf den Hinterkopf.
"Naja, jedenfalls ist Schampoo immer noch auf der Suche. Zusammen mit Cologne und Mousse." "Gut zu wissen." "Das Problem ist, sie sind ab und zu hier. So wie jetzt auch." "Verdammt." "Als wir, bis auf Schampoo natürlich, mit der Suche aufgehört haben, ist Kodachi durchgedreht." "Was sie es nicht schon immer." "Stimmt eigentlich. Ihr Bruder hat sie jedenfalls einweisen lassen." "Kuno war ausnamsweise mal intelligent? Die Welt geht unter!" sagte ich und fakte Todesangst.
Ukyo und Hisho mußten lachen.
"Was ist mit Akane?"
"Oh, Kuno hat die morgentliche Prügelei wieder eingeführt. Akane hat die übrigen Schüler zwar jedes Mal platt gemacht, aber Kuno ist dank dir stärker geworden und hat Akane vier aus fünf Mal besiegt."
Ich verzog das Gesicht.
"Darum hat sich Akane mit deinem Vater geredet und ihn überredet, sie zu trainieren. Sie waren neun Monate weg und Akane ist etwa so gut geworden, wie du warst, als ich gekommen bin. Das hat sie fürchterlich arrogant gemacht und sie hat Kuno zwei Monate ins Krankenhaus gebracht. Sie ist jetzt auch viel agressiver. Ein falsches Wort und ...."
Ich kratze mich am Kinn.
"Ich glaube ich werde mich mal mit befassen. Gleich nachdem ich mein Okiami hatte."
Inzwischen hatte sich Ukyo besser konzentrieren können und je ein Okiami lag vor mir und Ryoko. "Mmmm, die schmeken gut," sagte meine Tochter zwischen den Bissen. "Es sind die besten," berichtigte ich sie und Ukyo wurde wieder rot.
Schließlich waren wir fertig.
"Dann erzähl uns mal deine Gschichte," sagte Ukyo.
Und ich erzählte meine Geschichte.
"... und jetzt sind wir hier gestrandet."
Die beiden sahen mich lange an.
"Ein wenig fantastisch," sagte Ukyo schließlich," Aber dir passieren immer die unmöglichsten Dinge." "Das ist war."
Ich sah inzwischen Hisho an.
"Was ist mit ihm, Ucchan?"
Sie wurde abermals rot.
"Er ist mein Freund." "Ich dachte ich wäre dein Verlobter?"
Ich lächelte sie an.
"Na herzlichen Glückwunsch, mein Freund."
Ich klopfte ihm auf die Schulter. "Wenn ihr irgendetwas passiert, dann..."
Ich ließ den Satz offen, einerseits, weil er es schon begriffen hatte, und andererseits, weil jemand die Tür zum 'Ucchan's' aufstieß. Wir drehten uns um. Ryoko und ich zwinkerten nur bei dem Anblick und Hisho und Ukyo stöhnten gequält auf.
"Halt, böse..."
Ich hörte nicht genau hin, zum einen weil diese 'Rede' schlimmer war als alles, was Kuno je gebrabbelt hatte, und zum anderen um mir die acht jungen Mädchen vor mir etwas näher anzusehen. Alle acht trugen so eine Art Schuluniform, die der Traum eines jeden Pädophielen in Japan war. Und alle waren in verschiedenen Farben. Fünf von ihnen waren etwa sechzehn, zwei Anfang zwanzig und eine vielleicht grade Mal dreizehn.
"... und im Namen des Mondes werde ich euch bestrafen."
Ich zwinkerte nochmals und schüttelte den Kopf.
"Und was gibt euch einen Grund zu der Annahme, daß wir 'Böse' sind?" fragte Ryoko, wie immer schnell bei der Sache. "Nun ihr..."
Der Anführerin, die mit der regenbogenfarbigen 'Uniform' und den zwei Flügelchen, fehlten die Worte und sie sah sich hilfesuchend umsah. Anscheinend hatte sie nicht damit gerechnet. Ich drehte mich zu Ukyo um. Ich deutete mit meinem Daumen auf die acht.
"Wer sind die denn? Ich habe grade nicht genau zugehört."
Ukyo hob eine Augenbraue.
"Das sind die Sailor Senshi," antwortete sie," So 'ne Art Superheldentruppe aus Jubban. Haben aber schon mehrfach die Welt gerettet."
Dann stellte die die acht vor. Ich hob nun meinerseits eine Augenbraue und sah die acht wieder an. Sailor Merkur hatte inzwischen eine Art Visor vor den Augen und einen Palmtop in der Hand, auf dem sie wie wild herumhackte. Ich sah zu Ryoko hinüber, die ihren Scanner hervorgezogen hatte und ihrerseits auf ein Holo sah das vor ihr schwebte.
"Und?" fragte ich.
Sie sah mich an.
"Also..."
Sie wurde von einem Feuerball unterbrochen, der auf uns zuraste. Da er aus Energie bestand konnte ich ihn wahrnehmen und in ein grünes Kraftfeld baute sich in seiner Flugbahn auf. Der Ball traf den von mir ezeugten HÜ-Schild und verschwand. Nach ihm verschwand der Schild auch wieder. Ryoko ließ sich von nichts beirren.
"...wir brauchen nicht nach der Hyperenergiequelle hier in Tokio suchen. Sie ist zu uns gekommen."
Sie deutete auf die acht.
"Sie sind die Quelle. Sie erzeugen Energie im SHF-Hyperband."
Aha, Superhochfrequente Hyperenergie, mit anderen Worten Magie. Ryoko war die einzige die in dieser Richtung forschte und das nur wegen meinem Fluch. Sie hatte herausgefunden, daß Magie nur eine Spielart der Hyperenergie war, genau wie parapsychische Fähigkeiten. Nur mit einem Unterschied: Während man Paragaben oder besser UHF-Hyperenergien mit hohem Aufwand künstlich erzeugen konnte, war es mit SHF-Hyperenergien unmöglich. Nur biologische Wesen konnten mit genug Übung SHF-Energien maniplieren. Damit war Ryoko diejenige, die Magie wissenschaftlich erklährbar gemacht hat und sie ist gleichzeitig die einzige die sich ernsthaft mit Magie beschäftigte, so ernsthaft, daß sie zu einer Magierin geworden war. Ich sah die Sailor Senshi an, sie hatten sich bisher nicht bewegt, seit der Feuerball in den HÜ-Schild geknallt war.
"Aaahh," hörte ich sie sagen," was haben wir denn hier? Einen Kristall."
Das riß alle aus ihrer Trance.
"Ihr kriegt den Silver Millenium Cristall nicht!" schrie Sailor Moon und griff mit beiden Händen schützend vor die Brosche, in die der Kristall eingebettet war.
"Warum sollten wir den Kristall haben wollen," fragte Ryoko," Das ist ein Howalgonium-Kristall, wie wir ihn zu zehntausenden an Bord der DISCOVERY haben."
Sie sah wieder auf das Holo.
"Und schlecht geschliffen noch dazu."
Sie griff nach hintern und schob ihre Jacke beiseite und griff nach einem alten Lederhalfter, nur um eine Waffe hervorzuziehen die in Form und Größe an eine Walter PPK erinnerte. Sofort wurden alle Anwesenden, außer mir, bleich. Aber anstatt die Waffe auf irgendjemanden zu richten, hielt sie sie fest und zog einen Teil der Kammer nach hinten, nur um einen farblosen, diamantähnlichen Kristall herauszunehmen. Sie hob ihn ins Licht und warf ihn dann Sailor Moon mit einer lässigen Handbewegung zu.
"Hier, der ist tausendmal besser geeignet."
Die acht sahen den Kristall skeptisch an. Ich dagegen sah auf Ryoko's Waffe.
"Du hast das Ding immer noch? Warum kein moderner Blaster, das Modell ist doch mehr als dreitausend Jahre alt."
Sie lächelte nur.
"Du kennst mich, Dad. Ich liebe alte Waffen."
Stolz wie Oskar hob sie die Waffe hoch und zeigte sie jedem.
"Eine Walter P-1-9-3, Stadart-Thermoblaster der Solaren Flotte von 2314 AD bis 2432 AD. Schußweite bis zu 200 Meter innerhalb der Atmosphäre. Energiezelle für 1000 Schuß oder fünf Minuten Dauerfeuer. Prodiziere Stückzahl geht in die hundert Milliarden. War damals ziemlich beliebt, inner- und außerhalb des Solaren Imperiums. Ich habe sogar gehört das Perry auch einmal so einen Blaster besessen hat."
Ich schüttelte den Kopf. Ukyo sah mich an. "Deine Tochter ist ein Waffennerd?" Ich nickte. "Ja. Einer der schlimmsten Sorte. In ihrer Kabiene hängt ein M16 aus dem Jahr 1973 AD über dem Bett. Liebevoll restauriert und voll funktionsfähig."
Ich mußte mit einem Mal lachen.
"Du hättest sie sehen sollen, wie sie ihren letzten Freund abblitzen lassen hat. Sie hat ihn als bewegliches Ziel genommen und das M16 an ihm getestet."
Hisho und Ukyo sahen mich ungläubig an. Ich zuckte nur mit den Schultern. Ryoko sah inzwischen die acht Sailor Senshi an.
"Ich hätte dann mal gerne den Kristall wieder."
Sailor Merkur griff den Kristall und gab ihn Ryoko. Sie war nervös.
"Habe ich richtig gehört?" fragte sie vorsichtig," Howalgonium?"
Ryoko nickte.
"Und dieser Perry ist nicht zufällig Perry Rhodan?"
"Yep," bestätigte Ryoko.
"Und die DISCOVERY ist," sagte Hisho mit einem breiten Lächeln," ein Schiff der Entdecker-Klasse."
Sailor Merkur schluckte und drehte sich um.
"Wir sollten sie besser in Ruhe lassen," stellte sie fest. "Warum?" fragte Sailor Mars," Wir sollten sie ein für alle Mal beseitigen."
"Die sind eine Nummer zu groß für uns. Die brauchen nur ein Transformgeschütz abfeuern und wir sind Geschichte."
"Transformgeschütz?" fragte Sailor Moon.
Ich zuckte mit den Schultern.
"Och, nur eine Waffe mit der man aus 15 Millionen Kilometern Entfernung eine Kernwaffe mit 4000GT Sprengkraft innerhalb von Sekundenbruchteilen verschießen kann. Angewendet auf einen Planten, löscht eine solche Bombe ein Gebiet von der Größe Japans allein durch die Exposion aus."
Die acht Senshi wurden bleich.
"Aber ich bin hier gebohren und ein ganz netter Kerl. Ich würde soetwas nie tun."
Ich sah sie an.
"Haltet euch von uns fern und wir machen keine Probleme."
End file.
| fanfiction |
Renormalization in strongly coupled theories without Lagrangian description
In a weakly coupled theories, it is quite transparent how the flow works since we have a path integral and then we integrate out fields to see the behaviour at different length scales. But if I don't have a Lagrangian or the theory is strongly coupled, this procedure won't make a lot of sense. In that case how do we see the flow. Please correct me if anything that I have stated is wrong. Apologies in advance. Thanks !
RG flows which come from perturbing Lagrangians often lead to strong coupling when we approach the IR. But it is indeed interesting to consider the cases when we already do not have a Lagrangian for the starting UV theory. Sometimes that's because we know literally nothing about the theory, in which case making sense of renormalization is the least of our troubles. So I will focus on the case where the UV fixed point is well understood but nevertheless non-Lagrangian.
Unperturbed correlation functions $\left < \mathcal{O}\_1 \dots \mathcal{O}\_n \right >\_0$ therefore have an abstract definition and we can consider what happens to them after adding $\exp \left [ g\_0 \int d^d x \, \mathcal{O}(x) \right ]$ to the would-be "path integral". An especially useful observable to consider is the two-point function of $\mathcal{O}$ itself. At leading order,
\begin{align}
\left < \mathcal{O}(x\_1) \mathcal{O}(x\_2) \right > &= \sum\_{n = 0}^\infty \frac{g\_0^n}{n!} \int dy\_1 \dots \int dy\_n \left < \mathcal{O}(x\_1) \mathcal{O}(x\_2) \mathcal{O}(y\_1) \dots \mathcal{O}(y\_n) \right >\_0 \\
&\approx \left < \mathcal{O}(x\_1) \mathcal{O}(x\_2) \right >\_0 + g\_0 \int dy \, \left < \mathcal{O}(x\_1) \mathcal{O}(x\_2) \mathcal{O}(y) \right >\_0.
\end{align}
We can now plug in the known form of a conformal three-point function and apply a point splitting regulator to the integral to get
\begin{equation}
g\_0 \int\_{|y - x\_i| > \Lambda^{-1}} dy \, \frac{\lambda\_{\mathcal{O}\mathcal{O}\mathcal{O}}}{(|x\_{12}| |y - x\_1| |y - x\_2|)^\Delta}.
\end{equation}
This shows that if $\Delta > d$ (meaning $\mathcal{O}$ is irrelevant), we can take the short distance cutoff to zero and still get a convergent integral. In more Wilsonian language, these operators will contribute negative powers of $\Lambda\_1$ and $\Lambda\_2$ when we evolve an effective field theory between two scales with $\Lambda\_2 \ll \Lambda\_1$. Their effects at $\Lambda\_1$ will therefore be unimportant in determining the long wavelength physics.
For $\Delta < d$, the situation is reversed and the integral will diverge as we take $\Lambda \to \infty$. It therefore needs to be renormalized by writing $g\_0 = Z\_g g$ and letting $g$ run according to some scheme. This is not necessarily easy, because of how complicated position space correlators can be at high orders, but <https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.04444> and <https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.05325> are good reviews. These deal with perturbations to the Ising model which is strongly coupled. In 2d it is exactly solved while in 3d it is known with enough numerical accuracy for the above approach to work.
| stackexchange/physics |
Discussion in 'Expired Listings' started by afrank, Dec 7, 2011.
For sale a mint nice E-PL1 Body + 14-42 kit lens.
Asking price is 185eur including shipping into Germany, +5eur to EU, PM me for NON EU.
Willing to trade the E-PL1 Body + 14-42 kit lens for an E-PL2 body with no lenses + some cashback from my part.
Bump! New price and trade option! | slim_pajama |
What do we call ions without basic and acidic properties
According to Brønsted theory,
1. Acids are substances (molecules and ions) donating $\ce{H+}$
2. Bases are substances (molecules and ions) receiving $\ce{H+}$
I've been trying to find a complete Brønsted-Lowry's Base and Acid charts. But I cannot find the chart mention "substances without basic or acidic properties" such as $\ce{CO}$, $\ce{Na+}$, $\ce{K+}$, $\ce{Cl-}$, etc..
Could anyone help me with what I should call these substances? And a keyword for a Brønsted-Lowry chart that also includes the substances with no basic and acid properties? All my learning is in my non-native language English. Right now my current English lecture composed by the University doesn't mention the category for the matter I've been looking for.
I believe that the word you are looking for is a pH-neutral compound, or simply a neutral compound.
I think your best bet would be neutral salts. This term describes compounds such as $\ce{NaCl, KNO3, CaBr2, CsClO4}$. This [page](http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/salts.html) from the University of Waterloo gives a brief table of ions that when paired produce a neutral salt.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
William Nathan Harrell Smith September 24, 1812 November 14, 1889 was a United States Representative from North Carolina; born in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, September 24, 1812; attended the common schools in Murfreesboro, N.C., Kingston, Rhode Island, and Colchester, Connecticut and East Lyme, Connecticut; was graduated from Yale College in 1834 and from Yale Law School in 1836; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Murfreesboro, N.C., in 1839; held several local offices; was a member of the State house of commons in 1840, 1858, 1865, and 1866; served in the State senate in 1848; solicitor prosecutor of the first judicial district of North Carolina for eight years; elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-sixth Congress March 4, 1859 March 3, 1861; unsuccessful candidate backed by the American Party and many Democrats for Speaker; served in the Confederate Congress 18621865; delegate to the Democratic National Convention at New York City in 1868; served as counsel for Governor W. W. Holden in his 1871 impeachment trial; chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court 18781889; died in Raleigh, North Carolina, November 14, 1889; interment in Historic Oakwood Cemetery.
Notes
External links
North Carolina Historical Marker
Category:1812 births
Category:1889 deaths
Category:People from Murfreesboro, North Carolina
Category:Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
Category:Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Category:Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from North Carolina
Category:North Carolina Democrats
Category:Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Category:North Carolina state senators
Category:Chief Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court
Category:North Carolina lawyers
Category:Yale Law School alumni
Category:19th-century American politicians
Category:Yale College alumni | wikipedia |
jets can play a key role in exploding core collapse supernovae ( ccsne ; e.g. , khokhlov et al . 1999 ; macfadyen et al . 2001 ; maeda & nomoto 2003 ; woosley & janka 2005 ; couch et al .
khokhlov et al .
( 1999 ) injected a jet with a radius of @xmath1 at a distance of @xmath2 from the center .
the mass in the two jets was @xmath3 , and their speed @xmath4 .
practically they injected _ slow massive wide _
( smw ) jets to explode the star . as the jets launched by the newly formed neutron star ( ns ) are likely to be narrow and fast ( a velocity of @xmath5 ) , the formation of the jets launched by khokhlov et al .
( 1999 ) should be explained .
couch et al .
( 2009 ) found that to match observations their jets must start with a large fraction of thermal energy ( their model v1m12 ) .
the total mass in the jets in their model v1m12 was @xmath6 , and the maximum velocity @xmath7 .
as evident from their fig . 7 ,
such jets practically start as wide jets .
namely , their initial conditions for their model v1m12 was that of a smw outflow .
again , the formation of the smw outflow requires explanation .
macfadyen et al .
( 2001 ) injected jets at a radius of @xmath8 , but their jets were injected at a much later time in the explosion , and are less relevant to the present paper . in any case , they also showed that smw jets are efficient in removing the envelope further out . when narrow jets are simulated ( e.g. , alloy et al . 2000 ; zhang et al .
2003 , 2004 ) no envelope ejection occurs . indeed , narrow jets that maintain a constant direction
do not expect to expel a non - turbulent surrounding gas ( sternberg et al .
2007 ) . in another set of simulations , zhang et al .
( 2006 ) added a smw outflow to their simulations of relativistic jets .
the papers cited above further emphasize the need to answer the question as of how such smw jets that can explode ccsne are formed .
soker ( 2010 ; hereafter paper 1 ) argued that smw jets in ccsne , as simulated by , e.g. , khokhlov et al .
( 1999 ) and couch et al .
( 2009 ) , can be formed when fast ( @xmath9 ) and light ( total mass of @xmath10 ) jets interact with the infalling gas at distances of ( @xmath11 ) from the center . in paper 1 the same mechanism that was used to explain the formation of smw jets in other astrophysical systems
was proposed to operate in ccsne .
this mechanism is the _ penetrating jet feedback mechanism _ , that was applied to the growth of the super massive black hole during galaxy formation ( soker 2009 ; soker & meiron 2010 ) , and to stellar environments ( soker 2008 ) . when the jets penetrate through the ambient medium to large distances
, they do nt heat and do nt expel the gas , and accretion onto the central region might continue .
when the jets do nt penetrate , but rather deposit their energy in the inner regions , they heat and expel the gas , assuming they are energetic enough and the hot bubbles do nt suffer substantial non - adiabatic cooling .
maeda & nomoto ( 2003 ) studied hypernovea explosions and injected bipolar jets at a radius of @xmath12 for @xmath13 , inside either a @xmath14 or a @xmath15 star .
the jets were injected at a constant direction .
their jets had a half opening angle of either @xmath16 or @xmath17 and a kinetic energy in the range of @xmath18 .
their results seem to indicate that the stellar mass near the equatorial plane ( perpendicular to the jets direction ) is not expelled efficiently , and the observed explosion is expected to be highly non - spherical .
the jets we assume to be launched by the newly formed neutron star are similar in properties to the jets simulated by maeda & nomoto ( 2003 ) .
however , there is a substantial difference .
we assume the jets axis to constantly vary , such that the envelope is expelled in all directions . for the efficient operation of the penetrating jet feedback mechanism in expelling the ambient gas , the relative direction between the narrow jets and the ambient gas must be changing , such that the jets do not manage to drill a hole and escape with their energy .
the jets are rather shocked inside the ambient gas and heat it and/or expel it .
the change in direction between the jets and the ambient gas is achieved either by transverse motion of the ambient gas , or changes in the jets launching direction , e.g. , an ordered precession ( sternberg & soker 2008 ) or random direction changes termed _
jittering_. yet another way to prevent penetration is by wide jets ( sternberg et al .
2007 ) . in that respect ,
the formation of wide jets by the newly formed ns or black hole , as found by dessart et al .
( 2008 ) , favors the operation of the model proposed here . in the magnetic field model of dessart
et al . ( 2008 ) the angular momentum is large , and the jets are expected to maintain a constant direction , and might have difficulties to expel the gas perpendicular to their direction . adding a little jittering ( see section [ sec : ang ] ) will enable the jets to explode the entire envelope .
the model studied by dessart et al .
( 2008 ) requires high initial angular momentum . in the model discussed here
there is no such requirement .
winds blown by the accretion disk around the newly formed ns have been also considered in the literature .
macfadyen & woosley ( 1999 ) found a disk - wind in their simulations , that has the same properties as smw jets .
however , the disk wind blown from an extended disk surface is less efficient ( energetically speaking ) than smw jets formed from shocked narrow jets that are launched from the very inner region of the accretion disk .
the reason is that a wind from an extended disk region is launched from a shallow potential well . in the penetrating jet feedback mechanism
the explosion is powered by narrow jets that are launched from the inner disk , @xmath19 , where the potential well is much deeper than at the rest of the disk , and the accreted gas releases much more gravitational energy .
indeed , macfadyen & woosley ( 1999 ) simulated the formation of a black hole ( and not a ns ) , and the strong disk wind is formed only when the collapsing core is rapidly rotating .
kohri et al .
( 2005 ) conducted a study of disk wind in ccsne , where the central object is a ns .
they propose that the wind energy is able to revive a stalled shock and help to produce a successful supernova explosion . here again , the wind comes from an extended region in the disk , and it is less efficient than fast jets blown from the very inner region of the disk .
moreover , to form their proposed disk wind , kohri et al .
( 2005 ) required the progenitor s core to rotate very rapidly , as they form the accretion disk earlier than in the present model .
another difference is that in our proposed model the jets deposit their energy further out , and we let the material near the stalled shock to be accreted .
this is a major difference between our model and models that are based on neutrinos .
namely , that our model does not revive the stalled shock . to the contrary , we need the material there to be accreted and form the accretion disk that launches the jets . in paper 1 a transverse motion of the infalling gas
was considered , and a simple cooling by neutrino formula was applied . in the present paper
we consider jittering jets , and show that for a wide range of parameters these jets can deposit their energy at @xmath20 and form hot bubbles .
these high - pressure bubbles accelerate the rest of the star and explode it .
before the bubbles merge they accelerate the material in their vicinity and form the smw outflow .
as the proposed mechanism is different in some key issues from previous models that are based on jets and winds from the ns vicinity , we present the basic ingredients of the model in sections [ sec : jet ] , and [ sec : ang ] . in section [ sec : pen ]
we use the penetrating condition to find the radius where the jets deposit most of their energy .
neutrino cooling is discussed in section [ sec : cooling ] , and our summary is in section [ sec : summary ] .
the basic ingredients and assumptions of the proposed explosion mechanism were described in paper 1 . here
we concentrate on jittering jets , and use the following , somewhat different , assumptions and processes . 1 .
we assume that about a chandrasekhar mass of the iron core @xmath21 has already collapsed , and most of it already formed the almost final neutron star ( ns ) .
namely , a mass of @xmath22 and a radius of @xmath23 is accreting the rest of the inflowing mass .
the corresponding escape velocity is @xmath24 .
2 . based on recent numerical simulations ( ott et al . 2009 ; blondin & mezzacappa 2007 ; nordhaus et al . 2010 ; rantsiou et al .
2010 ) we assume that the angular momentum of the accreted gas onto the ns changes stochastically , and with a large enough amplitude to form an intermittent accretion disk with a rapidly varying angular momentum direction . based on their simulations , we find that during a large fraction of the time the specific angular momentum allows for the formation of an accretion disk at a radius of @xmath25 , and that the angular momentum direction is changing on a typical rate of @xmath26 .
in addition to the stochastic behavior behind the stalled shock at @xmath27 ( ott et al .
2009 ; blondin & mezzacappa 2007 ; rantsiou et al .
2010 ) , the magnetic axes of many ns are known to be inclined to the spin . over all , the jets direction is not expected to be constant , unless the core of the collapsing star has a large amount of angular momentum .
3 . the properties of jets launched by ns ( or bh ) have some universal properties , such as the fast jets speed is @xmath28 .
there is a universal ratio between mass lose rate in the two jets to mass accretion rate . using the same ratio of ejected to accreted energy as in soker ( 2009 ) , @xmath29 ,
the ejected ( into both jets combined ) to accreted mass average ratio is taken to be @xmath30 .
this average ratio includes the time periods when there is no accretion disk , or the disk does not blow jets .
the ambient density profile in the specific calculations presented here are taken to be a power law , based on existing calculations ( wilson et al .
1986 ; mikami et al .
2008 ) of a @xmath31 core collapse star , rather than from the assumption of an inflow used by soker ( 2010 ) . the mass inside that radius of @xmath32 that is accreted and form the accretion disk after bounce amounts to @xmath33 . from these assumptions
we derive the typical kinetic energy carried by the jets @xmath34 with an efficiency of @xmath35 to channel the jets energy to explosion , these jets can account for the kinetic energy of exploding ccsne .
if the jets penetrate through the surrounding gas they will be collimated by that gas , and two narrow collimated fast jets will be formed , similar to the flow structure in the simulations of sutherland & bicknell ( 2007 ) for agn jets , and of macfadyen et al .
if , on the other hand , the jets can not penetrate the surrounding gas they will deposit their energy in the inner region .
a pair of two hot bubbles is formed .
the bubbles will merge with each other and with earlier and later pairs of bubbles .
each bubble will accelerate the material around it over a very large solid angle .
the wide outflow has more mass than the originally narrow jets , and by energy conservation the wide outflow has a lower velocity .
a slow massive wide ( smw ) outflow ( jets ) has been formed .
it is this smw outflow that expels the rest of the stellar gas . that a wide outflow can expel the stellar gas has been studied analytically by kohri et al .
( 2005 ) , and was demonstrated in numerical simulations by maeda & nomoto ( 2003 ) and couch et al .
( 2009 ; where their high thermal energy jets are practically smw jets ) .
the results here offer an explanation to the formation of the jets simulated by couch et al .
( 2009 ) in their v1m12 model . in figure [ fig : jets1 ]
we schematically summarize the proposed model .
( c ) the jittering jets penetrate through the gas close to the center , but can not penetrate beyond a typical distance of @xmath36 ( eq . [ eq : rs1 ] ) .
as the jet s axis changes its direction , no fresh jet s material is supplied to push the jet s head forward , as depicted by the short arrows detached from the center .
the shocked jets form two hot bubbles .
the bubbles accelerate the material around them in a wide angle ( shown as short - wide arrows in the upper bubble only ) , forming slow massive wide ( smw ) jets .
this panel shows a larger volume than panel b. ( d ) the inflation of several pairs of bubbles eventually eject the entire region outside @xmath36 .
this explodes the star . unlike many other models ,
in the proposed model the stalled shock is not revived , but rather the gas within @xmath37 , that amounts to @xmath33 , is accreted during the entire jet - launching phase .
this panel shows a larger volume than panel c.,title="fig : " ] the duration of the jets launching phase from accretion disks around super - massive black holes in agn is much longer than the dynamical time in the vicinity of the black hole .
this is not the situation here . in our core collapse scenario
the total accretion phase lasts for @xmath38 , which is the typical time for the collapse of material from thousands of km .
the intermittent accretion disk changes its axis direction on a time scale of @xmath39 .
the keplerian period at the surface of the ns is @xmath40 , such that the ratio of the typical time variation of the disk to the keplerian period is only @xmath41 .
this implies that the accretion disk might not have time to completely relax and lose its internal energy and form a thin accretion disk .
this non - relaxed behavior might further contribute to variations in the direction of the jets , and might increase the fraction of the accretion energy that is channeled to the outflow ( jets ) kinetic energy rather than to radiation .
in our model we assume that an intermittent accretion disc residing in the region @xmath42 is formed at the final stages of the collapse .
there are two limiting cases we now discuss . in the first limit , the total angular momentum of the accreted mass is very low , i.e. , the average specific angular momentum is much lower than that of a keplerian orbit about the radius of the ns . in that case , we assume , based on ott et al .
( 2009 ) , blondin & mezzacappa ( 2007 ) , and rantsiou et al .
( 2010 ) that the angular momentum is rapidly changing in magnitude and direction .
as discussed above the value of the stochastically varying angular momentum amplitude can be large enough to form an accretion disk for a very short time of @xmath43 .
the direction of the angular momentum stochastically changes as well .
this stochastically variation of the angular momentum is not an independent ` random walk ' process .
the reason is that the total angular momentum can not be larger than that of the initial angular momentum of the core .
we even expect the accreted angular momentum to be _ smaller _ than the initial angular momentum of the accreted mass .
the reason is that the jets that are formed in each disk episode carry some angular momentum , and even a substantial fraction of the angular momentum in some models ( e.g. , ferreira et al .
the conclusion is that the ns will spin slower than what would be expected if the accreted mass would retain its angular momentum .
we note that the small amount of accreted angular momentum in our model is along the results of rantsiou et al .
( 2010 ) that found that the instability at shock does not lead to a rapidly spinning ns .
we require the typical amplitude of the variations in the specific angular momentum to be large , but expect the total accreted angular momentum to be lower than the initial one .
our model , therefore , fits the finding that ns are born as slow rotators ( e.g. , faucher - gigure et al .
2006 ) .
the sum of the accreted angular momentum to almost zero , crudely requires the direction of the jets to rotate over @xmath44 during the accretion process of @xmath38 .
this is compatible with , and one of the reasons for , taking @xmath26 . because of the stochastic accretion process the disk is not completely relaxed , and relative motion within the disk can increase the viscosity . for a disk viscosity parameter
@xmath45 the viscous timescale is ( e.g. , dubus et al .
2001 ) @xmath46 where @xmath47 is the viscosity of the disk , @xmath48 is the thickness of the disk , @xmath49 is the sound speed , @xmath50 is the keplerian velocity , and @xmath51 is the mass of the newly formed ns or black hole . as discussed in section [ sec : jet ] the intermittent disk is not expected to completely settled into a thin disk .
this is the reason for taking @xmath52 and @xmath53 rather than a smaller value .
we conclude that the viscosity is sufficient for accretion episodes that last @xmath43 . in the other
limit the initial angular momentum of the accreted mass of the progenitor core is large , such that the disk maintains its general direction , and the direction of the jets is constant .
this is probably the case in gamma ray bursts . if wide jets that are very efficient in expelling gas ( sternberg et al .
2007 ) are formed , such as in the magnetic model of dessart et al .
( 2008 ) , then small jittering will be sufficient to explode the star and leave a ns behind .
such a small jittering is expected from the shock instability .
if narrow jets are formed , the small jittering will not be sufficient , unless more mass is accreted and launched into the jets .
in such a case a black hole will be formed .
let the fast jets from the inner disk zone have a mass outflow rate in both directions of @xmath54 , a velocity @xmath55 , and let the two jets cover a solid angle of @xmath56 ( on both sides of the disk together ) .
the density of the outflow at radius @xmath57 is @xmath58 from the numerical results for a @xmath31 star at the beginning of the collapse as presented by wilson et al .
( 1986 ) and mikami et al .
( 2008 ) , we find that the collapsing material density profile can be approximated by the power law @xmath59 the mass of the infalling gas according to equation ( [ eq : rhos ] ) in the range @xmath60 , @xmath61 , and @xmath62 , is @xmath63 , @xmath64 , and @xmath65 , respectively . in our model ,
most of this mass is accreted to the newly formed ns star , bringing its mass from @xmath22 to a typical final mass of @xmath66 in most cases .
this is the mass range where most ns studied by kiziltan et al .
( 2010 ) reside .
the head of each jet proceeds at a speed @xmath67 given by the balance of the pressure exerted by the shocked jet s material with that of the shocked surrounding gas . assuming a highly supersonic motion and neglecting the inflow velocity of the inflowing gas
, this equality reads @xmath68 , which can be solved for @xmath69 @xmath70 for typical parameters of our problem we find @xmath71 where we took a typical mass of @xmath72 to be blown into the two jets within a typical time of 1 second .
we note that the accretion rate onto the newly formed neutron star can be quite high in the first @xmath73 . in a @xmath31
it can be @xmath74 after @xmath75 ( j. nordhaus , private communication 2011 ) .
the exponent @xmath76 in the last term comes from @xmath77 for @xmath78 .
the time required for the jets to cross the surrounding gas at a distance @xmath57 from the center is given by @xmath79 if the inflow velocity of the ambient gas is considered , the jets head proceeds at a somewhat lower velocity than that given by equation ( [ eq : vh1 ] ) . on the other hand
, the interaction of the jets with the ambient gas can further collimate the jets , hence reducing somewhat the value of @xmath80 and increasing the jets head speed . as mentioned in section [ sec : intro ] , for the efficient operation of the penetrating jet feedback mechanism in expelling the ambient gas , the relative direction between the narrow jets and the ambient gas must be changing , such that the jets do not manage to drill a hole and escape with their energy .
this implies that before a jet crosses a distance @xmath81 , its direction should be changed on an angle larger than its width .
the time that a jet crosses its width @xmath82 is @xmath83 . the width of a jet at a distance @xmath57 from its source is @xmath84 , where @xmath85 is the half opening angle of the jet . for a narrow jet
we have @xmath86 , and @xmath87 from the demand for efficient energy deposition , @xmath88 , we get the condition @xmath89 where we used assumption 4 of section [ sec : jet ] , @xmath90 , in equation ( [ eq : rs1 ] ) .
the main conclusion from this derivation is that the jets will stop rapid expansion ( stop penetration ) at a distance of @xmath91 ( or @xmath92 ) .
this is the region from where hot bubbles will be formed .
they will accelerate the gas around them to form smw jets , and explode the star .
it is important to note that this occurs outside the stalled shock . in our model
the stalled shock is not revived , but rather the material from its vicinity continued to be accreted and feed the accretion disk that launches the jets .
we note that the radius of energy deposition does not depend on the half opening angle of the jets @xmath85 , but does depend quite strongly on the rate @xmath93 at which the jets axis direction is changing .
we compare the neutrino cooling time with the jets expansion time .
the dominant process is pair production @xmath94 .
based on the results of schinder et al .
( 1987 ) and itoh et al .
( 1989 , 1996 ) we approximate the neutrino specific cooling rate by @xmath95 we check the cooling at the radius where the jets stop penetrating and start to inflate the bubbles .
the jets stop penetrating at @xmath96 ( eq . [ eq : rs1 ] ) . at this radius
the jets head proceeds at a speed of @xmath97 ( eq . [ eq : vh1 ] ) .
the typical time for the jets to cross the radius @xmath98 is @xmath99 .
each bubble is inflated by the shocked jets material at a supersonic speed @xmath100 .
we therefore take the bubbles inflation time to be @xmath101 .
the volume of the bubbles inflated on both sides is @xmath102 the bubbles occupy @xmath103 of the volume when the jets reach @xmath104 .
the total energy deposited into the bubbles is @xmath105 we emphasize that this is only the energy deposited in the first @xmath106 .
the jets are active for @xmath38 .
the energy in the bubbles is dominated by radiation .
we can approximate the temperature by @xmath107 with the other parameters as used above . from equation ( [ eq : cool1 ] ) we find that the total energy carried by neutrinos from the bubbles when the bubbles are inflated is @xmath108 bubbles that are inflated earlier lose more energy .
for the above parameters , the ratio of energy carried by neutrinos to that deposited into the bubbles is @xmath109 neutrino cooling is only important at very early times .
the conclusion is that neutrino cooling is not a problem to the model .
we examined a mechanism by which narrow jets launched by the newly formed neutron star ( ns ) or black hole ( bh ) at the center of a core collapse supernova ( ccsn ) lead to the supernova explosion of the star .
specifically , the mechanism converts fast narrow jets blown by the accreting newly formed ns , to slow massive wide ( smw ) jets , similar to those simulated by , e.g. , couch et al .
( 2009 ) , as schematically shown in fig .
[ fig : jets1 ] .
the wide outflow explosively expel the rest of the stellar mass .
the basic assumption is that after a compact ns is formed , the final accretion stage results in the formation of an accretion disk that launches two fast narrow jets , similar in many respects to the way young stellar objects launch jets as they accrete mass during their final growth phase .
the other basic assumptions are listed in section [ sec : jet ] .
the basic requirement for the jets to deposit their energy into the infalling mass and turn the inflow to an outflow , is that the jets do not penetrate through the surrounding infalling gas to too large distances . for ccsne the jets should not penetrate beyond @xmath110 .
if jets do penetrate , they carry most of their energy to distances of @xmath111 , allowing too much mass to be accreted onto the ns , hence forming a bh .
when the jets axis does not change its direction and the surrounding gas has no transverse velocity , the jets drill their way out ( paper 1 ) . for not penetrating the infalling gas the jets should encounter new material before they manage to drill their way out .
namely , the typical time for a jet s axis to cross the jet s width ( eq . [ eq : taus ] ) , or for the infalling gas to cross the jet s width by transverse motion at radius @xmath98 ( paper 1 ) , should be shorter than the penetration time ( eq . [ eq : tp1 ] ) at radius @xmath98 : @xmath88 . in paper 1 the transverse motion of the inflowing gas was considered .
here we have studied the more realistic case where the jets axis rapidly changes its direction : jittering jets .
the condition @xmath88 leads to equation ( [ eq : rs1 ] ) .
this mechanism where the negative feedback is based on the jets non - penetrating condition is termed the _ penetrating jet feedback mechanism .
_ it was suggested to operate in forming smw jets ( soker 2008 ) and to regulate the growth of the super massive black hole during galaxy formation ( soker 2009 ; soker & meiron 2010 ) .
namely , we suggest that nss ( or bhs ) at the center of ccsne shut off their own growth and expel the rest of the mass available for accretion by the same mechanism , via jets , that super massive black holes shut off their own growth , as well as that of their host bulge , in young galaxies .
another condition for the operation of the penetrating jet feedback mechanism is that the hot bubbles non - adiabatic cooling time is long . in the present case the non - adiabatic cooling
is due to neutrinos .
the neutrino cooling was studied in section [ sec : cooling ] and was found to be very small . in most cases the jittering jets will lead to a spherical explosion .
however , in some cases where the angular momentum of the accreted mass is relatively high , there will be a preferred direction for the varying jets axis .
in such cases the explosion will be bipolar .
such cases can explain the evidenced of asymmetry in some core collapse supernovae ( e.g. , leonard et al .
2006 ; wang et al . 2003 ) .
our model has two significant differences from most models for exploding ccsne .
( @xmath112 ) in our model neutrinos play no role in exploding the star .
they can play a role in the accretion and launching of the jets .
( @xmath113 ) in our model the stalled shock at @xmath114 is not revived . to the contrary
, it is required that material in the vicinity of the stalled shock is accreted and forms the intermittent accretion disk that launches the two jets .
we note that , contrary to intuitive expectation , when the angular momentum of the collapsing core is very large the explosion is not efficient .
this is because the jets axis is constant , and the jets penetrate to large distances .
wide jets as in the simulations of dessart et al .
( 2008 ) can make the explosion more efficient . in most cases with large angular momentum
we expect a large amount of mass to be accreted , and forms a bh .
the two jets that are launched by the bh might form a gamma ray burst ( grb ) . | arxiv |
How can sodium chloride melt ice or keep it frozen?
In European countries, they use $\ce{NaCl}$ or $\ce{KCl}$ to melt ice during the winter season.
In Asian Countries, they use $\ce{NaCl}$ to keep the ice without melting, for example in ice cream and beer boxes.
I asked my chemistry teacher about this and his answer was,
>
> when you add ions to the ice, its melting point goes (i.e. freezing point of water) to -9 to -19 degree Celsius, depending on the amount of ions. The reason behind that is, when water becomes ice its water molecules re-arrange to specific shapes (see the link for the video at bottom). After we put ions to it, ions disturb that shape as they come in-between the water molecules. If water wants to be ice again, it should be like -9 degree Celsius because of these ions disturbing them to rearrange as a solid.
>
>
>
I also asked my Physics teacher about this and his answer was,
>
> When we put salt into water, its temperature goes down to somewhere around $\pu{-6 ^\circ C}$, so that it takes more time to come to $\pu{0 ^\circ C}$ and begins melting
>
>
>
Link to the videos are as follows,
* [Salt melts ice (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQLPmMFD0rk)
* [Salt reduces the temperature of ice (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDYcX2fRYo)
Could you give me a correct explanation for this question?
The apparent contradiction is resolved as follows: **in both cases**, addition of salt makes ice melt faster, which is important in the street and negligible in a beer box (or an old style cold bath used in the lab). But in doing so, it also causes the temperature of the ice and its surroundings to go well below $0^\circ\rm C$, which is important in the lab and negligible in the street.
The main difference is, that in order to melt the ice, you add the salt to the ice itself, where it lowers the melting point and thus (if the ambient temperature is only just below zero). Melts away the ice from the road.
On the other hand to keep ice cream cold, you add ice+salt **around** the ice cream that you want to prevent from melting.
This has three effects that help you cool your drink/ice cream faster to a lower temperature:
1. The melting point of the ice **around** your ice cream is below zero. This means that the temperature on the outside of your ice cream box cannot rise above zero until all the ice on the outside is molten and the temperature of your ice cream is kept below zero for that duration. The reason for this is, that it takes energy to break up the structure of solid ice. This is the same effect that keeps your coke at zero degrees until the last of your ice cubes has melted (and is the reason why adding more ice than necessary just reduces the effective volume of your container and does not help to keep your drink cool).
2. As your teacher correctly pointed out, when salt dissolves in water, the temperature of the water is lowered (because of the entropy vs. enthalpy of dissolving crystalline salt).
However, as pointed out in the comments, this effect is small compared to the others.
3. Your drink/ice cream is cooled faster because the very cold salty water (ideally with some ice cubes still swimming in it) around the bottle transports the heat away from your drink faster than some ice cubes touching the bottle would.
Adding salt or any solute causes freezing point depression as one of the colligative properties of the material.
In the cold climate, when snow is left to accumulate it forms a slippery ice which is dangerous. Workers utilize the freezing point effect and add salt to snow to melt avoiding the danger of the slippery ice.
In the hot climate, when ice in the ice box is left it is going to melt. People utilize the freezing point (or melting point) depression effect of salt to ice to melt it at the depressed melting (or freezing) point (below the usual $\pu{0 ^\circ C}$). This can be described as a **preemptive protective step** to the ambient temperature effect, since the ambient temperature will melt the ice at a relatively high point (the usual $\pu{0 ^\circ C}$). This means a high rate of heat transfer and corresponding rapid melting to the remainder of the bulk of the ice, the salt-water will cover the ice with a layer of relatively cold water (below the usual $\pu{0 ^\circ C}$) which confers a slow rate of heat transfer and corresponding slow melting.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
What conditions should be met to notice a Doppler effect on light?
What relativistic conditions should an observer meet to notice the Doppler effect on a sample light wave, and is it even possible for one?
"Relativistic" velocities (velocities in excess of 0.1 c) are not needed. Any velocity difference will do. People use the doppler effect right here on Earth. Some sample uses:

Catching speeders.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/60NR0.jpg)
(source: [milb.com](http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/9/8/46291198/cuts/Yordano_Ventura_7dzk3b1g_mco9y5lo.jpg))
How fast is his fastball? (Very important at this time of year.)

Where is that tornado going?
As you clearly ask for a detection criterion of the doppler shift on "**a** sample light wave", I have taken the liberty of assuming the following scenario. You detect light from a source, emitting light of a known wavelength (the usual case in astronomy for instance) with an instrument that is capable of measuring wavelength with an accuracy (i.e. with an uncertainty) $\Delta \lambda$.
If you want to claim that you have *detected* a redshift with a single measurement, then usually you would have to see a shift that is at least 3 times the uncertainty in your measurement. i.e. $3\Delta \lambda$ (this is a very standard criterion, corresponding to a $>99$% confidence, but you can use whatever multiplier you feel comfortable with).
A doppler shift of this size will be measurable if you are moving at a *relative* speed $v$ with respect to the source of
$$ \frac{v}{c} > \frac{3\Delta \lambda}{\lambda},$$
where I am assuming that $v \ll c$ in order to use the approximate doppler shift formula.
*If* your instrument measures frequency instead, then you just replace $\Delta \lambda/\lambda$ with $\Delta f/f$.
*If* you are using a radar gun (that isn't in your question, but appears to be what others think you asked) then the doppler shift is multiplied by two because the shift occurs once upon reception by the reflecting object and then again when you receive the signal again. In this case, divide the right hand side by 2.
*If* your question refers to the human eye. Then according to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision#Wavelength_and_hue_detection) you are capable of detecting wavelength shifts of $\Delta \lambda \sim 1$ nm in ideal circumstances, which with my formula yields velocities of $\sim 2250$ km/s. (But this assumes you have a stationary, identical light source to compare the colour with.)
In astronomy, doppler shift measurements are becoming accurate enough to discern relative motions of just less than 1m/s.
The precision of earth-based measurements can be higher because often you are simply comparing an outgoing signal with a reflected signal. e.g. Radar guns are good to roughly $\pm 0.4$ m/s, but [laser doppler velocimetry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Doppler_velocimetry) appears to be able to detect velociites as small as 0.2mm/s. <http://www.usa.canon.com/CUSA/assets/app/pdf/encoder/LaserDopplerVelocitySensor.pdf>
Your choice of the word "notice" is ill-defined. The Doppler effect holds true for all waves, at all speeds, so in that sense, you could "notice" the Doppler Effect for any wave you choose, no matter what the speed of the source or observer is (as long as there is *some* relative motion between the two.) Even as you walk across a room towards a lamp (to keep things simple, let's keep the light coherent) the light would be blue-shifted. However, the change in apparent frequency would be so small that you would never be able to tell the shift on your own.
What you likely mean, though, is to be able to notice the effect with your own eyes without any other kind of measuring aid. Human perception can be a tricky thing, but generally to notice the Doppler Effect in that sense, the speed of the source or observer has to be on the same order of magnitude as the wave in that medium. The speed of light is huge ($c\approx 3 \times 10^8 m/s$) so for you to notice any apparent shift in frequency, either the source or observer should be traveling some measurable percentage of the speed of light. This is most noticeable on cosmic scales where galaxies are usually moving away from (but in rare cases, moving towards) us at great speeds, and as a result, entire galaxies are red-shifted in the case of receding galaxies, or blue-shifted in the case of approaching galaxies.
As a semi-humorous afterthought, I've also heard the joke that cars on the highway are a perfect example of the Doppler Effect in light. A stationary car has white headlights, but as a car drives away from you, its tail lights are red. This is, of course, in tended to be humorous. Highway speeds are far too slow, in the grand scheme of things, to notice a red-shift.
| stackexchange/physics |
For a given element do heavier isotopes form stronger bonds than lighter isotopes?
I know that $\ce{C-D}$ and $\ce{C-T}$ bonds are stronger than $\ce{C-H}$ bonds, but is this generally true for isotopes of all elements? (By isotopes I mean stable ones with large half lives.)
Isovalent isotopes will have the same force constant. However the different masses of the isotope will affect the position of the vibrational state in its potential well. You can rationalise the difference in well depth briefly using the vibrational frequencies of a classical oscillator as the harmonic approximation to the asymmetric well for low lying states. If the stretching frequency is given by;
\begin{equation}
\nu \propto \frac{1}{\sqrt{\mu}}, \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ where \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \mu =\frac{m\_1\cdot m\_2}{m\_1+m\_2}
\end{equation}
Then as the reduced mass increases the frequency decreases and the vibrational energy decreases $E=\hbar\omega $ with $\omega\cdot 2\pi=\nu$. We can see that if we were to double the reduced mass then the energy would decrease by root 2.
So we need to examine the reduced masses of some simple systems, lets say the diatomics you suggest. If we let the masses of $H=1$, $D=2$, and $T=3$ then we calculate the reduced masses to be $1/2$, $2/3$ and $3/4$. The reduced mass is increasing as we go along the series and hence we expect the successive molecules to have stationary states lower in the well.
In [vibrational spectroscopy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_spectroscopy) this is best seen by the decrease in zero point energies for HCl and DCl. It is often easiest to take the ratios of the frequencies $\omega \_{HCl}/\omega \_{DCl}$, where using $m\_{Cl}=35$ and H and D as above we obtain 1.395. indicating that the deuterated molecule is deeper in its well.
**Edit**
I have been advised to explain zero point energy. In short it is a irremovable quantity of energy from a quantum oscillator. The classical oscillator has no parallel to this. It is a manifestation of the [uncertainty principle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle) in position and momentum. If you want the truth of where it comes from you will need to consult the physics SE, but I will do my best :)
The quantum oscillator has a Hamiltonian of the [classical oscillator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_oscillator) except just replace the classical position and momentum variables with their quantum operator analogues $p\mapsto \hat p$ and $x\mapsto \hat x$.
The [classical Hamiltonian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamiltonian_mechanics) (or total energy) is learnt at school to be kinetic + potential,
\begin{equation}
H=\frac{p^2}{2\mu}+\frac 12 kx^2
\end{equation}
For the reduced two body system. It is a postulate of quantum mechanics that in the position representation (just a way of formulating things) that wherever you see a $p$ and an $x$ you replace them by [$\hat p$](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_operator) and [$\hat x$](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Position_operator) where,
\begin{equation}
\hat p =-i\hbar \frac{\partial }{\partial x}, \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ and\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \hat x =\cdot x
\end{equation}
Therefore with these changes in the above classical expression we generate the [quantum Hamiltonian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamiltonian_(quantum_mechanics)) of the [quantum harmonic oscillator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_harmonic_oscillator),
\begin{equation}
\hat H=\frac{\hbar^2}{2\mu}\frac{\partial ^2}{\partial x^2}+\frac 12 kx^2
\end{equation}
Where $i=\sqrt -1$ so $i^2=-1$ and $--1=1$.
It is another principle of quantum mechanics that the [Schrodinger equation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger_equation) is the equation to solve for quantum systems, just like in classical mechanics you use Newton's second law, $F=ma$, This equation has a bit of a different shape but in essence (decoupled from time) takes the following form.
\begin{equation}
\hat H\psi =E\psi
\end{equation}
Substituting the above expression for $\hat H$ in and doing a bit of maths (wayyyy to advanced for us here) we can solve for the energy $E$ in the Schrodinger equation, when we do this we get,
\begin{equation}
E\_n=(n+\frac 12)\hbar \omega
\end{equation}
What this tells us is that the vibrational levels are not continuous like the classical oscillator (above) but can only take discrete values. We see in the maths of the solution for $E$ the need for discrete integers $n$ which we call quantum numbers. These may take in this case values of $0,1,2,...$ etc etc. Each corresponding to the next adjacent energy solution.
Something interesting happens if we choose $n=0$ however. You would think that the lowest energy would be zero right? well no... quantum mechanics says we can never remove a little bit of energy from the system. (try substituting $n=0$ in the above expression and we see that the answer is non zero (1/2 $\hbar \omega$).
This is a zero point energy.
As promised here is the home-made graph of the [molecular potential energy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_potential). Im sorry its not very good but honestly the best I could do with the available tools! Apologies.
The main points to follow are:
* At the base of the well the graph looks like a parabola, i.e. the harmonic oscillator approximation to the molecule works best at low lying states since the anharmonicity term grows with excitation (well increasing quantum number).
* Where the harmonic oscillator is valid you can see that the energy levels of are evenly spaced, each one corresponds to the quantum numbers $n$ as given above. You can calculate $\Delta E=E\_{n+1}-E\_{n}$ to get the difference in energy as $\frac 12\hbar \omega$. In this approximation the equilibrium bond length does not change with excitation. However we can see it does in the anharmonic case.
* To answer your question, the energy levels corresponding to the heavier isotope are the blue ones since they sit deeper in the well. So you could imagine the blue ones as C-D while the red ones would be C-H. (normally you would just be looking at one species per graph, so only one set of coloured lines.

When comparing isotopes, the different nuclear masses control the bond length and bond strength.
The radius of the $n^\text{th}$ Bohr orbit is given by
$$r\_{n} = {n^2\hbar^2\over Zk\_\text{c} e^2 m\_\text{e}}$$
where $Z$ is the atom’s atomic number, $k\_\text{c}$ is Coulomb’s constant, $e$ is the electron charge, and $m\_\text{e}$ is the mass of the electron. In this equation it is assumed that the electron orbits the nucleus and the nucleus remains stationary. Given the mass difference between the electron and nucleus, this is generally a reasonable assumption. However, in reality the nucleus does move too. It is relatively straightforward to remove this assumption and make the equation more accurate by replacing $m\_\text{e}$ with the electron’s reduced mass, $\mu\_\text{e}$
$$\mu\_\text{e} = \frac{m\_\text{e} \cdot m\_\text{nucleus}}{m\_\text{e} + m\_\text{nucleus}}$$
Now the equation for the Bohr radius becomes
$$r\_n = {n^2\hbar^2\over Zk\_\text{c} e^2 \mu\_\text{e}}$$
Since the reduced mass of an electron orbiting a heavy nucleus is always larger than the reduced mass of an electron orbiting a lighter nucleus
$$r\_\text{heavy} < r\_\text{light}$$
and consequently an electron will orbit closer to the nucleus of a heavier isotope than it will orbit the nucleus of a lighter isotope. In turn, this means that **the heavy isotope will have shorter, stronger bonds.**
| stackexchange/chemistry |
fecal samples were collected from outpatients and patients with symptoms of enteritis who were admitted for < 72 hours to the sint - lucas hospital in ghent , belgium , during 20082013 .
we examined the fecal samples macroscopically for consistency and presence of blood and mucus and microscopically for leukocytes and cultured them for all common bacterial pathogens .
feces of patients < 2 years of age were also tested for rotavirus and enteric adenovirus , and those of adult patients with loose or mucous - containing stools were also tested for toxigenic clostridium difficile .
we cultured for arcobacter using an isolation method for fecal samples carried out in veterinary medicine that was previously validated for use on human feces ( 11 ) : 1 g of feces was inoculated into a liquid selective broth ( 24 g / l arcobacter broth with 50 ml lysed , defibrinated horse blood and an antimicrobial supplement of 16 mg / l cefoperazone , 10 mg / l amphotericin b , 100 mg / l 5-fluorouracil , 64 mg / l trimethoprim , and 32 mg
/ l novobiocine [ oxoid , cambridge , united kingdom ] ) and incubated for 24 h at 25c in a microaerobic atmosphere of 6% o2 , 7% co2 , 7% h2 , and 80% n2 ( advanced instruments , inc . ,
then , 40 l of enriched broth was plated onto a solid arcobacter - selective medium with the same composition as the broth but with the addition of 12 g / l agar technical no . 3 ( oxoid ) and without the horse blood .
the plates were incubated for 72 h at 25c in a microaerobic atmosphere and examined daily .
arcobacter colonies were detected by screening the selective transparent agar as described with henry transillumination microscopy for bluish colonies ( 11 ) .
definitive identification was performed by a genus- and species - specific multiplex pcr , and subsequently , by amplification fragment length polymorphism ( 12,13 ) . of the 8,994 eligible samples received during the study period , 6,774 ( 75.31% ) samples
were cultured for arcobacter ; 2,220 samples ( 24.68% ) were excluded because of insufficient samples size . of samples from the study population , campylobacter spp .
were isolated in 380 ( 5.61% ) , salmonella spp . in 138 ( 2.04% ) , toxigenic c. difficile in 109 ( 1.61% ) , aeromonas spp . in 16 ( 0.24% ) , and yersinia enterocolitica in 13 ( 0.19% ) .
were isolated in samples from 89 patients ( 1.31% ) , ranking members of this genus as the fourth most commonly isolated pathogen group in the study .
this ranking is comparable to those of other reports , although a higher isolation rate was obtained during this study ( 14,15 ) .
the distribution frequency of pathogens and of a. butzleri versus a. cryaerophilus , 49 ( 0.72% ) and 38 ( 0.56% ) isolates , respectively , is shown in table 1 .
a. skirrowii was not recovered , but the first 2 known isolates of a. thereius ( 0.03% ) from humans were documented . in the excluded population ( n = 2,220 ) , comparable recovery rates of campylobacter spp .
whose samples were positive for arcobacter , a second pathogen was isolated : 1 patient was positive for salmonella spp . , samples from 2 patients showed campylobacter spp . and a. butzleri , and toxigenic c. difficile was detected in 2 patients who tested positive for a. butzleri and in 1 patient who tested positive for a. cryaerophilus .
we collected retrospective data about age , hospital stay , presence of diarrhea , clinical diagnosis of enteritis , colonoscopy results , and underlying disease for the positive - culture patient group .
we assessed differences between study populations and results using t - test and statistical methods as appropriate .
the mean age of the included population ( 29 years ) differed significantly ( p<0.01 ) from the excluded group ( 22 years ) , because of an excess of infants from whom sample material was insufficient in the latter group .
the positive - culture patient group had a mean age of 42 years and demonstrated a significantly older age distribution pattern ( p<0.01 ) ( figure ) .
the consistency of fecal samples was not predictive ( p = 0.62 ) for the presence of arcobacter . within the arcobacter - positive group , the mean age of patients whose
specimens shed a. butzleri ( 49 years ) was significantly higher ( 15 years , p<0.01 ) than that of patients whose specimens shed a. cryaerophilus ( 34 years ) .
presence of a. butzleri in patients admitted to the hospital and in outpatients was not significantly linked with underlying disease ( p = 0.12 ) .
a. cryaerophilus was more frequently observed in outpatients who had uncomplicated gastroenteritis than in hospitalized patients with coexisting conditions ( p<0.001 ) ( table 2 ) .
age distribution of study population for detection of arcobacter spp . in patients with acute enteritis , 20082013 , belgium .
black bars indicate percentage of age group included , white bars indicate percentage of patients excluded from the study , and dark gray bars indicate percentage of patients whose samples tested positive for arcobacter spp . * 49 samples from 46 patients .
arcobacter species were the fourth most common pathogen group isolated from fecal samples from persons with acute enteric disease .
the high isolation rate could possibly be explained by the inclusion of an outpatient population , local indications for sampling , and the use of an enrichment culture method .
the feasibility of selective culturing arcobacter from fecal material in a routine microbiology hospital laboratory was confirmed , but the slow turnaround times for culture results show a need for optimization of methods . | pubmed |
elite controllers are a unique subgroup of persons living with hiv ( plwh ) . for most plwh
, untreated hiv infection is characterised by the detection of hiv across multiple compartments , gradual cd4 + t cell count decline , and progression to clinical aids .
in contrast , elite controllers , who comprise less than 1% of plwh , are able to suppress hiv in the plasma to levels below the limit of detection via conventional assays [ 15 ] . even in the absence of antiretroviral therapy ( art ) ,
elite controllers experience relative cd4 + t cell preservation and delayed disease progression . for individuals with access to art
, there have been significant reductions in aids - related morbidity and mortality [ 613 ] . for elite controllers ,
national and international guidelines are generally silent about the role of art in the management of elite controllers [ 1417 ]
. guidelines from the us department of health and human services , for example , note only that art should be initiated in elite controllers who demonstrate other criteria for art initiation , such as cd4 + t cell depletion or hiv - related complications , and otherwise state that the panel has no recommendations on managing controllers with high cd4 counts . the paucity of data on clinical outcomes among elite controllers and the effects of art in this population create a challenge for patients and healthcare providers who must make decisions with few guidelines to support them . the purpose of this review is to summarise the existing data on clinical outcomes and the impact of art among elite controllers .
elite controllers have undetectable plasma hiv rna by conventional assays for prolonged periods in the absence of art .
different research groups have employed different definitions of elite control , with subtle variations in the plasma hiv rna threshold used to classify an
undetectable viral load ( generally < 50 copies / ml with modern laboratory methods ) and in the duration of spontaneous virological suppression required ( anywhere from 1 to 10 years ) [ 14,1820 ] .
blips above the level of detectability by conventional assays and most have low - level viraemia detectable by ultrasensitive assays [ 2022 ] .
in fact , the low - level viraemia observed among elite controllers often exceeds that seen in persons who are well controlled on art .
virological control also does not necessarily persist indefinitely and eventual loss of control has been documented in several controller cohorts .
in contrast to long - term non - progressors ( another unique subgroup of plwh , characterised by delayed disease progression and a preserved cd4 + tcell count ) , elite controllers are not defined by cd4 + t cell count criteria . while many elite controllers maintain a normal or near - normal cd4 + tcell count , slowly progressive cd4 + tcell decline may also be observed .
progression to clinical aids has even been described in elite controllers , with complications such as pulmonary tuberculosis , kaposi sarcoma and candida oesophagitis .
the mechanisms underlying spontaneous virological control are poorly understood and are likely to be multifactorial .
certain hla alleles , such as hla - b57 and hla - b27 , are overrepresented among elite controllers [ 19,20,2830 ] .
this may result in populations of cd8 + tcells that are more potent and polyfunctional [ 3133 ] .
elite controllers are also more likely to have specific natural killer cell genotypes that are associated with strong hiv - specific immune responses [ 3437 ] .
high levels of hiv - specific tcells have also been observed among elite controllers [ 28,31,32,3842 ] .
there is no doubt that the immune response to hiv infection exhibited by elite controllers is unique , but the effects of this response may not all be beneficial .
elite controllers have elevated markers of microbial translocation , tcell activation , activation of the coagulation cascade and systemic inflammation as compared to those observed among hiv - uninfected persons and plwh who are well - controlled on art . separately , these markers have each been associated with increased morbidity and mortality among plwh [ 4548 ] .
these observations raise concern that elite controllers may be at increased risk of morbidity and mortality not due to progression of hiv disease but rather due to increased immune activation and inflammation .
several studies have demonstrated that plwh have a higher risk of both clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease than do hiv - uninfected individuals [ 4953 ] .
these findings have been attributed to direct effects of hiv , side effects of art , and a high prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors among plwh .
two studies have specifically investigated subclinical cardiovascular disease among elite controllers ( table 1 ) .
summary of studies reporting surrogate endpoints for cardiovascular disease among elite controllers number of elite controllers / total number of participants .
imt : intima - media thickness ; crp : c - reactive protein ; cta : computed tomography angiography ; cac : coronary artery calcium hsue et al . measured carotid intima - media thickness ( imt ) in 33 elite controllers , 96 untreated non - controllers , 180 treated non - controllers who were virologically suppressed on art , 92 non - controllers who were viraemic despite art , and 93 hiv - negative controls .
they observed significantly higher median imt values among plwh as compared to hiv - negative controls and this relationship persisted after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as age , gender , family history , smoking , hypertension and dyslipidaemia .
elite controllers appeared much like the overall hiv - infected population , demonstrating significantly increased imt compared to hiv - negative controls even after controlling for traditional risk factors .
interestingly , elite controllers also demonstrated a trend toward higher median imt than untreated non - controllers . among elite controllers , c - reactive protein ( crp ) levels were elevated as compared to hiv - uninfected controls and essentially indistinguishable from those observed in the other hiv - seropositive groups , regardless of viraemia or art use .
used coronary computed tomography angiography ( cta ) to assess subclinical atherosclerosis in 10 elite controllers and compared their findings to historical controls from other studies of 103 non - controllers who were virologically suppressed on art and 49 hiv - negative controls .
the prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques was significantly increased in elite controllers compared with hiv - negative controls and was also increased compared to treated non - controllers , although the latter association did not meet the threshold for statistical significance .
there were also non - significant trends towards higher calcium scores and more stenosis among elite controllers as compared to either hiv - negative controls or treated non - controllers .
inflammatory markers such as scd163 , scd14 , hsil6 , and cxcl10 were all higher among elite controllers as compared to hiv - negative controls .
elite controllers also had significantly higher scd163 levels compared to treated non - controllers and trends towards higher levels of other inflammatory markers .
these two relatively small studies suggest that elite controllers have a significant burden of cardiovascular disease , despite demonstrating good virological control , relatively preserved cd4 + tcell counts , and no confounding art exposure .
the immune response that enables spontaneous virological control among elite controllers may create an environment of immune activation and inflammation that predisposes them to accelerated cardiovascular disease .
few studies have assessed clinical outcomes among elite controllers as compared to non - controllers , due to the relative rarity of elite control .
no study , for example , has evaluated rates of myocardial infarction among elite controllers despite concerning evidence that suggests accelerated coronary atherosclerosis .
only three studies have provided some information about clinical outcomes among elite controllers within larger cohorts of plwh ( table 2 ) .
summary of studies reporting clinical outcomes among elite controllers number of elite controllers / total number of participants .
reported clinical outcomes among 25 elite controllers in the us department of defense hiv natural history study ( nhs ) .
they observed fewer deaths and fewer aids - defining events among elite controllers as compared to other plwh in usual care .
similarly , in survival analyses , the time to death and time to aids - defining events were longer for elite controllers than for other plwh .
the percentage of elite controllers hospitalised during the study period was similar to other plwh .
lucero et al . reported clinical outcomes among elite controllers at a single university hospital in barcelona , spain .
the study population included both elite controllers and non - controllers , but all participants in this study were required to have a cd4 + t cell count > 500 cells / mm during the study period .
the first definition required undetectable hiv rna measurements in the absence of art during only the first year of the study and resulted in 64 participants being categorised as elite controllers .
the second definition required undetectable hiv rna measurements throughout the study period and only 25 participants met this stricter criterion .
no deaths or hospitalisations were seen among the 25 elite controllers meeting the stricter criteria .
using the less strict definition of elite control , investigators observed a similar risk of non - aids - related hospitalisations between elite controllers and non - controllers . of note
art did not alter the risk of non - aids hospitalizsations for those with a nadir cd4 + tcell count < 350 cell / mm , but art reduced the risk for those with a higher cd4 + t cell nadir , underscoring the importance of early art even among elite controllers .
crowell et al . reported rates and reasons for hospitalisation for plwh at 11 us clinical care sites in the hiv research network ( hivrn ) , including 149 elite controllers .
elite controllers had an increased rate of all - cause hospitalisations as compared to plwh who were well - controlled with art , even after adjusting for other factors such as age , race , gender , injection drug use , cd4 + t cell count , hepatitis status and insurance
. the adjusted rate of cardiovascular hospitalisations was over three times higher for elite controllers compared to other plwh treated with art .
elevated rates of psychiatric hospitalisations were also observed among untreated elite controllers as compared to treated plwh .
interestingly , non - aids - defining infections were the most common reason for hospitalisation overall , but were responsible for only 2.7% of hospitalisations among elite controllers .
the excess risk of non - aids events ( as compared to hiv - uninfected persons ) and all - cause and cardiovascular hospitalisations ( as compared to other treated plwh ) are consistent with prior studies showing increased subclinical cardiovascular disease and inflammatory markers among elite controllers . although clinical data are limited , they suggest that elite controllers may be at heightened risk of illnesses that are not traditionally considered to be hiv - related , including cardiovascular disease . moreover , because immune activation is likely to be a systemic process , it is possible that the consequences of elevated immune activation in elite controllers could extend beyond the cardiovascular system .
this then raises the question of whether elite controllers may benefit from art or other therapies to reduce this risk and improve clinical outcomes .
several small studies have evaluated the effects of art in elite controllers ( table 3 ) .
cd4 + t cell counts before and after initiation of art during usual care were compared to values obtained from 478 non - controllers in the french anrs copana cohort .
investigators found that the magnitude of cd4 + tcell reconstitution after art initiation was reduced among elite controllers as compared to non - controllers .
this finding was consistent with observations of blunted cd4 + t cell response to art among elite controllers in several smaller reports .
summary of studies of art in elite controllers number of elite controllers / total number of participants .
art has been prospectively administered to elite and viraemic controllers in two single - arm clinical trials .
administered a 9-month course of raltegravir and tenofovir / emtricitabine to three elite controllers and one viraemic controller .
they observed a significant decline in immune activation and level of replication competent virus after art initiation . by 3 months after cessation of art , however , the viral burden returned to baseline in all participants and immune activation rebounded in three of the four participants .
hatano et al . gave the same art regimen to four elite controllers and 12 viraemic controllers for 24 weeks .
a similar decrease in viral burden and markers of immune activation was seen after art initiation .
moreover , these effects in the peripheral blood were mirrored by similar trends in the gut - associated lymphoid tissue , which is one of the first sites infiltrated by hiv during acute infection and serves as an important reservoir for hiv persistence [ 6771 ] .
these data indicate that although elite controllers spontaneously control hiv viraemia to levels below the limit of detection by standard assays , art is effective at further reducing viraemia to even lower levels in these patients . furthermore , art reduced markers of inflammation and immune activation that have previously been associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality among plwh [ 4548 ] .
a larger , ongoing study ( nct01777997 ) is prospectively treating elite controllers with art and monitoring for changes in inflammatory markers , cd4 + t cell count , and hiv viral load .
if the findings of this study are consistent with prior investigations , this could bolster the argument for initiating art in asymptomatic elite controllers .
it is possible that therapies other than art may also have a role in the care of elite controllers .
since much of the concern about these patients is focused on chronic inflammation and immune activation with associated risk of cardiovascular disease , agents with anti - inflammatory effects and promoters of cardiovascular health could provide a theoretical benefit to elite controllers .
one ongoing study ( nct02081638 ) is randomising both elite controllers and treated non - controllers to receive either aspirin or atorvastatin .
the study will measure changes in inflammatory markers and magnetic resonance imaging for carotid artery disease .
the results of this study could inform the use of aspirin and/or atorvastatin as adjunctive therapies in the management of elite controllers to mitigate the risk of cardiovascular disease in this population .
the relative rarity of elite control among plwh makes the execution of a large , randomised trial of art with clinical endpoints virtually impossible .
clinicians caring for elite controllers must work with limited data regarding clinical outcomes among elite controllers and the potential impact of art initiation in this population .
the available data suggest that elite controllers experience a uniquely activated immune system that may predispose to long - term complications such as cardiovascular disease .
observational data on clinical outcomes are mixed , but the largest study to date also suggests a heightened risk of clinically relevant cardiovascular disease among elite controllers as compared to other plwh who are well controlled on art .
clinical data on the impact of art among elite controllers do not exist , but laboratory markers of inflammation , immune activation and hiv burden improved after initiation of art in elite controllers across multiple studies .
furthermore , the blunted cd4 + t cell reconstitution that has been described after art initiation among elite controllers suggests that delaying initiation of therapy until cd4 + t cell decline has occurred may be detrimental . in order to provide the best possible care to elite controllers
, we must learn how to mitigate the adverse effects associated with chronic inflammation and immune activation while preserving the otherwise beneficial effects of elite control .
clinicians must consider the potential benefits of art when deciding whether to initiate treatment in asymptomatic elite controllers .
the views expressed are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the positions of the us army or the department of defense .
the views expressed are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the positions of the us army or the department of defense . | pubmed |
Gundam Seed, Gundam Wing/AC 1. Chapter 1
**This plot bunny has been haunting me for like, three years, if I get any response to it I'll write more then the prologue I'm just glad to finally get this out of my damn head, enjoy!**
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_**A Brief Prolouge-Demon Rising**_
_**Low Earth Orbit, Next to Derelict Libra Fragment**_
Duo Maxwell was many many things, an orphan, a thief, a good friend, a mechanic, an engineering savant, a freedom fighter, and most importantly a Gundam pilot. What Duo was not was a quantum physicist, or anything even vaguely related to the subject; so when Heero fired Wing Zero's mega particle cannon at the falling wreckage of Libra he had no idea that the anti-matter fueled explosion was squared by the dying battleships ruptured fusion reactors.
What he was aware of was that the Deathscythe Hell was about to be caught in the wake of the explosion; as the distorted energy wave of ...chaos... atomized all the debris and mobile dolls surrounding him he only had one choice available.
"Come on old buddy don't give out on me now!" Wrapping his mobile suit in the embracing cocoon of its demonic wings Duo dumped all available power into the integrated shielding system the mad five had ganked from the Mercurius. As he turtled the violet eyed young man stared down in horror at his gauges, the gamma radiation levels were high enough that there was not a chance anything other then his stalwart Gundam would survive the onslaught.
With that cheery thought everything went white, then black, then chartreuse, and there might have even been some plaid in there, he really wasn't certain due to the blood seeping out of his nose, ears, and eyes. After a time the shaking stopped and the local radiation levels went back down to normal, groggily rubbing his head Duo wiped the blood from his eyes and attempted to get his bearings and what his instruments displayed both confused and terrified him.
"No local debris fields...well that ain't right...no active IFF's, no local comm chatter, and no sign of two Star Destroyer sized battleships slammed into each other falling towards the Earth...huh..." Risking the chance of discovery he flipped off the Gundams passive sensors and did an active scan of the area, the results were shocking,
"No colonies...the colonies are gone?! Only active concentration large enough to detect is out by L5..." his musings were cut short by an annoying warning klaxon, glancing down he let off a string of curses that would have made Quatre blush and Howard nod in approval. It figured that while sight seeing he'd fall into Earths gravity well, glaring at his instruments his maps showed that he was going to fall somewhere in the south pacific east of New Guinea.
Grimacing at that he shook his head in resignation, "Nothing out that way but water and whales, I'll have enough propellant to slow me down but not nearly enough to get to dry land...shit." As he fell through the atmosphere he reflected on everything he'd accomplished, he'd helped topple the Earth Alliance who had been responsible for the deaths of his adopted family at the Maxwell church, he'd helped gut Oz the puppet of the money grubbing Romefellar Foundation, and he'd made great friends and blown up some very interesting things along the way.
His only true regret was, sadly, having no freaking idea where or when he was, unlike his fellow pilots Duo was a child of late night movies and a fan of stupid conspiracy theories; it was obvious to him that he'd ended up in an alternate dimension, or the past, or some such bull, the lack of four entire colony clusters easily corroborated that theory. Grumbling about wasted efforts his sensors picked up something...interesting,
"Why is there an island chain were there should be open water? Oh...k...rock on!" Now grinning he gently nudged his free falling mobile suit to the largest island and activated his stealth systems, hopefully the battered Gundam could keep the cloak field up long enough to avoid getting shot at. Burning up the last of his propellant the Deathscythe lightly touched down in a rather pretty forest with nothing but fumes left in its tanks.
Bringing the war machine to a crouch Duo let out a brief laugh, the exhaustion driven stress of a solid year of war finally caught up with him as he relaxed against his crash webbing, "The God of Death survives again...right now though...I need some sleep." And with that he passed out till the next day.
_**Orb Union **_
Duo woke up groggily and much to his annoyance still caked in blood from his little transition to wherever the hell he was, popping the Deathscythe's hatch he stumbled away from the stealthed mobile suit and fell to his knees next to a small spring. Scrubbing his face clean he let his hands linger a moment as the cool water dripped down his chin,
"Well Heero, you always wanted me out of your hair, I guess we'll call our prank war a draw if you tossed me as far from home as I think you did." Honestly, it had to be pretty damn far away since on his Earth there was no archipelago in this area, just open ocean. With that thought curiosity got the better of him, shaking the now lukewarm water from his head he shook his dripping bangs as he marched back to Deathscythe, riding the winch back up to the cockpit he got to work.
After a few minutes he managed to get an uplink to a local internet hub, the signal was weak but it would do for the time being; what he found truly interesting was how shitty the programming was. He was no hardcore programmer like Heero or Trowa, his skills lay in the realm of hacking but even _he_ could have written better security protocols, grumbling about the end result of hiring grad students he went to work figuring out what the hell was going on.
"Ok...Earth Federation, still assholes in this timeline, PLANTs, fans of clunky acronyms who are genetically modified and called coordinators...wonder what they'd all think if they knew everyone from the colonies had to have some genetic rewrite to survive...space racists...who knew..." Mumbling to himself further he finally found his location and he liked what he saw.
"Hmm...Orb Union, been established for over fifty years, weirdish nobility/democracy hybrid, no discrimination between natural humans and coordinators, refuses to take part or intervene in anyone elses wars but has a standing army and navy to protect itself. Neat, its like the Sanc Kingdom without the hypocrisy," deciding that he needed to see this place for himself Duo created a false identity in the local database and opened a checking account for himself.
After a bit of creative banking he stole a few hundred thousand dollars to get himself established, stripping out of his bloody flight suit he pulled on his old priest outfit and disembarked from his Gundam. Glancing up at the crouched war machine he grinned again, "Wait on me buddy, I'll be back when I figure out what we're up against, rest well." With that he clicked a button on the FOB in his hand and the Deathscythe vanished from sight.
_**Six Months Later**_
Duo stared in shock at the images displayed on the bars television, the feds had nuked the agricultural colony of Junius Seven, millions were assumed dead as the hourglass shaped structure disintegrated in radioactive fire. Finishing his glass of scotch he glared at the screen,
"Say this about Oz, outside of that one time with Une no one ever even attempted to lob nukes at military targets, much less civilians." It was much worse then all that though, less then 24 hours after the attack PLANT had ordered their military arm ZAFT to drop neutron jammers across the Earth in retaliation, effectively cutting the power to anyone still using the outdated fission reactors this universe was fond of.
War, war, war, it never changed and the constant escalation was going to get even worse, ZAFT had launched their new mobile weapons, the GINN against the EF forces and of course were slaughtering them because Mobile Suits trump everything else. Mulling his options Duo glanced up to the ceiling, "What would you do Heero...Quatre? I have the means to protect my new home but would that make matters better or worse..."
He honestly didn't know, he had the schematics for all of Oz's little toys aboard the Deathscythe, and his six months of recon had told him he really rather enjoyed being in Orb, the idea they could be dragged into this bullshit war irritated him beyond words. Sighing he realized he'd already made his decision before he'd even thought about it, standing up and throwing the barkeep a twenty note he walked out into the sunlight while shoving his hands into his jackets pockets.
"Welp, looks like I'm breaking into Lord Uzumi's office tonight, hehe...should probably record this one."
_**That Evening, Onogoro Island, Orb Union, Lord Uzumi Nara Athha's Office**_
Cagalli Yula Athha trailed after her father as he made his way to his personal offices, the string of meetings following the Earth Federations butchering of Junius Seven and ZAFT's N-Jammer retaliation had consumed his entire day and the man just needed some peace and quiet. After declaring Orb neutral in this fiasco things had settled down to a point but nerves were still on edge, glancing up at her father the blonde asked,
"Do...do you think war will come here father?" Glancing down the goatee'd man just shook his head sadly,
"Cagalli if I could shield you and our nation from the horrors of war forever I'd gladly do so, but I cannot give you any promises," as he said this he opened the office door revealing a pitch black room lit only by his desks monitor. "In truth when men are driven by vengeance they'll simply keep the cycle going. One man is wronged so he retaliates against those that hurt him, those caught in the wake in turn retaliate in turn, it is an endless cycle of misery that draws in even those who want no part."
As he clicked on the lights he just shook his head sadly, "In the end all we can do is prepare ourselves for when others drag us into their conflicts and hope we have the strength to resist." With that a slow clap could be heard from Uzumi's high backed desk chair, after a moment it spun and a grinning young man with violet eyes and and long chestnut brown hair greeted them.
"_That_ Lord Uzumi is exactly the sorta thing I like to hear, I've had to deal with crazy broads rambling about total pacifism, equally crazy people with creepy eyebrows rambling about the beauty of war, and yet so few who actually want to sit tight and let the idiots duke it while they hold the biggest stick to swat down those that wanna drag them in, I like you." The Lion and Princess of Orb stared in shock at the cheeky young man who then threw his booted feet up onto the desk and put his hands behind his head, still grinning like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Cagalli for her part let her firecracker temper go as she snapped out,
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my fathers office!?" Grinning even wider the youth dove out of the chair with unexpected grace and flipped over the desk, ending up standing before the pair he gave them a mocking bow.
"Names Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide but I'll never tell a lie, me in a nut shell gorgeous, and why I'm here is simple, I want to save our nation." Blushing at that her retort was cut short as her father stepped in front of her,
"Very well young man, you obviously have some talents making it past our security so what is it you propose?" Sighing he once again put his hands behind his head as he began pacing,
"You have undoubtedly heard how ZAFT's GINN's are kicking the ever loving shit out of the EF's Mobius forces right?" Wincing slightly at the coarse language the Chief Representative nodded, with that Duo continued, "Well ya see being coordinators and all they didn't write a real extensive operating system to pilot the things, they can adjust it on the fly so no real reason to. Now the problem that arises here is that naturals obviously can't pilot MS, I gotta feeling this will be an ongoing issue in the near future." Snorting Cagalli couldn't help but interrupt,
"Its already an issue, a few GINNs ended up on the black market before this war even started and no natural can make heads nor tails of it," smirking at her again the cheeky youth continued as if nothing was said.
"This of course makes matters even more annoying with those N-Jammers they've laced the Earth with, everyone and their mother is having to revert to fossil fuels or batteries since fission reactors are now defunct." Uzumi despite his patient nature was beginning to get annoyed,
"And what pray tell does this have to do with us?" The young mans grin returned in full force as he pulled out a small device that projected several blueprints on the wall,
"Well it just so happens that I'm a rogue engineer and pilot with the blueprints for a variable transforming aerospace Mobile suit and fully functioning cold fusion reactors on top of several varieties of natural friendly Operating Systems, and I wanna give 'em all to you." Both Athha's eyes widened as they gazed at the black mobile suit suit displayed on the wall, before they could say anything Duo finished with,
"Allow me to introduce you to the OZ-12SMS Taurus, Orbs new front line defender."
_**Five Months Later**_
Duo for his part had earned his keep as far as Cagalli was concerned, the teen had spent months refining the Taurus design down to something Orb could handle alongside Morgenroete Inc's chief researcher Erica Simmons. While not ready for full scale production quite yet the secret project and its end result the MVF-M11C Murasme was a cut above anything the Feds or ZAFT would be able to muster against her nation. Duo himself though had become an integral part of the lives of anyone who met him, his easy going attitude, quick wit, and quirky sense of humor endeared him to everyone yet not a soul knew anything about his past.
The only one who came close had to be Erica herself who had been according to Duo "Entrusted with taking care of my best buddy, only she's got the full story and its stay'in that way, sorry beautiful." That aside Orb was well on its way to defending itself in this endlessly escalating war, billions were already dead and both sides forces had been bled so harshly that they were drafting kids her and Duo's ages. It was utter insanity, this war had literally killed off an entire generation and the old bastards on both sides seemed intent and wiping out another, as she fumed at this she finally made her way to Duo's office. Knocking on the door then entering she watched as the braided man glanced up from his terminal grinning widely,
"Princess! To what do I owe this honor of being in the presence of one so radiant?" Resisting the urge to blush because that is _exactly_ what her friend was shooting for she simply marched to his desk and handed him a datapad, glancing at it his good humor fell away. After a few moments smoldering anger could be seen in his violet eyes, "Uzumi would never have ordered this, the toys me and Erica are working on would blow any this shit out of the water." Nodding in agreement Cagalli took a seat across from him,
"Agreed, if I hadn't known about your project I'd have assumed father was working behind all our backs, as it stands it just means one of the other four royal families are working with the feds. Duo I need to know whats going on and I can't trust anyone else with this, I know you're busy with Erica but I need someone I can trust, will you come to Heliopolis with me to check this out?" His eyes looked above his reading glasses and stared at the ceiling tiles for a few moments, after awhile he nodded lightly then grinned at her,
"Ah hell I can never say no to ya amber eyes, of course I'll come with you, let me make some last minute arrangements with my team and we can head out as soon as you wanna." Relaxing at this she smiled in return,
"Thanks Duo, I owe you one."
2. Chapter 2
_**This...oddly enough wrote itself, I have three other projects I was supposed to work on but this just wouldn't go away, I didn't take the proper care I normally do on grammar and sentence structure but eh...I think you'll get the point. Please, REVIEW!**_
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_**Heliopolis, One week later**_
As Duo and Cagalli made their way though the Morgenroete factory she couldn't help but grit her teeth in rage,
"Two sets of hyper advanced prototypes and a separate group of "Astray" units based off them for mass production, unbelievable, if I didn't know what you and dad were working on I'd think he was a traitor to our ideals." Nodding grimly the leather clad young man beside her glanced about as his hapatic glasses recorded everything he saw,
"Yeah no kidding, I'd say about half the second set in the factory are about ready to roll out and the ones on the floor are already being prepped for transport, those rainbow brigade mass production Gundam knockoffs though...I gotta admit with some proper work they could be fearsome." She agreed then paused, glancing about the random gathering of students she whispered,
"Duo why don't you head back to the factory floor and see what you can find out, I'm gonna go hit the main offices and see if I can weasel some info out of the eggheads. Maybe one of them is dumb enough to slip the family that allowed this crap," Grinning mischievously Duo bowed lightly and drifted off,
"Never fear princess I always got yer back!" Smiling lightly at her companion she turned around and muttered,
"Don't I know it Duo, don't I know it."
_**Factory Conveyor Line**_
Duo quietly walked along the catwalks above the half completed set of mobile suits and examined them with a critical eye, each one resembled the Gundams from his home universe and each one filled a specific role. The thing he couldn't wrap his head around was how bloody useless any of them would be outside their element.
The Heavyarms knockoff had no melee or close range weapons to speak of, the Sandrock proxy had limited armor, the Altron doppelganger was just as limited as Wu-man's machine and don't even get him started on the gods damned Deathscythe wannabe, all your useful weapons on one arm...smart. He liked the Strike though, while not really synonymous with the Wing its variable weapons gave it the chance to mix it up at least.
His thoughts were interrupted when the ground began to shake violently, after a moment a series of explosions ripped through the factory destroying the second lineups Buster and Aegis instantly, thankfully both lacked munitions so cascading explosion damage was minimal. Glancing about a thought hit him seizing his heart in an instant,
'SHIT! Cagalli is caught in this crap!' Glancing about he saw the Strike burning in its construction gantry next to the finished Duel and Blitz, letting out an exasperated sigh Duo made for the ladder and ran around the burning wreckage making his way to the secondary line ups stealth unit
Entering the machine he jammed in the disk containing his personal setting preferences and began a quick rewrite of its substandard maneuvering protocols. He couldn't help but sigh at how primitive this all felt to his precious Deathscythe, ah well couldn't have everything,
"Hope you don't mind big guy but I'm gonna call ya Hades, if they'd named ya 'Blitzkrieg' I might reconsider but "Lightning" just doesn't sit well with me, too flashy." Pausing at his horrible pun he began giggling cheerfully, after a moment his modifications took hold and the war machines phase shift armor activated.
The now Black and red machine walked over to the weapons line and snatched up a spare Schwert Gewehr anti-ship sword; Duo honestly had no idea why the damn thing was called the 'sword gun" but he didn't really care either, he simply felt safer with a big ass melee weapon. Cleaving open the door he stepped through as another series of explosions racked the factory and the secondary lines Strike and Duel exploded in the conflagration.
"What a goddamn waste," he mumbled as he piloted the war machine through the debris strewn halls, he had a special person to protect after all and he wasn't about to let a dying colony get in the way of his mission.
_**Factory Roll Out Floor Ruins**_
"Take my friend then, she's a girl!" That...that annoyed the hell out of Cagalli, so much so that she ran past the trifling brat and sprinted along the catwalks, glancing down she saw a ZAFT green shirt aiming at the pretty chocolate brown haired woman from earlier, not really understanding why she did it she bellowed,
"LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" Muscle memory did the woman well, she spun around and fired a three round burst at her would be killer, lucky her she hit because a moment later the rifle clicked empty. Not five seconds later the boy that tried to shove her into a 'Save me!' can ran up behind her, before he could admonish her the woman on the floor began yelling,
"Come down here!" the boy made some prattle about hitting the other shelters but _another_ series of explosions ripped through the sector he was pointing at causing him to drop his arm in shock.
"Lovely, lets go see if that lady can pilot that mobile suit, even if she can barely make the damn thing move its better then being in the open!" The boy nodded and as she ran for the stairs she watched him dive off the stairwell and land on the mobile suit below, 'hell only person I know who can do that is Duo!' she thought in surprise. As she made it to the floor the woman with the rifle tossed the now useless weapon aside and began firing with a sidearm, a man in a red space suit began firing at her and she went down in a spray of blood.
Cagalli didn't know the woman, she didn't even support the military she was part of, but she had seen her eyes and recognized the soft soul within, so when her rage took over at seeing her hurt she had no compunctions about pulling the sidearm Duo insisted she carried out and began firing on the red shirt. As this was happening the annoying boy had reached the wounded woman and looked up in fear at the soldier charging him with a knife, he looked shocked as he muttered something but soon her pistol rounds hit their mark catching the ZAFT soldier in the left arm.
Crying in pain he cancelled his charge and rushed over to the only other remaining mobile suit and entered its cockpit, rushing over to the boy and woman Cagalli grabbed the still stunned youth by the collar and tossed him into the mobile suits cockpit, gently helping the woman up she began pulling her in as well.
"Thanks for the assist young lady," the woman said, well at least _someone_ around here recognized her sex, the woman then hopped into the seat and Cagalli shoved herself into the cramped left side of the machine while the boy took up the right.
"Not a problem ma'am, I'm Cagalli by the way," as she said this the cockpit hatch closed and the woman shakily brought the enormous machine to a sitting position,
"Call me Murrue, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius," As the war machine stood strait the boy spoke up,
"I'm Kira, Kira Yamato, pleased to make your acquaintance," both women grunted noncommittally as they observed the burning colony around them, Cagalli sighed and spoke up first,
"Well...now what?"
**_Lost in Heliopolis _**
Duo wasn't lost _per say, _no, it was more like he was...attempting to find his way, yeah much better way of putting it, honestly he wasn't lost, no sirree. He'd been bumbling around the damaged corridors long enough that he'd already deactivated the Hades' phase shift armor to conserve the battery, grimacing at that he couldn't help but roll his eyes,
"Lack of propellant, lack of armor, lack of ammo, all things I've had to deal with before, but having to deal with operating on less electrical power then a golf cart, new one, Ch-rist I wish I was back home in Orb." With that he drifted into _another_ abandoned store room, turning on his spot lights his frown turned right the hell upside down as he saw the weapons racks lining the wall.
All his unfinished Blitz unit had was the ganked anti-ship sword, and the lines of new found weapons were a godsend, looking about he snagged a small red shield with a pair of underslung beam cannons and lashed it to his left arm, the rest of the equipment seemed to be fairly specific, mostly intended for the Buster and Aegis. Still perusing his new find the wall suddenly exploded taking everything else with it and sending his suit flying through the opposite hall,
"Oh goddamnit!" He screamed as the Hades rolled to a stop, bringing the unit to a crouch he stared at the burning store room with malice, "Imma find the bastard that keeps blowing everything up around me and I'm gonna teach him what it means to irk a Gundam pilot..." Bringing the machine to its full height he restarted his wanderings once again while wondering what ancient deity he'd pissed off to deserve all these headaches.
_**On the frontline**_
"Bitch are you crazy?!" Cagalli screamed as the recently reawakened Murrue took a few potshots at the highschoolers screwing around on the fed mobile suit. The woman seemed a bit upset at her reaction, like it was perfectly normal to start plinking 9mm rounds at curious teenagers, Murrue then went on a tear about keeping military secrets secure and demanding peoples names. Asinine, completely asinine, if this woman (who she had helped keep alive by the way) expected her to stay with her and the feds she had another thing coming, even if she wasn't Orb royalty Duo would never tolerate such behavior; the young mans normally grey knight outlook went very white when it came to her well being.
That was _probably_ why her dad let her wander off with the violet eyed trouble maker so much, he'd keep her safe regardless...unfortunately this thought renewed her worry for her still absent friend, "Be safe Duo..." she muttered.
_**Finally finding his way**_
"FINALLY" Duo cheered to himself as he exited the ravaged factory district, looking about at the damage he decided to activate the mirage colloid cloak system, it was an energy hog and not nearly as useful as the Deathscythe's hyper jammers but it was better then nothing. Lifting off the ground he let zero G do its thing and slowly maneuvered about the area taking in the rather impressive amount of property damage, eventually he spotted one of the feds Gundam knockoffs crouched next to a group of...he zoomed in and sighed in relief.
"Cagalli and a bunch of school kids, well...if you're out there and listening god..thanks..." at that there was an explosion on the colony wall and a badly damaged Mobius Zero went spinning out of control as a CGUE charged down at the group with its sword drawn. "On second thought..." Charging the Hades forward Duo prepped the massive sword and intercepted the white ZAFT unit, dropping his cloak he screamed, "SLASH SLASH SLASH!" as he cleaved off both of its legs and its right arm.
If truth were to be told the goggling stares from all the onlookers _and_ his target made the past half hour of being lost (...not lost...exploring...yeah...) totally worth it, swinging his sword a final time the blade bit into the units head and sent the suit careening backwards. Cackling to himself Duo too was suddenly sent flying as the shipping distract exploded and one helluva impressive looking warship flew through the flames. Glancing back up his eyes widened in horror as the damaged CGUE brought its gatling shield to bear and began firing on the fed suit and the civilians surrounding it.
Before he could do anything the machine stood and activated its phase shift armor blocking the shots while unlocking a gun from its back that looked disturbingly like Wing Zero's buster rifle, before he could yell at the idiot to not fire such a thing in a colony the powerful energy weapon spat forth its wrath. All present watched in trepidation as the blast clipped the CGUE's left arm and proceeded to burn a clean circular hole through the thick outer colony wall; landing beside the group Duo could only watch as the CGUE he messed up made a beeline out of the newly created exit.
Sighing Duo brought Hades down to a crouch beside what looked to be a Strike model and popped the cockpit, stepping out onto the units cupped hand he yelled out,
"Yo! Look'in for a hot little blonde with gold eyes and a bad attitude, ya'all seen her?!" There was some laughter from the group as a now blushing Cagalli stomped forth with her hands on her hips,
"Duo Maxwell!" How dare you! And where did you get this machine, why are you piloting it and most of all WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Grimacing to himself he dropped his head down in exasperation,
"Gonna be one of those days eh...oh well..." with that he grinned, "if she can yell at me that means she's alive."
* * *
It took some time but eventually they managed to get the Strike and Hades loaded into the Archangel, which as far as warship names went Duo fully approved of the moniker. At his suggestion he and Kira, the kid who had fallen into the Strike (how you fall into a multi-billion dollar war machine was anyone's guess) had spent the past half hour grabbing anything that could be considered vaguely useful and tossing it into the empty hangers.
The officer who seemed to be in command of the ground forces, Murrue something or other had nodded in approval when Duo had brought back the raided contents of a local coffee house and a still loaded water truck hence earning her respect. Something he'd learned working with Sally Po, don't get between an officer and her coffee if you want to live, expedite the marriage of said officer to said coffee and earn a promotion. With the local area scourged clean of food, fuel, and bullets he and Kira disembarked from their respective machines.
Kira's gaggle of friends all rushed up to him as Cagalli ran towards the Hades, stopping before Duo she slapped him, hard, then grabbed him in a ferocious bear hug,
"Don't. Ever. Scare. Me. Like. That. Again." Resisting the urge to call her Hilde he busted out laughing,
"A'it princess, I promise, oh hell here comes the fuzz." With that a group of soldiers led by a very attractive but stern looking woman approached the collected students and erstwhile pilots, addressing the Murrue woman she all but ignored them as a man in a violet flight suit meandered up to the group, eventually Murrue got around to introducing them.
"This is Kira Yamato, I let him aboard the G Weapon and he managed to use it to defeat a GINN," oddly enough everyone sounded suspicious and shocked, as if killing a single mobile suit was a big deal...well to other people it probably was, to a Gundam pilot, not so much. Glancing over to Duo who was still struggling in a Cagalli hug Murrue grinned a bit and continued, "And this is Duo Maxwell, he apparently hijacked one of the nearly finished units from the factory and made his way to us, he's the one who manhandled that white CGUE."
Grinning the man in the flight suit shook both their hands and said,
"Name's Mu La Flaga, I'm assuming since you two were piloting those suits the men I escorted here to fly the G Weapons are dead yes?" Glancing over his shoulder to Murrue she nodded sadly, shaking his head he then smirked at Duo, "Gotta say kid I've never seen Rau Le Creuset get punked like that before, warmed my heart." The clamor from the gathered soldiers picked up at that, apparently this Ron da Croissant was a big deal, Duo decided to deflect the attention elsewhere,
"Didn't kill the bastard unfortunately, Kira managed to knock off that GINN with nothing more then a couple sharpened toothbrushes though," that got a laugh out of the older man as he gave both young men an appraising look. Tilting his head to the side he said,
"You're both Coordinators aren't you?" Cagalli tensed beside Duo as Kira's friends started, before he could say anything Kira nodded and solemnly replied,
"Yes," fuck...with that the gathered soldiers lifted their rifles and aimed at the pair of pilots, moving faster then anyone could follow Duo's arm mounted over/under sawed off shotguns fell from their hard points and landed in his hands, both pointed directly at the officers in front of him.
"Now lets be reasonable here, if I wanted any of you idiots dead I'd have shot through this floating targets reactors when I had a goddamn chance and wiped the lot of you backwards bigots out and taken my friend here back to Orb whistl'in Dixie the entire way. That being said if you want your only three officers to remain unventilated, I suggest you drop your goddamn weapons." Mu seemed unfazed but Murrue and the black haired chick actually looked terrified, good, before anything...rash happened one of Kira's friends jumped in front of him,
"Did you idiots not see what happened out there?! If it wasn't for Kira and Duo we'd all be dead and this ship sunk! This is your goddamn war not ours we don't give a damn about how someones born, back off!" With that the others nodded and stood before the soldiers, before he could say anything Cagalli pushed down both his arms and stood before him interposing herself in front of the rifles, hissing quietly for her to move she put a hand behind her back and gave him the finger...yeah...there was a reason they were friends. Murrue then motioned to the soldiers,
"Stand down, they are obviously not threats," The bitch with black hair , Natarle, tried to argue against it but it seemed that at least one person on this boat wasn't sipping the Kool-aid, after talking everyone down Murrue looked towards Kira,
"You came here to avoid the war, didn't you?" Nodding the boy sighed,
"Yes, I wanted no part in it, especially being a first generation Coordinator, I have no interest in seeing my parents die," the gathering then looked at Duo expectantly, staying clammed up Cagalli met his gaze and gave him the look, sighing he gave in.
"I'm third generation at the least, I have both natural and Coordinator heritage and I'm from Orb, your stupid genocidal war has nothing more to do with me then finding out what idiot in my government allowed you fascists to build your war machines on our colony. When I find that out I'm putting a goddamn bullet in their head and going home, you can go play 'Springtime for Hitler' without me and mine." To say that didn't go over well was an understatement, although he did note that both Mu and Murrue looked at him sadly, 'Ah, they know they're on the wrong side, honors a bitch though and they're stuck.'
Shrugging again he slid the shotguns back up his sleeves, "On that note ZAFTs not any better and I have no intention of aiding them, lucky for you lot my good friend here is stuck on your boat and I'm inclined to keep her safe." Nodding sadly Murrue continued to calm the gathers soldiers as Mu sighed in what seemed to be genuine exasperation,
"Hell I was only curious, sorry kids I didn't mean for you to get the Geheime Staatspolizei reception for my question," with that the first actual glare he'd seen pass the mans face was shot at Natarle who seemed a bit shocked at the statement. Finally realizing his ability to care had long worn out Duo pushed past the gathered adults (while making sure to not be impolite to Mu or Murrue)
"Yeah yeah I gotchya old timer, I need some shut eye todays frankly sucked, where's the pilots ready room?" Snorting a man in a mechanics outfit stepped forward motioning for him and Cagalli to follow,
"Names Murdoch, follow me kid I'll show you to the daybed crash rack," following the man they entered the room and both collapsed on the hard bed, sighing he glanced over to Princess,
"Isn't this a little indecent yer highnessness?" Groaning she threw an arm around him and covered his mouth with her hand,
"Shut it Maxwell, lets get some sleep," Smirking he closed his eyes and followed her orders.
3. Chapter 3
**So this whole thing? Started on a whim, that being said I'm having fun with it, I'm building up a bit on Duo's past (the plague that killed Solo) and expanding on how Duo effects those around him. After Artemis (next chapter) there will be three POV's, Duo, Cagalli, and Kira, but I want to stay outta Kira's head until he's done dealing with those idiots. **
**As for pairing since it was asked, Duo x Cagalli (eventually, I like teasing them) Athrun x Lacus, and something I personally accept as a challenge because I hate her, Kira x Flay. Why? Honestly, because I can see her viewpoint even though I can't agree on it, so I'm going to have fun with this alternate timeline making her _slightly_ more likable. **
**This is about 1k words shorter then I want it to be but to be honest with the limited PoV I've taken with this fic there is little else I can throw in till next episode, if you guys think I should expand it beyond what I'm dubbing as the 'Big Three' lemme know ok? I'm thinking Mu simply because I like him but meh, wanna hear opinions.**
* * *
Cagalli groggily awoke hugging a large warm pillow that smelled of conditioner and smoke, shifting a bit the pillow began moving as well causing her to snap her eyes open in shock. That was not a pillow she was cuddling up against, that was a very comatose Duo, blushing profusely she made to move away from him slowly as to not wake him, if she did she'd never hear the end of this. As she slowly let him go and shifted her arm from under his head her attention was drawn to yelling outside the door, the argument soon woke Duo and he sat up staring at the door with something approaching disgust.
He glanced over to Cagalli who was still blushing but he made no mention of it, just a quick "Heyya beautiful" and he was at the door sliding it open observing the high schoolers from earlier yelling at Lieutenant Ramius. She was breaking down why no one could be let off the ship and why they needed Kira to fight, Kira for his part eventually snapped out,
"You people aren't fair!" Much to her chagrin Duo busted out laughing at this, he doubled over and had to catch his breath a couple times while the group stared at him incredulously. Eventually calming down but still chuckling he stood up strait and stared Kira in the eyes.
"Kid, seriously? Life ain't fair, it never has been and it never will be," Kira's friends looked like they were about to interrupt but Duo raised his hand to silence them. "You think its fair for a single mom to suffer working three jobs to support her kids to only have them killed by a drunk driver? Do you think its fair that a pious man dies from a disease that could be cured if he was wealthier?"
Grimacing as if remembering an old memory he continued, "Do you think its fair that war orphans are forced into ghettos to die in impoverished quarantine so the plague dropped on them for population control can do its work? Do you think its fair when entire populations are immolated in nuclear fire for no other reason then someone in power didn't like the way they had been born, something they had no control over?"
Laughing again Duo pushed Kira against the wall and grinned at him maliciously, "Grow. The. Fuck. Up. Boy. Now you and I are gonna go get into those Federal excuses for Gundams, we're going to kill the hell out of anything that threatens this ship and those we care for stuck on it, and we're going to keep the emo levels to a minimum, savvy?" With that Duo let the boy go and walked past Murrue and Cagalli winking at the pair as he began whistling towards the hangers, the older woman caught Cagalli's eye and whispered,
"I like him, nice catch young lady," leaving the Princess to blush and stutter in her doorway Murrue left for the bridge while Kira's friends looked about sheepishly not sure what to say or do. Sighing Cagalli rubbed her face in frustration and made to follow Duo to the hangers. The girl, Miriallia called to her,
"Where are you going off to?" Snorting at that she twirled a finger in the air and said,
"Someones gotta make sure the dumbass takes the parking brake off, get Kira moving all right? Something tells me we're going to be facing more then one incompetent GINN this time around." Snorting at this while smiling slightly Mirallia agreed and tried shaking Kira out of the shock Duo put him in, honestly some people just couldn't take reality checks.
* * *
Duo _really_ shouldn't have been that rough on Kira, he knew this but the kid was still living in a black and white world not realizing outside of a remarkable few everyone and everything existed in grey scale, Duo had just seen and done too much in his life to put up with the whining. He'd literally been responsible for the deaths of thousands while instigating a world wide insurrection at the same time Kira was studying and attempting to half heartily to get laid, it was just too hard to take him seriously.
They may be the same age but their maturity was leagues apart, stopping suddenly his face fell at that thought, grabbing a hand bar on the wall he began lightly hitting his forehead against a window. That was how Cagalli found him, a bemused smirk on her face as she quirked an eyebrow at the antics waiting expectantly for an explanation. He stopped and stared at her with pained eyes,
"I just realized outside of you I'm the most mature teenager on this entire boat, _me_, I swear Qatty and Wu-man would never let me live this one done, and if they did Heero and Trowa would remind them about it constantly...ugh..." He'd never explained to her exactly where he was from but he did let her in on his buddies and their personalities, so she smiled a bit wider and patted him on the back with a "there there." Pouting now he stood up strait and continued his was to the hanger while his still amused friend said,
"I'm sure they'd get a kick out of it, by the by you were a little rough on Kira, outside of dealing with Coordinator prejeduce he's lived a fairly sheltered life, might want to take it easy on him." At that he just shrugged and gave a slight grunt, seeing that she wasn't dropping it he rolled his eyes,
"Fine fine I'll lay off him in so long as he doesn't whine every time things go pear shaped alright?" Accepting this they both swayed a bit as the ship lifted off, catching her by the small of the back Duo kept her steady as the ship reached its equilibrium. They stayed in companionable silence as they entered the hanger and approached Hades, Cagalli gave him a quick hug then he road the gantry arm up to the cockpit, glancing at the right shoulder he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows seeing the massive gatling gun sitting atop it.
Turning to Murdoch who was sealing the last few bolts of the device Duo whistled to grab the tanned mans attention, making eye contact he pointed at the addition while cocking his head, this just earned a grin from the older man.
"Ya like? Since your right shoulder was unfinished and Mirage Colloid is evenly spread to any conductive surface attached to the suit I used a few spare parts from the Strike to give you an equipment rack pauldron. Since ya seem fond of your big ass sword I threw on the multi-weapon combo pod, so you have a pair of missile launchers and a 120mm gatling gun." Grinning Duo gave him a thumbs up, the man had even stripped off the extra armor fins to lighten up the load so Duo couldn't complain, remembering the damage Wing Zero could do with its gatlings he spoke up,
"Any chance you can mirror that on the other pauldron eventually, I like me some extra boom," Nodding slowly while rubbing his chin Murdoch then grinned,
"Yeah kid shouldn't be a problem, also that shield you found? Was a heavy assault variant for the Aegis, it took a bit but we wired it into your power systems, don't go nuts with it though those double cannons will drain the batteries like nothing else." Giving the man a jaunty salute Duo dove into the cockpit and began the bootup process, wincing as the horrid acronym spelling out "G.U.N.D.A.M." flashed across the screen Murdoch stuck his head into the enclosed space with a final question. "Any other special orders? After we finish the repairs to the Mobius Zero we literally have nothing else to fix with only three machines to maintain," nodding he threw his idea out,
"Yeah, can you mod one of the extra anti-ship swords? I'd like the handle and guard doubled in length and the gun internals removed, they don't work like...at all so might as well ditch the extra mass," promising to look into it Murdoch hoped onto the gantry and began lowering it. Looking up from his work he watched as Cagalli approached Kira and his friends, she put a hand on his shoulder and whatever she said seemed to calm him down, 'atta girl princess' he thought with a smile.
As the hangers cleared of everyone not directly related to launching mobile suits the Strike left its restraints and walked over to its loading bay, Duo flicked a switch and mirrored the action and the Hades began its slow walk to catapult. Snatching his pilfered sword off the floor (that some kind engineer took the time to spraypaint gray rather then baby blue) Duo settled in to do every soldiers favorite past time, hurry up and wait. The comms warbled a bit as he heard Murdoch yell,
"Load up the Aile pack on the strike, since the Bli...Hades is using the anti-ship sword we shouldn't double up the melee!" He wracked his brain at that...'aile aile, right, French, means wing,' his thoughts stopped as he grinned, well, more parallels to home. Before he actually realized what was going on he was suddenly thrown back into his seat as the Hades was propelled out into the open air, leveling the machine he pulled up beside Kira,
"Remember what I said about fair Kira? That includes fights, fair has no place in the battlefield, if someones fighting for honor use that against them, fight to win, fight dirty, and most of all fight for something worth killing for, good luck." With that Duo activated the Mirage Colloid and made his way towards the formation of GINN's and...the Aegis, wunderbar... clicking the comm one last time he said,
"Kid distract that Gundam, I know its alot to handle but I need these GINN's dead ASAP, frigg'en things are loaded out with 'D' equipment, crazy bastards," ignoring Kira's protests Duo charged ahead and was actually shocked at the ferocity of the assault. The lead GINNN charged towards the Strike heedless of the flak flying its way and fired the big ass plasma cannon resting on its shoulder, the winged gundam juked out of the way as the beam burned through one of the tethers keeping the central spine of the entire colony stable. Lovely.
Much to his surprise the Aegis was just kinda, flitting about uselessly, Kira seemed oddly distracted by it which wasn't good since the cannon totting GINN was literally blasting the hell out of the colony trying to hit Kira, rolling his eyes Duo decloaked behind the machine.
Sweeping his blade to the side Duo cleaved the suit in two at the pelvis, the now legless GINN spun around but before it could fire he cleaved its right arm off and kicked the near limbless torso away, detecting a massive series of explosions Duo turned and..stopped. He'd been too late, the GINN's (and apparently by accident the Archangel's) constant misses had honed in on the largest structure in the area...the central spine.
Before he could do anything else Heliopolis just simply...seized to be, the massive O'Neil cylinder began disintegrating almost instantly, the Aegis rushed forward to assist the trashed GINN he'd affectionately named 'Torso Boy' and tried to rush the Strike but the hurricane force winds sucked the machine away. Suddenly realizing he was in the same boat Duo activated a full burn towards the Archangel, nearly burning out the mobile suits propellant and power (that wasn't getting old in the slightest) Duo semi-crashed Hades onto the flight deck.
Throwing his head back and letting out a sigh Duo looked out the still open hanger and simply watched the world fall apart, 'Reminds me of the space around Libra...' he considered this a moment before walking the machine to its station and plugging in, 'ah well...time to catch a nap.'
* * *
After checking up on a rather irate Duo Cagalli made her way to the bridge, as the door opened she heard Ensign Natarle yelling into the comm,
"There's no way we can accept refugees at this time!" Before Cagalli could give the woman a piece of her mind Lieutenant Ramius dropped her head and said,
"All right. I authorize it." As the raven haired woman tried to argue with her the Lieutenant cut her off, "I don't have time to waste fighting over such things, hurry up and get them on board, we need to leave." As Natarle begrudgingly followed her orders Cagalli couldn't help but grin at their erstwhile captain, say what you will about the feds there were a few good ones in the bunch.
Realizing that a bunch of irate refugees had a fifty/fifty chance of ending up in the same bay as Duo Cagalli's eyes widened as she bolted for the elevator, nothing good could come from this. When the door opened she saw a thoroughly bemused Duo drifting across the hanger with his arms crossed observing Kira gettings tackled by a cute redhead, looking towards the elevator Duo caught her eyes and wiggled his eyebrows suggestivly then jerked his head towards Kira.
"Little Casanova over there, from what I'm hearing she's one of those other teens girlfriends, we my dear princess just landed ourselves into a soap opera." Groaning at that she drifted over to Duo and grabbed him by the waist to stabilize smacking him on the forehead,"
"Stop it, not everyone is as much of a fan of chaos as you," grinning mischievously he returned the gesture albeit far more lightly,
"Meh, you know you love it, so he's responsible for saving her life, she seems..." Cagalli smirked and said,
"Needy?" nodding knowingly he then continued,
"I give it two weeks, three tops before they either hate each other or start sleeping together, wanna wager?" Snorting at her friends lewd mind she pulled out a fifty note,
"Ok dibs on them screwing," Pouting Duo pulled out a few more bills then shoved them in his pocket,
"Cheater, stole my bet, fine I'll play the other side on this one," not realizing it her smirk stayed planted on her face as she rested her head on his shoulder drifting through the hanger, 'Its the little things' she thought happily.
4. Chapter 4
**A/N-Way way way shorter then I wanted it to be, but my computer ate the other half of this and I have absolutely no desire to rewrite it at the moment. If its too short sorry, I'll give the next chapter a proper once over to make up for what was lost. Way rougher then I like too but seriously just lost 1500 words. So. Pissed. Off.**
**The song used is Jen Titus "Oh Death", look it up on youtube while you read, its fun.**
* * *
Duo drifted towards the pilots ready room and keyed the doors open in time to hear Kira say, "We're all that there is to defend the ship right...so its what we have to do," smiling at that Duo stopped before the pair nodding in approval, glancing over to Mu he raised a brow and asked,
"So, gotta plan for this one...boss?" Smirking the older man nodded while glancing towards Kira,
"So here's the deal Kira is going to play goalie for us while I harrie anything that gets close, while we make noise you stealth out to the Nazca class blocking our path to Artemis and mess it up as best you can, after you're done we all run like hell back the Archangel and skedaddle." Nodding his approval Duo begin slipping on one of the ill fitting Federal flight suits,
"So, is my objective sinking the ship or simply crippling it?" Sighing lightly Mu looked over his shoulder towards Duo,
"Don't over extend yourself, if you can sink it great, if not just cripple it, we don't need any more dead heroes ok?" Pausing at that, Duo shifted his eyes towards Mu then gave a noncommittal grunt, once his gear was set he slung on a pistol belt and clipped on his helmet. Before he left for the hangers he asked,
"How quickly does ZAFT repair their mobile suits?" Slightly perplexed by the question Mu shrugged,
"Less then a few hours, they designed them to be modular, why?" Grinning as he closed the suits mirrored visor he simply replied with,
"No reason at all," before the door slammed shut behind him, drifting down the corridors he saw the queen of uptightness herself rushing towards him, grabbing Duo's shoulder as he tried to drift by Natarle barked out,
"Kira wait!" Pausing, he lifted his helmet with a laugh and gave her a broad smile,
"Sorry Ensign Badgiruel, got the wrong guy, he's still in the ready room getting a pep talk from Mu, anything I can help you with?" She stared at him a moment and Duo realized she had the same vivid violet eyes as himself, what caught him off guard was she also held the same calculating gaze he'd always been accused of having; though in his defense he never looked that cold.
"Mr. Maxwell, why are you fighting for us, really? You're a coordinator, and you have a mobile suit that only you or Kira could use, what is stopping you from just taking off with your friend and running to ZAFT?" That...was unexpected, well from her, Murrue he could see asking honest questions, Natarle seemed like the interogating type, whips and chains and the like, shrugging he gave her another grin.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself my lovely ensign, the names Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide but I'll never tell a lie, I initially attacked the ZAFT forces because they were about to fire on civillians, a big no no in my book." Putting his index finger to his chin and glancing up at the ceiling he mulled over what to tell her then figured to hell with it,
"I'm no stranger to killing and in my opinion it really doesn't matter how a person is born, these idiots aren't my 'brethren', they're a group of supremacists who are attempting to kill my friend seeing as she's stuck on this crate. You people are not my allies because you follow the commands of fascists who started this war solely to commit genocide, which incidently is what kicked off the coordinators superiority complex."
He'd give her this, it looked like his words were having some impact rather then angering her, with that he pressed on, "I am a soldier of Orb and I have no intention of putting my extensive chaos inducing abilities to use for either side of this war, I'll cut down anything that gets in our way but I refuse to do _anything_ that will draw my nation into this conflict." Not wasting a moment she struck back with,
"Mr. Maxwell its not like we all share the far rights views, we're mostly just soldiers following orders, don't you see that?" She technically brought up a valid argument, though for some reason she sounded rather strained after his monologue, so either something was getting through or he was just seriously pissing her off. To be truthful with him it could really swing either way, leaning against the wall crossing his arms he dropped his head and signed,
"Ensign...if your orders are to kill another group of people simply because they're different well... Nuremberg showed how well "following orders" holds up in the court of law, just remember that ok?" Smirking as he slid his helmet back on his now muffled voice ending the conversation, "So in short? I'm not helping you, I'm helping Cagalli and myself, the moment I'm ordered to start marching children to the showers I'll sink this ship with a smile on my face, with that, see you on the other side."
* * *
"Hades, Launching," Duo announced as the massive warship shook with the suits departure, glancing up from her position in the CIC Natarle Badgiruel was lost in her own thoughts, the kids they'd picked up on Heliopolis (and they were seriously just kids) had altogether been a pain in her ass since the moment they came aboard. Duo though... Duo was different, he constantly acted relaxed as if reality was the punchline to a joke only he was in on, but when it was time to be serious he was the deadliest man in the room.
That was what bothered her, he couldn't be any older then sixteen and he behaved like a hardened special forces operative, joking and snarking one second and holding an entire hanger hostage at gunpoint the next. She was snapped out of her thoughts as Lieutenant Ramius ordered her to fire, double checking the target angle she barked out,
"Lock on to the Nazca with the Lohengrin's. _FIRE!_" with that the positron cannon spat forth their fury towards the enemy ship consuming any debris the beams struck in anti-matter fueled explosions, as the beams rushed onward they heard ...giggling on the main channel.
"Hehehe...Ensign you have a penchant for destruction, maybe I was wrong about you, free Saturday?" Caught completely off guard by Duo's comment she only managed to make a strangled stuttering noise before Cagalli cut in,
"Great Duo you broke her, you're paying for the replacement XO by the way," Natarle could hear snickering from up above at the young mans pouting response,
"But I only make six monies a year Cagalli, you're a cruel boss you know that? Oh side note, those amateurs in the knockoff Gundams are heading your way, make sure Mu and Kira do their thing." Rolling her eyes at the byplay Natarle muttered,
"Why me?" as she ordered the Igelstellungs and Helldarts to fire on the approaching mobile suits, with that the return fire set of various explosions around the ship as the four Gundams tried to shoot down Mu and Kira, after a few minutes a very annoyed Lieutenant La Flaga piped in.
"Kira for the love of god _lead_ your shots, shoot where they're going to be not where they are all right?" After a stuttering affirmative Kira let out a yelp and then a quick snicker,
"Just took out the duels right arm at the shoulder, the open channel is getting flooded with insults," Natarale smirked at that then clicked the comm,
"Kira hit the arm with an ID tag, we can pull it back in later for salvage," after a short pause Kira, Mu, and Duo began chuckling and there was a united, very piratey sounding "Arrrr" heard. Groaning while holding her forehead Natarale eventually let out a small smirk, 'Meh, why not.'
* * *
As Duo spun Hades through the maze of debris leading to the prowling Nazca cruiser he mulled over how to pull this off, flashy or quick? He REALLY had no desire to kill any of these idiots and he'd don't a pretty good job of avoiding it thus far, so with that he decided flashy and _memorable_. Plugging his phone into the broadcast system he scrolled to the song he wanted then allowed a small self satisfied smile to crest his lips; as he approached the skulking cruiser he risked his cloak with a tight beam laser signal and hacked into the ships internal comms ready for one helluva prank.
* * *
Rau Le Crueset was not a happy man, while the captured G-Weapons had the capacity to usher in the Armageddon he desired this bloody irritating legged ship would just not _die, _this sad state of affairs drastically limited what he wanted to accomplish. He'd barely rolled the Vesalius away from the path of the damnable enemies cannons when a signal breached the comms, a ghostly chorus began playing making all the crew pause in their actions, soon a haunting female voice sang out.
_"Oh death, oh death, oh-oh death, won't you spare me over another-" _with that there was a massive crash as one of the main guns exploded as it was struck by a pair of beam shots from nowhere, Rau began screaming for CWIS fire as the song continued.
"_But what is this, that I can't see with ice cold hands taking hold of me-" _ another heavy hit struck the ship destroying the last of the main cannons, as a monitor exploded Rau cried out in pain as the plastic shrapnel cut into his flesh. Gritting his teeth through the pain he glared out the window as that fucking song kept playing,
_"When God is gone and the Devil takes hold, who will have mercy on your soul oh death, oh death" _With that the main engines took a direct hit their detonation sending shock waves through the crippled vessel sending most everyone flying; as he slammed into the wall face first Rau felt at least two teeth break upon impact. Covering his mouth to staunch the blood he glanced out the window to see machine gun fire appear from nowhere and shred his entire starboard sides CWIS clusters. Growling he could do nothing but stare through the smoke clouded window as his ship was chewed apart,
_"Oh, Death, __No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold, __Nothing satisfies me but your soul," _and with that the last of his weapons were destroyed leaving the Vesalius as little more then a floating box in space.
_"Oh, Death, Well I am Death, none can excel, I'll open the door to heaven or hell." _As this line finished the entire ship shook from an unseen impact, suddenly a pair of glowing yellow eyes could be seen hovering before the hanger doors, malevolent embers in a sea of black.
_"Oh, Death, оh Death, my name is Death and the end is here..."_ The song ended as the enemy mobile suit dropped its cloak, the black and red demon sporting a massive sword in its hands. Gritting his teeth Rau recognized the machine as the one that had torn him apart inside the colony, the machine turned around and carved the hanger door open and wormed its way inside.
After a few moments the ship shook from several internal explosions. As suddenly as it appeared the enemy suit flew out of the hanger hauling..._his_ personal CGUE. The enemy that he now identified as a Blitz variant proceeded to give the bridge the finger with its off hand while wrapping its sword arm around the CGUE's shoulders, and then the machine simply flew off leaving them adrift.
* * *
Cagalli released her death grip on the control stick of the CWIS cluster she'd taken over, letting her hands drop away from the controls she threw her head back into the rest and groaned as the past half hours adrenaline melted away leaving her a tense mess. The enemy G-Weapons had all taken some rather heavy damage and ran away to cover the escape of their badly crippled mothership, good for them. Stumbling to her feet she made her way to the hangers to meet up with Duo, the elevator opened as the Hades pulled in and she realized the now gray toned machine was hauling a ZAFT suit behind it.
A grinning Mr. Maxwell popped out of the now parked Hades cockpit and she heard him talking in fast bubbly bursts to the mechanics,
"Dudes totally ganked that "Ron the Toast's" CGUE, you guys figure out how to hook beam weapons up to it and I'll rewrite its OS for Mu!" Turning to face the now ballistically approaching Princess Duo's grin widened as he kicked off the captured machine catching Cagalli midflight. As she began quickly asking him if he was all right the man in question began tickling her until she pulled a gun on him, this only made Duo laugh harder. After a few minutes the pair simply drifted along the hanger, content to let the adults handle all the BS for once.
5. Chapter 5
_**The reason this took so long is I really hated this episode and I had no idea where to take it without dragging it out further torturing myself, so instead its mostly Duo antics and rather light on detail. Don't worry next one will be significantly longer and won't take me so long to update, the problem with SEED was it just didn't hit it's own stride until they landed on Earth, emulated the One Year War too much. Anywho, enjoy and review, and yes I'm aware this is below my normal standards but as stated, when you don't enjoy it you can't really force the effort.**_
* * *
Duo was for want of a better word annoyed, seriously he'd called this one the second they were hailed by the backwater base and even Kira had been on board with his paranoia, he and the kid hit Mwu with their suspicions and the older man agreed completely. So the three of them agreed to rig the trio of mobile suits to blow if an unauthorized person tried to move them, this bit of sabotage led to his being the only undetained member of the Archangel's crew. True to form he had hidden when the ship had been swarmed and there was now a bunch of heavily armed German's between him and Cagalli. While he really wouldn't mind indulging in a bit of kraut kontrol to get to his friend to safety he had a unique opportunity available to him that he hoped his friend would forgive him for.
Knocking out one of the guards and taking his gear (how many times had he done this in the past year and a half?) he suited up and marched right past the base commander as the pompous ass was led to where the crew was being held. Making a note to kill the gloating prick before he left Duo wandered to a data terminal and pulled up a base map,
"It never ceases to amaze me how otherwise intelligent people do such idiotic things as leaving _labeled_ schematics of their bases out for anyone to find...ugh..." finding what he was looking for Duo entered one of the bases secured communication centers. This one being a tertiary backup so hopefully no one would come a knock'in until he was done, hacking the system (which as always he felt like it had been programmed by a drunk student who didn't notice the keyboard was upside down) he opened the secure line to Earth.
Snickering at how incredibly easy this was he double checked his encryption and contacted his boss, after a few minutes the lovely Erica Simmons appeared on screen distractedly looking at something at her side,
"Morgenroete, what do you want?" Grinning widely he drawled out,
"Well hello beautiful, is that any way to greet your protege?" Snapping her head to the monitor she grabbed the device pulling it closer,
"DUO MAXWELL! Where the _HELL_ have you been and is the Princess alright?!" Scratching his head sheepishly he chuckled weakly before responding,
"We were checking a lead on one of the families illegally producing mobile suits with the Atlantic Federation on Heliopolis...they were, and err...ZAFT found out and kind of blew up the colony. Well it was a group effort whoever the hell was firing the guns on the Archangel is kinda trigger happy, anyway Cagalli and I hitched a ride with a handful of survivors and what was left of the ships crew. Kinda running from ZAFT and I've had to fight in a knockoff Gundam with another coordinator, kids a natural but he has some growing up to do.
"Annnnyway we're kinda being held at gunpoint by the Euro Feds at Artemis so they can steal our shit, everything is rigged to blow if they get any wise ideas so I decided to step out and make a call before ZAFT comes and blows this place up. They have a stealth suit that's like a knockoff Deathscythe so my guess is they'll wait for the umbrella to come down and wreak havoc, what I would do."
Erica was staring at him blankly before she facepalmed, sliding her hand across her face she muttered a few obseneties then just shook her head,
"Only you, if its any concelation Uzumi found out about the suits and is applying some political pressure to keep it quiet, the Seiran's are trying to pin the destruction of Heliopolis on him to force him to step down so who knows how long that'll last." Duo frowned at this before quipping,
"How _is_ Assclown anyway?" Smirking she rolled her eyes,
"Juna was just let out of traction last week, the bones are still mending and he's still furious about the wedding contract being put under review, apperently word got out what you did to him when he grabbed Cagalli's bum at the party so his social standing is in the gutter. Probably why his father is pushing this so hard, doesn't matter though times short, what do you need?" Clearing his throat he gave her a winning smile,
"Things are getting hot out here, I highly suggest we push production of the home grown suits and the Cancer's, I know we're banking on the Gundams but the Sepulcher can only produce so much alloy and we'll be lucky if we have all four up and running before we're pulled into this." Erica nodded knowingly as she began typing quickly,
"Upgrades to the Deathscythe are 90% complete, the Persephone is roughly 70% complete, and the three Wing units are all at about 50%, the girls have been running the sims you set up nonestop so hopefully with them supporting us..." She sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Well hopefully it'll be enough," the connection nearly cutout as the bases lights flickered, grinning Duo move to put his helmet back on,
"Well looks like the parties started, tell Uzumi that I'm keeping Cagalli safe and I'll be home as soon as I can, take care boss." Smiling in return the connection was lost before she could respond, running down the hall to his secondary target he grinned seeing the panicking guard turn to him as he began babbling in moonspeak. Smashing the man in the face with his rifle he rolled he eyes hearing the cries from the secured room, standing to the side of the door he clicked the open key.
"You can stop playacting now, come on lets skeddale I need to make sure Cagalli's ok," the befuddled faces of Natarle, Mwu, and Murrue popped out of the room looking at him in confusion, still grinning he tossed the Ensign his rifle as he picked up the knocked out feds. Natarle stared for a moment before letting out a snort and pecking him on the cheek,
"You are an impetus one, all right lead on," ignoring Mwu ribbing him for the blush he was so totally not displaying right now he led his allies through the trembling fortress.
* * *
Nicol Amalfi was a rather frustrated young man, his team had gotten the snot kicked out of them by the legged ship (who came up with that code name?) and its escorts on multiple occasions and their fearless leader had their flagship get practically gutted by his own suits cousin. That wasn't what really bothered him so much though, it was the fact that his own teammates kept calling him a coward behind his back because he didn't revel in the bloodshed and he had happened to hijack the lone stealth unit developed by the feds.
Only Athrun had approved of his plan of sneaking up on the Fed base and destroying their method of going hedgehog, and as expected it had gone off flawlessly, the feds had arrogantly lowered their defenses (including their fighter and armor patrols, idiots) leaving an opening for him to destroy the shroud projectors. So while he systematically wiped out anything stupid enough to get in the way of his ebony warmachine he contemplated what to do next, Yzak would readily kill anyone who tried to escape and Dearka would do anything that amused him at the moment. Athrun...his best friends actions over the past two weeks confused the hell out of him, he really had no idea where he stood on anything; with that his thoughts were interupted by a stream of machine gun fire.
"Hehehe, knew a fellow stealthy couldn't resist the obvious design flaw of this place, greetings names Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide but I never tell a lie!" With that a black and red version of the Blitz appeared before him wielding one hell of an oversized sword in its hands. Niclol responded by firing his anchor at this new enemy who surprised the young pilot by letting the clawed projectile latch onto his right arm, almost lazily the massive sword swung down severing the cable.
"Shit," was all Nicol could think to say, the laughing man in the enemy suit concurred,
"Quite, something to reflect on, when you're fighting someone who is also using phase shift armor it's kinda pointless to go for physical attacks, here," much to Nicol's shock the black suit jammed its sword into the floor and pried the anchor off its arm tossing it back to the Blitz.
"Wha..what I don't understand?" He stammered out in confusion catching his returned weapon, he could practically here the mans eyes roll,
"Kid I don't have any beef with you or those other idiots that keep attacking us, I'm only flying this cobbled together piece of crap because my friend and I are stuck on the Archangel, if you've noticed _I_ personally haven't killed anyone on your side yet I've only disabled them. Well when I wrecked Ron the Croissant's ship and stole his mobile suit I may have but that was just incidental, surgically disabling warships is a bit of a bitch considering I have no real experience at it. Did sink an aircraft carrier once, never figured out why the conning tower exploded though, I mean really what's in there to explode?"
Nicol just stared blankly at his monitor listening to the man jabber on, it was nice that he was trying to prevent casualties and all but...hell he really had no idea what to think about this one,
"Err...ok I guess, so if you don't want to fight me why are you still standing there?" The man laughed again, he seemed to like doing that,
"Oh heh, I'm just stalling while the Archangel escapes and the kid covers our exit, my associates are trying to gather as many poor pathetic souls as they can before he we leave, no need for the rank and file to die because of their boss, oh speaking of which!" With that a map was sent to him and it displayed a glowing dot not far from their standoff, "That's the command center, do me a favor and kill everyone in there, they're the entire reason this whole thing went down and I'd like to cleanse the gene pool of as much stupidity as possible." Once again completely befuddled Nicol just shook his head,
"Mr. Maxwell you are a very strange man, I hope we do not have to cross blades often," the enemy pilot just snickered a bit,
"Names Duo, Mr. Maxwell makes me sound like some sort of coffee pot, later kid," as the suit pulled its sword out of its impromptu sheath Nicol quickly stated,
"Its Nicol, Nicol Amalfi," the black suit gave him a jaunty salute then ran around the corner, shaking his head Nicol made his way for the command center wondering if he should relay this strange encounter to his comrades, "Eh...I'll tell Athrun, if nothing else it might put a smile on his face."
* * *
As the Archangel made its escape from the doomed Artemis station Duo looked incredulously at the large knots of Euro Feds in the hanger, there were even several Mobius mobile armor's sitting in the once vacant launching racks. He was actually fairly shocked that so many of their former captors had been willing to come along, and really while the armors were basically flying targets having extra backup couldn't hurt their chances, if nothing else they'd make adequate meatshields. Disembarking from the Hades Duo drifted down to the floor to meet up with a somewhat pouty Cagalli,
"And where pray tell were you this entire time mister?" Grinning he pulled her into a hug, she stiffened at first but melted into it after a moment, letting her go he cheerfully described his misadventure,
"...And then I screwed with the poor kids head even more by giving him the command centers coordinates, if nothing else ZAFT has no idea what to make of me and that's the way I like it," shaking her head ruefully his friend hooked her arm through his and began leading him out of the hanger.
"Well that's just...so you it isn't even funny, my day wasn't as much fun though, I had a rifle shoved in my face for two hours _but_ I did get to punch Flay in the face, after all her whining it was fairly cathartic." Curious Duo asked why, this just made her grit her teeth, "Because she outed Kira as a coordinator to the Feds," now thoroughly confused he glanced back at the parked Strike that had one Kira Yamato being hugged to suffocation by the one Flay Allster. Deciding that he had no desire to interfere in that particular mess he simply remained silent for once, after all the God of Death left the battlefield of love to its own devices, not even he was crazy enough to get involved with that.
* * *
_**I arbitrarily decided that Duo and Nicol are going to become buddies, it should be fun, later folks, and as always REVIEW!**_
End file.
| fanfiction |
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5
T H E F E s M
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if \.~.-/
' I "Jose· CHUNG'S FROM OUTER SPACI;" /
Episode 20 (#3X20) · I THE X-FILES
11Jose Chung's From Outer Space"
Written by
Darin Morgan
Directed by
Rob Bowman
Episode #3X20
Story No. 4550
February 26, 1S}96. (White) .
February 26, · 1996 (Blue)
February 29, 1996 (Pink)
March 4, 1996 (Green)
March 5, 1996 (Yellow)
March 7, 1996 (Gold) "Jose Chung's From Outer Space"
Agent Fox Mulder
Agent Dana Scully
Roky Crikenson
Harold Lamb
Chrissy Giorgio
Grey Alien #1/Colonel Robert Vallee
Grey Alien #2/Lieutenant Jack Sheaffer
Behemoth/Lord Kiribote
Jose Churt'g
Nurse (Non-Speaking)
Detective Manners
Dr. Fingers
Leader (Nori-Speaking)
Believer (Non-Speaking)
Skeptical (Non-Speaking)
Liquid (Non-Speaking)
Man in Black #1
Man in Black #2/Alex Trebek
Dr. Hand
Air Force
CIA
Army
Blaine Faulkner The Stupendous Yappi
Sgt. Hynek
Diner Cook (Non-Speaking) March 5, 1996
(X) \.,.,~) February 26, 1996
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space"
EXTERIORS:
COUNTRY ROAD
BACKYARD
ROKY'S DRIVEWAY
FIELD
FOREST
INTERIORS:
HAROLD' S CAR
MULDER'S OFFICE MEDICAL EXAMINATION ROOM GIRL'S BEDROOM
INTERROGATION ROOM
GREY ALIEN SPACESHIP
THIRD ALIEN'S SHIP
ROKY'S GARAGE
MOTEL ROOM
MILITARY ROOM
BACHELOR APARTMENT
AUTOPSY ROOM
/HOSPITAL CORRIDOR
ROADSIDE DINER
CHUNG'S OFFICE
COMMUNITY CENTER SET LIST TEASER
1 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT
THE STARRY SKY ... again. A LEGEND: "KLASS COUNTY, WASHINGTON, II
before a MECHANICAL HUMMING announces the entrance of an
unidentifiable metallic object descending from the heavens.
Triangular pointed, the object continues dropping, filling out
the entire frame (in short, we are aping the opening shot of
STAR WARS).
But as the object lowers, it eventually REVEALS itself to be
not of an alien nature, since it is occupied by a blue-collar
utility worker named ROKY CRIKENSON (50s). While a tiny radio plays Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," Roky speaks into a portable
phone.
ROKY
Yeah, this is Roky. I've checked
all the connections. I can't
figure out why the power's down
out here.
WIDE TO REVEAL
An electric company truck parked next to a utility pole. Roky
rides in the basket of a hook-and-ladder arm, which is
descending. (The underside of the basket is rigged with
electrical adaptors and components, causing its resemblance to
the underbelly of a spaceship.)
IT IS RAINING SLIGHTLY, as a car drives past Roky and his
truck, cueing
CUT TO:
2 INT. BOY'S CAR -NIGHT
Social
radio.
In the
girl. Distortion's cover of "Ring of Fire" emits from the car
Driving is HAROLD LAMB, an overly-earnest teenage boy.
passenger seat is CHRISSY GIORGIO, a beautiful teenage
HAROLD
Uhm. " , I don It want to scare you,
but I think I'm madly in love
with you.
The girl smiles half-shyly/half-slyly.
HAROLD
I mean, you're all I think about.
You're my whole world.
(CONTINUED) 1
2 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... 11 #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 2.
2 CONTINUED:
CHRISSY
Harold, I like you a lot, too,
but it's our first date. We need
more time to get to know one
another.
HAROLD
I feel like I know you already.
The car's engine suddenly dies. As the car coasts to a stop, Harold regards his dashboard with dismay.
CHRISSY
What happened?
Before he can answer, a white strobing light, cast from above,
engulfs the car. Shielding their eyes, the kids stare up at
its source.
CUT TO:
3 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT
A FLYING SAUCER, just like the one in "Duane Barry" (2X05),
hovers above the road, before the kids's car. A slight,
stereotypical HUMMING emits from the spacecraft.
Harold desperately tries re-starting the ignition, but Chrissy
grabs his arm, prompting him to look out at --
TWO GREY ALIENS (you all know what they look like, .except these
two are taller than usual) approac~ing the car.
CHRISSY
Harold, what are those things?!
HAROLD
How the hell should I know?
As the aliens near the car, the kids begin to lose
consciousness. Harold struggles to keep his eyes open long
enough to see an alien peering in his side window. As the kids
conk out, the car do.ors are opened. The aliens· reach in for
their human prey.
Cradling the kids in their skinny arms, the aliens head back
towards their flying saucer. Suddenly, a SONIC BOOM booms
o.s., as a red light, cast from above, engulfs the aliens.
They look up towards the source.
ANOTHER UFO hovers in.mid-air next to the Grey Alien UFO.
Larger, and very differently designed, the other UFO emits a
loud REVVING, like Steve McQueen•s car in BULLITT.
(CONTINUED) 2
3 I \.__ ____ / THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 3.
3 CONTINUED:
Mesmerized by this other UFO, the Grey Al1ens let go of the
kids, who slump to the ground.
From out of the bright red light approaches a third alien.
Though obscured by the light, this Being appears to be a
BEHEMOTH FROM THE PLANET HARRYHAUSEN. Cyclopean, hulkishly
muscled, a dinosaurish tail, the Behemoth STOMPS forward,
belting out a ROAR that puts Godzilla to shame.
The first Grey Alien turns to the second Grey Alien and says:
GREY ALIEN #1
Jack, what is that thing?
GREY ALIEN #2
How the hell should I know?
END TEASER CUT TO BLACK. 3 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... 11 #3X20 (Blue} 2/26/96 4.
ACT ONE
4 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE -DAY -UFO POSTER
that reads: II I WANT TO BELIEVE. " Moving into view
appraising the saucer image --appears a smartly-dressed,
effeminate, flamboyant, Capote-esque man in his fifties, named
believe it or not -- JOSE CHUNG .
. CHUNG
I had never given it much thought
before, I guess because I've
always felt like.such an alien
myself, that to be concerned
about aliens from other planets
just seemed so ... redundant!
He lets out an impish CHUCKLE, more to himself than to AGENT
SCULLY, to whom.we·have WIDENED TO REVEAL.
SCULLY
I hadn't considered it much,
either, before starting this job.
CHUNG
Yes, if I understand it
correctly, your partner is the
actual expert?
SCULLY
I feel I should apologize for his
refusal to talk with you, but I
must admit, Mr. Chung, I probably
wouldn't, either, except I'm a
great admirer of your work. The
Lonely Buddha is one of my
favorite novels.
CHUNG
Oh, and here I was thinking you
were just some brainy beauty
now·I find out you also have. good
taste!
The two take seats, Scully behind the desk. As Chung opens.a
small leather folio, and readies his.notepad
SCULLY
Well, what made you decide to
write a book on an alien
abduction, if you're not that
interested in the subject?
(CONT'rmJED) 4 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 5.
4 CONTINUED:
CHUNG
Actually, it was my publisher's
idea, and at first I was
reluctant, until I realized I had
an opportunity here to create an
entirely new literary genre -
"non-fiction science fiction."
That gimmick alone should .
guarantee its landing on the best
seller list. In short -- to
answer your question -- MONEY!
SCULLY
Well, as long as you,'re
attempting to record the truth.
CHUNG
Oh, dear God, no
possibly do that? how could I
SCULLY
What do you mean?
CHUNG
I've just spent three months in
Klass County, and everybody there
has a different version of what
truly happened. Truth is as
subjective as reality, which
might help explain why people,
when talking about UFO
experiences, always start off
with: "I ~ow how crazy this is
going to sound, but ... "
SCULLY
So, you're here to get mY version
of the truth.
CHUNG
.Exactly. Now; when · were you
first made aware of the case?
SCULLY
Well, not right away, of course.
Not even enough time had elapsed
for it to be considered a missing
person's case, before the girl
was found the following
morning ....
CUT TO: 4
(X)
(X) (-;:
,,,_ ,.--5
thru
6
7 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 6.
OMITTED
EXT. COUNTRY ROAD -DAY
The boy's car is parked off on the shoulder of the road. The
falling rain obscures the view inside.
SCULLY (0. S.)
Suffering from what my partner
calls "missing time," she
recalled nothing of the previous
night, nor how she had arrived at
her present whereabouts.
8 INT. BOY'S CAR -DAY
Bruised and bloodied, the girl sits huddled in the passenger
seat, looking confused and anxious.
SCULLY ( 0 . S . )
Her body exhibited signs of
physical abuse, and all her
clothes-were on inside-out or
backwards.
The girl nervously fingers a button on her blouse, which is
indeed inside-out.
9 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE -DAY
CHUNG
Oh, have I had my share of
mornings like that! But these
are all characteristics of
someone who has been an --
(checks notes) CUT TO:
Do you prefer the term "abductee"
or."experiencer"?
SCULLY
I prefer neither, but my partner
uses "abductee."
CHUNG
My preference is for the other.
{whispering)
"I've just had a little alien ...
experience,"
(talking)
as opposed to "I've just been ab
duc-ted! ! "
(CONTINUED) 5
thru
6
7
8
9
(X}
cl 9 CONTINUED:
10 OMITl'ED . SCULLY. . ·;t·i· i,
" ; -~: ·'.
. -=-~ . ..
Regardless, the girl was
considered neither at the time.
She appeared more to bea victim
of.date rape than-anything else .
. ·. CUT-~: 9
10
.... ---•-·•·--- ··-·-..... ·.---• .,, ....
INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM -NIGHT -··- ... ,_. ··- •• ·- .···,.-·' •• :. J,. "· •• ·-~ •• •• • ~ ......••• : , ..... • ~--··.:·~·- ,.: .,: •••• ·, :-•• ·._:_.. ·-
11 ·11
.. ,;.~~•.rj. ~ \~
· · ~e~ps • ..•. ·•· a~~~':i!~1t~;:~~!t' .,:-...... .
'-~-" ···-:-..· _. -.. , .
... ,;:-:~t'g~:~~~:1•· --~J.?~ j¥ .. ,~a~e:it1;t·
.. : ........ '. ...... : __ ·: ~-~ ··. ·_.:-.:~~~: -~-. ··:::: -~--~:. ' .. :_:, --:-·::-·. . . ·--~·.:·:_t~J¥~
· ·At. the ·foot ··of;. the--:bedf:·;:,· ....
. of · the·· :tnattr·ess·; and ·re·a:.:. •· . . ..... ·-
the glrl t\:l;:'.nEl c>n ~:ti~. :t:>l:!gs:iL .""""'-·· . _.:"' .f-iiid not-.. an -alien,. but a'<stuf. animal; . . ~: :,;:. ~-:::::.:.:
· adorable,• -: .oversized eyes-~••· ,;::;E
kicks,:,tt(E!·-•stuff-ed ;ki.t~t\±~f(~c. .. a,.· .•.. ·
.: ·.··. . . ·:: .· ,· ·.· ·, .... · ---. . ... · ~---,,· .-.-/r··-· ~-THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 8.
12 EXT. BACKYARD - NIGHT - GIRL'S POV
Looking down from the second storey, a thin elongated shadow
stretches across the lawn. As something suddenly hits the
window --
INTERCUT WITH:
13 INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
She leaps back. Pausing, she re-approaches the window.
GIRL'S POV - BACKYARD - PAN DOWN TO REVEAL
the elongated shadow is being cast by Harold, who tosses
another pebble up to the window. The boy is bruised and
bloodied, and his shirt is torn like Stanley Kowalski's. As
the girl opens her window, the boy whispers/shouts:
HAROLD
Oh, Chrissy, thank god you're all
right!
CHRISSY
How dare you come here!
HAROLD
Chrissy, I did everything I
could!
CHRISSY
Don't I know it, you bastard!
AAROLD
Wh--... Chrissy, don't ... don't
you remember?
An interior house light comes on, as does a FATHER'S GRUMBLING
VOICE. Harold nervously looks up to his love .
. HAROLD
Chrissy. . . I love you! .
·Then, like all would-be elopers, he·turns and hightails it out
of there. The girl watches him, a look of half-confusion/half
recognition crosses her face, as Harold dashes away;
disappearing into the far shadows --
SCULLY (0. S.) .
The girl's father informed the
police, who apprehended the boy
back at his own home.
CUT TO: 12
13 I. THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 9.
14 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
Harold sits nervously at a: table, while DETECTIVE MANNERS
(S0s), who's heard and seen it all, paces the room.
HAROLD HAROLD
We ... we were abducted by aliens.
MANNERS
You don't sound so sure of it.
HAROLD
It all seems so crazy, and ... I
don't know why Chrissy doesn't
remember it.
MANNERS
Are you willing to take a lie
detector test to prove you were
abducted by creatures from outer
space?
HAROLD
Yes. I am.
MANNERS
Too bad, 'cause I don't need no
lie detector to tell me the only
thing you were abducted by were
your rampaging hormones, you
punk!
hangs his head in shame.
CHUNG (O.S.)
But he did take a test, and
passed it?
SCULLY (0. S.)
And he stuck to his story ...
until we got there.
HAROLD
If she says I raped her, then ...
. I guess I raped her.
WIDE TO REVEAL - LATER INTERROGATION
Across from Harold now sits Scully, with,her arms crossed.
Mulder paces the room.
. MULDER
You don't sound s9 sure of it.
(CONTINUED) 14
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/2.6/96 10.
14 CONTINUED:
15 HAROLD
It all seems so crazy. I don't
know why Chrissy remembers it
that way.
MULDER
Are you willing to take a lie
detector test to prove you raped
her?
HAROLD
No. I'm .not.
MULDER
Too bad, because the next rape
you experience will probably be
your own -- in prison.
CUT TO:
thru OMITTED
16
17 LATER THAT DAY
Chrissy now sits where Harold had been. Mulder assumes
Scully's position across the table, while Scully herself stands
against a far wall, her arms still crossed. The girl's FATHER
and MOTHER sit off to the side, concerned.
SCULLY (O.S.)
That should have ended our
interrogation, but Mulder brought
the girl in.for questioning --
As .Mulder talks, the girl nods -- with increasing affirmation
to each question.
MULDER
Are you having trouble sleeping?
Are you experiencing muscle
pains? Vision problems? Nose
bleeds? When you look at
particular objects, do you
receive a sudden flash that
you're actually looking at
something else ... something like ... an alien's face?
CHRISSY
Yes!
Mulder nods, then continues talking to the girl, and then her
parents, as Scully rolls her eyes, while we hearr:
(CONTINUED) 14
15
thru
16
17
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 11.
17 CONTINUED:
SCULLY (0. S.)
My partner became convinced she
was suffering from what he calls
"Post Abduction Syndrome."
CHUNG (0.S.)
You don1t believe in the
disorder?
SCULLY (0. S.)
all .stress of any kind can cause
those physical ailments,
including hallucinations.
case, Mulder convinced the
and her parents to let her
hypnotized. In any
girl
be
18 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
CHUNG CUT TO:
What's your opinion of hypnosis?
SCULLY
I know it has its therapeutic
value, but it's never been proven
to enhance memory. In fact, it
can actually worsen it, since
people in that state are prone to
confabulation.
CHUNG
When I was doing research for my
book The Caligarian Candidate
SCULLY
One of the greatest thrillers
ever written --
CHUNG
Please -- I was interested how
the CIA, when conducting their
MKULTRA (pronounced M-K-ULTRA)
mind control experiments back in
the Fifties, had no idea how
hypnosis works, or even what it
is.
SCULLY
No one still knows.
{CONTINUED) 17
18
(X)
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's.··" #3X20 (Green) 3/4/96 12.
18 CONTINUED:
CHUNG.
Still, as a storyteller, I'm
fascinated how a person's sense
of consciousness can be so
transformed by nothing more
magical than listening e.o words.
Mere words.
CUT TO:
19 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM -DAY -GIRL'S POV
The hypnotist, DR. FINGERS, sits in the f.g. On hi·s left,
standing behind him, is Mulder. Behind Mulder, in the back,
stands Scully with anns crossed. On the hypnotist's right,
Detective Manners stands, holding a mug of coffee. Off to the
far right side sits the girl's parents.
GIRL FINGERS
You are feeling very sleepy ...
very relaxed ...
(pause)
As your body calmly drifts ...
deeper and deeper ... into a state
of peaceful relaxation ... you
will respond only to the sound of
my voice ....
Sitting in a reclining chair, she slowly closes her eyes. Then
slowly opens them.
GIRL'S POV - ROOM
The same image that began the scene, which BLACKS OUT as if the
.girl has just closed her eyes, then RE-APPEARS, as if she's re
opened them. The image BLACKS OUT again, but when an image re
appears, it is of --
CUT TO:
20 INT. GREY ALIEN SPACESHIP - NIGHT - GIRL'S POV
The interior is the same as in "Duane Barry" (2XOS). Six GREY
ALIENS are aboard, in the same positions as the humans in the
interrogation room. In the f.g. sits the LEADER. On his left
stands BELIEVER, and benind him is SKEPTICAL. On the Leader1s
right stands LIQUID (the alien holds a test tube of orange
. liquid), and off to the far right are the two' NON-SPEAKERS. As
the Leader tilts his head -- ·
(CONTINUED) 18
19
(X)
(X}
(X}
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
20 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Green} 3/4/96 12A.
20 CONTINUED:
GIRL FINGERS (0. S.)
Chrissy, can you recall where you
are?
lying naked (straps cover her breasts) on a grid-like table.
(CONTINUED) 20
J (\
• I ,I THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Pink) 2/29/96 13.
20 CONTINUED: 20
21
thru
22 WIDE CHRISSY (O.S.)
I'm in a room ... on a spaceship.
I'm surrounded by aliens.
FINGERS (0. S.}
What do the aliens look like?
CHRISSY (0. S.)
They're small, but their heads
and eyes are big. They're grey.
FINGERS (0. S.)
Are you alone?
CHRISSY (0. S.)
(looking to side)
No. Harold's on another table --
Lying on another table, Harold's eyes are open, but he seems (X)
unconscious. He is naked, but his pelvis and belly button are (X)
covered by vacuum-like hoses, which is connected to a nearby (X)
machine.
CUT TO:
OMITI'ED 21
·thru
22
23 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY 23
The corresponding position in the room contains a small table
on which lies an open box of donuts.
CHRISSY (O.S.} (CONT.)
-- but he seems out of it, like
he's not really there.
FINGERS
What are the aliens doing now?
CHRISSY
·They seem to be ... arguing.
CUT TO:
24 INT. GREY ALIEN SPACESHIP - NIGHT
Only INCOMPREHENSIBLE, SLITHERY WHISPERS are heard as the
aliens seem to address each other. (They "speak" in the
following sequence: Liquid speaks, Skeptical responds.
Believer speaks, Skeptical responds. Liquid speaks, Believer
responds. Skeptical moves forward, speaks to Leader, then
recedes back.) Over this:
(CONTINUED) 24 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 14.
24 CONTINUED:
CHRISSY (0. S.)
I can sort of hear them, but I
can't understand what they're
saying. Except the Leader. I
can understand him.
The leader leans in closer to Chrissy.
FINGERS {O.S.)
When the Leader speaks to you,
does his mouth move?
CHRISSY (O.S.}
No. I just hear him in my head.
FINGERS (O.S.)
What is he saying to you?
CHRISSY (0. S.)
He's telling me this is for the
good of my planet. But ...
The Leader leans in inches from her face.
25
. thru OMITI'ED
26 FINGERS (0. S.)
But what?
CHRISSY (0. S.)
But I don't like what heis doing.
It feels like he's in my mind.
Like ...
CUTiTO:
27 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
CHRISSY
... like he's stealing my
memories.
The girl closes her eyes, and continues to shut them tighter.
Mulder turns and looks at Scully.
TIMECUT TO:
~---~----------------· ---24
25
thru
26
27 l .
I .
I THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Pink) 2/29/96 15.
28 OMITI'ED
29 AFI'ER HYPNOSIS SESSION
The girl is being led out by her parents. Manners shakes
Fingers1s hand. Mulder and Scully are off by themselves, in
hushed disagreement.
MULDER
The description of the aliens,
the physical exam, the mindscan,
the presence of another human who
appears "switched off" -- it's
all characteristic of a typical
abduction.
SCULLY
That's my problem with it Mulder,
it's a little too typical.
Abduction lore has become.so
prevalent in our society that if
you simply asked someone to
imagine what would happen if they
were abducted, they would concoct
an ide~tical scenario.. '
MULDER
If it was just one person,
Scully, but we have two
individuals here, each verifying
the other's story.
Detective Manners approaches.
MANNERS
Well, thanks a lot -- you•ve
really bleeped up this case.
30 INT~ MULDER'S OFFICE -DAY
SCULLY CUT TO:
Of course, he didn't actually say
"bleeped, " he said ...
CHUNG
-- I'm familiar with Detective
Manners•s colorful phraseology.
CUT TO: 28.
29
(X)
(Xl
30
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 {Pink) 2/29/ff .:i .::16.
31 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
MULDER
Are you still going to hold the
boy?
MANNERS
You bet yer blankety-blank bleep
I am.
MULDER
The "victim" seems to have
confirmed his alibi.
MANNERS
Like hell she did -- th~ two
kids's stories couldn't be more
bleepin' different.
As Manners walks off, Mulder and Scully regard each other's
confusion.
FADE OUT.
END ACT ONE
;.. . -. . . ~
-.·. ,-· .--,::· -~----·---·---. 31
(X)
(X) ; .
I
'._ •• ,.,1 THEX-FILBS "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 {Blue) 2/26/96 17.
ACT TWO
From out of the serene darkness of the commercial break erupts --
32 INT. THIRD ALIEN'S SHIP - NIGHT.
-- instantaneous mayhem! A_ thunderously loud ENGINE revving in
hyperspace gear is heard, along with the SCREAMS OF A MAN IN
PAIN. Seen through heat vapors, Harold -- drenched in sweat
lies unconscious, despite the fact that the entire interior is
bucking like a bronco on a rocket booster.
Harold suddenly opens his eyes, and confusingly finds himself
in a medieval cage so cramped·, one could not stand upright on
one's knees. The top (ceiling) is enclosed. Outside the cage
is nothing but a messy menagerie of electronic components which
recurringly shoot out sparks.
Harqld grabs a cage bar with his hand, but yanks it away after
a burning SIZZLE. He now notices that.in the cage with·him is
his_ unconscious beloved Chrissy. Taking her in his arms --
HAROLD
Chrissy? Are you all right?
No response. Sensing another presence, Harold turns, and sees
another cage next to his, containing Grey Alien #2, who stares
pack at Harold.
What
What HAROLD
do you want with us?
(shouting)
do you want· with us?!
. ..
3 3 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY __ CUT TO:
HAROLD \.
(as if shouting)
"What --do you want -w~th.,us?+11-~--'----
The room is occupied by Harold, Mulder, --and· Scully.
MOLDER
And how did -the alien re.spon¢i? -_
HAROLD
Well ... all he did was
CUT To:· 32
\
33 ·. TIIB X•'F~LES •Jose Chung' s, • , " #3~0 i~~~f if 'i,,
34 INT.• THIRD ALIEN' S SHIP - NIGHT
=r:;'¼a~~ie~ b;~~ :.J~ga~~~e J:~ ;~i!!~ s'":u't.,~~~:~%af;\@JJ;. ·
regains consciousness.
CHRISSY
What ... what's happening?
HAROLD
Chrissy, don't worry -- it'll be
okay. I'm here to protect you.
I'd never let anything happen to
you --(X) i
(X)
, (X)
(The following should h~ppen very, very quickly:) < A :.:bitdii\4,"·/) .. '.'/}Jc.·.·.
on the cage ceiling flies open, light blasts ·in, s.:and·,ar':::?,T-\." ~:t::: .. monstrous ROAR roars. · · .· ·. '.,'.?;;;:~tl~t(>.:. · : . i~<>~~i~:/~·-.. ~ ..... ,· ..... -., ::.J;' .,.:;;)-.!:.::.;;,;,/,". ,. ...
BEHEMOTH'S POV - KIDS
The kids are looking up
{CAMBRA) lunges down at
CAGE
· .. Chrissy is yanked up out
SLAMS shut. As the girl
cowers in the corner. ~~~~' t~~~c~~up!s a~•~tj~tl~~ijt.
~!g~!t~~~ i:8i?~~eho:.Z¥:~~t.{iif ia:· .. I .. .. . I . :. , ..... · .. ,:•·. :'· ... ·,.
• •... ·-:·---·~··· .. ··-:.··::'"-:- • ..:: __ •·• . ·-· ~·-.. · "\.·•· "! •. ··.
35 -, , -ra~~~~is-; \:: 5
. thru OMITI'ED
37
3~ INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY : .... ~ ... -:. ,,,_:..: _., ... -·-.......... :.' .. . \
... Harold cowers in remembrance.
MULDER--
What was the other alien -- the
, grey -- what was it doing during ·
this?
HAROLD
He was just ... talking.
'•>'•
MULDER
Telepathically?
HAROLD
No. In English. He just kept
saying the same thing over and
over again.
CUT·TO: ... ~--.-~;::_· ... \ _:;\~::; .. ;~~;-,/~: . 39 INT. THIRD ALIEN'S SHIP - NIGHT
40 The now cigarette-less Grey Alien cups his forehead in his
hands, and rocks back and forth.
GREY ALIEN #2
This is not happening. This is
not happening. This is not
happening. This is not happening. This is not
HAROLD
Would you shut up alread --
The ceiling hatch flies open again. Light and a ROAR.
BEHEMOTH'S POV - HAROLD
lunging dowri through the hatch at the lad.
CAGE
Harold is yanked up through the hatch,_which SLAMS shut. The
Grey Alien is motionless as Harold SCREAMS, -o·.·s. A beat, then
GREY ALIEN #2 .
This is not happening ...
CUT TO:
thru OMITI'ED
41
42 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM·-DAY
HAROLD ____ _ ____ ---·
I don't know where·I was taken,
'cause the whole time I was .1ike ··
this --
{ covers up like boxer)
-- in ·pain ..
MULDER
This other alien was conducting
torturous experiments on you?
.. HAROLD .....
No, it was more like ... you-know
when you were a kid, and you tore
the legs off a bug for no reason?
(shrugs)
I guess I was the bug. Anyways_,·.•
next thing I remember, I was ·
suddenly outside, like I was
flying through the air, or
.something.
(CONTINUED) 39
{X)
(X)
40
thru
41
42
(X)
(X)
J i
I· THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 20.
42 CONTINUED:
MULDER
Then what?
HAROLD
Then I think I hit the ground.
When I came to, I immediately ~an
to Chrissy's to see if she was
there and if she was okay. 42
Mulder mulls.over another question. Before he can think of one -
and to his surprise -- .Scully leans forward.
SCULLY
Harold ... did you and Chrissy
engage in consensual sexual
intercourse that night?
A long pause.
HAROLD
(under breath)
If her father finds out~- I'm a
dead man.
FIVE MINUTES LATER \
Harold is gone. It's just Mulder and Scully sitting-across the
table from each other.
MULDER
He claims it occurred before the
abduction. And·so what if they
had SfX? .
SCULLY ··· ---so·we, know it wasn't aliens-that
. probed.·· that girl. MuJ,.der, you've
got two kids having sex.before
they're mature enough to handle
-it --1 ·
' '
MULDER
You're suggesting this is all
just a case of "sexual trauma"?
SCULLY
It's more plausible than alien
abduction, especially in light of
their contradictory stories.
Detective Manners sticks his head in the door.
(CONTINUED) (X)
(X} . . .
THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ••• n #3X20 {Greeri).
42 CONTINUED: (2)
43 OMITrED MANNERS
Hey, we·just got a call from some
crazy bleep-head claiming he's an
eyewitness to this alien
abduction. You feel like talking
to this blank-hole? -
CUT TO:
44 INT. ROKY'S GARAGE - NIGHT
A two-car garage void of car. Workbench, table -saw, .·
miscellaneous tools, as well as a probably self ;,.made desk;.
covered with various writing utensils. Roky stands beside the desk, talking to the Agents. · · ·
ROKY
I know how crazy this is all
going to sound, but I don't care
what I have to say has to be
said.
SCULLY
Why'd you wait 'til now to say
it? Two kids' lives may be
affected by your information.
ROKY
This is bigger than any two kids.
This has to do with the entire
planet, the universe;· and· who
knows what all.
MULDER What did you see that night?
Roky puts his hand on a manuscript (120 pages long).
ROKY
This. It's all here.
Immediately after seeing what I
saw that night, I rushed home and
wrote it all down -- 48 hours
straight. I didn't want to
forget one detail.
Roky is about to hand the manuscript to Mulder, but stops.
(CONTINUED) 42
43
44
(X)
(X) :-•i,(},-:(,_ ._-.-_ -•· :·· ·•·· ·> \:',:?ifffl'1t·O: --_.
THE X-FILBS "Jose Chung• s ... 11 #3X2()( (Green) 1?3lti/,96 22.
44 CONTINUED: 44
ROKY
I feel I should warn you -- I
don't want to be overly dramatic
but by looking at this, you're
putting your lives in d~ger.
MULDER
Why is that?
ROKY
Because last night . . . the
weirdest thing happened --
CUT TO:
45 THE PREVIOUS NIGHT 45
46 Roky sits at the work bench, drafting construction plans of the
grey alien spaceship. The mechanical garage door·suddenly
opens, startling Roky.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROKY'S DRIVEWAY - NIGHT - FROM WITHIN .GARAGE
"The garage door raises, revealing the _quiet street outside.
Suddenly, a black, early-model Cadillac (preferably from the
50s) with tinted windows and no license. plate skids into view, races up the driveway, and brakes to a· :halt inside -the garage .
(While the tires SKID, and the brakes S~ECH,·notrace of an
engine is heard.} The garage doo:c-_ imnte~+~te~yr~-closes:
---~CUT -ro:;: -
-. ... ·---···--·-· -----.-······~-,-·-,~···· .. --··---·· ·-·· ···--·· -... -46
(X)
47 INT. ROKY'S GARAGE -·NIGHT 47
... _·· .. · . _ .. _: ·:: :: :
The driver's window rolls down, .. bu.t· the •$~r• s in1:E!_rior is so
dark, one can barely make out. theC'.:TWO -MEljl~Il-l:.::B._U..CK-:.---: .. 0On the (X)
. passenger side, the man wears a poncho-t.ype raincoat, .a wide- (X)
brimmed cowboy hat (which always .obs.cures. :his .. face) .. ,..._and. black (X)
leather gloves. The driver, wearing an.out"'.of-fasllion three-
piece suit and Fedora hat,· turns· toward ~oky, ·and ·$peaking in
a monotone that manages to be ·grandiosely' threa.teni:11g --"." .
MAN IN BLACK
No other object has been
misidentified as a flying saucer
more often than the planet.Venus.
ROKY
Really?
CUT TO:
I .I J . ··:,:<Jf}}t:;ft/:::••··.···
THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 2:3. ·
48 PRESENT TIME
ROKY
That's when I realized something
was weird.
SCULLY
At which point?
ROKY
Normally, if two strangers drive .
into my garage, I tell them to
get the hell off my property, but
this time ... I didn't. It was
like I was in a trance, or
something.
MULDER
What did these men look like?
ROKY
Usually I'm really good with
faces, but all I can remember is
the way they were dressed.
MULDER
All in black?
ROKY
How'd you know?
MULDER
Since the Fifties, people who
have a close encounter often
report of subsequent visitations
by these "unearthly" Men in
Black .
. As Scully rolls her eyes --
CUT TO:
49 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
CHUNG
But you know, myths about men in
black garments have been recorded
throughout history, in many
different cultures. The Celtic
legends are filled with trickster
men in black, and how anyone who
encounters them becomes
11enchanted.11
(CONTINUED) 48
49 \, ... : __ ) 49 CONTINUED:
SCULLY
Unfortunately, I'm not sure the
modern re-construction of ancient
fairy tales lends any more
credence to Roky's testimony.
CUT TO:
50 INT. ROKY'S GARAGE - NIGHT
The M.I.B. get out of the car. ·The-driver moves·tp:the desk,·
inspecting Roky's manuscript pages.
M.I.B.
Even the fonner leader of your
United States of America, James
Earl Carter, Jr. , thought he saw
a UFO once, but it's been proven
he only saw the planet Venus.
Roky puts down his hand, covering the manuscript.•·
ROKY
I'm a Republican.
The M.I.B. grabs a handful of metal brads and pops one into
his mouth as if it were a peanut.
M.I.B.
Venus was at its peak brilliance
last night. You probably thought
you saw something in the sky
other than Venus, but I'm
assuring you -- it was:Y.:enµa;.
·, . .-·.: ... :·: · ..
ROKY
I know what I saw.
M.I.B.
( sudden annoyance)
Your scientists have yet to
discover how neural networks
create self-consciousness, let
alone how the human brain
processes two-dimensional·retinal
images into the three-dimensional
phenomenon known as perception,
yet you somehow feel brazen
enough to declare: "seeing is
believing"?!
The other Man In Black places a hand gently on Roky's shoulder.
Roky turns, and a look of confused recognition crosses his
face. The M.I.B. then heads back into their car.
(CONTINUED} 49
so ·· :THE X-FILBS ~Jose Chung's ... " #3X20. (~~~en) 3/4/96 25.
50 CONTINUED:
M.I.B.
Your scientific illiteracy makes
me shudder, and I wouldn't flaunt
your ignorance by telling people
you saw anything last night
besides the planet Venu~.
Because if you do -- you're a
dead man.
The garage door automatically re-opens.
. ROKY.
You. . . you can' t threaten me.
M.I.B.
I just did.
Without taking the precaution to look backwards, the M.I.B.
floors the car out of the garage. It zooms down the,driveway,
turns into the street, and disappears out of view -- still
driving in reverse.
CUT TO:
51 PRESENT TIME
\~) Roky hands Mulder the manuscript, as if giving his only child.
ROKY
This is what they wanted.me not
to show anyone. Now, if you'll
excuse me, I have to pack .. ! . . .
~f. we ·--havi~~~est±o,~:}:tw-~e:re : ·• can we find you? · · ··· · · ·. · ·
ROKY
You won't find mE1.
- . I ._-
Roky exits through the hous1e
manuscript --door. As Mulder looks down at the
.... CUT TO:
52 INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT - MANUSCRIPT TITLE PAGE
handwritten, it reads: "The Truth About Aliens by Roky
Crikenson.11 WIDEN TO REVEAL Mulder.reading from the open
manuscript, while sitting at a table. Scul~y lies on the bed
listening.
(C~INUED) 50
(X)
\
51
52 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue)
52 CONTINUED:
MULDER
•" I sat in my stalled truck,
frozen in terror, watching as
this third(!) alien attacked the
other two grey aliens. And
then ... it happened. The thing
that forever changed my life;" :·;,_·· ··2/26/96.
CUT TO:
53 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT
Sitting in his stalled truck, Roky watches in frozen terror.
ROKY'S POV - ALIENS
As colored lights beam down from the o.s. UFOs, Harold and
Chrissy lie unconscious in front of Harold's car. Stancling ..
beside the humans are the two Grey Aliens, cowering in fear;.as
the Behemoth from the Planet Harryhausen swats at them with'his
paws . Suddenly, . the Behemoth stops, and turns ~ - looking ·
straight at Roky (camera)!
ROKY
ducks down below his dashboard. BOOMING FOOTSTEPS are heard
approaching, as the truck becomes.imbued in a dark red light.
A voice, bass-drenched with significance like James Earl ·
Jones's, bellows
BEHEMONTH ( 0 • S . )
Roky! Rok-ky!
TRUCK -OVER BEHEMOTH' S SHOULDER
Roky cautiously peeks his head up into view.
BEHEMOTH BEHEMOTH
Be thou not afraid. No harm will
come unto thee.
ROKY
What do you want with me? •
BEHEMOTH
Your efforts are needed for the
survival of all Earthlings.
ROKY
But ... how can I do that?
(CONTINUED) 52
53 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... "
53 CONTINUED:
BEHEMOTH
Come! I shall showeth thee.
CUT TO:
54 INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
55 Mulder pauses in reading. Sheepishly, he glances at Scully,
who doesn•t have to look too skeptical here the audience
will do it for her. Mulder turns the _p~~-e.
MULDER
"Before I knew it, I was aboard.
the ... hover vessel .. ~ and•':jae;
heading not into outer :$pa~~.i:]:>\lt
into Inner Space, toward t'.be: · ·.·. ;.
Barth's molten core, for that is
the domain of the third aliE!n, ·
whose name, he soon told me, · ·
was . . . Lord Kinbote . " · · <
INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
SCULLY
In short, Roky showed
being what's known as
prone personality. 11 ·CU'r TO:
signs; __ of
a ~fantasy;.
. : ... -~.. . . .
CHUNG . . .... ::::'·~· : · :'"/ .
Oh, Agent Scully, you' re ,mu.eh· to,o·. · · ., . . •.
kind-hearted .;. -. he I s a. ·riut'J;.:),~t+ve'i:.: _::, '.>:;,, ~,; .•. •·
read his manifesto. '··· ·~i:' ·2\;'.S:;~?".::~:::·~ · 1 ...... .
From his brief case, Chung wi thdraw:s. :Rb]q,:, s :manuscript~
. . .---···. . .. ., ·- •,
SCULLLY ...
How did you get a copy?
CHUNG
One was sent to my publisher. · .I
don't know what was most ·
disturbing -'-- his descr~p~ioµ<·of:
the Inner Core-reincarnated.souls~
sex orgy, or just the fact that
the whole thing was written· •in
screenplay format.
SCULLY
It definitely was peculiar.
(CONTINUED) I
! 53
54
55 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 {Blue} 2/26/96. 28.
55 CONTINUED:
CHUNG
Surely your partner didn't
believe any of it?
SCULLY
Well, he's had his share of
peculiar notions, so he's not
inclined to dismiss anything
outright.
CUT TO: ·
56 INT. MOTEL ROOM -NIGHT
MULDER
I'm not saying he isn't
delusional, I'm suggesting his
delusional state was triggered by
what he actually witnessed that
night.
SCULLY
Mulder; you're nuts!
MULDER
And the first part of his story
verifies the boy's version. In
fact, the only account -that
doesn't add up is the girl's.
Mulder grabs the phone, and ~tarts dialing.
SCULLY
Who are you calling?
MOLDER
I'm arranging to have the girl re
hypnotized.
I
.. SCULLY -
Re~hypnotized? What for?
MULDER
To see if what she remembers is
really what she remembers.
CUT TO:
57 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT \
Chrissy is back in the chair, and Mulder, Scully, Dr. Fingers,
Detective Manners, and the Mother and Father assume their
identical positions from Act JI.
(CONTINUED) 55
56
(X)
(X)
57 57 CONTINUED:
FINGERS
You are feeling very sleepy ...
very relaxed ...
(pause)
As your body calmly drifts ...
deeper and deeper ... info a state
of peaceful relaxation ... you
will respond only to the sound of
my voice ....
SCULLY (0. S.}
So the girl was put under again
to see if she could confirm any
of the boy's story. And, as I·
suspected she might under such
conditions, she did
DISSOLVE TO:
58 LATER IN HYPNOSIS SESSION
Chrissy coyers up like a boxer.
CHRISSY
the whole time it's ... and
beating
I'm ... me, I'm like this. Then,
flying through the air.
FINGERS
Now what's happening?
CHRISSY.
Some men are lifting me up off
the ground. Men in. . . Air Force._ ...... . uniforms.
MULDER
Alr Force?
FINGERS
Where are you now, Chrissy?
CHRISSY
I'm in a room. In an ... office.
I'm surrounded by men.
DISSOLVE TO:
59 INT. MILITARY ROOM - NIGHT
In a barren, somber room, Chrissy lies on a reclining medical
chair. Six men surround her, in the same position as the
humans in the interrogation room.
(CONTINUED) 57
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
. 59 59 CONTINUED:
Closest to Chrissy sits DR. HAND, who motions like he's talking
to the girl, but he can not be heard. On his left stands a
uniformed AIR FORCE, and behind him is an arms-crossed CIA. On Dr. Hand's right stands a uniformed ARMY, holding a Starbucks
paper cup, and off to the far right are 'IWO suit-wearing LACKEYS. ..
(CONTINUED)
I .J
.. \
.. -·-· ·-·· . .. -----... --~ ; .. :. -~·.:. .•.
I '
' 59 THE·X-FILES . · ., ·• ... · ,){/i;St{f.
"Jose Chung• s ... " #3X20 (Gre~rif ·· .. 3/4i/9G .·.
59 CONTINUED: (2)
~ISSY (O.S.)
Some are in uniform, some in
suits. The one closest to me
looks like a doctor. He's
talking to me.
FINGERS (0. S.)
What is he saying?
HAND
You are feeling very sleepy.
Very relaxed ....
CHRISSY (0. S.)
I ... I can't remember.
FINGERS (0. S.)
What are the other men doing?
CHRISSY (O.S.)
They seem to be arguing.
ARMY
Ask her if this third ali~n had
a Russian accent.
CIA
This is way beyond their
capabilities. This is way beyond
our capabilities.
AIR FORCE
Ask if she knows where the Grey
Aliens•s saucer went to.
,CIA
How is she going to know t.hat?
ARMY
Have we ·located any of the
others?
AIR FORCE
We're combing the area, but·this
weather makes it tough.
CIA moves up to Dr. Hand.
CIA
All right rinse her out, then
give her the usual abduction
rigamarole.
CUT TO: 59
(X) r---A..
' 60 INT.
FINGERS . _ /);t
What's the doctor do£n
He's
good
like
he's CHRISSY
telling me this i;f)t.: _cf·'.,, -
~~a~ ~~~~n~~:ig ~~it!/.s;,urt~ :. stealing my memories.,··•·,.·
cTIMBCOT._
. . .:· . . . ':.·. ,.· . : ·.
61 AFTER HYPNOSIS SESSION
·.·:';:.-?•';,
Mulder and Scully are left -alon~::/~:J
SCULLY
version
MULDER
not have anything to do withl:' ··· -- ·· · •c•- · .·· ·-•--····· · ·
aliens. . . ·:z;;{i;:•'."!::~·-tf;: .
The door opens and Detective ~i,¥~, ,i,:,'>~j\ffi'(~"
MANNERS . •.··.-, •,·s,o·
Hey, I just got .a C?-1·;1.I:
crazy blankety'."'):>lank0j~•· · .. ct~.~~ai~t:'1•··
As Mulder··and'·Scully 'reg~;ea:ch think anymore -- · · -· · · ·,--. ·· ... : ... .-.
2/26/96 3~.
ACT THREE
62 INT. BACHELOR APARTMENT -DAY -BLAINE FAULKNER
in his late 20s, an overweight, goatee-stubbled Sci-Fi buff
(the poor slob wears a SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND t-shirt).
BLAINE
I know how crazy this is going to
sound, but I want to be abducted
by aliens.
WIDE TO REVEAL ROOM
Cluttered with used Sci-Fi books, comicbooks, Star Trek
memorabilia, Mulder's UFO poster hangs on the wall, with one
alteration --it reads: "I BELIEVE." A TV and VCR sit.on milk
crates. Blaine sits on an unmade mattress on the floor, while
Jose Chung sits in a second-hand chair, taking notes.
CHUNG
Why, ·· whatever for?
BLAINE
I hate this town. I hate people.
I just want to be taken away to
some place where I . . . I • doll' t
have to worry about finding a
job.
CHUNG
So you were out in that field
that night --
BLAINE
·Looking ·_for UFOs. . ...
•, ,,..: .· .. , ..... .
63 EXT. F.IELD -NIGHT
Blaine walks through an :empty field, with a flashlight pointed
towards the heavens, blinking ... it-on ... and-off.
BLAINE ( 0 • S • ) ..
There had been some:recent sightings in that area:•··so· 1· was
just hoping to stumble across
one. 62
.. 63
Looking upwards, Blaine stumbles over something, falling _to the
ground. Rolling over to see what tripped him, he reacts with (X)
astonished terror. As he struggles to c'rawl backwards away (X)
from the object--
I
I (CONTINUED)
\
\ 63 CONTINUED:
BLAINB (0, S.J'D,]{t;~
Now, I 've read every book : eve1:·::t,
written about UFOs and aliens..:
not because I had to, but becaui·
I wanted to -- and I should i,,r.if /\,,
known to just go get my video · ·
camera then, instead of
"notifying the proper
authorities."
64 OMI'ITED
65 AGENTS &: MANNERS
Parking their cars next to a police
CHUNG ( 0 • S • ) . · .. · .. · /'';.);J/f}
What was wrong with doing' t~1t .. ,,,
.. . ·, .. ·.::-.t~:
BLAINE ( 0 . S . Y . , ·
Because the proper authorities :-~;;
showed up with a couple Men· ·Ir{·:· <.c· Black! ··-·--.,-,,,,,~,~,~~~i*,~'~
Scully and Mulder, dressed in black, ge
rental car, and march into the field,.:,~
by Detective Manners.
BLAINE ( 0 . S . ) . . ... . ..
One of ·them -was disgµiJ;l~a,::i_ .. _·
_.woman,. but· wasn't pull/-·. ·-·
_ •. _··•.,,~!~~-~ .,~~£t~!1;tri68.~~~~'-,,,~ ,,,,1.,, "•·'T' ..
· ·· < And 'the_ other one ;.. -t -e·, aif. .
· l:anky one ;.. ;;.'· ·his' ;ace '.'.'!'ij·~•~'.J[;'~t'f:~::-'.\+,,
blank and expressionless, .he·. >: :\\-•, i'?
didn't ·even seem human;''"'·'r-·think.·'-'" -:'•··>
he was a mandroid. · The -only.· time '-.
he reacted was when he saw the·':. C ·;_ ,_ --~·".
g:~~h~~~y ~r w:~~:t~f~g ~robably:-:~:z~jf~\}c;\~;;};i{f;:i;/,'•-:.•:·•·
· The -:threesome has reached TWO POLICE .OFFI
Blaine. Everyone looks down to see a dead Grey· Al.fen,
open wound on its belly. Mulder eeks out a little
MANNERS
Yup -- that's a bleepin' dead
alien body if ever I bleepin' saw
one.
( CONTINUED) (X)
(X) ·· -~_-:·i'.r
.,"'.•.·<-::1.
THE X-FILBS "Jose Chung I s ..•• r;,;~,~,O
65 CONTINUED:
Scully whispers to Manners, who orders the Officers to remove
the body. The Agents turn back toward the car, but as they
pass Blaine, Scully stops, grabbing him by the collar and
pulling him close.
SCULLY
You never saw this. This didn1t
happen. You tell anyone
you1re a dead man.
66 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
SCULLY
He said I said what? ! _ ·
CHUNG . _-__ CU'!' _'l'O :_
When I interviewed him, .he- _ _
claimed you threatened him. __ -__ ---
SCULLY
Well, that's just. . . :that 1_s. ____ _
ridiculous. And ... besides ... ~~ we
-allowed him to view the autopsy.
CUT TO:
67 INT. AUTOPSY ROOM -NIGHT
Scully, in medical garb, Mulder, arid M~ei~:- st'4d gy~:r _ t:.iie -· - _
alien .body lying on the table. Just:.,as,.iS~;L1y.;~/i:lbc:nil;:ii~~t:1,Dak~ _.
;~~e~~~!;e;~~is~~~i11~1;!~: ~rir~~:~~~~-l-~~jb~~:·:hi~~:~; :: --- -
shooting, but · Manners immediately·· :startsito·~~ounce :,him·s:.out ~ --_-
.·-. ~-;: ··,.,/:·::<· .. :. -
You can't =~~:ss the truthL : -·•-__ The people have a right: to ,Jai·owl -----·
Ros-well! Ros-well·! :. · · ·
MULDER
Wait! . -·-·-·--··· .
-1 --' --. . . . . -
. : . .. . '" .. ··.
Manners and Blaine freeze in mid-st:rugg'le. Mulder points at
the camera.
MULDER
Does that thing work?
Still frozen in mid-struggle, Blaine nods.
--CUT TO: 65
66
67 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Yellow) 3/5/96 35.
68 SERIES OF VIDEO IMAGES 68
tight, sometimes out of focus, poorly photographed images of
the alien's body being poked and probed by Scully, who's hidden
behind her mask .. Mulder occasionally appears in the b.g., but (X)
only from the neck down. (Note: During this sequence, (X)
whenever the alien's genital area is in view, it is video- (X)
digitized even though the alien -- in actuality -- has no (X)
genitalia to censor.) In the midst of these images appears (X)
THE STUPENDOUS YAPPI (FROM 3X04)
YAPPI
Is this actual footage of an
alien autopsy, or simply a well
made hoax? In the next sixty
minutes, we will talk to experts
from various fields to try to
determine --
Yappi's dialogue mutes off as his i~ge speeds up, as we WIDEN
TO REVEAL --
69 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
Scully and Chung watching the fast-forwarding video on the
television monitor. Chung controls the remote, while Scully
holds a video box.
CHUNG
So this is footage of the actual
autopsy you performed?
Nodding, Scully looks at the box, entitled "Dead Alien -- Truth
·or Humbug?,, and displaying a picture of the dead alien, as
well-as a corner photo of Yappi bannered with: "Hosted by The
·Stupendous;Yappi.11
SCULLY.
It1s·so embarrassing.
i Chung stops fast-forwarding once the video returns to the
autopsy footage.
YAPPI (0. S.)
Who is that mysterious man, who
seems to be overseeing the
proceedings? And what secret
government agency does this autopsy doctor work for?
SCULLY
But see -- whoever got a hold of
this footage edited it so as to
delete all the significant
findings.
\ 69 70
71 THB X-FILES "Jose Chung's ••. /
NIGHT :-i:\::li!/}:t :'.{r:c•\·•r,
Scully inspects the skin around;}i:tf(' [~~:j/ INT. AUTOPSY ROOM
SCULLY .· .·.··. , . There appears to be t,tQ\:i ··
epidermis. The top. l<;)iO,M,~
grafted, or. . . there's i!l;\ .. t:al: ..
strip· just under the t<>P},lj.yer . •· ··. that runs down the length :,t,·f('::;;;:;;;; ·
Scully suddenly stops, then looks ·ii~l~f\,;!4tilder •:.< •
SCULLY .. .:t;~:;~1:t(~}/ :?iA~/j::_:;,\}iPtff_.'.:_ .. ~------·:.~~:-_· ....
:1~~; :~t :;~; ;~;;::;~ ~ ~~~,\~i, ,_, ';*l;ri~ir:,·: ... ,,. ____ __ ______ , __ JJi-,
melted together, but just enough~ ..
Mulder and Scully share a similar.-.i:& ·,;,;11•-;, • . -' . •_';, ·:_.', .;.:•:•.:-.,~::.',;~;::_•f'i..:'._.'. •~I.
ALIEN HEAD
Scully finishes sawing the tOJ? (!f:-.\~ __ · · ···.:,~.! i::-·a:ns_t~•a:·:·ot:. ... -:~ ·:_'.:;:~~((:~·
pulling out the subject Is brain•,·'•·:,S~ , .. , .. -:~P,· .:pu,l·l,:ii)g·;,_C)f:f:'-fhe:_~.1t·;i:: 1~;:.
alien I s intact face -- REVEALING' 'a·';:human•~f.acefunderneath ~"'. '.',/ •/:· . ., '.·:-'•"' ..
Scully displays for Mulder the inside: of .the al1en face -·-... _. . .
clearly some type of helmet. ;'.;,.:;:r1~~.¢8¼0.i,;F'.~ :.~~t'~-~c•.~'
~~B;~ii~~Li~)~ ;~~~y;r:~~~f.~~r.;:~;,•:' . ·. . >~ ~aic~d:,:sllµ~-~~l:,::'.:·,r::\i;:::f~,0.:r~·;.-~:fr~--
next to the table contains th' ; · · 'i\' ·
jump suit; gloves, boots, hes...,::.
camera. · ·
BLAINE .
You mean it's just a .Ct' ... b .. ? -; . ··/•· ,.{. -.-,i ;~_. __ . v~.: .. ~_~::._~-~~ 1-:<
!fE~ v~~i;;:::!~~::!:~-fl!l!iiti,t~~f!!~-
Well, then--who is this bleep?· :'.:E:X~;,t·:~·~::~'~;:~~)
MULDER
I don't know, but I bet we find
his I.D. from the military data
bank
_ CUT TO: 73 ·:ctrtf •/ttbi~I~AL -CciRRIDO~;-~--:'.~IG~#
A. d•ta _$beet print out,•:feati{
his .fiii:gerprints, is-being re·
corridor. Looking up, she seei!f~
direction. The two m~et in fro · doors.
·MULDER ·Have you seenour
·\·D.if(,~~f·
.. : , :·. ·:· .':;-_;·-i-··~.-·:~·~ -'MU"LDEit<:. } ---mat ---:was ;fcist} ::-· ---: : ~CUi1yi,ti~;;\~~ji~iltiil: -it --she:trea1'.:u:es<be,,wasn-rt·-~re ··. ~;~&~llf;t
, -·-~Agan;:: i~]~-:f ~;~ 1~
__ _ , _ _-_pne ];,f';:pur:--J~f:ftt;~Pi:t • : _: ;::h_~rei~~~f1:~'-Z~9~~:~-:~s,
_ Investigati-on/into: .:w _
. . . . .· . , ,.. . .. ···----:. .:{\~\t :: ..
rJt~~~l~he _-ftom ):iie .,opposite
·• .:,:Y.,:,,;r:~1w,-;:clo11ed
:::, __ ex> --:ex> 72
73 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20
73 CONTINUED:
SCULLY
I don't see why n
MULDER
-- No. But we will let you talk
to the other AWOL pilot we
brought in with him.
Scully shoots Mulder a look of slight confusion, while Hynek
shoots one of slight surprise.
HYNEK
Lieutenant Jack Sheaffer is also
in your custody?
MULDER·
(points down hall)
Yeah, he's right over -- hey,
where'd he go? He was there a
second ago. Hmmph. . . guess he' s
still AWOL.
Hynek knows Mulder just bamboozled him, but he 1-s not sure ·how.
As recompense
MULDER
You can take a look at.Vallee.
As the Air Force contingency marches through the autopsy doors,
followed by the Agents --
CUT TO:··
· 7 4 . INT. AUTOPSY .. ROOM -NIGHT
, . . .
·The table.i~-bare. The body is
missing. Mystified, the Agents
turns to Hynek. ·· -· · · · • : ,;::t;t /L::: : :_ .. ·-·
gone. The •. alferi.':appa.rel._is
approach. the .. tabl~ ~ :"..;'.Mulder .· ..
·HYNEK
Hmmph ... guess he's still, AWOL.
The Air Force contingency retreats out of the room. Mulder
turns to Scully, who shrugs despondently.
SCULLY
So what else is new?
MULDER
I've got ·to find that guy with
the video.
As Mulder races out of the room --
1
I CUT TO: 73 THE X-FILES n Jose Chung' s •.. ~ f j,_ · ::•:.·
31/4/
75 INT. BACHELOR APARTMENT -NIGHT
Blaine watches the video playback of :the autopsy on his
television. A KNOCK on the door. Blaine crosses to it, and
while leaning toward the peephole
BLAINE
Who is -- ?
The door is KICKED open, SLAMMING into Blaine's face, knocking
him back to the floor. The Men In Black enter. As the Fedora
M.I.B. heads for the VCR, Blaine gets up.
BLAINE
Hey, you can't --
The other M. I .B. places his hand.:'on::;il~ine Is shouicie:f:_ -
Turning to face him, · a moment of~::~r-ecpgnition/confusion. slfeEaps -
through Blaine. He is only pulled '.Ollt·:·:o:f .his trance by' the ----sound of a television SMASHING. --•,· .. ,.,-., ;i.:\ :, ·-- --: __ _. ::. ,
~f ii!fa:;;~r~~~:E~:gr:i;:t ii~~~=~~~~}~~[~f;, f"'.·~fg
: .. ::.\~-~-·. :: .. _· ..
BLAINE ··-·. : .. ;~ ..
You have no right to si.lppr~'.s:the
truth --75
The Fedora M. I.B. picks Blaine up, holding him upside._do:wn: ... :. .. (X)
around the waist. ·ex)
,• ----- .....
BLAINE . -· ----_;__ "--~-.:.(X)
Ros-well ! Ros -well! Ros- - . ·
The M. I. B falls down ·backwards, t~~s,:~~!~~j~g B1aine •~~-~~,ea,d ,l-_:· ·_ -~-··xi.
into the floor (a wrestling maneu·'--·,1, ... ,wn-;as·.a;·~:E- ~, ·----•--,.• ·.:·.,;.;. ·----·
As Blaine crumples to· ·the fl·oor·~i-;l;f -;,f,st~7''--:ge-e-s*-i1 ~::::d _ b:;: comrade, exits. >1t~~~~:~~ · ··· ·
·. :. / :.~-,)~~!i(/.>..\:~< .·,· .. _: :·· lying on the floor unconscious . __
CHUNG (O.S.)
He 11piledrived11 you?!
Yeah. I w!~!:o~~~~~~;'.~i&~(;{·r.--
don ' t know how long, and t:Pe orily -
reason 11 came to was --. -· ~-····--·. ··-·--·--· ·--· ----------···. -. --·.
A hand suddenly SLAPS Blaine' s face. ' Snapping awake; .he ·finds
the mandroid Mulder grabbing him by the shirt collar.
MULDER
Where1s the tape?
(CONTINUED) THE X-FILBS · nJose Chung• s ••• " #3X20. (Green) 3/4/96 39A.
75 CONTINUED:
BLAINE
They took it.
Mulder SLAPS Blaine again.
I
I
·-· . -
.. ···.•·-------·. --··-·•-.- •. . . ,----:--::·· -... (CONTINUED)
I
\ 75 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X2'0 . (Blu,l)
75 CONTINUED:
MULDER
Who?!
BLAINE
The other Men In Black.
Mulder ponders this for a moment.
76
thru OMITTED
77 MULDER
If I find out you lied to me
you're a dead man!
CUT TO:
78 INT. BACHELOR APARTMENT
BLAINE
79. OMI'ITED And then he left. I never saw
any of th~m again.
CHONG
Are you nervous about telling ine
all this, after receiving all
those death threats?
BLAINE
Well, hey -- I didn't spend all·
those years playing "Dungeons.and
Dragons" and not learn a li.ttle
something about courage.
80 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT 75
76 --thru
-- 77
(Xl •·• 78
·- · 79
80
Punching the dash in frustration, Mulder drives along in the (X)
rain.
SCULLY {O.S.) (X)
After not recovering the tape,
Mulder was heading back, to the
motel, and that 1 s when. . . well,
that's when his account of things
gets a little ... odd.
(CONTINUED) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung•s ... n
8 0 CONTINUED:
TOWARDS MULDER'S ONCOMING CAR
Suddenly walking diagonally across the beam of Mulder's
headlights appears a naked man (seen from behind).
MULDER
turns his steering wheel, trying to avoid the potential road
kill. As his car drives by, Mulder ge_ts a brief glimpse of the
man (his upper body). Walking in a zombified state, his body
is bruised, bloodied, sporting several burn marks, and sopping
wet from the rain. Mulder brakes;·· skidding:·the ~ar around. ·· He
drives up alongside the naked man. ·.·
MULDER·
Lieutenant Sheaffer?
The naked man stops walking. He ct\lrnf:,A;o--look at Mulder.
.. . ·'.".':. : :~''...:"': :··. -~-~-..
·• SHEAFFER
This is not :happen.ing. , ·
. -~-.:. .•..... ·:.: .:. ..... ·-. .. -
As LIEUTENANT JACK SHEAFFER lowers. hj;~:weary head, he continues his even more wearied mantra -".' --_:::':~2~-7~-:' :. -----· ··
:,. ___ ... ·--. ~·::_:, ,.-:.-.-· .. ··-·. ----·-·· ... : ___ ,._. ___ ._; _____ > 80 :THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... n #3X20 ,(Green) 3/4/96 42.
ACT FOUR
81 INT. ROADSIDE DINER -NIGHT·
Besides the COOK, the place is empty except for Mulder and
Sheaffer (now dressed in FBI sweats), who sit at the end of the
counter. Absently carving a Devir•s Tower out of his mashed
potatoes, Sheaffer speaks in a bitter, broken voice (with a
hint of Chuck Yeager twang).
SHEAFFER
The Germans used to project the
image of the Virgin Mary over the
French trenches in World War I.
The enemy is always willing to
fire upon an invading force, but
on a holy miracle ... ?
MULDER
Or on visitors from outer space?
SHEAFFER
-•-The enemy sees an American recon
plane, they .. start shooting; . they ,
see a flying saucer from another
galaxy... ~hey hesitate. You
know what happens to most people
after seeing a UFO? · ·
MULDER
·They experience "missing time."
-·-·-·
Sheaffer lights up a ci~arette.
SHEAFFER < _ : .. ··. ; i -~Ye ·p.µml:>er _of· "soft option Jcil1s"
. ":·,---,~-:---·:• ·.i-=~·;:·r:!~:~c:if:J_#~~:::naa:~a~:t11;1i· ... '.~--'_
---. with high-power tnicrowaves we :can ---
·not· -only ~ut· enemy ..
communications, we can cook
.internal -organs. -
- MULDER
But abductions --
... SHEAFFER·
Don't know·asmuch about'em.
I •m just the pilot. You ever
flown a flying saucer?
Afterwards, sex seems trite.
MULDER
But what do you do with the
abductees?
(CONTINUED} 81
(X) , ..............
, \ THE X-FILES
81 CONTINUED:
SHEAFFER
Take 'em back to the base, let
the doctors work on 'em. Nothing
physical, they just mess with
their minds.
MULDER
Hypnosis.
SHEAFFER
~t the base! r1ve seen ~eople go
into an ordinary room with-an. ---
ordinary bunch of doctors, and -
come out absolutely positive :
they Ive been probed by aliens-~
MULDER ----. -_
But if abductions are ~erely a -
covert intelligence operation,
and UFOs just secret militaey:- __
airships piloted by 11aliens"':.>such-'
as yourself . . . then what ---• --· • -
abducted you?_ _ _
SHEAFFER _ _ __ _ _
Don't you get it? I'm absolutely
positive me and my co..;pilot and
those two kids were abducted ...
but I can't be sure it actually
happened. I can' t be sure Of _· ---
anything anymore.
MULDER
What do you mean?
-SHEAFFER -• · · '.·--.; :· -----_
I mean -- I • m not sure we: fre -having this conversation .. -----_:I --. ,
don't know if these'niashed
potatoes are really here.· ':.t
don't know if you even existl
MULDER
(pause)
I can only assure you that I'do.
SHEAFFER
Well, thanks, buddy.
Unfortunately, I can't give you
the same assurance about me.
Before Mulder has a chance to mull this over, Sergeant Hynek
and his SPs enter.
(CONTINUED) 81
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X)
(X} I.
81 CONTINUED: (2)
SHEAFFER
(matter-of-factly) .
Well ... looks like I •m a dead
man.
MULDER
Wait it can't all be fake
memory implantation. That third
alien -- what was that thing? 3/4/96 43A.
(CONTINUED) 81
(X) I THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Green)· 3/4/96 44.
81 CONTINUED: (3)
SHEAFFER
Who? Lord Kinbote?
The SPs grab Sheaffer by the arms, and the Air Force
contingency escorts him out, leav~ng Mulder sitting there in
stony stupefaction.
CUT TO:
82 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
CHUNG
That is odd, because almost every
day I was there, I ate lunch at
that diner and became dear
friends with the cook. He told
me a story about the night you're
talking about.
CUT TO:
83 INT. ROADSIDE DINER -NIGHT
Empty except the cook. Mulder enters alone. Sitting down at
the counter, he points to the dessert display case. The cook
withdraws a piece of sweet potato pie, and sets it up for
Mulder, who displays his badge.- Over this action, we hear --
. .CHUNG (O.S.) .
A man ·came into his place, sat
-down, ordered sweet potato pie,
identified himself as FBI Agent
·Mulder. He then questio~ed_jny . friend. · · "·
MULDER
Ever seen a UFO in tliese·parts?
I . ThEL.cook .shakes his head "no," then Mulder eats his pie.
CHUNG (O.S.)
He then ordered piece.after
piece, each time asking another
question.
84 PIE ARRIVAL MONTAGE
Mulder is brought another piece of pie.
MULDER
Have you ever experienced a
~eriod of "missing time"?
(CONTINUED) 81
82
83
(X)
84 \ · · Tlffl'JIFi~~\,~t,'·
84 CONTINUED:
85 Another piece arrives.
More pie. MULDER
Have · you ever· had ..
you were -abduc_ted ~;-
MULDER .... ,. .. -....
Have you ever. found;::;::·· i·\~¥~\.
implant· in yo.ur bc:,gf ._ .. • .. ~_ooked ~v:e~~~J~;? ,. .. ;;a,,••.···
~i~:; ~Ui~=s,ct~~~::,,. , .
86 OMI'ITED
8 7 INT .•.. r-I(?;~bi~~P~:: :-~ '.c~f~~~i/i\:~-
~~/~~;!Y wf l!~: From oiits.ide,;J,~i 84 •••• /:~;t.>scul.iy?:. MULDER
Mulder sticks his head into the{r0Qm,only to find
ROOM
The',:P$C,.O~a:•ttt.B. stops searclling through a dresser drawer,
toridld.ng Scully' s clot;hes . The other M. I . B. , obscured by
shadows,>sits·l;iilently on the bed. Mulder quickly pulls out his gun. . . . . .. .
. .:MOLDER .. cµlly?
f_~.~_-_,_.:·ufh:t~_:_s_: __ :_;_c.·. . .... -· ... · ~~~t .. •.s~,il_l_Yi~.Y go.· ·ce. ·: , •.
· , ,, , ., ,, ~,,, "c<c> ,:,:;~~ ,/ "'<c c~•,-,,;c ,,f
• > ____ .,:. __ :-.__.:~-:·: •••• :: -•• • ••• --~-:. ":_ ,--.-_'.,,:. • •• :, .-\-!. ::-. --· .. --f • - ••
I-~~!If-~f~
. .
(CONTINUED) 87
(X)
{X)
. (X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Yellow) 3/5/96 47.
8 7 CONTINUED : ( 3 ) 87
The other M.I.B., having stealthily approached, places a hand
on Mulder's shoulder. Mulder turns and finds himself .looking
at the host of Jeopardy -- ALEX TREBEK! (X)
ALEX TREBEK (X)
You are feeling very sleepy.
Very relaxed ...
88 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
CHUNG
Alex Trebek?! The game show
host?
SCULLY CUT TO:
Mulder didn't say it was Alex
Trebek, just someone who looked
incredibly like him.
CHUNG
Did he'? I mean, you were there.
SCULLY
Well. . . not exactly. You see ...
I don't have any recollection of
this. I woke up the next
morning, surprised to find Mulder
asleep in my room.
CUT TO:
89 INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY (MORNING)
Scully, still un<ier the covers, sits up in bed. Mulder sits.on
a chair, with his feet on another, and his jacket draped over
him like a blanket.
SCULLY
... Mulder, I don't even remember
letting you ;in.
MULDER
I told you· -- you didn't let me
in, they were already --
The phone RINGS. Scully answers.
SCULLY
Scully.
As she listens to the other line, a perplexed Mulder looks over
at the ice bucket. It is now filled with water.
(CONTINUED) 88
(X)
{X)
{X)
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Green) 3/4/96 48.
89 CONTINUED:
SCULLY
Okay we'll be right there.
(hangs up).
That was Detective Manners. He
says they just found your bleeping UFO. ..
CUT TO:
90 EXT. FOREST - DAY
The semi-burnt wreckage of a fighter plane (approximately the
shape and size of an F-16). AIR FORCE PERSONNEL survey the
crash and the surrounding area.
Standing off a ways are a few CIVILIAN BYSTANDERS and some
UNIFORMED POLICE. Away from them stand Detective Manners and
the Agents.·
MANNERS
Apparently, that was the·caii;s~ of
all those UFO sightings, three··
nights _ago. They refused our
assistance.because it's some sort
of top-secret experimentalplane~
MULDER
They don't want assistance, they
want witnesses to their alibi •. --
A body, dressed in fighter pilot gea:r,·is pulled from the
wreckage, and placed onto a stre~r;Jle::r;;'.::\:cA.s: it is: ;lifted and
carried away, REVEAL the dead mail:"i:s;;'~i:~utenant ·shefaf fer. ::::::i::a;~:g:~f::a:t:u::f ~;~:~51:s?~jor
Vallee. . .. -, , .. -.• --, .
. MANNERS
Hey, that's the._guy·that wa:s·:,.~-~
Confused, he looks at Scully f9r, --~_c;;m.Ik.-~.tiol'.l.. Wfthout giving
any, Scully turns and departs. -~M~~;:$'.i?stands alone .for a beat . trying to-pie!Ce. it all togetll~;/:t~tn~\:1:9~\t;:f\:';.~_; ~::./\/ --:--_-_·: ' ... : •· · ...
. -··:,.··.· ,:•'··
.MANNERS
Bleep.
.CUT TO: 89
90
(X). THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " '#3X20 (Green) 3/4/96 49.
91 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE - DAY
,. __ .,,, Sitting in silence, the author and the agent regard each other,
not unlike the Priest and Salieri at the end of AMADEUS.
Scully shrugs.
SCULLY
I know it probably doesn't have
the sense of closure you want,
but it ha·s more than some of our
other cases.
CUT TO:
92 INT. CHUNG'S OFFICE - NIGHT
A professional writer's office: desk, two chairs, bookshelves
overflowing with books, a well-worn couch. At his desk, Chung
is a bit more serious now, for he is a writer at work (i.e., 91
92
he's miserable). FOOTSTEPS emit o.s., and Chung looks up to (X)
see two mysterious silhouettes through his door's frosted (X)
window. Chung pauses,.before opening his.desk drawer, and
withdrawing a derringer.
Crossing to the door, he cautiously opens it. Mulder stands (Xl
revealed, consulting a CUSTODIAN, holding mop and wheeled mop- (X)
bucket, who is pointing towards Chung's door. (X)
MULDER
Thanks.
As ~he.custodian retreats down the hall--
1 CHUNG
: Agent Mulder?
--__ ·:--seeing~ ·the· :pointed derringer, Mulder feebly sticks his ha.rids
up, wllile nodding. Chung lowers the gun, and opens the door
'invitingly! · As Mulder-enters, .he· immediately begins to browse
,.the book: titles ·-on the shelves, which he will continue to do
for thje following: __ .
-1..· ------------·-----.......... .
!. CHUNG
And.what may I do for you, Agent
Mulder?
· .... , .-.-"-" : <c.· -/MULDER
Don't write this book~
Chung CHUCKLES. He sits, placing the gun on the desktop .. -
(CONTINUED) (X)
(X) /
' THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... 11 #3X2'0 (Yellow) 3/5/96 so.
92 CONTINUED:
MULDER
You're going to perform a
disservice to a field of inquiry
that has always struggled for
respectability. You're a gifted
writer, but no amount of talent
could describe the events that
occurred in any realistic vein,
because they deal with
alternative realities that we've
yet to comprehend, and when
presented in the wrong way -- in·
the wrong context -- these
incidents and the people involved
in them appear foolish, if not
downright psychotic.
Chung stealthily reaches out to his gun, passes over it, grabs
a pen, and immediately jots down notes verbatim.
MULDER
I also know your publishing house
is owned by Warden-White
Incorporated, a subsidiary of
MacDougall-Kesler, which makes me
suspect a covert agenda for your
book on the part of the military
industrial-entertainment complex!
Chung puts down his pen.
CHUNG
Agent Mulder, this book will be
written. But it can only
benefit, if you'd explain
something to me.
MULDER
What?
·cHUNG
What really happened to those
kids that night?
Mulder pauses, thinking it through. Opening his mouth, he
readies his answer, but pauses again. Then, out comes the
truth:
MULDER
How the hell should I know?
CHUNG
Well. . . I appreciate your little
visit, Agent Mulder, 'but I do
have deadlines to face.
(CONTINUED) 92
(X)
(X) THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... 11 #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 51.
9 2 CONTINUED : ( 2)
Mulder pauses, before exiting, somewhat downtrodden. Having
watched him go, Chung goes back to work. As he commences
writing --
CHUNG (O.S.)
Evidence of extra-terrestrial
existence remains as elusive as
ever ...
DISSOLVE TO:
93 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT
The starry skies. After a beat, Blaine~- searching the
heavens -- levitates upward.
CHUNG (O.S.}
... But the skies will continue
to be searched by the likes of
Blaine Faulkner, hoping to
someday find contentment on a new
world. Until then, he must be
content with his new job.
WIDE TO REVEAL Blaine ascending in the power company's hook-and
ladder truck. When he reaches the top of the utility pole,
several SPARKS burst from it.
CUT TO:
94 INT. COMMUNITY CENTER -·. DAY
. .. . .
An undecorateci·,r.oom-;-:tis-ed---for R@jj_c::'.l_eq1:~r:~s or yoga classes.
EIGHT-~CONVER.'fS~"X'jfe·arfiig-varfcius~,:-µt,,i~cplored jump suits, sit
lotus style_,: l;i'st;~ning .. to· Roky,.,j,bo ·s,tands before an
intricately-_ ~~~wn<cross-section ~"diagram -of the Inner Earth .
.. . _/;·:.:_:::- {O.~~i:o,··-•••--·- -----__ -·
Others. -search- :for -aµswers -f rem -,---
within. _•· Roky re-located to El
Cajon, Cali-fornia, prea.ching--to
the lo~t.an,d desperat_e.
::--RoKY·-· . . .. . so upon each death~ -one's
soul descends further.into-the
Inner--·Earth, attaining deeper
levels of ·purification, .•until
reaching enlightenment·at the Core-~ assuming, of course, your
soul manages to avoid the Lava
Men ...
I
· (CONTINUED) 92
93
94 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Pink) 2/29/96 52.
94 CONTINUED:
CHONG (O.S.)
Many modern religions have had
less illustrious starts.
CUT TO:
95 INT. MULDER'S OFFICE -DAY
Sitting with her feet up, Scully reads a book with a cover
strikingly similar to Communion. except this alien has a
cigarette dangling from its mouth. It reads: "FROM OUTER
SPACE by Jose Chung.11
CHUNG (O.S.)
Seeking the truth about aliens
means a perfunctory, nine-to-five
job to some, for although Agent
"Diana Lesky" is noble of SJ?irit,
and pure at heart, she remains,
nevertheless, a federal employee. -_
CUT TO:
\
-.96 .;INT .. MULDER'S BEDROOM -NIGHT -
/
, .. --.:-, ..... With the lights off, Mulder lies in bed, his right hand
concealed somewhere under . .the covers, while.his:exposed left hand fiddles with a video'.remote.
CHUNG (0.s.)
__ As for her partner, · "Reyilard. _ ._._.-_-• _.
:_ . .-; )t{tj(}\{:}~i._:.;i_:_-_;;_~\~·~.:~, ~~: ~-:,
~ . :1.·.2\,~-\. , ..
·· . , . ·: ·-.REVEAL .. Mulder is watching a tape .ot··-R99-ei·:Patt-er·· --------------------=-1·96·?· footage· of° -B-igf 66t ·walking in the ·-woods~ . : · '.~ . .:--
.:j:~;tt3;~}:,sl~:?~:;~±RD\·s "BEI>ROOM··\.::NIGHT ---_ -
:'' >Transformed into a serious~ young woman• s roam~ ,-Nc{-'.i:r'tu'ffed ,',••
. \·animals. .-_· Posters of Greenpeace, NOW; --Amnesty International ..
She busily works at her desk, piled with official :letters~
{CONTINUED)
.. I
I
' \ 94
95
,. 96 THE X-FILES "Jose Chung's ... " #3X20 (Blue) 2/26/96 53.
97 CONTINUED:
CHUNG {O.S.)
Chrissy Giorgio has come to
believe her alien visitation was
a message to improve the
condition of her own world, and
she has devoted herself to this
goal wholeheartedly.
A NOISE at her window. Excitedly, she runs over and looks out,
but inunediately registers disappointment.
CHRISSY
Oh, it's you. What do you want?
98 EXT. BACKYARD -NIGHT
HAROLD INTERCUT WITH:
I just wanted to tell you I still
love you.
CHRISSY
Love. Is that all you men think
about?
She SLAMS her window shut.
CHUNG (O.S.)
Then there are those who care not
about extra-terrestrials,
searching for meaning in other
human beings. Rare or lucky are
those who find it.
Harold hangs his head, and slumps away.
CHUNG· ·co.s. >
For although we may not be alone
in the universe, in our own
separate ways, on this planet, we
are all ... alone.
As Harold disappears into the loveless shadows.
FADE OUT .
. THE BND 97
98 | screenplays |
Aron Levi Wint born 20 October 1992 is an English footballer who plays as a striker in the Conference North with Solihull Moors.
Career
Wint progressed through the Coventry City youth ranks but was released in December 2008 and signed for Scunthorpe United. Wint signed his first professional contract in June 2010 on a one-year deal. He made his professional debut on 30 August 2011, in the Football League Trophy 20 win over Hartlepool United at Glanford Park, coming on as a substitute for Bobby Grant.
He went on loan to Belper Town in December 2011 making three appearances before returning to Scunthorpe in January 2012 to cover injuries, and then at the beginning of March joined FC Halifax Town on loan. He impressed on his debut, scoring a half-volley to equalise for Halifax in their 31 victory over Harrogate Town at The Shay. After two subsequent appearances, and after the arrival of striker Ross Hannah on loan from Bradford City, Wint was allowed to return to his parent club by Halifax manager Neil Aspin.
In May 2012, Wint was released by Scunthorpe along with 9 other players.
Hinckley United
Wint signed for Hinckley United on 17 August 2012 making his debut for the club in their opening game against Harrogate Town. Wint scored his first goal in a 21 win against Boston United on 25 August. He left the club on 28 January 2013 after a dispute over unpaid wages.
References
External links
Category:1992 births
Category:Sportspeople from Coventry
Category:Living people
Category:English footballers
Category:Association football forwards
Category:Coventry City F.C. players
Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players
Category:Belper Town F.C. players
Category:F.C. Halifax Town players
Category:Hinckley United F.C. players
Category:Solihull Moors F.C. players | wikipedia |
High School DxD/ハイスクールD×D, Naruto The Heavenly Malestrom
"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
_**~FlashBack~**_
**-Time Skip-**
**Scene Change**
Naruto sighed as he unpacked his last box into his new apartment, he had recently been accepted to a formerly all girls school now turned Co-Ed. He sat down on his couch and yawned. He had been at this for almost an hour and a half and was beginning to get tired. As he sat on the couch he began to remember how all this started.
_**~FlashBack~**_
Naruto had just woken up for the day when he heard the sound of his parents walking up stairs, he stood from his bed and grabbed a shirt just in time for his mother And father to walk into the room. He got an odd feeling that whatever they were going to say he was not going to like it.
His mother kushina Namikaze smiled at him and said "Naruto dear come sit down we have some news for you"
Naruto already not liking where this was going did as she said but kept the feeling of dread, why you ask. Naruto's parents never just 'had something to say' if they could not just come right out with it then either somebody had died or it was something he was involved.
"What is it mother?" Naruto said with a slight frown
This time his father Minato Namikaze was the one to answer "Son we placed an application in for you to transfer to a new Co-Ed school in Kuoh and we just heard back from them"
'Great another school who wouldn't want me' Naruto thought with a noticeable frown you see Naruto had a bad track record with schools, for some odd reason whenever he joined one something weird would happen to either get him expelled or would close the school down for an unforeseen amount of time.
Kushina who noticed said frown smiled a little and said "They accepted you naruto you start in one week"
Naruto's eye got noticeably brighter, he smiled and said "That's great news I'll start packing tomorrow"
As naruto left the room his parents looked at each other before minato said "Do you think we should tell him about who and what go to that school?"
Kushina looked to be a but saddened by it but shook her head "no we should keep him in the dark as long as possible, as long as his powers don't manifest we should be okay for a few more years...i hope"
_**~FlashBack End~**_
Now naruto is in a new place, going to a new school, and hopefully will get a new life void of all the weird things that seem to migrate towards him.
**-Time Skip-**
We find our blonde hero walking down the street towards his new school Kuoh Academy, His sun kissed hair flowing in multiple directions and the thine lines that rest on his cheeks in perfect symmetry He wears the basic kuoh academy uniform consisting of a blood red T-Shirt covered by a midnight black jacket with all the buttons undone showing his well sculpted body from years of martial arts training he did growing up. As he stands now he is a Black Belt in Karate and Judo with a brown belt in Kung Fu. All the time he spent fighting had a positive effect on his body. His pants were the same color as the shirt with red liners on his pockets and a silver chain attached to his wallet. As for his shoes they were a simple pair of silver high tops with a blue tongue.
As he arrived he noticed a few of the looks he was getting from both the male and female body of the school. He chuckled at the looks the females were giving him. Some were of admiration others of lust and a few he would rather not look to far into. The males were having the opposite effect though there were some looks of admiration most were of hate or disdain, which he was used to by now. He learned most males did not like it when a new person showed up and got the attention of the female population.
He sighed as he began to walk to class, this was usually how it started. He would go to a new school, Girls would Drool over him, guys would get pissed at him for existing, guys try to fight him, guys realize he is a black belt, guys get butt kicked, more girls drool over him. It's a sick and twisted cycle that he cannot escape from no matter how hard he tries.
As he arrives he knocks on the door and hears the teacher tell him to enter he sighs as he opens the door and steps in 'here we go again' he thinks as he steps through.
"OK class we have a new student joining us today so i'll let him introduce himself" the teacher motions him forward and sits back at his desk
Naruto smiled and waves to the class "Hello my name is Naruto Namikaze and i hope we can all be friends"
The teacher smiles and walks back up "Very Good Mr. Namikaze now you can take a seat by Ms. Gremory over there." Naruto nods and walks over to the student the teacher pointed to as he begins the lesson.
Naruto smiles as he sits down "Hello nice to meet you." he says as he holds out a hand Said person smiles at him as well
"Nice to meet you to my name is Rias Gremory" She says as she holds out her hand to shake his.
As she touches his hand she feels a odd sensation flow through her that surprises her, enough so that she jumps.
Naruto thinking he hurt her looks at her "Are you alright?"
she smiled and nods to him "Yes just a little shock i'm fine" 'That was odd...i may need to keep an eye on him, if he becomes a problem i may have to exterminate him'
As class goes on naruto begins to tune the teacher out as he began to cover things naruto already knew.
'Well so far so good, nothing weird going on yet...this may finally be a school where nothing weird happens'
He didn't know how wrong he was.
**-Time Skip-**
It's been a week since naruto joined Kuoh Academy and so far nothing odd had happened he had run into a odd boy named Issei that had been peeping on the girls kendo team. Let's just say the encounter did not go well
_**~FlashBack~**_
Naruto after a long day of school was beginning his long walk home when he heard a sound that he never liked to hear...perverted giggles. Now naruto never did like perverts growing up (AN: you try living with kushina and see what being a pervert gets you) in fact he made it a goal of his to beat every pervert into the ground.
So being the gentlemen he is went to find the person making said giggles and and beat the living tar out of them. As he arrived he saw three boys peeping into the girls locker room. He rubbed his temples before getting an idea he walking up to said trio and began yelling "PERV ALERT, PERV ALERT, PERV ALERT" Then using speeds only seen by the gods above (AN: and rock lee) He disappeared into the tree line. As he disappeared he heard the sounds of screaming coming from the area he just left.
The next day issei and his two buddies showed up with bruises and a few cuts from where the kendo team used them for target practice.
As he walked by he heard the one named Motohama aka 'Perverted Glasses and Three Sizes Scouter" say "I still don't know where that voice that screamed perv alert came from...maybe it was divine intervention and gods are made at us for our love of the female form"
Naruto chuckled at that and was about to leave when he heard the one named Matsuhaka aka 'Perverted Baldy and Sexual Harassment Paparazzi' spoke up "No way it was just the pervert god telling us we did a poor job and to try harder next time"
At this naruto began to develop a eye tick 'Thos idiots think there is a pervert god...why the hell would there be a perverted god!"
**Scene Change**
Somewhere is the north a perverted one eyed god sneezes
**Back to Before**
Naruto decided to leave the area before three perverts turned up missing
_**~FlashBack End~**_
So it goes without saying that a lot of the perverted trio's peeping would be interrupted a lot by the mystery voice. he still chuckled at the memory of those three when they tried to hide in the girls locker room only to find the moment the girls walked in the had been found out and had gotten chased around the school by a horde of angry females.
He sighed as he realized that he had nothing to do at the moment, normally he would go home and watch television or do homework but lately all that was on television was reruns of crap he had already seen, and he had done all his homework during a free period. He rubbed his head and decided to take a walk in the park to clear his head.
As he arrived he saw the king pervert himself Issei with an admittedly attractive female, honestly at first he pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming but as he felt the sting of the pinch he had to admit what he had seen was 100% real. He decided to watch and make sure issei did not try anything. As he got closer he heard something odd.
"Issei... would you...die for me?" thinking she was saying that like a "If i was in danger would you save me" type question he did not think much of it...until he saw issei with a spear of light coming out of his chest that is.
His eyes now the size of tea cups naruto ran out in front of issei's now heavily bleeding body "What the hell is wrong with you!" he turned and looked at issei "Issei don't worry i'll call a ambul..." that was as far as he got before he saw a spear coming through his own chest. His eyes widened even more before he coughed up a sizable amount of blood. "Dang it *Cough* i C...C...Can't d-die here" Getting light headed he fell backwards onto the unforgiving ground.
The girl looked somewhat sad but entertained "I'm sorry about that but i can't leave witnesses around that might give the devils a heads up" And with that she sprouts wings and flies away. Now ordinarily naruto might think this is a little odd but due to the fact he is bleeding out a hole in his chest that was created out of a spear of light...the fact that his killer had wings was the least of his problems.
The last thing he sees before passing out is the color red and the smell of blood.
End file.
| fanfiction |
Copper turned silver-color with crystalized soldered joints. How did this happen?
Please remove if this question if not allowed on this sub-exchange. I can post elsewhere if suggested.
I was working on a small project requiring cleaning and polishing copper pipe, but found sparkling solder joints and silver-like finish instead.
I attempted to clean copper pipe with white vinegar + salt mixture. I let the copper sit for around 30 minutes in a bucket of this solution. At this point I'm aware of the copper oxide appearing on the surface. Pictured below.
After drying off with a towel I attempted to shine the copper. I applied [Copper and Brass cleaner](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B0083PEZ00) which contains quartz, citric acid, ammonium chloride, and magnesium aluminum silicate. To my surprise, 2 changes happened to the copper/solder:
1. The copper has a shining silver-like appearance.
2. If you look closely, the joints which were soldered with [lead-free silver solder](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-Safe-Flo-8-oz-Lead-Free-Silver-Solder-Wire-290242/100342559) are sparkling in the light (very apparent), almost as if they contained tiny crystals.
It's important to note that the sparking soldered joints only appeared *after* using the copper and brass cleaner. They're still dull after only removing them from the white vinegar + salt solution.
How in the world did this reaction happen? Is it possible to remove the silver finish?
* I'm aware this home-depot bought copper may have small impurities of tin, iron, zinc, or nickel, but doubt that makes a difference.
Before putting the copper in a white vinegar + salt solution:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y0eZO.jpg)
30 minutes after drying the copper pipes from the solution:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cimXd.jpg)
After polishing with the cleaner:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5f2KC.jpg)
The copper pipe system is a large copper cathode (the copper tubing) with a small area of exposed silver solder (\*) anode comprised mostly of tin. When it dissolves in the citric acid plus ammonium chloride, apparently enough silver becomes soluble to migrate over to some other copper surface and plate out - silver dendrites are a common result in concentrated silver salt solutions, but in the OP's picture, they are so tiny as to just look crystalline. Here is a picture of large silver dendrites forming on copper wire. Ref 1.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ii4Xd.jpg)
The culprit, if there can be said to be one, is the silver solder. It sounds like an upscale binder, but may have limitations. Of course, the copper and brass cleaner is part of the problem, by providing the corrosive potential.
Apparently the entire copper surface is now plated with a thin silver film that would develop dendrites if there were more silver.
Is it possible to remove the silver finish? It is probably so thin that the best way would be strictly mechanical: rubbing with abrasive powder like silica, or sandblasting with sodium bicarbonate, without chemical corrosion.
* Oatey Flo 8 oz. Lead-Free Silver Solder is good for soldering copper pipe and fittings together. It is safe to use in potable water applications. This silver solder has a wide melting range of 415° to 455°F. It can be used for plumbing, HVAC, fire sprinkler and other systems.
• 95.5% tin, 3% copper, 1% bismuth and less than 2% silver alloy
• 420°F - 460°F melting range
• Meets ASTM standard B-32 and the requirements of the safe drinking water act
• Formulated for plumbing/potable water line applications
Ref 1. <https://www.cheminst.ca/magazine/article/chemisteam-2021-silver-crystal-fern/>
The Oatey solder listed in the question contains no silver, the guy writing the ad thought "silver solder" was a good sounding name. Silver solders melt above 1150 F, more accurately called silver braze. Copper pipe, tube, and fittings are commercially pure copper[ ASTM 42 is between 99.4 and 99.9 % minimum copper per Copper Development Association data book, 1973 ( these specs do not change much with time). You are using a high tin solder containing bismuth and other elements. I can not explain how a cleaning solution could have coated the part with solder. The silver colored structure looks like it is covered with solder as if it had been dipped in a molten bath like galvanizing or heated in a furnace. Furnace solder or braze of a smallish complicated structure as shown would not be unusual.
The anode here is the tin (which is subject to corrosion, aka, dissolving) and the very noble silver is the cathode (see this table of [relative anodic behavior posted here](https://www.zygology.com/cms/upload_area/pdf/Zyg-Anodic-Index.pdf)). One could also argue at some point the copper becomes the cathode.
In any event, the tin goes into solution whereupon the more chemically active copper displaces it, resulting in a tin plating effect on the copper surface.
The ammonium chloride can act here in both the roles of an electrolyte, the electrochemistry part, and as a complexing agent for the tin (and copper) as part of the standard chemistry.
Note: If it is determined that the plating metal is, indeed, silver metal, then one must account for the creation of, say, aqueous $\ce{Ag(NH3)2Cl}$. This would likely involve the presence of solvated electrons (from the galvanic chemistry) interacting with oxygen exposure in the presence of the $\ce{NH4Cl}$.
Kind of an incidental, but interesting and possibly advanced example of mixed chemistry ([as occurs with copper](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1.2780873) and is noted [to occur with silver here](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022508882901564)).
[EDIT] At home one can test for silver metal with pure household disinfecting bleach (see the discussion here on the so-called ["Bleach Test"](https://sdbullion.com/blog/how-to-test-silver)).
| stackexchange/chemistry |
Gorillaz 1. Chapter 1
**Esta es mi historia mas reciente. Se desarrolla en la tercera fase de la banda virtual Gorillaz. Estaré actualizandola con ayuda de algunas consultas bibliograficas en internet, datos oficiales de la banda, y en parte tendré que usar mi imaginacion, ya que hay cosas que no quedan muy claras o hay espacios entre un suceso y otro y ahi tendrá que intervenir mi imaginacion para llenar dichos espacios. La pareja es 2D x Cyborg Noodle o al menos eso quiero mostrar en parte. Si no te gusta la pareja, no leas. **
**El concepto de la banda y lo musical le pertenecen a Damon Albarn**
**Los personajes animados de la misma le pertenecen a Jamie Hewllet**
* * *
Al abrir sus ojos, todo lo que pudo observar era oscuridad.
¿Pero qué sucedía?
Se sintió también a si mismo estando en una posición muy incómoda y en un espacio reducido, como si estuviera encerrado en alguna caja muy pequeña.
Apenas colocó ambas manos frente a él y sintió una superficie lisa.
¿Cómo era es posible? ¿En verdad estaba atrapado en alguna caja?
Así debía sentirse que te enterraran vivo.
Con la fuerza que tenía, empujó hacia adelante para así poderse liberar de su prisión. Usó también ambos pies para ayudarse. De tan solo unos cuantos golpes, la superficie que tenía adelante, cedió como si de una puerta se tratara.
¡Ya podía ver la luz de nuevo!
De hecho, demasiada para su gusto. Ahora delante de él tenía al radiante sol brillando con toda su intensidad, tanto, que tuvo que poner una de sus manos enfrente para cubrirse y entrecerrar los ojos para evitar que le afectara.
Cuando le dio un vistazo a su entorno, se quedó incluso más confundido que antes.
Para empezar, el lugar en donde estaba encerrado no era ni remotamente una caja como pensaba., era simplemente, nada más ni nada menos que una maleta. ¡Había estado encerrado en una maleta! ¿Por cuánto tiempo?, ¿Quién lo hizo, o cómo es que había llegado hasta ahí?
Miró a su alrededor y todo lo que podía distinguir era que tenía un montón de basura, basura pintada de rosa por doquier literalmente, pero parecía estar acomodada de tal manera que formaba alguna clase de estructura, e incluso así, dando forma al "suelo" que ahora pisaba. Y más allá de todo ese desperdicio, delante de él también tenía un inmenso océano.
¿Cómo había llegado hasta ahí? Volvía a cuestionarse. Primeramente, ¿Encerrado en una maleta?… ¿Cómo, por qué y cuándo? Segundo, ¿Montones de basura rosa acumulada a su alrededor?, ¿El sol?, ¿El océano? ¡¿Qué carajos era todo eso?! No tenía ningún sentido.
Lo último que recordaba era que él estaba en su cómodo departamento, mirando la vista desde su ventana, admirando las calles y edificios, pensando muchas cosas de las cuales ahora mismo ya ni se acordaba. Y después le llegó un olor extraño que impregnó su aire, como una especie de fuga de gas. De donde fuera que viniese la fuga, eso no importaba, sin embargo, su mayor error fue oler ese gas, ya que posteriormente recordó haberse quedado inconsciente por ello.
¿Acaso en ese preciso momento estaba siendo víctima de algún secuestro y estar en algún lugar alejado de la civilización? Lo mejor era no pensar en esa posibilidad, solo hacía que su mente fuera menos racional por el temor de que quizás podría ser cierto. Por otro lado, existía otra opción. El gas que respiro antes lo dejo inconsciente y ahora simplemente todo aquello se trataba de un sueño. ¡Sí! Porque muchas veces los sueños no tienen por qué seguir una lógica ni tener sentido, y lo mejor de todo, es que en ellos uno puede hacer lo que sea, entonces lo que él quería en ese momento era despertar. Se concentró en ello. Despertar, despertar, despertar; pero no surtió efecto. Incluso se pellizcó varias veces los brazos y no tenía resultado. Oh no, todo eso era tan real que asustaba.
No se le había ocurrido mirar tras su espalda por haber estado concentrado pensando en su actual situación, pero lo hizo.
Justo detrás de él se levantaba una columna muy grande que igual seguía siendo de basura, al final se ensanchaba más y ahí mismo era donde se erguía una construcción poco peculiar. Podría ser rara igualmente por la extraña forma que tenía, nunca vio algo semejante, pero igual podía ser considerada extravagante y hermosa a la vez. ¿Era una casa o algo parecido? Era enorme. Una casa enorme y rara en medio de la nada, hecha sobre una pila de basura. ¿A quién se le ocurriría realizar algo así?
Debía existir una forma de subir hasta allá, así que no lo pensó más y empezó a caminar entre todos esos desechos, de paso también para explorar más aquel extraño lugar.
Lo que nunca pudo haber sospechado es que un par de ojos le observaban desde una de las muchas habitaciones que poseía la curiosa edificación; desde el justo momento en que Stuart Pot logró salir de la maleta.
-Míralo.-Comentó con sorna.-Esta totalmente confundido, no tiene ni puta idea de que está pasando.-Rió de forma burlona.-Pensé que nunca llegaría; he estado esperando a ese tonto durante un buen tiempo. ¿Y qué estamos esperando?-Miró a su acompañante que tenía a un lado.-Vamos a darle la bienvenida.-Se encaminó a la salida de la habitación a apresurarse al encuentro de Stuart y como bien dijo, darle la bienvenida a Plastic Beach.
Su compañera no obedeció al instante, se quedó otros segundos más observando a ese nuevo individuo; ese nuevo personaje no parecía ser de su agrado. Estaba acostumbrada únicamente a ser solo ella y Murdoc en la playa, pero si éste último había reiterado haber estado esperandole, empezaba a mentalizarse porque quizás debiera pasar algún tiempo soportándolo por ahí, quisiera o no.
Cuando volvió a fijarse estaba sola, Murdoc ya había salido de la habitación, y entonces se apresuró para tomar el elevador y poder alcanzarle.
XXX
Una vez que estuvo en la playa comenzó a caminar en busca de su persona favorita en todo el mundo, y claro que era sarcasmo.
Caminar entre toda esa basura aun le era difícil, sentía que podía resbalar en cualquier momento por pisar mal.
Finalmente, Murdoc encontró a quien buscaba, estando embobado mirando hacia el faro de la playa.
-Face-aaache…-Cantaleó para llamar su atención.
El mencionado le daba la espalda por admirar el faro, pero pareció encogerse de hombros repentinamente debido al escalofrió que sintió al escuchar la voz del contrario, esa inconfundible voz...-¡Murdoc!-Sin dudarlo se volteó para mirarle con atonía después de mucho tiempo sin saber nada el uno del otro. -¿C-como…como es que estas aquí?
-Sí, sí, también me da gusto verte, tarado.-Se cruzó de brazos con gesto irritado.
-A-ah, p-perdón, pero…es que no pensé encontrarte aquí en…en donde sea que estemos…-Se rascó la nuca con confusión.
-¿No te gusta? ¡Estás en Plastic Beach!-Murdoc abrió grandes sus brazos para darle mayor emoción al asunto. En ese momento hubiera estado bien que sonara alguna melodía ambientadora de fondo para mostrar mayor lucidez a las palabras de Murdoc, pero en lugar de eso, y solo por coincidencia, se escuchó el graznar de una gaviota a lo lejos.
El otro seguía sin comprender nada.- ¿En…Plastic Beach?
Murdoc gruño por lo bajo.-Sí. Mira, prácticamente es una playa hecha de basura, como ya habrás notado. La basura es cortesía de toda la gente cochina que tira sus mierdas al mar, y toda esa mierda se reúne aquí, en el punto más solitario del mundo. Decidí que es un buen lugar para esconderme de los caza recompensas que me buscan, solo tuve que arreglarla más, y si lo ves por el lado positivo, hasta es algo ecológico.
-¿Te…te persiguen caza recompensas? ¿Qué hiciste para que eso pasara?
-Oh, sí, eso. Bueno, después de que cada uno de nosotros tomara caminos distintos, digamos que…jugué chueco con algunas personas para sacarles dinero, se les hace fácil contratar caza recompensas para matarme por eso. Aparte de que le hice una estafa al seguro quemando los Estudios Kong. El lugar se estaba viniendo debajo de todas formas; eran inservibles.
¿Estaba bromeando, cierto? Pero ¡Él era Murdoc Niccals! Claro que haría cualquier cosa sí de conseguir dinero se trataba, incluso que mar el lugar que alguna vez fue su hogar.-No…no puedo creer que te hayas atrevido a hacer todo eso…pero…p-pero…aun no entiendo ¿Para qué quieres tanto dinero?
-Porque la banda ya no puede estar tanto tiempo holgazaneando, es hora de volver a las andadas y producir un nuevo disco, para eso es el dinero. Tú ya lo sabías, idiota.-Le señaló despectivamente.- Intenté comunicarme contigo antes y te negaste a cooperar.
-¿Y solo por eso te atreviste a secuestrarme?-Su voz sonaba molesta, como muy pocas y raras veces solía enojarse en serio.
-Oye, oye. No apresures conclusiones. Yo no fui el que fue hasta Inglaterra para secuestrarte; yo no fui el que te metió en esa maleta. Claro que tuve que tratar con Boogie Man para que me hiciera ese favor pero, ponte a pensar, si te hubieras portado más accesible en ese entonces, no tendrías por qué estar aquí a la fuerza.
-¿Boogie Man…?-¿O sea que Murdoc había hecho tratos con un ser de inframundo de nuevo? ¡Era el colmo! Se contuvo con el hecho de que hubiera quemado los Estudios Kong, y con que hubiera estafado a mucha gente, pero había un límite para la tolerancia. Quería golpearlo, pero se contuvo; no tenía la fuerza suficiente, y si se atrevía a hacerlo, sabía que Murdoc se lo regresaría mil veces peor. En lugar de eso, con discreción volvió sus manos puños, apretando fuertemente para calmar su enojo.-Has llegado demasiado lejos Murdoc. No me importa que problemas tengas ahora, yo solo quiero irme a casa.
Sí, se iría a casa, no importaba si lo tenía que hacer nadando por el océano, pero él regresaría a su amada Inglaterra.
La voz de Murdoc le llamó desde atrás, pero él no quiso detenerse a escucharle.
De repente delante de él a lo lejos, vio algo que por breves segundos creyó como una visión, pero estaba seguro de que era real. ¡Noodle estaba en la playa también! Y caminaba hacia su dirección.
No podía creerlo, pero tampoco pudo reprimir sus ganas para correr hacia la chica y abrazarla después de tantos años de no verse. Cuando estuvo muy cerca de ella, extendió ambos brazos para retenerla entre ellos y poder estrujarla fuertemente como hace tanto tiempo no hacia; pero ese hermoso momento se quebró cuando Stuart sintió un fuerte puntapié en su espinilla y emitió un doloroso alarido por ello.
Detrás de él pudo escuchar a Murdoc acercarse de nuevo mientras se burlaba por lo que acababa de pasarle.-Bien hecho nena.-Murdoc alzó su pulgar en señal de aprobación.
-¿Noodle…por que fue eso?-Stuart se quejó mientras se sobaba su golpe y la miraba.
-Ella no es Noodle.-Respondió Murdoc.-Permítanme presentarlos. Face-ache, ella es Cyborg.-Hizo énfasis en la palabra Cyborg.-Cyborg, él es Stuart; puedes llamarlo 2D. Y verás Face-ache, esta es una réplica robot de la verdadera Noodle.
Stuart frunció el ceño con confusión. Volvió su mirada a quien acaba de abrazar y fue ahí que calló en cuenta.
Aquella replica podía tener el parecido exacto con Noodle, pero fijándose más de cerca había cosas que diferían.
La verdadera Noodle no se vestiría con aquel uniforme militar. La única vez que se puso uno, fue solo para aparecer en el video de _Dirty Harry_. Y digamos que si aquel fuera su estilo en verdad, al menos se pondría colores más alegres, pero aquel atuendo que veía ahora era en su mayoría de un gris oscuro.
En segundo lugar, el color de cabello de aquella robot no era el mismo. La Cyborg lo tenía azul, pero el de Noodle estaba teñido de morado. Además, al momento de abrazarla, la sintió tan fría, eso no era algo normal en una persona; y sobre todo, debió haber notado desde el principio, que la robot tenía la apariencia de tener quince años, pero a esas alturas, la Noodle real debía tener unos diecinueve.
Aquella que tenía frente a sus ojos, no era su Noodle.
-¿P…por qué…?-Fue lo único que salió de sus labios, con la voz totalmente quebrada ante su asombro.- ¿C-cómo pudiste…suplantar a Noodle…?-Stuart miró a Murdoc con desesperada tristeza.
-No la suplanté, solo la…uhh…bueno, sí, la suplanté, pero ella tuvo la culpa. Ella fue quien quiso tomarse un descanso de la banda, y a estas alturas tuve que tomar medidas drásticas para tener a mi guitarrista de nuevo, aunque sea una réplica robótica…-Noodle hace algunos años atrás les había dicho a los chicos que quería tomarse unas vacaciones de todo lo que tuviera que ver con Gorillaz. Ella quería irse de regreso a su país de origen durante un tiempo indefinido, y todos habían estado de acuerdo, y ahora resulta que Murdoc no podía esperar a su regreso y la apartó totalmente, haciendo que la Cyborg tomara su lugar. En serio eso _sí_ había sido el colmo.-…pero no es un problema, ahora que estas aquí, me vas a ayudar a hacer un nuevo disco…-El otro se le quedó observando con algo de miedo, aun sin poder digerir todo aquello que Murdoc le decía, ni lo que estaba pasando. Solo después de eso, se echó a correr para alejarse de esos dos. Pensaba en retomar su idea de hace rato, si tenía que nadar para volver a casa, lo haría.- ¡Cyborg!-Gritó Murdoc.
La Cyborg conocía lo que tenía que hacer, fue detrás de Stuart para atraparlo, no lo dejaría ir. Tomó el rifle que le colgaba tras su espalda y apuntó hacia el objetivo, aunque su intención no era dispararle realmente; no lo haría si su amo no se lo ordenaba. Cyborg nunca haría nada sin el consentimiento ni la orden de Murdoc. Dio un disparo fallido a propósito, solo para darle una advertencia a aquel que minutos atrás se había atrevido a acorrálala con sus brazos. Una sensación muy extraña, será que nunca había experimentado algo así. Igual ¿Cómo osaba hacer eso?
El disparo desconcertó a Stuart, haciéndole que tropezara justo cuando ya estaba en el muelle preparándose para saltar. Le hubiera gustado ser más rápido para poder levantarse y retomar su acción interrumpida, pero la robot se le adelantó, y si darle ninguna oportunidad siquiera de ponerse en pie, le amenazó colocándole el rifle por detrás de su nuca.
"_Mierda…" _
-Creo que no me entendiste Face-ache…-Murdoc nuevamente les dio alcance caminando lentamente. Stuart no se atrevía a mover ni un musculo y se quedaba estático en su lugar. El otro le miraba de manera superior burlándose con una sonrisa socarrona ante la situación-No te pregunte si querías hacer un nuevo disco, _dije _que lo harías. No puedes negarte. Además, no me gustaría que te arriesgaras de la forma tan estúpida como ibas a hacerlo. Nadie te garantiza que vuelvas a Inglaterra con vida. Pudieras morir ahogado, o comido por tiburones o…ballenas…
Stuart entró en pánico; hasta Mrdoc conocía su mayor miedo en la vida: Las ballenas. Y mientras se sostenía la cabeza con ambas manos dijo.- ¡Por Dios santo, haré lo que sea, solo dile que no disparé!
-No lo hará.-Contestó él con toda seguridad.-Cyborg…-La robot le miró, aun sin quitar el arma de donde apuntaba.-Llévalo a su habitación.
¿Habitación? Murdoc ya tenía una habitación para él, no cabe duda que planeó todo a la perfección. Nada le podía salir mal.
Cyborg le dio un pequeño empujón a 2D con el rifle para que se parara. Éste lo hizo con mucho miedo, y alzando las manos al aire como si fuera un criminal atrapado por la policía.
Ingresaron dentro de la enorme columna de basura que sostenía toda Plastic Beach por medio de una compuerta de acero.
Por dentro, la Plasctic Beach era muy parecida a cualquier casa. 2D se acordó de los estudios Kong en ese momento.
Delante de ellos no había más que un ascensor y entraron a él. Tenía varios botones que te levaban a varios pisos tanto hacia arriba como más abajo. Cyborg presionó uno que específicamente indicaba que en ese piso se encontraba la nueva habitación de 2D.
El ascensor empezó su descenso, y cuando estuvieron en el piso indicado, Cyborg seguía empujando a 2D con el rifle.-T-tranquila…y-ya entendí…-Dijo fastidiado.
Le hizo entrar a aquel cuarto, y una vez dentro, Cyborg cerró la puerta por fuera para impedirle salir.
2D se quedó quieto. Después le hecho un lento vistazo a todo. Únicamente estaba una camilla pegada a la pared que tenía una pequeña ventana circular donde lo único que se veía era el fondo del océano.
Se acercó a la ventanilla, y haciendo un esfuerzo con sus ojos, intentó ver más allá de toda esa agua.
Pudo distinguir una mancha negruzca entre todo ese color azul que le rodeaba. Como estaba lejos, parecía pequeña, pero ante su mirada fue tomando forma de aquel horrendo y gigantesco mamífero al que tanta fobia le temía. Todo su cuerpo tembló y se paralizó; solo rogaba porque aquel animal no fuera a acercarse más de donde ya estaba.
Imposible…siendo vigilado por Murdoc, una Noodle robótica, ya ahora hasta una ballena rondando por ahí, escapar de Plastic Beach era una misión imposible.
2D se acorrucó en su nueva cama intentando ignorar la vista oceánica. Rompió a llorar amargamente y sin parar hasta que sus lágrimas le mojaron todo el rostro.
Del otro lado de la puerta, seguía Cyborg Noodle estando atenta escuchando lo que ocurría, en pose firme y siempre con su arma en manos y cargada con municiones.
Desconocía aquel sonido lastimero que estaba oyendo, pero claro que no se metería a ver que ocurría, porque bien podría tratarse de una trampa por parte de 2D para escapar si abría la puerta.
Cyborg siguió manteniendo su posición inmovible.
2. Chapter 2
**Esta historia se la dedico a LagrimasSolitarias :) **
**Las habitaciones de Plastic Beach las describo como aparecen graficamente en el juego de Plastic Beach en la pagina oficial de Gorillaz, **
**Yyyy...tambien se me hizo buena idea incluir en una parte al oso polar gay y al cocodrilo, aunque no sean tan importantes, pero lo hice porque a LagrimasSolitarias le llamaron la atencion estos singulares animales. **
**Los personajes le pertenecen a Jamie Hewllet. El concepto musical le pertenece a Damon Albarn. **
**Si no les gusta la pareja, no lean. Sin mas, disfruten la lectura.**
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2D se encontraba acurrucado en la cama. Después de haber llorado un largo tiempo se quedó sin lágrimas que sacar. Se estaba desesperando en aquel lugar. Seguramente no tendría encerrado ahí mucho tiempo; unas horas, pero a él se le hacían como si ya hubieran pasado días. Se la pasó dando vueltas todo ese rato por todo el cuarto, se había cansado y vuelto a acostar.
_-Cyborg, el tonto no te ha dado problemas ¿O sí? _
Aquella era la voz de Murdoc. La oyó perfectamente a través de su puerta.
-Murdoc…-Susurró 2D.-Rapidamenete se acercó a la puerta y la golpeo tres veces con toda la fuerza que pudo.- ¡Murdoc, ábreme!-Gritó.- ¡Por favor, no puedes dejarme aquí para siempre! ¡Lo que estás haciendo está mal! ¡Es privación contra la libertad; es…es prácticamente un secuestro! ¡¿Me oyes?!
Murdoc pareció quedarse callado unos tres segundos y luego le respondió.-Blah blah blah. Lo que digas Face-ache. Mira, de todas formas no pienso dejarte salir si no te comportas.
-¿Comportarme?..._Cómo espera que me comporte si me trajo hasta aquí, como un prisionero y…-_Despejó esos pensamientos de su mente, ahora mucho más sabia que no le convenía quejarse. Respiró hondo. -Me estoy comportando ¿Ves?-Intentó sonar convincente.-Estoy tranquilo, estoy calmado…Vamos Murdoc; voy a hacer todo lo que quieras, pero…déjame salir…
-Ya conoces el plan…un nuevo disco.
-Lo sé. Voy a cooperar ¿De acuerdo? Aun así, no tengo ideas para ninguna canción en este momento. Mi mente está en blanco.
-¿Cuándo no, tarado?-Se burló el otro soltando una risa.
-Todo eso lleva tiempo y lo sabes; aunque tuviera una idea ahora, no tengo nada en donde escribirla.
-Bien, te sacaré de ahí.-Dijo al fin.-A un lado Cyborg…-La puerta de la habitación de 2D era de acero, tenía que ser abierta desde afuera girando la escotilla. Murdoc pareció batallar un poco para girarla, pero finalmente lo logró.-…Te daré un tour por la playa.-Dijo al verle.-Vamos…-Se acercó al ascensor y pulsó el botón para subir. 2D le seguía de cerca. El ascensor también se abrió y ambos entraron.-Cyborg…-Mudoc le hizo una seña a la falsa Noodle indicándole que también subiera con ellos y así lo hizo. Después, Murdoc volvió a pulsar otro botón con la leyenda "Estudio" a un lado.
2D se encontraba en medio de los dos. Les echaba unas miraditas a ambos, primero a Murdoc, quien no pareció percatarse de que lo estaba mirando, y luego a Cyborg. Está también le regresó la mirada y 2D volvió su vista hacia el frente. Joder, esa robot sí que lo hacía sentirse incómodo y nervioso.
Después de unos segundos las puertas del ascensor volvieron a abrirse, mostrando así el dichoso estudio.
No era la gran cosa realmente, pero tampoco se quedaba en lo simple.
Inmediatamente que avanzabas unos pasos para salir del ascensor, te topabas con un fino escritorio hecho totalmente de madera. Había un pequeño frasco con y tinta negra y una pluma de ave. A 2D inmediatamente le llamó la atención la versión en miniatura del péndulo de Newton que también estaba ahí encima.- ¡Wow!-Exclamo al instante. Fue hasta ahí e inmediatamente se puso a jugar un poco con ellos. Tomo uno de los péndulos y lo alejó un poco de los demás para después soltarlo y hacerlo chocar con el siguiente y en consecuencia, el ultimo péndulo del lado contrario salía empujado y causaba el mismo efecto repetitivo con el primero cuando volvía a chocar. Ahora que lo veía bien, los péndulos tenían el diseño para parecer esferas transparentes con ojos de pescado en su interior.
-¡No juegues con eso!-Murdoc se puso a su lado y le pegó un zape en la nuca.
-¡Auch!... ¡Oye! ¿Ahora que hice?-Se quejó.
-Solo no empieces con tus estupideces.-Advirtió. Comenzó a buscar también algo dentro de los cajones del escritorio.
Mientras tanto, 2D se alejó de ahí para pararse cerca de una pared llena de fotografías de los distintos capitanes que alguna vez se vieron en las pantallas grandes del cine.- ¿Para qué tienes todas estas fotos?
-Se podría decir que son mi inspiración.-Respondió aun sin dejar de buscar en los cajones.
-¿Ahora te quieres creer un capitán o algo así?
Murdoc detuvo su búsqueda y fulminó al otro con la mirada.-Cállate.-Dio un fuerte azotón para cerrar el cajón que tenía abierto.-Mierda. Juraría que tenía varias hojas de papel aquí. Tendré que ir a buscar más. Cyborg…vigílalo.
Desde que entraron al estudio, Cyborg se había quedado cerca de las puertas del ascensor sin hacer ningún movimiento. En cuanto escucho la orden de Murdoc le hizo un saludo estilo militar. Murdoc pasó junto a ella para volver a bajar por el ascensor, y entonces solo estuvieron ellos dos solos; de nuevo en ese maldito e incómodo silencio.
-Tú…no hablas ¿O sí?-Le preguntó. Y como se lo esperaba, la robot no le respondió.-Eso…eso es…muy triste…-Le dijo. Cyborg solo torció un poco los labios.- ¿No te gustaría poder hablar?, ¿Tener sentimientos? ¿Reír?, ¿Llorar?... ¿Algo?
-…
-Bien, ya veo. No haré nada estúpido, lo prometo.-Mencionó Stuart.-Solo…echaré un vistazo.-En realidad no quería seguir soportando la mirada de Cyborg, por eso le dio la espalda y para ver también con que otras cosas se distraía.
Cerca de La Pared de los Capitanes (2D supuso que así debería llamarla de ahora en adelante) tenía dos opciones: Acercarse a ver el librero que estaba justo del lado derecho para ver que tantos ejemplares tenia, o del lado izquierdo había un gran globo terráqueo en el suelo. 2D no tenía ganas de ponerse a leer nada en ese momento, así que optó por acercarse a ver el globo. Este estaba dividido por una franja justo a la mitad, lo cual significaba que el globo podía abrirse en dos. Al levantar la parte superior del globo, notó que en su interior estaban escondidas varias botellas de ron y de whisky, así que volvió a colocar la parte superior en su lugar.-Vaya, vaya. Encontré el tesoro del Capitán Murdoc.
Al lado del globo había una rokola. Esta contenía todas las canciones que la banda había compuesto hasta el momento, y estaban catalogadas por álbum. Primero Gorillaz, luego G-Sides, Laika come home, Demon Days, y D-Sides. Componer todos esos álbumes fue una buena experiencia, pero tampoco diría que todo fue color de rosa, hubo disputas y separaciones entre ellos, pero siempre fue Noodle quien logró reunirlos, justo antes de lanzar Demon Days.
Oh, su preciosa princesita, la extrañaba demasiado; siempre procurándolos a todos y sacándoles sonrisas con esos encantos y muestras de cariño que solo ella podía dar. Ojala algún día volvieran a juntarse.
También extrañaba mucho a Russel, pero de él no sabía su paradero, no sabía nada, y podía asegurar que Murdoc tampoco, o si no, Russ estaría ahí con ellos justo ahora, para ayudarles con este nuevo proyecto musical.
Que fastidio, 2D tenía que lidiar con la idea de que este nuevo álbum era en parte su responsabilidad para poder hacerlo, y peor, era a la fuerza.
Quiso deshacerse de ese pensamiento. De repente su mirada ya no estaba en la rokola, estaba fijada en unas cuantas cabezas encogidas que colgaban de la pared. ¿Serian de plástico o de verdad? Pero definitivamente él no colgaría algo así en ninguna pared, era demasiado aterrador. Le pareció haber visto como una de esas cabezas movía la boca; esto le horrorizó tanto que gritó agudamente y retrocedió unos cuantos pasos para terminar chocando con uno de los varios sillones de cuero que estaban ahí y cayendo de espaldas en él. Esos sillones estaban ahí a manera de que hacían una pequeña sala de cine, mirando hacia una pantalla de tela que estaba bajada.
Intentó pararse, y ya tenía delante de él a Cyborg Noodle extendiéndole la mano para ayudarle. 2D no desaprovechó eso.-Gracias,…eso significa que te preocupas por mí.-Sonrió.-Después de todo si tienes sentimientos ¿Eh?
Un robot no tiene sentimientos, pero ni la misma Cyborg sabía por qué le había ayudado, en realidad.
Ella fue hasta el interruptor que hacía que la pantalla volviera a subir, dando así la vista completa hacia la ventana del estudio que hasta hace unos segundos estaba siendo obstruida.
2D se acercó a mirar. En ese instante no quería pensar en ponerse a componer canciones por el momento, a él lo único que le importaba era que Russel y Noodle estuvieran bien, donde quiera que estuvieran ahora.
Solo el mar y el cielo era lo que se podía distinguir allá afuera; ojala no fuera a salir una ballena de la nada; pero a 2D le pareció ver algo más. No distinguía bien que era, así que agarró el telescopio que tenía cerca y miro a través de él.
Eran ni más ni menos que el oso polar gay y el cocodrilo. Esos dos eran inseparables cuando estaban en los Kong, y ahora los veía ahí en Plastic Beach. El oso estaba montado en una pequeña lancha, con la tanga desamarrada, mostrando sus genitales, pero no parecía importarle; y justo detrás, flotando con un salvavidas, el cocodrilo con sus gafas de sol y disfrutando de una bebida para refrescarse. Que insólito.
Por último, 2D se acercó a mirar la pecera. Nunca le agradaron mucho los peces; solo toqueteo un poco el cristal para asustarlos.
Cuando se giró de nuevo hacia el ascensor, Cyborg volvía a estar ahí, como si no se hubiera movido. 2D reparó también en unas escaleras de ahí mismo que guiaban hacia la terraza.
-Hey…-Mencionó con astucia. Su intención era subir las escaleras, pero Cyborg se lo impidió extendiendo su brazo para no dejarle pasar.
-No voy a hacer nada. Solo…solo quiero…-2D buscaba la forma de pasar a lado de Cyborg, pero ella se ponía en donde él quería moverse. Pareciera que hasta estaban haciendo una danza.
Se oía el ascensor subir. Murdoc volvió con varias hojas y una pluma para escribir.- ¿Qué intentas hacer Face-ache?
-Quiero subir y Cyborg no me deja.
-No hay nada interesante allá arriba. Vamos por acá.-2D se rindió y de nuevo siguió a Murdoc junto con Cyborg. Los guió por otra puerta que daba paso al estudio…pero al estudio de grabación.-Aquí es donde ensayaremos.
El lugar estaba lleno de sintetizadores, estéreos, amplificadores, micrófonos, teclados, melódicas, bajos, guitarras y hasta un órgano viejo. Prácticamente todo lo que se necesitaba para una buena canción. Aunque eso sí, mucho desorden por doquier.
-¿Esperas que ensayemos aquí?
-¿Algún problema?
-Mmmm...No, no...Ninguno.
Por encima del ventanal había varias fotografías de los diversos artistas y grupos con quienes ya habían trabajado anteriormente para sus canciones y giras. Algunos otros artistas eran nuevos. Bobby Womack, Snoop Dogg, Little Dragon, Damon Albarn, De La Soul, por mencionar algunos.
-Estoy considerándolos a todos ellos para ver si pueden ayudarnos en este disco.-Dijo Murdoc.
-Sí, y… ¿piensas invitarlos hasta acá para grabar? No creo que vengan.
-No conoces mis métodos Face-ache.
-Claro, llamarás a Boggie Man para pedirle que los secuestre también ¿No?-Exclamo con indignación.
-No quiero tener nada que ver con Boogie Man por ahora, con lo que hizo contigo me doy por bien servido.-2D se cruzó de brazos sin creerle demasiado.-Bien, sigamos…-Murdoc se percató de que a Cyborg le pasaba algo. La robot había dejado caer su rifle de las manos y sus ojos comenzaban a emitir una lucecilla roja parpadeante y él sabía lo que significaba.-Cyborg se está quedando sin batería. Necesitamos recargarla.
-P-pero ¿Cómo? ¿Y en dónde?
-Ayúdame y llévatela en los brazos. No vaya a ser que se desplome en el suelo.
Con algo de nervios, 2D hizo lo que Murdoc le dijo, y cargo a Cyborg como a una novia recién casada. Entraron al ascensor y Murdoc presiono el botón del cuarto de ingeniería. Comenzaron su descenso, como siempre, sin decir nada.
El cuarto de ingeniería estaba oscuro a excepción de unos cuantos focos que aun servían y estaban prendidos, pero la luz que daban era muy tenue. Igual había mucho desorden; engranes por aquí, tornillos por allá, aceite de motor regado por el suelo, algunas cosas se estaban oxidando y ese olor impregnaba el aire.
-Huele muy mal.
-¿Qué importa?-Murdoc se detuvo en determinado lugar donde un montón de cables colgaban desde arriba.-Hay que enchufar todos estos en Cyborg. Le pasaran la energía que necesita.-Murdoc se puso manos a la obra mientras 2D seguía sosteniéndola. Nunca había visto tantos cables juntos. Unos iban a parar en los brazos, hombros, espalda y cabeza. Pronto los cables hicieron su función y empezó a correr por ellos la corriente, incluso salieron unos pocos chispazos. Los ojos de Cyborg brillaron, e iluminaron el rostro de 2D por un momento de tal forma que le cegó su destello; luego volvieron a la normalidad, pero no dejaban de mirarle.-Suéltala.-Le dijo Murdoc.
2D la dejo con delicadeza en el suelo.-Estas mejor.-Aseguró.
-Bien, no se repondrá completamente sino hasta mañana. Dejémosla aquí y vámonos.-Los dos hombres salieron del cuarto, y antes de que Murdoc pudiera cerrar la puerta 2D miró a Cyborg de nuevo y ella hizo lo mismo. Le daba tristeza que se fuera a quedar ahí sola toda la noche, pero supuso que ya había sido así en veces anteriores.-Face-ache, ya es tarde. Me iré a mi habitación y más te vale que tú también lo hagas. Ah, y por cierto…-Le entregó las hojas que había traído consigo todo el tiempo y también la pluma.-ya tienes donde escribir las canciones.
Como el cuarto de Murdoc quedaba antes que el de 2D, él se bajó primero y 2D descendió solo hasta el propio.
Ahí estaba más oscuro que la mierda, pero de alguna forma, 2D se reconfortó con recordar los ojos de Cyborg cuando brillaron e iluminaron parte del cuarto también.
_Como diamantes_.-Pensó él.-_Diamantes falsos._
3. Chapter 3
**¡He vueltoooo!**
**Yyyy lamento mucho el haber tardado tanto, me sentia muy perezosa como para avanzar, y se me iba la inspiracion, ademas la escuela me quitaba tiempo, ya saben. En fin, si pensaban que habia abandonado esto, se equivocan xD **
**Este capitulo esta vez se centra mas en la historia de lo que sucedió con Noodle antes de "Desaparecer" y he de darles unas aclaraciones:**
**1.-Enseguida que empieza este capitulo, se trata solamente de un flashback que muestra como es que se filma el video de "El mañana" **
**2.-Verán que se menciona a un tal Jimmy Manson. Este personaje, segun el ROTO era un hombrecillo que supuestamente queria convencer a Murdoc de formar una nueva banda con él, y bueno, ya verán lo que pasa despues con el pobrecillo. **
**3.-Se menciona una casa en Los Angeles en donde Gorillaz habitó temporalmente. Esto lo dice el ROTO, fue una casa que ellos rentaron despues de haber grabado su primer disco, parte de él en Jamaica. **
**4.-Las letras en negrita son frases que Cyborg visualiza gracias a su base de datos (¿Cyborg tiene base de datos? No lo sé, pero vamos a pensar que sí)**
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-Murdoc…dime que va a estar bien. ¡Dime por favor que Noodle va a estar bien!
-Lo estará, tiene su paracaídas ¿Recuerdas?
-No me refería a eso…
2D temblaba de nervios mientras él, Murdoc y Russel observaban en la pantalla y desde tierra firme lo que en ese momento las cámaras se encargaban de grabar, ya que desde el aire se estaba filmando el video de "El mañana". Lo único que se esperaba era que todo saliera bien, que Noodle fuera a salir sana y salva de todo aquello, porque esta vez no podía haber una segunda, tercera, cuarta o quinta toma o las que fueran, este trabajo tenía que salir bien hecho a la primera, esta vez no podía ni se permitiría que hubiera algún error.
Justo en ese momento las cámaras captaban a la nipona estando sonriente y sentada en medio del verde césped; después se hacía un alejamiento, mostrando que Noolde en realidad estaba sobre la isla flotante. Después se le mostraba acercándose al borde de ésta sosteniendo una pequeña flor en su mano y después dejándola ir con el aire. Ella ahora se sentaba en aquel mismo borde dejando que el viento jugara con su cabello. Ahí era que los helicópteros hacían su aparición y comenzaban a disparar con rudeza, atacándole a ella y a su isla, mientras intentaba huir de los disparos yéndose a refugiar al molino.
-¡Dios, no puedo ver esto!-Exclamó Russel tapándose los ojos con las manos. Mientras 2D gritaba el nombre de la chica antes de empezar a morderse las uñas debido a sus nervios.
Cando las cámaras hicieron otro enfoque, ahí se apreciaba que todo estaba ardiendo en fuego, incluyendo el borde superior del molino. Los helicópteros no dejaban de rodear y sobrevolar por la isla y de nuevo volvían a atacar.
Parecía que Noodle había tropezado con algo en tanto regresaba a ocultarse y ya todo estaba lleno de escombros y madera quemada.
-¡Murdoc!-Russel tomó a Murdoc por el cuello de su camisa y lo acercó peligrosamente a su rostro.-Si en verdad algo le pasa a Noodle, créeme que no me voy a controlar para darte la paliza de tu vida.
-¡La isla se está cayendo!-Gritó 2D en lo que señalaba hacia el cielo. Todos apreciaron como efectivamente aquel pedazo de tierra ardiente caía en picada, muy peligrosamente cerca de donde se encontraban todos, pero nadie salió herido pues se encontraban a una distancia decente.
La isla cayó hasta el fondo de aquel risco causando un gran estruendo al impactarse entre las rocas.
-¡Noodle!-Gritaron Russel y 2D después de eso, y no dudaron en salir corriendo hasta allá para ver que de casualidad Noodle estuviera ahí; Murdoc se quedó en su lugar admirando con calma todo el cielo, como si buscara allá arriba algo. Los helicópteros que ya habían hecho su trabajo empezaban a aterrizar.
A pesar de haber apagado el fuego con ayudad de los bomberos y haber movido los escombros, aquella fue la ultima vez que supieron de ella, Noodle nunca apareció.
* * *
_Meses atrás_
* * *
Noodle se dirigía hacia la cocina de los Kong para preparar algo de comer pues estaba hambrienta. Al entrar se encontró con Murdoc, quien parecía muy molesto; lo denotaba por su manera de moverse por toda la cocina, yendo de un lado a otro de manera inquieta mientras se fumaba un cigarro dándole calada tras calada y toda la cocina olía ya a tabaco.
-¿Murdoc, estas bien?-Preguntó la nipona con preocupación.
El mayor hasta ese momento no se dio cuenta de que ya no estaba solo.- ¿Hmm?-Se quitó el cigarro de los labios.-Oh, no es nada amor, estoy bien.
-…Oye, sé que quieres tranquilizarme, pero definitivamente algo te pasa. Cuéntame, por favor.
Murdoc al principio no quería decir nada, pero al final lo hizo ya que Noodle fue muy insistente.-Mhmmm…bien. ¿Recuerdas a ese hippie enano…Jimmy Manson?
Noodle reaccionó casi al instante.- ¡Ah! ¿Te refieres al sujeto que se quedaba en nuestra casa de Los Ángeles sin razón alguna?
-El mismo.
-¿Cómo olvidarlo? Era muy molesto.-Comentó ella haciendo una mueca de disgusto.
-¿Sí? Pues resulta que hasta hace poco se comunicó conmigo. Me propuso que entre ambos creáramos una nueva banda. En otras palabras, quería que le dijera adiós a Gorillaz…
Noodle dio un respingo debido al susto que sintió al oír eso.- ¡No puede ser! ¿Y qué le dijiste?
-Ese tipo está loco. Solo le di por su lado. Le dije que lo pensaría y luego volvería a buscarlo para decirle mi opinión.
-¡Murdoc! ¡Le estas dando esperanzas! ¿No querrás realmente desintegrar esta banda solo porque él te lo dice o sí?
-¡Eso nunca! No soy un estúpido. Cree que se puede salir con la suya, pero Murdoc Niccals es más listo. No te preocupes Noods, tengo un plan para sacar a ese hippie del camino…
Al ver como Murdoc sonrió con intenciones que ella aún desconocía, le entró un poco de duda y decidió preguntarle que tramaba.- ¿Un plan?... ¿Qué clase de plan?
Murdoc aprovechó en ese entonces que en unos cuantos días se rodaría el video para "El mañana" y esa era una excusa perfecta para deshacerse ahí de Jimmy de una vez y para siempre…aunque era demasiado arriesgado.
Murdoc terminó contándole su idea a la nipona y también a Russel y 2D esa misma tarde.
Obviamente todos se opusieron a deshacerse del hippie si eso implicaba poner a Noodle en un alto peligro y las probabilidades de que el plan de Murdoc funcionara dejando a esta última totalmente ilesa eran inciertas.
-¡Olvídalo Murdoc! ¡¿Qué pasa por tu cabeza al querer arriesgar a Noodle así?!-Continuó Russel.
-¡Ni siquiera vale la pena intentarlo, podrías matarla!-Dijo 2D.
Pero el bajista se mantenía firme, argumentando que si ella iba estar rodeada de profesionales, nada tenía porque salir mal.-Escucha Noodle; nunca te pediría este enorme favor si de verdad pensara que algo puede ocurrirte y nunca me lo perdonaría.
-Pues…vaya que este si es un favor muy grande.
-¿Podría recompensarte si lo haces? Tendrás cualquier cosa que me pidas.
-¡Eso es chantajismo!-Intervino 2D.
-¡Cállate, el asunto ni siquiera es contigo, Faceache!
-… ¿En serio cualquier cosa?-Dijo la chica, aun meditándolo.
Murdoc se puso la mano sobre el corazón.-Te doy mi palabra, amor.
-Mmmmhhh…Pero...no sé…tendría que pensarlo bien.
Con esas palabras Noodle pasó por la semana más difícil, llevándose unos buenos dolores de cabeza por tanto pensar en lo que debía hacer. Russel y 2D le seguían aconsejado que no aceptara, pero ¿Qué no debía, al menos, otorgarle un poco de confianza a Murdoc? ¿Qué tal que de verdad todo salía bien al final? Además, tenía la ventaja de pedir todo lo que quisiera si lo hacía.
Fue entonces, que más tarde que temprano, Noodle ya había tomado una decisión, y de igual forma se la hizo saber a los demás.
-Chicos yo…lo haré.
-¡Sí!-Mientras que Murdoc pareció complacido al oírlo, Russel y 2D sintieron miedo e hicieron un último esfuerzo para persuadirle.
-¡Nooo! Noods…
-Lo siento, pero ya me decidí.-Hablo con firmeza.
-¿Y…que vas a querer a cambio, amor?
-Quiero…ehmm…yo quisiera…tomarme unas vacaciones de Gorillaz por un tiempo…
2D se sobresaltó.- ¡¿Qué?! ¡Noodle…!
Russel puso haber actuado de igual forma, en el interior también estaba inquieto, pero decidió serenarse y tratar las cosas con calma.- ¿Pero por qué lo dices Noods?
-¿Acaso ya no nos quieres…?-Volvió a preguntar 2D con tristeza.
-¿Por cuánto tiempo serían esas vacaciones?
-¿Y a donde te irías?-Sin quererlo, ambos la estaban llenando de preguntas que apenas podía responder.
-Escúchenme por favor. No es que ya no los quiera, yo a ustedes los adoro más que nada, son mi familia, y… realmente no sé por cuanto tiempo me iría, quizás a Japón, o…no sé, pero en serio creo que necesito un descanso de todo esto. Componer prácticamente yo sola todo el Demon Days no fue nada fácil, y ahora con esto de las giras, los conciertos, yo…yo apenas tengo catorce años, no es un estilo de vida muy apropiado para mí, pero no significa que no me guste… solo…quisiera que comprendieran.
Russel y 2D intercambiaron miradas. Parecía que la chica tenía buenos fundamentos por los cuales querer ese descanso indefinido, y ahora si parecían comprenderla aunque seguían tímidos ante la sola idea de estar sin Noodle. Hasta el momento Murdoc no había mencionado palabra y también querían conocer su opinión.-Murdoc…-Fue Russel quien llamó la atención del bajista, quien después miró a la nipona, y con toda la calma del mundo le dijo:
-Bien Noodle, si eso quieres, las tendrás.
-¿E-en…serio?-Murdoc asintió. Sin poder resistirlo, la nipona se le lanzó encima para abrazarlo.-¡Ahhh! ¡Gracias, gracias, gracias! ¡No tienen idea de cuánto los voy a extrañar!-Esa misma noche la chica se puso a preparar sus maletas cargadas con toda su ropa. 2D se asomó silgilosamente a su cuarto, y Noodle al verlo le preguntó.-¿Que pasa 2D? Te veo triste...
-Estoy triste.-Y en verdad se le notaba.
-Awww...
-N-no...no te vallas...
Ella solo suspiró.-Lo siento. P-pero..veras que regresaré.-Sonrió calidamente.
-¿Y cuándo?
Guardó silencio un momento y leugo le dijo.-Algún día. Cuando menos te lo esperes, verás que volveremos a estar juntos.
Despues de oir eso, 2D entró al cuarto y extendío los brazos mientras las lagrimas resbalaban de sus ojos. Noodle pudo entender el mesaje y se acercó corriendo a él para darle un fuerte abrazo.
Durante los siguientes días se estuvieron sacando y empacando todas las cosas que eran de Noodle para enviarlas igualmente por FedEx a donde la nipona planeaba tomarse su descanso. Su cuarto pronto quedó vacío.
De igual forma se estuvo preparando lo que fue el rodaje para el video de "El mañana". Se decidió que la isla flotante que fue usada para aparecer en el video de "Feel Good Inc." volvería a aparecer en este, siendo atacada por varios helicópteros lanzándole balas, bombas, proyectiles, granadas, cualquier cosa con el fin de derribarla y destruirla, y todo eso mientras Noodle estuviera dentro de la misma.
Este era el gran peligro que tanto 2D como Russel querían evitarle, pero como ya se había dicho, los que tripularían los helicópteros serian profesionales y realmente actuarían sin lastimar a Noodle e incluso discretamente le darían oportunidad para que escapara de los ataques.
Todo esto era plan con maña, por supuesto para deshacerse de ese hippie. Murdoc también había vuelto a comunicarse con él, diciéndole que aceptaba su oferta y que para ello tendría que deshacerse de uno de sus integrantes, en este caso de Noodle, para que Jimmy se uniera a la banda. Le engañó en parte, diciéndole que él (Jimmy) podría deshacerse de ella mientras estuviera dentro del faro de la isla mientras se rodaba el video y que hasta entonces debía permanecer oculto de Noodle y de las cámaras hasta que Murdoc le diera la señal para salir.
De lo que nunca le contó era de los helicópteros y de todo su armamento. Jimmy jamás supo de la trama del video y todo lo que implicaba, por lo que en momento en que empezaron los ataques aéreos, Jimmy no supo que hacer, entro en pánico; ya no pudo esperar a que Murdoc le diera la dichosa señal que nunca llegó, y al momento de salir de su escondite al encuentro con la japonesa, ella ya no estaba ahí. Ella había tomado el paracaídas y saltó sin que las cámaras la detectaran, justo antes de que la isla comenzara a venirse abajo, totalmente incendiada, antes de su inminente choque catastrófico contra el risco en el que iba a parar.
Aquella fue la última vez en que alguien supo que existió un hippie enano llamado Jimmy Manson.
* * *
**Batería cargándose **
**Batería cargándose **
**Batería cargándose **
**Batería cargándose **
Cuando esto ocurría, su sistema no le permitía moverse en lo absoluto. Debía permanecer inmóvil hasta que apareciera un aviso que cambiaba, diciendo _Batería cargada_. Así ya podría liberarse de los cables y andar libre de nuevo. Era una rutina que debía realizarse de vez en cuando su batería se quedaba sin energía. Pero mientras tanto, estaba ahí, sentada sobre el suelo en completa oscuridad, esperando pacientemente a que el aviso parpadeante cambiara, lo cual pasaría en cualquier momento puesto que ya llevaba un buen tiempo así, de hecho casi toda la noche.
Ahora ya hasta estaba amaneciendo de nuevo, y cuando apareció el mensaje de _Batería cargada_, Cyborg al fin pudo levantarse y deshacerse de todos sus cables.
En aquel cuarto de ingeniería Murdoc tenía instalada una o quizá varias cámaras de vigilancia que permanecían encendidas las 24 horas del día, pero no solo ahí, sino en todas y cada una de las demás habitaciones para estar al tanto de todo lo que ocurría en Plastic Beach. Tal vez él se hubiera percatado de cuando Cyborg recuperó su movilidad, y mediante una bocina que también estaba instalada en el cuarto, le dio la orden de bajar hasta donde estaba 2D y entregarle un desayuno para que se alimentara.
**Desayuno-Primer alimento que se toma en la mañana. Acción de desayunar. **
Cyborg obedeció la orden y pronto estuvo en frente de la escotilla que hacía de puerta para la habitación de Stuart. Tuvo que sostener la charola con la comida con una sola mano y abrir con la otra, para ella no era algo difícil.
Al encontrarse con 2D, lo vio observando una de las muchas hojas de papel que Murdoc le había dado ayer; tenía algo escrito pero no supo qué. Él al verla la saludo con una sonrisa amistosa, hizo a un lado aquella hoja y le pregunto si se encontraba mejor.-Ah, espera…claro que estas mejor ¿Ni para que pregunto?-Se dio un pequeño golpecito en la cabeza sí mismo y volvió a sonreír. Después notó lo que Cyborg le entregaba. Su desayuno era fruta picada y jugo de naranja. Se preguntaba de donde lo habría sacado, estando en una playa de plástico en medio del océano, pero de inmediato supo que se seguiría quedando con esa duda.
Al terminarse su desayuno, volvió a tomar la hoja y la dobló en cuatro partes antes de meterla en su pantalón.
Salió con Cyborg siguiéndole desde atrás a buscar a Murdoc y termino encontrándolo en el estudio. Mo hacia nada especial, solo se bebía una botella de ron.
-Sabía que vendrían.-Dijo mientras dejaba el licor sobre el escritorio e el que a la vez estaba apoyando los pies.
-¿Ah sí? ¿Y cómo?-Al parecer 2D hasta ahora no notaba que Plastic Beach en su interior estaba hasta el tope con las pequeñas cámaras de vigilancia.
-…Solo lo adiviné.
-Oh…emm…bien. Verás Mudz, tengo esto…-2D le mostró la hoja de papel y se acercó con él a discutirlo. Murdoc se enderezó en su asiento y comenzaron a leer lo que decía.-Es la idea que tengo para la letra de una canción. No es mucho, apenas la empecé a escribir cuando estaba amaneciendo, pero…
-Bien Robocop, retírate.-Le había hecho una seña a Cyborg para que se fuera antes de volver con 2D a aquel asunto.
**RoboCop-Pelicula estadounidense de 1987**
Ella obedeció y salió al patio de Plastic Beach para observarlo todo desde ahí. La playa estaba tranquila a esas horas y normalmente nunca ocurría nada nuevo.
Paso un buen tiempo antes de que 2D saliera al patio también. Cyborg lo miró acercarse pero después volvió su vista hacia el frente. 2D la saludo y después se sentó a su lado.-Murdoc me dijo que debemos mejorarla. De todas formas apenas es un comienzo.-Refiriéndose a la letra que había escrito.- ¿Pero y él que piensa hacer, eh? Solo está ahí adentro bebiéndose todas las botellas de ron que tiene y no aporta ideas, no escribe ni compone nada, quiere que todo lo haga yo…-Volteó a mirar a Cyborg, quien seguía con la mirada bien puesta hacia el océano.-Perdón…-Lo sabía y no era como si Cyborg le fuera a dar su opinión.-tal vez no puedas decirme nada, pero aun así…creo que eres buena escuchando y…eso me sirve para desahogarme. ¡Valla! Creo que hasta podría quejarme todo lo que quisiera de Murdoc y tú no irás ni le contaras nada, o si no me mataría…-Cyborg lo miró y asintió una sola vez pasivamente con la cabeza, para volver a su trabajo de vigilar la playa.-Sí…-De nuevo ese silencio incómodo. A 2D no le gustaba el silencio así que debía romperlo.-Entonces… ¿Esto es lo que haces? ¿Solo…te quedas mirando el mar todo el día?
-…
-Cielos…que aburrido.-Apoyó su rostro sobre sus rodillas mientras a estas las abrazaba. -¿No te cansas de hacerlo siempre?
De cualquier forma, 2D también terminó entreteniéndose con la vista, era muy hermoso. Esto le inspiró para escribir otro poco para aquella canción.
* * *
**Espero reviews, si gustan dejarme alguno, por alguna duda que tengan, no sé, preguten con confianza ^w^ **
4. Chapter 4
**¡Woooo! Este es un tiempo record, nunca habia actualizado tan rapido un capitulo tras otro, siempre tardo siglos T.T me siento feliz porque la señora inspiracion no me bandonó esta vez n.n **
**Aqui esta el capitulo 4, ojala les guste, y como siempre, yo y mis aclaraciones lol**
**1.-Solo por si no sabian, "Capitan Morgan" es el nombre de un ron blanco. En la etiqueta de la botella aparece la imagen de un capitan, vaya, pues de el Capitan Morgan, ¿de quien si no? xD Y si, bueno, hago que una imagen de un pirata le hable a Murdoc, pero se debe mas que nada a que éste ultimo se esta volviendo un poco loco, eso esta confirmadisimo si te pones a escuchar sus emisiones de radio "Pirate radio" xP se le van las cabras al monte, lol (Adoro las emisiones de radio de Murdoc, me entretienen y me hacen reir tanto, ademas te pone cancioncitas muy cool B/ ) Y claro, despues de tanto tiempo él solo, en una playa de basura en medio de la nada, seee, que te vulevas loco es muy lógico y probable :T **
**2.-Stink Fish era el nombre que Murdoc le queria poner a practicamente todas sus canciones, nada mas porque tiene flojera de pensar en uno mejor (? xD o tambien les queria poner "Pink Sint Fish", "The house of the Stink Fish" y demas weas que tuvieran que ver con "Stink Fish" lol, menos mal que ninguna cancion se llama asi realmente ewe **
**3.-Al no tener referencias de "Noodle", Cyborg asume que con ello los chicos se estan refiriendo a ella misma, y eso le causa confusion, lo que mas tarde desencadenara en un horrible malentendido D:**
**4.-No conozco, y en realidad creo que nadie conoce realmnete el orden exacto en que se fueron creando las canciones para este album ( O si? D: ) el punto es que yo las voy sacando como se me pega la gana, al fin y al cabo, eso no afecta mucho la historia xD **
* * *
Ya llevaba una buena cantidad de botellas que se bebía, una tras otra sin parar, lo cual por poco le hace caer de su asiento a punto de perder el conocimiento a causa de su embriaguez.
Hizo una pequeña pausa de las bebidas para prender un cigarro. En ese momento escucho una voz que llamaba por su atención. Al principio no supo identificar de donde venía, estaba él solo en el estudio ¿Quién podría estarle hablando?
-Oye tú…si, tú vejete, estoy aquí, en la botella.
-¿C-capitán Sparrow…?-Murdoc al verlo, abrió los ojos tan grandes como pudo, y vaya que esta vez sí pudo haberse caído del asiento. El Capitán de la etiqueta de aquella botella de ron casi vacía, estaba hablando con él.
-¡No, soy el Capitán Morgan! ¡Por Poseidón, solo mírate! Solo me causas vergüenza y asco, camarada.
-¿Q-que…?-Estaba tan ebrio que le dolía la cabeza y la vista la tenía muy borrosa.
-Un hombre como tú no debería desperdiciar su tiempo bebiendo ron. Si tanto quieres echar a andar tu proyecto, entonces deberías esforzarte, le estas dejando todo el trabajo a ese pobre chico. ¡Anda y crea tus propias canciones, deberías gastar todo tu potencial en ello!
Con pesar Murdoc se pone de pie, un poco animado por lo que acababa de oír.-Seeee tienes razón, el álbum no se va terminar solo.
-Exacto.
-Además, si le dejo todo el trabajo al cara de simio podría echarlo a perder en algún momento.
-¿Eres el jefe, no? ¡Ve allá y haz lo que mejor sabes, compañero!
-¡Lo hare! ¡Gracias Capitán Barba Negra!-Murdoc toma más hojas y algo con que escribir y salió de ahí.
-¡Soy el capitán Morgan!-Gritó con enojo.
Murdoc pensó que sería buena idea si tomaba su submarino y recorría los alrededores con él para inspirarse y estar más tranquilo y a gusto.- ¡Cyborg, me iré por un momento, vigila muy bien a 2D!-Le gritó al verlos a ambos en el patio. Como siempre, sabía que Cyborg haría bien su trabajo, asi que el que 2D se escapara no le preocupaba.
2D al ver que Murdoc se metía dentro del submarino, el cual nunca había notado antes, preguntó a la robot.-¿Siempre estuvo ese submarino ahí…? ¡Oh rayos! Debí sospecharlo.-Dijo con decepción.
Seguían en su silencio absoluto mirando el océano, el cielo, el helicóptero el que se aproximaba hacia la playa…
Esperen… ¡Un helicóptero! Que novedad. 2D pudo haberle hecho señas para que los que lo tripulaban lo pudieran sacar de ahí, pero sabía que era arriesgado porque Cyborg no lo dejaba solo ni un instante.
La robot enseguida se puso de pie; esta vez debido a no tener su rifle consigo, optó por abrir la boca y liberar el arma que en ella escondía. 2D observó cómo desde su interior salían las balas una tras otra sin detenerse. Iban tan rápido que apenas le eran perceptibles ante sus ojos. Atacaban el helicóptero frenéticamente hasta dar en el punto clave que le hizo perder el control al piloto y tener un descenso violento.
-¡No!...
Al estrellarse contra el mar hizo un fuerte estruendo acompañado de un gran chapuzón justo antes de que explotara para luego comenzar a hundirse.
Que…decepción.
* * *
Mientras esto ocurría allá afuera, en el submarino, Murdoc pasó en frente de varios arrecifes, corales, hasta tiburones y tortugas. Hasta que cierto animalito llamó su atención, era una medusa. ¿Cuántas veces se tiene la oportunidad de toparse con una? Eso le dio una idea y con mucho entusiasmo se puso a escribir lo que pensaba. No le fue difícil y cuando se dio cuenta ya tenía la letra terminada. Solo le faltaba el titulo pero eso se le ocurriría después.
A tan solo unos cuantos metros de donde el submarino se había detenido por un momento, Murdoc apreció como un helicóptero lleno de agujeros de bala repentinamente chocaba contra el agua y empezaba a hundirse en la misma hasta llegar al fondo. Lo que no pudo ver fue que saliera ninguna persona de ahí.
Volvió a Plastic Beach, muy confundido por esto que acaba de pasar, pero a la vez se mostraba orgulloso de sí mismo por lo que había logrado en tan solo unos minutos bajo el mar y ansiaba encontrar a 2D para mostrarle lo que escribió. Él y Cyborg seguían en donde los había visto hace rato, en el patio.
Cyborg abandonó el lugar en cuanto vio llegar a Murdoc, pero tampoco se alejó demasiado; sabía que él solo querría hablar con 2D y mejor ella no estorbaba.
-¡Murdoc, lo hubieras visto! ¡De repente venia un helicóptero hacia acá y Cyborg de la nada comenzó a dispararle y lo derribo y explotó! ¡Y las balas salían de su boca Murdoc…de su boca!
-Lo vi. Hizo un buen trabajo, no dejó a ningún sobreviviente al parecer.
-Pero esas personas…
-Awww ¿Qué? ¿Creías que te venían a salvar? Aww pobre bebé.-Fingió lastima.- ¡Pues te equivocas! No eran personas comunes, eran piratas, los mismos que me vienen buscando y persiguiendo desde hace tiempo ¿Recuerdas? Fueron solo unos cuantos de los muchos a quienes estafé. Si hubieran llegado hasta aquí, créeme que lo primero que hubieran hecho sería matarte a ti, y luego si me toman desprevenido, me matan también. Así que, que no te extrañe si vuelves a ver otro helicóptero como esos, es más común verlos de lo que piensas. Esos piratas deben tener un buen armamento y todo, pero nosotros tenemos a Cyborg; este no es el primero que ella derriba, por si te lo preguntabas.
2D tragó saliva.-Eh bien, bien, ya entendí.
-Excelente, ahora mira esto.-Le entregó la canción que acababa de escribir.
Cuando 2D leyó la letra no tuvo mucho que decir, en realidad.-Ehhmmm… ¿Se supone que esto es una canción?
-¿Ingenioso, no?
-Ehhh bueno, es algo…extraña.
-¿A qué te refieres con extraña?
-Es que…uhhmm…estás hablando de las medusas como comida.
-Mmmmm bueno, sí, quizás deba atribuirlo a que tenía hambre. Pero ¡Vamos! Las medusas si se pueden comer, digo, en Japón a veces lo hacen.-Al oír esto, 2D cambió su semblante a uno más triste.- ¿Qué te pasa?
-Me acordé de Noodle…yo…la extraño.
-¡Vamos! ¿Y crees que yo no?
-¿En verdad crees que estará bien?
-En donde quiera que ande esa niña, se la estará pasando de lo lindo, ella y sus…largas, largas vacaciones.
2D suspiró.-Eso espero.
Cyborg estaba programada para tener grabadas todas y cada una de las conversaciones y palabras que detectaba, y siempre en caso de desconocer alguna de ellas, podía volver a repetirla y buscar resultados sobre su definición.
**Me acorde de Noodle...la extraño. **
**Buscar: Extraño.**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Extraño, Sinonimo de "desconocido"; del verbo "Extrañar". Echar de menos a una persona o a una cosa. **
**Fin de la búsqueda.**
**Buscar: Noodle. **
**Buscando…**
**Buscando…**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Noodle. Cyborg Noodle. **
**Fin de la búsqueda. **
Cyborg al parecer solo podía reconocer "Noodle" como un segundo nombre con el cual los demás podían también referirse a ella. Pero eso no tiene concordancia con lo que 2D dijo, ni con el resto de la conversación entre los dos hombres. No se puede echar de menos a una persona o cosa siendo que esa persona o cosa esta ahí mismo. Y ella ni siquiera se estaba tomando ningunas vacaciones. Pero…si estar a tan solo tres metros de distancia de alguien ya era suficiente para extrañarle, entonces solo tenía que…
-Como sea.-Se escuchó la voz de Murdoc.-En cuanto al título de esta canción, no sé, estaba pensando en llamarla Stink Fish, ¿Qué te parece?
-Me parece que esta horrible. No es un buen título para una canción, y no tiene que ver con la letra.
-¿Ah, sí? Propón algo mejor, genio.
-Ahh bien, que tal ¿"Superfast Jellyfish"? Así concordaría con el coro que le pusiste.
-Errrmm…quizás. Quizá, puede ser. No sigue siendo tan bueno como "Stink Fish" pero lo pondré como "probable".
-Está bien.-Susurrando para sí mismo 2D se dijo que de todas formas la canción en si no era tan buena tampoco. Quería regresar adentro y cuando lo hizo se encontró con Cyborg obstruyéndole el paso.-Cyborg…-No pudo terminar lo que iba a decir puesto que la robot le sorprendió dándole un abrazo.
**Buscar: ¿Qué hacer cuando se echa de menos a una persona? **
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Llamarle por teléfono, decirle que todo está bien, acortar la distancia que los separa, darle un abrazo. **
**Buscar: Abrazo.**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Abrazo. Acción de abrazar. Rodear al alguien o a algo con los** **brazos.**
**Fin de la búsqueda.**
Lo más apropiado era hacer las dos últimas cosas. Acortar la distancia y dar un abrazo.
2D solo pudo echarle una mirada confusa a Murdoc, y ese también se encogió de hombros al no saber porque Cyborg le abrazaba de repente, eso no era nada común, mucho en un robot.
-Awww que linda Cyborg, gracias.-Fue lo que 2D dijo.-También te quiero.-Le acarició el cabello.
**Buscar: Quiero. **
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Quiero. Del verbo querer. Desear, tener la intención de poseer o lograr algo; tener amor o cariño a alguien o a algo. **
**Fin de la búsqueda. **
**Buscar: Amor.**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Amor. Sentimiento que atrae una persona hacia otra. **
**Fin de la búsqueda. **
**Buscar: Cariño.**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Cariño. Sentimiento o inclinación de amor o afecto.**
**Fin de la búsqueda.**
**Buscar: Sentimiento**
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Sentimiento. Estado afectivo del ánimo.; parte afectiva del ser humano; afecto, amor. **
**Fin de la búsqueda.**
En conclusión…2D amaba a Cyborg y se sentía atraído hacia ella. Eso fue lo que su sistema pudo rescatar y guardarse esa idea después de haber adquirido todas esas definiciones.
-Aww bien, bien, suficiente.-Intervino Murdoc alejando a Cyborg de 2D.-Supongo que te divertiste disparándole al helicóptero, ¿O no, Cyborg? Pero ya es hora de que repongas energías y todo eso. Lo mismo para ti Faceache, porque mañana mismo empezamos a grabar y también con las melodías para las canciones Si puedes, no estaría nada mal si se te ocurre alguna otra idea hoy mismo.
-Lo…lo intentaré.
-Bien. ¿Y tú qué esperas _Terminato_r? Retírate.
-Oye, no le digas así.-Habló 2D.
-… ¿Cómo dices?
-Dije que no deberías decirle así.-Repitió con disgusto.-Podrá ser una robot, pero sigue siendo Noodle…es decir…solo mírala…y no deberías ponerle esos apodos por eso.
-Yo la creé, puedo llamarle como quiera.
-Pero no se lo merece. Te defendió del ataque de esos piratas, y ahora a mi hasta me abraza.
-Agh…mira, si va ponerte así, no estoy para tolerar reclamos. ¡Por Satán! Hasta te pareces a Russel cuando hablas así…-Murdoc fue quien decidió marcharse esta vez.
-…Apuesto a que quisieras que él estuviera aquí… ¡Sin él y sin la verdadera Noodle no somos Gorillaz! Solo somos dos sujetos atrapados en una isla de basura.
-¡Ya cállate!-2D se espantó al creer que Murdoc se regresaría a golpearlo, pero no pasó asi, el otro siguió su camino, pero pudo notar que con lo que le dijo lo dejó muy cabreado.
-Uff…-Suspiró con alivio.-Ya no te preocupes Cyborg.-Le dijo.-Ojala con eso entienda que te debe algo de respeto.-Con eso ultimó, cada quien tomo su camino hasta sus habitaciones. 2D ya estando en la suya, puso a trabajar un poco su mente para completar la canción que tenía a medias, y ver si de paso se le ocurría algo para hacer otra como Murdoc le dijo. No estaría mal hacer una canción que hablara de Plastic Beach, pero le sería horriblemente difícil concentrarse ahora que a la ballena se le había ocurrido aparecerse por ahí de nuevo. Paso justo enfrente de la ventana y 2D sintió su mirada posarse sobre él.- ¡Carajo, ya lárgate!-Le gritó. Inmediatamente tomó la sabana de su cama y se cubrió por completo con ella.- ¡Deja de mirarme!-Exclamó.-…Odio tanto a las ballenas…
5. Chapter 5
**¿Adivinen quien volvió con este fic que no actualizaba desde hace un año? :'v **
**De verdad no tengo perdon de Dios por haber tardado milenios para esto No tengo excusas, solo lo fui aplazando mas y mas hasta que se quedó olvidado, supongo :T Seré sincera, despues de todo este tiempo que pasó se me perdieron las ideas de como tenia planeada esta histotia en un principio. Este capitulo es corto pero es un nuevo comienzo para mi y de todas formas creo que sí voy a volver a tomar el curso que tenia :) solo debo volver a revisar unos videos de la banda para tomarlos en cuenta y acordarme de todo y ya. **
**Nunca dejaria un fic botado y sin terminar, aunque despues de todo este tiempo si lo pensé y me dije que no valia la pena, hasta pensé en borrarlo pero despues repentinamente empece a notar que me llegaban notificaciones a mi email diciendo que x ususario habia agregado esta historia favoritos, o la estaba siguiendo o me habia comentado y yo asi de "aww que lindos :') pero ¡¿POR QUÉ?¡?" xD en serio ¿por que? No lo merezco chicos pero muchas gracias :') en serio me sorprendio, a estas alturas ya no deberia tener usuarios que siguieran este fic y aun asi creo que hoy me llego una notificacion mas de uno de ustedes. No recuerdo el usuario pero aun asi muchas gracias, por ustedes estoy continuando, y tambien por mi misma, porque de verdad detesto las historias incompletas. Me lo han hecho y no es bonito :'( para nadie. Supongo que deben pensar que esta historia es muy buena y por eso la siguen, eso me anima muchisimo uwu **
**Ademas de todo, tambien quise actualizarla porque ¡Este año es el año de los Gorillaz y su fase 4! merecen un homenaje jajaja. O bueno, al menos, este_ iba_ a ser el año de Gorillaz pero recientemente se anunció que mejor seria para el proximo :`v todo por culpa de Damon que perdio la laptop en el Uber :v bueno, eso fue un rumor, nunca se confirmó, pero ¿que tal si sí? ;o; yo pensaba que no porque luego Jamie seguia subiendo nuevas imagenes a su instagram (de hecho hoy subio otras dos o tres iamgenes, en una de ellas salen Murdoc y Noodle y en otra apenas se ve una mano de Russel xD) pero la verdadera razon es que quieren hacer de esta nueva fase algo grande, algo mucho mas grande que en fases anteriores y debe ser perfecto, por eso se toman el tiempo para hacerlo bien c: y a nosotros solo nos queda esperar. **
**Oh si! ademas hoy mismo me llegó notificacion a mi fb de un chico, no diré su nombre por cuestiones de seguridad xD no lo conozco pero él me mando solicitud y lo acepté y vi que su foto de perfil era una de él a lado de Damon imaginense que bello :') yo quisiera una así con él o con algun otro de mis ídolos senpais que me noticeén xD y le comenté la foto diciendole que era un suertudo y que Damon salia muy bello xD y luego el chico me agregó a un grupo llamado "Gorillaz Argentina" Apenas lo vi y sip, me agradó ese grupo xD asi que esa tambien fue como una señal que me indicaba que debia continuar esta historia y hacerla volver :') **
**Ya por ultimo para dejarles leer el capitulo a gusto les pregunto ¿Como creen que seran las personalidades de los integrantes en esta nueva fase? ¿Habran cambiado algo o siguen igual? De Murdoc puedo decir que ya sonrie mas noblemente en las imagenes, antes sonreía mas siniestro y malvado y toda la cosa xD asi que tal vez eso indique que su personalidad cambió un poco y que ahora tenga una relacion mas amistosa con 2D. De este ultimo puedo decir que sigue siendo bello y por lo mismo que comento de Murdoc, 2D tambien parece mas ser independiente y con mayor libertad (libertino pues :v) De Noodle, oh, esa chica se volvio muy sensualona y coqueta, creo que nadie se lo esperaba, sobre todo cuando apenas veaimos su primera imagen apareciendo en la fase 4, en ese entonces todos decian "Oh, esa Noodle no envejece nada y sigue plana :v" ¿y cual planura ahora papá? 7u7 (? Y de Russel, él es y sigue siendo tan genial y cool como siempre -u- es el que menos cambios tiene y la vejez no se le nota, ese es solo un don que los negros poseen, poder nigga! BI xD**
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Así que 2D intentó concentrarse en sacar una canción que hablara de la playa, pero con la ballena vigilándolo constantemente tras su ventana le fue difícil, y luego cuando se rindió y mejor quiso ir a dormir tampoco pudo hacerlo muy bien que digamos.
Fue hasta el día siguiente que se presentó en el estudio de grabación por órdenes de Murdoc para que ahí fluyeran más sus ideas para nuevas canciones y nuevos ritmos. Necesitaban "explotarse" a sí mismos un poco más antes de siquiera pensar a que colaboradores invitar, pero al líder de la banda constantemente se le oía decir que su canción de las medusas, a la cual seguía insistiendo en llamar "Stink Fish", quedaría excelente si De La Soul participaba en ella, viendo la muy buena aceptación que "Feel Good Inc." tuvo con ellos en el álbum anterior.
2D esa mañana seguía practicando nuevos sonidos. En el estudio entre tanto instrumento termino topándose con un teclado Casio.
Si había algún instrumento que estuviera entre sus favoritos, ese era el teclado, y más si era Casio, era la mejor marca que había.
Y de repente pensó: "¿Casio?... ¿Plastic Beach?..." Esas palabras le rondaron por la mente un rato hasta que se le pudo ocurrir una frase coherente usándolas. "Hay un Casio en Plastic Beach."
Una frase demasiado sencilla, pero cuando te ves atrapado a la fuerza en una isla de basura e intentando componer un nuevo álbum, cualquier idea que se te ocurra ya es muy buena. Eso, o que su falta de sueño de anoche le hacía pensar solo puras banalidades.
Ese podría ser el coro, realmente no estaba de mucho humor para ser tan creativo, ya solo tenía que pensar en unas cuantas estrofas extra y listo, tendría una canción escrita y la titularía…oh claro "Plastic Beach".
Murdoc también intentaba sacar lo que fuera. Debido a que esa mañana era una muy calurosa quiso sentarse y refrescarse con un six de cervezas White Light.
-¿White Light ?... ¿White Light?...¿White...Flag?-Pensó en lo que miraba una lata ya vacía que sostenía con la mano.- White Flag...buen tiulo para una canción. Murdoc, ¡Eres un puto genio!- Se dijo. Tomo de inmediato a _El Diablo_, su querido bajo, y empezó a tocar algunos acordes al azar, intentando hallar una buena nota que le agradara.
-Hey Murdoc, tengo algo.- 2D se le acercó con lo que era el borrador de su canción.- ¿Qué opinas?
-Sí, sí. Está bien.- Respondió el otro sin ponerle mucha atención, aun concentrándose en su bajo.
-Pero ni la has visto.- Dijo 2D un poco decepcionado.
-Ponla por ahí, luego le echo un vistazo.
-¿Puedo salir afuera?- Preguntó después, con resignación.
-Pues ni modo que salieras adentro, tonto.- Murdoc se burló por su broma tan "audaz" en lo que tomaba la última lata del six y la abría para darle un sorbo hasta el fondo.
-Ja-ja, que gracioso.- Respondió 2D con sarcasmo y algo molesto.
Al parecer al buen Murdoc ya le empezaban a hacer efecto sus cervezas y por eso tampoco parecía concentrarse demasiado. Antes de irse lo escucho murmurar algo como "Debo pensar en unos acordes de guitarra para Cyborg también" y luego lo escucho reírse por lo bajo.
Al parecer un pequeño defecto de Cyborg era que ella no podía componer sus propios acordes. Claro, siendo una robot no poseía la creatividad para hacerlo así que Murdoc lo hacía en su lugar.
2D dejó el estudio para dirigirse hacia la playa. En lo que descendía por el elevador se acordó de sus amigos. ¿Acaso sería posible realizar este nuevo proyecto sin ellos? Sin la verdadera Noodle, ¿Y cómo se las arreglarían sin Russel?
Una vez que estuvo en la playa se encontró con Cyborg.- Hola Cyborg, ¿Qué hay? ¿Algo nuevo que reportar?
Ella volteó a mirarlo y negó con la cabeza.
-Eso pensé.- Dijo él.- Esta mañana no me siento con mucha inspiración.- Continúo.- Y luego, cuando con mucho esfuerzo le muestro a Murdoc lo que logré hacer, él me ignora. Está ebrio.- Continuaba con su parloteo. Quién sabe si Cyborg lo escuchaba o no, ella siempre mantenía su vista hacia el mar pero 2D le seguía hablando.-… ¡Oh! y al parecer Murdoc te quiere dar unos nuevos acordes para las canciones. Ya quiero oírte tocar ¿Sabes?...-De pronto Cyborg colocó uno de sus dedos sobre los labios del otro para callarlo.
…Bueno, al menos con eso ya era una señal de que si lo había estado escuchando.
-¿Qué pasa?-Preguntó muy confundido.
Con todo el cabello cubriéndole los ojos a Cyborg, 2D no pudo ver como ella esforzaba su vista para mirar mejor algo que se había movido bajo el agua.
"¿Será la ballena?"- Pensó él.- ¿Qué ves, Cyborg?- Preguntó susurrando con algo de miedo.
Cyborg se acercó unas pasas más a la orilla y ya estando ahí se puso en cuclillas para observar mejor el agua. 2D también alcanzó a distinguir una silueta ahí. Muy chica como para ser de la ballena, ¿Entonces que era?
Aquella cosa se aproximaba velozmente hacia la superficie y entonces él le grito a la robot.- ¡Cuidado!- Pero antes de que cualquiera de los dos pudiera haber reaccionado a hacer algo, la criatura emergió con un gran salto, estando demasiado cerca de ellos. Con sus mandíbulas totalmente abiertas alcanzó a tomar a Cyborg de la pierna para arrastrarla consigo de vuelta. Todo ocurrió en un santiamén.- ¡Cyborg!- Gritó largamente 2D en completo terror.
Todavía se veían las burbujas hechas por aquel alboroto en el agua. Quizá Cyborg aun pudiera estar bien.
-¿Qué hago? ¿Qué hago? ¿Ahora qué hago?- Se preguntaba sin dejar de ir de un lado a otro. Se aterró aún más al pensar que de verdad pudiera ser su querida princesita japonesa la que estuviera en esa situación y con mayor razón debía hacer algo y rápido.- ¡Voy por Murdoc!- Pensó. Pero en lo que tardaría en ir por él podría ser muy tarde.
2D se puso en cuclillas como lo hizo Cyborg y metió toda su cabeza en el agua para intentar localizarla a ella y al tiburón que se la llevó.
Más en lo profundo distinguió un tono rojizo en el agua junto con otra silueta nadando y queriendo acercarse a la superficie nuevamente. Eso le hizo asustarse y volvió a sacar la cabeza. La sal del agua le hizo arden un poco los ojos y se los talló. Cuando volvió a mirar, Cyborg ya había salido pero estaba un poco alejada de la playa. Tenía problemas para mantenerse a flote. Manoseaba y daba brazadas bruscas para evitar hundirse.
-¡Cyborg, espera! ¡Ya voy!-2D se lanzó al agua en ese instante y nadó hasta llegar a ella justo antes de que pudiera hundirse otra vez. La tomó por el vientre con un brazo y con el otro intentaba volver a Plastic Beach.
Cyborg ahora ya no hacia ningún movimiento y esto a 2D le aterró más. Regresaron lo más rápido posible y de nuevo en la playa la recostó suavemente en un lugar seguro y alejado del agua.- Cyborg háblame, háblame ¡Por favor!- Pedía.- Por favor, Murdoc me va a matar si no despiertas. Pensará que es mi culpa.
¿RPC sería conveniente? ¿Se podía hacer eso con un robot? Lo dudaba. Al no obtener respuesta decidió llevarla con el satanista. Tal vez él supiera que hacer, aunque eso significaba una muerte segura para él.
Se llevó a Cyborg en brazos volviendo hasta el estudio. Murdoc al verlos llegar en su estado hasta olvido su propia borrachera y se puso como loco a gritar.
-¡Faceache! ¡¿Qué carajos pasó?! ¡¿Qué le hiciste?!- Bramaba en lo que se acercaba hasta ellos.
-¡Yo no le hice nada! ¡Fue un tiburón! ¡Salió, la tomó y la arrastró con él! ¡Ella misma fue la que se liberó y ahora esta así!
-¡¿Y por qué no me llamaste?!- Gritó furioso.- ¡¿Por qué no viniste a buscarme, idiota?!
-¡Eso iba a hacer! Desde que vi lo que pasó quise hacerlo, pero pensé que en lo que iba a tardar pudo haberse puesto peor para ella.
Murdoc la examinó ahí mismo con 2D aun cargándola. Le abrió uno de sus ojos y revisó cada una de sus extremidades en busca de daños pero todo lo que encontró fueron pequeños rasguños y abolladuras no muy graves que los dientes del tiburón le ocasionaron.- En realidad no esta tan mal.- Dijo al fin.
-¿Y qué vas a hacer?- Preguntó el otro con miedo.
-Bueno, aparte de repintar las partes abolladas…-Dijo. Pensó unos segundos y de pronto le dio una fuerte bofetada en el rostro a Cyborg que le hizo girar la cabeza 360 grados varias veces. 2D se impactó por esto pero por increíble que parezca eso funcionó y le hizo reaccionar, volviendo en si con brusquedad y algo alterada. Viendo un resultado que ni hasta el mismo Murdoc se esperó que funcionara en realidad, con los ojos bien abiertos, los brazos alzados y lleno de orgullo exclamó.- ¡Aleluya! ¡Agradézcanselo todo al Dr. Murdoc Niccals! No por nada estudié medicina estando en prisión.
Cyborg se aferró al cuello de 2D sin procesar aun del todo bien la situación, pero él intentó calmarla.- ¡Hey, hey, Cyborg! ¡Ya estás bien!- La animó.- Tranquila, cálmate.
-Bueno, ya. Después de esto necesitará reponer batería también.-Dijo Murdoc.-Vamos…- 2D lo siguió otra vez hasta el cuarto de ingeniería. Ahí le volvieron a conectar los cables. Ahí a 2D le pareció sentir que Cyborg no quería soltarse de él.
-Uh…vamos Cyborg, es por tu bien.- Dijo él. Después la dejaron ahí más a la fuerza que por gusto.
Antes de que los dos hombres la dejaran sola, Murdoc le rebuscó entre el cabello algo y 2D se dio cuenta de que le extrajo de la cabeza un pequeño chip.-Ahora vamos a ver la paliza que le dio Cyborg a ese tiburón.- Sonrió para sí.
Mientras iban de vuelta al estudio 2D estaba pensativo, y un poco intrigado por una cuestión que se le acababa de ocurrir después de observar el comportamiento de Cyborg.
Cuando estuvieron en el estudio Murdoc puso a reproducir en una laptop aquel chip.
-¿Entonces ese chip contiene los "recuerdos" de Cyborg?- Preguntó 2D al ver que en la pantalla había una serie de videos ordenados por fecha.
-Que comes que adivinas.- Respondió el otro. Dio click al video de ese día y lo adelantó hasta ver el incidente del tiburón.
Era verlo todo desde la perspectiva de Cyborg. En ese momento el video enfocaba el agua del mar y de repente ahí se veía al tiburón acercarse desde abajo.
Este salía y con su enorme hocico abierto le tomaba la pierna a Cyborg y la arrastró con él. Ya bajo el agua el video se tornaba borroso y lleno exageradamente de movimiento alocado pero aún se veía como desde arriba la luz del sol que traspasaba el agua se hacía cada vez menor a medida que descendían.
Cyborg volteó a mirar al tiburón y le propinó una fuerte patada en un ojo con su pierna libre. El tiburón la soltó después de que con ese golpe empezó a sangrar. No conforme con eso, Cyborg quiso dispararle una bala desde su boca pero falló. El animal ya estaba algo lejos de su alcance para ese entonces. El video seguía y la luz del sol cada vez se hacía más clara y visible. Esa parte fue donde Cyborg empezó a nadar de vuelta hacia arriba.
Ya estando fuera, la Plastic Beach era enfocada a lo lejos y se notaban los brazos de Cyborg dando varias zancadas torpes. Antes de que el video se cortara se alcanzaba a ver a 2D lanzándose al agua e irse acercando hacia ella.
-Wow.- Fue lo único que él dijo cuándo el video terminó, sin poderlo creer aun.
-Nhe. No fue lo que esperaba.- Dijo Murdoc con desgano.- Quería ver más acción.
-¿Mas acción? ¿Estás loco, de que hablas? ¡Eso fue increíble!- Respondió 2D.
-Sí, como digas.- Después de sacar el chip, guardarlo y apagar la laptop, los dos se levantaron de sus asientos y el bajista se estiró para desperezarse.
-Oye Murdoc…
-¿Sí?
-Estaba pensando…
-¿Tú, pensando? Vaya, vaya.- Dijo de forma burlona rascándose la barbilla pero 2D no hizo caso.
-¿Los robots tienen sentimientos?
Murdoc guardo silencio mirándole de forma incrédula.-…Y yo que pensé que al fin dirías algo inteligente… ¡Claro que no, no seas estúpido!
-Bueno pero es que Cyborg…-Intentó decir.
-Faceache…-Interrumpió.- Solo volvamos al trabajo, ¿Sí? Aun no terminamos. No tengo tiempo para tus pensamientos babosos, después me los cuentas.
2D decidió ya no insistirle más. Por el resto del día no salieron del estudio de grabación y los dos se rompieron la cabeza intentando pensar en ideas frescas para nuevas canciones.
6. Chapter 6
**¡Bien! Aqui esta el capitulo 6 que en su mayoria esta basado en la primera transmision del Pirate Radio de Murdoc. Pueden hallar el video en youtube buscandolo como "Pirate radio gorillaz" y le pican al que dice "Gorillaz- Pirate Radio #1 [Point Nemo FM] Subtitulado en español". Esta en el canal de respaldo de Lugiazul. (¡Alabado sea Lugiazul! \\(-0-)/ ) veran que en su mayoria de lo que habla Murdoc ahi yo tambien lo he transcrito aqui, pero lo reducí lo mas que pude y tampoco lo he copiado exacto, es que ahi Murdoc no habla de nada relevante y no transmite ninguna cancion de la banda. Ahi siempre nos esta diciendo que transmitirá una cancion nueva de Gorillaz pero nunca lo hace así que esa cancion podría ser cualquiera xD Mas adelante en este fic se toparán con la segunda emision de radio ¡Pirate radio 2! asi que...esperenla jaja.**
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Los días siguieron pasando. En el transcurso de estos, nuevas canciones surgían y las pocas que ya estaban escritas fueron grabadas aunque apenas estuvieran en la fase de ser solo demos. Ya luego se agregarían las voces de los invitados que participarían en el álbum o de ser necesario se grabarían desde cero con ellos para que así salieran mejor y ser canciones definitivas.
Muchas veces era 2D quien sugería los nombres de las canciones. Eran nombres buenos. Pensaba en "Rhinestone Eyes" y "Pirate Jet". Esas fueron otras de las canciones que él compuso también y seguía sugiriendo el nombre de "Superfast Jellyfish" para la primera canción que Murdoc escribió. En una de esas a Murdoc le agarró la inspiración y en un santiamén compuso los acordes para otra melodía más en la que 2D pensó en llamar "Glitter Freeze" pero Murdoc se negaba a arriesgarse a aceptar esos títulos aun.- En eso podemos pensar después.- Decía.- ¿Qué opinas de llamarle a esta "Stink Fish"? ¿Uh? ¿Suena bien, no?
-¿Por qué insistes con ese nombre?- Preguntaba Stuart.
-Bien ¿Y por qué insistes tú en llamar "Plastic Beach" a una canción? Ese es el nombre que tendrá este álbum ¡Ya lo habíamos discutido!
-Yo creo que no tiene nada de malo si una canción lleva el mismo nombre.- Se defendía.
-Entonces tampoco tiene nada de malo si a esta la llamo "Stink Fish" o…mejor… ¿Qué opinas de "The House of the Stink Fish"? ¿Eh?
A las canciones que necesitaran del compás de una batería Murdoc se encargaba de tocar la que tenían en el estudio aparte e integrarla después en la canción. A decir verdad no le salía mal pero sin el toque especial de Russel, 2D pensaba que no podía ser lo mismo.
A veces durante las grabaciones 2D se sentía nervioso pues constantemente sentía la atenta mirada de Cyborg sobre él y aun así ella podía concentrarse en tocar la guitarra sin fallar. Eso hacía que a 2D se le olvidara la letra o que desafinara o que no entrara a tiempo y era motivo para volver a iniciar otra vez y también motivo para que Murdoc se enfadara y lo golpeara en la cabeza incluso a veces queriéndolo hacer con su propio bajo.- ¡Concéntrate pedazo de inútil!- Le gritaba. Por eso mejor se intentaba enfocar en hacerlo bien pues tampoco quería pasar todo el día encerrado en el estudio sin poder grabar a la primera una simple canción.
-No sé por qué me mira tanto.- Le confesó una vez al bajista.- ¿Crees que tenga que ver con el incidente del tiburón?
-No seas idiota, eso paso hace ya varias semanas.- Decía Murdoc.
-Sí pero ¿Y si aún tiene agua dentro de su sistema? Tal vez por eso actúa raro.
-Te quejas de puras tonterías. Que eso no te afecte. Y si vuelves a equivocarte a la próxima ¡Te juro que te meto estas baquetas por el culo!-Espetó amenazantemente. Con eso 2D salió corriendo del estudio yéndose a refugiar en su cuarto. Otros cuantos días más pasaron para que Stuart decidiera ya no decirle sus inconformidades a Murdoc, de todas formas no tenía sentido. Él no le hacia caso.- Muy bien Faceache, toma esta pintura y ve abajo para que le des unos cuantos retoques a las piezas de Cyborg.- Entonces Murdoc le entregó un pequeño frasco con pintura de color piel junto con un pincel.
-¿Y por qué yo? Creí que eso lo harías tú.- 2D tomó lo que Murdoc le daba.
-¡Vamos, no empieces a quejarte!- Espetó el otro.- ¡Solo ve allá y hazlo!
-¡Esta bien, ya entendí!- Dijo 2D no muy contento, pero apresurándose a ir a hacer su nueva tarea.
Entonces Murdoc se quedó solo en el estudio con sus botellas de ron y se apuró a terminar la letra de la canción que había empezado desde el incidente de Cyborg. 2D también le había aconsejado que "White Flag" era un buen nombre pero el líder seguía dudando al respecto. La canción terminaba hablando igualmente acerca de Plastic Beach pero nunca mencionaba que se tratara de ese lugar sino que solo daba ciertas pistas para adivinarlo.
A Murdoc ciertamente le agradaba estar en esa playa aunque a veces no se encontrara mucho que hacer ahí. La sentía como un pequeño paraíso personal, después de todo él mismo fue quien se encargó de erguirla y de no ser porque tenía a Cyborg y a 2D ahora ahí ese también sería un lugar solitario, pero a Murdoc no le molestaba la soledad de vez en cuando.
Después de terminar se salió a vagabundear hasta llegar al faro de la playa. Ya era de noche y de repente se puso todo nublado y se soltó una tormenta llena de truenos. Murdoc podría jurar que hasta querían formarse tornados de agua cuando vio el mar a lo lejos desde la seguridad del faro. Resulta que en el interior de faro estaba equipado para parecer más un cuarto que bien servía como cabina de radio.
Cuando no había nada mejor que hacer o cuando Murdoc se aburría siempre iba a ese lugar y se ponía a experimentar con todas las cosas que ahí tenía. Desde hace tiempo que tenía pensado llevar a cabo una transmisión de radio en vivo para todos los fans de la banda y ponerlos al tanto de lo que estaba pasando ahora con ellos. Ese día vio una oportunidad para hacerlo así que se puso manos a la obra.
-Oh sí, tal vez sea este ¿O no?- Se puso a pulsar todos los botones para adivinar cuál era el que encendía el micrófono.-….O tal vez este otro… ¡Por Jesucristo!...Oh si, este debe ser. Sí, creo que ya está bien.- Decía. Desde el primer momento el micrófono ya se había encendido y ya estaba comenzando su transmisión al aire. Solo esperaba que la señal desde ese punto fuera lo suficientemente fuerte para que se captara su transmisión y que la lluvia no se la arruinara.
\- ¡¿Qué tal mundo?! ¡Volví!- Gritó hacia el micrófono, dando el primer saludo a cualquier radioescucha que lo estuviera sintonizando en este instante.- ¡Estoy al aire! ¡Soy yo, Murdoc Niccals! ¡Sí! Transmitiendo desde mi nuevo y pecaminoso palacio putrefacto. Seee…so yo ¿No es cierto? Murdoc Niccals, rey de Gorillaz.- De vez en cuando le daba pequeños o grandes sorbos a su ron.- ¡En vivo y en directo desde el medio de la nada! Desde mi lindo…faro. Entonces que, chiquillos, ¿Me extrañaron? Ha pasado mucho tiempo ¿Verdad?...- Continuaba con su monologo.- Están escuchando ahora los pesados sonidos de mi estación de rrrradio.- Dijo remarcando la "R".
-¡Punto Nemo FM! 48 grados sur, 123 grados oeste, nena. Soy yo, Murdoc Niccals transmitiendo en representación para todos los radioescuchas de la bahía de punto Nemo, que son…básicamente solo yo. Oh bien ¿Qué tenemos aquí? ¿Qué se hace en la radio? El clima. Bien, ya saben, el clima este algo nublado, ventoso, lluvioso. Con ventiscas, huracanes, bastante caótico y ya es media noche…
Después se puso a transmitir una canción que estaba entre sus preferidas.
-Bien, así está la cosa.- Dijo una vez que la canción se terminó.- Nadie ha escuchado absolutamente nada de nosotros desde el 2006, desde aquel show que dimos en el teatro Apollo…- De ahí comenzó a explicar la situación que habían vivido, desde como él mismo se encargó de quemar los Estudios Kong que era el antiguo hogar de la banda.-…los queme, tomé el helicóptero y me fui. Tengo una larga historia que contar. Tan grande como una ballena.- Antes de empezar con la historia puso una canción más.
-Ah bien, realmente no sé si debería estar transmitiendo desde la nada, no puedo explicarlo, es muy difícil.- Decía.- No se imaginan todo lo que he pasado aquí, la niebla, las olas, ¡El calor!...Bueno supongo que debería contarles todo lo que ha pasado, para desahogarme ¿No? Bueno, el dinero que ganamos en "Demon Days" me lo acabe gastándolo en pura mierda inútil. Oh y también le vendí unas cuantas bombas a unos piratas. Resulta que ninguna bomba funcionaba, y yo lo sabía. Así que los piratas me persiguieron en jets y helicópteros y tuve que venderles más armas para calmarlos y luego escapé. Nadie podría encontrarme aquí…- Claro acababa de dar las coordenadas exactas del Punto Nemo, nadie iba a encontrarlo ahí nunca, no, claro que no.
-Aquí solo soy yo y unas mil cajas de ron.- Tomó un trago.- ¡Oh si, por poco lo olvido! Tengo un pequeño regalo para ustedes…yo, el tío Murdoc, tengo unos cuantos temas nuevos de Gorillaz ¡Oh sí! ¿No pensaron que los iba a dejar así nada más, verdad? Mmmm hasta yo me cachondeo pensando en eso…mmmm…pero aún no. Aún tengo que encontrar el tema correcto…
Después transmitió una más de sus viejas canciones de su repertorio.
-Bien, no creo realmente que alguien me esté escuchando por ahí, pero en verdad no me importa, en serio ¡No me interesa! Pero en fin, esto es algo que todos han estado esperando. Es algo en lo que he estado trabajando pero no le he puesto nombre, está en proceso. En mi opinión será uno de los mejores temas de la banda y se llamará…"Stink Fish"….Nhe, ¿Saben qué? No estoy muy seguro de ese título, es un poco decepcionante. Mejor pondré esta canción de los "Fun Boy Three"…
Reprodujo la canción hasta que terminó.- ¿Saben? Probablemente diría yo que la canción se llamará "QUAAAARGGG" ¿Esta bueno, no? De cualquier forma la pasaré por aquí muy pronto, cuando esté lista. Aún no. Y como les decía, estoy haciendo este nuevo álbum por mi cuenta. Todo suena bien, es mejor que "Demon Days". Ese álbum estuvo ¡Horrible! Bueno, algunas canciones estaban bien, la cosa era que tenía demasiado de Noodle, y no mucho de mí. Busqué apoyo por parte de 2D, él no quería venir, tenía miedo. Pero…no tenía opción y lo mandé traer hasta aquí. Terminó metido dentro de una maleta y lo traje, así que la voz ya la tengo.
Siguió hablando un poco más hasta que reprodujo otra canción.
-Bien, me gustaría mandar unos saludos de "Feliz cumpleaños", bastante tardíos, a una niña muy especial que cumplió 19 años el Halloween pasado. Noodle. En verdad espero que este bien, no la he visto desde el video de "El mañana". ¿Qué mierda fue eso? ¿A quién se le ocurrió esa ridícula idea? Una isla flotante quemándose y derrumbándose y ella estaba ahí. Se suponía que saliera en un paracaídas. Creo que lo hizo pero nunca se sabe. Quizá Noodle ya no esté pero logré conseguir algunas piezas y creé algo nuevo pero ya no es lo mismo… ¡Aun! Pero…que gran video. Feliz cumpleaños Noods donde quiera que estés.
Después reprodujo una canción de Nancy Sinatra.
-He pensado en mostrarles esta nueva canción de Gorillaz. Casi la acabo si no fuera por el título. Aquí está escrito "Stink Fish versión 2". Suena como una porquería. Parece que es mi letra. No recuerdo haber pensado en ese nombre, digo ¿Por qué le pondría así? Pero bueno, mientras pienso en el titulo indicado los dejo con "Toots and the Maytals" con "Sweet and Dandy" de "The harder they come". Una vieja época. Mi disco favorito.
Y después de haber reproducido esa última canción.- ¿Saben? Creo que tomare algo más de ron.- Dio un sorbo.- Linda sensación. Bien, tengo que irme ahora. No sé a dónde iré o qué haré pero…solo me iré. Se nos ha acabado el tiempo por hoy. Me han escuchado a mí, Murdoc Niccals, rey de Gorillaz en Punto Nemo FM. 48 grados sur y 123 grados oeste. Sigue lloviendo, hay una niebla verde que rodea la playa, una mano de sangre impresa en la puerta, y…todo se escurre y…me estoy quedando sin ron. No puedo solo quedarme aquí y beber mi ron ¿O sí?...Volveré quizá la próxima semana, si es que sigo aquí. Así que estrenaré nuevas canciones de mi banda, lo prometo, y les pasaré "Stink Fish" muy pronto. Y recuerden niños y niñas… ¡Satán los ama!- Con esa última exclamación dio por finalizada su sesión.
No transmitió ninguna canción de las que ya tenían pero él sentía como si esa primera transmisión ya hubiera sido un éxito y se sentía satisfecho.
Apenas volvió adentro de la casa de Plastic Beach y se topó con 2D quien se acercó corriendo hacia él de manera apresurada y respirando agitadamente. Apenas pudo detener sus pasos a tiempo para no chocar contra el bajista- ¿Ahora a ti que te pasa?- Preguntó con molestia apartando a 2D de su lado.- Parece que viste un fantasma.
-¡Murdoc, no creerás que me acaba de pasar!-Exclamó 2D con los brazos al aire.
-¿Qué?- Preguntó el otro sin mucho interés y cruzado de brazos.
-Bajé hasta el cuarto de ingeniería a hacer lo que me dijiste.- Empezó a relatar.- Ahí estaba Cyborg recargando baterías…
* * *
-Hola Cyborg.- Saludó 2D una vez estando ahí.- Ahora Murdoc quiso que yo me hiciera cargo de arreglarte.-Encendió el interrumpir de las luces para ver pues estaba muy oscuro.- Ahora esta una tormenta muy fuerte. No sé si ya la habías notado estando aquí abajo.
Se hincó para quedar a la altura de Cyborg pues ella estaba sentada en el suelo.- Me sorprende que las luces no se hayan ido aun, pero eso no es lo importante ahora. Vamos a ver cómo estás tú. A ver esa piernita…- Cyborg extendió su pierna más lastimada hacia 2D. Desde lo que le pasó, Murdoc se encargaba de pintar las partes más dañadas una y otra vez para componerla pero ahora 2D era quien le daba sus retoques con la pintura.
Examinada de cerca y se enfocaba en cada parte para asegurarse de que quedara todo bien cubierto y no solo en las piernas sino en otros lados. Ese animal había zarandeado muchas veces a Cyborg estando bajo el agua. No le extrañaba que sus colmillos le hubieran hecho daño en otras partes.
Se quedó un buen rato haciendo lo mismo y repasando por donde ya había pasado el pequeño pincel una y otra vez y sin decir nada. Pero de repente volvió a hablar. Ahora estaba pintando sobre uno de sus brazos.
-¿Sabes? He notado que me miras mucho en los ensayos y cuando grabamos. No sé por qué. Tampoco sé si exagero con eso. ¿Acaso te agrado? Si crees que exagero mucho no lo tomes a mal Cyborg, tú también me agradas. Pero…no sé, me siento raro.
**Agradar. Del verbo agradar. Sentir atracción o gusto por algo o alguien. **
**Buscar: ¿Qué hacer cuando alguien te agrada o le agradas a alguien? **
**Buscando…**
**Encontrado: Dar un beso/ Iniciar una relación amorosa/Demostrar cariño o afecto. **
**Buscar: Beso. **
**Encontrado: Acción de juntar los labios con otra persona. **
Sin que 2D lo esperara Cyborg le dio un beso. Dejó de pincelar en ese instante. No sabía cómo reaccionar o no sabía en realidad cuanto duró ese momento. ¿Fue largo? ¿Corto? Todo lo que pudo hacer fue alejar un poco su rostro para romper el contacto y sin dejar de tener los ojos abiertos como platos. Estaba impresionado, más que eso, estaba impactado. Cyborg pareció querer volver a acercarse pero 2D se levantó de su posición. Y hasta se le había caído el frasco con pintura que cargaba pero no le importó demasiado que el contenido se derramara.
Sin poderlo creer aun pero él salió corriendo de la habitación tapándose los labios con ambas manos. Miró varias veces hacia atrás cuidando que Cyborg no lo siguiera e incluso el tiempo en el que el elevador tardó en responder para abrir las puertas se le hizo eterno pero sintió alivio ya estando adentro.
Buscó a Murdoc pero no lo encontró. Solo minutos después escuchó el elevador funcionando otra vez. Pensó que sería Cyborg pero era el bajista regresando de quien sabe dónde y fue ahí que se lanzó corriendo hacia el para contarle lo que había pasado.
* * *
-¿Me dices que un pedazo de metal te besó?- Preguntó Murdoc analizándolo todo después de haber escuchado su historia.
-¡Sí!...Ya no me queda duda Murdoc, por eso ella actuaba raro, por eso me miraba todo el tiempo… ¡Cyborg tiene sentimientos por mí! ¿Puedes creerlo?- Decía mientras se peinaba los cabellos hacia atrás con nerviosísimo. Murdoc observó otros segundos su reacción y luego comenzó a reír.- ¿Qué? ¿De qué te ríes?- Preguntó con desconcierto.
-Es lógico.- Decía el satanista entre carcajadas.- Solo un robot se fijaría en ti, porque una chica de verdad…por favor. Todos sabemos que yo soy el sensual aquí. Yo soy a quien todas las nenas desean.
-¡Hablo en serio Murdoc!-2D lo tomó por los hombros con mucho enojo e hizo que lo mirara. Murdoc dejo de reír al sentir la mirada furiosa de su compañero.- ¡¿Qué voy a hacer ahora?!- Su semblante preocupado estaba regresando.
-¿Qué se sentirá hacerlo con un robot?- Se cuestionó el otro.
-No puedo aceptar esto. Ella…sé que es una robot pero…siempre que la veo me acuerdo de Noodle. ¡Es mi Noodle! No puedo…Noodle es como mi hermana, es mi mejor amiga, yo nunca me atrevería a…
-¡¿Quieres callarte?!-Sentenció Murdoc con exasperación haciendo que el otro soltara su agarre.-Mira, tú lo has dicho ¡Es solo un robot! ¡No puede amar, no puede sentir nada! Quizá solo anda mal, como decías. Mañana le daré una revisada y si algo está mal lo arreglaré. Así que ya deja de lloriquear.
Ambos acordaron en ya retirarse a dormir, aunque 2D no pudo conciliar el sueño esa noche pensando en ese incidente.
7. Chapter 7
**¡Aqui traigo la actualización! Anque me disculpo porque me tardé un poco y para colmo esta muy corto u.u ojala el próximo lo pueda compensar :s
**
* * *
Lo había oído todo.
Desde que todos los integrantes de Gorillaz quisieron darse un descanso y separarse luego de los incidentes ocurridos en la grabación del video de "El mañana", siendo que Noodle fue la primera en querer un descanso indefinido de la banda, bueno ¿Por qué no el resto de los demás chicos hacia lo mismo? Se lo merecían, el haber grabado un éxito tan rotundo como lo fue el álbum de Demon Days merecía tener un buen descanso para todos.
Russel Hobbs estaba viviendo con sus padres durante ahora sus indefinidas vacaciones y ocupaba la habitación de huéspedes, que era bastante grande y acogedora. Hasta tenía su propio baño completo. Ahí se había instalado su cama y se había puesto un frigo bar, tele, una radio, un pequeño estante con libros, una mesa de billar, consola de videojuegos y hasta una pequeña estufa para calentar su comida, nada le hacía falta estando ahi.
Aquella noche Russel no tenía sueño. Ya había dado varias vueltas sobre su colchón intentando dormir pero no pudo. A veces se acordaba de su buen amigo Del y del incidente de cuando este perdió la vida. Lo extrañaba mucho, y era mayoritariamente eso lo que le hacía perder el sueño cuando lo recordaba como pasaba ahora. Incluso podía decir que Del siendo un fantasma que antes habitaba en su cabeza al principio pudo ser molesto pero en verdad hasta así lo extrañaba. Tanto, que a veces se preguntaba si fue una buena idea practicarse un exorcismo para liberarlo tanto a él mismo como a su viejo amigo y cada quien poder tener paz en su propio mundo.
Era un poco más de media noche y Russel pensó en levantarse a ver tele pero no quería hacer demasiado ruido. Además, probablemente no estarían pasando nada de su interés, por lo que optó en encender su pequeña radio. Ojala pudiera captar alguna buena estación donde transmitieran música clásica. Era un buen horario, pensó él, para escuchar de ese tipo de música.
Su radio terminó captando una nueva señal que él nunca antes había escuchado. Sería una estación nueva así que quiso darle una oportunidad y se puso atento.
"_¡Punto Nemo FM! 48 grados sur, 123 grados oeste, nena. Soy yo, Murdoc Niccals transmitiendo en representación para todos los radioescuchas de la bahía de punto Nemo, que son…básicamente solo yo. Oh bien ¿Qué tenemos aquí? ¿Qué se hace en la radio? El clima. Bien, ya saben, el clima esta algo…" _
No podía creerlo.
Reconocería esa voz en cualquier parte ¡Claro! Era el mismísimo Murdoc Niccals, hasta él mismo había dicho su nombre. ¿Acaso ahora el líder y bajista de la banda trabajaba en la radio? Pero se quedó analizando aquellas coordenadas que acababa de dar. ¿Y qué era eso del Punto Nemo? Que Russel supiera, el Punto Nemo era un punto ubicado en el océano pacifico al cual era inaccesible llegar ahí, el punto más alejado de cualquier tierra firme, incluso de la isla que estuviera más cercana. ¿O es que solo era el nombre de esa estación de radio? Quiso seguir escuchando antes de poder juzgar.
Se sorprendió al oír lo que el bajista había hecho con los Estudios Kong. ¡Simplemente era inaudito! Para ese momento Russel no daba crédito a lo que oía pero eso no acabo ahí.
"_Ah bien, realmente no sé si debería estar transmitiendo desde la nada, no puedo explicarlo, es muy difícil. No se imaginan todo lo que he pasado aquí, la niebla, las olas, ¡El calor!..."_
Luego escuchó de cómo había jugado chueco con algunos piratas vendiéndoles bombas inservibles y después mas armas. ¿Todo eso con que motivo? Russel ya estaba empezando a enojarse. Tratándose de Murdoc, cualquier cosa se podía esperar, o más bien, nunca sabias que esperar de él.
_¡Oh si, por poco lo olvido! Tengo un pequeño regalo para ustedes…yo, el tío Murdoc, tengo unos cuantos temas nuevos de Gorillaz ¡Oh sí! ¿No pensaron que los iba a dejar así nada más, verdad?... _
¿Había oído bien? Murdoc Niccals estaba trabajando en un nuevo disco de Gorillaz y él ni por enterado. ¿Por qué nadie se lo dijo? Eso aumentó su enojo un poco más. ¿Y quién se supone que tocaba la batería ahora? Seguramente estarían ocupando solo baterías sintéticas y cajas de ritmo.
Comenzó a atar cabos sueltos conforme a lo que iba escuchando. Murdoc jugó chueco con unos piratas a cambio de dinero obviamente y de seguro ese dinero lo ocupó para financiar este nuevo disco. Después había huido hacia algún punto inalcanzable para no ser encontrado. Pero no fue muy listo pues ahora Russel ya sabía dónde estaba.
Escuchó el resto de la transmisión. Sintió su sangre hervir al escuchar después que 2D también estaba con él pero a la fuerza. Y luego se entristeció cuando lo oyó recordar y desearle feliz cumpleaños a Noodle. ¿Qué era eso de que la había reemplazado? El colmó fue cuando todavía el mismo Murdoc preguntó "¿De quién fue la idea de grabar el video de "El mañana"?" poniendo ahí a la japonesa en grave peligro.
Ya no lo soportó más. Decir que estaba enojado era poco ¡Estaba furioso! Estaba hirviendo en rabia. Antes de tomar la radio con ambas manos y estrellarla contra la pared haciéndola inservible, escuchó como Murdoc volvía a repetir de nuevo los puntos de su ubicación.
48 grados sur, 123 grados oeste.
¿Acaso el bajista nunca aprendía? Con cada idea que él tenía siempre terminaba poniendo en riesgo la integridad de la banda, como el haberle quitado la novia a 2D durante los primeros días de Gorillaz o con lo que le hizo pasar a Noodle desde la última vez que supieron de ella. Todos esos y otros más fueron motivos para que Russel le metiera unas buenas palizas pero esta vez el satanista si se había ganado la golpiza de su vida.
Por la ira que sentía Russel ahora ya ni sabía si estaba pensando con calma pero sus impulsos lo llevaron a ponerse la primera ropa que halló. Apenas salió de la habitación le escribió una nota a sus padres diciéndoles que se marchaba y entonces emprendió el camino hacia el puerto marítimo más cercano. Sin llevarse ni siquiera algo de comida, solo eran él y su inmensa ira.
Russel Hobbs encontraría a Murdoc Niccals y lo haría pagar por todas esas estupideces que estaba haciendo. No importaba si el mismo tendría que nadar hasta el fin del mundo para llegar hasta él. No importaba cuanto tiempo le tomara pero él lo encontraría.
Estaba amaneciendo cuando llegó al puerto y se topó con un par de hombres que pescaban ahí pero no les hizo ningún caso. A los hombres les llamó la atención ver a otro sujeto demasiado corpulento dirigirse con pasos firmes a la orilla de muelle como queriendo romper con sus pisadas las tablas del mismo y después saltar al agua justo en frente de sus narices.
-¡Oye! ¿A dónde crees que vas amigo?- Cuestionó uno de ellos para cuando Russel ya estaba empezando a avanzar nadando.
-¡Está prohibido nadar aquí, y más con ropa puesta!- Gritó el segundo hombre. Russel no los escuchó o más bien los ignoraba a propósito, él solo se siguió concentrando en nadar.
-Si alguien pregunta, no hemos visto nada.- Dijo el primer sujeto a su compañero mientras veían como Russel se alejaba.
-Creo que ese hombre está loco.- Respondió el otro.
* * *
2D seguía sin poder dormir pensando en el beso que recibió de parte de Cyborg ¿O es que acaso se lo estaba tomando muy enserio? Es decir, como Murdoc dijo, solo se trataba de un robot, no tenía por qué estarle dando la importancia que 2D le daba ahora. Pero aun así seguía cuestionándose que fue lo que ocasionó que ella hiciera eso. O más bien qué hizo él para despertar el interés de ella pues lo único que siempre hizo fue ser amigable con ella, o al menos tratar.
¿Entonces los robots realmente podían sentir? ¿Podían amar? Si ese era el caso, o al menos si ese era el caso de Cyborg en específico, eso le ocasionó a 2D mucha tristeza, porque entonces él no podía asegurar que el sentimiento fuera reciproco. Él mismo lo dijo, se trataba de Noodle, aun siendo una copia robot de la Noodle original, él no sentía ese tipo de amor con la Noodle verdadera. No podía corresponderle y un amor no correspondido siempre era muy doloroso. ¿Dónde estaría su princesa japonesa en ese preciso instante? ¿Estaría bien? ¿Qué estaría haciendo? La extrañaba, no había momento en que no la recordara y pensara en su bienestar.
Aquella noche ya se le estaba yendo bastante lenta, no podía esperar para que amaneciera porque ahora sí que no iba a poder pegar el ojo en ningún momento. Su mente comenzó a vagar ya no en el detalle del beso, sino en su familia, en sus padres. Los extrañaba mucho también. ¿Qué estarían pensando ellos ahora? De seguro estaban muy preocupados y llenos de angustia por saber en dónde estaría su querido hijo. Lo estarían buscando, habrían llamado ya a la policía alegando su desaparición mientras él estaba en una playa a medio océano.
Finalmente quiso conciliar el sueño pero no fue por mucho. En un par de horas ya había amanecido y Murdoc fue a sacarlo del cuarto.
Los dos se metieron al elevador y el bajista oprimió los botones del cuarto de ingeniería y del estudió. La máquina primero hizo parada en el cuarto de más abajo y ahí él se bajó él y le dijo rápidamente a 2D.- Tú te vas para arriba y allá me esperas, en un rato estoy ahí con Cyborg.
-Si.- Respondió 2D secamente. Luego las puertas se cerraron y el elevador empezó a ir hacia arriba.
-Muy bien Cyborg, ponte de pie.- Ordenó Murdoc entrando con entusiasmo al cuarto de ingeniería y luego de haberle quitado todos los cables de encima a Cyborg.- Vamos a ver que anda mal contigo.
Le ordenó a la falsa Noodle recostarse sobre una mesa metálica para que ahí el pudiera examinarla.- ¿Conque ahora resulta que te gusta 2D, eh? Awww…encantador.- Comentó. Se tomó su tiempo. Luego de haberla puesto en modo inmóvil y de haberla revisado desde el interior y no hallar nada malo, la volvió a reactivar.- No encontré nada, parece que estas bien. Pero en serio ¿Qué le viste a ese tonto?- Se cruzó de brazos.
El bajista y su guardaespaldas volvieron arriba hasta el estudio para continuar con el trabajo de las canciones pero le sorprendió ver que su vocalista no estaba ahí.- ¿2D?- Cuestionó al aire un poco confundido. Quizá Stuart le estaba jugando una broma escondiéndose.- ¡Faceache!-Gritó esta vez con más enojo y nada.- ¡Esto no es gracioso!- Se giró hacia Cyborg.- Búscalo.- Ordenó.- Y tráemelo.- Cyborg de inmediato obedeció y se puso a rastrear en todo el lugar.
2D no estaba en ninguna parte, la única opción era que se hubiera salido hacia la playa y hacia allá fue Cyborg.
En efecto, 2D no se había ido hacia el estudio como Murdoc le dijo, al quedarse solo en el elevador oprimió el botón que lo sacaba hacia la playa y salió decidido a encontrar el submarino de Murdoc, entrar en él y huir de ahí. Sería algo como robarlo, y el nunca antes había robado nada pero esta vez sintió que era necesario. Ya no aguantaba estar un segundo más en ese basurero así que se escaparía. Ya no podía afrontar estar con tanta incertidumbre respecto a sus amigos y a sus padres. Quería verlos a todos ellos, aunque de Noodle y Russel no supiera nada pero los localizaría, y los encontraría además.
Aparte de todo, no podía soportar el hecho de saber que Cyborg sentía algo por él y este no pudiera sentir lo mismo. Una relación así no puede funcionar, ni siquiera siendo de simple amistad entre él y Cyborg. Se sentiría muy incómodo, y si desde un principio no le gustaba quedarse en esa playa, con un sentimiento de incomodidad, menos.
Logró encontrar el submarino y a duras penas se metió en él pues la escotilla estaba muy dura como para poder abrirla fácilmente. El problema fue que una vez dentro, no tenía idea de cómo encenderlo ¿Cómo hacer funcionar un submarino? Había tantos botones y palancas que no sabía por dónde empezar. Seguramente se requería de una llave y no tenía ninguna.
Se alarmó al ver como Cyborg salía de la casa y comenzaba a rondar la playa en su búsqueda. Con mucha suerte no se le ocurriría buscar en el submarino. Se hizo pequeño sobre el asiento del piloto e intentó no hacer ningún ruido para no ser visto ni escuchado. Detrás de ella venía Murdoc, se veía furioso. Si lo encontraban sabía que sería su fin.
No supo si fue su mala suerte, o si de algún modo había mandado vibras telepáticas hacia sus buscadores, pero observó como Murdoc echaba un vistazo hacia el lugar donde estaba el submarino y le hizo una seña a Cyborg para que buscara ahí.
La vio acercarse. Cada vez más. Se acabó. No tenía sentido seguirse escondiendo. Solo dio una última respiración honda antes de escuchar como la escotilla estaba siendo abierta.
La luz del sol penetró en el interior del submarino y distinguió la silueta de un brazo metiéndose a tientas hasta que la mano de Cyborg se topó con el cuello de su camisa y fue ahí que lo jaló hacia afuera.- ¡No!- Fue lo último que dijo a manera de queja, antes de ser forzado a salir de su escondite y estar de nuevo parado sobre la superficie de basura rosada.
-¿Intentando escapar?- Escuchó la voz burlona de Murdoc.- Pobre, pobre ingenuo de ti.- Dijo fingiendo lastima.- ¿Cuándo aprenderás que de este lugar no hay escapatoria?- Mostró una sonrisa maliciosa antes de ordenarle a Cyborg irlo a encerrar de nuevo a su cuarto. Cuando ya estaba siendo escoltado de vuelta al interior escuchó al bajista gritarle.- ¡Solo por esto, olvídate de comer y cenar hoy!
¿Quería matarlo de hambre? No importaba. De todas formas nunca había nada bueno que comer.
-Yo puedo irme al cuarto solo, gracias.- Dijo a Cyborg sin ninguna expresión en la voz.
La robot pareció comprender y lo dejo marcharse sin ella. En realidad 2D no esperaba que fuera a hacerle caso. Al parecer Cyborg no era tan mala como pudo pensar.
Llegando a su habitación no le quedó más que encerrarse ahí, con semblante deprimido y triste. Odiaba que su plan no hubiera funcionado. Lo único que le quedó por hacer fue ponerse a escribir más canciones, y no porque fueran para Murdoc, sino para sí mismo. Era su único desahogo ahora.
La idea acerca del amor que Cyborg pudiera tener hacia él fue la idea que lo motivó en un principio. Un amor que, seguía insistiendo, no podría funcionar nunca, y por eso lo terminó describiendo como un amor que estaba roto.
8. Chapter 8
Al día siguiente Cyborg fue quien lo sacó de la habitación y lo guio hacia el estudio donde estaba Murdoc. A 2D le extraño verlo esa mañana con un semblante inusualmente feliz y relajado.
-¿Qué ocurre?- No pudo evitar preguntar aquello al verlo así.
-Bueno Faceache…- Respondía animadamente.- resulta que todo el día de ayer mientras tú te la pasaste encerrado allá abajo, yo me encargué de realizar algunas llamadas...
-Sí ¿Y…?- 2D al principio no pareció entender por qué por ese motivo Murdoc estaría tan feliz pero…- ¡Un momento!- Exclamó.- ¿Hacer llamadas? ¿Eso significaba que tienes un teléfono?- ¡Perfecto! ¡Así podría usarlo para llamar a sus padres y pedir ayuda!
Y fue en ese instante como si el bajista le leyera el pensamiento que continuó.- No, no, no.- Agitaba en el aire su dedo índice.- Después de tu imprudencia de ayer, sé lo que estás pensando. Que podrás pedir ayuda para que alguien venga y te salve… ¡Pues te equivocas!- Espetó.- Sí, tengo un teléfono, pero no te imaginarás las dificultades que tuve para obtener señal, y además, luego de que terminé, lo escondí en donde tú nunca podrás hallarlo. No soy tan idiota, si pensé en todo. No la tendrás tan fácil, amigo.- Le dijo.
Con eso, las esperanzas de 2D disminuyeron un poco.- Bueno ¿Y puedo saber a quién rayos llamaste?
-A nuestros colaboradores, claro.- Respondió como si le hubieran hecho una pregunta tonta.
-¡¿Qué?! ¡¿Ya los llamaste?! ¡¿Tan pronto?!
-Sip. A todos ellos. No te mentiré. Algunos se mostraron algo necios y se negaron a aceptar pero ya verás que vendrán, oh sí que vendrán…- Decía. A 2D no le extrañaba pensar que su compañero estuviera ideando o que ya tuviera un plan bien pensado sobre como traer a aquellos artistas que le dieron un "No" por respuesta, tal como había hecho con él.
-P-p-pero…yo no sé si este listo aun para empezar las canciones con ellos. Necesito practicar más.
-¡Tonterías! Lo harás bien, digo, más te vale que lo hagas bien Faceache.- Amenazó.
-Pero ¿Cómo se supone que llegarán todos hasta aquí?
-Fácil. Les di las coordenadas y la mayoría estuvo dispuesta a decirme que sí y vendrán lo más pronto posible. Los traerán sus helicópteros personales, jets privados o que se yo. No dudes en que algunos ya hasta vienen en camino.
-¿Y quiénes vendrán exactamente?
-Oh pues ya sabes. Lou Reed, De La Soul, Daily, Bobby Womack, Snoop Dogg, Yukimi Nagano, ya sabes, siempre necesitamos de voces femeninas y entre otros más. Les pedí que trajeran más músicos y ayudantes que le pongan más melodía e instrumentación a las canciones. Algunos quizá puedan llegar…mañana.
-¡¿Mañana?!
Desde que Murdoc le dijo esto a 2D él se puso muy nervioso, no dejaba de dar vueltas de un lado a otro pensando que ya mañana tendría ensayos mucho más elaborados con todos los invitados que ahora visitarían la playa, juraría que le iba a llegar una migraña y de las fuertes.
Murdoc solo lo veía y le parecía patético. Le exasperaba todo ese nerviosismo que su compañero se cargaba. Él quería intentar concentrarse en una nueva letra pero ver a 2D de esa forma lo desconcentraba. Hasta que le dijo.- Oye Faceache, ¿Quieres calmarte? ¡No es para tanto! ¡Actúas como si no hubieras hecho esto antes miles de veces!
-¡Sí! ¡Lo sé! Perdón.- Se disculpó.- Sé que debo tranquilizarme pero siempre me pongo así antes de cantar con los invitados .
-En lugar de perder el tiempo como idiota deberías ir y ensayar si tanto te aterra. Eso, o…no sé, ve a escribir más canciones o algo, ¡Pero no estés aquí distrayéndome!- Como vio que a 2D aún le costaba trabajo reaccionar por los nervios, intentó calmarlo hablándole de forma más amigable. Respiró hondo.- Mira, ya sé que todo este asunto es mucha presión para ti. Pero te prometo que si colaboras, entre más rápido y mejor lo hagas, pues más rápido podremos acabar con esto e irnos a casa.
-¿C-c-casa?
-Seeee amigo. Casa.- Dijo sonriéndole.
-¿Lo dices en serio?
-Por supuesto. Volveremos a Inglaterra, te lo prometo. Volverás a ver a tus papis ¿Eh, que me dices?
-¡S-si! ¡Sí, Murdoc, te lo prometo!- Dijo recuperando sus ilusiones.- ¡Te juro que daré mi mejor esfuerzo! ¡Lo haré bien y sin equivocarme!
-¡Eso! ¡Así me gusta!- Concordó el otro.
-¡Sí! E-espera, ahora vuelvo, quiero enseñarte algo.- Se fue y regresó rápido. Le mostró la letra de la canción que había compuesto el día de ayer al quedarse castigado.- ¿Qué opinas? Es nueva, la hice apenas ayer.
-Mmmmm sí, si…me gusta.- Murdoc veía y analizaba la letra.- Un significado muy profundo, se nota que el pusiste empeño y sentimientos. Bien, me gusta. Buen trabajo Faceache.- Le dio varias palmaditas de ánimo en la espalda.- ¿Ya ves? Si me sigues ayudando así terminaremos en menos tiempo del que te imaginas. Una vez hecho este álbum nos largaremos de esta isla apestosa.
-¡Si! ¡Es más! ¡Ahora mismo me pongo a escribir otra canción! ¡En menos de una hora la tendré y te la mostrare! ¡Y me pondré a practicar mi voz también!
-¡Excelente! Pero no la fuerces demasiado. La necesitarás mucho mañana.
-¡Ok!
2D se fue del estudio a ir a hacer lo que ya había prometido. Murdoc le vio irse y le comentó con satisfacción a su guardaespaldas robótica.- A veces es muy fácil engañar a ese tonto.- Por la tarde Cyborg fue a buscar de nuevo a 2D. Ya había pasado poco más de una hora y Murdoc la mandó pues el chico había prometido que tendría una canción nueva para ese entonces y el bajista quería echarle un vistazo.
Cyborg entró silenciosa a la habitación del vocalista, pes desde el otro lado de la puerta se escuchaba que estaba cantando algo. Para no interrumpirle la inspiración abrió la puerta despacio.
"But I just have to tell that I love you so much these days
Have to tell you that I love you so much these days, it's true".
Fue lo que Cyborg escuchó al entrar.
2D estaba de espaldas a ella, en posición de flor de loto sobre la cama.-Oh, hola Cyborg.- Se giró al oír el pequeño rechinar de la puerta.- ¿Acaso Murdoc manda a buscarme?- Vio como la robot le daba un pulgar arriba en respuesta. No supo si eso tomarlo como respuesta a su pregunta o porque la pequeña estrofa que cantó había gustad. Sea como fuere, él mismo se movió de su lugar para seguir a la robot de nuevo hacia el piso superior.- Bueno, pues vamos, ya tengo otra canción lista.
-A ver, muéstrame que tienes 2D.- Dijo Murdoc al verlo llegar otra vez al estudio.
-Oh si, ummm…bueno la cantaré a capela si no te molesta.
-Venga.- Accedió el otro.- 2D comenzó a cantarla con una tonada en que él ya había pensado. Cuando terminó esperó la reacción del líder y a él pareció gustarle.- Esta bien. Supongo que esa podemos probarla mañana. Sigue practicándola.
-Lo haré.
-¡Oh! Dime qué opinas de esta otra.- Dijo Murdoc pasándole una hoja y 2D leyó en voz baja.
"And if the whole world is crashing down
Fall through space out of mind with me…"
-Murdoc…es hermosa.- Dijo al terminar de verla.
-Lo que se logra hacer cuando no hay nadie molestándote y tienes inspiración.- Dijo con una sonrisa.
-Sigo sin creer que tú la hayas escrito.
Fue al día siguiente cuando el primer submarino llegó a Plastic Beach. Era el submarino de Yukimi Nagano y como Murdoc había pedido, venia acompañada de demás músicos tipo orquesta.
Con Yukimi comenzarían a grabar las primeras canciones a dueto que requirieran de la compañía vocal de una mujer. 2D y Murdoc decidieron que serían las dos que apenas compusieron ayer. Tenían un lindo mensaje y canciones así necesitaban de la linda voz de una linda mujer.
Yukimi se mostró muy complacida con la invitación y claro que Murdoc y 2D también lo estaban de trabajar con ella. Le mostraron la letra de las canciones y a Yukimi le encantararon las letras y se las aprendió en cuestión de minutos. Le explicaron la tonada y la melodía que llevaría cada canción antes de empezar a cantarlas. También le dijeron cuáles serían las estrofas que cantaría ella y cuales 2D. Al final resultaron quedar muy bien y fue gracias también al esfuerzo que 2D puso de su parte para no equivocarse ni arruinarlo.
Antes de que Yukimi llegara a Plastic Beach Murdoc le advirtió que nuevas visitas andarían por ahí pero que no representarían ninguna amenaza para así evitar que Cyborg quisiera lastimar a alguien. Cyborg al principio le pareció raro ver a una persona más que no fueran ni Murdoc ni 2D. Debía ser por el hecho de que nunca antes había visto ni reconocido otra figura femenina que no fuera ella misma. Apuesto a que si pudiera presentar emociones, Cyborg estaría feliz de saber que no era la única mujer andando por ahí.
Aprovechando la traída de los músicos, Murdoc les pidió que grabaran la introducción y el cierre musical de otra canción más. Era esa que tenía el nombre de Stink Fish versión 2 y cuando ambas partes quedaron bien hechas ya pudieron decir que ese había sido todo el trabajo del día.
A muy altas horas de la noche Yukimi y sus acompañantes ya debían retirarse de nuevo y regresó tal como habían llegado en su submarino no sin agradecerles nuevamente a los chicos que la hubieran tomado en cuenta para su nuevo álbum y ellos también le desearon mucha suerte durante su viaje.
Murdoc se estiró una vez que vio que el submarino de Yukimi ya no estaba a la vista.- Bueno Faceache, me voy a dormir. Mañana tendré algo importante que hacer y por si no fuera poco me pararé temprano.
-¿Por qué? ¿Qué harás?
-Ya lo descubrirás. Igualmente tú deberías irte a descansar.
2D se estuvo preguntando un buen rato antes de caer dormido que era lo que Murdoc haría mañana. Debería prepararse psicológicamente para esperar cualquier sorpresa. Hasta que amaneció, Cyborg nuevamente fue a despertarlo.
-Buenos días Cyborg ¿Qué hizo Murdoc ahora?- Preguntó luego de bostezar. La robot le entregó una nota que el bajista escribió.
"_Faceache para cuando leas esto yo ya me hallaré lejos de la playa. La razón: Me he visto forzado a ir en busca de un par de colaboradores que se negaron a participar en el disco. No quisiera tomar este tipo de medidas drásticas, pero no soy yo ¡Son ellos! Ellos y su terquedad me hacen actuar así y pues ¿Qué se le va a hacer? Me llevé el submarino y quizá no me veas durante todo el día sino hasta mañana pero esperó regresar antes. Cuida bien a Cyborg. Más bien, que Cyborg cuide bien de ti y por supuesto que lo hará. Le di órdenes muy claras que no va a desobedecer para que no intentes otra más de tus huidas estúpidas y además la ballena estar rondando muy cerca así que mejor ni lo pienses". _
_Murdoc _
2D solo pudo cerrar los ojos y tomar un hondo respiro para calmarse en lo que se sobaba la frente.- Muy bien, se supone que debería esperar cualquier cosa pero esto es absurdo.- Se dijo.- Esta bien, está bien. De todas formas a mí también me vendría bien un descanso de Murdoc. Sí ¡Un día completo sin Murdoc! ¿O tu qué opinas, Cyborg?- Pregunto.- Vamos ¿No te cansas de que todo el tiempo te diga que hacer? ¡Es una pesadilla! Al menos vamos a ser libres de él todas estas horas y nos tomaremos un respiro.
Con aires de ánimo 2D se dirigió hacia el estudio con Cyborg siguiéndole detrás. Al llegar ahí se puso a buscar una buena película del repertorio que Murdoc tenía. Ojala encontrara una buena de zombis. Aunque al principio no encontró lo que buscaba.
-Ugggghhh aquí solo hay puras porno.- decía. Se puso a rebuscar más y hasta encontró la peli de Pinocho de Disney. Con esa se quedó traumado de las ballenas desde la primera vez que vio como una se tragaba a Gepeto.- No, esta no. Vamos, vamos, una buena peli, una buena peli… ¡Aja!- Se dijo.- El despertar de los muertos, esta me encanta. Ojala tuviera palomitas que comer.- Después de haber dicho lo último Cyborg salió corriendo del estudio y al rato volvió con un bowl de palomitas.- ¡Wow! ¿De dónde las sacaste?- Preguntó él agarrando el bowl.- Gracias Cyborg.- 2D palmeó el asiento de al lado de en donde él estaba sentado, indicándole a si a la robot que le hiciera compañía y ella se sentó donde el otro le indicaba.- Llegas a tiempo, la película está a punto de empezar.- La pantalla desplegable ya estaba bajada, la película puesta y luego 2D le dio al control remoto en el botón de reproducir.
Si bien era cierto que esa película estaba entre sus favoritas y la podía ver una y mil veces no podía evitar asustarse con las escenas que más miedo daban. Mientras de vez en cuando 2D daba pequeños o grandes brincos sentado en el asiento, Cyborg se mantenía calmada mirando siempre a la pantalla. De vez en cuando 2D se giraba a abrazar a su compañera quien al principio pareció molestarle ese acto y lo alejaba empujándolo de vuelta a su lugar pero después de varias veces que 2D hacia lo mismo a Cyborg dejó de impórtale y dejaba que el cantante refugiara su rostro en sus hombros cuando no quería ver lo que sucedía.
Así se pasaron buena parte de la tarde viendo otras películas que 2D encontró. Siempre que el bowl se vaciaba 2D ponía pausa y esperaba que la robot regresara con el bowl lleno otra vez.- Ojala pudieras comer Cyborg.- Decía 2D con la boca llena.- Así probarías lo buenas que son estas palomitas.- El vocalista llegó a su límite cuando le aprecio buena idea poner la de El ciempiés humano pues nunca antes la había visto.- ¡No, no! ¡Paren esto, es demasiado, no puedo!- Con manos temblorosas apenas pudo tomar en control para detener la película.- Que…que horror…- Dijo pasmado.- qué asco. Espero no vomitar las palomitas que me comí.- Se sobó el estómago. 2D se aburrió de seguir viendo películas y quiso ir a la playa.
Con el paso de las horas, aunque disfrutó mucho de todo ese ambiente tranquilo y callado sin oír la molesta voz de Murdoc, debía admitir que ya empezaba a extrañarlo.- Si Murdoc regresa para hoy ¿A qué hora crees que vuelva, Cyborg?- A lo que ella se encogió de hombros.- Bueno, en su nota dijo que intentaría regresar hoy pero de seguro ya será muy en la noche.- Ambos estaban sentados en la superficie de basura que era Plastic Beach observando el cielo en el cual ya empezaba a caer el crepúsculo para dar paso al anochecer.
Cuando empezaron a verse las primeras estrellas y el agua del mar se tornaba de un color azul marino fue que detectaron movimiento en la misma.- ¡Mira Cyborg, allá!- Gritó 2D poniéndose de pies y señalando hacia algún punto.- ¿Sera Murdoc?- Forzó su vista para ver si no era ilusión de las olas y después Cyborg ayudó cuando sus ojos se encendieron dejándole ver mejor a 2D. Ahora se veía claramente que era un submarino el que se acercaba y se detenía justo en el lugar en donde Murdoc siempre dejaba el submarino.- ¡Sí es él, ya llegó!- 2D y Cyborg corrieron para recibir al recién llegado.
-¡Ya llegó por quien lloraban!- Gritó Murdoc al salir del submarino. Lo primero que hizo fue preguntar.- Y bien Cyborg ¿Cómo se portó este tonto? No intentó escapar ¿O sí?- 2D se vio ofendido pero la robot solo negó la cabeza como respuesta.- Excelente. ¿Se divirtieron? Apuesto a que la pasaron horrible sin mí. Seguro me extrañaron.
-¡Murdoc! ¿A quién se supone que trajiste contigo?- Preguntó 2D
-¡Oh sí! Echa un vistazo ahí adentro y descúbrelo tú mismo.
2D asomó la cabeza dentro del submarino y lo que vio lo impactó mucho.- ¡Son Kano y Bashy!- Exclamó.
-Sip, y gracias al cloroformo están inconscientes.- Murdoc agitó la botella de esa sustancia que traía en sus manos de una manera orgullosa.
-¡¿Qué!? ¡¿Pero por qué lo hiciste?!
-¡Oh vamos Faceache! Lo mismo le encargué a Boogie Man que hiciera contigo, no te sorprendas. Aunque creo que en ti uso gas para dormirte.- Susurró esto último.- Además, dejé en mi nota bien claro que tendría que tomar medidas extremas y son estas. Si había que traerlos a la fuerza, este fue el único modo que se me ocurrió.
-¿Y por que ya no se lo pediste a Boogie Man de nuevo?
-Ya no quiero tener tratos con ese sujeto. De por si aún le debo regresar el favor de que te haya traído a ti y aun no se lo pago. Vivo con el miedo de que ese demonio venga a buscarme uno de estos días Faceache, un miedo terrible, no te imaginas cuánto. Por eso Mejor lo hice por mi cuenta.
2D se quedó analizando las palabras de Murdoc. Realmente si Boogie Man venia por él a 2D no le importaría, después de todo Murdoc mismo era quien se buscaba esos problemas. Luego volteó hacia el interior del submarino otra vez.- Po-pobrecillos.- Dijo con empatía al volver a ver a los otros dos sujetos.- En verdad los secuestraste…
-Serán libres en cuanto terminen de cantar la canción que tengo pensada para los dos.
-Y… ¿Cuándo se supone que despiertan?
-Hace poco los hice respirar más cloroformo mientras seguían con el efecto. No sé, quizá hasta mañana. Vamos, ayúdenme a sacarlos de ahí.- 2D y Cyborg se encargaron de los dos cantantes y con mucha dificultad los fueron a dejar botados hasta el estudio de grabación donde no recordaron ni se dieron cuenta de su situación, como Murdoc dijo, sino hasta las primeras horas en que salía el sol.
2D fue el que más se empeñó en explicarles que pasaba. Al principio ambos cantantes se negaban a hacer cualquier cosa, argumentando que lo que Murdoc les hizo no eran maneras de pedir colaboración en un disco, pero entre 2D mas les decía que los dejarían ir si lo hacían, más se convencieron de que no había otra opción y más porque Murdoc los había encerrado a todos en el estudio con llave.
-¡Canten! ¡Canten, maldita sea! ¡No se irán de aquí si no cantan!- Gritaba por el micrófono.- ¡La introducción y el cierre de la canción ya están, solo tienen que cantar en medio de eso!
Ese día se pasaron ensayando la canción que les dieron. Como siempre 2D los animó si se llegaban a equivocar para que a la próxima lo hicieran bien y fueran libres cuanto antes. Al fin quedó como Murdoc quería y cumplió su palabra de regresarlos personalmente de nuevo en el submarino hasta sus hogares. Ese fue un viaje que a Murdoc le tomó toda una noche pero estuvo de vuelta en la playa por la mañana siguiente.
Cuando estaba regresando otra vez y ya se hallaba pisando la superficie de basura de Plastic Beach y caminado por ahí se topó con un libro. Lo tomó y vio que estaba…mojado, obviamente y lleno de algas marinas. Al quitarle al libro todas esas porquerías de encima pudo ver la portada. Tenía como título el mismo nombre. "Plastic Beach". Nunca antes había visto ese libro, era raro ¿Quién lo habría dejado ahí? ¿2D, Cybrg? ¿Acaso era una broma? Pero debido a las características del libro quizá llegó hasta ahí por medio del mismo océano. Mientras lo empezaba a leer entró a la casa y decidió que lo podría leer mejor y más cómodamente estando en su habitación.
* * *
**¡Al fin actualizo! xD perdon por tardar pero pues resulta que ahora tengo mas trabajito que hacer de lo normal jejeje es que ahora aparte de este fic pues resulta que me he puesto a escribir un libro ¡Un libro, no un fic! xD el cual espero publicar algun dia uwu y si quieren saber un poquito mas de informacion pues metanse a mi deviantart y lean el ultimo journal que escribi al respecto. En fin por eso me tarde para este capitulo pero como lo prometí, es mas largo que el anterior c: asi que estoy conforme. Yyyy ¡Ya empiezan a llegar los colaboradores! xD Genial. Intervino mucho mi imaginacion en este capitulo. Ojala les haya gustado uwu**
9. Chapter 9
De nuevo esa mañana 2D se topó con Murdoc. Lo halló en el estudio bebiendo y a la vez escribiendo una canción y se le veía muy concentrado en esa tarea.
-¿Cuántas más? - Soltó 2D de repente.
-¿Umm?- Murdoc pesar de no entender la pregunta eso no lo detuvo de escribir sobre el papel blanco ni apartar su vista de ahí.
-¿Cuántas canciones más quieres para este disco?- Completó su cuestionamiento.
-Pueees…- Pensó un momento.- al menos cada uno de nuestros invitados tiene que cantar una o dos canciones máximo. Diría que aún nos falta la mitad de canciones de las que tenemos hasta ahora.- 2D solo suspiro. Se le oyó entre cansado y harto al hacerlo.- Hey, hey ¿Y qué pasó con todos esos ánimos que te cargabas hace unos días?- Reclamó el bajista.
-Está bien, lo siento.- Se disculpó.- Al menos me agrada ver que a ti sí se te notan. Tienes mucha inspiración últimamente.
-La llegada de los colaboradores hizo que me pusiera las pilas y tú deberías seguir mi ejemplo Facecache, es más, el día en que los deje a ti y a Cyborg solos debiste aprovechar todo ese tiempo y escribir más canciones.
-Perdón, mejor quise ocupar ese tiempo para descansar y despejar mi mente. Cyborg y yo vimos películas todo el día y me la pasé bien. Ella se portó bien conmigo y hasta hizo las palomitas pero…no sé…no pude evitar pensar por un momento que me haría algo malo.
-¿Cómo qué?
-N-no sé…es que…siempre he dicho que ella es Noodle, bueno, es otra Noodle pero sigue siendo Noodle ¿Entiendes?- Murdoc se quedaba callado ante tanta incoherencia, según él, que 2D estaba diciendo.
-No.- Dijo secamente para seguir escribiendo.
-Sí, digo, es que ella y nuestra Noodle son tan diferentes. Cyborg es una máquina de batalla, literal, y a veces siento que con cualquier cosa que haga mal me apuntará con sus armas y me matará y me da miedo. Noodle nunca haría algo así. Pero muy al contrario de mi pensar, Cyborg a veces reacciona de maneras inesperadas ¿Cómo explicas el hecho de que ella misma se tomó la libertad de hacerme esas palomitas?
-¡Ahg, espera, ya sé a dónde va todo esto!- Le detuvo Murdoc en seco.- Vas a insistir con que a Cyborg le gustas ¡Que ridiculez!
-¡Bueno, perdón!- Se disculpó.- ¡Pero es lo único en lo que puedo pensar!
-¡Ya déjalo! ¡El pasar tanto tiempo sin mujeres ya te afecto más el cerebro! ¡Hasta crees que una robot va a ser capaz de sentir atracción por ti o volarte o qué sé yo!- Se rio.- En serio ya no sé si reír o golpearte por ser tan estúpido. No sé, si lo necesitas solo toquetéate o te consigo unas putas ¡Para que dejes de decir sandeces!
-¡Bueno ya! ¡No volveré a insistir, solo te burlas de mí!
-Es que es imposible no hacerlo.- Admitió con sorna.
-¡Jodete Murdoc!- Con una señal de su dedo medio, 2D salió del estudio muy indilgando.
-Oh sí, me voy a joder, al menos yo mismo puedo hacerlo.- Susurró el bajista antes de volver a su trabajo.
2D no le quiso dirigir la palabra a Murdoc en todo el día pero bien siendo él la única otra persona con quien realmente podía comunicarse, le fue imposible no ir después a disculparse por esa pelea y de nuevo hablarle.
-¿Entonces estamos bien, no?- Preguntó 2D luego de darle a Murdoc un apretón de manos.
-Sí, sí. Tan solo procura no decir más tonterías y estaremos más que bien, amigo.
-Bien.- Bufó.- Y ¿Puedo preguntarte que hacías en la mañana? ¿Para qué invitado era la canción que escribías?
-Oh si, pensé en el buen Snoop. Una canción cantada por él que diera la bienvenida al mundo de Plastic Beach.
-Oh, eso suena bien.
-¡Lo es! ¡Será la mejor canción de todo el álbum!- 2D soltó una risita al pensar que Murdoc decía lo mismo de todas las canciones que componían.- Tú cantarás con él ¿Qué dices, eh? ¡Oh sí! Y escucha esto, también pensé ¡En una introducción musical! Quiero que sea la primera de todo el disco que escuchen nuestros fans cuando lo compren, antes que todas las demás, eso le dará al álbum un aire más profesional.
-Sí, está bien, como digas Murdoc.- Concordó 2D.- ¿Sabes? Te tomaré la palabra y veré que más ideas se me ocurren.- 2D quiso salir a la playa a ver si ver el océano le inspiraba algo nuevo que componer.
Cyborg estaba con su rutina de inspeccionar los alrededores y estar alerta por si algunos piratas aparecían. 2D se acercó y al verla de nuevo esos presentimientos raros surgieron pero mejor rápidamente decidió ignorarlos y la saludó como siempre. Se sentó sobre la orilla del muelle y se quedó mirando hacia el inmenso mar. La marea estaba tranquila, las olas golpeaban calmadamente las orillas de Plastic Beach y de nuevo ese sentimiento al estar lejos de su hogar se hacía presente en él. Mirar hacia el horizonte lo ponía…melancólico a la vez en que recordaba a sus seres queridos. Esa era la palabra. Melancolía. En su mente se empezaron a formar unas palabras que le daban la idea para una canción usando como fuente de inspiración lo que él sentía en esos momentos.
"Up on Melancholy Hill there's a plastic tree. Are you here with me?"
Volteó a mirar a Cyborg que estaba a su lado.
"Just looking out on the day of another dream".
Cyborg se sentó a su lado. Se supone que los robots no se cansan aunque estén mucho tiempo en pie, pero después de un rato de hacer su patrullaje y no hallar nada raro o peligroso asechándolos, sobre todo a Murdoc, la androide se dio un descanso y de paso analizar esa nueva canción que 2D estaba improvisando. Esto animó más a 2D ahora que tenía compañía y continuó.
"Well you can't get what you want but you can get me
So let's set up to see, love. 'Cause you are my medicine
When you're close to me, when you're close to me".
La rodeó de los hombros con su bazo y la hizo mecerse de un lado al otro junto a él.
"So call in the submarine 'round the world will go.
Does anybody know, love?
If we're looking out on the day of another dream.
If you can get what you want then you come with me".
Up on Melancholy Hill sits a manatee
Just looking out on the day when you're close to me…"
-Awww eso es enternecedor.- Sin que 2D lo notara, Murdoc estaba detrás de ellos a una distancia considerable y lo oyó cantar.
-¡Murdoc! ¿Qué haces aquí?- Preguntó con sorpresa.
-¿Qué? Esta es mi playa, puedo ir a donde yo quiera y vine a buscarte, tonto.- Se cruzó de brazos.- Vamos, tenemos que ensayar la nueva canción que hice.- 2D se levantó de su lugar y se acercó a él.- Y esa que cantabas también me interesa agregarla al álbum, se oía bien, así que más te vale acordarte de lo que cantaste.
-¿Cyborg no vendrá?- No le gustó la idea de que la androide se quedara sola.
-Si la necesito la llamaré.- Dijo.- ¿Ahora resulta que te agrada estar con ella, eh? ¿Quién te entiende, zopenco?- 2D percibió un tono burlón en ese tono de voz.- Primero te quejas y luego te gusta.
-¡No!- Negó rápidamente. Lo dijo muy fuerte y luego normalizo su tono.- E-es decir…solo estábamos…digo, estaba cantando y ya. Creo que le gustó la canción así que yo simplemente seguí.
-Pfff como digas, robofilo.- Dijo Murdoc. Ya estaban en el elevador para subir.
"No me gusta Cyborg" Se decía a sí mismo. "No soy un robofilo. Creo que no es tan mala, me agrada, pero solo eso. Además estaba pensando en Noodle mientras cantaba…pero…Noodle no era la que estaba a mi lado, volteé a ver a Cyborg varias veces y ella hizo que la melancolía que sentía se fuera…ya no sé qué pensar". 2D comenzó a sentirse confundido.
De nuevo estaba empezando a perderse en los ensayos y le costó trabajo volver a tener el control en su voz para cantar bien. Unas horas más tarde Murdoc le informó que al parecer el submarino de Snoop Dogg se iba a retrasar para llegar así que no vendría tan pronto como lo esperaban.
Ya por la noche Murdoc salió nuevamente de la casa para ir hasta el faro a cumplir una vez más con su programa de radio. De nuevo se peleó un poco con los botones intentando recordar cual era el que lo ponía al aire pero lo logró al final. Empezó reproduciendo la canción "I wanna marry a lighthouse keeper" y después comenzó a hablar.- ¡Oh, en hora buena! Esa era Erika Eigen de… ¿Cuál era el nombre? "A clotwork orange" ¿Han visto esa película? Digo "A clockwork orange" es buena pero esta otra ¡Es fantástica! Se trataba de un chico alto al cual le tiraban ladrillos ¿Se acuerdan? Esa es la película entera. A mucha gente no le gustó pero a mí sí. Bien, entonces te preguntaras "¿Qué estoy escuchando? ¿Qué pasa? ¿Estoy en un universo extraño?" Y de cierta forma sí. Estas escuchándome a mí, Murdoc Niccals, en su propio show de radio porque sí, tengo mi propio show, tengo mi propio show.- Empezó a reírse solo.- Lalalala…oh esperen, debo beber algo de ron…- Buscó su botella y bebió de ella.
-Como sea, me escuchan a mí, Murdoc Niccals, en Punto Nemo FM, 48 grados sur, 123 oeste y sí, así se llama la estación, no hay otra igual excepto Radio 1 que es exactamente lo mismo pero fuera de esa, no. Y si no has escuchado el primer show ¿Qué haces aquí? ¡Ve a escucharlo! Y…bueno ¿Saben dónde estoy? En el lugar más desolado del planeta. Estoy sin poder salir de un lugar llamado Plastic Beach, deberían verlo, que lugar… Bien, no sé si lo mencione en el show pasado pero estaba escapando de unos piratas y ¡Oh Dios! Eso sí da miedo ¡Dios! ¡Uno de ellos tiene una cabeza enorme y no me gusta! Sigo viendo esa cabeza en mis sueños. Mmmm debo tener más ron aquí…- De nueva cuenta bebió un sorbo.
-Lo que vamos a hacer ahora es poner música. Les estaré poniendo un poco de Gorillaz, pondré la nueva canción de "Stink Fish". Definitivamente la llamaré así, tal vez, no sé ¿Sabes? Cuando pasas un buen rato solo te vuelves un poco loco como tipo "¡Oh, donde está el doctor! ¡Dame más alcohol! ¡Dame más alcohol!" Así soy yo, necesito ayuda. Ok, esta es de una linda señorita llamada April March. Y solo para dejarlos con las ganas, sigan al pendiente de las nuevas noticias porque de hecho como por marzo o abril… ¿Saben? Solo manténganse al pendiente ¿Está bien? Porque habrá un evento importante para Gorillaz, mientras tanto, escuchen esto…
Reprodujo la canción de "Chick Habit" de la artista antes mencionada. La canción terminó y Murdoc continúo con su parloteo en lo que otra canción de pura melodía calmada sonaba de fondo.- Oh, esa música. Siento como si me dejara llevar a la deriva de un abismo… mi abismo ¿Saben? Es…es placentero… - Cerró los ojos un momento recargándose en su cómoda silla imaginándose ese abismo por una pequeña fracción de segundo.- ¡No! ¡En realidad no! ¡Es horrible y oscuro! Debo beber más…- Y bebió.
-Mucho mejor. No sé si sean como yo pero cuando dejo el ron… ¿Pueden ver arañas en la pared y moscas que no están ahí? ¿Hmm? ¿Pueden, pueden? ¿No? ¿Solo yo? Bueno ¡Como sea! Esto se llama "Sail on sailor" de los Beach Boys y ¿Por qué no? Si estamos en una playa.- Dejó sonar esa canción hasta su final.- ¿No son maravillosos los Beach Boys? ¿Les gustó? Bueno, déjenme les cuento de este… libro ¿Sí? Yo lo encontré, lo limpié. En realidad el título es" Plastic Beach", lo hallé en la isla ¿Y saben qué, amigos? Vengan aquí.- Empezó a susurrar cerca de su micrófono como si en verdad llamara a los radioescuchas.- Vengan, vengan a Murdoc, miren…¡El libro trata de la historia del hombre! ¡Del Big Bang! Espera ¿Cuándo fue el Big Bang? ¿El lunes? Fue el lunes, creo. Como sea, trata del día de ese día hasta hoy…eso da miedo. Y les cuento, él aparece en todas las páginas y cuando digo "Él" ¡Me refiero a mí! ¡Estoy hablando de mí mismo en tercera persona! No, no, ya en serio. Aparezco en toda la historia. En la antigua Roma, durante la peste negra…me gustó mucho esa época en el 1300. También estoy en el incendio de Londres y Samuel Pepys estaba ahí igual y empezó a escribir en su diario y decía algo como "¡Oh, el fuego empeorará y la gente morirá!". Y luego en la revolución industrial, Abraham Darby y todo eso. Fue genial, me gustó. Él fue un amigo muy cercano a mí. Y ummm…Izambard Kingdom Brunel, oh Dios, lo extraño mucho ¿Saben que es lo que más me gustaba de él? Su sombrero y sonidos extraños, pero en verdad amo mucho su sombrero. Se lo dije varias veces y por eso somos tan cercanos. Y los vikingos, claro. Tienen que checar este libro, es fantástico, en serio, es completamente genial. En fin, la siguiente canción es de nuestro nuevo disco de Gorillaz ¿Por qué no? Me estoy portando muy bien con ustedes, lo sé…esta se llama "Pinky Stink Fish"…
Empezó a reproducir la canción, la melodía serena y relajante que te hacía sentir en una playa rodeado de arena y el mar frente a ti comenzaba a oírse y la voz de Yukimi también.
"Waiting by the mailbox, by the train
Passin' by the hills 'til I hear the name
I'm looking for a saw to cut these chains in half and all I want is
Someone to rely on as
Thunder comes a rolling down…"
Pero apenas dejó escuchar las primeras estrofas antes de volver a quitarla.- Oh Dios, no la puedo llamar así, simplemente no ¿Acaso tu puedes? Porque yo no. Olvídenlo, no la puedo llamar "Pinky Stink Fish". Estoy pensando llamarla "¡Oh sí!". Y espero que les haya gustado.- Los sonidos de la lluvia se escuchaban desde afuera del faro. Cada noche en Plastic Beach tenían que soltarse tormentas horribles.
-Ok, me estoy volviendo un poco siniestro aquí, en medio del océano y con toda esta lluvia y la niebla. Y esos sonidos y las cosas que pasan a media noche que no puedo entender de las criaturas de la profundidad. Eso me preocupa aunque puede que sea solo mi conciencia, mi imaginación. Esto es "Burn rubber on me" de "The Gap Band".
Como ya era costumbre termina la canción y Murdoc habla.- Muy bien, tengo otro trato que hacer con ustedes, lo crean o no. Umm…los estoy tratando muy bien, de hecho. Incluso se me estaba olvidando mi propia desintegración mental. Por eso estoy en esta estación, para que escuchen como me desintegro mentalmente ¿Es lógico, no? ¡Sí! ¡Si te vas a deschavetar, hazlo y grábate en una cinta! Eso es lo que yo digo, lo que me recetó el doctor. Muy bien, esta es otra canción de Gorillaz, del nuevo álbum, que será de los mejores álbumes que hemos hecho y esta se llama "The House of the Pinky Stink Fish".- Pusó aquella cancion donde Kano y Bashy habían participado muy a la fuerza. Antes de que la voz de cualquiera de ambos sonara después de la música de introducción, Murdoc la pausó. Lo hacía para no arruinarles la sorpresa a sus fans.
-Dios ¿Saben qué? He pensado que no se va a llamar así, no sería un éxito si así fuera. Es muy estúpido, ya se me ocurrirá algo. Ummm creo que le pondré "Eiyungundiclarkaclarkaclarka" ¿Eh? ¿Verdad que está mejor? Es fácil de pronunciar. Les quiero platicar de una película que vi. Se llama "Cake Fear" y no la confundan con "Cape Fear", Robert Mitchum y todo eso. Esta es Cake Fear y es mejor. Da miedo, en serio da mucho, mucho miedo. Empieza con una secadora y hay mucha gente vestida al estilo victoriano, girando y girando y girando y luego aparece esta cara que saca la lengua y en esa lengua hay un pequeño hombre parecido a Alan Titchmarsh que le dispara a todo y explota. Y ese es el final de la película. Lo amé, lo amé, amé a Alan Titchmarsh. En fin, la siguiente canción se llama "People who died" de Jim Carole. Es muy buena ¡Y lo mejor de todo es que no se llama "Stink Fish"!- Cuando terminó fue hora de despedirse.- Bueno, la siguiente semana estaré transmitiendo otra vez y les diré quienes están colaborando con Gorillaz. Ah, este lugar es horrible, no sé cuánto estaré aquí, tal vez seis meses o un año ¿Quién sabe? Al menos no hay nadie molestándome… ¡Oh ¿Qué fue eso?!- A Murdoc le pareció oír un ruido extraño, más extraño de lo normal al menos estando en Plastic Beach, pero luego no le tomó importancia y fue ahí que terminó con su transmisión, poniendo una vez más la canción de Erica Eigen.
Al día siguiente muy temprano fue que esperaban la llegada de Snoop Dogg. El rapero llegó muy dispuesto y acompañado igualmente por más personas que ayudarían con la música. Con ayuda de 2D lograron cantar juntos la canción que tenían preparada e incluso más tarde comenzaron a hablar sobre hacer un posible futuro video a lo cual Snoop se mostró muy dispuesto a aparecer en él.
* * *
**¡Al fin actualizo! Ya estaba tardando mucho :T imperdonable -.- en fin, ojala el capitulo les haya gustado, y como veo que esta lleno de referencias y personajes historicos creo que es necesario aclarar algunas cosas: **
**1.- "I wanna marry a lighthouse keeper" de Erica Eigen, es una cancion que fue utilizada como fondo para una escena de la pelicula "A clockwork Orange" (La naranja mecanica) si no me equivoco, de cuando Alex regresa a casa de prisión. Ya tiene tiempo que vi la peli y la verdad no recuerdo, pero en fin, si ustedes tienen la oportunidad de verla, haganlo, a mi me gustó y espero que a ustedes igual :P y si pueden conseguirse el libro, mejor. Ya saben, el libro siempre va a ser mejor, yo espero poder comprarmelo algun dia -w- **
**2.- El libro que Murdoc encontró en el capitulo anterior en la playa, como precisamente él aclara aqui, segun es un libro que contiene toda la historia no solo de la humanidad sino tambien la de Gorillaz, y en la cual él aparece. Esto se debe a que se dice que Murdoc ha muerto antes y vuelto a revivir y esto se debe a sus pactos con el diablo, (si no me equivoco :s ) asi que ha vivido y visto gran parte de la historia como la conocemos (? A mi parecer este puede ser un libro que El Boogie Man le envió ¿Por que? Exactamente no lo sé pero solo tomen esto como un headcacnon. Jugando el juego de Plastic Beach en la pagina oficial de Gorillaz hay una misión que es la de encontrar las ultimas paginas de ese libro para completarlo ya que estan perdidas y Murdoc nos pide recuperarlas. Este libro en si no tiene mucha relevancia en la propia histoia que sabemos de Gorillaz y tampoco lo tendrá más en este fic. **
**3.- Samuel Pepys fue un fue un funcionario naval, politico y célebre diarista britanico. Es conocido sobre todo por el detallado diario privado que mantuvo entre 1660 y 1669, publicado más de cien años después de su muerte. El diario es una de las fuentes primarias más importantes del período de la Restauracion Inglesa. Suministra una fascinante combinación de revelaciones personales y relatos presenciales de grandes eventos como la Gran Peste de 1665 y el Gran Incendio de Londres en 1666, pero también las intrigas cortesanas o los pormenores de la guerra contra Holanda. El diario fue descifrado, ya que se hallaba copiado taquigráficamente, y parcialmente publicado por John Smith (¿El de Pocahontas? :O ) en 1825, pero no fue hasta 1893 cuando se publicó en su totalidad. Este registro de una década de la vida de Pepys es más de un millón palabras de largo y es a menudo considerado como el diario más famoso de Gran Bretaña. A día de hoy, los historiadores siguen utilizando su diario para lograr un mayor conocimiento y comprensión de la vida en Londres en el siglo XVII. (Grcias por la info, wikipedia :v ) **
**4.- Abraham Darby fue el primero y más conocido de tres generaciones del mismo nombre, perteneciente a una familia de cuáqueros ingleses, que representó un papel primordial durante la revolución industrial. Desarrolló un método de producción de hierro de gran calidad en alto horno alimentado por coque en lugar de carbón, lo que supuso un gran avance en la producción de hierro como material básico para la industria.**
**5.- Isambard Kingdom Brunel fue un ingeniero inglés. Es mayormente conocido por ser el creador de la línea de ferrocarril Great Western, una serie de tres famosos barcos de vapor, así como numerosos puentes de gran importancia en el Reino Unido. Brunel consiguió ser el primero en muchos logros de ingeniería, incluyendo la participación en la construcción del primer túnel bajo un río navegable y el desarrollo del primer transatlántico de acero propulsado mediante hélice, el_ SS Great Britain_, que en su momento el barco más grande jamás construido. **
**Como ven, escribir este capitulo me sirve a mi y a ustedes para aprender mas acerca de la historia britanica :v xD**
10. Chapter 10
La noche anterior cuando se fue a dormir, Murdoc tuvo un sueño lindo. Desde hace ya un buen tiempo que no tenía sueños agradables, siempre tenía que acordarse sin querer de la enorme cabeza de uno de esos piratas que lo querían muerto pero esa vez fue diferente.
Se soñó a si mismo yendo a una gran velocidad, sobrepasando los límites de lo permitido, iba montado sobre un viejo Camaro pasando por un desierto que estaría abandonado de no ser por aquel auto que lo recorría sin detenerse causando que levantara el polvo del suelo. La ventana bajada, y su brazo izquierdo apoyándolo ahí mismo mientras que sujetaba el volante con la mano derecha. Llevaba gafas oscuras para el sol disfrutando de un buen cigarrillo. En algún momento quiso soñar que entre todo ese paisaje se encontrara con un par o tal vez un trio de preciosas mujeres a las que se les descompuso el convertible y que se detenía para darles ayuda y coquetearles pero no soñó nada de eso. Solo eran él y su auto viviendo la vida loca.
Después repentinamente soñó a Bobby Womack sentado a su lado. Iba cantando algo pero Murdoc no recordaba qué. Tal vez una de sus propias canciones o tal vez…una de las nuevas canciones de Gorillaz. Así son los sueños de raros. ¿Cómo es que Bobby llegó ahí de la nada? Pero en su sueño Murdoc no recordaba que le molestara su presencia. Bobby la hacía de buen copiloto.
Cuando se despertó gracias a su propio reloj biológico se maldijo mentalmente pues preferiría seguir soñando pero ya no pudo volver a dormirse, aunque gracias a eso agradeció que le surgiera una idea para una canción. 2D terminó interviniendo en algunas partes después de que Murdoc le contara su idea.
"When the Mako flies up from the bottom in your eyes
Then I'll know the twilight skies are not so broken hearted".
-¡Sí! Bobby quedará perfecto para esta nueva canción.- Decía el bajista yendo de un lado al otro del estudio sin poder contener su emoción.- Sí lo vi en mi sueño, debe ser una señal.
-¿Entonces va a venir?- Preguntó 2D sin poder esconder su emoción. En verdad ya quería poder tener la oportunidad de trabajar con Bobby desde hace tiempo.
-Claro que vendrá…lo quiera o no.- Respondió Murdoc sonriendo para sí.
-¿A qué te refieres?- Preguntó 2D pero no hizo falta que Murdoc respondiera pues de inmediato el cantante comprendió las intenciones del otro.- Oh no…piensas obligarlo.
-Bueno, ya te lo he dicho Faceache, ellos me obligan a tener que obligarlos. Después de todo ¡Somos Gorillaz! ¿Qué clase de tonto no querría tener una canción con nosotros? Esta vez pienso darle casi todos los créditos a Bobby. Él cantara y tú harás los coros.
-Te meterás en problemas si sigues secuestrando personas.
-¡Cierra la boca! ¡No hay tiempo! Si quiero tener a Bobby debo traerlo acá ahora.- Entonces Murdoc llamó a Cyborg quien se hizo presente en cuestión de segundos.- Tú vienes conmigo.- Ordenó.- Seguramente necesitaré tu ayuda.
-¿Y yo qué?
-¡Tú no! No quiero lidiar con un Russel 2 y estar escuchando tu palabrería de lo que está bien y lo que no durante todo el trayecto.- Murdoc le señalaba con el dedo.- A menos que cambies de opinión te vas a quedar.
-Pff de todas formas no quería ir.- Al sentirse un poco ofendido 2D se cruzó de brazos.
Murdoc y Cyborg prepararon el submarino, se alistaron ellos mismos antes de partir y el bajista se aseguró que llevaran comida suficiente para el camino que obviamente seria toda para él y del ron tampoco se olvidaba. Cyborg por su parte cargó siempre con su rifle, Mucha cinta adhesiva y también con otra pistola pequeña. 2D se asustó al ver esto pero no se atrevió a reclamar nada.- ¿No van a matarlo, o sí?- Solo esperaba que en verdad Cyborg no fuera a usarla.
-Claro que no, torpe.- Se quejó Murdoc, dándole un golpe en la cabeza por lo cual 2D se quejó.- Si no ¿Con quién vamos a colaborar? Solo es por si las cosas se ponen feas.
-¿Cómo?- 2D se seguía sobando.- ¿Más feas de lo que ya están ahora?
-¡Shh!- Le calló. Murdoc también se encargó de lanzar comida al mar para atraer a la ballena y que siguiera cuidando de la playa y de 2D.- Bueno mi amigo, no puedo asegurarte que tan pronto volveré. Incluso puede que no vuelva ¿Sabes?- Dijo antes de partir.- Pero haré mi mejor intento.- Cerró las escotillas y 2D los vio sumergirse hasta que se perdieron de vista.
-¡Suerte!- Les gritó mientras los despedía con la mano. Finalmente tenía más tempo libre para hacer lo que quisiera.
Unos minutos después 2D se fue a su habitación y se entretuvo intentando armar un cubo rubik que se halló entre tanta basura. Observó por su ventana como la ballena ya estaba ahí de nuevo comiendo lo que fuera que Murdoc le dio. El vocalista cerró sus cortinas para no tener que seguir viendo al enorme animal. Con suerte "las cosas no se pondrían feas" y Bobby llegaría a Plastic Beach pronto y de seguro a Murdoc le iba a gustar si 2D se ponía a ocupar su tiempo escribiendo una canción para Bobby. Además lo había prometido, si ponía de su esfuerzo acabarían el álbum pronto y se largarían de ese basurero. Era hora de ponerse creativo.
* * *
Bobby estaba apaciblemente encargándose de cortar los rosales de su jardín. Era una manera personal de entretenerse, le gustaba ver que crecieran bien y siempre los procuraba. Le dio unos últimos retoques a cada uno con las tijeras mientras tarareaba una tonada cualquiera. Antes de disponerse a regarlos, se quedó admirando los distintos colores que tenían sus rosas. Unas precisamente eran rosas, otras eran blancas y otras más eran rojas. Pensó que después de regarlos iba a recoger las hojas que cayeron en el pasto como también ya era su costumbre.
Se había hipnotizando tanto con sus rosas que no se dio cuenta en que momento alguien más llegó detrás de él y le pegó un arma muy cerca de su cabeza. ¿Cómo había logrado entrar a su casa? ¿Cómo burló la seguridad y nadie lo notó?
Oh Dios, iban a matarlo. No se atrevió a hacer ningún movimiento en falso. Por el miedo hasta las tijeras del jardín se le cayeron de las manos. Lástima, hubiera podido usarlas como defensa. Levantó ambos brazos a la altura de su rostro para demostrar que no intentaría nada. Ni siquiera se atrevió a voltear a mirar a su atacante.
-Es bueno verte Bobby.- Escuchó una voz masculina por detrás.- Y descuida, no estas realmente en peligro. No vengo por dinero ni nada de eso si es lo que piensas. Solo he venido aquí a hacerte una propuesta… de nuevo.
Bobby conocía esa voz. Era de la persona que hasta hace un tiempo atrás le llamó pidiéndole su colaboración para un disco en el cual no quiso participar. De reojo, Bobby se dio cuenta de quien le apuntaba era la niña Noodle, guitarrista de la banda Gorillaz ¿En verdad sería capaz de dispararle una adolescente? Y además ¿Que no se supone que estaba desaparecida o algo así?
Detrás de ella a su vez estaba Murdoc a quien también pudo distinguir. Él era quien hablaba. Bobby seguía sin poder decir nada. Murdoc, quien estaba infestado de olor a ron y cuyo rostro tenia pinta de borracho, empezó a decirle cual era el plan y Bobby no tuvo más opción que escucharlo y asentir en todo lo que se le dijera. Comenzaba a sudar frío. En su mente Bobby pensó que Murdoc se había vuelto totalmente loco para llegar a tales extremos y solo por querer que él cantara en su próximo álbum.
Bobby fue vendado de los ojos para que no supiera a donde lo llevaban. Después de que prometió cooperar en lo que fuera, sintió como le ponían una venda y luego le hicieron respirar algo antes de perder la conciencia.
* * *
Ya estando de vuelta en Plastic Beach, 2D salió a recibirlos y se le notaba algo apurado.- ¡Al fin llegan, Murdoc! ¡Adivina quien llegó en tu ausencia!
-¿Quién?- Preguntó con fastidio. Al parecer estaba cansado por el viaje y aparte ebrio y cuando estaba así era muy irritable y sus ojos se enrojecían. 2D lo notó y agradeció mentalmente que antes no se hubiera perdido en el mar por eso.
-¡Mos Def!
-¿Quién?- volvió a preguntar.
-Mos Def.- Repitió.- ¡Vamos Murdoc! Lo invitaste a cantar con nosotros ¿Recuerdas que me lo dijiste? No tiene mucho que está aquí y además viene con todo y un grupo de coristas acompañándolo. Nos esperan en el estudio. Estuve hablando con ellos y distrayéndolos hasta que llegaran.
-Oh sí. Bien, bien. Dos colaboradores en un mismo día y sin planearlo.- Dijo Murdoc frotando ambas manos con ansias.- Andando. ¡Cyborg, trae a Bobby!- Ordenó.- 2D vio salir a la androide del submarino trayendo consigo al dichoso cantautor. Estaba ventado de los ojos y su boca tapada con cinta.
-¡Oh Cielos! ¡¿Qué pasó?!- Quiso saber.
-Se despertó a medio camino y no dejó de gritar y quejarse. Era necesario.- Se encogió de hombros.
2D tragó saliva y luego se acercó a Bobby para empezar a hablarle y reconfortarlo.- T-tranquilo Bobby, estarás bien.- Le dio unas palmaditas en la espalda.
De nuevo fueron largas horas que estuvieron metidos en el estudio. Bobby seguía de necio en no querer hacerlo bien y Mos Def al enterarse de las circunstancias en que Womack llegó a la playa también se mostró muy disgustado con Murdoc, amenazando con que cambiaba de opinión respecto a cantar con ellos y que los demandarían por secuestro. 2D de nuevo fue quien los convenció casi hasta suplicarles. Eso y aparte Cyborg estaba con ellos amenazándolos con su armamento. No tuvieron otra opción más que hacer lo que Murdoc pedía hasta que la canción estuvo lista.
2D también le mostró a Bobby la nueva canción para él en la que trabajó durante el tiempo en que Murdoc no estuvo. La tituló "Cloud of Unknowing" y Womack se enamoró de ella al instante al punto en que estuvo más dispuesto a cantarla a pesar de que aun debían pensar en la melodía de la misma.
Fue toda una semana en la que se trabajó solo en eso y de paso en otra canción en la que de nuevo colaboraría Mos Def aprovechando que estaba en la playa también.
Nadie durmió ni comió durante ese tiempo, también porque Murdoc los tenía a todos muy presionados. Cloud of Unknowing resultó ser la canción más tranquila y relajada que habían compuesto y "Sweepstakes" fue la de más duración hasta el momento y una vez que estuvieron listas, Murdoc los dejó ir. Mos dejó que Bobby se regresara con él y los coristas.
Ese mismo día Murdoc recibió un mensaje por parte de los de De La Soul junto con Gruff Rhys avisando que iban en camino a la playa para prestar su respectiva colaboración. Pareciera que a Gorillaz el trabajo se les empezaba a juntar. ¡Enhorabuena! De no ser así, los días seguirían siendo aburridos en Plastic Beach, entre otros cuantos colaboradores como Mark E. Smith, y dos ex integrantes de The Clash, Paul Simonon Mick Johnson que llegaron a mejorar canciones ya hechas y darles los toques finales.
Si todo seguía viento en popa, Murdoc se decía si mismo que estarían prácticamente a nada de liberar ese nuevo, glorioso, trabajoso y fresco álbum muy pronto.
Con ese pensamiento salió esa vez hacia su querido faro a presentar por tercera vez su transmisión en vivo.
-Muy bien chicos y chicas, hemos vuelto a la vieja Plastic Beach, listos para echarle más veneno al ambiente. Oh Dios ¿En serio ya pasó una semana? El tiempo vuela ¿No creen? Pareciera que fue ayer que me senté aquí y les mostré mi música de antaño.- Se aclaró la garganta antes de segur.- Solo para recordarles que yo soy Murdoc Niccals, líder de la banda más arrasadora del mundo ¡Gorillaz! Y es cierto… ¡Este es el regreso de Gorillaz!- Dio un grito largo.- Después de tres largos años ¿No están emocionados? Ciertamente yo sí. Y bueno, creo que debo contarles, yo…estoy atrapado aquí, simplemente lo estoy, en Punto Nemo, la tierra de nadie, en el apestoso basurero de plástico. Solo el capitán Morgan y yo. Él está para guiarme en las penumbras de esta noche que se encierra en mi alma…Y justo hoy voy a presentar unos temas nuevos de Gorillaz ¿Genial, no? ¿Qué les pasa? Vengan con el tío Murdoc, tómenme de la mano y yo los guiare a través del boque de lo imprevisible… ¿Saben? Necesito más ron, denme un segundo.- Se escuchó por el micrófono el sonido de una botella siendo abierta para lo cual se le quito el corcho. Murdoc saboreo aquel licor y después continuó.
-Oh, ese fue un buen trago. Bien, verán, estuve pensando toda la semana algo bueno que mostrarles y me encontré con este pequeño número. Esto es increíble, daré comienzo con una de las nuevas canciones de Gorillaz, sí, escuchen esto, se llama Stink Fish ¡Y es de Gorillaz!
Empezó a sonar la música y después se escuchó la voz de 2D empezando a cantar.
"I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower
that you made with plastic power
your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away.
When the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep
Drive on engines 'til they weep
with future pixels in factories far away…"
Cortó después de eso para seguir hablando y dejar a los fans con las ansias.-Seee, aquí Murdoc Niccals transmitiendo desde la apestosa playa plástica en la cual debo vivir ahora pero bueno, me saca de algunos apuros mientras hago esta pequeña transmisión y ¿Saben qué? ¿Recuerdan que les dije que este track era "Stink Fish"? Bueno, lo pensé mejor y no puedo llamarle así. No hay nada que en verdad diga Stink Fish en el tema así que definitivamente le pondré "Paper Larch". Entonces esa fue Paper Larch de Gorillaz. ¿Maravilloso, no? Y bueno, eh, sí, así están las cosas. Les contare un poco de lo que ha pasado, sobre todo por lo que he pasado yo. He estado aquí por seis, siete, ¿Ocho meses? Ya ni sé. Estuve escondiéndome de los piratas, de los sellos discográficos, de esos tontos que están en mi banda, ya no los soporto. Russel, 2D y Noodle, son como mis apéndices ¿Entienden? Ya simplemente no podía. Necesitaba escaparme, era demasiada presión, demasiada presión para Murdoc, ya estaba perdiendo la razón, yo…yo simplemente me…bueno no, simplemente me…espérenme un momento, necesito ron.- Hizo su pausa para beber.- Mejor. Les decía que es momento de contarles qué ha estado pasando. Estoy en Punto Nemo, el punto más alejado que ningún otro en todo el planeta ¡Y me va perfecto! La referencia para que la anoten, porque hasta yo necesito recordarla, es…48 grados, eh…52 eh…36 sur y 123, 23, 36 grados oeste, así que ya saben dónde estoy. ¿Y exactamente que es esta playa plástica, tío Murdoc? Bueno es una especia de mítico lugar sintético que armé. O sea, la pista está en el mismo nombre.- Rio.- Literalmente es una masa flotante de plástico en medio del mar. Una especie de colección antinatural de desechos de la antigüedad y de la modernidad, es asombroso. Botellas de plástico, llantas viejas y demás mierdas eléctricas y está todo unido por una especie de pegamento espeso y un aceite escurridizo que llegó gracias a un sinfín de desastres marinos. ¡Fantástico! A decir verdad es la conglomeración de la basura del mundo entero que se une para formar una pútrida masa de tierra firme. Es algo que ha estado creciendo desde que el hombre tiró la primera bolsa de papas fritas al mar. De hecho creo que el primero que lo hizo fue un pequeño cavernícola. Las primeras bolsas de papas fritas, y creo que las conocen, de allá en la época neandertal eran de las azules saladas ¿Se acuerdan? Sí, increíble, creo que fue una de esas que tiraron al mar. Básicamente todo es un desastre ecológico-histórico. Eso es lo que es, esa cosa llamada Plastic Beach. Y lo crean o no, es también nuestro estudio de grabación. Y hasta tiene su propio presidente electo ¡Yo, Murdoc Niccals, rey del basurero!- Tragó saliva rápidamente. Cuando desaparecí luego de Demon Days, necesitaba esconderme en algún lugar donde nadie me encontrara así que elegí este lugar, tiene todo el equipamiento de los Estudios Kong, me lo hice traer, y comencé a trabajar en un nuevo álbum, como cualquiera de ustedes. Estoy pesando en llamarlo "Plastic Beach" o algo parecido, tal vez, no lo sé. Pero este álbum debe ser algo que haga parecer a Demon Days como un mero acto de calentamiento. A decir verdad este disco ya lleva tres años preparándose Y puede que "se me escapen algunos temas nuevos", porque se viene un tsunami de música, ya está en camino pero todo a su tiempo, todo a su tiempo. Por ahora les dejo algo más de mi colección de vinilos. Estos son "The Strangles" con "The Raven".
Dejo que la canción sonara completa.
-Entonces mientras se ponen cómodos y yo me pongo el cinturón y desato mis cordones…- Rio un momento.- "Me desato" mientas hago mi programa ¿Se imaginan? Sonaría a algo como…- Y empezó a simular hacer gemidos durante el acto sexual o como si se masturbara.- Bueno ya, no. Pondré algo más de música. El próximo tema es de Jay-Z y Alicia Keys. Se llama "Empire State of Mind".- Y la dejó sonar.
* * *
**¡Ya era hora de actualizar! No habia podido por la uni, proyectos, examenes y eso me cansa y me daba flojera escribir u.u Pero hoy al fin lo acabé y aun asi este capitulo no salió tan largo como me gustaria, pero es mejor que nada. **
**Entre sinfonicas, orquestas y demas cantantes invitados, ya practicamente se han escrito y grabado todas las canciones c: solo faltan "Some kind of nature" y "Doncamatic" uwu y aun se vienen mas cosas en camino jujuju xD **
**Bueno, esta es la tercera transmision de Murdoc pero se divide en dos, esta es la primera parte en la cual nos cuenta un poco mas acerca de cómo surgió Plastic Beach y ya despues vendra la segunda. Espero que les haya gustado y nos seguimos leyendo ;w;**
11. Chapter 11
Aquella noche fue el turno de 2D de tener que soñar con algo. A diferencia de su compañero, el cantante no soñó con nada emocionante sino más bien fue algo muy raro:
Ahí estaba él en el muelle de la playa donde se había puesto toda una mini feria, juegos mecánicos, de azar, de tiro al blanco, con el típico olor a palomitas y algodón de azúcar impregnando el aire. Desde hace mucho que ya no probaba este último y se le hizo agua a la boca. Ese ambiente obviamente le recordó a su padre, pues desde que 2D tenía memoria, el viejo David Pot siempre trabajó en una feria haciéndose cargo de los juegos mecánicos y dándoles mantenimiento.
Aparte de él, nadie más estaba en esa pequeña feria, ni siquiera alguien que atendiera las atracciones. Aun así se acercó a uno de los juegos de tiro donde debías darle a los patitos para ganar un premio. Los montones de peluches que podías adquirir colgaban del techo y en cada esquina de aquel stand.
Tan solo al estar parado frente al juego, del otro lado y justo frente a él, se materializó un ente oscuro que surgió a partir de la neblina negra que salió desde el suelo y se arremolinó hasta dar forma al ahora Boogie Man, quien siempre traía la cara cubierta con una máscara de gas. 2D lo observó sin saber realmente que decir. No tuvo miedo pero tampoco la presencia de ese sujeto le agradaba, sin mencionar que por él estaba atrapado en Plastic Beach desde el inicio.
Boogie Man le extendió a 2D un rifle con el cual podría dispararle a los patitos y él simplemente lo tomó. Observó un momento el arma, dudoso de si jugar o no, después de todo nunca tuvo buena puntería. Boogie Man le indicó con sus largas y verdosas manos el número tres, que significaba que tenía solo tres oportunidades para tumbar un pato y ganar. Después de pensarlo, 2D se alistó para apuntar con el rifle y ponerse en posición. Cerró uno de sus ojos intentando ubicar bien su objetivo. Antes de poder continuar, el Boogie Man le hizo bajar el arma y le hizo otro gesto con la mano indicando que debía pagarle antes.
-Pero no tengo dinero.- Se encogió de hombros.
Boogie Man pareció molestarse y volvió a hacerle el gesto exigiéndole su paga.
-Ya te dije que no tengo dinero ¿Ves?...- 2D también se molestó ante la insistencia del otro. Se metió una mano a los bolsillos para mostrarle que no mentía pero dentro de uno de ellos sintió un pequeño objeto redondo. A extraerlo vio que era una moneda. Boogie Man de inmediato la tomó y ahora sí lo dejo tirar.
Uno.
Dos.
Tres intentos y nada.
2D estaba listo para devolver el rifle sin haber tenido éxito. Se decepcionó un poco de sí mismo por no haber ganado pero también se dijo que no era para tanto.
Antes de que Boogie Man pudiera tomar el rifle, de una forma u otra Cyborg apareció a un lado de 2D, dirigiéndole una mirada neutra hacia el ser de inframundo y arrebatándoselo de las manos a 2D quien igualmente se sorprendió de verla ahí sin saber cómo o por donde había llegado.
Boogie Man volvió a extender la mano hacia 2D para que le pagara por el turno de Cyborg. 2D revisó su otro bolsillo y ahí encontró otra moneda y la puso sobre el estante.
Boogie Man se hizo a un lado para dejarla jugar. Cyborg ya estaba apuntando hacia los patos y cuando empezó a disparar no solo atinó a la primera sino que atinó a todas las demás veces que siguieron de esa hasta acabar con todos los patos. En el proceso, 2D finalmente veía a Cyborg sonreír. En todo el tiempo que llevaba ahí nunca la vio expresar una mueca de emoción pero ahora ella sonreía al ver su propio éxito que estaba teniendo en ese juego.
Tanto 2D como Boogie Man estaban impresionados por la habilidad de Cyborg. Boogie Man se rascó la cabeza y después no solo le dio un peluche de premio sino dos. Los dos peluches más grandes y coloridos que tenía. Uno de ellos era un dinosaurio con todos los colores del arcoíris. Cyborg los tomó pero después se los dio a 2D.
-Está bien, yo te los sostengo.- Le dijo. Después Cyborg negó con la cabeza y le hizo entender que ambos peluches eran para él.- Pero tú te los ganaste…- Pero la robot insistió.- ¿En serio dejarás que me los quede?...- 2D entonces aceptó quedarse con ambos peluches.- ¡Bien hecho Cyborg!- La felicitó.- Muchas gracias. Ahora sí ya podemos irnos…
2D estuvo dispuesto a dar media vuelta y retirarse pero vio que Cyborg quería volver a jugar, ya que había vuelto a tomar el rifle y ya estaba apuntando otra vez, de nuevo con una sonrisa en los labios. Boogie Man estaba dispuesto a dejarla jugar pero a 2D le pareció suficiente y la detuvo.- No, no Cyborg, ya está bien. Creo que ya se me acabo el dinero.- Rio nerviosamente. Cyborg señaló un tercer peluche de entre todos los que ahí había.- No, no, ya no quiero más peluches, así está bien.- Le dijo. Además al ver hacia el cielo vio que estaba completamente negro.- Ya va a llover, mejor nos vamos adentro.- Indicó. Tomó a Cyborg de la mano mientras que con la otra llevaba los peluches bajo el brazo.
2D iba por delante pero a mitad del camino sintió que Cyborg dejó de caminar tras él y se detuvo de repente.- ¿Qué pasa?- Preguntó volteando a verla.
Cyborg le soltó de la mano y de ahí comenzó a tener un ataque de temblores descontrolados, como si sufriera el mismísimo síndrome de Parkinson. 2D se asustó de verla así de la nada sin razón aparente. Cyborg se sujetó con ambas manos su cabeza pues ésta había empezado a dar vueltas de 360º sin parar como en la película el exorcista en un intento por detener esos movimientos alocados.
-¡Cyborg ¿Qué tienes?!- Preguntó el otro entrando en un estado de pánico sin saber que hacer o cómo reaccionar. Incluso había soltado los peluches al suelo.
Las chispas y cortos circuitos empezaban a notarse en la chica robótica y luego esta cayó al piso de rodillas siguiéndose sosteniendo la cabeza. De un momento a otro este shock terminó para dar paso a que Cyborg se desactivara instantáneamente, cayendo secamente al piso. 2D se puso en cuclillas a un lado y la puso boca arriba. Le hizo el flequillo a un lado. Sus ojos estaban cerrados y esto le hizo preocuparse más.- Vamos, levántate.- Pidió en un susurro. Miró a todos lados en busca de ayuda. En busca de Murdoc, hasta del propio Boogie Man pero ahí ya no había nadie, nadie ni nada. Toda la feria a su alrededor se había ido y la bahía estaba completamente desierta a excepción de ellos.
El cielo seguía estando negro pero ahora que lo veía mejor, no estaba negro por nubes que indicaran una tormenta sino que eso era un vapor o una neblina negra que lo cubría todo, como la que se formó justo antes de la aparición del Boogie Man. Apenas había caído en cuenta de esto y después Cyborg volvió a reaccionar. Sus ojos dieron un rápido parpadeo luminoso para volver a la normalidad.
-¿Estas bien?- Preguntó 2D. Quiso ayudarle a ponerse en pie dándole la mano pero ella lo hizo sola rápidamente y rechazando la ayuda. Cuando 2D hizo lo mismo se dio cuenta que la robot ya le estaba apuntando con otra de su armas justo en la frente. Debido a esto 2D, lleno de miedo, dio un salto rápido hacia atrás.- H-hey…tranquila, soy yo…- Intentó calmarla.
La mirada de Cyborg lo observaba maniáticamente y la sonrisa que tenía era perturbadora o al menos a 2D le causó esa sensación. Uno de los ojos de Cyborg empezó a tener un tic y las pequeñas chispas no dejaban de salir de cualquier parte de su cuerpo haciendo parecer que tuviera escalofríos.
"_¿Que está pasando? No entiendo nada, es como si se hubiera reiniciado…"_ Pensaba 2D en lo que daba lentos pasos hacia atrás para evitar que Cyborg se acercara más.- ¡Quédate quieta! ¡Por favor baja el arma!- Pidió a gritos. _"¿Acaso no me reconoce? Nada de esto tiene sentido"._ Todo aquello parecía forma la escena perfecta de alguna película de terror y suspenso.- ¡No dispares!- Pero Cyborg estaba fuera de sí o ya no entendía lo que 2D le decía. Se preparó para tirar del gatillo y al oprimirlo se oyó el sonido de la bala disparada...
-¡No...!- 2D despertó súbitamente levantándose de la cama y estaba empapado en sudor. Se pasó una mano por la frente para calmarse y lo primero que hizo fue tomar una pastilla para calmarse los nervios y otra para prevenir la migraña. Su piel estaba tan pálida como la de un muerto y la sangre que corría por sus venas la sentía tan fría. Temblaba y seguía sudando hasta que cayó en cuenta que nada de lo que había vivido fue real.- Solo fue un sueño, relájate…- Se decía.- no pasa nada.
Después de vestirse fue a encontrarse con Murdoc y también vio a Cyborg quien en ese momento tocaba algunos acordes en su guitarra que Murdoc le había dado para practicarlos. Verla en ese estado tan tranquilo también lo tranquilizó a él e incluso suspiró con alivio mostrando una pequeña sonrisa para sí mismo. - Hola chicos.- Saludó con normalidad. La robot incluso detuvo un momento su tocada para saludarle de lejos con la mano.
-Bien Faceache, ya hora de que despertaras, tremendo holgazán.- Comentó Murdoc.
2D pensó en platicarle sobre su loco sueño pero como también había soñado con Boogie Man tal vez a Murdoc no le agradaría oír nada de él al respecto. Además después de todo, los sueños no siempre tienen porque tener sentido y a final de cuentas no significaba nada y no debía preocuparse por más que este hubiera sido aterrador al final. Cyborg estaba bien, él estaba bien, hasta Murdoc estaba bien, no había nada que temer.
Luego de otros pocos días más, fueron llegando los últimos colabores invitados que fueron Lou Reed y Daley. Con diecisiete canciones compuestas en total el álbum ahora sí ya estaba terminado.
Una vez más Murdoc volvió a su cabina de radio para transmitir las buenas nuevas y una que otra canción de su gusto.
-Esos son mis viejos compañeros, Mick y Keith. La canción era "2000 light years from home" del disco "Satanic majesty's request" el cual ciertamente no era un "Sargent Pepper's…" pero aun así fue un buen disco.- Fueron sus primeras palabras luego de haber puesto la canción ya mencionada.
-Eh… pero bueno, he estado ocupado desde la última vez que hablamos hace una semana, en realidad desde la última vez que yo les hablé. He estado tocando una que otra cosa en el teclado, haciendo un poco de remix, mezclando, dándoles pequeñas exclusivas. Y para emocionarlos más…el nuevo, oscuro, cubierto de cuero, alado, el Jabberwocky de los álbumes está a poco de ser lanzado ¡Mundialmente! Y de los colabores, nuestros queridos invitados a los cuales adormecí con cloroformo y los traje para acá. Una vez que desaparecía el efecto los encerraba en el estudio para que cantaran ¡Para que cantaran! Y que tocaran, o lo que sea. Pero todo siempre en nombre de la música. Y creo que llegó el momento de sacar una nueva canción para que ustedes mis queridos fans escuchen. Los estoy tratando bastante bien, para ser honesto. ¿En dónde más escucharían este material? ¿Mhm?... Pero bueno, esta se llama "Pan de centeno, sin título por el momento" de Gorillaz.
"Pay day, you're a winner
Pay day, you're a winner
Keep cool from my line
Scar'd money broke money
Bow money mo' money
So sunny, cloud breaker
Sound make a wave runner
While funky drummer
You can get it how you want it"
"There's nothing as dealers and players and me
they say that they're winners
Okay well let's see
you play there you play
the rules of the trade
the math of the date
the times and the age
But you want how you like
Hey my man why not?
Sun Moon Stars y'all
Ditching all the y'holes
Mathematics and dealers and players and me,
they say that they're winners
Okay well let's see…"
-Oh maravilloso, es una canción maravillosa. Es como música para mis oídos. Realmente lo es, ¿No? Es música y llega hasta mis oídos, así que es música _hacia _mis oídos ¿Entienden? Directo por mis...ni siquiera tengo por qué explicarlo. Eh, bien. A medida que la oscuridad avanza, las mareas crecen y que el tiempo se escapa indefinidamente, creo que lo justo para ustedes, para nosotros, es poner algo de música que nos ayude a descansar un poco de camino a la nueva era. La era acuática, amigos, así es, ya viene. Castnar lo predijo hace un par de años y aunque no sucedió entonces, creo que sucederá ahora. Les mencioné esto la semana pasada, este libro que estaba varado en la costa y cuyo título es "The Plastc Beach" y cuando lo dé a conocer…y sin ser demasiado dramático, estoy seguro de que el tiempo, la naturaleza y la tela de la realidad mismo van a implosionar. Es decir, de cierta manera, desde el comienzo de los tiempos y del mismo Big Bang, todo lo que ha comprendido a la raza humana, indicaba que este momento llegaría. Cada fragmento de conocimiento dirigiéndose a prisa hasta este preciso instante. El eterno presente…-Hizo una pequeña pausa después de eso para dar más emoción al asunto.- En el último siglo se presenció el nacimiento de la aviación, la televisión, el internet, la llegada del I-Pod, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, todas esas cosas y se pone peor. Admitámoslo, cada momento que pasa se aproxima a lo inevitable. La humanidad se aproxima a una conclusión definitiva. Debía ser aquí, debía ser ahora, debía ser en esta playa plástica y debíamos ser nosotros, Gorillaz. ¿Y quién anuncio esta terrible transición?... Punto Nemo, la tierra de nadie, el fin de los tiempos. ¡El pequeño gemido que concluirá con el Big Bang!...- Gritó.-… Con ustedes "Blondie" y su "Island of the Lost Souls"… Ella solía gustarme.
Después de haber puesto la canción pudo seguir hablando.- Blondie, The Island of the Lost Souls. Bastante apropiado, eso creo. ¿Y ustedes? Me escuchan a mí. Murdoc Niccals en Punto Nemo FM ¡Sí nena! Son afortunados…y bien, con el motivo de irles mostrando como está yendo el nuevo disco, muy pronto damas y caballeros, liberaré a la bestia en la tierra…- Rio un poco maliciosamente.- para que mantengan sus oídos abiertos porque esto se torna intenso. Y por mientras aquí está algo más de mi vieja colección para mantenerlos cómodos. Esto se llama "The Night of the Vampires" Y es de "The Moon Treckers"…- Luego de que la canción terminara.- Oh, Night of the Vampires, The Moon Treckers ¿Alguna vez la escucharon? ¿Es genial, no?- Aclaró su garganta.- Bien, llegó la hora de ocuparme de mis tareas diarias, como siempre. Alimentar ballenas, océanos que navegar…pero la próxima semana traeré a un invitado especial, de una banda muy popular y famosa. No quiero arruinarles la sorpresa si les digo que es un bobalicón de pelo azul, el cual de alguna manera logró meterse en mi banda porque es bien parecido, canta genial, carece de ojos… ¡Así es amigos! La próxima semana traeré al tonto de 2D aquí, a mi casita de los horrores, sentado cómodamente mientras le callo la boca y pongo cortes de los nuevos temas de Gorillaz.
Para finalizar de nuevo puso la ya reconocida canción de Erika Eigen, "I Wanna Marry a Lighthouse Keeper".
Cuando Murdoc iba saliendo del faro le sorprendió topase repentinamente a 2D parado del otro lado de la puerta.- ¡Hola!- Saludó el vocalista animosamente.
-¡Maldito hijo de perra! ¡¿Quieres matarme de un infarto, estúpido?!- Murdoc se llevó amabas manos al pecho porque sintió que el corazón se le salía del susto.
-Perdón, solo vine hasta acá porque tenía curiosidad de ver que hacías.
-…No hacía nada.- Comenzó a caminar por la playa evadiendo a 2D.
-Ay, aja.- Comentó sarcástico, dándole alcance a su compañero.- No creas que no veo que cada semana te sales por la noche para venir al faro. Ya dime que haces allá arriba.
-Nada importante.- Encendió un cigarrillo para fumarlo.
\- ¿Sabes? Pude haber entrado para verlo yo mismo pero la puerta estaba cerrada así que te esperé. Siempre te quedas allá como una hora pero hoy terminaste antes. ¿Por qué tanto misterio?
-No te incumbe.- Dijo siendo muyy cortante con todas sus respuestas.
-Si no quieres decirme está bien, de todas formas quería hablar contigo de otra cosa muy aparte.
-¿De qué?
-Bueno…tengo entendido que ya terminamos con todas las canciones, con todo el álbum en sí…
-Eso es correcto.
-Entonces recordé que tú me dijiste que cuando al fin termináramos con todo esto volveríamos a casa…- Murdoc detuvo su caminar al escuchar eso.- ¿Es cierto…? ¿Volveremos a Inglaterra pronto?- Preguntó esperanzado de oir un "Sí".
Murdoc se sacó el cigarrillo por un momento para hablar. Primero soltó una pequeña risa.- Me temo que eso aún tendrá que esperar, compadre.
-¿Qué?- Preguntó crédulo.
\- Faceache, no creerás que nos vamos a ir sin antes haber dado unas cuantas buenas giras ¿O sí?
-¿...Giras...?
-¡Pues claro! Este álbum tiene que promocionarse, dar buenos espectáculos con cada una de sus canciones. Lo hemos hecho antes, no sé de qué te sorprendes.
-E-espera… ¿Me dices que me vas a llevar para dar conciertos de esto?
-¡Nos llevaré a todos…- Exclamó con euforia.- por todo el continente americano y europeo!
-¡Hijo de puta! ¡Tú nunca mencionaste nada de giras!- Explotó.- ¡Yo nunca quise formar parte de esto y me obligas, no solo a mi sino al resto de personas que ayudaron y además tu promesa fue que…!
-¡Ya sé lo que dije!- Lo interrumpió.- Pero tú también debiste haberlo visto venir. Esto no se acaba hasta que se acaba y lo haremos con unos buenos conciertos que llenaran mi billetera.- Queriendo dar la discusión por terminada, Murdoc retomó su camino pero otra vez 2D lo interceptó.
-¡¿Te das cuenta de que si lo hacemos van a preguntar por Russel y Noodle?! ¡¿Qué vamos a decir al respecto?!
-Uhhh umm… -Pensó.- ¿Qué se tomaron un descansito?... ¡Te recuerdo que esa niña no ha regresado de sus "vacaciones" desde hace años! Quizás ya no le importemos…- Normalizó el tono de su voz.- ninguno de nosotros.- Se encogió de hombros. Quizá ella ya pueda estar…- Dejó la frase incompleta y solo hizo un ademan de cortarse el cuello con un cuchillo.
2D se impactó por esto y no lo tomó de buena manera.- ¡¿Cómo puedes decir eso?!
-¡Oh vamos! ¡No me digas que tú nunca lo has pensado! ¡¿Por qué otra razón ya no regresaría?! ¡Por eso tuve que crear a Cyborg!
-¡Yo sé que Noodle está bien y ella nos ama, nunca nos dejaría!
-¡Claro! ¡Sigue pensando eso mientras te encuentres en el escenario dando grandes espectáculos!- Con tal de que ya no lo siguiera, Murdoc empujó a 2D y lo hizo caer al suelo. Después de eso ahora sí se alejó sin prisas.- Y solo fíjate en quien será la guitarrista que estará ahí entonces… ¡Oh! ¡Pues no será Noodle!
Cuando Murdoc ya no estuvo cerca, 2D se sobó en donde se había golpeado. Ya no pudo contener más el llanto y lo dejó salir. Sintió el mundo caérsele encima por lo que Murdoc dijo, se sintió asustado e inseguro de que quizá pudiera tener razón.
* * *
En algún punto indefinido, rodeado por el inmenso océano del pacifico, Russel Hobbs nadaba, nadaba y nadaba.
Llevaba haciendo eso desde hace meses sin parar. Si algo distinto habia cambiado en él era su estatura, o mas bien el tamaño de todo su cuerpo.
Russel habia crecido hasta alcanzar la altura de siete metros, todo un gigante. Y quizas seguiria creciendo más en tanto no llegara a su destino. Había que agradecer a todos los desechos toxicos que hay en el agua, los cuales en un principio ingerió sin querer pero que despues de un buen tiempo la verdad dejó de importarle. Algunas otras toxinas le afectaban de tan solo rozar con su piel, las cuales tambien contribuyeron a su desmensurado crecimiento.
De tan solo pensar que en algun momento encontaría a Murdoc y con su tamaño sería facil aplastarlo como a una hormiga, ponia en la cara de Russel una sonrisa de satisfaccion.
Empezaba a darle hambre. Era hora de sumergirse más a fondo a ver si encontraba algun animal marino que comer. Uno que estuviera justamente a la porción adecuada para calmarle el apetito, un tiburón estaría bien.
* * *
**¡Día de actualización! Aprovechando que estoy de puente, aqui lo tienen xD **
**Bien, ¿Que aprendimos en este capitulo? Que 2D tiene sueños raros xD en realidad es mas como una advertencia de lo que pasará mas adelante con Cyborg :O Por algo Boogie Man tambien apareció. Y falta poco para que nuestro vocalista favorito haga acto de presencia en el show de Murdoc :P lol ¡Y se viene las giras! OMG! ¡Y despues de varios capitulos Russel vuelve, en tamaño gigante, siii! Y se vuelve a mencionar a Noodle tambien jeje **
**Y bueno, ya que vimos que el album ya esta completo, quiero dar un recuento de todas las canciones junto con cada colaborador que participó en ellas porque de todas formas algunos colabores extra y canciones tambien por ahi pudieron no ser nombrados asi que lo haré aqui: **
**1\. Orchestal Intro (Con Sinfonía ViVA)**
**2\. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (Con Snoop Dogg e Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) **
**3\. White Flag (Con Kano, Bashy, y The Lebanese National Orchesta for Oriental Arabic Music) **
**4\. Rhinestone Eyes**
**5\. Stylo (Con Bobby Womack y Mos Def) **
**6\. Superfast Jellyfish (Con Gruff Rhys y De La Soul) **
**7\. Empire Ants [Con Yukimi Nagano (Little Dragon)] **
**8\. Glitter Freeze (Con Mark E. Smith) **
**9 Some Kind of Nature (Con Lou Reed) **
**10\. On Melancholy Hill **
**11\. Broken**
**12\. Sweepstakes (Con Mos Def e Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) **
**13\. Plastic Beach (Con Mick Jones y Paul Simonon) **
**14\. To Binge [Con Yukimi Nagano (Little Dragon)] **
**15\. Cloud of Unknowing (Con Bobby Womack y Sinfonía ViVA) **
**16\. Pirate Jet **
**17\. Doncamatic (Con Daley) - No sé porque esta cancion unos la incluyen en la lista de reproducción del album completo en youtube y en otros no y en su lugar (a veces) te ponen otros bonus tracks. ¡Pero para mí sí cuenta como canción y punto! :v Y aquellas que no tienen colaborador nombrado fue porque fueron 100% hechas por Gorillaz, sin ayuda :v ¡Hasta el próximo capitulo! (^w^)7**
12. Chapter 12
Fue una mañana a principios de marzo cuando 2D vio a Murdoc salir en el submarino llevando una cámara fotográfica consigo. El bajista estaba planeando tomar una foto a la playa desde lejos cuando los primeros rayos del sol alumbraban ya el firmamento. Una vez que estuvo a una distancia considerable, dejó que el submarino saliera a flote y luego él se asomó por la escotilla y desde ahí capturó el paisaje. Hizo exactamente lo mismo por la tarde cuando estaba el sol en su pleno crepúsculo haciendo que el cielo ya estuviera tenido de color naranja y repitió esa acción poco tiempo después ya por la noche antes de que el clima se pusiera feo como siempre. Supo apreciar un cielo lleno de estrellas y justo antes de que la marea empezara a empeorar. En las tres ocasiones tomó las fotos desde diferentes ángulos de la playa y todas fueron buenas.
2D no se molestó ni una vez en preguntar por qué hacía eso. Desde que Murdoc le reveló lo de la gira hace ya una semana, 2D se sintió muy molesto con él, sobre todo por atreverse a decir lo que dijo de Noodle. Eso ya era demasiado. Por eso es que desde ahí ya no le dirigía tanto la palabra ni viceversa al menos que fuera absolutamente necesario.
Murdoc se la pasaba de solitario arreglando él mismo el asunto de los próximos conciertos, comunicándose con agentes y de nuevo con los mismos colaboradores del disco, haciendo llamas y video llamadas, prometiendo pagar algunas cosas aquí y allá y arreglando muchas fechas de en dónde y cuándo se presentarían con el fin de que todo pudiera estar listo pronto.
Después de esa última sesión de fotos nocturna transcurrieron algunas horas y para ese entonces 2D ya estaba durmiendo en su habitación.
-Hey…2D…despierta….hey 2D, despierta.- Escuchaba que le murmuraban al oído.- Vamos Faceache…- Él apenas y comenzaba a reaccionar en ese momento.- ¡Levántate pedazo de flojo!- Luego de eso sintió algo húmedo caerle en la cabeza lo cual le hizo sentarse sobre la cama inmediatamente.
-¡¿Qué?! ¡¿Qué?! ¡Estoy despierto! – Fue lo primero que dijo al haber abierto los ojos.
-¡Vaya, al fin! ¡Pensé que nunca despertarías!
-P… ¿Pero qué…?- Sintió la humedad resbalar desde su cabello hacia su rostro y cuando algunas gotas se colaron por su boca se dio cuenta que lo que era.- ¿Murdoc…?
-¿Sí…?
Con ambas manos se secaba el exceso. -¿Acaso me tiraste ron en la cara?- Se fijó y así era. Murdoc traía en una de sus manos una botella de la bebida pero casi vacía. Y todo él apestaba a licor. Tanto, que ya había impregnado con ese olor todo el cuarto. En la otra mano llevaba una pequeña botella de Propofol, igualmente casi sin contenido. 2D la reconoció bien, no por nada había aprendido de varios medicamentos gracias a su madre.
-Eso hice ¿No es cierto?- Rio.
-… Pero… ¡¿Por qué?! ¡¿Y de dónde sacaste ese Propofol?!
-Lo hallé por ahí, abandonado, así que lo recogí y luego…me puse a oír un poco de Reggae…
-No me digas que te lo inyectaste…
-…Tal vez…- Genial. No solo estaba borracho sino también drogado. Con razón se le veía pinta de adormecido.
-No sabes los efectos secundarios que puede causar…
-Oh pero vamos, no te fijes en eso.- Decía Murdoc.- Tenía que despertarte, vamos.- Le hizo una señal para que lo siguiera fuera de la habitación.- Ven conmigo, acompáñame.
-¿Para qué?
-Ya lo verás…
-Pero es más de media noche ¿A dónde vamos?
-¡Solo sígueme y ya, maldición!
Ni que decir cuando Murdoc se ponía ebrio su temperamento era muy volátil. El ron a veces le ponía feliz y de un momento a otro estaba furioso o muy tranquilo, nunca se sabía y más con el Propofol corriendo por sus venas. El ron de por sí, le quitaba también el sentido de la elocuencia y hacia y decía a cosas sin sentido. Pensando esto, 2D no tuvo otra opción más que ir tras él a ver qué cosa tramaba en lo que se quitaba la lagaña de los ojos.
Eso sí, los dos estaban muy cabreados uno con el otro pero ahora que Murdoc estaba bajo los efectos del alcohol y de la medicina, parecía más animado a intercambiar más conversación con el cantante.
-¿Cuánto has bebido exactamente?- Preguntó 2D para darse una idea.
-Uhh no lo sé. Desde la tarde, tal vez esta sea la ¿Décima…onceava botella…?
-Por Dios…-Dijo en voz baja.- ¿Es que no tienes otra cosa que hacer más que beber y drogarte?
-¿Estando en esta playa? Uhh claro, hay montones de cosas que hacer, nunca te aburres aquí, es decir ¿Quién se aburre? Yo no, porque nadie se aburre en Plastic Beach…-Comenzó a cantar en un tonó demasiado sarcástico.
-Está bien, ya entendí.- Dijo para callarlo. De todas formas no era como si 2D hiciera un montón de cosas tampoco, últimamente solo se la pasaba durmiendo en su cuarto.
Salieron a la playa ambos en silencio. La neblina hacia casi imposible ver donde caminabas, apenas y distinguías tu propia nariz. Al menos ese era el caso de 2D por lo cual por poco y estuvo a punto de tropezar varias veces y eso lo puso un poco más de mal humor pero Murdoc increíblemente parecía saber muy bien a donde se dirigían y tomó rumbo hacia el faro. Cuando estuvieron ahí, éste abrió la puerta y subió las escaleras tras ella.
"_Al parecer al fin voy a entrar al dichoso faro"_.- Decía 2D para sí mismo.- _"No sé qué oculte Murdoc pero ya voy a descubrirlo. Pobre, ni siquiera ha de estar cociente de lo que hace. Mañana ya ni se acordará que estuvimos aquí. Algo bueno tiene el que este así"._
Yendo tras él y aprovechando el estado de Murdoc, quizá ahora sí pudiera preguntarle porqué había tomado todas esas fotos. Quién sabe si le hubiera preguntado estando él sobrio no le hubiera respondido.
-Cosas del disco.- Fue la respuesta del bajista.- Para la portada.
-Oh, ya.- Al llegar al final de las escaleras, 2D al fin pudo conocer la cabina de radio en la que Murdoc tanto se metía. No cabía de su propia impresión al descubrir este hallazgo.- ¿Qué es todo esto?- Fue lo que preguntó.
-¿Qué parece?
-Pues…una cabina de radio.
-¡Exacto! Piensas rápido.
-¿Esto ha estado aquí siempre?
-Sipi.
-¿Y por qué nunca me dijiste?
-Porque era mi secreto pero ¡Que rayos! Ahora tú también ya lo sabes, amigo.
-¿Por eso no dejabas que supiera? ¿Y que se supone que hacemos aquí?
-…Transmitir…
* * *
Y ahora ahí estaban los dos, sentados uno junto a otro. Ni siquiera sabía por qué había aceptado en primer lugar hacer esa tonta transmisión, no creía que realmente hubiera alguien oyendo en ese momento. Él solo quería terminar lo más pronto posible para volver a dormir.
Lo primero que hizo Murdoc fue empezar con una canción de "The Shangri Las". 2D preguntó que por qué no empezar con la trasmisión de una vez en lugar de hacer tiempo poniendo canciones.
-Oh 2D, no comprendes a la audiencia. Ellos te aman… ¡Desearían comerte vivo!- Mencionó con entusiasmo.- Y yo solo te estoy guardando para cuando llegue el momento. Hay que hacerlos esperar, eres lo mejor de este programa y lo mejor se queda siempre al final.
No sabía si creer demasiado en las palabras de Murdoc y sobre todo en su estado. -Yo solo quiero irme a dormir.- Dijo él apenas pudiendo mantenerse despierto y con mucho desgane.
Cuando la canción estaba en sus últimos minutos, Murdoc se colocó unos auriculares y le dijo a 2D hacer lo mismo pues ya estaban a nada de comenzar.
\- Ohh… "The Shangri Las…Out in the streets" Oh sí. ¡Aqui vamos de nuevo! Especial de Punto Nemo FM, la hora feliz. Una vez más soy yo, Murdoc Niccals, el náufrago solitario en la oscuridad, mostrándoles de nuevo canciones con ron, alas y vitriolos…oh sí, el Propofol está funcionando a buena hora…me siento un poco…estoy un poco adormecido…
2D vio a Murdoc recargar su barbilla sobre su mano como apoyo y sus ojos estaban un poco entrecerrados mientras decía todo esto. _"Más bien funcionó desde que te lo metiste..."_\- Pensó 2D.
-Sí, eso fue Shang…Chang... ¿Cómo se dice? The Sangri Las con Out in the streets…es fácil decirlo ¿Sabes?...oh, me siento extraño hoy. Entre el ron y el Reggae hay una tibia mezcla…tengo una caja llena de esos discos aquí junto a mí y otra noche tormentosa de neblina e insolación justo en frente…bueno, continuemos con esta inda canción de Tom Waits. "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me Today".
"_¡¿Otra canción?!"_\- Pensó 2D quien hasta el momento estaba callado, paciente y aburrido, con los brazos cruzados sobre el pecho y sentado en su silla giratoria. Aquella canción pasó muy lenta o así la sintió. Empezaba a dar pequeños golpecitos rápidos con la planta del pie sobre el suelo.
Al parecer hasta Murdoc se había dormido y 2D tuvo que tocarle el hombro para despertarlo. Alcanzó a reaccionar a tiempo cuanto la canción acabó. Se desperezó en su lugar antes de seguir.- Oh sí, sí, sí. Gracias, Señor Waits, eso fue muy ¿Cómo se dice?...Lúgubre.- Volteó a mirar a 2D.- Y escuchen, fans de Gorillaz, tengo un invitado aquí que es el cantante de una famosa banda que…de hecho es el cantante de mi banda favorita. ¡Gorillaz! ¡Damas y caballeros, es 2D de Gorillaz!- Lo atrajo hacia sí y hacia el micrófono rodeándolo por los hombros con el brazo.- Di "Hola" a las damas y caballeros, 2D.
-Hola.- Habló secamente.
-¿Saben? Pensé en dejarlo salir de su pequeño cuarto bajo el agua, solo para que viera un poco de lo que hay aquí arriba y si tiene suerte ¡Estará grabando en mi nuevo disco! Tal vez…
-¿…?
-…
-Bueno, yo soy 2D de Gorillaz…- Tomó una pequeña cinta que vio frente a él con la intención de ponérsela a los radioescuchas, si es que los había. Leyó el titulo sobre la cinta.- y esta es nuestra nueva canción de…- No pudo decirlo a tiempo pues Murdoc ya le había soltado una fuerte cachetada.- ¡Ahhuuu…!
-¡Silencio! Yo soy quien pone los discos aquí, amigo. ¡Te sientas y que callas hasta que yo te diga o te echaré a la neblina!- 2D se hizo chiquito sobre su asiento.- ...Sin más preámbulos, sigamos con los éxitos más calientes de hoy y…ayer. Este es Robert Johnson con "Drunk Hearted Man".
Después de esa le siguió otra canción de Reggae. Y a medida que la canción llegaba a su final, Murdoc continuó hablando hasta que la canción ya no estaba y solo era él contando una historia. Su tono para hablar era sereno, calmado, como para crear más ambiente.
-Aquí una pequeña historia de un hombre y una mujer. El hombre, bueno, era alto. Estaba triste y solo, vagaba sólo él por la tierra, perdido y muy, muy triste. Hasta que un día vio a una chica que cruzaba la calle. Ella tenía tres brazos y el hombre se recordó a sí mismo: "¡Dios! Nunca había visto a una mujer con tres brazos". Esta era la chica que él quería, así que la siguió hasta un callejón...
"_¿Qué clase de historia es esa?"_\- Se preguntaba 2D. Tal vez Murdoc solo la estaba alucinando, inventando, o la leyó de algún libro. Si era eso, pues qué libro tan raro.
Murdoc seguía.- Saltó sobre ella, la besó, consiguió tocar su corazón…y se fue. Y esa, es una historia de amor.- Suspiró. Luego de eso se oyó el sonido de disco barrido.-… ¡Entonces, 2D! ¡Meses en cautiverio, atrapado en una isla, forzado a grabar!... ¿Cómo te ha tratado la vida?
"_¿Acaso estas bromeando?"_\- Pensó.- Bueno, es una playa, una horrible playa plástica. Ni siquiera puedes pedir pizza aquí.- Desde hace cuánto que tenía antojo de una. Él también suspiro pero de cansancio.- ¿Cuándo podré irme a casa?
-Umm…no creo que eso pase dentro de un lago tiempo, amigo. ¿Cómo se siente estar en otra larga promoción para un álbum el cual no tiene límites? Sin timón, sin sentido alguno… ¡Conmigo! ¿Mmm?- 2D respiró profundo apretando los dientes, se sujetó el puente de la nariz, intentando pensar en una respuesta que no fuera agresiva.- ¿Sabes? Creo que lo vamos a averiguar pronto. ¿Sabes? Pondré cámaras en toda la playa y buscaré imágenes de todo este lio que he hecho y se lo enviaré a los fans. Aun no estoy seguro, así que tal vez lo ponga en la página web…
-¿Por qué no solo me dejas ir? Mamón…- Dijo con un tono de impaciencia.
-¡Oh, 2D! Viejo, ven, ven…- De nuevo lo atrajo hacia sí y le dio unas palmaditas en los hombros para calmarlo.- Bueno, mientras estas aquí, tal vez puedas mostrar esta ¿Mmm? Es en la que tú cantas…- Le dio otra cinta en sus manos.
-Mm, bien.- La tomó.- Aquí hay una nueva canción de Gorillaz que se llama…- Buscó el nombre pero no había ninguno. Volteó a ver a Murdoc esperando que se lo dijera.
-Oh, umm, estaba pensando en llamarla "The Little House of the Stink Fish".
-Ese nombre está horrible.
-Sí, tienes razón. Ésta es "The Little House of the Stink Fish…I'll be back after the Break" ¡De Gorillaz!- 2D reconocía esa canción como aquella a la que él quería llamar "Pirate Jet" pero claro, como siempre Murdoc tuvo que intervenir con sus nombres estúpidos. Lo peor es que ni siquiera la dejó llegar hasta la parte donde 2D cantaba, solo dejó oír la música del principio.- Oh, extraño Inglaterra…-Fue lo que Murdoc dijo al interrumpir la canción, lanzando un suspiro melancólico y a la vez soñoliento.- Y ahora esta es "The Willow's Song" y es de "Nature and organization"…- La canción duro casi cinco minutos. Después le siguió "La mar" de Eden Ahbez.
_Yo tenía un pequeño bote. Lo llamé "Vida"…y una vez que zarpé, nunca más regresé…_
-¿"Vida"?- Preguntó Murdoc en lo que escuchaba aquel verso.
_Todo fue tan repentino, había mucho viento…_
-Sí, sí, lo sé.- Decía Murdoc como si estuviera teniendo una conversación con la propia canción.
_Y las olas eran como montañas…_
-Oh ¿En serio?
_Muchas cosas pasaban por mi mente…_
-Sí, lo sé, como siempre.
_En el solitario canto del mar…_
-¡Oh, está hablando de mí!
_Escuché los ecos de la eternidad…_
-Sí, yo también los escucho todas las mañanas…
_Y en la fantasía de las nubes y los cielos…_
-Sí, sí, sí…
_Vi al único que vive…_
-Está bien, sí…
_Y todas las cosas morían…_
-Sí…
_Y tenía nauseas en medio del mar…_
-¡No!- Soltó con un tono de asombro.
_Perdido en las profundidades y fui arrojado…_
-¡No!... ¿Tenías tus pantalones puestos? ¿Los tenías?...- Parecía que la canción ya había terminado. La voz de Eden ya no hablaba, ya no se oía más.-...Bien, suficiente fantasía. Hay mucho silencio, ¿saben? Es emocionante. Genial.- Hizo una pequeña pausa.- Tengo un aviso para ustedes amigos. Solo váyanse, conozcan gente y hablen con ellos…- Seguía con su barbilla recargada en una de sus manos como apoyo mientras decía esto.- Pero, está bien, ya me canse de hablar, en serio, ya…me cansé. Puedo ofrecerles un poco de ron.- Rio.- ¿Seguimos al aire?...
_Cuando me desperté…_
-¡Oh no! ¡Ya regresó, regresó este sujeto!- Se rio un poco más.- Sí, ¿Tienes más que decirme?...
_La tormenta había acabado y el mar estaba tranquilo…_
-Eso es bueno, es relajante…
_Fue extraño y maravilloso…_
-Suena bien.
_Como ver el mundo…_
-Sí…
_Como ver a través de él… _
-Sí… ¡Sí!...
_Y cuando le dije a la gente del pueblo…_
-¡Oh! ¿Fuiste al pueblo?
_Que me fui y nunca regresé, todos se rieron y me llamaron "El maravilloso" Y me fui con ellos…_
-¡Oh! Fuiste con ellos…
_Ellos no lo sabían…_
-No, no, claro que no.
_Ellos eran únicos…_
-¡Sí, sí!
_Y entonces encontré mi camino…_
-¿Sí? ¿Cómo?
_Encontré mi hogar…_
-¿Sí pero cómo lo hiciste?
_En la isla del Edén…_
-¿Solo lo encontraste?
_Donde el viento ha dicho la verdad…_
-Oh sí, siempre, nunca miente.
_Por siempre….por siempre…por siempre._
-… ¡Eso fue lindo!- Ahora si ese era el final de la cancion. Murdoc aclaró su garganta.- Buen chico, esto se llamó "La mar" y es algo para oír en el mar, creo, no sé. Tengo que decirles que Eden es un amoroso y gentil hippie. Después de esto van a oír más música de Gorillaz, tienen suerte.
Por alguna razón en lugar de eso, transmitió la canción de "Starlight".
-Eso fue "Starlight" de "Herbalizer" donde participa mi querido Roots Manuva, sí. Una vez más la niebla llega y el tiempo se atora en la media noche. Las olas chocan en la costa y todo se pone más borroso…aun no sé cuándo haré la siguiente transmisión pero queridos niños, me ha dado mucho gusto volver a contactarlos…
2D se había mantenido callado durante casi toda la trasmisión, oyendo todos los sinsentidos de Murdoc. Si antes creyó que estaba loco ahora lo estaba más y eso lo asustaba. Estaba desesperado y debía hacer algo, un último intento porque sus plegarias fueran oídas, por salir de esa horrible isla…
-Les dejo un link por ahí para que entren a este salvaje y nuevo mundo de Gorillaz…- Seguía Murdoc.- pero creo que es momento de acabar con esta fiesta y decir "Adieu" hasta que vuelva a asaltar sus afortunados tímpanos de nuevo…
2D le arrebató el micrófono y hablo con voz desesperada.- ¡Si alguien puede oírme por favor manden ayuda! ¡Llamen a la policía!...
-¡Manden ayuda!- Se oyó la voz de Murdoc burlándose. De nuevo tomo el micrófono en sus manos a la fuerza.- ¡Sí, manden ayuda! ¡Necesito unas veinte cervezas aquí!
-¡Me tiene como prisionero!- Gritaba 2D en el fondo.
-¡Shhh! Está bien, solo respira por esta tela…- No vio cuando Murdoc sacó un paño mojado en cloroformo el cual le colocó en parte de la nariz y en toda la boca.- respira 2D, sí, respira profundo…- 2D intentaba zafarse pero lo tenía sujetado fuertemente y no podía soltarse. Se escuchaban sus gemidos ahogados en un esfuerzo por no inhalar el penetrante olor pero le fue imposible. Poco a poco se sentía así mismo caer dormido.- te vas a sentir un poco mareado, ya casi, respira…- Murdoc hablaba con una voz que aparentaba ser serena.- Y…ya se fue.- Ya ningún ruido se escuchaba. 2D había caído ante los efectos del cloroformo y ahora estaba tirado en el suelo. Murdoc lo deposito ahí lentamente.- ¡Bueno, los dejo con esta última! ¡Esto es: "Whoops! I just skid it into your cakehole!" de mi fantástica y aclamada banda… ¡Gorillaz!
"_Oh joy's arise, the sun has come again to hold you…" _
-Muy Bueno para ser verdad pero sí, Gorillaz está de regreso en el mapa, créelo nena. De venta en tu tienda digital más cercana, muy pronto ¡En serio!
* * *
Cuando 2D lentamente volvió a entrar en razón, se vio a si mismo de nuevo en su cuarto bajo el agua, acostado sobre la cama. Toda su cabeza le daba vueltas y veía borroso, se sentía mareado y hasta con un poco de nauseas. Al principio se preguntó unos momentos si había sido todo un sueño pero en cuanto le llegó el olor a alcohol en el cuarto supo que todo había sido real. Murdoc había estado ahí y lo había sacado hasta el faro a hacer ese estúpido programa suyo.
Se sentía impotente ahora. Intentó pedir ayuda ¡De hecho lo hizo! Y Murdoc lo durmió para que no siguiera hablando. Si alguna persona por ahí escuchó su mensaje de auxilio, nunca tendría oportunidad de saberlo.
No cayó en cuenta hasta ese entonces que no estaba solo. Había alguien más con él ahí. Era Cyborg, parada firmemente frente a los pies de la cama. Tenía en una mano un vaso con agua y en la otra una pastilla. Cuando se percató que 2D despertó, fue a su lado y le entregó ambas cosas a él.
2D se sentó y al tomar el vaso y la pastilla, vio que esta última era una de las que tomaba para sus migrañas.- Gracias.- Dijo. Se la tomó con ayuda de un solo trago de agua y luego se pasó el brazo por los labios para secarlos un poco.- ¿Qué hora será?- Preguntó. Pensó que pudo haber dormido horas o incluso días pues se veía que ya había amanecido.- ¿Cómo regresé aquí?
Entonces Cyborg se señaló a sí misma dándose méritos de que ella fue quien lo llevó de vuelta a su habitación.
-¿Fuiste tú, Cyborg? Seguramente Murdoc te dio la orden.- Ella asintió.- Ese maldito…-Dijo 2D en voz queda y apretando los puños.- Espero que no te haya costado trabajo traerme hasta acá.- Volvió a decirle a ella gentilmente.
Los dos salieron en busca de Murdoc. Cyborg fue quien guio a 2D hasta la habitación del bajista. Entraron lentamente y ahí lo hallaron profundamente dormido bocabajo en su cama, únicamente con la ropa interior puesta y pegando fuertes ronquidos.
-Ojala tuviera una botella de ron conmigo para regresarle el mismo favor de anoche.- Habló 2D.
Aparentemente Murdoc no estaba tan dormido pues al oír la voz del otro se levantó algo aturdido. Se cubrió los ojos ya que toda la luz del sol que entraba por su ventana le pegó directo en la cara.- ¡¿Por qué están aquí?!- Preguntó en tono molesto al verlos a ambos metidos en su cuarto.
-¡Levántate pedazo de flojo!- Gritó 2D imitando su tono de la noche anterior para después reírse un poco.- Ya pasan de las doce.- Se cruzó de brazos volviendo a su semblante serio.
Murdoc aún estaba un poco desconcertado.- ¿En serio dormí tanto? ¡Uff! ¡Ni siquiera recuerdo haber regresado aquí!
-¿No se supone que tienes conciertos que arreglar o algo así?
-¿Uh?... ¡Oh, sí, hay que hacer eso!- Rápidamente se levantó y fue a hacer sus quehaceres sin siquiera haberse puesto ropa.
De nuevo se pasó todo el día arreglando los asuntos correspondientes. Mientras tanto 2D y Cyborg Noodle no tenían mucho que hacer por ahora. Si había algo de cierto en lo que Murdoc dijo, era que estar en Plastic Beach era bastante aburrido.
Entre tanta basura regada por doquier, 2D encontró una vieja pelota de tenis, estaba muy sucia pero de algo serviría.- ¡Oye Cyborg, atrápala!- Se la lanzó a la androide y ella la atrapó con una sola mano sin vacilar- ¡Buena atrapada!- Dijo con entusiasmo. Dio unos cuantos pasos hacia atrás para hacer más espacio entre ellos y jugar mejor.- ¡Lánzala de nuevo!- Cyborg le echó un vistazo a ese extraño objeto entre sus manos y luego hizo lo que se le dijo pero lo realizó con mucho desgane. La pelota solo cayó unos centímetros lejos de sus pies y se fue rodando por el suelo y se detuvo a media distancia que los separaba.- Esta bien, creo que eres buena atrapando pero te enseñaré a lanzar.- Recogió la pelota y se la volvió a dar en las manos.- Hazlo con más fuerza, así.- Simuló tener la pelota e hizo el movimiento con su brazo para demostrarle a la robot como hacerlo. Luego volvió a su lugar a esperar el lanzamiento. Esa vez Cyborg ahora si la lanzó fuerte, quizá demasiado. 2D no reaccionó a tiempo para atraparla y fue a impactar directo en uno de sus ojos.- ¡Estoy bien, estoy bien!- Dijo entrando en pánico y cubriéndose el ojo herido con las manos.- ¡No pasa nada!- Se sobaba el área lastimada y después se rascó un poco los parpados para enfocar menor su visión. Volvió a tomar la pelota y en lo que se la lanzaba a Cyborg le advirtió que intentara lanzarla un poco más bajo. En esa ocasión sí la lanzó más bajo, demasiado. 2D volvió a sobarse en el área de la entrepierna en lo que se retorcía, se hacía bolita y agonizaba de dolor en el suelo.- ¡Rayos, rayos! ¡Maldita sea!- Decía. Unas cuantas lagrimas se asomaron por la comisura de sus ojos- Creo…que lanzas…muy fuerte.- Mencionó con dificultad.- ¿Podemos juagar…algo menos peligroso y…menos…doloroso? Quizá…damas…chinas…
Murdoc, quien lo había visto todo desde hace rato se burló de 2D y después lo apresuró a ponerse de pie.- Levántate ya, fracasado y haz tus maletas.
-¿Mis…qué?
-Ya he mandado traer un helicóptero y debemos estar preparados para irnos cuando llegue.
-¿Irnos…?
-A la gira, menso. Prácticamente esta todo listo para empezar.- Se frotó ambas manos con ambición.
-¿Y a dónde iremos?- Comenzó a pararse del suelo hasta estar totalmente en pie otra vez.
-¡Portsmouth!
-¿Portsmouth?...espera…pero…esa ciudad está en…
-¡Inglaterra, lo sé! Después de tanto tiempo volveremos a la tierra que nos vio nacer. Que mejor lugar para empezar nuestro tour.- Después de decir eso, Murdoc se regresó a su cuarto para empezar a preparar lo que hiciera falta.
A 2D todavía le faltaron segundos para digerir lo que escuchó. Cuando al fin pudo comprender que Murdoc no bromeaba, comenzó a saltar de la emoción.- ¡Inglaterra, Cyborg! ¡Iremos a Inglaterra!- Tomó a la robot por los hombros queriéndola hacer saltar junto con él. No lo logró pero eso no le bajo los ánimos.- ¡Por fin estaremos fuera de esta playa de mierda, literal! ¡Y vas a conocer un mundo nuevo! ¡Alégrate!
Los próximos días se le pasaron muy lentos, no podía esperar ver llegar ya el helicóptero que los sacaría de ahí. En realidad serían varios helicópteros y submarinos, incluyendo el de Murdoc para transportar todos los instrumentos y equipaje necesario.
Cuando al fin estuvo el helicóptero ahí, 2D fue el primero en subir en la parte trasera junto con Cyborg mientras que Murdoc se iría adelante al lado del piloto.- ¡Vamos, vamos, apresúrense!- Les decía. Sintió una adrenalina en el estómago cuando empezaron a elevarse lentamente y cada vez el suelo debajo de ellos iba quedándose más y más lejos. Al menos esperaba no vomitar su desayuno o Murdoc lo mataría.- Esto es muy emocionante.- Le susurró a Cyborg.- Pero mejor dejo de mirar hacia abajo.
Luego de unas horas se quedó dormido en el trayecto con la seguridad de que estaban en camino de vuelta a Inglaterra.
* * *
**¡Uff! ahora si me tardé en actualizar :'v pero luego de ver tanto movimiento en instagram me inspiré para sacar el capitulo hoy. Espero que lo hayan disfrutado. Y bueno como notita extra imaginemos que a estas alturas el album de Plastic Beach ya salió a la venta, porque ya saben, primero siempre se lanzá el disco y luego la banda dá sus conciertos y la wea, asi funciona toda la industria musical xD y por cierto les recimiendo que escuchen esta transmision de radio de Murdoc que esta en youtube, es la transmision numero 4 porque en serio es hilarante oirla e imaginar como ambos estan ahi detras del microfono, aburriendose ¡lol!**
13. Chapter 13
Fue despertando de nuevo lentamente. Se percató que seguían volando en el helicóptero. Veía las cabezas tanto de Murdoc como del piloto sobresaliendo de sus asientos y delante de ellos un cielo repleto de nubes. Su propia cabeza la tenía recostada a un costado, más específicamente sobre uno de los hombros de Cyborg. ¡Se quedó dormido encima de Cyborg!
-¡Perdón, ya desperté!- Gritó. Su cara se volvió roja por la pena. Muy difícilmente él mismo junto el resto de los que iban escuchó lo que dijo, pues debido a la presión sus oídos se taparon con aire y además las aspas hacían mucho ruido como para escuchar cualquier cosa.- Perdón por eso, Cyborg.- Se disculpó otra vez en lo que se limpiaba los restos de saliva que tenía en el rostro. A la androide nunca pareció molestarle que se durmieran sobre ella, estaba tranquila con ambos brazos cruzados sentada en su lugar. 2D entonces se inclinó hacia adelante para hacer una pregunta al líder de la banda.- ¿Cuánto falta para llegar?- Murdoc se giró a verlo con expresión de no haberle entendido.- ¿Qué cuánto falta para llegar?- Preguntó con más fuerza.
-¡¿Qué?!- Respondió Murdoc sin entenderle bien aún.
-¡Dije que cuánto…!
-¡No te oigo!- Le interrumpió.- Mis oídos están tapados ¿Los tuyos no? ¡Toma un chicle, eso los destapará!- Le extendió a 2D el pequeño paquete de chicles con uno que ya estaba sobresaliendo listo para que 2D lo tomara. Al hacerlo recibió una pequeña descarga de toques en sus dedos y apartó la mano rápidamente.
-¡Ah, me dolió!- Se quejó mientras sacudía su mano herida.
-¡Ja, caíste!- Se burló el otro.- La vieja broma del chicle, nunca falla.- Se jactó mostrando que el paquete de chicles era falso y era de los que daban toques al agarrar el falso chicle que sobresalía de los demás.- Pero ya en serio, toma uno.- En su otra mano tenía un simple chicle de menta. 2D se lo quitó no muy contento por la broma recibida y se lo comió.
Mala decisión. Otra de las bromas pesadas de Murdoc.
Resultó ser un chicle sabor a ajo, perfecto para jugar una segunda broma. 2D lo escupió pero eso no impidió que su sabor penetrante le invadiera toda la boca.
-¡Maldito, sabe horrible!- 2D escupía la saliva que le sabia mal mientras que Murdoc no dejaba de reírse sosteniéndose el estómago con las dos manos.- ¡¿Por qué me haces esto?!
-¡Porque es muy fácil y divertido verte la cara!
-¡Necesito agua!- Buscaba desesperadamente alguna botella y no veía ninguna en ningún lado. De repente Cyborg le extendió una que al parecer siempre tuvo oculta bajo sus brazos. 2D ya no quiso pensar si iba a ser otra broma o no, solo le interesaba sacarse ese horrible sabor. Tomó la botella y la abrió con desesperación. La bebía, se enjuagaba y escupía hacia afuera el agua que se tomaba. Lo hizo unas cinco o seis veces antes de empezar a tomar el agua con normalidad pues el mal sabor ya era menos.- ¿Tú sabias de la broma, no?- Preguntó. El silencio de la robot tuvo que ser tomado como un "sí".- Gracias Cyborg.- Agradeció sonriéndole. El viaje en helicóptero siguió siendo largo. Fueron llegando a su destino cuando ya fue de noche y la luna llena alumbraba el cielo nocturno repleto de estrellas.-Mira esa vista.- Se maravillaba el cantante.
Bajando del helicóptero había un taxi que los esperaba para llevarlos a hospedarse a su hotel.
De ahí no fue tan difícil que les dieran acceso a dos de las muchas habitaciones que ya se tenían reservadas para ellos. Era cuartos contiguos y uno era únicamente para Murdoc, el otro seria para 2D.
En lo que el botones los guiaba cargando todo su equipaje, el trio no dejaba de fijarse en cada aspecto del hotel. Sería la primera vez en meses que estarían fuera de la playa y 2D quería disfrutarlo al máximo. Respiró hondamente y con alivio al sentirse de vuelta en casa. Observó su habitación con mucha emoción fijándose en cada lindo detalle que tenía su cuarto. Los cuadros, las cortinas, el baño impecable, el tamaño de su cama, las sabanas y las cobijas, su televisión HD con cable. Todo le pareció perfecto y sumamente acogedor.
Se tumbó sobre el colchón estirando todo el cuerpo listo para relajarse y dormir como bebé esa noche. Antes recordó que tenía que bañarse, en serio lo necesitaba. Se quedó en la ducha unas dos horas tratando de quitarse todo el olor a sudor y suciedad y cuidando de tallarse bien en todas partes y usar mucho shampoo y acondicionador en el cabello. Casi se acababa los dos envases cunado terminó.
Después de salir del baño planeaba ver un poco de televisión pero escuchó unos golpes en su puerta y salió a ver. Era Cyborg, quien solo fue a entregarle una pequeña nota para volver con Murdoc.
"Prepárate para bajar a cenar" Decía el papel.
Una cena en definitiva no le caería nada mal. Desde hace mucho que también debido a encierro en Plastic Beach que tampoco comía nada decente. De repente se le hizo agua a la boca de tan solo pensar en todo lo que podría comer. Tenía entendido que en el hotel tanto el desayuno, comida y cena siempre se trataba de bufet. Sería un muy ben banquete cualquier cosa que fuera a parar hacia su estómago esa noche. Las tripas le rugieron y entonces se cambió con ropa limpia para bajar a encontrarse con los otros.
Todo el mundo en el comedor vestía ropa elegante para la cena. Los únicos que parecían desencajar en la escena eran 2D, Murdoc y Cyborg, pues los tres vestían ropas casuales que no eran muy acordes a la ocasión. Al menos los dos hombres traían ropas muy ligeras, casuales, ambos por casualidad quisieron vestir bermudas y la robot por su parte traía su siempre grisáceo uniforme de combate.
Se sirvieron como reyes esa noche. Murdoc tomó un gran pedazo de carne a término medio, 2D decidió empezar con sopa de calabacines. Murdoc después fue a servirse una porción de lasaña y 2D un omelette de champiñones acompañado con un poco de espagueti. Para el postre Murdoc quiso un gran trozo de pastel de chocolate y 2D se conformó con un flan.
Cyborg fue la que solo los estuvo observando comer aburridamente todo ese rato.
Después de comer se retiraron otra vez a sus cuartos. 2D estaba listo para ir adormir. Se acomodó entre las sabanas de la cama y justo cuando ya había cerrado los ojos escuchó que de nuevo tocaban a su puerta.
Le molestó tener que volver a parase. Era Murdoc quien ya estaba vestido en pijama, la cual seguramente a mitad de la noche se quitaría de todas formas porque igualmente no la soportaba. Venía acompañado de Cyborg.
-Hey amigo, aquí tienes una visita.- Murdoc alentó a Cyborg para que entrara al cuarto. Mientras ella obedeció, 2D lo miró sin entender.
-¿Qué pasa?
-Cyborg se quedará aquí. No lo olvides, tiene que recargarse cada noche.- A continuación le entregó una serie de cables y enchufes todos enredados entre sí.
-E-espera ¿Qué? Y-yo nunca acepté esto. Creí que se quedaría contigo.
-Yo nunca dije eso. Sabes que no puedo dormir con nadie más en mi cuarto a menos que sea con una buena mujer que sepa hacerlo rico.
-Eh…yo…- Miró por un momento a la androide que estaba parada en medio del cuarto. Suspiró.- Te aprovechas demasiado.- Le dijo.- Pero está bien, digo, supongo que no tengo opción…
-Así es. ¡Qué bien que lo entiendas! Ahora me retiro, sueña con Satán y cuídala bien.- Dijo como último aviso para después volver a su propia recamara.
-Sí, sí…- 2D cerró su puerta y volvió a mirar a su ahora nueva compañera de cuarto.- Eh…bien, entonces Cyborg, voy a conectarte.- Cyborg buscó sola algún conector en la pared. 2D le puso todos aquellos cables y los enchufó. Ahí la robot entro automáticamente en forma de apagado para empezar su recarga.- ¡Listo! Espero que te sientas cómoda.- Fue entonces que volvió a la cama después de apagar la luz.- Descansa Cyborg. Sueña con…um…engranes y tuercas, o con lo que quieras.
Algunos minutos después de acostarse se dio cuenta de que no le iba a ser tan fácil dormir esa noche, pues entre todos los cables conectados algunos hacían cortos o sacaban chispas de cuando en cuando y eso hacia ruido e iluminada el cuarto, lo cual en un principio le asustó pero más que nada, era más molesto pues no le dejaría dormir a gusto. La unica solución que se le ocurrió fue voltearse del lado contrario a los cables, taparse con las cobijas hasta la cara y concentrarse en su sueño.
A día siguiente notó que de hecho había dormido mejor de lo que pensó. Se sentía más vivo, con más energía y sobre todo listo para el desayuno. Primero desconectó a Cyborg y por si misma se reinició para cumplir con la rutina de ese nuevo día.- Buenos días Cyborg ¿Te recargaste bien?- Después tomó el teléfono que tenía al lado y marcó el 0 para pedir en la recepción que le llevaran el especial a su habitación. Mientras esperaba se volvió a dar un baño y la robot fue en busca del bajista a su habitación.
Minutos después de haberse duchado, 2D recibió al mesero quien le dejó un plato de fruta acompañado con café, un platón repleto de cereales y una orden de hot cakes bañados en miel de maple. Se lo comió todo con mucho apetito y al terminar lanzó la pregunta al aire de donde estarían Murdoc y Cyborg, pues desde que ella salió no había vuelto de buscarle.
Justo entonces la robot regresaba.- ¡Oh, Cyborg! ¿Encontraste a Murdoc?- Ella le indico hacia la ventana, que mirara afuera. 2D se asomó. Lo primero que vio fue la enorme piscina del hotel y a esas horas ya había mucha gente nadando por ahí. Sintió algo de escalofríos al ver toda esa agua. Después de meses en cautiverio en medio del océano incluso le daban nauseas de solo recordar que solo tenía infinidad de agua salada rodeándolo todo ese tiempo y prefería no tener nada que ver con cantidades grandes de agua por un muy buen rato.
Vio que otra gente estaba recostada en sus sillas reclinables a la orilla y otras más en el bar pidiendo algo de beber. Ahí distinguió una figura verde usando un traje de baño negro muy ajustado que coqueteaba con una mujer rubia, joven y de caderas prominentes en ese bar y le invitaba una piña colada.
2D negó con la cabeza. Era de esperarse, lo primero que Murdoc haría sería salir en busca de mujeres a ver si conseguía algún beneficio de ellas.
Para el final del día Murdoc volvió a ver a 2D y se mostró muy orgulloso de sí mismo al haber podido sacarle dinero a la caderona.- ¡Mira esto Faceache! La verdad no es nada difícil conseguir dinero de la forma en que lo hice.- Le mostró el manojo de billetes frente a su cara.
-Sí, bien por ti Murdoc.- Mientras tanto 2D se la había pasado muy aburrido revisando la televisión y seguía cambiando de canales sin prestarle mucha atención al bajista.
-Oye, no es mi culpa que tú mismo te aguades la fiesta.- Le reprochó el bajista.- ¿Sabes qué? Retiraré más dinero de mi cuenta y con todo eso nos iremos a gastarlo. ¿Qué me dices?
-¿Hablas en serio?- Se mostró interesado esta vez.
-¡Claro! ¿Por qué no? Es de noche, estamos en Portsmouth, podemos relajarnos y hacer lo que queramos. Eso mientras se acerca la fecha del concierto.
-¡Andando!- 2D saltó de la cama muy emocionado por la propuesta.
Se vistieron con ropas casuales para salir. A 2D le agradaba estar rodeado de tanta gente mientras paseaban por la ciudad. Lo contrario de Cyborg quien sentía que era su responsabilidad el protegerlos a los dos de tantos asesinos potenciales que los rodaban.
Su sistema le gritaba **¡Alerta! ¡Posible sospechoso! ¡Amenaza! ¡Proteger a Murdoc Niccals! **
No se apartaba del bajista ni un segundo con arma en mano y para colmo 2D también se le juntaba mucho como si fuera un niño chiquito.- ¡Deja de respirarme en el cuello, idiota! ¡Camina por delante!
-P-perdón Mudz, es solo que nunca antes habíamos estado en Porthsmouth, no quiero perderme y además ya está más oscuro y no veo muy bien.
-¡Tonterías! No quiero que piensen que andas de novio conmigo, maricón, te me pegas mucho.
-¡No lo soy! En ese caso también dile a Cyborg que tampoco se te acerque tanto.- Reclamó.
-Ella solo hace su trabajo.- Esa pequeña discusión le fastidiaba a Murdoc hasta que a lo lejos vio a un grupo de tres mujeres jóvenes de las mismas características que la caderona de esa tarde. Iban caminando por la calle en tacones y todas llevaban vestidos provocadores muy cortos. Seguramente eran sexo servidoras o iban de camino a algún antro. Cualquiera de las dos opciones se le antojó al bajista.- Hora del show.- Dijo para sí y alcanzó corriendo a las mujeres.- Entonces guapas ¿A dónde se dirigen?- Esa presentación las hizo reír a las tres pícaramente. Murdoc no se dio cuenta de que Cyborg también había corrido tras el para alcanzarlo hasta que una de las chicas se lo hizo ver y le preguntó si acaso era su hija. Cyborg seguía en estado de alerta protegiendo a Murdoc.- ¿Uh? ¡Oh no!- Dijo con algo de enfado. Se detuvo un momento haciendo que la robot también se parara y la agarro de los hombros poniéndose a su altura.- Escucha pequeña ¡Nueva orden, no me sigas a mí!- Dijo con voz firme.- ¿Por qué no mejor dejas que me divierta y mejor cuidas al retrasado? Porque ya sabes, Faceache es tan tonto que podría perderse así que te lo encargo.- Le dio después un fajo de billetes.- Ya sabrán ustedes que hacen con esto.
Cyborg se despidió de Murdoc como si fuera un soldado y lo dejo irse con las otras mientas ella volvía a lado de 2D quien se quedó esperando unos metros más atrás.- ¡Murdoc ¿A dónde vas?!- Gritó 2D a lo lejos.
-¡No lo sé pero no tardare en averiguarlo!- Respondió muy contento en medio de las chicas.- ¡Si quieres regresar al hotel díselo a Cyborg y ella te guiará, tiene un GPS integrado, o usen el dinero! ¡No me importa pero ya no me jodan!
-¡¿Qué dinero?!- Entonces Cyborg le entregó el dinero en sus manos.- ¡Oh ¿Es para mí?!- Lo tomó con emoción.- Cielos, no recuerdo haber tenido tanto dinero en mis manos, Cyborg.- Dijo mientras intentaba contarlo.- ¿Qué haremos con él? ¿En que lo gastamos?- Siguieron caminando hasta que 2D se encontró del lado de la otra acera una tienda de Apple.- ¡Espera, ya sé que quiero comprar!- Cruzaron la calle corriendo y cuando estuvieron ahí vieron el aparador público. De nuevo 2D se pegaba mucho al cristal admirando todas las computadoras, celulares y demás aparatos con suma emoción.- ¡Desde que salieron, he querido tener uno de esos!- Señaló un IPad de entre toda la mercancía. Rápidamente no dudó en meterse a comprarlo con todo su efectivo, no importaba que tan caro costara.
Apenas pudo comprarlo a tiempo antes de que alguien más en la tienda lo reconociera a él y a la pequeña Noodle pensando que era la verdadera. De ahí se armó un gran barullo en el local pues todos comenzaron a pedirles a ambos fotos, autógrafos, las chicas le pedían a 2D que les diera hijos o le decían con euforia que ya habían comprado el álbum de Plastic Beach y que era genial. 2D casi muere asfixiado por tanta gente, incluso había más que se coló desde afuera al ver que él estaba ahí adentro.- ¡Por favor denme espacio! ¡Solo vine a comprar un IPad!- Pedía el vocalista.
Cyborg al ver tanta pérdida de control, recuperó de su memoria aquella orden que Murdoc le dio sobre encargarse de cuidar a 2D.
**¡Alerta! ¡Múltiples posibles sospechosos! ¡Amenaza! ¡Proteger a 2D! **
**AKA "Retrasado"**
**AKA "El tonto" **
**AKA "Faceache"**
**AKA… **
Y mientras su sistema le brindaba los diferentes tipos de apodos con los que Murdoc le llamaba, no perdió más el tiempo para sacar su arma otra vez y mostrarla frente a todas las personas presentes. Algunos retrocedieron para atrás inmediatamente.
-¡Oh por Dios!- Gritó el vocalista al ver esta acción. Realmente no quería que nadie saliera herido.- ¡Vámonos de aquí!- Con una mano sujetaba su bolsa plástica de Apple donde venía su recién comprado IPad y con la otra jaló a Cyborg para llevarla consigo y salir de ese lugar lo más pronto posible antes de que ocurriera una tragedia. Con trabajos los dos lograron salir gracias a que 2D tuvo que dar algunos empujones pero todo pareció pasar en menos de diez segundos.
Afortunadamente no hubo disparos y siguieron corriendo hasta perder de vista la tienda y la demás gente que los vio. Al parecer ya nadie los seguía y 2D pudo detenerse a descansar en la entrada de un callejón.- Cyborg…- Decía con dificultad mientras inhalaba aire.- no vuelvas a…hacer eso…sé que quieres cuidarme pero en serio no me lo perdonaría si hubieras matado a alguien…- Pasó saliva.- estas programada para eso pero…hay otras formas si es que realmente quieres protegernos… a mí y a Murdoc ¿Sabes?- Siguió respirando hondamente y cunado volvió a mirar a la androide ella pareció recapacitar de sus acciones y volvió a ocultar el arma de donde la sacó.
-Está bien…- Volvió a hablar.- creo que entendiste. Ya fue mucha adrenalina por hoy. Volvamos al hotel, me muero de hambre y sueño.- Comenzaron a caminar de nuevo pero 2D se dio cuenta muy pronto de que no recordaba exactamente el camino de regreso. No se fijó en la ruta que junto con Murdoc siguieron para llegar hasta ahí.- Umm…Cyborg, después de ti.- Dejo el camino libre para que fuera ella quien guiara. La robot pudo haber ido por delante pero en lugar de eso tomó de la mano libre al cantante y se fueron juntos caminando uno al lado del otro.
A 2D le sorprendió esta decisión pero se quedó callado, de hecho no le molestó. Ahí fue que se dio cuenta que a veces Cyborg tenía formas únicas de actuar, como si ni quisiera se tratara de una maquina sino de un ser vivo. El comportamiento de ella le resultaba confuso y fascínate a la vez. Incluso hubo veces que estando en Plastic Beach, 2D se preguntó que se sentiría estar hecho de metal o tan siquiera saber cómo es que Cyborg "razonaba" en su interior. De cierta forma y sin haberlo notado antes, esa adolescente robot se había ganado su admiración.
Lograron volver al hotel y después de que 2D pasara rápidamente a cenar algo, regresaron a la habitación. No supieron nada de Murdoc sino hasta el día siguiente y ya se podía suponer que se la pasó muy bien con aquellas mujeres anoche.
2D se puso a revisar a primera hora las novedades del IPad como niño con juguete nuevo.- ¿Cuál te gusta más? ¿Este o este?- Le preguntaba a su compañera en lo que le mostraba diferentes fondos de pantalla predeterminados. Cyborg le señaló uno y 2D estuvo de acuerdo.- Sí, tienes razón, este es más lindo.- Y fue el que eligió para usarlo.- ¡Hey, ya sé, tomémonos una foto!- Invitó a Cyborg a sentarse en la cama y le dijo que sonriera. Cuando la robot vio la mueca que ponía 2D intentó imitarle. Su sistema lo procesó:
**Los labios se extienden para dar paso a mostrar de manera no exagerada los dientes. **
Cuando ambos sonreían, 2D apretó el pequeño botón para tomar la foto. No se dio cuenta que tenía puesto el flash por lo que cuando lo notó ya era tarde y sus ojos se habían encandilado un rato. Volvió a revisar la pantalla y vio con satisfacción que la foto salió bien.
Murdoc pasó a la habitación para saludar.
-¿Te divertiste anoche?- Preguntó el cantante sin apartar los ojos del IPad.
-Uff amigo, hasta la pregunta ofende.- Giró los ojos.
-Oh, qué bien.
-Oye, oye, espera, ¿Qué es eso?- Preguntó extrañado.
-¿Umm? ¡Oh! Es un IPad. Lo compré ayer.- Respondió con una sonrisa.
-¿Con que dinero?- Exigió saber.
-¿Um, con el que tú me diste?
-Yo no te di esa orden.
-En el momento en el que ese dinero llegó a mis manos supuse que podía hacer con él lo que quisiera.
-¡Te dije que era para que volvieran al hotel!
-¡¿Esperabas que pagara un taxi con eso?! Me diste demasiado. Además Cyborg tenía GPS, pudimos llegar sin problemas.
-¡Pudiste habértelo guardado en lugar de gastarlo en tonterías!
-No es una tontería, es genial.
-¡Bah! Tienes suerte de que hoy esté de buenas o si no ya te hubiera roto ese aparato sobre tu estúpida cabeza. Si me disculpas ahora iré a desayunar algo.
-Provecho.- Murdoc se fue azotando la puerta.- ¡Uf! Por un momento pensé que Murdoc iba a estallar. Siempre ve mal cualquier cosa que hago.- Le comentó a Cyborg.
La rutina de ese nuevo día no cambió mucho. Para el anochecer Murdoc volvió a salir pero esa vez se fue solo a las calles para volver siempre acompañado de alguna mujer. No era necesario verlo, 2D lo sabía de tan solo escuchar los escandalosos sonidos que provenían de la habitación del bajista. No tenía otra opción más que taparse los iodos con las almohadas para no seguir oyéndolos. Incluso Cyborg se precipitó para ir a investigar por qué tanto escándalo y por fortuna 2D la detuvo a tiempo para enchufarla y la salvó de ver algo que no sería muy agradable.
Los días transcurrieron hasta que llegó el momento de al fin presentarse a dar su primer concierto luego de varios años de hiato. Murdoc continuaba haciendo montones de llamadas solo para cerciorarse que todo estuviera yendo en orden.
El autobús que los llevaría estuvo puntual. Llegaron al lugar donde se daría el concierto. Todo por fuera estaba hasta el tope lleno de autos de las miles de personas que fueron a verlos.
Entraron por la parte trasera. Todas las pruebas de sonido a habían sido realizadas y solo debían salir a hacer lo que sabían hacer mejor: Dar un concierto increíble.
Murdoc, 2D y Cyborg caminaban por los pasillos dirigiéndose fijamente hacia el escenario. El cantante era quien se sentía más nervioso. Pensaba que en pleno concierto se le olvidaría la letra de alguna o varias canciones y se lo comentó a su líder.
-No digas eso.- Lo regañó Murdoc.- Todo va a salir bien. _Debe _salir bien ¡¿Oíste?! Y si se te llega a olvidar la letra, improvisa, los fans aman la improvisación pero haz que suene natural.
-Improvisar, de acuerdo. Pero…aun siento que me faltó ensayar más.
Justo cuando el pasillo en el que estaban se terminaba, ahí había dos guardias tapando el paso. Cuando Murdoc llegó a ellos quiso hacer que se movieran aun lado pero los dos grandulones no se movieron para nada.
"_¿Y ahora qué?"_\- Se cuestionó el bajista.
Cerca de ahí estaba entrando otra banda liderada por el propio Damon Albarn. Incluso estaba acompañado por algunos cuantos que participaron en el álbum de Plastic Beach.
Mientras tanto Murdoc seguía intentando mover a los guardias sin entender muy bien que sucedía o porque no los dejaban pasar.
En ese momento justo frente a ellos pasó la otra banda.
Damon iba al frente. Su expresión era seria, no revelaba nada. Las miradas de ambos líderes se cruzaron por un breve momento. Fue ahí que Damon dio un vistazo rápido a los tres integrantes de Gorillaz pero más fue su enfoque hacia Murdoc. Debió haberle parecido graciosa la expresión del bajista en ese momento. Era de pura incredulidad y fue ahí que Damon se sonrió como si se estuviera burlando de él, de ellos.
2D por su parte no entendía nada aun. ¿Qué se supone que hacían todos ellos aquí? Las demás personas que seguían a Damon también voltearon a mirarlos. Les echaron vistazos de alta soberbia combinada también con algo de burla. Algunos otros tampoco quisieron expresar nada al verlos y otros más ni siquiera se molestaron en girarles la cabeza.
Cyborg apenas pudo colar su cabeza para ver algo entre los dos grandes cuerpos de los guardias.
Murdoc a esas alturas ya captaba lo que ocurría.
-Oh no, ellos no.
_Ellos_ querían robarle el show.
_Su _show.
_Esos mequetrefes _querían robarle _su_ banda reemplazándola por ellos mismos, Damon y compañía.
Querían robarle _sus_ créditos.
_Su_ fama.
_Su_ credibilidad.
_Su_ reputación.
_Ellos _querían ser los _nuevos_ Gorillaz. Pretender que los originales: Murdoc, 2D y Noodle nunca existieron. Incluso eso le afectaba a Russel y él ni quiera estaba ahí.
Murdoc se apresuró a querer mover a los guardias intentando pasar. Trataba de impedir que los otros hicieran que toda su carrera se fuera por la borda.
-¡Es _mi _banda!- Gritó como último recurso para que los demás lo escucharan y se detuvieran pero eso no pasó. Lo ignoraron por completo y fueron ellos quienes salieron al escenario recibiendo todos los aplausos y la devoción del publico.
Los guardias tuvieron suficiente de los pataleos, los gritos y los empujones de Murdoc. Lo enviaron a él, a 2D y a Cyborg de vuelta a los vestidores, encerrándolos con llave desde afuera.
-¡No, no, no! ¡Abran, malditos idiotas! ¡No me quedaré con los brazos cruzados!- Forzaba la cerradura tratando de abrirla y golpeado con puños y pies la puerta. En ese momento Cyborg cayó al piso desplomándose como un peso muerto.- ¡¿Cyborg?! ¡Oh mierda, debe ser su batería! ¡¿Qué acaso no la recargaste bien anoche, imbécil?!- Le reclamó a su cantante.
-Um… ¿Qué…qué acaba de pasar?
2D y su retardado proceso para entender las cosas, como siempre.
* * *
**¡Despues de 84 años he actualizado! :v ok no. Supongo que mi excusa es la universidad y los examenes, como siempre xD agregado a eso que ¡tengo una vida tambien! xD pero bueno me puse a trabajar y no pense que fuera a haber actualizacion hoy pero asi ocurrio :o ¡yay! **
**Por favor sepan perdonar los errores de ortografia que pueda haber o de letras que me pude haber comido. Revisando el texto una segunda y tercera vez me di cuenta de varias fallas que corregí pero nunca se sabe, quiza pueda haber más por ahi. **
**¡Y bueno! Que al fin hay una aparicion del buen Damon-papucho-Albarn tres xD supongo que en esta historia es el malo :o junto con todos los que se pongan contra Murdoc y su banda, oh well...El epico encuentro entre la banda virtual y la banda real, ¡holy sh*t! Sepan que esto se basa en el mini video de "Gorillaz O2 Priority Walk" **
**¡Hasta la proxima actualizacion! Empezaré a trabajar en ella mañana mismo ;)**
14. Chapter 14
-¡¿Por qué tienes que ser tan idiota?!- Le gritaba Murdoc a su compañero de banda.- ¡¿Qué no te das cuenta de que esos desgraciados nos acaban de suplantar?!
-¿E-en serio? ¿P-pero por qué?- Su voz se volvió algo tímida al estar siendo regañado una vez más por el bajista.
-¡Porque quieren hundirnos! ¡No nos dejaran salir y ahora ni siquiera podemos contar con Cyborg para escaparnos de aquí!
-O-oh, Cyborg…- Recordó.- la…conectaré ahora…- Se dirigió rápidamente a auxiliar a la robot caída. Tenía los cables de corriente consigo por suerte.
-¡¿Qué más da?!- Exclamaba Murdoc con ambos brazos estirados al aire.- ¡Estaremos jodidos a menos que ella se recargue ahora mismo y eso no pasará hasta dentro de varias horas!
-No puedo entender porque nos hacen esto. No me lo esperaría nunca, mucho menos de Damon, es decir, lo conocemos desde nuestros inicios, es nuestro amigo y…
-¡No me menciones a ese hipócrita! ¡Nos engañó a todos! ¡Esperó el momento adecuado para solo llegar y arrebatarnos la gloria!
-¿Pero cómo lo sabes? ¿Cómo sabes que él pudo saberlo? Él no tenía idea del nuevo álbum, él no tenía idea de estas giras… ¿O sí?
-…Cierto. Tienes razón.- Murdoc trató de serenarse un poco.- No, él no tenía idea. ¡Obviamente alguien le contó todo!
-Ahí estaban Paul y Mick también. ¿Crees que ellos fueron los soplones?
-¡Por Satán, Faceache, pudo ser cualquiera! ¡Tuvimos docenas de gente trabajando en el álbum!... Por cierto ¿Viste como estaban vestidos? Parecía que harían la coreografía de YMCA en trajes de marinerito afeminado.
-Sí pero ¿Por qué harían eso? ¿Trabajaron con nosotros y ahora nos traicionan?
-Al parecer tú no entiendes cómo funciona el mundo ¿Verdad? ¡Toda la gente es así, bien lo sabré yo! Pretenden llevarse bien contigo, se ganan tu confianza y cuando menos lo esperas ¡BAM! Te apuñalan por la espalda.
-¿Entonces todos nuestros invitados siempre apoyaron a Damon?
-No se trata de apoyarlo a él ¡Se trata de vengarse de nosotros! ¡Sobre todo de mí!
-¿Una venganza?
-¡Sí! O si no dime ¿Tú que harías para vengarte de alguien que te secuestró para obligarte a cantar canciones que desde un principio no querías y te mantuvo atrapado en una isla putrefacta grabando todos los días sin descanso hasta que las canciones quedaran perfectas?
-…Eh…bueno, pues…yo…
-¡Exacto! ¡Hice eso mismo con casi todos los invitados! Y ahora ellos lanzaron su contraataque y quieren desmoronarme.- Se jaló los cabellos de la desesperación.- Y ya fuera uno solo o fueran varios, le contaron el chisme a Damon. ¡¿Pero ese qué se cree?! No es más que un…tonto de cara bonita…- Se cruzó de brazos.
-Sí.- Secundó 2D con algo de rencor hacia el mencionado.- Y además hasta canta como yo…
-¡¿Cómo es que no lo vimos venir?! ¡Debimos sospecharlo!
-E-escucha Mudz tienes que calmarte. En realidad no sabemos nada y tú ya estás muy alterado creyendo que conspiran contra ti pero insisto, no creo que sea lo que tú dices, tal vez solo se trata de que tocarán un rato para mantener la expectativa del público y después saldremos nosotros.
-¿Ah sí? ¿Y si es eso por qué no nos notificaron?- Preguntó siendo totalmente sarcástico.
-¿Tal vez porque querían que fuera sorpresa?
Lanzó un suspiro al aire.- Satán, ya llévame contigo por favor…- Se dejó caer sin cuidado sobre el sillón que ahí estaba y después procedió a sobarse las sienes.
-No te preocupes. Ya verás que nos sacarán de aquí en cualquier momento.- Le dio unas palmadas de ánimo en el hombro.- De seguro solo se trata de la "banda de calentamiento".- Señaló haciendo comillas con los dedos.- Mientras tanto solo mantente calmado, seguro y optimista.
-¡Ahg! ¡A la mierda tú y tu "banda de calentamiento"! ¡Nunca saldremos de aquí!
Por más intentos que hicieron en derribar la puerta desde adentro no lo lograron y para cuando Cyborg logró tener su batería cargada ya no tenía caso. Murdoc y 2D acabaron exhaustos como para hacer nada. El show había terminado.
Unos días después salió en los periódicos ingleses la noticia del concierto y las críticas adoraban a Albarn diciendo que dio lo mejor de sí durante el show.
-Vele el lado bueno, al menos no dijeron nada de que el concierto fuera malo.- Dijo 2D leyendo los títulos.
-¡Se lo dicen a Albarn, no a nosotros!- Decía Murdoc arrugando su propio periódico y tirándolo a la basura.
-B-bueno pero…ya tendremos nuestra oportunidad. Lo que nos pasó no volverá a ocurrir, ya verás.
La gira continuó por toda Europa. Visitaban países como Irlanda, Alemania, Francia, Bélgica y los países bajos. También estuvieron en Canadá y en los Estados Unidos. Viajaron hasta Hong Kong, Australia y Nueva Zelanda.
En cada una de todas sus presentaciones algo debía salir mal y ese algo era Damon Albarn. Primeramente Gorillaz llegaba al lugar del concierto, practicaban todo el día haciendo pruebas de sonido y ensayos, para que al final Albarn y aliados llegaran después y a ellos los hicieran a un lado, quedando encerrados en los camerinos.
Como Damon sabía dónde se presentarían después para darles alcance y que los Gorillaz terminaran cautivos a puerta cerrada en sus propios vestidores era todo un enigma. A final de cuentas la banda de Damon era quien se llevaba todos los aplausos del público, la fama, las ganancias y las buenas críticas.
La gente no se cuestionaba por el paradero de Murdoc Niccals, o Stuart Pot, o Noodle o Rusel Hobbs. Para ellos era Damon quien estaba detrás de Gorillaz y eso les bastaba para quedarse a disfrutar del show. Era una ventaja para Damon que él y 2D tuvieran la voz sumamente parecida para creer eso en verdad.
A 2D ya le estaba cansando esa situación pero tampoco la veía del todo mal. Pensaba que el lado malo era que Murdoc se esforzaba en continuar con el tour si a final de cuentas ellos no serían quienes salieran al escenario. Por el lado bueno, 2D ya no tenía que preocuparse por prepararse demasiado para los conciertos. Lo veía ahora como un viaje por el mundo del cual podía disfrutar sin agobiarse por la presión de que tenía que cantar.
Para distraerse entre los viajes en autobús que realizaban le fue muy útil su IPad. Con ayuda de algunas aplicaciones que descargó de la tienda de Apple y de otros sitios se ponía a componer canciones nuevas. Esa actividad le entretenía muchísimo y además obtenía la inspiración para ello de cualquier cosa que lo rodeaba. Una vez se inspiró para componer una canción de tan solo ver un par de puertas giratorias de un hotel en Phoenix donde se quedaron a pasar la noche. El haber ido a comer a una cafetería cercana y que justo estuvieran sonando Los Beatles fue otro toque perfecto para agregar otro estribo más a la misma canción.
En otra canción su inspiración fue el puro nombre de la cuidad de Detroit.
En otra más fueron un par de bolsas de plástico rosadas que vio volando sobre la autopista.
Para sorpresa del cantante, en la misma cafetería de Phoenix fue a toparse con Bobby Womack y con Jamie Hewlett, buen amigo de Damon. Resulta que ambos se habían escapado a tomar un descanso por ahí.
Aunque al principio 2D los miró y trató con algo de desconfianza por lo que Murdoc había dicho antes: _"Cualquiera pudo delatarlos con Albarn"_, era imposible no llevarse bien con ellos. Desde el primer momento que en que 2D y Bobby cataron juntos en Plastic Beach hubo un lazo fuerte de simpatía entre ambos, y con Jamie no podía quejarse, también le caía muy bien el sujeto. A los pocos minutos ya estaban bebiendo café, hablando como buenos amigos y Bobby se animó a componer otra canción con 2D.
Bobby y Jamie le confesaron a 2D que ellos nunca los delatarían con Albarn y que no tenían la menor idea de quien pudo haber sido el que esparció el chisme, pero también le aconsejaron que si de verdad quisiera sacar a la luz todas esas canciones realizadas en el IPad serían un éxito. Serian como de esos garabatos que quedan grabados en el cemento fresco de la acera. Se quedará ahí por siempre.
Hewlett incluso se ofreció a realizarle un video rápido para alguna de esas canciones, que 2D escogiera la que quisiera, y este aceptó el trato.
Hasta el momento 2D no le decía nada a Murdoc al respecto, pues no quería que se fuera a hacer falsas ideas con hacer otro disco con esas canciones, lo que los muchachos le dijeron solo fue una simple sugerencia pero no la estaba tomando muy en serio, además era un pequeño secreto suyo que no quería revelar, solo lo hacía por gusto a la música. Con la única que lo compartía era con Cyborg, y eso porque ella un día lo descubrió cantándole al aparato rectangular estando en su habitación del hotel.
-¡Cyborg!- Se sorprendió al verla entrar.- No…no te esperaba.- Escondió el IPad tras su espalda pero ya era tarde para ocultar lo que estaba haciendo.-Eh…yo…-Suspiró.- En fin, ya que…puedo confiar en ti de todas formas.- Le dijo, mientras le mostraba el avance que llevaba en el IPad.- De ahora en adelante será un secreto de los dos.
**Buscar**
**Definición de: **
**Secreto. **
**Información confidencial que pertenece a un dominio reservado, es impenetrable y solo resulta perceptible o asequible para las personas iniciadas.**
Al comprender esto, Cyborg hizo una seña sobre sus labios simulando mantenerlos cerrados con una llave invisible.
En cualquier momento que Murdoc no estaba cerca, 2D se inspiraba para experimentar con las aplicaciones y grabar su voz en ellas mientras la robot le hacía compañía. Ambos se recostaban al lado del otro sobre la cama y el la dejaba experimentar en el IPad también, creando nuevas mezclas y sonidos. Les gustaba pasar el tiempo. Después de todo, Cyborg era la "persona" más cuerda justo antes de Murdoc, con quien 2D se sentía a gusto. Eran momentos en los que ambos podían tener un pequeño lapso de relajamiento y diversión.
Pero pasando los días, 2D notaba a Murdoc mas deprimido, como si no fuera él mismo. Todo el asunto del tour lo estaba consumiendo. Al final decidió tomar la decisión que quizá funcionaria para devolverle los ánimos.
-Uhh…Murdoc…
-¿Qué quieres, cara de simio?- Preguntó él sin mirarle. Contestó sin ganas pero aun así su tono sonó exasperado. Estaba más concentrado fumándose un cigarrillo, recostado sobre su cama. Dejaba las sobras que caían sobre el cenicero que tenía a lado.
-Umm…quería hablarte de algo…
-¡Pues habla!-Demandó.
-…Ya sé que esto del tour no está yendo nada bien…- Murdoc entonces lo miró como si quisiera asesinarlo.- ¡P-pero creo que sé que puede animarte!- Se apuró a decir.- Por lo mismo has estado muy decaído. No me gusta verte así…- Suspiró.- Creo que ni a Cyborg le gusta verte así. Si pudiera hablar, apuesto a que te diría cualquier cosa para hacerte sentir mejor…
-¡Ve al punto!
-¡El punto es que…! Yo…t-tengo esto…- Se acercó hacia él con el IPad en las manos. Se sentó sobre la cama a lado de su compañero y le empezó a mostrar todas las pistas que tenía hasta ahora.- A lo largo de todo este tiempo, me he estado distrayendo con el IPad y he estado haciendo canciones nuevas. No es que sean muy elaboradas. En algunas ni siquiera canto nada pero…espero que puedan servir de algo…
Murdoc tuvo algo de interés al ver el aparato y lo tomó entre sus manos mientras revisaba la lista con las canciones.- Mmm…vaya nombres que escogiste, Faceache. Yo que tu hubiera elegido mejores, más originales, como por ejemplo "The House of the Little…"
-¡No lo digas!- Lo interrumpió 2D de golpe.- Murdoc…son mis canciones, yo las hice y me gustan los nombres que les puse. Ya te lo he dicho "The House of the Little Stink Fish" es un nombre horrible.
-¿Cómo supiste que iba a decir…? Uh, bueno no importa.- Siguió revisando y escuchando varias de ellas.
-¿Entonces sirven? Es decir, perdón que te lo ese diciendo hasta ahora. Nadie más lo sabe…- No iba a comentarle que en realidad Bobby y Jamie si lo sabían.- excepto Cyborg. Pero bueno, ahora que tú también sabes ¿Crees que podamos hacer otro disco con esto?
-¿Qué si sirven?... Amigo, ¿Me preguntas que si las canciones sirven?... Por algo te tengo como vocalista en mi banda.- Le pasó el brazo por encima de los hombros.- Podrás parecer y ser un estúpido, sí, pero a veces hay algo dentro de tu cabecita que hace "Click" y puedes llegar a ser todo como todo un Albert Einstein musical…
-… ¿Eso es bueno?
-¡Es aún mejor que "bueno", es excelente!
-¡Oh, qué bien!- Dijo para sí. Le alegró ver que Murdoc estaba volviendo a un semblante más alegre.
-¿Cómo fue que empezaste con esto?- Quiso saber.
-Oh, pues no sé, simplemente pensé en transmitir mis sentimientos y emociones a partir de nuestros viajes por los Estados Unidos. Cada canción expresa algo diferente de acuerdo a como me sentía en ciertos días, o dependiendo de en donde estuvimos.
-Ujumm…Sí, sí, sí, se oye muy interesante, amigo.- No apartaba su vista del IPad.- ¿Sabes qué? ¡Volvamos a casa!- Le miró.- Hiciste bien en no decírselo a nadie. No queremos que cierto hombrecito llamado Damon nos quite créditos otra vez ¿Eh?- Le hizo un guiño con el ojo.
-Uh…pues…no, no, claro que no.
¡Pues ya está, nos largamos de aquí, directo a Plastic Beach!
* * *
**¡Actualizacion! ¡Uff! creí que todavia me tardaria mas tiempo para subir este capitulo pero me llegó la inspiracion de una vez y bueno, como prometí ahora en mi otro nuevo fic "The book of Gorillaz", ya le llegó la hora a esta historia para actualizarse lol. (Si no han leido el nuevo fic del que les hablo, haganlo, bueno, si quieren :v ) **
**Les aviso que la primera parte de este capitulo está basada en los videos 1, 2 y 3 de "Dressing room" en donde vemos como la banda ficticia se queda atrapada en los vestidores mientras la banda real les roba el show xD y les recomiendo que se vean el fandub de estos mismos videos (bueno, excepto el 3, porque ese no existe fandubeado :v) hechos por el usuario "Moymongoose" quien le presta su voz a Murdoc y la verda´, la verda´, le salió muy bien 7u7. No se imaginan cuanto fangirleé cuando haye ese fandub xD ya tiene mucho tiempo que lo vi y me sigue encantando, lo reproducí mil veces jajaja! **
**Y tambien ya hago mencion aqui de las nuevas canciones del album de The Fall, hechas en el IPad. Las canciones a las que hago alusion son: Revolving doors, Detroit, Little Pink Plastic Bags y Bobby in Phoenix. Ya mas adelante se van a dar mas detalles de este album en otra transmision de radio de Murdoc lel :P **
***Susurro* Ptsss...Puede ser que en el siguiente capitulo...sea la primera aparicion de nuestra linda Noods..¡AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! ¡KEMOCION! Obvio tambien estará Russel ;w; ...puede ser, puede ser xD **
**Y por ultimo he estado pensando...pensando y pensando. No queda mucho para que que este fic llegue a su fin y la verdad estoy meditando qué final ponerle, ya tenia uno en mente pero no sé, puede que a la mera hora lo cambie totalmente todo. Aun no estoy convencida de nada, pero al final lo que será será y pues espero que a ustedes les guste lo que vaya a salir de mi mente loca jojo. Bueno, basta de palabreria. ¡Hasta el proximo capitulo!**
15. Chapter 15
**¡Wooo! ¡Ya volví, no estoy muerta! xD perdon por haber tardado, no quise aplazar mas esto asi que les traigo actualizacion de una vez. Lo siento chicos, ahora que estoy de vacaciones ya no tengo excusas que poner por mi demora ;n; ... nah, mentira, sí tengo lol y es que tengo un trabajo temporal de niñera y eso quita tiempo jajaja ayy y yo que queria ocupar mis vacaciones para actualizar mas seguido, raios. Bueno, en fin, tambien lo siento pero despues de todo ni Noodle ni Russel aparecen aqui :v si lo hubiera hecho mas largo chance y si eh, pero no, sufran más xD igual cuando lean el final de este capitulo ya saben lo que sigue :D ~(8) Up on Melancholy Hill (8)~ ademas yo dije que las apariciones de ellos podian ocurrir, o podian no hacerlo asi que no me siento mal, yo solo dije una posibilidad :P ¡Disfruten!**
* * *
-¿Pero nos vamos ya? ¿Faltando tan poco para navidad?- Preguntó 2D con un dejo de asombro.- Pero Murdoc, yo no quiero pasar la navidad en esa playa. Mejor esperemos a que pasen las fiestas.- Cyborg iba entrando a la habitación en ese momento.
-¿Y celebrarlas aquí? ¡Olvídalo! Yo ya no soporto quedarme un segundo más en ningún hotel. ¡Nos regresamos ahora mismo! Además, yo no festejo esa basura. Se trata de pura mercadotecnia para alimentar el capitalismo.
-Eres un aguafiestas.- Se quejó su compañero.- Solo dices eso como excusa porque eres satanista.
Murdoc estuvo a punto de darle una bofetada pero logró contenerse.- Una palabra más, Faceache, y no respondo de lo que te haga.- Amenazó.
-Sí es un aguafiestas.- Le susurró a la robot.
* * *
Para el día siguiente ya estaban listos para irse. Saliendo del hotel donde se estaban quedando, Murdoc les indicó a 2D y a Cyborg subirse al auto, el cual 2D nunca había visto antes. Se trataba de un Camaro de primera generación de 1969. Era negro con el diseño de una estrella blanca en ambas puertas del piloto y copiloto que además en la del piloto parcia estar abollada por varios disparos que recibió antes. Toda una reliquia antigua.- ¿De dónde salió este auto?
-No hagas preguntas y ya súbete.
-¿Acaso lo robaste?- Insistió.
-¿En verdad quieres saber?
-Eh…sí.
Murdoc rechinó un poco los dientes antes de responder.- Bueno, ya lo verás.
-¿A qué te refieres con que ya lo veré?
Murdoc respiró hondo.- Me refiero a que… ¡Estas a punto de recibir mi puño en tu cara si no haces lo que te digo!- Eso bastó para que 2D se subiera sin rechistar más.
-¡Esta bien, está bien, ya voy!
Empacaron en la cajuela todo su equipaje y se marcharon.
En cada cierto tiempo los hombres se turnaban para conducir y también para detenerse a cargar gasolina o en comprar algo para comer. En su defecto hacían paradas para comer en cualquier restaurante de paso y aprovechar para ir al baño. Sería un largo viaje hasta Plastic Beach y cuando 2D ocupaba el asiento del copiloto se encargaba de seguir siendo creativo en el IPad.
En una de esas 2D iba al volante y se detuvo para poder bajar a comer hamburguesas. Era un restaurante de mala muerte. Las mesas estaban sucias, con chicles pegados debajo de ellas. Los asientos rotos, las paredes manchadas de grasa, música aburrida de antaño, montones de moscas infestando el lugar, un olor terrible en los baños y meseros mal encarados pero era eso o morir de hambre pues aquel era el último lugar en kilómetros donde podías pedir algo medianamente decente y además los precios eran baratos.
En el restaurante solo estaba la mesera anciana que tomaba la orden y el chef gordo. Había un solo cliente aparte de ellos que comía en completo silencio y los Gorillaz lo hicieron igual. En lo que les llegaba su pedido Murdoc notó que el otro cliente ahí presente no dejaba de verlos fijamente. Paseaba sus ojos en cada uno de ellos con algo de recelo y misterio y eso le hizo sentirse incómodo. Le hubiera reclamado pero prefirió no armar un alboroto esta vez. _"Idiota_".- Pensó.
Comieron rápido y pudieron haber continuado el viaje de no ser porque justo al lado del restaurante se situaba un pequeño negocio de baratijas.
-Oye Mudz, entremos a ese lugar.- Sugirió 2D.
-¡Sueñas! No perdamos más tiempo y ya vámonos.
-¡Oye! Al menos estiremos las piernas un rato antes de seguir.- Sin esperar que Murdoc renegara, entró al lugar con Cyborg tras él y Murdoc no tuvo de otra más que seguirlos.
-Pff, par de tontos…oigan ¡Espérenme!- Al entrar al pequeño negocio Murdoc le echó un vistazo rápido a todo.- ¿Qué clase de lugar es este? ¡Aquí huele a muerto! Y no hay más que basura. ¡Siempre escoges los lugares más estúpidos para entrar, 2D!
Mientras Murdoc se quejaba, los otros dos inspeccionaban todo lo que vendían. En una parte arrinconada Cyborg vio que estaban colgadas varias mascaras de Halloween que no se vendieron en el mes de octubre. Escogió una para descolgar y la analizó. Luego 2D se acercó a ella.
-¿Qué tienes ahí Cyborg?... ¡Oh! Son mascaras…-Tomó la que tenía Cyborg y se la puso. De todas, esa era la máscara más simple. Blanca, hecha de plástico, con un diseño de cara de payaso de nariz azul alargada y un cordón por detrás para sujetarla a la cabeza.
Unos segundos después entró al local el mismo hombre de hace rato en el restaurante. Se paseó por ahí sin intenciones de comprar nada, con las manos siempre metidas en su chamarra de cuero. Igual que antes solo se concentraba en echarle vistazos a cada uno de los integrantes de la banda, sobre todo al líder, aunque no era muy notorio porque traía puestos unos lentes negros para cubrirse del sol pero Murdoc podía presentir su mirada y eso lo estaba desesperando. A veces el sujeto hacía como que se concentraba en alguna cosa pero después volvía a su tarea de observarlos a todos.
En eso 2D se puso la máscara y después se acercó a Murdoc quien ahora se distrajo viendo una vieja colección de discos de vinilo.- ¿Qué tal ésta?- Preguntó a sus espaldas, dándole a Murdoc el susto de su vida cuando volteó a mirarlo y en su lugar se encontró con esa horrible cara.
-¡Imbécil! ¡¿Quieres que me dé un infarto o qué?!
-No fue mi intención asustarte. Perdón.- Procedió a quitarse la máscara.
-¡Deja esa tontería! Dame las llaves del auto y vámonos. Yo conduzco.
-Espera, yo quiero comprarla.
-Ya pasó el Halloween.
-¿Tú sabes a quién recuerdo siempre que es día de Halloween?- Inquirió.- Además Cyborg fue la que escogió esta mascara.- Dijo en un tono bajo.
Murdoc suspiró.- ¡Entonces cómprala y ya!
-Pero no creo que tenga suficiente dinero.
-¡¿Y qué?! ¡¿Esperas que yo la pague por ti?!
-…
-…Esto es increíble.- Volvió a suspirar. Ya le urgía irse de ese polvoriento sitio de una maldita vez. De los viejos vinilos que estaba mirando tomó algunos que le habían parecido buenos y también tomó una bandana roja e hizo que 2D lo siguiera hasta el mostrador donde se pagaba la mercancía. Después Cyborg llegó tras ellos con un una caja de municiones de balas y también la puso en el mostrador.- ¿Ves? Al menos Cyborg sí lleva algo bueno.- Le dijo a 2D.
Murdoc sacó su billetera y dejó la cantidad justa en dólares al hombre dueño del lugar quien desde el momento en el que entraron no los recibió ni con un "Hola" por estar viendo revistas eróticas.
Cuando por fin salieron Murdoc se sintió aliviado de ya no tener que aguantar el ambiente tensó que se respiraba ahí dentro. Salió con los vinilos en mano, la bandana amarrada al cuello y 2D con su máscara sobre la cabeza.
Se alejaron ya unos cuantos kilómetros para entrar justo en el gran desierto de California.
De un momento a otro un motociclista se les unió en el camino. Su rostro estaba cubierto por el casco, solo se le alcanzaban a notar los ojos. No supieron de donde salió.
-¿De dónde salió ese sujeto?- Preguntó Murdoc a 2D.
Él se giró para mirar por el vidrio trasero y después simplemente se encogió de hombros.- No lo sé… ¡Oh! Quizá sea el que estaba en el restaurante y en la tienda.- Señaló.
-Sí…pienso lo mismo.- Murmuró el bajista.
El tipo siempre iba detrás de ellos. Murdoc esperaba que en algún momento los rebasara pero siempre iba por atrás. Se fijaba por el retrovisor y veía como el hombre de vez en cuando sacaba su comunicador walkie talkie para hablar quién sabe qué tanto.
"_¿Será un policía?"_\- Pensó.- _"No, no, no, relájate. No puede ser…a menos que…" _
De un momento a otro Murdoc hizo el auto a un costado del camino para detenerse abruptamente en un solo pisado de freno, levantando mucha tierra del suelo.
-¡¿Qué haces?!- Reclamó el vocalista al sentir el repentino cambio.- ¡Casi haces que me salga por el parabrisas…otra vez!
-¡Cállate ya!- Lo silenció el otro. Ya fuera de la carretera vieron como el otro tipo se siguió de largo. Murdoc soltó un suspiro de alivio al pensar que ya no eran seguidos pero no duró mucho pues la motocicleta algunos metros más adelante cambió de dirección para retornar otra vez hacia ellos.- ¡Mierda, lo sabía!- Maldijo el bajista. Velozmente maniobró el volante y volvió al acelerador para volver al asfalto y continuar el trayecto pero más rápido que antes.
-¿Qué está pasando?- Preguntó 2D lleno de miedo.
-¡Nos está siguiendo! ¡El maldito quiere mi cabeza, es un puto caza recompensas!
-¡¿Qué vas a hacer?! ¡Nos vas a estrellar contra él!
-¡Confía en mí!- Murdoc aceleró aún más ya viéndose cerca de la motocicleta que tampoco dejaba de aproximarse en sentido contrario. El sujeto al ver que aquel viejo Camaro no tenía la intención de detenerse, sacó de su chamarra una pequeña pistola y apuntó hacía ellos.
-¡Cuidado, está armado!- Advirtió 2D en completo terror. Pensando que era el fin, no tuvo más que taparse el rostro con las manos.
El sujeto disparó el arma y les dio justo en medio del parabrisas, dejando un claro orificio por donde atravesó la bala. Su puntería falló pues no hirió a nadie dentro del auto. Murdoc no dejó de avanzar hacia él ni un momento a pesar de todo y con más velocidad.
Al ver esto, el tipo entró en pánico, lo cual hizo que su moto empezara a ir de un lado a otro intentando evadir chocar contra el Camaro pero era imposible pues Murdoc estratégicamente se posiciono en medio de la carretera sin darle espacio a donde escapar. Su último recurso fue saltar del vehículo y caer fuertemente sobre el pavimento. La moto derrapó y salió volando lejos por un lado y el hombre por el otro. En el proceso fue a quedar inconsciente.
-¡Si! ¡Le di su merecido a ese idiota!- Murdoc rio fuerte y descontroladamente al ver que estaban fuera de peligro luego de ver la escena que sus ojos presenciaron. Se sintió satisfecho y feliz por lo que hizo y pudo seguir manejando con tranquilidad.- Oye…ya puedes mirar, estamos a salvo.- Le informó a 2D dándole unos toquecitos en el hombro con el dedo.
-¡Cállate, estás loco!- Reclamó el otro sin atreverse a mirar nada todavía aunque ya sabía que todo había pasado.
-Lo sé, tú lo has dicho.
-¡Pudiste habernos matado!
-¡Estamos vivos! Solo eso importa…y ya deja de ser un marica.
2D apenas se atrevió a ver el parabrisas, en el lugar donde se había estrellado la bala. Su curiosidad lo llevó a mirar hacia atrás para ver si el pequeño objeto también atravesó el vidrio contrario. Su sorpresa fue encontrarse a Cyborg sacando algo de chispas de electricidad y con un agujero en la cabeza que coincidía con el lugar donde la bala pudo haber seguido su trayecto si la robot no hubiera estado ahí.- ¡Dios, ese sujeto le dio a Cyborg! Sus circuitos parecen estar fallando ¡Murdoc, mírala!
-No me preocupa, estará bien ¿Qué puede hacerle una simple bala a mi pequeña máquina de matar?- Respondió con una sonrisa estando muy relajado.
-¿Estas bien, Cyborg?- Le preguntó el vocalista sin dejar de mostrarse preocupado. Se acercó lo más que pudo hacia ella sin dejar su asiento y le pasó la mano varias veces frente a su rostro para ver si reaccionaba o si seguía la mano con sus ojos. La androide estaba bien, asintió y además levantó el pulgar en señal afirmativa mientras sonreía. Se encontraba bastante tranquila como si nada hubiera pasado y además los chispazos eran nulos ahora. Al verla 2D se calmó pues le transmitió un sentimiento de tranquilidad.- De acuerdo.- Luego volvió a acomodarse en el asiento antes de empezar a quedarse dormido.
"_Cyborg sonrió"_\- Repasó 2D en su mente en lo que cerraba los ojos con un poco de inquietud. Ella nunca sonríe. La única vez que la vio hacerlo ni siquiera ocurrió en serio. Fue en su raro sueño que tuvo tiempo atrás con respecto a Boogie Man. Se quedó con esa pequeña duda pero eran más sus ganas por dormir que mejor se deshizo de sus raras ideas.
Cyborg mientras tanto esculcó ella misma sobre su cabeza para intentar sacar la bala que se quedó alojada en el interior y cuando al fin la encontró simplemente la dejó caer sobre el suelo del auto.
* * *
Continuaron avanzando por aquella desolada carretera durante varias horas. Todo estaba tranquilo. El motor del auto que estaba situado en la parte de enfrente del mismo no dejaba de causar smock.
Más adelante estaba estacionada una patrulla cuyo oficial a cargo se hallaba comiendo unas ricas rosquillas glaseadas con chispitas y un vaso de café. Le llegó un reporte por su comunicador acerca de un Camaro negro yendo por la zona a gran velocidad. Justo terminaron de pasarle el reporte cuando el oficial vio venir al auto denunciado en cuestión justo frente a él. Se apresuró a volver a subir a su patrulla para ir tras ellos.
2D apenas volvía a despertarse y talló sus ojos para mejorar su visión del panorama. Al parecer aún faltaba mucho por recorrer y aun no arribaban a su destino.
Pronto el oficial les dio alcance con las sirenas encendidas y Murdoc para burlarse de él sacó el brazo por la ventanilla y le hizo señas para que los pasara. No tenía tiempo para que los detuvieran y mucho menos para que le cobraran una multa.
Cyborg interpretó esas señales como que Murdoc quería deshacerse del policía, así que tomó su arma ya cargada y también se asomó por su ventana. Murdoc adivinó las intenciones de su guardaespaldas e intentó detenerla y hacer que volviera a su lugar pero fue en vano. Cyborg apuntó con su rifle hacia la patrulla para comenzar a dispararle directo al parabrisas. Dos tiros bien dados fueron suficientes para que el policía perdiera el control y se desviara de la carretera para ir a estrellarse contra un letrero promocional de desayuno de medusa.
Mientras los chicos contemplaron la escena 2D se quedó asombrado mientas que Murdoc pensó _"Ni modo, ya valió". _
Más adelante rebasaron un auto rojo que se encontraba detenido a un lado. Se trataba igualmente de un Camaro modelo El Camino del mismo año, 69. El sujeto a bordo se fumaba un cigarrillo y al verlos pasar no dudó en darles alcance. El cielo entonces se llenó de repente de una neblina negra misteriosa que apareció en cuestión de segundos y después de este raro suceso a Cyborg comenzaron a fallarle los circuitos. Nuevamente andaba mal pero peor que cuando recibió el disparo. Ahora de sus ojos chorreaba aceite negro, digno de una escena para una película de terror y su cabeza no paraba de bambolearse sin control. Entonces Murdoc le hizo señas a su compañero para que volteara a revisar la condición de ella y al hacerlo la robot ya yacía inconsciente sobre su asiento mientras aun desprendía un poco de humo negro.
Todo eso para 2D era bastante confuso ¿Por qué ahora de repente a todos se les ocurría perseguirlos? Tenía miedo, no paraba de estar nervioso. Si bien era que estaban sufriendo esa persecución por culpa de su líder de banda y por querer su cabeza, 2D no era más que una inocente victima en aquella situación. La neblina negra que vio también le causó pánico. Era igual a la de su sueño. Se preguntó si esa neblina seria la causante del mal estado de la robot. Si era así, era porque Boogie Man tenía algo que ver en todo eso.
Finalmente el sujeto de El Camino se posicionó por detrás. Murdoc lo miró por el retrovisor y ahora sí sintió miedo. ¡Era un hombre calvo! Los calvos siempre son peligrosos. _"Oh no, esto no es bueno". _Ahora no tenía una Cyborg que pudiera defenderlo.
El Camino pasó a un costado de ellos por la carretera manteniendo la misma velocidad para no perderlos, ambos autos iban bastante parejos. El hombre calvo desenfundó su arma para apuntar hacia la ventana de Murdoc y disparar. Antes de que lo hiciera, el bajista intentó subir su vidrio como una forma de protegerse pues hasta entonces lo tenía abajo. El perseguidor falló en ese primer intento luego de que Murdoc y 2D se hicieran pequeños en sus asientos para evitar el disparo. Y también falló en los otros cuatro después de ese. No logró herir a ninguno de los pasajeros del Camaro pero sí pudo destrozar todos los cristales. Para ser un caza-recompensas experimentado, o era muy mala su puntería o los Gorillaz eran muy astutos al poder escapar de él.
Nuevamente el conductor quedó por detrás y aceleraba un poco con el fin de abollar la parte trasera del Camaro con el parachoques de El Camino. Con algo de suerte eso les haría desviarse. Hizo entonces un último intento con su arma. Se asomó por la ventana sacando medio cuerpo del auto y volvió a disparar. Aquella bala fue a parar al espejo retrovisor de la puerta de Murdoc. Al fallar de nuevo, el hombre lanzó un grito de decepción y volvió su cuerpo hacia dentro para mejor seguir conduciendo. Cualquiera que fuera la cantidad que le pagaron, debía ser muy buena para no querer rendirse a esas alturas.
Murdoc continuaba acelerando y luego de ver roto el espejo de su puerta fue lo último que toleró. Ya lo tenía harto ese calvo. En la palanca presionó el turbo que los hizo ir mucho más rápido y dejaron al otro auto rojo mucho, muy atrás. 2D tuvo que pegarse a su asiento y aferrase a él. Contuvo también sus ganas de vomitar pues todo el ajetreo le estaba causando mareos.
Mientras tanto volviendo con el oficial caído tiempo antes, su patrulla quedó destrozada, volteada, con el capó abierto, inservible. Él también obtuvo varias heridas en la cabeza y sangraba pero estaba vivo. Ahora lo único que le quedaba eran sus rosquillas. Eran lo único que importaba. Se empezó a arrastrar por el suelo de tierra para lograr alcanzar la caja de rosquillas pero por detrás se volvió a manifestar la neblina negra indicando que Boogie Man iba a aparecer. Así fue, cuando aquel demonio alcanzó su forma física se acercó al policía quien seguía empeñado en alcanzar la caja y luego se inclinó sobre él y lo envolvió con su gran capa negra antes de transformarlo en neblina también y desvanecerse los dos. Bueno, menos mal que el pobre hombre pudo alcanzar aunque sea una rosquilla antes de desaparecer.
Volviendo a las escenas de acción, el calvo continuaba empeñándose en sacar a los Gorillaz de la carretera. Borrarlos del mapa. Si bien su objetivo principal era Murdoc, no le importaba matar otros dos pájaros de un tiro. Por fin sus intentos resultaron y el Camaro negro se desvió del asfalto debido a la gran velocidad para ir a chocar contra una barra de contención pero ésta no soportó el impacto y acabó por romperse, lo cual envió al Camaro y a los Gorillaz directo al gran océano. 2D y Murdoc emitieron un fuerte grito antes de que el auto se hundiera.
El calvo se bajó de El Camino para verificar las cosas y verlo por sí mismo. Caminó hasta la orilla del risco por donde cayeron y miró hacia abajo. Ahí ya no había rastro de nada, como si ningún auto hubiera caído por ahí, el agua lo borró todo. El caza-recompensas quedó satisfecho, su tarea estaba cumplida.
* * *
"_¡Mierda, mierda, nos ahogamos!"_\- Pensó 2D sosteniendo la respiración mientras él junto con Murdoc y Cyborg se sumergían sin remedio hacia el fondo. Así no era como quería morir. La robot seguía sin despertar de su desvanecimiento. 2D se giró rápidamente con desespero a su compañero en espera de que él pudiera hacer algo. El auto caía en picada de manera vertical, totalmente inundado. Murdoc también contuvo su respiración fuertemente antes de oprimir un botón oculto en su asiento que hizo que el auto se transformara en cuestión de segundos en un submarino con la forma de un tiburón. Y no cualquier submarino con forma de tiburón, se trataba del mismo submarino que 2D vio tantas veces flotando frente a la costa de Plastic Beach, en el cual una vez intentó escapar, en el cual Murdoc se iba por varios días para volver con quienes colaborarían en el álbum. El auto cambió por completo su forma interna y externa para volverse más grande, más espacioso, con agilidad de moverse bajo el agua. Todos los cristales rotos se sustituyeron por cristales nuevos. El agua que hasta hace poco los invadió se había filtrado para dejar el espacio ahora seco. Murdoc seguía al mando de los controles e hizo que la aleta trasera del submarino comenzara a moverse para empezar a avanzar.
2D quedó atónito. Apenas y pudo pronunciar alguna palabra.- E-el…el auto… ¿Qué le pasó?
-Ahora estamos en un submarino, compadre.- Murdoc sentado en su asiento de capitán se encargaba de controlar el submarino, guiando su curso bajo el agua sin despegar los ojos de la ruta ya planeada.
-Bu-bueno, eso puedo verlo pero… ¿C-cómo?
-Sí…sí. Te lo dije. Te dije que ya lo verías. No se trata de un auto robado después de todo como pensabas. Siempre fue éste bebé, y si quieres verlo así, es un auto mágico, se transforma, mande a hacer las modificaciones adecuadas, algunas otras las hice yo mismo, Cyborg me ayudó también algunas veces y blah blah blah. Vamos, tampoco es la gran cosa…
-¿Q-que no es la gran cosa?... ¡Murdoc! ¡¿Por qué nunca me lo comentaste?!
-Yo nunca te comento nada… ¿Debería?
-¡Sí! Bueno…no…digo… ¡Cyborg!- 2D cayó en cuenta de que la guardaespaldas de Murdoc aún no reaccionaba y fue en su auxilio. La vio en la parte trasera del submarino, caída cual costal de papas. Se encargó de levantarla y recostarla.- Pobre…- Se dijo al verla.- Sabes…pudimos haber muerto.- Habló hacia el otro.
-Relájate, ahora estamos a salvo.
-Eso dijiste con el sujeto que nos perseguía en la moto.- Reclamó el vocalista.
-¡Ahora sí estamos a salvo! Y lo mejor es que estamos camino a Plastic Beach. Ese tonto calvo debe pensar ahora que dormimos con los peces muertos.- Soltó un par de risas.- Baboso…
-Mira como quedó ella.- Señaló.
Murdoc intentó tranquilizarlo.-Ya verás. Se va a despertar tarde o temprano.
-¿Cómo estas tan seguro? Siempre dices que se va a poner bien y…
-¿Y acaso no he tenido razón en eso?
-…Bueno sí pero…que tal que llegara algún día en que no sea así. Un día ella no se va a reponer y entonces…- Por alguna razón 2D esperó a que Murdoc le robara la palabra pero no, su líder ya no respondió nada y se concentraba en seguir pilotando aquel gigantesco tiburón de acero. Justo enfrente pasaban algunas tortugas gigantes, delfines y los corales hacían lucir muy colorido aquel fondo azul del océano.
2D quería que Murdoc le dijera que estaba equivocado, que pasara lo que fuera pero que Cyborg siempre iba a ponerse bien porque…la verdad ahora le costaba imaginar cómo sería la vida sin Cyborg. Se acostumbró tanto a su presencia que se atrevía a decir que no le gustaría que ya no estuviera con ellos. Cyborg siempre se encargó de protegerlos a ambos. Aunque estuviera programada para eso, a 2D le parecía un acto muy heroico y noble. Aprendió a tomarle afecto y a quererla. Era una chica especial que se dio su propio lugar y lo más increíble: lo hizo sin siquiera haber tenido que decir nada.
El verla todos los días lo ayudó a sobrellevar el dolor que sintió por mucho tiempo al ya no tener a Noodle cerca, a la real. Porque miraba a Cyborg y…ahí estaba ella, de vuelta a cuando era una adolescente, no necesitaba más. Aunque sí, le aterraba en un principio de lo que fuera capaz de hacerle pero pudo acostumbrarse y cuando te dabas el tiempo de conocerla, te dabas cuenta de que no era tan mala.
Ahora se imaginaba como seria si las dos Noodles convivieran juntas ¿Se llevarían bien? Bueno, si él logra llevarse bien con Cyborg, la verdadera Noodle también podría. Las dos compartirían un cuarto y Noodle ya no se sentiría tan apartada por ser la única mujer en la banda. Ambas se enseñarían muchas cosas una a otra porque las dos saben demasiado de todo.
Le hizo un poco de gracia pensar que incluso podrían llegar a hacer pijamadas donde las dos se pintan las uñas y Noodle le cuenta a su doble robótica como se siente tener un crush sobre X muchacho. Le agradaba esa escena, le agradó imaginar a Cyborg formar parte de la rara y poco común pero linda familia que eran los Gorillaz y todos conviviendo juntos. Cinco integrantes en vez de cuatro. Sonaba muy fantasioso pero era tierno pensarlo. Él ya la aceptaba como un miembro mas después de todo.
Y de nuevo todos esos pensamientos se hilaron hasta llevarlo a aquella pregunta que se hizo desde un comienzo. Si los robots también podían querer. Era una pregunta tonta y la respuesta más inmediata sería un rotundo "No", pero la curiosidad de 2D no lo hacía quedarse con eso. Presentía que sí…o al menos Cyborg podría volverse el primer ser pensante no humano en mostrar sentimientos y emociones. La prueba estaba en como siempre se esfuerza por ponerse a sí misma delante de todo y de todos, antes que ponerlo a Murdoc y a él para defenderlos. Si eso no era amor al prójimo ¿Entonces que era? También cuando ambos convivieron haciendo todas las canciones, en Plastic Beach o en los hoteles, en los buses de gira, fueron buenos momentos. Y serian aún mejor si ella pudiera hablar, reír o llorar, serian sentimientos más sinceros pero hasta ese entonces para 2D ya lo eran.
-Bueno, voy a cambiarme…- La voz de Murdoc lo sacó de su burbuja de pensamientos cuando lo vio levantarse de su lugar y presionar el botón de piloto automático.- La ropa mojada me estorba mucho.- De un pequeño compartimiento sacó un par de prendas de ropa limpia y se metió con ellas al baño.
Ahí 2D se sintió mal de no tener un cambio de ropa también. Debía esperar a que la que llevaba se secara por si sola. El tiempo que ocupó para perderse en pensamientos fueron solo unos segundos que le parecieron horas. Si no hubiera sido por Murdoc, él seguiría reflexionando cada vez más y más.
Volvió su mirada a Cyborg y la vio con ojos de compasión. Suspiró larga, fuerte y hondamente.- Por favor despierta pronto.- Le recorrió su flequillo para destaparle los ojos y la frente. Aprovecho que estaban solos para darle un beso ahí. Si Murdoc lo hubiera visto ahora mismo no dejaría de burlarse de él.
Después el bajista salió mejor vestido. Con un suéter blanco de cuello de tortuga, nuevos pantalones de mezclilla, una gorra de capitán a juego con el suéter y fumándose una pipa entre los labios. Volvió a sentarse y a quitar el piloto automático. De ahí, el recorrido que aún les faltaba para llegar a Plastic Beach fue taciturno.
16. Chapter 16
**Han pasado varios dias desde que actualicé. ¡Desde el año pasado que no lo hago! :O ok mal chiste lol. Bueno, primero que nada ¡Feliz año nuevo! c: y tambien espero que hayan pasado una linda navidad n.n Aww ahora dentro de pocos días regresaré a la univerdidad :/ En fin, ahora sí como lo habia prometido ¡Aqui tenemos a Russel y Noodle! ¡Wiii! Y ¿Que mas? este podria ser ya el antepenultimo capitulo (?) Calculo que podrian aproximarse otros dos capitulos (el ultimo con epilogo) antes de que esta historia llegue a su fin o quiza sean tres capitulos aprox. Eso aun tengo que decidirlo. Mientras tanto, disfruten esta actualizacion que espero les guste c: ahora debo volver a trabajar con mis otros fics xD **
* * *
Noodle se hallaba muy relajada practicando un poco de meditación encerrada en su propio camarote.
Estaba viajando en barco. El señor Kyuzo le había dado su boleto para que se fuera y también le obsequió algo para defenderse pues escuchó rumores acerca de que algunos aliados del gobierno japonés estaban en busca de Noodle para deshacerse de ella. Estuvo viviendo con él en Japón los últimos cuatro años, se expandió el rumor hasta oídos de los políticos y Kyuzo con todo el dolor de su corazón tuvo que despedirse de ella y hacer que saliera del país en cubierto para protegerla. Su próximo destino no importaba cual fuera siempre y cuando ya no estuviera en Japón. Le compró el primer pasaje que le pareció accesible y le dio un beso de despedida antes de verla subirse en su transporte. A Noodle también le dolió mucho despedirse del señor Kyuzo pero era necesario, sabe que lo hizo por su bien.
Ahora el gusto de Noodle por practicar meditación no le duró mucho pues de repente el barco empezó a bambolearse mucho y eso la distrajo de su actividad. Miro hacia afuera por una ventana y vio a varios aviones sobrevolando encima del trasatlántico con la intención de atacarlo. También el resto de personas que viajaban en ese barco comenzaron a gritar y correr por doquier.
"_Piratas"-_ Pensó ella, aunque no estaba totalmente segura. Sí podrían ser piratas o sino los agentes del gobierno que sí sabían dónde estaba después de todo.
A pesar de las circunstancias mantuvo la calma porque de nada serviría alterarse. Se colocó su máscara que llevaba poniéndose desde que se hizo ese feo moretón en el ojo hace varias semanas. Era un hematoma muy grande y al no querer que se lo notaran, usar la máscara fue su única opción para esconderlo. Volvió hacia el pequeño sofá instalado en su cuarto y se sentó a pensar lo que debía hacer.
Escuchó tres pequeños golpes en su puerta y después se asomó por ella un mesero que trabajaba en el barco.- Madam, la nave está bajo ataque de piratas. Tengo ordenes de escoltarla a los botes salvavidas.
Noodle lo escuchó pero no le prestó atención. Su mente ya había decidido que hacer. Se levantó del sofá y se acercó a su cama donde encima de ella estaba un maletín del cual extrajo una metralleta calibre 45. Sí, el obsequio de parte del señor Kyuzo. Él más que nadie sabía que Noodle podía manejar un arma de ese tipo y se la dio precisamente para defenderse de esas situaciones si llegaban a ocurrir.
-¡Oh! Yo…- El mesero se asustó un poco y se hizo a un lado cuando vio que Noodle quería salir del cuarto con arma en mano y se dirigió al pasillo para salir a la cubierta.- Oh Dios…
Noodle ahora ardía en rabia. Esos maleantes pagarían por haber arruinado su viaje en barco. Y si eran los del gobierno tampoco tendría ninguna compasión.
Pronto la nipona les disparaba a los aviones a diestra y siniestra desde la cubierta del barco con ayuda de la metralleta y logró tirar algunos cuantos pero nunca previó que desde uno de ellos que aun sobrevolaba sobre su cabeza se fuera a lanzar una bomba. El piloto se sonrió de manera burlona antes de dejar caer el artefacto mortal sobre todo el barco.
La explosión ocasionada fue muy grande y terrible. Noodle salió volando hacia el agua después del tremendo impacto, perdiendo su arma en el proceso. Cuando los aviadores estuvieron satisfechos con el daño hecho se alejaron rápidamente de la escena.
Noodle mientras tanto nadó lejos de ahí manteniéndose todo el tiempo sumergida para que no la vieran. Llegó hasta donde se hallaba una balsa salvavidas de plástico sin nadie a bordo, estaba abandonada pero a ella le sirvió para montarse en ella y salir del agua. Más atrás el barco ahora se había vuelto destrozos y además se estaba quemando pero la nipona ya no podía hacer nada por remediar la situación. Respiró una gran bocanada de aire cuando se vio libre del peligro y se recostó sobre el salvavidas dejando que los rayos del sol le dieran de lleno en todo su cuerpo.
Parecía que Noodle se quedaría ahí varada, dejando a su balsa yendo sin un rumbo fijo durante quien sabe cuánto tiempo. Pero bueno, al menos le alegraba estar en eso y no nadando.
* * *
Ya llevaban un buen rato navegando bajo el océano y no debía faltar mucho para llegar a Plastic Beach. 2D todo ese tiempo estuvo pendiente de Cyborg sin apartarse de su lado mientras Murdoc tenía el control del submarino sin dejar de lado la pipa en la cual fumaba.
De pronto Cyborg volvió a despertarse alteradamente. 2D la vio al momento en que ella ahora estaba intentando vomitar un pequeño pulpo vivo que se quedó atrapado dentro de ella desde que el auto impactó contra el océano. Se lo debió haber tragado sin querer y ahora ese pequeño fue el mismo que ocasiono que Cyborg volviera a reaccionar para poder expulsar aquel extraño cuerpo de su sistema.
Cuando por fin el pulpo salió, Cyborg se limpió con el dorso de la mano un pequeño rastro de baba de pulpo que quedó sobresaliendo de la comisura de sus labios.
Después de mirar aquella escena 2D sintió escalofríos y optó por mejor darle su espacio a la robot.
En el camino. A Murdoc se le habían unido varios submarinos más. En cada uno de ellos iban todas las personas que colaboraron para el disco y pensaban acompañarlo hasta llegar a la playa plástica. Al parecer se espació entre ellos la noticia de que Damon Albarn les tendió siempre a los Gorillaz una trampa durante todos los conciertos presentados y, acordando que eso era injusto, se unieron al bajista de la banda para demostrarle que lo apoyaban a él a pesar de todo.
Ahí iban Lou Reed, Gruff Rhys, Snoop Dogg, Paul y Mick comiéndose una lata de espinacas para el camino, los miembros de De La Soul, quienes succionaron con las turbinas de su submarino algunas cuantas medusas y bueno… entre muchos otros más.
Mientras tanto Murdoc sacó su propio submarino a la superficie, ocupando un mirador para observar que tan lejos estaban de llegar y les indicó a sus otros dos acompañantes que ya estaban a nada de Plastic Beach.
Volviendo con Noodle, seguía recostada en la balsa hasta que sintió unas vibraciones muy fuertes debajo de ella. El agua estaba muy turbulenta. Se enderezó en su lugar y miro hacia el mar. Lo que vio fue una figura gigantesca nadando justo por debajo. No era un tiburón ni nada parecido. Era un hombre de tamaño descomunal.
Russel decidió justo entonces salir a tomarse un respiro pues le faltaba oxígeno a sus pulmones. Cuando se puso de pie ocasionó que la balsa donde Noode estaba quedara arriba de su gran cabeza. La chica entonces no supo cómo reaccionar cuando se vio a si misma ahora estando elevada a sesenta metros de altura. Volvió su vista hacia el enorme hombre y fue que pudo observarlo mejor. Afroamericano, ojos completamente blancos, complexión robusta.
-¿Russel?- Cuestionó ella teniendo el temor latente en su voz. Era una pequeñita comparada con él. Era probable que no la escuchara pero así fue. Russel oyó una voz diminuta zumbándole hasta que llegó a sus oídos y respondió entonces.
-¿Quién anda ahí? ¿Quién dijo eso?- Giro su cabeza varias veces sin lograr ver a nadie.
-¡Soy yo Russ! ¡Soy Noodle!- Gritó.
-¿Noodle? ¿Dónde estás?- Se desesperó al pensar que estaría en el agua y su vista fue directo hacia ahí y no la vio.
-¡Aquí arriba, sobre tu cabeza!
Russel llevó una de sus manos hacia arriba para tentarse la cabeza y en efecto ahí sintió un cuerpo pequeño. Lo tomó con la mayor delicadeza posible hasta tenerlo delante de sus ojos y verlo mejor. Había tomado a una mujercita enmascarada y vestida en colores claros. Ella entonces se quitó la máscara para mostrarse ante él.
-Oye grandulón…es bueno verte otra vez. ¿Qué pasó contigo?- Sentenció ella con una sonrisa en los labios. Russel también se sonrió de felicidad y no pudo contener lágrimas de alegría que le brotaron incesantemente.
-¡Oh Noodle, te he extrañado tanto!
-¡Y yo a ti!- Expresó con emoción. Lo más que pudo hacer fue abrazar el dedo pulgar de Russel para demostrar su cariño.
-Tu…tu ojo…
Noodle se dio cuenta de su herida y de inmediato volvió a cubrirse tras la máscara.- No es nada Russ, estoy bien.
-¿Segura?
-Sí, larga historia, no querrás saber.
-¿No te lastimaron? Bien. Si no me dices, yo tampoco te diré el porqué de mi tamaño.
-¡Russel, no se vale!- Bromeó.
-Claro que sí.- Sonrió burlonamente.
-…Bueno no me digas, Pero al menos explícame que haces aquí.
-Lo mismo iba a preguntar.
-Larga historia.- Repitió.- Bueno, tiene que ver con el gobierno de Japón.
-Oh.- Exclamo.- Creo que si será una larga historia. Cuéntamelo todo, ¿Dónde has estado? ¿Qué has hecho? Tenemos mucho tiempo. Recuerda, si me dices, yo te digo a donde vamos.
Noodle tomó aire antes de hablar.- Bien, desde que me separé de la banda, yo…- La chica siguió hablando un largo rato mientras Russel avanzaba en el mar, escuchándola.
* * *
Volviendo con el resto de la banda ya estaban en Plastic Beach. Debido a la neblina del ligar Murdoc tuvo que asomarse fuera del submarino y observar por un catalejo.
Sobra la cima de un pilar igualmente hecho de basura. El líder distinguió ver ahí parado a Boogie Man acariciando un manatí a lado suyo como si se tratara de una mascota. ¿Cómo llegó hasta ahí y desde cuando ya los esperaba? Al parecer este demonio seguía sin rendirse respecto a cobrar cuentas con Niccals.
El ser de inframundo se sintió observado y cuando también le regresó la mirada a Murdoc, éste entonces bajó su catalejo y decidió darle la orden a Cyborg de disparar. Ella obedeció. Con su arma disparó dos veces y estuvo muy cerca de herir a Boogie Man, si es que realmente se puede herir a un ser infernal pero en lugar de eso solo pudo atinar a hacerle un par de agujeros en su capa. Boogie Man se sintió indignado por semejante atrevimiento. Tal vez Niccals había ganado más tiempo por ahora per no sería por mucho. Él iba a regresar pero por el momento se retiraría. Tomó al manatí con sus largas garras y lo obligó a rodar desde el tope del pilar plástico para hacer que cayera al agua y el mismo Boogie Man se fue con el gran animal.
Murdoc los vio caer al agua e interiormente se sintió aliviado al pensar que el demonio se rindió y quizás hasta se intimido igual al ver que Murdoc no estaba solo, tenía a su Cyborg.
La niebla entonces se disipó y con eso los integrantes de Gorillaz pudieron ver con orgullo como ante ellos se iba mostrando la portentosa edificación de Plastic Beach.
Cuando estuvieron cerca de la orilla bajaron todos del submarino. Murdoc tomó un largo respiro al exclamar.- ¡Por fin en casa!
Luego le siguieron el resto de personas que también dejaron sus submarinos. A 2D también le alegraba pisar algo de superficie firme pero excepto un pequeño detalle. Plastic Beach no era su casa. Sí, de vez en cuando se deprimía y esta no era la excepción, al pensar que seguiría tener que viviendo en esa isla ¿Quizá por siempre? En todo caso él desearía haberse quedado en Inglaterra.
Por si mismo tomó el ascensor y lo utilizó para bajar a su habitación y quedarse ahí. No quería que lo vieran estando ahora así de deprimido.
Quería irse de ahí. Ya lo había intentado varias veces y fallado. ¿Tendría algún caso intentarlo otra vez? Para 2D nunca serían suficientes intentos, tampoco quería rendirse fácilmente.
De pronto escucho que alguien tocaba a su puerta y que alguien quería abrirla desde afuera. Era Cyborg.
-Oh, hola Cyborg. ¿Qué pasa?- Ella señaló hacia arriba.- ¿Quieren que vaya? Umm…no, gracias. Dile a Murdoc que no estoy muy bien ahora. Sucede que…ya estoy cansado. De seguir aquí…- Se sentó sobre la cama.- ¿Alguna vez Murdoc te contó sobre los Estudios Kong?
**Buscando: Estudios Kong…**
…
…
**No se encontraron resultados. **
Entonces Cyborg negó con la cabeza.
-...No, no, es obvio que no.- Respondió 2D.- Pero te hubieran gustado, en serio. Te habría gustado conocerlos. No eran el lugar más perfecto ni el más indicado para vivir pero estaban bien. Ese antes fue mi hogar por varios años. Todas las noches debías dormir casi con un solo ojo y con el otro estar pendiente a que los zombis no entraran. Al principio me daba miedo pero pude acostumbrarme, después de todo, los zombis son mis monstruos favoritos en las películas. Se llegaron a meter varias veces hasta que Noodle se deshizo de todos ellos. ¡Oh! Y de seguro también te gustaría conocerla a ella, bueno, no lo sé. Serian como…buenas amigas, casi hermanas, digo…tu eres su clon.- Rio.- Y en ese entonces tú también hubieras podido patearle el trasero a algunos muertos vivientes. Sería como tu hobby…pero bueno.- Suspiró.- Ahora estamos aquí. En lugar de zombis tengo que lidiar con una ballena enorme. He llegado a pensar que ahora debo llamar a esta playa mi nuevo hogar. No sé si algún día podré salir de aquí pero en verdad quiero hacerlo.- Volvió a mirar a Cyborg otra vez.- Si llegara a escapar…es decir, cuando salga de aquí, te llevaré conmigo ¿Sabes? Sí, eso haré.
Se quedó mirándola otro largo rato. Ahora ya no sabía que más decirle, lo había dicho todo y como siempre ella lo escuchó. Suspiró una vez más, aún más profundo que antes.- Cielos…debo estar loco para hacer esto…luego de todo lo que hemos pasado…- La tomó por los hombros y él se impulsó hacia adelante para quedar más cerca y cuando lo estuvo puso sus labios sobre los contarios dándole un tierno beso.- Creo que me gusta besarte.- Le dijo sonriendo.- Aunque no sé por qué lo hice hasta ahora.- Cyborg no hizo ningún movimiento pero al menos no quería matarlo ni nada por el estilo. Esa nueva acción ahora también se quedaría registrada en su memoria como una muestra de cariño y afecto. Imitó la sonrisa de 2D para demostrarle algo de simpatía por lo que hizo.
-Que Murdoc no se entere. Saldremos de aquí algún día, lo prometo.- Insistió.-… ¡Es cierto, Murdoc!- Reaccionó.- Me sigue esperando pero no quiero ir…- Cyborg entendió y entonces se fue sola otra vez cerrando la puerta tras de sí. 2D también volvió a quedarse solo. Ahora con la promesa de fugarse de Plastic Beach junto con Cyborg. Lo que Murdoc pensara no podía importarle menos. Además se quedó pensando por el beso que le dio a la robot. No estuvo nada mal después de todo.
End file.
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delleman syndrome is a rare sporadic disorder characterized clinically by skin appendages , dermal hypoplasia , orbital cysts , microphthalmia , and cerebral malformations.123 there has been a considerable overlap between delleman syndrome and other syndromes such as goldenhar and haberland syndrome.45 until date , very few cases are reported worldwide and the numbers from indian subcontinent are even fewer , ours perhaps is one such report .
we report a case of 1-year - old male child presented to the ophthalmology opd with abnormal appearance of both eyes since birth .
he was born by an uneventful , full term delivery of a nonconsanguineous couple . at the time of birth
, he had slight protrusion of both the eyes with abnormal lids , and bleeding off and on .
the eyes continued to protrude until 3 months of age ; the condition remains static ever since .
he also developed tonic - clonic seizures after 3 months of age which still continued but decreased in frequency , and the last episode was 2 days before the presentation .
he also reported having increased head circumference at birth that has not progressed since then . at the time of presentation , the child has abnormally protruded eyes with coloboma of middle 1/3 of right upper lid , and medial 1/2 of left upper lid ; an abnormal skin fold present below the malformed left lid .
a skin tag was present at the outer canthus of right eye [ figure 1b and c ] .
the conjunctiva on the right side appears slightly cystic , both the conjunctiva and cornea were keratinized because of exposure .
he had frontal bossing with depressed nasal bridge [ figure 1a ] and also slight protrusion of tongue .
there were focal patches of alopecia with dermal hypoplasia of scalp [ figure 2b and c ] .
hyperpigmented patches were seen on the right side of the chest , abdomen and back with a slight extension onto the nape and right arm [ figure 2a ] .
a thorough general and systemic examination did not reveal any abnormality except for decreased muscle strength .
baseline investigations were unremarkable , and an abdominal ultrasound showed a complex splenic cyst of 6 mm .
( a ) frontal bossing with depressed nasal bridge , keratinized conjunctiva and cornea of both eyes ( black arrows ) ( b and c ) periocular skin tag ( white arrow ) , and colobomas of right upper lid and left upper lid ( white arrows ) ( a ) hyperpigmented patches involving right side of chest , abdomen and right arm ( black arrows ) ( cutaneous hyperpigmentation has striking resemblance to incontinentia pigmenti ) ( b and c ) alopecia and focal dermal hypoplasia with punched out appearance ( white arrows ) magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed aplasia of cerebellar vermis with enlarged superior vermian cistern .
there was subependymal grey matter heterotopia of the postero - inferior aspect of the atrium of right lateral ventricle [ figure 3a ] .
an axial cut shows to a greater detail the abnormal appearance of the cortex , with a polymicrogyric pattern posteriorly in right posterior parietal and right occipital region [ figure 3b ] .
a small arachnoid space posteriorly at the level of infratentorial compartment was seen , which is consistent with a diagnosis of arachnoid cyst [ figure 3c ] .
( a ) aplastic cerebellar vermis with enlarged superior vermian cistern ( black arrow ) , and subependymal grey matter heterotopia ( white arrow ) ( b ) polymicrogyric pattern in the right posterior parietal and right occipital cortex ( white arrows ) ( c ) small posterior fossa arachnoid cyst ( black arrow )
oculocerebrocutaneous ( occ ) or delleman syndrome was first reported in 1981 by delleman and oorthuys .
the syndrome is characterized by orbital cysts , micropthalmia / anopthalmia , focal skin hypoplasia and skin tags , and cerebral malformations.123 several other phenotypic features like vertebral anomalies , heart defects , facial dysmorphia ( cleft lip and palate ) have been included into the occ spectrum over the years.4 in a review of 16 cases of occ by bleeker , over 85% of cases were reported to have ocular cysts , skin appendages , and focal dermal hypoplasia.6 moog et al . in a review of 26 cases of occ syndrome reported at least one of the following ocular defects : orbital cyst , eyelid coloboma , anophthalmia / microphthalmia with or without cyst to be present in all of the cases .
they concluded these ocular features to be typical and constant for occ syndrome.7 neurological features of occ syndrome includes cystic cavities in cerebral hemispheres , ventricular abnormalities , hydrocephalus and agenesis of corpus callosum which is described in half of the patients in a case review of 16 patients by bleeker.6 patients with neurological abnormalities manifests with seizures , developmental delay and motor retardation .
few other syndromes like goldenhar and gotlz shares some of the features with occ but differs in not having intracranial cysts , also , the skin tags in goldenhar syndrome are preauricular as opposed to periocular tags in occ.48 a considerable overlap has been described by many authors between occ and encephalocraniocutaneous lipoma tosis ( eccl ) or haberland syndrome.5 indeed , there is a certain amount of overlap between the two disorders , but characteristic skin hamartomas and cerebral calcification are more specific for eccl , which are unknown in delleman syndrome , and the absence of orbital dermoids , which are a characteristic feature of delleman syndrome . to conclude ,
we present a case of delleman syndrome with periocular skin tags , lid colobomas , hypoplastic dermal patches with hyperpigmented areas , and characteristic cerebral lesions along with atypical polymicrographic appearance .
a high degree of suspicion for cerebral malformation should be maintained in patients with congenital skin appendages and orbital cysts . | pubmed |
Fifty Shades Trilogy The Other Woman
_The Other Woman_
I was inspired by the movie _"The Other Woman_" with Natalie Portman it is a pretty good movie. Pretty much the movie is about Natalie Portman is the other woman and she has an affair with someone at work. Soon they get married and have a baby but the baby dies. Some things are going to change and I am going add some things. Some things are not going to be the same like in the book. You guys should watch the movie it on Netflix for any one that has it.
**ANA POV**
I am returning to one place that I ever wanted to go back to Seattle.
That place had brought some wonderful memories and but it is the painful ones that I can't forget and let go.
Here I am in my New York apartment packing my self to move back. The law firm that I am working at right now is going to merge with the old law firm that I used to work at in Seattle. I was offered a job in Seattle and also to become a partner, which is an amazing offer.
Has I am packing my place I am a cross a box of old photos. I open the box I see photos of my parents, Kate and Jose who are my best friends, and they I see s photo of him Christian Grey. The man I loved, no the man I still love.
_Flashback_
**ANA POV**
"Hello I am Anastasia Steel, I am here for the new job." I said to Claire at the front desk. She looks like someone that might know everything and what are people are doing at the office.
"This way Miss Steel" Claire said.
"Please call me Ana, Miss Steel makes sound old." I said
"No it makes you sound professional," she said
Has we are walking to the office of Carrick Grey the man behind this successful law firm. Claire falls and hurts her ankle.
"Oh my god Claire are you ok," I said
"Yeah I think that I hurt my ankle," She said
Has I am trying to help Claire that door to an office open. I see the most amazing man I have ever seen. He the most amazing grey eyes. He helps Claire to his office
"Hello I am Christian Grey," He said. He shook my hand and my felt something that I have ever felt in my life.
"Hi I am Anastasia Steel,'" I said. We were just looking at each other. In till Claire told that Carrick Grey was waiting for me in his office. I was walking out of his office.
"Bye Ana," He said
"See you around Christian." I said
I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS LIKE IT. LIKE I SAID IT NOT GOING TO BY LIKE THE BOOKS. I WANT TO MAKE ANA MORE CONFIDENT. LEAVE SOME GOOD FEEDBACK OR ANY QUESTIONS. THANKS
End file.
| fanfiction |
Oxidation of guanine with singlet oxygen
I'm studying the oxidation of guanine using singlet oxygen and one step of the reaction is not very clear to me.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/g3sS5.png)
My problem is with the first step: it is a 4+2 Diels–Alder cycloaddition, and Fukui's rules suggest that this kind of reaction doesn't happen photochemically, only thermally.
However, since the reaction is between guanine and singlet oxygen, the oxygen has been photochemically excited, and I don't think it would happen thermally with oxygen at the ground state because otherwise we would have constant oxidation.
So what exactly is happening there?
You're right that ground state $\ce{^3O2}$ doesn't undergo this reaction.
There is no direct excitation of oxygen either.
The key in these processes is the electronic excitation of tetraphenyl porphyrine (TPP). The excited singlet state of the dye undergoes intersystem crossing to a triplet state. The latter interacts with ground state oxygen and generates singlet oxygen.
$$\ce{TPP ->[h\nu] ^1TPP^\*}$$
$$\ce{^1TPP^\* ->[ISC] ^3TPP^\*}$$
$$\ce{^3TPP^\* + ^3O2->[sens] TPP + ^1O2}$$
Singlet oxygen then acts like the typical dienophile in a Diels-Alder reaction.
| stackexchange/chemistry |
Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1
Rehab!
Decididos a salvar Sirius, Remo e muitos outros que morreram na guerra bruxa, Harry, Rony, Hermione e Gina viajam para 1993 levando livros que retratam seus anos em Hogwarts e o desenrolar da 2° Guerra Bruxa.
Será que com as informações do livro, Sirius Black será inocentado? Harry ainda vai morar com os tios? Ou terá a chance de ter uma família?
Descubra lendo os livros de Harry Potter em Rehab!
2. 1 Parte 1 Visitantes e o Primeiro Cap
_1. Parte 1. Visitantes e o Primeiro Capítulo._
Na manhã do Dia das Bruxas, Harry acordou com os colegas e desceu para tomar café, sentindo-se totalmente arrasado, embora se esforçasse ao máximo para agir normalmente.
- Vamos lhe trazer um monte de doces da Dedosdemel – prometeu Hermione, sentindo uma pena desesperada do amigo.
- É, - concordou Rony.
- Não se preocupem comigo - disse Harry, no que ele imaginava ser uma voz displicente. Vejo vocês na festa.
Antes de conseguir terminar a fala um clarão segou a todos, deixando-os com os olhos levemente desfocados quando sumiu. Assim que conseguiram enxergar direito, notaram quatro pessoas no meio do Salão. Três estavam em volta da quarta que estava curvada parecendo que ia vomitar.
Quando a quarta pessoa – uma garota ruiva, levantou e sussurrou algo com os outros então olharam direto para Alvo Dumbledore, caminhando para ele.
- Olá, Professor Dumbledore. – a garota de cabelos castanhos falou.
- Olá, Srta Granger, Senhor Weasley, Senhor Potter e Srta Weasley. – o Diretor estava sorrindo. – A que devo a honra da visita de vocês?
- Nós temos informações do futuro, Diretor. – Ronald Weasley, o ruivo, respondeu. – E queremos compartilhá-las com a escola!
- E o que seria essas informações? – o diretor tornou a perguntar.
- Livros do tempo que estivemos em Hogwarts! - o moreno, Harry Potter, respondeu. – Se puder diretor, nós gostaríamos que o senhor chamasse o Ministro, nós buscaremos um convidado especial.
- O chamarei assim que eu avisar os alunos. – o diretor falou levantando.
A escola inteira observou os quatro jovens saírem do Salão em silêncio e assim que as portas se fecharam, voltaram a atenção para o calmo diretor.
- Meus caros alunos. – o velho diretor começou. – Sinto interromper o café de vocês, mas creio que teremos de cancelar o passeio a Hogsmeade hoje para podermos conhecer a incrível história que os nossos jovens trouxeram para nós, uma história do futuro. – e com um aceno de varinha uma fênix prateada saiu voando através das paredes do Salão Principal. – Aproveitem o resto do café de vocês! – e sentou-se em sua cadeira ao lado de Minerva McGonagall e Severo Snape. – Chame os Weasley, Minerva, por favor. – ele falou.
Era quase nove horas quando Gina e Harry, Rony e Hermione voltaram carregando um homem de cabelos imundos e embaraçados que caíam até seus cotovelos, os olhos azuis - acinzentados brilhando aterrorizados. Harry e Rony largaram o homem na mesa da Grifinória, onde Gina Weasley sentou ao lado dele. Os outros três do futuro foram para junto da mesa dos professores.
- O que Sirius Black faz aqui? – o diretor perguntou sério, apontando com a cabeça para onde o homem falava com a garota ruiva, que parecia que desmaiaria a qualquer minuto.
- A presença dele será explicada durante a leitura. – Hermione foi rápida ao responder. – Só peço que o senhor deixe que ele se lave e se alimente. – Hermione lançou um rápido olhar para Gina, que franzia o nariz ao lado de Sirius. – Enquanto ele se alimenta a leitura começará.
- Desde que ele não fique sozinho. – Dumbledore concordou.
- Rony e Hermione ficarão com ele. – Harry disse. Com a confirmação do diretor, os três se aproximaram de Gina e Sirius. O homem surtou quando percebeu a aproximação dos três.
- Eu posso explicar, não me prendam, estão cometendo um erro. – ele falava
- Se acalme, Sirius. – Harry falou colocando uma mão no ombro ossudo do homem. – Ninguém vai prender ninguém hoje, acompanhe Rony e Hermione até o banheiro para se lavar e quando voltar iremos negociar a sua liberdade.
O homem seguiu o casal para uma porta atrás da mesa dos professores. Deixou a garota – Hermione, cortar seu cabelo na altura dos ombros e tomou um merecido banho, tomando seu tempo para se lavar. Ao sair, com uma toalha amarrada na cintura, Hermione lhe passou uma calça jeans escura, uma camisa de botão branca, uma cueca clara e tênis all star. Quando terminou de se arrumar, os três se dirigiram para a mesa da Grifinória, onde sentaram ao lado de seus amigos do futuro. Um prato de comida apareceu na frente de Sirius e Dumbledore levantou, um livro negro nas mãos.
- Conforme Harry diz, a leitura começará no final do ano letivo do terceiro ano dele, em Junho do ano que vem. – o diretor olhou para os alunos silenciosos e sorriu. – Quem quer ler primeiro?
Hermione, de treze anos, levantou correndo para pegar o livro das mãos do diretor. Voltou para seu lugar e sentada abriu o livro. Na primeira página o nome do livro e o capitulo a ser lido.
- O nome do livro é **O Prisioneiro de Azkaban** e o capitulo é **Gago, rato e cão.**
Hermione respirou fundo e começou a leitura.
**A cabeça de Harry se esvaziou com o choque. Os três garotos ficaram paralisados de horror sob a Capa de Invisibilidade. Os últimos raios do sol poente lançavam uma claridade sangrenta sobre os imensos campos sombrios da escola. Então, atrás deles, os garotos ouviram um uivo selvagem.**
- O que está acontecendo? – Katie Bell perguntou preocupada, ao lado de Angelina Johnson na mesa da Grifinória.
- Vocês vão descobrir mais para frente. – Harry (2003) falou.
**- Hagrid – murmurou Harry.**
- O que aconteceu com Hagrid? – Gina Weasley, sentada com seu irmão Percy, perguntou preocupada.
- O livro dirá. – a versão mais velha da ruiva respondeu. – Continue Hermione.
**E, sem pensar no que estava fazendo, fez menção de dar meia-volta, mas Rony e Hermione o seguraram pelos braços.**
**- Não podemos – Disse Rony, que estava branco como uma folha de papel. – Hagrid vai ficar numa situação muito pior se souberem que fomos à casa dele...**
- Em que situação Hagrid está? – Hermione se interrompeu. – E porque ficaria muito pior?
- Continue lendo Hermione! – Harry (2003) respondeu.
- Eu quero saber o que está acontecendo. – a garota replicou.
- Vai saber se ler o livro. – Gina (2003) falou irritada fazendo a garota voltar a ler.
**A respiração de Hermione estava rasa e desigual.**
**- Como **_**puderam**_**... fazer... isso? – engasgou-se a garota. – Como puderam?**
**- Vamos – disse Rony, cujos dentes davam a impressão de estar batendo.**
- A partir de agora vocês prestem atenção. – a versão mais velha de Potter falou. – Coisas importantes serão esclarecidas. – e lançou um rápido olhar para Sirius.
**Os três voltaram ao castelo, andando devagar, para se manter escondidos sob a capa. A claridade ia desaparecendo depressa agora. Quando chegaram à área ajardinada, a escuridão desceu, como por encanto, a toda volta.**
- Magia. – alguém assobiou. Os outros riram.
**- Perebas, fica quieto. – sibilou Rony, apertando a Mao contra o peito. O rato se debatia, enlouquecido. Rony parou de repente, tentando empurrá-lo para o fundo do bolso. – Que é que há com você, seu rato burro? Fica parado aí... Aí! Ele me mordeu!**
**- Rony, fica quieto! – cochichou Hermione com urgência – Fudge vai nos alcançar em um minuto...**
**- Ele não quer... ficar.. parado...**
**Perebas estava visivelmente aterrorizado. Contorcia-se com todas as suas forças, tentando se desvencilhar da Mao de Rony.**
Um rosnado baixo foi ouvido, Harry e Gina (2003) olharam para Sirius, a ruiva desviou o olhar para o marido e pegou a mão dele, entrelaçando os dedos.
**- Que é que **_**há**_** com ele?**
**Mas Harry acabara de ver – esquivando-se em direção ao grupo, o corpo colado no chão grandes olhos amarelos que brilhavam lugubremente no escuro – Bichento. Se podia vê-los ou se estava seguindo os guinchos de Perebas, Harry não saberia dizer.**
- O que o gato de Hermione faz lá? – Percy perguntou franzindo a sobrancelha.
- Perseguido o rato... – Fred começou.
- Novamente. – Jorge terminou.
- Obviamente. – Os dois falaram juntos.
- Bichento é um bom gato. – Hermione (2003) falou fazendo biquinho.
- É claro que sim. – Gina (2003) concordou.
**- Bichento! – gemeu Hermione – Não, vai embora, Bichento! Vai embora!**
**Mas o gato se aproximava sempre mais...**
**- Perebas... Não!**
**Tarde demais – o rato escorregou por entre os dedos apertados de Rony, bateu no chão e fugiu precipitadamente. De um salto, Bichento saiu em eu encalço e antes que Harry ou Hermione pudessem detê-lo, Rony arrancara a Capa de Invisibilidade e se arremessava pela escuridão.**
- Rony ferrando tudo. – Fred comentou baixinho com seu gêmeo, que riu baixinho.
**- **_**Rony**_**! – gemeu Hermione.**
**Ela e Harry se entreolharam e correram atrás do amigo;**
De sua mesa, Dumbledore sorriu e Severo Snape revirou os olhos.
**era impossível correr com desenvoltura com a capa por cima; arrancaram-na e ela ficou voando para trás como uma bandeira, quando os dois saíram desabalados atrás de Rony; ouviram os passos dele à frente e seus gritos para Bichento.**
**- Fique longe dele... fique longe... Perebas, volta **_**aqui**_**...**
- Rony se apega demais. – Jorge comentou com uma careta, Fred concordou com a cabeça.
Sirius Black não tirava os olhos da garota como o livro, com os olhos apertados bebia cada palavra que saia dos lábios da garota. Na mesa dos professores, o Prof. Lupin observava todos os movimentos de seu antigo amigo.
**Ouviu-se u m baque sonoro.**
**- **_**Te peguei**_**! Dá o fora, seu gato fedorento...**
**Harry e Hermione quase caíram em cima de Rony; pararam derrapando diante dele. O amigo estava esparramado no chão, mas Perebas já estava de volta ao bolso, Rony apertava com as duas mãos um calombo trepidante.**
**- Rony... vamos... volta** **para baixo da capa... – ofegou Hermione. – Dumbledore... o ministro... eles vão voltar para o castelo já, já...**
- Agora sim que eles se ferram. – Fred comentou rindo.
- Por quê? – um garoto do primeiro ano perguntou confuso.
- Por que é sempre assim... – Jorge disse.
- No primeiro ano eles salvaram a Pedra Filosofal... – Fred.
- E no ano passado eles abriram a Câmara Secreta... – Jorge.
- Este ano parece que é o caso Black, só não entendo porque o Perebas está no meio. – Fred terminou pensativo.
- E no quarto ano tem o torneio, no quinto o ministério, - Hermione (2003) começou a dizer antes que o homem do seu lado abrisse a boca. – No sexto o segredo do Prof. De Poções e no sétimo w Batalha. – Hermione piscou para os gêmeos que estavam de boca aberta.
**Mas** **antes que pudessem se cobrir outra vez, antes que pudessem sequer recuperar o fôlego, eles ouviram o ruído macio de patas gigantescas. Algo estava saltando da escuridão em sua direção – um enorme cão negro de olhos claros.**
**Harry tentou pegar a varinha, mas tarde demais – o cão investira dando um enorme salto, e suas patas dianteiras atingiram o garoto no peito; Harry caiu para trás num redemoinho de pêlos; sentiu o halito quente do anima, viu seu dente de mais de dois centímetros...**
O Professor Lupin pulou a mesa dos professores com tanta raiva que Hermione parou de ler o livro e olhou assustada para ele.
Lupin agarrou a frente da camisa de um surpreso Black e sacudiu-o.
- O QUE PENSA QUE VAI FAZER, BLACK? – Lupin berrou os olhos amarelos faiscando. – CHEGA PERTO DO HARRY DE NOVO QUE EU TE MATO. – com a ameaça, Lupin sentiu-se ser separado de Black e afastado.
- Me matar? – Black perguntou com ironia. – Não sou eu que tenho de ser morto, Remo.
- Para quem traiu os amigos, eu acho que é você SIM! – Lupin retrucou raivoso.
- AH, POR FAVOR! – Black gritou, raiva tingindo sua voz. – COMO SE EU FOSSE TRAIR MEU MELHOR AMIGO, VOCÊS ERAM A MINHA FAMÍLIA.
- ENTAO POR QUÊ? PARA QUÊ ENTREGAR O SEGREDO SIRIUS? – Lupin rosnou.
- NÃO FUI EU QUE ENTREGUEI! – Black fechou os olhos. – Eu nunca fui o Fiel do Segredo.
- Como assim? – Dumbledore perguntou arqueando as sobrancelhas. – Tiago e Lílian me disseram que iam fazer o feitiço com você.
- Eu convenci Tiago a fazer com outra pessoa, afinal, eu era muito óbvio.
- Quem? – Minerva perguntou ao se aproximar do grupo. Os dois homens já estavam soltos.
Sirius Black olhou para a Prof. Minerva por um momento, e então olhou para seu melhor amigo.
- Pedro Pettigrew. – ele disse.
- Está morto. – Lupin disse.
- Conversaremos no meu escritório. – Dumbledore disse. – Sirius primeiro, Prof. Minerva!
- Depois conversaremos sobre aquilo de "de novo", Sr. Lupin. – McGonagall disse ao acompanhar o diretor.
Remo suspirou e lançando um olhar para os dois Harry – Presente e Futuro, saiu do Salão Principal com as mãos nos bolsos e a cabeça baixa.
- Então é isso! – Harry (2003) falou animado, ele sorriu para o seu eu mais novo.
- Vai deixar isso acontecer? – Hermione (2003) perguntou, os braços cruzados firmemente.
- Aconteceria mais cedo ou mais tarde. – ele deu de ombros. – Prof. Snape.
- Venham comigo, eu levarei-os até seus aposentos. – Snape falou ao cumprimentar Harry com um aceno de cabeça.
Os quatro seguiram o professor até o quarto andar, até a pintura de uma garotinha de vestido azul sentada em um balanço amarrado a uma árvore enorme.
- Luah. - o Professor chamou fazendo a garotinha se aproximar. – Estes serão os novos moradores do quarto.
A garoa sorriu para eles, parecendo feliz com os novos moradores.
- Esta sala é igual à Sala Comunal das quatro Casas, mas sem decoração. os dormitórios são os mesmos. As regras se aplicam a esta sala, garotos não entram no dormitório feminino. A senha atual é Dragão Vermelho, mudando uma vez por mês. – Assim que o quadro abriu, Snape saiu deixando os quatro sozinhos.
- Vamos lá. – Gina disse entrando na sala com os outros três.
End file.
| fanfiction |
Black Holes in Higher Derivative Gravity
It is well known that Einstein Theory of General Relativity has pathological solutions, called black holes, where the theory fails at some point and gives us infinite values.
In order to solve this problems, there exists UV extensions of General Relativity. These kind of theories try to solve the singularity problem, and some of them are actually singularity-free.
Let's consider the fourth order gravity, with lagrangian density $R + a R^2 - b R\_{\mu\nu}R^{\mu\nu}$. The field equations in this theory become (in vacuum):
\begin{align}
\nonumber
& R\_{\mu\nu}- \dfrac{1}{2}g\_{\mu\nu}R+a \left( 2RR\_{\mu\nu} - \dfrac{1}{2}g\_{\mu\nu}R^2
-
2\nabla\_\mu \nabla\_\nu R
+
2g\_{\mu\nu} \square R \right) \\
& - b\left(
- \dfrac{1}{2}g\_{\mu\nu}R\_{\alpha\beta}R^{\alpha\beta} - \nabla\_\mu \nabla\_\nu R
+
\Box R\_{\mu\nu}
+
\dfrac{1}{2} g\_{\mu\nu} \square R
-2 R\_{\alpha\mu\nu\beta}R^{\alpha\beta}
\right) = 0
\end{align}
How can we find black hole solutions in this theory? If there are no black hole solutions, can we find at least horizon-like solutions? Since this theory in the limit becomes Einstein GR, we could be able to see how black holes appear from this theory in the limit where we recover GR.
Are there any values $a$ and $b$ such that if we have an Einstein GR solution, this solution is also a solution of the higher derivative field equation above?
One imposes a metric ansatz let's say in four dimensions something like:
$$ds^2 = -a(r)dt^2 + b(r)dr^2 + r^2 d\Omega^2 $$
Now the tensorial equation you write will become a set of fourth order differential equations. You have to integrate through the equations which seems to be a rather impossible task. Maybe for the specific gauge: $b(r) = 1/a(r)$ one may be lucky, but i personally think it is still pretty hard to obtain a solution. Of course the obtained solution (if exists) should for $\alpha = \beta =0$ match Schwarzchild Black Hole.
| stackexchange/physics |
radioiodine ablation after total or near - total thyroidectomy is a standard procedure in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma . in this therapy method ,
after this procedure , the radioiodine concentrates in the functioning primary or secondary cancer of the thyroid destroying the tumor .
however , a higher administered activity is desired to achieve higher tumor doses.[47 ] treatment with i may result in abnormalities in other organs so it is important to estimate organ doses .
protection against ionizing radiation requires information on the absorbed doses in organs of the human body .
implantation of many dosimeters in the human body is undesirable ( or impossible ) , so the doses in organs are not measurable and some kind of dose calculation has to be applied .
the use of a well - supported radiation transport code such as mcnp with knowledge of patient anatomy will result in a significant improvement in the accuracy of dose calculations.[68 ] dosimetry is required by the clinician for several reasons .
first , treatment is often limited by the dose delivered to critical organs , for example bone marrow .
second , dosimetry is required to prescribe the correct activity of radioiodine . indeed , internal radiation dosimetry of radiopharmaceuticals is an important aspect of nuclear medicine to weigh risk versus benefit considerations . in mird method ,
the dose absorbed in the target organs are estimated by the activities accumulated in the source organ .
the aim of this study was to obtain absorbed dose of organs using mcnp simulation method and the results were compared with mird method and experimental method ( tld ) by performing a t - paired test .
all organs are represented with geometrical bodies ( like cylinders , ellipsoids , tori , etc . ) , which are described with suitable mathematical equations .
a corresponding chemical constitution for various types of organ tissues is also defined . for the theoretical simulations of the thyroid , sternum and cervical vertebra mird mathematical phantom
the mcnp input file describes the geometry problem , specifies the materials and the source , and defines the desired result from the calculation .
both the f6 and * f8 tallies of mcnp code can be used for determination of absorbed dose by mcnp method , but since f6 tallies is not defined for electrons and since i emits beta particles , in this study * f8 was used to calculate absorbed dose .
the * f8 tallies , which give results in mev , were later converted to gy by dividing mev by the mass within the cell and multiplying by 1.602e to convert the units from mev g to j kg ( gy ) .
the mass within the cell was determined by multiplying the density of material in the cell by the volume of the cell .
the simulation was done for 1,000,000 particles and relative error was decreased by using variance reduction techniques to less than 0.001 for each organ . since mcnp gives the results per disintegration , so to calculate the absorbed dose of administrated activity , it is necessary to multiply the result by accumulated activity in source organ ( thyroid ) .
briefly , a source of 10 mci of i was put on a head and neck phantom .
several tlds were placed on the surface of thyroid on phantom for 24 h and then compared with the dose of phantom and patients followed by calculation of the activity in patient 's thyroid . after calculating absorbed dose of organs using monte carlo simulation , comparing the results of three methods of mcnp simulation , mird calculation and direct dosimetry ( tlds )
was done two by two , by performing the t - paired test via spss software .
if the p value is more than 0.05 , there is no significant difference between two compared methods . here , the absorbed doses obtained through mird method and tld direct dosimetry in previous work are used .
table 1 shows the amount of i in thyroid obtained by comparison of absorbed dose in patients and phantom which was estimated in previous study . table 2 shows the results of mcnp simulation .
table 3 also shows the result of calculating methods of mcnp simulation compared to mird method and experimental methods ( tld ) .
the results of the t - paired test to compare the results of three methods are shown in table 4 .
activity obtained , using the phantom results of mcnp simulations ( cgy ) results of mcnp simulation method results of t - paired test
monte carlo techniques have been used extensively in medical physics applications , and offer the most powerful tool for modeling radiation transport in different media . the availability of general purpose of mcnp codes combined with the ever - increasing computer speed and decreasing costs have lead to a boom in mcnp studies in recent years .
mcnp techniques will dominate the field of radiation dosimetry and benchmark dose calculations in radiotherapy for many years to come . in this study ,
the absorbed doses of sternum and cervical vertebra are lower than the absorbed dose of thyroid in all three mentioned ( monte carlo simulation , mird , and the direct dosimtery using tlds ) methods . since the beta rays emitted from i travel a maximum distance of 3 mm in tissue , they do not contribute to measured dose by tlds . as can be seen from table 3 ,
the absorbed doses measured by tld dosimetry are slightly lower than other calculation methods such as mcnp and mird .
for example , the mird calculation and mcnp is based on reference human data and this could be a source of error in estimation of organ doses of every patient .
it is possible to decrease this error by scanning the thyroid of each patient and estimate the mass of its thyroid .
furthermore , to calculate dose in a target organ the source activity must be known .
to calculate source activity a head and neck phantom was used and the source activity was estimated by using tld dosimetry which means that the source of error in tld dosimetry affect the result of mird and mcnp .
results of three methods [ table 3 ] showed that thyroid of patients absorbed the amount of radiation and are in good agreement among three methods .
table 4 shows that the p - values of any two compared method with each other is more than 0.05 which means that there is no significant differences among these three methods of dosimetry .
in addition , as it is shown in table 4 , the p value of mcnp - mird is higher than the rest which means the results of these two methods are more in agreement as expected .
the results of this work showed that monte carlo simulation , mird calculations , and experimental dosimetry ( tlds ) are in good agreement with each other and it is possible to use any of them by a clinician .
also , monte carlo simulation is a suitable and cost - effective method for dosimetry in radioiodine therapy .
daryoush shahbazi - gahrouei obtained his bsc from the department of science of isfahan university in iran in 1987 , and his msc from the school of medical sciences of tarbiat modarres university , tehran , iran , in 1991 .
he obtained his phd in medical physics at the university of western sydney and st .
his phd thesis entitled : development and application of new cancer - specific contrast agents for tumour detection by mr imaging .
he holds the position of professor of medical physics at the department of medical physics and medical engineering in the school of medicine of isfahan university of medical sciences , iran .
he has authored many papers in the area of medical physics , including of novel nanoparticles as mr imaging contrast agents for cancer detection , natural radiation , nuclear medicine , medical imaging , effects of electromagnetic fields , radiation protection , advanced radiation therapy and radiation dosimetry .
e - mail :
[email protected] saba ayat received her bsc in physics from isfahan university of technology , iran in 2004 and her msc in medical radiation engineering from science and research branch of islamic azad university of tehran in 2011 .
her current research interest includes monte carlo simulation of imaging systems , image reconstruction and shielding design . | pubmed |
smoking is regarded as one of main risk factors and additive to global burden of disease particulary from chronic and non - communicable diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as stroke .
smoking can lead to cancer of mouth , throat , lung , larynx , bladder , esophagus , kidney , pancreas , cervical and liver additionally , it is the leading cause of preventable mortality worldwide ( 1 - 4 ) .
doll et al . in a fifty - year study concluded that smokers live ten years less than nonsmokers ( 5 ) .
scientific research also indicates that smoking is not only harmful for smokers but also for other people around them ( 6 ) .
who estimates that death caused by smoking will decrease 9 percent in developed countries during 2002 - 2030 however this figure will double in developing countries ( 7 ) .
also , based on who reports , three million deaths has happened annually in 1990s , of which 2 million have happened in developed countries , but it is predicted that in 2020s and early 2030s , ten million deaths will happen , of which 3 million and 7 million will be from developed and developing countries respectively . according to this report , every ten seconds one death of smoking happens , which will reach to one death in every three seconds in next 30 - 49 years ( 4 , 7 ) .
based on one of the most recent studies , 14 percent of iranian populations are tobacco consumers and male smokers are 6 times more than females . in this study which has reported smoking prevalence in different provinces of iran , ilam ( 7.6% ) , yazd ( 8.6% ) and golestan ( 9.1% )
are categorized in the lowest decile wheras sistan va baluchestan ( 20.3% ) and bushehr ( 21.2% ) are placed in the highest decile of smoking prevalence ( 8) . also according to another who reprt , burden of tobacco related diseases is increasing in developing countries including iran ( 9 ) . considering the conflicts present in individual studies , we aimed to determine smoking pattern in different age , gender , residence area , and job categories , in an individual patient data meta anlysis drawing on five years data bank of national surveillance of risk factors of non - communicable diseases ( surfncd ) because , conventional systematic reviews and meta - analyses rely on aggregated information . since there is usually no access to data other than those reported by the original authors , the meta - analyses are restricted by the analyses performed in the original studies and some errors such as aggregate biase can distort results ( 10 ) . on the other hand , ipd meta - analysis is suggested as the least biased method of addressing questions that can not be resolved by a single study . including
data from a few high - quality longitudinal studies might provide more detailed and reliable conclusions than analysis of a larger number of disparate aggregated studies ( 11 ) .
ipd meta - analysis can provide greater clarity than a meta - analysis based on aggregated published data because the raw data from individual studies can be re - categorized to apply more consistent definitions .
this is particularly useful for meta - analysis of observational epidemiological studies , including those investigating the prevalence of smoking , because multivariable analyses can be performed using a consistent set of factors that might cause confounding or effect modification ( 10 , 11 ) .
such analyses of individual data are generally more statistically efficient than those based on published aggregated data . analyses of individual patient data can overcome some of the limitations of publication and reporting biases and short duration of follow up if more recent data from ongoing studies can be analyzed .
with ipd , the effects of exposures in population subgroups can also be analysed more flexibly than with aggregated data .
the aim of this study was to the determine the prevalence of smoking using ipd meta - analysis .
data sources and data collection : the data of this study was part of the steps study in mazandaran ( northern iran ) which was conducted annually during 2005 - 2009 .
this survey was approved by the ethics committee of the center for disease management of iran .
all information was collected using a standardized universal questionnaire ( 12 ) which contained general , demographic , anthropometric , behavioral and clinical information of 15 - 64 year old people ( 5 age groups with 10 year interval ) living in urban and rural areas of mazandaren province .
the tobacco - related questions of the stepwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance are built according to who guidelines for tobacco use surveillance documents . in brief , respondents were asked about current and daily use of any amount of any tobacco products including cigarettes , cigars , pipes and water - pipes .
current cigarette smoking was defined as smoking any amount of any kind of factory or hand - made cigarettes , or cigars at the time of the interview .
the current cigarette smokers who smoked daily , were defined as daily cigarette smokers ' .
study sample was selected using one stage cluster sampling method in which postal areas ( cities ) or households ( villages ) considered as primary sampling units .
based on the national steps project , the relevant estimated sample size in each year was 1000 except for 2005 which was 3759 subjects . to ensure quality of data collection ninety four teams consisting of two trained interviewers collected data from study sample and
method sampling , in the steps study , was cluster and stratified but in the present study was census because of the analysis of all samples of studied in the steps .
this study was done in coordination with health deputy of mazandaran university of medical sciences .
all data were analyzed separately and totally ( by merging the 5 years data ) .
mean of indicators in different sex , age groups , jobs and residency areas were compared using independent t - test and the prevalence were compared using chi square test .
in addition , a meta - analysis for estimating the pool weighted prevalence of obesity of the 5 years results was carried out considering the degree of heterogeneity of the results ( q ) .
all estimates were directly standardized based on real population size of different age - sex groups of mazandaran province in national census 2006 to reduce the biases due to equal sizes of age and sex groups in the study sample .
all data were analyzed separately and totally ( by merging the 5 years data ) .
mean of indicators in different sex , age groups , jobs and residency areas were compared using independent t - test and the prevalence were compared using chi square test .
in addition , a meta - analysis for estimating the pool weighted prevalence of obesity of the 5 years results was carried out considering the degree of heterogeneity of the results ( q ) .
all estimates were directly standardized based on real population size of different age - sex groups of mazandaran province in national census 2006 to reduce the biases due to equal sizes of age and sex groups in the study sample .
totally 7759 subjects were recruited in this study with the participation rate of 100% , most of which ( 3759 ) were in 2005 .
the average age of the participants was 39.49 , proportion of males and females and mean of age in both genders differences were not statistically significant ( p = 0.9 ) .
total standardized prevalence of cigarette smoking was 12.2 % ( 11.4 - 12.9 ) which significantly differed between males and females in all years of the study ( p < 0.0001 ) , different age groups ( p < 0.0001 ) and jobs ( p < 0.0001 ) .
except for 2006 ( p = 0.03 ) , no statistically significant difference between rural and urban residents was observed ( p = 0.5 ) ( table 1 ) . also , during all years of the study , males smoked cigarette more than females ( total prevalence : 23.2% ; 95% ci : 22.5 - 23.9 vs. 0.9% ; 95% ci : 0.7 - 1.1 ) . according to table 2 , 35 to 44 years - old subjects ( both males and females )
had smoked cigarette more than the other age groups ( 19.6% ; 95% ci:19.2 - 19.9 ) and only youngest males had prevalence less than 10% ( 4.6% ; 95% ci : 4.3 - 5 ) while in women aged 25 - 34 and 45 - 54 this prevalence was lower than others . among the different job groups during all 5 years of the study ,
retired people and house - wives had the highest and the least prevalence of smoking respectively ( 41.2% ; 95% ci : 38.2 - 44.2 and 1.6% ; 95% ci : 0.5 - 4.9 respectively ) .
prevalence of smoking had a significant decrease during these 5 years among retired people from 41.2% ( 37.7 - 44.9 ) to 13.9% ( 12.5 - 15.4 ) ( table 1 ) .
mean ( standard error ) age of starting to smoke was 20.21 ( 0.6 ) and females had started smoking 4 years later ( p = 0.01 ) . only in age group of 25 - 34 ,
the starting age of females was earlier than males ( p < 0.0001 ) ( table 2 ) .
this mean age in 2006 was more than the other times ( 22.19 years ; se = 0.87 ) which decreased to about 18 years in the latter years ( figure 1 ) .
about 85% of participants started smoking before age 25 and only 4% started after 35 . on average , about 10.32 cigarettes per day
were smoked during the study period with no statistically significant difference according to gender ( p = 0.1 ) except for 35 - 44 and 45 - 54 year - old subjects whose mean number of cigarettes in men was significantly higher than women(p = 0.05 and p = 0.03 respectively ) ( table 2 ) .
people aged 15 - 24 smoked 6.6 cigarettes per day while participants aged 45 - 64 smoked the highest number of cigarettes per day ( 12.8 ) .
this average number of cigarettes differed from 10.11 ( se = 0.99 ) in 2006 to 13.13 ( se = 0.63 ) in 2009 ( figure 1 ) . in the meta - analysis of the 5 years results , using fixed model with no heterogeneity of results ( q = 5.95 , p = 0.2 ) , the pooled prevalence of current smoking was estimated about 12.08% ( 95% ci : 11.40 - 12.81 ) ( figure 2 ) .
our study showed that the prevalence of current smoking and mean number of cigarettes smoked per day in north of iran was 12.2% and 10.32 respectively , with the higher prevalence in men , middle age groups and retired people and mean age of start more than 20 years .
the observed prevalence of current smoking in this region was similar to the average prevalence of iran ( 13 ) and the results of studies in southern ( 14),eastern ( 15 ) and middle ( 16 - 18 ) parts of iran .
it also was slightly lower than the rates of other countries of the region such as kuwait ( 17% ) ( 19 ) , turkey ( 13% ) ( 20 ) and most of eastern mediterranean countries ( 21 ) .
it should be noted that social , cultural and religious factors might be the main cause for this lower rate and also establishing and good obey from the restricting rules about cigarette smoking in the country particularly in the northern part of iran should be taken into account .
similar to the results of the current study , in all other studies , men smoked more than women ( 13 - 15 , 18 , 19 , 21 ) and the number of consumed cigarettes in most of them was higher in men ( 18 , 19 ) in contrast to our study in which no significant difference between genders was observed , moghimbeigi et al .
showed that gender of female increased the chance of not to smoke cigarette at all ( 22 ) .
lower rates of smoking could partially be due to sociocultural factors lead to under reporting of smoking .
women especially in iran and many developing countries tend to hide their smoking habits to avoid social stigmatization ( 17 ) , and in such regions it may be considered abnormal for females to be seen smoking in public ( 19 ) .
we found that the prevalence of current smoking in the middle aged participants of both genders was more than that of the other age groups .
that was similar to the results of the national survey of risk factors of non - communicable diseases in iran ( surfncd-2007 ) , but in contrast to the findings of similar studies in specific parts of iran ( 14 , 15 , 18 ) that reported more prevalence of current smoking in older people and also the results of another population based study in kuwait indicated that smoking was more prevalent in younger men and older women ( 19 ) . in our study , smokers on average , started smoking in the age of 20.21 which was in accordance with the mean age of starting smoking in iran ( 13 ) and kuwait ( 19 ) and was higher than the other countries in the region whose people started smoking in the age of 15 ( 21 ) . moreover ,
the majority of participants in the current study started smoking before the age of 25 .
moreover , according to the results of some studies , the number of attempts to quit smoking in iran is lower compared to the some other countries ( 17 ) .
it seems that people in this area of iran , smoked lower number of cigarettes per day [ 10.3 ] compare to the average number of iran ( 13 ) , hormozgan ( southern province of iran ) ( 14 ) and kuwait ( 19 ) and unlike these regions , in our study , men smoked cigarettes as much as women .
showed that job stress is positively related to continuing to smoke and to the number of cigarettes smoked for current smokers ( 23 ) .
but lower prevalence of smoking in housewives could be due to the fact that this group is consisted only from women and low prevalence of smoking among women .
one of the strengths of the study was using ipd meta - analysis method , because ipd meta - analyses can improve the quality of data and the type of analyses that can be done and produces more reliable results .
one of the most weaknesses and limitations of the current study was the potential biases due to poor recall in participants and probable under reporting because this behavior is considered as an unfavorable practice particularly among women and it is believed that this under reporting may be higher in iran than many other countries due to conservative iranian society ( 16 ) .
therefore , real prevalence especially in women might be higher than that reported in the present study . in conclusion , although the prevalence of current smoking in northern part of iran is not considerable compared to the other regions , but unfavorable impacts of this habit in the community makes us responsible for implementation of suitable preventive efforts especially in younger age groups . | pubmed |
US
By
Jordan PeeleThere are thousands of miles of tunnels beneath the
continental United States... Abandoned subway systems, unused service routes, and deserted mine shafts... Many have no known purpose at all.
A VHS STATIC CRACKLE gives way to a fast-paced, energetic and
dated 80’s television promo. (Go to YouTube. Search “Hands Across America, MTV” and you will see the following...)
STOCK FOOTAGE: A magenta collage of different-sized blinking
human eyes.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Imagine, Over three hundred smiling teeth in a row...
CONTINUOUS...
A collection of different sized smiles fill the frame. STOCK FOOTAGE: An arial view of the Statue of Liberty.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...in a line that stretches from
the Statue of Liberty...
STOCK FOOTAGE: A foggy view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A large crowd of people.
An iconic red white and blue rendering of the North American
continent. The words HANDS ACROSS AMERICA™ lie across it.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Hands Across America : a four
thousand mile long chain of good people...
A green animated line moves left to right in a jagged route across the country.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A wave crashes against a craggy rock.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...from sea to shining sea...
STOCK FOOTAGE: An arial view of Manhattan at sunset. The
Empire State Building and the Twin Towers stand tall over the skyline. 1.STOCK FOOTAGE: A San Francisco streetcar packed with gleeful
tourists climbs uphill.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A man reads a newspaper with a two-page spread
promotion for the charity supergroup BAND AID.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A behind the scenes view of the USA FOR AFRICA
recording session for “We Are The World.”
STOCK FOOTAGE: An arial view of a sea of writhing fans packed
into an outdoor benefit concert with gigantic banners that read “LIVE AID.”
STOCK FOOTAGE: A closeup of another outdoor benefit concert
banner that reads “FARM AID” long with the slogan “Keep America Growing!”
STOCK FOOTAGE: A closeup of a sullen 1980’s rocker in aviator
shades, bandana, and tank top.
STOCK FOOTAGE: An undulating mass of shirtless sweaty
concertgoers.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
A large white graphic soars over the crowd and lands lower center. It reads: “May 25, 1986”
NARRATOR (V.O.)
On May 25th, six million people including some of the worlds biggest rock and roll icons will join hand in hand...
STOCK FOOTAGE: A static, black & white image of a destitute bearded man slumped over on a stoop.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...to fight hunger in the United States...
STOCK FOOTAGE: Two hands emerge from either side of the screen over an image of an American heartland. They grip each other in the center of the screen.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Two hands emerge from either side of the
screen, over an image of the snow-capped Rockies. They grip each other in the center of the screen.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...and MTV can help put you there.CONTINUED:
2.STOCK FOOTAGE: Two men grip hands across the center of the
screen overlaid on a stock image of a city seaport and the HANDS ACROSS AMERICA™ logo.
CHRYON: “Call Toll-Free 1-800-USA-9000”
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Learn more about Hands Across
America...
STOCK FOOTAGE: A buffalo standing in tall grass shakes its head violently.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A large American flag waves in the breeze
behind a gigantic telephone pole and its matrix of taught wires.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A man and woman hold hands overlaid on low POV
footage of marathon runners.
STOCK FOOTAGE: A man and woman hold hands overlaid on a
static view of the Hollywood sign.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Two men grasping hands overlaid on footage of
a red tractor-trailer exiting an interstate off-ramp. From the center of the hands the red MTV logo appears. It rotates until it reveals that the “T” and “V” are arms and hands gripping each other.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
...and watch for further developments on M. T. V.
END OF PROMO... Black.
EXT. BOARDWALK AMUSEMENT PARK. BOTTLE TOSS BOOTH. NIGHT
It’s 1986.A colorful vibrant energy. Pedestrians walk along the
boardwalk past game booths and souvenir stands as a ROLLER COASTER SCREAMS by overhead.
ADELAIDE (9, African American) wears a “Hands Across America”
T-shirt, and her hair up in pigtails. She holds a candied apple, and watches, her father, RUSSELL (33, African American) hurl a baseball and TOPPLES a pyramid of bottles at a “Bottle-Pyramid” booth. He’s clearly in a bad mood and takes it out on the bottles.
RAYNE, Adelaide’s mother, (30, African American) CLAPS
obligatorily.CONTINUED:
3.The booth attendant, DANNY, a stoner, feigns excitement.
Judging by their physical energies, Rayne and Russell had a huge fight earlier. Russell picks up a beer.
DANNY
Great shot. You put some heat on that.
RUSSELL
Thanks. I guess I missed my chance to go pro.
DANNY
You can get a prize from the second level or keep goin’ for a prize from the third level.
RUSSELL
What you think, Addy? Should we stop or keep goin’?
Adelaide looks at Rayne.
RAYNE
Don’t look at me; it’s your birthday.
Adelaide points to a T-shirt.
ADELAIDE
I want that one.
RUSSELL
Yeah alright. That one.
Russell takes the shirt, then takes Adelaide’s candied apple and hands it to Rayne.
RUSSELL (CONT’D)
Here...
Moments later...
EXT. BOARDWALK AMUSEMENT PARK. MAIN STRIP. NIGHT
Adelaide lags behind Rayne and Russell as they stroll down
the strip. She wears a new oversized “Michael Jackson’s Thriller” t-shirt.
RAYNE
(To Russell)
That shirt better not give her nightmares. CONTINUED:
4.RUSSELL
In trouble for buyin’ my daughter a
shirt. That’s a new one.
RAYNE
She got scared when it was on TV. You’d know that if you were around.
RUSSELL
Who let her watch it?
ADELAIDE
I wasn’t scared.
RAYNE
You hid your eyes when the people came out the ground.
ADELAIDE
No.
RUSSELL
(To Rayne)
I need another beer.
Adelaide turns her head and sees a drunk sailor, TED spill his drink on his white uniform.
RAYNE
Mmmm Hmmm.
RUSSELL
I can’t have a beer now?
RAYNE
You can do whatever you want.
RUSSELL
Okay then.
The ROLLERCOASTER RUMBLES BY again; Adelaide watches it. The screams startle her a little.
RUSSELL (CONT’D)
What about The Dipper? Hey Addy, you wanna try it?
RAYNE
You know she’s not big enough, and I sure as Hell am not going on that thing.
They pass a table where two teenagers, MANDY and DOWNEY, eat fast food like pigs.CONTINUED:
5.Moments later, Adelaide, Rayne, and Russell arrive at the
Whac-A-Mole booth.
EXT. BOARDWALK AMUSEMENT PARK. WHAC-A-MOLE. NIGHT
RUSSELL
‘Whac-A-Mole’! This is my game.
(To the booth attendant, TROY) How many tickets, four?
TROY
Yeah.
Russell slams four tickets down, grabs the tethered mallet, and starts playing.
RAYNE
Addy, come to the bathroom.
ADELAIDE
I don’t have to go.
RAYNE
Russ, will you watch your daughter, please?
RUSSELL
I’m watching...
He’s not. He’s playing Whac-A-Mole. Rayne heads off. Adelaide watches Russell for a moment before her attention turns to the ocean. She walks towards the edge of the boardwalk. A young homeless man, YOUNG FERDIE, lurks by the wooden staircase leading to the beach. He’s clutching a cardboard sign with a bible verse scrawled across it. “Jeremiah 11:11” is written boldly and Young Adelaide stares at the numbers as she passes him. He looks right at her.
Two teens, GLEN and NANCY, flirtatiously play “Rock Paper
Scissors.” They keep landing on the same combination over and over.
GLEN
Oh my god
NANCY
That’s impossible.
They do it again. They land on scissors.
GLEN
What the hell?CONTINUED:
6.NANCY
How are you doing that?
GLEN
I’m not doing anything. You are.
EXT. BEACH NEAR THE BOARDWALK. NIGHT
Adelaide walks down the stairs, and onto the beach where a
few teenagers act wild by a small campfire.
Adelaide passes by the teenagers as she walks towards the
water’s edge.
EXT. BEACH NEAR THE WATER. NIGHT
Moments later...She approaches the shoreline and scans the dark horizon. In
the distance, a large cloud erupts in silent lightning. After a breath, she turns back towards the boardwalk.
One attraction faces her on the beach level underneath the
boardwalk. It’s called “SHAMAN’S VISION QUEST”, a Native American mystical themed funhouse with an entrance that faces the water. The facade is painted to resemble a forest with colorful images of spirit-animals and a large Shaman who glares, pointing his finger directly at Adelaide. Signs near the arched doorway read “GET LOST” and “FIND YOURSELF.”
INT./EXT. VISION QUEST PORTAL - NIGHT
Adelaide walks toward the Vision Quest portal.
EXT. BEACH NEAR THE BOARDWALK. NIGHT
She drops the candied apple which falls onto the sand. As
Adelaide gets near the entrance, a THUP or two of thick rain drops hit the sand. The crowd over at the boardwalk MURMUR.
INT./EXT. VISION QUEST PORTAL - NIGHT
Adelaide enters just as the rain hits full on.
INT. VISION QUEST. FOREST ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide enters The Vision Quest, and goes down a hallway
made to feel like a magical walk through a dark forest. CONTINUED:
7.The walls are dressed and painted like woods, with the
occasional eerily pleasant deer, rabbits and eagles. A CACOPHONOUS RECORDING OF NATURE SOUNDS plays over hidden speakers.
A cast-plastic owl on a branch pounces out from a dark
crevice startling Adelaide with a “HOO HOO”. The owl emits a HISS OF PRESSURIZED AIR and returns to its starting point.
Adelaide calms herself, and continues into the maze.
INT. VISION QUEST. HALL OF MIRRORS. NIGHT
Adelaide enters a room that’s still forest themed but also
covered in mirrors. She walks past several distorted reflections. A short one, a weird one, and a weirder one.
With a RUMBLE OF LIGHTNING the lights go out, and the FOREST
NOISE STOPS. What was kinda eerie when lit becomes downright terrifying when dark.
The only light comes from the glowing red exit sign. She
walks towards it but hits a mirror. She looks up. The “EXIT” sign appears forwards and backwards, over and over again in infinite reflections. Adelaide reaches her hands out and tries to make her way down the mirrored wall.
She begins whistling “ITSY BITSY SPIDER” again to make her
feel at ease, but she stops in near panic when a WHISTLE from the halls overtakes hers. Somebody, somewhere in the mirrored labyrinth is whistling in an attempt to emulate her tune.
Something her size SCURRIES QUICKLY across the hallway.Adelaide backs up almost against a mirror. She slowly begins
to turn 180 degrees to face the mirror behind her, but HER REFLECTION DOESN’T TURN!!! This isn’t a mirror, its the back of another identical girl’s head.
Black.
INT. CLASSROOM. NIGHT
Closeup on a red wet rabbit’s eye.“US”MUSIC: A CHILDREN’S CHOIR HUMS A DARK ANTHEM IN A STRANGE
LANGUAGE. THE SONG IS MELODIC AND BRIGHT. HOPEFUL, BUT ALSO UNFAMILIAR AND WRONG.CONTINUED:
8.We slowly pull away. The rabbit sits in a brass cage against
a tiled wall. We pull out to reveal more and more rabbits in cages stacked one on top of the other.
INT. CAR. RURAL ROAD. DAY
We look out the rear window past stick figure stickers
depicting father, mother, daughter and son. The Wilson’s car travels through a rural road where woods and beach meet.
EXT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. DAY
The Wilson’s car arrives.
INT. THE WILSON’S CAR. DAY
ADELAIDE WILSON (African American, now 34) wakes up in the
passenger seat she looks over at GABE WILSON (African American, 34), a large man with glasses who thinks he’s a bit cooler than he is, in the driver’s seat. Gabe holds his finger in front of his mouth like “Shhhhh”. Adelaide knows where this is going. They look at the kids asleep in the back, ZORA WILSON, (African American, 13) and JASON WILSON (African American, 11).
GABE
(yelling)
We made it!!!!
The kids wake up in panic. Gabe LAUGHS.
ZORA
Why????JASON
Noooo.
GABE
‘Cause y’all sleep too much.
EXT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. DRIVEWAY. DAY.
The Wilsons emerge. Adelaide looks down the road ponderously.
Jason starts wandering off.
Jason goes to the back of the car to get his bag. Zora checks
her phone.
ZORA
Wifi isn’t working.CONTINUED:
9.GABE
You don’t need the internet. Out
here you’ve got... the “Outernet.”
ZORA
Good one.
GABE
Hey, little man! Bags inside first.
Jason runs back and Gabe hands him his bag.
GABE (CONT’D)
Can we rewind her?
ADELAIDE
I don’t think they work like that.
GABE
Just one year.
She laughs. Gabe kisses her neck real quick and goes inside.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. KITCHEN BREAKFAST TABLE. DAY
We pass through the Wilson’s foyer. Hanging on the wall are
pictures of Adelaide at different stages of life with Russell and Rayne. There’s one of her at fourteen in ballet class. There are also pictures of Zora and Jason with their grandmother.
GABE
What do you call a cow with no legs... Ground beef.
ZORA
(dryly)
Ha ha.
GABE
Get it? ‘Cause he’s on the ground?
JASON
We get it.
GABE (O.S.)
You should practice while you’re here.
ZORA (O.S.)
Uch, okay. CONTINUED:
10.GABE (O.S.)
What..?
ZORA (O.S.)
What?
GABE (O.S.)
Why you got attitude?
ZORA (O.S.)
(sarcastic)
I’m sorry. Yay, track and field.
We find the Wilsons eating fast food in the breakfast nook.
Zora and Gabe power through their food. Jason sits quietly;
occasionally snapping his right hand. He wears a plastic werewolf mask on his head. Adelaide eats strawberries out of a tupperware container. She plays with her food a little.
ADELAIDE
Whoa. Really..? You’re over running now?
GABE
You love track and field.
ZORA
What’s the point?
GABE
The Olympics.
ZORA
I’m not gonna make it into the Olympics.
ADELAIDE
You can do anything you set your mind to.
ZORA
Can I drive while we’re up here?
ADELAIDE
No.GABE
No.
ZORA
That’s what I set my mind to. I set my mind to driving.
ADELAIDE
Change your mind.CONTINUED:
11.ZORA
Why not?
Jason runs off to his room.
ADELAIDE
Because we said so.
(To Jason)
Jason! Finish your food, please!
ZORA
Cara and Haley drove with parent
supervision.
GABE
You don’t need to drive when you are an Olympic caliber athlete... You run.
ZORA
My God.
GABE
You should run on the sand.
ZORA
Why?
GABE
‘Cause it’s harder; no traction. You practice on the beach, when you get on solid ground, you’ll take off.
Adelaide is caught off guard by the mention of the beach.
JASON
We’re going to the beach?
GABE
Yeah... later... I thought we’d go when we’re settled...
JASON
Cool.
ADELAIDE
What beach?
GABE
Santa Cruz. The boardwalk. I told you about this. CONTINUED:
12.ADELAIDE
No. You didn’t.
GABE
Josh and Kitty and the girls’ll be
there.
Adelaide and Zora share an eye roll.
JASON
Do we have to sell grandma’s house?
Gabe looks to Adelaide before he answers.
GABE
Well... It’s not that ”we have to”--
ADELAIDE
--We have to because school is too expensive, and coming here once a year doesn’t make it worth it.
Another awkward silence. Jason’s constant snapping lingers.
ZORA
What are you doing?
JASON
It’s a magic trick. I left it here last year.
ZORA
Okay... Let’s see it.
Everyone looks expectantly. Jason snaps again; nothing happens. They look at each other.
JASON
This thing is bullshit..
GABE
Whoa! ADELAIDE
Excuse me.
Gabe points at Jason.
GABE
You cursing at the table now?
JASON
(mumbling to Gabe)
When you point a finger at someone else, you have three pointing back at you.CONTINUED:
13.GABE
What the hell is that supposed to
mean?
ADELAIDE
I think it means you curse at the table too.
Gabe grumbles and goes back to eating.
GABE
Well it’s four fingers, anyway... Four fingers pointing back at you.
ZORA
One’s a thumb... and it’s not pointing at you.
GABE
Go to your room.
Gabe looks at his hand for a second then brushes it off.
INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE. DAY
Young Adelaide sits intense and still on a sofa. Though the
sliver of open door, she can see Russell and Rayne speaking with DR. FOSTER.
DR. FOSTER
I think she has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
RUSSELL
What...? She wasn’t in Nam’; she got lost for fifteen minutes.
DR. FOSTER
That can be very scary.
RAYNE
We don’t know what happened to her.
RUSSELL
So, how do we get her to talk?
DR. FOSTER
I could meet with her once a week.
RUSSELL
Mmm hmm. For how long?CONTINUED:
14.DR. FOSTER
I think we need to encourage her to
draw, write... dance... anything to help her tell us her story... but we have to be patient.
Rayne quietly weeps. Dr. Foster passes her a tissue. Russell goes to touch Rayne but she pulls away.
RUSSELL
I’m gonna have a smoke.
Russell leaves.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. WILSON'S BEACH HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. INT
Adelaide lays on the couch looking at one of Jason’s rubber
spider toys. A real spider climbs across it. Gabe unpacks with a pep in his step in a nearby room.
GABE (O.S.)
(On the phone)
Yeah, we’ll see... Well, that’s a coincidence... Listen... listen... I’m not gonna say anything but “wait for it.” You’ll see.. You’ll see...
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. DAY
Gabe finishes his call as Adelaide looks at the spider.
GABE
(On the phone)
Why would I lie? Alright..? See you
soon.
He hangs up.
GABE (CONT’D)
That was Josh. We’ll leave in an hour.
ADELAIDE
We just got here.
GABE
They stayed an extra day so we could meet up...CONTINUED:
15.Off her reaction.
GABE (CONT’D)
What? You don’t like Josh and Kitty
now?
ADELAIDE
Eh...
GABE
Damn... It’s like that? Okay. Name one thing wrong with Josh and Kit--
ADELAIDE
--They drink too much.
GABE
Okay... Two things.
ADELAIDE
Gabe...
GABE
Zora and the girls get along.
ADELAIDE
Nope.
GABE
What’s the point of a summer home by the beach if you never go to the beach.
ADELAIDE
There’s a beach just down that hill.
GABE
That’s not a beach. It’s a shore. That’s a bay. I’m talking about a real beach. Sand; an amusement park; people...
ADELAIDE
There are weirdos at that beach.
Gabe realizes there’s something deeper going on.
GABE
Okay... okay. I’ll cancel... Just sucks... I know Jason was looking forward to it... First time back after grandma died... I think being here is hitting him hard.CONTINUED:
16.ADELAIDE
(begrudgingly)
We leave there before it gets dark.
GABE
Yeah. Hell yeah; it’s gonna be fun.
He goes for a kiss. She laughs and playfully pushes him away.
GABE (CONT’D)
You don’t have to kiss me. You’re
in trouble for later, tho.
He heads to the door. She can tell he’s up to something.
ADELAIDE
Oh you think so?
GABE
Oh yes.
ADELAIDE
Where are you going?
GABE
Taking out the trash. I’ll be right back.
Gabe hustles out with a mischievous smirk.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY
Adelaide passes Zora’s room.
ADELAIDE
Where’s your brother?
Zora shrugs.Adelaide opens the basement door.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BASEMENT. DAY
Adelaide walks down to the basement. There is a washer, a dryer, and a table for folding laundry
in front of a mirrored wall.
She finds a box and opens it. They are pictures of her as a
child in a ballerina tutu. There’s also an old stuffed bunny.CONTINUED:
17.She smiles with melancholic nostalgia. Out of nowhere, “Young
Adelaide” spins through the space. This was a mini ballet practice studio.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BATHROOM. DAY
Zora enters and shuts the door. She looks in the mirror. She
leans in examining a blemish when... Jason bursts out of a cabinet and scampers out the door.
INT. THE WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BASEMENT. DAY
Adelaide watches her fourteen-year-old self, “Teen Adelaide”
dance, now with perfect pirouettes. Footsteps thump above.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY
Jason enters the closet.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY CLOSET. DAY
The door begins to creak shut, but he puts a toy ambulance in
the crack, propping the door open for a sliver of light. Jason pulls his mask down and resumes snapping. After a few unsuccessful snaps, he pauses.
INT. THE WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY
Zora walks down the hallway and nonchalantly bumps the toy
ambulance into the closet with her heel. The closet door shuts.
INT. THE WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY
Jason grabs the doorknob from inside, jiggling it. It’s
locked.
INT. THE WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BASEMENT. DAY
Adelaide watches Teen Adelaide dance when Jason SCREAMS
upstairs. Adelaide is startled.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. ZORA'S ROOM. DAY
Adelaide passes the open doorway to Zora’s room. She’s
pissed.CONTINUED:
18.ADELAIDE
You can’t help him?
Zora is laying on the bed with headphones on. She turns as
her mom passes by.
ZORA
What happened?
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY
Adelaide opens the closet door. Jason sits there.
ADELAIDE
Oh baby. That’s why you can’t play
in there.
Jason’s tears turn to rage.
ZORA
Didn’t this happen last year?
ADELAIDE
Zora, please...
The moment is broken by a DISTANT BUZZ that starts small but gets closer.
GABE (O.S.)
Hey!
The three of them look at each other..
EXT. BAYSIDE. DAY
Adelaide, Zora and Jason stand on the dock by their house.
Gabe, a pillar of pride, stands triumphantly at the steering wheel of a small motor boat that buzzes around in circles. He beams while Adelaide, Zora and Jason remain thoroughly unimpressed.
GABE
Well... What’dya think?! “Craw-Daddy”!
ADELAIDE
(unimpressed)
Wow.CONTINUED:
19.GABE
It’s got a cassette player and
everything... All it needs is a new coat of paint!
They just watch him. He holds up a life preserver.
GABE (CONT’D)
Hey, “J”, look!. It even came with one of these!
The boat engine SPUTTERS TO A HALT. Smoke bellows from it.
ZORA
(to Adelaide)
He’s kidding right?
ADELAIDE
(under her breath)
He’s not kidding.
GABE
Hold up. He told me how to fix this.
Gabe goes to the back of the boat and pounds it with his fist a couple times.
GABE (CONT’D)
Don’t worry. I got it real cheap!
ADELAIDE
I would hope so.
GABE
She veers a little to the left, so you have to stay on it, but other than that it’s perfect!
ADELAIDE
You think?
GABE
Also, Josh got a boat, so we can do a dual-family voyage.
ADELAIDE
Ah. I see.
JASON
Josh’s boat is probably way better.CONTINUED:
20.GABE
What?
ADELAIDE
He said Josh’s boat is probably
better.
GABE
It’s not a contest. It’s something I thought would be nice for the family.
ZORA
But will we all fit tho?
GABE
Okay, you know what? Y’all are spoiled.
The engine starts up again. Gabe almost falls. Adelaide and Zora are amused.
INT. WILSON’S CAR. DAY
Gabe pouts as he drives through a road lined with redwood
trees. The rest of the family chills in their seats. Jason snaps in the back. Zora reads. Adelaide checks in on Gabe’s mood.
ZORA
Did you know this country produces, like twice as much waste per capita as any other country in the developed world?
No one responds. Jason looks at her dryly.
ZORA (CONT’D)
I forgot. No one cares about the environment.
ADELAIDE
Since when did you become such a tree hugger?
ZORA
I’m not a tree hugger.
ADELAIDE
I like it. I’m just saying.
Zora watches Jason continue to snap.CONTINUED:
21.ZORA
...Maybe you could just tell us
what’s supposed to happen and we can picture it.
He keeps snapping.
ZORA (CONT’D)
I mean, at a certain point--
JASON
--Kiss my anus, Zora.
GABE
Oh!
ADELAIDE
What?!?
Zora is shocked, and Adelaide tries to hide her smile.
GABE
Why are we even talkin’ bout “anuses?”
JASON
“Anus” isn’t a curse word.
ADELAIDE
That doesn’t matter.
ZORA
Disgusting.
GABE
See I would’ve preferred a curse word in this case.
JASON
(To Adelaide)
I can see you laughing in the mirror.
Gabe leans on the horn.
GABE
OK, you know what? We don’t always need to be talking. There are families that enjoy silence.
The rest of them look around “yeesh”. Adelaide knows her family. She turns on the radio. “I Got Five On It” by Luniz is on. Gabe’s mood immediately lifts. CONTINUED:
22.GABE (CONT’D)
“I got Five on it...”
He grooves in his seat. Zora and Jason share a look.
JASON
What does “I got five on it” mean?
ZORA
It’s about drugs.
GABE
It’s a dope song; don’t do drugs.
ADELAIDE
Jason. Get it in rhythm.
She starts snapping to the rhythm. Jason follows along.
Gabe loosens up and sit dances singing along.
GABE
“I got five on it...”
Zora and Adelaide share a look through the rearview mirror.
Adelaide shrugs. Zora rolls her eyes in pleasant conceit.
EXT. REDWOOD ROAD. DAY
The car drives past more redwood trees.
INT. WILSON’S CAR. TRANSITIONAL ROAD. DAY
They emerge from the wood-lined road and overlook downtown
Santa Cruz’s amusement park, boardwalk and beach. The rollercoaster looms menacingly in the distance.
Adelaide hides her apprehension as they head towards the
scene of her past horror.
INT. CAR. CROSSWALK. DAY
The car arrives at a crosswalk. A CROSSING GUARD steps out in
front of the car and stops them. They wait while a line of on-leave sailors crosses the street in front of the Wilson’s car.
ZORA
Why can’t I drive in the parking lot?CONTINUED:
23.JASON
You’re not old enough.
ZORA
I’m not talking to you.
GABE
Hmm, let me think about that for a
second... no.
ZORA
Why?
GABE
Because I cherish my life.
As the sailors pass, Adelaide watches the town go by and remains preoccupied with thought.
FLASHBACK...
INT. RAYNE’S CAR. NIGHT
Rayne drives away from the rainy beach. We can’t quite hear
words but can tell that Russell is drunk. He and Rayne argue. Young Adelaide sits in the backseat in total shock.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. WILSON’S CAR. ROAD TO AMUSEMENT PARK. DAY
GABE
Ahhh. Damn it.
Adelaide snaps out of her daydream. They’ve just turned a
corner and ended up stuck behind an ambulance and cop car that block the street.
ZORA
Oh my God.
A couple of COPS are taking statements from locals on the sidewalk who witnessed the incident at hand. Two EMTs load an unconscious bleeding homeless man into the ambulance.
ADELAIDE
Don’t look. Don’t look.
GABE
You gotta be kidding me.
A cop waves the car past. Jason watches the man. CONTINUED:
24.EXT. BEACH. BY THE BOARDWALK. DAY
The Wilsons, having parked, step onto the sand carrying
folding chairs and other beach gear. As they walk, Adelaide fights the urge to look behind her. Eventually she steals a nonchalant glance back in the direction of where the ‘Vision Quest’ was when she was a child. The attraction is still there, but it’s name has been changed to ‘Merlin’s Forest.’ It still has the same “FIND YOURSELF” sign, but the Shaman has been replaced with an old white wizard who still points his finger outwards like a bizarro Uncle Sam.
JASON
Was that guy dead?
ADELAIDE
Who?
JASON
The guy in the ambulance?
ADELAIDE
Ambulance means he’s alive, right?
Jason, unsure, nods and starts snapping again.
EXT. BEACH. PICNIC. DAY
They arrive at the Tyler family’s beach set-up: umbrella,
chairs, and a stocked cooler already set up in tidy order.
JOSH TYLER (Caucasian 40) KITTY TYLER (Caucasian 40) sit.
Josh and Kitty are both a couple drinks in.
The Tyler twins LINDSEY and BECCA (Caucasian 14) play by the
water.
GABE
Ay!
KITTY
Yay!
JOSH
You said 2:30! Where’s your efficiency, man? Efficiency!
GABE
We got held up.
JOSH
I’m kidding, don’t worry about it. KITTY
Hey girl. 25.ADELAIDE
We made it.
KITTY
Oh my God. Zora, you’ve gotten so
big! You look so pretty?
ZORA
(Hates the compliment)
Thanks. JOSH
Hey, Jason. You want a beer?
JASON
Um...
KITTY
(To Zora)
Lindsey and Becca will be happy to see you. ADELAIDE
(To Jason)
No. The answer is “no.”
(To Josh)
Please give me a couple more years.
KITTY
(to Becca and Lindsey)
Guys, look who’s here!JOSH
(To Jason)
I kid. Here’s a soda.
Becca flies a kite, Lindsey does cartwheels. They wave. Zora gives her mom an “I hate these bitches” look before walking over to them.
(CONT’D)
KITTY
Hi, Jason!
Jason waves shyly as he walks off.
LATER...
The two families chill on the beach. Zora sits near the twins
who practice gymnastics. Jason plays nearby in the sand.
Gabe and Josh pal around, pouring beers into plastic cups and
cracking each other up.
JOSH
Have you taken her on her maiden voyage yet?
GABE
Just rode her home. But we’re gonna do the family thing soon.CONTINUED:
26.JOSH
Cool. We could do a double
excursion.
GABE
Yeah, I mean, it’s small, but it’s a real classic design.
JOSH
Hey, it’s not about the size of the boat...
GABE
...The fuck outta here.
Josh laughs.
JOSH
Kitty!
Kitty who is talking to Adelaide looks over.
JOSH (CONT’D)
You hear Gabe got a boat?
KITTY
Oh? Cool.
JOSH
He says “it’s small.” I said, “It’s not the size of the boat...”
KITTY
(to Josh)
Wow. You thought that bared repeating..?
GABE
He did though. He really did.
JOSH
Screw all of you.
Adelaide glances back again still distracted by the ‘Merlin’s Forest’. Kitty clocks it.
KITTY
‘Merlin’s Forest’...?
ADELAIDE
I think that changed. It used to be called ‘Vision Quest.’CONTINUED:
27.KITTY
Oh, how culturally insensitive of
them...
ADELAIDE
Yeah. Totally.
JOSH
Addy, beer, wine, vodka cran? Mimosa? I got everything.
ADELAIDE
Do you have water?
JOSH
Um... I’ve got ice.
He hands her a cup of ice. Then passes kitty a drink. He pulls her drink away before giving it to her. The old lame practical joke.
KITTY
I hate you.
(to Adelaide)
It never stops. I honestly think about murdering him sometimes.
Adelaide laughs.
ADELAIDE
So nothing’s new.
KITTY
Actually. Since you asked...
Kitty smiles. She turns her head showcasing her face from different angles.
ADELAIDE
What..? What...? Oh my God. Did you have something “done?”;
KITTY
Just an itsy-bitsy thing..
ADELAIDE
Fuck off. You look exactly the same as you did last year.CONTINUED:
28.KITTY
That’s the idea. A little bit goes
a long way. Not that you need it you beautiful motherfucker.
Adelaide quietly doesn’t accept the compliment. She looks around the beach.
KITTY (CONT’D)
Stop. I can already tell the things you think are flaws are so annoying.
Adelaide almost says something, but doesn’t.
KITTY (CONT’D)
What?
ADELAIDE
Nothing.
KITTY
I’m kidding. Tell me...
ADELAIDE
Sometimes I have a hard time... talking.
KITTY
You ever wonder “what if... What if things had happened differently?”
ADELAIDE
I don’t know what you mean?
KITTY
You mean the What-if-I-never-got-married-and-had-kids question? Um, yeah. I’m having it literally right now. Trust me. The girls have just gotten to the age where I feel like I can finally go to the spa once a week for ‘me time.’
ADELAIDE
“Me time?” What’s that?
KITTY
It’s mandatory. CONTINUED:
29.DOWN BY THE WATER...
Becca approaches Jason. Lindsey does cartwheels. She lands on
the sand structure he’s making.
LINDSEY
(to Jason)
Oops. Oh shit! My bad.
Lindsey continues cartwheeling back and forth.
JASON
It doesn’t matter.
Becca offers Jason the kite reel.
BECCA
Wanna try? It’s pretty dumb, but you might like it.
JASON
Um. Okay.
LINDSEY
The wind’s good.
Jason tries to fly the kite. Lyndsey cartwheels over to Zora who reads on the beach.
BECCA
Your brother’s so weird.
ZORA
He just has a problem focusing.
They look over at Jason who tries to fly the kite while watching his own hand snap.
BECCA
Are you going in the water..?
ZORA
I’m good.
BECCA
Why not?
Jason gets up and walks away from the water.
ZORA
Where are you going?
JASON
To the bathroom.30.BECCA/LINDSEY
Why don’t you pee in the ocean?
LINDSEY
Jinx.
EXT. BEACH PICNIC - DAY
Kitty and Adelaide don’t notice.
KITTY
You ever wish you kept dancing?
ADELAIDE
Sometimes.
KITTY
I mean you were, like, really good
right?
ADELAIDE
I peaked at fourteen.
KITTY
Didn’t we all?
Jason passes by them as he heads towards the Port-O-Potties.
EXT. BEACH. PORT-O-POTTY - DAY
Jason takes a long walk past sunbathers and other people to
the port-o-potty near the boardwalk, becoming increasingly remote from the group. When he arrives at the port-o-potty a sour older lady emerges. He lets her pass and then goes inside.
EXT. BEACH. PICNIC - DAY
Adelaide continues with Kitty.
ADELAIDE
There was this one competition
where I did a piece from “The Nutcracker”...
KITTY
I love “The Nutcracker.”CONTINUED:
31.ADELAIDE
You know the ‘Grand Pas de Deux’?
It’s the pretty one, at the end of the ballet.
KITTY
Oh! Where she flies into the prince’s arms.
ADELAIDE
Yeah.
KITTY
Okay, can I tell you? I cry at that part every time.
Josh interrupts from afar.
JOSH
You cry? Really?
KITTY
(To Josh)
No one’s talking to you.
(To Adelaide)
You were saying...
ADELAIDE
The ‘Grand Pas’ is supposed to be a dance for two, but I turned it into a solo.
KITTY
Um... that’s badass.
ADELAIDE
Nerve-racking. I thought I’d get disqualified, but when I finished the audience went crazy. I won first prize. It was the best moment of my life...besides Zora and Jason’s birth.
KITTY
The girls don’t make my top ten, by the way. I’m convinced I would be a movie star if I didn’t have them at exactly the wrong time...
Adelaide starts watching people on the beach around them as Kitty drones on. A guy chases his girlfriend who screams. A small group of people laugh hard. A teen play fights with his brother. Each vignette seems to make Adelaide increasingly nervous but she hides it well.CONTINUED:
32.KITTY (CONT’D)
...I trained at Stella Adler and
booked two commercials before I met Josh, and totally stopped auditioning when I got preggers. Then the move to San Fransisco was like a fucking career killer. The whole thing was supposed to be I would fly out for auditions but that never happened. I put myself on tape for like half a year, but it’s really not the same. You have to be in the room for things to fall into place.
A red frisbee falls onto the towel they’re sitting on.
Adelaide is startled.
KITTY (CONT’D)
Jesus!
(To Adelaide)
Oh, look.
Adelaide looks down. The frisbee has landed perfectly on one
of the towel’s large, printed polka dots. Adelaide picks it up, revealing the same colored dot underneath. It really is eerily perfect. Adelaide is quietly concerned.
KITTY (CONT’D)
Whoa. That’s crazy. We’ve been having so many weird coincidences happening lately.
A guy runs over to claim the frisbee. Adelaide gives it to him.
GUY
Thanks.
He leaves. Adelaide looks over and sees the twins playing near Zora. No Jason.
KITTY
No “I’m sorry”? Dick. Anyway, we should go back to our place. I think it’s ‘vodka ‘o clock.’
ADELAIDE
Where’s Jason?CONTINUED:
33.EXT. BEACH PORT-O-POTTY. DAY
Jason comes out of the port-o-potty and starts walking back
to the beach but stops when he notices something strange. A man stands facing away from him on the beach about twenty yards away. The man has his arms stretched out at his sides in a relaxed manner, like a yoga pose. Other people walk around him, only occasionally noticing him. Jason is transfixed. He walks slowly and wide around the man trying to see his face. It’s tense.
EXT. BEACH. PICNIC. DAY
Adelaide looks around with increasing concern.
ADELAIDE
Where’s Jason?
KITTY
(looking)
He’s...
ADELAIDE
Gabe..? Where’s Jason?
Gabe looks around.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
(calling out)
Jason...?! Jason...!!
EXT. BEACH PORT-O-POTTY. DAYJason takes another step towards the strange man with
outstretched arms. He can almost see his profile. He stops when he notices the man has dried blood on his hands.
ADELAIDE (O.S.)
Jason!!!!
Jason runs back scared.
EXT. BEACH. DAY
Jason arrives back at Adelaide’s side.
ADELAIDE
Where were you?!
JASON
I went to the bathroom.34.ADELAIDE
No! You don’t do that. You don’t
run off without telling me...?!
She shakes him.
JASON
Ow!
Jason’s shoulder is hurt. He looks scared. Adelaide looks around. Everyone nearby watches. She catches her breath and hugs him.
ADELAIDE
Don’t do that to me, understand?!
Josh and Kitty look at each other. Little awkward.
GABE
(Josh and Kitty)
Long day. Let’s get together tomorrow.
KITTY
(To the voyeurs)
Show’s over, thanks.
EXT. WOODED ROAD. DUSK
The Wilsons drive home.
INT. CAR. DUSK
The Wilsons are sun-beaten and tired. They’re all still a
little shaken from Adelaide’s freak-out. The radio is on.
NEWS RADIO ANCHOR
And authorities are in an active investigation of several stabbings that occurred earlier today originally thought to be unrelated, but authorities now say they are investigating possible links...
Adelaide turns the radio off.
INT. WILSON’S CAR. NIGHT
The Wilson’s pull into the driveway. All is quiet. Gabe
suddenly turns to the kids in the back.CONTINUED:
35.INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FAMILY ROOM. NIGHT.
Gabe lays on the couch watching TV. Adelaide closes the
curtains.
GABE
...You saw their new car right? He had to do it. He just had to get that thing to fuck with me too.
Jason runs down the hallway to his room.
ADELAIDE
I guess mission accomplished.
(Yelling to Jason)
Don’t run!
Zora comes out of the bathroom and stops by Jason’s.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. JASON’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
As Jason lands on his bed, Zora enters.
ZORA
Way to freak mom out.
She leaves.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FAMILY ROOM. NIGHT
GABE
You good?
Adelaide nods unconvincingly.
ADELAIDE
Yeah. I’m gonna say goodnight.
Adelaide starts going down the hallway.
GABE
Okay... I’m just waiting for the
Giants highlights. I’ll see you in the magic room.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. ZORA'S ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide peeks in. Zora is under her blanket. It glows with
the light of the phone.36.ADELAIDE
Night night.
ZORA
Goodnight...
ADELAIDE
Phone off.
After a beat the light goes off. Adelaide walks away.
The light goes back on.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. JASON’S ROOM. NIGHT
Jason sits on his bed by his window.
JASON
Look.
He points too his digital alarm clock which displays “11:11”
Adelaide pauses.
ADELAIDE
Past your bedtime...
Jason tries to snap his “spark starter”
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
If you want, we can go into town tomorrow and get you a new one.
JASON
It’s okay. Grandma got me this one.
Adelaide enters and sits on his bed.
ADELAIDE
Mask off.
She takes his mask off rubs his head and kisses it.
JASON
You thought I was dead?
ADELAIDE
Oh. No... I didn’t know if you were lost, or taken...
JASON
By bad people, right? Like terrorists and psychos. CONTINUED:
37.ADELAIDE
Yes, there are. As long as you’re
with me, I’ll keep you safe... Okay?
Jason nods. Adelaide gets up and goes to the door. She sees a drawing of a stick figure facing another stick figure who faces away from the first.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
Who is this?
Jason shrugs.
Adelaide She goes to the window and closes the curtains.Jason looks at her. He’s confused but nods in agreement.
Adelaide, shook, nods as well.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide stares out the window. Gabe enters brushing his
teeth.
GABE
You know, I was thinking about getting fishing gear tomorrow. Four rods. We could all go. We could fish from the dock. Of course, there’s the boat too. If we get out there in open water, just sayin’, but I’m not trying to force anyone...
He notices Adelaide’s stillness.
GABE (CONT’D)
Hey...
She doesn’t answer, just stares out the window transfixed. Gabe looks in the direction she’s looking, but sees nothing.
ADELAIDE
I want to go.
GABE
Go? Where?
ADELAIDE
Home. I can’t be here. It’s too much.CONTINUED:
38.GABE
You serious?
ADELAIDE
Being here, it’s like there’s this
black cloud hanging over me, and... I don’t feel like myself.
GABE
Well I think you’re you.
ADELAIDE
Gabe, I need to tell you something and I just need you to listen.
GABE
Okay...
ADELAIDE
When I was a kid I went to that boardwalk with my parents. I wandered off. I don’t know why, but I did. I ended up in that hall of mirrors, and...
FLASHBACK...
INT. VISION QUEST. NIGHT
Young Adelaide stands in the dark mirror-lined hallway as we
last left off. She faces the back of the other girls head.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide stares out the window. Gabe’s on the bed.
ADELAIDE
...There was another girl in there.
She looked like me... Exactly like me.
FLASHBACK...
INT. VISION QUEST. NIGHT
Adelaide stares, stunned by the back of what she thought was
a reflection.
Now the other girl begins turning towards Adelaide revealing CONTINUED:
39.an intense, hateful smile that pierces through the darkness.
She’s shrouded in darkness, but from what we can make out looks just like Adelaide.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Gabe, on the bed, is confused and silent for a moment.
GABE
You were in a house of mirrors--
ADELAIDE
--No. She wasn’t a reflection. She
was real. She...
Flashback...
INT. VISION QUEST. NIGHT
Before Adelaide can scream, the other girl grabs her by the
throat with both hands and SCREAMS IN HER FACE WITH GLEEFUL RAGE.
Present day...
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide confides in Gabe.
ADELAIDE
...She tried to kill me. She tried
to choke me. I got away; I ran as fast as I could. My whole life I’ve felt like she’s still coming for me.
GABE
Whatever happened, it was a long, time ago.--
ADELAIDE
--You know when things line up? The coincidences..? Since we’ve been up here they’ve been happening more and more... I think they mean she’s getting closer.
GABE
The girl who looks like you?CONTINUED:
40.ADELAIDE
You don’t believe me.
GABE
I do, I do... I’m just...
processing...
He looks at her.
GABE (CONT’D)
You know I’m here, right? I mean, I’m pretty sure I could kick your as, so if she looks like you... Okay, not funny. My bad, I’m just tryin’ to lighten the mood--
The lights cut out.
GABE (CONT’D)
Ah, shit.
ADELAIDE
No!
GABE
Perfect timing. See, this is why Josh has a back up generator...
Gabe starts towards the door. Jason stands in the doorway. Gabe is startled.
GABE (CONT’D)
Jesus. We lost power. I’m gonna fix it. Go back to bed.
JASON
There’s a family in our driveway.
Adelaide and Gabe look at each other.
INT. WILSON BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER. NIGHT
Adelaide, Gabe and Jason stand out the front door window. Four people stand near the edge of the property silhouetted
by the moonlight. Their contour seem to fit the same familial archetypes as the Wilsons themselves. On the left, a boy: hunched and wavering; Next to him, a father: hulking with head tilted oddly; Next, a mother: still and poised. On the right, a daughter: thin and sleek.
Adelaide watches in horror.CONTINUED:
41.GABE
(to himself)
Huh. Now who is that?ADELAIDE
We have to get out of here.
GABE
Hold on. It’s just a family. You
scared of a family?
JASON
...A boogie man’s family.
Zora enters from the hallway.
ZORA
What?
ADELAIDE
Zora, give me your phone?
ZORA
I’m not on it!
ADELAIDE
Zora.
She hands Adelaide the phone. Adelaide calls 911.
ZORA
Who’s that?
GABE
It’s just a family... It’s standing outside... probably neighbors.
ZORA
You’re kidding me right?
JASON
I’m scared.
ADELAIDE
(to operator)
Hello. My name is Adelaide Wilson. We’re at 2311 Seagull Way...
GABE
Whoa. You really callin’ 911? Look. Everything’s good. We lost power alright? I’m gonna fix it, and I’m gonna find out what they want. Let’s all try not to freak out.ADELAIDE (CONT'D)
There are four trespassers here on our property... Yes... No we don’t... Can you send us someone immediately; I don’t think we’re safe.CONTINUED:
42.Gabe unlocks the door.
ADELAIDE (CONT'D)
Gabe!!
ZORA
Dad.
GABE
They probably need help. Hang
tight.
Gabe walks out.
EXT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Gabe opens the front door and steps out trying to look
confident and casual.
GABE
Out here tryin’ to have a vacation; my whole family’s lost their damn minds.
The four figures stand there, evenly spaced, about fifteen yards away from the house.
GABE (CONT’D)
Hey!
The figures look dead at him.
GABE (CONT’D)
Can I help you?
Nothing.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER. NIGHT
ADELAIDE
Fourteen minutes..? No... No...
Tell them to come faster...
ZORA
Mom..?
ADELAIDE
Okay... Yes, yes. Hurry! Gabe!CONTINUED:
43.EXT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Gabe takes a couple steps towards the strangers.Nothing.
GABE
If y’all are out here tryin’ to
scare people, you picked the wrong house for that...
Gabe squints to try to see their faces.
GABE (CONT’D)
(losing confidence as he
goes)
Okay, I asked you nice. Now I’m gonna need you get off my... get off my property.
Gabe almost says something else, but the lack of motion or response from the strangers tells him something might in fact be very wrong.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Gabe backs into the house. He’s shook. That’s not how he
expected that to go.
GABE
Okay, let’s call the cops.
ADELAIDE
I did. They’re fourteen minutes away.
GABE
What...? Fourteen minutes? Okay... Jason, get me the bat.
JASON
The bat?
GABE
The baseball bat... The bat! There’s one in the--
ZORA
Here.
Zora rushes gets the bat from the closet and brings it to Gabe.44.ADELAIDE
Gabe...
GABE
Okay, hold on. I’m gonna try again.
ADELAIDE
No.
GABE
It’s okay... It’s okay...
Gabe starts out the door.
EXT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Gabe walks out. He means business this time.
GABE
The cops’ll be here any minute.,
So... They know you’re trespassing and harassing us...
Again, they do nothing.
GABE (CONT’D)
Okay, well. Suit yourselves. If I were you, I’d--
All of a sudden, with a quick and coordinated dart, the “BAD FAMILY” break formation. Gabe shudders. The “BAD DAUGHTER” goes left, and the “BAD SON” gets on all fours and scurries right. Gabe falls back instinctively as the “BAD FATHER” comes directly towards him.
GABE (CONT’D)
Hey, hey, hey...
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Gabe backs up into the house and shuts the door just as the
“Bad Father” arrives with a SLAM.
GABE
They’re going around. Is the back door locked?
ZORA
My window’s open!
Zora takes off running towards her room.CONTINUED:
45.ADELAIDE
Zora, no!
Adelaide leaves Jason to pursue Zora.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. ZORA’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
Zora makes it to her window and locks it just as the “Bad
Daughter” climbs up a tree with lizard speed. Zora starts backing out of the room terrified as Adelaide comes and grabs her.
INT. WILSON'S HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
The front door THUMPS rhythmically.
GABE
I’m serious, man!!! I will break
your damn head!!!
INT. WILSON BAYSIDE HOUSE. KITCHEN BREAKFAST TABLE. NIGHT
Jason looks at a nearby window. He gets closer to the glass
and tries to peek out...
Suddenly the “Bad Son’s” head pops up close. He wears a
rubber burn mask.
Adelaide rushes in with Zora and pulls Jason close.A SHARP WHISTLE cuts through the silence. That familiar tune,
“Itsy Bitsy Spider,” terrorizes Adelaide.
It’s her. The “BAD MOTHER” walks slowly past the windows
towards the front door.A few FOOTSTEPS THUMP on the roof.
EXT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
We still can’t see their faces, but the “Bad Mother” arrives
at the front door. The “Bad Father” stops BANGING THE DOOR She lifts a rock near the front steps.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Gabe takes a few deep breaths while the family huddles behind
him in the living room. CONTINUED:
46.Suddenly from outside a KEY GOES IN THE LOCK!
ADELAIDE
The key.
GABE
What key?!
ADELAIDE
The damn “Hide-a-key!”
GABE
Hide-a-key”? What kind of white-
shit...?!?
The door opens with force. Gabe tries to hold it shut, but the Bad Father opens it anyway. He swings at the “Bad Father” who catches the bat and takes it away, as if Gabe were a child. He brings the bat down on Gabe’s knee with a CRACK. Gabe goes down.
GABE (CONT’D)
Aaaaahhhhhggg!!!!
Adelaide, Zora and Jason back up into the living room. To their left, the “Bad Son,” obscured by curtains scurries past the window.
To their right, a Sky light crashes. The “Bad Daughter,”
falls into the kitchen.
The “Bad Father” and “Bad Daughter” back the Wilsons into the
Living room as the “Bad Son” scurries past the windows. Adelaide holds her children close as Gabe tries to get up. Wincing, he stumbles back into the living room in agony. The “Bad Father” follows him in to the room slowly, bat in hand.
ZORA
(whispers)
Mom?
MOM
It’s okay. Just stay close.
The “Bad Daughter” turns into the living room.
The “Bad Mother” enters. She is RED, Adelaide’s doppleganger.
She walks in a calm erudite manner; the clear head of her family.
It’s dark. Red arrives at the chair in front of them and
sits. She motions for them to sit.CONTINUED:
47.The “Bad Son”, smashes a hole in the back porch door window
and enters.
The Wilson’s sit on the couch. Except for Gabe who tries to
stand aided by the arm of the couch.
The “Bad Son” lights a match in his hand with a SNAP. The
fireplace erupts in flames.
The fire backlights the “Bad Family.” The “Bad Son” shuffles
to Red’s side and sits like a dog. She strokes his masked head.
We still can’t really see their features in full, but at this
point it’s clear that these home invaders are DOPPLEGÅNGERS of the Wilsons.
ABRAHAM, Gabe’s doppleganger, seems a little out of it. His
attention wanders like a rampage killer lost in some kind of psychotic break.
UMBRAE, Zora’s doppleganger, stands with perfect posture,
sleeked back hair, and an evil little smirk.
PLUTO, Jason’s doppleganger, breathes thick under his mask.
He carries himself like an animal.
The entire “Bad Family” wear red jumpsuits with and sandals
and one glove.
Zora starts freaking out.
ZORA
What..? What..?
JASON
(under his breath)
It’s us.
Gabe isn’t ready to believe what’s in front of him.
GABE
We don’t have anything here. This
is our summer home. We got in today, so--.
ADELAIDE
--Gabe...
Red clears her throat silencing Gabe. She speaks. Her voice is quiet and craggy like it’s never been used.CONTINUED:
48.RED
Once upon a time, there was a girl,
and the girl had a shadow. The two were connected; tethered together. So whatever happened to the girl happened to the shadow... When the girl ate, her food was given to her, warm and tasty, but when the shadow was hungry, she had to eat rabbits, raw and bloody. On Christmas the girl received wonderful toys, soft and cushy, but the shadow’s toys were so sharp and cold they’d slice through her fingers when she played with them. Time passed. They both got older, and one day the girl met a handsome prince and fell in love. At that same time, the shadow met Abraham. It didn’t matter if she loved him or not, he was tethered to the girl’s prince after all. Then the girl had her first child; a beautiful baby girl... but the shadow... she gave birth to a little monster. Umbrae was born laughing. The girl had a second child, a boy this time. They had to cut her open and take him from her belly. The shadow had to do it all herself. She named him Pluto. He was born to love fire.
Pluto growls at Gabe.
RED (CONT’D)
So you see, the Shadow hated the girl so much for so long, until one day she realized that she wasn’t being punished by the girl at all. She was being tested by God.
INT. WILSON HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.
Gabe tries to present a non-chalant tone, and pull Red’s
attention off Adelaide.
GABE
Look, Here’s my wallet. Take the car.
ADELAIDE
Gabe.--CONTINUED:
49.GABE
--Take whatever you want. Hell, you
can take the boat, for all I care.
ZORA
(through tears)
Nobody wants the boat, dad.
GABE
How about this. Take me to the ATM. I’ll get all the cash I can take out, and you can go. We won’t say... We won’t say shit..
Gabe, who has been in denial of the supernatural element at play, loses steam.
GABE (CONT’D)
What are you people?
He finally gets Red’s attention. She turns her head, disappointed with the question.
RED
What are we...?
Red leans in.
RED (CONT’D)
...We’re Americans.
Red holds up bronze colored handcuffs. She gives them to Pluto who walks to Adelaide and stands on the table.
RED (CONT’D)
Tether yourself to the table.
GABE
Addy... no. Don’t--
RED
(to Gabe)
--Or maybe I should cut something off of you.
Abraham takes a step towards Gabe.
ADELAIDE
Just don’t hurt the children.
Adelaide puts the handcuffs on one wrist and in connects them to the heavy coffee table.CONTINUED:
50.GABE
Hey, hey...!
Abraham grabs him by the wrist. Gabe tries to resist, but his
knee is jacked and he’s simply not as strong.
GABE (CONT'D)
Hey. Don’t touch me. Get off!
ADELAIDE
No!
Abraham pulls Gabe out the back living room door and off the back poRch. It’s easy as if he’s dragging a toddler in full tantrum.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
Okay... okay...
RED
(To Zora)
Little girl...
Zora shrinks in fear.
ZORA
Mom?
RED
Run.
Umbrae takes a menacing step towards Zora who gets up off the couch. Zora looks at Adelaide who nods at her. Zora quickly runs to the front door. Umbrae slinks after her.
ADELAIDE
(To Red)
You want me right?
EXT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Zora bursts out the door and runs fast down the street.
Umbrae walks into the middle of the street and watches her run. She stretches her arms and legs.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide holds Jason tight on the couch. Red pets Pluto.
RED
Go play, boys. CONTINUED:
51.Pluto hops on the coffee table and hold his hand out to Jason
like a trained animal.
JASON
Mom?
ADELAIDE
No. He’s not going.
RED
Be careful. He has a temper.
Pluto starts to growl. Adelaide holds it together, but her voice shakes. She looks in Jason’s eyes which he diverts.
ADELAIDE
Okay. Okay. It’s okay. Look at me. You’re going to be okay. Show him one of your tricks.
Adelaide gives Jason a look that seems to say “be smart.” Jason’s scared, but he stands. Pluto grunts jovially and follows him upstairs.
RED
Don’t burn the house down.
Red and Adelaide are alone in the living room. They sit across from one another in silence.
EXT. WILSON’S BACK YARD. NIGHT
Abraham kicks Gabe, who can barely stand, down the back porch
stairs. Abraham follows him down slowly.
GABE
Ok, wait. Wait, wait, wait--
ABRAHAM
Blahflabumbalavlamlubala!!!!!
Abraham knocks Gabe out with the blunt end of his scissors. He looks over at some garbage nearby.
EXT. WILSON'S HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Zora is about 100 yards away and still running hard. At the
end of the street is a house.
Umbrae slowly walks back and forth, stretching her arms in
anticipation. She watches Zora get smaller in the distance.CONTINUED:
52.Gabe can be heard struggling on the other side of the house.
GABE (O.S.)
No!!! No!!!
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Red watches Adelaide hear Gabe’s cries.
INT. HALLWAY CLOSET. NIGHT
Pluto leads Jason into the closet. Jason moves a sock in the
door crack with his foot so the door can’t shut all the way.
INT. CLOSET. NIGHT
Pluto breathes heavily under the mask. Jason raises his arm
and Pluto does the same, mirroring him.
EXT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Zora is now almost gone down the street. Umbrae finishes
pacing and joint cracking.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM . NIGHT
ADELAIDE
What do you want?
Red watches her.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
What?!
RED
Years ago I had a vision. In this
vision I saw a line of blood on the soil that stretched as far as I could see.
Red stands. She slowly walks to Adelaide’s side.
RED (CONT’D)
During this vision God spoke to me. He said “the only way for a soul to truly be free is to sever the tie”. And his voice... It was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard...CONTINUED:
53.A moment of silence. Red places her hand on Adelaide’s head
and slowly pushes it to the table.
RED (CONT’D)
I call it “The Untethering.”
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. CLOSET. NIGHT
Pluto holds a lit match. Jason is so scared, but starts to
lift Pluto’s mask. Before we can see his face, the match goes out. It’s dark again. Pluto strikes another match and illuminates his awful face. It’s identical to Jason’s but the bottom half is covered in burn scars. Jason WHIMPERS.
EXT. DOWN THE STREET. NIGHT
Zora is out of breath. Her running slows to a walk. She turns
to look behind her, but doesn’t see anything. She turns forward and keeps walking just as we see a shadowy figure come into view in the distance behind her, closing in fast.
After a few paces, she turns around just as the figure runs
wide behind her. Again, she sees nothing. Crying, she turns back to proceed and finds herself face-to-face with Umbrae, who’s curled around in front of her.
Zora SCREAMS.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Red continues to Adelaide’s face on the coffee table.
RED
I’ve wondered if you did too... See
this day coming.
The glass starts to splinter. Red is so strong.
EXT. DOWN THE STREET. NIGHT
With little steam left. Zora runs around a car; Umbrae goes
to the other side of it. Zora sees Umbrae stalking her through the windows. Suddenly Umbrae goes down disappearing behind the door. Zora terrified goes down too. She looks underneath but sees nothing; no feet. Zora looks up. Umbrae is on the roof of the car leaning over herCONTINUED:
54.EXT. OPEN WATER. NIGHT
The MOTORBOAT BUZZES. Gabe comes to in pitch black. He pokes
a hole. He’s in a garbage bag, lying in the back of his own boat. He looks through the torn hole at Abraham who stands at the steering wheel with his back to Gabe. Gabe looks around. The bat is propped up by Abraham who also has his scissors in his hand. There’s a life preserver floatation device attached to a coiled rope and tethered to the boat.
Gabe starts slowly and quietly to pull himself out of the
bag. He peers behind them. The lights of the shore are far and getting further away.
He reaches for the floatation device and slowly pulls it
towards him. Suddenly the boat’s motor coughs. It’s failing. Abraham turns as Gabe shrinks back into the garbage bag. Abraham walks over. He doesn’t notice the coil of unwound rope he’s standing inside of.
Abraham begins BANGING the motor exactly the way Gabe did
earlier. It’s being stubborn.
Gabe slowly crawls forward and gets the bat. He sneaks up
behind Abraham and swings just as Abraham turns around, knocking him off the boat. As he falls, the rope tangles around Abraham’s foot, cinching into a knot. The floatation device and rope goes overboard with him.
GABE
Ha, ha..! Fuck you!
Gabe hits the motor with the bat in triumph; the motor revs into action. The boat takes off, sending Gabe off the back and into the water. The boat drives away. Gabe wades frantically. He looks around, but doesn’t see Abraham. Then... Suddenly, Abraham surfaces and swings his scissors at Gabe but the boat is now far enough away that the rope around Abraham’s ankle goes taught and he is pulled away.
Gabe is left there, bobbing in the water, as the boat pulls
Abraham away on his belly, like an unwilling waterskier.
Gabe watches, as the boat WHIRS away into the dark, night
water.
GABE (CONT’D)
Goodbye.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. UPSTAIRS CLOSET. NIGHT
Pluto continues to mirror Jason’s wrist. Jason starts his
snapping. Pluto snaps, lighting a match. Pluto is intrigued. 55.The snapping continues, but nothing happens. Pluto’s GUTTURAL
BREATHs BUILD TO AN ANGRY GRUNT.
EXT. DOWN THE STREET. NIGHT
Umbrae gets closer and closer to Zora.Just then DON, a large old man, comes out of the nearby
house.
DON
The Fuck?! Get off my car!
Umbrae turns. Zora takes the moment to flee back towards the house.
DON (CONT’D)
Come here. Come here...
Umbrae gets off the car ready to pursue Zora. Don walks towards Umbrae.
DON (CONT’D)
Hey, kid! I’m talking to you.
Umbrae stops at “kid”. Now she’s angry.
As Zora runs, huffing and puffing, Umbrae goes down and
severs his Achilles tendon with her scissors. He screams and falls to the ground.
EXT. OPEN WATER. NIGHT
Moments later, Gabe hears the boat’s motor getting louder
again. He prepares himself and faces the boat, but when its about 25 yards from him the MOTOR SPUTTERS out again. The boat slows to a glide and stops near him. Gabe looks for Abraham, but doesn’t see him. The life preserver floats by him. No Abraham. Gabe grabs the rope and pulls himself towards the boat.
He climbs up the back of the boat just as Abraham attacks him
from behind. Gabe hangs on the back of the boat with Abraham hanging onto him. Gabe hits the motor twice and it turns on. Abraham, who’s torso is pressed against the propeller gets SLASHED across his chest and face as he falls back into the water. Gabe, exhausted, falls into the boat as it drives away.CONTINUED:
56.INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. UPSTAIRS CLOSET. NIGHT
As Pluto grunts, Jason begins snapping.
JASON
Wait. Wait. Look.
Pluto becomes curious and watches Jason’s hand. Jason snaps
faster and faster when, suddenly, the trick works! A few sparks fly from Jason’s fingers catching Pluto entirely off guard. He’s startled. Jason uses the moment to knock him over and run out of the closet.
INT. WILSON’S HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Red holds Adelaide down. The coffee table cracks even more.
Blood starts to pool on the side of Adelaide’s face.
INT. WILSON’S BEACH HOUSE. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. NIGHT
Jason trips and falls into the hallway. Pluto, confused, gets
up and lunges towards Jason, but Jason pulls the sock out with his toes and SLAMS the door, just in time, with his other foot.
Pluto SCREAMS.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide and Red hear the SCREAM. They watch each other for a
moment.
ADELAIDE
That’s yours.
Red’s still for a moment. Then, suddenly, she stands and leaves the room headed towards Pluto.
Now alone, Adelaide leaps into action. First, she tries to
get out of the cuffs, but can’t. She tries to break the table with her foot. She sees the fire poker across the room and goes towards it, but is stopped again by the heavy table.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. NIGHT
Red opens the closet. Pluto’s inside. He stops yelling. He
exits and looks around sniffing the air. Jason is nowhere to be seen. Pluto skitters into Jason’s room. Red starts walking down the hallway in search of Jason. 57.She takes a step into Zora’s room. Red comes out. She sees
the basement door is open and goes inside.
INT. WILSON'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FOYER/LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide sees the phone. She grabs it, dials ‘911’ again and
drags the coffee table a little.
As the phone rings, she slowly pulls the coffee table towards
the fire poker.
RECORDED VOICE
All of our operators are currently busy. Please hang on the line...
Adelaide is close enough to almost reach.
ADELAIDE
Come on...
She grabs the fire poker, barely. She darts over to the coffee table and uses the poker and all of her strength to quietly pry the wooden leg off the table.
Adelaide does enough damage to the coffee table to free
herself!
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BASEMENT. NIGHT
Red walks through the basement looking for Jason. She finds
the box of keepsakes, picks up the stuffed bunny and looks at it.
INT. WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY. NIGHT
Adelaide looks down the hallway. She sees no one. She
whispers.
ADELAIDE
(whisper)
Jason.... Jason...
She sees Jason’s silhouette emerge from the cabinet in the bathroom. Relief but as he comes closer she begins to realize it might not be him. She clutches her fire poker ready to strike, but as he steps through the moonlight. It is JASON.
Just then Pluto scrambles out of his room and towards them
like a feral raccoon. Adelaide pulls down the bookshelf in the hallway blocking Pluto who tries to scurry around it. CONTINUED:
58.Adelaide grabs Jason and runs to the front door. As Red
emerges from the basement.
EXT. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
They shut the door hard, as Pluto gets near.
ADELAIDE
Where’s Zora? Zora...!
JASON
She ran.
Adelaide brings Jason to the car, but as they get there, the
lights BLEEP. They look back. Red is in the doorway holding the keys.
ZORA
Mom!!
EXT. WILSON’S FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
Zora runs back, out of breath.
ZORA
She’s crazy... she’s crazy.
Suddenly, they hear the familiar BUZZ of the boat. The Wilson’s race towards the dock. Pluto takes off after
them, on all fours.
EXT. DOCK. NIGHT
They get to the boat just in the knick of time. Pluto lunges
at them, but misses. As the boat pulls away, Pluto stops at the edge of the dock. He MOANS a menacing angry MOAN at them.
Red walks calmly down the length of the dock. As the Wilson’s huddle in their boat, Umbrae arrives too;
back from her run. Zora SCREAMS. Umbrae paces impatiently. She laughs at Zora. The Wilsons are silent with shock, except for Gabe.
GABE
(muttering)
These motherfuckers...these motherfuckers...these motherfuckers...CONTINUED:
59.The boat drives away. Red, Umbrae, and Pluto watch.
Abraham washes up on the shore. Blood pours from the gashes
on his chest and face. The “Bad Family” watch his body emotionlessly.
Umbrae begins to run in pursuit; she disappears into the
woods. Pluto stares at his father.
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
The house has a modern, clean interior and the lights are all
on. There are museum-scale, elegant, abstract paintings hanging everywhere. A second level overlooks the large main room below and turns into a hallway leading to the bedrooms. Josh sleeps in a reclining chair holding a glass of whisky. The power dims and then comes right back on. The backup generator HUMS TO LIFE. Josh wakes up and immediately starts drinking.
Kitty enters from upstairs.
KITTY
Josh...
Josh looks up to Kitty on the upper level.
KITTY (CONT’D)
What was that?
JOSH
What?
KITTY
I thought I heard something
outside.
JOSH
Okay... something....
KITTY
A rustling... walking... Like a person; a person outside our fucking house...
Josh gets up skeptically and goes to the window.
JOSH
Ophelia, lights, up.
A female voice comes out of a circular white speaker.CONTINUED:
60.OPHELIA
Turning lights up.
The lights fade up. Kitty comes downstairs.
KITTY
And the lights dipped. I think the
backup generator went on.
JOSH
Why are you talking about the back up generator when you don’t know anything about the back up generator?
KITTY
Can you stop being an asshole for two seconds and look.
Josh and Kitty both look.
JOSH
Wait. Did you see that?
KITTY
What?
JOSH
Oh my God.
KITTY
What?!?
JOSH
It’s O.J.... O.J. Simpson’s out there.
He laughs. She looks at him.
KITTY
What’s wrong with you..? Seriously.
JOSH
Ophelia, play, Beach Boys.
KITTY
Really..?
OPHELIA
Playing “Good Vibrations,” by The Beach Boys.
The Beach Boys’ “GOOD VIBRATIONS” comes on over the system.CONTINUED:
61.KITTY
Ophelia turn it down.
OPHELIA
Turning down “good vibrations” by
the beach boys.
JOSH
It’s okay, just go back to sleep and everything will be fine.
The twins enter, approaching the railing along the mezzanine landing.
LINDSEY
What’s going on?
JOSH
Nothing.
KITTY
Jesus. The back up generator went on and we’re trying to figure it out; Go back to sleep.
BECCA
Just because we’re in our rooms it doesn’t mean we’re sleeping--
KITTY
--Fine! I don’t care. Go back to your rooms.
JOSH
I just wanna remind everyone that were leaving at 10 am sharp...
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Josh turns to look up at his daughters on the mezzanine
level. A THIRD TWIN lurks right behind Becca.
There’s a moment of confusion.
EXT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. NIGHT
From outside looking in, what commences next can only be
described as a seven second massacre.CONTINUED:
62.Three more figures enter from strategic positions. They,
along with the “third twin”, are the “Bad” versions of the Tylers. They quickly and efficiently subdue and stab their counterparts in the necks with brass scissors. Blood splatters and sprays against the white walls.
The “Bad Tylers” stand looking at each other for a moment.
Good Vibrations continues playing.
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. NIGHT
Kitty Tyler is the still alive. She chokes on blood as she
crawls towards her husband’s body. TEX, Josh’s doppleganger, moves in front of her and holds out his hand. She reaches for it, but he pulls it away sadistically, pushing it through his hair.
KITTY
(gargled)
Please, stop.
OPHELIA
Stopping “Good Vibrations,” by The Beach Boys.
The music stops. DAHLIA, Kitty’s doppleganger, walks over to her. She has stitches running down both sides of her face and suppresses a laugh with wild-eyed intensity. Kitty is getting weaker. The inevitability is sinking in.
KITTY
Ophelia, call the police...
Dahlia leans over and finishes the murder.
EXT. THE TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. NIGHT
Adelaide knocks on the front door frantically. “Fuck the
Police” by N.W.A. plays inside. Jason and Zora help a limping Gabe up the bayside lawn towards Adelaide and the house. Tex opens the door in Josh’s robe.
ADELAIDE
Josh, we need help. We were attacked in our home...
Tex’s jaw drops into a shocked expression; like he can’t even process. As he opens the door, Adelaide sees some blood on his fingers.
Adelaide steps back from Tex who projects an overtly
sympathetic face and grabs her wrist.CONTINUED:
63.Adelaide swings her fire poker at Tex. It strikes him in the
head hard. A trickle of blood rolls down his face, but he’s still conscious.
Tex grabs the fire poker and her wrist. He tosses Adelaide
over the threshold and onto the floor inside the house.
GABE
Hey!!!!
Dahlia and the “Bad Twins,” NIX and IO, pounce on Adelaide and pull her deeper inside, towards the staircase. Josh slams the door behind him, staying outside. He takes out his scissors and drops the fire poker.
Zora SCREAMS. Tex looks at her with sadistic glee.
Tex starts making his way towards Gabe and the kids. With
each step he takes, he makes a different, taunting, exaggerated expression like some kind of evil mime.
GABE (CONT’D)
(To Zora and Jason)
Run.
Zora and Jason, stunned, begin to run towards the driveway. Josh begins to follow them with his wild-eyed taunt.
GABE (CONT’D)
Hey! What are you doing?! Huh? You think you a man?!? Come get some then. Come try, Bitch!
Tex can’t help himself. He turns away from the kids and obliges Gabe who backs up towards the dock.
Tex delighted with the taunt, taunts back. He BELLOWS A WEIRD
clicking NOISE at Gabe. Crazy
TEX
Click. Click. Click.!!!!!!!
He follows Gabe down the hill.
The kids look back at their father who is successfully
baiting Tex out towards the Tyler’s dock. They then look back at each other. Jason is about to cry again, but Zora hits him in the chest firmly, startling him out of it. An unspoken agreement; they walk to the house. Zora picks up the fire poker off the lawn.CONTINUED:
64.INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Dahlia sits in front of her make up mirror. She’s lost, like
in a Marlyn Monroe haze. She applies make up to her crazy face like she’s at the peak of glamorous career.
Adelaide sits on the floor, now with both wrists in the cuffs
and bound to the dresser. She looks around while Dahlia is mesmerized by her Hollywood dream. Adelaide accidentally makes a noise. Dahlia snaps out of her daydream and looks at Adelaide with rediscovery.
She approaches Adelaide and puts her scissors up to her face.
She tries to decide where and how to cut Adelaide.
EXT. DOCK. NIGHT
Gabe stumbles down the dock where his boat and Josh’s boat
are docked. Tex follows.
Gabe steps onto Josh’s boat.
INT. TYLER HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
Kitty wants to cut Adelaide so bad, but she stops herself.
Frustrated, she goes to the window. She’s waiting for someone to arrive; not here yet. She’s getting impatient. Dahlia goes to the dressing room mirror and puts the scissors up to her face ready to cut INTO HER OWN CHEEK. Adelaide looks away.
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Zora and Jason open the door. The room is a bloody mess. The
original Josh and Kitty Tyler’s bodies lay lifeless.
They quietly walk through the living room towards the stairs.They hear a THUMP THUMP from upstairs that stops them dead in
their tracks. Jason picks up a heavy geode mounted on a metal stand. He shrugs. They push forward up the stairs.
As they get to the top of the stairs they see a red
jumpsuited twin cartwheel across the doorway at the end of the hall.
Zora and Jason hesitate before continuing down the hallway
past the dead original Tyler twins on the floor. As they reach a corner A GALLOP QUICKLY APPROACHES. It’s Nix who runs towards them at an alarming speed. She bares down on Zora with her brass scissors, but Zora whacks her hand first sending the scissors skidding across the floor. 65.Zora hits her again, sending her awkwardly careening over the
edge of the mezzanine and SMASHING through the coffee table below.
They continue past an open closet when Io’s legs lower from a
handstand in the closet. She pops out lunging at them, but Zora nails her on the head with the fire poker, knocking her down. Zora winds up and finishes her with two more WHACKS. Done. Their adrenaline spikes from the trauma, but they must move on.
EXT. TYLER DOCK. JOSH’S BOAT. NIGHT
We see through Gabe’s eyes. Crouched in the small dark cabin.The boat moves as Tex steps onto it. He leans over into the
boat.
Gabe face illuminated red as he shoots a flare gun at Tex.
The flare misses but hits the side of the boat and lands in the boat.
The flare illuminates the entire area as Gabe gets the upper
hand and bashes Tex.
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. MASTER BEDROOM. NIGHT
The glow from the flare outside illuminates the entire
bedroom. Dahlia, rushes to the window with a freshly bloody face. Her eyes widen with excitement and horror. A SILENT SCREAM that loses itself in its own production and somehow ends with a almost tickled glee.
The door behind Dahlia slowly opens. Zora takes a couple of
steps towards her and swings, but Dahlia sees her in the reflection of the window and turns, catching the fire poker. She overpowers Zora, who screams as Dahlia falls on top of her.
ADELAIDE
No!
Adelaide lunges towards them but is stopped by the handcuffs.
Dahlia raises her scissors over her head, when all of a
sudden, Jason stabs her in the back of the neck with the pair he picked up.
MOMENTS LATER...CONTINUED:
66.EXT. THE TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. NIGHT
Gabe gets to the front door. Just before he can grab the
knob, the door swings open. It’s Zora, covered in blood. She’s exhausted and out of it.
GABE
(relieved)
Boats are done. I’m done with boats.
She helps her dad in, and they shut the door.
LATER...
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
The Wilsons occupy the blood splattered main room. Gabe sits
on the phone. Zora and Jason eat from a cereal box. Adelaide fully handcuffed, watches the window.
ZORA
I can’t believe they’re dead.
JASON
Why’d they do it?
ADELAIDE
There’s no reason. It’s all just craziness.
Gabe puts the phone on speaker.
911 OPERATOR RECORDING (O.C.)
...We’re sorry. Due to an overwhelming amount of calls, all our operators are currently busy. Please hold and an operator will--
Gabe turns speaker off and tosses the phone on the table.
GABE
How does 911 put you on hold all night long? I don’t get it.
ZORA
(traumatized to herself)
...It’s too many twins, man.
JASON
How many of everybody is there going to be?67.Adelaide looks over to the TV.
The rest of the Wilsons clock her and one by one turn their
attention to the TV.
Moments later...
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Jason finds the remote and turns it on. The television CLICKS on showing live footage of Santa Cruz
buildings with lights from sirens in the distance. The Chyron at the bottom of the screen says “Widespread attack in multiple cities.”
DISTRESSED VOICE (O.C.)
...the crowd was dispersing and we...
GABE
Oh shit.
JASON
Don’t curse.
GABE
I can curse cause I’m an adult and this is a fucked up situation.
DISTRESSED VOICE (O.C.)
...heard this woman say “They’re coming out of the sewers!” And I know that some of them had scissors and were just... stabbing people. So we just... We started running; everybody started running the opposite direction... It was chaos.
The anchor has a grim shakiness to his voice.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.)
Wow... wow. And so how many of them were there in this group?
DISTRESSED VOICE (O.C.)
I don’t know. A lot? There was a lot of them. Oh God. I hear people screaming.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.)
Are you safe?CONTINUED:
68.DISTRESSED VOICE (O.C.)
I’m sorry. I have to go. We have to
get out of here...
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.)
Ma’am? Ma’am...? Okay so there you hear some more harrowing first hand accounts that paint a picture of deeply disturbing and clearly connected event which is very much still in progress... If you’re just tuning in, there is still so much we don’t know, but we can say with some confidence that we appear to be in the midst of one of the most brutal and terrifying wide-spread and coordinated attacks this country has seen. There is obviously a lot of misinformation out there, so we’re being careful what we report, but what is clear is that there are multiple assailants and multiple casualties and one common thread seems to be the use of scissors or shears to commit these attacks...
GABE
And they look like us.
ADELAIDE
They don’t even know that yet.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.)
To our knowledge, no group has taken credit for this attack.... And... We have new images coming in.
(to his earpiece)
Okay...? Okay.
(to the public)
We have new images coming in from Chicago...
The television cuts to iPhone camera footage of downtown Chicago. A line of people are forming a hand-in-hand human chain down the middle of a street. There are several dead bodies laying nearby.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.) (CONT’D)
This... Okay this seems to be a... group of individuals engaged in some sort of demonstration or protest. CONTINUED:
69.It’s not clear at this time if, or
how these people are connected with the attack that is taking place, but... A new bloody doppleganger goes to join the line. Other “tethered” come from different directions to add to the line as well. The anchor is stunned and silent for what feels like an eternity.
NEWS ANCHOR (CONT’D)
...Okay...
ZORA
What is that?
GABE
That’s them.
JASON
What are they doing?
GABE
(to himself)
I don’t know, but that would take a shit load of coordination.
The others look at him. Adelaide gets up.
ADELAIDE
We have to go.
GABE
What...? You’re joking right?
ADELAIDE
Zora, help your father.
GABE
(to the kids)
She’s trippin’. We’re would we go?
ZORA
The police, right?
ADELAIDE
No. We need to move and keep moving.. We’ll take the coast. Go to Mexico.
GABE
Mexico?!? Whoa, whoa, whoa. We have everything we need here. CONTINUED:
70.Food, water, backup generator.
We’re as safe here as we’re gonna be anywhere.
ADELAIDE
Tell that to Josh and Kitty. They’re right there.
She points to Josh and Kitty’s corpses.
GABE
You’re scaring the kids.
ZORA
Too late.JASON
Too late.
GABE
I don’t know if you realize this, but I’m pretty f--. I’m pretty messed up. They don’t know where we are.
ADELAIDE
It was my idea to come here. She’ll have the same idea.
GABE
Then let’s set up some traps. You know, like “Home Alone” shit. That way--
ADELAIDE
--Tell me you did not just reference “Home Alone.”
GABE
You know what I mean.
ADELAIDE
Gabe, They’ve been planning this. They have the upper hand. This is the time to run not to be sprinkling “Micro Machines” on the floor.
JASON
What are “Micro Machines?”
ZORA
What’s “Home Alone?”
GABE
We are staying and that’s final.CONTINUED:
71.ADELAIDE
You don’t get to make the decisions
for us anymore!!!
Gabe has no retort but still doesn’t like it.
ZORA
Does this mean we get their car?
Gabe hadn’t yet considered this tiny bright side.
EXT. THE TYLER'S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT YARD. NIGHT
Zora and Jason help Gabe limp out into the driveway. Adelaide
leaves last.
GABE
The car keys.
ZORA
Mom!
Adelaide barely stops the door from shutting.
INT. TYLER BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide opens the door and ruffles through the bowl on the
table near the front door. No keys. Adelaide gives the place a quick scan and almost enters when she stops cold. Nix is no longer in the wreckage of the broken coffee table. Adelaide, in terror, begins to back out of the house when...she sees the car key. It’s on the kitchen counter, all the way across the house on the other side of a large kitchen island.
Adelaide curses herself for doing what she’s about to do.
ZORA
Mom, what’s...
Adelaide takes off into the house.
INT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide hauls ass through the living room and into...
INT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT
Adelaide circles the island and grabs the key. She turns back
to see a bloodied Nix jump on top of the kitchen island like a feral raccoon. CONTINUED:
72.She hops towards Adelaide who grabs a frying pan and swats
the living shit out of her, sending the girl to the ground on the other side of the island.
Adelaide trips over Josh’s body into the kitchen. She backs
up into the kitchen as Nix scurries around the other way around the island towards her, pounces and then starts choking her. Adelaide reaches for the pair of scissors on the ground nearby
INT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Jason bursts through the front door and runs across the
living room.
INT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. KITCHEN. NIGHT
Jason gets to the kitchen just as Adelaide stands and pulls
the scissors from Nix’s head. She holds up the car key and hits the unlock button.
EXT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
The car lights BEEP on. Gabe and Zora turn.
INT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Adelaide grabs Jason’s hand and runs.
EXT. TYLER’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. FRONT LAWN. NIGHT
In slow-motion Adelaide and Jason emerge from the house.They get to the car where Zora is in the driver’s seat.
ZORA
I’m driving.
ADELAIDE
No way.
GABE
I told her, ‘no.’
ZORA
Dad’s leg is jacked; you’re
handcuffed. It’s not safe; I’m driving.CONTINUED:
73.ADELAIDE
Zora, no!
ZORA
I’ve got the highest kill count in
the whole family. I’m driving.
ADELAIDE
You don’t have the highest kill count.
ZORA
I killed both twins.
ADELAIDE
Wrong. I just killed the second one.
JASON
I killed Kitty.
Gabe points around and lands on himself.
GABE
So that’s, one, one, one and two. I killed two. I killed myself and Josh.
ADELAIDE
It doesn’t matter. Zora get out.
JASON
Look!
Umbrae has arrived. She stands thirty feet ahead of the car lit up by the headlights. Adelaide quickly gets in the backseat of the car.
INT. TYLER’S CAR. NIGHT
The family is silent as Umbrae stands there. They lock there
doors.
GABE
Press the ignition.
Zora does.
GABE (CONT’D)
Okay, so you’re gonna want to back up and --CONTINUED:
74.ZORA
Buckle up.
INT. TYLER’S CAR. NIGHT
Zora throws the car into gear and floors it straight towards
Umbrae.
The car speeds at Umbrae who runs at the car. When the two
meet, Umbrae crawls up the hood with startling agility. Adelaide, Jason, and Gabe look back, to see her fall behind. She does not.
ZORA
Where is she? Did I get her.
They slowly look up. Gabe opens upholstered cover for the sunroof. Nothing. Then, with a CLINK, Umbrae comes down on the sunroof with her scissor which break an inch through the tinted glass.
GABE
Oh! She’s there! She’s there!
Zora stops the car. Umbrae, holding on to the scissors firmly stuck in the sunroof, swings to the wind shield as the car stops.
She pulls she scissors out and now, face to face with Zora
through the glass, stabs at the windshield which splinters a little.
GABE (CONT’D)
Okay, now--
Zora hits the gas again the family reels back as the car takes off again. Umbrae stabs again.
ADELAIDE
Zora!
GABE
Okay, be careful.
Umbrae stabs the windshield again splintering it further. The car speed faster.
GABE (CONT’D)
You’re going too fast.
Umbrae raises one arm for another stab. Zora hits the windshield wipers which hits Umbrae’s other arm, knocking it away. CONTINUED:
75.INT./EXT. TYLER’S CAR. NIGHT
Before she can attack again, Zora hits the brakes and Umbrae
flies into the woods at a turn in the road. Zora stares in shock.
ADELAIDE
Okay. Okay, baby. Good job.
After a beat.
GABE
You will wanna get in the habit of signaling.
They look at Gabe.
Adelaide grabs the fire poker and gets out of the car.
JASON
Where’s she going?
GABE
Hey, uh Addy.
EXT. WOODS. NIGHT/DAWNAdelaide looks into the clearing. She finds herself face to
face with Umbrae’s face upside down. Her body disappears into the tree. She stops herself before getting within arms distance. Umbrae’s back is twisted and broken, but she’s still alive. The image hits Adelaide harder than she’d expected. She kneels. Umbrae reaches for her, enraged.
ADELAIDE
Shhh.... Shhhhh.
Umbrae’s breath slows. She dies.
EXT. TYLER’S CAR. NIGHT
HONK HONKAdelaide goes to Zora’s door.
ADELAIDE
You okay?
Zora nods and starts to break down.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
Okay... Now get in the back.76.Zora slides out of the front seat and gets in the back.
INT. TYLER’S CAR. DAWN
The Wilsons drive in silence on the empty road.They sit in shock. The trauma has left them almost numb. The
scene looks like the aftermath of a very bad day at Disneyland.
EXT. SANTA CRUZ STREET. DAY
The town seems absent of people. The Wilson’s drive the
Tyler’s car past a parked car in which all inhabitants are dead.
INT./EXT. TYLER’S CAR. SANTA CRUZ STREET. DAY
Jason, in the backseat, tries his magic trick. He snaps and
eventually a big spark shoots from his fingers. Surprised he did it, he looks around for someone else who saw it. Zora gives him a bloody fist bump. Suddenly, Jason gets a weird look on his face. He looks ahead.
The car turns a bend to find that the Wilson’s old car is in
flames, parked so that it blocks the road. Adelaide stops the car.
GABE
Woah.
ZORA
That’s our car.
JASON
It’s him. It’s the one that looks like me.
Suddenly. The left rear tire POPS then HISSES as it looses air, followed by the front left tire POPPING and HISSING.
Adelaide shifts into reverse. Crippled, the car backs up, and
Pluto emerges in front of them in the beams of the headlights, holding his scissors, as the car makes a sad curve to the left and onto the curb.
ADELAIDE
Shit.
Adelaide stops the car. Pluto stands in the road between them and the flaming car.CONTINUED:
77.Adelaide grabs the fire poker and steps out.
GABE
Wait.ZORA
Mom, no.
ADELAIDE
Stay in the car.
EXT. STREET. DAY
Adelaide walks towards Pluto who steps back away from her.
ADELAIDE
It’s okay...You don’t have to be
afraid. I just want to talk to you...
Pluto cocks his head. Cautiously intrigued.
INT. TYLER'S CAR. DAY
Gabe, Zora, and Jason watch on.
GABE
What is she doing?
ZORA
She’s talking to him.
EXT. ROAD. DAYAdelaide gets closer.
ADELAIDE
Nobody is going to hurt you. Just
put it down.
Pluto looks at his weapon, then back at Adelaide. He’s confused. He takes a step away from her, then stops. He lifts his mask revealing the burn marks.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
It’s okay.
Adelaide, carefully clutching her fire poker walks towards Pluto.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
You don’t have to do this...
She puts her hand out. Pluto He holds his hand out. Adelaide takes another cautious step towards him. CONTINUED:
78.INT. TYLER’S CAR. DAY
GABE
He’s listening to her.
Jason watches.
EXT. ROAD. DAY
Pluto leans out, looking past Adelaide, at the car. He makes
eye contact with Jason in the back seat..
INT. TYLER’S CAR. DAY
JASON
No... It’s a trick.
Jason gets out of the car.
GABE
Jason!
EXT. STREET. DAY
Pluto pulls down his mask. He clenches his scissors.Jason stops outside the car and Pluto matches his
physicality. Realizing that Pluto is mirroring him, Jason takes a step backwards. Pluto follows suit. Jason starts walking backwards; Pluto copies him walking into the fire. Gabe crumples out of the car.
Adelaide almost instinctively lunges after him. Pluto goes up
in flames.
Just then, Red, camouflaged by a red truck grabs Jason and
runs...
Adelaide turns but doesn’t see Jason.
ADELAIDE
Jason.
She runs.Gabe tries to limp towards the darkness where Red took Jason.
Zora exits too, but doesn’t make it very far before she loses sight of Jason and breaks down. She screams.
Adelaide doesn’t stop. 79.GABE
Addy!
Adelaide runs towards the amusement park.
EXT. BOARDWALK. DAY
Adelaide walks briskly down the empty boardwalk. A few
bodies’ bodies litter the ground.
EXT. BEACH BY BOARDWALK. DAY
In the near distance, a line of people hold hands, facing
away from her. The line extends from the water’s edge to past the amusement park and into the distance. One of the men on the line is the man Jason saw earlier. He has the same face as the homeless man who was stabbed in the beginning.
Adelaide turns to the “Merlin’s Forest” entrance and walks
inside it.
INT. MERLIN’S FOREST. MIRROR ROOM. DAY
Adelaide walks into the dark maze. It’s the same as before
inside. She retraces her steps from 25 years earlier. She finds her way to the same corridor where the attack occurred.
She walks through the dark opening Young Red came from. She
finds a wall and pushes the surface and it opens a crack and then the door swings open. A white rabbit hops out of the open door at Adelaide’s feet. Adelaide steps over the rabbit and cautiously into the empty dark space.
INT. CONTROL ROOM. DAY
She’s ready to strike. Inside is a maintenance and technical
control room.
At the end of the control room there’s wall. She pushes it
and it opens like a door revealing...
INT. ESCALATOR ROOM (TOP). DAY
Adelaide gets on a downward moving escalator.CONTINUED:
80.INT. ESCALATOR. DAY
Adelaide stands and waits. She moves down though the
darkness. Eventually she sees light below.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. ESCALATOR LANDING. DAY 175 175
Adelaide exits into a room that looks like a corner of an
underground mall. She turns a corner into-
INT. THE UNDERPASS. MAIN TUNNEL. DAY
The tunnel feels like a publicly funded underground compound.
The only beings who seem to populate it now are Rabbits which hop around freely on the ground. All the doors are open.
Adelaide walks cautiously, stepping past and over rabbits
down the hallway.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. DAY
Adelaide walks down the hallway. She passes the first open
door. The cafeteria is empty of people. The rabbit cages are all open and empty.
She keeps walking and passes the next door. It’s an empty
room with rows of tables. Each table has crude sewing equipment, rabbit fur, and pelts. It’s a tidy and uniform sweat shop style workspace.
Adelaide keeps walking.
EXT. STREET. DAY
Zora helps Gabe hobble towards the boardwalk. Bodies are
scattered. The sun rises. She holds her golf club and JAson’s geode.
ZORA
What does it sound like when a pterodactyl goes to the bathroom?
GABE
What?
ZORA
Nothing. The “P” is silent.81.GABE
The “p”? There’s no “p” in
Pterodactyl.
ZORA
Yes there is.
ZORA (CONT’D)
Who’s gonna clean all this up?
GABE
Not me.
ZORA
Is it the end of the world?
GABE
Nah. The world isn’t gonna end. It’s just gonna be different--
Zora stops and cries.
ZORA
I don’t want it to be different.
GABE
Mom’s... Mom knows what to do, okay? She said meet her. She knows....
He gets choked up, but stuffs it down. Zora continues.
They arrive near the boardwalk. An abandoned ambulance is
parked in the street, its rear doors open.
GABE (CONT’D)
Here. We can wait here. They got bandages and stuff.
ZORA
Look.
Gabe does. Far head of them is the line of people holding each others bloody hands. The line starts at the shore and disappears through the city.
GABE
Get in.
They hide in the back of the ambulance. They peek out.
Another woman adds herself to the stoic, frightening scene.
Zora starts to panic.CONTINUED:
82.GABE (CONT’D)
Yeah, that’s some... That’s some
scary shit.
ZORA
What are they doing?
GABE
Looks like some kind of... fucked up performance art.
Zora looks at her dad like “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. DAY
Deeper in “The Underpass,” Adelaide arrives at the door of an
empty classroom. She stops.
Adelaide enters the...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
The classroom isn’t too different from a standard public
school classroom; rows of desks and chairs.
Red stands at the front of the class facing the chalkboard.
She SNIPS PAPER carefully with her scissors.
Adelaide walks to the center row of the class behind Red.
ADELAIDE
Where is he...?
RED
How it must have been to grow up
with the sky. To feel the sun, the wind, the trees. But your people took it for granted. We’re human too, you know. Eyes. Teeth. Hands. Blood. Exactly like you.
INT. UNDERPASS HALLWAY. DAY
We move through the empty Underpass.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
RED
And yet, it was humans that built
this place. CONTINUED:
83.I believe they figured out how to
make a copy of the body, but not the soul. The soul remains one, shared by two. They created the Tethered so they could use them to control the ones above. Like puppets.
Adelaide looks around for Jason but doesn’t see him anywhere. She moves through walking towards Red’s back. She just SNIPS away.
RED (CONT’D)
But they failed, and they abandoned the Tethered. For generations the Tethered continued without direction. They all went mad down here. And then... there was us.
EXT. FLASHBACK. SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK 1986. NIGHT
Russell throws the ball at the bottle toss booth like before.
Rayne and Young Adelaide watch.
INT. UNDERPASS HALLWAY. DAY
RED
You remember? We were born special.
INT. FLASHBACK. UNDERPASS. NIGHT
WEYLAND, Russel’s doppleganger, EARTHA, Rayne’s doppleganger,
Young Red and TONY, the bottle toss attendant’s doppleganger, engage in a darker version of the same action. The Underpass version is crazy, morbid; wordless. Like a mad ritual in an insane asylum.
We toggle between both flashbacks showing their symmetry
until we see the cafeteria where the Tethered are eating bunnies.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
Red continues cutting paper as Adelaide approaches slowly
from behind.
RED
God brought us together that night. CONTINUED:
84.EXT. FLASHBACK. SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK. WHACK A MOLE. NIGHT
Young Adelaide’s attention is drawn by THUNDER coming from
the beach.
INT. FLASHBACK. UNDERPASS. WHACK A MOLE BOOTH. NIGHT
Young Red is drawn towards the escalator.
INT. FLASHBACK. VISIONQUEST 1986. NIGHT
Young Red turns towards Young Adelaide at the threshold of
darkness. She smiles.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
ADELAIDE
I never stopped thinking about you.
How things could have been. How you could have taken me with you.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. DAY
Young Red stares at the hand across America t-shirt which is
ceremonially hanged inside of a locker.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
RED
Years after we met, the miracle
happened.
INT. FLASHBACK. DANCE RECITAL. NIGHT
Teen Adelaide dances.
INT. FLASHBACK. UNDERPASS. NIGHT
Teen Red dances.
RED (O.S.)
That’s when I saw God, and he
showed me my path. You felt it too. 85.INT. FLASHBACK. UNDERPASS. NIGHT
Teen Red finishes her dance. The Tethered audience surrounds
and reaches for Teen Red.
RED (O.S.)
The end of our dance the Tethered saw that I was different, that I would deliver them from this misery.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
RED
I found my faith and I began to prepare. It took years to plan.
INT. FLASHBACKS. UNDERPASS BARRACKS 24 HOURS EARLIER.
Gloves are put on, sandals and red jump suits zipped up.
Tethered regular clothing is placed on folded on beds.
RED (O.S.)
It took years to plan.
INT. PRESENT DAY. UNDERPASS CLASSROOM. DAY
Adult Red looks at the shrine on the wall.
RED (O.S.)
Everything had to be perfect. I
didn’t just need to kill you. I needed to make a statement that the whole world would see.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
Red holds up what she’s been cutting. It’s a chain of red
construction paper cut into the shape of four people holding hands. The sudden motion stops Adelaide in her tracks.
RED
It’s our time now. Our time up there.
Red continues cutting until there are only two paper figures left. Red turns to Adelaide.86.RED (CONT’D)
And to think, if it weren’t for
you, I never would’ve danced at all.
Adelaide continues down the center aisle between the chairs towards Red.
MUSIC: NUTCRACKER: FINAL PAS DE DEUXThe two begin to circle one another. FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET STAGE - NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide steps on stage to begin her ballet
recital in front of a rapt audience. It’s classic and beautiful.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993.
Fourteen-year-old Red stands in on of the rooms of “The
Underpass” in front of a of shadowy people observing. She steps out and begins her dance down the line. Her movements are primal, visceral and dark.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
The two fight. Adelaide rushes towards Red with the fire
poker overhead. Red parries with her scissor and pokes Adelaide in the shoulder and walks away circling Adelaide around the perimeter of the classroom. Adelaide starts pursuing her.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET. NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide’s ballet is elegant and beautiful.
She dances with a partner that’s not there.
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993.
Fourteen-year-old Red turns heads as she dances. She portrays
a girl lost and frightened in a maze.CONTINUED:
87.PRESENT DAY...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
Adelaide runs at Red on the other side of the room. Red kicks
a desk dislodging an entire row of desks towards Adelaide. Adelaide changes direction accordingly and swings at Red. Red dodges and pokes Adelaide in her side. Again, she walks away quickly, rounding some desks to reposition herself on the other side of the room.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET - NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide’s dance continues, picking up
steam.
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993.
Fourteen year-old Red dances in fear. She clutches her neck
and convulses in pain.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM. DAY
Adelaide, hurt, rises. She starts towards Red diagonally
crossing the room. She pushes the desks out of her way this time, clearing a sloppy path. She swings at Red who dodges. The fire poker sticks in the wall. Adelaide can’t immediately dislodge it. Red attack with open scissors. Adelaide takes her hands off the poker and blocks the scissors with the handcuff chain. Red kicks Adelaide who flies over some desks. Red runs out the door.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET - NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide starts to run with her dance.
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993. NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Red starts to run in her dance.CONTINUED:
88.INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. DAY
The chase explodes into the main tunnel. Red backs up as
Adelaide pursues her. They manage to avoid stepping on rabbits.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET - NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide spins perfectly.
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993. NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Red portrays a body being dragged through
the tunnel.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY/ BARRACKS HALLWAY
Adelaide chases Red around a corner. A new hallway extends in
front and behind her.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET - NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Adelaide delicately caresses her arms while
standing en pointe..
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993. NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Red reaches to the ceiling with heartbroken
longing.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS HALLWAY. DAY
Adelaide pins Red against the door. Her fire poker up against
Red’s scissors. Adelaide smiles as she pushes. Then Red quickly separates the two sides of the scissors and pokes Adelaide in the side with one of the blades sending her reeling back. Red slips through the door into...89.INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. DAY
Rows of bunks line the empty, red-tiled sleeping quarters.
It’s dark. Adelaide charges in. Red is nowhere to be seen.
Adelaide stalks through the bunks. The MUSIC crescendoes. Red emerges from the shadows behind one bunk with a huge
sneak attack. Adelaide turns, just in time.
FLASHBACK...
INT. BALLET - NIGHT
Both girls prepare for their huge finale. As the MUSIC
PEAKS...
Sixteen-year-old Adelaide runs and leaps landing perfectly
with no partner.
INT. UNDERPASS. CLASSROOM HALLWAY. 1993. NIGHT
Fourteen-year-old Red’s sorrow turns to rage she runs an
leaps but falls to the floor hard.
PRESENT DAY...
INT. UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. DAY
Red has been run through by the fire poker. She falls to the
floor. Adelaide stands over her.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. DAY
Adelaide picks up and places Red’s limp body on the bed and
sits next to it.
Red begins to whistle “ITSY BITSY SPIDER.”Adelaide pushes the chain from her handcuffs into Red’s neck.
Chocking her.. Adelaide weeps, but her weeping turns into LAUGHTER.
Red struggles and dies; Her face goes soft in the end.90.A NOISE takes her out of it. She turns sharply. She walks
over to an industrial locker/closet with ventilation slats in it. She opens it. Jason stands inside, trembling. His eyes and mouth wide open in shock.
Adelaide hugs him hard and weeps happily.
ADELAIDE
There you are, my love. I found
you!
He is frozen in fear.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
Look.
She starts wiping his tears but smears blood across his cheek.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
They’re all gone now, ok? They can’t hurt you. You understand..? Jason? Do you? Everything is going to be like it was before.
She starts to shake him. And realizes he’s afraid of her. She stops and an awful expression comes over her face. He heard. She keeps wiping his cheek obsessively but just smears more and more blood.
ADELAIDE (CONT’D)
It’s going to be like before and you will never have to leave me. I promise. Never, ever, ever, ever...
INT. AMBULANCE. DAY
Gabe and Zora hide inside. Zora goes to the back window and
opens the door. They turn to see Adelaide arrive with Jason in tow.
MOMENTS LATER...
The ambulance drives. We see each persons’ traumatized face.
Jason watches his mother.
RUSSELL (O.S.)
What...? She wasn’t in Nam’; she got lost for fifteen minutes.
DR. FOSTER (O.S.)
That can be very scary. CONTINUED:
91.RAYNE (O.S.)
We don’t know what happened to her.
FLASHBACK...
INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE. DAY
Young Adelaide listens to her parents talk to the
psychiatrist.
RUSSELL
So, how do we get her to talk?
INT. THE WILSON’S BAYSIDE HOUSE. BASEMENT. DAY
The mini home ballet studio. Young Adelaide practices
methodically in front of the mirror.
DR. FOSTER (O.S.)
I think we need to encourage her to draw, write... dance... anything to help her tell us her story... but we have to be patient.
INT. VISION QUEST PORTAL. NIGHT
We are inside the Vision Quest portal looking out at the
beach and ocean. Young Adelaide, (the real one) stands by the water. Lightning bursts in the distance over the ocean. Then, beckoned by the mysterious portal, she walks towards us.
It’s the same shot we saw earlier but now we also see the
reverse. Young Red stands hiding half behind a mirrored wall inside. She’s wickedly entranced by the sight of approaching Young Adelaide. She backs up into the darkness.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. MAIN HALLWAY. NIGHT
Young Red drags Young Adelaide as a few people mill around.
There are no rabbits on the ground.
INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. 1986. NIGHT
Young Red stands by the bed with Young Adelaide unconscious
in it. She leaves.CONTINUED:
92.INT. THE UNDERPASS. BARRACKS. 1986. NIGHT
Young Adelaide tries to get up, but finds her hand tethered
to the bed frame by a pair of custom-made, brass handcuffs. Young Red (now just “Adelaide”) is gone. She’s alone. She struggles and starts to cry when...
Other figures arrive, back from dinner. They move slowly and
are obscured with shadow. Eartha and Weyland, the other versions of Adelaide’s parents, approach her silently. They stand over the bed.
YOUNG ADELAIDE
(Her voice is rough from
having been choked)
Mom! Dad! I wanna go home.
Eartha and Weyland look at each other. They don’t understand her words. Young Adelaide realizes they are not her parents. Eartha pets her on the head.
INT. RAYNE’S CAR. NIGHT
Rayne, drives Russell and Young Adelaide away from the
boardwalk. The rain has picked up. Rayne and Russell argue, but Young Adelaide, in the back, focuses on a far away thought. Slowly she begins to smile. This is not Young Adelaide, it’s the other little girl from below.
PRESENT DAY...
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE. DAY
CUE: LES FLEURSBirds-eye view follows the ambulance driving inland, towards
the country before we diverge towards the open terrain. As we continue through the sky, we find the row of people standing hand-in-hand. We follow it.
The line goes on, and on, and on towards the rising sun.93. | screenplays |
\section{Introduction}
\par
In our previous work [1] we derived linearized Fokker - Planck equation for incompressible fluid
$$
\int_V n dv_x dv_y dv_z = 0 .
\eqno (1)$$
$$
{\partial n \over \partial t} +
v_j {\partial n \over \partial x_j} -
\alpha\ {\partial \over \partial v_j} (v_j n ) +
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v_j v_j
\right]\
v_k
{\partial p \over \partial x_k}
= k\ {\partial^2 n \over \partial v_j \partial v_j} .
\eqno (2)$$
\par\noindent
where
\par\noindent
$n = n(t, x_1 , x_2 , x_3 , v_1 , v_2 , v_3 )$ - density;
\par\noindent
$p = p(t, x_1 , x_2 , x_3 )$ - pressure;
\par\noindent
$t$ - time variable;
\par\noindent
$x_1 , x_2 , x_3 $ - space coordinates;
\par\noindent
$v_1 , v_2 , v_3$ - velocities;
\par\noindent
$\alpha$ - coefficient of damping;
\par\noindent
$k$ - coefficient of diffusion.
\par
No attempt was made to solve this equation.
\par
Peculiarity of this equation consists in the fact, that for two unknown variables $n$ and $p$ we have only one differential equation. This is enough, because there is additional normalization requirement (1) on $n$ variable and $p$ variable depends only on space coordinates $x, y, z$ and time $t$.
\par
In [2] some simple solutions of nonlinear equation were studied. Particularly flow with zero pressure is of interest for our present studies, because for this flow the source of nonlinearity is absent. This flow solves both nonlinear and linear equations.
\par
Present work is devoted to solution of linearized equation. We consider only the case of parallelepiped with opposite sides identified (i.e. "periodic boundary conditions"). We try to formulate and solve Cauchy problem for linearized equation.
\section{Fourier decomposition of solution}
\par
We know the form of Cauchy problem solution for the case of usual Fokker-Planck equation (see [3]).
$$
n (t, x_j , v_j ) =
\sum_{ m_1 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
\sum_{ m_2 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
\sum_{ m_3 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
\sum_{ p_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ p_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ p_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 } (t)\ \phi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 } ,
\eqno (3)$$
\par\noindent
where eigenfunctions of usual Fokker - Planck operator are
$$
\phi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } =
\prod_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\exp
\left(
2 \pi i {m_j \over a_j }( x_j - {v_j \over \alpha })
\right)
\exp
\left(
- {\alpha \over 2k } v_j^2
\right)
H_{{n}_j}
\left(
\sqrt {\alpha \over { 2k }}
\left(
v_j +
{ {4 \pi i m_j k } \over { \alpha^2 a_j } }
\right)
\right)
.
\eqno (4)$$
\par
It is only natural to seek solution of the present problem in the same form. We need only add expression for the new $p$ variable
$$
p(t, x_j ) =
\sum_{ m_1 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
\sum_{ m_2 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
\sum_{ m_3 = - \infty }^{ + \infty }
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
\prod_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\exp
\left(
2 \pi i {m_j \over a_j }x_j
\right) ,
\eqno (5)$$
\par
We try to represent the coefficient before ${\partial p \over \partial x_k} $ in equation (2) in the same way as a sum of Fourier series
$$
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\prod_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\exp
\left(
2 \pi i {m_j \over a_j }x_j
\right)
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v_j v_j
\right]\
v_k =
\eqno (6)$$
$$
=
\sum_{ p_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ p_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ p_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (k) \phi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } .
$$
\par
In expressions (3, 5, 6) we introduced following Fourier coefficients:
\par\noindent
$A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 } (t)$ - coefficients of decomposition unknown variable $n$;
\par\noindent
$P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)$ - coefficients of decomposition of unknown variable $p$;
\par\noindent
$B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (k)$ - coefficients of decomposition of known variable, which represent coefficient before $p$ gradient. Values of $B$ are presented below.
\par
Using these coefficients, we rewrite equation (2) as
$$
{d \over dt }A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
+
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (7)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i {m_k \over a_k }B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (k)
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par
We reduced the partial differential equation (2) to system of ordinary differential equations for Fourier coefficients. To proceed with solution, we need expressions for known coefficients $B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (k)$.
\section{Expressions for Fourier coefficients}
\par
In this auxiliary section we find explicit expressions for Fourier coefficients of some known functions of velocities. These functions are products of multipliers, which depend only on one independent variable. Therefore we can consider only one velocity variable in this section.
\par
We start from definitions
$$
\phi_{mn} =
\exp \left(
- { {2 \pi i m} \over {\alpha a} } v
\right)\
\exp
\left(
- {\alpha \over {2k} } v^2
\right)
H_n
\left(
\sqrt {\alpha \over { 2k } }
\left(
v +
{ {4 \pi i m k} \over {\alpha^2 a }}
\right)
\right)
.
\eqno (8)$$
$$
\psi_{mn} =
\exp \left(
- { {2 \pi i m} \over {\alpha a} } v
\right)\
H_n
\left(
\sqrt {\alpha \over { 2k }}
\left(
v +
{{ 4 \pi i m k} \over {\alpha^2 a} }
\right)
\right)
.
\eqno (9)$$
\par
Functions $\phi_{mn}$ and $\psi_{mn}$ are of course orthogonal (see [3])
$$
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\phi_{mp}\ \ \psi_{mq} dv =
\exp
\left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }\
\left(
{4 \pi m k \over \alpha^2 a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over \alpha }}
\delta_{pq} (-2)^p p! .
\eqno (10)$$
\par
Let us find Fourier coefficients for following functions:
$$
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right] =
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}
a_{mn} \phi_{mn} .
\eqno (11)$$
$$
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\
v =
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}
b_{mn} \phi_{mn} .
\eqno (12)$$
\par
To find these coefficients, we need to calculate integrals
$$
a_{mn} =
\exp
\left[
{\alpha \over 2k }\
\left(
{4 \pi m k \over \alpha^2 a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\sqrt {{\alpha \over 2 \pi k}}
{1 \over (-2)^n n! }
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ \ \psi_{mn} dv .
\eqno (13)$$
$$
b_{mn} =
\exp
\left[
{\alpha \over 2k }\
\left(
{4 \pi m k \over \alpha^2 a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\sqrt {{\alpha \over 2 \pi k}}
{1 \over (-2)^n n! }
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ v\ \psi_{mn} dv .
\eqno (14)$$
\par
We calculated these integrals in our previous work [2]
$$
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ \psi_{mn} dv =
\eqno (15)$$
$$
=
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ \exp \left(
- {2 \pi i m \over \alpha a} v
\right)\
H_n
\left(
\sqrt {{\alpha \over 2k }}
\left(
v +
{4 \pi i m k \over \alpha^2 a}
\right)
\right)\ dv =
$$
$$
=
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a }}
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{n/2}
\exp \left[
- {k \over 2 \alpha}
\left(
{2 \pi m \over \alpha a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\left(
{2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^n .
$$
$$
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ v\ \psi_{mn} dv =
\eqno (16)$$
$$
=
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ v\ \exp \left(
- {2 \pi i m \over \alpha a} v
\right)\
H_n
\left(
\sqrt {{\alpha \over 2k }}
\left(
v +
{4 \pi i m k \over \alpha^2 a}
\right)
\right)\ dv =
$$
$$
=
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a }}
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{n/2}
\exp \left[
- {k \over 2 \alpha}
\left(
{2 \pi m \over \alpha a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\left[
-
{k \over \alpha}
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^{n+1} +
n\
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^{n-1}
\right]
.
$$
\par
Thus we get following expressions for Fourier coefficients
\boxit{
$$
a_{mn} =
\exp \left[
6 {k \over \alpha }\left(
{\pi m \over \alpha a}
\right)^2
\right]\
{1 \over 2^n n! }
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{n/2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^n
.
\eqno (17)$$
}
\boxit{
$$
b_{mn} =
\exp \left[
6 {k \over \alpha }\left(
{\pi m \over \alpha a}
\right)^2
\right]\
{1 \over 2^n n! }
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{n/2}
\left[
-
{k \over \alpha}
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^{n+1} +
n\
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^{n-1}
\right] .
\eqno (18)$$
}
\section{Dynamics of Fourier coefficients}
\par
In this section we substitute expressions for known coefficients in terms of $a_{{m}_2 n_2}$ and $b_{{m}_1 n_1}$ coefficients, which we find in the last section, to the main equation (7). Namely, we use expressions
$$
B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (1) =
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
b_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} .
\eqno (19)$$
$$
B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (2) =
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
a_{{m}_1 n_1}
b_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} .
\eqno (20)$$
$$
B_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (3) =
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
b_{{m}_3 n_3} .
\eqno (21)$$
\par
Then (7) reads
$$
{d \over dt }A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
+
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (22)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 }b_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
{m_2 \over a_2 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
b_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
\right.
$$
$$
+
\left.
{m_3 \over a_3 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
b_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right)\
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par\noindent
or
$$
{d \over dt }A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
+
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (23)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3}\
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 }b_{{m}_1 n_1
\over a_{ }m_1 n_1} +
{m_2 \over a_2 }b_{{m}_2 n_2
\over a_{ }m_2 n_2}
\right.
+
$$
$$
+
\left.
{m_3 \over a_3 }b_{{m}_3 n_3
\over a_{ }m_3 n_3}
\right)\
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par
This is main equation, which describe dynamics of Fourier coefficients. We delay actual substitution of $a_{{m}_i n_j}$ and $b_{{m}_i n_j}$ until (31).
\section{Incompressibility condition}
\par
We use the incompressibility condition (1) to eliminate $P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t) $ from (23).
\par
(1) and (3) imply
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)\
\int_V
\phi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 }
dv_x dv_y dv_z
= 0 .
\eqno (24)$$
\par
Let us denote
$$
c_{mn} =
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\exp \left[
- {\alpha \over 2k }v^2
\right]\ \psi_{mn} dv =
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\phi_{mn} dv =
\eqno (25)$$
$$
=
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a }}
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{n/2}
\exp \left[
- {k \over 2 \alpha}
\left(
{2 \pi m \over \alpha a}
\right)^2
\right]\
\left(
{2 \pi i m \over \alpha a}
\right)^n .
$$
\par
So incompressibility condition is equivalent to following equation
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)\
= 0 .
\eqno (26)$$
\par
Let us suppose, that coefficients $A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)$ satisfy (26) at the moment $t$. They must satisfy this equation at the next moment $t+dt$. Values of $A$ at the next moment are defined by dynamics equation (23), which contains besides $A(t)$ also pressure $P$. Therefore incompressibility condition, written for the next moment, will give us equation for pressure $P$. Derivation of this equation is rather long procedure, which ends in equation (42).
\par
Differentiate (26) on time $t$ and get
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
A'_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)\
= 0 .
\eqno (27)$$
\par
Let us find $A'_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)$ from (22) and substitute this value to (27)
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (28)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
\times
$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 }b_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
{m_2 \over a_2 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
b_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right.
+
$$
$$
+
\left.
{m_3 \over a_3 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
b_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right)\
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par
Let us use (26) to remove term with $\left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2$
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (29)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{1 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
\times
$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 }b_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
{m_2 \over a_2 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
b_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right.
+
$$
$$
+
\left.
{m_3 \over a_3 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
b_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right)\
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\ =
0
.
$$
\par
We can easily calculate the sums on $n_i$ in RHS of (29). For this purpose let us introduce the partial sum on the group of terms with constant $(n_1 + n_2 + n_3 ) = J$.
$$
S_J
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sum_{ n_1 + n_2 + n_3 = J }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
\times
\eqno (30)$$
$$
\times
a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3}
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 } {b_{m_1 n_1} \over a_{ m_1 n_1 }}
+
{m_2 \over a_2 } {b_{m_2 n_2} \over a_{ m_2 n_2} }
+
{m_3 \over a_3 } {b_{m_3 n_3} \over a_{ m_3 n_3 } }
\right)\ .
$$
\par
Let us substitute to (30) values of coefficients $a_{ij} , b_{ij} , c_{ij}$
$$
S_J
=
\left(
{\alpha^2 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
\left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)^J
\times
\eqno (31)$$
$$
\times
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2
\right]\
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2
\right]\
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right]\
\times
$$
$$
\times
\left(
{k \over \alpha}
\left[
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right]
+
J
\right)
\times
$$
$$
\times
\sum_{ n_1 + n_2 + n_3 = J }
{1 \over {n_1} ! }
{1 \over {n_2} ! }
{1 \over {n_3} ! }
\left(
{2 \pi i m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{{2n}}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{{2n}}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{{2n}}_3}
.
$$
\par
The last sum according to Newton's binomial theorem is
$$
S_J
=
\left(
{\alpha^2 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
\times
\eqno (32)$$
$$
\times
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2
\right]\
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2
\right]\
\exp \left[
{k \over \alpha }\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right]\
\times
$$
$$
\times
\left(
{k \over \alpha}
\left[
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right]
+
J
\right)
\times
$$
$$
\times
{1 \over J }!
\left[
\left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)\
\left(
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi i m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right)
\right]^J
.
$$
\par
We see, that result $S_J$ depends on two variables $J = n_1 + n_2 + n_3$ and $M$
$$
M =
\left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)\
\left(
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right) .
\eqno (33)$$
\par
With this variables (32) reads
$$
S_J
=
\left(
{\alpha^2 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
\times
\eqno (34)$$
$$
\times\
e^M
\left(
M + J
\right)
{1 \over J }!
(-M)^J
.
$$
\par
The last effort is to calculate sum on $J$
$$
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
S_J =
\left(
{\alpha^2 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
\times
\eqno (35)$$
$$
\times\
e^M
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
\left(
M + J
\right)
{1 \over J }!
(-M)^J ;
$$
$$
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
\left(
M + J
\right)
{1 \over J }!
(-M)^J =
M e^{-M} +
(-M) e^{-M} =
0 .
\eqno (36)$$
\par\noindent
that is coefficient by $P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)$ in (29) is zero and (29) reads
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
= 0 .
\eqno (37)$$
\par
This result is a little disappointment, because we still not get desired equation for $P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)$. We need insistence to achieve success. The result is already near.
\par
Differentiate (37) again on $t$
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )
A'_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
= 0 .
\eqno (38)$$
\par\noindent
and substitute $A'$ from (22)
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (39)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )
\times
$$
$$
\times
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 }b_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
{m_2 \over a_2 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
b_{{m}_2 n_2}
a_{{m}_3 n_3} +
\right.
$$
$$
+
\left.
{m_3 \over a_3 }a_{{m}_1 n_1}
a_{{m}_2 n_2}
b_{{m}_3 n_3}
\right)\
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par
Let us use (37) to remove terms with $\left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2$ in (39). To calculate coefficient before $P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)$ we perform once again summation on group of terms with constant $(n_1 + n_2 + n_3 ) = J$. The sum for each group is calculated as before, but this time this sum is multiplied by $J$ before final summation on $J$
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
\alpha
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (40)$$
$$
=
\left(
{\alpha^2 \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
e^M
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
\left(
M + J
\right)
{J \over J }!
(- M)^J
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
\par
This time the sum on $J$ is not zero
$$
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
\left(
M + J
\right)
{J \over J }!
(-M)^J =
- M^2 e^{-M} +
(-M)^2 e^{-M} -
M e^{-M} =
-M e^{-M} ,
\eqno (41)$$
\par\noindent
and we get finally equation for pressure, which follows from incompressibility condition
\boxit{
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (42)$$
$$
=
-
\left(
{\alpha \over k }\right)\
\left( {\alpha \over 2 \pi k} \right)^{3/2}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_1 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_2 }}
\sqrt {{2 \pi k \over a_3 }}
M
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)\
.
$$
}
\par
(42) is algebraic equation, but in the same time it is Fourier transform of some differential equation for original unknown variable $n$. Namely according to (33) $M = \left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)\
\left(
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{ 2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^2
\right)$ . Each $m_i^2$ term in (42) is Fourier transform of second partial derivative of $p$ on corresponding space variable, their sum is Fourier transform of Laplace operator. Therefore (42) is Fourier transform of Poisson's equation for pressure.
\par
Solve this equation for $P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t)$ and get
$$
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t) =
{-1 \over M }\left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)\
\left( {2 \pi k \over \alpha }\right)^{3/2}
\sqrt { {a_1 \over 2 \pi k}}
\sqrt { {a_2 \over 2 \pi k}}
\sqrt { {a_3 \over 2 \pi k}}
\times
\eqno (43)$$
$$
\times
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
c_{{m}_1 n_1}
c_{{m}_2 n_2}
c_{{m}_3 n_3}
( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
.
$$
\par
Let us take values of $c_{mn}$ from (25)
$$
P_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 } (t) =
{-\exp (- M / 2 ) \over M }\left(
{k \over \alpha }\right)\
\left( {2 \pi k \over \alpha }\right)^{3/2}
\times
\eqno (44)$$
$$
\times
\sum_{ \nu_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 ) /2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \nu_1 \nu_2 \nu_3 } (t)
.
$$
\par\noindent
and substitute result to (23)
$$
{d \over dt }A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
+
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (45)$$
$$
=
2 \pi i\
a_{m_1 n_1}
a_{m_2 n_2}
a_{m_3 n_3}\
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1 } {b_{m_1 n_1} \over a_{ m_1 n_1}} +
{m_2 \over a_2 } {b_{m_2 n_2} \over a_{ m_2 n_2}} +
{m_3 \over a_3 } {b_{m_3 n_3} \over a_{ m_3 n_3}}
\right)\
{ {\exp (- M / 2 )} \over { (-M) }}
\times
$$
$$
\times
\sum_{ \nu_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\left(
{2k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 ) /2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi i m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \nu_1 \nu_2 \nu_3 } (t)
.
$$
\par
To get final result, substitute values of $a_{mn}$ from (17)
\boxit{
$$
{d \over dt }A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
+
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } (t)
=
\eqno (46)$$
$$
=
{\exp ( M ) \over (-M)}
{1 \over 2^{{n}_1 + n_2 + n_3} n_1 ! n_2 ! n_3 !}
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{{(} n_1 + n_2 + n_3 ) /2}
\times
$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_3}
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
\times
$$
$$
\times
\sum_{ \nu_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ \nu_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 ) /2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 )^2
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \nu_1 \nu_2 \nu_3 } (t)
.
$$
}
\par
We totally eliminated pressure from dynamic equation. Thus the problem is reduced to the system of ordinary linear differential equations (46). Such systems are solved by Euler's exponential substitution. The only difficulty is, that the number of variables is indefinitely great. We try to integrate (46) using special properties of its matrix.
\section{Special eigenvalue problem}
\par
In this section we consider purely algebraic eigenvalue problem for special form of matrices.
\par
Let the matrix have the following form
$$
M_{ij} = D_{ij} + P_{ij} ;
\eqno (47)$$
\par\noindent
where $D_{ij}$ - diagonal matrix
$$
D_{ij} = \left\{ \matrix { 0;\ \ i \ne j \cr d_{i;}\ \ i = j} \right.
\eqno (48)$$
\par\noindent
$P_{ij}$ - diadic product matrix
$$
P_{ij} = l_i r_j .
\eqno (49)$$
\par
The eigenvalue problem consists of following tasks:
\par\noindent
1) To find a set of eigenvectors $x$ such, that matrix product of $M$ and $x$ is proportional to $x$
$$
M_{ij} x_i = \lambda x_j .
\eqno (50)$$
\par\noindent
2) To find corresponding set of proportionality coefficients - eigenvalues $\lambda$.
\par
For our special form of matrix
$$
( D_{ij} - \lambda\ \delta_{ij} ) x_j +
l_i \ ( r_k x_k ) = 0;
\eqno (51)$$
\par
Let us denote
$$
S = r_k x_k ;
\eqno (52)$$
\par
Then
$$
( d_1 - \lambda )\ {x_1 \over l_1 }=
( d_2 - \lambda )\ {x_2 \over l_2 }=
... = - S .
\eqno (53)$$
\par
This gives very simple expression for components of eigenvector, provided eigenvalue $\lambda$ is evident
$$
x_i = {-S l_i \over ( d_i - \lambda )} .
\eqno (54)$$
\par
Substitute this expression to (52) and get
$$
\sum_k
{-S\ l_k r_k \over ( d_k - \lambda )} = S .
\eqno (55)$$
\par
Two cases are possible here. The common case is $S != 0$.
$$
\sum_k
{l_k r_k \over ( d_k - \lambda )} + 1 = 0.
\eqno (56)$$
\par
(56) gives equation for $\lambda$. When all $d_i $ are different, algebraic equation (56) has degree $n$, where $n$ - dimension of matrix $M$.
\par
If all roots of (56) are different, we get the full set of eigenvalues, then from (54) we find full set of eigenvectors. Exact value of $S$ is of no meaning, we can put for example $S=1$ in (54).
\par
For example, when all $( l_k r_k )$ are positive or all are negative and all $d_i$ are real (and different - see above), one could guarantee that all $n$ roots of (56) are real and different. This follows from the fact, that $d_i$ separate the roots of (56). Therefore there are $n-1$ roots between $d_i$ and one more root $x_1 min (d_i )$ (the case $l_i r_i 0$). This fact makes numeric evaluation of roots rather simple. Unfortunately we deal with quite opposite case - signs of our $( l_k r_k )$ are alternating. Nevertheless we shall find roots - see below.
\par
When some $d_i$ are equal, equation (56) has less roots then matrix degree. We can consider this case as confluent. In this case additional eigenvalues $\lambda$ (besides roots of (56)) must be equal to iterated value $d_i$ and we must put for these eigenvalues $S=0$ in (53). Then all $x_i $ , besides that in columns, corresponding to iterated $d_i$, must be zero. The rest nonzero $x_i$ must satisfy orthogonality condition (52) (with $S=0$).
\par
Let us consider the eigenvalue problem for transposed matrix $M^T $ . Let us denote $y$ - eigenvectors for $M^T$. Then
$$
( D_{ij} - \lambda\ \delta_{ij} ) y_i +
( l_k y_k ) r_j = 0;
\eqno (57)$$
\par\noindent
or
$$
( a_i - \lambda ) {y_i \over r_i} = - S .
\eqno (58)$$
$$
y_i = {-S r_i \over ( d_i - \lambda )} .
\eqno (59)$$
$$
S = l_k y_k =
\sum_k {-S\ l_k r_k \over ( d_k - \lambda )}
.
\eqno (60)$$
\par
We get for $\lambda$ equation (56) once again - eigenvalues of conjugated problems are equal. Components of eigenvectors for conjugated problem are calculated from (59), where $S$ is arbitrary nonzero number, for example $S = 1$.
\par
Eigenvector for conjugated problems with different eigenvalues $\lambda$ and $\mu$ are orthogonal:
$$
\sum_k x_k y_k =
\sum_k
{- l_k \over ( d_k - \lambda )}
{- r_k \over ( d_k - \mu )} =
\sum_k
{l_k r_k \over \lambda - \mu}
\left(
{1 \over ( d_k - \lambda )} -
{1 \over ( d_k - \mu )}
\right) =
\eqno (61)$$
$$
=
{1 \over \lambda - \mu}
\left(
\sum_k
{l_k r_k \over ( d_k - \lambda )}
-
\sum_k
{l_k r_k \over ( d_k - \mu )}
\right)
=
{1 \over \lambda - \mu}
\left(
-1 + 1
\right) = 0.
$$
\section{Application to equation (46)}
\par
Let us return to our equation (46). Comparing with previous section, we could identify matrix components in the following way.
\par
Diagonal components of the matrix are equal to:
$$
d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3} =
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right] .
\eqno (62)$$
\par
Diagonal components depend only on $M$ (see (33)) and $J = \sum n_l$. Therefore we deal with confluent case - see previous section. Some eigenvalues are equal to $d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}$.
\par
Nondiagonal components of the matrix are equal to:
$$
l_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3} =
{\exp ( M ) \over M }
{1 \over {2^{n_1 + n_2 + n_3} n_1 ! n_2 ! n_3 !} }
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{{(} n_1 + n_2 + n_3 ) /2}
\times
\eqno (63)$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_3}
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
.
$$
$$
r_{{\nu}_1 \nu_2 \nu_3} =
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 ) /2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 )^2
.
\eqno (64)$$
\par
In all cases we replaced index $(i)$ with multiindex ${( n_1 n_2 n_3 )}.$
\par
Characteristic equation for $\lambda$ is
$$
\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
{l_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3} r_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}
\over \lambda -
{d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3} }}
=
\eqno (65)$$
$$
=
{e^M \over M }\sum_{ n_1 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_2 = 0 }^{ \infty }
\sum_{ n_3 = 0 }^{ \infty }
{ \sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
\over \lambda - \sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\ }
\times
$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{-k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )}
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{2n}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{2n}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{2n}_3}
{( n_1 + n_2 + n_3 )^2
\over n_1 ! n_2 ! n_3 !} =
1 .
$$
\par
Let us once again calculate partial sum $S_J$ of terms, for which $n_1 + n_2 + n_3 = J$. We have
$$
S_J =
{e^M \over M }\left(
{\alpha (J + M) J^2 \over \lambda - \alpha (J + M) }
\right)
{(-M)^J \over J }! .
\eqno (66)$$
$$
\sum_{J=0}^{\infty}
S_J =
\left(
1 - M
\right)
- {\lambda \over \alpha }{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \lambda / \alpha )}\
\times
\eqno (67)$$
$$
\times\
\left[
\gamma ( ( 2 + M - \lambda / \alpha ), M) -
\gamma ( ( 1 + M - \lambda / \alpha ), M)
\right]
= 1
.
$$
\par
where $\gamma ( p, z)$ is incomplete gamma - function (see [4], [5])
$$
\gamma ( p, z) =
\int_{t=0}^{t=z}
e^{-t} t^{p-1}
dt .
\eqno (68)$$
\par
(65) reads now
$$
M
+ {\lambda \over \alpha }{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \lambda / \alpha )}\
\left[
\gamma ( ( 2 + M - \lambda / \alpha ), M) -
\gamma ( ( 1 + M - \lambda / \alpha ), M)
\right]
= 0
.
\eqno (69)$$
\par
We see, that all eigenvalues $\lambda$ are proportional to $\alpha$
$$
\lambda = \xi \alpha ,
\eqno (70)$$
\par
where coefficients $\xi$ are roots of equation
\boxit{
$$
M + \xi
{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \xi )}\
\left[
\gamma ( ( 2 + M - \xi ), M) -
\gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
\right]
= 0
.
\eqno (71)$$
}
\par
We can further simplify (71) using known recurrence (see [4], 9.2)
$$
\gamma (p+1, z) =
p \gamma (p, z) - x^p e^{-x} .
\eqno (72)$$
$$
M + \xi
{e^M \over M } M^{- ( M - \xi )}\
\left[
( 1 + M - \xi ) \gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
\right.
-
\eqno (73)$$
$$
\left.
-
M^{( 1 + M - \xi )} e^{-M} -
\gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
\right]
= 0
.
$$
$$
M + \xi
{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \xi )}\
\left[
( M - \xi ) \gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M) -
M^{{(} 1 + M - \xi )} e^{-M}
\right]
= 0
.
\eqno (74)$$
$$
M - \xi + \xi
{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \xi )}\
( M - \xi ) \gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
= 0
.
\eqno (75)$$
\par
One exact root of equation (75) we can find easily - this is root
$$
\xi = M .
\eqno (76)$$
\par
Another roots satisfy reduced equation
\boxit{
$$
1 + \xi
{e^M \over M }M^{{-(} M - \xi )}\
\gamma ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
= 0
.
\eqno (77)$$
}
\par
Another form of (77) we obtain using modified incomplete gamma function
$$
\gamma^* (p, x) =
{x^{-p} \over { \Gamma (p) } }
\gamma (p, x) .
\eqno (78)$$
\par
This form is
$$
1 + \xi
{e^M}
\Gamma ( 1 + M - \xi )\
\gamma^* ( ( 1 + M - \xi ), M)
= 0
.
\eqno (79)$$
\par
Advantage of this form is that $\gamma^* ( p, x)$ is a single valued analytic function of $p$ and $x$ possessing no finite singularities.
\par
We calculate some roots of equation (77) using definition of incomplete gamma-function (66 - 67). Namely we keep only finite number of terms in the sum (66 - 67) and solve resulting algebraic equation using Newton's method. As the number of terms increase, the roots converge rapidly.
\par
As initial approximation for roots we use position of poles, that is we search roots in the close vicinity of the pole. We keep corresponding term and approximate contribution of the rest poles by two first terms of Taylor series. So we have quadratic equation. When this equation has two conjugated roots, Newton's iterations converge to two conjugated roots of full equation. When quadratic equation has two real roots, one root is really located in the poles vicinity and another is far enough, so that Newton's iterations diverge.
\par
The results of our calculations are presented in the Table 1 (see APPENDIX). We see, that:
\par\noindent
- All roots have positive real part. Therefore exists root with the least real part and roots can be ordered according their real part in ascending order. In the following we suppose that such ordering is done.
\par\noindent
- For each $M$ only finite number of roots are complex and imaginary part of roots decreases with root number.
\par\noindent
- Starting from some root all roots are real (tail).
\par\noindent
- Real roots are located very close to poles (natural numbers) and rapidly get indistinguishable.
\par
On this stage we shall content ourself by these experimental results and shall not try to give them rigorous proof. The theory of distribution of roots of analytic functions in question is rather ample (see [6], [7], [8]).
\par
As we see from previous section, besides roots of (77) there exist eigenvalues, which are exactly equal to diagonal values $d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}$ (62). They correspond to zero-pressure solutions from our work [2]. Orthogonality conditions (52), which must be satisfied by eigenfunctions, according to (64) and (43) mean, that $P_{{m}_1 m_2 m_3} (t) = 0$.
\section{Solution of Cauchy problem}
\par
In this section we describe construction of solution of linearized Fokker - Planck equation for incompressible fluid.
\par
1) To setup Cauchy problem we must set initial value of $n$ variable. This initial value $n_0 = n_0 (x_1 , x_2 , x_3 , v_1 , v_2 , v_3 )$ must satisfy incompressibility condition (1). There is no need to set initial value of pressure, because it is fully determined by $n$ (see (42)).
\par
2) Calculate Fourier coefficients $A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 } (0)$ (see [3] for details):
$$
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 }(0) =
{1 \over 2^{{p}_1 + p_2 + p_3}
p_1 !
p_2 !
p_3 !}\
\left(
{\alpha \over 2 \pi k}
\right)^{ {3 \over 2 }}
{1 \over a_1 a_2 a_3}
\times
\eqno (80)$$
$$
\times
\exp
\left[
{\alpha \over 2k }\
\left(
{4 \pi k \over \alpha^2}
\right)^2
\left(
\left(
{m_1 \over a_1}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{m_2 \over a_2}
\right)^2 +
\left(
{m_3 \over a_3}
\right)^2
\right)
\right]
\times
$$
$$
\times
\int_0^{{a}_1}
dx_1
\int_0^{{a}_2}
dx_2
\int_0^{{a}_3}
dx_3
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
\int_{{-} \infty}^{\infty}
n_0 (x_1 , x_2 , x_3 , v_1 , v_2 , v_3 )\ \
\psi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 p_1 p_2 p_3 }
dv_1
dv_2
dv_3
.
$$
\par\noindent
where
$$
\psi_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 } =
\prod_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\exp
\left(
- 2 \pi i {m_j \over a }( x_j + {v_j \over \alpha })
\right) \
H_{{n}_j}
\left(
\sqrt {{\alpha \over 2k }}
\left(
v_j +
{4 \pi i {m_j} k \over \alpha^2 a_j}
\right)
\right)
.
\eqno (81)$$
\par
3) Change from eigenfunctions of simple Fokker - Planck equations to eigenfunctions of linearized Fokker - Planck equation
for incompressible fluid. According to (61) projection of vector $A_k$ on eigenvector $x_{\mu}$, corresponding to eigenvalue $\lambda$, is
$$
A_{\lambda} =
{ \sum_k A_k y_k \over \sum_k y_k y_k }
=
\left(
{ \sum_k A_k {r_k \over ( \lambda - d_k )} }
\right)\ \
/\ \
\left(
{ \sum_k {r_k^2 \over ( \lambda - d_k )^2} }
\right)
\eqno (82)$$
\par\noindent
or according to (64)
$$
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \lambda }(0)
=
\left(
\sum_{{\nu}_1 \nu_2 \nu_3}
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \nu_1 \nu_2 \nu_3 }(0)\
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 ) /2}
\right.
\times
\eqno (83)$$
$$
\times
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
\times
$$
$$
\times
\left.
{ ( \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 )^2
\over ( \lambda - d_{{\nu}_1 \nu_2 \nu_3} )}
\right)\ \
/\ \
\left(
{ \sum_k {r_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}^2 \over ( \lambda - d_{{\nu}_1 \nu_2 \nu_3} )^2} }
\right)
$$
\par\noindent
where $d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}$ is defined by (62), $r_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}$ is defined by (64).
\par
4) Initial field can contain some zero pressure solutions. Let us suppose, that there exist a group of coefficients with constant $J = \sum \nu_l$, for which
$$
\sum_{ \nu_1 + \nu_2 + \nu_3 = J}
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \nu_1 \nu_2 \nu_3 }(0)\
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a_1}
\right)^{{\nu}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a_2}
\right)^{{\nu}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a_3}
\right)^{{\nu}_3}
= 0 .
\eqno (84)$$
\par
This group does not contribute to any $A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \lambda }$ (see 83). Such groups, if present, we must consider separately. They correspond to zero pressure solutions of our work [2].
\par
5) Given initial values of $A_{\lambda}$ we can calculate their values for the arbitrary moment $t$ according to exponential law
$$
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \lambda }(t) =
e^{{-} \lambda t }
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \lambda }(0) .
\eqno (85)$$
\par
6) Evolution of zero pressure solution is determined by exponential multiplier $e^{{-} \alpha (J+M) t}$.
\par
7) Inverse transition from $A_{\lambda}$ to $A_k$ is
$$
A_k = \sum_{\lambda}
A_{\lambda} {l_k \over ( \lambda - d_k )}
\eqno (86)$$
\par\noindent
or according to (63)
$$
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 n_1 n_2 n_3 }(t)
= \sum_{\lambda}
A_{ m_1 m_2 m_3 \lambda }(t)
{\exp ( M ) \over M }\times
\eqno (87)$$
$$
\times
{1 \over 2^{{n}_1 + n_2 + n_3} n_1 ! n_2 ! n_3 !}
\left(
{-2k \over \alpha }\right)^{{(} n_1 + n_2 + n_3 ) /2}
\times
$$
$$
\times\
\left(
{2 \pi m_1 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_1}
\left(
{2 \pi m_2 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_2}
\left(
{2 \pi m_3 \over \alpha a}
\right)^{{n}_3}
\sum_{{j=1}}^{{j=3}}
\left[
\alpha n_j +
k\ \left(
{2 \pi m_j \over \alpha a_j }
\right)^2
\right]\
{1
\over ( \lambda - d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3} )} .
$$
\par\noindent
$d_{{n}_1 n_2 n_3}$ defined by (62).
\par
8) Contribution from zero pressure solutions must be added to (87).
\par
9) Pressure for each moment of time is determined by (44).
\shead{DISCUSSION}
\par\noindent
We see that spectral properties of Fokker - Planck linearized differential operator for incompressible fluid are different from properties of usual operator. General spectrum structure is roughly similar, but nearest to zero eigenvalues are complex. Therefore most slowly damping modes are most strongly vibrating - very interesting result. Generally all modes are damping with time, flows tend to the rest.
\rule{2in}{1pt}
\shead{REFERENCES}
\begin{IPlist}
\IPitem{{[1]}}
Igor A. Tanski. Fokker - Planck equation for incompressible fluid.
arXiv:0812.2303v2 [nlin.CD] 3 Feb 2009
\IPitem{{[2]}}
Igor A. Tanski. Two simple solutions of nonlinear Fokker - Planck equation for incompressible fluid.
arXiv:0812.4795v2 [nlin.CD] 25 Feb 2009
\IPitem{{[3]}}
Igor A. Tanski. Spectral decomposition of 3D Fokker - Planck differential operator.
arXiv:nlin/0607050v3 [nlin.CD] 25 Jun 2007
\IPitem{{[4]}}
H. Bateman, A. Erdelyi. Higher transcendental functions.
vol. 2, Mc Graw-Hill, New York, 1953
\IPitem{{[5]}}
M. Abramovitz, I. A. Stegun, Handbook of Mathematical Functions.
National Bureau of Standards, 1970
\IPitem{{[6]}}
K. S. Koelbig. On the zeros of incomplete gamma function.
Mathematics of Computation, vol. 26, num. 119, Jul 1972
\IPitem{{[7]}}
Walter Gautschi. The incomplete gamma functions since Tricomi.
In Tricomi's Ideas and Contemporary Applied Mathematics, Atti dei Convegni Lincei, n. 147, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei
\IPitem{{[8]}}
A. M. Sedlecki. Zeros of Mittag-Leffler functions.
Matematicheskie zametki, vol. 68, num. 5, Nov. 2000
\end{IPlist}\newpage
\par
APPENDIX 1
\par
Roots of equation (71)
\par
Root $\xi = M$ is omitted
\begin{tabular} { || l | l | l | l || } \hline \hline
NN&M=1&M=2&M=3\\ \hline \hline
1&3.84958810 - 1.92315575 i&4.52745332 - 3.27206660 i&5.04119504 - 4.34568739 i\\ \hline
2&3.84958810 + 1.92315575 i&4.52745332 + 3.27206660 i&5.04119504 + 4.34568739 i\\ \hline
3&5.94063198 - 1.14455587 i&7.06814092 - 2.67480339 i&7.90915778 - 3.92341797 i\\ \hline
4&5.94063198 + 1.14455587 i&7.06814092 + 2.67480339 i&7.90915778 + 3.92341797 i\\ \hline
5&7.69165960 - 0.29172595 i&9.14966499 - 1.97226724 i&10.24525406 - 3.33703003 i\\ \hline
6&7.69165960 + 0.29172595 i&9.14966499 + 1.97226724 i&10.24525406 + 3.33703003 i\\ \hline
7&11.000932211&11.00141191 - 1.21959567 i&12.31747194 - 2.67114557 i\\ \hline
8&11.999889388&11.00141191 + 1.21959567 i&12.31747194 + 2.67114557 i\\ \hline
9&13.000011755&12.72299911 - 0.42498830 i&14.22286668 - 1.95786294 i\\ \hline
10&13.999998866&12.72299911 + 0.42498830 i&14.22286668 + 1.95786294 i\\ \hline
11&15.000000099&14.07454792&16.00982241 - 1.21325010 i\\ \hline
12&15.999999999&14.98376860&16.00982241 + 1.21325010 i\\ \hline
13&17.000000000&16.00272440&17.72151356 - 0.43464100 i\\ \hline
14&17.999999999&16.99956146&17.72151356 + 0.43464100 i\\ \hline
15&19.000000000&18.00006506&19.98044555\\ \hline
16&19.999999999&18.99999098&19.08192627\\ \hline
17&21.000000000&20.00000116&19.98044554\\ \hline
18&22.000000000&20.99999985&21.00363177\\ \hline
19&23.000000000&22.00000001&21.99933574\\ \hline
20&24.000000000&22.99999999&23.00011373\\ \hline \hline
\end{tabular}
\begin{tabular} { || l | l | l | l || } \hline \hline
NN&M=4&M=5&M=6\\ \hline \hline
1&5.47498406 - 5.26768710 i&5.85889775 - 6.08913226 i&6.20771808 - 6.83731700 i\\ \hline
2&5.47498406 + 5.26768710 i&5.85889775 + 6.08913226 i&6.20771808 + 6.83731700 i\\ \hline
3&8.61344667 - 5.01144505 i&9.23406886 - 5.99054148 i&9.79675137 - 6.88888105 i\\ \hline
4&8.61344667 + 5.01144505 i&9.23406886 + 5.99054148 i&9.79675137 + 6.88888105 i\\ \hline
5&11.15620212 - 4.53812831 i&11.95509246 - 5.62665552 i&12.67703265 - 6.63086922 i\\ \hline
6&11.15620212 + 4.53812831 i&11.95509246 + 5.62665552 i&12.67703265 + 6.63086922 i\\ \hline
7 &13.40577133 - 3.95833350 i&14.35634208 - 5.13111612 i&15.21274497 - 6.21756080 i\\ \hline
8 &13.40577133 + 3.95833350 i&14.35634208 + 5.13111612 i&15.21274497 + 6.21756080 i\\ \hline
9 &15.47089306 - 3.31449740 i&16.55737228 - 4.55585073 i&17.53366817 - 5.70963951 i\\ \hline
10&15.47089306 + 3.31449740 i&16.55737228 + 4.55585073 i&17.53366817 + 5.70963951 i\\ \hline
11&17.40539050 - 2.62778318 i&18.61704841 - 3.92690815 i&19.70341924 - 5.13774003 i\\ \hline
12&17.40539050 + 2.62778318 i&18.61704841 + 3.92690815 i&19.70341924 + 5.13774003 i\\ \hline
13&19.24064677 - 1.91036878 i&20.56955610 - 3.25932488 i&21.75880445 - 4.51960861 i\\ \hline
14&19.24064677 + 1.91036878 i&20.56955610 + 3.25932488 i&21.75880445 + 4.51960861 i\\ \hline
15&20.99699656 - 1.17010968 i&22.43688595 - 2.56260936 i&23.72343062 - 3.86649261 i\\ \hline
16&20.99699656 + 1.17010968 i&22.43688595 + 2.56260936 i&23.72343062 + 3.86649261 i\\ \hline
17&22.70576400 - 0.39532166 i&24.23420403 - 1.84317596 i&25.61354419 - 3.18599046 i\\ \hline
18&22.70576400 + 0.39532166 i&24.23420403 + 1.84317596 i&25.61354419 + 3.18599046 i\\ \hline
19&24.07528691&25.97268205 - 1.10579718 i&27.44091387 - 2.48348667 i\\ \hline
20&24.98146932&25.97268205 + 1.10579718 i&27.44091387 + 2.48348667 i\\ \hline \hline
\end{tabular}
\begin{tabular} { || l | l | l | l || } \hline \hline
\#&M=7&M=8&M=9\\ \hline
1&6.53001156 - 7.52895368 i&6.83127967 - 8.17518985 i&7.11531330 - 8.78391538 i\\ \hline
2&6.53001156 + 7.52895368 i&6.83127967 + 8.17518985 i&7.11531330 + 8.78391538 i\\ \hline
3&10.31618762 - 7.72399088 i&10.80167947 - 8.50772212 i&11.25955129 - 9.24856515 i\\ \hline
4&10.31618762 + 7.72399088 i&10.80167947 + 8.50772212 i&11.25955129 + 9.24856515 i\\ \hline
5&13.34199931 - 7.56851364 i&13.96257983 - 8.45167276 i&14.54728640 - 9.28905550 i\\ \hline
6&13.34199931 + 7.56851364 i&13.96257983 + 8.45167276 i&14.54728640 + 9.28905550 i\\ \hline
7 &15.99974275 - 7.23543754 i&16.73291571 - 8.19691791 i&17.42277980 - 9.11081249 i\\ \hline
8 &15.99974275 + 7.23543754 i&16.73291571 + 8.19691791 i&17.42277980 + 9.11081249 i\\ \hline
9 &18.42897216 - 6.79355442 i&19.26164201 - 7.81977962 i&20.04405940 - 8.79717049 i\\ \hline
10&18.42897216 + 6.79355442 i&19.26164201 + 7.81977962 i&20.04405940 + 8.79717049 i\\ \hline
11&20.69785002 - 6.27781735 i&21.62130874 - 7.35928644 i&22.48793355 - 8.39101050 i\\ \hline
12&20.69785002 + 6.27781735 i&21.62130874 + 7.35928644 i&22.48793355 + 8.39101050 i\\ \hline
13&22.84567896 - 5.70854973 i&23.85362358 - 6.83821861 i&24.79844419 - 7.91745869 i\\ \hline
14&22.84567896 + 5.70854973 i&23.85362358 + 6.83821861 i&24.79844419 + 7.91745869 i\\ \hline
15&24.89759650 - 5.09866262 i&25.98519281 - 6.27108315 i&27.00361964 - 7.39255586 i\\ \hline
16&24.89759650 + 5.09866262 i&25.98519281 + 6.27108315 i&27.00361964 + 7.39255586 i\\ \hline
17&26.87086392 - 4.45689278 i&28.03424697 - 5.66771323 i&29.12262537 - 6.82719343 i\\ \hline
18&26.87086392 + 4.45689278 i&28.03424697 + 5.66771323 i&29.12262537 + 6.82719343 i\\ \hline
19&28.77796298 - 3.78943945 i&30.01394562 - 5.03509475 i&31.16927222 - 6.22911873 i\\ \hline
20&28.77796298 + 3.78943945 i&30.01394562 + 5.03509475 i&31.16927222 + 6.22911873 i\\ \hline \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{document}
| slim_pajama |
Q: React native App gets crashed on release mode with the following error null is not an object (evaluating 's.drawer._root') I have used native base drawer which works fine in debug mode but when i created an release apk the app gets crashed with the following error.
AndroidRuntime: com.facebook.react.common.JavascriptException: null is
not an object (evaluating 's.drawer._root')
code:
closeDrawer = () => {
this.drawer._root && this.drawer._root.close();
};
openDrawer = () => {
this.drawer._root && this.drawer._root.open();
};
<Drawer
ref={(ref) => {
this.drawer = ref;
}}
type="overlay"
side={'left'}
openDrawerOffset={0.2}
panOpenMask={0.2}
tapToClose={true}
content={
<SideBar
navigator={this.navigator}
closeDrawer={() => this.closeDrawer()}
{...this.props}
/>
}
tweenHandler={(ratio) => ({
main: { opacity: (2 - ratio) / 2 }
})}
onClose={() => this.closeDrawer()}
>
A: take a look at the react document about ref
If the ref callback is defined as an inline function, it will get called twice during updates, first with null and then again with the DOM element
in your closeDrawer and openDrawer callback, this.drawer might be null, maybe you should add some codes like
this.drawer && this.drawer._root && this.drawer._root.close();
this.drawer && this.drawer._root && this.drawer._root.open();
| slim_pajama |
the present article reviews the theory and applications of the nambu jona - lasinio model with two and three flavors for the description of low - mass baryons .
the model corresponds to an effective chiral theory where quarks interact with selfconsistently generated bosonic mean fields . after concentrating on goldstone fields ( pion , kaon and eta ) and after semiclassical quantization of the collective rotational degrees of freedom
the model coincides with the chiral quark soliton model of diakonov , petrov and pobylitsa obtained from qcd assuming an instanton liquid for the qcd vacuum . after adjusting the parameters of the model in the meson sector to the pion decay constant and the pion and kaon masses ,
the constituent quark mass is left as the only free parameter .
this parameter is tuned in the baryonic sector so that the model using a hedgehog form for the meson fields reproduces best the wealth of experimental data with a value of the constituent quark mass @xmath25 around 420 mev . with
this uniquely defined parameter set the calculations are performed for various radii , magnetic moments , mass splittings of the baryon octet and decuplet , and axial and spin properties of the nucleon .
particular emphasis is put on electromagnetic and axial form factors .
predictions are made for strange form factors and tensor charges . without any readjustment of the parameters , a very good agreement between the theory and nearly all low - energy experimental data
is obtained .
therefore , one can consider the present model as a quite useful tool to describe the ground - state properties of the octet and decuplet baryons . for the parameter set associated with a constituent quark mass of 420 mev ,
the practical outcome of the calculations can be summarized as follows .
su(2 ) case : within 15 % we reproduce the proton charge radius , the axial vector coupling constant , the pion - nucleon sigma term , the delta - nucleon splitting , the e2/m1-ratio , the electric proton form factor and the momentum dependence of the the magnetic form factors of proton and neutron .
the nucleon magnetic moments deviate by 25 % from the experiment .
the electric neutron form factor and the corresponding charge radius appear to be overestimated by 50 % .
predictions are given for tensor charges .
su(3 ) case : within 15 % we reproduce the proton charge radius , the axial vector coupling constant , the pion nucleon sigma term , the delta - nucleon splitting , the mass splitting within the octet and decuplet , the isospin splittings within the octet . the electric proton form factor and
the magnetic form factors of proton and neutron and the corresponding magnetic moments deviate also less than 15 % from experiment .
the electric neutron form factor and the neutron charge radius are by 20 % too small compared to the experimental data .
the flavor singlet and octet axial constants come out within the experimental errors .
these quantities are connected with the `` spin crisis '' of the proton .
predictions are given for strange electric and magnetic form factors of the nucleon and for electromagnetic form factors of octet and decuplet baryons .
the corresponding magnetic moments agree well with experiment .
the present model reproduces most of the relevant low - energy observables of the nucleon and of various hyperons .
it is important to note that this agreement is rather good and hence the model might be used to obtain some insight into the microscopic structure of the baryons .
the structure of the baryons emerges to be based on chiral symmetry breaking as a dominating mechanism and the important resulting forces are those between quarks and goldstone bosons . confining forces ,
being absent in the model , seem not to play a relevant role for the baryonic ground states .
also vector mesons and scalar mesons are apparently not needed .
this simple picture of the interactions is associated with a simple picture of the microscopic structure of the baryons .
they appear as composed of three valence quarks in a bound state together with a continuum of the polarized dirac sea .
in fact , the contribution of the polarized dirac sea to the baryon observables is at about the 30 % level .
it should be stressed that the polarized dirac sea contribution is absolutely necessary since it causes the valence quarks and hence the whole baryon to be bound .
the baryon number of this system is given by the occupation of the valence level and not by the topological properties of the meson fields , as it is in the skyrme model .
for the parameter values used , an approximation of the present non - local njl effective action by a local skyrme - type action is not justified .
thus , the present model picture of the baryon with clearly distinguished valence quarks differs from the topological soliton and hence , the present approach does not support topological baryon models like the skyrme one .
the above considerations are all made within the non - linear version of the nambu - jona - lasinio model ( on the chiral circle ) being in this form equivalent to the chiral quark soliton model .
there are several problems still within this model , which need further consideration .
one consists in the undesired asymptotic form @xmath26 of the meson profile in the strange direction ( kaon field ) as it turns out in the present treatment of the strange mass corrections .
this affects the applicabilty of the formalism to those `` strangeness '' quantities which strongly depend on the tail of the polarized dirac sea , as e.g. strange radii .
another problem is related to the present large @xmath27 treatment in which only the @xmath28 corrections originating from the zero modes are taken into account .
this question is closely connected with the fact that the absolute masses of the of the baryons come out noticeably too high and the meson - loop corrections , being presently very much discussed in other chiral effective theories , are needed to provide a remedy for this . in the present model it seems to be quite a formidable task , both formally and numerically .
there is also an interesting field of applications of the model that is related to gluonic degrees of freedom in baryons .
for example , the evaluation of matrix elements of operators related to higher twist contributions to moments of nucleon structure functions has recently attracted much attention .
the nambu jona - lasinio model as such , based on a four quark interaction , can not be used here since it does not contain gluon degrees of freedom .
however , the non - linear version of njl model , having been bosonized and restricted to goldstone modes by invoking the chiral circle , corresponds directly to the effective quark meson action obtained in the instanton liquid model of qcd .
one therefore has a link between the description of baryons , as it is presented in this review , and the instanton configuration of the gluon field . making use of that
, the present approach has the potentiality systematically to represent gluon operators as effective quark operators , so that baryon matrix elements of gluon operators can be evaluated using the techniques presented in this review ( diakonov _ et al .
_ , 1995 ) .
in this way useful information for the understanding of nucleon structure functions may be obtained . * acknowledgements * : the authors are indebted to w.broniowski , d.diakonov , v.petrov , m.praszalowicz , g.ripka and h.weigel for useful discussions . the suggestions and criticism of m.polyakov and a contribution of e.nikolov , while preparing the article , were most welcome .
p.p acknowledge grants from the alexander von humboldt foundation .
the work has been supported partially by the deutsche forschungsgemeinschaft , the bundesministerium fr bildung und wissenschaft , the cosy - project jlich , the volkswagen - foundation , the intas-93 - 0283 contract ( p.p . ) and the bulgarian science foundation under contract @xmath2932 ( c.v.c . ) .
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Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1
**Here is the first chapter to Dancing Flames and Lovely Games, I hope you enjoy! Also I am looking for a beta if anyone is interested P.S. It might be slightly dark sometimes, just to warn you.**
**Full Summary;**
**Catalina spent most of her life in an asylum for being a Pyro. When three adults pick her up Catalina's life turned up side down. Now she has to protect Harry Potter, become a witch, master her powers as an enchantress, and fall in love. Follow Lina's journey as she goes from insane pyro to powerful but still insane (in a good way) fire enchantress. Plus watch as Harry and Hermione fall in love.
**
**Catalina point of view:**
Bright colors. Orange, red, yellow. They dance, they are alive. I dance with them. It is fire, I started with a simple flame on my bed but then it quickly spread to my whole room. I smiled as mommy and daddy came in my door way. Their faces were filled with fear and worry, I wave at them showing that I'm alright. The flames won't hurt me they're my friends.
" Sweetie." Mommy said in a calming voice. " Can you come here?"
" Why?" I frowned, I didn't want to leave my friends.
" We are going for ice cream!" I knew it was a lie, even though I was only five. Mommy and daddy didn't want me to be with my friends. I started to cry but obeyed. Walking to mommy and daddy I cried as I said good bye to my friends. We didn't go to get ice cream, I knew we wouldn't, instead we took a long drive to this building. It was made of stone, had a huge brick fortress surrounding it and was scary. I shrank back in my seat, there was no warmth there I didn't like it.
"I'm sorry honey." Mommy said her voice void of emotion. " We have to do this."
Daddy shoved me out the door, my red dress tore a little. He grabbed my forearm and dragged me to the front entrance, there a woman in a nurses outfit with a stone cold face stood behind a desk. I whimpered.
"What." The woman spat. I cringed, I was only five for Pete's sake! What was daddy and mommy doing, I needed my friends!
"I'm here to admit my daughter."
That was the last time I saw my parents. I went through shock therapy, among other horrid tortures. I never spoke, no one was my friend and I hadn't seen the flames in such a long time. They forced me to wear a bland blue dress, it was too big and had holes in places. The nurses were horrible. They forced me to wear straight jackets. I cried every single night.
**Ten years later...**
" Hey, girl get up." One of the more aggressive nurses kicked me awake. I stood up, my sapphire blue eyes were crusted with sleep and my black as night hair which was cut to hang above my ears in sort of a boy fashion was messy. The nurse shoved me out to the reception area, Ms. Stone face as I called her stood in front of her desk talking to three adults. One wore silly robes had long white hair and an equally long white beard. I held my lighter up to my ear.
_'Don't trust him... Albus Dumbledore doesn't care like he wants you to think. Trust Minerva and Snape, they care.' _My lighter spoke to me. Another was a woman, she had brown hair that was pulled into a tight bun and had soft green brown eyes. She wore a kind smile. The last was a man, he had a hard mask and a sneer plastered on his face. Behind that mask though I could see worry, and care.
" Ah, her she is." The man who must be Dumbledore turned to me. I shrank back, I was rarely allowed to interact with people. " Are you Catalina?"
" Yes, are you Albus Dumbledore?" I asked in a small voice. He looked shocked.
" Yes how did you know?"
" The flames told me."
" Well, you are coming with us. Now go get your things." He commanded. The nurse shoved me once again and I went into my room. Melissa, my roommate, was awake. Thankfully the nurse left me alone. Melissa turned to me, she smiled friendly. Besides fire, she was my only friend in this hell. Melissa had an electricity problem, her parents took her here to get help. They love her and just want to help her but don't know how else. Melissa was the one who convinced her parents to smuggle my lighter in.
" Hey flames." That was my nickname, most people said it out of spite but Melissa was the only one who said it like a complement.
" Hey Mels. Guess what? I'm getting out of here."
" Oh! That's great!" Melissa hugged me. I packed what little I had, which was just two gowns, my lighter, pencils, and drawing paper. " My parents bought you five brand new lighters. Here, take them for the trip."
" Thank you." I smiled at Melissa. " I promise to write to you every day."
" Same here."
I waved good bye to Melissa and headed to were the three adults stood. Dumbledore smiled, I faked a smile. They led me to this old beat up black car. Snape and Dumbledore got in front while Minerva and I got in the back. As soon as I got into the car I feel asleep on Minerva's lap. It was a while before we got to were ever the hell we were going. Minerva gently shook me awake, unlike back at the asylum. We were at this house of sorts. Minerva helped me out and led me to get my bag. She bent down and whispered in my ear.
" Don't worry Catalina. Snape, Fred, George and I won't let any thing happen to you."
She then bent up and grabbed my hand. We walked up to the house, there a woman grabbed and hugged me so hard I almost passed out. My first reaction was to scream the best I could and to try and break free. Once I succeeded I ran behind Minerva, trembling.
" Oh, dear me! I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" The red headed woman exclaimed.
" Molly, you have to remember that she has been in an asylum for most of her life." Minerva chided. Snape sneered at the woman called Molly, he didn't like her. I liked Snape so I didn't like Molly. Plus she hurt me.
" Well, let's stop standing around. The kids are in the living room as we speak, you can come meet them." Molly led us to the living room. There were six kids who were all around my age. I shrank back into Minerva so much no one could see me. Two boys I knew were twins, they had the same red hair and everything. Another boy was about the same only younger, the same with one of the girls who was probably the youngest. The last boy had messy black hair and emerald green eyes, he was sitting next to a girl with long brown hair that was curly and had deep brown eyes.
" The twins are Fred and George, the younger boy is Ron, the youngest girl is Ginny, the black haired boy is Harry and the girl next to him is Hermione." Minerva introduced. Harry, Hermione stood up.
" Professor Snape, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.
" Relax Potter." Snape sneered. " You all aren't in trouble."
" Then what?"
" We have someone we'd like to meet. Harry, she is your guardian. We have been searching for her a long time." Minerva explained, she moved me in front and whispered for me to introduce myself. I sighed.
" My name is Catalina, but I like to be called Lina or Flames." I said in a small voice. Harry looked puzzled.
" Why flames?" He asked. " And what's this about her being my guardian?"
" I'm a pyro, I was sent to an asylum when I was five." I explained. " Fire can't hurt me, it's my friend."
" Lina here is part witch, and is a fire enchantress. She also has control over other elements but is an expert in fire." Albus told everyone.
The room was silent. Harry and Hermione stared at me, Ron and Ginny were huddled in a conversation and Fred and George had a mischevous glint in there eyes.
" You see with the battle drawning near it is important for you, Harry, to stay alive. Lina was supposed to be with you all your life but somethings happened. But now that we have found her she will basically be your protector. She will be in all your classes and in Gryffindor." Snape appeared bored as he explained this but I knew better. " Frankly I prefer if she would be put in Slytherain but I barely get what I want."
Minerva rolled her eyes. " Catalina, how about Harry, Hermione and the rest show you around the Burrow?"
" That would be nice." I smiled. Hermione held out her hand, I looked confused. She smiled.
" Your supposed to grab my hand and hold it. This is what friends do sometimes." I grabbed her hand and she led me around the house with Harry, Ginny, Ron and the twins making comments about everything. I would be staying in Hermione's room since it was right across from Harry's room. It was so much information to take up. Hermione was the nicest, Harry was the sweetest, Fred and George were the funniest, and both Ron and Ginny were... okay. It was the summer so I found out that I had one month to get everything I need before going to Hogwarts.
**(())**
I needed fire. It was three in the morning, I couldn't sleep so I snuck down to the back yard. There I took out my new lighter and picked up a branch laying on the floor. I lit it on fire and watched it burn, I kept repeating the action over and over watching the fire dance. Someone came up behind me. I turned to see Harry with a wand that lit up at the end.
" Sorry, I saw something out the window. I wanted to see what it was."
" It's okay. I couldn't sleep and needed to see my friend." I smiled as I watched the fire dance.
" Flames, I'm sorry that you supposedly have to protect me."
" Harry." I looked up. " It's fine."
" Yeah but-" I cut him off, trying to change the subject.
" Who do like?"
" Ginny." He said without hesitation. I found that funny but shook the feeling off.
_' He belongs with Hermione, not Ginny. Hermione and Harry are soul mates.' _The flames told me.
**(())**
**And there you have it. The first Chapter of Dancing flames and Lovely Games, I hoped you enjoyed it. Once again I am looking for a beta, so if anyone is interested then send me a message. **
**Review!**
**LoL- Lots of Love**
**Angel
**
2. Chapter 2
**Hello my lovelies. (lol :P) Here is the second chapter to DFGL, I also just want to say a huge thanks to Professor Evans you have been a huge help. And I am still looking for a beta. Now on with the show! **
**I do not own Harry Potter or else Sirius and Fred would be alive, plus Harry and Hermione would be together.**
It was now fall, getting close to Halloween. I rarely interacted with anyone but Harry, Hermione and the twins. Ginny and Ron both hated me, I couldn't care less about that. I had talked Minerva and Dumbledore into letting me throw a Halloween party, don't ask me how I did.
I was easily adapting to the Wizarding World, it was exciting and I didn't get beat nearly every single day. Mels loved all my letters, saying that I could write a book about my stories. Her favorite was when the twins showed me how to prank using Ginny as a recipient. Fred fixed up a series of potions that reacted differently to each spell. George gave Ginny the potion. Let's just say she didn't want to leave her room for a while since she had green hair and a non removable clown nose. Ginny went ballistic, but I didn't get in any trouble. Minerva used the excuse that I had spent most of my life in an asylum so I should get a chance to have fun. Snape liked that I used potions, the twins however weren't so lucky. They got in big trouble.
" Flames! There you are!" Harry exclaimed as he found me hanging from the ceiling of the common room. Gently using my newly acquired element powers floated down.
" Yeah, I've been up there for a while." I held my lighter. Hermione came in through the portal. I smiled and walked over to here. " Hermione, have you asked anyone to the dance yet?"
" No, why?"
" Well... I 'over heard' Ron asking Lavender to the Halloween dance but I thought he was asking you." I swung my hands back forth. " Ginny asked Dean. Don't ask me why though."
"What!" Harry and Hermione exclaimed at the same time. I laughed, the plan was working perfectly.
You see, right before I left the burrow I had done some snooping and found that Molly Weasley, Ron and Ginny were giving Harry and Hermione love potions. The twins had no clue and once I told them what the fire told me they helped me come up with the perfect plan. I had drained Hermione and Harry of all love potion as part one. Part two was getting Hermione and Harry together. I acted surprised as though I just had an amazing idea.
" Harry! Hermione! I just had an awesomely amazing plan!" I spun around, I almost tripped but Jaden caught me. I blushed, Jaden was a fellow Gryffindor that I had a crush on. He had shaggy brown hair and amazing hazel eyes. "Thanks."
" No problem Lina." Jaden smiled a heart breaking gorgeous smile. Harry cleared his throat, I shot him a death glare and got back to my explanation.
" As I was saying, Harry. You and Hermione should go together!" I smiled innocently. Jaden chuckled, he knew I was up to no good.
" Lina." I groaned. I liked to be called Flames better but some people, *cough* Jaden *cough*, liked calling me Lina. " Sorry, Flames."
" Yes?"
" Will you come with me for a walk?" Jaden held out his hand, I took it happily.
" I'd love to."
**(())**
**Mean while in the common room...**
I sighed. Of course Ron had asked Lavender, she's better looking than I am and everything. I had to smile though as I watched Flames and Jaden walk out. Flames had gained a bit more weight than she arrived with and for that I was happy, when I first met Flames she was deathly pale, almost skin and bones, plus had scares in various places. Flames has certainly become like a sister to me in such a short time. Harry coughed to get my attention. I turned to him, blushing as I caught him staring.
" Well, I think Flames had a good idea. Hermione, I would be honored if you would be my date for the Halloween party." Harry smiled.
" I would love to." I sat down on the couch, Harry followed and wrapped his arm around me. I blushed and got comfortable.
" Bloody Hell! What's this about!" Ron yelled. Ginny gasped as she saw me and Harry sitting on the couch together. Flames and Jaden had came back and started laughing. She twirled around with Jaden following to make sure she didn't fall.
" Oh perfect! I knew you would ask Harry!" Flames landed on the couch next to us. " I am designing your costumes. And don't give me hell about it, I'm already going to get it from the reds over here."
" THE HELL!" Ginny screamed at Flames. " WHAT DID YOU DO! HARRY IS MINE!"
" AND HERMIONE IS MINE! YOU CAN'T TAKE HER AWAY."
Flames stood up and pointed her wand at both redheads. They were clueless as to the damage Catalina Maria could do, she was Harry's protector after all. She paced around the two Weasleys. I saw the look in her eyes, she was pissed.
" Harry and Hermione are people. They are not property that can be bought, you however seem to think that." Catalina's eyes flashed fire red. It was something that happened when she was mad, what with her being a fire enchantress. " Harry and Hermione are going to the Halloween party together. If you to assholes try and stop them, or do anything to hurt either of them... Well let's just say that I'll hex more ways than you know."
With that Lina spun on her heel and left. Jaden followed her, I could've sworn I heard him mutter 'That's one reason why I love her.' but shook it off. Ginny screeched, Ron cursed and they left without another word. I smiled at Harry, he smiled back.
" That was certainly an interesting show."
**(())**
" Is there a reason you called me in here Minerva?" I asked. She and Snape had owled me and asked for me to come down. I was right in the middle of creating the perfect outfits for everyone.
" I just have to warn you that Dumbledore will be calling for you after dinner." Minerva's eyes were filled with worry, Snape wore the same mask. "He's mad, what did you do?"
" Molly Weasley was giving Harry and Hermione a love potion. I didn't think it was right, Harry and Hermione are soulmates. I had to do something, it wasn't right." I said simply. Minerva and Snape looked suprised at this information. " Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to finish costumes and then go eat a little before Dumbledork demands I come to his office."
I disappered into my flames and ended up in my room that was in between Harry's and Hermione's. I took the cloth for the costumes and sorted the fabrics and such out. The theme was Sexy costumes, the party was for six and seventh years, and so I took the liberty to design the costumes. Though Hermione will probably kill me when she sees her costume it was worth it to see Harry's face. Hermione's costume was a red plaid skirt with gold trim that stopped mid thigh, her shirt was white with red and gold pinstrips. It was short and showed some of her stomach, I added Potter on the back in bold letters. The costume was made to look like a Gryffindor cheerleader, without looking trashy. Harry's costume was a football player without all the padding, and was also Gryffindor colors. I put the finishing touches, Harry's was already fitted so Hermione was the only one who needed alterations if needed. I made my way down to the common room with Hermione's costume in hand.
" Mione, you need to try the costume on so I can make sure it fits." I gave her the outfit then quickly used my wind power and levitated to the ceiling hoping she wouldn't curse and/or hex me. Hermione screamed when she saw it, we were lucky that only her, Harry, Ron (unfortunatly), Ginny and I were in here.
" Absolutly not! There is no way in bloody hell that I am wearing this thing!"
I turned upside down with my wand ready if need be. " Please! It matches Harry's and at least I didn't make you wear something like Ginny's wearing!"
" HEY!"
" Shut It Ginny! Hermione, just try the damn thing on so I can finish my costume and then get something to eat!" I huffed. Hermione sighed and went to get dressed. A few minutes later Hermione came out in her costume, but she wore her robe to cover it up. I floated down and glared, she stepped up on the stool I had. I motioned for her to remove the robe.
" Everyone's watching!"
I cursed in Italian. Something I picked up from the asylum, speaking of which I needed to owl Melissa.
" Come on!" Hermione sighed and removed her robe. I laughed in delight. "Mione you look awesome!"
" No I look like a whore!" I glared at her.
" You do not. Harry tell her she doesn't look like a whore." I started fixing the things that needed fixing, which wasn't much.
" Hermione, you really don't. In fact..." Harry got up and I helped him levitate so he could whisper in Hermione's ear. " You look incredibly sexy."
Hermione blushed. I snickered then yelped as she hit me in the back of the head.
" What'd ya do that for?"
Before she answered an owl flew in an landed on my shoulder. I told Hermione I was done and she flew off the stool to get her other clothes on. I unroled the parchment and sighed. It was Dumbledore, asking if I could see him after dinner. I wrote back and got my stuff together, it was about three minutes till dinner time. Absent mindedly I traced one of my scars, I got it during one of my treatments. This place to me was like Wonderland compared to the asylum.
**(())**
" What in heavens name do you think you are doing!" Dumbledore yelled. I didn't flinch, I've been through hell this is nothing.
" What do you mean?" I asked simply.
" Harry and Hermione don't have the love potion in their systems! How are we supposed to control them!"
I pulled out my wand, this was new information. He was trying to control my friends, he might hurt them. No one hurts my friends.
" Listen Dumbledork. If you try to hurt my friends, I won't hestitate to kill you."
With that I disappered to my dorm room, screaming in frustration. Suddenly I had an epiphany, if Dumbledore was controling Harry... what secrets has he hidden from Harry all these years?
**There you have it. Chapter 2, I hope you liked it and sorry for the cliffy. I thought this was a good place to stop. I am still looking for a beta if anyone is interested! C ya**
**3 LoL- Lots of Love- Angel**
3. Chapter 3
Hello my lovelies. (lol :P) Here is the third chapter to DFGL, I would like to
thank Professor Evans who is my creative beta. Now on with the show!
I do not own Harry Potter or else Sirius and Fred would be alive, plus Harry
and Hermione would be together.
I paced in my room waiting for Jaden to appear. It was three days until the
Halloween party and I wanted to find at least some information about Harry
before Dumbledore found out what I was up to. something didn't feel right about him and I wanted to make my suspicions clear before I tried to do anything. My owl, a ditsy pure black named Haven, landed on my shoulder. She held out her leg with a letter, who could it be, I took the parchment and read the letter from Melissa. One of my old friends, It was good to hear from her.
Dear Flames,
How are you? I'm doing great, I still like electricity though. Oh by the way,
I get to come to your Halloween party! Minerva and that creepy dude said it
would be alright for me to come. Lyndsi, you remember my sister right? Well she will be coming to make sure that I don't get into any trouble. well maybe a little bit of trouble, you know I can't help it. As to your problem I hope that I can be of help somehow.
Forever lite up,
Mels.
I smiled and quickly wrote a reply. Just as I sent Haven off with the letter Jaden entered my room. He gave me a kiss on the lips and I smiled slightly.
"Hey hun. Are you ready to go?" Jaden asked.
"Yeah, let me slip my shoes on."
Today since we were going to Diagon alley I dressed in normal attire since no
one would really would recognize me. I was wearing black skinny jeans, a white
t-shirt with a black vest and a black fedora. I slipped on my Converse and
skipped up to Jaden. Together we apparated to Diagon alley. We went to
Gringotts, Jaden was right, it was ran by goblins, I would have to admit, coolest thing ever. and asked for Griphook, Jaden said he was trustworthy. He came out surprised.
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"I am Catalina 'Flames' Maria. Protector of Harry James Potter and Hermione Jane Granger. This is my boyfriend Jaden, I wish to see the will of James and Lily Potter." I said with confidence.
Griphook looked surprised but agreed, he led us to his office.
People wondered why Jaden and myself were so quick to get together but the truth is we are soul mates. Yes it is rare and I considered myself very lucky to have found him. Its like finding another half of a broken stone among a pile of pebbles.
" Miss Catalina, why do you wish to look at this?" He handed me the will.
I read over it, gasping as I did. So much was kept away from Harry that it made me sick. It stated that Sirius was supposed to be Harry's guardian, and he was the heir to Gryffindor among other places. Underneath the will was an additional parchment, it wasn't written in James' or Lily's handwriting. It was to formal and anyone off the streets couldn't get access to the will so I could only conclude that it was Dumbledore's. This piece of paper stated that when Harry turned seventeen, which was in a year, he was to be married off to Ginny Weasley. I sighed, it was worse than I thought. Dumbledore was keeping Harry from true happiness, I burnt the parchment. The ashes fell to the floor as I looked up to the goblin.
"Sorry, that document was false. Harry's soul mate is Hermione Granger, but they don't know it yet. I plan to tell them after the Halloween party."
I took off my hat and ran a hand through my hair.
"Thank you for letting me see this Mister Griphook."
"It is my pleasure Mistress Catalina. I would also like it if you could follow me." Griphook asked
I nodded and followed Griphook. As I followed him I thought back to when I first found the love potion. That also resulted in the hate I felt towards Ginny and Ron.
That summer.
It was a week before we had to leave for Hogwarts. I couldn't sleep once again so I looked around for something to do, I was in the kitchen looking for something to light on fire. In the cabinets I found some bottles, I muttered an incantation in Italian from a book Melissa gave me about Italian Incantations. I never knew they would actually work until now. The incantation was to detect what potions were which when they weren't labeled. It revealed that these were love potions. The only think I could figure out is the Weasleys were feeding someone love potions and with how Hermione and Harry acted towards each other I could only guess it was them.
"Catalina dear, what are you doing with those?" Molly asked.
I turned and saw her, Ginny and Ron standing in the kitchen. There must have been alarms on the potions. I went as Melissa put it innocently insane, which meant that I pretended to not know what was going on and play the stereotypical insane girl people thought I should be.
"I need fuel, something to light on fire." I said in a small almost little girl like voice.
"I'll give you some fuel just not that" Molly said with a smile as she held her hand out for the bottles.
"Are you giving these to Harry and Hermione?" I asked, slowly dropping my facade.
"Yes but that's none of your bloody damn business." Ron snapped.
Molly's smile dropped as she realize that I wasn't giving the potions back to her. I started rocking back and forth, it was something I did as a comfort method and right now I need all the comfort I could get right now. This was going to become ugly.
"Actually it is, I am Harry's protector after all." I smiled.
Ginny glared at me and stalked up.
"Listen you insane bitch." She spat. " You can be the queen of England for all I care but Harry is mine. You are just something that keeps Harry from dying, I mean it would be terrible if the boy-who-lived died."
I dropped my facade and became serious. " You are the bitch, for all you know I could be the queen. Just to let you know Harry is not property, he is a human being."
Before anyone could stop me I used a short Italian incantation and set the potions on fire. Laughing as the flames changed colors and danced. Ginny pounced and started kicking and punching me, I used silencing charms so the rest of the house wouldn't wake up. Ron helped out in the beating. Soon I got enough and apparated into my room breaking down in sobs. Harry and Hermione found me, I lied saying that I went to visit Melissa and got in a fight with a former enemy. Hermione asked about my past, wanting to know me, so I spilled. Years and years of abuse and torture finally came spilling out. That night Harry and Hermione became close to me, not as close as Melissa she was my suora or my sister as the Italians would say, but they were coming close.
I shook my head as we approached a door. Griphook led me to a desk and pulled out a few things, one was a jewelry box and other things that I couldn't tell what it was. Griphook handed me a black box, I opened it and gasped. It was a ring, it had a delicate thin band that swirled around a gem that had a phoenix in the middle I recognized it as the Potter symbol. Above the ring was a necklace similar to the ring only on the back it had Mecenate di la Potter famiglia. I translated it from Italian, it meant Protector of the Potter family. I looked up at Griphook, he smiled.
"This has been in the Potter family for generations, it has been given to the protector and now it's yours. You are the last protector until Harry has a son or daughter, then the protector position is given to your son or daughter. We actually have a duplicate so you can forever keep that set. Anyways, give these to Master Potter please."
Griphook handed me the jewelry box. I thanked him for his time and together Jaden and I left. We got to Hogwarts and I went to find Harry. But not before Jaden and I had a good snog, what I'm in love. I found Harry and Hermione studying in the library. I smiled, Hermione was a good person for Harry. She didn't care about fame or fortune that came with Harry, Hermione cared about just Harry. Ginny however was only after Harry to become the wife of the boy-who-lived, to be showered in riches and fame. Oh how she disgusted me.
" Hello lovelies." I sat down next to Hermione, setting the box down on the table and smiling to them.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"I went to Gringotts, to set up an account and what not. Griphook recognized me as your protector, he led me to this office. He gave me two things, one is this protector set that has apparently been in your family for ages. It's given to the protector of the Potter family and two he told me to give you this" I answered,
I handed Harry the box. His eyes went huge as he saw the contents. I looked at what it was. There were several necklaces, rings, earrings, plus a whole lot of money.
"I believe this is your's Harry, it's the Potter crest." I said smiling to him.
I handed him a ring, it was thicker than mine and had a masculine charm to it. Harry and Hermione gapped at a box Hermione found. I laughed, in the box was James and Lily's wedding rings.
"I've got to go, see ya later!"
I went up to my room to get some rest, I had no clue as to anything else going on besides Dumbledore was up to something. Before I entered my room I felt a presence, pulling out my wand I slowly crept in to see who the intruder is. I squeal as I saw who was in here.
"Mels! I thought you were only coming for the party!" I saw luggage and an extra bed that wasn't there earlier, so that meant…
"Well, I wasn't really myself since you left and my parents noticed so they talked to Dumbledore. So I am now a Gryffindor and my sister Lyndsi is a Hufflepuff, we got separated though she's here to make sure we don't get in trouble." Melissa and I giggled.
" Like that'll stop us." I grinned. Then I turned serious. " You can't trust Dumbledore, he's up to no good."
" Why?"
So I told her everything that I had figured out, from the wills to the rings. We didn't finish talking until one, which was well past curfew. So we said our goodnights and crawled into bed.
**(())**
Everyone was dressed and ready. I was dressed as a vampiress and Jaden as my vampire lover, Harry and Hermione were holding hands so I took that as a good sign. Melissa was dressed as a nurse and Derek, a Hufflepuff our age Lyndsi set up with Mels, was dressed as a doctor.
We entered the Great Hall with the party in full swing. Immediately us girls took our guys to the dance floor, an upbeat rock tune was playing that was perfect for dancing. I was having a blast, but was getting annoyed at Ginny and Ron who were glaring at Harry and Hermione. I wished they would just leave. When the party ended Jaden asked if I would care to go for a walk. I told him yes and together we walked outside. It was quiet for a while but then Jaden broke said silence.
" Do you remember when we first met?" He asked, I laughed at the memory.
"Yeah, Fred and George took me on a tour of Hogwarts and purposely got me lost. I wondered around for hours trying to find my way back when I fell down the stairs. Just as I was about to fall someone caught me, that person was you." I smiled.
"Yes, no matter what anybody else says that was the first time I fell in love with you." I kissed him.
He chuckled and pulled me back, smiling he got down on one knee. I gasped as he pulled out a beautiful ring, it was a thin delicate silver band with a heart shaped sapphire right in the middle and two small diamonds on each side.
"I got this because the sapphire reminds me of your eyes which is one of my many favorite things about you. Now Catalina 'Flames' Maria, I love you more than there are stars in the sky or sand grains on the beach. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, partner and lover forever?"
4. Chapter 4
**Hello my lovelies. (lol :P) Here is the fourth chapter to DFLG; I would like to thank Professor Evans who is my creative beta. Now on with the show!**
I do not own Harry Potter or else Sirius and Fred would be alive, plus Harry and Hermione would be together.
**(())**
"Yes!" I exclaimed.
I threw myself at Jaden and kissed him with as much passion as I could. We walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room where Hermione and Harry were asleep. I knew it wasn't nice of me but after I snapped a picture, I woke them both up.
"Hermione! Jaden he, me, ring!" I squealed and showed her the ring.
Hermione understood what I said and jumped up hugging me. We sat down and started talking while Harry stood there looking clueless. Jaden walked over and explained what happened, Harry smiled. Then he walked over to me and gave me a hug much like Hermione.
"Hermione, will you be my co-maid of honor?" I asked.
I was going to ask Melissa to be my second; I felt that they both should be my maids of honor because they are both so close to me.
"Oh yes! I would love to." Hermione smiled. I then promised myself that I would find out who Hermione's real parents were.
After curfew, I snuck out to the library. I made sure nobody followed me and cast a silencing charm on me so I made no noise. I grabbed every book I could find on wizards and witches that went to Hogwarts. Hours past and I found nothing. I groaned in frustration, this was going nowhere fast! It was three in the morning before I finally gave up.
"Going some where?" Shit, it was Snape, I turned around.
"I have a good reason." I told him.
Snape looked skeptical but motioned for me to follow him, he lead me to his classroom. I cast more charms to make sure nobody could hear us. He motioned for me to go on.
"I found out that Hermione's parents aren't her real parents. Therefore, I made it my job to find out who they are... bloody hell! Why didn't I think about that! Thank you Snape!"
Snape just looked at me wondering what he had done and if I was going crazy or not.
Before he could say anything, I ran out of the room and continued until I was out of Hogwarts. I then apparated to where Hermione's parents lived. She had told me once where they had lived, good thing I remembered. I waited until it was a decent time to knock on their door. Emma and Dan Granger were shocked to see me, but gladly let me in. I introduced myself to them politely before they asked me to take a seat.
"Hermione talks about you a lot in her letters um Flames." Emma smiled. "What brings you here is Hermione okay?"
"Yeah, she's helping me plan my wedding along with my best friend Melissa. But that's not why I'm here, you see." I paused. "I found out that Hermione's adopted, is that correct?"
"Yes, does Hermione know?" Dan asked.
"No she doesn't but I'm trying to find her birth parents. I'm hoping it will be a nice surprise for her. Do you know anything?"
" We just know that her mom came to us and that she was in fact a witch." Dan
explained.
"I think I remember her saying her name was um, Lanza. Weird name but it fit her actually. She just asked for us to take care of her, her name is Hermione, said she was a witch and then left." Emma said.
I thanked her and left. I didn't go to Hogwarts but to Gringotts, I hoped they could help. Gringotts was a flurry of activity; everyone was rushing around and what not. I made my way carefully over to Griphook; he wasn't that busy so I was happy. After a few hours, I finally had a full name and even an address.
Quickly I apparated to the address, when I did appear it was at least 5 miles away from the house. I cursed and started walking. I looked at my watch, they would be serving lunch right now and it reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday... at lunch. The house it's self was beautiful, very old fashion. It reminded me of the old Victorian houses I use to look at in magazines. I knocked on the door and waited. Soon a woman opened the door; she had long beautiful brown hair with amazing brown eyes. She was tall and thing but still amazingly beautiful. I kept my cloak hood up, not wanting to show who I was just yet.
"How may I help you?" The woman who I assumed was Lanza asked.
"Are you Lanza?"
"Yes, why? Who are you?"
" I am Flames; I know that Hermione's your daughter." I removed my cloak hood and Lanza gasped.
"No, you're not Flames. You're Catalina!" Lanza gathered me into a huge hug and started to sob.
I led her to a sofa and sat down comforting her, after a few minutes she finally calmed down.
"I'm sorry; it's just that I haven't seen you in such a long time. I thought you were dead."
" Um, why did you think I was dead? I mean sure I spent most of my life in an asylum but I survived."
" You lived in an asylum." Lanza gasped. "Who put you in an asylum?"
"My parents." I said bitterly.
"No, no, no! That wasn't your parents! Trust me I know."
" How? How do you know that my parents didn't bloody leave me in that hell?" I yelled.
"Because I'm your aunt." I dropped on the sofa.
I looked at her a shock ran across me.
"What?" I asked barely speaking above a whisper.
"Your mom was my sister. Her name was Sophia and she was beautiful. You look a lot like her except you have your father's eyes. Sophia and your father, David, loved each other so much. They also loved you to death! Then one day when you were five, someone kidnapped you. Sophia was devastated. They looked for you for years, Sophia came close to finding you but then she... she was killed." Lanza took a deep breath.
"What about my father?" I asked, grief racked through my body. I had no clue that someone took me, this was horrible! Who could do such a thing!
" He's alive, David is okay. However, Henry my husband was killed, that's why I hid Hermione. So she'd be safe, how is she?"
" Oh, she's great. Hermione's helping plan my wedding." I smiled at the thought of Jaden, my love. Lanza looked at me in shock.
"Who are you engaged to?"
"His name is Jaden Shawl, he's in Gryffindor just like I am and he's the same age as me." I gushed.
"Did you say Shawl?"
"Yeah, I did, why?" I was puzzled.
"Bloody hell, fate has a funny way of working out." Lanza stood up. " Let me light a fire first, it's a bit chilly."
"Let me do that." Without thinking, I thought about the fire and soon the fireplace was lit up, Lanza looked at me in awe.
"Oh my."
"Yes, I'm a fire enchantress and Harry Potter's protector." I explained.
"Okay, now's a good time to start explaining out family." Lanza sat back down.
"You see, we come from a long line of enchanters. Not just women but men also. I am a water enchantress as was my husband, it was a complete coincidence that we both could control water and be soul mates, your mother was a fire enchantress and your father was wind. There were only two other families like us, the Potters and the Shawls. If we were united by marriage then we could be unstoppable but someone didn't want that. So it was that person's job to keep us apart, you are the last fire enchantress, hopefully Hermione's a water enchantress, I'm not sure which is the earth and air I know who they are Harry and Jaden." Lanza finished and took a deep breath before turning to me, waiting for my reaction
" So Hermione's my cousin, my father is alive and looking for me, and all my friends might be enchanters?" I said quietly. Lanza only looked to me and nodded
I was beyond amazed. Here I was this insane pyromaniac who looks like a punk and is nothing finding out about my family and powers.
" Yes, do you think I could meet Hermione and them?"
" As long as I get to meet my father Aunt Lanza." I smiled.
Together we apparated outside of Hogwarts' anti-apparition wards. I told her to be careful not to be seen and to not trust Dumbledore, he's not very trustworthy. We went to the Gryffindor Common Room were we found Harry, Hermione, Mels, Derek (how'd he get in here?) and Jaden pacing in the room.
Jaden was the first to spot me, he scooped me up and kissed me with a huge force.
" Don't you ever scare me. Next time you want to disappear, tell me." I smiled against his lips. After a few minutes, we finally released from our kiss.
" Okay, guys. I'd like you to meet my Aunt Lanza, Aunt Lanza this is Harry, Hermione, Melissa, Derek, and my Jaden." I introduced them.
" It's nice to meet you." Harry said politely.
" One more detail, Hermione come over here please." Hermione got up from her position next to Harry. I hugged her and so did Lanza.
"Hermione, I promised myself to find your true parents. I'm sorry to say but your dad isn't with us anymore but I'd like you to meet Lanza, your mom."
Hermione gasped and asked if it was true. Lanza gave her a hug (that seems the most popular gesture). They sat down and started talking about everything each person missed from their lives.
During one point Lanza cast a revealing charm to release Hermione of the spell Lanza put on her to disguise her appearance. Now Hermione's hair was less frizzy and came to about to her shoulders, it was a beautiful rich combination of dark brown with highlights that made it sort of a honey brown. Her eyes lightened to be a chocolate brown with honey specks. Lanza said that is was a combination of her and her father's hair and eyes. Hermione's skin lightened and she formed curves.
Harry's eyes almost bulged out of his head, which was to my enjoyment. After a long talk between me, Hermione and Lanza we finally retired to bed. With Lanza staying in Hermione's room.
**(())**
The next day was a little less frantic. But today was also the day that I met my father, we were meeting him in Hogsmeade thanks to Minerva. I got dressed in a black skirt that came just a few inches above my knees with a white short sleeved t-shirt and a black tie. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. What if he hated me because I was insane? What if he wanted me to be an air enchantress? These questions were bugging me until Jaden came and got me. I voiced my concerns and he told me not to worry so together with Harry and Hermione we all went down to Hogsmeade to meet my dad.
.
End file.
| fanfiction |
What does phonon exchange do in the theory of superconductivity?
In the theory of superconductivity, the phonon-mediated electron-electron scattering leads to an effective interaction, the BCS hamiltonian,$$\hat{H}\_{\rm BCS}=\sum\limits\_{\vec k,\sigma}\epsilon\_{\vec k}c^\dagger\_{\vec k,\sigma}c\_{\vec k, \sigma}-\kappa^2\sum\limits\_{\vec k, \vec k^\prime}c^\dagger\_{\vec k,\uparrow} c^\dagger\_{-\vec k,\downarrow} c\_{-\vec {k'},\uparrow} c\_{\vec {k'}, \downarrow}$$ which represents an attractive interaction between pairs of electrons (or Cooper pairs) rather than between two electrons.
So my question is, what does phonon exchange do? Does it result in an attractive interaction between two electrons of equal and opposite momenta and spins **OR** does it cause an attractive interaction between two Cooper pairs $|\vec k,\uparrow;-\vec k,\downarrow\rangle$ and $|\vec k',\uparrow;-\vec k',\downarrow\rangle$ **OR** both?
In your denotation, you have already replaced phonon exchange by effective interaction. You should start from the electron-phonon interaction,
$$H=\gamma\int d^3x\,n(x)\nabla\cdot u(x)=\gamma\sum\_{q,\lambda}\frac{iq\_{\lambda}}{\sqrt{2m\omega\_q}}(a\_{q\lambda}+a^{\dagger}\_{-q\lambda})n\_q,n\_q=\sum\_qc^{\dagger}\_kc\_k,$$
where $u(r)$ is lattice distortion, $a$ is phonon operator and $c$ is fermion operator. Electron feels effectiv charge $\rho\sim\nabla\cdot P$, where $P\sim u$ is polarization. Then, you should add free phonons & free electrons terms and integrate out phonon fields. The resulting effective action seems like
$$S\_{\text{eff}}=S\_{0}-\frac{\gamma}{2m}\sum\_n\int\frac{d^3q}{(2\pi)^3}\frac{q^2}{\omega\_n^2+q^2}\rho(i\omega\_n,q)\rho(-i\omega\_n,q),$$
where $\rho$ is electron density, the summation is performed over Matsubara frequincies. After analytic continuation into real frequency, you should see that for small enough momenta $q$, you can just neglect this term and consider effective local 4-fermion attractive interaction.
For more details and derivations, you can solve the problem at the end of 4 chapter of Altland & Simons book.
| stackexchange/physics |
Sodam-dong is neighborhood of Sejong City, South Korea.
References
Category:Neighbourhoods in Sejong City | wikipedia |
James Vinson Carmichael October 2, 1910 November 28, 1972 was member of the Georgia General Assembly, an attorney, business executive, and candidate for Governor of Georgia.
Early life
Carmichael was born, in Cobb County, Georgia to parents Emma Mae Nolan and John Vinson Carmichael. His parents owned a country store outside of Smyrna. Just before he turned sixteen, his spinal cord was almost completely severed when he ran out in front of a car. He was able to return to Marietta High School, after a year of medical care, but still in a wheelchair. He re-learned how to walk but could only do so for short distances with a cane. He endured intense pain for the rest of his life.
Overcoming his disability, Carmichael graduated in 1933 from the Emory University School of Law. While attending Emory he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity and Delta Theta Phi law fraternity.
After receiving his law degree, he partnered with Mayor Leon M. Rip Blair in Marietta to form a practice. In 1938 he married Frances Elizabeth McDonald, and would have three children: Mary Emma, James Jr., and Frances Elizabeth.
Legislature and public service
Carmichael was elected to two terms as a Georgia legislator 19351940 without opposition. He decided not to seek a third term when his law firm took on a major client that did business with the state to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
In 1943 Governor Ellis Arnall appointed him as executive director of the Georgia Department of Revenue and later placed him on the committee that wrote the 1945 Georgia Constitution.
Carmichael also served as one of Georgia's delegates to the 1952 Democratic National Convention.
Business leadership and World War II
As Cobb County attorney, Carmichael teamed with Mayor Blair and Commissioner George McMillan to build an airport in 1941 called Rickenbacker Field later part of Dobbins Air Reserve Base. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, the group was able to bring a base of the United States Army Air Corps to the site, and a branch of the Bell Aircraft Corporation. Carmichael was named attorney for Bell's Georgia division and in November 1944 he was promoted to general manager of the 28,000-employee plant, which had become known as United States Air Force Plant 6. When the war ended Bell had sold the military some 663 B-29 Superfortresses on schedule and without a single crash.
1946 gubernatorial election
When the war ended the government cancelled its B-29 contract and Marietta's Bell plant closed. Gov. Arnall encouraged Carmichael to run against two former governors in the 1946 Democratic primary, Eugene Talmadge and Eurith D. Rivers.
Carmichael was not as liberal as Arnall but far more so than Talmadge or Rivers. He was skeptical of the New Deal labor and welfare programs but represented a progressive business philosophy that championed moderation in race relations, improved public schools and roads, and attracting major companies to Georgia.
Carmichael won the popular vote 313,389 to Talmadge's 297,245, however, because of a unique Georgia law known as the county unit system he lost the election. The rule favored rural Georgia over metropolitan areas in a take on the electoral college system, thus making Talmadge the winner of the Democratic primary.
Post World War II
With the closing of the Bell plant Carmichael became a partner in several local industrial ventures. In 1947 he assumed the presidency of the Scripto pen company in downtown Atlanta. Under his leadership it expanded overseas and became the largest manufacturer of writing instruments in the world.
Korean War
At the start of the war, the U.S. Air Force chose the Lockheed Corporation to reopen Marietta's assembly plant. Lockheed took advantage of Carmichael's expertise and asked him to serve as general manager with the assistance of senior Lockheed executive, Daniel J. Haughton. He ran the Georgia division from 1951 to 1953 supervising the refurbishing of 120 B-29s and the start of the B-47 Stratojet project. He then turned the division over to Haughton and returned to Scripto. However, he remained on Lockheed's board of directors until 1972.
Later life
Carmichael was courted by Robert W. Woodruff to take the presidency of The Coca-Cola Company in the early 1950s but the pain from his back injury wouldn't allow it.
Carmichael always championed the need for a two-party system in politics whether this meant Democrats and Republicans [or] Democrats and Loyal Democrats. In mid-century Georgia this statement risked political suicide to a politician with statewide aspirations. However, in 1960 he introduced Richard Nixon at his campaign event in Atlanta.
His management philosophies was the subject of a story in the journal Management Methods in September 1958. He would remain president at Scripto until 1964 when he was forced out by falling profits and a strike by the International Chemical Workers Union.
In 1964, he was the first president of the Atlanta Arts Alliance and a trustee of Emory University and Atlanta University. He was on the boards of the Interdenominational Theological Center, the Atlanta School of Art, and the University System of Georgia, and a governor in the Kiwanis International. He was also on the board of directors for the Trust Company of Georgia, the Southern Company, and Georgia International Life Insurance. That same year he was a speaker at Vanderbilt University's IMPACT symposium.
In 1965 he was awarded the Georgia Medal for Distinguished Service.
He died in Marietta at age sixty-two, on November 28, 1972.
The Carmichael Student Center at Kennesaw State University is named for him.
References
Category:1910 births
Category:People from Cobb County, Georgia
Category:1972 deaths
Category:Members of the Georgia General Assembly
Category:Emory University School of Law alumni
Category:20th-century American politicians | wikipedia |
fractional action cosmology ( fac ) is based on the principles and formalism of the fractional calculus applied to cosmology .
the fractional derivative and fractional integrals are the main tools in fractional calculus , where the order of differentiation or integration is not an integer .
the fractional calculus is immensely useful in various branches of mathematics , physics and engineering @xcite . in doing fac
, one can proceed in two different ways @xcite : the first one is quite easy as one has to replace the partial derivatives in the einstein field equations with the corresponding fractional derivatives ; the second technique involves deriving the field equations and geodesic equations from a more fundamental way , namely starting with the principle of least action and replacing the usual integral with a fractional integral .
this later technique is more useful in giving extra features of the fac @xcite : rami introduced the fac by introducing the fractional time integral , @xmath0 here @xmath1 is the gamma function , @xmath2 , @xmath3 , @xmath4 constant and @xmath5 .
the variation yields an extra term in the field equations which he termed as ` variable gravitational constant @xmath6 ' .
moreover , when the weight function in the fractional time integral is replaced with a sinusoidal function , then the solution of the corresponding field equations yield a variable cosmological constant and an oscillatory scale factor @xcite @xmath7 where @xmath8 reduces to the standard action . in @xcite
, the authors extended the previous study by working out with a general weight function : @xmath9 several examples were studied and cosmological parameters were calculated in there .
an interesting feature of fac is that it yields an expanding universe whose scale factor goes like power law form or exponential form depending on the choice of the weight function .
hence cosmic acceleration can be modeled in fac .
reconstruction of potentials has been done by several authors in various cases .
capozziello et al @xcite considered scalar - tensor theories and reconstruct their potential and coupling by demanding a background @xmath10cdm cosmology .
in the framework of phantom quintessence cosmology , @xcite used the noether symmetry approach to obtain general exact solutions for the cosmological equations.in this paper , we are going to reconstruct the potentials and scalar fields , namely , quintessence , phantom , tachyonic , k - essence , dbi - essence , hessence , dilaton field and yang - mills field .
such reconstructions have been studied previously in other gravitational setups @xcite . to get more physical insight into the model , we express scale factor in three useful forms @xcite namely emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios , under which the universe expands differently .
such expansion scenarios are consistent with the observations with some restrictions on their parameters @xcite .
for a frw spacetime , the line element is @xmath11,\ ] ] where @xmath12 is the scale factor and @xmath13 is the curvature scalar .
we consider the universe contains normal matter and dark energy . from eq .
( ia ) , the einstein equations for the space - time given by equation ( 1 ) are @xcite @xmath14 where @xmath15 , @xmath16 and @xmath17 . here
@xmath18 and @xmath19 are the energy density and pressure of the normal matter connected by the equation of state @xmath20 and @xmath21 and @xmath22 are the energy density and pressure due to the dark energy .
now consider there is an interaction between normal matter and dark energy .
dark energy interacting with dark matter is a promising model to alleviate the cosmic coincidence problem . in ref .
@xcite , the authors studied the signature of such interaction on large scale cosmic microwave background ( cmb ) temperature anisotropies . based on the detail analysis in perturbation equations of dark energy and dark matter when they are in interaction , they found that the large scale cmb , especially the late integrated sachs wolfe effect , is a useful tool to measure the coupling between dark sectors .
it was deduced that in the 1@xmath23 range , the constrained coupling between dark sectors can solve the coincidence problem . in ref .
@xcite , a general formalism to study the growth of dark matter perturbations when dark energy perturbations and interactions between dark sectors were presented .
they showed that the dynamical stability on the growth of structure depends on the form of coupling between dark sectors .
moreover due to the influence of the interaction , the growth index can differ from the value without interaction by an amount up to the observational sensibility , which provides an opportunity to probe the interaction between dark sectors through future observations on the growth of structure . due to this interaction ,
the normal matter and dark energy are not separately conserved .
the energy conservation equations for normal matter and dark energy are @xmath24 and @xmath25 where @xmath26 is the hubble parameter . from equation ( 5 )
we have the expression for energy density of matter as @xmath27 where @xmath28 is the integration constant .
@xmath29*emergent scenario * : for emergent universe , the scale factor can be chosen as @xcite @xmath30 where @xmath31 and @xmath32 are positive constants . ( 1 ) @xmath33 for the scale factor @xmath34 to be positive ; ( 2 ) @xmath35 , to avoid any singularity at finite time ( big - rip ) ; ( 3 ) @xmath36 or @xmath37 for expanding model of the universe ; ( 4 ) @xmath38 and @xmath39 implies big bang singularity at @xmath40 .
so the hubble parameter and its derivatives are given by @xmath41 here @xmath42 and @xmath43 are both positive , but @xmath44 changes sign at @xmath45 .
thus @xmath46 and @xmath44 all tend to zero as @xmath47 . on the other hand as @xmath48
the solution gives asymptotically a de sitter universe .
+ @xmath29*logamediate scenario * : consider a particular form of logamediate scenario , where the form of the scale factor @xmath12 is defined as @xcite @xmath49 where @xmath50 and @xmath51 .
when @xmath52 , this model reduces to power - law form .
the logamediate form is motivated by considering a class of possible cosmological solutions with indefinite expansion which result from imposing weak general conditions on the cosmological model .
barrow has found in their model , the observational ranges of the parameters are as follows : @xmath53 and @xmath54 .
the hubble parameter @xmath55 and its derivative become , @xmath56 @xmath29*intermediate scenario * : consider a particular form of intermediate scenario , where the scale factor @xmath12 of the friedmann universe is described as @xcite , @xmath57 where @xmath58 , @xmath59 and @xmath60 . here
the expansion of universe is faster than power - law form , where the scale factor is given as , @xmath61 , where @xmath62 is a constant . also , the expansion of the universe is slower for standard de - sitter scenario where @xmath63 .
the hubble parameter @xmath55 and its derivative become , @xmath64
quintessence is described by an ordinary time dependent and homogeneous scalar field @xmath65 which is minimally coupled to gravity , but with a particular potential @xmath66 that leads to the accelerating universe .
the action for quintessence is given by @xcite @xmath67.\nonumber\ ] ] the energy momentum tensor of the field is : @xmath68 which gives @xmath69.\nonumber\ ] ] the energy density and pressure of the quintessence scalar field @xmath65 are as follows @xmath70 @xmath71 the eos parameter for the quintessence scalar field is given by @xmath72 for @xmath73 , we find that the universe accelerates when @xmath74 the energy density and the pressure of the quintessence ( phantom field ) can be represented by the minimally coupled spatially homogeneous and time dependent scalar field @xmath65 having positive ( negative ) kinetic energy term given by @xmath75 and @xmath76 where @xmath66 is the relevant potential for the scalar field @xmath65 , @xmath77 represents quintessence while @xmath78 refers to phantom field .
scalar field models of phantom energy indicate that it can behave as a long range repulsive force @xcite .
moreover the phantom energy has few characteristics different from normal matter , for instance , the energy density @xmath79 of the phantom field increases with the expansion of the universe ; it can be used as a source to form and stabilize traversable wormholes @xcite ; the phantom energy can disrupt all gravitationally bound structures i.e from galaxies to black holes @xcite ; it can produce infinite expansion of the universe in a finite time thus causing the ` big rip ' @xcite . from above equations , we get @xmath80,\ ] ] and @xmath81\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath84 and @xmath85 + fig.1 fig.2 + + fig.3 figs.1 - 3 show the variations of @xmath83 against quintessence or phantom field @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
solid , dash and dotted lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
blue and red lines represent quintessence field ( @xmath77 ) and phantom field ( @xmath78 ) respectively .
@xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath87 and @xmath88.\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath89 and @xmath90.\ ] ] in figures 1 , 2 and 3 , we have plotted the potentials against the scalar fields for the quintessence and phantom fields in emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios of the universe respectively in fractional action cosmology .
it has been observed in figure 1 that after gradual decay , the potential starts increasing with scalar field for quintessence as well as phantom field models of dark energy in the emergent scenario of the universe irrespective of its type of curvature . on the contrary ,
when logamediate scenario is considered , the figure 2 exhibits a continuous decay in the potential @xmath83 with increase in the scalar field @xmath65 .
a different behavior is observed in figure 3 that depicts the behavior of the potential @xmath83 against scalar field @xmath65 in the case of intermediate scenario of the universe .
the blue lines in this figure show a continuous decay in @xmath83 with increase in @xmath65 for quintessence model .
however , the red lines exhibit an increasing pattern of @xmath83 with scalar field @xmath65 .
a rolling tachyon has an interesting equation of state whose state parameter smoothly interpolates between @xmath91 and @xmath92 @xcite .
thus , tachyon can be realized as a suitable candidate for the inflation at high energy @xcite as well as a source of dark energy depending on the form of the tachyon potential @xcite .
therefore it becomes meaningful to reconstruct tachyon potential @xmath66 from some dark energy models .
an action for tachyon scalar @xmath65 is given by born - infeld like action @xmath93 where @xmath66 is the tachyon potential .
energy - momentum tensor components for tachyon scalar @xmath65 are obtained as @xmath94\end{aligned}\ ] ] the energy density @xmath21 pressure @xmath22 due to the tachyonic field @xmath65 have the expressions @xmath95 where @xmath66 is the relevant potential for the tachyonic field @xmath65 .
it is to be seen that @xmath96 @xmath97 or @xmath98 accordingly as normal tachyon ( @xmath77 ) or phantom tachyon ( @xmath78 ) .
+ from above , we get @xmath99\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath100^{-1}\ ] ] and @xmath101^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath100^{\frac{1}{2}}\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath102^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath103^{-\frac{1}{2 } } ~~dt_1\ ] ] and @xmath104^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath105^{\frac{1}{2}}.\ ] ] + fig.4 fig.5 + + fig.6 figs.4 - 6 show the variations of @xmath83 against tachyonic field @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
solid , dash and dotted lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
blue and red lines represent normal tachyonic field ( @xmath77 ) and phantom tachyonic field ( @xmath78 ) respectively .
@xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath106^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath107^{-\frac{1}{2 } } ~~dt_1\ ] ] and @xmath108^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath109^{\frac{1}{2}}\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath110^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath111^{-\frac{1}{2 } } ~~dt_1\ ] ] and @xmath112^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath113^{\frac{1}{2}}.\ ] ] in figure 4 , the @xmath83-@xmath65 plot for normal tachyon and phantom tachyon models of dark energy is presented for emergent scenario of the universe .
potential of normal tachyon exhibits decaying pattern .
however , it shows increasing pattern for phantom tachyonic field @xmath65 .
it happens irrespective of the curvature of the universe . in the logamediate scenario ( figure 5 ) the potentials for normal tachyon and phantom tachyon exhibit increasing and decreasing behavior respectively with increase in the scalar field @xmath65 . from figure 6
we see a continuous decay in the potential for normal tachyonic field in the intermediate scenario .
however , in this scenario , the behavior of the potential varies with the curvature of the universe characterized by interacting phantom tachyonic field . for @xmath114 , the potential increases with phantom tachyonic field and for @xmath115
, it decays after increasing initially . in the kinetically driven scalar field theory
, we have _ non - canonical _ kinetic energy term with _ no _ potential .
scalars , modelling this theory , are popularly known as _ k - essence_. motivated by born - infeld action of string theory , it was used as a source to explain the mechanism for producing the late time acceleration of the universe .
this model is given by the action @xcite @xmath116 with @xmath117 ignoring higher order terms of @xmath118 using the following transformations , @xmath119 @xmath120 and @xmath121 , the action can be rewritten as @xmath122 with @xmath123 from the action , the energy - momentum tensor components can be written as @xmath124.\ ] ] the energy density and pressure of k - essence scalar field @xmath65 are given by @xmath125 and @xmath126 where @xmath65 is the scalar field having kinetic energy @xmath127 and @xmath66 is the k - essence potential .
+ from above , we get @xmath128\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath129^{-1},\ ] ] and @xmath130^{2}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath131^{-1}.\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we have @xmath132^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath133^{-\frac{1}{2}}~dt.\ ] ] and @xmath134^{2}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath135^{-1}.\ ] ] @xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath136^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath137^{-\frac{1}{2 } } ~~dt_1\ ] ] and @xmath138^{2}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath139^{-1}\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath140^{\frac{1}{2}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath141^{-\frac{1}{2 } } ~~dt_1,\ ] ] and @xmath142^{2}\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath143^{-1}.\ ] ] from figures 7 , 8 and 9 we see that for interacting k - essence the potential @xmath83 always decreases with increase in the scalar field @xmath65 in all of the three scenarios and it happens for open , closed and flat universes
. + fig.7 fig.8 + + fig.9 figs.7 - 9 show the variations of @xmath83 against k - essence field @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
red , green and blue lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
consider that the dark energy scalar field is a dirac - born - infeld ( dbi ) scalar field . in this case , the action of the field be written as @xcite @xmath144,\ ] ] where @xmath145 is the warped brane tension and @xmath66 is the dbi potential .
the energy density and pressure of the dbi - essence scalar field are respectively given by @xmath146 and @xmath147 where @xmath148 is given by @xmath149 now we consider here particular case @xmath150 constant . in this case , for simplicity , we assume @xmath151 @xmath152 .
so we have @xmath153 . in this case the expressions for @xmath65 , @xmath145 and @xmath66 are given by @xmath154.\ ] ] @xmath155.\ ] ] and @xmath156\rho_{m}-\frac{1}{8\pi g}\left[\left(1-t_{0}+\sqrt{t_{0}(t_{0}-1)}\right)\dot{h}+3h^{2 } \right.\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath157.\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 , @xmath158 and @xmath83 as @xmath159^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1\ ] ] @xmath160\ ] ] and @xmath156 \frac{\rho_{0}a_{0}^{-3(1+w_{m}+\delta)}}{\left(\lambda+e^{\mu t_1}\right)^{3n(1+w_{m}+\delta ) } } -\frac{1}{8\pi g}\left[\left(1-t_{0}+\sqrt{t_{0}(t_{0}-1)}\right)\frac{n\lambda\mu^{2 } e^{\mu t_1 } } { \left(\lambda+e^{\mu t_1}\right)^{2 } } \right.\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath161.\ ] ] @xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 , @xmath158 and @xmath83 as @xmath162^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1\ ] ] @xmath163,\ ] ] and @xmath156\rho_{0}~e^{-3a(1+w_{m}+\delta)(\ln t_1)^{\alpha}}-\frac{1}{8\pi g}\left[2\left(t_{0}-\sqrt{t_{0}(t_{0}-1)}+2\right)\frac{(\xi-1)a\alpha}{t_1^{2 } } ( \ln t_1)^{\alpha-1 } \right.\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath164.\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 , @xmath158 and @xmath83 as @xmath165^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1.\ ] ] @xmath166\ ] ] and @xmath156\rho_{0}~e^{-3b(1+w_{m}+\delta)t_1^{\beta}}-\frac{1}{8\pi g}\left[\left(1-t_{0}+\sqrt{t_{0}(t_{0}-1)}\right)b\beta(\beta-1)t_1^{\beta-2 } \right.\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath167\ ] ] when we consider an interacting dbi - essence dark energy , we get decaying pattern in the @xmath83-@xmath65 plot for emergent and intermediate scenarios in the figures 10 and 12
. however , from figure 11 we see an increasing plot of @xmath83-@xmath65 for for interacting dbi - essence in the logamediate scenario .
+ fig.10 fig.11 + + fig.12 figs.10 - 12 show the variations of @xmath83 against dbi field @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
solid , dash and dotted lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
wei et al @xcite proposed a novel non - canonical complex scalar field named hessence " which plays the role of quintom . in the hessence model
the so - called internal motion @xmath168 where @xmath169 is the internal degree of freedom of hessence plays a phantom like role and the phantom divide transitions is also possible .
the lagrangian density of the hessence is given by @xmath170- v(\phi).\ ] ] the pressure and energy density for the hessence model are given by @xmath171 and @xmath172 with @xmath173 where @xmath174 is the total conserved charge , @xmath65 is the hessence scalar field and @xmath83 is the corresponding potential . + from above we get , @xmath175 and @xmath176 @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath177 and @xmath85 @xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath178 and @xmath88.\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get the expressions for @xmath65 and @xmath83 as @xmath179 and @xmath90.\ ] ] for interacting hessence dark energy , figure 13 shows increase in the potential with scalar field and figures 14 and 15 show decay in the potential with scalar field .
this means the potential for interacting hessence increases in the emergent universe and decays in logamediate and intermediate scenarios .
+ fig.13 fig.14 + + fig.15 figs.13 - 15 show the variations of @xmath83 against hessence field @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
red , green and blue lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
the energy density and pressure of the dilaton dark energy model are given by @xcite @xmath180 and @xmath181 where @xmath65 is the dilaton scalar field having kinetic energy @xmath182 , @xmath183 is the characteristic length which governs all non - gravitational interactions of the dilaton and @xmath184 is a positive constant .
we get , @xmath185^{\frac{1}{2}}dt_1.\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we have @xmath186^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1.\ ] ] @xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get @xmath187 @xmath188^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get @xmath189^{\frac{1}{2 } } dt_1.\ ] ] for interacting dilaton field , the scalar field @xmath65 always increases with cosmic time @xmath190 irrespective of the scenario of the universe we consider .
this is displayed in figures 16 , 17 and 18 for emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
+ fig.16 fig.17 + + fig.18 figs.16 - 18 show the variations of dilaton field @xmath65 against time @xmath191 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
red , green and blue lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
recent studies suggest that yang - mills field can be considered as a useful candidate to describe the dark energy as in the normal scalar models the connection of field to particle physics models has not been clear so far and the weak energy condition can not be violated by the field . in the effective yang mills condensate ( ymc )
dark energy model , the effective yang - mills field lagrangian is given by @xcite , @xmath192 where @xmath193 is the re - normalization scale of dimension of squared mass , @xmath194 plays the role of the order parameter of the ymc where @xmath194 is given by , @xmath195 .
the pure electric case we have , @xmath196 . + from the above lagrangian we can derive the energy density and the pressure of the ymc in the flat frw spacetime as @xmath197 and @xmath198 where @xmath199 is defined as , @xmath200 we get , @xmath201.\ ] ] @xmath82 for emergent scenario , we have @xmath202.\ ] ] @xmath82 for logamediate scenario , we get @xmath203 @xmath204.\ ] ] @xmath82 for intermediate scenario , we get @xmath205.\ ] ] when we consider yang - mills dark energy , we find that @xmath206 is always increasing with cosmic time @xmath190 .
this is displayed in figures 19 , 20 and 21 for emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
+ fig.19 fig.20 + + fig.21 figs.19 - 21 show the variations of @xmath206 against time @xmath191 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively .
red , green and blue lines represent @xmath86 respectively .
this paper is dedicated to the study of reconstruction of scalar fields and their potentials in a newly developed model of fractional action cosmology by rami @xcite .
the fields that we used are quintessence , phantom , tachyonic , k - essence , dbi - essence , hessence , dilaton field and yang - mills field .
we assumed that these fields interact with the matter .
these fields are various options to model dark energy which is varying in density and pressure , so called variable dark energy .
different field models possess various advantages and disadvantages .
the reconstruction of the field potential involves solving the friedmann equations in the fac model with the standard energy densities and pressures of the fields , thereby solving for the field and the potential . for simplicity
, we expressed these complicated expressions explicitly in time dependent form .
we plotted these expressions in various figures throughout the paper .
in plotting the figures for various scenarios , we choose the following values : emergent scenario : @xmath207 , @xmath208 , @xmath209,@xmath210 , @xmath211 , @xmath212 ( all de models ) ; logamediate : @xmath207 , @xmath213 , @xmath214 , @xmath212 ( all de models ) ; intermediate : @xmath207 , @xmath215 , @xmath216 , @xmath212 ( all de models ) .
moreover in all cases @xmath217 , @xmath218 . in figures 1 to 3
, we show the variations of @xmath83 against @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively for phantom and quintessence field . in the first two cases ,
the potential function is a decreasing function of the field . for the quintessence field ,
the potential is almost constant while for the phantom field , the potential increases for different field values . figures ( 4 - 6 ) show the variations of @xmath83 against @xmath65 in the emergent , logamediate and intermediate scenarios respectively for the tachyonic field . in figure 4 , the @xmath83-@xmath65 plot for normal tachyon and phantom tachyon models of dark energy is presented for emergent scenario of the universe .
potential of normal tachyon exhibits decaying pattern .
however , it shows increasing pattern for phantom tachyonic field @xmath65 .
it happens irrespective of the curvature of the universe . in the logamediate scenario
( figure 5 ) the potentials for normal tachyon and phantom tachyon exhibit increasing and decreasing behavior respectively with increase in the scalar field @xmath65 . from figure 6
we see a continuous decay in the potential for normal tachyonic field in the intermediate scenario .
however , in this scenario , the behavior of the potential varies with the curvature of the universe characterized by interacting phantom tachyonic field . for @xmath114 , the potential increases with phantom tachyonic field and for @xmath115
, it decays after increasing initially .
similarly figures ( 7 - 9 ) show the reconstructed potentials for the k - essence field .
we have seen that for interacting k - essence the potential @xmath83 always decreases with increase in the scalar field @xmath65 in all of the three scenarios and it happens for open , closed and flat universes .
when we consider an interacting dbi - essence dark energy , we get decaying pattern in the @xmath83-@xmath65 plot for emergent and intermediate scenarios in the figures 10 and 12 . however , from figure 11 we see an increasing plot of @xmath83-@xmath65 for for interacting dbi - essence in the logamediate scenario . for interacting hessence dark energy , figures
13 shows increase in the potential with scalar field and figures 14 and 15 show decay in the potential with scalar field .
this means the potential for interacting hessence increases in the emergent universe and decays in logamediate and intermediate scenarios
. figures ( 16 - 18 ) discuss the dilaton field while figures ( 19 - 21 ) show the behavior of the yang - mills field in the fac .
for interacting dilaton field , the scalar field @xmath65 always increases with cosmic time @xmath190 irrespective of the scenario of the universe and when we consider yang - mills dark energy , we find that @xmath206 in always increasing with cosmic time @xmath190 .
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Why do we hold umbrellas upright while walking?
Recently I encountered this (quite interesting) question:
>
> Rain is falling vertically. A man running on the road keeps his umbrella tilted but a man standing on the street keeps his umbrella vertical to protect himself from the rain. But both of them keep their umbrella vertical to avoid the vertical sun-rays. Explain.
>
>
>
The answer that I thought is as follows:
>
> The speed of man is comparable to that of the rain and hence his act of walking cause the relative velocity vector to change in direction and magnitude. Whereas his speed is nowhere comparable to that of light (about $3 \times 10^8\ \mathrm{m\ s^{-1}}$) and **hence there is no significant deviation** of the relative velocity vector of light.
>
>
>
But an obvious question that occurred to me was:
* **What if the speed of man was quite comparable to that of light (say $0.9c$, just to give some figures!) then would there be a change in direction and hence the need of tilting the umbrella?**
---
I think there might not be any deviation at all as the speed of light is invariant in all inertial frame of references (though this conclusion might not be correct as my understanding of SR is quite superficial.)
This is a simple but important point. While the speed of light is invariant among all inertial observers, the direction of light is not. Let's show this explicitly. Let's say that light is propagating in the negative$-y$ direction w.r.t. observer $\mathcal{O}\_1$ who is standing still. Now, consider an observer $\mathcal{O}\_2$ running at a uniform speed $v$ in the positive$-x$ direction w.r.t. $\mathcal{O}\_1$. The relativistic relation between the velocity $\vec{u}$ of an object as observed by $\mathcal{O}\_1$ and the velocity $\vec{u'}$ of the same object as observed by $\mathcal{O}\_2$ is the following
$$u'\_x=\frac{u\_x-v}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}$$
$$u'\_y=\frac{u\_y\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}{{1-\frac{vu\_x}{c^2}}}$$
In our case, we are concerned with the transformation of the velocity of light which is $c$ in the negative$-y$ direction as observed by $\mathcal{O}\_1$. Thus, $u\_x=0,u\_y=-c$. Putting in these values in the above formulae would give you
$$u'\_x=\frac{-v}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}$$
$$u'\_y=-c\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}$$
Thus, in the reference frame of $\mathcal{O}\_2$, light makes an angle of $\arctan\frac{u\_x}{u\_y}=\arctan\big(\frac{v/c}{{1-{v^2}/{c^2}}}\big)$ with the vertical. So, indeed, you are correct. If $v/c$ is not ridiculously small, the person would have to tilt their umbrella noticeably.
You can easily verify that the speed of the light is still $c$ in this reference frame.
| stackexchange/physics |
signs and symptoms of graves ophthalmopathy are caused by inflammation of orbital connective tissue , increased orbital volume due to overproduction of glycosaminoglycans , and enhanced adipogenesis . despite substantial new findings in its cellular and molecular underpinnings ,
many patients with graves ophthalmopathy have to endure the condition for long periods and some severely affected patients are resistant to current treatment regimens .
accumulating data suggest that the proliferation and immune response involved by the cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts play important roles in the occurrence and development of graves ophthalmopathy . on the other hand ,
evidence from several laboratories suggests that orbital fibroblasts are the autoimmune target and effector cells in graves ophthalmopathy .
disease manifestations are the product of a close interaction between orbital fibroblasts and cd4 t cells .
various classes of molecules ( e.g. , hla antigens , ctla-4 , and cytokines ) immunomodulate this interaction .
previous studies showed there were imbalances between the cd4 t cells ( th1/th2/treg / th17 ) and their associated cytokines in the pathogenesis of graves ophthalmopathy . in the early stage of graves ophthalmopathy ,
the imbalance between th1 and th2 shifts to th1 dominance , and the th1 cell - mediated immune response play an important role . in the late stage ,
increased serum interleukin-17 and the correlation of il-17 concentration with the clinical activity scores suggest that th17 and il-17 play a pathophysiological role in graves ophthalmopathy .
treg cells from patients with graves ophthalmopathy showed different immunomodulation response compared with normal controls .
in addition , orbital fibroblasts express cd40 , icam , igf-1r , and other immunomodulatory molecules , amplifying the immune response .
based on the surface expression of thy-1 , orbital fibroblasts were divided into thy-1 and thy-1 subtypes .
thy-1 orbital fibroblasts differentiate into myofibroblasts upon activation of tgf-. thy-1 orbital fibroblasts differentiate into adipocytes under the influence of ppar agonists . activated
cd4 t cells secrete ifn- , il-1 , and tnf- , inducing the expression of tshr and cd40 on the surface of orbital fibroblasts , which promote the secretion of fibronectin , type 1 collagen , glycosaminoglycans , and other extracellular matrices . on the other hand
, 15d - pgj2 expressed on activated cd4 t cells are ppar ligands , and induce orbital fibroblast differentiation into adipocytes .
micrornas are single - stranded , small , noncoding rnas , about 2125 nucleotides in length .
they control gene expression by targeting the 3 , 5 utr or the coding sequences of specific mrnas and triggering either translation repression or rna degradation .
micrornas have recently emerged as important modulators of immunity and cellular physiology [ 5,1315 ] .
the expression mir-155 and mir-146a can be induced by the tlr4/nf-b pathway , an important immune and inflammatory response pathway . in turn , both mir-155 and mir-146a have multiple target genes in the tlr4/nf-b pathway , reciprocally regulating the immune response .
specifically , mir-146a was demonstrated to target the tnf receptor - associated factor 6 ( traf6 ) , as well as il-1 receptor - associated kinases ( irak ) 1 and irak2 in the nf-b signaling cascade , as a negative feedback inhibitor .
in contrast , mir-155 can promote inflammation by targeted suppression of cytokine signaling 1 ( socs1 ) and sh2 domain - containing inositol-5-phosphatase 1 ( ship1 ) , which are 2 important negative regulators in the tlr4/nf-b pathway . on the other hand , il-1 and tnf-
can induce inflammation , hyaluronan production , and adipogenesis through the activation of the tlr / nf-b pathway in orbital fibroblasts from graves ophthalmopathy .
recently , the tlr gene polymorphisms were reported to be associated with susceptibility to graves ophthalmopathy .
mir-155 , which is one of the most prominent micrornas linked to inflammation , is upregulated in both myeloid and lymphoid activated cells . in t cells , mir-155 regulates treg cell development and competitive fitness through the repression of socs1 , while also being essential for the development of th17 cells during autoimmunity .
meanwhile , both treg cells and th17 cells play pathophysiological roles in graves ophthalmopathy . on the contrary
in addition , mir-155 promotes the proliferation of tumor cells by inhibiting the target gene ship1 ; while mir-146a inhibits the tumor cell proliferation by target cxcr4 and smad4 .
the expression of cxcr4 by t cells and fibroblasts from patients with graves ophthalmopathy was significantly greater than that from controls .
interaction between cxcr4 and its ligand may maintain an active immune response in the late stage of graves ophthalmopathy .
tgf-/smad pathway and c / ebp- were involved in the differentiation of orbital fibroblasts into adipocytes or myofibroblasts .
mir-155 and mir-146a are typical multifunctional mirna , with characteristic regulation in the same cellular pathway but according to different conditions , involved in immune regulation , cell proliferation , differentiation , apoptosis , extracellular matrix metabolism , and other life processes .
both mir-155 and mir-146a have multiple mrna targets , as revealed by bioinformatics analysis utilizing targetscan 6.2 software ( http://www.targetscan.org , release date june , 2012 ) . with regards to the pathogenesis of graves ophthalmopathy , the following mir-155 targets may be of particular interest : igf1r , igf1 , c / ebp- , tgfbr2 , smad1 , smad2 , smad5 , socs1 , cd28 , cd84 , il1rap , fibrillin 2 , lat2 , col1a2 , col4a3 , ctla4 , hla - dmb , ccr4 , ccr5 , cxcl14 , and mmp16 .
for mir-146a , the following targets may be particularly interesting : igf1r , traf6 , fas , smad4 , irak1 , ccnd1 , mmp16 , and col4a3 .
it is interesting that mir-155 and mir-146a have some shared targets ( igf1r , col4a3 and mmp16 ) . to date , these targets have not been verified in patients with graves ophthalmopathy .
target validation remains a critical step in defining the functions of mir-155 and mir-146a in graves ophthalmopathy .
accumulating data suggest that the proliferation and immune response involved in the cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts play important roles in the occurrence and development of graves ophthalmopathy .
mir-155 and mir-146a , with opposite impacts on inflammatory responses carried out by t lymphocytes , appear to have multiple targets in the pathogenesis of graves ophthalmopathy .
our previous work showed that the expression of mir-146a was significantly decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from graves ophthalmopathy patients compared with normal subjects . taken together , mir-155 and mir-146a may influence the development of graves ophthalmopathy by modulating : ( 1 ) the tlr4/nf-b pathway ; ( 2 ) the imbalances between cd4 t cells ( th1/th2/treg / th17 ) and their associated cytokines ; and ( 3 ) the differentiation and proliferation of orbital fibroblasts .
accordingly , we propose that the expression of mir-155 increased and the expression of mir-146a decreased in cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts in patients with graves ophthalmopathy , thus promoting autoimmune inflammation and proliferative response in the orbital tissue ( figure 1 ) .
the study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the first affiliated hospital of guangxi medical university ( no .
2013-ky-048 ) . diagnoses of graves ophthalmopathy were based on bartley s criteria . to test the hypothesis ,
retrobulbar orbital adipose tissues will be obtained from 20 patients with severe and active graves ophthalmopathy ( with cornea or optic nerve involvement and clinical activity score 4 ) during orbital decompression surgery .
for the control group , orbital adipose tissues will be obtained from 20 age- and sex - matched patients with atrophic globe but normal retrobulbar structure , during enucleation and orbital implantation surgery .
patients with thyroid diseases , autoimmune diseases , active inflammation , cancer , or a history of immunosuppressive therapy will be excluded from the control group .
the following experiments can be done to test our hypothesis : ( 1 ) quantify the expression of mir-155 and mir-146a in peripheral cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts from graves ophthalmopathy patients by real - time rt - pcr as we described previously ; ( 2 ) the effects of mir-155 and mir-146a on cd4 t cells can be assessed by transfection with their inhibitors or mimics , respectively
. then the expression of cd40l , cxcr4 and secretion of il-1 , il-2 , il-6 , il-10 , il-17 , il-23 , ifn- , tgf- , tnf- will be assessed and the nf-b , jak / stat pathway will be analyzed ; ( 3 ) the effects of mir-155 and mir-146a on orbital fibroblasts can be assessed by transfection with their inhibitors or mimics , respectively .
then the expression of cd40 , cxcr4 , tshr , igf-1r ; tnf- , il-8 , il-6 ; collagen 1 , hyaluronic acid , mmp-9 ; lipid droplets ; ppar- , c / ebp- , c / ebp- will be assessed by flow cytometry , elisa , oil staining , pcr , and western blot and the tgf-/smad and nf-b pathways will be analyzed by pcr and western blot ; ( 4 ) the effects of mir-155 and mir-146a on the mixed culture of cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts can be evaluated ; ( 5 ) screening and verification of the target genes of mir-155 and mir-146a in cd4 t cells and orbital fibroblasts in patients with graves ophthalmopathy can be performed to elucidate the molecular mechanism .
the differences between the graves ophthalmopathy patients and the control group will be compared by independent samples t - test .
due to the poor understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease , substantial obstacles have prevented the development of specific medical therapies for graves ophthalmopathy .
studies to test our hypothesis will generate new knowledge and concepts about the role of mir-155 and mir-146a in the pathogenesis of graves ophthalmopathy .
further elucidation of the function of the differentially expressed micrornas may shed new light on the pathogenesis of graves ophthalmopathy , resulting in new management targets and improving patient outcomes . | pubmed |
Torrioni es uno de los 119 municipios o comunas ("comune" en italiano) de la provincia de Avellino, en la región de Campania. Con cerca de 633 habitantes, se extiende por una área de 4 km², teniendo una densidad de población de 158 hab/km². Linda con los municipios de Montefusco, Petruro Irpino, San Martino Sannita , San Nicola Manfredi, Santa Paolina, Tufo.
Demografía
Localidades de la provincia de Avellino | slim_pajama |
measurement of the @xmath0 spectrum gives an excellent test for studying the dynamical content of the configurations being used .
nrqcd can be used to give precise results which indicate how the light dynamical quarks feed in to the heavy meson properties .
the program at cleo - c will enable lattice results on @xmath0 spectroscopy to be experimentally verified @xcite . here
we present new results using dynamical configurations from the milc collaboration @xcite .
we have used the coarser set of available ensembles .
these were generated using the improved staggered asqtad action and have the advantage over previous configurations of the incorporation of 2 + 1 flavors of dynamical quarks .
these are therefore the most realistic simulations of the physical vacuum to date .
several 2 + 1 flavor ensembles are available with one dynamical quark being held at approximately the value of the strange quark mass @xmath1 and two degenerate flavors varying from @xmath1 to @xmath2 . also available
are a quenched ensemble and a two flavor ensemble with degenerate dynamical quark masses of @xmath3 .
we have used both the most chiral 2 + 1 flavor ensemble and the degenerate 3 flavor ensemble plus the quenched and 2 flavor ensembles to best demonstrate the effects of unquenching on the bottomonium spectrum .
we use the standard @xmath4 nrqcd lagrangian @xcite @xmath5 but with corrections to the @xmath6 and @xmath7 fields for @xmath8 errors .
all terms are tadpole improved using an estimate of the landau gauge link . .
open circles and fancy diamonds represent scales determined from the 1p-1s @xmath0 and 2s-1s @xmath0 splittings respectively . ]
for all ensembles , 210 configurations were used . for all but the degenerate 3 flavor ensemble , 4 different quark ( antiquark ) origins were used on each of 4 different timeslices . for the degenerate 3 flavor ensemble ,
4 different origins were used on each of 2 different timeslices . in fitting the meson correlators , the bayes technique @xcite was used .
@xmath9 matrix fits were done using local , ground and excited state smearings for the s states and @xmath10 matrix fits were done using ground and excited state smearings for p states .
the bayes parameters used were quite relaxed with @xmath11 , each of the amplitudes = 0.1(7 ) , and splittings between excited states @xmath12 .
in figure [ fig : ainv ] results are plotted for the ratio of @xmath13 obtained from both the 1p-1s and 2s-1s splittings in the @xmath0 system to that obtained from using @xmath14 , assuming that @xmath15 .
the results from the dynamical configurations are plotted against the ratio of the pseudoscalar to vector light - light meson mass where the valence quark mass is equal to the @xmath16 sea quark mass .
we will also be able to extract a reliable scale from the quantity @xmath17 once @xmath1 is well determined @xcite .
dependence on the quantity used to obtain @xmath13 with quenching gives ambiguities in calculating other physical observables .
the plot clearly illustrates these ambiguities disappearing as @xmath18 tends to its physical value . for the most chiral 2 + 1 flavor dynamical ensemble
the scales from @xmath0 have converged .
the @xmath0 results imply that @xmath19 .
these scales can be used to determine a value for @xmath20 @xcite .
figure [ fig : leprat ] shows the ratio of the leptonic width , i.e. the width of decay to @xmath21 , of the 1st radially excited @xmath0 to that of the ground state @xmath0 .
the experimental points for @xmath22 and @xmath0 are plotted to demonstrate that this ratio is to a large extent independent of the heavy quark mass . at leading order @xmath23 , where the ` wavefunction at the origin ' @xmath24 , the overlap of the local vector current with a given state .
therefore we can calculate this ratio using appropriate amplitudes from our @xmath9 fits .
the @xmath25 factor for this current , which must be calculated in perturbation theory , cancels in the ratio .
it can be seen that although even the most chiral result is still some way from experiment , the ratio is clearly falling with dynamical quark mass .
next , the currents must be improved by adding current correction operators as has been done for @xmath26 @xcite .
the hyperfine splitting between the @xmath0 and @xmath27 is a spin dependent quantity which is proportional to the square of the coefficient of the @xmath28 term in the action and also , in leading order in a potential model , to @xmath29 . in figure
[ fig : hyprat ] we show the ratio of hyperfine splitting of the 1st excited to that of the ground @xmath0 state . the uncertainty from the coefficient of the @xmath28 term , and , similarly to the leptonic width
, a lot of the heavy quark mass dependence cancels in the ratio .
the @xmath27 and @xmath30 are experimentally unseen as yet so the experimental result given is for the @xmath22 system from the belle collaboration @xcite .
the plot shows a tendency towards experiment with unquenching .
to that of the ground state .
the open circles represent results for dynamical configurations while the cross represents the quenched result .
the diamond and burst represent the current experimental results for @xmath0 and @xmath22 respectively . ] to that of the ground state .
the open circle represents the results for the most chiral dynamical configuration while the cross represents the quenched result .
the diamond represents the current experimental result for the @xmath22 system . ]
the dependence of the scale on the quantity used to obtain it has been a long standing problem of the quenched approximation . full convergence of @xmath13 obtained from different splittings in the @xmath0 spectrum is now clearly seen on the most chiral 2 + 1 flavor milc ensemble . we conclude that this ensemble has good dynamical content
. ratios of leptonic widths and hyperfine splitting have been measured and are seen to tend toward experiment wih unquenching and decreasing dynamical quark mass .
we are grateful to milc for use of their configurations .
this work was supported by nsf , doe , pparc , the eu , and nserc canada . c. w. bernard _
et al _ , phys .
d * 64 * ( 2001 ) 054506 . c. t. h. davies _
et al _ , phys .
d * 50 * ( 1994 ) 6963 .
g. p. lepage _ et al _ , nucl .
* 106 * ( 2002 ) 12 .
m. wingate _
et al _ , j. hein _ et al _ , these proceedings .
c. t. h. davies _ et al _ , these proceedings . c. j. morningstar and j. shigemitsu , phys .
d * 59 * ( 1999 ) 094504 .
belle collaboration , presented at fpcp conference , philadelphia , pa , may 16 - 18 , 2002 . | arxiv |
Hobbit 1. Des yeux anormaux
Bonjour à tous ! Tout d'abord merci de lire cette histoire. Ceci est une traduction d'une fiction de Caladhiel Alcarin. C'est ma première traduction donc n'hésitez pas à donnez des conseils constructifs sur la traduction et l'histoire en général ! Je vous invite à lire cette histoire aussi (surtout en fait) en anglais et je vous remercie ! Je m'excuse s'il y a des erreurs et bonne lecture !
Protection and Trust : Protection et confiance
Écrit par : Caladhiel Alcarin
Chapitre 1 :
Des yeux anormaux :
Avez-vous déjà entendu parler d'un changeur de forme ? Je suppose que non. Nous pouvons nous transformer en un animal spécifique. Il y a un changeur de forme que je connais qui peut se changer en un grand ours noir. Il est mon cousin éloigné et son nom est Beorn. Les changeurs de formes ne vieillissent pas et nous ne mourrons avant beaucoup, beaucoup, beaucoup d'année à moins de mourir au cours d'une bataille. Beorn est le seul autre changeur de forme que je connais. Bien que je ne l'ai pas vu depuis beaucoup d'années.
Mon nom est Vanmoriel, ce qui veut dire la beauté noire. Je suis une changeuse de forme et je vis depuis prés de 630 années. J'ai des yeux saphirs sombres et de long cheveux noirs. Je suis mince parce que je voyage beaucoup et je ne trouve pas toujours de la nourriture. Je reste seule, principalement parce que je suis mieux seule. Et je suis bannie pour beaucoup de peuple. Je ne suis pas la bienvenue chez la plupart des elfes. Seul la Maison d'Elrond m'a toujours traité d'égal à égal. Les Dùnedein m'acceptent aussi, ils m'ont souvent demandé de l'aide et ont toujours été gentil. J'étais aussi une bonne amie de Radaghast, malgré le fait qu'il croit que je suis un animal comme un autre. Mais il était quand même gentil et me donnerait de la nourriture si jamais j'étais près de Rohsgobel.
Je peux me transformer en loup. Ma fourrure allait vers le noir et mes mes yeux, même s'ils étaient bleus, était d'un bleu très sombre. Aucun autre loup ordinaire n'avait mes yeux donc c'était facile pour les gens de me reconnaître. Je m'orientais clairement vers les villes des Hommes, ils allaient me tuer et j'avais déjà beaucoup de cicatrice de leurs armes. Je me montrais rarement devant les gens que je ne connaissais pas et pour cela j'étais … différente de beaucoup de changeurs de formes.
C'était en un beau jour de juin que ma vie a changé. J'étais en train de boire dans un ruisseau comme n'importe quel loup, je pourrais ajouter. Mes sens étaient accrus lorsque j'étais en loup. J'eus juste le temps de me baisser rapidement quand deux visages regardèrent au-dessus d'un rocher.
« Je jure sur le nom de Durin que c'était juste là ! » dit une voix profonde.
« Kili, la seule chose qu'il y ait est une rivière et quelques arbres. » dit un autre.
« Mais Fili … »
« Oncle nous a dit de rester avec les poneys ! » dit Fili.
Je regardai au-dessus de l'herbe haute et vis deux nains. De jeunes nains et ils étaient plutôt beau d'ailleurs. Je connaissais très peu de choses sur les nains, mais je le connaissais assez pour savoir qu'ils n'étaient pas souvent dans une région sauvage comme celle-ci. Je les suivais lentement jusqu'à ce qu'une odeur nauséabonde m'interpelle.
_Des trolls ! _
Je méprisais les trolls ! Mais je n'arrivais pas à comprendre pour quelle raison ils étaient si loin dans le sud. Je tournai dans l'autre direction et je sentis l'odeur de nourriture sur le feu. J'avais tellement faim que je ne savais pas ce que je faisais. Je suivis l'odeur jusqu'à un campement de nains !
_C'est de plus en plus bizarre. Ce n'est pas tous les jours que je vois des nains sur la route._
J'ai vu un nain se tenir à l'écart des autres. J'étais curieuse donc je m'approchai silencieusement pour être plus proche de ce nain. Il me faisait face mais ne pouvait pas me voir. Il n'était pas jeune mais pas vieux non plus. J'ai lu beaucoup de choses sur les nains. Ils vivent des centaines d'année et celui-là devait avoir un peu plus de cent ans, peut-être 125 ans. Il avait de long cheveux noirs qui ondulaient légèrement et quelques mèches grises. Il avait une barbe comme la plupart des nains mais elle n'était pas trop longue et tressée, ceci dit, c'était une très jolie barbe. Mais ce sont ses yeux qui m'ont interpellés, ses profonds yeux bleus. Ils étaient emplis de tristesse, de douleur, de colère, de trahison, de regrets et de nostalgie. J'avais toujours pu facilement lire les gens, et ce nain, il se tenait haut et fier, et était grand pour un nain. Je ne faisais qu'un mètre soixante-trois environ, il devait donc m'arriver à peu près à mes épaules ou à mon cou. Il avait l'air de porter un lourd fardeau mais je ne savais pas encore ce que c'était . A ce moment, il me vit et ses yeux s' agrandirent. Il aperçut mes yeux et me fixa.
« Ce n'est pas un warg … juste un loup normal.»
_Si SEULEMENT vous saviez !_
Il avait une voix extrêmement profonde, cela me frappait mais quand il était en colère, elle devait être féroce. Je reculai et alla me cacher dans la forêt sombre.
« Intéressant. » dit-il.
2. Amis ou Ennemis ?
Rebonjour chers amis lecteurs ! Une fois encore, je rappelle que c'est une traduction, je remercie donc encore Caladhiel pour m'avoir laissée traduire cette fic et aussi pour m'avoir permise de reprendre son image. Donc voici le chapitre 2, si vous voyez des erreurs (orthographe, traduction si vous avez lu la fic originale etc ...), n'hésitez pas à me le dire. Une petite review serait sympa, autant sur la fic en elle-même que sur la traduction. Une fois encore, n'hésitez pas à aller lire la fic originale. Voili bonne lecture à vous tous !
Chapitre 2 :
Amis ou Ennemis ? :
Alors que je partais, je vis quelque chose de très petit se diriger vers un feu. Je reniflai l'air et su que les trolls étaient près de celui-ci.
« Du mouton hier ! Du mouton aujourd'hui ! Et rien d'autres ! Demain, nous allons devenir des moutons ! »
_Je hais les trolls !_
Je ne savais pas ce qu'était cette créature mais elle avait une odeur similaire aux nains ou leur odeur était sur elle. Je ne voulais pas qu'elle soit blessée donc je décidai de la suivre. Alors que je m'apprêtai à partir, les deux jeunes nains déboulèrent devant moi. Je me figeai sur place.
« Je te l'avais dis ! Je te l'avais dis que je l'avais vu ! »
Je me rappelais que celui-ci était Kili. Il avait de longs cheveux sombres, des yeux vert doré et une fine barbe. Son frère qui s'appelait Fili d'après mes souvenirs, avait des cheveux entre le blond et le brun et des yeux verts. Sa barbe était tressée sur les côtés et il avait quelques autres tresses dans ses cheveux.
« Mais ce n'est pas un warg, mon frère. »
Je ne voulais pas me battre, je ne bougeai pas et essayai de ne pas paraître suspecte. En vérité, j'étais effrayée. Je n'avais pas eu de contact avec un humain, un elfe ou un magicien depuis près de 20 ans. Je savais toujours comment parler et marcher ainsi que ces autres choses que les humains faisaient mais je ne les avais pas fait depuis longtemps. Je baissai la tête et essayai de paraître calme et plus ou moins apprivoisée.
« Ce n'est rien de plus qu'un loup mais je n'ai jamais vu des yeux comme cela avant. » notifia Kili.
« Tu n'as jamais vu un loup dans ta vie Kili ! »
« Si, bien sûr ! J'en regarde un en ce moment. »
Il frappa son visage avec sa main et je bougeai la queue. Kili sourit.
« On dirait qu'il est amusé. »
« Je pense que c'est : elle »
Je hochai la tête et leurs yeux s'agrandirent.
« Tu peux nous comprendre. »
Je hochai de nouveau la tête. Kili fit un pas vers moi et je ne bougeai pas.
« Kili, qu'est-ce que tu fais ?! »
« Quoi ? »
« C'est un animal sauvage ! » siffla-t-il
Je grognai face à cela et marcha vers Kili. Je plaçai ma tête sur sa main et m'assis. Kili rit et Fili me fixait, choqué. Il secoua la tête.
« L'un de nous deux doit partir et aller parler des trolls à Thorin ! »
_T-Thorin ?! Comme Thorin Oakenshield ?! Je ne l'avais pas vu depuis près de 75 ans ! Et il ne me connaissait même pas ! Je l'avais seulement vu une fois !_
« Et elle ? »
Il me regarda et secoua la tête.
« Il vont la tuer et c'est un animal. Elle peut nous comprendre mais ne peut pas parler. »
_Tu vas voir !_
« J'y vais. Kili, assures toi qu'il est en sécurité. Je reviens bientôt » Kili couru dans la direction des trolls. J'étais enthousiaste à l'idée de revoir Thorin donc je suivis Fili.
« Non tu ne peux pas venir ! Ils vont te tuer. »
Je pleurnichai et continuai de le suivre
« D'accord ! Mais tu dois rester cachée ! »
Je hochai la tête encore une fois et couru avec lui. Alors que nous approchions, je me cachai dans les ténèbres. Le nain qui m'avait intéressée tout à l'heure s'avança.
_C'est impossible ! Je l'aurais reconnu !_
_« Je vous ai dit à toi et Kili de rester avec les poneys. Où est le hobbit ? »_
Cela devait être la petite créature.
« Il y avait trois trolls. Ils ont pris les poneys et Bilbon est allé essayer de les libérer. Kili est resté au cas où il aurait besoin d'elle. »
C'était Thorin ! C'était le même beau prince nain que j'avais vu tant d'années auparavant. J'étais là quand Smaug avais pris la Montagne Solitaire. J'avais juste pu jeter un regard rapide vers Thorin, et, compte tenu de ce que j'étais, il me haïrait. Il ne connaissais même pas mon nom, mais il me haïrait pour ce que ma mère était. Les nains sont passés devant moi mais je remarquai que Fili et Thorin s'attardaient.
« Oncle … tu as déjà vu un loup ? » s'enquit Fili.
Je regardai au-dessus et vis que Thorin regardait son neveu.
« Pourquoi demandes-tu cela ? »
Fili haussa les épaules. Thorin jeta des regards furtifs avec ses profonds yeux bleus. Je savais qu'il me cherchait. Je restai sol et ne bougeai pas.
« Nous n'avons pas le temps pour cela. Viens ! Nous devons y aller ! »
Thorin et Fili passèrent près de moi. Fili me regarda pendant qu'il courait. Je sentis un étrange besoin de protéger Thorin. Je les suivis rapidement et silencieusement. Ils surgirent des arbres et commencèrent à attaquer les trois trolls. Ils s'en sortaient plutôt bien. Je vis les poneys courir librement, mais un des trolls prit le hobbit nommé Bilbon. Mes yeux se sont élargis et je voulais lui sauter dessus et aussi l'aider mais ils m'auraient tués.
« BILBON ! » cria Kili.
"NON !"
Thorin stoppa ses actions pour regarder attentivement.
« Laissez tomber vos armes ! Ou nous allons le blesser ! »
Je regardai Thorin fixer le hobbit. Il hésita une seconde avant de jeter son épée au sol. Ils lancèrent tous leurs armes. Je regardai les nains être placés dans des sacs. Thorin, Fili et Kili étaient parmi eux. L'autre moitié était attachée à la broche.
_Je dois faire quelque chose ! Mais je ne peux pas tous les sauver à la fois !_
_Je savais que les trolls étaient vulnérables à la lumière du soleil. Mais le soleil n'était pas assez haut, pas encore, et ils allaient les tuer si j'attendais. Je ne pouvais pas laisser Thorin mourir ! _
« Attendez ! Arrêtez ! Vous faîtes une énorme erreur ! »
Je regardai Bilbon.
« Vous ne pouvez pas raisonner avec eux ! Ce sont des simples d'esprit ! » dit un autre nain.
« De simples d'esprits ?! Qu'est-ce que cela fait de nous alors ?! » dit un autre de la broche.
« Je veux dire avec l'assaisonnement ! » reprit Bilbon.
« Oh ? Et je suppose que vous vous y connaissez sur la façon dont on cuisine les nains ? »
« Et bien en fait je suis un expert en cuisine naine ! »
Mes yeux s'agrandirent encore de colère.
_S'ils tuent Thorin et les autres, je vous étriperai !_
_« Traître ! »_
« Laissez le hobbit parler. »
« Le secret est … »
Il semblait réfléchir. Là, je compris ! Il les occupait !
« Oui ? »
« Vas-y. »
« Dis nous le secret ! »
« Oui je vais vous le dire, le secret est … de …les écorcher d'abord ! »
« NON ! »
« Tom, passes moi le couteau ! »
Les nains criaient et se débattaient pour se libérer.
« Ce ne sont que des bêtises ! »
Une odeur familière m'interpella.
_Gandalf !_
_« Il a raison ! Y a rien de mal à manger un nain cru ! »_
Le troll décharné prit un gros nain de la pile.
« Bon et croustillant ! »
« Oh non pas celui-là ! Il est infecté ! »
Si seulement j'étais capable de rire sous cette forme.
« Quoi ? »
« Oui, il a des vers … dans son … intestin ! »
Le décharné laissa tomber le gros nain et Bilbon continua.
« En fait, ils en ont tous ! Ils sont infestés de parasites ! C'est horrible, si j'étais vous, je ne prendrais pas le risque. »
« Il vient de dire parasites ?! »
« Oui ! Nous n'avons PAS de parasites ! Vous, vous en avez espèce de … »
Thorin donna un coup de pied à Kili et ils regardèrent tous puis reportèrent leur attention sur les trolls.
« J'ai des parasites aussi gros que mon bras ! » dit un vieux nain.
« Les miens sont les plus gros parasites ! J'ai d'énormes parasites ! »
« Nous somme infectés ! »
« Oui, je suis infecté ! »
« Oui, nous le sommes tous ! Méchamment ! »
Tous les nains commencèrent à crier à propos de leurs parasites. L'un des plus grand trolls marcha vers Bilbon.
« Que devons nous faire alors ? Les laisser partir ? »
« Et bien … »
« Tu penses que je ne sais pas ce que tu mijotes ? Voilà ! Je vais me prendre un goûter. »
Il se dirigeait vers Thorin !
_JE NE PENSE PAS !_
Je sautai et mordis fortement son gros doigt. Il hurla de douleur et laissa tomber Thorin. Je me mis en face de lui, protectrice et grondai après le troll.
_« Qu'est-ce que ?! »_
_« QUE L'AUBE VOUS PRENNENT TOUS ! »_
Gandalf était finalement arrivé.
« Qui c'est ? »
« Aucune idée. »
« On peut le manger aussi ? »
« Changez vous en pierre ! »
Il claqua son bâton sur le rocher sur lequel il se tenait et il craqua. La lumière du jour fondit sur les trolls et ils hurlèrent alors qu'ils se transformaient en pierre. J'aquiescai pour approuver.
_Exactement comme j'aime mes trolls._
3. De vieux amis
Chapitre 3 :
De vieux amis :
Je me tournai et regardai Thorin et me mis à déchirer le sac dans lequel il était.
"Gandalf !" rugit-il.
"Vanmoriel ..."
J'arrêtai ce que j'étais en train de faire et allai vers Gandalf.
_J'essayais juste d'aider._
Il sourit et tapota ma tête. Je fermai les yeux et bougeai ma queue pendant que les nains mettaient leur armure et qu'ils reprenaient leurs armes. Je m'assis à côté de Gandalf.
"Et où êtes vous allez, si je peux demander ?" demanda Thorin
"Je regardais devant."
"Et qu'est-ce qui vous a fait revenir ?"
"Le fait de regarder en arrière. Une chose terrible. C'est une bonne chose que je sois venu mais aussi que Vanmoriel ait été là."
"Aucun remerciement à votre cambrioleur."
"Il a eu le courage de gagner du temps. Aucun de vous n'y a pensé."
Thorin me regarda. Je penchai ma tête et le fixai.
"Toi ? Tu es le loup que j'ai vu la nuit dernière."
"Ah, donc vous l'avez déjà rencontrée. Bien, bien. Elle pourra vous être bien utile dans votre quête."
"Quoi ?"
Thorin leva son regard vers Gandalf.
"Vous pensez que je devrais prendre un animal sauvage avec nous ?"
_Whoa attendez un peu !_
Je grognai légèrement.
"Tout doux Vanmoriel ! Et oui ! Il serait judicieux de la prendre avec vous."
Thorin me regarda une nouvelle fois et je lui fis ma meilleure mine renfrognée.
"Elle n'a pas l'air d'être un animal ou une bête sauvage."
"Alors qu'est-elle ?" demanda-t-il, frustré.
Je pleurnichai et fit un pas en arrière.
"C'est son choix de vous le dire ou pas."
Thorin soupira de frustration et secoua la tête.
"Depuis quand les trolls des Montagnes voyagent si loin dans le sud ?"
"Pas depuis longtemps. Pas depuis qu'un sombre pouvoir s'est emparé de ces terres." Je levai le regard vers Gandalf. "Ils ne peuvent pas avoir voyagé de jour."
"Ils doivent avoir une grotte quelque part !" dit Thorin
Je sautai, ce qui fit légèrement sursauter Thorin. Je reniflai autour et trouvai la répugnante odeur des trolls. Je la suivis jusqu'à la grotte mais l'odeur qui était à l'intérieur était tellement nauséabonde que je ne pouvais même pas supporter d'y entrer. Gandalf et quelques autres allèrent à l'intérieur. Je restai dehors, à côté de Fili et Kili. Je leur faisais confiance. Kili rigola et me gratta entre les oreilles.
_Oh oui, c'est super comme ça !_
Quand il s'arrêta, je pleurnichai et mis ma tête sur se main. Il rigola.
_S'il vous plait monsieur, puis-je en avoir encore ?_
Il recommença à me gratter et je fermai mes yeux de contentement
"Elle t'aime bien gamin."
Je levai mon regard et vis le vieux nain de tout à l'heure.
"Non monsieur Oin, je crois que le loup fantasme sur Thorin." dit Fili.
Je restais calme et demeurai ainsi.
_Je ne fantasme PAS ... si ?_
"Vous avez vu la façon dont elle l'a protégé." dit Fili.
"Oui, c'est vrai." dit Oin.
Quand Thorin, Gandalf et les autres revinrent et sortirent, je regardai Thorin. Il portait une nouvelle épée, elle était impressionante et je devinai immédiatement qu'elle avait été faite par les elfes. Il me regarda pendant une fraction de seconde avant que j'entende quelque chose arriver. J'écoutais attentivement pendant que les nains et Gandalf trottinaient autour. Je connaissais cette odeur et cela me rendais heureuse.
"Voleurs ! Feu ! Meurtriers !"
C'était Radaghast le brun ! J'aboyai joyeusement et couru vers lui.
"C'est Radaghast." dit Gandalf.
Les nains dégainèrent leurs épées et levèrent leurs marteaux et haches. Radaghast ne sembla pas me remarquer. Je vis que quelque chose n'allait pas.
"Que faites-vous ici ?" demanda Gandalf, curieux et suspicieux à la fois.
"Je venais vous voir, Gandalf. Quelque chose d'horrible vient de se produire."
"Vanmoriel, peut-être que tu devrais retourner avec les autres maintenant."
Je ne comprenais pas, mais à ce moment, Radaghast me regarda et sourit.
"Ah, mon vieil ami ! C'est bon de te voir !"
"Radaghast !" dit brusquement Gandalf.
Il sourit et me fit un clin d'œil. Je retournai avec les autres et Thorin me regardais, je m'arrêtai net dans mon élan.
"Vanmoriel !"
Fili et Kili vinrent vers moi avec un autre nain. Son nom était Ori. Fili s'agenouilla devant moi.
"Notre ami Ori ici présent est un artiste. Vous pensez que vous pouvez vous asseoir pour qu'il puisse vous dessiner ?"
J'aquiescai et il sourit. Il me gratte vite entre les oreilles et je fourrai ma truffe dans sa main.
"Bonne fille."
_Que suis-je, un chien ?_
Je m'assis quand même et Ori me regarda.
"Vous pouvez regarder vers votre gauche Vanmoriel ?" me demanda Ori.
Je tournai la tête et essayai de me focaliser sur quelque chose. Thorin se tenait sur une pierre, mes yeux étaient maintenant braqués sur lui.
PDV de Thorin :
"L'animal du sorcier te fixe encore." dit Dwalin.
Je tournai la tête pour en être sûr et en effet, les yeux sombres et brillants du loup étaient braqués sur moi
"Je me demande d'où elle vient."
"Elle devait être dans les bois et a trouvé Fili et Kili." suggéra Dwalin.
"Pourtant elle me fixe, elle m'a défendu. Pourquoi moi ?" questionnai-je
Avant que nous puissions répondre, un hurlement déchira l'air mais je savais que ce n'était pas Vanmoriel.
4. La chasse aux wargs
Chapitre 4 :
La chasse aux wargs :
PDV de Vanmoriel :
_Des wargs ! Génial !
_
"Était-ce un loup ? Il y a d'autres loups ici ?!" demanda Bilbon d'une voix tremblante.
"Un loup ? Non ce n'en était pas un." dit un nain avec un chapeau bizarre.
J'entendis un bout de bois se briser et tout à coup, ils étaient là ... Avant que je ne puisse faire quoi que ce soit, l'un d'eux plongea sur un des nains. Thorin le tua mais malheureusement il y en avait un autre derrière. Je laissai échapper un hurlement et Kili la tua à son tour, il lui trancha la gorge avant qu'il n'ait pu atteindre qui que ce soit.
"Des éclaireurs wargs ! Ce qui veut dire qu'il y a en a d'autres juste derrière !" dit Thorin.
Ses profonds yeux bleus se tournèrent vers moi et ils me saisis tout à coup par la nuque. Je couinai car il avait vraiment une forte poigne.
"Et si celui-ci les avait conduit à nous ?!"
"Oncle, laisse là partir." dit Kili.
Il me lâcha, mais pas vraiment doucement.
"A qui avez-vous parlé de ta quête ? Parmi vos proches !" questionna Gandalf.
"A qui l'avez-vous dit ?!"
"Personne, je le jure !"
Gandalf soupira de frustration
"Et en ce qui concerne Vanmoriel, je crois que j'ai raison en disant qu'elle préfèrerait mourir plutôt que de laisser le malheur s'abattre sur vous."
Thorin me regarda et je le fixait en retour. Je n'étais pas quelqu'un qui abandonnait facilement, je le regardait droit dans les yeux en espérant qu'il verrait que ce que disait Gandalf était vrai.
_Je ne ferais jamais de mal à vous ou à votre compagnie._
Il détourna le regard et reporta son attention sur le sorcier.
"Par le nom des Durin, que se passe-t-il ?"
"Vous êtes chassés !" répliqua le magicien.
"Retournez prendre les poneys !"
"Nous ne pouvons pas !"
Je levai le regard et vit Ori et Nori.
"Les poneys sont partis !"
"Je vais détourner leur attention !" dit Radaghast.
Je gémis de protestation. Il sourit et tapota ma tête.
"Ne vous en faîtes pas mon amie."
"Ce sont des Wargs de Guulderbrag ! Ils vont vous rattraper !"
"Et ce sont les lapins de Rohsgobel !"
Je regardai et vis les grands lapins.
"J'aimerais bien les voir essayer !"
Je savais qu'il fallait faire quelque chose. Je jetai un regard vers Thorin et c'était tout ce que je voulais savoir. J'aquiescai et suivit Radaghast, Gandalf et quelques autres nains m'appelèrent mais je les ignorai. Les orcs était déjà à la poursuite de Radaghast. Si quelques uns regardaient dans la direction des nains, je sauterais immédiatement en face pour attirer leur attention. Cependant quelques un d'entre eux ont échappé à ma vigilence. Je ne le savais pas jusqu'à ce j'entende un marteau s'écraser sur un warg, là, je sus que les nains avaient des problèmes.
_Bon sang !_
Je fonçai vers leur direction mais les wargs étaient maintenant à leur poursuite. Alors que je m'approchai des nains, je n'arrivait pas à trouver Gandalf. Je n'avais pas le temps de me demander où il était parti : les nains et le hobbit étaient encerclés !
"D'autres viennent !" cria Fili.
"Tenez vos positions !" cria Thorin.
"Où est Gandalf ?!"
"Maudit soit ce sorcier ! Il est parti et nous à laisser encore une fois!"
Le cercle de wargs étaient autour de nous. Le pauvre Ori avait seulement un lance-pierre. Il tira sur un warg mais c'était inutile. Je sautai en face de lui, grognant et mordant. Je plongeai autour et atteignit un orc, son warg était sonné mais je serrai ma mâchoire autour de son cou ce qui le tua instantanément. J'étais un combattant plutôt violent.
"KILI !"
La voix de Thorin était pleine d'inquiétude, je vis Kili lancer des flèches sur les wargs. Je courus vers lui et l'attrapai par le col de son manteau. J'étais forte et il ne semblait pas trop lourd pour moi. Je courus vers les autres, emportant Kili avec moi et le poussai vers le tunnel. Thorin me regarda avec surprise.
"Qui êtes-vous ?" se demanda-t-il.
Je le poussai alors qu'un warg allait lui sautai dessus mais celui-ci m'a quand même atteint avant que nous soyons projetés dans le tunnel.
5. La loyauté
Chapitre 5 :
La loyauté :
Je tombai dans le tunnel heurtai un Thorin méfiant, il avait amortit ma chute mais j'étais quand même entré en collision avec un mur de pierre. Je glapis de douleur et me relevai mais ne pus m'empêcher de retomber dans la seconde suivante, avec une grande douleur dans ma patte avant. Elle était cassée ou bien quelque chose était déchiré, j'aurais voulu reprendre forme humaine pour que je puisse marcher mais je ne pouvais pas prendre le risque de laisser Thorin me voir.
"Je ne peux pas voir où mène le chemin !" cria le nain avec la cicatrice.
"Bon, et bien suivons le !" dit le nain avec le chapeau bizarre.
"Ce serait sage" répliqua le vieux magicien.
Avant que je puisse tenter de me lever une nouvelle fois, Thorin me prit dans ses bras. Il me tira gentiment et il suivit les autres. Je le regardai avec curiosité mais il évitait mon regard.
_Vous l'avez cherché !_
_J_e me penchai vers lui et frottai mon nez contre sa joue, il me regarda mais pour une fois, je n'arrivais pas à deviner ce qu'il ressentait où ce qu'il pensait. Alors que le tunnel s'ouvrit, il détourna le regard. Je souris intérieurement quand je vis ce qu'il y avait au-dessous.
"La vallée cachée d'Imladris ! Dans la langue commune, elle porte un nom différent."
_Rivendell !_
"Rivendell." dit doucement Bilbon.
"C'était votre plan durant tout ce temps." grogna Thorin.
_Mon dieu._
"De nous mettre à l'abri ici ? Avec nos ennemis ?!"dit-il sèchement à Gandalf.
"Ils ne sont pas vos ennemis. Et la seule animosité qu'il y ait est celle que vous amenez vous-même."
"Vous pensez que les elfes vont approuver notre quête ?! Ils vont essayer de nous arrêter !" gronda-t-il.
"Bien sûr qu'ils vont essayer ! " Thorin soupira. "Maintenant si cela doit être fait, il faut que cela soit fait avec tact et un peu de charme. C'est pourquoi vous devrez me laisser parler."
Je pouvais sentir et ressentir la colère de Thorin, il me porta jusqu'à la vallée et Lindir vint à la rencontre de Gandalf. Je me rappelais de lui.
"Mithrandir."
Il me regarda par dessus l'épaule de Gandalf.
"Est-ce Vanmoriel ?"
"C'est bien elle." Il parla plus doucement. "~ Mais aucun d'entre eux ne sait qui elle est donc vous ne devez pas en souffler un mot. ~"
Je savais parler l'elfe, ma mère me l'avait appris avant de mourir.
"Nous sommes venus pour voir Elrond."
"Mon Seigneur Elrond n'est pas ici."
"Et bien où est-il ?"
Avant que Lindir n'ait pu répondre il y eut un appel de cor et des cheveux vinrent vers nous. Thorin cria quelque chose en nain et tout les nains se regroupèrent avec leurs armes. Les cavaliers les encerclaient, puis je vis Elrond descendre de son cheval.
"Gandalf."
"~ Mon ami, où étiez-vous ? ~"
"~ Nous étions en train de chasser une troupe d'orcs qui venait de sud. Nous en avons tué près de la Passe Cachée. ~"
Il regarda les nains.
"C'est étrange que des orcs soient venus si près de nos frontières. Quelque chose ou quelqu'un a du les emmener ici."
"Oui, et bien, c'était probablement nous"
Thorin avança vers lui, me portant toujours dans ses bras.
"Bienvenue Thorin, fils de Thrain."
"Je ne pense pas que nous nous soyons rencontrés."
"Vous ressemblez à votre grand-père. Je connaissais Thror lorsqu'il régissait sous la montagne." dit doucement Elrond.
"Ah bon ? Il n'a jamais parlé de vous."
Je n'aimais pas le ton que prenait Thorin avec Elrond. J'étais loyale envers ceux qui s'étaient montrés gentils et loyaux envers moi. Elrond m'avait ouvert sa porte, alors que tout le monde me tournait le dos, il m'avait nourris, s'était occupé de moi quand j'étais blessé et m'avais traité comme si je faisais partie de son peuple.
"~ Le dîner est en train d 'être préparé dans le Hall du Feu. Vous êtes les bienvenus pour vous joindre à nous. ~"
"Qu'est-ce qu'il a dit !? Il vient de nous insulter !?" demanda un nain roux.
"Non maître Gloin, il vous offre de la nourriture !" dit Gandalf, fatigué.
Les nains se réunirent et parlèrent dans leur langue, je regardai Elrond.
"Bien, dans ce cas nous acceptons."
"Vanmoriel ?"
J'hochai la tête et il sourit, Thorin me regarda. Il dit quelque chose que je ne pouvais pas comprendre et me donna spontanément à Elrond. Je sentis une étrange douleur dans ma poitrine, je ne comprenais vraiment pas. Elrond me prit et m'emporta, mes yeux restèrent soudés à ceux de Thorin, Je n'avais jamais pleuré sous ma forme de loup mais c'était ce que je faisais en ce moment même et je ne savais toujours pas pourquoi. Elrond m'emmena à ma chambre et me coucha sur le lit.
"~ Tu dois te retransformer Vanmoriel. N'ai crainte, personne ne peut te voir. ~"
J'aquiescai et me changeai.
"Qu'il est bon de vous revoir, mon ami. ~" dis-je d'une voix douce.
Il sourit et me serra contre lui mais je grinçai des dents de douleur.
"~Ah, oui, excuse-moi. Je ne t'ai pas vu depuis près de 20 ans. Maintenant que s'est-il passé ? ~"
Je baissai le regard, mes cheveux noirs créant un voile entre nous.
"~ J'ai entraîné Kili, le nain, à l'entrée de la Passe Cachée. Je l'ai lancé quand j'ai vu un warg plonger sur Thorin Oakenshield. Je l'ai entraînée jusqu'à la passe et j'ai pris le coup. J'ai juste mal atterri ... ~"expliquai-je.
"~ Hm ... Je vois. Ton bras n'est pas cassé mais il est bien blessé et tu l'as tournée dans un mauvais angle. C'est un miracle qu'il ne soit pas cassé. ~"
"~ Seigneur Oakenshield ... et bien il a ... gentiment amorti ma chute. ~"
Il sourit et rigola. Il enroula mon bras et utilisa quelques vieux sorts pour accélérer la guérison et atténuer la douleur. Ensuite, il me regarda dans les yeux, Elrond était très sage et judicieux. Il me sourit tristement et balaya mes cheveux derrière mon oreille pointue, oui ... J'étais une demie-elfe. Ma mère était une elfe et magnifique en plus, elle est tombée amoureuse de mon père, qui était un changeur de forme, et lui a offert son cœur. Je suis immortelle, mais je peux choisir de vivre une vie de mortelle si je tombe amoureuse de quelqu'un de mortel.
"~ Tu es devenue comme ta mère. ~"
Je levai le regard, choquée.
"Quoi ?"
"~ Ton cœur ne t'appartient plus ma chère. Il est désormais lié à celui d'un autre. Et tu sais que les elfes, demis-elfes ou non, ne peuvent ressentir ceci qu'une seule fois dans leur longue vie. ~"
"~ Je sais. Mais s'il savait ... S'il savait ce que j'étais, il me haïrait. Vous et moi connaissons tous les deux la haine profonde qu'il éprouve envers mon peuple, qui est plus profonde encore que les montagnes elles-mêmes. ~"
Il mit son bras autour de mes épaules et je m'appuyai sur lui, Elrond avait toujours était comme un père pour moi.
"~ Je sais ma chère. Mais peut-être que tu seras la seule exception. ~"
Je savais qu'il essayait de m'aider mais je n'étais pas convaincue.
"~ Non, je vous suis reconnaissante pour ce que vous avez fait. Mais demain matin, je partirais pour le territoire de mon cousin. Je vous reverrai envore une fois. ~ " dis-je.
Il acquiesça.
"Vas-tu te joindre à nous pour le dîner ?"
Je souris mais secoua la tête.
"Ils vont savoir qui je suis à la seconde où ils vont me regarder dans les yeux."
Il acquiesça et embrassa mon front.
*"Aa' lasser en lle coia orn n' omenta gurtha."
"Hannon le."
Il quitta la chambre et je pleurai silencieusement. Je pris ma forme de loup et repensai à ma loyauté, mon amour pour mes parents ou pour ceux qui étaient comme ma famille, ma bravoure et mon courage. Et maintenant, je savais que ma plus profonde forme de loyauté appartenait à quelqu'un que je ne pourrais jamais avoir : le Roi Nain lui-même, Thorin Oakenshield.
_*Puisse les feuilles de ta vie ne jamais devenir brunes._
6. Il y a toujours de l'espoir
Chapitre 6 :
Il y a toujours de l'espoir :
PDV de Thorin :
Quand le seigneur elfe revint sans le loup, je me sentis coupable. Je ne savais pas pourquoi mais je ne pouvais pas m'en empêcher. Il était suivi par deux elfes plus jeunes qui lui ressemblaient un peu, ainsi que d'une femme. Ses cheveux étaient longs et noirs et sa peau était comme de l'ivoire. Ses yeux étaient d'un bleu profond mais pas les plus sombre que je je n'avais jamais vu. Je m'assis avec eux et Gandalf à une table différente des autres. Il prit les épées que nous avions trouver pour les examiner.
"C'est Orcrist, la trancheuse de Gobelin, forgée par les hauts elfes de l'ouest, mon peuple." Il me la tendit. "Elle pourrait bien vous être utile."
J'aquiescai et il se mit à examiner l'épée de Gandalf. Je me rendis compte que la femme-elfe me regardait. Il y avait de la colère dans son regard
"Vous ai-je offensé ma dame ?"
A ceci, Elrond et Gandalf la regardèrent.
"Arwen?"
Elle le regarda.
_Ce doit être sa fille._
Il lui demanda quelque chose que je ne pus comprendre. Elle répondit, se leva et partit.
"Ai-je offensé votre fille ?"
"Cela dépend de ce que vous entendez par offensé." dit un des plus jeunes elfes.
"Si vous voulez dire que c'est parce que vous avez insulté notre plus jeune sœur alors oui." dit l'autre.
"Ce qui veut dire que vous nous avez tous offensé." dit le premier
"Je ne savais pas que vous aviez une autre fille."
Un sourire se dessina sur les lèvres du Seigneur elfe.
"Elle n'est pas ma vraie fille, mais elle est autant ma fille qu'une jeune sœur pour Arwen, Elladan et Elrohir. Ils l'aiment vraiment beaucoup et sont très protecteurs."
Je me sentait un peu coupable d'avoir contrarié des gens que je ne connaissais pas, même s'ils étaient des elfes. Mon grand-père et Père auraient voulus que je tienne à mon honneur, et ma mère ...
"Peut-être que si j'allais m'excuser auprès de votre plus jeune enfant, alors je pourrais apaiser leur colère." suggérai-je.
Il soupira et secoua la tête.
"J'ai bien peut qu'il ne soit trop tard. Elle est partie pour aller rendre visite à son cousin à l'est."
_Donc elle est du peuple de Thranduil ?_
Je masquai ma colère et acquiesçai. Cette elfe pouvait bien partir, je m'en fichais. Cependant ... le loup demeurait dans mon esprit.
PDV de Vanmoriel :
Il y eut un léger coup à la porte.
"Oui ?"
Arwen, Elladan et Elrohir entrèrent. Je soupirai et ne les regardai pas.
"Tu vas bien ?" demanda Arwen.
"Je te mentirais si je disais oui ma sœur." chuchotai-je
Elle mit son bras autour de moi. Je la serrai mais refusais de pleurer.
"J'aimerais que tu reste ici avec nous." dit-elle
Je souris.
"Tu sais que je ne peux pas. Je n'ai pas vu Beorn depuis près de 95 ans. Je devrais aller le voir pour qu'il sache que je suis encore en vie."
Je souris et rigolai un peu. Je fermai mon sac à dos et les regardai encore.
"Tu vas revenir ?" demanda Elrohir.
Je souris et acquiesçai.
"Je reviens toujours muindor."
"Peut-être que l'un d'entre nous devrait venir avec toi." dit Elladan.
Je secouai ma tête.
"Non, ta place est ici."
Je soupira et Arwen me regarda.
"~N'abandonne pas. Thorin Oakenshield peut paraître indifférent et peut-être même sans cœur ... mais il y a toujours de l'espoir.~"
*"Am man harthach ?" demandai-je.
C'était une question que je voulais vraiment lui poser. Elle sourit doucement.
"~Peut de temps avant, j'ai rencontré un jeune homme. Il a grandi ici en Imladris. Il s'appelait Estel ...~"
Je savais qu'Estel voulait dire l'espoir, et je connaissais le garçon dont elle parlait. Je l'avais rencontré une fois il y a longtemps, quand j'étais un loup.
"~En vérité, il est Aragorn fils d'Arathorn et l'héritier d'Issildur.~" dit-elle.
Mes yeux s'agrandirent et je regardai Elladan et Elrohir. Ils sourirent et se regardèrent.
"~Il me prenait pour Luthien Tinuviel. Il m'a trouvé, marchant dans la forêt et chantant une chanson lorsqu'il m'a vu. Il m'a connu dans un temps de chagrin. J'étais en train de ... penser à ma mère.~"
Je savais ce qui était arrivé à dame Celebrian. Elle voyageait lorsqu'elle a été capturée et faite prisonnière par les orcs. Elladan et Elrohir ont fait en sorte de la secourir et Elrond a été capable de la soigner, mais elle avait décidé de voyager pour les Terres Immortelles.
"~Moi-même, je me sentais sans espoir. Quand il est arrivé ... Mon chagrin s'est presque évanoui. Je sais qu'il y a de l'espoir. Même si nous ne pouvons pas le voir.~" dit-elle.
Je regardai par la fenêtre. Le soleil serait levé dans une heure.
"Peut-être que tu as raison." Je la regardai. "Je reviendrai bientôt."
"Quand tu dis 'bientôt' tu veut dire 20 ans ou plus Vanmoriel ?" rigola Elrohir.
Nous rigolâmes tous les quatre et je les serrai chacun dans mes bras.
**"No i Melain na le." dis-je
***"Na-den pedim ad." dirent les jumeaux.
Arwen me serra juste fort.
"~Soit en sécurité et soit forte.~" murmura-t-elle.
"Le melon ma soeur."
C'est ainsi que je partis. Je ne savais pas si j'allais revenir, ou même si je le voulais. Je me changeai en loup, mon arc, mon couteau et mon peloton bien sanglé sur le dos. Arwen l'avait fait pour qu'il m'aille lorsque j'étais un loup et un humain. Je regardai en arrière vers Imladris et laissa échapper un long hurlement plein de chagrin. Une sorte d'adieu.
_*Pourquoi espères-tu encore ?_
_**Puisse les Valar être avec toi._
_***Jusqu'à ce que nous nous reparlions._
7. L'Odeur de la Peur
Chapitre 7 :
L'Odeur de la Peur :
J'étais au bord de Rivendell lorsque je sentis quelqu'un qui me suivait. Je sentis l'air et ne pus m'empêcher de grogner. Je décidai donc de me tourner, m'assoir et quelques secondes après laissai sortir un court aboiement.
_Je sais que tu es là ... Arwen._
Elle sortit, habillée avec sa robe de voyage et elle avait aussi son épée ainsi que son sac avec elle. Elle me sourit.
"~Je viens avec toi. Au moins jusqu'à ce que la route tourne vers Lorien. J'ai envie d'y retourner pour quelques temps. Et oui, Ada sait pour cela. Il approuvait mon idée.~"
Je n'aimais pas cela. La route jusqu'à la Montagne Solitaire était déjà assez dangereuse, et je ne voulais pas qu'elle soit en danger. Beaucoup des cicatrices que je portais venaient de la passe des Montagnes, je ne voulais pas qu'Arwen soit blessée.
"~Nous pouvons rester ici et argumenter Vanmoriel. Sauf si tu souhaites réellement revenir auprès des nains; dans ce cas, je serais plus que volontaire...~" dit-elle avec un sourire.
Je lui fis une mine renfrognée.
_Oh très intelligent ! Quel coup bas !_
_J'abandonnai et hochai la tête._
_"~Oui, tu désires attendre ?~"_
J'hochai la tête et son sourire s'agrandit. C'est ainsi qu'Arwen se joignit à mon voyage mais en vérité, j'étais heureuse qu'elle soit là. Cette nuit là quand nous nous sommes arrêtées pour prendre du repos, je repris ma forme d'origine.
"~Je sais que tu utilises Lorien comme une excuse.~"
Elle sourit légèrement.
"~Peut-être que oui, peut-être que non.~"
Je soupirai, sourit et hochai la tête. Nous fîmes un petit feu et nous assîmes en silence.
"Pourquoi Thorin Oakenshield ?
Je levai le regard surprise.
*"Ú-chenion." dis-je d'une voix confuse.
"Je suis plutôt curieuse sue ce qui t'as poussé à le choisir lui." dit-elle.
C'était une question innocente, je levai les yeux vers les étoiles.
"~Il y a longtemps, à peu près 160 années, j'étais là lorsque le dragon a pris Erebor, je l'ai vu à ce moment. Je l'ai juste aperçu, mais c'était assez. Il ne m'a jamais vu, il appelait Thranduil à l'aide. A l'époque, je ne savais pas que c'était Thorin mais il avait l'air d'un prince. De temps en temps, je me demandais ce qu'il avait bien pu devenir, mais il y a quelques jours, je l'ai revu. En fait, j'ai vu son neveu d'abord mais oui, j'ai vu la douleur, la tristesse, la colère, la trahison et la nostalgie dans ses yeux. Je pense que c'est cette nuit que mon cœur est devenu sien.~" dis-je.
Elle acquiesça et sourit un peu.
"~Quand tu parles ou même pense à lui ... Tes yeux brillent Vanmoriel.~"
Je la regardai, elle fixait le feu mais avait l'air vraiment fatiguée.
"Prends un peu de repos Arwen. Je ne suis pas fatiguée donc je vais prendre le tour de garde."
Elles sourit, trop fatiguée pour argumenter. Je repris ma forme de loup et mes sens s'accrurent. Je m'assis en pensant à Thorin.
PDV de Thorin :
"Thorin a dit que je n'aurais jamais dû venir et il avait raison. Je ne suis pas un Touque mais un Sacquet."
J'ouvris les yeux, je n'arrivais plus à dormir. Alors le hobbit avait l'intention de nous quitter ?
"Vous êtes habitués à cette vie ! Ne jamais rester dans un endroit, n'appartenir à aucun endroit non plus !"
_N'appartenir à aucun endroit._
Ces mots restèrent dans ma tête. Les sombres yeux bleus du loup semblaient me hanter comme si elle me regardait. Il y avait quelque chose en elle qui était familier, comme si j'avais déjà vu ses yeux avant. Je réfléchis encore à cela jusqu'à ce que je vis le sol bouger.
"DEBOUT ! LEVEZ-VOUS !"
PDV de Vanmoriel :
Je sentis une étrange odeur de panique mais je n'entendais rien, ne voyais rien et ne sentais rien de dangeureux. Je secouais la tête et réveillai Arwen. Nous continuâmes de l'autre côté des Montagnes Solitaires. Pendant que nous nous dirigions vers le bas de la colline, je criais de douleur et tombai au sol.
"VANMORIEL !"
PDV de Thorin
"COUPEZ LUI LA TÊTE !"
Les gobelins firent craquer leurs fouets sur moi, m'obligeant à rester au sol.
PDV de Vanmoriel
La douleur devint comme une piqure engourdie, je me relevai et essayai de reprendre mes esprits.
"Vanmoriel ? Qu'est-il arrivé ?"
Je ne savais pas, Arwen ne posa plus de question et nous continuâmes vers le bas de la colline. Le soleil se couchait et le vent soufflait. Je sentis une odeur que je connaissais, mais je ne savais pas à qui elle appartenait. Elle était mélangeait avec une autre que je ne connaissais que trop bien.
_THORIN !_
Le cri d'un warg transperça l'air. Mes yeux s'agrandirent et je levai le regard vers Arwen. Elle dégaina son épée mais je secouai ma tête.
_Je dois faire cela seule !_
Je savais qu'elle ne voulais pas partir. Je la poussai vers Lorien et elle me regarda avec des larmes dans ses yeux.
"Vanmoriel ..."
Je la poussai une nouvelle fois.
"~Bien, je vais partir. Mais s'il te plait ... Ne te fais pas tuer.~"
J'aquiescai et me mis à courir en direction du cri. Je suivis l'odeur mais bientôt, je n'en avais même plus besoin. Je vis un grand feu sur une falaise et me mis en route vers celle-ci. Une fois arrivée, je vis des orcs mais aussi un autre que je n'avais jamais vu avant. Un grand orc pâle chevauchant un warg blanc, il lui manquait une main et avait des cicatrices sur le dos. Je pouvais sentir la peur sur beaucoup des nains et sur le hobbit, mais je vis aussi que l'arbre sur lequel ils étaient était sur le point de tomber ! C'était au bord de la falaise ! J'en vis un se lever et mon coeur s'arrêta quand je vis que c'était Thorin, épée dégainée et le bouclier en place, il commença à courir. Il allait essayer de tuer l'orc pâle !
_NON ! NON NE FAIS PAS CA IMBÉCILE !_
L'orc laissa échapper un rugissement et il fit un bond en avant envoyant Thorin au sol. Il fit un tour et laissa sa masse entrer en collision avec le visage de Thorin.
"NON !"
Le warg avait Thorin dans sa mâchoire, je laissai échapper un cri de rage et chargea directement sur eux. Thorin frappa le museau du warg et celui-ci le jeta au sol. L'orc pale dit quelque chose à un autre et il s'approcha avec une épée. Il allait couper la tête de Thorin ! Je couru plus vite et lorsque je fus sur le point de le tuer, quelqu'un d'autre sauta. C'était le hobbit ! Le petit Bilbon Sacquet ! Il tua l'orc seulement pour être face à l'orc pâle. Je sautai en face de lui et grognai férocement. J'aboyais et mordais en signe d'avertissement. Il rit et continua de s'approcher. Un cri se fit entendre et plusieurs nains, ainsi que Fili et Kili, coururent vers le combat. Bilbon courut vers l'avant et je m'approchai de Thorin. Je le poussai avec mon nez mais il était inconscient. Je pressai mon oreille sur son torse, son cœur battait, mais c'était faible. Bilbon fut envoyé vers nous et l'orc pâle s'avança vers lui. Je me mis en face de lui.
_Si je dois mourir en protégeant Thorin et Bilbon ... Qu'il en soit ainsi !_
Alors que j'étais sur le point de lui sauter dessus, j'entendis un cris strident. Je levai les yeux et sourit intérieurement. Les Grands Aigles du Nord étaient venus ! Ils envoyèrent le warg à travers la falaise puis ils commencèrent à soulever les nains et Gandalf, l'un d'eux arrivait pour Thorin. Un autre me prit dans ses serres et m'emmena avec les nains. Gwaihir, car c'était son nom, savait qui j'étais et, pendant, tout le chemin, mes yeux restèrent sur Thorin.
8. Des Possibilités
Chapitre 8 :
Des Possibilités
Quand les aigles me posèrent, je leur aboyai un remerciement et dès que Thorin fut allongé au sol, je me ruai vers lui. Il était allongé sur son côté blessé, je le poussai donc pour qu'il soit sur son dos. Ensuite, j'appuyai ma tête contre son torse et gémit.
"Thorin !"
Gandalf arriva et s'agenouilla à côté de lui.
"Thorin !" dit-il une nouvelle fois.
Thorin ne bougea pas et n'ouvrit même pas les yeux. Je criai de douleur et de tristesse.
"Ne t'en fais pas ! Je peux l'aider !" dit Gandalf
Je le vis passer une main sur son visage et murmurer quelque chose. Les yeux de Thorin s'ouvrirent et il prit quelques profondes inspirations.
"Le semi-homme ?" souffla-t-il
Je le quittai et tirai sur la veste de Bilbon. Il secoua la tête et je m'arrêtai.
"C'est bon ! Bilbon est là et il va bien."
Kili et le nain avec les cicatrices aidèrent Thorin à se lever mais il les repoussa.
"Vous : Qu'est-ce que vous faisiez ! Vous avez failli vous faire tuer !"
Je regardai Bilbon et Thorin commença à marcher vers lui.
"N'avais-je pas dit que vous seriez un poids ? Que vous ne survivriez pas dans la jungle ?" Il s'arrêta en face de nous. "Que vous n'aviez pas votre place parmi nous ?"
Je rabaissai mes oreilles et restai aux côté de Bilbon.
"Je n'ai jamais eu autant tort de toute ma vie !"
Il étreignit le hobbit. J'aboyai joyeusement et les nains ainsi que Gandalf applaudirent.
"Je suis tellement désolé d'avoir douté de vous." dit Thorin en le relâchant.
"Non, j'aurais douté aussi. Je ne suis pas un héros ou un guerrier ... Pas même un cambrioleur."
Ils sourirent et je mis mon museau dans sa main. Il sourit et tapota ma tête mais Thorin ne me regardai pas. Il fixait quelque chose d'autre, je tournai ma tête et sus immédiatement.
"Est-ce que c'est bien ce que je pense ?" demanda Bilbon.
Thorin s'approcha et je marchai avec lui. Je n'avais jamais vu Thorin sourire avant mais cela illuminait son visage et faisait briller ses yeux.
"Erebor. Le dernier grand royaume des nains."
"Notre foyer." dit Thorin.
Je levai le regard vers lui, il souriait toujours. Je m'appuyai contre sa jambe et se main resta sur ma tête. Il ne me regardait pas mais il caressait distraitement ma tête.
_Je vous aime Thorin Oakenshield._
"Nous ferions bien de bouger. Nous devons arriver chez mon ami avant la nuit."
Je regardai Gandalf et il me fit un clin d'œil.
Chez cousin Beorn alors !
Nous nous mîmes en route pour les marches de pierre de Carrock.
"Vanmoriel peut-être que tu devrais aller devant et dire à Beorn que nous venons."
Je regardai Thorin, je ne voulais pas partir. Gandalf ne dit rien mais Thorin me regardai, il me fit un regard étonné et confus.
"Pourquoi restez-vous à mes côtés . Vous avez sauvé ma vie au péril de la vôtre. Pourquoi ?"
Je me contentai de le fixer, incapable de lui montrer qui j'étais réellement. En réalité, j'étais effrayée, je savais qu'il haïssait les elfes. Je gémis et regardai ailleurs.
"Elle vous le dira quand elle sera prête." dit Gandalf.
"C'est un loup !"
Je couru vers mon cousin
_Comment pourrais-je lui dire ?! Est-ce qu'il serait capable de voir derrière mon héritage ?_
J'étais rapide donc j'y arrivais rapidement, je me transformai en humaine et appelait.
"Beorn !"
Un grand ours noir s'approcha, je souris et courus vers lui. Il se releva et m'étreignit.
"C'est bon de te revoir cousin, j'ai tant de chose à te dire. Mais j'ai quelques amis qui arrivent, l'un d'entre eux est gravement blessé."
Il me regarda dans les yeux
"Des amis ?"
Je baissai le regard.
"Ils ne savent pas qui je suis."
"Je vois. Bien alors retournons chez moi et attendons, ils sont loin derrière ?"
"Non, non. Ils devraient être là avant la tombée de la nuit.
J'aquiescai et nous marchâmes jusque chez lui.
PDV de Thorin :
Après que le sorcier nous ait parlé du changeur de forme, je commençai à m'interroger. Est-ce que le loup pouvait être un changeur de forme ? Ça aurait du sens. Je pensais que Gandalf ne me le dirait pas, mais je savais depuis le début qu'elle n'était pas un loup ordinaire.
PDV de Vanmoriel :
J'étais allongée près du ruisseau en tant que loup lorsque des chevaux commencèrent à courir vers mon cousin, ils étaient presque là. Je bougeai ma queue et sautai, les trois premiers approchèrent, il s'agissait de Gandalf et Bilbon ainsi qu'un Thorin presque inconscient. Je me précipitai vers lui et essayai d'aider Bilbon du mieux que je pouvais.
"Ah, ils sont là !" dit Beorn.
Je le regardai avec désespérance.
"Est-ce l'ami blessé cousine ?"
"Cousine ?!" s'étrangla le hobbit.
Je ne le regardai pas, Beorn prit Thorin et l'emporta à l'intérieur. Je voulais le suivre mais il me dit de rester et d'attendre jusqu'à ce qu'il revienne. Je levai le regard vers Gandalf
"Ça va aller Vanmoriel. Tu es une sorte de soigneuse si je me rappelle bien."
J'aquiescai mais Bilbon me fixait. Je savais que je devais lui montrer.
C'est parti.
Je me transformai en humaine et le pauvre hobbit en s'évanouit presque.
"Contente de vous rencontrer officiellement Maître Sacquet." dis-je avec un nœud dans la gorge.
"V-Vous êtes un changeur de forme vous aussi ?"
J'aquiescai mais Beorn revint et je couru à l'intérieur.
"Dernière chambre à gauche !" appela mon cousin.
Je couru plus vite et entra dans la chambre, Thorin ouvrit les yeux.
"Qui ... Qui êtes-vous ?" demanda-t-il.
"Une amie, je peux vous aider si vous me laisser faire." dis-je.
Il n'avait pas la force d'argumenter. Je m'approchai de lui et malgré ses faibles protestations, j'enlevai son armure et se chemise.
"Oh mon ..."
Le warg et l'orc pâle avait causé beaucoup plus de dommages que ce que je pensais, et en plus les plaies étaient infectées.
"Vos plaies sont infectées, j'ai besoin que vous vous allongiez calmement."
Il acquiesça et j'allai récupérer un chiffon et de l'eau avec quelques herbes médicinales. Je remarquai maintenant que Beorn l'avait mis dans ma chambre.
_C'est vicieux ça cousin, très vicieux !_
Je nettoyai ses plaies avec autant de douceur que je pouvais et appliqua les herbes.
"Oncle ?!"
Fili et Kili déboulèrent dans la chambre, à la seconde où je regardai dans leurs yeux, ils balbutièrent.
"Ce n'est pas possible !"
"Vanmoriel ?" demanda Kili
"Oui, je suis le loup et un changeur de forme comme mon cousin Beorn."
Fili fut le premier à reprendre ses esprits.
"Il va bien ?"
Je sourit doucement
"Oui, il va bien aller. Maintenant partez que je puisse finir."
Fili acquiesça mais Kili resta. Je ne le regardai pas, cela ne me faisait rien qu'il reste, il était très jeune pour un nain.
"Tu peux rester ici avec moi si tu veux Kili."
Il s'approcha doucement et s'assit pendant que je continuai de nettoyer ses plaies. Il s'était évanoui autant à cause de la perte de sang que de douleur. Maintenant que je pouvais bien voir le torse sans vêtement de Thorin, je rougis. Il était très musclé et son torse avait une légère toison brune. Mais il y aurait tout de même des cicatrices une fois que je l'aurais soigné, cela ne me dérangeait pas. Je semblais oublier que Kili était dans la pièce.
"Est-ce que tu rougis ?"
Mes yeux s'agrandirent je le regardai.
"Non."
Il sourit et rigola légèrement
"Si tu le dis."
Je soupirai et détournai le regard.
"Cela ne fait rien de toute façon."
Kili mit sa main sur mon épaule.
"Pourquoi dis-tu cela ?"
_Est-ce que je peux lui faire confiance ?_
"Kili, je peux te faire confiance ?"
"Bien sûr, tu as sauvé ma vie. Je garderai n'importe quel secret."
"Est-ce que tu partages la haine de ton oncle pour les elfes ?"
"Non, je suppose que oui quand j'étais jeune mais j'ai vu la gentillesse des elfes. Tu n'es pas une elfe, non ?"
Je mis mes cheveux derrière mon oreille et ses yeux s'agrandirent.
"Je suis une demi-elfe, ma mère en était une."
"Et ton père ?"
Je souris.
"Mon père était un changeur de forme. Tout comme mon cousin Beorn, il pouvait se changer en ours." dis-je
"Donc ... Pourquoi tu rougis quand tu regarde mon oncle ?"
Je regardai Thorin, je continuai mon travail pendant que je parlai.
"Les elfes peuvent éprouver le sentiment d'amour pour un autre une fois dans leur vie. Ils ne peuvent pas aimer une autre personne quand ils ont donné leur cœur à quelqu'un."
"Et tu ... Tu as ton cœur à mon oncle."
"Pas intentionnellement. J'ai vu ton oncle il y a longtemps, j'étais là quand Smaug a pris Erebor." dis-je doucement
"Tu était là ?"
J'aquiescai
"J'essayai d'aider autant de personne que je pouvais, les nains comme les hommes. J'ai vu ton oncle ... appeler à l'aide mon oncle."
Kili parut confus en premier, puis ses yeux s'agrandirent quand il réalisa.
"Le Roi des Elfes ..."
"Oui, Thranduil Roi de Mirkwood est mon oncle, ma mère était sa soeur. Il m'en veux à moi et à mon père pour sa mort. Les elfes peuvent mourir en ayant le cœur brisé autant que d'une lame ou d'une flèche. C'est ce qui est arrivé à ma mère, elle a eu le cœur brisée. Elle m'a laissée derrière mais je sais qu'elle m'aimait. Mon oncle m'a ba,ni de Mirkwood, il haïssait ce que j'étais et a fais le deuil de ma mère, sa seule soeur. J'avais 18 ans, c'était il y a presque 625 ans. J'étais immortel mais quand j'ai vu ton oncle ... J'ai choisi une vie de mortel." lui expliquai-je
Kili mit sa main sur la mienne et me donna une pression amicale.
"Ton secret est en sécurité avec moi mon amie."
Je souris et étreignis le jeune nain.
"Tu pourras révéler à ton oncle que je suis un changeur de forme, mais tu ne devras pas lui révéler que je suis une elfe. Compris ?"
"Je comprends. Tu dois te reposer Vanmoriel, tu en as déjà fais beaucoup."
Je souris, désabusée.
"On dirait que mon cousin a loué ma chambre." dis-je en regardant Thorin.
Kili rit, je lui souris et me changeai en loup. Je sautai sur le large lit et me recroquevillai à côté de Thorin.
9. Réponses
Chapitre 9 :
Réponses :
PDV de Thorin :
La dernière chose dont je me souvienne était la magnifique et étrange femme qui m'a dit de ne pas bouger. Je me rappelais de ses longs cheveux noirs ondulés, sa peau d'ivoire et ses sombres yeux bleus, j'ai déjà vu ces yeux avant ... J'ouvris mes yeux et regardai autour de la chambre, la première chose que je vis fut la tête du loup sur mon torse avec les yeux clos. J'essayai de me relever mais la douleur était toujours présente. Elle ouvrit ses yeux et sauta en arrière, je n'eus le temps que de cligner des yeux avant de voir la même femme en face de moi.
"S'il vous plait ... N'ayez pas peur." murmura-t-elle
_Comment pourrais-je avoir peur d'une femme si belle ? _
"Je n'ai pas peur de vous."
Elle sourit, visiblement rassurée.
"J'ai une question à vous poser, si vous le voulez bien"
Elle s'approcha et s'assit sur une chaise à côté du lit. Ses yeux me donnaient la réponse mais je voulais l'entendre de sa bouche.
"Êtes-vous le loup qui est resté à mes côtés et m'a sauvé la vie ?"
PDV de Vanmoriel :
Je pris une profonde inspiration et acquiesça.
"Oui, c'est bien moi."
Il me regarda, devant se poser beaucoup de questions à mon sujet.
"Je suis Vanmoriel, le loup qui a voyagé à vos côtés et vous a sauvé la vie, cousine de Beorn et fille d'une changeur de forme." dis-je
Je relevais et il me fixa intensément dans les yeux. Je ne l'avais pas quitté depuis qu'il était ici.
"Vous auriez pu vous faire tuer."
Je détournai le regard et fixai la fenêtre.
"Oui, je sais."
"Pourquoi ?"
Je le regardai, confuse.
"Pourquoi m'avoir sauvé ? Vous ne m'avez jamais rencontré, vous ne me devez rien."
Je lui souris doucement.
"Vous ne devez pas me connaître mais moi je sais qui vous êtes mon Seigneur. J'étais là ... J'étais quand Smaug a pris Erebor, j'étais les habitants à s'échapper."
"Mais cela date de 160 ans." dit-il, impressionné.
Je rigolai doucement.
"Les changeurs de forme n'ont pas d'âge et vivent durant de longues vies. Je ... Je suis différente des changeurs de forme ordinaires, je suis ... spéciale comme dit mon cousin."
Je lui en fus reconnaissante car il ne m'a pas demandé ce que je voulais dire.
"Je ... Je vous en suis reconnaissante pour ce que vous avez, avant et maintenant, je vous dois beaucoup."
Je souris et secouai la tête avec précaution pour ne pas lui révéler mes oreilles.
"Vous ne me devez rien mon Seigneur ..."
"Thorin."
Je le regardai avec surprise.
"Mon nom est Thorin."
Je souris.
"Bien ... Thorin, vous ne me devez rien, et je n'accepterai quoi que ce soit non plus." dis-je
"Ma Dame je ..."
"Vanmoriel" dis-je avec un sourire. "Si je peux vous appeler simplement par votre prénom, je vous demanderai donc de faire la même chose, je suis un simple changeur de forme."
"Puis-je vous poser une autre question ma Da ... Vanmoriel."
J'acquiesçai, le son de sa voix prononçant mon nom était une sensation incroyable.
"Avez-vous l'intention de rester ici ?"
Je souris et le regardai dans les yeux.
"J'irai où que vous alliez, vous avec ma loyauté la plus profonde."
Il sourit, j'adorais le voir sourire.
"Je pense que vous devriez peut-être manger quelque chose, je reviendrai bientôt."
Il ne parla ni ne bougea, je souris et quittai donc la chambre. Dans la hall, je tombai sur Fili et Kili avec le plus vieux nain.
"Est-il éveillé ?"
J'acquiesçai.
Ils sourirent et sortirent mais le vieux nain me regardait.
"Je pense que nous n'avons été encore proprement présenté."
_Proprement ?_
"Balin, fils de Fundin à votre service Dame Vanmoriel."
J'étais choquée, je n'arrivais plus à bouger ou à parler.
"Votre cousin et Gandalf m'ont tout dit."
"Que voulez-vous dire par 'tout dit' ?"
"**Tout**."
Je baissai les yeux, honteuse.
"Donc et bien alors ... vous savez qui je suis, ce que mon oncle m'a fait et ce que les gens me faisaient lorsqu'ils me voyaient."
"Oui, je sais ce que le Roi des Elfes vous a fait, être chassée comme cela est ... horrible, jeune fille. Et en plus ..." Je relevai le regard vers lui. "Vous avez sauvé Thorin."
"Oui, effectivement. Je suis peut-être la nièce de Thranduil ... mais je ne suis pas d'accord avec ce qu'il a fait."
Balin sourit et acquiesça.
"Est-ce que les autres savent aussi ?" questionnai-je.
"Non, je suis le seul."
"Kili sait à propos de la partie elfe."
"Vous feriez bien de le dire aussi à Thorin ou mon frère Dwalin."
"Dwalin ?"
"Celui avec les cicatrices."
J'acquiesçai.
"Merci Seigneur Balin."
Il acquiesça puis partit dans la chambre. Je pris de la nourriture pour Thorin et revint dans la pièce, avant d'entrer, j'entendis Gandalf parler avec lui.
"Vous aviez raison de lui faire confiance." dit Thorin.
"J'ai généralement raison par rapport à ce genre de choses." dit Gandalf amusé.
"Bien que sa forte loyauté soit une surprise pour moi."
"Le temps répondra à vos questions, si vous lui faites confiance, vous devez lui dire. Elle ne vous trahira jamais et préfèrera mourir que de vous voir blessé." dit Gandalf.
Avant que Thorin ne puisse dire quoi que ce soit, j'entendis Gandalf se lever pour partir. J'entrai et hocha la tête en passant. Il me prit par le bras et s'approcha de moi.
"~Vous devez lui dire, ma chère.~" chuchota-t-il.
Je regardai dans ses yeux vieux et je vis à quel point cet homme était sage. Il quitta la pièce et je m'approchai. Pendant que Thorin mangeait, je regardai dehors à travers la fenêtre en essayant de trouver un moyen de lui dire.
"Thorin ... puis-je vous dire quelque chose ?"
"Bien sûr."
"Je sais que votre haine pour les elfes est profonde mais il y a quelque chose que vous devez entendre."
Il hésita mais acquiesça. Je pris une grande inspiration et commença à lui conter une histoire, mon histoire.
10. L'Histoire de la Fille de Drauglad
Chapitre 10 :
L'Histoire de la Fille de Drauglad
"Il y a longtemps vivait un changeur de forme qui répondait au nom de Drauglad et qui pouvait se changer en un grand ours brun. Ses cheveux et ses yeux semblaient être les plus sombres qu'on ait jamais vus. Il était fils unique et ses parents sont morts lorsqu'il était jeune. Il se tint loin de la population car les gens craignaient cet homme et ce qu'il pouvait faire. Un jour, alors qu'il cultivait, il fut attaqué par des orcs. Il arriva tant bien que mal à les tuer mais fus tout de même gravement blessé durant le combat et il alla jusqu'à une grande forêt dont il ne connaissait pas le nom.
Alors qu'il ne pouvait pas aller plus loin, il s'arrêta et se contenter de se coucher dans la forêt, attendant la mort. Mais la mort ne vint jamais, une magnifique jeune fille elfe vint à lui, elle s'appelait Thalionwen et son nom voulait dire héros. Elle avait des yeux bleus clairs et de longs cheveux dorés, sa peau était pâle et semblait briller. Elle chassait lorsqu'elle le trouva, blessé et proche de la mort. Tout d'abord, vous devez savoir que les elfes ne peuvent aimer qu'une seule fois dans leur vie et quand Thalionwen a aperçu Drauglad, son cœur ne lui appartenait déjà plus. Elle était cependant une guérisseuse qualifiée ainsi qu'une excellent chasseuse. Elle l'emmena dans une grotte près de chez elle et le soigna, le nourris et s'occupa de lui. Elle savait qui il était, elle était sage après tant d'années vécues et Draudlad tomba amoureux de cette jeune elfe qui lui avait sauvé la vie alors qu'elle aurait pu le tuer.
Mais le frère de Thalionwen, qui était le Roi de royaume sylvestre, ne faisait nullement confiance aux étrangers. Il avait évidemment remarqué que sa plus jeune et seule soeur partait discrètement. Un jour, il décida donc de la faire suivre mais lorsqu'il trouva la raison de ses départs, il entra dans une rage folle. Il alla la trouver en personne mais lorsqu'il arriva, sa sœur et Drauglad étaient partis. Elle avait laissé une lettre qui disait qu'elle portait en elle l'enfant de Drauglad.
"Quel était le nom de son frère ? Le frère de cette Dame Thalionwen."
Je pris une profonde inspiration
"Thranduil"
Je vis la colère et la rage dans ses yeux.
"S'il vous plait, continuez."
"Ils n'avaient cependant pas quitté forêt, ils avaient trouvé refuge chez un sorcier. Vous l'avez rencontré, il s'agit de Radaghast le Brun. Il connaissait Drauglad et Thalionwen, alors que l'enfant grandissait en elle, elle oublia la rage de son frère. Lorsque l'enfant fut né, Drauglad se réjouissait, elle lui avait donné une fille qui était un changeur de forme tout comme lui même s'ils ne peuvent se métamorphoser qu'à partir d'un certain, pour ma part, c'était à 18 ans. Au début, leurs jours étaient joyeux mais ils s'assombrirent doucement. Thranduil les trouva et, dans sa rage, tua Drauglad mais pourtant, il ne pus tuer l'enfant. Thalionwen avait le cœur brisé, les elfes peuvent mourir sous les coups d'une lame ou d'une flèche mais ils peuvent aussi mourir d'un cœur brisé. Thranduil accepta, en attendant, l'enfant car c'était le souhait de sa soeur.
Quand l'enfant grandit et atteint l'âge de 11 ans, Thalionwen mourut. Son cœur ne pouvait plus battre et elle avait perdu sa volonté de vivre. La douleur de Thranduil se transforma en colère, il battit l'enfant mais ne fit rien d'autre. Il était son oncle et malgré le fait qu'elle le haïssait, elle ne pouvait pas le faire du mal. Il la bannit et son cousin, plein de regret, la guida à l'orée de la forêt. Il la serra dans ses bras et lui souhaita bonne chance, il voulait partir avec elle mais elle refusa. Elle ne voulait pas qu'il partage sa vie en tant qu'exilée. Elle partit donc et ne revint jamais. Elle appris à chasser, pêcher, traquer et se défendre par elle même. Lorsqu'elle atteint un certain âge, elle se transforma."
"Et que pouvait-elle devenir ?" demanda-t-il, curieux.
"J'y viens bientôt. Cette jeune femme n'a jamais pu oublier sa mère et le vague souvenir qu'elle avait de son père. Elle possédait le don d'immortalité et ressemblait tellement à sa mère que cela lui faisait de la peine donc elle restait en tant qu'animal la plupart du temps. Les gens la craignait, Thranduil avait dit aux elfes de la Lorien qu'elle était un monstre et qu'il devait la tuer s'ils la voyaient. Elle était effrayée, son dos était blessé et elle ne savait pas guérir à cette époque. Elle se dirigea donc vers la Montagne Solitaire et la Vallée Cachée d'Imladris, à cette époque elle avait peut de tous ceux qui l'approchaient. Pourtant, un jeune enfant elfe l'approcha et elle ne pouvait pas lui faire de mal. La mère de cet enfant vint à Elrond et il savait qui était cette femme. Il l'accueillit dans sa maison, soigna ses blessures, la nourrit et prit soin d'elle. Elle devint une sorte de fille pour lui.
Il lui apprit l'art de soigner et ses fils, Elladan et Elrohir, lui apprirent à se battre avec une épée et à utiliser un arc. Sa fille, Arwen, lui apprit comment monter un cheval, coudre, lire et écrire. Elle pouvait chanter car sa mère avait la plus belle voix que l'on aurait pu entendre. Ils lui apprirent les lois des elfes mais aussi qu'elle serait toujours la bienvenue chez eux. Quand elle eut 25 ans, elle partit mais retournait toujours leur rendre visite. Elle voyagea plus loin vers le nord où elle rencontra les Ranger de Dunedain du Nord. Ils étaient gentils avec elle puisqu'ils connaissaient les changeurs de forme. Elle resta un moment avec eux avant de partir. Elle erra loin et profondément dans la Terre Du Milieu mais n'osa jamais retourner dans la forêt."
Je levai le regard vers Thorin, ses yeux étaient sur moi. Je me levai, me retournai et commençai à enlever mon haut.
"Qu'est-ce que vous faite ?!" demanda-t-il, alarmé.
"Je vous montre ..."
Je défis mon soutien-gorge pour qu'il puisse voir mon dos, je l'entendis inspirer rapidement.
"L'enfant pouvait se changer en loup, elle avait des cheveux aussi sombres que la nuit et des yeux d'un bleu tout aussi foncés."
Je me rhabillai et me tournai pour le regarder, je bougeai mes cheveux pour qu'il puisse voir mes oreilles.
"Je ... Je suis cette enfant. Je suis Vanmoriel, fille de Drauglad."
11. Essayer de comprendre
Chapitre 11 :
Essayer de comprendre
Il me fixa mais je n'arrivais pas à lire son expression et ne pouvais plus parler. Mes yeux se remplirent de larmes et je détournai le regard.
"Maintenant que vous savez ce que je suis et ce qui m'est arrivé. Je comprendrais si vous ne voulez plus jamais me voir. Si vous me haïssez ..."
"Je ne vous hais pas."
Je levai le regard, incrédule.
Il n'y avait aucune haine dans ses yeux, il se redressa mais ses yeux se fermèrent de douleur. Je me précipitai vers lui mais n'osai pas le toucher. Il remarqua ma réserve parce qu'il prit ma main. J'étais surprise mais ne posai aucune question, il m'assis pour que je sois à côté de lui.
"Je ne vous hais pas Vanmoriel, je ne pourrais jamais vous haïr. Vous avez fait tellement pour moi et ma compagnie. Vous avez été chassé par ceux qui devaient s'occuper de vous, vous aimer pourtant ils vous ont blessé, exilé et essayé de vous tuer. Et pourtant vous n'avez pas tant de cruautés, vous êtes restée gentille, belle et aimante." Il sécha les larmes de mes yeux. "C'est vrai que je n'ai aucun amour pour Thranduil mais vous n'êtes pas comme lui. Vous êtes ..."
"Une semi-race ? C'est comme ça qu'il m'appelait."
Il me regarda sérieusement.
"Non ! Vous êtes différente, spéciale, un joyau rare parmi les autres et vous faites partie de cette famille, vous êtes appréciée de cette compagnie de nains, du hobbit. Et ... Je me soucie de vous." dit-il
A ses mots, je regardai une fois de plus dans ses yeux.
"Quoi ?"
"Je me soucis de vous, de ce qu'il peut vous arriver."
Je jetai mes bras autour de lui et l'étreint doucement.
"Hannon le."
Il passa un bras autour de moi et caressa mon dos.
"Ce n'est rien" chuchota-t-il
Pour la première fois depuis Elrond, je me sentais accueillie quelque part et même si Thorin ne m'aimait pas comme je l'aimait, il se souciait de moi et c'est tout ce dont j'avais besoin.
PDV de Thorin :
Je me souciai d'elle plus que ce qu'elle ne le croyait. Je ne savais pas si c'était assez fort pour être de l'amour mais je ne permettrai pas à quiconque de lui faire du mal, son bâtard d'oncle ne la touchera plus jamais ! Et pour son cousin, je verrai si elle veut le revoir. Je lui faisais confiance pour ma vie et celui de mes compagnons. Et pour les lois des elfes ... Si cela lui faisait plaisir, je les comprendrais.
12. Un temps pour guérir
Chapitre 12
Un temps pour guérir
Thorin guérrissait doucement mais il guérrissait et je ne le quittai jamais. La nuit, je dormais à côté de lui en tant que le loup et je m'asseyais avec lui le jour en tant que semi-elfe. Un par un, je parlais aux autres nains de mon héritage. Dwalin était très étonné, il n'aimait pas les elfes alors il gardait ses distances tout comme Oin et son frère Gloin. Celui qui ne parlait que le khurdul me regardait attentivement quand je marchai près de ses cousins, celui avec le chapeau bizarre n'avait aucun problème avec moi et Bombur semblait incertain. Fili était très bien avec moi et me traitait avec autant de gentillesse qu'avant et Kili savait déjà. Le jeune artist qui s'appelait Ori était bien avec moi et voulait me dessiner en tant qu'humaine. Dori, son grand frère était très poli mais je savais qu'il ne faisais pas encore entièrement confiance, Nori quant à lui ne me parlait pas et me regardait avec curiosité.
Un jour, après deux semaines avec mon cousin Beorn, j'enlevai les bandages. Je souris.
"Vous êtes guéris."
Il sourit doucement.
"C'est uniquement grâce à vous merci."
Je souris mais je sus aussi que je devais rougir un peu car il avait un regard amusé sur son visage. Je me suis trouvé à regardé son torse, j'essayais d'empêcher mes yeux mais ne pus pas. Finalement, je secouais la tête.
"Veuillez m'excusez mais je dois me laver."
En vérité, j'avais pris un bain plus tôt aujourd'hui mais c'était la seule excuse qui me vint à l'esprit. Je lui en étais reconnaissante car il ne continua pas la conversation. J'allai à la rivière, je m'étais toujours lavé dehors et le préférais. J'enlevai mes vêtement et gardai un couteau de chasse près de moi. L'eau était chaude, je plongeai sur l'eau et refit surface.
"Si je ne me trompe pas ..."
Je sursautai et me transformai en loup. C'était Thorin.
"Vous essayez de m'éviter."
Je fronçais les sourcils
_Que c'est impoli ! Je suis pratiquement nue !_
"Cela vous dérange si je me joins à vous ?"
_Je vous demande pardon ?!_
_"Je ne me suis pas lavé depuis longtemps et ..._
Je me sentais un peu mal à l'aise.
"Vous pouvez rester en loup si vous le désirer."
J'aquiescai et tournai. Je l'entendis enlever ses vêtements et il entra dans l'eau. Je me sentais mal, il était nu et je me cachai dans ma forme de loup. Je soupirai et me retransformai.
Je me tournai et le regardai, il avait les yeux dans le vague. Soudainement, me sentant audacieuse, je m'approchai et touchai légèrement son bras. Il se raidit et regarda par dessus son épaule. Je retirai ma main.
"Excusez-moi je ..."
"Non, vous m'avez simplement surpris"
Je lui offris un demi-sourire. Ses yeux s'attardèrent sur mon épaule, je le regardai et plongeait en dessous de l'eau jusqu'à ce que seul ma tête dépasse.
"C'est ce que mon oncle m'a donné." dis-je doucement.
Je savais que Thorin n'était pas une personne ouverte alors quand sa main vint sur mon épaule, je levai le regard, surprise. Il me leva un peu et retraça la cicatrice. Je le regardai attentivement, me demandant d'où cela pouvait bien venir. Je couvris sa main avec la mienne et il leva le regard.
"Que faites-vous ?" demandai-je
"Je ne voulais pas vous rendre mal à l'aise." dit-il rapidement.
"Vous n'avez pas répondu à la question." répondis-je gentiment.
Je commençai à relâcher sa main mais il retint la mienne.
"Je me demandai quel sorte de monstre aurait pu vous faire ça, lorsque vous étiez enfant."
Je souris tristement.
"Je suis ... habituée." répondis-je
"Vous ne devriez pas l'être."
Alors que je reportai mon regard sur lui, il y avait quelque chose de différent dans ses yeux. Il s'approcha lentement et je me trouvai à me rapprocher de lui. Ma main libre vint sur son torse puis sur son épaule et je pouvais sentir la chaleur de ses lèvres.
"Dis-moi d'arrêter et je le ferais Vanmoriel." souffla-t-il
Je ne pus trouver ma voix, mes mains devinrent molles contre son puissant torse et mes yeux se fermèrent. Ses mains prirent en coupe mon visage me rapprochant de lui.
"Embrassez moi ?" demanda-t-il
Je souris et pressa doucement mes lèvres aux siennes.
PDV de Thorin
A la seconde où ses lèvres chaudes furent sur les miennes, j'en voulais plus, je restais cependant sans bouger, ne voulant rien faire qui puisse l'effrayer. Quand elle se retira, j'ouvris mes yeux, elle me regardait et souriait
"Je dois vous demander quelque chose Vanmoriel."
Elle attendit que je continue.
"Votre mère ... Elle a donné son coeur à votre père ... Avez-vous ..."
J'avais peur de poser cette question car je savais qu'elle perdrait son immortalité si la réponse était oui. Je pris une grande inspiration.
"M'avez-vous donné le votre ?"
Je la fixais dans ses yeux et elle me regardais directement.
"Oui ... Oui je vous l'ai donné." dit-elle
Mon souffle fut coupé, je ne voulais pas qu'elle sacrifie son immortalité pour mon bonheur.
"Vanmoriel vous ne pouvez pas ..."
Le regard qu'elle me fit était remplis de douleur.
"Je ne vous rejette pas ..." dis-je rapidement
Son sourire revint mais le mien s'évanouit.
"Je ne veux pas que vous sacrifiez votre immortalité pour moi."
L'une de ses fine et délicate main vint sur mon visage.
"Mon immortalité est un faible prix à payer pour être avec vous. Je préfère partager une seule vie avec vous que faire face à tous les âges seule." chuchota-t-elle.
Mes yeux s'agrandirent et j'haletai rapidement, cette magnifique femme donnerait son immortalité pour moi. Cette femme qui avait risqué sa vie et m'avait fais confiance alors qu'elle connaissais bien la haine que j'avais pour les siens.
"Je choisis une vie mortelle." souffla-t-elle.
C'en était trop pour moi, j'attirai ses lèvres aux miennes et l'embrasse profondément.
PDV de Vanmoriel.
Il me prit dans ses bras et m'embrassa alors que j'enroulai mes bras autour de son cou et retournai le baiser.
_Loué sois les Valar ! Je ne suis plus seule !_
Des larmes de joies dévalèrent sur mes joues et Thorin se retira.
"Pourquoi pleurez-vous ?"
Je souris.
"Personne ne s'est jamais soucié de moi comme cela."
Il sourit faiblement et me reprit dans ses bras.
"Je serais toujours là pour vous et tant que vous êtes à mes côté, je ne vous quitterai jamais et personne ne vous fera de mal encore une fois. Je vous fais cette promesse Vanmoriel, je prendrais toujours soin de vous, vous protégerais et vous aiderais jusqu'à la fin de mes jours." dit-il.
Je sourit et enfouis mon visage dans le creux de son cou.
"Hannon le meleth nin. Gerich veleth nin."
13. Sois le changement que tu veux voir
Chapitre 13
Sois le changement que tu aimerais voir
Je me réveillai en tant que loup aux côtés de Thorin, je souris intèrieurement et me redressai, m'étirant puis je frottai mon nez contre con visage. Il se réveilla et me sourit.
"Bonjour."
Je sautai hors du lit et repris ma forme humaine.
"Bonjour."
Il se leva et remis son T-shirt bleu. Il prit ma main et nous sortîmes tous les deux, il était tôt, pourtant tous les autres étaient levés. Beorn allait leur parler de ... Mirkwood.
PDV de Thorin
Nous nous assîmes et je remarquai que Vanmoriel était un peu mal à l'aise. Je crus tout d'abord que c'était à cause de moi mais j'appris seulement quelques secondes plus tard que j'avais tords.
"Je vais vous approvisionnez en nourriture, arcs, flèches, poneys et cheval pour Gandalf. Maintenant à Mirkwood ..."
Vanmoriel se leva et partis, j'essayai e la retenir mais son cousin m'arrêta.
"Laissez-la. Elle ... a besoin de temps."
Alors que Beorn nous expliquait tout ce dont nous devions savoir, je ne croyais pas que j'étais réellement ici. Je n'aspirait qu'à aller jusqu'à elle et la réconforter.
PDV de Vanmoriel.
Je retournai jusqu'à ma chambre et me roula en boule dans le coin en tant que loup. Je gémis, et si mon oncle me retrouvai encore une fois ? Me battrait-il encore ? Me tenait-il encore responsable de la mort de ma mère ? Après un moment, Beorn vint dans la chambre.
"Vanmoriel, tu n'as pas besoin d'y aller si tu ne le souhaite pas. Tu peux rester ici si tu veux." dit-il
Je levai le regard vers lui, il savait ce que je ressentais.
"Je sais que ta loyauté pour le Roi Nain est forte mais ta sécurité est bien plus importante à mes yeux."
Je repris ma forme humaine et le regardai tristement.
"Mon oncle ne sait pas en quoi je peux me changer, en plus il me croit que je suis morte donc je ne vais avoir aucun problème. Ton offre me fait chaud au coeur mais je ne peux pas abandonner Thorin, je ne le ferai pas."
Il acquiesça et me serra dans ses bras.
"Alors sois prudente et reviens me voir bientôt"
"Je te le promets"
C'était toujours difficile de dire au revoir à mon cousin, j'embrassai sa joue et c'était ce matin-là que nous nous dirigeâmes vers Mirkwood. J'avais expliqué à Thorin que je resterai en tant que loup jusqu'à ce que nous atteignions la fin de ces terres. Il compris et je lui donnais un doux baiser avant d e me rechanger en loup. Alors que nous voyageions, je pouvais sentir que Beorn nous suivait, et je vis souvent en effet un grand ours nous suivre. Apparemment, Bilbo l'avait vu lui aussi parce qu'il essaya de dire quelque chose mais Gandalf le coupa.
"Ne faîtes pas attention à lui."
Quand nous nous arrêtames pour camper cette nuit, je m'assis seule. Je pouvais voir dans le noir et je fixais dans la direction de Mirkwood. Mon père était enterré juste à l'extérieur de l'Entrée de la Forêt, et pourtant je n'étais jamais retourné le voir de peur que Thranduil ne me trouve. J'entendis deux nains s'approcher de moi, je savais que c'était Fili et Kili.
"Vous allez bien Vanmoriel ?"
Je baissai ma tête ainsi que mes oreilles alors que Fili mit sa main sur mon cou.
"Ca va aller, vous allez voir."
"Oui ne vous inquiétez pas, nous ne laisserons personne vous faire du mal." ajouta Kili.
Je me frottai contre eux en gratitude alors qu'ils sourirent et me carressèrent. Je ne dormis pas cette nuit-là, je me contentais de rester coucher près de Thorin mais mon esprit restait éveillé et je fixais la pénombre
_Je me fiche de ce que va faire mon oncle s'il me trouve mais je ne laisserai personne faire de mal aux nains, particulièrement Thorin._
_Nous continuions d'aller vers Mirkwood le jour d'après, ce n'était pas encore midi mais nous arrivâmes devant l'Entrée de la Forêt, je quittai les rapidement les nains, Bilbo et Gandalf qui parlaient. Je me dirigeai vers la tombe de mon père, il y avait des écritures elfiques là où ma mère les avait gravé._
_Ci-gît Drauglad,_
_Mari et père aimé_
_No i brestanneth anírach tírad vi amar._
Je ne me rappelais pas que ces derniers mots étaient là.
_Sois le changement que tu aimerais voir dans le monde._
_Je me demande qui à bien pu les mettre là, Thorin était bientôt près de moi._
"Vanmoriel ?"
Je gémis et inclinai ma tête vers la tombe.
"Est-ce ... la tombe de votre père ?"
Je hochai la tête et il s'agenouilla face à la pierre.
"Nous ne nous sommes jamais rencontrés Monsieur mais pourtant, je peux sentir que votre esprit vit dans votre brave et magnifique fillz. Si vous pouvez m'entendre maintenant, je vous jure à vous et à Dame Thalionwen que je la protègerai et veillerai à ce qu'on prenne toujours soin d'elle."
Je regardais Thorin, ses mots avaient touchés mon coeur et je me blottis contre lui. Il sourit et me carassa la tête, nous retournâmes ensuite aux autres. Gandalf était parti pour je ne sais où et j'hésitai avant de marcher avec les autres vers l'Entrée de la Forêt.
End file.
| fanfiction |
A. Duda & Sons refers to various agricultural and real estate developments, with ranches in Central Florida, Texas, and California.
The company grows vegetables, citrus, sugarcane, and other crops, and raises cattle. It is best known as one of the top growers of celery in the United States. It markets produce using the Dandy label.
It has significant land holdings in Florida, California and Texas. It has developed some of this land for residential and commercial use. The Viera Company subsidiary oversees the development and management of Viera, Florida, a planned community in Brevard County, Florida, which had 16,000 residents in 2007.
Operations
Operations include vegetable and melon farming; orange groves; other citrus Groves; Nursery and Tree Production; Sugarcane Farming; Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming; Commercial and Institutional Building Construction; Land Subdivision; Sugar Manufacturing; Sugarcane Mills; Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchandising Wholesalers.
History
Andrew Duda immigrated to United States from Slovakia. He started the ranch in the mid-1920s with .
With celery as the cash crop, Duda had around in the 1940s. The family diversified into beef cattle ranching at their Cocoa Ranch, near Cocoa, Florida. By the 1970s, it had 20,000 cattle.
The business was incorporated in 1953.
The company revenues were $200 million in the 1980s. Ranch holdings in Central Florida had risen to .
References
External links
Category:Brevard County, Florida
Category:Landmarks in Florida
Category:Ranches in the United States | wikipedia |
Heat and water absorption by calcium chloride
Can calcium chloride be effectively used as a desiccant to absorb both heat and moisture?
Anhydrous calcium chloride is an effective desiccant, but the absorption of water by anhydrous calcium chloride is exothermic; i.e. the reaction releases heat.
$$\ce{CaCl2 + 6 H2O -> CaCl2 . 6 H2O}\quad\Delta H = -97\ \mathrm{kJ/mol}$$
| stackexchange/chemistry |
the availability of ' next generation ' dna sequencers has provided zoologists with unforeseen opportunities to address many basic evolutionary issues and , for those of us whose interests lie beyond the model organisms , these are indeed interesting times . not so long ago the costs of large - scale expressed sequence tag ( est ) analyses were prohibitive , but the recent development of the fast and ( relatively ) cheap 454 , illumina and solid technologies is enabling large - scale transcriptome analysis , and potentially whole - genome analysis , to be applied to a wide range of animals , providing insights into evolutionary issues that were once considered essentially intractable .
one important and controversial issue that can now be addressed is the gene complement of urbilateria .
it is clear that this ancestor of all bilateral animals had a genome resembling that of a modern vertebrate , but which also contained some genes lost from modern vertebrates , raising the issue of just how many genes were present in the ancestor . in this respect
, est studies on lophotrochozoans , such as that reported in a recent paper in bmc evolutionary biology , are proving particularly informative .
of the three major divisions within bilateria ( the ecdysozoa , the lophotrochozoa and the deuterostomia ; figure 1 ) , lophotrochozoa , which contains the annelids ( worms ) and mollusks ( including snails ) and various minor phyla , is still only poorly represented in terms of whole genome data . a simplified view of animal phylogeny , showing the taxonomic position of groups and organisms mentioned in the text ( genera are in italics ) .
relationships among the non - bilaterian phyla remain controversial , but the topology shown reflects the current consensus .
numbers in red are percentages of the total number ( 2,308 ) of pomatoceros ests with matches against specific taxonomic groups .
numbers on the boundaries between taxonomic groups are shared exclusively between pomatoceros and those groups , whereas in the cases of non - bilaterians and bacteria / protists the numbers reflect ests shared between pomatoceros , lophotrochozoans and those taxonomic groups . for example , 7% of pomatoceros ests are shared only with lophotrochozoans and deuterostomes , and less than 1% are shared only with lophotrochozoans and non - bilateral animals or with lophotrochozoans and bacteria or protists . over half ( 1,205 ; 52% ) of the total number of pomatoceros ests had no matches in the databases .
one implication of work on the annelid platynereis dumerilii is that lophotrochozoans may be less derived ( are more representative of ancestral character states ) than members of ecdysozoa , but it is not yet clear how representative platynereis is .
have now analyzed a set of ests from a second and only distantly related annelid , the serpulid pomatoceros lamarckii , which differs from platynereis both morphologically and in lifestyle .
platynereis is a free - living predator , whereas pomatoceros lives within a tube that it constructs and captures food from the surrounding waters using a crown of feeding tentacles through which water is filtered .
nevertheless , data from the two species lead to the same conclusion , that annelids ( and perhaps lophotrochozoans in general ) are less derived than the insects and nematodes investigated so far .
one focus of the paper was patterns of gene sharing and gene loss between pomatoceros and the other major groups of organisms .
these figures are summarized in figure 1 : pomatoceros shares a significant number of genes ( 158 ; 7% of the total ) only with deuterostomes and other lophotrochozoans , but a much smaller number ( 23 genes ; 1% of the total ) only with ecdysozoans and other lophotrochozoans .
in addition , 11 genes shared only with non - bilaterians were identified , illustrating the ubiquity of gene loss .
although the genome of a choanoflagellate ( thought to be the closest living relatives of the animals ) showed us that some ' animal - specific ' genes came earlier in evolution , many other genes really are unique to metazoans , and these include components of several signaling pathways ( such as the wnt , transforming growth factor and nuclear hormone receptor pathways ) . when the genomes of bilaterians are compared with those ( admittedly , as yet few ) available for ' lower ' ( non - bilaterian ) animals , one fact that clearly stands out is that a quantitative leap in terms of signaling molecule complexity preceded the emergence of the cnidaria ( the phylum that includes hydras , sea anemones , corals and jellyfish ) . whereas most or all of the animal - specific signaling systems seem to be present in the genomes of porifera ( sponges ) and placozoa ( placozoans ; very simple animals with only three or four distinct cell types ) , they are much less highly elaborated than in cnidarians or bilaterians . for example , whereas the sea anemone nematostella has 12 wnts , most of which are recognizable as homologs of specific wnt types known from bilaterians , the sponge amphimedon and the placozoan trichoplax each have only three wnts that are not easily assignable . in addition , these lower animals seem to have much less well developed arsenals of signaling molecule antagonists .
the situation with respect to transcription factors is a little less clear cut but , for example , the homeobox gene complement of nematostella is much more bilaterian - like than are those of sponges and placozoans . in summary
, cnidarians seem to be particularly important in terms of under standing the urbilaterian gene repertoire .
there is a widespread perception that ecdysozoans have lost more of the ancestral gene set than have deuterostomes or lophotrochozoans .
this notion has its roots in early comparisons ( for example , ) between cnidarians , vertebrates and the model ecdysozoans ( fly and nematode worm ) , which clearly demonstrated that gene loss was much more extensive in drosophila and caenorhabditis than in vertebrates .
since that time , genome data have become available for a broader range of species , so to what extent does this generalization still hold ?
is it possible ( or meaningful ) to generalize - have ecdysozoans in general lost more genes than lophotrochozoans or deuterostomes , or do we still have too few whole genome sequences to be able to say ?
there are now whole - genome data for over 20 insect species ( this includes 12 drosophila species ) and a handful ( 5 ) of nematodes .
comparisons between insects and vertebrates ( for example , ) indicate that gene loss is largely a function of rates of evolution and divergence times , and does not discriminate between vertebrates or insects . among insects , drosophila has a particularly high rate of evolution , whereas the beetle tribolium and the honeybee apis have lower rates of evolution and have lost fewer of the ancient genes present in urbilateria . although vertebrates in general have lost fewer ancient genes , the chicken is a clear outlier , having lost more genes in the ' universal single - copy orthologs ' and ' universal multi - copy orthologs ' categories than any of the five insects included in the wyder et al .
analysis . moreover , whereas the two caenorhabditis species and the parasitic species brugia malayi and meloidogyne hapla all show the ' typical ' ecdysozoan pattern of extensive gene loss , a fifth nematode species , pristionchus pacificus , is not so reduced .
whole genome sequences have been determined for seven genera ( eight species ; two schistosoma species ) , but so far very few large - scale analyses have been published .
the idea that the genomes of lophotrochozoans are less derived than those of ecdysozoans comes largely from work on the annelid p. dumerilii , which shows that this organism is closer to vertebrates than to ecdysozoans in intron structure and retention , and in protein coding sequence similarity ( see , for example , ) .
the only lophotrochozoans with sequenced and analyzed genomes , schistosoma mansoni and s. japonicum , are both parasitic platyhelminths , which , consistent with other parasites , have undergone extensive gene loss and divergence .
thus , they can hardly be considered representative of phyla consisting mostly of free - living forms .
there are bound to be derived lophotrochozoans , just as there are derived ecdysozoans and derived deuterostomes .
so , although this limited sample of two annelids is consistent with greater gene loss in ecdysozoa than in lophotrochozoa , it is still very early days , and it would be premature to yet draw general conclusions .
we await with interest the analysis and publication of more lophotrochozoan genomes , particularly those of free - living flatworms , mollusks , and some of the smaller phyla , such as bryozoans , nemertines and brachiopods .
one surprising implication of comparative genomics is that no gene is indispensable ; every animal seems to have lost hundreds of what one might have assumed were ' core requirement ' genes .
report that 40% of ancient orthologous genes were lost in a least one of the ten animals included in their analysis ( five insects and five vertebrates ) .
one example of loss of a core gene is the case of the toll receptor in hydra magnipapillata .
whereas nematostella and other members of the basal cnidarian class anthozoa have a canonical toll receptor , hydra ( which is a member of the more derived class hydrozoa ) has lost this gene .
hydra seems to have undergone non - orthologous gene replacement , toll receptor function being fulfilled by two unrelated proteins .
evolution sometimes dispenses with whole pathways , for instance the entire dna methylation system in the case of dipterans ( flies and mosquitoes ) .
all animals have lost genes , but it does not follow that urbilateria was a monster in terms of gene content .
bilaterian animals typically have around 20,000 genes ( range 11,500 to 28,000;meloidogyne to tetraodon ) , but a substantial fraction of these are taxonomically restricted at some level .
many of these taxonomically restricted genes are paralogs or highly diverged members of large gene families , generated by duplication events that have occurred at all levels . on the basis of the currently available data ,
the core bilaterian gene set probably contained fewer than 10,000 genes , the caveat being that the available data are rather limited .
taxonomic gaps need to be plugged , and more data for non - bilaterians in particular will be critical in revealing the genomic makings of urbilateria .
far too few whole - genome sequences are yet available for firm estimates to be made , but it is clear that there is no need to invoke monsters - either hopeful or hopeless . | pubmed |
Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries 1. The Gift
It was two years later the 25 birthday of Cathrine Northman and the entire family was there even Karin Slaughter when a man Sookie Stackhouse- Northman hadn't seen in years drove up to the house. Desmond Cataliades followed by Diantha walk in the front door. Finding there way to the kitchen Desmond Cataliades stated, "Sookie you have taken to being a vampire quite well... but it is your daughter I am here to see this day. "It would appear that your daughter has a benefactor," said Mr Cataliades who reached into his briefcase and produced a legal document. Sookie took the document and read it I Lilith of _Mesopotamia leave in trust for _Cathrine Northman the sum of Ten Quintillion US Dollars to be given to her upon reaching her 25 birthday. Witnessed by Helen Magnus Signed by Lilith of _Mesopotamia_
"ERIC" Said Sookie holding out the document "Is this Legal?"
"According to vampire and human law... yes love it is"
Karin looked at her maker Eric and stated, "You know Lilith... Lilith of Mesopotamia...!"
Smiling Sookie told Karin, "She is my Maker Karin"
From the backyard came the familiar voice of Elle asking, "Someone mention my name?" Elle walked in the back, followed by her latest Sire Anna asking, "Has she seen that document yet!"
Sookie gave Elle the document saying, "This is too much!"
Elle looked at Sookie and said, "I have been gathering wealth for over nine thousand years... i still am... With just the interest alone I could bail out the entire world and still have enough money to live on for centuries!"
"Eric who is she" Asked Elle pointing to Karin.
Eric stated "Lilith meet my eldest Sire Karin Slaughter" Karin did some quick mental gymnastics thinking "Lilith of _Mesopotamia... she is a myth... even in the Vampire Bible!"_
Lilith looked at Karin and said, "The Vampire Bible is a bigger work of fiction then the one they wrote about Christ"
"That Vile of Blood the Authority keeps proclaiming as mine... it's my daughter's blood not mine Karin!" Lilith Said. "Long story... but she looked enough like me to masquerade as me"
Cathrine Northman walked into the front door saying, "I'm home... Aunt Elle is here"
Karin Listened _to _Cathrine as she walked in asking Eric, "She is your daughter right?"
Beaming with pride Eric said, "Yes Karin she is..."
"Then why does she have a heartbeat" Karin asked confused.
"Karin" Eric Said "Cathrine was born not made... she is a Dhampiresa"
Desmond Cataliades stepped forward saying, "Cathrine Northman... Lilith of _Mesopotamia left instructions with me to give you this if you reached the age of 25"_ Cathrine read the document carefully then looked at the woman she knew only as Lilith asking, "This is mine..." Lilith stated give me your copy of the bequeathment, using one of her razor sharp teeth she pricked her finger then took Desmond Cataliades's quill writing her full name in blood. Then instructing Cathrine to do the same saying, "That way another devil can't challenge it" Watching the events Karin asked "why not use any old source of blood" "My blood has very special properties" Lilith said chiddingly "No other vampire has those exact properties... even my sires" "Care to elaborate" Karin asked By this point it was 10:00 in the morning and it was full sun, looking at her Sire Sookie, Lilith asked, "Any particular potted plant you want to get rid of?" Sookie just gave Lilith a knowing smirk Sookie said, "Begonia... by the lounger" Walking to the back door Lilith stated, "You no fun making me give up my biggest secret first thing" Karin for her part ran after Lilith stating "The Sun... it will burn you" Letting loose with a silent chuckle Lilith walked out the door into the sunlight grabbed the plant any walked back in with not even a scorch mark to show for it. Karin just looked at her slack-jawed asking, H-How" Lilith put the plant one the table looked right at Karin and said, "Watch" Biting her wrist Lilith held it over the plant as two drops laded on the dirt and withing second the plant was a shriveled up dead heap. Telling Karin, "Not even Sookies blood can kill that fast" Karin just looked at her slack-jawed and pointing out back asking, "H-How" once more. "I am a fist generation vampire... I walked along the streets of Sumer 9000 years ago" Lilith told her "The first generation could walk in daylight"
2. Liliths Legacy
Moments later Cathrine was scratching the back of her head and glancing at the floor, she hated being the center of attention. Keeping her gaze fixed on a Not of wood on the floor Cathrine told Lilith "I-I can't acept this... it's to much"
Taking Cathrine's chin in hand Lilith liftede it until they were both eye to eye and told her "Cathrine... that is just one of my accounts and it's a fraction of my total wealth..."
That got Cathrine's attention as she asked, "How many accounts do you have...?"
"Let's see" Lilith exclamed "I've had no fewer then 100 names each with as much or more then this one"
Slack-jawed Cathrine stared at her stating,"You could settle the world debt with just the intrest..."
"HMM... I never thought about it but your right I could" Lilith told her "However... they would still spend themselves into debt again"
Later that night after moonrize Grumbling Lilth said, "Sookie... get ready for company, it appears as though Roman Zimojic is coming back and he's bring the entire body of the Vampire Authority"
The one thought in Sookies mind was _what do they want?_
"They want your daughter Sookie... they think she in me reborn"
Roman Zimojic called out "Cathrine Northman... show yourself"
"Stay in here" Lilith told them "Sookie use that phone number... you know the one"
Stepping out onto the front porch Lilith stated, "If you think I am letting you take Cathrine... think again"
Roman Zimojic said, "She is Lilith reborn"
Shaking her head Elle AKA Lilith stated, "Roman... I told you the one you hailed as Lilith was my daughter Iltani not me"
"According to your sacrid texts what does Lilith's vampire form look like?" Elle asked
"They say it resembles a cross between a human and a bat..." Roman stated.
Sighing Lilth said "I had hoped to keep a low profile on this trip" She said as she begain her transfomation. Her eyes became luminescent white orbs. Her skin tone starts to undergo a change turning from whitish pink to the color of ash and bat like wings sprouted from her back.
"You mean she looks something like this?" Lilith said grinning
At seeing the form, every member of the Vampire Authority dropped to there knee's and started praying.
From the porch, Cathrine said, "This is new"
Exsasporated Lilth said, "Get up... I hate people who prostrate themselves... it show lack of charater"
"Get up... all of you" Lilith said for the cecond time.
One of the other members started to voice an objection saying, "But this is what you always-"
Clearing her throat Lilith said "No... I never did... That was my daughter Iltani"
Cutting off the next comment Lilth stated, "Sentanced her to death... for truning children"
One of the soldiers that Roman brought with him decided to take matters into his own hands not that Lilith didn't notice telling them, "Before you fire that... get Romans leave"
In the bink of an eye Lilith was accross the yard holding the nameless soldier by the throat, telling them, "The last person who tried that was reduced to a cinder... care to join them!"
Throwing the soldier to the side Lilith took on the pose and bearing of her old self Lilith Queen of Mesopotamia stating "Roman you force me to do your job for you"
The soldier who tried to teach Lilith mannors tried a second time not that it did any good. In a commanding tone Lilith stated, "ENOUGH" as loudly as she could reducing the soldier to ash telling Roman "I did warn him"
All the members of the Authority froze in there tracks as Lilith said, "Good now that I have your attention... the Northmans, Cathrine included are not your concern Roman"
Locking eyes with Roman Zimojic, Lilith told him "My ahouraty superceeds yours... Sookie do you have that phone number"
Sookie walked over to Lilith handing her the bussness card, Lilith held up the card before Roman saying only "Call it"
Roman stated, "To whom am I speaking... in reguards to Cathrine Northman"
Followed "Yes mam
And "No Mam"
"But she killed one of my men"
Their was a pause on the other end as Roman swollowed nevously looking at Lilith then folded up the phone and tucked it in his pocket.
"What did Elise tell you?" Lilith purred.
Roman looked at Lilith stating, "That the Northmens are none of our concern!"
"And" Lilith said.
"It was not a request"
"And" Lilith said.
"That I got off easy with the loss of only one man!" Roman stated.
"I am not here as a member of the elder councel Mr. Zimojic I am here to visit my sire!" Lilith told him
"Next time I will not show or use the restraint I have showen today" Before turning back to the house Lilith stated "Roman stop using _The Vampire Bible as the foundation of your faith... The woman you write about it's not me... never was"_
_Walking back to the house Lilith said "Don't use me to justify your actions... think for yourself!" _
_Back in the house, Sookie was answering the phone "Amanda... Hi... you're going to be in _Bon Temps... I don't know that I have the space I have family staying!
3. Amanda Broadway
The next morning Amanda Broadway & Bob, much to Amelia's displeasure she sees Eric and two other women. With the slighest hint of arogence and dissapontment Amanda stated, "I thought we got rid of you when I severed the bond. Looking at Amanda from the kitchen table was an Ash blond woman, a raven-haired woman and Eric.
The Raven-haired-woman spoke to Amanda telling her, "So you're the one who tried to sever the blood bond... and failed"
"It most certinly did not fail" said Amanda defyently.
"You most certainly did fail... you should have known better then substitute a love spell for a sealing spell" Said the Raven-haired-woman.
"I see by your crimson color that I am right you were making up as you went... Vampire magic is very spacific get it wrong... bad things happen..." The Raven-haired-woman explained.
Taking a sip of blood as if it was a fine wine The Raven-haired-woman looked at Amanda with a stern gaze telling her, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Mr. & Mrs Northman 25 years ago, Amanda Broadway, I've knowen many a sorceries in my day..." Leaning forward she stated, "None of them would meddle in afairs of the heart lest they risk the wrath of Aphrodite"
"Who are you to question me?" Amanda said, as she turned crimson she could feel her anger strat building as she spat "What do you know of magic?"
This time The Raven-haired-woman looked at Amanda with razed eyebrow and anger in her eyes asking her, "You don't recognize me..." Crossing her arms over her chest she muttered, "You invoke my name enough in your rituals" The Raven-haired-woman leveled her gaze on Amanda saying
The Raven-haired-woman said "The oldest vampire your likly to meet... I am Lilith of Mesopotamia" in anchent Akkadian her native tounge.
It took Amanda a moment to recognize the language and the dilect at first as she said, "That language has been dead for-"
Lilith cut her off as she chimed in with "9000 years... Miss Broadway..." Closing her eyes Lilith said, "You can come out now Sookie..."
Sookie walked out and Amanda was astonished at her apperence srtamering as she spoke "S-Sookie Y-You haven't aged... Are you still drinking..."
"No Amanda... i don't drink vampire blood any more" Sookie told her.
Pointing to Eric, Amanda asked angerly, "Did he turn you"
"No" Sookie told her with a smile.
"Then who" Amanda demanded.
"I did..." Leveling her gaze on Amanda, Lilith told her, "You have no right to make demands of anyone witch..., as to why that's up to Sookie to tell you!"
Right at that moment Cathrine Northman came out of her room giving Eric a hug saying "Morning dad"
_Morning Dad_ Thought Amanda who asked, "Don't you mean master"
Karin looked at Cathrine giving her a wink stating, "She thinks your father made you..."
Cathrine said, "He did make me... the old fashoned way
Blankfaced Amanda looked at the younger verson of Sookie doumbfounded
Karin and everyone in the room broke out in a fit of laughter. Cathrine stated, "Eric got mom pergnant nine months later I was born"
"Y-You're a H-Halfing" Amanda stated.
"Gach... I hate that name," Cathrine stated, "I'm a Dhampiresa..., I was born"
Cathrine looked at Sookie as she took a bite of her eggs asking, "What is she talking about!"
The fact that Cathrine was eating food threw Amanda's sense of reality into a tailspin as she stood there blankfaced once more as she watched Cathrine clean the plate before giving lilith a kiss on the cheek saying "Thanks for the scrambled eggs"
Lilith told Cathrine "Was making them for myself it was no trouble"
"B-But vampires can't eat solid foods" Amanda stated.
"Oh really" delared Lilith holding out her hand to catch the apple Cathrine tossed her, lilith not only took a bite but finished the apple smirking at Amanda saying "You were telling us how... lifting the glass of blood to her lips she took a few swigs washing down the apple before finishing her statement "vampires can't eat solid foods"
"Amanda" Lilith said, "If I didn't undo your spell it would have killed both Sookie and Cathrine..."
Looking at Cathrine, Amanda thought _Cathrine's blood in combination with spells... the result would be amazing"_
Smiling at Amanda, Lilith said, "You even think about using her blood..." Inclining her head twords Cathrine she told Amanda "It won't matter that you're an old freind of my sire I will kill you... They won't find the body..." Lilith said spitefully.
Amanda looked at Sookie and the expression on her face said "You going to defend me..."
"Like she said" Sookie comented "Even think about I won't save you"
"But the magical properties of her blood" Amanda commented. Lilith was up in a flash and her eyes became cold pulsating luminescent white orbs as she looked into Amanda eyes. Lilth was halfway through her transfomation as she stated "LEAVE CHATHINE ALONE"
Amanda looked at Sookie stammering "S-Sookie... H-Help"
Sookie dropped what she was doing and went over where the both stood saying, "Amanda" Sookie comented "She warned you... hell I warned you, but you had to go and piss off one of the oldest knowen living vampires"
From the front hall came a womans voice "LILITH... CALM YOURSELF"
"Elise" Called Sookie welcome.
"Sookie" Elise asked, "Why is she mid transfomation"
"Elise..." Pointing to the person with the dear in the headlights look on her face she said, "This is Amanda Broadway... she the one who tried to seal the blood bond"
"That still doesent explane why Lilith is ready to kill her" Said Elise.
Sighing Sookie said, "She is overly intersted in the magical properies of my daughters blood"
Rasing her brow Elise said, "Ah... that would do it"
"Alric" Said Elise calling over her shoulder "Could you walk Lilith Outside?"
A man with light brown hair walked over and took the ash gray skinned Lilith outside. Turning her attention back to Amanda Broadway, Elise read the question on her face stating, "At the moment I am the woman holding your life in her hands, Miss Broadway"
Amanda stated "But..."
"Amanda..." Said Elise "You are fortunate that I showed up when I did, I am one of you people capable of defeating Lilith in open combat..."
Amanda gazed at Elise asking, "You're like her... like Lilith"
"No... No one is like Lilith, Amanda" Elise commented. "As far as the blood, I suggest you drop it... you have no idea how mush strength its taking her to not rip out your throat"
4. Eric's sister
15 minutes later, Lilith walked in the back door having transformed back to the human form of Elle. The only reminder that she was actually a vampire with fangs protruding from upper jaw, and the low growl coming from her throat as she said, "Amanda Broadway… that is the only warning you going to get!"
Taking her seat once more Elle told Amanda, "Next time Sookie will not be able to save you!" Lifting a glass of blood to her lips Elle stated in a silvery tone, "Like you Sophie Anne tried to harm Cathrine… They never did find the body."
With her mouth gaping, Amanda looked at Sookie for any kind of rescue, her eyes pleading.
Sookie looked at Amanda stating, "Like I told you Amanda don't expect me to rescue you!" Drinking a glass of blood, Sookie told Amanda, "I wasn't even a few weeks pregnant and Queen Sophie Anne wanted to kill me… unfortunately for her she didn't know who my protector was until it was too late."
Looking at her old friend Amanda, Sookie told her, "I really don't have any space inn… besides I didn't think you would want to be in houseful of vampires!"
Eric Northman hadn't seen his sister Nora Gainesborough since the night they both went to visit the vampire authority where Lilith formally denounced the religion founded in her name. That was two years ago.
* * *
Later That Evening
It was nearing sunset as Nora Gainesborough lightly touched down in the back yard, as her feet touch the ground Nora's light brown hair wrapped around her neck and face before moving to its original position draping down the back of her neck. Eric Northman was out in the backyard in a blur to greet his sister.
Looking at Eric, Nora stated, "Alright I'm here Eric… now who or what is so important!"
From the back porch, a brunette woman told Nora, "I asked Eric to summon you…"
"You were locked up in the cell the authority when she visited denouncing the religion founded in her name!" Eric told Nora.
Razing her eyebrow to a high arch Nora asked Eric quizzically, "Who is she… Eric!"
Grinning like a Cheshire cat Eric told Nora."My wife's maker of course Nora"
Smiling at his sister Nora, Eric told, "I have someone I want you to meet… In a sense you already have met her."
The five foot, three-inch brunette woman weighing approximately 110 pounds walks off back porch and out to the yard stopping beside Eric Northman. The woman turned to Nora telling her, "Your brother tells me unlike the rest of the authority you sincerely believed in Lilith… Is this true Nora?"
Nora looked at her brother confused, not sure what to make of this new-comer stating in a tremulous tone, "Yes suppose it is…"
Eric's thinks back 25 years to the day he arrived at the sanctuary chuckling telling Nora, "I wasn't looking for Lilith Nora… but I found her Nora…" Sipping his blood Eric said, "You have been looking for you your entire life and have yet to meet her!"
Nora looked at her brother even more confused than she was asking skeptically, "Eric what is that supposed to mean!"
The brunette woman Nora knows only as Sookie's sire walked down off the porch and replied to Eric's comment, "It may be more precise to say Lilith found you Eric."
That comment got Nora's attention
Gesturing with his hand to the brunette woman Nora has been speaking to for the last 15 minutes Eric told Nora, "Meet Lilith of Mesopotamia."
"Nora this make takes explaining!" Eric told his sister
"To say the least Eric!" Nora replied.
Eric handed his sister the second glass of blood laced with whiskey. Nora took a sip of blood laced with whiskey stating, "Good whiskey!"
"Where to begin" Eric mused, as he looked at Nora Eric began his tale telling her "It all began 25 years ago when Sookie busted into Fantasia carrying a bag of three used pregnancy tests all of them positive!" That statement got Nora's attention; even Nora knew vampires can't have children. She looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow
Sookie came walking out to the yard to contribute her part of the tale telling Nora, "Your brother of course thought I cheated on him… but I didn't!"
Nora thought for the first time _"vampires can't have children… Can they?"_
Lilith told Nora, "A biological child between the vampires and a mortal is possible…"
Grinning at the long forgotten memory Eric told his sister Nora, "It wasn't until one night Sookie went out hunting that I began putting the pieces together Nora!"
Then another person who could have been Sookie's sister came out telling Nora, "Nine months later I was born"
Nora looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow stating, "Surely you don't expect me to believe this is your biological child Eric!"
Lilith looked at Nora asking her, "What do you ears tell you Nora!"
Nora listens very carefully to Catherine's heartbeat stating, "Her heartbeat is fast other than that she seems normal… However she feels like a vampire"
Lilith told Nora, "Catherine is half human and half vampire!"
Nora looked at Eric asking him, "Is Sookie your sire?"
Looking at his sister Nora, Eric smiled as he stated, "Sookie is sired to Lilith, Nora"
Taking in the new information Nora asked, "Why is it we can no longer give birth?"
Lilith looked at Nora telling her, "Having read your vampire Bible I will say this much, it did get one thing right I was made by the hand of God… Though not to be Adam's wife, I was meant his wife of Gilgamesh…"
Looking from Nora to Sookie Lilith explained, "I was resting in my tomb near Mesopotamia when Sookie woke me from my eight millennia slumber… or rather I should say Catherine did!"
* * *
30 minutes later being alive for nine millennia does have some advantages Lilith was quite practiced at hiding her emotions and facial expressions_ "Warlow… You've come in last!"_ Lilith thought to her self.
Without any further explanation Lilith told them. "Everyone go in the house… Do not invite anyone inside until I return… And I mean anyone"
Looking at her maker Sookie asked, "Elle… Lilith what is going on?"
Turning to face her sire Lilith told Sookie, "Another one of my progeny have come home to roost… I believe his name is in the Bible you hold so dear Nora, you know him as Warlow."
Taking two steps Lilith turned telling the group, "I know him as Ariistuun… My one advantage is he thinks I'm dead!"
5. The prodigal son returns
Moments later Lilith raced down the drive in a blur of blue, white, and brown the vacuum created by her sudden absence dragged Sookie**'s** hair and clothes after Lilith, Sookiemoved the stray hairs back behind her ear looking at Nora's stunned expression stating, "You get used to it!"
Lilith headed to a nearby bayou the same area where she had trained Cathrine years earlier.
"Being a long time Ariistuun!" Lilith stated as she leaned against the aged tree.
Warlow was stunned to hear his true name spoken had been nine millennia since the use that name. Turning his head towards the direction where he heard the voice Warlow scowled as saw whom it was that called his name asking, "What are you doing here Lilith?"
Warlow stated, "I don't use that name anymore… That person is dead!"
Lilith still leaned against the ancient cypress tree telling Warlow, "This is my home now!"
Giving Warlow a sideways glance Lilith moved towards him and stated, "I know why you come Warlow… You came to fulfill the contract you made with John Stackhouse." Crossing her arms over her chest Lilith was disappointed in her sire as she stated, "I've studied the document in question… as your maker I can void your contract… and I have."
Warlow flew into a rage rage as he stated stated, "You had no right to interfere… As far as I'm concerned you're dead!"
Grinning at her sire Lilith stated, "That's exactly what I wanted you and the rest of the world to think Ariistuun…" Taking a few steps forward Lilith told him, narrowing her gaze on her sire Lilith stated, "Vampire law is no different than human law in that respect… A contract signed under duress holds no validity!"
"I made you so that when I retreated from the world my daughter would have someone to care for… You abandon her, why shouldn't I kill you where you stand?" Lilith told him.
Warlow's rage came to a head as he tried to incinerate Lilith with his mind. Lilith smirked at him telling Warlow, "You can't be serious… who do you think taught you how to do that in the first place! Croessing her arms over her chest Lilith stated, "I may have taught you everything you know Warlow… but I didn't teach you everything I know, and do you honestly think I don't have a defense for that..."
Moving at the speed that Warlow could barely detect, Lilith was by his side in the blink of an eye with one of her razor-sharp fingernails to his throat telling Warlow, "I have more weapons than even my daughter knew of.… The Stackhouse family is off-limits!"
Warlow was rage was boiling over; he was used to getting his own way, he was used to being the strongest most powerful vampire in the world. Now he had to concede that title to Lilith stating, "what if I don't want to… what if I decide to after the Stackhouse family anyway?"
Warlow knew Lilith well enough to know when not to push her, Lilith's eyes started glowing red a sure sign that not only was Lilith angry but gearing up for a fight telling Warlow in a half growl, "Go after the Stackhouse family and I kill you… I killed my only daughter what makes you think I wouldn't kill my first sire!"
"Sookie Stackhouse is my sire, her daughter Catherine has drunken of my blood… This is the only warning you get Warlow leave now." Lilith finished her transformation and flew off back to the Stackhouse Manor.
Lilith in full vampire mode landed in the backyard Nora told "Sookie and her daughter to get behind her." Catherine looked at her aunt Nora and asked, "Why that's just Lilith!"
Angrily Lilith growled, "I told everyone stay inside… don't let anyone in Cathrine, Warlow like me can change form… can become any one of you!" Looking at Catherine disappointed Lilith told her, "Warlow can shift so easily he makes your friend Sam look like a novice!"
With a wink and a nod, Cathrine told the creature, "Lilith let's show at Nora something she's never seen before..."
Eric told her sister with a chuckle, "I'll bet the vampire Bible never covered this…"
As Lilith's transformation begins as groans of pain fill the air as the bones under her skin start shifting around back to the normal positions. Her bat like wings were slowly absorbed into her back and spine, as her skin tone starts returning to the normal pinkish/pale creamy white skin tone.
Having fully returned to her human form of Elle, Lilith told Nora, "Now you have seen my form… Not many have witnessed this and lived Nora"
Lilith ran the kitchen took a knife and a bowl holding her forearm over the bowl itself Lilith cut forarm gathering her blood in the bowl itself Lilith started writing something in ancient Sanskrit around the doorframe of the front door. In a blur of motion, Lilith Spirited to the back door where she once again wrote ancient Sanskrit symbols in her own blood along the doorframe.
"It will stop my sire permanently but it will slow down!" Lilith stated. "It's an old Babylonian incantation… It should keep you safe tonight"
Elle reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone, quickly scrolling through her contacts until she found a number she was looking for a local operator on the black market deals only in human blood.
Lilith stated, "Алексей мне нужна кровь человека и много достаточно, чтобы поставить магические палатах защиты вокруг дома!"
"Alexey I need human blood and plenty enough to put magical protection wards around the House!"
Both Eric and Nora spoke fluent Russian each of them giving the other a knowing glance as they realize what Lilith was going to do.
"АЛЕКСЕЙ мне это нужно до захода солнца ... Да?" Lilith stated, "Alexei I need it before the sun sets ... Yes?"
The next thing that Lilith did was to call the vampire donors hotline asking for 150 too 200 donors respectively offering triple the going rate to get them their within the hour! All of vampires present looked at Lilith asking her, "You're going to drink from all of them"
Catherine was a befuddled asking Lilith, "why did you order all the blood… and all the donors?"
Looking at Catherine Lilith stated, "I haven't done blood magic in 8 ½ millennia… I need to build my strength, to produce enough dark light for the magical wards I'm going to place around your house!"
Looking at everyone gathered around the kitchen table Lilith announced, "Those symbols I painted around your doors must never be taken down… They are last resort… only the people in the house at the time of the placement may come and go as they please everyone else, must be invited in... Looking at the group Lilith said that includes "Fae...vampire, and human alike, Catherine!"
Lilith had forgotten how talented Catherine actually was with her telepathy, in a rare unguarded moment Catherine was able to read Lilith's mind. A look of unadulterated horror came over Catherine's face as she turned her mother sire and said, "You're going to kill Warlow… your own sire!"
Lilith looked at Catherine and realized how far she had progressed telling her, "I'm the only one who can… When I made him 8 ½ millennia ago it was for my daughter, you see Catherine the way in the millennium vampire survives for every thousand years of life we sleep for 100 I knew my times close so I turned Ariistuun and he took the name Warlow!"
Taking a sip from glass of blood Lilith continued the tale of Warlow telling them, "100 years after the ground Warlow abandonment my daughter breaking her heart… That I cannot forgive, for that reason alone deserves death."
Locking eyes with Catherine, Lilith told her, "Because Warlow abandonment Iltani she lost her humanity… because of Warlow, Iltani became an assassin, a killer for hire!"
Sookie looked at her maker asking her, "What does that mean… And why do you tell us now?"
"Iltani came here to kill you Catherine… She knew about the contract that Warlow made with your ancestor John Stackhouse, Iltani also that if she wanted to claim Warlow as her own Catherine Northman had to die… She decided to take the contract itself Catherine, she knew the best way to draw you out was to commit an unforgivable offense creating vampire children!"
Eric spoke up saying allowed, "she didn't expect you to become involved… Did she?"
Closing her eyes in remembrance of the long forgotten memory Lilith stated, "No she didn't expect me to to become involved… She thought I would cover for her, just like I did 9000 years ago!"
"It's getting close to sunset and my delivery should be here soon!" Lilith told them, "Eric, Nora will you assist me in encircling's house!"
6. Pam's new life
Having finished encircling the house with blood Elle starts reciting her incantation bolstering the wards on the house left by the Fae. Fifteen minutes later, no sooner did Elle finish ritual then Pam De Beaufort stumbled up the drive holding her hand over a gaping wound on her neck, Eric was about to run to her when Elle called out "Eric… no that's no ordinary vampire bite… its Warlow's!"
Eric looked at Elle asking, "What difference does that make?"
"Eric" Elle said, "You don't have immunity to it… I do!"
Pam collapsed just outside the circle.
Elle's movements were a blur as she speed to Pam's side, Elle's thinks _"It's feint but her heart still beats… however Warlow's venom will kill her if I don't act soon" _Lifting Pam in her arms she carried her over the blood wards, reading the question on Eric's face Elle told him "She is alive… though not for much longer."
"Eric" Said Elle ripping into her wrist Elle told him "In order to save her you must forfeit your claim as maker"
Pam lay their coughing up her own blood on the verge of death and in a barely audible voice muttering "Eric…N-no!"
"_Pam if it saves your life… I will" _"Pam De Beaufort… from this point onward and ever after I renounce all claims to as my sire"
Pam's heart stopped Eric look at Elle and said angrily, "I THOUGHT YOU TOLD ME YOU WOULD SAVE HER… SHE HAS SUFFERED THE TRUE DEATH!"
"Young vampire's… Always so dramatic, your concept of the true death and mine are not quite the same."
Scoffing at Eric's comments and his bravado Elle told him "You young ones know so very little about the process of making a vampire"
Nonchalantly Elle told Eric "There is an art to it"
Moments later _"Sookie bring me a large knife"_ Elle thought as she ripped open Pam's clothes momentarily pulling Pam of the ground. Sookie came running outside with a large carving knife in hand giving it to Elle.
Eric watched her asked Elle "What are you doing?" As he rounded on her stating, "SHE'S ALREADY SUFFERED TRUE DEATH… WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO TO HER."
"Watch Eric" Elle commanded as she cut open Pam from the sternum to the navel then proceeded to cut her own hand and let the blood start to flow. Eric nostrils flared he dropped his fangs at the scent of Elle blood. Reaching into Pam's body with her bleeding hand Elle gently massaged her heart forcing it to beat.
"Now we wait" Said Elle as she lifted Pam's body off the cold ground and carried her into the house and up to her room.
"Don't you need to go to ground" Sookie asked.
"Sookie I would need to go to ground in my native soil and that is in Iraq" Elle said as she shook her head at how the lore had been twisted stating, "At the moment this is my home"
Several hours later Pam woke coming out of Lilith's bedroom feeling the confused she walked into the kitchen stating "Eric… I-I can't feel your presents anymore"
"That's because you no longer my sire Pam…to save your life had I renounced my claim" Eric stated.
"I thought that was a bad dream" Pam replied
In her head Pam heard Lilith's voice telling her, _"You are my sire… Pam."_
Walking into kitchen Lilith told Pam "Warlow sent you as a message to me Pam!" Looking at Pam Lilith told her "I used my venom to kill Warlow's"
Sensing the question forming in Pam's mind Elle told her "Though Warlow is my sire… our venom is slightly different… because his is derived from mine… mine is the stronger"
Chuckling Eric and said, "Like cured like!"
"Yes" Elle said "And now Warlow will pay the price for his arrogance!"
Cathrine Northman walked into the kitchen asking, "What does that mean?"
"It means young one… I told Warlow the Northman's were under my protection that includes Pam De Beaufort!"
Taking Pam by the hand Elle led her out into the noon day sun, only to have Pam pull back in resistance. "Now that you are sired to me Pam De Beaufort… you will find you can do many things you could not before!"
Through their newly formed sire bond Elle said, _"Trust me Pam"_
Taking a tentative step off the back porch and into the sun Pam had expected to feel a burning sensation as her flesh started to blacken, but nothing happened. Aside from having to shade her eyes from the sun Pam was fine.
Pam looked at Elle and said, "I don't understand!"
"All of my sires can walk in the sun Pam… I suspect if Sookie tried she could as well" Elle explained.
"Eric" Without taking her eyes off Pam Elle said "I know you drank that vial I left you… I knew the moment you drank it"
Eric muttered, "I was curious… So yes I drink it…"
7. SoulMates
It was about noon and Warlow finally showed up at the old Stackhouse farmhouse, running up the drive in a blur he suddenly hit something solid there was nothing in front of him as he was thrown backwards. Getting to his feet Warlow tried once again to make his way farmhouse into once again be thrown backwards
Coming out of the farmhouse Lilith stood in the middle of the drive and looked at her sire and said, "It's old magic Warlow… Blood magic, I used my own blood in combination with human blood laced with darklight!" Looking at her sire Lilith stated, "As I told you, I may have taught you everything you… But I didn't teach you everything I know, I can conjure spells most witches couldn't even dream of."
Catherine Northman wondered out to the front from the back of the house asking, "What's all the noise?" Without taking her eyes off Warlow Lilith said, "Catherine… Meet Warlow my oldest living sire."
Warlow started to examine Catherine, thinking to himself,_ she's a vampire… She's a Fae… And human…"_
Lilith looked at Warlow and said, "you are correct, she's a vampire is Fae… Listen Warlow what do you hear?"
Closing his eyes Warlow listened with every ounce of strength he could muster and stated, "She has a heartbeat… She is like me a halfling!"
Shaking her head at him Lilith said, "Like you Warlow, and not like you." Taking Catherine by the hand Lilith led her right up boundaries of the magical wards asking Warlow, "Do you see a bite mark… Any mark of origin?"
"You disappoint me Warlow!"
Warlow took a moment and examined her neck as well as every visible inch of skin and then realized what her sire was telling him as Warlow stated, "She was born?"
"Yes Warlow Catherine Northman was born a vampire not made… That's why you sought her out Sookie isn't it, because she can give birth to Dhampiresa!" Lilith stated.
"The first blood she fed on was mine!" Lilith told Warlow.
Reading Warlow's next thought Lilith replied, "Catherine is the child vampire and a magical human… She is an immortal though she will never grow any older; this also means you can never have any children."
As Lilith stood there as something very unusual began to happen Warlow's hands began to glow out of the corner of her eye Lilith noticed that Catherine's hands glowing what's more they were pulsing with lite as she looked back at her sire she noticed Warlow's hands pulsing as well in fact both Warlow and Catherine's Fae light were in sync with one another Lilith thought to herself,_ soul mates… Catherine and Warlow are soul mates… Sookie will not like this one bit._
Lilith looked at Warlow telling him, "Leave for the moment… I have much to discuss with my other sire!"
Catherine and Lilith ran in a blur to the main house along the way Lilith summoned Sookie. Sookie herself looked at Lilith wanted to know what was going on Lilith for her part looked at Sookie telling her, "Not until everyone is here…" Lilith sent out a telepathic message to Eric, _Eric come to the main house… NOW._
Arriving back at the old Stackhouse farm 15 minutes later Eric did not look happy being summoned. Lilith at Eric and Sookie telling them, "A situation has come up!"
Eric looked at Lilith half taunting her stating, "Do tell!"
"ERIC" Lilith said in a very stern voice, "You're not going to like this… It appears your daughter and my eldest sire Warlow share a connection, if what I witnessed is true they were quite literally made for one another."
"Warlow was trying to breach the wards I placed on the house!" Rubbing the bridge of her nose in an effort to rub the stress away Lilith stated, "First Warlow started radiating energy from his hands, soon thereafter so did Catherine… They were calling to one another."
Eric's face went blank suddenly his things started to grow, Sookie new Eric's moons well enough to know he wasn't just upset Eric was pissed off, looking at Eric worry lines started to form across the length of her forehead and the heads of her brows started to slowly rise as Sookie said, "Eric calm down let's find out what this means!"
"It means Sookie, Warlow and your daughter Catherine have joined souls… They are very literally soul mates." Lilith explained.
Sookie acted as Lilith predicted, was not happy. Looking at her maker Lilith, her body tensed and worry lines creased her for head as a furrow formed at the bridge of her nose, Sookie's eyebrows rose to a high arch as parenthesis lines form around her mouth as it opens wide bearing teeth Sookie asked Lilith with audible fear in her voice, "Is this the same Warlow that made a contract with my family in the 1700s?"
There was stillness in the air as the wait for Lilith's response finally came, "Yes, yes he is… He sought you out because you could give birth to a child of a vampire." Lilith explained, "Unfortunately because you've been turned that's no longer the case…" Taking a breath and Lilith stated, "If what I just witnessed is any indication so can your daughter but only with Warlow."
Stunned Sookie reached under the table and grabbed Eric's hand looking at Lilith wide-eyed asking her in stuttered speech, "C-Catherine could have a child!"
With her lips pursed and just a hint of worry lines creasing her forehead focused her to squint ever so slightly as Sookie looked at Lilith asking her in a slightly raised yet flat pointed tone of voice, "Is Warlow the threat to my child?"
Her eyebrows divided her face in half face as they drew a straight line across her brow with an ever so slight furrow at the bridge of her nose Lilith's eyes were focused on the problem at hand. Lilith gave Sookie a sideways glance and stated in a calm almost cold voice, "If Warlow becomes a threat I will kill him myself Sookie!"
Lilith's mind started to wander back to the first time she met Warlow, telling Sookie, "I made Warlow before I knew what the Fae actually were… Once I discovered he could walk day light I contacted Elise and she told me about them." Looking at the Northman's Lilith stated, "By that time he had already fed and there was no going back… I taught him what he needed to know and told him stay out of history's way if the humans knew that vampire could walk in daylight they would kill us all!"
Catherine came walking into the kitchen their heads of her eyebrows rose to point so high on her forehead there were causing her physical pain as her pupils begin to slowly widen and just a hint of blood tear formed in the corner of her eye. Her lips parted as they formed an inverted smile and her face turned just the slightest hue of crimson as she forced a smile announcing three of them, "He's calling to… I can hear him in my mind!"
Catherine's hands suddenly flew to her stomach cradling her abdomen as she felt her knees coughing up a mouthful of blood, everyone in the room knew what was happening Warlow can't get past the protective wards on the house so she was trying to get Catherine, outside the wards themselves.
Worry lines started to form on her for head and the heads of her brows rose to a point as just the slightest hint of a furrow start to form at the bridge of her nose _He'll kill her_ Lilith thought.
Through the sire bond that Lilith shared with Warlow she informed him, _you're killing her, Warlow… Stop summoning Catherine_
Lilith stated, "Keeping them apart just may kill Catherine… It's because of my experience with Warlow I knew how to help Catherine in the first place!"
With a blank stare Lilith looking at Sookie telling her. "When and only when you have made your choice Sookie only then I will summon him and not before"
Lilith moved to the blur out the front door to the porch and a loud and commanding tone of voice said, "Warlow stop… As your maker I commend you to stop!"
"Come to the barrier of the wards and wait." Lilith commanded.
8. The marriage contract Part One
It was noon when Warlow arrived at the area just outside the boundaries of the Lilith's wards and took a seat midday quickly became evening and evening quickly became night as Lilith appeared before Warlow at midnight stating, "Hungry… having blood cravings."
Lilith stepped outside the wards and held out her forearm to Warlow telling him in a flat commanding tone of voice, "Drink!"
Warlow knew full well what biting into Lilith's arm would mean, it would mean accepting subjugation as her sire once more but he also her blood would sustain him and he wouldn't have to feed on a human for a very long time. As much as he wanted to resist her command he knew he couldn't.
Taking Lilith's forearm in both hands, Warlow quickly bit down and could feel her blood flowing down the back of his throat. Lilith looked Warlow stating, "Now that you are hunger is satiated… And you're not starving I will call Catherine."
Moments later Catherine quickly ran down the drive to the boundaries of the barrier, itself she stood inside the barrier as Lilith asked looking at both Lilith and Warlow outside the barrier itself, trepidation crept into her heart as she took a tentative step forward. From a safe distance both Eric and Sookie watched the scene play out.
Lilith looked at Catherine telling her softly, "It's okay Catherine… He can't hurt you he's taking my blood and reestablished the sire bond!"
Catherine took another tentative step forward through the protective wards to the outside standing beside Lilith. Looking at Warlow Lilith commented in a sotto and commanding tone, "you're contract doesn't apply to this… Your contract states the first fay born female child in Stackhouse line not the first Dhampiresa!"
Warlow looked at his maker Lilith stating, "A mere technicality!"
It was very subtle but Lilith could hear the venom in the statement and she was not pleased. Her eyes started glowing deep maroon as she looked at Warlow and stated in a cold toneless and tight tone of voice, "You will negotiate with the Northman's and like it…" Lilith fangs started to grow out fueled by her rage she spat in a dead & flat tone of voice, "Or I will kill you where you stand Warlow …"
Catherine had never heard Lilith sound so cold, so calculating and ruthless she was in the verge of fleeing back to the safety of the house when Lilith regained her composure telling Catherine, "I had hoped to never be this person again Catherine … reading Catherine's face Lilith stated, " I hoped to never be the queen of Mesopotamia, however the situation calls for it."
Lilith turned back to Warlow and told him, "I've asked of the Council of Elders to aid the negotiations."
Elise and Alric stepped out from the tree line making their presence known as Lilith gave Warlow sideways glance telling him, "You may be able to take on one of us but not all three."
Through the sire bond Elle told Warlow,_ behave and I will make this match for you Warlow… Catherine Northman means more to me than you know._
Elle told Warlow, "Step forward through the wards…"
Warlow stepped through the wards unharmed stating in a penetrating and commanding tone Lilith stated, "I can discontinue my protection at any time and you will suffer pain like you have never known."
Sensing his trepidation through the re-forged sire bond Lilith stated in a matter of fact tone of voice, "I don't make threats… You of all people should know that Warlow!"
Stopping Lilith turned to face her to the sire in an abrupt tone of voice she said, "Hurt Catherine, I will follow through with my promise and kill you."
With that they headed to the main house.
End file.
| fanfiction |
Oh My Goddess! 1. My sis Keiichi??
Disclaimer: Belldandy's mine! Keiichi's mine!! Everyone's mine!!! Gwahhhahahahahah!!!! Sue me and see if I care!!!! It's worth it!!!
"I hate this I hate this how could I do something so…so stupid? I am not a stupid person am I?" Skuld asked her eldest sister Urd.
"If I didn't know any better I would say you are." Urd said.
"You're not helping." Belldandy said.
"Sis how could I do this to you?" Skuld said hugging Keiichi.
"It's fine I trust you to find a cure for this." Keiichi said.
Skuld nodded "And until I do Keiichi your not allowed to go to the bathroom, take a shower or bath or change your clothers or look at or feel my my sister's body while your in there." Skuld stated.
"Don't worry sis I'll get you out of there soon." Skuld said stomping out of the room.
Just as Skuld left the room Peorthe entered.
"What are you doing here?" Urd asked.
"I am here to get Belldandy back in to her real body." Peorthe said.
"Just let Skuld try a couple times first." Belldandy said (Belldandy in Keiichi's body)
"It will be good for her."
"Fine but it better not take to long."
"I am so good. I've done it this time. I'll get I'll get Bell in to her normal body this time I am sure of it." Skuld said happily.
2. Get out of my sis
Disclaimer: Belldandy's mine! Keiichi's mine!! Everyone's mine!!! Gwahhhahahahahah!!!! Sue me and see if I care!!!! It's worth it!!! I'll never give them up! NEVER!!!!
Skuld had been trying for days to get Belldandy back in to her real body and nothing was going to stop her.
"I am so good. I've done it this time. I'll get I'll get Bell in to her normal body this time I am sure of it." Skuld said happily.
Skuld walked in to the dinning room with a big grin on her face.
"Another one?" Belldandy (Keiichi) Moaned.
"You'd think you want to stay in my sister's body." Skuld scowled.
"I am sure this one will work." Keiichi (Belldandy) Smiled sweetly.
"I am sure this one will work." Skuld said. Just as she said it Urd and Peorthe entered the room and just as she said it she dropped her new invention. It hit the floor and the on switch broke off. But before Skuld could complain her invention began to shake and light streamed out of it.
"Is everyone okay?" Urd asked.
"Since when have you cared?" Peorthe yelled.
"Don't start anything." Belldandy said.
"I can't see." Peorthe wined.
"I don't think any one can right now but it will come back later." Belldandy said.
"Skuld are you okay?" Urd asked.
"Why do you care?" Peorthe spat.
"Oh no I am in Peorthe's body." Peorthe (Skuld) Wined.
"Then how's body am I in?" Skuld asked. "Oh great I am a kid." She moaned.
"I am not a kid." Peorthe (Skuld) protested.
"I am Belldandy." They heard Urd's voice say.
"I am Keiichi." They heard Belldandy's voice say.
"No." Peorthe (Skuld) wined. "He's still in your body Bell."
"That's okay." Urd (Belldandy) said. Most likely smiling sweetly but no one can see so you never know.
"That means Urd's probably in me body." Peorthe (Skuld) moaned. "Everything's going wrong." Peorthe (Skuld) wined.
3. Can Urd cook?
Disclaimer: Belldandy's mine! Keiichi's mine!! Everyone's mine!!! Gwahhhahahahahah!!!! Sue me and see if I care!!!! It's worth it!!! I'll never give them up! NEVER!!!!
Note: if you haven't figured it out by now The name in the brackets is the person how is in control if that's what you wanna call it and the one before that is the body that they're in. you got it?
" Actually I am in Keiichi's body." Keiichi (Urd) Said.
"That means…" Peorthe (Skuld) said.
"It means I am in a kid's body." Skuld (Peorthe) moaned.
"I am not a Kid!" Peorthe (Skuld) yelled jumping to her feet.
"I can see a little now." Belldandy (Keiichi) said.
"I can too." Urd (Belldandy) said.
In the kitchen
"This is great and it's all my fault." Skuld (Peorthe) moaned "I should have just switched you to when I had the chances. Now in this kid body I can't do anything I have enough power." Skuld (Peorthe) said latter that night while Skuld was off trying to find a new machine.
"It was good that you gave Skuld a try at it." Urd (Belldandy) said. "It will help her build her confidence witch will help her gain stronger power."
"Yeah the only problem now is that I am Skuld." Skuld (Peorthe).
On the porch
"Wow K-Boy you're not a big as I would have thought." Keiichi (Urd) said looking down her/his pants.
"Stop that Urd!" Belldandy (Keiichi) said jumping on to Keiichi (Urd). Witch knocked her/him off the porch.
"Oh shit Keiichi all ya had to do was ask." Belldandy (Urd) said
"Oh I sorry I see I came at a bad time." They herd a voice say. Keiichi (Urd) and Belldandy (Keiichi) looked up to see Megumi standing there smiling.
"This isn't what it looks like sis, go home." Belldandy (Keiichi) yelled getting off of what looked like Belldandy but was Urd.
"Bell what's wrong you never yell?" Megumi asked.
"Um nothing she's just really upset we got in a fight and she's not completely recovered yet." Keiichi heard himself say then he remembered he was in Belldandy's body and Urd was in his.
"I am sorry Megumi." Belldandy (Keiichi) said. "What would you like?" Belldandy (Keiichi) asked trying to smile like Belldandy.
"I came over for dinner if you don't mind." Megumi said.
"No not at all. Weight right here and I'll see how dinner's going." Belldandy (Keiichi) said starting in to the house. "If you don't mind, Urd will be making dinner tonight."
"No I don't mind." Megumi said.
Belldandy (Keiichi) popped her head in to Skuld's room.
"Don't say anything Megumi is here for dinner."
"Okay." Peorthe (Skuld) said.
"And you have to act like Peorthe and answer by her name."
"Okay." Peorthe (Skuld) said "Can you leave now I need to concentrate."
End file.
| fanfiction |
it is well known that the qcd lagrangian with @xmath8 massless flavours has the @xmath9 symmetry spontaneously broken to @xmath10 giving the @xmath11plet of pseudoscalar massless goldstone mesons ( pions ) @xmath12 ( @xmath13 ) .
their interactions at low momenta are described by the chiral lagrangian ( see e. g. @xcite ) @xmath14 where the pion constant @xmath15mev is defined by @xmath16 ( @xmath17 is the pion flavour wave function ) , and dots mean terms with more derivatives .
light quark masses can be included perturbatively , and lead to extra terms in ( [ lpi ] ) .
@xmath9 transformations act as @xmath18 .
let s define @xmath19 , @xmath20 ; it transforms as @xmath21 where @xmath22 is a @xmath23 matrix depending on @xmath24 .
the vector @xmath25 and the axial vector @xmath26 transform as @xmath27 , @xmath28 .
there is a freedom in transformation laws of matter fields such as @xmath29 because it is always possible to multiply them by a matrix depending on @xmath30 .
the only requirement is the correct transformation with respect to @xmath10 ( @xmath31 ) .
it is convenient to choose @xmath32 .
then the covariant derivative @xmath33 transforms as @xmath34 .
covariant derivatives of tensors with more flavour indices are defined similarly .
hadrons with a heavy quark are now successively investigated in the framework of the heavy quark effective theory ( hqet ) ( see @xcite for review and references ) . to the leading order in @xmath35 ,
the heavy quark spin does not interact and can be rotated or switched off at all ( spin flavour and superflavour symmetry ) .
the @xmath36 mesons with a spinless heavy quark form the @xmath37 @xmath8plet @xmath29 .
the @xmath38 baryons can have @xmath39 or @xmath40 giving the scalar flavour
antisymmetric @xmath41plet @xmath42 and the vector flavour symmetric @xmath43plet @xmath44 .
switching the heavy quark spin on gives degenerate @xmath45 and @xmath46 @xmath47 and @xmath48 mesons , @xmath49 @xmath50 baryons , and degenerate @xmath49 and @xmath51 @xmath52 and @xmath53 baryons .
interaction of these ground state heavy hadrons with soft pions is described by the heavy hadron chiral theory @xcite ( see @xcite for review and references ) .
we start from the hhct lagrangian with the heavy quark spin switched off @xcite : @xmath54 where @xmath55 is the @xmath52@xmath50 mass difference .
the possibility of consideration of the @xmath56 interaction in hhct relies on the fact that this difference is small compared to the chiral symmetry breaking scale though formally both of them are of the order of the characteristic hadron mass scale .
the matrix elements of the axial current between heavy hadrons are easily obtained using pcac : @xmath57 where @xmath58 , @xmath59 , @xmath60 are the @xmath61 , @xmath50 , @xmath52 wave functions , and the nonrelativistic normalization of the states and wave functions is assumed .
if we switch the heavy quark spin on , we obtain the usual hhct lagrangian @xcite . the hhct couplings @xmath62 should be in principle calculable in the underlying theory hqet , but this is a difficult nonperturbative problem .
some experimental information is available on @xmath63 and @xmath64 . if we neglect @xmath65 corrections , then @xmath66 , and similarly for @xmath67 ( with the extra @xmath68 ) .
the experimental upper limit @xmath69mev combined with the branching ratio @xmath70 @xcite gives @xmath71 .
a combined analysis of @xmath72 pionic and radiative decays @xcite gives @xmath73@xmath74 .
the recent cleo measurement @xcite of the @xmath75 decays gives @xcite @xmath76 .
the decay @xmath77 is kinematically forbidden ; therefore , the direct measurement of @xmath78 is not possible . in the constituent quark model
, @xmath63 is the axial charge @xmath79 of the constituent light quark in the heavy meson .
moreover , following the folklore definition `` constituent quark is @xmath47 meson minus @xmath80 quark '' , this is the most clear way to define @xmath79 of the constituent quark .
the baryonic couplings @xmath3 are also equal to @xmath79 in this model .
the most naive estimate is @xmath81 ; the nucleon axial charge is @xmath82 in the constituent model , and in order to obtain @xmath83 we should assume @xmath84 .
sum rules @xcite were successfully used to solve many nonperturbative problems in qcd and hqet .
the currents with the quantum numbers of the ground state mesons and baryons with the heavy quark spin switched off are @xmath85})q , \quad \vec{\jmath}\,^{ij}_{\sigma1}=(q^{t(i}c\vec{\gamma}q^{j)})q , \label{curr}\ ] ] where @xmath86 is the spinless static quark field , @xmath87 is the charge conjugation matrix , @xmath88 means @xmath89 transposed , @xmath90 and @xmath91 $ ] mean symmetrization and antisymmetrization .
there are also currents @xmath92 and @xmath93 with the additional @xmath94 .
correlator of the mesonic currents was investigated in @xcite , and of the baryonic ones in @xcite .
the sum rules results are in a qualitative agreement with the constituent quark model : the massless quark propagator plus the quark condensate contribution simulate the constituent quark propagation well enough .
the sum rules method was generalized to the case of a constant external field for calculation of such static characteristics of hadrons as the magnetic moments @xcite .
sum rules in an external axial field were used @xcite for calculation of @xmath95 of light baryons . in the present work we use hqet sum rules in an axial field to estimate @xmath96 .
we introduce the external axial field @xmath97 ( @xmath98 ) by adding the term @xmath99 to the lagrangian .
we are going to calculate correlators of the currents ( [ curr ] ) up to the terms linear in @xmath100 ( these terms are denoted by the subscript @xmath100 ) .
the light quark propagator in the gauge @xmath101 gets the contribution ( whose first term was found in @xcite ) @xmath102 the @xmath103 term in @xmath104 vanishes after the vacuum averaging ; we are not going to calculate gluonic contributions beyond @xmath103 and hence may omit this term .
the axial field induces the quark condensates @xmath105 \nonumber\\ & & \quad { } + \frac{m_1 ^ 2 f_\pi^2}{36 } \left ( 5 x^2 \rlap{/}{a}\,^i_j - 2 a^i_j\cdot x\rlap{/}{x }
\right ) \bigr ] \gamma_5 \bigr\}^\alpha_\beta , \label{qcond}\\ & & { < } q^{ia\alpha}g\tilde{g}\,^a_{\mu\nu}\overline{q}_{jb\beta}{>}_a = - \frac{\left(t^a\right)^a_b}{12c_f n } m_1 ^ 2 f_\pi^2 \left(a^i_{j\mu}\gamma_\nu - a^i_{j\nu}\gamma_\mu \right)^\alpha_\beta , \nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath106 @xcite is defined by @xmath107 , @xmath108 is the number of colours , @xmath109 ( the sum rule considered in @xcite yields the relation @xmath110 ) .
this formula has been first obtained in @xcite , with the wrong sign of @xmath111 terms ( this sign was changed in @xcite , where a flavour singlet external field was considered ) .
we assume @xmath112 where @xmath113 is the momentum of the field @xmath100 ; in general these formulae should contain @xmath114 .
the @xmath115 coupling was estimated @xcite from the sum rules in an external axial field at a finite @xmath116 with the accuracy up to @xmath111 term .
this last term is incorrect ; however , it is rather small .
the large @xmath116 limit was analyzed in @xcite .
we think that the treatment of the phenomenological side of the sum rule in @xcite is not quite convincing ( see sec .
[ mes ] ) . in our previous work
@xcite , we used an incorrect formula for the induced condensates , which leads to the wrong sign of the @xmath111 term . after correcting this , the result agrees with @xcite . in @xcite ,
the two current product sandwiched between the vacuum and a soft pion was considered ; this is equivalent to the two point sum rules in an external axial field .
both finite and infinite mass case are discussed in this work , with the extra power correction @xmath117 included ( it is rather small ) .
cone sum rules for both finite and infinite quark mass were considered in @xcite ( see also @xcite ) . in this approach ,
the leading term of the correlator and power corrections are determined by the leading and subleading twist pion wave functions at @xmath118 .
these values were determined from qcd sum rules @xcite , and are not so accuratly known as the parameters of the external
field sum rules , @xmath119 and @xmath120 . in the soft pion limit ,
the formulae of @xcite are reproduced ( without the highest power correction ) . the @xmath115 coupling ( at both finite and infinite quark mass )
was also considered in the framework of 3point qcd sum rules , double borel @xcite and double moments @xcite .
it is difficult to compare this approach with the one considered here , because there correlators are determined by a completely different set of contributions ( with even dimensions ) .
perturbative corrections to sum rules were not discussed in the above works . here
we present the next to leading perturbative term in the infinite mass limit . with this term taken into account ,
the correlator used in the @xmath63 sum rule is one of the best known correlators : in addition to the leading term , one perturbative correction and three successive power corrections are known . in spite of this , the sum rule is not very stable ( sec .
[ mes ] ) .
we also discuss sum rules for the baryonic couplings @xmath3 ( sec .
[ bar ] ) , following @xcite with some corrections .
the results for diagonal @xmath50@xmath52 and nondiagonal @xmath52@xmath121 correlators suggest @xmath122 .
the sum rules based on nondiagonal @xmath50@xmath52 and diagonal @xmath52@xmath52 correlators have strong borel parameter dependence and therefore yield no definite predictions .
the correlator of the meson currents ( [ curr ] ) has the @xmath100term @xmath123 that depends only on @xmath124 and not @xmath125 .
the correlator possesses the usual dispersion representation at any @xmath97 .
the meson contribution at @xmath126 is @xmath127 where @xmath128 is the meson energy and @xmath129 ( the usual meson constant is @xmath130 ) .
switching on the external field produces the energy shift @xmath131 ( @xmath132 is the meson spin projection ) .
therefore the meson contribution is @xmath133 where the second term originates from the change of @xmath134 . besides that there is a smooth continuum contribution @xmath135 .
thus we obtain @xmath136 in other words , the lowest meson s contribution in both channels ( fig .
[ fphys]a ) gives the double pole at @xmath137 ; mixed lowest higher state contributions ( fig .
[ fphys]b ) give a single pole at @xmath137 plus a term with a spectral density in the continuum region after the partial fraction decomposition ; higher states contributions ( fig .
[ fphys]c ) have a spectral density in the continuum region only .
we can also calculate the correlator using ope .
gluons do nt interact with the heavy quark in the fixed point gauge @xmath101 .
the leading perturbative diagram ( fig .
[ fmes]a ) vanishes .
in fact , all diagrams with non cut light quark line , including gluon condensate contributions ( fig . [
fmes]b ) and higher loop corrections ( fig .
[ fmes]c ) , vanish .
the reason is that we can anticommute @xmath138 out , and obtain a correlator of two currents ( one of which contains @xmath138 ) in a constant spatial vector field . by virtue of the ward identity
, it is equal to the derivative of the correlator without external field with respect to the spatial momentum flowing along the light quark line .
this is minus derivative with respect to the spatial momentum flowing along the heavy quark line .
but the hqet propagator does not depend on the spatial momentum , and hence the derivative vanishes .
we have checked by a direct calculation , using the technique of @xcite , that the two loop correction ( fig .
[ fmes]c ) vanishes in the case of naive anticommuting @xmath138 ( which is the correct one to use in the weak current ) .
the diagram with cut line ( fig .
[ fmes]c ) gives @xmath139 thus the appearance of @xmath95 of the constituent quark is entirely caused by interaction with the quark condensate .
the first three terms in ( [ opemes ] ) agree with @xcite ; the fourth one is taken from @xcite .
the correlator ( [ opemes ] ) corresponds to the spectral density @xmath140 we have calculated the one loop correction to the leading dimension contribution .
only the one particle irreducible diagram ( fig .
[ fmes]e ) has to be calculated , all the other contributions can be taken from @xcite .
the correlator of bare currents in @xmath141 dimensions is @xmath142 .
\label{bare}\ ] ] after renormalization of the heavy
light hqet currents , it gives the finite result @xmath143 , \nonumber\\ & & \rho_a(\omega ) = \frac{f_\pi^2}{4 } \left[\delta(\omega ) - 6c_f\frac{\alpha_s}{4\pi}\frac{1}{\omega } \right ] .
\label{ren}\end{aligned}\ ] ] in order to obtain the coordinate
space result at @xmath144 , one has to calculate the exact @xmath145dimensional spectral density , take its laplace transform , and go to the limit @xmath146 only at the end : @xmath147 , \label{rad}\ ] ] where @xmath148 is the euler constant . using the technique of @xcite , it is not difficult to calculate the two loop correction to ( [ ren ] ) . however , we decided not to derive the next to next to leading term in the sum rule for @xmath149 , because the sum rule for @xmath134 is known only with the next to leading accuracy @xcite .
as usual , we assume that the excited states contribution is dual to that of the theoretical spectral density ( [ ren ] ) above the effective continuum threshold @xmath150 . equating the phenomenological expression for the correlator to the theoretical one at an imaginary time @xmath151 we obtain the sum rule @xmath152\ , , \nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath153 the @xmath154dependence of the right hand side of ( [ srmes ] ) coincides with that of @xmath155 , with the accepted accuracy .
the correction appears to be about @xmath156 at @xmath157 gev and therfore is important . as a function of borel parameter @xmath158 : dashed line without the perturbative correction , solid lines with the perturbative correction ( @xmath159mev @xcite , @xmath157gev , @xmath160 , @xmath161 , continuum threshold @xmath162gev , @xmath163gev , @xmath164gev ) . ]
we can multiply ( [ srmes ] ) by @xmath165 and differentiate in @xmath158 in order to exclude @xmath166 .
this procedure is equivalent to finding a plato linear in the borel parameter @xcite .
the result is shown in fig .
[ fgmes ] .
the value of @xmath167 is a subject of controversy in the current literature .
we choose the middle value of @xcite @xmath168 as a reference point ; the sum rule produces @xmath149 , therefore lower values of @xmath134 yield larger values of @xmath63 .
the ope series ( [ srmes ] ) behaves as @xmath169 , so it seems that the expansion is applicable at @xmath170mev .
this is close to the lower bound of the applicability region of the ordinary sum rule @xcite .
the continuum contribution is small until very large values of @xmath158 , because the continuum only appears at the @xmath171 level ( [ ren ] ) . at large @xmath158
the sum rule ( [ srmes ] ) ( without the perturbative correction ) leads to @xmath172 at lower @xmath158 , stability of this sum rule is not very good .
our final numerical estimate is @xmath0 .
the effect of the perturbative correction is moderate , and dependence on the continuum threshold is very week .
the numerical results of the previous works differ from each other largely due to different choices of the value of @xmath134 . expressed in a common scale , they are remarkably similar : @xmath173 @xcite ,
@xmath174 @xcite , @xmath175 @xcite ( in the last result only diviation with borel parameter is indicated and 20% level of accuracy is assumed ) , @xmath176 @xcite .
the perturbative correction was not included in earlier works , and hence they had the continuum spectral density equal to zero .
ovchinnikov @xcite included the first excited state in the phenomenological side , assuming its energy known .
however , he only included @xmath177 in @xmath178 , and not @xmath179 .
we see no justification for such an assumption . taking @xmath180 into account
would add one more unknown parameter @xmath181 to the problem .
correlators of the @xmath182 and @xmath183 currents have the @xmath100terms @xmath184}_{j')}\delta(\vec{x})\pi_a(x_0 ) .
\label{bcor}\end{aligned}\ ] ] if we define @xmath185 , @xmath186 , then the physical states contributions to the correlators ( fig .
[ fphys ] ) are @xmath187 it is impossible to separate the @xmath64 term from the mixed @xmath50excited and @xmath52excited contributions unambiguously .
we can do it approximately if @xmath188 because in such a case partial fraction decomposition of the first term would give large contributions to @xmath189 with the opposite signs while the natural scale of @xmath190 in ( [ bphys ] ) is @xmath191 .
this is not a defect of the sum rule but the uncertainty inherent to @xmath64 which can be defined only when @xmath55 is small compared to the chiral symmetry breaking scale .
we choose to require @xmath192 ; the choices @xmath193 or @xmath194 would be equally good .
the baryonic correlators in the ope framework are described by the diagrams in fig .
the diagrams fig .
[ fbar]a c with the non cut quark line interacting with the axial field vanish due to ( [ prop ] ) .
we use the factorization approximation for the four quark condensate in fig .
[ fbar]e . in this approximation
two diagonal correlators @xmath195 and @xmath196 coincide in both @xmath182 and @xmath183 cases , as well as @xmath197 and @xmath198 .
this is similar to the usual heavy baryon sum rules @xcite , and confirms the observation that @xmath199 and @xmath200 within the factorization approximation to the sum rules .
only even dimensional condensates contribute to the diagonal @xmath182 and the nondiagonal @xmath183 correlators : @xmath201 , \label{opebar1}\ ] ] where @xmath202 ( this term comes from the diagram fig .
[ fbar]f ) . only odd
dimensional condensates contribute to the nondiagonal @xmath182 and the diagonal @xmath183 correlators : @xmath203 .
\label{opebar2}\ ] ] these correlators correspond to the spectral densities @xmath204 , \quad \rho_a(\omega)=-\frac{2n!\,{<}\overline{q}q{>}\omega}{3n\pi^2 } \label{rho}\ ] ] ( plus @xmath205 and its derivatives ) .
we use the standard continuum model @xmath206 . equating the ope ( [ opebar1 ] , [ opebar2 ] ) and the spectral representation at @xmath151
, we obtain the sum rules @xmath207\\ & & \quad=-\frac{4{<}\overline{q}q{>}}{\pi^2}e^2 \left[f_1\left(\varepsilon_c / e\right ) + \frac{\pi^2f_\pi^2}{2e^2 } \left(1-\frac{m_0 ^ 2}{16e^2}-\frac{5m_1 ^ 2}{36e^2}\right ) \right ] , \nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] @xmath208\\ & & \quad=-\frac{4{<}\overline{q}q{>}}{\pi^2}e^2 \left[f_1\left(\varepsilon_c / e\right ) + \frac{\pi^2f_\pi^2}{2e^2 } \left(1-\frac{m_0 ^ 2}{16e^2}-\frac{5m_1 ^ 2}{36e^2}\right ) \right ] , \nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath209 .
( solid and dashed lines ) : a diagonal @xmath182 and nondiagonal @xmath183 sum rules ; b nondiagonal @xmath182 and diagonal @xmath183 sum rules.,title="fig : " ] ( solid and dashed lines ) : a diagonal @xmath182 and nondiagonal @xmath183 sum rules ; b
nondiagonal @xmath182 and diagonal @xmath183 sum rules.,title="fig : " ] now we can start the numerical analysis .
we adopt the energies and residues of @xmath50 and @xmath52 obtained from the hqet sum rules @xcite : @xmath210 we assume that the effective continuum threshold for the @xmath100terms of the @xmath52@xmath52 correlators is the same as without the external field : @xmath211gev ; for the @xmath50@xmath52 correlators we use @xmath212gev . fig .
[ fgbar]a shows the results for @xmath213 and @xmath214 obtained from the diagonal @xmath52@xmath52 and the nondiagonal @xmath50@xmath52 correlators ( the first formulae in ( [ srule ] ) and ( [ srule1 ] ) ) .
the spectral density ( [ rho ] ) behaves like @xmath215 , and hence the continuum contribution to the sum rules ( [ srbar ] ) quickly grows : it is equal to the result at @xmath216mev and is three times larger than the result at @xmath217mev .
if we assume that the uncertainty in the continuum contribution is , e. g. , 30% , then we ca nt trust the sum rules at @xmath218mev .
the lower bound of the applicability region is determined by the convergence of the ope series for the correlators .
it behaves like @xmath219 for the @xmath52@xmath52 correlator ; in the @xmath50@xmath52 case @xmath220mev enters instead of @xmath221mev .
it seems that ope should be applicable at @xmath222mev .
the sum rules in this window are unstable and therefore yield no definite predictions .
[ fgbar]b shows the results for @xmath213 and @xmath223gev@xmath224 ) obtained from the nondiagonal @xmath52@xmath52 and the diagonal @xmath50@xmath52 correlators ( the second formulae in ( [ srule ] ) and ( [ srule1 ] ) ) .
the spectral density ( [ rho ] ) behaves like @xmath225 , and the continuum contribution grows not so quickly : it is equal to the result at @xmath226gev and is three times larger than the result at @xmath227gev .
the ope series behaves like @xmath228 $ ] , and the applicability region starts at a larger @xmath158 .
stability of these sum rules is quite good .
the sum rules give @xmath122 .
* in conclusion * , the meson sum rule in an external axial field , with the perturbative correction and three successive power corrections , gives the value @xmath229 , which is much lower than the constituent quark model expectation @xmath2 unless a substantially lower value of @xmath134 is used .
the sum rules for @xmath3 following from nondiagonal @xmath52@xmath52 and diagonal @xmath50@xmath52 baryon correlators in an external axial field suggest @xmath6 , while diagonal @xmath52@xmath52 and nondiagonal @xmath50@xmath52 baryon sum rules have too large uncertainties .
* acknowledgements*. we are grateful to v. m. belyaev , v. m. braun , v. l. chernyak , and a. yu . khodjamirian for useful discussions . a. g. g.s work was supported in part by bmbf under contract no .
06 mz865 ; he is grateful to institut fr physik , mainz , for hospitality during the final stage of the work .
o. i. y.s work was supported in part by bmbf under contract no .
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_ * d47 * ( 1993 ) 1030 . | arxiv |
Janet Evanovich 1. The Boy
**Wild Child**
**~Chapter One~**
**The Boy**
He wiped away his tears and put on his socks and shoes. He started packing his things. His favorite story book. His water bottle. The rest of the chocolate chip cookies. The Batman action figure Grandpa bought him as a birthday gift. And the map he'd printed out from the Internet.
He turned off the light and closed his bedroom door. His parents' room was very quiet. His father had stormed out of the front door and in anger driven away. His mother had, once again, cried herself to sleep. Their old family dog had passed away the year before the last. He had no one left to say goodbye to.
Slowly he walked down the stairs. With every step he calmed down a little more. He was a big boy now. He wasn't afraid. He wouldn't get lost. His backpack wasn't that heavy. Without a backward glance he left his home and walked into the night. He had one goal in mind. Like all the heroes in stories, he had to set out to find his destiny. He had to leave everything behind. His journey might be uneven or maybe full of danger. He would be brave. He would make smart choices.
Light spring breeze blows through his curly hair. He kept his brown eyes on the road ahead. The streets were quiet. The houses by the side of the road were mostly dark. From time to time a dog barked. From time to time someone laughed. From time to time he felt like crying. He held back the tears. He needed the answer now. He would not turn back. He was still too young to understand the concept of life. However, he had had enough. No one told him anything. Something had been very wrong. He would find the truth all by himself. Everyone told him he was a clever kid.
He stopped to drink some water and ate a cookie. He checked the map. He looked straight ahead and saw the building. His heart raced in his rib cage. He braced himself and resumed walking. Finally, he stopped in front of the building. He walked in. The man behind the desk in the lobby looked at him without expression. He carefully took the slightly wrinkled business card out of his pocket and asked for the owner of the company. He took the elevator to the 5th floor. He looked around the empty conference room and started feeling a little bit nervous. A man walked in. Tall. Dark. Without making a sound.
"Mr. Manoso?" His voice cracked a little. The man held his gaze and nodded. Suddenly he felt very small and tiny. The long walk had worn him down and he had a taste of true helplessness for the very first time. "My name is Justin Morelli." The boy blinked and swallowed hard:
"Are you my real father?"
2. The Man
**~Chapter Two~**
**The Man**
The boy's eyes reminded him of Stephanie.
The little face. The little frown. The brave curiosity. The brave uncertainty. The expectation. The fear.
He, too, had thought about the same question. He knew what the answer was. The woman he'd loved in his own way. The day she'd let another man put the ring onto her finger. Do not covet someone else's woman. His moral code. The day they both put an end to their complicated relationship. Personally, and professionally. They had chosen their different paths. The day she had quit her job. The day she'd decided to change herself and evolve into someone else. The last night they'd shared together. The look in her eyes when she'd left the next morning. The smile on her face when she'd turned to say goodbye. He hadn't been invited to the wedding.
How fragile the little boy was.
How thorough had they broken his tiny heart?
He could taste the answer on his tongue. He felt the impulse to hold the child in his arms. He looked the boy in the eyes. He felt the urge to protect him at all costs.
Upstairs in the bedroom of the 7th-floor apartment slept his bride and their newborn child. The ring felt warm against his skin.
He had to be honest.
His voice was very soft:
"No."
The boy burst into tears.
3. The Father
******~Chapter Three~**
**The Father**
He could always feel this tinkle of doubt. Lurking. Deep down. Somewhere. In the back of his mind. At the very bottom of his stomach. In a quiet corner of his heart. Like a shark. Like a serpent. Like a small deadly poisonous spider.
He was too proud to do a test.
He wanted to trust Stephanie.
Exactly 9 months after the wedding, the child had been born. The dark eyes. The lips. The shape of the nose. Everyone said the child looked like Stephanie. Sometimes he thought maybe he was just being paranoid.
Their marriage had been full of bumps.
She was an OK cook. Their house was reasonably clean. Her morning sickness had ruined all the fun. The constant disagreements. The daily fights over trifles. Their life had fallen into a routine too soon. He didn't want to get another dog. She refused to try again after three miscarriages.
He didn't know what'd gone wrong. He wanted a little girl. And another boy. A son of his own—
Yeah. He wasn't being fair. He wasn't thinking straight. It was not Justin's fault.
But.
He gulped down the vodka. Icy cold. Peppery flavor. Burning his throat. Eating through his soul.
But sometimes, when he saw the child's face, a tug of uncertainty surfaced.
He looked down at his wedding ring. The kid didn't remotely look like him.
He gestured to the bartender for another shot. Tonight he didn't want to go home.
4. The Woman
******~Chapter Four~**
**The Woman**
Flesh of my flesh. Blood of my blood. All the would haves, could haves, and should haves. She twisted and turned in her sleep. The coffee mug on the nightstand smelled of whiskey. She needed help to fall asleep. She wasn't fan of sleeping pills. If only. If only. If only. The modest diamond on her wedding ring. Had she become her mother? Had she become her sister? Should she care? Should she lie? Should she smile and say something? Something nice. Something lame. Something funny. Something that would heal all the wounds. Something that would change everything.
I her dream, she kept falling. She wanted to fly, but she had no wings. She looked around as she fell. Darkness. Dimness. She didn't feel a thing. She was lost, that much she knew. There was nothing she could do about it. she spread her arms. She kept falling. She wasn't crying. She wasn't laughing. Life. She whispered to herself. Life. Was she still pretty?
She twisted and turned in her sleep.
She kept falling.
She had long stopped asking herself silly questions.
5. The Friend
**************~Chapter Five~**
**The Friend**
He woke at the first ring. He got out of bed without waking his wife. He got dressed quickly and drove through the night. He wanted to punch Joe Morelli. He wished he could slap some sense into Stephanie.
The thing he loved the most about his wife was her inability to hide her feelings. People made fun of her all the time. Still she whined about everything. She was lovely, polite, and brutally honest. There was no need for guessing games. She was't perfect and neither was he. They tried their best. They did their best. They loved each other. They made sure their kids were safe and happy.
He felt very, very sorry for Justin. His heart broke a little. He wished he had done more. The kid looked so small in Ranger's arms. God had made a cruelest joke. Everyone had doubted. He had heard the rumours. He was here to return the child to his parents. He was the police. He was family. He should have done more to protect this kid. This unhappy kid. This broken kid.
He wished he had a magic eraser. He wished he could erase everything. Every mistake. Every mishap. Every doubt. Every lie. Every tear. Every faltered step. He should have done something to stop the trainwreck. He shouldn't have just stood there watching. He'd been too busy being everybody's friend. Staying mutual. Living his own life. Minding his own business. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
He felt disgusted with himself. With everything.
He should just wipe away the child's tears, take his hand, and take him home. To what? To his handsome father? To his pretty Mommy? To his loving family?
The lump in his throat. The anger in his chest.
Eddie clenched his fists.
6. The Other Woman
**************~Chapter Six~**
**The Other Woman**
Old flames never die; they just fade away. And love has a lot of things in common with fire. The bright bright light that hypnotizes and blinds the sharpest mind. The merciless heat that consumes everything. The charred remains of broken hearts and forgotten promises. A puff of lingering smoke. The sudden emptiness. The abrupt exhaustion. And the soul-rending, addictive pain.
That was the reason why she didn't look away. She suppressed a laugh and lighted a cigarette. A divorced single woman in her forties. Who and what had she become? Sometimes she used her looks and body to get the job done. Sometimes she spent a whole night sitting in a bar. Sometimes she felt like a female spy. Sacrificing herself for the greater good. Fucking potential enemies and ambitious allies. Pleasing unknown men. "It's for the family." She would close her eyes and let out moans. She would scream. She would pant. She would get down on her knees. She would beg. She would let them make her cooperate and do everything they wanted. She would make them cooperate and do everything her uncle wanted. Her belly was still flat. Her breasts were still firm. Her legs were still lean and smooth and long. A blonde with mob connections. It was a game of give and take. And sometimes, on a night like this, she would think of her younger years.
Joe put down the glass and their eyes met. Joe stood up and staggered toward her. Joe slumped down onto the seat beside her. She could smell the icy vodka in his breath. She could feel his scorching lust and desperate hunger. She put a smile on her still beautiful face. His hand landed on her thigh and bravely moved upward. They'd known each other for too long. They knew each other too well. He leaned in closer. Her smile deepened. The kiss tasted too familiar. They stood up tangled. They found an empty bathroom. He came almost immediately. She bit back her frustration. For old time's sake. For all the lost dreams and hopes. The night she'd told Joe she could never be a mother. The world had gone upside down. Something had fundamentally changed. Joe'd started looking at her in a different way. A part of her heart had been missing ever since.
He sagged against her. The sticky wetness slipped down her thighs. She knew why he was here. She'd heard all the rumours. Of course the child was his. She could so easily see the resemblance. The foul smell of public bathroom enwrapped them. She would never ever say a word.
Stupid rat bastard.
7. The Bride
**************~Chapter Seven~**
**The Bride**
Sometimes he just needed a kiss. Sometimes he just needed a hug. She looked into his eyes and saw all the emotions beneath. She gave him a smile. She didn't say a word. The room was very quiet. Their child was soundly asleep. His embrace was very very warm. She was still learning to be a wife and mother. She wanted this happiness to last as long as forever. Soon it would be dawn and the 7-year-old boy would be safely home. But the problems would not be so easily solved. There wasn't much he could do. Still he wanted to help. _The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known. _Always had to do the right thing. Her Dark Knight in shining armour.
She wished she had the right answer.
8. The Other Man
**~Chapter Eight~**
**The Other Man**
It had been an one night affair. It had been a bad mistake. They had both been foolish. They'd kissed in the pouring rain. They'd made love like two desperate beasts. They'd ignored his wedding band. They had known each other forever. And now, they were still friends. They would never talk about it. They would smile at each other. She was a married woman. He was a married man. She was Mrs. Joe Morelli. He was Officer Costanza. Their kids went to the same school. And the first time he'd seen Justin, he'd realized the child was his.
He couldn't argue. He couldn't explain. It was a father's instinct. The shape of the boy's nose. The shape of the boy's lips. One look at the boy's face and he'd known it. He didn't have to ask Stephanie. He and his wife, Melanie, had worked things out. They had 2 beautiful kids. One boy. One girl. Every time he attended Church, he felt the panic welling up. Sooner or later someone would find out. The evidence was out there in plain sight. Like the king's new clothes. Sooner or later, someone would point a finger at him. Liar. Cheater. Adulterer. His family would break apart. Melanie would never ever forgive him. Joe would probably kill Stephanie. Everyone knew Joe had been doubting something. Everyone believed Justin was Ranger's kid. God, it'd been just one night and they'd both been lonely.
He sat on the toilet, burying his face in his hands, waiting for the nausea to pass. A small part of him felt guilty.
9. The Bystanders
**~Chapter Nine~**
**The Bystanders**
The lean dark man and the blonde woman came back from the bathroom.
Everyone in the bar knew what had just happened. No one gave a fuck or damn. They didn't bother to snap a few quick pictures. They wouldn't bother to spread the pics around and wait to see what would happen. It was just another lame story between a middle-aged cop and his high school sweetheart. It was always about sex. It was not about love. It was all about mid-life crisis and your faith in life's meaning. Shit like this happened every day. They had their own sorrows to drown. They has their own problems to run away from. Joe Morelli had cheated on Stephanie Plum Morelli. So what? Syrian refugees are dying in the Middle East. Fukushima Radiation has spread across the Pacific Ocean. Millions of cats and dogs are killed in shelters every year. This is a small small world. This is such a beautiful country. Life sucks and then we die. Nobody gives a damn about anything. They turned their hearts and faces from the frustrated man and the miserable woman and gulped down their beer. The bar would be closed in a couple hours. They still had time to pretend that they could have a little happiness and peace. They didn't care if Morelli's son was actually his. Life is ugly and love is always complicated. The desperate man and the lonely woman paid their bills and left the bar. Some of them ordered a new round of drinks. Some of them snorted. Someone of them smiled to themselves and stared into nothingness.
The car pulled to a stop in front of the 2-story house.
A neighbor across the street peeked out from behind the curtains. She loved these curtains. She'd bought them on a Black Friday sale. She loved Black Friday sales. Who was the man behind the wheel? What did he want at this hour? Why was he here? She didn't recognize the car, but it looked vaguely familiar. She couldn't help feeling curious. Was he a friend of the family? She couldn't tell. She couldn't see his face. She started feeling a little bit nervous. She started getting more and more excited. The Morellis had had another fight earlier tonight. Children are miracles. The tall dark handsome Mr. Morelli should cherish what he had before it was too late. The pale confused troubled Mrs. Morelli should pay more attention to her pathetic front lawn. The roses were dying. The grass needed a good mow. The good neighbor didn't like to judge people. Yes, she pointed out their mistakes. Nope. She never expected them to change their ways. Sometimes she laughed when they failed to make the right and the better choices. Ah, humans. The driver restarted the car and drove away. She raised her brows in surprise. She stood behind the curtains and suddenly felt lost. She'd lost her husband years ago and now she lived here alone. She was allergic to cats and she couldn't stand dogs. There was nothing good on TV and she couldn't sleep. Sometimes the streets were too quiet. Sometimes the neighborhood was too quiet. Tonight was such a night and she didn't want to go upstairs to her empty bedroom. She stood there for a little longer but nothing happened. She went to sit down on the couch. She turned on the TV and finally fell asleep. In her dream, she bought a Powerball ticket.
Eddie Gazarra was not sure what he was doing. The best place for a child is with his or her family. He needed to sit down and have a long talk with both Joe and Stephanie, and he didn't want Justin to be there to overhear everything. The poor kid had fallen asleep in the back seat. He wished he knew the best and the quickest way to make things right and make all the bad things go away. He wished he knew how to deal with this mess. All of a sudden he longed for home. His childhood home. He missed his mother's pancakes and cookies. Maybe that was why he'd chosen to turn the key, step on the gas and run away from the house of nightmares. He stopped the car in front of his house. Goldilocks should never have entered the house. Goldilocks should have left the poor bears alone.
He would figure out a way to tackle this task.
End file.
| fanfiction |
dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans ( dfsp ) is an uncommon , low - grade cutaneous malignancy that originates from the dermis .
it can occur in any part of the body , but has predilection for the trunk , head and neck region , and the proximal extremities .
the tumor begins as a small bump on the skin surface and then grows in the dermis to form a larger mass that swells and bulges outwards , hence the name
protuberans. distant metastasis of dfsp is extremely rare ; however , it is a locally aggressive tumor and shows marked tendency to recur even after wide local excision .
we emphasize the role of imaging in the preoperative evaluation of these tumors so that more accurate treatment plans can be instituted , leading to decreased recurrence rates .
a 20-year - old male presented to our hospital with a progressively increasing swelling on the right leg for the previous 9 months .
it was painless and non - tender to start with , but showed rapid growth over the last few weeks with onset of pain that was continuous and mild to moderate in intensity .
there was no history of any fever , loss of weight or any trauma to the local site .
the physical examination revealed an irregular , protuberant swelling with a large indurated , non - ulcerated plaque on the right leg .
radiography of the right leg revealed a rounded soft tissue mass approximately 5 3 cm in size along the anteromedial aspect of the right tibia with associated cortical erosions in the tibia ( fig .
no soft tissue calcification or periosteal reaction was noted . magnetic resonance imaging ( mri )
was performed to further characterize the mass and delineate the extent of bone marrow involvement .
the bone marrow of proximal metadiaphysis of the right tibia over a segment of approximately 7 cm revealed an abnormal hypointense signal on t1-weighted images and hyperintense signal on inversion recovery and t2-weighted images ( fig .
there was evidence of cortical breach along the anterior aspect of the tibia with a large associated soft tissue mass that was infiltrating the subcutaneous tissues and bulging anteriorly .
the soft tissue was predominantly hypointense on t1-weighted images and hyperintense on t2-weighted images depicting florid enhancement after contrast administration .
figure 1radiographs of the right leg , anteroposterior ( a ) and lateral projection ( b ) showing a well - defined soft tissue mass along the anteromedial aspect of the right tibia ( arrowhead , a ) with suggestion of cortical breach ( arrow , b ) .
figure 2mri sagittal t1-weighted ( a ) and fat suppressed coronal t2-weighted images ( b ) demonstrating abnormal marrow signal of the proximal metadiaphysis of the right tibia with sharp zone of transition .
figure 3mri axial t1-weighted pre - contrast ( a ) and post - contrast ( b ) images depicting large soft tissue bulging anteromedial to the right tibia and showing florid enhancement after contrast administration .
the soft tissue is seen to infiltrate the subcutaneous planes associated with cortical breach in the tibia anteriorly ( arrow , b ) .
radiographs of the right leg , anteroposterior ( a ) and lateral projection ( b ) showing a well - defined soft tissue mass along the anteromedial aspect of the right tibia ( arrowhead , a ) with suggestion of cortical breach ( arrow , b ) .
mri sagittal t1-weighted ( a ) and fat suppressed coronal t2-weighted images ( b ) demonstrating abnormal marrow signal of the proximal metadiaphysis of the right tibia with sharp zone of transition .
mri axial t1-weighted pre - contrast ( a ) and post - contrast ( b ) images depicting large soft tissue bulging anteromedial to the right tibia and showing florid enhancement after contrast administration .
mild heterogeneous enhancement is also noted in the underlying bone marrow . the soft tissue is seen to infiltrate the subcutaneous planes associated with cortical breach in the tibia anteriorly ( arrow , b ) .
the patient underwent core - needle biopsy under local anaesthesia from swelling on the right leg which showed highly cellular smears with clusters of spindle - shaped cells in a fibromyxoid background .
the patient is scheduled for neoadjuvant therapy with imatinib mesylate to be followed by surgical excision of the tumor .
figure 4biopsy smear showing highly cellular tumor with fibroblastic spindle cells producing storiform pattern ( a ) and immunohistochemical stain for cd34 ( b ) showing strong membranous positivity around the tumor cells .
biopsy smear showing highly cellular tumor with fibroblastic spindle cells producing storiform pattern ( a ) and immunohistochemical stain for cd34 ( b ) showing strong membranous positivity around the tumor cells .
dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare , painless , monoclonal , cutaneous soft tissue sarcoma of unknown cause that was first described by taylor in 1890 .
it constitutes approximately 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas , shows slight male preponderance and generally presents in the third and fourth decades of life .
it often masquerades as a benign , indolent tumor on the trunk and proximal extremities .
the surface of the tumor is characterized by irregular protuberant swellings , and a hard indurated plaque of irregular outline forms the base .
it is a slow - growing neoplasm ; however in the later stages , it may show rapid growth and the lesion may become painful , ulcerated and can discharge .
surgery with wide local excision or mohs micrographic surgery remains the treatment of choice in these patients .
radiation therapy , hitherto with a limited role , is recently being used as an adjunct to surgical excision , primarily in cases in which the tumor is unresectable , there are positive resection margins on histology and when the surgery is going to leave major cosmetic or functional deficits .
recently , a very promising neoadjuvant molecular therapy with imatinib mesylate , a potent and selective inhibitor of several protein - tyrosine kinases , is advocated in adult patients with unresectable , recurrent or metastatic dfsp .
dfsp is a locally invasive fibrohistiocytic tumor with a recurrence rate of up to 25% even after wide local excision with a safety margin of 35 cm .
this is attributed to the fact that dfsp extends far beyond the assessed clinical margins , spreading locally in the dermis , subcutaneous tissues and muscles .
our index case illustrates that it can extend even deeper to directly involve the bone with cortical erosions and bone marrow infiltration . to the best of our knowledge
such deep invasion of the tumor with infiltration into the underlying bone has not been described in the literature to date except in one case of dfsp of the scalp where the calvarium was also infiltrated .
this could partly be due to the fact that imaging is rarely a part of the preoperative workup in these patients .
dfsp is a low - grade malignancy with only a few sporadic cases of distant metastases .
histologically , it consists of uniform but atypical spindle cells placed in a fibrotic stroma in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues exhibiting characteristic cartwheel or storiform appearance .
immunohistochemistry studies have shown that dfsp stains positive for cd34 and negative for factor xiiia , which are very useful markers to differentiate dfsp from dermatofibroma .
the poor prognostic indicators of dfsp include advanced age , high mitotic index , increased cellularity , dna aneuploidy and fibrosarcomatous changes within the tumor .
multiple local recurrences can also predispose to distant metastasis , thus highlighting the significance of adequate initial treatment .
the extent of the tumor and the degree of invasion of underlying tissues is usually assessed by physical examination and not much importance has been given to the role of imaging except to rule out metastasis .
mendenhall et al . and mcarthur discussed the role of mri in determining deep tumor invasion .
because dfsp is a locally invasive tumor with a high rate of post - operative recurrence , we advocate that imaging ( preferably mri ) should be done in all such cases especially those involving the extremities .
mri will ascertain the exact depth of invasion by showing the tumor margins , and will guide the clinician to institute an adequate initial treatment by choosing an appropriate surgical plan with or without adjunctive chemo-/radiotherapy .
this in turn will lead to a reduced rate of local recurrence and improved clinical outcome .
however , the cost / benefit ratio needs to be further substantiated by larger prospective studies . | pubmed |
Entertainment Love and Romance
Making Friends by Joining Meetup Groups
Sites like Meetup can help you meet friends. Meetup.com
By Staff Author
If you're looking for friends, one of the best sites to help you find activities in your area is Meetup. Meetup.com is a collection of almost 80,000 personal and professional groups from 45,000 different cities. Topics range from food-related (brunch and dinner groups), movie buffs, book clubs, gardening groups, stitching groups, writing critique groups, business networking groups, and more. Virtually every interest and hobby is covered.
Joining a Meetup Group
To find a Meetup group in your area, type in your topic of interest (hiking, crafts, book club, etc.) along with your city and state or zip code. Several local group choices will appear. If you're interested in joining, you can click the "join us" button on each group's individual page. As part of a group, you can discuss upcoming events, share photos, and chat with other members, depending on the settings each group has designated. Some groups also charge a nominal (under $10) fee to help with maintenance costs.
Starting a Group
If you search for a specific type of group and don't find one in your area, Meetup will ask if you'd like to start a group yourself. Meetup charges organizer dues that range from $12 per month for six months, up to $24 for a month-month charge. Many groups share this cost with their group members.
To start a group, fill out the information to be placed on the group website within Meetup, choose a theme, pay the organizer dues, and promise that the group will be a real, face-to-face community. Then you can approve member requests when they come in.
Sponsoring a Meetup Group
Businesses and other organizations can sponsor Meetup groups through a program called Meetup Perks. The idea is to offer a perk of some sort (the site suggests discounts off of goods and services or donation of a meeting space) that can be offered to groups on the site. When a group leader accepts the perk, it becomes available to the members and the business is then considered a sponsor. Sponsors have a tab on the group's webpage, and sponsorship costs $5 per month.
Downsides to Meetup
Meetup works best primarily in larger metropolitan areas. If you live in a small town, you'll have to either extend your search area to a wide range (50 miles or more) and end up driving a long ways or choose another way to find groups. Many of the groups typically available in a small town are advertised in things like community papers or on flyers at the library.
Like with any website, in order to truly make friends, you have to spend time and develop a true friendship with people. This means attending groups for several weeks or months and being genuine in the groups you join. While Meetup gives you a variety of choices it's still up to you to make small talk and mingle with the other members.
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How to Make Friends in the GLBT Teen Community | slim_pajama |
1. The Building Societies Association (BSA) represents mutual lenders and deposit takers in the UK including all 45 UK building societies. Building societies have total assets of nearly £330 billion and, together with their subsidiaries, hold residential mortgages of over £230 billion, 18% of the total outstanding in the UK. They hold over £230 billion of retail deposits, accounting for 19% of all such deposits in the UK. Building societies account for about 28% of all cash ISA balances. They employ approximately 39,000 full and part-time staff and operate through approximately 1,600 branches.
2. We welcome the opportunity to comment on the EHRC consultation. We concentrate primarily on chapter 11 because it relates to financial services.
3. This is a useful draft chapter and the examples are helpful. For instance, the example on page 46 underlines the point that 'silver saver' accounts are within the relevant exception, but highlights the fact that victimisation is not.
Example: A 60 year old married couple apply for a mortgage over a fifteen year term on their new home. Because one plans to retire in two year's time and the other in five years, the mortgage lender asks for information to check that they will be able to afford the mortgage payments with the income they expect to have after retirement. The couple complain that this is age discrimination, but in fact the lender is conducting an assessment of future affordability in accordance with regulatory requirements.
We note, and recognise, the purpose and limitations of the examples overall, referred to in paragraph 1.6.
5. The explanatory material throughout the draft document is generally very helpful and clearly written for a broad audience. For example, the chapters on direct discrimination; indirect discrimination; and harassment and victimisation usefully explain and illustrate the differences between these concepts. | slim_pajama |
Fermat's principle to prove the law of reflection
[Fermat's principle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermat%27s_principle) tells that a light ray will follow a path from point $A$ to point $B$ so that the optical path length of this path is an extremum over neighboring paths.
I wanted to use this principle to prove the law of reflection. They do this f.i. here: <http://scipp.ucsc.edu/~haber/ph5B/fermat09.pdf> (the pdf can also be found when googling "Fermat's principle and the laws of reflection and refraction"). They show that the path where $\theta\_1 = \theta\_2$ is indeed a minimum over neighboring paths in the same plane that also reflect on the mirror. But I don't really see how this prove is complete, because I can easily imagine a path from A to B, which deviates only infinitesimal from the path that reflects on the mirror, which has a shorter optical path length. For instance a path that reflects before the mirror. Because of this is doesn't seem to me that the path is really a minimum over all neighboring paths, we have only proven that it is over some neighboring paths.
So I guess that I'm missing something here and I hope someone can explain me.
You make a good point which requires us to be more careful about what Fermat's Principle says and how the proof proceeds. The upshot of what I'm going to say is
>
> The statement of the Law of Reflection must include an appropriate constraint.
>
>
>
Here's what I mean in detail. First, let's give a precise statement of Fermat's Principle:
>
> **Fermat's Principle.** Let $\mathscr C\_3$ denote the set of all continuous curve segments in three dimensions. Let points $A$ and $B$ in three dimensions be given. Suppose that a light ray begins at point $A$ and ends at point $B$, and suppose that the path of the light ray is constrained to not lie in some subset $\chi\subseteq \mathscr C\_3$, then the path that light takes between $A$ and $B$ is a critical point of the travel time functional for any variation of paths contained in the set $\mathscr C\_3\setminus\chi$.
>
>
>
We can use this principle to prove either of the following two statements, all three of which one might be inclined to call the Law of Reflection.
>
> **Law of Reflection 1.** If light is emitted in a given direction towards a mirror, then (i) the light will travel in a straight line towards the mirror along the initial direction, (ii) it will hit the mirror, (iii) it will reflect in a straight line, and (iv) the angle of incidence will equal the angle of reflection.
>
>
> **Law of Reflection 2.** If light is emitted from a point above a mirror, and if the light makes contact with the mirror, then (i) the light will travel in a straight line from its initial point to the point of contact, (ii) it will reflect in a straight line, and (iii) the angle of incidence will equal the angle of reflection.
>
>
>
Notice that in both of these cases, there is a constraint that one needs to take into consideration when determining the path of least time. In the first statement above, the constraint set $\chi$ is the set of all continuous paths whose initial directions do not coincide with that of the specified initial direction. In the second statement of the Law, the constraint set $\chi$ is the set of all continuous paths that do not make contact with the mirror.
Note that if you don't include a constraint, and if you simply pick any two points above the mirror, then, of course Fermat's Principle tells you that the path followed by light is the straight line segment joining those two points. But that's fine, because the Law of Reflection doesn't answer the question "given any two points $A$ and $B$ above a mirror, and given that a light ray goes from $A$ to $B$, what is the path that the light ray must take?" In fact, this question doesn't have a unique answer. The answer depends on the constraints.
| stackexchange/physics |
It begins with a single bottle. As any journey starts with the first footstep, building a collection of eLiquids begins with your first bottle. That first bottle is vitally important to arriving at the destination you have planned. And it does take some planning.
Building a great collection of eLiquids can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of vaping. Without a plan it can become an obsessive, lonely and expensive journey that ends in disaster. To avoid a disastrous end you must first decide on where you want to go.
A great collection of eLiquid can be a 'great collection of desert vapes' or a 'great collection of tobacco vapes', or even a 'great collection of all-day vapes'. Only you can decide what type of collection you want to build. For myself, my first attempt at a great collection will be a 'fundamental' collection, a collection that has all the bases covered. Only later will I branch out into sub-collections of eLiquids. This 'how-to' will speak to that first fundamental collection I am attempting to build but you can apply these steps to any sub-collection you want.
Step One – Start from Scratch – No matter how many bottles you own right now, this minute, unless it is still brand new, never opened, shrink-wrapped or otherwise sealed, none of these bottles should be included in your 'great collection'.
In fact, until the minute you decid to build a 'great collection' every bottle of eLiquid you purchased was for singular reason, a selfish reason…they were purchased to vape them to your heart's content. So do that. Vape them, vape them all, and do not look back.
Step Two: Choose your Location – A great collection of eLiquid must have a secure, humidity free, temperature steady place to live. For me it is my bedroom armoire. It is large enough, with enough shelves (added by me), to hold more than 250 30ML bottles, a grand collection when, or if, I ever achieve it. You should have easy access to your collection so that you can admire it, show it off, share it, but most of all, keep it safe.
Step Three: Decide on your Theme – So what will it be? A great collection of 'desert' vapes? Fruity vapes? Tobacco vapes? Chocolate vapes? Vanilla vapes? As you can see the theme can be anything you want, it's completely up to you. Which will it be?
Other options include things like 'will they all be American-made and/or American-sourced'? (of course!)Will you divide the brands up evenly? How many variations will you allow? By this I mean, if your theme is 'chocolate' will you allow any blend that contains chocolate or must the flavor consist mainly of chocolate?
When building a great, fundamental collection, it must be decided if all segments will be equally represented or it will bend to your likes and dislikes. If you do not enjoy menthol can you build a great fundamental collection without it? My answer is yes, yes you can. My fundamental collection is "MY" fundamental collection. It is what I consider to be 'fundamental', not someone else.
Finally, the last option to consider is time and money; How much is your budget and how much time do you have to build your collection?
Before you add your first bottle, which is like your first brick in your home's foundation, all the decisions above have to be made. If you do not do these things first you will probably derail your collection before it is complete. The result of a derailment is winding up with bottles of eLiquid that have no purpose, that might go to waste. A terrible fate for any bottle of eJuice.
Step Five The First Bottle – My decision to build a great collection of 'fundamentals' led me to concentrate on all-day vapes first. Looking over the resting place for my great collection I decided that Shelf #1, front row, left, would be the location of my first bottle. I would build left to right, and with the height of the first shelf being low enough to look down and see (admire?) the entire shelf, I could build each row and push the row back as each new front row was added. 20 bottles across is my first row, my 21st bottle will become the new #1, front row, left, on so on.
Once the decision for all-day vapes and their location were chosen I thought about the brand and flavor of eLiquids that I have vaped more than any other. The flavor I returned to time and time again, more than any other flavor, is my obvious first choice. That brand/flavor would become the first bottle/brick in my foundation. It should be yours as well.
Having made the choice for the first bottle/brick I went to the website where that brand/flavor is sold and ordered one bottle. The options for that bottle were the standard options. Choices like mid-level nicotine strength, the brand's "house blend" of PG/VG ratio, and no extra flavoring are all were decided upon. The first bottle cannot (should not) be modified in any way. Modified flavors will come later.
Until that bottle arrives do not buy another bottle to add the your great e-liquid collection. (Though you can order whatever you like for your normal vaping needs) Take it step by step, this is no time to go rogue. Certainly think about your next bottle, but do not act on it. When the bottle does arrive place it in your collection in the spot you have already chosen to lay your foundation's first bottle/brick. Your collection has now starting to become a reality.
Step Six: Further Bottles – You've decided on your location, your theme, your options, and you've purchased your first bottle and placed it in your foundations first spot, unopened and secure.
Time to build the e-Liquid Collection.
Since I have set my budget I know how often I can add a bottle to my great e-liquid collection, and I know how long it will take to complete the collection. No matter which theme you've decided to build your collection on you too must have your budget set, and the number of bottles you think it will take to complete your collection. This is vital for a couple of reasons; the first reason is that any collection that does not have the criteria for being finished will never be finished, and second, a sense of accomplishment is important if you ever intend to build another great collection based on a different theme. Besides, once you reach your arbitrary number you can always add to it when you discover a bottle that simply HAS TO BE in your collection.
No one but you can decide how many brands are needed to represent a great collection. You, no one else, will define your great collection. If a great collection is simply a bottle of every flavor offered by a certain brand then that's your great collection. You control the collection the collection doesn't control you.
Remember that my first collection will contain new bottles and all the bottles I own that didn't make it into the collection would be available for vaping. While I vaped away on the bottles that are not destined for my collection, the bottles that were destined to be in my collection were steeping, gaining flavor, smoothness, and greatness.
I would begin reaching into my collection approximately 30 days after it is completed. I will have very little juice left from my non-collection bottles, and will 'guesstimate' the time I have left before I would need to tap my collection. I would order 5 bottles from 2 brands (or thereabouts). I would look for those brands on my list that were offering a discount code. Once those bottles arrived I would reach in and swap out the old bottles for the new ones. (The 'first in first out' method) I would continue to do this so that at all times my 100-bottle 'great collection' would always be intact, and never get too old to vape. It seems almost foolproof. Almost.
There will undoubtedly be occasions when a flavor in your collection that you did not anticipate wanting to vape before you could get a replacement will rear its ugly head. Discipline will fail you, as it has done me, and for a time the great collection will not be complete. Don't panic. Stay calm and order a replacement bottle ASAP and replace it before its absence begins to eat away at you.
I know this is all overboard silliness, but in all seriousness I am actually building an e-liquid collection of my favorite juices and I am calling it my 'great e-liquid collection'. It has become a passion for me. It is a source of enjoyment and I'm having a hell of a lot of fun building the collection. I research the brands I like, keep track of new flavors being offered (there are always new and exciting flavors coming out), and before I decide to make it a part of my great collection I'll most likely order a bottle to sample. If I deem it worthy it becomes a candidate for my collection.
I don't have the money or the discipline to actually be successful at completing and maintaining a "great collection" right now, but I'm working on it. And that's the point.
Could you imagine yourself thinking like this about tobacco cigarettes? Can you imagine enjoying cigarettes enough to want to build a great collection of cigarettes? Yuck!
Whether or not you decide to build a great collection, or have already built a great collection, remember why you vape, remember why you enjoy it so much. All the batteries in the vaping world mean nothing without great eLiquids to vape.
It's not the similarity to smoking that drew me into the vaping 'verse. It is the delicious taste of those eLiquids when they are vaporized and inhaled that grabs me. It is the reaction in the brain to the awesomeness of Mountain Oak Vapors "Classic CountRY4" or "Heavenly 7". It is the sweet and delicious flavor of Ginger's eJuice "Vanilla Iced Cupcake" and "Old-fashioned Sugar Cookie", or Prime Vaping's "Boston Cream Pie", The Plume Room's "Sweet Peach", Virgin Vapors "Naked Vanilla", FanceeJuice's "Peppered ChocoMint", The Vapor Girl's "Sweet Potato Pie", or Vape Dudes "Pineapple Upside Down Vape", Mt Baker Vapor's "Cinnamon Roll", or Johnson Creek's "Autumn Crisp"… all of the above, and many more, are delicious eJuice just waiting to be vaped by tens of thousands of people like us, you and me.
There is more to life than vaping, much more. But, like a good glass of wine or a great meal, vaping plays a significant part in our lives. Smoking cigarettes is a dirty habit that leaves you sick and smelly. Worse, its only function is to feed your addiction. Vaping is more like enjoying a glass of wine then smoking a cigarette. If you don't vape you can't understand why that's true.
I would love to know if you have a e-liquid collection, and if not, would you consider one. Which theme would you want, desserts, fruit, custards, tobacco, and how many brands would you have, how many bottles do you think it would take to build a great e-liquid collection? Certainly I'm not alone in this, am I?
Previous : Jet Cigs 3 New Flavors! First Look!
Next : Vision Vivi NOVA v2.5 Tank System – A Perfect Holiday Gift! | slim_pajama |
Midland County ist ein County im Bundesstaat Michigan der Vereinigten Staaten. Der Verwaltungssitz (County Seat) ist Midland.
Geographie
Das County liegt östlich des geographischen Zentrums der Unteren Halbinsel von Michigan, ist im Nordosten etwa 35 km vom Lake Huron, einem der 5 großen Seen, entfernt und hat eine Fläche von 1367 Quadratkilometern, wovon 17 Quadratkilometer Wasserfläche sind. Es grenzt im Uhrzeigersinn an folgende Countys: Gladwin County, Bay County, Saginaw County, Gratiot County, Isabella County und Clare County.
Das County wird vom Office of Management and Budget zu statistischen Zwecken als Midland, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area geführt.
Geschichte
Midland County wurde 1831 aus Teilen des Saginaw County und freiem Territorium gebildet. Benannt wurde es nach seiner Lage nahe dem geographischen Zentrum der Unteren Halbinsel von Michigan.
Zwei Orte im Midland County haben den Status einer National Historic Landmark, das Alden Dow House and Studio und das Herbert H. Dow House. 27 Bauwerke und Stätten des Countys sind insgesamt im National Register of Historic Places eingetragen (Stand 27. Januar 2018).
Demografische Daten
Nach der Volkszählung im Jahr 2000 lebten im Midland County 82.874 Menschen in 31.769 Haushalten und 22.683 Familien. Die Bevölkerungsdichte betrug 61 Einwohner pro Quadratkilometer. Ethnisch betrachtet setzte sich die Bevölkerung zusammen aus 95,50 Prozent Weißen, 1,05 Prozent Afroamerikanern, 0,40 Prozent amerikanischen Ureinwohnern, 1,49 Prozent Asiaten, 0,03 Prozent Bewohnern aus dem pazifischen Inselraum und 0,44 Prozent aus anderen ethnischen Gruppen; 1,09 Prozent stammten von zwei oder mehr Ethnien ab. 1,55 Prozent der Bevölkerung waren spanischer oder lateinamerikanischer Abstammung.
Von den 31.769 Haushalten hatten 34,9 Prozent Kinder unter 18 Jahren, die bei ihnen lebten. 60,1 Prozent waren verheiratete, zusammenlebende Paare, 8,1 Prozent waren allein erziehende Mütter und 28,6 Prozent waren keine Familien. 23,5 Prozent waren Singlehaushalte und in 9,0 Prozent lebten Menschen im Alter von 65 Jahren oder darüber. Die Durchschnittshaushaltsgröße betrug 2,56 und die durchschnittliche Familiengröße lag bei 3,04 Personen.
26,9 Prozent der Bevölkerung waren unter 18 Jahre alt. 8,7 Prozent zwischen 18 und 24 Jahre, 29,2 Prozent zwischen 25 und 44 Jahre, 23,2 Prozent zwischen 45 und 64 Jahre und 12,0 Prozent waren 65 Jahre oder älter. Das Durchschnittsalter betrug 36 Jahre. Auf 100 weibliche Personen kamen 96,3 männliche Personen. Auf 100 Frauen im Alter von 18 Jahren und darüber kamen statistisch 93,3 Männer.
Das jährliche Durchschnittseinkommen eines Haushalts betrug 45.674 USD, das Durchschnittseinkommen einer Familie 55.483 USD. Männer hatten ein Durchschnittseinkommen von 45.656 USD, Frauen 27.470 USD. Das Prokopfeinkommen betrug 23.383 USD. 5,7 Prozent der Familien und 8,4 Prozent der Bevölkerung lebten unterhalb der Armutsgrenze.
Orte im County
Alamando
Averill
Bombay
Bullock Creek
Coleman
Curtis
Dean
Dice Corners
Edenville
Floyd
Francis Grove
Golden
Gordonville
Hope
Laporte
Larkin
Lockport
Mapleton
Midland
North Bradley
Oil City
Olson
Pleasant Valley
Porter
Poseyville
Redstone
Ryan
Saint Elmo
Sanford
Teeterville
Townships
Edenville Township
Geneva Township
Greendale Township
Homer Township
Hope Township
Ingersoll Township
Jasper Township
Jerome Township
Larkin Charter Township
Lee Township
Lincoln Township
Midland Charter Township
Mills Township
Mount Haley Township
Porter Township
Warren Township
Siehe auch
Liste der Städte in Michigan
Weblinks
Einzelnachweise
Gegründet 1831
Midland | slim_pajama |
Compatibility between classical Newtonian gravitation and quantum mechanics
As I understand, we do not have yet a unified theory covering at once both general relativity and quantum mechanics. However, do we have a theoretical framework completely covering both classical Newtonian gravitation (i.e. without space-time curvature or for not so massive gravitational sources) and quantum mechanics? Is there any reference on this question?
Since both Newtonian gravitation and electrostatic interaction (Coulomb's law) follow an inverse square law, Newtonian gravitation is as compatible with QM as electrostatics is. We do not need anything new to account for this interaction. An [article in Physics Today](http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/article/55/3/10.1063/1.1472382) describes an experiment where the gravitationally bound states of neutrons in a box were measured. Here is a [more recent review](https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.2953).
Since an expansion in $v/c$ or the curvature is possible, one should be able to incorporate even weakly relativistic effects, e.g., the $1/r^3$ correction to the potential that accounts for the anomalous precession of the perihelion of Mercury. This is analogous to the spin-orbit, Thomas precession, and "mass shift" correction terms -- all relativistic of order $v^2/c^2$ that account for the fine structure of the hydrogen atom.
Of course one should note that it is possible to do quantum mechanics -- actually, quantum field theory -- in curved spacetime backgrounds. Here background means that one neglects the gravitational field produced by the matter that is modeled quantum mechanically. E.g., in Hawking's famous calculation, the black hole and the rest of spadetime is entirely classical, and the gravitational field produced by the radiation is neglected, and only the radiation is quantum mechanical. For a general formalism see the [recent review by Fredenhagen and Rejzner](http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jmp/57/3/10.1063/1.4939955).
If we take general relativity to be "matter tells spacetime how to curve, curvature tells matter how to move", then one could say that we know how to treat the latter quantum mechanically, but not the former.
| stackexchange/physics |
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
Screenplay by
Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman
Story by
Phil Lord
Dec. 3, 2018SEQ. 0100 - THE ALTERNATE SPIDER-MAN “TAS”
WE BEGIN ON A COMIC.
The cover asks WHO IS SPIDER-MAN?
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
Alright, let’s do this one last
time. My name is Peter Parker.
QUICK CUTS of a BLOND PETER PARKER
Pulling down his mask...a name tag that reads “Peter
Parker”...various shots of Spider-Man IN ACTION.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
I was bitten by a radioactive
spider and for ten years I’ve been
the one and only Spider-Man. I’m
pretty sure you know the rest.
UNCLE BEN tells Peter:
UNCLE BEN (V.O.)
With great power comes great
responsibility.
Uncle Ben walks into the beyond.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
I saved a bunch of people, fell in
love, saved the city, and then I
saved the city again and again and
again...
Spiderman saves the city, kisses MJ, saves the city some
more. The shots evoke ICONIC SPIDER-MAN IMAGES, but each one
is subtly different, somehow altered.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
And uh... I did this.
Cut to Spider-Man dancing on the street, exactly like in the
movie Spider-Man 3.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
We don’t really talk about this.
A THREE PANEL SPLIT SCREEN: shots of Spider-Man’s “products”:
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
Look, I’m a comic book, I’m a
cereal, did a Christmas album. I
have an excellent theme song.
(MORE)And a so-so popsicle. I mean, I’ve
looked worse.
MATCH CUT -- Peter, PINNED to a WALL by a mechanical tentacle
arm. KINGPIN punches Peter. GREEN GOBLIN fights Peter.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
But after everything, I still love
being Spider-Man. I mean, who
wouldn’t?
Peter runs toward a SUPER-COLLIDER, something we’ll see quite
soon. Peter SLAMMED TO THE GROUND.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
So no matter how many hits I take,
I always find a way to come back.
Peter GETS UP... in a shot that we will also remember, RIGHT
BEFORE GOBLIN GRABS HIM.
The collider EXPLOLDING, the force of the blast rippling
through New York.
SPIDER-MAN (V.O.)
Because the only thing standing
between this city and oblivion is
me. There’s only one Spider-Man.
And you’re looking at him.
Spider-Man WINKS. Man, he’s cool.
SMASH CUT:
SEQ. 0150 - MEET MILES MORALES “MMM”
INT. MILES’ APARTMENT - BEDROOM
MILES MORALES draws HOME-MADE STREET ART NAME-TAGS at a desk,
headphones on, singing along to a song he’s too young for
(”Sunflower”), but he doesn’t quite know the words yet.
A PHOTO of a YOUNGER MILES with his PARENTS and his UNCLE
AARON visible in the background--
RIO (O.S.)
Miles! Miles, time for school!
JEFFERSON (O.S.)
--Miles! Miles! MILES!
--Miles WHIPS OFF his headphones-- SPIDER-MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)2.MILES
Yeah?!--
JEFFERSON (O.S.)
Are you finished packing for
school?
MILES
Yeah! Just ironing my last shirt!
Reveal his EMPTY BAG. He is NOT PACKED. He’s been AVOIDING
IT.
RIO
¡Vamo chacho!
--He FLIES around the room, tossing VARIOUS ITEMS into the
suitcase, throwing on a BLUE UNIFORM JACKET, the camera
catching other childhood details--
JEFFERSON (O.S.)
C’mon, you a grown man now! Let
show these teachers that. Let’s go!
RIO (O.S.)
--Miles!
INT. MILES’ APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM
BAM! The door flies open. FAST-PACED, Miles enters the living
room, where his parents get ready for the day.
MILES
Where’s my laptop?RIO
¿Donde le dejaste?
MILES
¡Yo no se!
JEFFERSON
--If you want me to drive you we
gotta go now--
MILES
(edging away)
--No Dad, I’ll walk!--JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
Personal chauffeur going once-
-
MILES
(continuing)
--It’s ok--
RIO
Ay Maria, este nene me tiene loca!3.Miles grabs food. Mom and dad frantically cross behind him.
RIO (CONT’D)
(impatient)
Miles, gotta go!!
MILES
(chewing)
In a minute!
RIO
(sing-song)
Gotta Go-ohh...
MILES
IN A MINUTE--
EXT. STOOP - MORNING
Rio SMOTHERS an embarrassed Miles with kisses. Miles rolls
his eyes, hates it/loves it.
MILES
Mom. I gotta go...
RIO
(kissing him)
In a minute...
Miles rolls his bag down the steps as Rio calls out:
RIO (CONT’D)
Papá! Llamame! See you Friday!
MILES
Okay, mami. Hasta luego!
INT. BROOKLYN STREET - MORNING
Miles struggles down the street with the heavy bag, but he’s
in his element. He walks by his old school, BROOKLYN MIDDLE -
passes some OLD FRIENDS, who he loves and misses.
OLD FRIEND 1
Ohhhhh. Look who’s back! Yo what’s
going on, bro?--
MILES
--Hey, I’m just walking by, how you
doing?-- 4.OLD FRIEND 2
--Miles! ¿Te va bien en la escuela?-
MILES
--Seguro que si--
OLD FRIEND 3
Yo, Miles did you feel that
earthquake last night?
MILES
What are you talking about? I slept
like a baby last night.
OLD FRIEND 5
How’s that new school? MILES (CONT'D)
--So easy!--
OLD FRIEND 5
We miss you, Miles!
MILES
You miss me? I still live here!
Wait, you miss me?
TIME CUT: Miles RUNS DOWN THE STREET, SLAPS his HOMEMADE
STICKERS on some things, ends by SLAPPING a STOP SIGN, making
a LOUD CLANG--
--but he trips on his shoe laces and falls into the street--
MILES (CONT’D)
¡Contra!
--POLICE LIGHTS FLASH along with the signature BWOOP BWOOP.
MILES (CONT’D)
(knows what’s coming)
Ah c’mon...
SEQ. 0425 - SITTING BACK THERE “SBT”
EXT. BROOKLYN - MORNING
The POLICE CAR moves through the neighborhood. Miles is in
the back seat. 1010 WINS plays.
MILES
Seriously, Dad, walking would have
been fine.
Reveal Jefferson driving. Miles' dad is a COP!5.JEFFERSON
You can walk plenty on Saturday
when you peel those stickers off.
MILES
You saw that? I don’t know if that
was me, Dad.
JEFFERSON
And the two from yesterday on
Clinton.
MILES
Yeah. Those were me.
Jefferson stares, shuts down the cheekiness. Miles looks
hurt. Jefferson clocks his pained look. It bums Jefferson
out. There’s an awkwardness between Miles and his dad that's
not there with his mom.
They drive by a row of HIPSTER COFFEE SHOPS. Jefferson tries
to bridge the gap with Miles, more cheerful:
JEFFERSON
Soooo... look at that, another new
coffee shop... you see that Miles?
MILES
Totally, yeah...
JEFFERSON
--You see that one, what’s that one
called?
MILES
Foam Party.
JEFFERSON
Foam Party, come on...and
everyone is just lining up!
You see that, Miles--MILES (CONT'D)
I see it--
JEFFERSON
Is that a coffee shop or a disco?
MILES
Dad, you’re old, man.
NEWS ANCHOR (ON RADIO)
There are multiple reports of
another mysterious seismic event
last night. Sources close to Spider-
Man say he is looking into the
problem. 6.Jefferson shakes his head, disapproving, turns off the radio.
JEFFERSON
Spider-Man. I mean this guy swings
in once a day zip zap zop in his
little mask and answers to no one,
right?
MILES
Yeah, Dad.
JEFFERSON
And meanwhile my guys are out
there, lives on the line--MILES (CONT'D)
Uh huh...
SCHOOL KIDS run alongside the car looking at Miles, who
slinks down. They bang on the window, teasing Miles, “you get
arrested?!”
JEFFERSON
--no masks, we show our
faces. Accountability.MILES (CONT'D)
--Oh no! Dad, speed up, I
know these kids--
JEFFERSON
--You know, with great ability
comes great accountability--
MILES
That’s not even how the saying
goes, Dad--
JEFFERSON
--I do like his cereal though, I’ll
give him that--
Jeff stops the car. The teens reach Miles’ window.
TEEN BOY
Yo Miles! You get arrested?
MILES
(mortified)
--Oh my gosh. Don’t cops run red
lights?
JEFFERSON
Some do... but not your Dad!
EXT. NEW YORK - MORNING
The car drives up right under the Brooklyn Bridge, to a
school overlooking MANHATTAN, which LOOMS across the water.7.EXT. VISIONS ACADEMY - MORNING
The car pulls up. Miles sits, not wanting to go in.
MILES
Why can’t I go back to Brooklyn
Middle?
JEFFERSON
(raises his eyebrows)
Miles, you’ve given it two weeks.
We’re not having this conversation.
MILES
--I just think that this new school
is elitist--
JEFFERSON
--Elitist?--
MILES
--and I would prefer to be at a
normal school among the people.
JEFFERSON
The people? These are your people!
MILES
--I'm only here ‘cause I won that
stupid lottery--
JEFFERSON
No way. You passed the entry test
just like everybody else, ok! You
have an opportunity here, you wanna
blow that, huh? You want to end up
like your Uncle?
MILES
(under his breath)
--What’s wrong with Uncle Aaron?
He’s a good guy--
--Jefferson FLINCHES, angered. Reins it in.
JEFFERSON
...We all make choices in life--
MILES
--It doesn't feel like I have a
choice right now--
JEFFERSON
--YOU DON’T!8.Tension fills the car. They sit in silence for a beat.
Miles gets out of the car and opens the front door to get his
bag Jefferson staring through his rearview mirror--
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
I love you, Miles.
MILES
Yeah, I know, Dad. See you Friday--
--Miles shuts the door and walks away. Jefferson watches,
bummed at the state of the relationship. He lifts his P.A.
JEFFERSON (INTO P.A.)
You gotta say I love you back.
MILES
Dad are you serious? JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
I wanna hear it.
MILES
You wanna hear me say it--JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
--I love you, Dad.
MILES
--You’re dropping me off at a
school--JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
--I love you Dad.
MILES
Look at this place--JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
--Dad, I love you.
MILES
Dad, I love you.
JEFFERSON (INTO P.A.)
That’s a copy. Tie your shoes
please!
SEQ. 0200 - THE LOTTERY WINNER “TLW”
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - MORNING
PAN UP from UNTIED SHOES -- Miles clocks them but defiantly
DOES NOT TIE THEM--
--Miles walks through a LOBBY filled with TALLER KIDS in
IDENTICAL BLUE UNIFORMS. A cutting-edge LAB SCHOOL in a
converted industrial building.
STUDENT
I love you, Dad!9.In a SEA OF BLUE, Miles awkwardly tries to interact like he
was on his street but everyone's so focused.
MILES
Hey good morning. How you doing?...
Weekend was short, huh?
(he turns to another kid)
Oh my gosh this is embarrassing, we
wore the same jacket--
MILES P.O.V. -- The UNIFORMED KIDS just pass by. Miles is
discouraged.
PASSING STUDENT
Hey--MILES (CONT'D)
(hopeful)
--Yeah?
PASSING STUDENT
--Your shoe’s untied.
MILES
Yeah, I’m aware. It’s a choice.
And as his SHOULDERS DROOP he turns to walk into--
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - MONTAGE
--A MATH TEACHER in front of a BAFFLING FORMULA.
MATH TEACHER
--Who can solve this for XY?--
--A LOGIC TEACHER in front of an ELABORATE PROOF.
LOGIC TEACHER
--And that is known as a syllogism.
--IN JUMPCUTS Miles walks back and forth across the hallway.
Each time he is holding more paper and books in his arms,
getting more and more WEIGHED DOWN.
SPANISH TEACHER (V.O.)
--en este clase, se habla
castellano--
LITERATURE TEACHER (V.O.)
--Tonight, read two chapters of
Great Expectations--
SCIENCE TEACHER (V.O.)
--I’m giving you a take-home quiz
on volumetric pressure--10.HEALTH TEACHER (V.O.)
--a five page essay with your
conclusions stressed--
VARIOUS TEACHERS (O.S.)
Workers Party/ Take-home Work/
Industrial Revolution/ Incapable/
An enormous change/ Unstoppable--
--The MONTAGE BUILDS, a MULTI-PANELLED FLURRY--
PRELAP: A BELL RINGS
He runs through the EMPTYING HALLWAYS. END MONTAGE.
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY CLASSROOM - DAY
Students sit in a DARKENED CLASSROOM, lit only by a large
screen playing a DOCUMENTARY.
PHYSICIST
--countless other possibilities.
There could be a universe where I
am wearing red. Or wearing leather
pants--
The door BURSTS OPEN -- MILES, out of breath, is silhouetted
in the doorway.
The TEACHER FLIPS THE LIGHTS on. STUDENTS blink in the bright
light and grumble.
MS. CALLEROS
Mr. Morales, moving in the dark.
You’re late again.
MILES
Einstein said time was relative,
right? Maybe I’m not late. Maybe
you guys are early.
Miles’ joke is met with unamused SILENCE. Except for a single
TITTER from a NEW GIRL.
NEW GIRL
Sorry. It was just so quiet.
MS. CALLEROS
Would you like to keep standing
there or do you want to sit down?
Someone HITS THE LIGHTS. In the dark, Miles awkwardly makes
his way to his seat, BANGS into a desk in the dark.11.Onscreen is a PHYSICIST, identified as “Director, Alchemax
Laboratories.” She’s the consummate nerd and AMPED about
physics.
PHYSICIST
Our universe is in fact one of many
parallel universes happening at the
exact same time. Thanks to everyone
here at the Fisk Family Foundation
for the Sciences, I will prove they
exist when I build my
supercollider. All I need is 10
billion dollars. Chump change,
right?
ON MILES, he BONKS INTO THE DESK of a NEW GIRL, paying rapt
attention and sits down at the desk beside her.
Miles checks out the girl, who catches him looking. Miles
looks away. Looks back -- she’s still looking.
NEW GIRL
I liked your joke.
MILES
Really?
NEW GIRL
I mean, it wasn’t funny, that’s why
I laughed. But it was smart, so I
liked it.
MILES
(taken aback, then)
I don’t think I’ve seen you before--
--Ms. Calleros SHUSHES Miles, cutting him off.
MS. CALLEROS
Shhhhh!
Miles sits -- checks out the new girl but she’s again
focussed on the documentary. Miles is INTRIGUED.
PHYSICIST
Every choice that we make, would
create countless other
possibilities. A What-if to
infinity.12.INT. VISIONS ACADEMY CLASSROOM - LATER
Miles stands in front of Ms. Calleros’ desk as she slides a
zero with a 0/100 written on it.
MILES
A zero? A few more of those and you
probably have to kick me outta here
huh? Maybe I’m just not right for
this school?
MS. CALLEROS
If a person wearing a blind fold
picked the answers on a true or
false quiz at random, do you know
what score they would get?
MILES
Fifty percent?
MS. CALLEROS
That’s right!
MILES
Wait wait!
MS. CALLEROS
The only way to get all the answers
wrong, is to know which answers
were right. You’re trying to quit.
And I’m not going to let you. I’m
assigning you a personal essay. Not
about physics, but about you and
what kind of person you want to be.
INT. DORM ROOM - NIGHT
Miles stares at his STACK OF HOMEWORK. He takes out a legal
pad to start on his Great Expectations paper. He sighs.
Frustrated, Miles looks out the window for a beat.
Miles SMILES -- he has a MISCHIEVOUS IDEA.
SEQ. 0500 - A NIGHT WITH AARON “NWA”
EXT. BROOKLYN - NIGHT
Miles moves down a street, alive with nighttime city energy.
Once again the CAREFREE kid he yearns to be. Moving AWAY from
the Manhattan skyline and turning into--13.--AN ALLEY, where he sees a light on in the top apartment.
INT. UNCLE AARON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
UNCLE AARON is texting on his couch when he receives a
picture text of him, texting, from 1 second ago. Uncle Aaron
looks at his window and sees Miles--
MILES
(laughing)
Uncle Aaroooooon! Hey! Were you
scared?!
Miles PRESSES HIS FACE UP AGAINST THE WINDOW making a funny
face.
TIME CUT -- Aaron washes dishes as Miles SPARS with Aaron’s
PUNCHING BAG not-very-competently:
MILES (CONT’D)
You want that, huh? Unh. Unh.
UNCLE AARON
What’s up with school?
MILES
Going great. Got tons of friends.
UNCLE AARON
You can't tell me it’s all that bad
there... smart girls is where it’s
at. Place must be full of 'em.
Aaron walks over to the punching bag and holds it for Miles.
MILES
No, there’s no one. There’s no one.
Aaron walks over to the microwave to get some popcorn.
UNCLE AARON
...Yo I cannot have a nephew of
mine on the streets with no game.
MILES
I got game!
(fronting)
There was a new girl, actually,
she's kinda into me. You know how
it is.
UNCLE AARON
What's her name?14.Miles sits on the couch, and SCRIBBLES in his notebook.
MILES
(stutters, until--)
--You know we... this is... we’re
laying down the ground work right
now.
Uncle Aaron reacts, amused by Miles effort to sound cool.
UNCLE AARON
You know about the shoulder touch?
MILES
Of course I do! But tell me anyway.
UNCLE AARON
Tomorrow find that girl, walk up to
her and be like...
(does shoulder touch)
"Hey".
MILES
(laughing)
You serious Uncle Aaron?
UNCLE AARON
I'm telling you man, it's science.
MILES
So walk up to her and be like...
hey.
UNCLE AARON
No no no no... like hey...
MILES
"Hey."
UNCLE AARON
No. “Heyyy”
MILES
(mocks him)
Heyyyyy.
UNCLE AARON
You sure you’re my nephew, man?
Miles’ phone vibrates.
UNCLE AARON (CONT’D)
Is that her?15.Miles has a text from Dad: “Done with that homework?”
MILES
(checking his phone)
I should probably go. Still got a
paper to do tonight.
Aaron sees this text and then casually but deliberately
changes the subject to Miles’ drawings in his notebook.
UNCLE AARON
--Yo, you’ve been holding out on
me. You throw these up yet?
MILES
No, man, you know my dad. I can’t.
--Aaron stands. He crosses out of frame, Miles getting
EXCITED--
UNCLE AARON
C’mon. I got a spot you ain’t gonna
believe.
MILES
I can’t! I can’t I can’t--
INT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT
Miles and Aaron make their way out of a subway car and wait
for it to clear.
MILES
I’m gonna get in so much trouble.
UNCLE AARON
Hey man, tell them your art teacher
made you.
MILES
Hey, how did you know about this
place?
UNCLE AARON
Did an engineering job down here.
SEQ. 0520 - SUBWAY SPIDER BITE “SSB”16.INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT
Aaron and Miles walk deeper and deeper down the tunnels and
approach an ELECTRIFIED floor-to-ceiling FENCE. RACK TO an
AlCHEMAX PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGN, and other HIGH SECURITY
PARAPHERNALIA. Someone really wants people to stay out.
Aaron expertly CLIMBS A FENCE, drops down on the other side.
Miles climbs the fence. We STAY ON AARON as we hear Miles
struggle. Finally Miles lands next to Aaron.
MILES
Wassup?
Uncle Aaron laughs.
UNCLE AARON
Yeah man I knew we were related.
INT. ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT
Aaron leads Miles into a huge space. Empty walls and
spiderwebs as far as the eye can see.
MILES
Whoa...
(then, for the echoes)
BROOKLYN! Brooklyn! Brooklyn!
The room is full of BEAUTIFUL STREET ART -- it’s a secret
spot.
UNCLE AARON
There’s a lot of history on these
walls.
MILES
This is so fresh.
Aaron gestures to a wall that’s been RECENTLY CLEANED AND
PREPPED...clearly by Aaron.
Aaron smiles, leans down to his BAG and unzips it, revealing
KRYLON SPRAY PAINT CANS. He tosses a can to Miles. Presses
PLAY on a stereo. Miles SMILES--
--and starts painting. Aaron turns over a BENCH.
UNCLE AARON
Now you’re on your own, Miles.
(then)
(MORE)17.Whoa, slow down a little... that's
better... that’s perfect.
Unbeknownst to them, a faintly glowing SPIDER descends on a
web, towards the ground and towards the cans!
UNCLE AARON (CONT’D)
(coaching him)
The real Miles, comin’ out of
hiding. Now you can cut that line
with another color. That’s it...
MILES
Little help?
CUT TO Miles on Uncle Aaron’s shoulders. For a beat
afterward, they paint TOGETHER.
UNCLE AARON
You want drips? ‘Cause if you do,
that’s cool, but if you don’t you
gotta keep it moving...
MILES
That’s intentional!
Aaron traces Miles’ silhouette on the wall.
UNCLE AARON
Wow.
Miles steps back, admiring his work. A STRIKING PIECE, built
around Miles silouette with nothing painted inside it. A
BLANK. “No Expectations” written above.
MILES
(suddenly embarrassed)
Is it too crazy?
UNCLE AARON
No man. Miles I see exactly what
you’re doing here, man.
Miles smiles. So happy to finally be seen.
UNCLE AARON (CONT’D)
Yeah. You know me and your Dad used
to do this back in the day.
MILES
Stop lying.UNCLE AARON (CONT'D)18.UNCLE AARON
It’s true. Then he took on the cop
thing... and I don’t know. He’s a
good guy, just... you know what I’m
saying...
Aaron’s phone VIBRATES, he READS a message. A shadow across
his face.
UNCLE AARON (CONT’D)
All right, come on man. I gotta
roll.
Aaron walks out of the tunnel leaving Miles alone. Miles
takes one last look at their PAINTING and takes a picture of
it on his phone.
There's the SPIDER, on the back of Miles’ hand. It BITES him!
WE JUMP INTO PSYCHEDELIC 2D ANIMATION, watching the VENOM
make it’s way into MILES’ BLOOD STREAM, BUILDING UNTIL--
--Miles flicks the spider and it falls off his hand.
UNCLE AARON (CONT’D)
Miles, let’s go!
Miles, hiding the bite, runs to join his Uncle.
SEQ. 0700 - PUBERTY “PUB”
INT. DORM ROOM - NIGHT
TIME LAPSE: As the moon rises, Miles shifts positions. It’s a
restless sleep, the spider-bite faintly glows, Miles starts
to sweat...
While Miles tosses and turns, his roomate Ganke works on his
computer, taking a break to read “The True Life Tales of
Spider-Man” comic book.
INT. DORM ROOM - MORNING
Miles gets up and puts his pants on. They are too short.
MILES (V.O.)
That's weird. My pants shrank.
The words "that's weird" are VISUALIZED onscreen. Miles looks
up, SURPRISED by the sound of his own Spider-Man voice-over. 19.MILES
I think I hit puberty.
Ganke stops typing at this laptop, eyes wide. He quickly
resumes his work as the words “I should have kept that to
myself” appear thought-bubbled next to Miles.
SEQ. 0730 - WHY AM I SO SWEATY? “SWT”
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - HALLWAY - DAY
Miles walks the halls, awkwardly trying to pull down his
pants that are now suddenly too short for him. As he speaks
HIS THOUGHTS APPEAR IN THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACE BEHIND HIM.
MILES (V.O.)
I gotta get new pants. Wait, why is
the voice in my head so loud?
(then)
What--
--His strut is interrupted by a high-pitched WHINE that STOPS
when he bumps into the NEW GIRL FROM PHYSICS CLASS.
NEW GIRL
Oh! Are you okay?
MILES
What?
MILES (V.O.)
Why am I so sweaty???NEW GIRL
Why are you so sweaty?
MILES
It's a puberty thing. I don't know
why I said that. I’m not going
through puberty. I did. But I’m
done.
(”cool” and deep voice)
I’m a man.
(tries to be suave)
--So you're, like, new here, right?
We got that in common.
NEW GIRL
Yeah, that’s one thing.
MILES
Cool, yeah. I’m Miles.
NEW GIRL
I'm G-Waaaanda. 20.MILES
Wait, your name is Gwanda?
GWANDA
Yes, it’s African. I'm South
African. No accent though, cause I
was raised here.
Gwanda continues, though her voice FADES AWAY...
MILES (V.O.)
Do the shoulder touch now! Before
she walks away!
In SLOW MOTION, Miles' hand heads toward Gwanda's shoulder as
she watches its slow, deliberate journey.
MILES (V.O.)
Why is this so scary? Am I doing
this in slow motion or does it just
feel that way?
WANDA
...I'm kidding. It's Wanda. No G.
That's crazy.
The hand lands. Beat.
MILES
(”cool” and deep voice)
“Hey.”
WANDA
OK then. I’ll see you around.
MILES
Oh. See you.
Miles is mortified. Wanda turns to leave but is jerked back
by Miles.
MILES (CONT’D)
Sorry... um... oh crap--
WANDA
--Hey! Um, can you let go
please? Ow ow ow ow ow, calm
down, it’s fine--MILES (CONT'D)
--I can't... let... go...
Miles is STUCK to her. He tries to unstick himself but it
keeps getting worse. Now Wanda's hair is involved.
WANDA
Miles, let go!21.MILES
I'm working on it. It's just
puberty!
WANDA
I don’t think you know what puberty
is! Just relax.
MILES
Okay, I have a plan.WANDA (CONT'D)
Great.
MILES
I’m going to pull REALLY
hard.WANDA (CONT'D)
That’s a terrible plan.
MILES
1... 2...WANDA (CONT'D)
--Don’t do this!--
WANDA (CONT’D)
--3!
Wanda finally has enough and FLIPS Miles, in full view of
dozens of students. Miles SCREAMS.
MILES
AHHHHHHHH!!!
Pre-lap: An electric razor BUZZES.
INT. NURSE'S OFFICE - LATER
Miles looks on as his hand is freed from Wanda’s hair.
Miles’ expression tells us her hair is ravaged. And it is.
MILES
Nice to meet you.
She won’t even look at him.
WANDA
Sure. Total pleasure.
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Exiting, Miles balls his hair-covered hands and puts them in
his pockets. He walks the halls, mortified.
MILES (V.O.)
No one saw. It’s ok. No one knows.
No one knows.
(everyone is staring)
Everyone knows. Everyone knows! 22.The sentence “EVERYONE KNOWS” appears behind him, giant
letters. The period appears last like a CANNONBALL.
MILES
They’re talking about me. They saw
everything. He knows. She knows.
They know.
(distracted by a tall
girl)
Wow. She's super tall. Why is he
smiling? Am I the weird guy now?
What am I doing? How do I stop? Can
they hear my thoughts? Why are all
my thoughts so loud?!
The SCHOOL SECURITY GUARD appears--
SECURITY GUARD
--Hey! I know you snuck out last
night, Morales.
MILES
(V.O./THOUGHT BUBBLE)
Play dumb.
(to the security guard)
Who’s Morales?
(V.O./THOUGHT BUBBLE)
Not that dumb.
SEQ. 0790 - SPIDER-MAN SYMPTOMS “SMS”
--Panicking, Miles TAKES OFF RUNNING.
SECURITY GUARD
--Hey!
Miles rounds a corner and runs down the hall trying.
He finds an open door and runs into:
INT. OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Miles slams the door behind him.
MILES (V.O.)
You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re
okay. He’ll never find you.
He SPINS to LOOK AROUND THE OFFICE, and sees, to his horror,
a PHOTO OF THE SECURITY GUARD AND HIS BUDDIES. 23.MILES (V.O.)
No.
EXT. SECURITY OFFICE
The guard reaches the door, starts to bang. We now see the
sign on the door: SECURITY OFFICE.
INSIDE THE OFFICE
Miles is stuck, yanking on the door. His HAND pulls away,
ripping off the DOOR'S VENEER.
He stands, his hands sticking to his shirt and accidentally
YANKING IT OVER HIS EYES.
SECURITY GUARD (O.S.)
What are you doing in my office
Morales?! Morales! Open up!
Unable to see he RUNS DIRECTLY INTO A BOOKSHELF, then sticks
to it, pulling it down IN FRONT OF THE DOOR. He hits the
laptop and Spider-man’s Christmas song (”Spidey Bells”)
starts to play.
MILES (VO/THOUGHT BUBBLE)
Why is this happening?
Outside in the hallway, the security guard notices the kids
reacting to the song playing from his office.
SECURITY GUARD
(sheepish)
It’s my kids playlist.
--Miles TRIPS and ROLLS UP THE WALL -- circling the four
walls like a dervish, he sticks to the ceiling and “break
dances.”
SECURITY GUARD (CONT’D)
Open up!
MILES (V.O./THOUGHT BALLOON)
(exerting himself)
Stop... sticking!
He falls onto a DESK CHAIR and then ROLLS OUT THE WINDOW!
OUTSIDE THE BUILDING
Miles sticks straight out his window sill, sticky feet the
only thing preventing him from falling down.24.MILES (V.O./THOUGHT BUBBLE) (CONT’D)
Keep sticking, Miles!
Miles struggles to get inside. He rolls onto an ADJACENT
WINDOW where A FULL CLASSROOM of TRANSFIXED STUDENTS doesn’t
notice the horrified Miles on the window--
TEACHER
....what Hofstadter is
suggesting... is that we... look
underneath...
--Miles rolls AROUND THE BUILDING, rounding a corner --
Suddenly BIRDS fly into him, and somehow become STUCK TO HIS
HANDS as they FLAP WILDLY, PECKING AT HIS EYES--
INSIDE THE GLASS HALLWAY, we find WANDA, watching Miles, a
little perplexed.
WANDA
...OK...
BACK WITH MILES, rounding a corner-- He’s back at his dorm
room!
MILES
My room!
IN HIS ROOM, Miles makes his way through his window to the
FLOOR. He looks up, breath heaving as a SPIDER-MAN COMIC
floats down onto his face. (The True Life Tales of Spider-
Man)
Miles lifts the comic -- it rips a bit -- and looks at it.
The two-page spread contains panels IDENTICAL TO WHAT MILES
JUST EXPERIENCED: A Spider bite. Peter Parker pulling on the
door ("Why is this happening?", “Please stop sticking!”),
rolling out the window, and finally lying the floor, exactly
where Miles is.
MILES (CONT’D)
(pure panic)
How could there be two Spider-Men?
There can’t be two Spider-Men.
(V.O.)
Can there?
SEQ. 1100 - I DON’T WANT TO BE A SUPERHERO “IDW”25.SPLASH PAGE: THE TWO SPIDER-MEN
On the cover: Miles leans against a glass building, 20
stories up. The REAL SPIDER-MAN is his reflection, but he’s
bigger and cooler looking.
EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - DUSK
Miles races down the street. A phone RINGS.
MILES (V.O.)
Come on Uncle Aaron. Pick up. Pick
up.
UNCLE AARON (PHONE MESSAGE)
--Yo, it’s Aaron. I'm outta town
for a few days. Hit you when I'm
back. Peace.
His thoughts racing in V.O.:
MILES (V.O.)
No nononono. It's not possible--
--The THOUGHT BUBBLE “NO’S” FLY OFF BEHIND HIM--
MILES
It's just puberty, it’s a normal
spider, and I'm a normal kid--
--SCREEEEEEEEECCCHHH!!!! Miles races into the path of an
ONCOMING CAR, but reflexes kick in and he VAULTS over it --
an INSANE SUPER-HEROIC leap that lands him twenty feet away.
AMAZED PASSERSBY CHEER.
Miles continues on, more freaked out than ever.
SEQ. 1150 - BACK THROUGH THE TUNNELS “BTT”
ONSCREEN COMIC BOOK BOXES: “Later...Miles searches for
answers...”
INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - NIGHT
Miles rides the subway.
MILES (V.O.)
I gotta tell someone.
He scrolls to his DAD’s number. He thinks to himself for a
beat, then DECIDES AGAINST IT. 26.INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT
He exits the subway, turns toward the DARK TUNNEL he and
Uncle Aaron walked into.
MILES
You’re being crazy Miles. You’re
being crazy.
INT. ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT
The MURAL Miles made is still here.
MILES
Find the spider. You’ll see.
The DEAD SPIDER is there. Miles flips it over. It looks WEIRD
and FLUORESCENT.
MILES (CONT’D)
It's a normal spider. It’s like
boring how normal the spider is...
The spider GLITCHES making Miles jump back.
Suddenly, Miles hears a RUMBLE. He stands, STARTLED. The
rumble STOPS. It appears to be coming from a PITCH BLACK
ABANDONED TUNNEL. A surge of SPIDER-SENSE. Overwhelming.
MILES (V.O.) (CONT’D)
Why is this happening to me?
SEQ. 1200 - ASSEMBLY ROOM FIGHT “ARF”
INT. PITCH BLACK TUNNEL
Miles shines his light into darkness. This is SCARY. A LONG,
BLUE TUBE, stamped ALCHEMAX, arcs into the DISTANCE, HUMMING.
Miles’ spider-sense continues to direct him.
Another surge of SPIDER-SENSE hits Miles and we hear
competing thoughts in his head.
MILES (V.O.)
Slow down!/What am I doing? What am
I doing?
Miles picks up the pace, jogs around the corner, where Miles
TURNS, a BIG SURGE OF SPIDER-SENSE and multiple voices are
heard together-- 27.MILES
Look out./I don’t want to be a
hero!/Look out.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1
--You’re like me--
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2
--That’s all it is Miles.--MYSTERIOUS VOICE #3
--You’re like me--
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #4
--LOOK OUT--
--WHAM!!!!! A SUBWAY CAR flies towards him from the next room
and SMASHES AGAINST THE WALL BESIDE HIM!
MILES
Whoa!
INT. SUPERCOLLIDER STAGING CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS
A massive staging room containing Alchemax EQUIPMENT.
ZOOM IN ON: SPIDER-MAN. In mid-flight. Backwards. He wrecks
against some painful looking equipment.
ON MILES, TERRIFIED. What's happening?!
SPIDER-MAN
Norman, listen to me.
MILES (V.O.)
Spider-Man?!
SPIDER-MAN
I cannot let you open a portal to
another dimension! Brooklyn is not
zoned for that!
PAN to reveal GREEN GOBLIN, a 25' beast with massive wings.
He unfurls a big BIG BLUE TONGUE.
GREEN GOBLIN
It’s not up to me.
MILES (V.O.)
Is that Green Goblin!?
GREEN GOBLIN
Why won’t you quit?!28.SPIDER-MAN
I don’t know I guess I like
Brooklyn not being sucked into a
black hole?
MILES
I think I’m gonna go...
SPIDER-MAN
Staten Island maybe, NOT Brooklyn!
As Miles turns to run, A GIANT BEAM CRASHES INTO THE ROOM.
Miles FALLS ON TOP OF IT as it swings back out into the room
where Goblin and Spider-Man are FIGHTING. Miles hangs onto
the beam for dear life.
MILES
No, no!
Miles is tossed around the room as Goblin and Spider-Man
battle.
Green Goblin throws CLUSTER BOMBS as Spider-man swings around
them, and Miles avoids the explosion but now he's EXPOSED.
This is WAY more real in person.
He runs down a MASSIVE HALLWAY, away from the battle. Miles
catches himself before tumbling over the end of the hallway
into a giant room.
SEQ. 1210 - MEET KINGPIN “MKP”
INT. SUPERCOLLIDER ROOM
He is now in an ENORMOUS CHAMBER containing a SUPERCOLLIDER.
MILES
Woah!!
Miles looks around the room, confused.
MILES (CONT’D)
What is this place?--
--Spider-Man and Goblin BURST through doors above him--
--Miles falls STRAIGHT DOWN, but Spidey spots Miles and--
--swings him safely away, high and far from the action. They
are on an OBSERVATION LEDGE overlooking the collider chamber.
A beat as they appraise each other. Then:29.SPIDER-MAN
Did you know your shoes are untied?
MILES
Uh huh.
SPIDER-MAN
This is a onesie so I don’t really
have to worry about it.
A beat. Spidey senses something in Miles. Their spider-senses
RESONATE. Like a mind meld.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
(thrown)
I thought I was the only one.
You’re like me.
MILES
I don’t want to be.
SPIDER-MAN
I don’t think you have a choice,
kiddo.
(gently)
Got a lot going through your head,
I’m sure.
MILES
Yeah...
SPIDER-MAN
You’re gonna be fine. I can help
you. If you stick around, I can
show you the ropes.
MILES
(so relieved)
Yeah.
SPIDER-MAN
I just need to destroy this big
machine real quick before the space
time continuum collapses. Don’t
move. See you in a bit--
--IN AN AMAZING, MIND-BOGGLING MOVE, Spidey jumps away and
uses the MASSIVE CHURNING SUPERCOLLIDER to WHIP HIMSELF UP
until he’s ON THE CEILING, hundreds of yards above, and eye-
level with a CEILING PANEL.
MILES (V.O.)
How does he do that?30.He RIPS THE PANEL OUT, reaches in, pulling out COMPLICATED
WIRING. He pulls a STRANGE COMPUTERIZED KEY out of his suit
and tries to plug it INTO A HANGING PORT. Miles watches,
IMPRESSED.
Spider-Man tries to put the key in the port, but it’s the
wrong side, he flips it around, that’s wrong too somehow.
SPIDER-MAN
I always get this wrong.
As he finally gets it-- a SURGE OF SPIDER-SENSE--
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
(looks up)
Oh boy.
--A PURPLE BLUR streaks overhead. TWO PUNCHES from nowhere.
Dazed, Spider-Man looks up and sees a lanky opponent in a
purple MASK and SUIT wearing mechanized GLOVES and BOOTS.
It's THE PROWLER.
As they FLY ACROSS THE ROOM, FIGHTING--
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Prowler! Man, I was in the middle
of something!
Prowler THROWS HIM HARD TO THE GROUND.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
(hitting ground)
I am so tired...
Prowler lunges towards Spider-Man but Spider-Man expertly
dodges the claws and spinning rocket boot kicks--
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Are you mad at me? I feel like
you’re mad at me.
Miles watches from down below, helpless. He SNAPS a picture
on his cell phone.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Is that all you got?
--The GREEN GOBLIN appears and pins Spider-Man to the ground.
His giant blue tongue lashes around angrily, hitting Spider-
Man with GIANT GOBS OF SPIT.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Uhh, so gross. 31.MILES (V.O./THOUGHT BUBBLES)
I should go up there and help him!
Who am I kidding, I should not do
that.
PRELAP: THE SOUND OF LOUD, DELIBERATE FOOTSTEPS. THE CLICKING
OF A PEN.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TERRIFIED SCIENTISTS work as SOMETHING HUGE walks through the
room from behind them.
REVEAL KINGPIN, an elaborately-tailored HULK OF A MAN. He
walks through the control room towards the windows that face
out over the collider room.
KINGPIN
(creepily singing spider-
man theme)
Dooby do, dooby do. Watch out, here
comes the spider-man!
(then, over a P.A.)
You like my new toy? It cost me a
fortune. But hey, you can’t take it
with you, right? You came all this
way. Watch the test. It’s a hell of
a freakin’ light show, you’re gonna
love this.
SPIDER-MAN
(panicking now)
No! No! Don’t do this! Stop! You
don’t know what it can do, it’ll
kill us all!
The collider ROARS ON, lights MOVING UP THE WALLS toward the
top, as it CRESCENDOES WITH-- CLUNK! A TINY ATMOSPHERIC METER
in a BOX lowers down, blinking, with a TINNY WHIR...
Spider-Man confused as--the SENSOR LOCKS INTO PLACE.
--BLAM! The collider behind Spidey ACTIVATES, firing PARTICLE
BEAMS at the BOX, which FREAKS OUT, it’s readings ON HAYWIRE.
IT’S CRAZY LOOKING.
Kingpin watches, a huge smile. A DREAM COMING TRUE. The
scientists are growing EXCITED--
SCIENTIST 3 (O.S.)
The portal is opening.FEMALE PHYSICIST VOICE (O.S.)
I see multiple dimensions
opening! 32.KINGPIN
Good.
FEMALE PHYSICIST VOICE (O.S.)
That was 3... 4... and 5 separate
dimensions--
SCIENTIST 4 (O.S.)
It’s unstable... we should stop--
EXT. BROOKLYN - SAME TIME
A Brooklynite looks up from a quivering latte at FOAM
PARTY...
A minor EARTHQUAKE shakes Brooklyn. But this is no ordinary
earthquake. Weird colors, weird blurring. 25 TRAFFIC LIGHTS
vibrating in the same space. 25 DIFFERENT-LOOKING CHRYSLER
BUILDINGS vibrating in the same space. As we’ll later learn
this is a “dimensional quake.” Very dangerous. But it looks
COOL.
INSIDE THE COLLIDER ROOM
Spider-Man struggles as Goblin continues to hold him onto the
ground. The ceiling tiles begin to shake, falling onto Goblin-
-
SPIDER-MAN
Norm, what’s your take on head
trauma?
(it hits Goblin)
--I tried to warn you, pal.
Spidey jumps towards the collider. BUT--
Goblin rises, flies, then GRABS Spider-Man and SHOVES HIM
into the beam/tiny portal. The beam now OUT OF CONTROL.
KINGPIN
Goblin, no! Get him out of there!
Uh Oh. Goblin pushes Spidey's head INTO THE BEAM.
PETER'S POV -- PSYCHEDELIC LIGHTS and UNDULATING THREADS. We
don’t know it yet but we are seeing a portal to the
multiverse. SPIDEY starts to GLITCH STRANGELY--
--Spidey regains control, PULLING GOBLIN into the beam then A
HUGE ENERGY PULSE BURSTS OUT FROM THE COLLIDER, knocking
everyone back! 33.OUTSIDE, the PULSE WHOOSHES THROUGH THE CITY, KNOCKING THE
LIGHTS OUT TEMPORARILY--
SEQ. 1220 - DEATH OF SPIDER-MAN “DOS”
INT. SUPERCOLLIDER STAGING AREA - INTERCUT
The PULSE wrecks the chamber. Miles has FALLEN THROUGH A HOLE
IN THE FLOOR, smoke billowing everywhere.
Miles scrambles by the remains of Green Goblin, crushed by
some heavy machinery: DEAD.
--Miles reaches A very injured SPIDER-MAN.
MILES
Hey! Are you okay???
SPIDER-MAN
(no, but plays it off)
I’m fine, I’m fine. Just resting.
MILES
Can’t you get up?
SPIDER-MAN
(wry laugh)
Yeah, yeah I always get up...
(coughing)
The coughing’s probably not a good
sign.
NOISES FROM ABOVE, shadows. Kingpin’s thugs have discovered
the hole.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Listen, we gotta team up here, we
don’t have that much time...
--Spider-Man hands the SHUTDOWN KEY to Miles--
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
This override key is the only way
to stop the collider. Swing up
there, use this key, push the
button, and blow it up.
Spider-Man swallows hard, his breath shallower, his voice
FAST. This is serious--34.SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
You need to hide your face. You
don’t tell anyone who you are. No
one can know. He’s got everyone in
his pocket--
MILES
--What?
SPIDER-MAN
If he turns the machine on again,
everything you know will disappear.
Your family, everyone -- everyone.
Promise me you’ll do this.
MILES
I promise.
SPIDER-MAN
--Go! Destroy the collider. I’ll
come and find you... it’s going to
be ok.
--Miles CLAMBERS UP A DEBRIS PILE TO THE FLOOR ABOVE--
Miles peeks up to the top of the collider... IT’S SO FAR UP
THERE. Down below the conversation continues. Kingpin enters:
KINGPIN
Tombstone. We’re done with tests.
Get that thing ready to go again.
The scientist BACKS AWAY, runs. Kingpin shakes his head.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
Run faster. These guys are weak.
Kingpin approaches Spider-Man.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
I’d say it’s nice to see you again,
Spider-Man. But it’s not.
SPIDER-MAN
Hey Kingpin. How’s business?
KINGPIN
Booming. Ha!
SPIDER-MAN
Nice...
Kingpin takes off Spider-Man's mask. 35.SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
Aw, that’s a no-no.
It's Peter Parker, 26 years old. BLONDE.
SPIDER-MAN (CONT’D)
This might open a black hole under
Brooklyn. It can’t be worth the
risk.
KINGPIN
It's not always about the money,
Spider-Man.
Prowler APPEARS FROM THE DARKNESS, advances on Peter--
SPIDER-MAN
(frantic)
--Don’t you want to know what I saw
in there?
KINGPIN
--WAIT...
Kingpin’s hand raises. Prowler HALTS.
SPIDER-MAN
I know what you’re trying to do.
And it won’t work. They’re gone.
A flash of FURY and Kingpin delivers the DEATH BLOW himself.
A long beat.
KINGPIN
Get rid of the body.
ON MILES, eyes widening. Miles moves slightly and makes
DEBRIS fall.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
What was that?
They follow the noise up to MILES' SILHOUETTED FIGURE...
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
Kill that guy.
Miles RUNS. The Prowler takes off after Miles.
SEQ. 1240 - PROWLER CHASES MILES “PCM”36.INT. SUBWAY TUNNELS - CONTINUOUS
--Miles races down the tunnel toward the LIGHT OF THE
STATION. He HOPS THE FENCE, no hesitation.
Prowler sprints behind with INFRARED VISION!
A SUBWAY TRAIN IS COMING! Miles LEAPS INTO THE AIR and GRABS
THE CEILING as the DEAFENING subway passes BENEATH HIM.
Prowler WALKS TOWARD MILES as Miles realizes his HANDS ARE
STUCK! Miles swings his legs around to free himself as
Prowler approaches. A nightmare come to life.
MILES
Stop sticking!
Miles somehow RIPS HIS HANDS OFF, skin tearing -- OW! -- and
races out of the tunnel--
INTO THE LIGHT, clambering onto the PLATFORM, another train
coming, Miles LEAPS, just CLEARING IT. He runs upstairs.
Prowler watches from the SHADOWY TUNNEL, unable to follow.
SUBWAY VOICE
Stand clear of the closing doors,
please.
EXT. BROOKLYN - NIGHT
Prowler whizzes through the busy streets on his motorcycle.
He drives right by a hiding Miles.
Miles runs past a crowd that is gathering around the strange
CLUSTERED TRAFFIC LIGHT we saw earlier(A remnant of
dimensional glitching), taking photos.
BROOKLYNITE
Yeah, I think it’s a Banksy.
SEQ. 1250 - JUST KID STUFF “JKS”
INT. MILES’ CHILDHOOD BEDROOM - LATER
Off screen, a TV plays the news as MILES climbs through the
window.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.S.)
...New Yorkers are reporting
sporadic power outages in the wake
of another strange seismic event... 37.He's breathing heavy. He's freaked out and so scared. JEFF'S
VOICE rings out from O.S.
JEFFERSON (O.S.)
Police! Put your hands up!!
..Miles? Miles?
Jefferson sees Miles.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Why aren’t you at school?
--Miles runs up to his dad and embraces him. Jeff is
confused, then seems to get it.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Whoa, whoa, it’s ok.
RIO
Miles? Que te pasa? Is it the
earthquake?
Miles looks at each of his parents, torn. Maybe he should
confide in them...?
MILES
Can I sleep here tonight?
JEFFERSON
Miles, it’s a weeknight. You made a
commitment to that school--
RIO
--Jeff, he’s upset.
Rio and Jeff share a look. Jeff understands, softens.
JEFFERSON
Of course you can stay.
Miles sits down on his bed.
MILES
Dad?
JEFFERSON
--Yeah?--
MILES
...Do you really hate Spider-Man?
JEFFERSON
(beat, confused)
Yeah?
(MORE)38.(then)
I mean, with a vigilante--
--Rio shoves Jeff out--
RIO
--Jeff, mi amor--
JEFFERSON
--What? He asked me. Baby, you know
how I feel about Spider-Man,
c’mon...
RIO
Mhmm...
Jeff leaves. Miles, lies down on his bed. Rio tenderly
strokes Miles’ forehead.
RIO (CONT’D)
Tu sabes que el te quiere mucho...
That’s why he’s tough on you, you
know that, right?
MILES
Mom, do you ever think about moving
out of Brooklyn?
RIO
Our family doesn’t run from things,
Miles.
MILES
Yeah, I know.
Rio kisses his forehead. Gets up, LIGHTS OUT.
RIO (O.S.)
He’s having a hard time, Jeff.
JEFFERSON (O.S.)
When it gets hard, that’s
when he’s gotta stick it out. RIO (CONT'D)
Shhhh. Tiene que mas suave.
Their voices fade.
Miles take the KEY out of his pocket in a closed fist as the
MUFFLED SOUND of his parents’ voices fades away. Miles opens
his hand, revealing the KEY. Miles stares at it.
SEQ. 1330 - PETER’S FUNERAL “PEF”JEFFERSON (CONT'D)39.TV NEWS BULLETIN
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - INTERCUT
Rio and Jefferson watch the news. Miles sits up in bed.
NEWS ANCHOR #2 (V.O.)
We interrupt this broadcast for a
special report. Sad news tonight.
The hero known as Spider-Man has
died after injuries related to
another powerful earthquake in
Brooklyn.
Over a montage of people around the city finding out Spider-
Man died, we hear...
NEWS ANCHOR #2 (V.O.)
Multiple sources are confirming
that Peter Parker, a 26 year old
grad student and part time
photographer, operated as Spider-
Man for at least a decade, saving
by some counts thousands of lives
around the world. With these tragic
seismic events on the rise, one can
only wonder, is there anyone who
can keep New York safe?
People look at cell phones in Times Square.
MULTIPLE NEWS ANCHORS (V.O.)
Peter Parker, Spider-Man, is dead.
/ He is survived by his wife Mary
Jane and his aunt, May Parker. /
Our hero Spider-Man is gone.
EXT. ELECTRONICS STORE - DAY
Miles stands in front of a TV display at a store window. All
the TVS are playing the news about Spider-Man’s death. Miles
looks at the TVs, his reflection appearing between photos of
Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
MJ (V.O.)
My husband Peter Parker was an
ordinary person. He always said it
could have been anyone behind the
mask. He was just the kid who
happened to get bit.40.INT. STAN’S COSTUME STORE - DAY
Miles looks at a Spider-Man costume, deciding. Then BUYS IT
from a COMIC BOOK OWNER who looks A LOT LIKE...
STORE OWNER
I’m going to miss him.
MILES
Yeah.
STORE OWNER
We were friends you know.
MILES
Can I return it if it doesn’t fit?
STORE OWNER
It always fits. Eventually.
Beat. Stan head tilts to a sign: NO RETURNS. He smiles.
INT. BATHROOM
Miles puts the costume on and stares at himself in the
mirror.
MJ (V.O.)
He didn’t ask for his powers. But
he chose to be Spider-Man.
He experiments, crouching in a classic Spider-Man pose. He
relaxes then quickly tries another pose.
EXT. CATHEDRAL - DAY
Miles walks in a sea of well wishers in full costume, many
also in Spider-Man costumes, homemade and store bought.
MJ
My favorite thing about Peter is
that he made us each feel powerful.
We all have powers of one kind or
another. But in our own way, we are
all Spider-man. And we’re all
counting on you.
MILES
(to himself)
They’re counting on me. 41.FUNERAL ATTENDEE
(whispers to Miles)
Probably not you specifically. I
think it’s a metaphor.
MJ backs away from the dais. Aunt May comforts her.
EXT. ALLEY
Miles rounds a corner and takes out the Spider-Man Origins
comic book. He flips to a page that depicts Peter testing his
new powers by jumping from a building.
INT. BUILDING - DAY
Miles RUNS UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS, eyes determined. He BURSTS
THROUGH A DOOR AND onto--
EXT. ROOF - DAY
Miles walks to the edge, looks DOWN and then ACROSS to the
neighboring roof, calculating the jump.
He BACKS UP. Cracks his neck. Waits there. As the MUSIC
CRESCENDOES--
INT. BUILDING - DAY
Miles RUNS DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS.
INT. BUILDING - DAY
Miles, disappointed in himself for chickening out, eyes a
SHORTER BUILDING.
INT. BUILDING - DAY
Miles RUNS UP ANOTHER FLIGHT OF STAIRS.
EXT. ROOF - DAY
He BACKS UP. Cracks his neck...then RUNS, gaining speed--
--and TRIPS on his untied shoelace, FALLING TO THE GROUND
BELOW. We make a meal of the fall, comics-style. 42.Miles lands with a CRACK (BURST CARD), and pulls out the key
which is now TOTALLY BROKEN.
SEQ. 1400 - THE CEMETERY “CEM” - PART 1
EXT. CATHEDRAL - NIGHT - LATER
It's snowing now. Empty and quiet. Footsteps on snow as Miles
approaches Peter Parker's grave.
He takes off his mask, looks down at Parker's gravestone and
sighs, then speaks, so softly we can barely hear him.
MILES
I’m sorry, Mr. Parker... That thing
you gave me, that key...
(holds it out)
I think I really messed it up. I
want to do what you asked. I really
do, but... I’m sorry. I’m not sure
I’m the guy. I can’t do this
without you.
BEHIND MILES a DARK FIGURE rises, casting a shadow.
VOICE (O.S.)
Hey! Kid!--
Terrified, Miles pulls his mask down and TURNS AROUND--
--The figure steps forward -- Miles panics and throws his
arms up, accidentally delivering a VENOM STRIKE.
The Dark Figure flies back as WEBBING flies from his hands
and sticks to Miles, yanking Miles forward.
MILES
Woah!!
Miles sits up and looks at his HANDS, the webbing.
MILES (CONT’D)
What did I do to him? Uh...
Miles runs over to the body, pulls back his jacket and
reveals a SPIDER-MAN COSTUME.
MILES (CONT’D)
No... Who are you?43.SEQ. 2090 - PETER’S FLASHBACK “PFB”
PETER (V.O.)
Alright people, let’s do this one
last time. My name is Peter B.
Parker...
PAGES FLIP FAST: "Coming next month! A Spider-Man from
another world..."
SPLASH PAGE: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
QUICK FLASHES, similar but not identical to the ones we saw
in the cold open. High-energy running, fighting, leaping...
PETER (V.O.)
...I was bitten by a radioactive
spider. And for the last twenty-two
years I thought I was the one and
only "Spider-Man".
Peter on a gargoyle drinking coffee with the morning paper.
PETER
What a day...
PETER (V.O.)
I’m pretty sure you know the rest.
INT./EXT. A rapid barrage of IMAGES from Spider-Man canon
whiz by -- but with VARIATIONS and NEW SHOTS too. Instead of
Uncle Ben on the bed, for instance, it’s AUNT MAY.
PETER (V.O.)
You see I saved the city, fell in
love, I got married, saved the city
some more, maybe too much, my
marriage got testy, made some dicey
money choices -- don’t invest in a
Spider-themed restaurant...
We see a few FAST IMAGES of Spider-Man doing his thing but
losing a step, swinging with coffee, etc.,standing in front
of a shuttered TGISpideys, signing divorce papers, HOLDING
HIS BACK, BAD INVESTMENTS, DOOR SLAMMING, GETTING HIT BY A
DRONE.
PETER (V.O.)
...Then like fifteen years passed
blah blah blah super boring, I
broke my back, a drone flew into my
face, I buried Aunt May, my wife
and I split up.
(MORE)44.(then)
But I handled it like a champion.
CUT TO Peter CRYING on the floor of the shower in his spider-
suit.
PETER (V.O.)
‘Cause you know what? No matter how
many times I get hit, I always get
back up.
Peter’s slumped like a slug in bed, wearing his costume. His
ALARM goes off -- he lifts up his mask and immediately pulls
it back down. He refuses to shut off the alarm, so it keeps
BLARING.
He watches TV. A nature show. Seahorses reflecting in his SAD
SPIDER EYES.
PETER (V.O.)
And I got a lot of time to reflect
and work on myself. Did you know
that seahorses that they mate for
life? Could you imagine a seahorse
seeing another seahorse and then
making it work?
(then)
She wanted kids and it scared me.
Peter sits on the roof of a building looking at his phone,
deciding whether or not to call MJ.
PETER (V.O.)
I’m pretty sure I broke her heart.
(beat)
Flash forward, I’m in my apartment
doing pushups, doing ab crunches,
getting strong--
REVEAL PETER, with his costume half on, eating pizza--
PETER (V.O.)
--when this weird thing happened.
--A TREMOR hits the room causing the same strange “color
separation” we saw before. Peter’s whole body suddenly SHAKES
AND VIBRATES as he LOOKS UP--
--Where A PSYCHEDELIC PORTAL YAWNS OPEN, sucking him TOWARD
IT -- his body FLIES UP, halftones more prominent--PETER (V.O.) (CONT'D)45.PETER (V.O)
... And I gotta say, weird things
happen to me a lot. But this was
real weird.
Peter uses his limbs to fight but it's TOO STRONG... the
portal CLOSES. The pizza slice drops on the floor.
INT. INTER-DIMENSIONAL PORTAL - CONTINUOUS
Halftone Peter flies SCREAMING through an INSANE MULTIVERSE,
trying to PULL HIS MASK ON...
...he is falling towards a STRANGE KALEIDOSCOPE OF SPIDER-
MEN, just like we saw earlier, towards the BRIGHT CENTER...
EXT. BROOKLYN - NIGHT
Peter EXPLODES IN AN ENERGY BURST OUT OF THE COLLIDER (the
pulse from earlier that spread through Brooklyn after Spider-
Man and Green Goblin fell into the beam).
Peter TUMBLES and CAREENS through a BLUR OF CITY and NIGHT
SKY as his MOLECULES SOLIDIFY, finally coming to rest in--
TIMES SQUARE
Peter slowly stands, stares open-mouthed at STRANGE
BUILDINGS, BILLBOARDS and STORES with close-but-not-quite-
right LOGOS.
PETER (V.O.)
...You see I was in New York,
but... things were different.
Finally Peter looks at a ticker-tape LED sign in front of NNN
(National News Network-- a cable station): "NEW YORK’S HERO,
SPIDER-MAN, FOUND DEAD AT 26"
PETER (V.O.)
Also I was dead. And blonde. I was
kind of... perfect. It was like
looking in a mirror.
We cut from RIPeter to this new Peter, LIFTING HIS MASK. One
slick and new, one old and BEAT UP.
CUT TO Peter at Spider-Man’s funeral. MJ gives her eulogy.
MJ
My husband Peter Parker was an
ordinary person.
(MORE)46.He always said it could have been
anyone behind the mask.
PETER (V.O.)
I have a feeling the thing that
brought me here, was the thing that
got him killed. You wanna know what
happened next?
(beat)
Me too.
We see Miles "venom strike" again.
SEQ. 1400 - THE CEMETERY “CEM” - PART 2
Miles approaches the figure. A flash of spidey-sense. The
figure looks like Peter Parker, but with BROWN HAIR.
MILES
Who are you?
POLICE OFFICER #1 (O.S.)
What are you doing over there?
Freeze! PDNY!
A flashlight finds Miles who STARTLES, hands up.
--Miles decides to RUN! But he's tied to an unconscious body,
and is SNAPPED BACK--
MILES
Are you kidding me right now?
Police approach, TURNING ON BODY CAMERAS. Miles gasps.
Frantic, HE PICKS UP the immobile "Peter" ON HIS BACK--
POLICE OFFICER #1
Stop! Stop!
POLICE OFFICER #1 (CONT’D)
Hey kid, drop the body!
Miles PICKS UP SURPRISING SPEED, tracking FOOTPRINTS in the
snow which Peter's dragging legs quickly blur.
POLICE OFFICER #1 (CONT’D)
Hey kid! Get over here!
Miles sees THE GLINT of the web shooters on Peter's wrist.
THINKING FAST, he aims Peter's arm to shoot webbing.
The webs dart out and attach to a nearby tree. Miles and
Peter swing forward-- MJ (CONT'D)47.MILES
--See ya, officers!--
--then they CREST, and go SAILING BACK--
MILES (CONT’D)
--Oh come on--
They SPIN THROUGH THE AIR then SMACK ONTO A WALL, Peter
DRAGGING Miles down--
--Peter lands in the snow and Miles lands in his lap.
POLICE OFFICER #2
C’mon now! Put em' up, son!
Miles puts his and Peter's hands up. Flops the hands around
as he gesticulates--
--Miles accidentally uses Peter’s web shooter, firing it
toward an oncoming elevated train... it CONNECTS!
MILES
Adios?
--WHOOSH! Miles and Peter are WHIPPED OUT OF FRAME and
DRAGGED away through the snow by the TRAIN.
BAM! He slams into the PETER PARKER GRAVESTONE, knocked out
as Miles PINBALLS from gravestone to gravestone--
MILES (CONT’D)
Help! Somebody stop that train!
SEQ. 1450 - THE SPIDER-MEN “TSM”
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - CONTINUOUS
Miles and an unconscious Peter get dragged through the city.
The train lifts them up into the air, above the traffic as
COP CARS FOLLOW BEHIND, SIRENS BLAZING.
PETERS LIPS FLAP.
The trajectory of the train lowers them down towards an
unsuspecting BICYCLIST. Miles and Peter get tangled with the
bicyclist, causing him to go flying in the air (MULTIPANEL).
PETER
(very groggy)
Oh, hey, what the...?48.They whiz through ONCOMING TRAFFIC, pedestrians, Miles trying
to swing his weight around to maneuver through.
Trying to lift up Peter, Miles instead forces his face INTO
THE GROUND. Peter is knocked unconscious again.
MILES
I’M GOING TO DIE!!
Miles realizes he has to HANDLE THIS SOMEHOW--
--Miles PUPPETS PETER’S BODY, moving Peter's legs and arms to
parkour over cars, push off signs, anything to survive.
Two COPS sit in traffic - their radio CRACKLES TO LIFE.
RADIO
...Looks like a child dressed as
Spider-Man dragging a homeless
corpse behind a train--
The guys hit the SIREN LIGHTS--
--Peter comes to again, so groggy..
MILES
Yes! I didn’t kill you!
PETER
Who are you?
MILES
Who are you?
PETER
(groggy)
Why are you trying to kill
me?--MILES (CONT'D)
--I’m not! I’m trying to save
you!
--BAM! Peter's head HITS a TRAFFIC LIGHT and he is KNOCKED
UNCONSCIOUS AGAIN--
Peter comes to again as they stuck to the side of a bus and
slowly sliiiiiide along the window. The train keeps moving,
the web is STRETCHING TAUT... Peter comes to again, so
groggy...
Finally, the train stops at a station and they COME TO A STOP
at an intersection. Miles and Peter DETACH onto a sidewalk
surrounded by NEW YORKERS who simply WALK OVER THEM.
MILES (CONT’D)
Hey, uh, maybe you guys can go
around? Alright. Thanks, New York. 49.SEQ. 2100 - GETTING ANSWERS, BOOM! “GAB”
INT. UNCLE AARON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
TIME CUT:
PETER'S POV -- he opens his eyes.
PETER (V.O.)
What was that? Kid electrocuted
me... with his hands?
Peter, so GROGGY, is tied to a punching bag. The punching bag
is tied with many many many many ropes. And computer cords.
Like a homemade spiderweb. Miles sits opposite him.
A FLASH OF SPIDER-SENSE. Peter realizes what Miles is.
PETER
You’re like me.
Miles puts up a tough front. He nearly pulls it off...
MILES
(tough voice)
I got some questions.
Peter LUNGES erratically. Miles startles, frightened--
MILES (CONT’D)
Why do you look like Peter Parker?
PETER
Because I am Peter Parker.
MILES
Then why aren’t you dead? Why is
your hair different? Why are you
older, why is your body... a
different shape?
PETER
Pretty sure you just called me fat.
MILES
No, no you just--
PETER
--Hey listen, you don't look so hot
either kid. Most superheroes don't
wear their own merch.50.Miles looks at his outfit and frowns. Why is this dude
throwing shade at him?
MILES
--Are you a ghost?--
PETER
--No--
MILES
--Are you a zombie?--
PETER
--Stop it--
MILES
--Am I a zombie?--
PETER
You’re not even close.
MILES
Are you from another dimension?
(Peter is quiet)
Like a parallel universe where
things are like this universe but
different? And you're Spider-Man in
that universe? But somehow traveled
to this universe, but you don’t
know how?
PETER
Wow. That was really just a guess?
MILES
Well, we learned about it in
physics.
PETER
--Quantum theory.
MILES
(realizing)
This is amazing. You can teach me
just like Peter said he would--
PETER
--Before he died.
MILES
Yeah, exactly.
PETER
Yeah, alright.51.MILES
Look I made a promise to him.
PETER
Here’s lesson number one, kid.
Don't watch the mouth. Watch the
hands.
Peter holds up his UNTIED hands. Miles is flabbergasted.
Peter stands up.
Before Miles can react, Peter leaps, kicks-spins the punching
bag toward Miles, knocking him over HARD!
MILES
Peter, seriously--
--Peter WEBS HIS MOUTH SHUT.
Peter BOUNDS to the window. Turns back... feeling guilty.
PETER
Trust me, kid, this'll all make you
a better Spider-Man.
Peter LEAPS FROM THE WINDOW--
--but his powers GLITCH, he FALLS. We hear him SCREAM, then
hit the fire escape.
SEQ. 1750 - TEAMING UP “TEU”
EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT
MILES
Hey, are you okay?
PETER
No I’m not.
MILES
What’s going on with your body?
PETER
I don’t think my atoms are real
jazzed about being in the wrong
dimension.
(glitches)
Look, I’m not looking for a side
gig as a Spider-Man coach. I got a
lot going on in my dimension, like
a lot.52.MILES
With great power comes great--
PETER
Don’t you dare finish that sentence-
- don’t do it. I’m sick of it.
(glitches)
Want my advice? Go back to being a
regular kid--
MILES
I don’t have a choice. Kingpin’s
got a supercollider. He’s trying to
kill me.
PETER
Wait a second, what did you just
say?
MILES
Kingpin’s trying to kill me.
PETER
Who cares about that? Where’s the
collider?
MILES
Brooklyn. Under Fisk Tower.
PETER
Goodbye!
Peter starts WALKING DOWN THE BUILDING. Miles sttuggles to
FOLLOW. (Note: rest of scene staged like a classic NYC movie
“walk and talk” but IT’S VERTICAL...and one of the
participants HASN’T LEARNED TO WALK YET)
MILES
Where are you going?
PETER
When it runs again, I’ll just jump
in and get back to my life--
MILES
--You can’t let them run it. I’m
supposed to destroy it so it never
runs again or everyone’s gonna die--
PETER
(mocking)
--Or everyone’s going to die. That
is what they always say.
(MORE)53.But there’s always a little bit of
time before everybody dies, and
that’s when I do my best work.
MILES
Aren’t you going to need this?
Miles produces the goober.
PETER
Ah you have a goober. Give it.
Peter reaches out. Miles holds it back.
MILES
(holding it back)
Wait, no. Not so fast. He called it
an override key.
PETER
There’s always a bypass key, a
virus key, a who-cares key I can
never remember so I just call it a
goober. Give it.
MILES
I need it to destroy the collider.
PETER
I need it to go home!
Miles puts it in his mouth.
MILES
(mouth full)
No! I’ll swallow it, don’t play
with me!
PETER
What?
Peter starts to walk again, knowing he’ll provoke a response.
MILES
(mouth full)
I said--
Without even looking at Miles, Peter nonchalantly webs the
goober right out of Miles mouth.
MILES (CONT’D)
Hey! PETER (CONT'D)54.PETER
The collider created a portal that
brought me here. And I have to g--
(realizing)
Did you break this?
MILES
No, it... broke. I don’t remember
what happened.
PETER
This is why I never had kids, this
is why I never did that.
MILES
Can’t we make another one?
PETER
No, we can’t do anything. Thanks to
you I have to re-steal what your
guy stole from Alchemax and make
another one of these.
MILES
Look, if I don’t turn off the
collider after you leave, everyone
in this city, my parents, my uncle,
and millions of others will die,
and you’re just gonna go home and
leave me here to figure this out
for myself? You good with that,
Spider-Man?
PETER
Yeah.
Peter walks away over the top of the building and disappears
from sight.
Miles, utterly defeated sits down on the wall. With his head
in his hands.
Peter peeks his head back over the ledge. Not so far below
the surface is the guy who used to care, but...
PETER (CONT’D)
What are you doing?
MILES
Making you feel guilty. Is it
working?55.PETER
How could it, no-- Look at me, does
it look like it’s working? No
it’s.. no it’s... ohhhh...
(screaming into his
jacket)
Ahhh!!! No! No! Do not let him win!
Miles raises his head up to see Peter walk back towards him.
PETER (CONT’D)
Alright kid you win.
(then)
C’mon, we don’t have a second to
lose.
Miles smiles.
SEQ. 2120 - GREEK DINER “GRK”
EXT/INT. GREEK DINER - EARLY MORNING
--MATCH CUT Miles’ face, annoyed.
Peter STUFFS HIS FACE while Miles watches. This is not a
normal Spider-Man.
PETER
I love this burger. So delicious.
One of the best burgers I’ve ever
had. In my universe, this place
closed six years ago. I don’t know
why. I really don’t.
(the check arrives)
You have money right? I’m not very
liquid right now.
MILES
Can we focus?
PETER
Uh huh sure.
MILES
The other Peter--
PETER
(reaching for Miles’
burger)
You gonna eat that? I’m listening.56.MILES
The other Peter said he was going
to be showing me the ropes.
PETER
Wow.
MILES
You got any Spider-Man tips you can
tell me now?
PETER
Yeah I got plenty. Disinfect the
mask. You’re gonna want to use baby
powder in the suit, heavy on the
joints. You don’t want any chafing,
right?
MILES
Anything else?
PETER
Nope, that was everything.
MILES
I think you’re going to be a bad
teacher.
PETER
Mhmm.. Look up where Alchemax is.
MILES
(reads from his phone)
A private technological campus in
Hudson Valley, New York.
(excited)
You can teach me to swing on the
way there.
Peter LAUGHS.
SEQ. 2140 - HITCHING A RIDE “HAR”
TIME CUT -- Peter and Miles ride a bus through the Hudson
Valley.
PETER
I’m not swinging to the Hudson
Valley, Miles. Not after a hearty
burger-breakfast. Keep your legs
fresh, you’re gonna thank me later.
As Miles shakes his head we CUT TO:57.SEQ. 2300 - USE THE GOOD FEAR “UGF”
EXT. ALCHEMAX LABS - DAY
UNZIP! SHORTS DOWN! MASKS ON! THEY SUIT UP! Reveal Miles
wearing a YELLOW CAPE with his Spidey-suit.
PETER
And it’s a no on the cape.
MILES
I think it’s cool.
Peter grabs the cape. Miles grabs it. A bit of a tug of war.
PETER
Take that off, it’s disrespectful.
Spider-Man doesn’t wear a cape.
Finally Peter yanks the cape from Miles.
Miles and Peter lie at the edge of the woods SCOPING IT OUT.
Beautiful Zaha Hadid style buildings, a dream campus.
Peppered amongst are THUGGISH GUYS in lab coats.
MILES
So how do we retrace Peter’s steps?
PETER
That’s a good question... What
would I do if I were me...?
(thinks for a second)
Got it. Step One: I infiltrate the
lab...
We QUICKLY see MULTI-PANEL IMAGES of the mission going off
without a hitch -- and with Miles barely appearing.
PETER (CONT’D)
Two: Find the head scientist's
computer--
MILES INTERRUPTS HIS IMAGE OF A CLASSIC SCIENTIST.
MILES
That lady with the bike is the head
scientist. I saw her in this
documentary at school.
PETER
Cool. Step Three: I re-examine my
personal biases. Step Four: I hack
the computer--58.--Miles POPS into the multi-panel image of Peter downloading
the override code from the scientist’s computer--
MILES
--It’s not technically hacking.
It’s kinda--
PETER
(shoves him out)
--Not now hold on, I just lost my
train of thought... Step Five:
download the important stuff, I’ll
know it when I see it, and Step
Six:... I grab a bagel from the
cafeteria and run.
BACK LIVE
MILES
So what am I doing?
PETER
--uh Step 7: You stay here, you’re
lookout. Very important.
Miles reacts.
MILES
Look, man you have to teach me to
do Spider-Man stuff or I’m not
going to be able to help--
PETER
(stretching)
Alright...
(swinging away)
Watch and learn, kid, I’ll quiz you
later!
--Then he’s gone, stealthily swinging across the clearing
toward the ALCHEMAX BUILDING, where Peter crawls down to a
GRATE, opens it, and ENTERS. Now Miles is ALONE IN THE WOODS.
MILES
(so mad)
Why did I get stuck with the janky-
old, broke, hobo Spider-Man?
Miles PUNCHES the rock and cracks it.
MILES (CONT’D)
That’s new. 59.Suddenly a LIMO PULLS UP TO THE BUILDING, and who should step
out but KINGPIN, flanked by Tombstone, he walks into
Alchemax. Miles FREEZES.
MILES (CONT’D)
Kingpin!
He hides behind the rock, thinking. What does he do? What
does he do? What does he do?
--HARD CUT to Miles running across a field towards Alchemax.
MILES (V.O.) (CONT’D)
What am I doing? What am I doing?
What am I doing? What am I doing?
Miles looks over the side of the building, as KINGPIN and
TOMBSTONE enter.
He AWKWARDLY ENTERS THE OPEN GRATE into--
SEQ. 2350 - IN THE VENTS “ITV”
INT. ALCHEMAX LABS - VENT
Miles crawls through. He follows Kingpin, with Tombstone,
marching through the halls below. Kingpin blocks light from
below as he walks.
MILES
(whispering)
Peter! Peter--
Miles isn’t looking where he’s going, so he fails to notice
the LARGE BUTT ahead, CRASHING INTO IT--
MILES (CONT’D)
Peter!
PETER
Yeah, what are you doing here?!
MILES
Kingpin’s here! Just move over!
--Miles tries to worm up next to Peter. Miles and Peter
complain like two brothers sharing a sleeping bag.
PETER
C’mon! You’re stepping on my foot! 60.MILES
Move a little to your right--
PETER
Go back outside!
MILES
No, I can’t sit there and just let
Spider-Man die without doing
anything about it. I’m not doing
that again.
Peter reacts. Softens.
MILES (CONT’D)
What?
PETER
(thinks it over)
Most people I meet in the workplace
try to kill me, so, you’re a nice
change of pace.
HEAD SCIENTIST (O.S.)
Uh, Mr. Fisk!
BELOW THE VENTS, the Head Scientist leads Kingpin to a
computer--
HEAD SCIENTIST (CONT’D)
--Look at this data. I know you
can’t really understand it, but
these are really good numbers--
INT. LAB - CONTINUOUS
She goes to the computer and enters her password.
PETER
And... I got the password!
HEAD SCIENTIST
(shows photos of cluster
poles and busses, etc.)
Uh Mr. Fiske. If we fire again this
week, there could be a black hole
under Brooklyn. You see this? And
this? This is multiple dimensions
beginning to crash into each other.
VENTS: Miles and Peter listen. Miles growing very nervous
Peter noticing.61.PETER
(reassuring)
--This is pretty standard Spider-
Man stakes, you get used to it.
Watch this, he’s going to say
‘you’ve got 24 hours!’
KINGPIN
You’ve got twenty-four hours.
HEAD SCIENTIST
What this means is that there could
be a rupture in the space time
continuum.
PETER
Oooh, that’s bad. Actually
everything she said was bad, I was
lying before.
--The group below is EXITING. As they do Peter SPRINGS INTO
ACTION--
--Peter climbs out of the air vent and smoothly crawls upside
down along a ceiling duct and jumps down. He starts hacking
into the scientist’s computer. He hears her off-screen
talking to Fisk.
HEAD SCIENTIST (O.S.)
OK hold on, let me show you some
more data--
Peter looks back, sees Miles out of the vent.
PETER
What’re you doing, bud?
Miles exerts himself, trying to unstick. He shakes his head.
MILES
I can’t move!
PETER
OK, relax your fingers! We don’t
have time. Just “let go,” be in the
moment!
MILES
--I am in the moment, it’s a
terrible moment!--
CUT OUTSIDE TO Kingpin and the Head Scientist. 62.HEAD SCIENTIST
I’m not refusing--
KINGPIN
No more excuses!
HEAD SCIENTIST
--I just need more time.
CUT BACK INSIDE TO MILES.
PETER
They’re right there, they’re going
to see you! Miles, you gotta
unstick. What do you do to relax?
MILES
Relax. Okay...
Beat. Miles begins to sing his song from the opening.
PETER
Oh, for crying out loud.
Miles starts humming to himself. He unsticks a finger. Then
another. Starts to move his hands.
--The rest of MILES’ fingers come unstuck and Miles starts to
FALL. Miles and the metal duct CRASH TO THE GROUND with a
huge CLANG!
PETER (CONT’D)
Teenagers, just the worst--
SEQ. 2400 - ALCHEMAX LABS “ACL”
INT. LAB - CONTINUOUS
Peter’s spider-sense motivates him to look at the door’s
window, through which he sees the Head Scientist TURN BACK TO
HER OFFICE, having heard the crash.
PETER
--Miles? Where did you go?
He’s nowhere to be seen. But we can hear him. They continue
to WHISPER-YELL.
MILES
(invisible)
I'm right here.63.PETER
Where? I can’t see you.
MILES
(invisible)
I’m right in front of you. Can
Spider-Man turn invisible?
PETER
Not in my universe.
MILES
Ow! You just poked me in my eye!
PETER
(marveling)
This is incredible-- some kind of
fight or flight thing.
MILES
What’s that?
The Head Scientist WALKS TOWARD HER OFFICE to INVESTIGATE--
Peter turns, suddenly in a PANIC--
PETER
--Remember this password!:
Dgfampesand4$35876534545435--
MILES
Slow down, Peter! I-- I need to
write it down!
PETER
(smoothes hair under
mask)
--and download the schematic--MILES (CONT'D)
--How do I do that?!--
PETER
--While I turn on the charm.
The Head Scientist walks into her office to see Spider-Man
STANDING “CASUALLY” with his arm on her desk and a METAL DUCT
dented in the MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.
HEAD SCIENTIST
Spider-Man?
PETER
Oh, hey. Didn't see you there... 64.HEAD SCIENTIST
Wow. Okay I’m kinda freaking out
right now. I mean, you're supposed
to be dead.
PETER
Surprise!--
The Head Scientist suddenly pulls up Spidey's mask--
PETER (CONT’D)
Whoa!--OK that's a no-no, we don’t
like that--
--revealing Peter's face.
ON THE HEAD SCIENTIST, she GASPS. She quickly appraises him
up and down, now LASER FOCUSSED--.
HEAD SCIENTIST
This is fascinating.
She snaps on a latex glove and grabs Peter’s face.
PETER
--OK, that’s m’face--
HEAD SCIENTIST
An entirely different Peter Parker.
The Head Scientist BENDS DOWN to poke Peter’s STOMACH. Behind
her we see semi-visible Miles running around, confused.
Peter’s eyes WIDEN -- he’s gonna be caught!
HEAD SCIENTIST (CONT’D)
OK, a little bit of a gut, perhaps
from dimensional warping.
PETER
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I was way
flatter before I warped.
Miles ARRIVES AT THE COMPUTER and frantically plugs in his
DRIVE, typing the password: Dgfampesand#4$...then...??
HEAD SCIENTIST (O.S.)
(to herself)
Travel through the multiverse
appears to have deteriorated...
ON MILES/THE SCREEN:65.MILES
(to himself)
3454543... Ah what was the rest?!
Miles pauses, unsure of the rest. Peter WHISTLES.
The Head Scientist LOOKS UP AT PETER IN RESPONSE, a little
SUSPICIOUS--
PETER
(covering)
--How old are you? You don’t look a
day over 35!
Miles types the 35. It WORKS! But then a BAFFLING DESKTOP
FULL OF FILES appears.
MILES
(to himself)
Organize your desktop, lady!
As Peter FRANTICALLY CLOCKS MILES while trying to not be
obvious -- The scientist shoves Peter into a chair, hard--
HEAD SCIENTIST
This might pinch a little.
--Mechanical RESTRAINTS strap Peter to the chair.
PETER
Ow! Ow, ow!
She grabs a TOOL. Advances.
HEAD SCIENTIST
I know, I just need to get these
samples.
She jams a tongue depressor in Peter’s mouth.
PETER
Yeah, ok.
The Head Scientist studies a sample on a slide.
HEAD SCIENTIST
Wow. Just complete cellular decay.
I’ve never seen anything like this.
Peter sees a MONITOR AND COMPUTER FLOATING IN THE AIR.
PETER
(whispers)
What are you doing?66.MILES
(whispers)
I’m just taking the whole thing!
The Head Scientist turns to look at Peter.
HEAD SCIENTIST
And obviously you’ve been
glitching.
PETER
(glitching)
Glitching? No. Why would you even
say that?
HEAD SCIENTIST
If you stay in this dimension too
long, your body’s going to
disintegrate. Do you know how
painful that would be, Peter
Parker?
PETER
Uh, I don’t know.
HEAD SCIENTIST
You can’t imagine.
(weirdly intense)
And I, for one, can’t wait to
watch.
PETER
(long beat)
What did you say your name was?
HEAD SCIENTIST
Doctor Olivia Octavius.
OH NO. She takes off her blue glasses and puts on red
goggles. Her TENTACLES UNFURL. One TENTACLE grabs Peter by
the neck and slams him into the wall. Ladies and gentlemen,
meet this dimensions DOCTOR OCTOPUS.
PETER
Can I assume that your friends call
you Doc Ock?
HEAD SCIENTIST
My friends actually call me Liv.
(then turning)
My enemies call me Doc Ock.
Peter shoots a web towards the door control panel, opening
the door for Miles to escape through.67.PETER
I got this! Run!
DOC OCK
Who are you talking to?
Miles looks down the empty hallway but hesitates leaving
Peter behind.
PETER
I got it! DOC OCK (CONT'D)
Oh, you got it Peter?
Miles takes off down the hallway. Peter is repeatedly SLAMMED
into the glass walls as Miles runs by him--
PETER
--I got it handled buddy!
Everything is fine!
The ALARM BLARES, with RED ALERT LIGHTING--
INT. HALLWAY
MILES runs, terrified, carrying the computer. Flashing
between visible and invisible like a human strobe light. So
many emotions swirling his powers can’t tap into just one--He
RUNS INTO A LAB ASSISTANT, turning VISIBLE--
MILES
DAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! LAB ASSISTANT
DAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!
PETER (FLIES BY IN BACKGROUND)
Okay this is a little bit bad.
DOC OCK (O.S.)
Oh, you’re chatty!
The Lab Assistant leaps up, freaked -- she sure looks like
GWANDA IN A LAB COAT...
Peter and Doc Ock continue fighting through offices and
laboratories. It’s, well, let’s let Peter tell us:
PETER
--And this is the moment that I’m
losing the fight.
--BOOM! PETER SMASHES through the WALL and lands next to
Miles. Peter WINCES IN PAIN.
Miles holds up the computer and monitor, shrugs. 68.PETER (CONT’D)
Alright, let me tell you the good
news. We don’t need the monitor.
Peter grabs the monitor, throws it----Peter is already
SWINGING OUT THE DOOR. Miles is SHOCKED--
--Then, THROUGH THE DUST we see the ICONIC 4 METALLIC ARMED
SILHOUETTE of DOC OCK! She EMERGES, towering above.
DOC OCK
Peter! You didn’t tell me you had
an invisible friend! Could you give
me that back, young man?
MILES
--Peter!--
DOC OCK
It’s proprietary.
Her ARM extends to Miles when Peter swings Miles out the
door.
Peter YANKS HIM THROUGH THE DOOR, shooting ANOTHER WEB to
CLOSE THE DOOR in OCK’S FACE! Nice going, Peter!
SEQ. 2500 - ESCAPE HUDSON VALLEY “EHV”
EXT. ALCHEMAX LABS - - CAFETERIA DAY
Miles and Peter run out of a door and find themselves facing
a group of dining SECURITY GUARD GRAD STUDENTS. A beat.
PETER
Wow. This’d be a good time to turn
invisible.
MILES
Yep.
PETER
Ok, not going to turn invisible.
(then)
Selecting a bagel... act super
normal...
Peter starts to walk past the Buffet SUPER NORMAL (not normal
at all), helps himself to a bagel...
...as he walks. Miles follows. The Security Guard Students
notice--69.GRAD STUDENT
--Spider-Man?
PETER
You know it’s funny I get that a
lot.
MILES
Hey.
Peter trades Miles the bagel for the computer.
PETER
Now we do a switchy-switchy.
--The students PULL OUT WEAPONRY. Peter GRABS THE COMPUTER.
As Peter and Miles RUN, the students CHASE!
GRAD STUDENT
Hey! Hands Up! GRAD STUDENT 2
Get back here! Where do you
think you’re going? He took a
bagel!
EXT. ALCHEMAX LABS - SUNDECK - CONTINUOUS
AS THEY RUN -- Peter takes off one of his WEB-SHOOTERS,
throws it to Miles, who struggles to put it on:
PETER
Alright time to swing, just like I
taught you!
MILES
When did you teach me that?
PETER
I didn’t! It’s a little joke for
team building!
Peter passes a web-shooter THROWS MILES OFF THE DECK,
swinging into the forest.
PETER (CONT’D)
Alright, you ready?
MILES
Of course I’m not ready!
EXT. HUDSON FOREST - CONTINUOUS
Peter SWINGS INTO THE TREES, but Miles is FROZEN. He’s never
actually swung before! 70.Miles is a disaster -- TWISTING and FLAILING on his web as
GUNFIRE explodes branches and tree trunks around him.
MILES
Whoa, whoa, I can’t do this yet!
PETER
Everybody knows that the best way
to learn is under intense, life-
threatening pressure!
Miles fumbles with his web shooter.
MILES
C’mon, c’mon!
But he MISSES, TUMBLING to the ground! Guards find him and
start SHOOTING.
MILES (CONT’D)
Uh oh.
Miles SPRINTS along the forest floor as Peter swings above
him.
PETER
What are you doing down there?!
MILES
I run better than I swing!
PETER
You gotta swing or they’ll catch
you! This is what you wanted!
Miles hears a BUZZSAW. Doc Ock appears CUTTING DOWN TREES
with her mechanical arms.
PETER (CONT’D)
Uh oh.
Miles tries to find purchase with his web shooter but he
keeps missing.
DOC OCK (O.S.)
Come back, little boy!
Peter doubles back, yelling advice back at Miles.
PETER
Aim with your hips. Look where you
want it to hit. Square your
shoulders.
(MORE)71.Don’t forget to follow through.
Don’t shoot off your back foot.
Miles runs up a tree -- he’s out of runway!
MILES
That’s too many things!
PETER
Then stop listening to me!
MILES
That’s the best idea you’ve had all
day!
Miles leaps off the tree, shoots off a web and.. It CONNECTS!
He swings away as Peter knocks down Doc Ock.
PETER
Nice Miles!
Miles swings onto a branch and swings alongside Peter.
MILES
I’m doing it!
PETER
Good, you’re doing it! Double tap
to release and thwip it out again.
Thwip and--
MILES
Okay. Thwip--
PETER
--And release. And thwip--
MILES
Thwip--
--We’re actually SEEING THE “THWIPS” ONSCREEN--
PETER
--Release.
MILES
Thwip. And release.
PETER
You’re a natural.
PETER/MILES
Thwip. Release.PETER (CONT'D)72.PETER
Feel the rhythm?
MILES
Woohoo! And release.
PETER
Good, Miles!
It’s ugly...but they look pretty good. They really do.
MILES
I gotta say, you’re amazing man!
PETER
We’re a little team. Me as the
teacher who can still do it. You as
the student who can do it just not
as good. I’m proud of us! Is there
something you want to say to me?
Just then, Peter GLITCHES, falling down onto a thick branch.
MILES
Peter!
Miles crashes onto the branch, grabbing the computer by it’s
power cord. However, the BRANCH BREAKS, causing both to fall
down, which allows Ock to grab the computer -- They're done
for. But then--
--WHOOSH! -- A BLACK and PINK BLUR swings by.
MILES (CONT’D)
What the...
PETER
Who did that?
In mid-air we see a mysterious girl in a HOODIE and BALLET
SHOES dispatches Doc Ock while WEBBING Peter and Miles to
safety.
She lands, with Miles and Peter in embarrassing positions.
She DE-MASKS.
WANDA
(to Miles)
Hey guys.
MILES
(shocked)
Gwanda? 73.GWEN
It's Gwen, actually.
PETER
Oh, you know her? Very cool.
GWEN
I'm from another dimension. I mean,
another, another dimension.
SEQ. 2545 - GWEN’S FLASHBACK “GFB”
COMIC BOOK PANELS FLIP TO REVEAL:
SPIDER-GWEN #65: TEAM UP WITH ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN!
GWEN (V.O.)
Alright people. Let’s start at the
beginning one last time. My name is
Gwen Stacy.
INT. SUPERCOLLIDER STAGING CHAMBER - FLASHBACK
We intercut Spider-Gwen (aka-Gwanda) battling THE LIZARD
(vaguely resembles Peter Parker) in a slightly different
location than the earlier Green Goblin fight, but with
identical shot language.
GWEN (V.O.)
I was bitten by a radioactive
spider. And for the last two years
I've been the one and only Spider-
Woman.
(then)
You guys know the rest.
QUICK FLASHES of 1) Gwen banging on a drum set, 2) Gwen’s Dad
in a COP UNIFORM being SAVED by Spider-Gwen, 3) Spider-Gwen
dealing the death blow to the Lizard Monster only for him to
turn into PETER PARKER as he dies, Gwen, devastated 4) Gwen
WALKING DOWN THE STREET, ALL ALONE, hands in pockets, and 5)
Spider-Gwen fighting Doc Ock in a different COLLIDER ROOM--
GWEN (V.O.)
I joined a band. Saved my dad. I
couldn’t save my best friend, Peter
Parker. So now I save everyone
else. And I don’t do friends
anymore. Just to avoid any
distractions. And one day this
weird thing happened.74.Gwen wins the fight. Yes! But then a PORTAL opens above her
and she's SUCKED IN, her particles becoming HALFTONE -
GWEN (V.O)
...and I mean, like, really weird.
EXT. BROOKLYN - FLASHBACK
Gwen EXPLODES IN AN ENERGY BURST OUT OF THE COLLIDER.
GWEN (V.O.)
I was blown into last week.
Literally. I landed in New York.
But not my New York.
Gwen TUMBLES and CAREENS through a BLUR OF CITY and NIGHT SKY
as her MOLECULES SOLIDIFY, TIMELAPSE SHOWING HER TRAVELING
“BACK IN TIME”, then finally coming to rest in -
TIMES SQUARE... Gwen slowly stands. Stares at the same Cocoa
Kola billboard where Peter found himself earlier. She sees
FOOTAGE in Times Square of Spider-Man rescuing people from
earthquakes - the same clip we saw earlier in Jefferson’s
car.
NEWS ANCHOR
...this is the second earthquake in
the Tri-State area this month.
Lucky for these folks, Spider-Man
was there to save the day!
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - HALLWAY - FLASHBACK
Gwen gets SPIDER-SENSE, sees Miles, then gets stuck to him.
GWEN (V.O)
My Spider-sense told me to head to
Visions Academy. I wasn’t sure why
until I met you--
EXT. HUDSON - PRESENT DAY
MILES
I like your haircut.
GWEN
You don’t get to like my haircut.
The sound of GUNSHOTS RINGS through the forest. The GRAD
STUDENTS are coming.75.Gwen fires her shooter and swings away.
GWEN (CONT’D)
Let’s go.
Peter swings away. Miles fumbles with web-shooters...
MILES
How many more spider people are
there?
PETER
--Save it for comic-con!--
MILES
What’s Comic-Con?
--As BULLETS HIT, Miles is WEBBED AND PULLED OUT OF FRAME.
SEQ. 2550 - SUPER-VILLAINS GETTING ANGRY “SGA”
EXT. ALCHEMAX - SUN DECK
Kingpin sits on the sun deck, slowly and purposefully
CLICKING a ballpoint pen. His stare is hard and intense, but
unfocused.
FLASHBACK:
CUT TO A PORTRAIT of Kingpin with his WIFE and SON hangs on
an office wall. It’s KNOCKED DOWN when Spider-Man is THROWN
into frame, against the wall. Kingpin is FIGHTING Spider-Man,
it’s BRUTAL.
KINGPIN
You’re dead Spider-Man.
VANESSA, Kingpin’s wife in the portrait, walks in with their
13 year old son, RICHARD just as KINGPIN is about to deliver
the death blow to Spider-Man. They can’t believe the level of
violence they’re seeing.
VANESSA
Wilson, what are you doing?
Kingpin TURNS AROUND with BLOOD SPLATTER on his face. He
realizes what they’ve seen.
KINGPIN
Vanessa. 76.VANESSA
Richard, c’mon...
Vanessa takes Richard’s hand and FLEES.
KINGPIN
Vanessa! Richard! No!
She gets into her car and PEELS OUT. Richard turns around in
his seat and looks back at Kingpin as they DRIVE AWAY.
VANESSA
Don’t look back honey. It’s okay.
It’s okay.
Richard LOCKS EYES with a devastated Kingpin. Vanessa flies
through a stop sign. Her car is T-boned.
PRESENT DAY: Kingpin BREAKS the pen in half.
Ock swings in, disheveled. Kingpin leans in with MURDEROUS
EYES. Ock REACTS, WEAPONS DRAWN. A STANDOFF.
KINGPIN
I killed Spider-Man. Why did I just
see two more?
DOC OCK
There’s three actually. No this is
good, this is very, very good. It
means you get what you want. It
means my collider works.
(almost hypnotic)
All we have to do is kill a couple
spiders...and the collider will
bring your family back...As many
families as you want.
A tense beat, all wait for Kingpin’s response. He
imperceptibly nods to Tombstone, who holsters his guns. They
turn and walk out.
KINGPIN
Tomorrow at my collider.
DOC OCK
(piqued)
Our collider.
SEQ. 2700 - THERE ARE OTHERS “TAO”77.EXT. QUEENS - MORNING
A BUS. INSIDE, Miles and Gwen sit next to each other. Gwen
holds the broken goober in her hand. Both want to talk,
neither wants to start the conversation. It should feel kind
of like them side-by-side in class.
Peter SNORES in the back seat.
GWEN
He broke this?
MILES
Yeah. He’s actually really
embarrassed about it. So, just keep
it between us, ok?
GWEN
I know where we can make a new one.
And we won’t let him break it this
time.
Gwen and Miles smile at each other. She’s letting Miles off
the hook.
MILES
I’m sorry about your friend.
GWEN
Thanks, Miles.
(then, continues)
I know how hard this is, to have to
figure this stuff out on your own.
It’s kinda nice not being the only
Spider person around.
MILES
Yeah. If you ever decide to do
friends again, I could always open
up a slot.
A beat. Gwen considers.
GWEN
I’ll keep you posted.
Miles smiles at Gwen. In the back seat, we see Peter is awake
and listening.
MILES (O.S.)
Cool.
INT. QUEEN’S STREET - NIGHT 78.Peter takes in A SMALL HOUSE. There are CARDS, BOUQUETS, and
TOYS cluttering the porch. A TEXT BOX onscreen tells us:
SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS
PETER
We should probably go.
GWEN
Peter, we’re literally on the
doorstep.
PETER
Bad idea, bad idea, this is a bad
idea--
GWEN
Just relax.
The front door opens a crack, AUNT MAY’S eyes peering out.
AUNT MAY
You guys are all very sweet but no
more fans today, please.
AUNT MAY’s eyes WIDEN. She steps out onto her porch, stunned
at the sight of Peter. Isn’t he supposed to be dead? And for
Peter, isn’t Aunt May dead?
PETER
I’m not ready for this.
AUNT MAY
Peter...
PETER
Hey Aunt May... So this is going to
sound crazy... but I’m pretty sure
that I’m from an--
AUNT MAY
--an alternate dimension.
PETER
Yeah.
May touches his face in awe. Peter absorbs her touch.
AUNT MAY
You look tired, Peter.
PETER
Well, I am tired. 79.AUNT MAY
(notes his physique)
And older. And... thicker.
PETER
Yeah, I’ve heard that already.
AUNT MAY
Oh jeez, are those sweatpants?
GWEN
Yup. That’s what they are.
MILES
I was there... when it all
happened. I am so sorry.
AUNT MAY
And what dimension are you from?
MILES
Brooklyn.
(then)
Did Peter have a place where we
could make another one of these?
Miles shows her the busted doodad. Aunt May regards it...
AUNT MAY
(re: goober)
A goober... Follow me.
BACK YARD
Aunt May KICKS OPEN A DOOR and leads them to a GARDEN SHED in
the tidy yard.
PETER
Oh yeah, I got one of these too. A
little shed where I keep my spider-
gear--
--A SPIDER-GRAPHIC begins to glow on the shed's door, which
opens to reveal an ELEVATOR. Aunt May looks at Peter: was
YOURS like this? As they enter:
PETER (CONT’D)
I mean, this place is pretentious.80.INT. PETER PARKER'S LAB - CONTINUOUS
--into RIPeter's MASSIVE, SPIDER-MAN MEETS CALATRAVA LAB:
Crammed with crime-fighting and science gear, photos, hangout
furniture, not to mention every Spider-branded product in
existence.
They reach the bottom, fan out, exploring.
MILES
Whoa. Dude, was yours anything like
this?
PETER
Mine was like this, but take away
the jeep, the plane... imagine it
way smaller. Imagine a futon. I
feel sad for this guy.
Miles notices one of 616Peter’s costumes... it has a CAPE. He
looks back at Peter slyly, vindicated.
Peter finds a PHOTO: RIPeter and MJ, together. Happy. It hits
him hard. Miles notices.
MILES
Hey Peter, I think this is a cape.
Peter can't help smiling. Gwen, in turn, watches this happen,
her wheels turning.
Miles is looking at the costumes. His reflection, still a bit
off-center. May walks up.
AUNT MAY
Peter knew how dangerous the job
was. But he figured the only one
who could stop this guy was Spider-
Man.
MILES
Kingpin knows we’re coming. We’re
going to be outnumbered.
AUNT MAY
Don’t be so sure.
May holds out “my name is” stickers.
AUNT MAY (CONT’D)
You might need these. 81.MILES’ POV: Four sets of eyes open in the shadows. Spider
sense rings out EVERYWHERE. Miles GASPS. Gwen SPINS AROUND,
on high alert.
On a SHOCKED Peter, Miles, and Gwen.
AUNT MAY (CONT’D)
You think you’re the only people
who thought to come here?
SOUND OF BLINDS FLICKING OPEN-- SPIDER-MAN NOIR is lit with
venetian blind shadows, a black-and-white figure whose coat
is inexplicably billowing around him.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Hey fellas.
MILES
Is he in black and white?
PETER
Where is that wind coming from?
We’re in a basement.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Wherever I go, the wind follows.
And the wind, smells like rain.
SOUND OF MACHINE WHIRRING ABOVE. BOOM! PENI PARKER JUMPS DOWN
from above.
PENI
Hi guys! Konichiwa! Hajimemashita
yoroshuku?
BOOM! SP//dr, Peni’s robot, LANDS BEHIND PENI IN A BADASS
SPIDER-POSE.
PETER
This could literally not get any
weirder.
Spider-Ham walks into the shot next to Peter. Long beat. He
sticks out his hand for Peter to shake.
SPIDER-HAM
It CAN get weirder! I just washed
my hands that’s why they’re wet. No
other reason.
All of their spider senses go off.
ALL SPIDERS
You’re like me.82.SPIDER-HAM/ SPIDER-MAN NOIR/ PENI PARKER SP//DR comics drop on
top of Gwen’s-- ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN CROSSOVER!
SPIDER-MAN NOIR/PENI/SPIDER-
HAM (STAGGERED)
My name is Peter Parker/My
name is Peni Parker/My name
is Peter Porker.SPIDER-MAN NOIR/PENI
I was bitten by a radioactive
spider.
SPIDER-HAM
I was bitten by a radioactive pig.
Noir DISPATCHES ENDLESS BAD GUYS. A SPIDER in SP//dr’s helmet
BITES Peni’s outstretched hand--
SPIDER-MAN NOIR (V.O.)
In my universe it’s 1933 and I’m a
private eye. I like to drink egg
creams and I like to fight Nazis. A
lot.
PENI (V.O.)
I am from New York in the year
3145. I have a psychic link with a
spider who lives inside my father’s
robot, and we’re best friends.
Forever.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR (V.O.)
Sometimes I let matches burn down
to my fingertips just to feel
something, anything.
FULL SCREEN CRAZY SPIDER-HAM IMAGES: INCLUDING HIM WORKING AT
THE DAILY BEAGLE WITH A NEWSROOM OF BEAGLES.
SPIDER-HAM (V.O.)
I’m a photographer for the Daily
Beagle. When I’m not pooching
around, I’m working like a dog
trying to sniff out the latest
story. I frolic and I dance and I
do this with my pants--
--BACK LIVE, as Peter interrupts--
PETER
Ok, enough!
Peter turns to Noir.
PETER (CONT’D)
So, uh, how did you get here?83.SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Well, it’s kind of a long story.
THREE SECOND MONTAGE -- We see the collider explosion,but
this time Noir, Peni, and Ham streak out of the explosion.
They land in New York. MATCH CUT to them in the hideout.
NOIR
Maybe not that long.
SEQ. 2800 - A PUNCHER’S CHANCE “APC”
INT. PETER PARKER'S LAB
PENI
And now we’re just trying to find a
way home.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
The only way home is back through
the collider gizmo. The only
trouble is--
SPIDER-HAM
--One of us has to stay behind and
destroy it.
NOIR/HAM/PENI/GWEN
I’ll do it.
MILES
No, no, no, you don’t get it.
PENI
Don’t get what--
They all GLITCH. Real ugly.
MILES
None of you can stay here. If you
stay here, you’ll die. I’m the guy
who’s going to turn it off and I’m
going to get you all home before I
do. Look, I made a promise. So I
have to keep it.
They all look at Miles. It’s kind of inspiring, but--
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
--Who are you again? 84.Peter jumps in, immediatley in “music man” sales mode,
talking Miles up.
PETER
This is Miles, and he’s going to
save the multiverse.
MILES
Yeah man.
PETER
This kid can turn himself
invisible! Watch this, he can do
it... now!
Miles struggles to turn invisible but he can’t.
MILES
I can’t do it on command--
PETER
--He can’t do it on command. But it
is cool. Show them the zappy thing,
Miles.
Once again, Miles tries to show off his power but he can’t do
it.
MILES
I can’t do it on command--
PETER
--He can’t do it on command. But he
can do so much more, like what else
do you do--
MILES
Just those two things--
PETER
--Just those two things.
GWEN
Look I’ve seen him in action. He’s
got potential. I think he’s gonna
get us home.
She says it with conviction. Everyone wants to believe it.
Noir steps forward to prove it out. 85.SPIDER-MAN NOIR
OK, little fella, Kingpin’s gonna
send a lot of mugs after ya, I’m
talking hard boys, real biscuit
boxers. Can you fight them all off
at once?
MILES
Well, I, I haven’t actually fought
anyone--
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Surprise attack!
Miles tries to fight Noir, but Noir knocks him down. Peni
JUMPS IN.
PENI
Can you re-wire a mainframe while
being shot at?
MILES
Can I what?
PENI
Show me!
NOIR
Surprise attack!
Noir knocks him down again. FAST CUTS NOW --
GWEN
Can you swing and flip with the
grace of a trained dancer?
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Can you close off your feelings so
you don’t get crippled by the moral
ambiguity of your violent actions?
AUNT MAY
Can you help your aunt create an
online dating profile so she can
get out of the dang house once in a
while?
SPIDER-HAM
Can you float through the air when
you smell a delicious pie?
MILES
What?86.GWEN
Can you be strong?
PENI
--Ruthless--
GWEN
--Disciplined--
MILES
I don’t know, maybe--
SPIDER-HAM
(makes sound effect of
smashing his head)
--boing--
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
--Show me some moxie, soldier--
GWEN
Above all, no mater how many times
you get hit, can you get back up?
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Because when a Spider-Man is on the
floor--
GWEN
--When you think you’ve given your
all--
SPIDER-HAM
--When you think you can’t keep
going--
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
--Spider-Man always gets up.
BAM! BAM! BAM! Miles is knocked down REPEATEDLY. He LIES ON
THE GROUND.
GWEN
You can do this!
ALL SPIDERS
Get up Miles! Get up!
PETER
Alright guys, cool it...
GWEN
C’mon Miles! Get up!87.The Spiders watch Miles struggle on the floor. He can’t get
up. CONCERNED LOOKS are exchanged.
The Spiders gather in a circle to talk, leaving Miles behind.
GWEN (CONT’D)
Peter, come here. You need to be
more honest with yourself about
this. He’s not ready, it’s obvious.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
There’s no way. He’s just a kid.
GWEN
But if he can’t do this, we have to
stay and do it for him.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
He’s looking right at us while we
talk about him...
A beat, then Peter looks to where Miles was and realizes--
The elevator is moving UP.
PETER
Miles? Miles?
(sheepishly)
See that? He can uh, turn
invisible...
MILES, INVISIBLE, rides the elevator. All the spiders see is
the shed doors opening way up in the rafters.
SEQ. 1690 - LOOKING FOR AARON “LFA”
EXT. CITY STREETS/ROOFTOPS - NIGHT
WALKING DOWN THE STREET, despondent. Miles lifts up his
phone, checks his messages. We hear his parents message:
JEFFERSON (V.O.)
Miles, what is going on with you?
Nobody has heard from you. We don’t
know what’s going on. Look, if
you’re hiding something from us,
you need to come clean. You call me
back. Now.
Miles PICKS UP SPEED.88.EXT. UNCLE AARON'S FIRE ESCAPE - LATER
Miles CLIMBS TO the rooftop across from Aaron's apartment. As
he does we hear audio of a PHONE RINGING and then we see--
INT. SQUAD CAR
RIO
Aye... he’s not answering me
either.
Jefferson is on the phone. Rio sits next to him. A CLICK--
UNCLE AARON (PHONE MESSAGE)
--It’s Aaron. I'm outta town for a
few days. Hit you when I'm back.
Peace.
JEFFERSON
Aaron, it’s Jeff. Look, I need you
to call me if you’ve heard from
Miles.
EXT. UNCLE AARON’S APARTMENT
Miles is on the fire escape, he opens a window and climbs in,
calling out for Uncle Aaron.
JEFFERSON
He has a soft spot for you and we
haven’t heard from him. You know I
wouldn’t reach out if this wasn’t
important. Hope you’re good.
CUT TO, Jeff hanging up the phone, looking pensive. Rio looks
at him.
SEQ. 1700 - UNCLE AARON IS THE PROWLER “UAP”
INT. UNCLE AARON'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Miles WRITES A NOTE:
MILES (V.O.)
Dear Uncle Aaron, I gotta do
something and I don’t know if I can
do it. I’m scared man. I’m just
tired of letting everybody down.
You’re the only one I can talk to.
I just wish you were here.89.--Miles stops writing when he hears a NOISE on the fire
escape. Uncle Aaron?
As the figure gets closer, the silhouette becomes clear: THE
PROWLER. Terrified, Miles scrambling to hide. The PROWLER
enters -- but FREEZES. Something feels wrong.
Remembering, Miles LOWERS HIS SPIDER-MAN mask.
PROWLER'S POV: He looks to the sofa, then around the room
again, as if sensing something. He pads quietly, towards
where Miles is hiding.
Miles sits frozen, not daring to breathe. The Prowler is
there, inches from Miles' invisible face.
Prowler’s PHONE RINGS and he answers.
PROWLER
Hello, Mr. Fisk. I’ve got the
security tapes from the tunnel
right here. If the kid’s out there,
I’ll find him.
Prowler lifts his mask, revealing himself as AARON.
UNCLE AARON
You know me, sir. I don’t ever
quit.
Miles' eyes go wide. He GASPS and slowly backs away--
---Aaron's head snaps up at the sound. He looks around the
room and puts his mask back on... Aaron sees the blur,
following to the window--
EXT. UNCLE AARON'S ALLEY - INTERCUT
--Miles, as Spider-Man DROPS FROM THE LADDER -- Prowler in
pursuit, LEAPING FROM THE FIRE ESCAPE.
SEQ. 1725 - PURSUIT OF SPIDER-MAN “POS”
EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS
Miles RUNS, the Prowler in pursuit on his motorcycle.
In the middle of traffic, Miles sees that he seems to have
lost Prowler. But Prowler follows from the rooftops, watching
where Miles goes.90.SEQ. 2850 - HE CAN’T BE A BAD GUY “CBG”
INT. PETER PARKER'S LAB
Peni and SP//dr finish making a new goober.
INT. AUNT MAY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
Noir lays on the couch, examining a Rubiks Cube. Peni hands
Peter the new goober. He hangs it around his neck with a
lanyard.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
(to Ham)
This is purple.
SPIDER-HAM
No.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Blue?
SPIDER-HAM
No.
GWEN
Has anyone heard from Miles?
PETER
Look, he’s just clearing his head.
I know the kid. He’s got what it
takes. I bet you he’s going to come
back through that door recharged
and ready to fight.
Gwen stares at Peter, not believing a word he’s saying. Just
then--
--MILES STUMBLES IN, a WRECK. Heaving--
MILES
My uncle!
PETER
Hey, where have you been, we--
MILES
My Uncle Aaron, he -- he -- he's
the Prowler!
PETER
Ok, slow down. Slow down, Miles. 91.MILES
He works for Kingpin, he tried to
kill me!
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
This is a pretty hardcore origin
story.
Miles fights tears. The spiders look to Peter -- who doesn't
have the slightest idea of what to say.
PETER
It’s okay, it’s okay, we’re gonna
figure it out.
GWEN
Were you followed?
MILES
No. I don’t think so.
But they hear a RUMBLING... and then-
SEQ. 2900 - AN EPIC BATTLE “AEB”
INT. AUNT MAY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
DING DONG! The door bell rings, then--
--CRRAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHH!!! Doc Ock suddenly WALKS IN through
the DOOR. A tentacle shoots out and knocks a tea tray out of
Aunt May’s hands.
DOC OCK
Cute place. Real homey.
AUNT MAY
Oh great, it’s Liv.
MILES
(heartbroken)
I guess I was followed.
GWEN
Oh no...
PETER
Get out of here kid.
Miles turns to run through the kitchen but is blocked by
Tombstone.92.TOMBSTONE
You messed up big time kid. Very
sloppy.
Tombstone pushes past Miles and we reveal SCORPION behind
him.
SCORPION
Mira todas estas arañitas.
We see the English text onscreen, along with “*translated
from Spanish.” Peter and the spiders get into position.
PETER
Let me guess, you’re Scorpion?
Well, we’re the, uh... Spider-gang.
AUNT MAY
Would you mind taking this outside?
NOIR
We don’t pick the ballroom we just
dance.
Doc Ock sees the GOOBER on Peter’s person.
DOC OCK
Oh, I think I’ll be taking that.
Her tentacles reach out towards Peter and everyone leaps into
action. It’s a TEN PERSON FIGHT in a TINY QUEENS LIVING ROOM.
Scorpion CORNERS MILES, who defends himself with couch
cushions!
SCORPION
Ninoto dale.
MILES
Preparate a miror. A man stupid
pillows!
The couch cushions are STUCK to his hands and Scorpion
ATTACKS. SPDR is there to save him as Miles gets unstuck from
the cushions.
Doc Ock smashes Peter into the ceiling.
Aunt May swings her baseball bat at Tombstone and knocks him
out the front door, onto the street.
AUNT MAY
I said take it outside!93.The goober comes loose and Miles goes after it.
MILES
I got it!!
Miles chases after the key but is thrown against the wall.
Gwen webs it away from Doc Ock but Scorpion knocks it out of
her hand. Noir catches it but glitches, dropping it.
Miles continues to chase after the key as it is kicked around
the room. He finally grabs it when his spider-sense goes off--
Suddenly, the Prowler crashes in through the window, landing
in front of Miles. Peter webs the goober out of Miles’ hand.
PETER
I got this buddy.
(to Prowler)
Leave the kid alone!
Peter and Prowler fight and struggle for the goober.
MILES
No, no, no. No!
Peter kicks Prowler off himself and out through the wall into
the street.
PETER
You gotta go, man.
Just then, SP//dr and Doc Ock slam into Peter and all are
knocked out the front of the house into the street.
SEQ. 2910 - EXTERIOR EPIC BATTLE “EEB”
EXT. AUNT MAY'S STREET/HOUSE - DAY
The BATTLE is now on the rooftops and smashing out of the
front windows, moving out into the neighborhood.
INT. POLICE CAR
SIRENS in the air. Jefferson races through the streets.
POLICE RADIO (O.S.)
...All vehicles in the area, we
have a disturbance involving
multiple spider... people?94.JEFFERSON
(into radio)
Yeah, on my way!
INT. AUNT MAY'S HOUSE
Miles gets up out of the rubble, the goober in his hand. THE
PROWLER DIVES RIGHT AT HIM claws-first! Miles dives out of
the way. The Prowler instantly regroups and comes at Miles
again, relentless.
He swipes with his CLAWS, narrowly missing Miles.
PROWLER
Give me that thing!
Miles races through the house, the Prowler in pursuit. They
face off, the KITCHEN TABLE between them.
PROWLER (CONT’D)
Don't be stupid, kid. Hand it over,
now--
--Prowler SWIPES DOWN, DESTROYING the table--
Miles races up the stairs, Aaron close behind. He grabs
Miles' LEG but Miles kicks him away, continuing upstairs to
the HOLE SP//dr blasted through the roof.
EXT. AUNT MAY'S HOUSE ROOFTOP
Miles scrambles up through the hole onto the roof -- but
before he can swing away Prowler LANDS in front of him. Miles
is TRAPPED~
PROWLER
Nowhere left to run.
A standoff. Miles pulls off his mask...
PROWLER (CONT’D)
...Miles?
MILES
Uncle Aaron.
Aaron takes off his mask as well.
UNCLE AARON
Oh no no no no...
Miles’ eyes WELL UP. 95.MILES
(barely a whisper)
Please Uncle Aaron.
Kingpin calls Aaron from his car below, watching the
standoff.
KINGPIN
--Prowler, what are you waiting
for? Finish it.
A long beat...and then Aaron pulls down Miles’ mask, and
backs away, his hands up. He smiles at Miles when--
--BANG! KINGPIN FIRES. Aaron’s eyes go wide as he falls back.
Kingpin has shot him.
Kingpin AIMS AT MILES but Peter swings in and KNOCKS Kingpin
down.
PETER
(to Miles)
Get out of here!
Miles scoops up Aaron and swings away.
Jefferson arrives and sees two people swinging across the
street.
SEQ. 2920 - AARON’S DEATH “ARD”
EXT. DARK ALLEY
Miles kneels over Aaron.
UNCLE AARON
...Miles...
MILES
...Uncle Aaron. This is my fault.
Aaron takes Miles’ hand. Shakes his head “no.”
UNCLE AARON
No Miles. I’m sorry. I wanted you
to look up to me. I let you down,
man, I let you down. You’re the
best of all of us, Miles. You’re on
your way. Just... keep going...
just keep going...
With Miles at his side, he DIES. Miles can't believe it. 96.JEFFERSON (O.S.)
Hands up! Put your arms up now!
Miles stands but doesn't turn around. Puts up his arms.
JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
Turn around.
Miles instinctively CAMOUFLAGES. Jeff looks around, unable to
see him.
JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
Hey! Hey!!!
But as he advances, he sees who the dead man is.
JEFFERSON (CONT'D)
Aaron? Aaron. No... No.
Jeff touches his brother's face, and recoils.
ON MILES, CAMOUFLAGED, seeing the grief hit his father.
Jeff's face HARDENS. He turns on his shoulder radio.
JEFFERSON (INTO WALKIE) (CONT'D)
All units. I want an APB on a new
Spider-Man.
As Jefferson slumps we PUSH IN ON MILES, visible to us the
way a heat signature is behind a jet engine. But we can
clearly see he's DEVASTATED.
SEQ. 3050 - WE NEED A PLAN “NAP”
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - MILES’ DORM - EVENING
Miles is TEARING THROUGH HIS ROOM in an emotional, teenaged
rage. He pushes all of his homework and books off his desk
and his SKETCHBOOK falls open on the floor, the artwork he
did with Aaron staring up at him. Miles picks it up and
THROWS IT out the window. The notebook FLIES back through the
window like a boomerang, Miles catches it.
Peter’s head pops into the window. He climbs into the room,
followed by the other spiders. Peter walks up to Miles and
puts a hand on his shoulder.
PETER
Hey, bud. You okay?
Miles takes a deep breath, holding back tears.97.PETER (CONT’D)
We’ve all been there. For me it was
my Uncle Ben.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
For me it was my Uncle Benjamin.
PENI
For me it was my father.
GWEN
For me it was my best friend.
SPIDER-HAM
Miles, the hardest thing about this
job is you can’t always save
everybody.
MILES
Look, it was my fault. You wouldn’t
understand.
GWEN
Miles, we’re probably the only ones
who do understand--
--A JIGGLING AT THE DOOR.
PETER
Oh no...
It SWINGS OPEN--
--Revealing Ganke, entering with his headphones on, playing
music. Ganke crosses to his desk and we reveal the SPIDER-
TEAM PLASTERED TO THE WALL IN BACK OF HIM.
Oblivious, Ganke grabs his Spider-Ham comic and starts to
read, foot on his desk. He takes his headphones off and spins
in his chair, now FACING THE SPIDER-MEN, but with his comic
blocking his view.
PETER (CONT’D)
(whispered)
That way! That way!
--and the SPIDER-MAN CLUMP moves to the ceiling and onto the
wall in back of him. Ganke then crosses back--
PETER (CONT’D)
Other way! Other way!
--and the SPIDER-MAN CLUMP shifts back to where it was. 98.Ganke sits. Lifts up his comic and lowers the comic to see
SPIDER-HAM. Spider-Ham grins.
MILES
Hey there!
SPIDER-HAM
Do animals talk in this dimension?
Cause I don’t wanna freak him out--
--Ganke FAINTS to the ground, unconscious.
TIME CUT -- Miles puts Ganke into the bed. When MILES turns
around, Gwen’s climbing through the window, only Peter
remains in the room.
MILES
What’s going on?
GWEN
Bye Miles.
PETER
Miles, I came to say goodbye.
MILES
We can say goodbye at the collider.
PETER
You’re not getting it. You’re
staying here.
MILES
I need to be there. So you can all
go home.
Miles picks up the goober off his desk.
PETER
They are going home, Miles. I’m the
only one staying.
A long beat.
MILES
You’re taking my place...? If you
stay here you’ll die.
PETER
I’m doing what needs to be done. I
just wanted you to hear it from me.
MILES
What about MJ?99.PETER
(looks at the floor)
Not everything works out, kid. I
need the goober.
(then)
Please don’t make me take it from
you.
Peter steps forward. Miles FURIOUS--
MILES
That’s not fair! You’ve gotta tell
them I can do this!
PETER
It wasn’t their decision.
MILES
I gotta make Kingpin pay! You have
to let me make him pay!
PETER
Miles, you’re gonna get yourself
killed.
MILES
But I’m ready, I promise--
Peter does a combo move, nearly knocking Miles to the ground,
if Peter wasn’t there to catch him. Miles HANG DOWN, held up
by PETER.
PETER
Then venom strike me right now, or
turn invisible on command so you
can get past me.
Miles TRIES to do what he’s saying but it only makes Peter
seem even more right.
Outside the window, the other spiders listen to their
conversation.
PETER (O.S.) (CONT’D)
Look, I know how much you want
this, kid.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Poor little guy.
Back inside the dorm room, Peter puts Miles down.
PETER
But you don’t have it yet. 100.Peter WEBS a desk chair under Miles, spins the chair, and
webs him into a cocoon, and takes the key.
PETER (CONT’D)
I’m sorry.
Peter can’t look at him.
MILES
When will I know I’m ready--
--Peter WEBS his mouth.
PETER
You won’t. It’s a leap of faith.
That’s all it is Miles. A leap of
faith.
Peter jumps out of the window and swings away with the other
spiders.
Miles, tied securely to his desk chair, watches sadly from
his window.
SEQ. 3000 - I AM SPIDER-MAN “IAS”
INT. VISIONS ACADEMY - MILES’ DORM - NIGHT
TIMES PASSES. Miles stares ahead.
--KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. He is jolted out of his self-pity by the
KNOCK at his door -- someone that can help him! Miles
SCOOCHES towards the door excitedly, inch by inch on the
chair.
INT. VISIONS DORM HALLWAY - NIGHT
JEFFERSON is in the hallway in full uniform.
JEFFERSON
Miles! Miles, it’s your Dad.
Jefferson sees a shadow moving under the door - it STOPS.
INTERCUT BETWEEN MILES AND JEFFERSON
Miles, now a couple of feet from the door, FREEZES.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Please open the door.101.Miles starts to slowly BACK AWAY from the door, inch by inch.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Miles, I can see your shadow moving
around.
Miles STOPS again.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Yeah. Ok, I get it. I get it. Still
ignoring me. Look, can we talk for
a minute? Something happened...
Jefferson struggles with what to say.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Look sometimes, people drift apart,
Miles. And I don’t want that to
happen to us, ok? Look, I know I
don’t always do what you need me to
do or say what you need me to say,
but I’m... I see this...this spark
in you. It’s amazing, it’s why I
push you. But it’s yours and
whatever you choose to do with it,
you’ll be great.
Miles’ eyes are wide and soulful. He rests is head against
the door, so close.
JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Look call me when you can, ok? I
love you.
(then)
You don’t have to say it back
though.
Jefferson still waits for an “I love you” back. When he
doesn’t get it, he taps the door farewell and walks down the
hall.
Miles CLOSES HIS EYES and we sit with him for a beat.
Miles’ hands visibly RELAX as his venom strike starts to
crackle to life on his hands - using this memory is how he’s
learning to control his powers.
Miles uses a mini VENOM STRIKE to BREAK FREE from the chair
restraints. He CAN’T BELEIVE IT.
GANKE BOLTS UP, dazed - but sees nothing --
REVEAL Miles has turned invisible and is exiting the
building. He’s IN CONTROL. 102.SEQ. 3010 - MILES RISES UP “MRU”
EXT. AUNT MAY’S BACKYARD - NIGHT
QUICK CUTS a hand opening the padlock. The LIGHTS in Peter’s
hideout flooding on to REVEAL AUNT MAY sitting in wait,
sipping tea.
AUNT MAY
Took you long enough.
EXT. BROOKLYN - WILLIAMSBURG SAVINGS BANK - NIGHT
Clouds gather. Total coincidence. PUSH IN on a gargoyle near
the building's very tippy top.
We don't see ANYONE. Until... Lightning REVEALS a CAMOUFLAGED
MILES.
With each strike, we FLASH to Miles’ journey to get to the
top of the building. FLASH! Miles exits the subway. FLASH!
Miles approaches the Spider-man suits in the Spidey hideout.
FLASH! Miles SPRAY-PAINTS A SUIT.
JEFFERSON (V.O.)
I see this spark in you. It’s
amazing. Whatever you choose to do
with it you’ll be great.
RIO (V.O.)
Our family doesn’t run from things.
UNCLE AARON (V.O.)
You’re the best of all of us,
Miles. You’re on your way. Just
keep going.
MILES (V.O.)
When do I know I’m Spider-Man?
BACK ON MILES-- Moving closer and closer to the edge.
PETER (V.O.)
You won’t. That’s all it is,
Miles... a leap of faith.
Miles walks to the edge of the roof, the wind buffeting...
and LEAPS! The camera is UPSIDE DOWN. Miles isn't falling
through frame. He's RISING.
CUT TO Miles SPRAY PAINTING his new uniform. DISINFECTING HIS
MASK. PUTTING BABY POWDER ON THE JOINTS.103.BACK LIVE, Miles is OUT OF CONTROL, flailing. Miles shoots a
web upwards between his legs...The webbing STICKS to a
building...
Miles SNAPS on web-shooters as Aunt May watches.
AUNT MAY
Made ‘em myself. They fit
perfectly.
Miles BEGINS TO SWING. He moves with purpose through New
York, slides between taxis, across windows--
He swings up on top of the Brooklyn Bridge and catches his
breath. In the distance, we see Fisk Tower. He’s ready.
COVER PAGE:
SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES
SEQ. 3075 - STORMING THE TUNNELS “STT”
EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - NIGHT
The Spiders exit a bus. We see the WHOOSH of SPIDER-PEOPLE
swinging up to the top of a crane like a SWAT TEAM, until
looking down at the PENTHOUSE, staring into SKYLIGHTS.
PENI
Kingpin has a private elevator
entrance from his penthouse to the
collider below.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Didn’t count on having an audience.
INT. KINGPIN’S PENTHOUSE - ENTRANCE SALON - NIGHT
GUESTS mill beneath MASSIVE BANNERS depicting SPIDER-MAN and
PETER PARKER: "THE PETER PARKER MEMORIAL FUND."
ALL SPIDERS
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Kingpin stands. COPS and GUARDS surround him. He takes the
dais, waves to the crowd.104.KINGPIN
Thank you, it’s nice to be with you
this evening to celebrate Spider-
Man. He and I were very close. He
was always a favorite of my son.
Kids love Spider-Man, right? Still
do.
GWEN
What a pig.
SPIDER-HAM
(offended)
I’m right here.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Hold on, get a load of how the
waiters are dressed. It’s in poor
taste but--
ANGLE ON THE WAITERS: They are dressed like tacky SPIDER-MEN,
with bowties.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR(CONT’D)
It can't be that easy.
INT. FISK PENTHOUSE
ON OUR SPIDER-TEAM, moving through the fundraiser. Noir
carries a serving tray, while Peter and Gwen push a LARGE
CART which is made from a CONTORTED, CRAWLING SP//dr.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
It’s that easy.
KINGPIN
And I just want to thank Mary Jane
Parker for being here this evening.
Our prayers are with you Mrs.
Parker.
As Kingpin mentions MJ, Peter spots her in the crowd. Uh oh.
PETER
(gasps)
--MJ?
GWEN
Pay attention! It’s not the same
MJ, Peter.
A beat.105.PETER
I’m sorry, I’ll be right back--
GWEN
No! Peter! Come here here! Trust
me, I’ve been there. You gotta move
on buddy.
PETER
This will just take one sec. Let me
just-- Oh!
--He turns his cart toward MJ. He bumps into MJ.
MJ
Hello.
PETER
Oh wow.
MJ
Um, I just wondered if we could
have some more bread at table
twelve.
PETER
Yeah! I’m just, I’m really sorry...
ON GWEN, horrified.
MJ
Oh, don’t be sorry. It’s just
bread.
PETER
No, I wasn’t there for you when you
needed me.
MJ
Mmmhmm...
PETER
And I didn’t even try.
MJ
That’s fine. I should really get
going--
PETER
I know I could do better if I just
had another chance to give you...
(realizing)
...the bread that you deserve. 106.MJ
Are you ok?--
GWEN
Ma’am we’ll take care of that bread
right now.
MJ
It’s been nice, uh, talking to you.
PETER
For you they should fill this place
up with fresh bread.
Gwen ushers Peter towards the kitchen.
GWEN
You alright, man?
PETER
Yeah. Totally.
GWEN
OK good cause we are not getting
any bread.
The tables start to WOBBLE, people look down at their drinks
which now have ripples a la Jurassic Park.
KINGPIN
I’m just sorry my family can’t see
what we’re doing tonight.
INT. COLLIDER CONTROL ROOM
Doc Ock is hard at work on a computer, prepping the collider.
She hits a button--
COMPUTER VOICE
Initializing primary ignition
sequence.
SEQ. 3090 - WHERE THEY FIGHT “WTF”
INT. FISK TOWER
Wilson Fisk walks with purpose down a hallway. He walks past
two guards and disappears into his office.
As he passes, the guards are WEBBED. Reveal the spiders on
the ceiling. Spider-Man Noir WEBS their eyes.107.SPIDER-MAN NOIR
(creepy whisper)
Sleeeeeeep.
INT. FISK’S OFFICE
Noir SHOOTS at a panel in the elevator, allowing them to
swing down the elevator shaft.
INT. OBSERVATION ROOM
Kingpin enters with Tombstone and sees a waiting Doc Ock.
KINGPIN
Start the sequence.
Doc Ock NODS and a scientist takes a piece of hair from
Vanessa’s brush to use as a DNA sample.
SCIENTIST 1
Uploading Vanessa Fisk and Richard
Fisk DNA sequence.
SCIENTIST 2
Beginning scan for dimensional
matches.
Doc Ock fires the collider, a computer monitoring and calling
the collider’s status.
COMPUTER VOICE
Secondary ignition in 5... 4...
3... 2... 1.
The COLLIDER FIRES just as--
INT. COLLIDER ROOM
--the spiders arrive! They make their way to the top of the
THUNDERING collider, moving like a military unit.
EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS
DIMENSIONAL QUAKING occurs, worse than before, people
PANICKING -- the BROOKLYN BRIDGE flickers, pedestrians
SCREAM.
Jefferson HELPS a CIVILIAN and sees FISK TOWER flicker in the
distance.108.INT. COLLIDER ROOM
They crest the hill and stare at the beam and the beginnings
of DIMENSIONAL COLLAPSE.
ON GWEN AND PETER. Peter is nervous. So is Gwen.
GWEN
Peter, you don’t have to stay
behind. I can do it.
PETER
It’s okay. I’ve made up my mind.
They all swing out to the ceiling of the collider room.
PETER (CONT’D)
I’ll put the goober in and take
over the beam. After you’re gone,
I’ll blow it up.
He starts to crawl towards the panel.
PETER (CONT’D)
Good luck guys.
Peter REACHES the panel. Peter is about to put the override
key into the panel--
When the Spider’s get SPIDER SENSE--
GWEN
They know we're here.
DOC OCK SLOWLY EMERGES out of the ceiling. Real creepy like.
DOC OCK
Nice to see you again, Peter.
Doc Ock slams Peter onto the ceiling of the collider room.
The spiders rush to help Peter, but are ATTACKED by Kingpin’s
thugs.
SEQ. 3100 - BATTLE AT THE COLLIDER “BAC”
INT. COLLIDER ROOM
[NOTE --- from here out we’re watching an increasingly
psychedelic depiction of DIMENSIONS COLLIDING, and the
Spideys have to do their job as it happens]109.They BATTLE, the spiders fending off bad guys while
glitching! As the CAMERA ROVERS the Spiders INTERACT.
Noir glitches and is caught under fire. PENI comes to save
him.
PENI
I got you covered!
--Gwen comes FLYING IN, sliding down a GANTRY CRANE--
She sees Scorpion coming towards her.
GWEN
Ugh, these guys are the pits.
Peni and SP//dr jump in to fight Scorpion.
On the ceiling, Peter struggles against Ock. He tries to
reinsert the goober but he puts it in the wrong way.
PETER
Why is this always difficult?
Doc Ock drags him away from the panel.
DOC OCK
Where are you going, Peter?
As she pulls Peter in...
DOC OCK (CONT’D)
Any last words?
PETER
Can I get a minute to think about
it? Do you have a pen?
DOC OCK
Goodbye Peter Parker.
Suddenly, one of her tentacles PUNCHES her in the face. Peter
reacts to Doc Ock punching herself.
DOC OCK (CONT’D)
Who did that?
She looks around.
REVEAL Miles turning visible as he FLIES TOWARDS DOC OCK.
PETER
Miles?110.DOC OCK
Spider-Man?
He Shoots WEBBING, knocking her back as she releases her hold
on Peter. Miles catches him and they both land on the
ceiling.
PETER
Wow Miles! You’re doing it on
command!
MILES
About time right?
MULTIPANEL -- The Spiders react to seeing Miles again.
SPIDER-HAM
Hey, look who’s here!
PENI
Miles!
GWEN
You figured it out.
PETER
I love you! I am so proud of you!
Do I want kids?
Doc Ock breaks free of her restraints and CHARGES them.
PETER (CONT’D)
Oh yeah. I forgot about her.
As they fight, they all notice a box raising up towards the
beam.
PETER (CONT’D)
Well that doesn’t look promising.
MILES
No, it doesn’t.
INSIDE THE OBSERVATION ROOM
Vanessa and Richard start to flicker into existence as
Kingpin watches from the observation room.
SCIENTIST 1
I’ve got genetic matches! Hold
on... It’s too risky!
KINGPIN
Shut up and turn it up!111.INT. COLLIDER ROOM
The Spiders all battle bad guys as the room descends into
more chaos.
PETER
On your left! On your right! I got
5 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 2 o’clock!
Every direction!
MILES
On your right! On your right!
CAMERA flies back up through the building to the ball room.
People are PANICKING. Jefferson is running against the tide,
on his phone.
JEFFERSON
Get to a shelter! I’ll be right
there!
INSIDE A HOSPITAL, furniture multiplies, the occupants
panicking. Rio is on the phone with Jefferson.
RIO
Vamo senor. I’ve tried the school,
but I can’t get through!
OUTSIDE ON THE STREET
The VISIONS bridge “quakes”, cars split into multiple
versions of themselves, people run, screaming.
BACK IN THE COLLIDER ROOM
CLUSTER BUILDINGS burst through the portal. The spiders
continue to BATTLE as things get CRAZY.
ON MILES, PETER, GWEN AND OCK
MILES
Guys are you seeing this?!
Peter, Miles, and Gwen meet up on top of one of the collider
guns. They look out over the chaos that is happening in the
room.
GWEN
Looks like our dimensions are
coming to us.
PETER
It does look cool though, right?112.GWEN
We gotta get back up there.
Shouldn’t be too hard--
Their Spider-senses go off - they turn around just as Ock
THROWS a BUS at them!
NOIR and TOMBSTONE have a hand-to-hand fight.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
Is that all you got? You gonna
fight or you just bumping gums you
hard boiled turtle slapper?
Noir PULLS A car on top of Tombstone. IT EXPLODES (COMIC BOOK
BURST CARD)
Scorpion has SP//dr pinned down. Peni struggles to break free
but Scorpion starts to destroy SP//dr, pulling off and
destroying the robot’s limbs.
As Scorpion goes to attack Peni again, an ANVIL SLAMS onto
Scorpion’s head. Reveal that Ham has dropped it on him.
SCORPION
Puerco? What are you, some kind of
silly cartoon?
SPIDER-HAM
You got a problem with cartoons?
Scorpion and Ham fight hand-to-hand combat. HAM IS FREAKIN’
INSANE AT FIGHTING. Ham knocks Scorpion down and before he
can get up, Noir grabs his tail and swings him around. As he
lets go and Scorpion flies towards Peni, she grabs one of
SP//dr’s detached arms and smashes Scorpion with it. He’s
out.
SPIDER-HAM (CONT’D)
Ohhh did THAT feel like a cartoon?
ON MILES, PETER, GWEN AND OCK
Gwen and Miles fight Doc Ock, tag-teaming. Gwen is IMPRESSED
by Miles.
Suddenly one of Ock’s tentacles hits Gwen hard and she falls
back towards the beam.
MILES
Gwen!!113.Miles flies after Gwen, barely grabbing her. (Note: refer to
“Gwen falls” panels) He SWINGS back up with a recovering
Gwen.
GWEN
I like your suit.
MILES
Thanks. I made it myself.
--Miles SHOOTS a web strand back at Peter.
Peter GRABS the web strand and PULLS IT, giving GWEN
SUPERSPEED.
PETER
That was adorable team! Now hold on
tight!
Gwen FLIES in--
They all hit her 1-2-3.
Ock FLIES BACK from the impact and smashes onto a building.
Furious, she races back towards them.
GWEN
Buckle up guys, this is going to
take a while.
Doc Ock is HIT by a rogue 18 wheeler.
GWEN (CONT’D)
Alright, never mind. Let’s end this
thing.
Miles TAKES CONTROL. He’s the quarterback now.
MILES
Guys, I got it.
PETER
I'll go. I'm the one with the goo-
Miles holds up the goober.
PETER (CONT’D)
Oh you gotta be kidding me.
MILES
Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the
hands. 114.He shoots a web and swings off through the chaos in the
collider room.
PETER
Miles!
GWEN
Be careful!
ON MILES as he heads to the panel, doing his own version of
Blonde Peter’s swing-crawl-flip to the panel.
MILES
That was crazy.
Back on Peter and Gwen.
PETER
Ah we taught him that right?
GWEN
I didn’t teach him that. And you
definitely didn’t.
Peter and Gwen swing off to join Miles.
ON PENI, NOIR and HAM
As SP//dr SPARKS and DIES, Peni takes out her SPIDER.
She turns to look at the destroyed robot, tears in her eyes.
Noir steps up, puts his hand on her shoulder.
NOIR
You okay?
(tenderly)
C’mon...
She jumps on Noir’s back and with Ham, they swing away to
join Miles at the panel.
ON MILES AT THE PANEL
Inside is the MESS OF WIRES AND EQUIPMENT RIPeter saw. Miles
INSERTS the goober.
MILES
Guys! I got control of the beam!
Get up here!
COMPUTER VOICE
Alert! Quantum polarity has been
reversed.115.IN OBSERVATION ROOM
Kingpin’s looks up and sees Miles at the panel as the other
spiders join him.
Kingpin, ENRAGED, SLAMS DOWN on the control panels in front
of him, SMASHING THE WINDOWS of the Observation Room.
IN THE COLLIDER ROOM
The room SHAKES, inter-dimensional quakes ROCKING THE
COLLIDER ROOM AND ALL OF BROOKLYN.
THE SPIDERS CONVERGE ON THE PANEL
GWEN
Guess this is it.
PENI
Well, nice to know we’re not alone.
Right?
GWEN
Yeah.
They all look around at each other. They want to go
home...but part of them wants to stay.
Miles punches a code into the keypad and twists the goober.
MILES
I got the portal open. You first
Peni.
She smiles.
PENI
Thank you, Miles. From both of us.
Peni JUMPS into the beam. Miles punches in another code and
looks to Noir.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR
I, uh, love you all.
(holds up a Rubik’s cube)
I’m taking this cube thing with me.
I don’t understand it, but, I will.
Noir lets go and DISAPPEARS. Spider-Ham hold up a huge
mallet. He’s near tears.
SPIDER-HAM
I want you to have this. It’ll fit
in your pocket. 116.Miles takes it.
SPIDER-HAM (CONT’D)
That’s all folks.
Ham JUMPS.
PETER
Is he allowed to say that? Legally?
Miles turns to Gwen. A beat. Awkward. Just like the
classroom, but...
MILES
Do I get to like the hairdo now?
Gwen laughs.
GWEN
You know I’m older than you.
Fifteen months, but it’s pretty
significant if you ask me.
MILES
Well, Einstein said time was
relative, right?
GWEN
(laughs)
Nice.
She turns away, uncomfortable with the moment. Miles holds
out his hand.
MILES
Friends?
A long beat. Gwen grabs his hand and holds it.
GWEN
Friends.
MILES
Cool.
GWEN
See you around Spider-Man.
She elegantly leaps into the beam.
Miles turns to Peter.
MILES
Your turn. 117.PETER
(hesitant)
Yeah yeah right...
Peter looks down and hesitates. HE’S SCARED TO GO--
They’re both hit with a surge of SPIDER-SENSE. Miles and
Peter look down to see Kingpin has left the observation room
and is now leap-frogging his way across buildings towards
them.
KINGPIN
You’re not going ANYWHERE!
Peter assesses the situation.
PETER
I’ll hold him off, you shut this
down!
Peter jumps away from the panel, going towards Kingpin. Miles
is SURPRISED.
MILES
Peter, that wasn’t the deal!
PETER
Push the green button! Do not wait
for me!
But Peter is LEAPING AWAY ALREADY, SWINGING, when A WEB STOPS
HIM AND YANKS HIM BACK TO--
MILES, on the other end of the WEB!
PETER (CONT’D)
What are you doing?
MILES
Peter, you gotta go home!
PETER
This guy could kill you! I can’t
let Spider-Man die.
MILES
(defiant)
Neither can I.
PETER
It’s OK.
MILES
Yeah, it is ok. 118.Miles DROP KICKS Peter and holds him suspended over the
portal. It looks exactly like when Peter challenged Miles in
his dorm room before tying him up.
MILES (CONT’D)
(with empathy)
You gotta go home man.
PETER
(suddenly sad and scared)
How do I know I’m not gonna mess it
up again?
MILES
You won’t.
PETER
(realizing)
Right. It’s a leap of faith.
Peter takes his hand off Miles hand, readying himself. Miles
DROPS Peter into the portal.
Peter smiles as he disappears into the portal.
PETER (CONT’D)
Not bad, kid.
Miles pulls his mask back down and turns to face the
approaching Kingpin. THEY FACE OFF.
MILES
Kingpin!
Kingpin SMASHES the building, causing a ripple of glass to
fly towards Miles. Miles backflips out of the way.
Kingpin pulls out a gun and Miles WEBS it away.
MILES (CONT’D)
Nope! Sorry. That’s cheating!
He starts to advance when a subway train suddenly speeds by,
heading towards the panel. Miles shoots a web at the train
and hitches a ride.
MILES (CONT’D)
Adios!
SEQ. 3150 - INTER-DIMENSIONAL FIGHT “IDF”119.EXT. SUBWAY TRAIN
Miles lands on the side of the train and looks around to
locate the panel.
MILES
I gotta get to that button.
Just then, the window on the train breaks and a pair of hands
pulls Miles in. It’s Kingpin!
INT. SUBWAY TRAIN -- FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION. IT CONTINUES TO
TOGGLE BETWEEN OTHER DIMENSIONS, IT FEELS LIKE A SUBWAY CAR
MAZE.
Miles flickers in and out invisibility as he evades Kingpin’s
punches. But Kingpin predicts Miles’ next spot and lands a
hit.
Miles tries to venom strike but it fizzles out.
MILES
Oh no...
KINGPIN
Not so easy doing it on your own is
it?
Kingpin grabs Miles around the neck and slams him against the
wall.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
I can’t wait to kill one more
Spider-Man.
An ENRAGED KINGPIN is about to deliver the death blow to
Miles, just like he did to RIPETER when--
--Vanessa and Richard appear and they DON’T RECOGNIZE
KINGPIN. MULTIPLE VANESSA AND RICHARDS now GLITCH IN AND OUT.
VANESSA
What are you doing? Where am I?
KINGPIN
What...
VANESSA 2
Wilson...
MILES
(sadly)
Is this what you want man?120.VANESSA 3
What are you doing? You stay away
from us.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
Vanessa? Vanessa! Richard!
RICHARD
What’re we doing here?
VANESSA 4
I don’t know Richard...
KINGPIN
Vanessa it’s me. You know me!
VANESSA 5
...we’re leaving now.
Vanessa and Richard are frightened. They don’t recognize
Kingpin. They see him about to kill Spider-Man and they run
through the door behind them.
KINGPIN
Don’t go! Stay with me! Please!
Kingpin reacts and runs after them, dropping Miles. He enters
the train car and finds it empty... his family has gone back
into the multiverse.
EXT. SUBWAY TRAIN
Miles climbs out of one of the windows and onto the side of
the speeding train. He looks around and locates the panel. He
is about to web away when Kingpin BURSTS through the side of
the train and lands in front of Miles. He’s LOST EVERYTHING,
but he’s not losing the fight.
KINGPIN
You’re not stopping this. Not
today.
MILES
I am stopping this! Right now!
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
Jefferson walks in and examines the control room. It’s
trashed as a result of the interdimensional event going on.
He looks out the front of the room and witnesses the chaos
taking place in the collider room. 121.The train car whizzes by with Kingpin and Miles fighting on
top of it, in clear view of Jefferson.
JEFFERSON
(into his walkie)
I need back up!
He only hears static.
IN THE COLLIDER ROOM
Kingpin and Miles fight, Kingpin with renewed fury. Kingpin
throws Miles off the train and they continue fighting as they
fall, drowning in Sienkowicz/Kirby Psychedelia.
Kingpin and Miles CRASH into the Brooklyn Bridge.
A dazed Miles shakes off the collision on the bridge, his
mask off. He staggers to his feet. Kingpin is already
standing, unsteady but still dangerous.
Kingpin and Miles square off, two exhausted boxers. Kingpin
suddenly reaches out.
He brutally shoves Miles to the ground. Miles rolls away and
tries to get up. He’s hurt. He looks up and sees Kingpin
coming after him again. Kingpin grabs Miles by the head and
slings him against a pile of debris.
Miles smashes into the ground, tries to get up and slips.
KINGPIN
The real Spider-Man couldn’t even
beat me. You’re nothing!
Kingpin is out of breath but he is enjoying beating the hell
out of Miles.
Miles keeps GETTING UP and Kingpin keeps KNOCKING HIM DOWN.
Miles keeps getting back up, he’s exhausted.
KINGPIN (CONT’D)
You took my family, and now I’m
gonna make sure you never see yours
again.
Kingpin KNOCKS MILES DOWN AGAIN and approaches to finish him
off. Just then, a voice is heard in the distance...
JEFFERSON
Get up, Spider-Man!
Miles eyes flicker open at the sound. He looks to the control
room, where he sees someone moving around. It’s his dad.122.JEFFERSON (CONT’D)
Get up! C’mon... C’mon.
MILES
(struggling)
C’mon... c’mon... come on...
It takes him a few wobbly seconds but Miles staggers to his
feet and faces Kingpin.
MILES (CONT’D)
I’ll always have my family. You
ever hear of the shoulder touch?
KINGPIN
What?
...Miles drops a hand toward Kingpin’s shoulder.
MILES
“Hey.”
--As he touches Kingpin on the shoulder he delivers a
GIGANTIC VENOM STRIKE--
KKAAAAAAA-ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!
Kingpin flies back from the force of the Venom Blast. Miles
webs him and swings Kingpin into the panel--
MILES (CONT’D)
Hey Kingpin! Push the green button
for me!
-- Kingpin FLIES INTO THE PANEL, a DIRECT HIT, making the
Venom Blast extend to the entire collider room--
The beam starts to suck everything back in.
Miles webs himself to the ceiling and holds on as the chaos
reaches a fever pitch. The beam retreats back into the
collider guns, causing a MASSIVE IMPLOSION.
In the control room, Jefferson is blown back by the force of
the implosion.
THE COLLIDER SHUTS OFF. The shaking stops.
Miles hangs from the ceiling. He did it.
Some coughing catches his attention. From the debris of the
observation room, he sees Jefferson stand up, coughing and
shaking dust off.123.Jefferson looks up and sees a spider web dangling but now
MILES IS GONE.
SEQ. 3175 - JEFFERSON AND MILES “JAM”
EXT. FISK MANSION -- NIGHT
Jefferson leads a handcuffed Tombstone into a cop car.
As the car drives off, his phone rings. He looks at it. It's
MILES. He answers.
JEFFERSON
--Miles? Miles? Miles?! Are you ok?
ANGLE ON MILES, as Spider-Man, perched on the corner of a
building, overlooking the scene outside Fisk Tower.
MILES
Yeah, I’m ok.
(beat)
You’re probably busy so--
He’s definitely busy but doesn’t care.
JEFFERSON
No no no no, I can talk! I can
talk. Look, so I came by earlier
because, uh... your uncle...
MILES
I know Dad. I’m so sorry.
A wave of emotion hits Miles.
JEFFERSON
Yeah.
MILES
Do you know who did it?
JEFFERSON
I thought I did. But I was wrong.
(a beat)
Look Miles, what I said at the
door, it wasn’t just talk. Look you
know, I was thinking maybe we could
find a nice wall privately owned--124.MILES
(getting emotional,
holding it back)
Ok, dad. Alright.
JEFFERSON
--like at the police station and
you could...“throw” up some of your
art? Man, I’m bad at this. Ok,
Miles-- Miles? You there?
(the line’s gone dead)
C’mon man, C-Mobile--
Miles APPEARS right next to Jefferson with a POP--
MILES AS SPIDER-MAN
Officer?
SPIDER-MAN, aka MILES, right behind him.
JEFFERSON
(startled)
Spider-Man. Listen, down there,
that was, I mean I owe you--
--Jefferson is startled when SPIDER-MAN HUGS HIM. He
awkwardly pats him on the back.
They break it up.
MILES AS SPIDER-MAN
I look forward to working with you.
JEFFERSON
Yeah, me too, I guess.
(then)
I don’t approve of your methods
but, we’re just gonna have to agree
to disagree.
MILES AS SPIDER-MAN
Thank you for your bravery tonight.
(then, quickly)
I love you.
Spiderman walks away.
JEFFERSON
Wait, what?
Miles walks off, shoots a web, swings away.
MILES AS SPIDER-MAN
And look behind you!125.Jefferson turns and sees that Kingpin has been strung up by
webs between two buildings and there’s a note that reads
“From your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Miles walks down the street, high-fiving people. Everyone is
SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM.
MILES
Alright. Cool, yeah!
BYSTANDER #1
Yeah, thanks Spider-Man!
MILES
Yeah I’m Spider-man! A su servicio!
BYSTANDER #2
Yeah, you the spider!
MILES
What’s up little man? Oh yeah, yeah
I’m the new Spider-Man! Check it
out--
(jumps onto wall,
immediately falls off)
Whoa! That was part of the move.
SEQ. 3200 - WHY PHYSICS MATTERS TO ME “PMM”
EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS
ON MILES, swinging through the city.
MILES (V.O.)
OK, let's do this one last time,
yeah? For real this time. This is
it.
We see the OPENING BADASS SHOTS OF SPIDER-MAN but this time
with Miles.
MILES (V.O.)
My name is Miles Morales. I was
bitten by a radioactive spider. And
for like two days, I’ve been the
one and only Spider-Man. I think
you know the rest. I finished my
essay. I saved a bunch of people.
We see him do homework. Swing in front of adoring crowds. Get
hit by a drone.126.MILES (V.O.)
Got hit by a drone. Did this with
my dad.
Miles paints a tribute to Uncle Aaron with Jefferson.
MILES (V.O.)
Met my roommate finally.
Miles, upside down, fist bumps Ganke. Ganke is stunned. Miles
slaps a sticker on a gargoyle at the top of a building.
MILES (V.O.)
Slapped a sticker where my Dad’s
never going to find it.
Ham, Peni, Noir, Gwen are in their homes, ready for a fresh
start...
MILES (V.O.)
And when I feel alone, like no one
understands what I’m going through,
I remember my friends who get it.
Gwen looks at a picture of her and Miles.
Peter, holding flowers, rings the doorbell to MJ’s apartment.
Miles swings, flips, and runs through the city. He webs a
train as leverage to CATAPULT himself through the air. He
looks GREAT. It’s BEAUTIFUL, and SO SPECIFIC TO MILES.
MILES (V.O.)
I never thought I’d be able to do
any of this stuff. But I can.
Anyone can wear the mask. You can
wear the mask. If you didn’t know
that before, I hope you do now.
INT. DORM ROOM - CONTINUES
Miles climbs into the top bunk, turning out the light, put on
his headphones...
MILES (V.O.)
Cuz I’m Spider-Man. And I’m not the
only one. Not by a long shot.
He closes his eyes. Starts singing along to “Sunflower.” But
his eyes snap open as a bright light suddenly shines down on
him. A portal begins to open up above him. 127.FAMILIAR FEMALE VOICE
Miles! Miles! Miles! You got a
minute?
CUT TO BLACK
SEQ. 3250 - “CODA” (CDA)
FROM BLACK...
INT. SECRET FACILITY - DAY
A massive lab space, so bleeding edge that it looks alien.
Holographic images of the Collider’s final moments (twisted,
flowering cityscapes... giant floating pencils... Spider-Ham,
etc) hover above the dozens of workstations filling the room.
We also get a glimpse of HEADSHOTS of Miles, Peter, Peni, and
Gwen.
A HOLOGRAM WOMAN, Lyla, stands in the center of the lab,
flickering from one screen to the next.
LYLA
You’re a bit late.
SUITED FIGURE
We can’t all be everywhere at once.
LYLA
A little text might have been nice.
SUITED FIGURE
I was gone for less than two hours,
what happened?
LYLA
Okay okay okay I know what it looks
like but, here’s the good news--
SUITED FIGURE
--oh here we go--
LYLA
--the multiverse DIDN’T collapse.
SUITED FIGURE
Oh cool!128.LYLA
A little touch and go, but it
worked out.
SUITED FIGURE
Great story. Hey, did you finish
the goober?
LYLA
It’s not a goober. It’s a gizmo.
SUITED FIGURE
Do you always have to call me out?
It’s just really frustrating and it
bums me out.
She gestures to a crazy WATCH floating above a pedestal.
LYLA
Don’t get too excited Miguel it’s
just a prototype.
SUITED FIGURE
Not excited.
The gizmo attaches itself to the Suited Figure’s arm.
SUITED FIGURE (CONT’D)
Okay, ow!
LYLA
You could be the first person to
make an autonomous multiverse
jump... or the last.
The suited character stands stock still for a long moment,
considering the watch. We begin to PAN AROUND HIM...
MIGUEL
Okay, so we’re just going to roll
the dice on this?
LYLA
So what do you say pal? Where do
you want to go first?
... finally revealing a DEEP BLUE MASK. NO EYEHOLES. RED,
DAGGER-LIKE LENS FRAMES...
MIGUEL
Let’s start at the beginning. One
last time. Earth 67.
SMASH TO:129.A TRIPPY MATTE PAINTING
From a Ralph Bakshi directed 1968 episode from season two of
the old animated Spiderman animated TV show.
TWO SHOT -- Miguel jumps in to frame with the famous ‘67
ANIMATED MEME SPIDER-MAN.
MEME SPIDER-MAN
Whoa... what the...
MIGUEL
I’m Spider-man. I need you to come
with me.
MEME SPIDER-MAN
Who the heck are you?
MIGUEL
I just told you that, listen,
listen. I’m from the future.
MEME SPIDER-MAN
How dare you point at me!
MIGUEL
You were pointing first!
MEME SPIDER-MAN
It’s rude to point.
MIGUEL
You’re being very rude! You’re not
even believing what I’m saying.
You’re saying I’m not who I say I
am.
A POLICE OFFICER and J. JONAH JAMESON are standing nearby.
MEME POLICE OFFICER
Which one pointed first?
MEME JAMESON
Spider-man pointed first!
Obviously!
And we go out in pure chaos, the most expensive dumb joke of
all time...130.MIGUEL
You’re pointing at me right
now as you say that! Look at
you! Look at your finger!
Look at your finger right
now! What is it doing? You
are pointing! You are
accusing me of pointing,
while your pointing--MEME SPIDER-MAN
I’m not pointing, you’re
pointing. I’m just pointing
out your pointing. Which is
different from normal
pointing. You haven’t seen
pointing until I get through
with you and then you’ll know-
-
“THE END” title card from the 1967 Bakshi cartoon.
BLACK.131. | screenplays |
Fate/stay night, Ghost Rider 1. Start of Darkness
"Fate/rider phantom"
Chapter 1: "Start of Darkness"
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night and associated characters and material belong to TYPE-MOON. The concept of Ghost Rider belongs to Marvel Comics. I make no money whatsoever from this story.
Author's note: After seeing an AMV set to the Ghost Rider movie trailer starring Sakura as Johnny Blaze and Rider as the titular Ghost Rider, I was inspired to make an actual story out of it. This is not quite a crossover, but more like a fusion . . . with the characters of one fictional series taking on roles akin to characters of another fictional series. And, Rider/Sakura is a somewhat popular yuri pairing, thus begging the question, "What if they were one person?" But enough blabbering from me; I'm going to do this story and it's gonna be good, I hope.
_
* * *
_
There are more things, in heaven, in hell, and on Earth, than most human beings could possibly dream of. When it comes to hell, even the most warped human being couldn't imagine what sorts of horrors come crawling from there. Even the most warped human couldn't imagine that hell . . . just might be on Earth. Even the more cynical and bitter humans who tend to say that couldn't imagine just how right they are. If they only knew . . .
* * *
A dark-haired girl coughed hard.
"Rin?" the plum-haired girl next to her asked. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, Sakura," Rin replied, smiling. "I'm ok. Don't worry about me."
"Ok . . ." Sakura murmured, still not convinced. If Rin didn't want her pushing it, though, she wouldn't.
"Let's just enjoy our lunch," Rin suggested.
* * *
After school, Sakura found herself at the home of her best friend Shiro, who was just calmly preparing for dinner. "Would you like me to help you?" she asked him.
"I don't . . ." Shiro started to say, only to cut himself off with a sigh. "It's all right. You can help if you want to."
As Sakura and Shiro prepared dinner, the former turned to the latter and asked, "How is Rin doing?"
"What do you mean?" Shiro asked.
"She coughs a lot, and she's gotten paler," Sakura explained.
"I'm sure she just came down with a bug," Shiro replied. "She'll be all right soon. I hope."
"So do I," Sakura whispered.
* * *
When Sakura returned to her home, she found her older brother Shinji waiting for her with a cold countenance. "Where were you?" he asked.
"With Shiro," Sakura replied quietly.
"And what were the two of you doing?" Shinji further inquired.
"I was just helping him cook," Sakura answered.
"'Cook,' huh? That the popular terminology these days?" Shinji's countenance had shifted from cold to downright cruel. "I don't see why you waste your time with him. He's too naïve to really notice your efforts. I doubt he's aware what girls really exist for, anyway."
"Shiro is a nice person. That's why I like him."
"Newsflash, Sakura: Nice people are just people who either don't know what they want or are too cowardly to act on what they want." Shinji had a malevolent smile on his face.
"I'm happy with what I have."
"So you say. So you say. But what if you could have more? Wouldn't you take it?"
"I'm not like you, Shinji. I don't have this incessant hunger like you do."
"I know what you want. More than Shiro's love, you want Rin to be happy. What if I could make her happy?"
Sakura looked at Shinji suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"
"She's sick, Sakura," Shinji explained, his tone suddenly deep with concern. "Very sick. She isn't long for this world. I've been trying to figure out a way to save her, but I've had no luck. You can help me."
"How? How can I help you?"
"I'll show you." Shinji allowed himself a slight smile, far more benevolent than the malice he had shown before. "Come with me."
Sakura followed Shinji to his room. Once inside, Shinji reached under his bed and pulled out a thick tome. "What is that?" Sakura asked.
"Book of Shadows." Shinji smirked. "I've been practicing magic, but the effects I've been able to invoke have been mediocre at best and piddling at worst. With your help, though, I can do far better."
"Why do you need me?" Sakura wondered.
"Your purity," Shinji replied. "The powers I'm about to invoke to save Rin's life require someone with a pure heart, and I don't have that."
"You . . . need me?" Sakura uttered, shocked by what Shinji had told her. Her older brother, callous and uncaring and utterly selfish, needed _her?_
"Yes, Sakura." Shinji gently took her hands. "I need you. And Rin needs you."
Sakura nodded. "I'll help you, Shinji. I'll help you."
* * *
After their grandfather had gone to sleep, Shinji woke Sakura up. "It's time," he whispered.
The Matou siblings went to Shinji's room, where Shinji had drawn an eight-pointed star within a circle on the floor, hidden by a rug that was no longer there. He sat on one end and silently instructed Sakura to sit on the opposite end. "How do we do this?" she wondered.
"Just leave it to me, Sakura," Shinji replied. "Leave it to me. I'll let you know when your part comes in."
Shinji flipped through the Book of Shadows until he landed on a specific page. Once there, he began to chant in a language that Sakura didn't recognize as either Japanese or English. It scared her, but she stayed still, determined not to flee and sacrifice this chance she had to save Rin. She held fast, even as Shinji's chanting grew louder and his voice turned deeper. Then, Shinji opened his eyes . . . and they were glowing a fiery crimson.
"Shinji?" Sakura uttered.
"I need your blood," Shinji spoke, his voice deep. "Your blood, the blood of a virgin, will complete this ritual. It will allow us to tap into the power that can save Rin."
Sakura extended her hand to Shinji, who pulled out a knife and cut the palm of her hand. Her blood leaked out of the wound and Shinji gently smeared it onto the fingertips of his secondary hand. He cut his bloodstained hand, mixing his blood with Sakura's, and slammed his hand onto the center of the star. He resumed chanting, his voice increasingly deeper, lower, and raspier. Upon the end of the chant, his eyes stopped glowing red and started glowing a fiery gold. The eight-pointed star glowed as well, generating an energy field that paralyzed Sakura.
"Shinji! What are you doing?!" Sakura asked, finally frightened beyond self-control.
"We have reached them," Shinji answered. "We only need to finalize the connection."
"SHINJI!" Sakura cried out, feeling the center of her forehead burn as though she had been touched by a lit match. Unbeknownst to her, a crimson symbol was materializing on her forehead and her plum eyes were turning white as snow.
As quickly as it had started, it was over. The energy field dissipated, allowing Sakura to move once again, and the burning had stopped. When she dared look at Shinji, his eyes were blue again, instead of red or gold. Despite panting from exhaustion, she managed the strength to ask, "Did it work?"
"Yes . . ." Shinji hissed. "Go to bed now, Sakura. Sleep well. When you see Rin again, she will be healthy."
When morning came, Sakura wondered if everything that had just transpired that night wasn't just some odd dream. After all, magic didn't really exist . . . and Shinji wasn't some demonic sorcerer. It was utterly impossible. The only thing that prevented her from dismissing it entirely was the fear of what might happen to Rin if she was as sick as Shinji had claimed. For that alone, she hoped last night wasn't just some dream, no matter how much it might have comforted her to think that.
* * *
At school, Sakura ran into Rin. "How are you feeling, Rin?"
"Better than I have in a long time," Rin admitted with a smile. "I don't know, but I feel like I could take on the entire soccer team and win."
"Wow . . ." Sakura uttered. _Maybe it worked, after all. Maybe I wasn't dreaming._
When lunchtime came around, Sakura found Shiro. "Hi, Shiro."
"Hey, Sakura," Shiro answered amiably. "How are you?"
"Much better."
"Tohsaka ok?"
"Yeah, she's feeling much better."
Shiro sighed in relief. "I knew it wasn't that serious. I was worried, but . . . thank God."
"Yeah," Sakura sighed. _Or thank Shinji and I._
"Wanna come over to my house after school?" Shiro asked. "You and I could . . . cook together."
"Sure," Sakura replied. "I'd like that."
While she was helping Shiro cook and clean around his house, Shiro got a look at her bandaged hand. "What happened to your hand?" he wondered.
"I cut it," Sakura answered.
"On what?" Shiro wondered.
"It's . . . it's embarrassing," Sakura lied, blushing.
"Oh, ok," Shiro said. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
* * *
After her chores were over with, Sakura returned home, only to find a grimfaced Shinji. "Shinji? What's wrong?"
"Bad news," Shinji replied. "It's . . . about Rin."
"Is she all right?" Sakura's demeanor was full of dismay. _No . . . it can't . . . not after what I . . . what we . . ._
Shinji gently guided her into the house, where their grandfather was watching television. "Shame about that girl," he was muttering. "She was so pretty . . . smart, too . . . had her whole life ahead of her . . ."
"Who are you talking about, Grandpa?" Sakura asked, trembling.
"Girl named Rin Tohsaka," the Matou patriarch replied offhandedly. "She went to your school, you know. Shinji was crazy about her."
"Rin . . ." Sakura uttered, on the verge of tears. "How . . . what happened?"
"Hit-and-run," Zoken Matou answered. "Some bastard . . . just ran her over and then drove off . . ."
Sakura couldn't bear to hear anymore; she ran to her room, crying. "It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair . . ." She buried her face in her pillow, muffling her cries. So consumed she was by anguish that she almost didn't notice Shinji sitting on her bed and gently stroking her hair.
"It's going to be ok, Sakura . . ." he whispered. "It'll be ok . . . you still have me . . ."
"Shinji . . . what went wrong?" Sakura wondered. "How come we couldn't save Rin?"
"Nothing went wrong," Shinji replied. "We saved her from the cancer. Unfortunately, the Fates were still determined to cut her life string. If it wasn't the cancer, they would have found another way. It's just the way things have to be."
"It's not fair!" Sakura protested. "Rin was a good person! Why would the Fates end her life so soon?"
"'Only the good die young.'" A dark smile formed on Shinji's face.
"What does that say about us?" Sakura dared to look at Shinji . . . and saw something indescribably _hard_ in his eyes.
"It says that we will live for a long time." Shinji's voice was a cold monotone.
"S-Shinji?"
"The heavens did this. They took Rin from you, from me, from everyone that loved her. They will pay . . . and you will help me."
"How . . . how can I help you?"
"Your blood is mixed with mine. We are bound, now and forever, to each other. When the time comes, vengeance will be ours . . . and you will be the one that claims it."
"Yes," Sakura murmured.
"Swear to me, Sakura, swear that you will be loyal to me above all others and vengeance will be yours," Shinji whispered passionately.
"I swear, Shinji . . ."
"Good." Shinji touched her forehead, and she felt once more the burning sensation she had experienced last night. Her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain, but with rage burning in her heart, as her eyes turned white and the strange crimson symbol formed on her forehead once again. Before Sakura passed out from the pain, she heard a strange voice whisper in her mind.
_You're mine, Sakura Matou, now and forever._
* * *
End Notes: Time to end it here. I would make the chapter longer, as I am normally wont to do, but I've been advised that such would be a bad idea. Ergo, the material that would have been in this first chapter will be diverted into the chapter following this one. For those of you who have seen Ghost Rider or have any awareness of the basic history of the comic version, you certainly know what's coming. For those of you who have no awareness of Ghost Rider but know Fate/stay night (particularly Heaven's Feel), you might have some idea of what's coming, too. Anyway, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed.
2. Ride or Die
"Fate/rider phantom"
Chapter 2: "Ride or Die"
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night and all associated characters are the property of Kinoku Nasu and TYPE-MOON. Ghost Rider, the concept and the associated characters, is the property of Marvel Comics. I make no money whatsoever from this story.
Author's note: Now that the contract has been made, it is time for Sakura to become an epic spirit of vengeance. Just what will Shinji compel her to do in the name of his ambitions, and what is his true purpose? What enemies will rise to challenge Sakura and Shinji, and will Sakura survive those challenges? For the answers to those questions and others, you'll just have to read on.
* * *
One year later, Shinji Matou stared down Zoken Matou, his normally blue eyes a frozen golden color. "You've done well, Grandfather."
"Thank you, Lord Shinji," Zoken replied humbly. "Are the worms still functioning?"
"Yes. They've turned Sakura into the perfect breeding ground for my perfect Servant."
Zoken smirked. "I am pleased, my Lord. But I must caution you, I sense challengers on the horizon and in your current state you will be destroyed by them."
"I know that already, _old man,_" Shinji sneered. "That's why I have Sakura. Through her, I will regain my station and I will obliterate all who challenge me."
"Is she ready yet?"
"She will be. She has been most willing to learn – and to obey – this past year, and she will continue as such . . ."
"As long as she does not discover the truth of Rin's demise," Zoken added.
"Even if she does, she is bound to me," Shinji averred. "She cannot rebel against me, and she does not even have the will to make the attempt. Not anymore, and the fringe benefits aren't so bad, either."
* * *
Meanwhile, a seemingly young girl in a purple winter coat and white scarf, complimenting her pale skin and platinum-blonde hair, casually sauntered into a delinquent bar. Accompanying her was a large, muscular shirtless man whose eyes glimmered with a frenzied energy akin to madness. The girl looked around, her red eyes narrowing with irritation as they searched the bar.
"Where is she?" she mumbled.
"Hey, little girl," a biker-leathered teenage boy sneered, swaggering over to her. "You lost?"
"I'm looking for someone," the girl answered.
"Maybe I can help," the boy taunted.
"I really doubt you could," the girl sneered.
"Oh, really?" The biker boy reached out to feel her hair, only for the girl to grab his hand.
"Did I say you could touch me?"
"Get off, brat!"
The girl chuckled, a sound that was more like a sadistic trill. "Berserker. Deal with him."
The giant beside her punched the biker boy across the bar, sending him flying over the counter and into the rows of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages behind it. "Holy shit!" another patron shouted.
"Get him!" a friend of the boy shouted, drawing his gun and shooting at Berserker. The bullets bounced off Berserker, but had the unfortunate side effect of ricocheting around the bar and taking out several unlucky bystanders. That didn't exactly stop those left from trying other tactics, such as knives or even yo-yos. Those, however, shattered on Berserker's skin, leaving their wielders helpless and unable to do anything to survive the carnage that soon followed.
"Beautiful . . ." the girl whispered, a dark light shining in her ruby eyes.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" another female voice, older and deeper, sneered.
The pale girl turned to stare down an older female, lavender-haired and dressed in violet and black. "Caster," the pale girl greeted.
"Blackheart," Caster replied. "Or am I supposed to call you Illyasviel von Einzberg now?"
"Just 'Ilya' is good," Ilya replied. "You're my friend, Caster. I'd like you to call me that."
Caster smirked. "You do realize you killed my toys, don't you?"
"I'll get you new ones," Ilya answered.
"Where's Assassin?"
"He'll come. He just has to . . . get himself properly prepared for the fight to come."
Caster eyed Ilya. "Do you think Mephistopheles will prove to be a problem?"
Ilya's eyes darkened with a malicious fury and she grabbed Caster by her throat in a demonstration of strength that surprised the elder woman. "_Don't . . ._ speak that name. Ever. If you so much as think it, Berserker will split you in two."
Caster looked down at Ilya, smirking despite her precarious position. "Poor little Blackheart. Still scared of your daddy."
Ilya let Caster go, her face twisting into a demonic snarl before reverting to its classical angelic beauty. "Berserker, Caster. We're finished here. Time to find Assassin." She turned on her heel and walked out of the bar, Berserker and Caster following.
* * *
Shiro Emiya hadn't taken Rin Tohsaka's death that well. He knew Sakura had been heartbroken, too, but the last time he'd seen her had been at Rin's funeral. She'd been avoiding him ever since, although an encounter with Shinji had aroused Shiro's suspicions as to why. He still remembered what Shinji had said to him, that fateful day.
"_Keep away from my sister, Emiya. If you know what's good for you."_
Shiro lay on his bed, musing about just what could have happened to change Sakura's feelings for him. He missed Sakura, missed her terribly. He supposed he'd always taken her presence for granted, and now that he didn't have the pleasure of her company anymore, he felt terribly lonely. He had a bad feeling about Shinji, though; something just didn't sit right with the auburn-haired boy when it came to the older dark-haired boy.
"Yen for your thoughts, Shiro?" the voice of his guardian Taiga asked.
"No thanks, Fuji," Shiro replied. "My thoughts aren't worth that much."
"You're thinking about Sakura again, aren't you?" Taiga surmised.
"It's no use," Shiro answered. "Shinji will never let me near her."
Shiro could hear Taiga's chuckle from the other side of the door. "Then maybe you need to find a way to get around Shinji."
_Like what?_ Shiro wondered grimly.
* * *
Back at the Matou residence, Shinji found Sakura in her room. "Come with me, Sakura. I have to show you something."
"Yes, brother," Sakura murmured emotionlessly. She rose from her bed and followed Shinji out of the house, allowing him to take her to the expansive garage. Inside the garage, aside from Shinji's car, was something covered by black tarp with strange runes inscribed on it. Shinji pulled the tarp off, revealing a black sport motorcycle. "Is this yours, Shinji?"
"No. It's yours, little sister."
"Mine?" Sakura was surprised.
"Yes. My gift to you. It will help you gain vengeance on those who took Rin from you. But first, there are some people that need to be taken care of."
"Who are they?"
Shinji smiled darkly. "They are my enemies. That is all you need to know."
Sakura examined the sport bike, feeling a rising urge to touch it, to feel it, to ride it. Despite the length of her skirt, she was able to straddle the bike by hiking up said skirt. As soon as she got on, she felt a strange force pulling her hands onto the bike's handlebars. "What's . . . what's happening?"
"The power in this bike is bound to the power within you," Shinji replied. "They are calling to each other, and you are the medium through which they will meet."
The motorcycle roared to life. "Shinji!"
"Go forth . . . and send our enemies to hell."
The motorcycle took off, carrying a helpless Sakura along with it. The bike roared down the streets of Fuyuki City, driven by the purpose Shinji had given it and accelerating ever faster. Sakura was just along for the ride, it seemed, but the purpose Shinji had given "her" bike burned in her blood, too. She held on to the handlebars as tightly as she could, her knuckles turning white with fear . . . and maybe excitement. She felt the power within her meeting the power within the bike and cycling inside her.
_This . . . feels . . . good . . ._ she thought, her mind nearly crazed by the thrill. _So good . . ._
Down one particular highway, a cop in a parked police vehicle had his radar gun pointed at the highway, on the alert for speeders. He chanced a look at his radar gun upon hearing its increasingly rapid and insistent beeps. To his shock, the radar gun was saying . . . _six hundred and sixteen kilometers an hour,_ and _rising._ "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself.
He was about to go after the speeder, when he got a good split-second look. It was a black sport motorcycle, with a plum-haired teenage girl sitting on it, looking simultaneously frightened and exhilarated. The unusual thing was that she was going so fast, it set off a shockwave that dragged his car a little bit before unceremoniously knocking it down to the ground on its side. Fortunately, he'd been wearing his seatbelt, and the airbag still worked fine. By the time he was able to get back on his feet, she was gone . . . but he remembered the last thing his radar gun (poor thing) had said: 999 km/h.
"What . . . what was that?" he wondered.
As Sakura continued her unwilling and potentially lethal ride, she felt the bike transforming around her. Its chassis became a massively armored _thing_ akin to a tank if tanks were built like motorcycles, and turned charcoal-silver and black. The bike's seat became an open cockpit, with Sakura's arms inside to reach the handlebars and her legs inside to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The exhaust pipes transformed and multiplied into five black jet thrusters, while the tire treads took on demonic patterns and hellish fire shone out of the headlights.
* * *
Just as suddenly as the bike had started, it stopped near train tracks, and Sakura fell out, her hair falling over her face. "My . . . my Lord . . . what is happening to me?" She felt the fire inside her, growing within her, threatening to consume her. The fire seemed to concentrate itself in the center of her forehead, as though she were being branded. Her eyes burned, too, as though she had just had something acidic poured into them.
Finally, Sakura let out a scream, as a runic circle formed above her and lowered itself around her, stripping her of her clothes and replacing them with a body-wide energy sheath. A strapless black mini-dress with purple trim formed on her body, while black arm-covers and thigh-high boots with purple bands around her thighs, upper arms, and wrists formed on her arms and legs. While her wardrobe was changing, her body was changing, too, growing taller and filling out in more "feminine" ways. Her hair grew longer as well, and paled from plum to lavender, while a purple armored visor covered her whitening eyes. Completing the transformation were a purple choker and two large metal nails connected by a very long chain.
"Ah, there you are," a voice remarked. "I was wondering if you'd ever show . . . Rider."
The transformed Sakura looked up at the source of the voice, finding a man with long dark hair staring down at her from a rooftop. He wore a red-accented black outfit, a one-piece full-body suit with cutouts for the shoulders and a half-cape wrapped around his waist. An extremely long sword – a nodachi, Sakura guessed – rested in his hand, the man behind that hand holding it with ease.
"You're going back to hell . . ." Rider purred, holding up one of her nails to lick it. ". . . and I'm going to send you there."
"Really?" the swordsman asked. "I don't think so."
In a single agile movement, he jumped down from the rooftop, and Rider found herself being attacked by multiple blades on all sides! "What?!"
"My technique," the swordsman clarified as Rider fell down. "Now, come on. Don't tell me that's all you have."
"It isn't . . ." Rider snarled, rising to her feet. "And if you think one fancy move is going to enable you to win, you're sorely mistaken."
"I'm glad to see you're so confident." The swordsman smiled maliciously. "I've been looking for a good fight for a while. You seem like you could give me that. So you'd better. Or I'll kill you, pretty little Rider."
Rider laughed, the sound sadistically melodious. "You know my name. What am I supposed to call you, 'Stupid Dead Man Walking'?"
"Assassin will do," the swordsman answered. "Let's go."
Rider threw her chain at Assassin, while Assassin lunged at her with his sword. "This is gonna be good," she purred.
* * *
End Notes: And so it begins. Sakura has become an epic spirit of vengeance, and is now set to take on Ilya/Blackheart and her hellish trinity. But will she find out that she is simply being used by Shinji? What is Shinji's real agenda for Sakura, and the world? What role, if any, will Shiro play in this hellish tragedy? For the answers to those questions and others, read on and let me know what you think, even if it's just to say how much you hated this story. Thanks.
3. Prayer for Sinners
"Fate/rider phantom"
Chapter 3: "Prayer for Sinners"
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of Kinoko Nasu and TYPE-MOON. Ghost Rider is the property of Marvel Comics. I do not have any stocks in Marvel or TYPE-MOON, and I am not Nasu, so I own neither Fate/stay night nor Ghost Rider. Furthermore, I make no money whatsoever from this story; it is simply a fun speculative piece for me to write.
Author's note: Rider is here! Assassin is here! Berserker is here! Caster is here! Ilya is here! Shinji is here! (Boo.) Shiro is here! And who else is going to show up in this hell-riding adventure? Will it be Lancer? Saber? Archer? Avenger? And if any of them show up, in what form will they emerge? But, enough of that; time to get on with the show!
* * *
Assassin flickered behind Rider and swung his katana, about to invoke his Noble Phantasm. Rider blocked his swing with one of the nails on her chain, using it to knock his katana out of his hands. The chain turned, encircling and tightening about Assassin's neck. Rider tugged her end of the chain, further tightening the end of the chain that wrapped around Assassin's neck. Assassin merely reached out to his katana, even though it was farther away than the length of his arm.
"Who is your Master?" Rider asked.
"Is that supposed to be some sort of kinky sex taunt?" Assassin asked sarcastically, despite the lack of oxygen in his lungs or whatever passed for lungs in his body.
Rider simply tightened the chain further. "If those are the kind of games that interest you, we can always play later. Right now, I want to know who your Master is."
"Who is _your_ Master?" Assassin retorted, just before telekinetically drawing his katana and throwing it at Rider's neck.
Rider unwrapped her chain from around Assassin's neck as she jumped back to evade his katana. Just as she thought she had successfully evaded it, she felt three near-simultaneous sword slashes. That could only mean one thing; Assassin had gotten back his katana and triggered his Noble Phantasm. Rider landed on her feet and hands, arched almost like a cat, and spun to face Assassin.
"This is going to be fun," she purred, licking one of her nails.
"Yes," Assassin agreed with a deadly smirk.
Suddenly, demonic ghouls began to crawl out of the dirt. Rider snarled. "Caster . . ."
"Caster!" Assassin yelled. "She's mine!"
"Don't be greedy, Assassin," Caster sneered from a high perch. "You've had your fun. Allow me to have mine."
Rider flipped into the air and lashed out with the nails on her chain, using them to brutally impale the ghouls. The chain whipped around, impaling multiple ghouls through their heads or their chests or some other part of their rotted bodies. At one point, the chain looped around one ghoul's neck and Rider grabbed both ends and twisted, tightening the loop so forcefully that the ghoul's head fell off. Rider moved like a deadly dancer, impaling and decapitating ghouls with brutal ease.
"Not bad," Assassin remarked. "You're quite impressive, Rider. Too bad you still have to die."
"Is it time?" the man beside Caster asked.
"Yes, Kuzuki," Caster replied. "_Reinforcement._ Do it, Kuzuki."
At that moment, Assassin and Kuzuki – a man in a black duster over a charcoal formal suit – moved to attack Rider simultaneously. Rider managed to dodge Assassin's katana, only to practically walk right into Kuzuki's punch, which sent her flying back. She managed to contort in midair and throw her chain out, the nail on its end aimed for Kuzuki's heart. Kuzuki blurred into momentary insubstantiality, reemerging to strike Rider with a knifehand chop, although Rider caught his wrist and stabbed him with the nail from the other end of her chain.
Kuzuki merely smirked at Rider and punched her with such force that she was unwillingly propelled down the wood path. Emerging behind her was Assassin, who unleashed his sword technique on her again. Rider twisted to kick Assassin and bounced off him, soaring backward and flipping to kick Kuzuki as well. She bounced off him and landed on her feet, taking back her chain and licking Kuzuki's blood off the nail with which she had stabbed him.
"You and I are a lot alike," Kuzuki observed.
"In what way?" Rider scoffed.
"We both thirst for blood," Kuzuki answered with a dark smirk.
Rider brandished her chain. "That so? Maybe . . . but don't think you're getting a taste of my blood." At that point, Assassin joined the two combatants, ready to fight alongside Kuzuki against Rider. She merely smirked at them. "Whenever you're ready, boys."
Assassin flickered at Rider, who caught his sword with her chain and pulled him into a knee impact to his stomach. Just as she managed to toss him aside, Kuzuki attacked her with a circular chop, striking her in the side of her neck. Rider fell to the ground, but rolled onto her feet and threw her chain out at Kuzuki, who merely let it wrap around his forearm and then tugged harshly. Rider flew into a kick aimed specifically at Kuzuki's wound, but Kuzuki seemed to shrug it off and throw her to the ground.
With the chain still linking Rider and Kuzuki, Kuzuki wrenched his arm, throwing Rider at a tree. However, Rider contorted around the tree and kicked Kuzuki from behind, flipping off him and completely reclaiming her chain. At that moment, Assassin had already moved to attack her, invoking his Noble Phantasm once again. Rider retaliated with a brutal palm thrust to Assassin's chest, nearly caving in his ribcage or whatever his physical structure had that passed for one.
"Who is your Master?" Rider interrogated.
"Why do you want to know?" Assassin asked sardonically.
Kuzuki had gotten up by then with a whiplash-like kick to Rider's stomach, hitting her in one of the wounds Assassin had left with his Noble Phantasm. As she staggered back, Kuzuki kicked her again, even harder this time, with enough force to knock her down. Rider simply rose to her feet, growling with fury.
"You . . . are _really_ trying my patience."
"And you ours," Kuzuki retorted. "Why don't you just die already?"
"Because I am an avenger," Rider snarled.
She lashed out with her chain at both Assassin and Kuzuki, who both dodged the nails on the ends of her chain. One nail found itself embedded inside a tree trunk, and the other nail was embedded in an opposite tree trunk. Rider swung herself up until she was in a handstand on the chain . . . and performed a scissor kick to Assassin and Kuzuki, who had thought to attack her from opposite sides. She pulled the nails out of the tree trunks and landed on her feet.
"I should ask, who is _your_ Master?" Kuzuki inquired.
"Why do you want to know?" Rider retorted, echoing Assassin's sardonic tone when he asked her that question. Suddenly, she spun into a roundhouse kick that impacted an attacking Assassin in whatever he had that passed for a kidney. Just as Kuzuki was about to attack, Rider spun on her heel and the heel of her outstretched leg struck him in his temple. She looked up at Caster's perch. "Why don't you come down here . . . and we can get to know each other a little better? Or better yet . . . I'll come to you!"
Rider leaped into the branches of a tree, bounding through the trees at high speed. Caster blocked Rider's attack with a spell barrier, which repelled Rider, who threw her nail out to catch a particularly thick branch. With the nail securing the branch, Rider used the attached chain to scale the tree, somersaulting into a kick to Caster that was unfortunately deflected by another shield. Rider back-flipped and kicked off another tree, swinging from her chain into a rising kick that caught Caster in the jaw. As Caster teetered, Rider somersaulted into a flying side kick that knocked her completely off the tree.
"Who is your Master?" Rider asked.
"I know who yours is," Caster hissed. "The Exile, the Banished Lord."
"No riddles," Rider spat. "Just die."
"You first," Caster answered. She invoked one of her abilities, Territory Creation, and the environment began to warp around her and Rider. When it finally became something tangible and definite, it resembled the inside of a temple. "This is my Territory."
Rider smirked. "Really?" She flickered behind Caster, only for Caster to block her attack by grabbing her wrist and throwing her into a wall. Rider simply twisted in midair and landed on the wall in a crouch. "Interesting. If you were really capable of that, why not just fight me from the start?"
Just as she sprang at Caster, Caster caught Rider by her wrists and threw her overhead, only for Rider to contort and land skidding on her feet. "_Reinforcement._"
Caster seemed to disappear from view, only to emerge behind Rider with a jagged dagger extended to stab her. Rider whirled to block the dagger, only for it to cut her hand. Withstanding the pain, she lashed with her chain to impale Caster on the nail at the end, which Caster blocked with the dagger she held. Despite being blocked, the nail struck with enough force to knock the dagger out of Caster's hand. Caster telekinetically called the dagger and threw it at Rider's chest, Rider herself barely able to dodge.
Out of the walls came marble ghouls, swarming around Rider. With a battle cry, Rider launched herself into the air, lashing out with the nails attached to her chain to pierce the ghouls. Despite that, all she accomplished was shattering their marble shells, freeing even more dangerous specters that circled Rider at high speed. Blood flowed as the specters formed their mass into invisible blades that slashed Rider again and again.
"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Caster asked mockingly.
"I can . . . and I will . . ." Rider snarled, bloodied but not beaten. "Black Pegasus!" In response to her call, the demonic beast that was Rider's motorcycle emerged within Caster's Territory. Rider flipped into the cockpit of the massive battle motorcycle and revved the engine, a furious roar echoing through the Territory and the wheels flaring with a distinctly unholy glow. "Bellerophon!"
Golden energy ran through the battle bike, emanating in such a manner as to weaken the specters. She rode the motorcycle with such speed that the specters were all thrown off her and disintegrated, lunging off it to stab Caster with her chain stake. Despite that, Caster might have had the last laugh, as a moment after Rider felt her stake pierce Caster, she felt something pierce her. She looked down and saw that it was Caster's strange iridescent dagger that had stabbed her.
Rider pulled herself off Caster, both of them pulling their weapons out of their unwilling scabbards in each other's bodies as the Territory dissolved. "I win . . ." She got on the Black Pegasus and rode away.
"So you think," Caster murmured, too weakened by the destruction of her Territory to do anything but watch Rider retreat. "So you think."
* * *
Elsewhere within Fuyuki City, Shinji stood on top of a skyscraper, a cold smirk on his face. Sakura was living up to his expectations of her so far. As Rider, she was deadly, beautiful, strong . . . _and his,_ completely, entirely, and absolutely. He could feel her movements in the heat of the battle, he could hear her blood sing in savage joy as she trounced her foes, he could taste her sweat as she fought. . . . She was beautiful, so damned beautiful, and she belonged completely to him.
Shinji mused back to Rin Tohsaka and what might have been had she not rejected him. She could have been his queen, ruling this world at his side, but alas . . . such was no longer possible. In the meantime, he would settle for his Servant, his right hand of vengeance. He would still get what he wanted, with Sakura by his side, and absolutely no one would get in his way, not even that fool of a child.
* * *
"Get out of the car, bitch!" a rough voice shouted, belonging to a thuggish man pointing a gun through the window of a coupe belonging to a middle-aged woman.
The woman was silent but trembling as she reluctantly complied with the would-be carjacker's demand. If she had been coherent enough to think beyond immediate survival, she would have silently cracked, _That'll teach me to ask for directions in a neighborhood like this._ As a matter of fact, she was getting out of the car, the would-be carjacker training his gun on her the entire time. Once she was out, he slipped into the driver's seat.
"Why do you need my car?" the woman couldn't help but ask.
The response she got was a bullet to the chest from a psychotically offended carjacker. She fell to the street, her blood leaking onto the pavement as the carjacker drove away in her car. Behind the stolen car was the Black Pegasus, which leaped over the woman's bleeding body as it gave chase to the carjacker. The Black Pegasus gathered speed, its wheels glowing with unholy flame and its headlights ablaze with demon light.
The carjacker noticed the light that was shining on him and shouted, "Damn it, the cops!" He slammed the accelerator, going as fast as the coupe would possibly go. The Black Pegasus accelerated to match the carjacker's stolen coupe and then sped ahead of the coupe. The carjacker, though, was alert enough to notice that the beastly battle bike's rider was an impossibly attractive yet dangerous lavender-haired woman in a tight black miniskirt dress. The Black Pegasus stopped horizontally in front of the coupe, forcing the carjacker to halt or crash.
Said carjacker opted to violently eject from the coupe while the coupe accelerated to its inevitable collision. The Black Pegasus survived, completely unscratched, while the coupe crumpled upon impact with it. The carjacker rolled on the pavement, feeling several bones either cracked or broken in his self-ejection. At that moment, a graceful hand grabbed him and forcefully lifted him upright, bringing him face to face with the darkly beautiful lavender-haired woman who'd been riding the Black Pegasus.
"Oh, damned soul. Oh, wretched creature. Delivering pain and shame and misery and suffering unto others without mercy or guilt. Know now the pain you have caused, as you look into my eyes."
The purple visor covering the woman's eyes automatically unlocked and the last thought the carjacker had was, _She has really sexy eyes._ Then those eyes burned into his mind an indelible impression of agony, the very torment he had visited upon so many others in his unsightly lifestyle. The pain lit his entire nervous system on fire, and all he could do was scream, scream into the night.
* * *
End Notes: There you have it. While I have kept to many of the original details of the Fate/stay night story, in terms of the Servants' abilities, you've probably already noticed that I've twisted some of those abilities as per this A/U. As befitting her role as "Ghost Rider," Rider's Mystic Eyes have been somewhat modified to serve a more vengeance-oriented function. She'll still petrify those who look her directly in the eyes, but the only people that affects are those with great evils staining their souls. (That means Shinji better watch the hell out if Rider happens to look upon him with unshielded eyes.)
If you're wondering, Soichiro Kuzuki's relationship with Caster is pretty much the same as in the Fate/stay night canon. He is her Master, she fulfills her Servant role by mystically empowering him to fight on her behalf, and they happen to be lovers. As for Assassin and Berserker, you will see how they factor into this universe's story, along with "Ilya" and, like I promised in my opening notes, there will be other Servants and Shiro's role will be further explicated. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and thank you for reading.
4. Lest I Become
"Fate/rider phantom"
Chapter 4: "Lest I Become"
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of Type-Moon and Kinoko Nasu. Ghost Rider is the property of Marvel Comics. I make no money off this story and I have nothing to do with Type-Moon, Nasu, or Marvel except as a consumer.
Author's note: All right, last chapter was basically one big fight scene. I'm gonna try to tone that down with some more character interaction. Here you will meet other Servants, but not all of them will necessarily be affiliated with Shinji or Ilya. You will also see in more detail what has become of Sakura's and Shiro's lives ever since Rin's death. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me; it's time to continue the story.
* * *
"_Last night, police found 42-year-old Tsukume Aomura dead six miles south of Gakuen from a gunshot wound to the left ventricle of her heart. According to the autopsy, death was almost instantaneous. Mrs. Aomoura is survived by her husband, 53-year-old Shun Aomura, her daughter 19-year-old Rihoko Aomura, and her son 14-year-old Touma Aomura. _
"_The body of the perpetrator, 23-year-old Ryuku Daimon, was found six miles west of where Mrs. Aomura's body was located, albeit in a strange, almost petrified condition. According to police records, Daimon was a delinquent during his high school years, with his crimes escalating from truancy to disorderly conduct to armed robbery and automobile theft as he aged. Forensic scientists have no immediate way to explain or discern how Daimon was placed in his present state, although they are certain he is dead. . . ."_
There was more to the report, but the homunculus known as Shinji Matou was not concerned. He knew very well what had become of Ryuku Daimon, what became of anyone who dared stare into Rider's unshielded eyes. A chuckle of grim satisfaction escaped his lips, but he did wonder what was taking his perfect Servant so long to return to him. Had she not accomplished her mission already?
* * *
Indeed, the Servant known as Rider had found her way to a graveyard, feeling her transformation reversing. She was changing back into Sakura Matou, and the reversal of the change felt like fire running through her veins. She staggered into the graveyard, feeling her body shrinking in its height and proportions, the power retreating into some hidden place within Sakura's soul, the soul that was taking over right this moment. As the last bits of Rider gave way to Sakura, the woman-child fell in front of a grave marker with the name "Rin Tohsaka" inscribed.
The plum-haired girl didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, but a not-so-gentle foot nudge stirred her to wakefulness. She rolled over onto her side, tilting her head to look up at what appeared to be a young blonde woman with her hair tied in a bun and garbed in a black noblewoman's dress with a black corset snug around her waist. "Who are you?" Sakura asked.
"I should be asking you that question," the blonde replied almost emotionlessly. "Now, get up."
Sakura rose awkwardly to her feet, brushing the dirt off her dress. "Is this place yours?"
"No. I just haunt these grounds," the blonde replied. "You may call me Saber."
"I'm . . . Sakura . . ."
"Sakura Matou?"
Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, so startled she was. "How do you know my family name?"
Saber's expression became grim. "I can feel you. As all Servants can feel each other."
"Servants?" Sakura repeated. At the mention of the word, her forehead began to burn as though someone had placed a hot poker on it. Saber moved toward her, gently parting Sakura's bangs to reveal the crimson mark of Rider.
"I see. The contract . . ."
"Contract? What contract?"
"You made the same mistake a woman named Arturia Pendragon did. You trusted the wrong person to make your dreams and wishes come true. And you will pay for it . . ." Saber's eyes narrowed. ". . . for eternity."
Sakura staggered back. "Get away from me! I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Do you remember last night?" Saber asked.
"Last night . . ." Sakura repeated. Memories came to her in a whirlwind, the demonic motorcycle, the battles with Assassin, Kuzuki, and Caster, turning the Mystic Eyes of Penitence upon that carjacker . . . She staggered back further from Saber. "What . . . what did I do?"
"You'll be normal during the day," Saber explained. "But Rider will awaken within you at night and when you sense evil, she will take over."
"What's going on?!" Sakura shouted. "Tell me!"
"You know," Saber answered. "You know already. The Servant within you is the indelible mark of your contract."
"I didn't make any kind of contract!"
"You did. You just don't know you did."
Sakura ran past Saber, finding the Black Pegasus, reverted to a normal sport bike, and getting on it. She didn't know the first thing about riding motorcycles, but then she didn't need to know, she just needed to get away from this place. As though sensing her terror and angst, the motorcycle revved up automatically, riding away from the graveyard with Sakura as its passenger.
Saber watched, only to be confronted by a specter she had become quite familiar with in the last year. The specter wore a red blouse with a golden crucifix sewn into it and a black miniskirt with thigh-high black socks. Her long black hair was tied in twin pigtails and her green eyes locked on Saber's.
"_Did you have to scare her like that?"_ the spectral girl asked.
"She needs to know, Rin," Saber replied. "She needs to know the truth about Shinji."
"_That he's the Devil?"_ Rin drawled, the sarcastic edge belying her complete seriousness.
"Not quite _the_ Devil," Saber amended. "But _a_ Devil, nonetheless."
"_Do you really think Shiro can help?"_
"Yes. His heart has been true to Sakura all this time. He may very well be the key to saving Sakura from Shinji."
Rin smiled slightly.
* * *
Shiro walked down the streets of his neighborhood, thinking about Sakura. He thought about her smile, the quiet warmth in her eyes . . . so completely unlike her brother Shinji's, which were cold enough to freeze Hell. He remembered the pain in those beautiful violet eyes at Rin's funerals, the tears that were fighting to get out. He cursed himself for being so cowardly as to not approach her, too paralyzed by his own sorrow. He damned Shinji for not even having the courtesy to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, for keeping Sakura from him after the funeral.
So caught up he was in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the platinum blonde young girl he was passing until he bumped into her. The two ended up collapsing on the sidewalk, Shiro accidentally pinning the young girl. He flushed from embarrassment. "Are you all right? I'm sorry I . . ."
"I'm all right, Shiro Emiya," the little girl replied, her smiling red eyes looking into his brown eyes.
Shiro helped the little girl up, as startled as he was that she knew his name. "How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot of things," the little girl answered. "Call me Ilya."
"Ilya . . ."
"I'm on my way home. Would you like to come with me?"
Shiro was about to refuse, but Ilya looked so innocent that it was impossible to him that any harm would come of her request. ". . . Why not?"
* * *
When Sakura returned home, she placed the motorcycle in the garage and let herself in. Shinji was waiting for her, a relaxed, vaguely amused expression on his face while he leaned against the wall. His lips quirked into a slight smile as he asked her, "How was your night?"
"It . . ."
"Did you enjoy yourself?" he went on, his smile deepening into a dark smirk. "I did."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, flustered.
"I understand." His smile was almost benevolent, ruined only by the gleam in his eyes. "It was your first time . . . the first time is always a whirlwind." He sauntered closer to Sakura, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But you were beautiful . . . absolutely beautiful, my sister, my Servant . . . _my only._"
"Shinji . . ." She felt the burning sensation on her forehead again, only to be soothed by a kiss from Shinji, who shushed her gently.
"It's going to be all right, Sakura. Once our enemies are gone, we can make this world better."
"You mean I'm going to go out there again?"
"Yes. And you will go out there and fight until they are all expunged."
* * *
Elsewhere, Ilya had led Shiro to her mansion on the outskirts of Fuyuki City. It was beautiful, Shiro found, but there was something positively unnerving about the décor. Maybe it was the crucifixes that hung everywhere, both small and large, both the standard and its variants. Maybe it was the paintings of Crusaders violently and graphically clashing against each other. Maybe it was something less tangible than those images.
"Do you like it?" Ilya's voice cut in on his musings.
"Yes," Shiro replied. "It's beautiful."
Ilya beamed at Shiro. "Thank you. Now, about you . . . are there any special girls in your life?"
"Uh, I don't know what you mean?" Shiro answered bashfully.
"Silly Shiro!" Ilya giggled. "Of course you know what I mean! That pretty girl with the purple hair. Sakura, right?"
"How do you know about Sakura?" Shiro inquired, starting to get suspicious. "Are you stalking me?"
"Does that upset you?"
Shiro stared at Ilya, his eyes beginning to harden. "How do you know about Sakura?"
"Even a blind old fogy could see what that jerk Shinji's doing to her. He's no brother at all! He hurts her!"
There it was, the truth Shiro hadn't dared to speak aloud. But he _had_ known, known deep in his soul just what kind of monster Shinji was. To think of Sakura suffering in his grip filled Shiro's heart with a rage that pumped through his veins like cold fire. He looked at Ilya with a dark expression. "Even knowing that he hurts her, what can I do?"
"There is nothing _you_ can do, Shiro. But there is plenty my _Servant_ can do. Become my Servant, and I will give you the power to save Sakura."
"How? Are you some kind of witch?"
"Something like that." Ilya's smile, as cherubic as it was, took on horrifying new dimensions simply by the look in her ruby eyes. "And if I am a witch, you will be my familiar." She tilted her head. "Well?"
Shiro swallowed. He thought of Sakura, the girl who'd been his closest friend for so long, the girl he hadn't realized until almost too late that he . . . He gritted his teeth. It wouldn't be too late, not if he could help it. He still had a chance to save her, and it was being laid out in front of him like a seven-course meal. He looked Ilya in the eye, his decision made.
"I will be your familiar."
Ilya's face brightened and she looked angelic for a moment. "Good. Come with me."
* * *
End Notes: There you have it, Shiro's made his own Faustian pact here, and rather knowingly at that, whereas Sakura was pretty much tricked. Now that Shiro is bound by demonic contract to Ilya, what particular Servant will _he_ become? Those of you who've played through the _Unlimited Blade Works_ route of Fate/stay night will probably not be surprised. But what happens when the transformed Shiro and Sakura meet, and what exactly do Shinji and Ilya want with them? And just how will Saber and Rin factor into this? For the answers to those questions and others, read on and, in the meantime, let me know what you thought here.
End file.
| fanfiction |
how do we come to know about the mental states ( e.g. , beliefs , or desires ) that are existing in ourselves ?
one influential philosophical view suggests that we know about our own current mental states through introspection .
descartes argued that we are in doubt about everything except what is happening in our own mind .
this view came under attack by ryle ( 1949 ) and wittgenstein ( 1958 ) , who proposed a radically different view .
these philosophers maintained that there is nothing like beliefs or desires in the mind and that mental terms refer to dispositions to behave in certain ways rather than to internal mental states .
similarly , sellars ( 1956 ) argued against introspection and proposed , as an alternative , that lay people have a theory of mind that posits mental states . the present paper deals with a similar question for the topic of other minds : how do we come to know about the mental states that exist in other people
? we will discuss the merits of a distinction between simulation theory and theory theory for understanding and predicting the behavior of other people .
specifically , we will show that this distinction can be used in research on social cognition in order to better explain the bases of understanding and predicting other minds .
imagine the following experiment : you ask people to rate t - shirts of different colors on a scale from 1 to 10 according to their liking .
then you ask them to make predictions for another person , using the same scale .
they can either project their own judgment onto others , i.e. , they use their own opinion as a basis for the prediction ( the strategy of using self as proxy ) , or they can base their predictions on folk psychological theories about other people ( e.g. , what colors are popular among people in general ) . consider the result of the hypothetical experiment to be a mean correlation of r = + 0.40 between own and predicted liking .
inspection of the literature shows a clear tendency to interpret such findings as indicating social projection , i.e. , using the self as a proxy .
the logic for this interpretation is that social projection will result in a correlation between own and predicted preference .
although true in general , this interpretation faces two problems : first , the use of a theory can also lead to significant correlations , if that theory happens to produce a prediction similar to one 's own judgment .
second , social projection is tested against the null hypothesis of no correlation ; a proper test of social projection should be against a correlation of 1 , however , given that complete social projection implies a perfect correlation .
we argue that correlations by themselves do not show that predictions are based on the self , i.e. , they do not show social projection . instead of relying on correlations , alternative methods are needed to determine whether people use the self or theoretical knowledge for predictions .
predicting other people 's behavior is one of the essential requirements of our daily lives . knowing what other people think or feel and what they therefore might do , makes our social lives easier and allows us to maneuver smoothly through the world that we share with others .
although we are generally successful in our predictions of others ( which is evident since we are not constantly surprised by the behavior of people around us ) , sometimes predictions go wrong .
one particular error that is attributed to people is the tendency to find others more similar to themselves than they actually are ( e.g. , dawes , 1989 ; gilovich , jennings , & jennings , 1983 ) .
people tend to believe that other people will act , think and feel as they do .
this assumption is true on a very basic level , since we are all human , hardwired in a similar way , and , unless suffering from a severe mental disorder , our way of thinking and feeling is therefore similar .
the erroneous assumption that we can automatically derive other people 's experience from our own experience has been discussed by philosophers ( e.g. , gregory , 2004 ) .
turing reminded us that , although we may perceive someone as human and therefore similar to ourselves , he could also be a computer trying to deceive us ( as explicated in the famous
the basic philosophical issue of the idea of likeness notwithstanding , social psychology has also collected evidence of overgeneralization .
indeed , people are psychologically different in many aspects our opinions , beliefs , ideals , morals , and preferences need not be the same . at times , people realize this and do not assume that other people will behave similarly to themselves ( e.g. , johnson , 1987 ; karniol , eylon , & rish , 1997 ) .
however , research has documented many instances of over - application of similarity ( e.g. , the false consensus effect ; ross , greene , & house , 1977 ) .
social projection , where the basis for predicting others ( a social task ) is our own judgment projected onto others a strategy that can be described as using oneself as proxy .
however , there is a real alternative to projection : the use of purely theoretical information that can also be the basis for predicting other people . for instance , one could use specific knowledge about a good friend , or knowledge about how other people in general would react .
these two poles projection and theory contrast in the amount to which the self is involved : high in the case of projection , not necessarily in the case of a theory . in philosophy of mind , these two concepts are known as simulation theory ( gordon , 1986 ; heal , 1986 ) and theory theory ( churchland , 1981 ; fodor , 1987 ) .
even though concepts related to simulation and theory are used in social psychology ( ames , 2004a , 2004b ; epley , keysar , van boven , & gilovich , 2004 ) , we argue that current theorizing does not adequately distinguish between theory and simulation . before we go into detail about the methodological problems
simulation theory was introduced by philosophers ( gordon , 1986 ; heal , 1986 ) as an explanation for our ability to understand and predict other people .
it holds that we use ourselves as a model for understanding and predicting other people , in a process that does not require any knowledge about the mental makeup of other people .
simulation theory claims that the same sequence of mental processes that can be found in another person also takes place in us , triggered by the imagined situation .
this replication of mental processes ( heal , 1986 ) is the core assumption of simulation theory .
perner and brandl ( 2009 , p. 438 ) distinguish three stages of simulation:(i)identification : we pretend to be in the other person s situation.(ii)replication : our own mental processes work in the same way as those of the other person.(iii)interpretation : the mental states that were involved in the replication stage are extracted and are projected onto the other person .
identification : we pretend to be in the other person s situation . replication : our own mental processes work in the same way as those of the other person .
interpretation : the mental states that were involved in the replication stage are extracted and are projected onto the other person .
simulation is a simple method for using the self as a tool for predicting other people , and it has been shown that it is used as a strategy for predictions ( khberger , kogler , hug , & msl , 2006 ; perner & khberger , 2003 ) .
the counterpart to the simulation view is theory theory ( churchland , 1981 ; fodor , 1987 ) , which states that we possess folk psychological theories about mental processes .
other people 's behavior is accordingly explained and predicted by ascribing beliefs , desires and other mental states to them .
explanation and prediction of other people 's behavior exploit an internally represented knowledge structure of human behavior , i.e. , a folk psychology ( stich & nichols , 1992 ) .
folk psychology , in its broadest sense , contains information about how the human mind works and how that makes people act in different situations .
we possess concepts about different mental states , their relationships among each other and about the relationship between mental states and behavior ( e.g. , that people act to satisfy their desires according to their beliefs ; apperly , 2008 ) .
folk psychology helps us to reconstruct what goes on in other minds and allows us to describe , explain and predict other people s experiences and behavior ( saxe , 2006 ) .
in contrast to simulation theory , we do not relive the other person 's mental states , but rather exploit knowledge about other people and their mental workings .
to arrive at social predictions , we use our theories of how people 's mental states interact with each other to generate behavior , and we combine these theories with any additional initial theoretical knowledge that we may have about the target person ( apperly , 2008 ) .
although most theory theorists consider our ability to understand and predict other people as realized through commonsense psychological theories , there are different versions of theory theory .
for example , there is debate about what exactly constitutes these theories while some see a
theory in a network of different beliefs , assumptions , and platitudes about the mental domain ( stich & nichols , 1998 ) , others claim that folk psychology should show the characteristics of a real scientific theory ( gopnik & meltzoff , 1997 ) .
further , it has been suggested that there are innate modules in our brain that are specifically designed for the understanding of other minds ( e.g. , leslie , 1987 ) .
nevertheless , the basic idea of all versions of theory theory is that we employ theoretical knowledge to arrive at social predictions .
it is also reasonable to assume that we sometimes use both simulation and theory , as hybrid models suggest ( e.g. , epley et al . , 2004 ) .
theoretical information can be added before ( upstream ) or after ( downstream ) the simulation process ( stich & nichols , 1997 ) . the basic distinction between simulation and theory has made its way into social psychology .
( 2004 ) integrated the concepts of simulation and theory in an anchoring and adjustment model .
the model proposes that we rely heavily on the self when predicting others , but try to adjust from our perspective with theoretical information .
this model can be viewed as a hybrid of simulation and theory : our results suggest that by adulthood , individuals ' attempts at perspective taking are often something of an integration of theory and simulation
similarly , ames ( 2005 ) distinguishes between stereotyping and projecting as the major strategies that people rely on when predicting others processes that are similar to theory and simulation . even though those ideas are analogous to the dichotomy of theory and simulation , they do not make the original concepts redundant , since the philosophical concepts are more elaborated theoretical positions .
stereotyping as one of two prediction strategies , equating stereotyping with theory theory . however , stereotypes are only one way to use theoretical information .
another possibility is using specific information about other , often well - known people , which has nothing to do with stereotypes . in a social - cognitive variant of theory theory ,
the self - as - distinct ( sad ) model ( karniol , 2003 ) proposes that we do not use the self as the basis for predicting other people , as self - knowledge has no special status , but is merely defined in terms of its distinctiveness from prototypical social knowledge .
rather , social predictions are based on generic representations of prototypical others . only if the target person deviates from this default ,
thus , there are various similar models that combine theory and simulation , which differ with respect to what is the primary source of information
one possible method is to consider the factors that lead to either one of the two strategies .
features such as familiarity ( krienen , tu , & buckner , 2010 ; nickerson , 1999 ) , similarity ( ames , 2004b ; ames , weber , & zou , 2011 ; jones , 2004b ; pollmann , finkenauer , & van djik , 2008 ) or the sense of being unique ( karniol , 2003 ) have been discussed .
as we will show , there is a problem with most of the research investigating the theory - simulation issue , since most of the studies rely on correlations .
the use of correlations , however , does not allow for unambiguous interpretation of these findings .
although projection has different meanings in psychology ( see holmes , 1968 , for a review ) , for the purposes of the current paper , social projection is defined as ( ) assigning a state of one 's own to someone else
( goldman , 2006 , p. 40 ) . the assumption that other people will act , feel or decide the same way as we do is the basic idea of social projection .
katz and allport ( 1931 ) coined this term after noticing that the more students admitted having cheated on exams , the more they expected other students having cheated as well .
different labels for this process are attributive projection ( holmes , 1968 ) , egocentric attribution ( heider , 1958 ) , egocentric bias ( epley et al . , 2004 ) , assumed similarity ( cronbach , 1955 ) , and , most famously , false consensus effect ( ross et al . , 1977 ) .
social projection seems to occur in various kinds of situations , including predictions about personality traits ( krueger & clement , 1994 ; krueger & zeiger , 1993 ) , attitudes ( biernat , manis , & kobrynowicz , 1997 ) , feelings ( van boven & loewenstein , 2003 ) , and decisions ( ross et al . , 1977 ;
the people whose reactions are being predicted also vary greatly : in some studies , specific individuals are the targets of prediction ( bender & hastorf , 1950 ; pollmann et al . , 2008 ) .
these individuals vary in familiarity sometimes , the prediction is made for a well - known other , like a spouse ( davis , hoch , & easton ragsdale , 1986 ) ; in many studies it is a stranger whose reaction has to be predicted ( van boven et al . , 2005 ) .
sometimes , a prediction about people in general is required ( clement & krueger , 2000 ; krueger & clement , 1994 ; krueger & zeiger , 1993 ) .
participants also have to estimate reactions of groups of people ( de la haye , 2000 ; krueger & stanke , 2001 ; monin & norton , 2003 ) , with the predictor being part of the group that has to be predicted ( biernat et al . , 1997 ;
dawes & mulford , 1996 ) , or not ( clement & krueger , 2002 ; monin & norton , 2003 ) .
one approach is the false consensus paradigm ( e.g. , ross et al . , 1977 ) ,
in which participants indicate their own answer to a dichotomous question ( yes / no ; agree / disagree ) and are then asked what percentage of other people would respond in one way or another .
if people who endorse an item think that most other people would do the same , the conclusion is that they have fallen prey to the bias .
the other approach is the assumed similarity paradigm ( e.g. , cronbach , 1955 ) which requires participants to indicate their own answer along a particular dimension and then to estimate the position of another ( individual ) person .
thus , the false consensus paradigm focuses on frequencies ( i.e. , estimation of percentages ) in a group , while the assumed similarity paradigm focuses on central tendencies and the prediction of individual people ( jones , 2004a ) . false consensus ( ross et al . , 1977 )
means that we overestimate the similarity between ourselves and others and therefore think that our own beliefs , opinions , and decisions are very common in other words , people tend to project their own subjective experience and action tendencies onto others . in the paradigmatic study ( ross et al . , 1977 ) , students were asked whether they would wear a sandwich board around campus that read repent. the students who agreed to do this thought that most other students would do the same , but those who refused stated most would not do that .
countless studies on this phenomenon have been conducted since , and while some of them considered it as being due to a false consensus ( see also mullen et al .
, 1985 , for a meta - analysis ) , others used the more neutral term social projection , underscoring its source , ( i.e. , that people rely on the similarity between themselves and others ) rather than its evaluation ( i.e. , that they overestimate similarity , which leads to a bias ) .
over the years , research has come up with several explanations for the false consensus effect ( cf .
most of them were interpreting the phenomenon as some kind of bias , resulting from selective exposure ( ross et al . , 1977 ) , cognitive availability ( marks & miller , 1985 , 1987 ; ross et al . , 1977 ) ;
causal attribution ( gilovich et al . , 1983 ; ross , 1977 ) , motivational factors ( marks & miller , 1987 ; ross et al . , 1977 ) , or differential construal ( gilovich , 1990 ;
however , even within the bias view , it has been acknowledged that sometimes the only information available about people 's reactions or behavior is the information that the individual holds about himself , therefore
many times one 's own reactions may be the best basis for predicting others ( davis et al .
hence , the strategy of using the self to make predictions about others is reasonable ( hoch , 1987 ) , but adjustments are needed to avoid egocentric errors ( epley et al . , 2004 ) . taken together , studies about social projection vary greatly by investigating different target behavior ( e.g. , personality , opinions , feelings , decisions ) , different measures of projection ( consensus vs. similarity ) , and different targets of prediction , either groups ( participant as member or non - member ) or individuals ( strangers or well - known others ) . for illustrative purposes ,
a sample of the results is presented in table 1 , organized by target of prediction , topic of prediction , and paradigm .
the original notion of social projection probably has implied a process similar to simulation in that the individual 's own states are projected onto the other person , as opposed to just ascribing knowledge ( which has nothing to do with the individual 's own position ) .
current methods in the field of social projection research , however , fail to identify whether social projection stems from simulation or from theory .
if the phenomenon of social projection is the result of theory use , then it is not a bias people fall prey to because they overestimate the similarity between the self and others , but use of knowledge about humans in general that does not necessarily have anything to do with the self .
therefore , proper understanding of this phenomenon is impossible without clarification of the basis for predictions .
the assumption that other people 's actions , opinions , or thoughts are related to one 's own translates into a significant positive correlation between these two measures .
thus , the royal road for showing social projection is to measure the correlation between one 's own position and the prediction of other people 's position ( dawes , 1989 ; hoch , 1987 ; krueger , 1998 ; krueger & clement , 1994 ) .
this seems reasonable , but has several problems : first , how strong should a correlation be to indicate social projection ? indeed , as can be seen in table 1 , the size of the reported relationship varies greatly , and any significant positive correlation between a predictor 's opinion and prediction , no matter how small , can be interpreted as social projection . moreover , although the range of correlations is wide , the interpretation is always the same : social projection . however , unless we can account for the error , a significant difference between correlations calls for an explanation .
as it stands now , any significant correlation means the same thing if it is only different from zero .
what is needed is an error theory , telling us why correlations are high or not , or at least an idea on how big a correlation should be in order to indicate social projection . in an attempt to get an idea about the size of error in a typical prediction task
, we had participants predict themselves , since predicting oneself is a relatively error - free projection task .
thus , in order to gauge the consistency of self - projection , we asked 19 undergraduates to rate the pleasantness of stimuli ( colors and surfaces ) on a scale from 5 very unpleasant to + 5 very pleasant. then , we asked one group of participants to rate the same stimuli assuming that the experiment would take place on the next day , and the other group to rate stimuli assuming that the experiment would have taken place the day before .
this scenarioprediction of self in a very similar situation is a setting in which the current self is the basis for prediction and therefore , this task constitutes projection in its purest form .
these correlations are clearly higher than the correlations found in most studies on social projection ( see table 1 ) . taking these correlations as benchmarks , we would expect that social projection is indicated by correlation coefficients around r = 0.80 .
what , then , is the justification for an r of 0.40 as indicating the same process , given that , statistically speaking , there is a significant difference between these correlations ? it is unclear whether this variation in correlation size is only a variation around a fixed effect indicating the same process , or a variation that indicates different processes .
a second concern is that social projection studies test against an utterly unrealistic null hypothesis , namely , that people predict the behavior of others randomly .
however , it would be an utter catastrophe if people were that bad at social predictions .
indeed , there is such a source : that people predict on the basis of rules about behavior , i.e. , on the basis of folk psychology .
this has nothing to do with social projection , but it can lead to results similar to those described in studies .
a correct theory would also lead to a high correlation , even if no projection was going on .
take the following example : imagine being asked what you would like to eat : carrion or an apple ? surely , your answer would be that you would like to have the apple .
if we ran an experiment , we would end up with a perfect positive correlation between own and predicted choice .
no , since the predictions are based on general knowledge , namely that humans normally do not eat carrion .
thus , one general rule is applied to both the individual 's own behavior and the behavior of others .
if the majority of people prefers apples over carrion and a majority also predicts that people prefer apples over carrion , this is simply a correct prediction which translates into a positive correlation between own and predicted behavior .
this example shows that a correlation between a judgment and a prediction is not enough to constitute a case of social projection .
the use of correlational values alone or related measures like discrepancy between our own judgment and prediction ( tamir & mitchell , 2010)is not informative , because an alternative to social projection is always possible , namely , theoretical knowledge .
thus , a decision between these alternatives can not be based on a correlation , but instead , we need to rely on other methods that are based on the difference between simulation and theory .
as described above , correlational values are not sufficient , since theory as well as simulation can lead to very high and also to low correlations .
however , alternative approaches are possible ; some of these approaches have been already established , others need to be explored .
perner , gschaider , khberger , and schrofner ( 1999 ) have developed a method that focuses on contrasting a pair of situations that lead to a target effect , for example , the framing effect : this effect describes the tendency for risk - aversion if a problem is framed in terms of gains , and the tendency for risk - seeking if the same problem is framed in terms of losses , for example , if 600 people are at stake , saving 200 ( a gain of 200 ) is equivalent to having 400 die ( a loss of 400 ) ( tversky & kahneman , 1981 ) .
one group of participants predicts for both situations ( juxtaposed predictions ) , and two other groups predict for only one of the two situations ( independent predictions ) . in the context of the framing effect , this means that under juxtaposed prediction , participants make a prediction for both the positively and the negatively framed situation , but under independent prediction , participants make a prediction only for either the positively or the negatively framed condition .
the idea is that prediction by simulation is disturbed by juxtaposing the two situations , as one has to set aside relevant information from the other situation , which is hard to do .
if predictions are made by simulation , then the predictions made under independent presentation of the situations should be more accurate than the predictions made under juxtaposed presentation .
in contrast , juxtaposition of the situations highlights the relevant difference between the two situations and makes application of a theory easier . in short
, juxtaposition makes theory application easy and simulation difficult , and independent presentation is optimal for simulation , but is intransparent with respect to an adequate theory .
hence , if predictions made under juxtaposed presentation are more accurate than predictions made under independent presentation , this indicates use of theory , and when predictions are more accurate under independent presentation , this indicates use of simulation . with this method , a series of consistent findings has been reported indicating that participants do use simulation for some predictions and a theory for others ( perner et al . , 1999 ; perner & khberger , 2003 ) .
for example , the framing effect is best predicted if situations are presented independently , indicating simulation ( perner & khberger , 2002 ) .
second , in order to decide whether simulation or theory is used , the juxtaposed and independent predictions need to lead to different predictions .
third , since the differences in presentation mode also have an influence on other features beyond simulation or theory , the findings could have an alternative interpretation .
thus , only a series of studies resulting in a consistent pattern of findings can be meaningfully interpreted .
if i am predicting the feelings of another person in a specific situation on the basis of simulation , i actually have to feel the same feelings as the target person
the process is the same in me as it is in the other person ( goldman , 1989 ) .
this quality of simulation that it is hotcan be used for deciding whether people use simulation .
hot simulation can be assessed by asking people about their emotions or by taking physiological measures that indicate their current emotions : blushing , sweating palms , etc .
for example , consider the hot - cold empathy gap ( loewenstein , 1996 ) .
this is the finding of an interference of people 's current ( visceral ) states with their predictions ; we misjudge how much we are ( or will be ) influenced by our visceral states .
thus , when predicting other people who are in different visceral states , we have a hard time ignoring our current situation and arousal ; rather , we tend to project those states onto others , such that our own emotions ( van boven et al . , 2005 ) , bodily drives ( van boven & loewenstein , 2003 ) , or valuation of objects ( van boven , dunning , & loewenstein , 2000 ) contaminate our predictions of others .
this influence of one s own condition on the prediction indicates simulation , as this contamination of the social prediction by one s own states can not be easily explained by theory .
therefore , measuring whether current states have been projected onto social predictions is a useful method for deciding between theory and simulation .
one obvious way to determine whether people use simulation or theory is by directly asking them .
however , nisbett and wilson ( 1977 ) argued in their influential article that people can not properly report their own mental processes . if this was true , participants ' answers and their actual behavior may differ . however , nisbett and wilson 's claim has been criticized for being too strong , as it seems that people are able to report on mental processes in many situations ( ericsson & simon , 1980 ; smith & miller , 1978 ) .
so despite that criticism , participants ' self - reports can be a valid source of evidence , especially if they are combined with corroborating methods .
( 2010 ) asked participants whether they based social predictions on specific information or on the self , and showed that participants reported different strategies depending on the familiarity of the target person .
in another study ( bazinger & khberger , submitted for publication ) , participants made a simple social prediction ( color or food preference ) .
after performing the prediction , participants were asked how they had arrived at this prediction , using items that probed for subprocesses of theory and simulation .
specifically , they were asked about use of general knowledge about people , that is , a folk psychology , which contains ( nave ) knowledge about how psychological processes typically work ( gordon & cruz , 2002 ) , as well as about use of specific knowledge about the target person ( i.e. , idiosnycratic information about another person , which might be applicable to this specific person only and that can not be generalized to other people ) . the latter information is a form of evidence since it stems from directly interacting with one specific individual , from observation , or from being told by other people ( frith & frith , 2006 ) .
in addition , participants indicated whether they had used what according to perner and brandl 's ( 2009 ) model constitutes simulation : imagining the situation of the other person ( perspective taking ) , and simulating the other person with one 's own mind ( replication , or using self as proxy ) , and ascribing the outcome of one s own mental process to the other person .
the results showed that participants had a pretty good intuition about the strategies they had used for arriving at their predictions .
thus , the verbal report can be a valuable method for distinguishing whether simulation or theory was used ( bazinger & khberger , submitted for publication ) .
verbal self - reports can provide information about the prediction process that would be overlooked with conventional methods ( e.g. , correlations ) .
for example , participants reported using both simulation and theory in their predictions , which would not have been obvious when just looking at correlations . further , different aspects of simulation and theory were used , depending on characteristics of the other person ( e.g. , general knowledge was used for unknown others , but specific knowledge for well - known others ) , which is also not evident when focusing on correlations alone . in addition , participants ' self - reports were sound , for example , the more they reported using self as proxy as prediction strategy , the higher was the likelihood that the prediction would match their own choice .
therefore , this method can differentiate between simulation and theory , despite the obvious drawbacks of self - reports , and can provide useful information about the prediction process that would otherwise be overlooked .
the strategy of assuming that other people would do the same as oneself seems to be a good idea in many situations ( ames et al . , 2011 ) , and
therefore , using the self as a proxy ( i.e. , social projection ) may frequently be adopted as a prediction strategy .
projection should be used carefully , as it may not always be the case that projection onto others really takes place . calculating correlations between own position and predicted position has been used as the royal road to infer social projection .
this is a problem , however , since correlations varying widely in size have been interpreted as indicating the same process .
a strong correlation between people 's own answers and their predictions for others is probably necessary for establishing social projection , but not sufficient , since theory can also lead to strong correlations . on the other hand ,
a weak correlation between these two measures raises serious doubts about whether simulation is really existent in the case at hand , or whether it is mainly the use of different theories that leads to this low correlation ( as theory can account for both high and low correlations ) .
we suggest that future research should concentrate on alternative approaches for deciding between simulation and theory .
another alternative approach is to exploit one of the essential characteristics of simulation theory : that the same process takes place in the target person as well as in the predicting person .
stages of this process can be investigated using self - reports first attempts have already shown that this method is indeed valid . | pubmed |
in 1948 , casimir @xcite calculated that quantum fluctuations of electromagnetic fields cause attraction between two parallel metal plates at zero temperature .
this can be interpreted as a physical manifestation of the zero - point energy predicted by quantum field theory @xcite . as the plates are brought near each other ,
the allowed modes between them are limited . because each electromagnetic mode has an energy of @xmath3 at @xmath4 k
, the total energy of the configuration depends on the plate separation .
this energy landscape results in an attractive force between the plates .
while casimir s description holds for ideal metal plates , a more general expression was derived by lifshitz , dzyaloshinskii , and pitaevskii @xcite .
this formulation is used for comparison with experiments and is valid for both real metals and dielectrics . in this theory
, the force between two uncharged surfaces can be derived according to an analytical formula ( often called the lifshitz or casimir - lifshitz equation ) that relates the zero - point energy to the dielectric functions of the interacting surfaces and of the medium in which they are immersed . in 1972 ,
parsegian and weiss @xcite derived an expression for the nonretarded ( where the speed of light is taken to be infinite ) interaction energy between two dielectrically anisotropic plates immersed in a third anisotropic material .
barash @xcite analyzed a similar problem including retardation effects and found an equation for the helmholtz free energy per unit area . in the nonretarded limit ,
the results of parsegian , weiss , and barash are in agreement . in the expressions derived by parsegian , weiss , and barash ,
the casimir energy between two parallel , birefringent plates depends on both their separation and their orientation . between two parallel , positive birefringent slabs with in - plane optical anisotropy ,
the lowest energy state is when the two optical axes are aligned .
this results in a torque that rotates the plates to this configuration .
while the casimir - lifshitz force is the subject of much discussion and has been verified in a number of experiments @xcite , there have been no published experimental attempts to measure the torque between anisotropic materials .
in addition to the early work of parsegian , weiss and barash , recent theoretical work has been performed including a derivation of a more simplified equation of the torque between two plates in one dimension @xcite , the torque between two dielectric slabs with different directions of conductivity @xcite , and numerical calculations based on real materials @xcite .
most discussions of potential casimir torque measurements involve either levitating microdisks @xcite or a torsion pendulum @xcite . in the first method
, microscale birefringent disks would be levitated over a birefringent substrate with casimir - lifshitz repulsion or an electrostatic force .
the casimir torque would then cause the freely rotating disks to rotate so that their optical axes would align with that of the substrate . in the proposed torsion pendulum experiment
, a macroscopic birefringent crystal would be attached to a quartz torsion pendulum and brought near another birefringent crystal .
the casimir torque would affect the period of natural oscillations of the torsion pendulum , allowing for its detection . here
we propose a method that is in analogy to a static torsion pendulum with a thick liquid crystal layer as the twisted bulk .
as the uniformly aligned liquid crystal is brought near a birefringent crystal , the casimir torque aligns the liquid crystal molecules with the solid crystal s optic axis , which in turn causes a twist through the bulk of the liquid crystal .
a similar experiment was proposed by smith and ninham @xcite in 1973 but , to our knowledge , was never carried out . here
we provide a calculation including retardation effects of the expected results of a similar geometry , as well as detailed experimental considerations . instead of using the liquid crystal in the isotropic phase as a spacer layer ( which is experimentally unfeasible )
, a thin layer of sio@xmath0 separates the liquid crystal from the solid crystal .
varying the sio@xmath0 thickness is equivalent to changing the distance between parallel plates .
if both the liquid crystal and the birefringent crystal have positive uniaxial anisotropy , then the casimir torque causes the liquid crystal molecules to twist towards the extraordinary axis of the solid crystal .
because the liquid crystal is anchored at the glass interface , the director ( i.e. the locally preferred molecular orientation ) is twisted through the bulk by the casimir torque at the boundary at the opposite interface .
this geometry is depicted in fig . [
fig : setup ] .
this experimental design is similar to methods for measuring the azimuthal anchoring energy of liquid crystals on treated substrates @xcite .
the mechanism of liquid crystal alignment induced by a rubbed polymer layer itself is the subject of much study but is thought to include physical grooves , aligned polymer chains , and the van der waals torque for surfaces in contact @xcite .
the last of these is equivalent to the short - ranged casimir torque of our proposed study , though distinguishing the van der waals effect from other alignment effects is difficult .
however , previous experiments have suggested the anisotropic van der waals effect as the mechanism of liquid crystal alignment at a surface .
schadt and schmitt @xcite used linearly photopolymerized layers to align liquid crystals with a van der waals interaction .
lu @xcite also provided evidence that the van der waals interaction is an important component of the liquid crystal alignment at treated polymer layers .
however , these experiments do not isolate the van der waals torque from other surface effects , because the liquid crystal is in contact with the substrate .
our proposed experiment would demonstrate this effect over a distance of tens of nanometers ( and in doing so measure the long - range retardation effects of the casimir torque ) . finally , we can relate measured data to casimir torques calculated from the dispersive properties of the materials .
smith and ninham @xcite considered the nonretarded case of this system and predicted measurable distortions of the liquid crystal director . here
we carry out the full retarded calculation of the casimir torque by considering its effect on a thin boundary layer .
that is , in comparison to the liquid crystal bulk with thickness @xmath5 m , most of the casimir torque is felt by a thin layer of thickness @xmath6 nm .
also , because the total liquid crystal twist through the bulk is less than @xmath7 , the liquid crystal in the region of @xmath8 is nearly uniformly aligned .
therefore , we approximate the casimir torque on this layer from the uniaxial crystal to be the same as that experienced by a uniformly aligned and semi - infinite liquid crystal slab . these approximations are treated with more detail in sec .
[ sec : boundary ] .
most materials undergo a phase transition from solid to liquid at a melting point .
liquid crystals exhibit an intermediate phase in which there is some local ordering due to the molecular structure .
nematic liquid crystals are the simplest class .
they can be thought of as long molecules ( fig .
[ fig : molecule ] ) that tend to align the long axis with their neighbors .
the local direction of molecular orientation is written as a vector of unit length called the director @xmath9 . because the molecules have different dispersive properties along the different axes , one can change the properties of the liquid crystal bulk by manipulating the director .
drawing of the 5cb molecule , which is a nematic liquid crystal at room temperature .
the extraordinary axis is along the molecular axis .
because 5cb has positive birefringence , @xmath10.,scaledwidth=50.0% ] we carry out calculations using the physical properties of 4-cyano-4@xmath1-pentylbiphenyl ( 5cb ) . in bulk , this is a positive uniaxial material so the dielectric function is higher along the long molecular axis .
to derive the interaction between two infinite slabs , barash wrote the helmhotz free energy between two birefringent materials at finite temperature as an infinite sum over matsubara frequencies @xmath11 @xcite:@xmath12 where @xmath13 represents the distance between the two slabs and @xmath14 is the angular separation of their extraordinary axes .
we have performed calculations for room temperature based on experimental considerations ; however , the zero - temperature calculation for the casimir torque will provide the correct result to within @xmath15@xmath16 for the separations presented in this work ( @xmath17 nm ) .
the zeros of @xmath18 as a function of real frequency @xmath19 indicate allowed surface modes between the two infinite slabs .
it can also be expressed in terms of the reflection matrices of the two materials , as in refs .
@xcite . in our regime of interest , the energy has @xmath20 dependence to an excellent approximation , as in fig .
[ fig : angle_dependence ] .
the casimir torque is then calculated torque between batio@xmath21 and uniform 5cb bulk separated by 10 nm of sio@xmath0 as a function of angle @xmath14 between the extraordinary axes of the birefringent materials .
the line is a fit to a @xmath22 dependence .
the difference between the fit and the full calculation is at most 2% , and is less than 0.1% for @xmath23.,scaledwidth=50.0% ] @xmath24 where @xmath25 is a negative for the materials considered here ( which have positive birefringence ) .
the dielectric functions of the two materials and of the intervening medium are evaluated at imaginary frequencies in eq .
( [ eq : energy ] ) .
we use the ninham - parsegian oscillator model to describe the dispersion of the solid crystals @xcite : @xmath26 for the 5cb liquid crystal , we use the dispersive properties at @xmath27 k calculated by kornilovitch @xcite using data from wu _
_ @xcite . there
, the index of refraction is fit with a three - oscillator model , so the dielectric function is : @xmath28 for the birefringent materials , there are separate functions describing the ordinary and extraordinary axes .
the model data used for our calculations are summarized in table [ oscillator ] .
.model parameters for dielectric functions of relevant materials .
oscillator data for batio@xmath21 , caco@xmath21 , tio@xmath0 , and sio@xmath0 are from ref.@xcite . [ cols="^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^",options="header " , ] we calculate the casimir torque between an infinite half - space of 5cb liquid crystal and an infinite half - space of several birefringent crystals using eqs .
( [ eq : energy ] ) and ( [ eq : torque ] ) and the parameter data in table [ oscillator ] .
the results for @xmath29 are shown in fig .
[ fig : maxtorques ] .
note that torques per unit area on the order of 10 nn / m are found for separations of @xmath30 nm . casimir torque per unit area between a half - slab of aligned 5cb and various birefringent crystals , when separated by a sio@xmath0 layer of thickness _
d _ with a relative angle of @xmath7 between the extraordinary axes.,scaledwidth=50.0% ]
the casimir torque causing a director twist at one boundary competes with the restoring torque from the twisted liquid crystal .
the latter is modeled using the frank free energy density @xcite . in our geometry , the director is always aligned in the @xmath31-@xmath32 plane so its orientation can be written in cartesian coordinates as @xmath33 .
there is no bend or splay of the liquid crystal , so only the twist term contributes to the distortion energy .
the twist contribution is given by : @xmath34 where @xmath35 pn is the twist elastic constant of the 5cb@xcite .
substituting our expression for @xmath9 , the frank free energy density is @xmath36 and the frank free energy per unit area is : @xmath37 where @xmath38 is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer . in our geometry ( as in fig .
[ fig : setup ] ) , the extraordinary axis of the solid crystal is along the @xmath31-axis , so the top boundary at @xmath39 ( where the liquid crystal is in contact with glass ) is treated to induce alignment along @xmath40 .
a torque applied at @xmath41 twists the director to @xmath42 . using calculus of variations ,
the lowest energy configuration is given by a linear twist , @xmath43 , where @xmath44 .
the elastic energy of the bulk per unit area is then : @xmath45 if the director at @xmath41 is twisted to @xmath46 , there is an energy penalty and associated restoring torque at that boundary .
the restoring torque of the elastic bulk is given by : @xmath47 @xmath48 is the torque that must be applied at the boundary @xmath41 to twist the director to @xmath42 .
the torque applied at the boundary twists the director until the torque balance equation is satisfied : @xmath49 .
if the casimir torque is in the approximate form @xmath50 , where @xmath14 is the angle between the two extraordinary axes of the birefringent materials , then the torque is approximately @xmath51 ( which has the same form as the planar rapini - papoular approximation @xcite ) , and the torque balance equation yields : @xmath52 to predict the director twist for our proposed experiment , we calculate @xmath25 using eqs .
( [ eq : energy ] ) and ( [ eq : torque ] ) and then numerically solve eq .
( [ eq : balance ] ) to find the twist caused by the casimir torque , @xmath53 . in the proposed experiment , @xmath53 ( or @xmath46 ) will be measured to obtain @xmath25 via @xmath54
the liquid crystal can be treated as an anisotropic bulk material for the calculation because the twisting is small throughout the thickness that experiences the casimir interaction .
the spacing between the liquid crystal and solid birefringent crystal is on the order of @xmath5510 nm , and the liquid crystal layer is about 100 @xmath56 m thick . following parsegian @xcite , the penetration depth of the casimir interaction is on the order of the material separation .
so , the most important region of the liquid crystal is the 10 nm in contact with the sio@xmath0 ( or conservatively , the 100 nm ) .
this 100 nm is the 0.1% of the liquid crystal nearest the birefringent crystal .
because the liquid crystal will be twisted a maximum of @xmath57 radians throughout the bulk , the liquid crystal director will vary by a maximum of @xmath580.05@xmath2 in the relevant region for the casimir torque , which has no appreciable effect on the torque s magnitude .
this approximation can also be justified by considering the reflection matrix of the liquid crystal stack .
the casimir energy of the system is a function of the reflection matrices of the two materials at the matsubara frequencies .
our method assumes that , at the matsubara frequencies , the reflection matrix of the slowly twisted liquid crystal is nearly the same as that of an untwisted , bulk liquid crystal with the same alignment at the boundary .
the first matsubara frequency at room temperature , @xmath59 thz , corresponds to a wavelength of @xmath60 m. the higher frequences correspond to shorter wavelengths , so this first term has the longest penetration depth .
we calculated the reflection matrices at this frequency between the twisted and untwisted stacks using the berreman @xmath61 matrix method , and found them to be numerically identical to four significant figures @xcite .
the casimir interaction energy is largely unaffected by the slow twist of the liquid crystal throughout the bulk .
hence , to several significant figures , the torque experienced by the liquid crystal layer is felt entirely at the nearest boundary and is only a function of the director orientation at that boundary .
common methods for fabricating single liquid crystal cells have been previously reported in refs . @xcite and can be used for this experiment .
a rubbed alignment layer of polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ) can be used to cause the liquid crystal molecules to align along the rubbed direction at the surface .
the birefringent crystal with a thin , isotropic sio@xmath0 layer ( with thickness @xmath62 nm ) is sandwiched with the pva - treated glass with a spacing of @xmath63 @xmath56 m ( this value can be measured optically ) .
the liquid crystal is then introduced into the cell via capillary action .
the filling process may induce some alignment along the direction of liquid crystal flow ; however , baking the sample above the lc clearing temperature ( @xmath64 c for 5cb ) and allowing it to cool slowly will eliminate this effect .
as the liquid crystal cools to room temperature , the director settles into the lowest energy state described in sec .
[ sec : balance ] .
the magnitude of the casimir torque effect can then be measured by observing the twist of the liquid crystal director .
the final director twist @xmath46 can be measured optically .
this method is similar to a technique for measuring azimuthal surface anchoring strengths of liquid crystals @xcite . when linearly polarized light is incident on an adiabatically twisted nematic liquid crystal stack ( in which the pitch of the twist is much larger than the wavelength of light ) , the polarization state is rotated to follow the liquid crystal director .
this is known as the adiabatic approximation for twisted nematics and is the principle behind twisted nematic liquid crystal displays @xcite . in this experiment ,
white light polarized at @xmath7 shines onto the stack as in fig .
[ fig : setup ] .
the jones vector of this light is @xmath65 where @xmath66 is the intensity .
the light polarization follows the director of the twisted nematic and is incident on the transparent sio@xmath0 layer with polarization @xmath46 .
its jones vector is now @xmath67 . in a typical measurement of an anchoring force
, the liquid crystal is sandwiched between two glass slides that do not interfere with the polarization state of the light , as in ref . @xcite .
then , the polarization state @xmath46 can be measured with a second polarizer .
caculated twist of a 100 m layer of 5cb caused by a casimir torque induced by various birefringent crystals at distance @xmath13 from one end of the liquid crystal stack .
the incident light is polarized at @xmath7 to the ordinary axis at the top of the 5cb stack , but the director is twisted by the casimir torque , which causes the light polarization to rotate @xmath53 towards the extraordinary axis at @xmath68.,scaledwidth=50.0% ] to calculate the expected results from an experiment , we consider a liquid crystal layer thickness of 100 @xmath56 m and calculate the lowest energy state of the system using eq .
( [ eq : balance ] ) .
figure [ fig : angle_results ] shows the expected results for this case .
the liquid crystal bulk is predicted to twist by over @xmath64 when the stack is separated by 5 nm from batio@xmath21 , and a twist of several degrees is expected for separations of @xmath69 nm ( well into the casimir regime ) .
when near a birefringent material that has negative birefringence over a large frequency range ( such as lithium niobate ) , the liquid crystal would twist towards the ordinary axis instead of the extraordinary axis . this would provide further confirmation that dispersion effects are causing the director to twist .
we have proposed an experiment for measuring a casimir torque between a birefringent crystal and a liquid crystal separated by an isotropic spacer layer .
we provide complete calculations of the expected results for several materials at a range of separations and include details for a proposed experiment .
this experimental design avoids many of the difficulties involved with a torsion pendulum or levitating microdisks .
40ifxundefined [ 1 ] ifx#1 ifnum [ 1 ] # 1firstoftwo secondoftwo ifx [ 1 ] # 1firstoftwo secondoftwo `` `` # 1''''@noop [ 0]secondoftwosanitize@url [ 0 ]
+ 12$12 & 12#1212_12%12@startlink[1]@endlink[0]@bib@innerbibempty http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&btng=search&q=intitle:on+the+attraction+between+two+perfectly+conducting+plates#0 [ * * ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1119/1.17618 [ ] ( ) link : [ * * , ( ) ] http://www.turpion.org/php/full/infoft.phtml?journal_id=pu&paper_id=3330 [ * * , ( ) ] http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00218467208072197 [ ( ) ] @noop * * , ( ) \doibase http://dx.doi.org/null [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1038/nature07610 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1016/j.aop.2005.03.007 [ ( ] ) , * * , ( 2005 ) link:\doibase 10.1126/science.1057984 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physrevlett.88.041804 [ * * , ( ) ] , link:\doibase 10.1103/physrevlett.81.4549 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physreva.52.2569 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physrevd.63.121701 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physreva.71.042102 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1088/1367 - 2630/8/10/244 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1002/pssb.201147150 [ * * , ( ) ] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/003189147390267x [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physreve.68.026601 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1063/1.121390 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1109/jdt.2005.852493 [ * * , ( ) ] http://www.springerlink.com/index/r5n0936q71h65p43.pdf [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1039/c1sc00696g[c]hem .
* * , ( ) http://iopscience.iop.org/1347-4065/31/7r/2155 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1143/jjap.43.8156 [ ] * * , ( ) link:\doibase 10.1088/0305 - 4470/39/21/s81 [ * * , ( ) ] , link:\doibase 10.1364/oe.21.014943 [ * * , ( ) ] @noop _ _ ( , , ) link:\doibase 10.1088/0953 - 8984/25/3/035102 [ * * , ( ) ] http://opticalengineering.spiedigitallibrary.org/article.aspx?articleid=1072612 [ * * , ( ) ] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0001868697000031 [ * * , ( ) ] http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/1958/df/df9582500019 [ * * , ( ) ] http://iopscience.iop.org/1347-4065/26/12r/1959 [ * * , ( ) ] http://jphyscol.journaldephysique.org/articles/jphyscol/abs/1969/04/jphyscol196930c413/jphyscol196930c413.html [ * * , ( ) ] http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=k4f7uhjveooc&oi=fnd&pg=pp1&dq=van+der+waals+forces:+a+handbook+for+biologists,+chemists,+engineers,+and+physicists&ots=hsdfqcowax&sig=f89nt3v_1vqtpggfjc5ein7zhgo[__ ] ( , , ) link:\doibase 10.1364/josa.62.000502 [ ] * * , ( ) @noop * * , ( ) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed081p854 [ * * ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1063/1.350965 [ * * , ( ) ] link:\doibase 10.1103/physreve.72.061705 [ * * , ( ) ] | arxiv |
We have been working with JMK Solicitors for 12 months now, producing corporate style videos for internal and public use.
Working alongside JMK to storyboard and script their videos, our experienced camera operators and editors have put together over 30 videos in the past year alone. Testimonial videos about recent customer experiences are used in house to welcome new clients to their offices, as well as on various online platforms.
Recently they have been producing a number of testimonial videos as well as the promotional video below. | slim_pajama |
History: Intrusion of the surrounding cells is component of the metastatic cascade. EF (EF-0) Cell tradition: human being mesothelial cells After obtaining created permission, individuals of the higher omentum had been acquired from individuals going through stomach operation for factors additional than malignancy or severe/chronic inflammatory illnesses. Individuals (1?millimeter3) were incubated for 30?minutes in 37?C in 1% collagenase II solution (Worthington Biochemical Company, Lakewood Township, Nj-new jersey, USA). The resuspended human being mesothelial cells (HMCs) had been grown in Moderate 199 (PAA Laboratory GmbH, Pasching, Austria) in fibronectin- (Sigma-Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Philippines) coated cells dishes. 571170-77-9 supplier Monolayers were confluent after 7 days of growth and then launched into assays. Migration assay We added hanging and discolored (Cell-Tracker-Red; Invitrogen, Darmstadt, Philippines) PDAC cells on a confluent HMC monolayer, which is definitely discolored with the fluorescence dye Cell-Tracker-Green (Invitrogen). Over a 6-h time period, photos were taken every 4?min to produce a time-lapse video clip using the Eclipse TE2000U inverted microscope (Nikon, Dsseldorf, Philippines) at 100 magnification (Number 1 and Supplementary Data). Number HDACA 1 Sequences of different integration patterns. Suspended PDAC cells were discolored with Cell-Tracker-Red (Invitrogen) and added to a confluent HMC monolayer, which is definitely discolored with Cell-Tracker-Green (Invitrogen). Fluorescence photos using the 571170-77-9 supplier 571170-77-9 supplier appropriate … In areas with <30 evaluable PDAC cells, irregular cell build up or inconsistent HMC monolayers were excluded from exam. The peripheral cells were also disregarded and excluded from further exam. The Nikon Imaging software Advanced Study 3.1 (Nikon, Dsseldorf, Philippines; NIS AR Version 3.1) was used for recording and quantitative exam. Cell shape change was quantified by calculating the degree of elongation using the following method: Elongation element (EF)=maxFeret/minFeret (NIS AR 3.1) (Number 2A) Number 2 (A) Example of EF measurement. The details of the microscopy picture illustrate exemplarily how the EF was determined. The PDAC cells were proclaimed reddish along their cell margins. (M) EF development. Development of the EF of PDAC cell lines plotted against ... where Feret's diameter is definitely the range between two parallel lines restricting the object perpendicular to its chosen direction and maximum/minFeret is definitely the maximal/minimal Feret's diameter of an object. EF=1 is definitely comparative to a circle; the higher the EF value, the more elongated the looked into shape. Of each time-lapse video clips, seven frames at time periods of 60?min were analysed, starting with framework quantity 1 at 0?min (Number 2B). Statistics The cell lines were divided into three organizations regarding to their indicate elongation capability (indicate EFs as MEF category) (Desk 2). Cell lines falling into the more advanced group were excluded and disregarded from additional inspections. Desk 2 MEF category Adhesion assay Individual mesothelial cells had been plated on fibronectin- (Sigma-Aldrich, Saint Louis, MO, USA) covered microtiter plate designs (96 water wells; Greiner BioOne, Frickenhausen, Uk) and grown till confluent monolayers had been attained. Adhesion properties of AM-Calcein (Invitrogen)-branded PDAC cells had been driven every 10?minutes for 90?minutes by testing the fluorescence strength. Background autofluorescence induced by the legitimate PDAC HMCs and cells served seeing that detrimental handles. Detrimental and positive handles (total insert) had been executed consistently. Measurements had been executed in triplicates and repeated at least two situations in unbiased trials. Figures For record evaluation, history autofluorescence was deducted from the documented beliefs and the essential contraindications adhesion 571170-77-9 supplier properties had been computed by the proportion related to the positive control. The normalised essential contraindications adhesion possibilities of the two groupings had been likened using the unpaired ... Relationship of the MEF category and dissemination ratings Our group provides previously released dissemination ratings for the cell lines used in the orthotopic mouse models (Mees group A (Number 6C). Conversation We implemented. | slim_pajama |
acute flaccid paralysis ( afp ) is a clinical entity characterized by areflexia and/or hyporeflexia and weakness which reaches a maximum within days or weeks .
polioviruses , enterovirus 71 , flavivirus , herpes virus , and rabies virus are well - known as viral etiologic agents . in this article , who presented with lower respiratory tract infection and afp , and
was detected to have co - infection of human coronavirus ( hcov ) 229e and oc43 is reported .
afp associated with hcov infections has not been reported previously in the literature , and has been reported for the first time in this article .
a 3-year - old girl hospitalized due to the development of shortness of breath and inability to walk 1-day after the beginning of fever , rhinorrhea , cough , and weakness . on the same day , respiratory distress increased , she was intubated , and mechanical ventilation started .
on physical examination , she was conscious but swallowing , chewing and speech functions damaged , muscle strength was 0/5 and deep tendon reflexes ( dtrs ) were absent , the plantar response was flexor .
complete blood count , electrolytes and blood biochemistry and urinalysis were normal , c - reactive protein was negative and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 20 mm / h .
no abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging were detected - so intracranial and spinal pathologies were excluded .
after 48 h of hospitalization , a total of 2 g / kg intravenous immunoglobulin ( ivig ) in 3 days was given .
muscle strength improved to 23/5 , dtr became norm active , bulbar paralysis and respiratory distress had regressed . at the end of the 2 week , she could mobilize and walk with a guide .
lumbar puncture and enmg repeated in the 3 week did not reveal any pathological findings and gullian barre syndrome ( gbs ) was completely excluded .
real - time polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) analysis of nasal swab samples was reported to be positive for hcov 229e and oc43 and hcov co - infection was diagnosed .
flaccid paralysis occurs by the damage of lower motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord or peripheral nerves either by direct invasion or parainfectious and/or postinfectious immune - mediated mechanisms . besides gbs ,
differential diagnosis of afp includes : compressive and inflammatory diseases of spinal cord , the anterior horn motor neurons involvement by infectious ( poliomyelitis vaccine - associated poliomyelitis , other enteroviral myelitis , a japanese encephalitis , and west nile virus as agents ) and vascular pathology , myasthenia gravis , drug and toxins affecting neuromuscular junction ( aminoglycosides , organophosphates , snake venom and botulism , etc . ) , muscle disease such as viral myositis or inflammatory myopathy , hypokalemic periodic paralysis and electrolyte disorders ( hypermagnesemia and hypokalemia ) .
preliminary diagnosis was gbs for this case ; however , csf and enmg findings in the 1 week of paralysis did not support this diagnosis . during the period of mechanical ventilation muscle strength increased and in this short time dtr normalized , as well as after 3 weeks paralysis started no pathologic findings observed by repeating lumbar puncture and enmg so gbs was excluded .
history , clinical presentation , physical examination , and laboratory tests were totally normal that ruled out toxicological etiology , polio , and botulismus .
members of coronaviridae can cause respiratory , intestinal , hepatic and neurological diseases of various severities in humans and animals .
hcovs can cause neurological symptoms such as seizures and meningoencephalitis in children but afp has not been reported until now .
hcovs may cause more serious respiratory disease in case of immune suppression and with various respiratory agents rather than single infection .
in addition hcov , 229 and oc43 co - infection causing more severe respiratory disease has been demonstrated by a study .
we have reported case of co - infection with hcov 229e and oc43 detected by real - time pcr analysis of nasal swab samples , and additional different respiratory pathogen has not been demonstrated , it suggests that co - infection caused lower respiratory tract infection and afp .
we believe that hcov 229e and oc43 co - infection may cause respiratory failure and afp .
whether ivig have a role in the treatment needs to be supported by more data from the literature . | pubmed |
hyperkalemia is a serious medical condition that can cause muscle weakness , paralysis , and cardiac arrhythmias and is associated with increased mortality.13 defined as serum potassium greater than 5 meq / l ( 5 mmol / l ) , hyperkalemia is rare in the general population because the renal system tightly regulates potassium homeostasis.4 however , renal insufficiency is often associated with hyperkalemia via multiple mechanisms : decreased renal excretion of potassium , which increases total body potassium content , transcellular potassium shift due to metabolic acidosis , and increased dietary intake through salt substitutes.46 hyperkalemia is most often encountered in patients with chronic kidney disease ( ckd ) and/or heart failure in a variety of care settings .
aldosterone system inhibitors ( raasis ) , which are strongly beneficial in patients with heart failure and ckd.59 management of hyperkalemia in these patients can include reduction or discontinuation of these beneficial agents , which may have an undesirable impact on patient outcomes .
therefore , there is a strong impetus for new pharmacologic options to treat hyperkalemia in both the acute and chronic settings , in particular among patients on raasis . for decades ,
sodium polystyrene sulfonate ( sps ) was the only us food and drug administration ( fda)-approved treatment for hyperkalemia . however , the variable time to onset of effect and high sodium content of sps ( table 1 ) make it a poor choice in acute hyperkalemia and sodium - restricted patient populations , respectively.10,11 sps lacks robust , randomized , controlled clinical trial efficacy data and has known gastrointestinal ( gi ) and electrolyte adverse effects.1116 with unknown efficacy and lingering safety concerns , clinicians have struggled to manage hyperkalemia with sps.15,17 patiromer sorbitex calcium ( patiromer ) and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate ( zs9 ) have been developed in an attempt to overcome the gaps and limitations to currently available therapy.18,19 the purpose of this review was to present critically the available efficacy and safety evidence for patiromer , zs9 , and sps in the treatment of hyperkalemia .
this encompasses data for use of these agents in special populations , comparison between agents , analysis of adverse effects , and application to different practice settings . to accomplish this ,
the pubmed , embase , and web of science databases were queried for literature that included the terms patiromer or sodium zirconium cyclosilicate or
sps or cation exchange resin and randomized clinical trial from inception to november 7 , 2016 . additional literature was found through review of citation lists of pertinent articles .
an overview of pharmacologic properties and administration considerations for patiromer , zs9 , and sps is presented in table 1.11,18,2025 patiromer is an organic , unabsorbable potassium - binding polymer . it is formulated with calcium as the exchange ion and sorbitol to improve stability , rather than promote movement through the gi tract , as is the case with sps.20,21 an 8.4 g dose of patiromer contains approximately 4 g of sorbitol compared to 20 g of sorbitol in a 15 g dose of sps.21 fecal excretion of potassium bound to patiromer facilitates a reduction in serum potassium concentration in a dose - dependent manner .
recommended dosing is 8.4 g once daily , titrated to 25.2 g / day based on response .
clinical trials have utilized a twice - daily dosing regimen ( table 2 ) , but a phase i trial showed that fecal potassium excretion was similar between 8.4 g three times daily , 12.6 g twice daily , and 25.2 g daily.22 zs9 is an inorganic , unabsorbable polymer of zirconium silicate.23 it is believed that the ion channels formed by the atomic structure of zs9 mimic those of endogenous potassium channels .
when the sodium ( or hydrogen ) ion dissociates from zs9 , a negative charge and pore size of 3 make potassium ( 2.98 ) the ideal cation for trapping.24 this ion trap has > 25 times the selectivity for potassium over calcium or magnesium , offering an advantage over sps that is relatively unselective between these three cations.23 in vitro , sps binds 3.1 meq of potassium per gram of drug , although this appears to decline when examined in vivo to a 1 meq / g ratio.11 zs9 possesses nine times the potassium - binding capacity of sps in vitro.23 extrapolated dosing of zs9 from clinical trials is three times daily with meals for acute hyperkalemia and once daily with breakfast for chronic hyperkalemia.18 given the pharmacology of these medications , concerns related to binding to other medications in the gi tract , thereby reducing their absorption , have prompted several actions .
patiromer product labeling contains instructions to separate administration of other medications by at least 3 hours.20 this is based on in vitro binding studies wherein patiromer significantly bound to 15 of 28 tested medications.26 a followup in vivo study was completed in healthy volunteers as an open - label , randomized , single - dose , three - period , three - way crossover study ( relypsa [ redwood city , ca , usa ] , written communication , march , 2016 ) .
twelve of the 15 identified interacting medications from the in vitro study were evaluated in a bioequivalence analysis . when coadministered with patiromer
, nine medications did not meet bioequivalence criteria ( trimethoprim , clopidogrel , amlodipine , cinacalcet , metoprolol , furosemide , levothyroxine , metformin , and ciprofloxacin ) , with all medications exhibiting reduced systemic concentrations .
however , when administration was separated by 3 hours , all medications were bioequivalent , with the exception of ciprofloxacin ( 90% confidence interval [ ci ] for maximum concentration 83%133.8% , exceeding the 80%125% limit ) .
clinicians should continue to advise separating other medications from patiromer by at least 3 hours and keep abreast of future product - labeling changes .
the fda is now requiring concordia pharmaceuticals inc ( oakville , on , canada ) , the manufacturer of sps , to perform drug - interaction studies based on these results for patiromer.27 there are no drug - interaction data currently available for zs9 . given the specificity for the potassium ion and inorganic structure of this molecule , it is less likely that it will possess significant interactions .
nonetheless , it is expected that drug - interaction studies will follow suit with those of patiromer and sps .
following two phase ii and one phase iii clinical trials , the fda approved patiromer ( veltassa , relypsa ) for the treatment of hyperkalemia on october 21 , 2015.19,28,29
table 2 summarizes the study designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical trials for patiromer.19,2830 the pearl - hf trial was designed to assess the safety , efficacy , and tolerability of patiromer in 105 heart failure patients with either ckd ( estimated glomerular filtration rate [ egfr ] < 60 ml / min ) or a history of hyperkalemia ( table 2).29 a majority of patients had mild heart failure , and spironolactone was initiated in all patients .
meq / l in the patiromer group from baseline to week 4 compared to an increase of 0.38
spironolactone was able to be increased from 25 mg / day to 50 mg / day in 91% of patiromer patients compared to 74% of placebo patients ( p=0.019 ) .
adverse cardiac effects in these heart failure patients were rare and unlikely related to patiromer : two patients had worsening of coronary artery disease , one patient developed atrial fibrillation , and one patient experienced a myocardial infarction .
hypomagnesemia occurred in 23.2% ( 13 of 56 ) of patients receiving patiromer compared to 2.0% ( one of 49 ) of patients on placebo ( p<0.05 ) .
this patient population experienced flatulence ( 7.1% ; four of 56 ) and vomiting ( 3.6% ; two of 56 ) , which were not reported in patients with ckd in the other studies .
patients with severe gi disorders , kidney transplants , or receiving dialysis were excluded.29 the mean baseline values for potassium ( 4.69 meq / l ) and egfr ( 81 ml / min ) were within normal limits , although 50% of patients had egfr < 60 ml / min . therefore
, the study population represented a clinically stable cohort with mild heart failure , mild - to - moderate ckd , and normal baseline potassium .
this did not necessarily mimic clinical practice , as patiromer dosing would be adjusted to maintain normal potassium while titrating such an renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitor ( raasi ) as spironolactone .
the trial duration of 28 days was short for what appears to be a chronic indication .
this trial provided valuable information for an at - risk population that was not exclusively evaluated in the other studies using a placebo control .
the amethyst - dn study was designed to determine the safety , efficacy , and optimal dosing of patiromer in 306 outpatients with hyperkalemia and ckd ( table 2).28 after a 4-week run - in phase where raasi therapy was initiated and/or titrated , patiromer doses were adjusted to maintain target potassium of 45
the least - squares mean reduction in potassium from baseline to week 4 ranged from 0.35
meq / l to 0.97 meq / l in a dose - dependent manner . in a 44-week maintenance phase ( n=262 ) , the proportion of patients with normal potassium ( 3.85
meq / l ) at each visit through week 52 was 83.1%92.7% in the mild - hyperkalemia group and 77.4%95.1% in the moderate - hyperkalemia group .
common adverse effects experienced by patients in this study were constipation ( 6.3% [ 19 of 304 ] ) and diarrhea ( 5.6% [ 17 of 304]).28 additionally , hypokalemia occurred in 5.6% ( 17 of 304 ) and hypomagnesemia in 8.6% ( 26 of 304 ) of patients on patiromer .
worsening ckd ( 9.2% [ 28 of 304 ] ) and hypertension ( 7.9% [ 24 of 304 ] ) were observed , but progression of these diseases is inherent to their nature .
discontinuation of therapy due to an adverse event over the 52-week study period occurred in 28 patients on patiromer ( 9.2% ) .
while this study provided valuable long - term data on the use of patiromer , the multiple - treatment groups ( six total ) without statistical adjustment for multiple comparisons are concerning.28 however , the purpose of this phase ii trial was not to test efficacy but rather test dose ranges to be utilized in the following phase iii trial .
patients were male ( 63.2% ) , caucasian ( 100% ) , and mostly from europe .
generalizability to patients in the us , female , and of other ethnicities is unknown from these data .
patients with new york heart association ( nyha ) class iii or iv were excluded and 2% ( six of 306 ) had an egfr<15 ml / min/1.73 m , thereby preventing interpretation in these high - risk populations .
the opal - hk phase iii trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of patiromer in 243 ckd patients with hyperkalemia ( table 2).19 at week 8 of the randomized withdrawal phase , the recurrence of hyperkalemia ( potassium > 5.0
meq / l ) was observed in 43% ( 95% ci 30%56% ) of patients on patiromer compared to 91% ( 95% ci 83%99% ) on placebo ( p<0.001 ) .
an exploratory analysis demonstrated that 94% of patients on patiromer were able to continue raasi therapy by the end of the randomized phase compared to 44% of placebo patients ( p - value not provided ) .
at least one adverse effect was observed in 47% ( 114 of 243 ) of patients on patiromer during the initial phase . during the randomized phase ,
the occurrence of an adverse event was similar in patiromer patients ( 47% [ 26 of 55 ] ) and placebo patients ( 50% [ 26 of 52 ] ) .
the most common adverse effects of patiromer during the initial treatment phase were constipation ( 11% [ 26 of 243 ] ) , diarrhea ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] ) , nausea ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] , and hypomagnesemia ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] ) .
hypokalemia occurred in 3% of patients during the initial treatment period and follow - up .
this diverse population included patients with ckd , heart failure , and type 2 diabetes mellitus.19 however , those with nyha class iv heart failure , prior kidney transplant , in need of a transplant , or severe gi disorders were excluded .
this limits generalizability to patients with higher disease severity and of other ethnicities . in addition
, patients were counseled to restrict their dietary intake of potassium to less than 3 g / day . while important from an efficacy study - design perspective , this may impact the pragmatism of the results , since not all patients are able to control and monitor their daily intake of potassium in practice .
this study may not have adequately depicted the usefulness of patiromer for chronic hyperkalemia , given the 12-week duration . nonetheless , the opal - hk study demonstrated clear efficacy for patiromer for managing mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia in patients with ckd , heart failure , and receiving an raasi .
data from patients with heart failure in the opal - hk trial were analyzed to determine the effects of patiromer in this patient population.31 the end points of interest were the same as those in the main study . by week 4
of the initial phase ( open - label patiromer , n=102 patients with heart failure ) , a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 1.060.05 meq / l ( 95% ci 1.16 to 0.95
meq / l , p<0.001 ) was observed . in the randomized withdrawal phase including 49 heart failure patients , there was a between - group difference in median reduction in potassium of 0.64
meq / l ( 95% ci 0.99 to 0.29 meq / l , p<0.001 ) by week 4 . in an exploratory analysis ,
100% of heart failure patients on patiromer were able to continue raasi therapy by the end of the randomized phase compared to 55% of placebo patients ( p - value not provided ) .
adverse effects experienced by heart failure patients on patiromer occurred at rates similar to those of the general study population from opal - hk .
of note , hypokalemia occurred in 3.9% ( five of 129 ) and hypomagnesemia in 3.1% ( four of 129 ) of patients receiving patiromer .
this subgroup analysis revealed similar results as the primary trial , indicating that heart failure patients are likely to derive the same benefit from patiromer as other patient groups .
based on the consistent results of these four studies , patiromer appears to play a significant role as maintenance treatment for hyperkalemia and in initiating , maintaining , and titrating raasi therapy in patients with ckd and/or heart failure.19,28,29,31 however , acute hyperkalemia still presents a major treatment gap . a smaller trial aimed to determine the time - dependent effects of patiromer in acute hyperkalemia ( table 2).30 mean potassium reduction was 0.75
an exploratory analysis demonstrated that 20% of patients achieved potassium of 5.5 meq / l or lower after 7 hours . additionally , normal potassium concentration ( 3.55.0
the most common adverse effects experienced were constipation and hypotension , with each occurring in 8% ( two of 25 ) of patiromer patients .
although the sample size was small , this 2-day study demonstrated the potential effects of patiromer as an acute treatment in patients with moderate hyperkalemia and ckd .
based on these results , it is not advisable to use patiromer in the acute setting , as a majority of patients did not achieve potassium < 5.5 meq / l within 7 hours .
this is congruent with current product - label recommendations.20 since the studied dose was 8.4 g twice daily for four doses , additional studies are necessary to determine if a more extensive reduction in potassium concentration is possible with more aggressive dosing .
the fda is currently reviewing a new drug application for zs9 in the treatment of hyperkalemia following one phase ii and two phase iii clinical trials.18,25,32
table 3 summarizes the study designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical trials for zs9.18,25,32 a phase ii clinical trial was designed to determine the safety , efficacy , and optimal dosing of zs9 in 90 patients with hyperkalemia and stage 3 ckd ( table 3).32 a potassium reduction greater than 1.0
meq / l occurred in 41.7% of patients on the 10 g dose compared to 3.4% on placebo by hour 38 of the study .
the 3 g and 10 g groups experienced a greater rate of potassium concentration reduction over 48 hours compared to placebo ( p=0.048 and p<0.0001 , respectively ) . in 66 patients receiving raasi therapy ,
the 10 g dose produced a mean reduction of 0.120.50 meq / l by 1 hour compared to a mean increase of 0.190.31
the most common adverse effects were nausea , vomiting , and urinary tract infection , with each occurring in 5% ( three of 60 ) of zs9 patients . a dose - dependent increase in serum bicarbonate
the mean bicarbonate concentration increased from 27.4 meq / l at baseline to 30.1 meq /
patients with ckd also experienced a mean reduction in blood urea nitrogen from baseline ranged from 3 to 5 mg / dl on days 27 ( p<0.05 vs placebo ) .
these effects are likely the result of ammonium - ion trapping and excretion with zs9 .
this study included a mix of males ( 58% ) and females ( 42% ) , all from the us .
however , the patient population was focused to stage 3 ckd ( egfr 3059 ml / min/1.73 m ) , few patients had potassium
> 5.5 meq / l , a majority of patients were caucasian ( 98% ) , the sample size was small , and the study had a short duration .
these limitations require further zs9 investigation in a larger number of more diverse patients for an extended period of time .
a phase iii clinical trial of 754 outpatients aimed to determine the efficacy , safety , and optimal dosing of zs9 for hyperkalemia ( table 3).18 the population included 61% with ckd , 40% with heart failure , and 67% on raasi therapy . in the initial phase , the 10 g dose produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.11 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.17 to 0.05
meq / l with placebo ( 95% ci 0.05 to 0.07 meq / l , p=0.009 ) .
meq / l ) for the 10 g group and 0.25 meq / l for the placebo group ( 95% ci 0.32 to 0.19 meq / l , p<0.001 for the comparison ) .
meq / l ) was achieved in the 5 g and 10 g groups , regardless of the history of ckd , heart failure , or raasi utilization .
the occurrence of at least one adverse effect was similar between the zs9 and placebo groups during the initial phase ( 12.9% [ 77 of 596 ] vs 10.8% [ 17 of 158 ] , respectively ) and the randomized phase ( 25.1% [ 82 of 327 ] vs 24.5% [ 53 of 216 ] , respectively).18 diarrhea was the most common adverse effect , occurring in 1.8% of patients on zs9 and 2.5% of placebo patients during the initial phase .
as in the previous study , a dose - dependent increase in serum bicarbonate was observed with zs9 , but values remained within normal limits .
an increase of 71 milliseconds occurred in one patient , but they were receiving concomitant treatment with ciprofloxacin . once ciprofloxacin was discontinued , the qtc interval returned to the baseline value . of note
, there was no difference in the rate of clinically significant arrhythmias between the zs9 and placebo groups .
the severity of ckd and heart failure were not specified , which limits the generalizability of these results .
since outpatients were included and 85% were caucasian , the results should be cautiously applied ( if at all ) to hospitalized patients or those of other ethnicities .
another limitation was that baseline serum potassium concentrations were not the same between placebo and treatment groups ( p<0.05 ) , with higher concentrations in the treatment groups .
the double - blind , placebo - controlled initial phase was unique to this study and provides excellent efficacy data .
rates of potassium decline in the initial phase demonstrate that zs9 is likely to have an acute benefit for patients with mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia , but patients with severe hyperkalemia were not studied .
the harmonize phase iii trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of zs9 for 28 days in outpatients with hyperkalemia ( table 3).25 of the 258 patients , 66% had ckd , 36% had heart failure , and 70% were on raasi therapy .
in the open - label phase , zs9 10 g three times daily produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.2 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.3 to 0.2
meq / l ) by 1 hour and 0.4 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.5 to 0.4
meq / l ) by 2 hours ( p<0.001 for both comparisons to placebo ) .
patients on raasi therapy achieved a mean potassium reduction of 1.02 meq / l ( 95% ci 1.17 to 0.9
meq / l ) by hour 48 , which was similar to the overall study population ( 1.1 meq / l ; 95% ci 1.1 to 1.0
meq / l ) was achieved by 84% ( 95% ci 79%88% ) of patients within 24 hours and 98% ( 95% ci 96%99% ) within 48 hours .
at least one adverse event was observed in 7.8% ( 20 of 258 ) of patients on zs9 during the initial phase . during the randomized phase , 42.1% ( 64 of 152 ) of zs9 patients experienced an adverse effect
hypokalemia occurred in 7.2% ( 11 of 152 ) of patients receiving zs9 , but hypomagnesemia was not observed .
as in the previous study , ambulatory outpatients were included and the majority were caucasian .
many patients had ckd and heart failure , but disease severity was mild to moderate ( egfr 46.330.5 ml / min/1.73 m ) .
the initial phase had an open - label design , introducing selection and measurement biases .
while a study duration of 4 weeks was sufficient to demonstrate zs9 efficacy for acutely lowering potassium , longer trial durations are needed to define its role in chronic therapy .
data from patients with heart failure in the harmonize study were analyzed to determine the effects of zs9 in this population.33 the end points of interest were the same as those in the main study . in the open - label phase ( n=94 )
meq / l ) in 48 hours . during the randomized phase ( n=87 ) , mean potassium concentrations of 4.7 meq / l ( 95% ci 4.54.9
meq / l ) were achieved in the 5 g , 10 g , and 15 g groups , respectively , compared to 5.2 meq / l ( 95% ci 55.4
patients continuing raasi therapy experienced similar efficacy results , but no specific data were provided . as for adverse effects , edema was observed in 13.1% ( eight of 61 ) of heart failure patients on zs9 compared to 3.8% ( one of 26 ) of those on placebo .
additionally , worsening hypertension occurred in 6.6% ( four of 61 ) of zs9 patients compared to 3.8% ( one of 26 ) of placebo patients .
no strict diagnostic criteria for heart failure were utilized to determine eligibility in this substudy .
this likely had minimal impact on this subgroup analysis , because the efficacy of zs9 demonstrated in patients with heart failure appears to be similar to that of the main study sample . in both of the phase
iii clinical trials , the most pronounced effects of zs9 were observed in patients with the highest baseline potassium concentration.18,25 therefore , the results of these studies were combined to analyze the effects of zs9 in a larger cohort of patients ( n=45 ) with severe hyperkalemia ( potassium 6.0 meq / l).34 a single 10 g dose produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.4 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.5 to 0.2
meq / l ) by 2 hours , and 0.7 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.9 to 0.6
meq / l ) by 4 hours ( p<0.001 for each comparison to baseline ) .
the median time to potassium lower than 6.0 meq / l was 1.07 hours , and 80% of patients achieved this by 4 hours .
in addition , the median time to potassium concentration of 5.5 meq / l or lower was 4 hours .
zs9 was effective at reducing severe hyperkalemia to a safe concentration within 4 hours for a majority of patients .
other studies are needed to clarify the optimal dose and should include an inpatient population , but these data are promising for zs9 as an alternative to sps in acute , severe hyperkalemia .
table 4 summarizes the designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical studies for sps.3537 to date , there have been two randomized clinical trials of sps.36,37 an observational study is included in this evidence review for historical context.35 a prospective observational study performed in 1961 evaluated the safety and efficacy of sps in 32 hyperkalemic patients with either acute or ckd ( table 4).35 patients were placed on a potassium - restricted diet and received sps orally ( n=24 ) or rectally ( n=8 ) if the patient was unable to take fluids by mouth .
treatment with sps was ineffective for two patients whose potassium concentrations increased by 24 hours to values of 6.8 meq / l and 8.3 meq / l . as for safety , patients experienced nausea , vomiting , and constipation , but specific data regarding the number of occurrences for each were not provided .
two of the patients in the oral administration group were given sps three times per week for a few months to display its long - term effect .
these patients had follow - up potassium concentrations of 4.2 meq / l and 6.3 meq / l .
these data do not support the use of sps for chronic , long - term treatment of hyperkalemia , due to the unspecified follow - up time frame utilized and the continuation of clinically relevant hyperkalemia in one of the patients .
all of the patients in the study were on a potassium - restricted diet , three patients received glucose and insulin along with sps , and five patients received sodium bicarbonate concomitantly .
additionally , only nine ckd patients were included , which makes it difficult to generalize these results to that patient population . despite the reduction in potassium demonstrated , mean
baseline values and statistical significance testing were not provided , which in addition to the small sample size further limits the clinical relevance of these data .
a randomized , single - blind clinical trial assessed the safety and efficacy of sps in 97 ckd patients with potassium concentration greater than 5.2 meq / l ( table 4).36 in patients receiving sps ( n=47 ) , the mean potassium concentration decreased from a baseline of 5.80.6
the most common adverse effects observed in the sps group were nausea ( 42.6% [ 20 of 47 ] ) , anorexia ( 34% [ 16 of 47 ] ) , and worsening edema ( 8.5% [ four of 47 ] ) .
additionally , patients receiving sps experienced an increase in diastolic blood pressure to 82.211.7 mmhg from a baseline of 76.679.3 mmhg ( p=0.004 ) .
although no significant electrolyte variations were demonstrated , the occurrence of these effects may have been limited , because the study lasted only 3 days , serum magnesium - concentration monitoring was not performed , and the dose of sps used ( 5 g three times daily ) was lower than the standard dose ( 1530 g per dose , up to four times daily ) . a serum creatinine concentration greater than 1.5 mg / dl was an inclusion criterion and all patients had stage 14 ckd , but the exact number of patients with each stage was not noted .
therefore , it is difficult to generalize these results to patients with advanced stages of ckd or who receive common , essential medications .
a recent randomized , placebo - controlled clinical trial aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of sps in 33 ckd patients with mild hyperkalemia ( table 4).37 patients receiving sps ( n=16 ) had a mean baseline potassium concentration of 5.2 meq / l . by day 7 , there was a mean potassium reduction of 1.250.56
meq / l ) was achieved by 73% of sps patients and 38% of placebo patients ( p=0.07 ) . while this result was not statistically significant , it may reflect a type ii error due to small sample size .
the most common adverse events experienced were nausea , vomiting , and constipation , which occurred in 25% ( four of 16 ) , 12.5% ( two of 16 ) , and 37.5% ( six of 16 ) of patients on sps , respectively .
one patient in the sps group withdrew from the study on day 3 due to severe vomiting , and two patients receiving sps required a laxative - dose increase .
hypomagnesemia occurred in 31.3% ( five of 16 ) and hypocalcemia in 18.8% ( three of 16 ) of sps patients .
although rare gi adverse events , such as colonic necrosis , were not observed , the capacity for detection was limited by the small sample size .
patients were excluded if their dose of an raasi had been adjusted within 60 days prior to initiation of the study .
since raasi therapy is essential for patients with ckd and/or heart failure , it is ideal for hyperkalemia treatment options to be able to maintain normokalemia during titration of these medications , which this study was unable to demonstrate .
although specific diet restrictions were not implemented , 25% ( four of 16 ) of patients on sps were fasting ( last meal > 8 hours ) prior to potassium concentration measurement on day 7 compared to 5.9% ( one of 17 ) of placebo patients , which may confound the results .
this study aimed to assess the efficacy of sps in chronic hyperkalemia patients , but the study duration was only 7 days . due to the small sample size , mild degree of hyperkalemia at baseline , and short duration , an evidence gap remains for long - term efficacy of sps .
following two phase ii and one phase iii clinical trials , the fda approved patiromer ( veltassa , relypsa ) for the treatment of hyperkalemia on october 21 , 2015.19,28,29
table 2 summarizes the study designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical trials for patiromer.19,2830 the pearl - hf trial was designed to assess the safety , efficacy , and tolerability of patiromer in 105 heart failure patients with either ckd ( estimated glomerular filtration rate [ egfr ] < 60 ml / min ) or a history of hyperkalemia ( table 2).29 a majority of patients had mild heart failure , and spironolactone was initiated in all patients .
meq / l in the patiromer group from baseline to week 4 compared to an increase of 0.38
spironolactone was able to be increased from 25 mg / day to 50 mg / day in 91% of patiromer patients compared to 74% of placebo patients ( p=0.019 ) .
adverse cardiac effects in these heart failure patients were rare and unlikely related to patiromer : two patients had worsening of coronary artery disease , one patient developed atrial fibrillation , and one patient experienced a myocardial infarction .
hypomagnesemia occurred in 23.2% ( 13 of 56 ) of patients receiving patiromer compared to 2.0% ( one of 49 ) of patients on placebo ( p<0.05 ) .
this patient population experienced flatulence ( 7.1% ; four of 56 ) and vomiting ( 3.6% ; two of 56 ) , which were not reported in patients with ckd in the other studies .
patients with severe gi disorders , kidney transplants , or receiving dialysis were excluded.29 the mean baseline values for potassium ( 4.69 meq / l ) and egfr ( 81 ml / min ) were within normal limits , although 50% of patients had egfr < 60 ml / min . therefore
, the study population represented a clinically stable cohort with mild heart failure , mild - to - moderate ckd , and normal baseline potassium .
this did not necessarily mimic clinical practice , as patiromer dosing would be adjusted to maintain normal potassium while titrating such an renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitor ( raasi ) as spironolactone .
the trial duration of 28 days was short for what appears to be a chronic indication .
this trial provided valuable information for an at - risk population that was not exclusively evaluated in the other studies using a placebo control .
the amethyst - dn study was designed to determine the safety , efficacy , and optimal dosing of patiromer in 306 outpatients with hyperkalemia and ckd ( table 2).28 after a 4-week run - in phase where raasi therapy was initiated and/or titrated , patiromer doses were adjusted to maintain target potassium of 45
the least - squares mean reduction in potassium from baseline to week 4 ranged from 0.35
meq / l to 0.97 meq / l in a dose - dependent manner . in a 44-week maintenance phase ( n=262 ) , the proportion of patients with normal potassium ( 3.85
meq / l ) at each visit through week 52 was 83.1%92.7% in the mild - hyperkalemia group and 77.4%95.1% in the moderate - hyperkalemia group .
common adverse effects experienced by patients in this study were constipation ( 6.3% [ 19 of 304 ] ) and diarrhea ( 5.6% [ 17 of 304]).28 additionally , hypokalemia occurred in 5.6% ( 17 of 304 ) and hypomagnesemia in 8.6% ( 26 of 304 ) of patients on patiromer .
worsening ckd ( 9.2% [ 28 of 304 ] ) and hypertension ( 7.9% [ 24 of 304 ] ) were observed , but progression of these diseases is inherent to their nature .
discontinuation of therapy due to an adverse event over the 52-week study period occurred in 28 patients on patiromer ( 9.2% ) .
while this study provided valuable long - term data on the use of patiromer , the multiple - treatment groups ( six total ) without statistical adjustment for multiple comparisons are concerning.28 however , the purpose of this phase ii trial was not to test efficacy but rather test dose ranges to be utilized in the following phase iii trial .
patients were male ( 63.2% ) , caucasian ( 100% ) , and mostly from europe .
generalizability to patients in the us , female , and of other ethnicities is unknown from these data .
patients with new york heart association ( nyha ) class iii or iv were excluded and 2% ( six of 306 ) had an egfr<15 ml / min/1.73 m , thereby preventing interpretation in these high - risk populations .
the opal - hk phase iii trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of patiromer in 243 ckd patients with hyperkalemia ( table 2).19 at week 8 of the randomized withdrawal phase , the recurrence of hyperkalemia ( potassium > 5.0
meq / l ) was observed in 43% ( 95% ci 30%56% ) of patients on patiromer compared to 91% ( 95% ci 83%99% ) on placebo ( p<0.001 ) .
an exploratory analysis demonstrated that 94% of patients on patiromer were able to continue raasi therapy by the end of the randomized phase compared to 44% of placebo patients ( p - value not provided ) .
at least one adverse effect was observed in 47% ( 114 of 243 ) of patients on patiromer during the initial phase . during the randomized phase ,
the occurrence of an adverse event was similar in patiromer patients ( 47% [ 26 of 55 ] ) and placebo patients ( 50% [ 26 of 52 ] ) .
the most common adverse effects of patiromer during the initial treatment phase were constipation ( 11% [ 26 of 243 ] ) , diarrhea ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] ) , nausea ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] , and hypomagnesemia ( 3% [ eight of 243 ] ) .
hypokalemia occurred in 3% of patients during the initial treatment period and follow - up .
this diverse population included patients with ckd , heart failure , and type 2 diabetes mellitus.19 however , those with nyha class iv heart failure , prior kidney transplant , in need of a transplant , or severe gi disorders were excluded .
this limits generalizability to patients with higher disease severity and of other ethnicities . in addition
, patients were counseled to restrict their dietary intake of potassium to less than 3 g / day . while important from an efficacy study - design perspective , this may impact the pragmatism of the results , since not all patients are able to control and monitor their daily intake of potassium in practice .
this study may not have adequately depicted the usefulness of patiromer for chronic hyperkalemia , given the 12-week duration . nonetheless , the opal - hk study demonstrated clear efficacy for patiromer for managing mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia in patients with ckd , heart failure , and receiving an raasi .
data from patients with heart failure in the opal - hk trial were analyzed to determine the effects of patiromer in this patient population.31 the end points of interest were the same as those in the main study . by week 4
of the initial phase ( open - label patiromer , n=102 patients with heart failure ) , a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 1.060.05 meq / l ( 95% ci 1.16 to 0.95
meq / l , p<0.001 ) was observed . in the randomized withdrawal phase including 49 heart failure patients , there was a between - group difference in median reduction in potassium of 0.64
meq / l ( 95% ci 0.99 to 0.29 meq / l , p<0.001 ) by week 4 . in an exploratory analysis ,
100% of heart failure patients on patiromer were able to continue raasi therapy by the end of the randomized phase compared to 55% of placebo patients ( p - value not provided ) .
adverse effects experienced by heart failure patients on patiromer occurred at rates similar to those of the general study population from opal - hk .
of note , hypokalemia occurred in 3.9% ( five of 129 ) and hypomagnesemia in 3.1% ( four of 129 ) of patients receiving patiromer .
this subgroup analysis revealed similar results as the primary trial , indicating that heart failure patients are likely to derive the same benefit from patiromer as other patient groups .
based on the consistent results of these four studies , patiromer appears to play a significant role as maintenance treatment for hyperkalemia and in initiating , maintaining , and titrating raasi therapy in patients with ckd and/or heart failure.19,28,29,31 however , acute hyperkalemia still presents a major treatment gap . a smaller trial aimed to determine the time - dependent effects of patiromer in acute hyperkalemia ( table 2).30 mean potassium reduction was 0.75
an exploratory analysis demonstrated that 20% of patients achieved potassium of 5.5 meq / l or lower after 7 hours . additionally , normal potassium concentration ( 3.55.0
the most common adverse effects experienced were constipation and hypotension , with each occurring in 8% ( two of 25 ) of patiromer patients .
although the sample size was small , this 2-day study demonstrated the potential effects of patiromer as an acute treatment in patients with moderate hyperkalemia and ckd .
based on these results , it is not advisable to use patiromer in the acute setting , as a majority of patients did not achieve potassium < 5.5 meq / l within 7 hours .
this is congruent with current product - label recommendations.20 since the studied dose was 8.4 g twice daily for four doses , additional studies are necessary to determine if a more extensive reduction in potassium concentration is possible with more aggressive dosing .
the fda is currently reviewing a new drug application for zs9 in the treatment of hyperkalemia following one phase ii and two phase iii clinical trials.18,25,32
table 3 summarizes the study designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical trials for zs9.18,25,32 a phase ii clinical trial was designed to determine the safety , efficacy , and optimal dosing of zs9 in 90 patients with hyperkalemia and stage 3 ckd ( table 3).32 a potassium reduction greater than 1.0 meq / l occurred in 41.7% of patients on the 10 g dose compared to 3.4% on placebo by hour 38 of the study .
the 3 g and 10 g groups experienced a greater rate of potassium concentration reduction over 48 hours compared to placebo ( p=0.048 and p<0.0001 , respectively ) . in 66 patients receiving raasi therapy , the 10 g dose produced a mean reduction of 0.120.50 meq / l by 1 hour compared to a mean increase of 0.190.31
the most common adverse effects were nausea , vomiting , and urinary tract infection , with each occurring in 5% ( three of 60 ) of zs9 patients .
a dose - dependent increase in serum bicarbonate was observed in this study . in the zs9 group ,
the mean bicarbonate concentration increased from 27.4 meq / l at baseline to 30.1 meq /
patients with ckd also experienced a mean reduction in blood urea nitrogen from baseline ranged from 3 to 5 mg / dl on days 27 ( p<0.05 vs placebo ) .
these effects are likely the result of ammonium - ion trapping and excretion with zs9 .
this study included a mix of males ( 58% ) and females ( 42% ) , all from the us .
however , the patient population was focused to stage 3 ckd ( egfr 3059 ml / min/1.73 m ) , few patients had potassium > 5.5
meq / l , a majority of patients were caucasian ( 98% ) , the sample size was small , and the study had a short duration .
these limitations require further zs9 investigation in a larger number of more diverse patients for an extended period of time .
a phase iii clinical trial of 754 outpatients aimed to determine the efficacy , safety , and optimal dosing of zs9 for hyperkalemia ( table 3).18 the population included 61% with ckd , 40% with heart failure , and 67% on raasi therapy . in the initial phase , the 10 g dose produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.11 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.17 to 0.05 meq / l ) by 1 hour compared to an increase of 0.01
meq / l with placebo ( 95% ci 0.05 to 0.07 meq / l , p=0.009 ) .
meq / l for the placebo group ( 95% ci 0.32 to 0.19 meq / l , p<0.001 for the comparison ) .
meq / l ) was achieved in the 5 g and 10 g groups , regardless of the history of ckd , heart failure , or raasi utilization .
the occurrence of at least one adverse effect was similar between the zs9 and placebo groups during the initial phase ( 12.9% [ 77 of 596 ] vs 10.8% [ 17 of 158 ] , respectively ) and the randomized phase ( 25.1% [ 82 of 327 ] vs 24.5% [ 53 of 216 ] , respectively).18 diarrhea was the most common adverse effect , occurring in 1.8% of patients on zs9 and 2.5% of placebo patients during the initial phase .
as in the previous study , a dose - dependent increase in serum bicarbonate was observed with zs9 , but values remained within normal limits .
an increase of 71 milliseconds occurred in one patient , but they were receiving concomitant treatment with ciprofloxacin .
of note , there was no difference in the rate of clinically significant arrhythmias between the zs9 and placebo groups .
the severity of ckd and heart failure were not specified , which limits the generalizability of these results .
since outpatients were included and 85% were caucasian , the results should be cautiously applied ( if at all ) to hospitalized patients or those of other ethnicities .
another limitation was that baseline serum potassium concentrations were not the same between placebo and treatment groups ( p<0.05 ) , with higher concentrations in the treatment groups .
the double - blind , placebo - controlled initial phase was unique to this study and provides excellent efficacy data .
rates of potassium decline in the initial phase demonstrate that zs9 is likely to have an acute benefit for patients with mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia , but patients with severe hyperkalemia were not studied .
the harmonize phase iii trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of zs9 for 28 days in outpatients with hyperkalemia ( table 3).25 of the 258 patients , 66% had ckd , 36% had heart failure , and 70% were on raasi therapy .
in the open - label phase , zs9 10 g three times daily produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.2 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.3 to 0.2
meq / l ) by 1 hour and 0.4 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.5 to 0.4
meq / l ) by 2 hours ( p<0.001 for both comparisons to placebo ) .
patients on raasi therapy achieved a mean potassium reduction of 1.02 meq / l ( 95% ci 1.17 to 0.9
meq / l ) by hour 48 , which was similar to the overall study population ( 1.1 meq / l ; 95% ci 1.1 to 1.0
meq / l ) was achieved by 84% ( 95% ci 79%88% ) of patients within 24 hours and 98% ( 95% ci 96%99% ) within 48 hours .
at least one adverse event was observed in 7.8% ( 20 of 258 ) of patients on zs9 during the initial phase . during the randomized phase , 42.1% ( 64 of 152 ) of zs9 patients experienced an adverse effect
hypokalemia occurred in 7.2% ( 11 of 152 ) of patients receiving zs9 , but hypomagnesemia was not observed .
as in the previous study , ambulatory outpatients were included and the majority were caucasian .
many patients had ckd and heart failure , but disease severity was mild to moderate ( egfr 46.330.5 ml / min/1.73 m ) .
the initial phase had an open - label design , introducing selection and measurement biases .
while a study duration of 4 weeks was sufficient to demonstrate zs9 efficacy for acutely lowering potassium , longer trial durations are needed to define its role in chronic therapy .
data from patients with heart failure in the harmonize study were analyzed to determine the effects of zs9 in this population.33 the end points of interest were the same as those in the main study . in the open - label phase ( n=94 ) , zs9 reduced potassium to 4.4 meq / l ( 95% ci 4.34.5
meq / l ) in 48 hours . during the randomized phase ( n=87 ) , mean potassium concentrations of 4.7 meq / l ( 95% ci 4.54.9
meq / l ) were achieved in the 5 g , 10 g , and 15 g groups , respectively , compared to 5.2 meq / l ( 95% ci 55.4
patients continuing raasi therapy experienced similar efficacy results , but no specific data were provided . as for adverse effects , edema was observed in 13.1% ( eight of 61 ) of heart failure patients on zs9 compared to 3.8% ( one of 26 ) of those on placebo .
additionally , worsening hypertension occurred in 6.6% ( four of 61 ) of zs9 patients compared to 3.8% ( one of 26 ) of placebo patients .
no strict diagnostic criteria for heart failure were utilized to determine eligibility in this substudy . however
, this likely had minimal impact on this subgroup analysis , because the efficacy of zs9 demonstrated in patients with heart failure appears to be similar to that of the main study sample . in both of the phase
iii clinical trials , the most pronounced effects of zs9 were observed in patients with the highest baseline potassium concentration.18,25 therefore , the results of these studies were combined to analyze the effects of zs9 in a larger cohort of patients ( n=45 ) with severe hyperkalemia ( potassium 6.0 meq / l).34 a single 10 g dose produced a mean reduction in potassium from baseline of 0.4 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.5 to 0.2
meq / l ) by 2 hours , and 0.7 meq / l ( 95% ci 0.9 to 0.6
meq / l ) by 4 hours ( p<0.001 for each comparison to baseline ) .
the median time to potassium lower than 6.0 meq / l was 1.07 hours , and 80% of patients achieved this by 4 hours .
in addition , the median time to potassium concentration of 5.5 meq / l or lower was 4 hours .
zs9 was effective at reducing severe hyperkalemia to a safe concentration within 4 hours for a majority of patients .
other studies are needed to clarify the optimal dose and should include an inpatient population , but these data are promising for zs9 as an alternative to sps in acute , severe hyperkalemia .
table 4 summarizes the designs , patient populations , and major findings of the clinical studies for sps.3537 to date , there have been two randomized clinical trials of sps.36,37 an observational study is included in this evidence review for historical context.35 a prospective observational study performed in 1961 evaluated the safety and efficacy of sps in 32 hyperkalemic patients with either acute or ckd ( table 4).35 patients were placed on a potassium - restricted diet and received sps orally ( n=24 ) or rectally ( n=8 ) if the patient was unable to take fluids by mouth .
treatment with sps was ineffective for two patients whose potassium concentrations increased by 24 hours to values of 6.8
meq / l and 8.3 meq / l . as for safety , patients experienced nausea , vomiting , and constipation , but specific data regarding the number of occurrences for each were not provided .
two of the patients in the oral administration group were given sps three times per week for a few months to display its long - term effect .
these patients had follow - up potassium concentrations of 4.2 meq / l and 6.3 meq / l .
these data do not support the use of sps for chronic , long - term treatment of hyperkalemia , due to the unspecified follow - up time frame utilized and the continuation of clinically relevant hyperkalemia in one of the patients .
all of the patients in the study were on a potassium - restricted diet , three patients received glucose and insulin along with sps , and five patients received sodium bicarbonate concomitantly .
additionally , only nine ckd patients were included , which makes it difficult to generalize these results to that patient population . despite the reduction in potassium demonstrated , mean
baseline values and statistical significance testing were not provided , which in addition to the small sample size further limits the clinical relevance of these data . a randomized , single - blind clinical trial assessed the safety and efficacy of sps in 97 ckd patients with potassium concentration greater than 5.2 meq / l ( table 4).36 in patients receiving sps ( n=47 ) , the mean potassium concentration decreased from a baseline of 5.80.6
the most common adverse effects observed in the sps group were nausea ( 42.6% [ 20 of 47 ] ) , anorexia ( 34% [ 16 of 47 ] ) , and worsening edema ( 8.5% [ four of 47 ] ) .
additionally , patients receiving sps experienced an increase in diastolic blood pressure to 82.211.7 mmhg from a baseline of 76.679.3 mmhg ( p=0.004 ) .
although no significant electrolyte variations were demonstrated , the occurrence of these effects may have been limited , because the study lasted only 3 days , serum magnesium - concentration monitoring was not performed , and the dose of sps used ( 5 g three times daily ) was lower than the standard dose ( 1530 g per dose , up to four times daily ) .
a serum creatinine concentration greater than 1.5 mg / dl was an inclusion criterion and all patients had stage 14 ckd , but the exact number of patients with each stage was not noted .
therefore , it is difficult to generalize these results to patients with advanced stages of ckd or who receive common , essential medications .
a recent randomized , placebo - controlled clinical trial aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of sps in 33 ckd patients with mild hyperkalemia ( table 4).37 patients receiving sps ( n=16 ) had a mean baseline potassium concentration of 5.2 meq / l . by day 7 , there was a mean potassium reduction of 1.250.56
meq / l ) was achieved by 73% of sps patients and 38% of placebo patients ( p=0.07 ) . while this result was not statistically significant , it may reflect a type ii error due to small sample size .
the most common adverse events experienced were nausea , vomiting , and constipation , which occurred in 25% ( four of 16 ) , 12.5% ( two of 16 ) , and 37.5% ( six of 16 ) of patients on sps , respectively .
one patient in the sps group withdrew from the study on day 3 due to severe vomiting , and two patients receiving sps required a laxative - dose increase .
hypomagnesemia occurred in 31.3% ( five of 16 ) and hypocalcemia in 18.8% ( three of 16 ) of sps patients .
although rare gi adverse events , such as colonic necrosis , were not observed , the capacity for detection was limited by the small sample size .
patients were excluded if their dose of an raasi had been adjusted within 60 days prior to initiation of the study .
since raasi therapy is essential for patients with ckd and/or heart failure , it is ideal for hyperkalemia treatment options to be able to maintain normokalemia during titration of these medications , which this study was unable to demonstrate .
although specific diet restrictions were not implemented , 25% ( four of 16 ) of patients on sps were fasting ( last meal > 8 hours ) prior to potassium concentration measurement on day 7 compared to 5.9% ( one of 17 ) of placebo patients , which may confound the results .
this study aimed to assess the efficacy of sps in chronic hyperkalemia patients , but the study duration was only 7 days . due to the small sample size , mild degree of hyperkalemia at baseline , and short duration , an evidence gap remains for long - term efficacy of sps .
clinical trials have demonstrated that patiromer and zs9 are safe and effective for the treatment of hyperkalemia in high - risk patient populations .
patiromer was approved by the fda for this indication in october 2015 and is now available for use . the resubmitted new drug application for zs9
was accepted for review by the fda in october 2016 after concerns about preapproval manufacturing inspections were addressed .
although past studies were observational in nature , two recent clinical trials demonstrated its efficacy in the chronic setting .
acute hyperkalemia remains a significant concern , due to the potential for life - threatening arrhythmias .
previously , efficacy data for acute hyperkalemia were elusive and placebo - controlled interventions unlikely , given ethical considerations .
the use of sps in acute hyperkalemia is complicated by a variable onset of action ( 26 hours ) , a variable duration of action ( 624 hours ) , and a lack of robust efficacy data , although it was previously the only fda - approved medication for potassium removal.10,15,16 despite the potassium reduction demonstrated in the 1961 sps study , the clinical relevance is limited because mean baseline values and statistical significance testing were not provided , the sample size was small , and confounding factors were present .
interpretation of the data from three zs9 clinical trials indicates a significant potential role for zs9 in the management of acute hyperkalemia .
the onset of effect is 1 hour , with a dose - dependent , predictable potassium - lowering response .
data from patients with mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia indicate a predictable decline in potassium concentration of 0.11 to 0.2 meq / l by hour 1 and 0.73 to 1.1 meq / l by hour 48.18,25,32 none of the zs9 clinical trials studied patients with acute hyperkalemia , so further research in this population is necessary .
patiromer was studied for the treatment of acute hyperkalemia.30 however , the onset of effect was 7 hours , and the mean potassium concentration reduction achieved was 0.21
these results demonstrate that it is not advisable to use patiromer in the acute setting , which is consistent with current product - label recommendations.20 based on the published data , zs9 appears to be the preferred agent for the treatment of acute hyperkalemia when compared to patiromer and sps .
however , a randomized controlled trial directly comparing these medications would be necessary to validate this recommendation .
chronic hyperkalemia is common in patients with diabetes mellitus , ckd , heart failure , and those utilizing raasi therapy.6 current treatment strategies of loop diuretics or intermittent sps are insufficient , due to variable potassium - lowering effects and toxicity potential . despite the efficacy demonstrated by sps in two clinical trials ,
many questions regarding its use in this population remain unanswered , due to small sample sizes , mild degree of hyperkalemia at baseline , and short study durations .
compared to zs9 , patiromer appears to play a more significant role for the maintenance of normokalemia .
patiromer clinical trials showed a dose - dependent potassium reduction with efficacy through follow - up periods of 12 weeks and 52 weeks.19,28 limitations to these results are that the 52-week period was open - label and not placebo - controlled and that twice - daily patiromer dosing was utilized , whereas the fda - approved dosing is once daily .
nonetheless , normal serum potassium concentration was maintained in 77.4%95.1% of patients over the study period.28 although zs9 was effective at lowering potassium and has potential for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia , short trial durations of 228 days do not allow for extrapolation to this use .
critical long - term follow - up data for zs9 will be forthcoming as the results of the harmonize extension trial ( nct02107092 ) and another 12-month trial ( nct02163499 ) are reported .
overall , patiromer appears to be the preferred agent for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia when compared to zs9 and sps .
however , these medications would need to be compared in a randomized controlled trial in order to validate this recommendation .
hyperkalemia is a serious medical condition that is associated with increased mortality , especially in patients with severe hyperkalemia.13 the most pronounced effects from zs9 were observed in patients with the highest baseline potassium concentration.18,25 in a subgroup of patients with potassium concentrations of 6.17.2 meq / l , zs9 dosed at 10 g produced a mean reduction of 0.4 meq / l within 1 hour , and 52% of patients reached potassium of 5.5 meq / l or lower within 4 hours.34 despite these results , none of the trials for zs9 were conducted in hospitalized patients or specifically designed to assess treatment in patients with acute , severe hyperkalemia .
therefore , these extrapolated findings require further study in the inpatient setting before strong recommendations for the use of these agents can be made for acute , severe hyperkalemia .
hyperkalemia often limits the use of raasi therapy in patients with compelling indications for these drugs ( ckd and/or heart failure patients).6 although two clinical trials have assessed the efficacy of sps in ckd patients , one excluded patients on raasi therapy36 and the other excluded patients who received an raasi - dose adjustment.37 therefore , practitioners should cautiously monitor potassium concentration during raasi continuation or dose titration in ckd patients on sps .
however , efficacy data for patiromer and zs9 were similar for subgroups of patients with ckd , heart failure , and those receiving raasi therapy . additionally , both patiromer and zs9 allowed for the initiation , titration , and maintenance of raasi therapy in these populations that derive significant benefit . despite this , additional high - risk patient populations , such as dialysis patients , renal transplant recipients , patients with gi disorders , and postsurgical patients ,
therefore , further research should address these populations . until then , clinicians should use patiromer and zs9 cautiously in these patients or avoid their use .
patiromer and zs9 were generally well tolerated , with the most common adverse events being nausea , constipation , and diarrhea .
none of these effects were severe , and they occurred less frequently than has been historically observed with sps .
the use of sps has also been associated with rare gi effects , such as mucosal damage and intestinal necrosis.1214 while serious adverse effects are rare , nausea , vomiting , and diarrhea occur frequently and limit the long - term tolerability of the medication .
however , with only 660 courses of patiromer treatment and 1,393 courses of zs9 treatment evaluable from clinical trials , phase iv postmarketing surveillance will be critical to identify rare adverse events . compared to patiromer , gi adverse events were experienced less often with zs9 , and rates were comparable to those demonstrated in placebo groups .
zs9 has an inorganic lattice structure that does not swell in gastric juices , which may be the reason for this observed difference .
as for electrolyte variations , hypomagnesemia was not reported in any zs9 clinical trial , and hypokalemia occurred less frequently .
the high specificity of zs9 for the potassium ion could explain these observed differences in electrolyte abnormalities . since patiromer can also bind magnesium , hypomagnesemia was observed in every patiromer clinical trial .
therefore , patients magnesium concentrations should be monitored frequently , and patients should be educated on the potential symptoms of hypomagnesemia , such as muscle weakness / cramping , nystagmus , and numbness .
hypokalemia , which most of the studies defined as a potassium concentration lower than 3.5 meq / l , was also observed in patients receiving patiromer .
caution should be used when lowering the potassium concentration in patients with heart failure and/or ckd because values lower than 4.0 meq / l may be associated with increased mortality.38,39 in addition to these electrolyte variations , sps can cause hypocalcemia and hypernatremia , with the latter likely related to the medication s sodium content .
a 15 g dose of sps contains 1,500 mg of sodium , whereas zs9 contains approximately 1,000 mg of sodium in a 10 g dose and patiromer has no sodium content .
the higher sodium content of sps is troublesome for this often sodium - restricted patient population.11 patients on zs9 experienced unique adverse events , such as edema , urinary tract infections , and qtc - interval prolongation .
however , prolongation of the qtc interval is a physiologic effect of acutely lowering serum potassium concentration .
the increase in qtc interval ( 0.0310 milliseconds ) was not clinically relevant , and rates of arrhythmia were no different between zs9 and placebo groups.18 interestingly , a slight increase in serum bicarbonate concentration and a small decrease in blood urea nitrogen content were observed during the use of zs9 .
this may have potential benefit for patients with ckd , who often have concomitant metabolic acidosis , but that remains hypothetical .
overall , patiromer and zs9 appear to be safe medications , with most patients tolerating therapy well .
both zs9 and patiromer products are suspensions that require multiple cycles of mixing to be performed manually by the patient to ensure the complete dose is administered .
patiromer binds with other medications in the gi tract , which necessitates a 3-hour separation for administering other medications.20 it is important to note that the drug - interaction studies included healthy volunteers and did not take into account the multiple medications this patient population is often receiving . further clinical research is necessary to define the optimal timing of administration .
proper patient education on the mixing , administration , and timing of these medications will be critical to ensure adherence and effectiveness .
acute hyperkalemia remains a significant concern , due to the potential for life - threatening arrhythmias .
previously , efficacy data for acute hyperkalemia were elusive and placebo - controlled interventions unlikely , given ethical considerations .
the use of sps in acute hyperkalemia is complicated by a variable onset of action ( 26 hours ) , a variable duration of action ( 624 hours ) , and a lack of robust efficacy data , although it was previously the only fda - approved medication for potassium removal.10,15,16 despite the potassium reduction demonstrated in the 1961 sps study , the clinical relevance is limited because mean baseline values and statistical significance testing were not provided , the sample size was small , and confounding factors were present .
interpretation of the data from three zs9 clinical trials indicates a significant potential role for zs9 in the management of acute hyperkalemia .
the onset of effect is 1 hour , with a dose - dependent , predictable potassium - lowering response .
data from patients with mild - to - moderate hyperkalemia indicate a predictable decline in potassium concentration of 0.11 to 0.2 meq / l by hour 1 and 0.73 to 1.1 meq / l by hour 48.18,25,32 none of the zs9 clinical trials studied patients with acute hyperkalemia , so further research in this population is necessary .
patiromer was studied for the treatment of acute hyperkalemia.30 however , the onset of effect was 7 hours , and the mean potassium concentration reduction achieved was 0.21
these results demonstrate that it is not advisable to use patiromer in the acute setting , which is consistent with current product - label recommendations.20 based on the published data , zs9 appears to be the preferred agent for the treatment of acute hyperkalemia when compared to patiromer and sps .
however , a randomized controlled trial directly comparing these medications would be necessary to validate this recommendation .
chronic hyperkalemia is common in patients with diabetes mellitus , ckd , heart failure , and those utilizing raasi therapy.6 current treatment strategies of loop diuretics or intermittent sps are insufficient , due to variable potassium - lowering effects and toxicity potential . despite the efficacy demonstrated by sps in two clinical trials ,
many questions regarding its use in this population remain unanswered , due to small sample sizes , mild degree of hyperkalemia at baseline , and short study durations .
compared to zs9 , patiromer appears to play a more significant role for the maintenance of normokalemia .
patiromer clinical trials showed a dose - dependent potassium reduction with efficacy through follow - up periods of 12 weeks and 52 weeks.19,28 limitations to these results are that the 52-week period was open - label and not placebo - controlled and that twice - daily patiromer dosing was utilized , whereas the fda - approved dosing is once daily .
nonetheless , normal serum potassium concentration was maintained in 77.4%95.1% of patients over the study period.28 although zs9 was effective at lowering potassium and has potential for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia , short trial durations of 228 days do not allow for extrapolation to this use .
critical long - term follow - up data for zs9 will be forthcoming as the results of the harmonize extension trial ( nct02107092 ) and another 12-month trial ( nct02163499 ) are reported .
overall , patiromer appears to be the preferred agent for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia when compared to zs9 and sps .
however , these medications would need to be compared in a randomized controlled trial in order to validate this recommendation .
hyperkalemia is a serious medical condition that is associated with increased mortality , especially in patients with severe hyperkalemia.13 the most pronounced effects from zs9 were observed in patients with the highest baseline potassium concentration.18,25 in a subgroup of patients with potassium concentrations of 6.17.2 meq / l , zs9 dosed at 10 g produced a mean reduction of 0.4 meq / l within 1 hour , and 52% of patients reached potassium of 5.5 meq / l or lower within 4 hours.34 despite these results , none of the trials for zs9 were conducted in hospitalized patients or specifically designed to assess treatment in patients with acute , severe hyperkalemia .
therefore , these extrapolated findings require further study in the inpatient setting before strong recommendations for the use of these agents can be made for acute , severe hyperkalemia .
hyperkalemia often limits the use of raasi therapy in patients with compelling indications for these drugs ( ckd and/or heart failure patients).6 although two clinical trials have assessed the efficacy of sps in ckd patients , one excluded patients on raasi therapy36 and the other excluded patients who received an raasi - dose adjustment.37 therefore , practitioners should cautiously monitor potassium concentration during raasi continuation or dose titration in ckd patients on sps .
however , efficacy data for patiromer and zs9 were similar for subgroups of patients with ckd , heart failure , and those receiving raasi therapy . additionally ,
both patiromer and zs9 allowed for the initiation , titration , and maintenance of raasi therapy in these populations that derive significant benefit . despite this , additional high - risk patient populations , such as dialysis patients , renal transplant recipients , patients with gi disorders , and postsurgical patients , were excluded from the clinical trials .
therefore , further research should address these populations . until then , clinicians should use patiromer and zs9 cautiously in these patients or avoid their use .
patiromer and zs9 were generally well tolerated , with the most common adverse events being nausea , constipation , and diarrhea .
none of these effects were severe , and they occurred less frequently than has been historically observed with sps .
the use of sps has also been associated with rare gi effects , such as mucosal damage and intestinal necrosis.1214 while serious adverse effects are rare , nausea , vomiting , and diarrhea occur frequently and limit the long - term tolerability of the medication .
however , with only 660 courses of patiromer treatment and 1,393 courses of zs9 treatment evaluable from clinical trials , phase iv postmarketing surveillance will be critical to identify rare adverse events .
compared to patiromer , gi adverse events were experienced less often with zs9 , and rates were comparable to those demonstrated in placebo groups .
zs9 has an inorganic lattice structure that does not swell in gastric juices , which may be the reason for this observed difference . as for electrolyte variations ,
hypomagnesemia was not reported in any zs9 clinical trial , and hypokalemia occurred less frequently .
the high specificity of zs9 for the potassium ion could explain these observed differences in electrolyte abnormalities . since patiromer can also bind magnesium , hypomagnesemia was observed in every patiromer clinical trial .
therefore , patients magnesium concentrations should be monitored frequently , and patients should be educated on the potential symptoms of hypomagnesemia , such as muscle weakness / cramping , nystagmus , and numbness .
hypokalemia , which most of the studies defined as a potassium concentration lower than 3.5 meq / l , was also observed in patients receiving patiromer .
caution should be used when lowering the potassium concentration in patients with heart failure and/or ckd because values lower than 4.0 meq / l may be associated with increased mortality.38,39 in addition to these electrolyte variations , sps can cause hypocalcemia and hypernatremia , with the latter likely related to the medication s sodium content .
a 15 g dose of sps contains 1,500 mg of sodium , whereas zs9 contains approximately 1,000 mg of sodium in a 10 g dose and patiromer has no sodium content .
the higher sodium content of sps is troublesome for this often sodium - restricted patient population.11 patients on zs9 experienced unique adverse events , such as edema , urinary tract infections , and qtc - interval prolongation .
however , prolongation of the qtc interval is a physiologic effect of acutely lowering serum potassium concentration .
the increase in qtc interval ( 0.0310 milliseconds ) was not clinically relevant , and rates of arrhythmia were no different between zs9 and placebo groups.18 interestingly , a slight increase in serum bicarbonate concentration and a small decrease in blood urea nitrogen content were observed during the use of zs9 .
this may have potential benefit for patients with ckd , who often have concomitant metabolic acidosis , but that remains hypothetical .
overall , patiromer and zs9 appear to be safe medications , with most patients tolerating therapy well .
both zs9 and patiromer products are suspensions that require multiple cycles of mixing to be performed manually by the patient to ensure the complete dose is administered .
patiromer binds with other medications in the gi tract , which necessitates a 3-hour separation for administering other medications.20 it is important to note that the drug - interaction studies included healthy volunteers and did not take into account the multiple medications this patient population is often receiving . further clinical research is necessary to define the optimal timing of administration .
proper patient education on the mixing , administration , and timing of these medications will be critical to ensure adherence and effectiveness .
patiromer and zs9 are significant advancements for the treatment of hyperkalemia . these drugs have enhanced specificity for the potassium ion , a more predictable reduction in serum potassium concentration , and an improved safety profile compared to sps .
patiromer and zs9 are different in terms of their pharmacologic properties , adherence potential , interactions with concomitant medications , and safety profiles . based on the currently available evidence , patiromer seems to be the preferred agent for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia , whereas zs9 may have a role in the treatment of acute hyperkalemia .
comparative trials among patiromer , zs9 , and sps would provide essential evidence and should be considered in the future . | pubmed |
HOLD THE DARK
based on the novel by
William Giraldi
written for the screen by
Macon Blair
12.10.15
A24 / VisionChaos Productions / Addictive Pictures
Bonneville FilmsTHIS APPEARS ON BLACK SCREEN:
O unteachably after evil, but uttering truth. - Gerald Manley Hopkins
EXT. THE ALASKAN FRONTIER - DAY
SUNLIGHT, as bright and sharp as a blade, slicing down on
this moonscape of SNOW and ICE. Feel the cold in your teeth. The wind makes a faint flute-sound and all else is silence.
In the distance sit god-sized hills, hazy and dream-like. And
spread before them, abutting a black bristle of trees...
A VILLAGE. Just a handful of buildings, looking like toy
blocks dropped onto a clean white quilt.
SUPER: Keelut, Alaska.How do people even survive out here? And why?
EXT. BEHIND THE SLONE CABIN - DAYNot so much a backyard as an expanse between the distant
TREELINE and a roughly-hewn LOG CABIN, smoking chimney and
mossy walls, a soft rhythmic wump wump wump leading us to...
A BOY (7), kneeling to pack a small mound of snow. Wump,
wump, wump. He looks swollen in his pillowed coat, working a well-used ARMY MAN into the mound. His name is BAILEY.
His nose running, his breath clouding before his face, he’s
wholly focused on this very serious work until...
He looks up. Sees something.
Freezes.
A WOLF. Just emerged from the trees. Motionless. Yellow eyes
fixed on Bailey, her own breath steaming. She’s huge.
ON BAILEY, seen from behind, looking out at the WOLF, only
forty feet away. Watching him in silence.
INT. SLONE CABIN - TWILIGHT
A TEA KETTLE on a wood stove alllmost whistles but a FEMALE
HAND lifts it out of frame as we begin to...Drift through the space, catching the details. Three rooms
with a small kitchen area. A low insulated ceiling with
plastic sheets duct taped over the windows. A pair of FUR-LINED BOOTS, knee-high and heavy, wait by the
front door where an AR-15 RIFLE is propped in the umbrella stand. A child’s .22 RIFLE leans in the corner.
A CB RADIO hangs from a peg next to the CLOSET DOOR with a
PADLOCK on it. No phone that we can see.
There’s a ratty COUCH with unfolded laundry on it. A sooty
FIREPLACE smolders with a COMPOUND BOW hung above the mantle.
And like an afterthought, a CRUDE MASK rests on the mantle,
made of driftwood and pelt. A wolf face.
We find the WOMAN, sitting very still in a threadbare chair,
wearing a thick wool sweater, an untouched cup of tea in her lap.
Her name is MEDORA SLONE (30). Underfed, distant, with
striking white-blond hair and pale, grey-gold eyes.
She’s just staring. At nothing, it seems. The wind keens
faintly outside. The house creaks.
Finally, she looks up.
EXT. REAR DOOR - SLONE CABIN - SAME
The heavy door opens inward and Medora peers out, hugging
herself against the cold.
INT. REAR DOOR - SAME
Over her shoulder, OUT THERE: that snow mound Bailey was
making. And the action figure still stuck into it.
But no Bailey. No nothing. Just the field of white, the
fading daylight all the way to the darkness of the trees.
CUT TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, A WOLF HOWL carries from some far unknowable place...but then morphs into a DRONING ELECTRIC BUZZ...
INT. KITCHEN - CORE’S HOME - NIGHT
Which is a MICROWAVE, a TV dinner turning inside until it
beeps! and MALE HANDS gingerly remove it.2.INT. MAIN ROOM - CORE’S HOME - NIGHT
A PAINTING OF A WOLF, an amateur work. From O.S., we hear a
MAN, apparently leaving a voicemail message...
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.)
Hi, sweetheart. Uh. It’s me. Again.
There are in fact several WOLF PAINTINGS here. Dozens. Different angles and settings but...the same animal?
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.) (CONT’D)
I’d heard you got Associates, huh? I read that, Northern Light had a blurb on it. Tenure committee gets one right, at last. Heh. I’m uh...I am so proud of you.
We drift over the DESK and COMPUTER, BOOKS and PAPERS hoarded neatly. Titles like Canis Lupus Migration Study , American
Nature Journal, Arctic Grey In Decline. An academic’s lair.
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.) (CONT’D)
I know you’re busy, but...I hope we’ll talk sometime. You can call whenever. I hope uh...
Here’s a PHOTO OF A YOUNG BEARDED MAN in muddy camping gear, grinning hugely, a caption on it: Yellowstone, 1979.
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.) (CONT’D)
Anyway. I’m going to see your mother tomorrow. She sends her love.
We find him in his overstuffed recliner, the TV muted, his microwave dinner on a tray. His name is RUSSELL CORE (50s), the guy from the photo. But there’s silver in his hair now, more in his beard. This is a tired man. He carries ghosts.
CORE
And...so do I.
He holds the phone to his ear a beat longer...and hangs up. Aims the remote, turns up the news a bit: Iraq, circa 2004.
TV NEWS VOICE
...while Coalition forces advanced on the
town of Falujah under heavy fire...
But Core isn’t really watching, is he? 3.INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Core sits in the steaming bathtub, the water to his chin.
Staring at something. Grimly contemplating it.
A RAZOR BLADE. Resting there on the edge of the tub. Waiting.He stares. Takes a deep breath for courage. Or maybe defeat.
And reaches for the blade...
His dripping hand hovers over it in sudden indecision. The
moment extends. Until...
He retracts his hand after all. Leaves the razor there.
Exhales and looks away.
EXT. REST HOME - WALLOWA, OREGON - DAY
It’s bright and sunny. Not the cold-diamond sunshine of
Keelut but sunshine with some actual warmth. Trees are green.
CORE’S COMPACT CAR pulls up, parks, and he heads inside.
INT. RECEPTION HALLWAY - REST HOME - DAY
As Core passes the Christmas-decorated DESK, the young NURSE
in a Santa hat gives him a small, sweet smile.
CORE
Hi, Kelly.
NURSE
Hi, Mr. Core. She’s having a good day.
He smiles back, as best he’s able.
INT. CORE’S WIFE’S ROOM - REST HOME - DAY
A WOMAN’S HAND, gnarled into a frozen claw on a hospital bed.It’s CORE’S WIFE, her mouth agape, eyes clamped shut to give
the impression that she’s perpetually moaning. But she’s not, of course, she’s been paralyzed and unconscious for years.
Core sits bedside her, reading a novel. He bites a candy
cane, the crunch! like a bone breaking in this quiet room.
A soft, involuntary glottal noise gurgles in his Wife’s
throat. He looks up at her for a long beat but, when no other sound comes, he returns to his book.4.INT. FOYER - CORE’S HOME - DAY
THE PILE OF MAIL on the welcome mat is pushed aside as the
front door opens and Core’s LIGHTWEIGHT HIKING BOOTS step in.
He hangs up his windbreaker, drops his keys, bends with a
grunt to collect the mail, pausing then to look at his--
ANSWERING MACHINE, with ‘0 ’ messages waiting for him.
Which is deeply disappointing.
INT. MAIN ROOM - DAY
Core settles into his recliner, thumbing idly through the
mail until...this one LETTER in particular.
KEELUT, AK , reads the return address. A childlike scrawl.
Confused, he opens it, unfolds the single page, begins to read. And the color drains from his face.
MACRO ON THE LETTER, we’re reading it, ‘DEAR MR. CORE, THREE DAYS
AGO MY SON BAILEY WAS TAKEN BY WOLVES ’ even as we hear--
MEDORA (V.O.)
Dear Mr. Core, Three days ago my
son Bailey was taken by wolves.
He reads, horribly spellbound...
MEDORA (V.O.)
This happened twice already here. I tried to track them but could not. No one in the village will hunt them. I am alone here now. I have read your book. I know you have done this before. In my heart, I know that you are able to do it now. I do not expect you to find my son alive. But you could find his bones and maybe slaughter the wolf that took him. My husband will come home from the war soon. I must have something to show him. I can’t just have nothing. I know you have sympathy for this animal. Please don’t.
Come and kill it to help me.
My son’s bones are in the snow.
He sits there, surrounded by all those paintings.5.MEDORA (V.O.)
Sincerely yours, Medora Slone.
A stunned, silent beat.
He refolds the letter, sets it aside. And looks away.
INT. BATHROOM - DAY
CORE’S HANDS, scrubbing vigorously under the sink.IN THE MIRROR, Core blots his brow, finds his own anxious
eyes for a moment. Takes a deep breath and then, oddly...
A MAN with luggage passes behind him. Oh. He’s not at home.
INT. PORTLAND AIRPORT - DAY
Core emerges from the MEN’S ROOM with his small rolling
suitcase, heads towards the bustling CHECK-IN COUNTER.
INT. SMALL AIRLINER - NIGHT
JET NOISE drowns everything as we find Core in a window seat,
dozing. His eyes slit open and, vaguely disoriented, he gazes out at the dreamy purple sky.
And he’s holding MEDORA’S LETTER, folded into quarters.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHTCore moves through this minor almost-empty hub, passing some
HUNTERS headed the other way.
INT. CAR RENTAL DESK - AIRPORT - NIGHT
Core fills out paperwork as the sullen CLERK provides keys.
CORE
Four wheel drive?
CLERK
(’of course’)
Yessir.
CORE
And uh...GPS?6.CLERK
Where you headed?
CORE
Keelut.
CLERK
GPS won’t work out there. Here...
(passing him a MAP)
...this one the more accurate ones.
Core regards the map and...
EXT. ROAD OUT OF TOWN - DAWN
CORE’S RENTAL SUV drives away on a salt-crusted strip of road
that runs to infinity, brown-white tundras spreading to either side.
The sky is an ominous golden-pink, like a great inverted bowl
refracting weird light. The truck grows small beneath it.
INT./EXT. RENTAL SUV - REMOTE ALASKAN ROADS (VARIOUS) - DAY
Core drives one-handed, uncertainly consulting the map and
scanning for landmarks. Scanning for anything.
The SUN remains low in the sky. Long shadows, fewer buildings to be seen, much more snow.
He sees distant shapes of CARIBOU moving along frozen water. He sees WHIRLS of snowy wind, miniature sideways tornados.He sees a LONE FIGURE in a DOG SLED whisking across the
plains, drawn by a bounding team of HUSKIES.
He drives onward. Medora’s FOLDED LETTER rides shotgun.
EXT. FILLING STATION - DAY
From afar, we see Core approach a TRUCKER at the pumps. Closer, Core shows the map, points questioningly to a certain
point.
The Trucker looks at it (check that eagle tattoo over his
eye), shakes his head, chuckles wetly. 7.INT. RENTAL SUV (MOVING) - DAY
THIS ROAD is unpaved and snowy, so Core drives slow, hunched
over the wheel. Drifts like seawalls rise on either side.
He slows now, squinting--THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD at the road curving upwards into a
HILLY WOODED PASS, seeming to disappear before him.
With a frustrated hiss he re-checks the map. Useless. He
wipes his fogged-over window, scanning as he drives--Wait. He stops suddenly.
EXT. REMOTE ROAD - SAME
THE SUV backs up, pausing beside a tree with a small
RECTANGULAR SOMETHING nailed to it.
Core rolls down his window for a better look at...The faded, hand-painted WOODEN SIGN. “Keelut.”
EXT. KEELUT - DAY
A TOTEM POLE rises into the sky: the carved faces of bears,
owls, dogs, and devils keeping solemn watch over all.
Below it we find ILLANAQ (80s), looking out in watchful
expectation. Filthy anorak, long braided hair. She’s Yup’ik, the indigenous people of Keelut.
CORE’S RENTAL SUV appears slowly up the main (indeed, the
only) road of Keelut, pausing now below the totem pole.
He rolls down his window, calls up to her...
CORE
Excuse me...
She just stares at him.
CORE (CONT’D)
The Slone cabin?
Her cracked-leather face splits into a smirk and...
ILLANAQ
(gesturing)
At the end.8.Core nods thanks, but warily, and drives on.
Illanaq watches him go.
INT./EXT. RENTAL SUV (MOVING) - KEELUT - SAME
The truck jounces on the rocky ground. Core scans the
village, little more than two rows of buildings and the road between. Nobody’s out that doesn’t need to be. He sees:
A-FRAMES and STURDY CABINS, solid and stubborn, every chimney
working, radio antennae spiking from every roof. Animal skins tacked to doors and stacks of cordwood close by.
SNOW-MOBILES and CHAIN-TIRED TRUCKS with electric blankets
draped over their engines, nosed into massive muddy drifts.
PLYWOOD KENNELS for teams of HUSKIES chained by their SLEDS,
indifferent to the cold, gnawing on bones.
A FEW YUP’IK KIDS dart across the road, shouting.A TALL YUP’IK MAN (30s), his long hair drawn back into a
ponytail, unloading supplies from his truck, scowling at Core as he passes.
There’s a CHURCH, a SCHOOLHOUSE, a WOODEN WATER TOWER and a
sorry-looking PUB. The GENERATOR SHACK grumbles and smokes.
Pure functionality and self-reliance. Zero gloss.And now he sees it. Up ahead at the edge of Keelut, almost
outside of Keelut...the SLONE CABIN.
EXT. SLONE CABIN - CONTINUOUS
The road ends. He parks and glances around before wading
through knee-high snow up towards the cabin where...
A RUSTY RED TRUCK is parked. Caribou antlers hang over the
door. Maybe a welcome, maybe a warning. As he gets closer...
The door opens. Medora Slone appears, uncertainly, holding a
dog-eared PAPERBACK BOOK to herself.
A moment, the two of them looking at each other across the
distance to her door.
FROM OVER MEDORA’S SHOULDER, we see her lift the book,
consult the AUTHOR’S PHOTO on the back: it’s that Yellowstone picture we saw in Core’s house.9.And just beyond it, there’s Core in the flesh, but stooped
slightly and breathing hard as he approaches.
INT. SLONE CABIN - DAY
THE KITCHEN TABLE is stacked with dishes of food villagers
have brought: caribou soup, fry bread, pies and canned fruit.
Core sits by the wood stove, a fresh cup of tea in his hands.
He looks up from those HEAVY FUR-LINED BOOTS in the corner to stare uncomfortably across at--
Medora, who sits on the couch, straight-backed, unblinking.
MEDORA
I didn’t think you’d really come.
When I wrote you I was...I guess I was going to try anything.
CORE
I’m uh...I am very sorry about your son, Mrs. Slone
MEDORA
(re: book)
Canis lupus.
CORE
Yes, ma’am.
MEDORA
“Apex predator.” What’s that mean?
CORE
It means they’ve been around a long time and know how to hunt better than we do.
MEDORA
You’ve come to kill it? To kill the animal that took him?
CORE
I came to help if I can. To explain this if I can.
MEDORA
The explanation is we’re cursed here. The only help is to kill it.
CORE
I’m just a writer.10.MEDORA
You’ve hunted and killed one
before. That’s what you wrote.
He winces at that statement, it actually pains him. She hands him the book as if to say, See? He turns it over...
CORE
Where’d you find this?
A Year Among Them, it’s called, wolves on the cover.
MEDORA
It found me. I don’t know how. It was just here one day.
Says that in the same tone as, At the bookstore. He resets.
CORE
You mentioned his bones.
She looks down, brow furrowed, chewing her lip. Thinking.
MEDORA
I was thinking they’d show after breakup. You know...the thaw.
She stares off at the RIFLE in the corner, unseeing...
MEDORA (CONT’D)
I would have killed the thing myself, if I could have found it. Goddamn demon. Goddamn murderer. I tried to find it.
Core shakes his head gently, sets his tea down.
CORE
The pack could be eight or ten members. You don’t want to find that.
They stare at each other a while, until Core notices something, and she turns to see what he’s looking at...
THAT CRUDE WOLF MASK, forgotten there on the hearth.
MEDORA
A shaman’s mask. Someone brought it
here.
(back to Core)
Can I ask you a personal question?
(off his nod)
Do you have a child?11.CORE
A daughter. In Anchorage, she
teaches at the university.
MEDORA
A teacher like her father.
CORE
I’m no teacher. Maybe I could have been but...she’s good at it. She wanted to be an Alaskan.
MEDORA
That city’s not Alaska.
Something in her tone there, something dark.
MEDORA (CONT’D)
(quietly)
Do you have any idea what’s out those windows? How black it gets? How that black gets into you? Let me tell you Mr. Core, you’re not on Earth here.
CORE
(rattled by that)
But...this is your home.
MEDORA
I was brought here when I was a child, that makes me not from here.
CORE
From where?
MEDORA
I don’t remember. I never asked.
(beat, out the window)
I don’t understand what they’re doing here.
CORE
Who?
MEDORA
Wolves.
CORE
They live here.12.MEDORA
(gesturing, this cabin)
But I don’t understand what they’re
doing here. Why is this happening to me? Why now?
CORE
They’re hungry, ma’am. No one’s cursed. It’s just biology.
She leans back from his words. Insulted, perhaps.
CORE (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. I don’t know why this is happening to you.
(beat)
Does your husband know yet?
MEDORA
Men were supposed to call him. I can’t tell him while he’s there. He’ll see what has happened when he comes home, what we’ve done, what no one was able to stop.
CORE
Why wouldn’t anyone hunt them after what happened? You said...two other children were...?
MEDORA
They’re afraid. Or they think we deserve it.
CORE
I don’t understand that.
MEDORA
Stay here a while. You might.
He struggles for the next thing to say. It takes him a bit.
CORE
You’re not alone.
MEDORA
Yes, I am. Come, I’ll show you where the children were taken.
As she stands, she looks sourly at his feet...
MEDORA (CONT’D)
Are those your only boots?13.CORE
These are what I have.
MEDORA
You’ll need better boots.
EXT. EDGE OF KEELUT - DAY
CORE NOW WEARS THE HEAVY FUR-LINED BOOTS, tromping through
the snow with Medora, behind the village. Their crunching footfalls are like a heartbeat. K-knch, k-knch, k-knch.
They pass by HEAVY EQUIPMENT kept behind cabins: overturned canoes, gas augers to drill lake ice, shovels and chainsaws.
But hills and the forest sweep before them, eerily majestic.
CORE
It’s beautiful.
MEDORA
You don’t understand.
CORE
But you’re happy here? You were?
MEDORA
That’s not a question I ask myself.
I see pictures in magazines, vacation pictures with sand and girls in bathing suits. Seems so strange to me.
(gesturing into the woods)
There’s a hot springs, not so far, a few hours walking. That’s as close as I can get to warmth.
CORE
A hot spring sounds good right now.
MEDORA
(absently)
Good place to get clean.
He wonders at her until nearing ENGINE NOISE prompts him to look out at...
A WHITE-HAIRED YUP’IK MAN and his YOUNG BOY rumbling by on a
SNOWMOBILE in low gear, both with rifles, pulling a dead MOOSE CALF on a sled.
Passing in a powdery swirl, they stare at Core. 14.EXT. FROZEN POND - DAY
As Medora and Core crest a low rise and inch sideways down
towards the ice...
CORE
You met your husband in this village?
MEDORA
I never met him anywhere. I knew him my whole life, I don’t have a memory he isn’t in.
Something bitter comes into her voice, hissing almost--
MEDORA (CONT’D)
And he left me here with a sick child.
CORE
Well...the war.
MEDORA
Someone on the radio said it’s not a real war.
CORE
It’s real enough. People are dying.
MEDORA
He said he’d never leave me. Words can’t be worthless like that.
They stop there and she points out across the pond.
MEDORA (CONT’D)
That’s where the first boy was taken.
OUT THERE, snowy wind skirls over the surface of the pond, the WOODS beyond looming in shadow.
MEDORA (CONT’D)
After that, they had men with rifles on the high points. And they walked the children to school. But it didn’t matter for Bailey.
EXT. SMALL HILL - DUSK
Medora and Core stand atop the hill as the day fades into
greyish half-light.15.MEDORA
The second was a girl, here.
Cheeon’s daughter. She was sledding and the wolf came from behind her.
Core glances behind them, then up at the disappearing sun.
CORE
From the North, again.
(back to her)
Does Cheeon live nearby?
MEDORA
Yes. My husband’s friend.
CORE
Do you suppose I could speak with him?
She makes a noise, an unhappy little snort.
MEDORA
No. I don’t suppose you could.
So Core tries to move on from that...
CORE
Did uh...did Bailey like to sled?
MEDORA
No. He wasn’t the right one.
CORE
I’m...not sure what that means.
But it’s like she didn’t even hear him. Just staring out.
CORE (CONT’D)
You said he was sick?
MEDORA
He stopped going to school after my husband left.
CORE
That sounds normal.
MEDORA
There was nothing normal about my son.16.CORE
I just meant...my daughter went
through that when she was Bailey’s age.
She flinches, looks away.
CORE (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. That’s not what--
MEDORA
Stop apologizing to me.
(back to him)
How did it feel to shoot that female wolf?
CORE
I had no choice. But it felt very bad.
MEDORA
Even though she’d taken a child, too?
(off his reluctant nod)
Because you think it’s the natural order?
He chooses his words more carefully.
CORE
They’re not what you think, Mrs. Slone. Wolves attacking people, that’s not...what happened here does not happen.
MEDORA
What happened here happened to me.
She turns and trudges off.
He stands there a moment, looking down the hill where all
those sled tracks crisscross and interlace.
INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
Core sits by the stove, slurping the last of some hot soup,
mopping the bowl with fry bread. As he sets it aside...
Medora appears before him, hands him a CIGARETTE and MATCHES,
and then a CHOCOLATE BAR.
She watches as he lights the smoke, takes a drag, has a bite
of chocolate. Savoring all of it.17.CORE
(re: the cigarette)
I’d quit when my daughter was born
but...
MEDORA
Will she expect you home soon?
CORE
(sadly admitting)
I don’t know what she expects of me these days.
She glances at the WEDDING BAND on his finger.
MEDORA
What about your wife?
He seems to notice it for the first time. Smiles sadly.
CORE
She’s alright without me.
She considers him for a beat, and then...
MEDORA
I have a quilt and pillow for you. I can see you’re tired. I...I can’t pay anything.
CORE
Oh, the chocolate’s fine.
But that intended deadpan humor was totally lost on her, she just blinks at him. So he tries gentle sincerity instead--
CORE (CONT’D)
It’s not important.
She regards him curiously a moment and...
MEDORA
Good night, Mr. Core.
He watches her drift away and close the bedroom door. Click.
INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT, LATER
THE ELECTRIC HEATER ticks, glows infernal orange in the dark .
From somewhere else, a VOICE. Barely audible but...angry.On the couch, curled under a heavy quilt, Core blinks awake.
What is that? He looks to--18.THE BEDROOM DOOR, open just a crack, spilling light.
He gets up, crosses the room in his thermals, leans in so a
SLICE OF LIGHT falls over one eye as he sees--
INTO THE BEDROOM, where Medora sits in the STEAMING BATHTUB,
purposefully scrubbing her back with a hard brush. Her skin is rubbed raw and she MUTTERS angry, unknowable words.
Ashamed, Core drops his eyes and backs away.He returns to the couch, gets under the quilt and rolls over
to face away from the bedroom. But then...
He hears the DOOR open. Hears quiet FOOTSTEPS in the room.
Rolls back over to see...
MEDORA, glistening wet, naked by the window, tearing away the
plastic so the room now swells in ghastly blue moonlight.
She turns to face him. She has the WOLF MASK on her face.He stares at her a long moment, terrified and heartbroken and
utterly unsure what to do.
She removes the mask, drops it carelessly. Goes to him. Pulls
the quilt back, slips under the covers, facing out.
He tries to give her space but there’s nowhere for him to go.
She pulls his arm over her, above the covers.
So he holds her like that, two spoons, unable to see the way
she stares out at the moonlight. Pleadingly?
It’s not sex, just warmth. But then, slowly, she guides his HAND up to her THROAT...and holds it there. Tightly. Like willing him to squeeze as her tears spill in silence.
Together, they gaze out the WINDOW...
EXT. BEHIND THE SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
PULLING OUT from the WINDOW until we find...A MAN, very
still. Just standing there, a ways back from the cabin.
His cigarette flares, the brief glow revealing his face. It’s
the YUP’IK MAN we saw before, the tall one with the ponytail.
His name is CHEEON. Watching the cabin from the darkness.
FADE TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, the faraway cracks of EXPLODING SHELLS and...19.EXT. DESERT ROAD - IRAQ - DAY
A CITY BURNS IN THE DISTANCE. A horizon of jagged smoldering
teeth, great slow plumes of smoke climbing into the sky.
TILTING DOWN until the faceless face of A SOLDIER fills the
frame. In his goggles and dust mask he looks insectile, alien, manning the .50 CAL TURRET atop a SPEEDING HUMVEE. The whole world vibrates. VRRRRRRM.
UP AHEAD OF THEM, appearing for milliseconds then
disappearing again in gusts of road dust, a FLEEING PICKUP TRUCK. Glimpses of head-wrapped FIGHTERS in the back.
The HUMVEE accelerates. The SOLDIER sights along his .50. UP AHEAD, the TRUCK swerves and fishtails, FLIPS AND ROLLS.
Surreal, because we can’t hear it happen, but we see BODIES flying away from the tumbling wreck like dolls.
The HUMVEE screeches to a halt ten yards out. The overturned
TRUCK ignites into FLAMES. Doesn’t explode, just burns.
A BURNING MAN scrambles away from the wreck, waving his arms.THE SOLDIER tracks him for a beat, two beats, and then--
BRAAAPT. THE .50 ROARS, chops the man down, cleaving limbs as
if with an invisible axe. TRACER ROUNDS like burning threads.
ANOTHER MAN staggers towards them out of the smoke, bleeding,
moaning soundlessly, wildly FIRING his Kalashnikov.
PING!PING! SHELLS RICOCHET off the Humvee, the SOLDIER
pivots, fires a prolonged blast. BRAAAAAAAAPT.
Destroys the man, sweeps the area, chews the truck, ends it.
In the ensuing smoke-swirling silence, a GRINNING CORPORAL hops out of the Humvee, trots towards the spread of carnage.
The .50 Soldier lowers his mask, lifts his goggles to reveal
a pair of blank pale eyes. This is VERNON SLONE (27), lithe and powerful, calmly lighting a cigarette as--
OUT THERE, the Corporal kneels over a child-sized BODY,
adjusting it, bringing something out of his pack...
Slone smokes. Watches.
OUT THERE, the Corporal takes a grinning selfie with his
CAMERA, flashing the peace sign, posing with the CORPSE.20.Slone smokes. Watches.
EXT. MAIN STREET - IRAQI CITY - DAY
Smoke. Rubble. Post-battle chaos. HEAVY ARMOR moving through.
Slone stalks along: helmet, body armor, M-4 CARBINE at low ready.
EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS
He turns down this narrow passage, alert, searching. He
pauses, like sensing the air. Hears something. Moves.
INT. BOMBED-OUT BUILDING - SAME
A soft WHIMPER and a GRUNT, some kind of STRUGGLE out of
focus in the foreground as Slone appears in the doorway.
That same CORPORAL has his pants down, thrusting himself into
an IRAQI WOMAN bent over a desk. Unh, unh, unh.
From across the room, the Woman makes terrified eye contact with Slone, who has no reaction at all other than to briefly double-check out the doorway and then--
BAM. Shoot the Corporal between the shoulder blades. He
spills off the Woman, gasping and bleeding on the floor.
The Woman scuttles back, more terrified now. Trapped.Expressionless, Slone draws his KA-BAR KNIFE, steps forward. She inhales to scream but...he holds out the KNIFE to her,
handle first. She’s astonished. Shaking, she takes it.
He tips his head towards the Corporal. Nods.
EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY
TRACKING BACK with Slone as he walks calmly but briskly away.
EXT. MAIN STREET - CONTINUOUS
TRACKING HIM as he returns to the churn of activity, VEHICLES
and SOLDIERS wiping the background. He keeps moving, unperturbed, though the DIN of this place is suffocating.
STILL TRACKING HIM, a long shot, all the way down the block
as the NOISE builds to a feverish intensity until--21.POP. ALL SOUND CUTS OUT AS A DIME-SIZED HOLE SUDDENLY APPEARS
IN SLONE’S NECK WITH A MIST OF RED.
We stay with him as he collapses, semi-conscious, bleeding. IN THE BACKGROUND, we glimpse SOLDIERS FIRING at the unseen
sniper, OTHERS rushing up to Slone. All in total silence.
He just lays there, blinking glassily as we...
FLASH TO:
BAILEYOnly a few frames of him, a wisp, staring at us with his
faintly blue skin.
RESUME:
As the others roughly lift him out of frame, Slone seems to
be trying to say something.
INT. HELICOPTER TARMAC - DAY
TIGHT ON SLONE as SOUND comes back, his eyes fluttering open,
his neck now THICKLY BANDAGED, dried blood in his blond hair.
A MEDIC is wheeling him on a STRETCHER, urgent and confused
activity all around, WIND and SHOUTING and HELICOPTER ROTORS.
MEDIC
(shouting over the noise)
Slone, you lucky fucker!
SLONE
(a weak rasp)
...B-Bailey?
MEDIC
You’ll see him soon, buddy! You’re going home!
The MEDIC thrusts Slone’s PAPERWORK to a harried TRANSPO OFFICER as Slone is loaded into a waiting MEDICAL COPTER and he’s already lapsing back into unconsciousness...
FADE TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, a terrible RIPPING noise...22.INT. SLONE CABIN - PRE-DAWN
Which is Medora pulling off a length of DUCT TAPE, which she
then wraps around the barrel of the AR-15.
Across the room, Core again pulls on SLONE’S HEAVY BOOTS.Medora opens a duffel, unpacks a CARIBOU-HIDE SUIT: a thick
and heavy one-piece covering, like a hooded poncho.
She presents it to Core as weak light simmers outside.
EXT. BACK DOOR - SLONE CABIN - PRE-DAWN
Core steps outside in the caribou suit, a PACK and the AR-15
slung over his shoulders, SNOWSHOES on the big boots.
Behind him, Medora cinches her robe. A light dusting of SNOW
is falling. Core looks up at it, shudders...
CORE
So much for ‘too cold to snow.’
MEDORA
What’s that mean?
CORE
Just something I heard.
MEDORA
It’s never too cold to snow.
(glancing up)
There’s something wrong with the sky.
He gives her a look, consults the COMPASS he’s holding in his THICKLY-GLOVED HAND.
North, the needle shows.He nods to her. She nods back. And...From afar, we see Core trudge away from the cabin, towards
where that wolf came from, and Medora disappears back inside.
EXT. WOODS AT THE EDGE OF KEELUT - DAWN
Core moves along, head down, making good time. But slowing as
he sees something ahead...
Glimpsed through a spiderweb of branches, a FIGURE and a
FIRE, some kind of SMALL HUT.23.Closer, he realizes it’s ILLANAQ. She’s burning trash items
in an oil drum, another FIRELIGHT glowing inside her hut.
Drawing up to her, she speaks without looking at him...
ILLANAQ
You know the name of this village?
CORE
Keelut.
ILLANAQ
Say its meaning.
CORE
I don’t know its meaning.
Now she looks at him, that nasty teeth-missing grin.
ILLANAQ
“Evil spirit disguised as dog. Or
wolf.”
CORE
Why would they name it that?
ILLANAQ
(shrugs, returns to her
work)
You’re the wolf expert, I hear.
Annoyed and discomfited, Core continues on past her. She calls to his back...
ILLANAQ (CONT’D)
That girl knows evil. She’ll tell you.
CORE
(without stopping or
turning back)
What that girl knows is grief. Have a good day, ma’am.
ILLANAQ
You’re going the wrong way. Go back the way you came.
He ignores her and she watches him fade into the woods.24.EXT. OPEN WILDERNESS - DAY
VERY WIDE, Core is barely a speck out there, an ant scooting
across a dimension of white. Beautiful landscape, terrifying in its vastness.
CLOSER, Core stomps through drifts, wearing GOGGLES now,
sinking slightly despite the snowshoes.
Winded, he pauses and turns in a full slow circle, taking in
this place, catching his breath.
He consults the compass and continues.
EXT. DEEPER INTO WILDERNESS - DAY
Core gulps thirstily from his thermos, drains it and then
packs snow in to refill it. He gnaws on some jerky.
He bends at the waist, stretching out his legs and back as
best he can before re-shouldering his pack and the rifle.
EXT. THE HOT SPRING - DAY
A THICK MIST wafts across frame as Core enters this clearing,
his head tilting in confusion because...
The snow is all melted here, a circular area of wet bare
ground that radiates from a HILLSIDE CAVE up ahead, the mouth of which issues a steady trickle of STEAM.
That momentary stutter in his stride must be him recognizing
this place from Medora’s words. He approaches...
INT. THE HOT SPRING - SAME
And from deep within this steamy slick-walled darkness, we
see Core’s silhouette bend into view, peering in. His heavy breathing echoes, mixes with a steady drip-drip-dripping.
He glances down, sees...
A HARD WHITE SUBSTANCE, frozen in rivulets through the cracks
of the cave floor. Is that wax?
He wonders at this a moment...and continues on his way.25.EXT. DEEP HILLY WOODS - DAY
Core walks slow, face flushed, ice crusting his beard. His
breath billows raggedly. He scans the forest floor...
But the snowy surface is perfectly unbroken. No tracks.
Even behind the goggles, he looks discouraged. He continues.
EXT. ROCKY BLUFF - DAY
THE SUN shrieks down, directly overhead. Core shuffles into
view, stoop-shouldered, exhausted.
He clambers awkwardly to a low exposed boulder and sits/collapses. Gulps deep breaths and slips off his pack and rifle, raises the goggles.
He rests, bent forward, eyes shut. Wincing. We hold on him a
long beat as his breathing slowly settles until...A HOWL. His eyes snap open. He straightens, looks over his
shoulder. It was faint but unmistakable: wolves.
EXT. RIDGE OVER A SNOWY PLAIN - DAYCORE’S FACE inches over the crest, wide-eyed, looking out at--THE SNOWY PLAIN spreading before him after the STEEP DROP-OFF
directly below: a great, dead valley floor.
And far out there, strange against the frozen stillness of it
all, there are TINY MOVING SHAPES.
He puts his FIELD GLASSES to his eyes and...CORE’S BINOCULAR POV shows a PACK OF SNARLING GREY WOLVES,
six or eight, hackles up, hard to say exactly how many the way they’re darting and thrashing around something.
Core crawls to a better vantage point and looks again. (And
was that a flash of actual excitement in his eyes?)
CORE’S BINOCULAR POV now shows a better angle of the WOLVES, the pink fur around their mouths...and the WOLF PUP CARCASS they’re fighting over, ripping apart, gobbling down.
With the field glasses still to his eyes, we can see in
Core’s mouth how whatever excitement he felt turns sour.
He lowers the glasses, holds there, looking off as the
BARKING and HOWLING of the wolves come echoing in.26.And finally, he looks away and begins to scoot back the way
he came except--
KUNCH. THE ICY BLUFF CRACKS FREE AND CORE TUMBLES DOWN THE STEEP DROP-OFF. Rolling over and over, uncontrolled in a whorl of powdery whiteness.
HE LANDS HARD WITH AN INVOLUNTARY CRY OF PAIN--
CORE
UHH!
AND FAR OUT ON THE PLAIN, the ALPHA WOLF hears that. Looks
back towards the ridge, tall ears straightening.
AT THE BASE OF THE DROP-OFF, Core struggles up out of the
snow, GRUNTING painfully, battered. And quickly realizing...
He’s lost the AR-15. He swats at his shoulders but it’s gone.
He looks all around him in the tufts of disturbed snow made by his fall. Oh Jesus, where is it? And then...
A STRONG GUST OF WIND BLOWS FROM
BEHIND CORE, ruffling the
fur on his hood, gusting the SNOW about him--
WHICH WE FOLLOW AS IT SPEEDS OUT ACROSS THE PLAIN. We are the
wind and we’re blowing right up to--THE WOLVES, the rest of which all look in the same direction
as the Alpha, back towards Core. Their noses twitch and a low collective GROWL rumbles from the pack.
ON CORE, even three hundred feet away he’s able to tell that
the Wolves have stopped feasting and are now clocking him.
He stares out at them, frozen in rapidly mounting fear.
THE ALPHA GROWLS, long teeth exposed, eyes wild and fixed.CORE catches something in his periphery, look--
THE AR-15, jammed into the snow barrel-first, ten feet away.This moment: Core and the Pack facing each other over the
plain. No motion. No sound but their soft GROWLS in the wind.
CORE LUNGES, clawing through snow for the rifle.THE PACK CHARGES, bounding at him with the force of rockets.BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE PLAIN, that speck on the left is Core,
the cluster rapidly approaching from the right are Wolves.27.CORE snags the rifle, jerks it out, tugs at the DUCT TAPE
around the barrel but his bulky GLOVES make it impossible.
THE WOLVES, charging in, snouts low, huge paws churning snow.CORE sees this, frantically gnaws a glove off and pulls the
duct tape loose bare-handed.
IN THE DISTANCE, the Wolves are quickly growing larger. A
hundred fifty feet away, a hundred now and--
CORE shoulders the rifle, his one bare hand already numbed
with cold, shaking it out--
BIRD’S EYE VIEW as the Wolves fan out into a C-shape, closing
on Core. They’re going to encircle him.
CORE shakes his numb hand and sights though--THE RIFLE SCOPE, where the Alpha is gigantic but the
CROSSHAIRS jump and jerk--
CORE lowers the rifle, inhales to steady himself as we--
FLASH TO:
CORE’S DRIPPING HANDIn the bathtub the other night, hovering over that razor.
RESUME:
CORE keeps the rifle down, eyes off, deciding something.
THE WOLVES are so very close now.BIRD’S EYE VIEW as that C-shape nearly surrounds Core.CORE lifts the rifle and his manner can only be described as
regretful as he sights though--
THE RIFLE SCOPE, where the Alpha is seemingly right there.
HIS FINGER tightens on the trigger.THE ALPHA snarls and slavers, almost close enough to leap.At the last second CORE LIFTS THE RIFLE SLIGHTLY--IN THE SCOPE THE CROSSHAIRS MOVE
OFF THE ALPHA AND--
CORE FIRES. BAM.28.THE ALPHA JERKS TO A HALT, stymied by the sudden report.
BIRD’S EYE VIEW as the C-shape of wolves slows, stops.CORE AIMS OFF AND FIRES AGAIN.
BAM.
THE ALPHA JERKS BACK AS THE BULLET PUNCHES THE SNOW. Pft.
CORE shivers in place.BIRD’S EYE VIEW as the C-shape of wolves disintegrates and
spreads away from him.
CORE keeps the rifle up, watching down its barrel.THE ALPHA gives a last uncertain look his way before trotting
off. The rest of the PACK follows.
CORE slowly lowers the rifle, watching them go, stupefied,
his eyes swimming.
WIDE ON CORE, very small out there, hunched, alone.
EXT. OPEN WILDERNESS - DAY, MUCH LATER
THE SUN is sinking, bruising the sky.WIDE ON CORE, returning slowly over familiar landscape. CLOSER ON CORE, deeply fatigued, finishing his thermos as he
treks onward.
He’s following his own tracks back the way he came, weaving
along parallel to them. He looks absolutely bereft.
EXT. EDGE OF KEELUT - DUSK
Core returns in gloom. The buildings of Keelut glow weakly
ahead. His eyes are downcast, snowshoes crunching dolorously.
INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
Core enters through the back, half-stumbling in and then
leaning his whole weight on the door to close it again.
He drops the pack, sets the rifle down, sits before the
fireplace full of dying embers and removes the snowshoes, wriggles out of the caribou suit.
CORE
Mrs. Slone.29.He sits there a moment, breathing the warm air, returning to
himself. But she doesn’t respond.
CORE (CONT’D)
Mrs. Slone?
Silence. Something feels wrong.
INT. BEDROOM - SLONE CABIN - SAME
Creeak. Core pushes the door open with a fingertip, peeks in.DRAWERS have been dumped out, most of the clothes gone. The
shallow WARDROBE is open, empty hangers inside.
INT. SLONE CABIN - SAME
Core comes back into the main room, wondering, when he sees--THE CLOSET DOOR, with the PADLOCK unlocked and dangling from
the hasp.
He opens it...not a closet at all but in fact a ROOT CELLAR,
with steep earthen steps leading down into harsh pale light.
INT. ROOT CELLAR - SAME
A SINGLE BARE BULB dangles from the low ceiling.Core comes carefully down the steps, stooped to keep from
bumping his head, taking in the space:
Wooden crates. Mason jars of dried foods. Lumber, visqueen,
rodent droppings on the floor.
And something else. Core stares at it, his breath fogging out
of him as a confused kind of horror pools on his face.
He steps forward.Tucked upright into a shadowy nook, there is some kind of
PLASTIC-WRAPPED COCOON. He seems to already know what it is.
It’s Bailey. Core folds the plastic back to see his face. Frozen, blue,
mouth ajar as if to inhale, eyes half-lidded and iced over.
Core wants to scream but doesn’t know how.30.As gently as he can, he removes the plastic-wrapped bundle of
the boy’s body and lays it on the floor of the cellar.
He finds a FOLDED BLANKET and carefully covers Bailey up.He sits on a crate beside it and weeps.
EXT. KEELUT - NIGHT
Core stumbles down the main road, hollering left and right.
CORE
HELP! HELP ME! HELP, PLEASE!
On either side, he sees curtains draw back in CABIN WINDOWS
and SHADOWY FORMS appear there, looking out at him.
CORE (CONT’D)
PLEASE! THE SLONE BOY!
Up ahead, PEOPLE are emerging from their homes, trickling suspiciously into the road.
A VILLAGER comes jogging up to him, glaring in alarm, a rifle
in one hand, shrugging into his coat. It’s Cheeon.
Core gestures wildly back over his shoulder--
CORE (CONT’D)
BAILEY SLONE.
--and Cheeon sprints past him, up towards the Slone cabin.Core sways in the road, dizzied, looking at the VILLAGERS.
Some are Yup’ik, some are white, some mixed. Odd clashing clothes: animal hide mukluks and NFL jackets, like that.
None of them say a word, none of them betray any emotion.Core just stands there shaking his head until he notices...ILLANAQ, at the rear of the crowd. He points at her...
CORE (CONT’D)
Y-you knew, didn’t you?
ILLANAQ
How could an old woman know?
CORE
How could you not say anything?
Under her breath, as she turns and hobbles away...31.ILLANAQ
Go away. Leave us to the devils.
He watches her go as OTHER VILLAGERS brush past him, up
towards the cabin. Aching and cold, he follows.
INT. ROOT CELLAR - NIGHT
Cheeon is kneeling over Bailey’s body, looking down on him
with a simultaneous expression of rage and boredom. There’s a DARK BRUISE visible on the boy’s throat, encircling it.
He replaces the blanket, stands (having to stoop low, tall as
he is) to face the Villagers and Core waiting behind him.
CHEEON
Where is Medora Slone?
Nobody answers. Cheeon points at Core, specifically.
CHEEON (CONT’D)
Where is she?
Core shakes his head, helpless, and Cheeon snaps a command--
CHEEON (CONT’D)
[Yup’ik words ]
--to a YUP’IK TEENAGER who dutifully sprints away up the stairs. Cheeon glares at Core a beat, then pushes past him.
Some Villagers pause to say SOFT YUP’IK WORDS over the body,
then they all file away as well, leaving Core there.
INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
They’d left the front door open when they departed. Core
emerges from the cellar and closes it again. He stands there, unsure what to do...
He goes to the fire, adds some logs, stokes it back to life.
Sinks onto the couch like an old building collapsing.
He tips his head back...allows his eyes to close...
INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT, AN HOUR LATER
Core jerks awake to HUSHED VOICES. There are people here.32.TWO WHITE MEN stand by the cellar door, looking askance at
him in their heavy coats and hunter’s caps. They have Sheriff’s badges: a FAT DEPUTY and a YOUNG DEPUTY.
And now a THIRD MAN emerges from the cellar, running a tired
hand over his face. Buzz cut, pale skin: his name is DETECTIVE DONALD MARIUM (43).
He says something inaudible to his Deputies and then makes a
kind of sympathetic eye contact with Core across the room.
INT. SLONE CABIN - LATER
Marium has pulled up the chair to sit across from Core, both
have coffee but neither one is drinking.
MARIUM
Why did she ask you here?
CORE
I don’t know. She’d read my book on wolves.
MARIUM
And you decided to come, why?
CORE
To help. She said wolves had taken children and no one would help. Here, see...?
He thrusts out MEDORA’S LETTER, almost begging. As Marium unfolds and reads it, the two Deputies re-enter the cabin with a black VINYL BAG and descend into the cellar.
MARIUM
Well...no wolf took Bailey.
(re-folding the letter)
I need to keep this, okay?
Core gestures, sure.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
What’d you do out there?
CORE
I looked for the wolves.
MARIUM
Uh huh. Did you see them?
Core nods, his mind far away.33.MARIUM (CONT’D)
What’d you do?
CORE
(barely audible)
Nothing.
After a moment, Core seems to return, blinks at Marium.
CORE (CONT’D)
Are the others coming?
MARIUM
Others?
CORE
Investigators. Shouldn’t there be
more investigators?
MARIUM
It’s not like TV here. It’s just us. We don’t have full membership with the rest of the world and mostly we like it that way.
CORE
Is it midnight yet?
MARIUM
It’s six p.m.
CORE
That can’t be, it...it was dark when I returned--
MARIUM
That was three-thirty p.m. Dawn is at ten a.m. now, you’re not acclimated.
Core shakes his head, looking off, confused and brittle.
CORE
(softly)
She strangled him.
MARIUM
Someone did.
CORE
It was her. Her truck is gone. She packed. She left me here to find him.34.MARIUM
Why would she do that?
CORE
(abruptly furious)
“Why? Why?!” You’re the police!
Marium waits as Core settles down, embarrassed.
CORE (CONT’D)
I apologize.
MARIUM
No need.
CORE
I uh...I put a blanket on him.
MARIUM
We’ll take good care of Bailey.
Don’t you worry about that.
CORE
Someone has to tell the father.
MARIUM
We’ve sent word.
CORE
You know him?
Marium nods slowly, his jaw becoming very tight.
MARIUM
If you’re from around here, you know Vernon Slone.
Soft SCUFFING sounds behind them. Core looks...
The Deputies are bringing the BODY BAG out of the cellar.
INT. QUICK DOG MOTEL - “IN TOWN” - NIGHT
MARIUM’S TRUCK pulls up to this grey rectangular slab, aglow
in sodium-yellow light, leading CORE’S SUV in to park.
Core gets out of his vehicle, pausing there as Marium lowers
his window, passes him an OFFICIAL FORM from a clipboard.
MARIUM
You’ll need to stay a few days, at least. 35.
(MORE)We’ll probably have more questions
and I’ll need this statement from you. Just use your own words, short and sweet. Clete in there’s a notary.
Core nods in tired acceptance and as he turns away...
MARIUM (CONT’D)
You’re sure she did this, but tell me how.
CORE
With a rope. I don’t know.
MARIUM
Not how she did it, how you know she did it.
Core squints at Marium, suddenly alert.
CORE
Do you suspect me?
Marium gives a diplomatic smile/frown, Nah, relax.
But Core does not relax. He stares out into the night, then at the statement form in his hand, shaking his head.
CORE (CONT’D)
You asked me before about the wolves. When I encountered them, they were in the act of devouring one of their own. Just a pup. It’s not uncommon at all.
At this, Marium seems to frost over.
CORE (CONT’D)
In certain animal populations, when resources are scarce, when there is unnatural stress, some of the young may be killed off to preserve the group. The behavioral term for this is ‘savaging.’
MARIUM
We’re not talking about animals, Mr. Core.
Core shrugs, carelessly...
CORE
If you say so.36.
MARIUM (CONT'D)A beat, the two men facing each other in the lot.
MARIUM
Okay. Get some rest now...
As Core turns away and Marium puts the truck in gear...
MARIUM (CONT’D)
...maybe a hot bath or something.
Get the chill off.
He watches Core trudge stoop-shouldered into the motel without looking back.
FADE TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, a gurgling WHITE NOISE builds...
EXT. WOODS - DAY
A PAIR OF WELL-WORN HIKING BOOTS sit on a leafy, brown forest
floor. No snow? Next to them, a PAIR OF KID’S BOOTS.
Leaning against a tree, a .30-06 REMINGTON RIFLE, and beside
it, a LIGHTWEIGHT .22.
TWO PAIRS OF BARE FEET dangle in a SHALLOW CREEK. That’s the
gurgling we hear.
It’s Vernon Slone: healthy, uninjured, smoking. Beside him,
eating a cold egg sandwich in wax paper, is Bailey. So this is some other time. Their conversation is full of pauses...
BAILEY
(re: the creek)
It’s cold.
SLONE
Yep.
BAILEY
Mama said you’re going away.
SLONE
You remember what deployment means?
(off Bailey’s frown)
It means work. It means money for us.
BAILEY
For my birthday I’ll be seven.37.SLONE
I know. I’ll be home when you’re
seven and a half.
Slone gestures and Bailey looks off at...
THE DEAD FAWN on the bank, a fresh bullet hole in her neck.
SLONE (CONT’D)
How did that feel?
Bailey stares at the fawn, glassily. Emptily, even. His
answer is soft...
BAILEY
It felt real good.
But then the boy’s brow furrows...
SLONE
What?
BAILEY
You killed a person before.
SLONE
Who told you that?
BAILEY
Mama.
Slone doesn’t respond to that, just waits for more.
BAILEY (CONT’D)
Who did you kill?
SLONE
A man who would hurt Mama and you.
BAILEY
But he didn’t hurt us?
SLONE
No. I hurt him first.
BAILEY
My teacher said it’s bad to kill
people.
SLONE
You’ll hear that a lot.
BAILEY
So...it’s good?38.SLONE
If you have to.
BAILEY
Why?
SLONE
To protect what you love and what
you need.
Bailey considers these words seriously, then returns to his sandwich. As Slone reaches out to touch the boy’s hair...
SLONE (CONT’D)
When I go away...I’ll always be with you. Do you understand that?
BAILEY
(not unkindly)
Don’t lie.
Slone smiles at that, a miniscule twitch which on him reads
like a klieg light. As a SNAPPING noise builds we...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MILITARY HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
It’s a flustered MILITARY DOCTOR flipping through pages on
his clipboard, looking for some answer and not finding it.
MILITARY DOCTOR
I’m sorry. You should have been told before.
Slone sits on the bed in his civvies in this bright clean room. His neck is NEWLY BANDAGED. He’s gaunt, pale, staring at the Doctor the way one stares at a leak in the ceiling.
MILITARY DOCTOR (O.S.) (CONT’D)
We have an SFAC rep coming over. Or if you’d prefer clergy...
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Slone walks quickly, robotically, eyes dead ahead. No
expression. No baggage. Hands thrust into his coat pockets.39.INT. BAGGAGE CLAIM - AIRPORT - NIGHT
Cheeon stands next to the baggage carousel, himself
resembling the Keelut totem pole.
Slone approaches and, by way of a greeting, Cheeon hands him
a SHEATHED BOWIE KNIFE, which Slone tucks under his coat at the small of his back. No words, no handshake...
They just continue on towards the exit, side by side.
INT. CHEEON’S TRUCK (MOVING) - NIGHT
The RADIO plays an upbeat country number and Cheeon drives
them out of the AIRPORT PARKING LOT as Slone cracks the window, lights a cigarette, stares out at the darkness.
INT. BREAK ROOM - MORGUE - NIGHT
A NOVELTY PAINTING of a moose wearing red lipstick and a
Marilyn Monroe wig.
Cheeon stares at this as if pondering a calculus equation.Slone sits at the table, smoking, staring blankly at--Russell Core, who sits slouched in the corner, unable to meet
Slone’s gaze, dabbing his runny nose with a tissue.
It’s a little drop-ceiling room: hard furniture, coffee and
stale donuts on the counter. After a quiet beat...
SLONE
Are those my boots?
Core looks down, swallows as he remembers that they are.
CORE
Yes.
SLONE
You’re the one found my boy?
CORE
Yes.
Slone exhales smoke, stubs the cigarette out, nods slowly.
SLONE
Thank you.
Core doesn’t know how to respond. 40.Marium and the two Deputies enter: all three, to varying
degrees, are visibly nervous in Slone’s presence.
FAT DEPUTY
We got leads, Vern. Got her picture out, been in touch with the Mounties, we’re coordinating. We’re gonna find her. She’ll answer for it.
Marium shoots the Deputy a look, Cool it.
Cheeon looks from them to Slone, who listens to all this without expression.
MARIUM
Vernon. You have my-- all of our
deepest condolences. This is...I can’t even imagine.
Slone nods in acceptance, lights a new smoke. Marium clears his throat.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
Mr. Core was called here by your wife. He was the last one to see her and he’s been very helpful to us so far. We asked him to be here in case you had questions for him.
Cheeon looks at Core. Slone looks at Core. Eventually...
SLONE
Can you raise the dead?
CORE
No, sir.
SLONE
Then I have no questions for you.
Core looks away. Everyone except Slone and Cheeon shifts uncomfortably.
MARIUM
Can you think of anyone she might run to? Relatives? A friend? Anything at all?
Slone pulls a long drag, really thinking...but finally has to shake his head No. And then he looks up at Marium...
SLONE
Now?41.Marium’s face clouds over.
MARIUM
Alright.
INT. “COLD ROOM” - MORGUE - NIGHT
Slone approaches the steel table with a sheet-covered
something resting atop it in a bright pool of light. His face is ever impassive...but he’s breathing faster than usual.
Marium and the two Deputies stand back by the door. The CORONER waits for a subtle look from Marium and then
draws back the sheet.
We don’t need to see Bailey. We hold on Slone’s face. We can
hear his breath rattle inside his nose. We can see the tight clench of his jaw.
In time, he’ll begin to sob.
INT. HALLWAY - MORGUE - NIGHT
Core is waiting outside on the church-pew bench when, from
inside the DOUBLE DOORS marked Restricted, comes a SCREAM so anguished and bitter it barely sounds human.
It startles him out of near-sleep and he blinks fearfully at
the doors, then looks over at...
Cheeon, who is leaning against the wall, looking at him.
EXT. PARKING LOT - MORGUE - NIGHT
Slone, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, comes out
of the REAR ENTRANCE with Cheeon. The two Deputies, Core, and finally Marium follow close behind.
They cluster by CHEEON’S TRUCK, waiting as Slone gulps some
fresh air, collects himself, looking up at the stars.
Marium approaches.
MARIUM
I’m sorry, Vernon. We’ll keep you
informed. It’s a state-wide all points, so...it’ll be over soon.
Slone just stares at him.42.Marium extends his hand. Slone looks down at it, dead-eyed,
and finally takes it for a perfunctory shake.
Core has turned away from this, is already heading off
toward’s MARIUM’S TRUCK when...
SLONE
Wolf Man.
Core stops, looks back. Slone steps forward. Core watches him, unsure of what’s coming...
Slone extends his hand to him. Core hesitates, takes it, able
to look the taller man in the eye but only barely.Marium notes the moment and, with that, he and Core get into
his truck and pull away. Once they’re out of sight...
The Fat Deputy produces a FLASK, drinks and offers it to
Slone, who drinks, and passes it on to Cheeon...
FAT DEPUTY
Fucking thing like this. Can you figure her mind? Jesus God.
YOUNG DEPUTY
You know, uh, I read post-partum can go on for years sometimes.
FAT DEPUTY
Shut the fuck up, Mike.
(as Cheeon passes him the
flask back)
Don’t worry, Vern. We’ll get her, I promise you that.
Very casually, Cheeon brings out a .45 AUTO, hands it to Slone, and SLONE SHOOTS THE FAT DEPUTY IN THE FACE.
BAM.
YOUNG DEPUTY
Don’t--
SLONE SHOOTS THE YOUNG DEPUTY IN THE FACE. BAM.
As Cheeon unlocks and opens the bed of his TRUCK, Slone SHOOTS EACH OF THE FALLEN MEN EACH ONCE MORE.
BAM, BAM.
As Cheeon starts the engine, Slone walks back towards the REAR ENTRANCE with that smoking pistol in his fist. 43.INT. MARIUM’S TRUCK (MOVING) - NIGHT
The WIND whistles outside the cab, some bluesy classic rock
on the RADIO. But even so, Marium glances briefly in the rearview. Did I hear something back there?
He turns the RADIO down, frowning into the rearview. But it’s
just black silence out there now.
CORE
What?
MARIUM
Nothing.
Core coughs, dabs his nose. Looks like shit. Marium notices.
A NEW SONG begins and Core reaches for the radio dial...
CORE
Do you mind?
...turns it back up when Marium shrugs, Go ahead.
CORE (CONT’D)
I like this one.
Marium drives on, listening to the song.
MARIUM
Me too.
EXT. TRAPPING ROAD - NIGHTPitch-blackness is split by HEADLIGHTS crawling towards us,
revealing this hidden pass through thick woods.
CHEEON’S TRUCK jerks to a halt, splashing its LIGHTS onto a
MASSIVE ICY DRIFT. Slone and Cheeon hop out, moving fast.
A PICK AXE and a SHOVEL are yanked out. CHOPPING into the ICY HILL in a tight, steady rhythm-- kak, kak, kak, kak--until a
SHALLOW SLOT is cleared.
Cheeon shoulders a RECTANGULAR WOODEN BOX from the truck bed,
plain but expertly crafted, and fits it into the slot.
And then Slone moves to the truck, slowing as he bends to
remove BAILEY’S BLANKET-WRAPPED BODY.
He lays him gently inside the BOX, folds the blanket back,
removes his glove...and lays his hand on Bailey for a moment. 44.He replaces the blanket and turns away, blasted white in the
HEADLIGHTS as he moves back towards the truck while Cheeon, in the background, power drills a lid onto the box. VZZZZZ!
EXT. KEELUT - NIGHT
CHEEON’S TRUCK glides through Keelut like a black shark.A FACE in a cabin peers at them passing, quickly looks away.
INT. CHEEON’S TRUCK (MOVING) - NIGHT
Cheeon pulls up to the end of the road, to the Slone Cabin,
throws it in park and passes Slone a SET OF KEYS.
CHEEON
Heat shed behind the school. Registered to a cousin. Full tank. If you gotta go to ground, Shan’s still got his place.
SLONE
I won’t.
They clasp hands, eyes locked, and share a tiny nod. This is communion. But just before Slone pops the door...
SLONE (CONT’D)
I am sorry about Alasie.
Cheeon blinks once but otherwise might as well be stone.
SLONE (CONT’D)
It’s not right you don’t have her body.
CHEEON
Right’s got nothing to do with anything. You know this.
Yes, Slone does know this.
EXT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
THE FRONT DOOR is sealed with an X of yellow police tape and
Slone passes by, circling back to--45.INT. SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
THE REAR DOOR where he enters, another wad of police tape in
his hand. He moves in a sure but unhurried way. We follow him, catching fast glimpses of what he does. Time is broken.
INSTANT COFFEE, boiling water going into a mug.A SANDWICH, hard bread and cold cuts slapped together, Slone
chewing mechanically, gulping coffee.
IN THE BEDROOM MIRROR he peels off his bandage and applies
antiseptic cream to his HEALING GUNSHOT WOUND.
A CUPBOARD is opened and Slone (now with a fresh bandage on
his neck) retrieves a 9MM HANDGUN and BOX OF AMMO.
A DUFFEL BAG is opened and the 9MM, a 12 GAUGE AUTOLOADER, a
REMINGTON RIFLE, the AR-15 and VARIOUS AMMO go inside.
THE COMPOUND BOW is grabbed, a QUIVER of arrows.FROM A FOOTLOCKER, socks, leggings, Maglite, binoculars.FROM A DRAWER, a POLAROID PHOTO: Medora, posed on the edge of
a river in hiking gear, smiling awkwardly.A WICKER BASKET, pawing inside it until he brings back a pair
of MEDORA’S UNDERWEAR. He inhales them, precisely.
And then sees something else, bends to get it...one of
BAILEY’S LITTLE T-SHIRTS. His hand closes tightly on it.
EXT. ILLANAQ’S HUT - NIGHT
ILLANAQ waits before her hut, FIRELIGHT crackling behind her
for a semi-silhouette. She sees something and shuffles back inside because...
Slone is coming this way, inexorably, through the snow.
INT. ILLANAQ’S HUT - SAME
Illanaq sits by her fireplace, a halved oil drum turned on
its side. Pelts, cordwood, leather-bound books as furniture. She holds a faceless HEX DOLL for comfort.
THE WIND stirs sparks and then Slone is sitting across from
her, firelight gleaming on the blade of his Bowie knife.46.ILLANAQ
You come to punish the old witch,
Vernon Slone? I’m no witch. You think I knew? You think I could have stopped her? An old woman?
Slone says nothing. She spits on her own floor, smirks.
ILLANAQ (CONT’D)
Go to your father’s grave and ask him. Take your wrath to the gods, to the wolves. To yourself and end it.
Slone says nothing. She rattles the hex doll at him, as if to scold him.
ILLANAQ (CONT’D)
That boy’s fate was foretold in the ice. So was hers. And yours. You should have died there in the sand but you did not accept that. You came home to see.
Slone says nothing. She shifts, growing less sure, less haughty. She reaches for a PILL BOTTLE, swallows one dry.
ILLANAQ (CONT’D)
This is not the first time the wolves came. Before, the white men called it influenza. We called it peelak. I was a little girl. Half
the village, their bodies in igloos on the hill, for proper burial after breakup. I pulled them there on my father’s sled. But the wolves came at night and broke the igloos. In the morning, the hillside was scattered with the pieces of their bodies. There is no proper burial after that. That is our history here.
Slone says nothing. She pleads in a whisper...
ILLANAQ (CONT’D)
You cannot blame an old woman for it.
Slone rises, his body filling the smoky space of the hut.47.EXT. DEEP WOODS - NIGHT
A 4x4 is tucked into this dark, hidden turnaround, lights off
but its ENGINE idling, exhaust smoke swirling around it...
INT. 4X4 - SAME
Vernon is curled inside it under many quilts, eyes shut tight
with BAILEY’S SHIRT clamped over his nose, breathing it in. Even with the heat on, his breath fogs.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
THE MUTED TV SHOWS A PIXELATED IRAQ, the terrible green
strobe of a shock and awe bombing campaign.
TEACHING ASSISTANT (PHONE V.O.)
Good afternoon. Linguistics.
CORE (O.S.)
Professor Core, please.
TEACHING ASSISTANT (PHONE V.O.)
Who’s calling?
CORE (O.S.)
Her father.
TEACHING ASSISTANT (PHONE V.O.)
(chilly, after a beat)
One moment.
THE SIDE TABLE is cluttered with snotty tissues, half-empty NyQuil, paper cups of cold tea. A half-eaten chocolate bar.
We can hear the crackly HOLD MUSIC over the phone line.AN OFFICIAL POLICE FORM, ‘Statement of Witness’ , blank except
for Core’s contact information, lays on the chair with a pen.The hold music cuts and--
TEACHING ASSISTANT (PHONE V.O.)
(CONT’D)
I’m sorry, she’s not available, may I take a message?
CORE (O.S.)
(quiet defeat)
No, thank you.48.Click.
Core lays curled and sweaty in bed, gazing at the television.
Fearfully hypnotized. He coughs softly, rolls away from it...
CLOSE ON CORE as he stares straight ahead at something else,
something in near focus. His expression remains the same.CLOSE ON CORE’S WIFE, curled beside him, her frozen-moan face
only inches away from his.
CLOSE ON CORE, staring at her, his face tightening with some
impossible question.
CLOSE ON MEDORA, who is now the one curled beside him,
looking back at him with a plain, answering kind of look.
HIGH SHOT, looking down on Core in bed, tangled in the
thrashed-up sheets. He is, of course, all alone here.
A long beat like that, and then...He pushes himself up, reaches for the police form and pen. A FLASH OF THE FORM: ‘...is true to the best of my
knowledge,’ with a space for writing below.
He considers this, vexed, like it’s a foreign language. And then, as if on autopilot, slowly at first...
He begins to write, hunched there on the bed.
FLASHES OF HIS HANDWRITING:
MEDORA SLONE... LETTER... TO KEELUT...
His scribbling intensifies, the pen SCRAPING on the form. FLASHES OF WRITING:
ATTRIBUTED TO WOLVES... HIKED NORTH / NORTHWEST...
And intensifies further, hard SLASHING pen strokes.FLASHES OF WRITING:
EMPTY HOUSE... BODY ( BAILEY SLONE )... ALERTED
NEIGHBORS...
And intensifies further still, growing almost violent until--
He stops. Stares curiously at the page for a long beat.A FLASH OF HIS WRITING:
ELDERLY WOMAN
He stands abruptly, is momentarily dizzied and has to steady
himself before he can grab and dial the phone.49.OPERATOR (PHONE V.O.)
Police operator, what’s your
emergency?
CORE
I-- no, I don’t have an emergency, it’s...I need to speak with the Sheriff’s station, please.
As the line goes silent without another word...
CORE (CONT’D)
Hello?
A RINGING is followed by a NEW VOICE, noticeably tense--
NEW OPERATOR (PHONE V.O.)
Sheriff’s.
CORE
Detective Marium, please.
He can hear AGITATED VOICES in the background there.
NEW OPERATOR (PHONE V.O.)
Detective Marium isn’t available.
CORE
Is there...my name is Russell Core, he knows me, can I leave him a message? It’s regarding Bailey Slone.
A pause. He hears SHOUTING, many other phones RINGING there.
NEW OPERATOR (PHONE V.O.)
What’s the message?
But he’s suddenly unsure how to phrase it...
CORE
Just tell him, in Keelut...there was an old woman I spoke to and I think she may have...it’s...
NEW OPERATOR (PHONE V.O.)
Sir, what’s the message?
CORE
I’m sorry. Please just ask him to call me. The Quick Dog Motel, Room 207, he uh...he knows me. C-O-R-E.50.The line goes dead. The television flickers with bomblight.
He replaces the handset, his mouth tight.
And he just stands there. Thinking.
EXT. QUICK DOG MOTEL - DAY
Core emerges from his room, blinking against the sunlight.
It’s overcast but his room is a dark cave behind him.
He zips his coat, blowing noisily at the sudden cold, and
hurries out towards his RENTAL SUV.
EXT. PARKING LOT - MORGUE - DAWN
LOW, looking up at Marium as he stares down at-- THE TWO MURDERED DEPUTIES, white and frosted-over where they
fell, faces frozen mid-scream.
OTHER COPS mill about, a susurrus of TENSE MURMURS. Marium
sees confusion and fear and anger on their faces.
A YOUNG COP (ARNIE), just a kid, hurries out of the morgue.
Marium sees how shaken he is, pats the air like, Calm down.
ARNIE
Boss. There’s more.
MARIUM
Another body?
ARNIE
Uh...no.
INT. HALLWAY - MORGUE - DAY
Arnie leads Marium in, stepping around a team of M.E.’s
dealing with the BLOODY CORPSE of the Coroner, splayed there on the floor by the REAR EXIT.
INT. “COLD ROOM” - MORGUE - DAY
Arnie holds the door open and Marium enters, regarding
something in mounting disbelief.
MARIUM
(under his breath)
Jesus Christ, Vernon...51.THE STEEL TABLE with Bailey’s little BODY BAG on it, which is
splayed open and empty.
Staring at this, but addressing Arnie--
MARIUM (CONT’D)
We’re going to Keelut. Now.
ARNIE
Who?
Marium glances to the kid, grimly.
MARIUM
Everybody.
INT. RENTAL SUV (MOVING) - DAYHuddled over the wheel with a cup of steaming tea, haggard
but determined, Core drives alone THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE.
THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, appearing like a mirage, that painted
wooden sign. Keelut.
EXT. WOODS AT THE EDGE OF KEELUT - DAY
Core works through knee-deep snow: he’s got SLONE’S BOOTS but
no snowshoes, so it’s difficult.
A spasm of deep-chest COUGHING bends him over and he sags
against a tree until he recovers his wind.
And when he does...he glances around, realizing something. Even for Keelut, isn’t it especially quiet? Like the whole
place is holding its breath.
He continues onward to...
EXT. ILLANAQ’S HUT - DAY
...emerging out of the trees. As Core nears, he sees that--The CHIMNEY isn’t smoking. The FRONT DOOR hangs open a crack.
CORE
Hello?
He draws closer, stopping ten feet away, watching the place
uncertainly, how the FRONT DOOR sways on its rusty hinges.52.He cups his hands and--
CORE (CONT’D)
HELLO.
THE FRONT DOOR moves a few inches...but nobody appears.
CORE (CONT’D)
Ma’am?
He steps carefully forward, but GASPS as--
A LYNX SUDDENLY PEEKS OUT, GLARING AT HIM WITH THOSE ANGRY
YELLOW EYES AND INSTANTLY DASHING OFF INTO THE WOODS.
He watches it go, and continues to the door where...
INT. ILLANAQ’S HUT - SAME
...he knocks lightly, steps inside. It’s cold and dim in
here, and he’s squinting to see...
...how boneless Illanaq looks in her chair, next to the
barely-smoldering fireplace with her head tipped back.
HER THROAT IS SLASHED EAR TO EAR to make a great yawning
second-mouth, her entire front a BIB OF BRIGHT FROZEN BLOOD.
Her FINGERTIPS have been gnawed by animals.Core sways before her like he’s been clubbed. He looks
around, pointlessly, for some kind of answer to this.
Shaking his head, weakly, as if in disagreement with some
minor point of order...he backs away.
EXT. ILLANAQ’S HUT - SAME
He staggers outside, beset by a fresh fit of COUGHING, which
evolves into DRY HEAVES that bring him to his knees.
It seems like he might stay there with his face in the snow
forever until...vvrrrRRRMMM. He looks up to see--
DISTANTLY THROUGH THE TREES, a column of THREE SHERIFF’S
TRUCKS coming up the MAIN ROAD INTO KEELUT.
Core lurches upright, uselessly waving, trying to call out
but he’s hoarse from the coughing--
CORE
Hey! Wait!53.So he trumps slowly after them.
EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - KEELUT - DAY
THOSE THREE SHERIFF’S TRUCKS arrive, joining THREE OTHER
TRUCKS already angled in the road, COPS IN BODY ARMOR with rifles and shotguns all facing towards us.
Half look like they haven’t started shaving, half look like
retired fishermen. Their Kevlar is ill-fitting. Uniformly petrified.
MARIUM is at the front of the group, also in BODY ARMOR, his
face grimly set.
He glances back at his ASSEMBLED MEN. In particular, he makes
eye contact with terrified ARNIE, gives a reassuring nod.
He gestures ‘ over there, over there’ and waits as the men
position themselves in front of--THIS SQUARE TWO-STORY CABIN in the middle of town. From
inside the LOFT-STYLE WINDOW on the second floor, faintly, comes some kind of electric WHIRRING.
INT. ATTIC - CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
Which is Cheeon, bent over something with his ELECTRIC DRILL,
powering screws into the floor. Can’t see exactly what it is.From downstairs comes a firm KNOCK-KNOCK but Cheeon just
keeps drilling, wholly unconcerned. VZZZZZ.
EXT. KEELUT MAIN ROAD - SAME
Core emerges breathless and coughing from the woods, leans
against his RENTAL TRUCK parked there, and looks--
A WAYS UP THE ROAD, where all those POLICE VEHICLES are
gathered with their lights turning.
He starts heading that way, like drawn by a magnet.
EXT. FRONT DOOR - CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
The door opens on Marium: steady but not aggressive. Behind
him, we glimpse the GATHERED COPS, their weapons ready.
Cheeon, in the doorway, might as well not even see them. He
keeps his eyes on Marium, at once empty and hostile.54.MARIUM
I told them I’d try talking. Get
you to come without any mess. I’m not claiming we’re friends, but we’ve been friendly, Cheeon.
CHEEON
If you say so, guy.
MARIUM
We’ve got two dead cops in town.
CHEEON
Oh yeah? Round here, couple dead cops is cause for a party.
MARIUM
And the coroner? Frank was set to retire to San Diego next month.
CHEEON
San Diego, huh? Never heard of it.
MARIUM
They were shot with a .45 Springfield. You’ve got one of those registered.
CHEEON
I got lots not registered, guy.
Cheeon lets the implication hang there. Marium blinks.
MARIUM
I know that. But, like I said, I told them I’d try to talk to you.
CHEEON
You’re damn sure doing that.
DOWN THE ROAD, fifty yards back, Core draws closer, trying to see what’s going on with SHERIFF’S TRUCKS and MEN up there.
He glances off, sees a YUP’IK FACE crouched in their window.BACK AT CHEEON’S DOOR, Marium puts some iron in his tone.
MARIUM
Where’s Vernon?
Cheeon snorts. Cocks an eyebrow. You think I’d answer that?55.MARIUM (CONT’D)
Can you at least tell me where the
boy’s body is? It’s state’s evidence.
CHEEON
“Evidence?” That boy is nothing to your kind anymore. He’s no longer of the Earth. Put him out of your mind or he might haunt you.
MARIUM
Where’s Medora?
CHEEON
Oh, she’ll be found. Not by you.
Marium grimaces, disgust briefly overtaking him.
MARIUM
Is that why this happened? So nobody interferes with his revenge?
CHEEON
I look like I enjoy all these fucking questions from you, guy?
MARIUM
I know your girl was taken by wolves.
Cheeon’s eyes flash rage.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
I know you don’t have a body to bury and there can’t be anything worse than that.
Cheeon takes half a step forward and--
THE COPS all tense, rifle stocks tightening into shoulders,
fingers on triggers.
CHEEON
(low & furious)
Oh you know, huh? Lotta help from a guy who knows. You drive an hour out here for my sorry ass, but won’t do shit for some dead kids in the hills. She was riding her sled. And what’d you do about it?
MARIUM
We came.56.CHEEON
You came the next day and left and
never came back. Worthless as shit, you city boys.
IN THE ROAD, twenty yards back now, Core draws closer. He can see Marium talking to someone in a doorway. He can see--
A COP with A SNIPER RIFLE dart into the WOODS by the house.BACK AT CHEEON’S DOOR
MARIUM
Five thousand people is hardly a
city.
CHEEON
You come here to argue the definition of city with me, guy?
MARIUM
I’m saying, we’re not so different from you.
CHEEON
You sure as hell are. Went to college and still dumber than dogshit.
MARIUM
I’m saying, we’re not all bad. We helped put this place on the grid few years back, got the plumbing and electric.
CHEEON
And now you want a trophy for letting these folks take a shit in their own house?
MARIUM
Okay. Yeah. Things are bad here. I admit that. Let’s not make them worse. You got a wife who needs you.
CHEEON
Oh, she’s gone. She’ll never be back after what happened. This place’ll be a ghost town by next year, you watch.
Cheeon looks beyond Marium, not at the cops but out at the woods and the sky, formulating a thought.57.CHEEON (CONT’D)
Those bastards at the morgue.
Bastards like you and me? When we’re killed the past is killed,
and the past is already dead, so no big deal. But when kids are killed, that’s different. When kids are killed the future dies. And there’s no life without a future.
MARIUM
(very softly)
Cheeon. Please.
Now Cheeon looks to the cops. Sniffs in derision.
CHEEON
These boys look like they don’t know whether to shit or piss.
MARIUM
I won’t lie. Most of ‘em are green. They never seen anything like this and they’re scared to death and that’s dangerous for you.
CHEEON
‘Come out with your hands up.’ Like that, guy? Listen, here:
it’s never
gonna happen.
MARIUM
I’ll make sure everything’s fair.
At that, astonishingly, Cheeon actually laughs, a high nasal
cackle. That’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard.
CHEEON
“Everything is fair?”
Marium nods in defeat, shows his palms, backs away...
MARIUM
Think about what I’ve offered.
As he turns back into the road, Cheeon calls to him...
CHEEON
And you think about the phone call your wife’ll get today. Her hand on her belly. Nothing gonna stop that call now, guy.58.Marium doesn’t turn back, keeps walking stiffly away, his jaw
tight as Cheeon SLAMS the door behind him.
IN THE ROAD, Core has arrived on the scene, ten yards behind
the cops. Exposed.
Nobody notices him, all focused on Cheeon’s door. He looks a
bit like a lost little kid, needing to ask directions.
As Marium returns to his line of men, Arnie leans in, scared
shitless--
ARNIE
W-what’d he say?
MARIUM
He said ‘fuck you’, is what he said.
ARNIE
Jesus. Now what?
MARIUM
Now we wait for Holy Cross to get the tactical unit up here.
ARNIE
They’re three hours out, boss.
Marium surveys the men, looking to him for answers he doesn’t have.
MARIUM
Well...better get some coffee n’ sandwiches then.
And then, just beyond his men, there in the road, he sees Core. Their eyes meet and Marium straightens in dismayed confusion: why are you here?
As Core raises his hand in hesitant greeting...
INT. ATTIC WINDOW - CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
THE LOFT-STYLE WINDOW OPENS OUTWARD to show the POLICE spread
below. WE PULL BACK SLIGHTLY to reveal--
THE LONG METAL SNOUT OF A TRIPOD-MOUNTED M-60 MACHINE GUN
swiveling onto the MEN down there, sighting on MARIUM’S BACK.
CHEEON settles behind the enormous weapon, prone position,
one hand poised to feed it an ENDLESS BELT OF AMMUNITION. 59.EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
Walking towards Marium, Core’s eyes flick to something behind
him and he points up in sudden terror--
CORE
Watch--
Marium jerks aside as--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
THE FACE OF THE COP NEXT TO MARIUM EXPLODES IN A RED SHERBET.MARIUM DIVES TO THE GROUND.CORE STARTLES IN PLACE, HANDS FOOLISHLY COVERING HIS HEAD.OTHER COPS RETURN FIRE, Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
But all is overwhelmed by the brutal authority of the M-60:
the SOUND of it is DEAFENING and CEASELESS, one prolonged uninterrupted blast. See? It’s still going on.
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
MARIUM CRAWLS BEHIND A TRUCK. WINDOW GLASS ATOMIZES, SPRAYS. CORE DROPS TO HIS HANDS AND KNEES AS A LINE OF BULLETS SHEARS
INTO THE ROAD BESIDE HIM.
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon swivels calmly, still firing--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
A LINE OF COPS ARE CUT DOWN, blood misting left to right,
their body armor punched through like paper mache.
BEHIND A TRUCK, Marium huddles next to ARNIE and ANOTHER COP,
both cowering.
BULLETS stream into the engine block and it sounds like
HAMMERS STRIKING ANVILS in rapid succession. Pung!Pung!Pung!
IN THE ROAD, Core wriggles behind ANOTHER TRUCK just as a COP drops before him, clutching a BLOOD-SQUIRTING THROAT HOLE.
Core crawls to the Cop, presses his hands to the wound but--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.A SPRAY OF METAL AND GLASS AND DIRT SENDS HIM SCUTTLING AWAY.60.IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, an INCOMING ROUND punches the wall
behind Cheeon--KAK!--and he swivels to--
THE TREES AT THE EDGE OF HIS YARD, where he spots a blip of
DARK MOVEMENT in the branches and sprays the M-60 there--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
THE TREE ERUPTS SNOW, looks like an explosion of pure white
fire that spills out the POLICE SNIPER’S SHREDDED BODY.
BEHIND THE TRUCK, Marium has his SIDEARM out--
MARIUM
Arnie. Arnie. Listen to me.
ARNIE just gapes at Marium, blinking wildly as--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.THE OTHER COP directly beside Arnie is SHOT
THROUGH THE BODY
OF TRUCK, metal shards splitting his chest and face.Marium hisses, blood-spattered, peeks out to see--AN EXPOSED BOULDER BY THE TREELINE, like a giant’s skull
emerging from the ground, the size of a car.
He whips back to panic-frozen Arnie--
MARIUM (CONT’D)
WE HAVE TO GO.
ARNIE
(nodding ferociously)
Okay.
MARIUM
(when Arnie doesn’t move)
NOW.
ARNIE
I-I don’t want to.
BEHIND ANOTHER TRUCK, Core is flat on the ground, looking out
from underneath it, shaking, awestruck--
He sees DEAD AND WOUNDED COPS splayed before CHEEON’S HOUSE
with MUZZLE FLASHES flaming out of the ATTIC WINDOW.
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
A PANICKING COP DIVES INTO A BULLET-RIDDLED TRUCK, THROWS IT
INTO REVERSE, SPINS THE TIRES TRYING TO BACK UP-- VRRRRRR!61.IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon swivels onto this and--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
HE POURS BULLETS INTO THE TRUCK UNTIL THE RADIATOR EXPLODES
AND IT ROLLS LAZILY BACKWARDS DOWN THE ROAD.
FROM BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core watches it roll slowly by like
some lumbering beast gushing steam, not five feet away.
For the first time in what seems like hours, the shooting
pauses. Wounded men WHIMPER but the relative silence booms.
FROM BEHIND THEIR TRUCK, Marium drags Arnie with him.
MARIUM
Move.
INTO THE OPEN, Marium and Arnie sprint for the BOULDER, moving at a diagonal towards the house.
FROM BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core watches them breathlessly.
MARIUM AND ARNIE are halfway there when--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.THE GROUND BESIDE THEM EXPLODES as Cheeon’s fusillade resumes
and THEY DIVE BEHIND THE BOULDER, HUDDLING TOGETHER--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
BULLETS SLAP INTO THE GRANITE THAT SHIELDS THEM. Tok!Tok!Tok!
Marium speaks directly into Arnie’s face, who’s so fucking
scared he might as well be inside of a dream--
MARIUM (CONT’D)
(re: Arnie’s sidearm)
Is that magazine full?
ARNIE
It’s full.
MARIUM
Please check.
Arnie checks it, fumbles it back into the gun.
ARNIE
It’s full.
MARIUM
You have more in that vest?62.ARNIE
Yes.
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
ACROSS THE YARD, a SECONDARY CLUSTER OF COPS are directing
fire on the ATTIC WINDOW now. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon swivels off the boulder to spray down on them.
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
BACK BEHIND THE BOULDER
MARIUM
Listen to me now, Arnie. Are you listening?
ARNIE
Yeah, boss.
MARIUM
His weapon can’t get through rock. Stay here. You understand?
ARNIE
Yes.
MARIUM
I’m going to run for the house. The second I do--Arnie, I am saying the very second I do--you unload on that window and don’t stop until you see me reach the house.
ARNIE
O-okay.
MARIUM
What will you do?
ARNIE
Stay here. And. The window.
MARIUM
Soon as I run.
ARNIE
Yes.
MARIUM
Do not stop shooting until I’m there.63.ARNIE
I understand, boss. I’ll do it.
Marium peeks over the rim of the boulder to see--
OUT THERE, Cheeon fires on Cops-- BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.--whose
return fire is panicky and innefectual. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Marium gives one last this is it look to Arnie and HE RUNS.
ARNIE POPS UP over the boulder and FIRES WILDLY at the attic
window as--
MARIUM SPRINTS across the open space between the BOULDER and
the HOUSE: not more than thirty feet, seems like a mile.
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon flattens himself as BULLETS
SPLINTER THE WALLS BEHIND HIM, the M-60 oozing smoke.
FROM BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core watches as Marium slams against
the house, directly below the smoking ATTIC WINDOW.
AT THE BOULDER, Arnie fires until-- Bam. Bam. CLICK. The slide
racks empty, he drops down, fumbling for a new magazine.IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, as the fire upon him stops, Cheeon rises
back into his shooting position, sighting down the M-60.
AT THE HOUSE, Marium keeps himself flat against the wall as
he slides around--
EXT. BEHIND CHEEON’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
--where there is a REAR DOOR. Marium slides towards it,
weapon forward, adrenaline-jacked.
EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon sights down on that BOULDER where
the slightest sliver of Arnie is visible, so--
BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
BEHIND THE BOULDER, suddenly beset by this new round of
gunfire, ARNIE SCREAMS, nearly drops his weapon, ducks low.
THE SECONDARY COPS rack their shotguns and rifles and resume
firing themselves. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon grunts as BURNING SHRAPNEL
slashes his face and he swivels back to the Secondary Cops. 64.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
THE SECONDARY COPS ARE BLASTED HARD. Of the EIGHT of them
crouched there, FIVE are instantly RIPPED APART: blood and meat and scraps of uniform flying into the air.
BEHIND THE BOULDER, Arnie SCREAMS AGAIN.BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core watches the COPS CRUMPLE AND FALL.
EXT. BEHIND CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
The GUNFIRE and SCREAMS ECHO back here as Marium inches to
the BACK DOOR, peering carefully in though sooty GLASS PANES.
He grips the DOORKNOB and, bizarrely, it turns.
A deep breath for courage and he eases it open but wait--
INT. BACK DOOR - CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAMELOOKING OUT ON MARIUM THROUGH THE DOOR WINDOW as he freezes,
terrified eyes locked on something dead ahead.
RACK FOCUS TO THE TAUT FISHING LINE STRETCHED VERTICALLY JUST
INSIDE THE DOOR, CONNECTED TO THE INSIDE KNOB.
As Marium’s eyes move up the line, WE MOVE UP THE LINE TOO--Just above the doorjamb it turns ninety-degrees through an
EYE-SCREW and continues until it connects to--
THE SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN AFFIXED TO THE WALL, aimed down into
the doorway, the fishing line tight against its trigger.
Instant death, right there.
EXT. BEHIND CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
As Marium shakily removes his hand from the doorknob--
EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
BEHIND THE BOULDER, Arnie loses it: he sprints.
BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core’s shaking his head No No No as--OUT THERE, Arnie stumbles in a blind panic towards the house.65.IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon swivels back to Arnie crossing
below him and-- BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.BAK.
ARNIE IS SHOT ACROSS THE SHINS AND CRASHES INTO THE GROUND.
EXT. BEHIND CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
At the exact instant of this GUNFIRE, Marium PUNCHES out a
WINDOW PANE in the door, the sound of it covered.
He reaches in towards that FISHING LINE with his SWISS ARMY
KNIFE, the little scissors extended. Snip!
EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
BEHIND HIS TRUCK, Core moans involuntarily as--OUT THERE, CHEEON STRAFES ARNIE A SECOND TIME, A STREAK OF
BULLETS CHOPPING HIS LEGS.
As Arnie SCREAMS, something livid snaps inside of Core. Look--
A DEAD COP a few feet away, his SHOTGUN just lying there. CORE GRABS IT, CHARGES OUT FROM BEHIND THE TRUCK, AWKWARDLY
PUMP-FIRING THE SHOTGUN AS HE RUNS-- BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
BUCKSHOT PATTERNS PEPPER THE ATTIC WINDOW AND--
IN THE WINDOW, CHEEON FLINCHES OFF THE M-60 AS SPLINTERS AND
GLASS BLOW ALL AROUND.
CORE RUNS AND FIRES-- BAM! BAM! Click! He drops the shotgun as
he reaches Arnie, grabs the SCREAMING cop by the armpits.
ARNIE
...I’m gonna die...gonna die...
CORE
(gritted teeth)
No.
IN THE ATTIC WINDOW, Cheeon’s bloody face rises back into
view. Gripping the M-60 again, he looks resigned.
He sights on Core, struggling to drag Arnie towards the boulder. He tracks with them, could cut them down at will.
DOWN THERE, Core pulls Arnie across the muddy snowy ground as
fast as he can but, oh God, it’s so slow. Arnie SOBS.
Without stopping, Core chances a look upwards at--66.THE ATTIC WINDOW, where he can see Cheeon, plain as day,
watching him from behind the smoking M-60. A strange beat of eye contact between the two men. It enrages Core.
CORE (CONT’D)
STOP IT.
Core sees Cheeon lower his eye over the gunsight, preparing to fire on them. The boulder is so close.
INT. STAIRWELL - CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
A PAIR OF BOOTS carefully ascend WOODEN STAIRS, stepping on
the WASH OF SPENT CARTRIDGES that have cascaded down them.
FOLLOWING THE BOOTS up to--
INT. ATTIC - CONTINUOUS
--where we REVEAL CHEEON FROM BEHIND, over there by the
window, prone behind the M-60.
ON CHEEON, his hand tightening around the trigger and--WE PAN SLIGHTLY TO REVEAL THE FIGURE RISING FROM THE
STAIRWELL BEHIND HIM. They make no noise but...
Cheeon blinks. Knows they’re there. Twists around into a
SITTING POSITION to look back at...
MARIUM, aiming his HANDGUN two-handed. And scared to
goddamned death, it would appear.Cheeon snorts, spits blood, his lip curling at the cop across
the low-ceilinged attic. The floor is carpeted with brass. The air is blue with cordite.
CHEEON
You stopped that phone call for today, guy. Phone call to your wife?
Marium stares, doesn’t say a word, his gun steady.
CHEEON (CONT’D)
But it’s coming, ain’t it? That call’s always coming.
Cheeon brings out a little NICKLE-PLATED .25 PISTOL but doesn’t aim it at Marium, just lets it sit there in his lap.
Like a dare. Or permission.67.MARIUM SHOOTS HIM IN THE FACE. BANG.
EXT. CHEEON’S HOUSE - SAME
Just as CORE REACHES THE BOULDER WITH ARNIE, he looks up to
see CHEEON’S BODY spill backwards out of the attic window and land below with a dense and final THUD.
CUT TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, A SONG. A beautiful, melancholy arrangement of INUIT FLUTE and ghostly FEMALE VOCALS. It carries to...
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY
...where we are in SLOW MOTION and the haunting MUSIC COVERS
EVERYTHING. As we...
PUSH DOWN THE HALL the foreground is continuously blurred by
out-of-focus movement, POLICE and HOSPITAL STAFF and CONCERNED RELATIVES hurriedly wiping the frame.
PUSHING THROUGH TO AN INUIT WOMAN (35) waiting on the bench
at the far end, her eyes swollen from crying, her hands on her pregnant belly. Her name is SUSAN. She looks searchingly into this chaos and she sees...
A BLEEDING UNCONSCIOUS COP being intubated, his clothes
getting scissored off by ER NURSES.
AN ANGRY COP barking into his radio, a CRYING COP beside him.A TRAUMA TEAM rushing by with a GUNSHOT VICTIM COP.A CLUSTER OF FRANTIC WIVES talking to a stunned ER DOCTOR. A TRIO OF FRIGHTENED CHILDREN, huddled by the soda machine.And as we finally land CLOSE ON SUSAN, she looks to...THE ER ENTRANCE where PARAMEDICS are now rushing ARNIE in, an
oxygen pump on his pale face...and MARIUM hurrying alongside.
Through the blur of bodies, his eyes meet hers.Tears spill down her face, great pulsing sobs of relief.They connect on the bench, clasping each other, sobbing into
his shoulder, stroking her hair and saying soothing things.68.We can’t hear the words but maybe we can read his lips. It’s
okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HOSPITAL BATHROOM - DAY
Normal sound and motion resume: FRANTIC VOICES churn outside
the door, muted but briefly surging as it swings open and...
Marium enters, goes to the sink. We see it happen in the
mirror: whatever calm assurance he projected before now utterly dissolves.
Staring wide-eyed into the drain, hyperventilating, one hand over his mouth, struggling to control himself, until...
He notices CORE in the mirror. Sitting quietly in the corner,
knees drawn up, head titled against the wall. He looks clammy, bloodless, unwell. Drops of vomit in his beard.
They look at each other a long moment.
CORE
(softly)
I’m not prepared for this.
MARIUM
(after a beat)
You saved that kid’s life.
Core stares at him with an uncharacteristic blankness.
CORE
Does it matter?
MARIUM
I saw his wife out there. He’s
going to go home to his daughter. It won’t be for a while but...he will go home. Yes, to them it matters a great deal.
CORE
How many died?
It’s hard for Marium to say it.
MARIUM
Twelve. And Cheeon. A few more are...we’re not sure yet.
Core’s voice drops to a disgusted whisper...69.CORE
And I saved one.
The two men face each other from opposite sides of the room.
White tile, buzzing lights, raised voices outside as we...
FADE TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, we hear NIGHT BIRDS shriek from far away.
EXT. A TREELINE - NIGHT
The ground is black and damp: no snow. In the distance,
surrounded by darkness at the edge of the woods: a raggedy TENT and a small CAMPFIRE, a MAN-SHAPE hunched there.
INT. SLONE HOME - SAME
And Vernon Slone’s at the BACK WINDOW, staring out at him
with a predatory stillness. He’s uninjured here, younger.
Medora drifts up to his side, gazing out the window as well.
So, again, this is some other time.
MEDORA
Who is he?
SLONE
(without moving his eyes)
Another drifter headed west.
MEDORA
He looks hungry.
SLONE
He can hunt.
We might notice that the CAMPFIRE is flickering out there at more or less the same spot we saw the Wolf at the beginning.
MEDORA
Take him something so he’ll go, Vernon.
Vernon looks at her, a faint warmth passing over his face, and he goes. As Medora looks uneasily back out the window...
WE TILT DOWN to find her PREGNANT BELLY. Eight months or so.70.EXT. THE CAMPFIRE - NIGHT
The DRIFTER (20s) lifts his scabby, bug-bitten face from the
fire: one milky eye, long stringy hair from under his woolen watch cap, brown teeth-nubs showing in a kindly smile as...
Slone approaches the ring of firelight. Staring down at the
grinning Drifter in appraisal. A moment like that, the fire crackling between them, and Slone tosses down a FOOD SACK.
SLONE
That’s bread and cheese. It’s dropping low tonight, first snows are coming, so you need to move on from here.
DRIFTER
Termination dust won’t come on tonight. Night or two before that.
SLONE
You a weatherman?
The Drifter’s smile shines and spreads.
DRIFTER
You could say I know something about what’s coming.
(beat)
You got a name?
SLONE
My name’s got nothing to do with you.
DRIFTER
Not yours. The boy’s.
Slone’s eyes sharpen and narrow. He seems to coil.
SLONE
What do you know about that?
DRIFTER
Just a feelin’.
The Drifter smiles past Slone’s shoulder, out at THEIR CABIN where MEDORA is silhouetted in the orange-lighted window.
DRIFTER (CONT’D)
Looks warm.
SLONE
Best find a home of your own, then.71.DRIFTER
I don’t mean the house.
His tone is not lascivious, though, it’s damn near reverent.
But Slone leans closer, his voice dropping to a low monotone.
SLONE
Look into my face now. Believe what
I tell you. I will end your every day. Do you believe me when I say that to you?
The Drifter nods, placating. Sure, sure.
SLONE (CONT’D)
Move on.
Slone rises and heads back. The Drifter watches him go.
INT. BEDROOM - SLONE CABIN - NIGHT, LATER
Medora lays asleep on the bed, curled on her side under a
quilt in the mostly-dark room.
Slone watches her from the doorway with something almost like
fear.
EXT. WOODS BEHIND THE SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
Slone is a wraith cutting through the woods, quick and
silent, garbed in black. The DYING CAMPFIRE glows just beyond the trees: he’s circling around behind it.
EXT. TREELINE - THE CAMPIRE - SAME
Slone melts out of the forest, his BOWIE KNIFE a shining
sliver in one fist as he angles in on the DRIFTER’S TENT.
He crouches, listening.
INT./EXT. DRIFTER’S TENT - SAME
Slone snaps open the flap but--It’s empty. Looking closer, he sees--Resting on the filthy sleeping bag, crudely carved from a bar
of soap, a tiny FERTILITY FIGURE.72.Dread pooling on his face, Slone looks back to the cabin.
INT. BEDROOM - SLONE CABIN - NIGHT
CLOSE ON MEDORA, a film of perspiration on her face, wincing
in discomfort as she comes blearily half-awake to see...
A SHAPE in the doorway, looking in at her.
MEDORA
...what’re you doing, baby?
THE SHAPE doesn’t answer. She sits up, achingly holding her belly.
MEDORA (CONT’D)
...oh God...something’s happening.
And now, her eyes adjusting, she sees that it’s not Slone
standing in the doorway. Her face hardens in terror.
MEDORA (CONT’D)
There’s money in a jar by the sink. Fifty dollars. And food.
The Drifter’s manner is calmly sympathetic, comforting even.
DRIFTER
I came to warn you. The boy can’t live.
She flinches as he reaches into his coat, pulls SOMETHING out and tosses it onto the bed before her...
It’s THE SHAMAN’S MASK.
DRIFTER (CONT’D)
The mask is yours. Someone made it
for you.
She gapes at the upside-down WOLF FACE in revulsion.
DRIFTER (CONT’D)
Wear the mask and you’ll know what you have to do.
A SILVER TRIANGLE EMERGES FROM WITHIN THE DRIFTER’S THROAT, HOLDS THERE, AND THEN WITHDRAWS BACK INSIDE HIS NECK.
He looks so surprised.73.BLOOD GURGLES FROM THE SLIT THAT REMAINS IN HIS ADAM’S APPLE
AS HE DROPS TO THE FLOOR.
SLONE is behind him clutching the blood-slicked BOWIE KNIFE. Medora CRIES in sudden pain and throws back the quilt, the
WOLF MASK spilling off to the floor.
Her sheets are soaked with AMNIOTIC FLUID. Slone rushes to her.LOW ANGLE on the WOLF MASK and the DEAD DRIFTER, canted
together and forgotten on the floor as, in the background, Slone bends lovingly over Medora and she SCREAMS AGAIN...
INT. 4X4 - DAY, LATE AFTERNOON
HER SCREAM ECHOES INTO THIS TIME as Slone stares out his
truck, living that memory, suffused in cold orange light.He looks to the passenger seat and reaches for... A FOLDED MAP, revealing that POLAROID of Medora beneath.
We’ll notice the COMPOUND BOW wedged behind the seat, his DUFFEL BAG with the guns in it.
As he studies the map...SLONE’S POV (MACRO ON THE MAP) moves from a splash of LAKE
until it lands on A SMALL DOT: ‘KMC-13’.
He sets the map down, puts the truck in gear.
EXT. LAKE - SAME
SLONE’S TRUCK pulls away from this seemingly infinite body of
water where the Sun collapses into molten copper.
EXT. HUNTING TRAIL - SAME
SNOW CHAINS rattle and groan on the tires as...SLONE’S 4x4 crawls slowly along under a canopy of cottonwood:
snowy, unmarked wilderness.
EXT. ABANDONED MINING CAMP - TWILIGHT
SLONE’S 4x4 pulls in on a snowy road as we see--74.THE SMALL VALLEY the road winds through, a V-shape cut into
the earth with a CLUSTER OF DARK CORRODED WOODEN BUILDINGS spreading up one side, interconnected one atop the other like some long-dead fungal growth.
A paint-peeling SIGN: CAMP #13 - Kennebeck & McCarthy Corp.
There’s still some daylight left in the sky above but down here, in the valley, it feels like an early nightfall.
INT. 4X4 (MOVING) - SAME
Slone scans the dead, lightless camp as he drives. To his
right, a ways up the unconstructed side of the valley, FIRELIGHT DANCES...seemingly from within the Earth.
He drives on.
EXT. INN - NIGHT
Slone parks before this leaning TWO-STORY BUILDING with ‘Inn’
painted by hand above the door, inky light in its sooty
windows. He gets out, glances around, sees...
A CORRUGATED SHED with a pyramid of CAR BATTERIES outside it.
Empty WOOD PALLETS stacked for firewood, a half-collapsed QUONSET HUT, a SCHOOL BUS slowly sinking into the ground.
INT. INN - NIGHT
Slone enters, closing the door quickly to shut out the cold.THE INNKEEPER (50s) looks up from her table: she’s stout, in
overalls and fleece, with wild Brillo hair and Coke-bottle glasses, reading a celebrity magazine from 10 years ago.
INNKEEPER
(amused)
Late in the season for travelers.
As Slone crosses to her...
INNKEEPER (CONT’D)
Where you coming from?
SLONE
Keelut.
INNKEEPER
There’s no road from there to here. Not directly.75.SLONE
Not directly, no.
He looks around, takes in the room: kerosene lamps, lynx
pelts, a broken chair burning in the fireplace. It dawns on him...
SLONE (CONT’D)
I was here when I was a child. With my father. We visited this camp. I remember it.
She squints at him, trying to place his face.
He brings out the POLAROID, shows it to her. She chuckles.
SLONE (CONT’D)
Was she here?
INNKEEPER
They don’t got women in Keelut,
gotta crawl all the way up here for a piece?
Slone just stares at her. As she applies some ChapStick, looking him up and down...
INNKEEPER (CONT’D)
(almost to herself)
You are a handsome one, aren’t ya.
SLONE
Can you help me?
INNKEEPER
I don’t have any bread, gotta warn ya, the plane hasn’t been back in two weeks. But I have a room to let. I’d make sure it’s warm enough.
She lets that hang for a moment, grinning.
He turns away, heads for the door, but as he pulls it open--
INNKEEPER (CONT’D)
Yeah, she was here.
He stops. Closes the door. Turns.
INNKEEPER (CONT’D)
That one in your picture there.
They don’t make that kind of film anymore.76.SLONE
When?
INNKEEPER
Two nights ago. Said she wanted to
see our Indian Hunter. He’s not really Indian, though, he’s just John.
SLONE
Why?
INNKEEPER
Didn’t share that and I didn’t ask. Struck me as damned skittish, you want the truth.
Slone absorbs this, and then...
SLONE
I want to stay in the room she took.
INNKEEPER
Only two rooms. Other one’s mine. I hadn’t actually changed the sheets yet, hope you don’t mind.
As she rummages around for the ROOM KEY...
INNKEEPER (CONT’D)
I don’t know about your vehicle’s battery but you might wanna get it in the shed before it drops tonight. Radio says it’s a storm.
INT. ROOM - INN - NIGHT
The Innkeeper unlocks it, lets Slone enter. He stands there
with his DUFFEL BAG, looking at the dingy wood-slat room.
He sets his bag down (with an audible clink! of gunmetal
inside) and slowly approaches the BED. She watches as...He draws back the covers, bends low, and BREATHES in deeply
the scent of the sheets. After a beat...he turns back to her.
SLONE
The Indian Hunter?
Something wild in his eyes makes her swallow.77.EXT. ABANDONED MINING CAMP - NIGHT
LOOKING UP the slope of the valley wall to a CAVE MOUTH:
animal-skin curtains and FIRELIGHT shimmering inside.
TILT DOWN to find SLONE hiking steadily up towards it.
INT. HUNTER JOHN’S CAVE - NIGHT
HUNTER JOHN (60s) looks up from a steaming stew pot, grinning
in welcome. Imp-eyed, skeletal and bald with a beard to his chest, dressed all in animal skins.
Slone enters, stooping low and unzipping his coat in the
claustrophobic warmth of several smoking braziers. It’s packed with stuff: bear skins and hunting rifles, folk art and motor parts, old National Geographics and Playboys.
And MASKS. Dozens, various crude ANIMAL FACES of wood and cloth and pelt, displayed on the wall. Slone sees them.
HUNTER JOHN
Come eat.
He ladles up a second bowl for Slone, offers a spot to sit. Slone takes a bite, watches Hunter John slurp the broth.
Eventually...
HUNTER JOHN (CONT’D)
She knows you’re coming for her.
She told me what she did, too. That’s why she came to me. For counsel. She had one of my masks. I don’t know how she got it. I share them with travelers and they find their way to who needs them.
SLONE
You let her go from here.
HUNTER JOHN
Not my business what she did. There’s no decree in the country. It don’t reach here. I help who comes asking.
He peers across at Slone, a small knowing smile.
HUNTER JOHN (CONT’D)
I remember you, traveler. Just a little tyke last time you were here. All that yellow hair?78.SLONE
Why did we come?
HUNTER JOHN
To see me. Your father wanted
wolf’s oil. It was for you. Did you know that? He said you were unnatural. That was his word. An Indian witch from his village said wolf’s oil could cure you. Did it work? I gave him the oil.
Slone stares at him. He--what? For just an instant there it looked as if he might shed tears. He clears his throat.
SLONE
(so soft)
Where did she go?
HUNTER JOHN
Not my business. I traded her my truck and I’d say I got the better deal. Fixed her up with some boots I’d made. She left her mask, though.
Hunter John gestures vaguely with his spoon into a corner.
HUNTER JOHN (CONT’D)
You’re welcome to it, boy.
As Slone looks back and RISES OUT OF FRAME, Hunter John returns his attention to his meal...
HUNTER JOHN (CONT’D)
When was the last time you wore a
mask? I can see you need to let the wolf out a little. We all do, out here. It’s truth.
Hunter John looks up to see Slone, hunched beneath the low cave roof with his back to him.
But turning slowly around now...with MEDORA’S WOLF MASK on
his face and the 9MM PISTOL in his hand.
They stare at each other in flickering firelight.
EXT. ABANDONED MINING CAMP - NIGHT
LOOKING UP AT THE CAVE as-- bang.bang.--GUNSHOTS ECHO from the
dancing light within and wash down over the camp. 79.INT. INN - NIGHT
The Innkeeper looks up from a magazine, hearing the shots.
EXT. HUNTER JOHN’S CAVE - NIGHT
Slone-as-Wolf emerges, his eyes black pits in the mask, an
OUT OF CONTROL FIRE JUMPING TO LIFE IN THE CAVE BEHIND HIM.
EXT. ROAD - ABANDONED MINING CAMP - NIGHT
Slone-as-Wolf stalks towards the INN, the gun in his hand, a
DISTANT FIRE blazing in the cliffside high above him.
He nears the INN, raising the GUN as he PASSES HIS 4x4 when--
BAM. WINDOW GLASS EXPLODES AND SLONE BUCKLES: HE’S HIT.
THE INNKEEPER STEPS FROM BEHIND THE INN, AIMING A RIFLE ON
HIM, HER EYES WILD WITH FEAR. BAM. BAM. BAM.
SLONE WRIGGLES INTO THE TRUCK AS BULLETS PUNCH ITS DOORS AND GLASS SPRAYS HIS FACE.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
THE INNKEEPER ADVANCES, FIRING ON THE 4X4 AS--
INSIDE IT, Slone fumbles the keys into the ignition with
BLOODY FINGERS and grinds the starter-- KRRR!
OUTSIDE, THE INNKEEPER STEPS INTO THE ROAD, FIRING ON THE 4x4 AS IT FISHTAILS AWAY FROM HER IN GREAT TWIN-GEYSERS OF SNOW.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. KITCHEN - MARIUM HOME - NIGHT
Susan prepares a plate at the stove: spaghetti and sauce and
bread. She brings it over and sets it down for...
Marium, waiting at the table with his hands steepled before
his face. Band-Aids on his face. Sunken. Haunted.
She joins him with her own plate, eyeing him, concerned but understanding. Oh, he notices his food there.
MARIUM
...thank you...
She touches his hand. He gives her a frail, phony smile. 80.She frowns at that, don’t, and he lets the smile go. Lets her
see the grief in his face. Holds her hand tightly.
A moment like that and then they both look up to...Core, returning to his plate, carefully replacing his napkin
in his lap. He looks a shell of himself, utterly depleted.
Susan reaches for the bottle of wine, gestures to pour him some. Core hesitates then slides his glass over with a nod .
He takes a sip, looks around at this modest, new-model house. Cream-colored paint and particle-board cabinets.
CORE
Your home is lovely.
Susan smiles but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
They eat. Utensils clink on plates.
SUSAN
Donald says you’re a writer.
CORE
I write. Yes.
SUSAN
What kinds of stories?
CORE
I write about nature. I’m not sure
if that’s a story.
SUSAN
Is it fulfilling?
She was maybe asking to be polite but Core stares intensely down into his plate, like the truth might be hidden there.
CORE
You do a thing and...at some point that’s what you are. I don’t know if that’s the same. But I loved wolves very much. I used to study them. Lived with them for a time. Near them, anyway.
(he’s seeing them now)
They were very beautiful.
Marium looks up from his food, glances at Susan: this naked emotion is awkward at the dinner table.
Core realizes this, is embarrassed.81.CORE (CONT’D)
(gesturing, your baby)
Um. How much longer do you have?
Susan can’t help but to smile, touching her big belly.
SUSAN
February.
Core smiles in a vague and longing kind of way.
CORE
Almost here.
(beat)
Do you know what you’re having?
She shakes her head, adding...
SUSAN
He wants a boy though.
Now Marium can’t help but to smile.
MARIUM
No, a girl is good, too. A fogey
like me having his first kid? Anything is fine.
CORE
What are you...forty?
MARIUM
Forty three.
CORE
“Fogey.” Hah. I’ll trade with you.
A beat, the two men regarding each other, Susan watching.
MARIUM
Are you a father?
Core blinks. Swallows hard.
CORE
Yes.
SUSAN
What’s his name? Her name?
Core swallows. Just saying it breaks his heart...82.CORE
(very quiet)
Amy.
Marium refills Core’s glass, then Susan’s, then his own.
MARIUM
What’s it like?
He considers his answer...
CORE
Amazing. I wish I’d understood that
better at the time. I think I thought she would love me by nature of that fact that I existed. That that would be enough, without being there.
SUSAN
You traveled for your work.
CORE
When I was younger, yes.
SUSAN
That was for her. To make money for her.
CORE
There are ways to make money that don’t involve being apart from your family. But even later, when I was at home...I still wasn’t there. In my little room across the hall, you know? Doing my work.
He shrugs, his eyes shining.
CORE (CONT’D)
And when she had troubles, y’know, like young people do, I uh...I guess I wasn’t much help.
He has a sip of wine. Lets it settle.
CORE (CONT’D)
You like to think you’re devoted to your child. You say this to people. ‘I would do anything for her. Anything.’ And it feels correct in your mouth when you say it. But then...you go ahead with your life. 83.Susan doesn’t know what to say. The phone RINGS, once, twice,
and on three Marium finally gets up to answer in the kitchen.
We can hear him MURMURING in there. Core and Susan sit in
silence. Her fork clinks on her plate.
INT. KITCHEN - MARIUM HOME - SAME
Marium nods into the phone, leaning one-handed against the
wall like some great weight is pulling him down by the neck.
MARIUM
Right. Okay. Yeah.
He hangs up, grips his forehead, exhales.
When he opens his eyes, Core is standing in the doorway with
the empty wine bottle, waiting for the news.
Marium gestures at the phone, troubled...
MARIUM (CONT’D)
County a few hours east of here.
A man in a mining camp was killed tonight. Some recluse, sounds like. Witness spoke to the killer and described Vernon Slone perfectly. She uh...she said he wore a wolf mask.
Core sets the empty bottle on the counter. Chnk.
CORE
Now what?
MARIUM
First light they’ll turn that whole valley upside down.
He lifts his eyes to Core’s...
MARIUM (CONT’D)
But if we can’t get ahead of him, more people are gonna die.
INT. MAIN ROOM - SHAD’S HOUSE - NIGHT
A PERCOCET PILL is crushed beneath a dollar with a lighter. SHAN MARTIN (35) chops it, snorts it. He’s doughy, dull-eyed,
smeared with bad tattoos. His house is filthy: you can smell the bong water and cat piss. Abrasive METAL on the CD player.84.ON THE MUTED TV: a solemn REPORTER outside of Cheeon’s house,
COPS and AMBULANCES all over. Chyron: Massacre In Keelut.
Shan watches in stoned disbelief.
ON THE TV: a MUG SHOT OF CHEEON (several years old) becomes
SLONE’S SERVICE PHOTO with a POLICE HOTLINE NUMBER below it.
Shan lights a cigarette, astonished.Tkk. A noise from somewhere else. He looks. TKK.
He gets up, cuts the music off (the BUZZ of the space heater
now the only sound in here) and listens. Freaked out.
He stubs out his smoke.
INT. UTILITY ROOM - SAME
The overhead bulb clicks on and Shan creeps through this
chilly room (his breath already fogging) for wash sinks and mop buckets. He’s got a BASEBALL BAT cocked back.
He unlocks the DOUBLE DEADBOLT on the door there and STEPS
INTO TOTAL DARKNESS...
INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
...which, click!, suddenly reveals itself to be a TWIN BAY
AUTO GARAGE as he hits the lights. The wind outside WHISTLES.
He edges anxiously past shelves of tools and spray cans and
junk parts, a half-tarped SNOWMOBILE and a TRUCK covered in rock n’ roll stickers, until--
He nears something, his face bunching in confusion. THE DOOR is opened just half an inch, bumping with the wind
outside. The LATCH HOUSING is broken, forced apart.
ON SHAN, gaping at it as we realize SOMEONE ELSE IS HERE.He whirls, gasping, almost dropping the bat because--
SHAN
Jeezchrist!
Slone is slouched in the corner, barely conscious, one BLOODY
HAND clutching his BLOOD-SOAKED SHOULDER.85.SHAN (CONT’D)
Goddamn, Vern. Been a while.
(glancing to the door)
Broke my door, huh?
SLONE
You alone here?
SHAN
What? Yeah. Shelly moved out a
while back. It’s just us.
Slone nods, almost dozes but struggles back into focus--
SLONE
I need your help.
SHAN
Y-yeah. Sure thing.
SLONE
Get Cheeon for me.
SHAN
Cheeon? The fuck you been, man?
Slone reads the grim meaning in that.
INT. BEDROOM - SHAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
SLONE, shirtless on the bed, on his stomach, facing clammily
into camera while...
IN THE BACKGROUND, Shan busies back and forth.
SHAN
I’m sorry, man. I know you boys
were tight. Cheeon never did like cops, did he? Made himself a real bloodbath up there. Goddamn.
Shan crosses, collecting things. Drawers and cabinets slam.
SHAN (CONT’D)
And the other thing...uh. They said it on the news. Bailey. Just a fucking nightmare, man. Just senseless. Medora. Fuck.
Slone blinks, lizard-like.
AT THE BATHROOM SINK, Shan scrubs a pair of NEEDLE-NOSE
PLIERS with a wire brush and greasecutter.86.SHAN (CONT’D)
So who shot you?
SLONE
A woman.
SHAN
Shit...who ain’t been shot by a
woman?
A BOTTLE OF VODKA is set on the bedside table. And two PERCOCETS. Some WASHCLOTHS, an X-ACTO BLADE, a soup pan of HOT WATER.
Slone winces as Shan kneels beside him, inspecting--THE BULLET HOLE IN SLONE’S SHOULDER. The bleeding has slowed,
more of a sluggish ooze now, but it’s deep and chewed open.
SHAN (CONT’D)
Jesus, this go through something first?
SLONE
A truck.
SHAN
Yeah. Looks like it came apart, alright. Probably why you’re still breathing.
Shan swigs the vodka, then holds it near Slone’s hand...
SHAN (CONT’D)
Pull on this. And take those. It’s gonna hurt like a motherfucker.
Edging painfully up onto his elbow, Slone palms the pills into his mouth and glugs the bottle. As he eases back down...
SHAN (CONT’D)
Don’t worry, Vern. I done this a million times. Get you cleaned up, get some hot soup in you and--
SLONE
What kind?
SHAN
Huh?
SLONE
What kind of soup?87.SHAN
Campbell’s chicken.
SLONE
I like tomato.
SHAN
You been fucking shot, man. ‘I like
tomato.’ Jesus Christ.
Shaking his head at that, Shan bends in with the X-ACTO BLADE to start his work and SLONE BUCKLES IN WHITE-HOT AGONY.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. BEDROOM - MARIUM HOME - NIGHT
Susan lays curled on her side as Marium draws her covers up.
Bends low to kiss her on the cheek, gently strokes her hair.
She looks at him with a serious kind of adoration. She whispers something to him that we cannot hear.He smiles and whispers something back.
INT. HALLWAY - MARIUM HOME - NIGHT
As Marium backs out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door
on the darkened room, he pauses, hearing...
A faint CLINKING of dishes from elsewhere in the house.
INT. KITCHEN - SAME
Marium appears in the doorway, seeing that--Core is washing the dishes. Trying to be quiet about it.Marium joins him, pours TWO GLASSES of whiskey, hands one to
Core. They clink glasses, not merrily, and drink.
And then Marium starts to dry the dishes, put them away as
Core rinses them. As they work...
CORE
Have you ever seen anything like that today?88.MARIUM
I kicked in a meth lab, few years
ago. Guy took a coupla pops at me with a .22, a purse gun. Sounded like bubble wrap. He was as close to me as you are and missed every shot. Scariest moment of my entire life.
(beat)
No. I have never seen anything like that today.
CORE
You handled yourself.
MARIUM
(bitterly)
I gave him what he wanted.
The dishes are done. They lean there and drink, exhausted.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
Why did you stop? With the wolves, I mean.
CORE
Oh. There were...people...
(He practically spits that word out.)
CORE (CONT’D)
They came onto the reservation. To camp. They brought their infant with them. Ten months old. They drank champagne and fell asleep. There was a wolf, she was starving, and she came into the tent.
Marium listens in stillness. Core’s eyes are elsewhere.
CORE (CONT’D)
The authorities, they...well. I was hired to do it and I did it. I think I felt like, better it was me than some policeman in a helicopter.
Their eyes meet and hold.
CORE (CONT’D)
Slone killed the old woman.
Marium nods.89.MARIUM
Knives aren’t Cheeon’s style. It
was Slone.
CORE
And the coroner? Those policemen? Now this hermit tonight?
He nods again.
MARIUM
Depending how this all shakes out we might never know for sure but, yes, I believe so.
CORE
Why?
Marium moves his hand, a mystified gesture.
MARIUM
Stop us from getting to Medora first. Or to get at the boy’s body. Or maybe he’s just evil. I can’t presume to know what’s in Vernon Slone’s head. Why any of it?Why’d Medora do what she did? I’m
not convinced the answers exist.
CORE
They do. Whether or not they can fit with our experience is something else.
MARIUM
What do you think?
CORE
I’m not a cop.
MARIUM
You deal in behavior. Only difference is the piece of tin.
Core snorts, shakes his head. But then grows serious, thoughtful...
CORE
She said things to me. She’d been left alone with him. He was wrong, she said. It was like she wanted to fix him. Save him. I don’t know.90.MARIUM
Save him by destroying him?
CORE
It happens in medicine.
Chemotherapy.
MARIUM
This isn’t chemotherapy. This is a little boy. Save him from what?
CORE
The dark.
Marium frowns. Waits for more.
CORE (CONT’D)
In her. In him. Outside her window. She told me about it but I uh...I wasn’t listening.
Core kills his drink, stares into the empty glass...
CORE (CONT’D)
I think that’s why she wrote me. It was already done by then but I think she wanted a witness to her life. To tell her story. And I think she wanted to be punished.
Marium considers this, tops off his glass, and as he tops off Core’s...
MARIUM
Well, you’re the story guy. But for the other part all she needed was to wait for Vern. And if he finds her before we do, she’ll damn sure get her wish.
CORE
I want to go home, Detective Marium.
MARIUM
Donald. And you’re free to leave anytime.
Marium stares out the dark window, mystified.91.MARIUM (CONT’D)
I swear to God...soon as this is
over I’m taking Susan on a beach vacation. Caribbean, someplace, hot sand and green water.
He takes a slow sip, turns back, and sees that...
Core is looking at him with an expression of lightning
realization:
oh my God.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
What?
CORE
“Good place to get clean.”
INT. DEN - MARIUM HOME - NIGHT
MOVING OVER A TOPO MAP, elevation marks, dark smudges of
forest, dots with names. There’s Keelut.
Core frowns at the map on the table, wracking his brain.Marium watches, waiting, desperately hopeful. But finally...
CORE
I don’t know, I can’t tell from
this. It was north of Keelut but... I’m not sure how long I’d been walking. Time was strange.
Marium deflates, his hopes dashed...but he presses it--
MARIUM
Look, if there’s even a chance...if we can find her, it might be as good as finding him.
Something flickers across Core’s face, some kind of decision, and he looks at Marium with a new, anxious kind of resolve...
CORE
I’d know it if I saw it again.
Hearing that, Marium’s fire starts to return.
EXT. THE HOT SPRING - DAY
SLOWLY PUSHING IN ON THE STEAMING CAVE MOUTH, with that
CIRCLE OF DARK SNOWLESS GROUND spreading before it. 92.TWO PEOPLE enter frame, seen from behind, hiking towards the
cave with BACKPACKS and COLD WEATHER GEAR.
They pause, regarding this odd sight on a bright sunny day.It’s Slone and Medora. They look so much younger, out of
breath but energized. They look happy. It’s some other time.
SLONE
Is that it?
MEDORA
Hurry.
They continue up towards the cave.
INT. THE HOT SPRING - DAY
Steamy air and slick, craggy rock. Echoing FOOTSTEPS as...Medora leads Slone by the hand, out of the sunlight behind
them, into this warm dimness.
They drop their packs, unzip their heavy coats, remove their
fur-lined hats.
CANDLES are brought from a pack, arranged and lit.In the soft dancing light, Medora peels out of her clothes,
watching as...
Slone peels out of his clothes and comes towards her,
smiling. As gentle as we’ve ever seen this man, like another person entirely.
They embrace at the edge of a STEAMING HOT SPRING, a deep
pool of calm black water, rippling with candlelight.
They kiss, hungrily, their reflections upside-down and
shattering endlessly on the water’s surface.
Medora reaches down between his legs, he reaches down between
hers. They claw at each other, panting and pressing.
Entwined, they descend into the water.
MEDORA
(whisper)
We’ll stay here forever. In this
place.93.SLONE
(whisper)
I’ll never leave you.
SLOWLY PULLING AWAY from their coupling as the steam catches
candlelight in eerie ways, softly splashing water and throat sounds echoing together as--
INT. BEDROOM - SHAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
SLONE’S EYES SNAP AWAKE. The lights are off but we can see
the fresh wad of BANDAGE on his shoulder as he sits up.
Even in darkness we see it on his face: I know where she is.
INT. MAIN ROOM - SHAN’S HOUSE - NIGHTCLOSE ON SHAN, anxiously dragging on a smoke as he whispers
into the phone--
SHAN
I’m saying he’s right here, right
now, in my house. What? No, he’s passed out but I don’t know for how much longer so get your people out here pronto and I want that special consideration--huh? What do you mean, weapons? No, there’s no guns but he’s carrying one big ass knife...
THE PHONE CORD is plucked from its wall socket.
Mid-sentence, Shan hears the line go dead and turns to see--SLONE-AS-WOLF in the doorway, shirtless, mask-faced, dropping
the phone cord, the BOWIE KNIFE clutched in his fist.
At first, Shan tries to play it off...
SHAN (CONT’D)
Hell’d you get that thing? Go lay
down, you’ll start bleeding again.
Slone-As-Wolf steps in, black eye sockets locked on Shan.
Shan’s mouth hangs open, lowering the phone.
SHAN (CONT’D)
I’m in trouble, man. It’s those
pills, I’m fucked up. They got me, I’m looking at real time.94.Slone-As-Wolf moves closer. Shan pleads with his hands--
SHAN (CONT’D)
But I was gonna wake you up, get
you outta here before they showed up! I swear. I’d get my good citizen points, you’d be gone, no harm done!
Shan backs and slides. Slone-As-Wolf moves closer.
SHAN (CONT’D)
C’mon, motherfucker, I just saved your life! You show up here like this? After what you done? Asked for help and I helped you!
Shan’s against the wall and prays his hands together.
SHAN (CONT’D)
Please, Vern. Please. We been knowin’ each other since we were kids.
But Slone-As-Wolf says nothing, almost in arm’s reach now.
SHAN (CONT’D)
FUCK YOU, THEN! FUCK YOU!
SHAN GRABS AN ASHTRAY, HURLS IT BUT--
SLONE-AS-WOLF SLAPS IT ASIDE, SWINGS THE BOWIE KNIFE IN A
HAYMAKER DIRECTLY INTO SHAN’S TEMPLE--
POK.--UP TO THE HILT.
SHAN (CONT’D)
...Vern...
Shan goes limp as a dishrag but SLONE-AS-WOLF KEEPS HIM UPRIGHT BY THE KNIFE IN HIS SKULL, powering him across the room like a busted marionette.
CUT TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, the THRUM of immense atmospheric chaos mixes with URGENT, BOTTOM-REGISTER MUSIC that carries over...
EXT. DENALI - PRE-DAWN
A STORM GATHERS OVER THE MOUNTAIN, a roiling steel-colored
halo forming around the highest summit in North America. Unreal in its hugeness. The sky crackles with dark energy. 95.EXT. AIR STRIP - DAWN
SLONE’S BOOTS stride mechanically forward.But of course it’s Core wearing them. He and Marium, side by
side in heavy outdoor gear, come briskly down the TARMAC. They see:
A SMALL PLANE taking off, ANOTHER ONE already taxiing into
position. Tense COPS visible in the windows. COPS in weather gear jogging by in the background. Full deployment.
Up ahead, there’s a cluster of STATE POLICE CARS, where some older RANKING OFFICERS are waving Marium over.
As Marium jogs ahead to confer with those men--A STIFF WIND BLOWS, Core turns into it and blinks in awe at--DENALI, a black mass at once distant and enormous, swelling
out of the horizon line, conjuring a STORM to its peak.
He is hypnotized, swaying.Marium comes jogging back, pointing Core off towards a--TWO-SEATER CESSNA PROP PLANE, waiting nearby, with just a few
AIRPORT WORKERS buzzing about it but no police.
Core joins him, glancing around, realizing...
CORE
Just us?
As Marium loads his gear, moving urgently--
MARIUM
An old KA of Slone’s was found this morning with a mail slot through his skull. Half the men are working that, the rest are assisting the camp search so I’m afraid, yeah, it’s just us. You eyeball it, I’ll call it in.
Marium climbs into the plane, checking controls and slipping on the headset with practiced familiarity.
He looks out to Core as he starts the engine, VRR-RRR-RRMM!
MARIUM (CONT’D)
(shouting over the noise)
Besides...only two seats in this
sucker!96.Suddenly dizzy, Core stares at the mountain, gulping deep
breaths.
With the deafening ENGINE NOISE between them, Marium gives
him a questioning look. You ready?
Core nods, Yes. It’s a lie. He climbs into the plane anyway.
The MUSIC is a dread-fueled, ramming-speed wall of sound.
EXT. TARMAC - DAY
TRACKING THE CESSNA as it speeds down the runway and, as if
plucked up by some invisible giant, gently leaves the ground.
EXT. AERIAL - DAY
The MUSIC crescendos into a teeth-rattling doooooom as...
THE CESSNA FLIES TOWARDS DENALI. Though it’s maybe fifty
miles away, the plane looks like an insect before a great dark ziggurat. The sky all around is swollen and evil.
INT. CESSNA (FLYING) - SAME
Core gapes at the storm gathering off the mountain...
MARIUM
(headset filtered)
Locals call it Weathermaker.
CORE
(also)
McKinley?
MARIUM
Denali. Please. You Lower 48ers...
CORE
Can we beat that storm?
MARIUM
We’ll get out of its way.
But Marium glances out the window and maybe isn’t all that
confident. He urges the throttle up and--97.EXT. AERIAL - SAME
BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE CESSNA AT 500 FEET, moving parallel to
a thin stripe of ROAD cutting through the WHITENESS BELOW--
--but now VEERING OFF TO THE RIGHT, the road disappearing
beneath them, no more man-made landmarks of any kind.
INT. KEELUT - DAY
THE WHITE HAIRED YUP’IK MAN (we saw him earlier, with his
boy, returning from a hunt) is readying his SNOWMOBILE when--
VRRRRRM. He looks up to see the CESSNA pass over him at low
altitude, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
INT. CESSNA (FLYING) - SAME
Marium flies in the weird half-light, the increasing cloud
cover making for a kind of morning dusk.
Core peers out the window through binoculars, scanning the
ground. He gestures to Marium, That way.
Marium banks the aircraft.
EXT. AERIAL - SAME
THE CESSNA FLIES LOW OVER WILDERNESS, a windy stretch we
might recognize from Core’s trek earlier.
INT. CESSNA (FLYING) - SAME
Looking through the binoculars, Core suddenly straightens--CORE’S POV passes over an incongruous BLACK RECTANGLE with
man-made angles, down there in the whiteness.
CORE
I think that was a snow machine.
MARIUM
Moving?
CORE
No.
MARIUM
See anyone?98.CORE
No.
MARIUM
I’m gonna loop back--
CORE
Wait--
Core lowers the binoculars, eyes fixed on a near point
outside the window. He taps the glass--
CORE (CONT’D)
There. Beyond that ridge.
OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW, distant but plainly visible within a LOW FLATNESS surrounded by WOODED RIDGES and CRAGGY CLIFFS...
...there is an almost perfect CIRCLE OF DARK SNOWLESS GROUND
with a thread of STEAM bending upwards from its center.
CORE (CONT’D)
That’s it.
Marium looks, sees it, gauges the terrain...
MARIUM
I can set us down over there.
He said it like an offer, a possibility. He looks to Core...
Who is terrified. But he nods. Do it.
MARIUM (CONT’D)
I’ll be gentle.
CORE
Fuck.
Marium banks it hard.
EXT. AERIAL - SAME
THE CESSNA CURVES AROUND, ANGLES DOWN TOWARDS THE FLATNESS.
INT. CESSNA (FLYING) - SAME
Core grips his straps two-handed, wincing away from the
inevitable crash as Marium guides them in-- 99.EXT. FLATNESS - SAME
THE CESSNA GLIDES GRACEFULLY DOWN TO THE GROUND UNTIL-- KAM!--
THE BRUTAL LANDING CONTACT VIOLENTLY JERKS THE WINGSPAN.
INT. CESSNA (MOVING) - SAMEWAM! Core is SLAMMED into the window as Marium PULLS BACK--
EXT. FLATNESS - SAME
THE CESSNA BRODIES, SHEARS UP A MASSIVE WAVE OF SNOW, SLIDES
TO A LONG GROANING HALT.
And the PROPELLER winds down, wak-wak-wak-wak-wak-wak ...
EXT. FLATNESS - DAYMarium cinches the strap of his SCOPED WEATHERBY RIFLE over
his thick ORANGE COAT, brings up his BINOCULARS, scans the landscape.
MARIUM’S POV, the icy FLATNESS extending to craggy RIDGES and
CLIFFS in the distance, the telltale STEAM rising beyond.
He looks over to...Core, climbing out of the Cessna and tromping this way.Marium digs into his pocket, hands something to him as he
arrives...
It’s a pair of CHARCOAL POCKET WARMERS. Core nods in thanks,
snaps them and slips them inside his gloves.
WIDE on the TWO MEN hiking away from the Cessna, across the
plain of pure white as the sky turns to slate above them.
Far away, THUNDER rumbles.
EXT. RAVINE - DAY
Rock walls tower over us, left and right, as Marium and Core
appear at the far end and come this way.
ICE SHEETS cascade down either side, glittering in some
places, opaque in others, like waterfalls stopped in time.
Core marvels up at them, towering over their heads, a stripe
of sky visible up there.100.EXT. BELOW A RIDGE - DAY
They emerge from the ravine, a ROCKY RIDGE rising to one
side, DENSE WOODS spreading to the other. Suddenly...
Core stops, bends to looking down at something. Marium senses it, looks back to see the--WOLF TRACKS, several sets of them spotting the snow.
MARIUM
How fresh are they?
CORE
An hour or two, I’d say. Four of
them, adults. A hundred pounds apiece, give or take.
MARIUM
Four. Where’s the rest of the pack?
CORE
Not far, I’d guess. Their den must be nearby.
They glance about uneasily, ahead of and behind them.
MARIUM
Little bit further?
Core’s eyes are ringed with fear but...
CORE
Yeah.
MARIUM
We see anything...we’ll turn back, call it in.
CORE
Right.
They crunch onwards towards the woods.
A gust of SNOWY WIND stirs a sparkling whiteness around them.Core glances over his shoulder, the RAVINE receding behind
them like a sideways mouth.
He looks upwards, the crooked edge of the RIDGE above them...Something moves up there . A dark wisp, a split-second blur. 101.Core stops, staring up, his breath fogging slowly. He brings
out his own BINOCULARS, squints through them...
Marium stops, looks back.
MARIUM
What?
CORE
I saw something move.
Marium looks up in the same direction.A long beat, the two of them side by side, looking up at the
ridge. The WIND makes its faint flute-noise.
CORE’S BINOCULAR POV, panning along the ridge, pausing at
various places, seeing nothing...and nothing...and nothing...
And then seeing Slone-As-Wolf, standing on the ridge, looking down at them with his bowstring already drawn back.
He lets the bowstring go and in CORE’S BINOCULAR POV it’s
perfectly silent, just the slightest twitch of movement.
CORE (CONT’D)
He’s--
There is a sound like HANDCLAP and when Core looks over--
Marium is taking a single shocked step backwards with AN
ARROW STICKING THROUGH HIS THROAT.
Core gapes in horror as--Marium flutters his hands around the shaft of the arrow, like
swatting at flies, BLOOD GURGLING OUT OF HIS MOUTH.
Core pulls him down to some kind of safety behind some ROCKS,
throwing his own body of Marium’s, trying to press his gloves over the wound...
CORE (CONT’D)
Donald.
But Marium’s already dead, his eyes fixed and startled.
Panting in terror, Core peeks over the rocks but--UP ON THE RIDGE, there is no sight of Slone or anything else.Core wrestles the RIFLE from Marium’s shoulder and...HE RUNS, awkwardly, bounding over snowy ground towards--102.THE RAVINE, yawning ahead of him.
EXT. RAVINE - SAME
Core hurtles through the passage, caroming off the icy walls,
his RASPY BREATHING making surreal echoes in here.
EXT. FLATNESS - SAME
WIDE, the small shape of Core dashes back towards the plane. AT THE CESSNA, Core arrives gasping, a MOAN of despair
leaking out of him as he sees...
THE ENGINE HOUSING has been opened, the cables and plugs
inside torn loose.
He peers inside the opened door to see...THE CONTROL PANEL has been hacked apart, INSTRUMENTS
smashed...and the RADIO WIRES have been cut.
He SCREAMS, an explosion of fury and frustration and despair.He sags against the ruined plane a moment, then notices--MARIUM’S DUFFEL, tucked under the pilot’s seat. He yanks it
out, paws it open, pitifully hopeful but...
It’s just some SOCKS. And a pint of WHISKEY. And a dog-eared
BOOK. Core turns it over...
’Preparing For Fatherhood.’ Core lets it drop back into the
bag and instead grabs the booze, swallows several gulps. He looks to the far side of the flatness, where they flew in,
the STORM filling the sky there, threateningly close.
And he looks back the other way, towards the ravine, where he
just came from.
Core stares off, his eyes gone totally empty, off in some
bleak daydream. And then...
He has a final pull of whiskey. He checks the bolt of the
rifle, ch-chk!
And he starts back towards the ravine.103.EXT. RAVINE - DAY
Core comes towards us, the rifle to his shoulder, aimed
forward. Terrified but moving at a steady, determined pace.
EXT. BELOW THE RIDGE - DAY
MARIUM’S BODY lays ahead, already frosting over. The pool of
blood under his neck is red ice.
As Core passes by, there is a HOWLING nearby, several wolf
voices joining with the shrill wind.
He glances up but...UP ON THE RIDGE, there is no movement, no sign of anyone.He continues.
EXT. THE HOT SPRING - DAY
THE STEAMING CAVE MOUTH looms ahead as...Core enters the clearing, scanning left and right with the
rifle, approaching that strange dark spot in the Earth.
More HOWLING, closer now.
INT. THE HOT SPRING - SAME
Core’s silhouette appears in the cave opening, bending to
come inside.
He blinks rapidly, edging forward, trying to adjust his eyes.There’s that WAXY SUBSTANCE in the cracks of the floor. His
eyes track it back, deeper into the cave until he sees...
SOME LIT CANDLES. Flickering in the cold breeze.And A FIRE CIRCLE, just ashes now, with the toothpick bones
of a HARE scattered beside it.
He sees CANNED FOOD stacked to one side, a dirty SLEEPING
ROLL, a small .22 RIFLE. It was Bailey’s once, wasn’t it?
He sees a PAIR OF PELT BOOTS standing next to the HOT
POOL...and then realizes that they’re connected to legs.
She’s barely visible in the dimness. Just a shape there, but
he can hear her BREATHING.104.CORE
Medora Slone.
She doesn’t answer.
CORE (CONT’D)
Are you injured?
She takes a step forward, closer to the light. Now he can see
her: dressed in animal skins, her sunken cheeks, her filthy skin and wild hair and bright, shining eyes.
CORE (CONT’D)
Listen to me...we have to leave. We have to leave now. He is coming. He’s coming for you.
The light in the cave changes and her face seems to twist as
she caws in dread.
Core turns.Slone-As-Wolf is there, his compound bow drawn back.
FWIPT!
THE ARROW PIERCES CORE THROUGH THE COLLAR-BONE, PUNCHES
THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF HIM.
Time and sound turn dreamy as he sinks to his knees, reaching
uncertainly for the arrow, afraid to actually touch it.Medora stands there with tears in her eyes.Slone-As-Wolf drops the bow, regarding her through his wolf
face, his breath steaming out of the snout.
He stalks slowly towards her. She moans but it almost sounds like relief.
He steps over Core, who watches from the cave floor as...Medora sobs, opens her arms to Slone, nodding him forward.
Come to me.
Slone reaches out, puts both hands around her throat (she is
still nodding)...
HE LIFTS HER OFF THE GROUND, SLAMS HER AGAINST THE CAVE WALL.Core’s mouth moves soundlessly, wanting to call out but
knowing that he’s dying.
Slone-As-Wolf pins Medora, his black eye holes empty and
pitiless as he squeezes her air off. 105.And still she nods, Yes, yes, yes.
He squeezes. Her mouth wags like a beached fish. Not much
longer.
But then her hands move to his mask, her fingers spidering
over the fur, pulling it back to reveal his face...
Which is full not of rage...but of bottomless tear-streaked
anguish. Their faces are inches apart. Their white-blonde hair, their
grey-gold eyes.
Core sees this. A terrible understanding.
She pulls Slone’s face to hers. Puts her mouth on his. They
breathe into each other, making animal noises of hurt and hunger.
She claws at Slone’s clothing. He claws at hers. They sink
down together, knocking the CANDLES over as they coil onto each other’s bodies.
New trickles of SPILLED CANDLE WAX snake across the cave
floor, winding past Core’s face.
He sees this happen as we...
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. THE HOT SPRING - LATERCore’s eyes open, bleary, pain-fogged. He turns his head...Vernon Slone emerges from the darkness, naked, coming towards
Core with something in his hand.
In the shadows behind him, we glimpse Medora, watching them
as she dresses.
Slone stands over Core, looking down without expression.
CORE
...the...the boots...
SLONE
What?
CORE
...they’re yours...106.Slone kneels beside him, lights the cigarettes in his hand
and holds it to Core’s mouth for a drag.
SLONE
You keep them.
Core inhales, nods gratefully, lets the smoke drizzle out.
Slone looks out towards the mouth of the cave, where the
FREEZING WIND keens and the LIGHT seems to fade.
And he turns his gaze down to Core, questioning but patient.
SLONE (CONT’D)
Well...what do you want?
Core knows what he is asking. His eyes fill with tears.He looks to Medora, who stares back at him in something
almost like tenderness.
He looks back to Slone...
FLASH TO:
CORE’S DRIPPING HANDIn the bathtub the other night, hovering over the razor.
RESUME:
He swallows painfully. Lifts his head, just a bit, to answer
with a whispered certainty...
CORE
I’d rather live.
Slone nods slowly, accepting Core’s decision. He holds the cigarette out to him for one more drag and...
SLONE YANKS THE ARROW OUT. AS CORE SCREAMS WE--
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. THE HOT SPRING - LATERCore returns to half-consciousness and sees that Slone is
dressed, packing the last of Medora’s provisions.107.Medora is beside him, bundled in layers of skins and furs,
lacing up her boots.
She notices Core is awake, straightens, looking at him the
way a parent looks at a heartbroken child.
MEDORA
(softly)
You understand about the sky now, don’t you?
He just stares back at her, his non-answer a kind of Yes.
They shoulder their packs and the rifle, stand there for a moment, solemnly staring down at Core. And then they walk past him, on out of the cave without another word.
Grunting with pain and effort, Core rolls over to see out of
the CAVE OPENING where...
OUT THERE, Slone and Medora walk away together, gradually
disappearing into a blast of snowy wind.
EXT. BELOW THE RIDGE - LATER
CORE CRAWLS. Snow and wind lash at his face, his beard is
caked with ice. He drags himself over the ground with one elbow, his other deadened arm dragging along.
But it’s a progress of inches. He’s not going to make it out
of here. His face is gnarled with the boring agony of it all.
He stops, resting his face in the snow, heaving for breath as
the weather hammers down on him.
And when he finally lifts his head again, he is not at all
surprised to see...
THE WOLVES, all of them, gathered on the ridge above him and
gazing down like some kind of council in judgment.
A quiet moment. Core and these animals.His face is too frozen for much expression...but he is not
afraid. If anything, he seems to welcome what will come next.
CUT TO BLACK.
SILENCE. And then a strange BUZZING...a motor? Coming closer?108.EXT. BELOW THE RIDGE - DAY
FRAGMENTED IMAGES, CORE’S HAZY POV: SNOW BLOWS SIDEWAYS and THUNDER RUMBLES.A GOGGLED FACE bends down towards us out of the storm,
inspecting us. And now we see...
A SNOWMOBILE, nearby, where two FIGURES are hauling a DEAD
ELK CALF off of the attached SLED.
GLOVED HANDS drag us towards this sled.
EXT. SNOWMOBILE (MOVING) - DAY
THE ENGINE RUMBLES and Core slides along the ground,
bouncing, bundled under a tarp. He cranes his neck to see...
It’s the WHITE-HAIRED YUP’IK MAN driving the snowmobile,
hunched into the wind, with his BOY riding behind him.
As they near the RAVINE, Core catches a brief glimpse of...SCRAPS OF SHREDDED
ORANGE COAT IN A SMEAR OF BLOODY SNOW.
The Boy looks back, peers at Core through his dark goggles.
Says something that can’t be heard over the engine.
CORE
...what?
THE BOY
They spared you.
Core lays back, stares up into the churning sky as...
THE SNOWMOBILE IS SWALLOWED BY THE RAVINE.
INT. HEALING HUT - SOME OTHER TIME
CORE, naked on a cot in some DARK CABIN as SEVERAL YUP’IK
WOMEN wash him by firelight.
They use plastic water bottles with holes in the caps to
squirt water over him, wiping away the blood with sponges.
Someone cleans the ARROW WOUND with alcohol, slathers
antibiotic ointment on it. Core doesn’t feel it.
The fire throws crazy shadows. The air is hazed with smoke.
His head tips sideways and he sees...109.AN OLDER BLONDE WOMAN (60s) watching from the corner without
expression. She’s tall and gaunt, in a tattered old anorak.
Tired grey-gold eyes. The only other white person here.
She comes near, looks wearily down at Core a long moment. And
then bends down to pick up...
SLONE’S BOOTS, waiting beside the cot with the rest of Core’s
blood-soaked clothes.
Core watches her turn and leave the cabin, his view of her
now obscured by the Yup’ik Women and their cleaning of him.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Clean-shaven now, Core fades back to consciousness,
disoriented and weak. Hospital sounds, beeps and murmurs.
His lips are chapped and split, the skin of his cheeks pink
and flaking, a bruise puffed under one eye. Hurts to swallow.
His eyes fall on something and he stares at it for a long,
long beat. If he never looked away, that would be fine.
A WOMAN (30s), asleep in a chair by his bedside in a holiday
sweater and horn-rimmed glasses, a newspaper in her lap.
The moment stretches, Core gazing at her in love and sadness.
CORE
Amy.
She wakes with a start, sees him, makes a smiling sob sound
of relief and concern as she rises and...
Kisses him on the cheek. Holds his hand, tightly.
AMY
What happened?
He’s smiling...but a hint of shadow falls over his face.
CORE
I’ll tell you.
CUT TO BLACK.
IN BLACKNESS, a WOLF’S HOWL carries from far away, a lone
interminable note of sorrow.
END.110. | screenplays |
morse theory has been a very powerful tool to study the topology and geometry of manifolds .
an analogue of such theory for singular stratified spaces has been developed by lazzeri @xcite , pignoni @xcite , goresky - macpherson @xcite and by many other people . for a good review of the development of stratified morse theory
, we refer readers to the article of massey @xcite .
goresky and macpherson proved the main theorem of stratified morse theory that local morse data is given as the product of the tangential and normal morse data in @xcite and have given beautiful applications of stratified morse theory to intersection cohomology and to the topology of complement of affine subspaces arrangements .
many examples of singular stratified spaces are provided by complex analytic varieties , in which case the stratified morse theory behaves much better .
for example , goresky and macpherson showed that the normal morse data of a point in the stratum is determined by the complex link up to homotopy equivalence .
also in @xcite they showed that a critical point of a morse function of a ( stratified ) complex analytic variety can be given an index , in the sense that the intersection homology of the morse data is shown to be non - vanishing only in one index ( theorem i.1.6 @xcite ) . in the case of smooth manifolds , the morse index of a critical point is given as the dimension of the unstable manifold of the negative gradient flow .
but in the ( stratified ) case of complex analytic varieties , it has not been known whether the index given from the intersection homology can be interpreted as the dimension of the unstable ( stratified ) manifold or not .
in fact , goresky and macpherson conjectured the existence of a gradient - like vector field whose dimension of unstable ( stratified ) manifold is related to the above index ( @xcite p 213 ) .
the goal of this paper is to provide the construction of this conjectural gradient - like vector field for morse functions obtained from complex analytic functions .
[ thm : main ] let @xmath7 denote a purely @xmath1-dimensional reduced complex analytic variety , on which we fix a whitney stratification @xmath8 .
let @xmath9 be a complex analytic function , and denote by @xmath10 its real part .
suppose that @xmath0 is a morse function on @xmath7 and let @xmath3 be a critical point of @xmath0 .
assume that @xmath11 is a stratum of @xmath12 .
then , there exists a stratified weakly controlled gradient - like vector field @xmath13 for @xmath0 with continuous flow and whose unstable and stable set @xmath14 and @xmath15 at @xmath3 satisfy for every @xmath16 , @xmath17 for a general critical point @xmath3 of the morse function @xmath0 , the point @xmath3 itself does not form a stratum but belongs to some @xmath18 . in this case , by restricting to a normal slice at @xmath3 , and by applying the main theorem [ thm : main ] , we obtain the following corollary , which justifies the definition of morse index in the complex analytic case .
[ cor : main ] let @xmath19 be as above .
then , there exists a stratified weakly controlled gradient - like vector field @xmath13 for @xmath0 with continuous flow such that for any critical point @xmath3 of @xmath0 , its unstable and stable set @xmath14 and @xmath15 at @xmath3 satisfy @xmath20 where @xmath21 denotes the morse index of @xmath22 at @xmath3 , @xmath4 is the stratum containing @xmath3 , and @xmath23 .
the dimension of the unstable set @xmath24 equals the morse index @xmath25 defined in the definition [ def : morind](@xcite ) .
the scheme of the proof of the main theorem is rather simple .
namely , we exploit the beautiful construction , recalled in section 5 , of the vanishing polyhedron performed by l in @xcite and modify it to construct a field on @xmath7 with the prescribed unstable set and projecting via @xmath26 onto horizontal lines in the half disc @xmath27 .
we consider then a similar construction over @xmath28 and glue them along the imaginary axis . as
the constructed field may be trivial over @xmath29 , we modify the obtained flow by combining with another contribution , built by using the submersion similar to @xmath30 , so that the resulting vector field satisfies the desired properties .
there are related recent works by misha grinberg and ursula ludwig on this conjecture and we explain them briefly in section 3 .
we hope this work to be a first step to apply modern techniques of morse theory or in general floer theory to complex analytic spaces . as a next step
we hope to construct in the near future , the morse - witten - smale complex of intersection cohomology using the construction of this paper . here is the organization of this paper . in the next section , we recall basic notions in the theory of stratified spaces . in section 3 ,
we recall previous results related to the conjecture . in section 4 and 5 ,
we explain polar curve and l s construction . in the last section
we prove the main theorem .
we would like to thank l dng trng , and misha grinberg for helpful correspondences and specially for misha grinberg , who pointed out some mistakes in the original version .
after this work was posted on the arxiv , grinberg has proved similar results but with a different method recently in @xcite .
let m be a smooth manifold and @xmath31 a closed subset endowed with a whitney stratification .
we refer readers to @xcite for the definition of whitney stratification and more details concerning stratified spaces and vector fields on them .
first , we recall the definition of morse function on @xmath7 .
[ def : mor ] a morse function @xmath32 is the restriction of a smooth function @xmath33 such that + ( a ) @xmath34 is proper and its critical values are distinct + ( b ) for each stratum @xmath35 the critical points of @xmath36 are non - degenerate + ( c ) for every such critical point @xmath37 and for every generalized tangent space @xmath38 at @xmath3 , with @xmath39 , we have @xmath40 . a gradient - like vector field for a morse function @xmath0 on a stratified space @xmath7 is a vector field @xmath13 such that its restriction @xmath41 to each stratum @xmath4 is a gradient - like vector field for @xmath42 , that is : + ( a ) for each critical point @xmath3 of @xmath42 there is a neighbourhood @xmath43 of @xmath3 in @xmath4 and a chart @xmath44 in @xmath45 where @xmath46 is in standard form @xmath47 where @xmath5 is the dimension of @xmath4 and @xmath21 is the morse index of @xmath22 at @xmath3 + ( b ) @xmath48 for @xmath49 in the complex analytic case , the following definition of index has been introduced in @xcite .
[ def : morind ] let @xmath32 be a morse function on a purely @xmath1-dimensional whitney stratified space @xmath7 and let @xmath3 be a critical point of @xmath0 belonging to a stratum @xmath4 of dimension @xmath5 ; we define the morse index of @xmath3 as @xmath50 where @xmath21 is the standard morse index of @xmath22 at @xmath3 .
we recall that goresky and macpherson ( see again @xcite and also @xcite)has related the vanishing of the intersection homology of a morse pair to the index of a critical point , extending to the stratified case the analogous classical theorem for morse theory on smooth manifolds , after replacing singular homology with intersection homology .
@xcite for a proper morse function @xmath32 on a whitney stratified complex analytic variety @xmath7 with a critical point @xmath3 with critical value @xmath51 , the intersection homology @xmath52 of morse data at @xmath3 vanishes for all @xmath53 .
we recall briefly the definitions of control data , controlled vector field and controlled lift .
( see @xcite or @xcite for more details . )
let @xmath7 be a real @xmath54 manifold with a whitney stratification @xmath55 .
let @xmath56 be a stratum , and let @xmath57 be an open neighborhood of @xmath4 in @xmath7 .
a tubular projection @xmath58 is a smooth submersion which is a retraction , and satisfies @xmath59 .
control data on @xmath60 is a collection @xmath61 , where @xmath62 is a tubular projection , and @xmath63 is continuous function with @xmath64 with the following properties : 1 . for each pair of strata @xmath65 with @xmath66 we have @xmath67 ( that is , @xmath68 ) ; 2 . for each pair of strata @xmath65 with @xmath68 ,
the map @xmath69 is smooth and submersive ; 3 . for any two strata @xmath70 with @xmath68 , the following compatibility conditions hold @xmath71 for any @xmath72 with @xmath73 .
two control data @xmath61 and @xmath74 are equivalent over @xmath4 if there exists a neighbourhood @xmath75 such that @xmath76 @xmath77 we will say that @xmath60 endowed with an equivalence class of control data @xmath61 is a controlled space . control data @xmath61 on @xmath60 are said to be compatible with a stratified map @xmath78 , where @xmath79 is a manifold with its trivial stratification , if for every stratum @xmath4 and all @xmath80 @xmath81 for every whitney stratified space @xmath7 ( and every smooth stratified submersion @xmath78 to a manifold @xmath79 ) there exist control data ( compatible with @xmath82 ) .
a vector field @xmath83 over a controlled space @xmath7 is said to be controlled if there exist control data @xmath61 of @xmath7 such that for every @xmath68 @xmath84 @xmath85 given @xmath7 , @xmath79 and @xmath82 as above , there exists for every smooth vector field @xmath86 a controlled vector field @xmath83 such that @xmath87 as a special case we have : if @xmath88 and @xmath13 is a vector field on @xmath4 , then it can be lifted to a controlled vector field on @xmath57 .
we will also use a slightly different definition of controlled conditions , which we explain now : [ control ] a vector field @xmath83 over a controlled space @xmath7 is said to be weakly controlled if there exist control data @xmath61 of @xmath7 such that for every @xmath68 @xmath84 @xmath89 for some positive constant @xmath90 ( weak ) control conditions are interesting because they ensure that a vector field which satisfies them has a continuous flow and its gradient lines do not leave a stratum in finite time ( see @xcite ) .
however we need weak controllability to allow gradient lines to approach a point on a stratum of smaller dimension in an infinite time , which would not be possible with the standard controllability .
we also recall the weakly lipschitz condition introduced by verdier in @xcite ( in @xcite , it is called verdier condition ) .
let @xmath90 be a subanalytic set of an euclidean vector space @xmath13 and @xmath91 a whitney stratification of @xmath90 : we say that a function @xmath92 is weakly lipschitz if for every stratum @xmath35 , @xmath93 is smooth and for every @xmath94 there exists a neighbourhood @xmath95 of @xmath96 in @xmath13 and a constant @xmath97 such that for every @xmath98 and for every @xmath99 @xmath100 a weakly lipschitz function is continuous but in general is not lipschitz .
the above definition can be extended to maps between analytic varieties by requiring the condition to hold locally and to vector - valued functions by imposing it to each component .
if @xmath7 is an analytic variety , @xmath90 a subanalytic set of @xmath7 endowed with a whitney stratification @xmath12 , we say that a stratified vector field @xmath13 on @xmath90 is weakly lipschitz if for every local immersion @xmath101 of @xmath7 into a smooth manifold @xmath102 , the vector field induced by @xmath13 on @xmath103 is a weakly lipschitz section .
we recall the theorem of verdier ( @xcite ) which shows the usefulness of weakly lipschitz condition .
a stratified weakly lipschitz vector field on a closed subanalytic set admits a flow which is stratum preserving and is also weakly lipschitz .
one of the main tools we use in this paper is the well - known thom - mather isotopy lemma : let @xmath78 be a proper controlled submersion ( that is , @xmath82 is proper , controlled and its restriction to each stratum is submersive ) , then there exists a covering of @xmath79 by open subsets @xmath95 such that for each @xmath95 there is a stratified space @xmath104 and an isomorphism of stratified spaces @xmath105 such that @xmath106 .
we say that @xmath82 is locally trivial .
we explain previous results of ludwig @xcite and grinberg @xcite and their relations to this work .
first , ludwig has constructed a version of morse - smale - witten homology on a stratified space whose homology is isomorphic to singular homology , _ not _ intersection homology .
@xcite let @xmath7 be a compact abstract stratified space and @xmath107 a stratified morse pair satisfying the morse - smale condition .
then there is an isomorphism @xmath108 the morse - smale - witten homology above is defined by a `` morse pair '' which needs a few explanations : on a compact abstract stratified space , defined as a stratified space admitting a controlled system ( observe that , as a consequence , these spaces , of which whitney stratified spaces are examples , possess a locally cone - like structure ) she first considers a somewhat general class of morse " functions .
more precisely , a point @xmath3 in a stratum @xmath4 is critical for a function @xmath0 if the restriction @xmath22 has a critical point at @xmath3 , and it is a non - degenerate critical point if it is non - degenerate both in the tangential and normal direction .
she considers stratified metrics @xmath109 which are in some sense compatible with the given control systems , and whose existence is shown , to construct the stratified gradient vector field @xmath110 of a function @xmath0 .
she defines a critical point to be non - degenerate if , not only it is non - degenerate for @xmath22 but also if there exists a control system with respect to which @xmath110 is a radial extension of @xmath111 . by radial extension of a vector field @xmath112 on @xmath4
it is meant a vector field @xmath13 extending @xmath112 to @xmath57 as sum of a controlled lift of @xmath112 to @xmath57 , a stratified bounded vector field on @xmath57 with factor @xmath113 and a controlled lift by @xmath114 of the vector field @xmath115 on @xmath116 . note that due to the part @xmath115 , non - degenerate stratified gradient vector field @xmath110 are forced to have a flow to go only from larger to smaller strata .
( this asymmetry seems to be related to the non - existence of poincar duality on singular homology ) now a stratified morse pair is a pair @xmath107 , where @xmath0 has no degenerate critical points and @xmath110 is a controlled vector field with respect to some control system . in @xcite
the existence of such stratified morse pair is proved . as the flows go only from larger to smaller strata ,
the unstable set is a smooth submanifold contained in the stratum @xmath4 to which @xmath3 belongs ( whose dimension so is well - defined and used as morse index of the point @xmath3 ) , while the stable set is a stratified space . with some transversality assumptions as in the smooth case ,
a morse - smale - witten homology is constructed and showed to be isomorphic to singular homology .
however a generic morse function does not define a morse pair : consider a stratified space @xmath7 which is given by two 2-spheres glued at a single point , say @xmath3 , which we regard as a singular stratum .
then , a function @xmath0 on @xmath102 gives rise to a morse pair only if @xmath0 has a local minimum at the singular stratum @xmath3 . and
in the case @xmath0 gives rise to a morse pair , @xmath117 does not . in our case
, instead we fix any morse function and construct a gradient - like vector field with respect to this function .
also , we expect that such an approach , in the complex analytic case , will eventually provide a morse - smale - witten complex for intersection homology ( instead of singular homology ) .
now , we explain the result of grinberg @xcite . there the main purpose is the construction of a self - indexing morse function for a complex stratified space , which was proved by means of the following theorem .
@xcite let @xmath118 , @xmath119 an algebraic whitney stratification of @xmath7 , @xmath120 and @xmath121 an open subset of the set of non - degenerate covectors at @xmath3 ( that is , those covectors which does not annihilate any generalized tangent plane at @xmath3 ) .
then there exists @xmath122 , which may be considered as a linear function @xmath32 , a closed ball @xmath123 around @xmath3 and a closed real semi - algebraic set @xmath124 such that 1 .
@xmath125 for every @xmath126 ; 2 .
@xmath127 ; 3 . for every open @xmath128 there exists an @xmath119-preserving @xmath129-like vector field @xmath13 on @xmath123 with stable and unstable sets contained in @xmath95 ( here an @xmath119-preserving gradient - like vector field is a controlled gradient - like vector field with respect to some control system ) . in other words
, the theorem proves that the stable and unstable sets of the covector @xmath0 can be made sufficiently close to a subset @xmath130 having the expected dimension as in the conjecture ( theorem [ thm : main ] ) .
but the theorem does not provide the actual dimension of the stable and unstable sets .
in other words , as grinberg himself states , it solves the conjecture `` up to a fuzz '' .
however this result was enough to prove the existence of a self - indexing morse function : @xcite every proper , non - singular , whitney stratified complex analytic variety admits a self - indexing morse function .
for the rest of this paper , we denote by @xmath7 a purely @xmath1-dimensional reduced complex analytic subvariety of some complex analytic manifold @xmath102 ( unless specified otherwise ) , on which we fix a whitney stratification @xmath8 ( whose existence was proved by whitney himself in @xcite ) .
let @xmath9 be a complex analytic function and suppose @xmath131 is a morse function and @xmath3 a critical point of @xmath0 and also assume that @xmath132 for simplicity .
we now recall the notion of polar curve , which provides an essential and convenient tool to carry out inductive arguments for complex analytic varieties .
the following result , proved in different generality , by hamm and l in @xcite and by l in @xcite ( see also chapter 7 of the book @xcite , @xcite or @xcite theorem 1.1 ) : [ h1 ] there exists an open dense zariski subset @xmath133 in the space of hyperplanes through @xmath3 such that for every @xmath134 we have that : + ( 1 ) there is an open neighborhood @xmath135 such that @xmath136 is transversal in @xmath95 to every stratum @xmath35 of @xmath8 with @xmath137 except maybe @xmath11 if it is a stratum ; + ( 2 ) chosen a linear form @xmath138 defining @xmath136 , consider the map @xmath139 @xmath140 then for any stratum @xmath35 with @xmath137 the set @xmath141 where @xmath142 is the set of critical points of the restriction of @xmath143 to the smooth part of @xmath144 , is either empty or a reduced curve .
furthermore , @xmath145 properly intersects @xmath29 at @xmath3 , i.e. @xmath3 is an isolated point in @xmath146 .
this theorem leads to the defintions of so called polar curve and cerf diagram : we fix @xmath147 given in the theorem [ h1 ] .
we call @xmath148 the polar curve of @xmath26 at @xmath3 relatively to the stratification @xmath8 .
if @xmath149 is non - empty , for a suitable choice of @xmath95 , @xmath150 is an analytic curve in an open set of @xmath151 , which is called the cerf s diagram of @xmath143 at @xmath3 relatively to the stratification @xmath8 .
now we discuss the relation between a morse function and hyperplane sections .
[ lem : restmor ] let @xmath152 be a morse function on a complex analytic subspace @xmath7 of some complex analytic manifold @xmath102 as above .
then , there exists a dense subset @xmath153 in the space of hyperplanes through @xmath3 such that , for all @xmath154 , the function @xmath155 is also a morse function .
suppose not .
then it is easy to see that condition @xmath156 in definition [ def : mor ] fails to hold for @xmath155 for a generic choice of @xmath136 .
first , suppose that the union @xmath95 of all generalized tangent spaces at @xmath3 is a subspace of a complex subspace @xmath157 , where @xmath158 .
then , for any generalized tangent plane @xmath38 , @xmath159 for generic @xmath136 , hence condition @xmath156 trivially holds .
hence , we may suppose that @xmath160 as @xmath95 is a complex vector space .
but the failure of condition @xmath156 implies the existence of a nonzero vector @xmath161 such that @xmath162 . as we can choose a dense family of hyperplanes @xmath136 , we can find a dense family of vectors @xmath163 with such property .
as @xmath164 is a linear function , this implies the vanishing of @xmath164 on @xmath38 , providing a contradiction . in this paper , we will choose hyperplanes in @xmath165 .
polar curve has provided very useful tool to study singular complex analytic spaces .
the famous fibration theorem of milnor has been generalized by l in @xcite .
it is useful to consider neighborhoods which are not balls but polydiscs , as done by l in the following topological preparation theorem .
@xcite let @xmath166 . for simplicity ,
we suppose @xmath167 . for all @xmath168 , @xmath169 and for all @xmath170 , @xmath171 , @xmath172 ,
the morphism @xmath143 induces a mapping of @xmath173 on @xmath174 which induces an topological fibration of @xmath175 on @xmath176 , moreover the projection onto @xmath177 composed with @xmath143 induces a map on @xmath178 onto @xmath177 which induces a topological fibration above @xmath179 isomorphic to that of local fibration theorem .
we also recall that a complex analytic function @xmath180 has an isolated singularity at @xmath96 if for all complex analytic extension @xmath181 of @xmath109 in an open neighborhood @xmath95 of @xmath96 in @xmath102 , the intersection of the image of the section @xmath182 and the conormal space @xmath183 in @xmath184 is an isolated point .
the critical points of a morse function are isolated singularites and we refer to @xcite or @xcite for more details .
for the main construction of this paper , we recall briefly parts of l s constructions in @xcite and @xcite . the construction in this section is entirely due to l and we refer readers to @xcite for its full details .
consider the map @xmath185 from theorem [ h1 ] .
l has shown how to define a polyhedron which contains essential information of each fiber @xmath186 ( see figure [ fig1 ] ) , by working explicitly with polar curves .
fix @xmath187 so that the fibration theorem of @xcite holds and that @xmath26 has rank one in such a neighborhood .
we denote ( for @xmath188 ) @xmath189 @xmath190 @xcite let @xmath9 be a complex analytic function on a purely @xmath1-dimensional reduced complex analytic variety .
suppose @xmath7 is closed in an open subset of @xmath191 for some @xmath79 and endowed with a whitney stratification @xmath119 .
suppose @xmath26 has an isolated singularity at @xmath120 and for simplicity that @xmath192 .
then for @xmath168 and @xmath193 such that @xmath194 and for all @xmath195 , there exists in @xmath196 a polyhedron @xmath197 of real dimension @xmath198 compatible with @xmath119 ( that is , the interior of each simplex is contained in some stratum of @xmath119 ) and a continuous stratified simplicial map @xmath199 such that @xmath196 is the mapping cylinder of @xmath200 .
moreover , there exists also a continuous simplicial map @xmath201 sending @xmath197 onto @xmath3 and inducing a stratified homeomorphism from @xmath202 onto @xmath203 .
we point out a few differences between l s theorem and the construction of gradient - like vector fields in this paper .
the flow @xmath204 over a line in @xmath177 in @xcite is constructed away from the collapsing polyhedron using a gradient - like vector field .
we show how to extend such a flow to that of vanishing polyhedron along a line in the next section .
l also discussed an extension of the theorem on a semidisc but with flows converging to the singular point @xmath3 .
this increases the dimension of the unstable set and is not appropriate for our purpose .
moreover , on @xmath205 , the vector field is not defined .
in fact , a possibly natural extension may provides identically vanishing vector field on @xmath205 , which is not a gradient - like vector field .
later , we show how to overcome these difficulties using the additional morse condition while keeping the unstable set as the collapsing polyhedron as in l s theorem .
the construction in @xcite is given by induction on the complex dimension of @xmath7 with the following hypothesis : [ ind ] for all @xmath206 , there exist in @xmath196 1 .
a polyhedron @xmath197 ( called vanishing polyhedron ) , adapted to the stratification @xmath12 and whose real dimension is @xmath207 .
2 . a vector field @xmath208 defined on all @xmath196 , tangent to each stratum of + @xmath209 induced by @xmath119 , with @xmath210 , that is continuous , weakly lipschitz , and non - zero on @xmath209 , transverse to strata of @xmath211 ( and toward interior ) , and zero on @xmath197 .
also we suppose that the flow given by the vector field defines a continuous , surjective , simplicial map of @xmath211 onto @xmath197 and that @xmath212 is the mapping cylinder of such map . in the case when @xmath213 , it is easy to see that the induction hypothesis holds true .
first , we explain the case of @xmath214 in more detail closely following @xcite and explain the modifications for general inductive construction . for simplicity ,
suppose that @xmath192 and @xmath215 for all @xmath216 .
from the topological preparation theorem ( @xcite ) , we can replace @xmath196 by @xmath217 .
the subset @xmath218 is naturally stratified and we denote by @xmath219 its stratification . for convenience , we set @xmath220 and also denote by @xmath221 the map induced by the morphism @xmath143 ( or the linear form @xmath222 ) which is surjective . by the definition of cerf diagram ,
the restriction of @xmath223 to the strata of @xmath219 is of maximal rank at all the points of @xmath224 , where @xmath225 .
the number of intersections between the cerf diagram @xmath121 and @xmath226 is finite and is denoted as @xmath227 .
note also that we have a topological covering of @xmath228 on @xmath229 .
we remark that here it exists also a case where the polar curve does not exist . in @xcite ,
this trivial case has not been discussed , but in such a case , as the map @xmath143 is submersive away from @xmath3 , the proof can be carried out without much difficulty .
fix a point @xmath230 .
consider simple paths from @xmath231 contained in the interior of @xmath226 whose end points are @xmath232 so that @xmath231 is the unique common point of these paths ( see figure 1 ) .
we call @xmath233 these paths between @xmath231 and @xmath232 . denote by @xmath234 the union of such paths . and @xmath197 in dimension two , ( b ) vector field @xmath235,height=2 ]
we can also construct in @xmath226 a @xmath54 vector field which we call @xmath235 and which vanishes on @xmath234 , tranverse to @xmath236 , toward interior , integrable .
we may also assume that its flow @xmath237 defines a map @xmath238 , by defining @xmath239 for all @xmath240 , that is surjective and continuous , simplicial and differentiable in the interior of each simplices .
as @xmath223 is a covering above @xmath241 , we can lift a vector field @xmath235 to the vector field @xmath208 , differentiable on @xmath242 , vanishing on @xmath243 , continuous on @xmath218 , integrable and transverse to @xmath244 and toward interior .
also , if @xmath245 is the flow associated to @xmath208 , we have a continuous and surjective map @xmath246 that is simplicial and differentiable on the interior of each simplex , and @xmath218 is the mapping cylinder of @xmath200 . in the case of dimension two , the polyhedron @xmath197 is defined as @xmath243 which is naturally stratified by the stratification induced by @xmath219 .
parametrized version of the construction in the previous subsection has been carried out in @xcite in two ways .
one is for @xmath247 along a curve @xmath248 converging to @xmath3 .
the other is over a semi - disc containing such @xmath249 .
the first case is explained here to define a collapsing cone , and for the second case , we refer to the general case of the induction .
consider @xmath177 and a simple path @xmath249 which joins @xmath250 and @xmath251 and which is transverse to @xmath252 .
we can make the construction of the vector field @xmath208 simultaneously for all @xmath247 along @xmath253 .
we can choose the common point @xmath231 to be for example , the barycenter of the points @xmath227 .
the projection onto @xmath177 induces a covering of @xmath121 onto @xmath177 that is only ramified at @xmath250 .
therefore , the inverse image of @xmath254 defines @xmath255 curves on @xmath121 each of which is diffeomorphic to @xmath254 by the projection onto @xmath177 .
such simple curve has @xmath250 in its closure and connects to each @xmath232 . in the same way
, @xmath231 gives another distinct simple path @xmath256 whose projection to @xmath177 induces a diffeomorphism to @xmath249 outside @xmath250 .
we can also choose the path @xmath233 such that @xmath257 forms differentiable triangle in @xmath258 outside @xmath250 .
the triangles @xmath259 have in common only the simple path @xmath256 given by @xmath231 .
we can construct the vector fields @xmath260 continuous on @xmath261 , differentiable on @xmath262 , vanishing on @xmath263 , transverse to @xmath264 , whose projection to @xmath249 is zero and inducing a flow @xmath265 which defines a map @xmath266 by @xmath267 for all @xmath268 , that is continuous , surjective , simplicial , and differentiable in the interior of each simplex ( see figure ( [ fig2 ] ) : this is a simplified figure and the triangles @xmath259 may not be linear as in the figure as the points @xmath269 changes along @xmath253 ) . and its contracting neighborhoods @xmath270,height=211 ]
we denote for all @xmath271 by @xmath272 the closed neighborhood of @xmath38 defined by @xmath273 where @xmath274 is a differentiable manifold which has a projection onto @xmath249 with a circle as fiber . as @xmath143 has maximal rank away from the cerf diagram @xmath121 , the space @xmath275 is a differentiable submanifold of @xmath178 that is a proper local trivial fibration on @xmath249 .
set @xmath276 .
we construct a vector field on @xmath277 in the following way .
we fix some @xmath278 . 1 .
if @xmath279 , there exists an open neighborhood @xmath280 of @xmath281 in @xmath282 that does not meet the closed set @xmath283 .
we define in @xmath280 a @xmath54 vector fields @xmath284 that lifts a differentiable vector field @xmath285 which is not zero on @xmath249 and which takes @xmath286 to @xmath250 in a finite time @xmath287 .
if @xmath288 , there exists an open neighborhood @xmath280 of @xmath281 in @xmath289 that does not intersect @xmath290 and in it , one can construct a vector field @xmath284 that lifts a vector field @xmath285 , defined in @xmath291 , and that is tangent to @xmath292 for all @xmath293 .
we cover thus @xmath277 by the open sets @xmath280 with the vector fields @xmath284 in each of them and by considering a partition of unity @xmath294 subordinate to the covering @xmath280 , we define the vector field @xmath295 . such a vector field is differentiable in @xmath277 , lifts @xmath285 and is tangent to @xmath292 for @xmath293 .
the flow @xmath296 \times z \to z$ ] defined on @xmath297 gives a @xmath54 diffeomorphism of @xmath298 onto @xmath299 which extends to a continuous mapping of @xmath300 to @xmath301 sending @xmath302 to @xmath303 .
@xmath290 is called the collapsing cone above @xmath249 .
l also constructed collapsing cone over the semi - disc @xmath304 along the angular rays as described in ( [ eqfoli ] ) , which he used in the inductive construction(@xcite ) .
the general inductive construction which is explained in great detail in @xcite is quite involved and we only give a brief scketch of some parts of them .
suppose that @xmath305 and that the induction hypothesis is verified in all dimensions of the situation of dimension @xmath306 . to prove the induction statement for @xmath7 with @xmath307 , l used the induction hypothesis at two different parts of @xmath7 as follows : first consider @xmath308 which is an isolated critical point over @xmath309 .
consider also @xmath310 and simple paths @xmath233 in @xmath226 as in the case of dimension two .
we further suppose that @xmath311 because @xmath312 is not a component of @xmath121 when @xmath166 ( otherwise , this violates the isolated singularity condition ) .
firstly , we restrict @xmath7 to a hyperplane in @xmath133 defined by @xmath313 .
the restriction @xmath314 is of dimension @xmath315 and we may apply the induction hypothesis for the restricted function @xmath316 .
the fiber @xmath317 have a vanishing polyhedron @xmath318 and a vector field that we call @xmath319 . on the other hand , by taking a sufficiently small ball @xmath320 of the critical value @xmath232 , we consider the projection @xmath321 which has also an isolated singularity at @xmath322 .
as we have @xmath323 , we can again apply the induction hypothesis and we obtain a vanishing polyhedron @xmath324 at the point @xmath325 , and also a collapsing cone of @xmath326 along @xmath327 , which we denote by @xmath328 .
the above two polyhedra @xmath318 and @xmath328 are to be connected along the path @xmath233 from @xmath329 to @xmath310 .
this is done by flowing the polyhedra @xmath326 along a vector field @xmath330 to @xmath318 where it will be glued to .
we set @xmath331 .
note that above @xmath332 , the morphism @xmath223 induces a stratified fibration which is locally trivial .
in fact , over the @xmath333 , l considers a controlled vector field @xmath334 that is tangent to each stratum , weakly lipschitz and lifts a @xmath54 vector fields @xmath335 which is a non - zero vector field on @xmath332 and whose flow goes from @xmath329 to @xmath250 .
then , the vector fields @xmath319 of @xmath336 is tranported onto all the fibers of @xmath337 for all @xmath338 via the flow @xmath334 , and we obtain the vector field @xmath339 on @xmath340 whose restriction to @xmath336 is the field @xmath319 and the restriction to @xmath337 is a vector field on @xmath337 .
consider a differentiable function @xmath82 on @xmath332 that takes value 0 at 0 and which is non - zero and positive on @xmath341 .
we regard @xmath82 as a function on @xmath342 . on @xmath343
, we have a field @xmath344 which is weakly lipschitz , tangent to each stratum of @xmath345 and which lifts @xmath346 .
the image of @xmath324 under the flow of @xmath330 is also a subpolyhedron @xmath347 of @xmath318 .
the trajectories of points of @xmath324 by @xmath348 yield a polyhedron @xmath349 .
we define thus a polyhedron @xmath350 and the vanishing polyhedron @xmath197 is defined by @xmath351 the vector field @xmath208 , which is the contracting vector field to the vanishing polyhedron , can be constructed , and we refer readers to @xcite for its construction . in this subsection , we briefly recall the parametrized construction of the above over the semi - disk @xmath352 exposed in @xcite .
recall that the collapsing cone @xmath38 along @xmath353 constructed in section 5.2 is of real dimension two .
similarly on @xmath304 , we first construct the three dimensional @xmath38 as follows .
consider in @xmath354 the cerf diagrams @xmath355 , which projects differentiably onto @xmath304 away from @xmath250 .
denote its intersection points with each fiber over @xmath356 as @xmath232 for @xmath357 . for each @xmath356 , take @xmath310 to be the barycenter of critical values @xmath232 ( we assume that this does not lie on the cerf diagram ) , and choose paths @xmath233 from @xmath310 to @xmath232 continously on @xmath247 .
then , for each @xmath358 , we obtain a set @xmath359 the @xmath360 s have in common the intersection @xmath361 .
we set @xmath362 , which is a three dimensional figure with ribs given by @xmath259 s .
the collapsing polyhedron of @xcite is constructed in the following way . in ( 5.3.2 ) of @xcite , for each critical point @xmath322 of @xmath143 above the critical value @xmath232 with @xmath356 , l chooses a radius @xmath363 such that @xmath364 provides a sharp neighborhood of @xmath365 . here
, sharp means that the neighborhood shrinks to @xmath3 or the radius converges to @xmath250 as @xmath247 approaches @xmath250 .
we may assume that each @xmath366 is disjoint and their closures meet at @xmath3 .
one chooses such @xmath367 as a real analytic function of @xmath368 . for this , consider ( as in ( 5.3.3 ) of @xcite ) a real analytic function @xmath369 with @xmath370 for @xmath356 and define in @xmath151 the set @xmath371 also , consider a sharp ( and sufficiently small ) neighborhood @xmath95 of @xmath372 which meets @xmath373 for @xmath374 but does not intersect @xmath232 .
as @xmath95 does not meet the cerf diagram , l uses the trivialization of @xmath375 over @xmath304 . in this setting , l may repeat the inductive construction of the previous subsection to define the collapsing polyhedron for all @xmath356 simultaneously .
the collapsing vector field @xmath376 is also analogously constructed .
we refer readers to @xcite for more details .
let @xmath3 be a critical point of @xmath0 .
after restricting to a normal slice through @xmath3 , we can suppose the set @xmath11 to form a 0-dimensional stratum .
we assume for simplicity that @xmath377 .
here is the slightly stronger form of the main theorem [ thm : main ] .
[ thm : normal ] with the above hypothesis , there exists a stratified weakly controlled gradient - like vector field @xmath13 near @xmath3 for @xmath0 with continuous flow and whose unstable and stable set @xmath14 and @xmath15 at @xmath3 satisfy for every @xmath16 , @xmath378 moreover they satisfy @xmath379 for the case @xmath380 , the theorem can be proved without much difficulty and we first explain this case , that is @xmath381 , before proving the general case . as we consider only the neighborhood of @xmath3 , we may assume that @xmath7 is given the stratification @xmath382 recall that @xmath383 since the function @xmath0 is morse and @xmath11 is a stratum of @xmath12 .
consider @xmath384 and the map @xmath385 .
as @xmath386 is of complex dimension one , and @xmath387 , @xmath26 defines a holomorphic map which is a local diffeomorphism except at @xmath3 . one can easily check that induced flows are parallel to the @xmath96-axis and , particularly , that the only gradient lines which can have the origin as limit point are those contained in the @xmath96-axis .
also one can check that the flow of the vector field takes infinite time to approach the point @xmath250 if one starts at negative real axis .
now , we consider a map @xmath391 , which is submersive .
hence , we can take a controlled lift @xmath392 of the vector field @xmath388 by the map @xmath26 with respect to some control system on @xmath7 , i.e. we have @xmath393 .
the lifted vector field @xmath392 may be considered a continuous vector field on @xmath7 by defining @xmath394 .
( in fact @xmath395 near @xmath3 may considred as one stratum , any lift is a controlled lift . ) to make sure that the vector field @xmath13 is weakly controlled at @xmath3 , let @xmath396 be the distance function in the chosen control system of @xmath7 .
the first condition @xmath397 is trivially satisfied as @xmath398 is the projection onto @xmath399 . to meet the condition @xmath400 for some @xmath90
, we may multiply a smooth function @xmath401 of @xmath396 vanishing at @xmath3 to the constructed vector field @xmath392 to obtain new vector field @xmath402 . by a suitable choice of @xmath401
the second condition also can be satisfied , while the trajectories of @xmath392 equal the trajectories of @xmath13 as sets .
it is easy to see that the stable and unstable set of the vector field @xmath13 on @xmath7 are real one dimensional sets which are given by several half - lines with common vertex @xmath3 .
hence , this proves the theorem for the case @xmath380 .
now , we consider the general case @xmath403 .
the proof consists of the following steps .
the first step is to consider l s construction of the collapsing polyhedron @xmath290 and the contracting vector field @xmath376 over a semi - disc @xmath404 , and use it to lift the vector field ( [ stvf ] ) .
this vector field on @xmath304 is different from that of l , it will provide a gradient - like flow over @xmath405 whose unstable set of the critical point will be given by the collapsing polyhedron over the negative real axis . here to show that such a flow is well - defined along the collapsing polyhedron , we need to modify the construction of l , to find a special lifting of the vector field in @xmath304 in a neighborhood of @xmath290 .
the second step is to consider an analogous construction over a semi - disc @xmath28 , and glue them along the intersection @xmath406 .
the final step is to have the additional construction of a vector field in a neighborhood @xmath407 of @xmath408 , then the final vector field will be obtained by partition of unity and will prove the main theorem . 1 .
following @xcite , we consider parametrized constructions of a vanishing polyhedron @xmath197 in @xmath186 and a contractible vector field @xmath208 for all @xmath356 , and denote the resulting collapsing polyhedron as @xmath290 and the contracting vector field as @xmath376 . by integrating the flow of @xmath376
, we define a closed neighborhood @xmath409 of @xmath290 as in @xcite .
2 . consider a sharp neighborhood of @xmath290 which is defined as @xmath410 over @xmath304 , and consider a map @xmath411 which is a submersion .
3 . using the trivialization obtained by applying thom - mather isotopy lemma to @xmath26 , we redefine the collapsing polyhedron @xmath412 , and contracting vector field @xmath413 ( and denote it again by @xmath290 and @xmath376 for simplicity ) 4 .
consider the standard vector field ( [ stvf ] ) on @xmath304 , and define a specific lifting to @xmath414 which is tangent to @xmath409 away from @xmath290 , so that the lifted vector field extends continously on @xmath290 and can be integrated .
following @xcite the construction of collapsing cone over the semi - disk , we have a collapsing polyhedron @xmath290 and a contracting vector field @xmath376 on @xmath416 , which is continuous , weakly lipschitz , vanishing at @xmath290 and its associated flow provides a continuous strata preserving map @xmath417 which sends @xmath418 to itself .
we denote by @xmath419 the following part of the boundary of @xmath416 : @xmath420 we remark that the vector field @xmath376 is transverse to @xmath419 on which it points inward , moreover its projection under @xmath26 vanishes .
we may define the closed neighborhood of @xmath290 by @xmath421 it is not hard to see that @xmath422 is still a submersion from the morse condition of @xmath0 in the stratified settting .
the main purpose of the contracting vector field @xmath376 is to construct the above closed neighborhood @xmath409 , so that one can define a flow preserving these levels determined by @xmath409 .
l then considers ( as in section 5.2 ) a lifting the vector field on @xmath304 whose flow converges to @xmath250 and whose trajectories provides a foliation of @xmath304 given by the lines @xmath423 where @xmath424 \ } \;\;\;\ ; \textrm{for } \ ; \frac{\pi}{2 } <
\theta < \frac{3\pi}{2}.\ ] ] ( see figure ( [ fig3 ] ) ( a ) ) .
such a lifting is used to define a mapping sending @xmath425 to @xmath426 instead , we make a similar construction over the semi - disc @xmath304 , but considering the standard vector field @xmath388 of ( [ stvf ] ) whose trajectory gives the foliation of @xmath304 by the horizontal lines ( figure ( [ fig3])(b ) ) @xmath427 we remark that the cerf diagram does not intersect @xmath428 , hence none of the @xmath429 s .
this finishes procedure ( 1 ) .
there is a subtle point in lifting the vector field .
l s construction of the lifting as in section 5.2 is actually carried out away from the collapsing polyhedron .
hence l obtains a map from @xmath430 to @xmath426 via a flow which , however , is not shown to extend over @xmath290 , as the lifted vector field may not have a limit toward the collapsing polyhedron @xmath290 .
( intuitively , it seems clear that such a vector field should extend over @xmath290 but it turns out to be rather subtle ) . in our case
, we would like to define the vector field everywhere , hence we proceed in a slightly different way to prove the extension .
we now explain procedure ( 2 ) . instead of @xmath409 ,
we consider a sharp neighorhood by changing @xmath90 to @xmath431 as we approach the point @xmath3 . by sharp ,
we mean that the neighborhood shrinks to the point @xmath3 as we approach it .
namely , we may set @xmath432 for each @xmath433 or define @xmath434 as @xmath435 is still a proper submersion , by the thom - mather isotopy lemma , we obtain a stratified trivialization @xmath436 via @xmath26 , where @xmath437 for the given @xmath438 , so that the projection of @xmath439 to the first component equals the map @xmath26 .
we may regard polar curves as additional stratas and that this trivialization preserves these stratras also . given this trivialization
, we will construct a new collapsing polyhedron denoted by @xmath412 and a new contracting vector field denoted by @xmath413 , using @xmath197 and @xmath208 for @xmath440 .
this is somewhat unsatisfactory but otherwise we do not know how to construct a gradient - like vector field which extends to @xmath290 . via the trivialization @xmath439 we consider parallel transports of the vanishing polyhedron @xmath197 and the contracting vector field @xmath441 over @xmath304 and
define the collapsing polyhedron @xmath412 and the contracting vector field @xmath413 in @xmath442 , and hence in @xmath443 .
note that parallel transport sends a point of the polar curve to another point of the polar curve .
this provides a new collapsing polyhedron @xmath412 , which a priori may be different from @xmath290 , but over a contractible set @xmath304 these should contain equivalent informations .
also , we may extend @xmath413 from @xmath443 to @xmath416 so that it is continuous , weakly lipschitz , transverse to @xmath444 , pointing inward and whose flow provides a retraction onto @xmath412 .
we may also assume that with the new vector field @xmath413 , the time it takes for the flow from @xmath444 to @xmath443 is a smooth function on @xmath445 .
this is procedure ( 3 ) .
we now fix @xmath446 and call it again by @xmath290 and @xmath376 for simplicity of expressions . 1 .
if @xmath448 for @xmath449 , there exists an open neighborhood @xmath280 of @xmath281 in @xmath416 that does not meet the closed set @xmath450 . in @xmath280 , we define a @xmath54 vector field @xmath451 as a lifting of the differentiable vector field @xmath388 .
if @xmath452 , there exists an open neighborhood @xmath280 of @xmath281 in @xmath453 where @xmath454 is constructed in the same way as @xmath443 with @xmath455 instead . hence @xmath280 does not intersect @xmath290 and in it , one can construct a vector field @xmath451 that lifts a vector field @xmath388 and that is tangent to @xmath456 for all @xmath457 .
the lifting exists as @xmath143 is submersive away from the polar curve .
if @xmath458 , we find a special lifting in the following way .
recall that we have a trivialization @xmath459 .
denote @xmath460 .
consider the curve @xmath461 \mapsto d^- \times f_t$ ] defined by translation , i.e. for @xmath462 $ ] , @xmath463 by assumption , there exists a smooth function @xmath464 such that each point @xmath465 lies in the time @xmath464 level @xmath466 of the flow @xmath396 for a smooth function @xmath464 .
in fact @xmath464 will not be constant , as the flow @xmath396 starts from @xmath444 and not from @xmath467 .
+ but by choosing smaller @xmath468 , with @xmath469 if necessary , we may assume that @xmath470 lies in @xmath471 for @xmath472 , and the new curve @xmath473 will be tangent to @xmath474 by the construction .
consider the image curve @xmath475 and we take a unique vector @xmath476 tangent to @xmath477 at @xmath478 which satisfies @xmath479 . in this way
, we define a unique lifting @xmath480 of @xmath388 in @xmath481 .
the main reason for the last construction is to use the trivialization @xmath439 as a reference .
namely , as the new contracting vector field @xmath413 is defined in @xmath443 via parallel tranport of the trivialization , the map @xmath482 in fact commutes with the trivialization .
hence , we have @xmath483 now , we claim that the lifting @xmath480 extends to @xmath290 continuously .
intuitively , this is because we have chosen a special lifting so that there exists no ambiguity in its limit approaching @xmath290 .
we will show that the fiber component of the lifted vector field @xmath476 in terms of the trivialization of @xmath439 vanishes in a uniform way as we appraoch @xmath290 . as @xmath458 approach the collapsing polyhedron @xmath290 ( or as @xmath487 approaches @xmath431 ) , the @xmath488 approaches zero , whereas @xmath489 and @xmath490 is bounded in its local compact neighborhood and hence the fiber component vanishes as we approach @xmath290 .
this proves the desired property of the lifted vector field near @xmath290 , and we extend @xmath491 continuously as @xmath492 in the trivialization @xmath442 .
it is not hard to see that the resulting vector field is weakly lipschitz , and its associated flow is stratum preserving .
hence via @xmath439 , we can extend the lifted vector field to @xmath290 in @xmath443 .
we cover thus @xmath493 by the open sets @xmath280 with the vector fields @xmath451 and by considering a partition of unity @xmath294 subordinate to the covering @xmath280 , we define the vector field @xmath494 such a vector field is stratified and differentiable in @xmath493 , lifts @xmath388 , is tangent to @xmath456 for @xmath293 , and preserves @xmath290 . the flow of the vector field @xmath480 gives a diffeomorphism from @xmath298 to @xmath495 for @xmath496 and from @xmath497 to @xmath498 for @xmath499 and it extends to a continuous map from @xmath300 to @xmath301 and from @xmath500 to @xmath501 , sending respectively @xmath302 to @xmath11 and @xmath502 to @xmath503 .
we claim that the polyhedron @xmath505 as an unstable set of @xmath3 satisfies the dimension estimate ( [ dimest1 ] ) of the main theorem .
this can be checked by considering carefully l s inductive procedure ( section 5.3 ) constructing @xmath197 .
the estimate is clearly true for @xmath380 .
we remind that the vanishing polyhedron is constructed in section 5.3 by gluing the polyhedron @xmath349 , obtained by flowing ( via @xmath330 ) the vanishing polyhedron @xmath326 to @xmath318 , where by induction we may assume that @xmath326 and @xmath506 satisfy the estimates ( [ dimest1 ] ) . here
the flow @xmath330 is stratum - preserving as it is the sum of a controlled vector field ( @xmath507 ) and a weakly lipschitz vector field @xmath339 . as a consequence ,
the dimensional estimate ( [ dimest1 ] ) continues to hold throughout the construction of @xmath197 .
now , we begin the second step of the proof . as the argument
above used only the contractibility of @xmath304 , we can in fact perform the same construction for a slightly larger set @xmath508 where @xmath509 is defined appropriately , and the vector field , which we call @xmath510 , over @xmath511 gives rise to a stable set at the critical point @xmath3 of the expected real dimension .
also , we carry out a similar construction over the set @xmath512 with the vector field induced from @xmath388 on it .
hence , the vector field , which we call @xmath513 , over @xmath514 gives rise to an unstable set of the expected real dimension at the critical point @xmath3 .
note that @xmath515 , and also @xmath516 does not contain @xmath353 .
now , we glue the two fields @xmath517 by means a partition of unity to obtain a stratified weakly lipschitz and controlled gradient - like vector field @xmath392 over @xmath518
. we can use a partition of unity depending only on the angular parameter of @xmath177 . note that both the vector fields @xmath517 approaches zero as we approach the point @xmath3 .
hence , the gluing is well - defined near @xmath29 .
but the vector field @xmath392 , if we are to extend it continously over @xmath7 , must vanish on @xmath29 , hence @xmath392 can not be the gradient - like vector field over @xmath7 we are looking for ( as a gradient - like vector field is required to vanish only at critical points ) . still , the new vector field @xmath392 projects down to @xmath388 by the map @xmath26 , and hence the stable and unstable set of @xmath3 exist only along @xmath353 .
so the stable ( resp .
unstable ) set of @xmath513 ( resp .
@xmath510 ) remains as the stable ( resp .
unstable ) set of the vector field @xmath392 at @xmath3 . up to now
we have a vector field @xmath392 defined in @xmath519 .
it may or may not extend continuously over @xmath520 .
hence , to solve this problem , we consider in addition , another vector field @xmath521 defined in the following way .
as we consider gradient - like vector fields , it is clear that their unstable and stable set of @xmath3 do not intersect with @xmath29 except at @xmath3 .
hence as they are closed sets , we may also assume that the neighborhood @xmath407 does not intersect both the unstable and stable sets of @xmath3 ( see figure [ fig4 ] ) and does not intersect the polar curves . as a consequence
, @xmath524 is submersive .
so we can take a controlled lift , with respect to some control system , of the vector field @xmath525 on @xmath526 , where @xmath527 denotes the standard coordinates in @xmath151 .
the lift , which we denote by @xmath528 , is a stratified , controlled , gradient - like ( because of the compatibility with @xmath143 ) vector field .
note that the flow of @xmath528 preserves the hyperplanes @xmath529 ( as it preserves the linear form @xmath222 ) , and does not vanish in @xmath407 . to make it continuous at @xmath3
, we actually consider the vector field @xmath530 where @xmath396 is a distance function from @xmath3 in a fixed control system of @xmath7 and @xmath521 is still stratified , controlled ( except at @xmath3 ) and gradient - like .
the open sets @xmath531 define an open cover of @xmath532 and , by using a partition of unity subordinate to this cover , we glue the vector field @xmath392 with @xmath521 , and denote the resulting vector field by @xmath13 . hence we get the continuous vector field @xmath13 on @xmath178 by defining @xmath533 indeed , first note that , as @xmath392 and @xmath521 are both stratified gradient - like vector fields , so is the vector field @xmath13 .
it is also easy to check that @xmath13 does not vanish except at @xmath3 .
it remains to show that the unstable and stable manifolds of @xmath13 satisfies the desired properties .
we now consider the unstable and stable set of @xmath3 for the vector field @xmath13 .
as we have glued away from the stable and unstable set at @xmath3 of the vector field @xmath392 , these remain as subsets of the stable and unstable set at @xmath3 of the vector field @xmath13 .
hence it remains to show that in the intersection of two open sets @xmath534 we do not create any new gradient line converging to or emanating from @xmath3 by gluing . to this purpose , we recall first that both vectors @xmath535 and @xmath536 are parallel to the @xmath96-axis of @xmath177 , hence the glued vector field @xmath13 also has such a property .
for a possibly new flow trajectory converging to or emanating from @xmath3 , we only need to check what happens over @xmath353 , which is the @xmath96-axis .
the vector field @xmath392 over @xmath353 is , by construction , the same as the vector fields @xmath517 on @xmath537 .
now , recall that the vector field @xmath392 inside the set @xmath538 is a lift of @xmath388 for the map @xmath26 and is tangent to @xmath456 for some @xmath539 , hence the flow of @xmath392 preserves the sets @xmath456 for @xmath540 . consider the polar curve @xmath149 and a linear form @xmath541 .
this is a branch cover at @xmath3 , hence , as @xmath542 approaches @xmath250 , the image of the polar curve @xmath543 also approaches @xmath250 , thgerefore , we may assume that in a sufficiently close neighborhood of @xmath3 and for sufficiently large @xmath539 , the flow along @xmath456 decreases the value of @xmath544 .
note however that the flow @xmath521 at a point of @xmath456 fixes @xmath544 , as it preserves the linear form , hence , the vector field @xmath521 at @xmath456 is pointing outward ( away from @xmath290 ) , toward @xmath545 for @xmath546 .
as @xmath392 is tangent to @xmath456 and as @xmath521 is pointing outward to @xmath456 , the final vector field @xmath13 , which is obtained as a partition of unity of @xmath392 and @xmath13 , is also tangent to @xmath456 or pointing outward .
the vector field @xmath13 is controlled except at @xmath3 .
we can make it weakly controlled while preserving the trajectories of @xmath13 , as in the case of @xmath380 , by multiplying it with a function of @xmath396 which vanishes at @xmath250 .
( here @xmath396 is the distance function to @xmath3 from the fixed control system ) . as the unstable and stable set
are given by @xmath547 , and we have already shown that they satisfy the dimensional estimate ( [ dimest1 ] ) after the construction of @xmath290 .
this finishes the proof of the claim and this proves the main theorem . to obtain a global vector field on @xmath7
, we first apply the main theorem to each normal slice of critical points of @xmath0 .
then , by adding a tangential component ( as in the smooth case ) to each normal slice , we obtain a vector field with the required properties in each neighborhood of critical points . for any point @xmath548 which is not a critical point , we choose a contractible neighorhood @xmath95 of @xmath549 which does not contain any critical point .
then we consider a map @xmath550 , which is a submersion , and take a controlled lift of the standard unit vector field on @xmath116 .
then , we obtain the global vector field by a partition of unity . for a complex analytic variety
the homotopy type of normal morse data is given by @xmath558 , where @xmath559 denotes the complex link of @xmath3 and @xmath560 the cone over @xmath559 ; but by definition @xmath559 is @xmath561 , which , by corollary [ mc ] , deformation retracts onto @xmath562 ; on the other hand , by construction , @xmath14 is the cone over @xmath563 .
the normal morse data are homeomorphic to @xmath564 where @xmath565)/(q,0)\cong(\mu(q),2\pi)]\cup_{\partial(x_t\cap b(p))\times s^1}[\partial(x_t\cap b(p))\times d^1])\ ] ] @xmath566\ ] ] where @xmath567 is the monodromy associated to @xmath3 , @xmath568 is the map appearing in corollary [ mc ] and @xmath569 is embedded in the base of the cone .
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_ notes on topological stability , _ mimeographed notes , harvard university , july ( 1970 ) | arxiv |
recent progress in experimentally controling becs @xcite has shown , that not only single atoms , but condensed atomic clouds , na in these cases , can be quantum reflected as a whole by atom - surface potentials when the kinetic energy of the incident cloud lies within the threshold region of the potential .
armed with these results , we suggested to trap ultra - cold atoms solely by quantum reflection in @xcite .
the advantages of quantum reflection over other trapping mechanisms are obvious : stability of the reflection behaviour in the threshold region , no need for external auxiliary fields to form the trapping potential , because atom - surface interaction is delivered by nature free house . in @xcite we have shown , that the surviving particle density inside the trap as a function of time gives reasonable good results to be promising for future investigation .
we have shown , that due to atom - surface interaction , an enhancement of the surviving particle density up to 50% is achievable .
the trapping times lie somewhat around 0.5 s , excluding mass factors of the atomic species used .
the model we proposed in @xcite relies solely on the threshold properties of an atom - surface potential .
the trapping mechanism , quantum reflection , exploits the fact that cold atoms are reflected by an attractive potential tail without reaching a classical turning point .
the mechanism of quantum reflection has enjoyed a growing interest , experimentally @xcite and theoretically @xcite .
the equivalence between the true atom - surface potential and the step - potential at threshold comes from the fact , that both obey the same law of reflectivity , see , e.g. , @xcite .
very recently , madronero and friedrich , @xcite , have shown that the dynamics of a wave - packet governed by a step - potential is indeed qualitatively similar to the dynamics of a wave - packet governed by a power - law atom - surface potential .
quantitatively , the differences are negligibly small and , as a matter of fact , the step - potential model even underestimates the results of the power - law potential . for quantum reflection
, the use of a step - potential as a model for the atom - surface power - law potential has thus been justified once more . here
, we will examine the properties of a spherical quantum reflection trap , which is the simplest choice of a trapping system when particle interaction is included .
to model our potential in this case , we make the following assumptions on the behaviour of the atom - surface potential inside a sphere : @xmath0 where @xmath1 is the radius of the sphere .
the assumptions eq . ( [ limittruepotential ] ) are certainly true if the radius of the sphere is , by orders of magnitude , larger than the extension of the atomic wave - packet inside the sphere .
if this condition is fullfilled , the inside wall of the sphere , for an atom close to it , must locally look like a plane , @xcite . in good agreement with these requirements ,
the atom - surface potential inside a sphere can be modeled as a step - potential @xmath2,\quad b\,=\,\beta_{4}\quad .
\label{potentialmodel}\ ] ]
the system of interest is given by the gross - pitaevskii equation @xmath3 where the particle density is normalized to unity .
the scale of the system is naturally given by the spatial extension of the trap , the radius @xmath1 of the sphere .
the scaling variables are thus given by @xcite , @xmath4 the last term in eq .
( [ scalingvariables ] ) restores normalization to unity . the atom - surface potential eqs .
( [ limittruepotential ] , [ potentialmodel ] ) shows only a dependence in the radial direction , so the angles can be separated off .
assuming the system to be in an s - wave state , the scaled wave - function is @xmath5 with eq .
( [ 3dimwavefunction ] ) , the angular parts can easily be integrated out which yields for the interaction energy @xmath6 the radial coupling - constant is then given by @xmath7 the radial gross - pitaevskii equation describing our quantum reflection trap in scaled form thus finally reads @xmath8\,\psi(x,\tau)\,+\,\gamma\frac{\left|\psi(x,\tau)\right|^2}{x^{2}}\,\psi(x,\tau)\quad .
\label{gp}\ ] ] to simplify our notation , we have dropped the subscript of the radial wave - function and the interaction - strength @xmath9 .
the step function on the right hand side in eq .
( [ gp ] ) is again the model of the atom - surface interaction . in table
( [ couplingconstants ] ) we have listed some values of the radial coupling constant for the alkali atoms typically used in bec experiments .
.comparison of the scaled potential strength @xmath10 and the coupling - constant @xmath9 for some alkali atoms .
the radial extension of the trap is allover @xmath11[a.u . ] .
the potential data was taken from @xcite , the data for the scattering lengths were taken from @xcite for li , from @xcite for na , and form @xcite for rb . [ cols="^,^,^,^,^,^,^",options="header " , ] the values of table ( [ valuessigma40 ] ) show that the surviving particle fractions @xmath12 can achieve a strong enhancement when the particle - interaction strength @xmath9 lies in the regime of @xmath13 .
compared to the case of @xmath14 , the enhancement factor ranges from 1.6 to 2.0 , but compared to the freely decaying wave - packet , @xmath15 , @xcite , the trapping mechanism achieves enhancement factors from 42 for @xmath16 to 104 for @xmath17 .
clearly , negative self - interaction , compared to the noninteracting case , significantly enhances the efficiency of the trap .
figure ( [ energysigma40 ] ) illustrates the effect of trapping under self - interaction on the energies of the system as functions of time . at the beginning of the time - evolution ,
the total energy of the system is negative , and the particle - interaction dominates the system .
the process of stabilization of the wave - packet by the self - trapping effect establishes a state of dynamical equilibrium between the kinetic energy and the interaction energy .
when the total energy of the system has become positive , the wave - packet is no more in danger to collapse and has entered the regime were the kinetic energy , together with the quantum reflection , govern the behaviour of the system .
however , the kinetic energy of the wave - packet has been reduced by the stabilization process , rendering quantum reflection even more effective .
together with figure ( [ dichtesigma40 ] ) the behaviour of the energy clearly explains the trapping in this regime .
the dynamics of a wave - packet in the quantum reflection trap becomes unstable against collapse , when the interaction strength @xmath9 becomes smaller than the critical value @xmath18 .
as the wave - packet evolves in time , the influence of the attractive particle - interaction grows strongly , leading to a strong localization of the wave - packet .
strong localization goes along with high momenta , which lead to the destruction of the coherence of the wave - packet .
when the wave - packet undergoes a complete disruption , it collapses .
see the full curve in figure ( [ dichtesigma40gminus063 ] ) .
the collapse goes along with a strong loss of particle density , that takes place during an extremely short interval of time . after the collapse of the wave - packet the attractive self - interaction
is also destroyed and the effect of quantum reflection again dominates the behaviour of the system .
the effect of quantum reflection manifests itself by stopping the evaporation and forcing the wave - packet to reshape .
thus , the remaining but strongly reduced density in the trap decays regularly as the system continues to evolve in time .
figure ( [ energysigma40gminus063 ] ) shows the behaviour of both energies . to help the readers eyes in separating the critical peaks of both energies , we have drawn two vertical lines .
it can be clearly seen how the negative interaction energy grows to strong negative values during the time - evolution of the system .
the kinetic energy , on the positive half of the ordinate also grows during collapse in the attempt to achieve a dynamical equilibrium that stabilizes the system .
however , by this peak in the kinetic energy the mechanism of quantum reflection becomes meaningless and a large fraction of particle density simply evaporates .
even after its peak the kinetic energy of the system is large enough to continuously drive a considerable fraction of particle density to the outside , such that the system experiences a self - cooling and the kinetic energy falls off again . when this has happened the effect of quantum reflection regains the control over the dynamics .
note , that the particle - interaction , due to the strong loss of particle density , remains negligible .
the stability of our quantum reflection trap can be accessed by variational techniques . a very elaborated and general variational approach to cold atom systems
was given in @xcite , where the critical interaction - strength @xmath19 for an anisotropic harmonically trapped 3d bec - system in the absence of a longitudinal confinement was determined to @xmath20 .
the same problem is considered in @xcite numerically , where @xmath18 was found . for our system
, we have found the same critical value @xmath18 , despite a longitudinal ( radial ) confinement due to the atom - surface potential .
the difference can be explained by the fact that the atom - surface potential is confining with respect to quantum reflection , whereas a harmonic oscillator potential is confining due to classical reflection at the potential surface . when a longitudinal confinement is present in a harmonic oscillator system , the critical value is reduced to @xmath21 , @xcite .
the absence of a ( classical ) longitudinal confinement due to a potential surface , along with the presence of a quantum confinement provided by atom - surface potentials thus enables the storage of a higher number of atoms for attractive particle - interaction on macroscopic time - scales . to analyze the stability of our system
, we will refer to a much simpler variational technique than the one suggested in @xcite , see e.g. @xcite , where the authors restrict themselves to a simple gaussian trial - function .
our choice for a radial trial - function defined on the whole space is @xmath22\quad , \label{gausstrial}\ ] ] where @xmath23 is the normalization and @xmath24 is the width . with eq .
( [ gausstrial ] ) we obtain a parametrized energy @xmath25\,-\,\alpha\,{\rm{erfc}}\left[\alpha^{-1}\right]\right)\,+\,\gamma\,\sqrt{\frac{2}{\pi\,\alpha^{6}}}\quad . \label{paramenergy}\ ] ] with eq .
( [ paramenergy ] ) we can estabilish a relation between the particle - interaction @xmath9 and the width of the gaussian state @xmath24 by demanding that the variation of @xmath26 with respect to @xmath24 vanishes , @xmath27 in eq .
( [ variationh ] ) we have kept @xmath10 as a parameter . solving eq .
( [ variationh ] ) for @xmath28 leads to @xmath29\,+\ , \alpha^{2}\,\sigma^{2}\,\left(1\,-\,{\rm{erf}}\left[\alpha^{-1}\right]\right)\,-\,\frac{3}{2}\,\sqrt{\pi}\right]\quad .
\label{runningcoupling}\ ] ] equation ( [ runningcoupling ] ) defines a running coupling constant as a function of the initial width @xmath24 of the wave - packet and the strength of the atom - surface potential @xmath10 .
the coupling constant depends implicitly on the initial kinetic energy of the wave - packet , which , as we have seen above , is crucial for the efficiency of the trapping mechanism . with @xmath30 in eq.([initialwavepacket ] ) we obtain @xmath31 for eq .
( [ gausstrial ] ) . from eq .
( [ runningcoupling ] ) , we obtain the phase - diagram of the quantum reflection trap . from the phase - diagram ,
( [ runningcouplingplot ] ) , which we have drawn for all values of @xmath10 considered above , the regions of stability can be read off easily and the value @xmath18 emerges as universal property of the quantum reflection trap .
the horizontal and vertical lines mark our numerically determined value @xmath18 and our initial data @xmath30 , respectively . as can be read off from figure ( [ runningcouplingplot ] ) , the simple gaussian trial - function delivers a critical region close to the exact value , such that we expect only small corrections from the general method of @xcite .
also , our initial choice for @xmath30 , which matches the experimental conditions due to @xcite is justified as optimal choice .
the universal region of the system is located left from the vertical line denoting @xmath32 , where no diversification of @xmath9 due to the potential strength @xmath10 occurs . by increasing @xmath33 , which means reducing @xmath24 , the storage capacity of the system
is reduced , because the critical value @xmath19 is not accessible anymore .
vice versa the same occurs , because by decreasing @xmath33 , which means increasing @xmath24 , the region of universality is left and the stability of the system is only granted along the phase - lines described by the strength of the atom - surface potential @xmath10 , requiring a higher value for @xmath9 , which also reduces the storage capacity of the system for attractive particle - interaction .
lastly , fig .
( [ runningcouplingplot ] ) , together with our numerical results from above proves , that the system shows not much sensitivity to the shape of the initial state , which neccessarily includes some arbitrariness in theoretical considerartions .
we have investigated the possibility of trapping cold atoms solely by the mechanism of quantum reflection .
our investigations have been carried out with the simplest possible model of a quantum reflection trap , a sphere .
typically the radius @xmath1 of such a trapping sphere is of the order @xmath34[a.u . ] .
the quantum reflection is mainly controlled by the strength of the atom - surface potential @xmath35 .
the larger @xmath10 , the better does quantum reflection work .
the strength parameter @xmath10 can be controlled either by the spatial extension of the trap , @xmath1 , or by the atomic interaction parameter @xmath36 .
small values of @xmath36 can be achieved , e.g. , by using dielectric instead of perfectly conducting surfaces , see @xcite and references therein .
however , instead of controlling @xmath10 by surface - engineering , it may be much easier to control the value of @xmath9 by a feshbach - resonance .
the inclusion of repulsive particle interaction , @xmath37 depletes the surviving particle density inside the trap in comparison to a system evolving without particle interaction .
as long as the interaction strength @xmath9 is smaller than unity , the depletion of the surviving particle density due to the repulsive interaction can be compensated by increasing the atom - surface interaction strength @xmath10 , see table ( [ valuessigma20 ] ) .
the best results for trapping atoms by quantum reflection are achieved , when the particle interaction is attractive .
the system remains stable when @xmath9 lies in the range of @xmath38 .
the critical value @xmath18 is a universal property of our quantum reflection trap .
this value of @xmath19 makes clear that cold atom systems confined by an atom - surface potential belong to a wider class of systems with classical longitudinal freedom .
classical means , that no confinement due to a potential surface is present .
the mechanism of quantum reflection acting in the case of atom - surface potentials establishes a quantum confinement .
the quantum confinement has the advantage that more particles can be stored as in the case of a classical confinement , where the critical value is @xmath21 .
approaching the critical value @xmath19 from above , the typical plateau structure of @xmath39 is washed out into slowly varying density oscillations , see fig .
( [ dichtesigma40 ] ) .
close to the criticality , this behaviour is reminiscent of the well - known phenomenon of the critical slowing down near the point of a phase - transition .
critical slowing down goes along with the existence of long - ranged fluctuations of the systems internal modes .
it may be these long - ranged fluctuations that stabilize the wave - packet against the influence of the attractive self - interaction above @xmath19 . for attractive particle - interactions
@xmath40 , the internal motion of the wave - packet is not capable to stabilize the sytem . as the system evolves in time
the wave - packet suffers a collapse .
the collapse heats up the system because the interaction - energy is almost completely transformed into kinetic energy ; along with the heating up , the system experiences a sudden loss of large fractions of particle density .
our results clearly show , that the mechanism of quantum reflection remains a promising tool to trap cold atoms when particle interaction is included and tuned .
however , as our variational analysis has revealed , the parameters of the system can not be chosen arbitrarily .
for best results , they must allow the system to evlove in the universal region close to @xmath19 . for alkali atoms ,
there are realistic surviving particle densities up to 50 % for times around half a second . from table ( [ couplingconstants ] ) , the most promising candidate for trapping should be lithium , where the particle - interaction strength is already attractive .
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LADY BIRD
written by
Greta Gerwig
ii.
"Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent
a Christmas in Sacramento."
- Joan Didion
INT. MOTEL. CALIFORNIA. EARLY MORNING.
One of those anonymous trucker motels along -side I-5 through
central California. It’s late summer, 2002. Two women sleep
together in a bed. Christine, aka Lady Bird, 17 years old.
Her Mom, Marion, the age of Lady Bird’s Mom. A modern- day
romantic Mary Cassatt rip-off painting of motherhood.
LADY BIRD (V.O.)
Do you think I look like I’m from
Sacramento?
CUT TO:
Now they’re awake. Lady Bird stares at her re. Marion makes
the bed.
MARION
You are from Sacramento.
LADY BIRD
(re: making the bed)
You don’t have to do that.
MARION
Well it’s nice to make things neat
and clean.
Marion is making hospital corners. Lady Bird sits on the
just made bed. Marion sits beside her, moves the hair out of
Lady Bird’s eyes.
MARION (CONT’D)
Ready to go home?
LADY BIRD
Ready.
INT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. CALIFORNIA. DAY.
The last sentences of The Grapes of Wrath.
AUDIOBOOK
“Her hand moved behind his head and
supported it. Her fingers moved
gently in his hair. She looked up
and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously.” You have been
listening to ‘The Grapes of Wrath’
by John Steinbeck. If you...
(pause)
2.
Lady Bird ejects the tape, returns it to the case from the
public library. They are both crying.
LADY BIRD
(looking on the back)
Our college trip took 21 hours and
5 minutes.
They laugh and then wipe their tears. It’s a nice moment -
they both had the same emotion. Lady Bird immediately starts
looking for a good song on the radio.
MARION
(turning it off)
Hey, you know, let’s just
sit with what we heard?
LADY BIRD
(bristling)
Are you serious?
MARION
We don’t need to be constantly
entertaining ourselves, do we?
Lady Bird stares out the window, now sullen. Then:
LADY BIRD
I wish I could live through
something.
MARION
Aren’t you?
LADY BIRD
Nope. The only exciting thing about 2002 is that it’s a palindrome.
MARION
Ok fine, yours is the worst life of all, you win.
LADY BIRD
Oh so now you’re mad? Because
I wanted to listen to music? MARION
It’s just that you’re being
ridiculous, you have a
great life.
LADY BIRD
I’m sorry I’m not perfect.
MARION
Nobody is asking you to be perfect! Just considerate would do. 3.
LADY BIRD
(really picking a fight)
I don’t even want to go to school
in this state anyway, I hate
California. I want to go to the
East Coast.
MARION
Your Dad and I will barely be able
to afford in- state tuition.
LADY BIRD
There are loans, scholarships!
MARION
Your brother, your very smart brother, can’t even find a job --
LADY BIRD
He and Shelly work. They have jobs.
MARION
THEY BAG AT THE GROCERY STORE.
That is not a career and they went
to BERKELEY.MARION
Your father’s company is laying people off right and left, did
you know that? No of course not because you don’t care about
anyone but yourself.
MARION
Immaculate Heart is already a
luxury.
LADY BIRD
Immaculate FART. You wanted that,
not me!
MARION
Miguel saw someone knifed in front
of him at Sac High, is that what
you want? You’re telling me that you want to see someone knifed right in front of you? 4.
LADY BIRD
He barely saw that. I want to go
where culture is, like New York.
MARION
How in the world did I raise
such a SNOB?
MARION
LADY BIRD
Or at least Connecticut or
New Hampshire. Where writers live in the woods.
You couldn’t get into those schools
anyway.
MOM! LADY BIRD
MARION
You can’t even pass your driver’s
test.
LADY BIRD
Because you wouldn’t let me
practice enough!
MARION
The way you work, the way you don’t
work, you’re not even worth state tuition, Christine.
LADY BIRD
MY NAME IS LADY BIRD!
LADY BIRD MARION (CONT'D)
Well actually, it’s not, and
it’s ridiculous. Your name
is Christine.
CALL ME LADY BIRD LIKE YOU SAID YOU WOULD!
MARION
You should just go to City College,
with your work ethic. City College
and then to jail then back to City
College. Maybe you’d learn how to
pull yourself up and not expect
everyone to do everything for you...
They slow for a stop light and Lady Bird dramatically opens
the door and rolls out of the car. Marion screams. 5.
INT. IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. DAY.
Close on a cast. In very small letters is written “fuck you,
mom.” The cast belongs to Lady Bird. She follows along with
the mass.
CREDITS run over this joint liturgy between Immaculate Heart
of Mary (girls school) and Xavier (boys school) and beginning
of the year activities.
A sea of catholic girls’ school uniforms in bleachers during
candidate speeches.
CANDIDATE
(finishing her speech)
A Vote for Amanda is a vote for boys. Boys and healthy vending
machines because no one wants a
muffin with that many calories.
Lady Bird waits her turn to make her speech, and makes eye contact with Julie in the crowd, a sweet, chubby 17 year old.
Her best friend.
5 classrooms, 5 syllabi, 5 “beginning of senior year”
speeches from the teachers. A few teachers are nuns.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
There are the classics: St.
Augustine, of course, and Aquinas.
My favorite, Kierkegaard - wait
until you hear his love story - it
will make you swoon.
Back in the church, Lady Bird looks intently at an image of
Jesus. The priest gives his homily.
PRIEST
We’re afraid we won’t get into the
college of our choice, we’re afraid
we won’t be loved, we won’t be liked, we won’t succeed.
Everyone takes communion. Lady Bird approaches and crosses
her arms so she just gets a blessing, not real communion, she’s not Catholic. Lady Bird watches the boys get communion.
It’s somehow sexy, opening their mouths to receive the wafer.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN (V.O.)
Some of the students were disturbed
by your posters . 6.
INT. VICE-PRINCIPAL SISTER SARAH-JOAN’S OFFICE. DAY.
Sister Sarah- Joan, in a traditional habit, holds up some of
Lady Bird’s campaign materials.
LADY BIRD
It’s just a bird head on a lady
body or vice versa.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
I think it’s a little upsetting...
Reveal of the poster: Lady Bird’s head on a bird body.
Another shows her Catholic- uniformed body with a bird head.
LADY BIRD
It’s my tradition to run for
office. Don’t worry, I won’t win.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
That’s not what I’m worried about.
LADY BIRD
(worried)
This won’t mess with my
scholarship, will it?
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
No, you’re okay there.
(trying to be helpful)
You have a performative streak, I
think.
LADY BIRD
I think that too.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Maybe you’d enjoy theatre arts... They are having auditions for the
fall musical.
LADY BIRD
Do we have that here?
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
It’s a collaborative effort with
the men at Xavier.
LADY BIRD
How am I a senior and not know we
have that? 7.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Perhaps you haven’t always been an
active part of this community.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
They do a fall musical and a spring
play and from what I hear it’s a
real blast.
LADY BIRD
What I’d really like is to be on
Math Olympiad.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
(gently)
But math isn’t something that you
are terribly strong in?
LADY BIRD
That we know of YET.
CLOSE ON A LIST.
Sign ups for auditions for the fall musical. A hand reaches
up and takes the pen attached and writes, in all caps:
CHRISTINE “LADY BIRD” McPHERSON
And then another hand reaches up and writes:
JULIANNE “JULIE” PICKETT
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
“Julie” doesn’t need to be in
quotes.
JULIE (O.S.)
But it’s not my real name.
Reveal Julie and Lady Bird debating this:
LADY BIRD
It’s not the same thing.
JULIE
(shaking her head)
I’m not sure you’re right... 8.
EXT. SACRAMENTO STREETS. LATE AFTERNOON.
Julie and Lady Bird walk through the “fancy” neighborhood,
“The Fabulous Forties.” They stop in front of this very
specific house - it is the Dream House: It is three stories
and blue, with white shutters and a big American Flag. It
looks like nothing bad would ever happen in this house.
JULIE
I love this neighborhood.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, it’s so beautiful.
JULIE
If I lived here I would definitely
have my wedding in the backyard.
LADY BIRD
I’d have friends over all the time
to study and eat snacks. I’d be
like “MOM WE’RE TAKING THE SNACKS
UPSTAIRS TO THE TV ROOM.”
JULIE
I’d have my own bathroom.
INT. GROCERY STORE. EARLY EVENING.
Julie and Lady Bird browse magazines in an empty checkout
aisle. A Checker calls out to them:
CHECKER
I can’t stop you dicks from hanging
out here but quit wrinkling all the
magazines!
LADY BIRD
When I’m in this store , I’m not
your sister - I’m a customer, Miguel! I’m always right!
This is Miguel. Lady Bird’s brother. 22, Latino, clearly
adopted. Julie watches him and his girlfriend, Shelly Yuhan,
22, a Bagger:
JULIE
Ever since she moved in, your
brother and Shelly are becoming
the same person.
LADY BIRD
No way. 9.
Shelly and Miguel have the same asymmetrical hair -cut and
“interesting” piercings. Vaguely punk looking. Seem like
they’re wearing black leather jackets even when they aren’t.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Yeah, okay, maybe.
JULIE
(re: magazine)
See, why I don’t look like that?
The girls look at a model in the magazine. She poses in
front of the New York City skyline.
LADY BIRD
Just once I’d like to have the
song “New York Groove” play and
feel like it really applies to
my life.
JULIE
You’ve never even been to New York.
LADY BIRD
That’s why I’m applying to New York colleges - do you know if Sarah
Lawrence is actually IN the city?
JULIE
Your parents would pay for that?
LADY BIRD
Scholarships, financial aid. I’ll
figure it out. My Mom thinks I
can’t get in but she is sorely
mistaken.
JULIE
What about terrorism?
LADY BIRD
Don’t be a Republican.
JULIE
I’m probably just going to go to
City College.
MIGUEL
(almost yelling)
PUT THE MAGAZINE BACK.SHIT.
INT. PSYCH HOSPITAL. EARLY MORNING.
Marion yawns. Luis, a large Filipino man, approaches her: 10.
LUIS
You doing okay, mama?
MARION
Yes, but that was terrifying
wasn’t it? Thank god you were
there. I guess I can’t have
pencils anymore.
LUIS
Yeah, gotta go back to just felt
tip markers. Crayola.
Marion suddenly remembers she has something, she hand Luis a
small bag:
MARION
Oh Luis this is for you! I got it
for the baby, I couldn’t resist it.
He pulls out a frilly pink dress for a toddler.
LUIS
She loves pink!
MARION
Well, it’s really more for you and
Andrea than it is for the baby, and
I’m sorry I didn’t have time to
wrap it....
LUIS
No, it’s perfect.
MARION
See you tomorrow... I mean, later?
Luis just laughs.
INT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. EARLY MORNING.
Marion drives back home. It is romantic somehow. She loves
these streets, loves the turns she knows so well. When she’s
not resenting the stuck- ness of her own life she has an
enormous capacity to love it. Remember this moment with
Marion.
EXT. LADY BIRD’S NEIGHBORHOOD. EARLY MORNING.
Marion drives up. Women are watering their lawns, getting the
paper, doing yard work, touching their flowers. Solidly
middle class. Marion waves to neighbors. They wave back. She
picks up the mail, bills, papers, etc. 11.
INT. BATHROOM. MORNING.
Dad (50s, name: Larry) brushes his teeth. Marion perched on
the edge of the tub with a newspaper and a stack of mail,
going through it.
LARRY
Did you know toothpaste is basically ineffective? It’s like
sucking on a mint.
MARION
(to Larry, shaking her
head)
Mike Kerry died. I didn’t know he was sick again.
LARRY
How old was he?
MARION
Only fifty-six.
Knocking at the door.
MIGUEL (O.S.)
Can Shelly and I get in there?
MARION
In a minute honey Dad and I are
still in here!
LARRY
(re: Mike)
That’s too young.
MARION
(calling)
LADY BIRD YOU BETTER BE DRESSED!
LADY BIRD
I AM DRESSED.
MARION (CONT’D)
I’ll send them a note.
(a little softer)
Do you think that Shelly and Miguel
have sex on the pullout couch? 12.
LARRY
Oh yeah.
Marion laughs at Larry’s subtle joke. He laughs at her
laughter. They like each other.
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
Miguel and Shelly eat cereal. Larry reads the paper. Marion
makes Lady Bird’s breakfast and her lunch.
LADY BIRD
Why can’t I just make the eggs?
MARION
Because you take too long and make
a big mess and then I have to clean
it up.
SHELLY
(small voice)
Eggs aren’t good for the
environment, anyway.
LADY BIRD
(too loud)
WHAT?
MIGUEL
You heard her.
MARION
(placing the eggs)
Here, eat quickly, PLEASE.
LARRY
(re: paper)
Look at all these pictures. Every
newspaper looks like USA Today.
MIGUEL
Shelly and I are trying to be
vegan. Hence the soy milk.
LADY BIRD
You wear leather jackets. 13.
SHELLY
They’re vintage. It doesn’t support
the industry.
LADY BIRD
(poking at the eggs)
They aren’t done, there’s white
stuff.
SHELLY
You know how you love Brambles?
Pigs are smarter than him even.
LADY BIRD
I never thought Brambles was a
GENIUS okay?
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(very obnoxious)
MOM! The eggs are NOT DONE!
MARION
FINE MAKE YOUR OWN FUCKING EGGS.
Marion then throws the frying pan violently in the sink and
retreats to the bathroom. The noisy hair- dryer starts up.
LADY BIRD
I WANTED TO YOU WON’T LET ME!
Lady Bird follows Marion out of the room.
SHELLY
Your sister doesn’t like me.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
MOM!!! I’M HUNGRY!
MIGUEL
She does.
Shelly gets up, pouting. MIGUEL follows her
MARION (O.S.)
YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE! GOING TO BED! 14.
Larry is left alone. It’s weirdly peaceful for half a second.
INT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. DAY.
Lady Bird and Larry on the way to school. She feverishly
changes the radio station, finds a song she likes:
LADY BIRD
Did you know that Alanis Morisette
wrote this song in only ten
minutes?
LARRY
I believe it.
LADY BIRD
(she smiles)
So I’m applying to a couple East
Coast schools. I need you to help
me with the financial aid
application but Mom can’t know.
LARRY
We... aren’t they quite
expensive?
LADY BIRD
First, yes that’s why financial aid. Second, I have to get in
first.
LARRY
Mom won’t be happy about it.
LADY BIRD
Which is why I don’t want to fight
about it before I have to. 15.
Lady Bird looks up. They are a couple of blocks from school.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Just pull over here
LARRY
Are you sure, I can drive you to
the front --
LADY BIRD
No, just this is fine. I like to walk.
LARRY
Okay, well, I love you.
LADY BIRD
So what do you think? About college?
LARRY
I’ll see what I can do.
LADY BIRD
(kisses him on the cheek)
Thanks Dad, love you too. Have a
good day at work.
LARRY
Hey, I’m like Keith Richards “I’m
just happy to be anywhere.”
She gets out quickly and hurries away. She’s almost at school
when Julie pulls up.
JULIE
(calling out)
Hey bitch!
Ms. Pickett has VERY LARGE fake breasts. Her boyfriend, Matt,
hands a sack lunch to Lady Bird and Julie.
MATT
Alright girls, hope you like
pickles. 16.
JULIE
Thanks, Uncle Matt.
LADY BIRD
Sweet!
Ms. Pickett gets in the driver’s seat, they drive away.
LADY BIRD
He’s not your uncle.
JULIE
It’s something I’m trying out.
Bye, mom.
(watching Ms. Pickett go)
Your Mom really likes you.
JULIE
Yeah. I just keep getting
fatter.
Lady Bird starts eating the Matt lunch and chucks her own
lunch into a garbage can. The one her Mom spent time making.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(mouth full)
Me too. Matt is awesome.
JULIE
Yeah, I hope he marries my Mom.
That would be nice. He promised me
his old car when I turn eighteen.
In the student parking lot, a girl gets out of her fancy
Range Rover. She’s pretty in a high school way.
LADY BIRD
That car should be illegal. Jenna
Walton’s not doing any off- roading.
She just goes to Pavillions.
JULIE
I heard Jenna Walton has a tanning
bed in her house.
The girl, Jenna Walton, is very tan. Identical tan girls
descend on her.
LADY BIRD
She is so pretty.
JULIE
Her skin is luminous.
LADY BIRD
Maybe we should try tanning. 17.
INT. VESTMENT ROOM. DAY
Lady Bird and Julie sit with their legs up the wall, eating
communion wafers out of a large plastic container.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, in the tub I just scoot
myself under like now, like this, and then the water just...
She gestures, showing that the water would flow into her
crotch and get her off. They are hysterically laughing.
JULIE
We are so gross!
LADY BIRD
I think I figured it out when I was
like three or something.
JULIE
I use, I take off the shower head,
oh god this is so embarrassing! I
use that.
LADY BIRD
I don’t know if mine is the right
kind, though. Maybe it’s different
when you actually have a penis in there, like it’s more intense.
JULIE
Mine is pretty intense, I think.
Darlene, an odd looking girl, has silently walked in.
DARLENE
You’re not supposed to eat the
wafers!
JULIE
(trying to be helpful)
They aren’t consecrated.
Darlene turns on her heel, annoyed. Lady Bird and Julie
dissolve into giggles.
INT. XAVIER MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. DAY.
Lady Bird, wearing an extreme “audition” dress, and Julie, in
her uniform, sit and watch other students perform. 18.
Father Leviatch runs auditions - there is something funny and
depressed about him. An overweight woman, Miss Patty,
accompanies on the piano when needed.
A boy, Greg, is up. He has a big voice for such a tiny boy:
GREG
“BEING ALIVVEEEEEEEEEE......!”
Cut to Father Leviatch calling out from his clipboard:
FATHER LEVIATCH
Okay, Christine?
LADY BIRD
Lady Bird.
FATHER LEVIATCH
Is that your given name?
LADY BIRD
Yes.
FATHER LEVIATCH
Why is it in quotes?
LADY BIRD
Well I gave it to myself. It’s
given. To me, by me.
FATHER LEVIATCH
OK, take it away, Lady Bird.
Cut to Lady Bird singing her song.
LADY BIRD
“Everybody says don’t / Everybody
says don’t / Everybody says don’t
it isn’t right, don’t it isn’t
niiiiiceeee / E verybody says don’t
/ Everybody says don’t / Everybody
says don’t walk on the grass ....”
Cut to Julie, wearing her uniform, shy and nervous:
JULIE
(singing)
“Make me a channel of your peace /
where there’s despair in life let
me bring hope / where there is darkness only light / and where there’s sadness ever joy....”
Julie has a sweet, clear, beautiful voice. It’s a quiet
moment and everyone pays attention. 19.
More girls and more boys. Now most everyone is done.
Danny stands. He’s very handsome. Strapping, even. He gives
his sheet music to the Miss Patty. Then he sings:
DANNY
(singing)
“There are giants in the sky! /
There are big tall terrible giants
in the sky! When you’re way up
high and you look below at the world you’ve left and the thi ngs
you know little than a glance is
enough to show you just how small
you are!”
He’s AMAZING. Julie and Lady Bird look at each other. DREAM
BOAT CITY.
INT. LADY BIRD’S ROOM. NIGHT.
Underneath her window sill by her bed, Lady Bird writes the
name:
DANNY.
She’s in love and want to make it permanent somewhere.
Suddenly, a voice is directed right at Lady Bird’s door:
MARION (O.S.)
I CAN SEE THE LIGHT ON IN YOUR ROOM
GO TO BED!
Lady Bird shuts off her light and sleeps, dreaming of Danny.
EXT. XAVIER MULTI- PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. DAY
Lady Bird and Julie check the casting list. They first find:
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Franklin Shepard: Danny O’Neill, Charlie Kringus: Greg Anrue
Gussie: Diana Greenway, Beth: Julie Steffans.
They move way down the list until they find:
Swing/Chorus: Christine McPherson
LADY BIRD
(tightly)
Congratulations.
JULIE
You too! We both got in! 20.
LADY BIRD
Everyone who auditioned got in. The
part I got was basically not
getting in.
JULIE
(trying to downplay)
I do not even know how I got cast
in my part.
LADY BIRD
Me neither. I was the one who had a
dress and prepared a song.
JULIE
I know!
LADY BIRD
(thinking)
Now you’re going to get romantic
with Danny on stage.
JULIE
It’s probably my only shot at that, you know?
LADY BIRD
She take the pen and crosses out Christine and writes LADY BIRD. Leaves.
Julie stays and when she’s sure she’s alone she touches her
name - loving herself and the feeling of being chosen.
INT. GROCERY STORE. EARLY EVENING.
Marion grocery shops. Lady Bird looks at a BRIDE magazine.
LADY BIRD
Mom...
MARION
(re: the magazine)
We don’t need to buy that.
LADY BIRD
It’s only three dollars. I’m having
a hard week.
MARION
If you want to read it we can go to
the public library.
LADY BIRD
I want to read it in bed. 21.
MARION
That’s something rich people do.
We are not rich people.
Lady Bird walks away and then tucks the magazine underneath
her sweater into the top of her skirt, sneakily stealing it.
As she’s performing this maneuver, she sees DANNY (!) and his
Mom and three little brothers walk by. She walks up bravely:
LADY BIRD
Hey!
DANNY
Hi.
LADY BIRD
Come here often?
DANNY
(not getting the joke)
Excuse me?
LADY BIRD
(extending her hand)
I’m Lady Bird, we’re going to be in
the musical together.
DANNY
Oh, yeah, I remember you! You were
wearing that dress.
LADY BIRD
I just wanted to say what’s up and I’ll see you in rehearsal.
DANNY
Thanks, I’m super excited. You live
in the neighborhood?
LADY BIRD
(doing a voice)
Nah, I’m from the wrong side of the tracks.
DANNY
What?
LADY BIRD
Is that your family? There are so
many of you!
DANNY
Irish-Catholic! It’s hard to find a
girl to date that’s not my cousin. 22.
LADY BIRD
(flustered)
Well, okay. You’re going to make a
great Franklin.
DANNY
Thanks! I want my hair, his hair
to be curly, though.
Yeah! LADY BIRD
DANNY
Like Jim Morrison. Very ’70s.
LADY BIRD
Like Jim Morrison exactly.
DANNY’S MOM
DANNY!
Gotta go!
DANNY
Lady Bird walks back to Marion, who is with Miguel while he
scans their groceries and Shelly bags them.
LADY BIRD
Who is Jim Morrison again?
MIGUEL
He was in a rock band, moron, The
Doors.
LADY BIRD
I knew that.
MARION
(looking at the bill)
This is with your employee
discount?
MIGUEL
Yeah, it’s already included.
Marion looks worried.
INT. XAVIER MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. AFTERNOON.
Everyone tries to keep up with the dance steps Miss Patty
teaches them. She is also, apparently, the choreographer. She
can move amazingly well for a bigger woman. 23.
They play theatre games and do acting exercises. Father
Leviatch is actually quite good at casting a spell and making
everyone feel included.
CUT TO:
The priest, Father Leviatch, looks around the stage where
everyone sits, cross legged, tired from dancing.
FATHER LEVIATCH
To get our emotions going, we’re
going to play “first one to cry
wins.”
FATHER LEVIATCH
Starting ... Now. I’m playing too.
So is Miss Patty.
Miss Patty nods.
They all try to cry really hard. Suddenly everyone looks up
- Father Leviatch is sobbing.
Everyone is uncomfortable watching an adult man cry.
FATHER LEVIATCH
I’m sorry… I’m sorry.
EXT. XAVIER MULTI- PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. AFTERNOON.
Diana, another girl in the play, dishes the gossip while she
and Lady Bird and Danny wait for their rides:
DIANA
I heard that before he became a priest he was married and he had a
son named Etienne who died of a drug overdose at 17 which was maybe a suicide but my mom says same
difference if you are so careless
with your life.
(a horn honks)
Oh that’s her! Gotta go, bye guys!
Lady Bird and Danny wave goodb ye and then fall into a
semi- awkward silence. She sees it’s her Moment. She tries
to casually hand Danny a bag but it’s a kind of big bag. 24.
LADY BIRD
Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you
these hot rollers. For your Jim
Morrison hair.
He pulls out the Conair pink and purple “Hot Sticks.”
DANNY
Thank you so much.
LADY BIRD
You’re welcome.
DANNY
You’ll have to show me how to use
them.
LADY BIRD
(weirdly formal)
It would be my pleasure.
DANNY
They look like sperms.
He laughs and Lady Bird joins in. They do look like sperms
but it wasn’t so funny to say it.
DANNY (CONT’D)
Hey! I just remembered I had a dream about you!
LADY BIRD
Really?! What happened?
DANNY
We were flying to Disneyland on a giant carrot....
LADY BIRD
Awesome!
DANNY
I love Disneyland.
LADY BIRD
Me too, I think it’s kind of scary but I also love it.
Triumph! They are having a Real Conversation.
INT. ALGEBRA II CLASS. DAY
Mr. Bruno explains a problem on a projector. He’s handsome
and young- ish. Definitely handsome for an all girls school.
Lady Bird zones out, thinking about Danny. Julie looks
intently at Mr. Bruno. She loves him, privately. 25.
MR. BRUNO
(finishing an explanation)
Don’t leave me hanging. Can I get
a nod? That’s good. Maybe even a
verbal confirmation?
JULIE
(too loud)
YES.
Julie experience her mini moment of private embarrassment.
They are handed back quizzes. Julie gets a A -.
MR. BRUNO
Good job, Jules, I could tell from
your work that you even understood
the one you missed!
He kind of winks at her. She blushes.
LADY BIRD
(looking at her grade)
SUCK A DICK.
JULIE
(to Lady Bird)
I like “Jules.”
Lady Bird looks at her C+.
LADY BIRD
I just don’t get why I’m not good
at math, my Dad is really good at
math. Even Miguel has a math degree.
JULIE
Maybe it’s your Mom’s fault.
INT. HOMECOMING DANCE. SCHOOL GYM. NIGHT.
There are a bunch of kids clumped, some dancing, some sitting
on half- hearted hay bales. The popular girls, Jenna etc.,
wear tank tops that say (front) Ditch the horse... (and back)
Ride the cowboy!
Lady Bird and Julie now have on bandanas and denim - they’re doing the Groucho Marx Duck Soup dance to “Tha Crossroads.” Suddenly Lady Bird stops.
JULIE
You lose! POINT JULIE!
LADY BIRD
No, look26.
Across the dance, there is Danny. He’s wearing chaps, a holster,
a hat, fake pistols. Like teenage John Wayne.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Wish me luck.
JULIE
Luck.
Julie watches as Lady Bird makes a bee-line for Danny.
LADY BIRD
Wanna dance?
DANNY
Hell, yeah!
They start slow dancing together. Julie does the duck- soup
dance alone and then stops. It’s pointless without a buddy.
She falls back and watches.
Sister Sarah-Joan walks by Lady Bird and Danny:
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Six inches for the Holy Spirit!
They roll their eyes: Rules! Once she leaves Danny pulls Lady
Bird close again. She swoons. Life is happening. EXT. SCHOOL GYM. NIGHT.
Lady Bird, Julie and Danny wait outside of the dance, leaning
against the gym waiting for their parents. Julie’s Mom pulls
up with Uncle Matt. Honks.
JULIE
(to Lady Bird)
That’s us!
LADY BIRD
Nah, my Mom is coming.
JULIE
No she’s not.
LADY BIRD
(pointed)
Yes, she is.
JULIE
But the plan was sleepover at -
LADY BIRD
IT’S FINE. 27.
Lady Bird is clearly trying to stay there with Danny.
JULIE
(annoyed)
Okay, bye then.
Julie gets in the front seat to practice driving. Leaves.
Lady Bird and Danny are quiet, listening to the muffled
sounds of the dance. Then:
DANNY
Have you ever been out of the
country?
LADY BIRD
When I was little, my Dad had a job
that took him to Brazil. I remember
from the pictures.
DANNY
I’ve never been out of the
country. It’s my dream to go
to Paris.
LADY BIRD
(sighs)
Paris.
DANNY
That’s why I’m learning French.
LADY BIRD
My mom said French wasn’t useful.
DANNY
It is if you want to go to Paris.
They laugh.
DANNY (CONT’D)
I still don’t know how to use those rollers you gave me.
LADY BIRD
Oh, it’s so easy, like after they
heat up, you just take your hair
and twist the hair and then twirl the thing like this...
She reaches up to his hair. He kisses her. It’s surprising.
They kiss again. It’s romantic, really romantic.
EXT. SACRAMENTO STREETS. NIGHT.
Lady Bird walks home. She’s smiling so huge and throws her
face to the sky and screams.
INT. HOUSE. NIGHT. 28.
Marion and Larry are arguing with a lot of financial
documents strewn across the kitchen table. 29.
MARION
Larry how long will this hold us.
LARRY
I don’t know...
Lady Bird opens the back door, glowing and shiny from the
night and the kiss. She sneaks past.
MARION
Well, someone must know. Can the
whole family go on Cobra, even Miguel? What happens if someone
gets in an accident?
LARRY
I’m not sure - the severance
package I think it expires all at once, not within the calendar
year...
Lady Bird tip- toes into her room. She knows she wasn’t
supposed to see this. And she doesn’t want to know any more.
MARION
I’ll ask at my work if --
Suddenly, a noise makes her turn her head sharply.
MARION (CONT’D)
Is she home?
LARRY
Maybe leave it for tonight...
MARION
No, she knows better.
(getting up)
She cannot sneak around like
this...
Marion barrels down the hallway towards Lady Bird’s room.
INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT.
Lady-Bird, under the covers, hears her Mom coming. Then all
the lights come on, it’s so bright:
MARION
Christine! You can’t leave your
room like this!
LADY BIRD
I didn’t... 30.
MARION
None of these things were put
away right, they aren’t nice,
CHRISTINE! NOW!
LADY BIRD
(weakly)
My name is Lady Bird.
MARION
Don’t lie to me, Christine!
Lady Bird sees her Dad pass by the door and give her a look
like “I’m sorry, I can’t help you here.” He disappears.
Marion picks up her uniform.
MARION
NO, this uniform is going to look
like TRASH on Monday!
MARION (CONT’D)
This isn ’t right - we can’t treat
our clothes like this. I don’t
know what your wealthy friends do...
LADY BIRD
Why do you care what I do to my
clothes?
Marion closes the door..
MARION
Your father does not have a job.
MARION
He lost his job, okay? Do you need him to come in here and explain that to you? 30.
MARION
Of course he wouldn’t do it
anyway, he’s Mr. Nice Guy. I always
have to be the Bad Guy.
LADY BIRD
Can we please talk about this tomorrow?
MARION
You can’t look like a rag because
that makes us look like rags. And
you want to know the truth? Here’s the truth: some of your friends’
fathers could employ your father
and they won’t do that if it looks like his family is trash.
Lady Bird puts all her clothes away while Marion watches.
LADY BIRD
(quietly)
Didn’t you ever go to sleep without
putting all your clothes away perfectly? Like even once? And
don’t you wish your Mom hadn’t gotten angry?
MARION
My mother was an abusive alcoholic.
Lady Bird has nothing to say to this, Marion wins.
INT. GUIDANCE COUNSELOR’S OFFICE. DAY.
Lady Bird looks at some brochures. The Guidance Counselor
looks at her grades and test scores.
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
So I understand that you’re not interested in any Catholic
colleges?
LADY BIRD
No way. Sorry, but yes, no way. 31.
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Then you’ll be applying to UCs and
State schools?
LADY BIRD
Yes, but also those East Coast liberal arts schools. Like Yale, but not Yale because I probably
couldn’t get in.
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
(laughs)
You definitely couldn’t get in.
Part of my job is to help you be
realistic.
LADY BIRD
That seems like everyone’s job.
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Your SAT scores are strangely very
good.
Lady Bird shrugs.
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (CONT’D)
I’d placed some calls to local alumni of the schools you’re
interested in, but unfortunately all the interviews are taken.
LADY BIRD
So... what does that mean?
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
It means that you’ll have to get in
on how you look on paper.
INT. THEATRE. DAY.
The kids rehearse -- following dance moves and singing.
EXT. ROSE GARDEN. NIGHT. Lady Bird and Danny lie on a blanket in the park, looking up
at the stars.
DANNY
Shouldn’t we go home?
LADY BIRD
(shakes her head)
My Mom is always mad. It doesn’t
matter if I get home late, she’d be
mad at me anyway.
DANNY 32.
Your Mom is hard on you.
LADY BIRD
(defensively)
She loves me a lot.
(then)
Pick a star for us.
DANNY
(pointing)
That one, right there right next to
the bright one and then the dim one
- see it?
LADY BIRD
That’s our star.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(whispering)
You know you can touch my boobs,
right?
DANNY
I know... it’s just.... I respect
you too much for that.
LADY BIRD
Oh, cool, awesome. I totally get
that. Thank you.
DANNY
You're welcome. 33.
LADY BIRD
If you had boobs I wouldn’t touch
them either.
DANNY
I respect you so much because...
I love you.
LADY BIRD
I love you, too.
They kiss and look back up at the stars.
DANNY
Let’s name our star Claude.
Lady Bird makes a face.
LADY BIRD
That’s pretentious, don’t you
think?
DANNY
It’s French.
(then)
What should we name it?
LADY BIRD
BRUCE.
They laugh and kiss and yell to the heavens.
DANNY
I LOVE YOU!
LADY BIRD
I LOVE YOU!
They hug and are the happiest they’ve ever been, looking up
at the sky and loving each other. 34.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(whispers)
Bruce.
EXT. HALLWAYS OF IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. DAY.
Julie and Lady Bird wander the hallways. Julie shoves a
cupcake in her mouth, so does Lady Bird. The wander and chew
contemplatively.
LADY BIRD
(not really to anyone)
It’s normal to not touch a penis.
JULIE
(looks around, notices
everyone is gone)
I have to go to class.
LADY BIRD
But I have free period!
JULIE
I need to pass history!
LADY BIRD
I think we’re done with the
learning portion of high school.
JULIE
I’m gonna go.
LADY BIRD
NO! I HATE BEING ALONE!
JULIE
Bye, love you.
Julie takes off. Lady Bird lazily walks the halls.
She sees her empty math classroom and sees that Mr. Bruno
isn’t there. She ducks inside. Notices his grade binder on
the desk. Snatches it and then runs.
She dumps it into one of the big trash cans and hurries away. 35.
INT. THRIFT TOWN. DAY.
Marion and Lady Bird are looking through dresses.
MARION
Did Danny say whether his
grandmother has a formal
Thanksgiving?
LADY BIRD
I don’t know, there are a lot of
kids, but she lives in the fab
forties...
MARION
(nodding)
Your dad and I went to a dinner
party once in that neighborhood,
the CEO of ISC, and it was pretty formal.
Lady Bird finds something - holds up a black dress.
MARION (CONT’D)
You’re not going to a funeral.
LADY BIRD
Well, I don’t know! What says “rich people Thanksgiving”?
They keep looking.
MARION
It’s just such a shame that you’re spending your last Thanksgiving
with a family you’ve never met
instead of us, but I guess you want it that way.
(clocks her walking)
Are you tired?
LADY BIRD
No.
A saleswoman, Joyce, calls out:
JOYCE SALESWOMAN
Hey Marion!
Marion waves to the saleswoman. Her voice is so warm and
friendly with other people who are not her daughter:
MARION
Hey Joyce! How’s the baby!
36.
JOYCE SALESWOMAN
He’s crawling!
MARION
Ooohhh, I want to see a picture at
checkout!
(back to Lady Bird)
If you’re tired we can sit down.
LADY BIRD
I’m not tired!
MARION
Oh it’s just that I couldn’t tell because you’re dragging your feet.
LADY BIRD
(silence)
MARION
Well, I just couldn’t tell.
LADY BIRD
Why didn’t you just say “Pick up your feet.”
MARION
I didn’t know if you were tired.
LADY BIRD
You were being passive aggressive!
MARION
No. I wasn’t.
LADY BIRD
You are so INFURIATING.
MARION
Please stop yelling.
LADY BIRD
I’m not yelling.
Marion sees something. Holds it up. It’s a beautiful old
fashioned looking dress. Marion has found the needle in the
haystack.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Oh it’s perfect!
MARION
Don’t you love it. 37.
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. LATE AT NIGHT.
Marion, still in her nurses uniform, sits at the sewing
machine, tailoring the dress she and Lady Bird found. She
finishes, and then hangs it up quietly in Lady Bird’s room.
Doesn’t wake her up, simply watches her daughter sleep for a
minute.
INT. ALGEBRA II CLASS. DAY.
Mr. Bruno addresses his class:
MR. Bruno
So because my gradebook has
disappeared, I am going to count on
you to reconstruct it. I know you all know your grades better than
anybody. I have a general idea, but
this is all about the honor code
right now, okay?
They are going up one by one to talk through their grade and
he can start again.
JULIE
A-
MR. Bruno
I’m pretty sure it was an A.
JULIE
Um, I’m not but okay...
MR. Bruno
It was – trust me, I know talent
when I see it.
JULIE
You’re welcome. No, thank you.
He does that wink thing at her again. She retreats, red
faced. Lady Bird is next:
LADY BIRD
Hey, I think B.
MR. Bruno
I thought it was more like B- maybe even C+ territory.
LADY BIRD
No, because I did really well on the last quiz... 38.
MR. Bruno
I seem to remember you doing only
slightly better.
LADY BIRD
It brought my average up to a B.
MR. Bruno
Okay, B it is. It’s your honor.
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. DAY.
Marion, Larry, Shelly and Miguel run around making sure the
house is perfect for their Thanksgiving. The doorbell rings.
MIGUEL
LADY BIRD! YOUR LOVER AWAITS!
Marion opens the door, lets in Danny.
MARION
Hello, Danny! The famous Danny! Aren’t you adorable!
(she hugs him)
Larry isn’t he adorable?
LARRY
He’s adorable.
MARION
And you’re driving her and
everything - Wow!
DANNY
Thank you for letting Lady Bird come to my Grandmother’s Thanksgiving, Mrs. McPherson.
MARION
No more politeness, just call me Marion!
DANNY
(firmly shaking Larry’s
hand)
Nice to meet you, Mr. McPherson.
LARRY
Please, call me Mr. Larry McPherson.39.
MARION
(hits him)
Larry! Sit down Danny, can I get
you something to drink?
DANNY
Oh no, I’m fine.
MIGUEL
(waving)
Hi, I’m Miguel. The brother.
I think Lady Bird wants to make an
entrance. She’s mad we don’t have a
spiral staircase.
SHELLY
(quietly)
Shelly.
What? DANNY
SHELLY
Is my name.
They’re quiet for a moment. Danny tries to converse:
DANNY
It’s funny, on my way here, I went
over the train tracks --
MARION
You took H street?
DANNY
Right, and so just Lady Bird always
says that she lives on the wrong
side of the tracks, but I always
thought that it was, like, a metaphor.
Ah. MARION
DANNY
But there are actual train tracks.
Marion’s face contorts. This is painful.
Just then, Lady Bird enters, looking beautiful in her vintage
dress. She holds a duffel bag.
MARION
(now upset with her)
What in the hell is in that duffel
bag? 40.
LADY BIRD
Don’t worry about it, Jeez!
DANNY
My grandmother will love that
dress.
INT. DANNY’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE. LATE AFTERNOON.
Thanksgiving. It is at the Dream House. From the beginning.
The blue one with the white trim and the American Flag. Lady
Bird cannot believe it.
LADY BIRD
Wait, this is your grandma’s
house? Oh my god.
She meets his Grandmother, almost kisses her hand like she’s
a queen but pulls back just in time:
LADY BIRD
Your house is my favorite in all
of East Sacramento.
Lady Bird and Danny walk through the house. She spots very
prominent Ronald Regan poster:
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Is this... a joke?
DANNY
No.
Lady Bird meets people, so many people, and in a lull, folds
a napkin in a cool way - it looks like a four- pointed flower.
Danny’s Grandmother notices, and IS TOTALLY INTO IT. Soon,
Lady Bird is folding all the napkins at the tables this way,
teaches her how to do it, too. It is clear how much Danny’s
Grandmother enjoys Lady Bird.
INT. DANNY’S CAR. NIGHT
Lady Bird and Danny are singing along with songs from the show. Pick up Julie from her apartment complex. Pick up Greg
from his house. Now they’re all singing.
In the car, they change out of their Thanksgiving “finery” and put on what they consider to be “people who listen to
music in coffee shop” outfi ts. That was what the duffel was
for, the costume change. There are scarves and a beret.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. NIGHT.
In their new outfits, Greg and Danny and Julie and Lady Bird
smoke a out of a bowl, which another one of them lights. 41.
LADY BIRD
How do you know when it’s working? 42.
DANNY
You’ll know.
LADY BIRD
It’s not working.
GREG
It’s not? My sister said this was
premium.
JULIE
I’m working.
DANNY
I’m working too.
LADY BIRD
Nope.
They are quiet for a second.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
I can’t feel my arms.
GREG
You’re working.
They laugh really hard. Danny makes out with Lady Bird.
INT. NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. NIGHT.
They hazily take stock of everything. There are some ironic
turkeys pinned up on the stage.
The “cool kids” are there. They don’t say hi but they don’t
shun them. Jenna Walton is there with her boyfriend, Jonah
Ruiz. He’s singing pretty terrible songs about her with his
band, the pretentiously named L’enfance Nue.
LADY BIRD
(whispered to Julie)
If Danny and I get married and then his Grandma died, I’d inherit the Dream House.
JULIE
Wouldn’t his parent’s get it?
LADY BIRD
(realizing)
Oh yeah, we’d have to kill them.
And kill his older brothers, too. 43.
Kyle Scheible, a long- haired beautiful bassist, is really
into it. Lady Bird spends an extra- long time looking at this
Kyle Scheible. She feels DEEPLY ATTRACTED to him. She looks
at Danny, she loves him, yes, but there is something else
going on with Kyle Scheible. She’s not sure, maybe it’s the
pot. Maybe not. REMEMBER KYLE, Lady Bird will.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bruno is there - weird. He looks at Julie, who
was looking at him. She turns quickly away.
JULIE
(to no one)
Where is Mr. Bruno’s wife...?
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Lady Bird and Danny stand by the microwave, making “Smart Ones” frozen dinners. Six of them. Greg and Julie also eat,
everyone with their own spoon taking bites out of the
different platters.
Then Marion walks in - they are still giggling, she awkwardly
announces herself:
MARION
How’s it going?
No one can say anything, it’s almost like they’re frozen.
Finally Lady Bird is able to squeak out:
LADY BIRD
Mom, we really can’t talk right now.
They all dissolve into giggles again.
MARION
Well, Happy Thanksgiving. We missed
you, Lady Bird.
Marion leaves. She’s hurt and angry but mostly hurt.
EXT. LADY BIRD’S FRONT YARD. NIGHT
The kids all pile back into Danny’s car. Lady Bird waves
goodbye, all of them laughing. Then they are gone. Lady Bird
shivers a little, now alone. Startles when she sees Shelly
smoking:
LADY BIRD
(curious)
Why does that cigarette look so
weird? Like not like cigarette? 44.
Shelly offers her a drag. Lady Bird drags and coughs.
SHELLY
It’s a clove. Lick your lips.
That’s why they’re sweet.
(then)
Your Mom was really sad you weren’t
here tonight for Thanksgiving.
LADY BIRD
Well, she hates me.
SHELLY
She has a big heart, your Mom. She
took me in after my parents freaked
out about, whatever, pre -marital
sex. I admire her.
Lady Bird doesn’t fight Shelly.
INT. XAVIER. GIRLS DRESSING ROOM. EARLY EVENING. `
Buzzing in the girls dressing room. It’s opening night!
They are putting up pictures and do- dads. They are exchanging
“opening night” gifts. The girls are applying too much
makeup. There is music playing and lots of screaming.
INT. XAVIER. BOYS DRESSING ROOM. EARLY EVENING.
The boys also get ready. They are putting on powder and
combing their hair. It’s less loud, but also kinetic.
INT. XAVIER MULTI- PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. BACKSTAGE. EARLY
EVENING.
All the boys and girls are gathered in a circle. Father
Leviatch and Miss Patty are leading the prayer.
FATHER LEVIATCH
SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA...
EVERYONE
(shouts)
PRAY FOR US!
DANNY
LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS... 45.
EVERYONE
FOREVER!
They break and cheer. It’s time for the show.
INT. XAVIER MULTI- PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. NIGHT.
The show is about to begin. The audience sits in the dark.
The students in the wings. The paltry orchestra strikes up
the first chord.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is actually a pretty upsetting and
adult show. Julie sings a song about divorce. The other
“fabulous” girl, Diana, plays a character who has an affair.
There’s lots of pretend drinking of alcohol. They dance and
sing their hearts out
Everyone cheers at the end, but more about the fact of the
show as opposed to the show itself.
The audience includes the whole of Lady Bird’s family,
Julie’s Mom and Uncle Matt, Danny’s whole Irish -Catholic
clan. Everyone is proud.
INT. XAVIER MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. NIGHT.
Mingling after the show. Some of the administrators look
scandalized.
Julie sees Mr. Bruno and approaches him, feeling beautiful
and confident:
MR. BRUNO
There she is! Jules, wow! You were
so good. I couldn’t believe that.
JULIE
Thank you...
MR. BRUNO
Jules, I’d like you to meet my
wife, Becky. Becky this is Jules,
one of my brightest students.
BECKY
Nice to meet you.
JULIE
(devastated)
Nice to meet you, too.
MR. BRUNO
How we doing? 46.
BECKY
Yeah, I’m a little tired.
MR. BRUNO
Okay, I gotta get her home , we’ve
got the little one, but great
work Jules.
JULIE
(as they leave)
Congratulations.
Julie is humiliated, and doesn’t quite know why. She sits down next to Father Leviatch, who also looks traumatized. He
watches people pass him by:
FATHER LEVIATCH
They didn’t understand it
INT. DINER. NIGHT.
The entire cast and crew is there, enjoying their opening night, eating a lot of chicken fingers and french fries. They
are being silly and playing a Broadway trivia game. Lady Bird
and Danny make towers with the sugar packets. Julie and Greg
hang out together: they’re both the “extra” friends. Everyone
is giddy and happy.
INT. DINER GIRLS BATHROOM. NIGHT.
Julie and Lady Bird wait for the stalls to open up.
LADY BIRD
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU ALL WILL
BE I DRANK SO MUCH SODA!
STALL WOMAN (O.S.)
Fuck you.
CHORUS MEMBER (O.S.)
I just got my period!
LADY BIRD
Goddamn it!
Lady Bird leaves.
JULIE
Where are you going? 47.
LADY BIRD
There’s never a line in the men’s
room!
INT. MEN’S ROOM. NIGHT.
Lady Bird opens the door and opens a stall and there, in
front of her: Danny and Greg making out hard. Julie comes
tumbling in from behind.
INT. JULIE’S ROOM. JULIE’S HOUSE. NIGHT.
They both cry. They listen to “Crash Into Me” by Dave
Matthews and sob.
The song ends and Lady Bird starts it over.
INT. XAVIER MULTI- PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. NIGHT.
They perform the next night.
No fun. It’s no fun because their boyfriends are gay.
INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE. DAY.
Lady Bird gets her cast off with a saw. Marion watches.
The doctor throws the cast in the trash. She is mournful.
INT. ST. FRANCIS. DAY.
Finals. Lady Bird casually cheats off the girl sitting next
to her.
INT. LIVING ROOM. CHRISTMAS DAY.
Everyone gets socks and underwear for Christmas. Even Shelly.
MARION
They’re really nice socks.
MARION
They’re expensive, actually. They
wick moisture away from your feet.
SHELLY
Yeah my feet always have moisture.
LADY BIRD
Mom, I love them. 48.
MARION
(embarrassed)
I’m sorry it’s Small Christmas. We
wanted to, well, it’s just a little
small this year.
Larry opens his gift.
(laughing)
It’s just what I needed, honey.
He holds up a throw pillow that says “Golfers Don’t Diet They
Just Exist On Greens.” He laughs.
MARION
(laughing, too)
It makes me laugh.
INT. LADY BIRD’S ROOM. NIGHT.
A gentle knock on the door.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
Dad? Come in.
LARRY
(entering)
How did you know it was me?
LADY BIRD
Mom doesn’t knock.
LARRY
(laughs)
No, she doesn’t.
He gives her an envelope. Quietly says:
LARRY (CONT’D)
Here they are, your completed
financial aid applications. Merry
Christmas.
Lady Bird throws her arms around Larry.
LADY BIRD
Thank you! Thank you!
LARRY
Do you need money for the
applications? Because I can help
with that, too, I just need to -- 49.
LADY BIRD
-- no, no, I’ve got that, summer
jobs covered it.
INT. FAMILY/COMPUTER/MIGUEL’S ROOM. COMPUTER. DAY.
Lady Bird frantically fills out her applications: addresses
things, puts materials in envelopes.
MIGUEL
This is why we have computer shut-
off time - this is our room.
He indicates Shelly, looking forlorn by the pullout sofa- bed.
LADY BIRD
Okay, okay, just can you drive me
to the post office on J? It
should still be open.
EXT. POST OFFICE. NIGHT.
They are just closing up for the night. Lady Bird runs up and
posts them at the last minute.
EXT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. PORCH. MIDNIGHT.
Lady Bird and her family are out celebrating New Years. Noise
makers and sparklers. Happy 2003! Everyone wears the glasses
with the zeros for the eyes.
INT. NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. AFTERNOON.
This is where she got high the first time and the band played
- now Lady Bird learns the cash- register, espresso machine,
and then sees Kyle Scheible, that amazing looking bassist,
sitting at a table outside, plowing through “The People’s
History of the United States.”
Later, he steps outside to smoke, she notices and follows:
LADY BIRD
Hey! I like your band with Jonah
Ruiz, L'enfance Nue?
(she pronounces it
Lenfance New)
KYLE
(correcting her
pronunciation)
L’enfance Nue.
LADY BIRD
I saw your Thanksgiving show. My
name’s Lady Bird.
50.
They shake hands. There is something instantly sexual between
them. Lady Bird has never felt this thing before. She gets
all R&B songs ever written in one moment.
KYLE
It’s weird you shake hands.
LADY BIRD
Yeah.
(lying)
Yeah, I’m friends with Jenna and
she’s always talking about how
great your band is so I wanted to check it out.
KYLE
Jenna’s hella tight. Well maybe
I’ll see you at the Deuce or
something.
LADY BIRD
Sure, see you at the Deuce.
COOL TWENTY SOMETHING
(yelling out to Lady Bird)
I’m not paying you to flirt!
LADY BIRD
(embarrassed)
I wasn’t flirting.
KYLE
I wish you had been.
And then he’s gone. Lady Bird’s loins are on fire.
INT. LADY BIRD’S ROOM. NIGHT.
She writes Kyle’s name next to where she’d written Danny’s
name. Touches her hand where he’d touched it. Then touches
her mouth. She wants, she wants. 50.
SECOND SEMESTER
INT. CHURCH. DAY.
Joint liturgy at another beginning of the semester. Lady Bird
sits next to Julie and sings in the choir and scans for Kyle.
From under her choir robe, Lady Bird pulls out “The People’s
History of the United States” and reads it while the priest
delivers the homily.
Danny tries to make eye contact with Lady Bird but she coldly
looks away. Her eyes rest on Jenna - she wants Kyle as her boyfriend and Jenna as her friend. She wants to be part of
this thing, this popular- straight- kid thing she’s always been
outside of.
Lady Bird takes her blessing, arms crossed.
INT. HOMEROOM. DAY.
JENNA
The first time we did it was at his
lake house last summer. It was so
funny...
Julie hands Lady Bird a sack lunch:
JULIE
From Uncle Matt. I think he and my Mom are fighting, so enjoy these
lunches while you can.
LADY BIRD
Oh, no thanks , I’m trying to lose
weight.
JULIE
Really?
But Lady Bird isn’t paying attention. She’s angling towards Jenna Walton, the tan, who holds court:
JENNA
Yeah, sex is not a big deal, it’s
just my mom called during it!
Everyone laughs. 51.
JENNA (CONT’D)
It was on my cell phone, she got it
for emergencies.
LADY BIRD
Did you pick up?
JENNA
Yeah, I was like, "um, Mom, I can't
really talk right now."
Everyone else laughs again. Julie now tries to join in:
JULIE
(to Jenna)
What was the emergency?
JENNA
What? Oh, my great aunt died.
JULIE
What was the emergency?
JENNA
Oh, my great aunt died.
LADY BIRD
I'm so sorry.
JENNA
She kind of did it to herself.
Yeah. I don’t know why do that if
you’re already so old.
Sister Sarah- Joan approaches:
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Ladies - skirts?
Jenna's skirt doesn’t make the grade, it’s been hemmed.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN (CONT’D)
I’m going to write you a citation,
Miss Walton. 52.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
No more short skirts!
She continues on, inspecting other skirts.
JENNA
Sarah-Joan is all up in my jock.
LADY BIRD
She’s a cunt.
JULIE
Birdy you like her.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, but, she’s a cunt.
(to Jenna)
I have an idea of how to get Sarah-
Joan back...
JENNA
How?
LADY BIRD
You’ll see. This afternoon?
JULIE
No, we have auditions this
afternoon.
LADY BIRD
I don’t think I want to do the
play.
(to Jenna)
Meet me in the teacher’s parking
lot at 3. I’ll have the materials.
JENNA
Wait what was your name?
LADY BIRD
Lady Bird.
JENNA
Weird.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
We have a decision to make: prom
themes! The top options are -- Cities of the World, Eternal Flame,
and Movies!
INT. XAVIER MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. DAY.
Everyone who has come to audition is greeted by the new
director: Father Walther, also the JV football coach.
GIRL #1 53.
Where’s Father Leviatch?
FATHER WALTHER
Alright let’s have everyone take a
knee.
Confusion. Miss Patty won’t make eye contact
with them
MISS PATTY
Cozy sit.
FATHER WALTHER
So I know that you all miss Father
Leviatch, all of the brothers do
too, but I am going to give this my
very best shot, okay? Usually I’m
the J.V. football coach, but from
what I can tell a “play” is a
“play.”
No real response. Danny sits with Julie, whispers:
DANNY
Where’s Lady Bird?
JULIE
(quietly angry)
With her new best friend. She
thinks she’s too cool for theatre.
Father Walther wheels out a blackboard and picks up chalk.
FATHER WALTHER
Now if you can pull out your
scripts. I’ve assigned a number to
each of your roles. I’m going to
put the blocking on this board, and
if you guys can transcribe into your plays, that’d be great.
JULIE
(calling out)
Who is playing what part?
FATHER WALTHER
I had Miss Patty assign parts
because she already knows you all.
Miss Patty nods.
FATHER WALTHER (CONT’D)
Call ‘em out Miss Patty!
Miss Patty starts: 54.
MISS PATTY
(slightly drunk on power)
Uh, Prospero, Danny.
Julie is Miranda - she’s happy, maybe she’s good at this?
EXT. TEACHER PARKING LOT. AFTERNOON.
Jenna and Lady Bird are decorating the nun mini- van with tin
cans and streamers and attach a sign to the back that reads:
JUST MARRIED TO JESUS.
As they’re completing their mission:
JENNA
Wait, where do you live?
LADY BIRD
Oh, um, the 40s.
JENNA
That’s where our starter house was!
Which street?
LADY BIRD
(lying, again)
Um, 44th it’s, um, it’s the three
story blue house with the white shutters and the American flag in
the front.
She describes the house that she and Julie lusted after last
fall, Danny’s Grandmother’s house.
JENNA
I know that one! Wanna go over there now and eat? I live in
Granite Bay otherwise I’d say lets go there.
LADY BIRD
Um, actually, I was thinking -
maybe we should go to the Deuce?
(trying to be casual)
I was talking to Kyle about it and
he was like “whatever it’s lame but
maybe I’ll see you there.”
JENNA
How do you know Kyle? 55.
LADY BIRD
My Mom made me get a job at New
Helvetia to learn “responsibility”
Anyway we hang out there.
JENNA
Yeah, Kyle’s awesome. let’s Deuce
it up.
INT. XAVIER MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM/THEATRE. DAY.
Father Walther is writing all the blocking on the blackboard
like the football coach he is. All the students are frantically taking down the notes in their scripts.
EXT. SIERRA II. “THE DEUCE.” PARKING LOT. DAY.
Jenna joins Jonah & co in the parking lot, drinking and
smoking. Kyle is there, sitting on top of a car reading
another big book, a theoretical math book. For fun.
LADY BIRD
This is the Deuce? It’s a parking
lot? We were in one parking lot
and we went to another parking
lot.
JENNA
(calling out)
KYLE! Lady Bird and I just decorated the nun- mobile like “just
married to Jesus!
KYLE
That’s hella tight.
He nods, appreciating this. Jonah starts to make out with
Jenna. Lady Bird tries not to watch.
KYLE (CONT’D)
What you did was very baller, very
anarchist.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, fuck ‘em.
KYLE
Don’t worry, I’m not gonna snitch
on you.
LADY BIRD
(fake threatening)
I hope not, because I’d fucking
kill your family. 56.
What?
KYLE
LADY BIRD
Sorry that was an exaggeration.
KYLE
It’s okay. My Dad has cancer. So I
guess God is doing that for us.
LADY BIRD
Oh... I’m sorry.
They’re quiet for a second, he’s said something heavy.
KYLE
You work at New Helvetia, right?
LADY BIRD
Right.
KYLE
Can I get your number? We were
looking to set up some more gigs
down there...
LADY BIRD
Definitely.
He holds out his hand and a pen. Lady Bird takes his hand and
the pen. When she touches him, it’s the same as before: SEX.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
It’s my parents’ number.
KYLE
You don’t have a cell phone?
LADY BIRD
Nah.
KYLE
Good girl. The government didn’t have to put tracking devices on us,
we bought them and put them on
ourselves.
LADY BIRD
I don’t own a tracking device...
KYLE
No the cell phones. See? 57.
Wow.
LADY BIRD
KYLE
Yeah. I know. I mean y ou’ll have
one eventually. Everyone ’s gonna
have one. And then it’ll be a
matter of time.
LADY BIRD
Before what?
KYLE
Before they put them in our brains.
Lady Bird laughs and then stops herself. He is dead fucking
serious. She wants to touch him again but can’t invent a reason why.
INT. NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. AFTERNOON.
Lady Bird works. Zones out from time to time, thinking about
Kyle. Danny comes in and then lurks. She spots him, goes to
throw out the trash, annoyed that he’s there.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. AFTERNOON.
Lady Bird walks out, Danny follows her. She wheels around:
LADY BIRD
What do you want from me?
He doesn’t say anything.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
YES?!
DANNY
My Grandma wanted me to tell you
she missed you at Christmas.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, well, I couldn’t have gone anyway... my Mom was pissed about
Thanksgiving.
DANNY
(nodding)
Your mom is crazy. I’m scared of
her. 58.
LADY BIRD
(suddenly defensive)
She’s not crazy, she’s just, she has
a big heart. She’s very warm.
DANNY
I don’t find your mother warm.
LADY BIRD
You don’t?
DANNY
Well no yeah she’s warm but she’s
also kind of scary.
LADY BIRD
You can’t be scary and warm.
DANNY
(logically debating)
I think you can, your Mom is.
LADY BIRD YOU’RE
YOU’RE GAY!
That shuts him up. They’re quiet.
DANNY
(suddenly, desperate)
Fuck me. Can you not tell anyone, please? I’m so sorry about
everything. I’m so ashamed of all of
it. It’s going to be bad and I just
need a little bit of time to figure
out how I’m going to tell my mom and
dad.
He almost starts crying.
LADY BIRD
(pats him awkwardly)
Don’t worry, I won’t tell.
DANNY
(leaning into her,sobbing)
Thank you.
59.
He’s telling the truth and she is genuinely touched. They
embrace again. They are friends, real friends now.
INT. PSYCH HOSPITAL. CHECK-IN. DAY.
Marion helps a patient fill out a questionnaire. It is Father
Leviatch, who looks how he feels - crushed by bottomless
despair. This is his struggle.
MARION
...and do you have a support system?
FATHER LEVIATCH
What do you mean?
MARION
(gently)
Who do you turn to when you feel
this way?
FATHER LEVIATCH
No one, I guess. I’m sorry.
MARION
No, no, don’t be sorry. There’s
no wrong answer.
She looks at him with true empathy. He realizes something.
FATHER LEVIATCH
Please don’t tell your daughter.
MARION
No of course not. Of course not. 60.
INT. CHURCH. DAY.
All of Xavier and Immaculate Heart of Mary are assembled for
Ash Wednesday Mass.
Everyone gets ash on their forehead. Julie looks on enviously
as Lady Bird jokes around with Jenna and flirts with Kyle
from across the aisle.
The priest repeats the incantation every time he applies
ashes to the foreheads.
PRIEST
Remember that you are dust and to
dust you shall return... Remember
that you are dust and to dust you
shall return....
INT. FAMILY/COMPUTER/MIGUEL’S ROOM. DAY.
Lady Bird sits at the computer with a list of instructions in
front of her - Marion, Larry, Shelly and Miguel stand behind
her.
LADY BIRD
It’s a new system - you just enter
your social security number and...
She is presses ENTER and is lead you to a website that lists
all the schools in the UC system she applied to with a “yes”
or a “no” beside them. They all say no except for...
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
DAVIS?!
MARION
(relieved)
Davis is good. Maybe you should have looked at it.
LADY BIRD
It’s only half an hour away! Less
if you’re driving fast!
LARRY
I went to graduate school there.
SHELLY
Lots of smart people go to Davis.
LADY BIRD
I thought Berkeley had to accept
me. You and Miguel went there. I’m a legacy. 61.
LARRY
Eh, not if we don’t give money.
MIGUEL
And you get bad grades.
LADY BIRD
Oh what do you know about it?
MIGUEL
Meaning?
Nothing. LADY BIRD MIGUEL
(turning red)
What are you implying?
MIGUEL
YOU FUCKING RACIST.
LADY BIRD
I didn’t say anything.
MIGUEL
I DIDN’T PUT DOWN MY RACE!
LADY BIRD
I’m sure they had no idea, MIGUEL!
MIGUEL
You are actually fucking
evil. What is wrong with you?
MARION
GO - GO TO YOUR ROOM!
LADY BIRD
I’m not FIVE!
MARION
I did not raise you like this, I
didn’t --
LADY BIRD
I don’t have to go ANYWHERE! I’m
not going to a fucking university
that’s famous for it’s fucking AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.
She runs out, furious. She’d kick the computer if she could.
LADY BIRD (O.S.) (CONT’D)
AND MIGUEL AND SHELLY YOU’LL NEVER 62.
GET JOBS WITH ALL THAT SHIT IN YOUR
FACE!
Miguel self- consciously puts his hand to his nose- ring,
rotating it. Shelly mentally tallies all her piercings. 63.
INT. JENNA'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
A fancy McMansion, giant but not utterly tasteless. A low-key
house party. Lady Bird wanders through the palatial house,
looking for Jenna. Runs up to her:
LADY BIRD
Hey!
JENNA
(hugging her)
Hi! Help yourself to anything in
the fridge. My parent’s are
upstairs but they don’t care if you
drink.
She nods and moves on. What she’s looking for is Kyle of course. She spots Kyle outside, reading a book and smoking.
EXT. JENNA'S HOUSE. BY THE POOL. NIGHT.
Lady Bird casually slinks outside and lights up a clove, like
she does it all the time. Kyle notices like he was meant to.
KYLE
I hate that shit.
LADY BIRD
But you smoke.
KYLE
Hand rolled cigarettes - never
industrially produced and never
cloves.
LADY BIRD
What’s wrong with cloves?
KYLE
You can’t inhale cloves. What’s
the point?
LADY BIRD
Oh...
KYLE
You’re not supposed to.
LADY BIRD
Cloves were what I first smoked,
when I was young, so you know,
force of habit.
KYLE
Huh. Well it has fiber glass. 64.
Really?
LADY BIRD
KYLE
Rolling your own is best. Also I’m
trying to, as much as is possible, not participate in our economy. I
don’t like money. I am trying to
live by bartering alone.
LADY BIRD
But doesn’t Catholic school cost
money?
KYLE
Yeah the diocese were not super
into it.
(then)
It mattered to my Dad that I go to
Xavier, so just trying to make him
happy.
She sits down next to him. He touches her face. She breathes
out hard. He kisses her and she kisses back.
CUT TO:
Another part of the house: Kyle and Lady Bird are making out full on. She wants it, but not so fast:
LADY BIRD
I don’t want to have sex yet. I
haven’t had sex yet. With another person.
KYLE
No, me neither.
LADY BIRD
Really?
Yeah.
Cool.
KYLE
LADY BIRD
They start making out again. They fall into a door and it
reveals THE FAMOUS TANNING BED. Lady Bird laughs.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Oh my god! It’s the tanning bed!
Julie will love this! 65.
KYLE
Who’s Julie?
INT. BATHROOM. DAY.
Lady Bird sits on the edge of the tub and looks at a picture
of Kyle from the “Xavier” insert in the Immaculate Heart of
Mary Yearbook.
CUT TO:
Just Lady Bird’s feet on either side of the tub- tile, the
water streaming down. It’s obvious what she’s doing.
CUT TO:
She’s out. She has towels wrapped around her body and head.
She rummages around the medicine cabinet. She sees a pill
bottle and looks at it. It’s antidepressants for her Dad. She
puts it back, carefully.
MARION (O.S.)
Lady Bird! You can’t lock yourself
in there! We have one bathroom!
LADY BIRD
(opening the door)
Sorry, sorry, sorry!
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
It’s just this is the only place I can get any privacy.
Marion clocks the towels around Lady Bird’s head and body:
MARION
Do you really need to use two towels?
LADY BIRD
No, I guess no.
MARION
If you need two towels you just have to say so because this affects
my whole day, I have to do laundry
before work and I need to know if there are more towels I need to wash.
LADY BIRD
I just need one, sorry. 66.
MARION
OK, well let me get to the mirror,
I gotta get going.
Lady Bird backs up, watches Marion put on makeup.
LADY BIRD
When do you think is a normal time
to have sex?
MARION
(drops her mascara)
You’re having sex?
LADY BIRD
No!
MARION
Uh, college is good, I think
college. Use protection. Like we talked about.
LADY BIRD
Ok.
They regard each other.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Is Dad depressed?
MARION
(looking from the mirror)
Why do you ask that?
LADY BIRD
The pills... they have Dad’s name on them.
Marion’s not sure she should talk about it, but then does:
MARION
Dad’s been struggling with
depression for years.
LADY BIRD
I didn’t know that. 67.
MARION
Money is not life’s report card.
LADY BIRD
He’s depressed about money?
MARION
Being successful doesn’t mean
anything in and of itself. It just
means that you’re successful.
LADY BIRD
(confused)
Yeah, but then you’re successful.
MARION
But that doesn’t mean you’re happy.
LADY BIRD
But he’s not happy.
EXT. JENNA’S HOUSE. POOL. DAY.
Lady Bird and Jenna messing around in her big pool, splashing
each other, being teenage ladies -of-leisure. Lady Bird is
feeling the weight of her life, the heft of it.
LADY BIRD
I have to get out of Sacramento.
JENNA
Why?
LADY BIRD
Because it’s soul -killing. It’s the
mid-west of California.
JENNA
Isn’t there a thing, like: “think
globally, act locally.”
LADY BIRD
I feel that the person who said
that didn’t live in Sacramento.
JENNA
I love it here. I want to send my
daughters to Immaculate Heart. I
want to be, you know, be a mom.
68.
LADY BIRD
At least go to San Francisco.
JENNA
I don't like hills.
Jenna disappears under the water. Lady Bird considers that
perhaps Jenna is not such a good fit for her as a friend,
even if she is popular and cool. They aren’t the same.
INT. ALGEBRA II CLASS. DAY.
Julie’s desk is empty beside Lady Bird. She misses her real
friend.
INT. ST. FRANCIS HALLWAYS. DAY.
Lady Bird sees Julie walking in the hallway with Darlene, the
weird girl from choir. She calls out:
LADY BIRD
Julie! Julie! Julie, hey!
DARLENE
(aggressive)
What do you want from Julie?
LADY BIRD
Darlene can you excuse us?
JULIE
Darlene, stay.
So Darlene stays, her creepy cow eyes taking in the scene.
LADY BIRD
Why aren’t you in Algebra II?
JULIE
I switched sections.
LADY BIRD
Why? 69.
JULIE
Aren’t Jenna and Kyle enough?
LADY BIRD
I’m sorry that you’re jealous.
JULIE
HA! Jenna is a moron, you know.
LADY BIRD
She’s not. She’s in AP Calculus.
JULIE
She’s a moron in a deeper sense.
LADY BIRD
You don’t even know her.
JULIE
-- Miss Patty assigned you a role,
by the way. You just never showed
up to claim it.
LADY BIRD
What role?
JULIE
“The Tempest.”
LADY BIRD
There is no role of “The Tempest.”
JULIE
It’s the titular role!
LADY BIRD
No, it’s a made up thing so we all
can participate.
JULIE
Can’t do anything unless you’re the
center of attention, can you?
LADY BIRD
Yeah, well, you know your mom's
tits? They're FAKE. TOTALLY FAKE.
JULIE
She made a bad decision at 19!
LADY BIRD
Two bad decisions. 70.
Julie leaves with Darlene. Lady Bird is furious and
righteous.
INT. IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY GYM. DAY.
Everyone sits on the bleachers for a “special assembly.”
Jenna and Lady Bird sit together. Lady Bird loves being seen with her at this public event.
A woman is speaking - she is heavy- set with a “wedge”
haircut. She holds up models of fetuses. 70.
CASEY
And at fifteen, this girl was
pregnant. She decided that she
was going to get an abortion. It made sense. It was the right thing to do.
LADY BIRD
(whispering)
Let me guess she didn’t get it.
CASEY
And she was sitting there waiting
for the doctor to come in and
something deep inside her said NO.
LADY BIRD
Bingo.
CASEY
Anyone want to guess who this woman
is?
Hands shoot up.
CASEY (CONT’D)
The young lady right here.
YOUNG LADY
You? 71.
CASEY
No, it was not me.
ANOTHER YOUNG LADY
Um, your friend?
CASEY
No, the girl in the story was... my
mother.
Gasps from the audience.
CASEY (CONT’D)
I am that baby that she decided not to abort.
Cut to: Laminated graphics about abortion are being passed
around.
CASEY (CONT’D)
That could have been me, that could have been my fate.
LADY BIRD
(to Jenna)
Just because something looks ugly
doesn’t mean that it is morally wrong.
Unfortunately this comment was loud enough for Casey to hear.
CASEY
What did you say, ma’am?
LADY BIRD
Nothing.
CASEY
Please share.
Lady Bird looks at Jenna and decides that she’s really going
to impress her:
LADY BIRD
(loud)
I said “Just because something
looks ugly doesn’t mean that it is
morally wrong.”
The girls are shocked and embarrassed, but laughing too. 72.
CASEY
You think dead children aren’t
morally wrong?
LADY BIRD
No...
She’s going all in:
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
I’m just saying that if you took up
close pictures of my vagina while I
was on my period it would be
disturbing but it doesn’t make it wrong.
GASPS! Sister Sarah- Joan clocks Lady Bird’s escalating mania.
She briefly makes eye -contact with her. Lady-Bird is ashamed,
but uses her shame to plow ahead rather than turn back.
CASEY
(horrified)
Excuse me? What did you say?
LADY BIRD
Listen, if your mother had had the
abortion we wouldn't have to sit through this stupid assembly?
MARION (O.S.)
Suspended?! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!
INT. FAMILY/COMPUTER/MIGUEL’S ROOM. NIGHT.
Marion is furious. Larry pretends to work on the computer.
MARION
EVERYTHING we do is for you.
EVERYTHING. You think I like
driving that car around. Do you? You think I like working double shifts at the psych
hospital? You needed to go to the Catholic school because your brother saw someone knifed in front of him at the public school, is that what
you want?
MARION
(turns on Larry)
LADY-BIRD
No.
No.
No. No....
LARRY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE
COMPUTER?!
Nothing. 73.
LARRY
MARION
(back to Lady Bird)
You think Dad and I don’t know how
ashamed that you are of us? Your
dad knows, your dad knows why you ask us to drop you a block away
from school every day -
LADY BIRD
- Dad I didn’t mean to -
MARION
- You made him feel horrible
HORRIBLE do you know that?
LADY BIRD
(crying)
I’m sorry.
Larry chimes in. 74.
LARRY
Marion you didn’t have to bring
that up -
MARION
- No, Larry, you can’t just be the
nice guy, she has to know, she has
to know how you feel otherwise
she’s just gonna think that she
can say anything at all and nobody
ever gets hurt.”Wrong side of the
tracks”.
LADY BIRD
I didn’t mean it that way, it was a
joke --
MARION
Yeah, it’s just a joke: “Mom and
Dad, they don’t care.” We didn’t
think we’d be in this house for
twenty-five years, we thought we’d
move somewhere better, Whatever we
give you, it’s never enough.
LADY BIRD
It is enough.
MARION
Do you have any idea how much it cost to raise you? How much you’re
THROWING away every day?
Lady Bird, tired of being berated, furiously gets a pen and a
piece of paper, poised to write, cuts Marion off:
LADY BIRD
Give me a number.
MARION
What?
LADY BIRD
GIVE ME A NUMBER!
MARION
I don’t understand.
LADY BIRD
You give me a number for how much
it cost to raise me, and I’m going to get older and make a lot of
money and write you a check for
what I owe you so that I NEVER HAVE TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN. 75.
MARION
I highly doubt that you will be
able to get a job good enough to do
that.
Lady Bird screams and raises her hand at her mother. Brings
it down without striking. Leaves the room without a sound.
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. EARLY AFTERNOON.
Lady Bird lounging - watching television. Life during
Suspension. All these reports about the lead up to the Iraq
war. It’s simultaneously terrifying and boring. The phone
rings and she JUMPS at it.
LADY BIRD
(into the phone)
Hello?
JENNA (O.S.)
Hi, it’s me! Jenna.
LADY BIRD
(looking at the time)
Are you calling me from school?
JENNA (O.S.)
No, we got out early because all
the Irish girls got totally sloshed
by noon...
LADY BIRD
Oh, right, happy Saint Patrick’ s
Day!
JENNA (O.S.)
I guess they’d been stock- piling
mini liquor bottles in the tampon machines. Now they’re all throwing up. Everyone else got out early.
So GUESS where I am?!
LADY BIRD
I don’t know, where?
Reveal that Jenna is:
EXT. DREAM HOUSE. EARLY AFTERNOON.
It is the house. Danny’s Grandmother’s house. The blue one
with the white shutters and the American Flag. The one Lady
Bird said she lived in. Jenna is standing there in her
uniform. 76.
JENNA
DING DONG I’M OUTSIDE!
She rings the doorbell.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
Oh, shit, no, I’m... wait.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
LEAVE! JUST UM, LEAVE!
INT. LADY BIRD’S KITCHEN. EARLY AFTERNOON.
CUT TO:
Lady Bird and Jenna in her kitchen. Her real kitchen.
JENNA
(looking around)
So this is your house?
LADY BIRD
Yeah.
JENNA
The woman who lived in the other
house was totally freaked out.
LADY BIRD
That’s my friend’s grandma. That’s her house.
JENNA
Why did you say it was your house?
Reaching for the truth that explains it:
LADY BIRD
I wished I lived in that house.
JENNA
I don’t even sort of understand why somebody would lie about that. 77.
LADY BIRD
I didn’t lie.
JENNA
You lied, you’re a liar.
JENNA
I hate dishonesty.
LADY BIRD
I’m sorry.
JENNA
Apology accepted, I guess.
LADY BIRD
(concerned)
Are we still friends?
JENNA
I mean, if you’re still Kyle’s
girlfriend, then yeah, I guess
I’ll see you around.
Lady Bird looks worried - is she still Kyle’s girlfriend?
INT. KYLE’S ROOM. KYLE’S HOUSE. DAY.
They watch the news, not touching but oh man she wants to
touch.
CUT TO:
Kyle and Lady Bird are making out pretty heavily. Lady Bird is on top. She whispers:
LADY BIRD
I’m ready.
KYLE
(regular voice)
What?
LADY BIRD
(a bit louder)
I’m ready... to have sex...
KYLE
Okay, great. 78.
He reaches over, fetches a condom. Gets it on somehow.
LADY BIRD
You’re so dextrous with that... Oh!
They’re sort of having sex now. She’s still on top. It goes
on for a little bit. Then he stops moving.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(whispering)
Are you...? Done?
KYLE
Yeah. Yes.
LADY BIRD
Sorry, I was confused.
She looks at him. His face is all splotchy.
KYLE
You have some kind of - blood!
LADY BIRD
(hands to her face)
Oh, shit, I get nose bleeds.
I’m sorry.
CUT TO:
Kyle reads. Lady Bird holds a Kleenex to her nose, and looks
at a bulletin board with the class picture from first grade -
little Kyle wears a tie- dye shirt.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Remember when “tie- dye” was an
activity? 79.
KYLE
(glancing up)
I didn’t make that shirt, my
parents bought it for me at Sea
Ranch, you can read “Sea Ranch” if you look close.
LADY BIRD
(making a joke)
Cut to “ten years later.”
KYLE
What?
LADY BIRD
Like how ten years ago you were in
first grade and now we... Cut to!
KYLE
(quizzical)
What does “cut to” mean to you?
LADY BIRD
Or like "little did he know..."
KYLE
Nothing you're saying makes sense.
LADY BIRD
How we’re not virgins now! We
deflowered each other. We have each
other’s flowers.
She kisses him and tries to hold him but then backs off.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Sorry, I’m just happy.
KYLE
I didn’t lose my virginity to you.
LADY BIRD
Wait - what?
KYLE
I lost my virginity to Cassie
Duval.
Excuse me? LADY BIRD
80.
LADY BIRD
You said you were a virgin.
KYLE
No I didn’t. Because I’m not. And I
haven’t lied in two years.
Oh Jesus. LADY BIRD
KYLE
Yeah, I’ve probably slept with, six
people?
LADY BIRD
You don’t even know if it’s six
people?
KYLE
I don’t keep a list.
LADY BIRD
Why wouldn’t you keep a list we’re
in high school?
KYLE
Why are you getting so moody?
LADY BIRD
You did say you were a virgin.
KYLE
I think you might have made an assumption.
LADY BIRD
I just had a whole experience that
was wrong.
She sits. Kyle opens his book up again and then closes it:
KYLE
You're deciding to be upset.
LADY BIRD
No, I am upset.
KYLE
Because you’re deciding to be.
Don't be mad at me for this. That's
stupid. You can't be mad at me for something I have no control over
now.
LADY BIRD
I just wanted it to be special. 81.
KYLE
Why? You’re going to have so much
un-special sex in your life.
LADY BIRD
(fully angry now)
I was on top! Who the fuck is on
top their first time!
KYLE
Do you have any awareness about how many civilians we’ve killed
since invasion in Iraq started?
LADY BIRD
SHUT UP. SHUT UP. Different things
can be sad. It’s not all war.
Kyle moves away and opens a book.
LADY BIRD
(worried)
Are we still going to prom
together?
KYLE
Sure.
Kyle has been reading something out of the corner of his eye.
INT. KITCHEN. KYLE’S HOUSE. DAY.
Lady Bird sneaks down the stairs, still crying, trying to get
away without a conversation. Through a door, she sees Kyle’s
Dad. He’s very thin and wears lots of sweaters, obviously
sick. He drinks a cup of tea.
EXT. KYLE’S HOUSE. DAY.
Lady Bird waits outside, sitting on the curb. The Toyota
Corolla pulls up. It’s Marion. Lady Bird does a double- take.
INT./EXT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. EARLY EVENING.
As Lady Bird climbs in the car:
LADY BIRD
I thought Miguel was going to pick
me up. 82.
MARION
Well, I was just arriving from work
and...
She wants to say she misses Lady Bird but instead says:
MARION (CONT’D)
It was easier.
Lady Bird starts crying. Very hard. Marion pulls over, hugs
her:
MARION (CONT’D)
Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay.
As she’s rubbing her back, Marion takes in Lady Bird’s shirt,
she doesn’t recognize it.
MARION (CONT’D)
What is this sweater?
LADY BIRD
Oh, it’s just, my friend Jenna gave it to me.
MARION
Who’s Jenna?
LADY BIRD
My friend.
Marion doesn’t know her daughter’s friends, her t-shirts, or
why she’s crying. She holds Lady Bird, then thinks of
something:
MARION
... want to do our favorite Sunday activity? I don’t have a second
shift...
Lady Bird nods, it would be nice.
INT./EXT. OPEN HOUSES AROUND SACRAMENTO. DAY.
Marion and Lady Bird go to all the different open houses.
They love doing this. They could never buy any of them, but it is so neat to see the inside of houses you’ve always known, and to imagine a different life. Where would your bed
go?, etc. It’s a great day. Maybe the best in a long time.
Maybe ever. 83.
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. DAY.
Lady Bird is back to watching television. The invasion is
full on, it’s the Shock and Awe portion of the Iraq war.
MIGUEL
Lady Bird! A bunch of things
arrived for you!
Lady Bird rushes in, snatches the envelopes from his hand:
LADY BIRD
(turning hot)
Holy shit!
MIGUEL
Since when do you get mail?
LADY BIRD
I get mail.
MIGUEL
Whatever you’re up to, it’s not
going to end well.
INT. LADY BIRD’S ROOM. DAY.
She opens a bunch of letters - they are all rejections.
EXCEPT for one letter, the letter that says “Wait- listed.”
She screams silently to herself. Not yes but it’s not no.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING. MORNING. Larry sits across from Business Jock, just 30.
BUSINESS JOCK
The programmers now are, l ike,
kids, man!
LARRY
I know - but that’s why I think
with me you’ll find something
different.
BUSINESS JOCK
YEAH BUT THEY’RE LIKE BABIES.
LARRY
I hear you, it’s wild. Which is why
(pointing at his resume)
(MORE) 84.
LARRY (CONT'D)
I got my MBA at UC Davis while
still working at ISC.
BUSINESS JOCK
Oh, wow. That must of been a lot
of work.
LARRY
It was.
BUSINESS JOCK
I heard ISC is closing now, though.
LARRY
I heard, yes.
BUSINESS JOCK
So the assholes who fired you are now closing up shop.
LARRY
(not feeling it)
Feels good.
They sit for a second.
BUSINESS JOCK
(looking around)
Yeah... What else is supposed to happen?
LARRY
Oh, I thought we were going to talk about the position.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING. WAITING ROOM. DAY.
Larry leaves his awkward interview to come get Lady Bird.
She’s reading a stack of old magazines.
LADY BIRD
How’d it go? 85.
LARRY
(exhausted)
Let’s go buy a big bag of Doritos
and eat them in the car to
celebrate your waitlist.
LADY BIRD
(laughing)
Don’t tell Mom! About the Doritos
or the waitlist!
Then Miguel enters the waiting room. Larry and Lady Bird do a
double take. Miguel looks much more conventional. Handsome,
too. All his piercings are out, his tattoos covered.
LARRY
Oh... hi, son!
LADY BIRD
Wait, what are you doing here?
MIGUEL
I guess we’re um, going for the same job then?
LARRY
It looks like it. Go get ‘em!
Larry and Miguel hug.
Miguel goes in to the interview. Larry watches him go,
feeling how you’d be feeling at that moment. Lady Bird aches
for her Dad.
INT. VICE PRINCIPAL SISTER SARAH-JOAN'S OFFICE. DAY.
Lady Bird hands in homework from being suspended. Sarah -Joan
looks it over, then:
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
I know it was you who did the “Just
Married” thing.
LADY BIRD
It wasn’t me.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
I’m not going to punish you. 86.
LADY BIRD
Oh... why not?
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
(laughing)
It was funny. Sister Gina and I
drove all the way home before we
noticed p eople were honking.
LADY BIRD
Really?
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
To be fair, I wasn’t just married
to Jesus. It’s been forty years...
LADY BIRD
Well he’s a lucky guy.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
(she considers Lady Bird)
I read your college essay. Y ou
clearly love Sacramento.
LADY BIRD
I do?
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Well, you write about Sacramento so
affectionately, and with such care.
LADY BIRD
I was just describing it.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
It comes across as love.
LADY BIRD
Sure, I guess I pay attention.
SISTER SARAH-JOAN
Don’t you think maybe they are the
same thing? Love and attention? 87.
INT. THRIFT TOWN. DAY.
Marion and Lady Bird are looking for a prom dress. Lady Bird
is in the dressing room trying things on.
MARION
(sadly)
I guess you won’t be going to
dances in college. This is our last
one.
(then)
You know, Davis has a terrific theatre. If you’re still interested
in theatre. Are you?
Lady Bird comes out in a dress, it’s too tight:
LADY BIRD
I’m probably no good at acting.
(looking at herself)
Why don’t I look like the girls in the magazines?
MARION
It’s too bad I can’t meet this Kyle
before prom.
LADY BIRD
He’s not my boyfriend anymore. I
mean, maybe he never even was.
MARION
I’d still like to meet him.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
(re: the dress)
IT’S TOO TIGHT! FUCK.
Lady Bird goes back into the dressing room.
MARION
I suggested you not take that
second helping of pasta...
LADY BIRD
MOM! 88.
MARION
(innocent)
Honey, you seem upset about it,
I’m trying to help you.
LADY BIRD
Mom! You’re giving me an eating
disorder!
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
(to herself)
I wish I could get an eating
disorder.
Lady Bird comes out again. The dress kind of fits her. It’s bright pink and frilly. She looks happy:
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
I love it.
Smiles up at her Mom, looking for approval:
MARION
(considering)
Is it too pink?
Lady Bird silently goes back into the dressing room. Her Mom
just crushed something that she liked and was very “her.”
Marion picks up that she’s upset:
MARION (CONT’D)
What?
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
Why can’t you say I look nice?
MARION
I thought you d idn’t even care
what I think.
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
I still want you to think I look
good.
MARION
I’m sorry, I was telling you the
truth. Do you want me to lie?
LADY BIRD (O.S.)
No, I just wish... I wish that you
liked me. 89.
MARION
Of course I love you.
Lady Bird comes out. Looks at Marion with the pure question:
LADY BIRD
But do you like me?
MARION
(faltering)
...I want you to be the very best
version of yourself you can be.
LADY BIRD
What if this is the best version?
INT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Lady Bird all dressed up in her pink dress. The one Marion
didn’t like. Miguel, Shelly and Larry wait with her. She
keeps checking the window.
SHELLY
You look really pretty.
Really?
Shelly nods. LADY BIRD
SHELLY
You look like a bad ass girl in a
band.
This makes Lady Bird feel pretty amazing. Then a car horn
honks. It’s Kyle. He literally honks.
LADY BIRD
Um, I guess, that’s my date.
LARRY
You aren’t going to get in the car
with a guy who honks, are you?
LADY BIRD
I think, yes, I am.
Larry shrugs, accepting the situation.
LARRY
Let me get your picture. Mom’s
pissed she had to work a double. 90.
MIGUEL
(peering out the window)
Even you deserve better than this.
Larry snaps a picture of Lady Bird, standing alone.
SHELLY
Have a good time!
MIGUEL
Yeah, good luck!
Larry snaps a picture of Lady Bird, standing alone.
INT. KYLE’S CAR. NIGHT. Lady Bird approaches and catches Jenna and Jonah talking in
the back seat:
JONAH
I think she’s weird.
JENNA
She is weird.
LADY BIRD
(announcing herself)
Hey guys. I guess I’ll just, sit
shotgun? You look really nice,
Kyle.
KYLE
You look good.
He moves some books, probably math books, and she sits. Jenna
doesn’t make eye contact with her.
INT. KYLE’S CAR. NIGHT.
Driving around with Jonah and Jenna. It’s no fun.
KYLE
(on the phone)
Hey, what’s going on, man. Yeah,
OK, that sounds great. OK.
(hangs up the phone)
Do you guys want to ditch prom and
just go to Mike’s instead?
JENNA
Yeah, I hate dances.
JONAH
YES!
LADY BIRD
Yeah, okay. No prom. 91.
“Crash Into Me” comes on the radio.
KYLE
I fucking hate this song. 92.
He switches it. Suddenly Lady Bird sits up very straight.
LADY BIRD
I love it.
LADY BIRD
I actually want to go to prom.
KYLE
Um, okay? I mean I don’t really
wanna do that.
LADY BIRD
Can you take me to my friend Julie’s house, please?
KYLE
Sure.
JENNA
Who’s Julie?
LADY BIRD
She’s my best friend.
EXT. JULIE’S APARTMENT COMPLEX. NIGHT.
Kyle drops off Lady Bird. Screeches away.
Lady Bird stands in front of Julie’s apartment complex. She’s
milling around when a car pulls up: it’s Julie’s Mom, Ms.
Pickett - coming in from grocery shopping.
INT. JULIE’S ROOM. NIGHT.
Julie’s Mom knocks on the door.
MS. PICKETT
Julie, honey, there’s someone here
to see you.
She steps in. Julie looks up, she’s been crying.
LADY BIRD
Hi...
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Hey, are you okay?
JULIE
Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine.
LADY BIRD
What happened?
JULIE 93.
Nothing. Really, nothing.
LADY BIRD
Why are you crying? 94.
JULIE
I’m just crying - some people
aren’t built happy , you know?
INT. JULIE’S KITCHEN. NIGHT.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
They laugh really hard. They catch their breath and notice
that they are on the last slice of the block of cheese.
LADY BIRD
We ate all the cheese!
JULIE (CONT’D)
It’s ok, Blocks of cheese vary in
size, that was a small one.
LADY BIRD
So small.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Fuck it, let’s go to prom. Doesn’t your Mom have a dress?
JULIE
Let’s be honest, I’ve had a dress
for months. It’s purple and you’re really gonna like it. 95.
INT. PROM. NIGHT.
Julie and Lady Bird are slow dancing together. All the
decorations, the whole thing, looks like hell, actual hell.
There are flames everywhere. They are taking pictures
together and happy - it is their last hurrah.
CUT TO:
EXT. DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. EARLY MORNING.
In their prom dresses. They watch the sun come up over
Capital Bridge on the Sacramento River. Their small -town
version of the sunrise scene over the Brooklyn Bridge in
“Manhattan.”
LADY BIRD
People make so much noise in the
movies, but it’s really not a big
thing, you can totally be quiet
during it.
JULIE
Was it amazing, though?
LADY BIRD
(thinks)
I wanted it so badly but then I found that when it happened, I
really like dry humping much more.
JULIE
You’re NOT a virgin.
LADY BIRD
(excited)
I can’t wait for State Fair.
JULIE
I know! 96.
LOG RIDE!
LADY-BIRD
LOG RIDE!
JULIE
They laugh. Then:
Oh shit.
What? JULIE
LADY BIRD
JULIE
I’m not going to be here this
summer. All summer, basically.
LADY BIRD
Why not?
JULIE
Well, my Dad, my real Dad,
resurfaced in Yellowstone and he wants me to come out there for the
summer before I start SCC.
LADY BIRD
Oh.
JULIE
I’m not going anywhere to college,
so it seemed like a good
opportunity.
LADY BIRD
(trying to be happy for
her)
Yeah.
JULIE
I’m going to miss the fuck out of you.
LADY BIRD
I probably won’t get in. So I’ll go
to Davis and I’ll see you every day.
97.
INT. XAVIER THEATRE. NIGHT.
Lady Bird sits in the audience and watches The Tempest. Close
on Danny performing Prospero’s last speech. It’s beautiful:
DANNY
... now I want Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer, which pierces so that it assaults
mercy itself and frees all
faults. As you from crimes would pardoned be, let your indulgence set me free.
The play is over - Father Walther, ever the football coach,
jumps up and cheers. Lady Bird has tears in her eyes. She
loves watching her friend’s be great.
INT. CATHEDRAL. DAY.
Everyone is graduating.
INT. RESTAURANT. NIGHT.
Cut toLady Bird celebrating with her family, hugging them.
LARRY
To Miguel and his new job! 98.
MARION
To Lady Bird going to Davis!
MIGUEL
(to Lady Bird)
Hey, I talked to my manager, and
you can totally take over my job
for the summer.
LADY BIRD
Thanks, Miguel!
MARION
I’m so proud of you, Lady Bird. You
walked weird across the stage, but
you did it.
LADY BIRD
I didn’t walk weird!
MARION
It seemed a little weird, the way you walked.
LADY BIRD
MOM! 99.
Marion smiles at Lady Bird. Lady Bird smiles back. Danny
walks over to their table.He embraces her in a big hug.
They’re friends, real friends.
DANNY
Hi, everyone! I miss you guys!
They all chorus that they miss him, too. Proudly:
DANNY (CONT’D)
Did you find out about the
wait list?
Marion looks at Lady Bird and then back to Danny.
LARRY
Oh, fuck.
MARION
What?
Marion’s eyes darken.
INT./EXT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. DAY.
Lady Bird is still in her graduation gown. Marion is doing
dishes, laundry, not looking at her, not speaking to her.
Lady Bird trails after her:
LADY BIRD
I’m not even in yet, so this might
not even be a problem... Mom?
Follows Marion into the kitchen. She sees her Dad sitting
in the living room, looking scolded: he’s just gotten an
earful. Lady Bird keeps pursuing her Mom.100
.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone
behind your back, it’s not like I
am definitely going to New York.
Nothing from Marion.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Mom. Mom. Aren’t you sort of
proud that I’m so close to
getting in? Just a little?
Follows Marion to the backyard, where she begins weeding.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
I mean, yes, I know it was probably
easier because 9/11 and less people
applying with terrorism and all
that, still though ... I’m sorry, I
know I can lie and not be a good person but...
Follows Marion to the trash can, almost crying.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
Please, Mom, please I’m so sorry, I
didn’t mean to hurt you - I appreciate everything you’ve done
for me, I’m ungrateful and I’m so
sorry, I’m so sorry I wanted
more...
Nothing from her. Marion goes back into the kitchen, screen
door slamming behind her.Shouting now, panicked trying to
get her attention.
LADY BIRD (CONT’D)
TALK TO ME! MOM! MOM! PLEASE! TALK TO
ME. I know, I know, I know I’m so bad,
just please! PLEASE.
Nothing from her mother.
SUMMER (AGAIN) INT. GROCERY STORE. DAY.
Lady Bird is learning the ropes of the grocery store. She’s
trying to scan items. Hangs out with Shelly. 101
.
INT. NEW HELVETIA COFFEE SHOP. DAY.
Lady Bird puts on her other apron for the coffee shop, and
gets to work as a barista. She’s gotten better.
INT. DMV DRIVING TEST. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. AFTERNOON.
Lady Bird is sitting with the driving tester after the test.
DRIVING TESTER
You passed.
LADY BIRD
Seriously?!
DRIVING TESTER
Yes.
LADY BIRD
Thanks.
DRIVING TESTER
Not a thanking situation, you either
pass or you don’t pass.
LADY BIRD
Yay.102
.
INT. LADY BIRD’S ROOM. MORNING.
Dad comes in with a cupcake. Lady Bird is 18.
LARRY
Happy Birthday to you.
LADY BIRD
You remembered!
LARRY
You’re my only daughter. Well,
Shelly too, kind of. Make a wish.
Lady Bird blows out the candle. Then:
LADY BIRD
Are you and Mom going to get a divorce over this?
LARRY
No... we can’t afford to! I’m kidding, no. I love your Mom.
LADY BIRD
(looking down)
Does Mom hate me?
LARRY
You both have such... strong personalities. She doesn’t know how
to help you and that frustrates
her.
LADY BIRD
I wish she’d talk to me.
LARRY
She will, I know. Happy 18.
LADY BIRD
Thanks. Do you want some?
LARRY
Yes.
INT. CONVENIENCE STORE. DAY.
Lady Bird walks confidently up to the
counter.
LADY BIRD
One pack of Camel Lights, please.
And a scratcher. And a Playgirl.
CONVENIENCE STORE CLERK 103
.
ID.
Lady Bird hands over her ID.
CONVENIENCE STORE CLERK (CONT’D)
(barely looking at it)
That’ll be ten eighty seven.
LADY BIRD
Oh, it’s my birthday today. I’m
eighteen. Which is why all these
things. I can buy them.
CONVENIENCE STORE CLERK
Okay, happy birthday.
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE. DAY.
She smokes a cigarette. Legally. It’s gross.
EXT. LADY BIRD’S HOUSE. DAY. Early morning. Lady Bird is sitting outside on the porch,
writing. Trying to be like a lady poet. The mailman comes up
and gives Lady Bird the mail.
She opens the paper to the obituaries, just like her Mom -
sees that Kyle’s Dad has died.
Richard Scheible (1953-2003).
She goes to the lawn and sits down on the grass and thinks.
Flips through the other mail. At the bottom is a fat letter
from the college.
She opens it. She got in.
INT. BANK. DAY.
Larry and Lady Bird sit in front of a banker.
LARRY
So with her scholarships and then
if we re- finance the house... then
where are we?
INT. KITCHEN TABLE. NIGHT.
Marion struggling to write something. She works on a yellow
legal pad. Keeps throwing away versions.
INT. HOUSE. MORNING.
Larry gives Lady Bird a cell phone.
LARRY
You’re only supposed to use it for
emergencies.
LADY BIRD
(laughs)
It’s my tracking device.
INT. LADY BIRD’S BEDROOM. DAY.
Lady Bird repaints her room, covering the pink walls – and
Danny and Kyle’s names – in fresh white.
INT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. EARLY MORNING.
Lady Bird sits in the backseat while Marion drives and Larry
sits shotgun. Sacramento goes by.
INT./EXT. 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. AIRPORT. DAY, 2003.
Lady Bird and Larry get out. Larry secretly slips a manila
envelope into the front of the suitcase.
Lady Bird leans back into the car and talks to Marion:
LADY BIRD
Thank you for driving.
MARION
You’re welcome.
LADY BIRD
You aren't coming?
MARION
You can't walk up to the gate
anymore, anyway.
LADY BIRD
Yeah, but, I'm going to college.
Marion can barely look at her, it’s too hard and she’s too
mad and hurts too much.
MARION
Dad will walk you to security,
parking is too expensive here.
Marion drives away abruptly. Lady Bird gets smaller in the frame. Marion is the focus. Marion circles, then circles
back. She is crying now, she thought it would be easier to
not say goodbye but it isn’t. She parks the car. Runs as fast
as she can to go say goodbye.
Runs into the airport looking for Lady Bird and Larry. Sees
Larry walking towards her.
LARRY
(hugging her while she
cries)
It’s ok, she’ll be back, she’ll
come back.
COLLEGE
INT. DORM ROOM. NIGHT.
Lady Bird unpacks, putting things in their places. She
reaches in the front pocket of her suitcase and pulls out:
A manila envelope. She opens it, and all these letters fall
out - crumpled up starts and half- starts. She looks at all of
them one at a time. They all begin essentially the same:
“I love you so much and I don’t know how to tell you that, I
can’t communicate it to you in a way that ...”
CUT TO:
Lady Bird is on the phone with Larry:
LARRY (O.S.)
She was worried that there would be
errors, or mistakes or something...
(MORE)
LARRY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
that you’d judge her writing
abilities.
LADY BIRD
I wouldn’t do that.
LARRY (O.S.)
I thought you should have them.
LARRY (O.S.)
I want you to know how much she
loves you but also don’t tell her I salvaged them, okay?
LADY BIRD
Ok...
She touches all these letters her mother couldn’t send. And
she can never tell her that she has them.
INT. ANOTHER DORM ROOM. NIGHT
Lady Bird sits in a dorm room full of college freshman. She
stares at a half drunk paper cup of rum in her hand. She
looks up, questioning:
LADY BIRD
Hey. Do you believe in God?
COLLEGE BOY
No.
Why not? LADY BIRD
COLLEGE BOY
Because it’s ridiculous.
LADY BIRD
(shaking her head)
People will call each other by
names their parents made up for
them but they won’t believe in
God.
COLLEGE BOY
What’s your name?
LADY BIRD
(considering)
Christine. My name is Christine.
I’m David.
They shake hands.
You shake.
I shake.
COLLEGE BOY
DAVID
CHRISTINE DAVID
Where are you from?
CHRISTINE
Sacramento.
DAVID
Sorry, where?
The music was too loud, he hadn’t heard her. Second try:
CHRISTINE
San Francisco.
DAVID
Cool! San Francisco is a great
city.
She is immediately ashamed, but pleased with her social
success. She drinks everything.
CUT TO:
Lady Bird is very drunk now. She leans out the window. David does, too. She yells at the sky.
LADY BIRD
BRUCE!
COLLEGE BOY
No, my name is David.
INT. LADY BIRD’S DORM. NIGHT.
Back in her dorm with the David. She is so drunk that she is
half way between passing out and throwing u p.
David is flipping through her giant CD case.
DAVID
Jesus Christ you have bad music.
It’s all Greatest Hits.
CHRISTINE
But they’re the Greatest, what’s wrong with that?
David puts down the CD case and starts making out with her.
She throws up all over him.
DAVID
Oh, god, oh god!
He gets up and runs away, out of the room.
INT. DORM ROOM. NIGHT.
Christine being loaded onto some kind of strap down chair.
She is crying.
CHRISTINE
I’m sorry.
INT. HOSPITAL. NIGHT.
Christine looks up, half awake. A nurse comes into focus.
NURSE
What do you want us to do, she’s
drunk.
Christine passes out again.
INT. HOSPITAL. DAY.
Christine opens her eyes. Looks at her bracelet. Sits up. A
child sits across from her with something definitely wrong
with his eye. She winces.
She stands. It seems like she can just walk out. She does.
EXT. NYC STREET. DAY.
Christine is hung over but basically okay. Stops a man:
CHRISTINE
What day is it?
NYC MAN
Sunday.
CHRISTINE
Thank you.
She walks past a church. People are filing in. So does she.
INT. CHURCH. DAY.
Snippets of a sermon, some donation baskets. The choir gets
up to sing “Blessed Assurance.”
Christine listens and then cries, hard, and then starts
laughing and singing along. It turns out that her life is
just beginning.
She ducks into the entry- way of the church. Gets out her
phone, calls her home phone. It rings and rings. She leaves a
message:
CHRISTINE
Hi Mom and Dad, it’s me. Christine.
It’s the name you gave me. It’s a good one. Dad, this is more for Mom
- Hey Mom: did you feel emotional the first time that you drove in Sacramento? I did and I wanted to tell you, but we weren’t really
talking when it happened. All
those bends I’ve known my whole
life, and stores, and the whole
thing. But I wanted to tell you. I
love you. Thank you, I’m... thank
you.
Hangs up and listens from the back of the church while the
choir continues singing.
Credits. | screenplays |
the purpose of this paper is to study the long - short waves ( lsw ) equation , which reads @xmath4 where @xmath5 represents the envelope of the short wave and @xmath6 represents the amplitude of the long wave .
as an integrable system , this equation has been widely studied by many methods such as inverse scattering transformation , painlev analysis , bcklund and darboux transformation @xcite .
we note that long wave - short wave resonance can be achieved in a second - order nonlinear negative refractive index medium when the short wave lies on the negative index branch @xcite . in @xcite
, it was shown that ( [ a1 ] ) is associated with a model equation proposed by yajima and oikawa through a muira transformation .
the @xmath1-dressing method @xcite is a powerful tools to construct and solve integrable nonlinear equations , moreover , it can also describes their transformations and reductions @xcite . in this paper
, we will consider the lsw equation in virtue of extended @xmath1-dressing method @xcite and give their @xmath7-soliton solution .
in sect.2 , using the @xmath1-dressing method , we obtain the lax pair for the lsw equation . in sect.3 ,
suitable symmetry conditions are applied to derive the lsw equation in both cases @xmath2 . in sect.4 ,
the soliton solutions for the lsw equation for @xmath2 are given , moreover , the explicit expression of @xmath7-soliton solution is found for this equation by means of the properties of cauchy matrix .
we note that for the lsw equation with @xmath3 , we obtain the one and two cusp solitons which are singular spiky soliton solutions @xcite .
in this section , we consider the @xmath0 matrix @xmath1-problem in the complex @xmath8-plane @xmath9 where @xmath10 is a spectral transform matrix associated with a nonlinear equation .
it is easy to see that a solution of the @xmath1-problem ( [ b1 ] ) with the canonical normalization can be written as @xmath11 where @xmath12 denotes the cauchy - green integral operator acting on the left @xmath13 and here we have suppressed the variable @xmath14 dependence in @xmath15 and @xmath16 .
the aim of the @xmath1-dressing method is to construct the compatible system of linear equations for @xmath15 and the nonlinear evolution equations associated with the @xmath1-problem ( [ b1 ] ) . according to the idea of the inverse scattering transform method , it is important to introduce the @xmath17 dependence in the spectral transform matrix @xmath18 . for the lsw equation ( [ a1 ] )
, we introduce the following linear system about the spectral transform matrix as @xmath19,\quad j={\rm diag}(1,0,-1),\ ] ] and @xmath20 , \quad\tilde{j}={\rm diag}\left(-\frac{1}{3 } , \frac{2}{3},-\frac{1}{3}\right).\ ] ] following the extended @xmath21-dressing method in @xcite , we have the following linear spectral problem @xmath22=q\psi , \quad q=\mathrm{i}[j,\langle\psi r\rangle],\ ] ] and @xmath23-k(jq+qj)\psi+[\mathrm{i}q^2-(j\langle\psi r\rangle_x+\langle\psi r\rangle_xj)]\psi,\ ] ] where @xmath24 our next task is to establish a relation between the representation @xmath25 in ( [ b27 ] ) and the potential @xmath26 . to this end , we first need to introduce a symmetry condition about @xmath26 for obtaining the lsw equation @xmath27 which implies that @xmath26 takes the form @xmath28 where we have use the notation for a @xmath0 matrix @xmath29 with @xmath30 it is readily verified that if @xmath15 is the solution of the spectral problem ( [ b19 ] ) then @xmath31 satisfies the same problem . from the latter equation , we have @xmath32+q\langle\psi r\rangle.\ ] ] then from ( [ b19 ] ) and the diagonal part of equation ( [ b25 ] ) , we find @xmath33,\quad \langle\psi r\rangle^{(o)}=-\frac{\mathrm{i}}{4}[j , q^{(o ) } ] , \\ & \langle\psi r\rangle_x^{(d)}=\mathrm{i}(uw-\frac{1}{2}v^2)j . \end{aligned}\ ] ] thus , the time - dependent linear equation is given by @xmath34-k(jq+qj)\psi+[\mathrm{i}q^2+\mathrm{i}[j^2,q_x^{(s)}]-\mathrm{i}(2uw - v^2)j^2]\psi.\ ] ]
in order to derive the lsw equation , we differentiate @xmath26 in ( [ b19 ] ) with respect to @xmath35 , and use the properties of the @xmath21-problem ( [ b1 ] ) , then @xcite @xmath36=[j,\langle\bar\partial(k^2u)\rangle],\ ] ] where @xmath37 is defined as @xmath38 furthermore , from the linear spectral problem ( [ b19 ] ) , we find @xmath39+[q , u].\ ] ] on the other hand , equations ( [ c4 ] ) and ( [ b2 ] ) imply that @xmath40 has the following asymptotic expansion @xmath41 then equation ( [ c1 ] ) reduces to @xmath42\\ = & [ j,\langle\sum\limits_{j=1}^\infty u_j(x , t)\pi\delta(k)\delta_{j,3}\rangle]\\ = & -[j , u_3(x , t ) ] , \end{aligned}\ ] ] in view of the identity @xmath43 .
now , substitution of the expansion ( [ c6 ] ) into ( [ c5 ] ) , we observe that @xmath44=[\tilde{j},q],\ ] ] @xmath45+[q , u_1],\ ] ] @xmath46+[q , u_2],\ ] ] @xmath47 from equation ( [ c8a ] ) , we know that @xmath48.\ ] ] moreover , equation ( [ c8b ] ) implies that @xmath49 and @xmath50=\mathrm{i}[j , u_2^{(s)}],\\ [ q^{(s)},u_1^{(s)}]=-\mathrm{i}[j , u_2^{(o ) } ] .
\end{aligned}\ ] ] hence , @xmath51+\mathrm{i}[j,[q^{(o)},u_1^{(s)}]],\\ & u_2^{(o)}=\frac{\mathrm{i}}{4}[j,[q^{(s)},u_1^{(s ) } ] ] .
\end{aligned}\ ] ] in addition , from ( [ c7 ] ) and ( [ c8c ] ) , we obtain @xmath52\right),\ ] ] which implies that @xmath53 and then the coupled equations can be obtained @xmath54 we note that equations ( [ c13 ] ) reduces to the lsw equation , if @xmath55 or @xmath56 , we can obtain ( [ a1 ] ) . for the purpose of finding the solution of the obtained equations , we need other symmetry conditions @xmath57 where the matrix @xmath58 is defined in ( [ b28 ] ) .
in this section , we will give the explicit solutions of the lsw equations . to this end , we introduce the following spectral transform matrix as @xmath59 where the constants @xmath60 are mutually distinct and the functions @xmath61 and @xmath62 satisfy the equation @xmath63 then , from ( [ b19 ] ) , the solution of equation ( [ c13 ] ) is given by @xmath64 where @xmath65 and @xmath66 with @xmath67 are arbitrary constants .
then we need to give the representations of the vectors in ( [ d4 ] ) about the discrete data . to this end , substituting ( [ d1 ] ) into ( [ b2 ] ) yields @xmath68 which implies that @xmath69 let us introduce a set of matrix @xmath70 then equation ( [ d7 ] ) is written as @xmath71 where @xmath72 denotes a @xmath73-dimensional vector . from ( [ d8 ] ) and ( [ d3 ] ) , we know that the explicit solution of lsw equation takes the form @xmath74h^t , \end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath75 it is noted that the explicit representation of @xmath76 can be obtained in a same way .
one finds @xmath77 which imply that @xmath78 , then @xmath79 we note that for the lsw equation , @xmath80 .
hence @xmath81 and @xmath82 where @xmath83 and @xmath84 are arbitrary real constants .
it is remarked that this condition can also be obtained by means of the symmetry conditions ( [ c14 ] ) . from ( [ d9 ] ) , we have @xmath85\\ = & -\mathrm{i}\frac{\det(i+\tilde{m}+{g^t}e)-\det(i+\tilde{m})}{\det(i+\tilde{m})}\\ v=&{\rm tr}[(i+m)^{-1}{h^t}(\mathcal{g}-\tilde{\mathcal{g}})]-{\rm tr}[(i - n)^{-1}{h^t}(\mathcal{g}+\tilde{\mathcal{g}})]\\ = & \frac{\det(i+m+{h^t}(\mathcal{g}-\tilde{\mathcal{g}}))-\det(i+m)}{\det(i+m)}\\ & -\frac{\det(i - n+{h^t}(\mathcal{g}+\tilde{\mathcal{g}}))-\det(i - n)}{\det(i - n)}. \end{aligned}\ ] ] in the following , we will give the one - soliton and two - soliton solutions .
above all , for the case of @xmath86 @xmath87 then , one soliton solution of lsw equation takes the form @xmath88 where @xmath89 is defined by @xmath90 figure 1 and 2 describe the one - soliton solution for @xmath91 and @xmath3 , respectively .
now , we will derive the explicit @xmath7-soliton solution of ( [ a1 ] ) . by virtue of the method of linear algebra , we know that @xmath92 where @xmath93 denotes the principal minor of @xmath94 matrix @xmath95 obtained by taking all the elements of @xmath96 columns and rows . by using the cauchy - binet formula , we can calculate the value of @xmath97 @xmath98 where @xmath99 and @xmath100 denotes the determinant of the submatrix obtained by preserving the @xmath96 rows and @xmath101 columns of @xmath102 ; @xmath103 denotes similarly the determinant of the submatrix for @xmath104 .
it is noted that @xmath102 is cauchy type matrices , then we obtain the explicit representation of @xmath105 @xmath106 where @xmath107 and @xmath108 . at the same time
, it is readily verified that @xmath109 in the following , we will evaluate the numerator of the expressions in ( [ d12 ] ) .
to this end , let @xmath110 where @xmath111 and @xmath112 , with @xmath113 , @xmath114 .
hence , @xmath115 takes the same expansion as ( [ d18 ] ) , where @xmath116 now , we split the summation on the right hand side of the above equation into two parts , the first one is @xmath117 , and the second one is @xmath118 . it is noted that the second one is equal to @xmath93 .
thus , the numerator of the expression in ( [ d12 ] ) takes the value @xmath119 hence , @xmath120 by virtue of ( [ d22 ] ) and cauchy - binet formula , similarly , we can calculate the other expressions in ( [ d12 ] ) . @xmath121 and @xmath122 from ( [ d12 ] ) ,
we have @xmath123 in particular , for the case of @xmath124 , we have @xmath125 , \end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath126 hence , we can obtain @xmath127 by calculating it is easy to obtain @xmath128 hence , by means of ( [ d12 ] ) , we get @xmath129 as an illustration , we give the graphic of two - soliton solution for @xmath91 and @xmath3 , respectively . it is remarked that from figures 2 and 4 , one - soliton and two - soliton have singularities at the peak of the solitons , which we are called the cusp solitons @xcite .
projects 11301487 and 11171312 are supported by the national natural science foundation of china . the work of jy zhu is partially supported by the foundation for young teachers in colleges and universities of henan province ( 2013ggjs-010 ) . | arxiv |
Measuring the mass of a wall
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yEw6D.jpg)
Suppose I am given a task to weigh this wall. Neither can I uproot this wall to put it on a weighing scale and measure its weight nor I can place a weighing machine below it.
What should I do then?
You can measure the volume $V$ and density $\rho$ of the wall and calculate the mass $m$ from this using this formula:
$$m = \rho \cdot V$$
The density can be found by looking up a tabulated value for the specific material used, or by taking a sample of the brick, measuring volume and mass and employing the same formula as above.
It should be noted that the wall is of course not homogenous, it contains spaces with air and mortar, but for an estimation, these can be ignored or factored in roughly.
| stackexchange/physics |
Market jump after Fed rate hike is a 'trap,' Morgan Stanley's Mike Wilson warns investors
Morgan Stanley is urging investors to resist putting their money to work in stocks despite the market's post-Fed-decision jump.
Mike Wilson, the firm's chief U.S. equity strategist and chief investment officer, said he believes Wall Street's excitement over the idea that interest rate hikes may slow sooner than expected is premature and problematic.
"The market always rallies once the Fed stops hiking until the recession begins. … [But] it's unlikely there's going to be much of a gap this time between the end of the Fed hiking campaign and the recession," he told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Wednesday. "Ultimately, this will be a trap."
According to Wilson, the most pressing issues are the effect the economic slowdown will have on corporate earnings and the risk of Fed over-tightening.
"The market has been a bit stronger than you would have thought given the growth signals have been consistently negative," he said. "Even the bond market is now starting to buy into the fact that the Fed is probably going to go too far and drive us into recession."
'Close to the end'
Wilson has a 3,900 year-end price target on the S&P 500, one of the lowest on Wall Street. That implies a 3% dip from Wednesday's close and a 19% drop from the index's closing high hit in January.
His forecast also includes a call for the market to take another leg lower before getting to the year-end target. Wilson is bracing for the S&P to fall below 3,636, the 52-week low hit last month.
"We're getting close to the end. I mean this bear market has been going on for a while," Wilson said. "But the problem is it won't quit, and we need to have that final move, and I don't think the June low is the final move."
Wilson believes the S&P 500 could fall as low as 3,000 in a 2022 recession scenario.
"It's really important to frame every investment in terms of 'What is your upside versus your downside,'" he said. "You're taking a lot of risk here to achieve whatever is left on the table. And, to me, that's not investing."
Wilson considers himself conservatively positioned — noting he's underweight stocks and likes defensive plays including health care, REITs, consumer staples and utilities. He also sees merits of holding extra cash and bonds at the moment.
And, he's not in a rush to put money to work and has been "hanging out" until there are signs of a trough in stocks.
"We're trying to give them [clients] a good risk-reward. Right now, the risk-reward, I would say, is about 10 to one negative," Wilson said. "It's just not great."
iPhone 14 Pro — everything we know so far
Largest pink diamond in 300 years discovered in Angola
Keychron's first Alice-style mechanical keyboard was worth the wait | slim_pajama |
feshbach resonance phenomena provide unprecedented control of pair interactions in degenerate atomic fermi gases @xcite . this feature has allowed extensive studies of pairing phenomena in two - component fermi gases providing access to the crossover between a bose - einstein condensate ( bec ) of molecules and the bardeen - cooper - schrieffer ( bcs ) state of cooper pairs @xcite .
although the emphasis of experimental investigations has been primarily on the problem of resonance superfluidity , interacting fermi gases support other strongly - correlated phases including itinerant ferromagnetism . in solid state condensed matter systems ,
the problem of itinerant ferromagnetism has a long history dating back to the pioneering studies by stoner @xcite and wohlfarth @xcite .
these early investigations proposed that , at low enough temperatures , a fermi gas subject to a repulsive interaction potential could undergo a continuous phase transition into an itinerant spin polarized phase @xcite .
this stoner transition reflects the shifting balance between the potential energy gained in spin polarization through pauli exclusion statistics , and the associated cost in kinetic energy .
subsequent studies showed that fluctuations in the magnetization at low temperatures drive the second order transition first order at low enough temperatures @xcite .
such behavior is born out around quantum criticality in a variety of experimental solid state systems including @xmath0 @xcite , @xmath1 @xcite , mnsi @xcite , @xmath2 @xcite , @xmath3 @xcite , and @xmath4 @xcite .
when subject to a magnetic field , the attendant increase in zeeman energy results in the bifurcation of the tricritical point separating the region of first and second order ferromagnetic transitions into two lines of metamagnetic critical points . in the following
, we will explore the potential implications of this itinerant magnetic phase behavior on the equilibrium properties of strongly interacting two - component atomic fermi gases ; here we refer to the pseudo - spin associated with the hyperfine states characterizing the two atomic populations .
however , in contrast to the solid state system , the application of these ideas to the atomic fermi gas must address the features imposed by the trap geometry , and the constraints resulting from the inability of particles to transfer between different spin states @xcite . as a result ,
in the general case , one must consider atomic fermi mixtures in which an effective spin polarization is imposed by population imbalance @xcite .
the potential for itinerant ferromagnetism in atomic fermi gases has been already addressed in the literature , @xcite showed that an optical lattice would reduce the repulsive interaction strength required to realize ferromagnetism , and @xcite studied a trapped system in the thomas - fermi approximation .
subsequently , @xcite developed a diagrammatic perturbative expansion in interaction strength to address the phase behavior of the balanced two - component fermi system . in the following
, we will develop a functional integral formulation to explore the phase behavior of the general population imbalanced system . as well as
providing access to the mean - field phase behavior of the system , such an approach allows for future considerations of the collective low energy spin dynamics of the spin polarized phase .
moreover , the theory provides a platform to explore the potential for the development of an equilibrium spin textured phase recently conjectured in relation to the solid state system @xcite .
the paper is organized as follows : in sec .
[ sec : itinerantatomformalism ] we derive an expression for the thermodynamic potential of the system as a function of the local density and in - plane magnetization fields . to address the important effects of spin - wave fluctuations on the nature of the equilibrium phase diagram , we will explore the renormalization of the mean - field equations keeping those terms that are second order in the coupling strength , @xmath5 . using this result , in sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialuniformsystem ] we analyze the phase diagram of the spatially uniform system as a function of the interaction strength , @xmath5 , and chemical potential shift . finally , in sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialtrappedsystem ] we explore in detail the phase behavior of the magnetic system in the atomic trap geometry .
expressed as a coherent state path integral , the quantum partition function of a population imbalanced two - component fermi gas is given by @xmath6\,.\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath7 and @xmath8 denote grassmann fields , @xmath9 is the inverse temperature , and @xmath10 .
here we have used a pseudo - spin index , @xmath11 , to discriminate the two components . as independent particles ( with no interconversion ) ,
the density of the two majority / minority degrees of freedom must be specified by two chemical potentials . for convenience ,
it is helpful to separate the chemical potentials into their sum and difference ; @xmath12 for up - spin and @xmath13 for down - spin . in this representation
, population imbalance may be adjusted through the chemical potential shift , @xmath14 .
note that , although population imbalance is synonymous with a global pseudo - spin magnetization , a spontaneous symmetry breaking into an itinerant ferromagnetic phase can still develop with the appearance of a non - zero in - plane component of the magnetization .
finally , we suppose that the strength of the repulsive @xmath15-wave contact interaction , @xmath16 , can be tuned using a feshbach resonance . to develop an effective low - energy theory for the fermi gas , it is convenient to decouple the quartic contact interaction by introducing auxiliary bosonic fields , @xmath17 and @xmath18 , conjugate to the local density @xmath19 and magnetization @xmath20 respectively , setting @xmath21\psi_{\beta}\biggr]\!\biggr\}.\nonumber\\ \label{eqn : coldatomferroqptprioordiagonalisation1}\end{aligned}\ ] ] here @xmath22 defines the green s function of the non - interacting system , and @xmath23 denotes the vector of pauli spin matrices .
note that , without decoupling in both the hartree and fock channels , one would subsequently encounter unphysical diagrammatic contributions to the perturbative scheme developed below @xcite .
it is also the simplest approach that maintains spin rotational invariance of the hamiltonian , and leads to the correct set of hartree - fock equations @xcite .
then , integrating over the fermi fields , one obtains the expression @xmath24\ , .
\label{eqn : coldatomferroqptprioordiagonalisation}\end{aligned}\ ] ] at this stage the analysis is exact , but to proceed further one must employ an approximation . to orient our discussion and make contact with conventional stoner theory ,
let us first consider a direct saddle - point approximation scheme . as well as the `` effective '' magnetization imposed by population imbalance
, we anticipate the development of a spontaneous magnetization which will drive the axis of quantization away from the z - axis .
we re - orient the axis of quantization to lie parallel to the net magnetization , denoted in mean - field theory ( with over - bars ) @xmath25 , @xmath26 , and with this definition , the total magnetization of the system is given by @xmath27 . separately varying the action with respect to @xmath28 and @xmath29 one obtains , respectively , the saddle - point equations , @xmath30 where @xmath31 , and @xmath32 denotes the total volume of the system .
together , these equations admit two possible solutions : [ @xmath33 and @xmath34 : : : the total magnetization of the system can be ascribed to population imbalance with no spontaneous magnetization in - plane . within this solution
, @xmath35 is a function of @xmath36 , so it can be used to infer the chemical potential shift , @xmath14 .
[ @xmath37 : : : the total magnetization takes the form @xmath38 . along z - axis , the magnetization is fixed due to population imbalance , with the additional magnetization developing within the x - y plane . in this case , the saddle - point solution translates to the condition @xmath39 , i.e. no chemical potential shift is required to recover the fixed z - component of the magnetization due to the population imbalance ; it is simply given by the resolved component of the total magnetization .
the total population @xmath40 can in turn be obtained from the variation @xmath41 .
expanding the action in interaction strength , @xmath5 , @xmath42 , and one can extract the familiar stoner criterion @xcite for a population balanced system , with @xmath43 being the density of states .
for @xmath44 the state is unmagnetized , @xmath45 , and chemical potentials of the two fermi surfaces remain equal . if @xmath46 then the state is magnetized with @xmath47 .
we also note that the stoner criterion can be reformulated to account for population imbalance giving @xmath48 , leading to a transition at the same value of interaction strength as for the balanced system .
although , at this order , the saddle - point approximation predicts a continuous transition to a ferromagnetic phase for the balanced system , it is well - established that fluctuations of the magnetization field drive the transition first order at low temperature @xcite .
this effect can be captured by retaining fluctuation contributions to second order in the interaction . in the following
, we will explore the impact of fluctuations on the equations of motion associated with the uniform mean - field . to implement this program , it is convenient to parameterize the hubbard - stratonovich fields into some , as yet undetermined , stationary ( spatially uniform ) values @xmath49 and @xmath50 , and fluctuations around them , @xmath51 and @xmath52 . integrating out these fluctuations , the goal is to obtain the renormalized mean - field equations for @xmath49 and @xmath50 retaining contributions to second order in @xmath5 . substituting @xmath53 and @xmath54 into eq .
, and rotating the z - axis from the quantization direction to lie along the direction of uniform magnetization using the constant matrix @xmath55 , one obtains @xmath56 } \nonumber\\ & \times&\!\!\exp\left[{\operatorname{tr}}\ln { \mathsf{g}}^{-1}+{\operatorname{tr}}\ln({\mathsf{i } } + g{\mathsf{g}}{\mathsf{t}}^{-1}({\mathsf{i}}\rho_{\text{fl}}+ { \bm\sigma}\cdot{\bm\phi}_{\text{fl}}){\mathsf{t}})\right]{\,,}\end{aligned}\ ] ] where now @xmath57 denotes the elements of the inverse green s function of the system at the level of the renormalized mean - field , @xmath58 .
then , expanding the action to second order in fluctuations , @xmath59 and @xmath60 , and performing the functional integral , one obtains the thermodynamic grand potential from the quantum partition function using @xmath61 , @xmath62 a result that is independent of the transformation @xmath55 .
here we have defined the spin - dependent polarization operator , @xmath63 where the sum on @xmath64 runs over fermionic matsubara frequencies .
the term labeled ( @xmath65 ) simply represents the thermodynamic potential of a non - interacting fermi gas with shifted chemical potentials .
the term labeled ( @xmath66 ) is due to transverse fluctuations of the magnetization field and coincides with that obtained in ref .
by contrast , the term labeled ( @xmath67 ) , corresponding to longitudinal fluctuations , differs from that obtained in ref .
@xcite by the additional contributions from density fluctuation effects .
to proceed , we now expand the potential @xmath68 to second order in @xmath5 and perform the summations over matsubara frequencies . rearranging the momenta summations , one obtains @xmath69 where @xmath70 , @xmath71 , and @xmath72 .
conservation of momentum requires that @xmath73 .
physically , the numerator of the second order term indicates that the matrix element associated with the transition @xmath74 is proportional to the probability that states @xmath75 and @xmath76 are occupied , whilst states @xmath77 and @xmath78 are unoccupied . following @xcite ( and the earlier discussion of @xcite ) , to renormalize the unphysical divergence of the term in @xmath79 , labeled ( @xmath80 ) close to resonance , we regularize the effective interaction at second order in scattering length @xmath81 , @xmath82 where @xmath83 and @xmath84 . in a population imbalanced system
the definition for the chemical potential is that which gives the same total number of particles in the population balanced system , that is @xmath85{3\pi^{2}(n_{\uparrow}+n_{\downarrow})}$ ] , where @xmath86 and @xmath87 are the number of up and down - spin particles ; this definition holds true in both the canonical and grand canonical ensembles .
this regularization of the contact interaction exactly cancels the divergent terms in @xmath79 , labeled ( @xmath80 ) .
furthermore , the terms in @xmath88 are zero by symmetry . finally , making use of the symmetry in @xmath77 and @xmath78 , one obtains @xmath89 from the thermodynamic potential we can compute the free energy per unit volume @xmath90 . to consolidate terms entering the free energy we switch from the population imbalance pseudo - spin basis to the magnetization basis , retain contributions to order @xmath91 , recall that if @xmath39 then @xmath92 , whereas if @xmath93 then @xmath94 , and affect the rearrangement @xmath95 then , if we set @xmath96 and @xmath97 , an expansion in @xmath98 and @xmath99 shows that the terms labeled ( @xmath100 ) sum to zero to the accuracy of the free energy , @xmath101 . retaining the remaining contribution , the free energy reduces to the form , @xmath102 this expression coincides considering all green s function contributions .
the term labeled ( @xmath103 ) corresponds to the `` @xmath104 '' term of ref .
@xcite i.e. the difference between the kinetic energy and entropy .
the @xmath39 limit has also been derived elsewhere @xcite .
] with that obtained in ref .
the method employed in the numerical calculation of the summation over three momenta is described in app .
[ sec : computationalanalysisofmomentumspaceintegral ] . to minimize the free energy and obtain the net magnetization it is convenient to take the expression for the thermodynamic potential and affect the shift of the field @xmath105 . as a result
, the thermodynamic potential takes the form @xmath106 where , in response to the shift of @xmath107 , the factors of @xmath108 entering the definitions of @xmath109 and @xmath110 are now independent of @xmath14 .
the thermodynamic potential can be rewritten in terms of a function of just the auxiliary fields and the chemical potential shift as @xmath111 . in the grand canonical ensemble
, the thermodynamic potential must be minimized with respect to the components of the auxiliary field giving @xmath112 where @xmath113 so @xmath114 .
following sec .
[ sec : ferroorderingauxiliaryfieldmeanfieldsaddlepointvalues ] one may now identify the magnetization with the field @xmath115 .
if @xmath39 , then the system of equations is solved by either @xmath116 ( the direction of spontaneous ferromagnetism in - plane remains undetermined ) , or @xmath117 .
if @xmath93 then @xmath118 , and the magnetization is set by the equation @xmath119 and is oriented along the z - axis .
this behavior is analogous to what we saw in the mean - field analysis in sec .
[ sec : ferroorderingauxiliaryfieldmeanfieldsaddlepointvalues ] . finally , as a consistency check
, one may note that the expected degree of population imbalance can be recovered from the grand potential @xmath120 .
with the formal part of the analysis complete , we will now apply these results to explore the implications of ferromagnetism in the atomic fermi gas . to begin ,
let us consider the phase behavior of the system in the canonical ensemble working at fixed particle number .
the variation of the total magnetization , @xmath121 , as a function of interaction strength and particle imbalance can be found by minimizing the free energy at fixed particle number .
the results are shown in fig .
[ fig : phasetranscanonical ] . to ensure that the free energy is locally _
minimized _ rather than just being at a _ stationary value _
@xcite , the curvature was examined numerically . in the balanced fermi gas , @xmath122 , the results shown in fig .
[ fig : phasetranscanonical](a ) recapitulate those discussed by @xcite . in particular at zero temperature , when the interaction strength is small , @xmath123 , there is no net magnetization . as the interaction strength
is increased , at @xmath124 there is a first order phase transition into a magnetized phase with @xmath125 .
as @xmath126 is increased further the magnetization rises until it is saturated at @xmath127 . with increasing population imbalance , @xmath128 , at @xmath123 , where it is not energetically favorable for a spontaneous magnetization to develop ,
the magnetization is forced to stay pinned to the minimum value set by the imbalance . with increasing interaction strength , at @xmath124 there is a first order transition and the magnetization jumps to @xmath125 .
this feature is consistent with the findings of the stoner mean - field theory that the transition interaction strength found is independent of population imbalance .
if the population imbalance is greater than @xmath129 then the magnetization takes the value of the spontaneous magnetization projected onto the sheet of minimum magnetization caused by the population imbalance . from these results
, one can infer the corresponding zero temperature phase diagram fig .
[ fig : phasetranscanonical](b ) . characterizing the phase behavior by the strength of the in - plane magnetization and the degree of polarization
, the phase diagram divides into three distinct regions . at low interaction strength
the system is not spontaneously unmagnetized , though there can be a magnetization fixed by the population imbalance . then , at increased interaction strength the system become partially magnetized either through a first order ( at low population imbalance ) or a second order phase transition . at interaction strength above @xmath130 the magnetization saturates . to address the properties of the population imbalanced system in the grand canonical regime
, we will divide our discussion between the uniform and trap geometries . in sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialuniformsystem ] we will address the properties of a uniform system where the chemical potential @xmath131 and shift @xmath14 are held constant ( allowing the species populations to effectively interchange ) . drawing on these results , we will then discuss the phase behavior in a harmonic trap in sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialtrappedsystem ] . in the spatially uniform system , when the chemical potentials of the two species are fixed , for each value of the interaction strength @xmath126 and relative shift in chemical potential @xmath132 , from the free energy one can obtain the phase corresponding to minimal thermodynamic potential .
applying this procedure , the resulting phase behavior is shown in fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand ] . for @xmath133 and small interaction strength
@xmath123 there is no magnetization . as the interaction strength
is increased , at @xmath124 in the canonical regime fig .
[ fig : phasetranscanonical ] there is a first order phase transition into a fully - magnetized state .
working at fixed chemical potential [ fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand](a ) ] , the phase transition straight into a saturated state increases the number of particles , which in turn increases the effective interaction strength to @xmath134 ( calculated using the chemical potential for a non - interacting system with the same total number of particles ) .
this leads to an intermediate region of phase separation in the grand canonical regime . at @xmath123 as the chemical potential shift is increased up to @xmath135 , the magnetization increases up to its maximum saturated value as the fermi surfaces become more unbalanced . at @xmath136
the chemical potential of the minority spin species is negative so only the majority spin species remain and the system is fully magnetized . with a chemical potential shift the region of phase separation corresponds to the first order phase transition in fig .
[ fig : phasetranscanonical ] . the corresponding phase diagram showing the regime of two - phase coexistence
is shown in fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand](b ) .
finally , if the system has an imposed density and population imbalance , and the chemical potentials are free to vary , then there are two possibilities : firstly , the spontaneous ferromagnetism is sufficient to provide the population imbalance and any excess magnetization lies in the plane .
this corresponds to a point on the line @xmath39 in fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand ] .
the second possibility is that spontaneous ferromagnetism is not sufficient , and so there is an additional chemical potential shift @xmath93 . in this case
the magnetization then points along the direction of population imbalance .
this is consistent with the findings in sec .
[ sec : magnetisationdirection ] . for a given interaction strength ,
the magnetization increases with chemical potential shift to saturation , so there is always a chemical potential shift that will give a suitable population imbalance . using the insight gained from the study of the uniform system
, we can now explore an atomic fermi gas in the physical system a potential trap .
without loss of generality we take @xmath137 ( @xmath138 ) to represent the majority ( minority ) species of atoms .
we focus on a harmonic trap , with rescaled spatial coordinates to ensure a spherically symmetric trapping potential , @xmath139 .
furthermore , we make use of the local density approximation in which the chemical potential of both species @xmath140 are renormalized by the same trapping potential .
although there is some experimental evidence @xcite that the local density approximation might not be valid @xcite in some setups , we believe that its application here will correctly address the qualitative phase structure .
the chemical potentials are regarded to be locally fixed , therefore the local phase is that of the uniform system in the grand canonical regime examined in sec . [
sec : trappingpotentialuniformsystem ] . with a constant chemical potential shift @xmath14 and interaction strength @xmath5 , but varying effective chemical potential @xmath131
, the system follows the trajectory @xmath141 and @xmath142 in the grand canonical regime shown in fig . [ fig : phasetransgrand ] .
if the chemical potential is large , the system spontaneously becomes ferromagnetic , and the magnetization is saturated ; if the chemical potential is small , the relative chemical potential shift is large ensuring the magnetization is again near saturation .
the locus in fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand ] shows that , in the intermediate region , the magnetization can develop a minimum depending on the degree of population imbalance . to understand the behavior in the trap geometry
, one should note the following : if the degree of equilibrium pseudo - spin magnetization is in excess of that imposed by total population imbalance alone , the analysis of sec .
[ sec : magnetisationdirection ] tells us that some component of the spontaneous magnetization lies along the z - axis with the remainder oriented in the x - y plane .
if , however , net population imbalance is large , then @xmath93 and no in - plane magnetization develops . here
one may identify three characteristic behaviors with radial density profiles shown in fig .
[ fig : trapprofall ] .
the first ( @xmath143 ) has in - plane magnetization , and the others do not . the second ( @xmath144 )
has a first order transition and non - zero phase separation whereas the third ( @xmath145 ) is always fully magnetized due to strong interactions .
the three plots all have the same central chemical potential . the first possibility shown in fig .
[ fig : trapprofall](@xmath143 ) is at small population imbalance , involving the development of a spontaneous magnetization which is in excess of what can be absorbed by population imbalance alone , in this case @xmath39 and some magnetization lies in the plane . at small radii , where the interaction strength @xmath146 is greater than the limit for ferromagnetism , the results of the uniform system ( sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialuniformsystem ] ) show that there is saturated ferromagnetism in the plane and a normal component that provides the fixed population imbalance . following this
there is a region of phase separation and then at @xmath124 there are equal particle densities and no magnetization .
the outer edge of the particle distribution of both species is where @xmath147 . in the second scenario shown in fig .
[ fig : trapprofall](@xmath144 ) the spontaneous magnetization is not sufficient to provide population imbalance alone , in this case we require @xmath93 , and all magnetization is oriented along the axis of population imbalance . from the trap center the population imbalance is first fully saturated , followed by a region of phase separation , into a region of partial magnetization .
this causes the minority spin particles to have a sharp maximum number density at @xmath148 , and the magnetization to have a corresponding minimum ; this counters the intuitive expectation that number density should rise towards the trap center due to the increasing effective chemical potential .
as the effective chemical potential continues to fall with increasing radius , the minority spin species population falls more rapidly than the majority and magnetization increases . at a large radius ,
the chemical potential of the minority spin particles reaches zero before the majority spin so there is a thin shell containing only majority spin particles at the outside and so is fully magnetized . the third possibility shown in fig .
[ fig : trapprofall](@xmath145 ) is that the locus in fig .
[ fig : phasetransgrand ] does not cross the first order transition and region of phase separation . at @xmath149
the system is fully magnetized due to the strong interactions between particles . at @xmath136
the system is fully magnetized due to there being no minority spin particles . in the intermediate regime
there is a narrow band where the system is partially polarized .
the majority spin species exists out to greater radius than in cases ( @xmath143 ) and ( @xmath144 ) because @xmath14 is larger so a greater potential at a larger radius is required to give the majority spin species zero effective chemical potential .
to conclude , let us now consider four methods of how spin magnetization could be detected experimentally .
firstly , the interaction energy can be estimated by studying the expansion of the gas @xcite .
time of flight measurements of the expanding cloud with no external magnetic field @xmath150 are ballistic and so can provide the initial kinetic energy . if the magnetic field is present , @xmath151 , then interactions are significant during the expansion .
collisions ensure that all of the interaction energy is converted into kinetic energy so the measurements reflect the total released energy . taking the difference between the @xmath151 and @xmath150 measurements
therefore probes the interaction energy .
an unmagnetized gas has interaction energy whereas the fully magnetized gas has zero interaction energy so time of flight measurements should allow the ferromagnetic state to be detected .
radio frequency spectroscopy @xcite allows one to probe the spatial variations of scattering lengths by exciting the atoms from one spin state @xmath152 into some other state @xmath153 whilst leaving the atoms in the second spin state @xmath154 unaffected .
the presence of atoms in state @xmath154 shifts the resonance @xmath155 by @xmath156 , where @xmath157 is the scattering length between states @xmath158 and @xmath159 .
measurement of the resonance shift could allow the spatial distribution of the individual species to be probed .
the presence of the ferromagnetic state could be inferred by looking for the characteristic density profiles outlined in sec .
[ sec : trappingpotentialuniformsystem ] . a third simple method of detecting a ferromagnetic transition could be to monitor the size of the atomic cloud . in a harmonic trap
the cloud size is proportional to the square root of the fermi energy .
therefore , the size of the fully - magnetized state is @xmath160 larger than the unmagnetized . on
the repulsive side of the feshbach resonance three - body collisions can result in the formation of a molecular bound state of two atoms that might destroy the atomic gas before it has time to undergo ferromagnetic ordering . to overcome this obstacle an atomic gas spin
could be polarized along the magnetic field direction and an rf @xmath161 pulse applied to rotate all the spins into the plane @xcite .
the rate of precession of the spins is set by the magnetic field strength , which varies across the atomic gas due to field inhomogeneities .
the precession rate of the atoms would however be kept locked together by the ferromagnetic interaction .
furthermore the ferromagnetic phase has an antisymmetric wave function which inhibits collisions and so prevents the formation of molecular bound states .
a signature of ferromagnetism is therefore the absence of molecular bound state formation .
we now outline two possible ways to further our analysis .
the first order phase transition leads to discontinuities in the density and magnetization leading to phase separation .
such behavior could lead to a breakdown of the local density approximation , a potential source of inaccuracy in our analysis .
this could be fixed through inclusion of a surface energy .
the second is to investigate the possibility that magnetic texture could develop .
textured modes may have been seen via the possible formation of a cdw / sdw in experimental results on the analogous solid state systems of itinerant electron ferromagnets @xmath1 @xcite , @xmath162 @xcite , and mnsi @xcite .
our general formalism should be able to be extended to include the possibility of a textured phase which lies beyond the first order line in the putative paramagnetic regime .
in conclusion we have developed a general formalism to describe itinerant ferromagnetic transitions in two - component fermionic cold atom systems with repulsive interactions , and potential population imbalance . at low population imbalance , we predict that the first order transition that characterizes the balanced system persists . however , when the imbalance is large the transition becomes continuous . in the trap geometry we found the first order phase transition led to discontinuities in density and magnetization .
up to a critical total population imbalance , set by the possible total magnetization following a first order transition , the phases in the trap had the same density and magnetization profiles with increasing population imbalance , but in - plane magnetization fell .
with population imbalance above this level , the system requires a chemical potential shift to generate a population imbalance ; however there is still a small range over which a first order phase transition is seen . in the two latter cases the local population imbalance displayed a characteristic minimum with radius .
the authors acknowledge the financial support of the epsrc , and thank wolfgang ketterle and zoran hadzibabic for useful discussions .
an important integral eq . encountered in this paper has the form @xmath163 to evaluate this integral one could substitute @xmath164 , and then integrate over three parameters representing the lengths of vectors @xmath75 , @xmath76 , and @xmath77 , and a minimum of three relative angles between these vectors , giving a total of six integration parameters .
however , numerical integration generally becomes more prohibitive with increasing number of dimensions .
since the function @xmath165 depends only on the magnitude of the momentum , the scheme outlined below allows us to perform the angular integration separately of the function and leave a numerical integral over just the four dimensions of the vector lengths .
the integral is re - parameterized according to fig .
[ fig : fourthordermomspaceint ] , @xmath166 and @xmath167 , the vector perpendicular from @xmath168 to @xmath75 and @xmath76 is @xmath169 , and @xmath170 is similarly defined .
the vector @xmath169 has length given by @xmath171 we first concentrate on calculating the angular component just of the integral over @xmath75 and @xmath76 , the angle between these vectors is @xmath172 .
the phase space volume of the angular integral is @xmath173 where @xmath174 .
the total number density integrated over two momenta can then be found using @xmath175 which is the expected result .
a similar procedure is used to parameterize the separate integral over the angular components of @xmath77 and @xmath78 into @xmath176 . the original integral eq .
is now re - written in terms of the parameters @xmath177 and @xmath178 using eq . .
momentum conservation is required by the presence of the dirac delta function @xmath179 , however the @xmath177 and @xmath178 parameters introduced are just scalar quantities . the momentum conservation requirement is implemented by demanding that the two scalar integration parameters are equal , which sets the two integration parameters equal , @xmath180 so there is just one integral over parameter @xmath181 remaining .
however , this introduces an extra angular degree of freedom ( the angle between @xmath168 and @xmath176 ) . in order to compensate the integrand
is divided by the extra phase space volume of the angular integration , @xmath182 .
we then obtain @xmath183d k_{1}d k_{2}d k_{3}d k_{4}{\,.}\end{aligned}\ ] ] + + this integral is better suited to computational evaluation since it is four - dimensional [ rather than the six - dimensional eq . ] , and the term introduced to compensate for the angular integral has a relatively simple form . | arxiv |
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