Synopsis
"Mind Over Matter", a story set in a post-apocalyptic future, explores the world through a tale of a family losing and finding each other.
'The Procedure' is an operation that grants immortality to the patient, thanks to the use of some newly discovered gemstone, so of course, loving father and leader, Christian, would want this for his daughter. But alas, something goes wrong, and Ariadne, his daughter, is left brain-dead and comatose. Distraught, Christian abandons his people believing her fate was his doing.
'The Procedure' is an operation that grants immortality to the patient, thanks to the use of some newly discovered gemstone, so of course, loving father and leader, Christian, would want this for his daughter. But alas, something goes wrong, and Ariadne, his daughter, is left brain-dead and comatose. Distraught, Christian abandons his people believing her fate was his doing.
In Mind Over Matter (M.O.M), we start by following Tahlia, wife of Christian and Mother of Ariadne, on her search for her absent husband. Driven by a desire for answers and overwhelming upset, she gets herself into trouble with some trigger-happy scavengers. She's injured and is rendered unconscious. She awakens to find her daughter, alive and well, but unaware of what happened and how she got there. More questions are raised and they march on in search of their mutual loved one.
However, the fate of their settlement, their home, is something that's slipped their minds. The Doctor they trusted with performing the Procedure has some plans for the family's absence.
Characters:-However, the fate of their settlement, their home, is something that's slipped their minds. The Doctor they trusted with performing the Procedure has some plans for the family's absence.
Script
- Mother: Tahlia
- Daughter: Ariadne
- Father: Christian
- Doctor: Cornelius
**ISSUE 1** - Wish you were here
Firstly, we see Tahlia walking alone in the wasteland, just trying to survive. There's an emphasis on the gemstone necklace she's wearing, it reminds her of her late daughter. She decided to leave her settlement where Christian, her husband, was the commander of security and governor of the town. He left recently without telling anyone, just after their 19 yr old daughter fell into a braindead coma due to a medical procedure gone wrong; conducted by Dr. Cornelius who promised the procedure would provide immortality to the patient. Tahlia left to hunt for Christian to get answers.
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Tahlia is upset and scavenging for food and shelter overnight, attacking bandits through aggression, sadness and survival instinct. She has an inner monologue all along this section talking about what has happened and what she's doing/how she feels about her daughter's fate and husband's departure. During a firefight/battle with some bandits, she gets shot over and hits her head rendering her unconscious and concussed. She slowly comes to and wakes to a blurry vision and what seems to be a helpful figure, a young woman trying to talk to Tahlia and help her. This young woman is her daughter (Tahlia figures out when she feels better). In the mean time, Ariadne is fighting off bandits and protecting her mother. Once the area is safe, Ariadne carries her mother to shelter.
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**ISSUE 2** The Procedure
2 months ago: *Flashback of Christian being asked to come to the lab to discuss the "procedure"*
Cornelius demonstrates his findings by showing the test subjects, rats and people that were successful patients. The demonstrations show the patients in harmful scenarios completely unscathed.
"These gemstones your team came across, have very impressive properties Christian, they hold the secret to immortality. The Dr convincingly suggests Christian should consider the procedure for his daughter. Christian thinks "Of course I'd want this for my daughter, I want no harm to ever come to her."
Christian looks at Wallet pictures of his family and daughter in particular, touches the photo and smiles sensitively.
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Tahlia awakens in a shack with her daughter preparing food and tea. Ari sits down and they talk. Neither knows what has happened, except Ari remembers falling asleep at the procedure and waking up in battle with her injured mother. Remembering that she took her daughter's necklace as a token of memory, Tahlia takes the necklace off and hands it to Ariadne, but as soon as Tahlia releases her grip, Ariadne disappears as if by magic; the cup of tea she was holding falls and smashes on the ground. Tahlia looks on in distraught, speechless, shaking and beginning to cry. Realising that Ariadne was a hallucination, she breaks down, kneeling next to the necklace
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**ISSUE 3** - Illusions
1 Month ago *Flashback*. Shows Ari on a table after the procedure in a coma with the doctor telling Christian what's happened. "I have no idea; her body simply rejected my methods. I'm truly sorry for your loss. This is my fault, I should have known... somehow." Christian is too nice to let the doctor take the blame so instead, blames himself. Upset, he pledges to leave because he can't face his people and wife after what has happened. So he leaves the settlement alone to start anew. Scene finishes with Tahlia searching for Christian and finds her comatose daughter on the table near the doctor. "Let me explain", the doctor says, pretending to care, almost patronisingly. Zooms in on Tahlia's distraught, crying face. As the doctor turns around, Tahlia takes Ari's necklace and wears it in her memory.
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Return to present time with Tahlia kneeling on the floor next to the necklace. She seems soulless and has become apathetic after crying. She scoops the necklace up and a few moments pass before Ariadne re-emerges rubbing her head as if she knocked it. Tahlia still looks apathetic and turns to Ari and says "you're not real" as she puts the necklace back on.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm hallucinating".
"Mum, you're not, I'm actually here. Look, touch me!"
Tahlia grabs the handle of her sword and swings it at her daughter. Ari dodges swiftly, now sweating and freaking out.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
Tahlia vertically swings down onto Ari but she catches the sword between her hands. Testing their might, pushing upon one another in a clash, Ari says, struggling, "I'm actually here, this is me. I think the procedure worked. Please calm down before you kill me!"
Tahlia breaks free from Ari's grip and lunges with the sword, straight through Ari's stomach.
Tahlia says "Darling I love you, but you're just a figment of my imagination, please don't torment me"
"Don't flatter yourself Mum". Ari punches Tahlia to the ground, still harbouring the blade through her stomach, she pulls it out. The wound left behind emits immense white light and in unison, the gemstone necklace glows too.
Ari, quite frustrated but understanding of her mother's turmoil, stabs the sword into the ground visciously, and follows up by saying "I have a feeling the kind Doctor has kept something from us."
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**ISSUE 4** - Discovery
We return to the mother and daughter exploring and searching some more, talking all the time about recent events. They discover that Ari can't go too far from the stone, like a sort of ethereal leash; she starts to be pulled back.
They're scavenging some more in a warehouse and some bandits enter; Tahlia and Ari are seen and shot at immediately. Tahlia takes cover but Ari stays out to protect her mother and return fire but is shot in the shoulder. However, no blood. She recoils a little but feels no pain. The wound emits white light, as does the stone, and Ari heals rapidly. They both realise the "procedure" has indeed worked, but the Doctor didn't account for Ari's stone to accept her spirit. (The more Ari is injured, due to her not having consequences herself, the more the gemstone around Tahlia's neck scars and wears, like the portrait of Dorian Gray).
She looks up at the bandits and goes to run at them, but instead fizzes and fades in and out of sight and teleports behind the bandits. Amazed, she dispatches them, shoots one in the neck with her crossbow after brutally clubbing the other with the butt of the weapon. An epic silhouette of Ari pierced with bullet holes ends the issue.
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**ISSUE 5** -
Later, Ari halts them both, "shh". She can sense potential threats nearby. She tells her mother to hide/stay out of sight and she teleports to the bandits. "Drop your belongings and leave this place". Two bandits shoot at her, of course she's left unharmed except shocking wounds emitting light, so she returns fire by shooting a bolt through one's head, and the other drops his stuff and scarpers. The third stays put, and emotionally says "Ari? Honey?". He removes his mask to reveal Christian, her Father.
They walk together to find Tahlia and she sees him. Happy and teary, they walk towards one another, she slaps him, then hugs him. "I deserved that. I'm so sorry, I just couldn't face you after what I'd done". Ari says, "You had every right to trust your brother. But this is down to him, not you. People change. Often for the worse".
"He will have assumed control of the settlement in our absence, but why would he want that? There's no reward, unless he's planning something bigger. Perhaps he's performed the procedure on more of the townspeople... the way he convinced you, there's no telling how many others have fallen for it" Tahlia exclaims.
"Or maybe it was a genuine mistake?" Christian says.
"Have some fucking cynicism Dad, Christ, he made me into a spectral being and you're saying he didn't mean to?"
Christian looks quizzical.
Tahlia says to Christian "I don't think the your brother knows that I took Ari's gemstone...", turns to Ari "Maybe that's where you come in, Ari. Time to make a dramatic entrance".Ari nods. *Dramatic shot of the family turning towards their new destination, Tahlia left, Christian right and Ari middle.
Christian says, "I thought of a name for the stones by the way; 'Ariadnes'"
Ari replies, "I'm going to puke".
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*Another Flashback*. The doctor calls for an assembly in the settlement centre. "Attention fellow survivors! I have discovered the secret to immortality thanks to these wonderful gems! Your friends and loved ones; no harm will come to them ever again! I'll demonstrate." His human subject comes forth and the doctor pulls out a gun and shoots him in the side of the head. The subject recoils but recovers quickly. "As you can see, our man here is completely unscathed! Apart from his hair, sorry about the bald spot mate!" *crowd laughs*. "I intend on helping as many of you as possible, but resources are limited. Come and see me when you're ready... for transcendence!" *Cheers*. (Cornelius tilts his head down with a menacing grin)
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**ISSUE 6**
Back to the family; they've returned to the gates of the settlement, ready to enter. Ari teleports inside to scout the area, then opens the gate from the inside. "Things seem... lifeless" Christian says. Then 2 workers teleport to do shovelling near the family. They notice the family. "We thought you'd all abandoned us and stolen the wealth! Please, help, he's - AAAAHHHH!" They grab their heads in agony, light pouring out of their eyes and mouths, then they vanish, teleporting away.
"He's done the procedure on more people, but they seem enslaved! What's happened here?" Tahlia exclaims. Christian and Tahlia peek around a corner to reveal the town centre with the doctor upon the stage, pacing and spouting off rules and plans for expansion and takeover. Things like "Obey me and you shall finally reach transcendence, true freedom. I'm sorry for controlling you, but for all of us to see this world return to what it was, we must blindly follow an authority without question... It is... human nature. Don't worry, your bodies are fine, frozen in cryo. Whether you'll inhabit them again is a mystery even to me". Ari teleports atop a building. The doctor is wearing a peculiar crown with wires linked to a backpack powered by large batteries. Nested in the crown is a large gemstone, the wires are linked directly to it. She teleports back to her parents. "I'm sure his backpack and crown have something to do with the enslaving of our town." Just as she says this, the Doctor screams out "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" and using his backpack contraption emits a shock of electricity, which causes all the enslaved to cry out in agony grabbing their heads.
Christian storms into the open.
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"Cornelius! What the hell is going on here?!"
"Well, well, my dimwitted yet loveable brother. Like what I've done with the place? I took the opportunity to make a few changes in your absence. (Apprehend him)." Points at Christian. 3 big guys teleport to him and grab him.
"You don't need to do this, people! He's tricked you!" Christian yells out.
"We can't disobey, the pain is unbearable, and if we do try and resist all he has to do is remove the crown and we all vanish."
"Take him to the waiting room" Cornelius says.
Ari and Tahlia remain hidden, watching in fear. Ari says "All we need to do is remove that backpack or crown..."
"Or kill the bastard" - Tahlia.
Ari can't help but smirk at her mother's audacity. "But we don't know what will happen to all the trapped souls..."
More slaves appear round the corner and spot Tahlia and Ari, "Ari?! Tahlia, you're both back? Thank heavens! You need to help us".
Ari replies "I'm like you, but this is my gem. I'm sure we can be of some help! Tell us what you know."
"He has bodyguards, the biggest, dumbest ones are devoted to his 'cause', regardless of the pain they suffer because of him. They'll need distracting before going for the backpack. Once we're free from that, we can help you. I think most would agree that we'd rather perish than remain at the mercy of this psychopath... Christian's in trouble... The Waiting Room... He'll be prepped for the procedure. Hurry! AAAHHH!!" The pain returns and the helpful associate teleports away.
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Cut to The Waiting Room, looks abandoned and unkempt. Christian is alone and cuffed to an immovable chair. The Doctor approaches as a silhouette in the door's window, then walks through into the room, Bodyguards teleport in guarding the doctor.
"Hello Christian, my brother. As you can see, I'm very busy, but I promise I shan't keep you waiting too long." Leaning into Christian's face and grinning menacingly, while Christian scowls back and sweating with nerves.
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END OF PART 1
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