The Darker Side of Truth (1x10)
by The Infamous Anthony J
Original Air Date: 30 September 2000
(BACK ALLEY)
(SANTIAGO CITY)
(HARSH REALM)
Geppetto woke slowly, shaking the confusion from her head and the rubble from her body as she fought the headache that was pounding at her brain. A few feet away, she found the stationary form of Mayhem, a permanently stupid semipsychotic grin plastered across his face.
Geppetto pushed herself up, feeling the unsteady garbage bags beneath her and remembering where she was. The unstable floor beneath her gave and she slipped, clanking her head against the metal wall of the dumpster. She hissed a rather harsh R-rated obscenity as she found a foothold, leaning across the trash to Mayhem.
"Mayhem," she said, low enough to avoid attracting unwanted attention but loud enough to rouse her partner, "wake up."
The Pinocchio clone stirred, but didn't wake. Low on time, Geppetto reached for him, grabbing his jacket and shaking him violently, "Mayhem! Alexei's here! He wants to have his way with you!"
Instantly, the clone's eyes snapped open, wide with a mix of terror and anticipation. He looked around feverishly before realizing Geppetto's ruse and calming himself down, "That wasn't funny."
Mayhem pulled himself up to look over the lip of the dumpster and, finding the alley clear, climbed out of hiding. Geppetto followed suit, limping slightly on her sore left knee. She was lucky, though, that it was the only injury she had taken, considering the dive she took from the helicopter only moments before it erupted. How she had managed to pull not only herself, but Mayhem, to the safety of the alleyway, she could only guess.
"We're not going anywhere dressed like this," Mayhem noted, pointedly addressing the torn and tattered clothing that made the pair look like the rebels they were.
Geppetto nodded, already formulating a plan as she saw a Republican Guard Humvee rolling down the street toward them. "Stay here and knock out the first thing that comes this way," she ordered as she dashed from the alley out into the street, arms waving to flag down the vehicle.
Mayhem swore under his breath as the Humvee came to the screeching halt and two Guards emptied out. "Rebels," he heard Geppetto stutter, laying on a thick act of helplessness, "down that alley. They tried to rob me. I think I knocked them out."
The Guards rushed by her and she smirked, quickly following as they dashed into the alley, each recieving a nice hard crack to the base of the skull for their efforts. Mayhem grabbed one while Geppetto took the other, dragging their heavy frames deep into the secrecy of the alley to strip their uniforms.
(HOLDING BARRACKS)
(MILITARY INSTALLATION)
(THE REAL WORLD)
The 19 occupants of the room, if any kill count was to be trusted, had all given up any attempt at fending off boredom and simply given into the lure of sleep. Unfortunately, most of them just laid on their assigned cots staring at the blank ceiling with equally blank stares, listening to the only two competing sounds left.
From one side of the room came indistiquishable words as Anthony J and Jules purred sweet nothings to each other, and from the other came the scratching of pencil against paper as Hobbes composed yet another letter to his betrothed. If the pained cringes on the faces of the six Pinocchio clones were any indication, it was a particularly sappy one at that.
Only one man broke form, sitting on the edge of his cot with his elbows on his knees and his chin perched in his palms, a contemplative look on his face.
"Are you still trying to figure out what Carla Jane's up to?" Li Ann asked looking up from her cot, "give it up, Chaos. She doesn't want you to know."
"She's in cohoots with Inga Fossa," Chaos stated factually, trying to figure out the puzzle verbally since a mental calculation had failed him, "she obviously been making deals with Santiago..."
"Yeah," Chance huffed from his own cot, "That's what got me here."
Chaos paused apologetically before continuing, "And she's got Krycek running her dirty little errands. What's her angle in all this? What's it getting her?" He looked to his Asian partner with confusion, "All the pieces are there, but I can't put them together."
"That's probably my fault," came a male voice from the other side of the room as Anthony J pulled away from Jules for a moment. "I wasn't sure where you were going with the whole Why-We're-Really-Here subplot, so we're all pretty much in the dark."
"But shouldn't I know?" Chaos asked.
Anthony shrugged, laying his head back down next to Jules', "I'm writing it. E-mail me if you want to get anywhere."
(MILITARY PRISON)
(GOVERNMENT HOUSE)
(HARSH REALM)
Pinocchio forced his mostly-swollen-shut eyes open as far as he could push them, getting his first good look at the bars that surrounded him. "Home sweet fu..." he caught himself, dragging out the vowel sound as he remembered the rating restraints of the episode. He skipped the last half of the word, starting the next, "...home."
{Ah well}, he thought, {I'm not that bad off. At least I'll be dead in a few hours. Then I can go home and throw on my old cable-taped copy of No Man's Land with Charlie Sheen and that guy from C-16: FBI. Sure, the quality of the copy is less than acceptable and some of the better parts were editted out for time and content, but it was still a good movie, no matter what the critics said.}
Lost in thought, he almost didn't hear the jingling of keys at the cell gate as they clicked into the lock and disengaged the bolt. The door swung slowly open and Pinocchio strained to identify the blurred form approaching him, anticipating another brutal beating from a vengeful soldier who once served under him in the Guard.
Instead, he found a hand in front of his face accompanied by a female voice from above, "Get up, Pinocchio," came Ladyhawke's order, "we have people to rescue."
Pinocchio would have waved her off had he the energy to lift his arm and do so, but instead he just let his head fall to the left, speaking through his bloody teeth and dislocated jaw, "You're better off without me."
He was soon surprised by the hand that was now pressed against his head, but not nearly as surprised as he was by the next instant, when his vision was completely restored and his pain was miraculously washed away. Unlabored, he turned back to Ladyhawke, his head cocked slightly with confusion, "How'd you do that?"
"Florence is dead," she explained solemnly, reverance in her voice, "Being an immortal, I guess I was the next best candidate to recieve the manus domini."
Pinocchio thought a moment, then nodded, "in some weird way, that almost makes sense." He took her hand and pulled himself to his feet, following his saviour out of the cell.
"Who do you want to save first?" Ladyhawke tossed over her shoulder to the mercenary on her heels.
"My daughter's been strung up as bait. A trap to lure Geppetto and Mayhem in."
Ladyhawke nodded curtly, "top floor it is."
(SUBWAY ACCESS TUNNEL)
(UNDER GOVERNMENT HOUSE)
Alexei trudged on through the monochromatic concrete corridor with Megan's weakened form in his arms, heading for the access tunnel that would lead him to the subway platform. From there, he could catch the train to the outskirts of the City and make the fence by night.
Megan, on the other hand, had recouperated considerably in the last twenty minutes, and was now panicking internally at the prospect of being the object of Krycek's twisted desires. Faking semi-unconsciousness to buy time to figure out an escape plan, she was quickly relieved when she felt the cool metal of the sleeve-mounted switchblade hidden next to her left wrist. The same arm that was draped around Krycek's shoulder.
Alexei heard a tiny click, but wasn't afforded the luxury of time to figure out where it had come from before feeling a tiny pinprick in the back of his neck. that brought him to an instant halt. He looked down with only his eyes at the girl in his arms, her eyes fixed on his face with a deathly-serious look in them.
"Tisk, tisk little one," he purred, suppressing the rage that quickly flared inside, not wanting to move and provoke a game-ending flick of this delicious kitten's wrist, "biting the hand that fondles you?"
"Put me down, Alex," Megan ordered calmly, sure that the added pressure applied to the knife at the moment she spoke would convey her conviction. The Russian slowly complied, lowering Megan's feet to the ground and raising his hands in the air non-confrontationally.
Megan stepped behind Krycek, taking the upperhand away from him without releasing any pressure from the knife, "You'd leave them here to die, Pinocchio and Pooh_Bah." It was less a question than an attempt insulting his honor.
What she neglected to take into account was his lack thereof. The Russian shrugged, "It's a game. The object is to win. You don't win with sentimentality."
Megan dragged the tip of the blade a few millimeters through Krycek's flesh, sending through him a searing impulse of pain that he all but ignored, "I'm going back for them."
"Sure you won't reconsider?" he asked seductively, one last attempt at avoiding the inevitable, "I know all 322 sensitivity centers in the human body. Makes for a massage like nothing you've ever had..."
"I'll take a raincheck," Megan mumbled, though Alex hadn't heard the words over the sound of the knife-edge of her hand impacting the back of his neck, effectively knocking him unconscious.
(HOLDING BARRACKS)
(MILITARY INSTALLATION)
(THE REAL WORLD)
The gloom had only grown through the assembled Harsh not-quite-Survivors cramped into the barracks as the minutes turned to hours and night had fallen. Jules and Tamales had taken to their own conversation, trading cutesy pet names and comparing bedside manners of their respective lovers.
Li Ann, Pinocchio clone Michael and Azar were busying themselves in a secluded corner trying to work up an escape plan, but their lack of knowledge concerning the structural layout of the compound hampered their efforts.
Suddenly, the heavy metal door to the cell swung open with a loud clank that made every conscious occupant jump and sent all the sleeping ones sprawling in semi-sentient distress. Two heavily armed, day-playing soldiers who would probably never get another acting gig because of their appearance in anything related to Harsh Realm stepped through the door, ushering in the Elusive-And-Conveniently-Unnamed-To-Make-Him-Seem-All-The-More-Cryptic Man in Charge.
The MIC, who most notably bore a striking resemblance to Frank Black, entered the room with all the grace of a constipated elephant, stopping just inside the door to survey his tenants. The requisite clutching of lovers began as Tamales grabbed hold of Isaac, Ianthe found Lance's arm, and Jules dove back into Anthony J's lap.
The MIC's eyes panned quickly through the congregation, stopping on three individuals in particular, "Hobbes, Chaos, Anthony J...on your feet."
"Why me?" Anthony J asked, trying his hardest not to sound whiny.
"You're the author," The MIC stated matter-of-factly, "how else will everyone know what happens at the meeting?"
(GOVERNMENT HOUSE)
(SANTIAGO CITY)
(HARSH REALM)
The non-descript Republican Guard Humvee rolled up the street to the large white building, pulling to a stop along the curb behind a line of identical military vehicles. The two Guards inside emptied out, heading up the steps to the complex.
At the door, they encountered a bar-code scanner. The first Guard stepped to the scanner, which beamed across his right pectoral area before beeping and displaying the name SERGEANT ANDY ROLSTON ~ ACCESS CONFIRMED. The second Guard followed suit, identy confirmed as LIEUTENANT MARK BERMAN.
The automatic door swung easily open, allowing the two Guards into the building. They casually made their way through the lobby and down a hallway under a hanging sign that read STAIRWELL. Reaching the door, they quickly scanned the area before pushing through and entering the stairwell.
Once inside, the Guard identified as Mark Berman turned to the Guard identified as Andy Rolston and spoke, "Where's the prison, Mayhem?"
"Down," the clone answered, "Santiago likes the whole dungeon atmosphere." Geppetto started quickly down the stairs with Mayhem in tow. They descended quickly, but were stunned when they reached the third underground level and ran headlong into Pinocchio and Ladyhawke on their way up.
"Where is everybody?" Geppetto asked.
"Dead," Pinocchio snapped as he continued up, now with three other people instead of only one, "Florence took a flagpole to the gut, Ali D. was mistaken for Ladyhawke and lost her head. Megan was gone from the prison before we got to her and my daughter's upstairs playing bait to you two."
A chorus of obscenities rose from Geppetto and Mayhem as they followed Pinocchio and Ladyhawke up the stairs toward the Council Chambers.
(DEBRIEFING ROOM)
(MILITARY INSTALLATION)
(THE REAL WORLD)
The three resistance fighters were led gruffly to a small room containing a circular table and lit by a very noiresque ceiling-hung lightbulb that swung slightly as the air shifted to accomodate the room's new contents. The door swung heavily shut behind them and they each took a seat at the table, leaving a fourth chair empty for an as-yet-absent individual.
They sat in silence for about ten minutes until the Man in Charge entered the room through no visible door, though most of the room was shrouded in darkness and there was a distinct possibility that he could have been standing there undetected all along. He sat in the chair, leaning into the light to cast a set of eerie shadows across his face.
"I've called you here because there is a problem with the game," The MIC started evasively. "It would seem," he paused for dramatic effect, procuring the attention of his audience, "that there is a traitor among you."
Six eyes stared unblinkingly at the uniformed Colonel. It was nearly a minute before another voice was heard, "you just figured this out??" Chaos practically screamed, "we've known that since Episode 6."
"What do you want from me," the MIC said exasperated, "I only say what Chris Carter tells me to, and he's trite. Hasn't had any decent material since 5th Season X-Files."
"What about Millennium's second season?" Chaos asked, almost insulted by the oversight.
"Millennium?" The MIC stared blankly at Chaos, having no idea whatsoever what he was talking about. He raised an eyebrow at the younger man before hearing Anthony J.
"Chris Carter didn't write this," he siad, "I did."
"Then you're trite," the MIC said, earning an offended scowl before continuing, "you act like I'm something more than a two-dimensional charicature, here for some greater purpose than simple exposition. You forget, I simply represent the embodiment of America's fear and distrust of the government and its military factions."
"You said there was a traitor," Hobbes cut off the potentially-long-winded monologue to retrack the conversation, "how do you know?"
The MIC turned to Hobbes, eager to stop thinking for himself and go with the story again, "The system logged three file scan-ins a few minutes ago. One was Carla Jane's and one was Hunter's."
"And the third?" Anthony J asked, though he already knew the answer.
The MIC avoided eye-contact as he spoke the name, "Inga."
Chaos tossed disbelieving hands in the air, "Why did you bring her back on the project?? You knew she was unreliable. Hell, we knew she was untrustworthy, and we only saw her in four episodes."
"Calm down," Hobbes raised a hand to his comrade, turning to the MIC with cautious eyes, "what do you want us to do about this?"
"You are to be scanned back into the game immediately to stop Carla Jane and whatever diabolical schemes she hatching."
The three men sat silently for a moment, soaking up the information before Chaos piped up, "Diabolical, huh? Is that word entirely necessary?"
"Ask him," the MIC said, gesturing to Anthony. Chaos looked to the goatéed man, receiving only a shrug, "I'm a sucker for melodrama."
"I thought the objective was to take out Santiago," Hobbes said, confused.
"It was. Until Carla Jane became the new high scorer."
The men fell silent, astonished by this unforeseen turn of events. Chaos turned to Hobbes for a secret consultation as Anthony leaned toward the MIC, whispering so the others couldn't hear, "So what's the deal? What's your name?"
The MIC leaned closer, glancing at Chaos and Hobbes to make sure they weren't paying attention, "Promise you won't tell?"
Anthony nodded and the MIC cupped his hand around Anthony's ear, whispering a pair of words to him, "it's Bernie." He leaned back into his seat, glancing one more time to the other two occupants of the room before turning back to Anthony, nodding with an aire that implied those two syllables were of the utmost importance to national security.
Anthony forced himself to repress his bubbling laughter.
(RESTORED COUNCIL CHAMBERS)
(GOVERNMENT HOUSE)
(HARSH REALM)
Santiago was seated at his computer terminal, a holographic image projected in front of him. At first, we can't tell what it is. It looks like it might be a battlefield simulation, but upon closer inspection, we find it's actually an episode of All My Children.
A creak indicated that the large wooden doors were opening and Santiago punched a key, switching the monitor off and quickly sniffling and wiping his eyes before facing his guests. He stood tall, giving no indication of his prior activity, as a trio of women entered the chambers.
"Glad to see you could make it," he said formally, reaching out to shake hands.
"Yo Omar," Carla Jane greeted him like an old friend, "how's it hanging?" She grabbed his hand, executing an elaborate handshake that left the General befuddled before dropping into one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"I trust you had little trouble with your plans?" Santiago said, sitting as well.
"Ah, you know," Carla Jane said with a casual shrug, "a little snag here and there. Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Good, good." Santiago lit a cigar, puffing heavily as he nodded to Pooh_Bah, who was bound tightly to a large Victorian chair, "When the two we're baiting with her arrive, the resistance will be shattered permanently."
Carla Jane nodded, turning to their captive smugly, "Hey Lisa." The teenager only spit a hefty luger in the older woman's direction.
"Don't tease me, hun," Carla Jane said with a smirk, before adding, "oh, I've been meaning to ask you; what's with the lack of poetics in this episode? It's out of style for Anthony not to drag on for three or four paragraphs about the most inane detail, or build up a page and a half of introduction to a scene."
The girl scowled from her restrained position, "I asked him to tone it down."
"Ah," the older woman said, turning back to Santiago, "Everything on schedule?"
The General perked up, strangely compliant with her near-demand instead of shooting her in the head as expected for questioning his plans, "They made their meager incursion, just like you said. The remaining members of the Unit are imprisoned within this very building. Your charge Alexei need only come through on his end and everything will be in place."
Carla Jane placed her hands together, tapping her fingertips lightly, "Excellent..."
[ TO BE CONTINUED... ]