The Gardeners of Eden
Desert Survivors version
by
Tarl N. Telford
FADE IN:
Against a backdrop of stars, a slow synthesizer plays a strangely familiar alien tune.
Two calm voices (ONE and TWO) speak in the darkness. Planets appear. A comet swooshes by.
TWO
How long will you keep them down there?
ONE
As long as they are necessary.
TWO
They will forget.
ONE
Perhaps.
TWO
Do not put your faith in them.
ONE
That is for me to decide.
CUT TO:
EXT CITY - DAY
Stock footage. People walking. Sirens wail. Pollution spews forth into the atmosphere. Bombs drop from the sky. Cities explode.
EXT DESERT - DAY
A small ramshackle hut stands lone sentinel in the barren wasteland.
A young child, no more than six years old, walks from behind the shadow of the hut. He cups his hands to his eyes and looks out into the distance.
Far off in the desert, a dust trail rises, signalling the approach of a vehicle.
Excited, the child runs into the hut.
EXT HUT - CONTINUING
A battered pickup truck parks next to the hut. A pretty girl (20's), CHRISTINE, pulls an old duffel bag from the back of the truck. She follows the child, JESSE (6 yrs), into the house.
INT HUT - CONTINUING
Christine tosses her bag down on the old sofa.
CHRISTINE
Mom? I'm home.
Jesse flops down on the sofa and unzips Christine's bag.
JESSE
Did you get me anything?
Christine's mother, BARBARA (40's), dries her hands on a dishtowel as she comes into the main room. She embraces Christine.
BARBARA
I'm glad you're back. How are things out there?
Christine shrugs and digs into her bag.
CHRISTINE
Ah, you know. They're not much different than they were last month.
BARBARA
And your brother?
Christine looks away.
CHRISTINE
He's fine.
Christine pulls a roll of paper towels from her bag and holds them out.
CHRISTINE
Paper towels. We haven't had these for ages.
She continues pulling items out of her bag.
CHRISTINE
Potato chips. Green beans. Taco seasoning.
She stops and looks conspiratorially at her brother, Jesse.
CHRISTINE
And for you.
Jesse bounces up and down in excitement.
CHRISTINE
An action figure.
She pulls out a loose action figure. Jesse takes it reverently. He looks up at his sister with awe filled eyes.
CHRISTINE
You play with it, you know?
Jesse looks at her quizzically. Christine pantomimes playing with the figure. Jesse grins broadly and runs away, flying his figure through the air in front of him.
BARBARA
What did you have to do to get that for him?
Looking away from her mother, Christine carefully unpacks the rest of her bag.
CHRISTINE
I did some favors.
Barbara sits down slowly. She wrings the dishtowel in her hands. Her face remains unexpressive. She speaks her words carefully, in clipped tones.
BARBARA
What favors? Who?
CHRISTINE
I delivered some mail. Letters. To their parents.
Barbara reaches out and takes her daughter's hand.
BARBARA
Is that all? You didn't ...?
Christine pulls off her jacket. Two holsters rest securely against her sides. She removes them and places the guns on top of the stone mantle.
CHRISTINE
No.
BARBARA
Christine, you could tell me, if ... if you want to.
Christine stands up, exasperation and emotional pain twisting her face.
CHRISTINE
Mom. Come on. You raised me right. Have a little faith in me.
CUT TO:
EXT HUT - NIGHT
Hands buried deep in her pockets, Christine walks out around the low hut. She looks up at the stars, searching, pleading.
Against the darkness, two voices speak.
TWO
That doesn't prove anything.
ONE
Everyone searches. That defines their existence.
TWO
You give them too much credit.
ONE
We shall see.
CUT TO:
EXT DESERT - MORNING
Jesse runs ahead of Christine, flying his action figure. Christine carries a bag slung over her shoulder. She picks up twigs, dry brush, and the occasional prickly pear cactus.
CHRISTINE
Don't go too far, Jesse.
Jesse jumps down a slope, disappearing.
Nearby, something glints in the early rays of morning. Christine cocks her head curiously. She slowly approaches the glinting object. It is a silver pocketwatch.
She picks it up slowly, dangling it from the chain. She smiles as it twists in the sun.
A shadow falls over her, startling her. She looks up to see a dark shadow, silhouetted against the sun. She falls backwards, fumbling for her pistol.
A hand reaches down to her.
Jesse jumps down to the ground next to Christine. He beams with excitement.
JESSE
Chrissie, guess what? Evan's gonna take me swimming.
Christine peers up, squinting through the sunlight. EVAN, about her same age, smiles down at her.
EVAN
Here, let me help you up.
She takes his hand. He pulls her to her feet.
EVAN
You've got quite a brother here.
At the mention of him, Jesse stops to listen for a moment.
CHRISTINE
He's a sweetie.
She tousles Jesse's hair. He frowns at her and pulls away.
Evan gestures to the pocketwatch.
EVAN
Ever seen one of those before?
CHRISTINE
My father had one.
EVAN
Kind of different now.
The hands of the pocketwatch refuse to move. It's broken.
CHRISTINE
I guess time doesn't mean much now.
EVAN
Only in the city.
Evan stoops down and picks a desert flower. He looks at it briefly.
EVAN
You live around here.
CHRISTINE
Question? Or statement?
Evan gestures toward Jesse running around in the near distance.
EVAN
I've got a cave over that way. It's not much, but it keeps the heat out.
CHRISTINE
How long have you been here?
EVAN
Week. Maybe two. Hard to tell. Wasn't much happening on the coast.
CHRISTINE
You saw the coast? The ocean coast?
Evan smiles pridefully.
EVAN
I had a house on the beach.
Evan looks at the flower in his hand and holds it out to Christine. She takes it, but it doesn't even register through the stars in her eyes.
EVAN
Oh yeah, I had a big house. Two bedrooms. Swimming pool. I even had my own dock to fish off of.
CHRISTINE
You must have lived like a king.
EVAN
Yeah, well, you know. I wanted to get out among my people.
Christine curtsies graciously. Her smile betrays her comic intent.
CHRISTINE
Well, your majesty, on behalf of the people of the desert, we welcome you.
Evan nods just as graciously, accepting her obeisance, even though it is all in jest.
EVAN
It is good to be here.
They turn to watch Jesse run around, jumping over rocks, flying his action figure every which way.
EVAN
Has he ever been to the city?
CHRISTINE
No. I won't let him go. Not yet.
EVAN
You can't keep him forever.
CHRISTINE
That won't stop me from trying.
CUT TO:
EXT PLANET EARTH - CONTINUING
The stars twinkle merrily around the blue planet. Seen from above, nothing appears out of the ordinary in this world teeming with life.
TWO
You waste my time.
ONE
The smallest action can bring many changes. Watch a little longer.
TWO
There is nothing on this world that interests me.
ONE
This girl holds the fate of many in her hands. Be patient. All will unfold.
CUT TO:
EXT DESERT - DAY
Christine and Evan overlook a dry valley. Christine smells the small flower in her hand.
From behind them, Jesse SCREAMS in pain. They whirl and race down the hill.
CHRISTINE
Jesse!
Jesse holds his leg. He rolls on the ground, writhing in agony. Christine tries to hold him still.
CHRISTINE
What happened? Jesse, what happened?
Nearby, a chill RATTLE makes Christine's blood run cold. She looks up at Evan. He looks over her shoulder. A rattlesnake crouches defensively a few feet away.
Evan's eyes hold panicked terror. He slowly meets Christine's gaze. His eyes tell her everything.
Christine holds Jesse with one hand. With the other, she pulls a pistol from her shoulder holster beneath her long sleeved shirt.
Moving slowly, so as not to aggravate the rattlesnake, she hands the pistol to Evan. He takes it with shaking hands.
CHRISTINE
Kill it.
EVAN
I don't like guns.
CHRISTINE
Do it.
Hand shaking, Evan slowly raises the gun. He fires. Jesse screams at the noise. He claps his hands over his ears in terror.
Christine covers Jesse with her body, completely enveloping her brother in her arms. She picks up Jesse, panic evident in her eyes and written all across her face.
Evan stands frozen in place. Smoke rises from the barrel of the gun. Yet his feet remain rooted to the ground.
CHRISTINE
We need to get him home.
Christine walks past Evan.
CHRISTINE
Are you coming?
(to Jesse)
It's all right. You're going to be just fine.
(to Evan)
Evan, are you coming?
Evan's lips move slowly.
EVAN
Dead. Just like that.
CHRISTINE
He's going to die if we don't get him home.
EVAN
That's how they do it.
Evan turns to Christine. Tears trickle down her dusty face. Jesse still writhes and twitches in her arms.
EVAN
That's how they killed so many. One trigger. That's all it takes.
CHRISTINE
My brother is going to die.
EVAN
We all have to die.
CHRISTINE
No! Not right now he doesn't. Not now.
Christine marches up the hill with her brother in her arms. She stumbles in the loose dirt.
Evan slowly and deliberately put the gun behind him in his belt. He removes his belt and wraps it around his hand. He follows after Christine.
At the top of the hill, Christine falls to her knees. Jesse moans in pain. Christine struggles to rise back to her feet.
EVAN
Put him down.
CHRISTINE
I can't. He'll die.
EVAN
He'll die if you don't.
Evan squats down and pulls Jesse from Christine's arms. He ties his belt around Jesse's lower leg, cinching it tight.
EVAN
That should hold the poison back for a while.
Evan picks up Jesse. Then he extends his hand to Christine.
EVAN
We've got to hurry.
They run across the top of the ridge toward a distant hill.
EXT DESERT - CONTINUING
Christine's pickup truck races toward the horizon.
CUT TO:
EXT PLANET EARTH - NIGHT
Little explosions light up the clouds above the surface of the earth.
The voices speak again. Behind their voices, a slight ringing can be heard.
ONE
He doesn't die.
TWO
Your interference won't be tolerated.
ONE
I do what I have to.
TWO
You overstep your bounds.
ONE
If I didn't, someone else would.
TWO
What if I kill him?
ONE
Another would rise in his stead. That is the way of these people. You cannot stop them. You can only delay the inevitable.
CUT TO:
EXT HUT - AFTERNOON
Evan carries Jesse into the house.
INT HUT - CONTINUING
Evan lays Jesse down on the sofa. Jesse's breathing comes in shallow whispers. His eyes roll around in his head, his eyelids half-closing.
Barbara rolls up Jesse's pant leg. The leg is swollen and angry red.
BARBARA
We've got to get the poison out.
Barbara disappears into the kitchen for a minute. She comes out with a cup of water, a bag of powdered echinacaea, and a long knife.
BARBARA
Hold him still. Put this between his teeth.
Christine puts the back end of an old toothbrush between Jesse's teeth. Evan and Christine hold Jesse down.
Unseen by the camera, Barbara slices open her son's poisoned leg. She bleeds the poison out.
Barbara dumps some echinacaea into the cup of water, making a poultice. She smears the poultice on Jesse's leg. She wraps it in clean linen.
CHRISTINE
Will that work?
Barbara checks Jesse's vital signs.
BARBARA
No. He needs better help.
CHRISTINE
The city is too far.
BARBARA
I don't want to lose another son.
CHRISTINE
Let him die here.
BARBARA
He is my son. You have no say in the matter.
Turmoil rages across Christine's pretty features.
CHRISTINE
They won't help us there.
BARBARA
Find Simon. He'll help you.
Tears spring unbidden to Christine's eyes. She knows the truth about her older brother.
CHRISTINE
Mom, please.
The unshed tears shine in Barbara's eyes. She pleads earnestly at her daughter.
CHRISTINE
Mom, no. Don't make me take him.
EVAN
I'll take him.
BARBARA
Christine, this is your brother's life. Don't do this to me. Don't do this to him.
Jesse moans and reaches out blindly. He murmurs incomprehensibly.
EVAN
Here you go, kid.
Evan places the action figure into Jesse's hand. Jesse's fingers close tightly around it.
CUT TO:
EXT HUT - AFTERNOON
The pickup truck speeds away from the hut, into the horizon.
CUT TO:
EXT CITY - DUSK
A few lights in the city turn on, to stem the tide of encroaching darkness.
The city is small, maybe a few hundred people once lived here. No one walks the streets.
The pickup truck pulls to a stop in front of a faded building. Christine opens the door of the truck for Evan. He carries Jesse out.
INT BUILDING - CONTINUING
Christine opens the door. Two small children look up curiously at her. They recognize her and run to her, embracing her legs.
Barbara pushes her way into the room behind Christine. She looks down at the two children. Their blue eyes shine brightly up at her.
BARBARA
They're yours?
CHRISTINE
Mother, I wanted to tell you ...
BARBARA
Where is Simon?
Evan lays Jesse down on a dusty couch. He moans softly.
JESSE
Mom?
Barbara kneels at her son's side.
BARBARA
I'm here, baby. Just hold on. Everything's going to be all right.
(to Christine)
Everything's going to be fine.
CUT TO:
EXT BUILDING - NIGHT
A man, MARC (20's), rides up on a bicycle. He opens the front door and stops cold in his tracks.
Christine appears at the door and gently pushes him out. She closes the door behind her.
MARC
Chris, what's going on here?
CHRISTINE
My brother got bitten by a rattler. He's in there. My mother's with him.
MARC
You said your mother died.
CHRISTINE
I'm sorry. I didn't want her to know.
MARC
Why? Because of me? Because of our children?
CHRISTINE
No. Because of Simon.
Marc puts his hand on her shoulder. She sinks into the safety of his arms.
MARC
Things are different, Chris. It's not like before. I had to protect my family.
CHRISTINE
How am I going to tell her?
MARC
How about the truth?
CUT TO:
EXT DESERT - NIGHT
Alone in the twinkling night, Christine walks along a ridge. Unseen, Barbara follows her.
ONE
Despite all the lies, death, and destruction among them, they always manage to survive.
Christine turns around to see her mother. Their eyes speak for them. Christine bites her lip, speechless. Her mother smiles sadly and opens her arms. The two women embrace.
TWO
And what of the boy?
ONE
He goes on to become a great leader among them.
TWO
Are you done here?
ONE
For a time. Then I will return.
TWO
To check on your "garden"?
Marc walks toward Christine and Barbara. Christine silently introduces them.
ONE
It will flourish.
EXT PLANET EARTH - CONTINUING
The earth shrinks in the distance. The two voices still converse.
TWO
Where will you go now?
ONE
There is another place. They just experienced the flood.
TWO
I will return and make my report.
ONE
Do not forget what you have seen.
A beam of light races away from earth into the darkness beyond.
A glow intensifies, drowning out all of the blackness of space.
ONE
Hope. My friends. Hope for your world.
The light coalesces around a single point, and blasts off into the opposite direction, leaving the earth silent.
FADE OUT:
Closing credits.