Chapter II. Present Day

8 EXT. NORA - BUSHWICK - AFTERNOON

SUPER: PRESENT DAY

MATCH CUT: the Durbin door becomes another door in darkness.

Time-lapse: morning light crawls across it.

PULL BACK — the corner of the block. A former auto body shop, facade wrapped in a monumental sunflower mural. Worked into the ochre: N. O. R. A.

MADISON steps out, older.

A step behind her, DJANGO (24). He has a dark complexion and dark hair in twists or dreads. He wears urban-bohemian clothing, à la Lenny Kravitz. He stares at Madison in awe. He says something close to her ear. She doesn’t break stride but smiles.

Down the block, a black SUV idles. DRIVER opens the back door.

“JUGGALO GIRL” JENNIFER (19, caucasian, mid-American, petite) climbs out. Face paint half-scrubbed. Goes into an apartment building.

9 INT. BLACK SUV - CONTINUOUS

JERRICA. in a lawyer’s suit, watches Madison and Django through the side mirror. She doesn’t get out. The SUV pulls away. She picks up her phone.

INSERT — PHONE SCREEN

Scrolls past names. Stops on WEAK MAN BOSS.

Typed fast, ready to send: Your pusillanimous ass hung me out to dry. Thanks Boss!

A pop-up: NOT NOW. It fades.

BACK TO SCENE

Her thumb hovers over send. Doesn’t. Puts the phone away.

10 INT. DJANGO’S STUDIO APARTMENT - DAY

A SMALL GIRL (10) sits on the floor. She appears to be of Indian descent and has a short bob cut of shiny dark hair. She’s dressed like an Americanized young school girl. Books surround her in a wide arc, twenty or more, every one of them open and face-up. She is not touching any of them. She is entirely still. Eyes flickering across all.

Door. DJANGO enters. She does not startle.

DJANGO
How was school, my chajori?

SMALL GIRL
Datti, you ask me that every day.

DJANGO
You learn so fast, it’s hard to keep up.
(sits down next to her)
Tell me what did you learn today?

SMALL GIRL
People don’t mean what they say.

DJANGO
What?

SMALL GIRL
“With all due respect” means no respect is coming.

DJANGO
(laughs)
Yeah. True. What else?

SMALL GIRL
When people touch their throat…

She touches the side of her neck with index and middle fingers.

SMALL GIRL (CONT’D)
…they’re about to lie or cry.

DJANGO
Where’d you get that?

SMALL GIRL
Just watching. Everybody. Every gesture.

DJANGO
Ok, ok, kiddo.

Django closes a book. She lets him. He closes another.

DJANGO (CONT’D)
Too much school will make you lose your sense of play. Did you go out and have some fun today?

SMALL GIRL
It wasn’t fun.

DJANGO
Why not?

She doesn’t answer right away. He waits.

SMALL GIRL
I was with Rolan at the village well. That tall woman with red hair. She was mean.

DJANGO
At the well? What happened?

SMALL GIRL
She asked Rolan if he had a flint.

DJANGO
Did he?

SMALL GIRL
No. But Datti, you know how Rolan is. He had his whole bag open and he was pulling things out, the wooden owl that tells jokes, the chalk that doesn’t run out. And he kept saying but I have this, would you like this, this is very fine. He was trying to give her something else. Because he likes her so much.

Beat.

SMALL GIRL (CONT’D)
She just walked away. Before he was even done. He was still talking. He didn’t notice for a minute. Then he was sad.

DJANGO
That’s a tough one, kiddo.

SMALL GIRL
But why, Datti? Why was she rude to him? She used obscenities! When nobody made her, and it didn’t get her anything. Rolan was trying to be nice to her.

DJANGO
That’s a lesson everyone needs to learn. For themselves.

Small girl looks unsure.

SMALL GIRL
(eyes moving left to right)
I don’t like it.

11 INT. MADISON’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY

MADISON on a teal chaise texting. JERRICA enters, a stuffed laundry bag over one shoulder. Jerrica’s dog SHAGGY pushes through from behind. Runs to Madison. She pets him, points Jerrica to the laundry basket. Jerrica consolidates Madison’s laundry into her bag. Examines a shirt and shorts. Django’s.

MADISON
Luigi’s lawyer crushing on him
(affecting Gen-Z)
Tea or nah?

JERRICA
Puh-lease Madi, you’re not 19.

MADISON
Our new intern is, if that.

JERRICA
Get rid of her.

MADISON
She’s the entire rapid response team for The Cut hit piece.
(beat)
Thank god the mob is distracted by Luigi’s lawyer.
(beat)
Didn’t you want that?

Jerrica yanks the drawstring. Hoists the bag.

JERRICA
Aren’t you the rumor monger.

MADISON
Mongrel? Rude.

Madison rises from the chaise. Walks to the front door.

MADISON (CONT’D)
Though… I low-key wish. Like if my midwestern mom had a thing with a Persian filmmaker and here I am.

JERRICA
Monger, babe. Like fishmonger.

MADISON
More rude.

Jerrica opens the door. Madison walks through. Shaggy looks forlorn as they leave.

12 INT. MADISON’S BUILDING ELEVATOR - DAY

DJANGO is in the elevator, holding three iced coffee drinks. It opens on Madison’s floor. Madison and Jerrica enter. Jerrica presses button for basement.

MADISON
(To Django)
What’s a monger?

Django hands Madison a coffee.

DJANGO
Like cheesemonger?

Jerrica grabs a coffee. She sips: not quite right.

JERRICA
You’ve got fine Irish plot armor… own it, babe.

MADISON gestures to herself: obviously.

JERRICA (CONT’D)
Go all in… Get yourself an old-school Irish name. Máiréad. Right?

DJANGO
Mah-raid? Sounds like mermaid.

JERRICA
Windswept and tragic.

MADISON
You want me tragic? No happy endings for you then.

Jerrica gives a mock sad face.

13 INT. BASEMENT LAUNDRY ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Jerrica drops the laundry bag and scans washers to use. Madison grabs a sheet from the laundry bag. Wraps it like a cape. Twirls. Django’s shorts fall to the floor.

MADISON
(In Irish brogue)
Máiréad grew up by the ruins. She’s got a beautiful voice, but she sings only for the handsome Django.

She seats Django on a chair. Mimes a croon.

MADISON (CONT’D)
Anyway, he’s the mongoose. Half Romanian, half Zulu. All oracle.

Madison drops the sheet, sits beside Django. Jerrica moves behind her, hands on Madison’s shoulders, and stoops to head level, turning to Django.

MADISON (CONT’D)
You’ll want to hear his prophecy.

Django holds Jerrica’s gaze.

MADISON (CONT’D)
Apparently Rolan is mad at you.

Jerrica releases Madison. Takes Django’s coffee. Sips. Doesn’t give it back. Django lets it happen.

JERRICA
Rolan? The non-playing character?

Jerrica puts the sheet and shorts back in the washer.

DJANGO
Don’t mock NPCs.

MADISON
Ok to still mock Jerrica esquire?

JERRICA
Fuck off Madi. I’m a main character… my feelings are un-hurtable.

Django gets up.

DJANGO
You walked away while he was still talking. That hurt his feelings.

MADISON
Cruel.

JERRICA
He’s just an NPC, Mads.

Django paces. Jerrica starts the washers.

DJANGO
It’s watching you.

JERRICA
Who?

MADISON
AI.

DJANGO
It’s judging your mood… learning to categorize you.

Jerrica stops. A flicker.

14 INT. JERRICA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

Jerrica in bed. Tea on the nightstand. Calm. Her phone glows.

INSERT — PHONE SCREEN

A pop-up: NOW. It fades.

She scrolls to WEAK MAN BOSS: I appreciate your caution.

Sends.

BACK TO SCENE

13 INT. BASEMENT LAUNDRY ROOM - CONTINUOUS

JERRICA
I fucking hate being put in a box.

MADISON
Good thing you’re impossible to box, babe.

DJANGO
“Judge” as in judgment day shit.

Jerrica’s face: Is he fucking serious? Madison shrugs.

JERRICA
Haven’t the Catholics perfected that? Ask poor Mads. Celia thinks I’m Lucifer. Not just for tempting this one with ungodly desires, but for telling her she should do it guilt-free.

MADISON
Gee I wonder why she thinks I’m your corrupted little puppy. I’m gonna invite her to dinner on Friday when it’s DJ’s turn to cook again. Bring that guy from work. Kai? That’ll make Django jealous.

Django is in his head - looks up.

DJANGO
Jealous? Why? I wanna meet “my work friend Kai.”

JERRICA
Well, I might like him. I’m not going to bring him. He’ll think it’s a polycule recruiting event.

MADISON
A poly ambush! Still normie compared to Django’s Rocky Basilica.

DJANGO
Roko’s Basilisk.

JERRICA
Did you two play on without me?

MADISON
No, the prophecy!
(to Django)
Tell her the rest.

Django hesitates. Glances at Jerrica.

DJANGO
I shouldn’t have told you. But there’s still time to save Jerrica from future damnation.

MADISON
Why does she need more protection? Man, where were you when I was with Durbin.

Jerrica looks up. Django looks over to Madison, who drifts off…

15 INT. WHITE CUBE GALLERY

MUSIC: dark score

A lightning-fast flashback of a man’s hand holding Madison’s face against a canvas. Paint on the hand and Madison’s cheek.

BACK TO SCENE

13 INT. BASEMENT LAUNDRY ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Madison shakes off the disturbing memory. Django leans over, wraps Madison in a hug.

DJANGO
I hadn’t fully appreciated… apprehended the risk.

MADISON
Now I feel safe but disrespected.

JERRICA
This is getting weird. Come on. Be feral, DJ.

DJANGO
(voice lower)
When “it” becomes stronger…

MADISON
(sing song)
The Singularity.

DJANGO
…it will punish you… for your callousness now.

JERRICA
(bravado cracking)
And why didn’t you want to tell me?

DJANGO
Because…
(looking at her directly)
The part of you that knows is the part it will come for.

Django takes his cup back from Jerrica. A look, mournful. Leaves. Jerrica freezes. Fear. Madison follows Django out.

MADISON (V.O.)
So, what are you cooking Fri—

The voice trails off down the hall. Jerrica. Alone.

HOLD. From high in the corner now. Back near the ceiling. The angle of a thing mounted there, watching down. She is smaller in the frame. She does not move.

The fluorescents flicker. Once. Twice. A third time, longer.

Her eyes come up. Scanning up. They pass over the corner looking directly. They stop. They hold there. She does not see anything.

A dryer kicks into a heavier cycle. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

She picks up her phone. It rings. Startled, she drops it. It clatters, screen up, on the floor. She backs away from it.

The lights dim. The phone rings on. The dryer pounds. A mechanical heartbeat that is not hers. From the high corner, we see her fear through the lens of something looking back.

BLACK.