Chapter IX. Courtroom

45 INT. COURTROOM — DAY

JENNIFER alone at the plaintiff’s table. Across the aisle: DAD’S LAWYER and DAD beside her. Behind in a visitors’ row: MOM and SON (mid-20s). The JUDGE looks at the empty seat next to Jennifer. Jennifer glances toward the door.

JERRICA rushes in. Suit sharp. Bare face. Hair pulled back in one motion, no mirror. KAI is in the gallery.

Judge nods to dad’s lawyer. She rises. Smooth, prepared.

DAD’S LAWYER
Your Honor, Calabro is inapposite. No contract was formed. Parental support necessarily includes moral discretion. A parent’s commitment to a child is not a contract. It is a relationship.

She sits. Composed.

JERRICA
Plaintiff calls Mr. Djkdoner.

CUT TO:

Dad brings his hand down after being sworn in.

JERRICA (CONT’D)
Mr. Djkdoner. When did your moral discretion override your signed guarantee to pay for your daughter’s education?

DAD
When she told us about joining the juggalos.

JERRICA
Have you been to a bachelor party?

DAD
Well… a couple of times maybe.

JERRICA
Where women danced for tips?

DAD
That’s not the same.

JERRICA
So strangers’ daughters perform for you, it’s a Friday night. Yours performs and it voids your signed pledge to pay for her college.

DAD’S LAWYER
Objection. Argumentative.

JERRICA
Counselor, you asked this court to recognize moral discretion.

DAD’S LAWYER
Your Honor —

JUDGE
Overruled. Continue.

JERRICA
In 2022, did you co-sign a personal guarantee on a small business loan for your son’s pizza franchise?

DAD
Yes.

JERRICA
Is your guarantee still in effect?

DAD
Yes.

JERRICA
Even after a workplace harassment claim?

DAD’S LAWYER
Objection. Facts not in evidence.

JERRICA
Plaintiff’s exhibit eleven. Filed two weeks ago. Cover sheet signed by you.

Takes exhibit to judge.

DAD’S LAWYER
Your Honor —

JERRICA
Do you read your own filings, Sharon? Or do you have AI do it?

JUDGE
Counselor, don’t.

JERRICA
Did your moral discretion kick in then?

DAD
The bank would’ve-

JERRICA
Did. It. Kick. In.

DAD
No.

JERRICA
Help me understand your rules for moral discretion, Mr. Djkdoner. Your daughter performs a political art piece on her own time, with her own body — and you freeze her tuition. Your son grabs a coworker’s ass — and you pay a settlement.

The dad looks at his son. Dad’s lawyer crosses to her client. Whispers urgently. Dad nods.

DAD’S LAWYER
Your Honor, my client is prepared to settle.

JERRICA
Full tuition. And drop the frivolous countersuit against Persona-AI.

DAD’S LAWYER
That’s a separate matter —

JERRICA
Same matter. It’s another way of telling Jennifer she doesn’t get to be the person she is.
(talking faster)
Stop using the legal system to litigate your daughter’s identity. Let her like the music you don’t. Date the person you don’t. Become someone you didn’t picture when she was eight. And let that be okay—

JUDGE
Counselor.

JERRICA
—because if you can’t do that without a court order, sir, you don’t actually love her. You—

JUDGE
(banging his gavel)
Counselor. Last warning.

Jerrica stops. Room very still. Kai leans forward.

JUDGE (CONT’D)
Pay the tuition. Drop your lawsuit. Case adjourned.

Jerrica stands. Jennifer leans over and hugs her. Kai is up, moving toward her. She turns. Sees him.

JENNIFER
Oh my god, thank you so much. The things you do for women it’s - amazing. I’m gonna tell everyone.

Jerrica barely regards her. Half nods.

KAI
Did you sleep last night?

She doesn’t answer. Instead she walks past him and out into the hallway. Kai follows, concerned. On the way out of the courtroom he picks up her bag. She lets him.

46 INT. COURT HALLWAY - DAY

JERRICA takes a long drag of water from the fountain. KAI remains steady. She stands again and stumbles into him.

KAI
Come on. I’m taking you home.

47 INT. JERRICA’S BEDROOM — AFTERNOON

KAI eases JERRICA down. Gets water. She takes the sedative without looking. He pulls the blanket up. Pulls down the blackout shade. Sits in the corner chair. Her breathing slows. He waits a moment longer. Then quietly leaves.

48 INT. NORA ART RESIDENCY - LATE AFTERNOON

MADISON dressed for Xara’s show opener. She’s holding a large puppet, directing final choreography with XARA. KAI arrives. Waves. Madison beckons him over.

MADISON
You’re early…you get to see under the covers.

KAI
When did you last talk with Jerrica?

MADISON
Last night… we… wait, why?

KAI
She wasn’t herself in court.

MADISON
Did it not go well?

KAI
She was actually amazing, but she hadn’t slept. I took her home.

Madison hands the puppet to Xara.

KAI (CONT’D)
I don’t think she’ll make it to the show. Want me to stay with her?

Madison checks the time. Looks at Xara. At the puppet.

MADISON
Stay here. See the show. I’m almost done. Tell Django I’ll be back for the open.

KAI
What time does it start?

MADISON
Hour and twenty. Plenty.

47A INT. JERRICA’S BEDROOM — LATE AFTERNOON

JERRICA in REM sleep. Her eyes flicker beneath closed lids.

KAI in a corner chair. Therapist. Jerrica stirs. Sits up. Pulling at sheets. In the opposite corner to Kai, CELIA materializes. PJs. T-shirt reads BUT FIRST, JESUS. An oversized gavel held behind her back.

JERRICA
Why are you still here?

KAI
You asked me—

CELIA
I’m just here to watch.

JERRICA
You want a confession.

In the other diagonal corners, two hooded figures solidify. A glow from within the hood. An AI wearing Django’s face. And an AI wearing Madison’s face. They speak in a chant simultaneously.

DJANGO AI
Jerrica. Hostility flagged. Django. Sharp but not scheming. No psychic armor. You relax. That unsettles. Django holding up a mirror. It doesn’t need polishing. You want to smudge it. Smudge. Smudge.

MADISON AI
Session active. Defenses chronic. Madison. Speaking fear into existence. You want Django. To pick you out of the herd… not algorithmically. You want to unzip me. Wear me. Guilt free. Guilt free.

Jerrica goes up to Django AI, then Madison AI. Neither stops.

DJANGO AI (CONT’D)
Guilt performed…not inherited. A pervert who installs their own surveillance. Punishment doubled. Judgment. Punishment doubled. Judgment.

MADISON AI (CONT’D)
But isn’t that exactly what would turn you on… calculating for you? Own it, babe. Recorded. Replay available. Own it, babe. Replay available.

The wall of their voices rises. Jerrica presses her hands to her ears. A giant serpent of cold light uncoils along the baseboard. One unbroken line, joining all four corners.

KAI
Completely seen. No confession. Just be… caught.

Simultaneously: Kai gets up quickly; Celia brings down the gavel. All turn to face Jerrica. They all speak, but it is all Jerrica’s voice that comes out.

ALL
It’s just an NPC, Mads.

It repeats. After each repetition, all four take a step toward Jerrica. She reaches for the sheet to hide. Stops. She watches them come. All four stand over her, looking down.

BLACK.