"The Wayward Apprentice" by DJ Clawson First draft - 4/9/01 Second draft - 2/7/04 Final draft - 3/4/04 SCENE 1 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT lies on his bed in the middle of the room. His eyes shut and his hair long and scraggly, he breathes slowly and deeply. His bed sheet coves most of his body, but his left arm rests above the cover, and a couple different wires are hooked up to it, taking readings and feeding him nutrients. He's been like this for a little more than three weeks now. His superiors, CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE and FIRST MATE JENNY, sit on chairs against the wall, visiting him. They've stopped by nearly every day since Willy was hospitalized. They're next to each other, both facing their unconscious human friend. Jenny reads a magazine, and Bucky jots down a journal entry. Their coats rest on hangars on the wall, near the door. After a few minutes, Jenny sighs and closes the magazine. She turns and looks and Bucky. JENNY What's on your mind, Bucky? BUCKY (still writing) Honestly? Jenny nods. Bucky finishes the sentence he is writing, then closes the journal and puts it down. BUCKY Mike. Our new engineer. I don't know if we really even need him. I mean, our ship has a mark-2. Even I could probably operate it if I just read the manual. JENNY Well, we technically need at least a part-time engineer on our ship to use the accelerator legally. And androids aren't allowed to be certified as engineers, so Blinky can't do it. BUCKY I know, but ... (shakes his head) I just get a weird feeling from him. He's too eager. He doesn't know what he's getting into. (beat) And yes, I don't like how much attention he gives you. JENNY (almost blushes) We can't blame him for that, Bucky. He's never really been around a female Aldebaran before. I'm willing to put up with it, as long as it doesn't do any harm. (smiles a little) You know he's not going to seduce me away from you or anything. BUCKY Right. But you can't blame a guy for being jealous. And I don't want him being distracted -- or distracting any of us -- on a mission. Bucky sighs and looks back at Willy. BUCKY I'm also worried that Mike might end up like Willy. Or Bruce. We really don't have the best track record when it comes to engineers. Jenny doesn't respond, not having a way to counter Bucky's argument. She just turns and looks at Willy as well, watching his chest rise and fall in rhythm with his slow, steady breathing. BUCKY (a little quieter) I've also been trying to figure out what Pigton might be up to. JENNY (turning back to face Bucky) What do you mean? BUCKY He said he had spies in the UAC. He might have something up his sleeve. JENNY Or he might have been bluffing. BUCKY Maybe, but we can't afford to take that chance. I scouted the UAC building, trying to locate access points to Pigton's base, but I didn't find any, aside from the one we used, which is still buried under rubble. (beat) I also tried getting Pigton's files from Fritz, but he wouldn't give them to me. JENNY Of course he wouldn't. All the files on Security Council members are classified. (beat) You don't really suspect Fritz, do you? BUCKY I ... don't know. JENNY Bucky, that's ridiculous, and you know it. For all his faults, Fritz has been a good friend to you and a great chairman. You're overreacting. BUCKY How is being concerned overreacting? JENNY You're not concerned; you're just suspicious. Besides, why are you so worried about a handful of rogues? We've handled much worse with ease. BUCKY You, of all people, should know to be concerned about underground factions, Jen. JENNY (sternly) What, Tommy and his bunch? They're a prime example of why I'm *not* worried. In case you haven't noticed, those fools haven't accomplished anything, and they're never *going* to accomplish anything. It's fine by me if they keep Cassie busy, but Tommy is never going to achieve his fantasy goals. And neither is Pigton. BUCKY I ... (sighs) Fine. You're usually right about these things, anyway. (thinking) Silence hangs in the air for a few minutes, when Bucky hears a noise outside the door. The hare rises from his chair to investigate when the door swings open and a hooded, robed FIGURE bursts through. BUCKY (surprised) What in ... FIGURE Shh! The figure motions for Bucky to be silent. Before the captain can respond, the figure shuts the door behind him and reaches up to remove his hood. Suddenly, Jenny's fur stands on end, and she bolts up and out of her chair. JENNY No! The figure removes his hood. It's TOMMY. TOMMY Hey, guys. JENNY (reacting instantly) You *bastard*! I can't believe you'd dare come here! TOMMY (ignoring Jenny, whom he knew would be furious) Hey, Captain. I just wanted to see Willy. (glances at the human lying in his hospital bed) How is he? JENNY (raising her voice) Don't you dare ignore me! You almost got Willy killed, and ... BUCKY Settle down, you two. This is Willy's hospital room. Have some respect. Jenny shoots Bucky an angry look, then calms down just a little. JENNY (eyeing Tommy) Tell me what you're doing here. TOMMY Like I said, I wanted to see how Willy was doing. I heard about what happened with the toads, and ... JENNY And you were afraid he wouldn't be able to help out your precious rebellion anymore? TOMMY No, I was just worried about him. I still feel guilty about what happened, and I just want to make sure he's doing OK. Is he? BUCKY Well, he's been in a deep sleep pretty much since we got him back from the toads. He hasn't moved, aside from breathing. Dr. Lurie says his brain activity is fine; he's just not waking up, and we're not sure why. We don't know when or if he will. TOMMY (frowning) Geez. JENNY How did you get here? TOMMY C'mon, sis, it's not that hard to sneak off Aldebaran. You just gotta know how. JENNY (smirking) And what's the rebellion doing without you? TOMMY The same thing we're always doing: hiding underground in the dirt and the dark, fighting for equal rights while women rule the planet and treat us like we're cockroaches. Once again, Jenny has no response. She's just angry -- angry that Tommy refuses to respect Aldebaran tradition, angry that her own mother tossed her out in favor of the Abomination, angry that Tommy dared waltz into Willy's room and act like it's no big deal. TOMMY I was just thinking about the last time I saw him. It was just before the toads got him, right? BUCKY Yeah, I think it was. (beat) What exactly happened then? I only know part of the story. TOMMY Same here. I know bits of it, and Jenny knows bits of it. We could probably piece it all together, if you and Jenny would let me tap into your memories. Jenny suddenly hisses and bares her claws. JENNY I refuse to listen to you any longer! Get out! TOMMY Geez, sis, calm down. I didn't say I was going to dig through your most precious thoughts. I just wanted to know everything that happened that one time. You know ... to honor Willy. JENNY You don't know anything about honor! All you want to do is brainwash Willy and bring him to your side, and you ... you ... you're no better than the toads! BUCKY (getting tired of this) First Mate, stand down! (to Tommy) I'm willing to do it. TOMMY Cool. JENNY (eyes wide) *What*? BUCKY Like Tommy said. It would honor Willy. It really is the last memory we have of him before ... before what happened. TOMMY So, sis, whaddaya say? JENNY (indignant) I absolutely refuse to ... Jenny's eyes almost unconsciously dart back to Willy, who has, of course, remained silent and motionless during this whole shouting match. She sighs, and a small shiver pulses through her body as she steels herself. JENNY Fine. But trying anything funny, Tommy, and I swear ... TOMMY C'mon, you can trust me. I know what I'm doing. Tommy reaches out to Jenny. She looks at his paw with disgust for a moment, then frowns determinedly and takes it in her own. Bucky reaches over and takes Tommy's other paw. BUCKY This better not feel too weird ... TOMMY Relax. With that, Tommy and Jenny close their eyes, and Tommy's forehead spell gem begins to glow. Noticing, Bucky closes his eyes too, and he feels a sense of peace as the memories begin to flow to and from him. Though none of them notice, a faint glow envelops Willy as he is peripherally drawn into the meditation. BUCKY Willy ... SCENE 2 - ALDEBARAN The memories weave together to create a scene of Aldebaran, a mountainous, beautiful planet in its own right, with many areas unsettled and still wild. Three months ago, Tommy is sitting quietly on rock next to a small shack. There is little else for miles around but unchallenged plains where the wind whips the ground up like a spoon in a thick soup. Tommy is wearing a cloak to protect himself from the harsh weather and is sitting in a semi-meditative stance when a small two-man cruiser touches down on the ground beside him, its engines barely heard over the howling of the skies. PONCE hops out, shielding himself from the weather with his paw and holding a datapad in the other. PONCE (shouting over the wind) We found it! TOMMY (snapping out of his trance) Huh? PONCE Cassie's base. It's in the base of a mountain, obscured by the terrain. It took a careful satellite scan to find it, but we did. Ponce points to one of the mountains, handing Tommy the datapad. Tommy scans its contents. TOMMY When can we be ready to move in? PONCE Have you asked the Queen about this? TOMMY She can't give me open approval without alienating most of her followers, but she assured us she wouldn't stand our way of a little raid of Cassie's summer home. So, we're set to go. PONCE (with some reservation) No, we aren't. That base will be heavily guarded. We don't have the catpower. TOMMY That's what our new anti-magic technology is for. You're the one who bought it from the regens -- why aren't you trusting your own judgment? PONCE But it's not just that. The satellite scanner picked up non-Aldebaran sensors. Something tells me Cassie's got a lot of non-magical technology guarding that base. TOMMY Probably standard aniversian stuff. All we need is a good hack. PONCE I'm not *that* good of a hack. TOMMY (thoughtfully) Then I know one. SCENE 3 - DOCKING BAY, GENUS This scene is fuzzy, as the three try to place its exact beginnings. Willy and GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK are somewhere onboard The Righteous Engineering when the comm-link begins to ring. Deadeye answers the call. Tommy's face appears on the screen on the side of the wall. TOMMY (only semi-recognizing Deadeye) I'm looking for Willy DuWitt. WILLY (audibly in the background) I'll take it. Willy drops what he's doing and climbs up into the piloting bay, which is empty, shutting the hatch behind him. His attention is still not totally there, but he has some interest as he turns on the communications and Tommy's face reappears on the screen. TOMMY Hey, Willy. WILLY What's up? I'm busy. TOMMY I hope you're not *too* busy. The Resistance needs your help. WILLY (with interest) What's going on? TOMMY As you've probably heard, Cassie's been hidin' out since he tried to usurp the throne. We got some unofficial clearance from Mom ... (with humor) ... excuse me, *Her Majesty* -- to raid Cassie's hiding place, and Ponce is pretty sure he's found it. WILLY What's the problem? Something you can't take care of yourself? TOMMY You're a smart kid. (beat) Anyway, magical barriers we can handle, though we could use a little help from a formally trained male. But Ponce is pretty sure Cassie has some mega-huge aniversian technological security systems that might need an expert's touch. WILLY (leans back in his chair, seriously) Tommy, I can't do anything illegal. I mean, I'm a military officer in the UAC -- do you realize what would happen if I was caught using my technology skills to assist a breaking and entering? TOMMY (resignedly) Fine, moral boy. WILLY (hurt) Hey, I want to help. TOMMY Then will you at least help us get past Cassie's magical barriers? WILLY That, I think I can do. But I have to tell my captain where I'm going. TOMMY Something tells me Bucky O'Hare isn't going to be the problem. Call me back. The scene blurs into the main bay, where Bucky is casually talking to Deadeye and BRUISER. Willy salutes his superior officer, who seems surprised at this. Bucky is good at reading Willy's feelings. BUCKY Something wrong, Engineer DuWitt? WILLY I ... need to go to Aldebaran. Bucky has a "here it comes" look on his face. BUCKY What for? WILLY I need to help Tommy on a mission. BUCKY Is this going to be a dangerous mission? WILLY Hopefully not. BUCKY "Hopefully not?" What does that mean? Willy looks down at his sneakers. WILLY You know. Male Resistance stuff. It's all for a good cause. BUCKY (having no desire to argue with him) Has Jenny agreed to this? WILLY (meekly) No. BUCKY If she clears it, you have my permission. Not before. Understood? WILLY Understood. (bracing himself) Have you seen Jenny? BUCKY She's in her apartment. If this is urgent, I recommend going over there. WILLY Thanks. Willy leaves quickly. SCENE 4 - JENNY'S APARTMENT, GENUS Jenny's apartment is Spartan and neat, decorated with modest furniture and several pictures of Aldebaran scenery on the walls. She is meditating on a special mat obviously meant for it when there is a knock on her door. JENNY (opening her eyes) Come. The door slides open, and Willy enters, towering over Jenny. She can read the lines of nervousness in his body and glances at him expectantly. JENNY Sit down. Willy sits cross-legged across from Jenny on the carpet, intentionally not making eye contact. JENNY What troubles you? WILLY (spits it out) I need to go to Aldebaran. JENNY (skeptical) Why? WILLY Tommy called me. He wants my help infiltrating Cassie's base. From her tone, it is clear that Jenny is intentionally keeping her cool while remaining firm. JENNY Why your help? I'm sure he has lots of friends on Aldebaran. WILLY He originally said he needed me to hack into her non-magical defenses, but I told her it wasn't my jurisdiction as a UAC officer ... JENNY Good ... WILLY So he asked for my magical help. Jenny stands abruptly, staring out the window briefly before looking back at him. JENNY Did you speak to Bucky? WILLY He said I needed your permission. (with more conviction) Other than Tommy, I'm the only member of the Resistance with serious magical training. JENNY So now you're a member of the Resistance? Or are you just helping them out? WILLY Somewhere in between. Jenny waits a long while before answering him. JENNY To be fair, let me explain why you shouldn't go. Willy seems to be expecting this, but he sits through it. JENNY (staring him down) As much as I respect your stance on the Resistance, supporting it from afar and going on a dangerous mission are two very different things. And I severely doubt Tommy could protect you, should you get into trouble. Strictly from a military standpoint, in the year that I've known him, Tommy has only demonstrated a complete disregard for safety and lack of care in performing missions. WILLY The same could be said for Bucky. JENNY (with fury, suddenly) Don't you dare disrespect your superior officer! Bucky likes walking into traps, but he isn't stupid. He wouldn't have survived five years of fighting the toads if he was a total daredevil. He may look like he's careless, but I met Bucky in the Academy, when he received formal military training just like everyone else there, and he graduated with the highest honors. His personality is daring, but his brain isn't. WILLY (with regret) I'm sorry. JENNY You'd better be. (forcing herself to cool down as she paces) Anyway, Tommy's dedicated to his cause, but that's where the similarities between him and Bucky end. Is that understood? WILLY Yes. JENNY Good. Jenny turns away again. WILLY I want to go. JENNY (turning back) Willy, for star's sakes, it's dangerous! Cassie is not some toad you can outrun with an accelerator. You don't have the training to face her, and you *shouldn't* face her. Her political aims have nothing to do with you. WILLY You faced her. JENNY (frustrated) I'm a Master Artificer, Willy, and in case I have to remind you, you are a beginner student, not even a formal apprentice. Any magical female on Aldebaran with two years of formal schooling could best you. WILLY I'm not fighting anyone; I'm fighting a security system. JENNY You don't know that! You have no idea what to expect. I doubt Tommy and his rebels even have the specs for Cassie's place -- how do you even know she's there? WILLY If she isn't there, then I won't be in any danger. But at least I'll know I helped. JENNY If the Male Resistance is so dependent on the help of one unschooled, uncontrolled artificer, then it isn't much of a rebellion. WILLY I am not unschooled! You're training me! JENNY I am *beginning* to train you. The process takes *years*. WILLY I want to help them! I care about their cause! JENNY You can care all you want, as long as you do it from afar. I will not allow Tommy to drag you into his hopeless pipe dream. Willy stands, furious. Despite Jenny's iron will, Willy is still almost two feet taller than her and an imposing figure. WILLY The Male Resistance is not a pipe dream! JENNY If they're relying on you to succeed in even the most basic of missions, then they are! WILLY They're just desperate because no one else is willing to take a stand. I'm sure having trained artificers on their crew would help them a lot, but since no one's willing to help out ... JENNY Do *not* drag me into this. WILLY Tommy's your brother, and you won't help him? JENNY Don't even start, Engineer DuWitt. My decisions are to be respected. WILLY And so are mine. JENNY No, they're not. WILLY Dammit, Jenny, I'm not a child! JENNY You are when you act like one! (desperately, knowing she's not getting through to him) Can't you see this mission is doomed to fail? Tommy's totally out of his league trying to challenge Cassie on her own ground, and so are you! I honestly don't care if Tommy goes and gets himself killed, but if he drags you down with him, I'll make *sure* he doesn't survive the mission. WILLY I can't believe you just said that; he's your brother. Don't you care about him? JENNY I care about you more than I care about him! WILLY Then let me make my own decisions! JENNY I will when you stop being blind to the obvious! WILLY (partially to himself) Why am I doing this? Why am I even bothering? You're not going to give me permission. JENNY Of course I'm not. It's a stupid idea. WILLY Have you ever changed anything about the way you felt, ever? Or are you exactly the same person you've always been? JENNY I'm just being cautious about your safety. WILLY Why don't *I* concentrate on that? JENNY You don't seem to be. WILLY (exasperated) We're going in circles. JENNY Tell me something I don't know. WILLY I'm going. Willy turns to leave. Jenny stops pacing. JENNY I forbid you to go. WILLY You're not my "formal master" or whatever. I don't have to listen to you. JENNY But I *am* your superior officer. WILLY Then you can court-martial me. I don't care. I want to do this. It's become clear that both of them are too stubborn to listen to the other one. There will be no compromise. JENNY Fine. WILLY Fine. Willy stomps out of the room. JENNY (more softly) But don't get yourself killed ... SCENE 5 - DOCKING BAY, GENUS The Righteous is still docked when Jenny arrives, obviously on the warpath. The crew quickly gets out of her way, except for Bucky, who follows her into piloting bay. JENNY I need to recharge the sensors. BUCKY Did Willy go? I said he couldn't unless you ... JENNY Just forget it. He can come crawling back to us half-alive for all I care. BUCKY You don't mean that. Jenny sighs, showing emotions other than anger for the first time. JENNY He won't listen to me. BUCKY He's a teenager, Jenny. He's supposed to do these sorts of things. JENNY But the mission could be dangerous. BUCKY We'll get him out of it if he gets in any real trouble. JENNY We shouldn't have to. I wish I could trust Tommy, but I can't. He's too reckless. BUCKY I wouldn't put the guy down so much. He knows Willy's vulnerable; he'll take care of him. JENNY I hope you're right. SCENE 6 - TOMMY'S BASE, ALDEBARAN Many Aldebaran males and females without spell gems are gathering around the messy base when Willy finally arrives. Tommy looks up from his plans and smiles. TOMMY Glad you could make it, kid. WILLY Yeah, I'm gonna catch hell when I get back, but that's the way things are. What's the plan? A space is made for Willy around the table where the blueprints of Cassie's place are laid out. TOMMY We got these from the Queen -- one of her loyal subjects is Aldebaran's premiere architect, who said she did Cassie's summer home. If we're lucky, the usurper won't be in -- reports say she's on the other side of the planet right now. So guards should be minimal. We go in, get whatever we can find, and get out as soon as possible. (beat) Ponce will be in charge of bypassing non-magical security systems, while Willy will handle magical ones. I will be leading the team that goes inside first, while the rest of you are going to stay at a safe distance until I contact you with further information. (beat) With any luck, we'll be in and out before Cassie knows what hit her. WILLY How do we know there'll be anything of value there? TOMMY This was Cassie's only other home outside of the palace until a cycle ago. If I were her, and I was plotting against the Queen, I wouldn't keep my thought crystals lying around the royal court, now would I? Now what's the most logical place for them to be? PONCE (to Willy) He has a point. TOMMY Good. Let's do this. SCENE 7 - CASSIE'S SUMMERHOUSE, ALDEBARAN Cassie's summerhouse is what it sounds like -- a summer home, obviously built deep in the mountains as a place of solitude and relaxation. In accordance with Cassie's respected, very high position in the Aldebaran hierarchy, the house is nothing to sneeze at -- it's very luxurious and well designed for a single-occupancy. It's placed in the middle of nowhere and is apparently at least partially abandoned. The small group of rebels, now including BRIAN, are all dressed in black fatigues, and only Tommy is wearing a full set of spell gems. They are hiding in the bushes some distance away, looking at the target area through powerful binoculars. TOMMY See? What'd I tell you? PONCE Don't be fooled by appearances, Tommy. Cassie's no idiot. There's bound to be some security ... (scans the area) There's keypads by all of the doors. We probably need an access code. TOMMY Can you override it? PONCE Probably, but I need time, and I need to get close. There's probably magical barriers between here and there. TOMMY Willy, can you ... But Willy has already dropped into a meditation stance. He has his one spell gem set in a metal band that rests on his head. After a brief moment, he opens his eyes, but they are distant. WILLY (overly calm) There's a magical barrier around the house meant to deflect hostile intruders and all males with magic. TOMMY Just like her. Can you take it down? WILLY Give me some time. Willy goes back into a trance, while Tommy sends some scouts to circle the compound. The place is quiet, except for the humming of the automatic lights. Eventually, Willy stands up, his eyes only partially open, holding up his palm, and begins to advance toward the house. Willy comes to the edge of the front lawn, where the wilderness ends and the crafted terrain begins, and holds his palm up to an invisible barrier. His spell gem glitters as a once-invisible barrier suddenly appears. It's a see-through bubble of purple energy that circles the house like a space station shielding itself from the harshness of space. Willy's palm is pressed against it, and he grunts with pain and closes his eyes again. Rays of light begin to shoot out of Willy's spell gem, traveling down his face, his neck, his arm, and finally his hand before reaching the barrier. The barrier shimmers after being hit with the energy, flickers for a moment, and then disappears. TOMMY Nice goin'. Drained, Willy drops to the ground as two cats rush to his side to support him as he collapses on the grass. WILLY (tired) Don't make me do that again. BRIAN (holding out a medical scanner in front of him) Don't worry; we won't. TOMMY Ponce, we're going in. Tommy and Ponce sneak up to the porch as Willy rests on the lawn with the others. Ponce immediately hooks up his laptop computer to the datapad on the door and begins to type furiously into it while Tommy keeps a look out. It takes Ponce a moment before the datapad explodes and the door slides open. TOMMY OK, in and out. Let's go. Tommy signals to other members of the team, and a few of them join him as they slip into Cassie's luxurious summerhouse. The place is very clean and orderly. There are no obvious signs of life. Tommy immediately heads into the bedroom, the most beautiful room in the house. The bedroom boasts a tremendous four-poster bed, which Tommy immediately ducks under, using a flashlight to look around in the darkness. Sure enough, hidden in the crawlspace is a small safe. It is not overly heavy, and with much effort, he is able to drag it out. He is about to try to pick the lock when Ponce stops him. PONCE There's probably a magical lock on it. Ponce signals to another cat to get Willy. While they admire the furniture and check the room for other interesting items, the cat returns with a partially recovered Willy. WILLY OK, give me some time. Willy begins to concentrate again as his spell gem glitters. It takes him longer to get a fix on safe before he opens his eyes. WILLY It's fine. Pick it, and let's get out of here. Tommy pulls out his equipment and instantly begins to work at the lock. It's only a matter of minutes before he's able to open the safe. TOMMY Almost too easy ... Tommy pulls open the heavy door to reveal an empty safe. VOICE You're right. They look over their shoulders. Standing behind them, with her Elite Guards, is the ex-Head of the Thought Order, CASSIE herself. She is grinning like the Cheshire Cat. CASSIE You really think I'd leave my memory crystals for some foolish rebels and an inexperienced Abomination to find? The rebels spring into action, but it's too late. Tommy powers up his spell gems, but he's not trained well enough, and he can barely get his gems warm before Cassie blasts him into unconsciousness with a well-placed spell. Willy is still drained from both spells and is unable to properly react before one of the guards punches him across the face. Without their leader, the rest of the rebels quickly give up. CASSIE You are all pathetic. (to her guards) Bind the magical ones with neural dampeners and prepare them all for transport. SCENE 8 - CELL, ALDEBARAN Tommy finally comes to slowly, opening his eyes to very dim light. He is surrounded by his team, and there is a strange pain in his head. He puts his paw up there to find a tightly applied neural dampener covering most of it. He curses. Beside him, Ponce is sitting cross-legged in their dank cell, wearing another dampener. Willy is kneeling behind him, inspecting Ponce's cap. He pulls at a particular wire, and Ponce cries out. PONCE Ouch! Don't do that. WILLY (gives up) There's a lock on this. I can't break it without magic or some powerful equipment. TOMMY Any ideas as to where we are? BRIAN We didn't travel for very long -- we must be still in the mountains. TOMMY Just great. Tommy stands up and looks around. The cell is completely bare, with only a small barred window barely big enough to fit a paw through. Through the window, he sees only wilderness. The only exit is a heavily bolted door. WILLY I am gonna catch *so* much hell for this. TOMMY Jenny wouldn't let you go, huh? WILLY No. If we live through this, I'll probably be court-martialed for disobeying a superior officer. TOMMY (somewhat apologetic) Sorry, kid. WILLY It was my decision. (beat) Any idea how we got caught? TOMMY Maybe the Queen *doesn't* have a friend in that architect. There is a brief silence as they consider their lack of options. Willy looks around and begins counting the number of capped Aldebarans. TOMMY What are you thinking? WILLY We have eight magical people in here out of twelve. TOMMY So? WILLY If we all banded together, it might be enough to blow one cap. BRIAN Most of us don't have training. TOMMY Willy could have a point. Giving away one's power is a very basic skill. All you have to do is concentrate and let it flow. PONCE If Cassie catches us ... TOMMY Cassie's going to kill us anyway. I don't think anything we can do will really change her mind either way. BRIAN Whose cap are we breaking? (looks at Tommy) Tommy, you're the most powerful of us -- it should be you. TOMMY No, Willy's more powerful. This news seems to surprise Willy. WILLY Tommy, you're the son of the Queen. It's in your bloodlines to be a great Artificer. TOMMY I'm powerful for an Aldebaran, yes. And if I undergo more formal training than I've had in the past, I probably can be as good as Jenny or Cassie. But you're off the scales, kid. Maybe it's a human thing. WILLY (genuinely shocked) I didn't know that. TOMMY Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Jenny didn't tell you. Why do you think Mom wants you trained so badly? BRIAN Hey, can we get on with this? Someone tells me Cassie's not going to keep us around for another show trial, considering how well the last one went. TOMMY OK, if you're magical, get in a circle. If not, keep your distance. In the dim light, it takes the tired crew some time to shift around. The non-magical Aldebarans -- mainly male, but some female -- retreat into the corners as the magical ones form a circle around Willy, who sits in the center of the room in a meditative stance. WILLY OK, this is how it's gonna work. Just try to clear your thoughts and imagine your energy like a door that's open. If it works, we're all gonna come out a little drained, so don't be surprised. (beat, to Tommy) If we bust the cap, who should I contact first? TOMMY Whoever you can reach fastest. Willy nods and closes his eyes, relaxing his breathing. His spell gem glitters mildly, but the power is obviously somewhat dimmed in comparison to before. The cats who have spell gems also show some signs of energy, especially Tommy, who has a full set of gems. It takes Willy longer than usual to drop into a trance because of the neural dampener, which makes it hard for him to concentrate his magic. He can still feel the energy inside of him, but he can't grasp it or do anything freely with it. It takes almost all of his mental conditioning to extend his mind to embrace the others surrounding him. Taking their energy -- even when given freely -- is incredibly difficult. It feels as if their magic flows through a faucet that should be gushing with water, but instead only flows with a small trickle. It takes quite a while for the energy to pool itself inside of Willy, and he loses any sense of time, except that it's passing. No noise comes from the cell, save the sounds of the others' breathing and heartbeats, which are yet another distraction. The task seems endless, and Willy grows impatient. It becomes tempting to break it off and try again later, but Willy is aware that they may not have that time. When he feels he has enough collected energy, he focuses it on the cap -- not on the physical cap itself, but on the mental block the cap has formed in his mind, blocking the life force. He tries to visualize it being smashed, like a lock with a baseball bat taken to it. Suddenly, there is tremendous pain, as if every fiber of Willy's body is screaming to stop. He screams and passes out. Tommy and the others instantly come out of their trances at the sound of his cry. Willy has fallen back and collapsed on the ground. The neural dampener is still attached to his head with straps but is a smoking ruin. TOMMY Get it off of him! One of the non-magical cats, who can move at a much greater speed than any of the currently drained magical ones, enters the circle and carefully removes the dampener. It comes off easily. They all look up as the bolted dour suddenly swings wide and several armed guards enter, pushing their prisoners around and shoving them against the walls as they form a protective circle around Willy, preventing access to him. Cassie enters. CASSIE (picking up the remains of Willy's cap) So this human is as powerful as the Queen said he is. Cassie snaps her fingers, and two of the guards begin to drag Willy out of the room. Tommy, who is slow to react because of the ritual's draining of his energy, tries to get in their way, but he is easily struck down by one of the guards. TOMMY Don't kill him! He's just a kid -- he doesn't know what he's doing. Let me go in his place. CASSIE Oh, trust me, I wasn't planning on letting you live another night, Abomination. But this human may have other uses. Thank you for bringing him to me. It then occurs to Tommy that he's led not only himself and his comrades but also Willy directly into Cassie's trap. SCENE 9 - JENNY'S APARTMENT, GENUS Jenny is nervously pacing in her apartment when Bucky enters. BUCKY Jenny, it's been twelve hours. JENNY I know. BUCKY Willy left a message that ... JENNY I know. (in a distant voice) He's in trouble. I can feel it. BUCKY Have you tried to contact him? JENNY Of course. I couldn't get through -- someone must be blocking our communications. BUCKY Can you trace him? JENNY If he still has his spell gem. It's a longer ritual, but I can try. If he's on Aldebaran, I'll probably get a lot of interference from other people's spell gems. BUCKY I'll get the crew ready to go. SCENE 10 - CASSIE'S SUMMERHOUSE, ALDEBARAN This scene is hazy, as it is drawn from hints of memories wafting from Willy's mind. When Willy wakes, he is startled first by the fact that the intense pain is gone, only to be quickly replaced by a dull, draining pain he can't identify. Opening his eyes, he finds himself immobilized by straps and a larger, more powerful neural device pressed hard against his skull. Unlike the neural dampener, which contained his powers, this new one seems to be manipulating them in an unpleasant way that is making him dizzy. It takes Willy a minute to focus his vision on Cassie, who is talking with several cats with full sets of spell gems and wearing lab coats. He seems to be in some kind of strange, magical laboratory. CASSIE You broke the dampener. That's very impressive. It takes Willy surprisingly long to refocus on Cassie, who is now facing him. WILLY (thinking) Cassie grabs Willy by the jaw, tilting his face one way and then the other. Her grip is uncomfortable, but with his hands strapped into some sort of machine behind him, he is unable to do anything about it. CASSIE You're a strange creature. Like a shaved baboon. (beat) I suppose you get that a lot. Willy doesn't seem to have it in him to respond. CASSIE (to a technician, without looking away from Willy) Can he hear me? Or is he in a trance? TECHNICIAN (checks some readouts) His responses are dulled by the amplifier, but he should still be able to receive input. WILLY (thinking) Cassie seems to be able to read the confusion on Willy's face. CASSIE Don't worry. This experience will be good for both of us. I'll learn just how powerful you really are and how I can use you, and you'll get to live a hell of a lot longer than your rebel friends. WILLY (with much effort) Go ... fuck ... yourself. CASSIE (to the technician) Turn it up. The TECHNICIAN gives a hesitant look and then turns up a dial. The pain Willy feels comes from both the tremendous rush and the drain of his life force at the same time, and he cries out. CASSIE Let me remind you, human, that I am the Head of the Thought Order. I can make you say, do, even think what I want you to. And there's nothing you can do to stop me. SCENE 11 - ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN The QUEEN of Aldebaran is in her private chambers, talking quietly with an advisor, when Jenny and Bucky storm in, pushing aside an insistent guard. The advisor rises and tries to get between them and the Queen. JENNY Get out of my way. Jenny says this with such conviction that the advisor backs away, giving her free access to the Queen. JENNY Where's Willy? QUEEN Cassie has him, and the other rebels. I have sensed it. JENNY Why can't I get a lock on him? I know he has his spell gem with him, but ... QUEEN Cassie is manipulating his life force. This seems to stop Jenny in her tracks. JENNY *What*? BUCKY (interrupting) OK, I don't know what she just meant, but it sounds bad. QUEEN Cassie believes that Willy's powers -- however untamed -- are only similar to Aldebaran powers on the surface. Beneath it, he is very different. He may have capabilities that we do not. And he is incredibly powerful. JENNY How do you know what Cassie believes? QUEEN Because she read a report that I wrote. It takes Jenny a moment for this to sink in, but she remains committed. JENNY Why didn't you tell me this? QUEEN I thought you knew or you would discover it by yourself. You are, after all, his mentor -- you probably know more about his capabilities than any of us. JENNY But I've never run a formal diagnostic on him. Do you believe that's what Cassie's doing? QUEEN Cassie, when she was Head of the Thought Order, had access to many magical technologies -- many that have long since been banned and can be studied only by those with special clearance. There are machines that were banned long before my time -- machines that can not only run a more thorough diagnostic on the organism but can manipulate it as well. We always kept these machines locked away in the royal vaults. (beat) A month ago, the vaults were broken into, and the amplifier was stolen. I thought she would never be foolish enough to use it, especially on such a dangerous subject. JENNY Is there any way to find them? QUEEN If she fully activates the machine, it'll be like a bomb without the physical destruction. The magical explosion will be impossible to miss. BUCKY Will he live? QUEEN If she's careful. We don't know ... The Queen is interrupted as Jenny suddenly grips her head and drops to the floor like a sack. Her spell gems are sparkling erratically. Bucky barely manages to catch her. BUCKY Jenny! The Queen gets up, touches her own spell gems, and touches Jenny's. The pilot slowly opens her eyes. JENNY Willy -- he's trying to contact me ... (with a voice laced with pain) He's too powerful. I don't think I can stand it. QUEEN Take my strength. More energy flows between them, and Jenny goes into a deep trance. SCENE 12 - JENNY'S MIND There is a flash of light, and Jenny appears in a dark, featureless landscape. There is no ceiling, no floor, and no source of light -- only herself and Willy, who is squatting on the non-ground some distance from her, facing off into the distances. JENNY Willy? Willy looks up at her, and though his features are the same, his gaze is somehow too intense, and Jenny can barely stand to look at him. She averts her eyes. JENNY Are you OK? WILLY I don't know. I don't know what's happening to me. Willy's voice is shattering to Jenny's mind, but at the same time, it is weak and desperate. JENNY Willy, Cassie's manipulating your powers. You need to tell me where you are so I can stop her. WILLY (confused) I'm here. JENNY No, I need to know where your body is. WILLY I don't understand. (beat, strangely) You're mad at me. JENNY (thinking) (out loud) No, I'm not. WILLY Yes, you are. Because I ran off and helped Tommy. JENNY I'm disappointed in you, yes. But we don't have time for that now. WILLY (sad) I'm sorry. JENNY Willy ... WILLY I didn't want to upset you. I thought it would be safe. I just wanted to help Tommy ... JENNY I know. You thought you were doing the right thing. WILLY (knowingly) You think I don't respect you. JENNY Willy, stop reading my mind. WILLY (desperately) I can't. I can't stop it, Jenny. Tell me how to control my powers. JENNY If you wouldn't listen to me before, why would you listen to me now? WILLY (raising his voice) Just tell me! Willy's voice shakes the dimension, causing Jenny to almost lose consciousness. JENNY Willy, there is no easy answer. Controlling your powers is something that comes with time and practice. I can only guide you to the door -- you have to walk through it. WILLY I don't know how much more of this I can take. My brain wants to explode. JENNY That makes two of us. (beat, carefully) Show me where Cassie is. If I can stop her, I think you might be able to control this. WILLY OK. SCENE 13 - CASSIE'S SUMMERHOUSE, ALDEBARAN Without movement, Willy instantly drags Jenny out of her telepathic trance. But instead of appearing in Bucky's arms, the last thing she remembers, she finds herself on the floor of some sort of laboratory. Shaken from what was obviously teleportation -- something Aldebarans are not capable of, but Willy seemed to do without any trouble -- she leaps to her feet. Jenny's sudden appearance has shocked everyone else in the room, buying her precious time to look around. Several artificers in white lab coats are looking at her from afar, trying to decide whether she's real. Willy is hooked up to an elaborate machine that holds him in place against it. He is wearing the largest neurological attachment Jenny has ever seen -- its wires and circuits go into the machine, which is much larger than he is. Cassie is hooked to a headset next to the machine. She is deeply in a meditative trance, and so is Willy. Jenny considers her options. Randomly playing with the machine or trying to disable it could prove lethal to both of them. Jenny realizes that the Queen might know what to do. JENNY (turning on her comm-link) Bucky? BUCKY (over comm) Jen? JENNY Can you get a lock on my signal? BUCKY I'm there. JENNY Good. And pass your comm to the Queen. A lab technician tries to backhand Jenny, but she easily avoids it and quickly disables all three of them. They are scientists, not fighters. She reactivates her comm-link. QUEEN (over comm) Jenny ... JENNY How do I disable this machine? QUEEN Is Cassie there? JENNY She's hooked to it. QUEEN Anyone else? JENNY (looking around) No one useful. QUEEN There should be a control switch adjacent to the neural device. Try ... But Jenny can no longer hear, as she is hit with a mental smack to her head, knocking her back. She begins receiving telepathic messages, but they are loud and painful to her mind, causing her to double over, gripping her head. The voice is a combination of both Willy and Cassie. WILLY/CASSIE (telepathically) The communication is too disorienting, and Jenny is unable to use her mind -- she has to speak back. JENNY I want to help you, Willy. WILLY/CASSIE JENNY You have too much power already. WILLY/CASSIE JENNY I think that's Cassie talking. Willy, are you in there? There is no response, and Jenny takes the time to recover, getting back up. JENNY Willy? WILLY/CASSIE (with Willy's voice dominating the two voices) JENNY Willy, you have to let me shut the machine off. WILLY/CASSIE JENNY Willy, it's hurting you. WILLY/CASSIE SCENE 14 - TOMMY'S CELL, ALDEBARAN The members of the rebellion are sitting around listlessly, looking hopeless. Most of them have recovered from the ritual, and they are able to jump to their feet as the door swings wide. They have to shield their eyes from the bright light of the hallway. Bucky O'Hare steps in as Bruiser pushes the door all the way open. Deadeye and AFC BLINKY are in tow. TOMMY (with relief) My stars, am I glad to see you. BUCKY Same, though you're still in a lot of trouble for causing this mess. TOMMY (noticing) Where's Jenny? SCENE 15 - CASSIE'S SUMMERHOUSE, ALDEBARAN Jenny continues to struggle against the force assaulting her. JENNY (in a softer tone) I'm your master, Willy. Listen to me. WILLY/CASSIE (with more Willy) JENNY I was, and I still am. But people make mistakes. WILLY/CASSIE The experience is incredibly tiring to Jenny, and Willy's choice of words confusing. JENNY Willy, I never pushed you away. WILLY/CASSIE JENNY There's a different between being temporarily mad at a rebellious student and casting you out on the doorstep for some great crime. WILLY/CASSIE JENNY I know that. And I forgive you. Now, let me shut down the machine. WILLY/CASSIE (with more Cassie) JENNY Willy, don't let Cassie control you. You're stronger than her. There is no response, which gives Jenny more time to recover and gives Tommy and Bucky a chance to storm inside. BUCKY (raising his blaster) What the frell is that thing? JENNY Don't fire -- you'll just hurt both of them. TOMMY Can we shut it down? JENNY You can try. I don't think Cassie will let you, through. Tommy shrugs and approaches the switch Jenny points him to. His paw is only inches away when he doubles over in pain, clutching his head. Bucky has to drag him away. TOMMY I don't think I can do anything. They're too powerful. BUCKY Can I try? The siblings look at him as if he's completely insane. BUCKY I'm not magical. Maybe their powers won't affect me. TOMMY (thoughtfully) Or maybe you won't even register on their radar. Give it a shot, O'Hare. The hare braces himself and advances toward the machine, which is still humming with power. He stops suddenly with his paw on the switch. BUCKY How do I know this won't hurt Willy? TOMMY You don't. But we can't leave him in there. BUCKY Great. Neither Willy nor Cassie seems to do anything to stop Bucky as he flips the switch, and the machine begins to power down. The lights slowly go out as the humming dies. As the machine finishes turning off, one of its last actions is to mechanically release the caps and straps on Cassie and Willy. They drop to the floor like rag dolls, pale and obviously drained of all of their energy. They are both unconscious. Jenny runs to Willy and kneels beside him, touching his forehead gem with her two fingers as her spell gems glitter. He opens his eyes, but only partially. WILLY (disoriented) W-Where am I? (weakly) Wha's goin' on? JENNY (to Bucky, who is standing next to her) He's completely drained of his energies. He needs to rest for a long, long time, but he should be fine. Meanwhile, Tommy is kneeling next to Cassie. He has run a diagnostic but has not woken her up. TOMMY I'll take care of her. She can take a nice, restful vacation in the royal dungeon. As he finishes, members of the rebellion and the rest of the Righteous crew enter. PONCE We cleaned up the rest of Cassie's soldiers. DEADEYE Ha hah! Had a right good time of it, too. BRUISER How's Willy? WILLY (insistently) I'm *fine*. Willy tries to sit up but fails, and Jenny carefully helps him back down. JENNY No, you're not. (to Bruiser) Will you carry him back to the Righteous? SCENE 16 - ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN The Queen is sitting on her throne in the main room, with Tommy, his rebels, and the crew of the Righteous, minus Willy, in attendance. QUEEN First, I want to formally thank you for assisting us with Cassie, Captain O'Hare. (beat) Cassie's forces are gathering in the mountains, but they are at half strength without their leader. I believe in time their loyalty will return to the proper side. BUCKY And Willy? JENNY (cutting in) He'll be fine. QUEEN Yes, that will be all. The Righteous crew walks out, heading for their ship. On the way, Tommy stops Jenny and pulls her aside. JENNY Don't even start. TOMMY Jenny, listen to me. JENNY No. I don't want to hear it ... Jenny begins to walk away, giving Tommy the cold shoulder. TOMMY (genuinely) I'm sorry. This makes Jenny stop in her tracks. JENNY Don't patronize me. TOMMY I'm serious. I blame myself. JENNY (coldly) Don't worry -- we *all* blame you. TOMMY (with frustration at her stubbornness) What I'm trying to say is that I want to take responsibility for my mistake. I shouldn't have gotten Willy involved -- the mission was too dangerous. I put him at risk, and I shouldn't have. This seems to really shock Jenny, and she's not sure whether she believes Tommy. There is a long pause. TOMMY The Male Resistance still needs Willy's help, but I understand now that it should only be from afar. Again, there is no response. Tommy is unsure what else can be said. JENNY Tommy ... TOMMY (eagerly) Yes? JENNY OK. It's all Jenny says, but she half smiles at him before heading back to the Righteous. It's the closest Tommy has ever gotten to reaching her, and he takes it before heading back to the palace. SCENE 17 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Bucky's and Jenny's memories create a hazy scene of Willy's room on Earth, with Willy lying awake on the bed. The edges of the room are not very detailed, as they don't see the room very often. Willy suddenly hops out of bed and activates the photon accelerator. He then climbs back into bed and begins poking at some food. There is a knock at the door. WILLY Come in. Jenny enters, leaving the Righteous behind her. The scene gains more definition, as it's drawn from an actual memory. Willy looks surprised to see Jenny. JENNY How are you feeling? WILLY (putting down his food) Better. Jenny touches Willy's forehead, closing her eyes briefly as her spell gem shines. JENNY (opening her eyes) You're still drained. You'll need a few weeks before you can restart your magic training. WILLY What did Cassie do to me? The memories are still messed up. Jenny sits down on the bed next to Willy. JENNY Cassie got her paws on some illegal technology that amplified Aldebaran powers. She tried it on you because she theorized that maybe you would have different powers that she could use against the Queen. WILLY Do I? JENNY We think so. It's something we'll have to explore in the future. WILLY Are you still mad at me? JENNY No. But I will remind you that you shouldn't have disobeyed me. WILLY I know. But I still believe in the cause. JENNY There are other ways to help the Resistance. The mission was not well planned, and it was too dangerous. Sometimes, you have to not let your personal feelings cloud your thinking. There is a brief silence between them, and they ponder what was said. JENNY Willy, I want to take you as my formal apprentice. This shakes Willy out of his stupor. WILLY *What*? Why? JENNY Because you need more formal instruction if you're going to better control your powers, whatever they might be. It means a new level of training and dedication. (beat) It also means you're going to have to respect me as your formal mentor. But that also goes both ways. As my apprentice, not just my student, even the most skeptical Aldebarans would have to acknowledge you as having that status. WILLY (eagerly) I want to do it. JENNY (smiles) I'm glad. (beat) When you're ready, we'll have to perform a ceremony on Aldebaran. WILLY Ceremony? Am I gonna hafta dress *up*? JENNY (chuckling) Get some rest. Jenny kisses him on the forehead as he lies back down to go to back to sleep. He is already drifting off as she leaves, closing the door to the aniverse behind her. The scene slowly fades to black, hazily. SCENE 18 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS The glow of Tommy's spell gem begins to fade. As it dies, Bucky, Jenny, and Tommy slowly open their eyes, and their physical and mental grips on each other weaken. Finally, the gem returns to dullness, and the three let go of each other. Bucky and Tommy just stand still, while a tear slowly trickles down Jenny's cheek. JENNY Oh, Willy ... (beat, sniffles) We never got to perform the ceremony. TOMMY (softly, not wanting to spoil the moment) Wow. Thanks for letting me do that, you two. It meant a lot. BUCKY (still feeling dazed) Yeah. (turns at looks at Willy) That crazy kid. TOMMY He's a good kid, Captain. I hope everything turns out all right for him. BUCKY (rubs his forehead) That's funny. I could have sworn I felt it when Willy was in pain. But it wouldn't have come from any of our memories, would it? TOMMY (turning to Willy) Maybe he's doing better than you think. BUCKY What, you think he was able to share his memories as well? TOMMY (shrugs, turns back to Bucky) Don't ask me. Jenny has turned away from the other two and is now looking at Willy. Another tear rolls down the other side of her face, though she's not quite crying. TOMMY (nodding once to Bucky) I guess I better go. Tommy reaches up and pulls his hood back over his head. As he turns to go, he feels Jenny grab his upper arm. JENNY Wait. TOMMY (surprised, turning around) Yeah? Jenny lets go, her arm falling gently to her side. JENNY (gathering strength) ... thank you. Tommy stands silent for a moment, then lets a soft, small smile spread across his face. TOMMY You're welcome. JENNY (not quite looking Tommy in the eye) Are you really my brother? TOMMY I ... Tommy looks at Jenny, who is still averting her gaze downward. He's always felt a mild dislike for her, for obvious reasons, but this experience has warmed him up to her. TOMMY You and the other artificers are a Sisterhood, right? Jenny furrows her brow and raises her face to look directly at Tommy, unsure how to respond to this apparently stupid question. TOMMY Willy's your Brother now. Take care of him. With that, Tommy spins around and walks through the door. Jenny watches him exit, then feels another tear follow the path of the first one. JENNY Why ... Jenny shivers again, though this time for a very different reason. She looks as if she wants to ask a very specific question but can't find the right words. She finally opens her mouth. JENNY Why do these things happen, Bucky? Bucky walks up to Jenny and puts his paw on her back, wanting desperately to console her but unsure exactly how. BUCKY That's just the way things go, Jen. You can cry if you want to. I understand. JENNY (sniffling one last time) No ... no. I'm fine. (looks down at her watch) It's getting late. We should go. BUCKY (reaching for their coats) I'll walk you home. JENNY (her face brightening but still sad) Thanks. Bucky helps Jenny put on her coat, then slips his own on. Taking Jenny's paw in one hand, he opens the door with the other and escorts her out of the room, the door creaking shut behind them. The electronic hum of Willy's medical equipment becomes more audible now that his room is free of visitors. As Genus's sun visibly finishes setting in the room's window, a ray of sunlight briefly catches Willy's face and glides across it. The monitor readings briefly flicker. Gently, and almost imperceptibly, the vaguest hint of a smile appears on Willy's lips. THE END