The Prisoner of Time

INT. PRISON CELL - DAY

Light breaks through the window in a cell over the face of MAX CUBE causing him to break out of a trance. MAX is sitting in a lotus position in the middle of the cell; it is dark and musty. MAX's hair is long and his face has a growth of a beard.

MAX stands and stretches. He goes to the sink and splashes some water on his face. He reaches up and grabs a razor, holding it in his hands and glancing long and hard into the mirror. A smile cracks his face.

INT. PRISON BLOCK WALKWAY - DAY

TWO PRISON GUARDS walk down a cell block.

VETERAN GUARD:
Well kid, today is your first day on the job and you get to meet our very own celebrity on his way out.

ROOKIE GUARD:
A celebrity?

VETERAN GUARD:
The great Max Cube.

ROOKIE GUARD:
You mean Max Cube is here?

VETERAN:
Well for the next 33 minutes he is.

INT. PRISON CELL - WALL
A hand tears down a picture of MAX standing next to the Great Wall of China with a can of spray-paint in his hands.

INT. BLOCK - DAY

VETERAN GUARD
The man is considered a legend and a myth. He's been here so long that the world has forgotten all about him. You know the day he arrived there were hundreds of reporters standing out there; heck, he even had his own fan club that stood outside and waited to catch a glimpse of him.

INT. PRISON CELL - WALL
A hand takes down a picture of MAX standing on the ledge of the Grand Canyon. He is holding a pop can over the ledge ready to drop it while looking at the camera.

INT. BLOCK - DAY

ROOKIE GUARD
You mean the shanty just on the other side of the road? They are his fans?

VETERAN GUARD
They be the ones.

The two GUARDS approach MAX's cell. MAX, with his back turned, is dressed in a nice light blue shirt and funky black tie. He turns as he hears the key slide into the lock and the tumblers inside working.

VETERAN GUARD
Well Max, it's time to get that smoke you always wanted.

MAX:
It's been hell.

The Mall Moll

It was Wednesday evening and the Mall was practically empty; you could hear the music playing, echoing throughout the building. It was tuned to an 80's station and some powerful songs were being blasted from the past, like a visit from an old friend.

Mags was sitting at the fountain. Her shoes off and she was resting. It had been a hard day and she needed this time just for her. It amazed her that she could take pleasure in doing the simple things in life, like taking her shoes off and wiggling her toes in a near-dead mall.

Nu Shooz kicked on and a smile visited her face. The music was calling to her, beckoning her like a lover, making her sway to the beat. A couple of tween girls strolled past her and paid her no attention; they were off in their own universes and were oblivious to anything not involving them. But her actions were rather infectious, since one of the other store clerks who was standing at the entrance began to move to the beat of a passed generation.

Mags left the parcels on the bench and stood, letting the beat sway her. A rapture unlike anything else she had felt in a while. Mouthing the words to the song, and as if on cue, or by her sheer will, the music turned up a notch. The call of the music was too strong, and like a bagel with cream cheese it was too good to resist.

She let the beat consume her.

The Reality Show

CAMERA ON. Sound on.

MAX checking the clips in his guns. The rest of the team are preparing to move. We see FRANK scanning the horizon. GONER is picking up a shoulder bag. ANGST is leaning against a rock, with a bowie knife in hand.

Camera focuses in on Max.

MAX
(to camera)
Clean body, clean mind.

Max grins and changes his socks.

MAX
I really don't know what I could tell you at the moment.

Max balls up the dirty socks and puts them in his jacket pocket.

MAX
(to camera)
Bear with me okay?

FRANK (O.S.)
In a couple of hours they would be hard as rock and he could use them as lethal weapons.

Max laughs.

HOST
I've been meaning to ask you, why do you change your socks before battle?

MAX
It's a ritual.

HOST
Does it work?

MAX
I'm still here aren't I?

HOST
Ah. So can you recap what we are doing here at the moment?

MAX
There's a group of Quiks nestled up in the building there.

Camera pans to a devastated building. Zooms in on something peering out, but before the camera comes into focus the something disappears. The camera pans around.

MAX (cont.)
They have several hostages that they are going to feed on. What we are doing here is a little rescue.

HOST
You think it's a wise idea to go storming in the front door?

MAX
We don't have that much time. They could have already killed and eaten one or two of them already.

Camera pans to HOST who has a disgusted look on their face. The Host just points to Max as if to order the Camera back to Max.

Frank comes into the shot and up to Max.

FRANK
Maggie's in place. She's ready to rock when we are.

MAX
(to camera)
Well, let's earn some ratings now.

There is laughter off screen.