Insuranced

The start of a science fiction epic based on Insurance and banking. I expect to sell this super easy! Oddly enough, I wrote this almost a year before the whole credit crisis. I’m prescient!

FADE IN:

EXT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – NIGHT

A pleasant little home with a manicured lawn and digital window displays basks in the shallow moonlight. Around the lawn a string of nano-fence machines float in a lightly glowing red line.

Across the street, in a fabricated bush, sits MIN MCINTYRE (mid twenties, svelte with short cropped hair, usually wears worn jeans and a t-shirt, almost always has a bandana tied over her hair) with a strange hand held device in her hand.

The device looks somewhat like a PDA, only it’s clunkier and makes a horrible GRINDING noise. It is a QLAR (a Quasi-Legal-Automated-Reader).

Min smacks the machine.

MIN

Shut up.

The QLAR SPUTTERS, and stops grinding.

MIN (CONT’D)

Thar we go. Now, just gotta check their insurance…

Min pokes a few buttons on the digital display, and the machine a HUMS to itself for a moment. It BEEPS, and QLAR speaks, in a stilted British Accent.

QLAR

Scan complete. Owners are recorded as being covered by: Fire Insurance, House Insurance, Land Insurance, Bank Insurance–

MIN

Yeah, but are they covered by Police?

QLAR

Checking…

The QLAR starts making the horrific GRINDING sound again. Min smacks it.

MIN

Shut up!

The machine stops, then starts talking again.

QLAR

The residence are currently not covered by Police Insurance, or any crime prevention Insurance listed.

Min grins malevolently.

MIN

Awesome.

Min snaps shut the QLAR, and pockets it. She pulls out a pair of sunglasses looking goggles, and a crowbar.

MIN (CONT’D)

Let’s do this.

Min slings her bag over her shoulder, and stands up.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

The living room is bathed in shades of dark blue. The shifting blinds cast a moving silhouette of light, sending the bars dancing and swaying across the floor.

Small lights float in the air, nano-computers twinkle and glisten in the soft light.

Suddenly, a crow bar SMASHES through the door near the locking mechanism. It waggles back and forth until the lock pops open.

Min opens the door and steps inside. A small machine hooked to the wall starts BEEPING.

SECURITY SYSTEM

Warning! Security perimeter has been breached. Warning! Security–

Min smashes the device with her crowbar, and taps her goggles.

MIN

Retinal camo activate. Set for human heat signature.

MIN’S POV

The Goggles switch to night vision, with infrared showing three sleeping bodies upstairs.

END POV

Min nods, and stalks up the stairs.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – HALLWAY – NIGHT

Min slowly stalks down the hallway. She peeks through a slightly open door.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – KID’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

MIN’S POV

A YOUNG KID rolls over, mumbling in his sleep.

END POV

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – HALLWAY – NIGHT

Min closes the door carefully, and continues down the hall.

From one of the rooms, a small CLEANING BOT rolls towards her, making an irritating WHIRRING noise.

Min kicks it over as it passes, and it lays on the side, it’s cleaning wheel still spinning.

Min shakes her head, and opens the next door.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – MASTER BEDROOM – NIGHT

A MAN and a WOMAN lay sleeping on their side, facing away from each other. The Man mumbles to himself slightly while smacking his lips.

Min smiles, and steps back into the hall.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – HALLWAY – NIGHT

Min pulls out the QLAR, and flips it on.

QLAR

Hello, and thank you for choosing–

MIN

(hissing)

Shut up.

Min peeks into the room. The woman snorts in her sleep, and rolls over, draping her arm across her husband.

Min leans against the wall and sighs deeply.

Min pulls up the QLAR again and whispers into it.

MIN (CONT’D)

Okay, scan for valuables, and be quiet godamnit.

The QLAR HUMS to itself in an irritating high pitched drone. Min glances back and forth nervously.

Suddenly the Qlar DINGS, causing Min to jump.

QLAR

Room scanned! Three hundred credits worth of jewelry is held in the box on the dresser.

Min nods, and starts to shut the QLAR.

QLAR (CONT’D)

As well as a forty thousand credit Holographic Watch.

Min stops.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – MASTER BEDROOM – NIGHT

Min sneaks into the room and opens the jewelry case. Inside are several simple metal rings and a bracelet. Min grins deviously, and pockets them.

She walks over to the wife, where the watch hangs off her wrist. Min takes a deep breath and–

KID (O.S.)

Mommy?

MIN

(under her breath)

Shit.

Min looks back and forth, searching for somewhere to hide.

The Kid from the other room waddles in. The Parents wake up. The Dad waves his arm and the nano lights turn on. Min presses herself against the wall next to the dresser, holding her breath.

MAN

Yeah, kid?

KID

I had a bad dream.

Behind the dresser, Min rolls her eyes.

WOMAN

It’s okay. Mom’ll be out there in a minute.

The kid nods and heads out. The Man waves his arm and the lights dim.

WOMAN (CONT’D)

You wanna handle this?

MAN

He’ll be expecting you.

WOMAN

So put on a wig and get your ass in there. I have work tomorrow.

The man gets up, grumbling. He throws a house coat on and leaves the room. The nano lights follow him.

The woman sighs and snuggles back under the blanket. She notices she’s still wearing the watch, takes it off, and plops it on the bedside table.

The woman curls up, and within a few seconds, starts snoring gently.

Min breaths out, and grabs the watch and runs out the door.

INT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Min slides down the banister and lands on the floor running. She kicks the door open and is gone.

EXT. SILICON – OLD HOUSE – NIGHT

Min runs down the street a bit, until she’s a safe distance from the house. She takes a random turn down an alley, and leans against the wall, taking deep breaths.

She gathers herself and looks at the Holographic. She smiles, admiring it’s crystal face. She rotates, letting it glisten in the moonlight.

Min nods to herself, and pockets the watch.

EXT. MAIN STREET – NIGHT

A monorail train rumbles over the city scape, barrelling towards the decrepit, burnt out area of the city called The Warren.

INT. TRAIN – NIGHT

Min sits in the very back, her hands in the pockets of her jacket, leaning against the glass, her eyes closed.

EXT. TRAIN STATION – NIGHT

Min exits the train station, her hands in her pockets. She looks back and forth, and puts her hood up. She starts towards The hulking remains of the Warren.

A cloud of nano lights hang over the exit of the train station. They give a rudimentary light to the broken street.

The road is covered in trash and dirt, the result of years of neglect and purposeful destruction. The buildings are all boarded up, and there’s a sense of emptiness hanging over the area.

Min stalks towards an alley between two towering abandoned buildings, the walls covered in decades of graffiti.

The words WELCOME TO HELL in bright neon pink override the rest of the wall art, as a rat scurries under Min’s foot. In the distance, a siren WAILS. Min pays it no mind and walks down the alley.

EXT. THE WARREN – NIGHT

Min walks out of the alley and into The Warren proper.

It’s a system of tight alleyways and looming buildings. Nearly every window is boarded up, and the streets are covered in layers of trash, the dumpsters are overflowing and spilling their contents onto the road.

The few cars lining the road are ancient, modern models with no wheels and no windows. The buildings all look one step from falling apart, and that’d be a step up.

Min walks through the mess until she reaches her apartment building. It’s a three story affair with five stories in disuse. Min opens the door (it’s unlocked) and walks in.

INT. MIN’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Min steps over a sleeping MATT (mid-twenties, drugged out and shaggy. Hasn’t seen a bath since childhood).

MIN

Hey Matt.

Matt MUMBLES something under his breath. Min rolls her eyes and heads up the rickety stair case.

INT. MIN’S HOUSE – BEDROOM – NIGHT

Min enters her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. She empties her pockets into a dish on the coffee table, making sure to put the QLAR carefully on it’s side.

The room is tidier than outside, but barely that. The only furnishings are an oversized wardrobe, a pile of clothes that functions as a laundry basket, the coffee table which is covered in ancient junk, and the bare mattress on the floor.

Min walks over to the bathroom, enters and flips a light switch. The light spreads out through the doorless doorway, and illuminates the mess in her room.

INT. MIN’S HOUSE – BATHROOM – NIGHT

Min glares blankly at her reflection in a broken mirror. She makes a little gun with her fingers, and pretends to shoot her reflection.

MIN

Bang.

Min sighs, and starts to get undressed.

INT. MIN’S HOUSE – BEDROOM – DAY

The raw sunlight seeps through the sheet Min uses as a curtain. She covers her eyes with her arm, and moans unhappily.

She sits up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

MIN

QLAR. What time is it.

The Qlar BEEPS, coming to life.

QLAR

It is fourteen minutes and seven seconds past 15 hundred.

Min groans.

MIN

Aww shit.

She tosses the blanket off herself and gets up.

INT. MIN’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – DAY

Min walks into the kitchen, her hair a mess, wearing a pair of striped boxers and an oversized T-shirt.

Matt and GLEN (Late twenties, dark skinned young woman. She’s a better dresser than her house mates, but not by much) sit at the kitchen table, Matt smoking a cigarette while Glen eats some cereal.

GLEN

Why hello there sunshine What are you doing up so early?

Min walks over to the cupboard, not looking at her house mates.

MIN

Go choke and die.

Glen smiles.

GLEN

You seem in a good mood today. Have a late night?

Min pulls the box of cereal out of the cupboard, and grabs a bowl out of the sink. SHe inspects it, then rubs it with her sleeve. Shr shrugs, and puts the bowl back.

MIN

Just out working. Didn’t get back until like, four or something.

MATT

You have enough stuff to make rent this month, or do we hafta kick you out.

Min sits at the table, one hand holding the cereal box, the other hand cramming the cereal into her mouth.

MIN

Rent? Dude, we’re Squatters. There aint no rent here.

Matt shrugs.

MATT

I can try, can’t I?

Glen rolls her eyes.

GLEN

Seriously though, are we gonna have enough money to pay off the gang, or what?

MIN

You could say that.

Glen and Matt look at each other, then back at Min.

MATT

You sure? Cause Rich doesn’t like it much when you come in after he opens…

Min grins.

MIN

I think he’ll be impressed by what I have to show him.

EXT. MERCHANT ALLEY – DAY

RICH (Mid thirties, sleaze bag character, wearing a torn sleeve jean jacket and has his hair parted backwards and up) looks at the jewelry Min grabbed the night before.

RICH

This is it? This is worth interrupting my day to restock my merchandise?

MIN

It’s quality stuff, Rich.

Min stands with her hands on her hips. She’s dressed more or less the same as yesterday, only with a different colored bandana.

The Merchant Alley is a tiny alley crammed with, well, merchants. Street vendors. The kind who have maybe a shelf or a blanket with some ancient goods of questionable history.

Rich has a single book case filled with crap, and a table that has the best he has to offer, which isn’t much even by Warren standards,a neighbourhood where having a flag in the window is considered posh.

Rich picks up a ring and bends it between his fingers.

RICH

Oh yeah. I’ll be able to sell this for a fucking million godamn credits.

Rich drops the ring among the others.

RICH (CONT’D)

Look hun, I give you enough slack as it is, I can’t just shut my store down and appraise this shit. It’d hardly be worth my time. Hell, I doubt I could push this crap on a blind widow.

MIN

Well, that is your largest demographic.

RICH

Shuddap. I’m being serious here, Min. I can’t accept this.

Rich pushes the pile of jewelry back at Min, and starts counting the stuff he has laid out on the shelf.

Rich sighs, and turns back to Min.

RICH (CONT’D)

You still here?

Min grins, and throws the Holographic at Rich.

MIN

How ‘bout this?

Rich gapes at it slightly. He pulls a a small eyeglass and stares at the gem through it. The little thing BEEPS once.

Rich slowly lifts his head up.

RICH

Well well well. Somebody lucked out.

Min grins evilly.

MIN

How much you willing to split with?

Rich looks at her, his head tilted.

RICH

Cause we’re such great pals and all… Twenty thousand.

MIN

Twenty five.

Rich spits into his palm.

RICH

Deal.

Min does likewise and they shake hands.

RICH (CONT’D)

Nice doing business with you, Min.

Min nods. They continue shaking hands.

Beat.

MIN

…My money?

RICH

Right.

Rich pulls a card out of his pocket and runs it through a small reader built into the table.

Rich hands it to her.

RICH (CONT’D)

There. Thirty grand, payable on deposit.

Min grins, and walks off.

EXT. BANK – DAY

A much, much nicer part of town. Floating cars whizz along the road outside of a stately old building. In bas relief above the door, it reads “INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE”.

INT. BANK – DAY

Min stands uneasily in the front of a line before the registers. She’s dressed in her usual jeans and t-shirt, with her night goggles on, while everyone else is dressed in suits and ties.

She makes eye contact with a smiling MAN in a powder blue uniform, looking somewhat like a cross between a busboy and a cop. He’s a STEWARD.

The Steward notices her looking at him, and tips his cap to her.

Min guiltily looks away.

BANK TELLER

Next, please!

Min walks up to the marble counter and drops the card Rich gave her.

MIN

I’d like to make a deposit in account number 34x-905-19-B6, please.

The Teller nods, and types on an invisible keyboard. She finishes, and nods at a floating eye shaped device. Min lifts her goggles up and leans forward as it shoots a laser into her eye, then BEEPS.

BANK TELLER

Thank you.

The Bank Teller types some more.

BANK TELLER (CONT’D)

Hmm… it appears here that your insurance plan has expired.

Min re-adjusts her goggles.

MIN

What?

BANK TELLER

And I’m afraid without insurance, we are not liable to what we do with your money–

MIN

But I updated it just last month!

BANK TELLER

I’m sorry, ma’am, but our computer says–

Min sighs.

MIN

Fine. How much is it.

The Bank Teller types some more.

BANK TELLER

For our one year basic plan, it would come to four thousand dollars.

Min WHISTLES.

MIN

Running quite the racket here, aint cha.

BANK TELLER

I’m sorry ma’am, that’s our best price.

Min shrugs.

MIN

Fine. Just take it outta my account.

The Teller nods, and types some more. The computer emits an annoyed BEEP.

BANK TELLER

I’m sorry, but it looks like your account is empty.

MIN

What? I just deposited like, four thousand in there yesterday!

The Teller leans into the monitor.

BANK TELLER

It looks like, since your account was not covered, the Bank loaned your money to New Slovakia at a 40% interest!

The Bank Teller beams at Min. Min glares.

MIN

So, what, ‘cause my insurance expired THIS MORNING, they sold my money?

BANK TELLER

At a reasonable profit, thus ensuring our profit margins for the year will continue unabated!

Min glares harder. The Teller beams blankly back.

Min breaks first.

MIN

You know what? Fine. Just take the money off this.

Min tosses the card Rich gave her at the teller, who catches it and runs it through a scanner.

BANK TELLER

I’m afraid the only method of payment we allow is a direct withdrawal from your account, and as I cannot access your account until your insurance is paid–

Min stares at her.