FADE IN
INT. BRIDGE OF STARSHIP- INDETERMINATE TIME
Fire. An Alarm is blaring.
All the alarms are blaring
Voices are everywhere, yelling, some crying. The indistinct cacophony of panic.
We pull back to see a well maintained but not overly handsome everyman in the foreground of the shot. He wears the uniform of the organization he represents.
This is our captain. This is our salvation.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Hold it together people! This is what we are here for! Let’s go! Let’s GO!
He pulls out a device and checks some statistics as he sits down in the captain chair.
CONTINOUS SHOT pulls back to reveal the size of the command center. It is modest in comparison to the size of the task the crew is undertaking today.
CUT TO CLOSE UP of CAPTAIN’S MOUTH, his most distinctive feature.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Is that thing out yet, Harris?
ENTER HARRIS, a small bespectacled man with his uniform soaked in a fire dampening substance. He is dirty, grimy, and generally disheveled. He is also visibly annoyed.
HARRIS
Almost Sir, but it is not the blaze that is the concern...
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Of course not.
POSTERIOR SHOT. Captain turns toward camera and tries on a smoldering, thoughtful look that penetrates the fourth wall and solidifies the emotional connection with the target audience.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
It is the aftermath.
Back to FULL SHOT of bridge.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Where are the Optics?
HARRIS
Sir, it is much too soon for
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Dammit, man! Stop your jabbering and get after it. Get rid of the Red NOW
HARRIS
(Stutters) Yes sir, right away.
HARRIS dutifully leans over and starts jabbing buttons on a keyboard. He also adds several clicks and beeps with his mouth to simulate activity.
ENTER Lt. JEERS pushing a cart with a few buckets of trash on it. She crashes into HARRIS’ foot
HARRIS
YYEAAAAAH!
JEERS
OH! Holy hell I am so sorry here let me. Holy hell, that’s my bad, oh jeez.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
STOP THIS NOW! We are wasting time and every misstep we make adds to the problem.
The two crewmates blink at their captain.
Behind and around them, smoke is everywhere and the alarms continue.
CLOSE UP on the captain as he closes his eyes
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
It is as bad here as it is out there. No wonder we are in crisis on the cycle.
ENTER ENVOY RUMBERSNATCH, a proud and dark skinned dignitary of indeterminate national origin. He could be from anywhere in the universe. He speaks with a colonial British accent.
ENVOY RUMBERSNATCH
If you are quite ready captain, the fires have been put out and the show must go on.
The captain looks at RUMBERSNATCH with the obedience and disdain held for such masters. He blinks at his superior, looking a lot like his subordinates did moments ago.
He clears his throat to say something and… does not.
RUMBERSNATCH clears his throat as well.
The AUDIENCE APPROVAL signal flashes on the bridge. Another flicker and it will likely go out.
ABBANNON blinks and looks around. He runs a hand through his hair and addresses the bridge.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Vox, on screen now.
JEERS
Sir, we are no where NEAR…
The captain’s firm stare causes her to comply without another word. She brings up the screen. We do not see the screen, just the light that emanates from it. It washes the crew with it’s radiance, rinses them in bright white.
The Captain takes a deep breath. Blows it out with a sigh and clicks the generic badge on his breast in order to establish communication. He begins to speak
CAPTAIN ABBANNON:
I know, I know. It is HARD. It is a HARD age for us to live and persevere in. We cannot acclimatize ourselves to one problem before the next six pop up. We are living from moment to moment waiting for the whole damn thing to collapse in on itself. What does that mean to you, to us , to them It means we have to keep moving, to always bring the might of our will forward toward the break of a new day. To keep the fires of perseverance burning strong we must….
A HIGH SQUELCH NOISE makes the captain stop and wince.
The Captain taps his generic communicator icon and addresses his crewman.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Harris, what the hell?
HARRIS
Wrong program, sir. This is a volatile bunch. I suggest switching to gaslight protocol 3.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Isn’t that the one we have been on for the last week? Surely, they have gotten wise…
HARRIS
No sir, actually we have been using GLP 2. GLP3 is the DS9 agenda.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Oh Yes,
CLOSE UP on the captain’s lips.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
THE DEEP STATE.
JEERS
Captain, need to act now. You stopped mid sentence, again.
The captain shakes his head as if to clear it. He taps his comlink again.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
RIGHT. Sorry for that folks. What I meant to say was that it isn’t our fault at all. There are studies, there have been studies, quite a few of them, where our name doesn’t even appear at all. In some of those same studies, of which there have been many, the PROBLEM isn’t even mentioned. So if you really think about it, there really isn’t a problem at all. Many, many people agree, and I think I do too, that there is no problem at all.
SQUEELCH OF STATIC AGAIN
HARRIS
SIR !
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Oh come on! That’s 101 here. Has been working since the first day!
HARRIS
No sir, you are right it is working. It is just we need more nuance and affectation.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
English only please, Harris. This is Effing the US of A.
HARRIS
Yes sir, what I meant was, can we combine the two approaches?
The Captain considers.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
You want me to motivate them while I'm lying to them? Abort the insult protocol?
HARRIS
If that is possible. It seems to be the only way.
CLOSE UP on the captain's mouth again.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
By God, it just may work.
JEERS
Gentleman…
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
WHAT, JEERS?
JEERS
You forgot to hit your com link. You are currently addressing the enemy.
Another alarm began to blare. The captain turns around just as envoy RUMBERSNATCH dematerializes.The last thing he does as he disappears is shake his head. The Fire is everywhere now.
It is our everything. The captain closes his eyes.
CAPTAIN ABBANNON
Team. Abandon ship. This is over.
The static that is their answer means they have already done just that.
With one last look at his bridge, CAPTAIN ABBANNON disappears into the fire.
***
FADE IN: Black screen. Audio only We can’t see the speakers.
JIM
The reporters are still waiting to hear the conclusion of the sentence. We go live now to our folks in the field. Diana What are you getting?
DIANE
Well Jim, the spokesman just stopped
JIM
How's that?
DIANE
Just stopped. Completely shut down. After trying to explain away the dispute between parties and their joint handling of the latest crisis, the FEED fiasco, the Rep became confused and his speech became.. um, garbled
JIM
I'm sorry. for the clarification of our audience at home, will you repeat that? Garbled?
DIANE
Yes, JIm, garbled. His speech became increasingly nonsensical and
JIM
Diane, let me interrupt you if I may. How is that any different than usual? We have gotten used to this behavior from the administration, especially from spokesperson Hinote
DIANE
Well, Jim after the usual blather, Hinote just stopped talking completely.
A PAUSE OF CONSIDERATION
JIM
At a loss for words? Was effectively put off by a line of questioning?
DIANE
No, he just stopped
JIM
But how is that possible, Diane? His whole purpose for being there is to explain to the public the Dowd administration’s possible connection to…
DIANE
Wait, Wait. Yes, I think he is saying something.
INT: POV of reporters gathered around a podium. The camera zooms in toward the man standing behind it. The man is obviously unwell, staring slack jawed into space in front of him. As a bit of smoke drifts out of his noise, some liquid begins leaking from the corner of his mouth.
DIANE
Mr. Honete? Are you ok sir?
A barely audible wine comes out of the representative’s mouth and grows gradually louder.
HONETE
weeeeeeEEEEEEAAAAHAHHHAAAhhh
JIM
Good God,
CUT TO BLACK
JIM
The Deep State.