Retribution By Jordan Lewers Andrew Zaitsev Sarah MG

2012

INT. WHEELERS OFFICE Wheeler is talking to staggering freezes in seen resting in his chair at his work desk, his assistant, Lisa. Louch enters the room, through the door. Wheeler turns to see Louch and astonishment. WHEELER Lisa, can you give us a minute? Lisa nods politely and walks to the door, looking at Louch with a look of surprise on her face as she leaves. Louch and Lisa meet glares for a few seconds before she exits. WHEELER What, may I ask, are you doing in my office, Louch? Louch contemplates what to say. He stumbles slightly, as if struggling to stay on his feet. LOUCH I... know we havent spoken (winces) in a while, Wheeler, butWheeler moves forward on his chair, looking agitated. his hands remain on the armrests. WHEELER Havent spoken in a while? You axed me from Biosoft four months ago. I was your leading ScientiLOUCH (Interrupting Wheeler) Scientific Chemist, I know. Youre preaching to the choir here. WHEELER What do you want from me now, Louch, other than my anger? LOUCH ...I need the antidote. WHEELER What antidote? Louch looks around the apartment, looking for ways to explain his situation. He sighs.

(CONTINUED)

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2.

LOUCH The one you were working on when I fired you. Flashback to when Wheeler was in the office at Biosoft working on a potion when Louch comes in to fire him. He talks about how he is using too many company resources to fund his research. He sighs again. LOUCH (this line of dialogue is accompanied by a flashback to him looking over and seeing men in suits following him wherever he went.) I suspect a rival company slipped something in my drink at the bar this morning. I...I know Im being watched, There always seem to be people following me. I started feeling the effects about 2 hours ago, and I need your help. WHEELER Why were you at the bar this morning? Louch gets a bit more angry. LOUCH What I do with my time is really none of your business, I need the antidote, Ive been poisoned. Are you going to help me, or not? WHEELER Tell me, Louch, why would I even think to help you after everything you did to me? LOUCH Because, youre a good person. Because... after we let you go, we lost an asset.We were friends once. You know that. Flashback to times when they were friends. LOUCH And its not like you left empty handed, we paid you a hefty sum of (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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3.

LOUCH (contd) money. Surely more than enough to sustain yourself. Wheeler looks at Louch again for a moment, then speaks up, jumping out of his chair. WHEELER You sold me out! After I was fired, people started to speculate. Scandal, corruption, I couldnt find another job because of you! Louch suddenly gets more serious. LOUCH I really dont have time to sit here and listen to you complain about your job. You are going to help me. Wheeler looks angrily at Louch. WHEELER Or...what? LOUCH Ive notified every competitive company in case of my sudden death; All my products come off the market. Wheeler turns away from Louch and steps forward towards his chair, but does not sit down. WHEELER You... cant do that. I have family that depends on the companys medicine. LOUCH Where is the antidote? Wheeler sighs and sits back down in his chair. WHEELER Alright Louch, I give up. The cure I was working on is hidden within Biosofts testing chamber, near my old office. Its in the secret drawer under the desk I used to own.

(CONTINUED)

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4.

LOUCH Got it. He starts to turn and walk away. WHEELER Theres a password. 3-2-0-0. LOUCH Thank you. I knew you wouldnt let an old friend suffer like this. Louch resumes his leave, and Wheeler just stares off into the distance. Cut to the outside of the Biosoft building as Louch approaches it. A man is following Louch, but he does not pay much attention to it, since he is in a state of pain and determination to locate the cure. As he is about to round the corner to where the door is, another man turns the corner and stops him. LOUCH Can I help you with something? MAN #1 The man who hired us is tired of waiting for you to kick the bucket. I hope you understand if we cut this conversation a little short. Man # 2 walks behind Louch, and Louch is closed in from both sides. He looks around from side to side. Louch observes the two men as they step closer to him. He raises his hands, still staggering a bit. LOUCH Now, gentlemen, I am sure we can resolve this conflictMan # 2 tries to grab Louch, but Louch counters the attack by elbowing the man in the face and the man falls to the ground, blood dripping from his nose. Man #1 lunges at Louch, but Louch ducks down and the man trips over Louch, ending up on the ground also. The men try to get up, and Man # 1 starts to pull out a gun. Louch kicks the gun out of the mans hands and hits him vertically in the top of the head with his fist, knocking him unconscious.

(CONTINUED)

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5.

MAN # 2 (Backing away) How.. did you-? LOUCH Ive fought my whole life. I fought through school, through college, I climbed the corporate ladder to get to where I am today. You really thought it would be that easy to take me out? Louch walks over towards the gun and picks it up, pointing it at Man # 2 as he cowers and begs. LOUCH (putting the gun down) Tell whoever hired you that Im not about to die and watch my company fall to ruin. Louch, now in a state of utter pain, finding it hard to breathe, makes his way through the building, getting many strange looks from those he employs, but too determined to stop and give them any attention. He stumbles into the room Wheeler had described, locates the desk, and unlocks it. He quickly chugs down the potion, and collapses into the chair, catching his first fresh breathe of air since the moment he was poisoned. Cut to black Back in Wheelers office, Wheeler is in the process of getting coffee from Lisa. Louch once again enters the office, this time looking better. WHEELER Lisa, thank you for the coffee. I am going to need a minute with Mr. Louch. Lisa nods yet again and leaves the room. WHEELER (Smirking) I see you found the "Antidote." LOUCH Why, yes, yes I did. WHEELER What a shame.

(CONTINUED)

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6.

LOUCH What are you talking about? I feel great. WHEELER Louch, there is no antidote. LOUCH What are you talking about, Wheeler? I found it in your office, just like you said. WHEELER Then your deceit is obvious. LOUCH What-? WHEELER Those men that slipped "poison" into your drink, I hired them. Louchs eyes widen. WHEELER It was never a poison at all. It was a sedative I was working on, it temporarily constricts lung capacity, so the more you moved, the worse it felt. But had you just taken a nap, you would have felt better. But of course you had to seek me out. LOUCH I dont understand, what did I take at Biosoft then? WHEELER Something beautiful...something deadly. A poison that provides the neurological receptors in the brain with a sense of euphoria before literally destroying you from the inside out. Suddenly Louch feels the kick from the poison he took and there is close up of his face as his hearing fades in and out, a piercing high pitched screech running through his head. His vision comes in and out of focus slightly.

(CONTINUED)

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7.

LOUCH (yelling) Where is the antidote?! WHEELER (with a grin) Why, there isnt one. You fired me before I could create one, remember? What you took was a prototype, the only one of its kind. LOUCH If you wanted to kill me so bad, why didnt you just do it yourself? WHEELER After I was fired, I was denied access to re-enter the perimeter, and why would I want to dirty my hands when you could do it for me? LOUCH (ferociously pulling out the gun he had) You son of aHe shoots once, but misses narrowly, due to the blurring of his vision. WHEELER (ducking behind the chair) Lisa hears the shot and runs up to the door to check what is going on, and Louch turns and shoots her. She falls and Louch turns his attention back to Wheeler. LOUCH (Screaming) You Traitor! What is your family going to do when my medication comes off the market? WHEELER We were friends once, I know the company like the back of my hand. I gave 20 years of my life to working with you. You think I couldnt recreate the medicine myself? LOUCH (Using all his strength to point the gun at Wheeler) (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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8.

LOUCH (contd) Im not about to let that happen. There is a dramatic pause where Wheeler looks at Louch and Louch at Wheeler, then he pulls the trigger. It clicks and there is no more ammo in the gun. LOUCH (in shock, acknowledging his defeat) You know why I fired you? There is a short moment of silence LOUCH You were doing so well in your field. Too well. I grew concerned that you would try to take over the company one day and leave me behind. So I got rid of you. WHEELER And I got rid of you, Louch. LOUCH I never really trusted anyoHe falls down and is too weak to even finish his sentence. His eyes roll back and he lets out his final breath. Cut to a shot from the ground showing Louchs dead body and Wheeler standing by his chair in the background. Silence. Roll credits.