FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT.

Clothes are strewn all over the bedroom floor. The covers on the bed are rumpled and band posters decorate the walls: a typical teenager's bedroom.

Amidst this adolescent chaos is KATIE, approx 16. She is sitting on the bed, peering around herself uncertainly.

From elsewhere in the house: A DOOR SLAMMING.

        VOICE #1

    Where the hell do you think you're --

        VOICE #2

    Don't tell me what to do, okay?

Katie frowns, more confused than ever.

        VOICE #1

    Young lady --

        VOICE #2

    Just stop with that crap!

Angry FOOTSTEPS stomp their way up the stairs. Katie closes her eyes.

The bedroom door BURSTS open.

Startling, Katie opens her eyes again just as JANET, 16, storms over to the bed and flops down onto it with an exaggerated SIGH. She does not acknowledge Katie at all.

A beat.

Suddenly, Janet snatches up a pillow and hurls it across the room.

It passes right through Katie on its way across.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT.

A LIGHT flicks on.

NICOLE, late forties, makes her way across the room slowly, as though in a daze. Her rumpled hair and air of exhaustion suggests that she has already made an attempt to get some sleep tonight and has failed.

She settles into a worn armchair and stares fixedly at something on the mantelpiece: a framed photograph. We cannot see who is in it.

        NICOLE

    (addressing the photograph)

    Hello again, Katie. I can't sleep, as you can see. How are things?

FADE TO BLACK.

END.

Co-written with fallingalice and AeB

Based upon the short story by fallingalice, AeB and Emma Conner.

FADE IN:

INT. FACTORY - NIGHT.

The BEAM of a FLASH LIGHT plays over several huge plastic containers.

VOICE #1

Looks like the right ones.

VOICE #2

We better be sure.

The person holding the flash light steps back, allowing the other to come forward. All we can see of him is his silhouette as he bends down, crowbar in hand.

C/U of the lid of one of the containers being pried open.

Inside are...women. Naked women packed together like sardines.

The latest cyborgs.

VOICE #2

They're...perfect.

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT.

The women/cyborgs from the container are huddled together in a circle.

Standing off to the side is THE DELIVERY MAN a.k.a. VOICE #2, and THE MATCHMAKER. They are CONVERSING in a LOW MURMUR while the women look on.

We focus upon one of them: VALENTINA.

The men finish their conversation.

The Matchmaker steps toward the women. They shrink back. What else can they do? There are no viable escape routes in sight.

THE MATCHMAKER

(kindly)

It's okay.

The women are not pacified.

The Matchmaker reaches out to touch the nearest, caressing her cheek before turning her head from side to side in order to examine her.

THE MATCHMAKER

Stunning.

(to Delivery Man)

Just like you said.

Valentina scowls, but some of the others appear to be relaxing a bit. The Matchmaker pats her cheek.

THE MATCHMAKER

There, there.  It’s alright.  I’m a Matchmaker. I’ve brought you all here so that I can find you your perfect mates.

VALENTINA

Why us?

THE MATCHMAKER

(smiling)

Because you're all beautiful, of course.

Valentina sees his response for the bullshit that it is.

THE MATCHMAKER

Just one little thing we need to get out of the way first...

C/U of The Matchmaker chiseling a tiny microchip out from under the skin of one of the women.

Pull back as he hands the microchip to the Delivery Man.

THE MATCHMAKER

There. Much better. What's your name, honey?

JOSIE

Josie.

THE MATCHMAKER

(insincere)

That's nice.

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT.

The Delivery Man tips a box full of microchips into a furnace of some kind and SLAMS the door shut.

EXT. HOUSE/BROTHEL - RED DISTRICT - NIGHT.

A VAN pulls up outside.

The Delivery Man gets out, walks to the side door and SLIDES it open.

Crouched inside are the women.

DELIVERY MAN

Out.

They do as ordered.

Valentina lags at the back, gazing up at the austere but somehow menacing house fearfully.

Josie notices, puts a reassuring hand on her arm.

JOSIE

It's gonna be okay.

VALENTINA

(dubious)

You really think so?

JOSIE

Sure! You heard what that guy, The Matchmaker, said - he's gonna find us our perfect mate!

VALENTINA

I don't think --

JOSIE

I hope mine is dark and handsome. Maybe we'll travel the world together.

EXT. STREET - RED DISTRICT - DAY.

Josie's head and hands lay discarded within an overflowing dumpster. Her upper torso rests nearby on the garbage-strewn concrete.

INT. HALLWAY - HOUSE/BROTHEL - NIGHT.

The door to one of the bedrooms opens and a MAN steps out. We catch sight of Valentina slumped on the bed inside before the door SNAPS shut.

INT. BEDROOM.

Valentina gazes listlessly up at the cracked bedroom ceiling, apathetic to the intense pain pulsating from her body.  It doesn’t matter anymore.

The bedroom door CREAKS open and someone new steps inside.

VALENTINA

(whisper)

Is this hell?

WOMAN'S VOICE

It may feel like hell, but no.

The Woman’s voice brings Valentina round. With much effort, she turns her head.

The voice belongs to a much older cyborg, one who is less convincingly humanoid than Valentina. Various fetish apparatus have been drilled into her body, protruding and dangling at various intervals.

VALENTINA

I wish...I wish I were d-dead. That would be better...better than this.

The Woman comes closer, causing the various apparatus attached to her to JIGGLE weirdly.

THE WOMAN

Listen.

VALENTINA

(listless)

What?

THE WOMAN

There's nothing wrong with you. Nothing. You are not less than any other, least of all them. You are lovely, unspoiled. Their fucked up behaviour will never change that, no matter how hard they try.

She reaches down, causing her apparatus to JIGGLE in that peculiar way again.

THE WOMAN (CONT'd)

And they will fucking try. Even though they have no right.

She lays a hand to Valentina's forehead, lightly so as not to startle her.

THE WOMAN

Just keep waking up as the same beautiful girl you always were and they can't fucking touch you!

EXT. HOUSE/BROTHEL - RED DISTRICT - NIGHT.

The brothel is on fire.

Gathered outside to watch are the women/cyborgs who were forced to work there.

Standing in the middle of the group is Valentina. The way the others surround her suggests that they see her as their leader.

The Woman stands beside her.

VALENTINA

(loudly)

This is just the beginning!

The others CHEER.

FADE TO BLACK.

END.

Some writers wish to be read,

others to be heard.