Fader (Act I) by Rye-n - HTML preview

FADER
(Act I) by RYE-N FADER (ACT I) by RYE-N
Copyright © 2009 by RYAN RIVERS http://www.rye-n.com

All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the author and its copyright holder[s].

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents, featured in this publication either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, or institutions, is purely coincidental.
Let me get you up to speed. It’s 2045 and we’ve come a long way. The unexpected Gamma Burst of Alpha Centauri turned our world upside down——figuratively of course. There was just one problem: we lived. It’s been everyone’s understanding that in the event of a Gamma Burst, the extent of the radiation produced from said burst would be enough to decimate Earth and all its living species.

And yet, we’re still here.

The electromagnetic radiation emitted from the Gamma Burst appeared to have somewhat of an unlocking effect in regards to those susceptible. Thus awakening inner affinities that seemed to lie dormant, somehow waiting to be triggered. Long story short, many were endowed with special abilities.

Equally impressive, animals of various species——just like humans——are well equipped with special abilities as well. It should also be noted that the animals susceptible to the benefits of the Gamma Burst have an unusual added benefit: with each new consecutive reproduction, the animals——depending on their original size——tend to double, triple, and in some cases, quadruple, in size. And it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.

But don’t get me wrong, the transition didn’t just go smoothly. The world was inundated with people and animals with special powers. The animals had to be tamed in such a way so that they didn’t become a threat to the general public, and if they couldn’t, well, they were exterminated. Humans were a different beast in of itself. After the Gamma Burst, within a matter of seconds, people started discovering their special abilities.

And that’s where it all fell apart.

Now, the random guy walking down the street could have the power to wreak havoc on an entire city block. The kid holding his mom’s hand could effectively take out an entire country with his power to control the weather.

Unaware of the onset of these new found abilities and more importantly, how to control them, havoc ensued throughout the world. In every continent, every country, every state and city. Boundaries were crossed; treaties and laws were ignored; and inevitably World War III commenced.

If all of this doesn’t seem bad enough, this also ignited the international robot arms race. If you were to ask my personal opinion, it was more like the robot arms blitz. It happened so fast it was quickly thrown into the conflict. Its main purpose was to protect those without special powers from those that do——essentially level the playing field.

But just like those with powers used them for good or for bad, same went for those with robot allies. Something had to be done to end this bloodbath. And it was only when the world had lost more than two billion lives that its leaders realized enough was enough. Negotiations were held; treaties and laws were put in place to accommodate the new structure of what the world’s nations were capable of. After five years of around the clock destruction and bloodshed, World War III crawled to a halt.

Despite this, tolerance for those with special powers and those with robot allies walked a thin line. Separation was the only logical decision the Global Defense Council was able to institute. Each "faction" was segregated into its own academy. The five factions and academies are as follows:

Evoker Academy / Sealer Academy / Infuser Academy / MechEng Academy / Artificer Academy

Dr. Saturn, along with Saturn Robotics—the foremost distributor of the world's robotic needs—has initiated a plan to build The Saturn Academy, the first academy to pull 25 cadets from all 5 factions. Coincidentally, on their first day, these five teams of five will be tasked with defending the world.
FADER (Act I)
a Screenplay-Novel by Rye-n

It’s the most serene environment: A few million miles away from Earth with no indication of his surroundings; just tunnel vision of our very own planet.

So, what was so disturbing that caused TK to frequently wake in a cold and clammy panic? Earth, our one and only habitable planet is encased with water; filled to the brink of our stratosphere.

Earth... is nothing more than a watery tomb.

 

INT. HIGH-RISE, EVOKER ACADEMY - MORNING

 

TK

 

(clenched teeth) GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD.

MILES (half asleep) Hey... you alright?

Miles Da Costa
Origin: São Paulo, Brazil Class: Evoker
Affinity: Air
Armed: Carbon Bow
TK

Yeah. Bad dream. (beat)
It’s nothing.

ENZO
(half asleep)
Liar. Your heart is beating so hard it’s about to rip out of your chest.

TK (sighing) It’s nothing.

 

ENZO (smirking) Liar.

 

RAIDEN KAIRO SHUT UP! SHUT UP!

 

Raiden and Kairo simultaneously launch their pillows toward TK and Enzo’s vicinity.

Raiden Nakamura
Origin: Tokyo, Japan Class: Evoker
Affinity: Lightning Armed: Katana

Kairo Ilaoa
Origin: Pago Pago, American Samoa Class: Evoker
Affinity: Fire
Armed: Samoan Fire Knives

TK reclines back. The pillow misses its intended target. The pillow makes a beeline towards the glass of water located on his bedside table. The glass topples over and begins to spill. He extends his right arm. A deep aquamarine aura illuminates from his hand. He suspends the contents of the glass. With his left hand, he repositions the glass back in its upright position and slowly guides the water back with his aura induced hand.

TK Vera
Origin: Manila, Philippines
Class: Evoker
Affinity: Water
Armed: GES (Graphite Eskrima Sticks)

KAIRO

 

Argh. I can’t go back to sleep.

 

MILES

 

You could sleep through an earthquake.

 

ENZO

 

Did someone say earthquake?!

 

TK/MILES RAIDEN/KAIRO NO!_NO!

Enzo Okuma Origin: Lagos, Nigeria Class: Evoker
Affinity: Earth
Armed: Titanium Bo Staff

Three beds separated by bedside tables line the north wall. They contain: Raiden, Enzo, and Kairo, respectively. Opposite the foot of their beds lining the south-side wall is TK and Miles’ bed.

The five are sprawled across their beds; silent. Awake. Enzo dons his blackout sunglasses and grabs his titanium bo staff. Starts spinning and tossing it. Catches it. Repeats.

TK
I can’t believe this is the last time we’ll be waking up in this room.

RAIDEN
I can’t believe this is our last day and also our first.

(beat)

 

I feel so cheated.

It’s the last day of school for all five corresponding academies. A new initiative is being lead to form the new Saturn Academy. 25 students from various backgrounds and academies organized into core groups of specialized cells.

TK, Miles, Enzo, Kairo, and Raiden, are 5 of 25. RAIDEN
On the other hand, I guess we should feel lucky that all five of us were chosen.

Raiden tosses in his bed.

RAIDEN
Plus, it might actually be fun mixing it up with the other classes.

Miles stares at the ceiling. Hands folded behind his head.

 

MILES

 

I heard three other Evokers were picked.

 

TK

 

(tilts head towards Miles) Who?

 

MILES

 

Umm...

 

(beat)

 

Haze, Edison, Onyx...

 

TK

 

Well there goes my theory.

 

MILES

 

...I think. What theory?

TK
I figured this whole new initiative is a testbed to mix and match teams of five, each having someone from each academy: an Artificer, an Infuser, a Sealer, a Mechanical Engineer, and an Evoker.

(beat)

 

Five teams of five equaling twenty-five.

 

Miles and the group take in TK’s theory.

 

MILES

 

I guess we’ll know soon enough.

 

TK pushes away the bedding that engulfed his entire body.

 

TK

 

We should get up now anyway.

Enzo twirls his titanium bo staff one last time. Catches it. Tosses it on his bed as he walks towards their flat panel television. He guides his left hand along the top of the panel waiting for the very familiar indentation. There it is: The power button. Presses it. Walks towards the bathroom.

The display beams to life. The J²N² (Jackson Jordan News Network) begins its commencement coverage of the new Saturn Academy.
EXT. ROOFTOP, MID-RISE - CONTINUOUS

Two reporters on location. One male, the other female.

JACKSON
Today marks a very special day. It will undoubtedly be a memorable day in history, would you agree?

JORDAN

 

(looks at co-host)

 

Definitely.

(shifts her gaze to the
camera)
Never before has a project of this caliber taken place since the five academies inception.

JACKSON

 

All I can say is this: It’s about time!

JORDAN
Evidently... we’re not the only ones who agree.

The two reporters point over their shoulders. The cameraman walks towards the edge of the building. Peers over. Perched atop a mid-rise building, he pans the streets leading up towards the newly constructed facilities.
INT. HIGH-RISE, EVOKER ACADEMY - CONTINUOUS

RAIDEN (eyes wide) That’s insane!

 

ENZO (O.S.) What? What’s happening?

Their interests are now peaking. The four remaining boys are now sitting upright at the foot of their beds; eyes locked on the display. Enzo is in the bathroom, brushing his teeth.

RAIDEN
They’re showing footage of the streets leading up to our new school; there’s hundreds, thousands! of people lining the streets.

MILES RAIDEN ^{How is this a big deal?} We’re going to be famous!

 

TK glances at Raiden from the corner of his eye. Notices his excitement.

 

TK (to Raiden) Easy tiger.

 

The news coverage shows aerial shots of the campus. KAIRO

 

(agape)

No. Way.
(beat)
Check out our new stomping grounds.

RAIDEN That’s huge.

 

ENZO

 

(mouth filled with toothpaste foam)

 

How huge?

 

Eyes firmly locked on the display, TK responds.

TK
Remember how a good quarter of the northern part of the island was sectioned off all this time?...

INT. BATHROOM

 

Enzo pauses brushing.

 

ENZO

 

You’re kidding. That whole area?

 

INT. DORM ROOM

 

TK Yeah.

 

Seems odd don’t you think?

 

KAIRO Why, what’s up?

MILES
I don’t know. Just the fact that there’s what... hundreds? of us here at the Evoker Academy...

Stills of various parts of the new academy appear on the screen.

MILES
Nevermind mentioning the other four academies and how much they contain.

TK
Yeah, you could totally fit all five academies within Saturn’s boundaries and still have room to spare.

KAIRO

 

We get a little breathing room, so what?

 

TK eyes Kairo. Kairo catches the glare.

KAIRO
Okay, A LOT of breathing room. 25 people don’t need that much breathing room, that’s what.

EXT. ROOFTOP, MID-RISE - CONTINUOUS

JORDAN (O.S.)
(to the cameraman)
Feed off the crowd response. Pan the streets more.

INT. DORM ROOM

 

MILES

 

(watching the news) Isn’t that...

Miles stands up. Walks towards the electronic panel located off to the side of the dorm’s blackout curtains. Presses “open” on the touch screen. The curtains begin receding from its center. The radiant sun penetrates the dorm’s darkness.

MILES ...Wow.

Everyone approaches the east wall; entirely made up of a single sheet of reinforced glass. A large portion of the city is visible from their high-rise dormitory. Just below them is the very same scene they witnessed on the television.
The reporting duo and cameraman are clearly visible from their vantage point. Thousands of people line the street in what seems to be an impromptu make-shift parade for the grand opening of the new academy. A furious repetitious beep blares from the intercom, startling the five’s train of thought. They know that beep from anywhere.

A FAMILIAR VOICE (MALE)
Lobby in fifteen minutes boys. Get dressed and bring only your weapons.

(beat)

 

...oh and good luck.

 

The room falls silent. The look of independent thoughts grace their face as they continue to take in the view.

 

Fifteen minutes.

All the information begins to process. TK inches his way towards the bathroom; pulling away from the pack. Kairo catches him from the corner of his eye.

KAIRO Oh no you don’t!

 

TK sprints towards the bathroom.

TK I CALL BATHROOM! Everyone makes a mad dash for the bathroom entrance. Unable to get through the doorway, the five vie to squeeze through.

TK

 

Standard shotgun rules:

(laughing)
I’m in sight of the bathroom when I call it.

A sudden rush of air from behind shoots all five through the threshold. They collapse on the bathroom floor.

 

RAIDEN

 

Miles, you always do that.

MILES
You’d think after twenty years we’d have this down to a science.

TK
Okay. This time, I’m really calling the shower.

The dormitory teems with life. They’re getting ready in various ways all at the same time.

ENZO
So, just get dressed and bring our weapons, nothing else?

RAIDEN

 

I guess.

 

(looks left and right)

 

Has anyone seen my katana anywhere?

 

Kairo points to the wall behind Raiden.

 

KAIRO

 

You mean your towel rack?

 

RAIDEN Oh yeah.

Raiden rips the towel away revealing a glistening blade. It’s firmly lodged into the wall. He grabs the hilt with both hands. Steadies his right foot below the blade. Pulls. Releases it.

RAIDEN Okay. I’m ready.

Raiden pushes a small button located under his grip. The retractable casing shoots through the blade’s sharpened portion all the way to the tip. The entire back edge is left exposed.

Miles pulls both the upper and lower limbs of his carbon bow towards its center. Snaps it in place. Now compact, he slides it on the front side of his rectangular aluminum haversack. Turns it over. Attaches a shoulder holster on its backside.
ENZO

Anyone have grip tape?

 

KAIRO Think fast.

With his back facing Enzo, Kairo tosses the grip tape without a glance. Enzo drops the edge of his staff on the floor. Catches the grip tape in midair.

ENZO Thanks.

 

KAIRO

 

I’m set. I just gotta...

 

Kairo guides his samoan fire knives over his shoulder holster and attaches them to their weapon slots.

 

KAIRO ...There.

 

MILES Same.

Miles grabs the strap of his haversack and throws it over his right shoulder. Catches it. Inserts his left arm though the strap. Enzo wraps the edges of his bo staff with grip tape. He rips the excess tape with his teeth.

ENZO Good to go.
Raiden is lying back on his bed. His feet still firmly placed on the floor.

RAIDEN TK hurry up.

 

TK runs out of the bathroom; dressed and geared. Toothbrush hanging out the side of his foaming mouth.

 

TK

 

Aww you guys are ready already?

 

ENZO Need grip tape?

 

Enzo twists the roll of grip tape with his fingertips.

 

TK Nah, I’m okay.

RAIDEN
Your grip is practically falling apart. It’s barely hanging on.

TK

 

(shrugs)

 

It’s okay, I kinda like it like that.

 

TK retreats back into the bathroom.

KAIRO
You won’t be saying that when it slips out of your wet hands.

TK Yeah yeah.

TK spits out the toothpaste-induced foam from his mouth. Wipes the remnants away. He studies his reflection in the mirror. Shifting from left to right, he analyzes the grip on his dual graphite eskrima sticks.

TK

 

(whispers)

 

Seems fine to me.

 

TK hits the lights.

 

TK Alright.

 

(beat)

 

I’m ready.

 

Everyone rises to their feet.

 

RAIDEN About time.

 

KAIRO Yeah brah.

 

TK

 

Oh, wait. I gotta fix my hair!

 

MILES It’s fine.

 

KAIRO Yeah, let’s go.

 

RAIDEN Seriously.

TK
No way. You guys barely even have hair and Raiden over there has his whole “sloppy” look.

RAIDEN I resent that.

 

Raiden folds his arms into his chest.

 

RAIDEN

 

I call it: controlled chaos.

 

TK (smiles)

Okay.
(beat)
I’ll be fast.

MILES (interjects) I’m faster.

Miles locks eyes with TK. His index and middle fingers protruding upwards with the remaining centered towards his palm. He steadies his hand as it begins to emit a faint grey aura.
With his right hand, he clutches his left wrist. A quick swift, traces of his aura emissions leave behind a very familiar symbol.

MILES

 

(whispering)

 

Air Tech: Razor’s Edge

A sequence of boomerang shaped condensed air reaches TK within a second. TK knows enough from past experiences to obey the two rules when Miles performs “Razor’s Edge.”

Rule number one: Never attempt to dodge it.

 

Rule number two: Don’t break rule number one.

Blasts of air race towards TK’s temples. The air is so fast and sharp it razors its way with precision to the back of his head. It fades off, leaving the length of the back intact. The air boomerangs back to the area it just cut, this time zigzagging in multiple directions.

MILES

 

Hmm, it needs something.

 

Miles studies his latest creation.

 

MILES I got it.

Miles extends his left hand, palm side up, and begins to elevate it at a slow pace. The air within its radius starts to rise, mimicking the speed of his hand. The air is now raising TK’s hair, drying and molding it at the same time. Miles snaps his fingers. The air recedes.

MILES There, done.

TK runs to the bathroom mirror and observes a very familiar look. Sides are close shaven with precision etched zigzagging line graphics. The top, perfectly styled in a mohawk-like fashion.

TK
You get better and better at this every time, Miles.

MILES I know.

 

TK

 

Alright let’s go.

 

RAIDEN Finally.

Everyone proceeds towards their dormitory’s exit in a single file line. The elevators are set up in such a way that they are the direct entrance and exit of each dorm room. They board the elevator and turn to face their room. TK realizes this would probably be the last time he or any of them saw it. He pauses before hitting the lobby button. One final glance.
INT. ELEVATOR, EVOKER ACADEMY

KAIRO

 

(jokingly)

 

A little sentimental, are we?

 

TK smiles. Taps the lobby button. The reflective door swiftly slides shut and begins its descent.

 

ENZO (to Raiden) Nervous, much?

 

RAIDEN

 

Nervous? I’m not nervous.

TK glances up to view the reflection off the elevator door. He is front and center. Raiden and Enzo flanking his left and right respectively. Kairo is located behind Raiden’s left side. Miles is behind Enzo’s right. They form an upside down V.

TK

 

(to Raiden)

You must be nervous.
(looks down at Raiden’s hands in the reflection)

Your hands——

 

RAIDEN What?!

 

Your hands, they’re trembling.

 

Raiden looks down as he brings his hands up from his sides. He notices a slight quiver.

 

KAIRO

 

(to Raiden)

 

This time, just keep the lighting——

 

Before Kairo could finish his sentence, electric currents start racing up and down Raiden’s arms.

KAIRO
...in check.
(beat)

Brah you better not fry the building’s power or else we’ll be stuck in here like that one time.

RAIDEN

 

(narrows eyes)

Once. That happened once.
(beat)
When we were like 5 might I add.

Raiden folds his arms into his chest. The electric currents subsides.

 

KAIRO

 

Take it easy, I’m just messin’ with ya. (to Raiden)

 

Why are you on edge all of a sudden?

 

ENZO

 

(to TK)

 

Same reason why you should be.

 

TK Huh?

 

ENZO First.

 

TK (suspicious) First wha——

 

Enzo shoots a quick jab into TK’s rib cage.

 

ENZO

 

First birthday hit of the day!

 

KAIRO HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

RAIDEN Yeah bro!

 

MILES

 

Now is as good a time as any right?

 

KAIRO You know it!

 

RAIDEN DOG PILE!

 

Everyone jumps TK from behind and proceed to get their birthday hits.

 

TK

 

Oh god, guys, no!