INT. MOTHERSHIP, COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - DAY
Lord Prefect stands up to defend himself
LORD PREFECT: It’s not against the law.
COUNCIL LEADER: And who sets the law?
LORD PREFECT: No leader has ever made it against the law.
COUNCIL LEADER: It is against the moral code. This is only the beginning.
Lord Prefect turns to Dieter.
LORD PREFECT: Don’t just sit there.
Another video runs
INT. UPPERWORLD BEDROOM OF SMALL APARTMENT (20 YEARS EARLIER) - DAY
A six year old Barbella is in the kitchen.
BARBELLA (SIX YEARS OLD): Mommy
Barbella doesn’t get a response
Mommy
Barbella runs into her mothers bedroom. Her mother is in bed. She is weak, groggy and unhappy.
BARBELLA’S MOTHER: You’ll have a happier life Barbella. You’ll see. A better one.
BARBELLA (SIX YEARS OLD): Get better mommy please. Please get better.
BARBELLA’S MOTHER: Your Uncle is a good man. He’ll look after you.
BARBELLA (SIX YEARS OLD) I want you. I want you.
Barbella’s mother closes her eyes and drifts away.
Barbella runs out of the bedroom
BARBELLA (SIX YEARS OLD): Help. Help.
INT. MOTHERSHIP, COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - DAY
LORD PREFECT: I’m not responsible for that. How can I be responsible for that?
COUNCIL LEADER: You’re not responsible for anything, it seems.
INT. UPPERWORLD, LORD PREFECT'S BUILDING, CONTROL TOWER - DAY
Lord Prefect is in his control tower conferring with Calridian when a spy enters the control tower.
RECHHARDT: Sir, you asked me to find out about an underworld inhabitant by the name of Zero.
LORD PREFECT: Yes?
RECHHARDT: He’s been trying to raise the spirits of the underworld, telling them not to be afraid
LORD PREFECT: Not to be afraid? How dare he? Is he plotting a rebellion?
RECHHARDT: Not yet sir.
LORD PREFECT: I want you to drive a stake through his heart and pin him up in the main square so that everyone can see. Then we will see who is afraid.
RECHHARDT: Yes sir.
Rechardt leaves: Lord Prefect addresses Calridian
LORD PREFECT: Fear is our most powerful resource Calridian. If our subjects don’t fear us, there is no telling what they will do.
CALRIDIAN: Yes sir.
LORD PREFECT: Soon the dream machine will be ready and I will be in perfect control. They will be afraid of their dreams. They will bow to me.
INT. MOTHERSHIP, COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - DAY
COUNCIL LEADER: And how do you explain that, Lord Prefect?
LORD PREFECT: As leader I am meant to keep law and order.
COUNCIL LEADER: At the cost of many, many lives
LORD PREFECT: The dream machine saved lives. It made people feel fear without the use of violence.
INT. UPPERWORLD, LORD PREFECT'S BUILDING, CONTROL TOWER
At a meeting of party members twelve men sit at a round table
AGRICULTURE PARTY MEMBER: Sir, the harvest has been poor this year. We project many food shortages.
LORD PREFECT: We have a hierarchy, you should know that. Lord Prefect and his subjects come first.
AGRICULTURE PARTY MEMBER: But those in the underworld might have to go without food.
LORD PREFECT: If they have no food, feed them the scraps. They are in the underworld for a reason.
INT. MOTHERSHIP, COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - DAY
LORD PREFECT: A leader has to make important decisions.
COUNCIL LEADER: But it was you and your predecessors, whose greed used up the majority of the planets resources, leading to famine. 98% of the planet’s population was wiped out. Was this not your fault?
LORD PREFECT: It was the decisions of my predecessors, not me.
COUNCIL LEADER: You changed nothing
LORD PREFECT: I had to gain power. In order to do that I had to win votes. The people of the upperworld are only concerned with the issues that relate to them and not to the people beneath them.
COUNCIL LEADER: A good leader knows the difference between right and wrong. Do you accept that you were wrong?
LORD PREFECT: No.
COUNCIL LEADER: Now is the time for your defence. Do you have any witnesses?
Dieter stands up.
DIETER: We’re working on it your honour.
COUNCIL LEADER: If you don’t have any witnesses by morning, I will be forced to close the case.
INT. MOTHERSHIP, LARGE HOLDING CELL - DAY
Gustav is standing in a holding cell, when he is approached by a fellow prisoner
ARHARDT: You know him, don’t you?
Arhardt probes Gustav.
GUSTAV: Who?
ARHARDT: The man defending Lord Prefect
GUSTAV: Dieter is a good man
ARHARDT: What kind of man, defends a monster. Why I ought to string you up.
GUSTAV: String me up and you will be no better than lord prefect.
In the corner sits Lothar
LOTHAR: You know nothing of what my family went through at the hands of that monster. My mother died, because she fed us before she fed herself. It was all because of Lord Prefect.
KENDRA: My mother always talked about the Great Purge. Innocent people, rounded up and made an example of. I say he deserves to burn.
GUSTAV: No matter what you have to endure, if you dwell on it, it will blight your happiness.
ARHARDT: What are you? Some kind of preacher? As easy as that? Is it?
GUSTAV: No. It’s something my grandfather said.
LOTHAR: At least you had a grandfather.
ARHARDT: Would you defend him?
GUSTAV: What do you mean?
ARHARDT: Would you defend a tyrant?
GUSTAV: Dieter must have his reasons.
LOTHAR: No reason is good enough.
INT. MOTHERSHIP INTERROGATION ROOM - EVENING
LORD PREFECT: What do you mean, you have no witnesses?
DIETER: All of your former staff are likely to weaken your case, not strengthen it.
LORD PREFECT: What about Calridian?
DIETER: I interviewed him. You made him work long hours and insisted on getting him to do some of your dirty work.
LORD PREFECT: Does nobody have any loyalty nowadays?
He pauses
LORD PREFECT: You are the worst lawyer I’ve ever come across. I ought to hang you from the highest height?
DIETER: And just who are you going to get to do your dirty work?
LORD PREFECT: Don’t be smart with me boy.
DIETER: You are backed into a corner and now you have to fight fair.
LORD PREFECT: I’ve been fairer than most. All leaders have to make decisions that have consequences good and bad.
DIETER: From now on, we have to try to highlight the good stuff. There must be some good stuff. Can you at least name some of the good things you’ve done?
LORD PREFECT: There are too many
DIETER: Like what?
LORD PREFECT: The people of the upperworld lived a life of luxury thanks to me.
DIETER: Can you name anything that didn’t come from taxpayrers funds or the sweat and tears of the underworld?
LORD PREFECT: My first wife. Our relationship lasted six years. They were good times.
DIETER: And what happened?
LORD PREFECT: She left me because I put politics first.
DIETER: What about your family? Your parents? Your siblings?
LORD PREFECT: It’s best not to go there. And the witnesses? What are you doing about witnesses? We don’t have much time.
DIETER: We just need to look at it from a new angle.
LORD PREFECT: What new angle?
INT. MOTHERSHIP, ROOM WITH TWO WAY MIRROR - DAY
The alien supreme leader is looking through a two way mirror. She observes Barbella, seated at a table, through the two way mirror.
Doctor Sedaphis approaches the Alien Supreme Leader.
DOCTOR SEDAPHIS: Supreme Leader, I must object to your orders. The more of these tablets we give the prisoner, the more fragile she will become.
ALIEN SUPREME LEADER: Increase the dosage
DOCTOR SEDAPHIS: Why? Why would you do this?
ALIEN SUPREME LEADER: She killed one of our men. I don’t have to answer to you. Do as I say.
INT. MOTHERSHIP, HALL OF THE HIERARCHY - EVENING
The Alien Supreme Leader enters a large hall. In front of her is a large table behind which are three alien males and two alien females dressed in red.
The alien leader stands twenty feet from them.
LEADER OF THE HIERARCHY: Supreme Leader, we have received two complaints.
ALIEN SUPREME LEADER: Who from?
LEADER OF THE HIERARCHY: You know that it has to be strictly confidential. We are concerned with the prisoners you have taken from the planet Enron.
ALIEN SUPREME LEADER: I have no such concerns.
LEADER OF THE HIERARCHY: You have to understand that we have always regarded ourselves as upholders of interplanetary law. We have to be seen to uphold the same values that we impose on others
ALIEN SUPREME LEADER: I am well aware of my responsibilities.
LEADER OF THE HIERARCHY: We will investigate these accusations. You may continue in your role for now. That will be all.
EXT. UNDERWORLD, NEAR GUSTAV’S FAMILY HOME - DAY
Ariadne walks to Gustav’s home. Gustav’s Father is returning to the house after his shift.
ARIADNE: Is Gustav here?
GUSTAV’S FATHER: He’s disappeared. My wife is worried sick. You’ve been putting notions in his head. Haven’t you?
ARIADNE: What notions?
GUSTAV’S FATHER: He’s no longer fearful. You did this to him?
ARIADNE: But he is fearful. He told me so.
GUSTAV’S FATHER: Where is he then?
Ariadne realises that Gustav is most likely gone to help Tayo but she is afraid to say.
The images preventing those of the underworld from seeing the forbidden zone and the bottom of the upperworld are taken away. They can also see the mothership
Many of the fearful gasp as they witness it
GUSTAV’S FATHER: See what you did. Nothing will ever be the same.
INT. MOTHERSHIP PRISON CELLS - DAY
An alien guard is playing with his gun near the prison cell. Gustav takes an interest in it.
GUSTAV: Can I ask you a question?
ASPA: I don’t talk to prisoners.
GUSTAV: What can that thing do?
ASPA: Maybe I should try it out on you? Freeze you? Transport you? This can do about a hundred things that a human weapon cannot do.
ARHARDT: Oh great. Now he’s talking to aliens. Am I the only real man around here? The only one who doesn’t suck up to aliens?
KENDRA: Go blow your own trumpet Blowhard.
ARHARDT: It’s Arhardt.
KENDRA: Thats what I said.
GUSTAV: What do you guys do when you are not working.
ASPA: We have recreation. Sleep. But our entertainment is superior to humans. Our females are prettier.
ARHARDT: Not from where I’m standing.
KENDRA: Yeah. It’s our males that need a little work.