[Screenplay] Excerpts for Lily Among the Steel
Jul 01, 2022 — writing
Logline: Kaden finds a young lady named Lily capable of using the Light, a power that provides ethereal fulfillment to the man made world of technology. Kaden is determined to show the Light to all people - but Professor Landon and his associates will do all that they can to prevent earth shattering instability.
Background: All citizens have the Occulus Project, a technology surgically implanted in the eyes that connects to the brain. The contraption operates similar to how computers operate, except it is directly connected to the organic human body for convenience. Its appearance is denoted by small metal bolts and a light strip along the temples and a small holographic screen in front of the eyes when in use. The Occulus Project traditionally runs with the Operating System, Panels. Panels is powered up by gemrocks, jewels fed into a pod processor and fed to humans or renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
Kaden, the protagonist, illegally changed his Occulus Project’s Operating System to Luxin, created by an anonymous group who values the privacy of all humans.
Excerpt 1: Lily Among The Steel
EXT. SOLARVILLE TOWN
A night after escaping from a high security prison again,
Kaden, 21, awakes and turns on his Occulus Project, an eye
implant powered with energy that provides the user with a
computer interface. Kaden observes the map carefully.
KADEN
Looks like Solarville is the
closest town around. Ugh... do I
have to?
Kaden opens his flooded inbox of messages and sends a message
to Joan, his 28 year old cousin:
“Got out of jail last night. Mind if I crash by you?”
KADEN
Not like I don’t know the answer.
Kaden ventures towards Solarville. His Occulus Project beeps:
Joan: “Of course.” Kaden enters Joan's house. Joan takes a steel tube out of his chest.
JOAN
Hey, cousin!
KADEN
Hey. I’m starving.
Kaden opens up the cupboards and grabs a cup of noodles.
KADEN (CONT'D)
Starving enough that I regret
skipping the last meal the precinct
offered me: roasted roaches.
JOAN
Nasty. I’d skip that too, but I’m
running out of juice here.
Joan wiggles the tube, purple liquid falling to the ground.
KADEN
(sarcastic)
Never would’ve guessed.
JOAN
Then you know the question that’s
coming.
KADEN
(mouth full of noodles)
The usual?
JOAN
You know it. Amethyst Gemrock.
Don’t you need some, too? They
couldn’t have given any to you at
the precinct.
KADEN
My Operating System, Luxin, runs
exclusively on solar and wind
power. I don’t need to rely on
gemrocks.
JOAN
I don’t get why you go through such
lengths to use Luxin. You’re on the
wanted list until you get Panels.
Joan turns his head away as his Occulus Project glows red.
KADEN
And, as if on cue…
JOAN
The things I do for you... I just
wish you’d stop endangering
yourself.
Kaden scarfs down the rest of his noodles and throws the empty cup into Joan’s periphery.
JOAN
Hey –
Joan almost turns his head around, but fixates on the cup on
the ground.
JOAN
Whoops.
KADEN
(whispering)
Occassional monitoring. And that’s
why I use Luxin.
Kaden tiptoes towards the door. As Joan motions to the empty
noodle cup, the Occulus Project returns to its normal state.
Joan throws the cup at Kaden’s back and misses.
JOAN
It’s better than going to jail and
eating cockroaches.
KADEN
You already know what jail’s like.
Without looking back, Kaden steps out and shuts the door.
Excerpt 2: Lily Among The Steel
Context: Kaden found Lily, a disoriented girl with an incredible ethereal power called the “Light.” He takes her back to Joan’s house to rest.
1. INT. JOAN'S HOUSE
Kaden obtained the amethyst gemstones as per Joan’s request
and found a disoriented girl without an Occulus Project,
Lily, 17. Kaden brings Lily back to Joan’s house.
JOAN
Oh, thankfully you’re back! I was
so hungry –
Joan realizes the girl walking in.
JOAN (CONT'D)
I – uh – is she real?
KADEN
Just fill yourself up and go back
to your virtual world, alright? I
can’t be bothered with your stupid
problems that I’ve told you time
and time again to fix. And you
still haven’t done it.
Avoiding eye contact, Joan grabs the satchel of amethyst
gemstone and loads the pod with it. Joan plugs himself to the
pod, and the gemstone generates energy.
JOAN
Thanks.
Joan floats in midair and his muscles relax.
KADEN
Guess I’m not any better for
enabling it. If I’d stopped giving
him gemstones and rendered his
Occulus Project useless, he’d kill
himself.
Kaden grabs a cup of noodles.
KADEN (CONT'D)
Not everyone can live without an
Occulus Project.
LILY
That’s the nature of this world.
Not everyone can be saved…
KADEN
No. They can be saved.
(filling noodle cup with
water)
I will save them. I’ll save Joan,
I’ll save people like Joan, I’ll
save everyone.
LILY
How do we plan to do that?
Kaden turns to Lily, an eyebrow raised.
LILY
We?
KADEN
Yes. We.
KADEN
(beat)
So what happened to your home?
Lily glances at Joan.
LILY
My brother was seized by law
enforcement.
KADEN
For what?
LILY
He helped design Luxin.
KADEN
What? He was one of the designers?
LILY
Yes. Linus was incarcerated, and we lost our home.
KADEN
Linus... Wait. I know Linus. I’ve seen him at free hour.
LILY
So he was in your precinct.
KADEN
Yes.
LILY
Kaden, may I request your
assistance again?
KADEN
Sure.
LILY
I need to break Linus out of
prison.
KADEN
Consider it done.
(eyeing noodles)
I made that for you. With my own two hands.
LILY
I’m sorry – Thank you. I’m not used to eating this.
Lily eats the food. Kaden studies her.
LILY
It’s great. For noodles.
KADEN
I picked you off the street and that’s the thanks I get?
LILY
I’ll cook for you sometime.
KADEN
(beat)
I’m ready when you are.