------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Dirty Pair (and Company) in R E U N I O N S by Larry Mann and Ryan Mathews ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I see your face everytime I dream On every page, every magazine So wild and free, so far from me You're all I want, my fantasy - Def Leppard: "Photograph" ------------------- S T A G E F I V E ------------------- > A.D. 214303.21; 11:09:20 > Planet Bydon, City of Ekana, Anavel Municipal Hospital [Scene: The taskforce huddles around an unconscious Darryn, Rumiko sitting in a chair and holding his hand, while a doctor gives a report.] DOCTOR It was one of the nastiest wetware viruses I've ever seen. I was actually loathe to save a copy of the thing. I mean, if one of my staff got infected, God only knows what could happen. Of course, we'll have to study it... RUMIKO Is Darryn going to be alright? DOCTOR Hmm? Oh. Oh, yes, he'll be fine. We wiped his wetware and reloaded it from his most recent 3WA profile. Of course, that means he's lost whatever modifications have been made since then, but it can't be helped. Once we've cleared the data, he can have a reload if he wants. RUMIKO What about his body? DOCTOR I told you, he'll be fine. He just needs to rest for a few hours. He'll come around. Now if you'll excuse me, I have rounds to make. [The doctor leaves.] KEI Well, this sucks. I was really hoping he could help us. YURI What do we do? We're back at square one. DAPHNE Not really. I mean, Shasti's gotta have what she wants by now, right? And she must have some kind of timetable. KEI So we should wait for her to try to leave the planet? NENE What if her buyer is on the planet? DAPHNE I don't think that's very likely. But even so, they'll have to leave eventually. YURI Y'know, something just occurred to me. Now that they have the gravity-well compensator, they can warp from the surface, right past the blockade! DAPHNE Wow, good point! We'd better get the word to the security forces to forbid all warp-engine powerups. RUMIKO Yeah, but if I remember what I read about the GWC, it needs a lot of power. They couldn't do it with a shuttle. DAPHNE Still, it gives us somewhere to start. I say Nene and I should do an air sweep with the _Lonely_Heart_. [Outside, a mother walks by with a complaining young boy on crutches.] BOY But, Moooooommm! MOTHER I said no! The doctor told you to stay off that ankle for six hours. If I take you there, you'll start pestering me to let you go on rides! BOY No, I won't! I promise! MOTHER The carnival will still be there next weekend. Now, we're going home! [Andrew watches the two leave, then turns to the others.] ANDREW I've got a crazy hunch. I'd appreciate some help in checking it out. ------ > 11:24:00 > Shrine-Vargas Carnival, Ekana Regional Park [Shasti and Paul walk down the midway. Paul looks nervous, but Shasti is eating an ice-cream cone and enjoying herself.] PAUL We shouldn't be here. SHASTI Paul, will you lighten up? I told you, act nonchalant. How long 'til pickup? [Paul checks his watch.] PAUL Thirty-six minutes. For Christ's sake, Shasti, the entire fucking *planet* is after us!! Do you really think it's wise to be out in the open like this? SHASTI [mouth full of ice-cream] Of course. It's the safest place. PAUL Excuse me? SHASTI You see, sweetheart, the 3WA has sent a team of my old friends to hunt me down. That means they're trying to outthink me. They're probably combing the city as we speak, searching all the clever hiding places they can think of. PAUL Okay, but what about the police? Don't you think the 3WA has given them your description? [Shasti doubles over laughing.] SHASTI HAHAHAA! Oh, that's a good one! Oh, man! Trust me, Paul, the last thing the 3WA will ever do is tell anyone about *me*! No, the only one here who might get ID'd is you. So calm down. C'mon, I'll win you a prize. [The Dirty Pair and Andrew search the carnival. Kei and Yuri have changed into civilian clothes, guns concealed in loose jackets.] KEI This is assinine. You don't really think she's here, do you? ANDREW I think there's a good chance. YURI Why? ANDREW I told you, it's a long story. YURI Well, you might as well-- [A child walks by with a stuffed bear.] Aww! I want one of those! KEI Binary Bear? He's been off the air for ages! YURI Yeah, but it was my favorite cartoon! KEI Okay, tell ya what. I'll win one for you. Gimme a credit. YURI Get real! You have to be a pretty good marksman to win at that game. KEI I *beg* your pardon?! I *am* a TC, you know. I'm trained! YURI I don't think they'll let you use a bazooka, Kei. KEI Oooh! Now I'm pissed! I'm gonna win that stupid bear and not give it to you! [Kei storms off as Yuri giggles.] ANDREW Are you two always like this? YURI Naw, Kei's just a better shot when she's P.O.'d. [Kei arrives at the game stand at the same time as Shasti.] KEI & SHASTI One please--! [The two women recognize each other.] Oh, shit. ============================================================================ > A.D. 213504.16; 18:30:00 > Planet Elenore, Elenore City "Andy, hurry up! We'll miss the next ride!" Shasti yelled, waving back at him. She had already reached the end of the line, while Andrew, puffing and panting, strained to catch up. When he finally did, he waved her off. "I think five times on that roller coaster is plenty for anyone, let alone an out-of-shape psychologist. Let's do something else." "Oh, c'mon," whined Shasti. "You're just no fun sometimes, you know that?" "Shasti, it's a huge carnival. There's gotta be something else fun to do here." "Okay!" Just like that, she agreed. "Let's go this way!" Shasti ran off, forcing Andrew to take a deep breath and jog after her. Of course, he had expected this. It was her first time out in the real world, around other people and outside the laboratory. She was bound to be excited. Shasti had reached the mental age of seventeen, and Andrew had decided that it was time he took a good look at her social skills. To do that, he needed to place her in an environment in which she was surrounded by strangers. The annual Elenore Carnival presented just an opportunity. Also, he felt Shasti could use the diversion, after having been cooped up in a lab all her life. Getting her here had been quite an exercise. He hadn't even bothered to ask permission. He figured that either they'd say no, or else saddle him with a bunch of scary-looking chaperones in suits and sunglasses, which would make the whole point of the trip impossible. He'd planned the affair weeks in advance, scheduling it on a weekend on which Ayoob would be on vacation. He submitted his plans for the day, which included a ten-hour closed-door session with Shasti in a unmonitored room, explaining that Shasti was aware of the devices and couldn't be counted upon to give honest responses. He then smuggled Shasti out of the lab in a borrowed uniform, blonde wig, and glasses. If he was caught, he'd be in deep shit, of course, but Andrew had confidence that the day would be uneventful. Once the trip was over, he'd present the results to Ayoob. He'd be pissed at first, but Andrew was convinced that he'd be overjoyed when he saw how well Shasti had done. And she was doing well, having the time of her life, in fact. She had engaged several people in conversation while waiting in lines. She had obeyed the ride operators commands, waiting until the ride came to a complete stop even though Andrew knew all she wanted to do was to run to the next one. Andrew hoped eventually to take Shasti to the water park and get her in the pool, to she how she played around others. If nothing else, it was a chance to see her in a swimsuit. Andrew blinked. Where the hell had that last thought come from? He chided himself for even considering such a thing. He looked around and quickly spotted Shasti, staring with wide-eyed desire at a stuffed model of Binary Bear, a popular cartoon character. The barker leaned forward. "So you like that, do ya, lady?" he asked her with a smile. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend to win it for you?" "Boyfriend?" Shasti asked. Andrew finally caught up with her and tapped her on the shoulder. "He means me. Sure, what the hell. How does it work?" "Simple," replied the barker. "You give me a credit. Then I give you this pistol here. It's got six BBs in it. You have to completely shoot out one of the paper stars on the wall. Do it, and you get your choice." Shasti gave him her most endearing look. "Please?" Andrew sighed. "What the hell. I'm the original sucker." He slid his cred-card into the portable scanner bolted to the wooden counter, took the gun, aimed at one of the uncountable number of tiny stars on the back wall, and fired six times. The barker took a look. "Three out of six. Not bad. You didn't clear the star, though. Wanna try again? Practice makes perfect." "Can I try?" asked Shasti. "Uh, sure." He slipped the card into the slot once more. "Give her a gun," he said to the barker. The barker handed Shasti a fresh pistol. "Now, what you wanna do is line up this bump here with the bump on the barrel and the target. Then gently--" "Um-hmm," said Shasti and fired. The BB missed the star by several millimeters. "That wasn't bad for a first shot," said the barker. "Now, this time--" "Sights are off," Shasti said, quietly. Andrew turned to look at her. There was something different about her voice, something darker. Her expression had changed from the bubbly seventeen-year-old to an adult, all business. She raised the gun and fired again. This time the BB punched right through the center of the star. "Too much speed. The hole's too small." Shasti took a step back, raised the gun and fired four times, quickly. The barker examined the star, or rather, the gaping hole where the star had been. "Well, y-you did it. What prize do you want?" "Binary Bear!" Shasti squealed. "I want Binary Bear!" She was her old self again. Shasti immediately talked Andrew into buying ice-cream cones. It sounded like a good idea to him anyway. Something cold might cool his brain down. What exactly had happened to Shasti? Andrew thought about calling it a day and getting her back to the lab, then decided against it. She hadn't seemed in any danger. Still, there were going to be some pointed questions for Ayoob when he got back. Shasti paused in her stroll to look at the sky. The sun was going down, and some of Elenore's sister planets were visible. "I was thinking, Andy. About how that guy thought you were my boyfriend. What did you think about that?" "Well, um, it was understandable. We do look like a couple." "I... I kinda like the idea. You know, of you being my boyfriend." "Shasti..." She slipped her arm around his and leaned against him. "Do you like me, Andy?" She looked up at him, blushing. "B-be honest. Don't, like, lie to me to spare my feelings, okay?" He looked at her. God, she was beautiful. The dying sunlight shimmered through her black hair. Her eyes, wide and expressive, pleaded with him for an answer. Almost involuntarily, he gave her one. "I do like you, Shasti." Shasti's reaction was one of unbridled delight. "Oh, Andy! I'm so happy!" She hugged him. "I thought, 'cuz, you know, 'cuz I'm so young, that, that, you know..." She pulled away from him and wiped away a stray tear. "Well, that's enough mushy stuff for one day, right?" She pulled a digital camera out of the bag on her belt and handed it to Andrew. "Take my picture! Before the light gets low!" Laughing, Andrew aimed the camera while Shasti struck a pose. As he snapped the shot, he became aware of some considerable commotion behind Shasti. A crowd was heading her way. "Shasti," he called to her, "maybe we should get out of the way of whatever this--" But before he could finish the sentence, a large, unshaven man had run up to her. He grabbed Shasti around the neck with one arm. Andrew could only watch in terror as the man produced a gun with the other hand and held it to her temple. Two other men ran up to join him, followed by several police officers. Andrew saw snipers moving into position on top of game and food stands. "Clear the area!" screamed an officer. Andrew found himself being dragged away. "No! I can't be separated from her! She's my--! She's my girlfriend!" An officer assured him she'd be safe as Andrew continued to be pulled away. "I'm not going back, you bastards! Give me the slightest excuse, and this bitch's brains paint the midway!" That's who they were, thought Andrew. Prison escapees. They had been on the news two nights before. The criminal continued to yell at the police. "The three of us are leaving the carnival! You're going to clear a path for us, understand?" Andrew finally got loose from the officer. He put the camera on telephoto, and watched through the viewscreen, as something happened to Shasti. It was like the episode at the game stand, only much worse. Her expression hardened into one of intense hate. She spoke, her voice sounding more like a demon than anything human. "Let... me... GO!" The man holding her looked startled. "What? Shut up, bitch!" What happened next appeared to Andrew to be in slow motion. First, Shasti threw her head back, connecting with the man's chin. She pulled free, a split second before the gun went off. As she turned around, she grabbed the man's hand, still holding the gun, shoved it into his mouth, and fired three times. A shower of blood, brain matter, and bone fragments coated the asphalt. Shasti wrenched the gun free, turned it on a rapidly approaching colleague of the dead man, and shot him between the eyes. She turned on the third and pulled the trigger. Out of ammo. The man grinned and rushed her. She threw the gun at him so hard, it knocked him flat on his back, blood gushing from his forehead. She strolled over and picked him up by the neck. The man began screaming for mercy, blood streaming down his face onto Shasti, who calmly snapped his neck with one hand. Shasti stood for a few seconds, panting, glaring at everyone staring at her. The snipers had not stood down. Suddenly Shasti's expression softened into one of confusion. She looked at everyone around her, then at her clothes, soaked with blood, then at the three corpses on the ground. Then she started to scream. Andrew broke through the cordon and ran to her, screaming her name. ============================================================================ ANDREW SHASTI!! YURI Andrew, DON'T! [Andrew runs flat-out up to Shasti, who is first startled, then strains to recognize him.] SHASTI [quietly] You... You! I remember now. I remember everything. Shit, what a fool I was to come here... [Behind her back, Shasti makes a quick motion. Paul, who is hanging inconspicuously back from the action, begins calmly to move into position.] [Kei pulls her gun.] KEI Don't move. Not a muscle. You so much as fucking *blink*, you're toast, got that?! [A look of stark terror creeps across Shasti's face.] SHASTI Oh my GOD! Y-y-you must be one of those-- those T-TERRORISTS!! [Heads turn.] KEI We're with the 3WA, folks! Just-- SHASTI [weeping] PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! OH, PLEASE GOD, DON'T KILL ME! [She grabs Andrew around the neck by one hand and pulls him close.] Please help me, Darling! Don't let them hurt me! YURI [to herself] Dammit, now she has a hostage... KEI Cut the SHIT! Let the guy go and get up against the wall, or I'll-- [A gun pokes Kei in the temple.] BARKER Or you'll what? [Kei squirms.] UH-UH! This may be a toy, but at this distance, it's deadly. SHASTI Oh, thank you, sir! You're wonderful! [The crowd cheers.] KEI You assholes! I'm a 3WA trouble consultant! BARKER Since when does the 3WA pick on unarmed women? KEI We're not terrorists!! We're the goddamned DIRTY PAIR!! [The crowd screams and panics.] YURI Way to go, Kei... SHASTI NOW!! [Paul throws a small pellet to the ground, and the area is filled with smoke. Various punches, kicks, and cries of pain can be heard through the mist. When the smoke clears, the barker is laying face down on the counter, blood and teeth dribbling out of his mouth.] YURI You through? KEI Yeah. C'mon, let's get after her! [One look at the crowd makes clear the impossibility of that task. Scores of people are running every which way in utter panic.] YURI Damn... [She touches an earring.] Yuri to _Lonely_Heart_! DAPHNE [VO] _Lonely_Heart_, Daphne here. YURI Shasti's on the move. We ran into her at the carnival, just like Andrew said. DAPHNE [VO] Great! We'll head for the area! YURI Kei, you'd better put Deirdre in and get her up to speed. We're gonna need her. ------ > 11:35:00 > Parking lot, Shrine-Vargas Carnival [Shasti and Paul head through the mass of parked aircars, with Andrew in tow.] SHASTI Look, I said I was sorry. They screwed with my head! I never would have come here if I'd remembered. PAUL So here we are, running for our lives at a fucking carnival! Did you plan for *this* contigency, Miss Mastermind? SHASTI I plan for *every* contingency. [They reach their aircar. Shasti gets in the driver's seat, starts it up, slides a card into a slot on the dashboard, then gets out and slams the door. The car takes off into the air and heads away without them. She then gets to work breaking into the neighboring car.] Now we take this car here. PAUL [pointing to Andrew] Okay, but what about him? SHASTI He comes with us. The two of us have some unfinished business. [Paul pulls a gun and levels it at Andrew, who cringes.] PAUL Well, how about we finish it right here! [Shasti grabs his wrist and bends it back.] AAAAGGH! SHASTI You are *not* to harm him in any way. Do I make myself clear? PAUL [grunting in pain] Crystal... ANDREW Shasti... SHASTI [to Paul] Now get in and drive us to the shuttle. And obey the speed limit!! [Cut to the bridge of the _Lonely_Heart_.] NENE Daphne, I got something!! There's an aircar breaking the flight ban! DAPHNE Where's it headed? NENE Its present course will take it right to an abandoned military base. That would be the perfect spot to hide a getaway shuttle. DAPHNE I'll let the Lovely Angels know. [Cut to Kei and Yuri.] DEIRDRE (KEI) No, I don't think so. YURI Why not? Daphne just said it would be the perfect spot! DEIRDRE (KEI) Like, exactly! That's exactly why she wouldn't go there! KEI Yuri, we've only got one shot at this, don't you think? I mean, if we head to the base and she's not there... YURI She gets away. Of course, we could send the _Lonely_Heart_ to the base and try some other idea ourselves, but that means we'll be outgunned when we find them----OOOOOOOOOOHHH!! I hate this!! She's always one step ahead! It's like trying to out-think yourself!! KEI Heh, maybe you're just thinking too hard, Yuri. [Yuri blinks, then hugs Kei.] YURI Kei, you're BRILLIANT! KEI I am? YURI Yeah! Don't you see?! When Shasti saw the huge taskforce on 3V, she knew we were trying to out-think her! We've been scouring the city looking for some clever hiding place, when all the time she was hanging out at a carnival! KEI So? YURI So their shuttle is probably hidden in some obvious place that we'd be sure to overlook, 'cuz it's not clever enough! What do you think, Deirdre? DEIRDRE (KEI) Makes sense to me. YURI C'mon, Kei. I've got a real obvious place to try. KEI I sure hope she's there. YURI Me too. I'm gonna look like a complete idiot if she isn't. ------ > 11:51:00 > Ekana Interstellar Spaceport [In a hangar, a large, sleek shuttle is being loaded by several members of Shasti's gang, including Nance. Shasti's car speeds inside and comes to a screeching halt. Shasti comes running out, Andrew in tow.] SHASTI Fire up the engines. We're leaving! Now! NANCE But we haven't had time to stow everything yet! It's just in there loose! SHASTI That's tough! We'll just have to fly gently. NANCE [pointing to Andrew] Who's he? PAUL Someone Shasti picked up at the carnival. SHASTI He's coming along. NANCE I'm sorry, but that's not possible! We have barely enough fuel to get this thing into orbit. We can't take on another passenger! SHASTI What?? Why wasn't I informed of this?! NANCE What was there to inform you? The fuel is enough to execute your plan. We didn't expect you to change it! [Shasti lets go of Andrew's arm and thinks hard.] SHASTI Shit. Shit. We'll just have to leave some of the Kuan Yin crap behind. NANCE Shasti, we *need* those parts! PAUL What *is* this guy to you, anyway?! [While they argue, Andrew backs off, then bolts out the hangar door and runs away across the tarmac.] PAUL What the--! Hey!! [He pulls his gun and fires, missing. Shasti grabs him by the neck and throws him to the ground, hard.] SHASTI Damn you, I said not to harm him!! [To the others:] Get that shuttle running and catch up to me! [She heads after Andrew.] [Andrew runs as fast as he can, but he's a little out of shape, and soon slows. Shasti, taking long strides, catches up and grabs his arm.] ANDREW Oh, god... (pant, gasp) Please don't kill me... SHASTI I'm not going to kill you, for crying out loud. Damn it, you're the one who ran up to me, remember? I thought you wanted this! ANDREW I don't know *what* I want. I just know you're not the woman I remember. And your friends scare the hell out of me. SHASTI I won't let them hurt you, you have my word. My memories are just now returning. I don't want to let you go until I've sorted them out, Andy. [The shuttle taxies up. The hatch opens and stairs extend. From the opening, one of the workers waves.] WORKER Shasti! Get in--GUH! [The man is shot in the chest and falls back as the shuttle continues to taxi past. Shasti whirls and looks into the sky. Kei and Yuri are circling in an aircar, Kei holding a rifle and leaning out the window.] KEI Dammit, missed! Come around and give me another shot! YURI Will do! [Shasti draws a gun from her jacket and fires, but the aircar is out of range.] SHASTI Oh, shit. I'm a sitting duck... [The aircar comes around. Kei looks through the scope and gets Shasti in the crosshairs.] KEI It's the end of the line, you schizoid bitch. [Andrew fills the view from the scope.] WHAT??! NO!! ANDREW Run!! SHASTI Andy... ANDREW RUN, GODDAMMIT! [Shasti reaches the shuttle in a few strides and enters. The hatch closes and the shuttle begins picking up speed.] KEI That wimpy four-eyed son-of-a-bitch--! What the hell is he trying to do?!! [The shuttle takes off. Yuri attempts to follow.] YURI This isn't going to work. They're way faster than us. KEI What about the police? YURI Shasti's little trick had them completely fooled. The nearest cruiser is still minutes away. [The _Lonely_Heart_ comes flying past, shaking the aircar in its wake.] KEI YES!! Ha HA! You're toast now, Shasti! [Inside the shuttle:] PAUL We're in deep shit. We can't outrun this thing. SHASTI Well, we're going to have to try. [The _Lonely_Heart_:] NENE The shuttle will be in range in less than a minute. Should I blast 'em? DAPHNE Not yet. Our orders are to take her alive if possible. See if you can raise them on the comm. [The shuttle:] PAUL We're being hailed. SHASTI Ignore it. That's not the Dirty Pair. I don't think they'll shoot, except as a last resort. [The _Lonely_Heart_:] NENE No response. DAPHNE Okay. Get the tractor on it. [The shuttle shakes.] PAUL Tractor beam. Now what do we do?! We can't tow them. Not if we want to get into orbit! [Shasti thinks.] SHASTI Does anyone have a stylus and a piece of paper? [A puzzled worker hands her the cargo checklist and a short writing implement. Shasti quickly scribbles, drawing geometric figures, numbers, and unintelligible symbols. At last, she snaps her fingers.] I THOUGHT so! Paul, head on this course, full thrusters! [Paul reads her note. He stares in disbelief.] PAUL This is a parabolic course! We do this at full thrusters, we'll just plummet back to the surface! Unless... [He brightens up.] I get it! But what makes you think they'll let us tow them? [The _Lonely_Heart_:] NENE They're accelerating. Boy, they must be really desperate. DAPHNE I wonder... NENE Full reverse and braking flaps? DAPHNE No. Let's see where they're trying to go. Can't do any harm. They'll be out of fuel by the time they get there. [Onboard the shuttle, the crew watches as the sky turns from blue to black.] PAUL Reaching coordinates in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Now! [He flips a switch on a box bolted to the console.] [As Daphne and Nene watch, space goes orange. The planet behind them vanishes. In front of them, an enormous space cruiser materializes and puts a tractor beam on the shuttle. Then it begins firing.] [On the bridge of the _Lovely_Angel_, Kei and Yuri follow the action as they power up the ship.] KEI What do you mean "they vanished"?! YURI They're gone from the scanners. I'm trying all the bands, but they're not there anymore. KEI No explosion? YURI Nope. KEI That's not possible, unless... But I thought Shasti didn't have half-warp. YURI Wait! They're back. But... there's no shuttle. [Kei gets on the comm.] KEI _Lovely_Angel_ to _Lonely_Heart_! _Lovely_Angel_ to _Lonely_Heart_, please respond! YURI Kei, we gotta get up there! I can't read any power on board the _Lonely_ Heart_, and its orbit is decaying *really* fast! [The _Lovely_Angel_ takes off and fires its thrusters. It reaches the _Lonely_Heart_, which has been severely damaged and drifts out of control.] KEI We can't take it down like this. We'll have it pull it into a stable orbit. [The _Lovely_Angel_ accelerates, gaining altitude, until the two ships are safely orbiting Bydon.] KEI I still can't reach them. YURI The docking port's intact. I'll hook us up. [Gravity is out on the _Lonely_Heart_, and the Angels have to brush debris out of the air as they enter. Kei and Yuri head for the bridge, where they are horrified by what they see: Daphne floats lifeless through the air, her neck twisted at an abnormal angle. Nene slumps at the console, held down by the interface cables plugged into her head, blood floating in pools around her ears, nose and mouth. She is muttering.] NENE 217... 148... 524... 217... 148... -- END STAGE FIVE -- >>> NEXT >>> "Shasti is a vicious killer because she was programmed to be one. What's your excuse?"