Crestfall Week 2 post

INT. “THE FACILITY” - DAY - DAYS LATER

JESSICA enters The Facility accompanied by DOCTOR WATERS (a young female doctor around 35). The Facility is almost hospital like in it’s whiteness. The walls are covered with wires and various monitors. The technology is more advanced than most places. Clearly there are great scientific minds at work in this place.

Jessica is wearing jeans and hoodie with some patches cut out of the back to accommodate her wings. She’s a little uncertain of her surroundings.

WATERS
We’re so happy you decided to join us Ms. Crest! It was definitely unfortunate, the circumstances that surrounded your condition. Some of us were afraid that you might back out of our offer!

JESSICA
Thanks, Doctor Waters. I really don’t know what else I could have done. The Army doesn’t want me back and I’m pretty sure Starbucks would frown on these.

She flexes her wings and stretches them out. She knocks over a tray with some equipment on it.

JESSICA (CONT’D)
Oops! Sorry!

WATERS
Don’t worry about it. Here at The Facility we’re used to all manners of mishaps. You’ll fit right in.

JESSICA
Thanks. I think. So what is it you all actually do here?

They leave the entrance and walk down the main hallway. As they speak they pass all kinds of experiments and technological tests. No living creatures are being manipulated.

WATERS
I’m so glad you asked! I rarely get to gloat. Here at The Facility, we are tasked with “the advancement of science”. Essentially that means that we have an unlimited budget and almost no restrictions on what to study.

JESSICA
Almost?

WATERS
We’re not allowed to test on people. Not without their express written and verbal permission on forms in triplicate which I’m sure you’re aware of.

Jessica rubs her wrist.

JESSICA
Yeah, I think I remember a thing or two about that.

Doctor Waters laughs.

WATERS
You’d be surprised at some of the things that have come out of The Facility.

They walk down a hallway marked “Hall of Fame”. Along the walls are pictures of The Facility’s greatest achievements. Some of which are mentioned by Doctor Waters.

WATERS (CONT’D)
Microwave ovens, Velcro, anti-lock breaks, aglets...

JESSICA
What’s an aglet?

WATERS
The plastic thing on the end of shoelaces.

JESSICA
So you guys have been around for a while huh?

WATERS
Longer than anyone would care to admit I think. Let me show you where you’ll be spending a bulk of your time.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - THE BOOM ROOM - DAY - IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING

Waters and Jessica enter a control room filled with panels and monitors. The room is black in a stark contrast to the white of the rest of The Facility. There is a large window that fills the far wall. It’s entirely black. BOB (about 43) sits at one of the monitors staring intently.

WATERS
This is Doctor Roberto Sinclair. He’s in charge of The Boom Room.

BOB
Everyone just calls me Bob.

He gets up. Jessica reaches out to shake his hand. He heads straight to her wings, running his hands up and down them. Jessica is not entirely comfortable with this.

WATERS
Don’t mind Bob, he’s been obsessed with self propulsion since he’s learned of your condition.

JESSICA
Ow! Watch it Bob! Those are attached.

BOB
Sorry!

JESSICA (TO WATERS)
Why is this place called The Boom Room?

BOB
I thought you’d never ask!

He runs over to the corner and stands excitedly by a series of switches.

WATERS
I told you, we never get to gloat!

He flips the switch and the lights turn on in the window. There’s a giant turbine engine in a room shaped like a tube. It’s big enough to fit a small jet inside.

Bob giggles as he throws a second switch. A loud BOOM ricochets through the room and the turbine begins to spin. As it spins faster and faster it sends out a huge blast of air. Small flags line the sides of the tube in the room around the diameter to indicate the intensity of the wind.

JESSICA
How do I get in there?

WATERS
Oh no! No no no. You can’t go in there dressed like that, the force alone could tear every piece of fabric to shreds. Besides, we’ll have to test out your skin to see if you’ll be able to withstand the blasts yourself!

JESSICA
Well if I can’t wear this, then what am I supposed to wear?

WATERS
Let me show to your room.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - JESSICA’S ROOM - DAY - SLIGHTLY LATER

They walk into a freshly painted blue room. It looks a bit like a military barracks room. There’s a twin size bed neatly made. A closed closet. A desk with a computer, and a tv in the corner.

WATERS
This is where you’ll be living! It’s not much but it’s all yours. I know it looks all Army-ish and stuff, but don’t worry! You won’t have any inspections or guidelines or anything. You can keep this room anyway you like, paint it any way you want.

Jessica sits on the bed to try it out.

WATERS (CONT’D)
You can even listen to music as obnoxiously loud as you please, the walls are sound proofed!

Jessica wanders over to the closet.

JESSICA
Did you guys supply me with an entire wardrobe too?

WATERS
Ah! The piece de resistance.

Jessica opens the closet door. Hanging inside is a state of the art suit it’s a grey/silver color and it appears as if it could be form fitting. The back of the suit has been altered to account for her wings.

JESSICA
This is amazing! It’s like something out of a cartoon or a comic book or something! Do I get a special “code name” or something?

WATERS
That’s something we wanted to talk to you about actually. Every project needs a title and we wanted to confer with you before we called it something you didn’t approve of. Did you have something in mind?

JESSICA
Crestfall. Call me Crestfall.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - CRESTFALL’S ROOM - DAY - MONTHS LATER

CRESTFALL puts on her suit. The entire thing fits like a glove. Her room is painted purple and is covered in poster prints from artists like Monet and Dali.

An intercom BUZZES. Crestfall hits a button

CRESTFALL
What’s up doc?

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM)
That gets funnier every time I hear it. Are you coming down?

CRESTFALL
Just putting on my Sunday best. I’ll be down in a bit.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM)
Alright. We’ve got some new stuff lined up for you today. You’ve got the basics down, now we’re going to try some obstacles.

CRESTFALL
I bet Bob is ecstatic.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM)
No comment.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - THE BOOM ROOM - DAY - LATER

Bob and Doctor Waters are conferring with a group of scientists in the control room.

BOB
She should be arriving any minute now.

WATERS
Alright, I’ll let Quitlove know so he can start his observations.

BOB
Do you think it’s weird that our boss is so interested in Crestfall?

WATERS
I know that he pays me and lets me play with all the cool toys.

BOB
Yeah, but it’s almost like he knew exactly where to find this girl and exactly what was wrong with her. Not only that, he happens to have a facility uniquely suited to train her in using her powers? Isn’t that a little convenient?

There’s a BEEP in the room signifying that Crestfall arrived at the tube.

WATERS
She’s here.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - INSIDE THE TUBE - DAY

Crestfall walks in. The door seals shut behind her.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM)
Okay we’re going to start off the way we usually do.

The BOOM goes off, signifying the start of the turbine. She braces herself against the blast of the wind. As it intensifies She is lifted off of the ground.

She’s gliding against the wind. She’s done this several times before. She’s flipping through the air and flying laps around the length of the tube.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM) (CONT’D)
Very good Crestfall. You’ve really gotten the hang of the basic maneuvers we worked on. Let’s see what you can do with these new surprises.

Small vents open up on the side of the walls. As she flies through her laps different poles and obstacles come jutting out at her. She dodges the obstacles fairly easily.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM) (CONT’D)
Very good. Let’s try the next phase.

She flies around the next pole. As she does, another arm flips out. It has an electrical node on the end. It flips out and tags her wing. The shock drops her to the ground. The continual blast from the turbine sweeps her from the floor and slams her back against the wall.

WATERS (OVER THE INTERCOM) (CONT’D)
Crap! Shut it down! Shut it down!

The turbine shuts down with a THUD. She lays on the floor dazed. The door opens and two orderlies run in to help her.

(CUT TO)


INT. “THE FACILITY” - THE BOOM ROOM - DAY

Waters throws her clipboard down.

WATERS
What on Earth did you think you were doing, Bob?

BOB
I’m pushing your little pet to her limits! What are you doing?

WATERS
I’m doing my best to not hurt her!

BOB
Well look at your little project now!

He points to a monitor.

(CUT TO)


INT. “THE FACILITY” - INSIDE THE TUBE - DAY

The orderlies help Crestfall to her feet. She pushes them away. She crouches down and launches herself into the air. She flies under her own power. Weaving around the poles.

(CUT TO)


INT. “THE FACILITY” - THE BOOM ROOM - DAY

BOB
You see? She’s never...

WATERS
She’s never flown under her own power before. Get Quitlove on the phone. Now. He needs to hear about this.


INT. “THE FACILITY” - CRESTFALL’S ROOM - EVENING

She is laying on her bed, wrapped in a towel. Doctor Waters enters carrying her clipboard.

WATERS
What you did today was remarkable. I’m so proud of your progress. Why are you wearing a towel?

CRESTFALL
I don’t have any other clothes. Everything I wear gets shredded by the wings. I’d love to be able to wear some normal clothes on my down time.

WATERS
I’ll see what I can do. I just wanted you to know that I’m proud of you.

Crestfall glances at Doctor Waters’s clipboard. Engraved on it is a symbol.

CRESTFALL
I’ve seen that symbol before. Where have I seen it?

She flashes back to her time in the middle east. She remembers the canister with the purple goo. On the canister she saw a faded symbol. It matches the symbol on the clipboard. Underneath the clipboard’s symbol it reads “SINECORP”

WATERS
I’m not sure you know what you’re saying. You hit the wall pretty hard. Why don’t you get some rest and I’ll get to work on some clothes for you. We’re also working on a harness to hold your wings down so you might be able to take the weekend off for once.

CRESTFALL
Yeah, I think I need you to leave for a while. I have some stuff to think about. That symbol...

WATERS
It’s the symbol of The Facility and our parent company. You’ve seen the symbol a thousand times.

CRESTFALL
Why haven’t I noticed it until now?

WATERS
I really can’t say. Get some sleep.

Crestfall Cries.