The Pivotal Western ~ chapter one

(immediately follows 'Juliet Firebird')

A sphere set in the central chamber of a temple, observed by note takers mixed with the curious and philosophers debating.  Glowing like a sun, flares lashing out shortly into tiny portals before splashing back to core.

1 (female voice) - "What is it ?"

2 - (male voice) "An anomaly.  Like a singularity ... but something new."

1 - "And ?"

____

Maiden - Sitting up in the motel bed, "... there's a problem."

Man - Shaving, checking his chin in the mirror, "Already ?"

Maiden - "Yeah ... I'm not the Maiden anymore ... I'm the Mother."

...

Man - Razor frozen under a mustache ... "Happens."  Continues.

Maiden - "Yeah.  So now my mother's the Crone ..."

Man - "Ouch ..."

...

Maiden - "You have no idea."

____

At the campfire with Rhea and Lilith ~

Mother - Watching the old crone fade dancing away smiling ... She furrows her brow at the last grinning wisp with a middle finger.  "Two little bitches about to abandon fate, I smell."

Rhea - "I've heard of it."  She thumbs smooth the wax loads on a powder revolver and snaps it shut.  Smiles wide ...

Lilith looks to the side at her.

____

2 - "It resets periods in history, altering cause and effect in particular events.  Changing the odds in the past."

1 - "Will it alter the present ?"

2 - "No ... history will be recorded the same as much as we'd ever know it, but it will re-flip every coin of chance until a future that would have been, comes to be."

1 - "Channeling the timeline itself, bypassing everything else."

2 - "And then we just have to survive it."
____

The man spins his revolver to the holster under his coat.  He feels along the bullets in the back of his belt, checking.

Maiden - Eyeing the revolver, "I'm not going to let her take our child."

...

Man - "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about but I absolutely agree with that last part."

...

Maiden - "Do you love me ?"

Man - "I do."

____

2 - "This was supposed to be our last resort."

1 - "Do we activate ?  So soon ?"
____

Maiden - "Do you trust me ?"

~ 2 - (voiced over) "I'm pretty sure that we do."

Man - "I don't need to."
____

Lilith - Behind Rhea, a knife at her throat, she whispers in her ear.  "I am so sorry, great lady."  She cuts.

Mother - "... so you too ..."

Lilith - A tear down her eye as she drops Rhea from the hair.  "Yeah.  Me too."

~ 2 - (voiced over) "Eventually."

The Mother backs away into smoke.

~ 2 - (voiced over) "As a last resort."

~ Maiden - (voiced over) "She's coming."

Lilith - Stares, apparently aware of it all.  To herself, "He's here."

('God's Gonna Cut You Down' remix by DJ Shmollie)

~ The Pivotal Western ~

From 'The Sabine Tale' as the airship takes the hill, flanked by the charge of the Hero Twins.  Guy Fawkes drags a load of gunpowder through the catacombs.

To major periods of history, battles turned by other tales.  Morgan's fleet take's Cortez's armada from 'The Reformation Epilogue'.  Decibel bombards a confederate charge.  The Ezekiel Machine among the gunning down of a union charge against Natives.

Headline ~ 'El Gobernador Cañedo es Asesinado, Espada Robada, ¡Falta la hija!'

News articles altered, tales of angels and monsters, unbelievable machines in the field turning the tide.  Clemens and Calaveras, the Wizard riding away on his bicycle balloon.

~ Fawkes flees the explosions back through the tunnel, overtaken.

Headline ~ 'Titanic's Maiden Voyage', photo as it sails under the Statue of Liberty.  Buried in following elections.  Waves and smiles ...  

Grained black and white/chromo with turtle walkers looming over WWI fields.  Porting airships with modern aircraft, tornadoes in the distance, a light at one's peak while (period) Nocturne fights in the forward charge (western, a flicker between before returning).

~ 1923 ~


(Hitler is assassinated in a beer hall by German agents, face in salad)

~ the car splashes a puddle and drives ~

Man - As they pull their clothes back on, "I don't mind marrying the woman I love even if she never does tell me her name.  Just like the preacher man didn't mind taking the bill to do it.  But you do need to be clear with me on this one.  Who is she, and why do we care ?"

...

Maiden - "Do you know Greek mythology ?"

Man - "Yes I do and you are not the maiden."

Maiden - "Yes I am the maiden."

Man - "No you are not."

Maiden - "Yes.  I am."

Man - "No.  You are not.  The maiden from Greek mythology."

Maiden - "Have you noticed that I'm fucking immortal ?"

Man - "I have noticed that you are terrible at dodging bullets, cars, and explosions, yes.  And the baby ?"

Maiden - Smiles ... "Yes."  Then mad, "Yes I am."

Man - "You sure as hell.  Are not.  The maiden."

Angry stare out the side window.

...

Man - "You're the Mother."

...

Man - "Gotcha."

!

~ The car swerves ...
Maiden - Digging through the bags of money, she spots the sword at the bottom of the pile.  "Been meaning to ask.  What's with the sword.  You never even use it.  Do you even know how to use a sword ?  I do."

Man - "You mean you still don't know ?"

~ Parallel to the sunset, driving south.

Maiden - (voiced over) "Know what ?"

(La Imagen de Malverde' by Banda 3 Rios)

Man - Voiced over the intro, "Technically he shot himself in the foot trying to draw when he caught me and then died of dysentery because he didn't want to admit that.  I think his daughter just left.  She was alright."

...

Man - "What."

chapter one

~ Define Alright ~

(music fades to break)

Define Alright ~ part two

~ A flicker, next scene.  The bell on Venus' shop door rings ~

Venus - "Rhea ... I was so sorry to hear ..."

Rhea - "Don't.  No one's sorry Venus.  I need a gun Venus.  A gun that can kill gods."

~ A flicker to Lilith exiting the woods.  She thumbs the wax on the revolver load, five shots.  Spins and closes intentionally and holds it close, holsters.  To herself, "Be wise."

She looks up as the shadow of her airship passes over.
________

Becoming more crone and twisted, the mother runs the woods on antelope legs, grey hair streaming, body covered in vine.  Through the deep woods, crossing the river stone to stone, leaping far and fast, sighting the riverboat salloon rolling through the trees ahead.

Running hard until along side, she overtakes it in it's sway over her, leaping to catch the side rail the sway back in it's meandering path.  The vines wrap it as she pulls herself over.

To the fore, vines pulling back, hair to dark and legs returning human.  She takes in the air, then glances to port, LA on parallel approach.

Mother - She turns and shouts high to the cabin, "Boatsman !  Do ya go Los Angeles way ?"

Jim - Slides the side window and shouts down.  "That's the plan, when we get to it.  It'll be a day or two."

...

Mother - Looks back to it, grinds her teeth a bit.  "Drinks in the barge ?"

Jim - "Drinks in the barge."
________

Lilith watches the ropes fall from the decks of the Arena, her airship.  Wide bodied, shaped nearly like an eye from beneath, half adapted from her old ship.  Her crew begins exiting the woods from all parts surrounding the clearing.

She speaks aloud to no one present.

Lilith - "Naamah.  Are you in this world ?"
__

Naamah exits the train in the Misting Lands with One.  Modern, grey haired, one eyed and grey cloaked with an unadorned mechanical arm fitted for weaponry.  One with goggles, apparently 'scanning', occasionally giggling and turning over trash.

The carnival is now well formed, the mist swirling among the passers by and churning rides.  Stilt walkers pass over the crowds, hunters in the mist.  A gust as a roller coaster departs to overhead among the rider screams, filled in by the steam of the departing train.

Naamah - Speaking aloud, "No.  The new one.  It should be close to yours, but something's off.  We're set in the right place, but not the right time."

She looks around at the crowds, a group tightly watching a carney game cheer a victory, he announces a stuffed pony.  It leaps into the girl's arms before she and her parents disappear with the passing mist.

Naamah - To herself, "Hm." ... "So I thought you hated it inside my head.  What do you want."

Lilith - Heard as a wisp, "I do.  I really really do.  In fact.  But it's bigger than that this time.  It's the Maiden."

Naamah - "A rogue fate ?  Explains the wrong time."

One - Goggles on, the left focuses into a cloud.  "Wrong time !?  Hehehe ... wrong again ..."  He bends down into the gust clearing smoke and pulls up the Book of Names.  "Welcome home, oh heart of mine ... welcome home."

He tucks it into his satchel, looks around ...

...

One - "Okay now where the hell's Eve ?"
____

Mambathu and two crew ride up on horse from the clearing's main path to.  He dismounts, slapping the unbridled horse away, the others still seated, waiting.

Mambathu - Sees her watching the sky over the city, "There was no 'Hindenburg' here."

Lilith - "No crash ?"

Mambathu - "None at all.  Apparently Germany went a different way."
________

Clemmons - "Care for a drink, (clears his throat) 'Great Lady' ?"

Mother - "Oh god.  It's you.  Why would I ever drink with you Clemmons.  You're supposed to be dead."

Clemmons - "I believe you.  You know why."  Calls out, "Pitcher lass !"

The pitcher bearer brings a glass, bows specifically and leaves the pitcher.

Clemmons - "For the drink itself."  He pours her glass.

Mother - "And for the life of our daughter ?  Think twice."  She smells the glass watching him drink with a laugh.  Drinks.  Checks the flavor and aftertaste, eyes on his.  Slams the rest and pours another.

Clemmons - "I'll cut you down right here if I have to.  She has the right."

Mother - "But you do not.  Do it.  What flavor of gun have you dug up this time, Clemmons.  What interference in history and fate have you found to shoot your lover with ?  Do me."

...

Clemmons - "My God woman that kinda talk is exactly why I fell for you."

She drinks.

Clemmons - "But of course I have a new pistol for the gods."

Mother - "Venus ?"

Clemmons - "Who else ?  And she says it'll even work this time !"

Mother - "Backstabbing opportunistic whore of a robot."  Drinks and smashes the glass empty.

...

They burst out laughing.

...

Mother - "I want one."  The pitcher-bearer brings another glass.

Define alright ~ part three

On the deck of the Arena.

Lilith - "That old biddy and her pocket watch actually came through ?"
__

The dead renaissance (and headless rich) woman's body cartwheels through the night air and into the pits.  A white fluff of lime powder upon landing with a hard meat ! whump !  
__

Mambathu - "So it would seem.  Apparently she used it as an excuse to conquer the still slaving nations."

Lilith - "Now I'm less surprised."

...

Lilith - Slams shut the scope.  "Too bad we can't stay.  Put up the emergency ballasts and pull in the engines.  While crew's on that let's you and me dig around in the cargo bay.  We need crates on these decks in a mess.  We're merchants now.  May actually ... trade a few things while we're pretending to trade things."

Mambathu - "There may be wares here rare in our own world."

Lilith - Smiles, "And treasure in our trash can below."

Mambathu - Smiles back, "Let's find out."
________

Elizabeth looks over the pit and spots 'the witness' looking back.  She smiles, "There you are."  Pulls out a comm, "My love, bring me a casket." ... "Mm hm !  The mahogany gold."
________

The riverboat rolls through the woods, a vulture picks a carcass watching its approach, taking flight at its near, it grabs an eye on the way.  Calaveras watches from the deck near the open bay hatch and catches its flight with his tongue.  Smiles and nods.

Inside ~

Mother - "I can't believe he still even lets you run this racket on his boat.

Clemmons - "My boat.  Don't make me shoot first."

Jim - Shouted from the cabin, "My boat !"

Mother - Smiles.  "You boys are really cute, Sam.  But I still gotta kill our little pony."  Drinks.

____

Man - "Why !?"

Maiden - "We're breaking the chain !  Now she has to mate again and it isn't going to make her happy but will probably be the best thing for her because she's really been a significant bitch lately but there still can't be two maidens."

____

Naamah - "I'm sure if it's important enough, Eve will show up when she randomly feels like it either way ..."

One - Looking the book over, "Doesn't matter.  Daddy's home.  Let's go fuck."

...

Naamah - "Well Amen to that."  The train arrives in a gust of steam.

('Ammunition' by Jag Areola)

(credits, shapes twisting in smoke and steam)

~ after credits ~

The hum of three nocturnes playing simultaneously at different speeds to match their tempo and a sound like a heavy old air conditioner.  Four matched dress shoes echo down the long halls of the Gaslight asylum where Nocturne was kept.

Old soles clomp until they reach and open her cell covered in web.  One agent (older) dusts and checks the panel, the other (young) lights the gas lamp on the corner table.

The tube slides open and she screams lurching forward against the chains to attack.  He cracks her hard across the face and she returns with a crackling hiss.  Hits her again.  Again.  Another hard time and pulls her head up by the hair and puts his gun to her forehead.

Agent - "Be good.  Might just be the devil himself."

Hard breathing, she grins looking up cross-eyed at the barrel.

Nocturne - Looks to the agent, smiles.  Calm.  Afraid.  Then straight faced.  "Okay."