DIVISION PHI

SCENE 1 | COLD OPEN

[OPEN WITH CAMERA ON LITTLE GIRL, DENISE DEERCOT. DENISE IS SITTING IN A FOREST CLEARING, SURROUNDED BY THICK PINES AND WHITE FOG. DENISE IS SITTING ON AN OVERTURNED FLAT STONE, HAVING A TEA PARTY WITH 3 PLUSH TOYS EACH SITTING ACROSS FROM HER. THEY ARE PLAYING ON A LARGE FLAT STUMP.]

[DENISE MIMES POURING TEA FROM HER POT INTO A CUP IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE TOYS]

DENISE: THERE YOU GO MR. RANDY. THIS IS EARL GREY FROM CHINA. ITS THE BEST IN STOCK.

[AS DENISE POURS TEA INTO HER CUP, A WOMANS VOICE CAN BE HEARD]

MRS. DEERCOT: SWEETIE, LETS GO FOR A WALK.

[DENISE LOOKS UP, LOOKING AT THE HOUSE THEN BACK TO THE WOODS. THE VOICE IS COMING FROM THE WOODS]

MRS. DEERCOT: WHY DON'T WE GO FOR A WALK HUN.

[DENISE GETS UP, AND SLOWLY WALKS INTO THE WOODS. AS SHE WALKS SLOWLY INTO THE WOODS, THE CAMERA PANS DOWN TO SHOW SEVERAL THIN WHITE HANDS SET ON LONG SPINDLY ARMS CRAWL UP FROM THE DIRT, WRAPPING AROUND ONE OF THE TOYS AND PULLING IT AWAY FROM VIEW.]

[FADE TO BLACK]

SCENE 2 | THE DIRECTORS OFFICE

[OPEN SCENE WITH FRONT-FACING SHOT OF DAVID KENNEDY SITTING ON A WAITING BENCH IN A WOOD-PANEL HALLWAY. THE HALLWAY IS STYLED LIKE A 80's OFFICE BUILDING WITH THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING A CONCRETE HALLWAY DOWN THE HALL, VISUALLY SEPARATING DAVID FROM THE SECRETARIES OFFICE. DAVID SITS ANXIOUSLY, SHIFTING IN HIS SEAT, FIDDLING WITH HIS PAPERS, CHECKING HIS WATCH.]

[DAVID LEANS BACK AND SIGHS. BEFORE HE CAN GET TOO COMFORTABLE, THE DOOR TO THE OFFICE ACROSS FROM HIM OPENS.] 

SECRETARY: MR. KENNEDY, DIRECTOR S IS READY FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT.

DAVID: GOOD, GOOD. THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET RESCHEDULED AGAIN.

SECRETARY: NOT THIS TIME DAVID. I MADE SURE SHE GOT YOU IN THIS TIME.

[DAVID STANDS UP, ADJUSTING HIS TIE, JACKET, AND GLASSES. AS DAVID WALKS BY, THE SECRETARY PINCHES HIS CHEEKS, CAUSING HIM TO BLUSH AND SMILE.]

[CUT TO DIRECTOR S's OFFICE. DAVID WALKS IN, WITH THE SECRETARY CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND HIM. THE OFFICE IS A BRUTALIST AFFAIR, WITH PICTURES OF THE DIRECTORS KIDS SITTING ON VARIOUS TABLES. THE WALLS ARE CONCRETE WITH WOOD PANEL TRIMMING, AND INSTEAD OF A WINDOW, ONE WALL IS A LARGE INSET FLAT-SCREEN TV PLAYING A CAMERA VIEW OF VARIOUS LANDSCAPES. THE DIRECTORS DESK IS NEATLY ORGANIZED, SAVE FOR AN ASHTRAY IN THE CORNER SMOKING FROM A RECENTLY PUT-OUT CIGARETTE. A HIGH-TECH LAPTOP CAN BE SEEN SITTING IN THE CENTER, AND THE DIRECTOR SITS AT HER DESK BUSILY SORTING THROUGH PAPERS.]

[DAVID STEPS THROUGH THE DOOR, LEFT IN SILENCE HOLDING HIS BAG AND STARING AT THE DIRECTOR. THE DIRECTOR SHUFFLES HER PAPERS FOR A FEW SECONDS IN SILENCE, BEFORE PUTTING THEM DOWN TO FOCUS ON DAVID. SHE GESTURES TO THE CHAIR IN FRONT OF HER DESK INDICATING HIM TO SIT.]

[AS HE SITS DOWN HE SITS UP STRAIGHT, TRYING HIS BEST TO LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND FAILING. THE DIRECTOR NOTICES]

DIRECTOR: RELAX, I'M NOT GOING TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF. NOT YET AT LEAST. 

DAVID: [HOLDS OUT HIS HAND NERVOUSLY] DAVID KENNEDY, RESEARCH AGENT-

DIRECTOR: [WAVES HIS HAND AWAY] I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AGENT. I KNOW ALL THE AGENTS IN MY DEPARTMENT.

DIRECTOR: MY SECRETARY ALSO TOLD ME THAT YOU ARE HERE TO REQUEST A QUOTE-UNQUOTE "LONG OVERDUE DIVISION TRANSFER".

[DAVID SIGHS, SLIGHTLY RELIEVED THAT THE DIRECTOR ALREADY KNEW. HE SITS BACK UP STRAIGHT, PLACING THE FOLDER OF TRANSFER PAPERS ON THE DIRECTOR'S DESK]

DAVID: Y-YES MA'AM. I AM HERE FOR A TRANSFER TO THE CONTAINMENT DEPARTMENT OF DIVISION GAMMA. S-SPECIFICALLY FOR THE POSITION OF JUNIOR CONTAINMENT SPECIALIST. [LEANS BACK INTO CHAIR]

[THE DIRECTOR FROWNS, FURROWING HER BROW BEFORE LEANING IN AND FOLDING HER HANDS. SHE LOOKS DOWN AT THE PAPERS THEN BACK TO DAVID, LEAVING THEM ON HIS SIDE] 

DIRECTOR: NOW WHY WOULD YOU WANT A TRANSFER FROM DIVISION PHI?

DAVID: I WAS HOPING TO TRANSFER TO DIVISION GAMMA SO I COULD POSSIBLY GAIN SOME MORE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF CONTAINMENT, AND POSSIBLY-

DIRECTOR: CUT THE BULLSHIT KENNEDY. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR SUGAR-COATED, COLLEGE ADMISSION VERSION OF YOUR REASONING. WHY DO YOU WANT TO TRANSFER, DAVID?

DAVID: [SITS UP, WIDE-EYED IN SURPRISE. HE SIGHS, THEN RECOLLECTS HIMSELF] IF I CAN BE CANDID MA'AM, I PERSONALLY THINK MY TALENT IS WASTED HERE.

DAVID: I AM A HIGHLY TRAINED CONTAINMENT SPECIALIST AND I AM CURRENTLY BEING ASSIGNED TO BE A GRUNT. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE ME IN THIS [PAUSE] ENVIRONMENT. 

DAVID: NOT TO MENTION WHO YOU HAVE ME PAIRED WITH. AGENT HARVEY IS A FAMOUS AGENT, BUT HER REPUTATION AS AN UNAMBITIOUS AND JUST LETHARGIC AGENT IS A CAREER STUNTER FOR HER PARTNERS.

DAVID: IF I'M TO BE HONEST, THIS WHOLE EXERCISE FEELS LIKE A PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME I DO NOT REMEMBER COMMITTING. 

[THE DIRECTOR AND DAVID SIT IN SILENCE FOR A FEW MOMENTS. SHE SIGHS AND PULLS HIS PAPERS OVER, STAMPING THEM WITH A FAT RED DENIED.]

DIRECTOR: THERE. YOUR ANSWER.

DAVID: [PICKS UP THE FOLDER, LOOKING AT THE DENIED. GOES PALLID] B-BUT DIRECTOR-

DIRECTOR: DO YOU KNOW WHO REQUISITIONED YOU FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, AGENT? [PAUSE] I DID. I PERSONALLY PUT IN A NOTE WITH BOTH YOUR TRAINER AND THE ASSIGNMENT BOARD FOR YOU TO BE POSITIONED HERE.

DIRECTOR: I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU THINK THAT THE WORK DONE IN DIVISION PHI IS UNIMPORTANT OR INEFFICIENT. GOD KNOWS YOU WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY ONE IN THIS FUCKING COMMISSION. BUT THE WORK PHI DOES IS IMPORTANT FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE REST OF THE AGENCY. WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LAY THE PIPE, DAVID. AND THIS DIVISION NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO HELP DIG THE TRENCHES.

[THE DIRECTOR OPENS A CIGARETTE CARTON ON HER DESK, PULLING OUT THE LAST MENTHOL AND LIGHTING IT WITH A LIGHTER FROM HER POCKET. SHE PUFFS OUT A PLUME OF SMOKE TO THE SIDE, AVOIDING GETTING ANY IN DAVIDS DIRECTION.]

DIRECTOR: AS FOR LINDA, SHE IS A GOOD AGENT. SHE STAYS WHERE SHE IS BOTH OF HER OWN WILL AND MY REQUEST. AND I THINK YOU WILL FIND SHE IS FAR FROM LETHARGIC, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO HER CAREER.

DIRECTOR: [PUTS OUT THE CIGARETTE IN THE ASHTRAY.] DO YOU UNDERSTAND, AGENT KENNEDY?

[DAVID LOOKS DOWN AT HIS HANDS, AVOIDING EYE CONTACT WITH THE DIRECTOR FOR A MOMENT.]

DAVID: YES, I UNDERSTAND MA'AM.

[DAVID GETS READY TO LEAVE, STANDING UP AND REACHING FOR HIS PAPERS. BEFORE HE CAN GRAB THEM, HOWEVER, THE DIRECTOR GRABS THE PAPERS, KEEPING THEM IN PLACE.]

DIRECTOR: [WITH A SOFTER EXPRESSION] DAVID, I THINK YOU ARE A GOOD AGENT. I WANT YOU ON THIS DIVISION. BUT IF YOU REALLY THINK YOUR TALENTS ARE WASTED IN THIS DIVISION I WILL TRANSFER YOU. JUST GIVE IT A MONTH, SETTLE IN A BIT, AND SEE WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE WITH US. COME TO AN EDUCATED, EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION, NOT ONE BASED ON WHATEVER YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD BY COMMISSION GOSSIP. IF AFTER THAT TIME YOU THINK YOU NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED, I WILL MAKE AND SIGN THE PAPERS MYSELF.

[DAVID LOOKS AT HER, THEN TAKES HIS HAND OFF OF THE PAPERS]

DAVID: I DON'T THINK I WILL CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS, BUT I'LL GIVE IT A CHANCE MA'AM. 

DIRECTOR: [SMILES] GOOD. NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND, I THINK YOU HAVE A DATE WITH YOUR NEW PARTNER OVER IN SECTOR ALPHA.

[DAVID SMILES BACK. DAVID ADJUSTS HIS JACKET, THEN GRABS HIS BAG AND WALKS TOWARDS THE DOOR. AFTER LEAVING, THE DIRECTORS EXPRESSION GOES BACK TO A FROWN, THEN LOOKS OVER SOME PAPERS WITH A CONCERNED EXPRESSION. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE CAMERA FADES OUT.]