Virtual Firefly www.stillflying.net Season 2 Episode 5: Monsters Written by Katie Fiorino and Matt Engstrom Directed by Matt Engstrom

Teaser from 2x05: Monsters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. WHITEFALL – K-3 MINING POST – SALOON – DAY Three horses are tied outside the saloon. TWO MEN, hard and rough looking, stand near the horses. They stop talking and watch as CLINT, a young gangly rancher with mud on his boots, walks up the steps and through the swinging saloon doors. INT. WHITEFALL – K-3 MINING POST – SALOON As he enters, Clint’s eyes flicker briefly towards the sole patrons of the bar, LI CHEN, an Asian man in his thirties, and PATIENCE, a worn but rough woman in her sixties. Walking past them, Clint takes a seat at the bar. CLINT: Sake. The BARTENDER smiles and pours Clint his drink. Clint nods his thanks and takes a healthy sip. He looks back to Li Chen and Patience, listening in. PATIENCE: … I got half of this here moon under my fingernails, Chen. There’s a reason they ain’t manicured. ‘S hard work. No one else can make you this offer. LI CHEN: I’m sorry, Patience. I’m gonna have to decline. Clint smiles and finishes the drink. PATIENCE: I’m the one that’s sorry, Chen. Just trying to help, ‘s all, and you an’ your mining camp need my help. Ain’t no denyin’ it. Wasn’t there just an attack here on livestock a few nights past? LI CHEN: Probably just wolves. PATIENCE (laughs): Wolves? Hah! You know better. (leans close) They’re on the move. The taste of livestock won’t satisfy ‘em. Not for long. I’m offering you and your people my protection. Lowest price I can abide. LI CHEN: I appreciate your concern, but your price is too high. PATIENCE: Coin mean that much to you? Li Chen doesn’t answer. Patience stands, putting on her hat. PATIENCE (cont’d): I guess so. Hope you don’t come to regret it. She walks out. Clint, rising from his seat at the bar, walks to Li Chen and takes the seat Patience just vacated. CLINT: What’s that doin’ in these parts? LI CHEN: Lookin’ for a stake in the mine, like usual. Seems like every month she comes out here with a new offer. Alliance stamped protein bars. Horses. One time, she tried to pawn off a genuine diamond necklace for Ming Yu, like an eight-year-old would have any use for somethin’ so fancy. That was the most pathetic of ‘em. An’ this time she comes offerin’ to… well, I s’pose you heard. CLINT: Yeah. (beat) There’s talk among some of the other ranchers that you’d take her offer this time. Lots of ‘em want ya to. Not me, of course. I can’t stand the thought of that woman stickin’ her nose in our business. But… LI CHEN: Don’t you worry none. We don’t need her help. Got a man comin’. A Browncoat. Was a sergeant in the war. He’ll be landin’ t‘morrow with enough weapons for all ‘a my miners an’ all you ranch folk nearby. We’ll look out for each other. CLINT: We always do. (beat) ‘Sides, like you said, it’s probably just wolves causin’ all the ruckus, like always. They clink glasses. Clint finishes his drink while Li Chen reaches into a bag under the table. He takes out a bulky OBJECT that appears to be a cross between binoculars and a flashlight. LI CHEN: Was going to drop this off at your place, but since you’re here. (turns it on; it glows violet) Heat scanner. We use them in the mines to find veins. Should help you see the wolves ‘fore they see you. CLINT: Thanks, Li. LI CHEN: Think nothin’ of it. CLINT: Well, I best be off. Me an’ Trusty are gonna be sleepin’ with the cattle tonight, keepin’ watch and such. It’s gonna be a long night. LI CHEN: Be careful, Clint. CLINT: Yeah, Li. You too. Give Ming Yu a peck on the cheek for me when ya’ tuck ‘er in. The two shake hands. Clint picks up the heat scanner, flips a coin at the bartender, and exits. EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH – SUNSET – EST. Clint walks up a dirt path towards a small, dusty ranch house, surrounded by fields filled with CATTLE. A dog (TRUSTY) laying on the porch jumps up and runs to Clint, wagging its tail and barking happily. EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH – NIGHT Clint sits on a chair near the edge of the field behind the ranch house. He plays a MOURNFUL TUNE on his harmonica. Trusty sits next to him. The heat scanner hangs on the chair, and a crude rifle lies across his lap. An open BOTTLE rests near one of his boots. Cattle graze nearby. The trees of the adjacent woods sway in the breeze. Shadows play and dance with the flickering fire. From the woods, a twig SNAPS. Trusty raises his head, listening. EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH – TREELINE POV Something watches Clint from the woods, BREATHING HEAVY. A second twig SNAPS, followed by a RUSTLE of leaves. EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH Trusty GROWLS. Clint stops playing his harmonica. Leans over and takes a swig of sake. CLINT: You hear somethin’, boy? The cattle begin to GROAN. They are frightened. Hidden amidst the noises of the cattle, a FAINT INHUMAN CRY is heard. The cattle begin to scatter. Trusty jumps to his feet, GROWLING towards the woods. Clint rises from the chair, rifle in one hand and the heat scanner in the other. Trusty BARKS and races towards the woods. CLINT (cont’d): Wait, Trusty! Clint cradles the rifle in his left arm while he fiddles with the controls on the heat scanner. The heat scanner turns on and flickers. He shakes it. CLINT (cont’d): Gorram it. The heat scanner stops flickering and emits a constant violet light. CLINT (cont’d): Please don’t be them. Please God. Clint raises the heat scanner to his eyes. Through it, he sees Trusty, a splotch of purple in pitch black, but nothing else. Clint turns left and then right, scanning the area, but all that registers is Trusty and the cows. He lowers the heat scanner, eyes narrowing as he looks into the darkness. Trusty BARKS and SNARLS, then SQUEALS. The night grows silent. CLINT (cont’d): Trusty! (beat) Trusty! Trusty! You hearin’ me? Clint fumbles, raising both the rifle and the heat scanner back to his eyes. He looks right and then left, but sees nothing. Clint lowers his rifle. The sound of SNARLING and GNASHING floats through the air. Something WHISTLES out of the black towards him. A knife sinks into his right shoulder. Clint stumbles back and falls down into the dust. The rifle drops from his grip. He looks at the handle of the knife. It’s laden with spikes. Clint drops the heat scanner down and pulls the knife out of his shoulder. The blood-streaked blade is crude and of a curved, wicked shape. CLINT: No! Not them! EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH – TREELINE POV Something rushes out of the woods towards the injured and bleeding Clint. EXT. WHITEFALL – CLINT’S RANCH Clint snatches up the heat scanner and puts it back to his eyes. He sees FIVE SHAPES running towards him. He drops the heat scanner and reaches for the rifle. CLINT: Please God, no! The noise of THUDDING footsteps and inhuman SHRIEKING grows louder. Clint fires his rifle just once, then SCREAMS.

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