Steel Symphony
Chapter 1
Largo Memories
Color:
In a small restaurant outside of a rural town, in the back corner, near the window, sits an older man sucking down cigarettes, a full ashtray infront of him. Across from him is a younger man in a casual suit, a tape recorder, and a notepad.
"I remember where I was when I heard the news" replies the old man, grizzly sucking down the last of the cigarette while gazing off into the distance. The deep shadows splitting his face in two.
"The unit was sent to do a patrol through the city, I watched them do their spot checks, CCC's and CCI's, briefings, and then I watched them leave. I'll never forget their expressions, especially his."
"Maybe midway through the patrol, the Company clerk, Abe, comes running through the hall screaming his chicken head off, like he lost his balls, and knowing that boy, that wasn't too hard to believe." A small smile creeps across his face. He enjoys the moment for a bit, the flash of memory sweeps across his face allowing a strained and quiet chuckle but then the expression changes back to emptiness.
"They're taking fire sir! 9LINE requested, SITREP: AMBUSH, BREAK, TAKING SML ARMS FIRE, BREAK, REQUEST FIRE MISSION, BREAK, LACE: green, amber, red, amber" he pauses for a second, "that boy was pale as all hell. Like he saw it all himself. That fucking mess."
"God damn sniper" he mutters as he lets the smoke escape his lungs, allowing the other man a little time to scribble down a the last few lines.
Black and White: (REF: St Peter Basilica : ROME/ITALY)
"There sits the major church in the city. It seems like the city planners intended to make this the main focus, you could tell a lot of thought and planning went into this elaborate scheme so that all roads ended there. In the circle, where the church sits, are monuments and museums dedicated to the city founders. Statues and pillars and columns and all adorn this center. It's a very holy and historic site. Centuries have passed and this part of the city was always undisturbed...until then."
Color:
"We fucked it up good" he proclaims with a big grin and wide-eyed.
"Ah hahaha the craters we left."
B&W:
"Whomever decided to make an ambush at that spot had balls. His own people probably doubted him because of the value of that spot. But he probably knew, that we'd go in light because we expected no resistence. Why would we? It's a fucking holy site, a graveyard of their ancestors, why would they risk it there?"
Color:
"It was the rain season and the storm was coming; and who ever those douchebags where that designed that fucking city didn't take into account that the center of the city was in a dip. So the fucking place would always flood, making vehicle travel all hell. You know how many shitty and old vehicles we lost there? It's not like the city was that modern, so shit, literally shit, would seep out onto the street and some asshat at the top is getting rich because of all the contracts and the shitty equipment that needs to be replaced."
B&W:
"And then the fucking sniper." -Long shot of the rooftop adorned with statues.
Color:
The old man pauses, snuffs out the cigarette into the ashtray, reaches into his pocket and furnishes a small metal case with a military embelem with a gold oakleaf on it. He pushes a small button and the case opens to reveal a row of cigarettes.
"You smoke boy?"
"No sir, I quit ages ago."
"Ages? What do you know about ages boy?"
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B&W:
Statues and roof. Sniper and spotter. Dark/rain clouds brewing. Dark deep shadows. Lightning in sky. View of spotter. View of sniper's rifle (now a view of a statue being rained on). Rear view of both spotter and sniper in position, prepping to fire.
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B&W:
Large Landscape panel of patrol. Panel of growing closer shots of man in center of the formation and his radioman.
B&W:
Full page shot of SSG(mid-chest to top) with statue building at his back.
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B&W:
Large Landscape panel: Rear view of spotter and sniper
"Wind, from right to left, 7mph." "Humidity: Negligible" "Distance, 700m" "Target is looking at map"
-----------------------------------WORKING ON OR FINISHED--------------------------------------------------
B&W/Color:
"In sight"
"Fire when ready"
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Chap 2
Prologue to Chaos
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B&W:
Full page shot of college university, 3/4, aerial long shot
B&W:
Landscape shot of auditorium, huge lecture hall
Individual panels of students: sleeping, goofing off, not paying attention
B&W (until stated otherwise):
worms eye, belt level up of professor, with giant chalk board behind him
Professor is old, bald, looks a bit like a mmixx of einstein and chopin - big BCG glasses, silver frames, silver hair, brown blazer, bow tie, striped shirt, white slacks
Progressive action shots of feet running and clanking through the hall way
Small shots and images of her clothing (red dress in color), or worried expression, or break aways to explosions and fires (in color)
Full page shot:
Double door school doors burst open to reveal older female type, crying, pale, red(only thing colored) old style dress, screams "WAR"
At discretion unless otherwise stated:
"Turn on the TV Frank! Turn it on, turn it to the news! We're at war!" - she frantically screams
A stunned Frank, Prof. Frank Allensworth, stares at the female in a dumbfounded lost gaze but slowly turns and switches on the tv.
In the center of the broadcast is a man in a suit, obviously distressed, and sweating bullets.
The news ticker below him scrolling through all the events on the outbreak of combat within the city.
"For those of you now tuning in, here's a recap of what we know:
- The President of the Kelzschinstky Union urged for the declaration of war against us due to failing relations, increased economic sanctions, and refusal to include them in talks for the new global mining initiative because of the building of the first space elevator.
- The Kelzschinstky Union Senate broke down during debate. A few minority of their represenatives left early, refusing to vote and are now seeking asylum.
- The newly formed Kelz. State Party (KSP) is comprised of former senate members, top military generals, the president, and the police.
- Protests are taking place around the nation, the largest such at New Manchester where the first Space Elevator is built.
- Attacks came around 1:15pm in the form of air raids on targets of interest, like the NM Bridge, Global Economic Exchange, and the National Capitol.
- The Prime Minister is currently meeting with the Joint Chiefs and other top military advisors, holding a committee on how to respond.
- The estimated death toll is believed to be in the hundred thousands. The police are having diffiulty combating the KSP uniformed military and are asking for military rein-----
We've just received word that the committee is having a press conference and so we turn to that now:
...and without further adieu, the Prime Minister.
Ladies and gentlemen, Victorians, we have been attacked without prior warning, by a determined and aggressive enemy who seeks to only obliterate us completely. We have built the Space Elevator for the purposes of global prosperity, we have increased sanctions against the KSP because of their refusal to abolish their dangerous and warlike energy programs, and because of failing relations and these petty disagreements they bomb our cities?
I come to you not as your Prime Minister but as a Victorian just as you are. I feel your pain and struggle just as you do. The Joint Chiefs, Response Committe and I have not come to our connclusion lightly but from all angles, what would best serve our glorious nation. As of 3pm today, we will be at war with the Kelzschinstky State Party and anyone who seeks to aid them. Both the House and Senate have been called out of winter recess, and have already been asked to ratify the war declaration.
We will be swift and decisive as I have full faith in our military to perform their duties. I ask all Victorians to help one another through these hard times."
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Chap 3
Silent Crescendo
----------BEGIN--------------------
The press conference ends, the Prime Minister leaves, and it returns to some insignificant field reporter repeating what was said.
The auditorium is in a clamour. The air is full of hatred, thoughts of revenge, sorrow, and fear. The PA comes on:
"All students are free to leave their classes for personal attention."
The students rush out the auditorum, cramping up in the wide double doors.
As they leave they exit to mid-day, and carrion crows on the horizon. Off in the distance are huge plumes of thick dark smoke, fires, sirens and alarms, but around them is pristine cut grass, perfect columns, and vibrant bright orange and yellow trees.
As if it was any other day, the recruiters are at their booth having trouble handling the increased attention. As one of the students walks by, he slows to look at their uniforms. The recruiter pulls out a pamphlet, his business card, and hands them to the student while saying, "What, do you want to live forever?"
The student walks down the sidewalks, back towards his apartment. The leaves are brilliant orange, red and yellow. They litter the streets. People are stopped along these urban roads, random citizens huddled close to eachother in the cold fall breeze, arouond cars with their windows down and radio's at full volume.
Random banter:
"I hear they got NM Hospital."
"No shit? My wife is there but good luck getting in. I was there earlier and it was crowded as hell. Took me 2 god damn hours just to get out."
"Damn shame."
"Fucking savages"
"Fucking Plumbs"
------
The student opens his apartment door, throws his keys on the stand, sets the mail and pamphlet down on his desk and turns on a single light.
There sits a single glass of amber liquid with ice, on a coaster, on his small wooden desk.
Envelopes and letters litter the desktop, acceptance letters for jobs or advanced degree programs, as well as letters from banks and loan agencies, show the current balance (high).
He turns on the computer and the dim of the monitor barely lights his face. Obscured by definable, it's a young male with strong features.
There are now 3 empty glasses on his desk, the boy asleep with his half his face smooshed on the desktop.
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Chap 4
Forte
-------BEGIN-------
The boy asleep with his half his face smooshed on the desktop.
Fast images/lots of quick panels with no dialog:
Graduation from college
Acceptance into a law firm
Acceptance to be a doctor
Acceptance to be a computer engineer
Getting Married
Birth of kids
Seeing them grow up
Retirement (at much older age)
Sitting around a fire reading a book.
Death
Graduation from boot camp
Back in college
Graduation from college
Becoming an officer
Leading men
Getting Married
Having Kids
Leading more men/promotions
Retirement (at younger age)
Sitting around a fire telling war stories.
Death w/ full military honors