for
12/2/2000
The following is part of a screenplay that I've been outlining the last few weeks. Apologies that the end of semester crunch has prevented me from writing a Space Toast Page this week. Please enjoy.
"Windy City"
EXT. A HOUSE - DAY
The roof is having new tiles put in, and a large section of it is missing. Several WORKMEN are spreading a tarp up over the gap, and tying it down amidst the breeze of mid afternoon. A car trundles up, and sits idling. Beside the house, a motherly woman of forty, SARAH GON ASSURBANI pauses from overseeing the work and calls out across the fields.
Dan!
EXT. FIELDS, CONT.
The vista is patchworked with farmland. DAN ASSURBANI’s head comes over a hill. He is about twelve, with a mop of sandy blond hair on his head. He turns back around as he runs toward the house and says to a pack of older boys behind him --
I have to go now!
EXT. HOUSE, CONT.
PAUL ASSURBANI exits the house in a hurry. He’s tall and lanky, with a disarming smile and the manner of a bumbling Roberto Benigni character, going bald and in his early forties. He stops near Sarah, almost dropping his valise as he struggles into a coat, and says he’s ready--where’s Dan? He’s coming--and indeed, he enters just then. They’ve got to go--are his friends seeing him off? (Sarah spit-wipes some dirt off his face.) No, they’re not. The car is ready. They pile in. We follow the car as it pulls out, seeing past it a gentle hillside that slopes down to the sea. There is apparently a village on the harbor below; we can see the tops of the old buildings. Farther out is an ancient stone lighthouse, sitting atop a spit of land at the right-hand side of the harbor’s mouth.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY
The country train station is bustling; the weekly train has arrived. It sits in open air, and a crowd has formed next to it. The family is making its way through the crowd. Paul, a head taller than the rest, leads his wife and son toward the train. As there’s no line at the steps, Paul and Sara stop for a goodbye and kiss. Sarah asks Paul if he thinks he’ll be back from the negotiations by Fall. He says he hopes they’ll only be gone a couple months as Dan walks on into --
INT. TRAIN, CONT.
And moves down the isle, looking for a seat.
EXT. TRAIN, CONT.
Paul mentions how it will be good to get Dan away from those older boys for a while. Maybe he’ll make some real friends. Sarah agrees, then kisses Paul goodbye as he goes into--
INT. TRAIN, CONT.
And catches up with Dan. They find a seat and sit. Paul asks if he’s excited about the trip. Dan is looking out the window at a high mountaintop ridge in the distance, on which sits a rank of metallic green buildings. A pole comes into view. The train is moving. The CONDUCTOR arrives and asks for their destination. Paul says Windy City, retrieves their tickets and hands them over to be punched.
We’ll be making our connection in
about half an hour, Mr. Assurbani.
Have a pleasant trip.
EXT. IN THE AIR - DAY
We follow the train as it passes through the waving fields of the valley, the seashore to its left. From the right sweeps in a flying machine, green like the city and not quite as long as a train car. It banks gently, and swoops after the speeding train. It comes down lower, and puts out more wing. Already it would seem to have enough, it being a knot of wings and fins, with no apparent means of landing. Its speed drops with the wing lengthening, and it glides in to match speed with the train. The flying machine slowly lowers a cable. The cable is caught by a simple V-shaped device on the roof of the train.
INT. TRAIN, CONT.Windy City passengers.
Dan and Paul get up. With his father’s hand on his back, he follows three passengers and the conductor down the isle.
EXT. FLYING MACHINE, CONT.
A passenger compartment detaches from the body of the flying machine and slides down the cable.
INT. TRAIN, CONT.
Under the roof hatch, on a small spiral staircase inside the train, the conductor waits for the passenger compartment to finish its descent. Once it does (with a loud KLUNK), he pulls two heavy sideways levers and swings the hatch above him open. There are seven or eight passengers below, among them Dan and Paul, but also a black-haired man in his 20s.
(making way)
All aboard.
INT. PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, CONT.
Dan and Paul go in and take a seat. The other man, SAUL MANESER, sits down across from them, and the rest of the passengers climb in behind. Saul smiles as they strap on their seat belts. He makes some light chatter with Paul about their negotiations in Windy City. Paul is noticeably less talkative than Saul, who seems to say anything on his mind. Saul says hi to Dan as the floor hatch is closed.
INT. FLYING MACHINE, CONT.
A TECHNICIAN in safety equipment looks down the cable, making “up” gestures with his hand. A motor above him WHINES, surely but unevenly keeping the cable tight as --
EXT. TRAIN, CONT.
The passenger compartment rises.
INT. FLYING MACHINE, CONT.
The passenger compartment KLUNKS into place below the technician. He opens a hatch, and begin to help the passengers out.
EXT. IN THE AIR - DAY
The cable is once again detached, and the machine on the top of the train is resetting. The flying machine trims its wings and leaves the train behind.
EXT. MOUNTAINTOP - LATE AFTERNOON
A montage of the tiny flying machine approaching and circling the green city. Windy City is aptly named: Atop a mountaintop ridge that runs north to south, heavy winds blow steadily from the west. As a result, the skyscrapers that make up the city are all aligned west to east. They’re narrow and rounded off like airfoils, to allow the wind to flow around them. A central arroyo runs through the middle of the city, parallel to the buildings. There are large cables running down from the tops of the buildings, and some of them are slack. We faintly hear some radio CHATTER as the flying machine circles.
INT. FLYING MACHINE, CONT.
Paul and Dan are looking out the window. Dan says he wants to go home. Paul says he thought he’d like the adventure. They turn their attention to a CREW MEMBER as he raises his voice over the DIN to explain the procedure.
Okay, we’re about to make our
approach to the wharf building.
Remember to step lively, and
hold on to the railings. Right,
welcome to Windy City, folks.
EXT. ROOFTOP - LATE AFTERNOON
The flying machine banks in toward the top of a building. Some windmill blades below show us how fast the wind is blowing. It puts out more wing as it skims the top of the building, and almost comes to a stop in midair. The passengers disembark onto a moving platform beside the flying machine, protected from the wind but grasping the railings none the less.
INT. APARTMENT - DUSK
NINEVE SHERRIB, a girl Dan’s age, is having her hair brushed by her mother, GYLLIAN KATZUM. Her father, SENATOR SHERRIB, is getting ready behind them. The room is airy and well furnished. The windows huge, and looking out over Windy City. Gyllian is talking to Nineve about her father meeting Paul for negotiations. Nineve asks what about. She says it’s about grain and electricity, then switches to talking about Dan, asking Nineve to make friends with him, since he doesn’t know anyone in Windy City. Nineve agrees to.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - EVENING
Dan and Paul are unpacking--Paul’s making much more headway than Dan. He asks if something’s wrong. Dan says he doesn’t like it there, that he won’t know anyone. Paul says maybe he’ll get to know some people from the city. Dan says he doesn’t want to know anyone from Windy City. Just then, the suite door opens and Saul comes in. He’s all dressed up. He chats with Paul again, freely spouting about how the Windy City people are known to play hardball. Again, Paul seems reluctant to discuss it. An aide in her twenties, TIGRES PILESER, knocks at the door and asks if they’re ready.
INT. PARTY - EVENING
The conference center of the hotel has been decked out for the welcome fête. Paul, Saul and three other people from the flight are being greeted by members of the senate. Paul is introduced to Senator Sherrib, his wife Gyllian and daughter Nineve. Paul introduces Dan, and Saul introduces himself. Paul and Sherrib seem to like each other immediately. ESTER HADDEN, a 60 year old aide to the senator, arrives and gives Sherrib the report from Sky West on a storm that’s approaching. He thanks her, and asks her to check up on the storm preparations. She is then introduced around; her special interest in Dan makes her immediately likable. Paul and Saul are then introduced to the GANG OF FOUR--four senators who we’ll see more of later--as Dan wanders off. Nineve goes after him. Near some ice sculptures, Dan tells her to stop following him. She says she just wanted to be friendly. He tells her to go away. She doesn’t understand, but gets angry and half shouts:
Fine!
Before stomping off.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Rain lashes the window in weird, irregular bursts. Dan is on the bed, depressed. The building is creaking in the wind. Paul comes over and asks what’s the matter. Dan says again that he wants to go home. Paul says it’s not that bad, and takes him over to the window. He points out the heavy cable running from the ground to somewhere above them, amidst rain bursts, and explains to him that the cables are only strung up when there’s a storm approaching, because if the wind got changeable and hit the buildings from the side, it might knock one over. He assures him that they’re safe though, and tells him that tomorrow they might be able to see the valley from their hotel room, maybe even the house if they look hard enough. Dan asks when they can go home, and Paul says that it depends on how the next day goes.
EXT. SENATE - DAY
The senate dome sits low but impressive among the Windy City skyscrapers -- an imposing presence.
INT. SENATE - DAY
A large map of the valley has been projected behind the SPEAKER at the podium. He is going on rather dryly about grain tariffs. Paul, Saul and the others of the valley delegation have been given their own part of the raked semi-circle of seating, and are listening intently. The senators--there are perhaps 20 of them--are across an aisle. There is a second tier of seating for the general public. Dan is in one seat. Nineve is a few rows down and over. She looks back, and Dan’s gone. She sees him heading into the hallway, and goes after him.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Nineve catches up with Dan downstairs. She asks what he’s doing. He says he just wants to go exploring, and turns down an unlit corridor. She says he’s not allowed to go down there, to which he answers so what. She’s getting frustrated with him. She says she’ll tell. He offers to let her come along if she doesn’t, and she accepts. Dan asks, as they sneak, why Nineve’s there--doesn’t she have any friends to play with. She does, sort of, but they’re in school--she’s taught at home by her mom. Just then they round a corner and find Ester Hadden, sitting in her office. She smiles a “don’t worry” smile and invites them into--
INT. OFFICE, CONT.
Ester makes chit-chat about the storm as she clears a place for them both to sit. She shows them the arroyo, outside, which has swelled to a full-blown river overnight--and mentions her part in overseeing the cables, which are now being taken down by heavy machinery throughout the city. Dan asks her what she does for Nineve’s dad. Everything, she (half) jokes. She looks at a clock, says that their dads should be in session for a couple more hours, and asks if they’d like to go for a walk.
INT. COATROOM
Dan, Nineve and Ester get their coats from an ATTENDANT who Ester knows by name.
EXT. SENATE - DAY
The three walk through the city, up onto a glassed-in footbridge which crosses the arroyo (there are no streets or cars in Windy City) and watch the wind blow great plumes of water from the temporary river. Ester talks a little about her late husband, then the three begin discussing Paul and Senator Sherrib, comparing them favorably. Dan seems to be warming up to Nineve somewhat. Ester says it’s too bad--they could have been good friends, if not for “the troubles” some years back; for some reason, this mention causes an immediate change in Dan. He says he wants to go back. Ester asks if he’s cold. Nineve asks Ester what “the troubles” are as Dan starts back. Nineve’s question is lost as they’re forced to catch up with him, calling Dan’s name as they do so.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - MORNING
There is a knock at the door. Nineve is there, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a pretty dress. She asks Dan if he’s going out to see the airship. Dan has no idea what she’s talking about. She says she’ll show him, but first he has to get dressed up a little.
EXT. HOTEL - MORNING
A trolley car leaves the foyer of the hotel.
INT. TROLLEY, CONT.
Nineve is explaining excitedly: the Ancien is the first airship to ever visit Windy City; it comes by once a year. Other people on the train start to get excited as they notice something out the window. Dan looks, and glimpses, in the gap between two buildings, something very large flying slowly toward the city.
EXT. SQUARE - MORNING
Nineve beckons excitedly for Dan to follow. The city square is filled with women in fine dresses and hats, like Nineve, and men in their equal best. They’re crowded toward an east-facing lookout, which Nineve is leading Dan toward. There are street vendors about, and translucent plastic windstops have been erected to shield the crowd. Nineve gets them to the front on sheer cuteness, and they watch with front row seats as the gigantic airship lumbers over the skyscrapers above. Dan is stunned. Nineve is elated. The airship is a cousin of the flying machine, enlarged to the size of a navy cruiser. It has no gas bag like a diridgible, but appears to be all wings and fins, stuck on in odd, unarranged, assymetrical patterns. An entire town in the sky, Nineve remarks. The crowd applauds its appearance. Nineve talks about imagining what it would be like to live in one.
EXT. FIRST WARF BUILDING - LATE MORNING
The airship passes slowly over the top of one of four warf buildings, lowering by cable the first of several car-sized waste containers. A ground crew quickly makes preparations to get the container down into the building and out of the way.
EXT. SQUARE - NOON
Nineve and Dan are laughing about something, eating what they bought from a nearby cart. Nineve gags from laughing so hard, and almost spills her drink.
EXT. SECOND WARF BUILDING - EARLY AFTERNOON
The airship begins loading the first of many containers, which we see lined up on this rooftop, and that of the warf building behind it. The ground crew is working diligently, and there are always more cables to hook and unhook.
EXT. SQUARE - AFTERNOON
Nineve and Dan have purchased a paper kit, and are just finishing putting together the pieces of an ingenius cardboard model of the airship. Nineve glances to Dan in expectation, tosses it, and it flies.
EXT. SECOND WARF BUILDING - LATE AFTERNOON
The rooftop is clear of containers, and the airship is now taking them from the one behind it.
EXT. PLATFORM, CONT.
--the walkway to an electric box (regulating the turbine above.) The platform it makes is about six feet wide by twelve feet long, with a waist-high wall and a safety cable at its western end. Dan presses his hands to the metal grate that makes up the platform’s floor. Nineve says that she’s been coming there since she was younger--it’s nice because of the heat from the turbine coming up through the grate. She wonders, again, what it’s like living in an airship, flying forever and never touching the ground. She throws her arms wide at the edge as she speaks; the wind shooting up the cliff-face catches her hat, in spite of the ribbon under her chin, and throws it away.
EXT. FOURTH WARF BUILDING - DUSK
There is one last container to be picked up. The airship skims in with cables down. The crew attaches them to the box, steps back, and the box is pulled away. From the ground crew a cheer goes up, which is echoed by the crowd below.
EXT. SQUARE, CONT.
The crowd applauds and waves to the airship as it heads off to the west.
EXT. WALKWAY, CONT.
In farewell, the many colored lights of the airship flicker off and on. In the dusk gloaming, it looks like a great christmas tree. Nineve and Dan wave and watch it go.
Touch the Toast