The Elsewhere Files

Unexpected Measures Pt 3 - Mission One

Camera fades in and out as it opens, revealing the moment it left off with the JD look a-like strangling Kiera. She stops trying to pull his hands off her and instead grabs his thumb, popping it out of joint with a quick jerk even with her weak grip. The man curses and lets go, Kiera crumples to the floor Kiera is seen lying on her side gasping for air, the crowd around her looking startled, as if they only just realized she was there. Kiera looks up to see the JD look a-like’s face waver, morphing from resembling her absent lover, to revealing Barry Hoover’s familiar face, and back. The camera tilts on an angle, paralleling Kiera’s crumpled form. She is in the bottom left corner, pulling her knees to her chest and suddenly kicking out, bashing into Barry’s shin and sending him toppling to the ground. Kiera is seen scrambling, trying to weakly get away. Barry Hoover regains his feet, coming after her, the crowd watching in mute fascination.

As Kiera reaches the door, Barry grabs her, one hand in her hair, the other reaching around her chest.

[Barry]: “Oh no little girlie, I’m going to enjoy this now.”

[Kiera]: “Help!” tries thrashing, but still visibly weak.

[Barry]: laughs “No one is going to help you girlie. I won’t let them.”

[Kiera]: body sags in defeat “I thought you were a chameleon…”

[Barry]: nods “I am.” Leans in to whisper in Kiera’s ear “Some of us are more talented than others. Did you forget that?”

[Kiera]: eyes widen in disbelief “Oh God.” Voice soft

[Barry]: “Oh yes.” Chuckles, hand gripping Kiera’s neck

[Kiera]:  shudders We need to get everyone out of here.” Her voice is wretched.

[Barry]: stroking Kiera’s neck “And why do we need to do that?” voice sarcastically mocking

[Kiera]: “Because in less than five minutes this place is going to be a dead zone. There’s an Elsewhere pocket forming and it’s going to swallow half the town.” Kiera’s voice is soft, almost as if she doesn’t care if it happens.

[Barry]: hands still around Kiera’s throat. “Why should I believe you?”

[Kiera]: “No reason at all.” Shrugs “But what if I’m right?” tone turns challenging.

[Barry]: stays silent a moment, clearly thinking it over. “Alright boys, lets move out!”

Camera pans out to see nine men step out of the crowd, all heavily armed. None of them had been visible previously.

[Kiera]: gasps “How?”

[EWOC 1]: smirks “Because we’re Ninjas, baby.”

[Barry]: “Phil shut up.” As Barry is about to say something, the door to the club opens and the soldiers with the Major step in.

Both sides stare at each other for a moment, stunned to find the opposition there. Weapons snap up, the ten EWOCs outnumbering the soldiers. But the Major’s side had the better firearms. Kiera is still held in Barry’s grip, one of his hands squeezing her burned wrist painfully. The other one reveals a serrated hunting blade. Barry lifts  the hem of Kiera’s jacket and shirt, pressing the sharp metal against her abdomen.

[Barry]: “Running a little slow Major. Little Rainbow Bright here is coming with us.” Pulls Kiera back with him, towards the exit.

[Kiera]: “Get everyone out of here. Half the towns getting demolished in three minutes.”

The camera sees the Major stepping forward, following after Barry and Kiera. Barry pulls the blade sharply across Kiera’s stomach, making her cry out in pain as her abdomen starts to bleed.

[Barry]: “Every time you come after us, I’ll cut her up.”

Camera sees everyone freeze and look startled as the building around them groans, starting to shake and rattle.

[Kiera]: “Warning tremors.” Voice soft “Barry get people to evacuate. Give some of them a fighting chance.”

[Barry]: “Why would I waste time doing that?”

[Kiera]: “Are you a man or a monster? Not everyone is going to make it out as it is!” Camera sees Barry close his eyes for a second and sway back. Kiera breaks from his grip and tumbled into the Major’s. The soldiers immediately retreat, the EWOCs grab Barry and use the rear exit.

The camera pans out, following the Major as he runs Kiera out to their battered SUV. In the background it is clear that Barry had given the populace a general alert to evacuate; people were in a panic.

The three SUVs barrel down the roadway, passing cars on the shoulder when necessary. Huge cracks are starting to form, tearing through the ground and concrete alike.

[Kiera]: “We’re on the outskirts.” She’s holding her jacket tightly to her stomach as the Major swerves the SUV around vehicles and obstacles. “It’s here.” Kiera’s voice is a whisper

The camera pulls out of the SUV, zooming out to see the three SUVs and the road their driving on. At first nothing seems amiss, but after a moment, a massive section of the road behind them simply falls away. Another section shoots skyward, the massive pillar of rock underneath suddenly surging upwards. Other sections of the ground are twisting, churned over to being the cement and everything on it. The camera zooms back into the SUV with Kiera and the Major.

[Kiera]: “Drive, drive faster!”

[Crowe]: “As much as I love hearing a woman scream faster, now is not the time Kiera!” he is fully accelerated, speeding down the road. Ahead the ground seems to stretch impossible physics. Their SUV scrapes by it and seems to settle on the ground. Kiera and the Major grin at each other but then the road under them bucks and heaves, sending their SUV sailing through the air, landing with a crunch and rolling them a couple of times. The SUV settles on the roof.

The camera zooms in on the second and third SUV, pulling up alongside theirs and the soldiers spilling out. One reaches Kiera’s side and carefully extracts her. Another pulls the Major out, a jagged cut on his cheek coating his face with blood. They load Kiera and the Major into the SUVs and return to the crashed vehicle. Everything is quickly collected out of the SUV, stripping it bare and traceless. Both unconscious people are brought back to their hotel room. The camera hears Kiera groan as she’s carried inside, but the Major is pale faced and unconscious still.

The camera screen fast forwards, showing the soldiers dressing their wounds and eventually a pair of military doctors arriving to stitch them both back together. The camera resumes normal speeds as Kiera wakes up, seeing the last of the military men standing at the foot of her bed, staring at her.

[Doctor]: “You’re both lucky to be alive.” Looks at the heavily bandaged Major. “Him more than you. And it’s entirely your fault. Stop acting like a willful child before you get someone else killed.”

Kiera looks stricken, entirely unable to respond,. The doctor walks out of the room, leaving Kiera alone with the sleeping Major. After watching the door for a moment, Kiera throws off the blankets and carefully makes her way to the dresser. The camera swings around to see her taking a small pile of pills, then staring at her battered visage in the mirror. The bag she’d had after the Pharmacy had been recovered with everything else, so Kiera grabs it and retreats to the bathroom. The camera speeds up, showing both the sleeping Major and Kiera in the bathroom, dying her wildly coloured hair dark auburn. The scene speeds past the familiar sequence of Kiera sitting back on her heels, talking to herself, asking for JD’s help and walking to the end of the Major’s bed. The speed resumes normal, hearing Kiera once more apologize to the Major and walk out the door. The camera sees her sit down on the step in front of it and carefully curl up, keeping guard for the Major while he slept. Camera fades to black.