2175 C.E.

XI: The Interrogation Room

MATTINGLY: But this is a matter of life and death! I'm asking you to pull those records!

CALVIN: According to the Hegemony and Ambience Corp., they don't exist. But now that you speak up, it does raise an interesting question in my mind. What were you doing in that cabin? What was your role in this terrorism mess?

MATTINGLY: There's no terrorism and I did nothing and you know it.

CALVIN: What I do know is that somebody with your voiceprint called our assets "metal bastards." I also know that unless Mr. Aucaman here is incredibly dexterous, somebody had to be firing a 12-guage shotgun out the window while he was operating the advanced weapon. Now you'll forgive me for connecting the dots, but that makes it seem like you're in league with a known terrorist.

AUCAMAN: Alleged.

CALVIN: But I also know that you are a woman on a mission. I was on duty when we received the call about your house and your sister. It's a terrible story.

MATTINGLY: So what?

CALVIN: So. You were highly distraught last night. Your home was gone. Your sister was missing. Your life seemed to be falling to pieces. Then, Mr. Aucaman came to you with the promise that he could find your sister for you. You were distrustful, so you brought your boyfriend Brent Calhoun. Mr. Aucaman led you out to the woods to a cabin he knew about. There he tried to convince you to join his insane, paranoid conspiracy, in which he described Hegemony monetary ties to Ambience Corp., and Ambience involvement in local government, and asked you to join his plan to attack Ambience facilities in Helena. When you refused, he became angry, killed Brent, and held you hostage. Isn't that right Ms. Mattingly?

MATTINGLY: Why, you...

AUCAMAN: Cynthia...

MATTINGLY: That's not what happened. I'll never say that.

CALVIN: If you say it, that's what happened.

MATTINGLY: Who cares what I say? You know what happened. It's in Billy's stupid book, it's in my head, it's on the recording...

AUCAMAN: Cynthia...

MATTINGLY: What?

AUCAMAN: He's offering you a way out.

MATTINGLY: What do you mean?

AUCAMAN: That's going to be the story either way. It doesn't matter what actually happened. That's the story. I'm going down either way. You say that, you get to go free.

MATTINGLY: But it's bullshit...

AUCAMAN: Nobody's going to care that it's bullshit. It's clean and it's quick. You have one chance to go free. You should take it.

[Pause]

CALVIN: You should listen to the man. He may be homicidal and unstable, but he isn't stupid. He knows when to quit. [sniffs the air] But boy, does he smell like fish. What did you do, roll in the stuff?

[Pause]

MATTINGLY: You know what? No. No, I will not say it. I would have died out there if it wasn't for him. Or maybe worse. I don't know. But I know there's no way I'm going to sit here and listen to you lie and, and, and pretend that you didn't kill Brent, and that everything's normal, and that Olivia's not still out there wherever that thing took her, and...

CALVIN: I get the idea.

MATTINGLY: And you can't just pretend that all that bullshit is true. No one will believe it. The evidence is right in front of you.

CALVIN: How sure are you of that?

MATTINGLY: What?

CALVIN: How sure are you that no one will believe it?