HOME | DD
Synnic —
The Interrogation
[NSFW]
Published: 2011-11-01 05:18:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 10179; Favourites: 99; Downloads: 290
Redirect to original
Description
EXT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION - LATE AFTERNOONWe are moving toward a black marble sign with raised, illuminated white lettering made of tubes. The sign reads Ministry of Information. Behind it is a block long three story building.
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION - LATE AFTERNOON
We continue through the front doors past a reception desk to an elevator. A man inserts a key and presses a button. The elevator goes up but we go down. The shaft is visible extending below us. We arrive at our floor and emerge into a corridor. Department of Interrogation is written in large, white tube lettering on the blue-grey corridor wall. We pause.
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION OFFICE SUB-LEVEL
We rush through a cubicle area, until we reach Cubicle 18.
JACK OVERTON
JACK OVERTON paces in his cubicle and speaks into a handheld recorder.
Subject 924 is singing to himself again. I don't understand how he manages it.
I've followed the standard protocols from the Manual for the Advanced Application
of Pain. It's not working.
GARY WILLET
GARY WILLET's head appears over Jack's cubicle wall and he hangs his arms over it.
Problems Jack?
JACK OVERTON
Only if you count having Sector Chief Oslo on my ass about this new subject. He
says that if I haven't broken him by 1430 hours Tuesday, he's got a lovely spot
open in cell cleaning crew #4 with my name on it. Scooping up body refuse and
mopping blood is not on my agenda, Gary.
GARY WILLET
Oooo! The Golden Boy's getting a bad case of, "What have you done for me lately?"
from up the anthill, huh?
JACK OVERTON
If you're not gonna help stuff a sock in it, Gary!
Jack tosses a balled up Post-it at Gary.
GARY WILLET
Ok, ok. Ease up. What have you tried?
JACK OVERTON
Pretty much all the basic stuff. Ahhh -- Lemme see. Techniques number 18, 47,
995, and 398 from the MAAP. Sleep deprivation. Sodium amatyl, methedrine cycling.
Electroconvulsive...
We follow Jack out of the cubicle and then remain stationary as he and Gary head down a
corridor. Jack's and Gary's conversation gets quieter as they walk diminishing until they
turn a corner.
We turn the other direction and rush down the corridor past 2 guards and straight at a
steel door. FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION INTERROGATION CELL
We are in a neutral white, circular room. A prisoner is strapped into a complicated looking
chair with a console next to it. SUBJECT 924 is rocking up against the straps and falling
back against the chair repeatedly.
SUBJECT 924
Do not! Do NOT let them get into your head! Bill, how much longer?! How much
LONGER, Bill?! (Ad lib random phrases. Then start singing The Minstrel Boy. Break
the song up with laughter and/or cries.)
Jack and a guard enter the room. Subject 924 falls silent.
JACK OVERTON
Hello, 924. I have a special treat for you.
Jack snaps his fingers. The guard opens the door. Another prisoner, BILL, strapped to
another identical chair is wheeled in by a second guard while Jack injects Subject 924 with
something. Jack lines up the new chair so that the prisoners face each other directly, then
begins plugging wires from it into the console. Both prisoners are dressed to be mirror
images of each other.
This will be very good, 924.
SUBJECT 924 spits at Jack. JACK ignores him and finishes.
Ah forgive me, I should have introduced you sooner. 924, this is Bill. Bill, this
is 924. Now 924, Bill and I have a question for you. Go ahead Bill, you can ask
now.
BILL
Where did you put the bomb 924?
SUBJECT 924
You go to hell! You're not Bill! I am! I am!
JACK OVERTON
Jack presses a switch on the console. There's an ELECTRICAL SOUND and both prisoners arch
simultaneously and scream.
No. You have to answer the question. Now let's try again please. 924, you try
asking the question.
SUBJECT 924
(stutters)
W-Where did you p-put the bomb?
BILL
What bomb?
Jack presses the switch again.
Continue the scene in the same vein. Repeat the cycle as we FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION INTERROGATION CELL - LATER
(Both prisoners look considerably worse for wear.)
JACK OVERTON
Bill, ask the question.
Jack puts his hand on the prisoner that we KNOW is SUBJECT 924.
Go ahead.
SUBJECT 924
Where did you put the bomb?
BILL
I don't know!
Jack's hand moves toward the switch and both prisoners scream before he even reaches it.
JACK OVERTON
924, ask Bill the question.
BILL
Where did you put the bomb?
SUBJECT 924
In the -- I don't -- NO!
Jack's hand reaches for the switch and presses it.
FADE OUT
FADE IN:
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION INTERROGATION CELL - MUCH LATER
JACK OVERTON
924, ask the question.
BILL
Where did you put the bomb?
SUBJECT 924
In the -- the park at 9th and Garden.
JACK OVERTON
Good, Bill, that wasn't so hard was it? Next question.
BILL
Who helped you make the bomb?
SUBJECT 924
Jordan Orwell... (give more names)
Gradual FADE OUT and silence.
FADE IN:
INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION OFFICE SUB-LEVEL
We are in Jack's cubicle with Gary hanging over the cube wall again.
GARY WILLET
So how'd you do it, Jack?
JACK OVERTON
(looking smug)
Induced intermetamorphosis.
GARY WILLET
Inter-what?
JACK OVERTON
Have you ever seen Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck doing the rabbit season bit, Gary?
GARY WILLET
Yeah, Jack. Where are you going with this?
JACK OVERTON
I set up two prisoners and made them ask each other the questions. I made them
alternate faster and faster until they were completely disoriented and then pulled
a Bugs Bunny. With the help of the confusion and some drugs, I got 924 thinking he
was the other prisoner -- that they had essentially swapped places. It's called
intermetamorphosis. Once that happened, in his mind, he wasn't betraying anything.
GARY WILLET
You know the guys are already calling your little rabbit trick a Dual Screams
Workstation?
FADE OUT.
END.
Related content
Comments: 62
Oy, congrats on the DD! Very excellent to see some script action in there.
I thought I should let you know now that I really loved this one when I read it for the contest. 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Aha! You wrote this in Celtx, didn't you! How'd you manage to upload it to Deviantart? I can't seem to get my Celtx files to load...
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
You can always save them as PDFs and upload them to DA.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ah... yes, I could do that too, couldn't I... heh heh...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
It saves a lot of DA formatting headaches.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Sorry, I actually wrote it in WordPad on my Windows PC. The formatting was all done manually. In fact, it's the first screenplay I've done.
Although, A quick web search found that there is a Celtx wiki. You might try this [link] and see if it helps.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you! Wow... that was unbelievably easy... You saved me a lot of headache, Synnic. Thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You're like the master of coming up with ideas from chat, aren't you? See? The Typo Fairy is really muse. 
Anyway, this was fascinating. Scary and clever and absorbing. A very well-deserved DD!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
So it would seem. I have gotten some great ideas that way.
Hehehe. Maybe she is at that.
Thanks.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Very interesting script. I could see it all play out in my head clearly. I had to reread that part where they switched roles- very clever. Thank you for writing this!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Nice
i luv this. Isn't it funny where you can get your inspiration from... :3
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
wow I find this absolutely brilliant. always good to come across such an interesting bit of writing!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I did like the story but I was generally without a sense of direction for some reason. I felt confused.. I think it was due to the fact I didn't get a good sense of the character, of the 'we' mentioned in the story and I was overly focused on the prisoners.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. I can see where some of the conventions might be a bit confusing. Hopefully, this explanation will help.
The we in the non-indented parts means the audience/behind the camera and it is not part of the story itself. It's a technique intended to describe a point of view without encumbering the script with detailed camera direction that in a film is the job of the Director of Photography. This is the same technique that's used in the script for the movie Blade Runner. [link] is a pretty good intro video that explains some of the basics of script writing. Also, have a look at [link] for an explanation of script formatting.
If you still find yourself a little confused after looking this over, please let me know specifics and I will try to either further explain or look at ways I might improve the script to be clearer.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks! I really don't have much knowledge in the way of scripts and that's most likley why I was lost in some places. Grats on your DD!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
What is this? I dont think this is good enough for thew DD. Sorry, but thats what I think. I go to art college so i DO know.
👍: 0 ⏩: 3
FAQ #873: What do I do when I disapprove of a Daily Deviation feature?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Good point, nigga. I stand corrected. peace
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Honestly, I was surprised to see that I had gotten a DD. I had no idea it was coming.
Is it just that you don't like the subject or do you see flaws in execution? I'm always looking to improve my writing. If it is flawed execution and you'd care to go into specifics about what you think could be better, I'd love to know.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I think his problem is that he dislikes it and he goes to art school, which automatically grants his opinions extra weight.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks for your support, Vanshira.
I do try to give people the benefit of the doubt, even when they communicate poorly. I can understand that someone may have a negative emotional reaction to a piece, or even just find the idea to be something that bothers them. I'm genuinely interested in the answers to the question why, but judging by the lack of response to a sincere overture, I'm just going to have to chalk this one up to trolling and move on.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I generally find that if people are going to provide any sort of useful information on why they dislike a piece (even if it's just "needs moar smex"), they tend to offer it straight up. That, and given the spelling and grammar in the original post, I'm not sure how highly I'd value his opinion on literature anyway. It doesn't take any great talent to use spell check, you just have to care a little bit.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
True, that's often the case. On occasion though, I have changed attitudes just by being willing to open a dialog.
While this person's profile as a self-proclaimed expert combined with bad grammar probably indicates a very closed mind, there's no cost to me to being civil and willing to listen. Once in a while, the results are quite startling and I find those times make it worth it. Plus, I always have the choice of "walking away" if things get unpleasant, especially online.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Reminds me so much of Tery Gilliam's film "Brazil" a fantastic script!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you. I love Brazil and that it reminded you of such a great work is truly flattering.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Wow, Jack is pretty psycologically intelegent! "Pulled a Bugs Bunny." Great work on the DD!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This is pretty darn spiffy. I know that scene with Bugs and Daffy all too well...to see it used this way is just...deviously brilliant.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you so much. I love that you recognized that as one of the sources that inspired this.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You're welcome! Yeah, I'd be surprised if I ever forget it...one of my strongest childhood entertainment memories.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Chirp, congrats on the DD, it's been twittered. [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Definately 1984ish, and that's something!
Also, I love the narrative style, very intriquing way of letting the reader/viewer know how the scene is set, how we follow the main character and so forth. Very interesting indeed!
And I love that the idea evolved from a typo!! Just goes to show that there's no such thing as making a mistake, not if you put it to good use ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you.
I started researching how to do short film scripts and found a site that pointed me in the right direction for formatting. Later, I remembered that among my collectibles I have a copy of the script for the movie Blade Runner. I adopted the technique from that.
Definitely, inspiration can strike anywhere if you keep yourself open to it.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I think that's so cool, when one medium inspires an artist working in another medium to use it for something creative.
Yeah, and this time it really worked! (:
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
bloody hell, thats both awesome and completely fucked up at the same time
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I can't believe all this originated from a typo! That, my friend, is amazing writing.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Scary! But I like it. One small thing: When talking to his recorder, Overton calls the subject 942. After that it's subject 924. Is that a typo, or does he have several prisoners to deal with?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
| Next =>