Meta-Tribes #1 JUSTICE: Dahud & Saimak

8/7/2019 Meta-Tribes #1 JUSTICE: Dahud & Saimak

1/15

Brian Bowhay [email protected]

I have a story to tell youa tale that I would recount to you

a word of the wildernessand a whisper of the tree and stone

a sighing of the heavens to the earththe charm of the ocean depths to the stars

I understand the lightning not comprehended by

the heavensthe word which men do not know

and the earths multitudes cannot understandcome, and I will reveal it

Legend of Keret

PART 1: DAHUD OF KAY PAGE 1

Close up of a pales skinned womans face. A dark shroudhangs above her eyes. She is looking down at a man inasleep in an extravagant bed.Wake up.(The figure in the bed does not move)The King has an errand.

Without moving the man answers, The king is asleep.It is noon.A head of disheveled black hair lifts and squinting eyeslook towards a window. Dont you sleep during the day?

The woman has a reserved posture with hands claspedbehind her back, A thief is upsetting our economy.

The man is shirtless and scoots up in his bed, Then thedistrict magistrates-She cuts him off, The dung supplies are being disrupted.He rubs his eyes, you woke me up for dungIs thisabout, what are they calling him, the Turd Burglar?

She begins pacing, Carbonized corn cobs mixed withOcksen Dung is our only source of clean burning fuel.Also, Construction and agriculture-I know about this, urban residents cook indoors, babiesand old people asphyxiating. They can cook outside, opena window how can there be a shortage of dried shit?

She turns towards him, You know nothing of the wayyour own people live. Mosquitoes are crepuscular,humans are susceptible to malaria and-

He opens his fist, Alright! But why not the locals, whyme?She starts to walk away, It is not enough to govern withthe sword and scroll, you must learn to wield publicopinion. It will be good for you to get your hands dirty.

He lets out a disgusted sigh:Ifyou had a sense of humor...

(Nude and annoyed, he gets out of his bed and puts on arobe) One Turd Burglar, coming up.

PAGE 2


2/15

High above Desert canyons and mesas, looking down on the clouds sailing over a sea of rocky outcrops andstratums, and the occasional mesquite log, Dahud flies above a slum. Kayn is barren rock and sand, blindingdaylight bleaches randomly painted shanties.

There is a desert inside us (the overall look of this chapter is high contrast/pail tertiary charcoalcolors/negative space)

There is a dusty man on his knees trying to till dry rocky soil with a hammer.an overwhelming emptiness.

Pedestrians pass both left and right in front of a plastered building. The sign says, This temple reserves theright to refuse any patrons.Vast and unforgiving, it knows no justice.

Bandits watch a lone traveler from a high ridge.

It is a faceless enemy that wears the strongest men into dust.

Outside of town people are wearing dry-rotting shirts and tire tread sandals. They are sifting through the trashheaps of neighboring city-states, holding up clothes to examine them.

Transforming this desert would take a miracle.

PAGE 3FLASHBACK

A company of Persican soldiers with rifles andshields is in formation on one side of a valley, a

group of Kayin civilians are on the other side withEshla standing in front of them, She is a solemnprophet in a dry-rotted black cloak. The Kayns arearmed with machetes and slings. They are shoutingback and forth to each other.

Eshla, sacred lands given to us by the one trueGod.

Persican Captain: Its a wasteland, I thought you liked rummaging through our trash.


3/15

He turns to his 1st Lieutenant while Eshla is speaking, When did the skinnys become environmentalist?1st Lieutenant, Their High Priest died without naming a successor, the Prophet convinced the boy-king toenforce the ancient-Persican Captain: Hello, rhetorical.Eshla in the background, If you cross our borders again your empire shall be wiped from the earth and erasedfrom recollections of all men,

Persican Captain turns back towards Eshla and begins to talk just as a teenage Dahud arrives (dropping from

the sky in a heroic pose wearing a white tunic intricately embroidered with gold) and distracts Eshla.Eshla, Yourelate.Persican Officer in the background, our reach extends beyond the sea; our empire casts a shadow over thehighest mountains. Learn your place in the world, if you resist us, we will crush you under our heel.

Dahud, Who is this Godless Persican to come wagging his dick at us? The Kayn crowd starts laughing andDahud is encouraging them with an obnoxious look on his face.

Eshla gives Dahud an angry look, Your crass tongue is not becoming of a king. Dahud stops smiling andlooks hurt or embarrassed. (in the back ground, You have no ballistics, no armor, you are out numbered andout classed!)

The Persican Captain turns to his 1st Lieutenant: This country is obsessed with religion, theyre silly with it. Isuppose it would destroy them to learn that we buy and sell gods as easy as guns and butter. (in the background, We are armed with the Will of El!) Never mind. What about this flying fairy, what am I looking at?

The 1st Lieutenant is looking through fancy binoculars: Matter/energy transmutation, updating sentry imprintnow.

Persican Captain motions at a large robot: Wind it up, lets see if this clockwork soldier does what itssupposed to do.

Dahud: Oh look, a new toy. What do you think? Should I turn it into lead? Sulfur? How about a liquidPolymer?

Dahud smiles, closes one eye and points his finger like a gun.A dramatic beam of light shoots from his finger and hits the robot dead on.

Nothing happens. The smoke clears and there is a multicolored light shining out of the center of the silhouetteof the robot.

Dahud stops smiling: IThere is an open chamber the center of the breast plate of the robot. A swirling vortex is inside the chamber.


4/15

The robot leaps straight up.

A robot shaped shadow drifts across the ravine and eclipses Dahud who is shaded except for two bulging eyes.

Dahud rolls out the way.

Dahud starts running backwards, blasting the robot: Eshla! A little help?

Eshla: You have received my training, you know what to do. Analysis.

Dahud: Its absorbing or deflecting my attacks.Eshla: Are you helpless?

Dahud hovers about 15 feet off the ground.

A gun emerges from the robots shoulder shoot pellets of black sticky goo.

Dahud: Projectiles? Ridiculous. (Dahud shoots a beam over the robot and the same black goo starts pouringover the robot,

the robot grabs a large piece of debris and throws it at Dahud)

Dahud: It doesnt need to see. (Dahud is evaporating the robots projectiles)Eshla: It is an automaton, what does it need to remain combat effective?

Dahud: I dont know I cant think.Eshla: Calm yourself.Dahud: Fortification, Intel, Mobility

(Dahud shoots the ground below the robot turning the dirt and air around its feet into iron)

A bystander holding something like an AK-47 shouts: Young Master, take my gun!

(he throws the gun and the stock hits Dahud right in the nuts, Dahud falls to the ground)

The robot breaks out of the trap

and leaps towards Dahud.

Dahud creates a giant pike out of thin air

that pierces the robots right shoulder.

The robot swipes at the pike and looses its right arm.

The robot starts walking towards Dahud.

Dahud looks up, the robot walks under a tree leaning over the robot.

Dahud stretches out his hand and shoots the tree,

the tree turns to a dark color and falls on the robot cracking open its chest cavity.


5/15

It is filled with human heads daisy chained with tubes and wires.

PAGE 4

Persican Captain: turns around and Dahud is standing in front of him.

Beams of light shoot out of Dahuds eyes

and turns the Captains head into salt.

1st lieutenant, Open fire!

All the bullets evaporate before hitting Dahud, he just stands there. His expression is like a child that has justbeen disciplined.

Dahud, You can leave with your garbage or stay here and be buried under it; it makes no difference to me.

The Lieutenant is silent for a moment and then raises a radio to his mouth,

Colonel Tijan, this is 1st Lieutenant Krisp, the Kayns have just killed Captain Luchien. Im afraid they have usat a disadvantage. How would you like me to proceed?Tijan, Its garbage, its not worth the price of your boots, just dump it somewhere else.

1st Lieutenant: What about the Captain?Tijans tone is impatient, I gather the Kayns wont let us dump there anymore.1st Lieutenant: Yes sir.Tijans tone turns condescending, Its a big desert, throw him in a dumpster and find another place, a placewithout thunder gods...orwhatever it is their supposed to be.

PAGE 5

TODAYDahud lands near a street with rows of shops made of timbers with corrugated sheet metal roofs, the shops arestuffed between thorn bushes and giant cacti. Dahud has a strap around his left hand attached to some kind ofhalf glove over his pinky and ring finger, maybe an archers glove?

Dahud approaches an old man with no shoes, a white skull cap, and a green vest over a white tunic. Heshanding out parchments, What do you have.

Old man has four teeth, Drought in the North hit the four year mark, a northie was arrested for killing andeating her own child, The Faction of Four issued a manifesto declaring their recent bombings to be righteousjudgments against the irreverent and unrepentant west-tribes, and The Southern Ghost single handedly

suppressed a party of Plishtim raiders carrying Sushanese armaments.

Dahud doesnt acknowledge the man and turns and walks away with indignant expression, No dungheists?

PAGE 6


6/15

Dahud is walking across a high traffic bridge. The bridge looks like it was built by an eight year old andmaintained by his kid brother. There are donkeys pulling rusted out cars, a gaudy bus with people sitting on topand hanging off the sides. Dahud is talking to an old man with a goat.They are walk in front of a bison cart carrying dozens of people; several vendors are walking in the oppositedirection selling fruit and fish out of open suit cases.Background, My mom says that I can do whatever I want.

A barefoot 8-year-old with a diaper, shoes, dirty face and a t-shirt that says Pickle Nuts! He is picking up aturd with his hands. Background, poopie fight poopie fight

Flings it at Dahud and yells I get you!

Dahud reacts with a motion of his hand disintegrates the projectile. His left hand has a couple of straps across itconnecting to metal prosthetics where his pinking and ring finger would be. YOU @#*ING LITTLE PIECEOF-

The bison are spooked, and smash one the supports of the jerry rigged bridge.

PAGE 7People, animals, vehicles and rubble are falling through the air.

Dahud is grabbing at the woman falling next to him thinking, too many, gotta break the-

A large rock hits Dahud in the head, panel goes dark

Dahud panics, his eyes are as big as saucers. He thinks, theground-cusion-water-peopleintheway-disitegrated-notime-notime-

Zap, he blindly turns the ground below and everything and everyone on it into water

splash, violent impact

gurgle, chaos underwater, large debris is still falling hard and fast

PAGE 8The cart crushed some, pinned othersZap the cart (background screams)

People come to help (background shouts), there are kids crying, dead bodies flopped in awkward positions.

(people are in a panic, asking irrational questions)

People cry and wail, a loss for words for the hero


7/15

PAGE 9Straight shot of a covered area made of rough hewn timbers and sheet metal. In the middle is a man with anacetylene torch welding an old rusted motorcycle and smoking a cigarette. Another man is in the back workingout doing reps with an engine on a chain with pulleys. A young girl is sitting in an overturned wheel-barrowlike a lawn chair, an older girl is sitting on the middle step of a folded latter that is leaning against the wall. Twoiguanas are wrestling in front of the shack.

A man with a blowtorch is holding a small flame on another mans unsuspecting ass.

The man jumps and swears, the welder is laughing. Dahud is walking past them in the back ground.

The welder stops and lifts up his goggles. It is Rahzel, one of Eshlas disciples.

Rahzel, Aye, heard you were getting dirt under those nails with the northiesDahud, You mean the agriculture project?

Man in the background working out, Maybe you should put those soft hands to work on fixing bridges.

Rahzel smiles and steps up to Dahud, Hey, how does a flying man fall off a bridge?

Dahud looks behind Rahzel, he sees a tray of ratchet sockets on the floor behind him.

Dahud takes and aggressive step into Rahzels personal space. Rahzel steps backwards on to the tray and fallson his tailbone.

Everyone starts laughing. The young girl has a snot bubble.

and keeps walking, passing a big pile of cinderblocks with rebar protruding out of it.

PAGE 10Dahud sees a man worshiping at a make shift shrine.Dahud asks him, why dont you go to the temple to worship?

Man: I have a son born blind and deaf; they said that El was punishing him. I could not endure their judgment,so now I worship here.

Dahud: Im sorry for the boys suffering.

Man: He has never heard their insults, never seen the faces people make, he has never felt the back of a handon his cheek. Although his world is black, the only thing he feels is his fathers love.

Dahud smiles on one side of his face: Perhaps he is blessed above all.

PAGE 11


8/15

It is evening now, shadows are long and Dahud passes some houses that are part dung and cinder block, there isrebar and corrugated sheet metal on the houses. Spare tires are used to hold some of the sheet metal together.Kids are standing around oil drumfires.Dahud knocks on a small door, lowers his head to peek into the entryway. He pushes some hanging beadsaside, Hello? There is almost nothing in Eshlas dwelling, just a rickety table and chair and a really big bugon the ceiling that Dahud keeps an eye on.

Eshla is the same age as when we saw her in the earlier flashback: I didnt foresee a guest today, are youlost?

Dahud, did you know that the markets in Shomron are selling horse hooves and bottles of pigeon dungTOEAT?

Eshla: El is just, the world is not.Dahud: Nono its not.(pause)The law scroll says that the righteous will be blessed and that the wicked will be cursed.Eshla doesnt stop what she is writing, but looks at him out of the corner of her eye.

Dahud: These werent decedent heathens or infidels that died todaythey were just farmers andtannersKIDS. Is there no justice but for the underworld?

Eshla:

Eshla: why the sudden interest in the struggles of the meek?Dahud: arent we supposed to take care of the people?

Eshla: Youve taken such good care of them that they dont know how to take care of themselves now.


9/15

Dahud is now sulking: I didnt create this situati I am a resource to our people.

PAGE 12Eshla: Their material poverty is but a symptom of a greater poverty.Dahud does not agree, No more words Eshlawill you help?

The expression on his face says that he is determined

Eshla: Transmutation is what you do, but the masses will never have enough water and gold from yourfountain. The change our people need is within. Can you transform people?

he looks at her, he sees the rest of her crew. They sit quietly, they are shadows with eyes reflecting the lightfrom the burning cauldron.

He looks at the ground, Wellthats what I do, I change things.Eshla, Areyou ready to change Lord Dahud?

He makes his way out.

Great game by the way, there never was any F*#%ing turd burglar, was there?

Dahud is gone.

Eshla looks down. Caption there is a desert inside us.

PAGE 13Dahud goes back to the accident siteThere is a man squatting by the water, he is running his fingers over the surface

they say that my wife is in the water now

there was an accident

whyshe wasshe never hurt anyone

The man fills a container with the water, and holds it and stares at it.

End of part 1


10/15

SAIMAK OF PERSICAPAGE 1(the overall look of this chapter is; no whites/lots of solid blacks/dark or saturated primary oil colors)

Ants eye view of man in alley, the surrounding building are like bars rising up to choke the polluted sky.

Everything is painted with Romanesque graffiti, overlapping flyers of gladiator tournaments and dirty textures,Arabic neon transform night into day, but not on the ground level, here it is dark.

Saimak, a city cop, is standing in the middle of a crime scene. Colored lights reflect in puddles of filth. It lookslike a car bomb went off.

PAGE 2flashback

People are greeting each other

A shadowy figure watches,leaning over the metal rail of a fire escape.

He drops down onto their car

Boom!


11/15

PAGE 3

Saimak and some other cops are investigating

(background talk) Sixth attack ineight daysOne is getting an ETA on Med units, another on crowdcontrol, is talking to a survivor to keep him from going

into shock (the victim is gutted)same M.O.

Saimak: who was the target?Man: Ill have an ID from the scrapings in five, but itlooks likea recently arrived merchant caravan.Maybe Kayn.Background, Kayn? I rushed over here cause somefigballers got pasted?

Saimak, No, you rushed over here to do your job.

Background, @#$%* tourists.PAGE 4Saimak stands alone from a high vantage point. He is watching the crowd, civilians are lifting people withinjuries and shouting for bystanders to move. Saimak thinks, busy street, 3rd shift rush hour very bold ordoesnt care.?

There are casualties of every kind; some silhouettes are burned into walls. Either way, guy like that mightstick aroundsee the reactions to his work.

He sees someone that is watching him instead of the gore. Moving away, instead of trying to get a better look.

Saimak looks at the mans feet, under his cloak, which are covered in soot.

Saimak thinks to himself, not yet, get a little further from the crowds.

Saimak :Alpha team on my mark, Beta team standby.

The bomber realizes that he has been marked, turns to run and pulls a mask over his face.

Saimak, Running, bad move.


12/15

PAGE5Saimak pursues without hesitation, leaping overcars with Olympic form and calling for support.Saimak: alpha team apprehension, beta team

intercept course on my coordinates!!!

The bomber pulls out a rapid fire weapon and startsspraying blindly behind him

Several civilians are hit

Saimak, Alpha back off, hes got a repeater. Betaget ahead of him and hold.

Saimak is running at him at full speed. In a fluid

motion Saimak grabs a trash can lid, kicks off of thebumper of a car, throws the lid with a curveknocking the gun out of the mans hand, and kickstowards the mans head.

The bomber leans back at the knees at a 90 degreeangle.

The bomber begins dodging every one of Saimakspunches and kicks.

Saimak stops for a second to look at the man.Saimak thinks, What the $#%@*?

The man starts taking his gloves off. His handslook like black crackly chunk charcoal.

He stares at Saimak through slits in the burlap sackover his head. His breath sounds like a bellows.

PAGE 6Beta team has a clear line of fire. Some shots hit the bomber in the chest and make a sizzling sound.

The cracks in the mans hands begin to glow like orange embers.

The man turns and charges beta team. Beta teams begins to open fire again, but with less accuracy.

Stray shots go whizzing by as Saimak dives behind a car. He hears some explosions jumps back into action.

Saimak passes some downed soldiers, they are in agony, burned, smoking, sizzling, oozing.Saimak, Beta team is down, Meds move and extract, Alpha on intercept course.

The bomber is waiting around the corner for Saimak to catch up with him.


13/15

PAGE 7The terrorist strikes at Saimaks face as he comes around the corner.

Saimak dodges and rolls away. The terrorist punches at Saimak and hit the brick wall behind him.

The wall explodes and fragments cover Saimak, whose face is now bleeding.

Saimak starts dodging the mans punches trying to make it a distance fight.

Saimak gets a couple yards of space and then starts throwing anything in reach at the man.

The terrorist blocks a beer bottle with his right, then a bucket with his left and then smash fails to block abrick right in the face.

PAGE 8Saimak incapacitates the bomber, doesnt bother with any monologs

Saimak, "Z-Unit, send a wagon ASAP, I got a special containment.Voice on radio, en route on your transmission, do you want an escort with that?

The bomber starts to glow, a humming sound is rising to a rumble

Saimak jabs him in the neck with two fingers

Gak! The bomber is out, the glow and sound fade. No, I got this one.

Saimak looks back. One of his men is on the ground holding a fallen comrade close, touching his forehead tothe other.

PAGE 9Saimak visits the wives and families of his deceased comrades to give them the worst news that they will everhear. An angry woman with tears soaking her cheeks and snot running down her chin is clawing for Saimaksface, other women are holding her back.

cut scene, Saimak is at a hospital watching a father holding the hand of child covered in bandages.

Saimak is in the back of a police carriage leaving the hospital. He is holding a paper sack of pistachios, the bagsays, Pickle Nuts. He holds a hand held video phone, Saimak to central.Central, Go

Saimak, Im reroute to Khelar, I want to make my report in person.Central, Theres a shocker.

Saimak, Knock it off, patch me vid from our special guest.Central, Its your money. Central out.

Saimak looks at Ugrit eating in his cell.

Saimak does an outraged double take. Thinks to himself, Who the hell gave that bastard wine and roastedgoose?!?!


14/15

PAGE 10Saimak is standing behind a man on an extravagant theatre balcony. the weapon he had was a ballisticrepeater, exotic, very high tech, but not Persican, maybe Sushan or Zygan. The assailant has had highlyspecialized combat training, and is definitely well funded.

Chairman Khelar is watching the performance through his fancy little binoculars, Mmm hmm.

Saimak, Id like to personally conduct the interrogation.

Khelar doesnt look at Saimak, Request denied, the prisoner is to be transferred to a military holding cell.Saimak, I dont understand, I-

Khelar, The Counsel will oversee this investigation under my own supervision.Saimak is stunned

Khelar finally turns around, That will be allcaptain.

cut scene, Saimak is in an alley leaning against a wall. The wind is blowing and its cold enough to see his

breath. Saimak is looking at his feet.

Close up on his eyes.

He holds a com up to his mouth. Secure channel Saimak 12 Shadow net.

Saimak grits his teeth, Personal traceKhelar.

PAGE 11Saimak is sitting on the metal rail of a fire escape, (just like the terrorist from the first scene) and dressed in astreet cloak and tunic just like the terrorist.

(Saimak thoughts) why do evil men go free?

A dispatch operator is speaking through Saimaks earpiece, Captain Saimak report for duty, There is a reportof domestic violence at Chairman Khelars estate. Approach with- Saimak pulls out the earpiece. He thinks tohimself, Thats Chairman Khaldash down there, what happened to Khelar?

why do the corrupt prosper and the virtuous serve them?He is camod watching a hand-off. The prisoner is there, no cuffs, a delegation is receiving him

why do liars and cheats get ahead of honest peopleSome papers are signed,

The prisoner looks directly into Saimaks scope, the man smiles and is wagging his finger. He turns to greet hisliberators.

how do people get away with murder?a hug and laughter

who avenges the widows and orphans?A fancy coat is given to him,

they are gone


15/15

where is the wrath of the God when you need it?

PAGE 12Saimak is at home reviewing the reports that his team gave himThe room is lit only by the monitor in front of him (green noir)

(cuts between text on monitor and images)

a video clip of his men investigating the site

Text: The target was a group of representatives coming to negotiate a trade contractAudio A: ...this sucks, Im scraping someone off a wall.

Computer extrapolation: The bomber dropped down on their vehicle from a balconyAudio B: hey, can it, boner breath wants his scrapings

Text: targets vaporizedAudio C: Im not workin OT again(second voice) hey pickle-nuts, OT was half an hour ago

Text: 10 by-standers in the perimeter were semi-liquifiedAudio D: didnt get 30ziq of god-tech shoved up my ass, but I do have a life

Text: Six people in the outer-most ring were fused with surrounding rubbleAudio E: .and my girl are going to the coast this weeken

Text: One was an eight-year old boyAudio F: Alpha team on my mark, Beta team standby

Text: Dozens had minor injuries and smoke inhalation, property damage estimated toAudio G: alpha team apprehension, beta team intercept course on my coordinates!!!

PAGE 13Saimak stares at the monitorthere is no justice in this world

Flashes of the men laughingand shakinghandsexcept for the justice that we make

(Saimaks expression is blank)and I will see it realized

shot of the bomb site, photos and flowers havebeen put upno matter what the cost

There is a form for a request for leave ofabsence on Saimaks desk.

The end

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Meta-Tribes #1 JUSTICE: Dahud & Saimak