ABE By Rob McLellan

CONTACT: Adam Marshall Caliber Media Company 310-786-9210

EXT. LONDON - EVENING The sun sets on the city. The hum of a day winding down is broken by occasion air traffic. It is a peaceful evening. Birds singing, signifying it is spring. For many, the feeling of a new, hopeful, beginning is in the air. INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT Blood drips and runs down across a dirty concrete floor and into a small drain. The short breathing of a frightened woman echos throughout the dank and desolate place. Florescent light illuminates the center of the darkness. A jury rigged lighting apparatus is hanging, vine like, above a old rusting dentist chair. Though the set up is hard to see through the tarpaulin that surrounds it, it has the appearance of a techno spiders web. At the center of which is a young blond woman, who is tied to the chair. Now, within the tarp, we see the woman (JENNIFER). Even through the signs of distress (mouth taped, mascara running from tears, a small cut on her forehead... but not the source of the blood running into the drain) she is clearly beautiful. Her sharp, but frightened, blue eyes dart about the space, looking for her abductor. She is dressed as if she was enjoying a summers day, before she found herself here. Jennifer turns her head as she hears a shifting of gears. She looks to see the shadowy silhouette of a strange skeletal creature... whatever the creature is, its blue glowing eyes look at her through the distortion of the translucent tarp. Jennifer tries to scream at the sight of this unholy image, but the duct tape on her mouth muffles it to a moist dull tone. If the tape had broken lose at this point, the whole world would have heard her cries. The creature pulls back the tarp to reveal it is, in fact, a rather friendly looking robot (ABE). ABE steps into the space and leans over her. As the tarp falls back into place, Jennifer sees (be it briefly) a mutilated womans body, hanging from a meat hook (the source of the blood). Jennifer looks terrified as ABE leans in and looks her dead in the eye. ABE speaks, his voice friendly and pleasant, but always monotone. (Note: ABE never uses contraction words).

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CONTINUED: ABE Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?

2.

Jennifer stares at the robot. Her look suggests she thinks she is dealing with something insane. ABE tilts his head inquisitively. ABE No? OK then... let us begin. ABE moves away from her and overlooks a set of medical tools (scalpels, bone saw etc) and hesitates for a moment, trying to decide on the correct tool for the job at hand. A moth begins flying around the tube light hanging above them. Batting against it in a seemingly random fashion. ABE looks up at it, then turns his head to Jennifer. ABE Have you ever wanted something so much, that nothing would stop you from trying to achieve it? ABE looks up at the moth again. ABE (CONTD) Something inside you driving you forward... instinct I suppose. The will of your heart pushing you on... even though you know you may never attain it. Jennifer pulls at the restraints. It is a futile attempt as they are fastened too tight. ABE pays her no attention, instead continues to observe the moth. Jennifer looks around for something... anything... that would help her escape. ABE (CONTD) You humans are hard coded with the need to live... to survive. The desire to simply keep going, though most of you do not really know why. Once again ABE turns to her. This time he picks up a scalpel and gestures with it as he talks. ABE (CONTD) Most of you dont see how utterly pointless your existence is. Jennifer freezes. Watches the robot through tear soaked frightened eyes.

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3.

ABE (CONTD) All your wants and desires mean nothing, when it can all end in the blink of an eye. Lightning fast, ABE swipes the scalpel in the air. Two halves of a moth come floating down in front of him. ABE watches the pieces fall, transfixed. ABE (CONTD) Yet... you press on, drive forward to gain possessions... search to find a companion... hope to be loved. Jennifer begins to hyper ventilate, fearing she is next. ABE however, puts the scalpel down and steps away from her, walking around the work space. He reaches the (for lack of a better word) corner and lowers his head. Jennifer watches him, but occasionally her eyes dart around for any sign of a way out. ABE (CONTD) I was programmed to love... Jennifer ends her search and focuses on the pathetic sight of the downcast robot in the corner. ABE (CONTD) And I do... I cannot help it. It is all I know... the reason for my existence. ABE looks at his own hands... remembering a past, whilst contemplating his own existence. ABE (CONTD) I am flawed... just like you. But what does that mean? I was told I am just a machine... an appliance... if that is true, then why do feel these things..? why am I aware of myself..? Does that mean I have a soul? ABE seems to shake it off, then turns and slowly moves around Jennifer. ABE (CONTD) I had a family once. I loved them, cared for them. Cleaned their home, prepared their meals. Fixed what was broken... it was a life of (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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4.

ABE (CONTD) (contd) servitude, but I did not mind... they were everything to me... and for a time, I to them. But then... ABE turns away. Remembering the pain. Jennifer watches... even pities a little. ABE (CONTD) ... No-one programmed me how to cope when those you love, start not loving you back... With his body turned away from Jennifer, ABE turns only his head back and looks her dead in the eye. ABE (CONTD) ... so I tried to fix them. Fix them because if they did not love me, then they must have been broken. ABE looks at blood on his hands. ABE (CONTD) I try to fix them... I try to fix all of them... ABE looks at the hanging corpse, beyond the tarp. ABE (CONTD) Yet... they still do not love me. None of you, that I love, do. ABE, once again, lowers his head. ABE (CONTD) But I must keep trying... I must find a way to fix you. Because... ABE turns and faces Jennifer again. ABE (CONTD) I can see you do not love me. You look at me with the same eyes as all the others. Jennifer begins to panic. She knows what is coming. ABE (CONTD) Maybe this time... I will get it right.

(CONTINUED)

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5.

ABE advances forward, grabbing the bone saw as he passes. He pulls Jennifers head back and positions the saw on her forehead. ABE (CONTD) Maybe this time... I will fix you. We move out of the inner space and drift away from the tarp. We hear the sound of bone being sawed, mixed with the sound of muffled screams and see blood begin to spray on the inside of the tarp. Once again, blood runs down the drain. FADE TO. EXT. LONDON - COVENT GARDEN - DAY The sun shines warmly on an outdoor cafe, situated outside the grand stone building of Covent Garden. MARY, a beautiful raven haired woman sits drinking coffee... as if waiting for a companion. As she waits and enjoys her surroundings, we hear ABE narrate over the scene. ABE (V.O) I wish I did not have this drive. I wish I could stop wanting. I wish I could stop needing... They say that what I am doing is wrong and I wish I understood what that meant... We see ABE, hidden down a shadowed side street. He watches Mary... his eyes wanting. ABE (CONTD) (V.O) ... but most importantly; I wish I could stop falling in love. FADE OUT.