The Appeal

Written By Robert T. Krantz

VO: “Today’s tale finds us at the house of Marla and John Marx. They live on a quiet, suburban street in

the distant future.”

An alarm clock is going off and as the alarm is turned off, we hear groaning and sirens off in the

distance.

Marla Marx  Bad dreams again, honey?

John Marx (after a pause) They don’t feel like dreams. They feel like … like premonitions. They’re

terrible.

The sirens grow louder very slowly.

MM: I guess dream isn’t the right word then, huh? It feels like something is changing.

JM: Everything is changing.  

We hear the sirens getting close

The sirens reach their peak volume and we hear two “car doors” slam. Then a stern knock from outside

Josh and Marla’s room/home.   

Security Agent #1: Marla Marx report. Citizen 2E dash 651. Marla Marx report.

The door bursts open and there is a big commotion.

JM:  We’re right here. There’s no need for violence.

Security Agent #1: Marla Marx, by the authority of social code 257 dash 1a of the People’s Republic of

America, you are hereby ordered to accompany us to the capital.

JM: The capital??! What for?

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MM: It’s ok, John. You know what this is.  

JM: It's kidnapping and harassment for starters.

MM: At least let me get dressed first.

Security Agent #1: Very well, you have 2 minutes. I will wait at your front door. All windows and other

exits are being monitored, so you are well advised not to try and evade us.

Music sting, and then

We hear footsteps leaving the domicile (3 pairs) and the doors open again and an air car takes off with

sirens blaring.

END SCENE
The sound of futuristic machines, low in the background.

We hear footsteps. Then the click of a button.

Lt. Richards: Citizen 2E dash 651, you understand that this interview is being recorded?

Marlo Marx: What the hell in this place isn't being recorded?

LR: Please ... yes or no answers only.

MM: Yes. I understand. Yes.

Pause. Scribbling on paper

LR: As a citizen executioner, you are entitled to certain rights and responsibilities. I am going to read

these to you now. You will be given time to ask me any questions pertaining to the execution. Then, I'll

take you down for the appeal. Do you understand?

MM: Yes.

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LR: "Prisoner E dash 6074 has been found guilty, by a jury of peers, of a capital offense. Under Article 1

dash 432 of the Penal Code of The People’s Republic of America, all capital offenders are to be executed

by a randomly chosen citizen. Do you understand this?

MM: Yes. (to herself) he’s not reading. He’s reciting from memory.

LR: Do you understand that you have been randomly chosen as the executioner of Prisoner E dash

6074?

MM: Yes

LR: Do you understand that, under article 1 dash 437, prisoner E dash 6074 allowed a one-hour appeal

with you, executioner 2E dash 651?

MM Yes.

LR: Do you understand that if you, 2E dash 651, fail to carry out the prisoner's execution, that under 2

dash 463 of The Penal Code of The People's Republic of Amerika, the prisoner will be absolved of all guilt

for his or her crime and or crimes and will be released.

MM: Yes, I understand, I understand. If I don’t kill the bastard, he walks.

LR: Miss Marx, prisoner E dash 6074 has no sex. During the appeal the prisoner will be speaking to you

through a modulated microphone. You will not know the prisoner’s sex, age or race. Whether prisoner E

dash 6074 wins the appeal or not, you will never look upon one another.

MM: Got it.

LR: Here take these.

MM: What are they?

LR: It’s a mild sedative. Some find it helpful to relax during this process.

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MM: What about the recorders?

LR: I stopped them for a moment ... with the mute button. (Hesitantly) You know... I've been with The

Company for nearly twenty years, and I've never had to sit where you are sitting right now. I… can’t

imagine it. (a pause) I can see that you're nervous.

MM: Mild, right? (removing pills from the box)

LR: Mild ... and one more thing before I turn the recorders back on ...the execution, it's instantaneous,

no pain.

MM: For who? (whisper) Can I get a glass of water?

Button pressing sound effect.

LR: Bring in a glass of water.

A montage of laws and regulations is read, highlighting the words in LR’s next dialog line.

LR: kidnapping, murder in the first degree, conspiracy . . .

MM: (to herself) Conspiracy, what if something needed to be conspired against? Isn't taking a woman

from her home kidnapping?

MM: I'm sorry Lieutenant, I didn't hear that last one.

LR: For your Safety, your identity will be made known only to The Officers of The Company, as necessary,

as well as the presiding judge. All computer records and recordings will be held in confidence for a

period of one hundred and one years, thereafter they will be destroyed. Do you have any questions,

Citizen 2E dash 651

MM: Not unless you can tell me why I was chosen. Can you tell me that, Lieutenant Richards?

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LR: It' s purely random ... a civic duty. Any other questions?

MM: No.

LR: I'll take you to The Appeal Room now.

MM: (to herself) Lieutenant Richards looks like the 20th Century German Gestapo.

(the sound of a sliding door)

MM: You can do this . . . steady. (two sets of footprints walking down a hallway) It’s only till 11 :30 in

the morning.

END SCENE

A HEAVY STEEL DOOR CLOSES

Marlo in room (futuristic sounds, microphone static?)

MM: To herself: Stop switch. At 00:55 it will become illuminated. To grant clemency, just press it down.

If it is not pressed down the prisoner will be automatically terminated at 1:15.

MM: (to herself) 17 minutes I’ve been sitting here and still not a word from the other side of the wall.

MM: (to herself nervously) I’ve got the pills. Oh hell, I might as well take them now.

Marla takes the pills. We hear a paper pill cup and water glass being set down.

MM: This isn't doing you very good at all ... What is your name?

Silence.

MM: Maybe this is all some kind of freakish test? A Company thing, like those shock experiments the

20st century behaviorists did?

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JAKOB: (modulated voice, panicky) - No habló ingles . . . no hablo ingles!

MM: You don't speak English?! I, can’t believe this! ¿Ah . . . como ... nombres ... llamas señor?"

JAKOB: (laughing) Oh, Jesus ... that was THE best one EVER! Oh, I am sorry .. . . I just couldn't think of

anything to say. That was a terrible joke to play on someone. What’s your name?

MM: (to herself) A fucking psychopath, one of those serial killers who wants to die.

MM: l can't tell you. It's against the rules.

JAKOB: Ah, yes, the rules. I know what. I’ll call you Margo. No let's see. Not quite right. Marlo ... yes that

will work. You’re a woman, I’m sure of it.

MM: (to herself) Keep it together Marlo, stay in control. It’s just a fluke. "You're safe here." Lieutenant

Richards said so himself.

MM: Who are you?

JAKOB: Don't be so alarmed, Marlo, there’s only one wall that divides you and I, but four that bind us

together. We’re far more alike than not. My name is JAKOB. Do you believe in God, Marlo?

MM: What’s difference does it make?

JAKOB: Do you believe that The Bible is The Word of God?

MM: Yes, I do as a matter of fact.

JAKOB: Fact, huh? Oh Marlo, you are a naive one, aren't you? Honestly though, I’m asking if you believe,

in your heart, that The Bible is The Word of God? Do you believe say that ... hmmm, your mother is in

heaven?

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MM: (to herself) Damnit! They didn’t tell me he would be a telepath. He… he knows me. Maybe not…

Maybe he’s playing you. Provoking you.

MM: Yes, I do believe my mother is in heaven.

Jakob: You are a good girl, aren't you, Marlo?

MM: What is your point?

Jakob: Oh yes, my point ...well here's how it is. If you believe, as you do Marlo, in God and The Bible,

then you have two ways to handle this brutal situation you’ve been tossed into. Both are from The Old

Testament, The Pentateuch, I believe, you're not Jewish are you Marlo? No, sorry. I know you’re not.

That wasn't very fair of me. In any event, first we have the exact words God gave to Moses, Thou shalt

not kill. Pretty direct, straightforward stuff, which I might add that Jesus backed up in his Sermon on The

Mount by telling us to turn the other cheek. The second way you could look at this, a way which I don't

particularly care for, would be the old Proverb, written I might add by some obscure prophet, a

charlatan in my opinion, a man in any event. He wrote, in Exodus I believe, Thou shall give life for life,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

MM: How about telling me something about yourself instead of playing mind games with me?

Jakob: Fair enough. I grew up in Detroit, before the war ...

MM: Were you in The War?

Jakob: I was, three years on the Wisconsin Front ... hmmm, just like your father was. You don't think

about your father very much, Marlo. Why is - -

MM: Shut up! Shut up!

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Jakob: Touchy subject, yes I see now, I am sorry … hmmm, it's all so clear now ... you shouldn't have had

to gone through that, so young too.

MM: Enough. You're a telepath, so what? It’s as common as depression or anxiety disorder these days.

You’ve got 24 minutes to convince me you're worth the air you breathe on this planet. I'm going to ask

you some questions now.

Jakob: Do you read?

MM: I said I’m doing the asking now

Jakob: Hardball, okay Marlo, but remember this is my appeal, I've already answered to a Judge and jury.

MM: I want to know what you did

Jakob: I used to run a fishing charter off Cape Hatteras. Have you ever been to the Outer Banks?

Marlo (to herself) feeling strange, like I’m someone else, so surreal. He’s in my head again ... no, I'm in

control here. Stay in control, Marlo.

MM: I said no more head games!

Jakob: What I was saying was that I ran a fishing charter off the coast of North Carolina. The Argo, that

was the name of my boat. I was going to take her down to The Hilton Head Reef to do some diving. I

wanted to see what a golf course looked like underwater.

A PAUSE

Jakob: They were on my boat. My boat (softly) They were on MY BOAT! (scream)

MM: Who was on your boat?

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Jakob: If she knew one thing, it was how much that boat meant to me. My father left it for me when he

passed away. They shouldn't have been on that boat.

MM: Who was on your boat, JAKOB?"

Jakob: Close your eyes. See for yourself

MM: I… I don’t want too. It’s not fair that you’re a telepath. Probably a full blown pre-cog. They should

have warned me.

Jakob: (desperately) Marlo, you are my last hope, just clear your mind for a minute so I can show you,

let me at least show you and then you can judge.

MM: (to herself) I should at least give him a chance to save himself. That is why I'm here.

MM: What do you want me to know?

Jakob: Please Marlo, close your eyes and think of nothing.

(Fade in the sound of water lapping against a pier, of the ocean, gulls)

MM: (to self) I’m on a pier now, walking down it. . . looking at water through the slats. It smells like salt

water and the sun, it feels so good with the sun on my back with the wind blowing my hair wildly. A

boat, an antique ... I'm walking toward it. The Argo. I can make out the letters. I feel so alive ...going over

the rail, watch your footing - - looking out over the sea, how beautiful it is. I’m filled with awe. Putting

the Scuba tanks over and then the dive-bag, how nice it will be to get away. Walking toward the cabin,

the wood-stain, my arms are still a little sore from sanding and staining that piece of trim two days ago.

It came out nice. The door opened. (A GASP) No! No! No! It’s John and that woman from his office.

They’re in bed together. They’re naked and making love. He’s looking right at me! Why doesn't stop, he

just keeps smiling at me ... I feel my hand reach for the dive knife ... He’s laughing.... laughing at me.

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The vision fades back into the present room

Jakob: I’m sorry Marlo, I didn't want to have to use your feelings and experiences ... but I needed you to

understand, to feel what I felt.

MM: It was your wife?

Jakob: Yes, I killed my wife.

MM: What about uh ?

Jakob: Yes, I killed him too.

We hear a buzzer going off.

MM: (to herself) 00:55. Time’s up. (to Jakob) Are you sorry? No that is not a fair question, I know you're

not. Will you harm anyone?

No response.

MM: I know that, too ... well as much as anyone knows that.

MM. Goodbye, JAKOB

Jakob: Goodbye, Marlo, and thank you.

Marlo (pressing a button) (to herself) 00:58.

MACHINE: STOP SWITCH ENGAGED. CLEMENCY GRANTED.

Footsteps coming toward the room. Sliding door. Richard’s enters..

LR: You've awarded clemency?

MM: Yes, I have.

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LR: I just need you to sign here, Sergeant Willard will debrief you in the capsule, on your way home.

Thank you Citizen 2E dash 651.

The door closes, Marla walks out.

LR (to Jakob): So, you pulled it off again, what story did you make up this time?

Jakob (laughing) Oh, she was easy, I gave her an image of my wife sleeping with a golf pro ... I'm getting

better, I think she actually saw her lover in my wife' s place . . . imagine, me with a wife (more laughter).

Footsteps, and a chair shuffling.

Jakob: Well Lieutenant, I can get nine holes in at Durand, if we get this debriefing over with quickly.

LR: I'm afraid that' s not how it's going to be today.

Jakob: What, is there some new bureaucratic procedure?

LR: Yeah, something like that.

We hear Richards write something on the clipboard.

Then he lifts the STOP SWITCH

MACHINE: STOP SWITCH DISENGAGED.

LR: (to himself) Forgive me.

We hear the hydraulic generators grow louder

Jakob: You son of a bitch! She granted me clemency! This was my appeal! MY APPEAL! THE LAW IS ON

MY SIDE HERE!

Machines explode into an intense roar as Jakob screams.

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The door burst open and an overseer thrusts himself into the room.

Overseer: Richards! You’re acting in direct violation of company policy!

Jacob continues to scream.

Overseer: You just lost your job! What am I saying? Forget about your job, you’ll be tried in a military

court! I’ll see to it that you’re found guilty. (continues screaming, along with Jacob and the machines)

LR: (to himself) 01: 14. In a moment it’ll be silent. And before long, it looks as though it’s going to be

time for my appeal.

THE END

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