Crossover Fiction

a short play by Greg Lam

March 21, 2018

702 RANDOLPH AVE

MILTON, MA 02186
617-680-4984

Email: greg.lam.writing@gmail.com

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 CHARACTERS
Maximus Wolfe, a science fiction villain
Josie Moon, Your typical Psychic Alien Cyborg Detective
Thom Cord, Science Fiction Author

SETTING
A dark alley in a science-fiction universe
Then a bookstore in present day
Then a hotel
All of these are suggested minimally.

TIME
“The future”, then the present day

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NOTE: To produce a play from New Play Exchange in particular or in general, it is required for
the producer to contact the playwright or rights holder to obtain permission for any public
production or reading, including educational settings (with the exception of pure classroom
exercises with no outside audience, paid or otherwise). If it can possibly be considered public,
you must seek express permission to produce.
If you are interested in producing this play, please contact me at greg.lam.writing@gmail.com.
 Crossover Fiction

Lights up onto a cliché sci fi landscape.

Flying cars, glowing skyscrapers, the works.
Whatever you can manage, but as
recognizable as “sci fi city” as possible.

A scream is heard, then a villainous laugh.

A SHADOWY FIGURE enters hastily

carrying something under his cloak. He
looks behind him as he goes. He is
MAXIMUS WOLFE, a scifi villain with all
the fixings. He is up to major no good.

MAXIMUS
At last! After three lifetimes spent in that dreadful
interdimensional hellhole of a prison, I, Maximus
Wolfe am finally free to take my rightful place and
to rule the nine worlds of Xandor!

The sound of a laser explosion is heard.

JOSIE (OS)
Halt!

Maximus turns.

MAXIMUS
You!

In strides JOSIE MOON, a sleek, punkily

dressed woman with an inhuman looking
eye. She moves with a somewhat stilted gait
and speaks in a mechanical manner.

MAXIMUS
Why, of course. If it isn’t my favorite detective,
Josie Moon. Have you come to join me in my hour
of triumph?

JOSIE
Quite a chase, Maximus, but is at end. Will pay for
what you did to my lover.

Maximus speaks in a measured voice.

MAXIMUS
Lovely offer, my dear detective. But I’m afraid I
will have to decline the invitation.

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 Crossover Fiction

JOSIE
Nowhere is left to run.

MAXIMUS
Who said anything about running?

Maximus takes a glowing piece of

technology from his jacket. Josie unsheaths
a high tech swordlike weapon, raises it
defensively and keeps her distance.

MAXIMUS
Do you like my new toy? Your partner- No, excuse
me. Your man… “Tor” was his name? He was
carrying the final piece of the puzzle.

JOSIE
How dare you speak his name?

Maximus points to part of the gizmo.

MAXIMUS
See this? It’s the Key of Worlds, and he didn’t even
know it. But I did. I do so regret having to torture
him to death. But while I take no particular pleasure
in the necessity of his demise, please allow me to
demonstrate the result.

With a gesture from his gizmo, Maximus

opens a glowing doorway of light with a
loud tearing sound. The fabric of space time
is torn asunder.

Josie recoils from it.

JOSIE
Madman! What have you done?

MAXIMUS
The question is, what have I made? A gateway
between dimensions like none ever seen before!

JOSIE
Will find you wherever you run!

MAXIMUS
This isn’t just a simple wormhole. It’s a breech
between two realities! If I’ve calculated right, and I

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 Crossover Fiction

have, beyond this portal is a new universe with

unimaginable wonders, waiting for the right man to
tame it. And I, Maximus Wolfe, am that man!

JOSIE
Will not let you do this!

MAXIMUS
I’ve said this so many times, Josie Moon, but you can’t
stop me, though I love to seeing you try. Bye bye!

Maximus climbs through the portal and

exits. Josie rushes to the portal and
examines it.

Offstage a measured and literate voice is

heard. The actions mirror the narration.

THOM (VO)
As her bionic ScanAlysis Eye reported the most
disturbing readings emanating from the shrinking
portal, Josie remembered the last, halting heaves of
her lover’s breath. After Tor’s final heart had beat
its last, she vowed that she would stop at nothing in
her quest for vengeance.

A stubbly faced man enters reading from a

book. This is THOM CORD, sci-fi author.

THOM
Josie took a breath, put on her concealment glasses,
and took a nervous step from one world to another.
From the mean streets of Xandor to the meaner
streets of the strange new world called…

Josie steps through the portal. Thom looks

up from the book.

THOM
…Earth.
(pause)
And that, my friends, is the end of Chapter 1.

A polite smattering of applause is heard.

Thom acknowledges it.

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 Crossover Fiction

THOM
Thank you, thank you all. That was the first chapter
from my upcoming “Josie Moon, Psychic Cyborg
Alien Detective” novel, tentatively titled “Brave
Old World”. The completed version will be
available in all possible formats next spring, and all
of the previous books are available right now at the
front of the bookstore. I hope you all brought cash.
And thank you all once again for coming tonight!

Thom makes a last wave, then starts to exit.

THOM
(muttering to himself)
Just two more, Thom. Just two more of these damn
readings…

Before he can exit, Josie re-enters, wearing

a trenchcoat.

JOSIE
Excuse me. Mr. Thom Cord?

Thom looks at Josie and shakes his head.

THOM
Ah, no, honey. Look, I appreciate the effort, but I
don’t do cosplay, OK?

JOSIE
Not as you think.

THOM
There are signed copies of the book at the register,
and if you missed the reading, you can subscribe to
my Twitter feed for the next one. Good costume, by
the way-

Josie takes off her sunglasses to reveal her

inhuman looking eye, too real to be a
costume. Thom’s jaw drops.

THOM
Oh my god. That… That’s real, isn’t it? That’s a
real ScanAlysis Eye, grafted into your eye socket.
Oh, God!

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 Crossover Fiction

JOSIE
Stepped into this world, Thom Cord. Some time
ago. Very strange. Took time to acclimate.

THOM
You aren’t. I mean, that isn’t-

JOSIE
Am what you made me. Psychic Cyborg Alien
Detective, yes? Apologies I took so long to find.

THOM
No, no. Not at all. Listen, I… We should get out of
here. Find somewhere to talk. Put… Put your
concealment glasses back on. Please.

Josie puts her sunglasses back on.

JOSIE
My hotel, yes? Have something to show.

THOM
OK, let’s go.

Thom and Josie exit. As they exit, a voice is

heard in Voiceover, the voice of Maximus.

MAXIMUS (VO)
I, Maximus Wolfe, have seen wonders upon
wonders in my time. I have stood upon the rings of
Centauri Seven, passed through black holes and
created hidden luxury fortresses inside planetary
cores. But nothing I have done has prepared me for
this delightful little planet. Imagine, a whole world
on the cusp of awakening that still thinks it’s all
alone in the universe! Oh, detective Moon. What a
delight! Catch me if you can!

Maximus laughs.

We are now in a hotel room with a large

suitcase to the side. Thom and Josie enter.

JOSIE
This is room. Come.

Thom stares at Josie, who closes the door.

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 Crossover Fiction

JOSIE
Something is wrong?

THOM
No, no. Just getting a better look at you.

JOSIE
Why?

THOM
Just amazing. I still can’t get over this.

JOSIE
Is that so? Tried to select typical room. Keep low
profile.

THOM
No, I mean you’re here. In real life, not in my head.
It’s amazing. This is every author’s dream. You
write something like these silly books, no offense,
and it’s a total fantasy that just happened to catch
enough of the nerd market to pay my rent. I had no
idea that what I wrote could actually… Live.
Breathe. You! It’s incredible. You’re everything I
imagined. God, you’re beautiful…

This will change everything. I’ll be famous. I mean,

really famous. I’m going to win awards!

JOSIE
First when I came, did not know Thom Cord. Did
not know books. Just knew what I was created to
know.

THOM
Right. But you are a detective. A ruthlessly great
detective. That’s how I wrote you. You found things
out by any means necessary. Solved problems.
That’s what you do.

JOSIE
Had much to take care of.

THOM
Right. You followed Maximus here… Oh my God.
I just realized… If you’re here, then he’s here, too.
That’s what Brave Old World is all about. Oh, that’s
not good news. He’s the worst baddie I’ve ever

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 Crossover Fiction

written. You must need my help to find him, don’t

you? To stop him. That’s why you found me, right?

JOSIE
No, Thom Cord. Different than you think. Must
show you. Have been busy before finding you. Take
look.

Josie points to the large piece of luggage in

the corner.

THOM
The suitcase? It’s enormous. What’s in it?

JOSIE
No words Thom Cord. Must show. Take look
inside.

Thom goes to suitcase. He slowly opens it

and lifts the lid. He recoils in horror.

THOM
Holy-

He slams shut the lid and turns to Josie.

THOM
That’s-

JOSIE
Maximus Wolfe, yes.

THOM
But he- he… I guess I should have expected. Of
course you would. That’s what you do. But what
did you do to him, exactly?

JOSIE
Made him more portable. Also preserved him. Did
not want him to smell.

THOM
He’s all- I don’t even want to think about it. It’s
murder.

JOSIE
Funny term, Thom Cord. Funny world, this.

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 Crossover Fiction

Josie pulls out the sword from her costume.

Thom notices.

THOM
Your sword. Does it even work in this world?
There’s no Sigma Force here.

JOSIE
It still has some use.

THOM
This is a tough one. You killed Maximus, and you
don’t know what to do with him. Is that it? What do
we do with the body? Think, Tom!

Thom paces around the room in frantic

thought. Josie follows him, slowly closing
the distance.

JOSIE
Is strange. No good or bad guys inside this world.
Endless shade of grey. Events without reason,
resolution. Do not like. Home of Xandor was
vicious, bloodthirsty, often cruel but had some sort
of purpose in end. Shaped by the hand of creator.
Guess that would be you.

THOM
Josie, what are you doing?

JOSIE
Thom Cord. Should not bestselling author be more
in touch with motivation of character? Tell me
instead: What does Josie Moon want?

THOM
Revenge. For your lover.

JOSIE
Right, my dead lover. Tortured and alone, set to die
before my eye in agony. Was helpless to stop it. Felt
bad.

THOM
And, and so you found Maximus, and you did…
this.

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 Crossover Fiction

JOSIE
Yes. Very good.

THOM
So you’ve done it. And now you’ve fulfilled your
quest, and you don’t know what to do next. Is that
it?

JOSIE
No Thom. Again you misunderstand. Quest not
fulfilled. Maximus killed. But. Maximus not act
alone.

THOM
He didn’t? No he did, he was the mastermind.
The… The big bad. The final boss. I’ll show you
the manuscript to the next-

Thom begins to reach into his briefcase

before Josie blocks him with her sword.

JOSIE
No, Thom Cord. Had months to comtemplate.
Interesting thing. Maximus tortured Tor to death,
but not really his idea. Maximus not killer but
instrument of killer. Was like weapon. Someone
else need for death to happen.

THOM
What are you talking about, Josie? He was it. The
big boss. Your archenemy. The last guy you had to
vanguish before I could put your story to rest.

JOSIE
When found Maximus after months in this world,
he was homeless living in alley. By himself was no
threat. Maximus begged for death. I gave to him.

THOM
My God…

JOSIE
After killing Maximus, I realized. Tor’s horrible
death useful to someone. For dramatic tension,
irony, horror. Can understand. Better story. My pain
make you very good story. Very good story make
you money. Took me some time, but I understand

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 Crossover Fiction

now what you do, Thom Cord. I understand why

you do this to me!

Josie closes in on Thom, sword drawn.

THOM
Josie, no. Josie!

JOSIE
I understand, but knowing does not make pain go
away.

THOM
Josie, no! I’m sorry! I-

JOSIE
By third law of Xandor, I claim vengeance!

THOM
That’s not canon-

Josie runs her sword into Thom, who slides

down, dead. After a moment, she addresses
his body.

JOSIE
Would have told you to prepare to meet maker, but
I just met mine. Was disappointing.

Josie goes to Thom’s briefcase, looks

through and digs out a manuscript. She calls
to Thom’s body.

JOSIE
Also, my dialogue often awkward and contrived.

She flips through the pages.

JOSIE
600 pages, Thom Cord? Anyone say you need good
editor? Lucky for you, am available for job.

Josie slips the manuscript into her bag, puts

on her sunglasses, and then exits.

THE END

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