26. Dark Fruit-Eric

• FADE IN


• EXT. CITY SQUARE-MORNING


• Citizens scurry around a market place in the city square. Small, steam-powered chariots cruise up and down the gleaming, platinum-paved STREETS. The buildings are gargantuan; some are immaculate white washed stone, others have domes carved from gray-green marble. Granite statues of armored warriors wielding massive swords seem to guard the city gates.
• Hundreds of citizens pick a black, spiked fruit from a tree, like tiny ants scurrying around an ant hill. Once they pick the fruit and take a bite they continue their previous activity. DARIUS, enters the city on a white horse. A tubular bag sits behind him, tied to the saddle. He dismounts and approaches TELAND, a guard without weapons or armor.


• TELAND
• Welcome stranger, can I take your bag for you?


• Darius looks confused, but reluctantly gives him the saddled bag. They walk down the city street; Darius leads the horse behind him on a bit. Teland grins a friendly grin to himself.


• TELAND
• Don't worry. Most people are baffled when they get here. We have hundreds a day. But once I finish with the tour, everything will make perfect sense.


• Teland leads Daruis and the horse to a stable. Teland walks side by side with Darius, pointing at the magnificent buildings and statues. The streets shimmer with a prism of color, reflecting the sunrise. Darius nods from time to time and smiles.


• EXT. GARDEN-SUNDOWN


• Teland and Darius sit at a crystal table, on matching chairs. The table is set with sparkling, gemed untensils, and a long serrated knife. A round, silver cover sits between them on the table.


• DARIUS
• So you're telling me that you haven't had a war for several centuries. No invaders either?


• TELAND
• That is correct. Ever since the fruit was harvested, exactly four hundred-fifty years ago. Those statues you saw serve more as a reminder to the council elite of how things were, rather than actual decor. Without war we've been able to pursue other endeavors. We have the best universities and the best doctors in the solar system. That is the reason people flock to our gates. We have had neighboring countries take up arms against us in the past, but once they saw how...divine our city was they laid down their weapons. They want to know how we do it.


• DARIUS
• Yes, this place truely is amazing. I still can't believe it's real. Everyone is so peaceful here. But didn't you say the statues are a reminder for only the council elite? What did you mean by that?


• TELAND
• Yes, the common citizens literally don't have the words war or famine in their vocabulary. They don't know it even exists, they've never had a concept of it. They don't even know what disease is. And they don't need to know any of it, it's just superfluous information. Our society runs like a beautiful machine wthout it. That's the reason none of our citizens are allowed to speak to any outsiders. All we need is the fruit.


• Darius eyes the fruit suspiciously, and shakes his head.
  
• DARIUS
• Forgive me for saying this, but you feed people this...mag...divine fruit, that changes the very fiber of their psyche, rendering them altruistic supermen, if you will. And then you supress any knowledge of the past, and keep them ignorant of the present. Excuse me Teland, but it looks like one, big, elaborate lie. Albeit amazingly well crafted.


• Teland grins.


• TELAND
• It's only a lie if everyone disbelieves it.
• 
  
• DARIUS
• But you know the truth, and your council. You know the truth!


• Teland shakes his head


• TELAND
• You my friend, are ignorant of the last thousand years of literature. You're talking about ignorance, but you're ignorant of your very world's literature. Haven't you read that truth and happiness are mutually exclusive. You can only have one, but not both.


• Veins in Darius's neck bulge. He is red, and halfway out of his seat.


• DARIUS
• You don't have to supress society and keep them ignorant to rid the world of famine and war!


• TELAND
• You should calm yourself. It takes most people a while to get it. But can you honestly name one society that can do this? Just name any in our solar system. And if you can find one, tell me, and then ask yourself why you even came to our city gates.


• Darius sinks back to his seat and is silent. His brow is creased.


• TELAND
• Look, let's finish the discussion after we eat, shall we?


• Darius nods. Teland uncovers the silver disk revealing the fruit. It has been sliced in thin strips. Its gray flesh steams. He uses tongs and places the steaming fruit on Darius's plate. He places a piece on his own plate and they both begin eating. A few seconds later Darius's eyes slowly roll back and close. He leans his head back and sighs softly.


• DARIUS
• Wow, this is absolutely...amazing.


• Teland nibbles at a piece on the end of a fork, and his eyes slowly close. His head rolls back. Darius quickly pockets a small piece of the fruit.


• EXT. SPACE SHUTTLE LABORATORY-NIGHT


• Darius stands in a lab with several others in white coats. Beakers, test tubes and medical equipment line the lab tables. Machines blink on and off in the background.


• PROFESSOR ANGELAS
• Well, the spiritual epiphany you had can be explained. In laymans' terms, you were high off your ass. We found a powerful opiate agonist in that sample. It looks like an analogue of morphine, except it's 300x more potent. Lucky you didn't die. It's loaded with antioxidants too, but other than that it's not special.


• LAB TECHNICIAN
• So what you're saying is that besides the euphoria, it's just giving that society some kind of placebo effect? And furthermore the leaders keep them in ignorant bliss of war and famine, and disease?


• PROFESSOR ANGELAS
• That's exactly right. If they don't know it exists, it doesn't. It's like the converse of what that guy Teland said-It's only a lie if everyone disbelieves it. In this case, war, famine and disease are only true if everyone believes in it, that they actually exist. Wow, I have to give them credit though. They sure worked one over on everybody. Very slick leaders.


• INT. CHURCH-MORNING


• A pastor is preaching at the head of a large congregation. The professors and lab technicians sit on church pews with Darius, listening.


• FADE OUT