201. The Parable of the Shiny Little Pill - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. DIATERIX PHARMACEUTICALS LOBBY - DAY


• JULIA sits quietly in the large comfortable chairs scattered around the small lobby.


• The room is decorated with small lamps and prints that appear elegantly crafted on first glance and then conveyor belt-cheap on second and third inspection.


• STEVE COOPER bursts into the room.


• STEVE COOPER
• Julia! Welcome, we're really glad to have you here.


• JULIA
• Glad to be here.


• He waves her to the elevator.


• STEVE COOPER
• Come on, let's get you situated.


• They step into the elevator and the doors close.


• INT. ELEVATOR - DAY


• Cooper adjusts the collar of his expensive suit, shrugging uncomfortably.


• Julia looks at him out of the side of her eye.


• He hits the third floor button.


• STEVE COOPER
• So, Diaterix is a great company. We're a fairly unique pharmaceutical, which I'm sure you already know.


• JULIA
• Yeah, that's why I really wanted this job, I heard about the AIDS treatment you developed specifically for free distribution. That's really exciting.


• STEVE COOPER
• Excellent, and that's why we wanted you. I think you'll fit right in.


• The door opens.


• INT. DIATERIX PHARMACEUTICALS MARKETING - DAY


• The marketing department isn't your typical cubical-filled office space.


• The employees have decorated their individual spaces in wild colors and strange lamps.


• Julia grins in spite of herself.


• STEVE COOPER
• Cool eh? Your space is right over there.


• JULIA
• Awesome. I remember this place from my second interview. I think this is what sold me.


• Cooper grins and guides her to an empty cubicle.


• He scratches at his arm, revealing the edge of a rash.


• Julia tries not to stare.


• STEVE COOPER
• It's all yours, take the first day to get adjusted, maybe get some ideas about decorating and we'll get you started on the marketing for one of our new projects tomorrow.


• He scratches harder at his arm.


• Julia starts to say something, then closes her mouth again.


• STEVE COOPER
• One more thing.


• He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a clear plastic bottle full of small, glowing pills.


• STEVE COOPER
• We get exposed to some pretty strange diseases in here, even in marketing. There's a virus that circulates here every once in a while, but not to worry, these will help you out.


• He scratches the rash on his arm, then at his neck.


• His collar pulls away for a brief moment, revealing a thick red welt crawling down towards his chest.


• JULIA
• Umm, how often should I take it?


• STEVE COOPER
• Well, research downstairs says that we need to take one a day you know, we really don't worry about it. We take it if the infection gets really bad and there's a good rate of it being successful.


• JULIA
• A good rate?


• STEVE COOPER
• Sure, sure, it's not a big deal. So yeah, I'll get going and let you get acclimated and we'll see you a little later on.


• He grins at her and walks away, still scratching.


• Julia shakes her head in disbelief.


• She looks over at her new coworkers.


• They type away, occasionally scratching at rashes; some are small, some larger and thicker.


• At each of their desks sit bottles of glowing pills, untouched.


• She sits down shaking her head, opens the bottle and pulls out a pill, swallowing it quickly.


• FADE TO BLACK.