10-page script for the JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE by Andy Diggle PAGE ONE 1) Start on a left-hand page with a full-figure establishing shot of LENNY ZERO, a mid-echelon Mega-City criminal with the effortlessly cool manner of Steve McQueen or George Clooney. He stands casually with a shuggy cue in hand. He's a tough-guy, but lean and rangy rather than overly muscular. He has short, spiky-cropped hair, wears wraparound slit-lens NightShades, a dinosaur-skin jacket and Kalvin Kleen jeans. He's playing shuggy in a dark and dingy bar, but this image may work best with no background, to establish Lenny. CAPTION: FIFTEEN YEARS I'D BEEN BUSTIN' MY BALLS ON THE STREETS OF THE BIG MEG. IN MY LINE OF WORK, THAT'S WAY BEYOND LIFE EXPECTANCY. CAPTION: I PUT IT ALL DOWN TO TRUST. THE JUDGES, THEY DON'T TRUST NOBODY... BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT LOVE. DTP TITLE: LENNY ZERO CAPTION: BUT I COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON MONA TO COUNT ON ME. WE WERE ONE HELL OF A TEAM. TRUST, Y'SEE? FAT LOSER: FIFTY CREDS SAYS YER BOYFRIEND CAN'T MAKE THAT SHOT. MONA: GOT YOURSELF A DEAL. FX: PLOK FAT LOSER (OFF): AW, MAN... CAPTION: SURE, I COULD'VE MADE THE SHOT WITHOUT THE HEADS-UP DISPLAY IN MY NIGHTSHADES, BUT WEARIN' 'EM MEANS PEOPLE CAN'T READ MY EYES. CAPTION: BESIDES, SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD. LENNY: HEY MARV, WHAT'S UP? YOU PUT MONEY ON THE FAT GUY OR SOMETHIN'? CAPTION: MARV WAS NAMED AFTER HIS RAP SHEET - "MULTIPLE ARMED ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE", YEAH? CAPTION: A NASTY PIECE OF WORK WHO TOOK A LITTLE TOO MUCH PLEASURE IN CARRYIN' OUT WHACK JOBS FOR LITTLE CAESAR PICCANTE'S MOB. MARV: DITCH THE BITCH, BUDDY. DA BOSS WOULD LIKE A WORD. MONA: BUDDY? WHO ARE THESE GUYS - ? LENNY: JUST BUSINESS, BABY. HEAD ON HOME, I'LL CATCH UP WITH YOU LATER. CAPTION: I'D BEEN DOIN' SOME LAUNDERIN' WORK FOR CAESAR'S OUTFIT, SUPPLYIN' USED CRED-CARDS FOR RE-CHIPPING. CAPTION: SOMETHING TOLD ME I WAS ABOUT TO START LOOKIN' FOR A NEW LINE OF WORK...
PAGE TWO 1) Change of scene. Lenny, now sans shades, is ushered at gunpoint into a bright and spacious lux-apt penthouse. Riding around in a kiddie's hover-buggy is LITTLE CAESAR, a ten year-old kid in a sharp black suit and a paper party hat. His assorted goons wear party hats too. Caesar looks like an extra from Bugsy Malone, but his eyes are very old and very cruel. NOTE: there's a lot of dialogue over this next couple of pages, so leave plenty of room. CAPTION: LITTLE CAESAR WAS BARELY INTO HIS THIRD BIO-CHIPPED CLONE BODY, SO HE WAS PRETTY SPRY FOR A GUY HIS AGE. CAESAR: I'M TELLIN' YA, IT'S AMAZIN' WHAT THEY GOT FOR KIDS THESE DAYS! LINK: HEY THERE, BUDDY, GLAD YOU COULD JOIN THE PARTY. YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS? MY 200TH BIRTHDAY. CAESAR: I WAS RUNNIN' ERRANDS FOR AL CAPONE WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD. I SEEN TWO NUCLEAR WARS, THE BIG NEC, JUDGEMENT DAY... AN' I'M STILL HERE. LINK: AFTER ALL'A THAT, YOU REALLY THINK I'M GONNA LET MYSELF GET SHAFTED BY SOME TWO-CRED STREET PUNK ON THE MAKE? LINK: DO YA? LENNY: GRUDSAKE, CAESAR - WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT? CAESAR: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT. OKAY, WISEGUY, LET ME KNOW WHEN THIS STARTS SOUNDIN' FAMILIAR. CAPTION: "SOMEBODY TOLD THE JUDGES WHERE TO FIND ALVIN KEYES, MY CHIEF ACCOUNTANT. CAPTION: "NOW KEYES AIN'T NO DUMMY. MOMENT THE JAYS BUSTED IN, HE CHANGED THE ACCESS CODE TO MY ACCOUNT BEFORE THEY COULD SEIZE IT." CAESAR: NOW THEY'RE GIVIN' HIM THE TREATMENT IN SOME CUBE, AN' I CAN'T EVEN GET AHOLD OF MY OWN MONEY! LINK: THAT'S THIRTY-THREE MILLION CREDS, YOU SON OF A BITCH! LENNY: WHOA, CAESAR - TIME OUT! WHY THE HELL WOULD I SELL YOU OUT? I AIN'T GOT NO DEATH WISH! CAESAR: THAT A FACT? THEN MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN HOW COME I GOT VID FOOTAGE OF YOU AN' YOUR JUDGE PAL COSYIN' UP IN SHAPIRO'S? LINK: HOW MUCH DID THEY PAY YOU FOR RATTIN' ME OUT, HUH? LENNY: L-LISTEN, YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG-- CAESAR: YOU'RE DEAD. AN' THAT PIECE OF SKIRT YOU HANG WITH, SHE'S DEAD TOO - AT LEAST, ONCE MARV HERE'S HAD HIS FUN WITH HER. LINK: OKAY MARV, I'M DONE TALKIN'. SHOOT THIS RAT FINK.
PAGE THREE 1) Extreme close-up on Lenny, grim. He's making the most difficult decision of his life, about to betray everything he believes in. LENNY: ... YOU CAN'T KILL ME, CAESAR. YOU NEED ME. LINK: I CAN GET HIM BACK FOR YOU. CAESAR: THAT A FACT? YOU'RE GONNA SPRING KEYES FROM A SECTOR HOUSE INTERROGATION CUBE, DEAD MAN? LINK: WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KINDA MAGICIAN? LENNY: NO. LINK: I'M A JUDGE. CAESAR: SON OF A BITCH... ALL'THIS TIME, YOU WAS WALLY SQUAD*... ? LINK: YOU WAS ALREADY DEAD, BUDDY. YOU'RE DOUBLE DEAD NOW. LENNY: LEAVE MONA OUT OF IT. SHE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT ME, SHE AIN'T INVOLVED. LINK: PLEASE, JUST... LET HER GO, AN' I'LL GET YOU THE ACCOUNTANT. CAPTION BELOW: *WALLY SQUAD: MEGA-SLANG FOR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S UNDERCOVER DIVISION. LENNY: SOONER OR LATER, KEYES IS GONNA CRACK. AND WHEN THE JAYS GET AHOLD OF THAT ACCOUNT CODE, YOU CAN KISS YOUR THIRTY-THREE MIL GOODBYE. LINK: CLOCK'S TICKIN', CAESAR.
PAGE FOUR 1) Caesar sits back. Suspicious, sizing Lenny up, one finger to his lips in a pensive gesture. CAESAR: YOU'RE EITHER LOOKIN' FOR A BULLET OR A ONE-WAY TICKET TO TITAN. I JUST CAN'T FIGURE WHICH. LINK: OKAY, YOU DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO. BUT YOU REMEMBER, THERE AIN'T NOWHERE IN THIS CITY YOU CAN HIDE FROM ME. LINK: YOU TRY ANYTHIN', YOU GET TO SEE WHAT RESYK LOOKS LIKE FROM THE INSIDE, CAPICE? LENNY: CAESAR... LINK: TRUST ME. FROM BUILDING: CAESAR'S GETTIN' JUMPY, WANTS TO KNOW WHO SOLD HIM OUT. FROM BUILDING: SOUNDS LIKE YOU SHOULD KEEP A LOW PROFILE 'TIL THIS WHOLE THING BLOWS OVER, ZERO. LENNY: I RUN FOR COVER, THEY KNOW IT WAS ME. LINK: SO WHAT'S THE WORD ON KEYES HERE - HE GIVEN UP THE ACCESS CODE YET? CLAYTON: NOT YET. SEEMS HE WAS IMPLANTED WITH SOME KIND OF POST-HYPNOTIC MIND LOCK, HELPS HIM RESIST THE TRUTH SERUM. LINK: WE'VE REQUESTED A SPECIALIST FROM PSI DIVISION, SEE IF THEY CAN CRACK HIM. LENNY: YOU START MESSIN' WITH A MIND LOCK, YOU'RE LIABLE TO TURN HIS BRAIN TO MUNCE - AN' THEN YOU'LL NEVER LINK HIM TO CAESAR. LINK: YOU GOTTA MAKE HIM WANT TO GIVE YOU THE CODE. CLAYTON: AND I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE SOME IDEA HOW WE DO THAT? LENNY: SURE I DO. LISTEN...
PAGE FIVE 1) Inside the interrogation chamber, Judges BALL and FLACK are leaning over Keyes, giving him the third degree. Keyes sweats under a spotlight, wired up to lie detectors and other scary-looking devices. Keyes is exhausted but defiant. BALL: GIVE IT UP, KEYES. YOU THINK LITTLE CAESAR WOULD SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN A CUBE FOR YOU? FLACK: GIVE US HIS ACCOUNT CODE AND WE'LL SUSPEND YOUR SENTENCE. YOU CAN WALK OUT OF HERE. KEYES: GO... GO POLISH YOUR HELMET, JUDGEY BOY... LENNY: I GOT A MESSAGE FOR YOU GUYS. BALL: WHO - ? FX: K-CHICK! K-CHAK! FX: BZAM! BZAM! LENNY: CAESAR SAYS KISS MY ASS. BALL: AAAAH! FLACK: UNNH! KEYES: WHA... ? WHAT IS THIS - ? LENNY: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, LAMEBRAIN? I'M BUSTIN' YOU OUTTA HERE! LINK: NOW GET DRESSED BEFORE WE'RE UP TO OUR NECKS IN ANGRY BADGES!
PAGE SIX 1) Lenny and Keyes (now dressed) stand in a clearly-labeled ELEVATOR, waiting for the doors to close. Judges bustle along the corridor, ignoring them. A bald, oriental Psi Judge is just stepping into the elevator with them. CAPTION: UNDERCOVER 101 - IN THE LION'S DEN, MAKE LIKE YOU OWN THE PLACE AN' YOU WON'T GET BIT. PSI: HOLD THE DOORS, PLEASE! LINK: THANKS. CAPTION: AT LEAST, THAT'S THE THEORY. IN REAL LIFE, THINGS TEND TO GET A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. PSI: IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT, MY FRIEND? I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND MY SAYING SO, BUT YOU'RE BROADCASTING AN AWFUL LOT OF STRESS AND NEGATIVE ENERGY. LENNY: NO KIDDIN'. THIS UNDERCOVER WORK'S PLAYIN' HELL WITH MY NERVES. PSI: PERHAPS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT TRANSFERRING OUT OF THE DIVISION. JITTERS LIKE THAT COULD GET YOU KILLED. LENNY: FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT, PAL... LENNY: I'VE BEEN THINKIN' THE SAME THING MYSELF. LENNY: WE GOT MAYBE TWO MINUTES MAX BEFORE THEY REALISE YOU'RE MISSIN' AN' LOCK DOWN THE BUILDING. LINK: GET IN THE FOORD, AN' KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN 'TIL WE'RE CLEAR. KEYES: W-WHATEVER YOU SAY... FROM CAR: PIECE O' CAKE.
PAGE SEVEN 1) Cut to a Sector House control room. Judge Clayton and Judge Ball peer down at a monitor screen manned by a CONTROL JUDGE. The screen displays a complex road-map marked with a flashing blip - Lenny's car. CONROL JUDGE: GOOD SIGNAL FROM THE TRACER. HE'S HEADING NORTH ON ROCKATANSKY OVERZOOM, APPROACHING THE SUPERSLAB FEEDWAY. BALL: SHOULDN'T WE AT LEAST PUT A MOBILE UNIT ON HIS TAIL? CLAYTON: TOO RISKY. IF KEYES SMELLS A DOUBLE-CROSS, THIS WHOLE PLAN IS BLOWN. LINK: ZERO KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. LENNY: NOW LISTEN GOOD, MONEY MAN. WE'RE ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE HERE, AN' I'M ONLY GONNA SAY THIS ONCE. LINK: CAESAR'S MOVIN' ALL HIS ASSETS OFF WORLD. HE SAID TO GIVE YOU THIRTY SECONDS TO GIMME THE ACCOUNT CODE. KEYES: WHAT? I-I'M ONLY SUPPOSED TO GIVE IT TO CAESAR HIMSELF-- LENNY: HE ALSO SAID THAT IF YOU DON'T GIMME THE CODE, I'M SUPPOSED TO BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT. LINK: TWENTY SECONDS. KEYES: B-BUT... BUT-- KEYES: I M-MEAN, CAESAR WAS ALWAYS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT SECURITY... M-MAYBE IF I COULD JUST TALK TO HIM-- LENNY: I ALREADY TOLD YOU, CAESAR'S OFF WORLD. HE AIN'T TALKIN' TO NOBODY 'TIL THIS HEAT DIES DOWN. LINK: TEN SECONDS, PAL. LENNY: FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE-- KEYES: O-OKAY, OKAY! CHEEZ LOUISE... LINK: IT'S ACCOUNT NUMBER 779144, FIRST MEGAPOLITAN BANK. ACCESS CODE ALPHA 55 BLUE NINE. LENNY: GRAVY.
PAGE EIGHT 1) Lenny's car pulls up the on-ramp of a massive multi-lane vehicle - a TOM FUELERY mobile refueling station/rest stop. Its company mascot is a friendly cartoon tom-cat in mechanic's overalls. FROM CAR: OKAY, THIS CAR'S HOTTER THAN HESTIA. I GOTTA DITCH IT. LINK: YOU BAIL OUT HERE. LENNY: TAKE THIS TRACER. LINK: SIT TIGHT, AN' ONE OF CAESAR'S BOYS'LL PICK YOU UP AN' TAKE YOU TO THE SPACEPORT. KEYES: W-WAIT A SECOND... KEYES: I DON'T UNDERSTAND-- LENNY: FORGET ABOUT IT. LINK: SEE YA 'ROUND. PLEASURE DOIN' BUSINESS WITH YA. FX: SCREEEEEEEE - ! DROID: LUBE, SIR? LENNY: ... YEAH, WORKED LIKE DREAM. LEFT HIM STANDIN' ON THE FORECOURT WITH HIS HOTTIE IN HIS HANDS. LINK: OKAY, BABY, TIME TO FOCUS. WE'RE ON DANGER TIME. LINK: TRANSFER CAESAR'S MONEY INTO MY LUNA-1 ACCOUNT AN' MEET ME AT JFK. HERE'S THE ACCESS CODE... CONTROL JUDGE: HE'S STILL AT THE TOM FUELERY, CRUISING CLOCKWISE ON THE CENTRAL SPIRAL. CLAYTON: IF ZERO HASN'T GOT THE CODE YET, HE ISN'T GOING TO GET IT. LINK: SEND A PAT-WAGON TO THE FUELERY PICK THEM UP.
PAGE NINE 1) Lenny is getting out of his Foord in a huge car/hov-pod park, turning to see Mona approaching with two small suitcases. A large sign on the wall clearly reads "JFK SPACEPORT: DEEP SPACE - TERMINAL 2". MONA: HUSTLE THAT TUSH, TOUGH GUY. OUR FLIGHT LEAVES IN FIFTEEN MINUTES. LENNY: MAN, I COULD KISS MYSELF. LINK: BY THE TIME CAESAR AN' THE DEPARTMENT FIGURE OUT WE SCREWED 'EM BOTH, WE'LL BE ON OUR WAY TO A NON-EXTRADITION PLANET... MONA: FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY, COURTESY OF LITTLE CAESAR'S THIRTY-THREE MIL... LENNY: MAN, I JUST WISH I COULD SEE THE LOOK ON KEYES' FACE WHEN THE JUDGES PICK HIM UP WITH A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TRACER IN HIS HAND! LENNY: BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST - I AIN'T GETTIN' THESE BABIES THROUGH CUSTOMS. DITCH 'EM IN A GRINDER, WILL YA? MONA (OFF): FORGET ABOUT CUSTOMS, LENNY - THE ONLY TRIP YOU'RE TAKING IS TO TITAN. LENNY: WHAT... ? MONA: HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, ZERO. LINK: YOU'RE UNDER ARREST. MONA: CONTROL, THIS IS KRAMER, SJS*. LINK: I NEED BACK-UP AND A CATCH-WAGON TO JFK POD PARK, UPPER LEVEL. LENNY: No... No, baby, no... CAPTION BELOW: * SJS: SPECIAL JUDICIAL SQUAD, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION.
PAGE TEN 1) Lenny is destroyed, pleading. He loved this woman. Mona sneers contemptuously, without a shred of pity. MONA: WE'VE HAD YOU UNDER OBSERVATION SINCE YOU FELL FOR A ROUTINE HONEY TRAP, ZERO. LINK WHEN A JUDGE CAN'T KEEP IT IN HIS PANTS, MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT ELSE HE'S CAPABLE OF. AND NOW WE KNOW. LENNY: PLEASE, BABY, NO... I DID THIS FOR YOU-- MONA: DON'T MAKE ME SICK. YOU BROKE THE LAW, AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. LENNY: THEN... I'M SORRY. LINK: VOICE DESTRUCT CODE GAMMA ZERO. FX: VADOOOM! MONA: Whuh... Whuh... LENNY: CONTROL, THIS IS ZERO. LINK: CODE 99 RED, JUDGE DOWN. URGENT MED-ASSIST REQUIRED. LENNY: OH YEAH, AN' ONE OTHER THING. LINK: I QUIT. CAPTION: YEAH, THE JUDGES DON'T TRUST NOBODY... BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT LOVE. CAPTION: AIN'T IT THE TRUTH. [ THE END ]
This story originally
appeared in the Judge
Dredd Megazine vol 3, issue 68, August 2000.
Lenny Zero created by Andy Diggle and Jock.
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