View source for Holes/Session 39

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<screenplay>
INT. Cave cavern thing

Amadi is dead. Gravy is still holding her, after shaking the water out of her. Radek had wanted a defibrillator.

'''''Frezak''' (Gravy): I'm going to make Amadi into sandwiches. It's what she'd want.

RHU
(to Radek)
What about the robots? Don't they have electrical... wires and things?

RADEK
I don't have enough time to jury rig something like that when she's ''already dead''.

RHU
What about her soul? Can you save that in some way, like you did for Mr. Mousie?

GEORGE
You sure she's dead? That stuff went into her.

Radek does some stuff to try to find Amadi's soul or find out what's even going on or whatever, with Gravy still holding her up. ''(rolled 30 arcana)'' He doesn't manage to do what he meant to do, but he does discover that whatever she has/had, there's horrible blackness in the way. Hungry blackness. It sees him.

RADEK
Damn it...
No, Rhu, I cannot save her soul, because this ''darkness'' is in the way.

Rhu gives Radek a quizzical look.

RHU
You mean like the darkness-beast thing in Midnight?

Radek tugs on his beard in frustration.

RADEK
Why, yes. Quite a bit like that.
You may recall that none of us had a solution then, and things have not changed since.

RHU
(to Radek, distractedly)
Um... Codrichun helped? Maybe...

Rhu gets distracted by the floor.

Amadi, or perhaps what is possessing her, suddenly wakes up and starts struggling. She seems to be trying to bite Radek.

The Gravedigger slams Amadi against the wall a few times.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
No bitey!
No! Bad Amadi!

Amadi gets a bit crushed, and stops struggling. She glares at the Gravedigger with horrible black eyes.

Rhu examines the floor and notices that there seem to be lighter patches on the floor where the black stuff sank in... and there are too many of them. They look like outlines of people...

He pokes them.

RHU
Does ... anybody else see patches all over the floor, or is that my blindness acting up again?

Amadi hisses something and then Dawn appears. 

Dawn looks very, very confused.

RADEK
Ah, fantastic. Hello, Dave. We were just about to debate the merits of having your better half possessed by a demon in the hopes that it might destroy the entity currently possessing her.
Do you have any insight on this matter?

Dawn recovers herself a bit, then pokes Amadi.

DAWN
You know, it is a bit like a demon.
(to Amadi)
Hi, demon. How are you?

Amadi hisses something silent and unintelligible, looking quite upset.

DAWN
Sorry, but if you're not her, I'm not doing what you want.
(she looks around at the others)
Um... why are you all looking at me like I should know what to do?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Hey, I wasn't.

DAWN
Radek here is a lot of everyone, okay?

RHU
What's she asking you to do?

DAWN
Oh, she just wants me to destroy you all.

RHU
Oh, okay.

DAWN
Weren't we supposed to be immune to this? How much have we lost..?

RADEK
Just... leave me out of this. I am not an exorcist.

DAWN
Gravedigger, hold her still, please. I got an idea.

Dawn takes Amadi's head in her hands and then headbutts her really hard.

Dawn reels away, tears streaming down her face.

DAWN
Ow ow ow ow ow.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
I can do that too.

RHU
Is that the shadow Amadi in there? Where is Amadi? Maybe she's... elsewhere. I feel a silence that I haven't felt before.

Amadi says something horrible, and Rhu can just make out the words 'All of us'. ''(will attack failed)''

RHU
Have we tried using the Orb of Protection thing? Maybe it'll scare these things away.

RADEK
It repels energy, Rhu.

RHU
The darkness thing might be energy.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
You say there are demons in Amadi?

The Gravedigger lifts up Amadi to shout really loudly in her ear. ''(rolled 23 intimidate)''

THE GRAVEDIGGER
GET OUT DEMONS! SHOOOO

DAWN
They're not demons, just like demons. They're also not really... multiple, either.

RADEK
...Allow me to elaborate.
If it were capable of solving this problem for us, it would just as easily expel your soul from your body the instant you came into contact with it.

GREIBEL
Groovy.

RHU
Oh.

GREIBEL
You'd like traveling the astral plane, Rhu. It's freaky at first but then it's ''freaky''.
(he looks around)
Um, right... cave survey.

Greibel turns into bats and flies away.

RHU
Do we even know that Amadi is still in there? Maybe she's gone back to Midnight or something.

Amidst this, there's a bit of a struggle in Amadi, but the shouting seems to have worked: she calms down, looks a bit confused, and then starts speaking perfectly normally again. Well, relatively normally, anyway.

AMADI
Agh! What? Oh! It worked!

THE GRAVEDIGGER
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SANDWICHES?

AMADI
(looking a bit worried)
They're... nice, I suppose?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
DECEIVER!

AMADI
Eh?

The Gravedigger shakes Amadi vigorously.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
OUT DEMONS OUT!

AMADI
AGH!
No, no, I'm not a demon!
I'm... okay, this is going to sound completely insane, but I'm possessing the... demon. Stuff. Which is apparently possessing your friend.

RHU
You're ...''stronger'' than the demon possessing Amadi?

AMADI
Well... not really. But you guys did apparently give it a bit of a jostle...
(she looks up at the Gravedigger uncertainly)
Or something.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
I shouted really loudly.

AMADI
My name is Haerevan of Salas Vittan. I came here to give you something, though I'm not entirely sure how to entirely go about that at this stage.
(she twiddles her fingers)
Odd. Your shouts transcend the normal barriers of reality?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
It was really loud.

RHU
Don't shout really loudly at it again, this person makes more sense than Amadi usually does.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Aw. Okay.

It occurs to Rhu that the name is the same pattern as the names given for the kings. ''(rolled 18 history)'' Anyone who was paying attention might remember that, though.

RHU
We've been told that we are on Arling Tor, although that was several leaps through space and time ago. I think that was another planet.

AMADI
Yes, this is Arling Tor.
(to Gravy)
Can you put me down, please? I don't think anything too horrible is going to happen.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Hmmm. I'll be watching.

The Gravedigger puts the creature down.

AMADI
(nodding)
I would expect nothing less.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
I can also watch really hard.

RHU
(to Amadi)
How did you end up in Amadi, then? Did Gravy's shout call you? Were you just... passing?

GEORGE
Is Arling Tor another name for Cerris?

AMADI
Well, I was really trying to hitch a ride through the rift, but got a bit caught up in all the shadowstuff. This wasn't exactly my first idea, you know.
(to George)
And no, Arling Tor is all of this. It includes Cerris, and Ord, and all the other fragments you call planes as well. The extent of the universe is the name, and beyond that, other universes have their own names.

RHU
Shadowstuff? We were just fighting shadows a minute ago.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
I hit them really hard.

AMADI
They must have been given some sort of medium with which to manifest. A...
(she holds out her hand and a soft ball of light appears over it)
...creation.

In the darkness the light stands out, but not so much so as to hurt the folks. It throws weird shadows everywhere, though.

RHU
...that might not be the best idea. Weird shadows are how our friend died. Or didn't die. Or whatever.

AMADI
(fussing over the ball)
All light casts shadows. A good light creates nothing to be feared.

Rhu clearly doesn't buy this, and glances warily at the shadows from time to time.

RHU
(to Amadi)
Do you know anything about Holes and Darkness Made Solid, where you're from? We seem to be having problems with both today.

Radek fidgets and grumbles in the background.

AMADI
The holes are the deterioration of the universe, spread by contact with other universes. Your own was particularly badly damaged, which is how you came here.

Amadi fiddles with the ball some more, making it do various nonsensical things, trying to reshape it.

RHU
To this planet? Or this cave?

AMADI
To Arling Tor. And Cerris.
(to George)
You know they're aliens, right? They're totally aliens.

GEORGE
Um... okay?

RHU
(to George)
Well, we're from another planet. We were on another planet, then another one, and then we were nowhere, and then we got here.

RADEK
...Is that remarkable in this universe?

Amadi shrugs.

DAWN
Space aliens would be a bit odd here, I think. Ord is the one where they get that. But she means in that you're from another universe.
(to Amadi)
You're an Emissary, aren't you?

The ball of light turns into a ball of sludge and starts dripping.

AMADI
Agh! This is not working.

The Gravedigger stares.

Amadi gives Gravy a nervous look.

RADEK
What, exactly, are you trying to do with that?

AMADI
I'm trying to recreate an object that was... destroyed. Except I don't entirely know what I'm doing.
(irritably)
You know, we're supposed to have the power of gods and then some, but it's like I never got all the memos or something. I'm not even close to a god. I'm a baker, for crying out loud!

Amadi shakes some gloop off her hand.

AMADI
...I should have really let someone else take this one.
It was supposed to be a box. Full of stuff. And a letter. About the box. I'm trying to remake it and it's just not working.

RHU
Are you... sure... we're in another universe? There are a lot of planets, you know. We might just be stuck on a particularly primitive planet. No offence, George.

AMADI
From where you started out? Yes. Definitely different. You're from Arikdirin Vak. I can tell THAT much, at least.

Radek waves a hand dismissively.

RADEK
It hardly matters any longer.

DAWN
You're in a piece of a King. Full of Midnight. Of course it wouldn't work properly.

Amadi stops and stares at Dawn.

AMADI
A King?

DAWN
I... don't know. Maybe?

RHU
(to Dawn)
Midnight! Do you think taking Amadi back to Midnight might help her kick this darkness thing out? ...No, on second thoughts, the darkness-monster thing seems to be even more powerful there.

DAWN
No, no, the emissary should be able to get it out once he finishes what he's doing.

RHU
...Oh. Cool.

Amadi is trying to force some magic and it's not working. She drops an ooze on the ground and it starts bouncing away.

Amadi glares at it angrily.

The Gravedigger starts spouting zen sayings about calm. ''(rolled 19 religion)''

Amadi glares at Gravy.

Amadi calms down a bit.

RHU
(to Amadi)
Radek knows how to build things! Check out that eyebot! And that robot in flames! Maybe he can help you?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
You got a ''box''? We just got some scribbled rocks that some crazy teleporting lady shoved at us.

AMADI
No, I don't have the box. That's the ''problem''. It got destroyed. Well, more 'unmade'. Scribbled how?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
I dunno, they had squigglies. Who has the rocks?

RHU
We got the scribbled rocks from multiple sources. Other Amadi gave me one right before I ended up in the city of the dead and found a sphinx!
(he takes out the two rocks he has and shows them to Amadi)
Greibel has the others, but I think he's still several bats.

Amadi looks them over.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
What's it like, being a baker?

AMADI
It's nice. Calming. No stress, no problems bigger than I am.

RHU
Unless you make a very large cake.

AMADI
Cakes are '''not''' problems.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Unless they've caught in fire. I dig graves. I have never buried a cake. Yet.

RADEK
Hmph.

AMADI
Oh, oh.
(she hands the rocks back to Rhu)
I could bake you some coffins later if you'd like. I mean, if you're ever in the area.

RADEK
I suppose you're trying to bake an object into existence too, is that it?

Amadi looks at Radek skeptically.

AMADI
Would that... work?

RHU
(to Amadi)
What? Have you seen them before?

AMADI
Well, no, but these also shouldn't exist, so that actually helps quite a bit. Hold on.

Amadi makes another glowy ball and starts fiddling with that one. This time she makes some progress and then gets stuck again. The result is lumpy and vaguely box-shaped.

AMADI
Well, this is... closer.

GEORGE
The pinnacle of creation.

Gravy goes and buries the first ooze in the meantime (it makes sad noises), then remains alert in case of anything else that needs burying.

The Greibel bats congregate in the air overhead and mush together, and Greibel falls down with a thump.

GREIBEL
What was I looking for, again?

RHU
A way out, I think.

GREIBEL
Oh, right. Did I find one?

RHU
Also, Haerevan expressed an interest in the stones we've found. The ones with symbols on them.

GREIBEL
Here, take em.

Greibel shoves his pack at Rhu, who reaches in hesitantly and finds one sunk to the bottom. It's like reaching through the inside of a lizard.

Rhu shows it to Amadi.

AMADI
Yeah... hold onto them, please. This woman's pockets seem to be portals to other planes.

Rhu hands the pack back to Greibel.

RHU
But what are they? What do they mean?

Radek grumbles quietly.

RADEK
...Bloody divines have it so easy and they still can't do anything right.

AMADI
I am most certainly '''not''' a divine. You take that back!

RADEK
Why should I take it back? Here you are, puppeting about a god's corpse, trying and failing to abuse the power of creation.
You're practically halfway there already!

AMADI
Oh, that's a good point. She's a god, she should have power of her own. And she should know more than I do about this stuff... So if I can just use that...

RHU
If we are in another universe, and if this ''is'' the same Cerris that we landed on after Sarathi... then have we been in another universe since Sarathi?

AMADI
No, you left Arikdirin Vak via Sarathi, came here, then just took a rather squiggly path through space and time.

RHU
Huh.

Amadi sets the box down, sits down as well, and gives the entire thing a big long think.

Dawn sits down too, opposite Amadi, and also stares at it.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Hmmm.

DAWN
It's simple. Do it like normal, but be her instead of you.

AMADI
She's a god.

DAWN
Gods can do things properly too, you know. They just don't most of the time.

RADEK
You could attempt being insane.

AMADI
Insane?

DAWN
Like spiders.

Dawn does various finger motions to imitate spiders.

Radek points a thumb towards Dawn.

RADEK
...Like ''her''.

DAWN
Exactly like me. Pretend you're me!

AMADI
Or I could just...

Dawn falls over, completely overwhelmed by whatever it was that the entity inside Amadi just did.

DAWN
(staring blankly at the ceiling)
Wuaaaaaagh.

AMADI
Er... are you okay?
(uncertainly)
That... wasn't supposed to happen.

DAWN
Such ceiling... Much universe...

RHU
(to Greibel)
Did you find a way out that doesn't involve climbing all the way back up the secret door? I don't like this cave with its ghostly outlines and shadows, and we could have this conversation outside.

GREIBEL
The voices in my head say we can follow the river out!

DAWN
Wow...

Most everyone looks about uncertainly, at something of an impasse. Currently the problem seems to be drugs - or that nobody with the presence of mind to think of using them would ever actually suggest them.

DAWN
Many drugs...

RHU
I think we should go outside. Unless there's more science to be done with the funky water?

RADEK
Give a moment to find out, Rhu.

He verifies that the hole is gone ''(rolled 23 arcana)'' and takes some quick water samples, since the pool of water is still a bit weird.

He comes back to find Dawn still lying on the floor and then just ignores her.

RADEK
Everything looks solid. Everyone want to head out? Amazingly, we seem to have done it. The hole is closed.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Really?

RHU
Seriously?

George finally takes off his earmuffs.

GEORGE
Oh, hey, I can hear!

THE GRAVEDIGGER
But all we did was hit shadows? Really hard.

RADEK
If I had to guess, I would say they were... excess material. The problem was solved when they were created.

AMADI
(nodding)
They would have been created when it was closed.

RADEK
They just happened to be, well, a different problem.

AMADI
Related, though.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
So.... how did it close, then?

RADEK
My device worked, of course.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Really? Gosh.

Radek frowns.

RADEK
Doubtful, were you?

THE GRAVEDIGGER
Good job, Radek!

The Gravedigger winds up to smack Radek heartily on the back but thinks better of it.

Radek looks appreciative at being spared a violent congratulations, if not so much at being doubted in the first place.

DAWN
(from the floor)
Real science...

RHU
And... do we really want to close them any more? If we really are in another universe, they might be our way back to our own universe.

AMADI
Hold on, I've got this, I've got this!

Amadi does something magicky and the box explodes.

AMADI
Dammit!

DAWN
(pointing vaguely at the ceiling)
Larks... it's larks.

RHU
...outside might actually be a better place for explosions. Less chance of a cave-in. I wonder if the bats will come back now that the Hole is gone.
(to George)
I guess at the least you should get fewer zombies.

GEORGE
Yeah, looks good. Now if only I'd get paid for this.
(to everyone else)
I hope you lot weren't expecting to get paid. I don't even get paid and this is supposed to be my job. Well, not ''this'', obviously, but...

George grumbles.

RHU
Don't you get a promotion, given that you boss went all... (does chomping motions)?

GEORGE
That wasn't my boss.

Radek scoffs.

RADEK
For this? This is hardly work. I ''enjoy'' this. Now, if I could be paid to keep present company... well. It would be a more sensible reason than any I currently possess.

They head out. Gravy automatically picks the Amadi-thing up out of habit and whistles.

'''''Gaurav''' (Rhu): So I guess our new goal is to help Haerevan make the box-thing that will save Amadi somehow?

'''''Ganelon''' (Radek): I'm not sure that's what it will do.

George picks up Dawn and slings her over his shoulder.

Greibel looks around, rolls the porridge up into a long porridge snake, and then slings the porridge over his shoulder as well.

The porridge wiggles.
</screenplay>

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