Short Story Excerpt: The Others - Scenes 4-6

Overview: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-hero-s-journey-the-others-pt-1\

Previous: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-excerpt-the-others-scenes-1-3

Check out the overview and previous post for more context.

Disclaimer/Content warning: 15-year-old me did not do a good job with the portrayal of Sadie's mental illness. I did no research, and did result to the unfortunate infantilization of making her innocent. In my second draft, I was better, but if I am to adapt this story further, I promise I will do more research. I do not condone what I did, even if it was done out of ignorance.

SCENE FOUR

(Rebel base tech room. Seb, Lincoln, and Astrid are sitting at the computers. Jason enters with Sadie in tow.)

Lincoln: Hello, Sadie. (he extends his hand.) My name is Lincoln Downey. Welcome to the Rebellion. This is our team. (he gestures to the rest.)

Astrid: Hi, Sadie! (waves) I’m Astrid.

Seb: Sebastian.

Sadie: You were in his ear.

Seb: What? Oh, oh, yeah, right. That was me.

Lincoln: (to Jason) I already called the boss. He should be here-- (knock on the door) --now. (Lincoln crosses to the door and opens it. A taller and older man steps in.)

Seb: Hello, Mr. Starling.

Starling: Hello, Mr. Jonas, Mr. Downey, Ms. Selvig, Mr. Grayson. (he looks at Seb, Lincoln, Astrid, and Jason respectively.)

Sadie: (giggles, to Jason) Your last name is Grayson?

Jason: What? Oh, uh, yeah.

Sadie: Your name is Jason Grayson?

Jason: Yes, now please don’t--

Sadie: That rhymes.

Jason: Yes, it does. Now--

Sadie: Can I call you J-Gray?

Jason: No!

Starling: Mr. Grayson! Care to explain who this young lady is?

Jason: Uh, yes, sir. This is Sadie Miller. We think she can help us defeat the Others.

Starling: Her?

Jason: Um… can we talk? Alone?

(Starling nods, and he and Jason exit the room to the hallway outside.)

Starling: Mr. Grayson, I hope you know what you’re doing. Remember what hap--

Jason: This wasn’t my idea, sir. She managed to completely hack into the Others’ data. She has that information in her brain. (he and Starling glance back inside the room, where Sadie is spinning around in Lincoln’s swivel chair, giggling.) Somewhere.

Starling: Dr. Jackson better find a way. If what you’re saying is true, that girl is our only hope to defeat the Others.

SCENE FIVE

(Medical Bay. Sadie is strapped down to a futuristic machine, smiling from ear to ear. Dr. Aaron Jackson stands beside her with a tablet. Jason, Lincoln, Astrid, and Seb stand watching across the room.)

Aaron: Okay, Sadie. We’re going to run a few test, and then you’re free to go. (Sadie nods. Aaron picks up a syringe.) This will only hurt for a second. (He sticks the syringe in her arm. Sadie flinches, but says nothing.)

Seb: (to Jason) Do you know what he’s going to find?

Jason: I’m afraid to find out.

(Aaron crosses over to the rest.)

Aaron: Okay, so her brain will be scanned by that, (points at machine) and will be shown on here. (he holds up the tablet. The machine makes a whirring sound, and all five lean into the tablet.)

Astrid: Oh.

Jason: I-- I, uh. (clears throat) I take it that’s bad.

Aaron: Yes. It it. He neurons are scattered beyond belief. It’s a miracle she’s in the condition that she’s in.

Seb: What did the Others do to her?

Lincoln: And how did she survive?

SCENE SIX

(outside the Conference Room in the Rebel Base. Sadie is inside, rocking back and forth in a chair. Outside are Jason, Lincoln, Seb, Aaron, and Starling.)

Starling: Dr. Jackson, what have you found?

Aaron: Her brain activity is so jumbled, we can’t even comprehend what, or how, she’s thinking. But I can probably tell you that before all of (gestures to her) this, her IQ had to be above 200.

Seb: Is that how she hacked into the Others’ system? (Aaron nods)

Starling: Get that information out of her. I don’t care how. (exits)

Jason: I’m going in.

Lincoln: Why you? Jason, are you sure--

Jason: My past experience might help me in there. Besides, she seems to like me. Maybe she’ll open up to me.

Seb: Jace, whatever it is, there’s no way we’d be able to understand it. You of all people should know. The Others’ security is way beyond our level of comprehension, and now she’s thinking beyond our level of comprehension because they experimented on her in a way that’s most likely beyond our level of comprehension. That’s a lot of “beyond our level of comprehension!”

Aaron: Sebastian’s right, Jason. She might be telling you everything she knows, and you may not have a clue of what she means.

Jason: It doesn’t matter. We’d at least have something to go off of. (Jason opens the door to the conference room and enters) Hello, Sadie.

Sadie: (stops rocking in her chair and looks up. She smiles.) Hey, J-Gray!

Jason: (sits in the chair in front of Sadie) I understand that you know some secrets of the Others. Do you remember?

Sadie: Tall building. Space hole. One by one. They arrive. (gasps) They...arrive…

(Sadie starts breathing heavily. Jason reaches across the table and puts his hand over hers.)

Jason: Sadie. Look at me. Tell me everything you know.

Sadie: (calms down) Their leader….

Jason: Who is their leader?

Sadie: Singing tangerines are running left in north Germany.

Jason: (pulls back) What?

Sadie: The kitties.

Jason: (slams hands on table) Listen Sadie, we need to know EXACTLY who the Others are, and who their leader is!

Lincoln: (pokes head in the room) Jason, something happened that you may want to see.

Jason: What?

Lincoln: Astrid caught one. She caught one of the Others.

I had no idea how the sci-fi worked to explain how Sadie's brain was rewired, and I didn't know how IQ worked, either. I don't love these scenes, but I do think that my ideas were pretty good, even if the portrayal isn't the best.

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