Scene 46D—INTERIOR—POWERS CHURCH OFFICE—DAY: 

 

A defeated Powers drifts into his office and slumps behind his desk.

 

He opens his top desk drawer: Inside he finds a mass of bills marked, “Final Notice” and “Overdue.”  He hunts around for a pack of cigarettes, uncovering the talisman in the

 

process.  He picks up the Talisman, heaves a sigh, and starts to swing it in front of himself.

 

Powers

(trying to hypnotize himself)

                        Your ideas are powerful, you are powerful.

                        You’re not weak.  You’re not a failure.

 

Powers puts down the amulet, and puts his head into his hands and covers his eyes, unaware that the faithful Sally Ann has appeared in the doorway.  She holds her course book in her hands.

 

Sally Ann

                                    They just don’t understand.

 

Powers looks up as Sally Ann enters, crosses to his side.

 

Sally Ann

(tapping book)

                                    I mean, the magnitude of your work!  Am I

                                    interrupting, Doctor?

 

Powers

                                    No, no, it’s fine, Sally Ann.

 

Sally Ann moves closer to Powers, puts down her book—her breast touches his side.

 

Sally Ann

                                    I just want you to know—some of us…

                                    see you for who you really are.

                       

Powers picks up the talisman, looks Sally Ann over in a new light.  Fresh meat.

 

Powers

                                    Sally Ann, it takes greatness to see greatness.                

 

Another Angle: Just then the nerdy Vern Maffitt has appeared at the good Doctor’s door. He carries a briefcase in his hand and is all jacked up, as though he’s been preparing the speech he’s about to make for a month. 

 

Vern

Excuse me, Dr. Powers?

 

Powers

                                    Yes?

 

Vern strides in, uninvited, and crosses to the desk, briefcase proudly in hand.

 

Vern

                                    It’s Vern, Vern Maffit. I think I can help

                                    you.

 

Powers has the talisman in hand, all ready for a little black magic hypnotism, and a willing subject in Sally Ann, and here’s this darn nerd messing it up!

 

Powers

                                    I’m busy right now, Vern.

 

Heedless, Vern dumps his briefcase on the desk.  He opens it, spilling out several books by Powers. 

 

Vern

                                    Yes sir, well you see, I’ve read all your books—

 

Powers

                                    Maybe later Vern.

 

Vern holds up one of the books.  It’s lurid Sci-Fi cover shows an evil alien hooking up a beautiful babe to a strange looking device.

 

Vern

                                    My favorite book of yours is the “Mind Masters.”

                                    You know, the one where the aliens conquer

                                    mankind with their mind meters.

 

Powers

(annoyed)

                                    I know, Vern, I wrote it.

 

 

Vern

                                    So I made one--                       

 

Powers

                                    Made what?

 

Vern

A mind-meter--and it works.

 

Powers

What does?

 

Vern pulls a little, wooden box out of the briefcase.  Its face is covered with dials and knobs.  This is the mind meter.  Powers is now quiet.

 

Vern

                            The mind meter:  it works just like you

                            wrote in the story.

 

Powers

(amazed)

                                    It does?

 

Vern  turns on the mind meter, and puts a pair of electrodes on Sally Ann’s fingers.  As soon as she touches the electrodes, the needle on face of the mind meter comes to life and starts dancing around.

 

Vern

                                    Sure.  It reads your thoughts.  Hold these

                                    Sally Ann.  Watch.  (to Sally Ann)  Sally

                                    Ann, are you in love with Dr. Powers?

 

The needle on the mind meter takes off like a rocket.

 

 

Sally Ann

(blushing, her secret thoughts revealed)

                                    Vern!

 

Powers

                                    So it goes right to the subconscious?

 

Vern

                                    Yep.  No secrets from this baby!

 

 

Powers is still not sold.

 

Powers

                                    I can get the same results from hypnosis, I

                                    mean SciMind.

 

 

Vern

                                    Yeah, you can, but anyone can operate one

of these things.

 

Sally Ann

                                    So we could train a whole army of therapists!

 

Vern

                                    Conquer the whole planet, just like the aliens!

 

The flash of great inspiration comes across Powers face.

 

Powers

                                    An entire Army, huh? 

                                    ohh

 

CUT TO:

 

Scene 46E--INTERIOR—CHURCH—DAY

 

As ten, uniformed  Disciples of Freedom snap to attention.  They wear identical uniforms, a cross between a priest and a soldier.  Each Disciple carries a Mind Meter in one hand, as though it were their weapon.  Vern stands in front of the line, in the position of commander.  His uniform carries gold braid on the epaulets, and a gold lanyard around one shoulder.  Sally Ann stands a half step in front of the rest of the company, and sports the gold braid epaulets, but no lanyard—she’s second in command. 

 

Powers

(voice over)

                                    You are the first squad of the most elite force

on the planet: the Disciples of Freedom!

 

 

Vern salutes Powers and issues the drill commands to lead the Disciples out the door on their mission of saving mankind.

 

DISSOLVE TO: