Scene 5

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[MEIER outside cabin, watching SOLBERG as he attends to McNALLY, on all fours, in six inches of snow]

McNALLY           This is -- horrible!
SOLBERG           Just hold steady, Lieutenant.  I have to push a little more.
McNALLY           That thing is like a -- baseball bat!  Ouch!!
SOLBERG           It was as small as they could make it.
MEIER [watching] A kind of Geiger counter?
SOLBERG           Yes, rather low-tech.  But it will situate itself within a few inches of her liver and detect any emissions,

                           and thereby, any breakdown of the thorium.
McNALLY [face down in snow]  And this after -- two enemas --
SOLBERG           The first was routine saline, the second had gadolinium coating.
McNALLY            You didn’t have to -- watch while I -- pooped them out.  There’s a brown spot in the snow over there

                           the size of a -- bathtub.
SOLBERG            I’m afraid there’s no cultivated way to do this, Lieutenant.  Ensign, can you hold her buttocks apart?

                           Push down, Lieutenant, as if voiding your bowels.
McNALLY            Nnnghh!  Uggh!  For this I spent four years at the Naval Academy?
SOLBERG            In your case it is part of your mission, Lieutenant.
McNALLY             They should put a photo of this scene on a recruiting poster --
SOLBERG            Almost done.  It’s slipping in now, all the way up to the flange.  Finished!
McNALLY             Oh God . . . this is horrible.
SOLBERG             I’d like you to try to stand up now.
McNALLY              I don’t know if I can . . . every time I breathe I feel this thing moving around inside me.
SOLBERG             You can do it.
McNALLY             How would you know? [stands up stiffly]  I feel like it’s about to come up through my throat.
MEIER                 Can she walk like that?
SOLBERG            Should be able to.  To be truthful it’s never been placed inside a person before.
McNALLY             That’s -- good to know!
SOLBERG             I don’t mind you being sarcastic, Lieutenant.  We all sympathize.  Can you walk a few steps?
McNALLY             Barefoot in the snow?  With p - pleasure.  Oh -- oh -- I feel like it’s slipping out --
SOLBERG            Bend over, please.
McNALLY             Aieee!  What did you j - just do?
SOLBERG             I increased the aperture, and the inner diameter.  It should stay in now.
McNALLY            My -- sphincter -- feels stretched out --
SOLBERG            There will be no damage, if you just relax.
McNALLY            Ha!  Relax!  I’ve never had anything up there, I’ll have you know!
MEIER                 How long does she have to hold it in?
SOLBERG             I think two hours every day, around this time.  At night, there are no sun’s rays to contaminate the

                            readings.
McNALLY              How do I know the “reading”?
SOLBERG             With every event, you will feel a click.  You are very sensitive there so I don’t think you will mistake it.
McNALLY              That’s for -- sure.  I felt your breath on it a moment ago.
MEIER                  Maybe she can try walking over to the street a bit, to get used to it?
McNALLY             Oh f**k you, Meier --
SOLBERG             Actually that is a good idea.  Lieutenant, maybe if you lead the way, we can follow.
McNALLY             Oh Jesus.  This is horrible.  [jumps] What was that??  My whole insides got a jolt!
SOLBERG            That was a click.  You will feel them from time to time.  I want you to count them, or have the Ensign

                            count them, for each two-hour session.
McNALLY              I d - don’ t think I’ll miss any.  That one rattled my teeth.
MEIER                  Let’s keep going.  Meg, why don’t you turn down Dag Street?
McNALLY             Okay but j - just for a moment.
SOLBERG            Try to moderate your gait, Lieutenant.
McNALLY             Okay -- oh!  It happened again!
SOLBERG            That’s actually good news.  The faster the thorium decays --
MEIER                  Oh shit -- here comes the Mayor and his wife!
McNALLY              And P - pastor Odegaard and his wife!
MEIER                   They’ve seen us.  We can’t turn back.
SOLBERG              If you feel a click, Lieutenant, suppress your reaction.  They absolutely can’t know about what’s

                             inside you.
[MAYOR, WIFE, ODEGAARD and WIFE approach]
MAYOR                  Meg, good to see you!  And you too, Roger!
ODEGAARD           And I recognize one of our local artists!  Just got finished with a posing session?
SOLBERG              Yes, very satisfactory, as always.
MAYOR’S WIFE      What a coincidence.  We were just talking over dinner about Sunday’s interpretive dance.
ODEGAARD            I think this will be some kind of breakthrough.  Meg is so -- dignified -- that I think it will allay the

                              suspicions of our, uh, less adaptable congregants.  [chuckles]
McNALLY                I’m glad -- EEE! -- to h - hear that.
MAYOR                   Meg, are you okay?
MEIER                     She’s just, er, hiccupping from the champagne we just drank.
ODEGAARD’S WIFE Yes, that happens with me sometimes.
MAYOR                     I hope at least it was good champagne.
McNALLY                 Yes -- EEE! -- I’m feeling a little -- hot from it -- EE!
MAYOR                    This time I have my cell phone.  Meg, can you do your “thing”?
ODEGAARD             Yes, not the dance, but the part where you speak.
ODEGAARD’S WIFE The “Gift from God”.  Erik, can you take the video?
ODEGAARD             Meg, my wife and I will stand on either side of you.
MAYOR                     Ready?  Everyone in position?  Camera on!
McNALLY                  EEE!  Gift from G - god!  OHHH!  OHHH!  [collapses, cries]

Scene 6

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[MEIER and SOLBERG, standing in town square]

MEIER           What I don’t understand is why, after what happened on Friday, you want her to pose out here, of all                              places?
SOLBERG      It’s not so much the reaction of the townspeople as what the enemy thinks.  Assuming they’re watching,

                      for the moment we have to pretend nothing happened.
MEIER           Oh something really did happen.
SOLBERG       I attribute it to miscalibration of the equipment.  We were expecting a few clicks an hour, but instead the

                      Lieutenant found herself jangled by, according to the reading when I finally could take it out, one

                      hundred thirty-six.
MEIER            I know you called it a temporary seizure, caused by hiccuping, but everybody knew exactly what poor

                     Meg was experiencing.  I hope that video doesn’t get around.
SOLBERG      Unlikely.  We know that these are decent people.  Pastor Odegaard no doubt deleted it.  Though

                      perhaps unsuspecting as to who might have infiltrated his phone and already copied it. . . Are you sure

                      she’s coming?
MEIER           Bad choice of words.
SOLBERG      Sorry.
MEIER            I think the Chinese, or whoever sent me that false all-clear, knows where we are.  I realize now that they

                      must have GPS’ed the pingback when I acknowledged the message.
SOLBERG       I’d say that is a fair guess. . . So will she show up?
MEIER            She seemed better this morning.  After staying scrunched up on her bed for a whole day, and not leaving

                       the cabin since.
SOLBERG       No one can blame her.  Here she is.  Good morning, Meg.
McNALLY        I’d rather not talk.
SOLBERG       That’s o.k.  Pose by the fountain, as if looking down to contemplate it?
McNALLY        All right.  I don’t want to have to look at anybody. . . Why are we here?
SOLBERG       Let me get my kit out first.  Now that I’m drawing -- you probably can figure that your mission cannot

                       continue here.
McNALLY        To state the obvious.
SOLBERG       Whether or not the cover is blown, you can no longer fit in.
McNALLY        As if I ever did.
SOLBERG       You know what I mean.
MEIER            So what’s next?
SOLBERG       A change of scenery.  We have to keep hiding you.  The “hide in plain sight” strategy worked for these

                       months but it has been decided to try the opposite.
MEIER            What do you mean?
SOLBERG       You will be placed in what can only be called the sexual underground.  A very hidden place.
McNALLY        What??
SOLBERG       Miss McNally, this is not easy to say, but . . . the truth is, you have been naked and put on public display

                       for a long, long time --
McNALLY        It’s been six months and seven days.
SOLBERG       Indeed.  And by now you must be getting used to it.  I don’t mean that you enjoy it but constant nudity

                       and exposure has become a fact of your life and you have become used to that fact.
McNALLY        [still staring down at fountain]  I don’t like where this is going.
SOLBERG       You will be glad to know that you will be placed in a warm climate.
McNALLY        Oh thank God . . . at least I can thank God for that . . .
SOLBERG        You will be taken to Argentina, an area in the north part of the country called the “pampas”.
MEIER             I think I’ve heard of that.
SOLBERG        Flat grasslands, temperate in some places, semi-tropical in others.  You will be inserted into a large

                        estate that practices what might be called “sex tourism”, highly secret as you can imagine, but from

                        what we understand the source of a lucrative underground economy.  [leans to look at his canvas]  Can

                        you turn a little to your left?
McNALLY         I can’t f**king believe that the United States Navy is sending an officer to get raped!
SOLBERG        Nothing of the sort.  You will be introduced as what’s called a “female submissive” and your only role

                        will be to be looked at.  No sexual contact.  In fact no physical contact at all.
MEIER             How can you guarantee that?
SOLBERG        That is where you come in, Ensign.  You will be sent with her.
MEIER             How are they going to accept two naval personnel at a place like that?
SOLBERG        They won’t know it’s the Navy, of course.  To them -- and we are dealing with a shadowy group of

                        people, to be sure -- to them, you are an accomplished “dom” who is visiting, for an undetermined

                        period, with his “sub”.
MEIER             Will this work?
SOLBERG        All you have to do is look at the Lieutenant.  She will be much in demand.  Her body is extraordinarily

                        beautiful, well-toned, evenly tanned.
McNALLY         Excuse me while I scream.
SOLBERG        It is an objective truth which we have to take account of and can use to our advantage.
McNALLY         It still sounds too dangerous.  You’re sending me naked and unarmed into a secret society of pervs.
SOLBERG        This is a culture that carefully hides from the law, and extra carefully hides from publicity.  It took

                        a long time for us to develop the contacts.  They dare not do anything that will cause anyone to go to

                        the police.
MEIER              It makes a weird kind of sense.
McNALLY         Oh thank you so much for your support, Roger.
SOLBERG        Unlike here, where you were the only unclothed person, you will be with dozens of others who are also

                        in what is called the “BDSM scene”.  I don’t know if there will be other persons in complete nudity, but

                        there will be plenty of skin exposure.  You will fit in quite well.  Also a more salubrious climate which

                        I’m sure you will appreciate.
McNALLY         It’s only making me feel c - cold again.  C - can we finish this up?
SOLBERG        Your “sub” name will be Melinda.  And the Ensign will be a “dom” known as “Master Jake”.
McNALLY         “Master Jake”!!  This is too funny.
SOLBERG        Perhaps so, but when in his presence you are always to call him “Master” -- with a straight face --

                        and bow down.  And of course do everything he says.
MEIER             What is my role exactly?
SOLBERG        According to our research, it will be expected that any “sub” has a master.  And your role will be pretty

                       conventional, as things are done there.  You are the exclusive conduit for any requests to “hire” Melinda,

                       and you are also to make sure that there are no abuses, no instances of sexual or physical contact.  And

                       of course ensure that at no point is any part of her covered.  The story will be that she has dedicated her

                       life to complete exposure at all times.  You will be briefed on the particulars en route.
McNALLY         [still looking down at fountain, planting one foot in a different part of the snow]  I hope we get that d -

                        damned all-clear soon.
SOLBERG        There will not be only that.  The two of you will not simply be waiting around while you play your roles.

                        It has been realized that this secretive environment is convenient for relaying, shall we say laundering,

                        intelligence.  You will be given the codes.  Be alert to possibly being approached, to receive and then

                       dispatch messages.
MEIER             So how do we get out of here?
SOLBERG        A helicopter will pick you up at the ice pond tomorrow at 1100 hours.
MEIER             In broad daylight?
SOLBERG        Yes.  We want it to be detected, if there’s anyone watching.  Gather your things.
McNALLY         I d - don’t have a lot of things.  Should be easy.
MEIER             It gets cold in those choppers.
SOLBERG        This one will be specially insulated.  It will make off in the direction of Narvik, then once over the ocean

                       will circle back and up to Hammerfest.  From Hammerfest you will take a second helicopter to a third

                       point.  And so on.  You should be in the pampas within the week.
MEIER            Think of it, Meg.  Warmth!
McNALLY        Thank God.
MEIER            Think you can call me Master?  And bow at my feet?
McNALLY [still looking down at the fountain] Not before I f**king have to.

 

 

END