A Hero Needed Tonight Read online

  DRIVER

  'I don't know what the hell you two are doing here, but I do wish you all the best'.

  The driver gestures the money Luke had bribed him with back towards him. Luke refuses but the man won't yield.

  DRIVER

  'The world's going to end; I think that's pretty clear after tonight. God knows I need all the good karma I can get so please accept my gratitude'.

  Luke takes back the money reluctantly and they both thank him graciously. As soon as they have disembarked the taxi races off. The reality of the isolation of no man's land, New York City is suddenly thrust upon them.

  LUKE

  'This is it. An alleyway, probably the last of its kind in New York I should add. All the other alleyways have slowly disappeared over the years to clear space. You see, space, or should I say lack of space-is the biggest premium'-

  AVA

  'We're on death's door and you're talking about fucking alleyways. Really'?

  LUKE (continuing)

  'They'll never touch this alley though. No construction worker in the world would dare set foot in this alley. Jesus, no cop would even come down here'-

  AVA

  'Then what are we doing here'?

  LUKE

  'Keep your voice down'.

  They move forward slowly, almost as though every step they take is about to set off a booby trap. The walls of the narrow alley are cluttered with warnings in every language imaginable including one they haven't seen before. It is a language they can only assume is the creation of the occupants. Out of nowhere at all, Ava sees a moving shadow on a catwalk above the alleyway. The shadow cuts through the night as quick as lightning.

  LUKE

  'Come on Ava...it will be all right, here take my hand'.

  She takes it forcefully.

  AVA

  'There was, there was a'-

  She gives up. They pass a colourful mural of the astronaut, Mateus Mcclure, which is stretched across one of the walls. An ominous speech bubble has been added to the mural stating, 'These guys are so bad I had to go to another planet to get away from them'. Along the walls are other harrowing murals including one depicting gremlins and a caricature of all three Presidential candidates superimposed as a three headed monster. At the end of the alleyway emerald green smoke billows out from the sewers. The rising plume of smoke masks the entranceway to the sewer world. A final warning is listed above the entrance. It reads: 'We are the people your parents warned you about'. Just as they are about to pass through the smoke Ava catches one last sight of the mysterious shadow figure. There atop the alleyway he stands on a catwalk dressed in a dark superhero costume. Ava meets eyes with him and he nods to her before the smoke eliminates him from view.

  SCENE: CORRIDOR

  They walk hesitantly through a decaying claustrophobic corridor. The only light in the room comes from a strip of green LED light which runs along the side of the building. Eerie background music is played throughout the hall through unsighted speakers. The original song-which has been edited beyond recognition-has been slowed and played backwards giving it a distinctive garble sound. It almost sounds like demonic growls sounding out in an attempted chant. It is the elevator music that would play in hell itself. Ava is terrified beyond comprehension which is confounded by the fact that there appears to be no end in sight.

  AVA

  'You've got it wrong. This is a place of the deformed. This is a place of death. We are marching to our death'!

  She wants to go back but she is paralysed in terror.

  AVA

  'No plane ticket is worth this. Don't you have a fucking gun or something to protect us? You're supposed to be a bodyguard'.

  LUKE

  'Not allowed under State laws'.

  AVA

  'A lot of good you are then'.

  Every part of her instinct is telling her to run but her body is unable to collaborate. The two of them lumber forward in sync to the tune of the demon choir. Further down the corridor the horror show continues when a silhouetted figure emerges. Unlike before in the alleyway, this time Ava is not so sure that the figure is benevolent. Maybe it's because of the green LED light but the silhouetted figure appears almost alien in appearance. Luke is resolute in the face of the mysterious figure. He carries forward fearlessly and Ava who otherwise would have been beset in panic begins to feed off his resolve. They are soon rewarded for their bravery; the figure is lost-at least for the moment- in the darkness.

  SCENE: WATER WELL

  The corridor finally comes to an end. They find themselves in a small room which ivy has long since overtaken. In the centre of the room is old fashioned water well. A stretched flag of magnificent green and yellow is draped on the wall. Underneath it is writing in the peculiar language they'd seen previously outside in the alleyway. The writing appears to be hierocratic.

  AVA

  'It's a dead end'.

  LUKE

  'There's only one thing to do now. We have to enter the sewer itself'.

  Luke looks into the darkened abyss below.

  LUKE

  'I'll go first. This will be over soon. Just you wait we'll find Mickey. Everything will be fine'.

  Luke starts lowering himself down into the darkness.

  AVA

  'Avalon Smith, born and raised in Epiphany and now about to venture into a fucking sewer'.

  SCENE: SEWER

  Luke assists Ava down from the wall mounted ladder to the sewer floor. The darkness is overwhelming. The only light in the oval shaped brick sewer comes from the bright green, ankle deep liquid that has flooded the sewer floor.

  LUKE

  'We're like the Conquistadors; we've burned all our bridges now. There's only one way to go now'.

  AVA

  'You better hope for our sakes that like the Conquistadors, the locals mistake us for Gods because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about'.

  They continue forward hesitantly. Surrounded by such uncertainty, logic is lost down here. Luke can only lead Ava forward based on his most raw instincts. The sewer soon opens up becoming an underground labyrinth. It is a sprawling, catacomb from which a hasty exit is impossible.

  SCENE: CORRIDOR

  They are now in a narrow, mundane corridor. The hall roars with the sounds of electrical currents flowing.

  LUKE

  'What is this place? It's like an abandoned power plant.

  As they make their way forward hesitantly the sound of rushing electricity soon becomes overbearing. The hallway twists and turns but the eerie sound never subsides. Suddenly a horrifying voice begins calling to them.

  VOICE

  'Gautenberg?Gautenberg?Gautenberg'.

  LUKE

  'Holy Shit'.

  Ava screams in terror. A crashing sound behind them confirms that there is no going back; they have been sealed in. For the briefest of moments even Luke-in all of his optimism-believes the end is nigh. Suddenly a very feint light is cast revealing a large circular room shaped like a well. At the highest point of the room is a glass roof shielding them from a large body of water outside.

  LUKE

  'What the fuck? We may well be underneath the Long Island Sound right now'?

  Ava doesn't have time to respond. Powerful water starts flowing into the room from various points across the room. In her terror Ava screams out.

  AVA

  'We're trapped. Luke?we're trapped'!

  The water surges in at a rapid pace flooding the room in no time.

  LUKE

  'This is it'.

  AVA (in panic)

  'What do we do? What do we do'?

  Suddenly a compartment in the centre of the floor flips revealing a dinghy'.

  LUKE

  'What the'-

  Ava doesn't need another second. With the adrenaline flowing she runs towards the dinghy at such a pace she would have likely have given Ngola Douglas, the world's fastest man, a run for his money. Luke climbs into
the dinghy and is immediately confronted by Ava who shakes him in her anger.

  AVA

  'Salmonole?Salmonole?you fucking salmonole'.

  Luke is clearly not up with the lexicon of the lifestyle blocks out West.

  LUKE

  'What the hell are you on about? Stop that'.

  AVA

  'You salmonole...you just had to swim against the fucking tide to your own detriment didn't you? I told you this was going to happen. Why did I let you take me down here'?

  She stops shoving him and sinks back into the dinghy.

  LUKE

  'Calm down'.

  AVA

  'Where the hell have you led me'?

  LUKE

  'It's probably going to get worse before it gets better so I need you to keep your head'.

  The boat rises up as the flooding continues.

  AVA

  'This is the end times. We're going to die and nobody even knows that we're down here'.

  Luke doesn't hear her; he is deep in thought.

  LUKE

  'Either this is some kind of a security measure or it functions much like a canal key'.

  AVA

  'These people are not our friends Luke! I tried to warn you'!

  The boat continues to rise up along with the water levels until all of a sudden the flooding halts leaving them level with a darkened opening in one of the walls. The opening would have been a good forty feet higher than them only minutes ago prior to the flooding. They sit there in silence for a few moments expecting something to happen.

  AVA

  'Now what'?

  LUKE

  'I guess we have to row towards the tunnel'.

  AVA

  'And with what exactly'?

  Luke is about to put his hands into the water when the boat starts moving towards the opening by itself almost as though it's being drawn by a magnet.

  Ava's next panic surge has kicked in as they are drawn towards the unknown.

  AVA

  'What happens in there? Luke! I can't see anything. Where are we going'? Luke!!!

  Ava's sentence has changed into a scream for they are now speeding downward at a rapid pace. In an incredible feat of engineering the boat has seemingly locked into a track and they are now riding the vehicle as one would a roller coaster. Ava's scream echoes across the tunnel as they fall into the darkness. Deeper and deeper they go, bend after bend, stomach churning drop after the next before finally it is all over.

  SCENE: UNDERGROUND CAVERN

  The track has reached the end of its line giving way to an underground cavern lit by a radiant ocean blue light. Spectacular rock formations surround them. Water crashes from an overhead crevasse falling in strong torrents into the darkened undergrowth below. Luke and Ava disembark the vehicle and tread forward slowly taking in the enchanting natural beauty around them.

  AVA (stunned)

  'How deep underground are we'?

  LUKE

  'Forget everything you know about life above; I think we're both in for a mighty shock'.

  The chamber narrows out and they pass directly underneath an archway that has been built around an opening in the chamber. Etched into the stone atop the arch is the quote: 'The brave never run'. Once they have passed through the arch, they descend toward a dramatic entrance hall via a restored functional escalator. As they descend they see a mighty portrait of the man Luke had taken a bullet for hung proudly in view of all those entering his brave new world. He is youthful looking, with thick eyebrows but his most striking feature is his toothy, boyish grin. His image radiates self-confidence.

  AVA

  'My God, I take it all back; you were right all along'.

  LUKE

  'What has he created'?

  Chapter 10

  SCENE: ENTRANCE HALL

  They walk slowly across a deserted entrance hall. A series of stretched flags have been hung vertically just below the ceiling. The entire ceiling is comprises of a mesmerising stain glass ceiling that gives the impression that a permanent sunset is being cast down upon the hall.

  As Luke takes in the view, Ava is taken aback when she sees the first sign of life in the sewer world. There in one of the distant corners of the room stands a young couple passionately making out with a great degree of vigour. Ava and Luke stand watching the couple for a few moments but the two lover's eyes never leave each other.

  (The start of 'Converging in the Quiet' by The Crystal Stills plays.)

  The entrance hall has opened up revealing an elaborate room larger than an indoor football arena. The room stretches as far as the eye can see. The imposing room is a hub of activity with multitudes of people interacting going about their dealings in what appears to be a free flowing market place. The room has a Gothic rib-vaulted ceiling which enhances its incredible vastness. A ghostly blue light is the only source of light in the cavernous room.

  The sewer people are almost exclusively youthful. Some carry babies and we see a few toddlers running around but other than this almost everyone else seems to be aged from late teens to early thirties. The fashion of the locals, while not completely Soviet inspired is not particularly cutting edge nor is it exactly trendy either. UV paint serves as a redeeming feature to the modesty of the clothing with many people sporting messages or symbols that glow in the dim setting. It isn't just on the shirts though; UV paint seems as important as anything else down here and is used widespread for more practical purposes for everything from advertising to street signs. If the clothing was mundane then the footwear is extravagant. Almost all wear sneakers and they seem to place incredible emphasize on brightness and style. It is almost as though they are competing against each other in terms of audacity.

  There is a real communal feel down here and this is assisted by the good natured chemistry that radiates from this secret society. This was not a cauldron of psychopaths, drug addicts, convicts or anything else the media and authorities had labelled it. This was not a place of no return, a death trap to anyone who was foolish enough to linger even in the vicinity of it as had been portrayed to children in nightmare inducing bedtime stories. This was a model society that had been created by the damned; people who had given up on the terminally ill world above and ventured downward in the belief that they could-and would-do better.

  Luke and Ava explore the market, passing rows of stalls distributing everything from meats, produce, spices and literature. They pass the sewer people's take on McDonalds situated alongside a myriad of other eateries in a hawker centre where locals fraternize together in high spirits. It isn't long before they are lost down a fairy lit laneway where the locals talk earnestly to their kindred spirits in open air restaurants and bars devoid of barriers or liquor laws. We see two men smoke from a hookah. One of them nods to Luke as they pass by.

  SCENE: SEWER WORLD

  Luke and Ava pass through the bustling society like weary eyed tourists, stopping often to gaze in astonishment at some of the architectural feats surrounding them. They pass a well populated skate park conjoined to a basketball court where several games of social basketball are taking place. In the background is an underground park complete with artificial turf and artificial trees. Even though it is close to midnight due to the stain glass ceiling it appears as though it could be lunchtime on a cloudless day.

  SCENE: CANAL

  We see an underground canal served by the sewer people's take on public transport. One of the boats is just departing. The captain rings a bell and casts off from the docking station. The boat has a sign which reads 'Eastern Suburbs'. The boat rides the placid waters and is soon lost in the darkness of a tunnel. A lone street performer plays at the station. The musician's passion for their music is evident by there being no collection hat.

  SCENE: LAGOON

  We see a sparkling manmade lagoon surrounded by tropical plants. Some of the locals are swimming while others lie in the white sand that surrounds the lagoon. A couple of young women in bikinis turn over in
the sand as though they are sunbathing. Ava shakes her head at the preposterousness of the image.

  SCENE: CONCERT

  A concert is taking place in a dimly lit beer hall. Luke and Ava struggle to make their way through the dense crowd. The band plays on a stage passionately and in sync. People are dancing giving it everything they have. We see many couples making out in the crowd. A young nerdy looking man slides himself onto the stage and dances alongside the band. Boorish security is nonexistent down here. The band merely encourages the man on.

  ('Converging in the Quiet' by The Crystal Stills ends.)

  SCENE: WATERFALL

  Luke and Ava reach the foremost of the spectacular feats situated in the centre of what once would have been a fully operational subway station. Some remnants of the old subway remain but for the most part the youthful denizens have redecorated audaciously. There in what would have been the centre of the station is an aquamarine pond of water. In the water, bioluminescent lights can be sighted. Overhead, pipes of water have been manipulated to create a series of free flowing waterfalls that flow at a rapid rate into the elaborate pool below. Luke and Ava stand dumb founded on the edge of a narrow fence that skirts around the far-reaching pool watching alligators swimming and bathing on the edges of the pond.

  LUKE

  'So the rumors were true. It was them all along. All those old wives tales of alligators living under New York City, all those myths, all those reports, they were all true'.