The Cast

Craig McPherson - B Shift Manager
Janice Storm - Reactor Observer
Mark Hannon - Engineer
Beth Knight - Relay Officer
Thomas Winner - Reactor Observer
James Anderson - All Round Idiot
Shona Cameron - Sky News Reporter

Scene 1

JANICE :
Jim, get over it. Beth doesn't want to speak to you. she isn't interested.

JAMES :
She will be. Any way she can speak for herself.

BETH :
And "she" doesn't like being talked about like "she" isn't there.

James stands up and begins talking while everyone else continues as though nothing has changed. It soon becomes clear that James is acting out of character.

JAMES :
Let me introduce everyone. (Points at Beth) Beth, cute. Something funny's up with her ever since a few weeks ago. (Walks round to Janice) Janice, hate her. Sorry everyone but she is just so.... (Stumbles for word) ....just so, feminist, hate that. (walks round to Thomas) Thomas thinks that he's in a team with Janice monitoring the reactor for signs of change, they have two Reactor Observers, stupid title, just incase one misses something. Don't know how they could miss something since the computer's supposed to pick up any changes anyhow. (walks round to Mark) Mark, our faithful and dedicated engineer, (puts on bad Scottish accent) We canny give you any more power. Don't like him either, maybe it's because he just is too weird. And up there sitting above us and constantly looking down (gestures up at Craig) is our boss, he's pretty strict by the book kinda guy. They don't' like me, although I'm sure you've already guessed that by now, but, well, I couldn't care less!

James walks back to where he was and sits down as though he had never moved. And he looks down at Beth.

JAMES :
(Exaggerated, and fake hurt) Well, sorry I spoke. I mean we're supposed to be a team and all that.

MARK :
(looks up from his work) We all try to be a team but you never do.

Craig stands up from his desk and works his way down to the lower stage.

CRAIG :
James, could I see you for a minute, it's about that last report.

JAMES :
Yeh.

James stands up and the pair move back onto the upper stage, Craig takes a seat behind his desk and motions for James to sit in the chair in front. Janice moves across to Beth.

JANICE :
So I'm back from holiday a day and you still haven't let on how your date went, was it a success? Are you going to see him again? (Janice gets more excited with each question but her tones are still quiet enough so as not to disturb the rest of the people in the room) Well?

BETH :
It was fine. (Beth seems nervous)

JANICE :
(looks at Beth for a second and then decides that she is lying) No, no, no. That's not the truth is it? What really happened?

BETH :
Look it's personal. (Beth physically turns away from Janice)

JANICE :
(turns Beth back to face her) Look, I've had bad dates too. There's nothing to be embarrassed about.

BETH :
(Looking straight at Janice and getting very angry yet still keeping her tones hushed) Look at least your bad dates don't leave calling cards behind. They probably don't walk you home and once inside your house try to physically assault you. They don't try to rape you.

JANICE :
(Looks shocked) I...I...I'm sorry.

BETH :
Why are you sorry. You weren't the one who was battered. You weren't the one who lives in fear. You weren't the one who has to carry a gun in her bag.

JANICE :
(Struggling to contain her surprise) You've a gun in your bag? but they're illegal, you're not allowed to carry them around with you.

BETH :
I don't care. It makes me feel confident, it makes me feel safe and it makes my life my own.

JANICE :
(worried) Have you got it in your bag now?

Beth just looks at Janice. Janice becomes unsettled and moves back to her post. Thomas looks up and leans across to Janice.

THOMAS :
What's up with her? (motioning across to Beth)

JANICE :
Nothing's up with her and if there was it's no business of yours.

THOMAS :
And here's me thinking that we were working as a team. All of this team work talk and you go and snap back at me.

Suddenly the lights go out.

MARK :
God sake, third time in a week. You'd think they would have got this place fully functional before they put us in it.

BETH :
(panic setting in) Just get the lights up.

MARK :
I'm working on it.

BETH :
(Shouting and angry) Do it NOW!

The lights come back on and we see Beth standing her fists clenched and her face a mask of rage. Everyone is stunned but Beth just sits down as though nothing had happened. James and Craig come down the stairs.

CRAIG :
Another lighting failure?

MARK :
I'm afraid so. The whole electrical infrastructure appears to be weakened every time the lights cause a short circuit but no serious damage is caused.

JAMES :
(Arrogantly) Nothing'll go wrong. I mean the last time there was a serious nuclear disaster was Chernobyl and that was in Russia, I mean I don't think Russia has the type of technology we have here.

THOMAS :
Don't put all your reliance on technology.

JAMES :
(Rebuking Thomas) What could possibly go wrong.

THOMAS :
Why do think they employ us (indicating Janice). We don't just sit around here and chat all day...

JANICE :
(interrupting with an air of professionalism) ...though that is an "integral" part of the job.

CRAIG :
What ever your employed for you still need to fill in a report. I'm sure you all know where the forms are by now.

MARK :
At least if the lights go down we'll be able to find the forms in the dark.

JANICE :
(turns to her monitor and her face forms a mask of horror) Oh my GOD!

CRAIG :
(Runs over to the monitor Janice is looking at) Thomas confirm. What you are reading?

THOMAS :
(looks down at his monitor and his face takes on an ashen look) Core temperature rising. No computer warning.

Craig turns to Mark who looks taken aback.

MARK :
I...I thought that there was no damage to the computer. I must have been wrong.

JAMES:
Well, you sure were.

CRAIG :
Shut up Jim. (turns to face everyone) People you know the procedure. Beth, contact the correct people. (Beth turns to her post and begins talking into her headset) Mark, diagnose and solve the problem, NOW!. Janice, Thomas, monitor the situation. James, organise evacuation procedures.

Everyone looks busy, James sits down in a chair next to Beth and puts on a similar headpiece he begins talking into it. Mark takes off a panel in the front console and pulls out the first set of wires which are called wire 1, this is a set which has been fixed to the underneath of the table / console in a tidy fashion. Craig walks up to his office and sit down to make a few phone calls.

JANICE :
How, what, why did this have to happen to us now?

THOMAS :
Why does this happen to any one. My theory is that life goes in waves, you have a good wave and then a bad wave, you've just been on holiday to Tenerife and now you could have a nuclear disaster on our hands.

JANICE :
Oh great, you've just made me feel so much better. Anyway, there is no comparison between a holiday to Tenerife and a nuclear disaster.

JAMES :
You haven't seen my holidays.

THOMAS :
According to this data here we are going critical, (panic sets into voice) in 30 seconds we're going to have an emergency lock up. We are going to be locked up in here.

JAMES :
(looking around very nervous) I really should be helping with the evacuation more.

MARK:
(angry) Fine, you do that.

James gets up and leaves once out the door he begins running as fast as he can. The doors to the room shut. Mark is busy trying to get the wires fixed and then suddenly he pulls himself out from the console.

MARK :
I think I've fixed our problem, it was all a computer error.

CRAIG :
(angry and shouting) You mean we never had a problem in the first place?

MARK :
(sheepishly, baaaa) No.

CRAIG :
Damn these machines. Now were locked up in here until we can contain a disaster that isn't going to happen.

JANICE :
We've got one small problem though.

CRAIG :
(turning on Janice) WHAT?

JANICE :
Jim's disappeared, he must've slipped away in the confusion.

THOMAS :
Of course, he knew that the emergency doors would come down to help contain the blast and that he would be trapped. We all know James isn't the kind of person who would like trapped in a building that was going to blow up.

BETH :
(quietly) Neither am I.

THOMAS :
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were.

Mark goes across to Beth. Beth shifts uncomfortably.

MARK :
What he's saying is that. Anyone here would rather get out but we have a duty to stay here. Jim obviously doesn't believe in that kind of responsibility.

CRAIG :
I don't care what the situation is I just want it fixed. Report.

MARK :
Well, our computer's down although I've fixed that warning system.

JANICE :
(sarcastically) That's the good news.

MARK :
Indeed. The bad news is we can't engage emergency shutdown systems. If we were to go critical for real well...

THOMAS :
(interrupting) We'd all go Boom, Bye bye.

Beth is very uncomfortable and the rest are all worried and miserable.

JANICE :
Oh for God sake. If were all stuck in here the least we could do is be a little happier. I for one am not very keen on predictions of doom. And one more thing, I'm not going to die here.

CRAIG :
We've got to get along, we've got to do something. (Craig starts getting flustered and begins to panic) We're going to be all right...... We're going to solve this problem and then we're going to get outside and be with Jim....

MARK :
What a terrifying thought.

CRAIG :
(Carries on regardless of interruption) It's all right everyone please stay calm. We're going to be fine. We're going to get out of this all right. Please no one worry.

THOMAS :
Would you shut up Craig.

CRAIG :
(babbling) It's this kind of bad feeling which is going to be our enemy, we're never going to get out of this unless we really work at it and do everything just fine. It's....It's....It's just.....It's just going to be all right.

JANICE :
Craig, please stop babbling.

CRAIG :
Look...Look..everyone's got to do their bit. We've all got to.....

BETH :
(screams at the pitch of her voice) WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP! NOW!

Beth is very tense and agitated. Mark begins to move across to her and Beth becomes even more agitated. Mark stands next to Beth.

MARK :
It's OK. Beth, everything's going to be all right.

BETH :
Look just leave me alone.

MARK :
(places his hand on her shoulder) Look, we're all going to be fine, it's only a computer error.

BETH :
(reaching down to her bag) Take your hand off of my shoulder.

MARK :
Beth there's no need to be hysterical.

BETH :
I told you to take your hand off of my shoulder. (reaches down into bag pulls out gun and shoots Mark in his shoulder. Mark is now on the floor. Janice rushes across to him. Thomas is stunned and even Craig looks as though he has been brought to his senses.) (hysterical and shouting) Now do what your fucking told. All of you into the corner.

Scene 2

This is outside the building. there are only two people in view. Shona Cameron and James. Shona is holding onto a microphone and appears to be interviewing James.

SHONA :
It has been an hour since we last heard anything from inside the building. Although initial reports suggest that some members of the team are trapped in there, we have no indication whether they have been able to contain the Nuclear meltdown which could take place. We have here one of the team leaders James Anderson to tell us more. (turns away from camera position to face James) Mr Anderson what exactly took place in the run up to the evacuation.

JAMES :
Everything was normal until on a hunch I instructed on of my team to do a routine computer check. What we found was startling. there was actually a fault in the system which had lead us to believe that everything was normal when in fact what the system should have been registering was a total meltdown of the reactors.

SHONA :
How was it you are here when your team is still in there?

JAMES :
Pure chance. I had actually gone to contact the Government as is standard procedure when the lock down alarms came, I tried to rush back to save my team but the other fleeing workers prevented me from returning. So that there would not be any injuries I took charge of the evacuation procedures and achieved a an order so that we could evacuate easily and quickly.

SHONA :
At the moment we are still waiting for further updates but as soon as we get them we'll update you. this is Shona Cameron for Sky News (must be pronounced nooz), over to you in the studio Bob and Lisa. (stops being a reporter and becomes a normal person) So Mr Anderson...

JAMES :
Jim, please. I don't like to stand on formalities.

SHONA :
(resuming what she was saying)......Jim......How do you think your team will be holding up?

JAMES :
Oh there a bit undisciplined and need guidance from me normally, although I'm sure everything's going fine for them.

Scene 3

Back in the control room. everyone is huddled on the floor in a corner. Mark has a bandage that has a big red blob on it for blood (as though he's been bleeding) and is lying on the floor. Beth is standing across the other side of the room holding everyone at gun point. Wire set 2 is hanging out of the central console.

THOMAS :
(panicking) Oh my God. Oh. My. God. can't you see he's dying? (indicates Mark) What've you done?

BETH :
(snaps back at Thomas) He'll be fine. It's only his shoulder. He deserved it.

JANICE :
(picking up on what Beth said) Why did he deserve it.

BETH :
(with venom) He was a man and men deserve to die.

CRAIG :
(wails) We're all going to die.

JANICE :
(trying to reason with Beth) Don't do this Beth. You'll only regret it later.

BETH :
But I wont regret it. In fact shooting him was exhilarating.

THOMAS :
Christ, the bitch is phsyco.

BETH :
(realising that Janice was only tying to calm her down) Both of you shut up. Shut the fuck up. I don't want to hear anything out of you Tom. As for you Janice, mutter another word or regret crap and I'll shoot you in the fucking head, right here, right now.

Janice shuts up and so does Thomas but Craig just does not take a telling.

CRAIG :
(sobbing) You can't kill us. We've not done anything wrong.

BETH :
(Phsyco, hysterical and slightly mad as well) What have you done wrong? What have you done wrong? You were born that's what you did wrong? You barge into my life force your way into my home and defile me.

CRAIG :
(crying like a big girl's blouse) We never did anything I promise....sob....sob.

BETH :
All men are the same their deceivers and killer and rapists.

JANICE :
(trying to ease the tension between Craig and Beth) Not all men.

BETH :
I told you to shut the FUCK up or I'll kill you.

Janice is silenced. All conversation is silenced. Beth goes and sits down at her original post which is on the other side of the room from the hostages.

THOMAS :
(quietly to Janice) The woman's gone mad.

JANICE :
(quietly back to Thomas) The woman was raped. How do you think she feels.

THOMAS :
That's no reason to pull a gun on us.

JANICE :
I know. She's gone too far.

THOMAS :
Look, I've an idea. Do you still have your mobile phone. You could use it and get help.

JANICE :
(exclaims but still quietly to Thomas) That's suicidal. What if Beth sees us.

THOMAS :
And what's going to happen if we do nothing. We're going to die at the hands of Miss Loopy over there.

JANICE :
Fine. we'll do it. But I'm warning you if she finds out you take sole responsibility for this.

THOMAS :
Now we find out who your real friends are.

Janice passes her mobile to Thomas and he dials a number.

THOMAS :
Come on. Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone.

Beth however looks up. Blast that woman, of all the times to look up, just as our characters have their moment of hope.

BETH :
What's going on?

Beth starts waving the gun around frantically. Thomas tries to hide the mobile phone but Beth sees it and grabs it. God that woman's got good eye sight, it's so infuriating!!!

BETH :
(completely insane) Plotting against me were you....mmm....mmm...I'll just have to kill you for this, kill you one by one. Dead. (to the tune of ten green bottles) 4 scared hostages sitting on the floor. 4 scared hostages sitting on the floor. Now if I were to shoot one hostage dead upon the floor. There'd be 3 shit scared hostages crapping on the floor. (laughs hysterically)

Everyone is still.

BETH :
Now who first.

At this point Mark begins to come around and Beth swings round to him.

BETH :
Yes, why not. the ever dependable Mark. That way Tom, for the rest of your very short life that you were the one who caused Mark's death.

Beth swings the gun to face Mark, then suddenly an alarm goes off. Thank goodness, the tension was becoming unbearable.

BETH :
(swinging around confused and distressed) What's going on? What's happening?

JANICE :
The warning system is going off. Mark did you fix the warning system?

MARK :
(groggy but coming to) I...I..I think so. (realising what is going on again) Yes I did.

JANICE :
There. You see. Your going to have to let us go. Your going to have to let us fix the system. If you don't were all going to die and not only us but everyone who is still near the station. Don't you see you could be killing tens of thousands of people.

BETH :
(regaining her hysterical composure once again) At least I'll be killing all those men. Taking out all those people who hurt you.

Janice is standing up now and is facing Beth.

JANICE :
You're killing innocent people.

BETH :
(breaking up) But they've got to die.

JANICE :
No they don't they've done nothing to you. They weren't the ones who hurt you.

BETH :
(Screaming in anger) Yes they were. Do you know what it was like. That pain as he beat me. that pain as he forced himself upon me. He beat me then he raped me. Do you know what that is like?

JANICE :
(quietly) No.

BETH :
Of course you don't. You have no idea what it is like. the fear you feel as you try to live your life. The pain and anger you feel as you try to be normal. You see people and you wonder if they'll do it again. You run scared living your life in confusion wondering whether the rapists will be caught. You are never safe. NEVER!

JANICE :
(gaining more composure and control with each passing moment) But you don't have to kill everyone for just one man. this isn't about revenge. This is about rebuilding, you've to rebuild your life and try to move on. Don't give in, that's a sign that he's won. Let us fix the computer systems.

BETH :
(breaking down) No, I can't let you. I have to kill you.

JANICE :
No you don't. Give me the gun. Take control again. Don't let him win. Give. Me. The gun.

BETH :
(in tears) I can't.

JANICE :
But you can. (reaches out for gun) You're not a killer. You don't need to do this.

BETH :
(In a pathetic attempt to win but destined to fail because she is so emotional and upset) Get back! Stay Back! I'll kill you.

JANICE :
Then why don't you do it. Shoot us now...

THOMAS :
(interrupting) You can't be serious. You don't really want her to kill us.

JANICE :
(ignoring Thomas) Go on Beth shoot us. Now.

BETH :
I'll do it you hear, I'll do it.

JANICE :
(shouting angrily) THEN DO IT!

Beth holds the gun out but it wavers and finally Beth collapses onto a chair and sobs.

JANICE :
(turning to the others) We've got work to do. Mark you'd better start telling Tom and I how to fix this thing.

MARK :
I don't suppose I'm in any fit state to do this. What about him? (motions towards Craig)

JANICE :
He's fine. (indicating the centre console) So, how do we fix this thing then.

MARK :
Well......

Scene 4

We have once again joined Shona but his time she is with Janice and Thomas.

SHONA :
The crises is over and here we have the real heroes. After a stand off lasting for over 2 hours, a gun woman has been arrested and taken away. Mark Hannon has been taken away to hospital for treatment to a gun shot wound to his shoulder. While the team leader Craig McPherson has also been taken to hospital for shock. The real heroes are beside me Janice Storm and Thomas Winner, now that the real truth has been revealed. These two brave heroes who defied all odds and not only saved thousands of lives by averting a nuclear disaster, but saved their own lives by acting as a mediator to a mad gun woman. So Miss Storm and Mr Winner, how do you feel?

THOMAS :
Relieved and surprised that James Anderson, our coworker, could exploit the situation for his own benefit.

JANICE :
I'm just glad that it's finally over.