### Act 2, Scene 2: Life Insurance

- Backdrop: Cave
- Stage Setup: Attach lanterns to wire rope incl. powersupply!!!
- Props: Mobile phone (Reesa), Rocks, Laternen
- Puppets: Yun (Pan, o'wolf, Runo), Cai Lung (Fairlight, Xan, Zefiro), Cornelius (Lynard, Tani), Xang Ji-Gong (CJ)
- PreRec:
- Setting: Cave beneath the monastery, half filled with water in position 1-3 (an underground pond), Chinese lamps and prayer scarves hanging from the walls.
- SFX: Smoke (behind Monk, Tigerseye)

##### INTRO

Logo “Ministry of State Security” with Text overlay “Incoming Call: Mr. Hu Sheng”.

Ringtone

Video switches to Jiao Chan (and the face of Hu Sheng as small PIP in the corner)

Jiao Chan: “Good Afternoon Mr. Hu. I was planning to call you, but you beat me to it. I'm afraid today's report is going to be a little bit late due to some unforeseen…”

Hu Sheng (cuts her off): “I'm tired of your stalling tactics, Mrs. Wan. I want answers and I want them now. Not tonight, not tomorrow, and not next week.”

Jiao Chan: “Fair enough. So what do you want to know?”

Hu Shen: “Is it true that you have located Cai-lung?”

Jiao Chan: “Yes. He's hiding in a tibetan buddhist temple called the Tiger's Nest.”

Hu Sheng: “And when did you acquire that information?”

Jiao Chan: “The day before yesterday, sir.”

Hu Sheng: “And why didn't you report his coordinates to me immediately - just as you were ordered?”

Jiao Chan: “Because I let Cai-Lung escape and I feel that it's my responsibility to capture him. It is a matter of honour.”

Hu Sheng: “You are not authorised to make that kind of decision! You're supposed to follow my orders, and I hereby order you to take your little private army back to Hong Kong and to stop interfering with State Security!”

Jiao Chan: “Give me 12 more hours and I will present you with Cai-Lung's head on a silver platter.”

Hu Sheng: “For the last time: Dealing with Cai-Lung is now officially no longer your job!”

Jiao Chan: “That's such an easy thing to say, isn't it? It took 12 years for me to build a relationship with Cai-Lung and carve out a career at BCA, so I could finally set the course for The Big Rollout. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a decade. You know what? You're right. It is no longer my job. It's my damn life! And I am not going to let you take it away from me! From now on I'm going to do things my own way, and if you want the mission to succeed, you'd better not get in my way. Now leave me the hell alone.”

Hangup tone

Logo “Ministry of State Security” with Text overlay “Call Terminated”.

##### MAIN DIALOGUE

0601 - Cave Ambience

Curtain - open

Lights on

Yun lies at the edge of the pond near position 3, waiting.

Cai Lung comes in from Section 7, carrying a more-or-less lifeless Void in his mouth.

Yun looks up, and jumps up

Yun: “Daddy! Are you alright? What is going on out there? Daddy? DADDY!”

Cai Lung puts Void down

Cornelius curls up and whimpers.

Yun runs towards Cai Lung.

Cai Lung: “I'm doing fine, thanks. But I'm afraid we have some unwanted visitors. Jiao Chan and her private army are standing outside the gate. And look who came with her.”

Yun: “Cornelius! What on earth are you doing here? Are you alright?”

Yun reaches o ut for Void with a paw.

Void shrieks, and runs, hiding behind the nearest rock, curling up again, whimpering in fear.

Yun: “Cornelius? Cornelius! What's wrong with you? Hello? Talk to me!”

Cai Lung walks around the rock, facing Void

Cai Lung: “Relax, Cornelius! You're with us now! You're safe!”

Void (shivering): “A … are … are you Cai Lung?”

Cai Lung: “What kind of question is that? You know me!”

Void (shivering): “Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. Who knows. Where the hell am I?”

Cai Lung: “We're inside the mountain. The tiger's nest was built around this cave many hundreds of years ago. Didn't I tell you this before?”

Void looks at Yun, then stands up, walking towards her

Yun walks backwards, scared by Void

Void (hopeful): “Yun! You must be Yun! Yes … I remember you!”

Void keeps walking towards Yun

Yun (scared): “Yes of course I'm Yun! What are you talking about? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Void keeps walking towards Yun

Void: “I came here to rescue you!”

Yun (even more scared): “Rescue me? What? … You are creeping me out! STAY AWAY!”

Void: “I love you, right? Yes, I do! I love you, Yun! I LOVE YOU!”

Yun (shrieking): “NO!”

Yun bats at Void with a paw *KER-POW* and he flies backwards

0602 - Punch

Void shakes his head, suddenly feeling clearer again. *blblbl*

Void (sighs): “Yes. Of course. I'm sorry. How are you supposed to know … ”

Yun: “Who … the … hell … are … you.”

Void: “I wish I knew. The only thing I remember from before the accident is your face. Everything else is … just gone.”

Yun: “Accident? What accident are you talking about?”

Void: “I woke up in an abandoned subway tunnel two days ago. I eventually found my way home, discovered that you’re my girlfriend, and that you had been kidnapped just the day before. So naturally, I set out to rescue you!”

Yun (angry): “You did WHAT? How stupid do you have to be to …”

Cai Lung (cuts her off): “Please, Yun. Let him continue.”

Void: “I had no idea where Cai Lung could have taken you. So I walked into Jiao Chan’s office, and told her everything I knew. And with her help, I finally managed to find my way here.”

Yun (furious): “YOU IDIOT! DON'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! WE HAD THE PERFECT PLAN, AND YOU RUINED IT! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!”

Cai Lung: “Yun! Calm down! It’s hardly his fault. He has lost his memory, it's no wonder he fell for Jiao Chan's scheme! Hell, even I fell for her, and I lived with her for more than a decade! And I supposedly knew everything about her!”

Yun (screaming): “I don't care!”

Void (timid): “I was so sure I was doing the right thing …”

Void starts crying

Void: ”… and now it doesn't make s ense any more! Who are you? Who am I? What the fuck is happening?”

Cai Lung: “Jiao Chan has been lying to you, just like she's been lying to the general public. I did not kidnap my own daughter. I never threatened anybody. In fact, quite the opposite. I found out that Jiao Chan was nothing but an elaborate honey trap set up by the Ministry of State Security. From the first day of our relationship, Jiao Chan has been abusing me and my power to engineer an enormous governmental conspiracy against our own people. As soon as I got over the initial shock, I decided to flee. I disabled our ID chips and took Yun with me to the Tiger's Nest to get her out of harm's way.”

Void: “And … where do I come in? You said we're friends, right?”

Cai Lung: “Yes. I took a complete backup from our company's servers and saved them on a memory stick, including all evidence of the conspiracy. And just before I left Hong Kong, I handed it so someone I could trust with my life. To you.

Void (in disbelief): “No.”

Cai Lung: “Yes. I was the one who sent you. You were supposed to give all the information to the hacker underground - they are the only ones who might know how to circumvent censorship and break the news to the world and stop Jiao Chan.”

Yun: “And you screwed it up!”

Void: “No!!!!!”

Void cries.

Cai Lung: “Stop yelling at him, Yun! We should be glad he's still alive! And he DID deliver the memory stick, after all, didn’t he?”

Void (sobbing): “Maybe I did - but I no longer remember the password! It's worthless!”

Cai Lung: “Maybe yo u can’t remember it now, but that doesn't mean its gone forever. Our plan can still work, we just need to stay hidden for a littl e longer than we thought. Cornelius, can you please ask your hacker friend if he would be willing to give shelter to a group of political refugees?”

Void (insecure): “I can try. I'll do anything to make up for what I've done!”

Void takes out the mobile phone, and dials

0603 - Outgoing call (Void's Phone)
0604 - Dialling tones
0605 - Suspense Music

Null: “Hello. This is a recorded message. Void, whatever you do, stay away from Jiao Chan! I found out she's got some very close ties to the secret service. The moment you entered the building, they started backtracking your way to my place. Fortunately they set off my alarm. Whatever's on that memory stick, it must be freaking hot. I need to get out of here now, my place is no longer safe. I'll also have to disable our phones, I’m sorry. If you find the magic word … let me know. I’m sure you’ll find a way. Always remember: The sky is the limit. See ya.”

0605 FADE

Null begins his Tai-Doku routine.

Void starts talking while the recording is still running.

Null (voice fades): “22 - 44 - 35 - Strike - 114 - 29 - 14 - Strike”

Void (at the same time): “I don’t believe it …”

Yun: “So much for Plan B.”

0606 - End of Call (Void's Phone)
0607 - End of Call (Void's Phone)
0608 Music
0607 (cont.) - Distant Explosion

Yun: “What the hell was that?”

Ji-Gong comes in, a cloud of dust emerging from behind him

Light fog from behind Ji-Gong

0609 - Ji-Gong: “My friends, Jiao Chan's troops have just taken down the main gate. It's only a matter of minutes until they will be here. It's time to go.”

Void: “Yeah, but where do we g o?”

Cai Lung: “Through the water.”

Void (in disbelief): “What?”

Cai Lung: “If you dive through the pond you’ll end up in another series of caves - and eventually on the other side of the summit. I'll go first and check if the passage is still passable. Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

0610 - SPLASH & Struggle
0611 - Rise
0608 FADE

Cai Lung jumps into the pond, dives halfway, and gets stuck, his tail sticking out.

Void: “What's wrong? Why doesn't he go deeper?”

Cai Lung splashes and wriggles, with increasing urgency.

Yun: “He's stuck! Everyone grab his tail an d pull … we need to get him out before he drowns!”

Yun pulls on Cai Lung's tail

Ji-Gong pulls on Cai Lung's tail

Void pulls on Cai Lung's tail

!!!! -- wait for music -- !!!!

Together they manage to pull Cai Lung free

Cai Lung coughs and gasps for air.

0612a - Plan A: Music (Best of Times)
0612b - Plan B: Music (Dark Suspense)

Cai Lung: “*cough* Damn. I used to be a lot smaller back in the days. The passage is still there, but I'm afraid you'll have to go without me!”

Yun: “But if you stay here, Jiao Chan will kill you!”

Cai Lung: “No, she won't, at least not as long as you two are still out there. She‘ll assume you’ve got the data and are ready to release it. As long as you don’t let yourself be caught, I’m pretty sure she will let me live.”

Yun: “I understand. But what are we supposed to do once we’re outside?”

0610 (cont.) Explosions coming closer, and the increasing sounds of voices, doors being busted, and shots being fired.

Cai Lung: “You’ll have to somehow find your way to the city of Lian-Cheng and take the maglev train back to Hong Kong from there. Here, take these ID chips. The system will think you’re maintenance crew - so you won’t show up on the passenger list. Once you're back home, go to Wan Chai road, and find a shop called Morrison Hill Surplus Electronics. Remember that name. Morrison Hill Surplus Electronics. They got me in touch with the underground the first time, and if there's anyone who knows how to get back to the guy who's got our memory stick, it's them. Now go. I can hear them coming!”

0612b - Plan B: FADE on “They got me in touch”
0612c - Plan B: Music (Sad Ending)

Cai Lung shoves them towards the water

Void looks at the water, dips a foot in, and just whimpers.

Yun: “What are you waiting for?”

Void: “It's cold … and I’m not sure I’ll remember how to swim!”

Yun: “Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

Yun growls, grips Void by the neck, and throws him into the water.

Void (screaming): “Aaaah!”

Void disappears from sight with a large splash and lots of bubbles.

0613 - Big Splash

Yun looks back, and rubs cheeks with Cai Lung.

Yun (almost crying, now that Void can't see her): “Daddy? Please promise me you’ll be alright! I love you!”

Cai Lung: “I’ll be alright. I promise. Dragons are tough. Now take care.”

Yun: “Take care, dad!”

Yun turns around, jumps, and dives from view.

0614 - Big Splash

Ji Gong sits down on a rock and meditates.

Cai Lung calmly walks along the wall off the cave, blowing out all the candles and lamps, until it's all dark.

Lights out

0610 FADE
0612a/c FADE
0615 - Large Explosion

Curtain - close