### Act 2, Scene 3: Operation Love Boat

- Backdrop: Entrance to the dam
- Props: Mika's cell phone (CJ)
- Setup: Palms and bushes in [7-5], entrance to dam as 2nd playrail in [2-3]
- Special FX:
- Puppets: Mika, Lionel, Fennec 1, two other fennecs with guns
- Puppeteers: Tani, Lynard, Tani, Tigerseye, owolf
- Setting: Bright day. Entrance to the dam overpass in [2-3] (a gate with an intercom and a "door bell" button next to it). Bushes / Trees (to hide behind) in the foreground. The reservoir lake in the background. In the far background, the "palace" of Adham and Rashid can be seen, on the other side of the water.
- Music:
- PreRec: 3 Fennecs

##### INTRO

Two engineers talking at the control room of the engine house

Door opens

Musad: "Fahad! Salem Aleikum!"

Fahad: "Musad! Welcome back to the job! I hope you're doing well again!"

Musad: "Yes, thank you my friend! It was just a harmless cold, Insh'allah …"

Fahad: "That's good to hear. I'm glad to have you back, it has been a pretty boring week without you."

Musad: "I take it then, that Adham hasn't gone through with his plan yet, or has he?"

Fahad: "No, there seems to be some kind of disagreement between him and Rashid, who has put a new directive in place, disallowing everyone from accepting commands from Adham. But apart from that, it has been a very quiet week. Since the replacement of the hydraulic pumps, all systems just work."

Musad: "Good! This job turns out to be much easier than I thought."

Fahad: "Yeah. It could be a little less boring, if you ask me."

Musad: "Oh come on. You're not seriously complaining about your job, are you? You're one of the ten highest paid engineers in Dawlat Al Nimr right now. By Allah, there probably are not even more than 10 engineers in this country."

Fahad: "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I know. I am not complaining. But it's such a shame to sit on top of the wonderful machine that this dam is and do nothing. I wish there was a little more variety."

Musad: "Such as Adham flooding the valley?"

Fahad: "*laughs* Yeah, something like that, for example."

Musad: "Seriously … if the phone rang right now, and your boss told you to flood the valley … would you do it?"

Fahad: "Of course. It's my job."

Musad: "Even if you knew it would kill everyone in the canyon and the oasis? After all we're engineers, not executioners!"

Fahad: "I'm not killing anybody. I'm just operating a machine. And I'm supposed to do it as I'm told. The decisions are made elsewhere. If someone dies because of someone else's decision, it's hardly my responsibility, is it?"

Musad: "Really? I'm not sure if I could follow such an order."

Fahad: "Well, look at it this way: It could be us fearing for our lives down there in the valley. But we're up here, we have excellent food, medical care, and a good home for our wives and children. And why? Because we do our job. If my boss orders me to press the big red button … I'll do it. Because I never want to live like those people down there in Ash Maqwa again, believe me."

Musad: "Fair enough, Fahad, fair enough. Nobody does. Come on. Let's get ourselves a cup of coffee."

Fahad: "Good Idea! Let's go."

##### MAIN DIALOGUE

13 - Dam Outside

0701 - Music Cue 1 (Suspense)

Curtain open

Main light on (Yellow 100%, red 100%, white 100%)

Mika sneaks into the scene from [7], hiding behind the bushes.

Mika looks left and right, jumping from hiding place to hiding place.

Mika slowly approaches the doorbell

0702 - SNAP! CRACKLE! + Music Cue 2 (Suspense)
0701 (STOP)

Mika startles, turning around.

Mika: "Hello? Is anybody there?"

A few seconds of silence

Mika (to herself): "Hmm. Nothing. Oh my god, I'm way too excited for my own good. Calm down, Mika … calm down …"

Mika takes a deep breath, walking towards the doorbell again.

0703 - RUSTLE!

Mika startes again, turning around

Mika (to herself): "What the hell is going on here? Just you wait …"

Mika starts walking back away from the gate

Mika (over-acting): "Ahh! What a wonderful day! The sun is shining! The birds are singing! And someone is hiding behind THAT BUSH! RARRR!"

Mika jumps at the bush in [5], and disappears

0704 - Fighting noises + Music Cue 3 (Action)
0702 (STOP)

Lionel appears behind the bush, entangled with Mika

Lionel: "AAAAAH! Mika! It's me! OUCH! AAAAH! Mika! Miiikaaa!"

Mika jumps back, looking at Lionel in bewilderment

Lionel shakes his mane *blblblbll*

Mika: "Lionel? Lionel! What the hell are YOU doing here?"

Lionel: "I came here to ask you the exact same question!"

Mika: "Eh … what? I'm sorry, but I'm a bit confused. You're the last person I expected to see here."

Lionel: "I can imagine. After all you made pretty darn sure I had no idea where you went. And quite frankly, I never thought I'd have to track you down like this."

Mika: "Lionel, did it ever occur to you that I might have a good reason to go here alone? I wanted to keep you out of this for your own good. Don't you trust me any more?"

Lionel: "Well, the question is … can I? Why did you never tell me about this guy called Rashid?"

Mika: "I will. But not now. And not here. You showed up in the worst possible moment. I'm in the middle of an operation!"

Lionel: "An operation? Since when do you take part in "operations"? And do they come with those nifty codenames, too? Like, 'Operation Love Boat', or 'Operation Cupids Arrow'? Or how about Operation 'Cheat on your Boyfriend'?"

Mika: "Oh come on, don't be ridiculous!"

Lionel: "Oh, am I? Maybe I don't know everything about Rashid. But how do you explain … this."

Lionel pulls out Mika's cellphone, and presses one of the keys.

0705 - Phonecall (Shortened)

Mika: "You … you took MY private phone to eavesdrop on MY private messages? I would never have expected you to go so low!"

Lionel: "You didn't leave me another choice!"

Mika: "I'm sorry! I was in a hurry, and I forgot my goddamn cellphone! Maybe you think you know everything after hearing that message, but you are wrong. You know NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING."

Lionel: "Then now is your chance to fill me in. I've got plenty of time."

Mika: "Oh, how convenient. It's all about YOU isn't it? YOU deserve explanations, YOU have no other choice, YOU have plenty of time. But you know what, Lionel? I don't! Someone needs my help, and right now you're wasting my time! Stay out of my business, just this once! And believe me: It's really for your own good."

Lionel: "No, Mika, I'm not going to let you get away like that. So if Rashid is not your secret lover … what IS he? What role does he play in this game? And why did you never tell me about him?"

Mika: "Rashid and I used to be friends almost a decade ago. But our ways parted a long time before I met you, and until recently I even thought he was dead!"

Lionel: "And yesterday he suddenly rose from the dead, gave you a call, and you instantly ran off? And I'm supposed to believe that you have any other reason than … "

Mika: "Lionel! If we keep standing here any longer, the guys behind these gates will get suspicious! I promised Rashid to come alone. I violated his trust once, and I am NOT going to do it again. I am going to walk through this gate now. And I will not let you follow me. Do you understand?"

Lionel: "And what am *I* supposed to do?"

Mika: "Go home! And trust me!"

Lionel: "I don't know who I can trust anymore."

Mika: "That's very sad. I thought I knew you better."

Lionel turns around and begins to walk away to [7]

Lionel: "And I thought I knew YOU better. Farewell, then, spottykitty. Farewell."

Mika sighs, walks towards the gate, and rings the doorbell.

0706 - Call signal + Music Cue 4 (Sad)
0706 (cont.) - Door: "Please identify yourself."

Mika: "My name is Mika Saesucasa. I have an appointment with Mr. Rashid ibn Sayyid."

0707 - Door: "You are being expected Ms. Saesucasa. Please wait inside the guards office behind the gate and I will send you a servant to pick you up."

Mika: "Thank you!"

0708 - Gate

Mika enters the gate and disappears

0708 - Gate

!!! Mika switches puppets to Fennec 1

Lionel reappears, walks up to the gate, and looks at the intercom.

0706 (STOP)
0709 Music cue 5 (drone overlay)

Lionel (desperate): "Oh Mika. Why won't you tell me what is going on here? Why don't you trust me any more? Why do you leave me alone like that? Is this my mistake? I've always tried to be there for you when you needed me! What have I done to deserve this? WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

Lionel collapses on the floor, sobbing.

Lionel (crying, talking himself into a rage): "I've been so stupid. I've been so incredibly stupid! What am I doing here, anyway? What a waste of time! What a GODDAMN WASTE OF TIME! Spending all my savings on travelling halfway around the globe, putting my own and my best friends' lives at risk, only to find out, that there is absolutely nothing I can do! ALL THIS FOR NOTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING! RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

0710 Distant Thunder
0709 (FADE)

Lionel roars, and shreds one of the palm trees into pieces.

Lionel collapes again, sobbing.

Fennecs walk in from all sides with guns pointed at Lionel, posting themselves around him. Fennec 1 comes from [1], Fennec 2 and Fennec 3 come from [7]

Fennec 1: "Hey you!"

Lionel (sobs): "What? Who the hell are you?"

Fennec 1: "We are the ones who control the road to the new settlement! Nobody approaches the gate without our permission! Put your hands over your head, and don't even THINK of running away. You are now our prisoner!"

Lionel (sobs): "I … don't … care."

Fennec 1: "I don't care if you care. You're coming with us now. It's up to you to decide if you want to walk, or be dragged behind. Do you have a name, Lion?"

Lionel: "I used to have one, but I no longer know who I am."

Fennec 1: "Okay, if you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. I'll leave it to Malika to come up with ways to make you talk. Let's move. I said MOVE!"

Lionel: "Allright, allright! I'm coming!"

Lionel and the Fennecs walk off to [7]

0710 (STOP)
13 (STOP)
0711 - Ending

Main light off

Curtain close