A Free Ranger Cleverman

SHOUTING IN THE DISTANCE

Hey, hey, wait.

I know the code for the door.

Leave it.

Come on, brother.

Let us out.

Come on.

BIRDS CAWING

2-2-5-8-#.

2-2-5-8-#.

We can't take them.

Yes, we can.

Come on, Bob. Let me in, eh?

Don't lock me out.

Dad.

Dad! Dad, you're in there?

-What's your friend's name?

-Djukara.

Forget it. We have to leave now.

Take these fellas and get out of here.

ALARM

How many are there, runt?!

What am I up against, huh?!

How many escaped?

Three. I've cleared the area of personnel.

Keep them waiting.

Fucking arsehole!

Fucking arsehole!

Hey, you! Hey!

You're a fucking arsehole!

Hey! You're a fucking arsehole!

McIntyre.

Yeah.

No, I'm not concerned.

This is good for us.

I got my hands full at the moment.

I'll call you back in ten.

GASPING

We need to see some ID.

I come through here every day.

No ID, no entry.

This is bullshit.

He's all right, mate.

I got him, I got him,

Got him.

OK.

Need some help here!

PAINED GASPING

Put him up on the bed.

OK, take your hands off. Take them off.

Oh, OK.

I need some more compresses.

He's lost a lot of blood.

Yeah, he's going to need to go to a hospital.

No, we have to fix him here.

No, we can't.

They're the same as us.

They've got a totally different physiology and I've only treated some for cuts.

-Well, that's more than most.

-Sit down, West. Keep quiet.

-I'm a GP. He needs a surgeon.

-What do you want me to do?

Call the emergency ward?

We contact the authorities, he's as good as dead.

Eve, put your hands here.

How long's he been unconscious for?

-He's been in and out.

-EVE: He's been shot.

PHONE

OK, he's going to need a blood transfusion.

I need blood!

-He can have mine.

-What if it's not the same type?

Well, I guess we'll find out.

Eve, I need you to run a tap.

Yeah. Hold this, Waruu, hold it.

Nice and tight.

Get...in, damn you.

OK, your turn, big guy.

Take off the coat.

Prep him, Eve.

Prep him.

MEN SHOUTING

How did they find this place?

It's supposed to be a clandestine fucking operation.

Animals.

Get the media in.

I want this image beamed across every screen in the country.

Stop, OK? Enough!

Why did you call me?

I did what you asked. I broke you out of that weird shit lab.

You know, why can't I hear you now?

Talk to me.

I need to know what's going on.

Just tell me who you are!

Whoa!

-Shit!

-Koen!

-Koen!

-What did you just do?

You crazy bitch! What did you do to him?

Hey, hey, hey, lady.

-Koen.

-Hey...

Hey.

Koen?

Koen.

Hey, bros.

Koen!

Hey!

Koen? Koen!

I want those three escapees back in custody by the six o'clock news.

Halt!

You! Halt!

Suspect subhuman in quadrant six.

Give us an image.

Facial recognition.

He's a free ranger.

A what?

He's not one of your breakout boys.

We lost him.

Not good enough.

Aaah!

Do you think that's funny?

Bastard!

What?

Nothing.

Bros?

What just happened to you?

You touched her and - boom - you're out cold,

like you got hit by electricity.

What's up? Did you see something when you touched her?

No, nothing.

Oi, Ash, don't.

Babe, what are you...?

What are you doing?

It's too fucking weird!

Morning.

Welcome to our space.

Have you got an appointment?

Because we are fully booked today.

Perhaps you'd like to come back at another time.

Holy crap!

Anton!

How long have you got?

Oh, Jesus.

Go!

Need to see some ID.

Thanks.

Yep.

Don't you ever go home, mate?

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

Never.

What's up, fellas?

-You boys hear about Dickson?

-Yeah.

They did the same to that Wells kid. Fucking subbies.

They should just take 'em all out in the desert and shoot 'em.

Earning your pay cheque, boys?

ID.

We doing things the hard way today, are we?

Why does he do it?

Your husband? Protecting these subbies?

Why don't you ask him?

You know they killed a guard?

When?

Three of them. Broke out the containment centre.

Ripped the guard's heart right out his chest.

Subbies are fucking animals.

They used to say that about my people, too.

Waruu, call me.

Don't make me worry.

Oh, um, could somebody hold him?

It's OK.

-You're going to be all right.

-Easy, Djukara.

Nearly done, just try and relax.

Keep breathing deep.

What's going on, Waruu?

We'll talk outside.

It's all over the news.

What are they saying?

Dead guard, no heart.

Fuck.

CA find this mob here,

we're fucking gone!

They're not going to find them.

You crazy?

-They tried to get us all killed!

-They didn't murder anyone.

I was there.

I don't know about any of that shit.

They don't belong here.

Well, we're going to look after them.

What do you want me to do? Hand them over to the CA?

Just get them to the gym. Harry can't.

I need your help, Uncle.

No, no, no.

Get those pricks out of my sight!

They're just kids!

No different to Jake or Gub.

We can't buy into this bullshit - it is bullshit.

They want us to tear each other apart.

Fuck!

Let their own kind look after them.

No, I want them away from Maliyan, under my care.

Please, please, let me go!

Please! Please, let me go!

-You're not going anywhere. What are you doing?

-I'm calling the hotline.

Hey. Let's think first before we call the CA.

We have a gold mine right here.

Here.

You going to walk around in that?

We have to get back to Djukara.

There's some mattresses over there.

How many hairy brothers are living in the Zone?

Quite a mob.

Well, shouldn't we hang out with them?

Not a good idea.

Lot of heat on you boys.

Safer for you here.

Cool. What else you got?

You got any food?

First bid, 500. Nice.

1,000.

1,500?

Oh, my God, that's so much money.

Two grand.

Two and a half.

Come on.

Nice one.

3,500.

Keep looking.

I found something. We can trace the IP.

Hello, pet.

Don't think we got the chance to introduce ourselves, did we?

I'm Frankie.

Not hungry?

You've had a bit of a shock, haven't you, poor love.

Perhaps you should have a bite to eat.

I need you to be healthy, so please eat.

'Yeah?'

Not busy, are you?

'Oh, we've got a young one on the loose in the city.

'Bloody headache, but we're closing in.'

That fucking idiot Matthews was in here earlier,

throwing his weight around.

'Careful, Steve.

'That's our elected representative you're talking about.'

'Any progress on the break and entry in the lab?'

Facial recognition threw up a Koen West.

He runs a bar.

-'West?'

-Yeah, they're brothers.

I checked with Births And Deaths.

Well, they're half-brothers, to be precise.

'So, do you want me to go to this bar and pick this guy up?'

Not yet.

I need to think about that.

I might head into the Zone.

I'll need your checkpoint goons to not kick up a fuss.

'You want me in with you?'

It's pretty hairy in there at the moment.

I'll be fine.

I need to talk to you.

-Those kids can't stay here.

-Just concentrate on the doctor stuff.

Don't you patronise me, I just put my clinic on the line for you.

-It's under control.

-They murdered a man.

-They didn't.

Well, that's not what the authorities are saying,

and they're going to come after them,

and who's going to look after all these people in the Zone

-if they shut it down?

-It's a set-up by the CA.

Even if it is, it still means that the clinic

could get dragged into it. They have to go.

Doc! You need to see this!

OK, um... Hold him!

Hold him, hold him!

We need to flush his blood out.

-Alcohol...

-Yep.

-..it's in the cupboard.

-OK.

Fucking shaver bastard.

Just go home, mate.

Shit.

Oi!

Argh! What the fuck?!

Ugh...

Hey! That's enough!

Who the fuck are you?

-Argh!

-I said that's enough.

Go on, get out of here.

Hey.

You're all right.

We need to get him to the clinic.

You're all right, just keep breathing, mate.

-FAINT:

-Steady, steady...

GRUNTING

Oh, guys, just hold him!

Hold him.

Jarrod, just... Just wait outside.

Eve, help him out, will you?

-Anything I can do?

-No, it's the transfusions.

The whole system's melting down, we just...

We don't know his blood type!

What clan's he from?

Think he's Billamanju.

Who else in the Zone is Billamanju?

-Maliyan.

-I'll get him.

-Alinta!

-We'll leave.

Just wait.

Wait, it should pass.

Step away, step away!

On the ground! On the ground!

-Where's the subbie?

-Through there.

Stay down!

Suspect is still at large.

(We are dead!)

So, is the hair staying? There's so much of it.

Yes, that's the idea. That's what they're paying for.

God, my man likes me waxed to within an inch.

That's cos he's only got an inch.

So, has she got a name yet?

Clients can call her what they like.

My name is Araluen.

We don't use our real names around here.

Good, introductions over.

We're all friends now, aren't we, pet?

Good. That one, thank you.

Pulse is steady, BP normal.

So far, so good.

You're a life-saver.

-Thanks.

-I didn't do it for you.

And thank you.

I'm just going to check that kid outside.

-You OK?

-Yep.

Ooh, sorry, nearly done.

With any luck, you'll have a scar.

Girls love that.

You hear me?

Not a word to anyone about what happened.

Yeah?

He's awake.

We need to send a clear message that that kind of behaviour

-won't be tolerated.

-Will do.

-How are you going in there?

-Illuminating.

I've got to go.

Impressive call you made about his clan.

Where'd you get that?

I'm just interested in a lot of different things -

new, old, ancient, spiritual things.

Things that aren't any of your business.

It's lucky for that kid I'm a nosy bastard, isn't it?

-You knew my uncle.

-I did, through the art scene.

I'm a collector. Jimmy had a good eye.

Bullshit.

Jimmy wouldn't know a dot painting from a Rembrandt.

-Why were you at his funeral?

-I was a friend.

-He never mentioned you.

-Maybe you weren't listening.

-Go to hell.

Uncle Jimmy was the closest thing I had to a father.

You people thought he was a drunken old fool, but I took care of him,

and he opened up to me, shared things with me.

-We learnt together.

-It wasn't his place to do that.

-Jimmy thought it was.

-This is not yours to play with.

It's not a game.

You're a smart man, be smart.

You think what it might mean

to combine ancient teachings with

-knowledge of the future.

-And then?

Do what with it?

What the hell did you and Jimmy do together?

Things I would never have dreamed were possible.

I know you think Jimmy was special,

but I wouldn't trust everything he gave you.

He chose the wrong Cleverman, didn't he?

Why did your uncle give you that club?

It's all connected, isn't it?

It was meant to be my brother Waruu.

But there's been some cosmic fuck-up in the universe.

I mean, he's been training to become the Cleverman

-ever since he was two.

-Cleverman?

Is that why you can do stuff?

I mean...

you can heal... you can see things.

You lied when you said you saw nothing the other day, didn't you?

You saw something then,

and you saw something again this morning.

What did you see?

You're seeing shit about me. What is it?

SHE GASPS, RAPID BEEPING

I hear a sound, some kind of alarm.

I see the bar. I see you.

I see blood.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe they did get the wrong guy.

Chin up, pet.

Yes.

Oh, that's lovely. What do you think?

-Real?

-'Every follicle.'

Now, look at me.

SHE LAUGHS

DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS

CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

-Hey.

-Aww, you sook.

-Shut up, it hurts.

-Oh, man, harden up.

Freaking hairies.

-Hey!

-It's all their fault.

-Stop it, you're better than that.

Your friend's still in there. You want to see him?

-Hey, man!

-You look good.

Man, we thought you were gone.

-What's with the clean skin?

-They made us do it.

-Who?

-The fella who busted us out, he organised everything.

That fella's my dad.

-Those hairy kids got to go.

-Been through this.

As long as those kids are here, our people are targets.

We're not handing them over.

You can't walk away from this. Where do you think you're going?

For a drink.

I'd say you've earned that.

Thanks.

Why did you come into the Zone today?

I came to take you to lunch.

Really?

I'm glad you did or we would've had two dead kids on our hands.

I like watching you work.

We make a good team.

Yeah. We do.

My line in the sand...

..I never stopped to consider what it meant for you.

Are you sure you're OK with that decision?

I mean, really OK.

I'm OK.

You don't need an heir?

I hate a competitor.

I have to duck back to the network. I know, I'm sorry.

-It's OK.

-Can't be helped.

It's called lemon twist.

It makes the drink look pretty. It means that we can charge more.

Hey, hey, hey.

Stay with me, come on. I think we're getting somewhere.

-What do you want?

-No, I'm good for the moment.

I wanted to say how sorry I am about your uncle.

I was a friend of his.

I'd like to offer my condolences.

-You sure you don't want a drink?

-You know, you look a lot like him.

Must be the beard. It's a dead giveaway.

It's the eyes.

It's an unusual thing.

Heterochromia iridus.

What do you want?

Your uncle's eyes were caused by something else,

though, weren't they?

It's the same reason your eyes are different colours.

Who the fuck are you?

Jimmy and I worked together.

He shared his knowledge with me.

And it was very lucrative for him.

I'd like to offer you the same opportunity.

-I've got everything I need right here.

-Really?

This bar?

You have worlds at your feet.

You don't even know it.

I didn't catch your name. I'm Koen.

Jarrod Slade.

Maybe a drink another time?

RADIO CHATTER

Hey! Oh, it's all right.

I know a back way. You want to come with me?

Load 'em up.

-Ready, bruz?

-Yeah, bruz.

Right - set.

Oohhh... Struggling.

-My hand's broken.

-Struggling.

All right, you can sleep up there for tonight.

Latani?

You made it!

You're safe.

Mum?

Dad?

They killed Jyra.

I know.

Why did you attack them?

Huh?

Dad told you to keep your head down.

What did you think would happen?

You were outnumbered and they were armed.

You blame me?

If you had just listened...

..Jyra would still be alive today.

So, what, we outlive them Dad's way?

In case you haven't noticed, that hasn't been working.

SHE WHIMPERS

You all right?

Hey, Frankie's happy.

You must have done well.

Remember when they arrested you? I saw it on the TV.

I'm sorry about what happened to your little girl.

-Do you have children?

-Yeah, I've got two.

I've got a boy that's five and a little girl, Sophie, six.

Mine was Jyra.

It's a pretty name.

I have other children, too.

Just before you ask, I can't help you.

Please.

I need to be with my family.

Just don't ask me again.

SHE SOBS QUIETLY

What's going on in there?

GHOSTLY VOICES

VOICES FADE

TRAIN RUSHES BY

ON TV: '..pressure on the government's containment policies.

'Three subhumans broke out of protective custody early today,

'murdering a containment centre guard,

'in what appears to be emerging as their trademark attack,

'the victim left with his heart torn from his body.

'It brings today three confirmed deaths.

'There appears to be no pattern in the attacks,

'the victims differing in age and circumstance...'

You old bastard.

What were you wrapped up in, eh?

I've got your feed here.

Sorry it's late.

You want to eat it now?

You want a glass of water?

How are you doing?

I'm OK. What about you?

Yeah, good.

Pair of liars, aren't we?

SHE GROANS

I wish you'd get a second opinion.

It's meant to be. Can't fuck with karma.

I hope you don't talk like that in front of Alinta.

Of course I do.

THEY SNIGGER

Nah, she's a good girl. You're lucky.

I better get going.

I love you.

You're always looking after me.

I appreciate it.

-I'll see you soon.

-Mm-hmm.

-Have a feed.

-Mm.

Don't you have a hug for your mum?

I've been calling you all day.

Is there anything I need to know?

SHE SIGHS

Babe.

Hey.

Come on. Will you please let me in?

I just want to talk.

'What am I up against, huh?!'

THEY GRUNT AND ALARM BLARES

ALARM CONTINUES

CROW CAWS