Tirade Man: of Generic City FADE IN:

PRELUDE FULL OF FLASHBACKS. [do we need most of the voice-over?] ...a gentle beeping, hospital room noises JOHN (V.O.) How do we create a legend? A hand scribbling on paper. There is a tube taped to the hand JOHN (V.O.) In a land of many wonders and not enough wondering, a man wrote a contract and sent it to the relevant parties. C/T A young HIPPY reads the parchment, then others read it JOHN (V.O.) It detailed social changes for the betterment of every species on the planet. A reporter reads it... JOHN (V.O.) It was set out from a legal viewpoint, but it was simply worded and went directly to the point. A shadowed EXECUTIVE reads it... JOHN (V.O.) It was sent to all ministers, reporters, analysts financial and social... All were asked to give an opinion. And that they did. The Executive throws the document away... JOHN (V.O.) The press had a good time with it, questioning Ministers about their thoughts on the contract's validity. Newspaper headlines, tv doorstop interviews... JOHN (V.O.) Some disagreed with it, strongly, yet there were some who were openly praising it. Hippy watches news on tv in his squalid little bedroom...

JOHN (V.O.) In the House it was made reference to by a moderate Independent. The right wing Chair was not impressed, he silenced the member, and said he didn't want to hear any more about it. So it was forgotten. A smokey board room... JOHN (V.O.) But there were a few who wanted all copies of the document destroyed; and they felt it necessary to persecute the writer of the contract. They chose to do it silently, they must not be detected. Murder was not an option; too easy to trace. They wanted to disgrace the Writer for being so disgustingly pushy. How dare he try to tell them how to run the state! Phones are being held by four shadowy figures... JOHN (V.O.) He would have to be watched. At least they could get a stinger in close to him. Stingers are underground mercenaries who don't mind a bit of intrigue as long as the money is good. One phone is hung up. JOHN (V.O.) They could only be hired from another state, and there were many middle-men to get through. Security was essential to do the job properly. Another call ends... JOHN (V.O.) These people were hired to track the hippie and become friends by one means or another. That was integral to the plan; become friends and make 'em think they know you. Then hit where it hurts. A third phone rests on the desk... JOHN (V.O.) They would get close, then pull out of relationships suddenly, or suicide which was a set up... Too many questions left unanswered... Last phone down, the four watch each other...

JOHN (V.O.) ...or making demands upon the mind of the Hippy. That's what they thought he was; smelly, radical hippy bastard, only interested in takeovers. But that was not it a all! Two hands typing on computer keyboard... JOHN (V.O.) So, for ten more years, this man's life went along its unnaturally bumpy way. Strange events had occurred by the beginning of our story, the man wanders around, muttering to himself, watching everything, writing in his little book. Waiting for his time... Hippy walks out of INTERNET CAFE

EXT. GENERIC CITY, MODERATELY BUSY STREET, DAY Hippy walks along, minding his own business Along come two policemen. BIG COP and LITTLE COP. LITTLE COP What are you doing? HIPPY Walking along the street, thinking about the human race. LITTLE COP Where are you going? HIPPY Ah, the eternal questions. (pause. no reaction) North-west, I believe. LITTLE COP Do you always give smartass answers? HIPPY Only from my mouth. BIG COP (grunt) Do you need a little time to think about your smartass answers? In a holding cell, maybe? HIPPY Is it a crime to respond to a rude comment with a witty answer?

BIG COP What rude comment? HIPPY (louder) You both implying I am a smartass which seems to be a negative attitude. I'd say that's a bit rude, wouldn't you? Big Cop glares but can't say anything. HIPPY Do you have something specific you think I might be up to in the middle of the day? Or are you just in need of someone else's conversational skills? In other words: What can I do for you, officers of the Law? LITTLE COP You stuck-up little dickhead. HIPPY What was that, officer-of-the-Law? A few people look in his direction as they walk by. An ELDERLY COUPLE stand by their car and watch. HIPPY That makes two insults. They're doing well on the abuse meter, Don't ya think folks? LITTLE COP I thinkHIPPY Do you? You obviously don't know where I went to school. LITTLE COP YeBig punches Little on the shoulder. Hippy frowns. BIG COP What's that got to do with it? HIPPY I lived in the toughest neighbourhood around here, until I was seventeen. My nose is broken from standing up to the high school toughguy, and I didn't even need to throw a punch to beat him. That's why I can take all the simple little insults you boys can aim at me.

LITTLE COP How about a fine for loitering? HIPPY You stopped me. LITTLE COP You are still loitering. HIPPY To avoid that, I'll keep on my way. LITTLE COP Not so fast. HIPPY Is there a problem, officers of the Law? LITTLE COP You're the problem. HIPPY (loud and angering) I'm the problem, did you say? What problem am I? Do you want to frisk me? Go for it. Let these folks see how well you are doing your job. Go on. LITTLE COP Don't push it. You don't want to piss some people off. HIPPY I don't want to piss some people off, did you say? Who am I pissing off, other than you two? You don't like humour; or intelligent thought processes; or being cheerful; or your jobs, from the look of it. LITTLE COP You're an asshole who can't keep his mouth shut. HIPPY You're calling me an asshole? That's three insults from you. That should mean I can get a few in. How about.... You are a fool and a shitty little human, seemingly doing the dirty work for people who don't give a shit about you or your opinions. And I don't mean the public you are here to protect. People want to have trust in the capability of their police force. They don't want vindictive little

idiots like you running around trying to scare people like me. I assumed that's what you meant by me pissing someone off. Your bosses are the ones I piss off, aren't they? It's too much for the small one. He grabs the hippy and begins bundling him away to the back of the van. The hippy doth protest by raising his arms and looking at the people around him. He makes eye contact with JOHN (on the phone), JANE, GABRIEL and CLARA the bystanders. They move closer. The elderly couple move closer. The big officer has a hard time deciding whether or not to keep them back. ELDER 1 Why are you arresting him? BIG COP He's...on suspicion of a crime. ELDER 2 What crime? BIG COP Not your concernELDER 1 Why not? BIG COP Please move along! HIPPY Oh, watch out, he'll start insulting you next. Then you'll be for the van, as well. A couple of Finlandian tourists have cameras snapping away... LITTLE COP Shutup you. HIPPY All because you insulted me three times and I can't even insult you twice. Call this a fair society? They are only words, after all. BIG COP You talk too much. JOHN (hangs up) Let him talk. LITTLE COP Why?

JOHN Because he seems to be using no violence against you, so accuse him of the crime or let him go. LITTLE COP I... Hippy slowly releases himself from the little cops grip. HIPPY Look man. Look at the uniforms you fella's are wearing. Look at them. Does it say 'Metropolitan Nazi Party'? No. You are meant to protect us from people who do us harm. Perhaps you should remember that, when next we meet. The cops slowly make a silent retreat. ELDER 1 Not very nice people, eh? What did you do? HIPPY Nothing I can think of, other than speaking my mind. ELDER 2 That shouldn't be a crime. HIPPY It isn't. Cops stop walking, Hippy watches them... HIPPY But if you think this pair is bad and their bosses even more so - why is it that we don't hear many people complaining? PASSERBY 1 We do. HIPPY And what does it achieve? What do you see happening? We still have crime. We have lots of different corruption by the ones who someone elects. Wasn't me. They aren't hearing when people yell at them to change things, so how do we convince them? I once thought that the idea of revolution was a bit out-dated, but you need to put a few knives through a few cobwebs and clean out the systems. And get it right this time! Don't you

agree? The many nod and say Yes. Cops walk their car, watching... BIG COP You shouldn't have pushed it so far. LITTLE COP Shutup. I knew what I was doin' BIG COP Did you? LITTLE COP I just didn't expect that many people... BIG COP ...in the middle of the day. Who would've thought it? JOHN You ever thought of taking your thoughts somewhere where they can be heard? HIPPY To the media? JOHN How about starting at the council and working your way up? Use the media as you go. HIPPY Hmmm. JOHN The way you talk, you'll have no trouble causing a disruption to their crap. Isn't that what you want? HIPPY No, that's not what I want. Fuck, man, who needs more disruptions? JANE But don't you want justice? HIPPY I just want to know the truth to my questions. JOHN Questions about what?

HIPPY The truth. Everyone stops to think for a moment. Then his new friends smile at the hippy and lead him away...

TELEVISION REPORT With footage from the Finlandian tourist's camera REPORTER 1(V.O.) That was the day the re-leaf political party was born. It would grow up to be a big strong thing. But it would have a painful childhood... CHANGE CHANNEL - SAME FOOTAGE REPORTER 2 (V.O.) A police spokesman said the incident was nothing more than the actions of two over-worked officers taken out of context, and because of the fact that the first part of the conversation was not recorded, the officers have been given the benefit of the doubt. He also said that an official police investigation would be a waste of taxpayers money. This reporter believes that such a "waste" of money might not be such a bad idea.

INT. PUB - DAY Others have joined the group. HIPPY I have these things I write, called Tirades. I suppose they are tirades. JANE Aimed at what. HIPPY Aimed at all the arseholes that need a new line of work. Government, religion, whatever. If there's a group of humans fucking things up for the rest of us, I just want to bring themRADICAL PAIR

Down! HIPPY No. To their senses. Politicians, for instance, seem to have a lot of blind spots, and selective deafness, when it comes to the people who are asked to elect them. Several glasses are raised in agreement. HIPPY And religion ignores the basic facts of Science. Things like... Noah's Ark couldn't possibly have survived so long in the flood, let alone floated! And the world is older than a few religions think. And questions that only the individual can answer, are being asked of these gods. Yet when anyone gets an answer from the gods, it is usually what they were wanting to hear...not necessarily the truth. JANE What do you think of what happened in the U.S., where the atheist father asked a judgeHIPPY 'Don't teach my kids "One nation, under god"'? JANE That one, yeah. HIPPY Church and state separating? JANE Yes. Do you think they should be separate? HIPPY Bloody oath I do. Government is economy and the practical business of keeping people and the land happy and healthy. And they constantly fail to keep us happy enough, with every passing year. But we get accustomed to the same old crap, don't we. Religion is seen as being what it is, but only by people who are allowed to ask questions. Those outside the flock can question anything without suffering any harm. But, if you are one of the flock, you should

reasonably expect to ask any questions, and receive an honest answer, shouldn't you? CLARA Are you getting drunk? HIPPY Alcohol does that to me. But you get what I'm saying, don't you? The crowd speak in the positive. HIPPY If you want me to keep talking...ask me a question. JANE Why were the police hassling you? HIPPY Well...I made this political document a few years ago. I got annoyed at things then, as well. JOHN That's where I know you from. JANE Was it actually a serious document? HIPPY Not entirely, but yes. It was the first Tirade I wrote. I spread it round to various places...this was before I could afford a computer... I was always poor, but content at creating things... I wrote a kids book, five years ago, and managed to buy a nice little house by the water. But I don't have much else... Gave a lot of it away. I got annoyed at the bloody government. I realized a lot of other people were annoyed right along with me. So I thought of milking it and seeing where it led. JOHN And you pissed a few people off. HIPPY That's what the little policeman said. I bet whoever it was got very annoyed when I got my website up and running. I put everything I thought of on it, and they can't shut it down. But I do keep getting odd interference, locally. Very strange.

GABRIEL I'm an old geek, and I can look at your system and see where the problem is. HIPPY That'd be good, ta. JOHN Do you fancy making a noise again? We can help. HIPPY You folks don't want me as your speaker, do you? JANE Why not? We're fresh out of uni, and ready to make a noise. GABRIEL And you've done well enough so far. JOHN Yeah. You can talk your way through an argument, without it becoming physical. HIPPY If he had hit me with the truncheon... I tell ya... JOHN Luckily he didn't. And that proves he wasn't just out to get a quota. HIPPY Why? JOHN Because they caved in under pressure. And I saw two people in the area who were more scruffily dressed than you. Those cops had you pegged. And if people in this area had voted for their bosses, you'd be in the van. HIPPY Why? Because nobody would stop and question? JOHN Yep. HIPPY Shit. A thoughtful pause ensues. The hippy burps and raises a hand.

HIPPY I'm hungry.

INT. EATERY - DAY As they cheerfully eat and chat HIPPY (V.O.) Subject matters. God: we'll get it out of the way first. Food: we all do it. Sex: all healthy creatures are designed to do it eventually and for a certain amount of time. Truth: we all deserve it, because a lie is usually a waste of energy. Life: we all do it. HIPPY Does anyone know where there's a party we can crash? JANE Let's make one. All smile.

INT. JANE'S HOUSE - NIGHT At a party with many little scenes happening all around while the hippy chats with his new friends in the lounge room. Somebody has a tape recorder going. HIPPY God. Define this being as you think it is. Now go through this definition and explain it in logical terms. But, before you do, there should be a couple of guidelines introduced into the explanation you give, just to make it fair to everyone. It must be easy to communicate to others, especially those who have opinions and definitions that differ with your own. It should be able to be proven. But how can you prove that god exists? Well, if your definition of god is Nature herself, perhaps you can prove it a bit like this... His gaze is held by dark haired, twenty-five year old JESSIE.

HIPPY You're very pretty. JESSIE So are you. Seconds pass. A few people giggle. HIPPY Where was I? JESSIE Um, defining Nature as a god. HIPPY Oh yeah. We are all borne of Nature. Each of us (with the possible exception of clones) is created from the union of two others. I suppose clones wouldn't be different because they're born from a sperm and an egg, aren't they? Each of those two were created by two. So it goes back even further than our species, to the one celled organisms that began splitting and mingling in the chemical soup of the ancient oceans and lakes Nature is all around us. we are part of it. Unlike the 'lesser' animals, we now have the ability to think about how to shape our world. But Nature can knock down any building, can break any bridge, and can take our simple lives in any number of instantaneous or slow ways. Perhaps this proves the need to design our lives with Nature in mind at all times. We are only just learning that lesson. But some companies aren't very forward thinking. So Nature is there to be milked for all it's worth. If god is Nature, we are mining and pumping our god far too much. We crawl over our god and wipe out so many of her creations every year. We have the ability to wipe our species (and most others as well) from the memory of our god. Then Nature might spend another few million years trying to organise the radiation into some form that might evolve into a new 'intelligent' being. Thus Nature would create again and we will be forgotten. Our course of action would not be noticed by Nature, and we would only sense the pain of loss for one or

two generations. If anyone survived, they would only look forward... Who would want to worship the reasons which caused such a foolish doomsday to happen? Best to get on with life. Nature is, that's for sure. But would the survivors thank a god for their salvation? Or would they neglect to worship as they concentrate on survival? By the end of this scene there is a small group of slightly drunk and intensely interested people sitting around the hippy. LATER John and the hippy are chatting at the bar. JOHN I really don't see how you could compare yourself to Socrates. HIPPY Well, he never wrote anything down. That's one difference. But he liked to talk. And he liked to think before he spoke. Even though sometimes he couldn't stop to think. So he had to be aware of his own capability to talk rationally to various different types of people about any subject. And think of all the new folks he'd meet when he went into battle. JOHN Were you ever in a war? HIPPY I went through the dying stages of a marriage. That was a not-entirely civil war. JOHN I heard that. HIPPY And I was in the air training corps for a while...but I got out before I got my uniform. Didn't like all that standing around on the parade ground. JOHN Parading? HIPPY Yep. I like my parades to be more Mardi Gras than military.

JOHN (grin) So...do you still want to try this? HIPPY Yeah. I was alone when I put my little document out ten years ago. I kinda like the idea of getting some help. Maybe we should have a little meeting to decide on a few things. JOHN Are you free tomorrow? HIPPY Sunday? Not a problem. JOHN Not going to church then? Both laugh.

I/E. JOHN'S HOUSE - DAY Hippy, John, Gabriel, Jessie, Clara, Louis, Anna, Nick, Ahmed, Phil, Jane, Al, Meg. JOHN Well here we are, the dirty baker's dozen. Our fine friend here has agreed to be the mouthpiece for our little venture into politics and social reform, and what we are here to decide is how we proceed. Gab? GABRIEL Well, from what we talked about last night, I designed a little web site that can be up and running tomorrow, all we need do is fill in the words. We can have print, audio and video, links to friendly organisations, and feedbackNICK That's the important one. All agree. JOHN How many of us have content to contribute? Everyone except Phil, Anna and Gabriel raise a hand. JOHN

So you three handle....? PHIL I can do analysis with Nick and Anna. Statistics and that sort of thing. ANNA I can do promotions and publicity with Jane. GABRIEL And I do the heavy geeking. JOHN Great. So have the rest of us brought something along for show and tell? They throw their documents and discs on the table. There are quite a lot. Gabriel raises his eyebrows, grabs his laptop and inserts a disc. GABRIEL I'm on it. JANE Anna and I were talking last night about what to call ourselves. (to hippy) Your idea about calling the outfit Re-leaf is a nice one. Some people might not get that it's about your wanting to legalize marijuana HIPPY I realise some might be a bit worried, but I'd hope most would hear the word and think it's a relief to have an open minded party on the political scene. ANNA Yes! Quotable and witty. Love it. HIPPY But I think it's probably a good idea to let them know the real reason from the beginning. We have to be honest. AHMED Honesty from the beginning. There's another sound byte. All cheer. JANE

And how about this? Because what you do is essentially to come out with big, intense oratory...we should get the media to refer to you as...Tirade Man. Pause to sink in. ANNA Superman, Iron Man, Tirade Man... HIPPY I like it. LATER HIPPY Okay. Basically I tried this once before; to get the government listening to the people, and the people thinking more about the government. That was ten years ago. Some people - like a few of you remember it. Most have forgotten... What we need to know is that we will be in the spotlight from the beginning. I don't mind people knowing what I do to enjoy myself, or what my views are on any subject. I also don't mind if people dredge up my past and ask me questions about it... Does anyone here have something in their past that all of us should know about? Anything that could be used against us in a court of media opinion? NICK I once got busted for having a bit of ecstasy on me - personal use, I never sold the stuff. ANNA & JANE Me too. LOUIS I grow pot for medical reasons. My wife has cancer growing in her brain. She likes the relaxation. JESSIE The media will like that, won't they? JOHN They like murderers and thieves as much as humanist stories. The public are the ones who will see it for the good thing it is.

LOUIS I've had a few maniacs who don't care about the stress relief for Gale, they just think I am doing "evil drugs". I got hate mail personally delivered, until I got a post office box, and just let the hate mail pile up in the letter box, then I set fire to it and buried the ash in the garden. The flowers are looking good... JANE Can we use that? LOUIS Anything you want. We have no secrets. HIPPY Truth from the beginning, and no secrets. Niiice. LATER HIPPY So, Ahmed, anything to declare? AHMED I am a bisexual ex-moslem, who gave up the religion when I was called a "bad moslem" by a relative. I thought there was more tolerance than that. I was wrong. HIPPY So, no terrorism charges or time done in a high security prison? AHMED Not yet. But if the republicans get in again in the US, I might be going for a little ride. JESSIE Why? AHMED My father is from Afghanistan, my mother from Iran. If the right wing christians have their way, they will be looking for anyone who fits a very limited bill. I was born here, but in their eyes I am a potential threat. And the United Nations is under their control. They can get resolutions passed that could have me arrested and on a plane before the ink is dry.

HIPPY Not if Re-leaf has any say in the matter. JOHN I've been looking into some international law to see what the situation is with that. I think you might like what i've found. HIPPY Re-leaf International! Yeah. JOHN But I think we should concentrate on local issues before we go international. All agree. AL So...how far are we wanting to take this? And is there a definite strategy, or are we just going out to annoy politicians? HIPPY I just want to inform people about how the system they live under operates. If we can do that, we can bypass the poli's. That should annoy them. But the odd skirmish every now and then should keep us amused. As long as it is for a purpose, no bickering just for the sake of it. There has to be a reason for an argument. A good reason. JOHN And the first item on that agenda is... HIPPY (raise hand) ...If we are really going to do this...we have to have trust. We begin the thing together, we do the thing together. Our little circle of ideas has to be strong enough to weather the storms to come... otherwise we all drown. What we've been talking about, here...is a revolution. If anyone can see a reason why this could be a problem for them...they can leave, or say their piece...then leave. We go hard, we be completely honest, we go as far as we can, we

finish when it's over... Does the circle remain unbroken? EVERYONE Yes!

INT. THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, EVENING Jessie, Ahmed, Clara and Gabriel are in the crowd with video cameras running... HIPPY -and that's why I would like to eventually ask every member of the government if they believe we are evolved from the chimpanzee. He waits patiently while it sinks in. HIPPY So I would first like to ask all of you councillors the exact same question. How many of you believe evolution to be how we got here? CR DOGGETT We don't need to respond toA little over half of the room raises a hand. HIPPY Councillor Doggett, is it? Arabella? Yes, I don't think atheists are afraid of being known any more. So, how many believe that a god made us? I mean who really believes it. A little under a quarter. HIPPY And how many of us would rather just not worry about arguing over religion? He raises his hand, along with most of the room. CUT TO: CR JENKINS Sir, what you are saying is nonsense. HIPPY Is it? CR JENKINS

Yes. There is no way our state will ever get involved in religious civil war! One council against anotherHIPPY Excuse me, hello? You swarm like a well trained school of sucker fish, around the nets of the state trawlers, commonly called Bigger Fish. They throw out a bit of their catch, which was part of the Federal Fish. But all of us are swimming togetherCR JENKINS See? Hippie nonsense! HIPPY What's wrong with hippies? And before you say anything, think carefully about what you say. They vote, and they have families. If a government gets in that wants to alter the councils drastically, what would you do? Who do you reckon the hippies would vote for? And most of those people would put their lives on the line for their beliefs. Would you do the same for yours? The dozen people look around nervously. Some smile at the reactions of their colleagues. HIPPY (to Jenkins) And you. You say there won't be war. But you already talk of battles and fights with other councils. How long will our multi-ethnic societies continue to grow, before talk in the councils turns to what you really believe in? If the world gets overpopulated, then there will be nothing we can do except see who survives. CR JENKINS Rubbish! You're talking just like one of those One Nation freaksCR SMITH I beg your pardon, Gordon. I don't consider myself a 'freak'. CR JENKINS Sorry, Doreen.

CR SMITH Why don't you let the man speak? It makes a change from boring old work. HIPPY ... I can convince you...I know I can. But it can't be done quickly, and certainly not in this atmosphere of accusation, where you all just argue with each other, struggling for a little victory. I can convince you...but you have to want to listen. Things will be easier that way. CR. BRANDLES Isn't that what the nazi's said? HIPPY Do I look like a fucken nazi? Brandles realises his mistake... Hippy continues. JOHN (VO) How is it that an individual human can stand in front of a group of other humans, and that individual, using only the language of word and body, can make the group think the same way... And some of the Councillors begin to take notice. Two, however, are looking at each other with shades of concern... JOHN (VO) And so it was, that an unarmed man took the first step on a dangerous road... HIPPY And that is how we can work together to do this. Does anyone agree with me? He gets a massive show of hands and smiles. PAN OVER THE CROWD AND REDUCE IT TO A T.V. SCREEN REPORTER 5 (V.O.) And it seems the city council was a scene of something close to unanimity last night, when a protester spoke for over an hour about...everything, and convinced the council to amend several quite contentious proposals which have been the hub of argument for many months. Sources present at the meeting say

the articulate man had done his homework, was very honest, and was able to do in one hour what the council had failed to do in one year. We can only ask where this so called "Tirade Man" came from, and when he will appear again...

EXT. GARDEN PRESS CONFERENCE - DAY A PRESS RELEASE is handed around. The cover is one circle on top of another, both surrounded by a larger circle. HIPPY Hello and welcome. I wanted to announce that I was starting a religionQuestions and the occasional accusation are thrown at him by twenty mouths. He lets it wash over him like water. HIPPY Listen to you. That guy there called me a fake, but I haven't even done anything yet. REPORTER 5 When will you do something? HIPPY Well, I'm breathing quite well at the moment, thank you for asking. A few laughs. HIPPY It is easier in this land to get into politics than to start a religion. Once you say you want to get into politics, if you can bullshit your way through it all, you can be president. And if you have money... People seem to like hearing rhetoric and words that mean nothing, it means they aren't challenged to think too heavily about who they elected because they all sound the same. During an election people want to believe you can do something 'miraculous' to fix up the world. Most politicians who believe the hype begin to think they can do miracles, but they find they are only human, and they fail against their own greed, impatience, or jealousy. But if you start a religion, you

are instantly suspect, yet you are openly asked to actually perform the miraculous. I cannot do miracles... Except for three times in my life, but that's another story. Start a religion and you are asked what your credentials are. REPORTER 2 And what are your credentials? HIPPY ...I have faith. REPORTER 3 In what? HIPPY I have faith that it is possible to live happily without a god. I have faith that people will listen if the words mean enough to them. I have faith that most humans are intelligent enough to make up their own minds, if they are given truthful information. But that's the thing, isn't it? It takes fifty or so years until the freedom of information act is allowed to show us what our politicians did when they were in office... Diplomacy has a lot to answer for. And if I am to be judged by your imaginations, then I say, Bugger the lot of you. If I could do miracles, I wouldn't do them for petty children who will see a small miracle, then say 'What else can you do?' So Re-Leaf is becoming a political party. We have set up our headquarters at my place, and we will be publishing a detailed draft of every single fucking policy we have, and it's out at the end of this month. We will be looking forward to seeing a lot of you questioners again soon. Then we will answer every bloody question you can think of. And if anyone wants us, we'll be having a Re-Leaf party over there. Thank you. They all get up and leave for the big building on the corner.

INTERVIEW with tossy editing and new wave, state of the art 'Wobbly' camera technique with occasional editing in of INTERVIEWER, who voices no sound but has 'groovy' subtitles.

SUBTITLE Politics? HIPPY Look around at the political scene as it is. Is it healthy? Not really. Like fleas jumping from one back to another, pollies are changing sides, minds and jobs at an ever increasing rate. They do favours for their mates, yet do very little for the people who trusted them enough to elect them. The House of Reps has a redundant prune for a speaker. He is bad for forward momentum because he is biased on behalf of the Conservatives. How can any other ideas get a look in if everything is lambasted with criticism before it's even been fully heard? SUBTITLE Is there a fairer system? HIPPY This pathetically outdated system of government needs to be replaced by something better. It can't happen quickly, but change should be started soon. We have so many people. They should vote from the age of sixteen. Have faith in the voting intelligence of our children, and don't lie to them, for they will know. SUBTITLE Kids voting??? HIPPY You are fifteen. You are being taught the basics of the political system and how it personally affects you... Next year, you're out of high school, and you will be asked to vote if there is an election. You will know what it's all about. You will make an informed decision, not just voting the way your parents do, like some fuckwits i've met. You will think about your decisions, and you will act as you see best. How will you vote? The choice will be up to you. ADD MORE - executive coversations?

I/E. JESSIE'S HOUSE - DAY She sits on the balcony, staring out... Phone rings. JESSIE Hello? Yes. Who are you? It's nice of you to say, but... What? Who told you that? What proof do you have? Yes, I suppose we could... I...would prefer somewhere in public. Alright. Midday. She hangs up, looking at someone below who hangs up their phone and walks away. Paranoia?

MONTAGE: ELECTION TO COUCIL Reasonably fast edits of highlights from campaign speeches. REPORTER 13 And even though it's only a council election, the independent candidate is treating it like he's running for prime minister.

INT.

BANQUET HALL - NIGHT HIPPY Food is second only to breathing in importance for any living being. Food sustains the individual. Sex sustains the tribe. As with sex, humans have managed to turn food into art, taking it beyond a simple means of survival. And it makes money! Cooking shows are very popular and have a wide range of international dishes being prepared. The average person might not ever cook any of them, but it helps international relations and gives Average something to veg out to. (possible pun intended)

In the audience ESSINGDON (60) looks at the hippy with scorn, then turns a smile to the others at his table. HIPPY But humans make a very big mistake. If our population is 6 billion, and if the world can barely feed 5

billion, what are we doing to the soil? Multitudes of cotton fields are being sprayed with tons of crap every year, (and you can't eat cotton). Industrial vegetable fields are producing carrots that taste like detergent. Pollution from factories, wars, plague and pest control agents are taking their toll. The bizarre thought is that if the vegetables suffer, we will suffer in due course. What will the carrots taste like a few generations from now? Farmers get shit from you people for wanting to grow some hemp - so they can make some quick money and help their soil - and we still produce so much pharmaceutical opium for the legal markets - but how much of that money gets to the farming community? How much goes overseas? Interesting questions, I would have thought. He holds the crystal goblet and looks at all the people at the round table.

NEWS COVERAGE. REPORTER 7 And the candidate is breaking tradition by asking voters to elect, not one singular candidate, but the group of political aspirants called Re-leaf. This has caused some in the council to call for the candidate to bow out of the election. The response? Hippy at a doorstop interview. HIPPY What rules have we broken? We are letting people know what we can do; we have made some changes; ad we are looking at keeping everyone informed. Why should we quit?

INT. PRIMARY SCHOOL ART CLASS- DAY Outside the room, MISS NOMER leans close to the hippy. MISS NOMER I just had to remind you not to mention too loudly your thoughts on...religion. This is a public

school - I was the one who asked about you talking to the children, and I like what you say about a lot of things... But some of the parents have heard about your visit...and they are not too happy with what you've said about their religious beliefs. HIPPY I won't mention it if they don't. (nod and wink) John, Jessie and Clara sit with cameras in the room. Hippy stands by a sculpture at the front. The twenty students sit all around. HIPPY Do you know why people make art? KID 1 To make nice stuff. HIPPY Would you want to make yucky things? KIDS No, yuck! HIPPY So you make nice things. Then what happens? KID 2 You sells them to an arts garrely. KID 4 So that other peoples can look at them. KID 3 And they buy them, and take them home. HIPPY I have a few of my art works in other peoples houses and a couple of galleries. Do you know what makes me really happy about the things I make?... No? Do you want me to tell you? KIDS Yes! HIPPY Every time something is finished and about to leave my little studio, I spend hours just sitting

looking at it. And I think...I made that. And that makes me really happy. And that's what I think art is really about... KID 4 Did you make that? HIPPY Yes. And there is a story to it. Would you like to hear it? (smile at Miss Nomer, then back to kids) It all starts with the beginning of the universe... Miss Nomer hides her face.

TELEVISION REPORT REPORTER 13 ...and the council is taking on a whole new level of recognition, due mainly to the vociferous media ranting of the newest member-

EXT. COUNCIL CHAMBERS STEPS - DAY He stands with his friends at his election speech. HIPPY It was a bit of a surprise, but my friends and I will do some other interesting things if you say you'll back us. Let's see how far we have to go to get a fair go! Or some such slogan! DOORSTOP INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER 3 So, Councillor Brandles, you don't seem too impressed with your new comrade. CR. BRANDLES Well, I mean, where would he be without all the hangers-on who seem to follow him everywhere? INTERVIEWER 3 Are you saying he should work without any help? Is that what you do, councillor? CR. BRANDLES

Independence means doing it ourselves - so as not to be biased. INTERVIEWER 3 And so you can take all the credit? CR. BRANDLES (grunt and go) NEWSCAST REPORTER 1 Now he's called quite a few different politicians to an informal conference. A lot of his fellow councillors are there. And members of the public are also invited. City Hall, tonight at seven.

I/E. CITY HALL - DAY Crowds of people are refused entry because the place is full. Speakers are mounted on the steps. Inside, the house is quiet and the hippy has the mic. HIPPY The price of progress...should be less. Some look a little hesitant. Some nod slightly. HIPPY Do you all agree with this statement? ERIC the conservative twit, in search of publicity, puts his hand up and coughs delicately. HIPPY You don't agree that the price should be less? ERIC (stand) I believe that you should not make such generalized statementsHIPPY But do you agree that the price of progress should be less than it is? It's a pretty damned simple question and a damned simple statement, I thought. ERIC What we have at the moment is what

would be expected for the output we receiveHIPPY So greenhouse gasses, fossil fuel emissions, nuclear waste, too many cars, and uncaring, uneducated, ignorant people in big business are what we deserve? Is that what you believe? ERIC For the progress we have now, I would say the price is adequate. HIPPY Adequate? Well, you can just stand up and get the fuck out of this meeting. A lot of people gasp. ERIC I beg your pardon! HIPPY You won't get it. Get out! ERIC But we are civilisedHIPPY Yes we bloody are. And civilised people are able to accept that things change. And some things need to change. You and your sad little party are holding the rest of us forward thinking people back. You set all your fucken rules and you don't let anyone know your business. Well, today, you have showed a lot of people what you are made of. You are backward thinking, with a lack of any beneficial vision of the future, and you can get out so you can bury your head in the dirt and let your masters do what they want when you're bent over! Get out! Hippy grabs Eric by the collar and drags him up. Flash bulbs go off and zoom lenses hum. Eric is about to start swearing and telling the young yobbo what he really thinks, when he remembers the cameras. He arranges his collar and is about to say a formal goodbye. HIPPY We don't want to hear any more of the crap that comes from your lips, thank you very much, Eric. Goodbye,

and come back when you have something useful to say! And the hippy ushers Eric out the side door, pushing him with his eyes, then locking the door. Most of the audience and some reporters do give a little cheer. Back on the podium... HIPPY Don't you think it's interesting how he didn't really argue with me? I was actually wrong, y'know. I did not have the right to throw him out just for having an opinion. But he is so spineless that he would rather look stupid and composed, instead of angry and honest. If anyone has a disagreement with me I hope they will say it but...don't say it like Eric. Please.

NEWS REPORT REPORTER 7 And it seems this informal meeting has led to the agreement for the changing of no less than seven current council laws and the amendment of several others, which are being taken up by the greens and the state government. It seems that the council will not be enough to contain this new whirlwind, destined, as he seems to be, for greater things.

EXT. QUIET STREET - NIGHT JOHN (V.O.) Time rolls on, as do the waves of adventure. Then the tide goes out for a while...and all is quiet... Car pulls up, Hippy gets out. HIPPY (to driver) Yeah this is fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Car drives off. Hippy takes a deep breath. Phone rings. HIPPY Shit. (look at phone, frown) Hello, unknown caller.

The voice is heavily processed to disguise the speaker. EVIL VOICE-OVER Greetings councillor. I wonder if I could have a word to you about your future direction. Hippy walks, looking around casually. No cars or people. HIPPY That would be fine. How did you get this number? EVIL VOICE-OVER I have friends, as do you. HIPPY I don't think my friends would give a stranger my number. EVIL VOICE-OVER I am not so strange. And several of your friends have been seen doing the rounds among the councillors and politicians various; learning their opinions. HIPPY And that's what they want to do. They work among the people, collecting information, opinions, suggestions and statistics. Then we get a small team together who work on a unified plan for different situations they find to be important. They go looking for information to help our little organisation to make better decisions. EVIL VOICE-OVER A grand design for a simple councillor. HIPPY Think big, start local. Everyone has something to do. He turns a corner and walks up his driveway. EVIL VOICE-OVER Are you not worried that your advisors are making plans behind your back? HIPPY No. All plans are made in front of me. Why do you care?

EVIL VOICE-OVER I see great potential in you. Though you might have to...reign in your exuberance, somewhat. HIPPY I thought that's what makes us popular. EVIL VOICE-OVER It can be dangerous. Enters house, goes directly downstairs HIPPY To my career or my life? EVIL VOICE-OVER For some, career is life. HIPPY Not for me and my friends. We see this political business as a stepping stone for making things better around us. Everyone has the option of disagreeing with us and opposing us. When it gets too much for me, I'm leaving the circus.

INT. BRAIN ROOM - DAY Gabriel turns from his geeking to see the Hippy leap in and make a intense shhh signal, then cover the phone and whisper into Gabriel's ear HIPPY Record this! EVIL VOICE-OVER I think you could be far more useful in other areas. Gab quickly connects the phone to the computer, bringing up a voice activated typist. The words appear on the screen. HIPPY So...are you saying I shouldn't get any deeper into the political machine? EVIL VOICE-OVER I am merely saying you could do so much better. HIPPY I'm having fun so far. EVIL VOICE-OVER

The best things to do can often be the hardest. HIPPY Difficult things can also be enjoyable, you know. Your move. EVIL VOICE-OVER (soft laugh) What you are getting involved in is far from a game, councillor. HIPPY I prefer to look at it like a challenge: we have to fix things, andEVIL VOICE-OVER Get to the top? HIPPY No. Make it easier for people to survive and be happy. That's what life is all about, isn't it? EVIL VOICE-OVER Happiness isn't everything. HIPPY Why do we have to concentrate on all the negative shit? Why not look forward to everyone being happy? EVIL VOICE-OVER ButHIPPY I know, you can't make everyone happy all the time, but isn't it worth trying? EVIL VOICE-OVER A noble thought. HIPPY And that's why I want to get into the next level of the political pyramid. There is so much we could get done. EVIL VOICE-OVER I agree. But the political arena is not where destiny is calling you, I believe. HIPPY I haven't ever heard Destiny say anything to me. Sorry, what was your name?

EVIL VOICE-OVER ...Let's pretend I don't have one. HIPPY How very secretive of you. What are you hiding? EVIL VOICE-OVER I do not hide. I merely do not let myself be seen. There is a difference. HIPPY I, on the other hand am fully able to be out in the open. Why is it that you don't like the idea of me getting elected? EVIL VOICE-OVER I don't mind you getting elected. It's just that you need to...think a bit more about your direction. You also need to keep an eye on those around you. HIPPY You think someone in my group will try to take over the operation? EVIL VOICE-OVER Perhaps not. But someone might try to use you for their own purpose. HIPPY As I am using them for mine, you mean? EVIL VOICE-OVER Perhaps. HIPPY I'm learning about the political landscape all the time, you know. EVIL VOICE-OVER And you have done very well, but there is a lot more to learn. Though you must first make certain you are not stepping too far over the chasm. HIPPY I don't tread where I can fall. That's a little lesson i've learned over the years. EVIL VOICE-OVER And a good lesson it is. But your aspirations to go further than the council are...worrying to some. And

you need to tread carefully. Are you certain you want to be part of this system? HIPPY Indeed I am. If there's a chance or two that we can make a difference and do something good, I'm staying. Some of the others have chosen to leave if it gets too much, that's their choice. I might leave if I get blocked by too many conservative twits... EVIL VOICE-OVER They are your friends; you simply do not appreciate how useful they can be. HIPPY You mean useful like they are for the premier? Do a few deals for your mates and pay for it for the rest of your career? EVIL VOICE-OVER To learn and grow you must have an open mindHIPPY And my open mind says that we have to fix the problems in the council, then up we go! EVIL VOICE-OVER I was hoping you wouldn't say that. HIPPY Come on, who did I annoy? EVIL VOICE-OVER You irritate a lot of people, but they are not my concern. HIPPY So I irritate you directly. EVIL VOICE-OVER Perhaps. HIPPY You don't sound very certain. Why haven't you got faith in your decisions? EVIL VOICE-OVER You see? This is what irritates people. You shouldn't ask such questions to those above your station.

The hippy leans forward to look at the sound waves on a screen, brow furrowing... station...? HIPPY So I know you're probably a monarchistThe line goes dead. HIPPY Maybe I'm wrong. He hangs up and gives Gab a long look. MONTAGE Gab and the Hippy work through the night... JOHN (V.O.) Those people had to be exposed by the simplest means possible. And that meant using their own words against them, to shame the bastards out of the system. It seemed to be the only way. Hippy leans close to the microphone as the recording of the phone conversation finishes. HIPPY Did you folks on Re-leaf Radio hear all that? I hope this isn't some kind of marketing trick. If it is, I know some people who will be very pissed off, and I will be one of them. If it is real, which I think it is, I wonder who is behind it. Maybe it's a message from one of my old friends in the government - and we know a few of them who don't agree with some of our policies... Well, I am not going to be worried. I will just find the person behind the voice. Then we'll all be able to see who it is and what they really think. And now, here's some groovy music. Hippy slides the fader up and takes off the headphones. HIPPY Whatcha got, Gab? GABRIEL Okay. We've got voice recordings of practically everyone in politics today. Once we sort the filtering of your telephonic friend, we can match up the patterns and see if

anyone is similar. HIPPY So you can clean up the recording? GABRIEL The program is doing a mixdown, to sort the different levels of alteration in the cloaking. HIPPY So, you mean the thing processing his voice went through set patterns? GABRIEL With probably a bit of random fluctuation thrown in, just to make it more difficult for me. Instead of one type of effect, it went through echo, delay, flange, pitch shifting and a few others. But where the different layers merge is where we peel away the fake voice. Exciting stuff, man. HIPPY I'm glad you're happy, Gab. How long to finish peeling? GABRIEL It looks like the fluctuations in the sound waves can be analysed, but it will take a fair while to sort them, then it has to find the original starting points. They are probably layered, not linearHIPPY Are you talking days? GABRIEL Maybe. It's pretty complicated stuff. Not cheap shit. This guy or girl - doesn't want to be known. HIPPY Fair enough. Any bets? GABRIEL I'll bet it's a councillor. HIPPY Why? GABRIEL Small minded, a little bit of power, and not much grasp on reality. You?

HIPPY I think it might be the premier. GABRIEL Shit. Why? HIPPY Same reasons as you, only you can add more power, and more influential friends. GABRIEL Are you getting paranoid? HIPPY Nah. I just want to see this fucker face to face and share a few of my thoughts... Gabriel looks away from the intense stare. GABRIEL Leave it to me.

INT. HIPPY BEDROOM - LATER He intensely uses computer and Law Dictionary, doesn't hear the car drive up, or the doorbell. John knocks on his door. JOHN Someone here to see you. IN LOUNGE INSPECTOR RAMSEY(50 and a tough beauty) stands casually. INSPECTOR Evening sir. Detective Inspector Ramsey. HIPPY What can we do for you, inspector? INSPECTOR Your last little broadcast came to my attention. I was wondering if you might need some assistance. HIPPY Thank you, but we have our best people working on it. INSPECTOR You do realise that broadcasting the call could constitute a breach

of privacy, don't you? HIPPY Not really, Inspector. For one thing, the voice is disguised, for another, he gave no name. He has kept himself hidden, so no privacy is breached. INSPECTOR You...were being threatened. HIPPY I think I was being offered a choice, which is not always a bad thing. INSPECTOR Offered a choice...in a threatening manner. HIPPY The threats were not open and direct, nobody's life is in dangerINSPECTOR Do you believe that? Long pause. JOHN Inspector, do you have any information on who this person might be? INSPECTOR ...no sir. JOHN But you have information in police files...say, from when the hippy's manifesto was released to the public, ten years ago... Were there any threats made then? INSPECTOR ...I haven't looked. JOHN Could you? INSPECTOR Possibly. JOHN Inspector, if you are here to offer us assistance, then you believe there may be criminal intent somewhere along the way. If you think some unknown person is

verging on criminal, you have a duty to gain information as to the identity of the person, to stop that person from actually becoming a criminal. If it is possible that someone with a grudge has seen fit to continueINSPECTOR I get the idea. I will have a look. (to hippy) I may need to talk to you again. HIPPY Day or night, inspector. Here's my card. INSPECTOR Thank you. And here's mine. Could you also give me a copy of the recording, so we can run a check of our own? HIPPY Clara, can you please go grab a copy from Gab? CLARA Righto. (exit) HIPPY Inspector, I didn't think I had any enemies. INSPECTOR But you think you do now? HIPPY Ten years ago, I was alone. All I had was a small computer and a whole lot of ideas, but no real avenue to get the ideas into the mainstream. Now...we have this place as the starting block for a race that some don't want us to run. Because I have the help of these other good people, I am certain that the rules have changed. When I was by myself I was only ridiculed and ignored. Now that we can make a noise...I am worried someone might try to silence us...the hard way. INSPECTOR I saw your altercation with the two police officers on the news. JOHN So why didn't you come and visit

then, when there was an obvious threat being made, not to mention a breach of police powers? INSPECTOR I... HIPPY You what? INSPECTOR I didn't take it seriously. HIPPY (calm) You didn't take it seriously? Your entire profession is being shown to be flawed - on state-wide television - and you didn't take it seriously? INSPECTOR And now I am. HIPPY Good. The that's all we can ask of you. Look into the past, Inspector, and I bet in your official documents you find something to make you take this very seriously, indeed. Clara enters, notices icy looks, gives cd to Ramsey. INSPECTOR Thank you. I will be in touch. HIPPY As will we, if we learn anything useful. Exit Ramsey. HIPPY I don't suppose there is any way we can get into the police files? John rolls his eyes. JOHN I might know someone. Hippy grins. Jessie enters. JESSIE Why were the police here?

INT. POLICE HQ/INSPECTORS OFFICE - NIGHT

Inspector types away, getting steadily more frustrated. Rookie enters, closes door. ROOKIE Boss, what's wrong? INSPECTOR Fucking archives, that's what. I want you to go down there and ask them for all the material on this hippy, (hand over paper) and why none of it's on the fucking database. ROOKIE They won't be open til morning, boss. INSPECTOR (throw pencil) Fuck. ROOKIE What have you got so far? INSPECTOR His manifesto is not on file. Nor are any of the disturbance, complaint or incident reports which were alluded to in other documents not connected to this him. ROOKIE There wasn't a case file opened? INSPECTOR Not officially. But it had the potential to get nasty, so the chief at the time thought it would be prudent to make notes. And now I can't find any of them. ROOKIE Who was the chief at the time? INSPECTOR Howard Essingdon. Retired seven years ago, to live in a nice little million dollar shack. ROOKIE I remember him when I was a cadet. A tough old bastard. You reckon he kept his notes? INSPECTOR That's what I intend to find out.

ROOKIE ...tomorrow? INSPECTOR Mmm.

I/E. NEWS COVERAGE - DAY REPORTER 2 Re-leaf has became very lucrative in the merchandising area. T-shirts and hatsCUT to a MARKET STALL MEG (show hats) Localy made! REPORTER 2 -and slogans and songs RECORDING STUDIO ENGINEER watches Hippy playing guitar. ENGINEER (points to Hippy) Locally produced. REPORTER 2 And a pair of marketing studentsANNA and JANE grin in an OFFICE ANNA Locally grown! REPORTER 2 -ready to get their teeth into something really meaty. JANE We just hope we don't offend too many vegetarians. REPORTER 2 They are having a field day organising the movements through the systems, of how and where the 'Tirade Man' will strike next.

INT. HIPPY HOUSE/OFFICE - DAY Gabriel enters, closes door and sits. HIPPY

Hey, Gab, wotcha got? GABRIEL Um. HIPPY That's descriptive. Did any of the voices match? GABRIEL Er... HIPPY What's wrong, Gabriel? GABRIEL I was asleep when the program finished cleaning up the recording... HIPPY So...? GABRIEL Um... It's given us a voice - not perfect or anything... but it's pretty clean. HIPPY Who does it sound like? GABRIEL That's the weird thing. Let me just explain something first. HIPPY Righto. GABRIEL I didn't see the program finish. When it does what it's meant to do, it's supposed to make a log of everything it's done to get to the end point. Um, it didn't. At least...I can't find one. HIPPY Is that unusual? GABRIEL Yeah. Fucking weird, actually. I thought it might've been wiped, but I can't find any trace of cleaning. HIPPY Is the program reputable? GABRIEL Oh yeah, high quality gear. No question there.

HIPPY So...the voice? GABRIEL Er... It's you. HIPPY (long pause) So I had a conversation with myself? GABRIEL Insane, I know. But the voice is almost exactly yours...like how you sound in the morning... Gabriel goes to the stereo and puts the cd on. The deep voice of the hippy speaks. HIPPY That's...similar. But how could they make it? Would they need my voice as a sample? GABRIEL (pace, think) Supposedly...if someone had a pretty good bunch of samples of you talking... HIPPY Which wouldn't be difficult. GABRIEL No. And if they had a program which could take the frequencies of your voice...and translate them onto the original conversation...whilst he's talking... It could be done, I suppose. I'll have to do some homework and find out. HIPPY And that would account for my voiceGABRIEL Supposedly. He speaks, it comes out of one box, sounding like you, then goes into another box to add the distortions. That seems more likely than...someone coming in and changing things. HIPPY Occam's Razor. GABRIEL The easier answer is more likely to be true.

HIPPY But we can't rule out...that we have an intruder. Long pause. GABRIEL Can I lend your computer? HIPPY Yep. GABRIEL (sit quickly) We are networked, so...I should be able to hook into the camerasHIPPY We have spy cameras? GABRIEL I prefer to call them monitors. HIPPY We have spy monitors? GABRIEL The brain room, front and back doors, and the adjoining hallways are the only ones buggedHIPPY Monitored. GABRIEL Yep. Here we go... There's me heading off to bed. The image of the brain room is fast-forwarded. GABRIEL Nothing. HIPPY Could someone cut themselves out of the recording? GABRIEL I'll have to watch all of it in real time to see if there is any distinct jump in the clock, but...I can't see anything obvious. And there's me coming back this morning. HIPPY I'll find out who was in the house these last few nights.

GABRIEL We can see using the other cameras. HIPPY Good. John knocks and enters. JOHN You have to be at the tv studio in one hour. We should leave soon. Everything okay? HIPPY (quick look to Gab) Dunno. (grab coat) Let's go. John has a quick look to Gabriel who is too busy to notice.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - MORNING Ramsey sits in her car outside a palatial beach house. INTERVIEWER 1 (V.O.) And some have said you are a 'heathen', an 'unbeliever'-

INT. MORNING SHOW ONE - DAY HIPPY -pagan, satanist, hippie, yuppie, cat-lover, idiot... You name it, somebody has called me it. But I am all these things, in their minds. I do not like the labelling system in this world. "Poor people" get disrespect from people who don't even feel like helping the poor. It's almost like people have to have something or someone to look down on. Goes back through the millennia, I suppose. INTERVIEWER 1 So what can you do for the poor? HIPPY By myself, I can only give some change or a cigarette or a place to stay, or whatever. But by making laws for the state, all of us might be able to do...miracles. John is watching in the GREEN ROOM, talking intensely to

someone on the phone. INTERVIEWER 1 But, councillor, won't there still be people who want to stay the way they are? HIPPY And they can if they want to. But are the good samaritans of the world able to accept that? INTERVIEWER 1 You seem to return to your criticism of the churches. HIPPY There's a lot to work with. INTERVIEWER 1 How did you feel about reverend Chaimberlaine calling you 'disgusting' because of your views on sex and prostitution? HIPPY Hahaha! Sex! Prostitution is apparently 'the oldest profession in the world'. At A CAFE, Jessie is having an intimate conversation with a man we can't see... HIPPY (V.O.) So why is it that our big corporations pride themselves on their longevity - '150 years and going strong,' - but the act of sex for money, which has been around for a long time, is caught in a twilight zone of hypocrisy? INTERVIEWER 1 But the governmentsHIPPY Governments tolerate it and sometimes use it. Unscrupulous folk make big money from it. Women and children are exploited in a very male dominated business. Men are the prime users, most are afraid to say they pay. Drugs are used to nullify the senses of the workers, many times supplied by the 'employer'. And the workers are sometimes sold by their family. Ramsey at the door. HOWARD ESSINGDON (67) answers.

HIPPY (V.O.) Lack of contraceptives, due to religions, governments or money hungry businessmen, is spreading diseases among the population's all over the world. Those international travellers who don't give a damn about precautions, are taking diseases to a wider audience, helping them to reach people who might not use clean, legal prostitutes. AIDS is wandering. It happens all over the world. Essingdon frowns at Ramsey, shakes his head and closes the door. Ramsey shrugs, looks annoyed and walks away. HIPPY (V.O.) So why can't a girl look her parents in the eye and say 'I got a job as a prostitute'? Because the Game has a bad rap. The rap started a long time ago. 'Only pagans and heathens use the services of such a profession', they would say. HIPPY But how many priests in the Holy Roman Empire had a bit on the side with little boys and girls? Who really is the heathen?

INT. GREEN ROOM/TV STUDIO - DAY As the hippy wipes his makeup off... JOHN That went well. HIPPY John, we have a problem. JOHN I know. The police want to talk to us again. HIPPY Ah... And what if they're in on it? JOHN Don't get paranoid, man. HIPPY How can I not be? Something is happening, and it could easily get right out of control. What do you

recommend? JOHN (thinks) HIPPY Team meeting? JOHN Yep.

INT. HIPPY HOUSE - NIGHT Hippy, John, Gabriel, Clara, Louis, Nick, Ahmed, Al, Meg. JOHN Okay, this is all of us for the moment. The cops will be here son. Then we have to go to visit the government. LOUIS Yeah, and have a look at this. I found out from my secretary friend what the agenda is for tonight, and debate is not really on it. He slides a piece of paper to the Hippy, who reads it and is a bit shocked. HIPPY Shit. LOUIS That's what I said. HIPPY Is this for real? LOUIS Yep, verified through council and planning departments and the forestry register. HIPPY Right... (to group) Alrght, one thing at a time. There haven't been any more nasty phone calls, but we might have to think about scaling up operations. AHMED Alright! Let's make a noise! JOHN But we can't overdo it, Ahmed. If we don't control the flow, we'll

get jumped on. We can't break the circle. If the idea is to go for parliament, we can't feed the media anything they can use against us. HIPPY. No, we have to give them questions to ask the pollies. Put the heat back on the bastards. MEG I've been keeping up with what's being said about your telephone friend, and there is a lot of talk about government conspiracy. NICK Uninformed hysteria. MEG And support for Re-leaf is growing. Radio, newspapers and a few tv blurbs give the impression that we are making an impression And a good one. HIPPY Loverly. Doorbell rings. Meg goes to the door. JOHN Meeting adjourned. Inspector and Rookie enter, survey the group, nod to the hippy. HIPPY So how goes the search, Inspector? INSPECTOR Could we have a word in private? Hippy exchanges glances with the group. Only John looks worried. HIPPY (to John) This won't take long, so load up the van and we can leave straight away. INSPECTOR Going somewhere? HIPPY A little date with the government.

INT. HIPPY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS HIPPY Missing? INSPECTOR Exactly. There were a lot of documents collected by various arms of the police, but they can't be found. The registrar remembers you and the documents, but all of them have been removed. In the BRAIN ROOM Gabriel and John watch the meeting... HIPPY When and by whom? INSPECTOR Both unknown. But there was a regular inventory done four months ago, and everything was accounted for then. HIPPY So, roughly around the time I made a fuss and got my head on tv... ROOKIE And I couldn't find any signature authorising the removal of the documents. HIPPY (thinks) I wonder... Inspector, I think you should look into the activities of a couple of your colleagues. INSPECTOR (nods) And I believe you should do the same with a couple of yours. Hippy is shocked.

INT. PARLIAMENT CHAMBER - DAY The place is packed.

INT - MEMBERS OFFICE - DAY The phone rings, a shadowy hand picks it up. EXECUTIVE 1 Yes?

PHONE He's nearly ready. EXECUTIVE 1 Good. What's all that noise about? PHONE We...have an audience. Hand puts the phone down heavily. ESSINGDON and PALFREYMAN walk into the chamber, scanning the packed house, then sitting. ERIC the stool-pigeon stands and begins to unfold a piece of paper. All becomes quiet. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE The member for Hackney has the floor. ERIC Um, thank you, Mister Speaker, I would like to, ah, propose the creation of an amendment and, um, forward the motion that the Levendyne Valley track along the area known as Tier 31, um, should be widened as soon as possible. Due to deterioration and the likely dangers that will cause to travellers along that road, I suggest the upgrade should begin without any delay. HIPPY (O.C.) What!!!? Cameras begin flashing and such. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (to self) Oh dear. The crowd quickly become restless. HIPPY I have a complaint! You people are wasting time! Why don't you see that this amendment is for the good of the few, not the many? PREMIER PleaseHIPPY Exactly! Please stop this change to the logging laws! That's what this

is really about, isn't it? Your plantations are killing the natural forestPREMIER We are protecting them! SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Silence! HIPPY Oh, you do talk! Shock! I thought you just sat there while the premier told you what to say. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE I beg your pardon? HIPPY You can if you want, but you might not get it with the way you're acting. And this idiot! Calling for an amendment because someone told him to. Why should anyone think a road upgrade is any big deal? You want a little law amended? So what? Most of you don't know where the link road on tier 31 is, do you? I didn't think so. It is right next to a river, which flows beside the edge of a beautiful forest. You should see the place. But the people this idiot speaks for are wanting the road upgraded, so the trucks move faster, so their money comes in faster, and damn the impact to the river and the bush... Now, the logging company which has an ex premier as one of its executive board members(points to EX PREMIER) Yes, you sir! this ex-premier and some of his business cronies have already logged a reserved area, very close to Teir 31, selling the high quality timber at a considerable profit. They paid a couple of people off and forged a document (wave papers) -this document! - saying the trees were cleared after a massive storm that washed the trees down the hills. They were seen as being dangerous in summer, so removed for safety. So I looked into it a bit further. And I found out who in the company is related to whom in the

government. And I went up to tier 31 and saw what they did. They took a lot of wood. And you'd be surprised at the price good wood can get...overseas. Funny, isn't it, how that old man down there can get all that money, yet still be a stingy old bastard. Look at him, he knows it! You and your cronies, the ones I haven't discovered yet, will all become known! And if you don't get your house in order, I'll bloody get elected and do the job properly! Some of the gallery cheer merrily. The ex premier simply sits there with his eyes wide, his colleagues hear him muttering EX PREMIER Bloody hippies... He gasps, grabs his chest and begins shaking violently.

INT. POLICE HQ/LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT Little Cop slams his locker door. Ramsey stands there. LITTLE COP Inspector...what can I do for you? INSPECTOR ...Nobody likes a bent cop, Alex. LITTLE COP Wh-...What? INSPECTOR Were you told to remove any documents from archives...a few months ago? Hmm? LITTLE COP I... No. INSPECTOR ...I just want you to know that we will be watching you. I will be watching you...and if you fuck up, if you follow the orders of that malicious bastard Essingdon...I swear I will let everyone know what you did. How safe do you think you'll be then? LITTLE COP I...I don't know what y-

INSPECTOR Save it! Tell your clever friend Mal. Who knows? His boss might want you to take the fall... She walks off, leaving Little Cop wide eyed and nervous. HIPPY (V.O.) The Big One! Truth!

INT. HIPPY HOUSE - NIGHT He practices a speech as Jessie films him... HIPPY (to camera) The evolving question: What is truth? You can tell me something reasonable that you think is true. I have no reason to doubt you. But do I know it is truth? No I do not. I challenge the Christian belief of the world being only four and a half thousand years old {or six or ten or whatever the hell it is!}. But I only reject it because the scientific evidence, (though I am not a scientist) seems more likely than any religious doctrine. SHOTS of the hippy on the election trail. HIPPY (V.O.) Scientific evidence can be repeated and proven. The rest is supposition and theory. Supposition and theory are not truth. They are based on observable facts, but whether they are correct or not remains to be seen. Big and Little Cop are in their car. A passing hand drops a letter into Big's lap. He opens it and reads, as Little turns to see who delivered it. Big hits Little on the arm and shakes his head. HIPPY If one religion was able to conclusively prove their god exists in reality, there would be no way any other religion could believe in their own unproveable god (unless they could use the same methodology to prove their god also exists!). At the moment, to prove a god exists, all you need is faith and a good marketing campaign. Or actual, real

miracles. Or you need a religious army to forcibly convert the unbelievers. Ramsey and Rookie are watching and photographing Big & Little. Ramsey motions Rookie to follow the deliverer of the message. She follows the bent cops. HIPPY If someone forces their opinion upon me, does it make that opinion true? Nope. Sometimes truth is not easy to take, but to force what you call 'truth' upon someone who has a differing opinion will quite often end in an argument. Creationists are a good example of people who have an opinion they can't back up, who force others to accept their shallow 'evidence' for a god and all its creations, and not liking it when someone uses science to convincingly argue against them. Case in point: Noahs Ark!!!! Shadowed Executive on the phone, getting more stressed... HIPPY Creationists pervert facts to their own ends. They badly rewrite, or completely ignore, any scientific evidence that doesn't agree with their desired outcome. They don't freely give information other than their own version of the truth. They are individuals who are afraid of change and the truth. They are paranoid that their god will be wiped out if people are given the freedom to make informed decisions. That shows a lack of faith in their god and themselves. If their faith alone can move mountains, then perhaps they should trust to that faith, as opposed to the nazi-style disinformation propaganda tactics they employ now. John is on the phone, wandering past the window, not happy... HIPPY Soon they want to have creationist teachers in every school, teaching children that the world is flat, six thousand years old, and that we are all inbred from Noah and his family! Is that the truth? It is true they want to teach our children lies. Executive hangs up the phone and throws it away.

HIPPY Astronauts may have quoted from a bible when they were in space, but I am certain they could see the beautiful globe beneath them. In their orbiting, they didn't report being able to see the corners... Did they? Perhaps the creationists think the 'global conspiracy' against them had censored any reference to the corners! People who live by a lie, will rot from that lie. Politicians bend the truth so far that it ceases to be truth yet is not quite untrue. In fact their statements many times fall into the category of null statements, where whole sentences constantly cancel out each other and the whole thing seems a waste of breath. And yet someone votes for them!? wot a laugh... (to Jess) Can we stop now? JESSIE Okay. HIPPY Did you like it? JESSIE Yeah. A bit too much technical stuff, and it sounded like you were raving a bit in parts. HIPPY I'll mellow it out when it's all together. Do you want to come to bed? JESSIE Are you asking me? HIPPY Yes. I am. JESSIE I didn't think you wanted to do that any more. HIPPY I do...if you do. JESSIE Alright. The camera is still rolling.

INT. MANSION - NIGHT Two shadows by a picture window, cigars and brandy in hand. EXECUTIVE 5 They can see what he might do. The question is, will he be allowed. EXECUTIVE 6 Not up to us, I fear. EXECUTIVE 5 But you can see the potential for great things. EXECUTIVE 6 For great things and disaster, alike. So much can fall apart in so short a time. If you want to continue...do so. I will watch your progress with much interest. NEWSFLASH REPORTER 15 ...and police are reporting that the death is not suspicious. But the apparent suicide - after the recent heart attack - of ex Premier Petrov Abbott has raised questions as to the timing of the tirade levelled against him in parliament just six days ago. Stateline has seen the documents used against the ex premier, and it has been verifiedCHANGE CHANNEL REPORTER 7 -that the corruption charges would have brought the company and the government to its knees. Conspiracy theorists are working overtime to connect the logging company withCHANGE CHANNEL REPORTER 13 -the premier, today blaming the Re leaf organisation and their "radical greenie agenda" for the death of his friend and mentor. The spokesman for Re-leaf said todayCUT TO Hippy in OFFICE.

HIPPY So we are to blame for the past premier doing illegal things, are we? If the current premier wants to accuse me face to face, I am ready for him. But if he wants to try and honour the name of his "mentor" then he should at least be a bit more honest and realistic than the lying cheating man whom he looked up to. (to camera) Premier, admit what you knew about the other deceptions your mentor was party to. Otherwise you are as bad as him, in which case, you should be prepared to lose everything you've built up through lies. And you are not the only one who knows your activities. If you won't tell the truth, others will.

I/E. HIPPYS HOUSE - NIGHT He gets dropped off by taxi. TAXI DRIVER Quiet night for you then. HIPPY Yep, everyone's out doing something constructive. So I get to watch telly and eat pizza. TAXI DRIVER I know what I'd rather be doin'. HIPPY Me too. He wanders to the front door of the quiet house, pauses, walks around to the back to take in the view. Peace... The phone rings insideHIPPY I'll get it! He casually unlocks the door and goes to the machineHIPPY Yes, I hear you, I'm coming! Hold on, be with you in a moment, keep your - Aaaah. The answering machine gets it. Congratulations. The phone beeps.

LODO Hey Jess, it's Lodo. I guess you switched off your phone, so I thought I'd try the number of your second home. Anyway, I did enjoy Tuesday, it made me feel good to know you were around...even if it was only just to listen. The other stuff was good too... But I need to talk to you again. I'll be back in two weeks, so how about the first Friday of next month, at the usual place? Anyway, bye, you're gorgeous. He doesn't know how to react. Soon he rips the answering machine out and takes it to

INT. BRAIN ROOM - NIGHT where he plugs it in to the sound wave program. HIPPY Just a few words, that's all I want... And why didn't you ask her to call you? Didn't you give her your number? I wonder why not. Do you want to remain secret? The playback appears on the screen. He brings up the first recording. He selects certain words and looks at the similar wave-forms. Then he stops. HIPPY (sit back) What the fuck am I doing? He stares at the meaningless screens, then calmly unplugs the tape and takes it back upstairs. A knock at the door. Ramsey. HIPPY Hello Inspector. INSPECTOR Hello again. A few words? HIPPY As many as you like, Inspector. INSPECTOR Can we talk without...disturbances? HIPPY Yes. We are alone. In the lounge she throws a cd on the table.

INSPECTOR This is you. HIPPY No, it only sounds like me. INSPECTOR So we now know that this person has enough clout that he can afford to keep exceptionally well hidden. HIPPY Seems that way. INSPECTOR So, a dead end. HIPPY Seems that way. INSPECTOR No luck on the bad cop front, either. They have quit the force, as of two days ago, but I haven't found what they're doing next. I trailed them but they gave me the slip, probably because they know they're under suspicion. And they are definitely working for someone who has connections and is already set up. HIPPY How do you know that? INSPECTOR The last I saw of them...there was a message drop. The messenger is known interstate. He left the state directly after the drop, so he was specifically hired for that job, possibly others that we don't know about. This means someone big is paying. HIPPY Dangerous? INSPECTOR More than likely. What are your plans? HIPPY ...Push the bastards at the top to reveal all. INSPECTOR How will you do that?

HIPPY There is an election in two months. I signed up a while ago, thinking it just might happen. Now it is. I have the exposure and ability to come from behind and get into my enemy's domain. That should piss 'em off. INSPECTOR Are you certain you want to do that? HIPPY Ohhhh, yes. INSPECTOR I can keep you informed...but you need to do the same for me. Deal? HIPPY Indeed it is. He sees her to the door. When he closes it, John wanders out, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. INSPECTOR Hello. Who was that? Hippy gives him a look of curiosity. HIPPY One of our friends.

INT. HIPPYS OFFICE - SUNRISE Hippy sits staring at the sunrise. Nick enters. NICK Got your note. What's up? HIPPY Nick, can you do something for me? NICK What? Hippy closes the door and sits close. HIPPY I need you to ask one of your acquaintances if they can follow someone for a few days. NICK Who? HIPPY

It's written on this piece of paper. Nick reads: NOTE Do not say anything!!! I think the room has bugs. Look as though you are a bit hesitant at doing the duty. But you will do it. The name is Jessie. NICK Jesus, man, are you sure about this? HIPPY Yes. I just want someone to follow and watch. There shouldn't be any danger involved. NICK ...Okay. Do you want constant monitoring? Telephone tap? Video and audio recordings? Photo's? HIPPY All of the above. Just for a week. NICK What do you need to know? HIPPY I...can't tell you. Trust me Nick, I don't want to do it. But when I know one way or the other...I'll let you in on it. NICK Why don't you just ask...(wiggle paper) HIPPY I will. I just need to have a backup plan... NICK In case you get lied to? HIPPY Yep. NICK What about all that "circle being unbroken" stuff? HIPPY It ain't broken yet, Nick. I still trust (point to note), but I want

to see who is close... Everyone has gone out into the world to find people to help us expand. I want to know who is getting close. NICK Man, I trust you, but what happens if we can't trust(wiggle paper) HIPPY There are peaceful ways of ending things, business or pleasure. We will do what we need to if a situation arises. We will do it calmly, quickly, with precision and finality. I trust that person, but not one of the people who call themselves...that person's friend. There is someone bad waiting in the shadows. It could be this guy, or maybe not, but I want to find that person and get them away from us. Do you agree with that? NICK Yep. I'm on it. HIPPY And, NickNICK I know. Don't tell anyone. HIPPY Let me know when it's all set up. NICK Got it. HIPPY Thank you, fella. Nick hands the note back and leaves the room.

INT. INSPECTORS OFFICE - SUNRISE She sleeps on the couch, under her coat. Phone rings on table. INSPECTOR Yahp? EVIL VOICE-OVER Inspector Ramsey, you are getting too close.

She is immediately awake and sitting. INSPECTOR Too close to what? EVIL VOICE-OVER Things that do not concern you. INSPECTOR Crime, violence and threats do concern me, sir. Is this mister Essingdon? EVIL VOICE-OVER Ha. You must think a lot further beyond the square if you want to know everything, Inspector. Essingdon is a self-centred pawn, only interested in his own greed. INSPECTOR You've been following my investigation? EVIL VOICE-OVER As have many people. INSPECTOR And what are you interested in, in particular? EVIL VOICE-OVER The future, Inspector. Something which you will not have if you go too close. INSPECTOR Too close toPhone hung up. INSPECTOR Shit.

EXT. PARLIAMENT PARK - DAY Press conference with Jess, John, Nick and Carrie standing behind their leader. HIPPY Hello folks. I'd like to formally announce that I am in the running for the next state election. And I hope that every voting citizen of this state will take a look at what the Re-leaf party are all about, and what we want to try to achieve here.

And hopefully people wont be put off by my long hair or the prohibitions we want to overturn. We hope that people will see the benefits for the state and all its people. Any questions?

NEWS BULLITEN'S Over shots of Re-leaf Television show on YouTube. REPORTER 12 (V.O.) The most highly anticipated political announcement of the year has finally been made. And the popularity of the Re-leaf tv and radio programmes will not hurt one little bit. REPORTER 14 (V.O.) Media coverage is at an all time high for any party at any time, due to a simple philosophy of being truthful. REPORTER 14 Do you think it will catch on Liz. REPORTER 12 Well, you know Jim, i've heard of crazier ideas. Premier talks secretly to Essingdon REPORTER 7 (V.O.) They say a week is a long time in politics, and the Premier has been conspicuous by his absence this week. His press secretary said the leader was unphased by the rise of the Re-leaf party, and he was certain the public would see them for the shallow radicals they are. CHANGE CHANNEL REPORTER 6 And this "bunch of radicals" have already put out a full list of policies and amendments, and they have had several meetings with community groups to get reactions and feedback. The government, on the other hand, have been trying to force through policies they've had since the last election, four years ago.

CHANGE CHANNEL REPORTER 6 So with only seven weeks until the next election, it's shaping up to be a mighty tussle. REPORTER 2 Indeed it will be.

INT. HIPPY'S OFFICE - DAY NICK My friends couldn't get a look at him. She went straight into the car park elevator and disappeared every time. So he is the one calling the shots... HIPPY Maybe. Could you find a list of residents? NICK No. Locked up tighter thanHIPPY I get the picture. NICK Can I make a suggestion? HIPPY Of course. NICK You're being sidetracked. HIPPY Eh? NICK It's all shit, I'm sure of it. All that shit your mystery caller said, and the answering machine message to make you distrust us... Here we are a few weeks down the track and there have been no new messages. It's all to take your mind off running for the election. Think of when we got our name on the ballot, when you went for council. That's when someone appeared, wanting to put you off. If it was a personal vendetta against you, they would have gone at you from when you met your police friends - and they wouldn't

have buckled, and you'd be in the vanHIPPY But...they were aimed at me...by someone, don't you think? NICK Yeah... (thinks) That makes it a bit weird. HIPPY Because...if someone is targeting me now, to try to get me out of their arena...why would they antagonize me using the two cops, thus getting me into the ring? Unless... NICK ...they got you annoyed enough to get into politics...so they could shoot you down from a greater height. More public humiliation. HIPPY Or...there are two people pissed off - one at me, the other at Re leaf. NICK And maybe they're having a game one wins if you get elected, if not, the other collects the prize. (long pause) So which is more likely? HIPPY (thinks) Neither is very joyous, is it? I'm guessing...hoping...that it is just an arrogant bastard who doesn't like hippies... But i've got a bad feeling that it's something far more complicated than that. Is it someone close to us? That's all I need to know. Who is...the mystery man? NICK I can keep on it. But, whatever the conditions against us, you need to concentrate on getting elected. HIPPY Agreed. HIGH SPEED MONTAGE OF CAMPAIGN VOTING DAY

Premier wins, hippy gets a seat

INT. GOVERNORS MANSION - DAY Hippy declines to use a bible to swear on. HIPPY Can I use an English dictionary? He gets some evil looks. The governor sneers

INT. GOVERNORS OFFICE - LATER GOVERNOR You must realise I had to give you a little rebuff. HIPPY I do. GOVERNOR You have to be careful, lad. There are some around you who are not the friendliest of customers. HIPPY Any names? No, sorry I asked that. GOVERNOR I need to put on a bit of a show, as you have. HIPPY I intend my show to be slightly more...illuminating. GOVERNOR Well try not to be too bright, lad.

INT. PARLIAMENT HOUSE - DAY In his office he finishes unpacking, as Jessie comes in, tiredly hugs him and sits. HIPPY Welcome home, kiddo. How was the journey? JESSIE Tiring. But so much more relaxing than politics. HIPPY

Well, I'm glad you had a rest, because I'm going to need you every step of the way from here on up. JESSIE (pensive) Congratulations on your victory, by the way. HIPPY And the real work is just beginning. Have you been home yet? JESSIE No, I came straight here from the airport. HIPPY So... who's your boyfriend? JESSIE Sorry? HIPPY The guy who calls himself Lodo? He called the house while back. I was a bit slow getting to the phone...I listened to the message... JESSIE ...Are you angry? HIPPY Not really. You know I'm not the jealous type. JESSIE (smiles) I've known him for a few months. He came up during one of your speeches. I like him. HIPPY Ah... Do I get to meet him? JESSIE Maybe. He is very busy. HIPPY International trade? JESSIE I don't know the specifics, he just calls it "commodities". HIPPY Do you tell him about us? JESSIE You and me?

HIPPY No, Re-leaf. JESSIE I've told him a few things. He doesn't really ask. HIPPY In the army they say "Never volunteer". JESSIE I have no interest in the military. HIPPY ...As long as he treats you well... JESSIE He does. HIPPY Well, seeing as you've just got of a long flight, why don't you take the night off? JESSIE I think I will. (hugs him) Jetlag will catch up to me soon. She picks up her pack, goes to the door, turns, wanting to say something, looking a bit worried. He takes two teddy bears out of the box and sits them in a prominent position on the desk. She gives him a beautiful big smile. JESSIE Goodnight, Mister Minister. HIPPY And to you, good citizen. Exit Jessie.

INT. THE HOUSE - LATER There are now eight friends of the hippy sitting in the gallery. Looks are exchanged at certain points during the speech. Something is up between a few of them. He stands. HIPPY You are all a bunch of miserable bastards. They seem quite shocked.

HIPPY You are acting like a lot of low life morons and you should be ashamed of yourselves. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE What on earth has prompted your anger? HIPPY You on earth! That's what! You bloody idiots are starving the future. By cutting back on funding to public schools - again! - you are starving kids of learning from teachers who are happy to teach. Unhappy teachers are cheap and there are lots of them, but an unhappy teacher is a bad teacher. Some of them shouldn't be teachers, and they know it. That's why we need more teachers, smaller classes, and happier people in them. Don't you think? PREMIER We did the estimatesHIPPY Do you mean to say you actually got analysts to do the work, then you just approved it? PREMIER Well... TREASURER Mister speaker, I think I can answer that. Yes, indeed, we did get analysts to do what we required. HIPPY And what you required was to starve the future? TREASURER Not at all. HIPPY But you just said you planned it this way? TREASURER We need to balance the booksHIPPY Books teach people. TREASURER

Exactly! HIPPY But they don't rule lives! They enlighten people to more things than you can ever put in one singular book. They are like laws. TREASURER How? HIPPY They are there to be known. They are transitory; copies of the good ones are made over the years. They are strictly labelled -fantasy, science, history, murder, rape, spitting... Your laws are meant to change, just the same way information goes from the writer to book, to reader... Then how will the reader interpret and use the information? That's the thing. You are starving kids of the freedom to choose their future. They get it chosen by your bloody statistics and their parents' financial situation. You say you want to balance the books? Your bloody economists have balanced children against business. And, I'm afraid business is the heavier concept. PREMIER You over-dramatize the situation. HIPPY Do I? I came from the public school system of twenty years ago. It fucked me. I was unprepared for the real world. I've spent these many years learning about my universe, searching for a way to change the system, so that people like me are not put through what I went through. Is that bad? TREASURER But statisticsHIPPY -can be manipulated to mean a lot of things. You said you got analysts to do what you required; does that mean you gave them the results you wanted and they just filled in the gaps? No, don't answer that. How many kids in the lower-middle

class demographic are sent to factories, when they could become wonderful artists or scientists, or, dare I say it, politicians? If only their teacher had not had to cope with thirty five kids. And if more choices were offered. EX PREMIER But there are libraries and the internetHIPPY Oh, good one. Let's see... What happens if your family can't afford a useful computer for the internet; or you haven't got a library close, and your family situation keeps you at home a lot; or you live in a rough neighbourhood and you're scared to walk around in it, and don't have many friends; or you're a girl, and you like writing songs and poems? What do you do? How do you get in touch with someone? PREMIER There are programmes and councillors these daysHIPPY I've seen a couple of the councillors and child psychologists you are churning out to fill some gaps. And some of the laws you seem to have... like statute 26b, subsection 2, paragraph...4, I think. PREMIER You'll...have to remind me. HIPPY Really? The one that says there should be a certain number of social workers who can be at this certain lowest level. In order to maintain your balance, I suppose. You churn out a few hopefuls, good enough to last six months or a year, they burn out, then you fill their place with the next hopeful. PREMIER Hopeful of what? HIPPY Hopeful of doing some good, of course! Bloody hell, why did you get into politics? If you say it

was for the perks, I'll thump you. I must warn you that I don't understand sarcasm. If you be sarcastic at me, I might take it the wrong way. I am a peaceful man, but I think sarcasm is a waste of energy. Now, why did you get into politics, sir? PREMIER ...because... I wanted... thought I could change things for the better... HIPPY Are we so different? PREMIER I...suppose not. HIPPY Then there must be a way that everyone here can work out a method to change things for the better? Instead of a house divided, we should have a house together. I know some of you don't like the personal views of certain others. That's fine. You keep that outside. But you ask when curious, you speak to answer a question, and you stay silent and listen when you have nothing to say. Is that fair? You don't have to talk to those you dislike. But please respect their opinion as much as you respect your own. Otherwise...stuff ya. A nervous giggle gently echoes from the gallery. HIPPY I mean, what can we do, short of getting Kerry O'Brian to mediate? A slightly louder giggle, one or two from the back bench... HIPPY This has been my maiden speech. Can we get on with some useful ideas, now? He holds his palms up and looks around the room. Applause. Will it be as simple as this?

INT. CAFE - STORMY NIGHT The hippy and his advizers and others.

SECRETARY UNDERWOOD So, what do you think would be the best thing for we the government to do? At the HIPPY HOUSE, Jessie is tiredly opening the door for three large silhouettes...another stands out by the road...guarding? HIPPY Honestly? SECRETARY UNDERWOOD Yep. The silhouettes enter. The door closes HIPPY You have to loosen up and enjoy your jobs a bit more. Then you do things better, even if you realise some things will take time and others shouldn't have happened. There is some excessive violence going on in the house. HIPPY I'm not saying we should get up and tell jokes; Oo wos that member I saw you with last night? Someone runs, falls over, is grabbed, thrown to the floor. HIPPY The same one i've 'ad for fifty two years! And can you stop looking at me when I'm in the toilet? That's where your policies come from, by god! ...mutter mutter mutter. A few people laugh. JOHN Perhaps there could be a couple of minutes every now and again, if someone has heard a good one? HIPPY I liiiike it! Lights are turned off as the silhouettes leave.

I/E. HIPPY HOUSE - NIGHT Drunk John and Hippy wander home. They sing quietly together, giggling and tripping over the air. They let themselves into

the house as the lightning and rain begin doing their thing. JOHN Hey, th' door's open. Ooh, smell that. Pork sausages for breakfast! HIPPY Hope the place isn't on fire. JOHN Nah there's sprinklers. Where's the fucken light? John finds the switch and they stand staring at the blood trailed over walls and floor, stuff everywhere.... and the naked body of Jessie crucified on the wall. Parts of her are smoking... John slowly takes his phone out... The hippy moves closer to the form on the wall, listening to his friend call the police. Trying not to listen to the crackle and drip.

INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT On a television in the office REPORTER 8 ...and according to our sources, the police have found flimsy evidence against him, in the forms of one drunk neighbour as a witness and semen in the woman. Someone turns it off. INTERVIEW ROOM HIPPY My semen? INSPECTOR Apparently so. HIPPY How did that get there? INSPECTOR Had you had sex that day? HIPPY No. Not for a few months. INSPECTOR Why? HIPPY

Too busy. I'm not there, or she's not there. And I think she's got a new man-friend to keep her warm at nights. He calls himself Lodo. You should check into that. I have a copied phone messageROOKIE Isn't that illegal? HIPPY He might be the one who did itINSPECTOR So does he annoy you? HIPPY No, Inspector. Jess and I got our shit together when we first met. We have separate lives that sometimes join. We were together for a while when we were building up Re-leaf. ROOKIE Was she getting a bit boring in bed? HIPPY No. Always quite fun, actually. ROOKIE Look, mateHIPPY Minister Mate, thank's very much. INSPECTOR In here, we're all friends. Okay? HIPPY Lovely. You were saying...? ROOKIE Your girlfriend was crucified on your lounge room wall! HIPPY I fucking well know that, officer! Why can't we just join forces and find the person or people that did this? Just let me at them for a couple of minutes first. Rookie and hippy lock eyes. INSPECTOR Where were you for that twenty minutes during your little drinking session?

HIPPY I was having a bit of a chunda in the loo. It was all the excitement and realising I hadn't eaten much. You can't be thinking that I could get out of the toilet window, go three kilometres, do...all that...then get back, climb in the window, and just re-enter the party? Are you? INSPECTOR Then who did it? HIPPY ...Inspector. Can I ask a question? INSPECTOR It's our interrogation of you... But I suppose so. HIPPY Well, if I found out who did it, and I took their lives away...how would the law feel about that? I mean how would they honestly deal with it? Would it be by the book and show no emotion, or would there be some compassion? Inspector looks calmly at the rookie, then INSPECTOR Honestly...I think you could get away with it. As long as you didn't plan it, or do everything to the guy...that was done to the victim. A judge might think you had gone too far in your revenge. HIPPY That's fair enough. I want to find him, inspector. Him or her or them. I'll tell you what I know. But we have to make the bastard think we have nothing. You can keep me in for a while, or let me get out and do my job, as well as helping us find this psycho. Which is it?

PSYCHO-BABBLE OF T.V. NEWS COVERAGE. REPORTER 9 The people here are very intense on the subject of the local hero. He seems to have achieved a kind of cult status.

REPORTER 10 Oh, don't say 'cult' Louise, it makes us think of sports shoes and smirking actors. REPORTER 9 Does it? Change channel REPORTER 11 Most don't think he did it because the evidence so far is so weak. There are many witnesses who swear he was nowhere near his lover when she was beaten, strangled, raped, burned, and crucified. (uncomfortable) But the question we ask is, Will it happen again? Change channel REPORTER 12 But there is a surprise, secret witness who claims to have seen the guy walk into the house with the woman, just before the horrible event occurred. REPORTER 5 But how do we know what's really going on here, Dave? REPORTER 12 We'll have to wait for the evidence. Change channel REPORTER 8 The evidence of the witness - a homeless man with mild dementiahas been discredited very quickly by police. And he was last reported to be in a cell, with guards on suicide watchChange channel REPORTER 4 Yes, and I believe the re-leaf network is getting a cable television show. Change channels REPORTER 2 People don't know what to think. But many believe he could not treat

his lover so badly. There he is, shocked, as our cameras show him being led with respect into the police van... I believe this is not a man who could do such a crime as he's accused of. REPORTER 1 Well, as I say, we'll have to wait for the evidence. Change channels REPORTER 13 People are talking about a political set-up. It's a bit scary. REPORTER 14 It's not a very big town, Gail. How could people get away with such overt tactics? REPORTER 13 The tactics are excessive for a reason: Shock value, to make a definite statement. REPORTER 14 But,I mean, do you think there are any politicians who could...commit such a crime? REPORTER 13 I don't know about politicians, but I am certain there are a couple of spin doctors who could pull it off. REPORTER 14 Any names? REPORTER 13 Not today, Alan. The hippy hears that last bit on the television in his cell. HIPPY (to self) A poli could easily pay someone unconnected to the government... probably... But who would do the deed? Is Lodo the puppet or the employer? Ah, Lodo. I'm going to find you. And I have a couple of questions for you...

INT. JAIL CELL - NIGHT/SUNRISE Echoes in the dark room. He sits with a face of utter

dejection, and he talks to himself as he scribbles a manifesto down. HIPPY (V.O.) Subatomic Physics and Dictatorships. Okay. I know the basic idea of fractal geometry. Mathematics through computers gives us patterns based on one small formula. That formula repeated gives patterns that change slowly to produce more intricate patterns of infinite make on a screen. As you zoom in to a particular spot, you see the patterns evolve. But usually you get to a point where you are so far in that you can see the original shape appear. Are you really going round in circles? Outside, there are protests in the streets. Many people are non violent, some force their opinion, and others hide in fear in their homes. HIPPY (V.O.) The brain is limited by being made of atoms, which are only so big. But is a light particle bigger than an atom? No. If electrons are flowing through the neural net of our brains, what is moving that energy? Energy is released and converted when we think; energy is released in massive amounts during the act of conception; everything we are made of (carbon, hydrogen etc) was created in then expelled from a burning sun, thus we were born. We receive light energy from our sun, without which we would die; and all the energy it takes to run a human being for a life would not run a child's toy for a minute. Big Cop at home, looking sadly at his old cop uniform, drops it in a suitcase and stares at it for a moment, then slips the case under his bed. HIPPY (V.O.) Dear homo sapien, I am not sorry to say that you are not alone in the universe, because you are not alone in yourselves. The billions of particles of matter within each of you are constantly struggling for survival. That is why the concepts of Nirvana, Oneness, Enlightenment, or Harmony - whatever you want to call it - they are all the same. There can be no "One True God", because all gods are created by humans.

But there can be many facets of Happiness, some better than others: the psycho, who finds happiness in killing, he might be truly happy, but only because he's getting a rush each time he kills. True happiness has nothing to do with power or adrenaline or control; it has to do with harmony. If all the parts of your body are at one with the true feelings in your mind, you have harmony. In the re-leaf offices there is a loud meeting. John introduces The WOMAN (40 and sexy as), who tries to calm everyone down. HIPPY Harmony creates rhythm. (what the Beach Boys called 'good vibrations', but they never really surfed, so who's to say...) Rhythm creates polyrhythm: different tempos that dance around each other. Differing tempos work to create a more beautiful and intricate groove. But it can easily get out of hand. So much energy today is being released due to stress. So much is due to frustration. A considerably smaller amount is being released during natural euphoria. Even though pain is a true and natural emotive experience, there is a large amount of unwarranted pain inflicted upon those who seem to be happy in their lives. Sometimes the pain comes from those who are unhappy, sometimes from those who want to cause unhappiness. John sits with Gabriel in the brain room... On screen they have the faces of all the remaining members of Releaf. HIPPY (V.O.) That is how a few people 'high up' cause pain to many of those 'lower down'. The consistent tools are; Religion, Disinformation, Propaganda, Pride, Patriotism...and a few others I can't think of at the moment. So much energy getting angry. Anger is confusion. Confusion over the lack of information or adequate words. Confusion about the choice of your path in the future... This is why I try to remain calm. Why worry? Energy I could spend on anger can be better used on thinking. Though when I get angry I go berserker...so I'm told...

Meetings between shadowy figures who point accusing fingers, HIPPY (V.O.) I can't do anything about the path of my life except enjoy what I have. And at the moment that is quite a lot. Material possessions are part of our reality. But I value the ethereal possessions I hold within my mind, and I value them far higher than any guitar or hat or piece of furniture. To have no physical possessions is to have freedom. Freedom evokes awareness. Harmony follows. The mind thinks and evolves and learns. If the mind is constantly learning it should stimulate the brain into extraordinary awareness. But, in oooo, let's say the last few thousand years, how much repression of the human condition have we suffered, through religions and governments and dictators? Big and Little cop, wearing suits, listen to what a shadowed Executive says. They both look nervous, but LC has a slight sneer of joy... HIPPY (V.O.) I'm a bit sick of the way people turn off the news in favour of some inane 'reality' show, just because 'the news is so depressing.' What a dumb thing to say. Anna and Jane presenting a segment on RELEAF TV, about the happenings of recent days, vox pops and a lot of feelings running high... HIPPY (V.O.) Imagine if everyone saw the news and everyone thought at the same time that the world needed changing. Or at least the human condition could do with a scrub... What could an informed global population do in a year? In the last hundred years we have achieved more than in the last two thousand. In the next fifty years we will see the climate changes and social effects of government policies, foretold in the prophecies, due to our inaction when we had a choice but no real proof. The Woman has the crew working together in the office. They go through legal precedents, work on internet blogs, petitions, Freedom of Information legislationHIPPY (V.O.) Let's see what the CFC levels are like

in 2020. They might be less. But how big will the ozone hole be? Will people who live in Tasmania and the Southern tips of South America and Africa, have to put on sunscreen to go out in the middle of winter? Will all of our farmers go out of business when their crops are continually ruined by scorching heat? Will the cows die because they can't get enough grass? Where will we get our milk from then? It would be nice to see the human tree blossoming out into the universe, instead of rotting back into the earth to mutate into something a bit more resilient in a state of flux. Our universe and our very selves are in a state of flux. We are shedding skin as a galaxy emits light: Outwards. But certain human beings think they are the final state of evolution, thus they inhibit and pervert the natural growth of the species. Christianity has made us pale and cowering. Smug looks in parliament, the empty seat is pointed to. HIPPY (V.O.) Jesus was talking about attaining a neural connection between all the innocent and gentle minds of the world. But the language of the times had few words for communicating such a concept to the people. How could he explain the idea of the Dreaming... In a PENTHOUSE OFFICE an Executive turns to the radio, frowning and tilting his head in concentration... After a while he gets on the phone HIPPY (V.O.) ...to those who lived their waking lives as if they were asleep? If everyone used the Dreaming well enough, not burning innocent minds to get their power, then there could be a Garden Paradise of like-minds here on Earth... But someone who misuses the ability would soon be known. Greed gives itself away very quickly. The Gestalt of minds creates a greater thing, a greater awareness of possible futures. But it shouldn't be misused. The friends all sit together, looking tired but confident.

HIPPY (V.O.) Sometimes it is good to be part of a tribe. Free thinking individuals, accepted by the tribe, allow the tribes thinking to expand. They ask questions and find answers. But once someone asks the 'wrong question' and is outcast, then it shows where the limit is for the whole tribe. The tribe has found a barrier. Growth is halted. Bummer. TV SCREEN REPORTER 3 And it appears that rumours of spin doctors helping plot the murder of Jessie Kaye have angered some people into forming a public committee to investigate. Sources suggest that the public service is considering legal and strike action if their affairs are delved into too deeply. C/T John on the streetJOHN (to camera) Well that's a surprise, isn't it? They think they have some holy right to have their actions protected, and that's exactly how the system gets misused: they can get away with practically anything. Outside the jail there is silence. Inside... HIPPY I swore to myself, man, if I ever got put in one of these places I'd do myself in. (panic a bit) But I'm innocent! Let me out, you bastards! I haven't done anything wrong! Wait a minute. Gotta focus. Don't waste your energy. Are you angry? Yes. Is anger the most prominent emotion of the moment? Mostly. Then use it. Don't waste your time shouting at the walls. When someone comes in, vent your anger at them. When they leave, stop. I can do that. He relaxes as he stares at the door. A long time. The door clangs open.

Big and Little Ex Cop enter the room wearing suits, and stand either side of the door when it closes. Hippy doesn't get up. HIPPY So it's true: you can polish shit. What are you two pathetic fuckers doing here? Cat got your tongues or did you wear them out licking your bosses arse? LITTLE COP YouHIPPY Yes? What original thought have you had lately, fuckwit? Eh? LITTLE COP Don't push me, matey. HIPPY A line from a crappy tv show? Is that the best can you do? And you you big fat shithead, I know a few things about you, you conniving, malicious parasite. BIG COP You don't know nuthin. HIPPY And you can't even talk properly! Uneducated bootlicker. LITTLE COP WatchitHIPPY (to Little cop) And how can you follow this mountain of shit anywhere? You've never even met the ones he works for, have you? He just puts ideas into your head and you begin to think of them as your ideas, and because you are such a loudmouthed idiot, he lets you do what you want. You are his little poodle, (to Big) and your master tells you the commands to give him... Big cop clenches his fists. HIPPY Oh right. Come to give me a little farewell touch-up, have you shithead? At the moment I really feel like defending myself...

BIG COP I don't like you. LITTLE COP Neither dHIPPY The feeling is mutual, you stupid people. What went wrong in your tiny little minds, that you have become these sickening puppets, governed by greedy bastards who don't care one bit about you? Eh? Big moves forward, Little follows. Hippy jumps up and stands ready. Goons halt close by. HIPPY You assholes might not like me, but I have found some people who do. And some of those people are in your line of work. And...they are actually doing good things. BIG COP We don't care about your friends. HIPPY Well you should. They are lawyers. And they know how to cook little fish like you and serve you up for breakfast. So if you want to have a go at me before we swap places, give it your best fucken shot. Long pause. Door clangs open. Goons back down and walk out. Door slams shut. Hippy sits and loses all anger, staring at the door. Long pause Door opens. An Executive walks in, closes the door and stands casually. HIPPY Are you their boss? EXECUTIVE 2 No. I do not know who employs them, nor how they got in here. I am merely watching. You have exhibited many interesting traits, young man. I would like to ask you what your future plans are. HIPPY Getting out of here is the primary thought...

EXECUTIVE 2 I'm sure that is being taken care of. HIPPY I also am certain. EXECUTIVE 2 And...after that? HIPPY Find a murderer, do my job, change the system. Usual stuff. EXECUTIVE 2 I would very much like to hear how you plan to change the system. HIPPY I'll tell you after I tell my friends. EXECUTIVE 2 I am not your enemy. HIPPY ...So...if you are only watching... what have you seen? EXECUTIVE 2 I am an observer, not a reporter. But I do know how to manipulate (points to door) ...lesser minds. HIPPY Why would you do that? EXECUTIVE 2 I wanted to see what your reaction would be, but i do not want thugs like them to hurt you. HIPPY What sort of thugs do you like? EXECUTIVE 2 (slight smile) I believe you should be protected from such villain's. And i might just be able to help. Long pause HIPPY Are you satisfied I'm not scared of them or you? EXECUTIVE 2

Oh, indeed I am. He exits with a sight grin. The door slams shut. A long wait, staring at the door. The door clangs open. The WOMAN in expensive and slightly seductive the light that pours into the cell. There are is music in the footfall, echo, and fabric... over, her expression is one of belief. His is A growing crowd can be heard outside... HIPPY (V.O.) I didn't consult any god while I was in there, because I didn't need a god to help me prove my innocence. I knew I was innocent. They aren't fighting, they are happy. HIPPY (V.O.) But the law was out to prove me guilty. The Law is meant to be there to find the truth. If the Law finds itself actually covering the truth with lies...then the bloody Law should have an enema, and get rid of some useless shit! The woman smiles. REPORTER 6 (V.O.) So the case was thrown out due to lack of real evidence. I must say that the feeling I'm getting out here is one of absolute relief. People are breathing again, but there remains the question of who did murder the advisor, Jessie Kaye? They walk down the long corridor.... suit, stands in no words, there She looks him relief.

EXT. SENATE STEPS - DAY Big doors swing open and they walks out into the sun, to a horde of microphones. Election banners hang everywhere. HIPPY I want to know who it was and why they did it. The Law should be helping me to find answers. Do you agree? The crowd does. Inspector and Rookie watch from behind a car

ROOKIE Boss. They're getting restless. INSPECTOR No shit. HIPPY But they have found nothing! Is this good enough? The crowd don't think so. HIPPY I will find out, one way or another. And you will be told who is responsible. If it was just a deranged human who needed to kill...you will be told. And if it was a politician trying to keep me silent...you definitely will be told. His friends stand in a semi circle behind him. HIPPY If you vote, and you want to know the truth, and you are not afraid of hearing it, and doing something about it...vote for us. We are going to find out what is really happening here. And we will not fill your head with untruthful shit!

INT. WOMAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT a nice view of the city. The Woman sits, finger held over a small recorder. The VOICE is distorted but different. OTHER EVIL VOICE-OVER Your friend is now your enemy, your enemy your friend. If this is how you want to play, we play until the end. She seductively presses the stop button. WOMAN But is this your old friend or... HIPPY So this is what Jesus felt like... Betrayal. WOMAN But were you betrayed before the murder or after? And...will you

allow it all to happen, just to reveal the assassin? HIPPY At least I'll know... WOMAN You have to know who you can trust. Long pause. HIPPY So this is freedom? One friend dead, and another maybe in danger. WOMAN In danger from what? HIPPY From himself. A mirror behind her shows the Hippy looking at the view out of the floor to ceiling windows. HIPPY ...to hurt her so badly... WOMAN The more they hurt her, the more they hurt you. HIPPY But which of my friends could kill one of our own? Who would want...to take my place...? We see a glint in the woman's eye. Crowd babble begins.

INT. POLICE HQ/INSPECTORS OFFICE - DAY Rookie enters with a package. ROOKIE This was delivered to the front desk, addressed to you. INSPECTOR (opening) Who delivered it? ROOKIE A kid saying her dad wanted you to have it. No name or details. INSPECTOR It's a cd. And a letter.

(insert cd in computer) Dear Inspector; this is a copy of a cctv tape from the night of the murder of Jessie Kaye. The camera is two streets from the murder scene. As you can see, there are four men exiting two vehicles, then they walk West, in the direction of the murder. The original recording has been erased, due to unknown factors, but I have a copy because an anonymous caller told me to make copies of everything occurring in the Harton area between nine and eleven o'clock. I believe the murder happened sometime around ten. As you can see, I have spliced on the return of the men, at around ten thirty. I hope this is of use to you. Ramsey pauses the image to look at the four men.

INT. HIPPY HOUSE - DAY He stands in the lounge, looking at the wall where Jessie was nailed, face cold and emotionless. His friends are out of focus in the background. HIPPY (V.O.) Life. Every society and every profession contains at least one bad apple. Most have good people, with the odd exceptionally gifted person. Girl scout troupes, banks, churches, you name it, there's a mongrel soul in there somewhere.

INT. BRAIN ROOM/POLICE HQ - DAY PULL BACK from the screen. Hippy sits watching a video he did with Jessie. JESSIE I like that. HIPPY Most of the time they only affect their local area. A nosy, vindictive gossip in the school Parents & Friends group only really annoys the group and the principal of the school. Maybe reaching to the education department complaints

desk. If the gossip gets enough people on his or her side she -or he - can have someone kicked out of the school (and the group), or they can force school policy to be changed. But if a top ranking general in a nuclear capable country sets his sights on domination... More than just his local area could very quickly be affected. But governments say that'll never happen. No singular general is capable of pushing the red button. There are too many safeguards. But there's this expression: Shit happens. Ramsey hands a disk to the Rookie, puts another in her pocket, exits. HIPPY (V.O.) The challenger disaster was supposedly caused by a faulty rubber o-ring. Probably cost five dollars to manufacture. Five dollars, plus the five hundred million or so worth of reusable technology and astronauts that went up on flames and came down in pieces, might be a bit too much of a price to pay.. Big and Little Cop in a SAFE HOUSE see their faces on the news, wanted for questioning. They are angry and nervous. Little is scared. HIPPY (V.O.) But that o-ring only physically affected its local area. Shuttles are even more methodically checked than they once were, so hopefully someone learned something. Regis drives alone. Is she being followed? She thinks so... HIPPY And, in a few secret missile silos across the world, there are these slowly corroding beasts of burden. They are presumably sitting there with their payload in the cone at the very top. But one thing puzzles me: Are the electronic systems and programmes and fuel tanks constantly monitored? I don't knw, it just seemsto be nportant.. Hippy has voice recognition software running, listening to

the different voices, wearing his calm jail-face. Numb... On one screen we see the names of the voices: John. Gabriel. Clara... HIPPY (V.O.) If the truth is that everyone has control and wisdom when it comes to their arsenal, then I won't be worried. But I am worried. Because we the people don't entirely know what to believe from the mouths of politicians all around the world, we switch them out of our field of worries. We worry about our local area and say 'Well, it doesn't really affect us, duz it.' Woman talks with EXECUTIVE 6 in shadowy office. HIPPY (V.O.) But radiation leaking from Chernobyl affected crops in Washington, apparently. A flood or earthquake could open up a silo and detonate a nuke, or cause it to leak. John knocks on the door and doesn't get any response. He looks in but doesn't interrupt. The Woman sits in the shadows at the back of the room. HIPPY (V.O.) Where would the radiation go if a whole chain of quakes around India and Pakistan set off their fledgling 'weapons of independence'? If we are all born of the same stuff then a question would be Where did consciousness enter the physical body? Did it just grow, like the body it inhabited. A one-celled organism cannot say to itself 'I think I'll go and procreate.' Or can it? Rookie works with geeks to track down the two unidentified men. They check the number plate, they use cctv to track where they came from... HIPPY (V.O.) Positive and negative, that's what I think life is at the smallest level. Scales of electromagnetism weigh up the potential for survival. That's all. Ramsey at the door of the HIPPY HOUSE, talking to John and Clara...

HIPPY (V.O.) If the chances are good, move forward and survive. If the chances are bad, move laterally or reverse, or simply stop, and find another way. ...They watch the dvd. Regis gets a call, stands at the back of the room, watching John, Clara, Gabriel and Nick... HIPPY (V.O.) Survival depends on being able to continuously choose a path through all the questions and choices. Positive, negative, infinity. ...Rookie is about to hang up the phone, when a constable shows him something on the monitor... HIPPY (V.O.) If multi-cellular entities have a greater chance of surviving then they will grow and prosper, not because they make a conscious decision.... Those little creatures are driven by the force of Nature. Evolution through time is inevitable. But...to decide, through positive decisions, to go in a certain direction... Ramsey goes back to the group, pausing the video on the close up on the four men... She tells them what the Rookie said... HIPPY (V.O.) ...isn't that consciousness? They are led by electromagnetism, and the rationality of survival comes along... probably when they had it easy. It's only then that they can see how rough times once were. Then they fight more for the easier life. BC and LC are tooling up in the back of a van, going fast. HIPPY (V.O.) Knowing where you are going is half the battle. Is there a point so far down the scale where the spark of consciousness first burnt? The friends are stunned. Inspector shrugs. John nods and grabs the phone. HIPPY 'Life' might only really grow in multicellular beings. Everything else is just the automatic function of growth. Gestalt (pronounced gesh tall-t} is an interesting concept.

The friends stand with the Inspector, they all move together. HIPPY (V.O.) If the act of congregation requires unity, harmony and load-sharing, then that is what it will generate. When the entity reaches out for parts to build onto itself it is doing something definite.... It chooses parts that will interact well. ...and the Hippy still sits in the dark room, watching and listening... HIPPY (V.O.) It rejects parts which will slow its growth or damage it. Just like DNA... It is not malicious unless attacked and it has no emotion. It simply survives. The friends knock and enter, then sit and wait in the dark... HIPPY (V.O.) But when does emotion come into it? All of us here...have emotions. And feelings. And we have to remember that... DVD ends. HIPPY ...one crime of passion... He turns to the Woman. She does not smile. WOMAN Can we talk about this outside? The cave's getting crowded. GABRIEL Actually, we should talk here where nobody can hear us. HIPPY What needs to be said? INSPECTOR We have strong reason to believe four men murdered your friend. Two of these men...you pointed us to... They are on the move, but we don't know where to. The others...you work with. Hippy looks into everyone. HIPPY ...Is the circle still strong?

JOHN They are contracted to work for us. I fancy their contracts are now worthless. HIPPY If I leave here...and find them... JOHN They are in the meeting room. I called them. The inspector suggested something. HIPPY An idea how we can get out of this without anyone else getting hurt? Except maybe... INSPECTOR Justice. That's what I am supposed be serving. But the justice I knew is withering on the vine, and all that I believed in...is different now. I don't really know who I am working for. I've been pretending... But I have had enough of pretending. My job was good to me...once upon a time. But that time has passed. Now I want to let the bastards know they've gone too far. (deep breath) This was a political killing. Premeditated, methodically carried out, no compassion. I do not believe the four were alone. There is someone, possibly several someone's, behind this, and up very high. Your friends agreed to my little plan, but it's up to you. You have to agree to the simple rules, but you can have your moment. HIPPY And haven't I had a few of those...

EXT. BUSH SHACK - NIGHT The van drops off two shadows. They lumber to the door and let themselves in... HIPPY (VO) Yes. I am ready.

INT. BRAIN ROOM (CONTINUOUS) They all take a deep breath, readying for the battle. INSPECTOR You know what they'll do to you, don't you? HIPPY I can guess. But if it is the way to find them, I have to do it. Risk everything to find the truth? Bloody oath. INSPECTOR Then let's get it over with.

INT. MEETING ROOM MANAGER and ACCOUNTANT sit sipping coffee, silent. The Hippy and crew rush in. HIPPY Right! There is evidence that you two helped kill Jessie. Is this true? MANAGER Don't be stupid. HIPPY You were seen and recordedMANAGER (packing up to leave) I don't know what you're talking about. You're nuts! HIPPY What about my testicles?! At least I am strong enough to control my madness. You fuckers just go and kill an innocent girlACCOUNTANT She wasn't innocent. Word was that she was doing it with anyone. MANAGER Shutup! HIPPY She did not deserve to die. Do you? Uneasy looks.

HIPPY You have a chance. One singular chance. Either you tell me who put you up to it, and who payed those two slimy little ex policemen, or I am allowed, by law, to vent my rage upon you. MANAGER There's no lawINSPECTOR There is now. HIPPY Confess. MANAGER Fuck you. You want to try to hit me, i'll take you to the cleaners. HIPPY On any normal day, maybe. But today, the laws have changed. MANAGER You don't have the powerHIPPY Oh, so it's all about power is it? MANAGER You can't change the law! HIPPY You broke the law, so please don't lecture anyone about it. Tell me who told you to do it. MANAGER You are nothing to me. HIPPY Was that before or after we gave you a job? How much have you siphoned off us? MANAGER You have no proof. INSPECTOR We have your bank accounts. You have been investing large amounts of money...ever since you started working for Re-leaf. Your move. MANAGER I want a lawyer! HIPPY

Not today! You give us the name of your employer, and I will let you walk. If you don't...I will make you pay. MANAGER Try it. Hippy turns to the gang. They leave, Manager panics. MANAGER Where are we going? HIPPY You are staying here to talk to me. MANAGER Hang on, she's a copper. You can't walk away! INSPECTOR Once upon a time maybe not. (at the door) I will be listening. If you survive, I will be arresting you. If you don'tACCOUNTANT We can survive. What if he can't? HIPPY Then she will be arresting you anyway. Tell me who your bosses are. MANAGER Fuck you! Door closes. They are alone. HIPPY You got out of your car on Salmon Street. You and the dodgy cops walked two streets...to this house, where you helped kill my friend. All you have to do is admit it, then I can find your bosses, and they will admit what they did. ACCOUNTANT You'll neverMANAGER No! ACCOUNTANT What's the fucking point? They have us. We do time, whichever way you look at it. We fucked up.

MANAGER Don't you dare! ACCOUNTANT I will! (to Hippy) I only watched, I didn't do anything to her! HIPPY Did you try to stop them? ACCOUNTANT .........no. HIPPY Then you helped KILL HER!!! He dives over the table. OUTSIDE THE DOOR the group listen to the noise. Nobody looks through the windows. INSIDE the Accountant lies on the floor, covered bleeding holes, a blooded knife in his lifeless hand. The Manager tries to reach for the knife, his body battered. The hippy stands over him, gasping, with torn clothes and bruised fists. The hippy kicks him to the floor. MANAGER You didn't need...to do that. HIPPY You didn't need to kill Jessie! Who are you covering for? MANAGER Ah...she screamed so well when she got the knife in her twat, and the lighter fuel in her assHIPPY And those crooked cops? MANAGER I wanted my turn, but we had a time limit...so they strung her upHIPPY Who told you to do it? MANAGER I'll...die...with that information. HIPPY As you wish!

INT. TELEVISION STUDIO

REPORTER 7 and POLICE COMMISSIONER in the studio with images of courtroom and file footage behind them. COMMSSIONER -the cctv footage, the license plates, the knife the manager hadREPORTER 7 But is that enough to get the candidate off the hook? COMMSSIONER We can ascertain that the Manager and Mister Brady the assistant accountant were part of the conspiracy that the girl stumbled onto. But the manager wanted to silence the girl and to destroy the political hopes of her lover candidate. These two men knew intimate and undeclared pieces of information known only to the police. REPORTER 7 And what were the undeclared bits of information? COMMSSIONER That will all come out in the trial. It's not really for me to say, but...I'm certain no jury would convict such a person in such a situation. Especially after what he has already been through when he was CUT TO:

INT. COURTROOM - DAY HIPPY - innocent! The hippy conducts his own defence and paces around the room. Some of his friends sit in the audience. Sitting at his table is the Woman. HIPPY And there is no way I ever would've consciously wanted to do such a thing... Not until the moment that the pieces all fitted together, and I knew they had committed the crime against me, against my true friends, and against those who believe in what we're trying to do.

They confessed to planning the crime with someone else! But they wouldn't tell me who it was. That made me angrier... They didn't beg forgiveness. They knew they were wrong... I am sure Jessie begged for her life...because she was innocent. But did she receive any mercy? They raped her as she was dying! Is that merciful? I don't think so. I didn't rape them. And you could say I saved the legal system a few hundred grand on prison costs... I knew that I would accept punishment for what I was going to do to them. So, you the jury, here I am. He bows slightly to them and goes to sit quietly by the John and the Woman. She looks at him with concern. He returns a gaze of calm acceptance, though beneath the surface we can see tension.

I/E. JAIL - DAY Hallways filled with Photographers Rhythm starts happening. The friends walk behind him. The woman walks beside him. They carve a trail through the flash bulbs and police. On the steps of the Court he stands with his friends, puts his hands to his temples, bows his head, and cries with happiness. A cheer goes out among the people.

INT. HIPPY HOUSE - NIGHT He says goodnight to the crew. In his bedroom he looks out to the view of lights on the river. His answering machine has a message for him. EVIL VOICE-OVER Aha! You don't have patience. That is why I get away. Click. He sits in shock. HIPPY Who are you? WHO ARE YOU!

I/E. PARLIAMENT OFFICE - DAY He is back to his old self, but now he knows the battle is against someone big. He wants this business reviewed, he wants these individuals investigated, this act amended, this law thrown out. Invest in schools and information! Politicians should take a pay cut! Dirty business policies should be exposed! The phone slams down. He stands alone behind a big desk on the top floor of the highest building in the city. But his friends aren't there. He looks at a photo of them all together... Before things changed. Sad. He puts the photo down and defiantly walks out, grabbing his coat on the way.

EXT. PARLIAMENT PARK - DAY BC & LC walk out of Parliament House,wearing security guard uniforms. They look excited and nervous. They enter the park, walk up to the friends reclining around a statue, and begin trying to fill the lot of them with lead. But the People see the guns being drawn. Very quickly they rush the two men en masse. Bodies are carried to the hospital in any vehicle available. The crushed but living bodies of the ex-cops are dragged away.

EXT. FRONT STEPS OF THE HOSPITAL - DAY The crowd is silent. The Woman walks out slowly. She stares at the People and the assassins who are held at the foot of the steps. She leans into the microphones and speaks calmly, even though her voice wants to scream. WOMAN He said...nothing. The look said it all. BYSTANDER What look was it? WOMAN ...A smile The two ex-officers are before those of the friends who still survive. The seven of them form a circle around the assassins. Outside the circle is the massive tide of public opinion.

LITTLE COP (growing hysterical) I told ya ! BIG COP Shutup! LITTLE COP I told ya we shouldna done it! BIG COP Shut up! LITTLE COP Christ, I told ya they would do us if they found outBIG COP They don't know anything! LITTLE COP And there are more of them than us. BIG COP We just wait for re-enforcements to arrive. LITTLE COP What the fuck are you talking about! Do you see any re enforcements anywhere near us? Or about to mount an attack to rescue us? No! I don't think so! The big man looks around and sees only civilians of all types. And they are all angry. The police sit at the perimeter. SARGE Try breaking up this crowd, and we'll get our heads ripped off. We wait. LITTLE COP I told you we shouldn't have done her so bad. I told ya... PASSERBY 3 What the hell are you talking about? BIG COP I'll tell you shall I? So you can feel good about yourselves, eh? Well we also did Miss Jessie Kaye! While the others were looking for evidence and planting the coke, we

did the bitch! In every hole she had - and we even cut her a couple of new ones! While she was still breathin'! And we enjoyed every minute of it. The crowd surges, they want blood. The friends are now a wall between the two forces. WOMAN Are you prepared to die...today? LITTLE COP Please don't. BIG COP You oily little fucker. That hippy was right about you! JOHN But who wanted you to kill her? BIG COP (point to parliament) Essingdon! He wants to be king! But the hippy kept blowing his plans. Essingdon paid us, but we did it! And you hippy bastards can go to hell! The name is passed through the crowd. A large group moves into parliament house to find him. But he has already shot himself, just after hearing his name called on the live telecast. As the crowd strength grows, the looks on the faces of the friends turns to one of pity. The ex-cops see the change, they know what's coming. The little one begins wailing. When they can tolerate neither abuse from within nor pressure from without, the friends break away and move individually into the crowd, letting them surge to the centre...

EXT. SALAMANCA PLACE - SUNSET

PULL BACK AND UP SLOWLY As the people move in, each throws a punch and merges back into the group. BIG COP That didn't hurt!

The second lot do the same. And the third, fourth, and all. BIG COP Fuck you! As the camera PULLS UP to reveal a street full of people surging calmly in, the cops moan and beg, REPORTER 5 (V.O.) ...After all, one punch isn't much of a crime.... but...they came from everywhere... then they are silent in the street noise. LATER PULL BACK from two crucified policemen and a man in torn business suit, nailed up to the fence around the silo apartments. HIPPY (V.O.) How the hell did we humans survive? How did we get through the dark ages, so that we might make spaceships and television? What kept us from losing our collective minds, and giving up? I thought it might be love. But maybe it was the idea that stopping wasn't an option: it isn't built into us to end something once we've begun it. We have to see it through. And that's why wars happen, because it's so hard to sit back and take a critical look at what's going on. Emotions rule us; our species depends on it, to give us the fuel and the will... But, deep down, we move along the path made by all the ancestors: the path which tells every molecule of us...that we cannot stop. The photographers don't take many photos. A lot just stand and stare. The streets are littered. All is calm... And not a citizen to be seen..... Way down the street we see John walking away from it all... HIPPY (V.O.) In the beginning...there was the sun god. Then the fertility goddess was made. Then one became many. They fought. The rubble of the universe is all that's left of them. So the suns burned without them. So the planets grew children...

PULL BACK AND UP TO FOLLOW A HAWK INTO THE SUN

WHITE OUT FADES TO BLACK CREDITS ROLL SFX - FADE IN quiet hospital room noises DOCTOR 1 (V.O.) Anything? DOCTOR 2 (V.O.) We have something better than we had six weeks ago. He's moving his hand. Flexing. DOCTOR 1 Great. DOCTOR 2 All other signs are on the rise. Blood pressure and heart coming back to normal. DOCTOR 1 What about the brain? DOCTOR 2 Have a look. Doing much better. So lucky his skull was only grazed. This coma state is unlike anything i've ever seen. DOCTOR 1 Oh I'm sure you'll see more. DOCTOR 2 But after all that time when the lights were practically out, now it's like he's powering back up to his old life. DOCTOR 1 Oh he's already left that life behind. You and I know what is in store for him if he agrees toDOCTOR 2 I know, and he fits the type we are looking for... But surely he should be allowed to at least remember his old life.

DOCTOR 1 He can remember it, but he can never go back. He has to get over losses that none of us can fathom. And while he's doing that he can be learning. That's what makes the species so amazing. We can use learning to cope with pain. DOCTOR 2 Speaking of pain. I think we should keep him on the Arranax until he can open his eyes. Then he can tell us what he wants to do. DOCTOR 1 I'm sure he'll opt for painkillers at least until his body is up to speed. I hope the healing process will be helped. FX: EEG NOISE goes a bit faster. DOCTOR 2 That's amazing, look at that. His brain activity just doubled. DOCTOR 1 His other hand's moving. HIPPY (slow grunting) DOCTOR 2 Bloody hell, can you hear that? DOCTOR 1 Yes. DOCTOR 2 Where's the pen and paper? DOCTOR 1 Here. DOCTOR 2 Is he a left hander? DOCTOR 1 No. DOCTOR 2 (in close) Sir, if you can hear me, I'd like you to calmly test yourself. Can you grunt once for yes and twice for no. ONE GRUNT

DOCTOR 2 Wonderful. Now, can you feel your hands moving? ONE GRUNT DOCTOR 2 Good. There is a pen and paper, if you can write. TWO GRUNTS DOCTOR 2 Fair enough. Do you...remember what happened? ONE GRUNT DOCTOR 2 ...could you hear what we were just discussing? ONE GRUNT DOCTOR 2 You know your old life is over? ONE GRUNT DOCTOR 2 Alright then. I suggest you concentrate on getting your body in order, then we an give you a new life which you might be very interested in. How's that? Long pause ONE GRUNT DOCTOR 2 Good. THE END