INT: ITALIAN CAFE, MANHATTAN - DAY

A small cafe, reminiscent of the old Italian
coffeehouses of McDougall street in the village.
The espresso machine is a tentacled hairdo of brass piping and
weathered wood. Behind it stands a 19-year-old, pierced
BARRISTA, cute. It's raining.

RABBIT enters. Disheveled, eyes baggy from one too many
martinis and 4 hours of sleep. He orders a double shot of
espresso, overloads it with brown granulated sugar and
sits at a small table, looking out at the rain.

After a few moments, JAMES TIBERIUS KIRK enters, limping.
His uniform, the color of ancient urine, is torn.
He approaches the counter.

KIRK
		Saurian Brandy.


BARRISTA
(incredulous)
		What?


KIRK
(Looking around the room, confused)		Coffee then. You have? Coffee?


KIRK takes his coffee--a large clumsy looking white mug, and 

walks over to RABBIT's table. After a pause, he sits down.

KIRK
		Long night?


RABBIT
(nodding)
		Yeah. I was playing Guild Wars: Factions until 2AM. 
		Two martinis. No sleep.


KIRK
		Alliance battle? On the Front?


RABBIT
(pauses)		What?


KIRK		You. Guild Wars. 
		Must have been. some. struggle
		I was in sickbay... all night. 
		Recovering from my... command... the day before.
		Someday. We'll make those


(scowls, spit coming out as he says)		Luxons pay.


RABBIT
		No. No. I was under the city. I needed to rescue
		something
		I can't remember what.


KIRK		What? Why? 


(aggressive, with disbelief)		Wasting time. Down there in the muck
		It's just training for... the real war you know.
		It's not real.  
		It's... holodeck.


SMASH CUT TO: LONGSHOT FROM DOOR

RABBIT		Wait. Wrong captain.


KIRK		Right, sorry about that.


ZOOM TO: CLOSE ON RABBIT

RABBIT
		But the war--I don't know. It just leaves me empty. 
		I've been there so many times.


(beat)
		The chaos. A massive furball of churning flesh. The rapidfire 
		click click click, the skill-chains.


(looks at KIRK)		It just seems so random.


KIRK (OFF SCREEN)		Are you mad man!!?? It's brilliant. It's... it's art! 
		It's blood! Honor! Glory! 
		Good men... fighting at your side!


CUT TO: MEDIUM SHOT

KIRK grows agitated, stands up, pushes the chair behind him.

KIRK		Wake up!!! We need men. 
		Like you.
		On the line.
		There's no excuse! 


RABBIT
(sheepish)
		But, but,
		I was fighting for the alliance, in my way. 
		I was working for the Kurzicks.


KIRK
		Hah!
		Well... Someone has to
		fetch the water
		keep those of us on the line... fighting.


RABBIT squints, turning his gaze back out the window. KIRK sits back down.

RABBIT
		There's more to this than just the war you know!
		Have you stopped on the hills and taken a breath? 
		Have you quieted your thoughts and listened--just listened? 
		Have you given yourself to the world, 
		so that it could give back?


RABBIT fidgets, agitated. 

KIRK casually looks at his palm, still caked in blood.

He wipes it on the front of his torn uniform, leaving a stain.

KIRK gives RABBIT the STARE

RABBIT
(standing dramatically)
		No! You can't be!


		You're one of

(scowls)		one of them!


KIRK
(quickly)
		I don't know what you're talking about.


RABBIT
		You! You press skip on the cutscenes don't you!
		You see a plot unfold, a story told and you...


RABBIT's eyes go glassy and he stares into space.

RABBIT sits, deflated.

KIRK stands, quickly. Coffee spills.

CUT TO: OVERHEAD MEDIUM, BEHIND RABBIT

KIRK rages, his torn shirt falls open as he leans forward, 

revealing a muscular chest covered in sweat and blood.

KIRK		Gods man!
		You... play your game. 
		I'll play mine.
		You can wallow in your, your music
		your scenery and 


(disgusted)		Story!


(pause)		But MY world... MY world needs MEN! 


KIRK, disgusted, turns to leave.

CUT TO: RABBIT P.O.V

RABBIT
		Where are you going?


(pleading)		Don't we have some common ground? 
		Aren't we ultimately from the same world? 


		Just different times? 

		Different places?

		Different points of view? 

KIRK, looking over his shoulder, softens, turns around.

He tosses a small, dog-tag-shaped coin on the table in front of RABBIT.

KIRK
		Go buy yourself some pretty armor for your assassin.
		I'm getting back in the
		FIGHT.


Limping slightly, KIRK walks back out into the rain. 

RABBIT stares down into his coffee. 

The BARRISTA comes over and cleans up KIRK's mess.

BARRISTA
(with innuendo)
		Anything more?


RABBIT
		No. Thanks.


The BARRISTA walks back to the espresso machine.

DISSOLVE TO: LONGSHOT, OVERHEAD

RABBIT
		I guess there isn't.


FADE TO: BLACK