The Labyrinth

## Summary

A message from a town everyone thought was dead leads the Dustcap to come overdue truths.

## Cast

* Sketchy Galore
* Sophie Jaffrey
* Eliz
* Percy Ingram
* Kurt Cedar

## Mission Requirements

Collect all of the required items to unlock this mission!

1. Completed Season 1, Mission 14
2. 75KM Distance Badge

## Rewards

### Potential Rewards

* Cacti Spore
* Rubber Fragments
* Floppy Disk NFT - Common, Uncommon, or Rare

## Transcript

### SCENE 1: An Unexpected Call

SKETCHY: Hey Dustcap, good job on that convoy. I wanted you to have another week off after the whole...spider thing, but you were good to go! Eric just confirmed the convoy is in the arrival pattern at New Alice Springs. Of course since queueing is New Alice springs national sport, they’re going to have to wait to get in, but they’re safe, all thanks to you.

FX: PHONE RINGS. ACTUAL ROTARY PHONE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE 1960S SKETCHY That’s never good.

FX: PICKS UP PHONE

SKETCHY Go for Coyote Skull, Operator Galore, state the nature of the emergency...Coordinates? Wait, what? Okay, hang tight I've got a Dustcap inbound.

SKETCHY (FOCUSED, ALL BUSINESS) That was Eliz. She's at Cactus Coil, and she's found Percy. He’s in trouble, and he’s asking for you...and the desalinator.

### SCENE 2: The Ghost Town

EXT. DAY. DESERT OUTSIDE CACTUS COIL. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: THERE’S A LOT OF PLANT LIFE HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT’S MOSTLY CACTI, SO THERE ARE INSECTS BUZZING AND THE RUSTLING OF TREES.

SKETCHY Welcome to the ghost town Dustcap. Cactus Coil is the quietest place in the Dustland. Maybe 50 people live here, and the only thing they really do is trade water. Turns out in the past, this was an underground missile silo. When...everything...happened, the water table cracked and flooded it and now they've got their own oasis.

FX: IN THE DISTANCE WE HEAR VULTURE CALLS.

SKETCHY We do not ask what happened to the missile.

SKETCHY What we do know is that these cacti are bigger than anywhere else in the Dustland and they grow in a very particular pattern that only opens a few times a year. And it should not be open now. (beat) Yet...here we are. And here Eliz is not. I've got nothing on comms, nothing on sensors.

FX: FIZZING, POPPING, ORGANIC SOUND, LIKE POPCORN BUT WITHOUT THE OIL SIZZLE.

SKETCHY What the hell is that!?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) I believe that’s the desalinator..or at least it’s the box.

SKETCHY GAAAAA! Who the hell is that?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) I’m the mayor, Sophie Jaffrey.

SKETCHY Wait, you can hear me? How?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Well, it’s because I’m logged into the Cactus Coil Network. Do you wanna come through to the town square?

SKETCHY NO! Where's Olav? He was in charge the last time I was out here? And what network? And really, who are you?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Take a good look at what you're running through, Dustcap. See how alive it is, the way the light dances through every leaf? This is one of the most amazing lifeforms on Earth and it is letting you into itself. Maybe say thank you on your way out. Just to be polite.

SKETCHY Thank...you?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) On the way out. And the Dustcap needs to say it. But your heart's in the right place.

FX: SHORT GUST OF WIND, RUSTLING.

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Ah, I see you there. Right! Welcome to Cactus Coil! Only 51 of us but it's a nice little town. We need your help.

SKETCHY Where's my friend Eliz? Where's Percy Ingram? Where are you? Why is the desalinator my other friend is carrying firing...popcorn...seeds? Into the air?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) You have a very inquisitive mind! I like that! Unfortunately you really need to keep moving.

SKETCHY Why?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Please move Dustcap.

FX: RUMBLING IN THE EARTH

SKETCHY Wait, not till we know what’s happening.

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Suit yourself. If you change your mind head for the big saloon building at the centre of town. I'm mostly there.

FX: GROUND BREAKS, TENDRILS OF PLANTS EMERGE AND GROW. CREAKING WOOD, RUSTLING.

SKETCHY Dustcap I'm seeing seismic activity over the entire town barring the...bar! Head there! Now!

FX: CREAKING OF WOOD AS TENDRILS PUSH OUT OF THE EARTH. RAPID PLANT GROWTH.

SKETCHY What is this?! Dustcap, stay away from those thorns!

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) He's just curious! It's okay. Hold up... (effort noises)...HNNNHH...

FX: DISTANT RUMBLING AND NEARBY RUSTLING AS PLANT LIFE RECEDES.

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Okay you should probably have a clear path now.

SKETCHY DUSTCAP HURDLE WHATEVER THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU AND GET INSIDE! (beat) HURDLE DOESN’T MEAN STICKING YOUR HAND ON IT…

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Oof, yeah sorry about that. Don’t worry! We’ve got pliers, tequila and a can do attitude! We’ll have those thorns out in no time.

SKETCHY DOOR! DOOR DOOR DOOR!

SFX: DOOR SLAM

SOPHIE JAFFREY (NO LONGER ON HEADSET, SHOUTING FROM ANOTHER ROOM) I'm in the back! It's alright, he doesn't come in here.

SKETCHY I am desperately trying not to shout at you but- (beat) Mayor Jaffrey? Are you okay?

SOPHIE JAFFREY What? This old thing? Yes of course, I'm fine. This is the cost of doing business in Cactus Coil.

SKETCHY Dustcap, just to confirm, you're seeing a cactus flower encasing the back of her head, right? And there's...data wires in there? Does that...HURT?

SOPHIE JAFFREY Yes a bit I suppose, but like I say, it’s the cost of doing business. I would offer you some tea but I'm having a bit of an argument right now and \*hnnngh\* he's making some really good points.

SFX: RATTLE OF SOMEONE SEARCHING THROUGH SUPPLIES IN THE BAR KITCHEN, A DOOR OPENS.

ELIZ Ms Jaffrey? You said there was a spraygun back there?

SOPHIE JAFFREY Ah, if they’re not in the kitchens Baz has probably stashed them under the bar again. There’s a spare on the bookshelf too luv.

ELIZ Hey Dustcap!It’s time to load up. You there Sketchy?

SFX: SOUND OF A SPRAYGUN BEING PICKED UP

SKETCHY I’m here Eliz, I just can’t believe what I’ve seen and we only got here a few minutes ago. What, exactly is happening?

ELIZ Galore did you notice a low level EM field on your channel when you came in?

SKETCHY No, I was too busy goggling at the mutant cactus that sprang forth from the earth.

ELIZ And the desalinator began firing seeds the second you crossed the threshold of the maze, right?

SKETCHY Yes! ELIZ It's picked up the dream.

SKETCHY Eliz, don’t take this the wrong way, but did you join a cult? What the hell are you talking about?

ELIZ The dream the cacti is having. All of it. The dream Percy's interfering with.

SKETCHY Eliz, you sound like my old room mate and she used to lick batteries for fun. Can you try again but with words that make sense?

ELIZ We're about to go fight the largest organism left on Earth with squirtguns to save my idiot best friend and I need your Dustcap with me.

### SCENE 3: The Mayor of Ghosts

EXT. DAY. CACTUS COIL. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: SAME SOUNDSCAPE AS BEFORE, INSECTS BUZZING, WIND THROUGH TREES.

ELIZ The old water silo buildings are still intact, and there’s a huge flue network connected to them so they can mass water everything if there’s a drought. I brought a rebreather with me but the Mayor won’t let me sit in one of the tanks when they do a flush.

SKETCHY Eliz? For the love of Dust, can you tell me why we’re here? Where is everyone? And while we’re at it, why is the whole place open? We’re months too late for a normal bloom.

ELIZ The story is the explanation Galore. Besides, you did a few runs out here in the past, you know the whole town used to shut down at random. And everyone’s out working, it’s just us wandering around.

SKETCHY Yeah, it was back when Dustcap Pox was a thing. They shut down a few times a year to quarantine.

ELIZ They never had a case of pox here, not one. That was just the excuse.

FX: ANOTHER GUST OF WIND TO SHOW THEY’RE HIGHER UP THAN THEY WERE.

ELIZ Look, we're at elevation now and we've got a small window of time. Stop, down there. You can see the curve of the maze, see how it's laid out. Dustcap? What do you see? Galore? You too? (beat)

SKETCHY There's a pattern…

ELIZ There's more. If you visited twice in a week, you'd see no difference. If you visited when the town was closed, you'd see every one of those cacti folded in on each other.

SKETCHY So they follow the Sun?

ELIZ No. Sketchy it's one organism. This whole town is a self sustaining single cacti. The scientists who set up the original Cactus Coil created a self replicating, self aware plant and tried to splice its qualities into their own genetic structures.

SKETCHY ...And that's why Mayor Jaffrey was...logging onto cactusnet?

ELIZ That’s why...and that’s why when Percy Ingram tried to interface with it, it had a bit of a reaction to him.

SKETHCY Oh no. ELIZ Oh yes.

SFX: FAINT HISS OF GAS RELEASE AND A CLICK OF A SAFETY BEING REMOVED.

ELIZ Dustcap, hit that green button on the side of the sprayer to charge the gas, and release the safety.

SFX: THE SAME HISS OF GAS RELEASE AND A CLICK OF A SAFETY BEING REMOVED.

FX: DOOR OPENING, SMALL ENVIRONMENT

SKETCHY So this thing is dangerous?

ELIZ Ever own a dog?

SKETCHY Yeah

ELIZ Was it clumsy?

SKETCHY Oh yeah

ELIZ This is a dog a mile wide. It's not bad, but it doesn't know it's own strength. That's why Jaffrey is connected, she's talking to it, getting it to calm down.

SKETCHY Is Percy down here? And why is the desalinator acting up?

ELIZ The desalinator's casing is made of cactus wood. It's not acting up. It's waking up. When you head back, look for new growth. It's planting seeds everywhere you go. The core of the cacti network is at the base of the old silo. Every other resident is down there including Percy.

SKETCHY What's he doing?

ELIZ I really wish I knew. If I had to guess, I think he was trying to force Fred to help him make a new desalinator...well...make a new box anyway.

SKETCHY Okay, so, how are you going to do this? How do you bang a cactus kaiju on the nose with a rolled up newspaper?

ELIZ You do it with vinegar. Dustcap, third door down, you see the lights flickering, that's Jaffrey helping us out, showing us the way. Once we open that door, be ready.

FX: DOOR OPENS.

FX: SOMETHING VAST AND MADE OF CELLULOSE SLAMS FORWARD

FX: HIGH PRESSURE LIQUID SPRAY AND SPATTER OF THE SQUIRT GUNS

FX: WE HEAR A RUMBLE, ALMOST LIKE THE CACTI ARE GROANING, AND THERE’S A LOUD RUSTLING AS THE HUGE PLANT RECEDES.

SKETCHY And that thing has Percy, has the whole town?

ELIZ Yeah.

SKETCHY Eliz, is Percy still alive?

ELIZ Lord Percival Ashton Ingram is many, many things, Sketchy. Easy to kill isn’t one of them.

FX: ANOTHER DOOR OPENS, AND WE'RE OUT INTO A MUCH LARGER SPACE. A CATHEDRAL SIZED GLASS HOUSE FULL OF CACTUS AND HUMIDITY.

ELIZ This is the old greenhouse, but they’re not here. They're all by the base of the main water tank in the next room.

SKETCHY What's the play?

ELIZ Kick the door in, run several hundred feet through a jungle of thorns, introduce yourselves to Fred, apologize, grab Percy by the ear, leave. Maybe beat Percy with an old shoe once we’re safe.

SKETCHY I’m really behind the last part of that plan...

ELIZ And we don’t have time to think of a better one. Dustcap, you ready? One, two...THREE!

FX: DOOR BEING KICKED OPEN.

### SCENE 4: The Castaway

INT. DAY. FRED’S LAIR. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: BIG, WIDE ROOM, MASSIVE WATER TANK ON ONE SIDE. CONSTANT RUSTLING AND SHIFTING OF THE CACTUS.

ELIZ (BREATHING HARD) You OK Dustcap? That was good work with the sprayer and whoa

PERCY \*groans\*

ELIZ Uh...hello there. I really hope you’re Percy Ingram. I’m Eliz.

PERCY (STRAINED) Help.

ELIZ It's okay. It's okay. Dustcap, get them some water.

SKETCHY Eliz, the others.

ELIZ Huh? Oh, I told you before, they’re working.

SKETCHY Really, because it looks like they’re all trying really hard to become one with the cactus.

PERCY They’re sleeping. Dreaming. No time.

ELIZ You don’t think Mayor Jaffrey could talk to something this big without help do you? She’s just the mouthpiece.

SKETCHY So...you did join a cult. ELIZ I didn’t, but yeah, it’s kind of a cult. Hold still Percy.

PERCY No time. All time. The box is singing and I see its music. I know what needs to be done but there's just no time.

SKETCHY How hurt is he going to be if we yank him out of this thing Eliz?

ELIZ Well, let me put it his way, if we leave him there he’ll definitely die.

SKETCHY Pull him out. We’ll patch him up later.

ELIZ On it. Dustcap, two things need to happen now. First I’m going to tie a rope around my waist and give you the other end. Then I’m going to give you my sprayer. When I say so, give Fred both barrels right where Percy is wedged.

FX:RUSTLE OF ROPE AS ELIZ TIES IT AROUND HERSELF.

PERCY No time at all.

FX: RUMBLING. IT STARTS SOFTY BUT GETS STEADILY LOUDER AS IT CONTINUES UNDER VO.

FX: RUSTLING AND SNAPPING OF THORNS, RIPPING FABRIC.

ELIZ AND PERCY \*both scream\*

ELIZ That. Sucked. You okay Percy?

PERCY No one calls me Lord Ingram anymore.

FX: THE RUMBLING IS STARTING TO SHAKE THE BUILDING.

SKETCHY Eliz, I'm into a couple of old local seismographs. This isn't the heart of the cacti, that's a mile down and it's RISING.

ELIZ Mayor Jaffrey, Sophie are you there? What’s happening?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) I’m here, but something is very wrong, I think you pissed him off.

SKETCHY How do we get out and not do more damage?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) I don’t know. I...huh. Dustcap, how good a swimmer are you?

SKETCHY What?

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) Eliz, you’re going to get your wish.

ELIZ For real? We get to ride out through the flue? Yesssss.

SKETCHY You’re kidding? They’ll be under water the whole time, they’ll drown.

SOPHIE JAFFREY You either swim out and my people live or Fred surfaces for the first time and my people get turned into cactus food... Eliz, I know you’ve got a rebreather. Percy, Dustcap I’m sorry you’ll have to take your chances.

SKETCHY YOU CALLED IT FRED?!

SOPHIE JAFFREY You're giving us notes? ON ANYTHING? The only reason we can live in Cactus Coil is Fred lets us, and he doesn’t like us anymore, all thanks to your friends Sketchy.

ELIZ Uh. I have five rebreathers.

SKETCHY Say again?

ELIZ What if I wanted to ride it a bunch of times?! Of course I brought five.

SOPHIE JAFFREY (OVER HEADSET) It’s not a sodding waterslide!

ELIZ It’s about to be.

FX: MORE RUMBLING.

SKETCHY This is really, really stupid, but we'll take it.

PERCY A necessary sacrifice.

SKETCHY How awake is Percy?

PERCY Needs to be done..Angelus Gente...Raise the lake

ELIZ Enough. Dustcap put this on him.

: ELIZ PERCY AND DUSTCAP ALL CLIMB THE LADDER ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK. ELIZ Rebreathers are in. Here we go.

PERCY Eliz? I'm in too deep.

ELIZ Not while I'm around. Close your eyes.

FX: LOUD SPLASH AS ALL THREE JUMP IN.

### SCENE 5: Left Hand Rule

EXT, NIGHT. OUTSIDE CACTUS COIL. LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE: SOUNDS OF CACTI MOVING IN THE WIND, CICADAS.

SOPHIE JAFFREY (NOT ON HEADSET) It's taken most of the night, but we've calmed Fred down. Ingram, never, ever come back here.

PERCY What? Why?

SOPHIE JAFFREY Fred doesn't like trespassers. The other two of you are welcome. Just...not for a while. Leave. Now. All of you. We'll send word when it's safe.

PERCY Fine. My bike is nearby. I'm going to get it, and then we're going to Coyote Skull.

FX: HARD SLAP.

PERCY Ow. Eliz...

ELIZ You’re not in charge here “Lord Ingram”. What on earth were you trying to do here?

PERCY Eliz this was the key! You saw the box! Simply being around the EM field of the cacti activated it's onboard nanotechnology! And the people at Cactus Coil can control it. They wove trees, Eliz! FROM THE AIR!

ELIZ Sure Percy. Cactus nanotechnology. Go get your bike, I'll meet you at the main entrance. Dustcap, keep him out of trouble.

FX: FOOTSTEPS AS ELIZ WALKS AWAY.

PERCY She is family but she has no long view. Look, I know I did wrong here Dustcap but it was nothing permanent. If we could just...that box is not just a desalinator. It's a forge. A forge in which you and I, and perhaps Fred, are going to build the future. Besides, I don't think he's that angry. I wonder...

FX: CACTUS RUSTLING

PERCY Fred. I think you can still hear me. With your permission, may I have some water.

FX: WIND BLOWS. CREAKING

PERCY It understands! Look! It's bowing to me! Thank you, I'll only take what I need, I promise.

FX: KNIFE CUTTING THROUGH CACTI FLESH

FX: DRIPPING WATER It's not enough to sustain everyone but these people have everything they need. We need to head back to the town hall. Ms. Jaffrey and I have a lot to discuss. If we could take cuttings, spread this plant throughout the Dustland...

FX: ELECTRIC TRUCKS PULL UP.

PERCY Sketchy this is Lord Ingra...I keep forgetting you have the headset. May I? Thank you. Sketchy? Whose trucks are they?

SKETCHY (ON SPEAKER) Peregrine...Those are Peregrine trucks.

KURT CEDAR (LOUDSPEAKER) Hello Sketchy. This is Kurt Cedar, Dustcap Alpha for Peregrine and town leader. We understand you and your staff have been dealing with a situation?

SKETCHY Under control now, sir but thanks for the assist. Were you in the area?

KURT CEDAR Yeah, we were.

PERCY Oh no. Oh NO NO NO NO. Dustcap, distract them they can't find me. HE can't find me...

FX: PERCY RUNS OFF

SKETCHY FADING (LOUDSPEAKER FADING AS PERCY RUNS OFF WITH THE PLAYER’S HEADSET). Percy! PERCY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!