9

Scientist:
9, you shall protect the future.

7:
We... awakened something.

9:
No, I awakened something. Something terrible.

[first lines]

Scientist:
We had such potential. Such promise. But we squandered our gifts, our intelligence. Our blind pursuit of technology only sped us quicker to our doom. Our world is ending. But life must go on.

9:
Why do you listen to 1?

5:
A group must have a leader.

9:
But what if he's wrong?

[last lines]

7:
What happens next?

9:
I'm not sure. But this world is ours now. It's what we make of it.

1:
Sometimes one must be sacrificed.

5:
You know, you're just like him; you forget to remember to be scared.

1:
You owe me a cape.

9:
You're nothing but a coward.

1:
How dare you challenge me; I, who kept everyone safe all these years? Ever since you got here, everything has been unraveling! You're a curse, A FOOL, guided by pointless queries!

9:
And you are a blind man, guided by fear.

[something flies by the window, darkening it]

1:
Sometimes fear has the appropriate response.

5:
7?

2:
I don't believe it!

5:
You came back!

7:
I never left. You finally decided to join the fight.

1:
I know enough to leave their ancient evils to molder. Look what they've left us with. Leave it be, I say! But YOU! Always asking questions. So many pointless questions. Probing. PUSHING. Like 2! He always had to know too much!

9:
I was right; you DID send him out to die!

1:
He was old! He was WEAK!

1:
When we awoke in this world, it was chaos. Man and machine attacked each other with fire and metal. I lead us here to sanctuary and here we waited for the war to end. Slowly, the world became silent. The only thing that remains now is The Beast. So we stay hidden, and we wait for it too, to sleep.

9:
But where did it come from? Why is it hunting us?

1:
Questions like that are pointless. We need to protect ourselves; keep ourselves out of danger.

6:
NO! Stop! You mustn't destroy it! Don't destroy it. They're Trapped! They're inside! They're INSIDE!

6:
The source! The source! Go back... to the source.

7:
[after her first attempt to destroy the Winged Beast] Let me try that again.

1:
[Looking at 9, standing in front of the "Great Machine", and talks to himself about the human race] They've left us nothing. Nothing. Why do we have to right their wrongs? Sometimes one must be sacrificed.

[1 runs and pushes 9 away from the energy beams that consequently suck his soul instead]

7:
They're free now.

5:
Actually, I don't mind having one eye. It's easier for me. 'Allows me to concentrate on just one thing at a time, you know?

7:
NO! 9, please! We can’t do this without you!

9:
They all died because of me. I started this, and now I need to finish it.

5:
This was the first thing we built together.

9:
We can still go after him.

5:
Us? But, he could be anywhere out there.

9:
(looks around and gasps) That's where it took him (points to the factory) Out towards those three tall shapes.

5:
(looks into the factory with a telescope) Oh, no. We can't, not there. (jumps down, reminding 9) We have rules.

9:
Why do you listen to 1?

5:
A group must have a leader.

9:
But what if he's wrong? (5 looks confused) Come with me. I can't do it alone.

5:
I... (sighs) I... I can't.

9:
But, wouldn't he have come for you?

5:
I... (changes his mind) Wait. We're going to need a map.

(After a figure decapitated the Cat Beast, revealing herself as 7.)

5:
7!?

2:
I don't believe it! (hugs 7)

5:
You've come back!

7:
I never left. You finally decided to join the fight.

9:
You dropped this.

7:
Where've you been hiding?

2:
Rusty, hacked-together, shoddy pile of...

(After escaping the reawakened Fabrication Machine)

5:
(sobbing for loss of 2) I knew we shouldn't have come! Why? Why did you do that?

9:
I didn't know! I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

7:
What were you thinking?

5:
What is it going to do?

7:
I know where we can find answers.

(The trio entered the library to find answers.)

9:
Is this what it was like?

7:
Keep up!

(They meet 3 and 4.)

5:
Oh! They've been here? The whole time?

9:
Twins.

7:
They've been hiding here. Lost in the past. Looking for answers.

9:
Oh!

(5 and 7 laugh)

7:
They're cataloging.

9:
Whoa!

7:
We need your help. We awakened something-

9:
No. I awakened something. Something terrible. (The twins pages a book to find what has awakened; 9 finds the Fabrication Machine) That's it!

(The twins shows the trio various floors, finding the Fabrication Machine's origins. 4 plays a record clip)

Announcer #1:
Today, the Chancellor presented the latest advancement of technological wizardry to the public.

Chancellor:
Comrades, today dawns a new era. Let us praise this new technology. Welcome to the age of the Machine! It will create new machines in its own image! Machines of peace that will usher in a glorious new era of wealth and prosperity for the state!

(A newspaper saids WAR DECLARED!, showing various scenes of war with walking machines aiding their side's soldiers; later the headline is shown:
MACHINES TURN AGAINST US!, and the War Machines are seen killing humans as Humans fight back for survival.)

Announcer #2:
Residents are advised to pause for a public address.

Chancellor:
Science has turned its sinister hands against us! People of our mighty state, join me in repelling the iron fist of the Machine!

(4 ended a record clip)

9:
But, the thing that woke it. It was round and imprinted with strange shapes. (The Twins doesn't know what he mentions. 9 draws.) The shapes corresponded. It fit perfectly into the Machine. As if it were made for it.

5:
That's what 6 always draws!

9:
6?

5:
2 collected his drawings. He's always studying them.

9:
I have to see them.

7:
What? Go back to 1? So, he can lock us away while this nightmare awakens? Never.

(At the cathedral.)

1:
You awakened what?! You fools! I warned you!

8:
He warned you.

1:
Now, it'll us all in unimaginable peril. And may I ask; did you manage to save 2? Of course not! By following this witless folly, you've endangered everything we work for!

9:
Why was 2 sent out to begin with?

1:
I sent him to scout.

9:
That doesn't make any sense. You don't send the oldest out to... Look, we need to figure out what's going on.

6:
(interrupting the confrontation, showing his drawings to 9.) The source, the source...Go back to the source.

9:
This is it. This is what awakened the Machine. What do you know about this? (6 tries to question, but 1 angrily interrupts)

1:
Ah, You can't be trusted. I won't allow you to endanger us further. Subjugate them!

8:
[Confused] Sub... What?

1:
You illiterate cretin! Take their belongings!

9:
Hey! You're nothing but a coward.

1:
How dare you challenge me?! I, who kept everyone safe, all these years! Ever since you got here, everything has been unraveling! You're a curse! A fool! Guided by pointless queries!

9:
And you are a blind man, guided by fear!

[A shadow darkens the room as something flies by the church window]

1:
Sometimes, fear... is the appropriate response.

(After the Seamstress took 7 and 8.)

9:
We have to go after them!

1:
What? 8? Where- Where's 8?

9:
That thing has them! It's taking them back to the Machine!

1:
Then it's too late. We... We have to get out of here. W-W-We must try to find another safe place.

9:
No more hiding! We're going after them! All of us.

1:
Need I remind you of the outcome of your last heroic venture?

(3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 gathers at 2's lifeless body)

9:
I can't let this happen to them.

6:
Go back! To the first room! He'll show you! The source!

(The Fabrication Machine absorbs 6's soul.)

1:
It must be destroyed.

9:
No. No, we can't! Didn't you hear him? They're trapped inside. We can still save them.

7:
What? How?

9:
We have to find the source. It holds the answer.

7:
We need to destroy it.

9:
But, there's still a chance!

1:
We're out of time.

7:
9, they're gone.

9:
You're wrong. (9 leaves to find the source of how to stop the Fabrication Machine.)

7:
9...

1:
Let him go.

The Scientist:
[9 finds and sees the record message] Greetings, 9. It had such promise, my Great Machine. It was meant to be an instrument of progress. Of creation. That was the agreement our Chancellor failed to honor. Though the fault is hardly his alone to bear. The Machine was born purely of my intellect. Which I now know...was not enough. My creation was hopelessly flawed and indeed dangerous for it lacked the human soul, and could be easily corrupted by those who controlled it. That is why I'm making each of you. (9 finally learns his origins) You are all that's left of humanity. You...are all the pieces of my soul. Together, you and this device shall protect the future. Look closely and remember what you see.

1:
No! We have rules!

1:
Sometimes fear is the appropriate response.

2:
Wait! I'm a friend.

2:
Some things in this world are...are better left where they lie. But if you know where to look, these ruins are full of riches.

2:
(Last words; trying to stop 9 from unwittingly reactivating the Fabrication Machine) Wait! What are you doing?! We don't know what it is!

5:
Help me put it down!

5:
We'll need a full barrel.

6:
Go back to the source

9:
I now know the truth! The Scientist! The Scientist; he's the source! He gave us his soul. (3, 4 and 7 learns) We are him.

1:
No! We have rules! [8 walks in] Our new guest seems confused. [to 9] Perhaps I can help you achieve some clarity.

1:
When we woke in this world, it was chaos. Man and machine attacked each other with fire and metal.

2:
[to the Cat Beast] Here, kitty, kitty. Why don't you finish what you started... with me?

7:
What? Go back to 1? So he can lock us away while this nightmare awakens? Never.