Episode 1.14: So Close, and Yet--
Written & Produced by Tyler Anderson
Content Warnings (Click to expand)
Abduction, imprisonment
NICHOLAS: (as the intro plays) At the edge of Gilt City, shadows are brought into the light, and all await the arrival of the Night Post. [IN THE BACKGROUND, CRICKETS CHIRPING AND TRAFFIC PASSING BY.] VAL: So, uh, run the game plan by us again. MILO: We get in, find Ashley, then get out--preferably without getting caught. CLEMENTINE: That’s the plan? I thought you said he had this figured out, Val. VAL: I said he knew what he wanted to do, not that he had the details worked out. MILO: I know it’s a lot to figure out on the fly, but… he’s here. I feel it. And...I’m not going to leave without him. CLEMENTINE: Don’t worry, we’re not going to let you do this alone. But we can’t just storm the place--it’s huge! And even if all the pigeons are out on their routes… VAL: It won’t be completely empty. The only lights that are on are on the top floor, though, so that’s a good sign. MILO: First thing’s first: we’ve gotta find a way in. VAL: I feel like I’m stating the obvious, but we could always just try the front entrance. We’re part of the Post, so it’s not like we’d stick out too much. CLEMENTINE: But we’re not a part of this station, and we’re supposed to be on our own routes, remember? MILO: Let’s just hope the front desk isn’t manned. VAL: We can’t only rely on luck here, Milo. MILO: I know that! (sighs) Sorry. Look, if we get kicked out or written up or something, I’ll take the heat for it, okay? What are they gonna do, fire me? CLEMENTINE: Sounds like more of a prize than a punishment. MILO: We’ve mapped out the place a bit from our visit a few days ago, and I have a copy of the directory I snagged from the archives. So we aren’t going in completely blind. VAL: Just enough to make this all a lot harder than if we’d waited, right? MILO: I don’t know how to explain it, but… I don’t think we have the luxury of waiting for a better time. It’s a “now or never” kind of deal. VAL: Don’t worry, we’re backing you up no matter what. Usually I’d be down for busting in and making a scene, but the quicker and quieter we get in and out, the better. MILO: Agreed. I’ll go check the front, okay? If we can get in without being seen I’ll wave you two over. [MILO’S FOOTSTEPS TRAIL AWAY AT A RUN.] CLEMENTINE: What are we doing, Val? We don’t even know for sure that Ashley is here. He’s been missing for a while, and… VAL: And there’s a good chance he’s gone. CLEMENTINE: Yeah… VAL: But Milo seems convinced, and with everything that’s happened, it’s hard not to believe him. CLEMENTINE: I feel the same way. This place is just unsettling. And I don’t want any of us to get hurt. Or worse. VAL: Don’t worry, we’ll watch each other’s backs. I won’t let anything happen to-- CLEMENTINE: Look, Milo’s waving us over. VAL: (sighs) Alright, let’s get this over with. [THE NIGHT SOUNDS ARE REPLACED BY THE FAINT HUM OF CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING. SEVERAL PAIRS OF FOOTSTEPS ECHO ON TILE IN A HALLWAY.] CLEMENTINE: It’s so quiet in here. MILO: Yeah, I definitely expected a little bit more… something. VAL: Better for us this way, I’d say. So, where are we headed, Milo? MILO: I’m not sure. I don’t think the archives are worth searching through again. I didn’t notice too much out of the ordinary when I was down there the first time. And definitely nowhere for someone to hide. VAL: We could try the mail room? There are some offices there that could be worth checking. CLEMENTINE: So are we under the assumption that if Ashley is here, he’s being stashed somewhere like a bag of stolen goods? If I were kidnapped or taken away, I’d make sure to make as big a racket as possible. No way you’d keep me quiet. VAL: That’s true. The sorting and mail rooms were loud, but not loud enough to drown out someone trying to be heard. Let me see that directory, Milo. (paper rustles) So that just leaves… several other floors. MILO: I don’t think we’ll have to check all of them. CLEMENTINE: Mm, why’s that? MILO: I can’t really say, but I’ve got a feeling we need to be going up. CLEMENTINE: There’s an elevator near the back. We can take it all the way to the-- [THREE KNOCKS ECHO FROM SOMEWHERE ABOVE THEM, SLOW AND FAINT.] VAL: Not this again. CLEMENTINE: Uh, maybe that’s the sign to try again another night. MILO: We need to follow it. VAL: Follow it? Haven’t you been running from whatever it is this whole time? MILO: Yes, but I think it’s different this time. CLEMENTINE: Different as in “it might not be a supernatural entity trying to kill us,” or “it’s definitely not a supernatural entity trying to kill us?” [MILO KEEPS WALKING, AND THE OTHERS FOLLOW.] CLEMENTINE: Milo? VAL: Hey, what’s your deal? MILO: We need to hurry. VAL: We need to figure out what we’re getting ourselves into. MILO: We can't know anything for sure. But, Ashley is here and it’s going to lead us to him. Where’s the elevator, Clementine? CLEMENTINE: Uh, around the corner there. [MILO CONTINUES DOWN THE HALLWAY ALONE.] CLEMENTINE: Should we...follow him? VAL: (annoyed sigh) Of course we’re gonna follow him. I just wish we shared his weird sixth sense for otherworldly phenomena. CLEMENTINE: I think we do, don’t we? VAL: I sure as hell haven't noticed it. CLEMENTINE: I don’t think that’s true, though. And I...don’t think you do either. MILO: (in the distance) C’mon you two! VAL: I don’t know, but he sure isn’t gonna give us any time to figure it out. (footsteps echo) What floor are we heading to? MILO: Let’s try the tenth. (pushes button, elevator door closes) If that’s not right, we’ll just keep going up. [THE ELEVATOR DINGS, AND THE DOORS SLIDE OPEN.] CLEMENTINE: It’s...nearly pitch black in here. Not even the city lights filter in. VAL: Yeah, it’s a little too ominous for… (paper shuffles) an accounting department. CLEMENTINE: I expected at least a few stragglers to be hanging around. Isn’t round-the-clock work kind of ingrained into the corporate mindset? VAL: You’re right. Not a single overachiever in sight. And it’s way too quiet. MILO: Yeah. This isn’t the right place. CLEMENTINE: Are you sure? There’s plenty of places to hide someone in here. [THE THREE KNOCKS COME FROM ABOVE AGAIN, LOUDER THIS TIME.] MILO: I’m sure. We’re getting closer, though. Let’s try floor, um, twenty. VAL: Custodial staff floor. Plenty of hidden closets and dark crannies there, for sure. [ANOTHER BUTTON IS PUSHED, AND THE DOORS CLOSE AGAIN. THE ELEVATOR WHIRRS AND RUMBLES SLIGHTLY AS IT GOES UP.] CLEMENTINE: (unconvincing) Yay. CLEMENTINE: Are we sure this isn’t some kind of… I don’t know, uh, some kind of a trap? VAL: Could be. MILO: What do you mean? CLEMENTINE: We haven’t seen a single other person the entire time we’ve been here. VAL: And you’re convinced that we should be following the one thing you’ve been running from for weeks. CLEMENTINE: (after a long pause) Milo? MILO: But what if it’s not a trap? What if this is the only chance I have of finding my husband? What if all this supernatural bullshit is for once working in our favor? What if everything else is just some weird coincidence, and we lucked out? VAL: And if you’re wrong? MILO: I…I... I-I know I’m asking for you two to put a lot of faith into someone you haven’t known very long, and under some of the freakiest circumstances anyone could imagine. And if y’all left right now to go do your routes, I wouldn’t blame you. CLEMENTINE: Oh, we didn’t say we were leaving. We should just play this smart, that’s all. VAL: I don’t think there’s any splitting us up now. Maybe getting to kick some ass along the way is just the cherry on top. [THE RUSTLE OF CLOTHES AGAINST EACH OTHER.] MILO: Thank you. VAL: No problem. But, if you don’t let us go, you’re gonna hurt us. MILO: Oh, right. Sorry. Really, though… I don’t know what I would’ve done without you two. CLEMENTINE: Nothing good, I bet. [WHEN THE ELEVATOR DINGS AND OPENS, THE BUILDING’S EERIE HUM RETURNS.] VAL: And we thought the other floors were creepy. MILO: I wonder how far this hallway goes. CLEMENTINE: It’ll have to stop eventually. The building is only so big. VAL: You don’t believe that, do you? CLEMENTINE: Mm...who can say? MILO: I’m so dumb. Why didn’t we bring a flashlight? VAL: Oh, I did. Just a small one, though. MILO: And you’re just now bringing this up? VAL: I guess I wasn’t too keen on exploring the dark, probably-haunted office spaces, alright? CLEMENTINE: Stop, you two. Hand me that. (flashlight clicks on) Huh...I don’t see the end, do you? MILO: Doesn’t look like there is one. Just a never-ending tunnel of blackness. VAL: Do you think Ashley is here? MILO: No. I don’t think so. But we’re close. CLEMENTINE: Ah, cue the knocking, am I right? [THE KNOCKS, AS SUMMONED, EVEN LOUDER.] VAL: Don’t do that, Clem! CLEMENTINE: Sorry! MILO: We’re going to have to go to the top floor I think. (paper rustling) There’s...no 29. CLEMENTINE: What do you mean? MILO: On the directory. It skips from 28 to 30. VAL: Look, there’s no button for the 29th floor, either. MILO: That’s where he is. Has to be. CLEMENTINE: We’ll find the stairs, then. Surely there’s an actual entrance from the stairwell. MILO: Good call. [A METAL DOOR OPENS WITH A LONG SCREECH. AN EERIE WIND MOANS IN THE BACKGROUND.] MILO: 29 should be the landing right above us. [HURRIED FOOTSTEPS CLIMBING THE STAIRS.] CLEMENTINE: Wait up, Milo! VAL: Did...you open that? MILO: No, I didn’t. CLEMENTINE: This has to be it. [THE KNOCKING RETURNS FOR THE FINAL TIME. IT’S LOUD, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.] MILO: It is. You two… hang tight for a second. Can I see the flashlight, Clementine? VAL: Don’t do anything stupid. CLEMENTINE: I’ll second that. Yell for us as soon as the coast is clear, okay? MILO: I will. [THE FLASHLIGHT CLICKS ON, AND MILO’S FOOTSTEPS ECHO INTO THE DISTANCE. A METAL DOOR SUDDENLY SLAMS SHUT.] VAL: Milo! CLEMENTINE: Milo! MILO: (muffled) Are you two okay? VAL: Yeah, but this damn door won’t open! MILO: Y’all pull and I’ll push! [STRAINING FROM ALL THREE AS THEY TRY TO FORCE THE DOOR OPEN.] CLEMENTINE: I don’t think it’s going to open. VAL: Shit. MILO: I’ll try to find something to… (footsteps echo) VAL: Where are you going? CLEMENTINE: Don’t rush off without us! MILO: I’ll be back. Ashley’s here. CLEMENTINE: Milo! VAL: Good luck, bud. [A WOODEN DOOR CREAKS SLIGHTLY AS IT OPENS. THE WIND IS LOUDER HERE.] MILO: Ashley! ASHLEY: Milo? What are you doing here? MILO: Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay. ASHLEY: (sigh) Yes, I’m okay. What are you doing here, Milo? MILO: What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Come on, we need to get out of here! ASHLEY: Of course you’d just walk right into trouble. MILO: What is wrong, Ashley? You’ve been kidnapped and locked away, and your husband finally finds you, and… you’re acting like you didn’t want to be found. ASHLEY: That’s not it, love. I… I’m happy to see you. Happier than you know, but… you need to leave. MILO: I’m trying to! Let’s go! ASHLEY: I can’t leave, Milo. MILO: Of course you can! There aren’t any chains holding you down! And the door is wide open. Val and Clementine are waiting for us. ASHLEY: Pigeons always flock together, I guess. I’m glad you’ve found friends that can stick by you. Wish I’d hit it off with them a bit better myself. MILO: There’ll be plenty of time for that once we get out of this damn place. ASHLEY: Milo. Listen to me. MILO: (huffs) What is wrong? ASHLEY: You have to calm down. You three are in danger here. MILO: Why? ASHLEY: (pause) The Other. MILO: What about it? I’m in contact with whatever’s out there in the Skelter all the time, and I’m all right. ASHLEY: Yes, but… (deep breath) it’s closer than you think. I wish I had more time to explain. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied, I would have known you were close and could’ve headed you off. MILO: You would’ve... turned me away? After everything we’ve done to try to find you? ASHLEY: Just listen, okay? I’m not exactly normal anymore. I’m as much of the Other as I am myself now. MILO: What are you talking about? You’re still Ashley. A little scruffier than usual, but still you. ASHLEY: Yes, but… no matter how I look on the outside, I’m not the same on the inside. The Governor showed me that. MILO: What do they have to do with this? ASHLEY: A lot. Look, I was with the Post for a long time. Not as long as some have, but I’ve had enough contact with the Other that I’m as connected to it as I am to you. There’s simply not enough time to explain it all, but I’m telling you the truth, and you have to believe me. There’s something coming, and it’s threatening the existence of Gilt City and everyone in it. MILO: Does this have something to do with whatever keeps following me around? ASHLEY: So you’ve heard it. MILO: The knocking? Yes, ever since I got my conscription letter from the Post. ASHLEY: (quietly to himself) That’s… that’s too soon. You hadn’t even been to the Skelter then... maybe being close to me triggered it. [IN THE BACKGROUND, AN AUGMENTED VERSION OF THE INTRO THEME PLAYS.] MILO: Triggered what? ASHLEY: The fact that we’re all still here means that you’ve managed to avoid it so far. If you keep hearing it after this, please promise me you’ll ignore it. No matter what you hear, run the other way. You’re not the only one being called by the Other, but my guess is you might be more vulnerable to it than most. MILO: Val and Clementine have heard it too. We took a trip outside the city and were hounded by whatever it is. ASHLEY: Actually, that makes me feel a bit better. I don’t know them all that well, but they’re good people. Stick with them, okay, Milo? MILO: We both can when we get out of here. But...you’re not leaving, are you? ASHLEY: Not with you. I can’t, love. MILO: Why? ASHLEY: I need to do what I can on the other side. MILO: This doesn’t make any sense. ASHLEY: I know. I wish I had more time to tell you how much I love you and why I have to do what I’m doing, but… we’re out of time. Clementine and Val aren’t the only other people here right now, and I can guarantee you they’re on their way. MILO: Who is? ASHLEY: As soon as I’m gone, grab the other two and leave. I’m not sure how, but I’ll do everything I can to buy you all some more time. MILO: Time for what? ASHLEY: To decide the fate of everyone in Gilt City. Close your eyes, love. MILO: You don’t have to go anywhere, Ashley. I need you--here and now. Please. ASHLEY: Close your eyes. (quietly) I love you. [EERIE WIND GROWS LOUDER WITH THE MUSIC, THEN FADES OUT AS THE TUNE ENDS.] NICHOLAS: (as the outro plays) Thank you for joining us on tonight's route. 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