VOX Box: V for Vendetta Prelude
Characters[]
Location[]
- London, England
- November 4th 2016, 2258 Local Time
VOX Archive[]
- Fate: -that Braxton and Streathon are quarantine zones as of today.
- Evey Hammond: [heels clacking on pavement]
- Fate: It is suggested that these areas be avoided for reasons of health and safety.
- Evey Hammond: [sigh, heels clacking on pavement]
- Fate: Good news following the productivity reports from Herefordshire indicating a possible end to meat rationing starting mid-February.
- Evey Hammond: Come on... Come on... [heels clacking on pavement]
- Fate: Police raided seventeen homes in the Birmingham area, uncovering what is believed to be a major terrorist ring with ties to the radical extremist Penelope Black.
- Evey Hammond: Bloody hell. Where are you? [sigh]
- Fate: Twenty-seven people, eight of them women, are currently in detention awaiting trial.
- Evey Hammond: Five minutes more and I'm leaving. That's it... [sigh, heels clacking on pavement]
- Fate: And that is the face of London tonight.
- [loud chime]
- Evey Hammond: Oh, [expletive] off. I know. [watch beeping] I know. [click]
- Fate: A yellow-coded curfew is now in effect. Any unauthorized personnel outdoors will be subject to arrest. This is for your protection. A yellow-coded curfew is now in effect. Any unauthorized personnel outdoors will be subject to arrest. This is for your protection. This is Fate signing off and bidding all of London a pleasant evening.
- Evey Hammond: [sneer:] Oh, [expletive] off, Big Sister. [scoff] Pleasant evening? Pfft...
- Fingerman 1: [footsteps, whistle] Excuse me! You there!
- Evey Hammond: [sigh,heels clacking on pavement rapidly] About time. You're late. We agreed to meet before curfew. [sigh] Oh, well, no bother now. Let's just get off the street... Where did you park?
- Fingerman 1: Park? What? My car?
- Evey Hammond: [sigh] Yeah, you have one I presume... or do you live near here?
- Fingerman 1: Nah, i don't live in this slum.
- Evey Hammond: Okay. So your car is where then?
- Fingerman 1: What do we need a car for, love? In a hurry, are we?
- Evey Hammond: I was just...
- Fingerman 1: It's past curfew, you know.
- Evey Hammond: Yes, I already said as much. Did you not hear me?
- Fingerman 1: What are you doing out past curfew, sweet thing like you?
- Evey Hammond: Wait, are you not my- [gasp] My apologies. I thought you were someone else. [heels clacking on pavement rapidly]
- Fingerman 1: [rapid footsteps, grapple] Hold on now, love. Answer my question now.
- Evey Hammond: I'm sorry. I was meeting someone. I thought-
- Fingerman 1: Who were you meeting?
- Evey Hammond: My uncle. He's very sick. He might have got lost. I should go find him-
- Fingerman 1: [scoff] Sick uncle, is it? Willy, what do you think of that?
- Fingerman 2: [footsteps] It's a load of bollocks, I say.
- Evey Hammond: [gasp] I made a mistake. I shouldn't be out after curfew. I know that.
- Fingerman 1: Maybe you could look after us before getting back to your uncle. My friend's kind of sick. Ain't you?
- Fingerman 2: Real sick. Bad case of the blues. [chuckle, grapple] You can feel them.
- Evey Hammond: [gasp, struggle, slap, heels clacking on pavement] Don't touch me!
- Fingerman 1: Look, Willy, kitty got claws.
- Fingerman 2: She just threatened us.
- Fingerman 1: That she did, that she did.
- Fingerman 2: You know what that means,, don't you?
- Fingerman 1: It means that we exercise our own judicial discretion. [clatter]
- Fingerman 2: [clatter, chuckle] And you get to swallow it.
- Evey Hammond: You're Fingermen.
- Fingerman 2: She's getting the picture.
- Evey Hammond: No, please, I didn't know. I'm sorry.
- Fingerman 1: Not yet you're not. But you will be. By sunup, if you're not the sorriest piece of ass in all of London... then you'll certainly be the sorest. [chuckle]
- Evey Hammond: Oh, God, no. Please don't do this. [heels clacking on pavement]
- Fingerman 1: Oh, don't feign innocence with us. I know you thought I was your john, you filthy whore.
- Evey Hammond: Please, I'll go home. I won't do it again, I swear! Please!
- Fingerman 1: What do you think, Willy?
- Fingerman 2: Spare the rod, spoil the child. [chuckle, rapid footsteps grapple]
- [rapid footsteps, struggle, grapple, fabric tearing]
- Evey Hammond: [scream:] Help me! Someone help!
- [lascivious laughter: 2 instances, grapple, body hitting brick wall, painted grunt, zipper unzipping]
- V: [footsteps] The multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him.
- Fingerman 1: What the hell?! [feet shuffling, zipper zipping]
- Fingerman 2: Bugger off!
- V: Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel- [footsteps, knife unsheathing, knife twirling]
- Fingerman 1: [scoff, footsteps] We're Fingermen, pal! [clatter]
- V: -which smoked with bloody execution. [slash, leather dropping on pavement]
- Fingerman 1: [gasp] ...
- V: [knife twirling] ... [smack]
- Fingerman 1: [thud]
- Fingerman 2: Oh, now you've done it! [gun unholstered]
- V: [rapid footsteps] ... [knife twirling, stab]
- Fingerman 2: Ah! [gunshot, ricochet on brick]
- V: [whack, whack, gun fumbling on pavement at distance] ... [smack, footsteps]
- Fingerman 2: [stumbling footsteps] ...
- V: [slash, fabric shifting, pause] ... [whack]
- Fingerman 2: [thud, clumsy frantic crawling] ... [groan, clumsy frantic crawling]
- V: We are oft to blame in this. [footsteps, stomp] 'Tis too much proved.
- Fingerman 2: [pained whimper] Jesus Christ! Mercy!
- V: That with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself.
- Fingerman 2: W-w-what's that mean?
- V: [knife twirling] Spare the rod... [smack]
- Fingerman 2: [thud]
- Evey Hammond: [gasp] ... [clatter, heels clacking on pavement]
- V: [footsteps,knife sheathed] I can assure you, I mean you no harm.
- Evey Hammond: Who are you?
- V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what... ...and what I am is a man in a mask.
- Evey Hammond: Oh, I can see that.
- V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
- Evey Hammond: [pause] Right.
- V: But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona.
- Evey Hammond: Okay?
- V: [throat clears, footsteps] Voilà! [cape fluttering] In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. [footsteps] However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice, and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. [knifes unsheathed: 2 instances, slash, paper slicing, slash, paper slicing, knives sheathed, sigh] The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, [footsteps] for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. [pause, giggle] Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, [pause] So let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
- Evey Hammond: Are you, like, a crazy person?
- V: I am quite sure they will say so. [pause] But to whom, might I ask, am I speaking?
- Evey Hammond: I'm Evey.
- V: Evey? [pause] E-vey. [chuckle] Of course you are.
- Evey Hammond: What does that mean?
- V: It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidence. Are you hurt?
- Evey Hammond: No, I'm fine. [fabric shifting, pause] Thanks to you.
- V: [scoff] Oh, I merely played my part. But tell me, do you enjoy music, Evey?
- Evey Hammond: I suppose.
- V: You see, I'm a musician of sorts and on my way to give a very special performance.
- Evey Hammond: What kind of musician?
- V: Percussion instruments are my specialty. But tonight I intend to call upon the entire orchestra for this event and would be honored if you could join me.
- Evey Hammond: I don't think so. I should be getting home.
- V: I promise you, it'll be like nothing you've ever seen. And afterwards, you'll return home safely.
- Evey Hammond: All right.
- [Focus Shift: Location. 0.7 miles to the East. 52m 27s later]
- Evey Hammond: [clatter, gasp, footsteps] It's beautiful up here. I've never seen the Old Bailey from up here.
- V: A more perfect stage could not be asked for. [footsteps]
- Evey Hammond: I don't see any instruments.
- V: But wait. It is to Madame Justice that I dedicate this concerto in honor of the holiday she seems to have taken from these parts and in recognition of the impostor that stands in her stead.
- Evey Hammond: Madame Justice? The statue up there?
- V: Your powers of observation continue to serve you well.
- Evey Hammond: [pause, sigh] What am I doing?
- V: Tell me, Evey, what good is an actor that plays his part to an empty theatre?
- Evey Hammond: I don't know.
- V: Nor do I. That's why you are here. I need you, Evey. I need someone to listen, to bear witness.
- Evey Hammond: To your music?
- V: Not mine. Tonight we will be enjoying Tchaikovsky. Tell me, do you know what day it is, Evey?
- Evey Hammond: Uh... [tap, tap] November the 4th? [beep, beep]
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Not anymore.
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Remember, remember-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: The 5th of November-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: The gunpowder treason and plot-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: I know of no reason-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Why the gunpowder treason-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Should ever be forgot-
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: First, the overture.
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Yes. Yes, the strings.
- Evey Hammond: ...
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- V: Listen carefully, now the brass, can you hear it?
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- [Ambient filter: orchestral music playing on loudspeaker: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture]
- Evey Hammond: I can hear it!
- [distant bell chimes: 3 instances]
- Evey Hammond: How are you doing this? [gasp] Did you hack Fate?
- V: Wait. Here comes the crescendo!
- [explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion]
- Evey Hammond: [gasp] ...
- V: [chuckle] ...
- [explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion, explosion]
- V: [chuckle] How beautiful! [chuckle] Is it not? [chuckle]
- [explosion, explosion, fireworks soaring: 5 instances, fireworks exploding: 5 instances, explosion]
- Evey Hammond: Oh my. [pause] It's beautiful...
- V: Indeed it is, Evey, indeed it is. All over London, as we speak, windows are thrown open and faces lit with awe and wonder as they gaze at the omen scrawled in fire in the night sky. Beautiful, indeed.
- [sirens in the distance, thunderclap, rain drizzling]
- V: [sigh] Thank you for this, Evey. Now, let us see you safely home, as promised.
Trivia and Notes[]
- Story continues in VOX Box: V for Vendetta 1.
- Debut of V and Evey Hammond.