I wrote these two audition monologues during the casting process on Gears Tactics.
The second character ended up being cut; for the first, when the marvellous Debra Wilson was cast, she stated that it was specifically the monologue I wrote that meant that she “had to have this role”.
Mentions of “Gears” or “COG” are references to the in-world military-industrial complex, and “the Locust” are the game’s reptilian enemies.
“Tia”
Tia is a refugee leader giving a one-on-one pep talk to one of her people, a young man who has succumbed to a moment of despair. He’s sitting on the ground with his head in his hands, and she’s sat or knelt down next to him.
(monologue inspired by Superman #701)
| SURVIVOR …So why bother even trying to survive? The world’s gone crazy with death. There’s no safety here. It’s not fair. I had a mom! I had a little brother. He was gonna be a vet. It’s not fair! |
| TIA You’re right. It’s not fair. Your little brother is dead, and that psychopath Prescott is alive. Your mom is dead, my husband is dead. And there are thousands of Locust, still alive, who want us to die, too. It’s not fair. But — it’s not malicious, either. It’s not actively unfair. It just — it’s just how it is. (beat) I’m not going to tell you to push back the dark because it’s our duty. We’re not Gears. Your duty is to you. But I’ll tell you what. Yesterday, we had that ash storm. I thought I was gonna throw up from the taste, and the grit in the back of my mouth. It was dark in the middle of the damn afternoon. And then the sunset was — I don’t have the words. It was so beautiful it was… painful. For two minutes, it made me forget the taste in my mouth and the ache in my feet. One day, I plan to have that feeling again. I’ll have a happy day every now and then. I won’t be scared and mad all the time. I’m betting everything I have that that’s what we’re all gonna make, together. So here’s the thing. If you can decide that you know — without question, that you truly and deeply believe right down to the bottom of your shoe-leather, that you are never gonna have another happy day… then you stay here, and you let yourself get found by Locust. But if you think there’s a chance, just a little one, that you’ve got just one more happy day? One more day that makes you glad you stuck around to see it? Then you stand your ass up, and we get back on the road. |
“Crow”
Crow is standing up in front of her rag-tag force of mercenaries to brief them on their next assignment.
All right, you knock-kneed knuckle-draggers, look sharp! We’ve got some new intel, fresh from our scouts – and thanks for that, Cobra and Dingo. Stellar work. There’s some sort of convoy moving into our territory, and I want more info about it. We know it contains civilian vehicles as well as COG, and we’ve spotted COG armour as well as improvised armour and weapons, so it’s not clear to me who exactly is coming here. I do not enjoy this lack of clarity, and I trust you will all do your utmost to speedily address it. Usual squads. Keep out of sight and don’t go looking for trouble. Unless a Locust patrol is about to literally fall over you – and yes, Strig, I do mean literally and not figuratively, wipe that smirk off your face – you are not to engage with anyone or anything. Observe the convoy and report back with numbers and relative strength by tomorrow.If they spot you, be advised that you’ll be on KP for a week and I will personally be makin’ fun of you for the rest of your time on this planet. Dismissed. |
Screenshots of the original casting sides included below for reference.
KHAN 