The Pseudonym By Tyler Mansmith

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BLACK SCREEN A bill has just been passed through the U.S. congress and that allows the FBI and CIA to monitor sites for piracy and copyright infringement without limits and shut them down if even a single post in found illegal. Due to the flawed bill, the Internet become so censored it almost become useless. Websites are shut down more and more each day. As an act of defiance, CIA agent Matt Anderson has begun hacking government sites and accounts under the alias Pseudo. He hasnt been discovered yet... The TITLE fades in -THE PSEUDONYM EXT. PARK - DAY JOURNALIST sits on a park bench waiting. ANDERSON approaches. ANDERSON Thanks for meeting me. ANDERSON sits down. JOURNALIST No problem. Im happy to help the cause. ANDERSON You do realize if they find out youre helping me youll be in great danger, right? JOURNALIST Im well aware. ANDERSON (Pauses) They took down more sites today. Wikipedia is gone. They even took down a web comic. JOURNALIST So whats youre next move?

(CONTINUED)

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2.

ANDERSON Here, take this. Hands him a sealed ENVELOPE. Its stamped CLASSIFIED. I dont know how much more I can get away with. Use those documents and leak them to the public anyway you can. Last week I took down every website that belonged to a member of congress. This week I need to do something bigger. Then I need to go underground for awhile... JOURNALIST (chuckles) I dont know how you do it Anderson, but keep doing it. (Looks at envelope) Well I suppose Ill be off now. They stand up and shake hands. JOURNALIST (CONTD) Good luck. ANDERSON Lets hope I dont need it. They begin to walk in separate directions. Matt pulls out his PHONE and looks at it with a puzzled look. Suddenly a silenced GUNSHOT is heard and Anderson instinctively knows the sound. He quickly turns around to see the journalist fall dead to the ground. He begins running and ducks behind a bench just as a bullet goes by. He sits breathing fast then pulls out his PHONE and DIALS a number. (Dial tone is heard) ANDERSON Shit! He then takes off his HAT. Slowly, he puts the hat above the bench and its SHOT out of his hand. He ducks back down and breaths heavily. He then takes off his jacket and throws it to the right. He uses the distraction to run for it, by bolting to the left. Another SHOT is heard but misses him as he runs past some trees. One more SHOT is heard and grazes his arm. He cries out but gets up and keeps running. He makes a break for it across the street. Car HORNS BLARE as he run across and gets away.

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INT. CIA BREAK ROOM - LATER HACKMAN pours himself some coffee. Hes dressed in a suit and looks overwhelmed. He sits at a laptop when HARRISON burst in angrily. HARRISON Hackman! (He throws a file down) What in the hell is this? HACKMAN Harrison, calm down. Christ, I cant even relax in the break room without someone bothering me... HARRISON Why is there a kill order out on ANDERSON? HACKMAN Because MATT ANDERSON is a traitor and a mole. We learned that he was the one working under the alias Pseudo. Hes the one who was behind the hacking of government sites and leaking our information to the public. HARRISON So you have him killed instead of arrested? HACKMAN He is a rogue agent that must be put down. Its one thing to disagree with the bill that was put through congress, but hes created a shit storm for us that needs to end immediately. If you have a problem with that, then i suggest you keep it to yourself. HARRISON This is bullshit JOHN. HACKMAN Life is full of bullshit Harrison. Deal with it. Ive given the asset a green light. Agent BELLICOSE should handle it swiftly.

(CONTINUED)

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4.

HARRISON You cant just use these black ops agents as your personal hit squad. Just because you have them at your disposal, doesnt mean you should use them like-Assistant pops in the doorway ASSISTANT Um, sir? I need to tell you something urgent. (She looks at HARRISON) Its regarding Operation DOMINION. HACKMAN Its okay, come on in. Harrison is fully aware of the operation. Assistant walks to the table. ASSISTANT Its Anderson. He got away. HACKMAN What! God dammit. How did this happen? ASSISTANT Im not sure. The reporter is dead but ANDERSON got away. Police are arriving on the scene and we cant hold them off. BELLICOSE is in pursuit as we speak. HACKMAN puts his head in his hands for a beat. He sighs then looks up. HACKMAN Shit. Its gonna be hard to blame this on enemies of the CIA if Andersons not dead at the god damn scene! This is a disaster. ASSISTANT Should I send someone else? HACKMAN No. BELLICOSE will get the job done. (He looks back to Harrison) Well what do you know? You may just get what you asked for. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: He follows the assistant out of the room. Off HARRISON... EXT. CITY STREET - LATER

5.

Anderson runs down a city street across from the park. He holds his injured arm as he goes. Police SIRENS HOWLING. He runs across the street and stops to see if hes being followed. He then turns a corner into an alley and stops half way through to see agent BELLICOSE coming from the other side. ANDERSON: BELLICOSE? They exchange a brief glance. Bellicose pulls out a HANDGUN and starts approaching. ANDERSON quickly jumps onto the fire escape and begins to climb. He scrambles to avoid the bullets and gets to the top. EXT. CITY ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS BELLICOSE appears and doesnt see ANDERSON. Hes shown hiding behind a pillar. BELLICOSE approaches and ANDERSON uses the element of surprise. He jumps out, knocks the GUN out of BELLICOSEs hands and it falls to the ground. BELLICOSE throws a punch and a fight ensues. ANDERSON throws a punch and BELLICOSE blocks. They seem an even match as they meet each others every move. Then BELLICOSE gets a punch in ANDERSONs rib cage. ANDERSON cringes. BELLICOSE kicks him and knocks him over and he falls on his back. ANDERSON swipes his legs and trips BELLICOSE to the ground. They both get up and lunge towards each other. BELLICOSE blocks then hits ANDERSON in the face. BELLICOSE get another hit in and ANDERSON stumbles. He appears to be losing energy, and possibly the fight. Suddenly he swoops a punch in and throws BELLICOSE over. He lunges for the gun, turns and shoots, killing BELLICOSE off screen. He stands still for a minute, breathing heavily. He snaps out of it and walks over to the body and takes BELLICOSEs phone. He puts the gun in the back of his pants and walks off screen.

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EXT. CITY STREET - SUNDOWN HACKMAN is walking on the sidewalk with his briefcase. He has just left work for the day. His PHONE begins RINGING. He looks at it, then answers. HACKMAN Agent Bellicose, its about time I heard from you. Whats the status on Anderson? EXT. UNDEFINED SPACE - CONTINUOUS ANDERSON Hello John. INTERCUT: HACKMAN ANDERSON...? Wheres Bellicose? ANDERSON BELLICOSE is dead John. HACKMAN Jesus...youve made your last mistake Anderson. Well find you. And when we do, youll wish you would of bit the bullet. ANDERSON Youre gonna wish you never tried to kill me. HACKMAN What the hell is that suppose to mean? ANDERSON Well, in a way, I was in charge of your dirty laundry. You may of shut down my access and phone, but Im not stupid. I stored your data a while ago, just in case... (Looks at USB hes holding) Lets just say your gonna need a damn good lawyer. HACKMAN So this is blackmail? Fine, what do you want Anderson

(CONTINUED)

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7.

ANDERSON Nothing. I just wanna wait in the shadows til the day that you fall. HACKMAN: You son of a bitch. If you even try to ruin me, you wont live to see the light of day. I swear Ill-ANDERSON Hey John? HACKMAN What! We now see ANDERSON is standing against a pillar on the exterior of a building. ANDERSON Quit jaywalking, youre gonna get yourself hit. (Hangs up) Ending music begins playing as HACKMAN drops his briefcase and looks horrified. He realizes ANDERSON is watching him from somewhere. He begins looking around as he stands in the middle of the crosswalk but doesnt see Anderson. Then Anderson is shown walking away down the street in the opposite direction. He boards a train and it leaves the station. --Fade to Credits THE END