The song Take Me to Church by Hozier discussed Catholic Church discrimination against the queer community, in this song specifically homosexual men. This song has been powerful for me since I was a queer child in Catholic school who faced a lot of bullying from staff and students alike. I remember this song when I fell in love for the first time, and it became a huge scandal where I was called into the Priest’s office and told not to corrupt his “sheep”. This song highlights the brutality faced by queer people under Catholic ideology. In this song it specifically covers physical brutality, but the lyrics also allude to mental brutality as well with constantly being beat down and “starving faithful”. The song shows the unique predictaments of religious queer people and feeling isolated from religious communities due to discrimination. The song demonstrates the conflictingness of having a pure and loving same-sex relationship, and how it can be criminalized in religious communities.I resonated a lot with the lyrics “only then I am human, only then I am clean”, in reference to rituals of the Catholic Church as I was harassed a lot for not getting “Confirmed” into the Catholic Church as a child, and it inevitably affected my grades as well due to biases. The whole video is hard to watch but the lyrics are so powerful. I have gone back to this song since I was in 7th grade and have felt moved by it ever since.
ALEX MONTAG walks through the mine tunnel. Only his back is seen. The tunnel is damp and dark, dripping with condensed water. DRIP, DRIP, DRIP, sound continuously plays throughout. This is a still.
A gif of ALEX MONTAG’s boots, dirty and wet, walking towards the SECURITY GUARD boots.
ALEX MONTAG’s front view, a close up shot, a diagonal shadow covering over his face and outfit. DRIP DRIP DRIP continues. This is a still. Small elements, a sneak peak of the underground society is shown in this panel.
An establishing, long profile shot showing both ALEX and SECURITY GUARD, standing and talking amidst other people walking to their stations. The elements of the mine and the underground society is fully shown in this panel. SECURITY GUARD is of higher social hierarchy. Despite that, she is talkative and treats ALEX like he is human of the same degree and worth. Faint and muted sounds of chatter of various languages are heard.
SECURITY GUARD:
Hand.
ALEX presents his hand to the SECURITY GUARD in a close up aerial shot. SECURITY GUARD takes his hand and places a blood test machine over his hand and wrist. Micro-needles pinch his wrist and the machine is labeled ‘Alcohol Blood Test’.
ALEX winces.
SECURITY GUARD looks down on ALEX’s arm, swipes his blood off his arm quickly.
SECURITY GUARD:
Sorry. I bet that’s hard to get used to.
SECURITY GUARD and ALEX make eye contact. ALEX looks away quickly.
ALEX:
It’s not that bad.
Awkward pause as SECURITY GUARD looks at results.
SECURITY GUARD:
You’re clean. Again. You’re always clean.
SECURITY GUARD smiles. ALEX doesn’t smile back but looks down and lets go of his hand. He remembers hearing another enforcer call her by her name. IRIS. That’s what it was. IRIS clears her throat.
IRIS:
You can go inside now. I bet it's pretty dangerous in there, so good luck this week.
ALEX nods shyly, and walks through the gate towards the inside of the mine. He passes several doors and continues until he reaches the locker room, which he enters. A long shot shows the mostly empty – just a few miners here and there. The sound of quiet chatter in various languages, squeaking metal doors and slow, heavy footsteps are mixed together. The atmosphere is muted and dreary.
ALEX stands in front of his locker to take out his mining boots and helmet. ALEX’S COWORKER stands beside him and does the same thing. ALEX looks over a picture of him and his brother on the locker, with the frame saying “Happy Birthday Alex, love, your little brother.” Sounds of tools and clothes rustling and the opening and closing of locker doors, snapping ALEX out of a short trance.
ALEX and the rest of the miners start walking to their respective working stations. Amidst the talking, ALEX’s expression looks more serious and dark. Other miners have accepted this modern slavery as their daily routine, but ALEX does not. It seems he has a vendetta against the system, for what it did to his brother.
Simultaneously, on the opposite end of the mine, some miners in training have unknowingly drilled into a sensitive and unbalanced part of the mine.
Yelling and shouting ensues. The mine starts crumbling; rocks are falling out. The lights flickering and swaying, and the ground shakes as boulders fall from the roof.
ALEX frantically looks around, trying to figure out what to do. A giant rock falls behind him and he is knocked to the ground.
ALEX tries to stand up, but the ground is too shaky. He look up only to see his COWORKER directly under the path of falling rocks.
ALEX has a flashback. As the rocks continue to fall above his COWORKER he sees something else: his brother when the same disaster happened a year ago.
When ALEX blinks, the hallucination is gone. COWORKER is again the one under the path of the rocks, but now it is too late. ALEX gets up and tries to run towards him, but the rocks have already crushed COWORKER.
ALEX has a second flashback. He sees his brother who was also crushed by rocks.
ALEX:
No! No, no, no, no, no.
All he can see is BROTHER’s bloodied face. ALEX tries to push the rocks off his body but he can’t; they’re too heavy. He caresses his brother’s face as BROTHER’s life eyes flicker and his life slowly fades away.
ALEX:
(between sobs)
NO! You’re okay, stay with me, come on.
The ground shakes violently, and ALEX snaps out of the trance. COWORKER is again the one crushed by rocks, and now, he is dead.
The rest of the mine is collapsing fast. ALEX acknowledges the need to get out, he will run back towards the entrance of the mine in order to escape this chaos. As he stands he witnesses endless destruction around him: CHECKPOINT 1.
He covers his head and neck, and dodges falling debris. He reaches the entrance of the mine – where he had arrived through just an hour before. But the gate was locked. A tall establishing shot reveals the height and strength of the gate, reinforcing the horrific conditions that the miners live in. Once they enter the mine, they cannot leave until their week shift is over.
TRAUMA 2
BEEP! BEEP!
ALEX suddenly hears the ringing of a radio from a door to his left. It is marked ‘COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: SECURITY ONLY’. ALEX tries the doorknob. The door is locked of course, miners only have access their basic necessities: the mess hall, sleep chambers and locker room. CHECKPOINT 2.
BEEP! BEEP!
CHOICE NARRATOR
(a) Ignore the ringing and find another way to safety
(b) Enter the office and use the radio to call for help
(a)
ALEX ignores the ringing radio from the Communications Office and decides to head back into the mine to find another escape. Suddenly, a support beam snaps under the weight of the fallen rocks, causing the roof of the mine to collapse completely. ALEX is injured fatally and dies. RETURN TO CHECKPOINT 2.
(b)
INT. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - NIGHT
ALEX decides to try entering the Communications Office. But since the door is locked, he needs to find a way in. He picks up a rock from the ground and smashes the keypad lock with it. The lock begins to smoke and the door swings open.
SFX: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
ALEX quickly finds the radio and answers the call.
ENFORCER:
(robotic, operator sound)
This is an automated message to the nearest supervisor or commanding officer. We will not engage or assist. Repeat. We will not engage or assist.
ENFORCER hangs up. ALEX drops the phone and sits desperately alone inside the Communications office below the table, taking cover. Soon enough, the phone malfunctions and the cables bursts into sparks. ALEX looks hopeless, his face full of grime and sweat. Debris, dust, and unplugged electrical cables are all exposed and tangled in the office. He coughs from all the dust around him.
SFX: BAAAMM & ZZZTTTT- ZZZTTTTTT-
Seemingly accepting his fate, ALEX sits under the table, hugging his knees. Eyes seeming blank. Suddenly he heard a faint sound after all the debris has died down.
IRIS:
(coughs, voice strained and faint)
Help! Help!!!! Please! Help!
ALEX shakes out of his trance and gets up, walking towards the desperate shouts. He gets closer to the source and sees a flailing gloved arm underneath the rocks, wearing a band that indicates they are part of the ENFORCERS. ALEX looks at the hand for a while before making his decision...
CHOICE NARRATOR:
(a) Ignore the Enforcer.
(b) Help the Enforcer.
(a)
Go to Trauma 3.
(b)
ALEX lifts up the rocks covering the ENFORCER. It is actually IRIS ALEX meets every morning trapped under the debris. Her legs are impaled by a broken pole. She looks disheveled and very exhausted by otherwise, not badly injured.
IRIS:
(coughs, looking very exhausted and pale)
It’s you.
IRIS smiles painfully, despite being hurt and exhausted, and ALEX softens.
IRIS:
(gestures to the pole)
Do you think you could get me out of this?
ALEX ponders for a moment. He recognizes IRIS… the only ENFORCER who actually treats him like another human being. Despite that, ALEX is torn. Is helping an ENFORCER, partly responsible for the warped modern slavery system he lives in, the right thing to do?
CHOICE NARRATOR:
(a) Don’t help IRIS
(b) Help IRIS
(a)
Go to TRAUMA 3
(b)
ALEX chooses to help IRIS although he’s still unsure if its the right thing to do… for his community, for his brother. But right now, he’s putting the life in front of him as priority.
ALEX:
This is gonna hurt.
IRIS nods. While saving IRIS, ALEX has a flashback, he sees his dying brother.
CHOICE NARRATOR:
Click repeatedly to dislodge the pole!
SFX: AAARGGHHH!!!! CLANK!
IRIS and ALEX sits with their backs to the wall, both breathing heavily. There is an awkward silence as the two sit still in the debris, catching their breaths. After a moment, IRIS struggles to take out something out of her pocket. ALEX watches her discreetly, avoiding eye contact with IRIS.
IRIS:
(while searching her pocket)
My radio has no signal.
IRIS:
I’ll be damned if anyone above ground would respond anyways.
IRIS realises what she’s said and frantically looks at ALEX, who then looks away.
IRIS:
I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.
There’s another awkward pause between the two.
ALEX:
(while avoiding eye contact)
You did. But it’s fine, we know they send us down here because they don’t want us. We’re outsiders.
IRIS grows sad as she hears ALEX say this. She drags her injured self closer to him and pulls out a small digital GPS from her pocket.
IRIS:
Here, I have this.
She places the GPS in ALEX’s hand.
IRIS:
They might not want you, but that you don’t deserve to live. Let’s both make it out of here alive.
ALEX is torn hearing this. As a miner his understanding of ENFORCERS are that they are all robotic dictators who treat undergrounders like vermin. IRIS, seems like she has humanity in her. IRIS breaks ALEX out of his trance.
ALEX:
(hesitantly)
Thank you.
Conversation pauses as ALEX opens the map.
CHOICE NARRATOR:
Click to open the map. Click to close the map.
IRIS:
(softly)
Thank you for saving me.
ALEX:
Yeah.
(clears his throat)
Do you know the way out?
IRIS:
I do. We can go through the east wing; the elevation there is highest, it’s a long shot to hope that someone will answer, but my radio will work there.
CHOICE NARRATOR
(a) Immediately go with first choice.
(b) Ask for an alternative way out.
(b)
ALEX
Is there an alternative?
IRIS pulls out her map and looks for another way.
IRIS:
There is one other way, but it’s a big risk. If we ride the goods transfer train we could get out fast. But with everything that’s happened, I can’t guarantee that our path would be clear.
IRIS:
What do you think?
She looks straight at him. ALEX is startled by an Enforcer asking for his opinion.
CHOICE NARRATOR
(a) Go with the first, slower, safer choice.
(b) Go with the second, faster, riskier choice.
(a)
ALEX
I’m not sure it’s my place to say but… the first choice is safer for us. Especially with your injured leg. Let’s go now.
FLASHBACK 3. ALEX help IRIS stand up, offering her his hand. They both walk slowly towards the exit of the Communications Office, but debris covers their path. ALEX uses his tools to clean the debris, creating a path for them.
CHOICE NARRATOR:
Use your pickaxe to clear the rubble.
(b)
ALEX:
(looking above, at the mine’s condition)
We need to get out of here as fast as possible. Let’s go.
ALEX help IRIS stand up. They walk slowly towards the cart. ALEX helps IRIS get in the cart first, making sure it is secure, and making sure IRIS’s leg is safe and comfortable. ALEX hops on. The cart starts moving and picking up speed. Far ahead, ALEX sees something.
ALEX:
(squinting and quietly)
What’s….
IRIS:
It’s going to fork. Pull it! Quick!
CHOICE NARRATOR:
(with limited time limit)
Pull before it’s too late!
(a)
ALEX, taking too long to consider, didn’t manage to pull the lever in time. The cart picks up speed and falls of the rails, descending below. ALEX and IRIS dies due to the impact of the fall. Return to CHECKPOINT 2.
(b)
SFX: SKRTTTTTTTT!!!!!
ALEX managed to pull the lever in time and the cart switches lane. ALEX and IRIS missed on the other lane an incomplete rail. They continue on their rail until a pile of rocks stops them. The impact of the crash sets off another earthquake.
ALEX:
(looks up)
Damn it-
Pile of rocks fall from above, and the last thing we see is ALEX and IRIS’s shocked faces.
CUTS TO BLACK:
TRAUMA 3
SFX: COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!
INT. MINE - NIGHT
The scene begins with ALEX and IRIS coughing, screen still black. They are alive.
FADE IN:
ALEX and IRIS emerge from the dust and rocks, coughing, and looking even more disheveled and grimy.
ALEX and IRIS find their way out from the train tracks only to find the floor near east wing caved in. The sounds of the collapsing mine steadily gets louder, and the shaking of the ground becomes more intense. CHECKPOINT 3.
IRIS:
(worried)
We better hurry up! The walls won’t last much longer!
Both IRIS and ALEX know the mine is collapsing soon. ALEX lets go of IRIS to frantically search for the way out of the mine. He finds on after pushing aside some rocks and discovering a gate with a dislodged sign reading ‘GATE F’. ALEX removes the sign and discovers an etched out ‘EXIT’ label. He angrily realizes this was something Enforcers changed to keep them inside the mine.
CHOICE NARRATOR:
(a) ALEX asks IRIS to stay behind and goes to check what’s ahead
(b) ALEX asks IRIS to go along with him
(a)
ALEX decides to leave IRIS behind and goes check what’s ahead. ALEX is afraid IRIS’s injured leg would slow down the progress and create unnecessary incidents.
ALEX:
(panicked)
Just stay here, don’t move! I will be back!
ALEX lifts up the gate and walks through it, however, without the cautiousness of IRIS, he ends up stepping onto a pile of debris covering up a sinkhole in the middle of the mine floor. ALEX falls through it, is injured fatally and dies. RETURN TO CHECKPOINT 3.
(b)
ALEX:
Do you trust me? This might be our only way to the east wing.
IRIS nods. IRIS holds on to ALEX’s arm and both walking slowly and cautiously with each step on the crumbling floor. The weak and fragile floor crumbled after they reached east wing. They look both relieved and shocked as they managed to cross over but there is no way back now, the only way is forward. ALEX and IRIS look at each other deeply. But, their facial expression changes drastically because there is a sudden jolt followed quickly by more strong shaking caused by the crumbling floor.
INT. MINE – FLASHBACK
The intensity of the rumbling sound trigger ALEX has another flashback. The flashback brings back the incident happened a year ago where his brother crushed by rocks.
INT. MINE – PRESENT
The flashes of memory alternate the present, it’s starting to hinder ALEX’s survival distinct and he does not have the motivation to continue. ALEX stands still and looks lifeless and stiff. IRIS notices something is wrong, she drags ALEX’s arm.
IRIS:
ALEX, we gotta go, please, PLEASE!
ALEX starts walking again but rocks are falling from above. IRIS looks to the back but she realizes there is no way to go back to the previous route. IRIS continues to drag ALEX and urge him to walk faster. A rock hits ALEX’s shoulder and he falls over.
IRIS:
ALEX! Come on! Get up!
ALEX attempts to get up but he has another flashback; his eyes glaze over.
INT. MINE – FLASHBACK
Military vehicles doing daily drives through the mine was a common sight. A disciplinary precaution taken by the higher order so as to keep the miners in check and their brains numb. Another sign of an insecure regime. The miners were so frightened by the idea of being caught by the enforcers that they scuttled out of their paths and muted themselves in the misery that they were forced into. The enforcers never cared to stop for anyone anyway.
Although, a year earlier, an accident took place that changed Alex. During one of those “discipline patrols” one of the trucks lost control and accelerated straight into the walls of the mine. The impact dismantled many support beams which sent the mine to crash down onto the miners. ALEX’s younger brother MAVERIC was one of the many that lost their lives to that fatal accident.
From meters away ALEX watched as boulders from the mine’s roof collapsed on top of his brother. He wasn’t able to get to him fast enough. By the time ALEX reached MAVERIC, it was too late. MAVERIC was buried under the rubble; life slowly faded away in front of Alex, helpless and alone he frantically struggled to shovel through the debris while the miners watched apathetically. ALEX sobs angrily, begging his brother to stay alive. When MAVERIC is finally lifeless, ALEX looks up angrily searching for the Enforcers who caused it. However, they are nowhere to be found; they regained control and continued on their way. But the damage has been done, and no more rocks are falling. Miners are are gathered back, watching ALEX with his lifeless brother. ALEX desperately tries removing the rocks off his brother’s body, expecting other miners to help. No one does. They all stand around at a distance, observing, but ultimately leave ALEX alone. Alex continues to uncover the lifeless body until Iris comes forward to help Alex with his situation. She tries to comfort him by placing her hand on Alex’s shoulder but Alex shudders violently. Iris reaches for her baton but ultimately stops and stares into the abyss. Iris’s empathy is met with disgust.
INT. MINE – PRESENT
While ALEX is living in his flashback, IRIS shakes him violently, trying to wake him up so they can escape the chaos.
IRIS:
ALEX! Please! We have to go NOW! ALEX!
ALEX remains stiff and emotionless. IRIS takes his face in her hands.
IRIS:
(yelling)
ALEX, listen to me. We don’t have time for this. I don’t want to leave you, but I also don’t want to die. Please.
CHOICE NARRATOR:
(a) ALEX listens to IRIS and gets up.
(b) ALEX ignores IRIS.
(a)
ALEX looks into IRIS’s eyes, his eyes clearing up, and snapping back to reality. ALEX lets IRIS help him up. ALEX and IRIS hold on to each other shoulder and run toward the exit. ALEX finally confronts the truth and accepts the fact that his brother’s death was not his fault. They escape the mine.
(b)
ALEX completely ignores IRIS and continue to live in his flashback. IRIS wants to walks away from ALEX, however, with her injured leg, she cannot walk far. As a result, both ALEX and IRIS can’t escape from the mine and they die.
