Higgs sits upright in the centre of the living room, glass of wine on table, glancing up at the clock on his wall. He taps his fingers nervously. The clock is a minute before 1800 and as the very last second closes in so does Zipher. The front sliding door motions open as he slowly takes a few steps in, stopping only just after entering. Higgs stands up from his table and salutes.
”Kin Zipher, welcome. The air is ventilated. Please, feel at home. panicky
Part way through sentence Higgs stops saluting and gestures to the corner of the room at a spinning air vent. Kin Zipher removes his mask with both hands. He places it upon the table but we do not see his face yet.
”Thank you, Captain.”
Zipher’s eyes glisten shutting the door behind him. We cut to a scene ahead. Zipher stands by a window looking out at the city with a glass of wine in hand. Higgs steps up to him from behind.
”And how were your travels? Quite a journey it can be at this time of year?”
Zipher stays fixated on the outside world of the window. Admiring the beauty of the stormy rain against his city.
“My travels, are the dormant of my day.”
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Zipher sculls his glass of wine in one swoop placing the glass down on the window sill. He looks down and across at a tall plant that sits in the room, one of many. He walks over to it grabbing a watering jug as he approaches and begins to feed it.
“I admire your love for the green Captain. If only the rain could rejoice with such creatures.”
Higgs bows his head down as if turned off by such topic.
”They were all my wife’s. It’s funny really, I barely feed them yet, here they still thrive. The green will always hold a sacred place in my heart.”
Zipher looks over at Higgs and places the watering jug down.
”Ahh yes, the wife. A botanist if I am not mistaken, forgive me and remind me again Captain?”
Higgs begins to look very emotional but gulps it up and answers the question.
”Agronomist. She studied and implemented the very production of green for the Gates. She was good at what she did. She was too good.”
”I do indeed remember very clearly now. The Heavens saw in her potential like no other. A sacrificial tragedy Captain Higgs. A dear shame.”
We zoom on Higgs expression. He is emotional at this comment but suppresses the anger he harbours deep down inside.