Kyber Belt Productions presents Kingdom by Phil McMurtry
Episode 8
I'm going to bed Rob. I'm very tired.
I'm not that tired. I'll join you later.
Suit yourself.
What's the matter?
You're the matter. You let those guards just beat Augustus without asking them to stop.
Augustus is a well-educated man, don't you think? And very balanced overall.
I'm not falling for any of that rubbish, Kim. I don't believe any of it. It's all just an act by him to try and trick us.
Trick us? What is he trying to trick us about? He's lost everything. His entire family have been executed and yet he is courteous to us. As though he has accepted defeat and just wants to die.
You are naive, Kim. All is fair in love and war.
I never liked that phrase, Rob. I'm off to bed.
Kimberly has found herself surprised at how dignified Augustus is and how hard she is finding it to hate him.
The more she thinks about him, the more she feels she should suppress her thoughts that they just keep on coming back.
Rob! Rob! You're snoring. Can you turn over on your side, please?
Oh, Rob. Right, that does it. I'm getting dressed. There is no chance of sleeping next to you. What a night! It's so hot in here!
Unable to cool down even by the fountain, she walks to the dungeons where Augustus is incarcerated and lights up his cell with her powerful torch.
Ah! Don't hurt me! Who's there? In the name of Jupiter, show yourself! Stop that bright light!
Sorry, I mean, I'm stupid. I should never have come down here. I should go.
Kimberly, is that you? You are Kimberly Pine, aren't you?
I've made a big mistake.
You are one of the magicians.
I must go. I should not have…
Wait, magician. Come back. Why are you here? Have you come to gloat? Well, what have I done to deserve this honour?
Yes, it's me, Kimberly. Honour? No, no honour. It's just me. I'm here to say hello, I guess.
Here I am. I wonder, if not to gloat, what is the real reason of your visit?
I guess I'm just a bit curious about you.
You want to know more about a dead man walking. Why would anyone want that?
I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, what we've done to you, what we will do to you.
For some strange reason, I needed to see you, to talk to you. You are very…
Different?
Yes, different than what I expected.
Well, how many condemned emperors have you met? You see, I have nothing to do but await my death.
I guess I thought you would be arrogant and cruel, but you seem educated, well-spoken and well-mannered.
I brought you something. It's not much. Some freshly baked bread and some grapes.
Thank you.
I must go now, but I shall visit you tomorrow.
Wait, please, tell me your full name.
It's Kimberly Barbara Jane Pine.
I will see you tomorrow, Kimberly Barbara Jane Pine.
Meeting Augustus at night becomes a regular occurrence for Kim.
Every time she visits, she brings him bread and water, and they talk about everything and anything.
And after a few weeks the impossible happens, they begin to fall in love.
It is killing Kimberly on the inside.
The man she has hated for years has become the love of her life, and now she will lose him in the morning and on her last visit.
You won't believe me when I tell you this story, but I hope I might convince you. I'll try, anyway.
Well, you might as well make it as crazy as possible. It doesn't really matter anymore.
You are a good person, Kimberly Pine, and it is a shame we were on opposing sides. We would have made a good team.
Right, we would have, but unfortunately, as fate would have it, it did not happen that way.
Augustus?
Yes?
I am from the future.
Oh, a magician from the future. That's crazy. How far into the future?
3,052 years into the future. We travelled from that time using a machine. It's called a time machine. Do you believe me?
Well, show this time travel to me, and perhaps I will believe you.
Wow, that is the bright light thing you brought on the first night, isn't it? Show me something as spectacular, my beautiful magician.
For an hour or more, Kim teleports herself and Augustus through many time periods until finally they return to Augustus' cell.
I see that I must believe you.
The four of us hatched a plan. Actually, it was my plan, and my husband Rob helped me bring all of this into reality. He's a very wealthy man in our time.
The plan was to win the war against Rome with our super army of superior men, then rule, thus changing the course of history forever.
Kim, I feel so primitive in comparison. I am thousands of years before your time, but I do have an imagination, and it is telling me that you cannot just change the course of history as and when you wish.
You cannot know, surely, what the long-term effects may be. It may be a lot worse than you realise.
Kim, you must go now. I wish to prepare myself for what is coming. I love you. I will wait for you in the underworld. Go now. We will meet again, I promise.
Isn't life funny at times? Can it be a series of crimes? Did he listen to me? Was he happy? You think of men that you've known? Relationships you've always blown?
You're a long way from your perfect day. Why are you hurting me? I want to know what I've done. Have I said something wrong? I've a right to know. Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go?
You want to get rid of his hurt? Your reputation's turning to dust? So you cry all the time, and you turn to the wine.
Contagious words flow through your mouth. Our friends have a lot of doubts for our future together. Why are you hurting me? I want to know what I've done. Have I said something wrong? I've a right to know. Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go?
Music
Why are you hurting me? I want to know what I've done. Have I said something wrong? I've a right to know. Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go? Are you letting me go?
The long-term plan of Kimberly and Robert Pine has come to fruition. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony are alive and ruling Egypt, and Augustus is dead. And yet the world keeps on turning.
Kim is devastated instead of euphoric, saddened for the new love that she has just lost, and for betraying her husband. She feels dead inside and must suffer in silence. And in her sadness she realizes that to live again she must fix the vengeance, the greed, and the killing that she herself set in motion all that time ago.
Gradually she begins to formulate a plan, but she cannot do it on her own. She will need assistance.
Music
Kimberly, what are you doing?
Dan, ouch, don't go over my wrist, you're hurting.
I want to know why you're sneaking about in my lab.
I didn't see you there. I was, um, looking for my IMT monitor.
Thinking of going somewhere?
Somewhere? Oh, I see, no, I mean, yeah, oh, where is it?
I have it here in the drawer, with the others.
May I have it please, and let go of my arm?
What time period are you thinking of visiting, Kim? Now that I've removed the block that prevented time travel beyond the Battle of Actium, you can go back to whenever you desire. Oh, I get it. You want to go back to see Augustus, don't you? Well, well, well.
Augustus? Well, supposing I did. He's had a problem, Dan.
I think it might be. Yes, it definitely might be.
Really? What business is it to you?
Tell me, Kim, what do you think Rob will do if I tell him where you've been every night for the last month?
I don't know what you mean, Dan.
I've been watching you very closely, Kim, every night I've watched.
You've been spying on me? How dare you?
Oh, I dare. I've followed every visit you made to Augustus, every conversation, and I mean every.
You disgusting little pervert. You are nothing more than a peeping Tom.
I'm sure your husband will be most interested in your conversations with Augustus.
All completely innocent. I just wanted to get to know my, ah, enemy.
Well, I have recordings here which clearly show you no longer thought of Augustus as your enemy.
In fact, quite the reverse. Almost lovers, I think.
Rob will be very unhappy to discover that all the time and money he's invested in this project has led to this.
Augustus is dead. Why do you have to tell him?
Call it loyalty, if you will. He is my boss. I might owe him that.
Dan, listen. Augustus and I, we were just talking. It meant nothing. I was just trying to...
Do you know whatever it is? You don't sound like you believe it.
Oh, please don't tell him, Dan. It'll ruin everything. Don't you see?
Yes, I do see. But I can ignore this. What do you suggest?
What do you want?
I'm sure we can come to some arrangements.
You know, I can get you anything you want.
Anything?
Yes, I'll do anything. Just tell me how much money you want.
Oh, I don't think I want money, Kim. No, not money.
Well, what do you... Oh, no.
I've always admired and liked you, Kim. I've never understood what you see in Rob.
Apart from maybe his money, I can offer you something different.
I... I... need to... Oh my god.
Yes, you've gone quite pale. It's a shock. Here, sit.
I need something to... water.
I've got something stronger. I think this... Oh, yes. Here we...
Kim, what are you doing?
I'm not doing what you want, Dan. Not now, not ever.
Put that IMT down, Kim. You can't run away.
Can't I? And what will happen when I tell Rob about your sordid offer?
Oh dear. I can't let you go. Not now. You can't tell your husband.
He will never forgive me, and then all this work will be wasted.
I can't let you do that, Kim. You do see.
You should have thought of something other than blackmail, Dan.
I'll track you and find you, and then I'll have to kill you.
Now, easy, girl. Easy. Take a deep breath.
That was close. Oh, god. What to do? Oh, lord.
Okay, again.
So, where am I?
I'm not sure.
I'm not sure. I'm not sure.
So, where am I?
Or rather, what time period?
Let's see. Um...
1315.
1315. Battle of Agincourt.
But that's no help.
So if that blackmailing wotsit can track me, maybe I'd better keep moving.
Oh, it's all going so wrong.
Get away from here. Keep moving. But where and when?
I need a plan. I must keep moving.
Oh, dear.
I've got it. Another time jump. Or two.
That should confuse him and give me a chance to think.
Here we go.
And while Kimberley Pine, somewhere in the past, develops her plans to evade Dr Scott,
back in the present that she has just left, her husband Robert Pine is looking for her.
Hey, darling. Kim. Kimberley. Are you here?
Hi, Dan. Have you seen Kim this morning?
Oh, Rob. I... I wasn't expecting you, Rob.
Have you seen Kim? She said she was coming to see you.
Oh, no I haven't.
Is that whiskey, Dan? A bit early for that, don't you think?
Oh, what's this? You seem to be missing one of the IMT handsets.
Really? I don't think so.
Yes, there are only two here. Is someone using it?
Oh, no. I... I sent it back. With Amy. There's a discrepancy. A displacement in the timeline.
Sorry? What?
It's just that, um, if one of the IMT handsets leaves, say, ten minutes after the other,
but both are going to the same point in time, say, for example, 10.15am on the 4th of July 1642,
for some reason, the second handset to leave always arrives ten minutes earlier than the first.
It's a bug I've been trying to fix.
And the bug that limited travelling back to before the Battle of Actium? Is that sorted out yet?
I fixed that last week. I'll be testing that with Amy as well. Didn't you get the memo?
I must have missed it with all the, um, well, to be honest, Kim's been behaving a bit oddly of late,
so you haven't seen her.
Sorry. No.
Are you okay, Dan? You are looking a bit peaky.
I'm fine, thanks. Just a bit... I'm very busy.
Okay. I'll leave you in peace. Keep on with what you're doing.
If I keep the IMT switched off until I need it, Dan won't find me so easily.
Whoops! Someone up ahead. Better keep out of their way. Through here.
They wouldn't know what to make of me in modern dress. They'd probably think I was a god or something.
Hang on. A god? That's it! A god!
I'll go back and appear to Augustus as a god, well, a goddess, and tell him.
No. Command him to fall in love with me when we meet.
Wow, that's so manipulative. I couldn't do that.
Yes. Yes, I could. Well, maybe not tell him to fall in love with me, but tell him to help me.
Augustus is the only person I can ask for help.
Oh, Lord. That's not a peasant. It's Dan. Here we go again.
Via a convoluted route which includes several obscure libraries, a slightly mad professor of ancient history,
and a lesson on skimpy Roman fashion, Kim travels back and forth through time.
Desperate to throw Dr. Scott off her trail, she leads him through time periods
for which he is ill-equipped or inappropriately dressed.
Eventually, believing she has enough of a lead over him, she travels to the time of Augustus' late adolescence.
Weared, dressed according to legend and the whim of a slightly mad academic, as the Roman goddess of love Aphrodite,
she teleports herself to the bedroom of the nineteen-year-old Augustus.
Augustus, wake up. Oh, Octavian, awaken.
Awaken, your goddess demands it.
What? Who are you?
My name is Aphrodite, and I have a message for you.
Yes. For me? Why me?
You have been chosen for, um, great things.
I don't understand.
Oh, what was that noise? I will visit you again.
God, that went badly. I need to get my words sorted first. This needs proper planning. Let's move on a year.
Awaken, it is I, Aphrodite. Who the hell are you?
Felix Appius.
Aphrodite? Don't believe it. I must be dreaming.
What? Where's Augustus? I mean, Octavian. What are you doing here?
Octavian? Who's Octavian? Blimey. What are you wearing? It's all wispy like.
Felix? Who are you talking to?
Who is this? Look, where is Octavian?
She says, wife, that she's Aphrodite.
What?
Yeah. Look, she's even dressed, or not, like...
Aphrodite? What would Aphrodite be doing in that? If this is another of your floozies, oh.
And so, over and through and with time, Kim learns how to keep track of the growing Octavian.
She plans to visit him every year on the same date, and as he gets older and becomes used to her appearing...
Wake up, Octavian.
I'm already awake, O Revered One. Don't stand in front of the light. I can't see you clearly.
We gods need a bit of mystery.
My tutor thinks I'm imagining you.
Well, you're not, and it's supposed to be our secret, Octavian.
In fact, they all think I'm going a bit strange. When I'm doing weapons training, I can hear them all laughing.
Exactly how many people have you told?
Pretty much anyone who'll listen. It's quite important, because usually the gods don't speak to anyone other than the priests.
So if I can talk to them, or just one, that makes me important.
Ah, yes, the priests. I think you might be jumping the gun there.
Jumping the what?
Getting ahead of yourself.
Well, as I was saying, they all think I'm making it up, so they make me fight extra hard, but I still beat them.
I'm very good with the sword, and even better with the javelin.
Listen to me. Listen to me very carefully, Octavian. This is very important.
One day, when you are older, you will become a very important person in Rome. You are destined to be...
Senator? Yeah, I know. You've mentioned it before. A family always has at least one.
No, Octavian, not a senator. Well, yes, at first, but then you'll...
Please, Kim, don't spoil the surprise. He needs to find out for himself.
Dan? Oh, damnation, how? Where did...
I told you I would find you. It's not been difficult, you see, because you keep coming back to the same place. So thank you for that.
Aphrodite? Which god is this?
Aphrodite? Who, you? Oh, very good, Kim. Now then, you know what I want. Please give me the IMT monitor, and I won't harm you in front of this young man.
No, Octavian, he's an imposter. He's not a god. He's just a very bad man who's been following me to cause me harm. Dan, get away from me!
He's not a god?
Give me the IMT monitor.
Well, then step aside.
Put that down, boy. I don't want to hurt you.
Boy? I don't think so. Hurt me? How's this?
What's this?
Aphrodite, look out!
How are you feeling?
I don't know you.
You've been under for quite a while.
Why am I here? Where is here?
Can you tell me your name?
What's going on?
Do you know your name?
When is this?
Your name. Do you remember your name?
My name?
Yes.
Um, Kimberly. It's Kimberly.
Okay, that's good. Just let me check your eyes. Well, I think you're going to be alright.
Doctor, you need it in A&E right away. There's been a stabbing.
Blast. Look, I've got to deal with an emergency, but I'll come back shortly to answer any questions.
Hun, it's me.
Who's that?
It's me, babe. Amy. You have definitely looked better, that's for sure. You've been out for a long while this time.
Amy, what happened? Where am I?
You're in hospital, babe. You've had one of your attacks, and ever since you've been in a kind of trance-like state.
Attack? What attack?
Don't you remember anything?
No, it's all just a blur.
I'm not surprised. The doctors prescribed a lot of drugs whilst you were unconscious, and...
Unconscious? Why was I unconscious?
You were at home and must have had another schizophrenic attack, and fallen and knocked yourself out.
I found you in the morning when I came to collect you.
You don't remember, babe?
No, I don't. When was this?
About three months ago.
What?
I know. You've been on an intravenous drip and everything, but they couldn't wake you up, and there seemed to be no reason for it.
So they tried all sorts of different drugs to bring you round, but they were very worried, because some of the drugs were so strong that the side effects may have caused you to have severe hallucinations, even while you were out of it.
Oh my lord. Robert! Where's Robert?
Who's Robert?
Rob! My husband. Robert Pyne. Multi-billionaire businessman. Formula One.
Babe, you're single. I'm sorry, but you always have been. There is no Robert.
Oh no, there must be. We've been married for so many years. I can't have imagined him, can I?
I don't know, babe. Those drugs they gave you were very strong.
For a second there, I found I was missing him. Can't be missing someone I only dreamt about, can I?
Oh babe, I don't know what to tell you.
Oh lordy, you won't believe the dreams I've had. What I've been doing. Where I've been.
So you were hallucinating then?
Must have been. It seems so real. I could touch and feel and taste. Oh Amy, I'm very grateful. Thanks for being such a loyal friend. I think I'm starting to recall a few things, but all quite randomly. I thought I recognised the doctor. What's his name?
Dr Samson.
Is he English?
I think he's Egyptian or something.
What?
I'm glad you're back in the real world again, hun.
Sorry to dash away like that, Mrs Pine. Storm in a teacup. Looked like a stabbing blood everywhere, but it was just a couple of minor cuts. Very strange. We wanted to...
Dr Samson, please.
Of course. So sorry. You must have lots of questions. Let me see if I can answer them for you.
Why did you call me Mrs Pine?
What?
Just now. You called me Mrs Pine.
I don't think he did, babe.
Yes, he did.
Maybe you misheard or...
Or what, Amy?
Maybe there is still some of the drugs in your system and...
I know what I heard. Well, doctor?
That's the name you were admitted under and oh yes, the patient I just treated in A&E gave me something for you.
For me? Why would anyone...
I did wonder how he knew you were here. Where did I put...
Who was this?
He gave me his card. Here we are.
Let me see. T.M. Incorporated. Whoa, that rings some sort of... No. Don't remember. What's T.M. Incorporated?
Look on the other side, Mrs Pine.
Amy, what the...
Turn the card over.
Why? Oh lord, it's... Dr Daniel Scott. Oh my god. Where is this man now, doctor?
I think he's being bandaged down in A&E.
Oh no, no, no. Pass me my bag. It's there on the cabinet.
This?
Yes, that's it.
What are you doing, Mrs Pine?
Thank god. The IMT monitor is still there.
You mean it was in there the whole time. Why don't you give that to me, Mrs Pine?
Not likely, Amy. I'm leaving before that disgusting blackmailing, what's it gets here?
Do you really think you can escape him?
What I really think, my weasley humanoid friend, doesn't matter a jot. He wants to kill me, so to hell with him.
You'll only make it worse.
The only way I could make this worse is by staying.
No, don't.
Goodbye, Amy.
I'd make you see where I went wrong
Is there life left in a friendship?
Oh, can I make it up to you?
Do you want to stay together forever will be as one?
Talk with me
Our past is history
Those times were meant to be
Hold on, we'll make it through
All those times I was thinking of you
Take your time tonight
Just hold on
When you're right in my arms
Why isn't now your living hope?
Don't come back while I'm forever listening to you
I don't care if you're crying, you're wasting time lying, I don't want to ever see you
Your failure, your menace, your liar
Degrade sense, a truth hits, be a liar
Just don't come back blaming me
You're leaving a big fantasy
Where have you gone? Are you near my lovely?
Don't go wasting time, I love you, darling
When will you be next to my heart? I love you
Life's too short for complications, baby
Can't you contemplate us being together?
Why oh why can't you forgive me?
Come back to me
Oh can't you see
That you love me
Eternally
I love you
The Continuing Adventures of Kimberly Pine
Coming soon
Thanks for watching!