a sci-fi take on Romeo and Juliet

TRANSLATION OF ACT I SCENE V

Location: Neptune

Time Period: 31^st Century

The year is 3021; the inhabitants of the Earth have successfully colonized Mars and the other inner planets. These additional resources have funded a massive quest for space exploration, colonization, and if such resources abound, mining and harvesting.

Two companies, run by very wealthy and influential families, led the campaign to harvest Neptune’s atmosphere of methane, hydrogen, and nitrogen gas. Once arriving, they created nearly identical harvesting stations free-floating in the atmosphere on opposite sides of the planet. The Montague Corporation and the Capulet Foundation were ruthless in their efforts to destroy and undermine the others’ operations.

The most recent plot by the Montague Corp. was to send in their most successful espionage agent and son of the CEO, Roman. His job was to find the central exhaust valve, used to vent heat from the station, and sabotage it, causing a chain reaction leading to the destruction of the entire facility.

The moment in which he chose to infiltrate the facility was during the First Annual Employee Banquet, a party celebrating their first year of service.

Mr. Capulet stood at the front of the large conference room that had been reconfigured as a dance hall, smiling to himself at the success of his ingenious design team and their fast working crew of androids.

The hall, which normally lay empty holding only a large conference table in the center of the room, had been redesigned to have a stage at one end of the rectangular room and a large empty space in the center for dancing.

Spanning the entire wall behind Capulet from floor to ceiling was a thick, glass-like window. Looking out, a backdrop of billions of stars intermixed with comets and asteroids shimmered, creating an amazingly beautiful tapestry that could never have been recreated by human, or mechanic, hands.

Capulet wore a deep black suit sprinkled with shiny silver sequins that, when he stood still, made him look as if he dissolved into the background. His tie was a bright blue, the color of Neptune herself, and was accented by a handkerchief of the same color in his breast pocket. His left hand held a small microphone that as he held to his mouth whirred quietly indicating its activation.

“Welcome, welcome everyone!” his smooth voice worked over the crowd, “I hope you ladies brought your dancing shoes,” the archaic reference getting a rippling laughter from the crowd, “ and gentlemen, better get moving if you want a dancing partner!”

He motioned to his right and music filled the air, a jazzy, upbeat tune that came from speakers in hidden panels behind the walls. People paired up and began dancing, their attention off of the man standing on the stage.

“Straighten those banners!” Capulet said, motioning upward to a group of small two-legged robots, “Brighten the lights and adjust the thermo-dampeners it’s getting warm!” he continued.

The robots exchanged strangely human glances and sped off, whirring and clicking amongst themselves.

Visibly relaxing, Capulet stepped away and joined a group of people standing off to the side and speaking in quiet voices.

On the other side of the room, a side door marked Employees only opened and a handsome man dressed in a silver maintenance suit entered into the room. His short black hair bedraggled and slick with engine grease added to the illusion Roman was hoping to make as he quickly approached a man with a similar appearance.

“Hey there sir, could I ask you for directions?” he asked, a warm smile on his face.

“Uh, sure,” the man replied returning the grin, “but I have to tell you, I’m not quite good with all the locations on this tub, yet either…”

“Oh that’s no big deal,” Roman assured him, “if you could just point me to the Main Exhaust Chamber I could find my way from there.”

“Oh, well actually the MEC is off limits to any personnel without a registered Capulet Foundation keycard,” he explained, “but I believe Ms. Julia  would be willing to lend you hers, she’s right over there.” He pointed across the room to a young woman about 22 wearing a sleek black dress cut at the knees; around her neck she wore a name badge and a keycard. She stood, surrounded by people but not seeming to interact with any of them.

Roman followed his finger and saw—he paused. His mouth went dry, chills traveled up and down his back; his palms broke out in a cold sweat.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen; her beauty so enrapturing the view of the stars through the window seemed dull and unimaginative.

His mind went blank, the only thought he had was of how he could approach her without being too obvious. His hands subconsciously ran through his hair, trying to straighten it, when he pulled them away the coating of engine grease snapped him back to reality.

He left the man, still standing and pointing toward Julia, and quickly exited through the Employees only door into a maintenance hallway. It smelled of sweat and machinery but he hardly noticed. He quickly removed the silver suit, revealing a full black tuxedo with a black bowtie, and used it to scrub at his hair. After several minutes of vigorous scrubbing he ran his fingers through it and they came out clean.

He exited the hallway back into the party. Putting on an air of charisma and class he strolled across the room, deftly avoiding dancing couples and waiting robots, to stop ten feet from Julia.

Once again his heart stopped, all the charisma he had mustered fluttered away with the butterflies in his stomach. He approached her, trying to put on a confidant smile.

“Excuse me,” he said, his fingers brushing her elbow, “but I couldn’t help but notice you were the most beautiful woman in the room and no one seems to realize it.”

Her eyes widened at the bluntness of his statement, “That’s very sweet of you,” she said, “but I’m sorry I don’t recognize you, are you one of my father’s friends?”

“Your father? No.” he said quickly, “I’m just your usual guest, Roman’s my name by the way.”

“Julia,” she said, extending her hand.

 He took it, palm down, and brought it to his lips placing a light kiss on her knuckles, “Great to meet you Julia.” He smiled a big smile melting her heart a bit and bringing down some of the barriers between them.

In a separate room entirely, sitting by several glowing holographic monitors, Timothy Ventosa sat watching the security feeds for the whole complex.

Currently he was focused on one specific camera showing a party guest entering and reentering from an Employees only marked door. He adjusted the view but couldn’t get a clear shot of the guest’s face. He watched the guest leave the hallway and walk across the room to stop in front of Julia Capulet.

He reached for his ear bud and pressed a small button, “Uh, Mr. Capulet sir,” he started.

 Down on the dance floor he watched Capulet step away from his guests to answer the call, “What? What do you want?” his irritation at being interrupted evident in his tone.

“Well sir, there appears to be an uninvited guest and he’s speaking to your daughter.”

“An uninvited guest, what the hell are you talking about son?” his voice raising an octave, “there is no way anyone could be here that isn’t a member of the staff!”

“Yes sir, I know sir, but, wait—he’s just lifted your daughter’s hand, and kissed it! I can see his face, he’s, he’s—Roman Montague!” Timothy stood quickly, “don’t worry sir, I’ll call security, this Montague filth won’t be getting away!”

“Like hell you will! Now you listen here son, and you listen well, I paid good money for this banquet, more money than I’m willing to spend fixing this mess if you make a huge scene! I will handle it myself; send her bodyguard and no one else!”

“But sir--”

“No, damn it, and if you try anything I will have your job! You hear me?” Capulet began walking toward the two heirs of the rival companies.

Roman and Julia made small talk, speaking about different things, their preferences, and favorite places to visit. Roman cracked jokes and sent Julia giggling wildly on several occasions. After several minutes of their brief flirtation Roman grew serious-faced, “You know Julia, its sort of crazy since I just met you, but, I think I’m falling in love.”

“Falling in love?” she asked, “Roman I don’t know, it’s all a bit sudden…”

“Maybe this will help,” he pressed in close, taking her in his arms, she wrapping hers around his waste, they kissed, softly, yet with such passion she thought she was floating on air, than she was as he lifted  her off the ground into a slow spin, kissing her the whole time. They parted; her cheeks flushed a dark crimson, his face lit up in a big smile.

“Oh, I- -” a large man wearing a dark blue uniform approached the two of them.

“Sorry to interrupt, ma’am but your father wants to speak with you.”

“Her father,” Roman asked, “Who is he?”

“Why, Mr. Capulet of course, after all her name is Julia Capulet…” he lumbered between them making room for Mr. Capulet to approach.

“I’m terribly sorry my love,” Roman said taking Julia’s hand, “but I have to leave!” he started away when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, turning him around.

Capulet leaned forward,” Leaving so soon? Why the party’s just begun, stay, stay, I don’t mind!” his eyes shone viciously, and he stepped closer.

Suddenly standing beside them, a small boy of about eleven, with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes looked at Mr. Capulet and Roman, “Oh! Here you are big brother! We’re supposed to be back down in the maintenance tunnels, how’d you get up here? Where’d you get that suit?” he began dragging Roman away by the hand, rattling on and on.

The large man made a move to stop them but Capulet raised his hand, “No need. No harm was done and we still have a party to attend!” Capulet hurried off leaving the two standing, watching after the two boys leaving the party.

“I don’t understand,” Julia said, “what was the issue? Why did Roman leave in such a hurry?” 

“Why, don’t you know ma’am? That there was Roman Montague, son of Tiberius Montague, our ruthless competitor!”

“Truly? How could I not have known! And such a charming man too…”

“Come, Miss, let’s enjoy the rest of the banquet”

Roman entered his starship and quickly initiated the start-up sequence, warming up the engines and bringing the main computer online.

“How on earth do you follow me everywhere I go Benjamin?” Roman asked the small boy, “It’s dangerous and I don’t like that my brother can come and go without my noticing!”

“Well I saved your ass didn’t I?” Ben asked, a quirky smile on his face.

“Hey, hey, watch your mouth, I won’t have my kid brother swearing when I’m around! And besides, my ass didn’t need saving!”

“Not from what I could tell!” he retorted, “you were in trouble with a capital T!”

“More like trouble with a capital J,” Roman muttered.

“What was that?” Ben asked.

“Nothing, I’m taking a nap, you get us home safe alright?”

“You got it bro!” Ben said with a wink.