Mentor Server Chat (Dialogue)

CONTEXT: After finding and deactivating the bomb that was going to infect half of the valley with a radioactive serum, the group of YouTubers known as Project 863 confront their mentor, Deb, for the last time. They reveal to her that they know that she was the one that murdered Wesley and question why she kept it from them. Deb begs them to believe that it was an accident and that she's being set up by the series big bad, Nelson Syphus. This is one of the first instances of Matthias being effected by the mind control abilities of the serum, being controlled by Nelson to put a wedge between Deb and the rest of them.

My contributions to this scene were conceptualization and how it would fit into the video as well as the overarching narrative, the writing of the script, helping to direct the VO with the actress playing Deb and helping direct the other actors so they could improvise properly during the scene. This scene relied heavily on me reacting to external actors as they improvised and helping guide the scene so all necessary narrative beats were met.

Video will start from the correct timestamp once you hit play (if not, because sometimes the video can be glitchy, the starting timestamp is 12:34). The scene ends at 26:47. If needed, the raw script between Matthias and Deb is down below.
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SCRIPT:

TEAM: Hello Deb. We have a lot to catch up on.

D3B: Tell me, what has occurred since we last spoke?

TEAM: We managed to stop the serum bomb and retrieve the Absalate from the Phantom.

D3B: So the Absalate was left in tact? Quite the stroke of luck, seems you all got there on time. Were there any complications?

TEAM: None actually. We even manage to capture Benjamin. He's in police custody right now.

D3B: Benjamin?

TEAM: That’s who the Phantom was. But I’m assuming you already knew that.

D3B: I was under the impression that Ben was dead, considering how long he had been used as a serum experiment.

TEAM: No, he’s very much alive. And it’s clear he’s still very much in love with you.

D3B: In love…?

D3B: I’m assuming then you’ve stumbled across some old documents of his? Before he got close to Nelson, Ben was a sweet, quiet man. I would not have hesitated to call him a friend. But like most people at Syntec, he was corrupted. I’m…saddened to hear that he’s still under the spell of Nelson.

TEAM: He’s clearly in a lot of pain.

D3B: As expected. I’m sure he has been for a long time.

TEAM: And…?

D3B: And what?

TEAM: The man clearly looked to you for approval, and tried to win your heart. Even if he wasn’t a complete victim, and even if you were in love with someone else, he cared about you a lot. Does that matter to you at all?

D3B: It matters, yes, but Benjamin made his choice a long time ago. He abandoned Wes and I, he chose his side and made it very clear where his loyalty lied. How much sympathy am I supposed to express that’s suitable to you?

TEAM: I just expected more, considering he was protecting you this whole time. Even now, he was trying to keep you safe.

D3B: Explain.

TEAM: We met up with Ben, and we had a little chat. He gave me a tape.

D3B: What was on it?

TEAM: The truth. It was the rest of the murder tape, and it shows you running out of the Mountaineer, it shows you in the car. It proves you Murdered Wes.

D3B: [silence]

TEAM: What do you have to say for yourself?

D3B: … So Ben was holding that this whole time, that must have been hard for him. Nearly impossible, all things considered.

TEAM: Why? Why did you kill Wes? Why did you lie to us and say you didn't know where he was or what happened to him?

D3B: [much more angry tone] You never met Wes! The only picture of him you have is through myself and others that have spoken about him. And yet you’re expressing grief as if you knew him. You didn't know him at all.

TEAM: What does that matter? He seemed to matter a lot to you and that was enough for all of us. I just don’t understand why.

D3B: The past cannot be rewritten, no matter how hard we try. No matter how bad we want it.

TEAM: The tape was left for you, wasn’t it? In Location 3? You knew it this whole time…

D3B: It was…an accident. One that couldn’t be avoided.

TEAM: Oh yeah? And why should we believe you? You got any proof?

D3B: No, I don't have proof. That's how clever he is. All I have is the truth. But I don't suppose that matters to you once you've already written the story in your head.

TEAM: Try me.

D3B: Nelson wanted him dead.

TEAM: Wes? Why?

D3B: Yes. He had become a problem for Project Pegasus. He had developed a bomb.

TEAM: Wes made the bomb?

D3B: Yes, it wasn't intended for the serum, it was intended to disperse the antidote. Wes was going to detonate the antidote bomb inside Syntec and free the subjects suffering from the effects of the serum.

TEAM: And?

D3B: He never got that far. Nelson got wind of it. When Nelson found out about Wes's plan, he blackmailed me. He told me my only option was to submit to him and kill Wesley. There was no other way. I knew I couldn't refuse him, he would kill us both.

TEAM: So you just killed someone you loved.

D3B: No. I [sighs] devised a plan. I told Nelson that I would do it personally. He gave me the gun. So I switched the bullets, I replaced it all with blanks. My plan was to fake his death, help him hide from Nelson's reach.

TEAM: [silence]

D3B: I had no idea how far Nelson's influence extended, even then.

TEAM: So he's alive?

D3B: To my terror, blanks at short range have enough force to kill. We were going to run away together, live our lives away from Syntec. Wes died that night, no matter how the events would have played out. Inevitability is the true absolute.

TEAM: You're telling me it was an accident? Point blank range?

D3B: Choose to believe what you will. I pulled the Absalate from his neck and ran out of fear. I came to my senses fast, it was then I decided, his death would not be for nothing. I collected myself and devoted myself to getting in Nelson's way at every possible juncture. I would become everything he feared. So I buried Wes and stashed evidence and clues everywhere I possibly could so that you could find it, and restore it. I buried the Absalate with Wesley but I buried his belongings beside him in hopes whoever tracked him down would give up after not finding the Absalate with his possessions.

D3B: I had to bury the only chance that Nelson had at seeing his plan through.

TEAM: How much do you know of Nelson's plan?

D3B: [silence]

TEAM: So Im guessing were going to be in the dark again.

D3B: When you recovered the Absalate, was the serum bomb activated?

TEAM: Yeah, why.

D3B: You need to be careful, you, your team, and Subject 4 watching this right now. I'm asking you, you must located the Spire and deactivate it.

TEAM: Im not taking orders from you anymore Deb, no more little adventures.

D3B: I'm not giving you any more orders.

TEAM: You don't get to my team or Subject 4 without going through me.

D3B: This isn't for you at all, this is bigger than you.

TEAM: At this point, Deb, you’ve burned us too many times. I just don’t know when you’re telling the truth or not. I can’t trust you anymore, it’s just costing us too much.

D3B: I’m the least of your concerns now.

TEAM: What does that mean.

Deb: I don’t envy you for when you learn the truth.

TEAM: I doubt you know the meaning of the word. Let me guess: you can’t tell me because it could threaten the project, right?

D3B: The project is in danger nonetheless. We’ve entered a point of no return. I didn’t foresee this happening, but I trust it will work out the way it’s supposed to.

TEAM: Deb, we're done.

D3B: Done? What do you mean done?

TEAM: I mean done with all of this. Done with this project, and done being lied to by you.

D3B: I’m not lying. I’m sure you already are suspicious about Benjamin, look at his behavior. He’s being controlled by Nelson. He’s the key to this. If you can find the spire and shut it down, you can help more just like him. You can actually put a snare in this plans. If not for myself, then for you. For your team.

TEAM: Listen to yourself, do any of these silly stories ever end? Find the spire? Save and rescue more people? Who, Deb? Ben is locked up, Nelson is practically a ghost story, and all I have to do to get rid of you is turn you off.

D3B: Don't do it.

TEAM: Goodbye Deb. Project: 863 is dead.