The sound of an solitary single engine airplane. One can hear the plane begin to circle in a canyon. The sound becomes distressed: something is wrong. The sound is of a plane going into a death spiral, and then a terrible crash.
Silence.
Ayn Rand makes a cameo appearance as The Fishwife of Galt's Gulch.
Ayn is lying injured. A man leans over her.
Ayn, as if in a dream: “We never had to take any of it seriously, did we?”
Gabriel: “No, we never had to.”
Ayn, realizing that the man is a total stranger, tries to draw away, but winces in pain.
Gabriel: “Don’t move, Miss Rand. You’re hurt”
Ayn, impersonal and hard: “You know me?”
Gabriel: “I’ve known you many years.”
Ayn: “Have I known you?”
Gabriel: “Yes, I think so.”
Ayn: “What is your name?”
Gabriel: “I am Gabriel, guardian of this place…”
Ayn looks at him not moving. More Angels step in from the shadows.
Gabriel: “Why are you frightened?”
Ayn: “Because I believe it.” (pauses) “What is this place?”
Gabriel: “Some people refer to it as Paradise, some say it is Atlantis, but I think of it as the Taggart Terminal.”
Ayn, dazed: “…Taggart Terminal?”
Gabriel, proudly: “…Last big stop in the sky…”
Ayn, in sudden fury “This is outrageous! This is against my principles!”
All look to this strange new arrival.
An Angel, perplexed: “Outrageous?”
Another Angel, doubtfully, inquiringly: “Principles?”
Ayn, resolute: “By what right did you make it sound like I — I! — gave my sanction for this!”
An Angel: “…Sanction?”
Another Angel: “…Right?”
Ayn, less certain: “…Step aside you hatred-eaten mystics, posing as friends of humanity!”
An Angel: “You would prefer not to exist?”
Ayn: “Existence exists!”
An Angel: “It seems you are faced with a contradiction. Perhaps you should first check your principles…”
Ayn, cutting him off: “Death is the standard of your existence!”
Another Angel, helpfully: “…perhaps the Angels aren’t?”
An angel choir forms and begins singing:
—to the tune of “God is God”: (Key of C)
A is an A, A don’t never change! A is an A, An’ it always will be A! A made the sun to shine by day, A made the sun to show the way. A made the stars to show their light, A made the moon to shine by night, sayin’ A is an A, A don’t never change! A is an A, An’ it always will be A The earth A’s footstool an’ heav’n A’s thrown, The whole creation all its own, A’s love and power will prevail A’s promises will never fail, sayin’ A is an A, A don’t never change! A is an A, An’ He’ll always will be A
To the tune of “God is God”: (Key of C)
Ayn, defiant: “Damnation is the start of your morality, destruction its purpose, means and end!”
An Angel, conciliatory: “Don’t let’s quarrel…”
Ayn, defiant: “I don’t work with collectives. I don’t consult, I don’t cooperate, I don’t collaborate.”
An Angel, perplexed: “Collectives?”
Another Angel, doubtfully, inquiringly: “Collaborate?”
Another Angel: “But why is she even here, at the gate?”
Ayn, defiant: “Yes, why? No other sanction than my existence is necessary!”
Transition to Eddie Willers’ apartment…