Atilla Shrugged

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:

A is A

—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…