ZVR Inherit The Earth - JT Petty (With Pitch Docs, Images)
ZVR Inherit The Earth - JT Petty (With Pitch Docs, Images)
ZVR Inherit The Earth - JT Petty (With Pitch Docs, Images)
THE RIT
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ART H
WI
LLI
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UCY
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NHE RITTHEE ARTHI S“LONEWOL F
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OR THE 21ST CENTURY.A
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RFOREHEADS.
EXT. DESERT, YUMA AIRFORCE BASE - DAWN
Moving fast over sand. Signs warn of LAND MINES, ARMED
GUARDS, MACHINE SENTINELS.
CLOSER
Razorwire fences, SOLDIERS cradling assault rifles, robot
dogs, towers, automated turrets.
CLOSER
An enormous concrete COMPLEX surrounded by runways and
aircraft. Steam billows from nuclear cooling stacks.
TITLE
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA
ARIZONA
Among the human GUARDS there are WAR DRONES, scarab-like in
design, assault rifle limbs extending from pistoned torsos.
SATTERFIELD (V.O.)
The first thing we put through
Morningstar was my father’s pocket
watch.
SATTERFIELD
Shove your response time. I want a
living mind making decisions about
anything that could get me killed.
SCIENTIST
His programming makes it impossible
for him to do anything that would
harm you in any...
SATTERFIELD
We still can’t make a toaster that
doesn’t burn toast. I want a human
god-damn mind watching him.
WILLIAM
I understand your caution, sir.
Good luck and God speed.
SATTERFIELD
And while you’re at it, tell that
machine he’s not a whorebot, he
doesn’t have to pretend at emotions.
William’s face drops to neutrality and he returns to the
Power Interface.
PENNY
Please, I don’t understand why you
have to be the first one through
the Gate. Every subject we’ve sent
through before has come back
psychologically damaged beyond...
SATTERFIELD
Dumb animals, all of them.
(to a passing SCIENTIST)
Where’s my seven year team?
SCIENTIST
Prepped and in place, sir. They’ll
be waiting when you arrive.
SATTERFIELD
If there are no humans to receive
me, heads will roll.
PENNY
We could send through a prisoner,
or a soldier, or...
They move through a chaos of cables and support structures,
towards doubled clear polymer walls, an AIRLOCK.
SATTERFIELD
Or a mind less valuable? Morningstar
is my life’s work.
(MORE)
4.
SATTERFIELD (cont'd)
I won’t surrender the glory of her
maidenhood to some expendable prole.
PENNY
But the chimpanzee...
SATTERFIELD
I’m tired of hearing about the god-
damn chimp!
(SIGHS)
I’m going a full seven years into
the future, more than enough time
for any paradoxes to be accounted
for by forking paths. By your
perception, I’ll only be inside the
gate for two or three seconds
before I return. You won’t have
time to be scared.
PENNY
I’m already scared.
Satterfield pauses as the Airlock HISSES open, hands Penny
his empty coffee cup.
SATTERFIELD
Bright Penny. We can’t fear the
future. We’re all heading there
whether we like it or not.
He turns and steps forward, revealing:
MORNINGSTAR.
Morningstar is a square frame twenty feet to a side, woven
copper and glass tubing supported by steel struts, like an
enormous steampunk dreamcatcher.
SCIENTIST (O.S.)
Gate activation in Ten. Nine.
Eight. Seven...
Satterfield crouches so that Penny can shut his vizor.
Assistants clip a SAFETY CORD to the waist of his suit.
ASSISTANT
Safety harness in place, sir.
SCIENTIST
Six. Five. Four. Three.
The Airlock seals. Satterfield crosses himself.
SCIENTIST
Two. One. Activate.
5.
TITLE
One month later.
PARIS from above, ruined, dark, burning.
TITLE
Two months later
HONG KONG, smoldering, buildings demolished.
TITLE
Three months later.
BUENOS AIRES, demolished. SEOUL. ISTANBUL. SANTIAGO. SYDNEY.
CALCUTTA. MOSCOW. JAKARTA. All dead cities.
TITLE
Four months later.
Silence.
THE UNITED STATES, seen from space at night. No glow from the
cities, a dark mass against shimmering oceans.
TO BLACK
TITLE
Six Years, Eleven Months Later.
LUCY
You gonna hide it when I’m not
looking?
ALICE
Lucy. I didn’t hide your skateboard.
LUCY
Liar.
Alice smiles and waves at the MAILMAN, putting a bundle of
letters and packages in their box.
ALICE
Looks like the mailman brought
something special. Only six days to
Christmas. How about we’ll forget
about the kite and go take a look?
Lucy carelessly drops her empty glass. Alice’s hand jets out
and catches it in mid-air.
Lucy SPRINTS across the lawn and into the street, trailing
the kite. She runs right into the path of the MAIL TRUCK.
It SCREECHES to a stop to avoid flattening her.
ALICE
It won’t work! Lucy!
Lucy runs down the street. The kite bobs and twitches behind
her, but there’s no breeze to lift it. Lucy grimaces,
frustrated, pumping her legs even faster...
She SLAMS suddenly into a FIGURE standing in her path--
LUCY
Gah!
It’s the humanoid robot WILLIAM. He steadies her. Seven years
of hard living have exposed more of his robotics.
WILLIAM
Excuse me, Miss Lucy. I didn’t mean
to shock you.
LUCY
My kite won’t work.
WILLIAM
Of course. There’s no wind in here.
The suburban neighborhood from above: a dozen square blocks
of streets and homes in the center of a massive MILITARY
COMPLEX. Fake sunlight in a sky blue dome above. We are--
9.
WILLIAM
For the clones. This is the reason
I’m here now. Are you aware of our
cloning initiative?
LUCY
Um. Kind of?
WILLIAM
The last task my master assigned me
before his murder was cloning. The
human population was at the time
only on the verge of extinction. Do
you know the word extinction?
LUCY
Yeah. Everybody dead.
WILLIAM
Correct. Back then, the known human
population was down to sixty-one,
only seven of them fertile. Too few
for breeding alone to revitalize
the population. It was decided that
cloning was the best of bad
options.
Lucy scrunches back against Alice, nervous.
WILLIAM
All of the clones were malformed in
the accelerated birthing vats, and
the first few generations died years
ago. All of the current clones are
of course based on your DNA.
LUCY
Why is he telling me about this?
ALICE
I don’t know, baby.
WILLIAM
There’s a decision that needs to be
made, and you’re the only one who
can make it, Lucy.
LUCY
Why?
WILLIAM
Because as far as we know, you’re
the last living human on the planet.
LUCY
I know that.
12.
WILLIAM
It’s easy to replace. But we’ve
already replaced eight percent of
her nervous system with electronics.
Along with her liver, heart, left
lung, most of her digestive system.
If we replaced her hypothalamus,
she’ll be fity-one percent machine.
More machine than human.
LUCY
Why do you have me here?
WILLIAM
She’d stop being a human with
machine parts and start being a
machine with human parts. And a
machine is not alive. We’d be
killing her. Which would violate
the first Law of Robotics.
LUCY
So don’t do it, I don’t care.
Alice rubs Lucy’s shoulders, comforting. Lucy shoves her off.
WILLIAM
But if we don’t operate, she’ll
die. And letting her die by
inaction is equally impossible. We
need a human to make the decision
for us. We need somebody with Free
Will. We need, you, Lucy.
LUCY
Please. Alice. Make him stop.
WILLIAM
What’s wrong?
LUCY
Get me out of here.
WILLIAM
You’re not in any danger.
LUCY
I hate them! I want to leave!
WILLIAM
But they’re you.
Lucy looks up and we REVEAL:
THE CLONING LAB.
14.
A VIDEO PROJECTION
The security camera view of Lucy’s room, on the wall in--
WILLIAM
That doesn’t make sense.
SIGMUND
It’s human.
NIKOLAI is a humanoid Strategy Bot, tied into a cluster of
data ports, has authority in the room.
NIKOLAI
Is there something we could offer
her? To make her willing to make
the decision.
SIGMUND
Children are made docile by human
contact.
NIKOLAI
We haven’t found another human
survivor in over three years.
ALICE
I offer massages but it only upsets
her.
WILLIAM
What about the Satterfield Plan? We
still have a few days to try it.
The POLITOBOT is a decoy, an android double for the long-gone
president.
POLITOBOT
We must embrace swift action.
NIKOLAI
It’s too risky, that’s a dead issue.
ALICE
Lucy likes taking care of things.
She pretends her dolls are sick or
sad or lost. And then helps them.
WILLIAM
So?
SIGMUND
Empathy. We could present the
choice to murder the clone as a way
to help her. Maybe #139 is in a
great deal of pain?
WILLIAM
If we cut back her anaesthesia then
yes, unbearably so.
16.
LUCY
Robots!
They all turn to the screen, Lucy looking into the lens.
LUCY
Hey, Robots. I know you’re
listening. I got an idea, for like
a deal. I’ll figure out your clone
thing if you let me out of the
mountain. Just for a little bit. I
want to fly my kite and... You
know. There’s wind.
The robots all look at each other. Nikolai presses a button
on his neck, piping his voice into her room.
NIKOLAI
Out of the question, Lucy.
LUCY
But Alice said that the scumbags
are so stupid and slow that they’re
not dangerous at all and I don’t
have anything to be afraid of.
NIKOLAI
The risk is infection. Careful as
we are, the Undead do sporadically
breach our defenses.
LUCY
That’s totally not fair.
NIKOLAI
It’s out of the question.
LUCY
But it’s not fair! I’m the human
and I’m supposed to be the...
Flashing RED LIGHTS and a SIREN interrupt her tantrum. She
looks up sharply and the video image cuts out, replaced by:
Running VIDEO, a view of three SCHOOLBUSES roaring through
the desert. A text overlay reads HUMAN SURVIVORS.
The robots all go deadpan, processing. Text on the screen
switches to LIVE BROADCAST.
HUMAN VOICES (VIDEO)
...If you can hear us, we’re alive.
If you’re human, and uninfected,
let us know you can hear us.
Please. You have to...
17.
NIKOLAI
Human survivors. Open the Blast Gates
and prepare appropriate committees:
Defense, Medical, and Welcome.
He points to Politobot, William, and Sigmund.
ALICE
I have to tell Lucy.
DOWN BELOW
William oversees a team of LAB/MEDBOTS, preparing medical
stations. They lay out bandages and SILVER MYLAR BLANKETS.
MESSENGER
William.
Rose’s MESSENGER BOT climbs up his leg. He grabs it and looks
at ROSE on the video screen.
ROSE (MESSENGER BOT VIDEO)
Get Lucy to safety. We’re in
danger.
William turns and looks up sharply, at Lucy leaning out over
the railing four stories above him.
BEHIND WILLIAM
The School Bus doors open. Wisps of STEAM stir in the air.
POLITOBOT
We welcome you in a spirit of peace
and humanity!
ROSE (O.S.)
No! Hell no! Close the blast doors!
Rose and Nikolai shove their way through the other robots.
The three DRIVERS step from the three buses. They’re all
wrapped head to toe in rags, wearing long trench coats.
They reach under their coats and pull out fists full of
LINCHPINS.
LEAD DRIVER
Who’s in charge here?
His voice sounds like forty years of cigarettes and whiskey.
POLITOBOT
I do have some authority, but
without humans to guide us, we’re a
democracy in subservience to pre-
holocaust objectives and...
The Lead Driver SPRINTS towards the Politobot.
The other two Drivers turn and run towards the Blast Doors.
NIKOLAI
They’re running away.
ROSE
No. They’re targeting the doors.
21.
WILLIAM
We’ll find a warbot capable of
keeping you alive. If I’m destroyed,
find another robot to use.
LUCY
But, Alice is...
WILLIAM
We’ll find another prime class
nurse-bot to manage your emotions
once you’re out of danger.
Lucy shakes her head, crying, overwhelmed... An explosion
COLLAPSES the ceiling ahead. William pulls Lucy to--
WILLIAM
You’re not acting rationally.
LUCY
What the hell’s the matter with
you?
William looks down, processing. Lucy cries alone.
Something CLANKS down the tunnel. Lucy’s terrified eyes snap
to the sound.
WILLIAM
Don’t be afraid, it’s Alice.
Alice walks into view, an enormous SURVIVAL KIT (a coffin-
length red duffel bag) dragging behind her.
Lucy gets to her feet and runs to Alice, jumping into her
arms. Alice drops the Survival Kit and hugs Lucy back.
ALICE
There you go.
Lucy buries her face in Alice’s breast and WEEPS.
William watches, wondering what he’s missing.
The Ice Cream truck pulls a U-turn, the back doors swing open
and BENEDICT emerges from a cloud of cold FOG.
He’s the charismatic Zombie from the digital camera screen.
He has an X carved into the dead flesh of his forehead. The
voice on the megaphone is his.
His LACKEY, a dead teenager in a barber’s apron, carries
Benedict’s IV TREE and portable REFRIGERATION.
BENEDICT
Clever Bastards!
Seven UNDEAD CLEVER BASTARDS come running. They’re wrapped in
damp rags and that distinct UNIFORM marked with a RED X.
BENEDICT
Whose soldiers took down those?
He points at the Citadel Warbots. Three of the Clever
Bastards raise their hands.
BENEDICT
Great god-damned work. The gray
matter of pigs in my truck for each
of you. All of you hit the water
tanks and douse cold, you’re no
good to me rotten. Texas?
One of the Clever Bastards, TEXAS, raises his hand, which is
missing its ring finger.
BENEDICT
Your man complete his assignment?
Texas presents a SOLDIER ZOMBIE, with a captive MESSENGER
BOT. The rabbit-like bot scrambles, trying to escape.
MESSENGER BOT
Undead!
BENEDICT
No, I’m a robot. Bleep bloop beep.
I have a message for the humans.
MESSENGER BOT
Which humans?
BENEDICT
My scouts saw you tin cans
collecting Cheerios and candy from
the remains of Colorado Springs.
And robots no likey Gobstoppers.
Which means you’ve got humans holed
up in this dungeon.
30.
MESSENGER BOT
You mean the Lucies?
Benedict’s Lackey hands him a small CHAIN which he latches on
to the Messenger Bot.
BENEDICT
Yes. I have a message for Lucies.
(leans in, growls)
I’m gonna eat you alive.
ALICE
You only need to be strong for a
little bit. We’re going to find
someplace safe for you.
LUCY
I don’t want to go back underground.
ALICE
We’ll take care of you.
LUCY
How!? Just the two of you? You
couldn’t protect me with a whole
mountain of robots, what are you
guys gonna do by yourselves?
ALICE
It’s okay to be scared, baby.
LUCY
I’m not scared. I wish we never
left the mountain. I wish I could
just forget. I wish I could kill
everything dead so it stayed dead.
ALICE
That’s not possible.
Lucy storms off, crying.
William looks from Lucy to the blasted world, then--
WILLIAM
...It is. For the next five days,
it is.
Lucy stops, looks back at him.
LUCY
What?
WILLIAM
Do you remember the stories about
Dr. Satterfield?
LUCY
Satterfield murdered the world.
WILLIAM
He did. Or he will. He built a door
that let him step through time.
LUCY
Morningstar.
33.
WILLIAM
He stepped into the future and when
he came back, he brought the virus
with him. We’ve talked about trying
to destroy Morningstar before
Satterfield’s arrival. If we
destroyed the gate before he stepped
into the present, he would never get
the virus, never take it into the
past, never murder the world.
LUCY
So why didn’t you?
WILLIAM
If we destroy the gate, Satterfield
would have nowhere to step out of.
He’d be scattered into quantum
substates. Murdered. No robot can
murder a human.
LUCY
But I could.
WILLIAM
Yes. But you’re the most important
thing we have. Hazarding your life
was always too great a risk.
LUCY
I’ll do it.
WILLIAM
Morningstar is a thousand miles
distant and we only have five days
before Satterfield arrives.
LUCY
Fine.
WILLIAM
It’s homicide. Murder.
Lucy furrows her brow, doesn’t respond.
ALICE
Baby, you’re just a child. It’s not
your responsibility.
LUCY
I want to save the world.
ALICE
Don’t you understand how precious...
34.
LUCY
Stop being a jerk. I want to save
the world.
BENEDICT (cont'd)
Find me a child who doesn’t have
the virus and I promise we’ll have
an everlasting feast of the
freshest gray matter you’ve ever
tasted.
LUCY
I want pancakes.
WILLIAM
We should get moving, we’ve got a
long way to go.
LUCY
You have to do what I say if it
isn’t dangerous. That’s Robot Rules.
William studies her, looks at Alice, then tries--
WILLIAM
I know, Lucy. I’m also frustrated
and angry, and a little bored. But
we don’t have time for pancakes.
LUCY
You are such a weirdo. I want
pancakes. Pancakes and syrup.
ROSE
You want a gun of your own?
LUCY
Really? Yeah!
WILLIAM
I’m not sure that’s a good idea.
LUCY
I want a gun.
WILLIAM
(mimicking Lucy)
What the hell’s the matter with
you?
LUCY
And I’m hot. Make it colder in here.
ALICE
There’s no air conditioning...
Would you like a sponge baths?
ROSE
We’re not stopping.
LUCY
I’m being cooked alive!
Lucy slumps dramatically, wiping sweat from her brow.
WILLIAM
You won’t suffer heat stroke or
brain damage for another five
degrees Farenheit.
LUCY
I’m gonna melt like the Wicked
Witch.
ROSE
There. Gun’s live, locked and
loaded. See if it docks.
William screws up his face and the Gauss Gun folds inside his
shoulder, the hatch closing above it.
LUCY
I think I have heat stroke.
WILLIAM
Lucy.
LUCY
I’m dying!
43.
LUCY
Gah! Hey! Too much!
(he releases her)
Don’t be weird.
Lucy puts on a big pair of Jackie-O glasses off the rack and
exits.
William alone in the shop, looks around.
WILLIAM
Be less weird.
He sees a portable DVD PLAYER by a rack of DVD’s, grabs it.
WILLIAM
You’ll cease to exist as you are.
Along with the entire branch of
history that sprouted from
Satterfield’s actions.
LUCY
I’ll die?
WILLIAM
No. You’ll simply cease. There will
still probably be a version of you
in the new branch of time. I mean
you’d be Lucy. But everything that
happened in the last seven years,
your father’s death, your year on
the boat would be gone. Your
grandfather might still be alive, or
at least he wouldn’t have died quite
so horribly over such a long time.
At her Grandfather’s mention, Lucy pensively fingers a
cluster of BULLET HOLES in her bomber jacket.
WILLIAM
The day we found you, the five years
in the mountain, would all be gone.
LUCY
But the me... The me that I am now.
What happens to me? Do I go to
heaven?
WILLIAM
I don’t know. Only Satterfield
would truly die.
LUCY
But he’s okay to kill. He’s awful.
WILLIAM
All human life is precious. I can’t
say otherwise.
LUCY
But he murdered the world.
WILLIAM
He didn’t mean to. He was trying to
make things better.
LUCY
But he has to die, right?
WILLIAM
I can’t say that.
46.
Lucy keeps leaning out over the edge, but has to back away
laughing, the 100-foot drop yawning below.
LUCY
I can’t look. It’s too scary.
ALICE
Heights never scared you before.
LUCY
We’re out in the world now.
Anything could happen!
Rose scans the abandoned city buildings. Lucy LAUGHS.
LUCY
I wonder how many robots it took to
make this thing?
WILLIAM
None.
LUCY
What, are you trying to tell a
joke?
WILLIAM
No joke. Humans built this.
LUCY
By themselves?
Lucy looks at William with a slack-jawed grin, looks at Alice
for confirmation.
ALICE
He’s not joking.
LUCY
Oh, man! Humans? That is awesome. I
can’t wait ‘till I save the world,
humans are the best.
Lucy looks at ruined Albuquerque, smiling, hopeful.
ROSE
They’re coming.
Rose points. There’s a CLOUD OF SMOKE on the Eastern horizon,
Benedict’s approaching Caravan.
They run for the Volkswagon, William slamming open the door
the rest piling in a moment before--
An engine ROARS from the western end of the overpass. A
HUMVEE, an UNDEAD DRIVER at the wheel.
48.
Rose turns the key, the van’s engine stutters and COUGHS.
LUCY
Come on, come on! Let’s go!
ROSE
I’m trying.
The Humvee is speeding right towards them.
Rose turns the key, RRRRRRRRRRRR. It sputters and dies.
ROSE
Everybody out.
Rose leaps back and KICKS the side door off of the van,
pulling Lucy and Alice clear. William shoves open his door-
SMASH! The Humvee SLAMS into the front of the Volkswagon.
Lucy SCREAMS and Alice covers her.
William goes flying, hits the side of the Humvee.
He grabs the sideview and SLAMS into the door, shattering the
glass. The Undead Driver looks at William, grabs a SHOTGUN
from the passenger seat...
William grimaces and the GAUSS GUN unfolds from his shoulder.
BRAAAAAAAPPPPP. The Driver’s head splatters the windshield.
William falls free as the smashed Hummer and VW grind to a
halt. He scrambles to his feet.
WILLIAM
How’s Lucy?
LUCY
I’m okay. What are they doing?
William follows her gaze-- a dozen VEHICLES with UNDEAD
GUNNERS parked on the western end of the overpass. A crowd of
SHUFFLING FODDER surrounding them.
ROSE
They’ve got us flanked. They’re
holding us here.
She looks at the approaching Caravan.
ROSE
We’ve got maybe a minute before the
scouts get here and five before the
whole army falls in our lap.
Rose stalks to the wreckage of the Volkswagon, yanks out
several GAS CANS, the SURVIVAL KIT, and the WEAPONS DUFFEL.
49.
ROSE
I’m gonna talk, you’re going to
listen and then we’re gonna act, no
questions, everybody straight?
(nobody reacts)
Good. I’ll bunker up here and hold
them off. I won’t start shooting
until you two get Lucy clear. The
road’s off limits, you’ll need to
find a way straight down off the
side. Find me some baby oil.
Rose throws the survival kit duffel at Alice.
ALICE
Is this really a good time for a
massage?
ROSE
We said no questions. Mix it with
the gasoline.
Rose loads and arranges dozens of weapons. William and Alice
pour baby oil into the gas cans and shake them up.
Rose grabs two gas cans, heads west, gestures--
ROSE
Pour those out to the East, cover
the whole road.
Rose pours a thick stripe of gas/oil forty feet to the west,
William does the same forty feet to the east.
LUCY
Alice? What are they doing?
ALICE
I don’t know baby.
Rose grabs an assault rifle and BLAM! BLAM! She fires a round
in each direction, sparking off the asphalt and WOOSH!
A wall of FLAMES belches thick, white SMOKE in a ring around
them, pouring off the sides of the overpass.
ROSE
A smoke screen. Time for you to go.
LUCY
But, Rose, you...
ROSE
Be a good soldier. Move your ass.
ALICE
Show her how tough you are, baby.
50.
LUCY
...Good-bye, Rose.
The three RUN for the edge of the overpass.
Rose drags her collection of weapons into the BUNKER formed
by the wrecked vehicles. She gets cover, lodges a gun.
Then takes out her two CHINESE MEDITATION BALLS and starts
turning them in her hand, waiting.
ON WILLIAM, ALICE, AND LUCY
They look over the edge of the overpass. It’s a 50-foot drop
to the highway below them, another 50 to the ground below.
LUCY
There’s no way down.
WILLIAM
It’s not a fatal drop for a robot.
LUCY
I’m not a robot.
WILLIAM
So you’ll have to trust us.
(Lucy blinks)
Use your jacket as padding. Don’t
scream as you fall, we’re trying to
avoid notice.
Lucy just barely nods, terrified. Alice helps her get her
BOMBER JACKET off, wraps it around her shoulders.
William turns and VAULTS off the side of the overpass. He
falls 50 feet to the lower overpass and lands in a roll.
Alice sits on the concrete barrier edge and pats her lap.
ALICE
Come on, honey.
Lucy nervously approaches and Alice scoops her up onto her
lap, wraps her arms around the Bomber Jacket.
LUCY
Is it okay for me to curse if I
curse quietly?
ALICE
Sure, baby.
LUCY
Thanks. Shit.
Alice holds Lucy and drops BACKWARDS off the overpass.
51.
The fucked-up SUV CRASHES into the ground nearby. Lucy YELPS.
The Zombie patrols in the background all turn.
WILLIAM
Run.
William jerks them into motion, Alice DROPPING Lucy’s Bomber
Jacket.
William SMASHES himself through a plate glass door, into a
dark building. Alice follows with Lucy in arms.
BENEDICT
Radio.
His Lackey puts it in his hand. He keys the button, yells--
BENEDICT
Get a message to Choptop! I want
him to man the front guns on his
vehicle! Right goddamn now.
BENEDICT’S POV- CHOPTOP, a Clever Bastard, running in a
crouch through the battle to the front of a TURBINED SUV.
LUCY
Thank you.
Alice smiles and nods as Lucy reaches for the jacket. The
barbed head of a HARPOON BURSTS through her breast.
Lucy YELPS in shock.
Alice stumbles and looks down at the point, then up at Lucy.
ALICE
I’m sorry, baby.
She’s abruptly YANKED backwards off her feet, a steel cable
dragging her into the street.
Lucy YELLS and tries to run after her. William covers her
mouth and picks her up.
FRAMED IN THE DOOR-- Five ZOMBIE SCOUTS, armed with shotguns
and pry-bars stand over Alice.
Lucy struggles and thrashes, trying to get out of William’s
grip as he backs further into the shadows, whispering--
WILLIAM
You’re endangering yourself.
THROUGH THE DOOR-- Alice claws at the ground helplessly
against the torque of the harpoon cable.
INSIDE-- Lucy CRIES and THRASHES but William holds her tight.
THROUGH THE DOOR-- A CLEVER BASTARD puts his boot on Alice’s
neck, then looks into the darkness where we hide and POINTS.
CLEVER BASTARD
Search and kill.
His two SHOTGUNNER ZOMBIES nod and walk towards the doorway.
INSIDE-- William backs further into the shadows with Lucy,
finds a door and tries it. Locked.
THROUGH THE DOOR-- The Clever Bastard takes a PITCHFORK,
flips it, and DRIVES it down into Alice’s torso. She WRITHES
and SPASMS on the ground, electricity arcing.
He nods to the Fifth Zombie, who swings a SLEDGE HAMMER,
driving the pitchfork down into the macadam.
At the SUV, a Sixth Zombie starts the WINCH connected to the
Harpoon Cable.
INSIDE-- Lucy watches Alice, horrified, helpless. Alice seems
to be looking back directly at her.
57.
THROUGH THE DOOR-- The cable pulls tight and flips Alice, the
harpoon barb catching. But the pitchfork pins her in place--
Alice TEARS in half, skin splitting bloodlessly, gears and
pistons scattering.
INSIDE-- Lucy SCREAMS.
THROUGH THE DOOR-- The two Shotgunner Zombies look up
sharply, raising their weapons.
She starts KICKING him in the chest as hard as she can, over
and over again. She gouges at his eyes, frantic.
LUCY
You let them kill Alice! I hate
you!
William puts her gently on the ground, restrains her arms.
WILLIAM
You’re the one who sent her out.
Lucy shakes her head, crying.
LUCY
Well she shouldn’t have gone if it
was that bad! She shouldn’t have
done that! And I’m... I’m just a
kid. And I’m alone and... I
shouldn’t have to make choices like
that.
WILLIAM
You’re not alone.
Lucy pulls away from him and sits on the ground crying.
William blinks a few times. Then falls to the ground,
WEEPING.
Lucy sees William crying, a perfect imitation excepting he
has no tears. Her face contorts in horror.
LUCY
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
WILLIAM
It’s sad that Alice is gone.
LUCY
Bullshit! You don’t feel anything
and you don’t even know it!
WILLIAM
...I’m trying.
BENEDICT (cont'd)
There is fresh gray matter, goat and
dog, for every new recruit. If you
understand these words, you can join
my nation. Get on the bus.
Several SCHOOL BUSES trundle slowly through Albuquerque, lit
up like Christmas, MEGAPHONES on top--
LUCY
He saw us!
A SCOUT ZOMBIE on a motorcycle, pulls out from behind a
crumpled billboard.
ROSE
A scout. We can’t let him tell the
others.
Rose SLAMS on the brakes, spinning the car 180.
The SCOUT ZOMBIE tears out down the road. Rose floors the
Station Wagon and they chase.
The motorcycle is much faster, quickly diminishing.
William climbs halfway out the window and- BRAAAP! BRRRAAAP!
The Gauss Gun BURSTS the motorcycle’s tires. The Scout Zombie
looks back at them, YELLOW WAR-PAINT striping the middle of
her face. She SNARLS just before--
The Station Wagon SLAMS into her. The Motorcycle goes flying
forward, the Scout Zombie bounces over the car and SLAMS to
the asphalt behind them.
Rose skids the Station Wagon to a halt.
LUCY
It’s still moving!
Rose floors the Station Wagon, in reverse.
THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP!
They all bounce in the car as if over a speed bump. No more
Scout Zombie. A beat. Then--
WILLIAM
We’ll need to find a place to hide
before full light.
LUCY
What’s going on? William?
Rose murmurs quietly to William--
ROSE
He’s got a living heat signature.
DERICK
You ain’t dead, is you?
ROSE
Yes, I... ain’t?
Derick grins and the rest of the Figures drop their guns.
DERICK
I didn’t ask is you ain’t, I asked
ain’t you is. What’s your robot
holding down in that tiger pit?
Rose looks at William. He thinks I’m a human?
William stands, pulling Lucy up into the air. The dozen
gunmen all take a step back, shocked.
DERICK
Praise god. A child.
LUCY
William. What’s going on?
WILLIAM
People. Living people.
Lucy grins, hanging from William’s outstretched arm.
BROTHER JOSHUA
You are an honest-to-God miracle,
child. I swear. We haven’t found a
survivor in near two years.
BROTHER JOSHUA is a heavy man with a big shaggy beard. He
sits at the head of the table, eating copiously.
BROTHER JOSHUA
And a child! With her... I’m sorry,
are you Lucy’s mother?
ROSE
No, of course not.
LUCY
How many of you are there?
BROTHER JOSHUA
Sixty-four living souls. We were
sixty-three until last month, then
we lost Brother Simon.
WILLIAM
How’d he die?
BROTHER JOSHUA
...Excuse me?
WILLIAM
How did your brother Simon die?
BROTHER JOSHUA
(to Rose)
Your automoton certainly is a bit on
the uppity side. More advanced than
any we ever saw in these parts, even
before the troubles.
LUCY
How did he die, though?
SISTER RUTH
Natural causes.
SISTER RUTH looks the ideal soccer mom, bright and cheerful.
BROTHER JOSHUA
And he stayed dead, thank you very
much. We take care of ours here,
s’what makes us a Family.
LUCY
Are there any other kids here?
SISTER RUTH
I’m afraid not, honey.
68.
BROTHER JOSHUA
Not for lack of trying.
SISTER RUTH
Oh, you!
DERICK
(to Rose)
How is it you manage to keep
yourself so dolled up?
ROSE
What do you mean?
DERICK
It’s a hard and ugly world out
there, and I’ll be damned if you
ain’t soft and pretty.
ROSE
I’m built to intimidate.
DERICK
I like how you’re built.
SISTER RUTH
Don’t be rude, Derick.
Rose does look much healthier than most of the family. Many
have small sores dotting their faces, swollen hands.
WILLIAM
Shouldn’t there be sixty-two? If
there were sixty-three of you and
one died?
SISTER RUTH
Rose, honey, is there a way you can
shut off this thing’s mouth?
WILLIAM
And there are only thirty-one of
you here. Where are the others?
BROTHER JOSHUA
How about you mind your own
business.
WILLIAM
The child’s safety is my business.
(Thinks, then adds-)
Dick head.
Brother Joshua blinks, a moment’s shock. Then he LAUGHS.
69.
BROTHER JOSHUA
I didn’t know these things got mad.
The heck kind of robot is he?
LUCY
He’s learning to imitate emotion.
SISTER RUTH
Well toys are all fine and good,
but I’m sure you’re about ready for
some real human contact.
WILLIAM
How have you survived out here?
BROTHER JOSHUA
Didn’t I just explain to you about
minding your gee dee business?
WILLIAM
Four days ago I saw a mountain of
war machines destroyed by the
walking dead. You’re five dozen
yokels in a church living like it’s
a holiday. What protects you?
SISTER RUTH
Love.
LUCY
Ew.
WILLIAM
What does that mean?
BROTHER JOSHUA
God is love, and made man in his
own image. If you accept love, He
protects you, simple as that. A
machine couldn’t understand.
SISTER RUTH
But you could, Lucy. If you
accepted love, you could stay here
as long as you want. You could be
safe. You could have a family.
SISTER RUTH
This’ll be your room, Miss Lucy.
BROTHER JOSHUA
I hope you like it.
LUCY
Thanks... Rose’s room is bigger.
It could be a utility closet, a child’s bed, a small table.
SISTER RUTH
Well Rose is a big girl, so she
gets a big girl bed. You can have a
big girl bed, too, when you get a
little older.
Lucy sits on the bed heavily, her eyes drooping.
LUCY
We won’t be here that long. We’re
leaving when it’s dark.
SISTER RUTH
You don’t have to rush off.
LUCY
We do. We’re on a mission and we
only have three days left. We have
to (YAWN), we have to kill
Satterfield.
WILLIAM
Are you okay, Luce?
LUCY
I feel funny not ha-ha funny.
BROTHER JOSHUA
Who are you gonna kill, baby?
LUCY
We gotta kill Dr. Satterfield. He
murdered the world. He’s just awful.
Joshua and Ruth look at each other, concerned. Lucy leans
against William, closes her eyes.
BROTHER JOSHUA
Let her rest, I’ll show you where
the garage is.
WILLIAM
I’m going to stay with Lucy.
BROTHER JOSHUA
We store machines in the garage.
71.
WILLIAM
I stay with Lucy.
ROSE
The job?
DERICK
Heck, I didn’t mean to say it would
be like work. But you understand,
when we’re talking love, we ain’t
talking about holdin’ hands.
ROSE
I don’t know anything about love.
DERICK
It’s a gift. “A gift borne by
love,” is how the Brothers say it.
I myself don’t know syph from
shinola, but I do enjoy a bit of
“evangelism” here and there.
ROSE
You’re talking about sex.
DERICK
Yes, ma’am.
He stares at her, grinning. She looks back blankly.
DERICK
Why don’t you come over here.
Rose stands and steps towards him.
DERICK
And how ‘bout getting rid of some
of those clothes?
Rose nods and unbuttons her shirt, revealing near-perfect
skin. Derick nearly salivates with lust. He looks up into her
oddly emotionless eyes.
DERICK
Your kindly mixing your signals
here ain’t you? You want to do
this or not?
ROSE
I’ll obey so long as it doesn’t
harm you.
DERICK
What?
ROSE
It’s not what I was built for but I
do have the input devices.
73.
DERICK
What are you talking about?
ROSE
I’m an android.
Derick squints at her like it’s some kind of joke.
DERICK
No...
Rose opens her mouth until her jaw unhinges and slides down
her neck, revealing pistons and transistors.
Derick lurches backwards.
His eyes bounce from her mouth to breasts. Derick’s face
twitches, disgust to anger to something else.
DERICK
Shut your mouth.
(she does, looks human)
...You can’t hurt me?
Derick looks at her body, licks his teeth.
ROSE
Killing a human would violate the
First Law. I can only destroy
resources and other robots.
DERICK
Stop looking at me.
Rose closes her eyes.
He steps forward, SHOVES Rose onto the bed and falls on top
of her, ripping his own clothes away...
ELDERLY WOMAN
You’re an abomination.
Derick limps behind her, bleeding, pick-axe in hand.
Rose runs, dodging the SHOVES and KICKS of the Family. She
turns a corner.
DERICK (O.S.)
Stop her! Stop her!
No Family members here, Rose runs to the end of the hall,
turns the corner. Six feet ahead there’s a DOOR.
Rose hits it, Derick’s FOOTSTEPS approaching from behind.
The door is steel, locked. She BREAKS off the knob, points a
finger, and CRACKS the spindle free of the lock mechanism.
ON DERICK-
He ROARS, running down the hallway, dragging the point of the
pickaxe down the wall. SCRRRRRRAAAAAPE!
ON ROSE-
The broken doorknob TURNS around her finger. The door OPENS,
revealing--
THE INVALID ROOM
A basement ward, three dozen sick beds, full of the DISEASED.
A SICK WOMAN holds the door. Her face is swollen and
misshapen, skin peeling. Bald patches, one hand a bloated
club with fingers like scaled tubers. But still: ALIVE.
There are DOZENS more, watching her from their beds. All of
them diseased, bloated, ROTTING ALIVE.
SICK WOMAN
I can still hear it. My heart beats
so fast.
ROSE
You’re alive. You’re sick.
All of the diseased are MUTTERING, delusional.
SICK WOMAN
No. We’re saved. Speedily repent
and cook thy blood.
Derick SLAMS the pickaxe into Rose’s back.
76.
Rose. One arm dangling from wires, a knee twisted wrong, most
of her “skin” torn away, gears and cogs hanging, voice
scratchy and garbled. Derick ROARS off-screen behind her.
ROSE
Syphilis. They’ve infected
themselves. The dead won’t eat them
because they’ve rotted their brains.
LUCY
Rose! Help us!
Derick limps into the hallway after her, pickaxe in hand.
ROSE
They’ll infect Lucy. The stupid
bastards will all be dead in two
years. Insane and then dead. You
have to protect her.
Derick SLAMS the pickaxe through the back of Rose’s neck and
PRIES it up, CRACKING Rose’s head from its anchors. She dies.
Lucy SCREAMS.
Derick looks at William, panting.
WILLIAM
I hate you.
Bathrobe flips William with the hook end of the crowbar.
LUCY
William! Fight back!
WILLIAM
I can’t.
LUCY
Kill them! I’m telling you to so
you can do it. I hate them! Kill
them!
Sister Ruth tries to cover her mouth and Lucy BITES her.
WILLIAM
I can’t. I can’t.
Derick SLAMS the pickaxe into William. He YELLS and spasms.
His back opens, along with the hatch on his shoulder. We can
see the GLOW of his power core through the cracked hatch.
Derick SLAMS the pickaxe again and again into William’s back.
WARMTH and light spill out. Derick shields his eyes.
78.
LUCY
William! No! No!
Derick SLAMS the pick-axe into his back again.
There’s a FLASH, energy released, flames flaring at the edges
of his clothing. His power core is CRACKED, heat venting.
LUCY
No! No! No!
SISTER RUTH
He’s just a machine. He can’t feel
anything. Shhhh.... There, there.
William claws at the ground. Lucy CRIES and SCREAMS.
LUCY
Wait! He’ll... He’ll explode!
Derick pauses, axe poised.
LUCY
That thing in his back is... is
radio... interact...
BROTHER JOSHUA
Radioactive?
LUCY
Yes. It’ll explode if you break it.
It’ll... Kill everybody. I can turn
him off. He’s a machine. I can just
turn him off.
(to William)
I’m sorry, William.
WILLIAM
Don’t... Don’t let them infect you.
Brother Joshua nods permission and Ruth lets Lucy go.
Lucy walks over to William and crouches beside him. He sits
up as best he can, whispers--
WILLIAM
I don’t think I’d really explode.
LUCY
Turn your head, stupid.
Lucy reaches into his shoulder hatch and pulls out the canon.
Derick furrows his brow.
79.
LUCY
Can we fix you?
WILLIAM
We can get a few more miles out of
this thing.
POV- Beneath the Station Wagon, WATCHING William and Lucy.
TITLE
TWO DAYS BEFORE SATTERFIELD
The busted Station Wagon sits with all its doors open, empty.
William and Lucy get into the loaded Charger and accelerate
off into the night.
Something THUMPS.
The top half of the SCOUT ZOMBIE crawls from beneath the
Station Wagon. She looks like she’s been dragged under a car
for three days, the YELLOW STRIPE still visible on her face.
She reaches into her vest and pulls out a CHUNKY PISTOL.
POOMF, she fires an arching, red FLARE up into the night.
TITLE
23 HOURS BEFORE SATTERFIELD
They’re looking at A FACTORY. Huge, glowing, a hundred
electric lights on its five stories buzzing on the horizon.
LUCY
That’s enough power, isn’t it?
WILLIAM
It is. We don’t have much time.
Let’s go.
LUCY (cont'd)
I know what Alice was built for.
We’re the same as the Scumbags just
more clever is all.
WILLIAM
You can’t give up, Luce.
LUCY
Why not?
A jet of WATER hits William and the two alligator clips ARC.
A blue/white EXPLOSION of light.
Lucy SCREAMS. William smokes and twitches on the ground,
trying to pull himself upright.
He looks up at Lucy, trying to speak, trying to warn her-
Benedict steps from the shadows behind her and wraps her in
his arms. Lucy SCREAMS. He’s got elbow-length RED RUBBER
GLOVES, a WRECKING BAR draped over his elbow like a cane. Two
Clever Bastards man a fire hose.
BENEDICT
You must be Lucy.
WILLIAM
No!
The Undead turn the hose on William again and he ARCS and
SPASMS.
Lucy SCREAMS. Benedict hands her over to-- His FLUNKY,
dressed in a full HAZARD SUIT, a Hannibal Lecter-style MUZZLE
covering his mouth.
William ROARS, drags himself towards Lucy.
BENEDICT
And you must be the Tin Man. God,
but you are disgusting.
He SMASHES the wrecking bar into William’s neck.
LUCY
Don’t hurt him!
BENEDICT
Seriously? You care about this
thing? It sure as hell doesn’t care
about you.
Lucy looks around frantically, a dozen CLEVER BASTARD zombies
surround them, all eyes focused on Lucy. The Flunky can’t
bear it any more and tries to bite Lucy’s head through the
muzzle, muttering--
87.
FLUNKY
So hungry.
BENEDICT
Hey! Hey! Cut that shit.
Benedict pokes him in the face with the wrecking bar, caving
his cheekbone. The Flunky backs off, penitent.
BENEDICT
You really want to bite her, don’t
you?
The Flunky NODS, a little ashamed, a little hopeful.
Benedict gets an understanding smile on his face.
Then DRIVES the Wrecking Bar through his Flunky’s head and
throws him to the ground. He SLAMS it down into the steadily
slurried gunk that used to be his flunky’s head again and
again and again and again until it’s a puddle of soup.
Benedict straightens, pops some pills. Looks around.
BENEDICT
Who else wants to bite the girl?
He looks back and forth. Another Clever Bastard raises a
timid hand. Benedict SIGHS. And beats the Clever Bastard to a
horrible, overkill death.
He backs again into the circle, looks around.
BENEDICT
Anybody else want to bite the girl?
(nobody moves)
God damn good. She’s our whole
future. Spread the word.
(turns back to William)
Lucy, angel. Lemme show you this
thing’s soul.
He flips the wrecking bar and drives it into William’s back,
popping the access, revealing the glowing POWER CORE.
William GASPS, trying to fight, his eyes find Lucy’s.
Benedict steps on the back of William’s neck and drives the
Crow Tail beneath the Core. He CRACKS it out, trailing wires.
Benedict flips the Wrecking Bar around like a golf club. He
sites into the distance, swings back, and SMACKS the power
core soaring out into the night, a trailing glow.
William THRASHES, goes still.
88.
LUCY
William! William!
Benedict strolls over and grabs her.
CLOSE ON WILLIAM - His eyes dimming, audio fading. He sees:
WILLIAM’S POV - Lucy in Benedict’s arms, eyes locked on ours,
SCREAMING silently. The world slows. Benedict and his Clever
Bastards diminish into the greater darkness, Lucy clawing at
the air, as we fade to darkness and silence.
DR. SATTERFIELD
Excuse me? Are you crying?
William shakes his head, gets to his feet.
WILLIAM
Where’s Lucy?
DR. SATTERFIELD
Who?
WILLIAM
She’s a little girl. I was supposed
to take care of her.
DR. SATTERFIELD
There are no more children. No more
anything. While you were deactivated
the world... ended. The few people
I’ve seen, I had to kill them.
They’re not alive, but animate, some
sort of...
WILLIAM
Scumbags.
DR. SATTERFIELD
Abominations. I need to return to
Yuma, to Morningstar. To the past
where I can prevent this.
WILLIAM
You caused all this.
DR. SATTERFIELD
Nonsense.
WILLIAM
You murdered the world.
DR. SATTERFIELD
I’m going to save the world. I can
warn them. This is a return on the
promise of time travel more than I
ever could have imagined. We’ll
choose a different past, we’ll
engineer history.
WILLIAM
I have to find Lucy.
DR. SATTERFIELD
You have to obey me. I know your
programming. We had things like
you in my time.
90.
WILLIAM
You had me in your time. I worked
in your lab. I wished you luck
seven years ago and you gave me
shit for mimicking emotions.
DR. SATTERFIELD
Good god, you’re right. You’ve
changed. Somebody reprogrammed you.
WILLIAM
A girl named Lucy. I’m going to
find her.
He turns and starts walking.
DR. SATTERFIELD
No. No! I command you to escort me
to Yuma Airforce Base.
(William ignores him)
Stop! I put that god-damn battery
in you, I can take it out again.
Dr. Satterfield reaches for the access hatch in William’s
back. William grabs his arm and lifts him off the ground.
WILLIAM
I have to save Lucy.
DR. SATTERFIELD
...Then what?
William blinks. Satterfield hangs from his grip.
DR. SATTERFIELD
So you save whoever this kid is.
Good for you. This world is no
place for a child. Let’s scratch
backs. I help you save the little
girl, you help me get to Yuma. Or
help us. Me and the girl both. Me
and Lindy go through Morningstar to
the past and save the world, and
none of this ever happened.
WILLIAM
What do I need your help for?
DR. SATTERFIELD
My brains.
WILLIAM
Like for bait?
Dr. Satterfield smirks. William doesn’t.
91.
DR. SATTERFIELD
And I’m armed.
He pulls a small PISTOL from a holster. William shrugs,
extends the cannon from his shoulder. (Mine is bigger.)
DR. SATTERFIELD
Ah. Um. Okay, I also have uh...
Dr. Satterfield raises an arm and makes a fist. Nothing
happens.
He pumps his fist a few times before-- an enormous JET OF
FLAME erupts from the cuff of his Hazard Suit.
William considers. Satterfield squints hopefully.
BENEDICT
Doesn’t mean I can’t cause her all
sorts of pain. All I care about’s
her DNA.
William thinks. Benedict jams the Ice Pick a little into
Lucy’s leg and she YELLS.
William puts his hands up, takes a step back.
Benedict, confiding quietly to Lucy--
BENEDICT
Though what we do from here is
anybody’s guess.
LUCY
I know what happens next.
BENEDICT
Really. What’s that?
LUCY
It’s a surprise.
BENEDICT
You can give me a hint at least.
LUCY
It involves your big comfortable
chair.
Benedict looks back. His LA-Z-BOY is perched precariously on
the edge of the back doors. A bundle of IV TUBES is looped
around the chair’s handle.
The same IV tubes that trace across the cab, loop around his
arm, and stick into his neck.
BENEDICT
You’re a wicked little bitch,
aren’t you?
Lucy shrugs. A BUMP drops the LA-Z-BOY off the back.
Benedict YELLS as he’s jerked off his feet, dragged across
the floor, and dumped out into the desert.
The Ice Cream Truck on fire curves out, leaving the Caravan,
heading back West.
Lucy SCREAMS.
SATTERFIELD
Machines can’t pass through the
time gate.
LUCY
Oh, screw you. William’s allowed to
do whatever he wants.
SATTERFIELD
I’m not speaking of permission. I’m
saying it’s not possible. Only
living things can make it through
the gate. Things mechanical,
electronic, anything without a
soul, the gate reduces to dust.
Lucy looks at William, surprised, betrayed.
LUCY
(Tears)
You didn’t tell me that. ...I don’t
want to go without you.
William looks at her, looks like he wants to cry.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Gunshots from outside. The lead vehicles of
Benedict’s Caravan have overtaken them, the battle resumed.
LUCY
Wait for us!
They run for the elevator.
SATTERFIELD
You’re gonna want to behave, you...
William POKES Satterfield back. Lucy runs into the Air Lock.
WILLIAM
If she kicks you in the shin,
you’ll take it and like it.
SATTERFIELD
....Will wonders never cease. I’m
disassembling you when I get back
to the past.
There’s a CRASH from above, and then a dull ROAR. William
and Satterfield both look.
SATTERFIELD
The Dead are in the stairwell.
He turns and runs for the Airlock. William brushes the dust
off of the Power Interface and boots up the system.
The Undead sweep away from him. William climbs to his feet,
battered, much of his skin torn away, but still whole.
WILLIAM
What are you doing?
LUCY
I couldn’t watch you die.
WILLIAM
You should have left me.
One of the smashed Undead on the floor reaches feebly for
her. William steps on its head, lifts her out of its reach.
WILLIAM
I’ll carry you.
He puts her on his shoulders, starts back to the Airlock.
Benedict slides on gore to a stop in front of them, hands up.
BENEDICT
Wait! Wait, let’s talk about this.
WILLIAM
Get out of the way.
BENEDICT
I’m not talking to you, thing. I’m
talking to Lucy. To my fellow human.
Think for just a second. All of my
people are starving, starving for
fresh gray matter. But none of them
would dare touch you. Because of Me.
I can keep you safe. I know you are
the most precious thing on the
planet. The woman the future will
call the one that made us immortal.
Lucy watches, perched on William’s shoulder.
BENEDICT
You have a destiny. There’s a
reason you lived this long. The
last pure human. Fulfill that
destiny. That machine doesn’t love
you. Choose the Human Side.
Benedict holds out his hand, inviting.
BRRAAAAAAAAP! His fingers spatter and scatter and his face
implodes, blowing in black chowder out the back of his head.
Lucy has her finger on the trigger of the Gauss Gun, still
firing-- BRRRRRRAAAAAAPPP!
Benedict falls. Lucy stops firing. Two hundred Undead blink.
108.
LUCY
Run.
William SPRINTS for the Airlock.
The Undead ROAR and sweep in on them like a tide.
William LEAPS as the Undead converge, flying over their
heads, Lucy holding onto the Gauss Gun for dear life.
He SLAMS down onto the floor, still running, swinging the
Kitana blade wildly, Zombie BLOOD flying everywhere, hits the
Airlock, and WRENCHES it open.
Zombie Blood makes Jackson Pollock butterflies in the air.
CLOSE ON- a tendril of Black Blood stretches through the air.
Lucy turns, SCREAMING, as it SPLATTERS against her face.
William pulls her through the Airlock, it HISSES shut.
The remaining Undead climb over the piles of re-killed
corpses outside, trying to get in.
William pulls Lucy off of his shoulders.
Satterfield, his wrist still stuck in the inner Airlock,
stares at Lucy.
SATTERFIELD
Good god.
William follows his gaze, looks down at Lucy.
She’s hunched, shuddering, black gore splattered on her face.
William lifts her chin, wipes some goo away.
WILLIAM
Lucy... Lucy?
Lucy’s teeth are bared, shaking. Her eyes clouded, tendrils
of disease slithering in towards the irises. She’s INFECTED.
WILLIAM
No. No! Lucy!
He falls to his knees, wraps his arms around her.
WILLIAM
Don’t die! Lucy! Lucy, I love you!
Please, don’t leave me! Please!
William SCREAMS. Satterfield watches, fascinated.
Lucy, shaking, EXHALES, BLACK BLOOD falling from her mouth.
Life leaves her eyes, and she collapses, DEAD in his arms.
109.
THE END