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INT. BUNKER

2019

Ray is still working at the table.

Frank comes in carrying the launcher.

FRANK
This could use a cleaning.

RAY
Good idea. How's the car?

Frank shakes his head.

FRANK
Not too bad if I can find parts,
but I don't know where.

RAY
They may have some ideas.

FRANK
Yeah. I'm going to check out the
van and the bike too. Might as well
dream big.

RAY
Let me know if you need any help.

Frank nods and goes back out.

Ray looks over the launcher and reaches into his tool kit. He
comes across a box of crayons.



EXT. ZONES

2018

Gerard, and Grace wake up to their first day as fugitives.
They blink awake in bright sunlight.

Frank, Ray, and Mikey are studying a map spread over the hood
of the car.

Gerard gets up and goes over to them.

GERARD
Why didn't you wake me?

RAY
There's no hurry. We're just trying
to figure out what to do.

GERARD
I'm curious about that myself.

Ray points out areas on the map.

RAY
These are towns that we know are
occupied by Blind. We have to avoid
them.

MIKEY
As far as we know, they keep the
existing highways functioning
between these towns, and have
service stations set up along the
way. We need to be really careful
around there.

FRANK
The official story is that
everything else is burned out and
deserted, but we know that's only
partially true.

MIKEY
We just don't know how much.

GERARD
How do you know any of this?

RAY
Pirate radio, and my brother used
to communicate with a lot of people
via HAM, but they all kept
disappearing. We had to stop.

GERARD
What about your family?

Ray looks a little worried about this, but shrugs it off.

RAY
We've talked about something like
this happening. He'll need to lay
low for a while, but it should be
okay.

GERARD
I'm sorry.

RAY
Those lives are gone, for all of
us.

MIKEY
Yeah, but you're the only one who
has people left.

FRANK
Maybe someday-

RAY
No, we can't think like that. Look
around here.

They take in the harsh landscape.

RAY (CONT'D)
It's going to take everything we
have to survive. Looking back is
only going to make it harder.

FRANK
Plus we're criminals now.

GERARD
We are. I would have thought I'd be
more ashamed.

MIKEY
Not these days.

FRANK
Maybe we should change our names,
in case we ever run into people.

GERARD
Are there other people out here?

MIKEY
There must be, but a lot of them
are going to be pretty rough. Our
new identities should be tough
ones.

RAY
We have them.

Ray pulls out his gun.

RAY (CONT'D)
Jet Star.

Mikey grins and draws his own.

MIKEY
Kobra Kid.

Frank puts his hand on his gun and pauses.

FRANK
Wait, I'm Fun Ghoul?

Mikey can't help snickering.

MIKEY
It's an awesome name. I'm scared of
you already.

Frank shakes his head, but does not argue.

GERARD
That takes care of most of us.

RAY
Ah, but it takes care of all of us,
because it turns out we have been
waiting for you.

Ray goes into the trunk and pulls out the yellow gun,
presenting it to Gerard.

RAY (CONT'D)
Party Poison.

Gerard smiles a dark smile.

GERARD
Yeah, I can totally kill the party.

MIKEY
It works.

RAY
Brothers. Friends.

All four cross their guns in the middle of the circle.

GRACE
What about me?

Grace has been listening without their noticing.

GERARD
Oh.

FRANK
Well we said she needed to be small
arms proficient.

MIKEY
Already?

Ray clears his throat, and comes up with a plan.

Picking up the launcher, Ray kneels in front of Grace with
it.

RAY
Okay, this is The Kid, and it will
be your job to take care of it. Now
hold it.

Grace takes the weapon and sinks a little under it.

GRACE
It's heavy.

RAY
It is. That means you can't carry
it around like the guns. It needs
to either be mounted on the car, or
maybe we can get a tripod for it,
but it's powerful, more powerful
than any of ours. Do you
understand?

GRACE
I need to be careful with it.

RAY
And let us help you with it, at
least until you're bigger.

Ray takes the launcher and puts it back into the trunk.

RAY (CONT'D)
What you have is different, but we
really need it. We need you. Does
that sound good, Kid?

Grace nods and hugs Ray tightly around the neck.

Ray appears more touched than he expected, and hugs Grace
back.



INT. TORRES HOME

2014

Ray and Frank are playing guitars in the living room.

Ray's nieces, Carly (3) and Christy (5) are dancing and
giggling to the music. All four are having a good time.

Bob and his wife Karen come in.

RAY
Hey, you're back early!

KAREN
(smiling)
And yet it is still past bedtime.

FRANK
They're, uh, in their pajamas at
least.

KAREN
Come on you two.

Karen ushers the little girls out of the room.

FRANK
(quietly, to Ray)
Think they'll be too wound up to
sleep?

BOB
Probably. For a while. Want to head
downstairs?

RAY
Yeah. Actually, we want to talk to
you about something.

Bob looks suspicious now.

BOB
Okay.

The three head down to the basement, which is full of guns
and radios and parts for both.

Bob sits down at the work table and starts fiddling with a
firing mechanism.

BOB (CONT'D)
So what's up?

Ray and Frank look at each other nervously.

RAY
We think we should move all of this
to Frank's house.

BOB
Why?

RAY
To be safer.

FRANK
It's for the girls.

BOB
This is ours. Our family's. Having
it here, I can work on it any time.

RAY
I know. It will be less convenient.
But I keep worrying that something
will happen, and we'll be found
out.

BOB
We've been fine so far.

RAY
It's getting worse.

FRANK
We saw a girl get killed today.

Bob has been defensive, but this does give him pause.

BOB
I heard a rumor about that in town.
I was hoping it wasn't true.

RAY
No, it's true.

BOB
Did you know her?

FRANK
We'd just met her. She was the
friend of a friend.

RAY
It was the girl from the meeting.
She was trying to get a petition to
open the school.

FRANK
If they killed her for just a
petition...

BOB
I see what you're saying. I just
feel like I'm being pushed out.

RAY
No-

KAREN
I think it's a good idea.

Karen has been listening.

BOB
Putting Frank in more danger?

Karen winces at that, but continues.

KAREN
Of course not, but I worry about
this. A lot.

FRANK
You know I don't have a lot to
lose, but anything hurting you
would kill me.

KAREN
And I don't want anything to happen
to you, but you guys can handle
yourselves. Carly and Christy are
just little girls.

Bob looks defeated.

BOB
You're right. I hate it, but you're
right.

FRANK
It's not like you can't come over.
We want you to come over.

RAY
It's just that we don't want any of
it tied to here.

BOB
(to Karen)
Honey, we're just going to hash out
details. You can go.

Karen is not exactly satisfied, but doesn't fight it and goes
back up the stairs.

BOB (CONT'D)
Okay. Let's talk about that. What
do we do if we get caught?

RAY
You blame the whole thing on me.

BOB
I can't do that.

RAY
You can. You have a wayward
brother, and he's out of your
control. Even if you're with us you
can say you were trying to stop me.

FRANK
He has a friend who's a bad
influence.

BOB
So I just throw both of you to the
wolves?

RAY
If it comes down to it, yes. To
make sure that my nieces have their
father, yes.

FRANK
If we have to run, we will.

RAY
That's another thing, the stuff
will be closer to the car.

FRANK
Maybe we should keep a few things
in it.

BOB
I guess you're right, but I hate
it.

RAY
It's going to work out. You'll see.



INT. BUNKER

Ray has finished the maintenance and upgrades, and is putting
away his tools.

Frank comes in wiping his hands.

FRANK
And done! Well, as much as I can
do.

RAY
Good timing. You can put this back.

Ray picks up the launcher.

FRANK
Should I mount it?

RAY
Not right now. Just put it in the
trunk.

FRANK
We're probably going to need it
soon enough.

RAY
Yeah.

While they are thinking about that, Deanna's voice calls from
outside.

DEANNA
We're back, and look who we
brought!

Deanna enters with Mikey and Mitch. They are all carrying
buckets of water.

Jane and Jacob emerge from other parts of inside.

JANE
Mitch! What news?

MITCH
The message is out, and we'll wait
to hear back. No one had heard
anything yet.

JANE
No, it's too soon.

MIKEY
But will it work?

JANE
We can usually find out what we
need, but sometimes it goes a
little slowly.

DEANNA
We'll find her.

Mikey smiles at Deanna.

MIKEY
Thanks.

Jane cocks her head a little at the looks they exchange, but
decides to ignore it.

JANE
Let's get that water back to the
medical wing.

MITCH
Okay, but hurry back. I have
cookies.

Eyes light up at this.

JANE
Really?

DEANNA
That's awesome!

JACOB
Did you have anything?

MITCH
I lucked out. I had an unopened
pack of gum.

JANE
It doesn't seem fair, but it's
something.

Mikey, Deanna, and Jane carry the buckets back, and return to
the room.

Mikey is talking to Jane, and sounds worried.

MIKEY
He doesn't look very good.

JANE
I know, but considering everything,
it's normal, and plenty of fresh
water helps.

DEANNA
He'll be okay. Now I would like a
cookie break. No dog food tonight.

RAY
You guys too?

JACOB
It's usually the easiest thing to
get.

FRANK
Speaking of getting things, I've
made a list of parts I need for the
car, and things I can do for the
van. Is there a way to get them?

JACOB
The Boneyard's your best bet for
that.

RAY
What's the Boneyard?

Jane scowls.

JANE
It's the exact opposite of Battery
City, and it's still Hell.



EXT. THE ZONES, LEADING TO BONEYARD

The van is driving across the desert. It is driven by Mitch,
with Jacob, Ray, and Frank inside.

They come across an open space. Some old buildings stand to
one side, and there are discarded tents and awnings near
those, but the most notable aspect is the abundance of
wrecked cars.

Bodies are smashed, parts are missing, and windshields are
almost always broken. Some cars are upright, but many are
upside down or on their sides.

As the scene is discovered, Jacob fills in Ray and Frank.

JACOB
Twice a year people congregate here
for races and a demolition derby.

FRANK
Where do they come from?

JACOB
Some sneak out from the city or the
other towns, but a lot of them are
just zone rats. Maybe they were
never given an opportunity to be
taken in by Blind, or maybe they
didn't want to be assimilated. And
we always have someone here. It's
our most important trading
opportunity.

RAY
Why does Jane hate it so much?

CUT TO:



INT. BUNKER

Jane is sitting at a table, talking to Mikey.

JANE
I provide medical care. It's
supposed to be a way of getting
funds or supplies, but I can't turn
anyone away, so we probably don't
make out as well as we could.

MIKEY
That sounds like you'd be kind of
into that.

JANE
I do like helping people, but I'm
not helping anyone there. It's just
such a senseless waste.

CUT TO:



EXT. BONEYARD

Mitch, Jacob, Ray, and Frank are now standing outside the
van, looking around.

JACOB
The derby and the race are both
brutal. There are always at least a
few fatalities.

CUT TO:



INT. BUNKER

JANE
One year twenty five people died!
And for what? There aren't even any
prizes beyond bragging rights. And
then there are people who live, and
I try to patch them up, but they're
not going to be the same. It's just
two days of smashed heads and
crushed bones and ruptured organs.
And a lot of people just come to
watch, and they think it's great.

Mikey remembers the fight club, and it does not seem so
strange.

MIKEY
I can see how it happens. Do you
think it could be channeled? Get
them to focus on something
productive?

JANE
If they cared about anything, but
they don't. They've got reasons not
to care. It's hard to change that.

CUT TO:



EXT. BONEYARD

JACOB
It may be dying out. It's less
people every year.

MITCH
I was late last time. How many were
there?

JACOB
500, but our first time it was 800.
It's shrinking.

RAY
Do you think they're getting tired
of coming?

MITCH
I think they're dying in between.
If they are living out here,
there's always Dracs coming after
you, even if you're not doing
anything but being a burnout.

JACOB
And the ones that do sneak out, I'm
not sure how often they make it
back in.

Ray and Frank look around, imagining what it would have
looked like, based on everything left behind.

JACOB (CONT'D)
It's still always the best place
for salvaging. We got the gurney
here.

MITCH
Someone had tried using an
ambulance for racing. It didn't go
that well.

JACOB
If we can find what you need
anywhere, it's probably going to be
here.

FRANK
I guess we should start looking.

Ray, Frank, and Mitch go around from car to car, popping
hoods or crawling underneath to locate what is needful.

Jacob concentrates on the buildings and tents, looking for
non-automotive supplies.

Eventually items start accumulating around the van.

At one point, Ray is looking in the back of a car and calls
Frank over excitedly.

RAY
You are not going to believe this.

Frank and Mitch come over to look.

FRANK
Is that what I think it is?

RAY
Yes, and it appears to be full.

FRANK
I get why it would be here, but I
don't understand why it was never
used or stolen.

RAY
It wasn't exactly in plain sight,
but it's still weird that the
person who brought it didn't use
it.

MITCH
They may not have had the chance.
There's a lot of sabotage.

RAY
It's ours now.

They haul the tank out of the car and bring it to the van.

As they walk back, Ray starts blinking and rubbing his left
eye.

MITCH
What's wrong?

RAY
It's nothing. Lately I'll have
spells where I have all these
bright lights or spots in front,
and it's hard to see.

FRANK
Lately as in since you were hit in
the head and had a concussion?

RAY
Yeah, I guess it started about
then. It's not that bad though.

MITCH
You better have it looked at when
we get back, just to be sure.

RAY
I know. Safety first.

Later at sunset all four men sit around talking.

MITCH
(to Jacob)
How did you make out?

JACOB
Odds and ends, but I did find a
pack of 24 new toothbrushes.

MITCH
Those will make good gifts.

JACOB
That's what I'm thinking. We could
each take two and still have enough
to share.

RAY
What's the deal with the gift
giving? I mean, it's nice, but...

FRANK
It seems to be a big deal.

JACOB
It's a tradition now. I guess it
started with Lastri.

FRANK
Who's Lastri?

MITCH
Remarkable woman.

Jacob nods.

JACOB
She saw horrible things in her
native Indonesia.

MITCH
Then she came here and saw worse
things.

JACOB
But she never lost her belief in
people, or her desire to help them.

MITCH
She was always looking for
something to give you or a way to
make you smile.

RAY
So you do it to remember her?

Both men pause and consider.

JACOB
No, it's just that she was right.
This is a horrible life.

Mitch nods and smiles.

MITCH
It is. The food is bad, the beds
are hard, and there's always
someone trying to kill you. At
least with the military you got
paid for it.

JACOB
The only thing that makes it
worthwhile is the little moments.
Every now and then there's a
cookie, or new shirt, or a
compliment.

Frank and Ray smile, getting it.

FRANK
Or you can finally feel like your
teeth are clean.

MITCH
Or someone will try and fix your
van or your gun.

Ray and Frank suddenly feel bashful.

RAY
We were just grateful.

MITCH
Exactly, and it keeps going on.

JACOB
It's habit now, for everyone, even
if they never knew her, but it
still works. Maybe because it's
always different things. I don't
understand people like she did.
It's one of many debts I owe her.



INT. SCARECROW HEADQUARTERS

Late 2013.

The sign out front says Lillman Pharmaceuticals, but it will
soon say Better Living Industries.

Mitch walks through the corridors. His gait is precise and
powerful - a military man through and through.

Outside of one open door Mitch gives three short, sharp raps.

MITCH
You wanted to see me?

Behind the desk Liu smiles.

LIU
Sergeant Mitchell. Please come in.

Mitch enters.

Liu's office is efficient and sterile. The sole decoration is
a Japanese sword mounted on the wall behind her.

LIU (CONT'D)
Won't you sit down?

Mitch perches uncomfortably on the edge of the chair. He
prefers the field.

MITCH
What can I do for you?

LIU
That is an awkward question, but
Mr. Halliwell assures me that you
can be trusted.

MITCH
Yes.

LIU
More than that, I believe your
record of military service, and
your assistance with the fire
fighting has shown you to be a man
of service, to country and
community.

MITCH
Yes.

LIU
And yet, I suppose that as a
soldier, you are very committed to
following normal procedures-acting
by the book.

MITCH
Yes.

Mitch is a man of few words, but each "yes" conveys more
suspicion.

LIU
Throughout your service, you must
have had many opportunities to see
how some will exploit difficult
times for their own advantages.

MITCH
I have.

LIU
These are very difficult times, but
they have been made more difficult
by unpatriotic and evil men.

MITCH
I don't follow.

Actually, he does follow, and Mitch does not like where this
is going.

LIU
One of the scientists in this very
lab has caused great harm. He must
be eliminated.

MITCH
That's not the kind of work I do.

LIU
Normally, no, but I am told that
you do have experience with
interrogation. Is that correct?

MITCH
Some.

LIU
We need to know how many others
know about what he has done.

MITCH
This seems like more of a
government matter.

LIU
We are the de facto government.
Obviously it's unusual-

MITCH
It seems to set a bad precedent. I
think I should go.

Mitch starts to rise, but Liu motions for him to sit and
changes her tone.

LIU
I'd rather have him tried in open
court, but consider the
circumstances. Society is so
fragile now! The only bonds holding
it together are Blackstone and
Lillman. Especially as we merge, we
need our reputation to remain
clean.

MITCH
That's not my need.

LIU
It's society's need. Listen to me!
A flu epidemic started shortly
after the solar flares.

Mitch looks down at the mention of this.

MITCH
I know.

LIU
I believe that you suffered a
personal loss?

MITCH
My wife.

LIU
What most people do not know is
that there was a second wave of
disease.

MITCH
I had heard there were diseases
besides the flu.

LIU
There was also a second flu. A
different strain was released in
April. And your wife died in?

MITCH
May.

LIU
So you have a personal stake in
this.

Mitch's grip on the arm of the chair tightens.

MITCH
What are you saying?

LIU
I'm saying that the disease came
from this lab.

This might be someone that Mitch could kill.

LIU (CONT'D)
If people associate the disease
with us, they will refuse our help
and they will die, because there is
no one else.
You know the importance of order.
You have the training and ability
to do this. The survival of many
depends on you.

As Mitch responds, his voice is calm, but there is a deadly
undertone.

MITCH
I'm listening.

LIU
I do not know his motivation-I
don't care why he did it-but I need
to know who else knows. We need to
prevent a panic. That is why we
need you.

There is only a brief pause.

MITCH
I'll do it.

LIU
Find out who knows, and then report
back to me. And before you leave
him...

MITCH
Kill him. Off the books.

LIU
At a time like this, these things
are necessary.



INT LABORATORY

Jacob is working late, bent over a microscope.

He is so intent in his work that he does not hear Mitch
enter.

MITCH
Turn around slowly.

Jacob turns and finds himself staring down the barrel of
Mitch's gun.

MITCH (CONT'D)
You're going to tell me who knows
about the virus.

JACOB
I only told my supervisor, Hillard.
He said he'd take care of it!

MITCH
Why did you do it? Blackmail?

JACOB
No! I wanted it stopped! I was
trying to help.

MITCH
Second thoughts. You can't just
call it back because you have an
attack of conscience. Do you know
how many thousands of people are
dead?

JACOB
Of course I know! I can't stop
thinking about it.

MITCH
You wont have to anymore.

Mitch gets ready to fire.

Jacob's disbelief starts to morph into panic.

JACOB
Why are you doing this?

MITCH
You killed my wife.

JACOB
You think I released it?

MITCH
I know you did.

JACOB
That's not true! I just discovered
it. I never used it.

MITCH
Shut up! You've caused enough
damage.

JACOB
This doesn't make any sense. I
explained everything very clearly.
He promised he'd look into- Oh.

Realization dawns across Jacob slowly.

JACOB (CONT'D)
They already knew. That's why...It
all makes sense now.

MITCH
You can't talk your way out of
this.

JACOB
Then why haven't you shot me yet?

Mitch's gun has wavered, but he raises it again.

MITCH
I was just getting to that.

Jacob looks sick, but tries one more time.

JACOB
You're shooting an innocent man.

LASTRI
He's not shooting anyone.

Both men turn and find a small woman in her late fifties,
next to a janitor's cart. This is LASTRI.

The large gun she is aiming seems out of place, but she
appears very comfortable with it.

LASTRI (CONT'D)
Put the gun down.

Mitch's aim darts between Lastri and Jacob, not sure what to
do.

JACOB
Everyone please calm down.

MITCH
Shut up!

LASTRI
You should listen to him. You've
been listening to the wrong people.

Still aiming at Mitch, Lastri moves towards Jacob, attempting
to move into a defensive position.

MITCH
Not any closer!

LASTRI
What are you going to do? Shoot?
What have I done?

MITCH
You're interfering.

LASTRI
You should be grateful for that. Do
you really think they intend for
you to walk away free?

Lastri is now in front of Jacob.

LASTRI (CONT'D)
You're not a murderer, or you would
have already done it. And he's not
a murderer either.
(to Jacob)
Dr. Greenberg, I have come to get
you out of the city. I'm sorry I
didn't arrive sooner.

JACOB
I don't understand.

LASTRI
We learned they were planning your
death, and why.

JACOB
But people won't know! They're the
ones in power. I can't-

LASTRI
You can't fix it tonight, and you
can't fix it if you're dead. Come,
we've wasted enough time.

MITCH
I can't let you do this.

LASTRI
Of course you can. You can say you
were too late.

MITCH
That's not going to work.

Lastri takes Jacob's arm and begins to pull him away.

LASTRI
Come quickly.

They move away, then freeze as a shot rings out.

Mitch has shot out the security camera that has been
recording it all.

MITCH
Just go.

JACOB
Wait-have we been watched?

All three look at each other in concern.

There is a sound of commotion coming closer.

LASTRI
I think all three of us will need
to leave together. Follow me.

As they enter the corridor, a small troop of guards has
entered the building. They begin to fire.

Lastri and Mitch coordinate their movements well, but Jacob
is clearly out of his league, as well as unarmed.

As the guards come closer, the three try and move farther
back, but they are outnumbered and they know it.

MITCH
Now I do wish you'd been sooner.

LASTRI
I wish you'd talked less.

JACOB
Look out!

Jacob has spotted a white van backing at high speed towards
the plate glass.

As it crashes through the window and into the corridor, the
back doors swing open and Deanna puts out a hand.

DEANNA
Hurry!

There is nothing else to do. They load in, and the van moves
out of reverse and begins speeding away before the doors can
even be closed.

LASTRI
That didn't go exactly as planned.

DEANNA
Ya' think? We're both burned now!

JACOB
What does that mean?

DEANNA
It means instead of quietly
sneaking you out of the city and
continuing to help out around here,
we're going with you.

LASTRI
But we're all alive, so it is still
a good day.

Lastri holds out her hand to Mitch.

LASTRI (CONT'D)
Welcome to the fringe.

Deanna snorts, but looks like she is trying not to cry.

DEANNA
Try 'Welcome to the Zones'.

If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour...

We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

From Henry V by William Shakespeare