5C23 Die Zeit ist nahe (englisches Transkript)

Aus Spookyverse

Copygif.gif Transcribed by Dan Owen


MLM-223 5C23 The Time Is Now

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by Thomas J. Wright
Air date: 15. Mai 1998

fade in from white

Catherine's garden - day. A beautiful afternoon, the garden in full bloom. Frank, Catherine and Jordan are present. Frank stabs a small makeshift cross bearing the word KENNY into a patch of soil.

FRANK: Bye-bye, Kenny.

CATHERINE: Bye, Kenny.


The trio stand together at the small gravesite.

JORDAN: How does God choose when it's time for someone to die?

We notice Jordan's two front teeth are missing.

CATHERINE: Well, a lot of people think that they know the answer to that, but no-one really knows but God.

JORDAN: If God is so great, couldn't he make it so nobody ever dies?

FRANK: Honey, there must be a reason that all things have to die - there must be.

CATHERINE: We'll all know the reason someday. Sometime.

JORDAN: Is the time near?

El Cajon, California

Davis residence - night. A hazardous materials team (haz-mat team), dressed in yellow biohazard suits burst into the suburban household. Each haz-mat member wears a gas mask, and most carry red canisters/bags. Many are carrying flashlights. Their leader is Dr. Sorenson. The team fan out around the house. We see the Davis' half-eaten Mother's Day meal still laid out on the table. Some men squirt a liquid over blood stains on the wall, dissolving them. Others are collecting items in red plastic bags. Another team member carries a meter around, sweeping the area. The device emits bleeps. The readout displays a long line of digital numbers, rising rapidly. A bird cage hangs nearby, a haz-mat member shines his flashlight inside to find a dead budgie on the cage floor. The bleeping on the meter becomes more urgent, quicker. The team member stops in front of a window, staring ahead.

TEAM MEMBER: Dr. Sorenson, we're in a hot zone.

SORENSON: We can't determine that until we collect all the evidence. And corroborate it with the CDC at Fort Dietrich.

Sorenson has joined his associate at the window. Both staring.

TEAM MEMBER: We don't have to wait, sir. It's here. We knew it was coming. That it would spread faster than we could ever control it, and now it's here. The time is now.

Now we see what they're looking at: on the outside lawn lies a collection of dead birds.

fade out

main titles

fade in

Yellow house - day. The bright and majestic yellow house, with its black front gate. Frank, Catherine and Jordan arrive outside. Frank opens the gate and Jordan runs up the garden path happily. Frank holds the gate open for Catherine, who enters. Frank takes a few seconds to look at the house.

Yellow house. garden - day. Frank is knelt looking at the cracked foundations of the house, earthquake damage. He stands to see Jordan running round a corner with her mother walking behind her.

FRANK to Catherine: There's cracks around back. The foundations cracked, I guess it's all right.

Frank sighs.

CATHERINE: This house was damaged long before this morning's earthquake.

FRANK: Yeah. Bletch. The Old Man. Our family.

CATHERINE: Maybe now that we found our way back to the yellow house ...

FRANK: It's time for a different yellow house.

Frank hugs Catherine.

stairwell. Peter Watts makes his way down some steep, dark steps. He has a flashlight in hand and it reveals a sophisticated door locking mechanism when he reached the bottom. A keypad is displayed. Watts keys in the digits - 1999. A green light illuminates. Watts enters.

Group archive room. Watts closes the door behind him. He walks inside slowly, panning his flashlight around. There are lots of shelves and boxes. He notices something on the floor - shines his light on it - a Morley cigarette. He continues into the room, past more metal shelves and finds what he's looking for. A trunk, fastened with a small padlock. Watts kneels beside the trunk. We notice he's wearing white latex gloves. He takes out some plastic safety glasses and a miniature circular saw. Putting on the glasses, he uses the saw to cut through the trunk's padlock. The lock breaks. Watts places the broken lock and saw in his jacket pocket, and takes off the safety glasses. Then, he places a brand new lock on the trunk, half-opened. Inside the trunk is a brown hat, a reel of audio tape and an envelope.

Yellow house. front room - day. The room is empty, apart from some boxes. Zager and Evans' "In The Year 2525" song is playing. Catherine enters with some papers in her hand.


Frank, who was playing the song on a small radio, gets up from the sofa.

FRANK: Yeah.

CATHERINE: This came for you.

Frank has placed the radio on a mantelpiece. Catherine hands him the papers.

CATHERINE: Henry left you some property. A cabin and a few acres in the Wenatchee mountains.


Frank inspects the papers.

FRANK: We should put this up for sale. I'm not gonna have any use for it.

They both sit.

CATHERINE: It might be nice to have a place to take Jordan out of the city.

FRANK: No-one's been up there since I was in High School. I'm sure the cabin's barely standing.

CATHERINE: Well, now that you've left the Millennium Group, and you have some free time, it might be a nice project for you.

Frank stands.

FRANK: Honey, yesterday, Peter Watts told me that there was going to be an earthquake this morning.

Catherine sighs, glancing away.

FRANK: To the magnitude, to the minute. The Group knew. There's something happening, events are unfolding. Events that if I understood I could affect. It's a responsibility that, for the sake of you and Jordan, I can't walk away from.

Catherine pushes her hair back, not looking at Frank.

FRANK: So much in me distrusts their power. I am disgusted by their control over people. I doubt their Christian prophecies. I want to tell them to go to the Hell that they fear so much. But, beneath it all, I believe them. And I can't walk away until I am certain of what the future might bring.

Frank waits for a reply. exhales.

CATHERINE a beat: The way you feel toward them, describes my feelings toward you.

Watts's study. Watts inserts a cassette into a walkman. He presses play. On his computer screen, a window is displayed: VA 1624A - PLEASE INITIATE VOICE AUTHENTICATION

OLD MAN V.O recording: The time is near.

A matching voice pattern appears in the voice ident window. A second later the text 98.96 % MATCH appears and a window appears declaring ACCESS GRANTED CONNECTING The ouroboros startup screen appears, reading 'Welcome Old Man, there are 595 days remaining.' A Millennium Intranet window appears with many options available. Watts uses his mouse to select "Group Files" and opens the Search option and types in the words: MARBURG VIRUS and PRIONS in the search field. Clicks Search.

Millennium Group computer room. The room is dark. Many rows of computers are switched on, one displaying a spinning ouroboros symbol as a screensaver. Seated at one console is a Group Member, busily typing. Behind him a console begins to bleep.

Watts' study. On his computer screen, a document on the Marburg Virus is displayed. Watts clicks FILE PRINT.

Millennium Group computer room. The Group Member walks over to the bleeping console. It has displayed a screen, declaring WARNING - tracking abnormal access - SUSPECTED UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

Watts' study. Watts quickly clicks 'LOG OFF' and disconnects.

Millennium Group computer room. The bleeping console's warning screen disappears. The Group Member looks a little confused.

Watts' study. A laserjet printer is busy ejecting numerous sheets on the Marburg Virus. Watts takes a handful and reads through them.

Frank's study. Frank presses a button on his answermachine. Beep.

LARA'S RECORDED VOICE quick, feverish: Why now? Why now, Frank? Why were we born now? Do you realize the probability - the probability of even being born at all? The chances of any life being here - let alone you and me? If it ends - when it will end - we'll be amongst the 10% of all humans who ever lived. Do you understand the odds of being born at the time it ends? And since the time is now, since the end is here - we're all old. But compared to all the life - of all the life on earth, of all the life in the universe - we're infants. And that's all we'll ever be - all we ever were. Can you calculate the odds of being both - I'm so lucky, Frank, to be born now. The things they've told me. The responsibility, Frank, just to know is enough. To see it happen - a chance to witness. I'm so frightened - to have the chance to watch it happen. But we'll be all right we, we can't be born just to die - we knew this was coming, right? We've known for two millennia. quoting Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.

Docklands - night. Frank's jeep speeds down the pier, begins to slow as it approaches another car parked to one side; someone sitting inside. Frank pulls parallel to the vehicle. Inside sits Richard Gilbert. Frank stops and Richard winds down his window.

FRANK: Richard, I'm honored you offered me a job with you and The Trust, but I have to remain with the Millennium Group.

RICHARD: Can you say why?

Frank takes a moment, then shakes his head.

RICHARD a beat: Frank, get out. Get away. When we investigated Lara Means' whereabouts for you, we made some discoveries about Millennium that scared the hell outta me. They're watching us.

Frank looks at Richard closely.

RICHARD: You should be aware that they've recently begun intense surveillance on Peter Watts. Any group that so closely monitors their own members should be feared. I am certain of one thing, Frank...

Frank pays attention.

RICHARD: ... I'd be watching your back.

FRANK: Be well, Richard.

Richard starts his car and drives away, leaving Frank to sit alone and think. Frank hardly has time - the engine of another vehicle is heard and two black cars round a corner onto the pier. Lights on. Heading toward Frank's jeep. Frank watches them in his rear-view mirror as they stop inches behind him. Their doors pop open. Frank gets out to greet the four Millennium Group members that are waiting for him. Their leader, Mr Lott, steps forward.

MR LOTT: How is it decided who lives and who dies?

Flash on: two red dice hitting a brown/white patterned table, with a boom-boom sound effect. They roll a 1 and a 3.

LOTT: Maybe, individually, we are allotted only so many days of life.

Country road - night. A car drives down the winding country road. Behind the wheel sits Richard Gilbert.

MR LOTT V.O: Maybe, as a whole, mankind is only allotted so many days of life.

Docklands - night

MR LOTT V.O: So you see, in what appears to be the plan for mankind the death of one individual is absolutely inconsequential.

Flash on: the falling dice again - boom-boom - they roll a 4 and 6.

MR LOTT: The Millennium Group is not concerned with any single individual life. Do you see where I am going with this?

Country road - night. Richard continues to drive.

MR LOTT V.O: Our responsibility ...

Richard notices a lorry is traveling slowly up ahead.

MR LOTT V.O: ... and remember that word it will come up again, our responsibility is to the life of the whole of mankind.

Cabin. A table littered with dozens of pieces of paper - each one full of hand-written numbers. Lara Means sits at the table in loose white clothing, dropping two dice, and feverishly writing the results on the notepaper.

MR LOTT V.O: And so we must proceed in a manner that increases the odds of that survival. Sounds like a paradox...

Docklands - night. Frank has been listening, now he rubs his face.

MR LOTT: ... but it is the very nature of our responsibility.

Country road - night. Richard's car is driving behind the large truck, labeled Motex. The truck driver, visible leaning out his cab, waves Richard by. Richard gestures his thanks.

MR LOTT V.O: If one life appears to interfere with our protection of billions of lives chuckles it really becomes a no-brainer.

Richard steps on his accelerator to move past the truck. His car glides out to one side and begins to pass.

Docklands - night

MR LOTT V.O: And the courage to be responsible for all those lives ...

Country road - night. Richard's car is signaling as he pulls round in front of the truck. Richard sees he's approaching a bend and presses the brake. It's not working.

MR LOTT V.O: ... that is the first thing that you must understand and accept. As you are about to become a member of the Millennium Group...

Docklands - night

MR LOTT: ... there will be a constant danger to yourself - mentally, physically...

Flash on: the falling dice - boom-boom - they now roll a 5 and a 2. Cabin. Lara continues to scribble down her numbers on sheets of paper, rolling her dice constantly.

MR LOTT V.O: ... in the responsibility of the responsibility. Just the simple act of comprehending the reality of the events before us can cause some to break.

Country road - night. Richard, now panicking, is pumping on the brake pedal.

RICHARD: Come on.

MR LOTT V.O: And for those who are not broken by the danger and responsibility of knowing ...

Richard swerves round an approaching car, almost smashes into another one, but avoids it.

MR LOTT V.O: ... comes the intensity of living with that responsibility for the rest of their lives.

Richard's car is inches away from hitting a concrete barrier.

Docklands - night

MR LOTT: And the actions which must be taken to achieve the Millennium Group's success of purpose.

Country road - night. Richard's car scrapes against the barrier, screeches. Sparks fly up around the hood as he continues to squeal round the corner. Then, he smashes into a streetlight - his car explodes into flames and a brilliant fireball. Huge chunks of debris rains down on the grass bank.

Docklands - night

MR LOTT: This is who we are.

Flash on: the falling dice - boom-boom - a 4 and a 5.

fade to black

Garage warehouse. Frank is viewing the mangled shell of Richard's car. The bodywork is dented and caved in along the side. Frank looks through the windows, noticing blood all over the seats. A figure appears: Brian Dixon. Frank notices.

DIXON: Long time. This is no way to meet up again.

FRANK: Did you examine this?

DIXON: Of course. Nothing. I was positive this was no accident. All of us at The Trust checked the car with the intent on finding the evidence to prove our suspicion, but no foreign substances or objects in the brakeline, no evidence of tampering on the pads, disk, or wheel drums.

FRANK: No-one can tell me - that the same night that Richard informs me the Group is watching us - he dies in a car wreck.

DIXON: Frank, death is never convenient - no matter what the circumstances. The timing, or need for a reason, sometimes its just as simple as our time is up.

Frank hears what Dixon is saying.

Garage warehouse - later. A worktop cluttered with tools, equipment and spare parts. A radio, amongst the objects, is transmitting a news broadcast.

REPORTER V.O: There are strange reports out of the Eastern region of China near Jinon - in which an entire village of farmers and their families were found dead today. Information is sketchy with causes being attributed to everything from mass suicide to a toxic spill.

Frank is listening, has a vision: Fzzzt! The abrupt TV static.

Garage warehouse - later. Frank is on a trolley underneath Richard's car, using a handlamp to view the underneath mechanics. Someone enters the garage and walks over. It's Peter Watts. Frank trundles out from underneath the car, looking up at Watts.

FRANK: You put yourself at risk coming here.

WATTS: We're all at risk.

Frank gets up.

FRANK: Lara Means...

He walks, rubbing oil off his palms with a cloth.

FRANK: ... I heard a message.

Frank puts on his coat.

WATTS: She's in a volatile state. Sometimes happens after being initiated into the Group. It could happen to you if you intend to become a member.

FRANK: I'll never stop questioning.

Frank walks away, stops as Watts talks.

WATTS: Well, you made me start questioning. referring to car You can stop looking for evidence here, they didn't do this.

Frank walks up to Watts.

FRANK: How do you know that?

WATTS: The Millennium Group's occupied with something far more important than Gilbert.

Frank walks away again.

WATTS: You tried to get information about the Marburg Virus from the Group's database, but it was level blue clearance.

FRANK: Yes I did.

WATTS: After you showed me the medical tests you had done - which to me indicated that we had been inoculated without our being aware - I needed to know "inoculated against what?" So, since it appears that I no longer have level blue clearance, I broke into Group archives and stole some of the Old Man's personal effects, specifically, a recorded transmission and his security access phrase. I edited the transmission, I matched his voice code, I got into level blue and I looked up the Marburg Virus.

FRANK: What did you find?

WATTS sighs: It appears to live in an unknown animal host, somewhere in the Kitum Cave region of East Africa.

Frank remembers something: the overhead view of a luminous green jungle from his dream.

WATTS: The Soviets - 'biopreperat' - sent men into the jungle to find it.

Frank remembers: the monkey screeching.

FRANK: Jordan keeps having these reoccurring dreams about monkeys.

WATTS: Frank, you're daughter doesn't just dream, you must know that by now.

FRANK a beat: What about the Russians?

WATTS takes a deep breath: The object was to create a devastating biological weapon. The virus is genetically labile - it could exchange genes with plague, anthrax, smallpox, flu strains - which creates variant viruses, against which a human population has no immunological defense. Weapons grade anthrax takes approximately 8,000 microscopic spores to introduce an infection. The Marburg variant they created in the lab takes three!

Watts begins to walk alongside the car wreck.

WATTS: Now in 1982 prions were discovered, and a prion is a protein that has no RNA; no life. So it would make the perfect weapon - it's immune to antibiotics, enzymes, can withstand the heat of over 600 degrees. A Marburg variant virus was genetically engineered with the prion, thereby creating a biological agent that would kill quickly, spread rapidly, and if the virus were neutralized the fused prion would finish off the host. a beat When the Soviet Union fell, the bioweapons facility near Pekeb was abandoned. The virus - Marburg variant PRP - a manmade life-form that had never been exposed to the environment - leaked. Birds in the area - and birds were especially susceptible - became infected. And over the next three years they migrated to Alaska, to Northern Canada, to the American upper-mid-west. In 1986 a Wisconsin farmer, and his entire flock of hens, died from its effects. So it had undergone antigenic drift - it could be transmitted from birds to humans. But then as soon as that happened, the virus disappeared.

FRANK: The virus - you're telling me it's back?

WATTS: The man we found by the river last week?

FRANK: Yeah.

WATTS: A family near San Diego, few days ago, a village in China yesterday, a town in South America today.

Watts sighs.

FRANK: The Group has a vaccine. They gave to us.

WATTS: Yeah, after '86 they developed a vaccine that would keep the virus in check once it entered the body.

FRANK quickly: So people can be inoculated.

WATTS: There would never be enough material to develop a universal vaccine. They only made enough for Group members.

FRANK: And their families.

Watts looks at Frank.

FRANK: And their families, Peter.

WATTS: It was always about control, Frank. They're gonna expect us to stay with them now that they've protected us from this plague.

FRANK: So watching our families die, that's protecting us?

WATTS: What are you going to do?

FRANK: Get your family, I have a place where we can stay.

Watts turns to go, but turns back as Frank speaks.

FRANK: Lara Means - can you contact her?

City street - night. Peter Watts' car travels down the wet road, at speed. Watts has a handgun on the passenger seat, driving with determination.

Frank's house - night. Frank is searching his house for something, notices his bookcase crammed with various volumes. He pulls down a copy of The Bible and reads a certain paragraph.

LARA'S NARRATION V.O: The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants things, which must shortly take place.

Frank puts the Bible down on a table.

Cabin - night. Lara sits, playing with two dice in her hand. She stares ahead, entranced.

LARA: And he sent, and signified it by his angel, to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God. And the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. breaking into tears Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy ...

Morgan Creek Hotel - night. Watts' car creeps over a small hill, and drives up to a collection of small log cabins. A small neon sign outside proclaims 'Morgan Creek Hotel'.

LARA V.O: ... and keep those things that are written in it. For the time is near.

Watts steps out of his vehicle, closes the door. He moves off towards a small log cabin, his gun in his hand. Then Blaylock, a Group member, jumps in front of him.

BLAYLOCK: Forget it, Watts!

Like lightning, Watts has his gun aimed at Blaylock - who has his arms raised in surrender.

WATTS: She's coming with me.

Watts is grabbed from behind by a Group Member. All three struggle, and eventually Blaylock grabs Watts' gun. Watts, his hands free, jabs the other Group member in the stomach, then face. He twists him round to act as a shield against Blaylock who has the gun barrel pointed at Watts.

Cabin - night. Lara sat on the floor.

LARA: I am the Alpha, and the Omega. The first, and the last.

Gunshot from outside. Lara closes her eyes.

Frank's house - night. Frank has packed a small box with provisions and is about to leave when the phone rings. He puts the box down and jogs over to the phone, enters the room, puts the light on, and grabs the receiver.


WATTS muffled: Frank!

FRANK: Peter, what's up?

Strange sounds - like a struggle - can be heard.

FRANK: Peter? Where are you? What's going on here?

Frank hears the sound of a car engine and gravel being kicked up as a vehicle drives away. Frank puts Watts on hold, then dials 55-1212. The phone rings and is picked up.

FRANK: Giebelhouse! Listen, I need you to track Peter Watts' cell-phone. No, no, now. Now! All right - call me back?

Frank goes back to Watts' line.

FRANK: Peter?!

Cabin - night. A small window, a shadow moves slightly inside.

FRANK'S PHONE VOICE O.C: Where are you?

We see Watts' cell-phone on the ground.

FRANK'S PHONE VOICE: Where are you?

Frank's house - night. Frank, near-frantic.

FRANK: Peter!

Cabin - night. We notice the cell-phone display shows the number 555-1236.

FRANK'S PHONE VOICE: Where are you?

fade out

fade in

Morgan Creek Hotel - night. The log cabins, silence.

Cabin - night Lara is staring at two red dice on a brown/white patterned table. Next to the dice is a large white mug. Lara just stares. The mug is full of boiling water. Lara places a teabag inside the mug. Patti Smith's "Land" song begins to play. It plays throughout these scenes. Lara looks sad. She watches the mug, her eyes staring. Fixedly staring. The boiling water. Eyes almost hypnotized by the sight, watching. Lara begins to break into tears as the music swells. The area fills with white light.

The boiling mug begins to move, traveling slowly backwards. Lara watches in silent fascination. Flash on: A stampede of white horses running across a beach. An orange sunset on the horizon. Sand being kicked up. The mug continues to glide backwards, reaches the edge of the table and tips off. Flash on: a distorted image of the Legion demon. The mug crashes to the floor. Flash on: a volcano erupting, lightning streaking across storm clouds, the inside of an office block shaking in an earthquake.

Lara collapses into bed; kicking and thrashing. Now she is staring quietly. Flash on: the luminous jungle scene, flying above the trees, inside the luminous jungle, the tall trees, men running through the jungle, a monkey screeches. Lara (in black and white) lets out a silent scream. Flash on: a microscopic view of a blood system inside a vein; the blood cells pumping down. Lara (in black and white) hugging herself. Replay the action. Her body spinning round with a time-lapse delay effect. She's now on her bed, then starts grabbing and thrashing on the covers. Strobe lighting effect as she continues to thrash. Flash on: another distorted Legion creature.

Lara (in black and white) grimacing straight ahead, upset. Flash on: a thin tornado traveling across the countryside. Lara silent, then wails in agony. Flash on: a blue lightning bolt. Lara, walking around the room, confused. A blue lighting bolt. Lara continues to walk, dazed. A blue lightning bolt. Then a volcano erupts. Lara, holding her head, collapses onto her bed. A city street being engulfed by volcanic lava. Lara is turning, crying. A blue lightning bolt. Lara turning again. Flash on a bolt of lighting. Another streak of lightning travels around the funnel of a mighty tornado.

Lara again. Flash on: sheet lightning across clouds. Lara is now sat silently at her table. A bright white light fills the room and an angel appears floating in her cabin. Lara just watches, unemotional. The angel has 7 small glowing orbs in its face. Lara screams. The angel has blood appearing on its chest. Lara screams again. The blood on the angel is larger, spreading. Lara screams at the blood on the angelic figure. Now Lara has a lamp in her hand, throws it across the room, it smashes in the corner. Insects pour out of the sink plug-hole. Lara is looking at herself in a mirror, silently. She watches herself. Flash on: Lara's face painted black and white in a macabre mask. As Lara watches herself, she begins to tremble, then leaves the mirror looking pitifully vacant.

The lock on the cabin door is opened by Lara and she pulls open the wooden door to reveal a view of deep space - nothing but black sky and stars. Wind blows Lara's hair. A comet travels across sky. We notice the small speck of Lara's open doorway in the heavens above. The comet flies into the sun, then disappears. The sun explodes, growing bigger. Flash on: a nuclear bomb detonation. A nuclear bomb exploding in the ocean. Lara again. Flash on: a huge mushroom cloud post-explosion. A row of trees bend under the blast. A huge smoky mushroom cloud.

Lara grimaces on her bed. Now a blue sky appears, white clouds fly past overhead. A blue horse gallops across the sky. Brief glimpse of a naked leg in red petals. A red horse gallops across the sky, flashes in the sky, bomb blasts, a naked body covered in red petals, a black horse runs across the sky, the image of an empty riverbed, two thin African children, back to the naked body in petals, a yellow horse gallops across the sky, a monkey screeches,. blood vessels, Lara is naked in a bed of rose petals.

Now a huge ocean is crashing its waves on a rocky beach. Horses running through the water. Lara has a knife to her wrist, cross-legged on the floor. The waves of the ocean. Some blood vessels Lara's face. Flash on: a distorted image of the Legion demon. Lara is floating across a white background. A body glimpses through a glass shower cubicle, half full of water. Lara sat on the floor. Now sat in the corner. She has her head in her hands. Now Lara is near the cabin wall, gyrating in agitation. Lara screaming. Lara writes brutishly on a piece of paper with a pen. She is now taking the drawers out of a chest and dropping them, searching. Lara huddled on the floor. Lara is now searching her bed.

She grabs her handbag and searches inside. Drops contents to the floor. Lara notices the ouroboros symbol on a computer's laptop screen. She grabs the computer and smashes it. The graphic of the ouroboros symbol smashes apart into tiny pieces. The naked body in the shower cubicle, water rising. The cabin door - someone knocking on it. Lara watches in blue light. The door knocking, Lara loads a handgun and points it at the knocking door. The door opens slowly. Lara shoots. Her bullets crack into a mirror, which bleeds. Another bleeding wound appears in the mirror. Another wound appears. The naked body in the shower, water level higher. Frank Black enters through the cabin door.

Lara sees him as the Legion creature, and shoots hitting the doorframe. Frank ducks out of the way. Lara shoots. Flash on: a distorted image of Legion. Frank enters quickly and struggle with Lara for her gun. Flash on: distorted Legion demon. Lara fights Frank, hysterical. Frank stops her hitting him. Lara crying. The body in the shower is Lara, the cubicle is almost full of water which now is mixed with black oil. Lara, extremely upset, with Frank. Lara in the shower, the water almost full of oil. The water sloshes over her face. Flash on: an oily black macabre makeup on Lara's face. Lara stops fighting Frank. Red-faced.

Lara is being held down by two paramedics, and Frank. She just stares ahead. paramedic #1 brushes her arm, preparing to inject.

LARA: No! No! No! No! No! No!

The needle is inserted. Lara begins hitching her words, the drug taking effect. Still staring, silent.

Lara's naked body in the shower cubicle, now full of black oil. The needle is redrawn. Lara simply stares. The shower cubicle, only segments of Lara' body seen against the glass. Lara now staring upwards from her bed of red petals. The real Lara has an oxygen mask placed over her face. She's on a stretcher, held by the paramedics. They take her out. Frank is left standing in the cabin. He sits in a wooden chair, thinking, stunned by what he witnessed. He picks up some objects from the floor, and finds a paper envelope with the words 'FRANK BLACK' scribbled on it in pen. Frank thinks. He places the envelope in his jacket pocket, then throws Lara's coat on Lara's bed. He collects Lara's belongings, placed them in the coat, wraps the contents together and then, carrying them, goes to the door. Looking back he surveys the demolished cabin: broken and smashed objects, upturned furniture. Frank closes the cabin door. We see the two dice on the brown/white patterned table: a 4 and a 6. The Patti Smith song ends.

fade out

Yellow house - day. A bright sunny day.

RADIO BROADCASTER V.O: Since last Wednesday's outbreak is estimated at 500...

Yellow house. front room - day. Catherine is listening attentively to the small radio.

RADIO BROADCASTER V.O: ... under the advisement of the Centers for Disease Control, the federal Government of the State of Washington have declared King, Piers, and Thurston counties quarantine areas until further notice. The CDC admits to not having identified an infectious agent or cause of the outbreak.

A phone rings. The broadcast continues as Catherine walks into an adjoining room and picks up the receiver.


Frank's jeep - day. Frank is driving, with his cell-phone to his ear.

FRANK: Catherine?

Scenes intercut between Catherine and Frank.

CATHERINE: Where are you now, I've been calling you all night.

FRANK: Pack up all the provisions you can - I'll be there in an hour.

CATHERINE: We need you here now.

FRANK: I'll load up the van myself - don't you or Jordan go outside.

A small, square room with one small window and door. Lara is lying strapped to a bed, staring straight at the ceiling, blinking occasionally. Frank is sitting with his leg crossed at a chair.

FRANK: Lara, you're the only one - not my wife, not my family - who ever understood. a beat Only you.

Lara just stares, peacefully.

FRANK: I've traveled that road, Lara, that you're on. What I saw made me swear that I would rather die than return.

Lara is unresponsive.

FRANK: Oh, I know peace can be found there. And if you do - if you do find it - I know you will never return. under his breath Thank you. to Lara, louder Thank you.

Frank gets up and leaves. The room's door slams shut.

fade out.

Wenatchee Mountains - day. Frank's jeep leads the way down a winding mountain road. Catherine's car follows.

Henry's cabin - day. The rundown little cabin rests with a brilliant view of the mountains in the background. Frank's jeep pulls to a stop outside. Frank gets out, carrying a small radio. Behind him, Catherine's car pulls to a stop parallel. Catherine undoes her seatbelt to get out. Both Jordan and Catherine walk up to Frank, all staring at the derelict cabin. It's derelict and almost falling apart after years of neglect.

CATHERINE: Our new yellow house.

Frank opens the main door to the empty inside. The Black family stand in the doorway. Jordan doesn't like the smell and looks up at her father.

JORDAN: Can we go home now?

FRANK: We're gonna be here for a while, sweetheart.


CATHERINE: Come on, sweetie.

Catherine leads Jordan inside.


Frank stands at the door with the radio.

Henry's cabin - later. All three enter with the last of their provisions. Jordan carries the radio, while Catherine and Frank offload boxes against a wall.

JORDAN: Mommy, I'll be right outside.

CATHERINE: Okay, sweetheart.

Jordan leaves, closing the door behind her. Frank is stood at a window.

FRANK: Catherine.

Catherine comes over, stands opposite.

FRANK: In the Middle Ages, during the Black Plague, people used to gather their families - take them to the mountains - or the forest. They'd post guards encircling their camps, and they would kill anybody that appeared.

Frank loads a handgun, spinning the chamber.

FRANK: The ones that practiced this behavior, they survived the outbreak.

Frank hands the weapon to Catherine, clasping her hands.

Henry's cabin - night. Jordan is fast asleep in a collection of blankets on the floor. Catherine and Frank sit, huddled together, listening to the news broadcast.

RADIO BROADCAST V.O: The early symptoms, which a victim may not recognize, include a sense of disorientation. Monitor any increase in body temperature, be aware of a low-grade fever. Secondary symptoms which may take only hours, or minutes, to appear.

CATHERINE: Can we turn it off?

Frank sighs - turning off the radio. Catherine exhales. Both always speak in hushed tones.

FRANK: Look at her.

Both look at the almost angelic Jordan, asleep in her bed.

CATHERINE: What if she gets sick?

Catherine looks at Frank - who doesn't know what to say.

CATHERINE: How can we let her go through that?

FRANK: We wouldn't.

Frank looks at Catherine.



CATHERINE: I don't want her to watch me die.

Catherine is nearly crying now.

CATHERINE: You would have to...

Frank knows what Catherine's getting at.

FRANK: What? I couldn't do that. I couldn't.

CATHERINE: You have to.

FRANK quickly: No, no, no. We'll get through this - what are you asking?

CATHERINE: Wouldn't you want ...

FRANK: I wouldn't ask you to do that. I'd go out in the woods. I'd just ...

Now Frank breaks; not believing they're talking like this - can't bring himself to continue. He hugs Catherine.

FRANK: I wouldn't ask you to do that - I wouldn't.

CATHERINE: If you both became sick, I wouldn't a beat I wouldn't want to live after that.

FRANK: I can't get sick.

Catherine is surprised.

FRANK: It was done to me and I didn't ask for it. The Group gave me a vaccine.

CATHERINE: They know what this is?!

FRANK: I don't know what they know.

CATHERINE: What are they doing about it?

FRANK: It's a virus. And it may be it loses it virulence; it becomes..., it fades away, or maybe they're going to give it to the Government, I don't know. They told me that they only had enough for their members.

Frank turns away, upset - cups his face in his hands. Can't bear it. Catherine squeezes his arm and he sits back up with a groan.

CATHERINE: Oh my god.

Frank reaches across and grabs something, places it on his lap.

FRANK: Lara Means got a sense of what was gonna happen to her.

We see Frank has Lara's envelope marked FRANK BLACK. He opens it. Inside is a small syringe marked 'MARBURG VARIANT PRP - VACCINE'. Frank holds Catherine. They look at each other.

CATHERINE: We gotta give it to Jordan. Right away. a beat I love you.

They both hug harder.

Henry's cabin - later. Catherine sits up from her blankets. Something troubling her. She stands and crosses to a provision box. Digging inside she brings out a flashlight and illuminates her palm - it's creased with blood. In shock, Catherine can only stare. The realization begins to hit her and she brushes back her hair - on her neck below her left ear is a large black papule. She feels it. We see Catherine's legs cross over to stand in front of Frank, who is fast asleep. She then walks over to Jordan, and bends down. Catherine looks at Jordan's peaceful face, asleep. She manages a slight smile as she looks at her daughter.

fade out

Fzzzzt!. A brief burst of TV static.

Henry's cabin - later. Frank sits up, wide awake. Senses something's wrong. He grabs a flashlight and scans the cabin for Catherine. The beam shines on blots of dried blood on his wife's pillow. Frank moves across to the cabin window. He looks out at the moonlit forest, nobody around. But he knows.

fade out.

Fzzzzt! A brief screen of TV static.

Henry's cabin - later. Now Jordan sits up, wide awake. Jordan looks around.

JORDAN: Where's mom?

Jordan notices something. Smiles and giggles. She clambers across the blankets, not seeing the blood on Catherine's pillow, to her father, sat on the floor against the cabin wall, his hair has turned completely gray, and he stares into space. Frank absently grabs Jordan and places her on his knee, still staring, saying nothing. Jordan smiles, but gets no reaction. She begins playing with her father's hair, touching it. fzzzzt! A brief burst of TV static. Jordan sits with Frank, fiddling with his hair. fzzzzt! Frank stares. fzzzzt! Jordan and Frank sat together. fzzzzt! Static and shouting voices. Jordan prodding her father's hair, no response. fzzzzt! Sounds of sirens heard through static. The scene begins to flicker between the cabin and the screen of static. fzzzt! fzzzzt! fzzzt! Zager and Evans' "In The Year 2525" song begins to play over sequence.

STATIC VOICE V.O: We are in desperate need of supplies. Many are dead. This is a general distress call. Send help.

The screen stays on the static. fzzzzt

fade to black
