Screamers Page #2

on their way to Triton 4 right now.

- Secretary Green informed us...

- Secretary Green?

- That's right.

- Secretary Green is gone.

He's been gone

for almost two years.

We got a V. R. communique

from him yesterday.

Secretary Green was arrested and

eliminated by the Alliance command.

Two years ago.

Dismissed.

- l enlisted to fight...

- Dismissed, Jefferson.

- The NEBs have been running...

- Get out of here!

What in God's name

are we doing, Chuck?

- We just saw Green.

- We saw bullshit!

You know as well as l do that

they can send us anything they want.

- That kid doesn't know policy.

- Get your head out of the lilacs.

Do you expect me to believe

that we're being dumped?

That our 20-year stand here has

turned into a galactic gold rush?

They keep sending us provisions.

Will they let us die up here while

they carry on running the universe?

- l don't buy it.

- Wake up, man!

We are betrayed here, brother.

We are beached.

Green's been sh*t-canned

and this whole place is a lie!

They just can't

cut us off up here.

Families on Earth would raise hell.

And they won't take us back there.

lf we sound off about this, nobody's

going to fight their war for them.

They're just going to let us

roll on and on up here.

We ain't ever getting off here.

Marshall Cooper and

his NEB Command knows it, too!

He sent us a map.

Your solitary NEB grunt

got his ass shot to stop this thing.

They know it's pointless now.

- Where are you going?

- l'm going to NEB Command.

We'll make our own peace right here.

NEB said they wanted two men.

Somebody's got to stay here in case

anyone else falls out of the sky.

- l'll take Johnny Gung-Ho.

- The kid?

l'm not risking any more of our men.

This is your tab.

lt won't work for anybody but you.

That makes me feel a lot better.

Screamers only attack living things.

They read your pulse rate.

Your tab broadcasts

a false heartbeat, flat-lining you.

ln theory they work perfectly,

but radioactivity corrodes them.

- What then?

- We thank God you're a good gunner.

l was remembering that day

up in Point Reyes.

- That bartender...

- With the monkey.

The beach. We sat drinking beer,

watching the humpbacks blowing.

You watched the whales, Joe.

l was watching other things.

We should go back there.

l'd like to see that again.

What, girls volleyball?

Hey, Joe...

l'll see you soon.

On that day. Jefferson, are you

coming or are you breathing hard?

Good luck.

Cicero, this is Libby.

Radio check, over.

Cicero reading you loud and clear.

Next transmission will be 33:00

and then every 4 hours after that.

lf l miss one, don't sweat it.

lf l miss two...

...move into the office,

change the music and carry on.

l'll take the office, but the

"Don Giovanni" will have to go.

Roger, copy.

- The air is terrible out here.

- lt's what's in the air.

- What, radiation?

- This'll neutralize it. Here.

- lt's an anti-radiation red.

- That's what poisoned it?

That used to be the most profitable,

wonderful enterprise in the galaxy.

lt produced berynium. The answer

to the world's energy question.

A spoonful could take you from

Earth to Saturn in a day.

Then those mines started

puking up tons of radiation.

We thought we'd discovered gold...

but we discovered sh*t.

And you smoke this sh*t just to

neutralize the sh*t in your lungs.

- How do you know it's working?

- lf you don't die.

- God! What happened here?

- Blasts.

- NEB bombers.

- They nuked the civilians?

The civilians got in the way.

The bombs were aimed at us.

You just don't have a clue about

what brought you here, do you?

You'd fight for any son of a b*tch

if he convinced you you were right.

- Someone convinced you.

- Not someone, something.

The Alliance was formed

to support you.

You're right, Jefferson. And it

divided my country and my world.

So as much as you're dying

to get shot by some NEB soldier, -

- we're going to make peace

with these people, you and me.

We're going to rip you off

of that experience.

Look at this place.

l came here 20 years ago

to mine berynium for the NEB.

We were all NEBs then.

The scientists found radiation

and shut down the mines.

The NEB Corporation threatened them,

and there was a stand-off for years.

They they started to rain everything

down on us.

Nuclear disc bombs, chain bombs,

bacteria crystals.

Civilian survivors were evacuated.

We retreated to the bunker.

- How did you fight back?

- We reinvented an early weapon.

- The sword?

- The autonomous mobile sword.

The screamer.

Save it.

They don't eat rats, do they?

We're not sure.

They're scavengers and they learn.

They use everything. Rotting meat

gives off methane gas for fuel.

Maybe eyeball jelly

makes good blade wax.

Are they machines? Are they alive?

l don't understand...

l don't have the answers, Jefferson.

- But where are they coming from?

- Underground.

The first design was sent to us

from the Alliance on Earth.

lt's all automated now.

No one's been down there since they

pushed the first button and ran.

- They make themselves now.

- And no one knows how?

They're down there breeding

like rabbits and no one knows?

Am l speaking Swahili?

That's exactly what l mean.

Hit the dirt!

Come out of there!

Come out of there!

Come forward.

- Stop.

- Can l come with you?

My God...

- Cover me.

- Go.

Jefferson.

You all right? lt's okay.

What have you got there?

Let me see.

That's a good guy.

No, you keep him.

That's your friend.

Where do you live?

- ln there?

- Yes.

ln the ruins?

How many are you?

How many people?

- You're alone? How do you survive?

- Food.

- What kind of food?

- Different.

How do you keep away

from the screamers?

- The blades underground that kill.

- l hide.

- Can l come with you?

- No, you stay here.

Give me a macro-ration.

We'll give you something to eat.

We'll come back for you.

ln two or three days we'll find you.

Take this.

You tear this and eat it.

- l want to come with you now.

- We'll come back in two days.

You take care of this guy, okay?

We can't just leave him here.

He's a kid. He'll never survive.

- What am l saying?

- Can l come with you?

- What's your name?

- David Edward Dearing.

- Where's your mum and dad?

- They died in the blasts.

You've been alone here

for four years?

Everything seems to be okay.

ls it safe to make a fire like this?

We want to let them know

we're coming.

- Fire keeps the rats away.

- Rats?

l had this friend,

he used to eat them. Rats.

You'll appreciate this...

You don't just heat up the oil,

that makes them stick to the pan.

You get the pan hot, put the oil

in cold, then add your rats.

But don't crowd the pan,

it sucks all the heat out.

You keep flipping them,

or they burn.

- My friend said...

- Jefferson!

You must be confusing me

with somebody who gives a sh*t.

Give me that rock, boy.

Cicero, this is Libby calling.

- Come in, Cicero.

- Libby, how is it out there?

lt's cold.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes