The Quiet Hour Page #2

-Then you don't know for sure, do you?

-He saved my life.

-Maybe he plays the good

guy till he's done with the people outside.

-Look, we're all in this together.

-I'm just saying we

should watch our backs.

He killed a man before your eyes,

how do you know he's not gonna kill us, too?

-How can you judge him so harshly

you can't even see him?

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean it.

-That's another five.

Mediocre shot.

That's a nice radio.

Who taught you how to use it?

-My father.

-Your father sounds like

quite the survivalist.

-He didn't...

He doesn't like to

take things for granted.

He would always be

prepared if we went to ship.

-Did you get your electricity

from the solar power?

-Some. But we save

the batteries for the radio.

Wait a minute.

Your men will live

They keep doing alright

This usually means you're OK

-An unusually big swarm has been

spotted over Bradford heading south.

I repeat. An unusually big swarm has been

spotted over Bradford heading south.

They're three quarters advanced

-They're heading our way.

They've been acting

strangely lately.

-What do you mean?

-Their patterns have changed.

They'd been drilling like crazy.

Like there's no tomorrow.

-It's Jimmy.

Don't come back

it's too risky at the moment.

-Tom, why don't you fetch

this bowl of mine?

After all, it's been a long

time since we've had a guest.

-Sure.

-I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to intrude.

When did Tom lose his sight?

-He was flash blinded

the day they came.

He was outside feeding

cattle with mum.

All he remembers is this

intense light

telling him to run away.

She died.

It was the last thing he saw.

-And your father?

I saw his grave.

They got him, didn't they?

I saw a blast a distance

a couple of days ago.

-Is that why you came here?

-I was hoping to find people.

Life.

-Yeah, and you've left them to us.

-I didn't know they were following me.

I'm sorry.

Tom needs to know.

The longer you wait,

the harder it's going to be.

-You know what? This is

none of your business.

-So you're gonna keep lying to him?

Give him false hope?

-Sorry. It's burnt.

We ran out of oil.

Hello?

- What's happened to

my husband?

Did you kill him?

Well?

There's been enough

bloodshed as it is.

Release your prisoner

and we'll be square.

-He's gone.

-You're lying

-I'm not.

He cut his ties and escaped.

-When?

-A couple of hours ago.

He's probably dead by now.

If not, the survival blankets

won't protect him for long.

-What did you do with

my husband's body?

-He's still with us.

-Take him down at sunset

so we can have a Christian burial.

We'll leave the house

as soon as it's done.

You have our word.

Over.

-What do you think?

-I wouldn't believe them.

-She should be allowed

to bury her husband.

-That's not what they want him for.

-What do you mean?

-Well, they need to eat to survive.

-And what about you?

Have you been eating

dead people, too?

-Of course not.

-They gave us their word.

-It means nothing.

-It's worth taking a chance.

They might go away.

-If what I think

will happen happens,

they will be able to

stay out there for days

while we're stuck in here

with no food or water.

What do you think, Tom?

-I think you need to leave.

-Tom!

-If he left, they'd go!

-No, they wouldn't.

They'd come back for the farm.

-We need his help.

-We were fine before he turned up!

- He wouldn't make it

out there by himself.

-I don't care if he dies.

-Um...

I'm sor-

he didn't mean that.

-Are they back?

-Yeah.

She'll call.

-Ok.

Will you come with me?

Back in a minute, Ok?

-Ok. Ok.

-We'll be alright.

-You alright?

-Dad should be back by now.

-They thought they

could contain him.

If we were without our

satellites we were dine for.

The heat.

Snow.

A stench of decaying flesh.

There are no words for it.

And soon we'll have no

newspapers to send them to.

So I got back in the car,

drove home faster than I could.

-Is there anyone left in cities?

-No.

The blasters didn't

leave them a chance.

The old fire blankets,

the solar panels,

that just drops in the ocean.

and those who you

love survive to become animals.

They hide in basements or bunkers.

They get sick or lose their minds.

-Have you heard of anyone

actually making contact with them?

-No. Never.

-Well, maybe there isn't anyone.

Maybe they just sent the machines.

-Or maybe they just

don't give a sh*t about us.

-Is that what you believe?

That they don't care?

-Why would they?

What makes us more special then the

ants or...field mice

or dolphins?

-Our art?

Our ability to build,

to think about our life in sequences?

-Hence build completely

sophisticated colonies.

Birds decorate their nests,

-Yeah, but they don't...

regret, they don't dream,

they don't hope.

-Maybe they do.

Maybe they don't.

-It's probably for the best.

It won't get hard that way.

-Tom...

Uh...why don't you

play something for us?

-I don't feel like it.

-Come on, do it for me.

-What should I play?

-What you were playing

over the radio.

-Hello?

-You Ok?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

You can come in.

-What did you study?

-Veterinary medicine.

First year.

It doesn't matter now,

though, does it?

- You could have studied

English lit, like me.

Believe me. you won't

want me sewing your leg up.

What happened to your father?

-I found him.

Yesterday morning.

A few yards from here.

He must've been...

...confused.

Maybe his watch stopped, or something.

When he left,

I vaguely remember waking up

remembering I'd forgotten to

turn off the alarm the night before,

telling myself every

way it hadn't rung.

I'd just go straight back to sleep.

And when my alarm did go off

a few minutes later,

I got out,

and I saw his bike

leaning against a tree.

-And you really think it was a mistake?

-What are you saying?

-Maybe...

he just wanted to

get it over with.

-No...

No, my father was a fighter.

He kept saying that

we had to keep going.

That we could never give up...

he wouldn't...

Never...

-In this world,

people change.

-It was a mistake, Ok?

My father wasn't a coward.

He would...never have

abandoned us like that.

He knew I couldn't protect him alone.

-Or maybe he knew you could.

Maybe he thought you

were stronger than him.

You are, Sarah.

You're stronger than you think.

-Where were you

when all this started?

-Just...grocery shopping with my wife.

We were bickering

because I was wasting

money on expensive food and

she was trying to save a few in the summer.

Sounds trivial, doesn't it?

-What was her name?

-Lisa.

Our daughter's name was Marty.

She was such a lively

little girl. She was.

Dancing around.

Lisa said she could

become a ballerina.

And I remember the last

night before I left them.

Marty woke up

She wanted to come with me.

She wouldnt let go

of my hands, as if

somehow she knew.

-Sarah?

Nooooo!

No...

No!

-Oh, sh*t.

Tom?!

Tom?

Tom!

Tom?

Tom?

No...he wouldn't have.

-No!

There were too many patrols around.

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