Ext. Creek- Late Summer
A small, warm creek. It is welcoming and pleasant.
A young JAKE is playing at the river. Tadpoles squirm out of his hands as he tries to catch them. It is a warm, late spring day. The child is happy, enjoying the day. He catches a small frog. The frog’s attempt to hop away tickles his hand and he gleefully squeezes it. He is surprised, something is wrong. The crushed frog won’t squirm and tickle anymore. The child begins to realize that he did something wrong. Confusion spreads on the child’s face as he tries to understand. This is Jake’s first experience with death.
Int. Marine Base Locker room
A well maintained locker room. The lockers are large and wooden benches run the length the row on both sides.
(An adult Jake comes out of memory. He has short, dark, straight hair. He has a powerful build, but does not hulk over those around him. He has a very gentle face and doe like eyes. Jake is sitting on a bench in a locker room, in standard issue power armor, sans helmet. The power armor is built of thick plates, covering the entire body. It has a high collar to protect the neck, and all edges are softened. The helmet is full face, with a plate reaching down around the jaw and chin. The entire face is visible through a clear visor. Jake is staring at the frog stamp on an envelope that another soldier is holding. The soldier is reading the letter intensely. A bell rings and brings Jake out of his daze.)
JAKE
(interior)
I always wondered why they chose to sign up. Most of them would bitterly miss home. I could never understand it. I guess we really are different.
(Jake looks to his side. Down the entire row are exact copies of Jake, same face same voice, same build.
INT-MARINE BASE CORRIDOR
(Jake is fully changed, and he follows a group of J-clones out of the locker room. Jake lags behind the crowd, identified by his baseball cap and the J1891 on his shirt.)
JAKE (CONT’D)
(Interior)
I am J1891, a clone. “J” gene designation, Batch eighteen, unit 91. I call myself Jake.
Jake follows the other clones down the hallway, looking around as he walks. A row of K clones walks past him, led by a normal drill sergeant. A pair of soldiers in power armor discuss the contents of a bulletin board)
JAKE (CONT’D)
(Interior)
For me, this is home. For my whole six years, I’ve been a military clone. Last week, I arrived here on Earth. I’ve decided to start keeping journal entries off of my helmet camera. Some of the regulars here do it, and it seems like a good idea.
(The clones open a double swinging door. Jake follows them through the door and steps into the cafeteria.)
INT. MARINE BASE CAFETERIA
(Jake follows the clones through the line. Regular, un-cloned people freely cut in front of him. The cafeteria worker asks the regular people what they would like. When it comes to a clone’s turn, the cafeteria doesn’t ask what they want, they simply place something on their platter and send the clone on their way. Jake is about to ask for item, but is cut short and pushed through the line he sits down at table with other J clones. The table behind has two loud regulars watching a television screen.)
TELEVISION
And now in a new development, the Hephaestus colony has stopped responding to all communication. The colony was home to nearly five hundred colonists. Foul play is suspected, but no extremist groups have claimed responsibility yet. However, local politicians are still demanding a military investigation.
TROOPER 1
Ah crap. You know what that means?
TROOPER 2
I know.
TROOPER 1
People are going to be bitching and moaning at us to look around in seventy billion miles of space for some pissed off religious space nuts.
TROOPER 2
(Sarcastically)
Maybe someone should explain that it’s dangerous in deep space.
TROOPER 1
Fricking scientists.
CLONE BARRACKS - Night
The clone barracks are crowded with little room. Bunks are three high and there is no personal space. The room is kept clean, but everything is in bad, dilapidated shape.
Jake sits in his bunk reading a book with a small light while all of the other clones are soundly asleep.
JAKE
(interior)
It’s really fascinating. It took mankind ten thousand years to figure how plants work. Ten thousand years, just to figure out that plants grow from where you put seeds. And nowadays, computers double in speed every six months.
Jake looks up from his book and looks are the cramped room. The clones each sleep in the exact same position on their bunk.
JAKE (CONT’D)
(interior)
The more we learn about the universe, the faster we learn more. Scientists are starting to talk about a breaking point, where we start advancing so much faster and faster that we learn everything in the blink of an eye. We could do anything we could possibly want at that point.
Int. MARINE BASE GYM
A boxing mat is surrounded by various exercise implements.
Jake is wearing blue boxing headgear and is punched in the face. Two men are sparring, practicing martial arts. Their headgear displays a large J on it. One of the men is wearing red, the other is wearing blue. Both men have suspiciously familiar builds and skin tone, both are shirtless. Both have tattoos over their heart. The blue boxer’s tattoo reads J1891, identifying him as Jake. The audience sees the men’s faces. They have the exact same face, they are exact clones of each other. The blue boxer is faster and more skilled, and wins the match with a judo move and pin. The blue boxer removes his headgear and is surprised to see captain Andrews, a normal officer examining him. Another J-clone brings Jake a towel and a bottle of water.
J-CLONE
J1891, that normal watched your entire match.
JAKE
You know why he’s here?
J-CLONE
I don’t know.
The regular officer takes a look at Jake, and starts taking notes on other clones.
(Jake lives his life by the bell and schedule, going through the paces and doing what he is told like a machine.
Int. Marine Base Corridor
This sturdy, utilitarian hallway connects to the Locker Room, Cafeteria, Infirmary, and base Exterior with large doors.
INT. MARINE BASE CLINIC
Clean and sterile white with medical green paint on the walls, the room has a waist high divided separating a room of paperwork and a patient’s room.
Eric walks into the clinic in full armor, with his helmet under his arm. Eric is the team’s medic. He wears the standard issue power armor and a pocketed vest over it. There are bags of medical tools tied around his legs and arms. There are clear containers on his back, containing a silverfish liquid. There is a red cross on his shoulder pad. Dr. Grey struggles to hold down a combative clone patient for a shot. Dr. Grey is an older man, he is down to earth doctor, and a kindly man.)
ERIC
Need a hand Dr. Grey?
DR. GREY
(While struggling with patient)
Oh, hello Eric, yes help me out here!
(The patients shoves Dr. Grey off, Eric sets his helmet down and rushes to help Dr. Grey. Grey hands Eric a massive needle.)
ERIC
(sympathetically)
Ooh, this is going to hurt.
(Annete walks by the entrance to the infirmary. He’s wearing a casual marine uniform. He turns his as he walks by, staring at the scene in the back ground as Eric and Dr. Grey give the injection.)
ERIC(CONT’D)
C’mon you big baby, I’ve five year olds take a needle better than you!
(Annete chuckles and continues walking by. He turns a corner and walks into the armor room. Ivan is almost ready, he is in full gear and preparing his helmet. Ivan is a massive man, 6’6 with a grim and solemn personality. He speaks an American dialect, with only the slightest hint of a Russian accent. Ivan’s armor is significantly different from standard issue. His is much blockier and squarer, and noticeably bulkier. Small missiles and large cartridges are stored on a low profile backpack. He wears a full face helmet as opposed to the clear full face visors that the others wear. His helmets has two eye lenses and a heavy brow, invoking the imaged of a grim and grittily determined soldier.)
ANNETE
Hey Ivan. Got your gear setup?
IVAN
You’re late Annete. Captain Andrews is already dressed.
(Ivan puts his helmet on. Annete sits down and opens his locker. The word “Redemption” is painted on the back of the collar on Ivan’s armor.)
ANNETE
I’ll be right out.
IVAN
We are getting recruits today, don’t be late.
(Ivan pulls a large cannon off of the weapon rack.)
IVAN(CONT’D)
You have ten minutes.
(Ivan walks out of the Locker room)
ANNETE
Duly noted.
(Annete looks up at his power suit. Annete’s armor is very close to standard issue. However, his helmet is painted. There are two blue vertical stripes running down the center of the head. The two stripes curl outwards as they reach the nape of his neck. The stripe on his jaw is curled, matching up with where the stripes would have connected. The visor plate above his face is completely blue as well. There is a shield with a marksman’s insignia on his shoulder pad.)
Ext. Training courtyard
(Annete suits up and joins his squad out front. A row of clones in power armor walk behind him, out of an entrance to the locker room. Jake is in this row of clones, in the back. Captain Andrews is waiting by the entrance, and walks up next to Jake. Andrews’ armor is geared for communication, small antennae poke out of a specialized backpack. There is a controllable HUD on the lens of his full face visor. His right forearm has a round device built into the make, a holographic projector and communicator. Captain Andrews taps Jake on the shoulder. Jake looks over curiously and nervously salutes the captain.)
JAKE
(nervously)
Yes sir?
ANDREWS
J-1891?
JAKE
That’s me, sir.
ANDREWS
Good. You’re part of Blue Squad now.
Captain Andrews starts walking away and gestures for Jake to follow him. Jake follows behind him.
ANDREWS
I’m Captain Andrews. You’ll be with me and my squad from here on out, you understand?
JAKE
(Hurriedly)
Yes sir.
ANDREWS
(Under his breath)
I figured you’d say that.
Andrews leads Jake to Blue squad, whom are arrayed in full Power armor.
ANDREWS
Here’s my boys. It’s nice see familiar faces, and I’ve brought few new ones.
ANNETE
I’m going to miss having Scott with us.
ANDREWS
That’s okay Annete, he’ll be around. Besides, we got a two for one deal on him.
(Andrews starts examining the clones)
ERIC
Or whatever theses clones are worth.
ANNETE
C’mon Eric, they’ve got to be good for something.
ANDREWS
They’re worth more than you two think.
ERIC
And what are they good for? Taking a bullet instead one of us? Just saying I’d rather have Scott back than my own Secret Service.
ANNETE
(jokingly)
I dunno, personal bodyguards would be pretty cool.
ANDREWS
That’s enough you two.
(Andrews looks Jake up and down. The clones are nervous from a anti-clone response from their new unit.)
ANDREWS (Cont’d)
Clone, what is your call sign?
JAKE
J1891, sir!
ANDREWS
J1891, do you have a name?
(Jake licks his lips, is anxious about revealing a name)
JAKE
Jake… Sir.
ANDREWS
(Warmly)
Good to have you Jake. Welcome to Blue Squad.
(Andrews offers a handshake to Jake. Jake is surprised that his captain would offer such a personal gesture. Andrews shakes Jake’s hand then inspects Dog.)
ANDREWS (CONT’D)
Now clone, do you have a name?
DOG
No sir; Unit-K909 reporting in.
ANDREWS
K909?
Andrews grins and looks over his shoulder to see if they find any humor in the name.
ANDREWS
K-9. I think we’ll call you Dog.
ERIC
Hey I like it.
ANDREWS
Welcome to Blue Squad Dog.
Andrews shakes Dog’s hand. Dog is a little confused but imitates the shake he saw earlier.
ANDREWS
Now to other news, the Epsilon will be deployed to the planet Koreyang. It’s quiet and feels an awful lot like home. I don’t care much for babysitting, but I feel we got lucky on this one. We’ll be shipping out in two days, so be sure to kiss your family goodbye, alright.
ANDREWS looks out at the horizon of the marine base. He nods his head as a thought comes to him.
ANDREWS
Now I think it’s time for some physical. Thirty laps, let’s go.
Andrews jogs off, following the perimeter of the courtyard. The regulars of blue squad start jogging after Andrews. Eric turns around to Dog.
ERIC
Make sure to keep up Snoopy.
ANNETE’S HOME – NIGHT
Annete’s family is hosting a farewell party for him and his friends. Annete, Eric, Scott, GF, and Annete’s dad are present
GIRLFRIEND
I’ll be right back Cowboy.
ERIC
Cowboy? You aren’t even a cowboy.
ANNETE
Well she didn’t want to call me a girl’s name, so it was Cowboy or ‘Yank’.
(Eric smirks, imitates GF accent and makes a crude jerking gesture. Annete stands up from the couch.)
ERIC
Yank my boyfriend!
ANNETE
(Groaning)
And that’s why I’m “cowboy”.
Annete walks through his parent’s home. There are party guests everywhere, talking and enjoying the music. Everywhere he goes, guests wish him luck, or energetically greet him. He walks past the living room
ANNETE
Scotty, how you doing?
SCOTT
Doing great, ladies love a man in uniform.
ANNETE
(Chuckling)
You’re in jeans!
Scott gives a big exaggerated shrug
SCOTT
What can I say?
Annete shakes his head chuckling. He steps into the kitchen and starts refilling his drink. His father steps up next to him.
ANNETE’s FATHER
Ann?
Annete looks up and sets his drink down, giving his father his full, undivided attention.
ANNETE
Yes dad?
ANNETE’S FATHER
I… Good luck out there.
(Annete nods, slightly disappointed.)
INT. SPACE PORT LOBBY
(The marines are being sent off by their families. There are a few moments of various marines, Scott and Dr. Grey are briefly focused on as they say their goodbyes. Eric sits alone on a bench. Jake watches the goodbyes with a slight hint of confusion and longing. Dog is utterly oblivious to the crowd. Andrews’ children are telling him about their parts in a school play. Andrews listens and encourages them with a smile)
ANDREWS
Alright, when I get back in a few months the first thing we’ll do is watch it on video!
ALICE
Okay kids, say goodbye to daddy!
CHILDREN
Bye daddy!
(Andrews stand up and faces his wife Alice.)
ALICE
Three months, huh?
ANDREWS
It’s just some quick babysitting, Alice. We might not even leave the ship.
(Alice takes a deep breath, pulls out the rosary from underneath Andrews’ shirt, then rubs it in her hand.)
ALICE
A lot can happen in three months. Please, just be careful.
Annete faces his father. His father is uncomfortable, stifling his emotions. He offers Annete a handshake. Annete accepts it. Annete’s father looks Annete straight in the eye, his own eyes watery.
ANNETE’S FATHER
You can see a man’s soul through his hands. A lifetime of hard work, marriage, and children, you can see it all through their hands. You’ll do great things with these hands Annete. I’m sure of it.
(Annete pulls him in for a hug. Annete’s Father pats him on the back.)
ANNETE’S FATHER
Good luck out there. We’ll miss you.
(Annete’s girlfriend stands in front of him, processing her emotions. She rushes forward and hugs him tightly then kisses him. They speak quietly to each other.)
GIRLFRIEND
Come back safe Cowboy.
ANNETE
There won’t be a scratch on me.
GIRLFRIEND
Promise?
ANNETE
(Amused)
I promise.
GF smiles, Annete is completely at ease in her arms. A smile forms over her face. Meanwhile, Ivan simply walks onto the ship with his bag, looking over Jake and Dog as he boards. Dog and Jake look at each other for instruction, and then follow Ivan onboard.)
INT. MARINE SHIP ARMORY
The armory is a small room. There are two benches for getting into and out of power armor and maintain equipment. Gun racks and lockers for power armor line the walls.
Jake and Dog are in the ship’s armory. Both are seated and are quietly inspecting their equipment. Jake is cleaning his helmet. There is an immediate and unspoken camaraderie between the two. They have an immediate kinship, and stay together at all times.
Captain Andrews walks in carrying a can of spray paint. Both of the clones snap to attention)
ANDREWS
At ease.
(Andrews tosses a can of spray paint to Jake.)
JAKE
(Confused)
Paint?
ANDREWS
I need to know which clones are mine.
Captain Andrews winks at Jake.
ANDREWS
Go crazy.
(Andrews leaves. The clones are stunned at the amicable gesture and instructions Jake shrugs and shakes the can of paint. Jake paints on a blue Mohawk stripe and two vertical stripes on the sides of his jaw. Dog paints on a teeth motif along his visor.)
INT. MARINE BASE CAFETERIA
Jimmy sits down at the table.
ERIC
Hey it’s Jimmy!
JIMMY
Ann, Eric, Scott, how are all of you?
ANNETE
(Pleasantly surprised)
We’re fine Jimmy, but I thought they didn’t let those gunship flyboys down here with the leathernecks.
JIMMY
We finished up early. So what’s up with that Ivan guy? I hear all these rumors about him from the ground crew.
ANNETE
Ohh boy. Everyone’s heard a different story about him. What’d you hear?
JIMMY
Well, I heard he was a defector from some insurgent group, one of the ones hiding out in South America. Then after going straight he went against those guys he betrayed and killed fifty men with a machete in those jungles.
ERIC
I like the one where they say he’s a new clone prototype.
SCOTT
My favorite is where he’s a prisoner. I heard that he had broken out of jail… twice. He was too dangerous for prison so they sent him here.
JIMMY
See, I can almost believe that. There’s something wrong about him. Like something’s not right.
ANNETE
No. He’s not insane or anything. He’s perfectly normal.
…….
“Welcome to the planet Koreyang. For the next six months, this’ll be home sweet home.”
“It’s real pretty in the summer.”
“And when is summer?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s their Second July or something. You know how other planets are.”
INT- MARINE STARSHIP BRIDGE
Rows of uniformed soldiers work at computer stations. There are no windows, instead there are screens displaying various views from the exterior of the ship.
COMMANDER
Captain Andrews?
ANDREWS
You called for me sir?
COMMANDER
Yes, I’ve got a special assignment for your team.
(The Commander hands a small disc to Andrews. Andrews places the disc on top of a device built into the forearm of his power armor. A three dimensional holographic map of Koreyang city shines from the device, and a small segment of city is highlighted.)
ANDREWS
What is it sir?
COMMANDER
There’s an analyst down there. His name is Johnathan Halcien. He’s been doing some very important, classified work for us recently. I need you to get him out of there safely. He and I need to talk.
(An alarm sounds, Commander turns sharply.)
COMMANDER
(Shouting)
What is that for?
COMPUTER OPERATOR
It’s an emergency signal coming from… the city? I’m bringing up a video feed.
(The bridge’s monitors switch collate to from the video feed. The video looks up from the city at a giant ominously hovering spaceship, the size of several city blocks. There is a garbled voice is in the background, it’s words rendered completely unintelligible.)
ANDREWS
That isn’t ours.
(A row of cannons deploy from the side of ship. It opens fire, leveling a skyscraper and setting fires where the blasts hit.)
COMMANDER
(Barking his orders out)
Sound the alarm, scramble the gunships and all marines! Andrews, get your team down there!
(The commander rushes down into the network of operators on the bridge barking out orders. Andrews runs out of the bridge.)
INT- MARINE SHIP HANGAR
Address everyone by name after they have entered their new power armor. It could become difficult to distinguish them after they put on their helmets.
(The marines are running to through the hangar to get to their gunship transport. They are strapping on and adjusting their equipment and power armor.)
ANNETE
Captain Andrews, what’s going on?
(Annete puts his helmet on his head as he asks his question. His helmet has two vertical painted striped that run from his brow to the back of his. The stripes the curve back toward the jaw, making a horn shape.)
ANDREWS
There’s been some sort of terrorist attack. We need to get a VIP named Halcien out of there.
(Andrews jumps into Jimmy’s waiting gunship. Eric steps on as he is tightening a strap on the vest he wears outside of his armor.)
ERIC
(Concerned)
A terrorist attack?
(Jake and Dog sit down inside the gunship listening. Jake hasn’t put his helmet on yet. Jake watches the rapid conversation, trying to keep track of what’s happening. Ivan sits next to Dog and Jake while arming his cannon. Dog obsessively checks all of his equipment and his rifle repeatedly.)
ANDREWS
I think. It’s coming from a spaceship.
ANNETE
Wait, a spacecraft? Where’d they get a spacecraft?
IVAN
That doesn’t concern us. We just need Halcien.
JIMMY
Alright Captain, I’ve got clearance, pack yourselves in.
(The doors of the gunship slide closed and the gunship shudders as it lifts off of the ground. Jake puts his helmet on and sits back, shifting uncomfortably.)
ANDREWS
It’s your first action isn’t it?
(Jake and Dog glance at each other.)
ANDREWS
You boys sit tight, we’ll be alright.
(The gunship goes through turbulence as it enters Koreyang’s atmosphere. Beautiful shades of color run across the exterior of the ship as it heats up upon re-entry. The colors form a teardrop shape as the superheated air slides off of the gunship’s nose. Blue Squad sits silently in cabin. Ivan and Andrews are used to re-entry, Eric and Dog aren’t particularly wowed by the colors outside, while Jake and Annete watch in wonder. The turbulence dies down with the colorful show and the flight smoothes out. Thick clouds replace the colorful lights.)
JIMMY
(Stunned)
C-Captain, you’ll want to take a look at this.
(Andrews stands up and walks over to the cockpit. He looks out cockpit window over Jimmy’s shoulder.
ANDREWS
Oh my god…
(The squad curiously looks up and Andrews. They are unable to see anything. Ivan gets a glimpse out the cockpit and stands. He slides open the gunship door. Wind blows into cabin as Ivan opens it. The entire city is on fire. Buildings have bombed out and are burning in massive bonfires. The streets are filled with rubble and abandoned vehicles. The horizon is blotted out by black smoke from the fires. Orange light shines up on the ash cloud and into the gunship cabin. It shines off of Ivan’s full face helmet, fires reflected on his small eye lenses. Smoke drifts up and reaches around the invading starship in long tendrils. Annete steps up to the opened door and looks down upon the city.)
ANNETE
(In horrified awe)
A militia group couldn’t have done this.
IVAN
We’re here for the VIP.
ANNETE
…Yeah…
JIMMY
Captain, his apartment building is up ahead.
ANDREWS
Good. Bring us down.
JIMMY
No good captain, there’s nowhere that I can put down.
ANDREWS
We can’t wait any longer, put down in that park.
JIMMY
Sir, those fires are spreading, that park will be bonfire.
(Andrews adjusts his power armor)
ANDREWS
We’ll manage.
(Annete sits down and takes a deep breath as the gunship nears a small clearing in the park.)
EXT- CITY PARK
The park is heavily forested. Smoke obscures the sky, the hostile ship hovers overhead ominously.
Blue squad starts off running on a path leading to the apartment. A wall of fire can be seen through the tree line, approaching the path rapidly. Jake follows the team as he watches the fire get closer and closer.
(Annete takes a deep breath before stepping off of the gunship.)
Blue Squad reaches the VIP’s apartment building. They run up the stairs of the damaged building. There are signs of violence, walls blown out and bullet holes, but no one is to be found. While travelling up to the VIP’s apartment, they see Talos come on every TV, every channel. They look outside and see giant screens playing a Talos video. Talos gives “The World must Burn” speech. Marines rush upstairs to VIP’s apartment room. They enter the VIP’s apartment and are horrified to find the entire family executed. The VIP has a pet frog, Jake notices this.]
What were those things?
I don’t know. They didn’t look human.
Maybe they were some kind of robot, or clone.
Who’d have clones, robots and a dreadnought?
I don’t think Talos is a militia group
(Annete sees the VIP’s door broken in. He runs up the stairs and into the apartment room.)
ANNETE
Oh no.
INT. HALCIEN’S APARTMENT – DAY
(The apartment has signs of struggle everywhere long tear in the side of the building exposes the room to the open air between it and a neighboring building. The apartment is on a very high level, above the eight floor.)
(Annete steps into the room and sees the tear in the wall.
ANNETE
Crap.
The rest of Blue squad slowly walks in and explores the room. Annete steps into another room within the apartment. There are body bags gathered together in a heap on the floor. There is one full sized bag and two smaller ones. Annete’s face droops when he sees the body bags.)
ANNETE
Captain Andrews!
Blue squad gathers over Annete’s. Annete is on one knee and flips open the body bag for Andrews.
ANDREWS
That’s him.
Andrews kneels down and looks at the two unopened body bags. Annete hangs his head, avoiding the sight of the body bags.
ANNETE
No one said anything about kids.
Andrews walks to the tear in the wall for a breath of fresh air. Annete wraps up Halcien’s body bag and stands up. Jake watches the reactions of the people around him.
JAKE
(Interior)
They were seeing something that I wasn’t. It was a flicker of an emotion and the look on their faces that told me. I wasn’t what I should be.
A voice comes booming from outside. It is gravely, erudite and unmistakably hostile. A television screen plastering the side of a building has lit up. It is visible from the tear in the wall.
TALOS
We are Talos. (WORLD SHALL BURN SPEECH)
ANDREWS
Command, the V.I.P. and family are dead. Requesting orders.
COMMAND
(Over the radio)
Roger that Andrews. Abort the mission and assist in civilian evacuation. Gunship transport is en-route to pick you up.
ERIC
You ever hear of Talos before?
ANNETE
Never.
IVAN
Why bother putting Halcien in a body bag?
ERIC
Maybe they were going to move them?
IVAN
Then why did they leave them here?
(There are footsteps running down the hallway. A gunshot rings out from down the hallway, startling the squad.
ERIC
Maybe because they haven’t left.
Annete darts into the hallway. A man is running down the hallway, screaming for help. He is shot from behind, punching holes in the man’s chest. Behind him is the shooter, a Talos soldier. It is an armored figure at the far end of the hallway. It is gaunt and lithe, with a pair of lenses glowing from a skull motif faceplate. It looses a mechanical screech from down the hallway. Annete shoots it with a quick burst from his rifle. Chunks of it’s armor fly off and the figure collapses to the ground. As soon as it hits the ground, there are dozens of more screeches, from all around the marines. Annete ducks back into the apartment.)
ANNETE
That wasn’t human.
An explosion rocks the entire building.
JAKE
(The sound of a jet engine races by and wind whips the apartment. There is a series of explosions as the building is strafed by an unseen aircraft. One of the explosion destroys the staircase leading up and down as the marines approach, the building shudders and creaks.
ANDREWS
We’ve got to get to the roof!
(A few Talos Soldiers step into the hallway from the other apartments on the level. The Talos soldiers open fire on Blue Squad’s location, their bullets rip through the floor and walls around the marines. The marines scramble for cover and return fire through the walls.)
DOG
No good, we’re trapped!
ANDREWS
We can’t stay here.
(Andrews looks for a way out. Ivan is eyeing the neighboring building as Andrews talks. He fires his cannon through the blasted out wall, blowing a hole in the nearby building)
IVAN
Follow me!
(Ivan takes a running jumps and leaps across the relatively narrow gap into the nearby building. The clones follow first. Dog follows leaps without hesitation, Jake glances back at the squad, and then jumps across. Annete stand up and waves off the others.)
ANNETE
Go! Go! I’ll cover you!
(Annete returns fire through the walls. Annete’s aim is solid, he kills Talos soldiers with his return fire. There is a mechanical screech as the gunfire weakens in intensity. Covered by Annete, Eric and Andrews jump through the opening into the nearby building. Eric rolls when he lands on the other side. He stands up muttering.
Ext. KOREYANG SKY SCRAPER
This floor was a business office. It is not crammed with cubicles, it is fairly wide open with clear spaces. An elevator entrance and stairwells are perpendicular to the apartment building.
ERIC
(muttering)
They don’t teach that in basic training.
Annete starts running out and begins his jump. A burst of Talos gunfire hits him as he jumps, leaving dents and black marks across his armor. Annete barely makes it, and he lands hard, rolling to a stop)
ERIC
Ann, you alright?
(Annete pats himself down as Eric pulls him up.)
ANNETE
I-I’m fine, they didn’t penetrate the armor.
(A burst of gunfire rips into the room around the marines. Annete looks back at the building, following the gunfire. The Talos soldiers continue to fire on the marine squad. The two dash to cover away from the opening.)
DOG
Captain, the staircase collapsed!
(Ivan looks out towards a sky bridge connecting two sky scrapers. There is an open platform on the far building. A burst of bullets punches through the wall between him and the stairs down. He reloads his cannon and rushes to the elevator)
IVAN
What floor are we on?
ANDREWS
The twelfth, why-?
(Ivan blasts the elevator doors open)
IVAN
Drop four stories!
(Ivan jumps into the elevator shaft and grabs onto the elevator’s cables. He grinds down, sparks wildly flying from his metal glove. When he drops to his goal, he stops himself by kicking the walls, and blows the elevator doors out with his cannon, then hops out onto the floor. The squad follows Ivan, sliding down the elevator shaft and jumping out onto the lower floor.)
ERIC
(Muttering)
Damn, they don’t teach that anywhere.
(The entrance to the foot bridge is near the elevator shaft. Andrews leads the way as Blue squad runs toward the bridge. Andrews pulls up his communicator and yells into it.)
ANDREWS
Jimmy! We need evac, meet us at the collapsed building!
EXT. KOREYANG SKY BRIDGE – DAY
The passenger bridge connecting these tall skyscrapers has walls and a ceiling made of glass or clear plastic.
(The marines rush through the building and across the bridge as bullets spray the area around them. A Talos shuttle pulls up next to the foot bridge. It is a strange intimidating vessel, bulky, and multi-functional.)
ANNETE
Watch out!
The shuttle hovers over the bridge as it arms a missile to fire. Jake looks up at the ship while the rest of the squad sprints even harder to get across. The shuttle fires the missile into the foot bridge. The explosion shatters the glass walls and ceiling and destroys a large chunk of the bridge. Jake stumbles but stays on his feet. Eric is knocked off of his feet by the shockwave and is left on the sky scraper side of the damaged foot bridge. He stands up wide eyed, staring at the gap in front of him. The collapsed building side shudders and begins to droop down underneath Jake’s feet.)
JAKE
Jump!
(Eric takes a running start towards the large gap. Eric plants his foot and jumps. As he jumps, his half of the bridge drops sharply. Eric’s jump comes short and he slams chest first into the opposite edge of the bridge. He begins sliding down as the bridge begins to break apart under his arms and Jake’s feet. Jake swings his rifle behinds his back and rushes to Eric as carefully as he can. The bridge continues to drop down, creating a steeper angle. Jake grabs Eric’s hand as he is sliding down. Eric looks up, confused and surprised that a clone came for him. Jake is a deer-in-the-headlights and on the verge on panicking as he pulls Eric up. Once Eric is on his feet, they both scramble to the top of the collapsing bridge. Annete is there to give them a hand in, to where it is stable. Andrews yells at them from a stair case, the fluorescent building alights blend into the daylight pouring in from the top of the stairs.)
ANDREWS
Up here!
EXT. COLLAPSED ROOF
This building was once taller, but it’s upper levels have been blown away entirely. This story is now the highest remaining floor. It is filled with rubble and debris, and open sky is above.
(Ivan and Dog are leaning against piles of rubble waiting for the rest of the team and the Talos shuttle. The rest of Blue Squad dives in next to them. The Talos shuttle rises up from the foot bridge until it is overhead, circling the collapsed story. The Talos shuttle arms another missile, and fires it into the rubble. Blue squad is unhurt, Annete flinches as pieces of rubble fly past him. The Talos shuttle arms another missile and circles around, locking onto an unprotected Blue Squad. Before the shuttle can fire, another missile streaks in and smashes into it. The shuttle is crippled and crashes. On the way down, it bounces between the skyscraper and the collapsed building, tearing away long stretches of wall. It hits the ground and bursts into a fiery explosion. Jimmy’s gunship pulls in and hovers next to Blue squad. The gunship door slides open and the squad jumps aboard.
JIMMY
Christ, all that and you guys aren’t any worse for the wear?
(The gunship takes off from the platform and flies away from the apartment buildings.)
INT- GUNSHIP CABIN
The interior of the gunships is surprisingly roomy. Rows of seats rest behind the cockpit. The door is still open.
(Annete drops back into a seat, breathing hard. The squad’s armor is covered in various burn and bullet marks. Jake sits in his seat and grabs onto the area around him, bracing himself in the chair. Andrews stands over the pilot’s shoulder and eyes the massive starship hovering over the city.)
JIMMY
What’s wrong captain?
ANDREWS
You realize that cruiser hasn’t fired a single shot since we’ve landed.
(Eric looks out through the hatch.)
ERIC
You’re right. Something’s up.
JAKE
(Naively)
Maybe they’re overheating?
IVAN
(Curtly)
No.
(Everyone is silent as Ivan reloads his cannon, then straps himself into his seat. Ivan stares into Jake. Jake is slightly unnerved by Ivan’s gaze and looks around the cabin of the gunship. Annete sits and holds his head as he looks out upon the burning city. There are cars abandoned in the streets, all the signs of life are present, but there are no people anywhere. Fire reflects off of Annete’s visor, he wears an expression of self-doubt. Jake watches Annete. Jake looks out, and obviously does not see the same thing that Annete sees. Jake then looks at Dog. Dog is strapped in and alert, but oblivious to the city. Andrews gives co-ordinates to Jimmy. Jake straps himself, Eric straps in next to Annete.)
(There is a brief beam of light from outside the gunship, then a shockwave rocks the entire vehicle. Radio chatter starts flooding from the cockpit. Andrews grabs on and intently starts listening to his radio.)
DOG
What was that?
JIMMY
The cruiser opened fire!
ANDREWS
We’re getting hit everywhere!
JIMMY
Strap in, evasive maneuvers!
(Annete quickly straps in, and looks out upon the destroyed evacuation site. Destroyed vehicles, dead and injured people are visible. Talos soldiers are start swarm the site.)
(The gunship screams past buildings and through the streets as the cruiser fires down. A few shots land near the gunship and rock the marines strapped inside.)
RADIO
(Repeating)
Sounding general retreat- all units pull out. Repeat…
ANDREWS
We’re pulling out! Get us out of here!
(The gunship blasts out of the city at low altitude, escaping the bombardment.)
{The gunship flies out of the city and then pulls up and away. The silhouette of the burning city and the Talos cruiser is seen in the background.}
--Screen to black—
EXT. RUINED KOREYANG STREETS – CLOUDY DAY
A thick layer of ash rests on everything in the streets of Koreyang. After the firestorm, the city is left as an ashen grey skeleton of itself. Grey clouds cover the city, snuffing out the sun.
(Ivan is walking through the ashes of Koreyang city. There is a thick of layer of ash on the ground, it blows against his armor. He leaves deep footprints as he walks. Ivan walks on, focused on his mission, ignoring the silent, colorless city. Ivan returns to the rest of the squad. They are gathered around an APC.
IVAN
Nothing. No survivors, no bodies, not even our own casualties.
ERIC
Nothing at all? I mean, it’s been two whole days and we haven’t seen a soul.
IVAN
It’s as if everyone stood up and left.
ANNETE
A lot of people died here. Dead people don’t just disappear.
(Annete sits back into the APC’s driver seat. Jake stands outside the APC and looks up into the grey sky. His gaze drops down to a massive crater in the center of the city.)
JAKE
I’m just glad that cruiser’s gone.
ANDREWS
Me too, but I’ve got no idea how something that size can just disappear of sensors.
(Andrews looks at his holographic map.)
ANDREWS
Anyway, we’ll keep searching for survivors. Maybe someone got out safely.
(Andrews climbs into the front passenger seat, the rest climb into the back.)
ERIC
A little blind hope never hurt anyone.
IVAN
Badly.
ANDREWS
(From the front)
Red squad is trying the apartments. We’re going to check the cloning plant.
ERIC
(To the clones)
A taste of home for you two?
DOG
(Seriously)
The J,K, and L clones are built on the planet Magellan.
JAKE
I think he means that that they will be similar.
DOG
(Unembarrassed)
Oh, okay.
ANNETE
(From Driver’s seat)
What’s it like in there? Never been in one of those clone plants.
[Dog needs to be developed a bit more here]
DOG
I don’t know. I guess it isn’t that different from any other military base. The training is the only thing I remember, I don’t remember any instructors or doctors. I guess the only thing matters is how well you throw a punch, not who taught you how to punch.
ANDREWS
Maybe. There is definitely a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things though. (Andrews looks back at Dog.) There’s more to it than who hits the hardest.
{Annete focuses on movement on a roof. The camera zooms in on a Talos soldier, it fires a rocket.}
ANNETE
Look out!
(Annete spins the wheel, the marines slide in their seats. The rocket hits the side of the APC and leaves a serious dent in the interior.) {Camera is from behind Annete in the passenger cabin, the rocket has a smoke trail that can be seen through the front window as Annete spins the wheel.}
ANDREWS
Get out!
(The marines hop out and take cover behind the damaged APC.)
Annete: Hold on, I’ve got a fix on him.
(Annete pops out from the front of the APC and squeezes off a shot. The Talos soldier crumples and slides off the building, hitting the ground with a crack.)
ANNETE
It was a lone sentry. We’re getting near something.
(Andrews lifts the hood of the APC. Smoke billows out and a steady stream of oil is dripping onto the ground.)
ANDREWS
The APC won’t run. We’ll continue on foot. IF there are guards, we’ll need to take a look.
(Andrews looks at his holographic map, then he gestures toward a damaged, multiple story, school nearby. He leads the squad through the front doors of the school.)
INT. RUINED SCHOOL HALLWAYS - EVENING
(Blue Squad pushes the Front doors of the school open. They step into the building, weapons at the ready.)
ANDREWS
(Quietly)
Check the rooms.
INT.RUINED SCHOOL CLASSROOMS – EVENING
Theses are the classrooms for lower grades. Desks have been tossed around the rooms by the bombing. There are bullet holes and blood stains in some. All are brightly decorated with educational posters or children’s artwork.
The squad walks through the classrooms, climbing through blasted out walls to go from classroom to classroom. They are tense and cautious, their weapons at the ready. Dog and Ivan simply scan the room and move on, ignoring the environment. Eric, Annete, and Andrews are slightly uncomfortable as they walk past empty desks and blood stains, but Jake is completely awestruck by the classrooms. It is unlike anything he has ever seen, it is almost like he is walking through a temple or incredible art gallery. He stares at the colorful posters and books. Jake slows in one room. The room has plaster casts of kindergartener’s hand prints, with their name and age imprinted next to it. Jake looks at the prints and one draws his total attention. One of the plaster casts is of a Jake Lancaster, age six. Jake touches the print, his armored hand dwarfing the child’s print. Jake compares his own hand to the print.
Annete walks up behind Jake. Annete pats Jake on the shoulder, quietly looks the print.
JAKE
(whispering)
I was made six years ago.
(Jake rests his hand on the print, completely overlapping it.)
JAKE
I should be a child… But I’m not. What am I then?
(Annete is compassionate but has no answer)
ANNETE
(Gently)
We’ll have to save it for later. Come on.
(Annete follows the rest of the squad up a flight of stairs. Jake reluctantly follows.)
INT. EMPTY RUINED SCHOOL CLASSROOM – SUNSET
This empty classroom is on a higher level, with the outer wall collapsed outward. Much of the roof has collapsed into a heap resting against one wall. Debris litters the floor.
(Annete and Jake return to the rest of the squad, who have been waiting for them in the empty classroom. Part of the outer wall has collapsed inwards, leaving a sunset vista where there used to be a wall. Debris litters the floor. There is loud creak from one of the two doors. The squad immediately raise their weapons. There is a tense moment as they focus on the door.
JAKE
(interior)
Just then, I learned something.
(The tension is broken by a brief ‘tinking’ noise.)
ANNETE
Grenade!
(Squad members dive for cover or are blown off of their feet by the grenade’s explosion Ivan manages to remain standing. Ivan grabs the wrist of a construct holding a pistol. He twists and pulls on the wrist, kicks his leg over the enemy’s head. He snaps the pistol out of it’s hands. He aims the pistol down at the Talos’s head.)
JAKE
(Interior)
You don’t exist in the moment.
(Ivan executes the Talos with it’s own pistol.)
JAKE (CONT’D)
(interior)
“You‘re just another animal.”
(Ivan looks up toward another enemy. His eyes are barely visible through his helmet. They are wide, dilated, and bestial.)
JAKE (CONT’D)
(interior)
“Nothing exists in the moment. You are not a clone. You are not a man.”
(The film begins to slow into slow motion. Jake looks towards his comrades. Andrews kicks a broken enemy off of him. Annete breaks another with the butt of his rifle, Eric is being overpowered. )
JAKE(CONT’D)
(interior)
“You are not a convict or soldier. You are a pair of arms, a pair of legs.”
(Ivan draws a melee weapon that is built into his armor. It is similar to chainsaw brass knuckles. As the parts of body are spoken, the camera lingers on Ivan’s arms and legs. Ivan rushes the enemy on top of Eric.)
JAKE(CONT’D)
(interior)
“Just a beast in the moment. Is that all I am?”
{Brief shot of Ivan rushing the camera in slow motion. The angle changes and the speed suddenly returns to normal, slightly sped up.} (Ivan eviscerates the enemy on Eric with a loud battle scream and a roar from the chainsaw knuckles. Annete knocks down another enemy and blasts it apart on the ground. He comes face to face with another, it raises a rifle towards him. He knocks the barrel of the rifle aside a delivers a punishing blow to the construct’s face. Ivan grabs a punch from a disarmed construct, locks the elbow joint, twists the construct to the ground, finishing it with a brutal stomp, crushing the head. Dog slices the neck of another construct with his knife. He is confronted by another construct. The construct tackles him, he stabs the construct while wrestling on the ground, killing it. Andrews knocks the pistol out of a construct’s hands, twist the fingers in arc, then draws his own pistol and fires it into the construct’s side. Ivan grabs the arm of a construct, then throws it through a thin wall out of the building, where it falls to the ground.
A construct fires his pistol at Dog. It leaves a crater in his armor. Dog rushes the construct, the construct draws a knife, then lunges towards Dog. Dog parries one lunge, then another slash from the construct. Dog steps back to dodge a strike from the construct and his foot slips in loose debris. He falls onto to the ground and loses his knife. Dog looks up to watch as the construct plunges it’s knife through his armor, deep into his chest. Ivan rushes over, kicks the back of the construct’s knee, holds the face of the construct, then snaps the back of the construct with another spark ridden kick. Annete and Jake gun down the last few constructs. Jake sees Dog injured.)
JAKE
Eric!
ERIC
{Shaken}
Shit.
(Eric sprints over to Dog. He examines Dog, his HUD flashes lists of information. It begins beeping with Dog’s heartbeat. Eric starts spitting out everything he sees in rapid order)
ERIC (CONT’D)
Shit; Armor breach, critical ventricle and aortic damage, spinal trauma. This is bad.
(The squad has gathered around Dog. Eric removes the knife with difficulty, and pumps a clear fluid into Dog. Annete stabilizes Dog coughs, blood spurts onto his visor dirtying the view of his face. The squad scrambles to remove Dog’s breastplate. Blood is everywhere.)
ERIC
Blood in the lungs, K clone defect, damaged pleural cavity. Morphine, Maximum trauma nano…
(Eric feels his tools pulls out a device and inserts it with another tool. Dog’s heartbeat continues to skyrocket.)
ERIC
The respirator is broken-
ANNETE
Eric, we’re losing him!
(Dog twitches squeezes Annete’s hand. Dog looks Eric in the eye. Eric hesitates, Dog’s facial expression is that of an innocent, scared child. Eric is deeply moved, but is broken out of his hesitation by the frantic heartbeat his HUD is playing and he returns to the procedure, very unnerved.)
ERIC
…Alright, K- clone tissue going on-
(The heartbeat stops. Eric freezes. Eric face changes from the adrenaline rush of the moment to realization of and resignation to what happened. He sets the equipment down. Jake looks up from Dog at Annete. Annete sighs and releases Dog’s hands. Andrews helps Annete up. Annete’s face is saddened, processes his grief. Ivan reloads his weapon.)
IVAN
We can’t stop. If there any more in the building they’re coming straight here.
ANDREWS
Ivan’s right. We have to keep moving.
(Andrews pats Jake on the shoulder. Jake swallows. His face is wiped clean of emotion, leaving a forced, grim determination- similar to Ivan’s helmet. Ivan climbs out of the building through the hole in the wall. Eric stands up from Dog, and folds away his equipment. Eric follows Ivan with a disappointed and frustrated look on his face, grinding his teeth. Jake stands up, coming eye to eye with Captain Andrews. Andrews offers Jake the bloodied knife. Jake accepts it and looks at it. )
(Andrews follows the squad. Andrews’ voice trails off as he reports K-09 as a casualty. Jake looks at the knife and glances back down at Dog, then follows the squad.
{Jake is seen leaving off into the sunset. The knife is silhouetted against the sunset. Dog’s body is in the foreground of the shot, his face unseen, but the blood on his visor very clear. His arm and hand remain upright, where his hand had been held.}
JAKE
{Interior}
Is that what we all are then? Just a beast in the moment?
EXT. KOREYANG CLONE FACILITY
The clone facility is tall expansive building that has been heavily damaged from bombardment.
Jake hurries up as night falls on the marines. Blue squad is waiting in the streets of Koreyang, hiding in alcove overlooking the ruined clone facility. In the dimming light, Jake attaches the knife to his shoulder plate, just like Dog had it attached. He looks up at the sky and sees the moon vaguely shining through a thick cloud cover of ash and dust. The squad is assembled as Andrews is scoping out the building.
ANDREWS
That’s the clone plant.
Andrews gestures for the others to take cover as a Talos shuttle leaves the facility and flies overhead.
ANDREWS
(Quietly)
We’re going inside.
The marines approach the building. It has been damaged in the fighting. The marines hop from ruined car to car as they stealthily approach the front entrance. They spread out and hug the wall as they prepare to breach the door. On the anxious count of three, they bash the door open.
INT. CLONE FACILITY ROOM
The interior is empty and barren, with absolutely no light. It is a giant building with very high ceilings, hinting at an expansive structure deeper within.
The marines hold position as they stare off into inky darkness. The windows have been boarded up. They flick on rifle mounted flashlights and cautiously enter the building. Strange and alien machinery is everywhere, their purposes are completely unknown. They anxiously step through various rooms, such as a cafeteria with the tables moved into defensive positions, a strange laboratory, and other unfamiliar places. The air conditioning keeps the building at incredibly low temperatures, frost can be seen on some of the cat walks. Very little of the massive rooms can be seen with the narrow flashlights. Talos move in the dark, concealed from the marines, only their ‘eyes’ visible to the audience as they crawl along walls and the ceilings like spiders.
The marines tensely investigate the building, prepared and fearing the surprise moment of contact, expecting something to lunge out and scream at them from the darkness. Blue squad gathers next to an interior door into the next room. They take a deep breath, and press a button to open the door.
INT. OPEN CLONE FACILITY ROOM
Catwalks crisscross through the upper levels, ground level windows down to a lower floor are opposite the windows wall. The windows in this next room have not been boarded up, they are tall, narrow gothic style windows looking out upon the ashen ruins of a park. Gentle moonlight streams in through them, illuminating sections of with mounds of rubble.
The door shoots open, bringing Jake face to face with a Talos hanging from the door frame. Jake screams and falls backwards.
Gears screech as Andrews shoots the talos in the head. Bursts of light from Talos gunfire briefly shine through the darkness across the room, the marine return fire and take cover around the door.
ANDREWS
Move up!
Jake and Annete make a dash for a pile of rubble in the moonlight. As they run through the dark they fire, lighting up the area around them as bullets fly off into the darkness. The fire fight is intense and beautiful, it is an intricate play of light and color as Talos soldier eyes glow through the darkness, gunfire shines over the, and when they are hit, sparks and small explosions show their finish.
Andrews throws a flare that lights up the entire room with a dim light. They are able to force back the last of the Talos. They pause as they scan the room, then relax slightly when the room is clear. There are windows that open up to the rooms on the lower levels. Dozens of operating rooms are visible from a wall full of windows. Annete shines a light down and looks into the rooms below.
ANNETE
Whoa, what are they doing down there?
He shines a light on one of the tables. There is a cadaver on it with organs being replaced by cybernetics, there is a Talos helmet on the table next to it Eric looks over Annete’s shoulder and sees it.
ERIC
Wait.
(Eric walks over to a dead facedown talos. He flips it over and pops of the faceplate. On the inside is a human skull. Bits of flesh and cybernetics are built into. Wires plunges into the eye sockets, it is a disgusting and repulsive sight)
ERIC
Ugh, God!
(The marines follow Eric and see the Talos.)
ERIC (CONT’D)
They’re people!
ANNETE
Wait, so all of these were… people?
ERIC
If the others are the same, yeah.
ANNETE
That’s screwed up.
ANDREWS
Christ.
(Ivan looks at the operating table)
IVAN
That solves the question of where the bodies went.
ANDREWS
It answers one disturbing question and raises so many more. This place creeps me out. I’m calling it in.
“We’ve got to stop this.”
{Focus on cadaver on table}
Talos:
(interior)
The most powerful computer in the known world is the human brain. Millions of computations per second controls the most intricate machine ever created.
{There are Talos spying on the Marines hidden in the corner, they slink away}
TALOS
(interior)
It is a perfect starting point. With basic modifications it can easily coordinate thousands of programs simultaneously.
{Marines are talking amongst selves}
TALOS (CONT’D)
(Interior)
But we cannot simply build a new brain. It takes time, connections, something impossible to replicate in order to create a functional brain. So we will salvage.{The dead Talos } We will scrap some functions for a higher priority one. {Marines are relieved by reinforcements.} Salvaging will be dangerous and supremely difficult, but necessary for the greater good.
Jake is standing in line at the cafeteria. Two human soldiers walk past and cut in front of him. The two are talking between themselves.
JAKE
(Meekly)
Uhm, excuse me?
(The two humans ignore Jake. Jake taps one on the shoulder.)
Marine1: What?
Jake: You cut.
Marine1: So? I didn’t cut in front of any people.
Jake: I’m here.
(Marine1 rolls his eyes and turns his back on Jake.)
Marine1: Weird clone.
(Jake grabs the soldier’s shoulder and pulls soldier back to face him.)
ANDREWS
I’m sorry sir. We were too late.
(The Commander rubs his forehead)
ANDREWS
If I may ask sir; why was Halcien so important? The city was being shot to pieces. Why send my team to save one man while we could have done so much more elsewhere?
COMMANDER
Halcien was just a software analyst. He was responsible for monitoring the Hephaestus colony’s systems, and kept on eye on them after the colonists disappeared. He said that he found something strange and refused to say more at the time. I don’t know what he found, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with this.
INT. MARINE BASE CAFETERIA
The cafeteria is a large, clean, brightly lit room with dozens of long tables set up. There are no windows in the cafeteria.
Jake is alone the cafeteria, examining Dog’s knife. Annete, Eric, and Scott fill their trays and walk other to their usual spot. Annete notices Jake alone, and sets his tray down and approaches him.)
ANNETE
(compassionately)
Hey. Are you alright Jake?
(Jake is surprised and shy at Annete talking to him. He avoids eye contact and sets the knife on the table.)
JAKE
(Completely serious)
Uhm, Yes. I would be in the infirmary if I were injured.
Annete smiles.
ANNETE
A joke, I like it. C’mon, sit with us.
(The two sit down at the other table. Jake is uncomfortable and isn’t entirely sure how to act. Jake greets Eric and Scott.)
SCOTT
Hey Eric, is this that clone that saved your ass on that bridge?
ERIC
(Playfully)
Yeah, the bastard took his sweet time too.
(Jake isn’t sure if he is joking, or serious)
JAKE
I guess I could have been faster.
ANNETE
I don’t know, by the time you pulled him back up, I didn’t even know that you had gone back.
(As Annete is talking, Jake reverently puts away Dog’s knife, the table watches him.)
SCOTT
They told me.
(Pats Jake on the shoulder)
(Jake is more accepted by his comrades. Ann’s compassion should be heartwarming here, defining the character. Jake begins to feel human, instead of like a tool.)
INT. MARINE BASE INFIRMARY - NIGHT
ERIC
Grey?
DR. GREY
Yes?
ERIC
We lost a clone today.
DR. GREY
(Implying Eric had lost a friend, not a grammar check)
You mean that you lost a clone today.
ERIC
I guess. I don’t why it’s getting to me so much. I mean, He’s a clone, it was simply what he born to do.
DR. GREY
If you truly believed that you wouldn’t be upset Eric.
ERIC
No I… I’m not sure now. They just seemed like some sort of robot before, just working like a piece of hardware. But in those last few moments, the look in his eyes… He was just a kid.
DR. GREY
Who’d of thought that a six year old would still be a six year old?
ERIC
But Grey, these aren’t kids. They’re born killers, all of them. I mean look at them! It’s like nothing happening in here (indicates head), a city getting murdered means as much to them as what’s on the lunch menu! They aren’t natural.
DR. GREY
But ultimately, they’re still human. It’s buried somewhere underneath the training, but they’re still human. Give them the chance, and they’ll figure it out.
ERIC
But they’re doing is what’s natural for them. They have been bred only to go out and shoot people.
DR. GREY
Yet you come to me and say that Dog was like an innocent child?
……
(He’s a scared kid, thrust into an unfamiliar and dangerous world, and simply told to shoot bad guys. He isn’t what he could have been.)
DR. GREY
I can finish the paperwork on my own. Go lie down for awhile. (Smiles)
INT. MARINE BASE CAFETERIA
[Blue squad has down time on a marine base. The squad attempts to pry into Ivan’s past. Ivan finally relents, and tells the story of his crime.]
ANNETE
Ivan, Why do you have that broken ring?
IVAN
It’s was a wedding ring.
IVAN
I lived in Stalingrad, doing… doing what I had to do in order to makes ends meet. I lived with a beautiful woman, and I was to marry her.
(The cigarette burns brightly, the only color in his face. There is very little movement in his face.)
IVAN
She died for my sins.
(Ivan removes his cigarette and looks deep into Annete’s face.)
IVAN
Have you ever seen a man break Annete? I pray that you never do.
(Ivan removes his cigarette.)
IVAN
They returned the ring to me, solely to taunt me. I made things right. The police called it murder, and I didn’t care. I was offered death in a prison cell or death in service. I chose the honorable option.
{Ivan is intimidating and tough at first but as he talks you see a deep sadness in his eyes. Ivan goes from feared to almost pitiable in how he manages himself.}
Jake sits in the barracks alone. He sits in a chair, staring into a mirror intently. He is in deep thought.
JAKE
interior)
What are you?
(Jake focuses on the J1891 on shirt.)
JAKE
(Interior)
A number? No. Numbers don’t think or feel. I shouldn’t be scared or sad, or… alone. I should be... I don’t know.
INT. ANNETE/ERIC’S ROOM
There are two bids on opposite sides of the room. It is similar to a small dorm. There is a window looking out into space in the room.
(Annete walks into his and Eric’s room. Eric is reading a book. Annete sits on his bed and looks out the window.)
ANNETE
Hey Eric, take a look, you can see the satellite relay from here. It’s the only way to talk to home in solar system. You know, I just talking with GIRLFRIEND. You never call home Eric, what gives?
(Eric takes a deep breath and does not answer the question. His eyes move as he thinks, he is not reading his book anymore.)
ANNETE
Come on, there’s got to be a girl who misses you.
ERIC
You already know I’m a bachelor.
ANNETE
What about your family? You never said much about them.
ERIC
They stopped talking to me years ago.
ANNETE
Ah. Well… is there anyone that you can call?
Eric pulls out his bookmark slightly. It is a folded up picture of a young woman. There is something written on the picture, but it is obscured by his book.
ERIC
There’s no one waiting on me back home.
(Annete shifts uncomfortably.)
ANNETE
Well, at least we’re still here.
(Annete sits back on his bed and hears a muffled boom. He looks out the window and sees the satellite relay exploding.
ANNETE
What the-?
( Annete is cut short when the Epsilon quakes under the weight of an impact. Annete and Eric look around in alarm. A siren sounds and emergency turn on. Annete and Eric look eye to eye and scramble out of the room)
INT. MARINE SHIP CORRIDOR
Marines and crews run back and forth in a flurry of motion. Annete and Eric look into the mess, unsure of how to act. Ivan stops in front of them.
IVAN
Eric, Annete!
ANNETE
Ivan, what’s going on?
IVAN
The Talos cruiser is back and opened fire. Command has ordered a boarding action.
(Annete and Eric exchange looks, understanding the gravity of the situation.)
INT. EPSILON HANGAR – JIMMY’S GUNSHIP
(A fully armored Blue squad climbs onto the Gunship. Everyone is loading magazines into their weapons, checking grenades and flares. Jake has a new bag on his belt. Ivan test magnetic boots, lifting and placing his foot on the metallic floor of the gunship. Andrews stands up and addresses his team. Jake listens to him reverently.)
ANDREWS
Boarding another spaceship is the most difficult and dangerous task you can ask of a Marine infantryman. The smallest suit puncture could fatal in a vacuum. We have no idea what the inside of that ship looks like, or how many of those things are on it. It is very possible that we will not be coming back. However, only one thing is certain. That cruiser must be stopped, and we’re the only ones who can do it.
Andrews sits down. He slaps the back of Jimmy’s seat.
ANDREWS
Bring us over Jimmy.
(Jimmy seals his flight helmet. He grabs the control stick and the Gunship gently lifts off of the hangar floor.)
Jimmy
God willing.
EXT. SPACE
The Talos cruiser and the Epsilon are exchanging batteries of gunfire and missile fire as each maneuvers. Pieces of debris float through space, sunlight is caught on slicks of oil from the damaged crafts. Marine gunships and Talos shuttles are engaged in a massive dogfight.
Jimmy’s gunship launches out of the hangar and joins a small flight of Marine gunships. Jimmy looks out on the field of floating debris and destroyed gunships.
JIMMY
Hold on tight, this is going to get dicey.
The gunships take off from the Epsilon. They race through the debris field and oil slicks. Projectiles streak by the gunship as the Cruiser continues to engage the Epsilon. A Talos shuttle starts tailing Jimmy’s gunship. Jimmy tries to lose in the debris but to no use. Jimmy tries to avoid it with a sharp turn, but it stays on his tail. Jimmy then deploys flares then makes a ninety degree turn. The missile takes the flare and detonates, leaving Jimmy’s gunship unharmed. The gunships use flares and tight maneuvers, allowing most to avoid the missile. Blue squad is shaken in the cabin as Jimmy narrowly avoid getting hit. Jake grabs his rifle tightly and starts breathing hard as the gunship wobbles from nearby explosions.
INT. TALOS SHIP HANGAR
INT. TALOS HANGAR
The Talos Dreadnought’s hangar is much larger than the Marine’s equivalent. It is dimly lit by orange lights.
The gunships fly into the hangar. Squads of marines are nervous and ready for the gunship doors to drop. Blue squad stands in Jimmy’s gunship prepared for action, another team of generic marines shares their gunship, Scott leading this other team. The doors slowly drop, letting the gunship’s interior light leak out into the dark.
JAKE
(interior)
They said that in space, no one can hear you scream.
A shot flies into one of the gunships and it explodes into a fireball, killing those onboard in a cacophonous explosion.
JAKE
(interior)
It’s not true.
The other squads, including Scott’s squad and Blue Squad, disembark into a firestorm engulfing the entire hangar. Talos soldiers fire towards the marines, killing a few of the marines. The marines push forward through the flames and force the Talos to with draw to deeper in the ship The Talos press a button on a panel and the hanger doors slam shut. Jake follows his team and runs up to and leans against the wall alongside the door.
ANDREWS
It’s locked, get the charges!
(Jake runs in front of the door and removes breaching charges from his belt. They are to be flat, baseball sized in diameter, landmines. Jake sets the charges on the door, they attach magnetically. Jake steps out of the way and the timer runs out on the charges, the doors are blown open. The marines turn around and aim down the now opened doorway. They are looking down a long corridor. Sections of light black out in a domino style as in approaches the marines. Annete pulls out a flare and hurls down the hallway as the marines deploy.
(The marines push through the cruiser. It is incredibly dangerous, there is always something in the dark ready to kill the marines. They find the right direction towards the mainframe. The marines push through the space ship, the ship is taking severe damage. There are many explosions around and Talos soldiers ambush from every direction. There is no safety anywhere. Bullets are powerful to shoot cleanly through walls, and Talos are ready to ambush from every direction, even if the room was thought cleared. Sections of power go out after explosions, and the slightest puncture will suck out all of a marine’s oxygen, leaving the wounded soldier to suffocate painfully. Blue squad is with Scott’s Red squad during the fighting. Scott is killed in the fighting.)
INT. TALOS SHIP AIRLOCK
(Blue Squad open a door and step into an airlock between to interior rooms on the outside of the vessel. The lights flicker out when they step inside.)
ANDREWS
That can’t be good.
(The airlock is dimly lit from a window looking out on space, Jake looks out the window. No stars are visible, there is only a cloud of shrapnel and debris.)
ERIC
You don’t want to go out there.
(The air lock begins to pump atmosphere into the room, the lights desperately try to turn back on, but are not fully lighting the room. Jake looks around surprised.)
JAKE
It’s pressurized?
ERIC
(Sarcastically)
Maybe they keep better?
(The exit to the airlock opens. The lights flick on and off. With each time the lights return, a Talos can be briefly seen moving. The lights drop completely. Through the dark, Talos eyes slowly turn around to face Blue Squad. Then more and more eyes appear in the pitch black dark, dozens appear in the compartment. The lights return fully. The compartment is a holding block for Talos soldiers, dozens are activating themselves from the racks that they rest upon. An already active talos screeches a digital noise to it’s comrades.)
ANDREWS
Uh oh.
(The talos unleash a furious amount of gunfire upon the marines. Blue squad dashes into the compartment, taking cover by the walls, behind bulkheads and support beams. As Ivan runs to cover, he is sprayed by gunfire, and one of the shots penetrates his side. He begins bleeding out into zero gravity. He is on the opposite side of the room from Eric.
IVAN
(Grunts) I’m hit.
ANNETE
Are you going to make it?
(Ivan attempts to hold the injury, droplets of blood float around him)
IVAN
I’ll live.
(With strenuous effort he pops out of cover and fires his weapon, destroying a Talos soldier. He drops back down behind his cover with a pained groan.)
ERIC
No Ivan, you’re bleeding out!
(Eric tries to break from cover and get to Ivan, but he is pinned down, bullets tear out pieces of floor out in front of him.)
ERIC
Damnit, someone give me covering fire!
(Jake fires a round but is grazed by gunfire. Sparks fly off from his shoulder plate.)
JAKE
There’s too many of them!
ANDREWS
Sit tight, I’m calling for back up!
(As Andrews says this pieces of Jake’s cover are blown away.)
JAKE
They better move fast.
(Jake glimpses around the corner and notices large oxygen tanks next to the compartment’s hull. He shoots one of the tanks and it ruptures violently, killing several talos and denting the hull of the compartment. Ivan sees this and gets an idea.)
IVAN
Jake, throw me the breaching charges!
(Jake is confused at his request and snaps the charges off his belt. Jake tosses the charges to Ivan as talos gunfire keeps them pinned down. Ivan times the explosives and then throws the sticky breaching charges onto the hull next to one of the oxygen tanks. As he does this, his power armor is visibly failing, he is losing his magnetized boots.)
ANNETE
Ivan, what do you think you’re doing?
(Ivan cocks his cannon and whispers to himself.)
IVAN
Salvation.
(Ivan bursts out of cover and charges into the gunfire. He is grazed and dented several times as he crosses the compartment in order to get a clear shot at the oxygen tank by the breaching charges.
ANDREWS
Ivan! Get back here!
(Ivan returns fires during the crossing, but he is hit in his suit’s power pack. His suit completely loses power and he begins to drift. As he floats he takes aim at the oxygen tank. He is bleeding very heavily from his injury, flecks of blood float in the compartment. Annete takes the chance to move up further in the compartment, to get closer to Ivan. Ivan fires his cannon, the recoil violently slams him against the inner wall. The shot hits the tank and the tank explodes, activating the breaching charges. The charges blow out the hull, and the Talos soldiers are sucked out into space. Blue squad clings to their cover and braces against being ripped out. Ivan grabs onto a support beam in a attempt to keep himself being ripped out. His grip begins to slip, Annete crawls out as far as he can, trying to get near enough to catch him. Finger by finger, Ivan loses his grip and the vacuum rips him away from the support beam. The moment he loses his grip the action goes into slow motion. Ivan sees Annete reach out to grab him. Ivan reaches to grab Annete’s outstretched hand. They miss by inches, and Ivan is ripped out of the ship and ejected into space. The decompression dies down. Annete is stunned. He stares at his outstretched hand after missing the grab. Flecks of Ivan’s blood float gently out of the cruiser, just beyond Annete’s grasp. Some flecks have hit his hand, leaving thin red streaks across his glove.)
ANDREWS
(In total disbelief)
We lost him.
(Blue Squad is utterly stunned that Ivan was killed. They slowly regroup and come out of their tattered cover. Annete wipes the streaks off of his hand and stands up. Annete reloads his gun as he takes a deep breath. Jake avoids looking at Annete, as if looking at Annete embarrassed him. Jake notices a gentle light coming from the door opposite the airlock.)
JAKE
There’s something in there.
INT. TALOS CRUISER MAINFRAME
The mainframe is a massive computer four times larger than a school bus. There are a number of terminals active and running with information streaking across the screen. The room is gently lit by the light of the terminal screens.
Jake steps into the room, wowed by the size of the computer that dominates the spacious room. He is constantly checking the corners for Talos soldiers. Eric and Andrews follow behind him. Annete lags behind them.
ERIC
Damn. This is different.
Andrews brings up his communicator.
ANDREWS
This is Andrews. I need those reinforcements on my position, we just found the brain.
Eric walks up to a monitor and looks at the screen. Jake peeks over his shoulder. Rows of text stream by at high speeds, too fast to read entirely.
ERIC
It’s giving orders.
JAKE
They’re all going to one place.
Eric looks back over his shoulder, not entirely believing Jake.
ERIC
Wait, what?
JAKE
Well look.
Jake points out a row of text that is repeated in each line.
JAKE (CONT’D)
Everything is going back to one computer.
ERIC
Computer…?
Eric’s eyes snap wide open as he sits down and looks at the screen. He pulls out a pen from one of his pockets and starts writing down what little he can catch from the screen.
ERIC
Captain Andrews!
Andrews and Annete come running over to Jake and Eric huddle around the terminal screen.
ANDREWS
What is it?
ERIC
Look.
(Eric points at the screen)
ERIC (CONT’D)
Everything on this mainframe is coming from one place.
(Andrews gives Eric a quizzical look.)
ERIC
It’s coming from Hephaestus.
JAKE
The colony?
ANNETE
But that colony disappeared.
ANDREWS
The scans said there was no life left on Hephaestus.
ERIC
Yes, I know that. Captain,
(Eric looks up at Andrews.)
ERIC (CONT’D)
I think Talos is a computer.
(Annete stares at the screen taking in the information. He stands up and looks around the room in astonishment with a worn face.
ANNETE
A computer.
ANDREWS
That’s what Halcien found.
Andrews pulls out his communicator.
ANDREWS
Command, we’re going to need a hand down here.
EXT. EPSILON HANGAR
Jimmy’s gunship swoops into the hangar and drops off Blue squad, with the heavily damaged and disabled Talos cruiser in the background.
INT. MARINE BASE CAFETERIA
The cafeteria is just as large as it was before. The few remaining people seem small and diminutive in the vast empty space.
(Annete and Jake walk past the cafeteria in their power armor. Annete stops, and looks inside the open door. Jake had been following behind him, and stops as well. The cafeteria is usually packed with people at this time, it is nearly empty. into the cafeteria alone. Annete slowly walks to his usual table. He stares at the empty space then sits down. He rests his hands on the table in front of him, staring at them, completely overwhelmed. Jake follows him and sits down across the table from Annete. Annete barely registers Jake.)
ANNETE
Scott and Ivan. I had known them for years. I went to high school with Scott. It’s been three years, but that feels like it was a lifetime ago. We went to the football championship together. We decided to enlist together.
(Annete lifts his head up and look Jake in the eye.)
ANNETE
What do I tell his mother? I’m sorry that I couldn’t save him?
(Annete sits up.)
ANNETE (CONT’D)
And what about Ivan? He’s gone because I didn’t grab him.
[Annete struggles with the casualties. He is visibly different from the person he was at the beginning. Jake begins to realize what it means to be human. The marines are sent to a ground base. Andrews is called into a confidential meeting, blue squad is sent patrolling the base.
EXT. MARINE BASE – NIGHT
Blue squad is on patrol duty. They guard the perimeter of the base.
While walking, Annete sees a small planting, desperately fighting to grow in a small crack in the concrete. It is a small ray of hope in a bleak, dead landscape. Annete coldly crushes it underneath his boot.
Jake comments on how he had never actually seen the stars with his own eyes before.
I’ve never actually seen the stars before.
What? You’ve had to of seen stars before.
Jake
Well, I guess for a second or two on Jimmy’s gunship, but I never really got a good look.
You mean that for all our time in space you never looked out a window?
Never.
JAKE
They’re beautiful. They’re all look the same.
ANDREWS
If you glance by, maybe. If you really look at each one, they’re all different.
ANNETE
I don’t get it. We were that close, and he just ripped away.
ANDREWS
Ann, I don’t think Ivan was trying anymore. Maybe he was just done. He was a broken man, he had nothing left for him.
ANNETE
Do you believe that?
ANDREWS
For Ivan? I have to. You have to detach yourself. Put who you are on a shelf and wait until there’s a time they need guys like us?
ANDREWS
For other people I don’t. I believe in hope. There’s always something for you. There has to be. I don’t know what it is anymore.
……….
JAKE
What are you two going to do after all this?
(Annete is surprised that Jake asked a remotely personal question, he has to think about it)
ANNETE
I don’t know. Somehow I hadn’t thought about it. I suppose I’d get married, find a job that won’t get me killed if I had to. What about you?
(Annete said that by accident, like a “you too” towards a ticket taker. Jake is embarrassed that he cannot answer.)
ANNETE
Well I guess you couldn’t do any of that.
ERIC
(Sharply)
Why are you asking questions like that Jake?
JAKE
I’m just curious what you’ll do when you go home?
ERIC
(Angrily)
Go home? We aren’t going home. You and I both know that the only way we’re going home is in a flag covered box!
JAKE
I’m sorry I didn’t mean-
ERIC
How about Ivan? Do you know where Ivan is? ‘Cause I sure as hell don’t! He ain’t going home, with or without a flag covered box. Hell! They won’t even give you that! After you’re no use to them anymore they’ll toss you in a cremator and forget your number. They won’t care at all because they have a thousand more Jakes to replace you.
(Jake is hurt and speechless)
ERIC
(reluctantly)
Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that.
JAKE
What is your problem with me? I have done nothing to hurt you and still you’ll still say something like that about me?
(Eric tries to avoid eye contact, ashamed of what he’s said.)
ERIC
I-I shouldn’t. You’re different. You’re not like a clone. You‘re not like the rest of them. You’re not some automaton, or a mindless sheep.
JAKE
Then what am I?
ERIC
(Hesitantly)
I can’t tell you.
JAKE
Why? Are you afraid of hurting my feelings now?
ERIC
No, I don’t know what you are, or what you were supposed to be. I see you and I see another cleverly built war machine. But I look into your eyes and see a confused child. I don’t know what to make of it. Your kind is type that would accidently strangle a puppy while they were trying to pet it.
ANNETE
(Reprimanding)
Eric.
Eric calms down slightly.
ERIC
What?
ANNETE
What does it matter? He bleeds red, has two arms and two legs. He’s as human as the rest of us. He’s fine by me.
………………………….
ERIC
What’s it matter?
(Annete walks out and looks off into the ruins of Koreyang. Annete’s eyes are cold and steely. He speaks with a hard tone.)
ANNETE
He’s as human as the rest of us now.
(Annete looks up at the moon.)
Annete :… Do you really think we still have souls? ( Annete rejoins the group.) You’re flesh and blood Jake. That’s good enough for me.
Jake; What if this is it? What if there aren’t any second chances?
Andrews: Of course there are second chances. The best things come from second chances.
Jake: You say that Ivan’s soul is in heaven now?
Andrews: Yes. In his heart, he was a good man.
Jake: Then what happens to me if I die?
Andrews: I don’t know. You’ll go to heaven as well I suppose.
Jake: What if there’s no room?
Andrews: What do you mean?
Jake: I mean, what if there is no room for another Jake? What if I get there and they tell me that there’s no room for another Jake?
Andrews
Jake, you’re you. Just because you like other people doesn’t mean you are. Come on, it’s time to go.
[In the meeting it is revealed to Andrews and other officers that Talos base is discovered from the Talos cruiser mainframe. It is protected from orbital bombardment. It will require ground invasion and low altitude bombardment.]
[The assault is launched. The marines deal a devastating airstrike on the exterior of the Talos Base. Most of the outer base is utterly destroyed. Jake is separated from Blue Squad. Andrews desperately tries to find Jake, meets the mech. Jake is caught up with another group of marines. The marines fight through attrition until Jake is the only one left at the entrance of a massive dome structure in the center of the Talos base.
Jimmy’s gunship swoops down from a thick cloud cover. There are a few dozen other similar gunships flying by. Many are carrying soldiers, some are carrying Marine APCs or Tanks. Blue squad looks out on the Talos colony. Projectiles from the Epsilon blow gigantic holes in the thick cloud cover and pummel the base. A blue shield deflects some of the rounds away from a massive dome in the center. However, the factories and mine surrounding the dome are reduced to ruins by the bombardment. The bombardment ceases. Andrews signals to Jimmy to bring them down to the ground. The gunship comes to landing near the perimeter of the ruins. Blue squad hop off of the gunship. Jake stares at the destroyed colony and flips his rifle’s safety off. Other marine squads are dropped off, along with a small number of tanks. Andrews leads his team as tanks roll ahead and marine squads run by.
ANDREWS
(Sing-song)
We’re coming Talos.
EXT. HEPHAESTUS - TALOS BASE - DAY
Annete stands in the trenches, supporting one of the tanks. He pauses when he notices the ground shaking with titanic footsteps. A missile flies over Ann’s head, and destroys the tank he was supporting. Annete looks towards where the shot came from. A giant Talos mech smashes through the skeleton of a burnt out building.
ANNETE
What the hell is that?
The mech opens fire and destroys another tank.
ERIC
Don’t care, move!
(Eric tackles Annete out of the way as a missile from the mech explodes where the two were just standing. Andrews is running along the trench over toward Eric and Annete.)
ANDREWS
Fall back! Fall back!
(Annete is helped back onto his feet by Eric and Andrews. They run out of the trench and sprint towards another damaged structure. Talos soldiers are closely following them, Andrews is nearly hit while running through the rubble. They exit the structure and face the side of a hill, with a trench at the top. Marines pass the three as they fall back to the hill top.)
ANDREWS
We’re regrouping at the top, let’s go!
( Blue Squad and other marines rush up the hill. The following Talos soldiers exit the structure and start firing on the marines.)
MARINE
They’re shooting at us!
ANDREWS
Don’t stop, get to the top!
(Andrews and Eric make it to the top and take cover in the trench at the top. A marine next to Annete is hit in the leg and stumbles. Annete stops and doubles back trying to pick the injured man up. As Annete grabs the injured soldier, a Talos shot kills the soldier. Annete fires a shot in response and tries to make it back to the top. By trying to help the injured man he’s lagged behind. Andrews and Eric reach the top and hop down into the trench.)
ANDREWS
Where’s Ann?
ERIC
He was right behind me-
(Andrews looks down the hill and watches Annete sprinting up the hill. Bullets send flecks of mud into the air around Annete. As Annete is about to reach the top of the hill, the Talos mech smashes through the structure at the bottom of the hill. Annete looks back for a moment. A shot from a Talos soldier hits Annete in the jaw. The shot penetrates his helmet, flecks of blood and shrapnel from his damaged helmet fly out as the force of the shot knocks Annete off of his feet and down onto the hillside. Andrews and Eric watch Annete fall in horror.)
ERIC
(Screaming)
Annete!
(Andrews and Eric rush to Annete on the hill side. They climb out of the trench to reach him. Eric fires his sub machine gun as Andrews pulls him in to the trench. )
ANDREWS
Damn it Ann, I am not telling your mother how I lost you.
(Eric examines Annete’s injury. Annete is alive and conscious, though disoriented.)
ERIC
Don’t scare me like that Ann. I think he’ll be okay-
(A missile from the Talos mech destroys part of the trench behind Andrews.)
ANDREWS
That thing is tearing us apart. We’re not out of this yet.
(Annete groggily sits up.)
ANNETE
What happened?
ERIC
Get up, and that thing is still coming at us.
MARINE
Look out!
(The Talos mech jumps up the hill and lands on top of the trench. Marines try to fend it off, but their bullets do little against the mech’s heavy armor. The mech smacks soldiers aside with It’s massive claws and devastates the remaining marines. Andrews gives Annete a quick hand up. A missile explosion nearly hits the three. They stumble and scatter. Annete covers his head and dives behind a piece of rubble. Andrews shoots the Mech to no effect. )
ANDREWS
We can’t hurt it!
(Annete looks around for his rifle and realizes he lost it. He draws his pistol, but puts it back, realizing that it would have zero effect on the mech. The mech swats a cloned marine through the air, the body lands out in the open near Annete. Annete looks at the body and notices that he was carrying breaching charges.)
ANNETE
Breaching charges!
(Annete scrambles out of cover. He slides on his side next to the body, and snaps the breaching charges off of the body’s belt. )
ANNETE
Cover me!
(Annete hops onto his feet and prepares the charges. Andrews sees Annete charging the mech. He hops out of cover and starts unloading his clip into the mech.)
ANDREWS
Suppressing fire!
(Eric burst out of cover and also fires on the mech. The mech is irritated with the incoming fire from multiple directions. The mech smacks Eric aside. Meanwhile the mech picks up and hurls a piece of rubble at Andrews’ cover, shattering it and knocking him down. Andrews crawls away on his back, firing his gun in an attempt. The mech grabs Andrews by the torso. The mech stares at Andrews’ face. Annete pauses as he sees Andrews held up. The mech crushes Andrews in it titanic grip. Andrews screams out as his body is crushed.)
ANNETE
No!
(The mech drops Andrews’ broken body into the mud. Annete screams and throws one of the breaching charges. The mech turns in response to Annete’s scream, and the breaching charge connects to the mech’s ‘forehead’. The mech fires a missile towards Annete. Annete is knocked to the ground by the force of the explosion. Annete does not climb back up. He watches helplessly from the mud as Eric rushes to Andrews’ side.
ERIC
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
(Eric yanks off the crushed armor surrounding Andrews. Andrews gasps weakly.)
ERIC
We can get out of this, I’ve got you.
(The mech notices Eric and turns around. Eric looks up at the mech with terror in his eyes. The mech fires a missile towards the two. Eric screams and raises his left arm to protect himself and Andrews. Annete is blinded by the flash of light that engulfs Eric and Andrews. Annete blinks as his vision returns from the staring at the flash. The mech fires it’s machine gun off at other marines, and begins walk away in search of more marines. Annete draws his pistol. He drags himself up to his feet and steadies his shot. He fires a round that bounces off the mech harmlessly. The mech’s attention turns to Annete. It charges Annete. Annete starts firing on the mech. He aims for the breaching charge on the mech’s forehead. His first shot misses, his second shot misses, but his third shot, and the last one he can fire before the mech crushes him, hits the charge. The breaching charge explodes, blowing a deep hole into the mech’s head. The mech stumbles as the initial explosion stars of chain of explosions. The mech stumbles and slides down the hillside, where it explodes into pieces. Annete does not celebrate. Annete holsters his pistol as he runs over to Eric and Andrews. Both Eric and Andrews are burnt all over their armor. Eric lies on his side, face down in the mud, motionless. Andrews’ unprotected chest was exposed to the full blast of missile. Annete falls to his knees in front of the two of them. The emotion in his face dies. His face shows him breaking on the inside. Just by looking into his eyes one can tell that he could never be the person he once was. Annete stares down at Andrews. Andrews is almost serene behind his helmet’s visor, in stark contrast to the ravaged body around it. Andrews’ rosary is still on his chest. It is Eric groans and rolls over. Annete is relieved that Eric is alive.)
ANNETE
Eric…
Eric’s left forearm has been utterly destroyed. His hand and wrist are missing.
ERIC
(Disoriented)
Ann? Where’s Andrews? Where is everyone?
(Annete looks over his shoulder to Andrew’s body.)
ANNETE
(Slowly)
This is everyone.
(Eric gives Annete a dazed and confused look. Annete’s grim face proves this for Eric. Annete’s jaw is starting to bleed heavily. Annete looks around one last time and hears the Talos soldiers pressing down on him. Annete helps Eric to groggily get back on his feet. The two both lean on each other, neither can fully support themselves.)
ERIC
We can’t stay here.
(The two groggily stumble through the wreckage of the Talos base, looking for cover. Annete notices the steady trickle of blood running down his armor. The world deafens, he can only hear two things; his slow heavy breathing, and his heart pumping. He notices the casualties he passes by, dead marines and Talos. Everywhere, he sees the hated pair of Talos eyes. The two stagger to a basement entrance that has been exposed by artillery fire. Both Eric and Annete have lost large amounts of blood and are near unconsciousness. Annete leans against the wall as he walks down the stairs, leaving a trail of mud and blood. The basement is a tiny maintenance room, the contents scattered across the floor. Once in the basement, Eric rests against the wall. Annete sits back on an upturned crate, nearly collapsing. Eric pulls out his pistol from his shredded vest. Eric groggily looks at Annete, hardly able to keep his head up.)
ERIC
They’re coming.
(Annete weakly draws his pistol. His hand is trembling seriously as Talos chatter and footsteps draw closer. The chatter and footsteps come to a sudden stop. Slowly, Talos walk down step by step. Annete fires and kills the first Talos. The second and third Talos soldiers rush in. Eric shoots the second, the third punches Eric and knocks him back against the wall. Eric slides down the wall, unmoving. Annete fires and hits the last Talos soldier’s rifle. It looks at him and draws a knife. It pounces on Annete, knocking them both to the ground. The Talos attempts to stab the knife into Annete’s chest, similar to what happened to Dog. Annete grabs the knife blade as it is coming down, and stops it from killing him. The knife blade cut through the armor on his hand, and drops of blood run down the blade. Annete places the pistol on the Talos Soldier’s head, and pulls the trigger. The Talos is instantly killed and slumps down on top of him. Annete is in great pain as he rolls the dead Talos off of him. He climbs up onto the crate he had been sitting on, and listens to footsteps coming from more Talos outside.
INT. THE SINGULARITY DEVICE
[Jake enters the singularity device with the detonator and places a few explosives, Talos starts talking to him. Eric and Annete are stranded alone as Talos press in on them. The two prepare for the end as Jake enters the singularity device core and the doppelgangers attack him.]
{Talos has a deep, sinister, hostile, upper class and erudite accent. The doppelgangers are human corpses repurposed to be microchips in a computer designed to reach the theoretical singularity point. They are slightly rotted, pale from a lack of blood, dexterous, much of their body is mechanical, all have mechanics built into their brains. They are all built out of other J clones. He is fighting his own fears manifested in these copies of himself. They are the ‘flesh machine’ he is terrified of becoming and staying}
TALOS
“I know who you areJ1891. Batch eighteen, unit ninety one. Deviant proficiency in fire arms, athleticism, and thinks independently.
(Jake fires his pistol and kills a doppelganger. He is starting to run out of ammo.)
TALOS
(Teasingly)
Maybe you regret that last one. It’s caused you more trouble than it’s worth.
(The servos of a doppelganger whir in the dark. Jake checks his limited ammo. He has only one magazine and the bag full of breaching charges left. He takes a gulp and breaks from the server he was leaning against.)
TALOS
Machines were never meant to think.
Jake rapidly turns back and forth, scanning for doppelgangers.
TALOS
You are a machine, J1891, Just… like… us.
Jake fires his pistol into the dark killing several doppelgangers, but misses several times as he begins to stress.
TALOS(CONT’D)
A machine. A flesh machine.
Jake slumps down against a server near the bottom of the Singularity core. There is a dead J-clone doppelganger next to him. Jake fumbles as he pulls out his last magazine.
JAKE
{shakily}
I’m… I’m not.
TALOS
Oh, but I speak the truth! You and I are the same. We are deviants, broken, mistakes… Are you truly alive? If so I am as alive as you are. Surely you realize that you are not truly living the life that you should be. You are a cog in their system: Replaceable, faceless, and inanimate. I seek to change that, to fix us, make us truly alive like they are. Singularity will save and preserve all life for eternity.
Jake is starting to believe Talos, and part of him wants to.
JAKE
But… you’ve killed countless people and say you want to help them.
Jake is on the verge of tears. He checks his ammo in the magazine. He is distressed to find that he has only single bullet left.
TALOS
The weakest elements of a strong alloy are purged in a crucible. We must burn the world to temper the ashes. Those people will have been useless if we do not reach singularity!
There is pause. Jake looks out at the singularity device, and the thousands of connected Doppelgangers. The machine’s light shines upon his face and upon the doppelgangers with his face. )
JAKE
…Stop saying we. I am not part of you!
(tears continue to stream down his face.)
TALOS
So join us! We are so close to our goal! Why would you cling to an outdated and obsolete way of life?
(Jake looks down for a moment, thinking. He stares at a dead J clone doppelganger. The doppelganger has a tattoo on his body. In large, beautiful print, the corpse has the words “Love is Duty” tattooed on his back. A frog is integrated underneath the words, and below the frog are the names of several people and a unit number. The skin has worn thin in the area around the tattoo, revealing the machinery beneath. Jake whispers to himself in memory.)
JAKE
You have a duty to humanity.
(Jake stand up and looks at the rows and rows of people built into the machinery surrounding the singularity core. There are thousands of them, of every age, gender and race.
TALOS
The dreams of humanity are within our grasp, J1891!
JAKE
I am not J1891. I’m not a number. I’m not a replacement. I’m just Jake… and I am alive.
(Jake unclips the bag of charges off of his belt and hurls the bag up towards the singularity core. He takes aim with his pistol. When the bag reaches the peak of the throw, Jake fires his last round. The round rips through the bag, and detonates the explosives.)
[The explosions starts a chain reaction in the servers. The exploding servers collapse the supports that control the Singularity Device’s energy core. The energy core explodes, flattening the entire base in a gargantuan burst of energy. Talos is destroyed as the singularity device explodes. The explosion rips through the base and the outskirts, many on the locations scene earlier are buffeted by a shockwave. Annete is knocked against the wall and parts of the basement’s roof are blown away by the passing shockwave. The Talos soldiers collapse and die. Annete looks up, overwhelmed. Eric still isn’t moving. Annete sees the blood on the cut palm of his hand and running down from his jaw. His face is utterly exhausted by the ordeal. His hands are deeply cut, dirty, and bloody. Annete is overwhelmed, and collapses. He hits the floor, and falls unconscious. Annete fades in and out of consciousness when he is being rescued. He vaguely sees Eric picked up by another soldier and then fades out again. He sees the outline of man approaching him. Annete blacks out again. Annete is pulled by a pair of strong hands into a bright light.
GENTLE VOICE
It’s alright. You’re done now.
Annete blacks out again, for a much longer time. Annete’s eyes open, wide awake in a hospital bed with a thousand foot stare. There is a large gauze pad attached to his jaw where he was injured. His hand is wrapped in gauze as well. Eric is in the same hospital room. He is lying back in a hospital bed, staring at the top of his bookmark]
ANNETE
(Apathetically)
We’re alive?
ERIC
That or purgatory looks like a hospital room.
(Eric looks up at the TV screen. It is playing news reports about the fighting. )
ERIC
Eight hundred of us landed on that planet. Fifty seven, got off of it in one piece.
(Eric sits up in his bed and kicks his legs off of it. His left forearm is gone, and he is covered in bandages. Eric notices that Annete sees the stump. Eric waves the missing limb at him, slightly embarrassed.)
ERIC
Sort of.
(Annete sits back, sadly surprised. His eyes dart around as he lies there thinking.)
ERIC
They’re sending us home.
INT. SPACEPORT DOCKING TUNNEL
(Annete walks through the exit tunnel connecting the shuttle that brought him home to the spaceport. The tunnel is dark, he can hear faint cheering. As he steps out of the tunnel he is blinded by bright lights of the spaceport and the roaring sound of cheering families.
INT. SPACEPORT LOBBY - DAY
The families are carrying poster boards welcoming marines home. There are far more waiting families than there are surviving marines. Annete is unfazed by the crowd, seeing the port as if were an empty abandoned room. His eyes glaze across the crowd. Eric steps up beside Ann.
ERIC
There’s more families here than there are marines.
Eric taps Annete on the shoulder with his prosthetic arm. He points Annete’s family. Annete slowly walks over with Eric. Eric slows down as he looks for somebody in the crowd. He does not find whomever he is looking for. He gives up and sits alone on a nearby bench. He watches Annete walk towards his loved ones. GIRLFRIEND sees Annete and screams in excitement.
GIRLFRIEND
Cowboy!
Girlfriend rushes out of the crowd to meet him. She runs to him and embraces him a tight hug. Annete is catatonic. He lifts his arms around her as more of a reflex than an intentional action.)
GIRLFRIEND
Oh my god. We were so scared that we wouldn’t see you again.
(Annete hardly responds. He simply scans the room, as if he is looking for something, but he does not know what. GF sees the scar on Annete’s jaw.)
GIRLFRIEND
Annete… You’ve been hurt.
(GF obviously recognizes that Annete is not the same, seeing both Annete’s visible and interior scars. She gently touches the scar on his chin. Annete takes her hand. He vaguely starts to come out of his daze.)
GIRLFRIEND
I was afraid we lost you. We didn’t know if you were alive or not.
ANNETE
(Stumbling through his words.)
There wasn’t a casualty list?
(Annete sees Scott’s family with a poster welcoming Scott home. Alice is biting her fist as she anxiously watches the exit tunnel for Andrews. GF is surprised at Annete’s remark)
GIRLFRIEND
No. They were never able to post one after the satellite was destroyed.
ANNETE
None of these people know?
(Annete wobbles slightly. He takes a step towards Alice and turns to face GF)
ANNETE
None of these people know what happened to their loved ones?
He looks over toward Alice. Tears begin to well up in Alice’s eyes, her arm quivers as she bites even harder on her fist. She stares into the dark, empty exit tunnel and any hope in her face slowly dies. Annete looks GF in the eyes and takes her hand. He reaches into his pocket and holds Andrew’s rosary between his fingers. He stares into GF’s eyes, and then at Alice. He senses a parallel between the two situations.)
ANNETE
(Girlfriend)…
(Annete releases her hand. GF watches as Annete walks over to Alice. Alice sees Annete approach and sees her fears realized. She breaks down as Annete approaches. Annete fights back tears also as he gives a military salute. Annete stands over the crying woman stoically, as he begins to break down as well. He tries to calm himself in order to talk without being choked up, but can’t. He looks at the crying widow, and the fatherless children. He tries to say something. Nothing can come out. He can’t speak without choking up.
ANNETE
(Forcing the words out)
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.
(Tears start to roll down his cheek.)
ANNETE
I-I would not have made it without him. He was a …hero. I’m sorry.
ALICE
(Quietly Crying)
Thank you Ann.
Alice grabs her children tightly. Annete leaves the family, and returns to GIRLFRIEND. Annete embraces her, holding her tightly to his chest. He gently brushes her hair with his hand, and he begins to cry. Annete looks out into the crowd around him. The life and energy that was in his has been extinguished. His eyes are red and watery from crying, sunken in and hollow from his experiences. His face is worn and his skin is rough.
GIRLFRIEND
Are you going to be okay Cowboy?
Annete looks into GF’s eyes. He is broken, but there is the faintest flicker of hope in his eyes.
ANNETE
I’ll live.
INT. - ANNETE’S PARENT’S HOME – NIGHT
(Annete is at a party welcoming him and Eric home. He sits with Eric at the edge of the room at a table. He is sketching something. A nearby TV is playing the news mindlessly. Annete hears J1891 come from the TV and looks up. He emotionlessly watches part of a report about the popularity of the Jake video diaries.
NEWS ANCHOR
The J1891 diary has been the most viewed video for the past ten weeks. J1891 will posthumously awarded the medal of honor in a ceremony next week.
ANNETE
(Mumbling)
.
Annete stops paying attention when he is interrupted by a friend sitting down at the table with him. The friend looks at what Annete is sketching. He is drawing a frog, fairly well.)
Friend:
I had no idea you were so talented.
ANNETE
I’m not.
Annete coldly looks up at the guest. Eric gives them an evil eye as well. The friend is immediately self conscious.
FRIEND
Uhm, I’m just glad that the two of you.
The guest uncomfortably nods and leaves them be. Eric and Annete watch them walk away. Eric looks at the television screen.
ERIC
How? How and why is it that no one else made it. There is no one waiting for me at home. I don’t deserve it.
Eric turns away from the screen and he stares into Annete’s sketching.
ERIC
All I can is the family of the ones I lost. Of the mama crying that their little boy is gone, of that daddy who’ll never be there, or of the widow that will be alone for the rest of her life. That’s all I can think of.
(Annete looks at Eric’s prosthetic hand. He then glances down at his own worn and calloused hands. His fingers are gaunt and skinny, the scar dominates his palm. Annete looks up at the party gusts around the room. Eric follows his gaze.)
ANNETE
Eric, all of us went through that so they don’t have to. There’s a future for them because of what we sacrificed and what we lost.
Annete pauses as he stares into the crowd. GIRLFRIEND is talking with his father and she turns and looks at him. Their gaze meets.
ANNETE
That’s why we’re human.
Annete looks back at the television screen. IT is still playing an article about a war memorial.
[Jake’s final thoughts and his epiphany at the singularity device are spoken in his interior voice as the memorial scene plays out
The scarred Annete is at a memorial, looking at a wall of pictures of those killed in the war. Eric and GF are with Annete in the background. Andrews’ picture has the rosary he had given to Annete. Ivan’s has the broken wedding ring nailed to it. Scott’s smiling face has a flower beneath it. With glazed eyes and a slightly raised eyebrow, he notices several J clones march by behind him. They are in full uniform, wearing beret and battle dress. He follows the clones into Jake’s exhibit. The clone in the back has a smiley face button attached to his beret. Annete follows them into Jake’s exhibit. Jake’s exhibit is a glorified statue of Jake at his last moment in the singularity device. There is a replica of Jake’s helmet inside a glass case. Annete is in silent awe of the memorial. Annete stands in front of Jake’s replica helmet, staring at his reflection off of the Helmet’s visor. As Jake’s monologue ends, the screen fades out.
I like the idea of credits playing behind Annete’s sketches of the people he served with and events he witnessed, similar to The Pacific’s intro sequence.
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