PROLOGUE.
4 YEARS BEFORE THE WAR.
FADE IN
EXT. HIGHWAY INTERSECTION - DAY.
CLOSE UP ON:
A road sign that reads Anarchie Road/Bedlam Road. Another sign next to Anarchie Road reads: Restricted Zone. Travel At Own Risk. High Fatality Road Deaths This Year: 86. Monitored by Main Force Patrol.
CUT TO:
A yellow and blue M.F.P. Pursuit Special is parked near to the intersection.
CLOSE UP ON:
Lettering on the driver's side front panel: Rocatansky/The Dark One.
CUT TO:
Two leather uniformed M.F.P. officers sitting in the high performance vehicle.
CUT TO:
The officer's POV. A road train speeds through the intersection, protected by an escort of troops in Humvees.
MAX
What the hell happened to this country?
BLACK
When people are starving they get desperate.
MAX
I never suspected you had a social conscience Officer Black, you in danger of becoming one of those bleeding heart social reformists?
BLACK.
That collar we took down last week, the warehouse heist? I've been thinking about the crew we arrested. They weren't an established hijack gang, just a bunch of unemployed factory workers who couldn't afford to feed their families.
MAX
Shit, the economy is in the toilet, industry is grinding to a halt, that's why the government had to privatise the factories.
BLACK
And then fire the workers and restaff them with what is essentially a state slave labour force of refugees and petty criminals? I'm just saying things aren't always black and white, I'm starting to see the grey areas. Not all the bad guys we lock up are nomad psychotics or adrenaline junkie scoot jockeys, it's going to be a lot more guys like last week, citizens desperate to feed starving families.
MAX
They cross the line, we deal with 'em.
BLACK
C'mon, you've got a brain in your head, you can see what's going on. It's a safe bet the politicians aren't starving.
MAX
No I guess not. But we can't complain, we eat OK.
BLACK
You can't beat up the citizens on an empty stomach Max. Society is in terminal decay and nothing we can do is going to stop it, the ship is sinking and all we're doing is trying to bail it out with a coffee mug.
MAX
Ah hell there's still plenty of scumbags out there that need locking up. When I put on this badge, it still stood for something. I think I can still make a difference.
BLACK
Maybe.
MAX
Anyway I've got some good news. Jessie is pregnant, I'm going to be a father.
BLACK
Congratulations partner, I'm happy for both of you.
MAX
To tell you the truth she's been on my case about the job lately, she's pushing your line, the mayhem and carnage get worse every year and she wants me to take a desk job.
BLACK
I can't see you driving a desk brother, the road and the mayhem are in your blood. You were born to be a cop.
MAX
I'm a driver what else could I do? Leave the force and sign on with one of the Haulage crews driving road trains? No less dangerous than being a cop these days.
BLACK
I've got some news for you too. I've put in for a transfer to Steeltown, I'm getting out of the city.
MAX
You're going to work for Gideon? I'll take Macafee anyday.
BLACK
Max the crops have failed again, the drought isn't going to break any time soon and the wasteland is encroaching further into the fertile regions every year. The famine is going to get worse and the cities will explode. Taking down dirtbags I don't have a problem with, taking down starving citizens trying to feed their families, I do.
MAX
The law is still the law Shane, people break it we lock them up. That's the job.
BLACK
Yeah I just don't want to do it here anymore. Come with me Max, with the army guarding the road trains and fuel convoys there's not much to do except lock up the town drunks and write a few speeding tickets. Hell even the nomads don't cause much trouble down that way, too many soldiers. Look at it this way you wouldn't have to take that desk job to keep Jessie happy.
MAX
Maybe, when this place does get too out of control.
Suddenly their conversation is interrupted by the radio.
DISPATCH V.O.
Big Bopper to Pursuit Four, Big Bopper to Pursuit Four, comeback.
BLACK
Pursuit Four to Big Bopper, ears on, comeback.
DISPATCH V.O.
Got an emergency call, a hijack crew ambushed a road train out of Sun City. They took out a Sun City Interceptor, we got cop killers, comeback.
BLACK
What about the army escort sarge? comeback.
DISPATCH V.O.
Didn't have one, they tried to make the run. They are heading east on Anarchie Road, you're the only unit we got close enough to intercept. Back up ETA is 15 minutes, comeback.
BLACK
Copy that, show us attending. We're gone.
Max starts the high performance vehicle, the V8 engine rumbles slowly as he backs up. Black checks his shotgun loads and hits the siren.
BLACK
Let's go catch some bad guys.
Max checks to make sure the intersection is clear before he floors the accelerator and pulls out onto the highway.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANARCHIE ROAD - DAY
The Pursuit Special speeds off down the highway, tyres screeching, siren wailing.
FADE OUT.