After the disappointment of the first film, I decided to show my respect for the first Resident Evil game by writing and recording a radio drama with as high production values as I could manage. I finally managed to get it recorded in 2014. Although not strictly canon, all the music (bar one track) was taken from the various Resident Evil game soundtracks.
The recorded version can be found here:
soundcloud iansjames/sets/resident-evil-the-radio-drama
Please note that the audio and script version should be taken as one and the same entities. I think there may be one or two slight difference between the script and the final recording.
(For anyone who is interested, I get to play Barry Burton!)
As always, any comments or thoughts are appreciated.
Resident Evil, the Radio Drama
01. CANNIBAL KILLERS
written by Catboiler
based on
Resident Evil (1996) Capcom
Resident Evil, the Umbrella Conspiracy, by S.
Recording available on Soundcloud
Just go to soundcloud and search for: "Resident Evil the Radio Drama"
INT. News studio - MORNING
MUSIC (BRIEF NEWS THEME)
Reporter
The mutilated bodies of a young couple were found early this morning, making them the eighth and ninth victims of the reign of violence that has terrorised Raccoon City since mid-May.
Both victims, believed to be aged between eighteen and nineteen were discovered by police officers on the west bank of the lake at two o'clock this morning. A source within the RPD confirmed that the corpses show evidence linking them to the so-called 'cannibal killers', namely that the bodies appear to have been partially eaten, the bite patterns consistent with human jaws.
In the last hour, Police Chief Brian Irons has finally capitulated to public pressure and announced additional measures to combat the threat. A roadblock will be set on Route Six at the foothills of the Arklay Mountains, and members of the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad, known as the STARS, are to be called in to help. "We've had nine brutal murders in two months," he said, "and at least five disappearances. The STARS have just the kind of experience we need to investigate these heinous crimes."
When asked why the STARS hadn't been assigned to these cases until now, the Chief would only say that they would be a 'welcome addition' to the taskforce currently working on the murders.
With the city gripped by terror, the hope now is that the addition of the STARS will finally find the missing hikers and bring a welcome end to what's become known as 1998's 'Summer of Terror'.
MUSIC, Opening Theme
FADE TO BLACK.
Int. Rpd canteen - MORNING
SFX, General murmur of people talking, eating and drinking, fade under dialogue and continue.
CHRIS
Hey Forest, wait up! Uh, coffee, please. Black, no sugar.
Forest
off Hey Chris, what's up?
CHRIS
Thanks. What's going on? Word is you're going in?
FOREST
Yeah, Wesker gave Marini the go-ahead to start the search. About time too, if you ask me. We've been sitting on our asses doing diddly-squat for far too long. Now Bravo Team is finally going in.
CHRIS
When?
FOREST
Now. Soon as I warm up the copter. chuckles While you Alphas sit taking notes and listening to the Chief whining, we're gonna go kick some cannibal ass!
CHRIS
Yeah, well, just watch your ass, ok? Confidence will get you so far, but I still think there's more going on here than a couple of slobbering nut jobs hanging around in the woods.
FOREST
You know it, Chris.
CHRIS
Damn. I've been telling them to send us in for weeks. Ever since Billy called...
FOREST
Yeah that was weird.
CHRIS
He called me couple of weeks back. I mean, I've known him since, well, since forever, but this came out of the blue. I hadn't heard from him in a while, knew he was into science, some research job with Umbrella out of town somewhere. But he calls me late one night and, I dunno, the sound of his voice jolted me. He sounded... well, terrified, desperate, you know? He babbled something about his life being in danger, begged me to meet him in some out-of-the-way diner out near Route 6.
FOREST
But he didn't show?
CHRIS
Nope. I haven't heard from him since. But Route 6 is too close to the crime scenes to be a coincidence.
FOREST
You think he knew something?
CHRIS
Yeah, he knew something all right. Something he couldn't tell me over the phone. But dammit! We need to be out there searching!
FOREST
Well, we'll take a good look, Chris, I can promise you that.
CHRIS
Yeah, go on, get on with you. Have fun while we sit listening to the Chief.
FOREST
chuckles
CHRIS
Oh and Forest?
FOREST
Yeah?
CHRIS
Take care, ok?
FOREST
You got it, buddy.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. STARS OFFice - MORNING
Irons
fade in and so I said, 'You're gonna print what I tell you to print, Bertolucci, and you're gonna like it, or you'll never get another quote from this office!' And he says...
Wesker
Chris! Good, you're here. Looks like we can stop wasting time.
Chris
You're sending Bravo Team in?
WESKER
We talked about this, Chris. It's standard procedure. We send the Bravos in, then you follow if needed.
CHRIS
Yeah, but with what we talked about, I thought...
IRONS
I gave the order, Redfield. I don't see any reason to panic the public, which is exactly what would happen if we deviate from policy and send the Alphas in first.
CHRIS
forced Of course, Chief Irons. No need to explain yourself on my account.
IRONS
I know that, Redfield. Wesker, I'll expect a report when Bravo Team returns.
SFX, Footsteps leave, door opens and closes.
WESKER
That's not intelligent, Chris. Belligerence to the police chief is a sure way to a transfer. sigh Look, I know you wanted things to go differently, but he didn't put a whole lot of stock in your ... theory.
CHRIS
Not your fault.
Barry
Don't sweat it, Chris. Alphas'll be called in the second the Bravos smell trouble. Irons is just pullin' your chain.
CHRIS
Yeah, I just... never mind.
SFX, Shuffling papers, fade under...
BARRY
Any luck, Joseph?
Joseph
You kidding? It's like somebody hid the damn thing on purpose!
SFX, Shuffling papers stop
BARRY
Maybe Jill found it. She was reading witness reports for like the hundredth time last night.
Brad
What are you looking for?
JOSEPH
Floor plans for the Spencer estate, Brad. Barry claims they're in some architectural digest that came out when the house was built. pause Except I'm thinkin' that ol' Barry's gone senile on us. They say memory's the first thing to go.
Barry
Ol' Barry could easily kick your ass into next week, little man.
JOSEPH
Maybe, but would you remember it afterwards?
BARRY
chuckles Yeah, yeah, Joseph. Keep takin' what you're takin'.
Brad
The Spencer place? Why would it be in a magazine?
BARRY
You kids gotta learn your history. It was designed by the one and only George Trevor, just before he disappeared. In fact, Trevor's disappearance may have been the reason that Spencer shut the mansion down. Rumour has it that Trevor went crazy during the construction and when it was finished, he got lost and wandered the halls until he starved to death.
BRAD
uneasy I never heard that.
JOSEPH
No, no, it's true, Brad. Now his tortured ghost roams the estate each night, pale and emaciated, and I've heard tell that sometimes you can hear him calling out "Brad Vickers, bring me Brad Vickers..."
BRAD
Yeah, ha ha, you're a real comedian, Joseph, you know that.
JOSEPH
chuckles
BRAD
So is that why Spencer shut it down?
BARRY
No idea. It was supposed to be some sort of guest house for Umbrella's top executives. Trevor did disappear right about the time of completion, but Spencer was whacko anyway. He decided to move Umbrella's headquarters to Europe, I forget exactly where, and just boarded up the mansion.
JOSEPH
And it was Umbrella that told Irons they'd already sent someone to check it out and it was secure. Nothing suspicious there at all. Nothing to worry about.
BRAD
So why look for the blueprints if we're not looking at the mansion?
CHRIS
Because we should be looking at the mansion. It's practically slap bang in the middle of the crime scenes, and it's the only place in the woods that hasn't been checked out by the police. And because you can't always believe everything you're told.
BRAD
But if Umbrella already looked there...
WESKER
All right people. It doesn't appear that Ms Valentine will be joining us this morning, and we can't afford to wait any longer for her, so let's get started.
FADE TO BLACK.
INT. STARS OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
WESKER
(fade in)... The RPD has already established a perimeter search spanning sectors one, four, seven and nine. It's the central zones we're concerned about, and Bravo will set down here after a flyby of the other central areas. Once they report in, we'll have a better idea of where to focus our energies.
SFX, Door opens
JILL
Sorry I'm late.
SFX, Door closes
WESKER
Good morning, Ms Valentine. So nice of you to join us.
SFX, Chair scrapes on floor as Jill sits down.
Jill
Traffic, sir. Won't happen again.
WESKER
See that it doesn't. Not a good show on your first official briefing to turn up over twenty minutes late, Jill. Now, as I was saying...
Chris
But sir, what about the Spencer place? I mean, it's practically in the centre of the crime scenes. If we start there, we can conduct a more complete search and...
WESKER
... and if Bravo's information points to that area, rest assured, we'll search there. For now, I don't see any reason to consider it a priority. Umbrella has...
CHRIS
... we can't necessarily trust them sir, we only have their word the place is secure.
WESKER
Chris, we all want to get to the bottom of this. But we have to work as a team, and the best approach is to do a thorough search before we jump to conclusions. Bravo will take a look and we'll do it by the book. Now, Jill, why don't you illuminate us with your brilliant insight?
JILL
Yes sir. I've been looking through the paperwork, witness statements, maps, that sort of thing, and I think it's a possibility that there's a ritualistic cult hiding out in the mountains. Possibly four to eleven members strong, maybe more, with guard dogs trained to attack intruders.
WESKER
Interesting. Extrapolate.
JILL
The cannibalism and dismemberment suggest ritualistic behaviour, as does the presence of decomposed flesh found on some of the victims - like the killers are carrying parts of previous unknown victims to their attacks. We've got saliva and tissue samples from four separate human assailants, although eyewitness reports suggest up to ten or eleven people. And those killed by animals were all found in the same vicinity, suggesting that they wandered into some kind of off-limits area.
WESKER
Disprove?
Jill
Well, it's highly unlikely that a cult that big would move around too much, and the murders started too recently to be local. The RPD would've seen signs before now, some escalation to this kind of behaviour, something like that. Also, the level of post-mortem violence indicates disorganised offenders, and they usually work solo.
JOSEPH
The animal attack part works though, protecting their territory and all that.
WESKER
I agree. Brad?
BRAD
It could be a, you know, new strain of terrorism? They've started by putting the fear of God into the town; the demands will follow.
WESKER
Terrorism.
BARRY
It's a possibility, Captain.
WESKER
Unlikely. But a start. Now, I know you've all read the police and coroner reports, and listened to the eyewitness accounts...
BRAD
hushed Vickers here, over.
WESKER
Now at this point, we don't know what we're dealing with and I know that all of use have some... concerns with how the RPD has been dealing with the situation. But now that we're on the case, I...
Brad
normal What? Bravo team, report. Repeat, Bravo team, report!
WESKER
Vickers, put it on speaker.
SFX, Radio static, several seconds, fade into...
Enrico
filtered through static ... you copy? Malfunction in... we're going... Alpha ... forest...
SFX, Radio static
WESKER
Position?
BRAD
Uh, sector twenty-two, tail end of C... except I've lost the signal. The transmitter is off-line.
BARRY
Twenty-two? That's ...
CHRIS
The Spencer Estate.
WESKER
Yes Chris, it looks like you'll get your wish after all. Vickers, get the copter warmed up. I want us ready to fly in five. Barry, Chris, Joseph, get the weapons in, loaded and secured. Jill, get the vests and packs and meet us on the roof. I'll put in a call to Irons, make sure he gets us some backup and EMTs down at the barricade. Five minutes or less, people. Let's move!
FADE TO BLACK.
Int. Helicopter interior - LATER
SFX, Fade in muffled helicopter engine, fade under dialogue.
BRAD
off ETA three minutes.
pause
JILL
Uh, Chris?
CHRIS
What?
JILL
voice lowered Chris, what you've been saying about external factors in these cases... well, I think you might be on the right track and I'm starting to think that it might not be such a good idea to talk too much about it.
CHRIS
voice lowered What? Did something happen?
JILL
voice lowered No. I've just been thinking that maybe you should watch what you say. Maybe not everyone listening in is on the right side of this...
CHRIS
voice lowered What do you mean? The only people I've talked to are on the job, and pause No, Jill, no way. I know these people, and even if I didn't, the STARS have psych profiles on every single member, history checks, personal references, there's no way that one of us could... no way at all.
JILL
voice lowered Look, forget I said anything. I just... just watch yourself, that's all.
WESKER
All right people, look lively! We're coming up on sector twenty-two. Keep an eye out, they could be anywhere.
long pause
JOSEPH
Nothing over here.
pause
BARRY
Clear this side.
pause
JILL
Look, Chris!
CHRIS
Captain, two o'clock. Smoke!
WESKER
Vickers!
BRAD
off I'm on it.
WESKER
Let's not assume the worst, people. There's a possibility that a fire broke out after they landed, or that they started the fire on purpose as a signal, but whatever it is, we won't know till we get there. Now, if I could have your full attention, please. We've got people down in a possibly hostile environment. I want all of you armed, and I want an organised approach, a standard fan as soon as we set down. Barry, you'll take point. Brad's going to set us down as close to the site as he can get, what looks like a small clearing about fifty metres south of their last coordinates. He'll stay with the 'copter and keep it warm in case of trouble. Any questions? pause Good. We can leave the rest of the gear on board and come back for it.
FADE TO BLACK.
Ext. Forest - LATER
SFX, Helicopter engine fades out as the team moves away.
SFX, Sounds of people walking slowly on grass for several seconds, then fade under dialogue and continue.
CHRIS
off What the...?
JOSEPH
It's intact!
JILL
Not a scratch.
WESKER
The port rail is a little bent, but nothing serious.
BARRY
off So where are Bravo Team?
WESKER
Joseph, check it out. The rest of you, spread out. Look for clues - tracks, shell casings, signs of a struggle, that sort of thing. You find something, let me know straight away. And stay alert. The Bravos have to be around here somewhere. It's only been fifteen minutes, they can't have got far.
pause
JOSEPH
I don't know what happened, sir. The bent rail suggests a forced landing, but except for the electrical system, everything looks fine. Bottom line, it didn't crash, sir. I know that much.
WESKER
sigh, raised voice Ok, circle out, people. Three metres apart, widen as we go.
SFX, Dry weeds crackling underfoot, people searching through brush and grass.
BARRY
off Nothing here. Jill?
JILL
Nothing.
JOSEPH
off Hey! Over here! I've found something! It's... pause, then screams
SFX, Deep, guttural animal snarl off
SFX, Deep, guttural animal snarl close
JILL
Joseph!
JOSEPH
screams
SFX off Dogs ripping Joseph apart, snarling, growling
SFX off Several gunshots
SFX Dog yelp
SFX More gunshots
WesKER
Hold your fire!
SFX Pause for 3 seconds
SFX Animal howls all around, on and off
WESKER
Back to the copter, now!
SFX Sprinting on grass, animal snarls and gunshots
SFX Fade up idling helicopter
SFX As they near it, helicopter powers up, takes off and fades out under dialogue
Chris
off No! Don't go! Don't leave us!
JILL
off Brad!
WESKER
Vickers! Come back, damn you!
SFX, Gunshots, dog yelp
CHRIS
off This way!
SFX People sprinting through grass / trees, gunshots, animal howls and snarls and the occasional dog yelp after a gunshot, fade under dialogue but keep going.
JILL
off Where to?
WESKER
Veer right, one o'clock!
long pause
CHRIS
off There! Run for that house!
long pause
SFX After 5 or so seconds, stop running, huge double doors creak open. Lots of gunshots, yelps and snarls. Double doors crash close (with appropriate echo). Gunshots and yelps stop, but muffled snarls and dogs scrabbling at other side of double doors.
WESKER
to himself All the best laid plans. Well, we're here now, better make the best of it. Only problem is, are we in fact safer in here than outside? Truth is, I'm not entirely sure.
FADE TO:
MUSIC, Closing Theme, fade under credits.