Return to Terra Nova
Episode 9
"Constricted"
EXT. JUNGLE, NIGHT, 7 YEARS AGO
The sounds of the night fill the air. Insects chirp and the distant roars of unknown beasts can be from miles away. The sky is bright as can be, with a full moon illuminating the jungle. A path of crushed foliage is visible. Clearly something was crashing through the vegetation. At the end of the path is a kind of rover. The paint is black and a phoenix group logo is adorned on the side of it. The car isn't moving, and two phoenix group mercs are standing around outside of it. One of the soldiers has the hood of the rover popped up and is trying to inspect the vehicle, while the other one watches. The merc who was doing the inspection closes the hood of the rover, allowing us to see his face. It's Dennis. He's barely recognizable, because he is much cleaner than he normally is. The other merc is Andrew, who is similarly hard to recognize due to his lack of wear from living in the jungle for years.
DENNIS
Damn it, I can't believe our luck. Our rover just had to break down.
ANDREW
You can't fix it? We're already far behind the evacuation convoy. If we can't get back on the road, we'll be stuck out here!
DENNIS
Don't remind me.
Dennis pulls off his own dog tags and looks at them for a second, before yelling in rage and throwing them at the rover. The tags land on the passenger seat of the rover.
DENNIS
(pissed)
I swear I'm going to gut every single one of those damn colonists! Even if it's the last thing I do!
Dennis picks up his backpack and storms off away from the rover.
ANDREW
Hey! Where are you going? We need to stick together!
DENNIS
(Moody)
I'm going for a walk.
Dennis vanishes into the trees. Andrew sighs and shakes his head, before looking at the rover. Not knowing what else to do, Andrew walks over to the rover and sits in the driver seat to take a breather. Andrew pulls out a silver capsule, and slides down the middle of it, opening a crease and revealing some controls on the inside of it. The device is the same audio recorder Sam found years later. Andrew presses the record button.
ANDREW
(into recorder)
Andrew Duffer here with another log. Me and Dennis are stuck out here in this god-forsaken jungle. We were already a bit behind the retreat convoy, but our rover decided to break. We're still trying to see if we can fix it, but it appears to be a lost cause. If I die out here…
All of a sudden, some shuffling from the foliage can be heard. It's coming from the opposite direction Dennis walked off in. Andrew spins around, terrified that it is some kind of predator. He sees some moving bushes, and his heart sinks at first, until he notices that there is no big dinosaur shaking them. He doesn't notice the cause of the moving foliage at first, until he looks down on the ground. There's a person crawling through the jungle toward him. They are injured and covered in blood. The person lifts up their head. It's Lucas Taylor.
ANDREW
(still talking with the recorder on)
Holy mother of god…
(turns and begins yelling into the jungle)
Dennis! Get over here with the first aid kit!
Andrew clicks the off button on the recorder and drops it into the rover. He runs over to Lucas.
CUT
Andrew sets Lucas up in the backseat and begins inspecting his wounds. He grabs some antibiotic cream and bandages from an open medkit next to him, and tries to apply them to the bullet holes on Lucas' chest. Lucas is barely conscious, and doesn't seem aware enough to say anything.
ANDREW
Can you believe it, Dennis? This is Lucas Taylor!
DENNIS
So? Why should I care?
ANDREW
You seem to have missed the part where he was the person who got that damn portal to go both ways! If we can get him back to good health, he might be able to get us the hell out of this nightmare!
DENNIS
Well, what is he doing all the way out here? Shouldn't he be with the evac convoy heading towards those badlands or whatever?
ANDREW
Maybe he never made it to them.
DENNIS
Well, it looks like he's not going to make it anywhere. He's on the verge of death. We'd better leave him.
ANDREW
Are you kidding? He's our only way out of this nightmare. Don't forget those damn colonists blew up our only way out of here.
Dennis pauses for a few seconds.
DENNIS
Ugh, I guess you're right.
ANDREW
I'm no medic, and I can't remove the bullets from his wounds on my own out here, but I have enough experience and supplies in this kit to where I think I can keep him alive until we find a better solution.
DENNIS
And what are we going to do about ourselves? We're not safe out here in the jungle like this, especially not with him bleeding all over the place. The rover is useless in its current state, so what are we going to do?
ANDREW
There's a rock formation right near here. I think we might be able to find a cave or something in there to stay in. Help me carry him though.
Dennis nods, and helps Andrew pick up Lucas. They start to drag him off into the jungle. Lucas is still very delirious. His eyes are squinted, and he doesn't seem fully with it. The loud screech from a howler causes everyone to lift their heads in fear. Lucas even raises his head somewhat and looks to the sky as the sound echoes through the jungle.
CUT
EXT. JUNGLE, NIGHT, 7 YEARS LATER
The osprey piloted by Blake flies overhead through the night sky. The craft is booking it, and the sound of the engine echoes through the jungle.
TILT DOWN TO
Beneath the roaring engine of the osprey passing by overhead, are the phoenix remnants, who appear to be coming back from hunting for food. All three of them look up at the craft as it soars over them.
DENNIS
What the hell?! Was that… an aircraft?
LUCAS
Looks like it. Military issue, or at least made by a corporation that sells weapons to militaries. Hardcore stuff.
DENNIS
Well shit, do you think those newcomers brought it? We could use something like that.
LUCAS
I don't know if we have the means of stealing something like that. Even if we did, I don't know if it's a good idea. We need to lay low and seek safety. The creatures from the badlands are probably already on their way here.
ANDREW
I don't mean to be a pessimist, but what good is laying low going to do us this time? We've been lying low for a long time and we're no closer to getting home.
DENNIS
Yeah!
LUCAS
You want a clear shot at the terminus? Wait until every single one of the would-be colonists are killed by those beasts.
ANDREW
I suppose you're right, but what if those things destroy the terminus? You remember what we saw them doing the last time they were here.
LUCAS
Just trust me.
ANDREW
Alright, well… if you say so I guess.
Dennis is visibly upset with the plan.
LUCAS
Let's get back to camp and get some rest. We'll set out first thing in the morning to find a safe haven until this shit blows over.
INT. T.V.S. DRAKOR HALLWAY
The corridors of the ship are cold and metallic. The distant echoes of reapers screeching can be heard reverberating through the hallways. The clatter of boots on metal can be heard. We see the survey team running through the hallway. Charles is at the head of the group as they run, with Carmichael right behind him. In the back is Greg and Ramirez, who are carrying an injured Spunkmeyer. Blood leaks slowly from Spunkmeyer's missing leg.
CHARLES
One of the hangar bays should be right up here! Come on!
They approach a doorway, and Carmichael hits a button to open it. As the hangar door begins to screech open, everyone starts squeezing under it before it fully opens.
INT. DRAKOR HANGAR BAY, NIGHT
The inside of the hangar is quite large. In the center of the bay is a sort of platform with some kind of clamps all over it. Along the walls are a bunch of the osprey type crafts just like the one Blake escaped in. The crafts are all arranged neatly along the wall in rows and columns, each one held in place by some kind of docking mechanism. Everyone enters the room, coming out onto some kind of balcony. They all begin looking around, mostly at all the aircrafts. Once everyone is inside, they hit the button to close the door behind them.
GREG
Well, it appears there's no shortage of rides out of here. They're all hung up on the wall though?
CHARLES
They're all attached to docking mechanisms for storage and stability in cases where the ship were to hit rough waters.
Charles looks around and finds a terminal along the railing of the balcony.
CHARLES
We should be able to get them down with this control mechanism here.
He walks over to the terminal and begins messing with it. All of a sudden, a large arm-like crane activates within the bay, and grabs one one of the crafts off the wall. It places the craft onto the platform in the center of the room. The clamps on the ground activate and grab onto the tires of the craft, locking it in place. Charles messes with the terminal some more. The arm activates again and places another craft on the platform as well alongside the first one.
CHARLES
You guys get down there and board one of the crafts with Spunkmeyer.
RAMIREZ
Alright, but what's with the second craft?
CHARLES
I'll be flying the second craft to supply cover fire should you guys come under attack on the flight back to the colony.
GREG
Uh, we've got one problem though. You're the only person here who can pilot one of these things.
CHARLES
Don't worry about it. These specific crafts are equipped with a highly advanced autopilot system. You don't need to have military training like me. We can just set it to follow my craft, and the onboard system will do everything for you.
GREG
I don't know, I'm not much of a fan of self-driving vehicles.
CHARLES
Just trust me. I don't know what Blake is up to, but he's got one of these crafts just like us. They've got some serious firepower on them, and if we have two in the sky, I can draw all the fire if need be.
CARMICHAEL
You'll get no complaints from me.
CHARLES
Good. Come on, we don't have much time.
There's a staircase which leads down from the balcony to the platform in the center of the room. Charles leads everyone down it and over to one of the crafts. They slide the door open on the side of the craft. Inside is a bunch of seats, and a door to the cockpit. Greg and Ramirez set down the unconscious Spunkmeyer into one of the many seats and strap him in. Charles proceeds right to the controls in the cockpit, where he fiddles with a holographic compass of sorts. Ramirez checks Spunkmeyer for a heartbeat.
RAMIREZ
He's still alive, but we need to hurry.
Charles exits the cockpit of the craft.
CHARLES
I have it linked to my craft. Just push the command to start when I tell you, and everything should be fine.
GREG
Should be?
CHARLES
I have to go get my craft ready, and then get the hangar doors open.
Charles leaves the osprey and walks over to the other one. He enters it. A few seconds later, a loud metallic groaning can be heard as the massive doors leading outside of the hangar begin to open. The rotors on Charles' craft begin to start. The clamps on the wheels of the craft unlock, and the craft begins to rise up off the ground. The hangar bay doors come to a loud stop as they finish opening. Charles carefully glides his craft out of the hangar. Inside of the other craft, Carmichael and Greg sit in the cockpit. There is a hologram of a compass pointing south, next to a button that says "Start." Charles comes on over Greg's comm.
CHARLES
(From comm)
Go ahead and start it up.
Greg complies. The rotors of the craft start spinning and it lifts up off the ground. The craft hovers for a second, before carefully exiting the hangar on its own.
EXT. T.V.S. DRAKOR, NIGHT
The stars of the night are brilliant, lighting up the sky over the desolate desert of the badlands. Charles' osprey hovers just outside, waiting a few seconds before the other osprey leaves the hangar. The other osprey leaves the bay a few seconds later, and lifts up and stops near Charles' craft. Charles then turns and flies off into the night sky, prompting the other craft to follow.
INT. AUTO-PILOTED OSPREY COCKPIT, NIGHT
Greg and Carmicahel look out of the windows, and down at the desert below. They seem a bit amazed, but also quite nervous.
CHARLES
(From comm)
Don't worry, I'll be right alongside you the whole way. It shouldn't take us too long to get back to the colony.
EXT. T.V.S. DRAKOR, NIGHT
The two crafts disappear into the night sky.
PAN TO
Down at the base of the Drakor, sits the rover the survey team rode in on. It's abandoned, but the tire tracks which led it to its current resting place are still visible. Next to the tire tracks, are the footprints of reapers, tracing the rover back to its point of origin.
EXT. TAYLOR'S BUILDING, NIGHT
Everything is dark and muffled from Sam's point of view. He is disoriented, and there are bright lights shining in his face. The only thing he can make out are the muffled conversations from some kind of crowd. He comes to a few seconds later, waking up from being knocked out. He quickly realizes that his arms are handcuffed to an old lamppost. Behind him, cuffed to the same post, is Amanda. She is still out. Sam looks around, there is indeed a bit of a crowd gathered in the area. The remnants of Taylor's building sits behind him and Amanda. It's been burnt to a crisp, and the only thing remaining is the cylindrical stone base. Sam cranes his neck around to look at Amanda. He shakes his arm, bumping his against hers.
SAM
Amanda. Amanda, get up!
Amanda begins to wake up, groaning. She raises her head, and squints her eyes to look around. She notices the crowd of people, and immediately snaps to and stands up.
AMANDA
Oh shit.
At the forefront of the crowd is Connor, who takes notice of Amanda waking up.
CONNOR
Well well, looks like you finally woke up, murderer.
AMANDA
What is this, Connor?
CONNOR
What does it look like? We're trying you for the crimes you have inflicted against all of us.
(Turns around to face the crowd)
Isn't that right?
The crowd yells in agreement. Connor turns back to Amanda, smiling.
CONNOR
After all, this is a just society, and who would we be if we allowed injustice to go unpunished?
AMANDA
Connor, whatever you think you're doing, it's only going to make things worse. You're going to get everyone here killed!
CONNOR
You mean, just like all the people you got killed?
The crowd yells again in agreement.
CONNOR
You act like you're the one who is going to save humanity, yet all you've done is make countless mistakes that the rest of us had to pay for.
Amanda has no response, she looks like she's remorseful to a certain degree, not really disagreeing with what Connor is saying.
CONNOR
The men you killed; say their names, Miss Ravenholme! If you can even remember them!
Amanda looks like she's on the verge of tears.
CONNOR
Johnson, Woods, Broderick, Stoker, those were just the names of four of the people you sent to die!
The crowd roars in agreement.
CONNOR
And yet again, you've sent another group of people to die out in the badlands, on some kind of suicide mission! Or have you forgotten about them too!
Amanda still can't muster up any words.
CONNOR
Now, you must admit to your wrongdoings! Say it! Tell us that you killed all those people! Say it!
AMANDA
I…
A low buzzing noise begins to fade in from the distance. Everyone gets confused, and begins looking around. The noise gets louder and louder. People begin to get a sense that it's coming from above. Within a few seconds, the noise becomes deafening, as an osprey flies into view and begins hovering over the square. The rotors on the craft are slicing through the air with incredible sound, and the blinking lights on the craft cause everyone to squint. The craft begins to put itself down on the flattest stretch of land in the square. People clear out away from craft as it begins to touch down. The landing gears of the osprey plant themselves into the ground with a loud thud, and the rotors on each side of the osprey slowly begin to wind down. A door on the side of the craft opens up, and out steps Blake. He takes a look around, surveying the massive crowd. His eyes fix on Connor, who is standing near Amanda. Connor sees Blake, and begins walking over to him.
CONNOR
Blake! You made it back! Hell of a ride to show up in as well. Where'd you get it from?
Blake mostly ignores Connor, noticing that Amanda and Sam are still tied up and alive.
BLAKE
(To Connor, while staring at Amanda)
Why is Ravenholme still alive?
CONNOR
Well, I mean…
BLAKE
(Angry)
I told you to kill her as soon as you got the chance. What the hell are you doing here?
CONNOR
Hey, what's the rush? I figured we could get the people on our side, you know? If we're going to lead Terra Nova from now on, like we discussed, we need the support of the people.
BLAKE
Don't be stupid. As long as she is alive, she threatens our legitimacy.
Blake grabs Connor by the wrist with one hand, extending Connor's arm out, and pulls Connor's pistol out of his holster with the other. He puts the pistol into Connor's open hand, forcefully.
BLAKE
Don't deviate from my plan next time, or else. Now, fix your mistake. Execute her.
Connor looks a bit sour from the interaction, but takes the pistol. He walks over to Amanda, cocking the gun. Amanda looks at him. She has a look of terror in face. Connor begins to raise the gun, pointing it at Amanda. The crowd begins murmuring, some in agreement, some surprised that Connor is just going to kill her right here. A low rumbling can be heard again. It sounds like another osprey. Everyone gets confused, and looks to the sky again. Another osprey zooms into view, and a spotlight turns on, pointing at Connor, who raises his free hand to block the light from his face. Inside the osprey is Charles, who is hovering it in the spot. Blake sees the osprey, and begins to panic.
BLAKE
(To Connor)
Shoot her! Quickly! Her friends have arrived to save her!
Connor doesn't even know what to do at first, he slowly moves his gun, not even knowing where he should point it. As soon as his arm moves though, the osprey fires a warning shot into the ground near Connor. Everyone panics, and the crowd yells in terror. Connor decides to just run for cover, and hides behind some rubble. Blake looks at the gun at his side, and then at Amanda. He tries to draw his gun and shoot her, but Charles opens fire on him, causing him to run off and hide behind the remains of Taylor's building instead. Connor sees where he's going, and pops out of cover to move behind Taylor's building as well. Charles hovers over the colony square, watching to see if anyone else is going to show aggression towards Amanda. The crowd that was in the square has kind of backed off and most of everyone in it is lingering around the edges of the square, keeping their distance from the situation. Charles begins to speak into his comm.
CHARLES
(Into comm)
Osprey 2, you'll be able to land without issue.
Another osprey flies into view. It begins to hover over the colony, before slowly setting itself down onto a clear spot in the colony square with an artificial stiffness that only an autopilot could muster. The door on the side of the osprey opens. Amanda watches Greg come out of the craft, gun in hand. He takes a quick look around the colony to make sure everything is safe. He notices Sam and Amanda tied up, and begins to run over to them. Behind him, Carmichael and Ramirez exit the osprey, carrying Spunkmeyer. They seem to be having a difficult time carrying him. He looks like hell, with his skin looking extremely pale, and with his hair drenched in sweat. His leg looks horribly mangled. Greg reaches Sam and Amanda, and sees how they are cuffed to the lamppost.
GREG
Hang on, I carry a tool that can cut those off of you.
Greg pulls out some kind of small laser cutter no bigger than a pen. He uses it to break the cuffs that were chaining Sam and Amanda to the post. Immediately upon getting freed, Amanda stands up and runs over to Spunkmeyer. Carmichael and Ramirez are having more and more trouble keeping him upright. Eventually he starts to cough, and they collapse with him to the ground.
RAMIREZ
Shit, this isn't good.
AMANDA
Oh my god, what happened to him?
RAMIREZ
His leg was taken by one of those creatures from the badlands. He's lost a lot of blood already. We need to get him to the infirmary, ASAP.
Amanda quickly nods and picks up his legs. Ramirez and Carmicahel get his upper body, and they start trying to carry him again. Spunkmeyer, recognizes Amanda, although he is really delirious.
SPUNKMEYER
(Tired and sad)
Commander, it went bad. It all went so bad. I failed.
AMANDA
(Scared)
You didn't fail me, Spunkmeyer. Just keep it together and you can tell me what happened soon. Just stay with me, okay?
SPUNKMEYER
(Weak)
It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my…
Spunkmeyer chokes up, and stops breathing. He goes limp as the life leaves his body. Everyone carrying him stops in their tracks, hesitating for a second, before putting him down. Amanda kneels next to him and tries to shake him awake.
AMANDA
Spunkmeyer! Don't you quit on me!
Ramirez checks his pulse.
RAMIREZ
He's gone…
AMANDA
(In denial)
Spunkmeyer, don't go. You can't give up yet, it's just a bit longer to the infirmary.
Amanda starts to break down, and begins crying.
AMANDA
(Crying)
Spunkmeyer, please. Don't leave us. Come back…
Carmichael and Ramirez stand up from kneeling and look at Amanda with great sadness as she cries over Spunkmeyer's body. All the people who were in the crowd before are all watching, although Amanda doesn't even notice. They stare, awkwardly and with a twinge of pity, as Amanda continues to break down over Spunkmeyer's dead body. After a few seconds the crowd begins to walk away, without saying a word. Their lust for blood had apparently faded. Up above, Charles begins to land his osprey in the square next to the remotely piloted one. As it comes to a stop, Charles exits, surveying the area with his gun in hand. He moves over to the rest of the group as they mourn Spunkmeyer.
CHARLES
Everything went sideways out in the badlands. Blake betrayed us and killed Evans, and then we were ambushed by the wildlife. Spunkmeyer was attacked while trying to lead the rest of us to safety.
AMANDA
Blake… but why?
CUT
INT. EYE ROOM
Blake barges into the room with the eye. Connor is nervously following behind him.
CONNOR
What's the plan? What are we doing in here?
BLAKE
Shut up and give me a minute. I'm ensuring not just our survival, but our victory.
Blake runs over to the chair for the eye, and pops open a panel on it. The holographic interface for the eye shows up, asking him what he would like to do. He completely ignores it, instead pulling out the drive he retrieved from the vault in the Drakor. He connects the drive he is holding to the panel, and waits a few seconds. The hologram from the eye begins to glitch out and get all staticy for a brief moment, before returning to normal. Blake unplugs the drive and puts it away.
BLAKE
Alright, it's done.
CONNOR
(Confused)
What's done?
Blake grabs Connor and drags him out of the eye room.
EXT. TAYLOR'S BUILDING, NIGHT
Blake and Connor exit the doorway at the base of Taylor's building which leads to the eye room. Blake points to the edge of the colony, where there is a gap in the fence. He points at it.
BLAKE
We're going outside the fence. We need to lay low in the jungle for the time being.
CONNOR
Blake, I don't know about this.
BLAKE
Don't question me. Now come on.
Blake starts to run over towards the fence. Connor hesitates, but eventually he runs off after him.
CUT
Amanda and everyone is still standing over Spunkmeyer's body. Amanda still looks distraught, but also has a look of horror.
AMANDA
So Blake was behind it all?
CHARLES
I don't know what his motivation is, but he deliberately sabotaged us. There was something he wanted on that ship. I don't know how he knew to retrieve it, but he did.
Amanda stops and looks down, pondering what she just heard.
AMANDA
This is bad, who knows what his next move is.
CHARLES
He disappeared off into the colony somewhere. Or maybe he's outside in the jungle, considering all of his supporters who were here left.
AMANDA
They did?
Amanda looks around, searching for an angry mob which is no longer there.
AMANDA
Huh, they did…
CHARLES
I don't think they'll bake you a cake or anything, but it seems, at least for now, that their hatred has turned to indifference.
Amanda stops looking around, and turns back towards everyone else.
AMANDA
You all should get some rest. You've earned it.
(Looks down at Spunkmeyer's body)
I'll keep a watch on all the aircraft here, and after Spunkmeyer.
CHARLES
You won't need to keep a watch on the aircraft. They're able to watch themselves.
Charles pulls out his plex and taps on it a bit. The osprey he flew in on begins to whir, and a sort of compartment opens on the top. A small drone flies out of it, and hovers over to them. The drone has some small visible guns on its sides.
CHARLES
These are military grade, and have an automated defense perimeter which prevents them from getting stolen when idle. Within a few minutes, I can link all three of the crafts here to have the same perimeter.
AMANDA
Huh.
Ramirez comes over.
RAMIREZ
In that case, I have to insist that you get some rest as well, commander. Greg and I will take Spunkmeyer's body to the colony morgue.
AMANDA
Are… are you sure?
RAMIREZ
Absolutely, you might want to stay in one of the random vacant homes in the colony though, considering you may still have a target on your back.
AMANDA
Alright, if you insist.
(Turns to Sam)
Sam, you're coming with me.
Sam walks over and stands with her. Greg comes over to them.
GREG
Hang on, you two might want to borrow this.
Greg pulls out his pistol and hands it to Amanda. She looks at Greg, Charles, Ramirez, and the rest of the group one more time.
AMANDA
My friends, thanks, all of you.
Her and Sam turn and walk off into the colony.
EXT. EDGE OF THE BADLANDS, NIGHT
We find ourselves at the rocky slope which the survey team used to enter the badlands last episode. It seems to plunge a long way down to the dark desert. There are walls of rock around the edges of the slope. Everything is still, quiet, until we start to hear the crashing of footsteps on the rock. Up from the slope, we begin to see the silhouettes of reapers stomping up out the badlands, like demons crawling from the pits of hell.
INT. RANDOM HOUSE, NIGHT
The house is dirty and uninhabited. Nobody has been inside for years, with everything covered in a layer of dust. Chairs and other objects are knocked over onto the ground, presumably from panic on the night the colony was attacked seven years ago. The door begins to creak open slightly, and Sam steps into the house with Amanda.
SAM
Ok good, it's empty.
AMANDA
(Sad, and a bit uninterested)
Seems like nobody really wanted to live on this side of the colony.
Amanda clearly sounds saddened by the recent ordeal with the rebels. Her and Sam make their way through the house, looking for a place to sleep. Amanda places the pistol she was given on a table in the common area as they search the house. They find the bedroom of the place. Amanda walks over to the bed and half-heartedly brushes the dust off it, before simply laying on top of the old covers. Sam takes note of her mood.
SAM
Hey, uh, those things Connor said about you, they're not true.
AMANDA
No, no they're true. They're more true than you think. All those people wouldn't want me gone if I was doing a good job. I've made mistake after mistake, and that's their way of letting me know.
SAM
Don't you think you're being a bit hard on yourself?
AMANDA
No, this mission is my responsibility.
Sam has a look of pity on his face. He doesn't know how to respond. Within a minute, Amanda passes out into a deep sleep. Sam decides to step out of the room and into the house's common area. There is an old dusty couch in it. He looks at it a bit, but then looks out at the window outside. The colony is quiet, the area is a complete ghost town. Yet, Sam seems concerned. He turns and looks at the pistol Amanda placed on the table. He goes over and picks it up, and then sets up a chair near the window. He sits in the chair, and begins to keep watch over the colony, making sure no one is coming to kill them. Amanda is visible from his spot through the doorway leading into the bedroom. He gives her a quick glance to make sure she's doing okay, before turning back to the window. It becomes apparent quickly though that he is dozing off himself while sitting in the chair.
INT. PHOENIX REMNANT CAMP, NIGHT
The camp is set up in a grotto. The phoenix remnants all lie within it around a dimly crackling fire, asleep.
CLOSE ON
Lucas is near the fire. He is seemingly having a troubled sleep, with his eyes and face twitching in discomfort. Something is on his mind.
FADE INTO
INT. CAVE, DAY, SEVEN YEARS AGO
We find the phoenix remnants set up in a cave, much like how they are in the present. The illumination of the afternoon light funnels in through a semi-barricaded mouth of the cave. Lucas is laying on the ground, sweating profusely and shivering. He is barely conscious. Dennis is sitting near him in the cave, looking bored out of his mind, fidgeting with a knife. All of a sudden, the sound of the barricade moving causes him to jump to his feet. Andrew enters the cave, carrying a bag filled with something.
DENNIS
Hey you're finally back! Please tell me you got something good to eat.
Andrew tosses his bag to Dennis, who opens it and looks inside, before tossing it to the ground in disappointment. Some fruit rolls out of the bag.
DENNIS
Damn it, Andrew! I told you to get us some meat this time!
ANDREW
No way was that gonna happen. You wouldn't believe what I saw out there. I ran into a group of those things that attacked the colony by one of those colony solar arrays. Luckily I was far enough away to where they didn't see me.
DENNIS
And?
ANDREW
It was weird; they were circling the array, snarling at it and stuff. It seemed like they were bothered by it. It didn't take long before they smashed the thing to pieces. It's like they could sense the electricity from it, you know, like a shark or something?
DENNIS
What the hell is a shark?
ANDREW
Nevermind.
Andrew looks over at Lucas.
ANDREW
He looks like hell. How long's he been like that?
DENNIS
A while now. Seemed like a few days ago he was getting better, but now he's back to being too sick to talk or anything like that.
ANDREW
Must have gotten an infection in his wounds. We don't exactly have the medical equipment necessary to fix him up. Only the colony does. If only we had access to all that stuff.
DENNIS
Well, for some reason those things are still hanging around the colony and tearing it up. I don't foresee that changing any time soon.
ANDREW
Well, perhaps they're only hanging around there due to the electricity. I mean, I think that's why they attacked that solar array. All the colonists have been cleared out of there, so I can't think of any other reason. Maybe they'll take down the grid and leave some time in the future.
DENNIS
(Pokes Lucas, who kinda groans a tiny bit)
This guy isn't going to last more than a few more days without medical attention. If he's our ticket home, we need to fix him up sooner.
ANDREW
Well, aside from the impossible task of taking out the power plant which supplies most of the colony's energy, those creatures destroying the grid is the only way it will go down, if it does at all.
DENNIS
What did you say about a power plant?
ANDREW
Wait, what?
Dennis goes over into the back of the cave where the remnants are keeping their supplies so far. He picks up a rifle and a few magazines.
DENNIS
Where's it at?
ANDREW
It's south, I think. Should be near impossible to miss if you go in the right direction. What do you intend to do?
DENNIS
I'm going to pay that power plant a little visit.
ANDREW
You're crazy! Although, if you actually succeed, it might work…
DENNIS
Hell, even if it doesn't, it'll be cathartic to kill some colonist scum. I'll keep in touch with my comm.
Dennis leaves the cave. Andrew sits down next to Lucas, who is now coughing.
CUT BACK TO
EXT. JUNGLE STREAM, NIGHT, PRESENT
We find ourselves at the same jungle stream Spunkmeyer drove through last episode. The tracks from the rover are still visible in the mud. The jungle is dead silent, until we hear the thumping of footsteps from a group of large animals. The group of reapers appear, shrouded in shadow. They are following the rover tracks. The tracks lead straight into the river, and do not reappear on the other side of it. The reapers come to a stop at the edge of the river. They take note of the tracks, and snarl in frustration. They begin sniffing the air, trying to find a trace of the rover. One reaper comes from the back of the group, pushing the others aside. This one has a charred face. It's the scorched reaper, and it makes all the other ones look like juveniles. It stomps into the river, and begins following it downstream. The other reapers follow. The charred one lets out a bellowing roar into the night.
INT. PHOENIX REMNANT CAMP, NIGHT
The roar is heard, very faintly in the distance, but it echoes into the cave and manages to make Lucas jolt awake.
LUCAS
(to himself)
Shit, they're already getting close.
He turns to his colleagues. They are both still fast asleep. Lucas springs to his feet and starts to grab some of the supplies they have stockpiled in the camp.
INT. SAFEHOUSE, MORNING
Sam is sitting in the same chair he was last night when he was keeping watch. He is sleeping like a rock though. A hand grabs his shoulder and shakes him awake. He has a brief moment of panic before he sees that it's Amanda. She gives him a bit of a reassuring smile.
AMANDA
Hey, what are you doing out here in this chair? There were plenty of other places to sleep.
SAM
Oh, I was keeping watch… or at least trying to.
AMANDA
(A little surprised)
You were?
(Pauses for a moment)
Well… you didn't need to do that, but I appreciate it. You know, even though you fell asleep.
SAM
It's morning?
AMANDA
First light.
SAM
So what's going on?
AMANDA
Well, we need to meet up with everyone else and discuss what we're going to do next. If things are bad enough, you and I are going to go with the exile plan we had before getting captured. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.
Sam gets up from his chair.
SAM
Alright, well I'm ready when you are.
EXT. MAKESHIFT JUNGLE CAMP, MORNING
We find ourselves in a bit of a clearing. There are the remains of a fire, which now is just ash with some smoke coming off of it. Sleeping next to the fire pit is Connor. All of a sudden, he is kicked lightly in the stomach by a boot, waking him up. He recoils in pain a little, rolling from his side onto his back. He looks up and Blake is standing over him, looking somewhat disgusted with him.
BLAKE
I need you to listen to me, and listen very carefully.
CONNOR
God damn it, don't kick me like that when I'm sleeping.
BLAKE
Shut up. If you want to live, you'll listen to what I have to say.
CONNOR
Alright, fine. Go ahead.
BLAKE
I instructed you, very explicitly, multiple times before I left for that badlands mission, to kill Amanda as soon as you got the chance. Yet, when you had her in your grasp, you didn't do it.
CONNOR
Look, I'm sorry. I know I messed up, but at the time I didn't see the need to rush.
BLAKE
Sorry doesn't cut it. You're the reason we're in this mess. Your little mistake might have cost us the entire colony. I'd be in charge of everything if it wasn't for you.
CONNOR
Well, you didn't exactly tell me what was going on. I had no reason to think there was a deadline. You could have been more transparent. I mean, shit, you all flew in on some big ass choppers, how the hell was I supposed to see that coming.
BLAKE
I don't care how much you know about the overarching plan. It doesn't matter how much you know. If I tell you to do something, you do it. It doesn't matter what it is. Do I make myself clear?
CONNOR
Yeah, yeah, sure.
BLAKE
I need you to swear. If I tell you to do something, you will do it. If you can't do that, you're dead weight.
CONNOR
Okay, alright. I swear I'll do what you tell me to.
BLAKE
Good. If you slip up one more time, I'll put a bullet in your head myself.
CONNOR
I see.
BLAKE
You better.
Blake turns and looks out into the jungle.
BLAKE
Now, these remnants of the phoenix group who have been attacking the colony this whole time, what do you know about them?
CONNOR
Well, I think there's about three of them. They're like ghosts in the jungle. They seem to be everywhere and nowhere at once. They've also got this guy, Lucas Taylor, as one of the three. Apparently he's commander Taylor's son or something.
BLAKE
Lucas Taylor?
CONNOR
Yeah, well, that's what I've heard through gossip at the colony at least. I don't really know anything about the guy otherwise.
BLAKE
Here's what we're going to do. We're going to find these phoenix remnants, and we're going to convince them to join up with us. We'll need them to take control of the colony, among other things.
CONNOR
I don't know about this, Blake. They're madmen, psychos. They'll probably kill us the moment they see us. I really don't think it's a good idea.
BLAKE
Don't forget what I told you.
CONNOR
Right, I'll follow the plan. Whatever you say.
BLAKE
Good. Let's get going. If they're like you say, they'll probably find us first.
INT. PHOENIX REMNANT CAMP, MORNING
Loud shuffling is heard while Lucas starts packing up all the essential supplies they have. Andrew and Dennis are both woken up by this.
DENNIS
What the hell do you think you're doing making all that noise while we're trying to sleep!?
LUCAS
We need to get moving. We don't have a lot of time. Those creatures from the badlands, they're coming back. I heard one roar off in the distance last night.
ANDREW
Are you sure?
LUCAS
Absolutely.
DENNIS
Well then screw moving, let's sit right here in this cave where it's safe. We can wait for all this shit to blow over.
LUCAS
This area is going to become a dead zone if we don't move. All the prey is going to migrate elsewhere until these super predators are gone. If you want to keep getting food, we're going to need to move. If we stay, we'll starve.
ANDREW
Now hang on, that's not necessarily true. Sure it was difficult to get consistent meals when those things were around years ago, but it wasn't impossible. We survived by laying low and avoiding detection.
DENNIS
(Irritated)
Yeah, why should we move? Sitting still is what anyone who isn't a dumbass would do!
LUCAS
(lashing out in irrational angry)
We're following my plan! That's that!
DENNIS
Shut up, you shouldn't have any say in these matters. You forget that you were barely conscious when all this shit went down last time. The only reason you're even here right now is because Andrew and I put our asses on the line to sneak you into the colony past those monsters, and get you to the infirmary.
QUICKLY CUT TO FLASHBACK
INT. INFIRMARY, DAY
Andrew and Blake bust in through the infirmary door and lay a barely alive Lucas down on one of the med beds. Andrew checks the bottom of the bed.
ANDREW
(muffled in Lucas' POV)
This one still has a bit of charge left in its backup battery. We need to hurry.
Lucas is groaning in pain. The med bed hologram comes to life, displaying that he has critical vitals and what to do to help him. They dig through the cabinets of the infirmary, turning the place upside down and find some drugs to administer to him. Andrew grabs some kind of device which is the size of an electric razor. He goes over to Lucas and activates it. The device glows and magnetically pulls out the bullets which were embedded in Lucas since Skye shot him. The bullets are dropped onto the med bed, and Lucas begins to ooze blood onto the table as well. The med bed displays his heart rate, which is accelerating.
CUT BACK TO
INT. PHOENIX REMNANT CAMP, MORNING
Dennis and Lucas are both getting pissed off.
DENNIS
You almost died that day. Frankly though, I wished you had. You've done nothing for us.
Lucas gets pissed and punches Dennis. Dennis retaliates and the two of them begin beating the shit out of each other. Andrew steps in and breaks up the fight.
ANDREW
Hey! Hey! You two need to stop it. I don't care what we do. We'll go along with Lucas' plan for now. It can't hurt to leave the area before those beasts show up again.
Dennis steps back away from the fight and wipes the blood from his face. He looks angry, but says nothing. Lucas barely has any emotion at all from the situation. He looks like he's fed up with everything, and no longer cares.
EXT. RAPTOR TRIBE TREE FORT, DAY
We find ourselves in the canopies of the trees at the top of the jungle. Up here, is a makeshift and complex village built in the trees out of wood, rope, and dinosaur hides. It has a bit of a sketchy appearance to it, but apparently holds up well enough. Some members of the raptor tribe make their way across a wooden walkway, and into a sort of hut. The hut has a bunch of people inside of it already, and talking can be heard coming from inside.
INT. RAPTOR TRIBE HUT, DAY
Inside of the hut are a ton of people, packed in like sardines. At the back of the room, the crowd has kept a tiny space of a few feet open. In this open space is Josh, who is giving a talk in front of a large map of the area, drawn on some kind of papyrus looking material. The map has various locations on it. Some of them appear to be caves, some of them appear to be rock formations, others appear to just be more bits of jungle. Many of these locations are labeled with "potential new dwellings." There is one location though, a set of caves at the far end of the map, which has the same message with the potential part crossed out. These caves are circled in red as well.
JOSH
Now, I won't go into extreme detail, since we've done this a million times before, but we once again need to find a new home. Luckily for us, our scouts have found an excellent place for our next camp.
Josh points to the circled caves on the map.
JOSH
The new area is far enough away from this territory, and is a bountiful place to hunt for food. It'll allow us to live under the radar as the reapers return to this area, and it'll be a comfortable place to sit back and wait for the reapers to leave again.
Josh draws a few lines on the map from the location marked as the current home, and towards the new dwellings.
JOSH
Now, we'll be transporting our goods to our new home in multiple different phases over the next few days, just like we've done in the past. Do we have any questions?
Josh looks around. The crowd in the room shakes their heads. We get a sense that everyone knows what to do, as they've done this a lot before. Josh takes notice of one person in the room: Skye. She is sitting in the back, leaning against the wall. She seems upset, and Josh notices her get up and squeeze out of the hut, going outside. Josh is worried that something is up.
JOSH
Alright, well then that will conclude our meeting tonight. If anyone needs anything else, just let me know. Now, I have to go check on someone.
Josh makes his way through the crowd of people as they begin to exit, and makes it outside.
EXT. QUIET BALCONY, DAY
Up in the tree fort, we find that Skye has made her way to a quiet corner of the village with a balcony looking out on the jungle. It is a secluded place, and no one else seems to be around. Skye still seems down, as something must be weighing on her mind.
JOSH
(Jokingly)
Was I really that boring in the meeting?
Skye looks over her shoulder, to see Josh there. She gives him a half-hearted chuckle.
JOSH
So what's going on?
SKYE
Josh, I'm concerned that we're doing the wrong thing here.
JOSH
What do you mean?
SKYE
You know what I mean. We're running away again, leaving those new colonists to die.
JOSH
Hey, I tried to save them, but they didn't listen. We can't worry about them, they're not our responsibility.
SKYE
Can you blame them for not listening? We're just some random people from the jungle. They don't know us, they don't know what we've been through.
JOSH
What we've been through is precisely why we can't help them. We can't go through that again. We're going to lay low, and we're going to stay alive.
SKYE
We can't live like this forever. We need to build a future for ourselves.
JOSH
We've done well enough out here. We build our future by preserving ourselves, by surviving.
SKYE
This is no place to raise a child.
Josh sighs, and walks over to the balcony, resting on it right next to Skye.
JOSH
The children? Look, I know it hasn't been easy for the youngsters and the families in our tribe over the last few years, but…
SKYE
Josh, you're not understanding me.
JOSH
What? What am I not understanding?
SKYE
Josh… I think I'm pregnant.
Josh does a bit of a double take.
JOSH
You're… what?
SKYE
You heard me.
Josh goes silent for a few seconds, trying to collect the thoughts in his racing mind. He doesn't know how to feel.
JOSH
Are… are you sure?
SKYE
No, I'm not sure, but… I have a feeling.
Josh stares at her for a bit longer, contemplating the situation.
SKYE
Look, we can't live out here, scraping around, barely surviving, for eternity. We need to give ourselves, our child, and everyone here a chance for a better life.
Josh sighs again. He comes close to her, wraps his arms around her, and gives her a tender kiss. He then looks her in the eyes.
JOSH
Skye, I don't want to lose you, I don't want to lose anyone.
SKYE
If we don't take any risks, we won't get any further in life. We have to try and help them, please, for me.
Josh stays silent a few more seconds.
JOSH
I'll think about it.
Josh begins to walk away from the balcony, but turns around to her again.
JOSH
Now come on, if we're going to have a kid, we need to plan our lives from here on out. If there's space for it, maybe we can work on some planning for helping out our new friends too.
Skye smiles and bounces over to leave with Josh.
EXT. JUNGLE, DAY
The phoenix remnants are making their way through the jungle, carrying a bunch of gear with them. Everyone seems really annoyed, although the reason for each person is different.
LUCAS
We need to hurry up, this is carnotaurus territory. It's not safe here.
DENNIS
Why the hell didn't we just stay where we were? I don't see how dealing with carnotaurus would be any safer than where we were.
LUCAS
Shut up and just trust me.
Suddenly, a loud thump is heard off in the distance, and a flock of small pterosaurs erupts from the trees in the distance. All three of the phoenix remnants get a look of panic on their faces.
DENNIS
Screw that!
Dennis drops his pack to the ground with a loud thud and runs over to the closest tree. He begins climbing for his life. The other two remnants do the same. The three of them scale up different trees. Andrew seems to be having the most trouble, as he is climbing noticeably slower than the other two. He still manages to clamber up higher into the branches. A carnotaurus enters the clearing, stomping around, on the hunt. All three of the phoenix remnants sit in the branches of their trees, clinging onto them, terrified. The carnotaurus stops in the clearing, and begins sniffing the air. It knows something is here. Andrew's palms are getting sweaty as he clamps down harder onto the tree branch he is sitting on. The carnotaurus looks around a bit longer, and settles its vision on the bags on the ground. It bends down and sniffs the bags with its snout. The carno wags its tail as it does this. Eventually, it loses interest, and it turns around. In doing so, it unintentionally whacks the tree Andrew is in with its tail. The impact is enough to shake Andrew from the branches. He slips and falls down, banging on several tree limbs on the way down. He hits the ground with a loud thump and yells in pain. The carnotaurus turns around, and sees him there. Dennis and Lucas look on in horror.
DENNIS
(Quietly)
Oh shit…
The carnotaurus snarls in hunger. Andrew recovers from the fall, and realizes what is happening. He looks up at the dinosaur, and after a second of being frozen in terror, he jumps to his feet and begins running away. The carnotaurus roars and begins chasing him. He vanishes from the clearing. Vines and other foliage slap against Andrew's face as he sprints through the jungle. Behind him, the thunderous footfalls of the beast can be heard getting closer and closer. Andrew turns around, just in time to see the jaws of the creature swallow him up.
CUT TO
In another part of the jungle, Blake and Connor are wandering around, searching for the phoenix remnants. They hear the dying screams of Andrew off in the distance. Blake perks up, and looks out in the direction of the screams. Connor looks too, but is very uneasy.
BLAKE
I don't think there would be anyone from the colony stationed out here. That scream might be from one of those phoenix guys. Come on.
Blake starts running off in the direction of the screaming. Connor hesitates, but follows him.
CUT BACK TO
Lucas and Dennis are still hiding in the trees. Both of them look like they are feeling remorse. The screams from Andrew eventually die down, and the jungle soon returns to normal. The both of them begin climbing down from their trees. Neither of them says a word upon descending to the bottom. They sit there in silence for a few seconds, staring off into space. Finally, Dennis speaks up.
DENNIS
You're a real piece of shit, Taylor. I'm done following your orders. I'm going off on my own. You can fend for yourself.
Dennis grabs his things and walks off out of sight as Lucas stands there. Once Dennis is gone, Lucas turns and leaves in the other direction.
INT. GREG'S HOUSE, DAY
Inside of Greg's house, we see that he wasn't kidding before when he said he liked to fix things. Everything that was broken has either been fixed, or replaced, although not always in the most graceful way. The hole in his ceiling has been turned into some kind of weird, cobbled together water filter leading into a tank with a spigot on it. Inside of the house, Amanda, Sam, Greg, Ramirez, Charles, and Carmichael are having a conversation. Most of the group seems frustrated with the state of things, while Amanda looks pretty dejected.
RAMIREZ
So, you have no plan?
AMANDA
I'm not sure there is much that can be planned. Our colony is fractured, and nobody is going to want to listen to me after this entire mess. Frankly, I'm not sure if I'll even be able to show my face around here anymore without getting killed from now on.
GREG
I don't think you have to worry about that too much. Our disgruntled peers seem like they'll leave you alone if you just lie low. Well, most of them at least.
AMANDA
I don't know about that, but it's not so important what happens to me now, though. We should turn our attention to the future of the colony. No matter what happens, someone like Blake or Connor cannot be allowed to take over. We don't know what their exact agenda is, but it doesn't seem good.
CHARLES
I agree with stopping Blake. He's not your average disgruntled thug looking to seize power. He has some kind of agenda, and potentially might even have black ops training.
GREG
I don't like the sound of that.
AMANDA
That's a worrisome theory you have, Hawthorne. Let's hope you're wrong.
Amanda walks over to one of the windows of the house, and looks outside for a few seconds. She then turns to the group.
AMANDA
I may no longer be able to lead this colony towards a better future, but I will do everything in my power to stop this usurper from deciding the future of the human race, even if it means giving my life.
SAM
I feel the same way. I may not be the most skilled team member here, but I'll fight, even if I die right away. I just want to know that I did everything I could to make a difference.
GREG
Hell, count me in too. Anyone else?
Everyone else in the room says yes. Amanda seems a bit surprised.
AMANDA
I appreciate all your willingness and bravery to help, but you have to understand that you might be throwing your life away if you continue to associate with me. If any of you want to back out now, there's no shame in it.
GREG
There is no backing out of this. Either we get this colony going, or the human race goes extinct.
The room goes silent. There is nothing more to be said.
AMANDA
Alright, well we'll need to plan how we're going to tackle this situation. We'll assume the worst with Blake, so as to not underestimate him. Now, let's get started.
EXT. JUNGLE, EVENING
Blake and Connor quietly hurry through the brush, making their way towards the screaming from earlier. They burst through a cluster of ferns and into an opening in the jungle. Blake skids to a stop and holds up his hand for Connor to do the same. The two of them stand there in silence for a moment. Blake seems to have heard or noticed something, but we don't know what. Connor looks around a bit confused. All of a sudden, Dennis rushes out of the foliage behind Connor and grabs him, putting him in a chokehold and sticking his knife against his throat. Blake turns and locks eyes with Dennis.
DENNIS
You weapons, drop them, now.
BLAKE
That won't be necessary, there's something we both want. Now, release the twerp.
DENNIS
And why would I do that?
BLAKE
My employers wrote you your paychecks, and if you're willing to hold up your end of the bargain, we might both be able to get out of this hellhole.
DENNIS
Who the hell are you?
BLAKE
I have no official name, but you can call me Blake.
DENNIS
What are you, a spy?
BLAKE
Among other things.
DENNIS
Bullshit.
BLAKE
It's the honest truth. My employers had worked out a deal with TriVex to gain control of Terra Nova. We hired your army to do the dirty work for us. After all, you were the best army money could buy.
DENNIS
Your employers, eh? And who would that be?
BLAKE
I think you already know the answer to that question.
DENNIS
Heh, an axis spy, huh? Now I have seen it all.
Connor, who has been panicking under Dennis' knife this whole time, still catches this revelation, and his expression seems to turn to one of confusion and shock. Dennis remembers he has Connor at knife-point.
DENNIS
(Gently pokes Connors neck a bit with the tip of his knife)
And who's the chump? Is he a spy too?
BLAKE
Of course not, he's just someone I recruited from the colony.
Dennis scoffs in amusement, and releases Connor, tossing him to the ground.
DENNIS
Well, I hope your employers sent more than just you, especially if you're going to try strip mining this world again.
BLAKE
We didn't come here to waste time strip mining this place, at least not yet. That was always our secondary goal. Our primary objective was to retrieve an invaluable weapon.
DENNIS
And what would that weapon be?
BLAKE
Do you recall the phoenix group being tasked with searching the badlands? There was a ship that was supposed to appear out there, the T.V.S. Drakor. You know your history, right?
DENNIS
Not really.
BLAKE
Well… it was a TriVex R&D vessel. They supplied weapons to both sides of the war, although my employers paid better, so we were favored. In 2133, prior to the start of the conflict, we had TriVex develop a weapon to win all wars on that ship.
DENNIS
And what would that be?
BLAKE
An artificial intelligence which could root itself on any computer system, device, you name it. It would turn your enemies own technology against them. It was just about finished, and once it was in our hands, we could start the war and wipe our enemies off the board almost immediately. However, a different experiment on the ship involving teleportation went horribly wrong, and the ship vanished from our timeline entirely before the AI could be delivered to us. We lost the war, but years later, once the portal to Terra Nova was constructed, we realized that we had found the timeline our weapon had gone to, and we would get a chance to win the next war.
DENNIS
And you were going to have the phoenix group retrieve it for you?
BLAKE
Had your army taken out the colonists, I would have shown up myself to retrieve the weapon once the Drakor arrived. However, the destruction of the portal in Hope Plaza put a stop to that.
DENNIS
Well, you're here now. So when does the cavalry arrive?
BLAKE
The cavalry doesn't even know I'm here.
DENNIS
What?
BLAKE
I was trailing a group which had raided a top secret base I was stationed at. There was this hacker, Christian Taggart, who had medical records containing the unique signature of an experimental chemical weapon he was exposed to while raiding the base. He seemed to have some association with Raven Corp, so I started trying to get close to the company. In doing so, I was approached by some representatives who offered me a place on a secret mission. I accepted, and next thing I knew I was underground with no contact to the outside world. However, they were building a new portal to Terra Nova, and now I'm here.
DENNIS
So you snuck in with the newbies, and you have no backup?
BLAKE
We've got backup. That weapon I mentioned earlier? I already retrieved it, and not just that, I planted it into the colony network. They won't know what hit them. Now we just need to return to the future. Your friend, Lucas Taylor, is he still around here?
DENNIS
Just missed him. We parted ways, and I wouldn't expect to get anything out of him even if he did come back. His rationality is gone now, and he's not willing to do what must be done to return to the future.
BLAKE
Hmm, well, if he won't cooperate, we do have a different way to get back. It'd be much simpler if we could use his route though. Could he be… persuaded to cooperate?
DENNIS
You could try.
BLAKE
Well, then let's look for him.
Connor has been on the ground this whole time, and kind of has crab walked over to a dense bit of foliage. He is terrified from the conversation that is transpiring. Clearly, he has bit off more than he can chew. He climbs up to his feet, and stands there for a second. He then slowly begins to reach for his gun, attempting to be discrete. Blake notices, and then, in a split second, unsheathes his knife and chucks it at Connor. It stabs him right in the chest. It takes Connor a moment to process what just happened to him. He coughs up a bit of blood and pulls out the knife. He looks to Blake, and the knife clatters limply out of his hand, falling to the ground, before he follows it a second later, thudding into the dirt. Connor looks up at Blake, who seems disappointed.
CONNOR
(Struggling to speak)
You… you bastard.
BLAKE
You know, it's fitting for you to die this way, Connor. It's the same knife that killed your buddies, Leon and Wayne.
Connor realizes what Blake just said.
CONNOR
(Gains a bit of energy from the rage, and speaks a bit more clearly)
You son of a bitch! You manipulated me! You manipulated all of us!
Blake just smirks a bit, and begins walking towards Connor. Connor, using all his strength, springs to his feet and bolts off into the jungle. Branches and ferns slap him painfully as he retreats without direction. He doesn't make it far, before he starts to get dizzy. He feels his knife wound, and looks at the massive amount of blood on his hand after touching it. Seeing this, Connor leans against a nearby tree trunk, and eventually slides down impotently to the floor. He knows these are his last moments. Not knowing what else to do, he digs into his pockets and finds a comm device. He stares at it for a second, before turning it on and putting it into his ear.
CONNOR
(Into comm)
Hello? Does anyone read me? Amanda? Anyone? Please!
INT. GREG'S HOUSE, EVENING
Amanda and everyone else is still talking inside Greg's house. Their comms come on and they begin catching Connor's message.
CONNOR
(From comm)
Please, if anyone is there, I have important information!
Amanda looks around nervously at everyone else in the group. She turns her comm on and begins speaking.
AMANDA
(Into comm)
Connor, this is Amanda. What's happening?
CONNOR
(From comm)
It was Blake, it's always been Blake! He was the one who killed Leon and Wayne! He did it to rile up the rest of the colony!
AMANDA
(Into comm)
How do you know this?
CONNOR
(From comm)
He teamed up with one of the phoenix remnants, and gave his whole story. He's an axis spy, and he's trying to escape back to 2156!
AMANDA
(Into comm)
Mother of god, the axis, here?!
CONNOR
(Into comm)
He's alone apparently. Said he ended up here by coincidence while tailing some hacker who was exposed to some chemical. He also mentioned something about uploading an AI weapon to the colony network.
AMANDA
(Into comm)
What kind of AI weapon?
EXT. JUNGLE, EVENING
Connor is still sitting against the tree trunk. He looks incredibly weak. Before he can answer Amanda's question, Blake and Dennis appear. Blake has his knife once again, and once he sees Dennis, he rears back and chucks it at Connor.
INT. GREG'S HOUSE, EVENING
We hear the knife plunge into Connor and his last gasp of life over the comm, before the line goes dead. Everyone in the room is silent.
AMANDA
Ramirez, Carmichael, I need you two to go to the infirmary and grab any medical supplies we'll need for the upcoming conflict. Sam, Hawthorne, I need you two to round up some weapons. I don't know how safe the actual armory is right now, so maybe check Evans' house first. As for everyone else, we'll need to bring down the colony network until we know what's going on. Let's go.
Everyone scrambles out of the building.
EXT. GREG'S HOUSE, EVENING
Some kind of camera is spying on the house.
CAMERA VIEW
The camera focuses on Ramirez and Carmichael as they exit the building and run off in one direction. Sam and Charles exit the building next and start off in a different direction. The camera locks to them next. Finally, Amanda and Greg run off towards where Taylor's building used to be. The camera takes particular interest in them, zooming in and scanning Amanda's face.
EXT. JUNGLE, EVENING
Blake pulls the knife out of Connor's corpse and begins wiping away the blood. Dennis looks at Blake, impressed with his viciousness.
DENNIS
Not your finest recruit, eh?
BLAKE
He has outlived his usefulness. Now, let's get to finding Lucas Taylor. He'll get us to the future, whether he wants to or not.
DENNIS
Now we're talking. Him and I parted ways quite recently. I think I know the direction he was heading.
BLAKE
Lead the way.
The two of them walk off into the jungle. Unbeknownst to them, however, is that Lucas was in the vicinity, spying on them. Lucas ducks behind a tree as they pass by him. Once they are out of earshot, Lucas runs off in the opposite direction from where they went.
INT. EVANS' HOUSE, NIGHT
Sam and Charles bust the front door open, and make their way inside the house. They begin looking around. Sure enough, there is a rack of guns on the wall, although the number of guns leaves a bit to be desired. There are some grenades on some of the tables as well.
CHARLES
Well, these will have to do. Let's find something to carry them all in.
INT. INFIRMARY, NIGHT
Ramirez barges in the infirmary, but she is looking down at her smartwatch. She is tapping away at it. Carmichael is behind her, he looks a bit uneasy.
CARMICHAEL
So uh, what all should we be grabbing?
Ramirez taps on her smartwatch a bit more, and then slides her finger across it.
RAMIREZ
I just sent you a list of what meds we'll need.
Carmichael looks at his own smartwatch, and then nods. He runs and begins digging through a bunch of cabinets in the infirmary. Ramirez jogs over to a specific table with some kind of device on it. The device has a microscope-like lens attached to it, and seems to have two jars of liquid attached to it. One liquid appears to be a kind of reddish-black color. The other appears to be some kind of blue liquid. She takes a look at the device, looks into the microscope for a second. She pulls her head away from the microscope a second later and nods to herself. She presses a button on the device and it spits out some kind of small vial containing some of the blue liquid. She grabs some kind of syringe and inserts the blue vial into the syringe, before packing the syringe into some kind of case and putting it in her pocket. Carmichael takes notice of this.
CARMICHAEL
What's that?
RAMIREZ
It's a treatment I've been working on for someone. I think we may need it.
CARMICHAEL
Who is it for?
RAMIREZ
You won't like this, but it's…
All of a sudden, Ramirez is interrupted by a high pitched buzzing noise. Her and Carmichael turn around, looking for the source of the noise. In the window, one of the automated drones that Charles got running before the badlands mission is hovering there. It seems to sit there for a second, watching them.
CARMICHAEL
What the hell?
A laser then erupts from the drone, right towards Ramirez. She manages to duck out of the way and hide behind a counter. The laser tries to follow her, but hits the counter, burning a line in it, and starting fires in its trail. Carmichael drops to the ground behind cover as well. He crawls over behind the same counter as Ramirez. A few seconds later, the laser can be heard turning off. The two of them look at each other in panic and confusion. All of a sudden, the drone launches a grenade into the room. The grenade bounces off the table and lands right between them. It begins to emit tear gas. Carmichael kicks the grenade away into the corner of the room, and then grabs Ramirez by the arm.
CARMICHAEL
Let's get out of here!
The two of them begin crawling out of the building as fast as they can. The drone enters the room and tries to fire a few shots off at them as they escape, but it can't get a good lock on them due to the gas and smoke filling the room, so it misses every shot.
EXT. TAYLOR'S BUILDING, NIGHT
Amanda and Greg make their way towards Taylor's building. The top is still a burnt mess, but the stone base of the building is intact. They run to the door on the base which leads to the eye room. Amanda reaches the door and grabs the handle, only to find it locked.
AMANDA
What the hell?
She jiggles the door handle in vain. She then starts slamming her shoulder against the door, to no avail.
INT. OSPREY, NIGHT
Inside one of the osprey's parked at the colony, it is dead silent. Nothing can be heard except for maybe some faint mechanical clicks. However, a few seconds later, the controls to the osprey light up on their own, and the craft begins to start up.
EXT. COLONY, NIGHT
All three of the parked ospreys begin to boot up, and begin rising into the sky.
EXT. TAYLOR'S BUILDING, NIGHT
Amanda and Greg are still trying to open the door to the eye.
GREG
Let me try something.
Amanda stands aside, and Greg tries to kick the door down. It doesn't work though, and Greg actually just grabs his leg in pain and bounces around after hitting the door. As Greg stands back, the sound of helicopter blades can be heard. Amanda and him turn around, to see one of the ospreys hover over them.
OSPREY CAMERA VIEW
The osprey scans the both of them and begins to target them. The weapon systems on the osprey begin to activate. Greg and Amanda stare up at the aircraft in terror.
EXT. WATERFALL, NIGHT
We find ourselves at a familiar waterfall where the rocks are covered in etchings of Lucas' calculations. We hear nothing but the calming flow of water, until a large scaled foot crashes down in the stream of water flowing downriver.
PAN UP TO
The foot belongs to the reaper with the charred face. Behind it is the pack of several other reapers. They all let out terrifying roars into the jungle.
CUT TO CREDITS
