RETURN TO THE DAWN OF THE DEAD HOMEPAGE
RETURN TO DEADSOURCE.COM
DAWN OF
THE DEAD
(The working draft 1977)
by George A. Romero
"WHEN THERE IS NO MORE ROOM IN HELL
THE DEAD WILL WALK THE EARTH"
1 We see the face of a young woman. She is asleep. It is very
quiet at first, as credits appear. The woman's face begins to
twitch, as though she is having a bad dream. She moans slightly
and her expression grows more desperate.
A mix of subtle sounds begin to fade in. As they get louder, we
can discern what sounds like a busy office area. It is actually
a frantic television studio with the hum of panic in a national
emergency.
The woman's moans get louder and more desperate as the
background sounds reach full volume and the credits stop. The
woman sits up, snapping awake.
2 She lurches forwards into the arms of a strong young man. She is
Francine, twenty three years old and very attractive, although
she is gritty with dirt. Her hair is hanging, dishevelled and
sweaty. Her jeans and blouse have been worn for several days.
She is sitting on the floor, where she has slept the last
several hours, covered by an old overcoat.
Tony: YOU OK?
Fran stares at the young man. She is shaking. She doesn't speak.
Tony: THE SHIT'S REALLY HITTING THE FAN.
The girl tries to clear her head as the young man moves on to
where others sleep on the floor. He wakes them up one at a time.
We begin to hear voices over the busy hum of the studio. They
have an electronic tinniness, as broadcast over a monitor. Fran
looks about. She is still shaken from her dream.
3 We see the television studio. Reporters buzz about madly.
Everybody looks dishevelled and exhausted. Technicians man
monitors, and we see people on the little screens, arguing
emotionally.
4 Voice: WHAT'S MAKING IT HAPPEN? WHAT THE HELL
DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE, WHAT'S MAKING IT
HAPPEN.
Voice: YES, BUT THAT'S...
Voice: THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STUDY. THEY'RE TRYING...
Voice: BUT IF WE KNEW THAT, WE COULD...
Voice: WE DON'T KNOW THAT! WE DON'T KNOW THAT!
WE'VE GOTTA OPERATE ON WHAT WE DO KNOW!
5 The room is pandemonium. People run in with wire copy; others
ORGANIZE the stacks of bulletins as they arrive. Others trip
over cables and generally get in each other's way.
6 Francine stares at the madness, still trying to clear her head.
Man's voice: I'M STILL DREAMING.
Fran turns her head. Another young man sits next to her on the
floor. He is one of the ones Tony awakened.
Fran: NO YOU'RE NOT.
Woman: MY TURN WITH THE COAT.
Fran looks up. A young woman is offering her coffee in a paper
cup. She is next in line for the overcoat and a few hours sleep.
Fran takes the coffee and struggles to her feet.
Woman: THE GUYS ON THE CREW ARE GETTING CRAZY.
A BUNCH OF 'EM FLEW THE COOP ALREADY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE'LL BE ABLE
TO STAY ON AIR.
7 Fran staggers over to the control consoles. The technicians are
at the end of their ropes.
Technicians: (all at once)
WATCH CAMERA TWO...WHO THE HELL'S ON CAMERA
TWO, A BLIND MAN...
WATCH THE FRAME...WATCH THE FRAME...
ROLL THE RESCUE STATIONS AGAIN.
Technicians: WE GOT A REPORT THAT HALF THOSE RESCUE
STATIONS HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT.
SO GET ME A NEW LIST.
SURE, I'LL PULL IT OUTTA MY ASS.
Fran focuses on the monitors. She is incredulous... stunned by
the madness which surrounds her. She realizes the hopelessness
of the situation as she zeroes in on the televised conversation.
8 We begin to listen over the din of the news room.
TV Man 1: I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, DOCTOR, AND I DON'T
BELIEVE...ITS FROM ANOTHER SITE...
TV Man 2: DO YOU BELIEVE THE DEAD ARE RETURNING TO
LIFE? THEY ARE TAKING THINGS!
TV Man 1: I'M NOT SO...
TV Man 2: DO YOU BELIEVE THE DEAD ARE RETURNING TO
LIFE AND ATTACKING THE LIVING?
TV Man 1: I'M NOT SO SURE WHAT TO BELIEVE DOCTOR!
9 Suddenly we cut into the studio, and we see the argument as it
is being shot.
TV Man 1: (con't)
ALL WE GET IS WHAT YOU PEOPLE TELL US.
AND IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO BELIEVE...
TV Man 2: IT'S FACT... IT'S FACT...
TV Man 1: IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO BELIEVE WITHOUT YOU
COMING IN HERE AND TELLING US WE HAVE TO
FORGET ALL HUMAN DIGNITY AND...
TV Man 2: HUMAN DIG... YOU CAN'T...
TV Man 1: ...FORGET ALL HUMAN DIGNITY...
TV Man 2: YOU'RE NOT RUNNING A TALK SHOW HERE, MR.
BERMAN...YOU CAN FORGET PITCHING AN AUDIENCE
THE MORAL BULL SHIT THEY WANT TO HEAR!
TV Man 1: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ABANDONING EVERY HUMAN
CODE OF BEHAVIOUR, AND THERE'S A LOT OF US
WHO AREN'T READY FOR THAT DOCTOR FOSTER...
10 A great cry of assent goes up from the studio floor. Doctor
Foster is flustered and frustrated. The stage hands and
cameramen are all screaming at him, swearing and ridiculing. We
notice Police guards, armed, at the studio doors. They control
the traffic in and out of the big room.
11 Back at the control panel. Fran stares at the screens. Confusion
still reigns.
Man: FRANNIE, GET ON THE NEW LIST OF RESCUE STATIONS.
CHARLIE'S RECEIVING ON THE EMERGENCIES...
Fran pulls herself away from the monitors as the argument rages
on screen.
12 She fights through the heavy traffic and reaches Charlie, a
harassed typist who holds the receiver of an emergency radio
unit under his chin...
Charlie: (into receiver)
SAY AGAIN...CAN'T HEAR YOU...
Fran: RESCUE STATIONS?
Fran leafs through sheets of paper on Charlie's desk. He writes
notes as he listens on the receiver, and he speaks to the woman.
Charlie: HALF THOSE AREN'T OPERATIVE ANY MORE.
I'M TRYIN' TO FIND OUT AT LEAST ABOUT THE
IMMEDIATE AREA. WE'VE HAD OLD INFORMATION
ON THE AIR FOR THE LAST TWELVE HOURS.
Fran: THESE ARE RESCUE STATIONS. WE CAN'T SEND
PEOPLE TO INOPERATIVE...
Charlie: (into receiver)
SAY AGAIN, NEW HOPE...
Charlie makes more notes and hands them to Fran. Still listening
on the receiver, he speaks to the woman again.
Charlie: I'M DOIN' WHAT I CAN. THESE ARE DEFINITE
AS OF NOW. SKIP AND DUSTY ARE ON THE RADIO,
TOO. GOOD LUCK.
Fran snatches up the sheets and moves across the room.
13 She stops at the consoles...
Fran: I'M GONNA KNOCK OFF THE OLD RESCUE STATIONS.
I'LL HAVE THE NEW ONES READY AS SOON AS I CAN.
Technician: WE'RE SENDING PEOPLE TO PLACES THAT HAVE
CLOSED DOWN. I'M GONNA KILL THE OLD LIST.
14 Fran moves toward another control room. An armed officer stops
her. A young man rushing through with copy intercedes.
Man: HEY, SHE'S ALRIGHT.
Officer: WHERE'S YOUR BADGE?
Fran reaches instinctively for the lapel of her blouse. Her
badge is missing.
Fran: JESUS!
Man: SHE'S ALRIGHT.
Fran: I HAD IT...I WAS ASLEEP OVER THERE...
She makes a move toward the corner where she was asleep.
Man: SOMEBODY STOLE IT. THERE'S A LOT OF 'EM
MISSING.
(to officer)
SHE'S ALRIGHT. LET HER THROUGH.
The officer reluctantly steps aside.
15 The young man and Fan move down a crowded hall and into a small
camera room. The foot traffic is solid. They talk as they walk.
Fran: I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
Man: ONE OF THOSE LITTLE BADGES CAN OPEN A LOT
OF DOORS...YOU AVOID A LOT OF HASSLES IF
YOU GOT A BADGE...ANY KIND OF BADGE...
Fran: IT'S REALLY GOING CRAZY.
16 They reach a small camera installation. The camera is aimed at a
machine which rolls out a list of rescue stations. The list is
superimposed over the live broadcast as it goes out.
Cameraman: YOU GOT NEW ONES?
Fran: I GOTTA TYPE 'EM UP. KILL THE OLD ONES.
Cameraman: GIVENS WANT 'EM...
Fran: KILL 'EM, DICK. TELL GIVENS TO SEE ME!
The man clicks off his camera. Fran moves toward the studio.
17 On the monitors, we see the rescue stations blink off over shots
of the two men who still argue on the air.
TV Man 1: WELL I DON'T BELIEVE IN GHOSTS, DOCTOR.
TV Man 2: THESE ARE NOT GHOSTS. NOR ARE THESE HUMANS!
THESE ARE DEAD CORPSES. ANY UN-BURIED HUMAN
CORPSE WITH ITS BRAIN INTACT WILL IN FACT
RE-ACTIVATE. AND IT'S PRECISELY BECAUSE OF
INCITEMENT BY IRRESPONSIBLE PUBLIC FIGURES
LIKE YOURSELF THAT THIS SITUATION IS BEING
DEALT WITH IRRESPONSIBLY BY THE PUBLIC AT
LARGE!
18 Another outraged cry goes up from the stagehands and observers.
Doctor Foster tries to out-scream the cries...
TV Man 2: YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED...YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED...
FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS...WHAT DOES IT TAKE...
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE PEOPLE SEE?
19 Fran moves into the large studio area where the broadcasters
argue. The commotion is maddening. Fran stares for a moment.
20 TV Man 2: (now distraught...almost pleading)
THIS SITUATION IS CONTROLLABLE. PEOPLE
MUST COME TO GRIPS WITH THIS CONCEPT.
IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT...WITH FRIENDS...
WITH FAMILY...BUT A DEAD BODY MUST BE DE-
ACTIVATED BY EITHER DESTROYING THE BRAIN
OR SEVERING THE BRAIN FROM THE REST OF THE
BODY.
Another outburst in the studio.
TV Man 2: THE SITUATION MUST BE CONTROLLED...BEFORE IT'S
TOO LATE...THEY ARE MULTIPLYING TOO RAPIDLY...
21 Fran moves through the crowded room of emotional people and
finally reaches another emergency radio installation. Skip and
Dusty are trying to listen to their receivers.
Fran: OPERATIVE RESCUE STATIONS?
Dusty: THEY'RE DROPPIN' LIKE FLIES. HERE'S A FEW.
YOU KNOW, I THINK FOSTER'S RIGHT. I THINK
WE'RE LOSIN' THIS WAR.
Fran: YEAH, BUT NOT TO THE ENEMY.
WE'RE BLOWIN' IT OURSELVES.
She gives the rest of her coffee to the two men.
Fran: NOT MUCH LEFT, BUT HAVE A BALL.
The two men each slug eagerly from the paper cup. Fran rushes
off toward a large teleprompter typing machine.
22 The broadcasters still argue emotionally.
TV Man 1: PEOPLE AREN'T WILLING TO ACCEPT YOUR SOLUTIONS,
DOCTOR, AND I, FOR ONE, DON'T BLAME THEM.
TV Man 2: EVERY DEAD BODY THAT IS NOT EXTERMINATED
BECOMES ONE OF THEM! IT GETS UP AND KILLS!
THE PEOPLE IT KILLS GET UP AND KILL!
23 Handing the list of active rescue stations to the teleprompter
typist, Fran rushes back toward the control room.
24 Around the monitor consoles, the commotion has been made even
more frantic by an angered Dan Givens, obviously one of the
station managers.
Givens: NOBODY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT, I WANT...
Givens spots Fran as she moves into the room.
Givens: GARRET, WHO TOLD YOU TO KILL THE SUPERS?
Fran: NOBODY. I KILLED 'EM. THEY'RE OUT OF DATE.
Givens: I WANT THOSE SUPERS ON THE AIR ALL THE TIME.
Fran: ARE YOU WILLING TO MURDER PEOPLE BY SENDING THEM
OUT TO STATIONS THAT HAVE CLOSED DOWN?
Givens: WITHOUT THOSE RESCUE STATIONS ON SCREEN EVERY
MINUTE PEOPLE WON'T WATCH US. THEY'LL TUNE OUT.
Fran stares at the red faced man in disbelief.
Givens: I WANT THAT LIST UP ON THE SCREEN EVERY MINUTE THAT
WE'RE ON THE AIR.
Fran is about to say something in anger, but before she can, one
of the technicians, having overheard Givens, gets up from the
control panel and starts to walk away.
Givens: LUCAS...LUCAS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING...
GET ON THAT CONSOLE...LUCAS...WE'RE ON THE AIR!
Lucas: ANYBODY NEED A RIDE!
25 Two other men from various positions in the room snatch up
personal effects and follow the technician toward the door. The
door is guarded by a nervous Officer.
26 Givens: OFFICER...OFFICER...YOU STOP THEM...STOP THOSE
MEN...LUCAS...GET BACK ON THIS CONSOLE...
A frantic hubbub begins over the lack of console control. People
rush in and out, the floor director's voice can be heard over a
talk back system...
Voices: WHAT THE HELL'S GOIN' ON IN THERE.
SWITCH...SWITCH...THERE'S NO SWITCHER...
WE'RE LOSING PICTURE...
Givens: OFFICER...STOP THOSE MEN...
27 The young officer faces the men as they reach his post. He takes
a grip on his rifles, opens the door and lets the group through.
Then he runs out himself, deserting the losing cause.
28 Givens jumps toward the console. He frantically tries to work
the complex dials and pots...
Givens: GET SOMEBODY IN HERE THAT KNOWS HOW TO RUN
THIS THING...COME ON...I'LL TRIPLE THE MONEY
FOR THE MAN THAT CAN RUN THIS THING...TRIPLE
THE MONEY...WE'RE STAYING ON THE AIR...
Fran moves slowly off toward the studio.
29 In the big room, the tension is thicker than ever. A few of the
newsmen still earnestly try to perform their various functions,
but most of the crew are reduced to emotional polarisation over
the broadcast which still rages.
30 TV Man 2: THEY KILL FOR ONE REASON.
THEY KILL FOR FOOD.
THEY EAT THEIR VICTIMS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND,THAT,
MR. BERMAN...THAT'S WHAT KEEPS THEM GOING.
31 Fran stops to listen to the argument. She falls back into the
shadows of the studio. People rush past her, some leaving the
studio in disgust.
32 TV Man 2: IF WE'D LISTENED...IF WE'D DEALT WITH THE
PHENOMENON PROPERLY...WITHOUT EMOTION...
WITHOUT...EMOTION...
IT WOULDN'T HAVE COME TO THIS!
Foster wipes his sweat with a dirty hanker chief. He pulls his
tie away from his tight collar, and pops the shirt button open.
He is desperate now, shivering with anger and frustration.
TV Man 2: THERE IS A MARTIAL LAW STATE IN EFFECT IN
PHILADELPHIA...AS IN ALL OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN
THE COUNTRY...CITIZENS MUST UNDERSTAND THE...
DIRE...DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS PHENOMENON...
SHOULD WE BE UNABLE TO CHECK THE SPREAD...
BECAUSE OF THE EMOTIONAL ATTITUDES..OF THE
CITIZENRY...TOWARD...THESE ISSUES OF...
MORALITY... IT IS THE ORDER OF THE O.E.P. BY
COMMAND OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT...THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES...CITIZENS MAY
NO LONGER OCCUPY PRIVATE RESIDENCES,NO MATTER
HOW SAFELY PROTECTED OR WELL STOCKED...
A murmur in the studio begins to build to an emotional
crescendo. Foster tries to talk over the noise...
TV Man 2: CITIZENS WILL BE MOVED INTO CENTRAL AREAS OF
THE CITY...
33 Technicians abandon their posts. A few others jump in to take
their places, but pandemonium reigns. A cameraman whips off his
headset and breaks for the door. His camera spins on its liquid
head, and on the monitors, we see a whirling blur as Foster
continues to speak.
Fran moves quickly for the spinning camera. She aims it back at
the sweating Foster, and she stares through the viewfinder not
believing what she is seeing.
34 TV Man 2: THE BODIES OF THE DEAD WILL BE DELIVERED OVER
TO SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SQUADS OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD FOR ORGANIZED DISPOSITION...
35 Suddenly a man darts out of the bustling crowd and comes up
quickly behind Fran.
Steve: FRANNIE...AT NINE O'CLOCK MEET ME ON THE ROOF.
WE'RE GETTING OUT.
Fran: (letting the camera slip slightly)
STEPHEN...I DON'T BELIEVE THIS...WHAT...
Steve: WE'RE GETTING OUT. IN THE CHOPPER.
Another technician steps over to take the camera from Fran.
Stephen talks more quietly in the other man's presence.
Steve: NINE P.M. ALRIGHT?
Fran: STEVE...WE CAN'T...WE'VE GOT TO...
Steve: WE'VE GOT TO NOTHING, FRAN. WE'VE GOT TO
SURVIVE. SOMEBODY'S GOT TO SURVIVE. NOW YOU
COULD BE UP THERE AT NINE. DON'T MAKE ME COME
LOOKIN' FOR YA.
Stephen is gone in a flash. Fran nervously looks back at the
cameraman. The argument still rages between Foster and Berman.
The cameraman, without taking his eye from the viewfinder,
speaks to Francine quietly and slowly.
Cameraman: GO AHEAD. WE'LL BE OFF THE AIR BY MIDNIGHT
ANYWAY. EMERGENCY NETWORKS ARE TAKING OVER.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY...IS FINISHED, I'M AFRAID.
36 It is dusk, and the city of Philadelphia is surprisingly quiet.
We see several large buildings. They are part of a low-income
housing project, and their lack of grace is evident. They stand
like tombstones as the first stars appear in the navy blue sky.
37 Under cover of the growing darkness, activities of the S.W.A.T.
Unit go unnoticed. Grappling hooks grab against the lip around
the roof and silent figures climb to the top of the building.
Men in armour vests, clutching the latest in special weapons,
take position here and there about the development.
Other men strategically place their cars and trucks in the court
below.
38 On the roof, at an entrance to one of the building's fire
stairs, Roger squats silently alongside three other team
members. The men check their weapons. Roger looks at his watch.
The sweep hand reaches the 12...
Roger: (to himself) LIGHTS.
39 In an instant, large searchlights bathe the side of the
building. The troop commander, shielded with other Officers
behind a large truck, shouts through an electric bullhorn.
Commander: MARTINEZ...YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING...YOU KNOW WE
HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED...
The electronically amplified voice echoes through the concrete
caverns between the buildings of the project. There are only a
few windows which glow with lights from inside. At the sound of
the bullhorn, the lights all blink out one at a time.
Commander: (not over the bullhorn)
LITTLE BASTARD'S GOT 'EM ALL MOVED INTO ONE
BUILDING...DUMB LITTLE BASTARD!
Sergeant: LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO FIGHT US.
Commander: (on the bullhorn again)
MARTINEZ...THE PEOPLE IN THIS PROJECT ARE YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY...WE DON'T WANT ANY OF THEM HURT
AND NEITHER DO YOU!
42 There is no sign of life in the building. The great concrete
slab is silhouetted silently against the darkening sky.
43 Roger, and his team mates, crouch in readiness. The sound of the
bullhorn rises to them easily and clearly.
Roger: I'M GIVIN' YOU THREE MINUTES, MARTINEZ...
Commander: (Bullhorn)
I'M GIVIN' YOU THREE MINUTES, MARTINEZ...
TURN OVER YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER...
Roger: THERE ARE NO CHARGES AGAINST YOU...
Commander: THERE ARE NO CHARGES AGAINST YOU OR ANY OF YOUR
PEOPLE...
Roger: YET.
Commander: THREE MINUTES, MARTINEZ.
Roger: AND COUNTING.
(he looks at his watch)
There is a long silence.
Roger: COME ON, MARTINEZ!
One of the other S.W.A.T. team members is a big man, with a
rough and vicious looking face. He is WOOLEY, a hardened
veteran, and a red neck of the first order.
Wooley: YEAH, COME ON, MARTINEZ...SHOW YOUR GREASY
LITTLE PUERTO RICAN ASS...SO I CAN BLOW IT OFF...
Roger looks over at the big man. He is distressed at the pent up
violence in Wooley.
Wooley: I'LL BLOW ALL THEIR ASSES OFF...LOW LIFE BASTARDS..
BLOW ALL THEIR LITTLE LOW LIFE PUERTO RICAN AND
NIGGER ASSES RIGHT OFF...
Roger is greatly concerned. He looks at one of the other men, a
young, smoothed faced rookie. The boy doesn't know now to react.
He is obviously nervous.
Roger: KEEP COOL. JUST DON'T POP OFF IN THERE WHEN WE
GO IN.
The boy nods, grateful for a more human contact.
Wooley: HOW THE HELL COME WE STICK THESE LOW LIFES
IN THESE BIG ASS FANCY HOTELS ANYWAY? SHIT
MAN. THIS' BETTER THAN I GOT. YOU AIN'T
GONNA TALK 'EM OUTA HERE. YOU GOTTA BLOW
'EM OUT. BLOW THEIR ASSES!
Roger: (to the boy)
YOU GONNA BE ALRIGHT?
The boy nods in the affirmative.
Wooley: LET'S GET ON WITH IT. THIS IS A WASTE OF
MY TIME!
44 CRASH! Without warning, the metal door to the fire stair bursts
open and several figures rush out of the darkness. Shots are
fired from hand guns. A bullet smashes through the skull of the
young boy next to Roger. He falls against Roger with a pleading
expression on his face.
Figures charge this way and that. More gunfire. The other
S.W.A.T. men dodge and dive for cover. Wooley opens fire with
his automatic weapon.
45 On the street, the Commander, hearing the gunfire, barks into
the bullhorn:
Commander: MOVE IN...MOVE IN...
GODDAMMIT!
Sergeant: (into walkie talkie)
ALL UNITS... FULL OPERATION!
46 On the roof, Roger struggles under the dead weight of the young
man. He tries to free himself and his weapons. Shots ring out.
A handful of Black and Puerto Rican youngsters charge about the
rooftop. Another S.W.A.T. patrol appears from behind a large
elevator housing. The young civilians retreat. Several are mowed
down.
Another bullet smashes against the dead S.W.A.T. man's back.
Just as Roger frees himself, a bullet catches him squarely in
the chest, but his armour takes the impact. He is thrown back
off balance, and he struggles to catch his wind as he scrambles
over to recover his weapon which skitters away across the roof
top.
Before he reaches the gun, he is cut off by the looming figure
of one of the Black youths, pistol in hand. Roger freezes. The
young man aims his hand gun, but hesitates. A sudden barrage of
bullets rips through the young Black and he falls in a pool of
blood. It was Wooley's gun that killed him.
Wooley: COME ON YOU DUMB BASTARDS...
COME AND GET 'EM...
He fires again and again, even though the skirmish is winding
down.
Roger charges for his weapon, snatches it up, and runs for the
cover of an incinerator housing. He startles a young civilian
who was hiding there, trying to load his gun. The boy makes a
break...
Roger: HOLD IT...
The boy freezes for a moment, then, thinking, breaks into a run
across the roof.
Roger: HOLD IT, KID...DON'T RUN OUT THERE!
The boy is mowed down in a crossfire.
47 Inside the building, other S.W.A.T. teams along with units of
the National Guard are crashing through hallways and breaking
into apartment units. People are herded into the halls where
they are held at gun point.
Some men, although armed, surrender willingly. Others retaliate
against the invading force, and little skirmishes develop on
every floor of the complex structure.
48 On the ground, the Commander barks into the bullhorn:
Commander: MASKS...
Sergeant: (into walkie talkie)
MASKS FOR GAS...MASKS FOR GAS.
49 Tear gas canisters crash through windows and the halls are
filled with clouds of gas. Civilians trying to escape, are
choked as they attempt to shoot their way out.
50 The teams on the roof charge down the fire stairs into the
building.
S.W.A.T. 1: WORK YOUR WAY DOWN. A FLOOR AT A TIME.
HOLD 'EM IN THE HALLS 'TIL WE CAN WORK 'EM
DOWN THE STAIRS.
Roger and Wooley and the men in their unit, snap on their
bizarre looking gas masks.
51 The troopers break into an apartment on the floor. An old couple
kneels in prayer at a small alter, while their children and
their children's children huddle in a corner. The young husband
surrenders his gun to a trooper, and Roger watches as the group
is led into the hallway.
Suddenly, a young Black man charges out of one of the
apartments. A woman appears at the door, screaming for him to
stop. He breaks through a cloud of gas and Wooley fires his
automatic. The black man crashes to the floor. Wooley is crazed.
He kicks in the door of another apartment and fires randomly
into the room.
The flurry of action causes panic among the civilians in the
hall. The younger ones try to escape while the older people
kneel or fall against the walls praying.
S.W.A.T. 2: WOOLEY'S GONE APE SHIT, MAN...
Roger: WOOLEY! (shouting)
Wooley kicks in the door of another apartment. Roger charges at
him and grabs him around the shoulders. The big man resists. His
gun fires and bullets fly wildly. He struggles against Roger,
but Roger manages to hold on.
Roger: GIMME A HAND...SOMEBODY...
Another S.W.A.T. Trooper steps up out of the cloud of gas. He is
very tall and he looks mysterious in the fog as he speaks in a
deep voice.
Trooper: STEP AWAY FROM HIM.
Roger: GIMME A HAND.
Wooley throws his body around and slams Roger against the wall,
but Roger grabs him again just as the crazed man is levelling
off his gun at the open apartment door.
Roger: GODDAMMIT...HELP ME...HE'S CRAZY!
Trooper: STEP AWAY FROM HIM!
Just then, Wooley wrenches free and pushes Roger across the
hallway. The Trooper carefully aims his weapon and fires one
shot through Wooley's head. The big man falls back violently.
The mysterious Trooper turns and hurries away down the hall.
Other S.W.A.T. Officers face him threateningly. He stares at
them through his mask. They let him pass. He disappears through
the smoke as other officers begin to restore order among the
civilians.
Women scream and cry over their dead-loved ones. Roger is helped
to his feet by another Officer. Roger's eyes are wide and
staring through the insect-like lenses of his mask. They are
locked on the sight he sees through the door of the apartment
which Wooley kicked open. The other Trooper looks and his eyes
widen as well.
53 In the apartment, lying in a pool of blood, are the partial
remains of what was a human body. It has been ripped to shreds.
Roger staggers against the door frame. The other trooper moves
inside. Another corpse, also mutilated, one leg missing, one arm
badly mangled. It is trying to move. To reach the Troopers.
54 A sudden loud scream. Roger startles and spins around. A woman
in the hall has seen the grisly sight, and she runs screaming
down the corridor. More confusion, as civilians push through the
Troopers who try to hold them back.
55 The Trooper in the apartment is revulsed...
Trooper: JESUS...HOLY JESUS...
A third officer enters the apartment. He speaks to the Trooper
which is closest to the writhing corpse on the floor.
Trooper 2: SHOOT IT...SHOOT IT THROUGH THE HEAD.
The young officer is too dumb struck to respond so the third
Officer pulls out his pistol. Then suddenly, from out of the
shadows, a spectre-like figure lunges at the third Officer,
flailing and biting at his arms. It is a wild-haired woman.
There are several bleeding wounds over her body. She is one of
the walking dead.
The Trooper struggles to free himself, and Roger darts into the
room. Although the Zombie is weak, she manages to hold on to the
Trooper.
Another creature suddenly appears in the bedroom doorway. A
male, it staggers out into the room. The young Trooper struggles
with his holster trying to free his hand gun. Suddenly, he feels
something on his leg. The dismembered corpse is clutching his
ankle, pulling itself closer, it's mouth open. The boy tries to
pull away, but falls onto the floor, crashing over a table and
lamp. He tries to crawl away, but the frail corpse keeps its
hold and drags along behind the young Trooper, who still cannot
free his pistol.
Roger and the third Officer fling all their weight against the
woman Zombie. She flies against a wall, but bounces back
immediately, and attacks again. The third Trooper's rifle fires.
A slug tears through the woman's chest but it doesn't stop her
onslaught. Another shot rips through her neck. Still she comes.
The boy on the floor manages to level off his pistol. He fires
at the ghoulish head which draws closer to his leg. The thing's
skull blows open and its grasp relaxes. The boy is shaking
violently. His arm and gun stay in the air, still poised. He
fires again...and again.
56 In the hall, the male Zombie appears, and the crowd panics. The
Troopers try to keep things calm.
S.W.A.T. 3: IT'S ONE OF THEM...MY GOD...IT'S ONE OF THEM.
S.W.A.T. 4: SHOOT FOR THE HEAD.
Woman: NO! NO! MIGUEL...DIOS MIO...MIGUELITO...
The woman pushes through the crowd. The Zombies advances. Before
the Trooper can stop her, the woman throws her arms around the
creature.
Woman: MIGUEL...MI VIDA...MIGUELITO...
S.W.A.T. 3: GRAB HER...GET HER OUT OF THERE...
(his gun is levelled off, but he can't get a shot)
The Zombie clutches at the woman. It bites at her neck...her
arm. She screams with terror. She tries to pull away, but the
creature holds her. It bites again. A Trooper comes up from
behind and tries to wrestle the creature away. Another Trooper
grabs the woman and tries to free her. She is screaming
insanely. The Zombie pulls another piece of flesh off her arm.
S.W.A.T. 3: STAND CLEAR...FOR CHRISSAKE...STAND CLEAR!
57 In the apartment, the female Zombie lunges at the third Trooper
and the two tumble to the floor. Roger wrestles her free and,
with all his might, throws her against the wall. She advances
again. Roger raises his gun, She is just about to reach him. He
fires. The bullet drops her.
58 In the hall, a Trooper brings his gun butt slamming against the
male ghoul's head. The creature loses his grip on the screaming
woman. The Trooper who is holding her, pulls her free across the
floor. S.W.A.T. 3 fires. The bullet tears through the Zombie's
shoulder...another shot...through his neck...another...through
the skull. It falls.
59 There is finally a calm. A few of the citizens murmur prayers.
Troopers and befuddled old people seem to drift through the
clouds of gas in a totally dazed state.
60 Roger and the third Trooper from the apartment drift to the
hallway. The third Trooper moves into the crowd, but Roger
stands against the open door jamb for a moment.
A sudden, loud gunshot makes Roger duck and spin around. He
looks into the apartment. The young Trooper has shot himself
through the head.
61 In the dark firestair, it is very quiet. Roger bursts through a
metal door from one of the halls and falls against the stair
railing. He is retching. He breathes heavily to contain himself.
He removes his mask and coughs slightly from the gas mist which
still clings in the air.
Voice: YOU'RE NOT ALONE BROTHER.
Roger tightens, grabbing for his gun. The voice is present; very
nearby. Roger looks up. Sitting on the stairs above is the
Trooper who shot Wooley. His rifle is aimed at Roger.
Voice: YOU WAS IN WOOLEY'S UNIT.
Roger: I DIDN'T SEE NOTHIN.
I DIDN'T SEE HOW HE DIED.
Roger slings his rifle, so the Trooper relaxes and lowers his
gun. He removes his gas mask. He is Black.
Roger: YOU RUNNIN?
The Black man shrugs. He hasn't decided.
Roger: I DON'T JUST MEAN 'CAUSE OF WOOLEY.
I JUST MEAN 'CAUSE OF...
Voice: YEAH. I KNOW.
Roger: THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE RUNNIN'.
I COULD RUN.
Roger stares up at the grim faced Black.
Roger: I COULD RUN RIGHT TONIGHT.
The black man just stares levelly into Roger's eyes.
Roger: FRIEND OF MINE GOT A HELICOPTER. HE DOES
TRAFFIC FOR J.A.S. GOT A HELICOPTER AND HE'S
RUNNIN' OUT WITH IT. AS'T ME T'COME.
The Black man smiles.
Roger: YOU THINK IT'S RIGHT TO RUN?
The Black man shrugs again, then he stands and walks down the
stairs. He turns past Roger on the landing and continues down
into the lingering gas mist. Roger follows.
62 A few landings down...a noise. The two Troopers freeze. The
stairwell is dark. The noise grows louder. The Troopers ready
their weapons.
The sounds are little scraping thumps, like the weary foot falls
of someone...something...trying to negotiate the stairs...There
is the low, wheezing sound of laboured breath.
The men stare at the landing below. The Black man steps forward
slightly, trying not to make a sound.
Suddenly, a figure pops out of the darkness. It falls against
the wall below. Both Troopers raise their guns. The figure pulls
away from the wall. In the mist, it's shape is ghostly...
robed...in black...is sees the Troopers...
Figure: SENORES...
PLEASE TO LET ME PASS...
The voice weakens into a low wheezing cough. The figure slumps
and sits on the steps, clinging to the railing. It is an old
Priest, obviously from a local Puerto Rican Parish.
Roger stoops next to the old man, who is struggling to keep his
breath. He is weary. He seems to be near death. He clutches at
his chest.
Roger tries to support him.
Roger: LET'S GET HIM TO THE MEDICS...
Priest: NO...NO...NO...PLEASE. JUST...LET
ME PASS...MY SISTER...I GO UP TO SEVEN
FLOOR...TO FIND MY SISTER...
Roger: THEY'RE TAKIN' EVERYONE DOWN...THEY PROBABLY
BROUGHT HER DOWN...COME ONE...
Priest: MY SISTER...SHE IS DEAD...THEY TELL ME...
THE DEAD THEY DO NOT BRING DOWN.
Roger and the Black Trooper shoot glances at one another.
Priest: JUST LET ME PASS. MARTINEZ IS DEAD.
THE PEOPLE OF 107 WILL DO WHAT YOU
WISH NOW. THESE SIMPLE PEOPLE...
BUT STRONG...THEY HAVE LITTLE...BUT THEY
DO NOT GIVE IT UP EASILY. AND THEY GIVE
UP THEIR DEAD...TO NO ONE!
The Priest goes into a coughing fit. The Troopers look on. Roger
wants to help in some way.
Priest: MANY HAVE DIED ON THESE STREETS IN THE LAST
WEEKS...IN THE BASEMENT OF THIS BUILDING
YOU FIND THEM...
The Troopers are shocked. The Priest struggles to his feet.
Priest: I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE LAST RITES.
NOW...YOU DO WHAT YOU WILL...
The old man starts up the stairs. Roger moves to help him, but
the big Black man stops him. The Priest weaves up through the
gas mist, coughing.
Priest: YOU ARE STRONGER THAN US...BUT SOON, I
THINK...THEY BE STRONGER THAN YOU...
The old man's voice trails off up the stairwell as he disappears
in the cloud...
Priest: WHEN THE DEAD WALK, SENORES...WE MUST
STOP THE KILLING...OR WE LOSE THE WAR...
63 In the basement of the large building, S.W.A.T. troopers pry at
the boards which are nailed over the entrance to the storage
area.
The rest of the riot troops stand at the ready, weapons
raised...high powered rifles...flame throwers...
The nails creak loudly as they are pulled free. The men are
silent, not knowing what to expect.
There are three boards left...then two...
With a great, tearing sound, the door flies open before the men
remove the last boards. The boards fly and the door almost rips
off its hinges. Like flood waters, a small army of Zombies
pushes into the hall.
They are wide eyed and terrifying. In life, they were mostly
Blacks and Puerto Ricans from the neighbouring buildings. They
are all ages, from the very old to the very young.
The riot troops are stunned. They cannot react quickly enough,
and the squeeze is so tight in the little hall that it is
impossible to shoot accurately, or without the bullets injuring
other troopers.
The men fight back, wrestling and trying to back away. In the
front line, Zombies bite at the flesh of the humans. Teeth tear
into arms and hands. Some men are trampled in the crush.
Commander: BACK OFF...BACK OFF...SPREAD OUT...
The rear lines retreat into the wider vestibule, and as the mass
of struggling bodies spreads out, shots begin to fire. Some
Troopers, at close quarters, are able to fire off accurate
rounds with their hand guns. Others fall and are lunged at by
clutching ghouls.
Roger and the Black Trooper are in the middle of the battle.
They fight off several of the creatures. The battle spreads into
little skirmishes through the dark hallways. The highly
organized Troopers are scattered and confused by the mindless
onslaught.
64 As the main action moves away from the entrance to the storage
area, several Troopers move into the room.
The walls are dank and grey. There is a dripping sound. All
around lie remnants of human civilization. Baby buggies and
bicycles chained to pipes which ring the area. Large trunks and
cartons of every size and shape, old beds and other furniture.
And here and there throughout the large area lie the remains of
corpses. They have been eaten away. Most of them are still
moving, their heads uninjured.
Two of the Troopers retreat, revulsed. The sound of the gunfire
and screaming can be heard from the hall.
The big Black man walks calmly into the room. Roger watches him.
He walks up to the writhing creatures one at a time, and fires
carefully aimed shots into their heads with his hand gun. Tears
roll down his cheeks.
Some of the creatures are without arms and legs. Some have been
eaten away about the neck and shoulder. They moan with a
gurgling, gutteral sound as they try to move.
A young Black Zombie, pulling itself along the floor with one
arm, draws close to the Black Trooper. The big man aims his
pistol. It clicks...empty. He quickly and efficiently reaches
for more ammunition and begins to reload. The Zombie pulls
closer, its mouth wide.
Roger steps up behind the other Trooper and fires into the
creatures head with his automatic rifle.
The Black man brushes tears from his eyes and continues to load
the pistol.
Roger disposes of several other creatures. he comes to a place
where several are piled together. Some lie still, others writhe
about. Two on the heap, although they cannot move about, are
eating at parts of other bodies. Roger shoots them. They never
look up. They don't seem to notice him at all.
A loud creaking sound breaks the mood suddenly. Roger looks up.
65 In the ceiling, a double set of loading doors has been opened.
Several other Troopers look down into the storage area.
Trooper: JESUS CHRIST.
He shines a light beam down towards Roger.
Trooper: YOU OK DOWN THERE?
Roger nods.
Trooper: THIS MUST BE WHERE THEY DUMPED 'EM IN.
Roger looks down at the pile of corpses beneath the opening.
Trooper: YOU NEED MORE MEN?
Roger shakes his head "no".
Trooper: JESUS CHRIST.
The trooper leaves the opening. He is replaced by two others who
just stare down into the storage room through the weird, round
lenses of their masks.
66 The distant sounds of the battle in the hall flare up again. The
big Black man snaps his loaded clip into his pistol and takes a
few steps forwards. He sees a corpse wrapped in a bed sheet and
tied securely with clothes line. It looks like a mummy. It is
writhing, trying to free itself. he shoots it through the head.
Nearby, a small corpse, that of a very young child, is also
writhing, but the end of the shroud, where the child's feet
should be, has been torn open and is bloody. A stump kicks
around the blood where a foot has been eaten off. The Black man
fires into the thing's head.
Roger: THEY...ATTACK...EACH OTHER...
Black: JUST THE FRESH CORPSES...BEFORE THEY REVIVE...
Roger: WHY DID THESE PEOPLE KEEP THEM HERE? WHY
DON'T THEY TURN THEM OVER...OR...OR DESTROY
THEM THEMSELVES...IT'S INSANE...WHY DO THEY
DO IT?
Black: 'CAUSE THEY STILL BELIEVE THERE'S
RESPECT IN DYING.
The big man fires into the head of another squirming Zombie.
67 In the halls of the building, Troopers fall and are pounced on
by ghouls. Other Troopers fire their automatics through the
heads of attacking Zombies. The riot troops try to stay
organized, but the onslaught is so mindless and random that it
is turning into a riot.
68A The buildings of Philadelphia loom in the moonlight. What few
lights remain lit reflect in the waters of the Delaware.
68B It is quiet except for the slight sounds of lapping water and an
occasional wooden creak as the floating docks strain against one
another.
There are a few big Police launches still docked in the marina.
They bob about silently. The chain, which normally restricted
the area, is broken and dangling. The sign, which reads: CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA - POLICE - NO ADMITTANCE clangs against the broken
chain in the wind.
Halfway down the long dock is a little guard house. Inside,
sitting at a radio transmitter, is the corpse of a uniformed
guard.
Nearby is a separate floating dock on which is painted a large
square pattern. It is a landing bay for Police helicopters.
Alongside, afloat separately but securely chained fast, is a
small fuel barge, with pumps and hoses for refueling the chopper
and launches.
The other bodies lie bleeding on the bobbing docks, another
officer and a civilian. A bell buoy rings in the distance and we
begin to hear the sound of an approaching helicopter.
The blades of the J.A.S. Traffic Copter whine as they gear down
for a landing. The whirlybird settles like a hummingbird on the
gently bobbing heliport.
69 With the blades still spinning loudly, Stephen hops out of the
cockpit.
Steve: COME ON...I NEED YOU.
Francine unbuckles her safety belt and jumps out of her side of
the machine. Steve runs, ducking under the blades, around to the
woman's side of the cockpit, grabs her hand, and they make for
the fuel pumps.
Steve: I DON'T SEE ROGER. WE'LL GIVE HIM TEN MINUTES.
Fran: OH MY GOD!
70 The woman freezes in mid stride, and her action brings Stephen's
eyes around to see what she is staring at. The two bodies which
lie near the fuel pumps.
Steve: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT IN IT AT ALL.
IT'S TOUGH TO GET USED TO IT.
He pulls her quickly along. They have to actually step over the
civilian corpse. Fran freezes again. She can't bring herself to
walk over the body. Steve lets go of her hand and checking the
tank gauge, he pulls the hose with him as he moves quickly back
to Fran. The long hose is heavy, and it bobbles the civilian
corpse, almost rolling it over. The back of the bodies head has
been blown out by the exit wound of a powerful bullet. Blood
still runs. The wound is fresh. Steve does not see this as he
tugs the hose over the corpse and moves to the helicopter with
Fran following.
71 At the side of the machine, the blades still spinning overhead,
Steve jams the hose nozzle into the fuel tank receptacle. He
pulls one of Fran's hands into the nozzle mechanism.
Steve: JUST LIKE THIS...LIKE A CAR...
Fran responds, getting the feel of the nozzle trigger.
Steve: THAT'S IT...JUST HOLD HER THERE 'TIL SHE
SPITS OUT AT YA.
The woman takes over and Stephen trots away toward the guard
shed. The propeller blades still spin. They make an eerie,
whispering sound as they pass over Fran's head. She can hear the
lapping water now, and the creaking moans of the shifting docks.
She looks this way and that, fear in her eyes.
72 At the guard house, Stephen rushes in to find the dead radio
operator. A signal is coming over the receiver in Morse Code.
The corpse is slumped over the desk and it is covering the send
key. A small entry wound is barely visible in the back of the
dead man's head. As Stephen pulls the body up to an erect
posture in its chair, he sees that the exit of the bullet all
but obliterated the corpse's face. Again the wound is still
running and bits of flesh and blood are splattered about the
desk and the radio unit.
Stephen clicks on the send switch and he quickly begins to send
a message in Morse:
OPERATOR DEAD...POST ABANDONED...
73 Back on the fuel dock, the long hose brushes over the civilian
corpse. A shadow moves nearby, making is aware of a presence
other than Fran's.
74 The woman switches hands on the pump nozzle. The blades still
whoosh overhead. Then she hears the sound of another engine. She
looks towards the mainland. The headlights of an approaching
vehicle can be seen.
75 At the guard house, Stephen, hearing the approaching engine,
steps into the doorway and looks up the dock. He calls to Fran.
Steve: I HOPE IT'S ROGER.
76 Fran: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Steve: I'LL BE RIGHT THERE.
77 He ducks back into the shed. He snatches up a First Aid Kit and
throws it into a khaki knapsack. He rummages in the darkness. He
finds a toolbox.
As he stands up, he backs into a tall figure which stands in the
shadows. Feeling something sharp and hard against his back.
Steve recoils and spins to face the figure. It is a uniformed
officer. His rifle is levelled off at Steve's chest. From out of
the shadows, a second Policeman appears with a hand gun cocked
and aimed.
78 Fran's eyes strain to discern the approaching vehicle, but
suddenly she catches a movement in the corner of her vision.
Through the open sides of the helicopter bubble, she notices a
Police van. It has been there all along, it's doors flung wide
open, as though abandoned hurriedly. Now one of the rear doors
move. A figure appears carrying a large packing carton. The
figure is uniformed, with two rifles strapped to its back. It
rushes toward the launch docks.
Voice: JUST STAY COOL.
Fran, already startled by the running figure, is now doubly
shocked by the calm voice behind her. She spins and the fuel
nozzle clatters out of it's receptacle to the wooden dock
boards. She is facing another "Policeman", to aims a rifle
directly at her head.
Officer 1: IF YOU DIE...IT'LL BE YOUR OWN FAULT.
The Officer who is running with the carton shouts toward the
Guard House.
Officer 2: COME ON SKIPPER...THEY GOT FRIENDS COMIN'.
79 In the Guard House, Steve is held at bay by one of the Officers
while the other uniformed man moves to the door to check the
progress of the approaching vehicles.
Officer 3: WHO ARE YOU?
Steve: WE'RE WITH J.A.S...WE...
Officer 4: (at the door)
ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF.
(referring to the arrival time of the vehicle)
Officer 3, the Skipper, pushes Steve with his gun barrel. Steve
spins out through the open doorway. He looks up the dock and
sees the vehicle which is just turning onto the pier which is
almost a mile long.
80 Officer 1 has moved around Fran and he reaches into the
helicopter bubble pulling out Steve's rifle.
81 Steve: NOW WAIT A MINUTE...WE'RE JUST HERE TO REFUEL...
THESE MEN WERE ALREADY DEAD...YOU WERE HERE...
YOU KNOW THAT...IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY WAS
AFTER THE LAUNCHES...WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH...
Officer 3: (looking at the insignia on the helicopter)
HEY...J.A.S. TRAFFIC WATCH...STEVE ANDREWS.
Steve: (trying to capitalise on his minor celebrity power)
RIGHT...THAT'S ME...I'M STEVE ANDREWS...
Officer 3: NO SHIT.
82 Officer 1: (shouting from the helicopter)
WE'D GET A LOT FURTHER IN THIS BIRD, SKIPPER.
83 Steve freezes again, sensing that these are not law enforcers.
84 The man who was carrying the carton is now rushing back up the
dock having deposited his load in one of the motor launches.
Officer 2: CAN'T ALL FIT.
85 Officer 3: (directly to Stephen)
HOW MANY WILL THAT THING HOLD?
Officer 4: HEY, MAN, I AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE IN NOTHIN' I
CAN'T DRIVE 'R MYSELF!
86 Officer 2 has returned to the van and is carrying out another
carton rushing back to the launch.
Officer 2: THAT'S TRUE...SOMETHIN' HAPPENS TO HIM AND
WE'RE STUCK. STAY WITH THE LAUNCH!
Officer 1: GET A LOT FURTHER IN THIS BIRD!
87 Suddenly, above the two white headlights of the approaching
vehicle, we see a third light in red. It is the spinning
"bubble-gum-machine" of a Squad Car. It is heralded by one
blast of the car's siren.
88 Officer 4: HEY, THAT'S A BLACK AND WHITE!
89 Officer 1 still holds his rifle aimed at Fran.
Officer 1: THEY SEEN US!
90 Officer 3: IT'S ALRIGHT...WE'RE POLICE...
91 Officer 2 dumps his carton at the edge of the dock and pulls one
rifle from his back.
Officer 2: BULLSHIT...LET'S GET TO THE BOAT!
92 Officer 3 stares hard at Stephen. Then at the Squad Car. Then
back at the nervous young pilot.
Officer 3: YOU'RE RUNNIN', AIN'T YOU, FLY BOY?
Steve does not respond. He is terrified, not knowing what answer
to be the safest.
Officer 3: YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS IS RUNNIN' OFF IN THE
J.A.S. TRAFFIC BIRD...
The man starts to grin with knowing. He suddenly feels in more
control.
Officer 3: SIT TIGHT, BOYS...THEY'RE RUNNIN', TOO.
93 It seems to take forever for the Police Car to pull down the
dock. Stephen takes a few steps forward, squinting to see, but
he is threatened by the "Policeman's" gun barrels.
94 The car screeches to a stop and two armed S.W.A.T. Troopers
immediately pop out of the front seat on either side. They are
Roger and the Black Trooper.
Roger: WHAT'S THE PROBLEM, OFFICER?
95 Officer 3: CAUGHT YOUR FRIENDS HERE STEALIN' COMPANY
GASOLINE.
96 Roger: WHAT DO YOU MEAN FRIENDS?
Roger is trying to play dumb, assuming that the other Policemen
are on official business...
97 Steve: THEY KNOW, ROG...
THEY'RE TRYIN' TO GET OUT, TOO.
Officer 3: IT'D BE CRAZY TO START SHOOTIN' AT ONE
ANOTHER, NOW WOULDN'T IT?
98 Roger: SURE WOULD.
99 Officer 1: ALRIGHT, LET'S LOAD UP...
He slings his rifle and tosses the other gun back to Fran. She
bobbles it and it falls, skittering across the dock.
Officer 1: YOU BETTER LEARN HOW TO USE THAT THING, WOMAN.
100 The policemen start to unload crates and cartons from their Van.
The big Black Trooper pulls a few supplies from out of the squad
car and carries them toward the helicopter.
101 Fran trots over toward Stephen. He is just coming back out of
the guardhouse where he picked up the toolbox and the knapsack
full of supplies. The woman falls into his arms. Roger trots up.
Roger: YOU OK?
Stephen: (nods)
WHO'S HE?
(referring to the big Black)
Roger: HIS NAME'S PETER. HE'S ALRIGHT.
The three are already moving toward the helicopter.
Roger: LET'S HUSTLE.
102 Peter has stowed the supplies in the rear of the cockpit, and he
has noticed the fuel hose lying on the dock. He tries the nozzle
in the receptacle on the chopper and holds it in until the tank
fills.
103 The other "Policemen" are still moving cartons of supplies from
their van down the dock.
Roger: (to the other Policemen)
YOU GUYS BETTER MOVE IT. THERE'S A RADIO
REPORT ABOUT THE DOCK BEIN' KNOCKED OUT.
104 They reach the cockpit. Fran climbs in and crouches on the floor
in the rear of the bubble.
Fran: YOU SURE THIS'LL CARRY US ALL.
Steve: LITTLE HARDER ON THE FUEL, BUT WE'LL BE OK.
105 As Peter climbs aboard, one of the other policemen, carrying a
final carton, speaks to Roger.
Officer 2: HEY...YOU GOT ANY CIGARETTES.
Roger looks at the others one at a time. Fran shakes her head
"no".
Roger: SORRY. (he trots around to the passenger seat)
Steve: WHERE YA HEADED?
Officer 2: DOWN RIVER...GOT AN IDEA MAYBE WE CAN MAKE IT TO
THE ISLANDS.
Steve: WHAT ISLANDS? (he starts the engine)
Officer 2: ANY ISLANDS...WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHERE YOU HEADED?
Steve: STRAIGHT UP.
106 The Policeman rushes off with his two cohorts. As they untie one
of the launches from the dock, the J.A.S. helicopter whines
loudly. Then it lifts off the dock with a smooth motion.
The Police launch starts without a problem, and it pulls out
onto the dark river.
107 The lights on the helicopter blink as the metal bird swoops low
over the Philadelphia skyline. We see an empty city.
Independence Hall...Betsy Ross' House, which flies the original
American flag...the oldest American heritages stand coldly in
the night. The whirring engine fades overhead.
108 In the cockpit, Fran lights a cigarette. So does Roger. No one
comments, but Peter smiles slightly.
The big Black looks down at the city.
Peter: ANY OF YOU LEAVIN' PEOPLE BEHIND?
Fran: AN EX-HUSBAND.
Roger: AN EX-WIFE.
Steve: YOU, PETER?
Peter: (still looking down)
SOME BROTHERS.
109 The whirlybird cuts through the dark night sky. It flies over
open country now, moving West. Some time has passed.
110 Roger is asleep in the passenger seat. Twisted in the cramped
rear of the cockpit, Fran and Peter sit very close to each
other. Peter still stares off into the night.
Fran: REAL BROTHERS?
Peter looks at her. He has a strong face.
Fran: REAL BROTHERS OR...STREET BROTHERS?
Peter: BOTH.
Fran: HOW MANY REAL ONES?
Peter: TWO.
Fran: TWO.
Peter: ONE'S IN JAIL. THE OTHER'S A PRO BALL PLAYER.
BUT WE CATCH UP TO EACH OTHER ONCE IN A WHILE.
Fran doesn't quite know how to respond.
Peter: (nodding at Steve...the engine roars too loudly
for the pilot to hear the conversation)
HE YOUR MAN NOW?
Fran is taken off guard. She smiles slightly.
Fran: MOST OF THE TIME, YEAH.
Peter: JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHO EVERYONE IS.
Fran: YEAH. ME TOO.
111 Light downs on the horizon. The little helicopter chugs through
the shades of blue.
112 Now Fran is asleep and Roger still snores. Peter stares at the
back of the pilot's head. Steve nods slightly, then shakes
himself. Soon, he nods again...falling asleep. Peter kicks him
in the shoulder.
Steve looks back, surprised that the big man is awake. Peter
just stares at him.
Steve rubs his face violently with his free hand. He pulls at
his lower eyelids.
Steve: ANY MORE WATER?
Peter reaches into the supplies and produces a plastic container
with water. Steve slugs some of it and pours a little onto his
face. Then he passes it back to Peter, who also drinks.
Suddenly, Fran stiffens and wakes up with a start. Peter looks
over at her with a gentle expression. She takes a moment to
orient herself.
Peter: (to Stephen)
YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?
Steve: I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.
Peter: HARRISBURG? CHILLI? PARIS TEXAS?
Steve: PASSED IT ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.
Roger finally wakes up from the loud talking.
Steve: WE'RE PRETTY LOW ON FUEL. I'M JUST WAITIN'
FOR FULL LIGHT SO WE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE
LANDIN' IN.
113 In the morning light, several fires can be seen on the ground,
where buildings are burning.
114 The chopper flies over a National Guard convoy as it chugs up a
winding country road.
115 Here and there on the ground, human activity can be seen. Search
and Destroy units, made up of Police, Guardsmen and civilian
volunteers move across the country side. Occasionally, a Zombie
is seen staggering through the trees or over a field. Gunfire
cuts the creature down.
116 Roger: JESUS. IT'S EVERYWHERE.
Steve: WE'RE STILL PRETTY CLOSE TO JOHNSTOWN. WE'RE
BETTER OFF AWAY FROM THE BIG CITIES.
117 A little country airfield lies quiet in the morning sun. There
is no sign of life. A few private planes dot the area, but the
tower is empty. The J.A.S. chopper buzzes very low just outside
the tower windows.
118 As the whirlybird slowly sets down near the fuel pumps, its
blades create a wind blast which raises great clouds of dust
from the dry earth. Sheets of old newspaper and other light
debris are sent flying through the air in all directions.
119 One piece of torn newsprint blows flat against a window in one
of the little sheds. It sticks against the glass for a moment,
as though glued there, then it flutters to the ground. As the
paper clears the glass, we see the face of a badly scarred
Zombie peering out through the window.
120 As the group scrambles out of the helicopter, Stephen
immediately checks the fuel pumps.
Steve: SHIT, MAN, DAMN NEAR EMPTY.
Roger: LOTTA PRIVATE PLANES IN FARM COUNTRY LIKE THIS.
GUESS THEY ALL HIT THE PUMPS AND TOOK OFF.
Steve: TO WHERE? WHERE THE HELL CAN THEY GO?
Peter: WHERE WE GOIN?
By now, Steve has drained the dregs from the first pump into the
chopper's tank, and moved to the second pump. It spurts with
more force.
Steve: THERE'S A GOOD BIT LEFT IN THIS PUMP.
He stretches the hose toward the chopper but it doesn't quite
reach.
Steve: DAMN. I GOTTA GET IT CLOSER.
121 Steve jumps back into the cockpit and the machine lifts off the
ground.
122 Fran is watching the action, walking slowly backwards to a small
rickety hangar area. She turns and looks down to the private
hangars. Most of them are open wide, the planes they housed long
gone. One or two of the old wooden double-doors are still closed
and locked with chains and padlocks. The wind from the chopper
blades blows her hair and sends more debris flying.
123 Peter kicks open the door to the chart house. The room is dusty
and dilapidated. A few small chairs surround an old wooden
table. Several half finished cups of coffee sit on top of
wrinkled flight charts leaving brown rings on the paper. Flies
buzz loudly. An old window shade clicks against its window from
the gusting of the wind and it makes Peter flinch.
He readies his weapon. When he sees the shade, he steps over to
it easily, pulls it and lets it roll up on itself. It makes a
loud, flapping noise.
124 Outside, the chopper sets down. Roger is ready with the hose
nozzle. Ducking under the blades he inserts the device into the
tank receptacle even before Stephen has idled the engine.
Stephen hops out of the cockpit and shouts over the engine
noise.
Steve: I'M GONNA SEE WHAT'S LEFT IN THE HANGARS.
He trots off after Fran.
125 In the chart house, Peter idly drops a coin into an old coffee
machine at one end of the room. The machine clicks loudly and
spits out a cup. To Peter's surprise, the cup starts to fill
with hot brown liquid.
While he waits. Peter notices a series of notes taped to the
machine and the surrounding walls. They are all written
hurriedly in various hands and with all sorts of inks and
colors.
LUCY - GONE TO JOHNSTOWN.
CHARLES - I HAVE THE KIDS. LEFT WITH BEN.
COULDN'T WAIT. GONE TO ERIE - JACK FOSTER.
There are dozens of such messages. Peter takes the full coffee
cup from the machine. As he sips it, his eyes fall on a closet
door just across the room. It is moving slightly. It is locked,
but it bangs against the lock...once...twice...more regularly
than if caused by the wind drafts.
Peter steps closer. Now the door bangs violently with a loud
crash, but it holds. Peter sets his coffee on the chart table
and takes his rifle in both hands.
Again the door bangs hard, and a skeleton key is knocked out of
the keyhole. It falls to the floor with a metallic clang, and
Peter notices a caked blood stain where blood recently ran out
of the closet, under the door and onto the linoleum.
Another bang and a gurgling moan. One of the living dead is
trying to break out of the closet.
Quite calmly. Peter raises his rifle and aims it at the door
about head high. The rifle roars in the little room, and a
splintery hole appears in the old wooden door.
126 Outside, Fran and Stephen snap to attention at the sound of the
rifle. Fran stands at the entrance to one of the little wooden
hangars. Stephen is checking out the cockpit of an old Cessna
inside. Immediately, Stephen runs out and grabs Fran's hand. As
they turn the corner to run up the grade to the helicopter, they
are confronted with two Zombies, staggering slowly towards them
through the dust cloud from the chopper.
Fran screams. They have no weapons with them.
Steve: ROGER...ROGER...
127 Under the whirling chopper blades, Roger continues to fill the
fuel tank. In the roar of the engine, he cannot hear anything
else.
A third Zombie lumbers toward the helicopter. Roger's back is
to the creature and he is unaware of the impending danger.
128 Inside the chart house. Peter stares at the closet door. It is
still for a moment...then another moan and the door bangs again.
Peter fires two shots, lower right and lower left of the first
forming a triangle.
129 The two creatures advance slowly on Fran and Steve.
Steve: JUST RUN.
Fran is petrified. She turns and looks behind them. They are
boxed in by the hangars.
Steve: RUN RIGHT PAST 'EM...RIGHT AROUND 'EM.
THEY CAN'T CATCH YOU.
She hesitates. The Zombies draw closer.
Steve: RUN, FRANNIE. GODDAMMIT, I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
WE CAN HANDLE THEM!
Fran charges up the little grade. She runs to the right of the
creatures and they move in her direction, arms outstretched. As
she draws near to the dead things, she hesitates again in
fright. The creatures claw at the air. The one in front is
within a few feet of the woman.
Steve: RUN, FRANNIE. MOVE!
Fran stares into the dead, staring eyes of the lead Zombie. She
is almost hypnotized. At the last instant, she runs and just
gets past the creatures. A little up the grade, she turns and
looks back, stopping again.
One Zombie turns slowly and starts up the grade after Fran. The
other continues to advance on Stephen.
130 Stephen ducks back into the open hangar. It is very dark but for
thin beams of sunlight which cut through between the wooden
boards of the structure. Stephen roots around among the greasy
tools which clutter the area. He finds an enormous sledge
hammer. He runs out of the shed.
131 He dodges around the lead Zombie, who staggers on with inertia.
Steve sees that Fran is still facing the second creature. The
man takes a firm grip on the giant hammer as he charges up the
grade toward the Zombie's back. As he reaches the creature, he
brings the twenty pound steel head of the sledge slamming
against the ghoul's skull with all his might.
The creature staggers on for a few more steps, its head a bloody
pulp, then it falls to its knees and finally flops face down in
the dust.
Without breaking stride, Stephen grabs Fran's hand and the two
run toward the helicopter. The other Zombie at the hangar has
turned around and is walking up the grade.
132 Roger is pumping the last drops out of the fuel hose when he
sees the frightened couple making for the chopper.
133 As Steve charges up the grade he sees the Zombie approaching
Roger from behind. Steve shouts and Roger spins around. The
stumbling creature is very close. It raises its arms and its
hands clutch at the air. Roger lets the fuel nozzle drop to the
ground. He is trapped at the side of the machine. He doesn't
have his rifle. He fumbles with the snap on his hand-gun
holster.
Suddenly, the blank face of the Zombie turns red as the top of
its head seems to disintegrate into a bloody pulp. The creature
has walked into the spinning chopper blade. Its body staggers
forward another step or two, then the thing collapses in a heap.
134 Stephen and Fran have reached the chopper. Steve let's go of the
woman's hand and he drops his bloody sledge to the ground. He
lunges into the cockpit and snatches up his rifle, ducking in
the propeller draft.
135 The Zombie which is stumbling up the grade from the hangars
almost loses its footing, but it regains its balance and
advances steadily toward the helicopter.
136 The shot misses clean. He fires again. The bullet grazes the
creature's face. It staggers from the impact, but does not fall.
137 Roger moves quickly for his high powered weapon. Steve fires
two more rounds.
138 Another miss and another graze, this time on the arm.
139 He is about to shoot once more when Roger stops him, stepping up
alongside.
Roger calmly aims and fires one shot cleanly through the
creatures' brain.
140 The Zombie falls and papers blow over its body.
141 In the chart house. Peter fires several more shots into the
closet door. Bullet holes appear just where the creature's head
should be. There seems to be no way that the volley could have
missed.
Silence for a moment. Peter still holds his gun high.
Then, with a great crash, the closet door flies open into the
room. Two small children burst out. One has no left arm; the
other has been bleeding from a great wound in his side. They are
dead. They move directly toward Peter. Their heads are at least
a foot shorter than the bullet holes in the closet door.
Peter stares down at the creatures, revulsed. He is so startled
that he cannot react quickly enough, and they are on him. The
moment he feels their clammy grasp, he regains his survival
instincts. He cannot effectively aim his rifle. He kicks and
thrashes around. One creature flies against a wall. The other is
about to bite the man's arm. The big Black grabs the small
Zombie and flings it physically back. The other creature pounces
on his back. He throws it over his shoulders and it crashes
against its brother.
Now Peter raises his gun. As the children try to scramble to
their feet the man fires several shots in rapid succession.
First one creature falls; then the other.
Peter continues to fire, his eyes wide with desperation and
disgust. Finally his weapon clicks. It is out of ammunition.
Peter breathes heavily. He stares at the small corpses.
Instinctively, he begins loading his weapon, without even
looking at the action, as he backs wearily out toward the door
of the chart house.
142 Behind him, in the brightly sunlit doorway, we see the Zombie
who first appeared at the window. The creature staggers forward.
Peter turns and startles. He reaches for more shells and backs
away a few steps as he tries to load the bullets into his gun.
The creature reaches out and takes another step into the room.
Peter stares into the creatures eyes. Then suddenly, out in the
sunlight, a few hundred feet behind the Zombie, Stephen appears
with his rifle. Peter sees the man over the creature's shoulder.
143 Steve raises his gun and aims at the Zombie, but the barrel
seems to be on a straight line with Peter.
144 Peter ducks quickly. Steve's gun fires. The bullet misses the
creature cleanly and crashes into the room. It ricochets off
the coffee machine. Another shot crashes through the glass in
the front room.
Peter crouches, still stuffing shells into his weapon. A third
of Stephen's bullets tears through the Zombie's shoulder, but
the creature still stands. It turns toward Peter slowly. Peter
crawls under the table as another shot splatters into the coffee
cups.
145 Once again, Roger steps up beside Stephen. He fires one
carefully aimed shot, looking through his telescopic range-
finder.
146 Just as Peter finishes loading his weapon, the Zombie crashes
into the room, falling over the table and onto the floor.
147 Fran is still kneeling in the dust, trying to keep herself from
vomiting. Stephen rushes to her side. Roger, keeping his rifle
poised, shouts toward the chart house.
Roger: PETER.
148 The big Black man appears in the doorway, snapping the safety on
his rifle.
151 Fran's retching causes her to choke and cough. Steve tries to
comfort her, not knowing what to say and shaking himself.
152 Peter advances with long strides.
153 Stephen looks up when the Black man is a dozen steps away.
Immediately, he sees the anger in Peter's eyes. The big Trooper
then raises his rifle and aims it a Stephen. Steve tries to
stand, but trips and falls on his back in the dust. In an
instant, Peter is looming over him with the barrel of his rifle
aimed at point blank range for the shivering man's forehead.
Fran screams through her choking...
Fran: NO...MY GOD...DON'T... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Peter speaks calmly to Stephen, in low tones.
Peter: YOU NEVER AIM A GUN AT ANYONE, MISTER.
IT'S SCARY.
ISN'T IT?
ISN'T IT?
Stephen looks up at the tall man, shivering. Then Peter lowers
his weapon and extends his hand, helping Stephen up onto his
feet.
154 Roger clears the fuel hose from around the runners of the
chopper. Peter climbs into the cockpit and sits in the rear
without saying another word.
Roger helps Fran climb aboard. Steve wanders around the front of
the cockpit bubble and climbs into the Pilot's seat. Roger
climbs in behind Fran as she squeezes into the uncomfortable
space beside Peter. The big black offers the woman a sip of
water, which she accepts. Then she lets her head flop wearily
against the rear bulkhead.
155 Steve is urgently surveying his flight charts, shuffling the
papers and trying to seem very busy after the embarrassment of
the incident.
Steve: WE GOTTA FIND FUEL. MAYBE CLOSER TO PITTSBURGH.
Roger: NO, WE'VE GOTTA STAY OUT OF THE BIG CITIES.
IT IT'S ANYTHING LIKE PHILLY WE MIGHT NEVER
GET OUT ALIVE.
Peter: WE MIGHT NOT GET OUT OF ANY PLACE ALIVE.
WE ALMOST DIDN'T GET OUT OF HERE.
Roger: WE'RE GETTIN' OUTA HERE FINE.
AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT TOO MANY OF THOSE
THINGS WE CAN HANDLE 'EM EASY.
Peter: YEAH, WELL IT WASN'T "THOSE THINGS" THAT
NEARLY BLEW ME AWAY!
Stephen turns around and is about to say something angrily.
Roger stops him by speaking urgently.
Roger: WE GOTTA STAY IN THE STICKS. THERE'S BOUND TO
BE MORE LITTLE PRIVATE AIRPORTS UPSTATE.
Steve: (reluctantly going back to his charts)
THERE'S THE LOCKS ALONG THE ALLGHENY.
FUEL STATIONS THERE, PRIVATE AND STATE.
Roger: PROB'LY STILL MANNED. WE DON'T NEED THOSE
HASSLES EITHER.
Steve: THEY'RE JUST OUT AFTER SCAVENGERS...LOOTERS...
Peter: OH, YOU GOT THE PAPERS FOR THIS LIMOUSINE?
Steve: (angrily)
I GOT J.A.S. ID. SO DOES FRAN.
Peter RIGHT. AND WE'RE OUT HERE DOIN' TRAFFIC REPORTS?
WAKE UP, SUCKER. WE'RE THIEVES AND BAD GUYS IS
WHAT WE ARE. AND WE GOTTA FIND OUR OWN WAY!
There is a long silence. The engine drones, but the helicopter
still sits on the ground. The men look at each other. Peter
takes a long slug of water.
Fran: JESUS CHRIST. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE
GOING. WE DON'T HAVE A RADIO. WE'RE RUNNING
OUT OF WATER. WE NEED FOOD....STEPHEN,
YOU NEED TO SLEEP.
156 We see a wide shot of the little airfield. The J.A.S. chopper
sits on the ground for a moment, it's props spinning. The, with
a surge of power, it lifts off and flies away. The dry earth
swirls up into clouds and blows more bits of paper over the
wide-eyed corpses which lie in the morning sunlight.
157 We see the facade of an enormous structure. It is a huge,
suburban shopping mall. The outer walls are all concrete, and
their clean lines stretch upward for more than two storeys. The
building looks like a giant domino lying flat on the ground.
There are only four entrances, and the shops which are housed
within have no windows opening onto the surrounding lot.
158 In the immense area around the building, lanes and stalls are
painted for automobile parking. What few cars now dot the area
are parked randomly, some with their doors open wide.
159 We hear the sound of the helicopter engine fading in, then we
see the little machine as it approaches and eases down onto the
roof of the building.
160 In the parking lot, walking among the abandoned vehicles, we see
several of the living dead. They look almost like normal
shoppers at the mall for morning chores, but their lumbering
walk is unmistakably stiff.
161 At one of the mall entrances, we see a revolving door flanked
by several regularly hinged doors, all made of glass and
surrounded by large windows. A few of the Zombies manage to
negotiate the hinged doors and enter the building. Others bounce
off windows and claw the transparent glass in confusion. One
creature walks around in the revolving door endlessly.
There are a good many of the creatures, but they are spread out
and far between. They move with no seeming purpose.
We do not yet see the mall interior. The Zombies pay no
attention to the sound of the chopper engine stopping overhead.
162 On the roof, even as the blades of the helicopter still spin,
the humans are out and moving to the edge of the building. They
look down at the creatures which dot the parking lot.
Fran: OH MY GOD!
Stephen: NO CHANCE. FORGET IT, LET'S GET OUTTA HERE.
Roger: WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE...THEY CAN'T
GET UP HERE.
Steve: YEAH, AND WE CAN'T GO DOWN THERE!
Roger: LET'S CHECK IT OUT.
Roger trots away.
163 Peter has moved directly to an area where a giant grid of
transparent Plexiglas bubbles face down into the building. He
stares through one of them and can see into the mall below.
Roger trots up and peers through another of the bubbles.
Peter: MOST OF THE GATES ARE DOWN. I DON'T THINK
THEY CAN GET INTO THE STORES.
164 The vantage point only reveals a small aspect of the interior,
a square plaza with a garden beneath the sunroof of transparent
bubbles. The space is open all the way down to the garden, which
is two storeys below. Around the garden on the bottom floor can
be seen the entrances to several shops. All but one have heavy
metal cage gates down and locked into position.
One or two Zombies are seen wandering about. They cannot enter
the stores, except for the one which is un-gated.
Halfway up the walls can be seen a balcony railing which rings
the entire plaza, it is a second story of shops. The same cage-
gates seal off the visible store entrances, but none of the dead
creatures are evident on the balcony.
165 Fran and Stephen come trotting up to the bubbles.
Roger: I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THEM UP ON THE SECOND
FLOOR.
Peter: THE BIG DEPARTMENT STORES USUALLY USE BOTH
FLOORS.
Roger: IF WE CAN GET IN UP TOP...
166 Peter is looking across the rest of the expansive rooftop. He
takes off toward a series of other housings which jut up out of
the otherwise flat surface. Roger follows.
167 Fran: (still staring down through a bubble)
WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
WHY DO THEY COME HERE?
Steve: (also looking down)
SOME KIND OF INSTINCT. MEMORY...OF WHAT THEY
USED TO DO. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN
THEIR LIVES.
168 Below, the Zombies which are in sight wander aimlessly over the
plaza. Some try the gates but cannot budge them. One wanders out
of the single open shop, it is a female. The shop is an
appliance store. As the creature leaves she drags a toaster idly
behind her, pulling it by its power cable. It scrapes on the
floor loudly.
169 We see an installation of large reflectors mounted in an
intricate metal skeleton which stretches across a large area of
the roof surface. Behind the structures can be seen a large
power generator.
170 Peter: SOLAR SCREENS.
Roger: CAN'T BE ENOUGH TO POWER THIS PLACE.
Peter: EMERGENCY SYSTEM, MAYBE.
Roger: IT'S PRETTY LIT UP IN THERE.
Peter: GUESS THE POWER'S NOT OFF IN THIS AREA.
A LOT OF PHILLY'S STILL LIT. COULD BE NUCLEAR.
171 Roger: HEY LOOK AT THIS!
Roger is peering down through a wire-hatched skylight. There are
several laid out over this particular area of the roof. He moves
to another while Peter looks down into the first. Fran and
Stephen jog up.
Roger: THESE DON'T GO DOWN INTO THE MALL.
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?
Fran and Stephen peer down into the darkness. Peter pulls a
flashlight from his utility belt. He has stayed in full uniform
all the while, where Roger has stripped off all but his
ammunition belt and pistol holster.
172 The big man shines a light beam down into the space. The floor
is only seven feet or so below the window. There is absolutely
nothing in sight; clear floor, clear walls, all light grey.
Peter: DAMN.
173 Roger has moved to another window.
Roger: HEY, OVER HERE. THERE'S SOMETHIN' HERE.
174 Peter trots over and shines his beam down. They see a vast
array of cardboard cartons...hundreds of them.
Roger: STORAGE?
175 Peter moves the light beam. Now it illuminates a collection of
large drums, stacked floor to ceiling and running deep past the
line of vision. On the face of each drum is the familiar symbol
of a triangle within a circle, and the letters C.D.
176 Peter: CIVIL DEFENCE. CIVIL DEFENCE WATER SUPPLY.
Roger: AND BOXES OF CANNED FOOD!
Steve: HOW DO WE GET DOWN THERE?
Peter looks at Stephen as a street-wise-tough would look at a
hopeless city-slick-sissy. Then the big man brings his rifle
butt down against the glass and the shattered pane crashes to
the floor below.
177 Inside - the vast space is impressive. It is quite dark but for
rays of sunlight which drift through the occasional skylights.
We see an enormous quantity of food cartons and water drums, it
is very quiet. The space is barren except for the stacks of
Civil Defence supplies.
178 Suddenly, a figure drops out of one of the skylights, landing on
its feet in the sunray. It is Peter.
Instantly he readies his rifle, looking this way and that across
the large room. Silence.
Peter: OK.
He steps aside and Roger climbs in. He too drops cat-like to the
floor.
179 The two men instantly sling their rifles and move to the food
cartons as by pre-arranged plan. They carry the big boxes
quickly, one at a time, to the spot under the open skylight.
In a moment, they have built a pyramid out of the cartons. It
creates a kind of stairway for a quick escape through the window
above.
180 Now Fran lowers herself into the room and is able to climb down
the cartons holding onto Roger's hand. She is followed by an
anxious Stephen.
181 Peter has already wandered off. There are only two doors in the
enormous room, one at either end. The big Trooper moves up to
one of them as Roger comes up behind him, gun ready.
Peter's hand turns the doorknob. It is unlocked, and the big man
gives Roger a familiar nod. Roger stands several feet back, his
rifle aimed directly at the door and ready to fire. Then, with a
sudden, commando-like motion. Peter throws the door open and
ducks away flat against the wall. Roger stiffens, his finger all
but pulling his trigger, but there is no apparent danger.
182 The door opens onto another vast room, equivalent to the one the
people are in. It also has stacks of C.D. supplies.
The Troopers cautiously move into the area through the door. The
room is empty. The same sunrays pierce the darkness through
skylights. All is dead quiet. This room has no doors at all, but
for the one Peter opened.
Roger: DOUBLE DAMN! LOOKS LIKE A FREE LUNCH, BUDDY.
183 In the first room Stephen has started to rip open one of the
cartons.
Fran: SPAM!
Roger walks back into the room.
Roger: YOU BRING A CAN OPENER?
Fran: OH.
Roger: THEN DON'T KNOCK SPAM. IT'S GOT IT'S OWN KEY.
The woman flips over the can in her hand and finds the little
key.
Peter has walked right past the group. He is moving quickly
toward the still-unknown door at the other end of the room.
Again, Roger follows.
184 At the door, the two Troopers go through the same S.W.A.T.
procedure. The door swings open, this time onto a very small
space. Again no immediate danger.
185 As the men enter, they discover that they are on the top landing
of a concrete and metal firestair. There are no windows, and the
air is musty. There is one bare light bulb lit in the ceiling,
but down the stairs at the next landing it is quite dark, and
there the stairs wind even further down; they recede into
blackness.
Roger: WHATD'YA THINK?
The Black man just stares, first down into the darkness then
back into the storage area.
Roger: THIS IS THE ONLY WAY UP HERE. WHATD'YA THINK?
186 A great barricade of food cartons has been stacked against the
stairway door.
187 Near the pyramid under the open skylight, the group of refugees
sits on the floor.
Stephen is asleep. Fran sits next to his curled form, her hand
in his hair. Roger leans against the pyramid and Peter sits in
the lotus position, his gun across his legs, squarely facing the
suspicious stairwell. He and Roger still pick at their food.
Roger swills water from an empty Spam can which he has filled
from one of the C.D. drums.
Roger: YOU BETTER GET SOME SLEEP, TOO, BUDDY.
Peter: THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF STUFF DOWN THERE THAT
WE COULD USE, BROTHER.
Roger: I KNOW IT.
Fran stiffens at the talk. She doesn't believe what she is
hearing. She knows instantly that the men will try to raid the
mall.
Peter: THEY'RE PRETTY SPREAD OUT DOWN THERE.
IT'S A BIG PLACE. I THINK WE WOULD OUT-RUN 'EM.
Roger: HIT AND RUN.
Peter: HIT AND RUN... MAYBE GRAB US OFF A RADIO...
Fran: YOU'RE CRAZY!
Roger: THIS PLACE COULD BE A GOLD MINE.
WE GOTTA AT LEAST CHECK IT OUT.
188 Roger checks his weaponry and quickly moves toward the door
where he begins to remove the barricade of cartons. Peter still
sits, checking his own guns.
189 Fran: THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY
FROM...LOOK WHAT HAPPENED AT THE AIRPORT...
Peter: THE ONLY PROBLEM AT THE AIRPORT WAS STRAY BULLETS!
WE COULD OUTFIGHT THOSE DUMMIES BLINDFOLDED.
Fran: STEPHEN...(the exhausted Pilot is sleeping through
it all)
Peter: (standing)
LEAVE HIM BE. WE'RE GOIN' OURSELVES.
The big Trooper bends over snatching up Stephen's rifle. He
snaps off the safety and slams a shell into the chamber. He
hands it to the woman.
Peter: THAT'S READY TO SHOOT. BE CAREFUL.
Fran holds the gun gingerly.
Peter: THE TRIGGER SQUEEZES REAL EASY, BUT THE WEAPON'LL
KICK YOU GOOD WHEN IT FIRES. BE READY FOR THAT.
Fran WAIT A MINUTE, I...
Peter: ANYONE BUT US COMES UP THEM STAIRS, YOU GUYS
TAKE OFF IN THE MACHINE. WE'LL TRY TO MAKE IT
OUT TO THE PARKIN' LOT. YOU CAN PICK US UP THERE.
Fran just stares up at the big man, with desperation in her
eyes. She has stopped arguing seeing that the Troopers'
decision is made.
Peter: IF WE DON'T SHOW UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES...
WE'LL CATCH UP TO YOU SOME OTHER TIME.
YOU UNDERSTAND?
190 In the dimly lit firestair, the door on the top landing pulls
open suddenly. The stairway is still empty.
The Troopers move slowly out onto the landing. They look down
into the darkness below. Then they move slowly and silently down
the steps. Fran appears on the upper landing. She stands in the
doorway clutching the rifle.
Peter stops for a moment, looking back up at the frightened
woman.
Peter: YOU'LL PROB'LY HEAR SOME SHOOTING.
JUST DON'T PANIC, OK.
Fran sighs exhaustedly.
Peter: YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT. IT'S OUR ASSES THAT'S IN
THE FIRE.
191 Two landings below, there is almost no light. Roger clicks on
his flashlight and shines the beam around. He is in a very small
concrete space. The stairs go down no further. There is only one
door. Peter eases down the steps behind.
Roger: THIS IS THE ONLY WAY UP THERE.
192 We see the other side of the metal door. It stands in another
cement walled space, which also seems small from our angle, but
it is fully lit.
The door opens slowly, and the Troopers cautiously step out. As
the camera swings around, we see that the men are at the end of
a long narrow hallway. Directly across from them are two open
supply rooms, one containing a stationery sink and a toilet.
Both rooms are filled with cleaning supplies.
193 Down along the hall can be seen a dozen or so doorways. Some
doors are open, some are closed. Along the opposite wall there
is nothing.
The far end of the hall, about a hundred yards away, opens out
onto the second story of the mall proper.
194 The men look at one another and slowly move down the corridor.
They try the first two doors, which are locked. The third is
wide open.
195 Roger ducks quickly into the room with his rifle raised. It is
a large administrative office, with rows of desks which are
fully equipped for a staff of secretaries and accountants.
196 The next room has a closed door, but it is unlocked. Peter
swings the door open and silently jumps into the room. This is
a much more spartan area, with two metal desks and a few chairs.
There are several phones. It is a maintenance office. On one
wall is a large map of the mall, with pin flags and scribbling
over an acetate which covers the drawing. At the other end of
the space is a huge electrical panel with circuit breakers and
an entire series of master controls all keyed by a number code
to another map of the mall showing electrical installations.
On the wall behind Peter is a large blackboard and two metal
cabinets. One is open. It contains all sorts of tools, manual
and electric. There are circuit testers, walkie talkie units and
there are several enormous rings containing hundreds of keys,
also color and number coded. Peter grabs up one of the rings
and Roger steps up behind him.
Roger: THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM.
197 Back in the hallway, Roger's hand tries another doorknob and
throws the door open. This opens onto beautifully plush offices,
obviously the executive headquarters.
The rooms interconnect, and while Peter walks from door to door
in the corridor, Roger moves through the inner doors, meeting
Peter at each room. One office is more elegant than the next,
with the latest in designer furniture and expensive decorations.
198 The Troopers finally reach a room on which both the interior and
corridor doors are closed and locked. The brass nameplate on the
interior door reads C.J. Porter - President.
199 Roger moves out to the corridor where he joins Peter. They move
into the exterior corridor. They are very near the end of the
hall, and the brightly lit shopping area is close at hand. They
can only see a small section.
200 The balcony on their side is railed off against the open drop
down to the first floor, and across the great cavity they see
the opposite balcony. On the far side only two store fronts can
be seen. They are both gated and shut.
201 The two realize what dangers might face them in the mall proper.
They look at each other and move forward, each clinging to
opposite walls in the corridor.
202 As they reach the mall proper they slowly and carefully peer
around their respective corners.
203 The upper balcony totally surrounds the vast interior of the
building, and at several points bridges across from one side to
the other. Little shops of all types run along the entire length
of the balcony, and at each far end, stands the entrance arches
for a large department store.
Most of the stores are gated, but several seem open. The big
department stores are gated and locked. Here and there tall
trees grow up from the ground floor and reach up into view of
the second storey. There are none of the living dead evident on
the balcony.
204 The two troopers move slowly and quietly to the railing. The
crouch and peer down through the bars of the rail. Below, the
sight is even more spectacular.
205 Stores of every type offer gaudy displays of consumer items.
Everything from clothing to appliances. Photo equipment; audio
and video outlets; sporting goods and weaponry; gourmet foods
and natural organic foods. There is a Book Store, a Record
Store, a Real Estate Agency and a Bank; A Novelty Shop, a Gift
Shop; all with the absolute latest in American consumer items.
And at either end of the concourse like the main Altars at each
end of a Cathedral, stand the mammoth two story Department
Stores; great symbols of a consumer society.
Down the center of the ground floor, along with the gardens and
park benches, are little stalls. One is a Tobacco Specialist
another Jewellery; another is a small Photo Portrait stall where
mothers had their children photographed. There are restaurants
and Snack Bars and numerous coin operated machines selling
everything from children's toys to Blood Pressure readings.
There is a large turntable, designed to spin but which is now
still, holding a late model car on exhibit. Another turntable
displays futuristic household appliances.
The images are all too familiar, but in their present state they
appear as an archaeological discovery revealing the Gods and
Customs of a civilization now gone.
The ghosts of a civilization, however, are not figments in the
mind. They are quite real. And they walk below in the aisles of
the great Cathedral. At least twenty Zombies can be seen from
the Troopers' perspective.
206 Roger: IT'S CHRISTMASTIME DOWN THERE, BUDDY.
Peter: FAT CITY, BROTHER. HOW WE GONNA WORK IT.
Roger: WE GET INTO THE DEPARTMENT STORES UP HERE.
THEY PROB'LY HAVE THEIR OWN ESCALATORS INSIDE.
Peter: LET'S CHECK THOSE KEYS.
207 The Troopers stealthily pull away from the railing and back into
the administrative corridor. Then they move quickly down the
hall toward the Maintenance Office.
208 As the men leave the balcony, the camera pans. Several yards
away a Zombie staggers out of one of the open stores. It is
followed by a second creature, a female without one arm. They
are moving along the balcony toward the open corridor.
209 In the Maintenance Office, the Troopers are checking the keys
against the coded map on the wall.
Roger: SEVENTY TWO...U. AND D. ...HERE IT IS...
The men check the keys. Peter finds corresponding numbers.
Peter: HERE.
Roger: LET'S JUST HOPE IT'S RIGHT.
Peter: LOOK HERE (on the map) THESE NUMBERS MUST ALL
BE DOCKS (he points) FRONT...SIDE...BACK OUTSIDE,
MUST BE LIKE LOADING DOCKS...BUT WHAT ARE THESE?
The man points to several numbered spots which seem to be within
the big Department Store they are studying.
Roger: WASHROOMS...EQUIPMENT...I DUNNO.
Roger moves off toward the electrical control panel. Peter still
stares at the map.
Peter: I GUESS THESE GOTTA BE THE GATES.
Roger: HOW ABOUT A LITTLE MUSIC?
Peter: WHAT?
210 The big Black moves up behind his partner. One of the controls
on the panel is marked: MUSIC TAPE. It indicates a master switch
which is in the off position. Another is marked FLOOR EXHIBITS
and a series of others are marked ESCALATORS. There are dozens
of master switches which are in the off mode.
Peter: POWER SWITCHES.
Roger: THE MUSIC MIGHT COVER THE NOISE WE MAKE.
Peter: HIT 'EM ALL. MIGHT AS WELL HAVE POWER IN
EVERYTHING. WE MIGHT NEED IT.
Roger hits the switches one at a time.
211 Throughout the mall, we hear the drone of the dull, mass
produced music designed to lull a shopper's brain.
212 Upstairs, Francine startles at the sound from below. She snaps
the rifle into her hands, ready to fire. She has been standing
just inside the storage area. She steps into the firestair and
looks down into the darkness. The sounds of the insipid music
drift up to her. She leans into the storage area again.
Fran: STEPHEN...
STEPHEN!
213 Steve, still lying on the floor against the escape pyramid,
slowly awakens.
214 Down on the first floor of the big mall, things begin to work.
The automobile turntable starts spinning; the great escalators
move up and sown. Two of the living dead, caught just starting
up two stalled escalator, fall and roll down as the mechanical
steps begin moving.
Lights blink on the exhibits, and mechanical window displays
begin their robot-like motions. It is like a Carnival coming
alive. The Zombies which wander the floor look about in
confusion. Some of them swat ineffectively at the moving
exhibits.
215 In a very tall cage, which reaches from the first floor all the
way to the ceiling, the Tropical Birds which are housed within
begin to flutter and squawk.
216 In a pet shop, there are puppies and kittens in a window
display. They whine and scramble over one another in fright at
the noise and the motion and the colored lights.
217 On one of the floor exhibits, a rear-projection movie starts. It
is a dryly produced film about the merits of a Real Estate
Developer's new tract of suburban houses. A narrator speaks in a
friendly voice:
... and for prices which anyone can afford,
you can live in these luxurious new homes
by Brandon. Fully electric, central air, ..etc.
218 In the Maintenance Office, the Troopers ready themselves for
their raid. Peter secures the vital key ring to his utility
belt and the move out.
Peter and Roger move down the Hall and exit through door to
exterior corridor.
219 Just as Roger moves through the door into the corridor, he is
confronted by the Zombies from the balcony. He startles and
ducks back into the room. The closest Zombie is reaching out
with clutching hands. Peter raises his gun and fires two shots
cleanly through the creature's head.
220 As the shots ring through the area, Fran, standing at the top of
the firestair, startles. Steve grabs the rifle from the woman.
Steve: JESUS CHRIST...
THEY'RE MANIACS.
221 The Troopers step over the corpse. The second Zombie, the
armless female, is walking toward them. This time Roger fires
his weapon. The creature falls in a heap.
Roger: WHATD'YA THINK? BAG IT OR TRY FOR IT?
Peter: YOU GAME?
Roger nods and the two men run down the hall toward the mall.
Their rifles poised, they are like commandos on an important
mission.
The men at the mall mouth see the department store and start for
it. They run from the corridor onto the balcony.
222 The battle to win the mall has begun. The creatures which wander
the first floor look about, attracted by the sound, but they are
confused. They walk this way and that, in mis-guided staggering
strides.
223 Several of the Zombies try to move up the down-escalator. They
fall over themselves and cannot negotiate the moving stairway.
224 A few creatures who move onto the up-escalator also fall against
each other from the movement, but one falls onto the moving
steps and is carried upward. Then another manages to keep its
balance holding on to the hand rail.
225 At another point down the length of the mall, there is a
stationary stairway which runs from the first to the second
floor. Several creatures move up the steps.
226 At the top of the firestair, Stephen begins to move down the
steps cautiously. His rifle is at the ready. Fran stays on the
top landing.
Fran: STEPHEN, DON'T GO DOWN THERE.
(he continues)
STEPHEN PLEASE!
Steve: IT'S ALRIGHT.
227 At the huge gate which locks off the big Department Store,
the two Troopers come to a crashing stop.
228 There is a side concourse which can be seen from this vantage
point, and in the hall are four or five Zombies. They are about
three hundred feet away.
229 Roger keeps his rifle levelled off in the direction of the
creatures while Peter confronts the lock at the middle of the
big roll gate.
He fumbles with the keys for a moment until he finally sinks
the proper key into the receptacle which is right at the floor.
The tumblers turn successfully.
Peter: ALRIGHT!
230 On the escalator, the creatures which fell onto the moving steps
are being carried up to the balcony. The one supporting himself
on the hand rail is still standing. The head of the standing
Zombie suddenly becomes visible from Roger's perspective.
231 The Trooper raises his gun and aims for the creature's forehead.
Peter tries to life the roll gate. It won't move. It is still
locked.
Peter: YOU BASTARD!
Roger: WHAT?
Peter: STILL LOCKED...(he sees another assembly)
ON THE SIDE...
The big man moves to the far side of the gate. The same key
fits. Roger re-focuses on the creature which is riding the
escalator. It is quite near the top now. Roger is about to
shoot when something catches his eye.
232 The fallen Zombies, which up to now could not be seen behind the
escalator rail wall, suddenly come tumbling out onto the balcony
floor.
233 Roger fires, but his aim is inaccurate.
234 He hits the standing Zombie in the neck. The creature is thrown
off balance enough to lose its footing. It falls back down the
escalator, but before it reaches the bottom, it stops rolling.
The steps carry it back up toward the second floor again. It is
still very much alive. The two creatures on the balcony struggle
to stand.
235 Roger looks back over his shoulder.
236 The Zombies from the side concourse are now about a hundred and
fifty feet away.
237 Peter turns the key in the lock, but again the gate will not
lift. It moves slightly, as the middle mechanism and the one on
the far right are free, but there is a third lock on the far
left. Peter moves to it quickly.
238 On the first floor concourse, other creatures are beginning to
take note of the action upstairs. They start to move.
239 The Zombies on the stationary stairway are beginning to reach
the second floor, but they are far down the main balcony. They
will have to pass the administrative corridor in order to reach
the Department Store.
240 Roger fires again.
241 One of the nearby Zombies falls in a heap.
242 At the sound of the rifle, Fran gets desperate.
Fran: STEPHEN...FOR GOD'S SAKE...LET'S GET UP ON THE
ROOF...
243 Steve is at the middle landing. He stares down into the darkness
below. More gunfire can be heard from the mall.
Steve: IT'S ALRIGHT, I'M TELLIN 'YA. THOSE THINGS
DON'T MOVE FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH US.
More gunfire can be heard.
244 Now the giant gate rolls up with a loud rumble. Peter ducks into
the store even as the gate is still rising, but the inertia of
the great metal cage carries the lip up out of Peter's grasp. He
jumps to try to catch it, but he misses. It jerks up into its
fully open position and rolls back down slightly, but still
Peter cannot reach the lip. It slides back to rest about three
feet above Peter's fingertips.
245 The Zombies advance.
246 Roger drops another with a clean shot through the head, then he
backs into the archway of the Department Store entrance. Peter
is desperately looking around for something to stand on to reach
the gate.
247 The Zombies are very close to the arch now, advancing steadily.
248 Peter grabs a small counter used to display shoes, but it is too
heavy for him to move himself.
Peter: HERE...COME ON...
Roger has to abandon his post at the arch long enough to help
drag the little counter. The men drag it to a point just at the
side of the open arch, and Peter instantly jumps up on the top
of it. At that instant, a Zombie rounds the corner and grabs at
Peter's legs. The big man kicks, startled, and the motion causes
him to fall off the little counter. He lands on his feet, but
out on the balcony beyond the arch. Roger brings his rifle butt
around against the creature's head and the Zombie falls back,
but is not dead.
Other creatures are only a few feet from Peter, whose gun sits
on the little counter inside the store. Roger levels off his
rifle but cannot fire as Peter is in the line. Peter makes a
move and, like a football player, jukes to the left, then to the
right. He dives right at one of the creatures carrying it into
the store.
Now Roger fires, dropping one, then another. Peter jumps back up
on the counter.
Peter: BEHIND YOU...BEHIND YOU...
The creature in the store has crashed against a cosmetics
display and is regaining its footing. Roger turns and fires. The
creature falls. Peter grabs the lip of the roll gate and starts
to bring it down.
There are several creatures right in the archway, now they
clutch with their hands. One blocks the downward progress of the
gate. Roger fires point blank and the Zombie flies back. The
gate lowers but is stopped by the clutching hands of other
creatures. Roger grabs the cage now and helps to pull it down.
Peter, still gripping the lip, jumps off the counter to get more
leverage.
The bottom of the gate is now four feet from the floor. The two
men are able to move it steadily downward. The Zombies are very
weak, but more creatures appear making it more difficult. Then
one Zombie tries to crawl under the gate. Its torso just gets
through as the gate slams down against its chest. Its arms grab
for Peter's legs and its mouth is gasping. Its body is
preventing the gate from engaging in the floor mechanisms.
Roger lets go the cage as Peter tries to hold it against the
creatures outside. Grabbing his rifle, Roger brings the butt
straight down on the clutching Zombie's skull. The Zombie goes
limp. Then Roger tries to push the creature clear of the gate,
but the pressure is too great.
Roger: LET UP A LITTLE...LET UP A LITTLE...
The gate rises a few inches. More Zombies appear outside. Their
hands clutch at the roll gate. The openings in the grid are only
big enough for their fingers, their hands can't reach through,
but they are pushing the gate higher and higher...more than
Peter intended to clear the obstructing corpse.
With his rifle butt, Roger manages to push the dead Zombie clear
except for one of its arms. From outside, a creature's hand
suddenly grabs Roger's weapon. For a moment its like a Tug-O-War.
Peter is having a harder time holding the gate. It is inching
upward.
Peter: COME ON...COME ON...
Roger lets go his gun barrel and the weapon is snatched away by
the creature in the crowd. Roger grabs for the gate.
Peter: THE ARM...THAT ARM'S IN THE WAY.
Roger squats again and manages to throw the dead Zombie's arm
clear. Then he grabs the gate again. Now it starts to move down
more steadily.
At the last moment, another clutching arm juts into the store,
but when the gate hits it, it withdraws, and the big cage clicks
solidly into place.
The two Troopers step back from the gate. The creatures still
moan and gurgle, slamming against the gate, their fingers
clutching at the grid, but they are unable to budge it.
There are ten or twelve Zombies trying to get into the
Department Store and several others are making their way along
the balcony. At least six lie dead along the floor.
Roger: WELL...WE'RE IN...NOW, HOW THE HELL WE GONNA
GET BACK?
Peter: LET'S GO SHOPPIN' FIRST.
The two men back into the aisles of the store. The creatures
outside still push and claw at the gate. The one with Roger's
rifle uses it as a bludgeon, but it has no effect.
249 Stephen opens the door into the Administration corridor.
250 From his perspective, the hall is inactive. He observes the
washrooms and the long row of doors to the various offices.
251 He starts into the corridor, letting the firestair door close.
252 At the top of the firestair, Fran can see the beam of light from
the open door below. As the door closes, the beam narrows, then
it blinks out with a click as the door closes.
Fran: STEPHEN...JESUS GOD...
She is very frightened. She backs into the storage area.
253 She moves quickly to the pyramid of cartons which lead to the
roof. She sits on the bottom carton biting her fingers.
254 In the Department Store, Roger is riding down an escalator. He
has found a back pack, and it is obviously already filled with
goods. As he steps off the moving stairs on the ground floor,
the surroundings are eerily quiet.
255 He moves through a clothing department. We see the dead looking
faces of store mannequins. Roger runs into one and is greatly
startled. He snatches up a lined windbreaker and ties it around
his waist by its arms, then he trots off down another aisle,
where he finds Peter.
256 The big Trooper has a radio under his arm and he is snatching up
a small television.
Roger: HEY MAN, WE CAN'T CARRY ALL THIS SHIT...
257 Peter turns a corner and dumps the articles into something
which we cannot yet see. As Roger trots up, he sees that Peter
has a big gardening cart already heaped with goods.
Roger: OH...WE'RE GONNA JUST WHEEL RIGHT BY 'EM, RIGHT?
Peter: WE GONNA TRY, BROTHER. WE AIN'T DOIN' THIS
FOR THE EXERCISE. WE MIGHT AS WELL TRY TO
GET WHAT WE CAN.
Roger: THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN...
Even though he doesn't understand the plan, Roger helps Peter
toss things into the barrow.
258 They race down the hardware aisle tossing in tools and other
supplies. Electrical cables, flashlights, batteries. They scoop
things up like contestants on a game-show who have five minutes
in a store to grab whatever they can.
259 Stephen is in the Maintenance office. He examines the maps and
electrical equipment, then rummages through a desk.
260 At the open end of the corridor leading to the second storey
balcony, Zombies wander past as they head for the Store entrance
where many creature still claw at the roll gate.
261 The Zombies move randomly. Some are leaving the gate as their
prey is now out of sight. They begin to wander here and there.
262 Three of the creatures turn into the administrative corridor and
start toward the offices.
263 Stephen has found a large binder in the desk. It contains all
the plans for the mall, duplicating the charts on the walls and
many others. It is a complete maintenance manual revealing all
the workings and layout of the huge structure.
264 Elevator doors slide open with a loud whoosh. The two Troopers
appear in the car, wheeling their barrow out onto the second
story aisles of the big store.
265 Now, they can see the roll gate and the creatures pushing at it
ineffectively. They roll their barrow very close to the gate.
When the Zombies catch sight of the humans, their efforts are
renewed. They moan and push harder at the gate.
266 They Troopers leave the barrow, disappearing back to the aisles.
They run onto the interior escalator, bounding down faster than
the moving steps, then they run across the first floor until
they see the lower level-roll gate.
267 There are creatures wandering the concourse, but none of them
are at the gate.
Peter: LET'S GO BROTHER...THE OLD OKEY DOKE!
The men move up to the roll gate. A Zombie lumbers past. Roger
speaks to the creature.
Roger: HEY, UGLY!
The creature turns instantly. Registers. Then dives for the
gate with a moaning roar. Its mouth opens and its hands clutch.
The gate pops forward from the creature's thrust, but it holds
tightly. The action causes Roger to jump even though there is no
immediate danger.
Peter: LET'S RAISE SOME HELL...HEY...HEY...
(he is shouting)
Roger: OVER HERE...LET'S GO OVER HERE...
268 Other creatures along the concourse turn toward the Department
Store. They lumber along attracted by the sounds.
269 At the gate, several Zombies push at the metal grids. The
Troopers back away, but stay in sight of the creatures.
Peter: JUST GIVE IT TIME ...GIVE IT TIME.
270 Upstairs, the Zombies at the upper gate are attracted by the
commotion below. They begin to move away from the gate and
lumber along the balcony to the stairways and escalators.
271 In the maintenance office, Stephen still rummages. He finds a
loaded hand gun and stuffs it in his belt. He moves to the large
cabinets containing the walkie talkies and the keys.
272 In the corridor, the stray Zombies move in and out of the
executive offices as they draw nearer to the Maintenance room.
273 Several creatures fall over one another as they try to move down
the up escalator. The down escalator push others onto the first
floor. They scramble to their feet and move toward the
Department Store.
274 In the concourse, many creatures are moving toward the gate.
Already there are a dozen or so clutching and pushing at the
metal grid. Through the crowd. Peter can see several other
creatures lumbering down the stationary steps.
275 Peter: OK...THEY 'RE COMIN'...
The big man readies his walkie talkie, pulling the antenna out.
Peter: GO ON UP...STAY OUTTA SIGHT BUT LEMME KNOW
WHEN ITS CLEAR ENOUGH.
Roger, clutching his walkie talkie, disappears among the aisles
as he runs, crouching, into the store. Peter tries to hold the
attention of the creatures at the gate.
Peter: RIGHT HERE, BABIES...THIS IS WHERE IT'S AT...
YOU DUMB ASS SUCKERS...YOU DUMB...YOU ARE DUMB!
276 Upstairs, the doors to the elevator glide open again and Roger
moves through the second floor aisles stealthily.
277 Stephen takes the maintenance manual and leaves the office. He
walks down the interior corridor and opens the door to the
exterior corridor. As the door opens, the Zombies attack. The
Zombies clutch as Stephen tries to close the door on Zombie's
arm. Stephen then runs back down the interior corridor.
278 Stephen starts up the firestair to the door. Just then he hears
Fran call out. Realising he will lead the creatures to her, he
closes the door and moves toward the Maintenance office and runs
in.
279 Stephen runs into the office and slams the door.
280 A second creature is moving up behind the first, and another
enters the corridor from the accounting office.
281 The metal door locks only with a key. Stephen fumbles for a
moment with his rifle, then dives for the key cabinet. There are
hundreds of keys on rings. He looks at the wall map. He can't
focus in his panic.
282 In the hall, the first creature slams against the floor. It
doesn't even have the intelligence to reach for the knob. It
pounds on the door with its hands.
283 The pounding increases Stephen's panic. He stares at the map
trying to focus on the maze of numbers.
284 The second creature reaches the door and claws at it. The third
approaches slowly.
285 Stephen rattles among the keys. His fingers shake and he cannot
decipher the numbers.
286 Outside, one of the creatures, in its random clutching, takes
hold of the knob and pushes in and out, not yet turning it.
287 Stephen, clutching one of the rings, throws himself against the
door, still trying to read the numbers. The knob finally turns.
The door opens against Stephen's weight. He manages to slam it
shut despite the pushing creatures. He throws the key ring down
and grabs his gun.
288 Roger speaks into his walkie talkie:
Roger: I THINK WE CAN MOVE THE WAGON.
289 Peter, downstairs, talks into his unit:
Peter: CLEAR?
Roger: (over talking unit)
NOT ALTOGETHER, BUT THEY'RE SPREAD OUT PRETTY
GOOD...ENOUGH TO MOVE THE WAGON.
The creatures slam against the first floor gate, but it holds
securely. Peter stares at the beasts as he lowers his talk
unit. He backs slowly away into the depths of the store.
290 Upstairs, Roger peers from behind a counter.
291 The second floor gate is clear.
292 On the balcony, several creatures wander aimlessly, but most of
them have already moved down the steps and escalators.
293 Peter is still in sight of the Zombies at the first floor
entrance. He clips his talk unit onto his belt, then ducks and
disappears among the aisles.
294 He runs, crouching out of sight, until he rounds a far wall
and comes up into the elevator.
295 He enters the car and pushes "2". The doors glide shut and the
car begins to move up.
296 At the door of the Maintenance Office, the knob turns again. The
door pushes open against Stephen weight. His feet slide on the
linoleum floor. He cannot get the door closed this time. Biting
his lip, he makes the sign of the cross, and backs suddenly into
the room holding his rifle high. The door flies open with a
slam, and three Zombies advance into the office. Stephen tries
to aim carefully, and he fires.
297 Just as the elevator doors open. Peter hears the gunfire. He
hesitates for a moment, then runs toward the entrance arch.
298 Roger is poised at one of the side locks on the gate. The
gunfire stops him also as he is unlocking the mechanism.
299 Along the balcony, some of the creatures turn around in con-
fusion. They walk this way and that, attracted by the sound.
300 Peter thunders up behind Roger.
Peter: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?
Roger: FUZZ MAYBE?
Peter: OR MAYBE FLYBOY. WHERE'S IT COMIN' FROM?
Roger: CAN'T TELL.
Peter: COME ON. OPEN UP.
Roger : MAYBE WE SHOULD SEE WHAT'S HAPPENIN'...
Peter: OPEN UP. I CAN GET THE WAGON OVER. IF IT
IS FLYBOY, LET'S GET HIM ON OUR SIDE.
Roger moves to the second lock. More gunfire.
Peter: (setting his weapon on the floor)
YOU JUST COVER ME GOOD, YOU HEAR?
Roger moves to the third lock as Peter stands and grabs on to
the handles of the barrow.
301 The body of a dead Zombie hits the floor, its head shot
through. Nearby lies the corpse of the first creature to break
into the Maintenance Office.
The third staggers into the room. Stephen stands fast now. He
holds his rifle out in front of him. The creature walks toward
the gun. Steve holds his hands on the trigger. The Zombie lunges
suddenly, and grabs the gun barrel. Steve fires, but the blast
tears through the creature's chest. Steve struggles to raise the
barrel but the motion of the Zombie makes it impossible to aim
accurately. The gun fires again, this time grazing the Zombie's
neck. With a sudden burst of energy the creature wrenches the
gun free. Steve backs against the wall. The creature tosses the
rifle across the room where it slams the floor near a desk. The
Zombie advances on Steve. Steve is next to the key cabinet and
grabs at it, trying to find some weapon. He feels the tools in
the cabinet and comes up with a hammer. The Zombie is about to
reach him when Steve pulls the hammer out and upsets the
cabinet. The Zombie fumbles with the cabinet at its feet, but
doesn't fall. Steve tries to hit the creature's head with the
tool, he misses and the Zombie grabs at his arm, trying to bite
it. Steve wrenches free and the two bodies fall to the floor.
The creature clutches at the man's legs, it's teeth bared like
an animal. Steve kicks desperately and manages to land a blow
squarely in the creatures face. The Zombie comes after him again
and from his crawling position, Steve brings the hammer as an
uppercut to the creature's jaw. The creature falls back enough
for Steve to crawl across the floor. It follows, but Steve
reaches the desk and grabs his rifle. Rolling on the floor, he
fires several shots into the creature, finally destroying it.
302 The second floor gate rolls up with a rumble and Peter runs out
of the Department Store with the barrow full of supplies.
303 The action attracts the attention of several of the creatures
which are still wandering the balcony. They turn slowly.
304 Just as he rounds the corner. Peter almost collides with one
creature, and can barely keep from upsetting the barrow. He
manages to get past, and he runs as fast as he can toward the
opening of the Administrative corridor.
305 Roger does not let the gate roll up too high. He stabilises the
metal grid well within reach, then he stands his post with
Peter's rifle. Several creatures approach from the opposite
direction. Roger fires at the closest one. It falls. The others
are still too far away to waste bullets.
306 Stephen steps over the corpses in the office and grabs the
maintenance manual. He rushes into the corridor and runs out.
307 Three more creatures move toward him up the hallway.
308 At first Stephen freezes, then he starts backing toward the
firestair, his rifle poised.
309 Just as Peter is reaching the mouth of the corridor, a Zombie
steps out of the hallway into his path. Peter slams the barrow
squarely into the creature's legs. The Zombie falls in the
barrow onto the supplies. The big man slams the load against a
wall at the mouth of the corridor. Before the Zombie can get its
balance, the big Trooper reaches down and grabs the creature's
jacket lapels. With all his might he flings the creature out
against the balcony railing. The creature flips over the rail,
but does not fall. Its arms and legs flailing as Peter comes up
quickly behind and flips it over the rail. The creature makes no
sound as it plummets to the concourse below.
310 Roger fires again at a Zombie drawing dangerously near. Other
creatures throughout the area are again converging on the
Department Store entrance.
311 Peter wheels the barrow into the corridor and sees Steve at the
other end, the three Zombies are still closing in.
Peter: HOLD IT FLYBOY!
312 Steve freezes. He can barely see Peter, his vision blocked by
the Zombies. The creatures are about thirty feet away.
313 Peter: DON'T GO INTO THE STAIRWAY!
314 Stephen is confused. The creatures advance.
315 Peter: DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR, BABY. YOU'LL LEAD 'EM
RIGHT UP WITH YOU.
316 Steve is on the verge of panic.
Peter: RUN FOR IT. RUN THIS WAY.
The Zombies are drawing closer and closer.
317 Peter: COME ON, MAN. RUN THIS WAY. YOU CAN RUN RIGHT
THROUGH 'EM. WE GOTTA LEAD 'EM AWAY FROM HERE!
318 Steve sizes up the corridor. It is narrow, but there is room to
run past the Zombies.
319 Peter: COME ON, FLYBOY. YOU CAN MAKE IT. COME ON!
320 With a sudden move, Steve breaks into a run. He passes the first
creature easily. The second grabs him as he runs past, but the
man keeps his footing even though he slams against the wall. He
keeps moving forward. The third creatures stands in his path.
Steve lowers his head and slams into the Zombie's chest. The
creature flies back and falls. Steve falls and tumbles toward
the mouth of the passageway. He regains his footing as the
creatures turn to pursue him, he runs to the end of the hall
where Peter waits.
Peter: NOW...HEAD FOR THE DEPARTMENT STORE...GO!
321 The two men run across the balcony. They slam into two other
Zombies which clutch and grab at them without success.
322 At the entrance arch to the store, Roger fires at another
creature. It falls. Other Zombies are approaching, but Steve and
Peter dive into the arch and the three men manage to lower the
gate without a problem.
The Zombies converge on the area as they did before, clutching
and pushing at the metal cage, which holds them out securely.
The men breathe heavily as they back away from the gate.
Peter: DOWNSTAIRS AGAIN ...SAME TRICK.
323 The men move through the aisles of the store and go crashing
down the escalator.
324 On the first floor they run toward the lower gate where they
pull up wheezing with exhaustion.
Steve: WHAT DO WE DO...
Roger: LET 'EM KNOW WE'RE HERE...
(shouting)
WHOOOO HOOOOOO...OVER HERE...YEEE HAAAAAAAA.
Steve starts to laugh at the ludicrous situation. Peter smiles
at the young pilot.
Peter: YOU DID ALRIGHT THIS TIME FLYBOY.
HOW 'BOUT IT?
Stephen laughs some more, nervously at first, then whole-
Heartedly. Then he lets out a loud:
Steve: WHOOOOOOOOOOOPEEEEEEEEE...
He has joined the cowboys. He is like a child, almost exultant
with the joy of their victory...
The three men shout through the cage at the creatures, which are
already gathering at the gate.
325 Out on the concourse, a few Zombies wander aimlessly, but most
are heading for the commotion on the first floor arch.
326 On the upstairs balcony, Zombies again move toward the
stationary steps and the escalators.
327 The three creatures in the Administration corridor move toward
the open mall. Two walk out on the balcony, but the last one
turns into an open office. Then it staggers back out and heads
down the hall toward the firestair.
328 Fran can faintly hear the "whooping" of the men as she moves
toward the stairway door, which is still open.
329 She steps onto the landing and looks down into the darkness. The
shouting stops. Desperate with fear, she moves back to the
storage room, then back onto the landing. Now her fear turns
into anger.
Fran: SHIT...
She takes a few steps down the stairs. Stops. Goes back up.
Fran: GOD DAMMIT!
She starts back down again.
330 In the corridor below, the creature walks into another office.
Then it moves back into the hall.
331 The Zombies crash against the first floor gate. It holds. The
men crouch in the shadows of the gate.
Roger: WE JUST GOTTA WAIT LONGER BEFORE WE MOVE.
Peter: NO. THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE OF SOME OF THEM
STAYIN' UP ON THE BALCONY.
Roger: YEAH, BUT WE CAN HANDLE THAT. WE CAN BREAK THROUGH.
Peter: IF ANY OF THEM SEE OR HEAR US, THEY'LL JUST
FOLLOW US ON UP. IT'S NO GOOD.
Roger: WE CAN SURE AS HELL OUT RUN 'EM...LOAD UP WHAT
WE CAN AND GET OUTTA HERE.
Peter: I'M THINKIN' MAYBE WE GOT A GOOD THING GOIN' HERE.
MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE IN SUCH A HURRY TO LEAVE.
Roger: OH, MAN...
Peter: IF WE COULD GET BACK UP THERE WITHOUT THEM
CATCHIN' ON, WE COULD HOLE UP FOR A WHILE.
AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO CATCH A BREATH.
CHECK OUT THE RADIO. SEE WHAT'S HAPPENIN'...
Roger: MAN, I DON'T KNOW...
Steve: THERE'S SOME KIND OF PASSAGEWAY OVER THE TOP
OF THE STORES.
The Troopers look at the young pilot, almost surprised to hear
him speak. He has been quiet up until now.
Steve: I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST HEATING DUCTS OR
IF IT'S SOME KIND OF ACCESS. I SAW IT ON A MAP.
Peter: UPSTAIRS. LET'S GO.
The three move off down the aisles, then duck out of sight
around a corner. The Zombies clutch at the metal gate, moaning
and rattling the grid loudly.
332 In the Maintenance hallway, we see the thick manual lying on the
floor. A lumbering foot kicks it as the Zombie in the corridor
wanders into another office. The creature ignores the book, as
it does the corpses strewn in the hall.
333 In the fire stair, Fran is on the middle landing. She is
suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea. She clutches at her
stomach, retching. She sits on the landing, letting her head
flop against the wall. She is almost in tears.
334 The upstairs doors of the Department Store elevator open and the
men trot out. As they clear a wall, they see the entrance arch.
335 There are no Zombies at the gate, but two are seen drifting
along the balcony outside.
336 Peter: WATCH IT...DON'T LET 'EM SEE YOU.
The men move stealthily along the aisles. They look up at the
ceiling and see a series of large grillwork panels. Peter shines
his flashlight beam into one.
337 The ceiling is about twelve feet high, but the light beam
penetrates the grille to reveal a fairly large space above.
338 Roger: LOOKS BIG ENOUGH TO CRAWL THROUGH.
Peter: THEY'RE LOCKED.
Roger: DAMN. THAT'S THOSE OTHER LOCK NUMBERS WE
SAW ON THE CHART.
Steve: WHY THE HELL WOULD THEY BE LOCKED?
Peter: JACKPOT, FLYBOY. YOU'RE RIGHT.
Roger: WHAT?
Peter: THEY'RE LOCKED BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THROUGH
'EM EASY FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE BUILDING.
Steve: OVER HERE.
339 Steve notices that one of the ceiling grids is very close to the
elevators. Peter looks at the grids, then down at the double
doors.
Peter: THE ELEVATOR SHAFT!
He moves over and hits the button. The doors open.
Peter: HOLD 'EM.
Roger stands against the rubber safety bumper, holding the car
doors open wide. Peter steps onto the hand railing and reaches
up for the escape hatch, which is held in place by four knub-
headed bolts. He removes the bolts quickly and dislodges the
hatch cover and passes it down to Stephen.
Then the big man sticks his head up through the opening.
340 He looks around the elevator shaft, shining his flash this way
and that. He sees another grid in the shaft wall.
Peter: IT'S HERE...AND IT AIN'T LOCKED. GET A SCREW-
DRIVER AND SOMETHIN' TO STAND ON FOR IN HERE.
341 Roger: I KNOW WHERE THE TOOLS ARE. GET ONE OF THOSE
TABLES.
Roger ducks off down an aisle and Steve moves to the nearby
furniture department and grabs a lightweight lamp table. The
elevator doors close. When Steve returns with the table he has
to hit the button again. The doors open. Peter is already
climbing out of the car into the shaft. Steve uses the table to
hold the doors open and goes to get another.
This time he gets a larger coffee table and sets it under the
opening in the car and puts the smaller table on top. He climbs
up and sticks his head out into the shaft. The doors close
again.
342 In the greasy black shaft, amid the cables and elevator
mechanisms. Peter examines the wall grid with his flashlight.
Peter: IT'S ALRIGHT...WE CAN GET IT OFF.
YOU FOUND IT FLYBOY.
Even though he speaks softly, Peter's voice has an eerie,
echoing sound in the narrow shaft.
343 The car doors open. Steve ducks down to see Roger bearing a
screwdriver and pliers along with some other tools in a shopping
bag.
Roger: ONE-STOP SHOPPING ...ANYTHING YOU NEED RIGHT
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
344 Steve relays the tools up to Peter, who immediately begins to
work on the screws which mount the grid. He passes the
flashlight to Steve who holds the beam on the work area.
345 Fran sits in the stairwell, her hand over her mouth. It is very
quiet for a moment, then she hears a slight clicking. Her head
snaps to attention. She stares down at the bottom landing. There
is a thump at the door. This is not original.
Slowly the woman stands to her feet, her eyes transfixed on the
door below.
Fran: STEPHEN!
The door starts to open. Light creeps in. The slow, lumbering
figure of the Zombie moves into the firestair. Choking back a
scream, Fran turns and runs up the stairs. The creature below
follows, unsure of itself in the dim light.
346 At the top, Fran makes it into the storage area and slams the
door. For a moment, she just backs away in terror. Then she
gathers her wits and moves to drag the food cartons over as a
barricade. She struggles with one of the cartons. It is very
heavy and so large she cannot get a good grip. The smooth
cardboard slips in her hands.
347 The Zombie has almost reached the middle landing.
348 Roger looks down through a ceiling grid. He sees the interior of
a Sporting Goods Store. Along one wall is an arsenal of the
latest weaponry for the sportsman.
349 Roger: SWEET JESUS!
Peter: I SEEN IT. COME ON!
The men are in a large ductwork which seems to run along the
entire length of the mall. They move as quietly as they can.
There are several side tunnels branching off in both directions.
350 Steve passes another ceiling grid and looks down. He sees a
full equipped radio and electronics shop.
Roger: I HOPE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOIN', BUDDY.
Peter: (who is leading)
THIS IS IT. COME ON.
351 Fran struggles with the carton. She gets it against the door
finally and moves to haul another.
352 The Zombie has reached the top landing and makes for the door.
353 Before the woman can bring another carton over, she sees the
door move. She throws herself against it, but can't plant her
feet well because of the carton of the floor. The door moves an
inch at a time. The creature's hand reaches into the room. It
clutches at the edge of the door.
354 Fran panics and runs back towards the escape pyramid, where she
turns and faces the door.
355 The creature is straining against the weight of the carton. Now,
now both its hands clutch the door edge. The carton moves
another inch...and another. Now, the creature's head can be seen
as it strains to get through the widening space.
356 Fran's eyes are wide, almost hypnotized. She looks for something
to use as a weapon. The room is bare but for the cartons and
water drums. She is about to opt for the skylight, when she
glimpses Roger's knap-sack in the shadows. She runs for it as
the creature finally breaks into the big room.
357 The woman's hands tremble as she rummages through the cloth
sack. Nothing appropriate. She dumps the contents out:
ammunition, mace cans, batteries, flares...flares! She
nervously grabs one of the cylinders and her shaking hands try
to deal with the paper wrapping.
358 The Zombie moans as it draws closer. It is approaching the
pyramid of cartons.
359 Fran manages to free the wrapping, and snaps the cylinder in two
at the mark.
360 Now the Zombie is between her and the pyramid, cutting off her
immediate route. It is very near. Fran backs away a few steps as
she tries to strike the flare head on the small striker on the
cylinder cap. It doesn't fire...she tries again...and again.
Now, the Zombie has reached the knap-sack. It kicks through the
items and knocks and rolls the other flares.
Fran's flare finally catches with a great whoosh, the bright
flame startling the woman as well as the Zombie. The creature's
eyes go wide and it brings its arms up to avoid the brightness.
The intense white flame casts an eerie light over the creature
and throws the Zombie's enormous shadow against the cartons and
wall. The creature backs away a few steps almost tripping over
the articles on the floor.
Fran manages to advance close enough to snatch two extra
cylinders and skirt around the Zombie in a wide arc. The
creature swats the air, keeping distance, but threatening.
Fran considers the firestair door, but decides on the pyramid.
She circles around to a point where she can climb up from
behind the moaning Zombie. She rushes for the cartons and
climbs, but loses her footing while trying to hold the flares
and crashes into the topmost carton. It starts to slide off
the pyramid and tumbles to the floor almost crashing into the
Zombie. The creature starts to clutch at the pyramid.
The stack of cartons is now too short and Fran can reach the
skylight but can't pull herself up. She accidentally drops
two flares, including the lit one. It tumbles to the floor
behind the pyramid where it no longer offends the Zombie's
eye's. Now the creature tries to climb to the woman.
Fran grabs the last flare in her mouth and reaches with both
hands for the skylight. She lifts with all her might and her
feet come off the cartons but she cannot pull herself up. As she
tries to lower her feet back to the cartons, the pyramid shakes
and wobbles from the Zombie. The creature is making progress;
its hands can almost touch Fran's foot.
361 Peter drops out of a ceiling grid into a plush office. Roger's
legs appear through the grid and he too swings down, holding on
with his hands to soften his landing.
Suddenly, we are aware of a third person on the room in the
large chair at the desk. Roger startles and grabs his gun.
Peter just stares. They are in the President's office. Some
days earlier, the President, shot himself in the head.
Peter: COME ON...
Steve struggles overhead.
Peter: JUST DROP, I GOT YOU...
Steve: I CAN'T...I...
Peter: (to Roger)
THE DESK...GIMME A HAND.
The two Troopers grab the desk and slide it away from the
President's corpse. The action causes the chair to spin slightly
and his wide terrified eyes seem to watch the action.
The desk in place. Steve's toes can reach its surface. He loses
his balance slightly and pulls back up. He kicks a picture frame
off the desk onto the floor, shattering the glass over photos of
the President's wife and children.
Peter: COME ON!
Steve finally gets footing on the desktop and lowers himself
down. He stares at the corpse as Roger helps him off the desk.
362 Peter is already unlocking the door to the corridor. He opens it
a crack and peeks out.
363 The corridor is empty. He sees the door at the end which leads
to the exterior corridor.
364 As the other men come up behind, Peter opens the door quietly
and slips into the hall. He starts to walk quickly toward the
door to the exterior corridor. Roger follows as Stephen moves
backwards toward the fire stairs.
365 Peter's hands grab the barrow and pulls the cart down the
corridor backwards so as to face the mall opening.
366 In the corridor, Steve clutches the maintenance manual. Peter
backs slowly up the hall. The wheels squeak and the big man
bites his lip. Roger kicks the last corpse to the wall. Steve
notices that the fire stairs door is open wide.
Steve: JESUS CHRIST!
He bounds towards the door. Roger spins to see what happened.
Peter turns and quickens his pace. Steve trots up the steps.
Roger: (to Peter)
COME ON...YOU GOT IT.
Peter runs with the cart the last few yards. As he gets to the
doorway, Roger breaks up the steps.
368 Steve breaks into the storage area...he drops the manual...
Steve: FRANNIE!
369 The woman turns in Steve's direction. The Zombie swats the
flare out of Fran's hand. She startles and the cartons feel as
though they will topple. She steadies herself with both hands.
The creature is grabbing at her legs. She kicks.
370 Steve raises his rifle and moves in for a close shot.
Roger: DON'T SHOOT...THEY'LL HEAR YA...
Roger arrives and the two men charge the pyramid.
371 The creature is still clutching at Fran. She kicks violently as
Roger pulls the back of the Zombie's clothing. The Zombie falls
and hits the floor. As it kneels up, Steve swings the butt of
his rifle and smashes it into the thing's head. Then Roger
delivers a blow with his gun, straight down.
372 Steve rushes to Fran. She falls off the cartons into his arms
sobbing and choking.
Steve: FRANNIE...ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
YOU OK, FRANNIE? HEY...
The woman is incoherent. She is clutching at her stomach.
373 Peter appears in the doorway carrying the TV and several other
items. He dumps them on the floor.
Peter: LET'S GET THIS STUFF UP, COME ON.
374 Roger is dragging the dead Zombie to the door. Peter comes to
help and Fran starts to wretch. Steve tries to calm her. He gets
some water in a can and brings it over.
Steve: FRANNIE...IT'S OK...COME ON, IT'S OK...ARE YOU
HURT, HUN? DID YA HURT YOURSELF? FRANNIE...
375 Downstairs, at the exterior corridor, Peter peeks out. He can
see the mall at the far end. The coast is clear. He and Roger
hurriedly carry the corpse into the hall and roll it onto the
floor and retreat back into the fire stairs. Peter holds open
the door slightly and watches the corridor for a moment.
Convinced they've not been seen, he closes the door.
376 Peter: I THINK WE'RE OK, BROTHER.
They grab more supplies from the barrow and start upstairs.
377 Steve still tries to comfort Fran.
Steve: WE'RE OK...WE'RE ALL OK...WE GOT A LOT
OF STUFF...ALL KINDS OF STUFF...
In the background the two Troopers bring their load of supplies
into the big room and deposit them near the TV. Then they go
downstairs for another load.
Steve: THIS IS A TERRIFIC PLACE...FRANNIE. THIS PLACE
IS PERFECT. WE GOT IT MADE IN HERE...FRANNIE.
The woman still cannot stop sobbing and retching.
378 Now, the enormous barricade of food cartons is stacked against
the door again. It is quiet except for the little noises of
eating and occasional rustle of paper. We also head a faint
electronic whistle, but we do not recognise it.
As we see more of the room, we find our refugees sitting near
the reconstructed pyramid on the floor. Peter seems to be asleep
up against the pyramid. Roger is nibbling at delicacies from the
Department Store's Gourmet department.
Their "loot" is laid around them on the floor. Roger, as he
eats, is leafing through the maintenance manual. There is a
stack of tools, some still in wrapping; electric razors, still
boxed; some clothing articles; the radio, which also plays small
cassettes. There are soaps, toiletries, pens, pencils, and
notebooks, flashlights, cigarettes and several decks of cards
with a canister of chips. The items are clearly not all
functional. Some are representative of the luxuries considered
necessary by a consumer society.
They are all bathed in the blue glow from the television which
Stephen tries to tune in. Its power cable is spliced into the
leads of a bare light fixture overhead. Fran cannot be seen at
first.
Roger: WHAT THE HELL TIME IS IT, ANYWAY?
Steve: ONLY ABOUT NINE.
Roger: AND NOTHING? (referring to the TV)
On the screen we see the Civil Defence logo, and realize that
the high pitched electronic signal is coming from the TV set.
Steve: AS LONG AS WE'RE GETTING THE PATTERN,
THAT MEANS THEY'RE SENDING.
Roger snaps on the large, battery powered radio. He rolls the
dial getting nothing but static. Finally, he hears a signal
and tunes it in. A badly modulated voice is droning through
the interference. It sounds like a war correspondent sending
a signal from very far away.
Radio: ...REPORTS THAT COMMUNICATIONS WITH DETROIT
HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT ALONG WITH ATLANTA,
BOSTON AND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF PHILADELPHIA
AND NEW YORK CITY...
Roger: PHILLY...
Steve: I KNOW J.A.S IS OUT BY NOW...IT WAS A MADHOUSE
BACK THERE...PEOPLE ARE CRAZY...IF THEY'D JUST
ORGANIZE...IT'S TOTAL CONFUSION...I DON'T
BELIEVE IT'S GOTTEN THIS BAD. I DON'T BELIEVE
THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT. LOOK AT US. LOOK AT
WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO TODAY.
379 Peter's eyes suddenly blink open. None of the rest of his body
moves, the others do not realize he is awake. The big man stares
at Stephen, who is getting emotionally excited about their
exploits as a team.
Steve: WE KNOCKED THE SHIT OUT OF 'EM AND THEY
NEVER TOUCHED US...NOT REALLY.
Peter: THEY TOUCHED US GOOD, FLYBOY. WE'RE LUCKY
TO GET OUT WITH OUR ASSES. YOU DON'T FORGET THAT!
380 The other men look at Peter. The radio drones on with more
disaster reports.
Peter: YOU GET OVERCONFIDENT...UNDERESTIMATE THOSE
SUCKERS...AND YOU GET EATEN! HOW YOU LIKE THAT?
Peter speaks in a low, unemotional tone. Stephen is transfixed.
Peter: THEY GOT A BIG ADVANTAGE OVER US BROTHER.
THEY DON'T THINK. THEY JUST BLIND-ASS DO WHAT
THEY GOT TO DO. NO EMOTIONS. AND THAT BUNCH
OUT THERE? THAT'S JUST A HANDFUL AND EVERY
DAY THERE'LL BE MORE.
A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE DIE EACH DAY
FROM NATURAL CAUSES. THAT PROB'LY TRIPLES OR
BETTER WITH FOLK KNOCKIN' EACH OTHER OFF THE
WAY IT'S GOIN'.
NOW SAY EACH ONE OF THEM COMES BACK AND KILLS
TWO, AND EACH ONE OF THEM TWO MORE...
YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EMPEROR'S REWARD?
381 We see Fran's face. She is listening. There is no answer
audible. A tear rolls down the woman's cheek. The radio drones.
After a time, Steve appears. He is surprised to find the woman
awake. She sits on a new blanket from the store. Another is
rolled up as a pillow. She wipes away her tears with her
cigarette still in her hand.
Steve: HEY...YOU OK?
The man kneels next to her, not knowing what to say. Stephen
sits down next to her and puts his hands on her shoulders.
Fran: SO I GUESS WE FORGET ABOUT CANADA, RIGHT?
Steve: (taking her in his arms)
JESUS, FRANNIE, THIS SET UP IS SENSATIONAL.
WE GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED. WE SEAL OFF THAT
STAIRWAY...NOBODY'LL EVER KNOW WE'RE UP HERE.
WE'D NEVER FIND ANYTHING LIKE THIS...
Fran: I GUESS NOBODY CARES ABOUT MY VOTE, HUH?
Steve: COME ON, FRANNIE, YOU WERE SLEEPING.
Fran: WHAT HAPPENED TO GROWING VEGETABLES AND FISHING?
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE IDEA ABOUT THE WILDERNESS...
HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM ANYTHING AND ANYBODY...
STEVE, I'M AFRAID. YOU'RE HYPNOTIZED BY THIS
PLACE. ALL OF YOU. IT'S ALL SO BRIGHT AND NEATLY
WRAPPED THAT YOU DON'T SEE...YOU DON'T SEE THAT IT
CAN BE A PRISON.
She leans in to him, making a final plea.
Fran: STEPHEN, LET'S JUST TAKE WHAT WE NEED AND KEEP
GOING.
Steve: WE CAN'T HARDLY CARRY ANYTHING IN THAT LITTLE BIRD.
Fran: (angry)
WHAY DO YOU WANT? A NEW SET OF FURNITURE? A
FREEZER? A CONSOLE TV AND A STEREO? WE CAN TAKE
WHAT WE NEED. WHAT WE NEED TO SURVIVE.
382 Cut to a close up of Peter's face. His eyes pop open.
Peter: SHUT THAT THING OFF!
Roger clicks off the radio. They listen. They hear slight sounds
coming from the fire stairs. The end of the room with the
barricade of cartons looks surreal in the blue glow of the TV
screen which still shines.
Roger crawls over and clicks the TV off as well. The electronic
whistle slowly dies. Silence.
Steve steps out from behind the wall of cartons. Fran peers
around the corner to look, but she still sits on the floor.
Another noise. The faint squeaking of the door to the bottom of
the steps. Then footsteps on the metal stairs. Slow...
lumbering.
The faces of the humans all tighten. Peter and Roger pull their
rifles. Roger makes his ready.
Some thumping in the hall. Steve squats down and holds Fran.
The sounds are closer now. The door behind the cartons clicks
but does not move. More pounding...then silence.
After a time, the footsteps recede down the stairs.
Peter: SOMEBODY BETTER SIT WATCH ALL THE TIME.
Roger: THEY'LL NEVER GET THROUGH THERE.
Peter: ENOUGH OF 'EM WILL. AND IT AIN'T JUST THEM THINGS
WE GOT TO WORRY ABOUT. THAT CHOPPER UP THERE COULD
GIVE US AWAY IF SOMEBODY COMES MESS' AROUND.
Roger: WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? LAND ANOTHER PILOT TO FLY
IT OUT. THEY'RE NOT GONNA MESS WITH A LITTLE BIRD
LIKE THAT. THEY GOT ENOUGH ON THEIR HANDS. YOU
KNOW BACK IN PHILLY WE FOUND A BOAT IN THE MIDDLE
OF INDEPENDENCE SQUARE. SOMEBODY TRYIN' TO CARRY
IT TO THE RIVER, I GUESS. DIDN'T MAKE IT. DAMN
THING SAT THERE FOR EIGHT DAYS.
Peter: SOMEBODY FINALLY GOT IT, THOUGH. IT COMES DOWN TO
HOW MUCH ITS WORTH.
383 Fran ducks back onto her blanket. She disgustedly lights another
cigarette. Steve sits next to her again.
Steve: FRANNIE...
She doesn't respond.
Steve: DAMMIT, FRAN, YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'D
HAVE TO LAND FOR FUEL TRYIN' TO MAKE IT UP NORTH?
THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE EVERYWHERE. AND THE
AUTHORITIES WOULD GIVE US JUST AS HARD A TIME...
MAYBE WORSE... WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE HERE, FRANNIE.
WE GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED RIGHT HERE!
Stephen curls up with his head on the rolled blanket.
Steve: COME ON...GET SOME SLEEP.
The woman doesn't move.
Steve: FRANNIE. COME ON.
She grinds her cigarette out on the concrete floor and stretches
out next to the man. He puts his arm around her. His hands rub
up and down her body as he curls next to her. He opens her
blouse and reaches inside. He closes his eyes and he seems
perfectly comfortable to rest in her softness. His hand moves
under her clothing. She doesn't respond, at first, then her body
relaxes somewhat and she brings one of her arms up around his
head.
Steve: I'M NOT JUST BEING STUBBORN. I REALLY THINK THIS
IS BETTER. HELL. YOU'RE THE ONE'S BEEN WANTIN' TO
SET UP HOUSE.
She stares off across the barren room. His hands continues to
move under her blouse.
384 In the Administration Corridor, a few stray Zombies wander among
the corpses on the floor. One large and severely wounded
creature pounds on the door to the interior corridor. It had
been the one which was pounding at the door upstairs.
A female Zombie squats near one of the corpses in the hall. She
lifts its arm and moves it to her mouth, but she drops it
quickly, repelled by its coldness. She leans over and picks at
another corpse, then she stands and drifts towards the mall.
Slowly the creatures leaves the corridor and move out onto the
second floor balcony. We begin to hear a voice fading in over
the scene.
Voice: ...NOT ACTUALLY CANNIBALISM...CANNIBALISM IN THE
TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD, IMPLIES AN INTRASPECIE
ACTIVITY... THESE CREATURES CANNOT BE CONSIDERED
HUMAN..THEY PREY ON HUMANS...THEY DO NOT PREY ON
EACH OTHER.
385 We see the mall balcony now. Zombies wander past the stores.
Some move down the stationary stairs onto the main concourse.
Below.
Voice: THEY ATTACK AND...AND FEED...ONLY ON WARM HUMAN
FLESH...
386 At the mall entrances, some creatures drift out into the night.
Others still enter the enormous building. There are not as many
as there were in the afternoon, but there are certainly enough
to be threatening.
Voice: INTELLIGENCE? SEEMINGLY LITTLE OR NO REASONING
POWER. WHAT BASIC SKILLS REMAIN ARE MORE
REMEMBERED BEHAVIOURS FROM...FROM NORMAL LIFE.
387 Several creatures are clawing at the roll gate to the department
store. It is a strange and eerie sight. The staring, painted
eyes of the mannequins within the store seem to watch the
Zombies. The gate rattles but does not budge.
Voice: THERE ARE REPORTS OF THE CREATURES USING TOOLS,
BUT EVEN THESE ACTIONS ARE THE MOST PRIMITIVE...
THE USE OF EXTERNAL ARTICLES AS BLUDGEONS ETC.,
EVEN ANIMALS WILL ADOPT THE BASIC USE OF TOOLS IN
THIS MANNER.
388 Fran's eyes pop open the voice has awakened her. She has been
asleep on the blanket.
Voice: THESE CREATURES ARE NOTHING BUT PURE, MOTORIZED
INSTINCT...
The woman looks around. Morning sunlight is spilling in through
the skylights above. She sits up and peers into the next area of
the room. The men are gone. The television is playing. On the
tube we see a dishevelled man sitting in an emergency news room
reading the report.
389 Voice: THEIR ONLY DRIVE IS FOR THE FOOD WHICH SUSTAINS
THEM. WE MUST NOT BE LULLED BY THE CONCEPT
THAT THESE ARE OUR FAMILY MEMBERS OR OUR FRIENDS.
THEY WILL NOT RESPOND TO SUCH EMOTIONS. THEY
MUST BE DESTROYED ON SIGHT....
390 Fran sees that the barricade of cartons is still in place at
the fire stairs door. She looks up. The skylight above the
pyramid is open. She realizes that the men are on the roof.
391 At the edge of the roof, Peter looks through binoculars.
392 About a quarter of a mile away, he sees the large warehouse of
a food processing chain. IN the yard and in the large open
garages of the building, he sees a fleet on enormous trailer-
trucks parked.
393 Steve: YOU SURE WE CAN START 'EM.
Roger: YOU HAVEN'T SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON THE STREET.
Peter: WELL LET'S GET IT UP. THERE'S NOT TOO MANY
OF 'EM AROUND YET THIS MORNIN'.
The big trooper looks down to the parking lot below.
394 There are not as many Zombies as there were the day before, and
they wander aimlessly, spread out rather than in clusters.
395 The men move for the skylight.
396 In the storage area below, Fran is examining the maps in the
manual. The TV still drones in a low volume. The men climb
down into the room.
Roger: HEY, FRAN...
Fran: I WOULD HAVE MADE COFFEE AND BREAKFAST, BUT I
DON'T HAVE MY POTS AND PANS.
There is a bitterness in her voice. Roger laughs. Steve senses
the tension. Peter just straps on his equipment.
Fran: CAN I SAY SOMETHING?
Steve: SURE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Fran: I'M SORRY YOU FOUND OUT I'M PREGNANT, BECAUSE I
DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU TO TREAT ME DIFFERENTLY
THAN YOU'D TREAT ANOTHER GUY.
Steve: HEY, FRANNIE, COME ON...
Fran: AND,...I'M NOT GONNA BE DEN MOTHER FOR YOU GUYS.
They all look at her, attentive now.
Fran: AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND I
WANT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE PLANS. THERE'S
FOUR OF US, OK?
Steve: JESUS, FRAN...
Peter: FAIR ENOUGH!
Fran: NOW. WHAT'S GOIN' ON?
Peter: WE'RE GOIN' OUT.
Fran starts to say something, but this time Peter cuts her off.
Peter: ...AND YOU ARE NOT COMING WITH US!
Again the woman starts to protest, but Peter continues.
Peter: AND YOU WILL NOT COME WITH US UNTIL YOU CAN
HANDLE YOURSELF. THAT MEANS LEARN TO SHOOT AND
LEARN TO FIGHT.
The big man starts back up the pyramid. Roger moves to
follow him.
Fran: SOMETHING ELSE.
The men look at her. She faces Roger and Peter directly without
looking at Stephen.
Fran: I DON'T KNOW ANOUT YOU TWO, BUT I WANNA LEARN
HOW TO FLY THAT HELICOPTER.
Stephen is shocked. Fran looks at him and lowers her eyes.
Fran: IF ANYTHING HAPPENS...WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET
OUT OF HERE.
Stephen doesn't know what to say. He looks at the woman,
then up at the other men.
Peter: SHE'S RIGHT, FLYBOY. COME ON, LET'S GO.
Fran: AND YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ME WITHOUT A GUN AGAIN.
Stephen thinks about protesting but he complies by slowly
setting his rifle down on the cartons. Then he fishes in his
pocket for a fistful of shells and dumps them next to the gun.
He stares at the woman angry and hurt.
Fran picks up the weapon and shoots a glance up at Peter.
Fran: I JUST MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE
IT.
Peter and Roger disappear through the skylight. Stephen stands
still. He looks down at the floor. Fran moves close to his side.
Fran: I'M SORRY, STEPHEN. (it is not an apology)
Steve: I KNOW...I KNOW...IT'S ALRIGHT!
He starts up to the skylight.
Fran: STEPHEN
Steve: YEAH.
He stops and turns to look at her. Her eyes are pleading for
understanding, but he is incapable of it at the moment. Fran
just shrugs off whatever she was going to say, and she sighs
with exasperation.
Fran: BE CAREFUL.
Steve: YEAH, WE'LL BE ALRIGHT.
He disappears through the skylight. Fran stares down at the
weapon in her hands, then she steps over and clicks off the
television.
397 The sudden, loud noise of the chopper engine as it hovers.
Only Stephen is on board at the controls.
398 In the cab of one of the big trailer trucks Roger is crouching
working on the wiring beneath the dashboard.
399 Peter sits on the cab of another truck. He tries the
complicated shift mechanism and fidgets with the other controls.
Then he pulls out. He stops the big vehicle with his cab just
abreast of the cab Roger is working in.
Peter: HOW ABOUT IT?
Roger: GETTIN' IT.
400 Peter looks around. The mall can be seen in the distance. On the
ground between, there are a few Zombies scattered about in
little clusters. None of them present any immanent danger.
401 Roger sits up and is able to start his truck.
Peter: I'LL JUST RIDE PICK UP, I'M NOT TOO SURE OF
THIS THING...
Roger: I GREW UP ON ONE OF THESE, LET'S GO.
402 The great trucks lumber away from the warehouse. They pull
across the little loading lot and out a ramp toward the
roadway. Stephen hovers overhead in the chopper, following
the trucks as closely as he can.
403 On the roof of the mall, Fran clutches her rifle. She sees the
big trucks roar up over the hill, the helicopter just above
them. It is a strange looking convoy as it speeds toward the
trucks as closely as it can.
404 Along the road, several Zombies try to stagger after the trucks
but they are left in the dust of the speeding vehicles. The
creatures lumber along slowly behind.
405 The vehicles pull into the little grade which loads into the
mall's parking lot. They roar right toward the building.
406 At one of the building entrances, a cluster of Zombies is
moving in and lot of the main doors. Others wander nearby in the
parking lot. Attracted by the sounds of the engines, the
creatures turn and face the trucks.
As Peter pulls his vehicle in a wide arc, Roger drives his right
up to the side of the building and roars toward the entrance
doors. Then he skips his right wheels up onto the curb, and with
a great, scraping crunch, the big truck pulls directly abreast
of the building, flush with the entrance. The huge vehicle
crushes several of the helpless creatures and knocks other
flying back.
407 The trailer of the truck has totally blocked off the mall
entrance. Several Zombies trapped inside try to push the glass
doors open. The doors move, but cannot be opened wide enough
for the creatures to get out.
408 The few creatures immediately around the truck begin clambering
at its sides. Roger shuts off the engine and grabs his gun as
other Zombies begin clutching at the windows of the cab.
409 Overhead, the whirlybird hovers very close by. Now Peter's big
truck pulls up alongside so that Peter's passenger door is
directly abreast of the free door on Roger's cab.
Peter's truck also crushes one or two of the creatures, but
there are still several in the immediate vicinity of the cab.
410 As Roger opens his door and scrambles into the other truck, one
of the Zombies grabs hold. Roger just manages to kick the
creature off as the big truck pulls out and roars across the
lot.
411 The helicopter flies straight up and directly over the roof of
the big shopping centre, where Fran has been watching the
action. She now runs to the other side of the roof, the wind
from the chopper whipping her hair.
412 The chopper turns and waits for the big truck to move up under
it, then the whirlybird escorts the trailer back to the warehouse
down the road.
413 Roger is whooping and hollering like a cowboy as the big rig
pulls up beside another of the parked vans.
Peter: COME ON, COME ON... THREE MORE BABY.
Roger: LIKE A CHARM, HUH? LIKE A FUCKING CHARM!
Roger grabs his knapsack and climbs into the new cab where he
immediately goes to work on jumping the engine cables.
414 From the helicopter overhead, Stephen spots something moving
around the warehouse. He jockeys the chopper slightly for a
better look and he sees a small group of Zombies wandering out
of the big garage directly toward Roger's truck.
415 In the meantime, Peter's truck pulls away from the cab Roger is
in. The big vehicle rolls into the large paved area behind the
warehouse where Peter can turn it around easily.
416 Stephen swoops down with the big bird. He buzzes as close as he
can to Roger's truck, trying to signal the man.
417 Roger continues to work on the cables, still whooping like a
child. The Zombies are very close at hand. They have just
about reached the cab. Stephen buzzes again. Roger doesn't
notice.
418 Peter has now backed up into a position which enables him to
pull out. He looks up to see the helicopter heading straight
for him.
419 The big chopper buzzes right over Peter's cab then spins around
heading back for Roger.
420 Peter looks toward the other truck. He can now see the lumbering
crea