21. The Resistance - Leslie

Recommend listening/viewing for this script - Saul William's "Pledge of Resistance."

• FADE IN:
  


• EXT. BURNING CITY STREET - DAY


• A small radio sits on a smoldering pile of bricks.


• A grenade falls and lands next to the radio, rocking slightly


• RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
• It’s the third week of the riots here in New Detroit and there’s no sign of a letup. The insurgents still hold most of downtown and Cherokee Village. The police and national guard have now reclaimed majority of the city. Some of the bloodiest battles today have been in the...


• The grenade explodes and booted feet rush by looking for cover.


• ALEXIS crouches behind a burning car and checks her ammunition.


• She fixes the gas-mask covering her lower face and readjusts her sun glasses.


• A flash bang grenade explodes through the windows of the car. She crouches lower, waiting.


• She hears the dull growl of drones flying over head.


• ALEXIS
• Burners!


• The drones fire their napalm missiles, blanketing the street in flames.


• Fighters scramble from their hiding places, burning, only to be picked off by the aerial sharp-shooting platforms.


• Alexis fires several rounds at the drones, but they are too far away.


• A Federal tank begins its slow advance through the street.


• Alexis looks around the street and finds KWAME'S hiding place.


• She signals him and he nods; the remaining fighters begin to slip away down alleys and into buildings.


• She remains crouched behind the car, watching for the right moment to attack.


• INT. COMMAND PLATFORM 3 - DAY


• GENERAL HAGGIS sits at his command station on the air ship as it floats high above the burning city.


• COLONEL MARKHAM enters the room.


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• Sir, the President has given the OK on SWIFFER. We’re good to go.


• The general turns, looking at the man behind him.


• GENERAL HAGGIS
• There’s no going back from this.


• COLONEL MAKRHAM
• Sir?


• GENERAL HAGGIS
• This is, quite literally, our Rubicon moment, and I’m not sure...


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• We have to sir. President McCain, all those years ago, knew this day would come and he was right. It's time to end this.


• GENERAL HAGGIS
• Son, I know this is the only solution, doesn’t make it any better.


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• Sir, if the political officer hears you..


• Haggis waves his hand dismissively.


• GENERAL HAGGIS
• Fratricide is fratricide, whatever the ends are.


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• Respectfully sir, this isn’t family. McCain knew there’d be trouble all those years ago, that’s why he put the chips in.


• GENERAL HAGGIS
• Alright son, let’s just finish this. It’s time to get wet.


• COLOENL MARKHAM
• Yes, sir.


• He flips the cover off a switch and begins activating several codes.


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• It’s ready for you, sir.


• The General walks to the console, and places his thumb onto a small metal plate while lining his eye up with a scanner.


• The scanner hums for a moment, the chirps. The plate turns green.


• The general moves back to his chair and sits down slowly, looking as if he has aged within seconds.


• COLONEL MARKHAM
• Sir, we just made history.


• EXT. BURNING CITY STREET - DAY


• Alexis slips from behind the car and begins moving towards the tank in a cat-like crouch.


• She pauses, rubbing at her vaccine chip. It begins to burn and she tries to move but can’t, falling to her knees.


• Her eyes begin to cloud.


• At the edge of her vision, she sees Kwame fall from a window.


• She convulses, and looks at her arm.


• Electric blue pulses spread from the chip down her veins.


• She grabs at it trying to scratch it out, then freezes.


• Her bloody hands curl, and she falls on her side, gasping, and then she can’t even do that.


• The tank pulls back and soldiers, carrying bodybags move carefully down the street, firing bullets into the dead fighters just to be sure.


• Her eyelids flicker, then go still leaving her dead eyes to stare at her fallen friends.
  
  
  FADE TO BLACK.