Jesse and Liz are both exhausted, They try to get a little sleep while as CONNOR drives. It is apparent that the full weight of the day's events has not yet set in.
Connor
Hey guys, look alive, we're about to head through Woodland. We should be able to get to 503 on the other side of town, but we're going to have to take it slow to be safe.
Jesse
Hurngh, wha-. What the hell would they want with podunk ass Woodland?
Connor
What does anyone want with it? Truth is we don't even know what the hell they want with us in the first place, so we can't afford to take risks.
Liz
Maybe they came for the scenery.
It is extremely quiet, as if the whole town was abandoned. Not a single light is on in the houses or businesses along the main road. Occasionally we see I-5 in the distance, it is almost completely barren, only a few broken down cars to be seen. As CONNOR turns a corner we see light and activity in the distance.
Liz
Hey! Hey! Look! They're actually fuckin open!
Jesse
Oh man, I'm so hungry. Can we stop and get a bite?
Connor
What in the hell? Yeah, let's go in. Maybe someone can tell us what's happening.
CONNOR pulls into the packed parking lot. We see a big, gaudy neon sign that reads Ralphie's Steakhouse.
Connor
Listen you two, from here out, we do not leave this vehicle without a weapon, under any circumstances. Got it? No matter how safe it looks, I never want you to open those doors without a gun in your hands.
Liz
I feel so gangsta.
Connor
They're looking for us. Well, they're looking for me anyways. It's only a matter of time before they figure out what I look like so we need to keep moving, no staying in any one spot for long.
Jesse
Yeah yeah. Let's go get some food, Rambo.
Int. Ralphie's steakhouse
The restaurant is packed. We see weapons beside nearly every customer. Waitresses flitting about from table to table like bumblebees. No one bats an eye as they walk in. Three banged up people, the biggest of which carrying an assault rifle. The teenage kid with a 9mm in his waistband. LIZ is carrying a pump action shotgun.
From the bar, a hefty middle aged man calls out. RALPHIE is the proprietor and most of the waitresses are his daughters and nieces. RALPHIE is wearing cowboy boots and the biggest belt buckle imaginable. He is a little shorter than CONNOR, but rugged like a man who'd lived in the country his entire life. He could only be described as the good ole boy type.
RALPHIE
Hooo, look at the gun that boy's got! Come here soon, come on now, have a seat.
Some people have started to notice CONNOR. A few are gawking, some even pointing. The man that called CONNOR over stands up to greet them.
RALPHIE
Where the hell did you fellas come from?
(turning to LIZ)
How are ya miss?
Connor
We came from just outside of Portland. I'm Connor. This is Liz and Jesse.
Ralphie
That's a mighty big gun for such a little lady. Name's RALPHIE, this here establishment belongs to me. Why don't y'all take a load off, you look like you could do with a bit of relaxin'.
Connor
Thank you, sir. We've been driving for hours.
Ralphie
I would imagine, what route did you take to get here?
(RALPHIE beckons for a waitress. The waitress is cute, about 20.)
Last I heard some Chinese assholes had shut down the all the roads just a few miles north of Vancouver.
Connor
Yeah, looks like it. We've been snaking through the back-roads all night.
Ralphie
Sweetheart, why don't you take these folks order. It's on me tonight.
Waitress
I know daddy, everything's on you tonight. We're gonna go outta business if we do this again tomorrow.
Connor
I'll have a burger and some iced tea. Thanks.
(CONNOR turns back to RALPHIE)
What made you decide to stay open, if you don't mind me asking?
Ralphie
Well, I figure people are gonna need a good meal right now. The whole town just about lost their minds and took off. Who knows where the hell they think they're going? Me, I figure it'll be a while before those bastards even bat an eye at this town. Even when they do, what are they gonna do, kill everyone? I highly doubt that, hell I got plenty of rice if them boys don't like steaks. I'm a fat, old man and I've got my girls to think of. This ain't my fight.
Connor
Yeah, it seems like they were avoiding major confrontations for now. They seem to have this thing pretty well planned out.
Ralphie
That they do, that they do. I heard they were trying to set up a base at some department store a couple miles from the airport, but they bit off more than they could chew... Now where does a fellow get a gun like that son?
Connor
Oh this? Let's just say the owner no longer has any use for it. I figured if we came under fire, I'm better off with their rifles because I can use their own ammo.
Ralphie
I ain't even gonna ask how you and the previous owner came to that agreement. What's your poison?
Connor
Good old Jack, but I'm doing the driving so I'll have to refrain for now.
Ralphie
Oh come on son, I insist. You ain't gonna insult me in my own bar are ya?
Liz
It's ok hun. You deserve a drink. And a nap. I can drive for a little while once we get back on the road.
Ralphie
Alright, then it's settled
(RALPHIE goes behind the bar and grabs some glasses)
Do you take it straight or with soda?
Connor
Some coke would be good. Thanks
Ralphie
So where are you folks headed?
Connor
Well, we were planning on taking the park roads around St Helens and head up toward Seattle. The PLA wasn't able to take that port, so it should be a good starting point. Not sure after that though.
Ralphie
I never would have thought that bunch of liberals up in Seattle would knock back that kind of an attack. Hell, I never imagined anyone would have the gall to bring a fight to American soil.
Connor
Yeah, people were fighting all over when we left. I'm pretty sure I saw some gang members helping out the cops, it's crazy
Ralphie
I usually put the T.V.s on ESPN, but I've had em on the news all night. Satellite TV, still keeps runnin', even after the Apocalypse.
Connor
For now.
As CONNOR looks up, we transition to the screen.
It is filled with images of fighting from all over the country. Pictures of people dead in the streets and pictures of victories as well. The ticker that runs across the bottom of the screen was listing the cities that had been attacked and their status.
Miami - taken. Savannah - Taken, with PLA moving into Atlanta by morning. Raleigh - Taken. D.C. - Taken, casualties thought to exceed 1 million. Annapolis - Still under siege, but believed to be turning the tide. Philadelphia - Free. Boston - Free. Atlantic City - Taken. Providence - taken. NYC - free and mobilizing defense to move into Albany. Albany - Free, but fighting is fierce with Canadian and National Guard expected to arrive within hours. Los Angeles - Free, but expected to be taken without reinforcements. San Diego - Free, attack was stopped within two hours by Marines and Recruits from the MCRD adjacent to the airport. Balboa Naval base took only minor fire. Fresno - taken. Oakland - Taken. San Francisco - free, Golden Gate Bridge was destroyed by the PLA to cut off aid to Oakland. Astoria - taken with devastating casualties. Portland - taken, but fierce pockets of resistance are
slowing the Chinese advance. Olympia - taken. Seattle/Tacoma - Free, National Guard was able to mobilize before the PLA could take SeaTac Intl.
News anchor
This just in.
(We see cell phone video of a devestated army base.)
We previously reported that over 200 military installations were affected by some kind of chemical attack. Medical Personnel are now reporting that the soldiers who they were able to save seem to have been exposed to some kind of fast acting poisonous fungus. Not unlike the spores that were ravaging rural Oregon only a few years ago. This fungus is not believed to be contagious, but spread only by contact with objects in the vicinity of the bases. It is not yet known if this was carried out by Chinese personnel or how they ev...
We cut back to see RALPHIE shaking his head. JESSE is scoffing away at his food and trying to talk.
Ralphie
Christ almighty. So that's how they shut down the entire god damned army.
Jesse
Do you think, they would use that stuff on regular people?
Connor
I don't know JESSE. I don't think they would, why would they be taking major cities by force just to make them uninhabitable?
Liz
Hun, it looks like RAUL is trying to call us. Why don't you take it? I wouldn't know what to ask him.
Connor
Sure thing.
(CONNOR turns to RALPHIE)
Hey is there somewhere a little more quiet I can take this?
Ralphie
Yeah, why don't you head into my office.
(RALPHIE POINTS CONNOR TOWARD THE KITCHEN DOORS)
It's right on the other side of the freezer, you can't miss it.
Connor
Thanks RALPHIE. I appreciate what you're doing for us.
(CONNOR speaks into the receiver. he has to almost yell because of the background noise)
Give me just a minute to get somewhere I can talk.
We follow connor through the kitchen into ralphie's office.
CONNOR closes the door behind him and then sits down at the cluttered desk. There are pictures of RALPHIE's family all around the small office.
Connor
Hey RAUL, you still there?
Raul
Yeah, I'm here. Listen, I've got some really bad news Connor.
Connor
I'd be damn surprised if you had any that wasn't.
Raul
Fair enough, but this involves you. The police have had interpreters trying to intercept radio signals and surprisingly the Chinese are using open frequencies.
Connor
How does that involve me?
Raul
I'm getting there. We all knew they were going to respond to the incident at Mega Mart, but we just weren't sure how... They're pissed man, they're out for blood. You killed one of their top brass when you guys were fighting your way out and they want to make an example of you.
Connor
I'm going to assume they were able to recover the security tapes then...
Raul
Yeah, they were. They came straight to the hospital about two hours after you guys left. They said they only wanted the people who were in charge. We tried to cover, but they found that guy who was shot in the neck...
Connor
MCDONNELL, he was a retired Staff Sgt I think.
Raul
Yeah, that's him. They tried to get him to talk, but he wouldn't. I'm not even sure he could have if he wanted to, he was hurt pretty bad. One of the doctors tried to stop them, but they shot him in the head. Right in front of everyone.
CONNOR
Christ.
Raul
They didn't get anything out of your friend so they just killed him. After that, the guy in charge told us that if they find anyone helping you they would be killed in order to show us how futile it is to fight back.
Connor
Then what the hell are you doing telling me this?
Raul
Because we can change things, CONNOR. If you tell people your story, it might give them hope. You can give people a reason to fight, help them to see that it isn't pointless.
Connor
How do you propose I do that? After all, I'm on the run and those bastards are probably after me right now.
Raul
This isn't the 1950's anymore. These rat bastards can't control the flow of information. Don't you see? With today's technology they can't stifle our voices.
Connor
Last time I checked they had done a pretty good job of blocking access to the internet. And if I go on TV that's only going to make myself and anyone around me more vulnerable.
Raul
No, No we can't have them seeing your face. You can be more than a just some guy, we can use you to represent an ideal. You can spark a movement. Let me record an interview and I can get it out online, I have contacts all over the country and in Europe and Asia, we can make this go viral. The Chinese were only able to completely knock out the Asian hubs. Our navy was smart enough to know that we had to protect ICANN at all costs..
Connor
Wait, what is that?
Raul
ICANN, it's the company that basically controls access to the internet. It's much more complicated than that, but if it were to be taken the entire world's access could be blocked for god knows how long.
Connor
Ok, you said the navy responded? Where is it?
Raul
Well it's in Marina Del Mar, it's a half hour or so from LAX, on the coast. The government apparently had a contingency plan in case it was ever in jeopardy. Coronado had warships there before the Chinese could even get outside of LAX.
Connor
What about LA?
Raul
I think they're rerouting some of the Marines up that way for back up, but LA has a huge police force so I think eventually they'll be ok. Besides people down in LA are mean as hell, they aren't just gonna let some assholes take over their city. They've got as many guns as the cops do, I'm sure.
Connor
That's good, from what I've seen Seattle is in the clear. Maybe they'll be able to retake most of the west coast with such huge naval bases open, they must have forgotten to attack them.
Raul
Nah, more likely too much wind to apply that shit they used on the army all over the country. Apparently there's been some noise on the Antartic network as well. That means someone up high survived and is trying to rally the troops. So do you want to do this? There's no turning back once we do. You've already got the entire god damn Chinese army after you, but they'll really kick it into gear once this gets out.
Connor
You're probably right, RAUL. If we're going to win this thing, we need to give the people some encouragement.
Raul
Ok tape recorder is on. Ready?
Raul
America this is R.C., out of fear for my personal safety and that of my family I can not reveal my real name. Tonight, the world as we know it was torn asunder. Not just our great nation, but dozens of our allies face the largest and most aggressive invasion in the history of mankind. So flawlessly was this attack executed, that the entire planet was taken by surprise. Hundreds of cities have fallen and probably millions of innocent people are dead as we speak. However, all is not lost. Tonight, I will give you a reason to believe. Tonight, we all become the resistance. Everyone who hears this, every man, woman, and child will be part of the fight to retake our homelands.
Tonight, I introduce you to your General. This morning, he was just an ordinary citizen like you and I, but all of that changed when the store he was in came under attack. This man took action without hesitation for his own safety in order to save the lives of dozens of other people in a Vancouver, Washington Mega Mart. For those of you who haven't heard of Vancouver, it is just across the river from sunny Portland, Oregon.
(brief pause)
&nb
sp; How did you get that nickname, the General?
Connor
When we were attempting to secure the Mega Mart, there was no time for introductions so one of the employees just started referring to me as General.
Raul
How many people helped you take back that store?
Connor
Everyone there had a part in it. Every single person there was a hero tonight. But those of us doing the fighting, there was myself, another old Jar Head, and about 10 other guys.
Raul
How many died there tonight?
Connor
I'm not sure, we were able to save about 40 or so. However, dozens, maybe a hundred or more, died. I don't really know how many were able to get out before they sealed the place off.
Raul
How many soldiers did they send to take the place?
Connor
I think it was around two dozen that dropped in. Twice as many outside. They sent them in there to slaughter us and then intended to set the place up as a command hub.
Raul
That didn't work out so well for them. Tell us how what went down.
Connor
No, no it didn't. I heard the first shots fired when I was in the middle of an aisle and saw the gunmen as he rounded the corner. I was able to take him out and grab his weapons. After that, I...
Raul
What happened then?
Connor
I, um, I was able to get a civilian into an office about 50 yards away. I was under pretty intense fire and would have been dead only a few feet from the door when a man, Jim was his name, came out of nowhere and nearly took a soldier's head off with a baseball bat.