Evolution Wave

Millennium War:
Evolution Waves
by
Fred Files

FADE IN:

SPACE ABOVE THE PLANET PERMATURE

The surface of the planet is largely green with round lakes that have formed in bomb craters.

A space ship, the Negev, is firing torpedoes at the planet.

A second ship, the Lupis comes around the planet and fires on the other ship.

Two space ships continue to fire lasers and torpedoes at each other.

Negev explodes.

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE GARDEN - NIGHT

There are several flashes of light in the distance.

The explosion of the Negev appears in the sky, lighting the mountainside.

While not sheer, the mountainside is steep and heavily wooded. There is an area where the trees have been thinned out. In the thinned area crops are growing. Great care seems to have been made to keep the crops hidden from casual view.

TONY ABERAM is examining the crops.

Sounds of people moving come from the heavily wooded area of the mountain.

Hearing the sounds, Tony climbs up the nearest tree.

The sounds come closer, until a squad of uniformed solders march through the trees into the clearing.

SOLDER

What the-? There shouldn’t be any

camps this far out. Clear it.

Several solders spread out and open fire on the crops with flame throwers.

From the tree, Tony opens fire on the troops.

All of the solders are killed.

Tony leaps down from the tree and works on putting out the fire.

EXT. CHECKPOINT - NIGHT

A guard, MARK, is standing picket duty next to a gate. Two additional guards are behind the gate.

There is very little light to mark the location of the checkpoint, but moonlight is keeping the rundown road leading to it well lit.

Tony is walking very slowly towards the checkpoint, his arms down, but hands in plane view.

Mark and the other guards shoulder their weapons and aim them at Tony.

MARK

Identify!

TONY

It's me, Mark.

Mark seems to relax a bit, but does not totally lower his weapon.

MARK

Its been awhile, I'm surprised you're

still alive. The wife you left for

still alive too?

TONY

Yep. Got kids now too. I got something

for you.

Tony slowly reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small collection of dog tags.

He hands them over to mark, who looks over the names on them.

TONY

They burnt my crops. Didn’t get

them all, but enough. I'm gonna

need some food in order to get

through the winter.

Mark raises an eyebrow while looking at one of the dog tags.

MARK

You left. I don’t feel too inclined

to give you anything. If that wasn’t

reason to call you traitor, your

killing a squad is.

Mark seems to half smile.

MARK

Still, they couldn’t have been that

good if they didn’t get all of the

crop.

TONY

We have been fighters all our lives.

We kill the enemy because they want

to kill us. But why does the enemy

want to kill us? This war has been

going on longer than anyone knows.

Tony looks up to a star that seems to comfort him.

TONY

Nobody knows why we are all enemies

anymore. That is why I had to leave.

I wont fight a pointless war.

Marks gaze hardens.

MARK

Thanks for the tags, but I cannot give

any food to an outsider like you.

Tony turns and walks back the way he came.

EXT. TRADING ZONE - NIGHT

The trading zone is a bombed out city. The streets are dirty and craters, bullet holes and old blood stains mark all of the buildings.

Tony is walking down the streets towards his favorite bartering house.

Sounds of voiceless whispers seem to echo down the streets.

INT. BARTERING HOUSE - NIGHT

The bartering house looks more like a saloon from a western. Instead of blackjack tables, there are clusters of people bartering trades. There is a bar along one wall, and booths where people sit quietly drinking.

JON is sitting in a booth. He stands out as not belonging. His clothes are baggy and white, while everyone else is dressed in clothing of a more military style.

Tony enters the house and looks around for any prospects.

Jon watches Tony closely.

Not seeing anyone he knows, Tony moves to the bartender.

TONY

What are the main trades tonight?

The bartender shrugs.

BARTENDER

Weapons and breathers mainly.

What are you after?

TONY

Food. MREs, stuffers, imports, anything.

BARTENDER

You wont have any luck tonight. All

tradable food has been impounded.

Some kind of Bio-Weapon scare.

The bartender moves away to serve someone a drink.

Jon is standing behind Tony.

JON

Excuse me. I was wondering if we

could talk. You seem rather

different from the others.

Jon is smiling, and looks friendly.

TONY

You want to talk? Talk?

I'm just getting old.. letting

you sneak up on me like that.

My reflexes getting dull.

Jon smiles more.

JON

Nothing like that. You are very

perceptive. Your subconscious

realizes I'm not a threat. I'm

just here for your best interests.

Tony is walking towards the door, Jon is tailing behind him.

TONY

You have food?

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Jon is still right behind Tony as they enter the street.

Voiceless whispers still echo through the streets.

JON

Sorry, but no. Not here.

TONY

Right now, that is my interest.

JON

Do you know what those whispers are?

Tony nods.

TONY

The dead have been getting restless of late.

JON

Ill leave you for now, but don’t

be surprised if you still hear

from me.

EXT. MILITARY CAMP - NIGHT

Tony climbs over a barbed wire fence into the camp.

Hunched over, he runs to the nearest building.

No one is in site, but Tony still keeps his gun at ready.

JON

Didn’t they already say they wouldn’t

give you any food?

Tony looks around, but Jon is not there. Jon's voice is through telepathy.

TONY (in a loud whisper)

Where are you?

JON

No where near by. You are the only

one who can hear me.

Tony lifts his head to peer into a window.

It does not contain what he is looking for so he moves on to the next building.

JON

The food is not an urgent matter,

why risk your life like this?

Tony looks into another window, this time he sees what he needs.

A guard is sleeping next to the food stores.

TONY

I have to do it now. If I have to

come back, Sara will want to come

with me. Its not safe for her in

the city.

INT. CAMP BUILDING - NIGHT

The building is cluttered with supplies and food packets that are somewhat sorted. A guard is asleep propped against his gun.

Tony quietly opens the window from the outside and slips into the room noiselessly.

Moving behind the sleeping guard, Tony breaks his neck.

Swiftly he moves over and starts loading a bag up with cans.

JON

He was asleep. He didn’t see you,

you could have easily knocked him

out if he woke up, so why did you

kill him?

Tony sags, having fallen victim to an instinct he had tried to overcome.

TONY

I . . . Reflex, I guess. Didn’t think.

EXT. CLIFF BOTTOM - NIGHT

A city stands tall and proud at the base of the cliff, half immersed in water. The waves crash majestically against the sides of the buildings.

The moon hangs low, reflecting off the water and the surviving glass windows.

EXT. CLIFF TOP - NIGHT

Tony stands on the cliff admiring the view down below. He turns his attention to his favorite star.

Jon is not present.

JON

You seem to have a fascination with

that star.

TONY

It's my favorite, I guess.

Sometimes I get to thinking

it calls me. Crazy talk.

JON

I certainly find that disturbing.

Almost like fate.

Tony again looks out at the city down below.

TONY

Some times, its like you see the

headlights traveling down the

roads, under the water.

He shrugs.

TONY

Still the waves keep getting

stronger, gotta wonder how long

the buildings can keep standing.

A tear opens in the air. It is a white line that begins seven feet up in the air, and stretches to the ground. The line widens into an oval. Whiteness can be seen through it, with the sound of rushing air.

Jon walks out of the tare.

The tear snaps closed.

JON

You don’t seem too surprised at

my entrance?

TONY

I don’t know. Things have been

getting weird around lately. Lots

of strange things happening, but

you. I feel like I know you. I

know I'm not like you, and never

will be, but I know what you can

do. Should scare me.

Tony shrugs.

JON

Do you want to know what's going on,

then? Because its not just happening

here on Permature, but on other

worlds as well.

EXT. EARTH'S SURFACE - DAY

The surface has been ruined. It looks like the entire surface of the planet has been picked up, jumbled around and simply dropped, the pieces abandoned where they lay.

JON (V.O.)

The war has been going on for a

long time. Almost a thousand

years now. The causes have long

since been lost to time. And pain.

Some of the chunks are identifiable as buildings, laying on their sides, some upside down, but all half buried.

JON (V.O.)

A lot of death has taken place

in that time. More than can

be imagined.

Little ghostly whisps begin coming out of the building windows and from under rocks.

JON (V.O.)

When someone dies, something is

left behind. If it’s a ghost or

soul, or just a part of their

soul, I do not know.

EARTH SEEN FROM SPACE

Earth looks much as it does today. The clouds have a slightly brownish tint from the dirt that had been thrown into the air.

JON (V.O.)

All of this death has happened in

a relatively small and contained

area of the galaxy.

Earth begins to develop a halo, the same color as the whisps.

The halo continues to become more defined.

JON (V.O.)

The spiritual remains of all those

who have died are finally beginning

to gather together.

The halo around earth pulses.

Pulses again

With the third pulse, the halo starts to move away from the Earth in a wave, stretching out in all directions.

EXT. MARS GRAVEYARD - NIGHT

A traditional grave yard, with markers shaped like crosses, or traditional tombstones stand in almost neat rows. There is a total lack of trees.

The wave from earth is visible in the Martian sky.

The wave begins to fill the sky.

Whisps emerge from the ground below the tombstones and join the wave that is filling the sky.

JON (V.O.)

The next stage is more frightening.

EXT. SPACE BATTLE

Two groups of star ships are exchanging laser fire.

Several ships have already been disabled and are floating as derelicts, with all aboard dead.

JON (V.O.)

Because as the wave of dead

increases strength by gathering

enough spirits. . .

The wave begins to pass through the area where the fighting is taking place.

Whisps leave the derelict ships and join the wave.

INT. SHIP

Crewmembers are busy working controls, and working devices for defense and attack weapons. They are all totally worried only about their own survival and the destruction of their enemies.

JON (V.O.)

The wave will begin to take the

souls of the living with it as well.

Almost as one, the crewmembers stop what they are doing.

They seem to blur at the edges.

They take a deep breath and exhale.

Their bodies topple over, lifeless.

EXT. STARFIELD

The wave streches out from the central star, and moves outward. It swirls around the other stars as it spreads outward.

JON

The result will be a new life form.

If everyone will retain their

individuality, or become a single

mind, or even grouped clusters, I

don’t know.

EXT. CLIFF TOP - NIGHT

Jon turns and stands in front of Tony.

JON

What I am offering you is a choice.

You can stay here, and become apart

of whatever is happening. Or. . .

TONY

You tellin me I got a choice in it?

Jon stars Tony directly in the eye.

JON

Yes.

(beat)

I'm here to offer you the

chance to leave. To go far enough

away that the wave wont be able to

reach you. So that your family

and a few others will be able to

live a peaceful life.

(beat)

And maybe

even to find a third form for

humanity to evolve into.

INT. ABERAM HOME - NIGHT

It is a one room house made of wood with a stone fireplace on one wall. All of the chairs and the table is hand made. Three mats are on the floor.

SARA sits in a chair with a blank expression on her face, and dull eyes. Her stare seems fixed somewhere beyond the door. She is gently rocking.

REBECCA is asleep on one of the mats. A small hand made doll is in her hand, so that it looks as if she fell asleep while she was playing. She is a small girl of about 5.

The door opens and Tony enters his house.

Sara looks up at him and for a moment light comes back into her eyes, and she smiles at her husband. He passes out of her view and the dull look returns to her eyes.

Tony crouches next to Rebecca, and gently repositions her arms and sets her doll so that it is leaning up against her side.

He stands, but continues to watch Rebecca with a satisfied look on his face.

Tony moves over to Sara and touches her arm. At his touch the light returns to her eyes and she begins to move more like a normal person.

She stands and moves with Tony over to another mat.

They both sit facing each other on the mat. Tony is staring intently into her eyes.

SARA

No.

Sarah shakes her head fiercely.

Tony sighs and looks down. His eyes return to hers.

TONY

Don’t be like that. I haven't even

said anything yet.

Sara's eyes begin to tear up.

SARA

No. No changes. I couldn't take

another change. No.

TONY

Listen, Sara. It may not be safe

here any more. Should leave. It

will be same, just somewhere else.

You, me, Rebecca. House just like

this one. Make a better one even.

SARA

This is good. Safe here. Don’t make

me leave. Not again.

TONY

Ok. That’s enough for now. Talk