Wiki: Apocalypse - Chapter 2 - Dead Zone

Nathan: One of the bastards got Raven.

The scene opens. It is an office room. Justin is seated behind a desk that holds an old fashioned computer monitor, a mug filled with stationery and another half filled with coffee. He has his brown hair pulled back, a headband across his face. His eyes are expressionless. Nathan is stood before the desk, still wearing the clothes that he had been when he was at the Crevicees Farm.

Nathan: They shot Leege too. It took both Zander and Cam to subdue one of them. The other came quietly. We should throw them in the cells for killing Raven. Have a brother on brother fight in the arena. The crowd would love that.

Justin: Matteo tells me you killed two of their men. If Leege dies then that is an eye for an eye. We can always use more able bodied men. They stay.

Nathan: But sir-

Justin: They stay, goddmanit. If you question me again then it will be you in those cells. I’m sure there are more than a few people in this community who wouldn’t mind watching you die.

Nathan bared his teeth at that, but didn’t push the issue any further.

Justin: Have the two newcomers set up in a home of their own. Have Skeep look at them when he is done with Leege. We need to make sure both are clean.

Nathan: I already had Cam check-

Justin: Cam is not a fucking doctor though, is he? I want Skeep’s professional opinion, and I value that more than Cam’s quick ass check of their bodies.

Nathan: Yes sir.

Justin: Fucking exactly. Are the prisoners ready to provide some entertainment tonight. We can have a match after Raven’s funeral, and we can introduce the newbies at the same time.

Nathan: The runaway won’t be ready. I asked Skeep to look at him after Leege-

Justin: Fucking good. You’re thinking with your brain for once. Have the arab and the asian fight. I hear Zander is a bit of a racist. Will be interesting to see who he puts his money on.

Nathan: I will have it organised, sir.

Justin: Good. Leave me.

Nathan nodded his head slightly and left then. Justin spun himself around on his chair, so that he could look out of the window. His view shows all of The Community. A makeshift wall has been raised from sheets of iron. Shops and houses have been overtaken by the survivors, to be used as homes and shelters. He sits in the second floor of an office building. It had been a seven floor building before, but the top five floors had fallen when the army bombed the place. He could hear the sound of the living dead at his wall, and he shuddered. He was safe here, but for how long. He had built this place, but how long would it stand against the hordes on the other side of the wall.

-

The scene is the dark room from before. The people in it have barely moved. Mendes is sat in the corner, silently. Stan is sleeping on the opposite side of the room. Barry is pacing down the middle. The door opens. Enter Cam and Rob, who is limping besides him.

Cam: Your friend returned to you at last, gentlemen. I knew you had been worrying about his wellbeing.

Cam pushes Rob and he falls forward, landing in a heap in front of Barry. Cam laughs as he leaves through the door. Mendes glares after him.

Barry: Damn Rob. We thought you’d made it. What happened?

Rob pulls himself to his feet. He is clearly in pain.

Rob: I got a few miles and met a group of the dead. Probably like twenty of them. I tried to get away from them, but I was hurt.

Stan moves now, woken up by the sudden amount of noise.

Stan: Oh hey. Rob is back. You can’t have gotten very far.

Barry: Shut up, Stan. He's telling us what happened.

Rob: Anyways, I ran into this group of four guys. They had been living together on a farm. I think two of them were brothers. I’m not sure about the others. Nathan came after me though. I’m not sure how he found me, but he did. That’s why I’m here now.

Barry: What happened to the four guys you met? They gonna be joining us down here anytime soon?

Rob: I think Nathan killed two of them. Not sure which ones. Two of them came with him, though. Not sure what Justin is going to do with them.

Barry: That sucks, man. It’s a shame that Justin got to them before either of our communities. They would have been better off going there than becoming one of Justin’s mindless drones.

Rob: I think they killed one of Justin’s guys. Can’t see Nathan being too happy about that, can you?

Barry laughs.

Barry: It’s just a shame that they didn’t kill Nathan himself.

Stan: You know Justin would replace him with someone just as bad. He has an insane amount of dicks at his disposal. They all seem to worship him, too.

Barry: Yeah. I wouldn’t want Cam in charge either. He’s just like a less powerful Nathan. That, my friends, is why we have to escape.

-

Kung and Brandon are stood in Han’s garage. They have changed, and are now wearing white t-shirts with blue jeans. Their clothing is identical. Han is wearing the same, but his shirt is covered in grease stains, and his jeans are ripped.

Han: This is the garage. This is where we keep the jeeps, armour and all the guns. If you need a weapon for whatever reason then come here. If you are stationed on the walls then you have to pick up your arms and ammunition at the beginning of your shift and then drop it all off at the end. That way we can keep a good idea of how many zombies are killed in any one day. Got it?

Kung: Yeah. Where is the tank?

Han. The tank? Why do you want to know?

Kung: I was just wondering why you have one. This place don’t seem to have much of a military presence, so I was wondering where you got it.

Han: You would have to ask Nathan. He's in charge of all the journeys out of here for supplies and stuff. I just keep it all running.

Brandon: Were you a mechanic before?

Han hesitates before answering.

Han: Yeah. I only worked on motorcyles though. I've had to learn a lot very quickly. I would be careful asking questions like that, though, kid. Not everybody here likes being reminded of what life was like before all this happened.

???: Be honest, Cammy. You mean Nathan, right? He has his reasons.

Enter Felco. He is wearing a leather duster, riding goggles and has his black hair spiked up with hair gel.

Felco: I came to see if Nathan had dropped off any more products. I didn’t realise you had guests. Why don’t you introduce us.

Han: Oh, okay. Guys, this is Felco. Felco, this is Brandon and Kung. They are the guys-

Felco: Nathan picked up yesterday, right? The same guys that killed Raven?

Kung nodded, his face hard and stern.

Felco: No need to look so guarded, dude. I never liked that bastard anyway. He kissed Nathan’s ass more than Nathan kisses Justin’s. If only you could have got Cam too.

Han: Erm. Felco is Justin’s third in command. He is in charge of the defence of the walls, and co-ordinates everything that goes on inside the walls. He’s a good guy.

Felco: Anyways, do you have anything for me, Cammy.

Han shook his head.

Han: I can ask Nathan to look for hair products next time he goes out, but you know that he will probably ignore me.

Felco: You need to stand up for yourself more, man. Do you want me to show these two around the rest of the community?

Han shrugged. Felco nodded and put his arms around Brandon and Kung, taking them out into the main street.

Felco: Welcome to The Community fellas. This place has been standing since right at the start. We started out camped in that building-

Felco points to the office block.

Felco: But we expanded out when more people started coming, clearing the streets one by one and putting up those walls. That is why we are safe here. The walls protect us.

Kung: Who is Justin?

Felco: Hmmm?

Kung: Justin. Who is he? You mentioned him just now, and some guys mentioned him on the way here.

Felco: Justin is our leader. He watched over us when we put the walls up, and makes the decisions for the community.

Kung: Was he elected?

Felco shrugged.

Felco: If there had been an election he would have been chosen. He helped us survive, and he wanted the power. That is important. Not everybody can stay sane with people depending on you.

Kung: And does Justin? Stay sane, I mean.

Felco: You ask a lot of questions, bro. Your brother on the other hand- Does he ever talk?

Brandon: I’m just taking it all in.

Felco laughs.

Felco: Take however long you want, man. This place isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

-

Leege is laid down on a bed, tentatively pressing his fingers to a wound on his right shoulder, where Kung had shot him. He winced and pulled his fingers back. Enter Skeep, a doctor dressed in a white uniform with a stethoscope around his neck. His face is wrinkled. He is in his late 50s. His hair is white and he is clean shaven.

Skeep: You shouldn’t be touching that.

Leege: I know you said not to, Doc, but I just-

Skeep: Can’t resist to do it. I know. I know you too, Leege. I wouldn’t expect any less. Fortunately, I don’t think the wound is that bad. You should be up and about in a couple of days, though I am going to suggest you be kept off patrol duty for a while.

Leege: No- I have to do my part-

Skeep: You have done more than enough for this place, Leege. I wouldn’t have half the medicine that I have if it weren’t for you. I think Nathan will understand you being off-duty for a week or so. He has been injured before, too.

Leege: He doesn’t like me much-

Skeep laughs.

Skeep: He doesn’t like anyone much, you know that, and you know why. Ever since Justin took control-

Leege: You think he is plotting something?

Skeep: I don’t think he's that brave. He knows if he moves against Justin then it will be him in the arena next, and Justin would make sure he had no chance of surviving. Besides, if anything was happening then Matteo would have seen it. He doesn’t have any fondness for Nathan.

Leege: True enough. Maybe you’re write, Skeep. It’s just- I can’t get past the feeling that something big is going to go down soon, and that we might not all survive it.

-

Kung is walking down a dark corridor. There are pipes above him, and the sound of water dripping echoes down the hall. The light that illuminates the corridor a slight amount flickers every now and again, making a buzzing electrical sound as it does. He turns the next corner and comes into a small room filled with TV screens and computer monitors. There are two seats. One is occupied with a slender, pale man, dressed in dark clothes and wearing glasses.

Kung: Erm- I’m looking for-

???: Matteo? That’s me, friend. You must be- Kung, was it. Justin sent me a message saying to expect you. You’re my new assistant, right?

Kung: Yeah, I guess. That is what I was told.

Matteo: Okay, what I need you to do is watch the screens on the other half of the room. You think you can do that? Good.

Kung: Can I-

Matteo: I don’t like talkers. Are you a talker?

Kung: I don’t think-

Matteo: Fine, fine. Ask your question.

Kung: What is it that you do?

Matteo’s face fell.

Matteo: Did Justin not explain? I'm in charge of surveillance. I watch the community through cameras and monitor what happens. I then report it to Felco and he deals with whatever the problem is.

Kung: And what do I-

Matteo: You help me watch. You can also be my enforcer if Felco is busy. I send you someplace else and you do whatever necessary to diffuse a situation. Simple.

Kung looks at the screens, a puzzled look coming over his face.

Kung: Some of these aren’t of this place.

Matteo: Yes, yes. We have some cameras along the roads that lead here to see if anyone approaches. Is that you done?

Kung: Yes. Yeah. I suppose.

Matteo: Good. Now silence.

Enter Justin.

Justin: Hey you two. I see that you are bonding already.

Matteo: Oh for fucks sake! Why is everyone coming down here today?!

Justin laughs and puts his hand on Matteo’s shoulder as he stands behind the two of them.

Justin: I know you don’t like people, Matt. I’m mostly here to see how your assistant is doing? You settling in alright, Kung?

Kung: Yeah, I suppose. I just want to know where Brandon is-

Justin: I think he is on the walls with Felco and his guys. Felco asked for him personally, if I recall, otherwise I would have sent him here with Matteo and you would be out there.

Kung frowned. How would Brandon deal with life on the walls? He didn’t like violence. He hadn’t even killed one of those creatures yet. Surely he wouldn’t be suited to standing on the walls and protecting the community.

-

Barry, Stan, and Rob are sat side by side along the side of the dark room opposite the door. Mendes is laid to one side, asleep.

Barry: Cam said their was a game tonight. Think Mendes will be fighting one of us, Stan? Rob isn’t gonna be up now, is he?

Stan: Neither of us could beat him. Let’s hope it's those two that Rob met fighting each other.

Rob: I don’t want that. They saved my life.

Stan: Not mine. I would happily have one of them die for me.

Rob: They seem like nice people-

Stan: Nice people that I do not know. They can die.

The door opens and Felco enters. He has just come down from his previous encounter with Brandon, Kung and Han.

Felco: What up, bastards? I was sent down to tell you losers that Justin has a game planned for this evening. Stan will be against the asian. Looking forward to some blood, so the two of you better get yourself psyched for a good match. Mendes has dispatched the last three opponents quickly, and that is just dull.

Stan: What if I just kill myself to fuck you over, dude?

Felco: Then we will take out our frustrations on your friend. I don’t think you want that, boy, so you better perform to the best that you can be.

Barry: Don’t worry, Stan. You can defeat Mendes. Then you can go get Nial and tell him where we are. We need him.

Felco: Awww, that is cute. You still think that your buddies are going to bother coming to get you. Newsflash, they aren’t. Even if they got to the walls… We're too well armed to go down to people. It would need to be a large herd of the undead to take us down, and Matteo has that covered.

Stan: Doesn’t matter if the two of us die. Your little community will fall eventually.

Felco kicks out at Stan and catches him in the gut.

Felco: Did that hurt? You’re going to have to be more of a man for this evening, boy.

Stan: Don’t you worry about me. I would be worrying about yourself.

-

Leege is lying in his hospital bed. Skeep is stood over him, tending to his wound. Han is stood behind him, anxiously tapping his feet.

Skeep: And we are all done. Nathan agreed to let you off for three days. Han will look after you for that time. Then, I am afraid, you will have to join Nathan’s patrols again. I don’t think it is a long enough time-

Leege: I’ll be fine. Thanks, doc.

Han: Should we-

Leege: Not here, Han. Not now.

Skeep: I will leave you two alone for a few minutes. I will be back, though- After I get the required paperwork.

Skeep leaves, and Han sits down on a chair next to Leege.

Han: Paperwork, man- Can you believe it? Even after the apocalypse some people are still filing themselves to death.

Leege: Skeep is a good man-

Han: When did I say he wasn’t? He saved you, so he is right back in my good books.

Leege: He was ever out of it?

Han: I thought he was Justin’s man. I think now that he is more loyal to him to keep himself and his patients alive.

Leege: You want to ask him to come with us?

Han: He is good at what he does. If we were to get one of the prisoners from that other community-

Leege: Then we would get killed before we were out of the jail. Matteo-

Han: Can’t be watching all the cameras all the time. He has to sleep sometime, right? He can’t be awake all the time. There must be a dead zone.There must be-

Leege: If there isn’t then we die. Is that a risk you would want to take.

Han and Leege sit in silence for a long time. Han stares down at the floor, whilst Leege stares up at the ceiling.

Han: It’s just- I heard one of them talking- Their place sounds great- We would be free of Justin- Free of Nathan and Felco- Free of the games-

Leege: You know I can’t leave yet- Justin-

Han: Is not the man that you know. Ask Skeep and a few others to come with us and then we can escape and get away from here. It is that simple.

Skeep returns and the two of them return to silence. He seats himself beside Han and looks between the two of them.

Skeep: So- When are we leaving?

-

Brandon is stood on the walls looking out over the ruins of the city. Some of the dead are moving slowly through the streets, another is hanging out of the window by his foot. That one isn’t moving, though, as it was shot through the head days before. With Brandon are two people. Enter Matthew Thomas and Zander Tenhor. Matthew is a chunky American with a clean shaven face and unblemished skin. Zander is thin and scrawny, with a weaselly face. His hair is greasy and he has spots on his face.

Matthew: Should we send the green horn out to mop up some of the slower ones? Needs to get some fucking muscles on those arms and some sweat on his brow.

Zander: Felco said that he was stay behind the walls for a few days-

Matthew: Who cares what Felco says. It’s Nathan that should be in charge-

Zander puts a finger to his lip.

Zander: Shhhh. Talk like that will get us put in the games. Justin has ears everywhere, remember. He knows everything that gets said around here.

Brandon: How exactly does he do that?

Matthew and Zander exchange a suspicious look, and then Matthew shrugs.

Zander: He has a guy called Matteo who has cameras and microphones set up all over the place. Matteo never sleeps, or that is what it seems like.

Matthew: If Justin thinks that you are plotting against him- Well, people have died just because they looked at him funny.

Brandon: Nathan is the one that brought me in, right? He didn’t seem like such a nice guy-

Matthew: Nathan has… problems, but he doesn’t relish in the bloodlust of the games like Justin and Felco do.

Zander: Justin is a good survivor, but he can be a bit intense. He is a scary dude.

Brandon: People keep mentioning these games as if they are something to be scared of. What are they?

Zander: They are Justin’s end of week treat.

Matthew: Fights to the death between two people from the cells. Usually they are trespassers that have tried to steal from us, caught by Nathan, but sometimes they are people that have upset Justin.

Zander: Lots of the people here enjoy them.

Brandon: He has gladiator fights?

Zander: Basically.

Brandon stays silent for a few seconds, and stares out at the dead roaming beyond the walls.

Brandon: That is barbaric.

-

Stan is led up from the prison. He is emaciated. Cam walks behind him, a gun pointed right between his shoulder blades. Mendes comes behind him, but has no guard needing to make sure that he made his way to the arena. The two of them enter a makeshift arena, with the seats filled by members of the Community. Justin sits at the high seat, in a separate box from the people that he leads. Stood behind him are Nathan and Felco. Mendes walks across the arena, and picks up his sword from the floor. Stan is forced into picking up his. The two stand opposite each other.

Stan: We don’t have to do this, Mendes.

Mendes: Don’t have to. Want to.

Justin stands and puts out his arms to signify that he wants silence from the stands and from the fighters. Cam closes the gates to the arena floor.

Justin: Welcome, friends. Today we have a fight I know you have been waiting to see. We have your old friend, the champion of The Community, Mendes Tu!

Mendes’ name receives raucous applause and cheers from the gathered crowds. He raises his weapon to the sky and lets out a bellowing yell. Stan cowers beneath him.

Justin: His opponent is the latest captive from the infamous Drawer community, sent here to steal the food that keeps us alive, Stan Niaryssa!

Stan’s name is greeted with jeers and boos. He is clearly an unpopular character amongst the gathered people.

Justin: Mendes is fighting for his honour, and his opponent is fighting for his life! Let the fight…. BEGIN!

The cheers of the crowd are interrupted by a thud as something hits the sand of the arena. Brandon pulls himself from the ground and runs between the two fighters.

Brandon: Stop! This has to stop!