13
ACT 3: INT FACILITY HAZARD COMPLEX
The recruits look at one another in stunned disbelief, trying to make sense of what they've just heard. ALICIA breaks the silence.
ALICIA
(evenly)
All right... next trainee, please.
The recruits turn almost as one and gape at her. The intercom crackles to life.
PARTLOW (INTERCOM)
Ms. Almodovar to the control room, please.
ALICIA looks up and down the row of unmoving recruits.
ALICIA
(insistently)
I need the next person, quickly.
No one moves. ALICIA's impatience grows.
PARTLOW (INTERCOM)
Ms. Almodovar, please report to the control room.
ALICIA
(sternly)
I'm not moving until one of you volunteers to go next.
There is a long, uncomfortable silence before FRANK steps forward.
FRANK
I'll do it.
Relieved, ALICIA acknowledges FRANK with a nod as the SWAT veteran approaches the airlock entrance. AARÓN hands him the sidearm he's already loaded, and FRANK accepts it silently before checking the chamber and safeties briefly and stepping into the airlock. The outer door closes behind him as ALICIA's hand hovers over the actuator panel for the inner door. FRANK waits in the airlock, his own anxiety a little more evident now that no one is watching.
FRANK
(sotto voce, impatiently)
Ready when you are...
JANACEK (INTERCOM)
Ms. Almodovar, your presence is required in the control room. Thank you.
ALICIA triggers the inner door before rolling her eyes and storming out of the Green Room through a side door. The others relax as she leaves, but just as quickly fall to murmuring amongst themselves.
GRACE
(frightened)
Ohhhh, my gosh... Kat! She was... she's so scared!
DAVE
(slightly relieved)
She's okay, though?
Inside the Hazard Course, FRANK polishes off his first target effortlessly. Back in the Green Room, the others flinch at the gunshots, having almost forgotten why they're waiting there. GRACE thinks a moment and then shrugs.
GRACE
(uneasily)
I'm... not sure. I don't think she's hurt, but... I can still feel how frightened she is.
ALICIA strides into the Hazard Course control room, where a handful of technicians sit at their computers, watching FRANK take down a second target on their monitors as their hands hover above various environmental and target controls. Somewhere outside, KAT's sobbing can still be faintly heard over the murmurs of another person attempting in vain to calm her. JANACEK stands off to one side watching a larger monitor intently as a displeased-looking PARTLOW ceases his pacing and looks intently at ALICIA.
PARTLOW
(angrily)
I know I told you I wouldn't try and tell you how to run your own training program... but what the hell, Alicia?
On the Course, FRANK knocks down a third target, then quickly checks his magazine. In the control room, ALICIA glares at PARTLOW and begins to protest, but the older agent holds up a hand.
PARTLOW
I sincerely hope I missed something here. You deliberately withheld almost all detailed materials on necrotics... so you could throw live ones at green recruits on the Course on Day Three?
ALICIA
We have dozens in containment downstairs, Mark. And as you saw yourself, they're tethered. Only an idiot would get close enough to actually be in danger in this scenario.
On the monitor, FRANK takes a step back, apparently having glimpsed the replacement necrotic for the first time.
FRANK
(in disbelief)
What the hell?
JANACEK
They've never even seen one of these things outside of the three pages and one photo you've allowed them access to. Exactly how well do you expect them to handle this?
FRANK regains his composure, and the gun snaps up and trains in on the necrotic.
FRANK
(to the air)
I dunno if I'm supposed to actually shoot this damn thing or not, but if it gets any closer you're gonna be short one... zombie thing.
ALICIA ignores him, but JANACEK grabs a microphone and keys the intercom.
JANACEK
Engage the target, Mr. Conti.
FRANK nods in acknowledgment.
FRANK
Twist my arm.
The gun barks twice in rapid succession, and two bullet holes appear on the upper torso of the necrotic.
ALICIA
(smirking)
I'd say he's doing all right.
The necrotic halts its forward progress a moment as the impacts register. FRANK starts to lower the pistol when the necrotic takes another shuffling step forward, then resumes its shambling approach. FRANK staggers back, nearly dropping his weapon.
FRANK
(stunned)
Son of a bitch!
PARTLOW simply looks back at ALICIA a moment, then turns and prepares to head back in for another rescue. Fortunately, FRANK collects himself and brings the gun to bear again. Two shots impact the necrotic's head - though the angle on the monitor doesn't quite give away the exact location - and the creature crumples to the floor. FRANK moves in a little closer and fires one more shot into the back of its head just to be safe. ALICIA smiles at JANACEK.
ALICIA
See?
(to a technician)
Send in the cleanup crew, please. I'd like less than two minutes' turnaround this time.
In the Green Room, DAVE paces anxiously as the others try a little more successfully to conceal their own trepidation.
ZEKE
(optimistically)
Didn't hear any hollerin' this time around.
GRACE
(relieved)
Frank's okay.
SABRINA
You sure?
GRACE
He's still on edge, it feels like, but not as scared as before - not nearly as scared as Kat still is.
ALICIA (INTERCOM)
Mr. Giles? You're next.
DAVE stops in his tracks and stares up at the intercom speaker, then looks around at the others.
DAVE
(on the edge of panic)
Dammit.
In the control room, PARTLOW and JANACEK exchange looks, then shoot disapproving glances at ALICIA.
PARTLOW
The incidental, Alicia?
ALICIA
(crossly)
I'm sorry - is this your training program, Agent Partlow?
In the Green Room, DAVE is still hesitating, but GRACE puts a hand on his shoulder to steady him.
GRACE
(encouraging)
It's okay, Dave. You're gonna be okay.
AARÓN hands DAVE one of the sidearms from the table along with a full magazine of ammunition.
AARÓN
You've got this.
The verbal standoff in the control room escalates.
JANACEK
This is unacceptable, Ali. Significant time and resources were allocated to acquiring Katherine Shanahan, and from here it looks like you singlehandedly undid all of that in less than five minutes. Now you're gonna shove Giles out the door after her?
ALICIA
(coldly)
I didn't fail the test. She did. One single necrotic - a tethered necrotic - and yet she completely lost it. It wasn't my idea to invest all that work into getting her - or to humor you by letting Giles tag along. It's my job to find out who belongs here and who doesn't.
DAVE swallows hard and steps into the airlock. He does his best to keep his hands from shaking as he loads the pistol.
PARTLOW
It's your job to train recruits and prepare them to be the best Atlas personnel they can be - not put 'em all through hell just to get rid of the ones you don't like.
ALICIA reaches over and punches the door control. It slowly opens and DAVE steps onto the Hazard Course, anxiously looking around for some sign of KAT or FRANK or maybe of whatever happened to them. Just then, FRANK barges into the control room past a surprised technician and storms over to ALICIA.
FRANK
(angrily)
Where the hell is Shanahan? Did those things get her?
ALICIA
(to the technicians)
Who let him in here?
FRANK
I dunno what the hell you're trying to do here, but this is not training!
ALICIA glares at FRANK. On the monitor, DAVE brings the gun up and dispatches his first pop-up target.
ALICIA
Ms. Shanahan was completely unharmed. She went through the exact same test you did - I didn't tell her to freak out and have a complete meltdown in there. Now I'm going to ask you once to please leave this room and wait outside before I lose my patience.
The career Chicago cop is unintimidated.
FRANK
I've spent fifteen years staring down some serious scumbags, young lady. If you're tryin' to scare me, you're barkin' up the wrong tree.
JANACEK steps in and attempts to defuse the altercation.
JANACEK
(diplomatically)
Frank. I understand you're upset, and you have every right to be.
On the Course, DAVE takes out his second target. ALICIA glares daggers at JANACEK, but the agent is unfazed.
JANACEK
I promise you, Kat wasn't physically hurt in any way. If you'll just head back outside we can take you to her, if you like. But the others still have to run the Hazard Course, and the techs need to do their jobs in here.
FRANK shakes his head. He looks at JANACEK disapprovingly as he turns to leave.
FRANK
(disappointed)
You're just gonna stand there and let her put the rest of 'em through that too?
A third target pops up, and DAVE unloads three rounds into it. ALICIA looks at JANACEK and PARTLOW as she calls to the departing FRANK.
ALICIA
What were you expecting them to do? It's my training program.
PARTLOW
You know, I don't think Murray has any idea what you're doing here.
ALICIA
(viciously)
Even if he did, do you really think he'd try and stop me? And do you really think it'd be a good idea for you to try and tattle on me?
PARTLOW's eyes narrow. On the monitor, DAVE is looking around, puzzled at some strange smell in the air.
PARTLOW
(angrily)
You think this training facility is your own little sandbox, don't you? Do you really think you can get away with pulling crap like this just because of who your-
JANACEK grips PARTLOW's shoulder and shakes his head slightly, hoping to dissuade the senior agent from continuing his statement.
ALICIA
(menacingly)
Lose your train of thought, Agent Partlow? I hope you weren't planning on saying what I think you were about to say.
Determined to have the last word in the argument, ALICIA directs the agents' attention to the monitor.
ALICIA
Hold that thought - I think we're about to find out if Agent Janacek's faith was misplaced.
On the course, DAVE's eyes widen as another necrotic shambles out from around a corner and hobbles in his general direction.
DAVE
(with disbelief)
No way. Freaking zombies?
DAVE takes a few uneasy steps back, clearly terrified. ALICIA smiles as she awaits another imminent breakdown. As the necrotic approaches, DAVE takes a deep breath and tries to collect himself, but all he manages to summon is anger.
DAVE
(furiously)
She put zombies in here?
The gun snaps up suddenly as DAVE takes a step toward the shuffling creature.
DAVE
This is for Kat, you diseased piece of crap!
DAVE squeezes the trigger rapidly and unloads two rounds into the necrotic's upper torso, then two more into its neck and lower jaw, then a fifth one into its forehead.
JANACEK
(unable to contain himself)
That's what I'm talkin' about!
The necrotic collapses almost immediately, but DAVE ejects the empty magazine, retrieves a fresh one from his jeans pocket, slams the new magazine home, and unloads four more rounds into the fallen form before looking up and spotting the unblinking electronic eye of the camera. Glaring into it, DAVE levels his weapon at the camera itself.
DAVE
Did I pass?
DAVE pulls the trigger. The round strikes a thin pane of Lexan over the camera lens, and the bulletproof material cracks and spiderwebs, largely obscuring ALICIA's view from the control room. The young woman's hands ball into tight fists, and she stands frozen there, seething at the image from the camera.
PARTLOW
(softly, chuckling to himself)
You bet your ass you passed, kid.
CUT TO NEXT SCENE
