ZOMBIES, RUN!
MISSION 1
1. THE HELICOPTER
FX: CHOPPER NOISE
The player is sitting in a helicopter
buzzing over zombie-infested territory.
In the plane is also a PILOT, female,
mid-20s. They’re heading towards Abel
Township, a small isolated settlement
in a sea of zombie-land.
PILOT
So, you’ll see the township as we loop round. Not much more
than a few fences to keep the zoms out.
( slightly mocking )
Tiny little island of humanity. I just don’t know how they
live like that.
( decisive. But ambiguous: does
she mean ‘we’re here to help’
or ‘we’re here to kill them
all’? )
Well, I guess they won’t be living like that much longer.
(to you)
So I expect you’re not allowed to say what you’re being
dropped into the township for, huh?
( pause )
Nah, I thought not. I know how it works. They don’t even tell
you till you get there.
( on radio )
Abel Township, Abel Township, this is Jolly Alpha Five Niner
from Mullins Military Base. We’re 5 miles out approaching
from the east at one thousand one hundred feet, bringing in
med supplies, some vac-packs, shelters and a temporary loan
of one of our people. Abel Township Jolly Five Niner
requesting permission to land?
SAM
Yeah Got that. Er, I mean, roger that. You’re clear to um…
yeah you can come on in.
PILOT
Roger Abel Township, heading down now.
( to you, more quietly )
I can see clear as day we haven’t got half the supplies we
usually bring. That means we’ve lied to the township.
( pause )
Yeah. I know. You don’t know anything. Project Greenshoot?
Need to know basis? Briefing to follow at Abel. Sorry, I
couldn’t help when you boarded. And then you’ll find out what
your mission really is.
But you know if you and me pooled info maybe we could-
2.
FX: NOISE OF GUNFIRE. ROCKET LAUNCHERS.
Someone’s shooting at the chopper.
PILOT
What the hell…? They’re shooting! That’s not coming from the
township! Who the hell has a rocket launcher in this sector,
who the hell has…?
FX: A CRASH OF ENGINES, THE HIGH-PITCHED WHINE OF SOMETHING
GOING VERY BADLY WRONG. ONE OF THE ROCKETS HAS HIT THE
CHOPPER.
PILOT
We're hit. I've lost the tail rotor. Mayday
Mayday Mayday.
( This should be said fast
maydaymaydaymayday, but calm,
you want to remain cool and
calm on the radio so your
calls can be understood )
Jolly Five Niner is going down three miles east of the
township. Two souls on board. Aircraft is grey with black
lettering and trim.
We're going in hard brace brace brace.
FX: MASSIVE CRASH
SAM
This is Abel Township calling, this Abel Township calling.
Supply copter can you hear us?
(aside)
They’re going down fast, holy moly.
(to us)
Can any of you hear us? Open your chutes! Jump! Jump!
FX: A RUSH OF AIR. THE CHUTE OPENING. A CRASH THROUGH
UNDERGROWTH.
FX: HEAVY BREATHING. IN YOUR EARS. YOUR BREATHING.
FX: CRACKLE OF STATIC
SAM
Hey, hey. I um. This is Abel Township calling, over.
(aside)
They’re not answering. Their comms equipment coulda been
fried.
FX: SOUND OF YOUR PARACHUTE UNCLIPPING, A HEAVY FALL TO
EARTH. YOU LANDED IN SOME TREES BUT YOU’RE OK, ON THE GROUND
NOW.
SAM
Listen, if you’re alive, if there’s anyone alive. This is Sam
Yao from Abel Township. I’m just the… I’m just the radio
operator man, I’m not supposed to handle this stuff.
3.
FX: CRACKLE OF STATIC
You’ve come down in a nest of hostiles. They’ve heard the
noise. They’re coming. There are… thirty. No, forty. No…
crap. Your only safe path is towards the tower, you should be
able to see that from where you are. If there’s anyone alive
there, just run.
FX: VERY FAINT, DISTANT MOAN
Run!
CUT TO MUSIC.
4.
2. THE DOCTOR.
SAM
Wow there’s… there’s someone alive down there. Running. Hey,
hey can you hear me?
(aside)
No answer. Still, look at ‘em go. Heading for the tower just
like I said.
(to us)
OK, running person, if you can hear me… you’re going great.
The main group’s behind you and you’re going to come out of
this forest soon but there’s a…
(pause)
yeah, I can’t think of a phrase that’s not “small army of
zombies”, sorry, don’t do so well under massive pressure,
there’s a one of those directly to the east of the trees, so
if you cut through more west now…
(pause)
(aside)
Man. Look at that. They’re changing direction. They can…
(to us)
You can hear me! OK, OK, we can keep you safe. It’s cool,
it’s cool, we can bring you in.
(aside)
No we can’t ask them that. They might be injured.
DOCTOR
All the more reason to ask them that.
(to us)
This is Doctor Myers, only medic here at Abel Township. Lord
knows I’m sorry to ask you this, but your route will take you
almost past the old hospital. We know there’s medical kit
still there from the first wave of infection. If you could
pick up even one or two that would help us.
SAM
(to Doctor)
It’s too dangerous. You know what happened to Runner 5…
DOCTOR
The zoms have all followed the noise of
the crash.
SAM
But what about whoever fired that rocket launcher?
DOCTOR
If someone wants to kill that runner, taking an unusual route
will make it harder not easier.
( to player )
I don’t want to be hardheaded, but everyone in this township
earns their keep.
5.
You should be able to see Robinson hospital now – one of the
buildings, Gryphon Tower, is the tallest in the abandoned
city. And if you can’t find anything… we might not be able to
let you in when you get here.
CUT TO MUSIC.
6.
3. CHATTING WITH SAM
SAM
OK, OK. Man, that’s great, you’re making good time. No broken
legs I guess!
Hey, listen, I’m gonna call you Runner Five. Just ‘cuz… I
don’t know your name, and we just lost a runner. In that same
hospital you’re running through now. She was so fast, and
really funny, and clever, and me and her we sort of…
( a sigh. yeah, Sam was totally
in love with the previous
runner 5. She was perhaps not
in love with him. It’s a more
wistful what-if scenario )
… she was amazing. But hey, you could be our new Runner Five.
( nervous laugh )
If you make it back alive.
( chatty now, just keeping you
occupied )
Yeah, the runners are pretty important to keeping us going
here… any fuel we have goes to working the generators and the
truth is if you’ve got two legs and you can go above a slow
shamble you’ll be able to stay out of the zoms’ way, am I
right?
FX: CHECKS THE SCANNER – WE CAN’T SEE THIS OBVS BUT THERE’S A
DISTINCTIVE ‘SCANNER PING’ NOISE, OR MAYBE JUST SOME SWITCHES
FLICKING
Huh. Yeah, OK, your pace is good, but maybe head through the
ground floor of the hospital? There’s a little swarm
gathering in the parking lot I don’t like the look of and…
FX: CHECKS THE SCANNER, THAT PING AGAIN
Yeah, that’s good. You could even pick up anything
interesting you pass. We think there might be some… well, we
sent the old Runner 5 there looking for some file the Doc’s
interested in. So, you know, if you find anything officiallooking lying around…
CUT TO MUSIC.
7.
4. THE FILE
SAM
Hey, there you are! I’ve got you on camera now, great to see
you, even though you’re kinda blurry!
Huh, what’s that you’re carrying?
Look at this Doc, Runner Five picked up something in the
hospital.
DOCTOR
Is that the Centres for Disease Control file?
What’s that?
SAM
DOCTOR
(very cool, official)
… Runner 5, I don’t say this lightly, that box could be worth
your life to protect. Don’t drop it.
What is it?
SAM
DOCTOR
It might be nothing. It might be everything.
SAM
So a pretty narrow window of definition.
DOCTOR
What’s that shadow over there?
FX: ZOMBIE GROWLS
SAM
Oh no. This was what… when we sent her out, this was what
happened. They’re following you Runner 5. The swarm from the
carpark, they’re following you now, run!
FX: LOUDER, NEARER ZOMBIE NOISES
CUT TO MUSIC.
8.
5. THE SWARM
SAM
( worried )
They’re so fast, why are they so fast? They never run, why
are they running? Runner 5, Runner 5 they’re gaining on you!
FX: ZOMBIE MOANS REAL CLOSE
DOCTOR
Runner 5! You’re not far from the gates now. If you can keep
going we’ll send some people with guns out to meet you. Only
one zombie is close to reaching you. Just put on a burst of
speed now!
FX: A SPECIFICALLY FEMALE ZOMBIE MOAN, VERY VERY CLOSE.
SAM
Oh god it’s her. I can see her. It’s… it’s the old Runner 5.
She’s the one chasing you, she’s… she’s still wearing her
uniform, she’s…
( Sam is pretty choked up by
this. As you would be to see
the girl you really fancied
turned into a zombie. )
RUNNER 7
Runner Five. It’s Runner 7 here, head of runners. The
Doctor’s told me you’ve found something useful in the
hospital We’re sending out a couple of people to bring you
in. Just keep running. As fast as you can.
FX: FEMALE ZOMBIE RIGHT IN YOUR EAR
RUNNER 7
Don’t look back. She’s right behind you. Just run.
CUT TO MUSIC.
9.
6. THE BASE
FX: BURST OF GUNFIRE
BASE SOLDIER
This way! This way! Run!
FX: FEMALE ZOMBIE MOANING AND GROWLING WITH RAGE
SAM
They’re going to shoot her… I can’t watch, I don’t want to…
DOCTOR
(interrupting, kindly, softly)
It’s what she would have wanted Sam. You know it is. She
wouldn’t have wanted to live like this.
Run! We’ve got her!
BASE SOLDIER
FX: A SINGLE GUNSHOT PENETRATES THE OLD RUNNER 5’S HEAD
FX: A LAST RATTLING COUGH FROM THE OLD RUNNER 5
Got ‘er.
DOCTOR
( satisfied )
SAM
Raise the gates! Raise the gates!
FX: SOUND OF GATES RAISING
VARIOUS VOICES
( general hubbub of welcome )
Welcome!
Hey, you picked up medpacks!
Want some water?
Great to meet you, come sit down.
What were you doing in that helicopter anyway?
Did you bring any food? Any canned food? Dried food?
Hey! Good to see a new face!
The Major’ll want to see you when she gets back…
( Not over headphones now but
in front of you )
SAM
Hey, good to see you in the flesh! The… totally unbroken skin
not bitten by zombies flesh, right? Step back, step back
everyone, don’t crowd, give Runner Five some space. Can’t
take in so many new faces right now!
10.
UNKNOWN VOICE
( very soft )
You think that’s who they’ve assigned? For Project
Greenshoot?
ENDS