WARNING: The following script contains strong scenes of violence that may be disturbing to some people. If you feel that you are one of these people, you probably shouldn't read it. Kids: If filmed, this script would probably be classified as a fifteen certificate, but (in Britain at least) there is no certification for literature. If your parents don't mind what you read, and *you* aren't easily disturbed, then read this by all means. If you know that after reading this script, a nasty email from an annoyed parent will be winging its way to me, don't bother continuing.

DISCLAIMER: The following script features characters and situations owned by Tony Luke, Bruce Attley, Alan Grant and Yasushi Nirasawa, as well as a couple of original characters that I own. No copyright infringement is meant by this. No money will be made from this. Ask me for permission before reposting anywhere.

FADE IN to

INT SUBWAY TUNNEL

Blackness. We can see little, except for the occasional dim sodium light moving past as the camera moves through the tunnel, straight ahead. We hear the CLATTERING RUMBLE of a train moving.

CRASH FADE OUT to BLACK

CRASH FADE IN to

INT U.N. HEADQUARTERS, HALLWAY

The camera moves down a plushly decorated hallway lined with gild-framed paintings, antique chairs and tables, vases, etc, along which some U.N. soldiers stand guard. The carriage of the camera is low, and similar to that of the camera in the subway tunnel. The CLATTERING RUMBLE FADES, and is replaced by the speech of a U.N. SPEAKER. The camera follows hall after hall, twisting and turning until it reaches a massive AUDITORIUM. The Speaker’s voice increases in volume as we near the Auditorium.

SPEAKER: . . . know we have gathered here today to listen to the words of a man, a great man, who’s research has led to some of the greatest archaeological finds so far this century - or millennium, if you prefer. Not to mention his intensive work into religious - particularly Biblical - artefacts. Noah’s Ark; the Turin Shroud; these artefacts have been conclusively proved false to the world where other, lesser men have failed in their work; and so have many, many false icons. Well, I’m sure that you have read the dossiers given to you a week or so ago, and therefore know the scientific reasoning behind what he does not claim to be a theory - but a solid, proven, *fact*. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - Doctor John Churchill.

By this time the camera is in the Auditorium - a set of horseshoe stalls which curve towards a podium, upon which the Speaker is stood. Now he stands back to the side of his lectern, and JOHN CHURCHILL walks on stage, looking very small under the glare of both lights and world leaders. He stands behind the lectern and clears his throat. There is silence in the Auditorium. Then he speaks:

JOHN: (nervous) Good evening ev . . . everybody.

A pause. The Speaker starts to clap, slowly at first. Then his applause is joined by others. We see members of the audience (which is not entirely full) stand, applauding, until the audience is stood and claps as one. John is obviously taken aback by this reaction, but soon starts to soak up the applause. As he smiles, bewildered, at the crowd, his face is illuminated by camera flashes. He scans the crowd, his eyes passing over one particular photographer, CHUCK McGANN (American, blonde straw-like hair, a world weary, slyly smiling character), upon whom the camera rests in ECU. His face is obscured by the camera, but before he takes another photograph, he lowers the camera and we see a very distinctive smirk. He raises the camera for another shot and -

CAMERA FLASH to

INT U.N. HEADQUARTERS, HALLWAY

At first it appears to be the same tracking shot - but it is faster, more urgent, and very soon the shot is dominated by trousered legs as three men - the ones on either side in black - walk past the camera. A guard stands out to stop them, shouting, but there is a swift silenced GUNSHOT and the guard falls to the floor. As the camera passes the guard by, we see a tranquilliser dart sticking out from his chest.

Again, as the camera nears the Auditorium we hear the Speaker, this talking on some important, entirely unrelated subject (your choice). The camera moves into the auditorium, and performs much the same manoeuvre as previously, only the faces of the U.N. members are shocked, and not expectant. The camera rests on Chuck, who is holding a discussion with another photographer, and has his back to us. He turns to see the men, the smirk on his face.

The newcomers are John Churchill, who has a determined look on his face and carries a briefcase, and two DOOMGUARDS, both of whom are armed.

Instinctively Chuck raises his camera - obscuring his face - and takes a photograph.

CAMERA FLASH

CAMERA FLASH

CAMERA FLASH to

The shot of Chuck and his camera is almost the same, but as he lowers it we see that his face is streaked with dirt. His smirk is still there, only faded somewhat and undermined by a grim expression.

EXT LONDON, NIGHT

Chuck is knelt in the ruins of London, with only the camera slung around his neck for company. He stands and runs along the top of a row of rubble - the remains of a destroyed terrace of houses. Below the rubble is a street that is still recognisable beneath a heavy coating of mortar dust and pieces of debris strewn across it. He furtively runs until he finds a better spot and kneels again.

POV CAMERA:

We see through the camera lens two figures running down the street; one taller than the other. The shot changes as the shutter clicks and a photograph is taken - and our view is much closer. We see a WOMAN and a GIRL running hand in hand down the street, skipping over the debris. The woman keeps casting looks back over her shoulder.

We see the now familiar ECU of Chuck’s face, obscured by the camera. He lowers the camera, grimly smirks, and raises it for another shot.

CAMERA FLASH to:

We are in the street, close on the heels of the two fugitives. The woman virtually drags the girl behind her. Their BREATHING can be heard - loud, quick, ragged. The woman looks back along the street behind them.

AT THE END OF STREET

One massive foot comes down on one of the still standing houses opposite the rubble, crushing it to dust and debris. It belongs to ESQUILAX - the horse headed demon. Esquilax scours the street for his prey, and whinnies when he sees them. He opens his mouth and unleashes a deadly stream of white fire towards them.

The woman ducks as the flame passes over her head. Both she and the girl are sent sprawling over the debris, as the wall where the flame lands erupts into dust. As soon as the stream of flame ends, the woman stands and grabs the girl by the hand, trying to drag her to her feet - but there is no response. She looks and sees the girl is battered underneath a large piece of wall. While fearfully looking up the street, she manages to tip the wall off the girl and grabs her limp body, holding it close to her. She starts back off up the street, looking like a young girl carrying a rag doll.

The demon whinnies and strides along the street after its prey. Beside it, in silhouette, we see Chuck, running stooped along the rubble.

The woman reaches the end of the street, and starts to climb a bank of rubble. Encumbered by the girl, she only makes it so far up before the rubble shifts and she falls back in a miniature avalanche, screaming in agony as she hits the ground awkwardly. She is crying now, and pulls herself around by torn hands to see the demon bearing down upon her. Knowing that she is defeated she racks her brains to find a way to avoid her fate. After a moment’s thought she slowly holds the girl up, in sacrifice.

Esquilax tilts his head, and breaths fire onto them. The woman screams as she is engulfed, and the screen goes to a silent white.

CAMERA FLASH

PHOTOGRAPH: The woman and girl running hand in hand down the street.

CAMERA FLASH

PHOTOGRAPH: Esquilax breathing flame.

CAMERA FLASH

PHOTOGRAPH: Two charred skeletons - the woman and the girl - half crumbled to ashes.

CAMERA FLASH

A set of PHOTOGRAPHS: a fanned out set of shots of the old Doomshield Church, Dygon, the fight between the Archangel Thunderbird and Dygon, and uppermost, the Archangel Marigon.

ECU Chuck

He removes the obscuring camera from his face to reveal his smirk.

RUN TITLES

COME UP FROM BLACK to a blurred, moving white and yellow movement. As the camera FOCUSES and PULLS BACK we see that it is a candle flame. The camera pulls back still more to reveal a table set with glasses, cutlery, and such set for a romantic dinner. At one chair sits MIKI, wearing a dress, though her hair is the usual wild hedge. She appears to be having a muttered conversation with herself. The camera keeps pulling back, and we see we are in

INT: ST PAULS, DOOMSHIELD.

As the table is framed in the background, ROB and JOHN walk in front of it. The table can still be seen in the background. Rob’s scruffy suit has been neatened up, and he wears a tie. This might pass for smart, considering the situation.

Rob picks at his outfit.

ROB: This is ridiculous, Doc. I look like Charlie Chaplin. On an off day!

JOHN: Don’t be stupid, Rob, you look fine. Though I still think you should have gone with that tie I offered to lend you.

ROB: That . . *tie* . . . looked like some kind of day-glo vomit *nightmare*.

JOHN: (mock indignant) I’ll have you know that I’ve had that tie for twenty years!

ROB: Yeah, I can believe that and all. Nineties wear. God (shudders). Anyway, I think I’ll stick to my good old school tie, *if* you don’t mind.

JOHN: Are you sure? I mean, I’ve still got it with me. (he reaches into a pocket)

ROB: *Please*, no!. I’m nervous enough as it is. If you bring that thing out, I’ll be sick before I can even get to the table, let alone the lavvy.

JOHN: Okay then. On a lighter note, I think it’s rather sweet that you’re prepared to go through with this for Miki.

ROB: It was either this, or have her rape me. (he looks to where Miki is chattering away at the table) Though that still may be a possibility, if she changes her minds again. (he shudders) I’ve two-timed before, but I’ve never six-timed. And all one one person, to boot.

JOHN: Never mind Rob. You’re doing this for the good of your country. Just lie back, and think of Britain.

ROB: If this leads to me lying back, Britain’ll be the last thing I’ll be thinking of. (he straightens his tie) Anyway, Doc, I’m going in. Wish me luck.

JOHN: (cheery) Best of luck, Mr Cainer.

Rob frowns at him, then walks over to the table where he sits down opposite Miki. She pretends not to notice him for a while, looking around the room, and then she finally sees him.

MIKI: (‘haughty’ mode) Ah, Rob. *So* good to see you. (‘schoolgirl’ mode) We were beginning to wonder whether you were going to come, or not. (giggles nervously)

ROB: Um. Well, how could I, er . . . *resist* . . . your womanly . . . um . . .

While Miki soaks this up, he notices the dress she is wearing.

ROB: . . . charms?

MIKI: Oh. Do you like our dress?

She stands and gives a twirl. The dress is now visible in its full glory. There are bits and pieces of fashion thrown together to create something that spans the entire spectrum of clothing from lace frills to studded leather - and each part is in a separate place, making the dress seem like an eclectic patchwork.

MIKI: (‘workman’ mode) We made it ourselves, stitched sequins here, a little rubber there. Of course, we needed some help when it came to the welding . . . What do you think?

ROB: It’s very . . . you.

MIKI: This is really going to be a night to remember.

ROB: If you say so.

A man approaches them from behind Rob.

MIKI: Ah, food!

One of the Doomguards brings on a large silver tray covered by a platter. He uncovers the food to reveal six distinct types of food - revolting combinations of regular foods.

ROB: (queasy) Yum. It looks . . . wonderful.

MIKI: The boys in the kitchen cooked it up from my own recipe.

ROB: (smelling food) (makes appreciative sounds). Banana ice-cream - my favourite. And that sauce would be . . ?

MIKI: A rich, meaty brown gravy. I mixed some vintage red wine into it to give it that, oh, I don’t know . . . je ne sais quois?

Rob gags, but tries to put a brave face on it.

MIKI: (leans forward, conspiratorially) The gravy actually came from this amazing packet of dogfood. You just add warm water, mix . . . and there you go. There, let me serve it out for you. (starts serving) Some for me and some for you. Some for me and some for . . . oh no, I’ve splashed some on my pretty dress. Care to . . . lick it off?

WAITER: (behind smirk) Bon appetit, boss.

As Rob looks despairingly up at him, the ANGLE changes to show John watching the couple. He smiles and shakes his head, and walks away. He walks to a computer - the computer we saw in the pilot, that is used to monitor the Archangel Thunderbird when activated. Behind the main monitor is a bank of smaller monitors, each showing a view from outside the base - camnet. John - still standing - taps a button on the keyboard; then he taps another. He is alerted by movement behind him (we see a man out of focus, walking towards him in the background) and he turns. He smiles.

JOHN: Jules!

The man, JULES, is the main technician from the Pilot, a wild, mad scientist looking individual. He swaggers over to John and they exchange a hearty handshake.

JULES: Good to see you, boss.

JOHN: And you. Tell me did you . . .

John notices that Jules is looking at the monitor and frowning. He turns to look

JOHN: What’s the matter?

JULES: Just a moment. (he leans across and taps a few keys on the keyboard) That’s better. Have you been mucking about with this? It’s not Pacman, you know.

JOHN: (sheepish) I’m sorry - but I am in charge around here, you know. It’d be nice to know how to operate this thing. After the problems we’ve had lately . . .

JULES: You leave *this* (thumbs towards monitor) to me, and keep with the theory - and that book. The boys and I are the only people to ruin the tech equipment, okay?

JOHN: (laughs) Okay. So what about the tech equipment? I assume that you found replacements to the components which we lost?

JULES: Yeah, it was pretty easy - but those plasma conduits don’t grow on trees, you know. If we lose any more, then suppliers just might start asking questions.

JOHN: If they do; don’t give any answers. At least, not truthful ones. I don’t want people to know who we are, and I certainly don’t want people to know *where* we are. Baal found us too easily last time. Next time . . . well, all I can say is that we were probably lucky to lose so few components of Doomshield. Next time, he won’t let us off so easily.

JULES: Let us off? We survived, but if Dygon hadn’t gone down when she did - just a few seconds later and we wouldn’t have had the energy to take her out.

JOHN: What are you trying to say?

JULES: I’m trying to say that it was too fine a shave for my liking. With three minutes of power we could only just finish one of them. What if we were up against two? Or a whole flock of them?

JOHN: ‘A flock of demons’. Very poetic. I’d prefer a ‘destruction’. Or an ‘annihilation’. But I see what you mean. If you have any ideas . . .

JULES: I have some, yeah. Me and the boys have put together a few programs - a few adjustments. (gets into fully blown scientist mode) We’re trying to create an energy loop - the cyberweb and the Book are fed by the conduits, and the Archangel in use recycles its power. It’ll need boosting for when it uses energy weapons or something, but I noticed that there was some kind of force field around it when it was fighting.

JOHN: That ‘force field’ is called the halo. The Necronomicon goes into it in some detail - a ‘morphic shield that cages the soul’. It’s a part of all living creatures, and some items as well. Like the Book for instance. We’ve got a small amount of headsets that allow us to ‘see’ halos.

JULES: Really? Sounds . . . interesting.

JOHN: We got them from one of our military contacts. He said that the *Americans* put them together, if you ever. A little bit of their technology; a little bit of our mysticism. He also said that they’re working on something *really* hush-hush. He wouldn’t tell me what, though. (beat) Anyway, do you think that your plan will work?

JULES: Probably. Possibly. I’ll get the beta tests and the gumph behind it, shall I?

JOHN: Good idea.

He casts a glance at the table, where Miki and Rob appear to be having a good time. Rob’s plate is untouched, though, and the good-natured smile on his face is slightly strained.

JOHN: (diplomatically) I’ll think I’ll come, with you. Let’s leave the love birds to enjoy the night.

Jules laughs, and the two of them leave the hall.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

BLACKNESS. Then, the RUMBLE of a train. And we COME UP to

EXT LONDON, DAY

Our first, good look at the remains of London by daylight. The air is hazy, choked with smoke and dust. Most of the buildings are smashed to the ground and barely recognisable as being buildings. The odd wall still stands, looking out of place amongst drifts of rubble. The place looks almost like a rubbish tip. The demons have destroyed all that they could see, and then destroyed what was left. Scattered around the landscape are fires, mostly small and smouldering. The damage stretches off into the distance, as far as the eye can see.

The camera passes over London and takes in the once popular tourist spots that have been driven into the ground. Half the face of the Big Ben clock; the now scorched greenery of Hyde Park; the remains of the Millenium Dome; Buckingham Palace, ground into dust. And there are bodies, too; a family, dead under debris; the Tower Bridge ravens, mashed under their crushed cage; a guard in a busby hat, part of his body missing.

The camera rests on a map of London - it had once been in a glass case, but now the map is torn and dirtied and the case is shattered. There is a Union Jack and a royal coat of arms on the map. A legend at the top reads ‘Welcome to London’. A legend in the centre, accompanied by a large black arrow and a red dot, reads ‘You are Here’.

London is quiet, but for the crackle of flame and the skittering of waste paper in the breeze. Then FOOTSTEPS, fast, and growing nearer as the RUNNER approaches. A once white shoe stamps on the map, on the red spot, and the runner continues.

The runner is a man in his late thirties. He looks exhausted, scared, and his face is dirty and cut. He is wearing a long coat that billows behind him. He runs with a stoop, and his head whips about fearfully. He moves over the rubble and bodies until he finds what he is looking for.

In front of him are the remains of the top side of an underpass, now reduced to rubble. He stops and stares at it for a few seconds, out of breath. Then he runs closer to the building and drops to his knees, scrabbling around in the dirt with broken fingernails. He lifts a few rocks away, and scrapes the dirt away from something.

A closer shot reveals it to be a manhole.

POV: Camera

SFX: Shutter

Through a camera lens we see that the runner now opens his coat and pulls out a CROWBAR. He sticks the crowbar into the lid of the cover, and prises it up. He takes a last wary look around the scene and climbs down into the hole.

Of course, the voyeur is Chuck McGann. He is positioned at a window in a large deserted building and takes photographs of the runner as he drops down into the subway.

INT SUBWAY MAINTENANCE TUNNEL

The runner climbs down a series of metal staples that act as a ladder, and drops into dark and dry maintanence tunnel. The tunnel is lit by halogen lamps that are scotch taped to the walls. Almost immediately there is a loud CLICK as several guns are trained on him. He puts his hands up and looks at the people carrying the guns - a small group of dirty and desperate looking men and woman wearing torn clothes and carrying weapons that are mostly home-made. The leader of the men, older, grizzled, looks at him.

LEADER: Another one, great. Christ, he left the cover up: Jimbo, see to it.

One of the men in the group lowers his gun and climbs up the staples. There is a GRATING as the cover is shifted across.

LEADER: It’s nice to see another surivor, but for God’s sake you have to be more careful around here. Come on. We’ll get a hot drink into you before the exodus. Tell me: can you handle a gun?

He turns to leave. The runner lays a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

RUNNER: Wait! I’ve got a wife and a little girl up there! I have to get them out of here.

LEADER: (turns and sighs) Look, we haven’t got time to send someone up there; the exodus is due at any moment. (beat) Do you know exactly where they are?

RUNNER: No, but . . .

LEADER: Then you’ve got a choice. One; you come with us and get out of London. Two; you go back up there and face those things to look for your family - and stay here. Nobody here’ll think any different of you, whatever your decision - we’ve had all sorts down here. People are people, son. It’s up to you.

The man looks up at the closed up manhole.

LEADER: (CONT’D) I doubt mean to sound callous. That’s just the way things are.

There is an awkward pause. Some of the Group start to shift restlessly, nervous at having to stay this close to the surface for such a length of time. Then . . .

RUNNER: (close to tears) I love them so much. (beat) But I have to get out.

LEADER: Come on then. (starts walking away) Just in time, too. This is going to be the last train for a while - perhaps ever. We’re all leaving, this time.

The runner stays behind for a second, and then wipes tears away from his eyes, he catches up with the retreating Group and falls in step with them.

RUNNER: A train? I wondered how it would be done. All I had heard was that someone had a way out. (pause) Are there many?

The leader grins in the darkness.

INT SUBWAY STATION

One of London’s many tube stations. It is crowded by filthy, fearful refugees from the upworld; men, women, children; families huddle together. The whole platform is virtually filled to the edge with people. At the gap, the outer most row of people squeeze in to avoid falling onto the train tracks.

The runner stands by the entrance to the station, which is blocked up by rubble.

RUNNER: My God!

LEADER: I’d stand a bit away from the rubble if I were you - earlier one of the demons went by overhead. We had a couple of injuries when some of the bricks were knocked loose. (to WOMAN) Sonja! This man needs some . . . (to man) tea? coffee? No milk, I’m afraid.

RUNNER: Whatever. Coffee.

LEADER: (to woman) Coffee. With a drop of our ‘rations’ in it, if there’s any left.

WOMAN: Right away.

The woman walks into the nearby subway toilet to fetch the coffee.

The Group disperse, helping tend to the wounded, look after children, etc. The Leader looks at the refugees, with a look of sad pride on his face.

LEADER: Welcome to the exodus, mate. I don’t know who’s running this thing on the other end, or exactly where the trains go when they leave here. The thing is that they go, that they get away.

MAN: How many times has this happened?

LEADER: This is the fourth exodus. I’ve helped on two - the first organizer was injured or something and had to leave before I got here. When I got here the place was in chaos; I felt that I *had* to do something (laughs) I didn’t realise I’d be made the damned captain of these troops, though.

RUNNER: How long until the train arrives?

LEADER: (looks at watch) I make it about fifteen minutes. That’s counting on no delays. The funny thing is, as far as I can tell our trains have kept to the schedule better now than when British Rail ran the shop.

The runner smiles weakly. The woman returns from the lavatory with a steaming paper cup of coffee and hands it to the runner, who takes a sip from it.

INT BUILDING, DAY

Inside the daylit building from which Chuck McGann was photographing, he is now finishing tidying his equipment. As he starts to put his camera into a large black leather bag, there is a tremendous RUMBLE in the distance.

INT SUBWAY STATION

The huddled masses in the tube station start to panic as the rumble booms overhead and shakes some mortar from the roof of the tunnel.

INT BUILDING, DAY

Chuck stops what he is doing, camera in hand, and pokes his head out the window. There is another rumble. And another. The sound is getting closer. He leans out further.

EXT BUILDING, DAY

We see Chuck leaning from the window as there is another rumble, this time so close the building shakes. Then, in the distance we see a large demon - the semi-mechanical creature from the pilot (let’s call him the INTER-MECHINOX - we’ll be seeing more of him in later episodes) - walk into frame. It passes a building down the road, and its huge metal claw scrapes the top of it, knocking bricks from the roof. Its head rotates left and right, and it stops walking for a few moments.

At first Chuck stares slack-jawed at the creature, but soon his reflexes kick in. Spotting an opportunity, Chuck fumbles into his bag and takes out the camera, frantically tugging the lens cap of. He tugs too violently, for it falls from the camera to the street below. He watches it go for a second, then raises his camera to take a shot of the demon.

POV: CAMERA

Chuck focuses in on the demon. It appears to be listening to something. Then it stumbles forward a pace. A thin red beam appears from its metal eye-piece, and it looks about the street, finally resting its gaze on the street below.

There is an ear splitting TONE which almost causes Chuck to drop his camera as he covers his ears with his hands. The red beam pulses in unison with the tone, and waves of FX follow the beam, echoing off the ground and the remains of the buildings. The creature waits for the rebounding waves to dissipate, and then moves

further up the street, until it is quite near Chuck’s building.

INT BUILDING, DAY

Realizing that he is in a dangerous position, Chuck scoops up his belongings and is about to leave. He takes a few swift paces, stops, and looks at the camera in his hands. He sighs.

CHUCK: Damn. I’m getting too old for this.

He slings the bag over his shoulder, but goes back to the window, and snaps a couple more shots of the demon.

EXT BUILDING, DAY

The demon repeats its echo-location procedure on the ground of the street - and this time SCREECHES with jubilation. It points its mechanical claw at the ground, and with a blinding flash of LIGHT the claw ploughs into the tarmac.

INT SUBWAY STATION

Inside the station, panic has taken hold. Pieces of ceiling start to fall on the screaming masses.

The leader looks scared to death.

LEADER: Oh no! They’ve found us! (to HELPER) Quick, get everyone out of here!

HELPER: Where? Where can we go?

LEADER: (shouts) I don’t know! Take them . . take them into the maintenance tunnel!

HELPER: It’s blocked part of the way down by debris; this earthquake will only bring the rest of it down!

There is another crash.

EXT STREET, DAY.

The demon is attacking the street once more.

INT SUBWAY STATION

LEADER: This is England; that isn’t an earthquake! Those creatures are attacking us; they know we are here! Quick, we’re going to have to go down the tube. Get everyone down there and keep them away from the lines! We’ll have to risk frying.

The Helper nods in affirmation and goes to organise the screaming crowds. The Leader holds his face in his hands for a second, then reaches into a pocket and pulls out a DEVICE that looks something like a small CB radio. He weighs it in his hand for a second before pressing a button on it. The button lights up green. He pushes it again and it lights up red. He opens a grate on the wall and sets it down inside, before joining the evacuation.

CU on device.

The red lights starts to blink, and a recorded message of the Leader plays.

LEADER: (VO, tape distortion) This is the exodus. We are unable to follow the plan due to circumstances beyond our control. Abort evacuation; I repeat, abort evacuation (beat) This is the exodus. We are unable to . . .

INT MIKI’S QUARTERS, DOOMSHIELD

MIKI is standing, still in her ‘party dress’ looking at herself in a dusty full length mirror. The camera slowly zooms in on the reflection of her face in the mirror. Her face changes as she cycles through her personalities - but there is an expression of fear etched deeply into her features. Suddenly John’s face intrudes on the scene.

JOHN: Miki. We need your expertise again.

Miki turns to face him as the camera PULLS BACK

MIKI: (petulant) I don’t want to go. The machine hurt me last time.

JOHN: You said that you enjoyed it last time.

MIKI: It was painful.

JOHN: You said you *liked* the pain.

MIKI: (demonic mode) The Necronomicon does things to your head. It brakes down walls and builds its own buildings and spawns its own people. A city of spirits built inside of my brain.

JOHN: Miki . . . (sighs) I understand how you must be feeling, but we *need* you - the Earth needs you. You are our only hope.

MIKI: (curious) But aren’t you frightened as well? This is the end, Doctor John. Aren’t you scared that it will all come crashing down - and that it will be all your fault?

John looks frightened for a moment - she has touched a nerve.

MIKI: Oh, don’t worry about your precious Archangel Thunderbird. Miki will go with you, if only for the security man’s sake. But she will also survive. Will you?

Miki leaves the room, leaving John alone. He looks into the mirror for moment, scared, then he leaves, too.

INT ST PAUL’S, DOOMSHIELD

The main room of Doomshield’s base of operations is a hive of activity as the finishing touches are put to the new relays. Rob walks between the pieces of apparatus, watching over Jules’ technicians as they work. He stops at one large piece of machinery and peers over the shoulder of a lab-coated TECHNICIAN as he works. The technician stops what he is doing, and gives a long and annoyed stare at Rob, who backs away. He eventually strolls over to the computer console, where Jules is running diagnostics on the new software.

ROB: So how’s it going Jules? Got the old PC running smoothly yet?

JULES: It’s coming along okay - except that for some stupid reason the initiation program is running at the speed of a 48k Speccy.

ROB: A 48 *what?*

JULES: Speccy. Sinclair spectrum? Oh never mind, it was before your time. Ah. That’s a line of code that shouldn’t be there.

He taps a few keys, selects characters with the mouse cursor, etc.

JULES: That’s more like it. Running contented.

ROB: What’s all that in aid of, anyway?

JULES: This? This is the GUI, the front end of the program. (looks at Rob’s blank face) It’s what you see on the monitor. This screen here! (taps the screen)

ROB: No need to act testy, I do know what a monitor is.

JULES: I thought that they were meant to teach information technology in schools these days. They taught it when I was at school.

ROB: They probably taught it on blackboards, because back then computers hadn’t been invented.

JULES: Watch it!

ROB: Sorry. Anyway, so what does this gooey do?

JULES: I don’t even want to know why you are so computer illiterate at your age - in this day and age even - but what this means is that we can see exactly what’s going on inside the Archangel, and the effects it produces on the equipment. And then we can adjust the influx of energies into it as needed.

ROB: Ah. I see, now.

JULES: I’m sure you do.

John joins them.

JOHN: Everything ready, fellows?

JULES: Well, I’m ready. I don’t know about *them*. (turns towards the work floor, and calls out to the technicians) The boss is ready to go. Has anyone not finished the adjustments yet?

The men on the floor shout back, confirming that they are all finished.

JULES: (turning back to the console) Well, we’re all ready. It’ll take a few minutes for the energy flow to build up in the containment fields. Once they’re full, if we decide not to do it, the energy won’t be harmlessly dissipated - it’ll trash the equipment unless we start the Archangel sequence, and if we do that any and all changes made on its structure will become permanent, for better or for worse. The Arcangel Thunderbird could end up being completely powerless. It’s in your hands now, Doc.

JOHN: (thinks a moment) Do it.

JULES: Okay.

Jules pushes a key and the machines around them start to hum. Figures flash on screen, and a time bar indicates the energy building up.

JOHN: Well, I’d better go and see how Miki is. I offered to help strap her into the cyberweb, but she said that she was a good girl now, and could do it herself.

ROB: I’ll help her.

JOHN: (surprised) Okay. But I suggest that you keep yourself handy, just in case something goes wrong.

Rob walks past a series of machines upon which LEDs and such are flashing. He approaches Miki, who is half in and half out of the cyberweb. It is raised on a platform above the floor level, perhaps the site of a disused pulpit. The Necronomicon is wired into a glass case next to it.

Miki is struggling to get into the straps.

ROB: You look like you need a hand. Mind if I tie you up.

Miki turns to look at him, her eyes flashing.

ROB: Sorry, slip of the tongue.

She raises a quizzical eyebrow and smiles evilly.

ROB: Look they’re just turns of phrase, okay? I only came to give you a hand.

MIKI: (seductive mode) Well, ordinarily we’d *love* you to tie us up and slip us a tongue, and in return we’d gladly give you . . . a hand. (school mistress mode)But at the moment we just need a leg up.

ROB: Here.

He helps Miki up into the cyberweb, and she fastens the rest of the straps around herself

Rob turns to go, and then turns back and gives her a peck on the cheek.

ROB: (explanatory) For good luck.

He looks at her for a second, then turns and leaves. Miki’s eyes suddenly begin to tear up.

MIKI: (quietly) I love you, Rob Cainer.

Suddenly there is a yellow flash from the Necronomicon which passes through her body and lingers in her eyes. She hangs in the harness, waiting.

Rob rejoins the group at the console as the bar on the monitor nears its end.

JOHN: (checking monitors) Everything is stable. Camnet is ready, and focused on the correct co-ordinates. Nice of you to join us, Mister Cainer.

ROB: Miki’s tucked in and ready to fly, Doc.

JULES: Well, the capacitors are full. It’s now or never.

JOHN: Infinity or bust. Gentlemen, this could be a bumpy ride.

John leans towards the keyboard, and his finger hovers over it for a moment. He pushes the button.

FADE OUT

FADE IN to

Blackness. A slow strobe of light catches the people in the hall moving, panicking. There is a SCREAM - Miki - and we see her, body straight, arms out in a cruciform, tumbling end over end into space.

The light returns to the hall.

ROB: Holy Hell, what was that?!

There is a BEEPING coming from the console. Various EXPLOSIONS and SPARKS sound from the equipment in the hall.

Jules taps a few keys.

JULES: Oh no . . .

JOHN: What’s happened?

JULES: (looking at the monitor) I’m not entirely sure. (shakes head) There was some kind of interference, an anomaly. The conduits have been blocked up.

ROB: And what exactly does that mean?

JOHN: (worried) It means that the capacitors are filling up with energy. If we don’t shut them down, they’ll overflow. This whole place will be blown sky high - Jules, shut it down!

JULES: (hitting the keyboard) I’m trying! The software isn’t responding.

JOHN: Quick, Rob, (shouts to everyone) we have to shut the capacitors down manually.

He leaves the console and runs to a nearby block of equipment. He starts hitting buttons and pulling down levers. Slowly, the red lights on it die out, or turn to green. Other technicians are running to the equipment.

ROB: (bewildered) How?

A whining starts to build from the machines and from the earth itself.

JOHN: (shout) Push the keys on the capacitors in sequence. Once the levers are released, pull them to switch the things off.

Rob looks about for a capacitor, and runs to one. He starts pulling and pushing, when there is a SHOWER OF SPARKS, and a panel is pushed off from it by a small gush of steaming water. It soaks him.

ROB: Ow! Doc, this thing’s sprung a leak!

JOHN: A physical manifestation of hydrox energy. It’s just water, Rob!

ROB: It might be just water, but it’s hot!

He winces as he plunges his hands through the scalding water and continues shutting the machine down.

JOHN: (now working on another machine) Jules! How are we doing?

JULES: It’s working. The energy is being cut off, but . . . I don’t see why this happened. (his eyes widen) What on earth? (shouts) John, come and see this!

John shuts the machine down, looks around him, and runs back to the console.

JOHN: That’s the last of them - there’s nothing more we can do. What is it?

JULES: Look! (points to an indicator bar on screen) We’ve cut off the energy, but something is getting through. It’s not being pumped out - it’s being sucked from the capacitors.

John looks at a camnet monitor.

EXT ST PAUL’S, DAY

The sky is cloudy, and lightning discharges itself. In the midst of the electricity is a glowing BALL OF LIGHT. It pulses and moves like it’s alive.

INT ST PAUL’S, DOOMSHIELD

JOHN: Something’s trying to get through. (turns and shouts) Miki!

There’s no reply - she’s unconscious.

JOHN: Miki!

At the second call of her name, Miki’s head snaps up as though it were pulled on a marionette string. Her eyes glitter. The camera PULLS BACK as static electricity snaps her hair on end, and smoke pours around her.

EXT ST PAUL’S, DAY

The lightning forks converge on the ball of light, and it circles the cathedral, twice, before shooting out across town.

The camera FOLLOWS it speeding across the deserted city. Finally, it stops outside the old Doomshield church, where it hovers for a moment before it expands in a burst of light. In its place stands the Archangel MARIGON. He looks about himself.

INT ST PAUL’S, DOOMSHIELD

Rob joins John and Jules at the console.

ROB: What now?

JOHN: I think . . . we did it.

JULES: We did something. The Archangel Thunderbird has been activated, but there isn’t enough energy drain to signify a fully fledged team.

JOHN: But the energy level isn’t decreasing. How much time do we have?

JULES: (reads the screen and smiles) Indefinite. It’s a lot longer than a few minutes, that’s for sure.

ROB: Well, I hate to be a party pooper (taps camnet monitor) but where is it? I mean, it isn’t *here*.

JULES: I must have forgotten to change the conjuration co-ordinates. We’ll have to ask Miki to bring the Archangel back here.

JOHN: (thinks) Maybe that isn’t such a good idea. After that little light show, any one of Baal’s drones could be knocking on our door. If one of them sees an Archangel here, then we’ll have to move again before this place is bought down to our knees. And if they attack anyway, then Miki can easily recall it for defence. Maybe conjuring the Archangel Thunderbird from a distance in future would be a good idea. (changes subject) Anyway, what went wrong?

JULES: Something in the energy levels was altered - I mean the energy in the computer, or something. It took up just enough computing power to slow the process down and - what’s that beeping?

ROB: Don’t look at me.

John looks at the monitor, and points out a window on it.

JOHN: Is this a radio signal?

JULES: Looks like it.(pushes keys) It’s on a distress frequency. (realises) Oh, don’t tell me that *this* was the problem.

JOHN: Well, come on - let’s hear it.

Jules clicks on an icon on screen. The beeping stops. It’s the Leader’s message.

COMPUTER: (heavily distorted) This is the exodus. We are unable to follow the plan due to circumstances beyond our control. Abort evacuation; I repeat, abort evacuation.

The message loops while they talk.

JULES: It’s a mayday.

ROB: It’s a warning, more like.

JOHN: (thinking) The ‘Exodus’. A ship of some kind?

JULES: Nah; the signal’s coming from dry land, in the middle of the city.

ROB: You don’t suppose that this is some Resistance transmission, do you? It sounds like they’re trying to get everyone out of London. Whoever ‘they’ are.

JOHN: Actually, that’s not a bad idea. A ‘Resistance’ group against Baal. (smiles sadly) I expect that he would never have expected *that*.

ROB: So, what do we do? The Archangel is out and about, and there are a bunch of potential refugees out there. I say that I take the lads out to the source of this signal, you get Miki to take that thing out there in case we need some support - and we get as many civvies as we can out of the hot zone.

JOHN: It’s a very noble gesture Mr Cainer, but if Baal had heard this his thugs will be crawling over the area. As far as he’s concerned, the only currency with which he can buy myself and the Book with is human souls.

ROB: Then if any of those ‘thugs’ rear their ugly heads, we get Miki to kick their arses. C’mon, doc, this is a time for heroics!

JOHN: (sighs) Okay, I give in. Get the guards suited up. We’ll wire in a trace for the signal.

ROB: Cheers (turns, shouts to the doomguards) All right lads, it’s kick-arse time!

EXT LONDON, DAY

By the site of the Inter-Mechinox’s attack, the ground has been torn up but has caved in on itself, filling the hole with rubble. There is no sign of the demon. Rob, and a squad of Doomguards in light body armour are combing the area. Some are carrying tracking devices and halo visors (as in The Cutter) The Archangel Marigon stands in the background, his head occasionally turning from side to side as he scans the horizon for trouble.

There is a shout from an off camera GUARD. Rob walks towards him.

ROB: What’s up?

GUARD1: I’ve found something. The signal’s pretty haywire around this area, but I think that it’s coming from below us.

ROB: *Below*? What, from a sewer?

GUARD1: There’s a hole here; leads to an underground tunnel.

ROB: Yeah, great. Pass me that thing. (indicates a tracker device) And that. (indicates visor)

The guard removes the halo visor, and passes both objects to Rob. Rob squats by the hole - another section of the ground that has caved in, leaving a small gap through to the tunnel below - and takes out and switches on a powerful torch on, examining the gap beneath its beam.

ROB: Anything happens, give us a shout. (starts to move into hole) If anything happens to *me*, I’ll give you a scream. (drops through hole)

INT MAINTENANCE TUNNEL

The tunnel is still pretty intact, though at intervals there are drifts of dirt and debris. Miraculously, some of the lights are still shining. Rob drops from the gap, beside a large landslide where the tunnel is blocked up, he looks at it, switches the torch off and puts it back in his jacket. He walks along the tunnel, keeping an eye on the tracker. The tracker BLEEPS erratically. Rob cuffs the tracker lightly.

ROB: It’s an echo. Bloody tunnels.

He continues down the tunnel, moving away from the sound of the guards working above. As he walks, we hear a faint VOICE. He comes to a dark side tunnel, takes out the torch and shines it down it. He peers down the tunnel. After a moment, he walks down it.

INT SUBWAY STATION

. . . or what’s left of it. Most of the station is covered in debris. Rob winces when he sees it, and stops to look. We hear, faintly, the recording. Rob looks about when he hears it, and finally finds the grill. He pries the grill open and takes the unit out. He looks at it for a second, and notices a large red button on the side. He presses it. The beeping from the tracker stops for a second, and so does the recorded message. Then, the beeping starts again, and a new message plays.

LEADER: (VO, tape distortion) This is the exodus. We need help urgently. I repeat, we need help. (beat) This is the exodus . . .

As Rob looks at the tape player, there is a BURST OF STATIC and a voice on Rob’s radio speaks.

GUARD2: (VO, radio distortion, faint) Sir, we’ve just had a change in the signal . . .

Rob takes out his radio and speaks into it.

ROB: (cuts in) Yeah, that’s my fault.

GUARD2: (VO, radio distortion, faint) . . we’ve also found someone.

ROB: Okay, I’ll be right up.

EXT LONDON, DAY

POV: Chuck’s Camera

We see the rubble strewn site with the Doomguards scouring the site, as seen from a hiding place through a camera lens. In the midst of the scene are two guards examining something. The shot PANS to where Marigon is standing. All the time, the SHUTTER sounds as photographs are being taken. The shot PANS back as Rob joins the guards.

EXT LONDON, DAY

ROB: What have you found?

GUARD2: (holds up lens cap) One of the lads found this, sir. A lens cap.

ROB: (annoyed) And?

GUARD2: (leans closer, whispered) There’s a photographer over there, taking pictures. Shall we take him in?

Rob looks towards Chuck’s hiding place

Chuck sees the two men conversing and looking at him.

CHUCK: Damn!

He quickly gathers his equipment and runs from the scene, jumping over debris.

ROB: After him!

The guards run after Chuck leaving Rob alone. He shakes his head.

ROB: Bleeding amateurs. I’d better ask the Doc for some *real* soldiers next time.

Suddenly there is a CRACKING NOISE behind him. He spins towards it, spots something off camera, and grins sheepishly. He slowly raises his hands.

CUT TO:

A fast moving POV shot to indicate Chuck running between the ruined buildings. SFX Panting:

The guards follow from a distance, over the obstacles, guns by their sides, until they come out into the middle of a clearing. There is no sign of Chuck. At first, they seem bemused by his apparent disappearance, until they notice a number of dead bodies, stacked in a pile in lieu of a burial. They guards converge on the pile. One uses his rifle to move a couple of bodies, beneath which cowers Chuck.

INT HOLDING CELL, DOOMSHIELD

Chuck sits at a table in one of the small makeshift offices, with Jules keeping an eye on him. Rob enters, and Jules takes him to one side to talk to him.

JULES: Where the Hell were you?

ROB: I, uh, had a little hold up outside. The lads had to go on ahead.

JULES: That was *too* dangerous, Rob. The doc wouldn’t approve.

ROB: Hey, Miki was there to protect me; it wasn’t as if I was alone or anything. Besides, I have to have a word with John anyway. Since the military left us we’re down to a real dregs force. That they let the damn Eye in was bad enough, but today I had to give them orders to pursue this bloke (thumbs Chuck). I’m not their Mummy, Jules.

JULES: Calm down, Rob. Reserve forces will have to do, for now. (beat) Who is this guy, anyway? He’s not a talkative sort.

ROB: He says that his name’s Chuck McGann, and that he’s an American photographer - and that’s all that he’ll say. We found a load of used film on him. Pictures of the Archangel. And other things. Sick things. (nastily, to Chuck) Sick, twisted perverted little things, eh mate? (quiet, to Jules) He’s taken pictures of kids being killed by the demons. God only knows who sent him.

JULES: (a snort of laughter) Something like this really brings out all the sickos and the psychos. Is the Doc coming soon?

ROB: Yeah, I’ve just seen him. He got really mad at me for being late back - said losing another component of Doomshield was all we needed right now - and then he said that he’d be right over. He *wasn’t* very happy at having his favourite secret captured in Kodak.

The door opens and John enters. As he does, we see that Chuck recognises him instantly.

JOHN: (to Rob) Okay, Mr Cainer. What have we . .

CHUCK: (excited) Dr John Churchill!

JOHN: (a little disgusted) Have we met?

CHUCK: Sort of; kind of. I took your picture for ‘The World Tribune’ a while back.

JOHN: (remembers) The infamous UN picture. That explains a lot.

ROB: Hang on. You two *know* each other?

JOHN: (to Rob) Do you remember the Tribune’s spread on my discovery at Le Chateau, and how it was (quotes) ‘Potentially the most exciting archaeological discovery this millennium’?

ROB: Yeah . . .

JOHN: Do you remember the Tribune’s spread, only a few months later on how I was one of the biggest crackpots in the yellow pages of crackpot scientists?

ROB: Ah . . .

JOHN: (looks at Chuck, who grins) This man contributed the photographs and some of the text for each article. (to Chuck) And now you take photographs of little girls with their brains spilling from their ears.

CHUCK: I’m not about to justify what I do, but it’s a job, same as everyone elses, when it comes down to it.

The gathered Doomshield team shoot him looks of disgust, which Chuck bats off. He’s used to this kind of response.

CHUCK: (CONT’D) And where have you been? The UN asked me . . .

JOHN: (laughs bitterly) The UN sent you here?

CHUCK: . . . The UN asked me to come here and bring them the situation on film. But they also asked me to keep an eye out for you. You know, half the planet thinks that you’re in league with them.

JOHN: (angry) In *league*? I’m the only one who has managed to stand up to them!

CHUCK: (interested) Is that what that huge *thing* was with Sgt Bilko and his troops? Your way of standing up to the aliens?

ROB: (stepping in) Let’s leave him here. He’s not going anywhere for the moment.

They leave, but as they do Chuck calls one last thing out.

CHUCK: You may think that I’m some piece of worthless scum, but I’m not the one with some giant demon on my side. You’re either with humanity, or you’re against us Churchill. Which is it?

EXT: LONDON, NIGHT

London by night. The horrorscape is in dark relief against the night sky. We hear distant demon cries all around and see the remains of a large shopping hall. Part of the roof is missing, and it is here - in the shade of the rest of the building - that the rest of the refugees are in hiding. Their number has decreased since the attack, and many of those remaining are badly injured. Away from the main part of the group, the leader sits alone, staring into the night sky, where stars are visible, hazed by the dust. He casts a glance back to the refugees and sees children huddled together for warmth, injured husbands stretched out in front of their wives in a state of near death. He turns back and looks out into the night.

The camera slowly PULLS BACK, revealing to us the broken building, the remains of the block around it, and finally - unseen to those below - a number of SEEING EYES, hovering over the site. Even as we watch, we see a number of demons stalk into shot, conversing with each other in unearthly tones as their circle tightens on the refugees.

INT JOHN’S OFFICE, DOOMSHIELD

John is writing, hard at work, when we hear a WHISPER. It is long, drawn out and breathy, and the word it speaks is indistinct. John stops writing, looks up, and sees nothing. Warily, he starts writing again.

After a while, we hear the whisper again. This time he puts down his pen and looks about the room. As he is about to start writing again, the whisperer speaks . . .

WHISPER: John . . .

He sits still for a moment, then stands.

INT HOLDING CELL, DOOMSHIELD

We hear Chuck in conversation with an unseen second party. As he talks, the camera PANS across the floor and wall, letting us see: a tiny part of the lower wall has been chipped out, revealing a wire which now hangs loose; a curling wire which joins the wall wire at a plastic junction; the skeleton of a pen; the wire connecting to a flimsy head set worn by Chuck. It is into the head set that he speaks.

CHUCK: You heard me - a giant. . . . Yeah, it looked like one of those demons . . .No . . . It belongs to Dr John Churchill - he’s got some sort of operation running out of this church . . . (emphatically) Churchill! . . . Yeah, that guy . . . they’ve got soldiers, weapons . . . No, not like that . . . What? . . . (long beat) . . . (scared) Oh no. Christ . . . No, they took the pictures. I’ve got some at my place - I’ll come back with them as soon as I get out of here . . . yeah, I’ll avoid him. Listen, someone’s coming.

Just before the end of the conversation there’s a sound at the door. Chuck quickly hides his set up, leaning back on his chair to cover the gap in the wall. We hear the door open and someone walk in, but we do not see who it is. All we know is Chuck is pale and frightened, and stands to escape. As he does, a tranquilliser dart hits him in the chest and the screen goes BLACK.

FADE OUT

FADE IN to

INT HOLDING CELL, DOOMSHIELD

The remnants of Chuck’s telecommunication equipment are still spread out across the floor, but the man himself is nowhere to be seen.

We can hear Rob talking to someone - his voice is pretty close, and coming closer.

ROB: (annoyed) . . . we’re meant to be an elite fighting force, the Archangel *and* the ground troops. These are bloody amateurs! If I hadn’t appeared when I did they would have let the yank get . . .

The door to the room opens, and in walks Rob. Before he finishes his monologue he notices that the room is empty.

ROB: (CONT’D) . . . away? Oh, *crap*!

After a second, he bolts from the room. Jules appears at the door, and peeks in to see that the room has been vacated.

INT ST PAUL’S, DOOMSHIELD

The base is in its usual half hearted hive of activity. Doomguards slouch around the place. Technicians drink coffee and eat sandwiches. The occasional person actually looks like they are actually working.

Into this stalks Rob, fire in his eyes.

ROB: (shouting) Wake up! Wake up, you lazy bastards!

He heads for the corridor that contains Dr Churchill’s office. Various personnel glance at each other, wondering what on Earth is going on. After a few seconds Rob returns. He picks on one WORKER at random.

ROB: All right; where is he? Where the Hell’s Doctor Churchill?

The worker recoils under his fierce stare. This is the angriest we, or any of them have ever seen him.

WORKER: (nervous) I . . he was here just now.

ROB: How long ago?

WORKER: Just a few minutes, I suppose . . .

ROB: You *suppose*? *How* *long*?

WORKER: He was definitely here half an hour ago.

ROB: Half an hour? Bloody Hell! (to the room) You idiots will be glad to here that thanks to your utter incompetence, our little shutterbug has disappeared, and taken Doc Churchill - the man *you* were meant to *protect* - with him. Now listen; you all get off your arses, get suited up, and *find* *him*. You won’t come back here until you do. And you fight the demons with your bare hands if you have to.

During this time, Jules has come into the room. Towards the end of the speech, heads start turning to look past Rob. He finally notices this.

ROB: What?

He turns, and there, looking worse for wear and leaning against a wall at the entrance to the hall, is John Churchill.

JOHN: (quiet, exhausted) That’s a very kind gesture, Mr Cainer . . .

He collapses onto the floor. Rob, Jules and a number of workers run to his aide. Rob gets there first. We see his face, dirty, sweating. There is a small cut on his forehead. He looks like he’s been through the wars.

Rob props him up against the wall, and his eyelids flutter open.

ROB: (shouts) Someone get a medic! (to John) Christ, Doc. What happened?

JOHN: (weakly) I . . . was taken hostage, or something. I can’t quite . . . (coughs)

JULES: Easy there.

JOHN: He escaped, and took me . . outside. I managed to knock him out . . .and escape.

ROB: See, this is *exactly* the kind of thing I was talking about. I’d better get a team ready and find him before . . .

JULES: (cuts in) I doubt that that would be necessary. The demons are out in force tonight. If he’s out there, they’ll find him. If we went out to look for him they’d have us, too. It’s not a good night for army moves.

ROB: Then we tend to John and let Baal get the bastard. It’ll serve him right. Wherever he is, they’ll make him suffer.

At this John groans in pain, and the others offer support.

CUT to

EXT LONDON, NIGHT

CU on Chuck

Chuck lies still, sprawled out over the dusty ground. As the camera PULLS BACK, he starts to stir. By the time he is stood, looking groggy, he is revealed to be in the middle of nowhere, in one of any number of places in ruined London.

He looks about himself, trying to find some familiar landmark. At first he looks angry . . .

In the distance, a DEMON HOWLS.

. . . but then he looks terrified. He looks frantically about him for some cover to hide under, but upon finding none, he runs like fury across the wasteland.

There are more HOWLS as he finally reaches a building - the abandoned shopping hall. He runs into it and leans against a wall, panting. He closes his eyes in relief, thinking that he is now safe from any danger . . .

Wrong. As he opens his eyes he sees the Inter-Mechinox standing in the darkness. He SCREAMS, and it’s claw bears down upon him, filling the screen with blackness.

INT BAAL’S LAIR

CU on Chuck, as before, sprawled on the floor.

He stirs, going through the same motions as before, as though awaking from a nightmare. Only as he stands he discovers that the nightmare is far from over. As the camera PULLS BACK, we get a small glimpse of Baal’s Lair - but it is enough. Somewhere beneath a scrap metal yard is a cave that looks like a demonic womb. The general shape is rounded, but Baal and his demons have lined it with jagged pieces of metal taken from the yard above, bits of cars and such. Spines of steel point inwards from every angle, leaving an opening somewhere to the side in the ceiling. The place is lit from somewhere in the ceiling by a light source that pulses from red to white and back again. At the base of the lair is the Well, a small round pit lined with a chalky white dust. Imbedded in the side of the lair is Baal’s throne. It bars the entrance to the rest of the underworld.

Baal himself is sat upon his thrown, glaring down at Chuck, who stands in the Well. There are a couple of demons (the JURY) that hang from the spikes of metal.

But the most hellish part of Baal’s home is what is impaled on those spikes. People, some half naked, others fully clothed, shards of metal protruding from their legs, their chests, their heads. Chuck stares in horror at them. There are quite a few, piled up in a collage of flesh at the base of the lair, though it is obvious that the collage will only be complete once the whole lair is lined with bodies.

Despite this, the bodies are not yet dead. Their skin is pale, and the more recent additions have splashes of drying blood on them. Their mouths move, producing a wet, garbled whisper that sounds like a chorus. Chuck spins around, barely holding onto the contents of his stomach. CU shots of the bodies reveal to us that we recognise some of the victims - a number of them are the doomed refugees from the exodus. The camera stops on one - the Leader, his eyes blank, his jaw hanging slackly, mouthing the horrible whisper.

And Baal speaks . . .

BAAL: Welcome to my lair, pretty little human. Now . . . I can see the light of Doctor John Churchill upon you. From where did you come?

Some of the chorus repeat Baal’s sentence parrot like. It echoes across the lair.

Chuck is at a loss for words for a time.

CHUCK: Ch-Churchill? Yes, I was with him . . . oh my God, where am I?

BAAL: Where is Churchill?

CHUCK: Oh, God, you’re him! The Dev-Dev-De . . .

Chuck falls to his knees, eyes closed, hands clasped in prayer.

CHUCK: (CONT’D) Our Father, who art in Heaven, give us this day, our daily bread and, and . . .

The chorus mimics him, the word ‘and’ bouncing like a bullet. From the roof the Jury gibber gleefully.

BAAL: Tell me where Doctor Churchill, and I shall grant you life.

Chuck breaks off his prayer.

CHUCK: L-Life? (racks his memory) I was in a . . . a church. That’s right, this church.

BAAL: The place of false worship. They returned to their home. (calls) My followers!

EXT OLD DOOMSHIELD BASE, NIGHT

The old Doomshield base looks pretty much the same as it did in THE CUTTER, but now demons converge upon it. They attack, unleashing flame and any other weapons they have. Seeing Eyes spiral above, relaying the attack to Baal.

INT BAAL’S LAIR

Baal watches the scene on a Seeing Eye screen for a moment. Then he dismisses it with the wave of a claw, and turns to Chuck.

BAAL: The ‘church’ is empty. You lied to me.

CHUCK: (scared, pleading) No, no, they were *there*. I saw them. I was there. Please, no. I can help you, you have to give me a second chance.

BAAL: And so I shall.

Without warning, the Jury drop from the ceiling, wings fluttering, and swoop upon Chuck, grabbing one arm each. He screams, tossing his head about, but it is too late for him. Carried aloft by the Jury, he is flown about the lair, and thrown onto the metal shards at breakneck speed. The metal starts to twist against him, shaking his body as his eyes roll back. Slowly, his body stops moving. And then his jaw moves slackly, another voice added to the chorus.

FADE OUT

END CREDITS.