NEAR FUTURE / INT. / MILITARY BASE / EVENING
BLACK MADONNA BY LADY LESHURR IS PLAYING:
PVT. ANIYAH ANDERSON is in a dorm with two other female soldiers. She sits on her bed, cleans her rifle. The other soldiers lie in their bunks next to Aniyah, looking on their cells.
Music fades out slowly.
THOMPSON
Man, why don't we just nuke them motherfuckers.
RAMIREZ
Coz' they'd nuke us too.
THOMPSON
Yeah, but what if we nuke first?
RAMIREZ
Thompson, you shithead, ever heard of mutual assured destruction?
THOMPSON
You just made that up. Always coming up with them fancy words, when you know shit.
ANIYAH
We can't nuke them 'cause they hacked the shit outta us when the war startet, you dumb fuckers.
THOMPSON
How do you know? You had hacking in college, Anderson?
The two other soldiers laugh.
RAMIREZ
So, why don't they nuke us then, when we can't nuke them back?
ANIYAH
They won't because it fucks up climate.
THOMPSON
Yeah, these sons of bitches all about climate, huh. I'd nuke them fo' sure.
RAMIREZ
You can't even take a dump, how would you nuke anyone?
Ramirez laughs.
THOMPSON
Shut up, sucker!
ANIYAH
Jesus, you two really need to get into that war asap.
Aniyah gets a call from her MOM and leaves the dorm to get some privacy. She takes the call.
ANIYAH
Mom?
MOM (O.S.)
Oh honey, you okay?
ANIYAH
Yeah, I'm good, mom. What happened?
MOM (O.S.)
Oh, your dad and me just watched the news and we were worried about you.
ANIYAH
Mom, I'm still at IET , I'm fine. They won't deploy me for the next couple of weeks, I told you.
MOM (O.S.)
(starts to cry)
In the news they said... things are going on in the east... and--
Her DAD gets on the phone on the other side.
DAD (O.S.)
--it's dad.
ANIYAH
Dad, don't make her watch the news. She doesn't need to worry, I'm still at camp.
DAD (O.S.)
I will. You know we're proud of you, do ya?
ANIYAH
'course dad.
DAD (O.S.)
Good. That's good. You'll be fine. You always have. Just promise me...
(struugles to pull himself together)
... promise me you do whatever it takes to save this country, will ya?
ANIYAH
(strained)
I promise, dad.
DAD (O.S.)
Good girl.
ANIYAH
Just take care of mom, okay?
DAD (O.S.)
I'll do. I love you hon'.
ANIYAH
Love you too, dad.
Aniyah puts away the phone and just stands around a couple of seconds, processing the call apparently. SEARGENT calls her name in the background.
SEARGENT (O.S.)
Anderson!?
ANIYAH
Right here, Sir.
Aniyah walks fast down the alley back to her dorm.
SEARGENT
Private, I want this squad ready at twenty-one hundred.
ANIYAH
Yes, Sir.
SEARGENT
Combat-ready, understood, Anderson? Shit is really hitting the fan right now.
ANIYAH
Understood, Sir.
Seargent is leaving, yelling other names.
Aniyah suddenly rushes down the aisle, leaves the others of her squad with questioning looks behind and enters the next bigger hall not far away from her dorm. The hall is crowded with several other military personnel, watching tensely at the TV screen. Aniyah makes her path to the TV. A news show is running, with a news banner saying "America under attack!"
TV VOICE
... what appears to be major activity all across the Eastcoast... we have reports of severe incidents in Providence as well in New Haven and Long Island too. We still gathering information from all our sources to get a clearer look on the picture here, but what it looks like is that enemy forces are attacking on American ground. We still don't know if it's just airbourne or... and... we're just getting in live footage from... New York City... and it seems that... it looks like there are soldiers and military vehicles ON the streets in Manhattan... we see combat activity, gun-fire... OH MY GOD! Oh my good... we just saw an explosion on the Empire State Building. It looks like it was hit by an ECD apparently--
SOLDIER #3
(yells)
Fuckin assholes!
SOLDIER #4
(yells)
Kill those motherfuckers!
The soldiers in the room get more and more unsettled as the news continues, yelling different things at the TV.
TV VOICE
--still no official statement from the Pentagon so far--
Aniyah is shocked by the events, eyes wide. Eventually she overcomes her first shock after a few seconds.
ANIYAH
(yells)
--U.S.A.!
(yells louder)
U.S.A.!
(continues as loud as she can while all the other soldiers joining her one by one)
U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
EXT. / RURAL AREA / SUNSET
HUNTER waits in his pickup truck on an empty parking lot. Heavy rains just stopped. Engine is not running.
RADIO VOICE (O.S.)
...it's just our way of life, you know. It is our God-given right to do as a nation, as one people, what we think is right for us. And let me tell you, we will thrive again my fellow Americans out there, if we all believe in victory. God bless the United States of America.
An a capella version of Amazing Grace is playing over the radio. Hunter stares between atoms. While listening to the song, he gets emotional apparently.
After a while somebody knocks on the drivers window. Hunter jumps out of the car, draws his gun from behind his waistband and points it at the person that appears to be a WOMAN, who looks afraid and is soaked to the skin.
HUNTER
Stay off my fucking car!
WOMAN
(stumbles)
I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask... we got lost out here--
HUNTER
Move on, lady!
A little girl appears from behind the car, runs towards her mother and grabs her hand.
WOMAN
(quietly)
It's ok honey, let's go. Come on.
(turns to Hunter)
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...
They both turn around again and walk back to the little road they came from. Hunter realizes he overreacted and puts back his gun.
HUNTER
Wait! You going for the camp?
The woman stops, turns around and nods.
HUNTER (CONT'D)
You missed the main gate, it's about five miles down that road. But you can go up there, this is a utility road to the camp. It's close. When you get to the fence just wait for a patrol to come by. They'll let you in. But don't climb the fence. We got a lotta looters around here these days.
The woman seems to be relieved.
HUNTER
You coming from Phillie?
WOMAN
Newark.
HUNTER
Take care!
She slightly smiles and keeps on walking the road with her daughter.
After they get out of Hunter's sight he goes to his truck, opens the tailgate, gets out a spray can and goes back to a rusty street sign that says "Mt. Joy 5mi". He paints over Mt. joy wit his can, now saying "DRC" and goes back to his truck. When he is about to get back in, he sees another truck driving fast, coming from the other direction of the road. Hunter stands by his car and waits. The truck arrives and parks in that way that both trunks of the cars are directly across from each other. The other car's engine shuts off. An older MAN gets out, who carries a gun too.
MAN
Sorry I'm late. Frontline's moving every hour now.
HUNTER
It's okay. You got it?
Man opens his trunk. Several canisters are inside.
MAN
There you go.
Hunter opens one of them and holds his nose over the nozzle.
HUNTER
No offense.
MAN
None taken. We good?
HUNTER
We good.
Both get out their cells and hold them onto each other. Both cells make a beep and the man's cell screen says "payment recieved". Hunter grabs two canisters and loads them onto his truck. The man gets a third one. When he puts it down, he points on a red Cap in Hunter's trunk, saying "MAGA" in blue letters.
MAN
I give you an extra one for that.
HUNTER
Not for sale.
MAN
Alright.
Wayfaring Stranger by 16 Horsepowers is playing in the background.
The man walks back to his truck and turns around again.
MAN (CONT'D)
You know, I was wondering why someone like you haven't enlisted.
HUNTER
Same reason someone like you taps gas from the Army.
The man grins, closes his trunk, gets back into his truck and starts the engine. While driving off he waves at Hunter. Hunter waves back, closes his tailgate and watches the other truck leaving into sunset. Then he looks east, where it has already gone dark. All over the horizon he can see numerous flashes of soundless explosions from battles taking place in far distance.
FOUR YEARS LATER/ EXT. / SUBURBAN AREA / DAY
Hunter rides his bike through a typical American neighborhood, except there are no cars in sight. People on the streets, Hunter passes by, either walk or bike too in the middle of the street. Hunter wears DLC Duquesne Light Co. work clothes. Soon he gets to a military checkpoint. There is one female Chinese soldier and a male E.U. soldier, who gives Hunter a hand gesture to stop. Both soldiers carrie rifles and wear blue helmets saying U.N. in big white letters on them. On their left shoulders there are patches of the P.R.C. and E.U. flag respectively. A drone whirrs above their heads. Hunter stops.
E.U. SOLDIER
(speaks with French accent)
Your ID please.
Hunter shows him his ID on his cell. While the EU soldier is scanning Hunter's ID with a device, the Chinese soldier walks around Hunter, casing his bike.
E.U. SOLDIER (CONT'D)
Voilà. Have a nice day, Sir.
Hunter nods. POV Hunter keeps going on his bike. At the next crossing an electric car passes him. He makes a turn and waves someone in a front yard, while biking around pedestrians on the street. Eventually he makes another turn and bikes up the driveway to his home. Puts away his bike next to the garage. While walking towards the house he notices the flagpole in the front yard is missing the flag. Slows down his walk for a second and then walks fast to the front door.
HUNTER
(yells)
Aniyah! What the...
ANIYAH!?
Where is it?
Hunter walks straight through the living room, finds Aniyah standing on the porch. The door from the living room to the porch stands open. The TV is running quietly in the background.
HUNTER
Where the fuck is it?
ANIYAH
What?
HUNTER
Where did you put it?
Hunter looks through all cabinets in the living room. Stops, turns around again, faces Aniyah.
HUNTER (CONT'D)
Where is the fucking flag, Aniyah?
ANIYAH
You not gonna put it back.
Both stare at each other for a second.
HUNTER
(sighs)
Alright. Fuck it. I'll find it myself.
Hunter looks again for the flag.
ANIYAH
Why are you doing this, Hunter?
No response.
ANIYAH (CONT'D)
You found out you're a patriot after all?
Hunter walks towards Aniyah, talks to her face closely.
HUNTER
You know that's bullshit.
Now Hunter notices the star spangeld banner is folded together on an end table behind Aniyah. He grabs it.
ANIYAH
This flag is NOT going back up there. You heard me? I don't want to give the occupying forces a reason to come into my home.
HUNTER
It's not illegal. They don't care.
ANIYAH
They DO care about insurgents! Don't you think it's a little late fighting for our national identity?
HUNTER
That's exactly the point! Now is the most important time to remember what this banner is standing for.
ANIYAH
And why didn't you remember when your country needed every man to save that banner from those assholes, huh?
HUNTER
(shouts agressively)
Because I fucking agreed with them, okay? I didn't want to get myself killed for a completely nuts government! That doesn't mean I hate America!
(calms down a little)
I knew, if we got to start over after the war, we would have a decent chance to make things better for this country.
ANIYAH
You just don't get it. There is NO America no more. You know what I fought for? Not for politics, fuck no! What did I know. I was a twenty year old kid, I knew shit about politics. I didn't put my ass on the line because I loved our government so much, I did it because I knew one thing: If I don't fight for my country with everything I got we're gonna lose the right to decide for ourselves if we agree or don't agree with the government! Now it's too late for that. But if you think you can bring back our our freedom, go ahead, put it on that damn flagpole. But I tell you, the only thing that is gonna change is that they will have an eye on us. And I'm done fighting, Hunter!
HUNTER
(yells)
Fuck this!
Hunter throws the flag at her, so it bounces off her body and falls down onto the porch. Then he turns around and leaves the living room, heading back to the front door.
ANIYAH
Where are you going?
HUNTER
(from distance)
I'd driving around, but there' no fucking cars anymore!
Hunter slams the front door. A baby cries from inside. Aniyah leaves the porch. The TV, that was running the whole time, can now be heard.
Camera focuses on slightly waving, crumpled-up Star spangled banner on the porch's floor.
CHAIRWOMAN (O.S.)
Sir, the committee wants to know how many and to what extent the members of your former governments administration are responsible for the policies and the deception of the American people that had lead to the war eventually.
POTUS (O.S.)
Deception of the people? This government is elected by the people, it's legitimated by the constitution of the United States!
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #1 (O.S.)
Sir, do you know the term 'gerrymandering'?
POTUS (O.S.)
Of course I do.
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #1 (O.S.)
And Sir, don't you think that these kind of manipulations of electoral rights are weakening the power of the people over the government?
POTUS (O.S.)
If the American people had thought so, they could have voted any previous government to ours out of office.
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #1 (O.S.)
No, Mr. President, that's the point. They couldn't anymore at some point.
POTUS (O.S.)
And when was that exactly?
CHAIRWOMAN (O.S.)
Sir, what about the fact that 98% of all American pre-war flow of data in media was controlled by five internet corporations? Do you think that's democratic?
POTUS (O.S.)
It doesn't matter who owns the building if everyone inside has the right of free speech.
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #2 (O.S.)
Mr. President, there are 360 million people inside that building your are talking about. So it's not about freedom of speech, it's about who owns the microphone.
POTUS (O.S.)
Chairwoman, may I speak freely?
CHAIRWOMAN (O.S.)
Of course.
POTUS (O.S.)
Thank you, I wasn't so sure. Are you asking me here if I think our political system was perfect? Of course it wasn't. We made mistakes, we were wrong about things, ok, but we definitely didn't plan in the last century to become the evil empire you like to see in us. We had a system as good as the European, we had a nation as good as China, I mean, you might say we made a wrong turn at some point in our global politics, maybe more than one, but, and I can say this with all my heart, we, me, the government and all its people in the administration, we believed in doing the right thing for the American people and I know by God the American people also truly believed in this government.
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #1 (O.S.)
So, you call being responsible for 87% of all global carbonate emissions in the last 30 years 'making a wrong turn'? Are you really serious?
POTUS (O.S.)
Due to the fact you can't prove that humanity is causing global climate change, I am indeed serious, Yes, Sir.
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE #1 (O.S.)
So, you're saying neither anyone within the former US government nor the American people itself is responsible for having forced the United Nations to intervene in American global politics? Is that correct?
POTUS (O.S.)
This is my sincere conviction.
CHAIRWOMAN (O.S.)
Mr. President, let's break this down. Do you think, the joint forces of the United Nations are illegally occupying the US?
POTUS (O.S.)
Yes, madam, I have always thought this way.
CHAIRWOMAN (O.S.)
Even if the United Nations mission is legitimated unanimously by the general assembly?
POTUS (O.S.)
As acting President of the United States of America, I am stating the point that this occupation is absolutely illegal and a violation of international law by neglecting the sovereignty of our free nation. We will never accept nor tolerate an foreign entity having the authority over the people of the United States of America. SO HELP ME GOD!
Fades black. A capella version of Amazing grace is playing.
