"The Quiet Hour" "It's been almost a year," "yet we still know nothing about them." "Who they are, where they come from," "why they went down... all we know is, since they came," "two quiet hours a day is all we have." "What was that?" "I'm not sure." "A gunshot?" "No, it can't be." "No, I heard an engine." "It could have been anything." "What if there were people out there?" "and they found us?" "It's nothing, Ok?" "Would you shoot someone if you had to?" "Go back to sleep." "What's she saying?" "Uh...they've left the UK, and stopped here." "and some country's name I couldn't understand." "Shh!" "Turn it off!" "Why?" "Because it creeps me out, Ok?" "If you go out the back, make sure to lock the door behind you, Ok?" "Is anybody there?" "Hello, survivors." "Tom Connelly here, playing just for you." "Dad?" "Dad?" "Who are you?" "God what is wrong with you?" "I told you to shut the door." "I'm sorry." "That's the second time." "Do you want to get us killed?" "He's been shot." "Where?" "In the leg." "Could that be what we heard last night?" "Sarah?" "Are you gonna fix his leg?" "Well, you shouldn't." "He stole our food." "Hold the light closer." "Is he gonna die?" "No." "At least no from me hitting him." "What is this?" "A survival blanket." "From Manchester." "Twenty-Seven" "What do you see?" "One of their mines." "Looks incredibly deep." "I heard they're taking minerals from the core of the planet." "Can you see them?" "No." "What are we gonna do with him?" "I don't know, I'm thinking." "We'll have to see what dad thinks when he gets home?" "Do you think he'll be back tonight?" "Sarah?" "Oh,forChrist'ssake, how could I possibly know?" "Good girl." "Coffee?" "There ain't much milk." "It's been a while since she had babies." "Will she stop producing it?" "Eventually." "I'm sorry, Ok?" "It must be Dad." "Hello?" "You'll catch a fever washing in that filthy water." "Why did you run away?" "I meant you no harm." "I suppose you don't see many people in these parts." "It's quite isolated, isn't it?" "What's your name?" "Sarah." "You live alone in that big house?" "No." "Who else is there?" "My brother." "And my father." "How old are you?" "I'm twenty-five." "How old are you really?" "Eighteen?" "Nineteen?" "What do you want?" "He's there, isn't he?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're lying to me, Sarah." "Did you tie him up?" "Sarah..." "Shh..." "Sarah?" "Fine." "You've got ten minutes to get him out." "Ten minutes." "Or big, bad wolf will be knocking on your door." "Over." "How many are there?" "I'm not sure." "At least two." "I think there night be more hiding in the back." "Let's just take him out as she said." "He must be with them." "Then you tell them it's just the two of us." "And then we'll be screwed." "We might as well kiss our animals goodbye." "He wouldn't know." "He's still knocked out, isn't he?" "Come, let's take him out." "So they can invite themselves over?" "We can take him out through the window,I'll help." "I imagine they want to kill him." "So what?" "he's a thief." "That would be murder." "Sarah, we can't keep him here." "What if he breaks free?" "It could be dangerous." "What do you suggest?" "That we kill him?" "Come with me." "It's stuck." "Sarah?" "I didn't mean to frighten you." "Your friend has already contacted us." "My friend?" "The woman who contacted me on my CV." "I'm alone." "Do you think I'm stupid?" "They've been following me." "Why?" "How did you get here if you weren't in that van?" "I bundled myself inside survival blankets." "Old ones that the army took out." "They're full of rodents and asbestos fiber." "They work if the patrol vessels fly high enough." "But it's like playing Russian roulette." "I was lucky." "But believe me!" "These are not good people." "Untie me and I'll protect the house." "Keep quiet." "I don't trust you." "Is it the uniform?" "Maybe." "But I'm not a soldier." "I'm a journalist." "They why are you dressed like one?" "I took the clothes from a dead one." "Look in my front pocket." "There's a picture in there." "Please take a look at it!" "What is it?" "That's my wife and daughter." "They're dead." "So what?" "Is that suppose to make you a good man?" "Oh, come on!" "You can see that I was shot." "Could have been an accident." "A self-inflicted wound." "Do you think you can hold the four alone?" "You don't know what they're capable of." "They won't stop until they've got your farm." "Well, it seems to me like it's you they want." "No, don't delude yourself." "How many farms with souls and piles of livestock do you think you can find" "Please." "Untie me." "So you can open the door to your friends?" "You can't beat him alone." "Our father will be back soon." "Where is he?" "He went to town to get some supplies." "And how soon will he be back?" "Soon enough." "How many of them are there?" "Five." "used to be six, but one of them was killed by the blasters last night." "that must be what we..." "Don't." "I went inside an abandoned house to look for some food, and one of them followed me without cover." "I escaped just before the blast." "If what you're telling me is true, then why are they trying so hard to capture you?" "You're a liar!" "Please." "Let me help you." "No, no!" "What are you doing?" "Shutting him up." "Let him talk, Sarah!" "Be quiet!" "I'm gonna go upstairs, Ok?" "Knock knock." "Big bad wolf." "Keep quiet, bitch." "You need to untie me." "Those guys  will  kill your sister." "Then they will come down here and kill me and you." "Do you want that to happen?" "There's a knife in the side pocket of my bag." "Get it for me and let me help." "I'm not going to lie to you, I promise." "Come here." "Here." "Great." "Yeah." "Stay there." "No one can see you." "You'll be fine." "No!" "Thanks." "Jeez!" "Are the other locked?" "No." "We'll be safe now." "Tom?" "Sarah?" "Are you Ok?" "Yeah." "What did he do to you?" "Nothing." "Your sister's fine." "Did you hear them leave?" "I heard an engine." "They moved a van." "They have broken into the barn." "They'll attack us again at sunset." "That's how everyone left is killed." "You've done a good job cleaning up my leg." "You a nursing student?" "Something like that." "Tell me what you did to them." "Tell me the truth." "I killed one of them." "My brother." "They killed my wife and daughter." "They broke into the basement where they were hiding." "My wife tried to defend what little food we had." "And they killed her." "I came back from a water run and found them carrying boxes to their van." "And I just hid." "I remember her wiping blood on her pants." "Him eating our food." "And their brother bragging about what he'd just done." "Thought I'd never see him again." "Then, a couple of days ago," "I'm riding in a bunker on the coast and I hear a voice." "Their brother's." "I killed him whilst he slept." "Then ran." "They've been chasing me ever since." "And your daughter?" "They got her, too." "How do you know he isn't making up stories to make you feel sorry for him?" "Tom..." "Was he in the picture he showed you?" "No." "Then you don't know for sure, do you?" "He saved my life." "Maybe he plays the good guy till he's done with the people outside." "Look, we're all in this together." "I'm just saying we should watch our backs." "He killed a man before your eyes, how do you know he's not gonna kill us, too?" "How can you judge him so harshly you can't even see him?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean it." "That's another five." "Mediocre shot." "That's a nice radio." "Who taught you how to use it?" "My father." "Your father sounds like quite the survivalist." "He didn't..." "He doesn't like to take things for granted." "He would always be prepared if we went to ship." "Did you get your electricity from the solar power?" "Some." "But we save the batteries for the radio." "Waita minute." "Yourmenwilllive" "Theykeepdoingalright" "Thisusuallymeansyou 'reOK" "An unusually big swarm has been spotted over Bradford heading south." "I repeat." "An unusually big swarm has been spotted over Bradford heading south." "They're three quarters advanced" "They're heading our way." "They've been acting strangely lately." "What do you mean?" "Their patterns have changed." "They'd been drilling like crazy." "Like there's no tomorrow." "It's Jimmy." "Don't come back it'stooriskyatthemoment." "Tom, why don't you fetch this bowl of mine?" "After all, it's been a long time since we've had a guest." "Sure." "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to intrude." "When did Tom lose his sight?" "He was flash blinded the day they came." "He was outside feeding cattle with mum." "All he remembers is this intense light" "telling him to run away." "She died." "It was the last thing he saw." "And your father?" "I saw his grave." "They got him, didn't they?" "I saw a blast a distance a couple of days ago." "Is that why you came here?" "I was hoping to find people." "Life." "Yeah, and you've left them to us." "I didn't know they were following me." "I'm sorry." "Tom needs to know." "The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be." "You know what?" "This is none of your business." "So you're gonna keep lying to him?" "Give him false hope?" "Sorry." "It's burnt." "We ran out of oil." "Hello?" " What's happened to my husband?" "Did you kill him?" "Well?" "There's been enough bloodshed as it is." "Releaseyourprisoner and we'll be square." "He's gone." "You're lying" "I'm not." "He cut his ties and escaped." "When?" "A couple of hours ago." "He's probably dead by now." "If not, the survival blankets won't protect him for long." "What did you do with my husband's body?" "He's still with us." "Take him down at sunset so we can have a Christian burial." "We'll leave the house as soon as it's done." "Youhaveourword." "Over." "What do you think?" "I wouldn't believe them." "She should be allowed to bury her husband." "That's not what they want him for." "What do you mean?" "Well, they need to eat to survive." "And what about you?" "Have you been eating dead people, too?" "Of course not." "They gave us their word." "It means nothing." "It's worth taking a chance." "They might go away." "If what I think will happen happens, they will be able to stay out there for days while we're stuck in here with no food or water." "What do you think, Tom?" "I think you need to leave." "Tom!" "If he left, they'd go!" "No, they wouldn't." "They'd come back for the farm." "We need his help." "We were fine before he turned up!" " He wouldn't make it out there by himself." "I don't care if he dies." "Um..." "I'm sor- he didn't mean that." "Are they back?" "Yeah." "She'll call." "Ok." "Will you come with me?" "Back in a minute, Ok?" "Ok." "Ok." "We'll be alright." "You alright?" "Dad should be back by now." "They thought they could contain him." "If we were without our satellites we were dine for." "The heat." "Snow." "A stench of decaying flesh." "There are no words for it." "And soon we'll have no newspapers to send them to." "So I got back in the car, drove home faster than I could." "Is there anyone left in cities?" "No." "The blasters didn't leave them a chance." "The old fire blankets, the solar panels, that just drops in the ocean." "and those who you love survive to become animals." "They hide in basements or bunkers." "They get sick or lose their minds." "Have you heard of anyone actually making contact with them?" "No." "Never." "Well, maybe there isn't anyone." "Maybe they just sent the machines." "Or maybe they just don't give a shit about us." "Is that what you believe?" "That they don't care?" "Why would they?" "What makes us more special then the ants or...field mice or dolphins?" "Our art?" "Our ability to build, to think about our life in sequences?" "Hence build completely sophisticated colonies." "Birds decorate their nests," "Yeah, but they don't... regret, they don't dream, they don't hope." "Maybe they do." "Maybe they don't." "It's probably for the best." "It won't get hard that way." "Tom..." "Uh...why don't you play something for us?" "I don't feel like it." "Come on, do it for me." "What should I play?" "What you were playing over the radio." "Hello?" "You Ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "You can come in." "What did you study?" "Veterinary medicine." "First year." "It doesn't matter now, though, does it?" " You could have studied English lit, like me." "Believe me. you won't want me sewing your leg up." "What happened to your father?" "I found him." "Yesterday morning." "A few yards from here." "He must've been confused." "Maybe his watch stopped, or something." "When he left," "I vaguely remember waking up remembering I'd forgotten to turn off the alarm the night before," "telling myself every way it hadn't rung." "I'd just go straight back to sleep." "And when my alarm did go off a few minutes later," "I got out, and I saw his bike leaning against a tree." "And you really think it was a mistake?" "What are you saying?" "Maybe... he just wanted to get it over with." "No..." "No, my father was a fighter." "He kept saying that we had to keep going." "That we could never give up..." "he wouldn't..." "Never..." "In this world, people change." "It was a mistake, Ok?" "My father wasn't a coward." "He would...never have abandoned us like that." "He knew I couldn't protect him alone." "Or maybe he knew you could." "Maybe he thought you were stronger than him." "You are, Sarah." "You're stronger than you think." "Where were you when all this started?" "Just...grocery shopping with my wife." "We were bickering because I was wasting money on expensive food and she was trying to save a few in the summer." "Sounds trivial, doesn't it?" "What was her name?" "Lisa." "Our daughter's name was Marty." "She was such a lively little girl." "She was." "Dancing around." "Lisa said she could become a ballerina." "And I remember the last night before I left them." "Marty woke up" "She wanted to come with me." "She wouldn't let go of my hands, as if somehow she knew." "Sarah?" "Nooooo!" "No..." "No!" "Oh, shit." "Tom?" "!" "Tom?" "Tom!" "Tom?" "Tom?" "No...he wouldn't have." "No!" "There were too many patrols around." "He's all I have left!" "Tom!" "Tom!" "Tom!" "Tom!" "What?" "They burned the straw." "They're still here." "Go!" "Go." "What are you doing?" "There is no asbestos." "We'll be fine." "Tom!" "Sarah!" "Hey!" "Tom's alive." "Ok?" "Wait." "I heard laughing." "They're in the cellar." "You alright?" "We need to get him out." "I'll take him by surprise." "What are you doing?" "He'll sniff them out." "Tom?" "Tom." "Tom, Tom" "It's me." "Come on." "Stay here, Ok?" "She's not here." "I guess they've gone." "Tom?" "Get up!" "Come over here, boy." "Why did you shoot him?" "There was no need." "He killed my brother." "You killed his wife." "No..." "They were already dead." "His wife ran to a death with their child." "She just couldn't take it anymore." "We found him scavenging for tomatoes in the garden." "Took them back to her bunker." "I guess we didn't agree on what we had to do to survive." "You were wrong." "And because you wouldn't listen, you got my husband killed." "He tried to rape me." "I don't believe you." "It's time for this to end." "You're going to be Ok." "I just needed you to trust me." "We need to go." "Come back when it's safe." "I didn't mean what I said about Jude." "I know." "What now?" "Are you sure this is what you want?" "Stop!" "Maybe we should wait." "What happened?" "They're gone." "They left the same way they came." "Without warning." "Dad used to say as long as there's hope in our hearts, we'd survive." "He was right."