"S" "Where do I begin?" "I guess with the idea that sometimes things happen that we don't understand." "Maybe we shouldn't try to." "My dad had been assigned to inspect the military southern sector of the EPA." "My stepmother, my half-brother and I spent two months on the road with him." "It's hard being in a car with a 6-year-old and the woman who replaced your mom." "But nobody asked me what I wanted to do that summer." "I guess things do happen for a reason even if you don't like what that reason is." "Come on." "Fill it up." " You got a rest room?" " It ain't great, but we've got one." " Not the "big old fat" part." " Which part?" " Can I have a soda?" " No." " I see you're from Washington, D.C." " That's right." "Long way from home." "You're bad." "You're bad." "You're scared." "Good." "They're out there." "They're everywhere!" "They get you when you sleep." "They get you when you sleep, you hear?" "Get out, or you'll be next!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "There's a psycho in there!" " In the bathroom?" " He's got a knife!" "Sweetheart?" "Maybe you should let him go in first." "He's got a gun." "Maybe you'd better come back here, honey." "There's nothing here." "There's no one in there." "You okay?" "No one's there?" "Marti, are you okay?" "Are you all right?" "What did he want?" "Maybe we should file a police report." ""They get you when you sleep."" "I remember thinking he was crazy but I also remember thinking we spend half our lives asleep." "'Morning, sir." "I'm Steve Malone." "I'm with the EPA." "General Platt's expecting us." "One moment." "Follow the signs to Sector C." "I got it." "Fifty-nine." "There are three doors, so it should be..." "Let's see." "It's this..." "How'd you know that?" "He's so smart." "This kid of ours is so smart." "How'd you know it was that door?" "Tie your shoelaces." "I'll do it." "Are you sure this is the right door?" "This is it?" "Great." "Andy, come on." "Help me unload the car." "Come on, I'm going to get there before you do." "Andy, honey, slow down." "There are only two bedrooms." "You've got to share with your brother then." "Steve, can you give me a hand up here?" "Don't work too hard." "If we'd known what was waiting for us, we would've run." "But, in the end, it had to happen." "And so it began." " This is a restricted area, miss." " What?" "You shouldn't be here without security clearance." "What's up?" "Get in the car." "I'm Jenn." "Marti." "Thanks for picking me up." "No problem." "They're dicks." "What was that all about?" "God knows." "They always have a bug up their ass." "Ignore them." "So what heinous misfortune brings you here?" "A month in hell with my dad and his wife." "He's with the EPA." "EPA, cool!" "Hippies saving the planet." "Look at those goons." "They actually volunteered for this crap." "Can you believe it?" "What are you doing here?" "Not much." "My dad runs the place." "He does?" "Mom?" "There's somebody here." "Look at this shit." "This is why my dad's an insomniac." "He's afraid she'll burn the house down in her sleep." "Mom, this is Marti." "Marti, my mom." "Vodka." "Want some?" "Mom's an alcoholic." "The experts say that means I'll be one too." "Let's go." "Come on." "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Platt." "And I don't know what's wrong with the kids." "They treat me like I'm some stranger rather than their father." "Why are you here?" "What do you want?" "You're young, but you're old." "Steve, you're going to get a mucho kiss." "Time for your mucho." "Carol doesn't like mucho kisses." " Hi, honey." " Did we wake you?" " Sorry." " What's wrong?" "I had a nightmare." "Come here." "I'll give you a kiss and a big hug." "A bad dream can't hurt you." "Everybody has bad dreams, honey." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Come on, I'll take you back to bed." "What the hell was that?" "Have you ever been in the military?" "No, General." "Then you know absolutely nothing about biological and chemical warfare, do you?" "It seems to me that it'd be a lot more dangerous to move this stuff around than to leave it where it is." "If these chemicals are safely stored, you have nothing to worry about." "I have nothing to worry about?" "Explain that." "Come in here, Captain." "Yes, sir." "Escort Dr. Malone around the base." "Show him what he needs to see." "Let him take samples and run tests." "Then do whatever you have to to expedite his departure." "Mr. Malone?" "Good afternoon, sir." " Can I help you?" " Yeah." "Can you give us some space?" "I want to talk to him." "I'm Major Collins, head of the base medical corps." "Hold on." "I wanted to meet you and extend my cooperation to you personally." "Thank you." "I'm very interested in the effects exposure to these chemicals can have on people." "Effects?" "You got a lot of chemicals on this base." "They're all pretty toxic." "Effects?" "Physically, they could be devastating." "Not physically." "I'm referring to psychological effects." "I'm not following you." "Can they affect brain patterns?" "Can they interfere with chemo-neurological processes?" "Can they foster psychoses, paranoias narcophobias?" "I'm a chemist, not a psychiatrist." "I don't know." "Simply can they alter one's view of reality?" "Let me be frank." "I'm seeing people at the infirmary who are exhibiting extreme delusional fixations." "People afraid to sleep." "People afraid to deal with family members." "Afraid of them." "Exhibiting paranoia about others about other people's identities." "People afraid of themselves." "Suddenly, I got a camp full of very displaced people." "I don't know what you're seeing, but it's not the PCBs." "That phenomenon is not part of the symptomology." "Keep me up to date on your research." "I'm worried about these... people." "Better take a vacation, Doc." "We have equipment for Dr. Malone." "Come in." "What are you doing in there?" "Delivering the boxes." "Are you through?" "Good." "Very good." "Good work." "Very good work." "Very good." "Okay, all done?" "Everyone hold your picture up." "Very good." "Good." "Very good." ""When it's over, let's do it again."" "Hey, little man!" "Hey, little man!" " What are you doing?" " Running away." "What are you running from?" "The bad people." "The bad people?" "Come, we'll take you home." " Your folks in the military?" " No." "Sector C, Petey." "There's my bike!" "That's your bike?" "Okay, pull it over." "Sure this is the house?" "What's going on?" "Found him wandering around." "We figured he was lost." "You should be in day care." "I hate that place." "What happened?" "They all had the same pictures." "They tried to make me go to sleep." "Tried to make me go to sleep." "Sorry to have troubled you." "No trouble." "What're you doing home?" "Are you an MP, or something?" "No, I'm a chopper pilot." "Thanks for bringing him home." "Maybe I'll see you around." "Where?" "Top Gun?" "It's on Route 8." "It's the only club around." "Name's Tim." "Marti." " No problem at all." " Thanks." "Take care." " Thank you." " No problem." "Appreciate it." "Thanks very much." "All right." "Take care." " Say, "Thank you."" " Thank you." "What's this about, "The kids don't like me?" How could they not?" "He's the new kid." "It's his first day at school." "The faster he goes back, the faster he'll make friends." " Hi." " Hey, chick." "Get your coat." "Let's go." "Where are we going?" "Out." "Anywhere." "Anywhere but here." "Jenn Platt, Carol." "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you knew..." "Steve!" "Marti has a friend here." "Want anything?" " We don't have much." " I'm fine." "We have milk, orange juice..." "I could make lemonade." "Or tea." "We have mint." " Jenn Platt." "Nice to meet you." " Steve Malone." "Popcorn?" " I'm fine." " Did you say "Platt"?" "Yes, the general's daughter." "I came by to take Marti and show her around." "Where?" "The base." "The rec center." "When are you planning to be home?" "12:00?" "Done!" "Let's go." "But do be home by 12:00." "That's all I ask." "Just be home by 12:00." "Nice meeting you." "That's a really interesting outfit you've got on." " Here?" " This is it." "I don't have any ID." "Don't get your panties in a bunch." "Just come." "Oh, man, where is everybody?" "Hey, ladies." "You want to dance?" "Lambada?" "Look who's here." "I don't believe my eyes." "Jenn." "Where is everybody?" "Word get out that you'd be here?" "They heard your old man was coming." "Yeah, to court-martial your ass." " This is Pete and..." " Marti." "You know each other?" "We met earlier." "When?" "You just got here yesterday." "What do I do to get a drink here?" "You want a drink?" "Have a drink." "Come here." "You can have anything." "You know that." "This is romantic." "Now what?" "Let me dazzle you with my stick work." "Or not." "I mean, let's play some pool." "All right, let's go." "Sit down." "How are you?" "Good." "How's your brother?" "He's kind of weirded out." "Can I get you a drink?" "Yeah." "I'll have whatever he's having." "Yeah, right." "Hey, Melissa, can I get a couple of beers, please?" "Andy's a nice kid." "Do you want him?" "Do I want him?" "Shit!" "What's wrong?" " I know that guy." " What guy?" "He scared me." "What'd you do to her?" "What are you talking about?" "In the gas station." "Your girlfriend's had too much to drink." "You should take her home." "Oh, Tim." "It's okay." "Guess I made a mistake." "I was 7 when she died." "I didn't expect my dad to marry again." "Stupid, huh?" "You must really miss her." "What was your mother like?" "You always remember the good things about people." "I miss her." "Did you ever play, "I Never"?" "What's that?" "You put your hands up and the object is to make the other guy drop all his fingers down." "So, if I were to say "I've never been to Mars" then neither of us put our fingers down, 'cause we haven't been there." "But if you said, "I never wore a dress" then I'd have to put a finger down." "Get it?" " Okay, go ahead." " You start." "I've never eaten Brussels sprouts." "I've never been in a helicopter." "I've never tried to give my kid brother away." "I've never shot anyone." "When?" "Kuwait." "I never hide my feelings." " What's the matter?" " It's Mommy!" " What about Mommy?" " Her head came off." "She's dead!" " There's Mommy, right there." " She's not my mommy!" " What happened?" " He had a bad dream." "It's okay." "I'll put you to bed." "No!" "That isn't my mommy!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Take your brother inside." "Take him inside." "Do it." " Are you aware she's underage?" " No, sir." "You aware you're giving booze to an underage girl?" "You weren't aware of that?" " No, sir." " No?" " That's funny?" " No, sir." "Don't come here anymore." "Come on." "I'm not lying, Marti!" "Nobody said you were." "I had nightmares when I was your age." "They go away all by themselves." "She's not Mommy, Marti." "She is your mommy." "She loves you a lot." "My mommy died." " I don't want to talk." "I'm angry." " Dad, please." "I can't trust you." "You're drunk and an hour late." "I'm not drunk." "And you've known him 100 years..." "I had one lousy beer and came home half an hour late!" "Big deal!" "I'm not a fucking 10-year-old!" "Don't use that language." "You don't talk that way to me." "Why?" "It's the only time you'll listen." " That's not true." " Bullshit!" "You never listen to me." "Why do I bother?" "Wait." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Would you stop kicking the table, please?" "Thank you." "I can't wait until I'm 18." "Why?" "Think you won't be my daughter?" "I'll still be your daughter." "I just won't have to listen to you." "You don't listen to me now." "If you want to go so bad, you don't have to wait until you're 18." "Just go now." "You'd like that." "Then it'd just be you three." "Want to go back to day care, or stay home with Mommy?" "My mommy's dead." "Okay." "Come down." "Be very careful with that stuff." "It's very toxic." "Watch out!" "Get an ambulance and a clean-up crew." "Get back." "We'll take care of him." "What the hell's the matter with you?" "Get an ambulance!" "Jesus, what is that?" "Nothing." "Shit!" "Is Jenn here?" "Come on up." "Try this." "Taste it." " It's water." " That's right." "There's always vodka in this glass." "Maybe she went on the wagon." "If she were on the wagon, she'd be climbing the walls." "I'm leaving now." "Where are you going?" "We're playing bridge at the Smythe's." "What?" "She doesn't know how to play bridge." "Sir, there's been an accident in the storage warehouse." "Initial reports indicate camp personnel have been injured." "We're preparing a written summary." "I'll have it for you in an hour." "Thank you, Captain." "I took it off the suit fibers." "I ran the entire herbicide screen." "I still don't know what it is." "I'll send you the sample tomorrow." "Give it the full GCMS." "I'm telling you, I've never seen anything like this in my life." "Ever." "It scares me." "It's not blood." "I don't know what the hell it is." "Run a protocol and get back to me quickly." "I want to go home." "Dad promised as soon as he's done with his tests, we'll leave." "It's going to be okay." "It happens when you sleep." "What does?" "You die." "Tub's full." "Hurry, it's going to overflow." "Get in bed." "I said, get in bed." "Night-night." "Is your back sore?" "Want me to give you a massage?" "Yeah, lie down." "Lie down." "Marti's really mad at me." "She'll get over it." "You'll see." "Wake up in the morning be another day." "Be like none of it happened." "She'll be okay." "It'll be over." "I love you." "I love you too." "Just let go." "Daddy!" "No!" "Wake up!" "Wake up!" "Wake up!" "Wake him up!" "Get him dressed!" "759, Sector C." "We got to go!" "We got to go right now!" " Listen to me." " You don't understand!" "We got to go!" "Go where?" "Go!" "What're you talking about?" "Steve, this is important." "Go where?" "That's right." "Go where?" "Are you listening?" "What happened in your room is not an isolated incident." "It is happening everywhere." " What?" " Where would we run?" "Where are you going to go?" "Where are you going to run?" "Where are you going to hide?" "Nowhere." "Because there's no one like you left." "That's right." "Oh, God." "That's right." "That's good." "You're listening now." "Now I know you're frightened, Steve." "I know you're scared." "That's okay." "I understand that you're confused." "Let me tell you something, Steve." "All that anger, all that fear and confusion it's going to melt away." "It's going to go away." "It's going to go away." "Go to sleep." "Wake up." "It's very simple." "In the morning, you'll feel wonderful." " We'll be together." "We're connected." " What's happening?" "We're together." "Your fear." "That's good." "Let it go." "Get away from me!" "Get away from my kids!" "This way!" "Go on, we'll cover you!" "Move it out, mister!" "What's all that noise?" "Petey, those are gunshots." "Pete, where the fuck are you?" "What's going on?" "Sit down, Timbo." "What the hell's going on?" "Hey, Justin." "Go to sleep, Timbo." "What is this, a joke?" "Just go back to bed." "What's with the needle?" "What is this?" "What're you doing?" "I told you to go to bed, didn't I?" "Take my watch." "I gotta try to find us some help." "Be back in a couple of hours." "You'll be okay." "You'll be okay." "Do what your sister tells you." "Where are you going?" "To find us a way out of here." "Just be very quiet, okay?" "Don't worry, sweetheart." "I won't let anything happen to you." "I need an outside line." "Sorry, Major Collins, all the lines are busy at present." "Stay where you are." "I'll keep trying and call you back." "How do you know my name?" "I didn't tell you my name!" "How the hell do you know my name?" "Major." "Back!" "It's me." "It's Steve Malone." "Remember me?" "I know who you are." "You stay... back." "You gotta help me." "No time left." "My kids are in danger." "My wife is..." "Do you have a car?" "Please." "Come on." "It's too late to run." "It's too late!" "They've taken the base!" "All we can do is wait until they come and then..." "The keys." "The keys." "They'll follow you." "They'll follow you." "That's how they work." "We gotta stand up and fight back now!" "I've got a gun for you." "I've got a gun for you too." "We'll give them hell!" "We'll give them hell." "We'll show them what the human race is really made of." "Want some?" "Stay with me, Doctor." "We have to go." "Now." "You can't sleep." "You gotta make sure you don't sleep." "Come on." "Please." "Please." "The head cabbage." "Well, well, well, well, well." "Be realistic, Major." "Put it down." "Not before I unload a few into you onion-heads." "Relax, Major." "Take it easy." "You disappoint me." "You're a man of medicine." "You're supposed to preserve life, not take it." "You bastard!" "You call what you are "life"?" "I know who you are!" " I know who you are!" " Do you?" "Amphetamines." "I know what happens when you bastards catch somebody sleeping." "Want a few?" "Look what your fear has done to you." "Can't you see?" "When all things are conformed there'll be no more disputes." "No conflicts." "No more problems." "Abandon yourself and join us." "There are hundreds even thousands of us here." "We've traveled light years throughout the universe always surviving, growing stronger." "Because we've learned it's the race that's important not the individual." "The individual's always important." " Only unity guarantees survival." " So you must join us." " The human race is doomed." " Accept it." "It's a better way." " Stay back!" " It's a matter of survival." "Stay back!" "Stay back!" "I'm warning you to stay back!" "Doctor put the gun down." "You'll never get my soul." "Never." ""Nobody likes us" ""Everybody hates us" ""Going to the garden..." ""...to get worms" ""Long, thin, slimy ones" ""...short, fat, juicy ones..." ""...itsy-bitsy, fuzzy worms" ""First, you bite the head off" ""Then you suck the juice out" ""Then you throw the rest away"" "Everybody okay?" "I found us a way out of here." "Dad, they're everywhere!" "Where are we going?" "I know what I'm doing." "Don't worry." "Just don't show any emotion." "They can be fooled." "I know where I'm going." "I know exactly what I'm doing." "Where are you going?" "Stop!" "Let go!" "Let go!" "Shit!" "Shit!" "Don't make me hurt you." "Just calm down." "What's going on?" "Let her go!" "Leave her alone!" "Shoot him!" "Shoot him!" " What's happening?" " He's not my father!" "It's not him!" "Shoot him!" " Just back up." "Back up." "Put it away." " Don't listen!" " Shoot him!" " What do you mean?" "Stay back." "It's not my dad!" "He killed my father." " Put it away." " It's not my dad!" " They killed my father!" " Just relax..." " Shoot him!" "...and put it away." "What are you doing?" "Marti, let's go." "Come on, Marti!" "There's my chopper." "It's too dangerous, so I'm going alone." "Watch for me." "I'll land it over here." "Be ready to make your move when I touch down." "We'll get out of here." "Ready for that ride I promised you?" "All right." "Just act like one of them." "Be careful." "Nobody believed me." "I figured you'd try a bird." "What do you mean?" "You know what I mean." "Now we're all the same, Petey." "So what are you running from?" "Who's running?" "I've got orders." "We're all one happy family now." "Happy?" "What's that?" "You're wasting my time, Lieutenant." "They're waiting for light support." "Hey, Timbo just so you know I fucked your girlfriend." "Okay, let him at the bird." " What are you doing?" " No!" "Don't!" "You're making a mistake!" "Don't!" "Please." "Wake up!" "Wake up!" "Try and wake up!" "Come on!" "Camp Perry, Ohio." "West Point, New York." "Fort Knox, Kentucky." "You can do this, Marti." "You're doing fine." "Just walk with me." "Fort Monroe, Virginia." "Fort Bliss, Texas." "Where's Andy, Tim?" "He's got to be in there." "I didn't see him." "He wasn't in there." "My chopper's right up there." "I'm not leaving without my brother." "We'll get help, then come back for him." "Do what you want, but I'm not leaving without him." "Didn't I tell you this place was a freak show?" "Where are you going?" "We got work to do." "I saw Andy." "He's looking for you." "Where?" "Marti, don't leave me!" "Marti, wait, don't go!" "Don't leave me here!" "Go!" "Go!" "Andy, don't!" "What are you doing?" "No!" "Get him off me!" "Andy, what are you doing?" "Throw him out!" "Throw him out!" "He's not your brother!" "Throw him out!" "Should we go after them?" "Let them go." "No one'll believe them." "I'm sorry, Marti." "They said nobody would believe us." "Who could believe such a crazy story?" "I could hardly believe it myself." "They had destroyed everyone I loved." "Our reaction was only human." "Revenge, hate, remorse, despair, pity and, most of all, fear." "I remember feeling all those things as I watched the bombs explode." "How I hated them." "Army helo-1, this is Atlanta Ground." "You're onscreen with clearance to land." "Runway 2-7, taxiway alpha." "Hover taxi via east-west parallel." "Ground crew standing by at Army guard ramp." "Roger that, Atlanta." "This is High-Bird 1 1." "Two-mile final." "We're coming in." "They get you when you sleep but you can only stay awake so long." "Where will you go?" "Where will you run?" "Where will you hide?" "Nowhere." "Because there's no one like you left."