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Mertvaya Ruka – The Dead Hand

Issue 3: “The Harbingers”

Written by T. J. Z.

Contact:Reddit username: complaintsdepartment

Script for 18 pages

Characters are as follows:

OFFICER JOHN WEAVER (28) drifts through life. He transferred into the New York police

department following the career footsteps of his artist girlfriend, who he’d dated since high

school. They broke up, she moved on, he didn’t. Since entering the force, he made absolutely

nothing of himself, and is overlooked by nearly all of his peers and superiors.

BOSWELL (63) is a brilliant, damaged pederast. He is a master manipulator, an opportunist, anda total bastard. However, he is also incredibly charming and typically in charge of whatever

situation he finds himself in whether the people around him know it or not. Scottish by birth.

Locations, additional characters and key design items are introduced as needed.



COVER

(1)

FULL PAGE, FULL BLEED: A ruined, post-apocalyptic Manhattan skyline.

Mertvaya ruka

THE DEAD HANDIssUE 3: THE HARBINGERS

a ReDDIT CRoWDSoURCeD PRojeCT



INSIDE COVER

(1)

FULL PAGE, FULL BLEED: A FAMILY PORTRAIT stands on the corner of a desk. In it is a

husband, wife, and a boy of about twelve. They are all wearing Hawaiian leis around their necks.

She’s in a bikini, her husband is wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and the boy is giving two thumbsup. The frame is of a fun, color design and reads, “I’d rather be in Maui!” Only natural light falls

on the scene.

Behind the desk with the picture frame are floor-to-ceiling windows, and behind the windows is

the ruined, burning metropolis of Manhattan.



PAGE ONE

(1)

DOWNWARD ANGLE, FULL BODY SHOT: WEAVER stands in front floor-to-ceiling

windows of a downtown OFFICE. We’re on the 15th

floor, looking over his shoulder towards the

intersection below. The scene below is a menagerie of wrecked cars and debris, but no people.WEAVER has his left hand up against the glass. He wears a dirty police uniform with a scoped

M-16 rifle slung across his back.

1 Caption: If it weren’t for the rains, the fires would behere by now

(2)

SIDE PROFILE, CLOSE: WEAVER stares past his own reflection in the glass as he

contemplates.

2 Caption: Fifteen stories up, we’re better protected from

radioactive fallout than Cheyenne mountain

(3)

CLOSEUP: On WEAVER’s eyes—they’re the reflection, we can see the city skyline beyond

them.

3 Caption: But not FROM the fires. It’s only a matter oftime before the building catches.



PAGE TWO

(1)

WIDE, UPWARD, ESTABLISHING: We now see that BOSWELL is handcuffed to the desk

next to WEAVER. He’s sitting on the floor, cross-legged, with his hands up and to one side. The

OFFICE that they’re in is a Manhattan graphic design firm. It’s been hastily abandoned, and thetwo men are the only ones inside.

1 BOSWELL: You’ve been staring out that window for twenty minutes

1 WEAVER: Are you timing me?

(2)

WEAVER and BOSWELL: BOSWELL is pushing his handcuffed arms upwards, towards

WEAVER.

2 BOSWELL: No, but I’d like to take a peek meself. Mindrelieving me of these handcuffs?

2 WEAVER: I’d rather noT

(3)

SAME AS (2): But now BOSWELL has lowered his arms.

3 BOSWELL: bloody hell, man — still playing the copper. Theworld’s a stage, and I’m your captive audience.

3 WEAVER: I despise puns

(4)

SAME AS (2): BOSWELL is trying charm instead.

4 BOSWELL: Johnny boy, I’ve got a heart condition, and Ideserve better than this

4 WEAVER: Mr. Boswell, You’re still under arrest and in my custody …

(5)

CLOSEUP: On BOSWELL, who is furious.

5 Weaver: …and I’m not in the habit of playing catch-and-release with admitted pedophiles

5 BOSWELL: You’re fookin’ looney if you think that mattersanymore! Look outside, damn you!



PAGE THREE

(1)

PROFILE SHOT, FULL BODY: WEAVER stands at the window, and has his rifle almost at the

ready.

1 WEAVER: Is that …?

(2)

CLOSE UP: On WEAVER’S EYE, looking through the SCOPE of the rifle.

2 WEAVER: Somebody’s out there

(3)

SCOPE VIEW: The crosshairs fall onto a tiny figure in the distance, too distant to make out any

detail. The figure is on his hands and knees, in the last few moments of his life. He is crawlingtowards a car, and trailing blood and viscera behind him.

(4)

SAME AS (3): The tiny figure reaches the car.

(5)

SAME AS (3): The tiny figure curls up next to the car.

(6)

ON BOSWELL:

1 Boswell: Can I see?

(7)

SAME AS (1): WEAVER has his riflescope to his eye,

3 WEAVER: Yeah, like I’m going to hand you my rifle

(8)

SAME AS (3): The figure is still curled up against the car, and has stopped moving. A small poolof blood collects around him.

(9)

SAME AS (1): Weaver has lowered his rifle and scope.

4 WEAVER: Shit. I think he’s dead.



PAGE FOUR

(1)

FACING: WEAVER sits down on the desk, above BOSWELL.

1 BOSWELL: Tell me you’re not still waiting for the army copter, Johnny boy

1 WEAVER: Somebody’s coming for us. We just have to wait it out.

(2)

SAME AS (1):

2 BOSWELL: It’s been five days

2 WEAVER: so?

(3)

SAME AS (1):

3 Boswell: So we haven’t seen so much as a plane fly over.This is Manhattan, where the masters of theuniverse live.

(4)

SAME AS (1):

4 Boswell: Either the military is gone, or they’re dealing

with something ten times worse

(5)

SAME AS (1): But now WEAVER is leaning over BOSWELL’S handcuffs.

5 BOSWELL: What are you doing, Johnny Boy?

5 WEAVER: I’m taking off your handcuffs

(6)

SAME AS (1): But now BOSWELL is rubbing his wrists.

6 BOSWELL: Bravo. Time for a piss already?

6 WEAVER: Not this time. Consider it a permanent arrangement.



PAGE FIVE

Special Section: “The New Normal”

(1)

Water buckets, glasses, and a full, stoppered sink in the office’s breakroom kitchen. WEAVER

had previously filled up everything that could possible hold liquid with tapwater.

1 CAPTION: Our drinking water

(2)

Old candy bars, and a bunch of food left over by a client, and a wrapped gift basket.

2 Caption: The chuck wagon

(3)

A stained, disgusting wall with pee-stains running down it. Above it is a crooked motivational

poster.

3 CAPTION: The pisser

3 Caption: We try to keep the door to this office closed

(4)

A closed refrigerator. It has a note on it that says “If you kill the joe, make some mo’!”

4 Caption: The refrigerator of suffering and disease

4 Caption: Not to be opened without consequence

(5)

A wastebasket with a basketball hoop above it. A bunch of crumpled paper is in and surrounding

the wastebasket.

5 Caption: I’m now shooting a .7600 freethrow. Booya.

(6)

A coffee-table cookbook, “101 Delicious Cakes.”

6 CAPTION: My new favorite book

(7)

WEAVER is sleeping on a too-small couch, with his boots hanging over one of the armrests.

7 WEAVER: My rack

(8)



BOSWELL is sleeping on his stomach underneath a desk, covered with a blanket and slightly

drooling.

8 Caption: Boswell’s quarters



PAGE SIX

(1)

DOWNWARD ANGLE: WEAVER has stripped down to his waist and taken off his boots. His

rifle is propped up against the wall while he does pushups. His ribs are starting to show.

1 CAPTION: I wake up and exercise every morning

1 CAPTION: Boswell calls it a waste of caloric energy

(2)

FACING: WEAVER is sitting on the couch, reading an advertising periodical.

2 CAPTION: There are a few trade magazines around. I neverknew advertising was this complicated.

(3)

SAME AS (2): WEAVER has put down the magazine, and is eating a chocolate Easter bunny.

3 Caption: Our absentee hosts were nice enough to leavegrub for us. Its mostly junk food featured inlocal ad campaigns.

(4)

TALL, FROM OUTSIDE: WEAVER leans looks out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Many of the

buildings surround his view have blown-out windows.

4 CAPTION: ash turns the world gray. Sometimes I can’t evensee the street below.

4 Caption: I want to scavenge the rest of the property but the risk is too great. Just one blown-out window could seed an entire floor with radioactivedust.

(5)

CLOSE: WEAVER is on his side, lying on his couch in the dark. His eyes are closed.

5 Caption: I try to sleep

(6)

SAME AS (5): WEAVER’S eyes are open.

6 Caption: But I can’t handle the silence



PAGE SEVEN

(1)

FROM THE SIDE: WEAVER and BOSWELL face each other, playing poker. They are sitting in

the breakroom kitchen. Behind them are a countertop and a refrigerator. WEAVER has the rifle

slung behind his back.

1 CAPTION: Boswell found a deck of cards

1 CAPTION: I’m so happy I could cry

1 Weaver: Tell me about the bunker we found you in. Was it more than an easy spot to conceal yourpredilections towards kiddies?

1 Boswell: You’re asking me if I saw this coming?

(2)

ON BOSWELL:

2 Boswell: I figured an attack like this was inevitable. It comes down to simple mathematics… all it takesis one man with more money and willpower thanthe coppers.

(3)

SAME AS (1):

3 Boswell: It’s happened before, you know

3 Weaver: You mean like nine-eleven?

(4)

SAME AS (1):

4 Boswell: Nine-eleven?! Ha! No, Johnny boy, not like nine-eleven.

(5)

ON BOSWELL:

5 Boswell: When it came time to test the first atomicweapon, brilliant minds theorized the nucleardetonation could spark a sustained self-sustaining atmospheric reaction

(6)

SAME AS (5):



6 Boswell: We risked burning the earth to cinders just toprove we had the bomb. By that time, we’d already defeated the krauts, and the japs were on theropes… we did it to make a statement to our ownsupposed allies

(7)

SAME AS (1):

7 Boswell: I don’t know how long it will take — maybe a thousand years, maybe ten thousand — but therewill come a time when no one will know why wefought Hitler, tojo, or why we faced off against the ruskies.

7 Boswell: Humanity is all-too willing to stare into theabyss

7 Boswell: I suppose this time it finally noticed us



PAGE EIGHT

NOTE: Background to this page is laboratory cockroaches inside a honeycombed-shape glass

cages.

(1)

SAME AS (1), PREVIOUS PAGE:

1 Boswell: I was a radiopharmacologist in the field ofnuclear medicine

1 Boswell: I preferred clinical pursuits. I was never muchfor working with patients.

(2)

ESTABLISHING, RESEARCH FACILITY IN ARIZONA DESERT:

2 Boswell: I worked out of a research facility in thedesert. It was quite remote, and not even thelocals knew what we did.

(3)

INTERIOR LAB—FLASHBACK: A younger BOSWELL is wearing a lab coat. He’s reaching

one hand into a rectangular glass fish tank filled with cockroaches.

3 Boswell: we’d put bugs inside these honeycombed cagesand irradiate them to see how long they took todie

(4)

INTERIOR—RADIATION ROOM: Young BOSWELL puts the glass-honeycombed cage onto a

mount. Each cell holds a cockroach. A radiation-emitter is at the ready.

4 Boswell: You know what they reminded me of, those glasscages with all their little cells?

5 Boswell: They looked like little skyscrapers. Ha!



PAGE NINE

(1)

BACK TO BREAKROOM KITCHEN, ON BOSWELL AND WEAVER:

1 Boswell: The truth is, this new world is made for men likeme

(2)

SAME AS (2):

2 Boswell: No arrest records, no more court-mandatedrehabilitation programs — I get my clean slate

(3)

ON WEAVER: WEAVER is getting pissed.

3 Boswell: No pictures, no local papers, and no fooking

cops

(4)

SAME AS (3): WEAVER is getting even angrier.

4 Boswell: With my knowledge of medicine, they’ll give methe boys, and thank me for it

(5)

BREAKROOM KITCHEN TABLE: WEAVER has leapt to his feet, and has knocked over theentire table.

(6)

SAME AS (5): WEAVER stands above the overturned table. He’s pointing towards BOSWELL

and shouting. BOSWELL is laughing.

6 Weaver: Not if I fucking shoot you

6 Boswell: Do it! I dare you!

(7)

SAME AS (5): WEAVER has stopped pointing, but BOSWELL is still laughing.

7 Boswell: But you’re scared, Johnny boy … you’ve no idea,and my knowledge is keeping you alive



PAGE TEN

(1)

NIGHT—ON BOSWELL’S QUARTERS: BOSWELL is sleeping underneath the desk;

WEAVER is leaning up against the desk, awake.

1 CAPTION: I’m still thinking about what he said

1 CAPTION: He was right, goddamn it

(2)

SAME: Maybe a different expression on WEAVER?

2 CAPTION: Even when he was chained to the desk, I dideverything he said to the letter

(3)

SAME: WEAVER is looking at BOSWELL as BOSWELL sleeps.

(4)

SAME: WEAVER has a rifle in one hand, and is dragging BOSWELL out from underneath the

desk with the other. BOSWELL is stunned.

4 BOSWELL: Wha — ?

(5)

WEAVER POV: The rifle barrel is shoved into BOSWELL’s cheek. BOSWELL is terrified. Thetext bubble comes from off page.

5 Weaver: newsflash, Boswell

(6)

SAME:

6 WEAVER: It might be a week. It might be a month. But there will come a time when I’ll have to do themath and make a decision.

(7)

FROM THE SIDE: WEAVER is hunched over BOSWELL, shoving a rifle in his face.

7 WEAVER: Are you more valuable to me as a pal? Or as a meal?

(8)

CLOSE: On WEAVER’s mouth.



8 Weaver: I’m going to tell you right now … I’m getting

pretty fucking hungry these days



PAGE ELEVEN

(1)

BREAKROOM KITCHEN, FACING: Both BOSWELL and WEAVER are sitting on the floor in

front of the counter, doing nothing.

1 CAPTION: I guess he’s talking to me again

1 Boswell: Ever had a haggis?

1 Weaver: No

(2)

SAME AS (2):

2 Boswell: It’s a sheep heart, liver, and lungs, mixed with allthese lovely spices and cooked inside a stomach for an afternoon. Fookin’ delicious…

(3)

ON THE OPEN REFRIGERATOR: The lights are out, and everything is moldy.

3 CAPTION: After two weeks, we’ll pick the mold offanything and eat it

(4)

SAME AS (3): Everything that was moldy before is now practically gone, and the mold has

spread.

4 CAPTION: After three weeks, even the mold looksappetizing



PAGE TWELVE

(1)

BREAKROOM KITCHEN, FACING: WEAVER is alone, back to us. He is shirtless, underneath

the counter; rifle leaned up against the counter next to him. He is trying to get into the pipes, get

more water out of the drainage system. He is singing to himself.

1 WEAVER: (singing) Don’t stop, make it pop,DJ blow my speakers up,Tonight, gunna fight,‘Till we see the —

1 SOUNDFX: SLAM!! SLAM!!

(2)

SAME AS (1): WEAVER has grabbed his rifle, still shirtless.

2 SOUNDFX: SLAM!! SLAM!! Slam!!

(3)

FOLLOWING: WEAVER is running towards the office back door. The entrance door is a metal

security door with a glass window, as found in most offices. There is the shadowy silhouette of a

woman through the window.

3 SOUNDFX: SLAM!!

(4)

ON BACK DOOR: WEAVER has his rifle up, at the ready, aiming down the barrel at a woman

on the other side of the door. She wears a filthy business-style suit, ripped to shreds. Her hair isfalling out, and we can’t see all of her face. She has sores, cuts, and is deathly pale. Her hands are

up against the window, balled in fists. She’s been slamming on the door.

4 Weaver: You so much as jiggle that knob and I’ll send a bullet through your skull before you canfucking blink

4 Woman: Please… I work here

5 Weaver: Nobody works here anymore, lady. Are youalone?



PAGE THIRTEEN

(1)

OTHER SIDE OF THE BACK DOOR: The hallway is pitch black, but we can see WEAVER on

the other side of the door. The WOMAN is kneeling against the door, down on one knee.

1 WOMAN: I just need somewhere to rest

(2)

SAME AS (1): The WOMAN is now in a sitting position, leaning back against the door.

2 Woman: I’m sick… I’ve seen others like this. They didn’t last long.

2 Weaver: Not my goddamn problem

(3)

SAME AS (1): She’s now in the most comfortable position possible, propped up against the door

with her head hung low. She’s using no effort to support herself.

3 Woman: Everyone who saw the flashes knew. We allstampeded for the subway tunnels. It washorrific — people stepping on each other,crushing children. It was pitch black, but nobody came for us. We tried to find food,shelter… but the rainstorms brought theradiation into the tunnels. We were all drinkingpoison and starving to death

4 Weaver: Jesus Christ …

(4)

SAME AS (1), IDENTICAL TO (3):

4 woman: They’re eating each other down there… the few that are still alive.

4 woman: And there is something even worse — creatures… Ican’t even describe them…

(5)

FROM WEAVER’S SIDE OF DOOR:

5 Weaver: You’re not making any sense — save your strength

5 SOUNDFX: I don’t know why I’m telling you this… I have a picture on my desk, of my kid and husband. I just wanted to see them one last time, you know?

(6)



SAME AS (5):

6 Weaver: I’ll find your picture, okay?

6 Woman: Wait — I have to tell you something first!

6 Weaver: Just sit tight; I’ll be right back



PAGE FOURTEEN

(1)

CORNER OFFICE: WEAVER is digging through a pile of office junk next to the desk in the

corner office. BOSWELL is standing over him, being unhelpful.

1 BOSWELL: already picked through that pile, mate. Nothingto eat in there.

1 WEAVER: We have a visitor, Boswell

(2)

SAME AS (1)

2 BOSWELL: If he wants something, he can just fook offalready

2 WEAVER: All she wants is a picture

(3)

LOW-ANGLE, FACING UPWARD: The WOMAN is slumped up against the door, obviously

dead. Her left hand is close to the crack at the bottom of the door. She’s wearing a wedding ring.

Above and behind her is WEAVER, holding up the framed photograph she wanted… it’s the

same photograph as featured in the interior cover.

3 Weaver: Ma’am? Ma’am?

3 WEAVER: Shit.

(4)

CLOSEUP: On the WOMAN’S left hand. She’s wearing a wedding ring on her nearly skeletal,

filthy hands.

(5)

SAME AS (4): WEAVER has slipped the photograph underneath the door and into her hand.



PAGE FIFTEEN

(1)

CUTAWAY VIEW, OFFICE BACK DOOR: The dead WOMAN leans up against one side of the

doorway, WEAVER leans up against the other. From our view, they’re practically back-to-back.

The hallway is almost completely dark, the office is relatively light.

(2)

SAME AS (1): At least two more weeks have passed. The WOMAN is significantly decomposed.

WEAVER, still shirtless, is nearly skeletal from starvation.

(3)

ESTABLISHING SHOT: Massive fires consume the nearby skyscrapers, and much of the city.

The fires have almost arrived at the tower.

3 Caption: The fires are coming



PAGE SIXTEEN

(1)

FROM BEHIND: WEAVER and BOSWELL are silhouetted against the floor-to-ceiling windows

as they watch the city burn.

(2)

BREAK ROOM: WEAVER and BOSWELL are packing a backpack (for WEAVER) and a

messenger bag (for BOSWELL)

(3)

CORNER OFFICE: WEAVER and BOSWELL are putting on filter masks.

(4)

BOSWELL’S QUARTERS: WEAVER and BOSWELL are putting on goggles homemade fromsunglasses.

(5)

BACK DOOR: WAVER and BOSWELL are putting on rain slickers with hoods. BOSWELL’S

slicker is obviously designed for a woman. He carries an umbrella. Both are wearing dishwashing

gloves.

(6)

SAME AS (5):

6 WEAVER: Are you ready?

6 Boswell: Not even remotely



PAGE SEVENTEEN

(1)

HALLWAY: WEAVER and BOSWELL are standing in the hallway, leaning over the corpse of

the WOMAN. The back door has opened inwards, spilling light into the hallway. The WOMAN

had written a message onto the wall next to her with some foul substance. It reads “BEWARETHE HARBINGERS.” Besides it is a crude drawing of a bug-like creature on tall, stilt-like legs.

1 Weaver: That’s what she was trying to tell me

(2)

FACING WEAVER AND BOSWELL: As they lean over the WOMAN.

2 WEAVER: I don’t know what this means. She wasn’t makingmuch sense before she died.

(3)

ON BOSWELL:

3 BOSWELL: Oh, the harbingers are real, Johnny boy

3 Boswell: I helped create them



PAGE EIGHTEEN

(1)

FULL PAGE, FULL BLEED, LOW ANGLE: We’re looking from foot level up at BOSWELL

and WEAVER. Behind them we see the tower where they’d taken shelter for the last few weeks.

BOSWELL has unfurled his umbrella, revealing that it is polka-dotted with tiny hearts. Out of thetwo, he looks decided frumpy and silly. Stretched out before their feet is the dead man from page

3, now practically mummified.

1 CAPTION: Welcome to the city of the dead

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