Re:/Compence - Cyberpunk Concept

EXT. CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS

A beautiful looking futuristic corporation building set in large picturesque meadow. While it looks ideallic, on closer inspection, we see that the grass, the flowers and the tress are all fake. As the camera pulls out we see the lovely meadow is set against a desert wasteland. There are throngs of people around the building, being directed towards nearby shelters by corporation employees standing on platforms.

COMPANY EMPLOYEE Please go to your desginated shelter. For your own safety, do not delay, do not deviate from your assigned path. Please go to your designated shelter...

INT. CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS

WRATH, a former corporation agent (35, African American, athletic, muscular build). He is sitting inside at a large glass table in the waiting area. He looks anxious, he's waiting for somebody. His right arm and left leg are augmented and he's wearing a long coat. His hand terminal PINGS, he makes a motion with his hand and a holographic display appears in front of him. His right eye glints as it displays the hologram, it's augmented as well. It's a message from the corporation.

DR. MULVANEY IS UNAVAILBLE AT THE MOMENT. PLEASE PROCEED TO SHELTER 22B FOR VACINATION. DO NOT DELAY.

Outside the building, gusts of wind begin to blow. Wrath is alarmed. He waves his hand and the hologram disappears. He gets up and heads to the reception desk. A woman is busy with her computer and staring into the distance.

WRATH
Excuse me. There must be a mistake. I've just got a message telling me to head to the shelters.

The receptionist pauses for a moment, checking something.

RECEPTIONIST
Wrath, 22b. There's no mistake sir. Please proceed to your assigned shelter.

WRATH
I have an appointment to meet Dr. Mulvaney-

RECEPTIONIST
I'm afraid she's currently indisposed sir. But I'm sure you can see her after you get to the shelter. It really is important you get there as quickly as possible. The storm is carrying a higher volume of disease than normal. Everyone needs to be immunised.

Wrath lowers his voice.

WRATH
That's why I need to speak with her, I'm not convinced that the shelters are the right place to be. There's no evidence of a disease spike. I don't understand why you've gathered up all these people here.

RECEPTIONIST
22b sir. Please move along.

WRATH
I shouldn't have a shelter assignment! Listen to me, I'm a former agent, there must be a mistake.

A large robotic security guard puts his hand on Wrath's shoulder. His voice is like the receptionist's, calm but insistent.

ROBOT SECURITY GUARD
22b is right this way sir. Please join the appropriate line.

Wrath reflexively puts his hand on his left leg, it looks like he's about to draw a weapon. He pushes away from the robot and runs up to another human security guard. He's sporting an assault rifle, and an uncaring grimace.

WRATH
Please, you have to listen to me. Something isn't right.

The guard scans Wrath for a brief moment, before turning his head to look forwards again. His hands rest on his weapon.

HUMAN SECURITY GUARD
Please proceed to your assigned shelter sir-

Wrath grunts in frustation and runs out of the building. The last of the people are moving towards the shelters. The weather is getting worse now. The wind has picked up.

WRATH
Listen to me! Don't go into the sehlters you-

The robotic security guard from earlier grabs him. This time he holds Wrath roughly by the shoulder and the arm.

ROBOT SECURITY GUARD 2
Right this way please sir.

Wrath goes for his weapon again but thinks better of it. He struggles as the robot slowly walks him towards the shelters.

WRATH
Please! Let me speak to Eva Mulvaney. She's worried about these people.

The wind gets worse, the pretty fake flowers are being blown around and ripped apart. Something smashes in the distance. ALARMS start sounding. A voice comes out of the speakers and drowns out Wrath's voice.

AI VOICE
Storm incoming, please proceed to your designated shelters for disease immunisation. Storm incoming, please proceed to your designated shelters for disease immunisation.

Ahead of Wrath, the last of the people flood into the shelters and the doors start to close. The walls of the corporation headquarters loom over him to the right. The wind and alarms are close to deafening now. A violent sandstorm hits. Kicking up dirt and sand and reducing visibility to nothing.

WRATH
Fuck this.

A blade comes out of the elbow of Wrath's augmented arm and he uses it to slash clean through the robot's arm. Wrath pushes the robot into the whirling sand and out of view. He runs towards the edge of the building and jumps a story up and on top of one of the large protuding ledges. He shimmies around it until his back is against the wall of the low ledge and it's shileding him from the storm. He hunkers down, the alarms are still sounding. A piece of flying debris hits Wrath in the head and he is knocked unconscious.

SOME TIME LATER. Wrath stirs, his vision is blurry and he's disorientated. He unclenches his fist and looks at his open palm. It's covered in reddish brown sand. He lets it run off, it reveals his robotic fingers underneath. He tries to focus. The sandstorm has stopped. Everything is covered in sand and grit, including Wrath. He struggles free from the pile of sand he's buried in and coughs violently. He shakes his head, dislodging more sand from his head and ears. He tries to reorientate himself.

He looks down below him and sees that the shelter doors are open. But parts of the doors have been torn off and ripped apart. He looks at the windowsill above him, the glass has been broken. A ship on the roof takes off, there are several figures hanging from it. Alarms are blaring and he can hear screaming. There's a windowsill and window with shattered glass just above him. He climbs up onto the ledge above and through the broken window.

He looks around. He's in some kind of manufacturing plant. There are dead people everywhere. He hears a scream. He turns to see several husk-like creatures attacking a man. A large piece of machinery, some type of small vehicle that was previously suspended from the ceiling, has fallen on his legs and crushed them. One of the creatures turns towards Wrath.

Wrath is stunned for a second. The creature looks human but it's not right, it's been altered, changed. It's eyes glow blue and its expression is dead.

Wrath places his hand on his leg. The handle of a laser edged katana pops out and he draws it. It scatters sand everywhere and the blue blade glints through the sunlight. He moves to the side and strikes a husk, cutting it in half. The next one turns and lunges at him. He moves just in time, it clips his shoulder but he spins and slices through its head. The third one is still pawing at the screaming man. Wrath runs towards it and skewers it through the stomach but it doesn't die. He pulls the blade out and spins, cutting off the husks head and it falls to the ground in a heap.

He looks at the man on the ground and sees his face for the first time. He knows him, it's his friend BRUCE (38, white, close cropped blonde hair, wide and bulky build.)

WRATH
Bruce?!

BRUCE
Get me the fuck out of here!

WRATH
I don't see a button. How can I lift this up?

Bruce grunts he's in agony.

BRUCE
You can't. I'm gonna bleed out, just pull me out.

Bruce grabs Wrath's arms with both hands and Wrath reluctanly pulls. There's a sickening wet noise and both of Bruce's legs rip off his body just above the knee. He screams again. Wrath is shocked, he's holding Bruce's torso, just underneath the arms. Bruce's voice is faint. He's losing a lot of blood.

BRUCE
Get me to the engineering room...

Bruce points weakly.

Wrath looks where he's pointing. The door is about a hundred feet away. There are still more husks between them and the door. He supports Bruce with one hand and reaches down to his right leg. This time the handle of a large black pistol emerges. He grabs it and draws. He keeps moving towards the door, awkwardly dragging Bruce with him. Some husks in the way charge him. He waits for them to get close so he can secure the shot. Eerily close, he can see those glowing blue eyes. BANG one goes down. The next two charge him. BANG he manages to shoot one but the other grabs onto his arm, the one that's holding Bruce. Both he and Bruce struggle against it. Bruce punches it weakly, then grabs it in a headlock.

BRUCE
Shoot it!

BANG. Wrath shoots it and it slumps to the floor. They make it to the engineering lab and Bruce puts his hand on a scanner. The door hisses open and Wrath drags him in. Bruce slams a button on the inside and the door hisses shut behind them. They can still hear sounds of commotion outside.

Wrath looks around. It's an augmentation lab, there are legs, arms and other undefinable parts strewn around. Bruce points at the wall. There's an exosuit harness in a cage against the wall marked in red for emergencies. Wrath places him on top of it and Bruce takes a moment. He has tears in his eyes and he's breathing heavily. He looks up at Wrath. His speech is laboured.

BRUCE
Count to ten, then press the red button on my right.

WRATH
Bruce I-

BRUCE
Just do it Wrath! We don't have a lot of options here and I dont' know if those things can get through that door.

Wrath nods at him, takes a moment, then presses the button.

Bruce screams. A needle is jabbed into his shoulder and robotic arms with precision lasers depoloy from above them and begin to cut around his torso. He's sealed into the large robotic legs. Steam errupts from them as his wounds are cauterised. Wrath manages not to gag at the smell.

After a few moments, Bruce stirs, he tests out the legs, stretching moving them slowly in front of him.

WRATH
Take a moment big man. How do they feel, do they hurt?

BRUCE
No. I'm fine.

Bruce's grimacing face says otherwise but he grabs the bars of the cage around him and pulls himself to his feet. He stands, even taller than he was before. His torso looks small in comparison to the giant robotic legs. He is gripping the bars of the cage tightly for support and breathing heavily.

BRUCE
I might need a minute here.

Wrath nods at him. They are silent for a moment.

BRUCE
Wrath. What the fuck is going on?

WRATH
I don't know. Eva asked me to meet her here. She was freaking out about the corp but she wouldn't tell me why.

BRUCE
Well now we know. So these things are some sort of experiment? Are they robotic or human?

WRATH
I think they're the people the corp led into the shelters.

Bruce looks horrified. He turns to one side and vomits onto the floor. He takes a few breaths, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

BRUCE
What the fuck...

He spits.

BRUCE
Why? Why would they do something like that?

Wrath's face is solemn.

WRATH
I still don't know. But I'm going to find out.

BRUCE
And tear the bastards limb from limb I hope.

WRATH
I need to contact Eva. She knows this place better than anyone.

BRUCE
And maybe she can enlighten us as to what the fuck is going on.

Bruce's anger sends him into a coughing fit. He's struggling to stay upright. Wrath looks concerned for him. Bruce recovers and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand once again.

BRUCE
Try the panel... on the wall.

Wrath accesses the panel and searches for EVA MULVANEY. A message appears, INFORMATION REMOVED FROM DATABASE.

WRATH
What the hell...

BRUCE
What?

WRATH
It's saying her information has been removed.

BRUCE
Maybe it's classified?

WRATH
But then it would say restricted, not removed. Something's really not right. We need to get out of here.

BRUCE
Right with you. Just let me catch my breath.

WRATH
I'll see what else I can find.

Wrath motions towards the panel and a display pops up. He scans through it looking for any helpful information. Bruce closes his eyes.

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. Wrath is still looking through information in front of him. There's a noise at the door and it opens. Wrath draws his weapon and turns towards it, hunkering down. EVA (32, white, slender build, blonde hair and blue eyes) bursts in.

EVA
Wrath!

Wrath is relieved, he lowers his weapon. Eva hugs him. Then sees Bruce.

EVA
Shit! What happened?!

BRUCE
I hope you won't be offended if I don't get up.

Eva checks Bruce over to see if he's okay.

WRATH
Those things that came out of the shelter attacked him.

Eva freezes.

EVA
What do you mean came out of the shelter?

WRATH
I was outside the shelters just before the storm hit. We think these things are the people that were locked up inside.

Eva is stunned. She speaks under her breath.

EVA
They actually did it...

WRATH
Did what?

EVA
Son of a bitch.

WRATH
Eva, what did they do?!

Eva is still in shock. When she responds, her voice is low and sad.

EVA
The corp asked me to be oversee human trials for genertic testing. Normally I augment genes, help cure diseases or remove defects. This was different. They wanted to test gene mutation. They said that cybernetics alone weren't enough to help humanity cope with the harsh conditions that our planet is under now. They claimed mutation, combined with augmentation was the only way for humanity to ensure its survival. They wanted to experiment and see exactly what they could turn a human body into. I refused to participate and they blacklisted me. I managed to lock myself up and hide before... This.

Wrath looks worried. His fears have been confirmed.

WRATH
Is this the first test they've done?

EVA
As far as I know, but I can't be sure.

Bruce smacks the wall nearest him.

BRUCE
Bastards.

Wrath is thinking.

WRATH
How did you find us?

EVA
I deleted my information before I hid, imbedded a tracker so I'd know who was looking for me.

WRATH
Good thinking. I'm glad you're alright.

Eva nods at him, then turns to Bruce.

EVA
Are you okay?

BRUCE
Yeah... I'll be fine. Least until we can get me an upgrade.

EVA
I'll help you with that. Don't worry. In the meantime...

Eva goes to a container on the wall and rummages through it, throwing things to one side. Her hand finds a large pen and she walks back over to Bruce. She jabs it into his thigh. Bruce grunts then sighs.

BRUCE
Much better, thank you. Can we get the fuck out of here now?

Wrath looks at Eva.

WRATH
Any ideas? This place is chaos, and we could be hit by another storm any second.

Eva thinks for a second.

EVA
My plan was to head for the reasarch hanger. There's an experimental craft in there. They've been working on for months. I don't know how I would have operated it on my own but with the three of us...

She turns away and accesses the panel on the wall.

EVA
It's still there. Come on, let's hurry before someone else gets the same idea.

INT - EXPERIMENTAL SHIP

SOME TIME LATER. Wrath is running through the ship. There are corporation agents attacking him, some with guns, others with swords like his. One of them opens fire and Wrath deflects the shots with his sword. As Wrath gets closer to the agent he front flips over him, arching through the air, he lands and cuts off the attacker's head with a back swing. Another agent fires at Wrath and he rolls forward to avoid it, brining his sword up in a diagonal arc and cutting through the second agent.

Wrath jumps to his feet and continues running. The next agent is wielding a sword.

START OF SLOW MOTION

They lock eyes. Wrath is still moving. Both men bring their swords up.

END OF SLOW MOTION

They clash and exchage three sharp, violent blows. Wrath breaks the agent's guard and cuts him down with a fourth blow.

As he lowers his sword and is about to move forward again, multiple husks burst through from another part of the ship and surround him.

Wrath puts his sword away and smacks his arms together. Blades emerge from his knees and elbows. He whirls, using Thai boxing style knees and elbows to cut down the first few husks quickly. He jumps towards another one with a flying knee. He impales it through the chest and lands on the deck, but the blade on his knee gets stuck in the husk's body and he can't free it.

Another husk takes this moment to dive at Wrath. Wrath draws his pistol and shoots the husk in the head, then twists his elbow blade to one side, slicing through the husk as it falls limply forwards. It hits the ground and Wrath manages to free his stuck knee with two hands. He talks to Eva on his comm.

WRATH
Eva, which way?!

EVA
Eva is in a different part of the ship, hooked into a computer with a visual display around her. Bruce is sitting down next to her.

EVA
Front of the ship, just keep running. I'll open the doors for you.

Wrath takes off. From ahead of him, two more agents open fire. He brings his hands up to guard his face and the blades on his arms expand to create a makeshift shield. He uses it to deflect the bullets and runs towards the agents. He's breathing heavily. Time slows down.

Wrath slides on his knees and uses his bladed arms to slash at their torsos and dispatch them. He gets up and continues sprinting towards the front of the ship. Doors open as he moves.

EVA
Eva is working furiously to open parts of the ship for him.

BRIDGE

Wrath is almost at the cockpit, there's one more agent blocking the way. He shoots at Wrath but Wrath anticipates it and leaps, twisting his body to the side and into a spinning kick that connects hard and sends the agent flying into the wall of the ship. Wrath is now at the cockpit door, his blades retract and the door opens with a WHOOSH.

He looks in front of him. It's a chair with a mess of harnesses and wires and a huge keyboard and display in front of him. He wrestles himself into the chair. There's a thick, metal coated cable behind him.

EVA
Shit.

BRUCE
What is it?

EVA
The pilot's seat has a skull port. It's the only way to control the ship.

BRUCE
Okay. Wrath's augmented though right, he can do it.

EVA
He's never done it before. The others took months to get used to it. It could fry him.

BRUCE
Shit.

COCKPIT

Wrath grabs the cable and a port opens in the back of his head.

WRATH
Send me in Eva.

EVA
You can't! You're not acclimtised. Access the panel and let me overide it.

WRATH
There's no time.

EVA
You could die!

WRATH
I know. Do it.

EVA
Eva's face falls.

EVA
Alright.

Wrath slams the cable into the back of his head, his eyes roll back and he starts convulsing. He's absorbing Zettabytes of information, linking with the ship. His eyes open, he sees it all in front of him.

EXT - EXPERIMENTAL SHIP

The ship slowly starts moving.

Eva and Bruce hold on. They can hear shots outside hitting the ship's hull.

EXT - EXPERIMENTAL SHIP

The ship slowly rises in the hanger, creaking and groaning in protest. With an huge BOOM it explodes out of the hangar and flies up and away from the corporation headquarters and through another sandstorm. The sun gleams through through the sand and dirt.

END