NUMB HUMOR STUDIOS PRESENTS:
PLANET Z
Season 3 Episode 10
"The Night Sky"
Written by
William Fry & Michael Ledesma
EXT. MIAMI - NIGHT
Hendricks and the citizens charge out of the Marquis towards the zombies. They slash with their blades and shoot with their guns. The zombies tackle many of the citizens and tear their flesh.
Violet decapitates zombies with her machete.
Hendricks shoots zombies with an assault rifle.
Romero stands in the doorway of the Marquis. His stump is bandaged. He shoots zombies with a pistol.
The zombies begin to overwhelm them. Freddy and his people storm out of the shelter and charge at the building. The tide has turned.
EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT
The boat approaches the wreckage of the Rig. It is falling apart. Part of it is submerged.
AVA
I can’t believe after four years, it’s still standing.
Frank ties the boat to a metal beam. He and Ava climb the wreckage.
INT. THE RIG - NIGHT
Frank and Ava enter into the damaged hallway of the Rig.
AVA
The medical room is this way.
Ava and Frank walk through the torn walls of the Rig. Unknown to them, a zombie walks in the shadows. As they walk through the halls, the structure around them begins to creak. The Rig shakes causing Frank and Ava to fall. A beam breaks loose and lands on Frank’s heel. Frank screams in pain. Ava gets up and moves the beam off. She examines his ankle.
AVA
It’s broken.
FRANK
I think I could have figured that out myself.
Ava pulls out supplies for a splint from her bag and begins crudely splinting Frank’s leg.
AVA
I can do a better job at Miami. For now, this is gonna have to do.
Ava helps Frank up and helps him walk.
The two enter the medical bay. They begin looking around for the cure.
AVA
I don’t see it.
FRANK
It’s here. I can feel it. It has to be.
They continue searching.
Ava comes across a skeleton holding a metal box.
AVA
Frank. Look at this.
Frank limps over to Ava and examines the box.
FRANK
This is it. Looks like they were trying to save it.
Ava picks up the box.
AVA
It’s sealed shut. They really didn’t want this getting out.
Frank continues to examine the box. He looks at the skeleton. In the hand is a key. Frank picks up the key and unlocks the box. Inside, are 6 vials. All but one are broken.
AVA
It’s real.
Ava and Frank smile. Ava puts the vial into her bag. They make their way back outside.
EXT. MIAMI - NIGHT
The citizens continue fighting the last of the zombies with enormous ferocity. They continue slashing and shooting. Some of the citizens have even resorted to using their hands to fight the zombies.
There are only a few zombies left. Hendricks, Violet, and Freddy shoot and decapitate them. There are no more zombies.
The citizens stand in the ruins of the city surrounded by zombie corpses.
EXT. THE RIG - NIGHT
Frank and Ava make their way onto the deck towards their boat. A zombie emerges from the shadows running. It charges at Ava. Frank sees the zombie and pushes Ava out of the way. The zombie tackles Frank to the ground. It bites Frank’s shoulder. Frank yells in pain. Ava shoots the zombie in the head.
Frank pushes the dead zombie off himself. His shoulder is bleeding. Ava rushes over to him.
AVA
Oh god oh god.
FRANK
Ava-
AVA
It’s ok, it’s gonna be ok.
FRANK
Ava, listen to me.
AVA
Stop talking!
Ava pulls out medical supplies from her bag. She presses gauze on Frank’s bite.
AVA
Ok. Ok, I think I can stop the bleeding.
FRANK
Even if you can it doesn’t matter. I’m going to turn.
Ava stares at Frank. She ruffles through her bag and pulls out the cure.
FRANK
Ava no.
AVA
I can save you.
FRANK
If you give it to me, then there won’t be a cure for the world.
AVA
So? Frank, please-
FRANK
It’s decided. Take the cure to Miami. Get it replicated. Distribute it worldwide.
AVA
Why are you doing this?
FRANK
My life for everyone else's? Seems like a fair trade.
AVA
I won’t leave you.
FRANK
Then you’ll see me become a zombie and then I’ll infect you and then the cure will be lost forever.
Ava begins tearing up. Frank shudders.
AVA
The infection is starting to take its course.
FRANK
Go. Go now.
Ava hesitantly places the cure back into her bag.
FRANK
Leave your gun.
AVA
What?
FRANK
I won’t turn into one of those things.
Ava nods and places her gun in Frank’s hands.
AVA
I am so sorry.
FRANK
So am I. Tell Hendricks... Tell him thanks again for saving my life all those years ago.
Ava nods.
Ava gets up and walks towards the boat. She climbs down the Rig and gets into the boat. She starts driving away back towards Miami.
Frank lays on the deck looking up at the night sky. The stars shine bright. The Moon casts a soft light. Frank smiles as he admires the night sky. Memories of him on the International Space Station flash before his eyes. Frank puts the gun up to his head and pulls the trigger.
EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT
Ava speeds away from the Rig heading towards Miami. A distant gun shot rings through the night in the direction of the Rig. Ava stops the boat, looking back towards the ruins of the Rig. She sits down sobbing into her hands.
EXT. MIAMI DOCKS - DAY
Ava’s boat pulls into the docks. She exits the boat and makes her way to Miami.
EXT. MIAMI - DAY
Ava enters the city through the destroyed portion of the wall. She walks among the ruins and the corpses of zombies and citizens. She reaches the Marquis. Hendricks and Violet are helping the wounded. Hendricks sees Ava. He runs to her. The couple hugs. Ava breaks down crying. Hendricks doesn’t have to ask. He can tell that Dion and Frank are dead. Ava pulls out the cure and shows it to Hendricks.
HENDRICKS
Is that-?
Ava nods.
Ava’s friend brings Hank over. Ava embraces him. Hendricks embraces both of them.
26 YEARS LATER
EXT. MIAMI - DAY
Hank now in his early thirties, walks through the marketplace carrying groceries. The wall surrounding Miami is gone. Cars drive down the street. The city looks almost normal. The citizens are not armed. They walkabout. Life has reached a kind of normalcy.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
Hank enters his childhood home. Pictures of him with Ava and Hendricks during his childhood line the walls. One of the pictures is of Frank, Ava, Hendricks, Dion, RJ, and Romero.
Out in the backyard, citizens have gathered for a cookout. Romero who is in his sixties plays with his grandchildren. He has a prosthetic hand.
Hendricks and Ava now in their sixties enter the kitchen and look through the groceries.
HENDRICKS
Did you find everything?
HANK
Everything except those chips you like. Other than that, we got everything for the cookout.
AVA
Was Lyla able to get off work?
HANK
Yeah. She’s gonna pick up the kids from school and bring them here.
HENDRICKS
Romero and I’ll get started.
EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT
The cookout has continued into the night. Hank and Lyla play with their kids. Hendricks, Romero, Violet, and Freddy talk about old times. Ava sits on a bench. She looks at the night sky. Hank sits down next to her.
HANK
You ok mom?
Ava smiles at him and pinches his cheek.
AVA
Yeah. I'm fine.
Ava looks back up at the sky.
HANK
You sure?
AVA
Yes.
Hank looks up at the night sky.
HANK
What is it?
AVA
Beautiful isn’t it?
HANK
Yeah, it is.
Ava somberly smiles.
HANK
You know, the kids have been asking if you’re going to tell them the story of Frank Heston the Spaceman? What should I tell them?
AVA
That they’re about to hear one hell of a story.
Hank and Ava stand up and rejoin the party.
END.