INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Daniel lies on a hospital bed unconscious. Around him, medical equipment flashes lights and beeps. In his mind, flashes of past events flicker. The green sky, the battle of Phoenix Ass, and Battle Island, and his final fight with Boss being interrupted by Adrian.
His eyes snap open and he sits up. A nurse rushes in. Daniel tries getting out of bed but the nurse tries to hold him down.
NURSE
I need the doctor! He’s awake!
A doctor and other nurses rush in. The doctor grabs a needle and inserts it into a tube. Daniel struggles but as soon as the doctor injects the substance into the tube, he begins to relax and then slips into unconsciousness.
Later...
Daniel wakes up. This time, more calmly. Sitting next to him in his wheelchair is The Programmer.
THE PROGRAMMER
How’re you feeling?
DANIEL
Where am I?
THE PROGRAMMER
Medical ward.
Daniel sits up. He winces as he does so.
THE PROGRAMMER
Easy, you’ve suffered neurological stress. Daniel, what’s the last thing you remember?
DANIEL
I… I had the antivirus. I was going to… I was going to destroy Boss and then… and then…
Daniel sits up a little straighter.
DANIEL
Adrian! It was Adrian. HE was behind the Green Sky. HE destroyed the antivirus. The others, where are the others?
THE PROGRAMMER
They’re fine.
Daniel sighs in relief.
THE PROGRAMMER
Now that you’re awake, I’m sure the people in charge will want to debrief you all.
DANIEL
I thought you were in charge.
THE PROGRAMMER
I’m not the only one. We were waiting to debrief you and the others until you woke up and recovered.
DANIEL
How long have I been out?
THE PROGRAMMER
Two weeks.
INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAY
Freddy Dobson stands in front of a control screen surrounded by soldiers and other personnel. A soldier approaches him.
SOLDIER
He’s awake.
FREDDY DOBSON
Good.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
The Programmer pours a glass of water and gives it to Daniel.
DANIEL
The Refugium?
THE PROGRAMMER
In ruins. Adrian did a number on it.
DANIEL
You can fix it though, right?
THE PROGRAMMER
Not as long as the Boss virus is still active.
DANIEL
You can create another antivirus.
THE PROGRAMMER
The antivirus was specifically programmed. That specificity can’t be replicated.
DANIEL
I’m sorry. I let my guard down. I thought I was going to end all of this and then Adrian came out of nowhere.
THE PROGRAMMER
It’s not your fault. I never should have sent you and the others back in.
FREDDY DOBSON
You’re right.
The Programmer turns around. Freddy Dobson is standing in the doorway.
FREDDY DOBSON
You should have sent experts to take out Boss. But instead, you chose some inexperienced civilians.
THE PROGRAMMER
Can I help you, Captain?
Freddy Dobson turns his attention towards Daniel.
FREDDY
How are you feeling?
DANIEL
Fine, thank you.
FREDDY DOBSON
My name is Captain Freddy Dobson. I’m the director of the organization in charge of creating the Refugium. Welcome to LEVEL.
DANIEL
Level?
THE PROGRAMMER
The organization.
FREDDY DOBSON
Daniel, if you're up to it, I’d like to ask you and your friends a few questions.
THE PROGRAMMER
Can this wait? He needs to rest.
FREDDY DOBSON
We all need rest. But right now, Daniel it is imperative that I debrief you and the others on your experience inside the Refugium and your interactions with the Boss Virus and Adrian Slater.
THE PROGRAMMER
(To Daniel)
You don’t have to do this now if you don’t want to.
DANIEL
It’s okay. I’ll answer any questions you have.
FREDDY DOBSON
Wonderful. Get something to eat first. I’ll see you at the debriefing.
Freddy Dobson gets up and exits the room. A nurse enters carrying a tray of food. She places it in front of Daniel.
THE PROGRAMMER
Eat.
DANIEL
Can I see the others?
THE PROGRAMMER
Of course, but first, eat.
INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY
Bailey and Tyler sit on a bench watching as Joel and Greg circle around each other on a large rubber mat. Each carries a plastic staff. They charge at each other, and their staffs clash against each other. They each block their blows and strike each other. Greg disarms Joel. Greg swings his staff, but Joel catches it with his hand and twists it out of Greg’s hand disarming him. Joel swings the staff against Greg’s legs knocking him to the ground.
Daniel is wheeled alongside the Programmer by a nurse. His friends see him and stand up. They all smile at each other. Bailey runs towards him and leans down to hug him. They kiss.
BAILEY
They wouldn’t let me see you.
DANIEL
I’m alright. I’m here now at least.
THE PROGRAMMER
The director would like to debrief you after you eat so I suggest you do so. Excuse me, I have to go get my notes together.
The Programmer wheels away. Bailey wheels Daniel over to the benches. They just stare at each other. Happy to be reunited.
DANIEL
Are y’all okay?
JOEL
Yeah. Yeah, we’re fine. You?
DANIEL
Just a headache.
GREG
I bet. We heard you had a seizure or something.
TYLER
Dan, what’s going on? Who are these people? They haven’t told us anything.
JOEL
He just woke up dude.
DANIEL
Look, all I know is that these people created the Refugium. That’s all I know.
JOEL
The Programmer told us about the Refugium. That it was decimated.
DANIEL
It was Adrian.
BAILEY
What?
DANIEL
He was behind it all. The Green Sky. Boss. All of it.
JOEL
Holy shit.
DANIEL
I should have seen it. I-I could have stopped it. I could have saved everyone. I-
Daniel begins tearing up and is on the verge of a breakdown. Bailey embraces him.
BAILEY
Hey hey, it’s okay. You’re here. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters now.
DANIEL
What are y’all doing here anyway?
JOEL
Training.
DANIEL
For what?
JOEL
For the next fight. Whatever or whenever that is.
Later…
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Daniel and the others sit at a table across from Freddy Dobson, The Programmer, and other soldiers and personnel.
FREDDY DOBSON
My name is Freddy Dobson in case you’ve forgotten. I run LEVEL.
TYLER
Yeah, about that, who exactly are you guys?
FREDDY DOBSON
LEVEL started as a private security agency that specializes in predicting threats ahead of time and stopping them. In a way, we leveled the playing field. Thirty-five years ago, we predicted that a third world war would take place. A war that would render most of this world inhabitable and cause the extinction of the human race. The Refugium was constructed to protect a large portion of the human population. At least that’s what we hoped.
JOEL
The Programmer told us this already.
FREDDY DOBSON
He didn’t tell you everything. Not about us. He sent you into the simulation without our knowledge or permission.
The group looks at the Programmer.
THE PROGRAMMER
The Boss Virus was getting stronger. They were the only ones who faced him, who knew him. I had no choice.
DANIEL
He was right. We know Boss.
FREDDY DOBSON
But you didn’t know about Adrian.
Pause.
DANIEL
Is he in custody?
FREDDY DOBSON
No.
GREG
What do you mean no?
FREDDY DOBSON
Adrian Slater is not at this location.
TYLER
But how could he have accessed the Refugium?
THE PROGRAMMER
He hacked the system from an off-site system.
BAILEY
Who is Adrian Slater?
FREDDY DOBSON
He’s one of the leaders of a organization known as the Luddites. After the war ended, Adrian and his people believed that the world was worth saving. When they discovered the Refugium, they saw it as us giving up on Earth.
JOEL
So they tried destroying the Refugium.
THE PROGRAMMER
Yes.
FREDDY DOBSON
And they succeeded. Not only has the Boss virus wreaked havoc on the system, but what Adrian Slater did in the Battle Island sim seems to have finished the job. The Refugium is, in a way, shattered.
TYLER
Can it be fixed?
THE PROGRAMMER
So far, nothing I’ve tried has worked.
DANIEL
So what now. What’s our next move?
FREDDY DOBSON
For you all, nothing. You are free to move about the facility. Of course, some areas will be off-limits.
DANIEL
And you?
FREDDY DOBSON
LEVEL will go after Adrian Slater and the Luddites. The Programmer will figure out a way to wake up the remaining survivors of the Refugium.
DANIEL
There has to be something we can do. To fix it. We can go back in.
FREDDY DOBSON
Absolutely not. You weren't even authorized to reenter in the first place. Look what happened then. Now, if we may, I’d like to continue this debriefing. When you first encountered Boss, did you know he was a computer virus?
JOEL
Oh yeah, he told us flat out that it was a computer virus created to destroy the computer simulation that we lived in.
FREDDY DOBSON
This is serious.
DANIEL
No, we didn’t know. We didn’t even know that we were in a simulation.
FREDDY DOBSON
When did you first notice that you were living in a simulation?
DANIEL
I don’t know. There were moments that were odd, but we never made a connection.
FREDDY DOBSON
I see, and what can you tell me about this woman… I believe her name was… Sugar Mama.
The group looks at Greg who shrinks back in his chair.
Later…
INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT
Freddy Dobson looks over a map of the wasteland with some other personnel. The Programmer wheels in.
THE PROGRAMMER
Can we talk?
FREDDY DOBSON
(To his men)
Give us the room.
The other soldiers leave. The Programmer wheels himself towards Dobson and stops.
THE PROGRAMMER
You know why I had to do what I did.
FREDDY DOBSON
You sent five untrained individuals into a high-risk situation.
THE PROGRAMMER
I was trying to save the simulation!
FREDDY DOBSON
And look at it now! Nothing but a digital wasteland. If you had told me about Boss, about how they had faced him, we could have had an advantage against Adrian and his people! We could have stopped them for good! Instead, you handed them a victory on a silver platter. Now, I have to figure out a plan B.
THE PROGRAMMER
I don’t regret what I did.
FREDDY DOBSON
And that my friend is why I’m ending the simulation.
THE PROGRAMMER
You can’t do that.
FREDDY DOBSON
What do you expect me to do? The simulation is no longer habitable.
THE PROGRAMMER
Neither is the real world. Freddy, thirty years ago, you asked me if I wanted to save humanity and I gave you the key to our salvation. Let me fix this.
FREDDY DOBSON
(Sighs)
How many more people must die before you realize that we both made a mistake.
THE PROGRAMMER
We both have blood on our hands. Don’t let their deaths be in vain.
Freddy Dobson contemplates the situation.
FREDDY DOBSON
I’m ordering the simulation to be shut down tomorrow at noon. If you can figure out a way to save it, I will take it into consideration.
The Programmer nods and exits.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Daniel, Joel, Greg, Tyler lay on cots.
JOEL
So that’s it huh? We learn that our entire existence was nothing but a simulation that was being destroyed by a computer virus. We fight said computer virus twice and lose both times. Now we get to sit in a room and wait for something to happen?
GREG
Yep, that seems to sum it all up nicely.
TYLER
Well, look on the bright side. At least we're in the real world. No Green Sky and no battle royale. No crazy sorority girls trying to kill us.
Daniel silently stares at the ceiling.
JOEL
Dan? You okay buddy?
DANIEL
I almost had him. I was so close.
JOEL
I know dude.
GREG
You can’t blame yourself, man. Even LEVEL didn’t know about Adrian.
Daniel gets up.
DANIEL
I’m gonna take a walk.
INT. LEVEL HEADQUARTERS
Daniel walks down the hallway. He stops at a door and knocks. Bailey opens the door.
DANIEL
Mind if I come in?
Bailey smiles and pulls Daniel into her quarters. They sit on the bed.
BAILEY
How are you?
DANIEL
Fine. I’m just… angry. Angry at myself for letting Adrian win.
BAILEY
You didn’t know.
DANIEL
I should've known.
BAILEY
How? The Programmer didn’t even know. This organization didn’t even know. You can’t blame yourself. You need to sleep. You... WE'VE been through so much. Let’s just… sleep.
Daniel nods and the two lay down in bed.
INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT
The Programmer sits by a computer screen reading over equations. A light flashes on the screen. The Programmer begins typing at the computer.
THE PROGRAMMER
Yes!
The Next Morning…
Freddy Dobson and multiple LEVEL personnel stand with The Programmer. Daniel and the others enter the control room.
DANIEL
What’s going on?
THE PROGRAMMER
I think I’ve found a way to save the Refugium.
DANIEL
How?
THE PROGRAMMER
When Adrian destroyed the Antivirus, he didn’t necessarily “destroy” it. He simply dispersed it across the entirety of the Refugium.
JOEL
Uh-huh. Can you say that in English?
THE PROGRAMMER
If we find the pieces of the antivirus and put them back together, then we can kill the Boss virus and restore the Refugium.
TYLER
That’s great!
FREDDY DOBSON
Yes, it is. Question is, who do we send back in to retrieve the parts?
DANIEL
Us.
FREDDY DOBSON
Excuse me?
DANIEL
Send us.
FREDDY DOBSON
No.
DANIEL
Why not?
FREDDY DOBSON
You and your friends have already caused enough damage.
JOEL
Listen, buddy, maybe if you had better security and didn’t allow some psycho to hack your precious simulation, you all wouldn’t be in this mess.
GREG
We’ve faced off against Boss and Adrian. You haven’t. At least not in there.
BAILEY
Besides, none of your people have been in the simulation. We have.
TYLER
Yeah, what they said!
Freddy Dobson looks over the group of friends. They stand defiantly together.
THE PROGRAMMER
Dobson, this is our only shot. Our last chance to save everything we’ve worked for.
FREDDY DOBSON
And if they fail?
DANIEL
We won’t.
FREDDY DOBSON
So you say.
Freddy Dobson sighs.
FREDDY DOBSON
Okay. Get ready.
INT. POD ROOM - DAY
The group lay down in their pods. Freddy Dobson and the Programmer help the medical personnel initiate the entry sequence.
THE PROGRAMMER
Remember, the Refugium is not what it once was. It’s been shattered. The places and the people may not be what you expect.
Daniel and the others nod.
FREDDY DOBSON
Remember, get in, find the pieces of the antivirus and get out.
The group nods.
The Programmer presses a button, and the group loses consciousness.
EXT. A DESERT CAVE
Diana and Adrian look at a computer.
DIANA
They entered the simulation a few minutes ago.
ADRIAN
Why? There’s nothing left.
DIANA
Maybe they know something we don’t.
ADRIAN
Well then, I guess we should find out. Send in the assets.
Diana types at the computers. Pictures of Claire, Winston, and Gary pop up. Under each of their names, the words PROGRAM ONLINE appear.
END.