All the Lonely People part 3

(Paladin walks back through the storm. He arrives at the club and stumbles on in.)
(He heads for the bar and slumps down on a stool, ordering a drink)
(Relevance walks up chewing her apple)
Relevance: Hey soldier. How'd it go?
Paladin: Like hell.
Relevance: You know it's gonna be a long war.
Paladin: It's been a day.
Relevance: And the militaries out looking for everyone. Have you taken any sectors at all?
Paladin: Not even a platform. That's why we packed up.
Relevance: So has the war even started?
Paladin: The war's always been going. We just never shot back. But I know what you mean. I'm not sure. You're right. We could throw all the guns away, and not loose anything. This is the critical moment. The moment we throw ourselves in full-heartedly.
Relevance: So what's holding you back? If you're wavering on the edge, every day will be like this.
Paladin: I know. But the war's wrong. So many people will be hurt. So many have already been hurt. But there's so much to gain for us.
Relevance: Hun, some say there's no black or white. That the whole world is a blur of gray. That this war brings good and evil. But you. You can't be gray. You must be the black or the white.
Paladin: And what am I if i start it? Black or white?
Relevance: Depends. If you truly stand for everything you tell me, you're white as snow.
Paladin: And the cost? Does that blackness stain the purity of what we achieve?
Relevance: Black and white is philosophy. Right is white, wrong is black. That's why everyones so confused. That's why you're asking ME which is black and white. The truth of the matter is, down deep, you already know which way is the right one. But the cost? Everything has a cost. Its neither black or white.
(Relevance takes a bite out of her apple)
Relevance: It's scarlet.
(She hands Paladin the apple. His hand is bleeding, and as he turn the apple around blood smears it and drips from his palm)
Relevance: The bloods gonna flow either way. What's it gonna buy? That's the question. So sleep on it. Not here though. I don't want to have to entertain the E.A.R.T.H. army.
Paladin: I can't use my flat above the club?
Relevance: Not a chance. It's a good thing its not on any records, or else they'd already be here. Chances are they'll figure it out soon anyways. Grab your stuff and find a new place to hunker down.
Paladin: Sounds like you need to pick a side too.
Relevance: I already have: Whoever wins
(Paladin stands up and leaves)
Paladin(to himself): Why are there so many like you? So many lonely people that don't care about their lives that they'll give it up to anything... So many lonely people who see no reason to give it up at all. Why?
(Paladin walks out and hops into a pimped out sports car hovering above the ground, presumably an Audi build)
(He speeds off, heading to platform 9)
(As he heads onto a highway, two M1128 Strykers flank him.)
(The one on the right unloads a 105mm cannon, narrowly missing his car)
(Paladin revs the engine, speeding past both (the stryker can roughly go 60mph, while Paladin's can go 210 mph))
(Paladin cranks the volume knob on the radio to the max)
(both re open fire on paladin's car, one hitting, and flipping Paladin's car)
(he struggles to keep it under control, its side scrapes the concrete barrier)
(he looks up to see two Humvees making a roadblock)
(he pulls up on the steering, levering the floating car ever so slightly into the air)
(He hits the barricade, but hes high enough the car breaks over them)
(the two strykers, keeping up because of Paladin's obstacles ram straight through the barricade)
(One rams head into Paladin's car, sending it flying)
(Paladin spots a construction zone and speeds into it)
(crushing through piles of rubble, the Strykers keep firing at Paldin's car. His goes up over and below the construction equipment)
(Seeing a unfinished highway hanging out over a platform hundreds of feet below, Paladin speeds up, launching himself over it)
(The strykers fire after it, but, going too fast, hurtle off the road end)
(Paladin sticks his middle finger out the car window)
(The car struggles against gravity as it hurtles towards the platform below)
(Spotting a flying aircraft carrier, he pilots the car down)
(because of its speed, it bounces off the deck with a trail of sparks)
(E.A.R.T.H. guards run in pursuit, firing assault rifles, pocket marketing the car)
(A soldier hops on a chaingun on deck (a M242 bushmaster) and opens fire, blowing holes into Paladin's car)
(Reaching the end of ship, he flies off, headed straight for a nearby highway. His car has lost sustained flight, and quickly crashes down, hovering inches from the ground)
(Taking a side exit, Paladin slows down, and stops the car)
(hoping out, and seeing Humvees in the distance, Paladin opens the dashboard and pulls out a grenade)
(He tosses it back into the car and disappears back into the shadows as they pull up)
(Six soldiers pile out and rush the car)
(As they get to the window the first soldier calls out)
E.A.R.TH. soldier 1: Hey there's no on here - OH SHIT!!!
(The grenade goes off, incinerating all but the last three, which are thrown to the other side of the tunnel)
(Paladin steps forward, and checks the bodies)
(One of the soldiers is still alive, and sees his gun off to one side)
(he begins to inch for it)
(Spotting him crawl for his gun, Paladin walks to him and kicks him over)
(The soldier is much younger, and his face spurs a flashback to Paladin's youth)

(A younger paladin get out of the back seat of Mamma Buddha's car. He's 15)
(He walks through the aftermath of a gang war, rain pouring down)
(As he walks around a beat up old car he spots his brother, coughing blood)
(Paladin rushes to his side, kneeling beside him)
(His brother clenches Paladin's hand)
Paladin: No! No! NoNoNoNo!
Brother: *Fuckin retard...*
Paladin: What?
Brother: (coughs again): I'm such a fuckin' retard. Shouldn't have brought everyone into this.
Paladin (crying): You'll be alright! You have to be!
Brother: Na...This is it lil' bro.
Paladin: But...but...You can't! You're always alright!
(Mamma Buddha walks up from behind)
Brother: Hey sis
(He smiles at her)
(She kneels down on his other side, taking his hand in hers)
Brother: You were right.
Mamma Buddha: No I wasn't. No I wasn't brother.
Brother: See me here? It wasn't worth it.
Mamma Buddha: No, no it wasn't. But you tried!
Brother: (coughs up more blood) Bullshit, we didn't need more money - we needed each other
Paladin: (sobbing)Who did this!?!
Brother: Please... don't do it. It's not worth it
Paladin: Who did this!?!
Brother: Stay gold kid. stay gold.
(His eyes flutter and he lays his head back and dies)
(Paladin looks at his brothers body. Seven bullet holes riddle the torso)
Paladin: I won't let you down brother. I will avenge you!

(from the rooftop an wild and crazed looking man cries out)
Cornman:

Seven shots!
Seven shots!
What does the yonder symbol mean?
What does it tell thou about the future, so unseen?
Seven shots!
Seven shots!
I, the cornman, prognosticate your life!
To empower thou; to condemn thou to strife
Seven shots!
Seven Shots!
And so, thou don the ancient title as ye begin,
The mighty, vengeful Paladin!

(Paladin looks down at his hands, covered in his brother's blood)
Paladin: I am... The Paladin?
(Paladin grabs a piece of white hot metal from the burning car)
(he rips off his shirt and brands a P over his heart, with the bottom turning into a L)

(the scene fades away, and Paladin is standing over the soldier)
(taking out a H&K MP7, Paladin blows 7 holes into the soldier, in the symbol branded into his chest.)
(Paladin walks off down the tunnel)
(He arrives at Mamma Buddha's house and raps on the door)
(Mamma Buddha answers the door)
Mamma Buddha: Oh ma Gawd! You're covered in blood!
Paladin: Relevance said i couldn't stay at the club so i decided to come back here. The E.A.R.T.H. guys noticed my car, and they tried to shoot it down. The bloods from when the windshield broke.
Mamma Buddha: Ah hope ya didn't park in front of the house.
Paladin: Na, I blew it up. I figured that they'd be watching it.
Mamma Buddha: An ya couldn't give it to some unfortunate soul? That car cost you an arm and a leg.
Paladin: I didn't have any warning. they sent two tanks after me. If I had given the car to anyone they would've been dead before they pulled onto the highway.
Mamma Buddha: You're over ya head son. Now get inside before they start trackin' ya shoes too.
(Paladin stumbles in and falls down onto the couch)
(Mamma Buddha goes into the kitchen and grabs bandages and a towel)
Mamma Buddha: Take of ya shirt. This'll hurt but ya can't be walkin around wit shards o' glass in ya back.
(Paladin rips his shirt off and winces as Mamma Buddha pulls shards of glass out of his back and rear deltoid)
Paladin: Hey sis...?
Mamma Buddha: What is it?
Paladin: Does the end justify the means?
Mamma Buddha: You're talkin' about this war, and all these people dat are gonna be hurt.
Paladin: Well people are gonna get hurt either way aren't they? I'm just making sure its for something and not nothing!
Mamma Buddha: Did Relevance tell you that?
Paladin: Ya... But she's right isn't she? People die everyday under this corrupt system. Why let them die in vain?
Mamma Buddha: So does that give you the right to be the one to decide what they die for? Or when they die? Yes, people die everyday. But you have no right to be the one responsible for it.
(Mamma Buddha rips one of the glass shards out)
Paladin: (winces) *Damn!*
Mamma Buddha: Watch ya language.
Paladin: But what about all the good that winning a war would do? Is it better for everyone to die trying to make a living? Or to die fighting for their freedom?
Mamma Buddha: Ahh freedom. Now you sound just like them politicians. It's an easy word to hide behind. Are you fightin' for freedom brother?
Paladin: Yes!
Mamma Buddha: No ya not. Ya fightin' for our brother.
Paladin: Yes... Because thet's why he died - because a corrupt system's forced everyone into the ghettos!
Mamma Buddha: The government didn't kill him. That other gang killed him. You're fightin everyone - everything - that was responsible for his death.
Paladin: Ya...I won't stop till he's been avenged.
Mamma Buddha: Then stop hiding behind that banner o' freedom. If your worried about black n' white, i can tell you this - dat if you have to hide behind a false cause, you ain't doin whatever ya doin for the right reasons. Paladin... Ya know what that means? It means your a warrior for God. And you seem to think that means that whatever you do's for some greater good, like freedom. You gotta open your eyes. That's the stupidest name you coulda taken - you ain't no paladin - you just want to avenge our brothers death. You will be a paladin someday. Some poor soul's gonna reach that heart o' yours. Right now you're just vengeance.
Paladin: So you think i should be vengeance?
Mamma Buddha: Ah don't think you should be, but it's what you are. Realize that. If you're truly fightin for good - don't deceive yourself on what is good and bad. The truth of that matter is, you always know what's right and wrong. That's why you're debating on this. If it was the right thing, you wouldn't be askin' me all this. There. I'm done.
(Paladin struggles to get up)
Paladin: I'm goin to bed. I gotta sleep on all this.
Mamma Buddha: Good idea - i've let people here and there use your room when they need it, so it's probably a mess. Now get to bed before ya fall over.
(Paladin walks up the stairs and Mamma Buddha watches him as he goes up to his bedroom)

(Maincharacter wakes up slowly to the patter of rain on the roof and the ringing of his cell phone)
Maincharacter: Damn. It's still raining.
(He rolls out of bed and picks up his phone)
Maincharacter: Hullo?
Zombie: We're meeting at the McFatties on platform 6 section 5. Be here in 15 k?
Maincharacter: Ok. Give me a sec i'll be there.
(Zombie hangs up)
(Maincharacter gets out of bed to see a motorbike body armour set sitting on the dresser.
(He picks it up. the note on it reads:

Yo, it won't stop bullets, but it'll give you an edge while you're dodging 'em. Good luck. Talent.

he sets the note down and adjusts the pads)
(He heads out the door and goes to McFatties)
(As he walks down the empty alley behind it he doesn't see anyone)
(Suddenly Talent jumps down and pulls him behind the dumpster. The entire troop is hiding out of view behind dumpsters in the alleyway.)
(Zombie tosses Maincharacter the G36c)
Zombie: Show up late enough? C'mon, we gotta go.
Maincharacter: Where to?
Zombie: Remember the prison? Well it's been barricaded to hell and back. So we're gonna distract them. We're gonna take this entire platform.
Maincharacter: Wait, THIS platform?
Zombie: Yup. We're taking a few vital platforms here and there across the middle three sectors. The deal is this. The prison's in the bottom, so Paladin's gonna attack some of the upper ones, make them think we're focusing on sector 1 - where all the fat cats are. Then we attack some middle ones like this one. They won't be able to spare anyone from the uppers, so they'll send reinforcements from the prison. That entire platform is basically a huge militarized zone. It's Sector 8, platform 10A. You'll need to remember it cause if we break up, we're re-meeting there.
Stitches: But isn't it crawling in E.A.R.T.H. guards?
Zombie: Yes, but that's the target. Wether or not we hold the center platforms doesn't matter. Once we get Sector 8 Platform 7A We're barricading it back up and making a base.
Maincharacter: I thought Paladin said bases would only get us killed?
Zombie: You misunderstand. We're not setting up a big hospital there. We're hiding there. If they come in they'll have no targets to shoot at. But if they try to walk through the streets we'll pick 'em off one by one.
(Zombies walkie talkie crackles)
Zombie: Yo.
(He pauses and listens)
Zombie: Ok, we're ready to go.
(He turns to them.)
Zombie: Here's what we're going to do. We're going to take as many stores and commercial targets as possible
(Fiddler looks worriedly at Zombie)
Fiddler: I don't see any troops...
(Zombie laughs)
Zombie: Civilian targets this time. You don't have to shoot anyone you don't want to unless they happen to get in the way. We aren't taking hostages - E.A.R.T.H. doesn't care who dies they'll ignore anyone we take. They'd probably kill the civilians for us. C'mon.
(Zombie gets up and leads the squad around into the McFatties)
(The customers stand in shock at the squad walking into the restaurant)
Zombie: Everyone out! Now!
(He raises his gun and fires a burst into the air)
(Johnny and Talent stay in the restaurant as the rest leave into an indoor mall)
(Zombie takes off across the restaurant into a mini indoor mall. In the center is an escalator zigzagging up two floors to the club)
(Zombie fires his gun into the air again. Fiddler and Stitches both wear hard expressions on their faces as they watch Zombie)
(Terrified customers rush to the exits and escalators)
(Zombie shoots down several to speed it up, and throws a grenade into a small shop. Instantly everyone is gone)
(They begin to walk onto the escalator.)
(Maincharacter's eyes widen as he has to sidestep a body to get on the escalator)
(Entering into the club Stitches picks up a note on one of the tables from Relevance)

Hey babes. I left some treats for you. There behind the bar. Paladin said you'd leave it nicer than it started, so I BETTER NOT FIND ONE SCRATCH on this club.

(Fiddler pulls out additional RPG-7 warheads and a kevlar vest)
(Stitches pulls out an SG 555 and straps it to his back)
(Zombie reloads his Anaconda colt, dons an ammo belt over his leather jacket)
(Maincharacter grabs a kevlar vest and a glock 22)
(As they leave the club, three Apache helicopters launch hellfire missiles into the upper half of the structure)
(Civilians are thrown into the air, and Zombie's squad ducks down beneath a directory sign as one of the Apache's riddles it with bullets)
(Fiddler Fits a rocket in his RPG and fires it into one of the helicopters, causing it to spin out of control and hit right by them)
(Zombie bursts out firing his machine gun, running at the helicopter)
(The blade of the helicopter rips through the side of his arm throwing him of balance)
(He continues to run up the helicopter's fuselage and leaps into the air as it explodes from another hellfire missile)
(The explosion lifts him into the air and he catches onto the third)
(He looses his Machine gun, and pulls out his colt and fires it into the pilot)
(Breaking through the window with his fist he grabs control of the helicopter and pilots it towards the last helicopter, who has launched all its missiles already)
(They strafe each other with gunfire)
(Fiddler takes aim with another rocket, which misses)
(Zombie rams his helicopter into the other, and they fall to the ground in a pile of metal)
(Zombie stumbles out and spits into the fire)
(a lone surviving civilian stumbles out of the smoke and runs into zombie)
(Zombie kicks him back and levels his gun)
(Fiddler Knocks it down)
Zombie: He's one o' them!
Fiddler: nonsense! He's a civilian!
Zombie: He's a rich bitch like the rest o' them!
Fiddler: But he's not shooting you. Son, what's your name?
civilian: Adam.
Fiddler: Where you from Adam?
Adam: Not sure
(Stitches walks up)
Stitches: What do you mean?
Adam: I don't remember anything...
Fiddler: Son, do you know where you are or whats going on?
Adam: No... Last thing i remember there was a big flash of light and then i stumbles outta the smoke
Fiddler: That's what I thought. C'm here. We're gonna get you somewhere safer.
Stitches: What's up Fiddler?
Fiddler: He's suffered amnesia from the explosion. We gotta keep him safe for a bit until we see how bad it it.
Zombie: We'll considering he doesn't know he's a bad guy i'll do the next best thing: You're the newest addition to the troop, here's your gun.
(Hands him Stitches SG 555)
Adam: I don't remember this...
Zombie: Simple enough, point, pull trigger. Welcome to the world kid.
Zombie: Everyone into the club! We'll bunker down there and give Johnny and talent some support till we see what Paladin needs us to do!
(They all run into the Club. Fiddler shoves down the club gate that leads to the mall)
(Talent is at the bottom level, just entering from the escalator)
(What the hell's goin on?)
Zombie: Nothin - a few helicopters i took care of them. I need some bandages. It doesn't hurt but some of the muscle's been torn and i can't move my arm.
(Fiddler walks down to the bar and grabs out a first aid kit. He Pulls out some gauze and winds it around Zombie's arm)
(Talent and Johnny walk over)
Talent: Who's he?
Zombie: That's Adam. He's got amnesia. We'll sort him out once we've figured out this mess.
Talent: Well we got attacked to, but the entrance collapsed, so we're ok for a while. Your side?
Stitches: A pile of rubble. But all we got for defense is a store gate.
Zombie: Alright, you and me need to barricade it. We'll be here for a while i think. Fiddler, check if Paladin's put anything on Mybook.
Fiddler: It's been shut down.
Zombie (from the top of the club): Fuck. Alright just a sec.
(Zombie calls on his radio)
Zombie: Paladin you there?
Paladin: Paladin here. What do you need?
Zombie: We've taken one of Relevance's clubs. Bottom's blocked off, but we just survived a Heli attack from the top. Where's everone at?
Paladin: A couple other's on your platform haven't responded. From what we can tell their dead. No idea how. They were pretty well armed and in good positions. But other than that it's going good. We got the lower half of the sector which is what matters. Most of the fighting's going on in the center of E.A.R.T.H.
Zombie: Any idea on how long we'll hole up here?
Paladin: We're holding our ground on this one. Set up camp. You guys probably won't be moving till tomorrow morning. Can't go home this time though. We need you on stand by for now. Think of yesterday as the trial run. Now you're on tour. And Relevance told me about maincharacter. Tell him not to worry about the cash. There's a good hundred bucks for each in the safe. Combination 6-6-6.
Zombie: Thanks for the update Paladin. Zombie out. Neva get caught.
Paladin: Neva get caught. Paladin out.
(Zombie leans over the railing)
Zombie: Check the safe Maincharacter. Combo is 6-6-6. Looks like you got a job. And set this place up. Turns out we're camping here tonight.
(Zombie turns and begins covering the club entrance with rubble)


(Paladin puts down his radio. He's in a AC-100 Gunship flying through the center of E.A.R.TH. over a freeway)
(Cowboy mans the machine gun, Party is cleaning the gun, and Chief stands by his side, his shoulder patched up.)
Paladin: Did we ever hear back from them?
Chief: Nope. We have no idea what's going on there.
Paladin: Damn. Send in a few scouts that can report on it. Just in and out.
Chief: K'.
(Chief turns and radios a scouting patrol)
Party: So I have a question. Who all's leading the E.A.R.T.H. forces? It couldn't be the seven leaders could it? You cut the power off to the top sector. The seven leaders couldn't have organized this quickly.
Paladin: Well they could've. They have protocols for any conceivable situation. But you're right, its not them. They're lead by a general named Tamerlane. Really it's a torn force. His second in command's a guy named Hero. Complete opposites. Hero deals fairly. He doesn't kill civilians, doesn't play dirty. Tamerlane just plays on the level you take it to. We'll be fine with him so long as we don't play too dirty.
Party: Aren't we fighting in the streets anyways though?
Paladin: Oh no. There's a difference between being smart and playing dirty. Even Hero won't stay away from the streets if that's where the fights at. But playing dirty's all up to who brings in chemical warfare first. You'll get the hang of it soon.


(Stitches and Zombie are still setting up the Barricade)
(Fiddler, Johnny, Adam, Talent, and Maincharacter are placed around the bar area with a crude camp set up.)
Fiddler: So, Adam. What all can you remember?
Adam: Not much. It's pretty fuzzy. I can't remember what some things are or what they're called. Can't remember anything from before the accident. You never did explain what we're doing here.
Fiddler: Well considering you don't remember what a gun is, it'll be hard to explain. I'll put it simply. When certain people disagree, and they disagree enough, they bring people to help them disagree.
Adam: So what's the gun for?
Talent: That's the argument.
Adam: So I point and pull the trigger?
(He lifts the gun)
Talent: NO! no, (laughs nervously), don't do it now. You point it at the other people?
Adam: Who are the other people?
Fiddler: You wouldn't want to know that. This is called war. What is war? To be honest not many people know what war is. They talk about it, write about it, argue about it, act it out. What is war? Well, there was this one guy a long long time ago who said war was hell. And he was right. He wasn't saying war was like hell - he said it is hell.
Adam: Hell?
Fiddler: Hell's where your soul goes if it dies.
Talent: Or if you're good it goes to heaven.
Fiddler: No. If your good, then your soul hasn't died. You might die. But so long as you're living life, and haven't given up, you're not in hell. When your soul dies... well that's when you enter hell. So that's what war is: its you being willing to give up more than your life - its your soul. You're giving up your soul for some reason. Why would anyone give up their soul? Because they think that Heaven's out of reach. Instead of trying to climb up, or even struggle to keep position, they dive down into the fiery pit of Hell. A lot of people are prepared to die though, or even give up their souls - or so they think. But to kill? To drag another to the grave beside you? That's war. A bunch of falling souls struggling to pull as many others as they can down with them. To wage war you have to hate the enemy more than you love yourself. To wage war, you have to go to Hell.
Adam: But I don't know them. How can I hate them?
Fiddler: No, no. That's for those who truly go to war. But it's a whirlpool. They suck in everyone with them. That's how we got all these people running around, who don't belong. They still got a hot at heaven. They haven't given up. So don't give up. Stay gold kid.
Adam: Heaven...?
Fiddler: No one knows what that's like till they've found it on earth.
(Maincharacter has been sitting idly by)
Maincharacter: But how do you find it?
Fiddler: Life's not a big secret. Just no one listens.
Maincharacter: Mamma Buddha said something similar. Lets hear it. I'll listen.
(Fiddler grins)
Fiddler: Alright boy. It might not be your tune, but I'll give you a try.
(He pulls out a violin from his backpack)
(he starts it with a song called lonesome fiddle blues.)
Talent: Hey... I know that song! It's the Devil went down to Georgia!
Fiddler: Close. It's the same song just an octave lower.
Talent: Hey, its on. I'll play the devil's part. You can play johnny.
Johnny: What?
Talent: Oh, no. The songs about a kid named johnny.
(Talent runs up and grabs a guitar from the stage of the club)
(Fiddler leans over to Johnny, still grinning)
Fiddler:*He's got no idea what he's getting into*
(Fiddler gets up and leans a mike over to his fiddle)
(Talent tunes his guitar and turns on a small amplifier)
(Talent plays the intro, and Fiddler joins in)
(Zombie pauses and starts singing 'the devil went down to georgia' from the balcony)
(On the chorus Fiddler joins in as Talent struggles to keep up with the increasingly quickening Fiddler)
(Talent's solo comes up, and he speeds through it, adding parts and struggling to keep up)
(Suddenly one of Talent's strings breaks)
(He keeps on playing, improvising his own solo)
(Talent is sweating by the time he finishes)
(Fiddler's solo comes in and he plays it even faster than the original song)
(Unlike Johnny he shows no strain, but starts to kick his feet to the rhythm)
(On the last part he hops up on a table and finishes the solo)
(Even though the songs supposed to go on, neither Zombie or Talent continue. Both are looking at Fiddler in amazement)
(Fiddler pauses and sits down in his seat)
Talent(panting): How did you play so fast?
Fiddler: I didn't play it to beat you. I played it cause i like the song. And that's the trick to it.
Talent: Damn dude...
Fiddler: And that's the secret.
Maincharacter: To enjoy things?
Fiddler: Yes. That's part of it. Now lets get some dinner on. I tend to have an appetite
(Fiddler pats his enormous stomach)
(Adam walks over to the refrigerator and opens it)
Adam: Well... I know its food. But i don't remember any of the names.
Fiddler: Don't worry we'll take care of it.
(Fiddler starts dishing out food)

(Paladin's plane touches down at a bombed out airbase; explosions rock the background)
(Paladin hops out and goes over to a bomb shelter)
(He ducks inside, and is greeted by seven cult looking men, wearing full robes that come up and cover their faces)
Paladin: So what've we got so far?
Cult1: Well, so far we have most of platform 6 and 7 pinned down. All of Relevances clubs are strong points at the moment. Completely safe.
Paladin: What about the club Zombie's in? He said that E.A.R.T.H. soldiers got pretty damn close to entering.
Cult1: They got very close, but we were able to draw their attention away to the other sections. Now we have a few tanks stationed up there.
Cowboy: We got tanks?
Paladin: ya, we got them today. We've already used them a couple times. So I think that we need to reinforce that club soon.
Cult2: Not likely. We're pretty evenly spread around. We shouldn't need to upset the balance just to have the tanks mobile.
Paladin: E.A.R.T.H.'s not gonna keep the balance so long as we're gaining territory. So we need those tanks as a just in case.
Cult3: We can do that. Just a second.
(Cult4 makes a motion to cult3, who types commands into a computer)
Paladin: So what isn't ours in platform 6 and 7?
Cult4: It's a small section of ghettos that blends the two.
Paladin: Ya, I know the place. That's where I grew up. Why are we having problems with it? It should've been the first place we took. The government doesn't care about that part of the sector.
Cult1: We've lost all communications with the scouts -
Paladin: I know! The question is why? Do we have access to public communication systems yet?
Cult4: Yes we do - we took a local guard station an hour ago.
Paladin: Can I transmit a public message from here?
Cult 4: Let me radio them - we'll set up a link.
(Cult 4 radios the station)
(Paladin waits as the cult member sets up a link; He watches the loading bar on the computer screen)
(A cult member passes him a radio)
Cult member: We're ready to transmit in 3...2...1...
(signals for Paladin to start)
Paladin: Friends! Citizens! Listen to me! Your government will soon be moving troops into your area! Every sector A-F on platforms 6 and 7 are unsafe and will be invaded by E.A.R.T.H. troops. We've set up safe zones through those platforms. We can protect those areas from E.A.R.T.H. until everyone can move to safer platforms safely. They'll barricade your sectors soon. Please gather up everything you value, and head to one of Relevance's clubs. She has three in the sector. We will be sending rebel forces to reinforce those areas. Neva Get Caught!
(Paladin clicks the radio off)
Paladin: How many do you think'll listen to me?
Cowboy: The ones that can. The families, the young couples, students, those sorts of people.
Paladin: That's good. Their the people who'll rebuild. Their too good to destroy. They're not gonna tear down the government. That's our job. But they'll be the ones who make the new government what it is. But what about the ones who stay? They'll be the ones that can't help themselves. The old people, the orphans.
Cowboy: But they won't be much help when we rebuild.
Paladin: No, but their the orphans the survivors knew. The grandparents they deserted. We can't rebuild the system on neglect.
Cowboy: Well, the way I see it, it'd be very noble of us to go in and save them all. Would you like us to? We won't be able to defend the clubs. But by god we'll save the helpless people in the ghetto.
Paladin: We'll be able to split our troops.
Cowboy: And we won't be able to save either. And you forgot - none of our troops have been able to take the ghettos. We have no idea what's going on there.
Paladin: Damn!
Cowboy: Look, I have an idea. Why don't we gather everyone into the clubs, and we'll see if we can get some scouts into the ghettos ok?
Paladin: And leave whatever's keeping our troops out with the people that can't get out? That sounds like a set up for a horror flick.
(Cowboy shrugs)
Paladin: I can't do it. We brought the war to them. We have to protect them from it.
Cowboy: YOU didn't think it through. You can't anticipate everything. You thought we'd be able to protect everyone, and we just simply can't. Accept it, and focus on winning. If they die, and we loose, well then this'll just be one big fiasco now won't it?
Paladin: Fine. Let's get everyone in the clubs. Tell everyone holding down the bases to shelter the civilians. We're gonna go help.
(Cowboy motions to Party to go out and tell the pilot to start the plane)
Party: Which club?
Paladin: The mall club. If Zombie's right the entire upper levels of the mall have ben leveled, so we should be able to land ok. And it's the closest to the ghetto, but the smallest. So we'll need to use it like a terminal to conduct flow between the clubs.
(Party rushes out into the rain)
(Paladin sighs)
Paladin: Fuck.

(Fiddler, Zombie, Adam, Maincharacter, Johnny, Stitches, and Talent have finished setting up the camp)
(Maincharacter hears the radio and picks it up)
Paladin: Anyone there???
Maincharacter: Yea. We just set up camp.
Paladin: Well that's great kid. You're gonna need it. We're sendin civilians to the clubs for the protections. Looking at the population, you'll probably have about thirty thousand civilians comin soon.
Maincharacter (to Zombie): Paladin say's we gotta set up for people to camp out here.
Zombie: Who?
Maincharacter: He's evacuating the ghetto on platforms 6 -7. The stuff we can't take
Zombie: What!?!? This place can only hold like 400 peolple. We're not gonna be able to take tens of thousands of people. We'll be busting at the seams.
Paladin: I heard Zombie. Don't worry. We're just routing them through here. We'll send two other squads over to help, and we're on our way too. We're gonna coordinate with the other two clubs to get everyone in safely. One can hold a couple thousand, but the other has a sports arena underneath, so we should be able cram thirty or forty thousand there.
(Zombie takes radio from Maincharacter)
Zombie: We still won't be able to take a flow of thousands of people through here.
Paladin: We'll see what we can do. The mall can hold a couple hundred too. We can keep people going in through the mall and figure out where they're heading in the club. We're coming in a plane, and one of the squads has a helicopter.