Your Quarantine, Or Mine?

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In Chapter 1 of ZOMBIE & JULIET, we travel to the year 2033, where after a zombie apocalypse, the island of Manhattan is now a quarantined Republic with a wall around it to keep the infected out ... where we visit a high school classroom, which right now is dealing with a virus that makes Ebola look like child's play ...


INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Your standard public high school joint.
Pale puke walls.

A giant flat-screen monitor
hangs where the blackboard
would normally be.

The screen reads
THE REPUBLIC OF MANHATTAN.

A calendar on the wall reads 2033.
A flag on the wall has a series of
red, white and blue stripes.
No stars.

The TEACHER (30’s),
a hip-looking public radio kinda guy
is lecturing the class.
Sits on the front edge of his desk.

HIP-LOOKING TEACHER
The outbreak began in 2023
when the HIV virus mutated
into something stronger,
deadlier, the HIZ virus,
which also kills you slowly --
but doesn’t let you die.
Within six months,
the whole planet was infected --

A YOUNG HOTTIE in the back row
raises her hand. SNAPS gum.

YOUNG HOTTIE
Why don’t the zombies die, Mr. Domino?

MR. DOMINO
We don’t say 'zombies,' Seven.
That’s like using the N-word.
They prefer to be called
Infected-Americans --
(beat)
It mirrors the HIV virus.
The symptoms aren’t that bad
for the first six months,
but then sometime during
the next few months,
the infection becomes full-blown,
the person dies, and is reborn,
so to speak -- as a ravenous mutant.
(sighs)
But unfortunately, sometimes
it progress MUCH more quickly.

He PUNCHES a remote.
We now see a map of the
Republic on the screen.

It’s been divided into
northern and southern territories
with a neutral zone between them.

MR. DOMINO
Our founding fathers erected a wall
around the island to stem the outbreak,
and christened the new land
The Republic of Manhattan.
But there was a power struggle for control --
so it was decided that the Kapp family
would control the Northern half of the republic --
and the Mont family the southern half --
with Times Square becoming a
neutral zone between the two --

SEVEN
Separate but equal --

MR. DOMINO
Ten points for Seven.
(beat)
The Monts and Kapps have
existed peacefully together for years,
but they’re now at odds over a
controversial piece of legislation
that the Kapps have been trying to pass --
the 'shoot on sight' bill.

WISE-ASS KID
I saw that on the news.
They want to kill anyone who’s infected.

MR. DOMINO
What do you think about that?
Is it fair?

WISE-ASS KID
Who gives a shit about FAIR?
I say kill the fuckers.
I don’t wanna get infected --

MR. DOMINO
But what about human rights?
Why not just quarantine them
while we look for a cure?

A SICK-LOOKING GIRL sitting
next to Seven rubs her nose.
HACKS a horrible-sounding COUGH.

SEVEN
Ew. Don’t you DARE
fucking cough on me, FREAK.

MR. DOMINO
Are you feeling okay, Gaga?
Would you like to go see the nurse?

GAGA
I’m fine, Mr. Domino.
I’m just --

She suddenly PROJECTILE VOMITS
a geyser of RED-BROWN PUKE
all over Seven, who starts SCREAMING.

The classroom door EXPLODES off its hinges,
and a dozen PARAMILITARY TROOPS
in black Hazmat suits with assault rifles
STAMPEDES into the room.

One of them, the LEADER
goes up to Mr. Domino.
Points his rifle at the students.

PARAMILITARY LEADER
NOBODY MOVE.
This in an INFECTED AREA.

Two troopers GRAB Gaga.
her into a body bag.

Carry her away, SCREAMING.
more GRAB Seven,
now covered in puke, also SCREAMING.

SEVEN
Let me GO, let me GO --
I didn’t DO ANYTHING.

A trooper runs a hand-held
over her body.

Takes a reading. Nods.
Looks at Leader.

SCANNER TROOPER
Negative, sir.

PARAMILITARY LEADER
Take her in for testing.
We need to be sure --

SEVEN
TESTING? What kinda TESTING?

A pair of troopers stuff her
into a body bag,
kicking and screaming.
Then haul her away.

Another trooper takes a reading
of the chair Gaga was sitting in.
Turns, looks at Leader.

TROOPER
Infection level four, sir.

PARAMILITARY LEADER
Quarantine the room.

MR. DOMINO
Wait a minute,
you can’t do that --

Paramilitary WHIPS out a syringe.
Jabs it in Mr. Domino’s neck.
He falls to the floor, THWUMP.

PARAMILITARY LEADER
Sleep tight, and don’t let
The Bill Of Rights bite, professor --

Scanner Trooper turns
and looks at Leader.

SCANNER TROOPER
What’s The Bill Of Rights?

PARAMILITARY LEADER
Ancient history, soldier --