Separate But Unequal

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In Chapter 1 of ZOMBIE & JULIET, in the year 2033, Manhattan has become a walled-in city state after a zombie invasion. Today we take a trip to a local high school, where the students' lecture gets interrupted by stormtroopers after one of the students gets infected ...


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 (CONT’D)
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
STAMPEDE 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.
Wrestle her into a body bag.

Carry her away, SCREAMING.
Two 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
scanner 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 --