Lonely No More: Episode 7: “The Divide”

As chaos spreads, Nina and Nikesh navigate a shattered Brighton in search of safety. The haunting reality of the transformed population becomes impossible to ignore, as they encounter eerie crowds gathering in silence along the shoreline. Desperation mounts when their escape is thwarted by relentless violence, forcing them to seek refuge in an abandoned hospital.

Amid the ruins, secrets unfold—a haunting flashback to Nina’s time at Hazel Hill reveals startling truths about the Lonely No More phenomenon. As the couple grapples with the weight of these discoveries, a shocking personal revelation changes everything.

With danger closing in and the future of their unborn child uncertain, Nina and Nikesh must make an impossible choice: confront the mysteries of their transformed world or flee to an uncertain sanctuary.

Transcript

LONELY NO MORE

by SEBASTIAN BACZKIEWICZ

EPISODE 7

SCENE 1              EXT: STREET 

SFX                      NIKESH AND NINA ARE QUICKLY MAKING THEIR WAY DOWN THE STREET – OVER IN THE DISTANCE ARE THE SOUND OF CAR ALARMS AND SHOP ALARMS GOING OFF - NIKESH WALKS BEHIND NINA TRYING TO GET HIS PHONE TO WORK

1. NINA                 Come on, Niko. (BEAT) Niko?

2. NIKESH             I’ve got no signal at all. Nothing. And look at that.

3. NINA                 What?

4. NIKESH             On the wall there – Lonely No More.

5. NINA                 That’s on every wall.

6. NIKESH             Yes it is. Our collective unconscious just staring straight back at us. Waiting no more. 

7. NINA                 Not now, Niko. Please

8. NIKESH             Can’t say we weren’t warned, can we?

9. NINA                 Might not be so bad elsewhere.

10. NIKESH           Then why is there no internet? How can there be no internet? And look – look at all these phones scattered about. Abandoned.  Like Lucette abandoned hers after she disappeared. 

11. NINA               Middle of the street is not the place to have this conversation.

12. NIKESH           No, no, it isn’t. But this is where we are, Nina. On our wedding day. On our fucking wedding day. Middle of the street in the middle of the apocalypse opposite a vintage clothes shop looking at who knows how many discarded phones and a pile of spilled cabbages.

-- NINA                  …

13. NIKESH           In hand. You said it was all in hand. Well, it doesn’t look very in hand does it? 

14. NINA               No. I don’t know. Maybe. Who knows? Maybe elsewhere in the country things are.

15. NIKESH           In hand?

16. NINA               Maybe.

17. NIKESH           You don’t really believe that do you?

18. NINA               We can’t give up, Niko. 

19. NIKESH           Who said anything about giving up – but none of what just happened to your mum or my dad or all our friends and guests looks very much in hand to me.

20. NINA               No, it doesn’t.

21. NIKESH           In fact it looks very much out of hand.

22. NINA               Yeh, you’re right. It does. But here we are.

23. NIKESH           Here we are. 

24. NINA               And I was lied to.

25. NIKESH           Lied to? Who lied to you? The people at Hazel Hill?

26. NINA               Urqhart said they’d found a way to stabilise it.

27. NIKESH           Urqhart? Your old university tutor Urqhart. 

28. NINA               Let’s just get out of here.

29. NIKESH           He was with you at Hazel Hill?

30. NINA               This really isn’t the time.

31. NIKESH           But he was there. He was definitely there.

32. NINA               No one better. Now, can we please. ( - go)

33. NIKESH           So - if I suddenly. Or you do. What then?

34. NINA               We’re OK, Nikesh. Right now, that’s all – that’s totally all - that matters.

SFX                      DISTANT SHOTS

35. NIKESH           Fuck was that. Was that a gun?

36. NINA               Not exactly super keen on finding out. 

37. NIKESH           Come on! This way.

                            THEY RUN

SCENE 2              EXT. THE SEA SHORE

SFX                      WAVES CRASH ON THE PEBBLY SHORE AS NINA AND NIKESH SCRAMBLE ACROSS THE BEACH

38. NIKESH           Nina?

39. NINA               Right behind you. But I need to, I need to have a, a breather.

40. NIKESH           You OK?

41. NINA               Just need a second.

42. NIKESH           Seems to have stopped, doesn’t it? The shooting.

43. NINA               Seems to. For now. Uh.

SFX                      NINA SLIPS ON THE PEBBLES. NIKESH GOES BACK TO HELP HER

44. NIKESH           Nina.

45. NINA               I’m OK, I’m Ok. Pebbles are pretty fierce though aren’t they?

46. NIKESH           Maybe we should head back to the Belvedere.

47. NINA               What? Why?

48. NIKESH           You don’t think still wearing your wedding dress makes you a bit of a moving target.

49. NINA               Our special day, eh?

50. NIKESH           It’s not funny.

51. NINA               Who’s laughing?

52. NIKESH           You are.

53. NINA               What’s more I’d say pretty much everything makes us a moving target. Help me up?

54. NIKESH           Here.

                            HE OFFERS HIS HAND AND NINA TAKES IT

55. NINA               Thanks.

56. NIKESH           Careful there.

57. NINA               I’m OK I think.

58. NIKESH           Just mind where you step. Last thing we need’s a broken ankle.

                            NIKESH AND NINA EMBRACE AS THEY RISE

59. NINA               I love you, Niko. And I’m sorry.

60. NIKESH           I love you too.

61. NINA               We’ll get through this.

62. NIKESH           Yeh, yeh – we will. We will.

SFX                      THEY MOVE GINGERLY ACROSS THE PEBBLES

63. NIKESH           What beats me is why anyone would be shooting at us?

64. NINA               Maybe because they’re not shooting at us. 

65. NIKESH           ?

66. NINA               Up ahead. Gathering together on the beach. Look.

67. NIKESH           Holy shit - how many would you say there were?

68. NINA               Hundreds. Maybe thousands

69. NIKESH           The fuck are they doing?

70. NINA               I don’t know. Communing?

71. NIKESH           Fat Boy Slim’s not playing today is he?

72. NINA               Nikesh.

73. NIKESH           So, who or what are they communing with?

74. NINA               The sea maybe? Maybe the sea. Fuck, it’s so eerie isn’t it?

75. NIKESH           Eerie isn’t the half of it - listen.

76. NINA               What?

77. NIKESH           There’s no sound now. No birds no guns no cars – nothing. 

78. NINA               Just the sea

79. NIKESH           And the humming - same as before.

                            NINA SEES SYED AND CRISTINA

80. NINA               Think we ought to – (get away) Oh.

81. NIKESH           What? (TINY BEAT) What?

82. NINA               You’re right, Niko, we should get back to the Belvedere, change clothes and, and - 

83. NIKESH           What did you see over there?

84. NINA               I’m serious, honey. This isn’t a good place for us to be. Come on.

85. NIKESH           Nina – what?

86. NINA               Just in front of those small children. See?

87. NIKESH           I’m not sure what I’m. 

88. NINA               Syed.

89. NIKESH           (QUIET) Baba? (THEN LOUDER) Baba?

SFX                      NIKESH MAKES HIS WAY ACROSS THE PEBBLES. NINA HOLDS HIM BACK

90. NINA               No, Nikesh, please, let’s not do this.

91. NIKESH           Over here baba. It’s me. It’s Nikesh

SFX                      NIKESH SCRAMBLES OVER TOWARD SYED. AS HE DOES THE HUMMING FROM THE CROWD ASSEMBLED ON THE BEACH BECOMES MORE AND MORE INTENSE.

92. NIKESH           Baba?

93. NINA               Don’t get too close to him. Seriously.

                            NIKESH GETS UP CLOSE TO SYED

94. NIKESH           Baba? Can you see me, baba? It’s me, it’s Nikesh. And look – look here’s Nina.

                            SYED CLICKS

95. NIKESH           If you can hear me baba. Just nod or. Baba?

96. NINA               (APPR) It’s no good, Niko. It’s really no good.

97. NIKESH           You can’t know that, Nina. Not for sure.

98. NINA               Look at his eyes.

99. NIKESH           Violet.

100. NINA             Like everyone else’s out here.

101. NIKESH         Only they don’t see us do they?

102. NINA             I don’t know. I don’t think so.

103. NIKESH         The fuck has happened? The fuck has happened to all these people?

104. NINA             You know what’s happened. Lonely No More.

105. NIKESH         Which makes us who then? The lonely?

106. NINA             We’re really not safe here..

107. NIKESH         But why them, Nina? I mean it’s not as if we don’t all have exactly the same chromosome inside us, is it? 

108. NINA             We do.

109. NIKESH         So why them and not us?

110. NINA              If I could tell you that believe me I would.

111. NIKESH          Then you didn’t figure it out at Hazel Hill?

112. NINA              What we did figure out is there’s nothing we can do for them once they’ve… evolved.

                            NIKESH GOES A LITTLE CLOSER TO SYED

113. NIKESH         I’m so sorry, baba. I’m so sorry.

SFX                      SUDDENLY A GUN GOES OFF AND BLASTS SYED’S HEAD OFF. NINA SCREAMS AS NIKESHS CRIES OUT.

114. NINA              No.

115. NIKESH         Baba.

SFX                      MORE SHOTS AND MORE BODIES CRASH HEAVILY ONTO THE PEBBLES.

116. NIKESH         They’re just picking them off. They’re just picking them off one by one.

SFX                      NINA GRABS NIKESH BY THE ARM AND THEY RUN AWAY

117. NINA              Move, Niko. Move.

118. NIKESH         (SHOUTS) We’re human! We’re human! Stop shooting, please stop shooting. We’re human!

SFX                      NINA AND NIKESH MOVE AS FAST AS THEY CAN AWAY FROM THE GUNFIRE

SCENE 3              INT. THE BELVEDERE. THE RECEPTION ROOM

                            NINA AND NIKESH ARE IN THE WRECKED RECEPTION ROOM. 

119. NINA              Hello? Hello? Anybody here?

120. NIKESH         Hotel’s completely abandoned.

121. NINA             Yeh, but we can’t be sure of that can we?

SFX                      DISTANT SHOTS 

122. NIKESH         When are they ever going to stop shooting?

123. NINA             When indeed? Look how they messed with this place. The cake. The lovely cake we had made. Look at it.

124. NIKESH         Maybe we should check upstairs.

SFX                      SUDDENLY THERE IS A CLATTER OF CUPS ACROSS THE ROOM – THEN SILENCE

125. NINA             Get down.

                            NINA AND NIKESH DUCK DOWN, THEN

126. NIKESH         Is somebody there? Show yourself if there’s somebody there.

127. NINA             We’re unarmed.

128. NIKESH         And we’re just as freaked by this situation as you are.

129. VINNY           (AT DISTANCE) Other than you two who else is here in the hotel?

130. NINA             Far as we know there’s nobody here but us. Me and my husband.

131. VINNY           You sure? You definitely sure?

132. NINA             As I can be.

133. VINNY           What does that mean?

134. NIKESH         It means we haven’t had a chance to check out every floor but as far as we can tell we’re all alone.

135. NINA             And just as messed up by all this as you are.

136. VINNY           Yeh you said. No weapons then?

137. NINA             No weapons. We swear.

138. VINNY           Count of three we all stand up.

139. NIKESH         And if you’re armed? 

140. VINNY           If I was armed you’d both be dead already.

141. NINA             You counting down or are we?

142. VINNY           Three - two - one

                            THEY ALL STAND UP

143. VINNY           Nice dress.

144. NINA             Thank you.

145. VINNY           My name’s Vinny.

146. NIKESH         Mine’s Nikesh and this is my wife - 

147. NINA             - Nina.

148. NIKESH         - Nina.

149. VINNY           And you swear you don’t have any weapons?

150. NINA             In this dress?

151. NIKESH         How did anyone get guns in Brighton anyway?

152. VINNY           I dunno but they certainly got them from somewhere, didn’t they.

153. NINA             Are you injured, Vinny?

154. VINNY           You a doctor then?

155. NINA             Actually I am, yeh.

156. VINNY           Not physically. I’m not injured physically. You?

157. NINA             Not physically.

158. VINNY           There any wine in those bottles?

159. NIKESH         Be my guest 

SFX                      VINNY GETS UP AND POURS HIMSELF A HUGE GLASS OF WINE AND THEN ANOTHER.

160. VINNY           Who’s wedding was this do you think?

161. NINA             Take a wild guess.

162. VINNY           Yours? (REALISES) Fuck, I’m sorry.

163. NIKESH         Maybe pour me a glass of white too while you’re at it. Nina?

164. NINA             I’m good for wine thanks.

SFX                      VINNY DOES SO

165. VINNY           I was. I was just in the betting shop when it happened. Taking bets for the four thirty at Aintree. Here.

166. NIKESH         Thanks.

167. VINNY           Well, cheers then.

168. NIKESH         Cheers.

169. VINNY           Better days.

170. NIKESH         Better days.

                            THEY RAISE THEIR GLASSES AND DRINK

171. VINNY           What the fuck just happened to the world, man?

172. NIKESH         Evolution, maybe.

173. VINNY           Evolution, maybe. The fuck does that mean?

174. NIKESH         It means we evolved.

175. VINNY           What’s he talking about?

176. NINA             Did you see who was shooting those poor people on the beach.

177. VINNY           I didn’t but they’re not people, lady. Not anymore.

SFX                      NIKESH THROWS HIS GLASS DOWN

178. NIKESH         Don’t say that. Don’t you say that.

SFX                      VINNY TAKES OUT A KNIFE

179. NINA             Niko, no. He’s got a knife.

180. VINNY           Don’t come any closer, man. I mean it. Not one step.

181. NIKESH         All right, Vinny. All right.

182. NINA             Let’s all take a minute to breathe shall we?

183. VINNY           Your husband stays exactly where he is?

184. NINA             Yes he does, don’t you Niko. Don’t you Niko?

185. NIKESH         Yeh, yeh. Look, I’m sorry, man. I am. It’s just my, my dad was there on the. And whoever it is was just shooting.

186. VINNY           Mine too. Mum. Dad. Sister. Everyone. Fish in a barrel.

187. NINA             Fish in a barrel.

188. VINNY           Lonely No More. They say it’s all about Lonely No More.

189. NINA             Who says?

190. VINNY           The posts they were putting up on the internet these last few days. You didn’t see them?

191. NIKESH         There is no internet. Not anymore

192. VINNY           How can there be no internet?

193. NIKESH         Seems like everything’s offline.

SFX                      GUNSHOTS AT DISTANCE THEY ALL DUCK DOWN

194. VINNY           Mainly there are looters. There are loads of looters everywhere.

195. NINA             Then there’s still plenty of people that didn’t transform?

196. VINNY           I didn’t exactly stick around to count them.

197. NIKESH         “Only the lonely”

198. VINNY           Can’t go on like this forever, can it? I mean there’s got to be a vaccine being developed or something. Like for the covid and the flu. And all the rest of it.

199. NIKESH         This isn’t that.

200. VINNY           You think it’s changed the horses?

201. NIKESH         What?

202. VINNY           This thing. You think it’s changed all the horses and the animals and that or is it just us who’s evolved?

203. NINA             I’ve no idea.

204. VINNY           But they saw this coming, right? Somebody must have seen this coming.

                            SUDDENLY NINA CRIES OUT. NIKESH RUSHES OVER TO HER

205. NINA             (SHOUTS) Ma u picku materinu![1]

206. NIKESH         Sweetheart?

207. VINNY           She’s not changing, is she? Fuck she’s changing?

208. NIKESH         Um. No, no its nothing like that.

209. VINNY           Then what’s going on?

210. NINA             What isn’t going on. You need to get me to a hospital.

211. NIKESH         You weren’t hurt on the beach, were you?

212. NINA             No, no I’m not injured.

213. NIKESH         Then?

214. VINNY           Pregnant, is she?

215. NIKESH         What? You aren’t, are you?

216. NINA             I just need to check that all is well?

217. NIKESH         Then you are? And you didn’t tell me.

218. NINA             …

TINY BEAT

219. VINNY           I can show you the quickest way if you like.

220. NIKESH         That won’t be necessary.

221. NINA             Thanks, Vinny – that would be great.

SCENE 4              INT. THE HOSPITAL. FOYER

                            VINNY AND NIKESH SIT IN THE FOYER OF THE HOSPITAL EATING SANDWICHES

222. VINNY           How’s your sandwich?

223. NIKESH         Good. Great. Well done for finding them.

224. VINNY           Wasn’t exactly hard, Nikesh. There’s water too.

225. NIKESH         Cheers. And the canteen was empty.

226. VINNY           Same chaos as elsewhere but empty.

227. NIKESH         Right.

228. VINNY           Not about to have it is she? The baby.

229. NIKESH         I don’t think so.

230. VINNY           You don’t think so? The why the fuck are we in the maternity wing of an abandoned hospital. Pretty sure whoever it is that’s still out there will be making their way here soon enough. 

231. NIKESH         Look, you can go, Vinny. We can manage.

232. VINNY           And Nina? What about Nina?

233. NIKESH         Like I say she knows what she’s doing.

234. VINNY           But what is she doing?

235. NIKESH         She needs to do a scan. See the baby’s all right.

236. VINNY           And if it isn’t? if the little bugger’s about to come screeching out of her stomach or something.

237. NIKESH         Please don’t talk about my baby like that.

238. VINNY           Yeh. No. Sorry. But it isn’t, is it?

239. NIKESH         No, it isn’t.

240. VINNY           You think it’s ever going to be like it was before again. 

241. NIKESH         You mean like it was five hours ago?

242. VINNY           They said they had it all under control.

243. NIKESH         Who said?

244. VINNY           American President. After the international space station thing. Addressed the whole world, didn’t she? Said what happened wasn’t connected to Lonely No More, but that was a lie because it was connected, it was connected as hell wasn’t it? And she was just lying through her pretty white teeth.

245. NIKESH         ….

246. VINNY           And all those people online and on the TV making their predictions?

247. NIKESH         Xavi Anderson.

248. VINNY           Yeh, him. Him and all the rest. Dismissed it all as some crazy conspiracy shit, when all the time it wasn’t, was it? When all the time it was real, real as this avocado and mozzarella meal deal.

249. NIKESH         Which is very delicious by the way.

250. VINNY           And then –- there they were up on the Downs – the Structures – army closing off the streets, and what did we do? Just carried like everything was still as normal as Sunday fucking opening. Like it was totally business as usual. When it was very much not that at all, wasn’t it? (BEAT) Hell are we going to do now?

251. NIKESH         If I knew that.

252. NINA             (OFF) Nikesh

253. NIKESH         Everything OK, Nina?

254. NINA             Just need you in here for a second.

255. NIKESH         You going to be all right out here, Vinny?

256. VINNY           Yeh. I’ll be fine.

257. NIKESH         Thanks for getting us here.

258. VINNY           Go see to your wife.

259. NIKESH         We’ll be right there in the Alison Howe scanning suite if you need us.

260. VINNY           Yeh, great. Go.

261. NIKESH         Some good’ll come out of this.

262. VINNY           You say so.

263. NIKESH         I do say so.

264. VINNY           Don’t forget to take Nina a sandwich.

                            NIKESH PICKS ONE UP

265. NIKESH         We’ll be right in there if you need us.

266. VINNY           Oh, and.

267. NIKESH         Yeh?

268. VINNY           Congratulations.

SCENE 5              INT. THE SCANNING SUITE

SFX                      NINA LIES ON THE BED/BENCH AND TURNS ON THE SCANNER – IT BEEPS AND COMES TO LIFE

269. NINA             You think he’s going to be all right out there? Vinny.

270. NIKESH         I don’t know. Hope so. Is the scanner working?

271. NINA             Seems to be. Luckily there’s still some power in the hospital. Now, are you going to be OK doing this?

272. NIKESH         How hard can it be?

273. NINA             You’re doing great, Niko. Great. Just spread the gel on my belly.

SFX                      HE DOES SO

                            Ugh, it’s crazy cold.

274. NIKESH         Still don’t get why you didn’t tell me you were?

275. NINA             I wanted it to be my wedding gift to you. But. Now, start moving the transducer while I check the scan image – OK?

276. NIKESH         OK. Right. 

SFX                      NIKESH STARTS TO MOVE THE TRANSDUCER

277. NINA             You just move it slowly.

278. NIKESH         And the baby’s fine? You really think the baby’s fine.

279. NINA             I do. I really do.

280. NIKESH         Then why are we doing this exactly?

281. NINA             It might be our last chance. Now, I need you to go a little slower across the entire area of my belly.

282. NIKESH         Your beautiful belly.

283. NINA             Nikesh.

                            NIKESH DOES SO

284. NIKESH         How ‘s this?

285. NINA             That’s good. That’s very good. Nice and slow.

286. NIKESH         Why isn’t anything coming up on the screen?

287. NINA             Just give it a second.

                            NINA LEANS OVER AND CHECKS THE MACHINE

288. NINA             Looks like the ultrasound’s working. There.

SFX                      THE MACHINE BUZZES INTO LIFE

                            THERE IS A BLEEP ON THE SCREEN

289. NINA             There. Look, Niko. On the screen.

290. NIKESH         Oh my God. Oh my God. She’s beautiful.

291. NINA             He is, isn’t he?

292. NIKESH         He’s a he?

293. NINA             And he’s OK.

294. NIKESH         You don’t think he’s... evolved.

295. NINA             I don’t think so.

296. NIKESH         You don’t think so?

297. NINA             I think he’s fine.

298. NIKESH         You know so or think so?

299. NINA             I think he’s perfect and that we need to get back to London as soon as we can.

300. NIKESH         And do what?

301. NINA             It’s where we live.

302. NIKESH         It’s where we lived.

303. NINA             We just need to be safe, Nikesh. And there’s nothing safe about being here.

304. NIKESH         The car’s still parked at the Belvedere.

305. NINA             Then we’d best get back there soon as we’re done.

SFX                      THE DOOR OPENS

306. NIKESH         What is it, Vinny?

307. VINNY           (SOTTO) Sorry to interrupt but there are people – there are people coming.

308. NIKESH         How many?

309. VINNY           I don’t know. Fifteen, twenty maybe.

310. NIKESH         Are they armed?

311. VINNNY         Don’t know. 

312. NINA             Is there a way out of here?

313. VINNY           Look I’m sorry but I gotta get outta here.

                            VINNY GOES

314. NIKESH         Vinny? Vinny?

. . . . . . . . . .

SFX                      OUTSIDE WE HEAR SHOUTS 

315. ZACH            HELLO? HELLO? ANYBODY HEAR US?

316. NINA             Oh my god.

317. ABEL             IF THERE’S ANYBODY STILL HUMAN HERE COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF.

318. NIKESH         (WHISPERS) Not a sound.

319. ZACH            Sandwiches, Abel. Someone’s been eating sandwiches. Look.

320. ABEL             Any sign of any hummers.

321. ZACH            All seem to be down at the beach.

322. ABEL             (TO PEOPLE AT DISTANCE) COME ON YOU LOT. LET’S GO.

SFX                      SOUND OF PEOPLE MARAUDING THROUGH THE HOSPITAL CORRIDORS UPENDING CHAIRS ETC

(UNDER ABOVE)

323. NINA             We’ve got to get out of here.

324. NIKESH         Yeh, but where?

SFX                      SUDDENLY THE DOOR IS OPENED, BUT THE STRANGER TALKS TO SOMEONE OUTSIDE

325. ABEL             I’LL CHECK IN HERE, ZACH

326. NINA             Down behind the examination bed

327. NIKESH         What? 

328. NINA             Have you got a better idea?

329. NIKESH         All he has to do is look over the bed and we’re finished.

330. NINA             Then we’d best hope he doesn’t.

SFX                      ABEL LOOKS INSIDE THE SCANNING ROOM

331. ZACH            ANYONE IN THERE?

332. ABEL             Someone’s left the scanning machine on.

333. ZACH            Who?

334. ABEL             You tell me. Want me to take a look?

335. ZACH            Not unless there’s anything in there we can use.

336. ABEL             Nah, doesn’t look like it. Wait.

337. ZACH            What? (tiny beat) What?

338. ABEL             Thought something passed by the window. It’s nothing.

339. ZACH            All right then. Let’s go.

SFX                      ABEL LEAVES AND HURRIES AWAY UP THE CORRIDOR. NIKESH AND NINA BREATHE OUT

340. NINA             You think maybe we should have made ourselves known to him?

341. NIKESH         After what we saw on the beach?

342. NINA             They can’t all have changed into homicidal maniacs.

343. NIKESH         I’m not in any mood to take a risk on it are you?

SFX                      MORE SHOUTING FROM INSIDE THE HOSPITAL

344. NIKESH         Just wish I had any idea as to where to go.

SCENE 6              INT THE BASEMENT

SFX                      THE LOW RUMBLE OF PIPES – OTHERWISE ALL IS QUIET

345. NIKESH         You should try and eat something.

346. NINA             It’s all right. Not really very hungry.

347. NIKESH         You haven’t eaten for hours.

348. NINA             Seems pretty quiet up there now, doesn’t it?

349. NIKESH         Lucky for us they didn’t check the basement.

350. NINA             Lucky for us we even found it. They still could though, couldn’t they? Find us.

351. NIKESH         Fuck are we going to do?

352. NINA             Wait for the dead of night and make a run for it.

                            NIKESH GETS OUT HIS PHONE AND SIGHS

353. NIKESH         Hm.

354. NINA             What is it?

355. NIKESH         It’s tomorrow already. Look. Three nineteen.

356. NINA             Has your phone got any signal?

357. NIKESH         Nope. Nothing.

TINY BEAT

358. NINA             What are we going to do, Nikesh?

359. NIKESH         What we can.

360. NINA             I mean the people who are left can’t all be insane can they?

361. NIKESH         No, but they can all be scared.

362. 3NINA            We’re scared.

363. NIKESH         But we’ve got some insight.

364. NINA             Do we?

365. NIKESH         Well, you do, don’t you? (TINY BEAT) So - 

366. NINA             Huh?

367. NIKESH         Night they took you to Hazel Hill. 

368. NINA             No, Niko.

369. NIKESH         Yes, Nina. What happened the night they took you away.

370. URQHART     (IN OTHER SCENE) I’m not sure I do quite understand, Nina.

371. NINA             An autopsy happened.

SCENE 7              INT. HAZEL HILL. FLASHBACK

372. URQHART     Well, I’m hardly a pathologist, but I’m very grateful that you suggested I assist with the autopsy.

373. NINA             And thank heavens you could come.

374. URQHART     My most promising ex-student. How could I refuse.

375. NINA             It’s quite the set-up they have here isn’t it?

376. URQHART     Its bloody formidable is what it is. Signing all those forms. All these people from the security services milling about. I’d never even heard so much as a whisper that a place like Hazel Hill even existed.

377. NINA             Well, they’re very lucky to have you. Especially as what we have here is, well what do we have here.

378. URQHART     The anomalies in the deceased’s Chromosomic make up are at the very least… unusual. 

379. NINA             Then you’ve experienced these anomalies before?

380. URQHART     Certainly not to this extent. What’s even more extraordinary is that a mutation of this scale might well have been expected to incapacitate, or even kill, the person enduring it. But they’re all, apart from being dead, fighting fit. 

381. NINA             Syed.

382. URQHART     Sorry?

383. NINA             My future father-in-law. Death’s door last week. Perfect health today. And he’s not alone. I and some of my colleagues at the hospital have terminal patients who are suddenly terminal no more. 

384. URQHART     That’s extraordinary Nina. Just extraordinary. 

385. NINA             But they’ve not manifested any transformative symptoms. 

386. URQUHART   As yet.

387. NINA             As yet.

388. URQHART     Plus there’s this extremely puzzling anomaly beneath all of their shoulder blades.

389. NINA             The tumours?

390. URQHART     If tumours they be.

391. NINA             You don’t think so?

392. URQHART     This isn’t a tumour. I don’t know what I think.

393. TAYLOR         Sorry, to interrupt.

394. URQHART     Not at all Ms.

395. TAYLOR         You can call me Taylor, Professor. Grateful for the recommendation Doctor Markovic.

396. NINA             Not at all.

397. URQHART     Well, Taylor, I’ll urgently need to do a lot more testing and analysis. 

398. TAYLOR         Hazel Hill is a state of the art research facility. Whatever you require, I’m sure we can provide. 

399. URQHART     I don’t doubt it. But what I can say from these preliminary investigations is that what we’re witnessing is an aggressive – and almost entirely inexplicable – chromosomic transformation. 

SCENE 8              INT. BASEMENT

400. NINA             And that was almost the last I saw of Professor Urqhart.

401. NIKESH         Would it be worth trying to go back to Hazel Hill do you think?

402. NINA             I’ve absolutely no idea where it is.

403. NIKESH         But they must have given you a means to contact them.

404. NINA             That’s not how it works.

405. NIKESH         And baba?  You knew about baba? 

406. NINA             A hypothesis, nothing more. 

407. NIKESH         So when did Professor Urqhart inform you that all was well?

408. NINA             We met again in Regents Park. Day I asked Liv to wait for you in the flat.

409. NIKESH         The day I got back from Japan.

410. NINA             He said they’d found a way to neutralise the activation in chromosome K30 and that a drug was in production which would be distributed around the world.

411. NIKESH         And you believed that?

412. NINA             Why wouldn’t I believe it? He was my Professor and in line for a Nobel Prize. Plus, I wanted to believe it, Niko, because the alternative was just too terrible to even think about.

413. NIKESH         …

414. NINA             You think we can get out of this basement?

NIKESH                God I hope so

SFX                      SUDDENLY THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS FLICKER ON

415. JANICE          Who are you and what are you doing here.

416. NIKESH         Could ask you the same question.

417. JANICE          You armed?

418. NIKESH         No.

419. NINA             Are you?

420. JANICE          There are a load of us in the hospital.

421. NIKESH         A load of us who?

422. JANICE          People.

423. NIKESH         Cos we were on the beach today? Saw the people getting shot. My father amongst them.

424. JANICE          That wasn’t anybody here.

425. NIKESH         Says you.

426. JANICE          And genuinely I’m sorry for your loss.

427. NINA             Then who was it?

428. JANICE          I don’t know. Nutters with guns. Look, we haven’t time for a great big chat. Most of us are heading off at first light.

429. NIKESH         Heading off where?

430. JANICE          Gatwick?

431. NINA             The airport?

432. JANICE          Safest place they say.

433. NIKESH         Are people flying the planes?

434. JANICE          Course they’re not flying the planes. Now, are we getting out of here, or aren’t we?

435. NINA             We’re on our way.

436. JANICE          Follow me. I’m Janice.

437. NINA             Nina. And this is my husband Nikesh. 

438. JANICE          Nice dress by the way.

439. NIKESH         Hi.

440. NINA             We got married today.

441. NIKESH         Just before...

442. JANICE          Managed to sneak it in under the wire, then?

443. NIKESH         Bully for us.

SFX                      SUDDENLY THERE IS AS LOUD EXPLOSION UPSTAIRS. PIPES CRASH TO THE GROUND.

444. NINA             The fuck was that?

445. JANICE          Oh my God the ceiling’s falling in

446. NIKESH         How the hell do we get out of here?

SFX                      THERE IS ANOTHER EXPLOSION.

447. JANICE          This way - I think it’s this way. No wait, wait. 

SFX                      THER IS THE SOUND OF FALLING RUBBLE

448. NINA             You OK? Hello? Janice?

                            SILENCE

449. NIKESH         Lets go, Nina.

450. NINA             But what if she’s hurt?

451. NIKESH         NOW!!

SFX                      THE SOUND OF CLATTERING – MORE CHAOS – MORE DISTANT SOUNDS OF PANIC

SCENE 9              EXT. THE STREET. LATER.

SFX                      NIKESH AND NINA ARE BREATHING IN AND OUT – AT DISTANCE – SIRENS

452. NIKESH         Sounds like someone found a fire engine.

453. NINA             We should have tried to find and help her. That woman.

454. NIKESH         With the hospital falling down around our ears?

455. NINA             She was standing right in front of us.

456. NIKESH         Yeh, she was. And I’m sorry but exactly what could we have done?

457. NINA             What are we going to do, Niko?

458. NIKESH         Find the car and get the fuck out of Brighton?

459. NINA             And go where? Gatwick?

460. NIKESH         Belvedere Hotel’s just ahead of us. See?

461. NINA             And you’ve got the car keys?

462. NIKESH         What? No.

463. NINA             You’re kidding.

464. NIKESH         They’re in our room at the hotel.

465. NINA             I’m not going back inside and neither are you.

466. NIKESH         Then what do we do?

467. NINA             How about one of these abandoned cars?

468. NIKESH         You think someone left the keys in?

469. NINA             I’ve no idea.

470. NIKESH         Hold on.

SFX                      NIKESH CAUTIOUSLY OPENS THE DOOR OF AN ABANDONED CAR

471. NIKESH         Nothing in this one. Let’s try one of the others.

472. NINA             I’ll keep an eye out.

473. NIKESH         For its owner?

474. NINA             You know for who. Gunmen.

                            NIKESH MOVES ON

475. NINA             Anything?

476. NIKESH         Nope.

SFX                      SUDDENLY SOME RANDOM GUNSHOTS – AT DISTANCE

477. NINA             They sound as if they’re right around the corner

478. NIKESH         Hold on a second.

479. NINA             Hurry, Niko. Please.

480. NIKESH         Found one. Come on.

SFX                      SOME SHOTS – A LITTLE CLOSER. NIKESH STARTS THE CAR. NINA RUNS OVER TO THE CAR 

481. NINA             Hold on, hold on.

SFX                      SHE GETS IN AND PULLS ON HER SEAT BELT.

482. NIKESH         You all strapped in?

483. NINA             Just drive Niko, Just drive

SFX                      NIKESH STARTS THE CAR AND IT MOVES AWAY

SCENE 10             INT CAR

484. NINA             So far so good.

485. NIKESH         Looks as if there’s a few more people with the same idea.

486. NINA             Long as they’re not shooting at us, I don’t mind.

                            NIKESH REACHES OVER AND TOUCHES NINA’S TUMMY

487. NIKESH         How are you both doing?

488. NINA             I’m good. We’re good.

489. NIKESH         You’re not feeling sick or anything?

490. NINA             Nope.

491. NIKESH         Oh my God, it’s really happening, isn’t it? It’s really really happening.

492. NINA             But you’re happy, you’re happy, aren’t you?

493. NIKESH         I’m. I’m beyond happy.

                            HE STOPS THE CAR, AND THEY KISS

                            I’m beyond terrified too. 

494. NINA             Let’s get the hell out of here.

495. NIKESH         Least there aren’t any roadblocks.

496. NINA             None as yet.

497. NIKESH         Maybe, just maybe the worst is over.

498. NINA             Maybe.

499. NIKESH         And maybe we can start getting things back to normal.

500. NINA             By we you mean the lonely.

501. NIKESH         I don’t feel lonely. Do you?

502. NINA             No

503. NIKESH         Long as we’ve got each other we’ll be OK.

504. NINA             Yeh. Yeh. 

                            NIKESH LEANS FORWARD

505. NIKESH         The fuck is this now?

506. NINA             Huh?

507. NIKESH         Coming down the A23. 

508. NINA             Oh my God there’s thousands of them. Thousands and thousands. All across the lanes. Stop the car.

5109 NIKESH        You think?

510. NINA             Well, you can’t just plough through them, can you?

SFX                      NIKESH STOPS THE CAR – THE HUM AND CLICKS OF A THOUSAND LNM’S

511. NIKESH         Not seeing us at all are they?

512. NINA             Don’t seem to be. 

513. NIKESH         Where do you think they’re all heading?

514. NINA             Same place as all the others. The beach.

515. NIKESH         But what are they doing there?

516. NINA             It was like they were waiting.

517. NIKESH         For what? For what are they waiting?

TINY BEAT

518. NINA             Gatwick. That woman said something about Gatwick.

519. NIKESH         Gatwick’s miles away.

520. NINA             Well, there’s no way we’re getting back to London?

521. NIKESH         You any idea how to get there?

522. NINA             Follow the road the opposite way to all of them I guess.

523. NIKESH         And if they don’t let us in when we get there?

524. NINA             Then we’re totally and utterly one hundred percent screwed aren’t we? 

525. NIKESH         Well, when you put it like that – come on.

[1] Croatian swearing