You are on page 1of 10

PUSHED

Written by R. Mike Lyons & Mark Higgins

Draft 3 October 13, 2010

rmikelyons@gmail.com +1 (719) 310-6660

FADE IN: INT. LARGE EMPTY ROOM - UNKNOWN The room is dark, except for a blinding white light barely blocked by an OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT on one side of a bland table. Opposite the agent sits MOUSE. He's in his early thirties and nicknamed Mouse for his boyish looks. On top of the bland table is a binder. through it. The agent flips

OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT Only the President can authorize a nuclear launch. The agent flips the page. It's a personnel sheet for Mouse.

OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT (CONTD) But the job of pushing the kill switch belongs to two men. Another page flip. little boy. A picture of Mouse next to a woman and a

OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT (CONTD) The first man is in charge of launching the weapons. The page flips. A photo of the same little boy from before is seen, but this time playing on a swing. OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT (CONTD) But condemning millions of people to an excruciating death can be, well... hard. On some people. One more page flip, one more photo. This time it's a satellite photo. Marked on the page is Mouse's house. A few of the houses have rectangles around them labelled as "control zones." X's are marked within the control zones. Dashed lines emanate from the X's towards Mouse's house. OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT (CONTD) The second man, however... (leans forward) ...is tasked with ensuring that the President's orders are not ignored. The agent closes the binder with a SLAM. OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT (CONTD) Do you understand?

2. Mouse nods in understanding. Another AGENT appears from the darkness behind Mouse and places a burlap bag over his head. MOUSE'S POV The burlap bag obscures Mouse's vision, but flashes of light are seen through the weaves. TITLE SEQUENCE Various noises are heard. Mouse being grabbed out of his chair, and his FEET DRAGGING on the ground. A THUD as he's thrown into a van. The ENGINE STARTING and the van DRIVING OFF somewhere unknown. The sounds and flashes of light continue until we reach... INT. NUCLEAR LAUNCH CONTROL ROOM - DAY 14 FEBRUARY -ISH Mouse, still blinded, is thrown and falls with a THUD. ominous sound of a DEADBOLT LOCKS into place. VOICE (O.S.) Wake up, sweetpea. The mask is ripped off. The room, if you could call it that, is now visible. Pipes stretch exposed from one wall to the next. Mouse sits up. In front of Mouse is a wall, draped with a fading American flag. Beneath the flag is a red light, currently off. Below is a desk. The desk is barren, save for a computer and a clear plastic cube with yellow and black stripes on the bottom. On one side is a key lock. Inside the cube sits a red button. Mouse looks to his left. There are two lockers and a metal bunkbed. A handwritten calendar hangs on the wall by the bottom bunk. It says "February -ish." The days are crossed off through the 13th. A dart board hangs on a wall near the beds. shelves with rectangular cardboard boxes. MOUSE (looking around) Where am I? Next to that are The

3. Behind Mouse is COLONEL CHURCH, who could easily be mistaken for R. Lee Ermey. A security camera hangs on the wall over his right shoulder. CHURCH Transportation can be disorienting. But the secrecy is for a good reason. Church extends his hand and helps Mouse off the ground. CHURCH (CONTD) Lieutenant Michaels? MOUSE Yes, Colonel Church, sir. CHURCH Just Church. MOUSE You can call me Mouse, then. Everyone else does. CHURCH Well, Mouse. Lockers there. The one on the left. You get top bunk. Shitter's over there, and rations there. Mouse heads over to the locker first. MOUSE How do I get in? CHURCH Check your pockets. Mouse searches a few pockets. Finally, he checks his upper left pocket, the one over his heart. He pulls out a key. He opens the locker. top shelf. Empty. Except for a shoe box on the There's a lock on it.

He pulls out the box and opens the top. Inside are copies of the documents from the binder, including the photo of his family. He lifts the photo up and looks at it for a moment. He puts it back, but notices something else is there - a pistol. FLASH - The agent and that blinding light.

4. OVERWEIGHT GOVERNMENT AGENT The second man, however... (leans forward) ...is tasked with ensuring that the President's orders are not ignored. 15 FEBRUARY -ISH The two men are playing darts. Mouse tosses his last dart. He strikes a triple 20. Mouse walks up to the board and retrieves his darts. MOUSE Gotta love racking up the points. Mouse walks away and marks his score on a notepad. Church steps up for his turn. Mouse glances at the button. CHURCH That's my job. Church lets loose. He hits the outer bull. Church. Church returns the look. CHURCH (CONTD) I push the button. If America wants to trade body blows with the Russians, I'll take pride in sending the bastards to hell. MOUSE Are you sure? I'm sure. CHURCH The dart lands outside the Mouse looks at

Church turns and throws the dart. outer wire ring. 29 MARCH -ISH

Mouse is running around the room, exercising. the bottom bunk.

Church naps in

Mouse makes a lap, then another. He stops after one more lap around the room. He stands next to the desk with the button. He wipes his brow of sweat and looks at the button. Mouse glances over at Church. On one of Church's belt loops hangs a carabiner keychain with two keys. Mouse pulls out his one key from his pocket.

5. A look to his key. Then to Church's. Then back to the button. He puts his key away and starts running again. His next lap he runs into Church out of nowhere. CHURCH The strength of the Corps relies on the strength of each individual marine. Each marine must fulfill his duty. Whatever it entails. Church walks back to his bunk, chuckling as though he told the greatest joke ever. Mouse carries a look of confusion. 22 APRIL -ISH A world map is sprawled on the floor. Sharpie marks go along borders, creating a makeshift Risk map. Little blue homemade pieces cover most of the territories. Only the Middle East has two little red pieces. Church rolls his dice, all high numbers. all low numbers. CHURCH America triumphs again. I told you, you can't win while in the Middle East. Church gives a small chuckle over his victory. MOUSE America doesn't always win. A BLARING ALARM sounds and the light on the wall flashes red. The alarm stops after a few seconds, but the light continues to flash. Both men rush over to the desk. They stare at each other, then the caged button. A CLICK is heard, and the computer monitor displays "00:01:00" "00:00:59" "00:00:58" Church removes the carabiner keychain from his belt loop. He selects one of the keys and pushes it into the lock on the cube. Church just leaves the key in the lock. Mouse rolls his,

6. CHURCH (to himself) This doesn't feel right. FLASH - The agent and that blinding light. Mouse walks over to his locker. "00:00:47" "00:00:46" He pulls out his key and opens the locker. Mouse grabs the shoebox and grabs the pistol without looking in the box. The photo of his family falls onto the floor. "00:00:38" Mouse turns around and walks back to Church. Church stares at the button. notices the pistol. He turns to look at Mouse and

CHURCH (CONTD) That won't be necessary, Mouse. Church unlocks the box surrounding the button and lifts it. "00:00:31" Church hovers his hand above the button. "00:00:26" Church's hand shakes. Mouse looks at the monitor and back to Church. Well? "00:00:23" He points the pistol at Church. "00:00:20" FLASH - Mouse's son catching a baseball in a glove. Push it! MOUSE (CONTD) MOUSE Push it. Calm and steady.

Church looks at Mouse.

7. "00:00:17" Church looks back at the button. "00:00:13" Church closes the case and locks it. "00:00:10" MOUSE (CONTD) What are you doing? Church looks at Mouse. "00:00:07" CHURCH Something isn't right. "00:00:06" Mouse cocks his gun. "00:00:05" MOUSE Push the button, Church. "00:00:04" CHURCH Put away the gun, son. "00:00:03" CHURCH (CONTD) You're not a killer. "00:00:02" "00:00:01" "00:00:00" Mouse squeezes the trigger. The BLARING ALARM is heard again, silencing the gun fire. Church collapses and Mouse drops his pistol. Mouse runs over and grabs the keys off of Church's corpse, getting blood all over his hands in the process. The monitor now flashes "00:00:00" repeatedly. His hand is calmer now.

8. Mouse unlocks the case, lifts it, and pushes the button sitting inside. The light and monitor both shut off automatically. Mouse walks away slowly. He turns around so his back hits a wall. He slumps down, sliding his back all the way down. He stares at the blood on his hands, then up to the security camera on the wall. INT. LABORATORY - CONTINUOUS Monitors surround a room filled with men and women in white lab coats. Four large monitors are in the middle of the rest. They display the Nuclear Launch Control Room. Some of the men and women have pencils and take notes on tablets of paper. Others study monitors with vital signs on the screen -- one is flat. Two scientists in particular, a MALE SCIENTIST and a FEMALE SCIENTIST, watch the four large monitors displaying Mouse sitting on the ground. FADE OUT. INT. LABORATORY - ALTERNATE ENDING #1 Monitors surround a room filled with men and women in white lab coats. Four large monitors are in the middle of the rest. They display the Nuclear Launch Control Room. Some of the men and women have pencils and take notes on tablets of paper. Others study monitors with vital signs on the screen -- one is flat. Two scientists in particular, a MALE SCIENTIST and a FEMALE SCIENTIST, watch the four large monitors displaying Mouse sitting on the ground. MALE SCIENTIST We'll need men like him. Which? FEMALE SCIENTIST FADE OUT. INT. LABORATORY - ALTERNATE ENDING #2 Monitors surround a room filled with men and women in white lab coats. Four large monitors are in the middle of the rest. They display the Nuclear Launch Control Room.

9. Some of the men and women have pencils and take notes on tablets of paper. Others study monitors with vital signs on the screen -- one is flat. Two scientists in particular, a MALE SCIENTIST and a FEMALE SCIENTIST, watch the four large monitors displaying Mouse sitting on the ground. MALE SCIENTIST We'll need men like him. FEMALE SCIENTIST Amazing. Patriotism isn't enough incentive, I guess. MALE SCIENTIST Nope. Fear is the ingredient we'll need when this program becomes operational. FADE OUT.

You might also like