Fic: Man Down (1/11)

[bigtitch]

Title: Man Down Part 1
Author: bigtitch
Characters: Becker/Lester, Danny, Cutter, Stephen/Ryan (implied), Abby, Kermit, Finn, Ditzy, Lyle, Connor, Stringer, Dean, Sarah, various OCs
Rating: Gen, slash
Warnings: Murder most foul
Spoilers: None
Word count: 107 pages script format
Disclaimer: Not mine, no names, no packdrill.
A/N: This was written as part of this February's PriWriMo and as a birthday present for fredbassett. Thanks to everyone who waved pompoms or was otherwise encouraging. Huge thanks to fififolle for the epic (and super fast) betaing.

Lyle's Mum, Julia, appears with the kind permission of fredbassett. I should say the same about Lady Lurcher, but I don't think 'kind permission' is accurate considering that fredbassett stomped in and demanded I find a place for a lurcher in this story!

This is set in my own private AU, somewhere after the fungus monster episode, so Jenny has left, but Cutter has miraculously survived Helen's attack. Ryan is now a major. And Becker was in the Blues and Royals before he joined the SAS and the ARC. The attack at the start of the fic is based on the friendly fire incident in Operation Telic, needless to say my version is fictional and any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is completely unintended and coincidental.

I think script format is understandable without a primer, however, there are two abbreviations used throughout that can bear some explanation. (O.C.) stands for Off Camera - when a person is present and speaking but not visible. (V.O.) stands for Voice Over - when a person is narrating the action but is not seen on screen.

EXT. A DUSTY ROAD IN RURAL AFGHANISTAN - DAY

ON SCREEN: FIVE YEARS AGO

Six armoured vehicles are halted along a dry road. The first one is on its side, burning and blocking the way for the rest. A blackened patch of sand beside it shows that an IED was the cause of the damage.

The British troops are hiding in a row behind each vehicle. A young officer, LT DAVID ARMSTRONG pokes his head slightly around the wheel of one vehicle and jumps back immediately as there's a ping as a bullet hits the truck.

ARMSTRONG

Where's the bloody air-support?

There's the sound of jet engines in the distant.

SOLDIER 1

That'll be them, sir!

ARMSTRONG

About bloody time.

The engine noise gets louder. Suddenly all hell breaks loose as the convoy is strafed by the jets.

ARMSTRONG

What the fuck do they think they're doing?

A vehicle further along the convoy takes heavy damage. Bullets hit two soldiers.

SOLDIER 2 (O.C.)

Man down! Repeat. Man down!

CUT TO:

INT. THE ARC - ATRIUM - DAY 1 - DAY

ON SCREEN: PRESENT DAY

It's business as usual in the ARC. There are the usual complement of people coming in and out of the atrium on their own business.

The ADD alarm goes off and suddenly everything is focussed on that.

BECKER rushes in and heads straight for the ADD.

BECKER

Another one? Where's this one?

The ADD technician checks the map. It zooms down to a place south west of London.

TECHNICIAN

Hindhead in Surrey, Becker. Devil's Punch Bowl it says. National Trust property.

BECKER

Please no stately homes and greenhouses. Not after the last time.

TECHNICIAN

I don't think so. It's a beauty spot, I think.

BECKER

There'll be a tea-shop, you mark my words.

BECKER turns round to see who has joined the crowd.

BECKER

Right. Ross, you're on locking device duty. Finn, Kermit, you're with me.

KERMIT

Who's on animal duty? Stephen's out with Lyle on the first shout.

BECKER

It's going to have to be Abby.

KERMIT

She's not going to be pleased.

CUT TO:

INT. ARC - LAB - DAY 1 - DAY

ABBY is bent over a microscope at a lab bench. Piles of culture dishes are stacked up around her. She's clicking a mechanical counter as she stares.

The door opens and BECKER sticks his head through.

BECKER

Abby!

ABBY

No! I'm not here.

BECKER

Sorry, Abby there's no one else.

ABBY looks up.

ABBY

If I stop this now, I'll have to start all over again from the beginning.

BECKER

Sorry. I really am.

ABBY growls in frustration, but stands up.

ABBY

If this is a damp squib I'm going to be so annoyed. It's not like I want anyone dead on the ground or hurt or anything, but there had better be creatures after all this!

CUT TO:

INT. INSIDE A HILUX - DAY 1 - DAY

BECKER and ABBY drive through a very foggy landscape. Trees loom up on either side. They drive into a small village and across two mini-roundabouts.

ABBY

That's it. Straight ahead.

BECKER does just that, with little consideration for the road markings or other road users.

ABBY

I know this. It's the old A3. Total nightmare before they put the tunnel in.

They drive up the street past a car showroom and end up in a carpark. They stop and open the doors to get out.

CUT TO:

EXT. DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL CAR PARK - DAY 1 - DAY

It is difficult to see anything through the mist, but there is a dark green range rover with the National Trust logo on the door and a police car parked up. PC TAIB, PC TEY and Ranger SIMPSON walk over to them.

TAIB

They said you'd be coming. Are you going to tell us what's going on?

BECKER

When we know what we're dealing with. Anything to report?

SIMPSON

There's something strange in the woods. We've got highland cattle in the paddock, but this was far bigger than that.

FINN, KERMIT and ROSS walk up. ROSS is holding a portable ADD and carrying the locking device in a bag on his shoulder.

BECKER

Anything showing on the ADD?

ROSS

It's still open.

BECKER

Anyone got a detailed map of the terrain?

SIMPSON

I do.

CUT TO

EXT. DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL CAR PARK - DAY 1 - DAY

BECKER, ABBY, ROSS, KERMIT, FINN, TAIB, TEY and SIMPSON are standing over the bonnet of a Hilux with a map spread out before them.

SIMPSON

OK. Devil's Punch Bowl and Hindhead Commons. The punch bowl is a deep oval scoop in the side of the hill with the arms running roughly north on each side. We're on its southern end. The route of the old A3 runs along the eastern arm, and above it is the rest of the hill which is a mixture of woodland and meadow. The western arm is steep sided and completely wooded. Whatever's happening is in the eastern end.

BECKER

Thanks. Ross, is that where the site is?

ROSS

Looks like it, boss. How steep is steep? I don't want to fall off anything in the fog.

SIMPSON

There's no actual cliffs, but there's a few places you'll have a pretty quick descent if you don't watch your feet.

BECKER

Right. Ross and Finn go and secure the site.

ROSS and FINN disappear into the fog. BECKER looks round. There are three family cars in the car park.

BECKER

Do we know how many people are on the property?

SIMPSON looks round.

SIMPSON

The Focus belongs to Joan in the cafe. The other two are visitors. We get a lot of dog walkers.

BECKER

Right, we need to stop any more joining us. Officers, can you set up a roadblock at least half-way down the street? I want people well away from this place. Simpson, can you persuade Joan to take the day off? I really want as few people around here as possible.

TAIB and ROSS get in their car and drive off. SIMPSON walks off in the direction of the cafe.

BECKER

ROSS! FINN! Report.

ROSS (O.C)

We've found it, boss, on the route of the old A3. Just shutting it down now.

BECKER

Any sign of what came through?

FINN (O.C.)

There are tracks in the ground. Not sure what or how many at the moment.

BECKER

Get me a rough guess as soon as you can.

SIMPSON and JOAN appear. She is carrying on a complaint that clearly started in the cafe.

JOAN

Well, as long as you make sure this is OK with the bosses. I don't want to lose any pay or holidays over something that's not my fault. And when will I know when to come back? Oooer! Whatever's that?

CUT TO

A triceratops walks slowly past at the limit of their vision in the mist. It disappears into the fog.

CUT TO

BECKER

That's why we need you to leave. We don't want one of those bumping into your car or you.

JOAN

I should think not. Well, I never!

KERMIT ushers her towards her car and sees her off.

FINN (O.C.)

Boss! Something's definitely come through. Something pretty big by the size of its feet.

BECKER

Triceratops.

FINN (O.C.)

Could be. The tracks are that big.

BECKER

That wasn't a guess. How many came through?

FINN (O.C.)

Two for definite. I don't think there's more.

BECKER

Simpson, how big an area are we talking here?

SIMPSON

Eastern end? About a square mile? Western end's about two square miles.

BECKER

Too big for us in this fog. I wonder if Lyle's bunch are back yet?

CUT TO:

EXT. DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL - OLD ROAD - DAY 1 - DAY

BECKER, ABBY AND FINN walk down the line of the old road. All possible views are hidden in the fog. A yellow shape appears in the fog on the right.

FINN

What's that?

BECKER shines a torch, but the fog just reflects the light back in this big glow. He turns it off.

They walk closer. The yellow shape becomes more familiar.

BECKER

It's a JCB!

They stare it for a second.

ABBY

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

BECKER

Finn, check if there are any keys in it.

FINN scrambles up into the cab and checks around.

FINN

Sorry, boss. None here.

ABBY

Aw. It might have been nice to be able to chase a dinosaur with something that's as big as it is.

BECKER

I keep telling Lester we need a tank. Just a small one.

FINN climbs down.

FINN

You keep telling him boss!

CUT TO:

EXT. DEVIL PUNCH BOWL - CAR PARK - DAY 1 - DAY

BECKER, ABBY, FINN and KERMIT are sitting on a picnic table at the side of the car park with a cup of tea each. A Hilux pulls up and STRINGER, DEAN and two other men get out. One of the men is young, tall and dark-haired (ARMSTRONG). The other is a sandy-haired older man of medium height and a worn-looking face, he speaks with a Scottish accent (REARE).

STRINGER smiles at Abby and then turns to the rest of them.

STRINGER

All right for some. Are you sure you're not over-exerting yourselves?

BECKER

We ordered Lyle!

STRINGER

He's still busy playing on the beach at Hove. What we got?

ABBY

Triceratops.

ARMSTRONG and REARE exchange astonished looks.

REARE

You're kidding.

BECKER

No. We have a couple of triceratops wandering around in the fog.

ABBY

And we need to put them back where they came from.

STRINGER

Introductions. This is Abby Maitland, animal expert. And this is Lt Armstrong, new boy. And Sgt Reare.

REARE

Old boy. So what are they like?

ABBY

Triceratops. Think bulldozer on legs. They're herbivores, so they won't be trying to kill you, but they're nervous and big so they might do it by accident.

REARE

Like elephants.

ABBY

Yes, only bigger. They're used to being hunted by T-Rexes so any of their responses is going to be way over the top for the threat we pose.

ARMSTRONG

And we can't just shoot them?

ABBY

Not unless human life is threatened. They don't belong here and we have to put them back where they do belong. It's not their fault they're here.

STRINGER

What's the plan?

BECKER

We're at the end of a plateau that run East-West. The old A3 runs half way down the northern slope of the hill. The anomaly is about half a mile along the road. What we want to do is drive the creatures along the plateau towards this point and then we'll turn them down the road.

ABBY

Once they're on it the steep slopes should keep them contained until they reach the anomaly.

STRINGER

Sounds like a plan, but how do we drive them along? Jump up and down and shout?

ABBY takes up a torch and switches it on.

ABBY

This bright light in the fog should be enough to scare them. It worked on a scutosorous we met when we found the first anomaly.

BECKER

Right. Let's get started shall we? Ross is anomaly monitor today. Finn, you're with Abby unless?

BECKER looks at STRINGER

STRINGER

No. I won't break up a good team.

BECKER

OK. Armstrong and Kermit, you stay here in the car park. It's your job to turn any creature we send this way down on to the old road.

KERMIT

Yes, boss.

BECKER

Stringer, Dean, Paddy and me - we're the hunters. Let's go and find ourselves a couple of dinosaurs!

CUT TO:

EXT. DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL - WOODED PATH - DAY 1 - DAY

FINN and ABBY walk cautiously along the paved path. There is a steep drop on one side and woods to the other. Shapes loom out of the fog, but none of them are what they are looking for.

A big shape lumbers into view to their right. It is eating the leaves of a holly tree and making deep rumbles as it does so.

FINN speaks into his collar mic.

FINN

Finn here. We have one.

BECKER (O.C.)

Position?

FINN

Half way down the path at the northern end.

STRINGER (O.C.)

Reare and I are close to there. Get east of it and start it moving west. We'll join you.

FINN

Copy that.

FINN and ABBY edge past the eating triceratops. When they are a safe distance from it, they switch on their lamps and walk towards it slowly.

The triceratops notices them coming and bellows at them. When they don't stop, it puts its head down, but sidles away. STRINGER arrives and at the extra light, the triceratops turns and begins to move towards the car park.

FINN

It's working!

ABBY

Keep it slow. We don't want it to get out of control.

They keep driving it forward.

STRINGER

Armstrong! Kermit! We're nearly with you. Get ready!

KERMIT

We see you!

When KERMIT and ARMSTRONG turn on their lights the creature nearly balks, but REARE appears to the side and with his light on it leaves the triceratops with only one place to go. It turns and starts to run down the old road.

STRINGER

Nice one, Paddy!

They chase down the road after the triceratops, picking up speed.

ABBY

Open the anomaly, Ross! And keep out of the way!

ROSS (O.C.)

Yes, ma'am!

The anomaly is open. The triceratops runs through without hesitation. ROSS closes it behind it.

STRINGER

Not bad! One down, one to go!

CUT TO: