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SUMMARY SYNOPSIS:
Captain Nick PRESTON is a tall, ruggedly
handsome Army Ranger Captain with special operations training
and past experience in war. He is a maverick and finds himself
decorated because he "broke the rules" and then is
demoted because he "broke the rules" and landing up
in the Mojave Desert at Fort Edenberg
Marine Reserve as the penalty. His post becomes the "Mojave
Island" of Central California after the 400 seconds 9.5
earthquake and is the last defensive boundary against possible
threat but, he finds the threat is internal.
The four (4) leading characters each have a secret. Captain Preston
has memory loss - does not want to let others know and doubt
his leadership while he handles the responsibilities heaped on
him to find food, fuel, fellow survivors and protect his little
group from dangers; ration supplies and try not to lose his head
when lower ranking officers do not follow orders; i.e.; Sarah
McBride, Airforce Captain.
Angular, lean, beautiful,
no-nonsense Captain SARAH McBRIDE
(who has never seen war has a burning desire to find her pilot
(Big Mike, aka; MICHAEL) that is missing from her unit. Michael
should have landed at sixteen hundred hours after going through
air maneuvers. He was in the air when the earthquake hit and
he saw it all. But, where is he and why does Captain McBride
care so much - enough to disobey orders from Preston? Preston
is disturbed that he is disturbed.
Sergeant LUCKY
SIMCOE the big, rollicking, Texas-tough Marine master mechanic
extraordinaire has been thrown off base after base time after
time because his wildcat, blond wife, CANDY
Cannot stay in his bed.... she cannot help herself. She tantalizes,
teases, flirts and carries through only to come back to him for
forgiveness and win him back. He is strong in every other area
of his life but with his unreliable wife that calls him "Daddy".
She is the kind of woman that men love to be loved by and the
kind of woman that women hate - a mismanaged beauty. Lucky is
stationed at the Fort Edenberg Reserve upon Preston' arrival.
The Warden at the prison
is actually "JESUS" (the
madman scheduled for execution a the precise moment the earthquake
hits). The execution is aborted. The prison overthrown and JESUS
is the twisted mind running the prison under installations of
"motivational therapy". It is clear there is zero tolerance
for anything less than full attention to scriptures being read
(with misquotes conveniently incorporated as it serves JESUS)
over a loud speaker. The consequences are of not being happy
in paradise (the prison) is to join the dead guards and half-alive
prisoners hanging upside down on chains, curing for the dinner
meat for the prisons. The prison still has meat 90 days after
the earthquake but they need water and water is on the Marine
Reserve Depot at Edenberg.
Because of rank, Preston is the appointed leader. McBride is
anxious to reconnect with her unit after the earthquake but,
Preston orders her to stay put and they will patrol West only
for now. She is insistent that the direction to head is East
and does not understand why Preston is hesitant to go for East.
Later, she finds out there is no East. Only Ocean.
POPE, a beautifu1, young, 20 year old
Native American man attending school and working the lemon orchards
in each summer between classes and his wry, old Native American
grandfather, COOKY straggles in days
after the earthquake. COOKY can make even dog food (the only
food left in supply because the Fort Edenberg was the canine
stopover and training ground).
Periodically, Preston keeps
getting flashes of memories or impressions of an old white bus
with FREEDOM BAPTIST CHURCH on the side of the road in the desert
loaded with black swarming around the back of a jacked up bus.
There is a beautiful, black SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER - there are
CHILDREN's voices singing gospel music. Preston becomes confused
and wonders if it is a true memory or a dream. The Sunday School
Teacher talked with Preston and he learns that her name is RAINBOW.
She said she had a "vision" to take the child to the
desert that day - really, it was compelled. Preston explains
he had been compelled too. This recalled memory haunts Preston.
He must find those children, teacher and the bus.
CANDY, in her effort to
catch something new for dinner catches a man named JASPER, in
an Airforce uniform. She proudly brings him home to show her
husband. This instigates celebration but, something is wrong
with the story Jasper gives Preston about how he acquired the
uniform, etc. Suspicions arise. Jasper set eyes on Candy and
forgot all instructions from Jesus that sent him from the prison
to find water.
McBride has become obsessed
with finding and rejoining with her unit. Continuous conflict
happens with McBride wanting to leave and Preston instructing
her to stay and that they will go
West later. Meanwhile,
the aftershocks are extremely strong 5.0 to 5.8. Finally. McBride
disobeys orders and leaves on her horse to find her unit. Preston
pursues her in the Humvee.
McBride heads stubbornly
towards the East to reunite with her unit. Preston chases her
down and ultimately saves McBride from sure death when she runs
her horse to the edge of a wreckage of a bridge 300 feet over
desert floor. When McBride stands trying to figure out what next,
"Ash Devils" fueled by superheated volcanic ash approach
representing great danger. She is forced to ride her horse to
the dangerous bridge to avoid the "Ash Devils". She
is dumbfounded when she realizes there is nothing what is after
the missing span of bridge and realized that Preston knew all
along. McBride turns on her horse and rides off still in on finding
her unit.
MIRIAN and WILL are a young
couple that straggled into the post after the earthquake. Less
than 90 days later, they pack their suitcases and decide to leave
the post to return to the Blue Mountains hoping there is a bridge
to take them back home. Preston tries to dissuade them and show
them that no one returns that leave but they are set upon leaving
the desolate post and they leave. Preston is worried about Mirian
living in the desert.
Lucky and Pope leave the
post to dynamite at the wrecking yard to recover specific chemicals
to develop the film with part of the answers about the earthquake.
Candy again does what Candy
does and seduces Jasper and decides to run off with him her husband,
Lucky is off dynamiting for chemicals to develop the film of
the earthquake found in the downed missing airplane that Michael
flew. This film will tell the story of what happened and maybe
there will be a clue of which direction of the desert still exists
and maybe which part of California. Lucky does not realize his
wife has gone.
Preston has set out to
find McBride who left on her horse in a buff and disobeying an
order to find her unit and her pilot Michael.
Jasper steals a jeep to
leave the post with Candy. Soon Candy gets more than she expected
and she has concern that her good idea has turned bad when another
vehicle crests on the horizon in fast pursuit, Something is wrong
- Candy knows it but it is too late.
Preston catches up with
McBride. They have to spend the night camping out. While they
are, Preston sees a tiny fire burning in the distance and whispers
"Survivors"...but, in the far distance it is young
Miriam and Will burning the winnings they got in Vegas ($40,000)
to stay warm in the desert night shivering.
Jesus - the madman leader who has overthrown the nearby prison
and his companions track down Jasper and Candy and ultimately
brutally kill Jasper by hanging him upside down on a cross and
pin to his chest the scripture of "Mine Eyes Have Seen The
Glory". Jesus' group takes Candy prisoner.
In route back to the post,
Preston and McBride see buzzards circling and decide to check
out the possible fresh kill for the group food supply. Upon nearing,
they are shocked to see Jasper dead and Candy's battered suitcase
is strewn open, empty in the desert - the same suitcase that
Candy packed only hours ago to leave her husband because she
needed to see "Beauty" again.
When Preston scans the
desert side, he founds the old white bus embedded in a dune blocking
the road No one is there after closer inspection but, now he
knows his memories were true.
Preston and McBride return
to the post and let others know that Jasper is dead and Candy
missing. Lucky acts like it is normal. He has experienced this
before, Lucky is mainly upset that a good jeep was taken until
he sees Candy's suitcase. He knows she would not leave it behind
if she had a choice. He realizes the full scope of the picture
and sets after Candy instructing his group to full the jeep reserve
with gasoline.
The ill fitted team load
for bear study the map and see the prison Big Rock is in close
vicinity and realize Jasper's murder fits the profile and head
out. Upon arrival and from a distance they set up a plan before
Preston goes in that if he does not signal a flare to send in
a missile (Big Sally) in a certain length of time.
Preston goes in the front
door and is guided to the posing Warden - Jesus. He knows something
is wrong because of Jesus' behavior and he sees out of his side
vision the post's jeep in the parking lot He proceeds with the
use under the pretense of bargaining his posts protection against
the prisoners and the Warden's pursuit for water supply. After
sometime of deliberation, the Warden finally invites Preston
to dinner.
Preston is surprised to
see the prisoners are eating meat and are still well supplied.
Upon closer examination though, Preston realizes it is human
meat when he is offered "white or dark meat" and makes
no preference and Jesus interrupts him as a man of no prejudice.
For McBride and Lucky,
the anxiety of waiting is almost unbearable. No signal come and
McBride loads up with ammunition and decides to go in for closer
examination when she sees "BIG MIKE's" helmet being
kicked around for a soccer game on the prison grounds.
McBride breaks into the
prison grounds only to find a basement full of men hanging upside
down curing from chains. One of the men is alive and he begs
for her to kill him. She finally does to get him out of his misery...her
first kill.
Still no signal goes up
- Lucky has '"Big Sally" loaded and it is time to send
it in according orders from Preston. He can't do it. Pope offers
to do it instead.
Jesus announces it is time
for entertainment and Candy is brought in strapped to a chair
wearing only her underwear. Jesus demands for Candy to sing and
pitifully, she begins. Preston springs into action and grabs
Jesus placing a knife at Jesus' throat.
Simon {the geologist) loves
Jesus and offers a trade of Candy for Jesus. Preston says, "Not
good enough". Simon then offers the pilot as well. Through
the conversations that occur next, Preston realizes that Simon
is knowledgeable of the earthquake and on1y Mike (in a coma)
has the real answers about the extent of damage.
Pope sends the missile
into the prison grounds just in time to create havoc and give
Preston Candy and Mike a chance to leave. Jesus escaped during
the madness only to run into McBride who appears at just the
right moment.
Rainbow - the beautiful Sunday School Teacher from Preston' dreams
appears like madwoman through the flames and burning embers speaking
in tongues- the prisoners freeze. She begins to speak scripture
and seductively dance. She spins and spins and creates amid the
fire and chaos.
Great action occurs and
Candy wheelchairs Mike out of danger. Lucky, Pope and Cooky swoop
in for a great fight and McBride and other are forced to make
a decision to leave Preston as he orders them to leave. The prisoners
descend on Preston. There is no way out.
Preston is left behind
in order to have his own super bowl.
The next scene is Preston
wrapping his hands around the detonating device for the missile.
Everyone is sure he is dead.
Two days later, they hold
a memorial for Preston. While everyone is grieving especially
Candy, up comes Preston - at his side is Rainbow Jones holding
him as he hobbles into the compound.
The crowd is stunned. Once
they are able to speak, McBride says, "That was so great.
whole diversion with the singing ... and the dancing ... and
when you called for the '"rain!" You almost bad me
too! Rainbow says. .'What do you mean? My child, you have nothing
to fear but, fear itself" as thunder rolls. "You have
to believe baby," she said.
Alright, thing, are not
like they use to be before the "big one" and Preston
finds his place in the new world where rivers are running uphill
and supernatural powers are a daily occurrence. He realizes he
is needed to do what he does naturally.... lead, defend, explore
and protect the world - oh yea, and try to find those children
that were on the bus as Lucky repaints the sign over the Fort
Edenberg Marine Reserve Depot - Mojave the "Fort New Eden." |
