The Mechanism

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY
A morbid landscape: the smoking aftermath of a war in a 1950's American city. The high pitched screams of death rays erupt from a section of fallen buildings.

At ground level, CPL. DAVID BANKS, 30's, garbed in "retro-futuristic" battle worn fatigues and helmet, charges through a side street while firing rippling plasma pulses from his rifle.

He ducks behind a half collapsed wall and lobs a grenade at an unseen enemy, then presses his fingers to his ears. BOOM! The grenade explodes, rocking the scene.
David swings out for more shots. After a few ripples, his rifle hums. He pulls back again. He checks the battery gauge on the rifle. An alert pulses: RE-CHARGE!

DAVID
Damn it!

The enemy returns fire with a more powerful ray, vaporizing a car nearby. David peaks out then ducks again. No return fire.

He peels off his backpack and slides out a screen device the size of a hardcover book. David detaches an extendable wand from the device connected by a cord to the device's knobbed control console. He then waves the wand above him to scan for the enemy.

On the buzzing analog screen, GOLIATH, a large robot stands, looking back with a smoking forearm cannon. Goliath lowers his cannon, turns and lumbers away.

David hisses a breath of both relief and frustration out of his tightened lips.
He takes out a small worn photo from his jacket pocket and pauses on it. It's of him smiling as a civilian, with a wife and son.

INT. APARTMENT HIDEOUT - NIGHT
The door to the stripped room opens. David trudges in. He stands his rifle on a charging base in a corner of the room, by a boarded up window. He places his helmet and backpack on a worn table by a small wooden chair on which he drops himself.
He takes the photo from his jacket pocket and pauses on it again then places it back in his pocket, folds his arms and gradually dozes off on the uncomfortable looking chair.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY
Slumped on the table, David jolts up from his sleep. He pulls out the beeping screen device from the backpack on the table. It now displays a scanning radar. A blip on the radar signifies someone approaching.

David jumps out of the chair and snatches his rifle. He peeks between the boards of the window, then wrenches one off, getting a better view of the street below to aim his rifle out. He looks with one eye--

THROUGH THE SCOPE.
A quick blur of the street, stops at another soldier, SGT. DEBORAH RAINS, 30's, walking between the ruins. Aside from her standard laser rifle, which she uses to scan for enemies, a sniper rifle hangs across her back.

BACK TO SCENE
A look of utter shock overwhelms David's face. He snatches an empty can and flings it out the window.

BELOW
Clank! The can hits the sidewalk. Deborah quickly takes aim with her rifle, but halts when she sees David waving from the window above. Gazing in awe, she slowly lowers her rifle.

APARTMENT (LATER)
Deborah sits at the table. David walks up to her, stands rigidly and salutes.

DEBORAH
As you were, Corporal.

David eases. He turns and takes an open can off the table and pours out some slimy baked beans onto her plate. Deborah immediately shovels the slop into her mouth with a big wooden spoon.

DAVID
Silicon Valley?

She nods, swallowing her mouthful and wiping the grease off of her lips with a rag.