Prequel to Armageddon: Cutter

This is a screenplay adaptation of the Prequel to Armageddon: Cutter novel.

PREQUEL TO ARMAGEDDON: CUTTER
A Screenplay
LOGLINE: A mysterious young woman tries to disappear in a remote town, but when her past, in the form of a relentless black-ops military unit, closes in, she must embrace the abilities she fears to protect the only family she has left.
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ACT I
FADE IN:
SCENE 1 EXT. ALASKAN WILDERNESS - NIGHT (PROLOGUE)
A tempest. Thick clouds roll across a mountainous landscape. Trees whip in the wind as a storm brews above.

EXT. OSPREY TRANSPORT – NIGHT
A V-22 OSPREY, call sign "ANGEL ONE," is buffeted by the storm. Inside, the red light of the cabin illuminates a squad of ten SOLDIERS in advanced, sleek black combat armor. They are quiet, focused, professional.
Their leader, CAPTAIN "RED" (early 20s), stands by the open ramp, tethered by a safety line. Her armor is identical to the others, her helmet is off, revealing a stern face and short-cropped red hair. She stares out at the maelstrom.
Her comm crackles to life.
PILOT
Five minutes to drop. Visual contact in thirty.
Red nods, her expression grim. She turns toward her team. in the moment between lightning flashes her eyes appear to glow honey yellow.

CAPTAIN "RED"
Okay everybody, button up.

Harker (30s) Second in command stands up.

HARKER
You heard the commander, button up, prep for drop

Harker turns toward Red and gives her a smile. He puts on his helmet and wraps the nearest tether around his arm.
Red flashes a return smile, then her face grows stern as she pulls her helmet on. The internal HUD flickers.
HAARP Facility (VO)
Its glowing… Sounds of panic… screams.
HAARP Soldier (VO)
God Damn it! Shoot…
EXT. ALASKAN WILDERNESS HAARP RESEARCH FACILITY
Suddenly, a brilliant, silent column of GOLD AND WHITE MIST erupts from the HAARP facility miles ahead. It punches a hole through the storm clouds. A glowing shifting sphere of gold and white energy expands from the base of the column.
HAARP Soldier (VO)
Screams, Then sudden dead silence…
Osprey SOLDIER 1

What the hell was that?
Before anyone can answer, a SHOCKWAVE of pure energy, visible as a ripple in the air, radiates from the sphere of light.
It hits the Osprey.
INT. OSPREY COCKPIT
PILOTS' faces go pale and slack, irises turning milky white as the life force is drained.
They slump as the aircraft spirals.

An ungodly screech of tearing metal. All electronics on the Osprey—lights, consoles, HUDs—explode in a shower of sparks. The engines die.
The Osprey lurches, beginning a death spiral. Alarms, now dead, are replaced by the screams of men and the shriek of the wind.
Red is ripped from the doorway. Her tether snaps. She plummets into the darkness below, a rag doll in the storm.
She hits the ground hard, rolling down a rocky embankment. A sickening CRUNCH of bone. Her vision swims. Her armor is cracked, sparking.
Through her fractured visor, she sees Angel One crash in a distant, fiery explosion. An accompanying Apache gunship, also dead in the air, falls like a stone and vanishes behind a ridge.
A warning flashes on her HUD, barely legible: >> REGULATOR INTEGRITY: FAILED << >> CORE CONTAINMENT... FAILED <<
Red screams. Not from the pain of her injuries, but from an intense, impossible HEAT building inside her chest, spreading through her limbs. Her armor begins to glow from within.
RED
The glow intensifies, a furious white light. Her body arches in agony. She is a human-shaped star.
And then, she detonates.
EXT. ALASKAN WILDERNESS
A contained, silent FIREBALL rises through the trees, then is wiped away as the growing gold white sphere consumes it.
CUT TO BLACK.
SOUND of a news report montage over black.
NEWS ANCHOR 1 (V.O.)
A massive explosion was detected near an Alaskan research facility—

NEWS ANCHOR 2 (V.O.)
At least 250 passengers and crew are feared dead due to the loss of Alaska Air flight 334

NEWS ANCHOR 3 (V.O.)
Military officials created a 20 mile exclusion zone, citing national security.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST (V.O.)
They’re hiding the truth! The government is experimenting in secret…

NEWS ANCHOR 4 (V.O.)
The terrorist organization claimed credit for the…

MILITARY OFFICIAL (V.O.)
It appears that large unknown pocket of subterranean gas erupted at the site near Gakona, Alaska. Due to lingering toxic fumes and the possibilities of future eruptions, the area will be quarantined until further notice the location including the airspace above it, is off limit to any unauthorized personnel. Recovered bodies will be placed in a secured location until further notice. Next of kin…





---
SCENE 2
EXT. ALASKAN-CANADIAN BORDER POST – HOURS LATER

A remote checkpoint. A SECURITY GUARD watches the news on tv as he sits sipping coffee. The wind picks up outside causing, the windows and doors to rattle. The screen door slams open. He walks over and opens the inner door, as he reaches out to close the screen door he looks down the dark road, lights approach. A faint shimmer of headlights passes the booth… but there's no car.

The guard stares confused. He steps out of the booth and looks up and down the road. No sounds. Only trees. In the distance: a fresh storm front rolls in, black as pitch.

---
Scene 3
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD – NIGHT
A storm-tossed road, branches everywhere. An 18-wheeler pushes through wind.
A twisted sign reads: WELCOME TO [TOWN NAME] – POP. 219.

INT. TRUCK CAB – NIGHT

TRUCKER, 50s, gruff, fights the wheel. ARIEL (17), short, lean, cropped dark hair, sunglasses on despite the night, stares out the window. Her hands, loosely wrapped in cloth, clench her duffel bag.

TRUCKER
We’ll be in town in a couple of minutes. You got someplace to stay?

ARIEL (quiet)
I’m not staying.

TRUCKER
You can crash with me, if you need.

He reaches over, his hand landing on her knee. Ariel momentarily flinches, but doesn't pull away. She continues looking at the storm, a sigh escapes her lips, briefly fogging up the glass as her head rests on the door.
She turns slowly and looks down at his hand her expression unreadable behind the sunglasses. Her face turns toward him as her lips slowly form a soft smile. She touches his hand — fingers light, electric. Almost flirtatious.

CUT TO:
EXT. TRUCK – CONTINUOUS
The rig suddenly slows. Drifts. Rolls gently into a ditch.
The passenger door opens. Ariel hops out, grabs her duffel, and walks into the storm. The truck idles, unmoving.

---
Scene 4
INT. DINER – LATE MORNING
Rain splatters the large windows. Country rock hums from the ancient jukebox in the corner. The place smells of coffee and grease. Few locals mill about.
Jo, late 40s, tough but kind, wipes down a counter. She glances up as the bell chimes.
Jo watches as Ariel steps in. The chill she carries into the diner is almost as palpable as the rain soaking her clothes. Soaked and tense, she shifts left and scans the room without missing a detail.
JO
(frowning)
You lost, sweetheart?
ARIEL
(quiet, guarded)
Just cold.
Jo studies her. The girl’s small frame, short-cropped hair, wet clothes clinging to her muscles.
JO
Mm-hmm. Sit. Coffee’s hot.
Ariel chooses the farthest corner, angled toward the door. She takes off her sunglasses and wipes them revealing glowing gold eyes—her face tightens in a grimace, a slight hiss escapes her lips. She exhales and puts them on.
Jo pours a mug and sets it in front of her. Ariel wraps her hands around it, grateful for the warmth. She flinches slightly at the contact with the ceramic.
JO (CONT'D)
Name?
ARIEL
(Hesitantly) Ariel.
Jo raises an eyebrow.
JO
Pretty. You running?
ARIEL
(into her mug)
Not fast enough.
Jo’s eyes linger—recognition, regret, and something unspoken brush past before she blinks it away. Her eyes glance momentarily at a small winged figurine by her register, then straightening her shoulders she turns back to Ariel and smiles softly.
JO
Well take a look at the menu and let me know what interests you.
She walks to the counter. The door to the kitchen swings open.
JOEY, early 20s, scruffy, charming, enters.
JOEY Who's the elf in the corner?
JO Quiet kid. Trouble, probably.
JOEY
(snickers)
Hey it’s a small town, I’ll take anyone under the age of 50.
Jo punches his shoulder as she walks past.
JO
Be nice.
Joey slides into the booth across from Ariel without asking.
JOEY So... Ariel. Like the mermaid?
ARIEL (flatly) Like the storm.
Joey’s smile fades slightly as wind rattles the windows behind him.
JOEY You’re intense.
Ariel slowly lowers her glasses. Her eyes meet his—unreadable, piercing.
ARIEL Do I look like I need company?
JOEY
(nervous laugh)
Nope. Definitely not.
Silence Joey continues to look out the window as the storm howls louder outside. A flash of lightning in the distance. Low, rolling thunder.
JOEY
(quietly)
Somewhere to go?
ARIEL
Yes.
JOEY
Sorry, but... you won’t get far. Roads are washed out. We’ve all been stuck here. Almost a month now. You’re the first new face I’ve seen in days.
Beat.
JOEY
Place to stay?
ARIEL
(sighs) She turns the mug in her wrapped hands—slow, steady, as if controlling something beneath the surface. There is a low rumble of thunder, quiet but lengthy from a large bolt of lightning at a great distance. The mug spins gently between her fingers, like she’s turning thoughts she doesn’t speak.
No.
JOEY
Joey turns away from the storm and looks at Ariel. Joey watches her hands—how still she is.
He lowers his voice, gives a crooked smile
You know... I’m excellent company.
Ariel removes her sunglasses again. Her jaw tightens for just an instant. She leans forward, eyes locked on his.
ARIEL
I doubt that.
Joey holds her gaze a moment longer than necessary, caught between fear and fascination. Joey swallows. There's something unnerving in her calmness — and those golden eyes.
He chuckles nervously but doesn’t flinch.
JOEY
You're funny.
ARIEL
No. I'm not.
She leans back glasses on.
(Beat) She smirks. Just slightly.