ZONE CITY

Written by: River Accorsi + Lordess Foudre

“A stubborn farm boy finds himself in a war between the dark reality of temptation and his father’s twisted past in a Cyberpunk Sodom and Gomorrah”

Summary

Zone City is a gritty, retro-inspired,1980’s,cyberpunk action film with deep psychological themes and dark satire. Zone City explores social dominance hierarchies, paranoid conspiracies, and the commodification of sexuality. By openly pushing these concepts to their extreme conclusions, the film reveals hidden truths about humanity and our cultural decline towards techno-dehumanization and perversion. 

River is a young man that embodies everything that is simple and pure. He’s masculine and uncorrupted by the outside world. The problem is that he is naive and isolated, living with his overbearing father on an idyllic farm. He embodies the wild, untamed country life. For years, River has been receiving and hiding secret messages from Zone City, a hedonist Cyberpunk sodom. It’s everything River’s dad fears, and it’s beckoning for him to come. 

Zone City is a twisted reflection of a powerful yet broken man, Bryce. He wields total authority over the lives of the city’s inhabitants, as well as his cabal of corrupted sycophants. When our story begins, River’s temptation has reached the tipping point, and he’s ready to seek his destiny in Zone City by any means necessary. A high ranking member of Bryce’s inner circle named Monica has succeeded in pushing River over the edge with her remote erotic influence. Despite his father’s constant warnings and protestations, River disappears in the night, fleeing to the open, sleazy arms of Bryce and Monica. His father discovers the subterfuge and must confront the darkness of his own past by chasing after his wayward son. All roads lead to the conspiracy theorist’s worst fever dream:

Zone City

The characters will learn the full toll of generational secrets and trauma, and the human cost of unlimited pleasure in a life without purpose. What does Bryce want with River’s innocence? What is the hidden link between River's father and Zone City, and can River escape with his humanity and dignity intact? Or will Zone City suck River dry and transform him into just another depraved Zoner?

Main Characters

RIVER: A muscular, rugged, unrefined 26 year old. Good natured and bold, but naive. A farm boy suffering from desire and temptation who is about to discover his destiny. 

THE FATHER: A battle hardened man in his late 40’s. Taciturn, emotionally distant father hiding from his traumatic past. Built like a professional wrestler from the late 80’s. Seeks to prevent River from suffering as he suffered, at the risk of completely alienating his only son. 

BRYCE: The handsomely sculpted, charismatic, and insidious ruler of Zone City. He’s in his 40’s, but looks unnaturally refined. He seeks to regain the former glory of his fallen paradise. Able to manipulate others into committing any debauchery or humiliating sin to achieve his goals. 

MONICA: A 20-something, beautiful and seductive cohort of Bryce. She succeeds in luring River into the city and Bryce’s inner circle, and is responsible for making sure he stays there. Motivated, manipulative, and cunning.

DAWSON: A highly manufactured, young pop idol entertainment product. Bryce has been using him for years as an influencer for the regime, pushing chemical degeneracy and sex. When River is lured into the city, Bryce and Monica force Dawson to retire and become a typical, debased zoner. They hope to replace his role with River, leading Dawson to lash out from the mean streets, seeking redemption and acceptance at all costs.

ZOLUS: Angry, insecure head of Bryce’s private security. He behaves like a punk gestapo, running legions of armed, cut-throat, jack-booted thugs in uniform. His uncontrollable resentment towards River’s father begins to unravel him.

ZC Security Forces: Hazmat suit-clad, punk-rock police state agents who violently enforce Bryce's every whim, under command by Zolus. 

MONITOR: The haywire half man/half cybernetic control system responsible for the total surveillance of Zone City. He dwells in a sub chamber below Bryce's desk, connected to the outer world through a simple landline phone. He was once a normal person, and now lives as a grim example of what happens to someone who works for Bryce long enough.

TRITON-X: A 20-something female, mysterious and elusive. Little is known of her background or plans. She moves with small groups of homeless, righteous people who stand against Bryce.

ACT 1

Monica’s red illuminated face fills the entire frame. There is a CRT texture to the image. She is sensual but ominous. River, a rugged muscular 26 year old, is sitting on the edge of his bed communicating with her via an old keyboard on his lap. We can’t see what he is typing but she is vocally responding to his typed messages. They seem to know each other well. The camera pulls out to reveal a small bedroom. The video from the TV feels almost supernatural.

River turns the TV off. He ejects the chunky black cartridge from a player and drops it into a trunk filled with Zone City memorabilia, locking it. As he crawls into bed, we see a blue light coming under his door. We can hear snoring and the faint sound of a sexually charged commercial with 90s tropical music. 

We then cut to The Father, sleeping in a worn armchair in the rustic living room, inundated with light from his old TV. The volume of this 90’s, explicit ‘Girls Gone Wild’ style commercial is absurd. The Father grunts and twitches, suffering from a sudden PTSD nightmare. On his muscular arms, we see scars and burn marks. River, back in his bed and obviously annoyed by the sexual sounds, and frustrated by his unfulfilled desires, forces himself to sleep. 

The camera pulls out through the window to show us the flowing river and farmhouse in the night, illuminated by the moon. Suspenseful music builds as we see the rushing water climaxing into an abrupt cut of an idyllic river flowing beside a farm in the late afternoon. 

We see River emerging from the water, the ember sunlight sparkling on his tanned skin. In the distance, River sees his father struggling to work on something in the workshed. He dries himself off and runs over behind his dad as he is grinding a piece of metal on a sander. 

The Father shuts the machine off having finished what he is doing and River asks if needs any help. The Father says he doesn't need anything at all. River looks pained and wants to talk to his dad. He awkwardly tries to ask for some advice on life off the farm. The dad can see that River wants to have a serious talk about his future but wants to avoid it at all costs. He turns the saw back on loudly, yelling over the flying sparks that they can talk later at dinner.

In the sunset River goes out to get the mail at the end of a long driveway. We see the Father’s old 80’s style street car, it hasn’t been driven in years. River pulls a special larger envelope out of the mailbox and looks around nervously, tucking it in his overalls. 

The Father stands out like a sore thumb in the tiny, feminine kitchen of their family farmhouse. He squints through the dirty window, watching River walking towards the house. He takes a deep breath mustering the nerve to finally have a heart to heart with his son. When River enters the kitchen his father awkwardly tries to start a conversation with his son, but all River can think about is the new package he just got from Monica. Realizing that his son doesn’t want to talk, the Father becomes unnaturally suspicious. He demands to know what River’s been getting in the mail and who’s been sending it. His response is overblown, obviously a product of his past trauma and difficulty communicating. River is clearly embarrassed and hiding something, desperate to get to the privacy of his room. To end the conversation, River mouths off at his overprotective dad and leaves. The Father stands there, knowing the rift between them has grown irreparably large. He turns his head into the shadows, trying to block the painful memories now crawling to the surface. The camera moves into the darkness.

Pure black. We hear a paper rip, River’s hands digging into a package and then the sound of a cartridge going into a player. We then hear the bolt lock on his door as boom: a large, glowing television ignites the frame, displaying the ZONE CITY logo. 

River turns the package upside down, and a strange GPS/Phone hybrid falls out onto his bed. We then cut to River’s silhouette from behind, his head blocking out the middle of the bright TV. Synthwave bass throbs from the TV’s speakers as MONICA speaks to him hypnotically on the screen. She beckons him to come to her, to come to ZONE CITY, insinuating that it’s time for him to become a real man. This feels like a final message. In the video we see glimpses of a cybernetic city environment featuring scantily clad people, and clips of erotic club performances. Intermittently, alpha male affirmations appear with images of Bryce’s expensive lifestyle. We see scenes of an alluring and dangerous world, one that River has only seen on these VHS’s. Text appears that says “The Temple Is Risen”. Full of nervous energy, River bites his lip, shaking his leg underneath the bed sheets. The video says it has some special bonus material specifically for River and begins to turn pornagraphic as we cut away to the living room.

The Father swigs from his beer watching a war movie in his recliner. “We Came As Boys, We Left As Men will return after this short 45 minute promo break featuring DAWSON!” blares out of the TV. An unbearably loud, 90’s-style commercial begins, showcasing Dawson’s new album of popular singles. We see Dawson in a puffy leather jacket pretending to be hard and aggressive, singing suggestively into an oversized microphone. It’s insufferable. The Father recoils, instantly enraged by the material being showcased. He turns away and sees a flashing red light coming from under River’s door, squinting as he hears soft moaning coming from his son’s bedroom. He storms over to River’s door, pissed off by the sexually-charged atmosphere in his house.

River’s bedroom door flies open and in a panic, River fumbles the remote, trying to change the channel. It hits the floor and slides away from the bed, abruptly switching the channel to the Dawson commercial before his dad sees the Zone City porn. River is clearly naked under the sheet, full of nervous energy. The Dawson song playing is even more cringe and disgusting. In disbelief, the Father looks back and forth between his son and the TV screen. He yells over the loud music, ripping into River about what the fuck he is watching, “I’m so sick of this satanic bullship pumping into my son face!” The fathers words seem ridiculous because Dawson does come across innocently enough. River fires back, “It's just Dawson! Get the fuck out!”. “WHAT?? Turn this shit off!” The Father yells back. River looks down at the remote by his dad’s feet, unable to get out of bed. He wrenches the sheets around his naked waist and screams for his dad to get the fuck out. They get into an unnecessary fight, ending with the Father aggressively shoving River’s TV, finally silencing it as it smashes on the floor. The father leaves, slamming the door behind him. River sits alone in silence, turning his gaze out the window to the flowing river. River speaks to himself staring at the smashed TV, declaring that he has to get the fuck out of there. The weird GPS/Phone on his bed immediately activates, with “SIGNAL LOCATED” blasting a bright red beam straight up against the ceiling from between Rivers legs. River grabs it, seeing the ZONE CITY logo on its screen. Cut to the ZONE CITY logo on a crumpled TV Dinner package in the kitchen trash. The camera pulls back through the empty house moving like a ghost out the front door. We see River exit the house quietly with a large backpack. We follow him to the river side where he steps into the water beginning his journey. 

A surreal montage begins, starting with the father laying in bed. It’s a fluid blend of River’s journey to Zone City in the night, and the Father’s PTSD nightmares. Stormy black water in the night blends into rushing asphalt. Rivers' face is lit by the red beacon light of the GPS phone as he trudges through dark water, the water level rising. Aggressive industrial synthwave music plays as the Father sweats and writhes in his bed, tossing and turning; experiencing visions of some dark, orgiastic event from many years ago. We see a beautiful woman with blood on her hands, gesturing ominously at the Father in his nightmares. Black and gold marble blends into dark, rushing water, River’s head slowly submerging beneath it. The water begins to glow blood red from the light of the GPS. River’s dad wakes up in terror. He rushes to River’s bedroom door, banging on it. We see River emerge from the water, the GPS blinking red in his hand. River’s dad bursts into the room, frantically thrashing at the bed, looking for River. He sees the trunk and breaks the lock off. The color drains from his face, as he sees years of Zone City merchandise that his son has been hiding and consuming. How could he let this happen?! Filled with rage, he flips the trunk, sending ZONE CITY tapes and magazines flying. Beside a filthy freeway, River slowly turns his head up to the giant neon sign overhead.

We see the ZONE CITY LIMITS sign. There’s an empty rubber latex gimp suit nailed to it, with a burning car smashed into the support beams. “THE TEMPLE WILL RISE” is spray painted on the wrecked car. River sees a dingy old blue baby blanket discarded in the passenger seat. Back in the bedroom, River’s dad crushes a Zoner cartridge in his bare hands and kicks the broken TV on the floor. The broken TV suddenly turns itself on, showing Monica's malicious, laughing face. Cut to The GPS phone with Monica's beautiful face on the screen, smiling gently, contrasting with how evil she appears to The Father. She whispers. “I’m so close, River…”. River gazes beyond the city limits sign. We follow his eyes to reveal the cyberpunk hellscape skyline of… 

Title Card

ZONE CITY

BRYCE, the insidious yet charming ruler of Zone City is on the phone. We see his opulent, black and gold marble penthouse office. It’s obviously large, but the thick shadows make it hard to get a sense of its true size or layout. There’s a smoky haze in the air, unseen water reflects on everything. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

Bryce is speaking to THE MONITOR, an unseen underling in charge of surveillance. The Monitor informs Bryce that River has entered city limits, all according to Bryce’s plan. A wicked, confident grin slithers across his face as he hangs up the phone on his desk. A beautiful woman emerges out of the shadows, tugging the belt on his robe. Bryce grabs her slender shoulders, his robe falls and almost reveals his nude body before we cut away.

River has entered city limits and is immediately flooded with debauchery and wild hedonism. River moves quickly through the streets, glancing down at the GPS and following animated billboard screens of Monica overhead. River is overwhelmed but isn't scared, feeling confident and dominant. All around River we see ZONERS, the depraved twisted denizens of Zone City as they engage in their typical behavior. 

We see zoner addicts injecting glowing pink chemicals, sexualized motorcycle gang members eying River with hunger, two zoners with VR Goggles are licking suggestively and groping empty air. A Zoner with tubes coming out of their eyes and mouth hooked up to a dirty wall stands quivering, River has to move around them to keep going. It’s a nightmare carnival of pain and pleasure. Various buildings pulse with activity. The city is alive. 

River grows more and more uncomfortable by the minute, and is desperately trying to get to Monica now. He quickly walks past an especially nasty street of Zoners. They reach through the temporary fencing, licking, spitting and reaching for him. Armed private security club the disobedient zoners as River walks by. The officers wear black rubbery bodysuits and gas masks with an 80’s punk rock aesthetic, and though we can’t see their expressions, they seem to pay deference to River. Is River just lucky or are they protecting him?

River turns a corner into a tight alleyway.  Around the corner in the foreground, an unseen mugger clutches a bladed syringe filled with disease. He’s waiting for River to get to the end of the alley. An industrial security van pulls up and suddenly, the mugger is blasted with a thick viscous foam. The force of the blast slams him into the wall, liquifying him instantly; leaving only his clothes and the bladed syringe in a puddle. The van peels off. River rounds the corner and unknowingly splashes through what used to be a man, playfully kicking the liquid off his boots as he walks.

Back in Bryce's penthouse Monica walks in with an executive, boss-like energy. She is flipping through the folder in her hands, talking rapidly about the rollout of pop idol DAWSON’s new marketing. (The pop star from the commercial back on the farm.) We see photos of Dawson; a young, eager celebrity for the regime's propaganda and manipulation network. We see a before and after, showing his previous innocent boy-next-door character, and his new “rough and tough” leather jacket aesthetic. 

Bryce gently takes the folder from Monica, dropping it into the trash without looking at it. She begins to react, but is confused when he hands her a glass of champagne. Before she can speak, Bryce reassuringly tells her that her real work has paid off. Monica instantly changes her demeanor, exclaiming, “River… He’s here?!”. Bryce replies, “Yes. And you are the bridge that leads him to me. Now go… do whatever it takes.” He caresses her face sensually. As Monica and Bryce stare into each other's eyes with erotic thrill, the camera pans down to a photo of Dawson’s smiling, boyish face in the trash.

A dirty wet boot steps on the same cover, and we realize we’re back outside. River finishes wiping the human sludge off his boot with the Dawson poster and tosses it into the street. A strange, perverted looking homeless man in a brown trenchcoat suddenly appears, keeping pace with River. The man opens his jacket and starts showing River a series of increasingly disturbing images of ugly, fetishistic scenes. Photos of dominance and submission, of power and humiliation; revealing what Zone City is truly about. River keeps glancing down at them feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the man keeps asking, “Do you like this? How about this one? What about THIS.” River replies, “No I don’t want to buy anything!”. The man replies, “I didn’t ask you if you wanted to buy it. I asked if you LIKED it.” River replies, “No, it’s awful! Get away from me, man!” 

River’s pace quickens as he steps into an alley. The weird man pauses, watching River walk on from behind. The man stands upright with dignity dropping the facade. We realize he was just testing River. This man’s name is GRIZZOM. Grizzom looks back at a fellow homeless military vet, a young woman who seems to be working with him. Her name is TRITON-X. She thinks for a moment, then nods in agreement. Grizzom moves instantly, catching back up to River. 

Suddenly speaking in a more noble, confident manner, he asks River if he needs a place to stay. River denies the offer, looking at Monica on the GPS phone screen. Just as Grizzom begins to explain himself, a black stretch limo roars towards them up the cramped alley, screeching to a halt. We see Triton-X disappear into the shadows as Grizzom pulls his coat collar over his face, bailing on the plan.

The back door of the limousine blasts open, smoke pouring out. We hear a voice telling River to jump in, but River is unsure. THE HANDLER gets out; it looks like he’s been partying all night. His nice suit is a mess, with lipstick and alcohol stains all over it. “C’mon, man! Jump in.” River is still unsure. Beautiful, scantily-clad women in expensive attire slide out and slither around The Handler, almost holding him up. River shakes his head in disbelief, laughing to himself as he walks towards them.

We cut to Tempest Heights, Bryce’s personal tower at the center of Zone City.  In the entrance lobby, a construction worker grabs a TV screen displaying Dawson’s new hit single and yanks it from the wall with all his strength; smashing on the ground. Another construction worker replaces it with an identical screen displaying rugged nature scenes with masculine motivational phrases. Monica’s well-dressed EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT oversees the process, barking orders. Dawson enters, walking bow legged in his tight pants, irritated. His padded motorcycle jacket makes his upper body look much larger than it is. He begins to complain, but becomes shocked by what he sees. Entitled, he screams at the Assistant, “What the fuck is going on here! My single comes out tomorrow, are you fucking insane?! Monica is gonna snap your ass for this.”The Assistant ignores him, rolling her eyes while reading the clipboard, calmly telling Dawson that she’s following Monica’s orders.

Dawson tugs at the crotch of his overly tight pants, eyes darting around the lobby. The buff construction workers eye him up and down, snickering at his appearance while destroying his advertisements. Dawson demands to see Monica immediately. The Assistant is dismissive and cold, acting like Dawson’s yesterday's news. She replies, “Monica is busy and so am I.” She turns and says to the construction workers, reprimanding them to hurry before “he” gets here. “Before who gets here!?” Dawson yells. But before he can get any answers, ZOLUS, the head of Bryce’s private security, enters the room. 

He is an imposing, beautiful man with pink hair in an armored, punk rock gestapo uniform. A razor of a smile slides across his face when he sees Dawson. With a voice like grinding leather, Zolus gleefully tells him that he is wanted upstairs. For “inspection”. The room erupts in mocking laughter again as Dawson sweats, struggling and failing to remove his ridiculous oversized jacket. Zolus tells Dawson, “Leave it on.”

In the back of the Limo, girls are laughing and asking River what he thinks of the city so far. River is unsure how to answer. He doesn’t want to seem weak, but he’s pretty shaken by all the nasty stuff he’s seen. As he plays it cool, the girls tease him a bit, trying to see if he’s scared. The Handler finishes pouring a drink and tells the girls to leave River alone. He hands the drink to River and asks him why the hell he was wandering around in that shithole, explaining that Zone City is a big place, and they’re going to take him to where he belongs. He’s been invited to Tempest Heights. “It’s a big deal; Bryce must see something in you to be rolling out the red carpet like this.” Another wasted businessman in the corner cuts The Handler off. Angry and resentful, he says, “That red carpet is nothing but a rag over a trap door to hell, boy. Enjoy it while you can because if you make one little mistake, they’ll yank that fucking lever and you’ll be sucking Vibropipe behind the SLIT 6 for the rest of your life. You’ll see.” The Handler tells River, “Don’t listen to that pathetic liar”.

They pull the car over and The Handler kicks the sloppy loser out of the car (proving the loser right). They all cheer. River tries not to think about that guy, sipping his drink and choosing to side with the winners. We see a quick montage of their party ride while dreamy, dark, atmospheric synth music plays from the limo speaker system. River begins to look confident and self assured. A little over his head but he hides it well. He can roll with this lifestyle. He’s finally in the world he’s seen so many times on VHS.

The Limo pulls up to Tempest Heights, A well-dressed security guard opens the door. As River gets out, the beautiful girls in the Limo start to touch each other suggestively while staring at him. The Handler tells River to give Monica his love. River eyes a pair of long legs in fishnets, next to The Handler as The Handler gropes and squeezes them. The person leans in and for a split second we can see it’s an aggressive drag queen, staring at River with intense, bulging eyes before the door slams shut. River watches the limo swerve away and turns towards the brutalistic staircase leading up to Tempest Heights. He sees the towering, phallic Babylonian monument to all that is unholy. Veins of burning red neon and wet black stone stretch upwards forever disappearing into the swirling black sky. River begins his ascent.

River enters the now remodeled lobby through a pair of old grocery store style doors that chime when he enters. The countless display screens on rows of columns show motivational nature scenes with empty platitudes. The glossy teal floor looks like water as he walks across it. This room is much cleaner than anything we’ve seen in Zony City thus far. The GPS device beeps in his pocket, when he pulls it out it displays, “You Have Arrived” and shuts itself off. River drops it into a garbage can and walks deeper into the lobby, following the signs pointing to the elevators.

As he turns the corner, dozens of security cameras controlled by The Monitor lock on to River as he walks down the hallway. They scan and analyze every aspect of River's body, clothing, and movement. On a little screen, we see insanely incorrect data about River, describing his gait as “Karate Style Walk” and estimating he may have 50 teeth. A printer in Bryce's office spits out pages so fast it produces a flipbook style animation of River walking. The print-outs increasingly close in on his denim crotch as he reaches the end of the hallway.  At the end of the hall, River enters an open elevator. It’s just a black box with no buttons. The doors close instantly and the elevator begins vibrating as thin lights rapidly scroll over his face. He is disoriented, not aware if he is moving upwards or downwards. 

The elevator suddenly stops, jolting River with a metal screech. Beat. Dead silence. The elevator doors then slowly slide open, revealing a long, surreal hotel style hallway. It’s lit only by display screens where the hotel room doors should be. He nervously eyes the door screens as he walks. Each one displays a different, heavily plastic surgery-altered face with barcode, first name, and price. River is looking at each screen trying to find Monica’s face when he spots a single black door in the distance. Eerie, driving synth music builds as he approaches it. River stands in front of the black rectangle and reaches out, unsure of whether it’s a wall or an empty space. River then steps into the dark.

Induction/Sex Scene Montage

River moves between black stone sculptures and burning candles in an 80’s style, feminine condo suite,catching glimpses of the opulent room through cascading light and shadows. A phantom of Monica glides stealthily between the statues and candles, appearing fleetingly in River’s peripheral vision. It’s hard for him to see, but he’s determined. River moves closer to a candle and the burning light fills the frame. We zoom out from the sun as clouds gather in the sky, back on the farm. The father is sitting on the edge of River’s bed, thinking and drinking from a flask. All of River’s Zone City merchandise is strewn about on the floor, encircling him. The house is trashed. Lightning strikes outside the window. He looks down at the flask in disgust and drops it. Splash. Rain begins to pour, slamming against the raging river outside. The father turns and looks at the old shed outside. The lock. He knows its time.

Lightning flashes again and we’re back in Monica’s penthouse, white light spilling out from beneath Monica’s bedroom door. River approaches carefully and places his palm against the door. He pushes. Cut to the inside of an old shed, we hear a massive crack and the doors fly open, revealing a soaking wet father. He enters the dark shed, turning on the red neon lights. 

From River’s perspective, we see Monica is laying on a bed in silk lingerie, beckoning him. Everything is softly glowing red, glossy, beautiful, but unnaturally so. River lowers himself over her. 

From below, she lifts the back of his shirt and he pulls it over his head, darkening the frame. We cut to the Father tossing his wet shirt onto the floor, revealing his ripped upper body. He reaches down to his belt and pulls to loosen it. Cut to River pulling down his denim wranglers, tossing them on the floor, kissing Monica. She’s naked but we don’t see actual nudity. We see her hands caressing River’s sweaty back, glistening in red neon which cuts to neon light bathing the Father’s wet, grimacing face as he pries open two large doors in the shed floor, revealing a lit staircase. As he descends, the camera pulls into one of the hot red neon lights and pulls out to see Monica's sensual eyes staring up at River in the throes of passion.

River thrusts and we cut to his dad wincing in pain as he tries to fit his foot into his old military boot. The Father pulls guns off the wall and drops them into a rucksack, slinging it over his shoulder. He throws the bag into his old,beat up, retro Mazda-style street racing car; it rocks as he squeezes into the driver seat. He looks absolutely massive inside it. He cranks the ignition and the exhaust explodes. We see River and Monica’s love-making intensify, becoming primal. 

We see the Father jerking the manual stick violently, stomping the gas pedal. The storm is torrential; the windows are jet black. Rain pounds as the car rocks back and forth. We see Monica and River rocking back and forth hard, sweat pouring. River closes his eyes, and Monica seems to turn her trance-like gaze towards the camera. Her evil smile begins to appear. As if reacting to it, The Father’s face looks horrified. Suddenly, a red light illuminates the dirty windshield of his car. He stops and turns the key, pulling it out. River rolls over onto his back, breathing hard, totally drained. Monica watches him, waiting. We see the Father get out of the small car, staring up at the ZONE CITY LIMITS sign. In the empty, hanging gimp suit still nailed to the sign, there is now a photo of River in its gloved hand. Impossibly, it looks like a still photo taken from a video of the sex River just had with Monica. The Father snatches the photo, staring at it in cold rage. HE IS READY FOR WAR.

ACT 2

Warehouse interior. We see a loose-knit group of rebels united against Bryce living like rats in an abandoned wooden warehouse, a dim reminder of a simpler, more natural time. They have burning garbage cans, park benches, weapons, generators, and other stolen goods. Bryce is unaware of their existence. They identify each other by revealing their burned out ID Marks. 

Without their marks, they are unable to participate in the economy of Zone City, but they are proud of that. We become better acquainted with Triton-X, the rugged and beautiful female rebel we saw earlier. We also see her father, Grizzom, the humble leader of these rebels. He’s the trench-coated man who tested River with the filthy pictures. A gruff man enters the warehouse, showing his scarred mark to the men guarding the door. He dumps a trash bag full of the absurd print-outs of River from the Tempest Heights lobby, and the deactivated GPS phone. They discuss River’s progress in Zone City and whether or not River will be a help or hindrance based on their observations of him. One rebel asks why they care so much about this guy and Grizzom says that there’s something different about him. That he reminds him of someone, a hero he knew long ago. One person suggests they just kidnap him, but they are reminded by Triton that River needs to decide for himself. 

Back in Monica's apartment she’s watching a satiated River sleeping. She is holding a vile of a blacklight-style glowing blue fluid. The camera moves in on Rivers naked body breathing hard and sleeping peacefully. The image begins to take on a CRT monitor texture as a seductive Monica crawls back into bed for more. The camera pulls out to reveal this is a video being displayed on a screen, inches from Dawson's face as he waits in a cramped hallway outside of Bryce’s office. Sweating in the jacket he still can't get off, he looks away from the screen in shame, only to meet the eyes of an old pervert guard standing in front of the exit door. There is nowhere else for him to look except down.

A defeated Dawson is alerted by Monitor that Bryce is finally ready to see him. The door slides open with a hiss and Dawson enters, kneeling in fear. He winces as Bryce immediately rips into him, commenting on his ridiculous appearance, saying, “you’ve got a lot of nerve coming in here dressed like that.” We hear the nervous crinkling of Dawson’s jacket as his breathing intensifies. Monica enters in her negligee, still wet with Rivers sweat. Bryce is pleased to see her, and he again becomes charming. She hands him the greasy blue vile, which Bryce plugs into a socket on his desk. The liquid is sucked out of the vial by a strange, pulsing tube. We follow the tube through the floor and into a chamber below Bryce’s desk. 

We finally see who, or what, The Monitor actually is: An emaciated cyborg man floating in an embryonic chamber, thoroughly intubated.  We see his body writhe as he sucks in the blue fluid to analyze it. He has a ballgag of a microphone that lights up when he talks. Wires are plugged into every orifice and limb on his body. All of these wires converge into one badly taped phone cable that we follow out of his chamber and back up to the phone on Bryce’s desk. 

Monica and Bryce speak about her sex with River, and Bryce thinks out loud about how to use him. Dawson interrupts, saying that he’s still useful. Bryce leans over the desk suggestively, speaking to Dawson, “I think I’ve had about enough of using you.” Dawson, on his knees, feels extremely awkward and uncomfortable. He looks to Monica for guidance or reassurance, for anything. She turns away in disgust. Bryce admonishes Dawson for his failure to properly influence the zoner population. Dawson tries to defend himself by saying, “But my sales were up!” Bryce fires back, “And look at what you’ve been selling!” Bryce gestures toward the massive window behind him. We see several quick shots of Zoners below, doing unbelievably depraved acts in the streets. 

We can faintly hear his music playing from a zoner’s codpiece speaker as he makes out with a sick addict. One of the perverts looks dead;he’s propped up on a dirty couch in the street. He’s wearing a shredded Dawson shirt while getting a horrible lapdance from a one-legged sex worker.

Bryce gazes down pensivey through the glass, continuing: “Zone City is degenerating. Disease is spreading. Sickness oozing from every orifice of this city. And from you most of all.” Dawson replies, “But we just reinvented my image. I’m rugged! Look at me!” He slaps the chest of his leather jacket hard. Dawson reminds Bryce of the 45 min commercial special that brought a lot of new zoners into the city. Bryce responds, “Yes. And I thank you for that. You helped bring me one who’s finally worth a damn. But you? You’re a hollowed out husk of a boy. What we’ve been missing is something natural. Thick. Rigid. It’s time for River.” Bryce ominously points a large TV remote at Dawson and thumbs the button. All the dead screens in his office room flicker into a bright, very low resolution, four-frame loop of River’s face taken during sex with Monica. It’s like an internet GIF from the 90’s. Dawson recoils at the screens like a vampire to a cross.

Dawson questions why he has to leave Tempest Heights. Bryce changes to a positive tone: “Can’t you see? I'm giving you an out! I'm giving you freedom, which is something none of us get!” Monica agrees with Bryce, making their lives sound difficult and daunting. Bryce continues the expert gaslighting. He’s so manipulative, he actually begins to sell Dawson on the obviously horrid future that awaits him. While Monica helps Dawson up, Bryce subtly presses a red button on his desk. Zolus appears immediately in the doorway to escort Dawson out, smiling as smugly as possible. The pervert security guard looks over Zolus’ shoulder making the same face at Dawson. 

Monica is getting ready to leave but turns and asks, “Do we really need to keep River around? Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, let's be rid of him.” Bryce responds, “Oh, no. We’ve only gotten a taste. He has so much more to give and believe me, I’m going to take it all. I have plans for him you wouldn’t believe.” An image of River’s blue essence appears on a monitor near his desk. There are various diagnostics and statistics running on the screen. Bryce slyly smiles at it, continuing: “And plus my little party is still short one VIP. But don’t worry. I've already sent out the invitation.” Monica responds, “Oh… HIM. Yes, of course.” She smiles wickedly, impressed. Zolus is intrigued to know more, but Bryce motions for him and Dawson to leave.

The same construction workers are in the lobby dropping boxes labeled DAWSON (trash). Zolus kicks Dawson through the old grocery store doors out on the stairs leading up to Tempest Heights. Dawson looks up, defeated and now wearing more feminine street clothes. Dawson asks, “What about my stuff!?” Zolus smirks smugly and locks the door. The lights immediately turn off and we hear the laughter of the construction workers and Zolus from behind the door. Dawson limps off down the stairs. 

The Father’s Action Sequence

A guitar squeals as a highly energetic, kinetic montage of the Father whipping ass in Zone City begins. We snap zoom to the Father on top of a building, getting a security guard's attention. The guard starts to yell into his walkie talkie, but the Father somehow grabs his ankles from the sewer grate behind him, pulling him down into the darkness. We see the walkie talkie on the empty street as if he was never there. We cut to an officer on the other end of the walkie talkie, sitting at a security desk inside a building. He’s frantically asking what happened. Suddenly, the dead guard's body smashes through the window and slides across the floor in broken glass. The officer runs over to the lifeless body and kneels to see what happened. The dead guard suddenly comes to life, crushing the officer’s throat and killing him. The guard pulls off the mask to reveal it was the Father. 

We see quick-cut, snap zoom style, high energy shots of the Father kicking in doors, showing River’s picture to stupid zoners, jamming guns in their faces, beating people, etc. 2 freaky, drugged-out zoners are mugging a female zoner in a dilapidated hotel hallway when the Father’s hands break through the wall and pull a mugger through the hole he’s created. The other criminal zoner runs over and looks into the hole, looking down to see nothing but a huge chasm leading to the street far below. We see a crumpled body on the asphalt. He yells out his friend’s name, confused. We see the Father creeping up behind the mugger, finger to his lip, gesturing to the zoner girl to be silent. The floor creaks and he kicks the druggie Zoner in the back, who falls into the yawning abyss.

We see a van flying down the road; everyone inside is wasted. The body of the zoner that the Father kicked in the back falls from the sky and smashes into the windshield, causing the van to swerve into a wall and explode. Grizzom and Triton-X stand on a roof. He’s squinting as he sees the explosion far in the distance. In Grizzom’s eyes we see the reflection of the fire. We then see another car weaving all over the road, mowing down Zolus’ security officers. We see a dead zoner body in the driver's seat. Then we see that the Father is driving the car from the passenger seat, with his boot pressing the dead zoner’s foot on the accelerator. Mutated zoners slide down the windshield staring at the Father as he runs them over. 

The Father runs through the streets with his shotgun, diving under fences, moving with precision and purpose. He seems to have unnatural knowledge of the city. In the distance, he sees Zolus’ decked-out Security van. Two guards stand nearby. The Father runs up on them, blasting a gigantic hole in one guard's body in the foreground. Through the hole, we see the Father walk forward, parting the guy's body in two like a curtain as the camera pushes into his face. The other guard is backing up in terror, screaming into the walkie talkie; he screams as the Father’s massive shadow covers him and the screen goes black.

Cut to a turned off walkie talkie sitting on the passenger's seat inside Zolus’ dark security van. Tight close up on Zolus’ wet, smiling lips. Tight close up on his eyes. Then we move over Zolus’ shoulder from behind and finally see what he’s watching: It’s River and Monica’s sex tape on a chunky industrial VCR laptop hybrid. Cut to Zolus biting his lip, getting off as the Father rises up slowly behind him with pure malice. He sees the footage on Zolus’ computer and rear naked chokes Zolus. Abrupt cut to outside the van, as a savagely beaten Zolus is kneeling on the asphalt. The VCR Laptop is smashed. The Father looms over him, VHS sex tape in one hand and his shotgun in the other. Zolus is bleeding and begging for his life like a coward. The Father kneels, disgusted, and stuffs the photo of River into Zolus' mouth. Tears run down Zolus’ face. He leans in close, like a parent saying goodnight to a child, and whispers into Zolus’ ear: “Tell him I’m coming.” Zolus shivers in terror, expecting the deathblow. But it doesn’t come. He opens his eyes and looks around. The Father is gone. 

Dawson is squatting behind a dumpster and as he tries to sneak away he accidentally kicks a phallic shaped glass bottle which rolls out from behind the dumpster. Zolus looks in the direction of the sound and sees Dawson running away full speed. He screams out, “What did you see!? WHAT DID YOU SEE!!” Dawson is running scared for his life. 

River awakens in Monica’s room after sleeping for an unknown amount of time. He opens the window and is surprised to see that it’s still dark outside. It’s always dark in Zone City. 

Monica and River sit together at the table eating Breakfast. Everything is pleasant but plasticine. She offers to take River sightseeing around Tempest Heights, but River insists on visiting Zone City’s most hardcore club: THE PANTHEON. We saw scenes from this club on the VHS’s back on the farm at the beginning of the film. She is surprised but secretly enthralled at his insistence. River is determined to become more Zoner, and expresses his need for a new look. Monica explains to River (and the audience) how The ID Marks work in Zone City, and that River will eventually need one if he plans on staying. River is intrigued at the idea of never leaving. Monica name drops Bryce, exciting River, as he realizes he’s only a few degrees separated from him. Monica plays it cool and promises to introduce River to him some time. 

Cut to the Zolus’ van; the back doors swing wide open as guards jump in and out, gearing up. Zolus is on the phone with Bryce, his face swollen and bloody. He’s explaining how he was almost killed by “some fucking nutcase.” In his office, Bryce tightens his fist around the phone cord. We see that Bryce is staring at the vial of River’s essence, now encased and displayed on a column beside his desk. It pulses, turning slightly darker, more viscous. “Yessssss,” Bryce hisses to himself, voice quivering. He then tells Zolus that he doesn’t care what this intruder did to who, just stay out of the guy’s way, dismissively. Zolus hangs the phone up angrily. The other officers are looking at him. They’ve never seen him lose control. He says “I dont give a flying fuck. I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.” Zolus reaches up and grabs a laughably small backpack, which begins blinking rapidly as he attaches it to his lower back. He runs the quivering cable between his legs and plugs it into an absurdly oversized gun, hands shaking with rage. The guards look uncertain and worried. 

Monica and River are inside a punk-rock, BDSM-styled clothing boutique. It has a very personalized feel and is curated already to River’s interests. River is standing outside of a changing room in a  little black reflective shirt made of plastic and tight jeggings. River is expressing his uncertainty at the new clothes, looking at himself in the mirror. DARGUS, a feminine fashionista who speaks with a friendly, deep voice. He comes out of the dressing room River was just in holding River’s old clothes, subtly sniffing them everytime River looks away. Monica looks at Dargus suggestively like they planned this interaction. Dargus is lauding River’s new look and tells River he needs to meet his good friends and business partners at the club. He puts his arm around River, leading him out of the shop with Monica behind them. Dargus stuffs River’s underwear into his boots.

Dawson is creeping around a seemingly unguarded security van. He opens the back doors and crawls in on all fours. He’s already looking more haggard and disheveled. Suddenly, a small TV screen in the van switches from the Zone City screensaver to a live bulletin warning about the Father, showing his face and erroneous details. We see a look in Dawson's eye;this is his chance. He looks around for anything that might be useful, and wraps his arms around a large virtual boy shaped box labeled GOGGLES. We can hear the muffled voices of security guards approaching, talking about the Father and Zolus getting his ass kicked. Dawson tries to back out but the back doors fling open. We see the perspective of the guards standing at the back of the van as they eye Dawson’s ass. Two of the guards are chained to each other and another is holding a cattle prod. It looks like they have just been fooling around nearby. Because of the cramped space, Dawson is unable to turn around and has to look over his shoulder while he’s still on all fours.

The guards recognize Dawson immediately and grow excited, blown away that they’ve encountered a celebrity. They notice the box, saying,  “Ohhh you want those goggles? You can have them! Anything you want, buddy. We’re huge fans.” They look at him licking their lips. They are speaking innocently, thrilled to do Dawson a favor. Based on the public image Dawson has portrayed for years, they see him as a pansexual party boy with no limits. Two of the guards begin reminiscing about Dawsons hit singles, “Shafted Again”, “Assume The Position”, and “Flanked and Planked”; saying that they love how he always supports the security forces. The guards begin quoting the incredibly sexual lyrics. The impact that his content has had on society washes over Dawson’s face. He shudders as he realizes what's happening. We hear the metal buckle of a belt. The camera fades out as Dawson closes his eyes and grits his teeth.

We see River, Dargus, and Monica with a bunch of good looking, expensively dressed zoners entering The Pantheon. As they enter the club, River sees the depressed drunk guy from the Limousine earlier. He’s squatting in a convenience store lot, wiping his vaseline covered mouth. They lock eyes before River is ushered into the building. Inside, Zoners are scanning their marks and revealing them to get drinks and drugs at the bar counter. The music is pumping hard and the lights are intense. It’s really fun and sexy; the crowd is filled with high society types. There’s a BDSM element to the atmosphere, but nothing explicit or x-rated.

We see River being lauded by Zoners as a unique newcomer, especially because he’s with Monica, Dargus,and other members of the Tempest Heights inner circle. River drinks exotic drinks, is introduced to various rich and powerful freaks, and is danced on by beautiful people. Time passes and we see River and Monica’s entourage in a VIP booth. A strange silence falls over the crowd as everyone realizes that Bryce has arrived. Bryce slides through humbly, and makes a playful comment about not paying attention to him, flicking his finger at the DJ to turn up the music. People try to get back to partying.

Bryce enters the VIP room, introducing himself to River. He is extremely charismatic, disarming,and postured. He chastises Dargus in a playful way for dressing River like some loser zoner. He encourages River, saying that he should be the one giving advice to Dargus, because: “You’re natural. A sapling busting through Dargus’ plastic crack. Just wait until you start really growing, when you get big and hard. I’m saying you’re the real thing, River.” River can't believe Bryce is paying special attention to him and how cool Bryce is. Monica notices the effect, pleased. Bryce gets a call, looking down at his phone with a serious expression. He then jokingly explains how he was just there to meet River and excuses himself, leaving as quickly as he appeared. We can see that River is thinking about Bryce, thinking of how to become a guy like that. River asks Monica, “How did Bryce really get to be the ruler of Zone City?” She responds, “Why are you thinking about being the big boss yourself?” 

More time has passed, but zoners are still partying hard. Monica and her entourage are busy drunkenly talking and don’t notice River slink away. River bursts out into a quiet alley behind the club alone to catch his breath. He wipes his sweat, drunkenly swaying in place. He looks up to see an electronic advertisement of an idyllic farm environment. The words, ‘FROM FARM TO FUCKABLE’ are displayed. We’re starting to see how Zone City is reacting to River’s presence, how it’s starting to commodify the things that make River special. River is pumped from having met Bryce and having gotten all the attention from the people. River drunkenly looks at the farm picture and pretends to talk to his imaginary Dad. He splashes his drink at the advertisement and spits, saying, “Ohh you thought I was going to come crawling back to the farm to sit around with your ass.” River continues admonishing his imagined father: “Can’t even take a piss outside without you watching it.” He mimics his Dad, “What’s going on, Riv? What’re you doing in the bathroom for so long, boy? You shavin’ your legs in there, you pansy!?” River almost falls over; he’s wasted. “Yeah? Well, guess what I was doing. I was piping, Dad! Fucking Sex. With a woman. You can’t even watch TV or get the mail without thinking the devil himself is coming into the house!” 

Out of the shadows, River hears: “Whoa, whoa, there cowboy. I think you’ve beat that horse good and dead”. Triton,the female rebel, emerges. She locks eyes with River. River feels strangely naked and exposed in his skimpy outfit, ashamed at what he was doing. She is exuding comfort and confidence, authentically relating to River emotionally. She asks him where he comes from, and River gives her a negative explanation of the farm. She replies, “Doesn’t sound so bad to me.” River says, “It's not even the farm, it’s more my Dad. He hasn’t been off the farm in decades, he’s threatened by everything even remotely sexual, he doesn’t understand anything I want to do and especially he doesn’t get that I need to become my own man.” Triton responds “Yeah I can see how that would be stifling.” River responds, “He just doesn’t get the opportunity I have here and what they’ve given me already.” From behind River, we hear the clinking and clanking of the huge club doors. Triton says finally, “Just be careful what you really want River.” River turns around to see Monica spilling out of The Pantheon with her arms around two girls. She’s laughing and having a great time, asking River why he’s out here all alone. River turns around to see the empty space where Triton was. He goes back into The Pantheon with Monica. Slow zoom on the electronic farm ad, hard cut to:

The doors of a video sex shop blast open and the father charges in with River’s sex tape in his hand. The clerk asks, “What kinda hole are you looking for? Pink or Blue?” The father grabs the clerk by the hair, yanking him over the counter. He jerks his head back, holding River’s sex tape inches from the clerk’s face. The father just says “Where?” The clerk is confused and the father smashes him in the face with the tape shouting “Where!” The clerk is genuinely confused, “Man I don't know! What the fuck do you want from me? They look the same!! It’s all just ass to me at this point!” The father smashes his face into the corner of the desk. We hear his body crumple to the floor and the father starts rummaging through bins of photos and videos, looking for intel on River.  

The shot changes to a low res, infrared looking camera watching the father dig around through the shop window. We see Dawson on a nearby roof, looking through the massive virtual boy goggles he got earlier. The eye screens are insanely bright, he can barely keep his eyes open. Suddenly, the father whips his head around, looking directly up into the camera. Dawson rears his head back from the goggles in fear. Did that really just happen? When he looks back into the goggles, the father is gone. Beat. Dawson is moving the goggles around frantically, trying to find him. The father slides up behind Dawson. He puts him in a choke hold, but notices the wet sores on Dawson's mouth are about to touch his bare skin. The Father flings Dawson against the edge of the roof in disgust, wiping his arm. “Ughh, fuck!” Dawson lands legs splayed, we see that his jeggings have been ripped into daisy dukes. The father stands over him with a sawed off shotgun, his silhouette covering Dawson’s quivering body.

The father asks him why he was watching him. Dawson replies that he knows the Father is looking for River and that he’s been trying to help. The Father isn’t sure, but can see that Dawson’s not a serious threat. The Father asks why Dawson would help him.  Dawson explains that he just wants him to take River and get out of here, so things can go back to normal. So he can return to his upper class lifestyle at Tempest Heights. It’s believable. He tells the Father that Bryce will be throwing a huge event, and River will be the guest of honor. The gala will be at Femborg 9 in a week's time. Dawson is making all this up off the top of his head, terrified. But because the Father is so desperate, and Dawson is so pathetic, he buys it. He steps on Dawson’s crotch as he walks over him and drops off the roof. He’s got a job to do.

River is back in Monica’s suite at Tempest Heights, trying on different outfits to wear to his meeting with Bryce. Monica watches seductively from the edge of her bed. River is nervous, asking Monica for advice. She reassures him, trying to calm it without success. River looks at himself in a skimpy zoner-looking outfit. Then he reminds himself of what Bryce said at the club, saying: “You’re not just some fucking Zoner. You’re the real thing.” River changes into a plastic version of his original outfit. With his confidence restored, he tells Monica he’s ready to go, kissing her. River looks like a Ken Doll version of the person he was before. 

Bryce is looking at the screen of River’s essence as it bubbles and darkens, as if undergoing some kind of strange alchemy. He turns off the screen as River and Monica enter his office. He opens his arms like a parent, welcoming them with a warm smile. Monica says, “You two boys have fun. And tell me all the dirty details later.” She pulls River closer by the waist of his plastic denims and kisses him goodbye while staring hungrily at Bryce. Bryce drops down in his chair with a knowing smile, motioning for River to sit. The two have a conversation, with Bryce explaining how much potential he believes River has. He’s so smooth, plucking River’s desires like harp strings,and River is entranced by the possibilities now flowing before him. River begins to speak, he wants to know why Bryce is doing this, but is cut off by the phone ringing. 

Bryce answers, putting it on speaker phone. River is thrilled that Bryce is so casually bringing him into his private work life. Zolus can be heard. He’s berating his security team for not finding the father. He waves his big gun around, crotch level like a weirdo. We cut to see that they are standing over the dead body in the porn store crime scene. Bryce is nonchalant and tells Zolus to relax. Zolus explains how “this psycho” is destroying the city and that no one will let him do what needs to be done. Bryce shrugs, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly at River. River mimics the derisive attitude. Bryce shuts up Zolus and asks River to give him some advice. Zolus is confused, as he hears River ask, “Advice from me? About what?”Bryce says, “About hospitality, River. I know you come from a much kinder place than this ‘big, bad city’, right? So let me say it like this: Way I see it, you’ve been blessed. You have this nice big home, beautiful view. You strike me as a generous soul, right? But gentle as I know you are, if someone just kicked your door in… Starting fucking with your family, wrecking everything, just pissing fire; what would you do?” River thinks, halfway searching his earnest feelings and halfway trying to impress Bryce. We see Zolus squinting, listening on the other end. Bryce holds the phone speaker up towards River. Finally River says with machismo, “I’d take the son of a bitch out back and bust his ass. Both barrels. ” Bryce smiles and takes the phone off speaker, pressing the phone to his mouth. Bryce asks “Did you hear that?” Before Zolus can respond, Bryce says, “Then do what the boy says, moron” and hangs up. He laughs, encouraging River to laugh. Back in the porn store, Zolus is red faced, enraged. He knocks over a rack of porn onto the dead body on the floor, kicking it. The security guards ignore him and walk out.

A couple hours have passed. Bryce and River are having a serious, emotional heart-to-heart. River confides in him about his problems with his dad and his self doubt. Bryce smokes an expensive cigar while they sip simple, expensive liquor. The mood is sleepy and relaxed but opulent and fraternal. He comforts River, building him up in ways his father never did. Bryce acts like the better version of the Father while simultaneously manipulating River with the spiritual side of his goals for the city. River again asks Bryce what he wants from him. Bryce thinks for a moment and says, “Nothing.” A beat. “Nothing besides you. You, once you’ve created who you truly are.” River doesn’t get it, but is beginning to form a new identity centered around Bryce’s contradictory personality traits. Bryce and River share a silent moment, both staring at the reflection of the unseen water in Bryce’s hazy office.

Vignettes of River’s Ascent in Zone City

A minor montage with dialogue  showcasing a blur of nights passing, with River accompanying Bryce in his day-to-day life. River sees how powerful and fun Bryce is as a dinner where two women are all over him and how effortlessly he sees Bryce win both of their affections. Bryce warns River of the pressure of ruling and of the city in general. Bryce says, “I can open all the doors, but you have to know which to go through. Some go up, some go down.” We see really quick scenes of River and Bryce with the entourage out partying really hard. Every now and then we see zoners and River posing for Dargus as he playfully films the events with a large camcorder. It’s nonstop high octane insanity, night after night. Throughout the montage, the Rebels are shadowing River, watching him disapprovingly and taking notes. River is fully into the inner circle now. As coked-out, upbeat synthwave music pumps, we also see River shadowing Bryce during bizarre, shady business deals. There’s sex, drugs, fighting, bad behavior, dangerous liaisons, reckless driving, but the point is to make it all look enticing and fun to the audience. River is “winning.”

A fast car roars out of Tempest Heights parking garage, roaring past Dawson. River drunkenly shouts, “Looking sexy!” at him and throws a bottle out the window smashing it in the street. Dawson looks absolutely terrible, half naked. He looks up, squinting, seeing light in Bryce’s penthouse window far above him. He walks past the depressed businessman from the limo who is now trying to sip whatever liquid he can get out of the smashed bottle River threw. The guy is topless except for ripped suit sleeves, with his neck tie tied around his neck. The back of his pants have been ripped to look like chaps. He propositions Dawson, bearing the ID Mark on his fat gut. Dawson looks at him in terror, knowing what he must do or risk becoming like him. We see Bryce smiling in his office watching Dawson on a screen as he enters the lobby and talks to Monica’s Executive Assistant. We can’t hear them but she motions for him to go up. Flash of elevator ride. The pervert guard’s face. Dawson kneeling on the marble floor in shame. Monica is seductively sitting on Bryce’s desk, watching. Bryce’s victorious grin. Dawson talks about the Father, about Femborg 9, his ruse. He says that he’s done this for Bryce.

Bryce becomes fatherly, helping him to stand, explaining that Dawson has taken the first steps into becoming a “self-made man” and establishing his worth. He makes Dawson believe that he only cast him out into the streets to “turn his soft and supple nature into steel.” We see Dargus hungrily watching Dawson from a small chair in the corner of the office.

Monica secretly pours River’s partially corrupted bubbling dark blue essence into Dawson’s glass. Bryce toasts to Dawson’s comeback, Dawson sips the disgusting fluid. 

The father is setting up shop on a dilapidated rooftop across from Femborg 9. He has amassed supplies and has a little camp site set up. The father opens a strange can of food and begins eating it. He adjusts his watch, remarking to himself, “72 hours to go.”

River’s Descent into The Darkness

Time passes. Monica and River are in Monica’s condo. She’s pacing, energetic, talking about their plans for the future. The zoner lifestyle doesn’t seem to be hurting her at all, but River looks worn out. The phone rings, Monica listens, her expression grows grave. She looks at River, worried, saying, “It’s for you.”River’s eyes grow intense. Hard cut to River in the elevator, collecting himself. River goes to Bryce's office where Bryce is in his robe, as if he was just woken up by an emergency. Bryce rubs his temples, explaining that something terrible has happened. The room is filled with security guards, Zolus, and random people, amping up the pressure. River sits down, heart racing. Bryce explains that they have a serious problem. He speaks slowly, allowing the mystery and anxiety to build. “Maybe it would be easier to just show you…” Bryce turns on a screen, the security guards’ eyes are locked onto River with cold expressions. In the video, we see badly computer-generated scenes of River doing insanely embarrassing, degrading sexual acts and drugs. River screams for them to turn it off, shouting that “There’s no way I would do stuff like that, no matter how fucked-up I got”. But inside, he’s having trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. He’s becoming a true zoner. 

Bryce says he’s not judging River, that “he’s not here to prey on guilt or shame.” He even apologizes, saying he feels personally responsible for allowing River to party this hard, he should have warned him that things like this can happen in Zone City. Especially when you hang out with scum like Dargus. River is confused. Bryce explains, “Ohhhh, yeah. That rat fuck. You know he likes to watch. Well, he’s been filming us night after night, secretly sometimes. When we think we’re alone. Well, truth be told, he mostly just filmed you for some reason.” River’s eyes go wide, he mutters that there must be some way out of this, wondering who’s seen this footage. Bryce ignores the questions and continues, saying tonight the situation just got worse. Zolus walks over, face bandaged, and drops a folder in River’s lap. “You recognize this girl?” He asks. River flips through the folder, it goes from barcoded pictures of an overly plastic surgery altered girl, to computer generated pictures of them partying in terrible ways, to crime scene photos of her death. It all looks very fake. River is bewildered, saying it’s all bullshit, he’s never seen this girl, this is crazy. Bryce says that it could be an accident, could be murder, but he doesn’t give a damn. “She’s just some zoner trash, who knows how many of them die like that every night. The problem is, she has some powerful clients. People who hadn’t yet gotten what they paid for out of her, and they’ll want blood if they find out you did something to their goods. Right now, Dargus is in transit with all this footage of you and what you did… I mean, allegedly did… And he’s gonna sell it to some sick freak pornographer tonight.” River starts to lose it, begging for a way out.

Bryce pounces on the opportunity, saying there’s a way to make this all go away, but he’ll only make a move if River says it’s ok. The security guards and Zolus loom silently over River, looking like post-apocalyptic Greek statues. “Clock’s ticking, Riv,” Bryce says, and a monitor switches on, showing security footage of Dargus hurriedly walking down the street with something in his jacket, nervously looking around. River asks if they can just take the videos from him, but Zolus says no way. Bryce agrees, saying he could have copies we don’t know about. If you want to fix this, we have to fix his ass. Permanently. River’s head is in his hands, he thinks about everything he could lose. Bryce reassures him that Dargus is the lowest of the low, he’s a filthy traitor. The guards growl and mutter, nodding. Traitors don’t deserve mercy in Zone City. River looks up at the monitor of Dargus, he feels contempt for him, this scumbag is going to ruin everything. “C’mon, now. I warned you about this. Tonight I opened the doors for you. Which one do you want? Up or down, Riv”. River turns away, “Do it”. 

Zolus barks an order into his walkie talkie and we can hear a van screech to a halt. On the screen, we see a very confused Dargus back up against the wall, he screams “what the hell is this?!” River stands up and begins to walk out of the room. Bryce asks, “You sure you don’t want to watch?” The energy in the room grows perverted, everyone is excited to see some death. River shakes his head and keeps walking. The guards chuckle. Bryce swivels around in his chair to face the screen. As River exits, we hear Dargus scream, “You fuckers set me up!! You’ll pay for this!! BRYCE!!!!” Dargus’ death screams echo, dissolving into laughter in Bryce’s office. Ominous synth music pulses, we see River’s essence on The Monitor’s diagnostic screen, it fades into black, boiling. Bryce shoots a malicious grin at Zolus, he owns River now. 

The Father is outside Femborg 9 on a rooftop, setting up his monitoring equipment and loading his guns. Triton-X sneaks up on him and scares him from behind. She says, “You’re slipping.” The Father spins and points the shotgun in her face but quickly relaxes, realizing she isn’t a security guard. He sizes her up. They both ask to see each other's ID Marks, but neither react, both wondering if the other has a mark or not. The Father asks what Triton really wants and she explains that she’s been watching River. She understands how the father feels but that this is a threshold that his son must cross on his own. She explains that the Father needs to let River make his choice, if this chaos is to end. She asks the Father what he thinks he’s gonna do when he gets River back. The Father says he will forcibly drag his silly ass to the farm, kicking and screaming like a baby. Triton says it sounds like he’s done something like that before. The Father grows suspicious, what does she know about his past? She continues, suggesting that not letting River be his own man will result in an endless downward spiral. The father fails to understand that River isn't imprisoned here, that River wants to be in Zone City. He doesn’t need to be rescued from the truth, he needs to learn it. Supply trucks pull up to Femborg 9, and construction workers jump out. The neon lights turn on. The Father cuts the conversation short, saying he has a job to do, and can’t waste time arguing with little girls. Triton laughs to herself and slinks back into the darkness of the night. 

Time passes. From The Father’s perspective, we see activity in the Femborg lobby where Monica’s Assistant is directing workers. We see security setting up barriers and other crowd control measures. Well-dressed people begin showing up in limos and luxury SUVs. They are ushered in, the Father frantically moves his binoculars around, trying to find River but it’s impossible from his vantage point. He has to assume he’s already in there.

We cut to the interior of a trendy, track release party for Dawson. As Monica and the inner circle socialize with fashionable zoners, River tries to play it cool and not think about all the horrible things that have happened. We see brand new posters of Dawson looking mysterious; people are excited for his comeback. The theme seems to be suggesting that Dawson has been beaten down and been through hell, but has become stronger. Bryce walks around, socializing, but always keeping an eye on River. People try to get info out of Bryce about what Dawson has planned for tonight, but Bryce swears it’s a surprise, even to him.

We cut to the Father sneaking past some guards, sliding into a sewer grate beside Femborg 9. It all seems suspiciously easy. We cut back and forth from the Father crawling through a disgusting sewer, to Bryce delivering an uplifting speech about how much adversity and mental health struggles Dawson had to overcome to be here tonight. The energy of the party begins to mount as the lights dim. We cut to the father climbing a greasy, brown stained ladder, reaching a manhole cover. He begins to push it as we cut back to Bryce’s speech reaching its climax. He points towards the gigantic screen above the gala stage, the crowd roars and we see on the giant screen:

I’M RIVER

The Father’s head emerges out of the hole and he realizes what’s going on at the same time the audience does. The building he has been infiltrating is a total set up, and the track release party we’ve been cutting to is somewhere else entirely. The Father sees a dark, massive, empty warehouse room. We see Zolus standing behind the manhole. He’s licking his lips, stroking his huge gun, wishing he could use it. Before the Father can drop back down to escape, Zolus finally gets his revenge, punting the back of the Father’s head like a football. 

Back at the party, we see a bewildered River reacting to Dawson’s new music video on the massive screen, we can see the reflection of ‘I’M RIVER’ blasted across his face in red light. Dawson is hyped up in the video, dressed like River from the beginning of the film, on a fake set of River’s farm house. The song is about River’s rebellion and his choice to revel in his new Zone City identity. River is super uncomfortable and looks at Bryce who acts like he doesn't know what’s going on. We see a fat actor portraying the Father in a chair as Dawson angrily sings in his face about how he’s a nasty, controlling pervert. It’s cringe. The video then shows footage from River’s blackmail sex tape, footage that Dargus was supposedly killed over. River’s jaw drops in horror, but the crowd is really into it. The video then gets even worse, showing footage of multiple crime scenes, including the one of the computer generated dead girl. Then we see Dawson singing in handcuffs, spliced with images and video of Dargus being killed for being a snitch, as Dawson screams I KILLED DARGUS. River tries to get away, looking over at Bryce who shrugs at him like, I was wrong, I had no idea the people would be into this. And it’s true, the whole crowd is loving it. Monica grabs River by the crotch saying how fucking hot it is that he killed Dargus.

River desperately fights through the animated crowd to confront Bryce, but Bryce smiles, easily slinking backwards towards the exit. The more River struggles, the more intense the crowd becomes. Bryce just opens his arms, telling River to “Enjoy this moment. This is the moment, the world is seeing the real you, now”. He points up at the screen. We see Dawson dressed up like the old River screaming the “I”M RIVER!” chorus. In sloppy unison, everyone shouts, “I’M RIVER!” into River’s face as he gets enveloped by the writhing mass of bodies. We see River giving himself over to the positive crowd and River finally yells I’m River as his scream reverbs out as if in an empty warehouse as Bryce disappears from view. 

Rapid fade in on the father waking up suddenly with only an overhead spotlight illuminating his face. The background is pure blackness. The father is squinting his swollen eyes and trying to look around but he can’t move his head or see anything. From one side and emerging into the light Bryce’s face comes into frame. Shockingly it’s revealed that Bryce is already well acquainted with the Father, revealing his real name for the first time: Travious. Bryce keeps pushing and pulling his face into and out of the darkness from different angles saying different things each time. Bryce gloats, “Can you believe I was able to do it all on my own. Your dream! Better than you had ever hoped it to be!” From a different angle Bryce pushes his face into the light, “Look how jealous you are. Blasting your way around. You’ve been out there hiding with your head in the dirt while I was here making what we imagined together, a reality!”  He has a very evil and seductive attitude licking the words as they leave his lips. We can tell Bryce has been imagining this moment for years, but it doesn’t go the way he imagined. He expects Travious to be jealous and proud of him and to want to join him again to rule Zone City together. Bryce in desperation tries to tempt him to give up and rule Zone City, to form a perfect trinity now that River is on his side. “Let me rule behind you once again, Travious”. “I’ve made your son into a real zoneman. Something you could never do.” Once Bryce realizes that Travious is beyond his manipulation he files into a narcissistic rage. Bryce yells at Travious, “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for that bitch!.” Travious replies, “She had nothing to do with why I left. She never did.” Bryce declares that Travious will never see his son ever again. “Your son is my son.” River’s Father denies Bryce's propositions, leaving Bryce angry and undone.

River has overslept after the party and wakes up hungover. River wakes up to Monica calling his name. River reaches over to Monica and starts rubbing her back only to realize it's a hairy guy’s back who opens his eyes as River recoils. There are four other people sleeping in the bed. Dawson is sleeping sitting in a chair dressed as River in overalls with nipple holes cut out of the overalls. Monica is standing in the doorway frantically trying to get Rivers' attention without waking anyone else up. Monica whispers to River to get dressed and get up to Bryce’s office quickly; there is something important he needs to tell him. 

River enters Bryce's office confused and still a little tired. Bryce looks visibly upset and hurt. He gives River an opportunity to tell him the “truth” about what he knows about his father in Zone City. River tries to defend himself that he doesn’t know anything, forcing Bryce to reveal that River’s father is actually Travious, his former partner. He explains the dark truth about his father. All this time, River has imagined that his dad was a tough but naive guy who knew about being strong and violent, but knew nothing of the world. But it turns out, his father was once one of the worst degenerates in Zone City, and that is the source of his PTSD. 

Bryce explains that he was once a prestigious Zoner, ruling at his side, until he abandoned his duty and defected to the farm. He makes him sound like a weak and manipulative coward. Bryce explains how Travious was the one who began the fall of Zone City. Bryce reveals to River that Travious stole the love of his life and his everything. Bryce reveals that he has been the one sending all of the Zone City memorabilia throughout the years;he wanted to free River from the control of his overbearing Father and his lies. Bryce explains how River’s mother was so heartbroken by the betrayal of Travious that she killed herself. 

River asks Bryce why he didn’t tell him this sooner and Bryce asks why Travious didn’t tell his own son who he really was. Bryce also reveals that everything River has experienced so far in Zone City has been orchestrated by Bryce. He set all of this up for years to bring him and his father to the city, and that Dawson and Monica are just stepping stones on his path to rule. Bryce explains that River will have to decide his fathers fate and that he needs to go talk to him to get him to join Zone City. It’s Bryce's last chance at getting Travious to rule again with him. Bryce says it's the only way to save his life after what he has done. River is confused about his reality and now has increasing doubts about his Father’s real intentions during his upbringing.

River has a full reality snap and breaks down in tears sobbing. Bryce embraces him and comforts him. Bryce explains to River that he can still help and save his father. Bryce tells River to prepare himself for the ceremony to fully join Zone City but that he will need to get the mark. “Everyone is waiting now, River and you are right on the cusp of greatness. But first you need to confront the man that was your dad.” 

River meets with his father in jail and rubs it in his face that he’s now ‘a big man’. He chastises his dad for going on a violent rampage to try and erase his shame. River is threatened and upset that his dad could have messed everything up for him, angry that his vision of his father has become perverted. The father tries to get River to see that he’s misguided. River yells, “You had what I had and you keep saying I am going to fail because you couldn't handle it.”

The Father doesn’t listen, yelling that Zone City is evil. That everything he did was to keep River away from Bryce. But River thinks his father is insecure and jealous, yelling “Bryce has all this power and he never tried to hurt you Dad. You’ve been running from yourself.” River leaves his Dad to his own fate. He gestures at the prison cell, saying, “Look where you are, look at me. From where I’m standing, it looks like I made the right choice.” Travious refuses to join Zone City or River for any price, and says “I’d rather be dead.” River tries to walk away but at the last moment, he looks back at his father with pain. Travious breaks. He calls out, words running together,  “I’m sorry! Listen, River… I could have, I could have done things differently… I should have. Told you everything, I … I let you down, River.” His jumbled words land hard on River. He hides his pain from his father, bracing himself against the exit door. Freeze frame on River’s conflicted face.

ACT 3

In Bryce’s office, the dark Techno Priest is upset. He can sense that River’s words ring hollow. On a screen, we see that River’s essence is only at ‘85% Putrefaction’. Bryce says that it’s all the more reason to hurry things along, that they need to push River over the line before he tucks tail and runs. The priest is not happy, but agrees, packaging the nasty essence up into a briefcase with an injector gun. 

We see advertisements for River’s Mark Ceremony. We see Grizzom and Triton discussing that Travious has been captured. The rebels are disappointed at themselves for letting it happen. They feel like they should have done more, they shouldn’t have listened to Triton. They feel confident that he will be put to death that night. Triton remarks that she said River should be left alone to make his own choices before he becomes a man. She never said that about Travious. Grizzom agrees and shushes the bickering rebels, telling them they need to get to work. He has a plan.

Cut to a multi-room, satanic modern art gallery. It’s River’s big night. We see various large photos and paintings of Dargus’ dead body, abstract paintings of River’s sex tape, scenes of anger and sex, and scenes of River’s farmhouse and his dad. We see demonic, dark people milling about, waiting for something. They pretend to admire the art, but they secretly watch River with desire, as he paces into different rooms. He’s nervous, trying to collect his thoughts, but he’s the center of attention and keeps getting pestered as he avoids looking at the terrible art. The Techno Priest watches River with suspicion as he strokes the loaded injector gun. Monica tries to calm River down and reassure him. 

Bryce is watching every room of the gallery on multiple screens in his office. Bryce gives the signal. An evil looking, well dressed older artist woman enters and a hush comes over the crowd. Dark robed figures are pushing a shrouded wheel cart of some kind with a large art piece underneath. River is confused, pushing away from Monica. He approaches the large art piece as the crowd gathers in a circle around him. Before he can touch it, the robed figures pull the fabric, revealing the horror:

It’s his father, strapped crucifixion style to a large metal X inside a wheeled garbage can, wearing the gimp suit that we saw pinned to the city limits sign earlier. Various photos of his past are stapled to his bruised body, he’s gagged with River’s sex tape. River is frozen. The crowd gasps and claps, truly appreciating the desecration. Before River can act, the robed figures begin to wheel Travious through the crowd. The patrons analyze and touch Travious as he’s wheeled around. A Zoner puts red lipstick on the father and tries to kiss him, but security removes the guy. The crowd lusts after this icon of humiliation, but Zolus is really pissed off, sneering as the robed figures wheel Travious by him. Humiliation is not enough, he wants revenge.

Monica grabs River, pulling him towards the artist woman. He tried to keep his eyes on his father, he is totally devastated by what is happening. River explodes on Monica, and she shushes him, telling him to not make a scene and humiliate himself in front of the artist. She plays on River’s emotions, making him feel guilty for his compassion. River is conflicted. A remixed version of ‘I’m River” starts playing from the DJ booth. It’s a demonic, slowed and chopped version. River asks where the hell Bryce is, he needs his guidance and approval. Monica says he will only see River after he makes a choice. The right choice.

In a new room, we see a massive painted vision of the farm on a large empty wall. The farm looks like Zone City, with weird technology and perversions growing all around the house, and blood red setting sun. The robed figures wheel the father in front of this image and stop, completing the horrid art piece. Everyone claps, positively overwhelmed by the sight. River stares with wide eyes. Patrons filter into the room, forming a corridor leading towards the wall with the terrifying vision of the farm and the crucified father. The Techno Priest stands in front of The Father, beckoning for River to come. Monica lovingly reassures him, kissing his forehead. Saying she believes in him, that she will be there for him as she rolls up his sleeve.

We see Zolus, he’s squinting in frustration, like he can hear something in the distance. He moves through the crowd on the side, moving towards the Father on instinct. River continues approaching the Priest with trepidation, bare forearm exposed. River looks behind the priest, staring at this nightmare vision of the farm and his poor father. Zolus gestures at the DJ booth to lower the volume on the music. He definitely hears something. The tension builds, River reaches the Priest. The Priest tells River to “ask for it”. He needs River to demand his own enslavement to Zone City. River looks up at the desecrated Father, staring down at him. River mutters under his breath, as if his soul is recoiling at what’s happening. Finally, he says “Never.” The crowd gasps, Monica looks suddenly vicious, her mask slipping, pushing through the crowd to get to River. She says to herself, “I’m not gonna let you fuck this up for me!” and River hears it, catching a glimpse of Monica’s ugly side. 

Zolus isn’t listening, in a trance, moving behind the Priest and Travious, pressing his ear against the nasty painting of the farm. The Priest demands that River repeat what he said. Cut to Bryce leaning forward in fear, gripping his TV screen, sweating. River yells, “I said, never!!” Zolus looks up at the Father, and suddenly realizes what the noise is, but it’s too late. River shoves the Priest as a tow truck blasts through the painting of the farm, sending a mangled Zolus flying backwards. 

The rebels jump out of the truck as people scream, shooting above their heads. A stray bullet nails the Priest, the marking gun smashes on the floor. River sees what they were about to inject him with. Black worms writhe out of the dark blue-black liquid. River has no fear now, he knows he made the right choice in rejecting this nightmare. The rebels are quickly chaining the father to the tow truck, Triton X yells from the driver seat for them to hurry. A broken and brutalized Zolus crawls towards the rebels reaching out in vain. Grizzom is almost done chaining Travious securely into place.

Monica tries to hold River back, but she’s afraid. Triton yells, “This is it, River! Now or never. Pick a side!!” He hesitates, she gives up and stomps the accelerator. River pushes Monica off of him and moves quickly towards the truck. The Father is still gagged and can’t really move, but we see his clenched fist open. We see his watery, desperate eyes. In the last possible moment, River reaches out and grabs onto his father’s bound but open hand, pulling himself onto the truck. From the gallery floor, through broken glass and fire, we see the truck disappear into the night. We see Zolus crawling in pain. Security forces are trying to help him up but he won’t stop. He’s spitting blood muttering, “Fuck the plan… Fuck you, too Bryce…  I’m just gonna kill him… I swear to you…”. Zolus looks over to see Dawson walk over standing over him disapprovingly. Zolus through his injuries, commands his guards to grab Dawson. Fade to black.

Back at the rebel warehouse River is sitting on the edge of a bed still conflicted and angry talking to Triton X, who is comforting him and giving him some guidance and perspective on what Zone City really is. She explains how she was born in the city and has never been outside of it.

Grizzom is sitting with the father patching up his wounds and they reminisce about the past when Grizzom used to work for the father as a high level Zoner. Travious wonders how Grizzom got the nerve to move against Bryce. Grizzom explains how everything got worse after Travious left, he had a daughter to worry about and had to stand up. Travious asks why Grizzom didn't just leave like he did, thinking of River. Grizzom feels that he owed it to everyone else in the city, since he got powerful off of milking their suffering. He stayed to face the misery he profited off of, and will give his life to fix it. It has been hard, but when he looks at the woman his daughter Triton X has become, he knows he made the right choice. This hits Travious hard. He understands that running away and sheltering his son may have been the wrong choice.

Finally River meets with his dad in the open warehouse while the other rebels all leave the room. They get into a heated argument about the past. Travious tells the same story Bryce told River, except with added context. While he talks, we see a flashback on the road beside the Zone City Limits sign. The Father is wearing a shiny black battle suit, crashing a car into the sign while being shot at by random zoners and security. The woman in the passenger seat is holding baby river in a blue blanket. The situation is bad. We see a younger Bryce screaming for the woman. The father is terribly wounded.

She apologizes and leaves baby River in the car, running back to Bryce seemingly choosing the lifestyle of Zone City for herself but not for her son, or potentially creating a distraction for Travious to escape with baby River. Bryce orders his guards to fire on the crashed car. The mother suddenly runs up and stands in front of Bryce blocking the view of the car pleading, “I will come back to you. I will come back!” While Bryce is momentarily distracted the father grabs baby River, cradles him to his chest, and drops out of the car. Bryce again commands, “I said fire.” The guards open fire on the car, also shooting and killing the mother. We see the Father react in grief and pain as he crawls through the bushes away from the road. The father sinks into a rushing river, holding the baby River up above the water. Bryce, tears falling, screams “TRAVIOUS!!!!” in agony as security forces see that the destroyed car is empty. Bryce screams at the mother, “You did this to me!” The mother smiles, closing her eyes forever. We see slight glimpses of sunlight reflecting in the river water as we fade from orange light to the soft glow of the lights in the rebel warehouse, back to the present.

River says he was wrong and apologizes, but Travious cuts him off. Instead, Travious wants his son’s forgiveness finally and explains how he was wrong to have kept him in the dark and to have lied and sheltered him all the years of his childhood. The Father admits that his lies were out of shame, shame at the man he used to be, he never wanted River to know. Out of that fear, he almost let his son turn into the same degenerate he once was. River forgives him and the two reconcile, coming to terms with each other for the first time. The Father says he can’t run away again, he must finally finish things with Bryce. River says they’ll do it together. We see Triton leaning against a wall on the warehouse balcony above them, she smiles to herself. In the window above her head, a bottle smashes through.

Shouts and chaos from outside are heard, Zoners are amassing outside of the rebel hideout. They are demanding River’s ass. We see various angry perverts from the Marking Ceremony, random diseased zoners, and some security forces. They look demonic and lustful. The rebels get armed up, unplugging big guns from small phone chargers, moving into position. Grizzom says they can create a distraction for River and Travious to get to Tempest Heights. Triton X says she will show them the way. As the pressure mounts outside, Grizzom gives the signal. Rebels begin shooting through the windows at the perverts and they scatter and dive. With a roar of exhaust, Travious, River, and Triton X flee out the back of the warehouse on motorcycle. 

They come to a stop in front of Tempest Heights, killing the engines. It’s eerily silent and empty. Triton nods at the Father, and he steps away to give them a moment. River is amped up, ready to go in. Triton tells River to wait, to look at her. She grabs his face and looks into eyes, and gives him some tough love zone city words of advice. River touches her cheek, but before anything else happens, the Father says it’s time to go. 

They enter the lobby, the grocery store style doors chime, echoing throughout the massive, empty lobby. Triton looks around with wide eyes, she hasn’t seen anything like this before. She asks Travious if he still remembers how to get to Bryce’s office. “Every night” he says, closing his eyes in deep shame. We suddenly hear a loud noise as Dawson is thrown to the ground and slides across the floor towards them. He is just in his underwear and visibly beaten by Zolus.

We hear Zolus shout in a harsh, guttural voice: “HEY YOU FUCKKKERRRR” from the far end of the lobby. Zolus is fully braced up and bloody and mangled. He looks broken and wrathful, barely able to hold up his massive gun at crotch level. Unable to move his head he looks only with his eyes at Dawson commanding him, “Watch me while I finish this!” Dawson whimpers, staring at Zolus’ large gun. Zolus screams out, “Travious! It's just you and me now! Time to finish what we started!”. Travious sizes him up, slightly confused. He turns to River, asking “Who the hell is that?” Zolus yells out, “I count the score 1 to 1. Let’s settle this!” Dawson is quilty crawling, moving between Zolus’ legs. Zolus can’t see him because he can’t turn his head in the neck brace. Travious holds the shotgun out with one hand not even knowing why he’s fighting this lunatic. Travious shouts from the lobby, “I just want Bryce! You don’t have to die here!”. Zolus is enraged, “Fuck Bryce! Dawson, are you watching me?!”

With all of his strength Zolus raises the gun and his tiny backpack begins blinking rapidly making a charging up sound. “Watch me do it, Dawson!” We see Zolus’s finger pull the trigger in slow motion as he screams. At the same moment, Dawson reaches up between his legs and yanks down on the tube connecting Zolus’ gun to his backpack. The tube breaks, whipping and wildly slapping Dawson in the face while shooting smoke and sparks. Zolus breaks his neck brace to look down and see Dawson getting whipped by the broken tube. Dawson smiles at him smugly. Travious, River and Triton-X watch as Zolus explodes killing him and Dawson. The father lowers his gun, baffled. The three share a look and walk past the exploded bodies as Dawson’s burnt underwear flutters down and lands on Zolus’ charred face. 

They reach the elevator and Triton X says she will hold it down from here. Gesturing at the smoking corpses, she promises to make sure no one else tries to follow them up. River tells her to be careful. She reminds him to stay focused. 

River and Travious exit the elevator. The guards in the hallway outside of Bryce's office are standing ominously with their heads down. River and Travious walk past them apprehensively and enter Bryce’s office. The door slams shut behind them. It’s quiet. They see Bryce sitting at his desk with his head down, sulking. Monica emerges from the shadows looking more beautiful than ever. She begins a monologue. “Haven’t you done enough! Look at him! You’ve already won!” River angrily fires back, “He’s been fucking with me my entire life and so have you! It was all a lie! You brought me here just to break me! For nothing.” She apologizes to River, begging Travious to have compassion on Bryce. She plays on Travious’ conflicted emotions, begging him to stay and help fix their fallen society. She pleads with them manipulatively. With her most sincere acting, she explains how Bryce was once a good man and just needs their guidance. She is saying all this loud enough for Bryce to hear. She takes River’s hand and squeezes it, looking into his eyes with a maternal sense of protection. 

River refuses passionately. In that moment Monica breaks character, realizing she failed, and it won’t work. She frantically grabs River and begs to be saved pathetically, for real this time. From his desk, Bryce growls, “you’ve failed me for the last time, bitch!!”. He jumps up from his desk, pulling a shotgun from his lap. He fires at her back but Travious grabs her, spinning and diving behind a pillar. The shot barely misses. River dives the other way and shoots at Bryce but misses, exploding the big window behind his desk. The father and Monica get up and Monica starts sobbing into the fathers chest briefly. He commands her to leave. Bryce from behind the pillar says, “It’s not too late River! Travious I loved you!.” River inches towards the pillar as Bryce keeps talking. River turns the corner around the pillar and shoots but Bryce is gone. We hear his laughter echo through the office coming from everywhere. Travious is blocking the exit eyes darting around the room. River is moving through the columns in the dark as Bryce lurks just one step ahead of River. Bryces continues admonishing River and Travious, “like father like son huh! You’re just going to have your boy kill me huh Travious!” He fires another shot and the column next to Rivers head explodes in a flash of light. Bryce ducks behind his desk and checks his gun to see he needs to reload. Bryce makes a final plea while reloading giving away his position “Travious I have done everything I can do. I’ve used every tool. Its the temple! I’ve done it just like we said it would be! It’s a paradise of pleasure. No judgment, no shame, no cost! What more could we want!” Travious throws his gun down and begins walking towards the desk with his arms spread defenseless. He responds, “There is always a cost, always a consequence. Thats what you never understood”  Bryce launches up from behind the desk with the gun at his side, “You fucker! You left and never had to face what you did to me. To all of us! Now you’re going to pay!” At that moment Bryce out of spite turns the gun about to shoot Travious. River blasts Bryce's legs out instantly. Bryce's gun flies out the window as his legs buckle backwards. 

Now wounded and with the wind whipping Bryce’s hair and open collar shirt, he seethes in rage. In horror, he sees that the sun is finally beginning to rise in Zone City for the first time in 26 years.

Full of resentment he screams out, “YOU RUINED MY LIFE, TRAVIOUS!!! YOU WERE MY EVERYTHING!” River is prepared to blast Bryce but Travious comes over and lowers River’s gun. Bryce is heaving with labored breaths. Travious is flooded with emotion. Bryce demands that they finish him. He deserves a zoner death. Monica is cowering and looking on, genuinely worried. Traveous knows what he has to do. He grabs River’s shoulder, and moves in close to Bryce. “That's enough son. This is mine to finish.”

Bryce demands to die, spewing self-pity and resentment at his brother, Travious the Betrayer. The sun continues to rise. Travious kneels, Bryce recoils and groans in agony. Tells his brother to hurry up and finish it. That big Traveous always wanted to prove he was better than his poor sick partner, and now he can prove it. The Father pulls a knife from his belt, Bryce’s eyes go wide. Travious realizes that in all the judgment he’s passed on Bryce, he’s never tried to help him. And so he does what he should have done long ago. He presses his knife against Bryce's mark on his chest and cuts it out. Bryce screams in pain, we hear the hiss of a legion of demons coming out of his mouth. But then true awareness begins to wash over him. With resolve, he picks the crusted chip off the ground and crushes it. Traveous is relieved. River looks at the strange scene, feeling a mixture of confusion and glory. In an instant, Bryce feels the life he could have lived, a life outside of the twisted Zone City nightmare. Feeling a newfound strength, he rises, standing on obliterated legs. 

Travious moves forward to help hold him up, but Bryce gently refuses the help. He turns on his own to face the sunrise. A beat goes by, River looks at the happiness on his Father’s face, slowly realizing what is going on. We hear Bryce’s gravelly voice say, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Before he turns his head back towards River, tears streaming down his cheeks. Bryce tells Traveous, “Thank you for coming back to save me, I love you.” Traveous replies, “You’re the one who brought me here.” Bryce laughs to himself, the irony setting in. “I guess you’re right. You never really did forget me did you?” Travious replies, “I’ve always loved you Bryce”. Bryce turns to River and says, “There is one last lesson I can give you. When you live like this there is only one way for the story to end.” River reaches out to stop Bryce as Bryce opens his arms and drops out of the window. He watches the sun fully rise as he falls. He closes his eyes and we see a tear roll from his eye.

Back up in the penthouse, River and his Father hear the heavy thud below. They embrace, glad to be alive. The guards in the hallway are taking their outfits off and walking out the door as Triton walks through them. Over his dad’s shoulder, River sees Triton leaning against the penthouse doorway. She smiles and nods at River, he looks at her with appreciation.

The camera rises above them and floats out of the window, soaring over the city as it’s reborn in the new dawn. There is a new peace over the city.

We see various cuts of Zoners stepping into the light from clubs and street alleys. We see their awareness returning. Many seem like they are waking up from a nightmare they have been in for years. The battle is over.

Ex-zoners with Grizzom and other rebels among them congregate at Bryce's cratered body. 

He looks at peace. Water begins bubbling up beneath his body as if the river from the farm has come to Zone City. River and Travious come out of the lobby. The sun is now risen and there is new hope for Zone City. They all stand there and share a look of accomplishment and love embracing as the shot turns into a polaroid and the ending credits roll. 

The ending credits are a series of polaroid-style photos of scenes from the aftermath of Zone City and what happens in the future with each character with the credits being written out in glowing laser light. 

THE END