EXT. RILKE FARMSTEAD – NIGHT

MAXIMILLIAN RILKE holds his breath. His brother GREGOR RILKE stands at his side, listening. They stare into the darkness beyond the doorwar and hear night sounds. MAXIMILLIAN is loosly gripping a shotgun by the base of its barrel, the stock resting on his hip.

MAXIMILLIAN

It’s nothing. We should...

GREGOR

Hush. Listen again.

MAXIMILLIAN shifts his feet in the snow, getting cold. Being a good brother, he closes his eyes and listens. His eyes pop open at a sharp sound from nearby, like paper being torn from a book. He licks his lips and slowly unhinges the shotgun barrell, exposing the chamber. Reaching into his coat pocket for shells, he feels his brother’s hand on his arm.

GREGOR

Too late for that.

GREGOR nods into the darkness. MAXIMILLIAN squints his eyes and sees a splash of light on the old Model-T next to the barn. It grows, and with it a look of dread darkens MAXIMILLIAN’s face.

INT. CAPPELLA BLOCK RELAY TUNNEL – NIGHT

PERELIA QUINN fidgets, waiting for her mark. Capella Block’s residents rush around her, snaking between stacks of garbage and freestanding utility pylons. Craning her neck she can see the wide mouth of the West vehicle entrance.  A single-carry takes the corner too fast, it’s rimless wheels chirping across the pavement. It slams to a stop in front of a noodle-shop, and the driver tumbles out into the street. Pretending to yawn, PERELIA raises a wired microphone to her lips, concealed neatly in her palm.

PERELIA

He’s back. He’s had more to drink.

RADIO

You don’t say? How’s that poor bastard even standing?

The man in the street turns sharply and tumbles over his own feet. Falling to his knees he lets out a viscous curse before lurching upright again.

CORILLA

He’s not, really. What do you want me to do?

RADIO

Sober him up. The quick way.

EXT. DOOGAN TOWNSHIP OUTSKIRTS – DAY

HALCYONE and CORILLA SNOW are hunting for scrap-metal.

CORILLA

Feeding times soon. What are you going to say?

HALCYONE

Same as always. If we deserved better food, we’d be shown the way.

A siren sounds in the distance. The sisters stop to listen for a moment.

CORILLA

How long you think that’s going to work?