EXT. NEO LONDON. NIGHT.

FADE IN AS CAMERA IS PANNING DOWN A BUILDING FACE REVEALING DULL GREY AND WHITE BUILDINGS AND ALLEYWAYS. THE ONLY COLOUR IS WHITE OR GREY. THE SOUND OF THE CITY CAN BE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND.
THE CAMERA CONTINUES DOWN PAST ALL THE LAYERS OF BUILDING UNTIL IT REACHES A LARGE WHITE SERVICE TUNNEL AND THE SOUNDS OF THE CITY FADES AWAY. IT IS REPLACED BY THE SOUND OF TWO SETS OF RUNNING FOOTSTEPS AND SHADOWS ARE CAST DOWN THE TUNNEL AS TWO TEENAGERS RUN ROUND THE CORNER.

INT. SERVICE TUNNEL. NIGHT.

AS THEY COME CLOSER YOU CAN MAKE OUT A BOY AND A GIRL WITH WHITE HAIR AND DRESSED IN WHITE OVERALLS.
AKI, THE BOY, CALLS AHEAD TO JESS.

AKI

Where are we going?

Jess

Well we're right under Bank now so it should be just around here.

SHE ANSWERS WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.
SUDDENLY A GUNSHOT ECHOES OUT FROM BEHIND THEM AND AND AKI, STARTLED, LOOKS BACK AND STOPS RUNNING.

AKI

What the shit-

BEHIND HIM A FIGURE DRESSED IN BLACK HURTLES ROUND THE CORNER AND SKIDS TO A HALT. IT IS DRESSED IN A LONG BLACK GOWN AND PLAGUE DOCTOR MASK AND AIMING A RIFLE AT AKI.

AKI

Oh fuck, Tipex!

AKI TURNS TO JESS BUT SHE HAS VANISHED.
ANOTHER SHOT HITS THE WALL NEAR HIS HEAD AND HE INSTINCTIVELY DUCKS AS A ROBOTIC AND GLITCHY [time stretch] VOICE ECHOES DOWN THE TUNNEL AFTER HIM.

TIPEX

Halt! You are out after curfew and exemplifying suspicious behavior. Submit and be erased or flee and be erased!

AKI INSTANTLY STARTS TO RUN, A LOOK OF FEAR ON HIS FACE.
AND OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT SHOWS THE TIPEX HAS STARTED TO SPRINT AFTER HIM.
SEVERAL SHOTS SHOW AKI TWISTING AND WINDING DOWN SEVERAL SERVICE TUNNELS, STEADILY GETTING MORE AND MORE LOST AS HE CALLS OUT JESS' NAME OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AS HE RUNS PAST AN OPENING INTO ANOTHER TUNNEL A HAND SNATCHES HIM INSIDE AND JESS PINS HIM TO THE WALL, CLAMPING HER HAND OVER HIS MOUTH.
JESS HISSES AT HIM.

JESS

Stop fucking yelling, do you want to get us both killed.

SHE PAUSES, LISTENING AND SUDDENLY THE TIPEX SPRINTS PAST THE OPENING AND OFF DOWN THE TUNNEL REPEATING THE SAME PHRASE FROM EARLIER.
JESS WAITS UNTIL THE SOUND OF THE TIPEX'S FOOTSTEPS DISSAPEARS INTO THE DISTANCE THEN RELEASES HER GRIP AND AKI STUMBLES BACK AGAINST THE WALL GASPING FOR BREATHE.

AKI

That was a Tipex, oh fuck we're in DEEP shit.

Jess

Aki, I...

AKI SINKS DOWN THE WALL WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS.

AKI

Oh fuck, oh FUCK, it saw my face, I'm on record. I can never go home. I was a good noodle and now it's all fucked because you promised me some c-c-c...

HE SEEMS RELUCTANT TO SAY THE WORD AS THOUGH IT'S A FORBIDDEN WORD.

JESS

Colour Aki. If you don't say the word it gains power, start using it more and more often.

AKI

C-c-colour.

AKI SMILES SHEEPISHLY.

JESS

And I'll give you colour Aki, by tomorrow morning I'll give EVERYONE colour. I promise.

JESS TURNS TOWARDS THE WHITEWASHED SERVICE DOOR IN FRONT OF THEM.

JESS(c)

We're here.

SHE KNOCKS TWICE FAST AND THEN A SINGLE THIRD KNOCK.
THERE'S AN UNLOCKING SOUND AND THEN THE DOOR OPENS INWARDS.
JESS TURNS ROUND AND HOLDS OUT HER HAND FOR AKI.

JESS(C)

Ready to join the resistance Aki?

AKI'S FACE SHOWS WONDER AND HIS EYES WIDEN.

INT. RESISTANCE ROOM.

THE WALLS ARE PAINTED RED, WITH INTRICATE SWIRLS AND DESIGNS ALL OVER THE WHITE WALLS. IN ONE CORNER ARE SEVERAL VATS OF RED PAINT AND CLUSTERED AROUND THE ROOM ARE ABOUT 20 PEOPLE IN BRIGHT RED OVERALLS. THEY ALL LOOK UP AS AKI AND JESS ENTER AND JESS PUSHES AKI IN FRONT OF HER.

JESS

Everyone this is Aki, he's here to help.

A MAN IN GOGGLES AND LONG MESSY RED HAIR COMES UP TO THEM AND SETS DOWN A PAIR OF BLACK JACKETS.

JESS(C)

This is Geiger, he's our techy.
Geiger, this is Aki, I recruited him from up top.

GEIGER

Hey there man, you're joining us at a very crucial time, tomorrow we paint the town red, literally!

GEIGER SHAKES AKI'S HAND HEAVILY AND AKI SIMPLY LOOKS CONFUSED.

GEIGER TURNS TO JESS.

GEIGER

Are you sure this one is ready, he doesn't know what he's in for.

JESS

And he doesn't want to, he just wants things to be colourful again.

AKI SMILES POLITELY.
THEN HE TAKES A SNIFF AND WRINKLES HIS NOSE.

AKI

What is that smell!?

GEIGER

Well, that's th-

GEIGER STARTS TO TALK BUT JESS BUTTS IN.

JESS

We're under the city Aki, there's a sewage plant through that wall, it's not perfect but it's home.

AKI MOVES TOWARDS THE WALL AND TRACES HIS HAND ROUND THE PAINT.

AKI

This, this is incredible. There's so much... colour.

GEIGER GIVES JESS A MEANINGFUL LOOK AND STEPS FORWARD, HOLDING OUT THE JACKET TO AKI.

GEIGER

Take this and put it on. See those red tubes on the side. Those are full of... paint. You're joining us in the very final stage of our plan.

HE POINTS TO A DRAWING OF THE CITY ON THE WALL AND SEVERAL POINTS THAT ARE CIRCLED.

GEIGER

Our resistance and all other groups all-round the city will pair off and position ourselves on the rooftops at key points around London. There are nearly a thousand of us in total. Then at 7AM we will unload this paint over the city, we will teach the worker ants of this city what colour means. We'll open their eyes in one final act.

AKI LISTENS CAREFULLY AS JESS HELPS STRAP ON HIS JACKET AND THEN HER OWN. AS THEY DO THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM HAVE EITHER OR ARE STRAPPING ON SIMILAR JACKETS.

GEIGER

Is that clear Aki?

AKI SLOWLY NODS THEN LOOKS TO JESS.

AKI

So... we do this and everything gets fixed?

JESS LAUGHS AND RUFFLES AKI'S WHITE HAIR.

JESS

Fuck no. At least not at first anyway. It's a start but first of all the we have to send the message. Then the people will open their eyes.
There'll be riots at first, people speaking out and getting erased by the tipex but we outnumber them in millions. Then, eventually, this whitewashed city will start to remember what colour is.

GEIGER

And then finally we the borders will open, our friends abroad can bring supplies in to the sick, the poor, the starving.

GEIGER TURNS BACK TO THE CONGREGATION.

GEIGER

Does everyone have their colour buddy!?

AKI STARTS TO RAISE HIS HAND BUT JESS PULLS IT DOWN. SHE WHISPERS.

JESS

You're mine.

AKI GRINS.

GEIGER

Everyone move out, I want you all in position by 7AM. Whatever happens, whoever shoots you. I want you in position. Remember.
Colour is POWER.

THE GROUP REPEAT THE LAST LINE BACK WITH A CHEER.
THEY START TO EXIT THE ROOM IN TWOS UNTIL JUST JESS AND AKI REMAIN.

JESS

You ready to make history.

AKI

I'm ready to make colour!

JESS SMILES.

JESS

That's great Aki.

SHE TAKES HIM BY THE HAND AND LEADS HIM OUT.

INT. SERVICE STAIRWELL. EARLY MORNING.

AKI AND JESS SLOWLY CREEP UP THE STAIRS, ONE FLOOR AT A TIME. SPORTING THE PAINT JACKETS, THE CANNISTERS CLINKING AS THEY WALK.
JESS WHISPERS TO AKI.

JESS

These tunnels are mostly empty, the Tipex simply half painted them then just sealed them off. They lead all round the city, workers used to use them when the underground was in service all those years ago.

AKI

What about the Tipex, don't they patrol?

JESS

They might sometimes, but we always have this.

JESS DRAWS A PISTOL FROM INSIDE HER WHITE OVERALLS.

AKI GASPS AND YELLS.

AKI

That's a gun! Those are outlawed to us!

JESS

Shhhhh, fucking hell Aki.

FROM BELOW A LOUD BANG CAN BE HEARD. AKI AND JESS PEER OVER THE EDGE AND SEE 4 TIPEX MASKS PEERING UP AT THEM ABOUT 3 FLOORS BELOW.

TIPEX [COLLECTIVELY]

Halt! You are-

JESS

RUN!

AKI AND JESS TAKE OFF UPWARD AND A LOW SHOT OF THE STAIRS AS THE 4 TIPEX CLIMB AFTER THEM.

EXT. NEO LONDON ROOFTOP. 6:55AM.

THEY BOTH BURST OUT OF A ROOFTOP DOOR AND JESS SLAMS IT BEHIND THEM AS AKI FALLS TO HIS KNEES, BREATHING HARD. SHE SLIDES THE BOLT ON THE DOOR INTO PLACE THEN FIRES 4 SHOTS THROUGH THE DOOR.
SHE THROWS THE GUN TO THE SIDE AND GRABS AKI, PULLING HIM UP AND DRAGGING TOWARDS THE ROOFTOP EDGE.

AKI

Ow, Jess you're hurting me.

JESS

We don't have any time, we have to do it now.

THEY GET TO THE EDGE, TEETERING OVER AND JESS PULLS AKI INTO AN EMBRACE. A SHOT OF THE ROOF DOOR SHOWS IT SHAKE AS SEVERAL BODIES SLAM INTO IT.

JESS

Do you trust me Aki.

AKI

W-wha-

JESS

We don't have much time, do you trust me!?

AKI SEEMS TO BE FIDDLING WITH HIS JACKET.

AKI

How do we dump the paint, there doesn't seem to be any pumps or anything.

JESS

Aki, answer me.

AKI STOPS FIDDLING AND LOOKS AT HER.

AKI

I... yes.

JESS SMILES AND GIVES HIM A LONG KISS ON HIS FOREHEAD.

AKI

T-there’s not paint in these canisters is there Jess?

JESS

No Aki, no it is not.

THE SOUND OF SPLINTERING WOOD IS HEARD AS THE DOOR SMASHES IN HALF AND A TIPEX FLIES THROUGH THE HOLE AND SMASHES INTO THE GROUND, WHITE BLOOD SPATTERED AROUND IT. ANOTHER STEPS OVER ITS BODY AND AIMS A RIFLE.

TIPEX

Halt!

JESS LEANS IN AND KISSES AKI ON THE LIPS MAKING AKI'S EYES GO WIDE. ALL SOUND GOES SILENT AS SHE THEN BREAKS THE KISS AND WHISPERS INTO HIS EAR.

JESS

Let's paint the town red.

THE TIPEX FIRES AS JESS YANKS AKI AND HER, STILL EMBRACED, OVER THE EDGE OF THE ROOFTOP IN SLOW-MOTION. A CLOSE UP OF HER HAND SHOWS HER PULL A WHITE RECIEVER OUT OF HER POCKET AND PRESS THE BUTTON. THERE IS A CLICK AND...

EXT. NEO LONDON STREET. MORNING.

A MAN IN A STARK WHITE SUIT AND GLASSES KNEELS DOWN AND GRIMACES AT A SCUFF MARK ON HIS WHITE SHOE. HE PULLS OUT A WHITE HANDKERCHIEF AND STARTS TO RUB AT THE MARK WHEN A DOT OF RED DROPS ONTO THE HANDKERCHIEF AND SPREADS QUICKLY. HIS FACE LOOKS PUZZLED AND THEN ANOTHER RED DOT HITS HIS HAND. HE TURNS HIS FACE UPWARDS AND IT STARTS TO RAIN BLOOD. COVERING HIM AND THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM WHO ALSO SEEM UTTERLY CONFUSED. ALL AROUND HIM IT IS RAINING RED. HE TAKES OFF HIS GLASSES AND WIPES THEM BEFORE PUTTING THEM BACK ON AND STARING AT HIS HAND IN AMAZEMENT. AN EXTREME CLOSE-UP OF HIS LIPS SHOWS THEM SAY.

MAN IN SUIT

Colour.

END