Signal Lost
FADE IN:
INT. LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Living room lit by phone screens, TV, laptop glow. Digital devices everywhere. TOM sits gaming, headphones half-on. JERRY has a laptop open. TINA scrolls social media. MAYA sits apart from the group, adjusting settings on an old film camera with IR capability.
TOM (eyes glued to phone) Come on, come on… almost got this boss down.
JERRY (looking up from laptop) Maybe we should actually talk to each other instead of staring at screens?
TINA (scrolling) Says the guy who's been coding for three hours straight.
Maya looks through her camera viewfinder, scanning the room.
MAYA This lighting is actually perfect for film. Very moody.
TOM Why do you still use that old thing? Your phone has a better camera.
MAYA Film has character. Digital is too… clean.
SUDDEN SIMULTANEOUS PHONE ALERTS — harsh, jarring sound. Everyone checks their phones.
JERRY (reading) "EMERGENCY ALERT: Avoid all electronic devices. Power down immediately. Stay away from digital signals. This is not a test."
TINA What the hell?
TOM (still gaming) Probably some solar flare thing. My game's working fine.
JERRY Guys, maybe we should listen—
MAYA When do you ever see alerts like that?
TINA It's probably some test that got sent out wrong.
Maya instinctively moves away from the TV.
MAYA What if it's not?
TOM Look, if something was really wrong, we'd know about it. Internet's working, games are working…
Tom waves his phone.
TOM (cont'd) See? Everything's normal.
Maya raises her film camera, looks through the IR viewfinder.
MAYA Guys… I'm seeing something weird through this.
JERRY What kind of weird?
MAYA Movement… around the electronics. Like heat signatures but… wrong.
TINA You're freaking yourself out.
A DISTANT RUMBLE from outside — very faint.
JERRY Did you hear that?
TOM Hear what? I'm wearing headphones.
MAYA (urgent) Maybe we should turn everything off. Just in case.
TINA And sit in the dark like cavemen?
JERRY Actually… Maya might be right. Better safe than sorry.
Jerry closes his laptop.
JERRY (cont'd) Come on, humor us for a few minutes.
Reluctantly, Tina puts her phone down. Tom doesn't move.
TOM I'm in the middle of a raid. Give me ten minutes.
MAYA Tom, please.
TOM Fine. FINE. But if this is nothing, you're all buying me drinks.
Tom powers down his phone. A beat of silence. Maya digs in her camera bag.
MAYA I have a battery pack if anyone needs emergency power later.
JERRY Always prepared, huh?
MAYA Film school teaches you to plan ahead.
The TV suddenly flickers.
TINA I thought we turned everything off.
JERRY TV's still on.
Jerry reaches for the remote. The TV goes to static briefly, then back to normal.
MAYA (through camera) There's definitely something moving near that TV.
TOM What do you mean "something"?
MAYA I don't know. The IR picks up heat patterns and there are… shapes. Around any device that's on.
Long beat. Everyone stares at the TV. Then — a SECOND AMBER ALERT cuts through the silence. All phones buzz simultaneously.
TOM Same stupid alert.
JERRY Why would they send it twice?
MAYA (increasingly worried) Maybe because it's getting worse?
TINA Or their system's glitching.
SOUNDS FROM OUTSIDE begin — distant explosions, car alarms, shouting.
JERRY Okay, now I definitely hear that.
TOM Sounds like the city's having a rough night.
Maya pulls out her battery pack.
MAYA Here. If we need to check news or call someone…
JERRY Maya, you're brilliant.
Jerry plugs his laptop into Maya's battery pack. Tom immediately grabs his phone. Tina also picks up hers.
MAYA Guys, what if the warning was real?
JERRY (typing) We'll be careful. Just a quick check, then back off.
Maya looks through her camera — her face drops.
MAYA The shapes… they're getting bigger.
TOM Everything's working fine, Maya. See? We figured out how to ride this out. Thanks to you.
The sounds outside intensify — screams mix with the explosions. Then the screams begin to change. They become more animalistic. Less human.
MAYA Those don't sound like people anymore.
TINA Maya, you're making this worse than it is.
Through her camera, Maya sees movement clustering around Tom's phone. The outside sounds shift — the marching becomes a deep, rhythmic RUMBLE.
MAYA Tom, put the phone down. Please.
TOM Why? It's working perfectly.
JERRY That doesn't sound like military.
The TV flickers more rapidly. The laptop screen glitches.
TINA Okay, that's not normal.
MAYA There's movement everywhere now. Around every device.
SUDDEN SILENCE outside. Everyone freezes.
JERRY Why did everything stop?
Complete quiet. Then a single MUFFLED SCREAM from somewhere outside — cut short.
TOM Okay, that was creepy.
BREAKING GLASS in the distance.
MAYA We need to turn everything off. Now.
JERRY Let me just try the radio in the kitchen. See if there's emergency broadcasts.
Jerry stands, grabs the laptop.
MAYA Jerry, don't—
JERRY (O.S.) I'll be quick!
INT. KITCHEN — CONTINUOUS
Jerry sets the laptop on the counter, turns on the CB radio.
JERRY (into radio) Hello? Anyone out there? What's the emergency situation?
Static. Then a voice — distorted, breaking apart.
VOICE (radio) …stay away from… digital signals… they're drawn to…
Static increases.
JERRY Hello? Can you repeat that?
Heavy breathing comes through the radio. Low. Wrong.
JERRY (cont'd) Hello?
A DEEP, INHUMAN GRUNT through the speaker. Jerry backs away from the radio. The static surges — then cuts to silence.
JERRY (cont'd) (calling out) Guys? I think we should—
Silence. Jerry is gone.
INT. LIVING ROOM — CONTINUOUS
MAYA Jerry?
No response.
TOM He's probably just having radio problems.
Maya looks toward the kitchen through her camera.
MAYA I don't see his heat signature.
TINA What do you mean you don't see it?
MAYA He's just… gone.
Tina gets up.
TINA Jerry?
MAYA Tina, don't go in there.
Tina walks toward the kitchen. A beat. She returns, pale.
TINA He's not there. Radio's still on, laptop's still running, but…
A STIFLED SCREAM from somewhere inside the walls. Everyone freezes.
MAYA That sounded like Jerry.
TOM People don't just disappear, Maya.
Tom stands, phone in hand.
TOM (cont'd) I'm going to check the bedroom. Maybe he went to look outside.
MAYA Tom, leave the phone.
TOM I need the flashlight.
MAYA Please. Use mine.
Maya offers a small mechanical flashlight. Tom ignores it.
TOM Your phone light is brighter.
Tom heads toward the bedroom, still gaming.
INT. BEDROOM — NIGHT
Tom enters. Phone screen glowing. He sits on the bed, continues gaming, puts his headphones back on.
TOM Jerry? You in here, man?
No response. Tom gets absorbed in the game. Through the doorway, Maya can be seen in the living room, watching through her camera. Her face shows horror.
MAYA (O.S.) (distant) Tom! TOM!
Tom can't hear her through his headphones. HEAVY BREATHING fills the room, low and close. Tom looks up from his phone, confused.
TOM Hello?
SUDDEN STATIC. Tom's phone screen goes black. Tom disappears into the darkness. A MUFFLED, STIFLED SCREAM.
INT. LIVING ROOM — CONTINUOUS
Maya and Tina stare toward the bedroom.
TINA Tom?
Silence.
MAYA He's gone too.
TINA This is insane. People don't just vanish.
Maya looks around through her camera, hands shaking.
MAYA Tina, we need to get out of here.
TINA And go where? You heard what's outside.
As if on cue — DRAGGING SOUNDS echo from the street.
MAYA At least outside we can run.
TINA I'm not leaving without knowing what happened to Jerry and Tom.
Tina picks up her phone.
MAYA Tina, don't turn that on.
TINA I'm calling 911.
MAYA The phone is what makes them disappear!
TINA Them? What them?
Maya shows Tina the viewfinder.
MAYA Look.
TINA I just see the room.
MAYA The shadows around your phone. They're moving.
TINA Maya, I think you're having a breakdown.
Tina powers on her phone. Immediately, every remaining digital device in the room starts glitching. A DEEP, RESONANT BREATHING fills the apartment.
MAYA Tina, turn it off!
TINA I'm getting bars… I can call for help…
Maya lunges for Tina's phone. They struggle. The phone flies across the room, still on. HEAVY FOOTSTEPS echo from the hallway.
TINA What is that?
Maya grabs Tina's arm.
MAYA We have to go. Now.
Tina breaks away, goes for her phone.
TINA I need to call—
As Tina touches her phone, she VANISHES. A STIFLED SCREAM echoes from the walls. Maya is alone.
INT. LIVING ROOM — CONTINUOUS
Maya stands alone, breathing in shallow pulls. Complete silence outside — no more chaos sounds. She looks around through her camera. The room appears empty in IR.
MAYA (whispered) Please let this be over.
She moves toward the front door. A CREAK from the floorboards behind her. Maya spins — nothing visible. But through her camera: a large heat signature moving along the wall.
MAYA (cont'd) Oh god.
She backs toward the door. All the abandoned electronic devices in the room suddenly power on simultaneously — phones, laptop, TV, radio. A CACOPHONY of digital noise. The heat signature in Maya's camera grows, moving toward the active devices. Maya reaches the front door, tries the handle. Locked. She looks through the camera — the entity is between her and the devices. She realizes: it's not after her. She's not connected to anything digital.
She begins backing toward the hallway. The digital devices short out one by one — sparks, smoke. As each device dies, the breathing sounds get closer. Maya reaches the hallway. BREAKING GLASS from the bedroom. HEAVY BREATHING from the kitchen. DRAGGING SOUNDS from everywhere.
Maya holds her breath. Stays perfectly still. Through her camera — multiple heat signatures moving through the apartment. They seem to be searching.
Maya spots the hallway window. Her escape. She moves slowly, silently. A CREAK from the floorboard. All movement stops. Silence. Maya freezes.
SUDDEN BANG from the kitchen. Maya bolts for the window, cranks it open. A ROAR from behind her — something massive and close. Maya climbs through.
EXT. FIRE ESCAPE — CONTINUOUS
Maya emerges onto the fire escape. The city below is completely dark. No lights anywhere. No sounds. She looks through her camera — the entire city is cold in IR. No heat signatures in any window. She is alone.
Maya begins climbing down. Behind her, through the apartment window, a massive shadow passes. She doesn't look back.
EXT. EMPTY STREET — DAWN
Maya walks down a completely abandoned street. Cars stopped in the road. Doors open. No bodies. No people. No sounds. Maya stops, looks around. Through her camera — the world is cold. No heat signatures anywhere. She lowers the camera.
MAYA (to herself) I'm the only one left.
She looks at her battery pack — almost dead. She looks at her IR camera — film almost gone. She raises the camera and begins filming the empty world.
MAYA (V.O.) If anyone finds this… they came for everyone who was connected. Everyone who wouldn't let go of their devices. I survived because I used old technology. Film. Mechanical. Analog.
She films the empty street.
MAYA (V.O., cont'd) The amber alerts were real. But by the time we got them, it was already too late. They were already here.
Maya stops walking. In the distance, a single phone rings — the old Nokia ringtone. Maya looks toward the sound. Through her camera: a heat signature, near the phone. Someone else survived.
MAYA (whispered) Or something wants me to think they did.
Maya backs away from the sound. The phone stops ringing. Silence. Maya turns and walks in the opposite direction.
FADE TO BLACK.