BRIDGE OF THE ICE AGE
Written by RUSSELL CHENIER
26922 235th ave se maple valley
98038
FADE IN:

EXT. FUTURISTIC BRIDGE - DAY

A massive, high-tech bridge spans a vast, frozen lake. Cars are abandoned, and panicked crowds rush toward safety. The FAMILY—MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER (17), and SISTER (14)—are among them, huddled together against the biting wind.

MOTHER
It’s beautiful… and terrifying.

FATHER
Let’s keep moving.

Suddenly, a LOUD ALARM blares. Red lights flash. CHAOS breaks out.

BROTHER
What’s happening?

FATHER
No time to explain—come on!

They push through the crowd. The FATHER spots a GRATE embedded in the bridge and rushes to it. He yanks at it, struggling. The MOTHER helps.

FATHER
Help me!

The grate creaks open, revealing a narrow passageway into the hollow center of the bridge. Below, massive HYDROELECTRIC TURBINES churn the icy water.

MOTHER
You two go. Now.

BROTHER
No! What about you?

FATHER
There’s no time!

SISTER
We can’t leave you—

The MOTHER grabs the SISTER, her face soft but urgent.

MOTHER
You must. We’ll hold them off.

The parents lift the kids into the hollow. The BROTHER clings to the edge, tears streaming.

BROTHER
Please—come with us!

FATHER
Be brave. For us.

The MOTHER kisses them both.

MOTHER
We love you. Always.

The grate swings shut. The parents wave as the kids watch through the slats, frost creeping up their bodies. The siblings scramble toward the turbines.

SISTER
I can’t…

BROTHER
You can. Hold on to me.

The BROTHER helps the SISTER climb onto a rotating platform, narrowly avoiding the blades. They make it to a MAINTENANCE PORTAL, finding a SNOW-SKATER. It’s old but functional.

BROTHER
I think I can drive this.

He revs the engine. The skater shoots off, carrying them into the frozen wasteland.

FADE OUT.

TEXT ON SCREEN: “10 YEARS LATER”

EXT. FROZEN WASTELAND - NIGHT

A rugged, futuristic SNOW VEHICLE races across the icy terrain. Inside are the now-older BROTHER and SISTER, hardened survivors.

OLDER BROTHER
Sector 12 is clear.

OLDER SISTER
No signs of life… again.

They pull up to an ABANDONED BUILDING, weapons ready. Inside, they find remnants of civilization—a faded photo, a child’s toy. The SISTER’s face softens.

OLDER SISTER
Do you think anyone’s left?

OLDER BROTHER
There has to be.

In the back, they find a glowing TERMINAL. The BROTHER powers it on. Logs reveal the truth about the apocalypse.

OLDER SISTER
They knew. They let it happen.

OLDER BROTHER
Then we make them pay.

The siblings step outside, looking out at the endless frozen wasteland.

FADE OUT.

TEXT ON SCREEN: “Hope survives in the coldest places, even when the truth is darker than the night.”