Dark Reckoning (2026)

[bunniefuu]

- So yeah, what's

our new normal gonna be?

I don't know.

Not sure if I wanna know.

Maybe we can call

it a better normal.

As a society, we put our trust

in others maybe too much.

We have representative

government

that doesn't always represent

the people who voted for them.

We must do better for

the next generation

and generations to come.

Look, I'm not one

to live in the past,

so let's just figure

out how to move forward,

which I hope is

possible at this point.

Speaking of the past,

programming note.

This weekend is a

flashback weekend.

We'll be playing mashups

from the previous shows

and, well, that does

it for me tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's

sunrise somewhere in America.

This is Michael

Tanner, signing off

on day 608 in isolation.

- Are you ready, Alex?

I asked. Are you ready?

No, Alex, I don't think you are.

- Hello?

Hello!

- Those who embrace control

must also embrace variables.

Which throw us out of control.

- We don't move forward, we die.

- And I wanna see the world

and all the people

that are part of it.

- You're like a

human boulder on fire,

rocketing down a hill, exploding

through any obstacles

in your way.

- That is a shitty imitation

of dad, but thank you for that.

- I say, and this is just me,

based on, you know, history,

we'll most likely be cooped up

for a few days, maybe a week

and then we'll all get

back to our normal sh*t.

I say, stock up

on beer and chips

and re-up that

Netflix subscription

and binge watch whatever.

- sh*t.

- You have reached local 911,

Moss Creek, New York.

Due to isolation protocols,

emergency service is no longer

in operation in this zone.

We are very sorry.

Good luck.

- No worries.

You've done all you

know to protect us.

- Oh, f*ck.

- How is this different?

This already happened.

Feels like that because

we've been talking now

for over three hours.

- I'm still in the truck.

- You're aware?

- Anyway, I appreciate

what you're saying.

- No, you don't because

you're not answering

my simple question.

- Enough.

- How is this different?

- I don't know, Lori, okay?

Frank and Millie are

heading to Africa.

And if taking our

nine-year-old daughter halfway

around the world isn't f*cking

my head up enough, the fact

that I won't be there because

of my new position at the CDC

puts me right in front

of the flaming boulder

I apparently am.

- Mom would be pissed.

That's some pretty

messed up grammar.

- How do I let

them go without me?

- Get your old position back.

- I can't.

- Then tell the CDC

the Peace Corps messed

up Frank's schedule

and moved his trip

up six months.

- It's an excuse.

I don't do that.

- Right, then you

have to let them go.

- She's nine.

- Going on 19.

What's the real issue?

- I won't be there.

- Morning.

- Hey.

- Hmm. I think our

blackberry's back.

- Really? That's strange.

- Tripped the sensor way out

the perimeter of the property.

- Odd.

- What?

- Well, if it's

tripped, it's yellow,

but if it's offline, it's red.

- What are you thinking?

- I'm thinking it's early

and I'm gonna enjoy

this cup of coffee

that my beautiful wife made

me and not worry about a bear

or a sensor a mile

and a half away.

- All right.

I love you, you're ridiculous.

- Love you too.

- Oh.

Oh.

You so idolized her.

She was your hero.

- You were my hero.

- What?

Hello?

Hello?

- Do you hear me, Alex?

Because I'm talking to you.

Time to stop reading my comic

and bandage up

that bleeding leg.

- I asked.

Are you ready, Alex?

Those who embrace control

must also embrace variables

that throw us out of control.

- You know, dad, looking

back, I would've appreciated

a nice conversation with you

rather than having to achieve

a random objective

every time we went

for a so-called walkabout.

- Ah.

Well, this is how I

expressed my love.

- The birch tree?

Oh, look, a birch tree.

Did you know that Native

Americans use birch

to paper canoes and houses?

Let's randomly stop here,

peel this entire tree

and build a yacht.

- Don't exaggerate.

It was a simple

passenger rowboat.

- What do you

think gave it away?

Maybe it was the tools you

had stashed behind a log.

- They weren't all planned.

- Oh, please.

- The bear.

- That was totally planned.

- It was not.

I mean, I just thought

it would be a...

Well, I just thought it'd

be a great idea to have you

sort of set up camp since

you were in the woods

all by yourself.

I mean, you, you stashed your

bag 10 feet above the ground

and then 20 feet above

where you were sleeping.

That's my girl.

- Those times in the

woods, dad, they...

- It made you strong, resilient,

without such traits you

couldn't have graduated

two years early, and you

never would have gotten

into Johns Hopkins.

Control.

- They made me fear you,

not respect you.

- But darling, I

am here to tell you

that those times prepared

you for this exact moment.

- Say what you've been

holding in all these years.

Ask me what you never could

because you were gone.

- You met that guy

two months ago.

- Took you long enough

to get here, dad.

- Yeah, well, you're willing

to throw it all away.

- Taking a break from school

isn't throwing away anything.

- You maintain

control of all things

by staying on the chosen path,

not by deviating it with.

- You know, one of the

great traits of this family

is that we always

say what we mean.

- Yes, we do.

Yes, we do.

What did Frank lie about?

- What?

- You heard me.

- What did Frank lie about?

- How do you even

know about that?

You've been dead for 15 years.

- You're just not ready yet.

You're just not ready.

What did Frank lie about?

- Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Amazonia?

- My friends, my family

who know me, the real me,

call me Millie.

I wish I could help you.

It is what I do,

but I can't this time.

You must help yourself or

millions will surely die.

- Millions have already

died because I failed.

I failed you every way

that a mother could

fail her daughter.

I did try

and I failed.

- So much anger, so

much regret, guilt,

so much self-pity.

When did you become this?

- You have no idea

who I am.

- Fine.

I'll quit you then,

as you quit them.

As you quit me.

No wait.

Don't go.

- Human beings evolve.

We progress.

We move forward.

Well, we die.

- Well,

I'm not moving forward anymore.

So,

great.

Dead.

- You're not dying.

- My bleeding leg differs.

- You're not going

to lose your leg

and you're not going to die.

- You don't know that.

- I do.

- How could you

possibly know that?

- I've been dead for 15 years,

and here we are chatting it up.

I do know some things

that can help you.

- How could you

possibly help me at all?

- By being here.

I will always be here.

Okay. Okay.

18 million dead.

400 million.

400 million worldwide.

How are they...

How are they

patient one and two?

How is that possible?

Okay. Okay.

100% mortality rate.

1%.

Ah, natural immunity.

Why is it so specific?

Okay.

Mm.

I wanna fully support

Frank with what he's doing.

I'm saying something.

What he believes in

and what he stands for.

Despite understanding

that he is taking risks

that he can no longer afford.

- He has responsibilities

now more than himself.

- Yeah. He does.

Before Millie, if he

wanted to take risks

and go to the hardest

places on earth, great.

I didn't care.

I mean, of course I cared,

but he's a grown man

and doesn't need

me micromanaging.

- So, you're letting them go.

- I am. My choice.

I am controlling the situation.

Ah!

Two, four, three.

Okay. HBMI.

Oh, that's not...

It's not making any sense.

Why can't I see it?

- Because you're

not ready to see it.

- What did Frank lie about?

- No, you don't get to do that.

You don't get to

suddenly play, dad.

Not now.

Not after all this

time we've lost.

- Ah, time.

You're familiar with all that.

- Control is choice

based on research.

You look at the facts, you

determine a course of action,

execute that action,

and control the outcome.

- Control is an illusion.

You use it to reflect

your insecurity

with no control over anything,

and having no control

frightens the sh*t out of you.

Life is not an equation, Alex.

It's not an experiment

that can be tried

over and over again until

it's successful or not.

- I weighed the

risks of them going.

I did the math.

I may not like it in my heart,

but my mind knows

they'll be fine.

- Convincing yourself is not

the same as accepting reality.

You're conning yourself

into believing your husband

and daughter are

gonna be in no danger

and you know different,

and you're doing nothing.

- I am doing everything

not to lose my mind.

Frank and Millie

are going to one

of the most dangerous

places on earth right now.

And I won't be there.

And I have to come to

terms with the fact

that I am choosing.

It's just...

Okay. Let him go.

Oh, hey.

Hello?

Hello?

Is there somebody with you?

Huh?

Well, I'm...

I'm really sorry.

I, I don't have

anything to give you,

but you know what?

There is something

you can do for me.

Can you run to the nearest

police station or hospital

and get someone and

bring them back?

Huh?

Can you do that? Huh?

Hmm?

No. I guess not.

Too much to ask, huh?

Oh.

Looks like your paw's bleeding.

Well, you know what?

It's kind of your lucky

day because I'm a doctor.

Come here.

Let me see that.

God?

Your name is God?.

Oh.

Yes, you are very

imposing, aren't you?

Okay.

Here, I got a

little bit of water.

Yeah, yeah, you're thirsty

like me, aren't you?

Okay.

Let's see here.

Oh. Yeah.

Nothing more than

a little scratch.

Probably just nicked it

on a rock or something.

Or maybe you were in a pitched

battle with a k*ller wolf.

Huh?

Is that what happened?

Nah. I don't think so.

Looks like you're lost out here.

Like I am.

No one looking for us.

And you know what?

I'm gonna be honest with you.

I'm not gonna call you God,

because that just

opens up like a whole

shipping container full

of stuff for me, so,

I'm just gonna call you dog.

Huh?

No?

All right.

I'll call you God.

So be honest with me here, God.

What are you really

doing out here?

Huh?

Because I know how I got here.

I was driving recklessly

and I flipped my truck,

but I have a feeling that's

not how you got out here,

because apart from that cut

on your foot, you smell nice.

Your coat is shiny, so I think

you're primarily a house dog.

So get real.

What are you really

doing here, God?

Huh?

Are you looking for me?

Hmm.

I'm not gonna find my

answers with you, am I?

Hey, wait.

No, come back.

Please?

God.

Come back.

No worries.

I'll be right here.

- And here,

we

go.

It's time.

- No.

No, Daniel.

- Julia, it's time.

- I'm not ready.

- Next, news update.

With 90% of the country

in self-lockdown,

as if we really had a choice,

and so far, according to the

top immunologists at the CDC,

Dr. Walden herself

saying, "Only 1%

of the population appears

to be naturally immune."

Her included to this thing.

Thank God we have

a test for that.

We all appear to be stuck

right where we are, though,

this slow and steady

trajectory of the assured rise

of mental health issues

cannot be overlooked.

- Tell me about it.

- I mean, yes, I'm

on board with staying inside,

not interacting with

people and all that,

but how long until the

preventive measures become worse

than the infection?

- None.

There's no amount of time when

the infection becomes better

than the treatment or the cure.

- But I'm just moving my mouth,

not having any idea

what I'm talking about,

as they didn't teach this stuff

in my communications class.

- Ah!

- Anyway, I feel like

saying we should all aspire

to spread hope, not fear,

convey truth, not lies.

And most of all, support those

on the front lines, of course.

But also, let's not forget

the ones that have paid

and are paying the

ultimate price.

Those bleeding life so the

rest of us won't have to.

Ladies and gentlemen, at

sunrise, somewhere in America.

- There will be no more

tomorrows, like today.

For an eternity, I have battled.

I have suffered.

I have pled for what I believe.

I have nothing left.

Nothing left to give.

- You are so wrong.

Humans have the power of choice,

the freedom of will, the

ability to forge ahead

and fulfill great destinies.

But you are choosing

not to evolve, to grow.

You are choosing to be still.

Stay this course, and

you will surely fail.

- Humans must move forward.

Will we die?

- It's okay to let go.

And look at things differently.

Consider what you never

would have considered before.

Have you ever considered

that the prehistoric strain

was not the source

of the pandemic?

- Millie was a lot like you.

One month premature

and just too impatient

to stay in one place.

She was like, "I'm out of here."

And arrived, she did,

kicking and screaming

and ugh, just leaving an

enormous mess on her wake.

Boy, was she

daddy's little girl.

Could never do any harm.

History doesn't

necessarily repeat itself,

but does tend to rhyme.

You got settled with two girls.

- I never regretted

having you two girls.

- I know.

- What do you think drove

Frank to lie to you?

- Don't do that.

Why would you attack someone

who can't defend themselves?

- I'm not attacking him.

It's a question.

- Yeah, an accusatory question.

- No, it's only accusatory

because you're answering

it so defensively.

- I'm not being defensive.

I know the answer.

- Well say it out loud.

- No.

Frank didn't lie to me

about anything ever.

- Hm.

Well, he did go to Africa

with the Peace Corps.

That part is true 100%.

- Yes, it is.

- But where else did he go?

Oh, Daddy, please.

Can you just let this go?

Please?

- Honey, you are aware

that it isn't only my voice

asking these questions?

- Yeah.

Glacial, microbes.

Comparisons of bacterial,

production on glacial surf.

Surfaces between the

Arctic and Antarctica.

China.

- It's not really

that you believe

that you can

control our destiny.

It's such you'd rather,

it's better, easier for you,

as if all the choices

are made are yours.

So,

if things go a little wrong,

you have no one else to

blame other than yourself,

because

if someone else is to blame,

well,

that unleashes your

terrible demon.

- No, no, no.

This won't be that.

Taking all possible precautions.

And yes,

I am okay not being

able to forgive myself.

- I know.

That's right.

You're just not ready.

- Climate change melts glaciers.

It gives us access to viruses.

Millions of years.

Ancient viruses provide a first

window of viral

genomes in there.

- You know-

- Origins.

- You know what

I was thinking yesterday?

Thinking how easy the top

of the food chain, us,

has been so easily laid low

by this microscopic m*rder*r.

Things are getting kind

of biblical out there.

We think we have such

control over our future.

Control.

Control is simply a myth.

We try to convince ourselves

that control is

something tangible

as if we literally

have any active choice

over the course of our lives

when we truly don't.

This is Michael Tanner.

Signing off.

- Nothing you've ever

said, Michael Tanner.

Not my dark night, dad.

- It is, but you

just don't understand it.

- What don't I understand?

- You wake up every single day

angry that you've survived.

You look at your natural

immunity as a curse,

as a punishment,

when it's a gift.

- Outliving my

child is not a gift.

- That anger will k*ll you.

- My leg has taken care of that.

And it's the anger

that keeps me going.

- Well, love is a

much better motivator.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

- Do tell.

- Do you remember the rabbit?

- My big failure in the woods.

- How do you remember that day?

- I refused to k*ll the

rabbit and let it go.

That showed weakness,

and it pissed you off.

- Well, I was wrong.

- What?

- I was totally wrong.

- I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm sorry.

One more time, please.

- You heard me.

I was totally wrong.

- You see, you keep saying that,

but I've, you're my father,

and I've never heard

you say that before.

- I have.

Alone.

Quite frequently.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Yeah, but this time,

it's different.

I was a fool to think

that not k*lling a rabbit

was a sign of weakness.

- It wasn't.

- I didn't know.

I didn't think that

then, but you did.

Until you can wake up every day

and not be fueled by rage,

you'll never be ready.

What did Frank lie about?

- Why keep asking

that same question?

- Hoping to get to the truth.

- The confidence of wisdom

is not your problem.

It's the confidence of

omnipotence you struggle with.

- How do I let that go?

- By letting go of the

responsibility of us.

Do you remember what I told

you the day dad and I left?

- Alex, this is about

what needs to be done

for this planet, for Millie.

It's about progress. Evolution.

If we don't move

forward, we die.

- And I wanna see the world

and all the people

that are part of it.

- All the people.

Look what we did.

We gave our kid hope.

No worries.

Done all you know to protect us.

- The only true constant

in life is the unexpected.

I couldn't protect you from

something that didn't exist yet.

- In this first verse,

the soul tells the mode

and manner in which it departs.

As to its affection, from itself

and from all things,

dying a true mortification

to all of them and

to itself, to a rye,

a sweet and delicious

life with God.

- Well, who is

to blame if not Frank?

- I'm to blame.

It's all my fault.

I don't wanna close

my eyes anymore

and see them.

I can't because I'm just...

I'm just sad and angry.

I can be with you now.

- Alex, what is it

that you keep missing?

- In 2013, a group of

French scientists discovered

what is known as

a Pandora virus.

These are ancient microbes.

Prehistoric viruses have never

seemed harmful to humans.

They're mainly found

in marine environments,

infecting amoeba.

How could a pure

prehistoric strain?

That's it.

That's what I've

always been missing.

What if it was re-engineered?

It'd have to be

done at its source.

Before Frank left the NSA, there

was a theory that they had.

They believed that a group

of t*rrorists had gotten hold

of a prehistoric virus

and weaponized it.

- So you're telling

me that a group

of t*rrorists k*lled

millions of people?

- No.

The CDC did.

Frank and I never believed

the t*rror1st theory.

The more apt theory was

that the CDC got hold

of a prehistoric strain, was

running some experiments on it,

they accidentally got it

right and it got loose.

Frank's lied.

Frank's trip to Zambia with

the Peace Corps was 100% legit.

He would never put

Millie in harm's way.

But I believe that

he had a meeting

he kept off the record.

- With whom?

- His old contact at the NSA,

who likely passed him a sample

that they didn't

trust with the CDC.

He would then bring it

home, give it to me,

and I'd get to

work on a vaccine.

Secretly.

- So how do you explain the

death of Frank and Millie?

- Transporting a virus

is like keeping a raw egg

from breaking while sitting

on the nose of a 747,

flying at 35,000 feet.

- It's hard.

- So the container must

have gotten damaged somehow,

and Frank and

Millie got exposed.

It likely mutated to

a respiratory strain.

It became airport.

Frank and Millie

never had a chance.

Oh, they never had a

chance from the start.

Pathology report showed

that they died from

a prehistoric strain,

and that's why I spent

two years focused on it.

Two wasted years.

- Honey, now that you know

what you're looking for,

can you fix it?

- Fix it?

- Yeah. Can you find a cure?

- Yeah. Maybe.

What difference does it make?

They're dead.

- The world is still spinning,

and it needs people like you.

Specifically, you.

It wasn't your fault.

You had no control over this.

You never did.

Frank did what he

thought was right.

You made a promise.

You told them you'd find a cure.

Now you've got to

keep your promise.

You're alive.

You've gotta fight.

- I don't know how.

- Yes, you do.

- I don't know how anymore.

It's too hard.

- Life is hard.

Living is hard.

But you've got to survive.

But you have got to

survive your dark night

so we all can survive.

Wake up, Alex.

It is time for you to wake up.

- You're here.

- This is a mistake.

- It's been two years.

- The thread still exists.

- I'm aware.

- Not just from the

virus, getting sick.

Remember the looters,

the squatters?

- I'm aware, but that

was early on, okay?

You remember they were just kids

and they were just

looking for shelter,

and we sent them away.

- It could be worse now.

- I thought it was a bear.

- Either way, it's dangerous.

- Look, a bear, a deer would

have set off multiple sensors

as one single sensor is offline.

I think that...

- What?

- I think it's someone who needs

our help and I wanna find out.

I need to find out what's

going on out there.

Don't you wanna know?

- I do, but I'm scared.

- I'm scared, too.

- It's time, isn't it?

- It's long past time.

- Let's go.

I'm driving.

- Straight on to Route 10.

Just make a right, go

straight onto Route 10,

and then we'll pull

past that open field

where they were logging

before isolation.

- You got it.

- Holy f*ck.

Dr. Walden?

I'm not getting a pulse.

- Alex Walden?

Nothing. I've got nothing.

She's out there, baby.

- Damn it.

I'm sorry.

- No.

Come on, Alex.

- I am so proud to be.

- You're here.

- I am.

To ask you, what do

you think you're doing?

k*lling yourself?

- No, I, I'm letting go.

- Like you said, no.

This is giving up.

Not letting go.

- Yeah, but yeah, but

they'll find my notes.

They don't need me.

- Oh, mom, of course,

they need you.

Your passion, your

focus, your intellect.

Don't diminish your

faith in others.

- No, but I wanna be here.

I wanna be with you.

- Oh, mom.

I'm not really here.

- What?

- I am so proud to have

been your daughter.

Now feel me and hear me.

You are ready.

You are ready.

- Come on, Alex.

Alex?

I got her back.

- Millie? Millie?

- Alex?

- Millie. Millie.

Millie.

Where's Millie?

- Alex, my name is Daniel.

This is my wife, Julia.

This is my wife, Julia,

you're gonna be okay.

- We're paramedics, Alex.

You're gonna be okay.

- All right, I'm gonna

go underneath her.

We're gonna pull

her out, all right?

- Okay.

- Here we go, one, two.

- Three.

- Okay, okay. Nice and gentle.

There we go.

Watch your head.

Watch your neck.

Okay.

Here we go.

Hand me that gauze.

- Oh, is this?

What are you looking for?

- Everything I know.

- We're gonna get you

to the hospital, okay?

Here we go.

- Hang on.

Get babe.

What is this?

- This is my daughter.

- Okay. Grab the bags.

I'm gonna come

around and left drop.

Hang on.

I got you.

Ready? Here we go.

Ready? Up.

- There you go.

Watch your head.

There we go.

- Okay.

- Here we go.

- Okay.

- Thank you for saving my life.

- We're gonna move.

Are you ready, Alex?

- I am ready.

- To all my listeners

out there, everywhere,

enjoying our new freedoms,

and yes, they are still new.

Today is a special day, a

special day to remember,

to remember those who we lost,

and to cherish those who

survived this darkness

on day 365, one year

out of isolation.