We found him; we located Campion. He crash-landed on a one-stoplight town in East Texas.
LGLieutenant General William "Billy" Starkey
He made it halfway across the country. How'd he do that?
I don't know. But the important thing is, right now, we got a shot at containing this.
Denninger says this thing has a communicability rate of over 99%. You understand what that means? Any chance of containing this went by the window when Campion bought his first takeout burger.
We can't think that way, Billy.
Yeah, you're right. Of course you are. What about the rest of his family?
They're dead, sir. Contact with the townspeople was minimal.
That doesn't matter. We're gonna have to shut that town down, lock it up, dig a moat around it.
That operation's already on the launching pad, sir.
What kinda coverage you come up with?
[Laughs grimly] Yeah, it's a new one, all right! It's real new! It's very good at its job, too! Too good.
Well, it's bad, General, but it could be worse.
Ha! How's that? What's the name of this town?
HDDr. Herbert Denninger
Mr. Stuart Redman, Dr. Herbert Denninger. Would you mind accompanying us, please?
Hey. You wanna take your hand off my arm, hoss?
HDDr. Herbert Denninger
[To the soldier accompanying him] He was one of the men who had direct contact with Campion; put him in the truck. If he resists-
I ain't gonna resist. Country don't mean dumb.
We have a rather large problem in Wyoming, sir.
What large problem is that, Len?
News team got out of Pine Bluff with some potentially damaging video tapes, sir.
Little of both. And our ops, I'm told.
Well, we can't have that. Showing footage like that would not be in the national interest!
Well, do we know where these news people, these rabble rousers are now?
Get that video tape, Len. By any means necessary. Make it a priority.
[When Stu stops cooperating with the Vermont CDC staff, Dr. Denninger enters in his isolation suit to talk to him.]
DDr. Denninger
Patty Greer says you've given her… quite a bit of trouble. She's quite upset.
Well, that makes two of us. Being hijacked by a bunch of government sons of bitches in spacesuits does that to me every time. So, if you don't wanna see how quick I can rip a hole in that thing 'fore you can get outta here, you better give me a little information.
NANick Andros
Who are you, ma'am?
Abagail Freemantle. But folks 'round these parts just call me Mother Abagail. I'm a hundred and six years old, and I still make my own bread!
[Sheriff Baker and Dr. Soames see the beaten Nick Andros emerge from his cell.]
SBSheriff Baker
When I was a boy, we caught ourselves a mountain lion back up in the hills. We shot it, 'n' dragged it back to town. What was left of that critter when we got home was the sorriest lookin' sight I've ever seen. You the second sorriest, boy.
[An isolation-suited Dr. Dietz enters Stu's room with a small animal cage.]
DDr. Dietz
I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Meet Geraldo.
DDr. Dietz
Um-hmm. Now, the virus your fellow townspeople contracted passes easily from human to guinea pig, and vice-versa, presumably. But Geraldo has been breathing your air, via convector, for the last three days. And Geraldo is fine and frisky, as you see. I'd call that rather comforting, wouldn't you?
I see you're not taking any chances.
DDr. Dietz
That's not in my contract. However, it does appear there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Mr. Redman. Or, may I call you "Stu"?
Just don't call me Geraldo.
. . .
DDr. Dietz
All right, now, you listen up! I'm not responsible for you being here, or for the dead people in your home town. Neither is Denninger, or the nurses who come in to take your blood pressure.
DDr. Dietz
No one. Everyone. God. Who knows?
. . .
[Stu starts coughing, causing Dietz et al. to scramble to leave the room.]
Dietz! Calm down. I was just faking.
DDr. Dietz
Why… why would you do a thing like that?
You talk about this thing in here like you were outside of it. I just wanted you to get a little taste of what it's like on the inside. How'd you like it?
DDr. Dietz
You stupid son of a bitch!
Get the hell out. [Dietz and his men start to leave] Don't forget your damn guinea pig!
[Later, after the hospital is shown to be deserted and its staff killed by the plague, a dying Dietz returns to Stu's room with a pistol]
DDr. Dietz
Just think, Stu. All of those tests we ran on you, and we never found a single immunity vector. Not one! What makes you so special? Have you been touched by God?
[Warily] Where's your buddy, Denninger?
DDr. Dietz
He's dead. They're all dead. Everyone except me, and thee.
And you're here to take care of me, is that it?
DDr. Dietz
Hole in one! [Goes into a coughing fit]
DDr. Dietz
Why? Because I've decided a piece of chicken-fried crap like you doesn't deserve to live. Not with so many good men dying.
Those "good men" caused this mess!
[On the phone, Larry talks to Arlene, his bartender friend in L.A.]
Listen, I'm gonna try and get the, uh… the afternoon flight back, so… you put on your sexiest number, I'm gonna take ya out to dinner, then I'll take ya out dancing… then maybe I'll just take ya.
[Larry walks along a New York City street. In the background, a robed man slowly approaches, ringing a bell.]
MSMonster Shouter
Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead! Bring out your—
[Suddenly the robed man lunges at Larry, grabbing his shirt and talking straight into his face.]
MSMonster Shouter
He's coming for you, Larry. The Man With No Face!
[Two men are boozing it up, cruising in their convertible down a remote Arizona highway.]
PPoke
Ya know what time it is?
PPoke
Time to make a cash withdrawal!
PPoke
And if anybody — I mean anybody — says anything, or does anything to stop us…
[Lloyd talks into the barrel of Poke's gun.]
PPoke
Dead right! Damn straight!
"Things fall apart. The center does not hold." [A] man named Yeats said that. I didn't understand that poem in college, Len. But I… must be getting smarter in my old age, because I understand it now. And one other line from that poem: "What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?" I think that beast might be on its way, Len.
[Later, with all Army operations and the United States overall falling apart, Major Carsleigh hears a gunshot while working outside Starkey's office. The General has shot himself, pinning a paper to his uniform that says "GUILTY".]
You were right, Billy... the center didn't hold. It didn't...
[Rae Flowers continues her radio talk show as the military invades the building.]
RFRae Flowers
Tell ya what, Portland — it looks like the Marines have landed, and they don't look too happy.
[Frannie and her flu-ridden father are listening in horror.]
This is a joke! Right? I mean, this has gotta be a joke!
PGPeter Goldsmith
I don't think so, Frannie. I really don't think so.
RFRae Flowers
Hi, there. You're on the air.
CCaller
Rae, you all right?
RFRae Flowers
Well, to tell you the truth, honey, it doesn't look too good for the kid right now. Several soldiers have just broken into the studio. They— they're fully armed, and they're… they're dressed in some kind of protective clothing. They're wearing… they're wearing respirators on their faces.
[The soldiers break into Rae's studio.]
RFRae Flowers
Hey, Bluto! You ever hear of a little number called freedom of speech?! Bill of Rights?! Any of that ring a bell? [to her audience] Folks, I've just been ordered by my uninvited Fascist guests to shut down, and I've refused. I think—
[Sounds of gunfire over the radio, then silence.]
Oh my God, what's happening?!
PGPeter Goldsmith
I don't know, Frannie... I don't know.
[At night, on a desert highway, a tall, long-haired man in jeans spies a deer.]
[He makes a gun-firing motion with his hand, light flashes, and the deer falls dead.]
[The robed Monster Shouter passes down the road ringing a bell, continuing his chanted warning]
MSThe Monster Shouter
Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your --
[He sees Randall Flagg and stops still in his tracks, utterly terrified]
MSThe Monster Shouter
...the Dark Man...he is here!
[Flagg zaps him dead]
