"We Begin Again"

**"We Begin Again"** is the first episode of KOllOK. It premiered on February 14th, 2022.

## Synopsis

Old friends and new friends alike 'Begin Again' in a world tarnished by the apocalypse.

## Plot

**Prologue**

Aug 27 2021

Clarity 7 regains consciousness and remembers the moments before when Em shoved her through a portal. A muffled voice calls out to her, checking that she is awake and she realizes that she has been drugged; confirmed by the individual who is surprised that she is awake at all. Clarity asks to be released but the individual wishes to talk, and is nervous to be speaking to someone so young after 20 years. She introduces herself as Cherise and tries to explain that Clarity is the youngest of something, but Clarity’s mind is elsewhere, in the realization that she cannot feel the connection to her sisters. Thinking that it could be the room or her current condition her thoughts are interrupted by Cherise again who asks that they’d like to run some tests on her. Clarity assents and Cherise gestures to a guard who comes to the cell and opens the door, before handing the keys to her. Cherise enters the cell with a needle in her other hand but Clarity refuses and reaches out with her ability, noting that her connection to Phobos is also gone and must draw from her own power. 1

Cherise’s arm that holds the keys breaks down at the molecular level under Clarity’s power, to the shock of the guard and Cherise, and transfers to herself, restoring her own missing arm. The guard recovers and demands answers, to which Clarity warns the guard to let her go but instead he grabs her and reaches for his handcuffs. Clarity reaches for her power again and strikes out with her free right arm to connect to his jaw but be blocks and breaks it. She lunges at the guard and throws him to the floor but as he hit the ground he triggers the alarm that sounds throughout the facility. Clarity sees a light down the corridor and runs until she bursts out the doors of some concrete compound in the middle of a forest. Thirty guards stand before her weapons raised. Before she can run Clarity feels the sting of something on her neck and falls into darkness

### Ascended

Aug 28 2021 post 9PM

AJ Greer and C-Dubbs lie down in the grass during a thunderstorm, hunkering down waiting to see signs of their friend Syd in what they hope to be her cabin a little ways away. C-Dubbs tries to convince AJ to not trust Syd but he points out that he doesn’t know anyone else who could help them get inside the compound they saw in the forest. AJ raises his voice and for a moment hears an Echo in the rain, something off, like the feeling he felt in his bracelet four days ago, but he is able to push the feeling and sound away and turns back to C-Dubbs. AJ lays out his reasoning and the feeling that they are meant to be here and as C-Dubbs argues back they hear a twig break and see the other members of their group, Jude and Ro having crept up behind them. Jude ask if they’ve seen anything yet, and AJ admits that they will have to go check but C-Dubbs is happy to wait. Jude brings up if Syd will even talk to them after the others not speaking to her for years and C-Dubbs rounds on him saying it’s none of his business.

AJ tries to calm her down assuring her that they are all in this together but C-Dubbs whispers back that its only the two of them. Understanding where she’s coming from he confirms that it will always be them working things out but they have to work together with others to. She argues back that doing so has only got others killed, especially when Syd is around. The tensions ease uneasily as Ro makes her report, that the weather is making things difficult but they did ensure their tracks are covered. The door of the cabin opens revealing Syd, and Ro warns AJ and C-Dubbs to get their situation together as Syd approaches. Syd reveals that she has the woods set with cameras and audio and had heard everything and ask what the group want. AJ starts the conversation off well and Syd plays along seeing through his bs and points out that it’s been 8 years since they last spoke. She makes the group wait in the rain a little longer before inviting them inside.

AJ inquires if Syd also felt something several days ago as they all did and she pretends not to have, which angers C-Dubbs. He pushes himself in front of the pair before the fighting gets worse and attempts to alleviate the tension, and the two begrudgingly focus on what he has to say. He explains the feeling that led him to a facility in the forest and asks for her help, but Syd is hurt by the others abandonment of her, not even sending a birthday card. C-Dubbs angrily points out that they all have the same birthday so they don’t even need to and Jude pipes up and says that when Syd moved out of the Ascended Commune in the First Nation, he and many others saw it as her not wanting anything to do with them. If he had known how Syd had felt Jude admits he and the others would have made more of an effort to keep in touch. Syd appreciates the sentiment but also admits that the space was nice especially as it got her away from C-Dubbs, the two begin to bicker again and AJ asks if everyone else go back outside for a moment, leaving Syd and AJ alone to talk. He apologises for his part in her feeling cut off from the others and Syd asks how serious the situation really is. AJ says that it feels important but as Syd talks about her life at the moment be brings up Cherise, who they spied at the facility. Knowing the past between the two AJ promises to give the two time to work out their history in exchange for Syd’s help getting the rest of them into the facility.

Outside Jude and Ro stand beside C-Dubbs as she sits, tending to her mechanical dog Devina. Jude asks if she’s okay to which she says she’s fine and Ro inquires if her not getting along with Syd is because they and AJ had a brief “thing” together. C-Dubbs tries to avoid the conversation, and says that she’s not jealous of AJ, she thinks of him like a brother, no matter what others have thought of them always being a duo and bunking together and ends loudly if AJ is done yet.

The rains stop as AJ and Syd come to a deal, on the caveat that AJ try to keep C-Dubbs away from her, to which he says he will try. The ground beings to shake like a miniature earthquake and the group run off to the hillside and look down upon an armed convoy of large vehicles including several helicopters aiding them to carry something down the forest road. Syd recognises the direction to be towards the facility she had known to be close by. Ro uses her binoculars to spy the cargo as large shards of glass, hundreds of yards in length[KH3] . AJ realises that whatever was leading him to the facility may not be there much longer and urges the group to see why they needed to be here. C-Dubbs starts to put blame on Syd for things beginning to go wrong but Ro jumps to her defense, saying that there had been nothing out there previously and whatever the convoy is after is bound to be important. After another brief argument with C-Dubbs implying that Syd may have been the one that got many of the Ascended killed last time they were all together, she converses with Devina to see if she knows what the convoy is about. Devina replies through the chip in C-Dubbs head that they don’t and shares their concern over her health. With the convoy almost out of reach the Ascended panic and jump down the hillside and run after the last vehicle, Syd leading the way in an attempt to hitch a ride. C-Dubbs sighs at the situation as the others go ahead and attempts to ride Devina down the cliff-side but ends up rolling down the hill alongside Ro, as the others watch from the back of the convoy, while Devina skips down without issue.

AJ jumps off to ensure C-Dubbs and Ro are alright and orders Syd and Jude to attempt to takeover the vehicle so they don’t fall behind. Syd and Jude jump onto the truck and duck down, unnoticed by the armed driver and passenger in front. Syd opens the passenger side door, grabs the soldier and throws him from the vehicle before getting her hands around the drivers throat and orders him to keep driving. Jude asks what the next plan is as AJ hasn’t made it to the cliff yet and Syd tells him to drive instead. Jude takes out a pistol kills the driver and does so, slowing the truck hopefully enough not to arouse suspicion. AJ gets to Devina and asks her to dig up a soft dirt mound so the others can crash safely, Devina does so but AJ is knocked out as C-Dubbs and Ro land on him instead. C-Dubbs tries rousing him calling him JA as Ro hurries them along and runs off to catch up. Syd and Jude see that Ro, not fully recovered is still falling behind and realize they will have to stop for the others. Syd uses the radio to try and not make their actions suspicious but ends up doing exactly that.

The vehicle ahead of them begins to reverse and Ro looks ahead and back at the worsening situation, and hides herself behind the truck. Syd takes a moment to compose herself and tries the radio again, this time, with the story that she is new on the job and she and Jude manage to deceive the soldiers, to his absolute surprise. However, Jude loses his patience with Syd, when she gave the solders his real name in her story; stops the vehicle, hands her the keys and leaves to help C-Dubbs with AJ.

They manage to get him aboard the back of the truck where Ro see more of the cargo, secure containers with modern tech usually only available by Harmonia, but baring none of their markings. Ro voices that even with everywhere she’s been she doesn’t recognize the insignias. Jude leaves Ro to wake up AJ as C-Dubbs has Devina begin scanning and hacking into the security crates. C-Dubbs slaps AJ awake and Ro catches him up on where they are as Devina reveals that each box contains the pure essence of Nothing, and warns her not to open them. AJ asks if Devina means energy to which she replies all things are energy and warns them again not to open the box as she has never seen anything like this before. Ro, points out that she doesn’t speak Devina and the pair fill her in on Devina’s discovery, when the whole vehicle bumps and rocks the crates. Jude opens a small slot in the wall and apologizes as the road worsens and turns back to Syd and tries to make small talk. Syd shares her belief that nothing they do will matter and this mission will be pointless and coming to find her was a mistake. Jude reveals that they all thought that leaving on the mission was a bad idea but AJ was set on it and believed that she could help, though thinking on it he refers to AJ’s want to usually use people to get the end goal of whatever he’s after. But Syd respects that about him, ensuring that they both get something out of the situation and then leave afterwards, an understanding that everyone should live by. Jude remarks on how she comes off so cold considering she’s a sex worker and meant to be personable, but Syd tells him that its easy as pretending and getting it over with until she gets paid, before asking what he’s been up to. Jude reveals that he’s taken over the local coffee shop back at the commune to which Syd gently mocks him for as AJ pops his head in asking if they found any meds. Syd says she found some smokes but Jude balks at using them when they could sell them for so much! Syd argues otherwise as C-Dubbs regrets being consciousness for the conversation. The convoy begins to slow and the Ascended panic at not having a plan for this part, but AJ trusts the pair upfront to figure it out and returns to the back. Jude sees the guards at the gate ahead being scanned before entry, and Syd voices several plans including having Ro kill the guards if need be.

Syd searches the truck and come across a flask of oil and several emergency flares and comes up with a plan to burn the vehicle and run, but before they can enact it the gate guard knocks on the window. Jude rolls down the window to be scanned and Syd leans over, almost sitting on Jude, to have a look at the device and attempts to throw the oil flask at the guard and light them on fire. He blocks the toss which bounces the flask back at the pair and Syd’s lighter ignites them both. The others hear the screams upfront as Jude pushes Syd off him, jumps out and rolls in the dirt to put out the flames. C-Dubbs finds a heavy blanket and leaps out to help Jude while AJ and Ro contemplate throwing one of the Nothing crates but Devina informs him that the odds would not be good that they would survive. Instead AJ rushes out with his knife and attempts to run and tackle the guard but a flailing Jude catches him by the leg and AJ goes tumbling as the guard goes to reach for his radio.

Ro takes out one of the light bulbs along the road leading to the facility which takes out the entire set leaving only a burning Jude and Syd the only light. C-Dubbs chooses to save Jude over Syd and smothers the flames down. Meanwhile, Syd unable to feel the pain of the flames burning her jumps from the vehicle and rolls in the dirt. A reluctant C-Dubbs throws the blanket on her and the flames go out. The sounds of approaching guards galvanizes the Ascended to flee into the forest and AJ has Devina play some 80’s grunge music and run off to divert the guards, but with them still recovering from everything only C-Dubbs gets away.

A woman suddenly appears next to the others surprised at the groups actions. Ro warns the woman not to get close but she steps forward and Ro takes a shot that rings out and the woman’s body drops. AJ slowly approaches the body, stepping into a pool of blood and lights a match as he turns her over. The body begins to rattle and a pair of hands bursts from the woman’s mouth, joined by a second set, and the four rip and pull the body apart as two naked woman emerge from out of the body of the first. The two speak simultaneously and say that they mean the group no harm and introduce themselves as Alice.

### Legacy

The Driver arrives at a location confused as he has no power to move sideways, only able to move forward with no idea how he got here, or where here is, though he knows the date to be August 24 2021.

**Billy Baker**

Billy stands at the phone compelled to make a call, driven by a feeling that connected him to something he doesn’t know if he remembers feeling before, pushing him towards his old friends. He makes the call to someone saying that they need everyone from the funeral back together as he felt something, sure that the others felt it to, going on to mention all the Kollok friends, as something about that time, a period he can’t quiet remember to get together as it feels important and that the person on the other end of the phone knows what he means. He hangs up the phone and the Driver notes that things go dark, for both of them, and wonders aloud what is happening and where they are.

**Emily Pegg**

Nov 13 1991

Emily wakes up in a bush, the streets empty and quiet around her, in torn and ratted, clothes that she doesn’t recognize and feels older than what she remembers. The streets of Kollok look different to her, bearing the signs of heavy flood damage. She starts to walk home wondering is she’s in a dream. Old memories rise to the surface as she walks, no one in sight as she arrives home. Her old home. The door is open and the garden outside is also a mess from the flood. Emily checks the mailbox and finds several pieces waiting her, including a check from Major Video in 1991, which is odd, as to her it is 1990. Emily tentatively heads inside and hears the sound of static from the tv. She calls out for her mom and is startled when she sees two old and brittle bodies sitting in the chairs before the tv. It all seems familiar to her and Emily recognizes her father’s watch and cardigan on one of the bodies and the other one wears her mother’s glasses.

Emily puts the strangeness down to the bodies being burglars who took her parents belongings and died on the coach and her parents must be still alive somewhere. She moves to the back of the house, and searches the house seeing all the doors open. In her room she finds the drawers open and on the dresser a stack of photos of her with people with blank faces. Emily hears whispers coming from elsewhere and tries to assure herself its all a dream. She opens her eyes to see her father Jay, standing before her. He encourages Emily to get ready or she will be late for school and enters the room to help her, but when she looks at him directly he vanishes and she realizes she’s alone. Emily looks back at the body wearing the watch and cardigan, this time noticing a note in his left hand. At a distance she recognizes that the note is signed in her own name, and that she left it for them. She quickly plucks the letter and stares at it, recognizing her handwriting, she opens the letter, not wanting to read the words, which begin to fade away, leaving her to stare at a plain piece of paper and everything goes dark.

The Driver once again is unsure where he is and is displeased at his restricted power, though it feels like he is moving forward, at least something is moving and shifting. Shifting toward…

**Laura Bennett**

Dec 25 1991

Laura panics but with the encouragement of her father is able to throw her mother’s body and watches as it splashes into the Riley River below, as it sinks and floats downstream, wrapped in plastic. Her father assures her that it’s done as Laura panics that someone is going to find out, babbling that she didn’t mean to that she was so mad. Her father urges Laura back into his car, her hands covered in blood as he drives away. He tries to distract her about when she wants to apply to a job at Synchroneity maybe even him trying to talk to Marcus on her behalf to help. Laura calls for him to stop and he does as words continue to spill from her mouth in panic. The Driver addresses Laura directly, telling her that none of that happened and she to realizes this and things go dark. The Driver asks once again why he is in this dark place and sighs, as he moves forward once more.

**Billy Baker**

October 2002

He finds himself in front of Burke’s Body shop, called to pick up an old car. Burke recognizes Billy from school but Billy doesn’t, and is invited inside as Burke explains that they demolished the old Jenkins house and found something. Billy comments on that they are also demolishing buildings and Burke brings up that Billy’s been up to. He mentions that he’s was at college in Oregon State but is now back in town. Burke reveals a rusted station wagon with flames painted down the side, and explains that he was going to scrap it until he found a photo and shows it to Billy. The photo shows him and Mallory Jenkins, and on the back the words “Radar President and Vice President.” Billy doesn’t recognize Mallory and questions why Burke would think he’d want the car laughing at the idea. Burke thought it would be for sentimental value but Billy doesn’t think it of any value. Billy watches himself answer the question calmly as he disassociates from the moment and Burke remarks that thought he remembers Billy in a coma, but he himself is missing a whole year of his life. Billy says he should see a doctor but Burke replies that its been difficult with the change in government. Billy continues to watch himself make small talk as the Driver comments that Billy is able to do so almost the same way he can.

Billy asks if the car runs and eventually agrees to take it, and goes to leave telling Burke he will see him around now that he’s back. Burke recalls that he’s at the school now, surprised that schools are still going, at least for now. The two reflect that the teachers are being aged out now, and even the year books that Billy does get less and less every year. Burke has been doing demolitions for the city, recycling metal and he worries if it matters at all, but Billy believes it does. Burke gets introspective if wanting anything is important now that things are going to end but Billy is happy with his life at the moment as he never wanted kids. Billy asks to use the bathroom and Burke heads inside to grab him the key, Billy looks at the sky finds a rock on the ground and puts it in his pocket and once more things go dark.

The Driver feels like this place is like a record, just spinning and continues to move forward with nothing left to do.

**Emily Pegg**

Jan 2nd 2013

Standing in front of her RV’s mirror she seems happier, because friends are coming to town and she been able to enter them in a competition to win a batch of puppies, since without children many people are investing in pets, though Harmonia has put a limit on breeding to ensure not having too many; the town now raffles them off. She overhears Laura in the back getting ready, but having been home for awhile but thinks upon that they haven’t spoken at all since. She calls out and Laura is unsure how to respond. Emily reminds her what they are doing today and asks her to clean up her electronic parts before the others get here. Laura remarks that Emily was being a little passive aggressive and though she says otherwise Emily lets it go. Laura inquires how many raffle tickets they are in for and Emily does the math, after trading several therapy sessions they should in for 12, which Laura sighs under her breath that it equates to just one day of her at work and that she really didn’t want to be getting a dog when they could be putting all their work into getting a real place to build for themselves.

Emily bites back saying that she built the last two houses while Laura was working and should have a say if they get a dog. Laura retorts that they always do what Emily wants and though Emily raises her voice she refocuses on that fact that her wife is back and relents; saying that they can give half their tickets to Billy or Tibby, as Billy already has a goldfish he may also want a dog. Laura replies that they don’t have to, she just wishes that the raffle didn’t feel like Emily was getting something she could love again. Emily responds that she just wanted someone to be around more. Emily tries to take it back but things go dark.

**Laura Bennett**

Nov 2014

Sitting alone in the back of the RV, divided by the quarantine Plexiglas with the whir of a ventilation shaft Laura finds herself in the small room wondering when the last time it was she saw Em. She wipes away the blood from from the weeping pestilence, beneath her eyes, bemoaning her loneliness and knocks a lamp over but no one comes. Laura contemplates how many years she’s spent on her own and toys with the idea of knocking away from Plexiglas and running around the town. But she remembers her tools beside her and a project she’s been working on proclaiming herself a genius, she catches sight of Marcus in the reflection of the window claiming that he is the genius not her. She answers back that he was a coward for not hiring her and when she blinks its only her reflection staring back from the tinted window, shed asked Em to fix. The Driver asks gently for her to try to keep it together as its only her in there, she shouts back for him to stop telling her what to and things go dark.

With how bleak things are getting The Driver hopes to find something better and happier.

**Billy Baker**

Jan 2 2013

He parks the flamethrower outside Laura and Em’s RV, one of many in parked up in a circle in the desert. As he gets out he is greeted by a member of the community, checking to see who he is and if he’s excited for the raffle. He is but when he mentions that he may not want the dog the woman turns sour at his lack of enthusiasm at having a ticket when the opportunity is so rare and passive aggressively suggest that maybe he donate it to someone in the town if he wins, as he was invited into the community for today. The woman then greets Tibby Devon as Billy turns and sees his old friend. The two catch up and Tibby is apologetic at missing Billy’s 36th Birthday having been distracted after he had a fight with Mickey. He says hi on her behalf as she stayed at home due to being ill.

Tibby feels weird as they have been out of touched for so long but Billy doesn’t mind and he shows Tibby the picture of himself and Mallory and asks if Tibby remembers him, but only bits and pieces. Tibby mentions that he’s doing law stuff while Billy has been traveling freely as a delivery worker, thanks to working with Harmonia. Tibby buys a ticket and after the woman continues to snipe at Billy, not remembering him from Em and Laura’s wedding she leaves and Tibby introduces her as Hillary, the leader of Em’s community. The idea of a traveling community seems weird to the both of them as Billy mentions his own home in Yakima, before asking how Mickey and Tibby have been doing. Tibby again iterates that Mickey has been ill and he is unsettled about the mystery of Mallory Jenkins considering how long they tried to figure out who he was to them all. Billy answers that he doesn’t think about the past and the pair head to Em and Laura’s RV. Billy picks up a rock shaped similarly to the RV and puts it in his pocket before knocking on the door and things go dark.

The Driver thinks upon that moment, and decides that it was nice and though he is not at the wheel it was comforting to see even those that brought him so much pain and anguish together, as the Story would have it and tries to stay there longer.

**Laura Bennett**

Jan 2nd 2013

A knock at the RV alerts Laura and she opens the door to Billy and Tibby. She throws herself into a hug around Tibby as Em comes out and greets them and wishes Billy a happy birthday and berates Tibby for forgetting. Laura asks Tibby to come in and pour the tea she’s made as he comments that the RV could be a little wider for thick people like himself in attempt to draw attention to his physique. The drinks are poured and Laura inquires privately with him how Mickey is doing, as she’s not here with them, and he tells her they had a fight. He brushes it off saying that though they may not be married they are fine. Though he does mention the past has been an issue. Emily comes for her cup of tea and Tibby inquires how long they’ve been living in the RV and Em answers 11 years, since 2002 when they all left Kollok. She reveals the surprise that she has extra tickets, and after a brief joint complaining about Hilary they head off to the raffle as the small community gathers.

Tibby comes to Laura and thanks her for helping him out a couple of years ago but she seems unsure as to what he means. He thanks Em for inviting them out and both he and Billy say that if they win they will let Em have it. As the moment goes on Laura hears a low tone playing over the moment and she recognizes that though this moment is happening there’s also something else going on. She demands that it be shut down, the Driver is unsure what she means, or even if she’s addressing him. She repeats herself and the system crashes.

The feed stops and a voice expresses his annoyance at being kicked from the system and reboots it, addressing another figure who built the system.

*LogID 2111, error parsing recollection module, rebooting*

The Driver affirms that they are back, and voices that he can’t not continue.

**Laura Bennett**

January 2nd 2013, 30 Minutes later

The Driver mentions that he tried and Laura hears the screams erupting everywhere as people begin to fall. The group look over at Hillary as she begins to bleed from her eyes and melt before them. Laura feels something happening to her as well, pulling her fingers away from her face to see blood. Laura pleads to the Driver who apologising for not being in control unsure what to do in the situation and the system crashes once more. The voice from before complains that they beta tested this before once more rebooting the system.

*LogID 2111, error parsing recollection module, rebooting*

**Tibby Devon**

August 24 2021

Tibby hangs up the phone, as Mickey calls from elsewhere in the house asking who it was, and he answers that it was Billy. The phone calls again, this time he is unwilling to pick it up, but he does. The voice on the other end tells him that it is done, that they picked “her” up right where Tibby had told them she would be, and he hangs up. He heads to the other side of the house towards Mickey, who he sees as strong in her conviction, which hurts him as it is proof as to how convincing he has been. He tells her of Billy’s message to get everyone together and that “she” was where just he had told them. Mickey affirms that she knows what this means and Tibby raises his hands and wraps them around her neck.

The system breaks again and the voice assures someone that this issue is not on their end and to call someone as this is not his problem and ends the session

*LogID 2111, error parsing recollection module, session closed, awaiting repairs*

## Cast

### Main Cast

#### Legacy

* Aabria Iynegar as Laura Bennett

* Lucas Eubank as Billy Baker

* Mika Midgett as Emily Pegg

#### Ascended

* Danielle Radford as C-Dubbs

* Ethan Nestor as AJ Greer

* YellowSpoonGirl as Sydney Muldoon

* Xu Mason as Rosemary Liang

#### Additional

* Elyse Willems as Clarity Seven

* Zac Lim Eubank as The Driver

## Notes

1.     Clarity has 20 Chaos Tokens that represent her personal reserves of Phobos Energy, once they are depleted she will perish.

2.     *The Latest, possibly Last Show with DJ Dustman* a radio show by one of the Ascended. Played during the break between the Ascended and Legacy Segments.

3.     During the Legacy section the screen has the appearance of an old tv as if the characters themselves are being observed by someone else.