Previously on Z Nation.
[gasping]
You were pretty banged up. I did my best to sew you up.
[muffled screaming]
He was gonna take you away, Roberta.
No one else knows what I know about you.
[slap]
[whispering] Goodbye, Cooper.
What if lithium is the secret ingredient to the bizkits?
We just found out that Estes
is in charge of this whole operation.
The Talkers are in the wind
George and Warren infiltrate Altura
the day before the election.
Where are the Talkers hiding?
[electric zapping] [screaming]
It seems they've set a staging area
for the Talkers near Pacifica.
I'm gonna send every available Alturan
to wipe their kind off this godforsaken earth.
I did it.
The vaccine works.
But what you need for the cure is right up here.
The only way to be sure
is to take my brain and preserve it before I die.
[crying]
You are spiteful!
No one stands against Altura!
Find them and kill them all!
[muffled voice on loudspeaker]
I wish we could've given Sun Mei a proper burial.
She died for a reason.
That's more than most people can say.
Yeah.
Stash her brain someplace where Estes can't find it.
If anything happens to us, you get her to Murphy.
[muffled loudspeaker continues]
[loudspeaker] A reminder for all citizens.
Don't forget to vote.
Remember you'll need two forms of I.D...
Don't let that get to you. It ain't over.
I know.
I was just thinking,
remembering.
We put that poster up,
me and Dante.
The artist who designed it. Talkers who helped.
They're all dead.
And now Sun Mei.
What if we win?
What if we kill all the zombies?
And there's no one left to know but Talkers?
We're not there yet.
[muffled loudspeaker continues]
There's still a lot of people with the will to survive.
Including you.
[muffled loudspeaker continues]
But at what cost?
Keep your head in it.
Let's go.
[muffled loudspeaker continues]
[melodic humming]
Careful. Those blood samples are from all over the apocalypse.
God only knows what's in there. Take them straight to my office.
[melodic humming continues]
Colonel Keeler.
[melodic humming continues]
Let's take a look at those maps.
Are the militia still assembling?
As we speak, sir.
Every able bodied volunteer is being armed and sworn in as well
[melodic humming continues]
Pandora?
Yes, my love?
Could you please come here and show us what George told you?
Of course.
Well it took a little convincing.
But once I found her weakness,
she gave it up like the human that she is.
There. Where these two roads intersect.
You'll find a clearing in the trees.
How many Talkers did she say are there?
All of them.
Well then, that's perfect.
Far from prying eyes.
We'll need to hit them
before George has a chance to warn them.
And before they can hit us.
Your rules of engagement haven't changed.
I understand, sir.
Why so tense?
Forget about the sick crazy circus.
It's just you and me, baby.
Pandora.
No, no.
It's just you and me.
[moaning]
[electric guitar theme music plays]
♪ Have mercy,
[five gunshots]
♪ Oh, have mercy. ♪
Not a lot of militia out.
Hopefully that's a good thing.
Yeah.
Come on.
Something wrong?
Let me take a look at your eye.
I'm okay.
You don't look okay.
Listen, you got to clear your mind of hate.
There's no room for mistakes.
It's about justice, not vengeance.
What happened back there with Pandora?
Exactly what was supposed to happen.
Well you look like you held out for a long time.
I could've gone the distance.
I'm sure you could've.
Let's find Kaya and CZ.
They got a lot of work to do before we're done.
We have to hurry and get out of here.
We're almost out of soda.
Uploading the last of the psyops.
Just making a few modifications
to these drone images we've intercepted.
And soon as these load,
we're out of here.
Great.
Cuz otherwise I'm gonna have to get more change.
I can't believe I'm not gonna vote.
Oh we're voting. Just not at the ballot box.
CZ said that the vending machine is up this way.
Do you think they have diet?
Go, go go.
[whispering] Shit.
In the vending machine!
Remember I want them alive.
Save the mercy for me.
[whispering] We got to get them outta there.
[whispering] It's too late.
[gunshot]
Hey, guys.
What's shaking?
Oh good.
We thought...
We were busted?
We got out just in time. Kaya's spidey sense never fails.
Where is Kaya?
She's safe.
She's with Nana and JZ.
What now?
We stick to the plan.
This has got to be Warren's most half baked plan yet.
So you feeling lucky, kid?
No.
Good. Cuz it's gonna take more than luck to pull this off.
You know what you're doing?
Pretty much.
[muffled talking]
Love you, kid.
Oww.
Sorry.
No worries. Get going.
Yeah.
Will you guys relax?
Look, sit. Sit!
Stay! Stay.
Seriously, I don't know how long we can keep them hidden.
How much lithium you got left?
Not a lot. Flakes. Hopefully we're not waiting much longer.
Something's coming.
Everybody get ready. Here they come.
[growling]
It's just a rando.
Looks old school.
Alright, I'll take care of this.
You guys, just cool your jets, will ya?
[growling]
[snarling]
[clink]
Addy, wait!
[splorch]
Come and get it. You guys hungry?
Eat up.
Well, that ought to hold them for a while.
It's a pretty low turnout.
Lots of people are afraid to travel, or dead.
By the looks of this,
a 'yes' vote for 'safety first'
is really a vote for Martial Law.
People have given up on Newmerica.
They don't care who's in charge as long as they feel safe.
Without the Talker vote, Estes will win in a landslide.
Altura will take control of everything with him at the helm
for as long as the threat remains.
That's a vote for endless war.
Polls are closing soon.
It's up to Addy and Doc now.
We need to get in position.
Next!
Name?
Cooper.
Martin Cooper.
[mumbling]
Okay.
Now that that's over, everybody, look alive.
Just remember, you're not just dead.
You're dead citizens.
They're ready, Murphy.
I don't like all of this waiting.
We're like sitting ducks out here.
Okay, don't go being yourself. Just stick to the plan.
Sweetie, we did not last this long by sticking to the plan.
[smack]
Zero Hour.
Let slip the Dogs of War.
[muffled talking]
[loudspeaker] All right everyone, bizkit time. Come get your bizkits.
We've made visual contact with the Talker camp.
Sounds like hundreds, maybe all of them.
Excellent. And they haven't spotted you yet?
No, sir. They're right where your source said they'd be.
Who's a good little torturer?
You are.
As soon as your forces are in place, execute your orders.
Let's show them the meaning of mercy and end this now.
Yes, sir.
On my orders.
[muffled gunshot]
They spotted us.
No prisoners! Charge!
[muffled automatic gunfire]
[automatic gunfire]
[muffled gunfire]
Here they come! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Forward, men! Kill anything that talks!
[automatic gunfire]
[muffled talking and gunfire]
[automatic gunfire]
[electronic automatic gunfire]
[automatic gunfire]
[electronic automatic gunfire]
[clicking]
[clearing throat]
[clicking continues]
Put the bullhorn down.
Dropping the bullhorn.
Where's everyone else?
There is no everybody else, just me.
[gagging]
[radio static]
Estes to Mercy One. Estes to Mercy One. Come in, Mercy One.
I'm waiting to hear our Talker-free future has begun.
[on radio] Not yet, sir. There's been a setback.
Setback?
Yes, sir. There's nobody here.
The camp was a decoy. They set us up.
That's impossible. I made sure George was telling the truth.
The Talkers aren't there?
Nobody here.
Just an old man with a bullhorn.
A bull...
Find out if he knows where the Talkers are.
Yes, sir. If he knows where they are, he'll tell me.
Right before I mercy him.
Apparently George lied to you.
Well I guess you can't trust anybody these days.
[gun cocking]
Where are the Talkers?
You might want to save your bullets. [gunshot]
[splat]
Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety nine.
In case that happens.
[gunshot]
[automatic gunfire]
What are you looking at?
[growling]
Get away from me. [gunshots]
[growling]
That's my cue.
[growling]
[automatic gunfire]]
[growling and yelling]
[growling and yelling on radio]
Colonel Keeler?
Can you hear me? Colonel?
[yelling and gunfire on radio]
Colonel?
Operation Mercy. Can you hear me?
[yelling and gunfire on radio]
What the hell happened?
What happened to the Talkers?
Huh?
Gate three to Estes. Over.
This is Estes. Go ahead, gate three.
You better get down here, sir. I think you need to see this.
Umm, state your business.
Yeah.
We're here to vote.
You'll need two forms of I.D.
And a pulse.
I'm not seeing many likely voters here.
I'm not even sure you'd qualify.
[crowd shouting]
What's the matter, Estes?
Hard to mass mercy when they can still talk?
The militia will be back soon.
We both know that's not true!
Your militia aren't coming back.
At least not as humans.
This cycle of death can end now.
You say that like it's a good thing.
It's over, Estes.
The people have already opened the other gates
and let the Talkers in.
All they want to do is be with their loved ones.
You have no idea what you're doing.
Shut up.
Gun!
[gunshot]
[screaming]
Open the gate!
Estes!
[screaming continues]
Don't let what's-her-face get away!
He's turning feral.
I have lithium!
Come on. Move it. Move it.
Come on, get them all in here!
The election polls close in fifteen minutes!
George, you and I go after Pandora and Estes!
You two, hold it down!
Save some beat-down for us!
On Estes.
I'll take Pandora.
[gunshot]
[gunshots]
Bitch.
[gunshot]
[click]
Hello, Roberta.
I know. I know.
It's a bit of a surprise.
I can't...I can't do this right now.
No. Listen.
I came a long way to see you. Hear me out.
Hey!
Is this guy bothering you?
Oh. You!
I'm glad you're alive.
I gotta go.
Hey man, I don't want any trouble.
You know, she may be glad you're alive. Me,
not so much.
Warren, over here.
Estes is inside.
Pandora?
All right, on three.
One,
two,
three.
Hello, George. Lieutenant Warren.
Welcome to the beating heart of Altura.
Come on up.
Let me show you what all the fuss is about.
Energy. Security. To build our new world upon.
All the fuss,
for a battery.
I'm sorry, George.
I know all of this has been very hard on you.
Learning you can be wrong is part of growing up.
We'll see who's teaching who a lesson.
It's over, Estes.
We're gonna let everybody know what you did.
Taking lithium from the Talkers so you can have a battery.
Not so I can have a battery.
So what's left of human kind
can have a means to power the future.
Reliable storage twenty four hours a day.
So at night when the solar power is gone,
we have lights
and communications and an electric fence around us.
While others of us are left to starve and turn.
These are desperate times.
Choices have to be made. Hard choices.
The kind of decisions
you can't just leave up to a traumatized mob.
Radical change always involves collateral damage.
Darwin doesn't have a heart.
Neither do you.
It's not about me.
It's about the future of humanity.
Yes,
I staged the attacks.
A necessary evil
to push a reluctant population into action.
Starving the Talkers was a necessary evil?
Do the math.
Our known reserve of lithium would be used up by the Talkers
at the current rate of consumption
in less than three years. And then what?
Sun Mei found an alternative.
It's too late.
By the time a working vaccine was ready,
we'd have used up the lithium.
We'd be left with a large population of feral Talkers
and no electricity.
You paid for batteries with human souls.
Souls?
Talkers are a small price to pay for security.
They're freaks. A mistake.
Is that what you tell Pandora?
How romantic.
She's a useful tool.
But in the end, she's a mumbling corpse like the rest of them.
We're gonna let everybody know
how you were behind all the attacks.
No one would believe you.
[buzzing]
No? But they'll believe you.
Did you get all that, CZ?
Yes, ma'am.
Every word has been broadcast live.
I don't believe you.
Crank up the volume, CZ. The man doesn't believe us.
[squealing]
This is insane.
[echoing] Insane.
You're right. This is insane.
But why don't you go back and tell us
how the Talkers are freaks and a mistake?
[growling]
A mumbling corpse? That's how you see me?
That isn't how I meant it, baby.
Well then how exactly did you mean it,
baby?
This shit about to get real.
This is ridiculous.
[echoing] This is ridiculous.
This proves nothing. What I did, I did for humanity.
What if there's a new definition of humanity?
There's only one direction that goes.
The dead will be all that's left. What happens then?
When we've traded our future
to buy a few more years for the Talkers?
When there's no more living to feed upon?
How long before the last vestige of humanity
rots away and turns to dust?
Amen.
We can't get rid of the Talkers
just because they're inconvenient.
Or mercy them just because they're dead.
The Talkers are rotting bags of putrified meat.
And we must cleanse them from society
before they drag us all down to their level.
Is that what you think I've been doing?
Dragging you down to my level?
We talked about this. You're different.
Am I?
Or am I just a rotting bag of putrified flesh?
What is it, baby?
You know maybe if you were a Talker,
you'd feel differently about this whole dead thing.
[buzzing]
Buzz off!
[groaning]
Pandora, please.
Stop whining.
I hate it when you whine.
It's just so whiney.
You know, I had big plans for us, Roman.
It's a pity.
[glass breaking]
[electric zapping]
[alarm sounding]
[laughing]
What have you done?
If the lithium overheats,
it'll kill everyone in Altura!
George was right about one thing.
Humans and Talkers are equal.
I guess we all deserve final mercy in the end.
[alarm continues]
I have to restart the pumps.
We only have a few more minutes before the coolant boils off!
Go.
[alarm continues]
So you think you can mercy me, George?
Did you change your outfit?
Well I always want to look my best before a big fight.
You like?
No.
[alarm continues]
[yelling]
[alarm sounding]
[yelling]
[alarm continues]
I don't want to have to mercy you.
[laughing]
Really?
Not even after I chopped up poor helpless Dante?
Your life isn't enough to pay for Dante,
let alone the others you've killed.
Oh, boo hoo.
[alarm continues]
What are you doing?!
Stopping a catastrophe!
I can't get control of the power flow.
The lithium could catch fire and explode
if we don't get these pumps working!
[grunting]
Help me!
[alarm continues]
[laughing]
[alarm continues]
[yelling]
[smack]
[grunting]
The coolant is starting to boil!
We have to get this valve open and restore circulation!
If the lithium is exposed to oxygen,
it'll start an uncontrolled burn!
[grunting]
[alarm continues]
Move!
[alarm continues]
[smack]
[thwap]
[clink]
[squeaking]
[groaning]
[hissing]
[alarm continues]
[groaning]
[laughing]
[alarm continues]
You're burned.
I know.
The main cooling pump is burned out.
We need to bypass it using this hose.
Hook it up over there.
-What? -Hurry!
[hissing]
Damn apocalypse piece of shit.
[alarm continues]
[breathing heavily]
It's your humanity. That's what makes you so weak.
[alarm continues]
[growling]
You should be happy.
[laughing]
You'll get to see Dante real soon.
[laughing]
[alarm continues]
[smack]
[alarm continues]
[beeping]
[alarm continues]
We should do this more often.
You talk too much.
[alarm continues]
[struggling]
[alarm continues]
[struggling]
[alarm continues]
[shattering]
[alarm continues]
[growling]
What?
[alarm continues]
Do I disgust you?
[growling]
[screaming]
Look at me! Look at me!
[screaming]
No you don't.
You don't get off that easy.
[alarm continues]
I could've been you.
No!
[screaming]
[alarm continues]
I think it's working.
[alarm ceases]
What are you doing? It's over.
You're ruining humanity's last chance.
I can't let that happen.
[gunshot]
[gunshots]
Warren?
There's no blood.
[whispering] Cooper?
Was it all a dream?
No.
Where's everyone?
They're voting.
Estes?
He's in custody.
What about Murphy?
Me and the red devil, we're cool.
Once he understood why I was here, he brought me to you.
How are you feeling?
Empty.
What was it you wanted to tell me?
Back at the farm,
when I found you,
I was operating on you, and you bled out.
There was nothing I could do.
Roberta, you died.
[whispering] I'm dead?
I was dead this whole time?
But you came back
as a Talker but different.
Maybe it was the Black Rain you got exposed to.
I don't know.
Damn apocalypse.
I didn't want to tell you that.
I thought it might change you.
I didn't want you to change.
You came all this way to tell me this?
I wanted you to know.
You forgive me?
Do I forgive you?
Do you forgive me for locking you in the trunk?
Everything that I said to you
still applies.
It was from the heart.
What we had together was real.
It was good.
And it was so worth fighting for.
I just don't know how much fight I have left in me.
I just found out I was dead.
Well you don't look dead.
Did you vote?
Always.
I'm not a joiner though.
So,
I said my piece.
I'm gonna go.
But I want you to know...
If you ever want to dance with this man,
you want to hear some good music...
I know where to find you.
Goodbye, Roberta.
[whispering] Goodbye, Cooper.
[whispering] Goodbye.
May I have your attention!
Ladies and gentlemen, living and dead and those in between.
The polls are now officially closed.
The votes are now being tallied.
[clapping]
Hey.
I'm glad that worked out.
Oh, yeah. Chicks dig a man with a hook.
I'm not even gonna touch that.
[laughing]
What's next for you, Doc?
Maybe I'll mosey back to the Water Keepers.
See if Kuruk wants help with that dam.
You?
Haven't thought about it.
You know, probably just
wander the earth doing random good deeds.
[laughing] Yeah, right.
No, right. Right on.
And killing shit with the Z Whacker.
Now that, that goes without saying.
You nervous?
I will feel better when this is all over.
So if they ratify the constitution, then what?
We elect people to uphold the constitution.
People like...
you?
Maybe.
Yeah.
But I'll need a lot of help.
That's fair.
What's that?
Sun Mei said to give it to you.
She said you would know what to do with it.
Everybody,
what do you say we get George up here to announce the results?
Come on, George!
[cheering] George! George! George!
You have come so far.
[cheering] George! George! George!
[chanting continues]
[cheering] George! George! George!
[applause]
I was going to give this speech...
[screeching]
Sorry.
Can everyone hear me?
Yes!
Good.
I was going to give this speech,
it feels like a lifetime ago,
before the bombings.
It was a different speech back then.
For a different world.
And so much has changed.
I know I have.
But one thing has always remained the same.
My belief in democracy
and the rule of law.
[cheering]
I lost a lot of friends getting here.
We all did.
But I gained some new friends too.
Friends who taught me the meaning
of the words loyalty and courage.
Who showed me what can be done when we have each other's backs.
What could be accomplished when we believed in one another.
And carry each other forward, no matter the obstacle.
There were so many times
I thought this moment would never come.
And yet, here we are.
So,
without further delay,
the moment we've all been waiting so very long for!
Let's get to the results.
[muffled cheering]
Sun Mei.
[laughing]
[laughing] That's it.
[laughing] Of course.
[laughing]