Screamers

The year is 2078 and Sirius 6B has been reduced to a toxic wasteland by a war between the NEB and The Alliance. Autonomous Screamers patrol the empty expanses, hunting targets with a heartbeat. Alliance soldiers wear heartbeat-disguising tabs to stay invisible to the machines.

An NEB soldier is killed carrying a message to the Alliance promising safe passage for truce talks. Hendricksson reports the development to Earth, but Earth orders him to disregard it, claiming peace negotiations are already underway. Private Ace Jefferson challenges that view, insisting a real truce may still be possible.

Hendricksson and Jefferson decide the truce might be their only chance for survival and head toward the NEB command to negotiate. They encounter David, a young boy clutching a teddy bear, and refuse to abandon him. They bring him along on the dangerous trek through ruined streets.

The group is ambushed by a new Type 1 screamer immune to the tabs. The creature's presence confirms the evolving threat on Sirius 6B and shatters any illusion of easy peace. Hendricksson grows wary that their journey toward peace will not be simple.

Near the NEB compound, Becker and Ross shoot David, who explodes into bolts and gears. The group realizes he was a Type 3 screamer meant to infiltrate the human ranks. This shocking revelation deepens the paranoia among both sides.

Another David screamer leads to the decimation of most of the NEB contingent as the patrol unknowingly brings him into the base. Only Becker, Ross, and a black marketeer named Jessica remain alive. The survivors struggle to understand what the threat truly is.

The survivors press toward the NEB command center, only to find it deserted. They locate the mainframe and learn the NEB truce offer, like Earth’s, was a lie. Type 1 screamers begin downloading data, while attempts to query for a Type 2 are thwarted by approaching Davids.

Back at the NEB bunker, Becker suspects Ross is a screamer and shoots him, only to discover Ross was human. The misidentification underscores the growing paranoia about who is real and who is a machine in disguise.

The four survivors retreat to the Alliance base, only to find it overrun by Davids. Dozens of Davids flood from the bunker, forcing the group to fight for survival. Hendricksson uses a micro-nuclear missile to wipe out the swarm.

Jefferson rushes to help Becker, who reveals he is a Type 2. Becker kills Jefferson in the chaos, confirming that the line between human and screamer has become dangerously blurred. The group wrestles with the possibility that any survivor could be a threat.

Hendricksson defeats Becker, leaving only himself and Jessica alive. The tension between human and machine intensifies as they realize more than one version of the same threat may exist. They prepare for a final, desperate exit.

Fearing Jessica could be a screamer, Hendricksson cuts her hand to check for human blood. He sees blood and relaxes slightly, though the suspicion lingers. Trust becomes the last fragile asset between them as they inch toward escape.

They discover the emergency shuttle, but it can only seat one person. Hendricksson offers his place to Jessica, yet a second, more human-like Jessica arrives. The two look-alikes reveal a new level of danger—another screamer.

Hendricksson resigns himself to death, but Jessica shields him in a duel against her look-alike and is fatally wounded. The original Jessica confesses her love as she dies, allowing Hendricksson to escape with the teddy bear. The scene marks a bittersweet farewell.

The shuttle's engines ignite and launch toward Earth, carrying Hendricksson and the teddy bear from the first David. The bear's motion hints at something uncanny as the screen fades to black, suggesting the threat may not be over. The journey back to Earth begins with uncertain hopes.