Week 9

EXT. THE STACKS EASTERN PERIMETER -DAY

In the early hours of the morning, WADE makes his way through the dark maze of junk at the bottom of the Stacks. The Stacks are trailers stacked on top of each other like high-rise buildings. The trailers are connected with rickety metal scaffoldings. WADE quietly makes his descent down the stacks and to the GROUND.

EXT. GROUND

Below the stacks, a half a mile away is a giant mound of old cars and trucks. The vehicles here were either abandoned by their owners or compacted and dumped there. The mound of cars has stood there for decades. Some stacks of vehicles are piled as high as the Stacks themselves. In the pile of vehicles, there is enough of a gap to squeeze through. To get through the gap you must climb your way through the scraps of twisted and sharp metal. Beyond the gap lies a small open space with a buried cargo van. The weight of the piled cars was supported on the other cars surrounding the van, so the van has not been crushed. The rear of the car is visible, and from the rear right door, the door can be opened. This is WADE’s secret hiding place.

INT. BURIED CARGO VAN

Once inside the van with the door shut, the compartment is completely dark. A power strip is duck taped to the ceiling. When flipped on, it powers a small desk lamp that lights up the tiny cave. The van interior has been stripped of its seats. The interior is empty, except for a single lawn chair and a corner with boxes of spare computer parts. Next to the corner of computer parts is a rack of old car batteries and a modified exercise bike. The contraption is a recharger. It also provides electricity for a small electric heater. It is the only method of staying warm and alive within the secluded, dark interior of the van. The interior is an estimated 9x4x4ft. Along the walls and ceiling are old white styrofoam egg cartons. The floor is lined with variously colored scraps of carpet. A rat proof metal box contains a minimum supply of food. This is where WADE eats his breakfast- a bowl of Fruit Rocks cereal mixed with water and powdered milk. The fortress also contains one of WADE’s most prized possessions. Inside an weathered plastic Star Trek lunch box are his school issued OASIS console, haptic gloves, and visor. Inside the visor display, the words flashed, READY PLAYER ONE.