S1E5 – “Yellow Ribbon”

How to Read/Listen? This is an “emergent script” (a script written after a sandbox TTRPG Session) that is “Musically Scored” with a Spotify playlist available at the very bottom of this post. So, you do you. My suggestion is that you start the Playlist at the very bottom and just come back up here and read. Then stop reading and listen when appropriate. Or pause the music and then catch to up the “score” if it starts getting ahead of the scenes.

Name Key Below – Green is for Player Characters, Orange is for Party Companions (regular NPCs).

Scene 1: “Flashback 1 (Morning, July 14, 1980)”

Music (below, Track One, below) begins as the Camera opens with an close up shot of a 14 year old girl. The bottom of the screen flashes “Before Dawn, 14 JUL 1980.” She has dark blonde hair and is a little tallish and lanky. It’s before dawn. She stealthily gets out of bed, careful not to wake someone in the other bed. She quietly slips into a pullover sweatshirt over her flannel pajamas and puts on socks and shoes. She makes a ponytail with a scrunchie. We see her quietly examine a bag. It has scissors, medical tape, cloth bandages and peroxide. She picks it up. We see her searching a hallway closet sneaking out more tape in the bag. She quietly heads down the stairs and hears voices in the kitchen. They are in Polish. She waits a few seconds and then stealthily heads out the front door, shutting it quietly. We see her from behind as she makes her way 50 m to a barn-looking building in the distance in the dark, slowly becoming pre-dawn twilight.

We see the girl caressing a wounded horse in a stall. It’s leg is bandaged. “Careful, Ranger”, she soothes. We see a montage of the girl cutting the bandage open, applying contact anesthetic, cleaning the wound, redressing it anew, etc. Time passes. Music Stops. A voice speaks to her:

You’re not fooling anyone, you know”, says the voice. Camera pans and we see an older girl in pajamas and a nightgown at the door to the barn.

“I’m not trying to fool anyone, Maria”, says the girl, returning to what she was doing.

“Then why are you sneaking around, Kate?”, asks Maria, somewhat mockingly.

“I’m just trying to not wake anyone up.”

“Wake anyone up? Its a farm, Kate. Everyone is up and getting to work. What you are doing is not helping and doing your share. You are obsessed with that poor animal that needs to be put out of its misery, like Doc Harkins said to, but you are too stubborn. And pretty inconsiderate.”

“First, he can get better. Second, I will get my chores done. And third, go to hell, Maria.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you”, Maria turns away to leave, “You had better not let Mama catch you. This is a going to be a tough day and we have mass this evening.”

“I’ll be fine and good bye now”, says Kate dismissively.

Indeterminate time passes. Kate tries to get the horse to drink and eat. “Chodź, Strażniku, musisz coś zjeść”, she says in Polish, subtitles in English show “Come on, Ranger, you need to eat something.”

A woman’s voice says loudly, “Wiesz, że po prostu torturujesz to biedne zwierzę!” Subtitles in English show “You know you are just torturing that poor animal!” The voice continues in accented English, “He needs to be put out of his misery, that would be the humane thing to do!” We see Kate’s POV as she turns. The door to the barn shows a lot more light than it did before. There are two figures there, an older teenaged boy and a woman in her 40s.

“I’m going to make him better, Mama”, offers Kate.

“You don’t know what you are talking about! The Veterinarian does, and he says that poor horse is going to die! And it’s suffering! And all you are doing is prolonging it!” Kate‘s Mother advances into the barn a few steps.

“Now, you are supposed to be at the front of the house a half an hour ago so Fabian can take you to this przeklęty basketball camp! Because he has to pick up refreshments and chairs and tables for the extra guests after the mass tonight! Last year, football, this year basketball!”, Mama exasperatedly says to Fabian.

“They call it soccer here, Mama”, corrects Kate.

“Ok, you hear me! You go get your things NOW! This horse will be dealt with! You will stop making this time harder than it needs to be! You go NOW!”

Kate straightens up and narrows her eyes. She looks at her Mother. “Fuck you”, she states and goes to walk out of the barn. As she passes her Mother her Mother slaps her so hard she falls to the ground. End Scene. Hard Cut.

Track 1: “Kotki Dwa” by Rosnutki, Traditional Polish Lullaby.

Scene 2: Opening Credits

Actor and Main personnel credits over montage scenes of militaries moving, Jets flying, politicians talking through the Cold War in B&W and up to the current date of setting where it becomes color after the anti-Gorbachev Coup of the timeline, with shots of combat, protests in streets, and finally nukes, destruction etc.

Main Cast: 1SG Keller (Bryce), 2LT Kathryn Twarowski (Gordon), 2LT Donovan Duffy (Ned), SSG Bob Beck (Scott), SGT Holman (Paul), SSG Ash Marsh (Shannon).

Track 2: “Fascination Street“ by The Cure, 1987.

Scene 3: “Codebook Questions”

The Camera opens on 2LT Twarowski with SSG Beck and SPC Lane by a HUMMWV in the woodcutter’s clearing. Twarowski has a book that says Solaris and “Stanisław Lem”, a notebook, a pencil and a microphone. Beck and Lane are messing with the radio in the backseat of the HUMMWV. “Command Post 1400 13 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen. “Are we ready?”, Twarowski asks Beck. “As ready as we’ll ever be”, answers Beck. She looks at her watch. “Ok, let’s start”, says Twarowski. She clicks on the microphone, “Kelvin, to jest śnieg. Wejdź, Kelvinie.” Subtitles in English show: “Kelvin this is snow. Come in, Kelvin.”

Music (below, Track three, below) begins. We see a montage of Twarowski flipping through the book. She takes notes and erases. She speaks in Polish. She hears responses in Polish over the radio. We see the following on the screen below as this montage continues.

Masterlez’s Legion: We are located approximately 10 km WNW of Namyslow in some woods.

Twarowski: Can we link up? We are near Uniejow W of the Warta.

Masterlez’s Legion: Impossible. Soviet and Junta Forces lie between us in strength. We have some of your people. Stragglers who made their way south. to us. Sergeants Filon and Carter, Enlisted Cameron, Ferry, Kieran, Lora, Miklas, Sanchez, Timons, Wagner.

Twarowski: Where will you move?

Masterlez’s Legion: Unknown at this time, it depends on the enemy situation. Things must develop.

Twarowski: Are you aware of the condition of the bridges across the Warta near Radomsko?

Masterlez’s Legion: Negative. Radomsko was under criminal control as of 04 JUN.

Twarowski: Our communication window is over.

Masterlez’s Legion: End Contact.

Music stops. Twarowski says, “Nie szukamy niczego poza ludźmi. Nie potrzebujemy innych światów. Potrzebujemy luster. Nie wiemy, co zrobić z innymi światami. Wystarczy nam jeden świat, nasz własny; ale nie możemy zaakceptować tego takim, jakie jest.” The subtitles say “We’re not searching for anything except people. We have no need of other worlds. We need mirrors. We don’t know what to do with other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can’t accept it for what it is.” Twarowski (Coded Meaning): We will attempt re-contact at the usual time. We believe the code and communication method remain uncompromised. Please be on the lookout for any more of our comrades.

Twarowski turns to Beck, “They have some of our people!” “1430 13 JUL 2000” flashed on the screen. End Scene.

Track 3: “Sombre Reptiles“ by Brian Eno, 1975.

Scene 4: “Humane Thing”

We see the end of the firefight from the previous session. The camera views PVT Rzad, 1SG Keller, SPC Randall, SSG Marsh, SPC Jacques and 2LT Duffy from Right to Left, all kneeling with weapons drawn.

“The rest are fleeing”, Duffy states, “How many did we down?”, he asks Keller. “Seven, sir”, Keller responds. “How long do we have here, do you think?”, Duffy gestures to Keller and Marsh. He continues, “My guess is that whoever they are reporting to will do something when they miss their radio check-in, whenever that is.” “Well, there is that and then when do those men get to wherever they are going”, adds Marsh, gesturing in the direction the BGB soldiers fled, “They are headed ENE.” “Concur, sir. Whatever the case, here isn’t a good place to be right now”, Keller posits to Duffy.. He continues, “We should check those bodies for intel and also whatever they have. They have canteens. All we have is what are in ours. Also, I’ve almost been through one magazine, I’d guess the same for everyone else, and we all only have three left each. They do have weapons.” “Good point”, says Duffy, looking down, “Lets search them.”. “Everyone! Pick an enemy KIA and search them. Make a pile of whatever you find!”, Keller orders. Music (below, Track four, below) begins in the background. They all move forward to the downed enemy soldiers and begin to examine them.

“This one’s alive!”, Rzad screams, “He’s breathing! But his chest is just full of blood!” “So is this one!”, says Jacques, loudly and concerned, “He has a sucking chest wound!”, he reports. Keller turns to Duffy, “We can’t treat them here. We don’t have anything to treat them with here. They are going to suffer and bleed out. And we can’t stay here.” “I know”, says Duffy, It’s the only option, isn’t it? Could we give them morphine?” “We each only have one dose”, Keller murmurs, “It would take all six doses to put one of them to sleep.” “Ok, lets do it”, Duffy murmurs, looking down. Keller orders Jacques and Rzad, “OK, one bullet. It’s the humane thing.” Rzad turns her head to Keller with tears in her eyes, “I CAN’T DO THAT, FIRST SERGEANT!”, she yells. “Ok, Ok, just stand aside”, Keller says gently. We see her turn her head. A shot is heard. We see Jacques looking at the ground pointing a rifle at a something out of sight. He pulls the trigger with his head turned away. “OK, search them”, Keller says to Rzad and Jacques. A montage begins of them stacking various items in piles: canteens, rifle magazines, SKS 45 rifles, an AK-47, canned food, grenades, etc. All of them look disturbed and discomforted by this process.

Music Stops. We see them with rifles and Polish military sling satchels loaded to the brim. “We can’t carry all this to the bridge and get there before dark”, Marsh says looking at his watch, “We could head back to the woods and cache all this stuff.” “That would take at least an hour. We could head back to the Command Post”, offers Keller. “But then all this was for nothing”, Marsh counters. “Plans change based upon circumstance, Big Sarge”, Keller responds to Marsh. “Let me check in with the Command Post”, says Duffy. Keller and Marsh continue to debate the pros and cons of each course of action, each countering the other with completely valid points. Finally, Duffy chimes in, “We’re going to make our way as close to the bridge as we can and stay inside the treeline of the woods. Then we’ll cache most of this and make camp for the night. Recon the bridge at dawn.” Marsh nods. Keller responds, “Roger that, Sir.” “1445 13 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen. End Scene.

Track 4: “Lowside of the Road“ by Tom Waits, 1999.

Scene 5: “Construction Time”

The camera views 2LT Twarowski, SSG Beck, SGT Holman and SPC Lane in front of the woodcutter’s shed in the clearing where the Command Post is, examining the roof and the top of the treeline around them. The screen flashes “1500 13 JUL 2000.” “Ma’am, in order to contact he team at the Air Base near Łask by 0000, we’ll need a platform that clears this treeline and get the Microwave transmitter up there.”, Beck addresses Twarowski, “Now, that will give us Line of Sight to that location. As well, the height is necessary because of the contour of the earth which will otherwise fuck up any line of sight here on the ground. Given the distance to Łask I calculate we need 25 feet. So 30 would be safe .” “Couldn’t we just climb a tree?”, asks Holman. “I mean I could carry that thing on my back and just climb up. Use the tree for a platform. A really high one.” “Can you climb a tree?”, queries Beck. “Like that big poplar there, do you think you can climb it and not fall and break your leg?” “Well, we’d need some equipment”, says Holman, a little defensively. “Goddamn right we’d need equipment!”, Beck scoffs. “Hell, in El Salvador I did this once with a portable goddam roofing ladder and put one on a fucking windmill. But I don’t see any goddamn ladders or windmills here, do you?” “No, Sergeant”, says Holman quietly.

“OK. So what I propose, ma’am, is we use those 8 foot neat-cut logs we found and make a platform on top of that shed. The roof has steel girders as part of the frame that head down to the base. Its like a big frame. The wood is just to give the thing walls and fuck the thatching. Then on that we make put a tripod of three logs. Then the transmitter relay will be on a big pole that Lane and I will insert into the top of that. “I could help”, Holman posits. “You could indeed”, says Beck, “I’ll need you and Lane up there. We’ll need some rope ladders made and some cable from the winches on the vehicles repurposed too. this will be an all hands thing, ma’am, it’ll start getting dark around 1900 and we may not even finish.” “OK, Sergeant, let’s start.”, Twarowski agrees. “This will be all hands except for whoever is on watch.”

Music (below, Track five, below) begins as a montage starts of everyone working; Ramirez and Twarowski working with rope, people moving logs around, the platform being built, logs falling, it begins to get dark, we seem them working with flashlights. More logs fall. Its completely dark. Twarowski starts giving orders to help organize things better. Finally, Beck jumps down and looks at Twarowski and shakes his head, “It ain’t gonna happen, ma’am.” She sighs, “OK that’s it! It’s over! Everyone get some rest!” Holman comes in the hut, “Where have you been, Sergeant?”, Twarowski asks. “The Major and Captain Melville were on watch, they though they heard some enemy, but it was just some dogs.” “I have to keep them on separate watches”, Twarowski mumbles. “OK, lets get some rest”, she says to Beck. “We have three hours until its time to contact Masterlez again at 0200.” Music Stops. Shot of Twarowski closing her eyes, quick cut and she’s being shaken awake, “Ma’am its almost 0200”, Lane shakes her. “I’m coming”, she grumbles. We see her at the radio with Beck saying, “Kelvin, to jest śnieg. Wejdź, Kelvinie.”, over and over into the microphone. Its dark and they have flashlights on. She looks at Beck, “Its a no-go tonight. Let’s save these batteries and get back to bed.” The screen flashes “0230 14 JUL 2000.”

Track 5: “I Zimbra“ by Talking Heads, 1979.

Scene 6: “Flashback 2 (Midday, July 14, 1980)”

The camera opens on Fabian and Kate in a pick up truck with Fabian driving. Music (below, Track six, below) is playing on the car radio loudly. They are quite evidently not speaking to each other. The truck is driving through rural agricultural areas in Eastern Washington state. We see them pass one turn off to a farm where a yellow ribbon is tied around a tree. They drive and music plays. They pass another farm where another yellow ribbon is tied around a tree that has a small US Flag in the bow with a hand-written white sign that has “Pray for the Hostages!” written in Red and Blue underneath it. Fabian reaches for the volume switch and turns it all the way off suddenly. Music Stops. He looks at Kate and barks, “You are acting like a spoiled brat!” “No I’m not, I just care! She’s brutal!”, Kate barks back. “She cares, she just has a lot to deal with right now, and you aren’t making it any better! You are making it worse!”, he retorts. “How am I being selfish?!”, she asks incredulously. “Because we all care!”, Fabian says as he pulls in front of the gymnasium, “I love him too! You’re not the only one involved here!” Kate looks down. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” “Look, when we get back, just be cool ok? Apologize. She’s not a monster. It just has to be done. Promise.” “OK, Fabian, I promise”, Kate opens the door and runs to the gym with a bag.

Music (below, Track seven, below) starts and we see a montage of Kate playing Basketball with other young teen boys and girls. She is really good and playing aggressively; fighting for position, downing shots, making steals and generally just being “in the zone.” Music Stops.

Cut to the pickup truck pulling in front of the house. Kate gets out and sees family making their way to the big family house. “They are quitting early today that’s like all the cousins coming in and Uncle Lucas never finishes before dusk”, Kate observes. “Everyone wants to look their best tonight at Mass”< Fabian answers. Kate exits the car and her Mother is standing out front “I’m sorry, Mama”, she says, “Zrobię to lepiej”, subtitles as “I’ll do better.” “It’s okay just come in the house, quick, we have to get ready and I need your help with the little ones”, her Mother says a bit too hurriedly. Kate sees her Mother looking at something and she looks over to see what se is looking at and we see Kate’s POV. She’s looking at the barn and sees movement by the door. Her Father just entered the barn and one of her uncles follows carrying something long and shiny. She looks back at her Mother, “Lets go inside, Mama.” They enter the house and we hear a gunshot from outdoors. Kate runs up the stairs to her room and shuts the door. End Scene.

Track 6: “I Need A Lover“ by John Mellencamp, 1978.

Track 7: “Bad Reputation“ by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, 1980.

Scene 7: “Bridge View”

The camera opens on an extreme close up of a rocky outcrop with some twisted trees in a forest. Music (below, Track eight, below) begins in foreground. We see a purple ribbon twisted along one stem of a long leafy bush. We see a mound underneath, camouflaged. The camera begins to pan out and backwards and we see a small 10 m clearing where PVT Rzad, 1SG Keller, SPC Randall, SSG Marsh, SPC Jacques and 2LT Duffy are all preparing packs, gear, and breaking up a small overnight campsite. Duffy then camouflages the area they slept in and they set off in ranger file in silence. It is pre-dawn twilight. We see them walking through the woods and exiting into an open grassy area. The landscape slopes up slightly to their right. There seems to be a skyline there 500 m away. “That’s the Uniejow-Turek Road”, states Marsh. They keep walking. They come to a point and in front of them we see a slope down to Warta River and the Uniejow Bridge about 500 m away. Keller gestures for everyone to lie down. They do.

We see Duffy and Rzad get out Binoculars. They watch the scene for some time. We see Duffy‘s POV as he looks at the Bridge, carefully. He takes notes. We see Rzad‘s POV. She studies soldiers in sandbagged weapons pits on the right sides of the bridge at each end. Two of them. On the far end, on the right, we see a figure leave a one story building and seemingly talk to the soldiers at the far end. The figure then walks the length of the bridge to the near side and speaks with the soldiers there. He is an NCO. He and another soldier seem to share a laugh and then he begins to walk back the other way.

Music to background. “We have two soldiers at each end. SKS 45s.”, says Rzad as Marsh takes notes. “The NCO is a corporal. He has an AK-47”, she continues, “I can’t see anything else. The corporal came out of that building on the far side to the right but he seems to just be on the other side now working with the other guards. I can’t make out any other heavy weapons or anything.” “Are there any obstructions on either end?”, asks Marsh. Nothing I can see”, she answers. “The bridge seems fine, structurally sound”, says Duffy, “No signs of any demolitions charges anywhere.” “I don’t know if it would handle armored vehicles or heavy freight, but it will safely handle the HUMMWVs and The Deuce”, he continues, “Unless any of you have any suggestions, I’ll report to the CP.” Keller ponders. “I think it might be worth our while to stay here at least another couple of hours. We may get a better idea of their garrison routine. Uniejow proper is just up the read, about 5 km. It’ll be worthwhile to know if this is serviced by a garrison there or if these guys are on their own. Also, I’d like a better head count of what they have there”, he states softly. “Sounds good, First Sergeant. I’ll let them know”, Duffy says as he keys his walkie talkie, “Cougar calling Brick, come in Brick.”

Marsh sees movement out of the corner of his left eye. He sees a building off to the left in the distance now that the mist has burned off a bit. “Rzad check out that building directly to our left. I think I saw movement”, says Marsh quietly. Rzad scans the building. “It looks like an abandoned gas station. I can see some horses in harness but whatever they are attached to are hidden at this angle”, she reports. We see what she sees, a dilapidated old building, one story, with a pump and two horses in harness, one bobbing its head. “We need to get a better angle and see what’s going on there”, says Keller, “Rzad, come with me.” We hear Duffy say, “…come in Brick, come in Brick.” “0630 14 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen. End scene.

Track 8: “A Clearing“ by Brian Eno, 1982.

Scene 8: “Polish Voices”

Music (below, Track eight, below) begins. We see SGT Holman shaking 2LT Twarowski awake. “There’s something happening out by the edge of the clearing, ma’am”, he says a little quickly. “Wha? Huh? More dogs?”, says Twarowski waking up. She sees it’s Holman and SPC Lane. “I don’t think it’s a snipe hunt, ma’am”, says Holman, “Lane tell her.” “Ma’am I was on watch with Chief McConnell and I heard some voices, Polish voices. When I asked him if he heard it the voices stopped and I head some rustling. I couldn’t spot them but here is a copse of trees 25 or 30 meters out. I think there is an Observation Post there or something”, Lane relates in a concerned stage whisper. “Are you sure you heard voices?”, asks Twarowski. “What did they say?” “I heard them, ma’am but I dunno what they said. I don’t understand Polish, but they were speaking it!” Lane whispers emphatically. “OK Lets go. Who is on the radio?” Twarowski asks. “Is someone supposed to be n the radio?”, asks Holman in return. “Dammit. Well that’s something else I forgot. Sergeant, please wake up Sergeant Beck and ask him to man the radio and train Ramirez on how to monitor it and then you meet us out there”, Twarowski orders. “Roger that, ma’am”, Holman responds. “0630 14 JUL 2000” flashes on the screen. End Scene.

Track 9: “Over Fire Island“ by Brian Eno, 1975.

Scene 9: “Flashback 3 (Evening, July 14, 1980)”

The camera opens in a dimly lit somber-looking Catholic Church. There are lit candles everywhere on tables. We see the congregation are all wearing black or dark clothing; the women and girls in black dresses and the men and boys in black or darker suits with black armbands. A priest continues, “We’d like to thank Konrad’s superior officers for joining us in this service and at this difficult time for this family and this community and I’d ask us to all greet them here with a proper Polska welcome from our larger family here at Saint Casimir’s; Witamy Cię!” The congregation responds, “Witamy Cię!” We see three US Army Officers in dress uniforms and wearing Green Berets acknowledge the greeting in a subdued manner. The Priest continues, “Now, as they requested, Konrad’s family will each place something that reminds them of Konrad on this table here”, the Priest gestures at a table in from of the raised area where the altar is closer to the congregation area. “If you’ll all line up and move from Left to Right. We’ll start with the immediate family.”

The entire Twarowski family lines up. We see there are more nuclear families than just Kate‘s, probably 3-4. Kate lines up behind her sister Maria. Fabian is in front of her. Her Mother is in front of Fabian and her Father leads the group. We see her father place something on the table. Her Mother places something. Then Maria. Kate sees the table. On it is a portrait photo of a man in his early 20s wearing an Army Dress Uniform and a Green Beret in a stand up frame. On the table are an Eagle Scout Medal, A picture of a young boy at his first communion, a neatly folded basketball jersey with the number “8” on it that says “Bullpups” and a Baseball Card that says “Boston Red Sox” and “Carl Yastrzemski.” Kate reaches into her purse. Her Mother and Sister are crying, her Father trying to comfort them. Kate places a small trophy with a rider on a horse on the table that has a yellow ribbon on it that says “1st Place.” She bursts into tears.

Fade to Black.  Full Credits on Black.  Music (below) plays over credits until end. 

Track 10: “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree“ by Tony Orlando and Dawn, 1973.

Full Cast Credits:

Main Cast: 1SG Keller (Bryce), 2LT Kathryn Twarowski (Gordon), 2LT Donovan Duffy (Ned), SSG Bob Beck (Scott), SGT Holman (Paul), SSG Ash Marsh (Shannon).

Recurring Cast: SPC Jacques, SPC Lane, CW2 McConnell, CPT Melville, MAJ Piper, PFC Ramirez, SPC Randall, PVT Rzad, SGT Swain.