Quarantine 2: Terminal 2011

In the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles, two flight attendants, Jenny and Paula, embark on a journey to LAX, destined for Nashville. As they arrive at the gate, they cross paths with George, a frequent flyer bound for his parents’ side of the country. His reticence towards their affable advances marks the beginning of an intriguing dynamic between them. On board, the diverse ensemble of passengers and crew members includes Captain Forrest and co-pilot Wilson, Bev and Sylvester, an elderly couple beset by the challenges of Parkinson’s disease, Louise, who brings her feline companion, Henry, a teacher entrusted with a menagerie of hamsters, Nial and Susan, a germophobic couple awaiting the arrival of their new addition, Shilah, an Army Medic, Hvorst and Nicca, a foreign duo struggling to communicate in heavily accented English, Preston, a business traveler, and Ralph, a golf enthusiast with a penchant for indulgence.

As the flight takes off, Ralph’s encounter with Henry’s hamsters sets the stage for a series of unpredictable events. His sudden deterioration, fueled by a vicious bite from one of Henry’s furry friends, prompts demands to land the plane. As Ralph’s condition worsens, foaming at the mouth and vomiting on Jenny, he becomes increasingly erratic, ultimately storming towards the cockpit. The combined efforts of Preston, Henry, George, and Paula manage to subdue him using plastic restraints while Wilson secures the cockpit door in accordance with terrorism protocol.

With communication with the Las Vegas Airport tower severed as they touch down, the plane is redirected to land at this unexpected destination. Ralph reawakens, his ferocity unchecked, as he bites Paula’s nose, causing her severe injury. Shilah springs into action, utilizing the plane’s emergency first aid kit to administer an anesthetic, but Paula’s worsening condition demands immediate medical attention. Frustrated by the lack of communication from the tower, Captain Forrest navigates the plane to a gate, as passengers attempt to contain Ralph within the bathroom. Ed, a baggage handler at the terminal, observes the plane’s arrival and grants access through an employee entrance. As they strive to gain entry into the airport, they discover that all terminal doors are locked. Ed leads them to a rear entrance, where Forrest and Wilson hold the bathroom door shut, while everyone else (excluding Bev and Sylvester) escapes into the staging room, a vast warehouse of loading docks and equipment for baggage handling.

As the chaos unfolds, the group’s dire situation becomes crystal clear. With Paula’s condition rapidly deteriorating, Shilah reveals a medical kit stashed away in her luggage, prompting Jenny to enlist Ed’s aid in a desperate bid to save her friend. However, their momentary reprieve is short-lived, as the power in the staging room suddenly falters, plunging the group into darkness. It is then that they discover Wilson and Forrest have vanished, leaving behind a gruesome scene of blood-soaked horror in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Sylvester’s frantic gaze draws attention to a pair of plastic cuffs on the floor, their once-pristine surfaces now ravaged by what can only be described as frenzied teeth. As Ed locates a hidden trapdoor leading from the cabin to the hold, Jenny sets about searching for Shilah’s medical kit while Nial rummages through his suitcase for a crucial firearm. Preston, meanwhile, remains steadfast at Sylvester’s side.

However, their fragile sense of security is shattered when Nial announces that he has been bitten by a rodent - a hamster-like creature that Jenny insists must be the culprit behind this bizarre outbreak. Before re-emerging from the hold, Jenny catches a glimpse of Preston’s laptop, now smeared with blood, and turns to find Forrest, his eyes blazing red, mouth foaming wildly as he launches a frenzied attack.

In the ensuing chaos, Nial is forced to take drastic measures, striking Forrest in the back to put an end to the assault. Though battered and bloodied, the group manages to escape unscathed - or at least, unbitten.

As they regroup in the aisle of the plane, they stumble upon Sylvester, his wheelchair shattered and Preston bitten on the back of his neck. It is then that they begin to piece together the terrifying truth: the infection appears to be spreading through bites, and its symptoms eerily mirror those of a “super-rabies” virus, transforming victims into rabid, zombie-like creatures.

In a desperate bid to contain the outbreak, they lock away Sylvester and Paula, fearing for their safety. Little do they realize that danger lurks just above, as a rat perches menacingly on Sylvester’s head, its presence only revealed when George inadvertently knocks it off seconds later.

As tensions reach a boiling point, George seizes the opportunity to confront Henry about the source of the infection, his suspicions fueled by the presence of rats on the plane rather than hamsters. Henry vehemently denies the accusation, citing the illegality of bringing lab rats onto an aircraft and the likelihood that security would have intercepted him had he indeed done so. Meanwhile, Jenny intervenes, attempting to reason with Henry as they are suddenly interrupted by yet another attack from the infected Ralph. This time, however, it’s Jenny’s panicked screams that draw the attention of the group, ultimately leading to Ralph’s demise at their hands.

The sudden chaos subsides, and a team of four heavily armed CBDT officers burst into the scene, demanding that the group release Sylvester and Paula from their makeshift cells and administer a mysterious protocol - a pressurized injection delivered directly to the neck. The others are hesitant to comply, as the officials remain tight-lipped about the true nature of their mission. It takes Louise’s eventual decision to step forward and receive the treatment for the officers to begin the process.

However, just as they’re attempting to administer the protocol to Louise, her cat - still reeling from its earlier encounter with Ralph’s vomit - bites down on her neck. In a frantic bid to restore order, the officials fire several times but miss their target. Seizing the opportunity, Sylvester launches himself at one of the officials and bites him, ultimately resulting in his demise.

In the ensuing chaos, the three surviving officials attempt to flee, only to find themselves locked inside. They frantically shoot out the locks and make a break for it, accompanied by Hvorst, who attempts to escape with them. Unfortunately, their hasty retreat is met with a hail of bullets from the surrounding military personnel, leaving all four apparent casualties.

As the group regroups, Ed drags a wounded CBDT officer into the midst of the chaos, and they hastily flee the infected, now including Nial, who has succumbed to his rat-bite wound. In their haste, Susan is grabbed by Ed as she attempts to make her escape with the others. The group takes shelter in a large catering truck, where they proceed to interrogate their captive CBDT officer.

The officer’s cryptic revelations hint at the existence of a quarantine building in L.A., tied to a possible outbreak that has far-reaching implications. However, before he can provide any meaningful answers, he pulls out his gun and takes his own life, leaving the group stunned and reeling from the sudden turn of events.

As chaos erupts, Wilson’s attempt to strike from above is thwarted by Ed’s swift thinking. The resourceful leader directs George to activate a lift, which cruelly crushes the relentless zombie beneath the trailer and a beam above it. With their escape route clear, the group abandons the truck, but Henry seizes the opportunity to slip away unnoticed, his intentions shrouded in mystery. Ed guides the remaining survivors to a blueprint office, driven by a desperate need to uncover an ancient drainage tunnel that has mercifully been left off modern maps.

As they flee, Nicca is brutally dragged from their midst, only to meet her gruesome fate moments later at the hands of the merciless Paula. The group’s world is turned upside down as Jenny’s anguish turns to brutal resolve, and she coldly dispatches her former friend with a metal bar. In a chilling display of mortality, the infected Paula meets her demise by plummeting from the catwalk to her untimely death.

With their numbers dwindling, the remaining quartet - comprised of Jenny, George, Ed, and Shilah - seeks refuge in an airport engineer’s office, frantically scouring blueprints for a way out. George’s curiosity gets the better of him as he rummages through Henry’s briefcase, uncovering unsettling documents and a vial containing a potent elixir. The arrival of the infected Nial and Susan serves only to heighten the sense of dread, but Henry’s timely intervention with Nial’s gun proves decisive in dispatching the duo.

As the group confronts the stark reality of their situation, George is stunned by the revelations within Henry’s briefcase. Henry’s confession that he is part of a clandestine Doomsday Cult hell-bent on unleashing a weaponized rabies virus to bring about the apocalypse sends shockwaves through the group. The cult’s sinister agenda is matched only by Henry’s ruthless determination, as he threatens to kill Jenny if George fails to hand over the antidote.

Ed’s bold attack on Henry proves fruitless, however, as the rogue agent coldly dispatches him with Nial’s gun. The surviving group members are swiftly cowed into submission by Henry’s menacing presence and the gravity of their situation. As the stakes reach a fever pitch, Henry reveals that he has an intricate network of supporters within the Doomsday Cult, who have facilitated his nefarious plans from behind the scenes.

As the antidote is administered, Henry candidly admits to having “friends” who have played a crucial role in advancing his cause. He confesses that these shadowy allies have enabled him to bypass security and smuggle vital resources, including rats and the antidote itself. With his brain injection complete, Henry departs, forcibly conscripting George into joining him on their perilous journey. The group’s fragile unity is shattered as Henry coldly wields the gun against Jenny, who dares to intervene in her desperate bid to stop him.

As Shilah (selflessly) offers to precede Jenny, her friend’s disoriented state prompts Jenny to accept the offer. Meanwhile, Preston, now an infected menace, ambushes Jenny in a desperate bid for sustenance. With unyielding determination, Jenny dispatches him with brutal efficiency, using a nearby mechanical device to deliver a fatal blow to his skull. Regaining her composure, she resumes her search for George, driven by a fierce resolve.

Shilah’s arrival is marked by the presence of CBDT thermal/nightvision camera goggles, which she kindly bestows upon Jenny, arming her with the ability to navigate the dark terrain and distinguish between the living and the undead. With Shilah’s words of encouragement - “kill that rat” - Jenny embarks on a perilous journey to rescue George, while Shilah, now infected herself, sacrifices her own safety to distract the remaining four infected, allowing Jenny to escape.

Jenny’s search leads her to George, who has been left abandoned and distraught near the drainage tunnel. Henry’s antidote having failed, George is now a victim of the very contagion he had sought to cure. As George, unable to perceive anything in the darkness, begs Jenny to remain above-ground, she descends into the tunnel, only to be attacked by Henry. The goggles, now passed from Jenny to George, enable him to spot the gun lying nearby and claim it as his own. With the weapon in hand, George dispatches Henry, then returns the goggles to Jenny, who observes Henry’s incapacitated form on the ground.

As the terminal burns down around them, Jenny and George make their escape through an air vent. However, a devastating revelation awaits: Jenny is now infected herself. Begging George to abandon her, she is met with his steadfast refusal to leave her behind. Reluctantly, Jenny agrees to follow, but not before revealing her own infection.

As they navigate the tunnel’s dark recesses, George barely squeezes through a narrow metal bar gap, leaving Jenny trapped. He calls out to her, and Jenny, now fully infected, attempts to grab him. However, her larger frame prevents her from fitting through the bars, forcing her to retreat back into the darkness. Abandoning the goggles, George walks away from the airport fence, free but alone, his fate uncertain in the face of the desolate landscape that lies ahead.

The narrative seamlessly shifts perspectives, plunging viewers into the optical realm of a pair of goggles left behind by George. As we gaze through their transparent visor, a feline figure - Louise’s enigmatic cat - comes into view. The cat, seemingly inoculated against the virus that has ravaged the city, shakes off the remnants of its contagion and, with calculated nonchalance, begins to groom itself. A stray droplet of the mysterious substance splatters onto the lens, momentarily obscuring our line of sight before the cat, now satisfied with its ablutions, slips away into the neon-drenched expanse of Las Vegas, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty as the goggles silently bear witness to the unfolding drama.