In the Beginning

In the Beginning is the two part pilot episode of End of Days. It was originally broadcast on 18th April, 2010 as a continuous episode. The world is at crisis, leaving everyone in fear of what may happen next after numerous attacks from an unknown source. Meanwhile, in Concrete a broken community is once again put under jeopardy as their plans to to build an underground city are sabotaged - but by who?

The episode is the first to establish the shows use of flashbacks of the characters lives before the attacks took place.

Introduction
The episode begins by focusing upon a portrait an American-Pie family in an unknown location. We then begin to see the office-like room is cluttered as if its been vandalised or burned as a man sat at the desk with a briefcase before him, he looks at peace until a noise distracts his focus and he is joined by another man who sits with him. The second enquires the first as to why he hadn't chosen a safer location, the first responds that he wasn't one to draw attention as a pause fills the air. The second then notes the other looks nervous, the other responds he is fine, addressing him as Max. Max proceeds to inform him that he has recently returned from Europe and it has been wiped out, when the man asks where the results are from this, Max tells him they are in the briefcase in front of him, the man scorns him and says he wants to know his experience, not the facts, to which Max replies that people were dying, when the man asks him how it made him feel, Max is nervous to answer in case it's the wrong one. However the man empathises and tells Max that it is natural to sympathise for people, but what they are doing is in order for change. The man asks him what he believes the greatest invention of the 21st century is, Max answers the internet, before the man opens his briefcase to show a laptop featuring DNA, a double helix spiralling itself into one. The man says scientists discovered the structure back in the late 20th century, despite the fact it had existed the whole time, he then tells Max there is a doctor who sought progression in DNA, he continues that this very doctor was visited by a client who told him he was carrying a gene that would make it more likely for him to develop cancer later in life and asked for the doctor's help. The Doctor performed the proceedure, but whilst he was fixing his client, he thought of other ways he could improve genes and experimented regardless of the fact he hadn't asked his client's opinion. He dreamt how he could make people stronger or taller, build a better model than before, the man said the doctor had built a new breed of human. The man tells Max for a new breed of human, he renamed his client, Max enquires what is is and is responded with 'Adam'. Max asks what the story has to do with him and the man tells him that the world is changing and he'd like Max to be part of this change, before Max can respond he takes out a gun attatched to a strange device and shoots a dart into Max's neck. As the man stands above Max, he utters "Welcome to the new world".

Aaron
We are introduced to Aaron as he is in a hospital wiping a name from the board, he is complimented by a colleague named Maria and in turn Aaron tells her he is only doing his job, when she jokes he is also doing everyone's else's, Aaron takes offence until she re-establishes what she was trying to say. Maria points out there's been an increase in people coming in recently and asks what he thinks it is, but he tells her it's not their place to know, just to do their job as a crash team enter the hospital. He is told the victim was badly burnt in a fire as he is joined by another colleague, Nurse Amanda Morales, who checks his pupils as Aaron performs an intubation on him. As things seem to be clearing up, the victim crashes, suffering hypovolemic shock as Aaron confidently barks out orders determined to save his patient.

Mariasha
Stepping out of a cab and walking through an alleyway, Mariasha Aziza is greeted by a gun. She tells the man - named Shaun Perry - to put his gun down. He does so, he seems to recognize her. Mariasha tells him she's not amused by the change of venue and she just wants her drugs. Shaun attempts to kiss her, but she assures him that's not what she's here for. Shaun leads her through a door in the alley, revealing a crackhouse. He brings her past numerous druggies and crazy looking people into a back room stacked with crates filled with drugs. Mariasha realizes she doesn't have enough money to purchase her usual amount, so she offers Shaun a deal... Sex, for a discount on her drugs. Shaun accepts and just as Mariasha begins to take off her clothes, they hear the bashing down of doors. Shaun tells her the cops are here, so the two flee out the back door.

They are intercepted by an FBI agent whom Shaun beats to a pulp. Mariasha urges him to stop beating him, and he finally listens, taking the agent's gun. As he walks away, Mariasha grabs his arm and twists it. As he fights her grip, she elbows him in the chest. Realizing that Mariasha was nothing but a sleeper agent working with the FBI, he attempts to attack her but she tackles him. The gun goes off, hitting the brick wall behind them, and Mariasha gets on top of him. She handcuffs him and plants him face-first against the wall, telling him he's under arrest.

Lisa
Journalist Lisa Kurek is on the phone with a colleague named Tracy when there's frantic knocking at her door. She hangs up with Tracy, and answers the door. There is Ethan Anderson, one of Lisa's sources... a bullet hole in his chest. He stumbles into her apartment and she helps him to the couch, panicking and demanding to know what's happened. Ethan tells her that he went after that terrorist cell that Lisa wouldn't listen to him about. Lisa tells him she didn't go after it because there wasn't enough evidence to write a story about it, not that she didn't believe him. Ethan tells her to check his pockets as he slowly dies. Lisa gets a pad of paper out of his pocket and flicks through it. She is about to call the police, but realizing that she has a dead body on her couch, things don't look good in her favor so she just puts the phone down.

Amanda
Amanda is seen heading home from a shift at the hospital, she hangs up her coat and calls out, however no one answers, she calls the names of James and Junior, but again no answer. As Amanda looks up the stairs and around the rooms, we see she is growing nervous of the lack of response, she goes into the dining room, pushing the door open to reveal a man at the table, to whom she addresses as James. The two kiss as she discovers he's cooked her a meal to take the pressure off of her cooking and looking after their son - Junior, she jokes that he is wasted in his accounting job, they laugh and begin to eat. As they're eating, James asks Amanda how work went, she tells him it was okay apart from Aaron acting like he owns the place, going on to further say if his ego gets any bigger he'll be needed an operation himself, James responds his ego is that big that he is likely to be the one that has to take it out himself (in reference to Aaron being a surgeon) After a while Amanda thanks James for going to such an effort, stating she doesn't always realise how lucky she is, he tells her everyone's guilty of that and the toast their glasses, promising to keep their marriage healfthy and afloat.

Bella
Bella is seen at work as a waitress, where she is called by the name "Francesca" by her boss. He allows her to go home early, to which she thanks him. Bella arrives at her apartment to find her fiance Stefano Marini on the phone with someone named Ezekiel, discussing the shooting of someone who raided a building and took 'evidence' from them. Stefano tells this man that he understands what happened to his 'family' and he will get his revenge of the United States - and the world - soon. Stefano notices Bella heard the whole conversation and hangs up with Ezekiel, looking at Bella in horror. He tries to make up a story, but Bella won't buy it, asking him how working at a wine company involves shooting people.

Stefano apologizes before pulling a gun at her, but she notices this and attacks him. They wrestle before he pushes Bella off of him and she falls through the window. Due to them only being on the second floor, Bella luckily survives, although injured. She crawls behind a trash can taking cover from Stefano, who fires at her repeatedly before giving up and returning inside. She dials 9-1-1 and requests the number for the FBI, claiming her fiance to be a terrorist.

Trivia

 * Both Amanda and Lisa are the only characters to be featured in two flashbacks. Amanda features in Aaron, before she herself becomes an established character, whilst Lisa appears after her own flashback in Samuel's backstory.
 * Julian is the only main character not to recieve a flashback of his own.
 * It appears Amanda already knows Lisa and Aaron, whilst Lisa knows Mariasha, Bella and Amanda. Samuel has only met Julian and Lisa, Bella only knows Mariasha and Lisa, Aaron interracts with Amanda and Julian with Samuel only. Jake remains the only main character not to have met another main character. At this point, nobody knows everybody.
 * It is mentioned that the terrorists have began blocking satellite channels, as well as censoring and targeting newspapers.
 * Government is also addressed as being very minimal, with what's left trying to organize the military.
 * Policing is seen and mentioned to be down, given the fact Abraham and Jim were Concrete's only remaining officers.
 * This is the first episode where all main characters appear.
 * In the flower shop, it is stated that the attacks have had a devastating effect on nature and plants.
 * Mariasha is greeted by a gun in both her flashback scene (by Shaun) and in real-time scene (by Jim Miller).
 * Rhodes' name isn't explicitally given in the show, however a press release stated the name Rhodes, though it is unknown whether it is a forename or surname.

Unanswered Questions

 * Who are the terrorists?
 * Why are they attacking the planet and how?
 * How did it all begin?
 * Who sabotaged the construction site?
 * What is the deal with Julian, is he linked to all this?
 * Who and where is the Doctor?
 * What is Rhodes' role in the attacks?
 * Why did Amanda and James split up?
 * What caused Aaron to plunge into alcoholism?
 * What is Bella's real name: Is it Francesca or Bella?
 * Is Stefano connected to the terrorists who are attacking the planet?
 * Who is Ezekiel?
 * Was Ezekiel the man who shot Ethan Anderson?
 * What and who exactly was Ethan researching?
 * What is written on the paper Ethan gave to Lisa?
 * How did Samuel's wife die?
 * Why did Samuel tell Sarah he was working as a doorman/bouncer, when he was a bodyguard?
 * What is the favor Glenn Canning did for Samuel?
 * Did anyone important kill Paula Oldman?
 * Is Dahlia linked to it all and why is she acting so suspiciously?
 * What has become of Max?