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X Isle [Part 1]
By Aragorn
X ISLE
Written by Jeffrey Long
Based upon the Graphic Novel 'X Isle' from Boom! Studios
Cast and Crew detais:
Dr. Alex Keller – Adam Baldwin
Sarah Keller – Kristen Bell
Matt Drover – Ian Somerhalder
Dr. Marcus Temple – Delroy Lindo
Dr. Kay Hopkins – Laura Linney
Dr. Charles Kent – Kevin Smith
Captain Greer – Richard Brake
Benga – Johnny Messner
Directed by: Dwight H. Little
Music by: Randy Edelman
***
EXT. PAPUA NEW GUINEA - MANUS ISLAND – BEACH – DAY
The scorching bright hot sun beats down on the active beach below. Dozens, if not hundreds, of people line the beaches of Manus Island, participating in all sorts of activities – sun bathing, playing volleyball, building sand castles, taking pictures, reading, sitting in the shade of the jungle edge, or playing and swimming out in the nice cool water. After showing several shots of that activity, we land on a shot of a fairly attractive girl in a small bathing suit laying on her back on her towel, the sun beating down on her body as she reads a book. This is CHARLIE. Suddenly a shadow blocks her sunlight and she lowers her book, shielding her eyes as she looks up at a shirtless RYAN standing above her.
RYAN
Here, I brought you a drink.
Charlie sits up, smiling, as she takes the coconut with a straw sticking out of it.
CHARLIE
Thanks, Ryan.
She takes a few sips as Ryan drinks from his as well. He sits down in the sand next to her.
RYAN
Hell of a spring break, huh?
CHARLIE
Nick gets jealous easy, don't take it personally.
RYAN
Nah, I don't.
CHARLIE
Me and you have been friends since we were kids. He doesn't have any say who that.
RYAN
Just, why are you with him if he treats you like...
NICK
(v.o.)
What the HELL did I tell you earlier, dork?
Charlie and Ryan turn to look at NICK and a group of his friends storming towards them.
NICK
I told you I didn't want you near my girl!
Charlie sighs and stands up.
CHARLIE
Nick, leave him alone!
Nick ignores her and pushes Ryan down into the sand.
CHARLIE
Nick!
NICK
Stay out of this, Charlie. I'm tired of Ryan here macking on you every time I turn around.
CHARLIE
Stop it! He's not macking on me! I've told you before, we've been friends since we were kids!
NICK
Doesn't mean he wouldn't try to get down your pants if given the chance.
Charlie sighs, frustrated, and storms off down the beach. Nick turns back to Ryan and shoves him back into the sand again just as he tries to get back up.
EXT. FURTHER DOWN THE BEACH – DAY
Charlie wipes tears from her eyes as she walks along the soft sand of the beach, further away from the heavy crowds. She stops and turns, wading out into the cool water a bit, up to her waist as she just relaxes in the cool water, alone from the rest of the crowd further down the beach. She bends her knees, allowing the waves to wash over her, when something catches her eye further down the beach. She can't quite make it out, but it looks huge whatever it is. She tries to strain her eyes but with no luck. She returns to the beach and starts making her way towards it.
EXT. OCEAN – DAY
A helicopter thumps loudly through the bright blue sky, sticking below the white puffy clouds as it travels high over the ocean.
INT. HELICOPTER
Other then the pilot, there are two other people in the helicopter; DR. ALEX KELLER and DR. MARCUS TEMPLE. Keller sits in the co-pilot seat while Temple sits in one of the passenger seats with a folder opened on his lap, with sheets filled with information, reports, and photographs of a giant weird carcass on the beach of Manus Island. He's currently wearing glasses as he reads. Alex Keller turns to the pilot.
KELLER
Do you know anything about the animal body found on the beach?
PILOT
(thick accent)
Ever since it was discovered earlier in the week, it is all that the locals have been talking about. They think it is a bad omen; the body of a God.
KELLER
Body of a God?
PILOT
Si. They wish to burn it so the God can be honored with a funeral, and that with the Government and you Americans prodding it, the curse of the Gods will come down on their island.
KELLER
What do you think?
PILOT
I am a Christian man, sir, and I do not believe in such superstitions, however even I cannot discount the amount of bad luck that seems to be hitting the island ever since the body was discovered.
Keller turns to look out the window next to him and stares at the deep blue ocean below as the helicopter continues gliding high above it.
EXT. MANUS ISLAND – BEACH – DAY
The helicopter has landed on the soft sand of the beach, which is covered in military personnel with a temporary fence set up along the edge to keep the locals away. As Keller and Temple out of the helicopter, SERGEANT SINGIROK approaches them with two armed guards.
SGT. SINGIROK
Ah! You must be the two American scientists from that school. Welcome, welcome!
Keller nods.
KELLER
I'm Dr. Keller and this is my associate, Dr. Temple.
The three men shake hands as Sgt. Singirok smiles at them.
KELLER
We'd like to see the body right away, if that's alright with you.
SGT. SINGIROK
Of course! Of course! This way, gentlemen.
Sgt. Singirok, followed by his two guards, lead the two scientists down the beach. Keller eyes the temporary fence line.
KELLER
I assume that's not part of the local architecture.
SGT. SINGIROK
The locals have been getting more and more aggressive with each passing day, Doctor. Even with the beach cut off from the public, their attempts at sneaking past my security and trying to destroy the carcass have been increasing. Fear of God can make even the sanest men act crazy. We had to construct an electrified fence to keep them away.
KELLER
Surely you can't plan to just keep it here. Bugs and animals will be getting to it soon if they haven't already, and I'm sure it's well into decomposing by now.
SGT. SINGIROK
We will be moving the carcass soon and keeping it on ice to preserve it the best we can.
KELLER
Why wasn't that the first thing done? You'd be able to keep it in a better condition then I'm sure it's in now, and you wouldn't have had to worry about keeping the locals away.
SGT. SINGIROK
I agree, but we have yet to receive the order from my superiors. I'm a military man, Doctor. I can't do anything without orders.
TEMPLE
Are there any theories as to what it is? Beyond that body of a God nonsense?
SGT. SINGIROK
The other scientists that have been here left without being able to identify it. Obviously it is some kind of whale, that they've all agreed on. Beyond that, nobody knows.
(pause)
But between you and me, the thing scares the shit out of me.
They round a corner on the beach and the camera pulls backwards across the beach, revealing a little bit at a time. We see soldiers marching around the area, and then dozens of other scientists studying something just slightly behind us off screen, and then as we continue to pan back, we see the carcass itself.
The giant carcass itself heavily resembles a blue whale, except that where its mouth would normally be, is a perfectly-circular gaping hole filled with hundreds of razor sharp teeth going all the way around the circle, and going as far down into the stomach as is visible. Much of the skin has decayed under the hot sun over the days, and been pecked at by swarms of bugs, so the skin looks more wrinkly and 'loose' then it normally would. We continue pulling back and up into the sky, the scene below getting smaller and further away.
INT. UNIVERSITY
The halls of this university are packed full of students going about their daily business. MATT DROVER, one of the many students in the hall, makes his way through the crowd, rushing towards to one of the labs. We can see through the windows in the hall, that it's snowing hard outside, with the wind slamming the falling snow against the windows.
INT. UNIVERSITY – LAB ROOM
Matt enters one of the labs, where Dr. Alex Keller is looking at something through a microscope. He looks away long enough to write something down in a notebook and then goes back to looking through the microscope again.
MATT
Reporting for duty, Professor.
Keller doesn't even look away from the microscope.
KELLER
Come take a look at this sample.
Matt walks across the room towards Keller.
MATT
Is that the sample of the carcass from Papua New Guinea?
Keller looks up and nods as he steps away, allowing Matt to step up to the microscope.
MATT
Was it the real deal?
Keller motions towards the microscope.
KELLER
Look for yourself.
Matt looks into the microscope and starts turning the knobs on the sides as his eyes widen.
MATT
Holy shit...
He looks back up at Keller, amazed, shocked, and confused all at the same time.
MATT
I've never seen anything like it.
KELLER
Fascinating, isn't it? Thankfully Dr. Temple was among a small handful of scientists that was given permission to stay with and study the carcass when the military moved it. He's sending me daily updates on it.
MATT
Any idea what it was?
KELLER
Not a single one. It's in a pretty advanced state of decomposition, but epidermal characteristics aren't consistent with any known species.
MATT
What about a genetic defect? Isn't that possible?
KELLER
If it was just a deformed whale, it would still have whale DNA. The DNA samples I took came up during testing as no known species.
Matt looks back into the microscope again for a few more seconds then back up at his teacher.
MATT
You think it's a new species?
KELLER
Actually Matt, I think it's an old species. Very old, as in prehistoric, but that's really just a big guess. I'm no paleontologist.
Keller returns to the microscope and also looks through it again.
KELLER
Truth is, nothing about this thing adds up.
He turns one of the knobs, stays silent a minute, and then looks at his notebook again, scribbling something else down.
KELLER
Professor Temple's latest update said that its teeth aren't even made from bone or cartilage. They're calcified fungus.
MATT
We need to publish these findings and become disgustingly rich and famous.
Keller smiles.
KELLER
First you need to concentrate on passing my class.
Keller's officer phone rings and he walks over to where it is on the wall and answers it.
KELLER
Keller.
RECEPTIONIST
(v.o.)
Professor Temple is on the phone for you.
KELLER
Patch him through.
TEMPLE
(v.o.)
Alex?
KELLER
What do you got for me, Marcus?
We cut back and forth between Keller in his office and Temple at the military compound, depending on who's talking. Temple has his glasses resting on top of his head.
TEMPLE
We cut the creature open this morning and found some very interesting things. I'm faxing some of my notes over to you now.
KELLER
Hang on a minute.
(turns to Matt)
Fax machine, there should be some things coming in for me.
Matt rushes out of the room.
KELLER
My assistant's gone to check on them for me.
TEMPLE
Alex, this isn't just a single major discovery. Some of the things we discovered in its stomach had not yet been digested.
KELLER
What did you find?
TEMPLE
Most of what we found was pretty unremarkable, until we stumbled upon some new plant forms and...lets just say this isn't the only new animal species around either.
Matt returns, rushing up to Keller and handing him some papers. Keller looks down at them. The first sheet shows rough drawings of some of the new plant forms that were found, with notes written all around the pictures. He goes to the next piece of paper which has a couple normal-looking bugs drawn on them and a few more notes. He flips through another couple pages but then suddenly stops and gasps. On the page he's currently holding is a drawing of an unknown animal. It's tail resembles that of a beaver, but is more in tune with fish skin, while the rest of its four-legged body is covered in fur, except for its face which resembles a Garfield the cat-like face with bigger eyes and a kind of shell-like covering.
KELLER
Marcus...what the hell am I looking at?
TEMPLE
A completely new species. And by its physiology it appears to be a land dweller.
KELLER
Where are these things coming from?
TEMPLE
Nobody knows, but there's a second team of scientists being put together to figure that out.
KELLER
Do what you can to get on that team. If we can figure out where this creature came from before anyone else, we can get a head start on the location. We'll have first rights to all the research and information that can be gathered from there.
TEMPLE
What about Dr. Hopkins? She's the project Director, we need...
KELLER
(cutting him off)
No time for that. Just get yourself on that team and I'll go have a chat with her right now. I can't see her disagreeing with this.
INT. MILITARY COMPOUND – BRIEFING ROOM
Marcus Temple, glasses resting snug on his nose, is pouring his heart and soul over map after map after map laid out on a giant table, checking coordinates and mathematical calculations with those of the other four scientists in the room, empty coffee mugs laying everyone, and a blackboard covered in notes and scribbles and numbers of all kinds. He's murmuring quietly to himself as he works but then suddenly freezes and goes quiet. He stares intently at a location on the map that some of his instruments are pointing towards. He cautiously looks around the room, seeing that everyone else is busy with their own stuff, and slowly moves his instruments off the map.
TEMPLE
I'm, um, getting a refill, anybody want one?
They all hold up their empty coffee mugs and Temple takes them all and casually leaves the room. Once in the hall, he quickly lays them all on the floor and takes off running as fast as he can to the nearest phone, picking it up and dialing a number.
INT. UNIVERSITY – DR. KELLER'S OFFICE
Keller is sitting in his office, grading some test sheets from his class when his door slams open and DR. KAY HOPKINS rushes in.
KELLER
Dr. Hopkins, I...
HOPKINS
He's found it!
KELLER
What?
HOPKINS
Marcus! He thinks he's found the general area where the creature came from!
Keller jumps up, hardly able to hold in his excitement.
KELLER
What! Does anyone else know?
HOPKINS
No one. He's positive he was weeks ahead of everyone else and he made sure to cover his tracks.
KELLER
That's excellent!
HOPKINS
I've talked to the board and the university has agreed to fund an expedition to the location, top secret. Marcus is on his way back now and the boat will be leaving in exactly a week.
KELLER
Who's going?
HOPKINS
Marcus, of course, a Dr. Charles Kent and yourself, and the university wants me to oversee everything so I guess that means I'm going as well.
KELLER
Wait, what? Me?
HOPKINS
It's just as much your discovery as Marcus', so of course the board is going to grant you to go.
KELLER
No, no, no, no. My daughter is coming up to visit, I can't be away, she'll hate me forever.
HOPKINS
So bring her along. If I remember right she used to love to go on these trips with you when she was a kid. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, Alex! Your name right there with everyone else's on all things related to this discovery!
Keller looks at her and smiles.
EXT. HARBOR – DAY – SNOWING
The sky is dark gray and snow is sprinkling down in light flakes over the near-empty docks. Through the falling snow, several workers work franticly on the deck of one of the only ships in the harbor, preparing it for leave. Keller and his assistant Matt are already on board, standing at the railing, looking at the parking lot and dock below as two cars pull in almost at the same time. Matt smiles when he sees a young blonde woman get out of one of the cars and walk towards the ship.
MATT
Woah, who's the babe?
Keller glares at him but doesn't answer. Instead he turns back around and makes his way towards the ship's stairs as he walks around a couple of the working men. As he reaches it, the girl reaches the top step, a stuffed duffle bag over her shoulders.
KELLER
Sarah! I'm so glad you're here, sweetheart.
Keller approaches his daughter, SARAH KELLER, and hugs her tightly, which she returns before they part.
SARAH
Hi, daddy.
Matt's eyes widen.
MATT
(to himself)
Oh shit.
KELLER
This will be better then sipping yak's milk in Mongolia, just give it time.
SARAH
It was wine in Marseilles.
KELLER
You're old enough to drink?
SARAH
Oh my god, are you going to be this annoying the entire time?
Keller laughs as he puts an arm around his daughter and they start walking across the deck.
KELLER
It's called Dad humor.
Sarah chuckles and behind them, Hopkins and Temple reach the top of the stairs and step onto the deck with their bags.
HOPKINS
Alex!
Keller turns and sees Hopkins and Temple approaching him from across the snow-covered deck.
KELLER
Marcus! It's great to see you again. How was the flight back?
TEMPLE
We can catch up later.
HOPKINS
He brought some more research with him that we should all go over as soon as possible.
KELLER
Right then, well let's get to work.
Sarah sighs with frustration and Keller turns back to his daughter.
KELLER
Is something wrong, honey?
SARAH
Oh no, everything's just peachy. I'm so glad I gave up Marseilles just to be ignored and be by myself the entire time on the Ice Boat.
KELLER
I'm sorry, but this is really important work. I'll make it up to you later, ok?
SARAH
Whatever. I'll be in my bunk when you're ready to find me.
KELLER
Matt, can you show my daughter to where the cabin section is? I've got to go with Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Temple.
Keller leads the way for the three of them down into the bottom part of the ship as Matt turns to Sarah.
MATT
So, um, I guess I'm your tour guide for this trip.
Sarah looks him up and down.
SARAH
(sarcastically)
Great...
She walks through the nearest door by herself and Matt jogs to catch up.
INT. BOAT – CORRIDOR
Matt tries hard to keep up with Sarah in the corridor. As she walks quickly down the hall, she pokes her head into every doorway to see if it leads the way to the cabin section, determined to do it on her own.
MATT
I'm Matt by the way. Your dad's assistant.
SARAH
Pleasure, I'm sure.
She stops as a short, chubby, bearded man with child floating devices inflated on his arms, passes by them in the corridor and trips, almost falling but then catching himself on the wall. Sarah tries hard not to laugh at his clumsiness.
SARAH
Who's the guy in the water wings?
MATT
That's...
MAN
(cutting him off)
I'm Dr. Charles Kent, at your service. But most people just call me Chuck. And I prefer them to be called 'Personal Floatation Devices'.
Sarah chuckles.
MATT
The others are downstairs going over some new information.
CHUCK
Oh, I better head down there then. Can't believe I almost missed the meeting just so I could find a working vending machine.
He turns to walk down the corridor that Matt and Sarah just walked up, but trips again and almost falls. He smiles embarrassingly and then regains his posture and rushes off.
MATT
He comes across like a goofball but he's really one of the smartest people I know.
Sarah looks at him.
SARAH
Well since you probably spend your weekends partying until you black out with your frat brothers, I'm sure that's not a hard feat.
She chuckles again as she turns a corner and continues down the corridor. Matt just stands on the spot, slightly hurt.
EXT. BOAT – DAY – SNOWING
A couple of the workers go to the bottom of the steps and pull in the wooden plank from the dock, cutting off access to the staircase with a thick rope. The boat's horn sounds loudly and it begins slowly chugging out of the small harbor and into the wide-open ocean.
EXT. OCEAN – DAY
Hours later, the boat is out in the thick of the ocean, under a bright shining sun. While it's not snowing here, it's still very cold.
EXT. BOAT – DAY
Sarah is leaning against the frozen railing and looks out over the blue ocean as the boat passes near a large pure white iceberg that rises far higher in the sky then the boat does. Matt approaches and walks up next to her, rubbing his hands and blowing on them, his breath very visible in the air.
MATT
This is pretty cool, huh?
Sarah shrugs.
SARAH
Nothing special. I've gone on field trips like this with my dad ever since I was five and my mom ran out on us.
Matt looks at her as she continues staring at the giant iceberg they're passing, and he turns to also look at it.
MATT
It's my first time. I've never gone out into the field like this before. I'm a field virgin I guess you could say.
Sarah looks at him and laughs a bit.
SARAH
Well I hope your first time is good.
Matt smiles and chuckles back and the two continue laughing.
EXT. OCEAN – MONTAGE
As we see the boat chugging through the ocean, the sky turns darker and darker into night, then brighter and brighter into day. Repeat that a few times, as well as there being less and less ice that the boat passes by, until it reaches a much warmer climate.
INT. BOAT – MEETING ROOM
In a room at the bottom of the boat, the four scientists pour over pages and pages of data and research. Keller is looking through a microscope while Chuck is sitting in a chair, writing page after page in his research journal.
HOPKINS
I mean, just imagine what kind of Ecosystem it would have to be. Even the plants found in the digestive track of that corpse was loaded with deadly venom.
TEMPLE
And there were pouches discovered on them, that would allow the plants to shoot the venom.
HOPKINS
A place where even the most docile of plants are dangerous.
KELLER
It'll be a place unlike any other man has been to.
TEMPLE
The captain didn't much like my directions. He swore up and down that there's no land mass in that spot and it's nothing but opened ocean.
HOPKINS
Well if that turns out to be true, we'll all be going home very empty handed and not in the Board's good books.
CHUCK
(without looking up or stopping from writing)
No, I'm pretty sure Dr. Temple's theory is correct. I've double and triple checked his findings and made some of my own calculations and observations and we seem to be headed on the right track.
EXT. BOAT – DAY
Up on deck, Sarah is laying on a lawn chair in her bathing suit, allowing the hot sun to beat down on her. A few of the crew members whistle at her and let slip a few rude sentences as they walk by, but she just ignores them. Matt is looking over the rail nearby, and then turns to Sarah.
MATT
You really should come hang out over here. I just saw a group of dolphins swim by. I've never seen anything so...peaceful, so carefree.
SARAH
You've seen one school of dolphin, you've seen then all. It's gets old real quick.
Matt turns and looks back out over the ocean.
MATT
I don't think I'll ever get sick of this.
Sarah slightly lifts her sunglasses up and glances at Matt, which he doesn't notice due to his back being to her. She smiles slightly as his amazement before lowering the sunglasses again and turning back to look at the blue sky above.
INT. SHIP – GALLEY
Everyone, including most of the crew, are sitting noisily at tables, eating a meal. Keller brings his tray of food to the table that everyone he knows is sitting at, and sits down between Matt and Chuck, who is dividing up his food into various sections on his plate, making sure none is touching each other, and then is organizing it by color. Keller looks up and down the table.
KELLER
Anyone know where Sarah is?
Matt chews his food and swallows.
MATT
She said she wasn't hungry.
Keller sighs and gets back up.
KELLER
I'll be back in a bit.
Leaving his tray of food behind, he walks towards the door.
EXT. SHIP – NIGHT
The black sky above the ship is perfectly clear, hundreds of thousands of bright stars shining down brightly over the ocean. Keller walks across the deck towards Sarah, who is looking out over the peaceful dark ocean at a railing, dressed in a warm jacket vest.
KELLER
Beautiful view, isn't it?
Sarah turns back to look at him as he approaches, then turns back to her view.
SARAH
More beautiful then your stomach specimens and your decaying bodies?
KELLER
Here we go...
SARAH
Well what do you expect, dad? This was supposed to be my vacation time with you, but then you drag me along on yet another one of your stupid field assignments and I hardly see you. It's been three weeks, dad! And I'd be surprised if I've spent more then half an hour with you, tops.
Keller stands next to her and rubs her shoulders.
KELLER
I'm sorry, kiddo. I just get distracted.
SARAH
Yeah, go figure.
(pause)
I gave up a trip to France to be here, and you'd rather spend time examining fish guts with your beaker buddies then with me, you're own daughter that you haven't even seen in years. I just wish for once you'd stop being Dr. Keller and start being my dad.
Keller sighs and lets go of her, leaning on the rail as well.
KELLER
I guess I won't be getting any Father of the Year awards, huh?
Sarah looks up at him and smiles.
SARAH
Year's not over yet.
He looks back at her and returns the smile. She looks up into the sky.
SARAH
You're right though. The stars are beautiful. Living in the city, you forget how many there really are. I've never seen so many before.
Keller joins her gaze into the sky.
KELLER
Actually neither have I...
Sarah looks back at her dad, but finds him gone.
SARAH
Dad?
She turns and sees him rushing towards the control room.
SARAH
Daddy? Where are you going?
INT. BOAT – CONTROL ROOM
There are two people currently in the room – a strong, muscular man with an earring and a tribal tattoo on his chin and neck – BENGA, and the ship's captain, and older skinny man, CAPTAIN GREER. Greer is currently at the helm with Benga staring out the front window next to him. The door slams open and Keller rushes in.
KELLER
Captain Greer!
GREER
Is there something I can help you with, Professor Keller?
KELLER
Are you absolutely sure we're heading West?
Greer scoffs and Benga smiles amusedly.
GREER
How about you focus on catching your white whale and let me worry about the sailing.
KELLER
But Captain, the...
GREER
(cutting him off)
Benga, what's the BlueNav read?
Benga glances down at the monitors, screen readouts, and dials in front of him.
BENGA
West.
GREER
The GPS?
BENGA
West.
GREER
Radar?
BENGA
West.
GREER
See Professor, I know how to steer a boat.
KELLER
And I know how to read the stars.
(pause)
Please Captain, just humor me and take a look.
Greer sighs, giving in, and leans over the steering wheel and glances out his front window, looking up. Suddenly he gets a surprised look on his face.
GREER
Benga?
BENGA
Sir?
GREER
We're not heading West...
Benga joins the Captain in looking up at the stars outside the window.
BENGA
No.
GREER
Get on the Navtex, then use the sextant to verify our position. And you'd better hurry, because that's about to become the least of our problems...
EXT. BOAT – NIGHT
Sarah remains on the deck of the boat, staring out across the water when a flash of lightning in the distance lights up the sky and shows a large mass of very thick storm clouds approaching. Sarah shivers and then multiple beams of lightning all strike down at once, covering miles upon miles of sky.
INT. BOAT – CONTROL ROOM
A deafening boom of thunder drowns out all other sound for a minute, as the boat sways back and forth violently in the thick of the storm, rain beating hard against the windows. Captain Greer is trying hard to keep the helm steady. More multiple flashes of lightning light up the area brightly, quickly followed by another deafening boom.
KELLER
What the hell kind of electrical storm is this?
GREER
I don't know, Doc, you're the scientist, you tell me! I've never seen anything like this before!
KELLER
Shouldn't your equipment have told us this was coming?
GREER
Yeah, but it should have also told us we weren't heading West! Now for the last time, go secure yourself with the others!
Keller turns and runs out of the room. They watch through the window as he runs across the deck to the stairs and door leading down into the boat, trying hard to keep his balance in the storm.
GREER
I don't know what pisses me off more; this storm or that damn professor.
Benga is fiddling with some of the equipment.
BENGA
Navtex is scrambled, Captain.
GREER
...And the storm wins. Alright, we'll try to get out of it and sail around it.
BENGA
That's going to be difficult. It seems this storm is following us.
GREER
Christ.
He takes a CB radio-like device, which projects his voice all over the ship.
GREER
This is the captain speaking. All non-essential personnel make your way to your quarters. All crew secure the deck double-time!
EXT. SHIP – NIGHT – STORMY
Keller emerges back on-deck from below.
INT. SHIP – CONTROL ROOM
GREER
What the hell is he doing? Here, take over.
Greer moves so Benga can take over at the Helm as he moves to the door way and opens the door, shouting out to Keller to be heard across the deck and above the storm and winds, and even then, parts are drowned out by thunder.
GREER
Get back below deck!
EXT. SHIP – NIGHT - STORMY
During bright flashes of lighting, Keller whips around, yelling back across the deck of the ship as the rain pounds heavily into him. Several deckhands and workers emerge onto the topsy-turvy deck to start securing equipment down and cover up other equipment.
KELLER
I can't yet!
GREER
I don't know what gave you the impression that I was asking!
KELLER
I'm not a military man, Captain Greer! I'm not so good at following orders! I'll get back inside once I find my daughter!
Another multiple-streak of lighting flashes brighten the area so much that everyone has to shield their eyes.
GREER
Do what you want, but if you get swept overboard, I'm not going back for you!
Greer turns angrily and goes back inside his control room, slamming and locking the door.
SARAH
(v.o.)
Daddy!
Keller turns and hugs his daughter tightly as she runs over to him, followed closely by Temple and Hopkins. Keller looks at everyone.
KELLER
What's everyone doing up here!?
HOPKINS
Sarah was helping us secure the submersible. The crew of this lug put it on their back burner. They feel their equipment is more important then ours.
TEMPLE
We would have lost it if we didn't secure it when we did.
SARAH
Now this is exciting! Have you ever seen a storm like...
She's drowned out by deafening booms of thunder, followed very closely by four very bright consecutive lightning strikes lashing out in a line across the deck of the ship, creating Sarah to scream and large fires to rush across the deck.
TEMPLE
Holy shit!
As the crew scatted across the deck, Temple runs to a nearby wall and grabs a fire extinguisher, returning to try and put out the fire with it. One of the crew members stops and sees Temple battling the fire. He turns to a handful of other deckhands.
CREW MEMBER
Get the hose and route the auxiliary fuel line to the aft engines! We can't let that fire reach the tanks!
Keller turned to Hopkins while his daughter clings tightly to him.
KELLER
Get Marcus and you two go with my daughter into one of the life rafts. I'm going to go find Matt and Dr. Kent and meet you guys at the raft.
HOPKINS
But...the research!
KELLER
We'll have to leave it, there's no time. And for God's Sake, don't touch the railings.
He turns to his daughter.
KELLER
Sarah, go put a life vest on and follow Dr. Hopkins to the life boat.
SARAH
Is the boat going to sink, dad?
KELLER
No, the fuel tanks will explode long before then, now hurry!
Keller rushes across the deck to make his way back inside to find the other members of his team while Temple helps the deck hands fight the fire and Hopkins and Sarah retrieve a couple of life vests from a box on the deck.
INT. BOAT – CONTROL ROOM
Benga is rushing through the room, securing stuff, while Greer is back at the helm, fighting a loosing battle with his own ship.
BENGA
So Captain, you the type to go down with his ship?
Greer finally lets go of the helm and grabs a life vest from his wall.
GREER
Not even a little.
Benga smiles and the two rush out onto the chaos on the deck.
EXT. BOAT – NIGHT – STORMY
As multiple streaks of lightning slam down in the water around the ship, the fuel tanks finally explode and a gigantic explosion races across the deck of the ship, engulfing a few of the deckhands instantly. The boat massively shakes from the explosion and the people in the lifeboat hanging off the side of the ship, Sarah, Hopkins, and Temple, hang on so they don't fall out.
HOPKINS
No offense, Marcus, but the next time you want to organize a little excursion like this, you can count me out.
Keller appears at the edge of the boat and jumps in.
TEMPLE
Where's the others?
KELLER
Explosion blocked the way inside, I couldn't get to them.
All of a sudden a thick lightning streak slams down right into the middle of the boar, creating an even bigger explosion then the previous one, and breaking the ship apart into two pieces. The lifeboat is knocked away by the explosion and slammed even further away by the gigantic waves of the storm. Burning debris litter the surface of the water, making it difficult to maneuver the lifeboat around them without catching on fire itself. Not even the massive rain and wind seems to be putting the fires out. Sarah has her knees huddled up close to her face as she hugs them tightly, tears streaking down her face.
SARAH
We're all going to die out here.
Hopkins puts a reassuring hand on one of Sarah's knees and rubs it.
HOPKINS
It'll be ok, Sarah. I'm sure someone will be able to track us from our last known position and...
VOICE
Hey! Hey, over here!
Everyone in the boat instantly starts looking in the water around the boat for the voice.
KELLER
There!
He points and they see two small figures rising up and lowering down with each massive wave in the distance.
HOPKINS
Who is it?
Keller squints his eyes while Temple powers up the engine on the back of the rubber lifeboat and starts making their way to the two people, riding against the current of the waves.
KELLER
It's Captain Greer and his first mate!
GREER
Hey! Over here!
Greer's waving one arm back and forth in the air as a wave rises him high and then lowers him again. Lightning continues to flash all around and streak through the sky as thunderous explosions of thunder block out all sound. Temple maneuvers the boat around more burning wreckage as he nears the two floating people.
GREER
Thank God...
Keller and Hopkins reach over the side of the boat and help pull a soaking Greer and Benga into it.
GREER
I thought we were goners.
Suddenly a large splash from the other side of the boat causes everyone to look in that direction and see Matt rising up from under the water. He spits water out of his mouth and coughs roughly.
MATT
Got room for one more?
EXT. OCEAN – DAY
The following day is as clear and nice of a day as anyone could ask for. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun is beating down strongly and brightly. The lifeboat floats through the water aimlessly. Temple and Hopkins are arguing about something while Benga tries repeatedly to get the dead engine working again, but with no luck. Everyone else is just sitting or laying in the boat, not doing much of anything. Greer is leaning back, smoking a small cigarette.
TEMPLE
You're mistaken, Kay. The Grant was for the cryptozoological program that I designed.
HOPKINS
No, the Grant was for Gelson's program. Your program only came through on a Rider that no one wanted.
Keller is holding his daughter in his arms and puts a hand up to his splitting headache.
KELLER
Come on guys, now's not really the time...
TEMPLE
(cutting him off)
No Alex, let her talk.
(to Hopkins)
What are you really trying to say?
HOPKINS
Sorry to say it, Marcus, but you only got that Rider through cause you're black.
This visibly pisses Temple off.
TEMPLE
Excuse me? I've been leading the field in bioinformatics for ten years!
(counts on his fingers)
I've won the Wel Award, the Kyoto Prize, and the Asinari Award two years running. Oh, and there's also this little thing called the Marcus Temple scholarship! How dare you imply...
GREER
Would you two please shut the fuck up?
They quiet down and both turn to him, indignantly.
GREER
Don't give me those looks. This boat...my boat for those that have forgotten, is getting awfully crowded. I highly suggest everybody goes that extra little mile to make sure they don't get on my nerves.
A thick fog bank is visible in the distance, in the direction that the boat is floating, but nobody seems to really notice it.
HOPKINS
You act like this is our fault. Did you check your instruments before we left Port? Or ran any diagnostics?
GREER
That's not my job. It's his.
He motions towards Benga, who stops fiddling with the engine and looks at everyone as everyone looks at him. He grunts and nobody says anything to him. The boat falls silent as everyone just stares out along the water. Greer leans back further and takes another puff of his smoke.
GREER
Ahhh, there's that silence I was looking for.
MATT
Hey everyone, look.
Everyone looks in Matt's direction. By now the boat is beginning to enter the mysterious thick fog.
KELLER
Wow, look at this fog.
MATT
Don't you need land to have fog? What's it doing out here in the middle of the ocean?
Nobody has an answer so everyone remains silent while the boat continues to drift through the fog. When Greer lifts his smoke to his mouth again, Sarah notices three long scars on his arm.
SARAH
Those are some interesting scars you got, Captain Greer.
Greer looks at the scars on his arm.
GREER
What, these?
Sarah nods.
GREER
These are my Ten's.
He can tell everyone is confused.
GREER
It's a S.E.A.L. thing. Close Combat kills. One hash mark for every 10. Just one short of number four.
KELLER
Don't talk to him, honey.
SARAH
I was just curious.
KELLER
Your curiosity is going to get us all killed.
Sarah sits up and moves away from her dad.
SARAH
I'm not even going to bother pointing out the irony in that.
KELLER
What do you mean?
SARAH
I mean the only thing you ever care about is your work, only this time I'm not the only one who has to suffer because of it.
KELLER
Now hold on a second, I realize this isn't exactly what you...
BENGA
Everyone shut up.
HOPKINS
What is it?
Benga is peering through the fog in front of the boat, squinting.
BENGA
I...I see something...
GREER
Please tell me it's Cruiser with a wet bar and a BBQ.
BENGA
...no...
The fog begins to clear and the others can start making out a large form appearing.
BENGA
...land...
The fog gives way to reveal a sandy white beach which belongs to a giant mountainous jungle location with thick puffy white clouds floating lightly by overhead.
4/14/2008 2:49:30 AM
(Updated: 4/14/2008 10:28:22 AM)
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