Zoom - Pilot

ZOOM - Pilot By David Polk

David Polk 176 Dusty Rose Court Simi Valley, CA 93065 805.428.5775 [email protected]

FADE IN: INT. FACES NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT TECHNO DANCE MUSIC thumps. The place is jammed with fashionable twenty-somethings on the prowl. At the bar, clubbers line up two-deep. Carly (25), a bartender, mixes an OLD FASHIONED. She’s gorgeous - long dark hair, violet eyes and a 5-alarm body. She puts the cocktail in front of ANDRE (28), a good-looking, smooth-talking player in a silk suit. He drops a $20. ANDRE Keep it, beautiful. CARLY (a noncommittal smile) Thanks. GUS (30s) steps up behind Carly. GUS Sorry I’m late, Carly. I can take it from here. CARLY (a genuine smile) Thanks, Gus. Andre takes a sip of his Old Fashioned and admires Carly as she leaves the bar. INT. STAFF ROOM - NIGHT Carly clocks out, says ’good night’ to a few club EMPLOYEES. From the rapport between them, it’s obvious she’s well-liked. INT. FACES NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT As Carly makes her way to the exit she looks up to find Andre standing in front of her. ANDRE (his ’sexy’ smile) I’m Andre.

(CONTINUED)

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2.

CARLY Hi, Andre. I’m late. ANDRE It’s two in the morning. What could you possibly be late for? It’s Carly, right? Carly’s seen this movie, doesn’t want a ticket. CARLY Look, Andre. I’ve got a boyfriend. He hands her a BUSINESS CARD. the back.

A phone number is written on

ANDRE In case your boyfriend forgets what an incredible lady he’s got. CARLY (a blow off smile) I won’t let him forget. She pockets the card and moves past him into the crowd. Andre shrugs and eyes a FINE EBONY SISTER at he bar. EXT. FACES NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT Carly exits the club, says ’good night’ to a BOUNCER, who checks her out as she walks down the street. EXT. ACROSS THE STREET - NIGHT In the shadows, an unseen STALKER is checking Carly out too. He follows her at a distance as she walks down Diversy Street, past other clubs and bars. She crosses the street and enters a train station. The sign above the double door reads: "Armitage". INT. ARMITAGE STATION - NIGHT The station is empty. Carly swipes a PLASTIC CARD, goes through the turn-style and up the stairs. Moments later, the still unidentified stalker does the same.

3.

EXT. "L" PLATFORM - NIGHT Carly waits for the train. She glances to the far end of the platform where an AMOROUS COUPLE is making out. On the platform across the tracks, THREE HISPANIC TEENAGERS joke around, speaking Spanish. The train, only two cars at this hour, pulls to a stop and the doors slide open. Nobody gets off. Carly and the amorous couple step inside. INT. TRAIN - NIGHT Carly sits by a window. Only three other PASSENGERS are on the train. Just as the doors begin to close the stalker steps on board. A 6-foot-4 BLACK MAN, he’s handsome and athletic, wearing a windbreaker, cargo pants and an old Chicago White Sox baseball cap. What we notice most about him though is the SCAR on his left cheek. He grabs a handrail as the train lurches forward. CONDUCTOR (V.O.) (filtered) Sedgwick will be our next stop. Sedgwick. INT. TRAIN - MOVING - NIGHT Carly, her face reflected in the glass, stares out the window at the city lights and neighborhood rooftops. CONDUCTOR (V.O.) (filtered) Wells. This stop is Wells. The stalker turns to face the door. Carly stands up and walks to the other door. The train lurches to a stop. CONDUCTOR (V.O.) (filtered) Watch your step. The stalker steps out first, makes a beeline toward the stairs. Now Carly’s following him.

4.

EXT. WELLS STATION - NIGHT The stalker leaves the station and makes a left. Carly turns right. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Carly walks down an empty street of warehouse lofts. As she nears her building, she pulls KEYS from her purse. ANGLE ON a BLACK VAN parked across from the building. INT. VAN - NIGHT MYSTERY POV - CARLY through the windshield of the van as she opens the door of her building and goes inside. INT. CARLY’S LOFT - NIGHT Carly double-bolts the steel door behind her. Her apartment is large and eerily Spartan: none of the decorative touches one might expect in a young woman’s home. She crosses to a large window with STEEL BARS on it. Checks the LOCKS. Sensing something, she turns. A long beat as she looks at... THE DOOR it buckles as explosives pop the hinges and the deadbolts. Despite the power of the blasts, there’s barely any sound. The door falls to the floor with a thud and we see...the stalker. Carly is terrified. She backs away, panic-stricken. CARLY (pleads) Oh my god! Please, don’t hurt me! Take anything you want, but don’t hurt me! Please! STALKER Give it up, Slimey. You know why I’m here.

(CONTINUED)

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5.

The stalker closes on her and reaches into his windbreaker. With lightening quickness, Carly lashes out with a backhand to his head. The blow sends him FLYING across the room. Carly runs to the kitchen, grabs a BUTCHER KNIFE. Back on his feet, the stalker is after her. Carly turns, rushes the stalker, wielding the knife. He’s skilled in hand-to-hand combat and deftly avoids the gleaming 10-inch blade. He pivots, lands a round house kick to the stomach that knocks Carly off her feet. The knife spins across the floor. He dives on her, grabs a fist full of hair and bashes her head against the floor three times. Carly fights like a woman possessed. She arches her back and bucks him off of her. On her feet, she kicks him in the gut, stomps his head then PICKS HIM UP like a sack of potatoes and tosses him against the brick wall. THE WINDOW Explodes. Glass flies everywhere. fall to the floor.

The bars on the window

A MAN hurls through the shattered window and awkwardly rolls across floor. Carly sees the knife, picks it up and is about to stab the man when THE STALKER Grabs her from behind, spins her around. Carly plunges the knife into the stalker’s gut then pushes him backward onto the floor. The man who came in the window is on his feet now, holding a TASER, it’s blue electric surge crackling. He’s 30 and of slight build, with a neat haircut and rimless glasses. He looks like he could be a librarian. Carly glances at the taser, throws the knife at the man. He ducks. She runs out of the loft. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT An attractive INDIAN WOMAN (27) blocks Carly’s path. They stare at each other for a beat. The woman steps aside and Carly brushes past her, runs down the stairs.

6. INT. CARLY’S LOFT - NIGHT The Indian woman comes in and looks around. It’s now that we notice she’s carrying a BLACK DUFFEL BAG. She speaks with an English accent. INDIAN WOMAN She got away. MAN I know. Better work fast. We don’t have much time. INDIAN WOMAN Do we ever? She puts the bag on the floor, unzips it and begins pulling out tools. The man glances at his watch then looks at her. A WHIRRING sound as the Indian woman finds the tool she was looking for. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Carly is running. She glances over her shoulder and sees...the stalker chasing her. INT. CARLY’S LOFT - NIGHT The Indian woman works quickly and efficiently, using a DREMEL to remove floor boards. When the last screw is out, the man yanks up the boards, revealing a hidden crawl space. From a CEILING POV we see that a TEENAGE GIRL is in the crawl space. She’s covered with thick plastic and deathly pale, but her eyes blink. She’s alive. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Carly is a half-block ahead of the stalker. He stops running, reaches into his windbreaker and pulls out a MODIFIED .9MM GLOCK. Taking aim, he calmly squeezes off three rounds. CARLY gasps as the rounds hit their mark. She turns a corner and falls against a building. She grabs her chest and looks down at her hand. Her blood is black and thick and slimey, like crude oil. She sinks to her knees, her eyes roll back and she begins convulsing. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

7.

THE STALKER cautiously approaches the corner, gun at the ready. Over his shoulder in the b.g. we see Carly’s building. CARLY convulsing so violently now that we think she might explode. Her violet eyes turn coal black and her skin seems to start peeling away... THE STALKER inches closer to the corner. He doesn’t see Carly, but he can hear her retching. SUDDENLY, over his shoulder, a powerful, FIERY EXPLOSION on the third floor of Carly’s building seems to rock the street. The stalker doesn’t flinch, just keeps his eyes and gun leveled on the corner. He steps around the corner to shoot. A blinding FLASH. Carly does explode. The blast knocks the stalker 10 feet backward. EXT. CARLY’S BUILDING - NIGHT SIRENS approach O.S. A handful of LOFT RESIDENTS stand around in pajamas and underwear, dazed and terrified, looking up at the inferno that was their home. The stalker, whose name is QUINCY BERNARD, walks toward us and stops in front of the man with the taser. His name is THADEUS PIKE. THAD What the hell happened, Q? QUINCY What the hell does it look like? She went "poof". THAD Again? Dammit! QUINCY We get the girl? THAD Yeah... (looks at Quincy’s stomach) You know, for a second there I thought... Quincy rips open his windbreaker, revealing a Kevlar vest.

(CONTINUED)

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8.

QUINCY Learned in Afghanistan that these stop more than bullets. INDIAN WOMAN (O.S.) Let’s go, boys! She needs a doctor! Quincy and Thad look over at GEETA SINGH (27), the Indian woman. She’s behind the black van with the doors open. EXT. STATE STREET - DAY WIDE SHOT of the boulevard and surrounding buildings. Morning traffic along State Street is at a standstill. A TRUCK DRIVER lays heavy on the HORN. On the sidewalk, people hustle their way to work like a herd of cattle. THAD (V.O.) When’s the last time you heard about an alien abduction? You know, little green men in flying saucers who swoop down from the sky, snatch up some half drunk Jethro and zoom back into outer space? Been a while, right? FIND Thad walking casually down the sidewalk. He’s bumped more than once by people who are clearly in a hurry to get wherever it is they’re going. Doesn’t faze Thad a bit. THAD (V.O.) That’s probably because it hasn’t happened in more than a 1,000 years. At least not the swooping down from outer space part... EXT. HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY - DAY Thad approaches the arched doorway of the library entrance. THAD (V.O.) See, the aliens who abduct people don’t have space ships. At least not anymore. Like you and me, they’re stuck here on earth. And after only 1,000 years of evolution, those "little green men" look just like us...

9. INT. HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY (LOBBY) - DAY Thad crosses the cavernous, two-story lobby. A GOOD LOOKING MAN walks toward him. Thad discreetly checks him out as they pass each other. THAD (V.O.) But like they say, looks can be deceiving... Thad stops at the elevator, pushes the "Up" button. The doors open and he steps inside. THAD (V.O.) (cont’d) The aliens’ ability to rapidly adapt gave them a shortcut through millions of years of evolution. So on the outside, they’re flesh and blood humans like you and me... INT. HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY (FOURTH FLOOR) - DAY The elevator doors open and Thad steps out. He holds the door for a PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN who rushes in. She smiles her "Thanks". His "You’re welcome" is a polite nod. THAD (V.O.) Except they all seem to be a tad better looking than us... He rounds a corner and walks toward a glass walled office with "Science Reference Department" stenciled across the length of the wall. THREE PEOPLE, two men and a woman, are hard at work, or appear to be, inside the "Fish Bowl". THAD (V.O.) (cont’d) But even with their good looks and space age biological wizardry, the aliens came up short in one critical department... INT. FISH BOWL - DAY As soon as Thad comes in EDUARDO RUIZ (26) clicks his tongue and gives him a disapproving look. Eduardo is flamboyantly effeminate, has slicked back black hair and dresses like a male model. He speaks with a Puerto Rican accent. EDUARDO Thad. Late again. I certainly hope she was worth it.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

10.

THAD Eddie, why is it that whenever someone’s late you assume sex is involved? EDUARDO (a luscivious grin) Can anybody give me a better reason? Eduardo looks for an answer from his co-workers: prim and pretty LINDA LEE (36) and dour, straight-laced TONY RIVERS (40). He’s not surprised at their non-response. TONY It doesn’t matter why you’re late, Musgrove’s going to ream you out again judging from the look on his face when he came by earlier. EDUARDO Yeah, Thad, I hope you brought your umbrella ’cause the Spitter’s in rare form today. Thad shrugs, glances at Linda for confirmation of the seriousness of the situation. LINDA He did seem quite peeved, Thadeus. It’s the third day this week that you’ve been late. She seems genuinely disappointed in him. EDUARDO Icks-nay... They all look up just as CARLTON MUSGROVE (34) eases into view outside the glass wall. He has a face like a ferret, graying hair and a Ming the Merciless goatee. His shirtsleeves are rolled tight around his forearms for that "man of the people" busy look. He opens the glass door slowly to make his entrance more dramatic. MUSGROVE May I have a moment, Thadeus. After you’ve settled in, of course. THAD Sure, Carlton.

Be right there.

11. INT. MUSGROVE’S OFFICE - DAY Musgrove is a fastidious man. His desk is bare except for a perfectly centered LEGAL PAD. On the bookshelves, every BOOK is aligned by color and height. A black and white PHOTOGRAPH of Robert F. Kennedy reaching into the masses hangs on the wall behind him. Thad sits across the desk from his boss, impassively listening as he’s reprimanded. When Musgrove speaks, spittle gathers at the corners of his mouth. When he makes a point, a few drops of spit hit the legal pad. MUSGROVE Believe me, Thadeus, it gives me no pleasure to have these conversations with you. THAD Really? I rather look forward to them myself, Carlton. MUSGROVE It’s just that you have so much going for you. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard on me to have to ride you the way I do. THAD Then you’d really be doing yourself a favor if you didn’t, wouldn’t you? Musgrove’s ferret face tightens. MUSGROVE You know, Thadeus, with your credentials you should have been head of this department by now. But your undisciplined approach and your blatant disregard for your God-given talents are why you’re stuck in the Fish Bowl. THAD Don’t you mean my blatant disregard for your God-given talents, Carlton? MUSGROVE Look, Thadeus, I know the unfortunate episode you went through a few years ago --

(CONTINUED)

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12.

THAD (interrupts) Carlton, old buds like us don’t have to stand on political correctness. Let’s just call it what it was, a mental breakdown. I went cuckoo for coco puffs. MUSGROVE (ignoring) That episode may have derailed your career. Frankly, it’s because of that that I’ve tried to be as understanding as I can. I know that our positions could easily have been reversed, with me reporting to you. THAD That could never happen, Carlton. I’m not a big enough dip stick for the job. Musgrove inhales deeply to keep his calm. INT. STACKS - DAY Thad and Linda are taking an inventory of books. LINDA You shouldn’t antagonize him so, Thadeus. You only hurt yourself and it makes him feel more superior, which hurts all of us. THAD You’re right, Linda. I’m sorry. It’s just that he’s such a dick. LINDA That may be true but, well, you have been coming in late a lot and you seem very distracted. Her look tells him that it’s more than his relationship with Musgrove that bothers her. THAD What?

(CONTINUED)

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13.

LINDA Maybe Eduardo is right. You’ve found some young girl who’s keeping you up all hours of the night and that’s why you’re so distracted lately. Thad shifts his eyes away.

Hers remain on him.

THAD It’s not that, Linda. LINDA (lying) After what you’ve been through I think it’s great if you have found someone. You deserve - everyone deserves - to have a love life. THAD I haven’t "found" anyone, Linda. I’ve just had a lot on my mind. That’s all. EXT. QUINCY’S GARAGE - DAY To establish. INT. QUINCY’S GARAGE - DAY We’re looking at an ancient V-8 ENGINE. QUINCY (O.S.) I can probably get the cylinder heads in a week, 10 days, tops. But the connecting rods and pistons, I’m afraid those will take a while. ANOTHER ANGLE to reveal Quincy, in his White Sox ballcap and mechanic’s overalls, his name stenciled on the chest. He’s in front of a beat up ’65 CHEVY, talking to MARV (50s). QUINCY I’m not going to sugar coat it for you, Marv, you’re looking at a total rebuild here. For a ’65 409, that’s gonna be a chunk of change. MARV My old man drove this car, this very car. I scoured every junk yard (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

14.

MARV (cont’d) and used car lot from here to Des Moines to find it. I want to give it to my son in mint condition after I’ve had a few years with her. They tell me you’re the best man for the job, Q. Quincy considers the challenge. And the dough. QUINCY Alright. I’ll order the parts and get to work right away. Marv smiles broadly. Quincy wipes the oil from his hands with a rag and grips his hand in a firm shake. INT. QUINCY’S OFFICE - DAY A cramped space with barely enough room for the metal desk and chair. Quincy flips through a PARTS CATALOG. Men and pneumatic tools are hard at work O.S. A mechanic, SILVIO (22), sticks his head in the office. SILVIO Yo, Q, did you hear? QUINCY (not looking up) Hear what? SILVIO They found that girl who got kidnapped at U of I. The one who’s been missing for a year. It’s all over the news. QUINCY (uninterested) Uh-huh. SILVIO Yeah. Somebody just dropped her at Ravenswood Hospital in the middle of the night. They’re saying the guy who kidnapped her just left her there. She wasn’t raped or anything. Quincy’s found the part he was looking for, circles it with a pencil and picks up the PHONE. Before dialing, he looks up at Silvio.

(CONTINUED)

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15.

QUINCY Is that what I’m paying you for, to stand around and watch T.V.? Silvio reacts and backs out of the office.

Quincy dials.

EXT. FIREHOUSE - DAY To establish. INT. FIRE HOUSE (BREAK ROOM) - DAY FOUR FIREFIGHTERS sit around a table reading newspapers and shooting the shit. In the b.g. local news is playing on a TELEVISION mounted to the wall. FIREFIGHTER #1 Jimmy Sullivan, over at Engine 54, his wife is an emergency room nurse at Ravenswood. She told him the girl told the cops she was being held at a warehouse loft on Lake Street. The one that went up last night. FIREFIGHTER #2 Jesus! Did you see the footage on the news? That place blew like a freakin’ arms factory. Damn near every engine company in Chicago got called to that job. ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN VANESSA LOGAN, 29, looks at us, a serious expression on her pretty face. A photo of a smiling LATINA is superimposed over Vanessa’s shoulder. VANESSA (V.O.) Nineteen-year-old Becky Munez was brought to Ravenswood Medical Center early this morning, emaciated and clinging to life. Her year-long ordeal ending as mysteriously as it began, with no trace of the man believed to have kidnapped her from the University of Illinois-Circle Campus last July Fourth weekend. Police are hoping that Becky will be able identify her abductor. For now, the Munez (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

16.

VANESSA (V.O.) (cont’d) family is just relieved to have their daughter back safe and sound. This is Vanessa Logan, reporting from the Near North Side. FIREFIGHTER #3 Fifty bucks says the guy who nabbed her started the fire... The door opens and Geeta comes in with another paramedic, REX (30s). They’ve just returned from a job. REX (ref. the news report) What’s up? FIREFIGHTER #4 The girl kidnapped at Circle Campus turned up at Ravenswood last night. Geeta glances at the television. Firefighter #1, whose name is JAKE WITHERSPOON (30), checks her out. He’s obviously interested. JAKE (to Geeta) Hey, Doc, save any lives on this run? GEETA Only if you consider a Barbie up the rectum a life-threatening condition. The Firefighters are amused but not surprised. kinds of crazy shit on the job.

You see all

FIREFIGHTER #2 Head or feet? REX Feet. FIREFIGHTER #3 Now there’s a sick moke for you. FIREFIGHTER #4 Fifty bucks says his old lady shoved it up there after she caught him watching porn. If he’d done it himself, it would’ve been head first. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

17.

FIREFIGHTER #2 You ought to know! The guys break up laughing. Geeta rolls her eyes. GEETA (to Rex) I’ll take care of the report. INT. FIREHOUSE - MINUTES LATER Geeta is next to the paramedic van filling out paperwork on a clipboard. We see Jake approaching from behind. He stops when Geeta’s CELL PHONE RINGS. GEETA Hello. (listens, agitated) No, I’m not avoiding you...I’m not a child, so please stop treating me as though I were one. (listens, then abruptly) I’m at work. Please don’t call me at this time again. I have to go. Goodbye. She flips the phone shut, pockets it. She takes a beat to clear her head then starts back on the paperwork. Jake comes around in front of her. JAKE Possessive ex-boyfriend? GEETA Not quite. JAKE Possessive new boyfriend? Her smirk is his answer. This has become something of a routine with them. JAKE (cont’d) Then whoever that was won’t mind if you have dinner with me...tomorrow night? GEETA Jake, I’ve told you, I enjoyed our little fling but I’m just not looking for a relationship now.

(CONTINUED)

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18.

JAKE Okay. Then how about a good old fashioned roll in the hay? You know, to take the edge off. Which, based on how uptight you’ve been lately, is pretty sharp. She reaches into the back of the the van and pulls out the BARBIE DOLL. Hands it to him. GEETA Give her a try. assholes.

I hear she likes

EXT. U.S. CELLULAR FIELD - NIGHT We hear the distinctive CRACK of a bat on a baseball. On the field, the White Sox BATTER races down the line to first base. An UMPIRE signals "out!" NOSE BLEED SECTION Thad walks down the steep stairs. He’s loaded down with BEER, HOT DOGS and PEANUTS. He hears a GURGLE, looks at an ADORABLE BABY smiling at him over it’s MOTHER’S shoulder. THAD (V.O.) Like I was saying, even though the aliens cracked our genetic code yeah, they were the brains behind the human genome project - they came up short in one critical department: they haven’t figured out how to make babies that look human. That’s a problem when you’re trying to propagate a species and avoid being zapped by alien hunters like me and my crew. He comes to Quincy and Geeta who are watching the game and talking earnestly. Thad stands, waiting. They ignore him. THAD A little help. QUINCY (holds up a beer) Thanks, but I think we got it covered. Geeta, going along, smiles and raises her bag of peanuts.

(CONTINUED)

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19.

THAD So this is the thanks I get for going all the way up to concessions and waiting in line for 10 minutes? QUINCY How many times I got to tell you, Thad? The Andy Frain guy sells the same stuff you get at the concession stand. And you don’t have to leave your seat. THAD The concession stand stuff is way better, Q. You know that. It always has been and always will be. Quincy exchanges a look with Geeta. QUINCY See what I’m dealing with here? He’s been like this since high school. EXT. U.S. CELLULAR FIELD (NOSEBLEED SECTION) - LATER Quincy, Geeta and Thad share a bag of peanuts while watching the game. After the last out, fans begin filing out of the stands. THAD Well Q, like they say on the North Side, "There’s always next year." GEETA Don’t they say that about all Chicago teams regardless of what side of town they’re on? QUINCY Ha-ha. Hey, we’re only 18 games back. Crazier things have happened, you know. GEETA (playfully) Really? Thad reaches into his LEATHER SATCHEL and pulls out a FILE FOLDER. He opens it and they all look at the PHOTO inside. A TEENAGE BOY.

(CONTINUED)

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20.

THAD His name’s Brad Wheeler. Sixteen years old. From Peoria. Been missing since last August 15th. QUINCY Going on a year now. He doesn’t have much time left. Got any leads on where he might be? THAD I’m meeting his mother tomorrow. QUINCY What time? THAD Noon, at the Planetarium. GEETA (reads file) He’s a triplet. THAD Uh-huh. And a hemophiliac. Fits the profile. I’m going to need you on this one, Geeta. Of course.

GEETA I’ll be there.

EXT. PLANETARIUM - DAY PATRICIA WHEELER (50s) stands at the bottom of the steps of the Adler Planetarium. She’s clutching her purse with both hands. Anxiously searches the crowd for a face that might be Thad’s. Her son, GREG WHEELER (24) is nearby, a stern look on his face. THAD (O.S.) Mrs. Wheeler? Patricia turns.

Thad and Geeta are there. PATRICIA

Mr. Pike? THAD Please, call me Thad. And this is my associate Geeta Singh. Geeta smiles respectfully.

(CONTINUED)

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21.

PATRICIA Then you should call me Patricia. And this is my eldest son, Greg. Greg scowls. THAD Perhaps we should go somewhere that’s not so crowded. GREG Here’s just fine. PATRICIA Greg, please. (apologetically) Thad, Geeta, you’ll have to forgive my son. All of us, the whole family, have been through hell since Brad’s abduction. We’re just emotional wrecks, all of us. GEETA No need to apologize, Patricia. understand exactly what you’re going through.

I

GREG (sarcastic) Is that so? GEETA Yes I do, actually. My twin brother was abducted 10 years ago in Mumbai. I’m convinced he was taken by aliens. GREG (agitated) Please. Mom, these people are nothing but scam artists. (hot) I’ve Googled you, Mr. Pike, and I know you’re a crackpot. Six years ago you were diagnosed as a psycho for ranting and raving about aliens living on earth. I’m just surprised you haven’t been on Jerry Springer pedaling your cockamamy theories.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

22.

PATRICIA Greg, that’s enough! THAD Patricia, it’s okay. I understand how Greg feels. I don’t blame you for being skeptical. If I were in your shoes I might feel the same way. But I assure you it’s not your family’s money I’m after, Greg. If we don’t find Brad and bring him back to you safely, no money changes hands. That’s always been my promise. (somberly, to Patricia) Unfortunately, that’s the only promise I can give you. EXT. LAKEFRONT - LATER Colorful sailboats dot Lake Michigan. The beach is filled with people enjoying the lakefront. Geeta and Greg stand next to a bench where Thad and Patricia discuss the possibility of rescuing her son. THAD In 5 years, I’ve tracked more than a dozen aliens who have abducted people. But it’s extremely difficult to get hard evidence about alien activity. And, of course, without evidence there’s no way the government is going to listen to what we have to say. (to Greg) I learned that lesson the hard way. (back to Patricia) In the few cases where we’ve made rescues, the aliens either escape or self destruct, and their captors barely remember a thing. The aliens always cover their tracks by incinerating the place where they held their captive. PATRICIA How do you know where to start? mean, thousands of people are abducted every year.

I

(CONTINUED)

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23.

THAD Whether it’s police work or science, investigations are all about patterns. If we figure out the patterns, we can make some pretty good guesses about who was abducted by aliens and who was snatched by some sicko human being. GEETA Based on Thad’s research, we’ve concluded that aliens target humans who fit a very specific profile. Because they have yet to master our reproductive system they’re most interested in humans who are the product of multiple births - twins, triplets, quads, etcetera. We also believe they’ve had tremendous difficulty adapting human blood for their internal organs, so they target humans who have blood disorders to study them more closely. We tap into medical records, paramedic and emergency room reports to find correlations between those who are reported missing and the criteria we know aliens have for their human targets. The patterns. GREG This is ridiculous! You really expect us to believe that aliens kidnapped my little brother to experiment on him like some sort of guinea pig? THAD Yes, Greg. I really do. (beat) About 10 years ago, when I was a student at the University of Chicago, my girlfriend and I went to Mexico for spring break. EXT. CHICHEN ITZA PYRAMID - DAY (FLASHBACK) A 21-year-old THAD and SHARON (21) are on the steps of a pyramid. Sharon looks down and finds a BONE FRAGMENT. She shares her exciting discovery with Thad.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

24.

THAD (V.O.) Near the top of the El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza, Sharon found a piece of bone. She was an archeology major, so we thought it was pretty cool. Even so, after the initial excitement wore off, we didn’t think much of it... INT. LABORATORY - DAY Thad and Sharon are in the lab. She’s looking through a MICROSOPE. She reacts. Something about what she sees surprises her. THAD (V.O.) But something about the find kept nagging at me. Just natural curiosity, I guess. So when we got back to U of C, I asked Sharon if we could start running tests on it... INT. PROFESSOR’S OFFICE - DAY Thad sits next to a SCHOLARLY PROFESSOR at his desk. They’re examining the bone. THAD (V.O.) What we found is that the bone was neither human or animal. In fact, it had properties unlike any animal known to man. Ever. And here’s the thing: we carbon dated it to be nearly 1,000 years old but Sharon found it at the top of the pyramid. EXT. LAKEFRONT - DAY (RETURN TO PRESENT) Thad looks earnestly at Patricia. THAD That’s when I started to seriously study the possibility of aliens living among us on earth. PATRICIA So from that little piece of bone you came up with your theory that aliens were stranded here.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

25.

THAD That and another 10 years of research. I believe aliens were left here, possibly as some sort of punishment - like the prisoners left on Australia - and made to fend for themselves. I estimate there are roughly 30,000 of them. They can’t leave and they can’t reproduce. But they have figured out how to take on human form, at least outwardly. And based on the age of the bone Sharon found, the life span of those original 30,000 aliens is about 1,000 years. Which means they’re running out of time. GEETA It explains their intense need to figure out how to reproduce offspring that look like humans. And why they’ve become more brazzen in their abductions. We believe there have been 10 to 12 in the Midwest alone over the last 2 years. Greg rolls his eyes. PATRICIA And how many of those 10 to 12 have you rescued? THAD (beat) Two. Including the Munez girl. Patricia bites her lip. PATRICIA And the others? THAD Patricia, the longest anyone has been held is about a year. After that... PATRICIA After that, what, Thad? Beat.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

26.

GEETA My brother’s body was discovered in the crawl space of a home outside of Mumbai that had burned to the ground. The autopsy revealed he had no bodily fluids at the time of death and that many of his organs had been removed. Off Patricia... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROADSIDE - DAY DALE (28), a handsome Electric Company lineman, is in a cherry picker fixing a power line. His TWO WAY RADIO BEEPS. DISPATCHER (V.O.) (filtered) Dale, what’s your 30? Dale speaks into the HANDSET clipped to his shirt. DALE Just about done on the connector at Route 33. Be another 10, 15 minutes. DISPATCHER (V.O.) (filtered) When you’re done there, we need you over at Old County Line Road. Another downed line. DALE Got it. Think somebody ought to tell the union that tornado season’s a bad time to go out on strike? DISPATCHER (V.O.) (filtered) You’re in the union. You tell ’em. EXT. STREETS - DAY We follow Dale down from the cherry picker and into his Electric Company truck. He drives along flooded streets and storm damaged neighborhoods.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

27.

On Old County Line Road he he comes to a parked POLICE CRUISER with it’s lights flashing. The PATROLMAN, wearing a slicker, is directing what little traffic there is around the downed power line, which is sparking ominously. Dale gets out of his truck, exchanges some small talk with the patrolman then goes to work on the power line. When he’s done he smiles at the cop and gives him a "thumbs up." He gets in his truck and drives off. The patrolman climbs in his cruiser and does the same. INT. DALE’S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The door opens and a man’s silhouette is briefly framed in the doorway. The door quickly closes and we’re in total darkness. HEAR MOVEMENT around the room - KEYS hitting a table, UNZIPPING of a jacket, BOOTS walking across a bare wooden floor. The FLICK of a switch brings light and the realization that Dale’s living room is almost totally barren of furnishings. Nothing to sit on, not a stitch of carpeting, not even the bachelor’s most important appliance - a television. Dale crosses the room to... INT. DALE’S KITCHEN - NIGHT Dale opens the freezer and pulls out a FROZEN DINNER. He pops it in the MICROWAVE and hits the "Quick Cook" button. As the microwave HUMS, Dale leaves. We stay in the kitchen. ANGLE ON the microwave oven as the COOK TIMER counts down. Dale comes back into the kitchen and takes the dinner out of the microwave before the cook time reaches zero. He opens a drawer, pulls out a FORK. We follow him out of the kitchen. He goes upstairs. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT A FOLDING LADDER hangs down from the attic. Dale climbs the ladder, holding the dinner and fork in one hand. INT. ATTIC - NIGHT Dale’s head pops up through the opening. A naked light bulb hanging from a crossbeam lights the room. We’re struck by how clean it is - cleaner than any attic you’ve ever seen or could imagine. Sterile looking. Only a folding card chair and a laptop computer next to it on the floor.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

28.

Dale walks over to the chair and puts the frozen dinner on the seat. Then he goes to the far end of the attic. We watch from behind as he removes pink INSULATION from crossbeams. Mounted behind the first and second slats of insulation are HIGH TECH GADGETS with colorful READOUTS. He pulls down a final sheet of insulation. When he steps aside to put it on the floor, we see BRAD WHEELER stuck neatly between the beams, wrapped tightly in a cocoon of clear plastic. Dale peels back a piece of plastic covering Brad’s pasty white face - Brad’s eyes POP OPEN and he GASPS. INT. QUINCY’S GARAGE (BACK ROOM) - NIGHT The garage is closed for business but Quincy, Geeta and Thad sit around a table in the back room. Quincy’s showing them some high tech LISTENING EQUIPMENT. QUINCY We used these in Operation Enduring Freedom. They were especially useful in picking up Taliban communications in caves and in underground bunkers. It works on an ultra low frequency... Thad plays with the buttons. away. Thad reacts.

Quincy smacks his hand

THAD What, now I have to be ex-Special Forces just to touch your stuff? QUINCY Maybe I’d cut you some slack if you had at least been in the Reserves. Hell, even if you’d signed up for ROTC. THAD Are you ever going to give it a rest? We can’t all be war heroes. I went to college. You went to boot camp. QUINCY And Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention a few other shit holes you’ve never even heard of. Geeta flips open her LAPTOP computer.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

29.

GEETA All right, boys, how about we get back to the business at hand? (they look over her shoulder) Right, then. I’ve narrowed the list of possible slimeys to five. ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN: photos of five attractive people pop up along with their electronic dossiers. A FIRE DEPARTMENT DISPATCHER, a Best Buy COMPUTER TECHNICIAN, an EXOTIC DANCER, a RECORD STORE CLERK, and Dale, the power company lineman. GEETA (cont’d) In the last 18 months, these people accessed or attempted to access confidential files of patients in Peoria hospitals or clinics who fit abductee criteria. They all fit the profile: low-level employees who work irregular hours. They also live in old homes or apartments located in lightly populated neighborhoods. Thad and Quincy scan the onscreen dossiers. impressed. QUINCY Girl, you’re good. GEETA I know. THAD (suggestively) I’ll bet she gets to touch your stuff whenever she wants. QUINCY As nice as I’m sure that would be, I’m very married and very happy to stay that way. GEETA (chastising) Thadeus, you’re quite a bratty little bugger, you know that.

They’re

30. INT. HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY (FISH BOWL) - DAY Thad’s eyes are glued to his computer. LINDA (O.S.) What’s so interesting? Thad quickly blanks his screen and looks innocently up at Linda. THAD Oh, nothing. Just a little internet porn. She’s not amused. She walks around, leans over and punches a couple of buttons on his keyboard. ON THE SCREEN: Google Earth findings for a home in Peoria. Hmmm.

LINDA Thinking of moving?

THAD Well, Carlton’s pretty serious about canning me this time isn’t he? She hits another couple of buttons, pulls up his browser history - diagrams of homes, schematics of the city’s sewer system and power grids. LINDA What are you up to, Thadeus? You’re not seriously thinking of moving to Peoria are you? THAD (boyish grin) Would you miss me? LINDA Not for a second. She hands him an INVITATION. LINDA (cont’d) But if you’re still around on the 20th, you’re invited to the barbecue. THAD (looks at invitation) Is it that time already? Wow, time flies. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

31.

LINDA Considering you’ve missed the last two barbecues I’ve had, I’m not surprised at that reaction. THAD (earnestly) I’ll try to make it this time, Linda. I promise. INT. QUINCY’S HOUSE (BATHROOM) - NIGHT Quincy is brushing his teeth. Without his shirt on, we see that the scar on his cheek isn’t the only one he bears. RACHEL (O.S.) Are you sure you’ll be back by Saturday night? Remember, Alex has her recital at church on Sunday. QUINCY (mouth full of toothpaste) I’m sure. He spits, rinses and dries his mouth.

Turns to leave.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT He comes in and looks at RACHEL HUGHES-BERNARD (27), his very pretty wife. She’s in bed reading a BOOK. Quincy climbs in next to her. QUINCY Shouldn’t take more than two days. Three at the most. RACHEL It seems like you could take those type of courses online. You shouldn’t have to take two or three days away from your family and your business to be recertified. QUINCY I know, Baby, I wish I didn’t have to leave you and Alex. Look on the bright side, at least it’s Peoria and not California. It’d take over a day to get back if I was that far away.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

32.

He puts his hand underneath the covers. They kiss lightly. Then something happens and they both react and smile. She pulls back the covers REVEALING her very advanced stage of pregnancy. RACHEL Feels like somebody’s telling Daddy to get home sooner rather than later. Quincy leans over, kisses Rachel’s stomach. QUINCY (to her stomach) I’ll be back. Don’t you worry about that. INT. BLACK VAN - DAY Parked on a quiet residential street. Thad is behind the wheel; Geeta’s in the back looking at the electronic readout on the special ops listening equipment. They’re each wearing special ops EARBUDS. QUINCY (V.O.) This could be the place. pretty stark in here.

It’s

INT. HOUSE - DAY Quincy is in the living room - a new black leather sofa is the only piece of furniture in the place. He moves quickly and carefully through the home, speaks into his special ops earbud as he moves. QUINCY Heading to the basement. The basement is empty and clean. He taps the cinder block walls, checks the wooden slats and beams in the ceiling. Pokes around in crawl spaces. Nothing. QUINCY (cont’d) We got bupkis down here. Headed upstairs.

33.

INT. BLACK VAN - DAY Thad checks a DIAGRAM of the house on a laptop computer. THAD There’s a hidden storage area in the master closet. Attic access is in the closet of the smallest bedroom. Rear of the house. After his last transmission, Thad notices a POLICE CRUISER in the passenger side mirror. It’s rolling slowly up the street. INT. HOUSE - DAY In the empty master bedroom, Quincy inspects the closet. THAD (V.O.) Looks like we’ve got company, Q. QUINCY (heads to another bedroom) Serious? INT. BLACK VAN - DAY Thad watches as the cruiser passes the van and rolls down the block. The rear brake lights go bright as the car slows, then pulls over and stops in front of a small, wood-frame house. THAD It’s looking pretty serious. INT. HOUSE - DAY Inside the tiny closet, Quincy lowers the attic access ladder. GEETA (V.O.) Quincy, it’s time to leave. Quincy climbs up the ladder, pushes away the hatch.

34.

EXT. BLACK VAN - DAY ANGLE ON a small ANTENNA atop the van. INT. BLACK VAN - DAY Geeta’s turning dials, tuning the listening equipment. ON THE SCREEN we see WAVELENGTHS and we hear OFFICER (V.O.) Roger that, dispatch. Looks quiet on the outside, but I’m going to take a quick look around back. GEETA Quincy, 90 seconds before the police are in the yard. EXT. HOUSE - DAY The POLICE OFFICER walks toward the house. INT. HOUSE - DAY Quincy pops his head in the attic, looks around. dusty. And empty.

It’s

QUINCY Bupkis in the attic too. THAD (V.O.) Officer Friendly’s coming around back. EXT. HOUSE (BACKYARD) - DAY The officer is scanning the windows for signs of a break in. INT. HOUSE - DAY Quincy comes downstairs, sees the officer out back checking the doorknob. Quincy presses against a wall to hide.

35.

EXT. HOUSE (BACKYARD) - DAY The officer pauses, peers inside. SUDDENLY he spins around, startled. He looks down at an OLD DOG that’s nudged him. The officer collects his wits. Now he notices the DOG HOUSE in the yard. He kneels and pats the dog on the head. OFFICER (into collar mic) Nothing here but an old mutt in the backyard. Windows and doors are secure. The officer stands and walks out of the yard to the front of the house. INT. BLACK VAN - DAY Thad watches as the officer gets in the cruiser and drives away. INT. BLACK VAN - LATER Now Quincy is in the passenger seat and our team of alien hunters is parked outside a Steak n’ Shake. QUINCY It’s definitely a possibility. GEETA It’s also possible she’s a new homeowner who hasn’t had a chance to furnish the place yet. THAD She? You still think of these slime buckets as people? GEETA They’ve spent the last 1,000 years trying to become human. It’s possible they’re more than just slime wrapped in skin and bone, that the evolutionary process has instilled some sense of humanity in them. Thad reacts.

He hates the aliens, period.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

36.

QUINCY She, it, whatever? the alien tonight.

I say we hit

Quincy checks his modified Glock. It’s barrel is thicker and the magazine holds SILVER ROUNDS specially designed to kill aliens. GEETA If you keep blowing them up, we may never find out how human they are inside. A THUMP on the side of the van and they all react. Quincy is out the door in a heartbeat, chasing a YOUNG MAN across the parking lot. EXT. STEAK N’ SHAKE PARKING LOT - DAY Quincy catches the man, JESSE WYSOCKI (19), and drags him to the ground, pinning him with a knee to the chest. QUINCY What’s up, dog! Why you been tailing us today? JESSE Don’t hurt me, man! help you guys! What?

I just want to

QUINCY What are you talking about?

JESSE The alien! I can help you catch the alien, man! Thad comes up to them.

Quincy looks over his shoulder.

INT. STEAK N’ SHAKE - DAY Jesse’s cramming a BURGER into his mouth. He’s a handsome youth with a bad punk rocker haircut and 2-days of beard. He’s in a booth with Quincy next to him, Thad and Geeta on the other side. THAD Okay, you’ve got something to eat. Stop beating around the bush. What do you know about this so-called alien?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

37.

JESSE (mouth full) I know it’s not the stripper who’s house you hit this afternoon. THAD And how do you know that? JESSE (swallows) ’Cause they don’t have sex and I did her last week. Quincy smacks Jesse in the back of the head. QUINCY Show some respect, there’s a lady sitting here. Rubbing his head, Jesse glances sheepishly at Geeta. JESSE Sorry, pretty lady. Brilliant. Romeo.

GEETA Just what we need, a

QUINCY You don’t have money to buy a burger but you had enough to get into a stripper’s pants? JESSE (smiles at Geeta) I just have a way with the ladies. Geeta rolls her eyes. neck.

Quincy grabs him by the back of the

QUINCY We’re wasting our time with this punk. I say I take him out back and break his legs so we can get on with our business. JESSE Hey, man, do you always have to be so violent? This ain’t Afghanistan and I’m not the Taliban, you know. The team reacts.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

38.

JESSE (cont’d) Yeah, I know who you guys are. Quincy Bernard, former Delta Force, won a Silver Star in Afghanistan. Geeta Singh, Harvard med student turned Chicago paramedic. And Thadeus Pike, brilliant but psycho research librarian. You’re alien hunters. Beat.

The team eyes Jesse discerningly. THAD So you know us. you?

Who the hell are

JESSE I’m Jesse. Jesse Wysocki. I was nabbed by an alien five years ago. INT. STEAK N’ SHAKE - MOMENTS LATER Jesse is talking up a storm. JESSE He wasn’t expecting a kid to react so fast. He turned his head for a second and I kicked him hard as I could where his balls should be, snatched out the IV’s and ran out of there as fast as I could. I think the blue fluid is what puts you in a coma. I knew if that stuff got into me I was a goner. THAD You didn’t tell your parents? JESSE What parents? You think anybody cared if an orphan got snatched, let alone one who was in Juvie for boosting cars. GEETA You poor thing. QUINCY Yeah, I can hear the violins. So what do you know about the alien we’re after?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

39.

JESSE I know you’ve narrowed it to five. I’ve been tailing them for about a month. That’s how I hooked up with the stripper, Priscilla. THAD Wait a minute. How do you know we narrowed the list of slimeys to five? JESSE (slurps the last of his milkshake) Simple. I hacked into your library’s network and accessed your confidential files. I got the names and addresses of the suspects that Geeta e-mailed to you. You know, you really should change your password, Thad. I mean, "Ripley." It’s way too easy. Quincy looks at Thad: "Ripley?" THAD (to Quincy) Sigourney Weaver.

Alien.

QUINCY Really? THAD Hey, she was pretty hot in those movies. QUINCY I could see it in Ghost Busters, maybe, or even Working Girl. But Alien? She was pretty scrawny in that -GEETA (clears her throat) Um, boys. Focus. Jesse, you say you’ve been following the suspects for a month. Which do you think is our alien?

40.

EXT. BACK ROAD - SUNSET Dale is in his cherry picker working on a power line. A car drives past. The BRAKE LIGHTS come on and the car pulls to the side of the road. After a few moments Geeta gets out of the car, walks around front. Dale notices as she pops the hood and looks inside. She pulls out her CELL PHONE. GEETA He sees me but hasn’t responded yet. INT. BLACK VAN - SUNSET The van is parked about a mile down the road. Thad sits behind the wheel talking to Geeta. Jesse’s in the passenger seat. THAD Try to look frustrated or afraid or something. GEETA (V.O.) I think I know how to get a man’s attention, Thad. THAD He’s not a man. QUINCY (V.O.) But he’s supposed to act like a man. So a little damsel in distress action should get him down from that cherry picker. EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - SUNSET Quincy is hidden in the field, looking through special ops BINOCULARS. GEETA (V.O.) Thanks for the advice you two Cyranos, really, but why don’t you leave the seductions to me? CLICK.

41.

EXT. BACK ROAD - SUNSET Geeta punches a button to hang up the phone. She walks toward Dale’s cherry picker. Dale watches as she approaches. GEETA Hello up there. Hi.

DALE Car trouble?

GEETA Yeah. It’s a rental and I’m afraid I haven’t the foggiest idea what’s wrong with it. DALE You call for a tow? GEETA Just spoke to them. They say it could be more than an hour. (looks around) It’s going to be dark soon. Dale hits the controls and the cherry picker begins coming down. EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - SUNSET BINOCULAR POV - GEETA AND DALE shaking hands. QUINCY You go, girl. EXT. BACK ROAD - SUNSET Dale and Geeta walk to her car.

He looks under the hood.

DALE You almost need a Ph.D. in auto mechanics to work on these new engines. GEETA Well, I’ve got a Ph.D., but it’s in biology. I don’t suppose that’ll be of much use. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

42.

She gives him a small, coquettish smile. DALE (fiddling under the hood) I have to admit, I don’t really know what I’m looking for, but there doesn’t seem to be anything out of order in here. Geeta glances up at the sky for effect. her pretty face.

A bit of worry on

GEETA You know, I’m just going into town. Perhaps... He looks at her, catches her meaning. DALE Look, Miss -GEETA Geeta. DALE Geeta. I’m sorry but it’s against company regulations to permit non-employees in our vehicles. GEETA (inviting smile) Not even for a damsel in distress? Look, I have a confession... (looks at his namebadge) Dale. I desperately need to make it to town by 8 o’clock. DALE Really? What’s so important, if you don’t mind my asking? GEETA Sounds like if I tell you I might just get a lift. EXT. SOYBEAN FIELD - SUNSET BINOCULAR POV - GEETA AND DALE get into Dale’s power company truck and drive away.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

43.

QUINCY (into special ops earbud) Hard to believe our girl hasn’t had a date in over a year. INT. BLACK VAN - SUNSET Thad starts the engine. THAD (into special ops earbud) Maybe she’s just got a thing for extra terrestials...We’re on our way. QUINCY (V.O.) Roger that. EXT. BACK ROAD - SUNSET The black van pulls to the side of the road. out of the field and hops in the back.

Quincy comes

INT. DALE’S TRUCK - MOVING - SUNSET Geeta checks out Dale’s profile as he drives. GEETA (flirting) I really appreciate your breaking the rules for me, Dale. DALE I suppose I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you. My shift’s ending anyway. GEETA I have another confession to make. DALE (glances at her, smiles) Sounds like you’ve got lot’s of secrets, Geeta. GEETA If you were a more stereotypical power company employee, I doubt I’d have asked for a ride from you.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

44.

DALE I don’t follow you. GEETA Well, Dale, I noticed you’re not wearing a wedding ring. And, well, you’re a rather attractive man. He looks at her.

She smiles demurely.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT The black van drives slowly down a dark, quiet residential street. Pulls over and stops in front of a modest house. Quincy, Thad and Jesse get out and slip around back. INT. DALE’S TRUCK - MOVING - NIGHT Geeta looks around.

They’re not going towards town.

GEETA I know I’m not from around here, but wouldn’t we get to town faster if we took Route 112? DALE Now there’s an interesting irony. (off her reaction) You’re not from around here. I’m not from around here. But here we are, together. Geeta’s starting to feel uncomfortable. GEETA Dale, I’m afraid I don’t understand. DALE You don’t think we communicate with each other, Geeta? You don’t think we know people like you are out there, hunting us? Off Geeta...

45.

INT. DALE’S HOUSE - NIGHT Quincy and Thad split up to search the house. JESSE What about me? What do you want me to do? THAD Stay out of the way and don’t touch anything. EXT. DALE’S TRUCK - MOVING - NIGHT The truck turns off a main street and onto a country road. INT. DALE’S TRUCK - MOVING - NIGHT Geeta’s hand is inside her pocket. She’s trying to discreetly dial her cell phone. DALE You humans are curious beings. We’ve watched you over the millennia. But of course you know that all too well, don’t you? Your will to survive is so strong, so vital to your very being, yet you refuse to see how other species could have a will as strong as your own. GEETA And you think your "will to live" is an acceptable excuse for what your kind did to my brother? If you’re trying to become more human, you’re moving in the wrong direction. DALE Yet experimenting on primates, lab rats and other "lesser" beings is acceptable to you humans? Of course it is for the advancement of science and medicine. For the survival of your species. We just want to survive, Geeta. And like you, we do what is necessary.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

46.

GEETA (looks around) Where are you taking me? INT. DALE’S HOUSE - NIGHT Thad and Quincy quickly and efficiently search every inch of the barren house, including the attic. No trace of Brad. Jesse stands in the center of the living room, not knowing what to do with himself. Thad and Quincy meet up again in the living room. QUINCY (pissed) The kid’s not here. I knew we shouldn’t have trusted this punk. JESSE I’m telling you, this guy’s the one. I know it! EXT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT Dale’s truck pulls to a stop.

The HEADLIGHTS go out.

INT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT Dale roughly guides Geeta into the dark barn. still in her pocket.

Her hand is

DALE You know the secret we’re trying to unlock, Geeta. For centuries we’ve tried to procreate in your form, to complete our evolution, but to no avail. GEETA So you do reproduce? DALE Of course. Like any being our genetic code dictates that we procreate to advance the species. GEETA But you’re almost an extinct species. Instead of destroying our young people, why don’t you let us help you? (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

47.

DALE (a derisive laugh) You can’t be serious. We’re not baby seals or white rhinos that you can "save" with some lame telethon on the Discovery Channel. Do you have any idea how many of our own offspring we’ve had to slaughter just to keep our existence on this planet a secret? Tens of thousands. So you’ve lost a few thousand to our experiments. You should thank us for taking you out of the Stone Age. (off her reaction) Yes, every meaningful scientific advancement of humankind in the last 1,000 years has been a direct result of our efforts to adapt to life on this dung heap of a planet. We don’t need your help, Geeta. You’ve depended on ours. GEETA (pressing phone buttons in her pocket) I think you underestimate us, Dale. Humans are very resourceful. And compassionate. It’s what makes us human. DALE We’ve seen humankind’s compassion. It was so very touching during The Dark Ages. And The Crusades, oh they were absolutely heartwarming. And let’s not forget The Third Reich’s Final Solution, South Africa’s Apartheid and the Ethnic Cleansing of Bosnia-Herzegovina. You’ll forgive us if we don’t run to you for a heaping helping of human compassion, Geeta. INT. DALE’S HOUSE - NIGHT Thad’s CELL PHONE RINGS. Quincy and Jesse look at him. It finally dawns on all of them that if Brad’s not in the house and Geeta’s with Dale, she’s got to be in trouble. Thad pulls the phone from his pocket.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

48.

THAD Hello, Geeta? Geeta?? INT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT Dale shoves Geeta against a wooden beam. away but he’s too strong.

She tries to get

GEETA What are you going to do to me? DALE I think I’ve come very close to finding the final piece of the puzzle. With two of you, I may finally find it and guarantee the survival of my species...If the boy isn’t too far gone. GEETA (alarmed) Brad’s here? With STARTLING SPEED Dale pulls a LENGTH OF WIRE from his utility belt and lashes her hands behind her, then to the beam. DALE By now your friends have figured out there’s no one to rescue at my house. GEETA (screams) HELP! -Dale quickly and tightly covers her mouth with his hand. EXT. STREET - NIGHT The van speeds down the street. INT. BLACK VAN - NIGHT Driving, Thad divides his attention between the road ahead and the GPS MONITOR attached to the dashboard. The monitor pinpoints Geeta’s cell phone position.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

49.

JESSE (ref. the GPS monitor) She’s on Old County Road! Take the next left onto Route 33! It’ll cut 10 minutes off our time! THAD What?? JESSE Trust me, Thad!

Turn left!

Here!

Thad swirves left. In the back of the van, Quincy sways but quickly recovers. The former Delta Force operative efficiently preparing his arsenal of WEAPONS. INT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT CLOSE ON Geeta’s FRIGHTENED EYES. PULL BACK and we see that she’s tightly bound in plastic and gagged with duct tape, lying on the floor of the barn. Dale walks over to her and sets a SILVER CASE down next to her. He opens it, revealing the ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT that was in his attic. He begins carefully removing the equipment, preparing it for use. Geeta tries to scream and flail about. It’s useless. DALE I take it the brother you spoke of was a twin. I’m sure this is no consolation, but I’m very sorry about what happened to him, Geeta. I told you that we communicate with one another, but we’re not all of the same mind. The methods of our experiments vary. But as you no doubt are aware, the shorter our time horizon becomes, the more aggressive our experiments must become. We are, after all, talking about the survival of a species. He pulls out a SYRINGE filled with viscous BLUE LIQUID. Attaches one end to a clear plastic tube and then attaches a needle to the tip of the other end. Geeta screams but her sounds are barely audible.

50.

EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Quincy walks cautiously, alert and ready for anything. Thad and Jesse are behind and to either side of him. He raises his hand military-style. "Stop." They do and kneel when he kneels. He pulls a pair of NIGHT VISION GOGGLES from his bag and hands a second pair to Thad. Before they put them on JESSE What about mine? The look in Quincy’s eyes is enough to tighten Jesse’s sphincter. Quincy checks his Glock and a SUBMACHINE GUN. He chambers the Glock then stands and moves ahead. THAD Stay here. If anything happens to us, get to the van. Call the police. Got it? Jesse nods - he can’t believe what’s happening - then watches as Thad moves off. JESSE (to himself) Shit. INT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT Geeta is CRYING uncontrollably. Dale has inserted an IV in her arm and is connecting the syringe with the blue fluid. DALE You’ll feel a slight stinging sensation. But it will only last a moment. After about 10 minutes, you’ll lapse into a state of comatosis. To keep your organs and vital body tissues as healthy as possible, I will revive you occasionally to provide sustenance. These monitors will gauge your health and provide ongoing analysis of the experiments that I conduct. His attention now on the equipment, he turns a dial or two. Then, sensing something, he stiffens. His eyes narrow. We see the RED LASER on his left eye.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

51.

Dale DIVES for cover just as a barrage of machine gun fire rips through the wooden beam he was kneeling in front of a millisecond earlier. The barn door BLOWS and Quincy rushes in, submachine gun leveled. NIGHT GOGGLE POV - THE BARN no sign of Dale. Geeta struggles on the floor, tries to warn Quincy but she’s too late. Dale BASHES the back of Quincy’s head with a SHOVEL, sending him to the ground. EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Jesse hears the gunfire. of the barn.

Looks nervously in the direction

INT. ABANDONED BARN - NIGHT Dale swings the shovel at Quincy, who rolls on the ground to avoid the blows. He tries to fire his submachine gun, but Dale kicks it out of his hands. Quincy grabs the shovel and uses it to throw Dale over onto the ground. Dale runs into the dark recesses of the barn. Quincy quickly follows. Thad rushes to Geeta, starts cutting her lose. GEETA Get me out of here, Thad! THAD Working on it! THROUGH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES Quincy looks for Dale in the dark recesses of the barn. SUDDENLY a bright, BLINDING light. Dale has lit a handful of HAY on fire and thrown it at Quincy. Quincy instinctively hits the deck, rips the night vision goggles off. Dale swings an AXE, just missing the top of Quincy’s head. Dale raises the axe again, swings down, the BLADE hitting the ground inches from Quincy’s head. Quincy kicks him in the balls. Nothing. Alien balls don’t work like human balls. Quincy reacts - "Shit!" Dale raises the axe again. Begins swinging downward. Quincy’s on the ground. He’s cornered. About to be dead. Jesse hurls into Dale from behind, knocking him off balance. The axe blade misses Quincy’s head by inches. Quincy kicks Dale’s legs out from under him. Rolls on top of him and begins beating the shit out of his head (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

52.

and face. Dale kicks Quincy off of him. Jesse runs at him again and Dale WHACKS him, sending the teen flying into a pile of hay. He turns to run but Quincy kicks him in the face. Dale recovers, and FLINGS him across the barn. Dale runs away. Quincy shakes it off, pulls his Glock and chases after Dale. Dale’s racing toward the open barn door. SUDDENLY he’s SHOCKED and falls to the ground. Geeta stands over him, holding a TASER. She shocks him again. And again. THAD Geeta! Now Quincy is on top of Dale. His knee pressed on Dale’s neck as he pulls a PLASTIC HAND RESTRAINT out of a pocket in his cargo pants. Jesse comes over to help him. Quincy and Jesse exchange a look - Quincy’s says "Thanks." Geeta stares down at Dale. hand on her shoulder.

She’s still shaken.

Thad puts a

THAD I’ll take that. He gently takes the taser from her. He’s here!

Then Geeta refocuses.

GEETA Brad’s in the barn!

The guys react. They turn their heads, looking around. It’s dark. It’s huge. Dale starts CONVULSING. His eyes roll back and start to blacken. Shit!

JESSE What’s happening to him??

QUINCY We don’t have much time. THAD (to Geeta) Where? Where is Brad?? GEETA I don’t know! JESSE Guys, what’s going on??

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (3)

53.

The skin on Dale’s face begins to crack and peel. Thad starts to rush around the barn, searching. Geeta does the same. Dale’s convulsions become more violent. Jesse pops up, scared shitless. Quincy stands and calmly pulls his Glock. QUINCY We’ve got to go! No!

THAD We’ve got to find Brad! QUINCY

Thad, now! THAD I’m not leaving here without that boy! Geeta stops, looks around desperately. too big and there’s not enough time. Thadeus!

Realizes the barn’s

GEETA He’s right.

JESSE Is somebody going to tell me what the hell is going on?? Geeta and Thad and Quincy exchange a look. Thad’s anguish is etched on his face. Dale CRIES OUT in agony. Quincy levels his Glock and SHOOTS him in the chest. JESSE (cont’d) (jumps back in horror) Whoa! QUINCY People, we’re leaving! Geeta grabs Thad’s arm. Quincy grabs Jesse and pulls him toward the blown barn door. EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Our four alien hunters are running as fast as they can. In the b.g. the barn EXPLODES and a FIREBALL shoots into the sky. The impact of the blast knocks the four to the ground. Thad looks back.

He can’t believe it.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

54. THAD

Brad. The expressions on the faces of our team say it all. DISSOLVE TO: INT. WHEELER LIVING ROOM - DAY Thad, Geeta and Quincy stand in the living room, somber. Thad is saying how sorry he is. Patricia breaks down in tears and her HUSBAND takes her in his arms. Greg Wheeler and Brad’s other TWO BROTHERS react, joining in a family embrace to console their mother and each other. EXT. ROADSIDE - DAY Our team stands outside the black van looking across the road at what’s left of the charred, smoking barn. FIREFIGHTERS and POLICE OFFICERS mill about the wreckage of the structure. INT. BLACK VAN - MOVING - DAY Geeta’s driving. Thad’s on the passenger side; Quincy and Jesse are in back. GEETA Where do you want us to drop you, Jesse? JESSE Um, well, I was sort of hoping I could work with you guys. THAD (turns to look at him) Jesse, this isn’t a game. You’ve seen what can go wrong. JESSE You’re right. I have. Quincy’s CELL PHONE RINGS. He answers anxiously. QUINCY Baby, you okay? (listens) Right. I’m on my way back. Two and a half hours, max. I’ll make it, Baby. I love you. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

55.

He hangs up. GEETA Water broke? QUINCY Yeah. GEETA Well that settles it then. We can’t stop now. Guess you’re with us, Jesse. INT. HOSPITAL DELIVERY ROOM - DAY Rachel has just given birth. She’s on the delivery table, exhausted but still lovely in that way that new mothers have about them after performing life’s greatest miracle. Quincy moves into frame, smiles down at Rachel and kisses her. NURSE (O.S.) Mr. Bernard. Would you like to meet your daughters? Quincy turns. The NURSE picks up first ONE then a SECOND INFANT from warming tables. Puts them carefully in Quincy’s arms. He beams with pride as Rachel smiles at them. INT. GEETA’S APARTMENT - DAY Geeta opens the door of her tastefully decorated apartment and walks inside. ARTWORK AND EXOTIC ARTIFACTS are evidence that she has traveled the world extensively. As she moves through a routine of settling in - putting on a pot of tea, changing into comfortable clothes, etc., we hear THAD (V.O.) Dale wasn’t the first alien that we’d lost. But Brad was the first human. What I’d told Jesse was true: what we do isn’t a game. But until that barn went up with Brad in it, it seemed to be like some grand adventure. A great and romantic crusade. Geeta pours a cup of tea and sits on the sofa. On the table is a FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH: Geeta and her TWIN BROTHER are on either side of an elegant older woman, their MOTHER. They’re all smiling. Happy. Geeta picks up the photo, looks at it.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

56.

THAD (V.O.) (cont’d) Not being able to save Brad hit all of us hard. But it hit Geeta the hardest. We lost a piece of her in that barn that night. Coming that close to seeing how her brother died was almost too much for her. Geeta’s CELL PHONE RINGS. She takes it from the table. The PHOTO on the incoming call lets us know that it’s her mother. She puts the family photo down to answer the phone. GEETA Hello, Mum. (listens) No, I’m not at work. (listens) Yes, now’s a good time to talk. (listens, begins to cry) No, Mum, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. EXT. LINDA’S HOUSE - DAY Thad gets out of his car and walks around to the sidewalk. He’s holding a small BOUQUET OF FLOWERS. As he walks toward the house THAD (V.O.) On the ride back to Chicago, Geeta told us what Dale told her. About how the aliens sacrificed their own to ensure their long-term survival. About how strong his species’ desire to survive is. In a way, losing Brad brought us closer to our own humanity and made us realize just how precious life is and not just human life. Thad walks around to the backyard. EXT. LINDA’S BACKYARD - DAY There’s a party going on. GUESTS are standing around, drinking, eating barbecue. Having a good time. He waves at Eduardo, who smiles and points at his new BOYFRIEND - a real hunk. Tony’s WIFE, a plump, pleasant woman in a too-tight outfit, is chatting up a DRUNK GUY flipping burgers at the grill as Tony stands idly by.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

57.

THAD (V.O.) We remembered that humanity is what makes us human, and that it can be found in all living creatures if we just look closely enough. Thad approaches Linda from behind. She’s in a pretty print summer dress, talking to A MAN and a WOMAN. The woman notices Thad walking toward them. Linda turns. She’s so happy to see him. Thad!

LINDA You came!

THAD Yeah. That gig in Peoria didn’t work out. Guess you guys are just stuck with me for a while. LINDA (a lovely smile) I suppose I - we - can live with that. Are these for me? He hands her the flowers. If we didn’t know it before, we see the chemistry between them now. The man and woman notice it too. LINDA (cont’d) They’re beautiful. Thank you, Thadeus. (then) Let me introduce you to two of my neighbors... As the CAMERA CRANES UP to show the the backyard full of guests THAD (V.O.) And so we vowed that no matter what, we wouldn’t fail again. Our mission would be to save lives ours and theirs. Because there’s too much at stake...for all of us. FADE OUT.