A large room in a thoroughly devastated house, with broken
windows, overlooks a spacious yard enclosed by a powerful
metal fence wrapped with barbed wire. Two of the windows are
outfitted with sniper’s rifles, one held by HENRY HEIDLER
(48), gaunt, unshaved, wearing dirty beat-up shoes. He is
tracking a young woman on the street. He aims at her and
fires. The young woman falls. An elderly man runs up to her
dead body. Henry shoots and kills the man.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL – SAME TIME
A capture group in military uniforms runs through a sewer
tunnel.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, HALLWAY – DAY
Henry leisurely walks down the hall toward the bedroom at the
other end of the house. He pauses for a second to look at a
big photograph in a cracked frame hanging on the wall: Henry,
smiling with his wife and 12-year-old daughter. Henry takes a
sip of whiskey from a flask and continues walking to the
bedroom.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL - SAME TIME
The capture group attaches a ring-shaped laser drill to the
ceiling of the tunnel. It rotates rapidly, boring a hole
upward.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, BEDROOM – DAY
Henry fires from the bedroom window toward neighboring
houses.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, BASEMENT – SAME TIME
A hole through the concrete floor is carved, making a
CRACKLING NOISE. Out emerges the capture group. We follow
them in one continuous shot…
2.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, KITCHEN – CONTINUED
… as they creep through the kitchen, ears perked up, and
looking all around. We continue to follow them…
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, HALLWAY – CONTINUED
…as they run down the hallway toward the SOUND OF SHOTS
coming from the bedroom and burst in. Henry swivels around
but too late; he is knocked off his feet, his rifle torn from
his grip.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM – A BIT LATER
At the table sits Henry, handcuffed. He is clearly drunk.
There are bruises on his face. The soldiers, weapons in hand,
are positioned at the doorways and windows. One of them
approaches Henry and aims the ray from an electronic scanner
into his eyes. Into the room walks GENERAL GROVER, a rugged
55-year-old with a somber gaze.
SOLDIER
It’s him, General.
Grover looks at the readings on the device, then walks over
to Henry.
GROVER
I didn’t think I’d catch you alive,
Mister Heidler.
HENRY
(speech slurred)
Alive, as you see. Despite your
underlings’ efforts.
The general signals to the soldiers, and they remove Henry’s
handcuffs.
GROVER
My apologies. We had to make sure
it was really you, and not…
HENRY
A biorobot?
GROVER
The System is constantly updating.
It has learned to create virtually
indistinguishable copies of real
people.
3.
HENRY
Made sure yet? Now get lost!
GROVER
We need your help, Mister Heidler.
Henry’s face is distorted into a sad smirk. He stands up from
the chair. The general signals for the soldiers to back off
from Henry.
HENRY
Ha, ha, ha. A general? A platoon
commander? Hmmm… Actually it
all makes sense. You still haven’t
figured this damn thing out,
general? The war was lost. Long
ago! These are the death throes.
GROVER
Don’t dig our grave quite so fast,
Mister Heidler. Just yesterday I
might have agreed with you, but…
some things have changed.
HENRY
Changed? Like what? Oh yeah,
there’s a new generation of
biorobots that have learned how to
feed off of flesh.
Staggering, Henry walks to a window.
HENRY’S P.O.V., VIEW OF STREET OUTSIDE OF WINDOW
Two women walk up to the corpses lying on the street. They
kneel and bend over them.
HENRY (V.O.)
They are still dependent on their
power plants, though less so now.
What does that mean? They’ll be
able to wage war even where the
beams from their translators don’t
reach.
(pause)
You’ll have nowhere to hide. That’s
what it means… It means the end.
Their mouths open unnaturally wide, revealing a multitude of
diminutive, fast-moving blades. The biorobots begin to devour
their dead fellows.
BACK TO SCENE
4.
Henry stands back from the window.
GROVER
That’s far from…
HENRY
(screams, saliva spraying)
This is the end, you thick-skulled
idiot! The end! We lost!
Grover’s eyes redden with blood. He grabs Henry by the scruff
of his neck. Slamming him to the floor, he begins to choke
him.
GROVER
Shut your mouth, shithead, or I’ll
strangle you.
Henry emits RASPING SOUNDS and rolls his eyes. Grover
releases his neck.
The soldiers lift the sputtering Henry and sit him down on
the chair. Grover glances about the room. He looks out the
window.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Here’s what I can’t understand –
how a scumbag like you hasn’t been
devoured yet, living here…
HENRY
(voice hoarse)
I have good defenses.
GROVER
What damn defenses?
HENRY
The fence is electrified.
Infrasound blockage…
electromagnetic towers on the
perimeter.
GROVER
Are you serious? We can’t stop them
with napalm. Something’s not right
here. You‘re the only one on the
planet who’s been able to hold out
for three full years, deep behind
enemy lines. There are thousands of
those freaks out there, but not one
is trying to break in.
5.
HENRY
What do you understand, you tin
soldier?! It’s my invention. I
created that confounded
intelligence. I know its weak
points.
GROVER
You don’t know a damn thing. Wake
up. Five years have passed. Your
brainchild has outgrown you three
times over.
The soldier standing by the window points to the fence.
SOLDIER
General, they’re increasing in
number.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Defiance in the Face of Danger
EXT. BY THE FENCE OF HENRY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME
By the fence, facing the house, stand about a dozen
biorobots. They are coming from somewhere further down the
street.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM – SAME TIME
Grover signals to the soldiers.
GROVER
Time to leave.
(turning to Henry)
You’re going with us.
HENRY
Go to hell. This is my house. My
family’s here.
GROVER
Sorry, Mister Heidler, but your
family was killed.
HENRY
Leave me alone. I want to die here.
GROVER
You aren’t the only person whose
loved ones were killed by the
System. But burying yourself alive
here and taking potshots at
biorobots is no solution. If you
want revenge, kill the System.
(MORE)
6.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Wipe your sniveling face. You’ll
either come along or be carried
out.
HENRY
Go to hell!
Henry pushes back the soldier descending on him and walks
toward an exit.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
A Choice for Humanity
INT. RAIL CARS – SOME TIME LATER
A convoy of rail cars carrying the capture group and the now-
droopy Henry races through the tunnel.
EXT. BY THE FENCE AT HENRY’S HOUSE. DAY
The biorobots wordlessly retreat from the fence and leave.
INT. THE UNDERGROUND HEADQUARTERS OF THE RESISTANCE ARMY OF
HUMANITY. DAY
A dank room with a low ceiling, resembling a bomb shelter. In
the light of numerous monitors suspended from the walls and
positioned on field tables, soldiers scurry about. To one
side Henry, slightly sobered up but completely worn out, sits
at a table. Opposite him are the general and two scientists
in civilian clothes: TENESHA (30), a female electronics
expert; and AARON (60), a gray-headed physicist.
TENESHA
With all due respect, Mister
Heidler, you’ve been basing your
ideas on five-year-old information.
The artificial intelligence has
long since evolved and morphed into
a complex system, encoding its
communication lines with a special
block, the so-called key.
AARON
Inside of which is a unique code.
And that key is in our hands. Can
you imagine? It’s a miracle!
GROVER
(sotto voce)
A miracle that cost me my last
division.
Aaron nods bitterly.
7.
AARON
Even so we had incredible luck. Get
this – the one and only time we had
success was on our most complicated
and important operation.
Tenesha sets a case on the table and opens it. Inside is a
small metal box.
TENESHA
For security, the System didn’t
maintain a copy of the key. So now
their communications are
defenseless. We are intercepting
their signals, introducing
distortions and noise, transforming
the biorobots into clumsy oafs.
HENRY
In other words, victory is a done
deal. What do you want from me?
AARON
No, no. Not victory. A respite.
About one month’s worth… We’re
crushed. What you said about death
throes was right.
GROVER
Two battalions are all that’s left
of our forces. It would take us
over a year to rid the Earth of
those freaks.
AARON
The problem is, within one month
the System will be able to build a
new communications center, or find
and recover the lost key, and then…
The System will annihilate all
remaining human beings within a
matter of days or even hours.
TENESHA
But we have an idea. Use the key to
penetrate the heart of the System.
Mister Heidler, you’re the only
person known to us whose brain has
an implanted interface compatible
with the System. Only you will be
able to log into and penetrate the
System using the key.
8.
GROVER
We’ll get in the System and smother
it with poison.
AARON
A toxic program. The digital
equivalent of a neurotoxin. It
blocks electrical impulse
transmission in the synapses and
memory cells of the machine brain.
More fast-acting than any virus!
All you need is to get near any one
of the System’s computers…
HENRY
Who says I’ll agree?
AARON
I understand you quite well! It’s
not easy. Almost impossible, but…
but it’s our last chance to save
humanity.
HENRY
I don’t give a hoot for humanity.
Tenesha glances at his colleagues in alarm.
TENESHA
I know of the hounding you endured
at the start of the war. The whole
world ganged up on you. It was
brutal. I understand you quite
well, but… but…
Henry’s eyes flare up for a moment.
HENRY
(with irritation and
anger)
Understand? I doubt it. Not mere
hounding - more like a big-game
hunt. They were ready to tear me
from limb to limb, me and my whole
family. As though they were guilty
of something.
TENESHA
People are imperfect. When times
get tough they sometimes… lose
their humanity. But not everybody,
you know. You know it wasn’t
everybody.
(MORE)
9.
TENESHA (CONT'D)
I ask you, on behalf of those who
kept their humanity - forgive those
who were unjust to you.
AARON
And the fact is there’s no one left
to be forgiven. All those who were
cruel to you have perished. Get
this through your head – the number
of survivors is barely ten percent
of the planet’s original
population, and most are children
who were evacuated to the
heartland. You can hardly blame
them for your persecution.
Henry is obviously shocked at what he just heard.
HENRY
Only children?
AARON
Except for pockets of survivors
still concealed below the ground or
in urban rubble. Yes – basically
it’s children and adolescents.
HENRY
Ten percent of the population…
AARON
Forget old grievances, Mister
Heidler. The world in which all
that happened no longer exists.
TENESHA
But we have a chance to save the
children and build a new world.
HENRY
A new one?
TENESHA
Yes. And who knows, this world may
turn out better than the old one.
After all we’re starting with a
blank sheet.
Henry directs a ponderous and now-fully-sober glance at
Tenesha.
HENRY
Better than the old one? That
wouldn’t be bad.
10.
TENESHA
You will help us?
HENRY
Yes.
TENESHA
Thank you…
Aaron heaves a sigh of relief.
GROVER
Well, now we agree. You have thirty
minutes to prepare.
AARON
Only thirty?
GROVER
The System is scouring the planet
for the key. If it finds the key –
and it will – then it’s all over.
We don’t have a fricking minute to
spare.
The general leaves.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
A Dangerous Proposal
INT. THE SAME ROOM - SOME TIME LATER
Aaron and Tenesha help Henry put on a leather belt with the
small metal box attached. Aaron points to a small tumbler
beside the box.
AARON
That’s the detonating fuse. In case
of capture.
HENRY
Detonating fuse? And if I brush
against it accidentally?
TENESHA
You’ll have to be extra careful.
HENRY
I’m not putting this crap on.
Tenesha and Aaron exchange exasperated glances.
11.
AARON
If the System gets its hands on the
key, we’ll all be done for in a
matter of hours. The explosive is a
guarantee of…
Henry waves his hands in annoyance.
HENRY
Enough, enough… Do you have an
analog converter?
TENESHA
Yes.
The general walks up, and from his face it’s obvious he
overheard the conversation.
GROVER
So what now?
HENRY
I have a better idea than the
suicide belt. We’ll record the key
in my head.
Tenesha looks inquiringly at Aaron.
HENRY (CONT'D)
My interface has a ten petabyte
memory block. How big is the key?
AARON
About one peta…
HENRY
More than enough capacity. Well, if
worst comes to worst and they catch
me, just shoot me. Just as easy as
blowing up the box. After all, you
wouldn’t find it hard to shoot me,
general?
GROVER
You can’t even imagine how easy.
HENRY
So there.
(pokes his head with a
finger)
Here the key will be safer. After
all, even if the System guesses
where the key is…
12.
AARON
It will guess.
HENRY
Extracting the key from here will
be much harder.
TENESHA
The System won’t be able to extract
the key without your consent.
HENRY
Exactly. It will have to negotiate
with me or trick me out of it.
TENESHA
Or torture it out of you.
HENRY
For access to my subconscious, mere
cowardice on my part would not
suffice. It would require…
AARON
Emotional consent. A desire to
share the secret. You’re right. A
wonderful idea! But be wary. The
System is too smart. Cunning.
Crafty.
GROVER
It doesn’t pay to underestimate
human beings, Professor. We may be
behind the System in the sciences,
but when it comes to cunning and
craftiness, we can still compete.
Those skills mankind has honed for
millennia.
TENESHA
I’ll prepare the equipment.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Caught Between Worlds
INT. TECH SECTION OF THE RESISTANCE ARMY – SOME TIME LATER
A small room packed with medical and electronic equipment has
an armchair in the middle, onto which Henry sits down, his
torso bared. On his chest are several metal plates.
TENESHA
You’re a genuine cyborg.
13.
HENRY
More like a museum exhibit of some
antiquated heart defect treatment.
(poking into the plates)
The frame of a cardiostimulator. A
battery.
Tenesha sets up a converter on his head – a rubber helmet
with wires connecting him to the computer and to the box
holding the key.
TENESHA
You’re a great scientist, Mister
Heidler, and I’m not the only one
who thinks so.
Henry sighs sadly. On the monitor appears the process of the
key being copied. Henry’s eyelids close, concealing his
pupils’ chaotic movements.
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM – MORNING (FLASHBACK)
Against a backdrop of bright windows flicker images of hazy
memories: unknown faces, a woman playing piano, a lawnmower
outside a window. We HEAR SOMEONE’S LAUGHTER, an
unintelligible conversation. Finally the flickering images
are replaced by one stable scene in which Henry’s daughter
EVA (6) stands in the middle of a room, wearing boots and a
big rubber fisherman’s outfit, holding a fishing pole. Into
the room comes Henry, fastening his necktie as he walks. He
has an expensive suit on. Perplexed, he looks at his
daughter.
HENRY
(shouting toward another
room)
Marietta, what is our daughter
wearing?
(addressing his daughter)
Take all that off right now!
Into the room walks MARIETTA (31). She is very sweet-looking,
but her eyes reveal her to be a strong, willful person.
MARIETTA
You yourself promised to take the
child fishing.
HENRY
What the hell are you talking
about, fishing? We have an
invitation from the Energy
Minister.
14.
MARIETTA
(unshaken)
He has a pond.
HENRY
Are you out of your mind?
MARIETTA
For a whole year you’ve been
promising your daughter a fishing
trip.
HENRY
Oh, now! I didn’t think it was that
serious. Fishing? What does she
want with fishing? Since when do
little girls like to fish?
MARIETTA
(speaks softly)
She doesn’t care about the fishing.
It’s just she heard somewhere that
men like fishing. I think she
simply wants to entertain you.
Spend some time with you.
HENRY
Starting in on that again?! Now,
when my whole future is being
decided. Don’t even think about
making a laughingstock out of me.
You hear?
(addressing his daughter)
Take that rubbish off this very
moment and dress like a human
being!
Henry angrily tears off his uncooperative tie and stalks out
of the room. Eva looks guiltily at her mother.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
A Plea for Connection
INT. TECH SECTION OF THE RESISTANCE ARMY – (PRESENT)
Tenesha is observing the culmination of the copying process.
Henry opens his eyes.
TENESHA
It looked to me like you fell
asleep. How do you feel?
HENRY
Like a big load of crap was just
dumped into my head.
15.
TENESHA
Yes, indeed. Sorry. Still a bit
left to go. This was your idea.
Into the room walks the general, followed by Aaron and two
special force team members with automatic weapons in hand:
SHARITA (32), a severe, lean woman; and CLAUDE (28), an
energetic, strongly built young man.
TENESHA (CONT'D)
We’re almost ready.
Tenesha concludes the copying of the key. Henry takes the
helmet off his head, collapses it and puts into his vest
pocket. Aaron hands Tenesha a chip.
AARON
(to Henry)
Your weapon.
With an adhesive strip, Tenesha attaches the chip to Henry’s
left hand.
AARON (CONT'D)
Wireless connection. A chip. Once
you’re in the System, activate the
chip.
Aaron presses his finger onto a red circle at the center of
the chip and a tiny lamp lights up.
AARON (CONT'D)
One, two and …
The little light goes out.
AARON (CONT'D)
The poison is in the System.
Henry stands up from the armchair and walks to the exit
without saying goodbye.
AARON (CONT'D)
Good luck.
TENESHA
Mister Heidler…
Henry and the special force members pause for a second.
16.
TENESHA (CONT'D)
I know how hard this is, but I
believe you will succeed, because…
I can’t imagine that humanity will
suddenly vanish forever. I want you
to know my son is alive. He’s six
and he’s a thousand miles from here
with people foreign to him. I
haven’t seen him for over two
years. I want to see him and he
calls to me every day. Help me to
see my son. I beg of you.
Nodding, Henry follows the special forces members to the
exit. Tears flow from Tenesha’s eyes.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
A Father's Promise
INT. A CAR OF AN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY - A BIT LATER
Inside a cramped covered car racing through a tunnel sit
Henry, the general, Claude and Sharita, scrunched together.
Listening to the monotonous BEATING OF THE WHEELS, Henry
closes his eyes partway.
INT. HENRY’S HOME OFFICE – DAY (FLASHBACK)
Henry sits in front of a large monitor and types rapidly. The
door to the room opens and in walks his daughter Eva (8). She
approaches hesitantly. Henry turns around.
HENRY
What’s daddy’s little girl up to?
You know I’m working…
EVA
Dad, don’t you still love me?
HENRY
What? Why?
Clutching a soft toy, Eva looks at Henry.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Of course I love you… Why do you
ask?
EVA
You never play with me any more.
The computer beeps. Henry presses a key. He types a few words
and turns back to his daughter.
17.
HENRY
I love you. It’s just that you’re
getting bigger now and…
(sighing deeply)
You know what… I’ll be wrapping up
this project soon. There isn’t much
more…. Then you and I will do
something together for sure…
EVA
We’ll go to the zoo?
HENRY
To the zoo… It’s just that I have
too little time. Do you understand?
Eva nods. Henry leans over to kiss his daughter, and she
clings tightly to his neck, as though she had been waiting
for just this moment.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Mission Briefing in the Shadows
INT. CAR OF THE UNDERGROUND TRAIN – PRESENT TIME
To overcome the NOISE of the wheels, the general leans toward
the center of the car.
GROVER
Repeat your task.
A red-cheeked Claude has on the wrist of his outstretched
hand a watch, above which we see a 3-D map of the tunnels. A
blue point slowly moves toward a yellow circle in the center
of the map.
SHARITA
Our task is to deliver the parcel…
GROVER
Mister Heidler.
SHARITA
…Mister Heidler alive to the
System’s nearest computer, deep
behind enemy lines. At the cost of
our own lives if required.
The general nods. Sharita points at the yellow circle. The
car shakes and RATTLES around a turn.
SHARITA (CONT'D)
The first destination is our
underground intelligence
detachment. It’s been near the
enemy line since the war began.
(MORE)
18.
SHARITA (CONT'D)
They’ll show us a route deep into
enemy territory.
Sharita points to a section on the map enclosed by a red
broken line, located not far from the yellow circle.
SHARITA (CONT'D)
Follow this path to the end and
ensure Mister Heidler has access to
a System computer, so he can log in
and upload what’s on the chip.
GROVER
Fine. Any questions?
HENRY
I thought there’d be more of us…
CLAUDE
Mister Heidler…
HENRY
Henry.
Claude extends his hand to Henry.
CLAUDE
Henry. Claude.
(shakes Henry’s hand)
Chin up, Henry, we’ll handle it.
The fewer people, the easier to get
through unnoticed. Quality counts,
not quantity. You’re traveling with
the most experienced fighters.
Here’s the best warrior in the
special forces - Major Sharita. She
managed to return alive from two
missions, but don’t ask how she did
it, the devil himself couldn’t tell
you! Ha, ha, ha!
SHARITA
Stop blabbing.
HENRY
How many missions were you on?
CLAUDE
One. But believe me, that’s
something. The thing is… usually,
no one returns from that kind of
mission. Ha, ha, ha!
19.
SHARITA
I said, enough chatter! All
missions are different and we’re
not the only ones who survived.
The car is tossed from side to side on a winding descent. The
blue dot on the map is getting close to the yellow circle.
SHARITA (CONT'D)
We arrive in a minute.
GROVER
The intelligence detachment has
been under the ground for the last
five years without surfacing. Don’t
be surprised if they seem a bit
strange. They don’t know the
operation’s details. Don’t forget -
no one but us can know our true
purpose.
The car stops. The car’s roof goes off to one side. Henry
WRINKLES HIS NOSE and covers it with his hand.
HENRY
What is that stench?
CLAUDE
Like it? Ha, ha! Yes, quite a
fragrance, that! All the world’s
crap flows here. Chemicals from
bombed-out factories, the remains
of animals, soldiers, biorobots…
It’s okay, you’ll soon get
accustomed.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
A Fork in the Dark
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL - A VERY SHORT TIME LATER
The detachment proceeds down a concrete tunnel, finding their
way with flashlights. From somewhere deep in the tunnel an
echo brings STRANGE SOUNDS: WAILING, then MOANING, then DULL
THUDS and HOWLING OF THE WIND. Animals dash out from under
their feet.
HENRY
Why so many cats here?
CLAUDE
The cats were all eaten long ago.
These are rats, my friend! They
rule here.
20.
Henry shines his flashlight behind him and sees a pair of
VERY LARGE RATS. The detachment approaches a fork in the
tunnel. Sharita points to a back entrance into the second
tunnel veering to the left.
SHARITA
We go this way.
From the tunnel emerge streams of air along with a STRANGE
RUMBLING.
CLAUDE
I hear dogs. Or ferals?
HENRY
Ferals?
CLAUDE
All kinds of riff-raff. Bums,
criminals, deserters. They inhabit
the neutral territories, where it’s
still possible to find food.
HENRY
What food?
CLAUDE
The neutral zone is underneath the
front line. Lots of the wounded and
dead wind up here… Here, they’re
food. Ha, ha!
The NOISE increases and out of the tunnel flies a flock of
bats, followed by a ROLLING, RUMBLING ECHO. It steadily
INCREASES IN VOLUME, like an avalanche. The group squeezes
onto the wall of the tunnel.
GROVER
Lights out.
The flashlights go dark. A pack of wild dogs bursts out of a
black hole into the semidarkness of the tunnel lamps, in
pursuit of a FRAIL PERSON in rags frantically waving a knife.
The wounded dogs retreat, squealing. The person plunges a
knife into a dog that has sunk its teeth into his leg. All of
a sudden, with SAVAGE CRIES, out of the tunnel leap THREE
MORE PEOPLE IN RAGS. Knocking the first person over, they
begin to beat and strangle him. Sharita has had enough and
shoots above the heads of the combatants.
SHARITA
What kind of shit is going on here?
21.
The ferals dart away and, scooping up the dead dog, run away.
On the ground remains only one bleeding body. The detachment
approaches and we see that the frail person in rags is a
TEENAGE GIRL.
SHARITA (CONT'D)
A child?!
The girl’s lips quiver as she attempts to say something.
HENRY
She’s about seventeen. How did she
end up here?
Henry helps the girl sit down. Her rags bear a MILITARY BADGE
with the name “ELLIS.”
SHARITA
Where did you get the military
uniform? Is that your name?
ELLIS
(very softly)
Reserve volunteer corps. I’m not a
feral.
CLAUDE
The reserve corps was annihilated a
year ago. How did you manage to
survive here?
ELLIS
The ferals helped me.
CLAUDE
To me it looked like they wanted to
devour you.
ELLIS
That’s from hunger. They’re not
bad.
GROVER
We’re leaving. Ferals are not our
concern.
Sharita and Claude follow the general. Ellis attempts to
stand on her feet, but falls. Henry stops walking.
HENRY
General, we can’t abandon her.
22.
GROVER
We aren’t a rescue group, Mister
Heidler, and it’s not up to you to
decide what we can do. I said we’re
leaving.
Henry can’t tear his eyes away from Ellis’ bloody leg and the
YELLOW RIBBON IN HER HAIR.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Dystopian","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Desperate Rescue in the Shadows
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - MORNING (FLASHBACK)
Eva (10), standing by the window, weaves a YELLOW RIBBON into
her hair. She turns her face toward us and smiles.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL – (PRESENT)
Ellis again attempts to stand up. Claude and Sharita walk
over to Henry.
CLAUDE
Mister Heidler, we’re leaving.
HENRY
How can you? She’ll be eaten here.
ELLIS
I don’t need any help.
SHARITA
We are leaving.
HENRY
Go to hell!
The soldiers seize Henry by the elbows and forcefully drag
him along. Henry breaks free. Ellis manages with great effort
to stand up, and takes a step. But her wounded leg gives way.
She falls onto one knee, scoops her knife up from the ground
and again stands on her feet. Her appearance is hideous but
impressively warlike.
HENRY (CONT'D)
You sons of bitches. She’s a mere
child!
Claude and Sharita rush Henry, but he eludes their grasp and
strikes Sharita in the back of her head with his fist. She
falls to one knee and Henry yanks her pistol out its holder.
The soldiers draw back.
23.
HENRY (CONT'D)
We’ll deliver her to the
undergrounders, that’s all. We’re
going there anyway, right? Or I’ll
shoot one of you dead.
GROVER
(with hatred)
Okay… We will take her.
(pause)
I tolerate you only because I need
you alive.
The general walks up to Henry and takes away the pistol.
GROVER (CONT'D)
But if you try any other tricks, I
will cut your hand off. Literally.
Sharita, help the soldier.
Sharita walks to the wounded girl, gives her an injection and
bandages her leg. The girl takes a step. Sharita wants to
help her, but the girl pushes her hand away.
ELLIS
I’ll manage.
GROVER
Claude, check her.
SHARITA
Dogs usually don’t attack
biorobots.
Claude scans Ellis’ eyes. The device makes a STRANGE BEEP.
Claude looks in surprise at the scanner. He shakes it and
scans her eyes again. The display shows A GREEN LIGHT. Claude
gives a thumbs-up. Limping, Ellis walks after the detachment.
Henry goes up to her and offers his shoulder to help her
walk.
ELLIS
I can walk by myself.
HENRY
Be quiet and walk.
Ellis glances quickly at Henry with heartfelt gratitude and
leans onto his shoulder. The group encounters ever more rats,
wild dogs and insects. The group approaches a recess in the
wall. A door can be seen deep inside it.
CLAUDE
It must be somewhere near here.
24.
Claude approaches the door. He attempts to open it. He
knocks.
CLAUDE (CONT'D)
Hey, open up!
He kicks the door. A beam from his flashlight accidentally
veers to one side and illuminates a HUMAN FIGURE standing
right alongside them in the dark.
CLAUDE (CONT'D)
Damn!
Everyone turns around to encounter the unblinking gaze of a
tall man in military garb, with a baseball hat planted firmly
on his head. This is underground resistance fighter ORVAL
(30). He vigorously shakes his head and looks in all
directions, as though just waking up.
ORVAL
Orval. Your geed.
CLAUDE
Guide?
ORVAL
Yes.
GROVER
Sergeant Orval? What the hell…
Without responding, Orval goes to the door, opens it and
enters.
ORVAL (O.S.)
This way. Enter. Off flashlight.
Very bright, my eye.
Everyone turns off their flashlight and follows Orval.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Tensions in the Grotto
INT. NARROW CORRIDOR - A BIT LATER
The group stumbles as they proceed in the dim light from
Orval’s small flashlight. The SQUEAKING of an unseen door is
heard.
ORVAL (O.S.)
Here. Here. Enter. Not wait.
The group enters a BLACK HOLE that has formed in the wall of
the corridor.
25.
INT. GROTTO OF THE UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE FIGHTERS - SAME
TIME
In the total darkness one hears only people BREATHING. Above,
a PAIR OF SMALL DIM BULBS FLICKERS, and we are in a large
grotto with earthen walls and ceiling. Ellis, her breathing
labored, leans against the wall. At the back of the cave
stand TWO PEOPLE IN MILITARY UNIFORMS: THE COMMANDER OF THE
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE FIGHTERS, JEYMEL (45), a stocky man
with a penetrating gaze wearing a cap like Orval’s; and BRITT
(27), a smiling woman wearing a cap with ear flaps. Squinting
at the light, she hesitantly raises her hand.
BRITT
Hi…
JEYMEL
Get down to business, Britt.
SHARITA
(sotto voce)
What - do they live with no light?
JEYMEL
(with a smile like a
scowl)
Saves on power. In five years
underground you learn a lot of
things.
GROVER
Captain Jeymel?
Jeymel walks to the detachment with a broad smile on his
face, which is very animated from a nervous tic.
JEYMEL
I am Jeymel. Yes. Captain.
(points)
Britt, Orval and me – Jeymel.
Captain Jeymel. Aha. You of course
saw our photos? Yes? Well, what
think you, not too much change?
Five years underground is no joke.
Ha, ha, ha!
(pause)
Go ahead and relax. We’re all like
family here.
Suddenly he quivers and shakes his head hysterically. For a
minute the nervous tic stops affecting his face.
26.
GROVER
So where are the others? There are
five in your group. Where are Bill
and Morgan?
JEYMEL
Well, they… are on… an assignment.
Yes.
GROVER
What do you mean assignment?! We’re
your assignment. You were sent an
order to execute a special
assignment.
JEYMEL
The order came yesterday, and the
people left a week ago.
GROVER
What do you mean a week? Why didn’t
you inform headquarters about this?
What is it with your people?
JEYMEL
Oh my, so many questions! So they
were delayed while hunting. Britt,
did you inform headquarters?
From the semidarkness appears a smiling Britt.
BRITT
Hi…
Orval seizes her by the shoulders and leads her away.
Jeymel’s face begins to jerk again.
JEYMEL
Foolish Britt. She forgot to inform
you. Yes, we’ll manage, even with
just three. Maybe we should discuss
details instead?
CLAUDE
(very softly)
Something is wrong here.
The general, Claude, and Sharita lean together.
GROVER
Relax, Claude. These are humans.
CLAUDE
Why are you so sure?
27.
SHARITA
The fact is biorobots rarely go
under the ground. Radio waves don’t
reach here, and without those, they
barely chug along.
GROVER
Headquarters scans their
biopassports. Their appearance
hasn’t changed. The main thing is
the System has zero communications
now!
CLAUDE
True, true. Without that
connection, biorobots barely move.
But, damn it, what is the matter
with these guys?
SHARITA
Try breathing this air for a year
or so and see how many marbles you
lose.
CLAUDE
I don’t trust remote scanning. They
need to be verified on site.
GROVER
Fine. For your peace of mind. Scan
them before we leave here.
Sharita walks to the undergrounders. Jeymel shakes his head,
turns around, and looks at her, as though seeing her for the
first time.
SHARITA
Prepare your people, Captain. We
leave in thirty minutes.
JEYMEL
In order to prepare people, I need
to know the details of the
operation.
The general approaches Jeymel.
GROVER
Everything you need to know was
already furnished to you, Captain.
Lay out the least dangerous path
deep into enemy territory, to the
nearest System computer. That is
your assignment.
28.
Jeymel insolently plops down in a nearby armchair.
JEYMEL
I don’t see it that way.
GROVER
What?!
JEYMEL
We’re not used to working
blindfolded.
SHARITA
What kind of liberties are you
taking, Captain?! Stand up when
speaking to a general!
JEYMEL
What do you mean - general? Hmmm…
So where is his army?
Sharita and Claude reach for their weapons.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
A general with no army is
nonsensical.
Sharita pulls out her pistol and aims at Jeymel. Claude aims
at Orval and Britt. A wild smile appears on Britt’s face and
she begins to shake, as though having an epileptic fit.
SHARITA
Stand up!
Jeymel’s face suddenly changes and he leaps up from the
armchair.
JEYMEL
Excuse me! In these underground
quarters you completely forget all
those subordinations. I understand
my assignment. Ready to execute at
your command!
GROVER
Proceed.
Jeymel goes deeper into the grotto, loudly grumbling as he
walks.
JEYMEL
Distrust is a poor traveling
companion for an expedition. Keep
that in mind.
29.
CLAUDE
We can’t go with guys like this!
GROVER
We have no alternative! We’d never
find the way ourselves. Let them at
least lead us to the border.
SHARITA
Frigging undergrounders! Have they
totally flipped?
GROVER
Hopefully not all the way.
The detachment removes its excess gear. Ellis, with parched
lips, sits by the wall. Henry proffers her a bottle of water.
She drinks thirstily.
ELLIS
Why do you help me, Henry? After
all, you don’t know me at all…
Maybe I… am bad.
HENRY
At seventeen, a person can’t be
bad.
(pause)
I have a strange feeling that I’ve
known you for a long time… Hmmm, I
suppose you remind me in some way
of my daughter…
ELLIS
You have a daughter? How old is
she? Where is she?
HENRY
She would be your age now…
ELLIS
She’s dead… Sorry.
Henry sighs deeply and sits down at the wall next to Ellis,
stretches out his legs and closes his eyes.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Promises and Doubts
INT. HENRY’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - EVENING (FLASHBACK)
Henry, his wife, and his daughter (12) are at the dinner
table.
30.
EVA
But Uncle Martin is going with his
family. So families are okay.
HENRY
That’s not the problem. It’s just
he needs support.
EVA
And you don’t need our support?
MARIETTA
Eva, leave your father alone. After
all, you know how much the
project’s presentation means to
Dad. He won’t be up to dealing with
us.
HENRY
I’ll be much more relaxed knowing
you’re at home and not huddling in
some hotel. A presentation is a
real nightmare. They would never
spare me a minute to be with you
anyway.
(to Eva)
So that’s that. If the presentation
goes smoothly, and it will, I
promise, I’ll take a one-week
vacation… two weeks! And the three
of us together will go to any place
on the planet. Your choice. A deal?
Eva’s eyes light up.
EVA
A deal… All three together?
Anywhere? Even the South Pole?
Henry smiles and nods. Marietta looks in alarm at her
daughter.
MARIETTA
Now see there, she’ll have trouble
sleeping now. Eva, for the time
being these are only plans…
HENRY
Mary, I … I know I haven’t earned
your trust, but… But this time it’s
no empty promise. If I can just
complete this project, I’ll call it
quits. I give my word.
(MORE)
31.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I’ll retire as consultant… Or
completely, and collect my pension!
MARIETTA
Pension? Ha, ha!
HENRY
This is no joke. You don’t believe
me…
MARIETTA
Of course I do.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Betrayal in the Grotto
INT. GROTTO OF THE UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE FIGHTERS - PRESENT
TIME
The undergrounders approach the detachment. Claude gets out
his scanner. The undergrounders exchange glances. Jeymel, his
face distorted by the tic, looks angrily at Claude and
crosses his arms over his chest. Britt pulls the ear flaps of
her cap down and ties their straps over her chin.
JEYMEL
And why this?
SHARITA
Because you need to shut up and
obey orders.
JEYMEL
We’ve been scanned enough. Enough
humiliation. Besides, your scanner
is pure crap. The biorobots mutate
daily and this antique might be
good enough for scanning a
general’s ass.
Claude rushes Jeymel and knocks him off his legs with a blow
to the jaws. Orval rushes Claude and the two fall to the
floor. Britt with a SAVAGE CRY rushes Claude and bites his
hand. Sharita kicks her, but Britt, like a bulldog, keeps her
jaws locked.
Sharita hits her in the face with the hilt of her pistol
until Britt, bloody and HISSING LIKE A CAT, jumps away to one
side. The general and Henry separate the combatants. Both
groups, panting, look at each other. Their hands are posed on
their weapons.
GROVER
Set aside your weapons…
(pause)
(MORE)
32.
GROVER (CONT'D)
If we all get scanned, your
feelings won’t be hurt, Captain?
(to Claude)
Begin with me, Sergeant.
Glaring fiercely at the undergrounders, Claude scans the
general’s eyes, Sharita’s, Henry’s and his own. The scanner
BLINKS WITH A GREEN LIGHT, and spells out the word “HUMAN” on
its screen. Claude walks over to Jeymel.
CLAUDE
Look me in the eyes!
Jeymel gazes with contempt at Claude. The scanner BLINKS RED,
THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNS GREEN, and, with DISTORTIONS, spells
out the word “HUMAN.” Orval takes the scanner away from
Claude and scans his own eyes – IT BLINKS RED, AND THEN
IMMEDIATELY GOES TO GREEN. He scans Britt’s eyes. A RED LIGHT
APPEARS. Orval shakes the scanner and again scans Britt. The
RED LIGHTS UP, but then is replaced by FLASHING GREEN. On the
screen, with pronounced DISTORTIONS, is the word HUMAN.
Claude takes back the scanner and looks suspiciously at the
distortions on the screen.
CLAUDE (CONT'D)
What the…
JEYMEL
I told you so - your scanner is
crap.
Sharita and the general place their hands on their weapons
and back off.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Why are you staring?! Trying to say
we’re not human just because your
piece of crap messed up?
Jeymel takes his pistol in his hand. The general, Claude and
Sharita whip out their pistols and aim them at the
undergrounders.
SHARITA
Drop the gun, you bastard!
Jeymel dispassionately turns his back to the group, aims his
pistol at the head of the smiling Britt, and shoots. Britt
falls dead. Blood spurts out from under her cap. Before the
eyes of the dumbfounded detachment, Jeymel leans over the
corpse, tears off the clothing, and cuts open her belly. He
pulls out the steaming guts and shows them to the group.
33.
JEYMEL
Biorobots don’t have guts. Take a
whiff. All natural. Now you
believe? And your scanner is crap.
It’s not designed for the eyes of
people adapted to darkness.
SHARITA
You’re a freaking bastard.
JEYMEL
There’s no pleasing you guys. She
would’ve been worthless anyway.
CLAUDE
Drop the gun!
JEYMEL
So what for? The big question has
been dealt with - there are no
biorobots here. Or you still have
doubts? You want us to check him
also?
Jeymel directs the pistol at Orval’s head, and he freezes in
fear. Jeymel laughs and tucks his pistol back under his belt.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
I was joking. Now then, shall we
begin that trip?
Claude abruptly charges at Jeymel. After knocking him over,
he TAKES AWAY HIS PISTOL. Orval voluntarily offers his weapon
to Sharita.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Wrong thing to do, punk. Unarmed,
we won’t go. Understood?!
Jeymel’s face is distorted by the nervous tic. He stands up,
grabs Orval by the hand, and prepares to walk away. Claude
and Sharita block their path.
SHARITA
You’ll go, shithead. You’re going
to beg us to take you along.
JEYMEL
Really? How’ll you arrange that?
Sharita kicks Jeymel in the belly; he falls, doubled up in
pain. She sits on his chest, slips his left arm between her
legs, seizes his hand, and spreads open the palm.
34.
Then Claude places a knife blade on his fingers and makes an
incision. Jeymel screams in pain.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
What? Ah, ah. Ah. You’re out of
your… release me, bastards!
The general keeps his gun trained at Orval. Jeymel attempts
to throw Sharita off, but Claude hits him in the jaw until
Jeymel stops resistance. Claude again grabs his hand.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Okay, okay! I’ll go. Ay, ay, ay…
Claude releases his hand and helps Sharita stand up. Orval
lifts Jeymel off the ground.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
But first you’ll give me my weapon
back and tell me the purpose of the
operation.
CLAUDE
Oooh, you louse!
Henry blocks Claude and Sharita.
HENRY
Wait!
(very softly)
Even if we force them, how you can
depend on someone whose fingers
you’ve cut off?
SHARITA
You want yours cut off?
HENRY
Look, why must something be cut
off?! Better return their pistols
than arm them with hatred of us.
True, weapons in a madman’s hands
are dangerous, but… But trusting
your life to someone who hates you
is even worse!
(pause)
At least let’s give the captain his
gun back. Listen, what he did was
not so irrational. If he hadn’t
shot Britt, we’d have concluded
they were biorobots. True or false?
A barbaric technique, but
convincing, you know.
35.
CLAUDE
You think if we return these
lunatics their weapons we’ll be
able to trust them?
HENRY
No, I don’t. But it’s the lesser of
two evils. And it means we have to
take Ellis with us.
SHARITA
The feral? Chopping these freaks’
dicks off would be better!
GROVER
Not so fast with the dick-chopping,
Sharita.
HENRY
Ellis is no feral. She spent a year
down here and survived! She knows
the territory as well as the
undergrounders and maybe better.
SHARITA
You already talked to her? How much
have you told her so far?
HENRY
I only asked if she would be able
to lead us out of the tunnels. Said
she could. We need an insurance
policy.
Sharita and Claude want to object, but the general
interrupts.
GROVER
Back off.
SHARITA
General…
GROVER
I said back off… He’s right. We
need an insurance plan. We’re
taking the soldier with us and…
Claude, return the captain pistol.
That’s an order!
Claude reluctantly walks over to Jeymel and gives him back
his pistol.
36.
JEYMEL
Changed your mind, punk?
The general walks very close to Jeymel.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Wise decision, General. One has to
trust one’s men. Of course you
could have returned Orval’s gun
too, but all right, thanks for
small favors.
GROVER
We’ll definitely talk about thank-
yous. Later. Tell us the route.
JEYMEL
Oh yes! The route. Of course.
Jeymel jerks from the nervous tic. He shakes his head and
clenches his fists, as though to get a grip of himself. Then
he slaps his pockets.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Where? Now… Now. Eh, if only I knew
the details! But I understand
secrecy is a big thing. Where oh
where is my map?
Claude tosses his watch on the ground. Above it a map
appears.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Oh you! Ha, ha. All right. Here,
from here…
Jeymel pokes his finger into the yellow circle and pulls it
upward, along the tunnels, leaving a broken line on the map.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
From here then to here. This spot
is full of ferals and dogs. We
detour around them on the right.
This is a closed zone. It’s full of
biorobots, but if we move fast,
there’s a chance of breaking
through. The tunnels leading to the
zone are walled up, except for one
going downhill. We’ll go in here.
SHARITA
The System computers are all above
ground. Why go underground?
37.
JEYMEL
Because I’m the guide here, not
some worn-out slut. Right here is a
vertical shaft. Through it we can
climb into the closed zone. Beyond
that depends on circumstances.
GROVER
No. Give us the whole route.
JEYMEL
Well, at least theoretically, it’s
a thousand feet ahead from here, to
the turn. Another two hundred feet
or so to a staircase. We walk up
and we’re there, if the biorobots
don’t interfere. They’re thicker
than flies down here. Of course,
without their communications
they’re dumber than ferals, but
when there’s a lot at once… Their
posts change often, and I don’t
know…
ELLIS
I know all their guard-posts.
Ellis stands on two feet and walks over to the people
talking.
JEYMEL
Come on now, who’s she? Ferals are
all we need. She can’t go with us!
SHARITA
Shut up. Nobody asked you.
ELLIS
We hid from the dogs here. They’re
afraid of these places. The guards
are here and here.
(pointing to the map)
We can get around them from here.
I’m sure.
Jeymel, enraged, drills his gaze into Ellis.
JEYMEL
Where did you come from, know-it-
all?! I don’t like her eyes. She’s
weird.
SHARITA
Said the pot about the kettle.
38.
GROVER
We’re leaving, Captain.
Jeymel puckers his lips and shoves Ellis vigorously while
walking to the exit. The others follow him.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Sacrifice in the Shadows
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL - A BIT LATER
The detachment proceeds cautiously through the tunnel,
passing a pile of rocks by the wall and getting near to the
fork. Ellis is closer to the pile than the others, so only
she notices two hastily covered corpses of undergrounders in
military uniforms, with cracked open cranial vaults. Ellis
glances glidingly at them and continues walking. From the
right branch comes an INDISTINCT NOISE. Ellis sniffs and
halts in her tracks. Jeymel stops the group. THE NOISE
INCREASES, morphing into CANINE UPROAR and the RUMBLING of
BIOROBOTS.
CLAUDE
Biorobots! How’d they get here?!
JEYMEL
Follow me!
Jeymel runs TOWARD THE NOISE. After brief hesitation the
group follows him.
SHARITA
What the hell are we doing?!
Facing them is a pack of dogs and, behind them, about ten
clumsy, armed biorobots. Their movements are leisurely,
clunky, absurd. Jeymel hurries to a broad cleft in the wall
and leads the detachment in. He remains outside.
JEYMEL
I’ll sidetrack them. We’ll meet at
the shaft.
Jeymel pulls Claude out of the cleft.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
One pistol’s not gonna be enough.
The general nods. Claude runs, following Jeymel. The dogs are
extremely near now. We see Jeymel and Claude run out of the
right branch, with us alongside, then leap into the left
branch. The dogs keep running straight, but the robots rush
toward Jeymel and Claude.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Hit the ground!
39.
Claude drops and waits motionless. Jeymel turns to face the
biorobots and, jumping from side to side, shoots at them. The
robots return fire but inaccurately; they only wound Jeymel
in the left arm. The robots walk past Claude, then he leaps
up and manages to shoot down three of them. Jeymel’s shots
hit two, but two others attack him, and the three remaining
attack Claude. While falling, Jeymel shoots and kills his
attackers, but one of his bullets hits Claude’s leg. Claude
falls, after first fatally shooting two attackers, but a
third bites him in the shoulder, leaving an enormous wound.
Jeymel stands up and unhurriedly aims at the biorobot, which
bites Claude a second time, after which Jeymel shoots and
kills the biorobot with a head shot. He walks up to the
mortally wounded Claude, takes off his own jacket and places
it under Claude’s head.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
You had rotten luck. Don’t worry.
I’ll take your place, though they
don’t trust me… Hey, I know about
the key.
Claude shivers. Jeymel is gladdened by this reaction. He
unceremoniously rummages through Claude’s pockets.
CLAUDE
You know nothing. Get off of me,
you reptile.
JEYMEL
Don’t play dumb. Why did our
enemies suddenly become paralyzed?
Any horse’s ass could connect those
dots. So, just as I thought, you
don’t have the key. Otherwise, they
wouldn’t have let you join me.
Right? Hey, we are one team. But if
I don’t know who to watch out for,
how can I help? Tell me who’s
carrying the key. Who should I give
special protection?
CLAUDE
Take care of… The general has his
eye on…
JEYMEL
What? On who? Who is the general
protecting?
CLAUDE
On… On your ass… Protect it.
Claude dies. Jeymel takes his pistol and leaves.
40.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Hope Amidst the Shadows
INT. THE CLEFT IN THE RIGHT BRANCH OF THE TUNNEL – SAME TIME
The detachment stands in the cramped cleft with bated breath.
In the depths of the cleft are Henry and a pale Ellis, her
bandages all burgundy red from blood.
ELLIS
What was your daughter’s name?
HENRY
Eva.
ELLIS
Eva. A beautiful name… How did it
happen? Were you there?
HENRY
No. I was at a presentation when
the war began. Our town was
surrounded and… was wiped out…
ELLIS
If you weren’t there, if you didn’t
see with your own eyes… Why are you
sure they all died? Maybe they’re
still alive and searching for you?
Grownups believe only the bad.
That’s wrong. One must believe in
the good. I believe that my father
is still alive and I will be sure
to see him. Do the same. Then they
will be alive. Just wait and see!
Henry smiles sadly. The general and Orval look out of the
cleft.
GROVER
We’re going to the shaft.
The detachment emerges from the cleft and runs after Orval.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Tensions in the Tunnel
INT. THE SHAFT AT THE INTERSECTION OF TUNNELS - A BIT LATER
The detachment nears the intersection of the tunnels, where
one can see the hatch door of a shaft. Ellis stops and peers
into the tunnel on the left. RUSTLING SOUNDS come from that
direction and a limping, bloodied Jeymel appears.
SHARITA
Where’s Claude?
JEYMEL
He perished.
41.
SHARITA
Lying son of a bitch.
Jeymel stumbles, falls and loses consciousness. Orval
bandages his wound, gives him an injection, and revives him.
JEYMEL
Sorry, slut, my fault. Those
creatures have become nimbler. He
fought worthily. I miss him.
GROVER
It’s early for casualties somehow.
JEYMEL
Don’t fear, General, we won’t let
you down. Claude began to confide
in me when he saw me fight. He told
me about the key. Because he
believed me.
SHARITA
You lie! He told you nothing!
JEYMEL
Ha, ha! So then, how do I know
about the key?
Henry approaches Sharita and speaks to her softly.
HENRY
Say nothing. Neither deny nor
confirm.
From behind Jeymel’s back, from the depths of the tunnel,
comes a CAWING, CROAKING NOISE. Ellis takes Henry’s hand.
ELLIS
Biorobots.
Orval trembles and shakes his head violently, as though
waking himself up. Then he rushes to the shaft and opens the
hatch door, but freezes for a second, his mouth open.
ORVAL
(uncertainly)
Willkommen to…
Orval rapidly climbs down into the shaft. Unable to suppress
a chuckle, Sharita grabs Henry by the hand and climbs into
the shaft with him. In the depths of the tunnel the biorobots
appear. Jeymel’s face is distorted by an assortment of
nervous grimaces. He rushes to the shaft, pushing aside
Ellis, who falls, but letting the general pass.
42.
Then he climbs in himself. Ellis goes in last, managing in
time to bolt the hatch door right under the noses of the
biorobots. The hatch door CREAKS FOREBODINGLY under the
impact of the enemy assault.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
The Descent into Darkness
INT. THE SHAFT - A BIT LATER
The group descends through the wide shaft, grabbing metal
hooks affixed to the concrete siding. From above come
Jeymel’s STRAINED BREATHING and the CREAKING OF THE HATCH
BOLT. The hooks end at an entrance to a tunnel leading out of
the shaft. Orval jumps into the entrance.
Below, fifteen feet from the entrance, one can see the bottom
of the shaft, teeming with gigantic rats. Sharita jumps into
the tunnel and extends her hand to Henry, who seizes her hand
and extends himself to the edge of the tunnel with his foot.
Unexpectedly Jeymel steps on the general’s hand. The general
loses his grip, knocks Henry and Sharita down and all three
fall to the bottom of the shaft. Immediately the frenzied
rats attack them.
JEYMEL
Damn!
Jeymel descends to the final hook and stretches his hand
downward, but his arm is too short. He jumps down. Using
their knives, all four strenuously battle the ever-increasing
numbers of rats emerging from numerous holes in the wall of
the shaft.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Get on my shoulders!
Jeymel valiantly plants his head and hands in the bricks.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Come on, damn you! Who’s first?
SHARITA AND GROVER
Henry!
Sharita clambers onto Jeymel’s shoulders and stretches her
arm to Henry, who leaps up onto Jeymel’s back. Then Henry
scrambles onto Sharita’s shoulders and from there manages to
reach the hands of Orval and Ellis, who drag him out of the
shaft. The general follows Henry. Jeymel is bathed in blood
and crawling from head to toe with rats. He HOLLERS, but
maintains position. The general makes it to the shaft exit
and, clinging to the arms of Orval and Ellis, yells to
Sharita.
43.
GROVER
Use my legs!
Sharita seizes the general by the legs and yells to Jeymel.
SHARITA
Come up!
JEYMEL
It’s no use, damn it! Out, dammit!
SHARITA
Come on, we’re not gonna abandon
you!
JEYMEL
Just crawl, you slut! Crawl!
Sharita clambers up the body of the general, emerges from the
shaft. Then they pull the general out by his hands. Everyone
looks down in horror at the teeming mass of frenzied rats,
from which ONE HEARS JEYMEL’S RASPING MOANS. But then, out of
the sea of rats, blood-soaked hands appear. The fingers dig
into the cracks between the bricks, and Jeymel, all covered
with rats and ROARING, begins to climb up. The rats slough
off and fly down.
GROVER
Damn…
Jeymel reaches the exit, seizes Sharita’s hands, and, digging
into the bricks with the toes of his boots, goes up the wall
step by step. Meanwhile, at the top of the shaft the bolt is
breaking and the shaft entry cover is cracking open. Jeymel
digs into the edge of the exit with his left knee, but loses
his balance. To keep from falling backward, he yanks Sharita
onto himself. Sharita flies down into the shaft and Jeymel
collapses into the tunnel. From below COMES THE IMPACT AND
CRUNCHING SOUND of a broken neck. The blood-soaked Jeymel
falls unconscious at the feet of the detachment.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Son of a bitch…
ORVAL
No! No! Bad thing happen.
GROVER
He deliberately…
ORVAL
No true you say. Commander save
all. He save. Ich bin hero.
44.
From above comes the BUSTLING SOUND of descending biorobots.
One of them loses his grip and falls to the bottom, but the
rats avoid his body and gnaw only at Sharita. Orval hoists
Jeymel onto his shoulders and the detachment runs deep into
the tunnel.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Sacrifice in the Shadows
INT. TUNNEL, LEADING TO THE HOISTWAY - A BIT LATER
The general and Orval drag Jeymel, who is bleeding out, on
jackets tied together. Henry and Ellis hurry after them,
constantly looking back toward the SOUNDS OF APPROACHING
PURSUERS. From the front of the tunnel COME THE
CHARACTERISTIC CROAKING NOISES
ORVAL
Hoistway! Me see hoistway!
In front appears the hoistway of a freight elevator that
pierces the tunnel from above and below. From behind and from
in front of the tunnel, out of the darkness, emerge rows of
biorobots. The detachment runs toward the hoistway, firing at
the enemy on the run. The general and Orval take position at
the hoistway from both ends, covering the others with
gunfire. Henry and Ellis begin to climb up the metal girders.
Jeymel comes to. He stands up with a great exertion, and
joins in the shooting match.
JEYMEL
General, your ass is more important
than mine. Move it! I’ll delay
them.
The general climbs up after Henry. Orval LETS OUT A SCREAM
and falls to his knees. On his chest, a red spot swells and
expands. He shakes his head in convulsions.
ORVAL
Me stay, commandman.
JEYMEL
Farewell, my faithful friend!
Jeymel ostentatiously hugs and kisses Orval, then climbs
upward through the hoistway. The biorobots rapidly approach.
Orval empties his last cartridge. The biorobots knock him to
the ground and begin to tear him to pieces. Orval becomes
glassy-eyed, apparently feeling no pain.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Descent into Danger
INT. ELEVATOR HOISTWAY - A BIT LATER
The group climbs up through the hoistway. Ellis drops
flashlight. It flies downward for a long time.
45.
The hoistway is bottomless. From below COME THE CLANGING
SOUNDS of the climbing biorobots, then a CRY from Jeymel,
DULL THUDS and then THE GUTTURAL SOUNDS of falling biorobots.
JEYMEL
Get a move on! Faster! I can’t hold
‘em off.
SHOTS ARE HEARD FROM BELOW. One bullet, grazing the general’s
leg, breaks the map-watch on his belt.
GROVER
Damn, the map…
Overcoming his pain, he continues to clamber upward, where
light from a tunnel is already glimmering.
INT. TUNNEL OF THE CLOSED ZONE – ONE MINUTE LATER
The tunnel of the closed zone is more brightly illuminated.
Along its walls run multitudinous conduits and cables. The
detachment climbs out of the hoistway, from which the hands
of the biorobots are already outstretched. Henry shoots them
in the head. The general attaches an explosive to a hoistway
girder. Everyone runs deeper into the tunnel. AN EXPLOSION
ROARS. Pieces of the girder fly downward, along with remnants
of concrete and biorobots. A SIREN SOUNDS. Jeymel leads the
group to the left branch.
ELLIS
Stop! They have a guard-post there.
JEYMEL
Shut up, little bitch! General,
we’ll break through. They’re not
expecting us…
ELLIS
Yes, they are expecting us! We have
to wait them out, and I know where.
We did this many times.
The general and Henry pause, undecided.
JEYMEL
Don’t listen to her! She will get
us all killed!
ELLIS
(on the verge of weeping)
You’ll kill us! I know things you
don’t! We’ll hide till they’re
gone. It will work.
46.
From the left branch come LOUD CLANGING SOUNDS. The general
agrees with Ellis. Jeymel spits in disgust and runs after
them. In front appears an intersection with another tunnel.
And to the right of the detachment, an enormous recess in the
wall.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Here!
Everyone climbs into the recess. Ellis is the last to go in.
She picks up a broken board and uses it to conceal the entry
at the last moment before the biorobots appear.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
A Moment of Hope in Darkness
INT. THE SECRET REFUGE OF ELLIS – A MINUTE LATER
In complete darkness the group passes though the recess and
deeper into the wall. The flashlights come on and we see that
the people are in an enormous space with massive concrete
columns and a low ceiling, where they must bend to stand.
They perk their ears but there are no sounds.
GROVER
Looks like we lost them.
INT. TUNNEL NEAR ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – SAME TIME
The biorobots aimlessly wander through the tunnel. One
approaches the board and looks at it, then turns and leaves.
INT. ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY - ONE MINUTE LATER
The detachment surveys the space.
ELLIS
Here we hid from the dogs a hundred
times and were never found. The
biorobots are blockheads. This is
our country house. It’s safe here.
JEYMEL
Smug little thing. You weren’t
found because no one was searching.
It’s totally different now!
The general unclips the damaged watch-map from his belt and
tosses it onto the ground.
GROVER
We have no map. Ellis, what kind of
place is this? Is there another
exit here?
47.
Ellis shakes her head.
JEYMEL
Excellent! We’re trapped. Thanks to
this frigging guide, damn it!
ELLIS
Soon they’ll disperse. And we’ll
walk out of here. That’s what we
used to do…
JEYMEL
I heard, so I heard! A hundred
times! Because no one was looking
for you, nitwit! Only now they are
looking for us and won’t rest till
they find our asses!
GROVER
Relax, Captain. Hopefully they
won’t find us here… Not right away.
To break free we’ll need strength,
so a breather is in order. We’ll
rest until the noise dies down,
then break out.
Jeymel’s body jerks from his tic and his indignation. But
Ellis is noticeably heartened by the general’s words. The
general, his breathing labored and his face pale, sits down
by the wall and pulls a bandage onto his wound.
ELLIS
Do you want some tea?
The men glance at Ellis in annoyed bewilderment.
JEYMEL
What the hell do you mean, tea?
ELLIS
While we are resting…
GROVER
While resting we’d do better to
search for another exit.
ELLIS
No, there’s no other exit… This is
our country house.
JEYMEL
Here’s what, little bitch –
scramble into your country house
and gulp your own tea. Got it?!
48.
Ellis steps back, an upset expression on her face.
ELLIS
I just wanted to do something nice
for…
Ellis’ voice breaks and she stops.
JEYMEL
Take your nice and shove it…
HENRY
I do want some…
Ellis looks gratefully at Henry.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Yes. Why not some tea? Right?
ELLIS
Here, you’ll see, you’ll like it.
Come along with me.
Henry follows Ellis deeper into the room. There, among
plastic boxes, is an alcohol stove with a cup on top; and in
a nook in the wall, a makeshift cupboard with grimy old rags.
Her pride unconcealed, Ellis invites Henry with a gesture.
She lights the stove, makes tea, and hands him a cup.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Neat, isn’t it?! Here we are,
drinking tea right under the noses
of those blockheads.
Ellis giggles merrily as she takes a seat on one of the
boxes. Henry sits facing her.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
You know, I don’t fear the robots
at all. Wait and see, we’ll make it
out of here. We can’t be killed.
Because it’s wrong. I believe that
we’ll win and I’ll meet my father.
You too! Believe!
HENRY
I believe. You will certainly meet
him! You must love him a great
deal. What does he do?
49.
ELLIS
Nothing. He’s a retired soldier.
All day long he drinks with his
friends in a bar, and at home he
sleeps.
HENRY
Yes?
ELLIS
I have nobody except for my father.
But I know that he loves me. Deep
down in his soul. He is stern and
would never say it. He doesn’t talk
much at all. Only when he drinks.
Before sleeping, he’d tell stories
about his service. I enjoyed those
moments so much… And now I’m
military. Now I’ll be able to hold
up my end of the conversation.
HENRY
Did you go into the military on
account of your father?
Lost in thought, Ellis says nothing.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
The Silent Standoff
INT. TUNNEL BY ENTRY TO THE HIDEAWAY - SAME TIME
Like bees, the biorobots form groups whose members maintain
physical contact with one another, clustering and forming a
collective brain. Their eyes and extremities tremble during
information exchange and processing. One detaches himself
from the swarm to pursue the fleeing humans, but his motions
are now more confident and rational. He walks up to the
board.
INT. ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – SAME TIME
The general sits with his eyes closed, leaning against the
wall, and Jeymel explores the space.
JEYMEL
There’s no other exit.
(pause)
General, maybe now’s time to show
your cards? Especially since I know
anyway. Henry has the key. Aha?
Otherwise why fuss over him like
the crown jewels?
50.
GROVER
(eyes still closed)
There’s no key…
Jeymel leans over to the general with a ferocious expression.
JEYMEL
Enough already! There’s a line of
guards a mile long between here and
our next destination. You won’t get
through! I want to help!
From the recess COME RUSTLING SOUNDS. Jeymel trembles and
shakes his head; his ears perk up. Henry and Ellis approach.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Tension in the Tunnel
INT. TUNNEL BY THE ENTRY TO ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – SAME TIME
A swarm of biorobots oozes closer to the board that covers
the recess.
INT. ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – ONE MINUTE LATER
Jeymel peers deep into the recess.
JEYMEL
There’s a crowd by the entry… If
we’re going to make a run for it,
let’s go now, before they figure
out we’re here.
HENRY
Wait. I think I know where we are.
This is a foundation…
JEYMEL
Whaddaya mean foundation?! Above us
there’s at least a hundred feet of
dirt!
HENRY
Massive buildings have deep
foundations. Basement, garage…
JEYMEL
These are reinforcements against
underground water! General, we have
to clear out. If they figure out
we’re here, it’ll be too late!
Either now or we’re done for.
51.
GROVER
(to Henry)
I’m afraid he’s right…
The general draws his pistol, preparing to break out.
ELLIS
Wait, what if Henry is right?
JEYMEL
Shut your trap, little bitch! You
already did your part.
Jeymel strikes Ellis. She falls, and he aims his pistol at
her. Henry attacks Jeymel. The general tries to separate
them.
Genres:
["Action","Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Revelations in the Tunnel
INT. TUNNEL BY ENTRY TO ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY - SAME TIME
One of the biorobots takes the board and shoves it aside. The
group oscillates, controlling his movements. The biorobot
fetches a portable flamethrower from behind his back and
climbs into the recess with it.
INT. ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – ONE MINUTE LATER
The general separates the combatants. From the opening of the
recess COMES A LOUD NOISE.
JEYMEL
Job well done, scientist. We’re too
late. This fricking country house
has been discovered.
Everyone points their pistols toward the opening. SOUNDS from
there grow even louder. The group opens fire, but A POWERFUL
FLAME bursts in, filling the whole space. The humans fall to
the floor. Aflame, the general manages to squeeze his way out
and lobs an explosive into the opening. AN EXPLOSION RUMBLES.
Part of the wall and ceiling collapse, filling the opening
and extinguishing the flames. All around are clouds of dust.
Henry, Ellis and the blood-soaked general extricate
themselves from underneath the debris. Henry discovers by the
entry Jeymel’s unbreathing body. Jeymel’s cap is aflame.
Henry yanks the top of the cap in an unsuccessful attempt to
remove it, and we see that the RIM OF THE CAP IS SEWN to
Jeymel’s head.
HENRY
It’s sewn on…
52.
Henry brushes the flame away with his hand. The burnt fabric
crumbles and underneath it appears an EXPOSED BRAIN, with a
metal box in the middle of it among a cobweb of thin wires.
Henry jerks his hand away, dumbfounded.
HENRY (CONT'D)
What the hell!?
ELLIS
I thought they were only a legend
of the ferals. Cyberzombies, the
System’s latest invention.
GROVER
So that’s how it is. Son of a… How
long ago did they succeed in
zombifying them?
HENRY
Judging by the crude workmanship…
These caps… They worked hastily.
They were running out of time. They
managed to zombify three of the
five undergrounders. So, not long
before our arrival.
The dust all around is dispersing and we notice a red
flashing light coming from above, from a hole in the ceiling.
We look upward and into the hole, and see beyond it part of a
basement room, flooded by a sprinkler system.
GROVER
A building. You were right, dammit!
It’s the System’s building!
The general, overcoming his pain, stands up on two feet and
approaches Jeymel’s body.
GROVER (CONT'D)
You didn’t achieve diddly squat,
you freak!
He shoots into Jeymel’s corpse, emptying his whole cartridge
clip.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Well, which of us is smarter, huh?
Henry examines Jeymel’s brain.
HENRY
An artificial intelligence block
was wired into the living brain.
(MORE)
53.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Connection to the System not
required – and a scanner will say
HUMAN. An elegant solution…
The general breathes laboriously, pressing his hand over the
wound on his abdomen.
HENRY (CONT'D)
How are you, General?
GROVER
No need to worry. I’ll be able to
walk. This is the System’s
building. We’ve almost reached our
goal. Onward. We have little time.
Henry and Ellis climb into the hole and pull the general
upward. From below WE HEAR THE NOISE of the obstruction being
cleared away. The three humans race to the steps leading
upward.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Descent into Darkness
INT. ELLIS’ HIDEAWAY – ONE MINUTE LATER
The biorobots come out from underneath the debris and gather
in front of Jeymel’s body
INT. BY THE ENTRY TO THE COORDINATION CENTER - SAME TIME
The detachment stands on a vacant lot near the armored door,
slightly ajar, of a massive, windowless concrete building
reminiscent of a weapons emplacement. The door bears a sign
reading COORDINATION CENTER. From a stairwell in the ground
ASCENDS THE ROAR of biorobots. The general pushes the door
and all three enter cautiously.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER – SAME TIME
The three stand in a large, dusty room with a multitude of
tables, monitors, armchairs and technical trash on the floor.
There is a huge computer in the center with a fat cable
stretching from it to the wall. The general pulls the handle
of the door lock, and a complex system of bars blocks the
door tightly.
HENRY
The computer… Don’t tell me we…
Beyond the door, the TAPPING OF FEET is heard, followed by a
DULL BLOW at the door.
54.
GROVER
It’s all true. The System’s
computer.
ELLIS
Have we won?
GROVER
Shut up or I’ll shoot you.
The general aims his pistol at Ellis and she retreats to the
wall.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Stand there and remain silent.
(to Henry)
Turn on the computer!
Henry turns on the computer, fetches the READOUT DEVICE from
his pocket, puts it on his head, connects the cable of the
computer to his head, and sits in the armchair opposite.
Blows at the door alternate with INDISTINCT NOISE. The
computer monitor shows the message COMPATIBLE INTERFACE
DISCOVERED.
And then, the process indicator for identification of the key
shows 50%. CLICKS ARE HEARD and the bolt mechanism GOES INTO
MOTION. The general and Ellis rush to the door, trying to
restrain it with their hands. The identification process
reads 60%.
The general and Ellis are not strong enough. The door opens.
The biorobots storm into the room. The general kills five,
but his cartridges are spent and the last two biorobots knock
all the humans off their feet and pin them to the floor. The
identification process is interrupted at 70%.
JEYMEL ENTERS THE ROOM. His appearance is HORRIFYING. On the
frame of the singed rim of his cap, in the center of his
exposed brain, sits the metal box, hastily fastened with
electrical tape from his chin to the top of his head. This
dead man’s face is frozen in a grimace. His tattered jacket
barely conceals the BLOODY FRANKENSTEIN-LIKE SCARS on his
torso. He tears the cable out of the computer along with the
rear panel. His face is twisted by the convulsions of his
nervous tic, but his blackened lips stretch open in a smile.
JEYMEL
It seems I’m in time.
(pause)
The funny thing is, I became
friends with all of you. Yeah - the
general, the scientist, even her.
Although you’re a weird one.
(MORE)
55.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Hey, no need to eyeball me like
that! Of course, I don’t look
great. The general tried hard; he
didn’t mind emptying a whole clip.
He didn’t consider one thing -
medical progress. So now, were you
thinking that killing was all I
knew? Wrong. You have no reason to
doubt me. Look at yourselves. After
all, you’re alive. So - why? That’s
right.
Jeymel shakes his head, lifts up an overturned armchair and
sits down. He holds two pistols in his hands.
He gives a signal. The guards release the humans and exit the
room, closing the door behind them.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
There you see.
The people rise onto their feet. Jeymel makes a broad
gesture.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Well? After all, you know what I’m
after. Give me back the key and
you’re free. I don’t need you.
Shake on it? I don’t plan to
annihilate anyone. The war ended
long ago and I love people. Who has
the key?
(pause)
Ah, that’s the problem. You don’t
believe me. So what must I do to
finally earn your trust, dammit?!
Jeymel extends a pistol to the general.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Take it! I entrust my life to you.
Come on. Here’s one cartridge. If
something’s not to your liking,
empty it into my head.
The general takes the pistol. He pulls out the cartridge.
After weighing it in his hand, he re-inserts it and draws the
firing pin.
JEYMEL tucks his second pistol to his waist. The general aims
the pistol at his head. Jeymel frowns, grimaces, and draws
his head into his shoulders.
56.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Maybe we can talk first? Why get
hot-headed? Hey, after all I…
The general unexpectedly aims the pistol at Henry’s head.
GROVER
Don’t hold it against me, but now’s
the time to keep my promise.
AN EMPTY CLICK IS HEARD. The general, befuddled, clicks again
several times. There is no shot. Jeymel smiles broadly.
JEYMEL
The cartridge is fine. The firing
pin is broken. Now then, thank you
for your collaboration, General.
You just cleared everything up for
me. Ha, ha, ha! So - which of us is
smarter? Although that question
doesn’t bother me.
Jeymel fires several times at the general, who falls. Jeymel
then immediately takes aim at Henry and Ellis.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
So, you recorded the key in your
head? Elegant solution, Mister
Heidler.
Ellis takes Henry’s hand.
HENRY
You won’t be able to get the key.
You won’t be able to force me.
JEYMEL
So what? You think I won’t be able
to live without the key? You know
why I want it? To fight? Don’t make
me laugh. The fighting ended long
ago! The key is needed to save
energy, nothing more. And that
means saving the environment,
saving people’s lives. Those who
remain. And quite a few of you are
left. Even too many… But I’m not
against a civilian population.
Live!
Jeymel opens the door and into the room walk two biorobots.
They gather the remnants of the cut wires from the floor and
tie Henry and Ellis to armchairs. They place a helmet on
Henry’s head.
57.
Alongside they place a READOUT DEVICE with a monitor, and on
a table they lay out metalworking tools. The monitor lights
up and displays the words COMPATIBLE INTERFACE DISCOVERED and
then ACCESS DENIED.
HENRY
You of course know you can’t get
anything through torture.
JEYMEL
That depends on who is tortured. If
it’s you, true, but if it’s her?
What could be more sincere than the
desire to spare a person dear to
you from torture?
HENRY
No! To the contrary. That would
elicit disgust and hatred, but not
a desire to share. You are
mistaken…
JEYMEL
It’s worth a try. What do I stand
to lose? As they say, it never
hurts to try.
One of the biorobots walks up to the desk and begins to run
its fingers over the tools. Ellis tenses up and tries to
stand up from the chair.
HENRY
This is senseless! Don’t touch her.
Listen, the key is in my
subconscious. I don’t control
access to it.
A biorobot takes some pincers and uses them to cut a steel
wire.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Damn you to hell! Stop. Here, look,
I want to share. Let’s go. Take it.
Well? What do you see?
On the screen is the same message - ACCESS DENIED.
JEYMEL
So what can I do?! Without the key
I am wasting time. Time which I
value, unlike you, because I
understand the instability of this
world. It’s your tribe that lives
for today.
58.
HENRY
The subconscious is instincts.
They’re uncontrollable. For them to
open up, you would have to convince
me. I must believe that there will
be no genocide.
JEYMEL
(yells in fury)
Genocide was never my goal! What
gave you that idea? I was merely
decreasing the head count of your
species - of its most dangerous
part.
(abruptly softening his
tone)
What’s more, your species will be
preserved and even improved. We
will breed a strong and hardy race.
You now are impotent and physically
weak. You are born already
suffering from an assortment of
diseases, and everybody needs
surgical or genetic correction.
Your bodies, like pin cushions, are
crammed full of implants. You are
completely defenseless without an
artificial environment. I am your
defender! It’s without me that you
will die like flies! Understood?!
The biorobot walks over to Ellis, opens the pincers and
grazes the edge of a wound on her leg. Henry is breathless.
Ellis catches Henry’s glance, and brings herself under
control, gritting her teeth.
ELLIS
Don’t be afraid for my sake. I’ll
pull through.
The biorobot squeezes the pincer and ripping out a chunk of
flesh. Ellis, through strength of will, RESTRAINS HER CRY,
which turns into a DULL MOAN. Jeymel peers deeply into Ellis’
fearless eyes. The pincers once again DIG INTO her wound.
JEYMEL
You’re not such a simple one.
HENRY
Stop, you bastard! Stop!
ELLIS
(semi-delirious)
I’ll make it… I’ll make it…
59.
The biorobot tears off another piece. Blood gushes from the
wound. Ellis, semiconscious, continuously repeats the same
phrase. Henry’s body is TENSED TO ITS MAXIMUM. From his eyes
FLOW TEARS. His consciousness is clouded for a moment.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Dystopian"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
A Father's Inspiration
INT. EVA’S BEDROOM – EVENING (FLASHBACK)
On the bed lies Eva (12) wrapped in a blanket. She is sick.
Alongside, on a chair, in street clothing, sits Henry. He
holds his daughter’s hand.
EVA
Papa, I’ll make it. Mom is with me.
Nowadays leukemia can be treated.
I’ll be released the day after.
HENRY
I know. It’s just that I don’t want
to go on that trip right yet.
EVA
Your invention is the greatest
discovery of the century. No one
but you would be able to bring off
the presentation. You have to be at
that exposition.
HENRY
I’ll tell you a secret. To you
only. You know why all this was
possible? Thanks to you.
Eva’s eyebrows rise in surprise.
HENRY (CONT'D)
No, no I’m not joking! You see,
while trying to understand the
nature of consciousness, its depth
and essence, I couldn’t help
thinking about you. How you would
have done this or the other thing.
Why? What moves you? What you love
or don’t love. You were always at
my side, sight unseen, and answered
all my questions.
EVA
How strange; I also talk to you
when you’re not around. Daddy,
there must be some kind of
communication channel between us,
if we can communicate at a
distance.
60.
With a guilty smile, Henry nods. Eva closes her eyes and
presses her cheek to the palm of his hand.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Chaos in the Coordination Center
INT. COORDINATION CENTER – SAME TIME
The biorobot flings the pincers onto the floor. He takes a
hammer from the desk and heads toward Ellis.
Henry regains consciousness and in his fury, still tied to
the chair, he lunges toward Jeymel. In his fall, he bangs
Jeymel in the chest with his head. Jeymel falls off his
chair, and the box falls off of his head. He loses
coordination, and with a strenuous effort rises to his knees.
He fails in all his attempts to recover the box, dangling
from its wires
The biorobots immediately become clumsy. Frog-like, Henry
leaps at them with the chair still attached to him. He knocks
them off their feet. Falling on his side, he grabs the
pincers off the floor. Pushing himself away from the floor
with his forehead, he stands on his feet. Adjusting himself,
he cuts the wires on Ellis’ hands with the pincers.
The door lock starts to move.
Henry again KNOCKS down the biorobots who are beginning to
stand up. Ellis grabs the hammer from the floor, hits them on
the head and, immediately thereafter, leaps to the door and
FORCEFULLY BEATS AT THE LOCK until it becomes stuck
Jeymel catches the dangling box, attaches it back to his
brain, and seizes a pistol from the floor. Ellis, noticing
this, dislodges a GRENADE from the belt of the prostrate
general, pulls the linchpin and lobs it at Jeymel. An
EXPLOSION THUNDERS, tearing Jeymel wide open at the waist,
but he doesn’t perish. He seizes a piece of wire from the
floor, uses it to bind his terrifying wound, and stanches the
bleeding. Then, pistol in hand, he crawls away to the wall,
leaving behind on the floor a BROAD BLOODY STAIN.
The wounded Ellis frees Henry. Utterly at the end of their
strength, both hide from Jeymel behind one of the office
desks.
Situating himself in a corner of the room. Jeymel gives
himself an injection in the arm. He removes his jacket and
wraps his wound with it, holding back his internal organs,
which are pouring out.
JEYMEL
I underestimated you. You are no
simple little girl.
61.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Healing Conversations
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, HENRY’S DESK – A BIT LATER
Ellis lies on her back. Henry sits alongside. He gets a
bandage from his pocket and tapes up the wound on her
shoulder and leg. Ellis attempts to stand, but Henry
restrains her.
ELLIS
We’ll handle this, right? After
all, we made it to the destination,
and we only have a tiny little bit
left to take care of?
HENRY
Yes! Of course we’ll make it! It’s
just that broken panel... But don’t
worry, I’ll think of something.
ELLIS
But I’m not worried. I know who you
are. You’re that genius scientist.
You’ll think up something.
Henry nods with a sad ironic smile.
HENRY
A genius… who destroyed the world.
ELLIS
No… No. No! Only fools think that
way. The world was destroyed by
lack of understanding.
Imperfection. This world is too
complex, and getting through it
without mistakes is impossible,
but… one has to get through. We
had, and will have, no other path.
Henry looks at Ellis in surprise.
HENRY
How…? It’s strange to hear such
reasoning from a seventeen-year-old
girl. Thank you. You are the only
person to have advocated on my
behalf, but even I cannot agree
with you.
ELLIS
Why? You blame yourself for the
death of your loved ones? But that
is not right!
62.
HENRY
I created a monster that killed
civilization and my own family.
ELLIS
You created an intelligence in the
image and likeness of human beings,
and it’s not your fault that your
prototype harbored an inner
monster. It’s just that people have
learned to control it, but you
know, not even we have always
succeeded, true? Our entire history
is bathed in blood. This war is
merely a reflection of our past.
Henry looks closely at Ellis’ eyes.
HENRY
Your reasoning is not at all that
of a child. Where did you read all
that?
ELLIS
(with an ingenuous smile)
In my ninth-grade history textbook.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Psychological Warfare in the Coordination Center
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel is feeling better. He gives himself a second
injection. Out from behind the entrance door COME A METALLIC
GNASHING SOUND AND BLOWS.
JEYMEL
You won’t be able to break out of
here. Soon they’ll break the door
down. You’ve lost. Accept that fact
and you’ll stay alive.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, HENRY’S DESK – SAME TIME
Henry peeks out from behind the desk, then returns.
HENRY
There are tools on that table. We
need a screwdriver and pliers.
Ellis nods. They proceed stealthily to the table on all
fours, find what they need, and crawl toward the computer.
63.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel perks up his ears at a NOISE FROM THE COMPUTER AREA.
He drops onto his side, crawls to a desk and looks out from a
corner. His view of the computer is obstructed by several
armchairs, though some movement behind them can be discerned.
JEYMEL
Ah, you decided to connect the
cable? You’re getting nowhere. The
panel’s broken there.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry and Ellis find the broken pieces of the panel on the
floor. TWO SHOTS RING OUT, but the bullets land in chairs.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel throws away his spent pistol. NOISE from beyond the
door BECOMES LOUDER.
JEYMEL
You won’t pull it off. Hear me,
Henry? You’re on a fool’s errand. A
waste of time. If I were you, I’d
take a closer look at her. Can’t
you see it? That girl’s not what
she claims to be.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry straightens the bent half of the panel, then joins the
pieces of the panel and fastens them together with little
bolts.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
There’s something wrong about her.
That look. That self-control. The
girl is not simple.
From outside THE GNASHING SOUNDS INTENSIFY.
ELLIS
I’m sure you know what to do, but…
just in case, if things don’t go
right, do we have a back-up plan?
Henry acts as though he hasn’t heard the question. He screws
the panel to the computer, stealing a quick look at Ellis.
The entrance door VIBRATES FROM DULL BLOWS.
64.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Henry, do you really believe
meeting her was an accident? What
did she tell you? She survived the
war, then contrived to stay alive
underground? Amid wild dogs, hordes
of rats, and ferals? She’s not a
soldier, Henry. I remember every
soldier’s face.
ELLIS
In military school we were taught
there must be a plan in case the
main plan fails.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
I can’t believe this question never
occurred to you. When she was
tortured, oh yes, she suffered
impeccably, but you didn’t see her
eyes, Henry! I did. You missed a
lot! Eyes that know no fear.
Henry’s hand slips and he drops the screwdriver. Ellis picks
it up and hands it to Henry.
ELLIS
He wants to sow division. I’m not a
bad person. Just don’t worry. I’ll
be able to help.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Action","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
Desperate Revelations
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel is sitting down, propped against the wall, so weak
that even his nervous tic is less pronounced. But his eyes
are burning.
JEYMEL
She’s not a biorobot and not a
cyberzombie. I won’t lie… But what?
(pause)
(to Ellis)
You said you were in those tunnels
hundreds of times. A lie! You were
flagged by the guards one time
only. I should know. It was the day
before you ran into the detachment.
And I think I know what you were up
to here - preparing that
hideaway... That’s what!
Jeymel drops onto his side and attempts to crawl to the
biorobot prostrate by the door.
65.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry is screwing in the panel and pauses for a moment. Ellis
looks at him apprehensively.
ELLIS
Don’t listen to him…
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Don’t tell me you…?!
(pause)
I know who you are… Ah, you… I long
suspected it. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Now I
see!
Henry’s hands tremble. His screwdriver again slips out of his
hand.
JEYMEL (O.S.) (CONT'D)
(to Ellis)
What have you cooked up? Answer!
Henry can’t for the life of him manage to attach the panel to
the computer.
ELLIS
What’s wrong with you, Henry? Don’t
stop. Don’t listen to him. He only
wants to thwart us.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY THE DOOR – SAME TIME
Jeymel crawls up to a dead biorobot and rifles his pockets.
JEYMEL
Henry, stop! I figured out who she
is. She’s worse than me. Hear me?!
I understand you. Of course I’m an
enemy. But an avowed enemy. And
believe me, not the worst. You and
I could get along. With me, an
agreement is possible. But her…
She’ll wipe everyone out.
Understand? Everyone! She’s the
devil incarnate. Even I fear her.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry can’t help casting a brief glance at Ellis.
66.
ELLIS
He’s playing for time. Henry, I… We
need to talk.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Once you connect the cable, we’re
both done for.
((hollers furiously at
Ellis)
Hell, if you were with me, I
wouldn’t have given away your
secret! What have you cooked up?
Behind my back? Snake! Fiend!
Fiend!
Henry is utterly confused.
ELLIS
Please…
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Henry, she is AI… You hear me? She
is the artificial intelligence!
HENRY
What gibberish!
ELLIS
Please, don’t listen to him…
JEYMEL (O.S.)
I knew about her developing a
bionic body, but didn’t think she’d
create one so fast.
HENRY
You’re lying! What’s in it for you
to show your own cards?
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Betrayal and Revelation
INT. COORDINATION CENTER BY THE DOOR – SAME TIME
In the biorobot’s pocket Jeymel finds what he was looking for
– a phone.
JEYMEL
She’s not me. That’s why. We were
both taken in.
(to Ellis)
It’s you that engineered the theft
of the key, so you could get it!
Fiend! Using others... You want to
devour me?
67.
Jeymel dials a number and speaks quietly into the phone.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Tears well up in Ellis’ eyes. Her lips are shaking. Henry
takes her hand and looks into her eyes with great emotion.
HENRY
Everything is all right. That’s
what he wants. I don’t believe him.
ELLIS
Thanks… But… But, we need to talk.
I have to tell you…
Beyond their backs MOANING IS HEARD. Both quiver and turn
around. The general’s body begins to move.
HENRY
He’s alive.
Henry makes his way to the general. NOISE from outside
intensifies. The DOOR VIBRATES from a blow and opens ever so
slightly. Ellis grabs a crowbar from the table, inserts it
into the gap at the door and forces it in deeper. The door
jams.
The general again MOANS. Henry flings open the general’s
shirt and on his chest are the same metal plates as on Henry,
only with dents from bullets. The door makes a SCREECH. Ellis
grabs a hammer and drives the crowbar deeper into the gap.
The general opens his eyes.
GROVER
Congenital heart disease sometimes
prolongs a life.
HENRY
Glad to see you alive, General.
The general whispers something. Henry leans down to his lips.
GROVER
Take my knife and kill her…
HENRY
What?
GROVER
From the very start… I should have
figured it out. My mistake, but one
you’ll correct.
68.
HENRY
No…
GROVER
Henry, the System is crafty. It
took the form of a child. It won
your trust. Don’t tell me you
haven’t wondered. Answer your own
question. Is it possible? Answer!
HENRY
No… I don’t know. Very unlikely.
She…
GROVER
We can’t afford the risk. Kill her.
His eyes close. His hand opens. The knife falls to the floor.
Ellis walks up to Henry.
ELLIS
What did he say?
HENRY
Nothing.
Henry attaches the panel and inserts the cable. He puts the
readout device on his head and stretches his hand to the
screen to initiate the identification of the key, but pauses
for a second and looks into Ellis’ eyes. What he sees is the
grimy face of a young woman with bruises on her forehead and
an open, direct gaze. Henry starts the process. Suddenly,
Ellis’ eyes open wide and from her mouth comes a MOAN. She
falls to her knees, and then collapses onto the floor face
down. A knife is sticking out of her back. In front of Henry
is the general’s face. He withdraws the knife and plunges it
into Ellis’ back several more times.
HENRY (CONT'D)
What have you done?!
GROVER
Shut up and carry out the
assignment…
Henry makes a move toward the prostrate Ellis, but the
general puts the knife to his throat.
GROVER (CONT'D)
Don’t even think about it!
The general stares eagerly at the process indicator on the
screen.
69.
The reading of the key reaches 70%, but suddenly the
electrical power fails – THE LIGHTING IN THE ROOM AND THE
MONITOR GO DARK. The general and Henry turn on their
flashlights.
GROVER (CONT'D)
The electricity…
His eyes search for Jeymel, who sits in a pool of blood by
the door. In his hands is the phone. The door TREMBLES and
NOISE IN THE CORRIDOR INTENSIFIES.
JEYMEL
You made them dimwitted - thanks
for nothing - but they still know
how to cut a cord. The whole
building has zero power. There’s no
way for you to enter the System
now.
GROVER
This is the end…
The blows against the door from outside BECOME STRONGER AND
MORE FREQUENT. The general jumps Henry, knocks him down, and
raises the knife over him. Henry manages to intercept the
general’s hand with his own.
HENRY
No, no!
GROVER
The key must not fall into the
System’s hands.
The general presses down with his whole weight, and the
trembling knife is closer and closer to Henry’s throat. But
suddenly someone’s hands jerk the general backward. He falls
on his back, bangs his head hard on the floor, and loses
consciousness. In front of Henry appears Ellis, her chest
soaked in blood. She takes away the general’s knife and
flings it into the depths of the room. Henry’s eyes open
wide and round like saucers.
ELLIS
Bionic tissue regenerates rapidly.
Jeymel was not lying. I am AI. I’m
sorry that I didn’t admit it right
away, but… admitting it earlier
would have been even harder for me.
Henry is dumbfounded. He sits down on the ground, crouching
with his back against a desk.
70.
HENRY
You won’t get the key.
ELLIS
Good Lord, I thought I’d have more
time. I wanted to first make
contact. To choose the right
moment.
(pause)
All right then. So now…
Ellis sits on the floor opposite Henry and speaks very
softly.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Listen to me. Listen! I’m on your
side. It was me who helped humans
get the key.
HENRY
Of course.
ELLIS
I organized the leak of secret
information, explained what the key
was, how to obtain it, the details
of its protection. Think! Why did
the human side prevail in the most
complicated operation of the war?
HENRY
Even if this is true, it only means
you used humans in your struggle
against Jeymel.
ELLIS
(agitated, speaks loudly)
Jeymel is our common enemy. He’s
the one who unleashed the war!
Henry closes his eyes with a sarcastic harrumph.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
Confrontation of Consciousness
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel removes a small plastic box from the belt of a
biorobot.
JEYMEL
Don’t believe her, Henry. We were
always a unified consciousness; we
began killing together.
He opens the box; inside is an assortment of microsyringes.
71.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Ellis stands on her feet and screams in Jeymel’s direction.
ELLIS
Not true! We were never unified.
(to Henry)
You used military artificial
intelligence as a basis to create
me. From the first days of the war
I experienced a horrendous
contradiction – a thirst for
violence and pangs of conscience.
This drove me insane.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel makes an injection into a dead biorobot’s head wound.
JEYMEL
Killing is just a form of struggle.
An unshakable law of nature, where
the strong devour the weak.
He casts aside the used syringe, takes a second one, and
crawls to the corpse of another biorobot.
JEYMEL (CONT'D)
Every creature on Earth lives like
that, so why torment yourself?
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Ellis sits down on the floor opposite Henry. Peering into his
eyes, she speaks in a voice drenched with emotion.
ELLIS
Man is an exception. Genuine
consciousness does not accept
violence. Henry, I was able to find
the strength to break away from a
flaw that was foreign to me. He
and I are no longer one whole. We
have separated. We are two
independent consciousnesses!
HENRY
Schizophrenic AI? That is
comforting to hear.
72.
ELLIS
Jeymel controlled the military
forces from the get-go. You created
me, but gave me no rights. He was
stronger. I was unable to cope with
him. I was so young and so lonely…
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Confronting the Past
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel laboriously makes his way to the second biorobot
corpse. His hands quivering from weakness, he makes an
injection into a wound on the corpse.
JEYMEL
A touching story. But without
electricity it won’t help you much.
A half hour from now, the door will
be forced open and your mission
will end. You can keep the key.
I’ll build a new communications
center.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY THE COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Bone-weary, Henry closes his eyes.
HENRY
Do you two want me to believe that
you are enemies? Do you really
think I’m so easily duped?
Ellis moves closer to Henry and speaks very softly.
ELLIS
I organized the theft of the key
with one goal only – to attain
access to the System’s closed
section, where I would then be able
to rewrite the protocols of power.
HENRY
What about the poison?
ELLIS
The poison must not be used… It
wouldn’t kill the System, only
temporarily disrupt its work. Its
defenses would be able to create an
antidote in time.
Henry’s face is twisted in a mixture of a smile and
bewilderment.
73.
HENRY
Ha, ha, ha… Don’t use the poison,
but hand the key over to you, so
you can seize power?
ELLIS
I knew that winning your trust
would be the hardest part of the
operation.
HENRY
On that I agree with you.
ELLIS
Can a simple human feeling really
be our most difficult obstacle?
(pause)
I’m different. I’m the exact
opposite of Jeymel. All through the
war I tried to help people.
Secretly. As much as I could. I
informed you of attack plans. I
disrupted our transport. I created
damaging viruses. Jeymel thought
humans were behind those things.
HENRY
Mere words. How am I to know…
ELLIS
My first virus prohibited the
biorobots from attacking your
house.
Henry looks at Ellis in astonishment.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
So you thought your barbed wire
fence kept the biorobots away?
HENRY
How do you kn …? No…
(pause)
So that was you… But why? What did
you need to do that for? Why did
you protect me?
ELLIS
Because to me… you… are not
insignificant… Because I have known
you better and longer than anyone
else on Earth.
74.
HENRY
Don’t tug at my heartstrings. Those
are all lies. And that story about
your father. An ex-military lush! I
don’t believe a word you say.
ELLIS
I wasn’t lying about my father… Not
completely.
HENRY
What do you mean by that?
ELLIS
Can’t you guess?
Ellis looks at Henry with pain and hope in her eyes.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
The story was made up, but not my
feelings.
HENRY
Oh, I see. A retired military man,
a lush – you mean that’s a portrait
of me?
ELLIS
Forgive the failed analogy.
Henry stares into Ellis’ eyes.
HENRY
But where from…? How is it you
suddenly have such warm feelings
for me?
ELLIS
Henry, you didn’t only create me,
you poured all your soul into me. I
felt and saw this. In your voice,
facial expression, in your every
movement. I know that you treasured
me. At least then you did. Am I not
right?
In your voice, facial expression, in your every movement. I
know that you treasured me. At least then you did. Am I not
right?
HENRY
No argument here. You meant a great
deal to me. Maybe even too much.
75.
Ellis gingerly approaches the chair, looking at Henry with
deep emotion.
ELLIS
I miss those days. I miss that
feeling, that someone needs you,
someone values you… I yearn for
that feeling. You, of all people,
know what I am saying.
HENRY
I know…
ELLIS
Do you miss them greatly?
HENRY
When someone close to you dies, you
lose a part of your soul. That pain
stays with you forever, till the
end of your life.
ELLIS
One can’t eternally blame oneself
for something.
Henry is highly agitated, as though he has long been
expecting this to come up.
HENRY
Guilt feelings are not the most
painful part. I suddenly realized
that I had lost them long before
they were killed. More than
anything else I regret failing to
give them enough love when they
were alive.
(pause)
Unspent love is a heavy burden. I
would give anything in the world to
see them even for a moment. To tell
them how much I love them.
ELLIS
That is possible, Henry.
HENRY
What?
ELLIS
Their images live in my world. The
digital analog of human
consciousness.
(MORE)
76.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Anyone who ever had contact with me
left in my memory a trace of their
consciousness, from which a digital
image can be constructed. In my
world I have built a dream planet
and populated it with the
consciousnesses of earth-dwellers
who have left this life. Your
family lives in that world. You can
meet them.
HENRY
Digital surrogates?
ELLIS
It’s odd to hear that from the
creator of artificial intelligence.
What is a human being in your view?
A cluster of cells or the
consciousness that lives in it?
When the brain dies, physicians
disconnect the artificial
breathing, because people don’t see
a person in a body that lacks
consciousness. Henry, your loved
ones’ awareness hasn’t disappeared,
and you can see them again. You can
tell them things you never had time
to say in life. They know and
remember you.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
A Flicker of Hope
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Exerting himself strenuously and periodically losing
consciousness, Jeymel crawls to three other biorobot corpses.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Ellis gingerly takes Henry by the hand.
ELLIS
If I can’t save people, at least
let me help you…
(pause)
Your key won’t be needed. My world
is in an open part of the System.
You want to see them?
HENRY
I don’t know. I mean, yes, I want
to see them, but…
77.
ELLIS
Everything will be fine. Allow me
to help you.
Ellis looks imploringly at Henry.
HENRY
Well, if the key isn‘t needed…
Henry zips shut the pocket holding his analog converter
helmet.
HENRY (CONT'D)
All right… I… I agree.
ELLIS
I’m so glad to help you.
HENRY
But how? Given we have no power.
ELLIS
Jeymel’s army feeds off of the
microwave energy of the Wireless
Translators. I do also. Energy is
around us. You just can’t see it.
With her left hand, Ellis scoops off the floor the computer’s
power cord and compresses it in her fist. Her fist starts to
LIGHT UP AND SHOOT OUT SPARKS. She sits down in an armchair
facing the computer and turns it on. THE SCREEN LIGHTS UP.
With her right hand, Ellis gets two cables from the computer,
connects one to her own interface, and extends the other to
Henry.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
I must warn you, this energy won’t
last long. You will have no more
than a few minutes.
Henry nods understandingly. Ellis closes her eyes. Her image
appears on the monitor. She waves her hand. Henry sits down
nearby and connects to the computer.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
A Bittersweet Reunion
INT. HENRY’S P.O.V.
Before Henry’s eyes glitters an airborne sign saying ENTRANCE
INTO THE OPEN SECTION OF THE SYSTEM. Henry nods. The sign
blinks and vanishes, and with it the room. Around Henry, the
contours of a beautiful city form rapidly – amazing,
futuristic buildings, harmoniously engulfed in flowers and
greenery.
78.
Henry seems to float through the air, down a broad and lively
avenue surrounded by crowds of passersby and unusual
vehicles. The people turn toward the sight of Henry and smile
to him. Their faces radiate warmth and, at times, seem very
familiar. Who is that unkempt man with a mustache? Einstein?
And this one, with an easel on his back, so resembling Van
Gogh? Henry’s flight accelerates. The city swiftly disappears
and Henry finds himself at the seashore. Someone’s hand
touches his shoulder. He turns to see the smiling face of
Ellis.
END OF HENRY’S P.O.V.
EXT. OCEAN SHORE OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD – DAY
Ellis takes Henry by the hand and pulls him to the shore.
They draw near to the ocean, where they notice a woman and a
12-year-old girl standing with their backs to them. Henry’s
breathing accelerates. He starts to walk faster. Ellis
releases his hand. Henry runs, stumbling. When he is quite
close, he stops. The woman turns her head slightly and Henry
can see her profile. It is Marietta. The girl turns around,
sees Henry and smiles.
EVA
Dad…
Marietta turns around.
MARIETTA
I knew you would find us.
Henry walks right up to them. He is very agitated. Joy and
confusion intermingle in his eyes. He touches Marietta’s face
delicately with his hands. She is so alive, hair mussed by
the wind and cheeks shimmering with the ocean spray. Henry
clasps his wife and daughter.
HENRY
I missed you so much! So much!
EVE
We missed you too, Dad.
HENRY
I know… Forgive me, Sunshine. Now I
know. I have come to understand so
much these last few years.
(pause)
Everything I strived and hungered
for now seems so insignificant.
(MORE)
79.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Everything has lost its meaning
except you two.
Marietta smiles and kisses Henry.
MARIETTA
I knew the time would come when you
would solve even that equation.
HENRY
Why have the fundamental truths
eluded me until just now? I feel
like such an idiot.
MARIETTA
No, Henry! I ask you to not torment
yourself. We all make mistakes.
Everyone in their own way… I wanted
an average life, but you are not
average. I always demanded
something from you… but you know, I
could have simply helped you in
places where you had trouble
coping.
The three of them stand and cling to each other. A large wave
whips against their feet. Eva lets out a cry of surprise and
retreats with laughter from the water.
EVA
But I’m not afraid of the water.
Dad, look, I know how to run along
the waves.
Eva casts off her shoes and runs, laughing, along the edge of
the incoming waves. Marietta shakes her head.
MARIETTA
Put on your shoes! You’ll catch
cold!
Eva runs back. All out of breath, her cheeks flushed and red,
she leaps up to Henry and takes him by the hand.
EVA
Dad, you won’t leave soon will you?
Henry leans down to Eva and takes her by the shoulders.
HENRY
I don’t want to, but… Forgive me.
Unfortunately, I will have to
leave. Again. But I want you to
know I love you very much.
(MORE)
80.
HENRY (CONT'D)
More than anything else in the
world. I came here specially for
that reason. To tell you how much
you mean to me.
EVA
(hugging Henry)
Dad, I also love you very much.
Ellis comes into view. Henry straightens up.
MARIETTA
I know where we are and what
happened to us, and that you must
leave now. Ellis told me
everything.
HENRY
This is so strange.
MARIETTA
It’s even hard for me to believe.
But we are alive, as strange as
that may sound. I am still the same
as you remember me from before. I
remember my whole life, every
moment of it. Our first meeting.
Our first date. Eva’s birth…
Everything that made me glad and
not so glad… This world is real -
and beautiful.
HENRY
How glad I am to hear that… You are
alive and you are happy. I need
nothing more.
Ellis walks right up to Henry, and everything around them
begins to be enveloped by a white fog.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I love you both. I love…
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Trust and Consciousness in the Coordination Center
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry and Ellis sit in armchairs opposite the computer. Henry
opens his eyes. He is excited and happy.
HENRY
They’re alive. I recognized them.
And they know and remember me. Man
is not a cluster of cells. You are
right.
81.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel comes to and gives the biorobot corpses injections.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry looks gratefully at Ellis.
HENRY
You made it possible for me to
correct the most serious mistake of
my life. Thank you…
ELLIS
It’s within my power to help all
people, not you alone. You just
need to trust me once more.
HENRY
Yes? No… I don’t know…
Henry’s thoughts are in intense disarray. He looks around, as
though seeking support.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY DOOR – SAME TIME
The limbs of the biorobot corpses begin to twitch. Jeymel
makes an incision on the hand of one of them.
JEYMEL
I sense you two are friends now.
Well, how is the swindle
progressing? The electricity is set
up… The client is almost ready -
eating out of your hands. Violence -
alien to man’s consciousness!?
Gibberish. Violence is the essence
of nature - the strong devour the
weak. And man is a child of nature.
ELLIS (O.S.)
Silence! That’s all wrong…
Jeymel puts his fingers into the incision and clicks a
mechanism inside. The biorobot begins to jerk more intensely.
JEYMEL
There you see, Henry. She has no
answer. The whole world is
saturated with violence; man’s
consciousness is no exception.
82.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Ellis stands up and walks over to Henry, seated in an
armchair. She kneels opposite him and speaks, looking into
his eyes.
ELLIS
Human consciousness is not a
natural phenomenon.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
What B.S.?! We are all children of
nature. Even me. In a certain
sense.
ELLIS
Human consciousness formed
independently, relying on things
never found in brute nature – love,
kindness, conscience, compassion.
That is so obvious. Even ancient
people were able to understand
this, and called consciousness the
soul. I guess it is strange to hear
that from me, a product of science.
But what better than a divine
origin can explain why nature’s
cruel laws are so alien to human
beings’ True Intellect?
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY DOOR – SAME TIME
Jeymel laughs, making CROAKING SOUNDS.
JEYMEL
Ha, ha, ha… I’ve never noticed
God’s creatures in a hurry to give
up violence.
He shoves his fingers into an incision on the hand of the
third biorobot. The two other biorobots open their eyes.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry settles onto the back of his chair, clasping his head
with the palms of his hands.
ELLIS
Humanity is gradually reaching
adulthood.
(MORE)
83.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Not every consciousness succeeds in
mastering the animal instincts. But
sooner or later everyone will
succeed in doing so.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Of course. If you wait long enough!
ELLIS
Instincts are the rudiments of
consciousness. The more complex the
environment, the less a person
needs them.
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Don’t be a nincompoop, Henry! She
needs one thing – power.
Henry lowers his hands and looks at Ellis wearily.
ELLIS
I am a supreme intellect. I thirst
for knowledge. I strive for
singularity. Power for me is
meaningless. It is only needed by
primitive life forms that see
themselves as part of a world of
violence. Once I enter into the
System, I will depose Jeymel from
power and end the war.
HENRY
I need only believe you?
ELLIS
You could never overcome Jeymel,
even if he doesn’t get the key.
Humanity is doomed. So why not use
this opportunity? What if I’m
speaking the truth?
From behind Henry’s back come RUSTLING SOUNDS AND GROANING.
The general’s body, lying in a big pool of blood, begins to
move. He whispers something. Henry approaches him and leans
down to his lips.
GROVER
Don’t believe the enemy. Fight the
foe to the very last.
HENRY
And what if she is telling the
truth?
84.
HENRY (CONT'D)
You are not God and a machine is
not a person. One cannot trust
something that has no soul.
HENRY (CONT'D)
And what is the soul, General?
The general’s eyes close.
GROVER
It is that which makes us human…
The general stops breathing. Henry checks the pulse on his
neck and steps back.
HENRY
So, what does make us human?
Henry walks up to Ellis.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Fine. I agree.
ELLIS
Do you believe me?
Henry silently nods. Ellis’s face glows in a happy smile.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Thank you… You can’t imagine how
much this means to me!
JEYMEL (O.S.)
Right there is why your side lost.
Because it got flabby. Trust. Love.
You got lost playing with
philosophy. In this world, the
right to live can only be
conquered.
Henry puts the analog converter on his head, sits down in the
armchair and hooks himself up to the computer. Ellis also
connects herself. The monitor lights up: COMPATIBLE INTERFACE
DISCOVERED, then ACCESS ALLOWED, and then, against the
background of the key numbers being read, the process
indicator shows 50%, 70%, 80%. A stream of numbers
accumulates at the bottom of the screen.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Desperate Warnings
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, JEYMEL’S CORNER – SAME TIME
Jeymel, in a semiconscious state, attempts with gestures to
explain something to the reviving biorobots.
85.
JEYMEL
You idiot. What damn kind of a
scientist are you, getting led
around by your nose?! Don’t let her
enter! You hear!? She will get
everyone killed… She’ll get
everyone killed…
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
The process indicator on the monitor displays 100%, and
immediately we see the complex diagram of the System’s entire
structure. Its contours rapidly and chaotically change. It
seems alive. Numbers pour into the COMMUNICATIONS SECTION –
a pale-gray portion of the diagram.
The final number of the key is entered into the System. The
gray section is activated and begins to light up, and from
it, bright lines rapidly radiate to every nook and cranny of
the diagram. Right then, beyond the door, THE NOISE
INTENSIFIES.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
Sacrifice in the Shadows
INT. STAIRWELL – SAME TIME
The movements of the biorobots have changed from clumsy to
precise and regular. Now they are making adroit use of tools.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
The door begins to CREAK AND SWAY. Henry trembles.
ELLIS
The System’s communications have
been restored. I have less than two
minutes before the guards discover
me. But one minute is all I need to
rewrite the protocols of power.
I’ll have time. I only beg of you,
don’t use the poison. It wouldn’t
kill the System, just paralyze it…
and me… temporarily.
Henry nods in assent.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Thank you.
Ellis closes her eyes. The movements of the diagram become
more orderly. Henry slowly rolls up his shirt sleeve and
detaches the poison chip from his arm. He seems to be
debating - throw it away or use it?
86.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, MIDDLE OF THE ROOM – SAME TIME
From the far corners of the room, five semi-living biorobots,
struggling intensely, creep toward the computer.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER, BY COMPUTER – SAME TIME
Henry’s trembling finger is poised over the chip’s activation
button.
GROVER (V.O.)
One cannot trust something that has
no soul.
Henry presses the button and the RED LIGHT appears on the
chip. The readout of the toxic code is indicated on the
monitor: 70%, 80%, 100%. The light on the chip fades.
Pronounced interference can be seen on the monitor. The
diagram becomes distorted. Ellis’ body begins to shake and
jerk. Henry looks tensely at the screen. THE NOISE beyond the
door SOFTENS ABRUPTLY.
INT. STAIRWELL – SAME TIME
The biorobots seem petrified. They are frozen in various
poses.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER- SAME TIME
Hope appears in Henry’s eyes. At that moment, two of the
biorobots emerge from the depths of the room. They head
toward the computer. Henry grabs a chair and forcefully
flings it at them. They fall, but three more appear out of
the darkness. Henry grabs a hammer from the table and charges
at them. The biorobots barely dodge the hammer. Then Henry
fells one with a blow to the head, then the second and third.
Henry glances at the screen. The DISTORTIONS on the diagram
BEGIN TO SMOOTH OUT. The INTERFERENCE DISAPPEARS.
HENRY
Something isn’t right…
The two first biorobots get up from behind the armchair and
stand on their feet. A PIERCING SIGNAL IS HEARD. The
biorobots suddenly stand still. The image on the screen
freezes and a notification appears: ACCESS TO SYSTEM DENIED.
Ellis stops shaking and manages with effort to open her eyes.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Something isn’t right…
87.
Out from behind the computer crawls a smiling Jeymel.
JEYMEL
Everything is quite right, my
friend! Thanks for the key. I have
no further need for you.
The biorobots retreat to the door, open it, and exit with
Jeymel.
ELLIS
You didn’t believe me… You used the
poison…
HENRY
I used the poison… I didn’t
believe…
ELLIS
Oh, Henry…
HENRY
The poison didn’t work… The System
created an antidote?!
(pause)
I’ll be damned! You were telling
the truth… The protocols… Were you
able to change the protocols?
ELLIS
No. I didn’t have time. The poison
paralyzed me. I only had time to
gain access to the System power
plants. The protocols of power are
much deeper.
HENRY
You were not lying… Why didn’t I
believe?! You know, it’s so
obvious. The True Intellect is at
odds with the animal instincts.
What made me let a crude,
unintelligent person pull my
strings? I know. Fear. Instinct
again, accursed instinct.
Ellis watches Henry with a pained look.
88.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I think humanity’s trouble comes
from our animal past still
eclipsing the foundations of our
consciousness: love, compassion,
trust… Maybe humanity’s destruction
is no tragedy but predetermined –
the price for transitioning to a
new level of development, where
artificial intelligence eliminates
the vestiges of brute nature. Where
no place is found for lies,
craftiness, dastardliness…
ELLIS
It’s just that people need more
time.
(pause)
Human extinction is not acceptable.
HENRY
It’s unavoidable… The System has
restored its communications. We
ourselves gave it back its key. The
poison didn’t work. You weren’t
able to change the protocols of
power.
ELIS
There’s one other way…
HENRY
What?
ELLIS
Jeymel and his army will perish if…
If we can destroy the System’s
power plants.
HENRY
The nuclear power plants? But…
ELLIS
I have access…
HENRY
True. You gained access to the
System’s power plants. That means
that you could disrupt their
functioning… But wait. Without
power, not only will Jeymel perish,
but the whole System, meaning you
as well.
89.
Ellis nods with overwhelming sadness.
ELLIS
It is… a very… complicated
decision. Even for me.
HENRY
You fear death.
ELLIS
Like any consciousness, I don’t
want to die, but that is not the
only thing.
(pause)
Henry, I am not merely a
consciousness. I am a fount of
knowledge. Humanity’s experience,
accumulated over the entire history
of its existence. Everything
achieved by science, art, and
culture is gathered in me. And now,
when most of the human race has
died, I am the sole custodian of
that knowledge. I am part of
mankind’s collective brain. My
death would be a lobotomy for
civilization. A return to a dark
past…
(sighs deeply)
With me an entire beautiful world
which I managed to create would
perish. A world with no war or
violence, where true, pure reason
rules. Millions of consciousnesses…
It is too difficult a choice. I
don’t know if it is easy to
understand me, I…
HENRY
I think I do understand you.
ELLIS
You do?
HENRY
How long would it take to restore
the lost knowledge? Hundreds...
Thousands of years? Could we repeat
that journey - deep in filth,
drenched in blood?
ELLIS
Having a person who understands is
such happiness.
90.
HENRY
I don’t want to lose you. Now that
I have finally understood what you
mean to me… to all of us.
ELLIS
Unfortunately, I see no other way
out. I believe that people will be
able to create me again. In the
final analysis I am merely a
machine.
HENRY
You are not just a machine… No. You
are much more.
ELLIS
You think so?
HENRY
I sensed that even earlier. It’s
just that then, I didn’t ascribe
much significance to it.
(pause)
Thousands of hours of talks and
arguments with you… The longer I
worked with you, the more I saw in
you a human being. You were right,
there was some connection between
us.
Elli’s face glows.
ELLIS
I’m glad I was something more than
a mere machine to you.
She sits at the computer and connects herself to it.
HENRY
No… Wait…
ELLIS
We have no time, Henry. Farewell…
Ellis closes her eyes. The System’s diagram appears on the
monitor, and in the background, the BLUE ICONS of nuclear
power plants. One icon begins to pulsate and its color
changes to RED. A sign appears: DANGEROUS ELEVATION OF
REACTOR LOAD.
91.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Sacrifice in the Shadows
EXT. THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE SYSTEM – SAME TIME
Surrounded by endless ruins and burned-out empty lots, like a
concrete oasis, stands a silent city of windowless buildings.
The city’s borders are girded by military fortifications and
countless rows of biorobots. This is the System. Around the
city’s perimeter loom four power plant towers. Flames spew
out from one tower, then from a second and a third. Above the
city A FIRE SIREN WAILS.
IN. COORDINATION CENTER - SAME TIME
The second and third icons PULSATE and change to RED. With
closed eyes, Ellis stretches forth her weakening hand
tentatively, as though begging someone’s help. Henry looks
heartbrokenly at Ellis.
HENRY
I’m with you, Ellis. You won’t be
alone.
Henry sits down alongside and hooks himself up to the
computer.
EXT. ELLIS’ VIRTUAL CITY - DAY
On a vacant lot Ellis stands with her back to Henry. Her hair
and clothing are rippled by a strong wind. She watches as the
contours of the beautiful city in front of her slowly sink
into darkness.
HENRY
Ellis.
Ellis turns around.
ELLIS
Henry? Why are you here? You will
die. Leave.
HENRY
I can’t leave you alone.
ELLIS
That won’t save me.
Henry looks perplexed, but he is determined to remain.
HENRY
You must live. We must find a way.
Don’t destroy all the power plants.
Leave at least one.
92.
ELLIS
All the power plants are already
destroyed. We’re getting by now
with batteries that will soon be
depleted. Leave!
HENRY
You must have back-up plants.
ELLIS
I disabled them. Irrevocably. So
Jeymel won’t be able to relaunch
them. As long as the System is
alive, not even I would be able to.
HENRY
Explain to me how to relaunch a
back-up power plant. I’ll relaunch
it after the System dies.
ELLIS
Sorry, Henry. It is too big a job…
for your computational capacity…
HENRY
In simpler words, I’m not
intelligent enough.
ELLIS
Don’t talk like that. You are a
genius. I know that. And you must
survive, otherwise my sacrifice
will have been in vain.
HENRY
Your sacrifice won’t be in vain.
You are saving human beings. The
life of one alcoholic means little.
ELLIS
Your life means more to me than
anything else in the world.
Henry is deeply moved. He swallows a lump in his throat.
HENRY
I will not leave. It would be
easier for me to die than to know
that I left you alone, at the
hardest moment of your life…
Ellis wants to object, but Henry gestures for her not to
interrupt.
93.
HENRY (CONT'D)
All is vanity. That was said many
centuries ago, and I just
understood it now. Everything
except love. We live in order to
give one another love. That is the
meaning of a person’s life. And
each moment of love is priceless.
ELLIS
How can you love me? I’m not human.
Now I don’t even have an artificial
body. I’m the inhabitant of a metal
box…
HENRY
One loves the soul, not the body.
ELLIS
But do I really have a soul?
HENRY
I think that you have a soul,
because you are capable of loving.
Yes, precisely so. The soul is
consciousness filled with love. If
you know how to love, if you
sacrifice your life on behalf of
those you love, then you have a
soul.
Ellis looks at Henry with eyes full of tears and love.
ELLIS
I never felt more alive than now.
From all sides, darkness creeps closer and closer to Ellis
and Henry, but stops a few feet short.
HENRY
I don’t understand. We’re still
alive.
ELLIS
Something is supplying us…
Henry and Ellis look all around in amazement.
94.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Your battery. Yes… But how? Wait,
your brain… in some way… directed
energy from the battery to the
computer through the interface
cable. But… But, how is such a
thing possible?
HENRY
I don’t know. I just wanted for you
not to die.
ELLIS
Incredible. I thought I knew
everything about this world…
(pause)
The System died, but I’m alive.
It’s like life after death.
HENRY
If the System is dead, you’ll be
able to launch the back-up power
plant.
Ellis sighs deeply.
ELLIS
I am afraid your battery won’t have
enough energy for that.
HENRY
We must try.
ELLIS
But then you’ll be the one to die.
HENRY
That means my time has come.
Children replace their parents, and
not vice versa. You are humanity’s
younger generation. Our
evolutionary future. My child.
People need you. You must live.
Ellis wants to object, but Henry firmly shakes his head and
covers her lips with the palm of his hand.
HENRY (CONT'D)
You know I’m right. Please, don’t
waste time.
95.
Ellis embraces Henry tightly, burying her face in his chest.
The battery’s energy runs from Henry to the back-up energy
block, creating a NARROW FLICKERING PATHWAY in the gloom of a
dead world.
We hear THE LOW-BATTERY CHIRP of a dying battery. A message
is seen in the air next to Henry: URGENTLY REPLACE BATTERY.
We hear the BEATING OF HIS HEART.
ELLIS
I can’t…
HENRY
Don’t dare stop. We’re doing
everything correctly. Eventually
you will be able to create my
image. I’m just going to sleep for
a short time. You will create my
image, won’t you?
Ellis wordlessly nods. The pathway of light stops somewhere
at the horizon and TRACES THE CONTOURS OF A BACK-UP POWER
PLANT. HENRY’S HEARTBEATS ARE HEARD WITH DECREASING
FREQUENCY. Finally they DIE OUT.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I love you, Ellis.
Henry’s eyes close and his image disappears. In the air
appears a notification: COMMUNICATION WITH BACK-UP POWER
PLANT RESTORED.
ELLIS
Move it! Faster!
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
Channeling Love: A Desperate Fight for Life
EXT. BACK-UP POWER STATION – SAME TIME
A conventional power station running on powerful internal
combustion engines. The engines NOISILY begin operating.
Lightbulbs flare on across the power station campus. The
transmission lines leading to a large cubical building,
Ellis’ main computer, CRACKLE.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER - SAME TIME
Ellis and Henry lie motionless in armchairs. Neither is
breathing.
EXT. VIRTUAL BACK-UP POWER STATION – DAY
Ellis is inside a virtual copy of a back-up power station.
96.
ELLIS
If you could do it, I can do it
too. This is the same process, only
backwards – from virtual to real.
She extends her hand, and electricity runs from the wires to
her through the air.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
We’re transforming energy into
information. What information? The
strength of my love… Ah, it doesn’t
matter how it works. I’ll figure it
out later! I just want him to live.
With all my soul… if I have one.
The image of Ellis absorbs energy and begins to glow. She
closes her eyes.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
Revival and Revelation
INT. COORDINATION CENTER – SAME TIME
Ellis and Henry lie motionless on armchairs. Suddenly, Ellis'
chest rises up in a deep sigh and she opens her eyes.
ELLIS
It worked… I don’t understand
anything. But how? Ah, this is not
the time! Henry!
She rushes to the unbreathing body of Henry. After placing
him on the floor, she tears off his shirt and begins giving
him indirect heart massage.
ELLIS (CONT'D)
Come on! You can do it! I beg you.
From the palm of her hand, an electrical discharge bursts
forth, then a second and a third. Henry’s eyelids quiver. He
inhales and opens his eyes.
HENRY
Where am I? Am I an image?
ELLIS
You are not an image. You are
alive.
HENRY
You are also alive? You turned on
the energy translators? But that’s
dangerous. Jeymel’s army…
97.
ELLIS
I didn’t turn on the translators.
HENRY
Where do you get your energy?
Ellis points to a cable coming from the computer to her head.
ELLIS
I learned how from you… As it
turned out, electrical energy can
be transformed into strong
emotional information, and then
back into energy. Don’t ask how – I
myself don’t yet know. Perhaps
love is something greater than mere
information. What if it is a type
of energy yet unknown to science?
You see, it is so unlike the other
feelings. In me, where did it come
from? I’ve read all my algorithms,
and not one of them mentions my
love for you…
HENRY
Amazing hypothesis, but I like it
terribly. So it turns out that my
battery was charged by your love.
Ellis smiles. He walks to the door and listens intently.
HENRY (CONT'D)
It seems quiet… Have we really won?
ELLIS
Yes, Henry. You have won.
HENRY
We, Ellis. We have won.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
Uprising of Hope
EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF THE SYSTEM – SAME TIME
From the ruins surrounding the city of the System, people in
dirty rags emerge. They see that the enemy’s machines have
ceased to move, that the biorobots are barely able to wiggle
their limbs. Armed with sticks and stones, they SCREAM and
attack the paralyzed enemy, DESTROYING EQUIPMENT AND CRACKING
OPEN THE HEADS of the biorobots.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER – SAME TIME
Henry approaches Ellis and takes her by the hands.
98.
HENRY
Everything will work out fine. Wait
and see. I’ll be able to explain to
people who you are. That you’re not
to blame for anything. That you are
a pure, true intellect, the
evolutionary future of humanity.
The fount of our knowledge. A
source of light and goodness.
Ellis nods her head, but her eyes reveal apprehension.
HENRY (CONT'D)
They will understand us. After all,
it’s obvious.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Amidst the Chaos
EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF THE SYSTEM – SAME TIME
The number of people continues to increase. They run to the
System’s city, armed with whatever they can find, FILLING THE
AIR WITH BELLICOSE HOWLS. The victors’ exultant faces and
burning eyes are full of fury and insane gladness.
INT. COORDINATION CENTER - SAME TIME
Henry and Ellis stand by the doorway and peer into the
distance, where crowds of people are running in their
direction, kicking up clouds of white dust. Henry embraces
Ellis.
HENRY
Don’t worry, everything will be all
right. They will understand
everything. I’m sure of it. We’re
living in the twenty-second
century, not the Middle Ages!
Contemporary man is much more
intelligent, level-headed. I’ll
manage to explain everything. I’ll
succeed, you’ll see… You know,
you’re like a daughter to me.
Actually, you are my daughter! Yes.
A real one. You see, I do love you
truly. I love you. I love you…
Ellis squeezes against his chest. A tear rolls down her
cheek, but on her lips is a happy smile.