Sphere - Screenplays-Online.de - FREE Screenplay Archive and Community






		S P H E R E by Paul Attanasio Based on the novel by Michael Crichton BARRY LEVINSON VERSION SHOOTING SCRIPT -------------------------------------------------------------- FADE IN: EXT. OCEAN FLOOR - DAY BEGIN TITLES. MOVING AMONG the hallucinatory variety of creatures -- barbaric, distorted, sublime -- that haunt the ocean floor. All but unknown to man except in the deep preconscious brain that houses the family album of the race... Where we remember that they are us... Then... DISSOLVE TO: BALLET OF ODD SHAPES and exotic colors -- like a living abstract painting -- tropical fish moving in the f.g... Aquarium fish -- fish we know -- fish of the lesser depths, as we RISE UP TOWARD the surface... Then nearer the surface still, fish dart and flee before a distant RUMBLE... that GROWS LOUDER AND LOUDER... HELICOPTER ERUPTS INTO WATERY VIEW as it blasts across the ocean... CUT TO: EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - DAY A tropical morning sun paints its luster on the sea-chop. A helicopter hurtles across the Pacific Ocean. CUT TO: INT. HELICOPTER - SAME TIME NORMAN GOODMAN, 50s, a day's growth of beard and eyes sandy with sleep, wakes up. Adjusts his steel-framed glasses. Unballs the tweed jacket he's been using as a pillow. He's nearly sitting in the lap of the PILOT, 30s, a tightly wound military type, as they zoom across the waves. PILOT Good sleep? NORMAN Not bad. So, where are we? PILOT Where'd they bring you in from? NORMAN San Diego. Left yesterday. PILOT So you came Honolulu-Guam-Pago-here? NORMAN Yeah. PILOT Long trip. What kind of work do you do, sir? NORMAN I'm a psychologist. PILOT A shrink, huh? Why not. They've called in just about everything else. NORMAN How do you mean? PILOT We've been ferrying people out of Guam for the last two days. Physicists, biologists, mathematicians, you name it. Everybody being flown to the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean. NORMAN What's going on? PILOT They're not telling us anything, sir. What about you? What'd they tell you? NORMAN They told me that there was an airplane crash. PILOT Uh-huh. You get called on crashes? NORMAN I have been, yes. PILOT And why is that, sir? NORMAN I'm on a list of psychologists the F.A.A. brings in when a plane goes down. (beat) So, where exactly are we now? PILOT Well, I'm not supposed to tell you...let's just say we're two hundred miles from nowhere, sir. NORMAN You're not supposed to tell me? PILOT No, sir. Norman looks out of the helicopter, at the ocean. NORMAN Don't you get bored looking at that? PILOT To tell you the truth, no, sir. I'm real happy to see it flat like this. NORMAN Why? PILOT Good weather. It won't hold though. There's a cyclone forming up in the Admiralties, should swing down this way in a few days. NORMAN What happens then? PILOT Everybody just clears the hell out. Weather can be really tough in this part of the world. I was stationed in Florida and I've seen a lot of hurricanes, but you've never seen anything like a Pacific cyclone, sir. NORMAN You never met my first wife. PILOT Don't be so sure. That's where we're headed, over there. Here take a look. He hands Norman binoculars. NORMAN'S POV THROUGH BINOCULARS A salvage ship surrounding four other, smaller craft in concentric circles. A mile long circle of bouys. CLOSE ON NORMAN as he absorbs this new information. What's going on? NORMAN All this for an airplane crash. PILOT I never mentioned a plane crash. (beat) CUT TO: EXT. SALVAGE SHIP - DAY The helicopter lands on the salvage ship helipad. Norman hesitates at the door. A seaman coaxes him and he jumps down. Blasted by the downdraft of the rotors, Norman humps his duffel bag across the deck, hustles after his escort. CUT TO: INT. SALVAGE SHIP - LATER Norman follows a SEAMAN, 20s, as he carries Norman's duffel bag along the narrow corridors belowdecks... SEAMAN You have any other gear, sir? Watch your step. NORMAN I'd like to call my family. SEAMAN We'll get you settled in quarters, sir. You're to remain there until we send for you. NORMAN I want to get started right now. SEAMAN We'll send for you. NORMAN It's critical that I see them, because -- SEAMAN See who? NORMAN The survivors. If I don't get to them within the first twenty four hours... SEAMAN What survivors? NORMAN The survivors of the plane crash. SEAMAN Plane crash? NORMAN Listen carefully. I deal in post- traumatic stress and survivor guilt -- maybe I should talk to someone who knows what's going on. SEAMAN You can talk to the ship's psychiatrist. NORMAN I'm a psychologist, that's why I was sent down here. Norman follows the Seaman through a hydraulic door...They come upon TED FIELDING prowling the corridor. TED (to Seaman) Look, I told you people over an hour ago I need a phone. A phone. The Seaman brusquely continues past with Norman's duffel bag. SEAMAN You'll have to discuss that with Mr.Barnes. TED That's fine...Barnes. Give me a phone, I'll call him. He recognizes Norman. TED (cont'd) Norman...what are you doing here? The Seaman grabs Ted's arm. TED Would you take your hands off me, please. Do you have any idea who I am? NORMAN He will if you just tell him the name of the book you wrote. TED It's called 'Astrophysics You Can Use'. It was a Book of the Month Club Main Selection. The Seaman turns, ramrod-straight, and fixes Ted with a steely Aryan gaze. SEAMAN Never heard of it. Now back in your quarters. NORMAN (to Ted) You really thought that he read your book...after all these years? You haven't changed. TED Well, it's written for the layman. NORMAN He's not impressed. TED They don't read. (to Seaman) Is there a phone in here? The Seaman grabs his arm again. TED (cont'd) Would you stop doing that! I can go to the room myself. NORMAN I've been trying to call my wife for the last 15 hours. SEAMAN (sharply to Ted) Sir? Ted backs off toward his room, opens the door. The Seaman continues on his way with Norman, unlocks a door -- Norman's quarters. Norman glances up the hall... NORMAN'S POV - BETH HALPERIN Thirties, a mordant beauty, stands at the threshold of her room. Watching him. A lot going on behind those eyes. She and Norman exchange a look. Then without a word, she returns to her room. CLOSEUP - NORMAN As the Seaman ushers him inside. NORMAN Beth? Then the Seaman closes the door on him. CUT TO: INT. NORMAN'S QUARTERS - LATER Norman lies on his cot, stares at the ceiling, his tweed jacket folded up like a pillow beneath his head. There's a knock at the door and it is opened by HARALD COTESWORTH BARNES, 40s, an imposing man in dark glasses and dark dress. BARNES Goodman! You been here long? He shakes Norman's hand. NORMAN I've been here three hours. Barnes sweeps him along into the hallway. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - SAME TIME Barnes leads Norman along the hallway and down some stairs. BARNES Welcome aboard. I don't mind telling you, this thing scares the hell out of me. NORMAN It's probably already too late. You might as well put me on a helicopter and send me back. Whatever damage was done to the survivors, is already done. You know what I mean? BARNES Hold on, we'll get to that. NORMAN I don't even know who you are. BARNES (admiring) Well, I sure know who you are. NORMAN Who are you...Navy...military? What are you? BARNES You ever hear of the O.S.S.A.? NORMAN Yes. BARNES (proudly) Well, they don't know who I am. That should reassure you. Barnes takes Norman aside. BARNES Look, you haven't talked to anybody about this, have you? NORMAN Well, I talked to the helicopter pilot. BARNES What'd you tell him? NORMAN What did I tell him. I told him I was here to see the plane crash. That's my job. Barnes chews this over thoughtfully... BARNES The plane crash. Good. NORMAN There was no plane crash? BARNES (confidentially) Spacecraft. NORMAN Spacecraft? I guess that explains a lot. NASA? BARNES That doesn't surprise you? NORMAN Well at least it explains the secrecy. BARNES The secrecy's critical, Norman. You made that explicit in your report. NORMAN What report? BARNES The ULF. NORMAN (remembering) I wrote that for the Bush Administration. BARNES And that's our Bible here. Every jot and tittle. NORMAN But that was a report about a possible encounter with an alien being. Norman laughs nervously, looks at Barnes. Barnes isn't laughing. Suddenly Norman isn't laughing either. BARNES You want to come with me? NORMAN Oh, boy. CUT TO: INT. BRIEFING ROOM - LATER A video image of SEAMEN aboard a telephone-cable ship showing the sheared fiber optic cable to the camera as Barnes, laser pointer in hand, delivers a briefing. BARNES About three weeks ago, a ship laying fiber optic cable between Honolulu and Sydney hit an obstruction a thousand feet underwater. Cut the cable clean as a shears. The Navy got interested -- sent out a search ship. ANGLE ON BETH As she watches... SUPERED below: DR. BETH HALPERIN: PHYSICIAN/BIOLOGIST ANGLE ON HIGH-RESOLUTION TV IMAGE A sonar image of an enormous triangular fin jutting abruptly from a ridge of coral... BARNES ... Turns out what did it was this -- We took this with the side-looking sonar -- an aerodynamic fin longer than a football field. Bigger than any known wingspan. ANGLE ON TED As he watches.... SUPERED below: TED FIELDING: ASTROPHYSICIST TED You have any idea what it's made of? BARNES We sent the SCARAB robots to snip a piece out of it... ANGLE ON MICROSCOPE IMAGE of the composition of the fin... BARNES It's a titanium alloy in an epoxy/resin honeycomb. It's more sophisticated than anything we can duplicate. TED The Russians don't have anything like this? ANGLE ON SONAR IMAGE This one composed of fine dots. BARNES You tell me. That's the fuselage. Ultra- high-res S.L.S. bottom scan, came in a week ago. There it is...buried under about eight yards of coral. BETH There's something wrong with that measurement. Pacific coral grows at a rate of an inch a year. You can set your watch by it. BARNES That's right. BETH So, you're saying the spacecraft crashed in the year... HARRY (O.C.) 1709. They all turn in the direction of the voice... REVERSE ANGLE ON HARRY ADAMS As he watches, bemused, from a chair in the corner, his fingers forming a steeple. A black man with a dour manner and lightning eyes, Oxford shirt and chinos. SUPERED BELOW: "HARRY ADAMS: MATHEMATICIAN." BETH You're saying this spacecraft crashed three hundred years ago? HARRY Two hundred and eighty-eight. BETH But that's impossible. BARNES It's not impossible if this spacecraft came to earth from an alien civilization. A long beat of wonderment... TED You think this is an alien spacecraft? HARRY You see, it's not impossible. It's ridiculous. BARNES We believe this spacecraft contains an unknown life form. That's why you're here. You're the human contact team recommended in the Goodman Report. (gestures to each) We have a biochemist to assess the physiology of the Unknown Life Form, we have a mathematician, because that'll probably be our common language... and we have an astrophysicist to locate its place in the cosmos. HARRY Led by a psychologist. BARNES That's right. HARRY That's what the little green men say nowadays? 'Take me to your therapist'? Norman bites his tongue. He's used to it. Barnes refers to his copy of The Goodman Report... BARNES (reading) 'Contact teams meeting an unknown life form, or U.L.F., must be prepared for severe psychological impact. Stress reaction when confronted by unknown life has not been sufficiently studied and cannot be entirely predicted in advance. But the most likely consequence of contact is absolute terror.' (beat) That's from Norman's report. TED I'm sorry...are these parameters correct? BARNES Yup. TED So, you're saying you have a fuselage from a spacecraft over a half-mile long that crashed in the ocean three hundred years ago, and it's completely intact? BARNES That's right, and the kicker is, our sonar's picking up a low hum. Something's still running inside. A beat as they all look at each other... HARRY Hold on a second. There's no way that coral could've grown faster than an inch a year? BETH No. TED Well, that's why we're going down there to see, isn't it? HARRY Who said we're going down there? TED Are you kidding? This is the greatest scientific discovery since Copernicus! Bigger than Copernicus! The idea that we're not alone? It'll change everything. We have physical evidence that there's extra terrestrial life. You don't want to see that? HARRY This is not an equation that needs to be solved. No. NORMAN Harry's got a point. I'm not too sure about this idea of going down a thousand feet either. BARNES How deep have you been, Norman? NORMAN I can snorkle ten to fifteen feet. BARNES Good. You do that, and I'll take care of the rest. HARRY I have got to say, I resent this briefing very much. TED Oh, Jesus! BARNES Why is that, Harry? HARRY Did you decide you have to break the news to us gently? BARNES What news? HARRY About the door. BARNES Harry, we have divers cutting through excavation trenches as we speak, searching for that door. HARRY You know exactly where the door is, am I right. Am I right? BARNES You're right. HARRY One other thing. If Norman's report calls for a biologist, a mathematician, an astrophysicist, and a psychologist... then why are you here? Barnes grins enigmatically. BARNES I'm not here. (he turns) Physical protocols begin in half an hour. He leaves. HARRY He's not here. What the hell does that mean? NORMAN Harry, I'm impressed. You knew he wasn't telling the truth about the door. How did you know that? HARRY Oh, there's lots of things he's not telling us about. He's not telling us any of the important things. TED Like what? HARRY You wouldn't believe it if I told you...but you'd probably publish it. CUT TO: INT. SHIP - SICK BAY - LATER NORMAN AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. MEDIC (O/C) Do you wear glasses all the time? NORMAN I just started wearing these...er... CUT TO: TED AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. TED ...Why? Are the glasses a problem? Because I don't actually need them. Clinically speaking they're just for reading. They're more of a crutch really. (takes off glasses) I see fine without them. MEDIC O/C Could you read the fifth line please. TED Sure. (beat) From here? CUT TO: NORMAN AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. NORMAN They said there was no problem, but they didn't anticipate that I would be going a thousand feet under the water. I find it interesting that a part of me wants to find a way to get out of this, and another part of me is not trying to get out of it. MEDIC O/C Does this concern you? NORMAN Going down a thousand feet under the water where no fish live but that's where you want to send me? Mildly. CUT TO: BETH AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. MEDIC O/C Do you take any prescription medication? BETH No. MEDIC O/C None whatsoever? BETH You know once in a while...sometimes I might take like a piece of Xanax or something ...if I'm nervous. Something like that. Not...much. CUT TO: HARRY AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. MEDIC O/C Would you consider yourself in good physical condition? HARRY Yeah. MEDIC O/C According to your doctor, in 1990... HARRY Wait a minute -- you talked to my doctor? CUT TO: NORMAN AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. NORMAN What do you mean, I'm off the graph? I mean, is that a problem? CUT TO: HARRY AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. HARRY Knee surgery. Complete reconstruction of ACL right knee. Still have a steel pin here... (points to areas in leg) ...steel pin up here...little medial collateral damage. CUT TO: TED AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. TED I just take over the counter antihistamines. I have some allergies. Not to water, which is good. CUT TO: HARRY AGAINST A WHITE BACKGROUND. MEDIC O/C Do you feel comfortable about this dive? HARRY No. Hell, no! I don't feel comfortable about this dive. Why would I? It's not something I do on a normal basis. CUT TO: INT. CLASSROOM - LATER Norman struggles to stay awake as a DIVE INSTRUCTOR drones. DIVE INSTRUCTOR Let me remind you of a few points. This will be a saturation dive. You're going to be taken to a Habitat at a thousand feet. We have an atmosphere of 21% OT and 79% Nitrogen, which means that the PO2 would be .21 and .79. In this case we will be compressing on HE. ANGLE ON HARRY, TED, BETH AND NORMAN as the Dive Instructor continues. DIVE INSTRUCTOR (CONT'D) Compression to a thousand feet will then occur, using pure helium. As you compress, you will experience a warming of the environment and you can also expect to experience High Pressure Nervous Syndrome. HPNS is manifested by trembling, feelings of confusion, disorientation and possible nausea. NORMAN I got that now. The Dive Instructor drones on. DIVE INSTRUCTOR These symptoms should subside after a short time on the bottom. You will also notice marked voice change as the PPHE increases. CUT TO: EXT. SUBMARINE - CLOSE ON NORMAN - DAY Peering up through the dome of the submarine as it drops away from the mother ship and descends... CUT TO: INT. SUBMARINE - LATER Norman takes a seat inside the cramped sub. NORMAN Sit anywhere? The rest of the team sits, knee-to-knee. Ted sweats profusely. NORMAN (cont'd) Everybody happy? Barnes sits alongside a PILOT in the sub's cockpit, separated by a wall of Plexiglas. BARNES (over intercom) The descent will take about thirteen minutes descending at a rate of eighty- feet per minute. It'll get a little chilly. Try and relax. The sub rocks a little. NORMAN Next time, just tell us when you're going to push the button. Barnes flips a switch and a MOZART HORN CONCERTO BLARES cheerily on the PUBLIC ADDRESS... Harry ties his shoes. HARRY Mozart. Horn Concerto in E Flat. K-447. BETH I'm surprised to see you here, Harry. HARRY Everybody went down but Harry -- written down in some secret government file somewhere. Harry turns to Ted, shivering in a cold sweat of nerves... HARRY How you holding up there, Captain Nautical? TED I'm loose. HARRY You're loose? TED I'm loose. I'm loose. Then the sub lurches suddenly... TED I'm a little uptight...What was that? The sub rocks again. NORMAN Are we okay? Why don't I have a seatbelt? Barnes' VOICE INTERRUPTS the MOZART. BARNES Oh, shit! BETH Shit? TED What was that? BARNES (over intercom) We had a little flame out. But don't worry, we'll ride this current until we get power back. TED Did he just say we lost power? The group contemplates this as the Mozart cheerily resumes. NORMAN Flame out? What's a flame out? BARNES Don't worry about it. We're in the river now. NORMAN What river? BARNES It's a temperature salinity differential that flows like a river inside the ocean. NORMAN We're in the middle of the ocean under the ocean and there's a river? BARNES That's right. NORMAN You couldn't tell us that when you de- briefed us? BARNES Need to know. BETH It's a good thing, Norman. NORMAN It just, you know...lessens the stress response -- the more you know in front. Ted is looking very tense. NORMAN (cont'd) You okay, Ted? TED No, I'm not okay. NORMAN Look at me. Beth tries to soothe Ted. He gets more tense. NORMAN (CONT'D) Maybe you shouldn't touch him, Beth. (to Ted) Just look at me. I want you to breathe. Just look at me. You want to take a breath. On the count of three...one... Ted breathes. Harry begins to hum. TED You're not breathing either, Norman. NORMAN I know I'm not breathing. We're going to breathe together, okay? We're both nervous, yes? Breathe in through your nose...one, two, three and out. It's just a stress response. Out. BETH You're not giving birth here, Ted. NORMAN In and out...two...three...four... Ted and Norman exchange a smile. Harry's humming gets louder. TED Would you cut that out please, Harry? NORMAN (to Ted) You're having a stress reaction. That's Harry's stress reaction, okay? A bunch of adolescents here. Beth is holding onto Ted's hand. BETH Okay, man? She lets go of his hand. TED Thank you, that's better. I'm better. He laughs with relief. The sub continues to descend. NORMAN Those noises we're hearing, that's normal? BARNES Those noises are the pressure of the water attacking the integrity of the sub. BETH You know a little something about that, don't you? Norman? How the pressure can attack your integrity? NORMAN Come on...be nice this trip. BETH Were you nice last time? TED You two want to sit together? Norman wipes sweat off his brow. CUT TO: EXT. OCEAN - LATER The sub descends into the gloom... Not much light down here... In the distance, the shadowy monolith of the tail fin looms, like some ancient misplaced totem. CUT TO: INT. SUB - LATER Ted peers out of the porthole. Then his jaw drops. TED My God! C'mere -- look at this! Ted gestures to Norman, and Norman joins him. Peers out... THEIR POV Emerging INTO VIEW from behind a ridge... THE HABITAT A visually breathtaking network of cylinders and domes, in yellow steel and glass, lit up from inside and out -- like a vast underwater sculpture -- as fish dart around it... BACK ON NORMAN AND TED as Barnes comes over the intercom... BARNES (over intercom) That's the habitat. TED It ain't the Motel 6. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME The sub nestles beneath the imposing structure... a HYDRAULIC HISS as the sub's hatch connects with the airlock... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME JANE EDMUNDS, the unit archivist, monitors the video feed. A video image appears of the team entering through the hatch to the moon pool. EDMUNDS They're here. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT MOON POOL - SAME TIME The team crawls through the narrow hatch... CUT TO: INT. MOON POOL ROOM - LATER The team are squeezed face-to-face in a cold steel-walled chamber...Barnes stands outside and talks to them over an intercom. Then a scary HISSING sound as GAS under pressure enters the chamber. BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Alright. We're gonna pressurize you now. I know it's hot in there, but you're going to feel coolness. That's the helium. NORMAN Helium? TED Was I the only one paying attention? Ted is so captivated by his pompous explanation that he doesn't realize his voice is getting higher and squeakier...In fact, all of their voices have been distorted by the helium. TED Oxygen is a corrosive gas in the same family as chlorine and fluorine. Hydrochloric acid. Hydrofluoric acid. Everyone's smirking at Ted's seriousness and his squeaky voice. TED (cont'd) Essentially that's why we're breathing helium down here because oxygen at any level higher than 2.3 becomes toxic. NORMAN Can you run that by me again, Ted. I don't speak fluent balloon. Everyone laughs -- a squeaky, high-pitched helium laugh... TED (off their laughter) Yes...that's my voice. The helium resonates differently with my vocal cords. BETH Wait a second... HARRY Follow the yellow brick-road... BARNES (intercom) Alright, kiddies, cut it out. The voice regulators are behind you. Put 'em on. NORMAN (helium voice - to Beth) How do you like it? BETH (helium voice) It's nothing compared to the drugs I've done. Everyone laughs - helium laughs. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - POV FROM FIN OF SPACECRAFT - SAME TIME And the dim sounds of the LAUGHTER inside... As if someone is watching...listening... and the habitat is a craft full of aliens. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - VIDEO ROOM - LATER TEENY FLETCHER, a gruff O.S.S.A. lifer in her late 30s, works the controls (joystick, slide switches) for a remote robot... Jane Edmunds monitors the video feed. ANGLE ON TEAM Clustered around, watching... They all now wear talkers around their necks that normalize their speech. BARNES (V/O) Change the angle - different plane. ANGLE ON MONITORS A large hole has been excavated through the coral, revealing what appears to be a door in the spaceship beneath... As Teeny manipulates the joystick, a suction arm emerges from the robot, latches onto the door... FLETCHER Alright. BARNES Get the plane...get the suction plane flat. FLETCHER This has been a little difficult, sir. No, no...you're doing good. Keep the rubber plane flat. Fletcher continues to manipulate the robot. FLETCHER There we go. BARNES Rotate the clamp. FLETCHER Come on! BARNES No, other way. FLETCHER Okay. Ted is playing with his "talker" - the black box around his neck that regulates his voice. TED I can't believe these things...mmmmmm (starts to sing in helium voice) "Ole man river......that ole man river...." BARNES Turn it to forty five degrees. TED Mmmmmm.... (replaces "talker") I'm back. BETH Is that the door? BARNES Looks like it. We did sonar imaging of the interior compartments. That's our best bet. (to Fletcher) Damn it! It won't budge will it? HARRY Has it occurred to anyone that maybe we shouldn't open that door? NORMAN Why do you say that? HARRY We always assume these creatures will be green, or insect-like, but basicaily human. But what if they inhale air and exhale cyanide gas? It's perfectly plausible. BETH Or live forever -- like a virus. Or a yeast. NORMAN Why would you assume that an unknown life form would want to kill us? HARRY A creature that can't be killed wouldn't think killing was right or wrong. They'd simply have no concept of it. Ted noses up to the monitor, getting in everyone's way. TED How tall is that robot? FLETCHER Five feet. HARRY Instant extinction. It's what all the serious scientific literature is about -- what little there is on the subject. (to Norman) That is in your report, isn't it, Norman? NORMAN It's in there. BARNES (to Fletcher) Put some suction in it. Is that piston broken? TED That's roughly the same size as an airplane door, isn't it? BARNES Excuse me, Ted. TED I just think that's worth taking note of. Don't you? BARNES Ted! (to Fletcher) Knock the suction up to point-four. TED Look at how clumsy this thing is. Three million dollars worth of technology and it can't open a door. BARNES Alright, Ted! FLETCHER (through her teeth) There's nothing clumsy about the robot. TED I'm sorry. All I'm saying is I think any one of us could do better with a crowbar. BETH Any one of us, Ted? Which any one of us would that be? TED Okay, okay...I admit it. Nothing wrong with a little glory in the name of science? Jesus! CLOSE ON BARNES as he looks at the robot flailing impotently at the door... Then looks at the team. FLETCHER We're not going to be able to control it from here, and all the divers have pulled out. CUT TO: INT. SUIT ROOM - LATER Lockers with nameplates for the team... Inside each, a diving suit and helmet... Heavier than scuba gear -- more like spacesuits. The team sets about changing into them. NORMAN I'm not too thrilled at the prospect of this, you know. BETH You know what, Norman...don't think of it as swimming, think of it as walking. NORMAN The walking part I can do, it's the underwater part. You drown underwater. (adjusting equipment) If I break anything, does that mean I don't have to go? TED What if I have to go to the bathroom? HARRY Just go down your leg, Ted. TED Really? You can urinate in these? HARRY You can. Question is, would you want to? NORMAN (looking at helmet) Where's the switch? BETH Okay, let's go. CUT TO: INT. MOON POOL ROOM - LATER Barnes opens a hatch to the ocean, kept at bay by the positive pressure in the airlock room. Suited up, the team jumps through the hatch and down to the ocean floor. CUT TO: EXT. OCEAN FLOOR - CONTINUOUS Norman emerges from a cloud of bubbles onto the ocean floor, kicking up sand and clouding up the already murky view... NORMAN'S POV The LABORED sound of Norman's BREATHING as we look out from inside his helmet. BARNES (over intercom) Alright, Fletcher. We're at one thousand and twenty two feet, ambient temperature thirty four degrees, heading out north, north west three thirty. It's a firm bottom, intermittent coral. Norman turns and sees a blinding light... shields his eyes -- it's the light on Harry's helmet. HARRY (over intercom) Norman, your light's off again. Try the switch at your waist. INSERT - NORMAN'S GLOVE As he fumbles with the switch on his waist... His helmet light flashes on... WIDER The team makes its way across the ocean floor, their helmet lights sweeping the foggy bottom like headlights... BETH (over intercom) This is great you guys. Wow! (beat) Hey, Norman. You know, a space launch costs a hundred million dollars. You could come down here once a day every day for fifty years for that. The ocean is the oldest living environment...so much older than the land, yet we don't know anything about it. BACK ON NORMAN'S POV - LONG, HIGH WIDE SHOT He can barely make out the others... This is a long way from sherry at the faculty club. Then he HEARS... BETH (over intercom) Oh, my God! TED (over intercom) Look at the size of that thing. BARNES (over intercom) You see that tunnel...we go there. That's the "heart of darkness". They continue across the ocean bottom. BARNES (cont'd) (over intercom) We're in the coral pipe now, approaching the airlock. NORMAN (over intercom) I'm feeling pressure in my ears, is that normal? BETH (over intercom) Just use your equalizer. Norman adjusts his equipment. NORMAN A little better. BETH You know, the most toxic creatures on earth live down here. The venom of a land animal is nothing by comparison. Even the weakest sea snake is inveritably lethal. NORMAN (over intercom) Is that supposed to make me feel good, Beth? HARRY (looking at coral) Amazing. This stuff only grows an inch a year? BARNES Airlock's in sight now. TED (re: spacecraft) This thing is enormous. Norman looks up... LONG, HIGH, WIDE SHOT - THE TEAM As their little helmet lights sweep up towards... SPACECRAFT Buried under a mountain of coral, it's about as big as an airport terminal. With the titanium fin looming beyond... ANGLE ON BARNES Near the entrance -- carved through the coral and lit by tiny hanging bulbs. Barnes waves them on and they follow him down. BARNES This is our airlock. It'll take us from a wet to a dry environment. We're assuming the inside of the ship is sealed. ANGLE ON NORMAN as he descends awkwardly, grabbing clumsily at the bulky iron pitons drilled into the coral walls... till he reaches... PORTABLE AIRLOCK A large Plexiglas tube reinforced with steel struts, butted against the door of the spacecraft. Norman and the rest of the team enter. Barnes seals it shut...there's a rush of incoming gas which pushes the water out... CLOSE ON NORMAN as the water recedes down past his face-plate... Then he and the rest of the team turn toward... DOOR CUT TO: EXT. SPACECRAFT/INT. PORTABLE AIRLOCK - LATER Barnes labors over the robot, the innards exposed, with an Allen wrench, Ted hovering over him. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Fletcher watching the team on the bank of videos. FLETCHER Alright. What's happening here guys? CUT TO: EXT. SPACECRAFT/INT. PORTABLE AIRLOCK - SAME TIME Barnes struggles with the robot. BARNES Put a light in the digit, Norman. Norman shines his flashlight inside the robot hand. BARNES Yeah...maybe it's the hydraulics. The pressure messes everything up at this depth. In frustration, Ted grabs a hammer from Barnes' tool kit. TED Time for a demonstration in basic physics, gentlemen. He goes to the door and bangs on it... BETH What is this, a pinata party? BARNES No. Dr. Fielding is demonstrating advanced applied physics for us. ANGLE ON HARRY as he notices something... moves toward the door... runs his finger along the edge... Norman moves alongside him... NORMAN What is it, Harry? HARRY Take a look. Norman looks closely at the door. HARRY (cont'd) It's chipped. Then the others gather around them. BARNES It's chipped. So what? HARRY I thought you said there was no damage in the crash. That this titanium alloy was super-strong, there was no way you could hurt it. BARNES I did. HARRY But it gets chipped just from some scientist whacking on it with a hammer? ANGLE ON BETH As she feels the door with her palms... BETH Is there heat coming off this thing, or is it just happy to see me? BARNES Get away from there, Beth. BETH Just one minute. BARNES I said back off! Now! Barnes yanks Beth roughly and shoves her aside. Angry, she glares at him. The door starts to RUMBLE...Barnes unstraps a weapon... Then the door opens... revealing blackness inside. HARRY Is anyone else here wondering who opened the door? CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Fletcher at bank of videos. FLETCHER Yeah. I'd like to know who hit the button too. CUT TO: EXT. SPACECRAFT/INT. PORTABLE AIRLOCK - SAME TIME Norman and Harry exchange a look. Then, ever so cautiously, Norman moves in, followed by Ted, Harry, Beth and Barnes who closes the door behind them. TED How did that happen? BARNES I'm not sure about the atmosphere. Helmets stay on. TED We come in peace. (to Harry) I always wanted to say that. CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - SAME TIME Norman enters, his helmet light leading the way...He realizes he is walking along a five-foot wide catwalk... NORMAN'S POV as his helmet light sweeps forty feet down into the maw of the craft, a dense web of struts and buttresses...Beth heads along a separate path of the catwaik...Looks down. Stops. BETH'S POV as her helmet light sweeps the path...footprints. BACK TO SCENE BETH Somebody's been here. HARRY What? BETH Yeah. There's footsteps, and they ain't ours. Harry joins her. Looks down. Then Norman joins them. HARRY What do you say, Norman? Time to turn around? NORMAN I'm a little curious. BARNES Let's break up into two squads. We'll never cover the ground otherwise. HARRY Split up? TED He's got a point. We've got maybe a half- hour of gas left. BARNES Ted and Harry you come with me. Beth and Norman stick together. Come on. HARRY I think the people who built this place would call that divide and conquer. NORMAN Whoever built this thing wanted us dead, we'd be dead already. (beat) As a matter of deductive logic, Harry. CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - LATER Barnes, Harry and Ted move ahead, their helmet lights sweeping the surfaces and structures of the craft -- both odd and oddly familiar. Barnes inspects one of the girders with his gloved fingers, then whacks it with the crowbar. BARNES Look at this, Harry...cross-stress bracing for the outer hull. Tremendous support along all axes. This is interesting. This material -- strong and soft at the same time. Better than rubber, better than steel. (off insulation) Heck of a lot of radiation shielding. Wonder what that's for? HARRY You seem to know a lot about this. BARNES Huh? (beat) Yeah, I, uh, studied aeronautical engineering at M.I.T. Isn't that where you got your Ph.D.? TED Where I got mine. All three of them. A regular hotbed of academic envy though. HARRY Ain't that the truth. I hated M.I.T. TED Envy? HARRY Puberty. TED Puberty? How old? HARRY First Ph.D, eighteen. TED Damn! One year, Harry. You beat me by one year, Harry. HARRY (singing) "What a difference a year makes...." TED Where'd Dr. Halperin get her Ph.D.? BARNES On her knees, is what I'd guess. HARRY You might be underestimating her. BARNES Oh, yeah? (beat) Let's push on. ANGLE ON TED as he looks around for a place to sit. TED Man. They didn't tell you how heavy these things were out of water. He finds a box. Brushes the silt off the top. Double- takes... TED What the hell -- (to others) Come here -- look at this! Barnes and Harry join him. Peer down with their head- lamps... INSERT - BOX Where Ted brushed the silt off, it reads, "TRASH/BASURA". BARNES (reading) 'Trash/Basura'? HARRY Trash? CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - HALLWAY AND ELEVATOR - SAME TIME Norman and Beth move through the craft. Beth finds a door with a control button. BETH What do you think? Norman shrugs. Beth moves to press the button. Norman stops her. NORMAN Listen, Beth, I've got a dilemma. I have to tell you something about the report. BETH Okay. NORMAN You know, I needed the money. Ellen wanted to buy a house and I was broke -- the divorce had cleaned me out... These guys show up with a federal grant to study the psychological effects of an alien invasion -- BETH What are you saying, Norman? NORMAN I mean...I needed money to buy a house. BETH Uh, huh... NORMAN So I made it up. BETH You made what up? NORMAN I made up the report. BETH You made up the report? NORMAN Not all of it. I mean, I did research on half of it. Beat. BETH Well, who did the other half? NORMAN I borrowed from, you know, good writers. Isaac Asimov...Rod Serling. BETH Rod Serling? This isn't the Twilight Zone, Norman, and I can't change the channel, so what do you want me to do now? NORMAN I'm just telling you, Beth. I mean, who the hell would think that anyone would ever read those government reports? What's the odds of it? You know what I mean? I show up and I've got half the Pacific Fleet here. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to tell you, that's all. Beat. BETH Would this fall under the same category as "Gee, Beth, I thought you knew I was married?" NORMAN Boy, you don't forget, do you? I don't think we have enough oxygen to talk this through now. BETH I don't think there's nough oxygen to talk this through...ever. Beth angrily presses the button and she heads inside, then stops. Norman tentatively follows her. Suddenly they're elevated with a fast jolt. Beth screams. NORMAN Who pushed the button? Did you push something? BETH No. INT. SPACECRAFT - FLIGHT DECK Norman and Beth arrive at the flight deck. It is extremely dark. They discover a large, contoured console -- but with no instrumentation of any kind. Norman feels his way around what seems to be a leather chair... NORMAN This must be the cockpit. Hold on...here's a chair. He sits down. NORMAN (cont'd) You know, this is fairly comfortable. BETH Norman, do you hear a kind of gurgling sound? NORMAN Gurgling... Aaaaargh! Suddenly the chair grabs him... Squeezing his shoulders, grabbing his hips, wrapping around his head... as if it was swallowing him... Beth screams. BETH Norman! NORMAN (cont'd) Oh, yeah. You know, they're seatbelts. CLOSE ON NORMAN As he disappears into the chair... Being swallowed up by it. Beth screaming, "Norman! Norman!" And then it stops. NORMAN I'm okay. Then a loud WHIR as the CHAIR snaps forward, zooms up tight to the console. NORMAN (cont'd) Er...Beth, I could use a little help. Beth. CLOSE ON NORMAN He maintains his composure by dint of will. Then his face is bathed in a soft Christmastime glow of colored lights. BETH Norman! Norman! He gestures down with his eyes. She follows his gaze... ANGLE ON CONSOLE As it begins to take on depth... The instrumentation is somehow within the surface of the console, like a hologram... "POS THRUSTERS"... "F3 PISTON BOOSTER".."GLIDER".."SIEVES"... NORMAN Beth, you still with me? BETH (reading) Yeah. The symbols...the symbols are in English. NORMAN English? BETH Yes, English. Our mother tongue. NORMAN There must be an explanation. BETH Well, there's something weird going on here, Norman. There's something Barnes isn't telling us. NORMAN Well, Beth, while you're ruminating, do you think you can find the chair release button. BETH Oh! (reading) Ignition... NORMAN No, not that one. Beth explores the console. Finds the appropriate control. Touches it. BETH Here. This is it, I think. The chair unwraps around Norman. NORMAN There you go. Norman relaxes. Beth turns and sees that the chair beside Norman has opened as well. And there's a skeleton in uniform inside it. BETH Aaaargh! NORMAN Oh, God! Beth examines the skeleton with her scientific sangfroid. BETH Jesus! It's human. NORMAN You mean humanoid? BETH No, Norman. I mean human. (off skeleton) Blunt force trauma. You can see by the direction that the fracture runs, that he was hit in the back of the head. NORMAN What's in his hand? BETH I don't know. Norman takes a small package from the skeleton's hand. BETH What is it? NORMAN Smokehouse almonds? They look at each other a beat. BETH My God -- it's an American spaceship. They exchange a look as they absorb this stunning revelation. NORMAN It can't be an American spaceship. It's three hundred years old. There weren't even Americans, let alone spaceships. BETH Well, it can't be, but it is. NORMAN Okay. Let's see if there's some kind of flight recorder or data computer that we can ring up a flight history. Just punch punch... punch... punch something! BETH Alright. Let me try this thing again. Beth touches the console... ANGLE ON THEIR FACEPLATES As data starts to spool out on the console... RV-LHOOQ... DCOMl... ASSIMILATING DATABASE... BETH Alright. Look at this. Okay, good. Here we go. ANGLE ON CONSOLE As Norman punches another button... FLIGHT DATA ENTRIES FDS 01/01/43-12/31/45 FDS 01/01/46-12/31/48 FDS 01/01/49-12/31/51 FDS 02/01/56-UNKNOWN ENTRY EVENT NORMAN Look at the dates. That can't be -- BETH It could be. It could be 2043 or 1643. I don't know which one is weirder. NORMAN 'Unknown Entry Event'? Press that. BETH Are you sure? NORMAN Yes. Beth presses the console at "Unknown Entry Event"... ANGLE ON SCREEN As it expands... A sort of hologram created all around them...As they streak through a galaxy, stars and planets all around them... They feel like they're falling into outer space... Then in the middle of the screen, a black spot... That gets bigger... Then suddenly has a white cluster in the middle of it... As if they're flying toward a giant black donut... And then...nothing... They sit a beat in the eerie blankness and silence... BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) This is Barnes. Norman? Norman and Beth exchange a look. NORMAN Yes, I can hear you. I can't explain it, but I think we're inside an American spacecraft. BARNES (V.O.) It gets better. NORMAN This is enough. CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - CARGO BAY - LATER The Sphere, a giant metal ball with an iridescent surface, ten meters across, is held suspended by a giant claw-like apparatus in one of the forward bays. Something mesmerizing about it... The team approaches tentatively... TED What the hell is it? BARNES Whatever it is, it seems to be what this bird was designed to do. Go out into space and gather things like this up and bring it back. TED Yeah...but back from where? HARRY Don't get too excited, Ted. We'll turn it over and it'll say, 'Made in Korea.' TED Somehow I doubt that, Harry. BARNES What do you think, Norman? NORMAN I'm still working on what the hell is it. BARNES No hinges... No doors of any kind... TED I bet if you put a laser micrometer on this you'd find it's a perfect sphere. I mean a perfect sphere -- down to a thousandth of an inch. That's a message in itself. HARRY Really. BARNES What do you mean? TED I mean when Pope Benedict asked Giotto for a drawing to prove his worth as an artist, what he did was draw a perfect circle freehand. Perfection is a powerful message. BETH I know what the Zen masters would say. HARRY What's that? BETH The ball wants to be caught. BARNES Nobody built a thing like this looking into his third eye. They went to a lot of trouble. And they didn't do it for nothing. Something put it out there to get picked up and brought back. Are you forgetting the Trojan Horse? It could be a trap. TED That sounds a little paranoid, don't you think, Barnes? BARNES Paranoia is a disease. Fear is useful. Defense is basic -- down to the simplest one-cell organism. Us. Them. (checks watch) We'll leave a video camera here, keep an eye on it. NORMAN Can I ask you something about this reflective surface -- Barnes edges up to the sphere. BARNES It looks like it's made of mercury. Except mercury is a liquid at this temperature. NORMAN No. That's not what I'm talking about. What worries me is that it's reflecting everything but us. Barnes steps back to get a better look. The team edges up beside Norman... NORMAN (cont'd) I hate to be the one non-scientist who picks this up, guys. You know what I mean? What do you think it is? THEIR POV It's true. A perfect mirror image of everything in the cargo bay but them. BARNES I don't know. Whatever it is, it's alien. SPHERE POV Through a convex lens, of the team looking in. BACK ON NORMAN As he watches Barnes gingerly reach out and touch the surface of The Sphere. CUT TO: INT. BARNES' ROOM CLOSE ON TELETYPE MACHINE A message types out: "ADMIRAL MANNION HAS LEARNED CIVILIANS AT SATURATED DEPTHS. DEMANDS THEY BE SENT TOPSIDE IMMEDIATELY." Barnes reads message, crumples it into a ball and throws it away, then types a response. "COULD NOT DE-CODE LAST MESSAGE. TRANSMISSION SCRAMBLED. PLEASE RE-SEND." "CYCLONE DUE 0800 HOURS. GALE FORCE CONDITIONS AND SOUTHEAST SWELLS TOPSIDE. CONTACT TEAM MUST EVACUATE TWO HOURS OR REMAIN HABITAT FOR DURATION OF STORM. OSSA." CUT TO: INT. BARNES' ROOM - LATER Barnes talks on the radio transmission speaker to the surface. BARNES Sounds like it's gonna get pretty hairy up there. What's the word from meteorology? CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - MOVING INSIDE to the galley, where the team, now in their blue jumpsuits, confers over hot coffee. Fletcher bakes something in the oven... TED An American spacecraft -- materials and technology more advanced than anything we know of -- crashes into the ocean -- HARRY If it crashed how come it's not damaged? TED The materials are obviously superstrong. HARRY If that's the case, how come the door chipped just from you banging on it? Fletcher brings them a tray of fresh-baked muffind. They all dig in. TED Okay. Better. It didn't crash. It arrived. Three hundred years ago. BETH From where? TED Not from where, from when. BETH So, you're saying, this thing took a wrong turn? TED Yes, that's right. What if the craft inadvertently flew into a black hole. It arrived in our past from its present. What about those dates you saw on the flight recorder. NORMAN '43, '47 -- TED That's right. That has to be two thousand forty three...two thousand forty seven. That image that you told me you saw on the monitor...from what you describe that sounds exactly like a black hole...a tear in the space... HARRY We know what a black hole is, Ted. NORMAN I don't know what a black hole is. HARRY A black hole is a collapsed dead star that has so much gravity it acts like a huge vacuum cleaner, sucking everything into it. A light interstellar dust... time... TED Time. HARRY It's possible, but not plausible. TED It's more than probable, it's rudimentary astrophysics. We just haven't been able to fly into one and prove it. HARRY Well, Ted, sounds like you've got this all figured out. Barnes enters. BARNES Well, I just got off the horn topside. Expecting a bad blow-up there. They're pulling us out. TED Pulling us out? Wait a minute...what do you mean, pulling us out? What does that mean, pulling us out? HARRY What part of 'pull out' don't you understand, Ted? Extraction...we're leaving. TED No...no...that's ridiculous. I mean, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface down here. BARNES If you've ever seen these Pacific cyclones -- what we call a tornado is nothing more than a little fart, so I suggest you go back to the dormitory and take a nap. You need to lower your metabolism before the decompression. TED You're just gonna leave a time-traveling spacecraft at the bottom of the coean? BARNES I'm just going to follow my orders, Ted. BETH We're the Welcome Wagon for the aliens, right? There's no aliens. It's all Made in America. TED (to Beth) What's your point? BETH My point is I'm a biochemist. There's no life down here, and you guys are bugging the shit out of me. TED What is wrong with all of you? That doesn't mean there's nothing left to learn -- nothing to explore -- Jesus! BARNES (cutting him off) She's right, Ted. You guys are the human contact team for an Unknown Life Form. There is no Unknown Life Form. (beat) So, we're pulling out at oh-nine hundred. TED Norman, will you please say something to him. NORMAN What? TED I don't know. Do you not have an opinion about this? NORMAN Yes. I'm delighted we're going back up top. You know what I mean? I mean, I don't know about you, this might look like a road-side diner, but in the meantime, my ears won't pop...if I pull this thing away from my neck I sound like someone's squeezing my testicles. Let's go home. Ted takes Barnes aside. TED Look, why don't you tell me. What is it you don't want us to find out, huh? BARNES I don't want you to find out what I really think of you. ANGLE ON HARRY AND NORMAN NORMAN Harry. Doesn't it seem odd to you that Barnes was so excited about coming down here, but he wasn't the least bit upset about going up? HARRY We're on the same page. Norman puts his finger in his ear to release pressure. HARRY (cont'd) Equalize, Norman. NORMAN What do you mean? HARRY You know how to equalize, don't you? Just pinch your nostrils together and blow. NORMAN Don't get racy. CUT TO: INT. BARNES' ROOM - LATER CLOSE on LAPTOP SCREEN as words appear... "DESPITE RISKS CONTACT TEAM ELECTS BY UNANIMOUS VOTE TO REMAIN HABITAT FOR DURATION OF STORM. BARNES." REVERSE ANGLE Barnes hits TRANSMIT BUTTON. BACK ON LAPTOP As the message appears: "TRANSMISSION COMPLETE" BACK ON BARNES As he looks around furtively. Turns off his laptop and closes it. CUT TO: INT. DORMITORY - LATER Beth and Ted sleep. Harry reads a paperback novel to mask his anxiety. Norman brushes his teeth. HARRY ...Barnes is wrong, you know. NORMAN What do you mean? Wrong about the storm? HARRY No...about The Sphere. NORMAN What about The Sphere? HARRY It's alive. Norman stops a beat. Thinks. Then turns to Harry. NORMAN Why do you say that, Harry? HARRY There's something inside it. NORMAN How could there be anything inside it? There's no doors, no seams... HARRY The Sphere chooses what it will and won't reflect. Doesn't that seem like the actions of a conscious being to you? NORMAN Okay...pop psychology - you want to know what this is really about I think, for what it's worth? Your anger towards our friend, Ted in there, is because he figured this out before you did. Beat. HARRY You really think so? NORMAN I don't know. This is my first underwater session. They laugh. HARRY You're right. Ted did figure it out first, didn't he? Good shrinkage. Harry takes a slow, rueful, ruminative beat. Then: HARRY We're all going to die down here, you know. This stops Norman. NORMAN What? What? HARRY You see, it's curious, Ted did figure it out. Time travel. And when we get back, we're gonna tell everyone...how it's possible. How it's done. What the dangers are. But then why, fifty years in the future, when this spacecraft encounters a black hole, does the computer call it an 'Unknown Entry Event'? Why don't they know? If they don't know, it means we never told anyone, and if we never told anyone, it means we never made it back. Hence, we die down here. (beat) Just as a matter of deductive logic, Norman. CLOSE ON NORMAN As he absorbs this... HARRY Damn! I wish I could get inside that Sphere. CUT TO: INT. BARNES' QUARTERS - CLOSE ON PRINTER - SAME TIME As it TYPES... "... 30 knots... ETD -- 00:19 MIN..." CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY ALARMS sound and lights flash as Norman hustles past Fletcher. NORMAN What's wrong? FLETCHER Talk to Mr. Barnes... NORMAN Where is he? FLETCHER Video feed room. NORMAN Where's that? I don't know where the hell anything is. CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - SAME TIME Harry walks towards the Sphere. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - LATER Norman joins Barnes in the video room. NORMAN What's going on? BARNES I don't know, Norman. You tell me. Barnes punches up an image on the monitors. They look up... REVERSE ANGLE - MONITOR Harry, in his diving suit, inside the spacecraft as he approaches The Sphere... BACK ON NORMAN AND BARNES As they look up. Then look at each other. NORMAN What the hell is he doing? BARNES I don't know what he's doing. Do you know what he's doing? Come on, Norman, there's no time. I need to know what you know. NORMAN Nothing. He said he wanted to go inside, I just didn't think -- BARNES We are inside, Norman. You mean outside? NORMAN He said inside. BARNES Inside what? Inside the spacecraft. NORMAN I think inside The Sphere. BARNES The Sphere... INT. SPACECRAFT - SAME TIME Harry approaches The Sphere... Unlike before, his image is now reflected in the luminous surface... Harry smiles ... Then his image revolves, faster and faster... His grin growing wider and wider... And then the reflection isn't there... REVERSE ANGLE And neither is Harry. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME As Barnes and Norman watch this scene on the monitors... BARNES Holy shit! NORMAN Oh, my God! Did he go inside? BARNES I don't know. I don't think he went inside. NORMAN Well, what the hell's going on? He didn't just disappear. BARNES I don't know. I don't think he disappeared. I think it's a glitch in the video. Fletcher hustles back inside. BARNES Fletcher, can we get playback on that? FLETCHER Playback coming to you now. BARNES (turns to Norman) You knew he was going to do this and you did nothing. NORMAN I didn't think -- BARNES You didn't think, Norman? NORMAN Fella...okay...Mr. Barnes...I was sleeping, you know. I'm a little disoriented. BARNES You're disoriented? NORMAN I didn't think it was possible. BARNES Disoriented? Where are Beth and Ted? NORMAN I don't know. BARNES You don't know? NORMAN No, I don't know. I woke up...I heard bells ringing. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME Edmunds, puzzled, fiddles with a control knob... REVERSE ANGLE The gauge marked "SUB DESCENT"... It's not moving. EDMUNDS (to microphone) I'm not getting an image on the sub, sir. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes pulls on his headset. BARNES That's impossible. I just got a cable in my quarters. (checks watch) They're gonna be here in twenty five minutes or less. EDMUNDS (V.O.) (over intercom) The only logical explanation is that the sub is still at the surface. BARNES Isn't it also logically possible your sonar's messed up? Barnes punches up some controls. ON MONITOR As Harry's image revolves around The Sphere and then Harry disappears. NORMAN Okay, let's just calm down, alright? He didn't just disappear. We're not going to leave him. BARNES You got that right, Norman. We're not going to leave without him. I'm not going to lose a civilian on my watch... so you have just screwed up our trip to the surface. We're not going up to the surface until we find Harry. (to intercom) Harry. We're not going up. Harry, can you hear me? Harry? ANGLE ON MONITOR Harry's grinning, whirling image on The Sphere as it plays back on the monitors... BACK ON BARNES As he barks into the intercom... Then starts talking to Norman, but Norman's not there. BARNES This is not a triage situation here.. (turns towards where he expects to see Norman) Norman? Norman's disappeared. BARNES (cont'd) (to Fletcher) Go and find me Ted and Beth. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Norman runs through the corridor toward the dressing room... BARNES (over intercom) Norman... Norman... CUT TO: INT. SUIT ROOM - SAME TIME Norman climbs into his diving suit... BARNES (over intercom) Stop now, Norman. (beat) Norman, that's an order. INT. HABITAT - CORRIDOR TO MOON POOL - ANGLE ON EDMUNDS As she runs down the corridor... Enters the dressing room. EDMUNDS' POV - MOON POOL No Norman. Beyond -- to the airlock -- no Norman. CUT TO: INT. BARNES' QUARTERS - SAME TIME The PRINTER TYPES, "ETD -- 00:05 min"... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Norman plunges down from the airlock to the ocean floor in a cloud of bubbles... NORMAN'S POV The door to the spacecraft illuminated by the airlock tube in the distance... The sound of his BREATHING as he trudges across the ocean floor... Norman goes through airlock. Norman runs on spacecraft catwalk. Norman runs through spacecraft hallway. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes watches on the monitors as he punches up different views of the habitat... EDMUNDS (V.O.) (over intercom) Sir, I'm still getting no reading on the sub. BARNES (to microphone) Forget about the goddamn sonar. When Beth and Ted get here, keep your eye on them. Make sure they don't go anywhere, alright? (mutters) I don't need a submarine, I need a schoolbus. CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - CARGO BAY - LATER With some trepidation Norman turns the corner... NORMAN'S POV The Sphere... Its luminous, opalescent surface... BACK ON NORMAN As, cautiously, he approaches The Sphere... Norman approaches The Sphere... Gets closer, till it looms above him... REVERSE ANGLE The curious surface of The Sphere, reflecting the room but not Norman... BACK ON NORMAN As he glances over, doubletakes... Harry has appeared, unconscious, right beside him...Norman kneels... NORMAN Harry. Can you hear me? He checks the vital signs on Harry's breastplate... NORMAN (cont'd) Harry? CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes at the monitors watching Norman. BARNES Norman, is he alive? CUT TO: INT. SPACECRAFT - CARGO BAY - SAME TIME Norman checking Harry for signs of life. NORMAN Barnes. We have a problem. Harry's out coldhere. His pulse is normal...all his vitals are normal. I don't get it. (shaking Harry) Harry! The Norman lifts Harry in his arms, looks up. Something he sees stops him... REVERSE ANGLE - THE SPHERE Now Norman is reflected in the liquid surface... CLOSE ON NORMAN As he stops, frozen -- CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROM - SAME TIME Barnes watches on the monitors as Norman approaches The Sphere...Suddenly the monitors go black. Then the lights flicker off... FLETCHER Hello...hello... BARNES Norman. Can you hear me? We lost video here. Can you hear me, Norman. Norman? (beat) That tears it. FLETCHER What, sir? BARNES We're on internal power. FLETCHER I don't follow you. BARNES (right back) They cut us loose, Teeny. The sub has gone to the surface. FLETCHER I'm not following you. BARNES Get out your Five-Day Deodorant Pads. We're down here for the duration. CUT TO: EXT. OCEAN FLOOR - LATER The power cable detaches from the habitat. CUT TO: INT. DORMITORY - LATER Harry lies unconscious on his cot. Beth finishes taking his vital signs as Fletcher assists her. BETH Everything's normal. Ted enters. Looks down at Harry as he sleeps. TED What's going on? Is it true? Harry went inside? What did he say? (off Beth's look) I get it -- he didn't say. He can't talk. He's aphasic. Beth rolls up the stethoscope, hands it to Fletcher. BETH He's asleep, Ted. TED I can't believe he went into The Sphere. He didn't say anything. How? There's no door. No entry hatch... How'd he get in? BETH (cutting him off) He sweet talked his way in. Beth exits, Fletcher following. Ted thinks a beat. TED (to Harry, still sleeping) Okay, I get it. In an alternative universe you're actually charming. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Barnes talks on a phone, refers to his watch. Edmunds fiddles with the sonar equipment beside him. EDMUNDS ... I don't know why we didn't see the sub on the sonar. BARNES Forget the sub, Edmunds. I think as long as we're stuck here, I want to do another 'reccie' of the spacecraft, only this time I don't think we need to involve the civilians. EDMUNDS Right, sir. Beth enters. BETH So now what? BARNES Everything's going to be fine, Beth. BETH How much oxygen do we have left? BARNES The storm'll only last 72 hours. At the outside, four days. There's plenty of oxygen, barring any unforeseen -- BETH Unforeseen? You mean like Harry going in The Sphere? BARNES What exactly is your point? BETH My point is, Harry should never have been anywhere near that sphere. If you were doing your job instead of fuddling around here like some middle-aged man who's lost his keys, we'd all be breathing fresh air right now instead of worrying about how much oxygen... BARNES For someone who's worried about oxygen, you sure are using it up. BETH I know you're not with O.S.S.A. You're doing a good job of pretending, turning dials and flipping switches, but you don't know one end of a rudder from the other. We're all counting on you like you know something about how to get us back safely. Or even care. BARNES I know enough not to get killed down here. BETH Good for you. Barnes gives her a hard look. BARNES Beth, let me ask you a question. What exactly are your qualifications for being here? BETH Guess. BARNES Well, I mean Norman chose Harry - a genius kid from the slums of Philadelphia ...in six years he had a Ph.D; Norman chose Ted - a whiz kid astrophysicist...and Norman chose you. Why are you here? Are you the most qualified in your field? Norman must have thought so. Then again, the report's a few years old, maybe things have changed. Beth glares at Barnes. He stares her down. She storms out. INT. CONTROL SHAFT - LATER The guts of the habitat. Fletcher adjusts a valve as Barnes comes over the intercom. BARNES (V.O.) ... Can I have your attention? We have lost contact with the surface. The habitat is now operating solely under internal power... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Beth strides angrily down the corridor... BARNES (V.O.) ... We have plenty of food, oxygen, and, fresh water to sustain us until the storm is over and we re-establish contact with the surface. CUT TO: INT. DORMITORY - CLOSE ON HARRY - SAME TIME As he sleeps in his bunk. Visible beneath his eyelids, rapid eye movement as he dreams... BARNES (V.O.) (on the intercom) ...But until that time, this mission is subject to emergency authority under my command. This is Barnes. Over and out. PUSHING THROUGH PORTHOLE Jellyfish swarm outside the habitat... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - LATER Barnes with Ted and Fletcher as he punches a few commands at the computer. Takes a videotape out of the console. Stacks it up with the other videotapes. FLETCHER I'm going to take this out to the mini- sub, sir. BARNES You're up on the duty roster? FLETCHER Yes, sir. BARNES Alright. Fletcher. TED Where's she going? BARNES Procedures. Everything in the habitat is videoed, so every twelve hours we take the video storage out to the mini-sub and press the reset button. The idea is, if something happens to us and we don't reset it, the sub goes to the surface automatically, so if we're all dead, they at least have a partial record of what went wrong. (off Ted's look) Cheerful thought, huh? (getting up) Mind the store a minute. Barnes exits. Ted swivels into position to watch... ANGLE ON MONITORS An exterior view of the habitat as Fletcher splashes down out of the airlock... CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - SAME TIME Beth stands in front of a sink. She opens a bottle of pills. Takes a pill out, breaks it in half and washes it down with water. Then she swallows the other half pill and washes that down. INT. DORMITORY - CLOSE ON HARRY - SAME TIME Harry suddenly opens his eyes wide. EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Fletcher sweeps through a pretty cloud of pink jellyfish... Like tiny dancers with blooming pink petticoats... The mini- sub visible in the distance. FLETCHER (to intercom) This is beautiful. It's snowing down here. There's got to be a million jellyfish down here. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Ted looks at the view on the monitors... FLETCHER (V.O.) (over intercom) I'm having a hard time seeing. TED (to intercom) Hello...hello...hello...hello... FLETCHER (V.O.) (over intercom) They're sticking to my face-plate. TED (to intercom) Fletcher, this is Dr. Fielding. Swim through them. They're harmless. Barnes enters, turns to the monitors and his jaw drops... ANGLE ON MONITORS Fletcher all but lost in a dense snowfall of jellyfish... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Fletcher struggles through the sea of jellyfish... FLETCHER (over intercom) Hey, guys...I think they feel the heat from my legs -- Then Fletcher howls. BARNES (V.O.) (to intercom) Fletcher, get out of there. FLETCHER (over intercom) They're stinging me through the -- (beat) Aaaaaargh! BARNES (V.O.) (to intercom) Fletcher, I want you back at the habitat on the double. Fletcher thrashes... FLETCHER (over intercom) I can't move my legs. It's burning! BARNES (to intercom) Come back to the habitat. FLETCHER (over intercom) They're inside my suit! They're inside my -- BARNES (to intercom) Keep moving...keep moving. Just keep moving... Fletcher thrashes as the water rises inside her faceplate... And then a jellyfish swims up... stings her in the eyeball... Then they're swarming into her nose, her mouth... BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Fletcher, come on. FLETCHER Aaaaaaaaaaargh! TED Jesus Christ! Can't you do something? BARNES No. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes and Ted watch, horrified, powerless, as Fletcher disappears in the cloud of jellyfish. And then her SCREAMS STOP. And there's just the jellyfish. TED Jesus Christ! She's dead, there's no bubbles. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - SAME TIME Edmunds supervises the computers. Suddenly a series of numbers spools across the screen -- 00032125252632 032629 301321 04261037 18 3016 06180 8213229033005 1822 04261013 0830162137 1604 083016 21 182204261013 0830162137 1604 083016 21 1822 03301313043200032125252632 032629 301321 04261037 18 3016... EDMUNDS What the hell's that? Irritated she presses buttons. More numbers appear. BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Edmunds? EDMUNDS Yes, sir? BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Come on down here. Something happened to Fletcher. Edmunds hustles out. CLOSE ON MONITOR As Edmunds exits in the f.g. And the numbers return... ... 00032125252632 032629 301321 04261037 18 3016 06180 29033005 1822 04261013 0830162137 1604 083016 2104261013 0830162137 1604 083016 21033013130432... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SICK BAY - LATER Fletcher lies dead on a gurney, her naked body studded with jellyfish. Beth wears scrubs, a surgical tray beside her. Norman, also in scrubs, watches as Beth reaches for a long stainless-steel tweezers... BETH At this level of toxicity, the blood vessels dilate. Blood pressure falls through the floor. They go right into shock. I saw a little boy down at Orchard Beach attacked by a school of jellyfish. NORMAN You've seen jellyfish aggressive like this? BETH I haven't seen piranha aggressive like this. (starts working on Fletcher) Okay...rock and roll. CLOSE ON FLETCHER As Beth probes with the tweezers up Fletcher's nose and into her sinus cavity... Norman grimaces, looks away as Beth pulls out a jellyfish. BACK TO SCENE BETH What's the matter, Norman? You never saw a dead body before? NORMAN As a matter of fact, I've seen one dead body in two different counties. BETH Ouch. The plane crashes. I forgot. NORMAN I've just never seen a jellyfish coming out of a human being's nasal cavity before. BETH Well, you live and learn. NORMAN When I was five years old, I was out in a boat with my father, he told me not to jump in so of course I had to. Right into a school of these guys. Not this big though. I think everyone had a shot at me. I don't know what this lady felt, but man, it went beyond pain...it was...it was... BETH Would it make you feel any better if I tell you this isn't exactly a jellyfish? NORMAN What do you mean? Beth pokes at the jellyfish on the tray. BETH Jellyfish like this are unheard of. NORMAN Well, congratulations. You've just discovered a brand new species. BETH You know, Norman, if you had spent a much time as I have sitting at a lab bench, you would know when something had been touched by the hand of God. NORMAN I'm just complimenting you. Why are you angry? I'm not being critical. BETH I'm just saying...God didn't make this. Okay. It's fictional, it's a forgery, it's a copy...it's...moving! INSERT - JELLYFISH The jellyfish moves toward Beth as she adroitly impales it with a scalpel. NORMAN Beth, are you sure it's moving? BETH No, Norman, I lied. NORMAN Maybe I don't understand. I was just trying to make the point that you of all people, I would think, would want to keep this creature alive to study, not hack it up...if it was alive. BETH Look, don't try to get inside my brain, okay? NORMAN I care about you. BETH Great! I like to work alone. Thanks. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT CORRIDOR/SHOWERS - LATER Ted heads down the corridor. Hears a SOUND coming fron Harry's room. Sidles up to the door. Hears from inside, HARRY SINGING exuberantly from 'South Pacific'. HARRY (O.S.) (sings) Where the sky meets the sea./ "Here I am, your special island!/ Come to me, come to me!"/ Bali Ha'i, Bali Ha'i, Bali Ha' i! CLOSE ON TED As he thinks to himself. TED (to himself) Harry? CUT TO: INT. BARNES' QUARTERS - LATER Barnes reads through the cables with his feet up on his bunk. A KNOCK at his door. BANRES Come on in. Norman enters. NORMAN You called for me? BARNES Have a seat, Norman. Coffee? NORMAN No thanks. Barnes refills his mug from a Thermos. BARNES How long have you known Dr. Halperin? NORMAN I used to teach at UC San Diego, years ago. She came to do her master's there. BARNES What'd you teach - psychology? NORMAN They require a pretty full teaching load-- that's one of the reasons I left. BARNES They squeeze you, don't they? Then you have to see patients on top of it. NORMAN They're gonna get their money's worth, one way or another. BARNES You and Dr. Halperin seen pretty close. NORMAN We've fallen out of touch over the years. Why? BARNES Well, don't take this personally, Norman, but I assume she wasn't a romantic interest of yours. NORMAN I'm sorry...don't take what personally? BARNES She's a tall, vibrant, younger woman... NORMAN And I was married. BARNES Then you saw her as a patient. NORMAN I'm not at liberty to discuss that. You understand. BARNES What I understand is that an exotic-gas environment a thousand feet underwater with no link to the surface is just about the most dangerous place on the planet. If there's a problem, I need to know. NORMAN Beth is fine. BARNES Beth is fine? Beth is fine? NORMAN She's very fine. Barnes suddenly throws a fax transmission at Norman. BARNES Beth's fine? Okay...what about this? You want to read it? What does it say, Norman? NORMAN (reading fax) These are my actual notes. How in the world did you... BARNES What does it say, Norman? NORMAN She was having some problems with a boyfriend. BARNES Does it say 'suicide attempt'? NORMAN How did you get a hold of my papers? BARNES Does it say 'electric shock therapy'? Isn't that what it says, Norman? NORMAN What's your point? BARNES My point is you didn't feel it was important enough to mention this to somebody? You're willing to jeopardize the lives of all of these people by having someone here who could in fact be mentally unstable?! NORMAN Are you aware of the term 'over- reacting.' BARNES Don't play with me, you little shit! We're 160 fathoms down and now we've got a nut bag down here who can flip-out and crack up. why didn't you tell me that? NORMAN I can't believe you had someone go into my office...take my personal records. BARNES You chose the team, Norman. Why didn't you tell me this? NORMAN When I wrote this report, I didn't know the team was going to be a thousand feet underwater. BARNES It doesn't matter if it's a thousand feet or ten feet, why didn't you tell me about her past mental history? NORMAN I didn't think it was pertinent. BARNES It was not for you to make that decision. NORMAN It was a passive attempt. BARNES A passive attempt? NORMAN Yes. People who really want to kill themselves get a gun and shoot themselves, or go off a bridge, they don't call their boyfriend and say: "I just took 20 Nebutol...help me." BARNES She took twenty yellows and you're telling me she's perfect? There's a KNOCK at the door. BARNES Yeah? Ted enters, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. NORMAN What's going on? TED It's Harry. NORMAN He's awake? TED He's really awake. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - LATER Harry eats a big farmer's breakfast with great gusto as the team, skeptical and scared, surround him at the table. Norman prepares food for the others at the stove. HARRY ... Man oh man, you got a problem with me, Barnes. (gestures to Norman) Because as long as my good buddy Norman keeps cooking like this I ain't leaving. Wheeee! Ummmmm-ummm. I mean, this toast is good, and the bacon is better. But the eggs are fantastic! What've you got in here? Wait, don't tell me. (closes eyes, inhales deeply) Parsley... Chives... Tarragon... Chervil! Is it chervil? NORMAN Yes, it is. I'm glad you like it. HARRY Eggs! I'm telling you, eggs? I love eggs! BETH They sure have improved your mood. HARRY (to Beth) How 'bout it? You keep laying them and I'll keep eating them. He elbows her and nearly knocks her off her chair. ANGLE ON NORMAN Watching Harry, as if he's under a microscope...So is Barnes. They exchange a look. Then Barnes gingerly launches in. BARNES Harry, with you and The Sphere -- do you remember what happened? HARRY Of course I remember what happened. I went inside. TED How did you get inside? There are no doors. HARRY This place is full of doors and we can't get out. We're still here. Barnes forces a chuckle. BARNES So we are, so we are... TED You still didn't answer my question, Harry. Harry resumes eating his eggs. From behind Harry's back, Norman assesses Harry with a shrewd, appraising gaze. As if he has eyes in back of his head, Harry catches him doing it. HARRY Why are you looking at me like that, Norman? Then Harry turns. Norman's eyes crinkle in a kindly smile. NORMAN Er...I'm jealous, Harry. I love eggs, but my cholesterol...You're making me hungry. Harry laughs heartily. Norman brings a big platter of calamari to the table... Harry spears a few with his fork. BARNES (circling back) Are you saying we shouldn't still be here, Harry? HARRY (looking around) Hey, where's Teeny? I thought she did all the cooking. Not that I'm complaining, Norman, this is great. And grits, you got everything down here. Where did you learn to cook grits, Norman? NORMAN I wasn't sure you'd like them. HARRY You had a nanny. (laughs) So, where is Teeny? BARNES Teeny had an unfortunate accident. She was killed. HARRY Killed? How? BEAT. BARNES By jellyfish. HARRY Jellyfish? That's strange. BARNES (beat) Yes, it is strange, isn't it. Norman brings Harry another plate of food. NORMAN Here you go, Harry. Harry digs in. HARRY Whoa, onion rings. NORMAN It's not onion rings. HARRY Good though. NORMAN Guess what it is? HARRY What? NORMAN Calamari. Suddenly, Harry spits out his calamari... Starts to gag... HARRY Uccch! Aaaaargh! Squid! Ted runs around the table and gives Harry the Heimlich maneuver... Harry struggles to say something... Ted vigorously pumps at Harry, lifting him high in the air... TED Okay, Harry, bring it up! Bring it up, big fella! NORMAN Ted. Ted! I think he's trying to say something! Ted stops the Heimlich maneuver. Harry shrugs him off. HARRY I'm not choking, you asshole! I just hate squid! Ted backs off. TED I m sorry. I was trying to help you. Barnes warily takes the platter of calamari away. Harry sits down again. Norman sits opposite him. HARRY I hate squid! NORMAN As long as it wasn't my cooking, okay? (beat) Can I ask you something, Harry? Before you went inside The Sphere, you were convinced that we were all going to die down here. HARRY I remember that. NORMAN Do you still believe that? HARRY (nods) Are you afraid to die, Norman? NORMAN You know, I just thought, if we're gonna die, thought I'd have a couple of eggs. Go out in style. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - SAME TIME Edmunds is sitting at the bank of computers which are all blank. She looks relieved. Suddenly numbers start scrolling up on the monitor directly in front of her. She hits the keyboard to clear the screen, but the numbers keep coming...on another computer screen, then another and another, until all the screens are scrolling numbers. She frantically hits keys, but the numbers remain. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Camera moves around the Habitat. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - SAME TIME Ted and Norman walk away from the Cafeteria. TED Bullshit! Bullshit! He's hiding something. NORMAN What are you talking about? TED He was in there. He went inside the Sphere. Whatever it was he saw, he doesn't want to tell us. NORMAN He doesn't remember anything. TED Oh, come on, Norman. You bought that? No! no! That whole food thing, it was all a diversion. He wants to keep it all to himself. Think about it. The guy's willing to put all of our lives on the line because he doesn't want to share information... NORMAN Ted, I think.... TED I can see it right now...he's making notes for his new book. Wants to win the Nobel Prize. NORMAN And you don't? TED No! ...yeah. Norman, you've known me since I was 17 years old. I would love to be the guy who gets the recognition. NORMAN Have you any idea how respected in your field you are? TED I'm not. What have I done? No. I've written one "Fun with Dick and Jane" book on physics. I mean, for christ sake, Neils Bohr, he published 'The Quantum Theory of Atomic Structure' I think when he was 28. Einstein - "Relativity", 26...Newton - "Gravity", 23. Norman, in physics, if you haven't done it by the time you're 35, the chances are you never will. NORMAN And this has nothing to do with being competitive with Harry? Ted gives Norman a look. TED Harry? NORMAN Harry. TED Harry...19. Wunderkind! NORMAN I rest my case. TED Norman, I'm thirty years old. NORMAN I wish I was. Ted laughs. Then Edmunds comes toward them. EDMUNDS Mr. Barnes would like to see you, Ted. TED Why? EDMUNDS There's something wrong with the computer system. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - CLOSE ON BANK OF COMPUTER SCREENS - LATER The numbers Edmunds saw earlier - on all of the monitors: 00032125252632 032629 301321 04261037 18 3016 06180 8213229033005 1822 04261013 0830162137 1604 083016 21 182204261013 0830162137 1604 083016 21 1822 033013130432 REVERSE ANGLE - TED as he tinkers at the keyboard, Barnes beside him. BARNES Try purging it. TED Every time I purge it, it comes back. BARNES You think it's a discharge from the buffer memory? TED I ruled that out. Edmunds enters. EDMUNDS You figure that out yet? TED Not yet. EDMUNDS You want me to take a whack at it? TED Why not? I only have three advanced degrees. It's not like I went to cosmetology school. EDMUNDS (brittle, to Barnes) The sonar's still malfunctioning, sir. I'm going to go see if I can't clear off the transducer ports. Manual labor -- maybe that's more my speed. BARNES Okay. Just be careful out there. EDMUNDS Yes, sir. Edmunds exits. Barnes turns back to Ted. BARNES Why'd you have to bust her chops, huh? She's the only person who knows how to run this joint. A little respect wouldn't kill you. TED Point taken. I'm sorry. (beat) I think the helium is getting to the chips. Saturation effect. BARNES If that's true, what are the options? TED You'd have to replace the chips. BARNES If we have to operate this place on manual it's gonna be a long four days. ANGLE ON HARRY as he enters, eating an apple. Glances over at the computer. HARRY Hey, boss. Ted. (off computer) You figure that out yet? TED It's some kind of saturation effect. HARRY I don't think so. If it was a saturation effect it'd be random. TED What do you mean? HARRY This has a pattern. See, it's like a code. Harry leans over to the keyboard, highlights the sequence that repeats. Ted moves closer -- upset that he missed it. Harry grabs a pad and pencil, starts to write... BARNES A code from where? TED (re: Harry's code letters) How do you do that? BARNES How do you see that? HARRY Try it in binary. Ted rattles at the keyboard. ON SCREEN The numbers change to a string of "0"s and "1"s... They stare at it a quick beat. HARRY It gives you the letter breaks. TED Do you think it's coming from The Sphere? HARRY Don't know. BARNES Harry, this whole mission is classified Ultra Top Secret. Any messages you decode are for my eyes only. Harry shows them what he's been writing... INSERT - HARRY'S PAD He's pencilled in the alphabet as it's arrayed on a computer keyboard. BACK TO SCENE HARRY If you were it, how would you know the alphabet? The way it's organized on the keyboard. Ted thinks hard... TED But, reflected in an orb, spherically. (off Harry's look) A keyboard, but spherical. Take the keyboard and wind it around a sphere. Then starting at the center key "g", number the letters, spiraling out. Harry stops, stunned. Then breaks into a broad smile. HARRY Ted! You're the man! Harry tosses aside the pad, sits down at the computer. Works frantically. Ted rubs his hands together. TED I'm telling you, I still got it. I still got the juice. ANGLE ON NORMAN putting on his glasses to get a better look. NORMAN Oh, boy! TED (to Norman They let you keep those? Norman offers his glasses to Ted. ANGLE ON COMPUTER As a topographical model of a sphere appears on the screen... Then the computer winds the keyboard around it, starting in the middle with the letter "J" and then spiralling around... HARRY (O.S.) Now all that's left is to plug in the numbers... Harry selects the sequence of the numbers that repeats, types a command into the computer. ANGLE ON HARRY as he presses enter, the others gather expectantly... CLOSE ON COMPUTER SCREEN as it reads. THE SPHERE (on computer) HELLO. HOW ARE YOU? I AM FINE. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? MY NAME IS JERRY. BACK ON GROUP As they stare at this in amazement... The epiphany of contact with an extraplanetary being... HARRY My friends, in eight thousand years of recorded history, this is a first. You are on-line with an alien intelligence. Ted reaches out, touches the screen reverentially... BARNES You've got to be kidding me. You must have messed up the translation. HARRY I don't think so. BARNES If this translation is right, this alien sounds like an idiot. BETH It could be something to consider -- a stupid alien. (off Ted's look) Well, they must have them. HARRY The content certainly appears childish. But when you think about it, it's highly logical. A simple message -- lucid, friendly, unthreatening -- the way you'd address a small child. Or a dog. BARNES You must've made some mistake translating it. ANGLE ON SCREEN As more numbers type out... TED Look at this. BARNES It's making a speech. Harry hits a command and presses enter and the message is translated... THE SPHERE (on computer) I AM PLEASED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH YOUR ENTITIES. I AM ENJOYING THIS MUCH. BARNES Ask him for his last name. HARRY What? BARNES I want a full name for my report. I'm not going to write in my report that a crew member died on a deepsat expedition to find an alien named Jerry. Please. Jerry? TED I think we should tell him we're enjoying it too. BARNES I still can't believe we had a President named Jerry. NORMAN Ask him where he's from. ANGLE ON COMPUTER As Harry types... "WHERE ARE YOU FROM?" Then more numbers. THE SPHERE I MAKE A JOURNEY. YOU MAKE A JOURNEY. WE MAKE A JOURNEY TOGETHER. BETH I think Jerry is channeling Deepak Chopra. HARRY A journey from where? THE SPHERE I AM HAPPY. TED He's happy. NORMAN He's crafty. ANGLE ON COMPUTER As Harry types... 'A JOURNEY FROM WHERE?' But no response. Norman peers at the screen... HARRY I think he's gone. BARNES Did you -- ? Did you get a full name for the report? HARRY Oh, please! BARNES Oh, man! TED We're not alone. We are definitely not alone. Harry, it's trying to make contact with us. HARRY Whatever it is, it was inside that Sphere, now it's out, and free to act. TED What do you mean by that? HARRY Free to take over our computers...free to call us on the phone, free to come over and knock on the door if it wants to. TED A physical presence. BARNES What are you thinking about, Norman? NORMAN This last part. Where he says, 'I am happy.' HARRY What's the matter, Norman? Don't you want Jerry to be happy? NORMAN Honestly? BARNES What's on your mind, Norman? NORMAN I would be happy if Jerry had no emotions whatsoever. Because the thing of it is, once you go down that road -- here's Jerry, this emotional being, cooped up for three hundred years with no one to talk to, none of the socialization, the emotional growth that comes from contact with other emotional beings... HARRY Yeah? NORMAN What happens if Jerry gets mad? An exchange of looks all around. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - LATER Ted fixes coffee. Barnes and Harry sit at the table. Ted brings the coffee to the table, slides one to Barnes. Then Beth enters, approaches Ted with sheaf of papers. BETH You have to look at this. TED What? BETH There's a record here of a transmission to the surface. Just before the submarine was due to pick us up. BARNES Let me take a look at that. Beth debates turning it over to him. Barnes gives Beth a sardonic look, takes the page and reads it... BARNES' POV - INSERT as he reads the transmission... "Although advised of risks, all personnel elect to remain down for duration of storm to continue investigation." BACK TO SCENE Barnes thinks a beat. Then smiles his Cheshire cat grin. BARNES (humoring her) But Beth, we never elected to remain. We elected to return. BETH Exactly. TED Who sent the message? BETH The signature is encoded. Remember what happened? The submarine was coming but Edmunds said she wasn't getting a reading. But the truth is, the submarine was never coming. (looking at Barnes) Somebody told it not to come. BARNES What are you saying -- you think it was me? BETH Was it? BARNES I don't know, Beth -- maybe it was Jerry. BETH Jerry doesn't know the code. And he can't read minds. BARNES (chuckling) Maybe he can. Maybe he can read minds. BETH It had to be you or Edmunds or Fletcher -- you're the only ones who knew the codes. BARNES And there's no place else this message could have come from? Like maybe you made it up? Beth looks at Barnes. Turns to Harry. BETH Harry, you think we're going to die down here. How? They told us we'd be safe. Who wants us to die? HARRY (shrugs) I don't know. TED It's not Barnes, Beth. It's jellyfish and God knows what. BETH Don't you see what's going on? He wanted us to stay down here. TED I wanted to stay down here all along. BETH But he said we were going back. Why did he lie? Why did he send the submarine back? Ted shrugs. Goes back to making his coffee. Barnes grins his enigmatic grin. BARNES You sure are a lot of woman. I wish I could've seen you in the old days. From what Norman tells me you were quite... Barnes lets it hang there. He and Beth exchange a look. BETH What did Norman tell you? BARNES Let's put it this way. If Jerry could read your mind, he'd sure be bored with ours. Beth looks at Barnes. In an instant she knows that Norman betrayed her. She exchanges a look with the others -- do they also know? Then she miles. BETH Okay. So that's how it's gonna be then. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - SAME TIME Norman sits alone looking at static on the computer screens. We hear THUMP...THUMP...THUMP...Norman looks around. NORMAN (calling out) Edmunds. What's that sound? Did you hear it? There is no response. NORMAN (cont'd) Edmunds, can you hear me? Did you hear that thump? Edmunds, what is that sound? Edmunds....can you hear me? Edmunds. She's not there. NORMAN (cont'd) Hell .oh, shit. He rushes out. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - SAME TIME Ted, Harry, Beth and Barnes sit drinking coffee. No-one speaks. Then: HARRY What's that noise? TED What noise? HARRY Listen. Dimly, we hear THUMP... THUMP... THUMP... BARNES Christ, Edmunds is still out there. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT MOON POOL - LATER Norman and Beth jump into the "pool"... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes sits. Watches Norman beneath the habitat as Beth plunges down beside him in an explosion of bubbles... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Norman and Beth move cautiously on the ocean floor... NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH FACEPLATE Beth marches in formation alongside him, spear gun at the ready... BETH Norman. What did you tell Barnes? NORMAN About what? BETH About me, Norman? You told him I took twenty Nebutol and tried to kill myself, didn't you? NORMAN He had my notes, Beth. What did you want me to do? BETH Did you tell him who I called, Norman? NORMAN At the risk of changing the subject, Beth, I think that thumping noise is coming from right about there. Norman looks up. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes on intercom. BARNES Norman, Beth - did you find that thumping, yet? Norman...Beth...come in. CUT TO: EXT. UPPER HABITAT - REVERSE ANGLE As Edmunds' body waves limply in the currents, her helmeted head thumps against the wall of the habitat -- her foot caught in the trestle structure underlying the habitat... CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes on intercom. BARNES Would you hit your call back button, please. CUT TO: EXT. UPPER HABITAT - LADDER - BACK ON NORMAN AND BETH As they hurry toward Edmunds... Norman reaches her first. As he grabs her, her body swivels and he sees -- EDMUNDS' FACE Smeared inside her squashed helmet... Norman loses his grip... As he slips, Edmunds' boot hits his glass face plate. As he struggles to get away, Edmunds' boot slides off, revealing a pulpy, enpurpled foot. Containing his nausea, he grabs Edmunds... BARNES (V/O) (on intercom) Norman...is everything alright out there? ANGLE ON BETH As she moves to help Norman with Edmunds, she grabs Edmunds' foot... Shocked as her fingers sink into it... She reaches up to feel Edmunds' ankle, her shin... BETH My God, Norman, she's like a rag doll. Her body's been completely pulverized. NORMAN Beth, I don't get it. What could have done this to her? BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman, is everything okay? BETH Let's get her and get out of here. She's stuck in the thing....let's get her out of here. BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman? Norman and Beth turn, hauling Edmunds toward the habitat. Then a single luminous, glossy white ball, about the size of a baseball, falls slowly through the water between them... like the pearl in the Prell ad... Norman looks up... THEIR POV Thousands of these balls float down through the water, swirl in the currents, catching glints of light, trailing streaks of mucus and falling softly in the sand at their feet. BACK TO SCENE BETH What is this? NORMAN Beth, what does this mean? BETH There's something up here. Then a PONG... PONG... PONG... Heard dimly from the inside of the habitat as Barnes talks on the intercom... BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Get inside. I'm getting a reading on the sonar. You're not alone out there. BACK ON NORMAN AND BETH Beth around her... Turns to Norman. BETH What the hell makes eggs this size? The eggs surround them. BETH (cont'd) Come on, Norman! Jesus, Norman let's go! NORMAN Alright! Alright! Alright.....! BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Eighty yards and closing! Move! BACK ON NORMAN AND BETH As they run with Edmunds' body... Stumbling through the sticky eggs as they pile high on the ocean bottom... The PONG... PONG... PONG... audible over the intercom... NORMAN What the hell is it? BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Sixty yards... how close are you? NORMAN I can't breathe. BETH Oh, my God! BETH Norman, you're going the wrong way. BARNES (V.O.) Forty yards...Move! Move! Move! Move! Move!! BETH We can't see anything through the eggs. BARNES (V.O.) Move! Twenty yards...Move! Move! (beat) Whatever it is, it's directly overhead. NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH FACEPLATE THROUGH a heavy fog of condensation, Norman sees a shaft of light coming down through the airlock... Eggs falling everywhere... Norman breathing heavily... Then suddenly hands grab Norman... and pull him up to safety. INT. HABITAT MOON POOL - SAME TIME As Barnes yanks Norman inside, passes him to Harry, who help him to get out of his suit, swaddle him in a blanket... Barnes reaches down again and pulls Beth aboard... Then turns as Edmunds' squashed head bobs up through the opening. Grimly, Barnes reaches down, pulls Edmunds' body aboard. BARNES I need a report, Beth. BETH I don't know what the hell's going on out there...there's eggs everywhere. BARNES You should have brought one back. BETH I wasn't up for an Easter egg hunt. Maybe that's what Edmunds was doing. Did you get anything on the sonar? BARNES Whatever it is, it's too big for the sonar. Norman shivers in his blanket. The distant PONG... PONG... PONG... of the sonar in the video room, audible over the intercom. Then it suddenly GROWS SOFTER. And STOPS. TED (over intercom) It's gone. Scared looks all around. CLOSE ON NORMAN As he shivers... NORMAN I want to talk to Jerry. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - CORRIDORS TO VIDEO ROOM - LATER Norman leads the others through the corridors toward the video room. BARNES I think we need a game plan when we talk to him. HARRY We need to be specific. What is our objective? What do we want to address? Specifics. Barnes goes first into the video room. INT. VIDEO ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION The others file in behind Barnes. A message awaits on the computer... THE SPHERE (on computer) WHAT IS A GAME PLAN? BACK ON TEAM BARNES Oh, my God! As Norman gapes at the screen. The others edge in closer, gape also. Is it possible? NORMAN Jesus! (beat) Jerry? Jerry, can you hear me? THE SPHERE (types on computer) YES, NORMAN. NORMAN You've heard everything we've been talking about? THE SPHERE YES, NORMAN. BARNES Oh, great. THE SPHERE I AM HAPPY ALSO. TED Jerry, hi, this is Ted here. You know, I'm the guy who actually de-coded the keyboard thing that you..... BARNES Shut up! Tell him we need to discuss this together. Alone. NORMAN Jerry.... THE SPHERE IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO STOP. I DO NOT WISH IT. BARNES Well, it's necessary to me. THE SPHERE NO. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. I DON'T AGREE. NO! ANGLE ON SCREEN As a series of "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO" unspools across the entire screen... NORMAN Jerry, use your words. He's mad. Jerry, use your words. BARNES Just pull his plug. NORMAN I'm not sure it's that simple, sir. BARNES It's plenty simple. We leave him alone, he leaves us alone. NORMAN Maybe he doesn't want to be left alone. He's been down here in isolation for three hundred years. Maybe Jerry is lonely. BARNES Lonely? That's like saying an artichoke is lonely. NORMAN (whispering) He hears everything we're saying. BARNES It's just a figure of speech. NORMAN Tell him. Tell Jerry. THE SPHERE I WANT TO TALK. NOW. NOW. RIGHT NOW. NOW. Then suddenly the SONAR lights up... PONG... PONG...PONG.. NORMAN Jerry, someone wants to talk to you. BARNES I'm not talking to a television. NORMAN I think that's more than a television. Beth enters. BETH What's that? Barnes moves to the console. Pushes buttons and turns dials... BARNES Sonar. It's picking something up out there. NORMAN Jerry, we all find you a fascinating and wonderful entity. And we wish to talk to you for many, many hours, Jerry -- you know that. THE SPHERE I DON'T WANT TO STOP. NO. PONG... PONG... PONG... Getting LOUDER and more frequent... NORMAN In your great understanding and wisdom, Jerry, you must understand that entities such as ourselves need to talk alone sometimes. THE SPHERE ARE YOU AFRAID? NORMAN No, Jerry, we're not afraid. We're just a little uncomfortable. THE SPHERE HAVE I OFFENDED YOU? NORMAN You're tops in our books, Jerry. It's just the way we're built, that's all. THE SPHERE DO NOT BE AFRAID. ANGLE ON SCREEN As it goes blank. PONG!... PONG!... PONG.'... NORMAN Jerry? (beat) Goddammit! BETH Where did he go? Then Barnes turns suddenly alert. He moves to adjust a couple of knobs beneath the gas plasma readouts on the console. Pulls on the headphones... HARRY What's going on? BARNES Something's clogging everything up out there. Beth goes to the porthole. BETH Norman, come here! Norman joins her... THEIR POV - ON MONITOR Thousands of eggs on the monitor, like the ones they saw earlier, falling through the water, streaking mucus... Some of the eggs stick to the window, then more, till their view is obliterated... BETH (O.S.) It's back. ANGLE ON BARNES As he works furiously at the console... Turns to Ted. BARNES Positive thermals on in-line perimeter. They hear a distant METALLIC CLANK... BETH What was that? BARNES It's hitting the grid. BETH Don't we have any defenses? BARNES High voltage. We can run it across the surface of the Habitat. Every time we've tested it it's started an electrical fire. Suddenly red lights and an ALARM... BARNES (cont'd) Peripheral sensors activated. I'm going to try and image it on the fast acting sonar. PONG!... PONG!... PONG!... ANGLE ON SCREEN As Barnes looks at it... An amorphous, streaky blob... BARNES Building image... Eighty yards and moving fast... ANGLE ON SCREEN A new image, not a lot sharper... A blob with streaks spraying out from the center... BETH Can you tell what it is? TED My God, it's forty feet long. BARNES Fifty yards. (off sonar) Re-imaging. ANGLE ON MONITORS A blurred mass and a spray of what might be tentacles fanning out from the center... BETH It looks like a giant squid. TED A giant squid the size of this entire habitat? There's no such animal. BETH That may be, but that doesn't mean it's not out there. BARNES Re-imaging. Thirty yards. Another slightly clearer image... It sure looks like a squid... On the video surveillance, blurred images -- a tentacle ringed with suckers, an eye -- too close and too fast to make out. Then suddenly, all the monitors and sensors go blank. TED What's going on? NORMAN Jerry...Jerry...Jerry...if you can hear me, it's Norman. If we've made you angry, or if you're upset about anything... BARNES Norman, you're psycho-analyzing a toaster. (looking at control monitor) Oh, we've got a pressure drop. Ted, go into the control room. Wait there for my instructions. TED Why? BARNES Just go, please! Ted exits at a run... Then they hear a METALLIC CLANKING... NORMAN What's that sound? What is that? BARNES It sounds like he's right above us. NORMAN I know where it is, but what is it? Then suddenly the MONITORS FLASH ON... THE SPHERE (on computer) I AM HERE. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR - LATER A view of the empty corridor as it SHUDDERS... The harsh sing- song of METAL UNDER STRESS... CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - SAME TIME Like an earthquake -- doors swing open on their hinges, DISHES CRASH to the floor... The large viewing SKYLIGHT CRACKS... INSERT - SEAM IN WALL As it slightly fissures... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Ted fights his way through debris to arrive at the Control Shaft. TED (to intercom) I'm in the control shaft. We've got a leak in here. Hello! More water gushes towards Ted. BARNES (over intercom) Ted... Ted... Ted doesn't hear him. TED Holy shit! CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes fusses with the controls... BARNES (to intercom) Ted, do you hear me? CUT TO: INT. HABITAT CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Ted drenched with water. TED Yeah, glad you could join me. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes into intercom. BARNES Alright, Ted, listen to me carefully. The computer's showing we've got structural damage. We've got seams compromised, and we're taking on water all over the habitat. You've got to increase the positive air pressure and drive the water out, do you understand that? CUT TO: INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Ted stumbles to his feet, looks for the knob... INTERCUT WITH VIDEO ROOM TED Increase the pressure? Won't that use up the air supply? BARNES (over intercom) Ted, you're a smart guy, try to follow this one. If the Habitat is full of water, you'll be dead. Now, open the red gate valve. TED Don't get technical with me, Barnes. What's a gate valve? BARNES (over intercom) It's a red knob. TED Good. I can understand knobs. Er...which knob? BARNES (over intercom) Ted, the pressure is dropping. It is dropping, Ted! We'll be crushed like a tin can! Find the red knob, Ted! It's the only one in the room. It's over the console. TED Which console? BARNES (over intercom) It's the one with the schematics on it, you cretin. What do you have a Ph.D for?! Ted looks for the knob. TED Layout...layout...layout...layout. Bad time not to have my glasses. Shit! Then he finds it. TED (cont'd) Got it! BARNES (over intercom) Turn it counter-clockwise right away. Alright, good. We're getting positive pressure. Alright, not too much now. Start to ease it back. BANG! Electric sparks fly into Ted. He hits his head and falls to the floor. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Bubbles emerge from the seams in the walls... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME As Beth and Norman run. Norman stops and watches as water outflows--as if the film is in reverse motion. INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes watches the digital and analog gauges as the gas pressure climbs... BARNES Ted, turn it back. We've got too much pressure, you'll blow the Habitat. Clockwise, Ted, closes it. CLOSE ON GAUGES As the pressure continues to climb... BARNES Ted, turn it back...the pressure is too high. Ted, we'll explode! Can you hear me? Ted, turn it back! CUT TO: INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Ted unconscious, his hand clawlike on the pressure knob... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Norman and Beth run till -- BANG! -- another impact bounces them like pinballs along the narrow corridor... CUT TO: INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME A seam bursts and water surges into the control room as Norman and Beth rush in and see Ted, practically unconscious. NORMAN We're here! Jesus, Ted. BETH I got him...I got him... She pulls Ted upright out of the water as Norman shuts off the pressure gauge... BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman? Norman? Can you hear me? NORMAN What? Jesus!! CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME The monitor crashes next to Barnes. Barnes struggles up off the floor, reaches for his headset... BARNES Norman, turn the red gate valve. CUT TO: INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME INTERCUT WITH VIDEO ROOM Norman struggles to regain his footing... NORMAN Which way? BARNES (over intercom) Clockwise. Close it. Norman closes the valve. The pressure goes down. BARNES (cont'd) (over intercom) Good. NORMAN Done. Barnes! We're still leaking. BARNES (over intercom) It's not the outer shell, it's the internal pipes. They're just leaking. We're okay. BANG! Another impact and the habitat shakes violently... BETH What the hell's out there? BARNES Norman, listen to me, whatever this is, it's not letting go. You've got to pull the green lever marked 'High Voltage Defense System.' BETH No! He said it would start a fire. Don't do it! Barnes, you said it would start a fire. BARNES (over intercom) We're gonna die down here. Pull it! BETH Don't do it! NORMAN Barnes, do you hear her? BARNES (over intercom) Don't listen to her, she's crazy. Pull the green lever. Norman, pull the lever! BETH What are you trying to pull? He's trying to pull something. Don't do it! NORMAN Do you hear her?!! CLOSE ON NORMAN Torn by indecision... Then another JOLT to the habitat... BARNES (over intercom) You can't listen to her. Pull the goddamn lever! BETH Norman, what do we do if there's a fire down here? It'll eat up all our oxygen. Don't do it. WHAM! Another strike throws Norman against the box... He grips the lever... He and Beth exchange a look. BARNES (over intercom) We've got failures all over the place, Norman...we're taking on water... BETH No, don't do it, Norman! NORMAN What am I gonna do? BETH Norman, it'll start a fire. There's no way out! NORMAN Shut up! What am I gonna do....what am I gonna do? BETH Don't do it!! BARNES (over intercom) You're gonna be squid food. Pull it! NORMAN What am I gonna do? We're falling apart. Norman and Beth exchange a look. Then Norman pulls the lever... NORMAN (cont'd) (relieved) We're okay. We don't have to be right all the time. Right? Okay. BETH Right. Okay. Ted suddenly stands up, somewhat dazed. TED Has anybody got some Advil? CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - VARIOUS ANGLES - LATER on the corridors as a loud ELECTRICAL HUM suffuses the habitat... The lights brown out... CUT TO: INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Beth looks around, listens, but suddenly it's guiet -- just the HISS and CHIRP of WATER LEAKING... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Barnes picks himself off the floor... Poised for another jolt that doesn't come. He checks the monitors, the gauges... ZOOM IN -- a red light... On a fire annunciator... Beneath a label marked "COMMUNICATIONS ROOM..." BACK ON BARNES As he sees this... BARNES Oh, hell. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME FIRE ROARS through the walls... Seems to jump out from the walls to flammable materials on the tables, the chairs, that EXPLODE in sudden flame... INT. CONTROL SHAFT - SAME TIME Beth, Ted and Norman all look around as the FIRE ALARMS and red lights activate... BARNES (V.O.) (over intercom) Oh, God! Norman, we've got a fire in the Comm Room. Get up there. I'll meet you with gas masks in case we need them. Beth gets up. BETH Like hell I'm staying here. Norman watches as Beth exits. Then moves to help Ted. INT. HABITAT CLOSET HALLWAY - SAME TIME Barnes sloshes around the supply depot, piles his arms high with gas masks... Turns to see, at the end of the corridor... ANGLE ON EXIT As the doors automatically close to seal off the leak... BACK ON BARNES As he runs with the gas masks, out of the supply depot and down the narrow, winding corridor... BACK ON DOOR As it closes... BACK ON BARNES As he runs for daylight... It looks like he's going to make it... He smiles. Then he slips on the wet floor... The steel door closes on him... Barnes groans... Wedges a gas mask in the door... Wriggles to get free... INSERT - BARNES' HAND As he reaches for a handhold on the other side of the door... Then it's in his grasp... He moves to pull himself through... Then the gas mask slips... ANGLE ON BARNES As the steel door closes down on him... Barnes howls... Then a terrible CRACKLING CRUNCH -- INSERT - DOOR INDICATOR As it lights up: SECURED. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME Beth runs toward the fire, grabs a fire extinguisher...She sprays the extinguisher on the flames...Ted arrives right behind Norman. NORMAN Where are they? BETH Over here...there's one there. NORMAN I got it. How do you work it? TED Pull the pin. NORMAN Pin? TED Are there any more? BETH I saw some in the door. NORMAN We've gotta get out fast or we're gonna die. Ted exits at a run... Norman takes off his sweat jacket and does his best to swat at the flames... CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME Ted runs to a supply closet... Finds two fire extinguishers. Turns to run. And for the first time he notices... INT. DORMITORY - TED'S POV - HARRY asleep. Snoozing like a baby in his bunk. Ted takes a beat - - puzzled and amazed by this. Ted tries to rouse him. TED (shaking him) Harry. Harry! But Harry's out. Ted then runs with the fire extinguishers... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - FAST-MOVING POV - SAME TIME GLIDING IN ominously ON the habitat... The preternatural quiet of the deep... CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME All the monitors are down from the power drain of the high voltage. Suddenly, the computer screens flash on... THE SPHERE I WILL KILL YOU ALL. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME A horrible IMPACT -- like a devastating EARTHQUAKE -- bounces Norman and Beth off the walls as all the lights go dead... NORMAN It's coming through the ceiling panel. Try to get it through the Cafeteria. BETH Alright. I'll go up. Get back! CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Beth makes her way to the Cafeteria as everything explodes around her. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - SAME TIME As Ted runs with the fire extinguishers with flames at his back. TED Norman...Norman. You okay? He tries to extinguish the flames. Norman sits stunned. TED (cont'd) Get out! Go! Go! A heavy console falls on top of him...Norman still sits stunned. TED Norman! Norman, get out! He screams as he's barbecued on the grid. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - SAME TIME There are explosions and the fire increases. Norman passes out. INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Beth is frozen. FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: INT. DORMITORY - LATER Norman wakes up to the sound of a distant voice. MALE VOICE O/C Dr. Goodman... Dr. Goodman... Dr. Norman Goodman...Dr. Goodman... NORMAN Yes...yes....okay. He gets up, moves toward the door. NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH PORTHOLE The Pilot and Seaman from earlier scenes, in full dress uniform, stand guard across the corridor. Norman opens the door. NORMAN Thank God you guys are here. SEAMAN Yes, sir. NORMAN It's been like a nightmare...the fire...Ted's dead, and the fire got out of control. We did what we could. PILOT Yes, sir. Just follow us. INT. CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Norman walks between the Pilot and the Seaman. NORMAN Fletcher's dead...Edmunds is dead. I think Barnes is dead. PILOT Yes, sir. NORMAN Are we leaving now? SEAMAN Yes, sir. NORMAN When did you guys get here? SEAMAN Just now, sir. NORMAN And do the others know yet? PILOT The others, sir? NORMAN The others. There's three of us left...Harry and Beth. We've had a rough time. PILOT I can see that, sir. NORMAN Rough time...So, shouldn't we go and get them? SEAMAN Yes, sir. NORMAN When? The Seaman and Pilot walk away. Norman stands alone in the corridor. NORMAN (cont'd) When? When? When do we get 'em? When? When we do we get 'em? When are we gonna get 'em? When? INT. VIDEO ROOM Norman is asleep and wakes himself up with the same refrain. NORMAN When are we gonna get 'em...? Get 'em...when? When? He sits up straight in his chair, looks around - nobody there. NORMAN (cont'd) Jerry? (beat) Jerry, it's Norman. Is that you, Jerry? It's Norman. (beat) Jerry, who put out the fire? Jerry? THE SPHERE (on monitors) WHERE IS THE CONTROL ENTITY HARALD C. BARNES? I DO NOT SENSE THAT ENTITY NOW. Norman moves closer to the monitors... ANGLE ON SURVEILLANCE MONITORS Norman sets about flipping switches -- different views and angles, some flooded and sealed off, all deserted... NORMAN I don't know, Jerry. I just woke up. Do you know where he is? THE SPHERE HE WAS NOT FRIENDLY. HE DID NOT ENJOY TO TALKING WITH ME. NORMAN I know. He's a difficult entity sometimes. Can you tell me what happened to him, Jerry? THE SPHERE I DO NOT SENSE THE ENTITY TED. CLOSE ON NORMAN NORMAN I know. Something happened to Ted, Jerry. THE SPHERE BRING HIM BACK. NORMAN I can't. THE SPHERE BRING BACK THE ENTITY TED. HE WAS HUMOROUS. NORMAN I can't do that, Jerry. It's not in my power. (beat) There was a fire and I froze. I didn't help him. I wanted to, but I didn't help him. I knew him since he was seventeen years old and I let him go. (beat) Okay, but I'd like to just deal with this at a later time. So, do you want to tell me about the others? THE SPHERE DID YOU LIKE THE GIANT SQUID? NORMAN You made that, Jerry? THE SPHERE DO YOU LIKE IT? I CAN MANIFEST IT MORE FOR YOU. NORMAN No, no. Don't do that. Nothing more right now, thanks. THE SPHERE I DO NOT WISH TO STOP. ANGLE ON MONITORS As Norman punches a view of the galley... Harry placidly eats a sandwich and reads a book... Then Norman resumes punching up other views of the habitat... NORMAN You see, the problem is, Jerry, your manifestations injure our entities. And pretty soon, there'll be no entities to play with, and you'll be all alone again. All because you can't control yourself. Because with all your power you don't have the power to stop, do you, Jerry. A long beat as Norman waits for a response. Then: THE SPHERE STOP CALLING ME JERRY. NORMAN What name do you want? Jerry...Jerry. What name do you want? Jerry... Norman waits. No response. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - SAME TIME Harry munches on his sandwich and reads his book -- 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Norman enters. NORMAN Hey, Harry. How you doin'? HARRY (looks up) Norman. NORMAN Wow, can you believe what happened? HARRY What? NORMAN You know. The attack on the habitat? (off Harry's look) You know there was an attack on this place? HARRY I must've slept through it. NORMAN You slept through it. HARRY (yawns) I was dead tired. NORMAN It's a good thing you don't have a living will, Harry. We would've had to have given all your organs away. Harry laughs. NORMAN (cont'd) So the smoke didn't bother you? All the leaking...you know... HARRY (with book) Did you ever read this? Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? I found it in the john -- probably somebody's misguided attempt at levity. I always loved this book. I could never get past page eighty- seven, though. Too scary. NORMAN You seem to be, uh, strangely detached, Harry. Given our predicament. HARRY I dunno, Norman. With all your panic and running around, what have you accomplished? Norman looks at Harry's unnerving, serene smile. Then eases back into the corridor, looks up and down for Beth... NORMAN You knew I was running around? (beat) Have you, uh, seen Beth? HARRY (shrugs) No, I thought she was with the others. NORMAN What others? Barnes and Ted are dead, Harry. (off Harry's look) There's nobody down here who knows how to run the place anymore. The fire screwed up the electronics. We've used up most of our reserve gas...you're reading your book... Harry is saddened by the news of Barnes and Ted. Then his gloom lifts suddenly. HARRY Look on the bright side, Norman. NORMAN What's that? HARRY With Barnes and Ted dead, we don't need as much gas. And with half this place flooded, we don't have to worry about filling that space with gas either. NORMAN That's a helluva bright side, Harry. HARRY It is what it is. Suddenly Beth hustles inside. Heads for the refrigerator for a bottle of water... BETH Somebody has to go reset the minisub. If we don't reset it every twelve hours it floats to the surface. Remember? HARRY I'll go. NORMAN (quickly) No, no. I'll go. HARRY You sure? NORMAN Yeah. BETH It might be our only way out of here. HARRY (brightly) See, there's another bright side, Norman. NORMAN Yeah? HARRY With Barnes and Ted dead -- the minisub only holds three people! Norman looks at Harry, grinning at him. NORMAN Beth, could I talk to you for a second? Norman grabs Beth and hurries her out of the galley. Harry returns to reading his book. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDORS - LATER Beth and Norman head toward the moon pool. NORMAN I don't want Harry anywhere near that minisub. BETH You think he'll leave without us? NORMAN Oh, I think he's already left without us. I think Harry's in a whole 'nother place. (beat) Did you know he slept through the attack? You don't think that's a little strange? A beat between them as Beth considers this... BETH Well, I guess it's me and you, Norman. Just like I said at the beginning. It's good I have someone down here I can trust. NORMAN (smiling) You and me Beth. BETH You'd better get going. I'm not sure how much time we have. I'll keep an eye on you from the control room. (beat) And Norman...it's not like swimming, it's walking. Norman smiles. NORMAN Not swimming, but walking. Got it. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT MOON POOL - LATER Norman splashes down out of the air lock. Walks out from under the habitat... Turns a corner... NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH FACEPLATE The minisub, illuminated, moored in an open-girdered dome hangar, about a hundred feet away... Norman starts out toward the minisub... CUT TO: INT. SUB DOME HANGAR/INT. MINI-SUB - LATER The minisub rocks gently, as if someone's clambering on top of it. Then the hatch opens... And Norman drops down inside. He hums as he situates himself in the cockpit. ANGLE ON CONSOLE As Norman's hands run over the controls... NORMAN (mutters to himself) Reset... Reset... Then, up above the dashboard, he finds a flashing red button marked "TIMER HOLE" beside a digital clock that's running down... Norman presses it and a small screen glows... TIMER RESET -- COUNT: 12:00:00 It starts counting down... Norman smiles with satisfaction. CUT TO: EXT. SUB DOME HANGAR - SAME TIME Norman plunges back into the water... NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH FACEPLATE Of the habitat in the distance... Then the faceplate starts to fog up... Norman's view is a little woozy... Then he LOOKS DOWN at his gas hose as bubbles slowly start leaking out. NORMAN (O.S.) Beth, something's happened to my hose. ANGLE ON NORMAN He fumbles, all thumbs with gloves, his faceplate fogged...trying to tighten the valve where bubbles are coming from. Instead, he loosens it, and more bubbles are released. NORMAN Beth, I've got bubbles coming out. (beat) Beth! NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE Of the habitat, the nimbus of the lights THROUGH the fog of the FACEPLATE. It looks really far away. NORMAN Beth, can you tell me what to do. It's fogging me all up here. ANGLE ON NORMAN He looks like he's running in place and getting nowhere... His feet slipping on the silty bottom... NORMAN Beth, there's something wrong here. I've got to get out of here...I've got to get out of here. Where the hell are you! NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE Thoroughly fogged now... Norman stomping blindly through the ocean, his BREATHING panicked, the INDICATORS BLEEPING in alarm... Then suddenly Harry breaks in over the intercom. BACK TO SCENE HARRY (V.O.) (over intercom) Hey, watch out for that rock. It's me, Harry. NORMAN Harry... HARRY (V.O.) (over intercom) Come around the rock... go to the right of the stanchion. NORMAN Harry, I'm hurting. Come around which way? I can't breathe Harry... HARRY (V.O.) (matter-of-fact) Yes, you can. You just have a loose valve. It's not gonna kill you. You've got plenty of gas. Can you see the airlock? It's right in front of you. NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE Heavily fogged, he can dimly MAKE OUT the shaft of light coming down from the airlock. ANGLE ON NORMAN as he stumbles toward the airlock... then his indicator flatlines...Norman looks down at his loose gas hose... INSERT - GAS HOSE No more bubbles...no more gas. BACK ON NORMAN In a total panic, holding his breath. NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE The fogged glass and murky water... Can't see... BACK ON NORMAN thrashing through the water... NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE As he swims furiously, he sees the light from the moon pool and the ladder leading down, right in front of him... he grabs for the rungs of the ladder... it's a... SEA SNAKE The sea SNAKE HISSES, then snaps at Norman as Norman lets go, falls to the ocean bottom... NORMAN'S POV THROUGH FACEPLATE As the snake swipes at his face, its forked tongue smearing slime across the faceplate... then the snake scurries away as... HANDS Grab Norman and pull him up to safety... CUT TO: INT. SUIT ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Harry helps Norman pull off his helmet... Norman gulps for air... then stumbles as Harry helps him to sit down... NORMAN Where is she? HARRY Try and relax your breathing. You're gonna hyperventilate. NORMAN Where is she? She said she'd...keep an eye out for me. HARRY I looked through the whole habitat, I couldn't find her. I thought maybe she was with you. NORMAN Where is she? Where is she? Norman looks over... we follow his gaze... ANGLE ON BETH'S LOCKER Where Beth's suit and helmet are stored, under a nameplate that reads "Halperin"... It's empty. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Norman and Harry watch on the monitors, scared... THEIR POV - MONITORS A surveillance view of the airlock tube, as Beth enters from the spaceship and it fills with water.... then Beth emerges and heads toward the habitat... BACK ON NORMAN He and Harry exchange a look. NORMAN (whispering) Did she tell you she was going out? Then Norman addresses the mike. NORMAN (CONT'D) Beth? BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman? I can't hear you. NORMAN (to Harry) If she can't hear me, why did she answer? Beth, what are you doing? BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) I went out looking for food. We're out of food. Harry covers the mike with his hand. HARRY There's plenty of food. I was just in there. Norman and Harry exchange a look. NORMAN You went to look for food in the spacecraft? That seems a little odd, don't you think? INTERCUT WITH: BETH As she walks toward the habitat... BETH Why, what's odd about it? NORMAN If there was food? Beth, uh -- wouldn't it be three hundred years old? BETH I was hoping our luck would change and I'd find a cryogenic freezer. Or a bottle of bordeaux. HARRY She's lying. (off Norman's look) Norman, she's lying about everything. BETH Is Harry there, Norman? NORMAN Why don't we just talk when you get back? Meet me in the galley. We'll have a cup of coffee. (charming) We still have coffee, don't we? BETH Very funny. I'll take mine black, like my mood. NORMAN All right. See you soon. Norman turns off the microphone. Turns to Harry. HARRY Norman, what we have here are two ingredients -- Beth and this underwater environment... you put them together and you've got one big ass bomb. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - CORRIDOR - LATER Beth walks up from the corridor from the moon pool toweling her hair dry... INT. CAFETERIA - CONTINUOUS ACTION Beth enters. Norman and Harry wait for her, drinking coffee. Beth takes a mug off the counter, pours for herself... BETH How'd it go with the mini-sub? NORMAN It was a little disconcerting out there, actually. BETH Oh? NORMAN Weren't you supposed to be watching out for me from the control room? BETH Harry said he'd take over for me. (off Harry's look) He sat down right in front of the monitors and -- Norman, what happened? NORMAN I was in trouble. Where the hell were you? BETH What's going on, Norman? NORMAN All I know is, going out to find food in the spacecraft when there's plenty of food here isn't exactly normal. BETH What do you mean, plenty of food? I was just here. There's nothing in the -- Beth goes to the cupboards, opens them. ANGLE ON OPEN CUPBOARDS Spilling over with food... Beth takes a beat to size up the situation -- she can sense their eyes on her. HARRY A veritable horn of plenty. BETH He must've hidden it. HARRY You think I hid all this food? BETH I don't know what's going on here, but twenty minutes ago I was standing right here and there was no food in the cupboards and no food in the refrigerator. NORMAN Why, Beth? Why would Harry do that? Why would he set you up? BETH I don't know what happened. All I know is this food wasn't here. HARRY Paging Dr. Halperin. Please report to reality. Dr. Halperin? BETH Shut up! (to Norman) Okay, you can see what he's doing to me. NORMAN You were supposed to be watching, Beth. That's the facts. You think Harry said something he didn't. That the cupboards are empty when they're full...Clinically, we would call that a psychotic break. BETH I'm not crazy, Norman. What're you gonna do? Write me a prescription? Just get rid of me? Well, it's not that convenient down here, Norman, okay. I am not psychotic. NORMAN What about a mini-psychotic break. BETH It's not fair. NORMAN Beth. BETH What? NORMAN Beth, I'm down there...I'm hyperventilating, I can't breathe...I'm hyperventilating. The man saved me! BETH But I.... NORMAN Wait a minute. Now you want me to believe that the man set me up. Why? This isn't 'Alice in Wonderland'. Remember 'just you and me babe'? Is it unrealistic to think that at this point you are a danger to yourself - you are a danger to us...that your misguided anger towards me for something that I don't know what it was that happened decades ago is spewing out like poison. I was out there. You almost got me killed. The man tried to save my life! You now want me to disbelieve Harry? BETH Yes, I want you to disbelieve Harry. I want you to look at me and believe me for one time, Norman. Don't you...? Just look at me, Norman! Am I telling you the truth? NORMAN You weren't there, Beth. BETH You want to believe Harry, Norman, then that's fine, because he's done everything but part the sea for you since we've been down here, but I'm telling you that he is not telling you the truth. NORMAN This is not about Harry, okay? BETH (right back) He didn't tell you what's inside The Sphere. (to Harry) You didn't tell him, did you? You didn't tell him what's inside the Sphere, did he? An exchange of looks all around. HARRY And how would you know that, Beth? Norman looks at Beth. NORMAN Beth, did you go inside The Sphere? Beth smiles enigmatically. NORMAN (cont'd) Answer me. Did you go inside the Sphere? Beth just looks at him. NORMAN (cont'd) Why won't you answer me, Beth? It's a question. BETH You don't want to talk to me, remember? NORMAN Answer the question. She gives him a hard look. Then walks out. NORMAN (cont'd) What do you think, Harry. Do you think she went into the Sphere? Harry says nothing. NORMAN (cont'd) Here. You dropped your book. Norman picks up the book of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" to hand to Harry, but sees that he's still reading the book. Norman thinks a beat. Then opens a cupboard to reveal rows and rows of books of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" arranged neatly inside. Puzzled and scared, Norman opens another cupboard - more copies of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea...row after row of books... BACK ON NORMAN His fear accelerating... struggling to think, to put the pieces together... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - LATER Norman broods alone... Then he turns to the monitors... NORMAN What isn't Harry telling me? I know you're there, Jerry. What's inside the Sphere, Jerry? Jerry, I know you're there. You're always there. (beat) Harry is reading this book "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea". What makes me nervous is that after page 87... (he ruffles through the book) ...it's all blank pages. Harry's upstairs sitting in the cafeteria reading blank pages. Why? Why did he go into the Sphere and come out like this? Why? Why? Why, Jerry? Why is this book half a book, Jerry? Why? What's going on, Jerry? Why, Jerry? Why? Why? Why? No response. Then Norman turns back to 87. Reads... JUMP CUT BACK ON NORMAN as he works out the code of Jerry's original message with a pencil... NORMAN So, it's 'g' being one spiraling out from the center and 2 is 'b', that means that h' is 3 and 4 then is 'y'. He completes the sentence: "My Name Is Harry." A piece of the puzzle may be in place. He goes back to the dormitory to check on Harry. INT. DORMITORY - SAME TIME THROUGH the Porthole in the door, Norman looks in on Harry who is still thoroughly engrossed in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. CUT TO: INT. ENGINE ROOM - LATER The noise of the various PUMPS and COMPRESSORS... Norman, his nerves frayed, juggles a copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the printout and the pad as he confers with Beth. NORMAN He makes it real for you, he makes it real for me...he has made it real for everybody. It's really frightening because you don't know whether it's really real or whether he's made it real for us to believe it's real, and it's because of the Sphere. BETH Our Harry... our Harry is Jerry? NORMAN Come on, Beth, I'm just as tired as you are. Come on, I know you can get this, okay? Here. He hands her a copy of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea". NORMAN (cont'd) Harry said he couldn't get past page 87 because he said it was too scary, okay. BETH If there's nothing on the pages, where's the rest of the book. NORMAN Read what's on page 87. BETH (reading) '... According to calculations of some naturalists, one of these animals, only six feet long, would have tentacles twenty-seven feet long. That would make a formidable monster.' (closes book) NORMAN Yes. And what does Harry hate? BETH Squid. NORMAN And when he read that, it scared him. Getting the picture? Do you remember when all those jellyfish attacked. What was Harry doing? BETH Sleeping. NORMAN He was dreaming, and this is the really wild part - what he dreamed.... BETH Happened. NORMAN It happened. BETH You're telling me that because Harry went inside the Sphere, he now has the power to manifest his dreams, his fantasies, his emotions, his fears. NORMAN Manifest. He manifested it...he made it happen. BETH Well, we'd better not piss him off. INT. DORMITORY - CLOSE ON HARRY - SAME TIME Still reading "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea". Then he stares into space. CUT TO: INT. ENGINE ROOM - SAME TIME Beth and Norman still figuring things out. NORMAN It's like an E-ticket ride for Harry's subconscious. It's the wildest ride you could imagine. It's the ultimate acting out. It's not that different when you're a child. A child when it imagines something, thinks that it's real, but it's not. In Harry's case, it's in fact so real that it's not only real to Harry it's real to all of us...and what I can't understand is that ever since he went in the Sphere, the Sphere has some kind of power that projects every subconscious thought that Harry has, out to the computer. It prints it out, and we interact with it. We thought it was Jerry. It's not Jerry, it's Harry. Harry's Jerry. BETH Does Harry know this? NORMAN No, and what I don't understand is that you went in The Sphere and nothing happened. BETH 'Cos with my subconscious, can you just imagine? It'd be like Liquid Drano out there. NORMAN But nothing happened. BETH Obviously I didn't go in the Sphere. NORMAN Beth. You never went inside the Sphere. You didn't go in there? BETH I was so angry at you, I wanted you to be scared. NORMAN Maybe you had a right to be. BETH Thanks. Norman looks at her. NORMAN You're sure you didn't go in there? Beth thinks a long beat. BETH We have to kill Harry. NORMAN No, no. We don't have to kill Harry. BETH Yeah, we do. NORMAN Why? BETH Because, I don't know about you, Norman, but I don't feel like dying down here. NORMAN We don't have to kill him. We just have to find something to put him under, right? So he's in some kind of deep, unconscious sleep. BETH Dreamless sleep, I hope. NORMAN A dreamless sleep, yes. How do we do that? BETH Well, I've got a bunch of drugs up there. NORMAN Fancy that. CUT TO: INT. LAB - LATER Norman and Beth fumble through the habitat's pharmacy... NORMAN Diphenyl paralene. BETH Burns. NORMAN Ephedrine hydrochloride. BETH Motion sickness. NORMAN Valdomet. BETH Ulcers. You might want to keep that. NORMAN Sintag. BETH Sintag is a synthetic opiate. It's a painkiller. I might want to keep that. NORMAN What about Parasolutrine? BETH Really? I've got paracin trichloride - that's an anesthetic. NORMAN What do you do, combine it? BETH (holding up vials) Huh, huh. If you've got 20 cc's of this one, six of this one, you're in business. NORMAN (vial in hand) Here's some more Parasolutrine. Will that be enough? ANGLE ON HUGE HYPODERMIC Norman looks on as Beth fills it from the vials... BETH This'll put him under for three to six hours. NORMAN Can't we give him a little boost? BETH You want to kill him? NORMAN Yes and no. CUT TO: INT. DORMITORY - SAME TIME Harry sleeps. A shaft of light as the door opens and Beth and Norman tiptoe in, Beth with the hypodermic. NORMAN (whispers to Beth) I'm gonna hold him. They exchange a look. Then Norman grabs Harry as Beth plunges the needle into him. Harry howls, more from surprise than pain, as Beth pushes the plunger and injects him. HARRY What's going on? NORMAN Nothing. Go back to sleep. HARRY I was asleep. Harry's eyes roll back into his head and he falls asleep. BETH I wasn't sure it would be that fast- acting. Thank God. NORMAN We didn't kill him, did we? BETH I don't think so. NORMAN Okay. BETH Okay. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - NIGHT Beth sits at the monitors while Norman stands close by. BETH Come on! Come on! Come on! ANGLE ON MONITORS CQX VDX MOP LKI... BACK ON BETH AND NORMAN BETH Here we go. NORMAN It's a code. How the hell are we supposed to be able to...oh, it's decoding itself. ANGLE ON MONITORS As the letters unjumble and resolve into a decoded message... WEATHER CONDITIONS NORMAL SURFACE SUPPORT VESSELS RETURN. ETA: 16:00:00 hours Then the 16:00:00 begins to count down... BETH Weather conditions normal surface support vessels return." 16 hours and we're out of here. CLOSE ON NORMAN As he breaks into a smile... Turns to Beth. NORMAN It's over. If you trust it. BETH You know me. I believe everything. NORMAN Do you trust it? CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - LATER The sound of RUNNING WATER as Norman washes his face. Then turns OFF the WATER. He hears a HISS like water leaking. He tightens the faucets again. Still that HISS. Norman runs his hands along the pipes, reaches under the sink... INSERT - NORMAN'S HANDS As they run beneath the sink... To where the pipe turns into... BELCHER'S SEA SNAKE A wriggling white streak with a long thin fin and black stripes... CLOSE ON NORMAN As he freezes... His skin goes cold and clammy... He peers around the edge of the sink to get a look... NORMAN'S POV - SNAKE As it HISSES and SLURPS its forked tongue at him, bares its fangs... Its body coiling and uncoiling... BACK ON NORMAN As he faces the snake... Then hears another HISS... Looks down and sees a SECOND SNAKE coiling its way up his leg... NORMAN Aaaaargh!!! Get out! Get out! Aaaaargh! Get out! Get out! Then the door opens and Beth enters. Sees the snakes... BETH What time is it, Norman? NORMAN What? BETH What time is it, Norman? It is all Norman can do to unstick his dry mouth and reply... NORMAN What? BETH Norman. What time is it? NORMAN I don't know. BETH Norman, you're scaring me. NORMAN (struggling with snake) Aaaaargh! Get out! BETH Look at your watch, Norman! NORMAN What, are you crazy! NORMAN'S POV - LOOKING DOWN The SNAKE around his leg HISSES and bares its fangs as Norman slowly turns his wrist... But the crystal is fogged. BACK TO SCENE BETH Is it day or night? Norman thinks hard, trembling with fear... NORMAN It's day. It's morning. (to snakes) Get out!! Get out!!!! Get out!!!! With cat-like quickness, Beth plunges in, grabs the snakes right behind the head... Holds them up to inspect them... BETH They're Belcher's sea snakes, Norman They're the most poisonous snakes in the world, but they're nocturnal. They're only dangerous at night. (holding up snake) Say "Good morning, Beth." NORMAN (weakly) Good morning. Beth moves with the snakes to exit. She turns, holding the snakes in her hands... BETH (cont'd) Freud would have a field-day with this. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Beth's voice comes OVER the INTERCOM.. as we see Norman slowly climb the stairs to the lab. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman, it's Beth could you meet me at the lab, please? Norman, can you meet me at the lab, please? I want to show you something. Norman! CUT TO: INT. LABORATORY - LATER Norman enters. Beth's not there He enters further, looking around... Looks on a notepad to see if she left a note... NORMAN Beth? Then, on the dissecting table, Norman sees something... He moves closer... NORMAN'S POV - DISSECTING TABLE Alone on the table, a hypodermic needle filled with fluid... BACK ON NORMAN As he hears a CLICK behind him. Turns to see that the DOOR is now closed... The wheel spins... Norman hurries to the door. Can't budge it. He locks eyes with Beth THROUGH the porthole in the door...Then a SUCTION noise as the DOOR SEALS SHUT... And Beth disappears. Norman knocks on the glass. NORMAN Beth? CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Beth hurries down the hallway toward the video room... CUT TO: INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME Norman, struggling not to panic, tries to figure a way out... INTERCUT VIDEO ROOM WITH LABORATORY NORMAN What are you doing? (beat) Beth? Why are you locking me in here? Beth! Beth! He looks around the lab and sees jars full of liquid on shelves. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman! Norman! Up here...up here. Norman, it's me, Beth. I'm up here. NORMAN Why aren't you here? Why am I talking to you like this. BETH I'm talking to you from the video room. Norman, listen to me. Turn around. Turn around and look on the table. Norman turns around and sees a hypodermic needle on the table. BETH Do you see the hypodermic needle, Norman? NORMAN Yeah. BETH I want you to inject yourself, Norman. NORMAN What? BETH It's the same thing we gave Harry. It's almost the same amount. NORMAN We gave that stuff to Harry because he was manifesting -- to make him unconscious. I don't need to take that stuff. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth talks into the intercom, watches Norman on the monitors, like a caged laboratory rat, pacing off the perimeter... BETH Norman, you're manifesting your fears. The snakes, Norman...the snakes were you. Harry is asleep. It's your fears. You manifested the snakes. CUT TO: INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME Norman, trapped, looks at the snakes in their specimen jars... He searches the room for a way out... NORMAN Why would the snakes have anything to do with me? I didn't go inside The Sphere. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Then how did the snakes get there, Norman? NORMAN Maybe they're just snakes. I mean...did you ever think of that? BETH (over intercom) Pick up the needle and inject yourself. NORMAN I'm telling you, I didn't go in the Sphere. BETH (over intercom) Obviously you went in the Sphere, Norman. NORMAN If I went in the Sphere I would have told you now. BETH (over intercom) If you don't use the hypodermic needle, I'm going to have to defend myself. Norman, don't make me do this. I don't want to do this. NORMAN I didn't manifest anything. I didn't manifest anything....I didn't manifest anything... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth moves a slide switch marked "A CYL--LAB"... As the gas pressure gauge dips... INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME There's a SOFT HISS and the ALARM BADGE on Norman's wrist pad starts to BEEP... NORMAN Beth, what are you doing? (beat) The pressure gauge begins to dip. NORMAN (cont'd) Beth. Why does it say that its low level? Why are you taking the oxygen out of this room? BETH (V.O.) (over intercom - squeaky voice) It's not oxygen. It's gas, remember? NORMAN Beth, why are you taking the gas out of the room? Beth? It's my air... A glass explodes. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Think it through. Whose childhood fears were the jellyfish? Remember, Norman... remember? NORMAN Yes, but -- anyone could be afraid of jellyfish, Beth. BETH (over intercom) Norman, look at your wrists. Remember when you told me about getting burned. You're manifesting fire, Norman...you're manifesting jellyfish. The squid were Harry's, but everything else is you. Isn't it possible that you went inside The Sphere and you just don't remember. NORMAN Beth, you would've seen it on the video. BETH The video blanked out and you were gone for two hours. So, where were you, Norman? NORMAN Your logic is screwy, okay. Because if I'd gone in the Sphere, I would have been different when I came out. I'd have been strange like Harry. BETH (over intercom) Just use the hypodermic needle, Norman. NORMAN Okay, we're not gonna have time to go back and forth on this. Norman opens and closes his jaw, wiggles a finger in his ear as his ears pop... The water level rising on the floor... Then Norman jumps as the medicine BOTTLE BURSTS... NORMAN Beth. What's with this water? The bottles with liquid, now contain snakes. The bottles explode and the snakes are released. NORMAN (cont'd) Beth...Beth...It's not me! BETH (over intercom) It's not me. You're doing it. NORMAN Beth...Beth...oh, my God! Beth! Beth! More bottles explode. BETH (over intercom) Norman, you're manifesting this. Water is your fear, Norman. You said you hadn't been in the water since you were a kid. Norman, inject yourself with the hypodermic needle. NORMAN Oh, my God!! BETH (over intercom) Norman, use the hypodermic needle. It's snakes, it's fear. You can make it go away, Norman. You can make it go away. Pick up the hypodermic needle and inject yourself, Norman. NORMAN No. I'm not going to. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman, you can make it go away. NORMAN No, I'm not going to use it. I told you, it's not me! I can't breathe, Beth. Then a BANG! as another BOTTLE EXPLODES... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth watches Norman on the monitors. BETH Norman, I'm begging you. Pick up the hypodermic needle. INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME Water rises around Norman. NORMAN No, I'm not gonna use it. It's not me! It's too late anyway! Beth...Beth...what are you doing? You're going to kill me! BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) I can't help you, Norman. I'm not doing this. Norman pulls himself up out of the water, hanging onto equipment in the habitat. NORMAN Beth....! BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Try not to be so afraid, Norman. Let go of your fears and it will all go away...and the ships will come and we'll all get out of here and we'll be fine. You're doing the right thing. CLOSE ON NORMAN Terrified as he watches the water rise around him... BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Just climb up. Just get as high as you can get. Try to take a deep breath, Norman. CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth watches as water rises in the lab... BETH Try to pull yourself together, Norman. Your fears are going to kill all of us. CUT TO: INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME Norman opens a cupboard and finds a first aid box... Inside, a small gas tank with a fire mask... He breathes deeply. BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) The oxygen in that tank will only last about three or four minutes. It's not gonna save you, Norman. Just get a hold of yourself. Take a few breaths. It'll calm you down. WIDE ANGLE - LAB As water rises rapidly... NORMAN The water's gonna blow you out, Beth. CUT TO: INT. LABORATORY - SAME TIME Norman falls into the water. Then he looks up... NORMAN'S POV - HATCH At the ceiling of the lab... Carrying his fire mask, Norman climbs up on the counters... BETH (V.O.) (over intercom) Norman, Norman...you can stop it. Norman, what are you doing? Norman, don't open the hatch, you'll kill yourself. Norman, please! He shoves hard at the lever... Shoves again and the hatch door flies open... WATER explodes down into the laboratory as Norman shoots out... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME As Norman shoots out in a cloud of bubbles... The gas tank in one hand, he grabs wildly at a steel pipe that runs along the habitat... Without weights he has to pull hard to keep from floating to the surface... INSERT - NORMAN'S HAND Purpled by the cold, as Norman pulls himself along the pipe... Then, from below, a thick flock of jellyfish drift out from beneath the habitat... ANGLE ON NORMAN In a panic, he fumbles the fire mask... Jellyfish swim past him, brush against his flesh, his face... Norman looks down... NORMAN'S POV The fire mask as it tumbles, bubbling, to the bottom... The GAS TANK COLLIDES with the habitat WALL with a CLANK! ANGLE ON NORMAN Desperately, he pulls himself down, reaches for the fire mask -- can't get it... Reaches again as it continues to leak... His fingers clumsy from the cold... He reaches again... And suddenly the bubbles stop... No more gas. CLOSE ON NORMAN The veins bulging in his face, his neck... He uses the pipes to pull himself under the habitat -- eyes closed against the pain... Then his eyes flutter open and he sees the airlock... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth watches as all the monitors go static and flash on and off. CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME Barely conscious, Norman bangs his head against the habitat and begins to float. WE HEAR the echoed voice of Harry. HARRY (V.O.) ....if we never told anyone, it means we never made it back. Hence, we die down here.... CUT TO: INT. VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME Beth watches the monitors as the words we're hearing from Harry are printed on the screens. "WE DIE DOWN HERE. JUST AS A MATTER OF DEDUCTIVE LOGIC." Beth rushes out of the video room. CUT TO: INT. MOON POOL - SAME TIME Norman bursts up into the moon pool, gulping for air... He clumsily pulls himself up, then slips and falls back into the pool... flails in the water... Then he heaves his chest over the rim and flops onto the deck of the airlock... He peers through heavy-lidded eyes... NORMAN'S POV - MOON POOL ROOM DOOR Leading inside to the habitat... BACK ON NORMAN He blows into his hands, trying to get warm. Coughs through chattering teeth... He stumbles toward the airlock door... CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Beth ducks around the corner, spins the wheel of a corridor door and it opens... But WATER SURGES in, BLASTS the door Beth throws her body against the door, trying to close it, but the force of the water is too strong. She slips and falls... The water sweeps her down the hall. Then a huge wave sweeps toward her, carrying -- BODY OF BARNES Beth finds himself in a macabre embrace with Barnes' severed torso, Barnes' face flush against her... BETH Aaaaaaaargh! CUT TO: INT. DORMITORY - CLOSE ON HARRY - SAME TIME He wakes up with a start. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - ANOTHER CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Lights flicker in the hall. A DISTANT BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... ANGLE ON NORMAN Wading furiously through knee-deep water like a Marine storming a beachhead... CLOSE ON a limp hand knocking against the floor. It's Beth. She's rolled up in a ball on the floor and is in a stupor. NORMAN Beth...Beth...Beth... She looks up at him. BETH Norman...? Are you real? NORMAN What? BETH Are you real? NORMAN Real as the water that almost killed me. What are you doing? BETH Part of Barnes.... (she sobs) NORMAN What? Part of Barnes...? BETH Part of Barnes went by me in the water. NORMAN Where? BETH Right here. NORMAN Here? BETH Here. NORMAN There's no water here. It's dry and your clothes are dry. You must have manifested. BETH I don't know what's real any more. NORMAN Elizabeth? BETH Huh? NORMAN You went into the Sphere, didn't you? CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - ANOTHER CORRIDOR - SAME TIME WE SEE the figure of Harry making his way along the corridor. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - PREVIOUS CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Beth gets up. NORMAN Beth. Beth. You want to answer me? BETH I don't know what to think, Norman. I feel like I can't breathe. ANGLE ON HARRY watching them from a grating above them. BETH (cont'd) I can't breathe...I'm losing it, you know, and I'm trying...I'm trying to get it back... HARRY What's going on? Why did you put me out? Just what are you guys up to? NORMAN You went in the Sphere, Harry. So did Beth, so did I...I think. HARRY And if so, what? NORMAN Whatever the Sphere is, it makes what we feel, real. HARRY Meaning what? NORMAN It happens. What we're thinking, what we're feeling...happens. Like those three astronauts in the spacecraft, Beth, remember? We went in there...the guy, the astronaut in the chair, what did you say about his head? BETH He had blunt force trauma. He got hit in the head. NORMAN They went in the Sphere one by one, and they became more and more afraid of each other until they killed each other off, and we're doing the same thing. BETH I don't want to kill you, Norman. ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Your attention please. All construction personnel must exit the blast area immediately. PANTHER explosives are now activated. Mark thirteen minutes and counting... HARRY Does somebody want to tell me what that voice is? BETH They had explosives down here to blast through the coral, so when I went out before, I set up a defense perimeter around the door of the spaceship. You know, when I went to look for food, Harry. Something must've triggered it. HARRY What? BETH Something from inside the Sphere. HARRY There's nothing in the Sphere, Beth. You know that. You've been inside it. NORMAN Then what? HARRY I don't know. NORMAN Then who...? BETH It's me. NORMAN What? BETH Oh, God! I was just thinking about the explosives...they just flashed inside my mind, and it must have triggered them. I was thinking about wanting to die. HARRY You put explosives near the spacecraft? BETH Yes, I did, but they're about a hundred yards away. HARRY There's a lot of liquid hydrogen left on that spacecraft. If it explodes it'll disintegrate everything for ten miles. NORMAN What do we do? HARRY Mini-sub. Now! CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE B CYLINDER - SAME TIME Norman, Harry and Beth hustle through the flooded corridor... ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Your attention please. All construction personnel must exit the blast area inmediately... CUT TO: INT. SUIT ROOM AND AIRLOCK ROOM - SAME TIME They hurry into their suits...Harry signals and they all jump down into the pool... CUT TO: EXT. OCEAN FLOOR - SAME TIME Norman, Beth and Harry, in their suits now, run toward the minisub... The explosives arrayed by the spacecraft blink red in the distance... ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Eight minutes and counting... CUT TO: INT. SUB DOME HANGAR - SAME TIME In a panic, Norman moves to climb up onto the sub and slips. The others help him... Clumsily, they climb up on the sub... CUT TO: INT. MINISUB - SAME TIME Harry drops dawn into the minisub as Norman hustles into the driver's seat... BETH Okay, hit it! Come on, let's go! NORMAN Wait...wait...wait... HARRY Come on! BETH Norman, let's go. NORMAN Wait, wait...it's not like I drive subs, Beth, okay. BETH Well, you're driving one now, honey. ANGLE ON CONSOLE Buttons that read: ANGLE OF DESCENT... ANGLE OF ASCENT... SECURE... SHUTDOWN... BALLAST... THROTTLE... NORMAN Let's see... 'Shutdown'... 'Ballast'... 'Throttle...' As Norman runs his fingers over the console. Then stops. REVERSE ANGLE - NORMAN'S FACEPLATE Reflected there, we see the monitors of the video room... NORMAN Oh, my God! INT. HABITAT - VIDEO ROOM - WIDER They're back inside the video room... BETH What's going on? NORMAN I don't know. BETH Why are we inside the spaceship? NORMAN I don't know. ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Seven minutes and counting... HARRY I don't know either, guys but we don't have time to figure it out. Let's get out of here. They run out of the video room...to the elevator and get inside. NORMAN It's not moving. Anybody hit the button? What the hell? Wait a minute, this was an elevator before, right? BETH Which one of us is doing this? NORMAN Oh, God! They get out of the elevator and run down a corridor. CUT TO: INT. HABITAT - CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Beth, Harry and Norman run down the corridor and come to a wall. HARRY It's a dead-end. BETH Where are we? HARRY It's an illusion. BETH It doesn't look right, guys. Come on. She leads them down another corridor. NORMAN Beth, which way? Harry, where do we go? HARRY Where? Where's where, Norman? Around that corner -- down this corridor - - what's there, huh? THEIR POV ANOTHER NORMAN, HARRY AND BETH STAND AT THE END OF THE CORRIDOR HARRY (double) Another blind alley in the maze of our minds. An illusion. BACK ON OUR TEAM As Norman, Harry and Beth stop. BETH He's right, Norman. REVERSE ANGLE - TEAM TWO NORMAN (double) If he's right, we're dead. ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Your attention please. All construction personnel must exit the blast area immediately... BACK ON OUR TEAM who are frantically looking for a way out. HARRY Just go on. Leave me. Leave me alone. BACK ON SECOND TEAM NORMAN (double) Harry, no...no. It's not your time, Harry. Not your time. ALARM VOICE (V.O.) ... Four minutes and counting... BETH What's the point, Norman? She shines her flashlight on the habitat floor. BETH (cont'd) Somebody's been here. BETH (double) There's footprints, and they ain't ours. NORMAN (double) Look, I don't know where we are, Beth and I don't know where we're stuck in. HARRY Where we are, we are...stuck in the illusion that we can change the future. It's a dead-end, Norman. HARRY (double) It's just like I said all along, we die down here. NORMAN I'm not going to die down here. NORMAN (double) No...no, you're not going to die down here. Beth's not gonna die down here. I'm not gonna let you die, Harry. They run down another corridor. HARRY (double) You have to push the button, Norman. NORMAN What button? HARRY (double) The button. Push the button! NORMAN What button? BETH (double) He doesn't know. HARRY Button...the button, Norman. NORMAN I can't see the button. I can't see the button. HARRY (double) See the button... NORMAN I can't see the button! HARRY (double) See the button. NORMAN I don't know what to do! HARRY (double) Push the button. The button -- push the button. ALARM VOICE (V.O.) Two minutes and counting... SMASH CUT TO: INT. SUB DOME HANGAR/INT. MINI-SUB - EXTREME TIGHT SHOT OF RED BUTTON - SAME TIME as it lights up... ASCEND... WIDER - TEAM Inside the minisub now. They look at each other. Then a RUMBLE...Harry jumps in the driver's seat - Beth and Norman jammed in next to him, as the minisub drops down out of its mooring... The WHIR of the ELECTRIC MOTORS STARTING... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME A high-pitched WHINE as the BALLAST TANKS FILL WITH AIR and the minisub noses sharply up, pulls away from the habitat... CUT TO: EXT. OCEAN/INT. MINISUB - SAME TIME Harry looks at his watch, steers the minisub while Beth straps herself into the shotgun seat with Norman squeezed in between the two of them. BETH Oh God. Thank God. We're out! HARRY Don't celebrate yet. NORMAN Why not? HARRY I don't think we're moving fast enough. NORMAN Fast enough for what? HARRY A blast underwater creates a suction. It'll pull us right back down there. If the shock wave doesn't kill us first. Norman looks out the rear porthole... NORMAN'S POV - THROUGH PORTHOLE The ring of explosive red cones with their little digital countdown timers flashing... CUT TO: EXT. MINISUB - SAME TIME As the minisub accelerates... CUT TO: EXT. HABITAT - SAME TIME The PANTHER explosives start to flash red as the countdown timers rattle down... Attention, please. You must exit the blast area immediately. This is the last warning you will receive. Thank you for using PANTHER brand, the first choice of blasting professionals, and have a nice day. INSERT - COUNTDOWN TIMER As it counts down from ten... nine... eight... CUT TO: INT. MINISUB - SAME TIME Harry runs full throttle... Looks at the depth gauge... HARRY Six hundred forty feet...six hundred thirty...six twenty...six hundred ten... (beat) You a religious man, Norman? NORMAN I'm an atheist. But I'm flexible. INSERT - COUNTDOWN TIMER INT. MINI-SUB Inside the minisub... Five... four... three... CUT TO: EXT. SPACECRAFT - SAME TIME As the countdown timer goes to zero and the EXPLOSIVES DETONATE... A giant underwater FIREBALL... CUT TO: INT. MINISUB - SAME TIME They all hold on for dear life as the BLAST spins the minisub like a toy, upends it. A blinding, blistering, white-hot fireball races directly toward the windshield... They all scream. NORMAN Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Hold on!!! HARRY Oh, my God, we got turned around. We're going into the blast. This is the wrong way!! We're piling into it!!! Come on Norman, come on!!! And the screen goes WHITE. CUT TO: INT. SHIP'S DECOMPRESSION ROOM - LATER A bright white room. ANGLE ON NORMAN As he wakes up in his bunk. Looks over. Sees Harry snoozing in his bunk. Beth looks out the porthole, then turns... She and Norman exchange a look. She sits on the edge of his bunk. NORMAN What's going on? BETH More of nothing. (beat) I want to thank you for saving my life. NORMAN An interesting life to save. She squeezes his hand. Kisses him on the cheek. BETH Get some more sleep. He watches her as she heads back to the porthole to look out at the ocean. Then he rolls over, goes back to sleep. CUT TO: EXT. SHIP'S DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER - SAME TIME TWO CREWMEN peer inside through one-way glass. CREWMAN #1 Which one is Jerry? CREWMAN #2 That's our problem, we really don't know. CUT TO: EXT. SHIP'S DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER - LATER Norman, Beth and Harry sit at a card table. A long beat -- an unspoken question hangs in the air. Then Beth breaks the ice. BETH So, what are we going to tell them? HARRY We can't tell them that we found an alien sphere on an American spacecraft from our own future, and we definitely can't tell them we discovered the power to manifest, just by imagining, killer jellyfish, a giant squid, sea snakes -- BETH No. They're definitely not ready for that. HARRY The greatest discovery in the history of mankind, and we destroyed it. And it's better that we did. What if it fell into the wrong hands? NORMAN We were the wrong hands. That's the scary part, isn't it? All three of us, relatively enlightened, ethical, educated. We think of ourselves as good people. But when The Sphere gave us this power, what did we do with it? BETH We freaked out. NORMAN Yes. We were given the greatest gift in the history of mankind. We were given this magic ball and it says: "Imagine what you will and you can have it", and we're so primitive, we have so many fears that we carry with us, that we manifest the worst in us rather than the best in us....and that ain't gonna change. BETH Maybe we still have it. NORMAN What? BETH The power. (beat) Maybe we still have the power to manifest what we will. NORMAN If we do still have the power... (off her look) Then we have the power to forget. To manifest a world in which we don't have the power. They look at each other. HARRY I say we do that. On a count of three. They all hold hands. Close their eyes... NORMAN One... two... three. Then all open their eyes. HARRY Three what? NORMAN What? HARRY You said three? NORMAN (blankly) Three? Why are you holding my hand? They all laugh. CUT TO: INT. SHIP - DEBRIEFING ROOM - LATER One by one, Beth, Harry and Norman respond to questions - all against a WHITE BACKGROUND. They seem confused. NORMAN What do you mean? What happened to the Habitat? HARRY Wait...wait...something happened to the Habitat? BETH The Habitat exploded? NORMAN A sphere? BETH Like a circle? HARRY Sphere? BETH Sphere? HARRY No... BETH Barnes? NORMAN Barnes? HARRY Major Barnes? BETH Edmunds and Fletcher? NORMAN I haven't seen Edmunds and Fletcher since we were brought back up. HARRY Something happened to them? BETH Maybe the women...Edmunds and Fletcher are the women. NORMAN Ted? Where is he? HARRY I just assumed he had stayed wth Mr. Barnes. BETH Ted Fielding? NORMAN I would think you could tell me. HARRY He had to go out there and change the tapes. NORMAN The tapes are blank? What do you mean the tapes are blank? BETH The tapes are blank? NORMAN Now why don't you tell us, but you're not telling us. CUT TO: EXT. HELIPAD - DAY Norman runs to a waiting helicopter, his hair whipped around by the backwash of the WHIRRING ROTORS... He climbs into... HELICOPTER The PILOT we saw earlier turns to Norman. PILOT So how'd it go, Doc? Norman looks at him, confused. NORMAN (blankly) What? PILOT You know, what they brought you in for. NORMAN I don't know. PILOT Oh, I get it...classified, big secret, huh? (beat) Hang on. Here we go. CUT TO: EXT. SHIP - SAME TIME Beth emerges on the bridge. Watches as Norman's helicopter takes off... CLOSE ON BETH Thinking... As if she harbors some secret... We FOLLOW her gaze out TO the horizon and OVER the ocean... Then we DIVE DOWN INTO the water... The debris gets thicker as we GO DEEPER... The water gets murkier... Till it clears and we see... The Sphere. FREEZE FRAME. FADE OUT. THE END --------------------------------------------------------------