Page 1

4 Panel s
Panel 1
WI LKS i s bei ng dr agged al ong t he cr amped hal l of a
submar i ne by t wo ot her mat es. They wal k f or war d,
f aci ng away f r omus. Each have an ar ml ooped ar ound
hi s shoul der . Wi l ks l ooks at t he audi ence,
f r i ght ened.
Caption
"I know how i t st ar t ed. I know how i t wor ks. And I
can' t do anyt hi ng t o st op i t . "
WI LKS
Pl ease! St op! Smi t h! Angel o! Let me go!
Panel 2
The cr ew mat es br i ng Wi l ks ont o t he br i dge of t he
sub. Men and women si t at cont r ol s wor ki ng i nt ent l y.
Thei r f aces ar e obscur ed by shadow. We can onl y see
Wi l ks pani cked l ook. The CAPTAI N has t ur ned t o see
Wi l ks, hi s back t o t he audi ence. Ever yone but t he
Capt ai n has l ar ge headphones on.
Caption
"Two days. Ever yt hi ng f el l apar t i n t wo days. "
WI LKS
Capt ai n! Please!
CAPTAI N
Wi l ks, pl ease st op your mewi ng. You' r e t he l ast
pi ece of t hi s puzzl e.
Panel 3
Cl ose up of Wi l ks. He i s on t he f l oor . He hol ds hi s
l ef t hand up, open, t o def end hi msel f . A shadow pl ays
over hi m. He l ooks t er r i f i ed. A hand i s r eachi ng down
hol di ng a set of headphones, of f er i ng t hemt o hi m.
Caption
"Ever get a song st uck i n your head?"
CAPTAI N
( Of f Panel )
Wi l ks. J ust l i st en.
Panel 4
A shot f r ombehi nd Wi l ks. He i s i n t he same pose. We
see t he hor r i f yi ng vi sage of t he Capt ai n. A mout h
spl i t s hi s f ace f r omf or ehead t o chi n, r unni ng
ver t i cal l y. A second set of r ept i l e eyes si t hi gher
on t he f or ehead, but f ur t her back t owar d t he ear s.
CAPTAI N
Li st en t o t he sweet sounds of t he deep.
Page 2
5 Panel s
Panel 1
A shot of t he submar i ne f r omt he out si de. I t f l oat s
cl ose t o a l ar ge, sheer st one wal l . A st r ange
ci r cul ar obj ect j ut s f r omt he wal l .
Caption
2 Days Ago. The Thr esher . 1, 200 f t deep.
1
CAPTAI N
( Fr omi nsi de t he sub)
Wi l ks, has t he i magi ng scan det er mi ned what i t i s
we' r e l ooki ng at ?
WI LKS
( Fr omi nsi de t he sub)
No. Al l I can t el l -
Panel 2
I nsi de t he sub a nor mal l ooki ng Capt ai n l eans f or war d
and l ooks at a scr een wi t h Wi l ks. Wi l ks i s si t s i n a
chai r i n f r ont of a l ar ge comput er .
WI LKS
I s t hat i t i sn' t nat ur al . I t ' s not l i ke t he r ock
ar ound i t and i t ' s def i ni t el y not or gani c. I t i s
hol l ow, or hol l ow- i sh.
Panel 3
We pul l out and show t he br i dge agai n. Cr ew mat es ar e
at t hei r st at i ons and have un- obscur ed f aces. The
Capt ai n poi nt s t o ANGELO, who has a pai r of
headphones ar ound hi s neck.
CAPTAI N
Angel o, hi t i t wi t h t he sonar agai n. Can you t el l
me anyt hi ng about t hi s t hi ng?
ANGELO
Yes, si r . The t hi ng i s pl ayi ng mar r y hel l wi t h my
i nst r ument s, but I ' l l pi ng i t agai n.
CAPTAI N
Good.
Panel 4
Cl ose up of Angel o. Hi s headphones ar e on. He l ooks
cl osel y at hi s i nst r ument s, t r yi ng t o di scer n dat a.
Hi s head i s beaded wi t h sweat .
Caption
"I t st ar t ed wi t h Angel o, I t hi nk. He kept bl ast i ng
t he t hi ng wi t h sonar . Tr yi ng t o f i gur e out i f i t
was a l ost war head or some ol d USSR weapon. "
Panel 5
The same shot , but Angel o i s bl ue and has l ost al l
f eat ur es. We' r e l ooki ng at hi s shape out l i ned. Hi s
br ai n i s t he onl y t hi ng vi si bl e, i t ' s bl ack agai nst
t he bl ue. The basi c i mage of sound waves, smal l t o
l ar ge cr escent s, ar e st r i ki ng t he br ai n. They ar e
r ed. Red t endr i l s wr ap t he bl ack br ai n.
Caption
"I t must have t r avel ed i n t he sound. Each scan
bounci ng back l ar ger chunks of i t i nt o hi s head. "
Page 3
4 Panel s
Panel 1
The same shot as Panel 4 on Page 2. Hi s eyes have a
sunken l ook t hey di dn' t have bef or e.
2
ANGELO
Si r , I t hi nk you shoul d have a l i st en.
Panel 2
Wi l ks passes SMI TH i n a nar r ow submar i ne hal l . Wi l ks
hol ds l ar ge pr i nt out s of hi s i magi ng, bot h r ol l ed up
and i n st acks.
WI LKS
Wat ch out !
SMI TH
Sor r y, man! Hey, have you l i st ened t o i t yet ?
WI LKS
Li st ened t o what ?
Panel 3
We see wher e Smi t h i s of f t o. The br i dge can be seen
behi nd Wi l ks. Mor e peopl e have gat her ed ar ound
Angel o, i ncl udi ng t he Capt ai n. They al l st ar e at
Angel o' s scr een.
SMI TH
The obj ect , man! What ever we f ound.
WI LKS
How do you know about t hat ?
SMI TH
Thi s i s sub. Wor d t r avel s f ast i n t i ght spaces.
Pl us Cox t ol d me i n t he mess. Have you hear d i t ?
Panel 4
Wi l ks t hr ows a f r ee hand i nt o t he ai r i n a "I coul d
car e l ess" gest ur e. Smi t h t akes of f i nt o t he br i dge.
WI LKS
No. Now move, I act ual l y have work t o do.
Panel 5
Angl eo i s i n a smal l bat hr oom. He wear s onl y an
under shi r t whi ch i s st ai ned wi t h t he sweat t hat
cover s hi s body i n a sheen. He i s t ouchi ng hi s
f or ehead. A smal l i nci si on r uns f r omt he t op of hi s
f or ehead down t o hi s chi n. Smal l r i vul et s of bl ood
dr i p i nt o t he si nk. He i s devel opi ng t he mout h we saw
on t he Capt ai n. Sof t pi nk ci r cl es t hat wi l l devel op
i nt o t he second set of eyes ar e vi si bl e.
Caption
"I t di dn' t t ake l ong. Anyone who hear d t he
si gnal . . . "
Page 4
4 Panel s
Panel 1
A shot f r omover Angel o' s shoul der . I n t he mi r r or we
see hi s f ace has spl i t , openi ng i nt o a t oot hed maw.
Smal l t ongues whi p ar ound i nsi de t he dagger t oot h
maw.
ANGELO
3
Hassssskkk
Caption
"Woul d change. "
Panel 2
Wi l ks i s al so i n an under shi r t . He l ooks
t hought f ul l y at i mages of t he t hi ng embedded i n t he
wal l . He hol ds a pen i n hi s r i ght hand. Mar ker i nk
ci r cl es on t he i mages show t hat he has been har d at
wor k t r yi ng t o f i gur e out what t hey' ve f ound.
Caption
"Real l y, i t was l i ke a bel l . A st r angel y shaped
bel l . And t he sonar was st r i ki ng i t , ringing it."
Panel 3
We' r e out si de t he sub agai n, but we can see t he
obj ect cl ear l y now, hi ghl y det ai l ed. I t ' s ser pent
shaped. Sl i t her i ng t hi ngs ar e car ved on t he
pr ot r udi ng bi t s.
Caption
"I t ' r e- wr ot e' whoever hear d i t ' s r ever ber at i ons.
Changed t hem. "
Panel 4
We cut back t o t he br i dge shot i n Panel 2 of Page 1,
except t he cr ew' s f aces ar e un- obscur ed. They have
t he same di sf i gur ed f ace as t he Capt ai n and Angel o.
One has t hr own i t ' s head back, i t ' s r ed r i bbon
t ongues dance i n t he ai r .
Caption
Now.
CAPTAI N
What i s i t you have t her e, Wi l ks?
Page 5
5 Panel s
Panel 1
Wi l ks gr i ps t he pen we saw hi mwi t h ear l i er ,
uncapped. He swi ngs i t wi l dl y at t he hor r or s bef or e
hi m.
CAPTAI N
You t hi nk you can hur t us? Gr ab hi s head!
Panel 2
A cl ose up of Wi l ks. Angel o' s hand gr abs a t uf t of
Wi l k' s hai r and yanks hi s head back. Wi l ks f r ee hand
gr abs at t he ar m.
CAPTAI N
St op, wr i ggl i ng, worm. Li st en.
Caption
"Li st en. "
Panel 3
Wi l ks l ooks at hi s pen i n hi s ot her hand. Sweat r uns
down hi s f ace.
Caption
"I can' t hear i t , i f . . . "
Panel 4
A shot f r omt he t i p of t he pen as i t r ushes t owar d
Wi l k' s ear .
4
CAPTAI N
St op hi m!
WI LKS
Ahhhhh!
Panel 5
Wi l ks i s cuppi ng bot h hi s ear s. Bl ood dr i ps down hi s
wr i st s ont o t he f l oor . A bl oody pen l i es i n a pool of
t i ssue and bl ood on t he gr ound. He has deaf ened
hi msel f wi t h t he pen. Hi s eyes ar e wi de and he has a
mani ac gr i n on hi s f ace.
Caption
"I can' t hear i t i f I don' t have ears."
5