Magi Machinists Part 1 Final Draft

MAGI, MACHINISTS
PART 1
Written by
Marshal Hewitt
2524 T. St. #14, Sacramento, CA 95816

916-719-8986
FADE IN:
BLACK SCREEN
There is a deep, nearly inaudible HUMMING.
THE TRANSPARENT EXPANSE: Our view adjusts to the Black. A

FLASH illuminates the Black, a completely transparent space
or fluid of terrify expanse. There is a DEAFENING SILENCE.
THE SIMMERING VOID: The Flash recedes into a simmering GLOW

and an increasing HUM. We are ZOOMING IN at great SPEED.
ENDLESS FIREFLIES: The Glow radiates from POINTS emitting

shimmering FIELDS of colored light and sound.
INTERLOCKING LENSES: The Points merge into a single field and

begin interacting like COAGULATING billiard balls. More
points emerge. The Hums shift between cacophony and symphony.
COAGULATED FROTH: The Fields form a layer of thickening

froth. A PULSE from off screen animates a churning motion.
THE CHURNING: Our view is locked in a rapid alternation of

pulling toward LIGHT/SOUND and recoiling from DARKNESS. The
cycle quickly exaggerates until we feel flung outwards, only
to begin another series of alternations, three times total.
THE HEART IN THE VOID: We ZOOM IN on a moment of LIGHT. The

Light is SUCKED into a single point, quickly reversing the
process until we arrive back in the Black. A FLASH!
FADE TO:
EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP - EVENING
We open on a mountain top, looking at a ledge. Subtitles:
Prussia, 1815
A man’s HAND GRASPS the rocky escarpment. It wears many rings

and bracelets. THE RUNNER, a scruffy gentleman in his late
30s, pulls himself up the ledge and RUNS off.
CUT TO:
THE FOREST - CONTINUOUS
We follow The Runner as he RUNS through the forest.
CUT TO:
2.
EXT. FOREST CLEARING - MOMENTS LATER
The Runner reaches a clearing and skids to a stop.
VIEW UP FROM CHASM: The Runner’s slide sends several small

rocks hurtling into the chasm below.
BACK ON THE RUNNER: The Runner looks around quickly for a way
down. There is none. He stands up straight and fixes his
clothing. It’s time...
VIEW OUT TO THE HORIZON: We see an expansive view of the

mountain tops, taking our aesthetic from Friedrich’s Wanderer
Above the Sea of Fog.
CLOSE UP ON THE RUNNER’S FACE: The Runner closes his eyes. He

is triumphant. Behind him, we see a blurry grey shape,
roughly man-sized, step in the clearing.
THE SPEAKER (IN BACKGROUND)

Fellow wanderer, will you stay and
talk with me a while?
The Runner WHEELS about to face THE SPEAKER, a pale man

dressed in a grey suit, like a clerk but vaguely sinister.
THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

Where is the book? Did you give it
to him yet? I am terribly out of
time...
THE RUNNER
[Laughs] That sounds about right.
You’ve only just taken the bait.
THE SPEAKER
No matter. It will make its way to
me in time, as do all things...
The Runner looks at the SPEAKER’S RING. It looks like an

obsidian hex nut that the Speaker wears on his left thumb.

You’re all so very quaint, you
know?
The Speaker shows his contempt and gets a lot more sinister:

The lying bipeds.
THE RUNNER
Go to hell.
3.
THE SPEAKER
Oh we’re already here, brother
dear. I’d like to see if you can
take the heat...
THE RUNNER
Have it your way.
The Runner looks down and chuckles to himself. He’s

confident. He’s got this...
THE RUNNER (CONT'D)

[Chuckles] You were right about me,
you know...I have always wanted to
do this!
The Speaker and Runner stand opposite in the field, ready to

show down. The wind whistles, the leaves blow...
THE SPEAKER
Now that’s the spirit.
ON THE RUNNER: It’s fightin’ time! The Runner KNOCKS his

bracelets together, producing THE SOUND - two slightly
different ringing tones that permeate the Battlefield.
FACING DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELD - SLOW MOTION: The Sound is

shown as two overlapping circular fields of slightly
different blue glows centered on each bracelet.
Standing WAVES emerge at once outward from each Bracelet and

inward from the lines marking the circumferences of the
affected areas. The two sets of Waves are interfering to
produce something like a sound pattern on water.
CLOSE UP ON THE AIR IN THE BATTLEFIELD - SAME TIME: The air

in the Battlefield is humming, nearly boiling over.
ON THE SPEAKER - SLOW MOTION: The Speaker closes his eyes and
listens to the sounds like a piece of music. He appears to
sense great subtlety of emotion within it.
ON THE RUNNER: Nothing’s happening. That’s bad. Really bad.
SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN DIALOGUE:
The Speaker has heard enough.

That’s a neat trick.
THE RUNNER
I don’t understand...your blood
should be boiling.
4.
THE SPEAKER (O.S.)

Like I said, a trick. That’s not
how things really work, of course.
There’s always a lot more to it.
And that’s the difference between
us. You believe. But I...
CLOSE UP ON THE SPEAKER’S RING - SAME TIME: The Speaker

touches the ring with his other thumb and forefinger.

I know.
The Sound goes SILENT. The Speaker walks towards the Runner.

Now where were we...
The Speaker TWISTS the Ring and the Sound returns, warbling.
The Runner is SEIZED as if by an electrical CURRENT.
The Speaker stands before The Runner and they lock eyes.
ALTERNATING CLOSE UPS BETWEEN SPEAKER AND RUNNER’S EYES:
We see a blank fog in the center of both their pupils. The

Runner grows more agitated, and the Speaker stays the calm.
The Runner’s eyes show a memory from earlier that day – him
kissing and saying goodbye to a well-dressed young lady with
red hair. The Runner panics. The Speaker smiles widely.

Thank you.
The Speaker’s eyes now show the memory. It rapidly fast

forwards towards the present moment.

Ring around the rosie...You know, I
was just thinking the same thing.
Funny, isn’t it? The way that
happens sometimes.
The Speaker’s pupils show the Runner’s present view. The

Runner manages a enraged outburst through the Current’s hold.
He’s cut short by the Current’s terrible pain:
THE RUNNER
Don’t you touch [screams in pain]!
The Speaker turns away from the Runner, who stays standing,
locked in the Current. The Speaker walks and orates in a
theatrical manner, out of breath and bordering on inebriated.
5.
THE SPEAKER AND THE RUNNER IN DIALOGUE:
THE SPEAKER
My friend, you have traveled many
mountains and walked the edges of
many cliffs. Tell me, do you ever
let yourself feel the urge to jump
off?
The Runner is locked in place, struggling. The Speaker, back

facing The Runner, continues in a matter of fact fashion:

I certainly do. There’s nothing
wrong with it.
The Runner is struggling to speak but cannot say anything.

The Speaker SITS on a ROCK. The Runner FALLS to his KNEES.

In fact, I think this is the
noblest impulse a human being is
capable of. Do you know why?
The Runner manages a few choked words:
THE RUNNER
You...want...to...kill...people.
You’re insane! You...traitor!
The Speaker, face still pointing away from the Runner, gives
a chuckle. His head takes on a liquid-like appearance as his
face begins to protrude from the back of his head.
CLOSE UP ON THE SPEAKER’S FACE - INTENSE: The horrified

Runner quickly closes and opens his eyes.
BACK OUT TO THE SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN DIALOGUE: The Speaker,

now appears normal, seated facing the Runner.
THE SPEAKER
My friend, your outlook is much too
dark. It’s not about death. Not
really. It’s about...
The Speaker narrows his eyes and lowers his voice:

...poetry. I couldn’t think of a
more poetic statement to free will
and man’s mastery of his own
nature. That’s the spirit of the
age...
6.
THE SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN UNISON

Isn’t it?
We see the Runner’s face changing into a pained expression,

as if he is trying to hold on to his own mind.
THE RUNNER
Ye...Yes...
The Speaker continues in an inspired, philosophical manner:
THE SPEAKER
Why, it might make a man a god!
After all, things are different now
than they’ve ever been...
The Speaker uses the Runner’s voice again:

Aren’t they?
The Speaker goes back to his own voice.
THE SPEAKER
We don’t know because no one’s
tried. At least...not yet.
The Runner begins to weep. He manages a few words:
THE RUNNER
Please...please...
The Speaker stands up and continues, seemingly without

noticing the Runner’s plea:
THE SPEAKER
Someone’s going to be the first.
I’d do it myself but I haven’t the
courage. But you...
The Speaker walks to the kneeling Runner and stands over him:

You’re different. You were...
The Speaker GRASPS the Runner’s head, his palms to the

Runner’s temples and looks straight into The Runner’s eyes.

Born for this.
The Runner’s face forces a change into a great smile. His

eyes are still sobbing and terrified. The Speaker goes on.
7.
THE SPEAKER
You could beat them to it, you
know. They’d remember you
forever...
The Runner looks inspired, eyes and mouth wide open. The
Speaker places his mouth near the Runner’s ear and whispers
his final words as the Runner mouths them silently:
THE SPEAKER (WHISPERED) (CONT'D)

You’d be the spirit of the age.
The Runner starts laughing. He STANDS and RUSHES to the

promontory behind them. He LOOKS back at The Speaker.
THE RUNNER
Your courage fails you, friend! But
I...
He STANDS over the edge, unafraid.
THE RUNNER (CONT'D)

I dare to know what the very gods
do not. You shall be my witness.
He LOOKS to the sky and yells defiantly:
THE RUNNER (CONT'D)

Well, out with it then!
The Runner DIVES off. Swirling tendrils appear in his wake

The Speaker puts on his hat and gloves, and we hear a distant
THUD. The Speaker walks back down the way he came.
FADE TO:
INT. J'S BEDROOM - MORNING
J’S POV: As our protagonist opens his eyes, we see ROSE’s

face across from him on the pillow. Rose is about 30 years,
and the young woman from the Runner’s memory. Rose is smiling
at J, and the light streaming in from the open blinds behind
her head forms a faint halo in her bright red hair.
ROSE
Hey there, handsome.
ON J: J is the Runner, now a scruffy American male in his mid

to late 30s. He yawns and smiles at the same time:
J
[Yawns] Good morning, sunshine.
8.
J stretches his arms and rolls on to his back. Rose cuddles

up and puts her head on his shoulder. We see around J’s room
and get his vibe: 80’s rock, trying to grow up.
Subtitles show the time and place:
Boston, 1988
ROSE
You were talking in your sleep
again.
J is embarrassed.
J
Damn. What was it this time?
Ghosts? Time machines? Exploding
planets? I’m sorry if I kept you
up. I don’t know what’s gotten into
me lately.
Rose laughs it off.
ROSE
Oh it’s no problem. At least you
keep it entertaining. I can save
money on movies and just listen to
your weird dreams. You’re not
speaking in tongues yet, so there’s
no need to call the exorcist.
J
[Laughs] What do you mean, yet?
ROSE
Relax you big weenie!
J
That’s what she, uh, you, uh, said?
Damn that’s confusing...
ROSE
[Laughs] I did that say, and I
meant it. Do you remember any of
what you dream?
J
Not really. What I do remember has
nothing to do with what I’m
apparently blurting out.
9.
ROSE
That’s seriously weird. But I like
it. Just as long as I don’t have to
call the exorcist.
J feigns suspicion:
J
You talk about it like you know
this guy...like you’ve...had to
call him before.
J does a melodramatic detective impression:
J (CONT'D)
Wait a minute, how many boyfriends
have you had to have exorcised?
ROSE
You’re very clever, mister
investigator...
J
But seriously, what was I talking
about? I have this paranoid fear
that it’s all my blacked out
moments coming to the surface...
ROSE
This time it was something about a
book and yelling at god. All I
could think of was you dreaming
yourself as into a scene from the
Ten Commandments! [Laughs!]
Rose bursts out laughing. J laughs with her and chimes in:
J
[Laughs] Then thank god I don’t
have to live with the memory of it!
Rose and J play-fight briefly, then get out of bed and get
dressed. J wears his boxer shorts. Rose wears a bra and
panties, not matching. They discuss plans as they get ready.
ROSE
So we’re on for tonight, right?
You’re not gonna black out on me?
J
You mean “back out?”
ROSE
Yeah, that’s right. What did I say?
10.
J
You said “black out.”
ROSE
Oh, well...
J and Rose share a laugh:
ROSE (CONT'D)
...don’t do that either! [Laughs]
J
[Laughs] I’m all in. That’s how I
am with you, all or nothing.
Rose walks up to J and kisses him. She smiles.
ROSE
Good. It’s really, really
important...
J
I know it’s important, even if I
have no idea what it is. You still
won’t tell me.
ROSE
That’s the point of a surprise,
silly.
J
Oh, a surprise, huh? I could go for
a surprise. Apart from you, my life
is pretty boring.
ROSE
I...
Rose cozies up closer to J and gives him a kiss.
ROSE (CONT'D)
...can guarantee that this will
make both our lives a lot more
interesting...
J sings a line from “You Really Got Me”:
J
(sings imitating DL Roth)
Girl, you really got me now...
Rose laughs.
11.
ROSE
[Laughs!] No! Don’t finish it!
J
Aw, why not? My singing’s not that
bad, is it? You know, me and the
boys almost hit it big before you
tied me down.
Rose rolls her eyes.
ROSE
It’s “the boys and I,” and you’re a
professional writer. Who’s about to
be late for work.
J
I appreciate your very...
constructive criticism....
J gets closer and romantic.
J (CONT'D)
...and your attention to detail...
Rose is game. She gets playful.
ROSE
Oh yeah? You better...
J
You know I appreciate...
J pulls Rose closer and kisses her:
J (CONT'D)
...everything you do, Rosie.
ROSE
Mmm. That’s what I thought...
Things get playfully steamy.
J
So, Miss...
ROSE
Hey!
J
Sorry, soon-to-be Mrs. Attention to
Detail, I’m pretty sure traffic is
terrible right now, so I’ll be late
even if I leave right now.
12.
ROSE
So leave a little later. Might as
well not waste the time when you
could make yourself useful...
J
You know me so well.
J and Rose dive back into bed...
FADE TO:
INT. - J’S WORK - LATER
J’s office is a typical period cubicle complex. We follow J

as he walks down the makeshift hallway to his cubicle. J
arrives and SURVEYS his domain. It’s clean. A picture of
Rose...A bulky computer...A crappy chair. And a NOTE.
J
Hello...
The Note is scribbled on a single piece of PRINTER PAPER.
J (CONT'D)
[Laughs] This guy...
THE IT GUY
You read my note yet?
J STARTLES and whirls around to see the IT GUY standing

behind him. The IT GUY is clearly a metalhead.
J
Jesus christ!
THE IT GUY
Effin’ A right. Tell your friends.
I already told your mom...
The IT Guy slaps J jokingly and then FREEZES. He’s

overstepped. J is really, really mad.
J
Stand still for a second...
In one quick motion, J GRABS his stapler and the IT Guy and
goes to STAPLE the note to IT Guy’s chest.
J (CONT'D)
I’ll read your note...
A scuffle ensues.
13.
THE IT GUY
Hey. Hey! Get off me!
The IT Guy struggles free. The fight’s over.
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

Relax big dog! You know I’m just
tryin’ to keep a good thought is
all. And how are you so strong? Do
you even work out?
J
You’re just not as strong as you
think you are. What are you doing
here, anyways? I was having a great
morning until you showed up.
THE IT GUY
Yeah. Well, like I said I’m just,
you know, runnin’ notes for
management or whatever.
J
Not even close. Continue.
THE IT GUY
Well Steve still isn’t here. That
crazy bastard hasn’t been here for
a week. No one’s heard from him.
J
Seriously? A week? I assume
management has called the cops,
right? I mean they’re not exactly
on the up and up, but still...
THE IT GUY
Nah, man...no need for the fuzz.
Someone talked to his wife,
apparently she’s not even worried.
She’s probably glad. Hell, I’m
glad.
J
Why are you glad? What do you have
against Steve?
THE IT GUY
It’s just a little chaos. Makes
life tolerable.
J looks disapproving:
14.
J
Oh buddy, that’s dark...
THE IT GUY
Don’t be all judgmental-Jerry with
me! Last week you were telling half
a break room’s worth of these
troglodytes that you wake up most
days hoping for the apocalypse,
simply because you think it would
be more interesting than your...
The IT Guy pokes J in the chest with his index finger:
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

Boring...
Again:
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

Ass...
One more time:
Life!
J
That was hyperbole. Sort of.
THE IT GUY
You need help.
J
Coming from you, that’s like a
clean bill of mental health. This
is a man’s life we’re talking
about. He seemed like a decent guy.
THE IT GUY
There you go...
The IT Guy goes to poke J. J gently stays the IT Guy’s hand.

The IT Guy continues without missing a beat:
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

...talking about him in the past
tense. It’s almost like you know
what happened to him. I knew you
had eyes on his cubicle, you
treacherous little snake...
J
Well he seemed nice enough when I
saw him.
(MORE)
15.
J (CONT'D)
God only knows what he does in his
off time. That goes for anyone,
especially here. This place is a
goddamn Monsters Anonymous. A
collection of one-offs from times
best forgot.
THE IT GUY
That’s what I said, man!
J
What? When?
THE IT GUY
That’s why his wife’s not worried!
‘Cuz nobody’d be dumb enough to run
off with that weirdo! She invested,
man. That dude’s cheat-proof.
J
I’m not sure I buy your logic, but
it sure is comforting, I’ll give
you that. I’m gonna go with it.
THE IT GUY
That’s what I’m talkin’ about! I’m
telling you, my man Steve is bound
to turn up. Unless...
J
Unless what?
THE IT GUY
Unless, they got to him.
J
Who’s they?
THE IT GUY
You know, them.
J
So just to be clear...you’re
telling me that they...are
actually...them. That’s really some
conspiracy, chief! It’s right out
there in the open, just like you
said.
THE IT GUY
No, that’s not what I...
16.
J
Oh, so then I take it aliens have
abducted our staff writer? I guess
they needed a new manual for their
flying saucer. Steve would be
perfect for that....
THE IT GUY
[Laughs] You know, I feel like that
was a sick burn, but I don’t get
it. And no way. Aliens are a lie.
J
How do you always bring the
conversation around to this? You’re
some kind of mad genius. Or an
idiot savant.
THE IT GUY
Stop twisting what I’m saying, you
ass! I’m talking about, you know,
the M to the A to the N to the...
J
Enough already! Get to the point or
get out!
THE IT GUY
I was just gettin’ to that. Steve’s
AWOL, so you get his assignment
tonight. The “I.N.C.” Press Club up
in Rome.
J
What the hell is that? I’ve never
even heard of it.
THE IT GUY
Me neither. I think it’s military.
J
You gotta be kidding! They’ll all
hate me.
THE IT GUY
Relax man! That was like, 15 years
ago. As long as your story stays
the same...
J
I told you, I don’t remember it...
THE IT GUY
Yeah I know, you keep saying that.
17.
J
What are you getting at?
THE IT GUY
Do you, uh, remember...
Big reveal in a hushed tone:
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

(hushed)
The Kennedy Assassination?
J
Oh come on man give it a rest!
THE IT GUY
Alright Oswald...
The IT Guy makes a dramatic gesture.
J
How long does it go? I have to be
home to meet Rosie tonight.
The IT Guy mocks J.
THE IT GUY
I have to be home to meet Rosie
tonight! Dude, listen to yourself!
Where are your balls? Remember how
we used to tear it up?
J
No, I don’t. We’ve never hung out.
THE IT GUY
And now you know why!
The IT Guy gives J a little friendly slap. He continues:
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

Jackie’s got the invite and petty
cash. Keep what you don’t spend.
J
That come from you or management?
THE IT GUY
It came from...
J points at the IT Guy.
J
Don’t...
18.
The IT Guy BLURTS out while RUNNING out of the cubicle:
THE IT GUY
Destroy that note like I destroyed
your sister last night!
His last words trail off. J shakes his head and retorts:
J
I don’t even have a sister!
The IT Guy gets the last word from down the hall:
THE IT GUY
That’s not what she said!
J sighs, and SMILES. He GRABS his coat and WALKS out.
FADE TO:
EXT. COUNTRY ROADS OVER J’S CAR - LATER THAT DAY
We close in on J’s Oldsmobile as he drives down a country

road singing along to Blue Oyster Cult’s “Flaming Telepaths”:
J
(singing)
I’m after rebellion...I’ll settle
for lieeeeeeeeeees....Is it any
wonder that my mind’s on fire?
Imprisoned by the thought of what
to do...And the joke’s on you!
PAN OUT TO HORIZON:
It’s getting dark. There is a small CHURCH up ahead with

about 30 vehicles and two helicopters parked around it.
FADE TO:
EXT. CHURCH - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
We approach THE CHURCH, a neutral ground where a group

scientists meet with press. A marquee out reads:
I.N.C. PRESS CLUB

WELCOME BACK, YOU AWFUL BASTARDS
FADE TO:
19.
INT. CHURCH - MOMENTS LATER
Inside the Church, the air is almost whimsical. About 30 men,

some uniformed, converse in small groups. Everyone is older
than J. One guy is showing off a a bayonetted rifle.
J stands in a group of 6 men. We hear the music and din of

the crowd. J introduces himself inaudibly. We PAN AROUND a
few suited or uniformed men who shake J’s hand. UNIFORM MAN 1
is a hard-ass. He doesn’t like J’s haircut.
UNIFORM MAN 1
What is it with you kids? This
Gallic revival nonsense has got to
stop. First the long hairs, then
their Caesar, then their empire of
bureaucrats!
SUIT MAN 1 comes to J’s defense.
SUIT MAN 1
Oh get off your soapbox. You abuse
that poor thing with how much your
fat ass stands on it. Hell, I’d
represent it in court. I’m telling
you, times are changing!
Uniform Man 1 retorts:
UNIFORM MAN 1
Come on man! We went to school
together. Did you even pay
attention?
SUIT MAN 1
To what? We were all too busy
making money!
UNIFORM MAN 1
(frustrated)
Goddammit!
Uniform Man 1 TURNS to Suit Man 1 and they start to argue.
DR. HERMANN S. MERCER, a middle aged man in a dark suit, is

suddenly standing next to J. e leans over to J and speaks in
an accent that J can’t quite place...
MERCER
For what it’s worth, I like the
hair cut. And our angry friend is
right. The new blood always does
this long hair business.
(MORE)
20.
MERCER (CONT'D)
It gives me hope for the future of
our country.
J
Thanks. I think that’s the first
nice thing I’ve heard all night.
MERCER
Merry Christmas.
Uniform Man 1 and Suit Man 1 are still going at it.
J
What did you say your name was?
J looks up and Mercer is gone. He LOOKS around but doesn’t

see Mercer. The crowd finds their seats in the pews...
CUT TO:
ANGLE UP TO PULPIT AND ALTAR
THE LECTURER, the consummate scientist, stands at the pulpit,

setting up his projector. Behind The Lecturer and above the
old altar hangs a projector screen. It reads:
Radar Love: When We Blew up The TV and Changed Everything
The Lecturer TAPS the microphone at the pulpit, giving off

feedback. He addresses the assembling crowd:
THE LECTURER
Alright, alright! We have at least
some serious business to attend to.
The Crowd is not pleased.
THE LECTURER (CONT'D)

There’s plenty of time for grab-ass
later. I know that’s your favorite
part...
The Lecturer looks out into the crowd.

I’m looking at you, Jenkins.
JENKINS, a man in the crowd, retorts:
JENKINS
I learnt it from your sister, Jack!
The crowd laughs. J perks up a bit.

21.
THE LECTURER
Jenkins, you and I are related, you
sick bastard.
The crowd is laughing, but J is not. He sticks out.

Continuing...As you can see,
tonight I’m going to talk about
something near and dear to all our
hearts. Good old T-I-C. This one
really cracked it open for us,
didn’t it?
Someone in the crowd gives a shrill whistle and voices are

heard giving indistinct support for the Lecturer’s statement.

And tonight, I’m especially
inspired, but not by high-minded
musings on the great breakthroughs
to which our discoveries led. No,
I’m inspired because here, tonight,
in this very room, sits the same
bastard who flipped the switch on
the old girl that fateful day. I
remember it like it was yesterday,
that day of days when Hank’s TV
exploded for no apparent reason.
The crowd gives a great cheer. THE BASTARD stands and waves.
JENKINS (O.C.)
You still owe me for that T.V.!
THE LECTURER
Right, right, we all know him.
The Lecturer speaks directly to The Bastard.

Sit down. Don’t try to steal my
spotlight. I’ve waited over a
decade for this moment.
The Lecturer adopts a more distinguished air and continues:

And gentlemen, it was a hell of a
ride figuring out how to blow up
each and every TV poor Hank ever
bought. And to think Jerry nearly
let the Ruskies get away with this
stuff all to themselves!
22.
The crowd laughs. The conversation becomes indistinct...
FADE TO:
EXT. CHURCH - LATER
We next find J on the steps. He stands alone, finishing the

coffee in his styrofoam cup. It's not bad for free coffee.
J’s eyes fall upon Mercer, who stands with his back to J and
speaks to THE COLONEL, a and Air Force man in uniform who
appears to be dodging Mercer’s questions. Mercer is agitated.
MERCER
No, it can’t wait. The damage is
beyond your comprehension. But
honestly, that’s not saying much.
The statements do not interest J so much as the man...
MERCER (CONT'D)
You haven’t even questioned why
they didn’t tell us from the
beginning...
Mercer isn’t moving his mouth when he speaks.
MERCER (V.O.)
They’ve clearly known all along.
Suddenly, Mercer has another face on the back of his head,

and it’s is looking directly at J. It winks at him with the
right eye. We focus only on the eye and the smile.
J
[faint stunned noise]
Mercer now appears normal, his back still to J. The Colonel

looks at J. J is stunned, and now appears paranoid. He
awkwardly waves at the Colonel and walks straight to his car.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER
He reaches the failing Oldsmobile and practically dives in.
IN THE CAR: As he starts the car, his car stereo starts

playing Blue Oyster Cult’s “Astronomy.” J speeds away,
desperate to have the entire event in his rear-view mirror.
FADE TO:
23.
INT. CAR - LATER
Miles down the road, J is panicking. An animal darts in front

of J’s car. He HITS the creature at full speed.
J
Holy hell!
J looks for somewhere to pull over. The road is heavily

forested. Then, He sees a curious roadside advertisement:
10 Miles to The Empty Cup
J (CONT'D)
Oh, thank you!
J drives on a bit and comes upon a second sign:
9 Miles to The Empty Cup
J appears to doze off as the signs pass one by one:
8 Miles to The Empty Cup...7 Miles to The Empty Cup
Ever faster...
Blurring into one another:
J SNAPS TO just in time to see the last sign:
1 Mile to The Empty Cup...2 Miles to The Empty Cup
J (CONT'D)
Alight, already! Like anyone’s
gonna get lost. It’s the only road
for miles!
J continues driving for what is clearly more than a mile.

Coming up on two miles, he sees another sign:
1 Mile from The Empty Cup
J is confused. He looks up to his rear view mirror.
CUT TO VIEW FROM BEHIND CAR: J slams on the breaks and brings
his car to a screeching halt.
CUT TO VIEW ON FRONT OF J’S CAR: J’s car is idling as he’s

staring out of his rear windshield.
24.
In the distance behind J’s car, we see the lights of a small

roadside diner. J makes a three-point turn and drives toward
the lights.
FADE TO:
EXT. EMPTY CUP PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER
J pulls in, parks, and DISEMBARKS. There is no damage to his

car. J looks perplexed. He checks his watch. It’s just after
9:30. J’s heart sinks, and he gets a bit of panic.
JENKINS
Shit! How long have I been out
here? Sorry, Rosie! I’m gonna feel
that one in the morning.
J looks up and we see the Empty Cup. He WALKS in...
FADE TO:
INT. THE EMPTY CUP - MOMENTS LATER
J enters the Empty Cup, a modest roadside diner. He is the

sole patron. DICK, an elderly man in a dirty apron, stands
behind the counter. He’s apparently the lone employee.
DICK
Evenin’, friend.
J
Evenin’...
Dick rushes the question:
DICK
You, uh, want any food? If not I’m
gonna close up the kitchen.
J
No, thanks...
His nametag says Richard.
J (O.C.) (CONT'D)
...Richard, I take it?
DICK
No, it’s Dick. Thanks for asking,
though. We serve coffee til 11, so
I’m not kickin’ you out just yet.
25.
J
Much obliged, old timer. I’ll take
some coffee.
DICK
Sure thing, kid.
J sits down at the diner bar. Dick puts on a pot of coffee.
J
Say, uh, Dick...you got a phone
here?
DICK
Like a telephone?
J mocks Dick:
J
Yes...a tell-a-fone. It’s like the
talkies.
DICK
Yeah, we got one of those.
A few awkward moments pass.
J
Well, can I use it?
Dick mocks J back:
DICK
What? The tell-a-fone?
J
Yes, that one.
DICK
No problem.
Dick reaches under the counter and pulls out an old, rotary
dial phone, SLAMMING on the counter. The phone jangles.
DICK (CONT'D)
Here ya go!
J
Thanks...
J grabs the receiver and hurriedly dials a number. He puts

the receiver to his ear, and a confused look passes over him.
26.
J (CONT'D)
I’m not getting any dial tone.
J hangs up the receiver and gets a close look at the phone.

It’s not connected to anything at all.
J (CONT'D)
Dick, what the hell, man? It’s not
even connected to anything! Do you
even know how phones work?
DICK
Not really.
J
Not really? It’s 1988 for christ’s
sake. How have you made it through
life not knowing how phones work?
DICK
Never had a need for ‘em.
J looks around the Empty Cup. He gets a contemptuous look.
J
Yeah, I can see that. Is that
coffee ready? It smells...really
good.
Dick walks over with the cup of coffee.
DICK
It’s our special blend, for special
occasions.
J wafts the aroma of the coffee to his nose but doesn’t

drink, trying to extend his moment of peace...
J
Oh yeah? And what’s the occasion
here?
DICK
A paying customer, hopefully.
J
[Chuckles] Touché...
J takes a sip of coffee and the POWER GOES OUT.
CUT TO:
27.
INT. THE EMPTY CUP - LIGHTS OFF
Dick chuckles and looks upward slightly, saying:
DICK
Sure, why not?
In the dark, we hear Dick rummaging around behind the

counter. He’s mumbling under his breath:
DICK (CONT'D)
Damn management...
J sips more of his coffee and peers over the counter.
DICK (CONT'D)
Right on time, as usual...
The rummaging stops. Dick HEAVES up and SLAMS a wooden box on

the counter! He takes out a few CANDLES, an antique spherical
oil LAMP, and a FLASHLIGHT. Dick raises the Lamp to his ear
and SHAKES it. He rolls his eyes, then looks at J and smiles.
DICK (CONT'D)
Like the sign says...empty.
J
Don’t you mean signs? Like, plural?
Dick sets the Lamp down on the counter.
DICK
What do you mean?
J
Your little mile-markers? Really
hard to miss, I’ve gotta say.
Dick picks up the flashlight and checks it.
DICK
Oh, yeah. Management puts those up
from time to time.
The flashlight works. Dick turns it off and sets it down.
DICK (CONT'D)
They don’t tell me about it.
J
Management, huh? I got management
of my own back in the world.
28.
DICK
We all have to deal with
management, kid.
J
So you don’t own this place?
DICK
Nah, I’m not into ownership. And
management doesn’t tell me who
really owns the Cup, either. Maybe
they don’t even know.
Dick slyly takes a JOINT from the box.
DICK (CONT'D)
I’m gonna go turn on the generator.
Sit tight...might take a bit.
Dick takes lights a candle, and sets it in front of J.
J
Take your time. Just wake me up
when you get back. I feel like I
might fall asleep.
DICK
I got your back...
Dick pats J on the shoulder:
DICK (CONT'D)
...friend.
Dick walks away and does a little dance as goes. He sings:
DICK (CONT'D)
(sung, trailing off)
Yes I know the secret of the iron
and mind, their trinity...
CUT TO:
INT. DINER - SINGLE CANDLE LIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
J is alone now. We see the candle flickering in his face.
ON THE FLAME: The flame flickers.
BACK ON J:
SOSA (O.C.)
Is this seat taken?
29.
J STARTLES and looks behind him.
ISABELLA SOSA, a dignified older woman, stands behind the

stool next to J. She wears a dark peacoat with a cultivated
poise and carries only a small black book.
SOSA (CONT'D)
You know, in polite company, that’s
code for asking if I can sit down
and talk with you...
J is embarrassed.
J
Yeah, of course. Sorry, I didn’t
even see you come in.
Sosa sits.
J (CONT'D)
I guess I was lost in my own head.
SOSA
Seems to me you’ve got lost in
Boston while looking for Brooklyn,
if you catch my meaning.
J
Can’t say that I do...
SOSA
You’ll get there eventually. In the
meantime, I’d agree that you’re
lost. Anyone can see that. You
can’t even find your way out of
that coffee cup.
Sosa lightens the mood:
SOSA (CONT'D)
But who’s head you’re lost in, I
can’t say. These things can be
terribly difficult, you know.
J laughs, relieved.
J
Lost is lost to me. So when did you
come in? You know, I’d like to
think I’m a journalist. So, uh, if
my powers of observation are this
bad, I’m going to consider another
career. [Chuckles]
30.
J sips his coffee.
SOSA
Oh don’t be so hard on yourself. Or
so dramatique. It doesn't suit you.
She gets mysterious:
SOSA (CONT'D)
And I’ve been here a long time. The
longer you stick around, I've
found, the more and more you just
blend in. I bet your brain assumed
I was part of the furniture and
didn’t even bother to bring it to
your attention. I don’t take it
personally.
Sosa picks the candle sitting between them on the counter and
uses it to light the Lamp. J WATCHES intently, transfixed yet
slightly contemptuous as the two light sources cast dancing
shadows in strange patterns around the room.
J
I thought that was empty...
SOSA
My young friend, empty is a funny
thing in that there’s not a thing
it lacks. And there, in fact, is
infinity’s tap...If you dip a wick
in where it’s at.
J
Hey now, we’re all adults here, but
I’m taken. No offense, you’re very
attractive and all. I’m flattered,
really.
SOSA
Cool your jets, flyboy. It’s a
metaphor. Besides, roadside diner
isn’t my style. Even you could
gather that.
Sosa BLOWS out the candle. The dancing shadows collapse into
a spherical shell marking the bounds of the lamp’s light.
Inside, only J and Sosa remain...
SOSA (CONT'D)
Besides, I think this one is
prettier. It doesn’t flicker as
much.
(MORE)
31.
SOSA (CONT'D)
Most people seem to find the
flickering enjoyable, or at least
distracting. I find it breaks my
concentration.
J
Do what you like, I guess. I
honestly can’t tell the difference.
So why, in an empty diner, do you
want to sit at the one place that
already has someone?
SOSA
Why would I want to sit by myself?
Isn’t that terribly lonely? How
would I meet all the people I’m
supposed to meet if I just sat by
myself all the time?
J relaxes a bit.
J
That's a pretty good point.
J’s joking. Sosa isn’t his mother.
SOSA
It's just common sense, and common
sense is the cosmic principle. No
point in being upset at that, or
I'd be upset all the time. I'd
rather be not-upset all the time.
J
(sarcastic)
Very zen. I feel like a new man.
Sosa leans forward and narrows her eyes. She smiles and says:
SOSA
Don’t go getting all sentimental on
me. Lots of people get born again.
It's not that special.
J is most intrigued.
SOSA (CONT'D)
I’d rather know to whom or what you
would or wouldn’t make those
promises of kinds and sorts you
never, ever break.
J
I didn’t catch your name...
32.
SOSA
I'm Isabella Sosa, and I don't care
what you’re calling yourself, so
don't bother telling me.
J is puzzled.
J
Ms. Sosa, do I know you?
Sosa looks J dead in the eye.
SOSA
No.
J
I didn’t think so. You remind me of
my mother, I think. I haven’t seen
her for a long time.
SOSA
Oh really? What happened? I hope
you didn’t say something stupid.
J is offended.
J
No, actually. She disappeared not
far from here. It was about three
years ago. She was driving home and
never made it. They found the car
empty on the highway. No trace of
her.
SOSA
Oh my...I’m so very sorry to hear
that. Please excuse my overstep.
J
It’s fine, you didn’t know. How
could you?
SOSA
Well, there’s lots of ways to know
things. For example, I know what
pain is like. I lost my brother, my
mother, and all my uncles in a
single night.
J
Jesus...
33.
SOSA
Well, someone certainly thought
so...And since we both know that
pain, we share a kind of common
ground beyond words. It’s not just
a platitude, either.
J
Thanks for the perspective. Now I
don’t feel so bad.
J gets less tense and continues.
J (CONT'D)
So I’m dying to know, what brings
you to this very, very, very
specific section of the universe?
SOSA
A terrible question. Uselessly
imprecise. Wordy. It’s
unintelligible, really.
J is confused.
J
What do you mean? It sounded pretty
specific...
SOSA
Your question doesn’t magically
become specific just because you
said the word “specific.” That’s
not how magic words work. Mostly.
J
So what’s the better question?
SOSA
Anything could have brought me
here. If you’re asking about my
vehicle, it’s a old, foreign brand.
You don’t have them in America
anymore. But relevant to you...
J
What are you doing here?
SOSA
Ding ding ding! We’ve got a winner!
J
(confused)
I...
34.
SOSA
I ask that question all the time!
J looks confused and readies himself to leave.
SOSA (CONT'D)
Oh lighten up, I’m only joking...
J
I really should be going, I’m
already late to meet my...
Sosa SETS THE BOOK down on the counter. It lands with an

uncharacteristically large THUD. J sits back down.
CLOSE UP ON THE BOOK - SLOW MOTION:
The BOOK’s spine is faded. The LOCK is about a third of the

way from the top on the front cover. The Lock is an old-
looking, six-inch diameter metal disc, made of seven
concentric RINGS around a light blue JEWEL. There is writing
on the Outer Ring, which is made of a darker metal.
BACK TO J AND SOSA:
J (CONT'D)
What are you reading?
SOSA
Oh, this old thing? It’s...a
friend's take on a story in
Xenophon’s Anabasis.
Sosa picks up The Book and looks at it.
SOSA (CONT'D)
A single copy, circulated among a
group of like-minded people. We
are, as you say, very ‘old school.’
Have you ever read Xenophon?
J
No, but I know the story. The march
of the ten thousand, right?
SOSA
Well, yes. But you’re missing the
point. Do you recall the story of
Xenophon’s party reaching the ruins
of that great Assyrian city?
J
Yeah. It was half buried in sand.
It was just...sitting there.
(MORE)
35.
J (CONT'D)
For centuries. No one was even
trying to use it.
Sosa is happy!
SOSA
There you go! But not quite no
one...
J looks puzzled.
J
I don’t follow...but I suppose
you’re going to explain it to me,
right?
Sosa seems to roll backwards and absorb the comment with a

gentle chuckle that suggests a great magnanimity and makes J
look like a real jerk. Sosa smiles wryly.
SOSA
We are not so different from
Xenophon. We stumble about the
ruins of a time long passed, whose
course has set ours for good or
ill. It stood in the ruins of still
older worlds, and so on back into
mists beyond memory. Just the same,
others will stand in the ruins of
our world and look on it in similar
awe, disbelief...or contempt. The
story, however, has remained the
same for quite some time...
J feels a sense of foreboding. A coldness in the abdominal

cavity, raising goosebumps in wildly circulating patterns and
producing a small but profoundly uncomfortable sweat.
SOSA (CONT'D)
My boy, the future always belongs
to those who reclaim the past.
But...
Sosa sets the Book down, LEANS forward and HOLDS J’s hands.
SOSA (CONT'D)
...do we have the right? And if so,
shall we recover its heights, or
its horrors? Is there any
difference? And what waits in the
wings? These are the questions you
should be asking.
36.
Sosa lets go of J’s hands and picks up the Book again. She
looks at it intently.
SOSA (CONT'D)
The man that wrote this set himself
to those questions, once. He left
this with me...when he went off to
do god knows what. He told me I’d
have to give it to someone,
eventually.
They both CHUCKLE as the mood lightens a bit.
SOSA (CONT'D)
All of this is really a very long
winded way to say, this is your
book now, if you want it.
J hesitates, sensing there is a catch.
J
Your friend? Does he have a name?
SOSA
Doctor Hermann S. Mercer.
He instinctively REACHES and takes the book.
J
Where can I find Dr. Mercer? He
seems like a very interesting man.
SOSA
He’s all over the place. I hear
from him from time to time, but
he’s hard to get a hold of. He
wanted me to tell two things to the
person who chose to take the book.
J
Oh yeah? What’s that?
SOSA
First, he wants it back.
J
What? Why?
SOSA
Hey, I’m just a messenger.
J
So why don’t you do it? I don’t
even know this guy.
(MORE)
37.
J (CONT'D)
I mean I’d like to meet him but it
just seems a little presumptuous.
SOSA
I couldn’t agree more. He was
always on with his cryptic demands.
It used to drive me so crazy!
J
So is he just going to show up for
it or do I have to...what?
SOSA
You’re asking the wrong questions
again...ones for which I haven’t
got the answers.
J
Fair enough. I’ll see your air of
mystery and raise you a better
question. What’s the second thing
you were supposed to tell me?
SOSA
Good! I was beginning to think
you’d never ask...
Sosa adopts her religious air again.
SOSA (CONT'D)
Beware the fate of Prometheus.
J is not impressed.
J
That’s it?
Sosa relaxes a bit.
SOSA
That's it. None of this refers to
me, you understand? I'm just
passing through. And it’s time for
me to hit the road.
J
I haven’t understood a single thing
this entire day.
Sosa STANDS to leave. J’s eyes adjust to the dark, and the
Lamp’s light is now just a dull flicker on the counter.
SOSA
Your question.
38.
J
See?! This is what I mean!
SOSA
No, silly, your terrible question.
You second try was better, but
you’re not quite there. Have you
got it now?
J
What the hell am I doing here?
SOSA
Bingo! Now you’re starting to sound
like someone I know. Knew. Someone
I...knew.
J gives a chuckle.
J
Can I give the book back?
SOSA
Acceptance by performance is the
way of the world, my boy. A lack of
memory does not imply a lack of
duty. Do be careful.
Sosa walks toward the door. She RAISES her left hand in a
goodbye wave. Sosa’s head turns to the left, makes eye
contact and nods. Sosa opens the door with her waving hand
and walks out. The door swings shut.
J looks down at the Book picks it up. He holds it in his

hands, feeling its odd weight. J turns the Book over to
reveal an identical Lock formation on the back cover.
CLOSE UP ON THE LOCK:
The Lock has no keyhole or hinges. The band is two chevrons

joined at the apexes. The inscription reads:
Stropheus Piezoelectric Lock Co., 1903.
BACK ON J:
J
Stropheus piezoelectric lock
company, nineteen oh three.
J sets the Book down on the counter. Moments later, he lays

his head down on the counter, as well, and SLEEPS.
CUT TO:
39.
INT. DINER - LIGHTS ON
Dick is poking J with the butt of the spent candle.
DICK
Buddy? Hey...buddy? I think you,
uh, fell asleep or something.
J’s vision fades in and he sees a small puddle of DROOL on

the counter. He looks UP and Dick fades into view.
DICK (CONT'D)
Sorry it took me a while. Turns out
it was a waste of time. I gotta
close up now.
J looks at his watch. It’s 11:11. He sees the DROOL.
J
Sorry...I’ll uh, clean that up for
you. How long was I asleep?
DICK
I've been gone at least an hour,
but you ain't moved an inch, my
friend. You sure you're alright?
J
Yeah, I'm fine. Rested now, if
anything. And I want to leave as
much as you do. No offense.
DICK
None taken.
J
Is that woman a regular? She said
her name was Isabella Sosa.
DICK (O.C.)
I didn’t see any woman...No
offense.
J looks puzzled.
J
She said she’d been in here...
DICK
Maybe she blends in really well. I
don’t know...Alls I’m sayin’ is
there wasn’t no woman, far as I
know. Never heard of that name,
neither.
40.
J (O.C.)
What about Hermann Mercer? Does
that name ring any bells?
DICK
Nope. ‘Round here, we mostly get
people passing through. Kind of a
limited customer base, but
management never listens to me.
J
Weird. Well, have a good night.
Maybe I’ll pass through again some
time.
J gets up to leave. He looks down and sees the Book.
DICK
Maybe you already have, kid.
J freezes for a second, not sure if Dick is serious. They

share a tense moment, then both break out LAUGHING.
J
[Laughs] Very funny, Dick. You
really had me there for a second!
DICK
[Laughs] Nothin’ sharpens the mind
like a little adrenaline in the
blood. Oughta keep you on your toes
for a long drive.
J is catching his breath from laughing.
J
And nothing does adrenaline quite
like existential dread...Merry
Christmas!
DICK
I was just about to say that. You
stay safe, kid.
J
And you take it easy, old timer.
Deal?
Dick looks at J, and they lock eyes.
DICK
Deal.
41.
Both men smile. J picks up the book and walks out.
FADE TO:
INT. J’S APARTMENT - LIGHTS OFF
J’s apartment is dark. No one’s here.
CLOSE UP ON INTERIOR OF FRONT DOOR - SLOW MOTION: We see the

deadbolt unlock. The doorknob unlocks and turns. The door
begins to open...
CLOSE UP ON THE LIGHT SWITCH BY THE DOOR: J’s hand reaches

over and flips the light switch.
CUT TO:
INT. J'S APARTMENT - LIGHTS ON
J walks into his apartment and straight to the phone hanging

on the wall behind the kitchen table. He lets the door shut
behind him. J sets his keys and the Book down on the table
and picks up the phone. He dials a number. He waits.
J
Come on...
J waits, agitated. Nothing.
J (CONT'D)
Dammit!
J waits for another few seconds, then leaves a message.
J (CONT'D)
Hi Rosie, it’s me. Uh, I’m uh,
really sorry about tonight. I’ll
explain everything tomorrow, but
uh, the craziest thing happened to
me. I got this assignment from work
in the middle of nowhere, and I
tried to call you but the guy on
site doesn’t know how phones work,
and then this lady came and gave me
this crazy book and...it’s a long
story. Anyways, I’m sorry, and I
love you, and goodnight.
J hangs up the phone and winces.

42.
J (CONT'D)
That’s gonna hurt in the morning.
Now, let’s get down to business,
Doc.
J immediately sits down and tries to open The Book by

pressing on the front Jewel. It doesn’t open. J turns the
Book over in his hands and presses the other Jewel. J holds
the Book level and presses both Jewels. He talks to it:
J (CONT'D)
You’re making me look bad...
J pulls at the covers, but the Book remains shut.
J (CONT'D)
Fine! Have it your way...
J grabs the bottle opener on his keychain and tries to pry

the book open with it. It doesn’t work.
J (CONT'D)
You’re pretty sturdy, aren’t you?
Fine, we’ll try again later.
FADE TO:
INT. J’S BEDROOM - MAGIC HOUR
J sits in his bed with his legs outstretched, the book in his
lap. He’s HUMMING a melody his Mother used to sing to him.
CLOSE UP ON J’S FACE: As J begins to drift off, his memory of

his mother’s voice lingers in his mind. We hear another soft
tone join in, sound the same tone in a higher octave. A
GLOWING illuminates J’s face from the direction of the Book.
The Jewel appears to be the source of the RINGING. The

Glowing seems to emanate from the Jewel. The six concentric
metal Rings begin one by one to ring in harmony with the
Jewel, each SPINNING as it does so, and in the opposite
direction as the last. The Outer Ring is silent and still.
The Spinning Rings form the Sound. The Sound begins to

OSCILLATE, at once forward and back in space and between a
chord and pure tone. The Sound becomes larger with each
oscillation, synchronized with PULSES in the Glowing.
BACK TO J:
J is still asleep and mumbling the song’s melody.

43.
The Rings are spinning so fast that the metal appears to flow
outward in ripples toward the Outer Ring. The undulations in
coincide with the oscillations and pulses. The Glowing and
the Sound tighten into a feedback loop between J’s face and
the Lock. The haze separates into two tiny spheres, one by
J’s eyes and one over the Lock.
BACK TO J:
We see the pulsing light on J’s face. He wakes up and stares

at the Lock. The effect is a bit like J has failed to wipe
the sleep from his eyes. J TAKES The Book in his hands and
brings it to his lap. J is still in a whimsical stupor.
J
Oh! It’s one of those...
The Lock POPS open with great force, WAKING J from his
stupor. The chevrons are gone, but J doesn’t notice. J blinks
several times. He pensively takes the covers in his hands.
J (CONT'D)
Far out...
CLOSE UP ON THE BOOK: We see a cryptic monograph in a well-

practiced calligraphic hand. Below the poem is MERCER’S SEAL.
J (V.O.)
The great window opens again...When
darkness approaches its zenith...To
what above does this below ascend?
And what stands in between them?
J is intrigued but slightly off-put.
J
What the hell is this thing? At
least she didn’t give me another
bible. Definitely weird.
As he sets the book down, he sees the printer’s information

on the inside of the front cover:
Dr. Hermann Stropheus Mercer

Xenophon Ventures
88 Old Lamplighter Way
Boston, Mass.
No deliveries accepted.
J picks up the book again and opens it a full page. As he

reads the words aloud, Mercer’s voice reads along with him:
44.
J AND MERCER (V.O.)

To be sure, sorcerers have been
locked in a struggle spanning
millions of years, reaching across
the cosmos and into the heart of
every conscious being.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANCIENT EARTH MONTAGE - PURPLE TWILIGHT JUNGLE OVERVIEW
As J reads Mercer’s passage, we see a HAZY, purplish twilight

over a jungle landscape. We hear the sound of a river nearby,
along with the nearly overpowering sound of chirping insects.
Two owls trade huge-sounding HOOTS. Monkeys SCREECH. Giant
footsteps are felt and heard. A beast roars.
FOCUS ON SKY: A enormous purplish star takes up a great

portion of the sky. Several planets appear in conjunction
with it. A stream of energy stretches between the planets,
reaching the Earth in a golden-white COLUMN of light. The
rest of stars are obscured by something like a purplish
AURORA in the sky, dancing in great colorful arcs.
MERCER (V.O.)
Long ago, the spheres were arrayed
quite differently. Their music
sounded clear through the heavens
and the earth alike. It was balance
for time beyond measure.
FOCUS IN ON THE JUNGLE: Glowing red eyes peer out from the
trees. A low guttural growl is heard from some unknown beast.
MERCER (V.O.)
This world was not yet re-made.
RACING OVER THE JUNGLE TOWARDS THE STREAM OF ENERGY: Our view
races over the treetops along a rushing RIVER. A torrent of
purple “Haze” flows over the River toward the Column. The
Column ends in a huge DOME of golden-white light. Six GATES
channel the Rivers and Haze into the Dome.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANCIENT EARTH MONTAGE - INSIDE THE DOME
Breaking into the Dome, we see an environment of an eternal

sunrise, but without direct sunlight. The air seems to have a
subtle radiant quality, shifting through the spectrum. The
landscape is a paradise lined with temples.
45.
The four-sided GREAT TEMPLE in the center of the Dome looms

over everything else, and the Column reaches down to its
apex.
FOLLOWING THE PURPLE ENERGY RIVER: The Gates channel the

purple energy into the city in six concentric flowing
“RIVERS.” The six Rivers feed into one another and converge
into the GREAT TEMPLE.
UP THROUGH THE GREAT TEMPLE TO THE JEWEL: The stream of

purple “energy” is united with a thin stream of MAGNA
channeled up the center of the Great Temple to the Apex. At
the apex, the spiral motion of the column terminating after a
gap in a tiny, hot-looking sphere.
LOOKING UP TO SEE THE SKY: The Planetary arrangement is

visible against a pleasing golden haze. Certain
constellations are visible, highlighted by the golden haze.
FOCUS ON THE END OF THE COLUMN: The column’s golden-white,

downward stream is channeled in the same way, terminating
after a gap in a tiny, cold-looking bright-white sphere.
FOCUS ON THE JEWEL: The Jewel is a large, flawless diamond

that is suspended in mid-air between the two streams. It is
acting like a prism. Its rays fill the bubble and appear with
a diffuse light that looks like a holographic overlay.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANCIENT EARTH MONTAGE - CITY MADE OF FLOWING LIGHT
The temples are constructed out of flowing light with glassy

surface. The temples appear Mayan, Egyptian, and medieval
Indian. A diverse set of radiant, nearly transparent humans
gather in the temples. They do not speak, but create swirling
psychedelic shapes in the air. They laugh and change colors.
MERCER (V.O.)
There was no disorder. It was a
paradise without time or want. But
then...
A great shadow passes over the sky.
END MONTAGE.
CUT TO:
INT. J'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer’s voice stops. The rest of the book is blank.

46.
J
Seriously?
J flips back to the cryptic monograph:
J (CONT'D)
Every one has their part to play.
Yours in Hope and Highest
Strangeness...
As he finishes the passage, the Book SHUTS and locks itself.

The chevrons are back. J JUMPS up and RUNS to the kitchen!
CUT TO:
INT. J'S KITCHEN TABLE - MOMENTS LATER
J GRABS his phone and makes a call...
J (INTO PHONE)
Yeah, Mercer...Xenophon Ventures...
Stropheus Piezoelectric Lock...
Yeah, yeah...I’ll be here. I
appreciate it.
BEGIN MONTAGE: J paces as time passes. He plays finger drums

on the table. He acts out martial arts movie scenes. He
knocks his head into the table a few times. END MONTAGE.
The phone rings and J answers it immediately.
J (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)

Yeah go ahead.
THE IT GUY (ON PHONE)

The hell man?
J (INTO PHONE)
Dude! No one else would be calling
me right now. Just tell me already!
THE IT GUY (ON PHONE)

Fine. None of that stuff is real.
Never existed. Get it? All made up.
Lead with that next time and I’ll
get stoned beforehand. At least
that way I can get a quality wild
goose chase. This was just stupid.
J
Get off your high horse. You were
literally taking a bong hit when I
called you.
47.
THE IT GUY
It’s the intention that counts.
J
See you Monday, smokestack.
THE IT GUY
Your sister says goodnight!
The IT Guy hangs up the phone.
J
Just like I thought...
J gets up and walks to his bedroom.
FADE TO:
INT. J'S BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT
J’s room is dark. J OPENS his eyes. A dark figure walks

behind J and sits in the chair next to J’s bed. J ROLLS over
and sees Mercer in the. J FREEZES. The room falls silent.
ON MERCER: Mercer’s eyes direct J’s attention to The Book in

Mercer’s hands. Mercer holds the Jewel with the thumb and
middle finger of one hand. The Lock rings and glows.
ON J: The room is silent. The Lock becomes hazy and Mercer

pulls it off the Book. The Lock DISAPPEARS, and the Outer
Ring hangs in the air around Mercer’s fingers. Mercer SETS
The Book down and GRASPS the Outer Ring. Mercer separates his
fingertips and attaches the Outer Ring to his necklace as a
pendant. When it falls against his chest...
CUT TO:
EXT. AIR FORCE RUNWAY - NIGHT
Subtitles give the time and place:
Special Access Air Field, Massachusetts, 1974
It is a COLD night, with snow on the ground in places. As we

swoop in following the runway, a single Jeep drives along the
row of HANGARS. The Jeep pulls up to a Hangar and stops.
CUT TO:
48.
EXT. HANGAR - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer jumps out of the Jeep and straightens his leather

jacket. His breath makes great clouds in the night air.
Mercer WALKS down the row of Hangars, looking for something.
He passes two closed Hangars before he finds an open one.
CUT TO:
INT. HANGAR WITH C130 - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer reaches THE HANGAR, a nondescript military-style

aircraft hangar. Inside is THE PLANE, a C-130 painted in a
single flat-black tone. Mercer LOOKS around for any crew. He
finds THE AIRMAN, a young man in his early 20s, giving The
Plane a final once-over. Mercer silently approaches...
He looks at the arm of The Airman’s flight suit, inspecting

THE PATCH on the shoulder. The Airman DROPS his WRENCH. The
Wrench CLANGS against the ground. The Airman leans down to
pick it up...
MERCER
Cold night, isn’t it?
The Airman STARTLES and looks up. The Airman is J! His EYES
go wide with fright and he SNAPS to attention.
J
Sir! Yes, sir! Sir! Merry
Christmas, sir!
MERCER
At ease, son. A Merry Christmas to
you, as well.
J stands at ease. Mercer looks the plane over.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I see you boys have kept her tip-
top.
Mercer runs his hand over The Plane.
MERCER (CONT'D)
For the valiant, nothing eases the
heart and soul like a well-kept
warhorse.
J is moved.
49.
J
Sir...I, I couldn’t agree more,
sir.
Mercer TURNS and walks towards J, who is almost enraptured.
MERCER
And for the older generation, there
is no greater gift than to see this
feeling awakened in the next. It
lets us know that we can trust the
world to someone after we’re gone.
J
Sir...I...
MERCER
You were just boys when I first met
you. Now, you are men, and in a
position of great responsibility. I
caught you unaware today and I see
that you’ve taken pride in your
work of your own accord. This is
the greatest gift to an old man
like me...
Mercer appears to be in his late 40s, not old. He speaks to J

as if he knew J’s grandfather.
MERCER (CONT'D)
...You are worthy of the great
trust placed in you.
J CHOKES back tears of pure emotion.
J
Sir! That was the most...beautiful
thing I’ve ever heard, sir!
Mercer smiles, pats J on the shoulder, and winks at him.
MERCER
Merry Christmas.
There is a brief silence as J wipes the tears from his eyes.
J
Sir, thank you, sir.
J smiles and laughs it off. The bonding moment over, Mercer

turns to business.
50.
MERCER
The Colonel isn’t running you too
hard, is he? I’ll give him a word
if he’s messing with my boys...
J
Sir, it’s nothing we can’t handle.
We’re on standby for some heavy
lifting to Washington....
MERCER
Washington? Already? Jesus Christ!
Seems a bit ambitious, even for
him.
J
Washington State, sir.
MERCER
Oh, makes sense. Of course.
Continue.
J
Sir, The Colonel wants parts
delivered out to the Island...
MERCER
Oh. The island...
Mercer looks unsure of the island.
J
Sir?
MERCER
Which island are we talking about?
The Colonel collects islands like
high school jocks collect trophies.
J laughs, evidently getting the joke.
J
[Laughs] He really does that! And
we’re going to his island at the
ass end of the map, within sight of
Mordor itself.
MERCER
Oh lord. I know the place.
J
And, big surprise, the crucial
parts are behind schedule.
(MORE)
51.
J (CONT'D)
The last dividers won’t be ready to
ship for three weeks!
Mercer looks disappointed.
MERCER
Three weeks?! What do we even pay
them for? I always told the Colonel
that outsourcing would be a poor
solution.
J
Yeah and we get blamed for it!
The is a slightly awkward silence. Mercer looks at J

expectantly. J STARTS a bit:
J (CONT'D)
Sir!
Mercer laughs.
MERCER
The Colonel always was a hard-ass.
You don’t get to be a man in his
position without that kind of
quality. We’re all the better for
it. The world needs men like him.
J
Sir! As long as the Reds don’t have
him, I’m happy, sir!
MERCER
Well said. And the world will need
men like you. Not yet, but soon.
Mercer turns to leave.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I’ve got to hit the road.
J
Sir?
MERCER
I was just passing through and
wanted to give you a little test.
Mercer smiles warmly at J. J appears in to be awestruck.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Do me a favor...
52.
J
Sir! Of course, sir!
MERCER
Don’t tell the others I’ve been
here. It will only make them
nervous and introduce an unstable
element into the team dynamic at
this crucial moment. Do you
understand?
J
Sir! Yes, sir!
MERCER
Good. As you were.
J leans back down and picks up the wrench. He stands and goes
about his business as if nothing has happened. Mercer is
gone, but J is unaffected by Mercer’s sudden absence.
FADE TO:
INT. SHIPPING COMPANY FRONT COUNTER - NIGHT
Subtitles give the setting:
Massachusetts, Three Weeks Later
Mercer WALKS into the front room of a shipping company. The

room is nondescript. Mercer speaks to THE ATTENDANT, a well-
built man for a desk job. Mercer does not break his stride.
MERCER
Do you have the time?
The Attendant looks at his watch. Mercer shouts at him:
MERCER (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Solider!
The Attendant JUMPS to attention.
THE ATTENDANT
Sir! Sorry, sir!
Mercer is still WALKING towards the DOOR to the BACK room.
MERCER
Remain calm and call the fire
department. Do you understand?
53.
THE ATTENDANT
Sir! Yes, sir!
INT. BACK ROOM CONTINUOUS - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer walks into the Back Room. This is a front company.

There are racks of electrical equipment, antennae, lots of
wires, and three armed GUARDS. The Guards all LOOK at Mercer.
Mercer RAISES his hand. The Guards all LOOK up at Mercer’s

hand, STAND straight up on their toes, and DROP their guns.
Mercer TURNS his palm inwards, and the men face the wall.
Mercer CLOSES his hand, and the men place their heads against
the wall, staying perfectly still.
MERCER
Who knows the location of the power
dividers?
GUARD THREE
I do.
MERCER
Where are they?
GUARD THREE
Two aisles down on the left, the
big crates.
MERCER
Thank you. If I were you, I’d join
your friend out front.
Mercer lowers his hand. In unison, the Guards TURN on their

heels and file out. Mercer walks down the hall...
CUT TO:
INT. WAREHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer walks into to a large warehouse behind the Back Room.

He goes two aisles down on the left and finds the CRATES, two
wooden shipping containers. He opens both and looks inside.
Inside the Crates are military hardware boxes marked:
POWER DIVIDERS
Mercer lifts one of the boxes. Concealed beneath is a BLACK

CUBE, about 6x6x6 inches. Mercer takes out his beads. On the
end of the charm is the RED STONE, an irregularly-cut ruby.
Mercer brings The Red Stone to eye-level, and it lights up.
54.
Mercer FLICKS The Red Stone with his finger and starts a
CHOPPY disturbance pattern in the glow around The Red Stone.
Mercer SWINGS the Red Stone into the First Crate. On IMPACT,
the choppy pattern is transferred into the First Crate, which
begins to vibrate.
Mercer RAISES The Red Stone and FLICKS it again, introducing

another choppy pattern. He STRIKES the Second Crate with
similar results. The Crates VIBRATE in a wild feedback loop.
ANGLE FACING MERCER - SLOW MOTION: As Mercer walks out, Clint

Eastwood style, the Crates SHAKE to pieces behind him. They
REDUCE to their constituent molecules in a black SOOT on the
floor. Something like ball lightning appears around all the
physical objects in the room. The hazy light turns into fire
and the Warehouse ERUPTS into a swirling FIRESTORM.
CUT TO:
INT. SHIPPING COMPANY FRONT COUNTER - CONTINUOUS
Mercer walks into the Front Room, where The Attendant and The
Guards are staring out the front window, at attention. We can
hear the fire engines approaching. The Back Room is now
consumed in flames that are rapidly pouring out into the
Front Room. Mercer yells at The Attendant and Guards:
MERCER
My God, men! What are you doing?
Run for your lives!
The Attendant and Guards come to, as if out of a daze. They

look behind them, and RUN out of the building.
Mercer leisurely walks out.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER
The Fire Department arrives and tries to put out the blaze.
Mercer walks on his way. No one seems to notice him.
FADE TO:
EXT. HIGH SEAS OVER MERCER’S BOAT - STORMY DAY
Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song plays. It’s a stormy day on the

high seas. A single small BOAT races over choppy waves
towards the heart of the STORM.
55.
Subtitles give the place and time:
Southwest Bearing Sea, Two Weeks Later
ON THE HORIZON: Black clouds gather in the sky. The Storm

approaches. Lightning CRACKLES. Thunder ROARS.
COMING IN ON THE BOAT: The boat CRASHES up and down on the

crests of the waves. We see The Boat’s name painted in white
letters on its side:
Alicia
ON MERCER: He is shirtless. He’s ROCKING out while piloting

the boat. He’s singing Immigrant song...
ON THE HELM: Immigrant Song stops suddenly. On the Helm is a

cassette TAPE PLAYER wired up to something resembling a car
battery with a DIAL and a SWITCH on its face and a small
ANTENNA on top. The ANTENNA is pointed at Mercer’s head.
ANGLE UP FROM ANTENNA 1: Mercer sings the second verse of

Immigrant Song a cappella, starting with the yell:
MERCER
(sung)
Aaaahhhhaaahhaaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaah!
Mercer dances a bit between screams...
OTHER SIDE OF THE HELM: A matching Antenna is pointed at

Mercer’s head. It has a wire running to the Tape Player.
ANGLE UP FROM ANTENNA 2: Mercer belts out the second yell:
MERCER (CONT'D)
Aaaahhhhaaahhaaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaah!
BACK OUT ON THE BOAT:
Immigrant Song picks up again where Mercer is singing it:
MERCER (CONT'D)
(sung)
I come from the land of the ice and
snow of the midnight sun where the
hot springs blow...
A wave CRASHES over the boat, striking the windshields in

front of the helm. Mercer doesn’t flinch. He GRIPS the wheel.
ANGLE FROM BEHIND MERCER: He’s not wearing pants.
CUT TO:
56.
EXT. BOAT DECK - TWLIGHT
The boat has stopped. It bobs up and down with the waves.
Mercer steps out of the cabin, zipping up his Jumpsuit. The
Jumpsuit bears the same Patch as The Airman’s. Mercer INHALES
deeply through his nose.
We hear crows cawing. Mercer looks up and we see a murder of

crows flying overhead. Mercer walks to the prow of The Boat
and stares out across the sea, in the direction of an island.
He raises BINOCULARS to his eyes.
MERCER’S POV - BINOCULARS: The tiny island shows signs of a

massive construction project, clearly Air Force. Mercer turns
to his right about 90 degrees, and the Binoculars settle on a
large BUOY in the open ocean.
MERCER (V.O.)
Gotcha.
ON MERCER: Mercer slings his Binoculars under one arm.
MERCER
Let’s dance, Alicia!
Mercer DASHES to the Helm whips the Boat around.
FADE TO:
EXT. BOAT NEXT TO BUOY - LATER
Mercer’s boat arrives at the Buoy. He GRABS his duffel BAG

and THROWS it onto the small platform of the Buoy. Mercer
ties a rope to a hitch on the Boat and takes the free end in
his hand. He JUMPS onto the Buoy.
CUT TO:
EXT. BUOY - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer LANDS on the Buoy and stumbles, nearly FALLING! He

GRABS the Buoy’s metal tower and steadies himself. He ties
the rope onto the tower, securing himself.
FROM INSIDE THE BAG: Mercer OPENS the Bag and looks in.
Seeing what he needs, Mercer reaches into the Bag...
BACK TO THE BUOY PLATFORM:
Mercer TAKES OUT a heavy-looking metal JAR. He SETS the Jar

down on The Platform with a THUD. Mercer unscrews the lid.
Inside The Jar is a dark red GOO.
57.
Mercer reaches to his boot and pulls out KNIFE scoops out the
Goo in a small dollop in the Center of The Platform. The Goo
is and opaque cherry red color and has the consistency of
something between wax and Vaseline.
Mercer sets the Knife down and reaches into the Bag again.
This time, he takes out a hollow metal CYLINDER about a foot
long. It is perfectly smooth, appearing like machined
aluminum. Mercer rotates The Cylinder. It CLANKS. Mercer
STANDS The Cylinder on top of the Goo.
ON THE BASE OF THE CYLINDER: The Goo squishes into a small

disc roughly the same size as the cylinder’s end. It looks
like a small, opaque pedestal for the cylinder.
ON MERCER: Mercer looks up to the sky.
MERCER’S POV: The STORM is almost here. Time is short. He

reaches into the bag again and pulls out what looks like a
metal glasses CASE.
ON THE CASE: Mercer opens the Case, revealing two, one-inch

diameter ELECTRODES, each with a small wire antenna.
ON MERCER: Mercer reaches into his pocket and takes out a

scrap of PAPER and a PENCIL. He COPIES the numbers from the
Electrodes onto the Paper. He smiles. Go for phase two!
ON THE CYLINDER: Mercer spreads more of the Goo in a dollop

on the top left of the Cylinder. He spreads another on the
bottom right. He SQUISHES the Electrodes on the Cylinder.
ON MERCER: Mercer pauses...The Electrodes stick in place.
ON THE BAG: Mercer opens the Bag wide as it will go. Inside
is THE SAIL - a folded up MYLAR sheet attached to a roll of
fine metallic CABLE. Mercer takes The Sail from the Bag,
returns the Case and Jar and zips up the bag.
ON MERCER: Mercer sets the Sail on The Platform. Mercer

attaches the free end to the top of the Buoy’s metal tower.
He UNFOLDS The Sail, pops its folded metal skeleton into
place, and RELEASES the Sail. It RISES into the black clouds.
ON THE BUOY FROM AFAR: Mercer STUMBLES and almost falls off
the Buoy. He catches himself and looks around.
ON MERCER: Mercer GRABS his Bag and SLINGS it on to the Boat.

He unties the rope and JUMPS back on to The Boat.
CUT TO:
58.
EXT. BOAT ON HIGH SEAS - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer lands on the Boat’s deck and throws down the rope. He
walks to the Helm and starts the engine. Mercer dramatically
turns the steering wheel and turns the Boat. He speeds off
away from the Buoy. The Boat crashes on the waves...
FADE TO:
EXT. BOAT 100 YARDS FROM BUOY
Mercer stops the Boat about 100 yards from the Buoy. He grabs
one of the Antennae from the Helm and walks it to the front
of the boat. Mercer sets the Antenna down on some sort of
tripod stand. He checks to make sure the fitting is secure.
Mercer takes the Paper from his pocket, checks it and adjusts
the Dial on the Antenna. Mercer puts the Paper back in his
pocket. He aims the Antenna at the Buoy. Mercer walks back to
the Helm and repeats the process with the Second Antenna.
CLOSE UP ON MERCER: Mercer readies himself. It’s time.
MERCER
I got something special for you
guys...
PAN OUT TO MERCER AT THE HELM: Mercer is standing at the Helm

in front of the Tape Player. He PRESSES play. The intro drum
beat of Rainbow’s Stargazer plays...
FOLLOWING THE CABLES FROM THE TAPE PLAYER: Our view follows
the cables running from the tape player as the drum beat and
guitar scratching play. We see that the cables are still
hooked up to both Antennae.
ON MERCER: Mercer turns and walks to the back of the boat,

counting the beat, partially out loud.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Ein..
He FLIPS the Switch on the Second Antenna.
INTERCUT TO CLOSE UP ON THE CYLINDER: The bottom right, Black

Electrode gives off a subtle hum.
ON MERCER: As the drum beat nears its climax, and the

beginning of the song, Mercer RUNS across the Boat deck
towards the First Antenna, counting as he goes. He is
FOCUSED.
59.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Zwei...
Mercer LEAPS with arm outstretched towards the Switch!
MERCER (CONT'D)
Drei!
CLOSE UP ON THE SWITCH: Mercer’s finger FLIPS the Switch. The

song CUTS OUT completely, leaving only the sound of the waves
and Mercer’s body hitting the deck.
INTERCUT TO CLOSE UP ON CYLINDER: The top left, Yellow

Electrode begins to hum, slightly off pitch with the first.
ON MERCER: Mercer SCRAMBLES up and raises the Binoculars

around his neck, HITTING himself in the face. He waits with
anticipation...
MERCER (CONT'D)
Come on...come on...
He gets exasperated...
MERCER (CONT'D)
Come on!
ON THE CYLINDER: The cylinder begins to VIBRATE.
MERCER (V.O.)
Yes!
The goo MELTS and then CRYSTALLIZES, fusing the Electrodes

and Buoy to the Cylinder.
MERCER (V.O.)
Almost there...
The vibration of the Cylinder slows to a steady oscillation.
MERCER (V.O.)
You can do it...
The PISTON inside the cylinder begins to KNOCK. The Knocking

rapidly speeds up and resolves into a low hum.
ON MERCER: Mercer SLINGS the Binoculars around his neck,

JUMPS up and clicks his heels, Irish style, and does a little
Irish dance. He YELLS to no one:
MERCER
Up yours, Danny!
60.
Mercer lowers his hands and remembers the ticking time bomb
in front of him. He JUMPS into action and yells to the Boat:
MERCER (CONT'D)
Alright Alicia, time to get the
hell outta dodge!
Mercer DASHES to Helm and turns off the Tape Player.
He DASHES to the front of the Boat and takes the Antennae

down. He kicks the Boat into gear and yells to it again:
MERCER (CONT'D)
Let’s fly!
Mercer hits the “PLAY” Button on the Tape Player and

Stargazer picks back up. He RACES the Boat away...
CUT TO:
EXT. THE HORIZON - MAGIC HOUR
The Storm has arrived. Lightning CRACKLES in the clouds.
INTERCUT WITH BUOY - SAME TIME: The air around the Buoy is
perfectly still. It begins to GLOW in an unearthly way.
INTERCUT WITH SAIL IN STORM - SAME TIME: The Sail is tossed

about in thick clouds. Suddenly, it enters a small clearing
or CAVITY in the clouds.
IN THE CLOUD CAVITY: The air is perfectly still and silent.

It begins to GLOW...The Sail GLOWS. The glows ARC into a BOLT
of lightning! The Bolt STRIKES the SAIL, emerging from the
Sail and Cloud simultaneously.
ON THE CABLE: At once, the entire cable is ALIVE with

current.
INTERCUT WITH BUOY’S ANCHOR - SAME TIME: The ANCHOR attaching

the Buoy to the ocean floor GLOWS. The Cable springs to life
with the same current.
INTERCUT WITH BUOY - SAME TIME: The Buoy GLOWS. It FLASHES

and gives off a great PANG.
ON THE HORIZON - SAME TIME:
The Ocean Floor, the Buoy, and the Cloud Cavity begin to
brighten. They FLASH simultaneously. The Cables ENERGIZE. The
Lightning Bolt FLASHES. It seems to ERUPT from The Ocean
Floor, the Buoy, and the Cloud Cavity at the same time. A
great FLASH and PANG are seen and heard resounding.
61.
Rainbow’s Stargazer picks up where it left off. A great

SHOCKWAVE rushes forth from the epicenters of the bolt. It
pulses through the water. We see the pressure travel through
the air. Lightning rolls through the clouds.
ON THE OCEAN FLOOR: The Shockwave ripples through the Ocean

Floor like an Earthquake.
CUT TO:
EXT. BOAT ON HIGH SEAS - THE SAME TIME
As the lightning strikes, we hear a thunder clap and feel a

tremor. Mercer is KNOCKED over board.
CUT TO:
EXT. ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE - SAME TIME
A lone GUARD walks on duty. Everything is dead quiet and

dark, but there is lightning overhead. The Guard stops. He
senses something is off. He looks down at his arm...the hairs
raise. He looks up at the sky. The lightning in the clouds
concentrates into the single point. Everything goes still.
A great PANG and PERCUSSIVE IMPACT! The Bolt STRIKES the

ground at the same time as the pressure waves in the air and
land. Stargazer picks back up. The Guard is THROWN to the
ground. The power goes out. The shaking from the Earthquake
causes stacks of crates to topple. Windows explode and
unfinished construction comes apart, shooting rivets in all
directions. Fires spring up, and alarms BLARE.
The shaking stops along with Stargazer. The clouds over the
island rapidly dissipate. The buildings stand. CREWS rush to
deal with all the problems. OFFICERS bark orders.
CUT TO:
EXT. BOAT DECK - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer CLIMBS on board, soaking wet. He RUSHES to find his

Binoculars. Not here...Not there...Found them!
MERCER’S POV - BINOCULARS: Mercer looks at the island and

sees that the structures remain intact.
MERCER (V.O.)
No, no, no! What did you do?
62.
BACK TO MERCER’S POV - BINOCULARS: The Colonel PACES in front

of the damaged structure. He BARKS orders at the Crews, some
soldiers, and a stack of crates. No one draws attention.
MERCER (V.O.)
Always giving orders. [chuckles]
You could use the exercise...
CUT TO:
EXT. ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE - SAME TIME
The SOLIDERS quickly clear the debris. The Colonel WALKS to

the structure. He INSPECTS it briefly. The Colonel SLAPS the
underlying structure and the power comes back on across the
island. It’s solid. He LAUGHS.
THE COLONEL
[Laughs] God, I love this country!
He TURNS around and we see his happy face. He looks exactly

as he did at the Church. He speaks to The Lecturer, who is
standing to his right.
THE COLONEL (CONT'D)

See? Told you so.
The Colonel looks up at the sky, as if thanking the heavens.

He pauses, and his face slowly changes into an expression of
awe, then to disbelief.
THE COLONEL’S POV: His eyes follow The Storm’s darkest clouds
out to the direction of the Buoy.
ON THE COLONEL: The Colonel motions to a Soldier next to him.

The Solider deferentially HANDS the Colonel a pair of
BINOCULARS. The Colonel GRABS the Binoculars and RAISES them.
THE COLONEL’S POV - BINOCULARS: He sees MERCER’s boat.

Well I’ll be damned...
ON THE COLONEL: The Colonel hands the Binoculars back to The

Solider. The Colonel LAUGHS out loud. The Colonel shakes his
fist with his index finger pointed in Mercer’s direction. He
shakes his head. He speaks one word at a time.

Son...of...a...
63.
The Colonel makes a gesture expressing frustration beyond the

capacity of words and appears to silently SCREAM at the
ground. The Colonel jumps up and gives Mercer the Finger.
INTERCUT MERCER’S POV - BINOCULARS: The Colonel, fingers

extended, has just finished screaming. He starts YELLING
inaudibly, but we can read his lips as they ENUNCIATE:

[Fuck]...[you]...[Jerry]!
The Colonel lowers his hands. He TURNS to walk away but

STOPS. He WHIRLS around and POINTS at Mercer again.

Asshole!
ON THE COLONEL AND LECTURER:
THE LECTURER
Do you want to fire on him? We have
a wide variety of ordinance. In
fact we just got the new...
THE COLONEL
No. Trust me, anything we do to him
right now will be a rescue mission.
THE LECTURER
Even a missile?
THE COLONEL
Especially a missile. That
regretful Hessian will eat his own
lunch better than we ever could.
These weirdos are all like that.
[Laughs] Let’s have a cigar. I like
the way this day is shaping up...
ON THE SOLIDERS:

Don’t just stand there! Put her
back together before the Emperor
gets here, or we’re all screwed.
BACK TO MERCER ON THE BOAT:
Mercer TURNS away and SLIDES down into an upright fetal

position. He COLLAPSES forward in a heap on the deck. He
stares at the gathered clouds. A tear gathers in each eye.
FADE TO:
64.
INT. J'S BEDROOM - 1988 - THE NEXT DAY
J awakes. The sun hurts his eyes. He SITS up and LOOKS around
the room. Mercer is gone. J lies back, RELAXES into the
warmth and closes his eyes. Life goes on. After a few restful
seconds, J takes a deep breath and exhales. He sits up and
looks around for the Book. He can’t see it anywhere.
J
Ok, now that’s weird.
He gets out of bed and looks on the chair and under his bed.
He can’t find the Book and gives up quickly.
J (CONT'D)
That’s right, now I remember. I
don’t have time for this fairy tale
nonsense.
J heads to the bathroom to get ready for work.
FADE TO:
INT. - J’S WORK - LATER
J arrives to the IT Guy inspecting J’s ancient-looking

COMPUTER and shaking his head. The IT Guy looks up at J.
THE IT GUY
Your machine’s busted. Never seen
anything like it. Musta been some
serious titties to be worth this.
The IT Guy SLAPS J’s shoulder.
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

I’ll respect that.
The Computer looks like it’s had a melt-down.
THE IT GUY (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Definitely not gonna be able to fix
it, though. Management says go
home, something about a heavy metal
hazard. You know what I told ‘em?
J
What?
THE IT GUY
I told him heavy metal’s only a
hazard for pussies, so he should
send your ass home for sure...
65.
J pantomimes his assessment that the burn was “not bad.”
J
I think you meant “heavy metal is a
hazard for getting pussy.”
The IT Guy is impressed and butt-slaps J, baseball style.
THE IT GUY
Firin’ back!
J
Thanks for the day off, boss.
THE IT GUY
Hey don’t call me an asshole!
The IT Guy does gun-fingers and winks at J. J awkwardly

smiles, nods, and waves. He’s still got the gun fingers going
strong. J cocks his head. The moment doesn’t need to go on.
J
Are you...?
The IT Guy drops his hands and SLAPS J’s shoulder again.
THE IT GUY
[Laughs] Yeah! I totally got you!
The IT Guy lets go. He SAUNTERS out and yells.
THE IT GUY (CONT'D)

WHOO!
FADE TO:
EXT. J'S WORK - MOMENTS LATER
J talks on a payphone outside.
J (INTO PHONE)
Yeah, weird, right? He said he’d
never seen anything like it. Must
be my guardian angel because I am
so tired. I need the sleep.
J listens.

Meet me for lunch?
J listens again.
66.

Yeah, I know it. See you there.
J nods.

Rosie, wait. Thank you for talking
with me. I’m so sorry about last
night...
It’s Rose! J chokes up a bit as he listens.

Yeah, I think that will be good for
both of us.
He SMILES.

Love you too.
Success! J hangs up the phone and makes a gesture with his

arm. He walks to his car with some pep in his step...
FADE TO:
EXT. DINER - DAY
J walks through the parking lot towards the Diner, passing

THE PLUMB BUMS VAN, the only other car in the parking lot. J
looks at the side of the Van, it reads in black decals:
THE PLUMB BUMS
In the “Bums” decal, half the “u” and the entire “s” are
missing. The logo is a hex wrench.
FADE TO:
INT. DINER - MOMENTS LATER
J looks around the diner until his eyes fall on Rose, seated
at a booth next to the window. We can see the Plum Bums Van
in the parked in the space outside the window. Rose gets up
as J walks over to her. They smile, kiss, and hug each other.
Both sit down. J begins:
J
Rosie, I’m so sorry about the last
night. I...
Rose cuts him off.

67.
ROSE
Babe, you don’t have to explain
yourself. Yet. Let’s just enjoy
each other’s company for a while. I
don’t like to admit it right now,
but I really like being with you.
J likes that answer.
J
I like that idea. I don’t want to
be anywhere if you’re not with me.
ROSE
Such a sweet talker. So what
happened yesterday?
J
I don’t even know where to start!
It was pure madness. I had to fill
in for a missing co-worker and
cover this military press meeting.
ROSE
You mean a press conference?
J
Not really...it was like some good
old boys’ clubhouse in upstate New
York. I thought I saw...
J pauses, and decides not to discuss Mercer’s head.
ROSE
Saw what?
J
Someone I knew. Anyways, I must
have gotten lost on the way back,
because I ended up on these
backroads and hit some animal...
ROSE
Aw!
J
So I stopped at this diner run by
some old redneck hippie, and this
really...fascinating lady showed up
out of nowhere...
Rose jokes with J:

68.
ROSE
Fascinating ladies, huh? Is that
what you were doing?
J
No, no, not at all. She was at
least 60! She talked in weird
rhymes and gave me a book with this
neat lock.
ROSE
What’s the book about?
J
I...have no idea. It was something
about sorcerers and cosmic warfare,
but most of it was blank. I had a
hell of time getting it open. I
don’t even know how I did it,
actually.
ROSE
Can I see it?
J
Well, now that’s the thing...
ROSE
You’ve got to be kidding.
J
I woke up and it was gone.
ROSE
That’s convenient.
J
Babe, I am not joking.
Rose’s eyes suddenly narrow.
J (CONT'D)
Hey now. Sorry if I came off wrong.
Rose starts sniffing the air. J is confused.
J (CONT'D)
Rosie?
ROSE
You smell funny. Did you forget to
shower? What’s wrong with you?
69.
J
I just had a really weird night...
J smells himself. He smells alright.
ROSE
No, it’s not B.O...
Rose sniffs the air and focuses.
ROSE (CONT'D)
Did you step on something on the
way in? It’s gross, babe. It smells
almost like a dead animal.
J checks his shoes.
J
Nope, nothing there. Are you sure
you’re feeling alright?
Rose suddenly appears clammy. She becomes agitated:
ROSE
(accusing)
I’m fine. The room was fine too
until you got here. I don’t know
what you did but it is really,
really bad. Has a weird taste to
it...
Rose is moving her mouth as if she is tasting something.
J
Babe, I think we should take you to
the emergency room...
Rose begins to cry. J takes Rose’s hands in his.
J (CONT'D)
(apologetic)
Rosie what’s wrong? I’m not judging
you, we just need to go to the
doctor right now. Everything’s
going to be ok...
Rose YANKS her hands out of J’s grasp.
ROSE
(scared)
I’m not sad! I don’t know what’s
wrong with me, I just started
crying! I’m scared, baby, please
just take me outta here...
70.
Rose suddenly SLAMS her hands flat on the table! She LOOKS at
her own hands, terrified. Rose sobs and stares at her hands,
watching helplessly. She raises each of her fingers, one at a
time, until all ten are in the air.
J
Rosie...What are you doing...
Rose looks up at J, tears in her eyes.
ROSE
(whimpering)
I...don’t...know...
Rose’s hands go limp and she regains control of her body. She
THRUSTS her hands into the pockets of her jacket, then
collapses into the corner of the booth opposite J. J JUMPS up
and runs around to Rose, grabbing her by the arm.
J
That’s it, we’re getting out of
here...
J GRABS Rose and PULLS her up. She seems scared, but appears
almost drugged and sedated at this point. J puts Rose’s arm
over his shoulder and walks her towards the door.
ROSE
Who is that?! Why is that man
staring at us?
Rose POINTS to the large window to the parking lot. J looks

around and sees no one.
ROSE (CONT'D)
[Screams!]
Rose JUMPS into the center of the room.
ROSE (CONT'D)
He’s here too!
Rose panics and RUNS out the doors.
CUT TO:
PLUMB BUM ONE grabs Rose, who collapses to the ground.

71.
PLUMB BUM ONE

Ma’m, calm down, we’ll call you an
ambulance. Everything’s gonna be
just fine.
PLUMB BUM TWO is walking back from a pay phone. We hear an

ambulance approaching fast. PLUMB BUM THREE speaks to J:
PLUMB BUM THREE

Is she on any medications?
J
No, no. Who are you guys?
J turns and looks down to Rose:
J (CONT'D)
Rosie, you’re gonna be ok. The
ambulance is almost here.
ON ROSE: Rose is sobbing.
ROSE
I can’t...I can’t...
Rose CONVULSES several times, STARES into the air.
ON J - SLOW MOTION: J screams and is restrained by Plumb Bum

Three as the ambulance crew rushes in towards Rose.
FADE TO:
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - LATER
J stands in the hallway of a hospital, at the attendant’s

desk. He is TALKING on the phone to someone...
J
The doctors, they, uh...they...
said she might never wake up...they
can’t say what caused it.
J listens for a bit.
J (CONT'D)
No, no. They won’t let me see her.
J listens for a bit. He chokes up.
J (CONT'D)
Thank you. Yeah, I’ll call you when
I hear something.
72.
J hangs up the phone. As he checks his watch, a DEPUTY walks

up to him. The Deputy speaks. We don’t hear the Deputy.
ON J - SLOW MOTION: J SITS in the chair. He is stunned.
THE DOCTOR joins the Sheriff. They walk down the hallway,
leaving J. Within earshot of J:
THE DOCTOR
Heavy metal poisoning is my
guess...
The conversation TRAILS off...
FADE TO:
INT. - J'S KITCHEN TABLE - WEEKS LATER
J sits at his kitchen table, his head in his hands. On top of

funeral home flyers is an official-looking LETTER. J reaches
for the Letter and opens it. J reads from the Letter:
J
We regret to inform you that, in
the interest of national security,
the County cannot issue a death
certificate for the deceased and
cannot permit viewing or removal of
the remains or personal effects. We
thank you for your discretion.
J folds the paper back up. He gives a sigh and puts the
Letter down. J GRABS his keys, STANDS and WALKS out.
FADE TO:
EXT. CEMETERY - LATER
A group of mourners is gathered for a funeral. J walks up to

the pulpit and turns to face the mourners.
J
[Clears throat] Thank you all for
coming. I don’t know any of you,
but this day isn’t about me, or
about any of us. It’s about Rosie.
And Rosie is special to me...
J chokes up:
73.
J (CONT'D)
...was special to me, the most
special person in my life. God, it
hurts saying that.
J looks down at his prepared remarks. Behind him and out of

focus we see the Plumb Bums van pull up across the street and
stop. J has just gathered himself when...
J (CONT'D)
Sorry, everyone. Today is a
celebration. A celebration of
Rosie’s life. I know she would have
appreciated you being here...
J’s attention perks up. He sniffs the air. He LOOKS around.

The mourners look at each other with concern.
J (CONT'D)
I’m sorry, everyone, I’m getting
choked up right now...
J is panicked, not choked up. As he LOOKS around, his eyes

fall to a tree behind the crowd. The Shadow, a human-shaped
black form stands next to the tree.
J (CONT'D)
[Terrified Yelp!]
J takes cover behind the pulpit! He peers around the Pulpit

and sees the crowd talking to each other. J sees the Shadow,
but no one else seems to. J stands up, eyes on the Shadow...
J (CONT'D)
I...I have to go. I’m sorry
everyone, th..thank you for coming.
J runs away from the pulpit. The Shadow doesn’t move.
CUT TO:
J hurriedly fiddles with his keys.
J
Come on...come on...
Got ‘em! J jumps in the car and speeds away. We see The
Shadow through a window, far away and out of focus.
CUT TO:
74.
INT. J'S HOUSE - LATER
J BURSTS through his door and SLAMS it shut. He LOCKS all the
locks. He steps back, staring at the door. Several tense
moments pass. J begins to swoon a bit. He stumbles towards
his bedroom and takes off his jacket as he goes.
FADE TO:
INT. J'S BEDROOM - THAT NIGHT
J’s room is dark. J is lying on his back, asleep.
ON J: J’s eyes OPEN. He can’t move.
We hear a deep, warbling HUM. Something is terrible and

ominous about it.
J’s POV: J looks to his door, and sees The Shadow standing at
the threshold.
ON J: J grunts. The beads of sweat on his forehead run

stinging into his eyes.
ON THE SHADOW: The Shadow approaches J in a series of small

jumps or LURCHES in a generally forward direction. There is a
kind of lag or distortion in area in front of and behind it.
The Hum grows louder the closer The Shadow gets to J. The
Shadow ends up with its “face” inches away from J’s face. The
Hum is DEAFENING.
THE SHADOW
Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to
hurt you.
The Shadow’s voice sounds like a chorus of the characters.
THE SHADOW (CONT'D)

I’m here to...tell you the truth.
Will you talk with me?
J cannot move.
THE SHADOW (CONT'D)

I’m going to be very honest with
you. It’s your fault, you know. You
heard the doctor. The radiation
from your book killed Rosie...
J SOBS, able to move only his face.

75.
THE SHADOW (CONT'D)

That’s a good sign. You feel bad
because you’re still a good person.
And good people know there’s only
one way to fix something like this.
A life for a life. It’s the only
way to prove yourself. And it’s the
only way to cure the guilt. You
only have one chance...
The Shadow leans in for J’s head... At the last moment, J

recalls the sound of his mother’s voice singing the melody
that activated the Lock. The POWER GOES OUT! J SITS up in his
bed and BREATHES. No Hum. He LOOKS around...no Shadow.
J looks out the window and sees that the power is out for a
few blocks around. Vehicles have died in the street below,
and the drivers are talking to each other. One of the
vehicles is the Plumb Bums Van.
J ROLLS back over and sees Mercer sitting in the chair next
to him. J FREEZES.
ON MERCER: Again, the room falls completely SILENT, as if all

the sound has been sucked out of it. We are back in J’s
“dream” in which Mercer activates The Lock. Mercer holds The
Book in one hand and grasps the Jewel with the other. J hears
the SOUND and sees the LIGHT of The Lock.
ON THE LOCK: The Rings begin RINGING in their beautiful

sequence. They form a CHORD. The Rings are SPINNING. A FLASH!
The Rings have become a liquid DISC. Mercer SLIDES the two
opposing halves of the lock off the edge of the book and the
chevrons MELT into the opposing sides like liquid. Mercer
sets the book down, grasps the outer ring, and looks at J...
ON J: J’s mouth is open as wide as his eyes.
ON THE LOCK: Mercer slowly lifts his fingers from the

suspended Jewel. Small FILAMENTS of braided light flow
between his fingertips and the halves of the Jewel. The
Liquid flows inward, spiraling along the six Rings toward the
Jewel and revealing the spinning Rings as it retreats.
The two small Filaments of light contract like braids into

tiny spheres just above Mercer’s fingertips. The Rings OPEN
like a flower and ORBIT the Jewel like an armillary sphere.
The Jewel GLOWS, and the assembly appears suspended between
Mercer’s fingertips. The Rings rapidly reach a blinding
speed. The sound consumes nearly the entire spectrum.
The two tiny Spheres at Mercer’s fingertips SHOOT through the

Rings toward the Jewel and the Opened Lock FLASHES again! We
hear a WHOMP, and the Room falls DARK.
76.
THE ORB now hovers between J and Mercer, where The Lock once
was. The Orb is a ball of white light that does not light up
the room. The light of the orb shines only on J and Mercer.
Mercer holds the stationary Outer Ring around the Orb. It

looks like SATURN as a SUN. Mercer slides The Outer Ring
through the Orb and attaches it to his necklace. He WINKS at
J. The Orb reflects in Mercer’s eyes. And J’s EYES.
MERCER (V.O.)
Good...
The hazy light of The Orb envelopes Mercer and J.
FADE TO:
BLACK SCREEN
Switzerland, 1917
We hear the sound of a key inserting in a lock and UNLOCKING.
FADE TO:
INT. MANOR HALLWAY - THE ELEVENTH HOUR
A door opens before us onto a long, straight hallway in a

European country estate. The ambience suggests the later
years of World War I. We follow THE GIRL, about 13 years old,
dressed in plain black. The Girl seems vacant but not scared.
THE GUARD, a man in military uniform, LEADS the girl down the
hallway. We do not see the Guard’s face. As we reach the end
of the hall, the Guard opens the door to the GREAT ROOM.
CUT TO:
INT. GREAT ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Inside the doorway are gathered SIX men and one woman, all
clearly of noble rank. We recognize some of their faces: THE
COMMANDER, a general of some sort, is The Colonel. THE
SCIENTIST is the Lecturer. THE ENGLISHMAN is Dick. THE MATRON
is a noble lady of some rank.
The group is discussing something of great importance. They

are removing the metal items from their persons and placing
them into respective wooden boxes. They all TURN when the
girl walks in. The Commander is anxious to begin.
77.
THE COMMANDER
Well then, Mercurius has sealed his
doom! The Old Spirit waits for no
man...and the hour is late. Come,
my brothers, let us take our
rightful place among the gods.
The Commander speaks to the Guard, but appears to

deliberately avoid acknowledging the Girl:
THE COMMANDER (CONT'D)

You chose wisely, my boy. The final
time has reached us all...and in
our hands, to fly or fall.
The Commander and the Guard salute one another. They shake
hands. Then they embrace. The Commander turns and walks into
the Device. The Guard kneels down in front of the Girl. He
takes her hands in his. We now see that J is The Guard!
THE GUARD/J
Do as you’ve been taught. I
promise, everything will be
alright. We’ll always protect each
other.
The Girl nods her head. Behind them, the group files into a
secret room behind a bookcase. The Guard leans and whispers:
THE GUARD/J (CONT'D)

He’ll be here soon.
The Girl makes no reaction to his statement. She turns and

walks into the secret room. The Guard stays with the Matron.
As he closes the bookcase with a great THUD, we hear a
GUNSHOT outside the Manor. The Matron and Guard both look
towards the Door. The Guard goes for one of the wooden boxes.
CUT TO:
INT. THE DEVICE - AT THE SAME TIME
We follow The Girl into THE DEVICE. The only light comes from
the door. The Device is laid out like a three dimensional
Metatron’s Cube. The chamber is a hollow sphere of polished
obsidian-like stone about 60 feet in diameter and perfectly
smooth. There are no interior lights.
Rising from the bottom lis a matte-grey stone pillar

terminating in the exact center of the sphere. The pillar has
radial growths supporting two concentric, hexagonal walkways
around a central hexagonal platform, and a growth functioning
as a walkway to the Door.
78.
On the central platform sits a SPHERE of polished black

stone, about two feet in height. At each vertex of the inner
walkway is a miniature version of the central pillar,
terminating about three feet off the walkway floor. On top of
the rests a polished black sphere six inches in diameter.
The Six men each sit on a polished black stone SPHERE

positioned at each vertex of the hexagonal walkway, facing
the center. Their feet face outwards towards one another. The
Girl walks into the center of the circle and sits on the
sphere. The closing door cuts out the last sliver of light.
CUT TO:
INT. THE DEVICE - TOTAL DARKNESS - MOMENTS LATER
We take as our theme Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig In The Sky.
The door has just closed, leaving the interior of The Device
totally dark. A deep tone is heard ringing softly. At the
same time, the Sphere upon which the Commander sits begins to
vibrate and give off a pale purplish light. The other Spheres
do the same, one by one in sequence. Each slight difference
in tone has a slight difference in color.
The Six are engulfed in egg-shaped envelopes made of a

purplish haze that seems to be the sound and light from the
Spheres coming out of their bodies. The haze swirls in
psychedelic fractal patterns and coagulates into a vortex
about a foot in front of their eyes. Pulses in the sound and
Haze form a rotating pattern.
The Smaller Spheres in the second hexagonal walkway begin to

ring. The Smaller Spheres glow as the Pulses increase. The
Pulses in the Smaller Spheres begin rotating in the opposite
direction as the Outer Hexagon. The opposing, rotating pulses
reach stasis with each other and EQUALIZE.
The Central Sphere begins to ring and glow. The interior wall
of the Outer Sphere rings. It glows as well. The Wall and
Central Sphere PULSE back and forth. The rotating patterns
generate a haze in the Device’s chamber, again appearing as
some sort of purplish psychedelic substance transduced out of
thin air. The haze soon envelopes the entire ROOM.
The various systems of rotation channel the haze into a

sphere above the Girl’s head. The form of a HEXAGON begins to
OVERLAY on the sphere in fits and starts.The Girl begins to
have what appears to be a SEIZURE...
WHOMP! We hear and see a deep back and forth BLUE STANDING
WAVE pulse overlaid on the cacophony of The Device. The
Standing Wave loops the rotating systems of energy and
freezes the progress of The Device.
79.
MERCER (O.C.)
Hello, gentlemen.
ON MERCER: Mercer stands inside a kind of haze-less BUBBLE.

The edges of the Bubble pulse with the Standing Wave in the
looped storm outside. The Lock is activated in its Disc form
and hangs around Mercer’s neck like a pendant. It is shown to
be PULSING with the Standing Wave. The Six are also locked in
a stasis, but apparently able to perceive Mercer.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Not this time, I’m afraid.
Mercer walks down the matte-stone bridge and stops just

before the center of The Device. He turns to look at The Six.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I’m terribly sorry for this. You
leave me no choice.
Mercer steps onto the Central Platform and the Bubble

envelopes The Girl. The Girl stops seizing and recovers
quickly. She appears exhausted but lucid. Mercer leans down.
MERCER (CONT'D)
My dear, will you trust me?
The Girl looks at Mercer intensely, inspecting his very SOUL.

She nods. The vortex above the Girl’s head and the Central
Sphere on which she sits both short out. The Girl slides down
off the stone. She lands on her feet, very sturdy. Mercer
smiles. He speaks in a calm and relaxed tone despite the
energetic maelstrom looped outside the bubble.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Good choice! I’m glad to see you
take after your mother. What is
your name?
The Girl responds in a tired but sure manner.
THE GIRL
Isabella.
MERCER
Well, Isabella, let’s get out of
here, shall we?
The Girl motions to The Six.
THE GIRL
What about everyone else?
Mercer is impressed.
80.
MERCER
Don’t ever lose that heart. It’s
what makes everything possible. But
I’m afraid there’s only one way to
close this door. And besides, you
give them more than they’re due.
THE GIRL
Oh. It’s one of those.
MERCER
Right you are.
Mercer removes the necklace bearing The Lock. He wraps the

beads around his hand, in the manner of a fighter. The Lock
hangs on a short length of the necklace. Mercer detaches The
Lock and hands it to The Girl. The Girl touches The Outer
Ring and disappears with the Lock.
The Standing Wave vanishes and energy begins circulating

again. This time, the energy flow is focused on Mercer. We
hear the sickening warbling of the spheres again. Mercer
turns and looks around at the Six, and we can tell that the
energy flow is causing him great pain.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I warned you. Each of you. And each
of you has accepted the
consequences.
The Six are locked in the feedback loop. Mercer continues:
MERCER (CONT'D)
Can you not see the Old Spirit’s
true aim? Our combined strength
over aeons has done nothing but
advance it. The realization of our
great work would be the undoing of
the human race! We would cede the
world to that ancient intruder, to
the ruin of all ages.
The Six begin CONVULSING as if they are in electric chairs.
MERCER (CONT'D)
You will soon know the truth. My
dear friends, let us revisit our
friendship again.
The Six’s convulsions reach an unearthly speed.
MERCER (CONT'D)
We shall do better next time, I
promise you this. But for now...
81.
ON MERCER - SLOW MOTION:
The string of beads FALLS to a hanging position, weighted by

the pulsing Red Stone. Mercer RAISES it up to eye-level, and
FLICKS it, TRANSFERRING the storm’s focus into The Red Stone.
ON THE RED STONE: We see the choppy disturbance pattern in

the Red Stone. Mercer SWINGS it into the Central Sphere.
BACK OUT TO THE DEVICE: On IMPACT, the choppy pattern is

TRANSFERRED into the Central Sphere, AMPLIFIED by the impact
of the strike. The choppy pulse pattern REVERBERATES into the
wall of the Outer Sphere.
The Red Stone’s pulse SWELLS to envelope all sound. The pulse
spreads to The Six, who are locked in feedback loops with the
Smaller Spheres. The energetic storm consumes the matte
stone. The polished stones float in an equatorial orbit.
Suddenly, everything seems to load up to MAXIMUM TENSION and
FREEZE as the room goes SILENT.
CLOSE UP ON MERCER:
MERCER (CONT'D)
We shall meet again...
Mercer STEPS into the PULSING STORM of the Central Sphere. As

he does, he VANISHES in a RED FLASH and the Storm sweeps away
the last patch of matte stone where Mercer stood. Mercer’s
WAKE leaves a void in the Central Sphere. The feedback loops
COLLAPSE the Outer Sphere into the central Void.
CUT TO:
EXT. MANOR - THE SAME TIME
The quiet night outside the manor is ROCKED by a MASSIVE

EXPLOSION that takes out nearly two-thirds of The Manor. The
Explosion is spherical, half above the ground, and looks like
a small sun has instantaneously appeared. It SUCKS inwards
along a dark line around its equator, briefly resembling
Saturn.
As it collapses, the lower hemisphere PULLS the walls of the

crater down and the upper hemisphere reaches skyward in an
unearthly mushroom cloud. Debris settles as sirens go off. As
our view backs out into the distance, we hear people scream
and see fires mysteriously popping up at random intervals,
radiating out from the epicenter.
FADE TO:
82.
EXT. BOAT ON HIGH SEAS - NIGHT FOLLOWING THE 1975 EARTHQUAKE
It is a calm night on the waters. The stars are bright over

the Boat. We hear the gentle rocking of the Boat.
CLOSE UP ON MERCER’S FACE: Mercer is asleep and mumbles:
MERCER
(mumbled sing-song)
Merrily, merrily, merrily...
A small brown fox walks up and starts LICKING Mercer’s face.

It loses interest and WALKS off, never to be seen again.
Mercer SLAPS his own face and startles awake.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Ow! What the...
MERCER’S POV:
We see the night sky as Mercer COMES TO. The Big Dipper is
prominent among the stars. Mercer wipes the sleep from his
eyes. As he does so, it distorts the Big Dipper into the
shape of The First Sign.
ON MERCER: Mercer remembers everything.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Shit.
He SIGHS and sulks as his moment of blissful oblivion fades.

Mercer STARES up at the sky, his mind vacant. Despair has
hollowed him out.
MERCER’S POV: He sees a GLIMMER about three feet in front of

his face. He JUMPS up!
PAN AROUND BOAT DECK: He LOOKS around. There is no one here.
SETTLE ON THE CABIN DOOR: Mercer sees the light in the below-
deck cabin is on. Mercer RUSHES to the cabin.
CUT TO:
INT. BOAT CABIN - LIGHT ON - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer LOOKS around the cabin. Nothing is out of order. His

eyes settle on the table, upon which is a note written on a
piece of old-looking paper. Mercer WALKS to the table, eyes
on the Note. He stands over the Note and LOOKS down at it.
ON THE NOTE: The Note is written on old paper in neat

handwriting. Mercer reads it aloud:
83.
MERCER
Six thus set have never won the
work begun by one and three. When
space is set by seven suns, might
by the red be black undone.
ON MERCER: Mercer thinks hard about this riddle. He’s not

getting anywhere. Wait a second...He recognizes the paper.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I don’t believe it...
Mercers eyes go WIDE. The paper is from the Book!
MERCER (CONT'D)
Akhnaten’s ankles!
ON THE NOTE: Mercer REACHES for the Note. His beads reach the
Note before his hand, and the Red Stone falls upon the Note,
covering the word “Red.”
ON MERCER: Mercer STOPS in his tracks. A smile creeps across

his face...He understands! Mercer LAUGHS aloud.
MERCER (CONT'D)
[Laughs!] In seven days’ time there
is another window! This time, the
Red Lady will lend a hand...
Mercer PICKS UP the Note and LOOKS at it.
MERCER (CONT'D)
I know the what, but practically
speaking...
Mercer puts the Note in his left breast pocket.
MERCER (CONT'D)
You must show me this trick,
friend. Whoever you are...
His path to victory laid out, Mercer has some time on his
hands. He WALKS to his Dresser and PULLS open the top Drawer.
MERCER’S POV: Mercer LOOKS down into the Drawer. We see a

bottle of Scotch, two glasses and two old PHOTOGRAPHS.
In the First Photograph, Mercer and the Matron pose for a

family photograph with a boy of about 10 years and a new born
infant. An inset on the frame reads: With Isabella - 1903.
The Second Photograph is newer, as is the frame. Mercer poses

with the same woman, this time only with a young boy of about
12 years. There is no dating information.
84.
ON MERCER: Mercer looks sad. He pauses for a brief moment,

then GRABS the Scotch and glasses. He SHUTS the Drawer with a
THUD. Mercer SETS the glasses on the Dresser and FILLS them.
He SETS the bottle down and drinks a glass.
MERCER (CONT'D)
[Breathing heavily] Damn!
Mercer CLOSES his eyes as the familiar warmth comes over him.
He SMILES. It’s party time...Mercer SPRINGS to life. He DOWNS
the second glass of Scotch. He SPINS around in side the small
cabin, CLAPPING his hands. He STOMPS his feet on the ground
in the manner of an outdated dance.
Mercer DANCES over to Table, on the other end of which is the

Tape Player. The Tape Player is hooked up to the two
Antennae, positioned on opposite ends of the Cabin, pointing
inwards. Mercer presses “Play” on the Tape Player. He plays
some heavy-metal AIR GUITAR and sings quietly but to himself:
MERCER (CONT'D)
There’s no sun in the shadow of the
wizarrrrrrrduh!
Mercer FALLS to his KNEES with his AIR GUITAR.
MERCER (CONT'D)
See how he glaheeee-dzuh, why he’s
light-ah than ayyyaaaa-ah!
CLOSE UP ON MERCER’S FACE: Mercer has contorted his face as

if in the climax of the ultimate guitar solo.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Oh I seeeeee...
He sees his shining path to victory.
THE MATRON
Are you finished?
MERCER
[Frightened verbal ejaculation]!
ON MERCER: Mercer STUMBLES backwards like a doofus and LANDS

on his backside. The DISEMBODIED VOICE is The Matron,
Mercer’s Wife from the 1917 Group. She is the mother of the
Guard and Isabella Sosa. Mercer LOOKS around and sees no one.
There is an awkward silence.
THE MATRON
I’m trying to figure out whether
you need a towel or a sock.
85.
Mercer’s eyes SPRING open! There is no one here.
MERCER
What the devil?
Mercer JUMPS up and RUNS over to the Tape Player. He hits the
stop button and looks around. He’s still alone.
THE MATRON
Thank goodness! You have got to
stop beaming this crap into your
brain. It’s going to melt one day.
You know, that might explain quite
a bit, actually.
Mercer STARLES again, but he can’t see anyone else...
MERCER
How are you doing that?
THE MATRON
Doing what?
MERCER
Really now? Doing what? The
invisibility, woman!
Mercer FLAILS his arms all around him.
MERCER (CONT'D)
The intangibility for Heaven’s
sake! Have you got anything else I
should know about?!
THE MATRON
I don’t blame you. I found it
strange as well...
MERCER
And the mind-reading!
THE MATRON
I don’t need powers to read your
mind. You’ve been thinking the same
thing for longer than both of us
care to remember...
Mercer shakes his head as if he is offended.
MERCER
That’s just like you, isn’t it?
Show up to save my ass and needle
me when you’ve got me over the edge
of a cliff.
86.
THE MATRON
Saving your ass? Where’d you get
that idea? And I don’t walk you to
the cliff’s edge. You do that
yourself, regardless of what anyone
else says. Worse, you let other
people walk it for you!
MERCER
It’s called commitment to
principles. I know you understand.
Mercer gets real.
MERCER (CONT'D)
It’s..why I love you.
There is an awkward silence. Mercer LOOKS around.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Damn. I thought that would work.
THE MATRON
See? This is your problem. You lie
even when you tell the truth.
You’ve always got some scheme or
grand design going on. We’re all
just your pawns.
Mercer RELAXES into a sitting position. He looks happy.
MERCER
You always were the voice of
reason.
THE MATRON
Don’t you know it! And you almost
sound like you miss me. I
distinctly remember it was you that
left. You had to protect our
family. You. Protect us. Ha! Lot of
good that did.
Mercer KNOCKS his head against the wall.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

I’ve never heard such self-
righteous crap in my life. I
suppose you’ve said the same in all
the others. It all seems so damn...
familiar. [laughs]
Mercer SIGHS.
87.
MERCER
You’re right.
THE MATRON
I know I’m right. The entire
universe knows I’m right. And I
intend to see that the universe
stays around to witness that fact,
despite your constant efforts to
the contrary. You and your
ridiculous quest...
The air turns more serious.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

Don’t you get it? They don’t need
you. Nobody needs you. That’s a
story you tell yourself. You use
everyone’s pretend benefit to
justify all this madness. Look
what’s it led to!
Mercer WINCES and braces himself.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

When are you going to learn? How
many times do we have to do this?
Mercer is resigned. The Matron is livid.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

And what do you get in return for
all this, anyways? Just some real
bastards telling you you’re
great...to your face, at least. A
compliment from someone like that
is an insult in my book. But you
have no self-respect. And you go
about demanding respect from
people. It’s utter nonsense, and
they’ve all taken after you.
Mercer SMILES again. This is getting good.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

You’re a first rate narcissist.
With extreme delusions of grandeur.
You don’t hesitate to put the lives
of the entire planet on the line,
much less the people who care about
your sorry ass. You are the...
Biggest....Asshole...I have ever
met. Ever. And that’s saying a hell
of a lot.
88.
MERCER
You’re the second person to call me
an asshole today.
THE MATRON
Anyone who met you would call you
an asshole! You know why?
MERCER
Because I’m an asshole.
THE MATRON
Because you’re an asshole! And look
at what you’ve done to the place!
There is a tense silence. As it breaks, Mercer LAUGHS aloud.
MERCER
Isabella has your insight and quick
wit.
Mercer sees the Glimmer again, but it quickly fades. He looks

around but sees no one. Mercer is frustrated.
MERCER (CONT'D)
(frustrated)
What am I doing wrong here? Can’t
you just stop being invisible?
THE MATRON
You and your useless questions. I
was hoping that would skip a
generation.
MERCER
Oh he’ll be fine. Trial by fire
makes the best of us all.
THE MATRON
See? There you go again. Thinking
you know what’s best for everyone.
MERCER
(fed up)
Woman, I’m done with this. Tell me
what’s going on or I’m going to
drink myself unconscious so I don’t
have to listen to you.
THE MATRON
Real mature. Like I said, you asked
the wrong question. Your problem
isn’t that I’m invisible, really.
Your problem is...
89.
MERCER
Why can’t I see you?
THE MATRON
Exactly. Your mind’s not right.
The Glimmer APPEARS again!
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

Good! A little more to your right.
Mercer’s face is lit up by the light of the Glimmer. The rest

of the Cabin is dark. Mercer MOVES to his right.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

No! Not literally!
MERCER
My dear, your vote of confidence
warms my heart.
THE MATRON
Enough with the sarcasm.
MERCER
Help me out then!
THE MATRON
Fine. But I don’t have a lot of
time. What year is it?
MERCER
What the hell kind of question is
that? Where are you right now?
THE MATRON
You...
MERCER
Wait, I got this one...wrong
question. Am I right?
THE MATRON
Just tell me what you’re doing out
here. Start at the beginning and,
for God’s sake, no riddles.
MERCER
I’m following up a lead from a long
time ago.
THE MATRON
That’s the exact opposite of what I
asked you to do.
(MORE)
90.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

Why are you always so cryptic? You
sound crazy. It makes me crazy! It
makes everyone around you crazy!
MERCER
It’s a long story.
The Matron gets upset:
THE MATRON
Oh you didn’t say?
Sensing danger, Mercer comes up with a solution.
MERCER
Look, we can do this a different
way. Straight to the point.
Mercer motions to the Tape Player and Antennae.
THE MATRON
Damn. That just might work.
MERCER
Now that’s what I’m talking about!
This is so much crazier than the
mile high club.
The Matron feigns disapproval.
THE MATRON
Don’t be so crass. It’s more like a
mind meld...
Mercer walks over to the Tape Player and hits “Play”. The
climax of Stargazer plays with no apparent sound source:
DIO IN STARGAZER (V.O.)

I’m comin’ home!
THE MATRON
Oh lord...
Mercer sits crosslegged on the floor. He psyches himself up.
MERCER
Alright, hit me baby!
An unseen force STRIKES Mercer in the forehead, knocking him

backward. A few tense moments pass before Mercer wakes.
MERCER (CONT'D)
[Groans] My...head...hurts. Why
didn’t it work?
91.
Mercer rubs his forehead.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Wait...did you just slap me?
THE MATRON
Serves you right!
Mercer sits back up and readies himself again.
MERCER
One more time...
The invisible force strikes Mercer’s head again and sends him
falling backwards. We SPIRAL in towards Mercer’s right eye...
FADE TO:
EXT. ROSE GARDEN - DAY
We take as our theme the second movement of Jethro Tull’s

Aqualung. Subtitles gives the time and place:
Boston, 1930
It is a foggy morning as Mercer WALKS alone in a rose garden.

Mercer spies a lone rose in the distance. He WALKS to it...
ON THE ROSE: The Rose is fully formed and looks out of place.
Mercer takes it by the stem and holds it to his face.
ON MERCER: He closes his eyes and inhales deeply...
THE ENGLISHMAN (O.S.)

Brother! It has been a long time.
Shorter for you, I’m sure. You look
remarkably well...
Mercer LOOKS up, startled, and sees THE ENGLISHMAN.
MERCER
What are you? How dare you take
this form? Speak your name and let
me see your true face.
There is an awkward silence.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Impossible...
The Englishman laughs.

92.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Not so powerful without your little
trinket, are you? You believed
yourself a god with its power. You
even had the rest of us convinced.
The Englishman adopts a slightly scolding tone.
THE ENGLISHMAN (CONT'D)

But, alas, you’re only a steward
with delusions of grandeur. Even
you cannot comprehend the forces at
work. I, on the other hand, have
seen the very face of truth...
The Englishman adopts an intense and pained visage.

It has scoured my soul over long
aeons.
Mercer is dumbfounded.
MERCER
Well I’ll be damned. It’s really
you! No one can fake a monologue
like that. Man, how...the
hell...are you doing...here?
Mercer sits on a bench in front of the rose bushes.
MERCER (CONT'D)
You were killed. You all were.
There was no way to survive the
implosion.
THE ENGLISHMAN
You’re here, aren’t you?
MERCER
That’s different.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Oh is it now? How do you mean?
MERCER
For starters, you’re currently
dead. You are dead, right?
The Englishman SITS on the park bench next to Mercer.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Dead to you, maybe. But the Old
Spirit is endlessly crafty.
93.
MERCER
Give to me straight. Are you alive
or not? If not, piss off, and if
so, let’s go drink.
Mercer does a morning stretch as he yawns.
[Yawns]...start this morning off

right.
THE ENGLISHMAN
What’s your criteria for living?
Mercer thinks for a second.
MERCER
Do you take shits?
THE ENGLISHMAN
[Laughs!] I occasionally have the
privilege of taking shits, yes.
MERCER
So there’s hope for you, yet!
Splendid. This is all shaping up
very famously. Can we do the rest
over drinks and breakfast?
THE ENGLISHMAN
No, Manny. Focus.
MERCER
Alright, alright. So you’re not
dead, and I gather that you’re not
really here...where are you?
THE ENGLISHMAN
It’s a nuanced issue. Your trick
back at the Manor condemned us to
an eternity of servitude in the
space of an instant. Our
thoughts...they were like waves in
that swirling sea of madness. The
pattern of their interactions gave
form to something...else. It
captured our spirits when we were
vaporized. By you, I might add.
MERCER
I am very sorry about that, old
friend. I had no other choice.
94.
THE ENGLISHMAN
I’m not offended. In fact, I
clearly remember that you
apologized beforehand. I did not
hold it against you then, and I
have not changed my mind. I only
bring it up to stay true to the
events.
Mercer gives a chuckle.
MERCER
You always were a magnanimous man.
THE ENGLISHMAN
I see it hasn’t rubbed off on you.
The two LAUGH together, and then fall silent.
MERCER
So then how are you here?
THE ENGLISHMAN
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure.
Things are very weird for me these
days. But you should know that the
Device was not destroyed as you
intended.
Mercer GLARES at The Englishman.
MERCER
How do you mean? It was as if the
sun had set down and the Earth
swallowed it whole. There’s no way
the hardware could have withstood
it.
The Englishman shakes his head, slightly disappointed.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Your view is limited. I know now
the true purpose of our works. The
Old Spirit wants you to know, too,
for its own reasons.
MERCER
So show me then, and be done with
it. At least I can still catch a
drink before the day starts.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Mon dieu, I have missed your
spirit! [Laughs!]
95.
Mercer responds in a chiding tone:
MERCER
And I have missed your theatrics,
you old dramaturge.
The Englishman and Mercer are two friends on an adventure.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Well then, shall we?
MERCER
We shall...
Without warning, the Englishman PUNCHES Mercer in the gut.
CUT TO:
INT. THE DEVICE - IN THE LOOP
Mercer speaks with The Girl as the Storm rages outside the
Bubble. The Six are locked in their feedback loop. Each
Vortex is being pulled toward its Smaller Sphere.
CLOSE UP ON THE SMALLER SPHERES: Each of the Smaller Spheres

reflects extreme fast streams of images showing the
corresponding member of The Six living out multiple lives.
THE ENGLISHMAN (V.O.)

As you put on a kind mask for your
little girl, we lived entire lives
inside the reflection, wearing the
patterns of our being in the medium
of that foul force.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARK BENCH - MOMENTS LATER
THE ENGLISHMAN
The cycle proceeds exponentially. I
have never felt such terror.
The Englishman continues painfully and philosophically:

A whole life in a thought, but so
fast you can barely remember. And
ever faster still. Its gravity upon
our souls was too great.
FADE TO:
96.
INT. THE DEVICE - MOMENTS LATER
The Vortexes reach the Smaller Spheres. Mercer is caught up

talking to The Girl and doesn’t notice.

It could never have worked without
your intervention. You gave her
everything she needed. We thought
too small, my friend. She’s had us
all along...
FADE TO:
EXT. MANOR DOORWAY - CONTINUOUS
We follow THE RELATIVE, a well-dressed man, as he walks

briskly towards the Manor’s front door. THE DRIVER, the IT
Guy in 1917 military garb and looking hardly over 17 years
old, waits outside the Manor’s front door. The Driver
recognizes the Relative.
THE DRIVER
You need to stay dead...
The Driver pulls his pistol. The Relative interjects:
THE RELATIVE
Don’t...
The Driver pauses for the briefest of moments...
THE RELATIVE (CONT'D)

...pull the trigger.
..and instinctively pulls the trigger when the barrel is

pointed at his thigh. The pistol fires through his leg. The
Driver falls and drops the pistol. He screams in pain and
clutches his leg. Blood gushes from the wound. The Relative
continues walking, and kicks the pistol away from the Driver.
INTERCUT TO THE MATRON IN THE GREAT ROOM: The Matron hears

the gunshot and rushes to the closed door of the Great Room.
She holds to door knob and presses her ear to the door.
BACK TO THE RELATIVE: The Relative touches his thumb ring.
INTERCUT TO THE MATRON IN THE GREAT ROOM: The Matron has her
ear pressed to the door in silence. We hear a humming sound.
INTERCUT TO THE INTERIOR HALLWAY: All the surfaces in the

Hallway emit a glow like ball lightning. We hear a loud PANG!
The Manor door is pulled inward off the hinges.
97.
INTERCUT TO THE MATRON IN THE GREAT ROOM: The Matron JUMPS

back! She gasps but quiets herself.
THE MATRON
[Hushed gasp!]
BACK TO THE RELATIVE WALKING TO THE MANOR DOOR: The Relative

doesn’t break stride. He walks into the Hallway.
IN THE HALLWAY: The Relative enters, stepping over the warped

front door that now sits on the floor of the hallway.
INTERCUT TO THE MATRON IN THE GREAT ROOM: The Matron has her
ear to the door again. It’s quiet. She listens...
CLOSE UP ON THE MATRON’S FACE AGAINST THE DOOR: The Matron

hears only the perfectly timed footsteps of the intruder.
Doom draws nearer...and nearer...
IN THE HALLWAY: As the Relative approaches the Great Room

door, he touches the Thumb Ring again. The humming returns.
INTERCUT TO THE MATRON IN THE GREAT ROOM: The door glows with
the same ball-lightning type discharge as the hallway. The
Matron JUMPS back and the doorknob breaks off in her hand.
The door crumbles like wet sand.
IN THE HALL AT THE GREAT ROOM DOOR: The Relative reaches the
Great Room doorway. The Matron sees him through the opening.
THE MATRON (CONT'D)

What are...?
THE RELATIVE
Hello my dear...
The Matron stumbles backwards as the Relative walks straight

in to the Great Room, stepping over the crumbling remains of
the Door. He hasn’t broken his stride yet.
CUT TO:
INT. GREAT ROOM - NEXT SECOND
The Relative crosses the threshold of the Great Room and

STOPS. From behind him, we see the Matron is standing 45
degrees to his left and about seven feet from him. She stands
with her back to a desk about waist height.
The Guard is standing 45 degrees to Relative’s right, about

20 feet away and in front of the Bookcase that is the Door to
the Device.
98.
The Guard stops rummaging in one of the boxes and looks up at

the Relative. It’s a two-on-one stand off, but everyone seems
to know the odds are on the Relative.
THE GUARD
My God man, shouldn’t you be in
London?
THE RELATIVE
I’ve more important work here.
THE MATRON
You don’t decide what work is more
important. That’s for Mercurius.
THE RELATIVE
You fools were always his lap dogs.
It makes me sick.
THE GUARD
Watch your tongue, I’ll have it out
if you keep this up. And we’re all
servants, even him. You’re no
different.
THE RELATIVE
You know, I was just thinking about
the very same thing. About the
difference between me and, well,
everybody. Do you want to know what
I realized?
THE MATRON
You think too much. You always
have...
THE RELATIVE
You don’t think enough. You lot are
happy to mistake belief for
knowledge. Your passion for
whatever cause relieves you of the
human existence you find so
tedious. It’s a cultivated madness.
Your madness, not mine. You really
ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
I don’t even have to do anything. I
just wind you up and walk away! I
can’t believe she pays me for it,
really.
THE MATRON
You speak as if you’re god, the
father almighty...
99.
THE RELATIVE
Sunday school brat has no currency
for you. Not anymore. All that’s
left is cause and effect, asset and
debt. And I’ve run your
numbers...thoroughly. I’m
devilishly good with cooking the
books, you know.
The Guard shows his temper again:
THE GUARD
Enough with the riddles and double-
meanings! Go back to London and we
will see you at the appointed time.
The Matron speaks to the Guard in a hushed tone.
THE MATRON
He’ll use your words against you!
THE RELATIVE
I speak to the part of you that
agrees with me, that’s all. It’s
not black magic.
THE GUARD
You know that’s against the law...
The Relative is undisturbed.
THE RELATIVE
I know more than you can imagine.
Enough to live by a different law.
You act according to your own true
nature. It just happens to benefit
me. And so on, up the chain.
THE GUARD
This is outrage! Your very
existence is blasphemy of the
highest order. I won’t stand for
it!
While the Relative is focused on the Guard, the Matron seizes

the moment, raising her left hand to grasp or strike the
Relative. The Relative SNATCHES the Matron’s wrist with his
left hand and WRAPS her arm around the back of her neck,
sliding it to her waist. With his free hand, he takes
something from his belt and RAISES the hand above his head.
The Relative DASHES forward, and bends the Matron backwards

over the Desk behind them, almost as if to kiss.
100.
The Relative lowers his raised hand, now shown to hold a long
DAGGER resembling a fire poker with wide, straight-bar hilt
and matching straight-bar pommel. The Relative drives the
Dagger through the Matron’s heart, all the way to the hilt.
UNDERSIDE OF DESK - SAME TIME: The tip of the Dagger BREAKS

through the wood. It looks like half a broad-head arrowhead.
Blood drips down the blade and onto the carpet.
ON THE RELATIVE: The Relative uses both hands to grab either

end of the pommel twists it 90 degrees.
UNDERSIDE OF DESK - SAME TIME: The point of the dagger turns

90, effectively locking the Matron to the desk.
ON THE MATRON: The Matron is stuck to the desk. She’s

bleeding out and can’t speak. The Relative’s mouth is next to
her ear. He speaks to her softly, almost like pillow
talk...using her voice, too:
THE RELATIVE AND MATRON IN UNISON

Stay alive. I want this to be the
last thing you both see.
ON THE GUARD: The Guard has been rushing toward The Relative,
but the Relative is terribly efficient...
THE GUARD
[Screams in rage] I’ll kill you!
The Guard REACHES out with both hands. The Relative SEIZES
both hands and SPINS them counter-clockwise, Taiji style,
locking up the Guard’s arms at the elbows. The Relative
controls the Guard’s arms with his left hand and DRIVES him
across the room. He SLAMS the Guard into the bookcase,
PINNING him against it.
THE RELATIVE
My angel. Your time has come again.
THE GUARD
Go to hell!
THE RELATIVE
[Laughs] So predictable.
THE GUARD
Works every time.
THE RELATIVE
We’ll see about that. At least I
will. Time to fall...
101.
The Relative takes his right hand and drives his index and
middle fingers through the Guard’s two eyes.
THE GUARD
[Screams in pain]
The Relative grabs a hold of the inside of the Guard’s

maxilla. He YANKS the Guard’s like starting a motor and uses
his left elbow to STRIKE the Guard’s chest. We hear a CRACK
and the Guard’s arms FLOP to his sides. The Relative’s left
hand GRABS the Guard’s left shoulder and turns him around.
The Relative’s left hand PRESSES downward and his left foot
drives the Guard’s left KNEE to the ground. The kneeling
Guard SLUMPS forward against the bookcase, his head facing
backwards. His body looks like it’s PRAYING to the Device.
The Relative pulls his fingers from the Guard’s eyes and
PRESSES them into his forehead, leaving a chevron in blood.
ON THE MATRON: The Relative approaches...
CUT TO:
Mercer is shaking his head.
MERCER
No matter how many times I see
it...It still feels like the first
time, every time. I really wish I
could have stopped it that time. I
was so close.
THE ENGLISHMAN
I recall you saying that every
previous time.
MERCER
At least I’m trying. And Danny just
won’t let the blinding go, will he?
THE ENGLISHMAN
I can understand his anger. The
blind bit has become attached to
his legacy.
MERCER
That was just a joke. He wasn’t
even blind! Besides, it made him
famous. No one would even know him
otherwise.
102.
THE ENGLISHMAN
To be fair, you were quite heavy
handed. And he’s a vain fellow.
Vain as they come. His means and
motive just so happen to coincide
with the Old Spirit’s objectives.
At least that’s how he’d say it.
But you’re not seeing the
implication here. She’s been
collecting...
FADE TO:
INT. THE DEVICE - MOMENTS LATER
Mercer takes out The Red Stone. The swirling energy is still
focused on his body. As Mercer FLICKS The Red Stone, the
Focal Point of the energy transfers into the Red Stone.
IN A RED HAZE: This time, our vision shifts to a sort of RED-

SHIFTED version of the energetic Storm with the Spheres
blazing purple. Mercer’s transfer of the Focal Point into The
Red Stone creates a reflection of Mercer.
The reflection coheres into Mercer’s DOUBLE. The Double is

formed out of the swirling red energy in the room and is also
colored red. As Mercer swings in slow motion, the Double
WALKS to the central sphere and SITS upon it. When the Red
Stone strikes the Central Sphere, The Red Stone’s pattern is
replicated in the Spheres and then in the swirling Storm. As
the Pattern takes hold, Mercer’s eyes glow red.
MERCER
We shall meet again...
Mercer STEPS into the Central Sphere. He VANISHES and leaves

the Void. The Device IMPLODES. We see the interior of the
Outer Sphere rapidly shrink inwards in a blinding FLASH.
JUMP CUT TO:
EXT. FORESTED WOODLINE - THE SAME TIME
Mercer STEPS out of thin air into a clearing. He TURNS to see

the spherical Explosion, like a tiny hydrogen bomb. The earth
collapses in around it, and a mushroom cloud rises skyward.
Mercer observes the Explosion for a moment, then drops to the
ground and violently vomits. He spits several times.
MERCER
[Grunts] That [spits] was a close
shave [spits].
103.
Mercer sits back on his haunches and holds the Red Stone.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Not quite what I’d call a smooth
ride, though. Not just yet.
Mercer takes a deep breath and stands as he, looking at the

Manor in the distance. He sighs and shakes his head. Mercer
turns around, straightens his jacket and walks away.
FADE TO:
EXT. SMOKING RUINS WHERE THE DEVICE ONE STOOD - 1917
We survey the roughly spherical damage pattern. Our view

settles on the floor of the crater. The Relative is walking
to the floor of the crater! He carries a smallish wooden BOX
under his left arm and a military SPADE in his right hand. He
reaches the floor of the crater and STOPS. He LOOKS down...
The Relative sets the Box and Spade on the ground and checks
his pocket watch. The Relative looks DOWN sees THE CUBE
sitting on the ground. The Cube is a 6x6x6 inch cube of the
polished Black Stone material.
The Relative SQUATS down and inspects the Cube. He REACHES

down to touch it, and we see the SPEAKER’S RING on his thumb.
The Relative TAPS The Cube with The Speaker’s Ring. The Cube
gives off a sick, warbling TONE and makes a small, purple
electrical arc to the Ring.
The Relative REACHES to his left and carefully picks up the

Box. The Relative uses The Box to SCOOP around The Cube. The
Cube does not change positions. The Relative CLOSES The Box,
stands up, and checks his pocket watch again.
BEGIN MONTAGE: The Relative GRABS the Spade and covers the
Box with earth. He tamps the earth with the Spade. Then he
walks over the tamped patch, compacting it even more. The Box
is safe and HIDDEN. END MONTAGE.
The Relative stands back, dusts off his hands and observes
his work. He checks his pocket watch one last time, then
picks up the Spade and walks away.
FADE TO:
Mercer is REELING from the shock of this revelation.

104.
THE ENGLISHMAN
You’ve served a purpose, and not
for the last time. We all have in
our way. We have made greater
sacrifices than you. At least for
the time being.
Mercer is too shocked to catch the warning.
MERCER
I...I had no idea. My god man, you
don’t think I knew? How could I
have known?
The Englishman is content to move on and rip Mercer a bit.
THE ENGLISHMAN
No, no. Now that I know more, I
don’t think you’re smart enough to
get this one. If I didn’t see it,
neither did you. You’re really not
that great, you know! But you
claimed to have the all the
secrets. You even circulated
marketing materials! And your fan
club has really run wild.
MERCER
That was not one of my better
attempts. Come to think of it, none
of my attempts have gone very well.
But I’m pretty sure my heart’s been
in the right place.
THE ENGLISHMAN
I agree with your assessment. I was
there. Our hubris really was almost
innocent, at first. But it opened
the door to that ancient,
unspeakable, and unstoppable force.
MERCER
The Old Spirit.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Not exactly.
MERCER
Not exactly? God help us.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Well that’s just the problem, isn’t
it? Unmasking the alien god has
proved most frightful.
(MORE)
105.

I can see why they don’t lead with
it in school.
MERCER
Why don’t you let me in on your
secret? I don’t scare easily...
FADE TO:
EXT. ANCIENT EARTH MONTAGE - PURPLE DAWN SKY WITH TIAMAT
We see the sky of the purple hazy world, with an additional

large, solid body off to the side of the polar alignment.
Great arcs of energetic discharge appear in the sky.
THE ENGLISHMAN
You already know part of the story.
But most people, yourself included,
misunderstand the greater planetary
spirits.
ON THE NEW PLANET IN SPACE: The new planet is blue ocean

world with only six black, hexagonal landmasses - one at each
pole and one at each of the equatorial minimums and maximums.
There is something like the Dome on each of the islands.

And ever since the Old Lady fell,
we’ve been contending with an
additional spirit on this planet.
She had nowhere else to go.
ON THE PLANETS IN A POLAR ORBIT OF THE PURPLE STAR: The

Column has withdrawn from the planets. The New Planet begins
to give off a glow. The Earth begins to glow. Mars and Venus
glow. The Purple Star glows brighter.
ON THE EARTH: The Earth’s glow quickly turns the color of the
Red Stone! The Earth’s glow IMPLODES, leaving it dark.
ON MARS AND VENUS: The glows surrounding Mars and Venus turn
red and IMPLODE! The Planets are intact.
ON THE PURPLE STAR: The Purple Star flares up red and

IMPLODES! The result is the gas giant Saturn.
ON THE NEW PLANET - SAME TIME: The Six Domes on the New
Planet glow red. The New Planet erupts in vulcanism.
At the moment of the Red-Purple Star’s Implosion, the Red

Domes are VAPORIZED as a PULSE travels inward from the Domes
towards the planet’s core! The New Planet EXPLODES!
106.
ON THE PLANETARY ARRANGEMENT: Broken up pieces of the New

Planet head for Mars, Venus, Earth, and Saturn. We see
silhouettes of tentacled forms frozen in ice. A small icicle
with a frozen octopus floats by, faintly squeaking at us...
FADE TO:
MERCER
So we’ve been fighting the ghost of
the old Enemy?
THE ENGLISHMAN
In one sense. The Old Spirit wants
to take our world to remake
herself. We can hardly fault her
there. We destroyed her home.
MERCER
That’s hardly accurate. The thing
had run out of control. We had to
do it, for her own people’s sake.
THE ENGLISHMAN
I remember it well enough, I’m just
playing Devil’s advocate.
MERCER
Tell the Devil that her own people
helped us destroy her planet. On
purpose. Those who could still
manage it came to us, pleading for
help, begging us to end it all by
any means necessary. They would
rather their families die than stay
trapped in the Enemy’s engine. We
saved everyone we could. We’re the
good guys, here.
THE ENGLISHMAN
A valiant effort, to be sure.
MERCER
Cracking the sky wasn’t enough?
THE ENGLISHMAN
Far from it. She had a plan.
MERCER
Ah, of course. So how’s bout you
help me, then? What’s her play?
107.
THE ENGLISHMAN
She needs her Prometheus to make
the call and take the fall. They’ve
tried this a thousand thousand
times and account for every
eventuality. They’re frightfully
good with calculations. Do you see
now, how insignificant we are in
the face of it?
Mercer channels his inner swagger...
MERCER
Well, I’m never one to back down
from a challenge, especially when I
don’t have a choice. Plus, I’m
bored and I’m not sure I can die.
What’s your excuse?
THE ENGLISHMAN
I’m trapped in another dimension
and exist as a projection allowed
by my captor. Your enemy.
MERCER
Oh. Yeah. That’s on me. And why
didn’t you use say that at first?
THE ENGLISHMAN
Getting there is the fun part.
MERCER
Why of courser it is! The journey.
That’s what always brought us
together in the beginnings. So
what’s next?
THE ENGLISHMAN
Manny, you really need to learn how
to take a holiday. Go to
California! Get into the talkies!
With your skills and stories, you
ought to have an easy time of it.
MERCER
I’m wanted in nearly every country
on earth. And by nearly every group
without a country. I’d be shot soon
as I walked through the front door!
THE ENGLISHMAN
Then take the back door. It’s
Hollywood! I think they’d be a most
receptive audience.
108.
Mercer and Englishman laugh together.

[Laughs] That reminds me...
MERCER
Right, right. Let me have it.
The Englishman adopts a mysterious air again:
THE ENGLISHMAN
Enter once, departing twice, thrice
to one and one again. In fearsome
waves the serpent’s eye lights
fires in the minds of men.
MERCER
[Chuckles] A lovely poem, worth the
price of admission. Now, are you
done playing the Devil’s errand
boy? And more importantly, do you
have time for that drink?
THE ENGLISHMAN
I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time
for that. Hard times and all.
The Englishman motions to the Red Stone.

Where did you get that, by the way?
I thought we never found that one.
MERCER
I left it off the list. For times
like this.
THE ENGLISHMAN
You left it off our list. The Old
Spirit has a more complete catalog.
MERCER
Well she ought to, shouldn’t she?
I’d be disappointed if she didn’t!
Wouldn’t be a fair fight otherwise.
Will I see you again?
THE ENGLISHMAN
I should hope so! I fully expect
you to extract us from this god-
forsaken thing! But I fear that our
opponents have planned all of this
far in advance. Any move we make
could be playing into their hands.
109.
The Englishman stares off into space.

I have come into a more...nuanced
understanding of free will. I’m
certain now that it only exists in
a single moment in any given life.
It is what we do at that exact
moment that counts. You know of
what I speak?
MERCER
I think I can gather.
THE ENGLISHMAN
Good. Then you know my sincerity,
despite my present condition.
The Englishman STANDS to leave, and Mercer STANDS with him.

I have enjoyed this immensely. For
what its worth, I am sure the
others are enjoying it as well.
MERCER
I will come back for you.
Mercer LOOKS down, trying to avoid weeping.
MERCER (CONT'D)
Until next time, then?
Mercer LOOKS up, and The Englishman is gone. Mercer sighs and
WALKS away. Behind the bench, the rose bushes have bloomed.
FADE TO:
BLACK SCREEN
Switzerland, 1975
FADE TO:
INT. CUBE CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS - HALLWAY - LIGHTS ON
A well-dressed ACCOUNTANT WALKS down a Hallway towards the

Door of the CUBE CHAMBER. The structure looks like a Cold War-
era underground bunker. The Accountant carries a black metal
BRIEFCASE and wears the Speaker’s Ring.
110.
The Accountant reaches the doorway at the end of the hall.

The Door opens on its own, and the Accountant walks through.
CUT TO:
INT. CUBE CHAMBER - MOMENTS LATER
The Accountant enters the Cube Chamber, about 30 feet wide.

The hexagonal ceiling and floor are made of MATTE stone. The
1917 Cube sits on a central hexagonal matte Pillar, resting
on a stratigraphical section of dirt and its box. The WALLS
are six polished black stone panels. Before each is a PILLAR,
five of which hold ancient-looking CUBES.
The Accountant walks toward the empty Pillar. He STOPS and

KNEELS down. The Briefcase thuds against the floor. The
Accountant OPENS the briefcase. A Cube sits in a gel-filled
cavity lined with layers of LEAD and GOLD.
FROM BEHIND THE ACCOUNTANT: The Accountant carefully REMOVES

the Cube and sets it on the Pillar. The Cube MAGNETIZES. The
Accountant STEPS back. After a moment, he KNEELS to CLOSES
the briefcase.
FACING THE ACCOUNTANT: The Accountant stands and walks out.

He is the Speaker and Relative. The door closes and the light
turns off.
CUT TO:
INT. CUBE CHAMBER - MOMENTS LATER
The faint red light of the Cubes glows in the dark. A RED
FLASH from the Central Cube illuminates the Cube Chamber.
PULSES rotate in the lit-up Outer Cubes.
ON THE SMALLER CUBES: The Central Cube PULSES. A spiraling

TORUS of red haze forms about two feet from the Central Cube.
ON THE TORUS: The Torus begins ROTATING in the opposite

direction as the Pulses in the Smaller Cubes.
ON THE WALLS: The Wall Panels give off the red light. They
PULSE randomly and gain speed until they appear continuous.
FROM ABOVE: The Pulses move at terrifying speed. The Torus is

pulled outwards into a HEXAGON. The system looks like an EYE.
CUT TO BLACK.
Roll credits.

Magi Machinists Part 1 Final Draft

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Magi Machinists Part 1 Final Draft

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MAGI, MACHINISTS

2524 T. St. #14, Sacramento, CA 95816

There is a deep, nearly inaudible HUMMING.

THE TRANSPARENT EXPANSE: Our view adjusts to the Black. A

THE SIMMERING VOID: The Flash recedes into a simmering GLOW

ENDLESS FIREFLIES: The Glow radiates from POINTS emitting

INTERLOCKING LENSES: The Points merge into a single field and

COAGULATED FROTH: The Fields form a layer of thickening

THE CHURNING: Our view is locked in a rapid alternation of

THE HEART IN THE VOID: We ZOOM IN on a moment of LIGHT. The

EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP - EVENING

We open on a mountain top, looking at a ledge. Subtitles:

A man’s HAND GRASPS the rocky escarpment. It wears many rings

THE FOREST - CONTINUOUS

We follow The Runner as he RUNS through the forest.

EXT. FOREST CLEARING - MOMENTS LATER

The Runner reaches a clearing and skids to a stop.

VIEW UP FROM CHASM: The Runner’s slide sends several small

VIEW OUT TO THE HORIZON: We see an expansive view of the

CLOSE UP ON THE RUNNER’S FACE: The Runner closes his eyes. He

THE SPEAKER (IN BACKGROUND)

The Runner WHEELS about to face THE SPEAKER, a pale man

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Runner looks at the SPEAKER’S RING. It looks like an

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Runner looks down and chuckles to himself. He’s

THE RUNNER (CONT'D)

The Speaker and Runner stand opposite in the field, ready to

ON THE RUNNER: It’s fightin’ time! The Runner KNOCKS his

FACING DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELD - SLOW MOTION: The Sound is

Standing WAVES emerge at once outward from each Bracelet and

CLOSE UP ON THE AIR IN THE BATTLEFIELD - SAME TIME: The air

ON THE RUNNER: Nothing’s happening. That’s bad. Really bad.

SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN DIALOGUE:

The Speaker has heard enough.

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

THE SPEAKER (O.S.)

CLOSE UP ON THE SPEAKER’S RING - SAME TIME: The Speaker

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

ALTERNATING CLOSE UPS BETWEEN SPEAKER AND RUNNER’S EYES:

We see a blank fog in the center of both their pupils. The

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Speaker’s eyes now show the memory. It rapidly fast

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Speaker’s pupils show the Runner’s present view. The

THE SPEAKER AND THE RUNNER IN DIALOGUE:

The Runner is locked in place, struggling. The Speaker, back

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Runner is struggling to speak but cannot say anything.

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

The Runner manages a few choked words:

CLOSE UP ON THE SPEAKER’S FACE - INTENSE: The horrified

BACK OUT TO THE SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN DIALOGUE: The Speaker,

The Speaker narrows his eyes and lowers his voice:

THE SPEAKER (CONT'D)

THE SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN UNISON

We see the Runner’s face changing into a pained expression,

The Speaker continues in an inspired, philosophical manner:

The Speaker uses the Runner’s voice again:

THE SPEAKER AND RUNNER IN UNISON

The Speaker goes back to his own voice.

The Runner begins to weep. He manages a few words: