Deep Rising: Submarine Horror Script
Deep Rising: Submarine Horror Script
Revised Draft
Jan. 1st, 1996
- - -
OPEN TO:
The dark blue waters roil and boil and foam. THUNDER CRACKS. LIGHTING
FLASHES.
CUT TO:
The JAPANESE CAPTAIN watches a DLD laser tracking system and barks
one-word questions to his JAPANESE CREW. The Sailors work the consoles
and give clipped monosyllabic answers.
An ALARM SOUNDS as the depth gauge sounds 35,000 feet. All eyes on the
depth gauge. Several Science Officers share excited looks.
The excitment builds. Even the Captain's weathered eyes widen. And
then, as the depth gauge hits 35,801 feet below sea level, the entire
Crew breaks into CHEERS, WHOOPS, HANDSHAKES AND HIGH-FIVES.
CUT TO:
The vessel drops into the SULU BASIN. Imagine the Grand Canyon under
forty thousand feet of water. But the Sulu Basin is ten times the size
of the Grand Canyon. Down here, ten thousand fathoms below the storm,
all is calm.
The dual TURBO-PROPS on the ear of the submersible KICK ON. The
Bathysaphe is now mobile. It glides down the side of an enormous rock
face, carefully avoiding massive sandstone pinnacles which jut up from
the ocean floor far below.
DISSOLVE TO:
A ROBOTIC ARM extends out from under the plexi-dome. Its "hand" is a
high-tech LASER CUTTER. It approaches the plate, steadies, then fires
a direct BLUE BEAM at the bedrock, burns the rock into magma and cuts
a perfect round pattern.
Another ROBOTIC ARM reaches forward, its CLAW rips out the cut rock
from inside the pattern, then takes the sample and sets it inside a
hydro-basket on the submersible's port side.
DISSOLVE TO:
CUT TO:
The Captain and the Science Officers stare through the plexi-dome and
out into the freezing, cobalt blue of the PALAWAN TROUGH. The MUSIC
intensifies as they round each curve. Then, dead ahead, is the end of
the trough, which is half-blocked by a rock-encrusted embankment. The
MUSIC builds.
The Captain, the Science Officers and the entire Crew just stare,
frozen in place by the strage horror before them.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
WHOOSH!! A HUGE JET STREAM OF INKY BLOOD BLASTS OUT OF THE FORMATION!
CUT TO:
The Captain and the Science Officers recoil as the inky stuff
envelopes the plexi-dome, completely blotting out the VIEW.
CUT TO:
The Shinkai VANISHES into a huge cloud of inky blood. We HOLD for a
LONG OMINOUS BEAT. And then, like a slow-motion earthquake, large
boulders and giant crevices begin to shift in the murky waters. WHALE
BONES TOPPLE and SCATTER. Several feet under the ancient silt,
something is coming alive.
CUT TO:
The Captain barks commands. The Crew leaps into high gear. Then the
Captain reverses the trottle, and petal-to-the-metal he starts to back
out. The inky blood swirls past the plexi-dome.
Then suddenly, and impossibly, the SUBMERSIBLE JERKS TO A HALT.
Everybody goes ass-over-teacups. EQUIPMENT SHATTERS. SPARKS FLY. GLASS
BREAKS. Lots of YELLING in Japanese.
The SHINKAI starts to ROCK and SHAKE. Something has a hold on it. More
EQUIPMENT SHATTERS. Men are thrown about.
Then it stops rocking. The Sailors stop yelling. Everything goes dead
quiet. Frightened eyes share terror-filled looks. A SOUND is HEARD
coming from the exterior of the ship, like feet runing across the
outside of the hull. Very creepy. The HULL starts to MOAN and CREAK
from an UNSEEN PRESSURE.
And then the sub begins to be crushed like it's a beer can.
The metal HULL TORQUES on all sides. RIVETS POP and SNAP. WATER SPRAYS
and SHOOTS. More SPARKS FLY. The STEEL PLATING DIMPLES, CRUMBLES and
SCREAMS in agony. CHAOS. PANDEMONIUM. And then the SHINKAI IMPLODES. A
massive CHURNING SWIRL of water, metal and men.
THE SAIPAN, a tricked out Jet Foil, built for speed not looks,
gunmetal blue, lean and mean, rips across the choppy water. The
Rolling Stones STREETFIGHTING MAN pours out of the jet foil,
reverberating over the waves, as the CAMERA rushes right at the
windsheild and into...
CUT TO:
...where JOHN T. FINNEGAN, bathed in the last light of day, all taut
muscle and sinew, all business, with every one of his 38 years etched
on his rugged, good looking face, is harnessed into the steering
pylon, wrestling with his steering-sticks, holding the bouncing
jetfoil steady as he can, hauling ass, propelled, it seems, by the
music blasting out of four state of the art speakers bolted to the
metal walls.
Light from the laser imagers plays across Finnegan's face. The face of
a man in his element, on the edge, in control. He barks commands into
his RADIO HEADSET.
FINNEGAN
How we doing out there?
FINNEGAN
Yes, I'm very warm and dry in here,
thank you for your concern.
His HEADSET comes alive withe the SOUND of LEILA bitching in an
unitelligible foreign tounge.
FINNEGAN
A raise? I already pay you two bucks
a day.
FINNEGAN
Missed one darling.
Leila turns and gives him a "jerking-off" sign with her hand.
FINNEGAN
I love you too.
The Radar Imager suddenly blinks, and goes to black. Dead. Finnegan
taps on the screen. Nothing. Taps on the console. Still nothing.
Simutaneously two more imagers shut down. His mouth screws tight.
CUT TO:
Crammed wall to wall with enough horsepower to fly a 747. Pumped out
of two thumping engines. The domain of a scruffy, shifty-eyed,
likeable little weasle of a mechanical genius...JOEY PANTUCCI. Wearing
a mechanic's toolbelt, slung sideways across the hips like a
gunslinger, singing the theme to "Gilligan's Island" over the engine's
roar. Way off-key. His hands crammed deep in a tangle of wires. On the
walls are a few pictures: Of a few major league engines. Of a few
major league pinups, and a few of Pantucci and Finnegan...together in
the U.S. Navy...in front of the Saipan in shinier days.
PANTUCCI
(singing)
" -- if not for the courage of the
fearless crew -- "
PANTUCCI
" -- the Minnow would be lost, the
Minowwww would be lost."
FINNEGAN (V.O.)
(radio filtered)
PANTUCCI!!
PANTUCCI
(into radio)
Can we use our indoor voice
please...
FINNEGAN (V.O.)
(radio filtered)
I'm flying blind here God damn it!
PANTUCCI
You trying to make me feel guilty?
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
Guilty will be the least of what you
feel when I run my rig into one of
these god damn no name islands! Get
me well here!
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
All better...
The console lights up. The screens come back on line. Finnegan is
pleased.
PANTUCCI (V.O.)
Now tell me again...
CUT TO:
Pantucci works his wrench around an engine mount. And his nervous eyes
around six men, big, bad men, standing on the far side of the engines
out in a narrow passage. A Maori(VIVO). Two Assies(MASON and
MULLIGAN). A Samoan(MAMOOLI). A Chinese(CHIN). And an Aborigine
(BILLY). Tattooed, armed to the teeth, packed in Kevlar body armor.
Mercenaries. Who would as soon wring your neck as shake your hand. And
a sixth man. HANOVER. The obvious leader. Smoother than the rest, but
still showing the edge of a man risen from their ranks. He consults
his watch with a growing concern.
PANTUCCI
...why we took this job?
CUT TO:
Finnegan hits a button on his console. The Stones are replaced by the
first chords of LAYLA.
FINNEGAN
If I told you once...I told you a
thousand times...
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
(rote)
I know...I know...if the cash is
there we don't care...
(nervous)
Finnegan this is as mean a pile of
shit as we ever carried...
PANTUCCI
...and some of it's coming your way.
CUT TO:
HANOVER
You remember the first time we met
Finnegan? I think you were just
starting out...smuggling gold off
Sumatra for those two Chinese...what
did we use to call them?
FINNEGAN
Fok Yu and Fok Yu Two...are we
strolling down memory lane for any
particular reason?
HANOVER
No, it just struck me as odd...I
don't see you for all these years
and you've still got the same tape
stuck in the box.
FINNEGAN
You know what they say...the
classics are eternal.
Hanover looks at the Topo Imager. Holding onto the rail to keep his
balance as the boat slams over the choppy sea.
HANOVER
So where are we?
FINNEGAN
Right here...middle of nowhere...
HANOVER
And where is our point of arrival?
FINNEGAN
Right here...middle of nowhere...and
the answer to your question is yes.
HANOVER
Which question is that?
FINNEGAN
The one you came up to ask...are we
on schedule?
HANOVER
(to Mason)
Take note Mr. Mason...this is why
you hire a professional...No
whining. No excuses.
MASON
(attitude)
I've heard a lot of stories about
you mate...
FINNEGAN
All of them flattering I'm sure.
MASON
They were...but they musta been
talking about another Finnegan...
because the one I heard about was as
rough as they came...the one I'm
looking at is, well, about as
current as the music.
HANOVER
Don't mind him Finnegan...you
remember 25...balls of steel...
splashing around in a sea of
testosterone.
FINNEGAN
I don't mind him...but I do think
it's time for him to get back down
below with the rest of the
playgroup.
MASON
And who's gonna make me?
FINNEGAN
The Finnegan you heard about.
...and jams the steering sticks full speed ahead. The force of
acceleration tumbles Hanover into the console. Mason tumbles out the
open hatchway, down the stairs behind him.
HANOVER
That's why we're sill around
Finnegan...you and me... Nothing
gets the feathers up. Business is
business. Eh?
Finnegan's hand finds the console. He hits a button. The first strains
of Led Zepplin's WHOLE LOTTA LOVE comes roaring out of the speakers.
FINNEGAN
And the classics are eternal.
Finnegan cranks the sound to the max, pulls back on both steer sticks,
and holds on, as the force of acceleration hammers him into the pylon.
CUT TO:
The Saipan roars off into the setting sun, hell bent for leather.
Zepplin screaming in its wake.
CUT TO:
Sailing through the mild waters of the South China Sea, a luxury
cruise liner. The FUJI MARU. Top of the line. State of the art. And
absolutely MASSIVE. No expense has been spared. Breathtaking. Gunfire
shatters the serenity of the night.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Rigged for a formal party. Chinese lanters sway in the breeze. A band
plays. Hundreds of wealthy Passengers, the men in tuxedos, the women
in drop dead gowns, dripping with jewelry, dance, flirt, gossip, as an
endless stream of waiters ply the floor with champagne laden trays.
CLOSE ON: The sexiest pair of spiked heels ever to grace the foot of a
woman, stopping at the top of the deck.
PAN UP: A shimmering golden gown, high slit on the sides to reveal a
perfect set of legs, a runway model's body, a cover girl's face...and
a thief's sharp ferret eyes. TRILLIAN. A class act from top to bottom.
A head turner for either sex, and knows it. She holds an orchid in her
hand. Trillian scans the crowd, looking for her prey...and finds him.
Her POV. The Ship's smug Captain. JEAN BAPTISTE DELCROIX. She fixes
the orcid in her hair just so, about to move...
OLD WOMAN
He said an orchid and a beautiful
woman belonged together... It was
our first date.
OLD WOMAN
He said that it was the orchid I
wore that made him fall in love with
me...
TRILLIAN
He sounds like a real gentleman.
OLD WOMAN
The best of the best he was... This
cruise was supposed to be our 60th
anniversary gift to each other. He
died last Spring...
TRILLIAN
I'm so sorry...
OLD WOMAN
I was going to wear one...special
for him...like a memory...
OLD WOMAN
But without him here I don't know
why I should.
Trillian takes the orchid from her hair, and places it in the lapel of
the woman's jacket.
TRILLIAN
Because an orchid and a beautiful
woman belong together.
The smile Trillian bestows on the old woman is loving, sincere. The
moment between them is broken by the keen clear sound of a silver
spoon tapping a crystal champagne flute.
CANTON (V.O.)
Ladies and gentlemen...
ANGLE ON: The deck where the band stops playing. Voices hush. Everyone
turns to NIGEL CANTON, 65, tall, elegant, every white hair perfectly
in place, impeccibly turned out, with the energy, and enthusiasm of a
man half his age. Canton stands at the head of the pool, in front of a
wall sized aquarium, flanked by his Captain.
CANTON
All my life I had the dream of
building the greatest pleasure ship
ever to sail the seven seas...
tonight, seeing all of you here...so
elegant...so beautiful...so rich...
CANTON
I realize my dream has come true...I
thank you all from the bottom of my
heart for making it so...
CANTON
To the Fuji Maru! Good times
forever!
CROWD
Forever!! Here! Here!
The crowd swells around Canton. ANGLE ON: The Captain chatting up some
passengers when a woman's voice, seductive, beguiling, turns his head
to...
TRILLIAN
(french)
Is it true what they say about a
captain and his boat.
CAPTAIN
Is what true madame?
Trillian takes one step closer, until her moist lips are pursed inches
from the captain's.
TRILLIAN
(French)
Madamoiselle...that the bigger the
boat...the bigger the man...
CAPTAIN
It is a theory I would be glad to
put to the test.
TRILLIAN
(French)
In school, the Sisters said testing
was my specialty.
PASSENGER
Captain...
PASSENGER
My wife...
CAPTAIN
Enchante...
ANGLE ON: Trillian, turning from the captain into the crowd. C.U. on
her hand by the side of her dress. A man's wallet held
surreptitiously. Her fingers open the wallet, extract a thin gold card
with a black stripe. She discards the wallet, keeps the card, and
dissapears into the crowd.
CUT TO:
Top of the line. State of the art. The crew is multinational. English
is the common language, but everyone has an accent. Canton, the
picture of self satisfaction, enters, sipping champagne.
CANTON
You wanted to see me Captain?
CAPTAIN
We have a storm rising behind us...
we may have to close the canopy, I
hope it doesn't ruin your pary.
CANTON
(self satisfied)
Ruin my party? Captain, this ship
was built to withstand a typhoon. I
can't imagine there's anything on
the sea today that could possibly
ruin my party.
C.U. A crowbar quietly pops the top off a wooden crate to reveal the
lethal looking tip of a torpedo...PULL BACK TO: Pantucci in the
storage hold, surrounded by half a dozen crates, his wily eyes poped
wide with apprehension. He licks his lips nervously, looks around and
whispers into his headset.
PANTUCCI
(whispers)
Finnegan...Finnegan...
CUT TO:
Jimi Hendrix. THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER. Blasting. As the Jet foil
rockets across the waves. Leila, stripped out of her soaking wet
clothes, down to her panties and bra, stands wiping her dripping wet,
magnificently ripped body, with a dry towel.
LEILA
Gum kwa she bam dok.
FINNEGAN
It's not noise...it's genius...
PANTUCCI (V.O.)
FINNEGANNNN!!
CUT TO:
A massive fist plows into Pantucci's stomach. He drops from the arms
of MULLIGAN, a scar faced Irishman with a buzz cut. As quickly as he
is doubled over he is yanked up straight by the man who hit him, VIVO,
a merciless Maori, covered by tattoos, topped off with venom.
MULLIGAN
You know what my goal is? Before I
die I want to make love to a woman
from every country on earth.
VIVO
You mean countries that are
acknowledged by the UN...or like
made up countires too?
MULLIGAN
What the hell does that mean?
VIVO
Like Mamooli's country...
MAMOOLI
What you talkin'? Samoa's a county!
VIVO
It's a dot on a map...
MULLIGAN
Map...no map...I don't give a shit
...they got women on Samoa, it's on
the list.
HANOVER
Mr. Billy you're in the batter's
box.
BILLY
At home we denosy the nosy.
HANOVER
We're not savage here Mr. Billy...
we're professionals. Hold him...Mr.
Chin...
The Chinese merc steps forward, and whaps Pantucci upside the head
with a cruelly accurate crescent kick. Pantucci hits the wall hard,
crumbling. Chin lifts him.
HANOVER
Anyone else?
MASON
I'll take a go and the I vote we
throw the little weasel overboard...
MULLIGAN
I vote we slit his throat THEN throw
him overboard...
Mason raises his ham of a fist drawing his tree trunk arm back, taking
dead aim at Pantucci's face. He never gets the punch off. His arm is
caught from behind. He looks over his shoulder to Finnegan. Gripping
his wrist. Right in his face.
FINNEGAN
...this is not a democracy. You
don't get a vote.
Finnegan twists his arm sharply, sending Mason's head into the steel
wall, knocking the big man senseless.
The other mercenaries go to draw their weapons. Before the guns are
out of holsters, Finnegan swings a spear gun into Hanover's face, an
inch from his eye.
FINNEGAN
I'll say it again for the hearing
impaired...
Finnegan cocks the spear. CLICK! Hanover does not blink. Everyone
freezes. With his free hand Finnegan lifts Pantucci to his unsteady
feet, the spear stays poised. Finnegan backs out of the room.
HANOVER
This isn't right Finnegan. I've got
a contract.
FINNEGAN
(RECITING)
20 hours on the clock. Out and back.
Double for overtime.
HANOVER
And no questions asked.
FINNEGAN
Who asked any?
HANOVER
He did...with a crowbar...you know
the rules on a broken contract.
FINNEGAN
I know it...but you want to get
where you want to get, and back? I
need a chief engineer, and unless
you got a replacement, I'd highly
recommend overlooking the
indescretion.
With that Finnegan leads Pantucci out of the hold, slamming the door
behind him.
PANTUCCI
Thanks...
Finnegan turns his gaze to Pantucci. It makes the smaller man quiver.
FINNEGAN
You put me in that position again
I'll throw you overboard myself.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
The brain center for the whole ship. Rows of computer mainframes,
laser-guided imagers and D.T. processors. No humans needed. And none
are present. Except one -- The Man strides purposefully down a row of
computers, makes a left, then a right. He knows exactly where he's
going. He arrives at an ultra-high-tech CONSOLE. The cerebellum.
Three similar canisters are plugged into the console. The Man unscrews
the middle canister. Screws his canister into its place. Sets the
TIMER to 0:300 hours. Pushes a button.
CUT TO:
All LIT UP and looking beautiful. The wind is stronger. The party is
wilder. The BAND louder. The people drunker. Rain begins to fall.
Everybody moans and heads for cover. The deck's huge hydralic canopy
begins to close, reviving the party spirit.
CUT TO:
A gold card with a black stripe slides into the security lock of a
high tech vault. Lights blink. Tumblers roll. One after another the
electronic locks unlock. Trillian stands back as the massive vault
door swings open. With a quick look over her shoulder, she enters the
vault.
CUT TO:
36 INT. VAULT - NIGHT
Trillian consults a list, looking for one very specific vault box.
Finding it, she pulls a lock pick from her fabulous coiffure, and
picks the lock in nothing flat. A pro.
Flipping open the box, Trillian removes the only thing she came for.
A dazzling diamond ring with the center stone the size of an egg. With
a twist, she pops the stone from the setting, holds it up to admire it
in the light...
CANTON (V.O.)
It is an amazing stone...
Trillian grits her teeth, and turns to...Canton, the Captain, and two
burly Chinese security men.
CANTON
...what were you planning on doing
with it?
TRILLIAN
Retiring.
CANTON
Well you can still procede with your
plans then...in prison...Captain...
escort the lady...
Canton exits. The Captain steps forward, and removes the diamond ring
from Trillian's hand.
CAPTAIN
Madamoiselle...you are not a lady.
He slaps her across the face. Trillian flushes, touches the drop of
blood at her lip...and decks the Captain with a vicious right cross.
TRILLIAN
And you...Monsieur...you are not a
gentleman.
CUT TO:
A hatch door bursts open. Trillian is thrown inside. The DOOR SLAMS
SHUT. Trillian looks around. No windows. One door. Lots of fruit and
vegetables. Trillian accepts the hopelessness of her situation. She
takes an apple, sits down and bites deeply, running her options.
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
Here's what I think...I think these
mokes below are a hit sqaud.
FINNEGAN
I saw these guy perform...at Altmont
...you know that? They opened for
the Stones...
PANTUCCI
Right now...there's some bozo
sitting on his yacht at those
coordinates they gave us, sipping
his scotch and soda...totally
unawares that we are about to
deliver 500 kgs of high power
torpedo to light up his ass...that's
what's down there in that hold and
who knows what the hell else...
CUT TO:
Hanover and his men lift and load. Slamming shells into chambers. KA-
CHANG! KA-CHANG! KA-CHANG! These boys know their toys.
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
Hold still now...I was like three
rows back.
FINNEGAN
...Jagger was here...I was here...
PANTUCCI
You don't give a shit about anything
do you?
FINNEGAN
Sure I do...I give a shit that at
0300 hour we reach our point of
dentination. I give a shit that
those mojos got to do what they got
to do, and 45 minutes later we are
turn around and gone. I give a shit
that by the time the sun comes up we
are all safely tucked in bed.
PANTUCCI
That's it? That's all you give a
shit about?
FINNEGAN
Oh yeah...and that my stich job
doesn't make you uglier than you
already are...this won't hurt a
bit...
Finnegan sinks the needle into the wound. Pantucci's SCREAM rises
above the music.
CUT TO:
And then ALMOST SEEN: Huge, black, ominous THINGS seem to be SQUIRMING
beneath the water. Heading for the Fuji Maru.
CUT TO:
RAIN PELTS the canopy. LIGHTNING FLASHES. THUNDER RUMBLES. We can HEAR
the PARTY inside. MUSIC, laughs and cheers.
CUT TO:
The entire ROOM seems to be FRITZING OUT. The lights crackle on and
off. The Captain stands behind the bank of failing IMAGING SYSTEMS,
growing edgier by the moment.
MATE
The entire bridge electrical system
is shutting down sir!
CAPTAIN
Switch over to auxillary power, and
run a circuit check.
MATE
Yes sir...
The COM. OFFICER is busy fiddling with the communications and imaging
gear. DISTORTED LIGHTS from the scrambled systems plays off their
faces.
COM. OFFICER
We're losing radar and sonar!
FIRST MATE
Communications systems oare out sir!
CANTON
What the hell is going on?
CAPTAIN
Communication systems have failed!
Radar...sonar...radios...I don't
understand it.
MATE
Maybe it's the storm!
CANTON
Nonsense! We're impervious to
weather!
FIST MATE
We have a main frame meltdown!!
CANTON
Well unmelt it!!
Where the waves meet the hull, A BALLAST HOLE excretes water.
Suddenly, near the ballast hole, a WAVE EXPLODES, thrashed from below.
Accompanied by the scary foreboding MUSIC again.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
As she turns the page the same strange sound, a violent sucking, comes
from inside the walls, startling her. She looks around the room. Can't
see anything. Shrugs it off. Goes back to her magazine. Turns another
page. A LONG SCARY BEAT. And then suddenly --
She SHUDDERS VIOLENTLY and gives a sharp CRY. Her eyes filled panic.
She tries to stand, but she's JERKED BACK DOWN! Her ARMS FLAIL WILDLY.
Scattering stuff off the counter. She tries to SCREAM, but it comes
out more like a GURGLE. Below her, in the TOILET, there is a hideous
SLURPING SOUND.
CUT TO:
...the Band has kicked into another ROCK SONG. The drunken revelers
whoop and holler, dancing with reckless abandon ignoring the THUNDER
and LIGHTNING. And then...with a loud BASSO PROFUNDO CLANG, the
CRUISELINER JERKS TO A STOP. EVERYTHING goes CRASH. PEOPLE TUMBLE.
TABLES TOPPLE. The MUSIC STOPS as the entire Band falls into the pool.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
One of the SPEEDBOATS breaks free of its harness. TOPPLES over the
side and drops down into the sea. SPLASH!
CUT TO:
CANTON
Ladies and gentlemen...your
attention please... Ladies and
gentlemen...
CANTON
This is the most technologically
advanced sailing vessel on the water
today. Every problem has been
anticipated...the Captain has
assured me that we will be up and
running in no time...so enjoy
yourselves...there's nothing to
worry about...
CAPTAIN
Remain calm! Stop! Do you hear?
REMAIN CALM!
The pool clears. Everybody backs the hell away from it. The WATER in
the pool BUBBLES, and GURGLES, and then goes quiet.
And then, from somewhere deep within the bowels of the ship, comes a
loud, eerie, primordial YOWL.
CANTON
Dear God.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
54 INT. PILOT HOUSE - NIGHT
Finnegan notices Billy, Mulligan and Vivo setting two catapult like
devices on the front of the deck.
FINNEGAN
Leila see what they're up to...
FINNEGAN
What the hell...
A GASH is RIPPED out of the bow. METAL FLIES. WATER SPRAYS. The new
HOLE VOMITS FLAME. Spewing it over the crates.
Hanover and the rest of his men are blown against the walls.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
RED WARNING LIGHTS flash and blink. Lighting up the console. The left
steering stick dies in Finnegan's hand.
FINNEGAN
Joey!! Talk to me!
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
Jezebel's dead...Hercules is right
behind her! We got a gusher in the
hull!
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
Shit!!
CUT TO:
TRACK WITH Finnegan running through the smoke filled hold, past
Hanover and the merc's who are pulling themselves off the floor, right
into the...ENGINE ROOM. Where Pantucci is beside himself in smoke and
sputtering flame.
PANTUCCI
What did you do the my kids!!
FINNEGAN
Me??
PANTUCCI
No! The man in the moon!! Who's
driving this thing?
HANOVER
What happened?
FINNEGAN
We ran into a speedboat...
FINNEGAN
Speedboat in the middle of the
ocean...
HANOVER
How soon can we get up and running?
FINNEGAN
We can't...we got one engine dead,
and the other limping badly.
HANOVER
I have a schedule...
PANTUCCI
I spent two years building these
things...screw your schedule!
Mason grabs Pantucci by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
MASON
You little weasel!
Finnegan slams the piece of speed boat into the back of Mason's knees
buckling him to the floor.
HANOVER
We were talking about my schedule...
FINNEGAN
You're going to have to get a new
one.
HANOVER
Not an option.
FINNEGAN
Then you better start swimming.
Hanover cracks Finnegan across the face with the barrel of the gun.
Finnegan's head spins. He touches the corner of his mouth, and comes
away with blood, and a look of murder in his eyes. Hanover slams a
round in the chamber.
HANOVER
One more joke and your comedy career
is over. Now fix this.
PANTUCCI
With what? Look at them...they need
gears...cylinder heads...oil pans...
we're in the middle of the goddamn
ocean...
FINNEGAN
I think he knows that Joey.
PANTUCCI
Good! So maybe he also know where
the hell am I going to get the parts
I need...
CUT TO:
HANOVER
Contact verified! You know the
drill gentlemen!
HANOVER
Care to see what dreams are made of
Finnegan?
Finnegan's POV through the binoculars. The Fuji Maru in the distance,
lit up, beautiful.
CUT TO:
BAM! BAM! Two grappling hooks fly from the barrels of the two
catapults bolted to the deck, landing on the deck of the Fuji Maru,
which looms above the Saipan.
Vivo pulls on the lines until they go taut. Finnegan, Pantucci, and
Leila stand by watching as the mercs in full assault gear,
communication headsets in place, get ready for action.
VIVO
Lines set.
MASON
Tow lines!
VIVO
Clear!
He FIRES the HARPOON. It shoots and SLAMS into the rear deck of the
Fuji Maru.
MASON
Tow line secure.
HANOVER
Secure the zone of opperation!!
Swift, athletic, the mercs leap onto the lines and scramble hand over
hand toward the Fuji Maru's deck.
HANOVER
When I was a little bit of a pissant
we lived down the road from where
all the big cruise ships used to
come into Sydney harbor...
The first mercs reach the Fuji Maru's deck, and toss life lines down
to Hanover.
HANOVER
Mum and me we used to sit by our
front door and watch them...she used
to say "one day you're going to make
your fortune in life on one of
them..."
FINNEGAN
Great woman your mother. Real
foresight.
HANOVER
And she could do a hell of a barbie
to boot! Belt up. You'll find all
the parts you need up there.
FINNEGAN
I assume somebody up there has made
sure no distress signal can be sent.
HANOVER
I'd say that's a pretty good
assumption.
PANTUCCI
(nervous)
You know the crew could be armed.
HANOVER
With what? Martinis and tanning oil?
Hanover hand signals to his men above. The lines go taut. Finnegan,
Pantucci, and Hanover are hoisted to the deck of the Fuji Maru.
CUT TO:
Deathly silent. Not a soul is about. The mercs are deployed in a close
military defense pattern.
HANOVER
Synchronize watches...
Everyone hits a button on their watches.
HANOVER
25 minutes...by the numbers. Engine
room and machine shop are on the
third sub deck...Vivo...Mulligan go
with them...keep in touch...move
out...
CUT TO:
A thick black hose weaves it's way across the flooded floor, sucking
water.
LEILA
(angry)
Kwan bat! Kwam bat! Booom!!
BILLY
(bothered)
Yeah...yeah...yeah...
Billy heads for the deck. Leila looks after him in disgust.
LEILA
Asshole...
She ignites her torch, is about to flick her visor down again when a
loud gurgling, a sucking sound, stops her. She cuts the torch. Looks
around nervously...and then she spots the suction hose sucking away.
She smiles to herself. Flips the visor, fires the torch, and goes back
to work.
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
You'd think they'd set a deck
watch...
FLASH TO: The deck full of people partying, carousing. The railing is
lined with 15 lifeboats suspended in their harnesses.
MULLIGAN
I thought the plan was we'd evacuate
them after we got through.
VIVO
Maybe plans changed...
MULLIGAN
Plans don't change...
PANTUCCI
Maybe it's the wrong ship.
MULLIGAN
Shut up!
And then a strange yowl echoes from somewhere deep in the bowels of
the ship. Finnegan and Pantucci trade a look.
FINNEGAN
Let's just keep going.
MULLIGAN
(nervous)
You ain't giving the orders here!
MULLIGAN
Let's keep going!
CUT TO:
Hanover, Mason, and Chin set foot on the deserted pool deck.
FLASH TO: The pool deck is jammed with people partying. The band
playing. Two kids toss a beach ball back and forth. The ball flies
over one boy's head...
FLASH BACK TO: The ball falls into the empty pool...Where the band's
instuments litter the bottom along a big jagged crack.
MASON
What the...
Uneasy, Hanover and his men look around at the over turned chairs. The
smashed aquarium. Chin bends down and picks up a small squid from the
bottom of the smashed aquarium. The squid wraps its tentacles around
Chin's hand almost immediately. Chin regards it with curiosity.
HANOVER
Focus on the task Mr. Chin...
...and then the yowl freezes them. C.U. on Hanover's face. His eyes
flicker with uncertainty...and a tinge of fear.
CUT TO:
FLASH BACK TO: Mulligan, Vivo, Pantucci, and Finnegan, standing amidst
the shattered glass and broken furniture, whirling to the elevator
door opening. Mulligan, nerves ajangle, and Vivo, swing their pulse
rifles up hard as the door opens to reveal...and empty elevator! DING!
The door closes. The car starts to ascend in the eerie silence. The
mercs watch it go with growing uneasiness.
CUT TO:
The door to the bridge is KICKED OPEN. Mason and Chin leap inside.
Guns out front. On edge. The overhead lights flicker on and off. The
imager screens are all black. The STEERING WHEEL slowly ROCKS. As if
an invisible captain is steering a ghost ship.
HANOVER
What the hell is going on?
CUT TO:
Mulligan leads Finnegan, Pantucci, Vivo into the casino. The place
looks like a mess. Tables and chairs are upended. Glasses and bottles
are shattered everywhere. And there's BLOOD on the floor. A BELL RINGS
LOUDLY and the TROLLEY CAR STARTS TO MOVE!
ELECTRONIC VOICE
Next stop, Chinatown!
Everyone jumps, freaked. Mulligan and Vivo spin around and OPEN FIRE.
Start BLOWING the shit out of the TROLLEY CAR. The GUNS sound like
nothing we've ever heard. ROLLING THUNDER. Absolutely deafening.
CUT TO:
The GUNFIRE ECHOES through the hull. Suddenly, with a loud SPLASH, a
sixteen-foot-long LIFEBOAT pops to the surface. Then another LIFE BOAT
POPS UP. Then ANOTHER. Then THREE MORE off to the port side. Then TWO
MORE off to the starboard. It's as if the SOUND of the GUNFIRE is
somehow releasing the boats from their watery graves.
CUT TO:
72 INT. FRISCO BAR AND CASINO - NIGHT
FINNEGAN
Guys!! Whoa! WHOA! WHOA! WHOOOAAA!!
FINNEGAN
Guys...get a grip.
ELECTRONIC VOICE
Next stop, Fisherman's Wharf.
Mulligan whirls, his gun poised. Just then his headset crackles.
HANOVER (V.O.)
(radio filtered)
This is Red One...status report.
FINNEGAN
(into radio)
Your boys just killed a trolley car
Red One.
MULLIGAN
(into radio)
We been down three decks, there's
nobody home... Total spooky-town.
Advise on how to proceed.
CUT TO:
HANOVER
Stay to the schedule. Stay to the
plan. Nothing has changed.
CUT TO:
A VERY STRANGE SOUND coming from behind the wall. Wet. Gooey.
Slithery. Ominous. Trillian freezes.
TRILLIAN
Hello?
The SOUND slowly MOVES across the wall. Then another WALL starts to
GURGLE. Trillian spins around. She forces herself not to panic. Very
cautiously, taking small measured steps she reaches the handle to the
freezer, and tries to open it. No go. The gurgling ripples above her.
Her mouth goes dry as her eyes follow the sound across the ceiling.
Her hand goes to her hair. She pulls her lock pick out, and very
slowly kneels down until she is eye level with the door lock. She
begins to pick her way out, her ears and eyes following the gurgling
above. Suddenly the sound stops. The silence makes Trillian's heart
sound that much louder. She sidles close to the wall.
TRILLIAN
Hello?
Still silence. Cautious, she taps on the wall. For a moment nothing.
And then...
WHAMM!! Something slams against the wall from the other side in
response.
Trillian falls back against the door, her heart in her throat.
CUT TO:
Mulligan and Vivo, looking more nervous by the moment, lead the way.
Finnegan and Pantucci follow.
PANTUCCI
(rattling, nervous)
You know what I'm gonna do after
this...I'm gonna get a normal
life...
FINNEGAN
(calm)
Joey...
PANTUCCI
...Like a house in the suburbs...
maybe a couple of kids...some sort
of business...be in the bowling
league...go to the ball games...
Finnegan turns to Pantucci, his voice even, calm, almost kind.
FINNEGAN
Joey...it's okay...
PANTUCCI
What? You don't think I can have a
normal life?
FINNEGAN
Joey...look at me...
FINNEGAN
We're gonna get what we gotta get...
do what we gotta do...and get the
hell outta here...okay?
PANTUCCI
Okay...
Suddenly, overhead, something black and veiny skitters across the mass
of pipes, so fast it shocks Pantucci back into the wall.
MULLIGAN
What the...???
He and Vivo spin their guns at the pipes. The red dots of their laser
sights sweep the shadowy web of metal. Nothing.
MULLIGAN
Come on...the sooner we get outta
here the better I'll feel.
PANTUCCI
(quiet)
Finnegan...
Finnegan turns to Pantucci, who has not moved from where he hit the
wall.
FINNEGAN
It's okay...come on...
PANTUCCI
(scared)
I'm stuck...
MULLIGAN
(jumpy)
Hey! What are you trying to pull!
PANTUCCI
(pleading)
John...
FINNEGAN
Relax your arms...slowly...that's
it...
MULLIGAN
What the...
He reaches out to touch the wall. Finnegan grabs his wrist, grabs a
flashlight from Vivo's utility belt and shines it on the wall. Their
POV -- the entire wall is covered in a strange, yellow, secreted
GELATIN. Laid on in some sort of weird, inhuman, geometric pattern.
Like a spider web.
CUT TO:
Leila has welded half the hole shut. A GUSH OF WATER suddenly pours
through the other half. Leila cuts the torch.
LEILA
Gebop!!
Actually, it's only half a corpse. The bottom half having been eaten
away. It's wearing a tuxedo. The corpse's face is tightly constriced,
eyes wide open, a grotesque death mask. Leila shakes like a leaf,
waist-deep in seawater.
CUT TO:
Billy is staring out at all the lifeboats as they drift away. All he
can hear is the loud KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK of the PUMP. He talks into his
headset --
BILLY
(into radio)
I dunno where they came from, turned
around and there they were.
(pause)
No, no passengers.
(pause)
No shit I'll keep my eyes open.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
The hulls of these things are
supposed to be impregnable...
MULLIGAN
So?
FINNEGAN
So...If the hull's impregnable why
are my feet wet?
MULLIGAN
Why don't you just stop figuring and
keep working so we can get the hell
out of here?
PANTUCCI
Why don't you help us so we can get
done faster so we can get the hell
out of here?
MULLIGAN
'Cause grease monkey ain't in my job
description dick head...
Then out of the corner of his eye, Vivo sees SOMETHING MOVE. He spins
around. Nothing but pipes and hoses.
MULLIGAN
(nervous)
What was that?
VIVO
Nothing.
MULLIGAN
Someone's back there.
VIVO
Hey! Come out here!
Finnegan and Pantucci stop working. All eyes are focused on the maze
of pipes. THINGS are HISSING, HUMMING and RUMBLING. Nothing moves.
MULLIGAN
Check it out!
VIVO
Hey! You hear me? Come out!
Still no response.
MULLIGAN
Will you check it the hell out!!
VIVO
Man this shit is cold!
He walks toward the mass of hissing pipes. His pulse rifle rising.
VIVO
I'm gonna kick your ass for putting
me through this...
Then he hears a strange SLURPING and SUCKING SOUND coming from behind
some gears at the end of a little alleyway.
VIVO
I'm not screwing around with you
man...I hate the cold water.
MULLIGAN
What is it man?
VIVO
I'm looking...
Vivo slowly goes in for a closer look, gun out front, heading down the
little alleyway. He looks behind some pipes. The SLURPING gets LOUDER.
Then he sees it. His eys widen --
VIVO
On shit!
And that's the last thing he ever says. Because just then, from a dark
area between the pipes, SOMETHING SHOOTS OUT! Mulligan, Finnegan, and
Pantucci stare in horrored amazement as Vivo is viciously YANKED into
the pipes. A moment later a WASH OF BLOOD is FLUNG across a wall.
Mulligan freaks out, aims his rifle at the pipes.
MULLIGAN
Vivo!! Vivo!!
Mulligan swings around. KACHUNK!! His rifle is armed. The laser dot
fixes on Finnegan's forehead.
MULLIGAN
Touch it and you're dead, asshole!
PANTUCCI
Don't shoot, man, don't shoot!
MULLIGAN
What happened to Vivo?! What the
hell happened to Vivo?
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
Helloooo?
She shrugs, must be her imagination. From inside her low cut dress she
pulls the Captain's gold security card. She is about to run it through
the reader slot when...
V.O.
Ahem...
TRILLIAN
(recovering)
I'm sorry... This area is for
authorized personel only. As the
assistant to the Purser, I'm afraid
I'll have to ask you to vacate...
TRILLIAN
Or maybe not.
HANOVER
Where is everybody?
Trillian is confused --
TRILLIAN
What do you mean?
HANOVER
(threatening)
I mean...where is everbody?
TRILLIAN
Poolside?
Hanover grabs Trillian by the throat and slams her against the wall.
He rams his gun against her forehead.
HANOVER
You tell it straight or I pull the
trigger. Who are you?
TRILLIAN
(choking)
A passenger...
Hanover blinks.
HANOVER
Where are the other passengers?
MASON
Forget her...let's get what we came
for and get the hell out of here!
Mason runs the card through the slot. The ELECTRONICS KICK IN. LIGHTS
FLASH. TUMBLERS ROLL. CLICK! It unlocks.
HANOVER
Mulligan?? What?? I can't hear you??
Repeat I...
-- Mason JERKS the vault door open. A FIRE-AXE SWING DOWN into his
head, WHUMP! Kills him instantly. Eyes wide open. Everybody freaks
out. Jumps back. Hanover lets go of Trillian, and stares into the
vault directly at Nigel Canton. Holding the axe.
CANTON
Oh my God. I didn't mean to...
Behind Canton the Captain is on the floor, in severe pain, his clothes
are ripped up, REVEALING nasty looking RED SCARS, blistered and puffy,
all over his chest and arms.
CANTON
I thought it was one of them!
Chin jams his rifle to the middle of Canton's forehead, and cocks a
round into the chamber.
HANOVER
Stand down soldier!
But this is one soldier who is slow to obey the order. Hanover grabs
Chin by both shoulders and gives a colossal yank.
HANOVER
I said...
He slams Chin against the wall. In the process he loses his headset.
HANOVER
Stand down!!
Chin and Hanover stare at each other, their chests heaving. Mason
finally drops to the ground. All she wrote.
CANTON
I didn't mean to! I though it was
one of them!
HANOVER
One of who?!
CUT TO:
MULLIGAN
Hanover!...Hanover! Come in! Come in
you son-of-a-bitch!
MULLIGAN
Hanover!! Hanover!!
FINNEGAN
Forget them...
MULLIGAN
(fried)
Shut up! You hear me!!
FINNEGAN
...we gotta get outta here -- NOW.
MULLIGAN
Shut up, man, just shut the hell up!
I gotta think! I gotta think!!
PANTUCCI
What's there to think about?? That
THING back there...
MULLIGAN
There ain't no thing here!! No
thing!! There's you him and me!! Got
it! You him and...
Suddenly, Mulligan's LEGS are suddenly JERKED OUT from under him. He
hits the floor hard. Starts FIRING WILDLY. Finnegan and Pantucci hit
the watery deck. BULLETS RICOCHET everywhere.
FINNEGAN
Grab the parts!!
FINNEGAN
I'll cover! Move! Move!
CUT TO:
Everyone hears the MASSIVE GUNFIRE. Hanover looks around for the
source of the sound. He finds it in his disgarded headset.
HANOVER
This is Red one! Come in Red two!
The gunfire stops, replaced by an ominous, horrifying, sucking sound.
CANTON
(panicked)
It's them! We've got to get off!
He runs out of the vault. The Captain follows close behind. Hanover
listens to the sucking sound getting louder and louder.
HANOVER
Let's find them!
CHIN
What about the vault?
HANOVER
It's not going anywhere...
Hanover rushes out with Chin right behind. Only Trillian remains,
breathing deeply, scared...but not scared enough to forget the reason
she came cruising in the first place. She goes right to the vault,
opens one of the boxes, removes the giant diamond, drops it down her
decolletage, pulls her high heels off, and runs out.
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
Finnegan, what the hell was that?
FINNEGAN
I don't know...you got what we need?
PANTUCCI
If I don't, I ain't going back to
get it...you think we're safe?
Both of them listen to the silence. And then, at the far end of the
grating, one grate rises...and falls.
LOUDERFASTERLOUDERFASTER!!!
FINNEGAN
Come on!!
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
Up!! I want to go up!
She panics. And starts pushing the up button frantically, her heart
pounding in her chest. There is not a sound except for the hum of the
elevator descending...until something drops on the roof with a THUMP!
TRILLIAN
No...No...
Trillian shrinks from the ceiling of the elevator...and then the car
starts to move again.
TRILLIAN
Go up...please go up!
The DOORS start to OPEN. Panicked, Trillian raises the only weapon at
her disposal...a high heel. The DOORS OPEN.
PANTUCCI
OWWW!! OOWWW!!!
TRILLIAN
I'm not staying here!
FINNEGAN
It ain't any better out there!
Trillian buries her high heel into the back of Finnegan's hand,
breaking his grip.
FINNEGAN
OWW!
Just then, the doors to the elevator shut, and the car starts to
ascend.
TRILLIAN
Now look what you did!
FINNEGAN
I saved your life is what I did!
TRILLIAN
Who asked you to!
PANTUCCI
What the hell's going on here?
TRILLIAN
You're with that other bunch, right?
FINNEGAN
What other bunch?
TRILLIAN
The thieves.
FINNEGAN
I'm not a thief.
TRILLIAN
Then who are you?
FINNEGAN
I'm their ride.
TRILLIAN
You have a boat?
PANTUCCI
Finnegan!
Finnegan lifts his pulse rifle and blasts the ceiling. The sucking
sound stops.
FINNEGAN
Not anymore.
The elevator stops. DING! The door opens. Finnegan whirls his rifle,
rising. Trillian lifts her high heel, ready to strike... Hanover,
Chin, and Mamooli have their massive guns trained on the car. The
Captain and Canton quiver behind them. There is a momentary stand off.
HANOVER
Where are my men?
FINNEGAN
Dead.
CHIN
YAAHHH!!
Finnegan drops, buries his elbow in Mamooli's solar plexus, spins, and
has his knife out of his boot and at Mamooli's throat in a flash.
HANOVER
Drop it!
HANOVER
Now, back up!
HANOVER
Everybody in!
The Captain and Canton are only to happy to comply. As they slip in,
Trillian tries to slip out. Hanover swings his gun on her.
HANOVER
Where are you going?
TRILLIAN
(freezing)
Nowhere...
FINNEGAN
Hanover, listen...
HANOVER
Shut up!
HANOVER
Now, where's Mulligan? Where's Vivo?
FINNEGAN
I told you...
PANTUCCI
Man, there's something here! On the
boat!
CANTON
You see? You see?
HANOVER
Shut up! Shut up all of you! Now
here's what we're doing... Mamooli
is going to take you back to fix
your engines, Chin and I are staying
here to finish the job...
FINNEGAN
Did you clear this?
HANOVER
With who?
FINNEGAN
With that...
And then, the elevator jerks down again. And up. Everyone is thrown
about like straw. Everyone is shouting, panicked. And then the jerking
stops...and the sound of sucking surrounds the car. The cable starts
twisting, creaking sickeningly above their heads.
PANTUCCI
It's gonna snap the cable!
TRILLIAN
Open! Open! God damn it!!
FINNEGAN
Help me!!
Pantucci, then Mamooli, then Hanover and Chin pull at the doors as
Trillian keeps hitting the buttons. The doors part a bit.
FINNEGAN
They're coming! They're coming!
FINNEGAN
Oh shit...
13 -- 12 -- 11 -- 10 -- 9 -- 8 -- 7 -- 6 -- 5 -- 4!
VOICE
4th floor. 3rd floor. 2nd floor. 1st
floor...
Down, down, down it goes. Faster and faster. But the elevator doesn't
stop at the first floor. It keeps dropping. The FLOOR INDICATOR
BLINKS: "SUBLEVEL. SUBLEVEL. SUBLEVEL."
CANTON
It's taking us to the bottom of the
ship!
FINNEGAN
HANG ON!
CUT TO:
The DOORS BLOW OUT into the darkened hallway. For a long moment
nothing moves, then Finnegan tumbles out of the elevator. Rising
painfully. One after another the others exit into the dark lobby.
HANOVER
Where are we?
CANTON
The sublevel lobby.
HANOVER
Don't touch it!
And with that, Finnegan picks up the gun. A test of wills. Finnegan
wins, and then turns to the Captain.
FINNEGAN
You the Captain?
CAPTAIN
Yes.
FINNEGAN
How do we get out of here?
CAPTAIN
We have to make it to the third
deck...
PANTUCCI
Oh no!! Oh no!! Finnegan!!!
Finnegan grabs a flashlight from Chin's utility belt, and sweeps the
beam over the lobby. The entire floor of the lobby is littered with
shattered HUMAN SKELETONS. Picked clean and spit out. Just like the
earlier whale bones. Then suddenly, at the far end of the hallway, one
of the metal WALLS suddenly EXPANDS and FLEXES. Everybody feezes. And
then the FLEXING suddenly comes RACING down either side of the
hallway, accompanied by the most god-awful PRIMORDIAL SCREECH!
FINNEGAN
This way!
FINNEGAN BOLTS. Everybody else right behind him. The FLEXING and
SCREECHING VANISHES into the walls.
CUT TO:
RAIN POURS DOWN on the Fuji Maru and the Saipan as they bob in the
waves, surrounded by endless choppy ocean waters.
CUT TO:
Billy comes down the steps, gun out front, looking around.
BILLY
Hey you! Muscles! Out here!
There is no reply. The only sound is the sucking of the pump.
BILLY
O.K. You want it that way...
BILLY
...when I find you, you pay...
CUT TO:
Damp, dark and disgusting. A MAZE of pipes and gears lines the walls.
Finnegan SLAMS the HATCH shut. Dogs it tight. Everyone's gathering
themselves around the room: Trillian, Pantucci, Hanover, Mamooli,
Chin, the Captain and Canton.
TRILLIAN
We've gotta call for help.
PANTUCCI
Yeah man, no shit, call in the
Marines.
CAPTAIN
We can't...all the communication
systems went down.
TRILLIAN
So get them back up.
CAPTAIN
I don't know how.
PANTUCCI
Hey I can fix any damn thing...
where's the comm. center?
CANTON
We should get off as soon as
possible.
TRILLIAN
But if we can at least send a
message...
CANTON
I say we evacuate as soon as...
FINNEGAN
(to Canton)
Who are you?
CAPTAIN
He's the owner...
FINNEGAN
Why don't you want a message sent?
CANTON
I just think that...
FINNEGAN
Because you know a message can't be
sent...
FINNEGAN
You're the inside guy aren't you?
The guy who knocked out the
communications.
HANOVER
Bravo.
Trillian suddenly GRABS CANTON, spins him around and SLAMS him against
the hull.
TRILLIAN
How the hell do we fix it?!
CANTON
You can't... All the systems were
melted at their core by nitritic
acid...
CAPTAIN
(confused)
This was your life's work...your
dreams...
CANTON
My dreams cost more than they would
make...I miscalculated the market...
there was no way I could recoup...
FINNEGAN
Unless you collected on the
insurance...
TRILLIAN
What are you people talking about?
FINNEGAN
He's with them.
FINNEGAN
Right?
The Captain blows. He leaps on Canton. His hands find the older man's
throat.
CAPTAIN
All these people dead!! Because you
screwed up on the math??
FINNEGAN
It's not going to help us!
CAPTAIN
We're going to die here! We're going
to die!
FINNEGAN
I was born in a City housing project
in the Bronx OK? It's not in the
cards that I die on a luxury cruise
ship...now which way up?
TRILLIAN
(alarmed)
You hear that?
CAPTAIN
They are...they are everywhere.
FINNEGAN
All right, be cool, everybody, nice
and slow, no sudden moves.
Everybody slowly and quietly moves for the far hatch. Then a loud
GURGLING is HEARD. Everybody looks up at the ceiling.
The GURGLING suddenly gets dramatically LOUDER. And then we SEE BILLY
and LEILA, being sucked down the entire length of the fatty intestine.
Still alive. And squirming wildly. EVERYBODY freaks out and HAULS ASS
for the hatch. Finnegan and Hanover OPEN FIRE. Covering their asses.
CUT TO:
Everybody pours out of the machine shop and fans out into this
mechanical MAZE. The engine chambers are a labyrinth of pipe-lined
alleyways, motorized chambers, swaying catwalks and pillars of steel.
The LIGHTING is very poor, very dark.
Hanover, Pantucci, Chin and Mamooli OPEN UP. FIRING blindly and wildly
at anything and everything that seems to move in the darkness. The
MUZZLE FLASHES and TRACER FIRE light up the chambers in a sort of
surreal horror tableau.
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
AHHH!!
TRILLIAN
Noooo!
FINNEGAN
Jesus Christ lady...
TRILLIAN
(scared)
What are those things?
FINNEGAN
I don't know...
TRILLIAN
Hey! Hey! Where are you going?
FINNEGAN
...there's got to be a way to access
out back there...
TRILLIAN
But what makes you think there
aren't more of those...things...back
there?
FINNEGAN
Nothing...you want to come, come...
you don't...
TRILLIAN
You don't have to be so touchy.
FINNEGAN
Look lady, I know you people are
used to getting your way...
TRILLIAN
What's that supposed to mean? You
people.
FINNEGAN
You people...rich people...
TRILLIAN
I'm not rich people.
FINNEGAN
Well, you sure do a good imitation.
TRILLIAN
Thank you, I work at it...
TRILLIAN
I heard you say you grew up in the
projects in the Bronx...
Reaching the top of the ladder, she clambers onto the catwalk next to
Finnegan, who is deciding which way to go.
TRILLIAN
Trillian Daley...
TRILLIAN
Projects...South Chicago.
TRILLIAN
So this boat of yours...that's what
you do? Give people...rides.
FINNEGAN
That's what I do.
TRILLIAN
Seen a lot of islands?
FINNEGAN
Quite a few.
TRILLIAN
Since I'm a kid, I had this dream...
I want to own my own tropical
island... Beaches, warm ocean, lots
of food, little clothes...population
of one...
FINNEGAN
Anti social?
TRILLIAN
Self sufficient...
FINNEGAN
With the emphasis on SELF, and in
selfish, right?
TRILLIAN
Takes one to know one.
Trillian sits up, eyes widening in fear as she sees -- Hideous little
worm-like FEELERS and SUCKERS protrude up and down the Tentacle.
WRIGGLING and WRITHING and feeling their way across the wall. Getting
closer and closer to Finnegan. Finnegan's eyes go to his pulse-rifle
close to Trillian's feet. He motions for her to push it toward him.
But, frozen in fear, she can only watch the slithering horror before
her.
Tongue-like, the Feelers lick their way across the oily wall. FINNEGAN
DUCKS as they squirm over his head. Then he BRUSHES against some dirt,
making a SCRAPING SOUND. A Feeler quickly drops down and touches
Finnegan's arm. He leaps to his feet. So does Trillian. She grabs the
rifle, turns and bolts off down the dark alley.
Finnegan tries to run, but the Feelers hold him tight. Two more
Feelers slap onto his arm. HE YELLS. The Creature starts reeling him
in.
ANGLE ON: Trillian, running. Finnegan's YELL reaches her. She stops
cold. Looking back the way she came, torn.
ANGLE ON: Finnegan, fighting for all he is worth, being reeled into
the mass of machinery by the tentacle. When...out of the darkness,
Trillian suddenly comes running back. Panting hard, she aims the gun.
FINNEGAN
Shoot it! Shoot it!
Spurred to action, Trillian jams the rifle barrel against the tentacle
and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens.
FINNEGAN
The safety! The safety!
TRILLIAN
I don't know where it is!
FINNEGAN
On the side!!
Desperate, unable to find it, she does the next best thing...she
swings her rifle like it's a baseball bat. SMACKS the TENTACLE. HARD.
RIPPING into its flesh. It SQUIRTS ink-blood, releases Finnegan and
recoils. Finnegan drops to his knees. Grabbing his arm, in pain. The
tentacle recovers and starts coming toward him again. Trillian grabs
him, and with all her strength, jerks him to his feet, and starts to
drag him backward. The tentacle coils, ready to strike. Just before it
does so, Finnegan grabs the rifle with his one good arm, flips the
safety, and fires, blasting the tentacle to pieces.
FINNEGAN
Let's get the hell out of here!
CUT TO:
Trillian and Finnegan come running around a corner, and stop to catch
their breath.
FINNEGAN
(annoyed)
The safety...the safety...
TRILLIAN
(pissed)
Hey! I didn't have to come back.
FINNEGAN
Yeah you did...
TRILLIAN
(defensive)
Right... You have a boat.
FINNEGAN
Boat or no boat... You woulda come
back anyway. You're that kind of
gal.
TRILLIAN
Oh yeah? What kind is that?
FINNEGAN
The "come back" kind.
TRILLIAN
How do you know that?
FINNEGAN
Takes one to know one.
V.O.
HEELLPP!!
CUT TO:
CAPTAIN
Help me!
All of a sudden Canton sees something deep in the web, behind the
Captain, which makes his blood freeze.
CAPTAIN
What is it?
The Captain tries to look over his shoulder to see what it is. There
is a DARK MOVEMENT deep within the spider web.
CAPTAIN
HELP ME, CANTON! HELP MEEEEEEE!!
ANGLE ON: Finnegan and Trillian racing across a catwalk. Below them,
they can see Canton backing away from the Captain.
FINNEGAN
Grab his hands!!
CAPTAIN
CANTON!! HELP!!
Canton backs away from the Captain, as the Captain's struggle draws
him further into the web. The Captain's eyes bulge, horrified, as he
feels SOMETHING inside the spider web GRAB him from behind.
CAPTAIN
IT HURTS!!!!! IT HURRRRRTTTTTSSSS!!!
Finnegan and Trillian race across the floor as the Captain is slowly
sucked deeper into the spider web; his face and body bady
constricting, paralyzed. His VOICE is CHOKED OFF.
HANOVER
(to Canton)
Where is the closest hatch?
Canton still pressed against the wall, staring at the spot the Captain
disappeared, talking to himself.
CANTON
I never meant for anyone to get hurt
...it was supposed to be clean...
HANOVER
You hypocritical bastard...all you
gave a shit about was the money...
where's the hatch!!
Canton points down a darkened passageway.
HANOVER
Alright let's move out...you two on
point...
FINNEGAN
Joey... Which way's aft?
PANTUCCI
That way.
HANOVER
Who gives a shit about aft?
FINNEGAN
That's where my boat's moored.
HANOVER
You trying to take over my show
Finnegan, that what you trying to
do?
FINNEGAN
Just trying to get to my boat...
HANOVER
(yelling)
You stay away from that vault! You
hear me?
Just before he steps into the darkness, Finnegan calls over his
shoulder...
FINNEGAN
They respond to sound...
HANOVER
(tense)
What?
The sound of his voice makes the two mercs look around nervously.
MAMOOLI
(whispered)
He made sense.
HANOVER
(loud)
He's a bloody...
HANOVER
(whispered)
...he's a bloody taxi driver!
Chin breaks for the catwalk, hurrying after Finnegan. Hanover stands
with a very antsy Mamooli, steaming. After a long moment, he strides
off after Finnegan as well.
CUT TO:
They come to a door. Finnegan tries the handle. No go. Finnegan turns
to Canton, and mimes for keys. Canton shakes his head. He has none.
HANOVER
(whispered)
Very good Finnegan...very good.
Trillian moves up to Finnegan. She reaches into her hair, and pulls
out her trusty lockpick. As he watches, somewhat mystified, she
inserts the pin, tickles the lock a few times, and depresses the
handle. Click! The door opens. Finnegan looks at her curiously, but
with respect.
CUT TO:
They ENTER the rear ballast section, where the walls are indeed far
apart, half of which is now a small POND. Obviously flooded. The only
way out of this room is down some STEPS which VANISH beneath the
seawater, or through a single violently twisted HATCH DOOR.
Finnegan tries to push the hatch. It will not give. Mamooli and Chin
join him, adding their considerable muscle to the task. The hatch
holds tight.
CANTON
I don't know.
PANTUCCI
(nerves)
It's your damn ship! What the hell
do you mean you don't know?
FINNEGAN
Joey, what difference does it
make...
FINNEGAN
If you hear one shot, you know I
made it...start coming...
HANOVER
How do we know you're going to
signal...how do we know you're not
going to just take off?
Finnegan stops.
FINNEGAN
I'll wait here... You go check it
out.
FINNEGAN
(contemptous)
I didn't think so.
Finnegan wades into the water. Just before he sinks beneath the
surface...
TRILLIAN
Finnegan...
He looks back.
TRILLIAN
Be careful.
With a smile, Finnegan dives under. Pantucci right behind him. The
others stand looking around, nervous.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Trillian stares down into the water. Hanover keeps a sharp, nervous
eye back down the catwalk, white-knuckling his pulse rifle. Chin and
Mamooli keep watch, tight lipped. Canton paces back and forth, driven
by anxiety.
HANOVER
Stop pacing.
CANTON
AAAAHHHH!!!!
HANOVER
You deaf?
TRILLIAN
Why don't you back off?
HANOVER
You want some too?
Hanover's jaw clenches. He releases the safety on his rifle, the click
resounding ominously in the hollow room.
TRILLIAN
How brave we are.
MAMOOLI
Hanover!
HANOVER
Fire!!
The three men open up with their pulse rifles. The CREATURE gets
RIPPED TO SHREDS. Red and blue INK-BLOOD SPLATTERS everywhere. But
onward it comes. Down the gangway. Trillian grabs the pistol off
Chin's utility belt, and opens fire. Canton jumps into the water and
disappears.
CUT TO:
Finnegan explodes to the surface. GASPING for air. He reaches down and
yanks a half drowned Pantucci up next to him. They both look up to
gunfire exploding in the distance.
CUT TO:
The creature keeps coming. The mercs keep firing. Then without warning
Hanover drops his rifle and dives into the water, disappearing beneath
the surface.
Trillian is astounded. She throws down her pistol, picks up the pulse
rifle, and slams on the trigger. The recoil of the rifle throws her
into the water. When she surfaces, she sees Chin and Mamooli, firing
as they retreat to the water's edge. Still holding her rifle, she
dives.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN BURSTS to the surface. FINNEGAN YANKS her up and out of the
water.
FINNEGAN
You O.K.?
Mamooli bursts out of the water, falling on the floor, close to panic
mode.
MAMOOLI
Where's Chin?
TRILLIAN
Gone...
MAMOOLI
This is not real! This is not bloody
real!
Finnegan TOPPLES a large, heavy metal BROILER onto the open floor
gate, sealing the watery hole in the floor. There are two hatches in
this room. The far hatch is closed. Mamooli stands next to an OPEN
HATCH. Canton points to it.
CANTON
Through there...another sixty,
seventy yards...there are more
elevators there.
PANTUCCI
I ain't goin' up no more elevators.
CANTON
There's stairways...
Mamooli SLAMS the HATCH SHUT. Eyes bugging out of his head.
MAMOOLI
I say we stay right here!
PANTUCCI
Are you crazy?
MAMOOLI
(desperate)
There's plenty of food here. We can
hold out...someone'll rescue us...
FINNEGAN
Who?
MAMOOLI
Someone...maybe they sent an SOS!
PANTUCCI
On what? This son of a bitch
(to Canton)
zapped the communications.
HANOVER
Mamooli stand down!
MAMOOLI
We don't even know if his boat is
still there...you saw Billy!
FINNEGAN
Boat or no boat...I'm going...
MAMOOLI
They're wipin' us out one at a time.
I say we make a stand. Right here!
Right now! Maximum firepower!
PANTUCCI
Somebody shoot this jerk!
FINNEGAN
(calm)
Nobody's shooting nobody...come on,
just let us through the hatch!
MAMOOLI
I'll kill you!! I'll fucking kill
you!! I'll do it! I'll do it! I'm
not playin' around here!
FINNEGAN
I once saw a guy put a fish in a
bottle, then he corked it, sealing
it tight, and threw it to a baby
octopus. The little sucker felt its
way around that bottle, and in less
than two minutes, got that cork off,
slid inside, and ate that fish.
MAMOOLI
What the hell are you talking about?
FINNEGAN
Us...I'm talking about us... We're
the fish.
The LIQUID SHADOW OOZES down and hits the floor, starts to EXPAND,
filling like a water balloon. It's not a liquid. It's a Tentacle.
VEINS, FEELERS and SUCKERS begin to form.
MAMOOLI
And what? These things are
octopusses?
FINNEGAN
I don't know what these things are
...all I know is...
The TENTACLE slowly RISES UP right behind Mamooli. Inches behind his
head. Finnegan and Hanover see it. Eyes widening.
MAMOOLI
What...? What??
MAMOOLI
EEEEYYYYYAAAAHHHH!!!!
He opens fire, emptying his clip into the tentacle. The tentacle
retreats into the pipes. Mamooli looks around. The room is empty. He
runs out.
CUT TO:
Mamooli rushes into the empty passageway, looks left. Then right. His
POV. Down the hall another TENTACLE comes racing at him.
TRACK WITH Mamooli racing down the hallway, looking over his shoulder
in fear, as the tentacle comes racing after him...gaining...gaining...
almost on him...
Mamooli leaps through an open hatch, and swings it shut in one swift
motion. The tentacle slams into the glass portal. Stopped. Mamooli
keeps his eye on the portal, and backs up two steps. He lets out a
long deep breath of relief, turns...
MAMOOLI
EEEYYYAAAHHHH!!!!!
CUT TO:
Dante's Inferno: STEAM, SMOKE, FIRE, STRANGE NOISES, DARK AREAS, and
lots of MOVING ENGINE PARTS. Finnegan leads, followed by Trillian,
Hanover, Pantucci, and Canton. We can HEAR their HEARTS BEATING. Scary
shit. Finnegan heads for a open HATCH. It suddenly SLAMS SHUT. He
instantly VEERS down another passageway.
PANTUCCI
What the hell is going on!!
FINNEGAN
They're herding us.
FINNEGAN
Like cattle...
TRILLIAN
You're saying they can think?
FINNEGAN
I'm saying they're calling the
shots...
CANTON
Do we have to go there?
The ceiling left above them begins to torque, and splits. The answer
is plain. Everyone runs into the passage just as the ceiling comes
down.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
What's the matter?
FINNEGAN
The quiet...
HANOVER
Maybe we lost them.
FINNEGAN
Or maybe we're exactly where they
want us to be.
Finnegan moves on. The others follow. Guns out front. TENSE. They
round a huge metal pillar and come face-to-face with a soul-wrenching
nightmare. The CREATURES' NEST -- OR STOMACH. Across a small portion
of the ship's midsection, is a huge GELATINOUS WOMB. Imagine a massive
thick wall of clear-yellow JELL-O, with hundreds of BLUE VEINS running
through it. If it weren't all so horrific, it would be considered
beautiful.
Inside the womb, A DOZEN HUMANS, passengers, float around in some kind
of twisted embryonic state, the living dead. They all seem to be
breathing the gelatin. Several TENTACLES WRIGGLE through the stuff;
which divides and re-forms in some sort of strange mitosis. Finnegan
and the others look at the passengers, horrified. But even more
horrifying is that the people can look back at them. Many start to
reach out, seemingly in slow motion as their hands ooze through the
thick gelatin. Trillian looks sick, trembles in fear.
TRILLIAN
What is it?
FINNEGAN
A meat locker.
TRILLIAN
We can't just leave them here.
Canton looks like he's about to throw up, he starts backing away,
heading for a side hatch.
CANTON
I can.
PANTUCCI
Oh no...oh God please no.
The TENTACLE-SAC gloms onto the Lady's forehead. THROUGH THE SAC we
can SEE her SKIN MELTING. The only thing she can move are her EYES,
which are bugging-out in absolute horror as she is imbibed alive. Our
heroes are frozen in fear. Until the Lady's EYES LIQUEFY.
FINNEGAN
We can't do anything for them...
Let's go...
He begins to lead her toward the hatch...when her eyes recognized the
old lady with the orchid in her hair. The old lady seems to see her
too. Her hands read out, IMPLORING. Her mouth silently shapes the
words: HELP ME! Just as a tentacle comes creeping toward her.
TRILLIAN
NOOO!!
Her rage rises. She hefts her rifle, and starts blasting away.
TRILLIAN
You won't get her!! You won't!!
Spitting FLAMES and SMOKE. The BULLETS IMPACT the gelatin. BLASTING IT
AWAY. But the bullets only manage to go about twenty feet into the
thick shit before gliding to a stop.
GELATIN EXPLODES all over the place. TRACER HOLES STREAK through the
stuff. But all the bullets are sliding short.
TRILLIAN
Finnegan...do something!! Please!!
Finnegan looks around and spots the place in the ceiling where most of
the Tentacles are coming from. Their long TAILS WIGGLE down from a
massive clutter of pipes. A bas-relief of horror. Finnegan reaches
over and yanks two thermite grenades off Hanover's utility belt.
HANOVER
Finnegan, No!!!
FINNEGAN
Eat this.
FINNEGAN
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
All the MOVEMENT STOPS. The remaining TENTACLES VANISH into the
machinery. Pantucci, and Hanover look up from the floor, covered in
slime. Finnegan and Trillian also look up...and then look at each
other face to face...inches apart. Dripping with slime.
FINNEGAN
Looking good...
TRILLIAN
You should talk...
Then the machinery shuts down. The engines go dead. ALL SOUND CUTS
OUT. An expectant hush. Somewhere, WATER DRIPS...
And that's when the HULL BEGINS TO TORQUE. RIVETS POP and SNAP. WATER
SPRAYS. METAL BUCKLES.
At the far end of the ship, part of the LOWER BOW RIPS OPEN! AND A
WALL OF WATER RUSHES IN. FLOOD CITY!
FINNEGAN
GO! GO! GO!
They all hightail it for hatches. Finnegan and Trillian make it into
one hatch. Hanover and Pantucci make it into another. WATER CRASHES
and SPRAYS behind them.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
RED WARNING LIGHTS FLASH up and down every passageway. And a CLAXTON
RINGS, in accelerating tones, giving a frenetic urgency to ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING SCENES:
WATER BLASTS through a hatch and CHASES Finnegan and Trillian down a
passageway.
FINNEGAN
We're going to sink! We've got to
get on deck!
They backtrack. Trillian's now in the lead. They HAUL ASS down a
hallway. WATER ROARING IN from everywhere behind them. All of the
watertight HATCHES begin to hydraulically CLOSE. Trillian and Finnegan
JAG into a hatch. It's a small room. The hatch in front of them
closes.
WATER BLASTS in behind them. SWEEPS them off their feet. The ROOM
quickly starts to FILL UP. Trillian pulls frantically at the hatch.
CUT TO:
Hanover and Pantucci quickly slog their way through knee-high water.
Pantucci stumbles into the water, frantically scrambles up. He looks
back --
UNDER THE WATER, INKY FORMS hurl themselves down the passageway right
towards him. Pantucci YELPS, and splashes away.
CUT TO:
Trillian and Finnegan pull with all their might on a tiny portal.
Finnegan tries to insert the blade of his knife in the crack.
TRILLIAN
So how do you get from the Bronx to
the South China sea?
FINNEGAN
You quit high school, lie about your
age, join the navy, and next thing
you know, four years are up and you
need a way to make a living...
FINNEGAN
I'll break the seal! Pull.
He yanks the blade. Trillian pulls. The seal pops. The portal flies
open.
Waist-high in water, Trillian sticks her arm out, tries to get her
shoulder out, but there's no chance in hell of that.
TRILLIAN
Too small!
She pulls her arm out. And a TENTACLE LUNGES IN. Just missing
Trillian. It SPLASHES under the water. GRABS Finnegan's ankle. Pulls
him under. FINNEGAN sticks the barrel of his gun underwater and OPENS
FIRE. WATER EXPLODES. The Tentacle recoils. And rips itself back out
the porthole. Trillian SLAMS the PORTHOLE SHUT and dogs it tight. The
WATER QUICKLY RISES.
CUT TO:
Pantucci and Hanover hauling ass. Hanover pulls out his last two
Thermite grenades. Pantucci panics and grabs for them.
PANTUCCI
Gimme one! Gimme one!
HANOVER
You idiot!
CUT TO:
The storm hammers the deck. Canton staggers out onto the RAIN-SLICKED
DECK just in time to see --
A HOLE BEING BLOWN OUT the side of the Fuji Maru's HULL. BUBBLES
continue to EXPLODE OUT from under the bow.
CANTON
Oh my God, it's going to sink.
CANTON
It's going to sink.
CUT TO:
Finnegan and Trillian are getting banged around the frothy WATER as it
quickly RISES. Now only inches from the ceiling. Trapped. They're
about to drown. Finnegan keeps looking around, trying to figure a way
out.
TRILLIAN
I was so goddamn close, Finnegan! So
goddamn close to my island... I
could almost taste the sand...
FINNEGAN
Keep tasting...
Finnegan shoves the pulse rifle to the ceiling. And blasts away untill
part of the ceiling falls out and into the water. There's just enough
room between two metal beams to get out. The rising WATER SHOVES them
up through the hole.
CUT TO:
116 INT. PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT
PANTUCCI
They're catchin' up! They're
catchin' up! We gotta slow 'em down!
HANOVER
Feed them. That'll slow them down.
A black STRIATED MUSCLE ROILS out of the foamy water, then quickly
VANISHES under it, heading straight for them.
PANTUCCI
Feed 'em?!! Okay! All right! Feed
'em what? WHAT ARE WE GONNA FEED
'EM?!
Hanover takes his pistol and SHOOTS Pantucci in the leg, BLAM!
Pantucci SCREAMS. FALLS into the water. Hanover RUNS on. Pantucci
doesn't even have time to deal with the pain. He starts SCRAMBLING
through the water.
UNDERWATER, the INKY FORMS RACE AFTER HIM. Only meters away.
CUT TO:
The Saipan is still bobbing behind the Fuji Maru. But the HARPOON
HOOK, which holds the tow-line and is embedded into the rear deck of
the ship, is starting to PRY LOOSE. It JERKS and BUCKS against the
metal wall.
Canton doesn't notice this as he slips and slides his way up to the
railing. He sees the Saipan and smiles. Then he looks off at --
118 AN ISLAND
rising out of the ocean. About a mile away. Canton starts to climb
over the railing. And that's when the HARPOON HOOK RIPS FREE. WHIZZES
FORWARD. And IMPALES Canton's LEG. He SCREAMS. Tries to spin free. The
hook hangs onto his leg for a long, agonizing BEAT as Canton continues
to SCREAM. Then the HOOK RIPS FREE, grabs the METAL RAILING and starts
TEARING IT off the deck.
Canton drops to the deck, holding his leg and whimpering in pain. And
then he sees it --
119 THE SPEEDBOAT
CUT TO:
Finnegan and Trillian race up onto the pool deck. Passing beneath a
colorful NEON SIGN which READS:
TRILLIAN
EEEEEYYYYYAAAAHHHH!
...clawing at her face... Finnegan pulls her hands from her face...and
the thing that attached itself there...a small squid from the
shattered aquarium.
TRILLIAN
(freaked)
Ah...ah...ah...
FINNEGAN
It's OK...it's not one of them...
it's from the aquarium...it's...
FINNEGAN
It's not them...it's it...
TRILLIAN
What?
FINNEGAN
You know what kind of force it took
to rip open the bow of this ship? A
million little things like this...
FINNEGAN
...can't exert that kind of
pressure... And the way it tracked
us? A million little things don't
carry portable phones to coordinate
positions... What's chasing us...
it's one...thing...one giant...
thing.
...looking down on the Fuji Maru from high up in the air. Beneath the
ENTIRE SHIP is an enormous, undulating BLACK SHADOW. A massive monster
from the deep.
CUT TO:
RED WARNING LIGHTS FLASH. The CLAXTON RINGS. Off to one side of a
wall, behind the bar, the dumbwaiter door opens, and Pantucci tumbles
out, looks around, and then hears...
HANOVER V.O.
Help!! Help!!
Pantucci limps around the bar, down a row of one armed bandits...
rounds a corner, comes face-to-face with Hanover.
Hanover's eyes are filled with terror and despair. His face is badly
constricted. His body paralyzed. He clings to a black-jack table as a
Tentacle-Sac drinks its way up his leg. It's already to his hip. He
grasps desperately for his pistol, just beyond his reach on the floor.
This guy ain't gonna survive. PANTUCCI YELPS and quickly back away,
eyes wide, totally tense. He looks around, sees that there's only one
Tentacle, and it's completely occupied with devouring Hanover.
Pantucci is wigged, but manages to lock eyes with Hanover. Then he
looks at the Sac, filled with regurgitated flesh.
PANTUCCI
...even you don't deserve this.
PANTUCCI
I'm sorry man...
He turns and quickly limps off. Hanover's EYES look down at the gun in
his hand. Then, with all the strenght he has left, he slowly,
painfully, turns the pistol so it points at his head. CLOSE ON:
Hanover's trembling FINGER. As it slowly squeezes the trigger. He want
to kill himself. Needs to hill himself. He squeezes harder. The
TRIGGER DEPRESSES!
CUT TO:
Finnegan and Trillian race out onto the rear deck just as the HARPOON
HOOK finishes TEARING the railing off the ship. The HOOK, the TOW-
LINE, and the ENTIRE RAILING DROP over the side and fall OUT OF SIGHT.
The TWO BOATS are now UNCOUPLED. Finnegan reels at the rain soaked
sky.
FINNEGAN
Will somebody give me a break here?
And that's when Finnegan and Trillian hear the SOUND of a HYDRAULIC
HOIST. They look over --
TRILLIAN
Wait! Stop!
CANTON
I'd like to but I have an
appointment with my insurance
broker!
CANTON
Life takes the damndest turns,
doesn't it?
He red-lines the THROTTLE. The SPEEDBOAT HAULS ASS away from the
cruiseliner. Canton steers for the island. Smiling. ANGLE ON: Trillian
IN HER RAGE...
TRILLIAN
You son of a bitch!!
FINNEGAN
Look!
TRILLIAN
Oh my god! Oh my god! How do we do
it? How do we get there?
FINNEGAN
Not like him.
The Tentacle quickly picks up speed, going faster and faster, getting
closer and closer, stretching further and further. Suddenly, behind
them, a METALIC THRASHING SOUND is HEARD. They turn around and look --
The hook, the tow-line, and the entire railing have dropped down onto
the watersports platform and are tangled up around the two jet skis,
trying to tear free -- The Saipan is still clinging by its fingernails
to the Fuji Maru! Finnegan races over to a WINCH and grabs the winch-
line.
CUT TO:
CANTON
Oh we sail the ocean blue, and our
mighty ship's a beauty. We are
strong men, yes it's true, and
responsive to our duty...
CUT TO:
One of the JET SKIS and the ENTIRE RAILING are RIPPED over the side
and fall down into the ocean. Finnegan is also YANKED over the side,
but he manages to hold on by his fingers, dangling precariously.
FINNEGAN
Hit it! Hit it!
The HOOK and the TOW-LINE drop -- then SNAP TAUGHT as the winch-line
holds them tight. Trillian throws the start lever on the winch. The
WINCH KICKS ON and starts reeling in the Saipan. Finnegan tries to
crawl up on the deck, exhausted. Trillian reaches down and pulls him
the rest of the way up. He half collapses on top of her.
TRILLIAN
You know, Finnegan, I'm starting to
believe what you said about you not
being born to die on a luxury liner.
CUT TO:
Canton crawls away from that one. Its Feelers and Suckers unsheathe,
dripping mucus. Canton's eyes widen, horrified. Then another TENTACLE
SQUIRMS up. Canton crawls to the center of the hood. And another
TENTACLE. Canton has nowhere to go. The Tentacles close in on him.
CANTON
No! No! No!
CANTON
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
CUT TO:
Finnegan and Trillian race for all they are worth, clamber over the
side of the Fuji Maru, dropping to the deck of the Saipan.
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
(quietly)
Finnegan...
FINNEGAN
Yeah...
TRILLIAN
...the minute you start your engines
...it's goint to kill us, isn't it?
They step up to one of the big CRATES. Finnegan starts SMASHING it
with the butt of his pulse-rifle. The CRATE BURST OPEN. REVEALING the
WARHEAD of the torpedo. Trillian is stunned.
FINNEGAN
Not unless we kill it first.
FINNEGAN
Anything moves, you shoot.
Finnegan starts to yank open the top plates of the missle head.
Trillian looks around nervously.
FINNEGAN
There's not much horsepower left in
the engines, but there's enough
noise...once this baby's set...I'll
rev it up...that slimy bastard will
come for it like candy...
TRILLIAN
If you blow up your boat, how are we
going to get to the island?
FINNEGAN
Jet ski...there's one left up there.
FINNEGAN
...let's see, it was red wire cross
compressor blue wire...or blue cross
red?
PANTUCCI
Don't shoot!! Don't shoot!!
FINNEGAN
Just the man I wanted to see. On
this puppy here, you remember if
it's red to blue or blue to red...
PANTUCCI
Not even a Joey, I'm glad to see
you? Joey, what happened to your
leg?
FINNEGAN
Joey, you want to get sucked out by
a giant fucking mutated squid?
PANTUCCI
(fast)
Red cross over to blue double blue
...is that what it is? A squid?
FINNEGAN
Squid...squid like...squid type...
it's got tentacles, a feed sac...
probably one central nervous
processor somewhere...what the hell
do I know is going on deep down in
the ocean...there's all sorts of
shit we've never seen...eighty foot
clams...60 foot sharks...I'm just
guessing...can you get me more juice
out of Hercules...fast?
PANTUCCI
For juice, I gotta rebuild. That's
not fast.
TRILLIAN
How about noise? Can you get noise?
We don't need speed, just noise,
right?
FINNEGAN
Right...
PANTUCCI
Can somebody tell me what the object
of the exercise is here?
FINNEGAN
Seafood salad.
(to Trillian)
You ever operate a jet ski?
TRILLIAN
(nervous)
You want ME to go up there?
FINNEGAN
Not unless you can wire a missle or
fix an engine.
TRILLIAN
And what if I run into one of those
things?
FINNEGAN
Don't forget the safety.
...and exits.
PANTUCCI
(razzing)
I've never seen you so congenial
with a mamber of the opposite sex...
The two of you got a nice patter
going...got a nice rapport...
FINNEGAN
And you got 10 minutes before this
thing livens up a boring evening.
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
I'm going to be OK...I'm going to be
OK...
The ship's METAL HULL SCREECHES. The SEAWATER BUBBLES and GURGLES.
From somewhere deep inside the ship, we HEAR that loud primordial YOWL
again. Trillian freezes, her heart double beats. She looks around,
really scared.
CUT TO:
PANTUCCI
You know what I think? I think our
luck has just about run shit out...
FINNEGAN
A little to the left...
PANTUCCI
I think we gotta stop floating from
one fucked up situation to the
next...
FINNEGAN
Line it up now, nice and easy...
The missile head is right in line with the hole in the bow.
PANTUCCI
I'm telling you, man, we got to give
the future some serious thought.
FINNEGAN
I have been.
PANTUCCI
And what have you come up with?
FINNEGAN
How does an island sound to you?
CUT TO:
The TIP of the WARHEAD creeps out through the hole. The body of the
missile is just a hair too wide, which is good, because it jams itself
nice and tight into the hole.
CUT TO:
Trillian takes the tarp off the remaining jet ski. Pushes the swivel
arm that holds it out over the railing. The PLATFORM TILTS! Trillian
loses her balance. Almost goes over the side. Just barely manages to
catch herself. Hangs there for a moment. Something SWISHES in the
water below her. Trillian's EYES scan the darkness; scared sick.
CUT TO:
Pantucci enters.
PANTUCCI
I gerry-rigged the ignition...all
you gotta do is start her up...it
won't go fast but it'll go loud...
PANTUCCI
Man, don't go up there...
FINNEGAN
One whistle... Start the engine...
PANTUCCI
She's gone...
FINNEGAN
Second whistle you make it to the
deck and get ready to jump...
PANTUCCI
All you're gonna do is get yourself
killed...and for what? Some chick?
FINNEGAN
You're beautiful what you're
jealous, you know that, Joey?
CUT TO:
Finnegan drops onto the deck from the tow line. Pulse-rifle leveled.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins. A man on a mission.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
NOOO!! NOOOO!! HELPP!! HELPP!!
CUT TO:
Finnegan is slamming another clip into his pulse rifle when he hears
TRILLIAN, YELLING for help. He takes off running through a hatch.
CUT TO:
Trillian struggles in the web, but she's only getting herself more
stuck. Behind her, deep in the web, Tentacles slowly start squirming
their way towards her. Trillian feels the GELATIN start to MOVE. She
struggles wildly. Panicked. Finnegan ENTERS the room. Spots Trillian.
Starts sloshing his way through the water. Trillian sees him coming.
TRILLIAN
Finnegan!
Trillian looks back. Sees the Tentacles coming out of the darkness of
the web. Twenty feet back and closing.
TRILLIAN
Hurry!! Hurry!!
Finnegan runs up and grabs her. Tries to pull her free. But she's
stuck good. He looks behind her to the tentacles quickly closing in on
her. Now fifteen feet away.
TRILLIAN
Get me out of here!!
As she struggles, Finnegan pulls out his knife, and starts to hack
away at the sticky webbing. Trillian tries to look behind her.
FINNEGAN
Don't look!! Push!!
Trillian struggles with every last ounce of her strength. Now ten feet
away.
TRILLIAN
FINNEEGGGAANNN!!!
FINNEGAN
Grab my hands!!
Finnegan plunges his hands into the goo. Trillian latches onto
Finnegan's wrists, he onto hers. Four feet.
FINNEGAN
Push!! Push!!
Finnegan strains, pulling, until every muscle in his body keens with
the effort, every vein pops to the surface. Trillian pushes for all
she is worth. Three feet...two feet...one foot...
BOTH
YYYEEEAAAHHH!!!
The tentacle rushes forward. Finnegan jams his pulse-rifle into the
web and OPENS FIRE. Blasting the entire clip into the goo. Tearing the
shit out of it. BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!!!!!!
And that's when the whole ROOM starts to QUAKE. And SHAKE! Finnegan
and Trillian both look down at their feet as they hear the LOWER DECKS
EXPLODING UPWARD, one at a time -- BAM! -- BAM! -- BAM! Something is
rising up through the ship.
He grabs Trillain and pulls her toward the exit. She scoops her fallen
pulse rifle off the floor.
FINNEGAN
Go! Go! Go!
He shoves her out the door, and is about to follow when the door is
slammed shut in his face.
TRILLIAN V.O.
Finnegan!!!
FINNEGAN
Get to the jet ski! Go!
CUT TO:
Trillian stands there, pulling on the door, half naked. The door is
bolted tight. She has not other options. She runs off.
CUT TO:
Finnegan turns as the DANCE FLOOR and the D.J. BOOTH EXPLODE as
SOMETHING RISES UP from below them. His eyes widen. And there it is --
The huge, horrible, mutated, mucus-covered, sucker-faced HEAD OF THE
CREATURE. A giant mutated protoplasm. Jutting up from a breach in the
floor. The trunk of the Creature, the part where all the Tentacles
come from, is below the next deck.
The membrane over the EYE moves. And another Tentacle starts to close
in for the kill. They are surrounding Finnegan.
Finnegan comes around the shattered D.J. booth. Faces the Creature
full-on. He can't miss. He gives it a wicked smile.
FINNEGAN
Get a good look...
CUT TO:
TRILLIAN
FINNEGAN!! COME ON!!
CUT TO:
Finnegan TUMBLES in. Face-first. Quickly rolls over and looks back --
A TENTACLE LASHES in through the doorway. Finnegan back-pedals on his
hands and feet, stumbling over various sports equipment. The TENTACLE
homes-in on him. CHARGES FORWARD. Finnegan hurls himself backwards.
THROWING anything that comes to hand at the Tentacle. A VOLLEYBALL. A
WATERSKI. A TACKLE BOX. A FRISBEE. But onward it comes.
Finnegan back-pedals faster. Over diving gear. Scuba tanks. Fins and
masks. The TENTACLE RISES. About to STRIKE. Finnegan backs into the
wall. Trapped. He spots a SPEARGUN. Grabs it. The TENTACLE LUNGES.
Finnegan FIRES. NAILS IT. PINS IT to the wall.
Finnegan scrambles past the furiously WRITHING TENTACLE and runs out
of the room.
CUT TO:
Trillian lifts up her feet as the jet ski touches down into the dark
water. She frantically whispers to herself:
TRILLIAN
Oh my God, oh my God.
Suddenly, twenty feet from the jet ski, SOMETHING SWIRLS through the
water. Trillian aims her pulse-rifle at it. Eyes wide. Knuckles white.
Breathing hard. WHAMM!! Something drops onto the ski behind her.
TRILLIAN
EEEEYYYYAAAHHH!!!!
FINNEGAN
I don't mean to drop in unannounced
...you ready...
TRILLIAN
Soon as I get over the heart
attack...
FINNEGAN
Three minutes...I'm not back...no
matter what...you go...
TRILLIAN
No...
FINNEGAN
You don't take orders very well, do
you?
TRILLIAN
I don't take orders at all.
FINNEGAN
This time, make an exception.
CUT TO:
FINNEGAN
Pantucci!... JOEY!
Then he spots something on the floor. He reaches down and picks it up.
It's Pantucci's leather tool belt. It's been RIPPED TO SHREDS.
Finnegan stares at it. His grip tightening. Tears rising in his eyes.
His jaw clenching. Then he flings the belt aside. Filled with rage.
FINNEGAN
Time to die, motherfucker.
CUT TO:
Trillian hears the Saipan's engine come to life. She hits the ignition
on the jet ski. Right next to her something drops from the deck of the
Saipan into the water. Finnegan clambers up in front of her. His pulse
rifle still in hand.
TRILLIAN
Where's you friend?
FINNEGAN
He's not coming...
FINNEGAN
Hold on!
He GUNS the ski...and it stalls. The jet ski stalls. Goes dead in the
water.
FINNEGAN
Oh shit!!
FINNEGAN
Come on!!
FINNEGAN
Come on!!
Another STUTTER. More WATER SWIRLS, getting closer now. But the third
time's a charm. The jet ski comes to life and shoots off along the
side of the ship. Just as a tentacle comes shooting out of the water.
Finnegan fires at it, blowing it to pieces.
The last TIE-LINE SNAPS. The SAIPAN LURCHES AWAY from the Fuji Maru.
The jammed steering-sticks force the rudder to turn it in a tight
circle.
Finnegan HAULS ASS away from the Fuji Maru. ENGINE ROARING.
Throwing water.
Another WAVE EXPLODES.
A tentacle rears up. Right in front of the jet ski.
Finnegan and Trillian lean hard.
The JET SKI SKIDS sideways across the water.
BOUNCING HARD.
Trillian can't hold on.
Flips off the back.
Skips across the water.
Finnegan ROARS away.
A tentacle hard on his ass.
Trillian pops to the surface. Treads water.
Panicked.
Watches Finnegan and the jet ski leaving her behind.
The Tentacle above Finnegan drops like lead. And just lies there.
Quivering.
Another EXPLOSION. LIFTS the remains of the FUJI MARU out of the sea.
Sends shock waves across the water. Blows Finnegan's hair back. He
swims on. Towards the island. Pulling Trillian.
The remains of the SAIPAN and the FUJI MARU SMOLDER and SINK. BUBBLES
EXPLODE to the surface. A couple dozen small FIRES dot the waves.
WATER SIZZLES and STEAMS. SMOKE drifts into the night sky. Debris
coats the water.
Finnegan and Trillian crawl out of the water and up onto the beach of
the island. They collapse next to each other. Finnegan is exhausted.
Trillian coughs up seawater. They both turn and look out to sea, and
the rising sun.
Trillian reaches into her bra, and pulls out the egg sized diamond.
She holds it up. The sun refracts off it brilliantly... Trillian looks
at the diamond, looks around at the picture perfect island, the
picture perfect sunset...and then she heaves it as far as she can into
the sea.
For the first time since they know each other there is nobody around.
No people. No tentacles. And when they look at each other, something
else comes to mind besides survival.
Finnegan moves towards Trillian. Trillian moves towards Finnegan.
Their lips move closer, closer... And then, down by their feet --
SOMETHING EXPLODES OUT OF THE WATER! Scares the shit out of them. The
audience too. But it's just Pantucci. Looking waterlogged and shell-
shocked. Coughing up half the sea. Finnegan and Trillian help him to
his feet.
PANTUCCI
Was it the water in my eyes or were
you guys about to...
FINNEGAN
Joey...
PANTUCCI
Because it's cool, you know, I can
always take a walk or something down
the beach...
FINNEGAN
Joey...
PANTUCCI
Or I could go for a swim...although,
I gotta tell you...if I never get in
the water again...
BOTH
Joey!!
PANTUCCI
OK...OK...you don't have to beg me
...I'll stick around...
PANTUCCI
Or maybe not...
Finnegan, Trillian, and Pantucci slowly turn and look INLAND. We BEGIN
TO PULL BACK as they all stand up. MORE STRANGE NOISES ARE HEARD. FROM
MULTIPLE UNKNOWN SPECIES. WE KEEP PULLING BACK. REVEALING more of this
creepy-looking island. And leaving our three heroes stranded on the
beach.
FINNEGAN V.O.
What now...
THE END