HIGHER - October 2018 (Max Landis)
HIGHER - October 2018 (Max Landis)
HIGHER - October 2018 (Max Landis)
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HIGHER
Written by
Max Landis
October, 2018
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The sound of wind. Rain, pouring down onto a roof, muted and
obtuse. Distant thunder. Then:
FLYNN, early 40s, unshaven, looking tired and worn down, his
suit rumpled, gets into the car, slamming the door.
FLYNN
Yes, it could be dangerous, I don’t
want to lie to you...It could be-
it’s a dangerous situation-
(beat)
Well, because it has to be me.
(beat, sadly)
You don’t mean that. You don’t
mean that, so don’t say it, I hate
when you act like it’s just a-
(beat)
Well someone has to. You think I
don’t know- you think I don’t know
there’s a chance this ends up with
me bleeding on the floor again?
You think I don’t...
(oops too far)
Look it’s going to be fine. We’re
going to...figure SOMETHING out.
(beat)
I love you.
(beat)
Okay.
The telephone wires are burning as far as the eye can see.
TITLE ON BLACK:
HIGHER
2.
POLLY.
FLYNN
(re: everything)
...Whoa.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hello?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
It uh, it doesn’t look like she’s
in here. There’s some kind of-
contraption, in here, it covers the
whole interior of the barn...I’m
gonna try to get a better look.
POLLY
Digger, thank god, it’s almost
time! You’re really cutting it
close there compadre, I was-
She sees Flynn. Flynn sees her. Flynn’s eyes bug for a
moment, startled by the pantsless, hooded figure above him.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Who the fuck are you?
FLYNN
Do you not-...I- uhh-
POLLY
Oh, right, right. You can leave it
anywhere.
FLYNN
I’m sorry, leave what?
4.
POLLY
The food. You’re the- you brought
the food, yeah?
FLYNN
What food?
POLLY
The Chinese I ordered.
FLYNN
(quietly)
Yeah she’s in here.
(to her)
I’m not the Chinese Delivery Man.
POLLY
Of course not. You’re the white
delivery man. But if you don’t
have the food, I’m going to have to
ask you to go, sorry.
FLYNN
Miss Webber, do you not recognize
me?
POLLY
No, have we met?
FLYNN
Yes. My name is Flynn Westcott,
I’m a lawyer, we met in college.
POLLY
Well I don’t remember you-
FLYNN
Miss Webber, there’s no Chinese
restaurants within a hundred miles
of here.
POLLY
So you’re saying you don’t have
food?
FLYNN
I’m afraid not.
5.
POLLY
(beat)
Well that’s probably better,
wouldn’t want to go up on a full
stomach. You can get the fuck out
now, thanks.
FLYNN
(quietly)
Oh wow.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(loudly)
Miss Webber?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Miss Webber, how long have you been
in here?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Where did you buy- or find- where
did you get all this equipment?
Flynn weaves his way through, only for the raincoated figure
to suddenly appear, now wearing a welder’s mask.
6.
POLLY
I told you to leave.
She tries to push past, the two of them close together, and
he moves to block her. The welding mask turns to him,
expressionless.
FLYNN
What is all this stuff?
POLLY
Targeting computers.
FLYNN
“Targeting?”
POLLY
Trajectory, component trajectories.
Launch vectors, possible entry
points, transpatial mapping.
FLYNN
Component trajectories for what?
POLLY
Who did you say you were again?
FLYNN
I can explain everything, but I
need you to come outside. Maybe
you can do some explaining too-
what is all this stuff?
POLLY
Are you armed?
FLYNN
Armed? No.
POLLY
Then get out of my way.
FLYNN
Miss Webber, wait, you have to
stop, wait, and listen, just for a
moment, please-
POLLY
Look, what is it you need? What’s
the big plan, here, cause I’m being
patient, but when Digger gets back-
he doesn’t like strangers, and you
don’t look like the fighting type,
no offense-
FLYNN
Well that’s the thing, Miss Webber,
Digger isn’t coming back.
POLLY
What?
FLYNN
Digger was arrested this morning.
POLLY
Bullshit.
FLYNN
It’s how I found you. He was using
your old credit card to draw money
from an ATM, money to buy
methamphetamines-
POLLY
“methamphetamines”
FLYNN
Yes. They pulled him over because
he was speeding and found drugs in
the car, weed, adderall, the whole
pharmacy. Digger’s not coming
back, so you can’t count on any
protection from your boyfriend
right now.
8.
POLLY
Is that a threat?
FLYNN
I’m just furthering the dialogue.
POLLY
Digger isn’t my boyfriend.
(beat)
Digger is just someone I fuck.
POLLY (CONT’D)
And please, the last person I need
protection from is you.
FLYNN
Do I need to be worried about that?
What do these machines do,
more...calculations, or-
POLLY
You need to be worried about
getting the fuck out.
FLYNN
Where did you get all this stuff?
POLLY
Garage sales. Factory clear-outs.
I needed older models so they
couldn’t scan them in advance and
see what I was planning. No wi-fi.
FLYNN
So who couldn’t scan them in
advance?
POLLY
The Sigma Sixers.
FLYNN
Sigma Six?
POLLY
The aliens.
9.
FLYNN
Is it getting hotter in here?
Silence from the machines, other than the noise of typing and
things being worked on.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
I could swear it wasn’t this hot
when I came in, maybe- is there any
kind of output, what’s cooling all
these machines?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
She told you not to come. She told you to give up
and you didn’t listen. Now this fucking shit, of
course, stupid fucking cocksucker, now fucking
this shit now, fine, you want me to give up, fine.
POLLY
Drop it.
She stands behind Flynn, having risen from the machines. She
holds a gun at her side.
FLYNN
It’s just a ph-
Polly grabs the phone away and hurls it violently into the
wall, destroying it.
How much of what he was saying did she hear? She sticks a
finger right in his face.
10.
POLLY
No more distractions. We’re too
close now. Not much time left. If
you’re looking for me to bail out
Digger, that’s not on the table-
FLYNN
I’m not here for Digger, I’m here
BECAUSE of Digger. I’d been
looking for you.
POLLY
Cause we met in college? Arkansas
is quite a drive from Yale-
FLYNN
Because I’m trying to get you out
of here, to get you out of this.
If you’d just-
POLLY
Sorry bud, only way I’m leaving
this barn is through the roof.
FLYNN
Your family is worried about you.
Your daughter. Your husband.
POLLY
See, now I know someone sent you,
once you start that bullshit.
FLYNN
I’m sorry?
POLLY
My family does not give a singular
iota of shit about me, or they’d be
here now. But they’re not here
now, they left and went to Japan.
FLYNN
No, your daughter is at home, in
Philadelphia-
POLLY
Right, sure.
FLYNN
She’s going to be a senior in high
school this year. She’s pursuing
law schools, she thinks-
11.
POLLY
High school!? Did they even get
you the right file on me? My
daughter is nine years old. She’s
in Japan with her piece of shit
father doing god knows what, she
does not know I’m here, and she
does not care.
FLYNN
I’m sorry, Miss Webber, but that
isn’t the truth. That isn’t the
truth as I understand it, your
daughter is seventeen years old-
POLLY
The truth, the truth right, sure,
okay. “The truth.”
FLYNN
Why do you think I’m here?
POLLY
Because they sent you.
FLYNN
Who. The aliens? Could we talk
more about them-
POLLY
Not the ALIENS, they don’t SEND
PEOPLE, they just put the stars
out. No, I’m talking about some
anonymous they from the they
buffet, I’ve got so many theys in
my ass right now it’s like- pick a
card, any card. Move.
Flynn notices.
FLYNN
If you don’t mind me saying so, I
think you might be forgetting some
things. I think a lot of these
machines aren’t doing anything at
all.
12.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Miss Webber are you under the
influence of any kind of substance
right now?
POLLY
No, are you?
FLYNN
Do you have a history of substance
abuse of any kind, could you-
POLLY
No, I don’t.
FLYNN
You’re certain? Your view of
reality seems- I mean, let’s call
it “disparate,” disparate from the
facts-
POLLY
Well that’s not my problem, that’s
not the problem I have. I have two
problems, one’s in here
(indicates head)
And one’s up there-
(indicates upwards)
Now it’s five minutes to midnight
and we’re getting ready to stop
everything from the downhill roll,
and I warned them, but here you are
so I guess they didn’t-
FLYNN
Warned who? Talk to me. Explain
to me what you think is going on.
I think you’re confused about some
things, some integral pieces of
this- and maybe if you help me
understand what you are doing, or
think you’re trying to do-
POLLY
What I “think” I’m trying to do-
FLYNN
Yes, the “aliens,” help me to
understand.
(MORE)
13.
FLYNN (CONT'D)
The form and content of what you’re
saying seems- disparate to me from
the facts as I know them, so-
POLLY
Disparate.
FLYNN
Yes.
POLLY
Disparate.
FLYNN
Okay.
POLLY
It’s a lawyer-y word.
FLYNN
Guilty.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Jesus! What is this thing?
POLLY
The machines are warming up, I’m
waiting on them. I have to start
the preflight diagnostics.
FLYNN
Pre-flight? Is this barn going to
the moon?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
...Maybe I spoke too soon.
He might be in danger.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
The power in this barn is being
pulled illegally, did you know
that? Someone hacked into a power
grid north of here and ran a line.
You wouldn’t know who did that,
would you?
POLLY
Yeah I’ve got a pretty good idea.
FLYNN
Oh, do you?
POLLY
Yeah, it was me.
FLYNN
And you’re aware that’s a felony,
of course.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Something funny about that?
POLLY
I’m off the grid now, buddy. We’re
self generating the power from
right under there.
(gestures to the tarp)
How else was I suppose to get the
kickstart I needed to get the mag
All nice little families should
have their nightlights and air
conditioning back by now, I just
needed a power surge to initiate
fission in the reactor.
(MORE)
15.
POLLY (CONT'D)
How else am I supposed to get the
magnets going on the Slingatron?
FLYNN
Reactor?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
F- fission? I’m sorry did you say
fission?
POLLY
Yes, fission. You know. Atoms.
Fairy dust of the universe,
Oppenheimer, power from nothing,
destroyer of worlds-
FLYNN
You’re telling me that under that
tarp there’s a- you’re telling me
I’m standing next to a-
POLLY
(not even looking up)
It’s just a small one.
FLYNN
Dear god...
POLLY
DON’T TOUCH THAT. DON’T TOUCH
ANYTHING.
FLYNN
Th- that’s a live nuclear reactor.
I don’t know how you built it that
small, but if it’s real, us
standing this close to it is
hitting us with at least a thousand
rads a second. You are cooking us
both alive.
POLLY
Then leave.
FLYNN
Leaving is not an option. Not
without you.
POLLY
Then shut up and cook.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Who are you really? You’re not a
lawyer, someone sent you. Who sent
you?
FLYNN
I sent me. I’m here because-
POLLY
No, someone sent you. Look at you,
standing there with your elbow
halfway up your arm and your teeth
in your mouth, something’s up.
FLYNN
There are people who could’ve sent
me but they didn’t get a chance,
because I came here, on my own, to
talk to you, before things get
worse, before you make this any
worse for yourself-
POLLY
You have no idea the scope of
what’s happening. You’ve got an
itty bitty micro perspective here,
this is galactic.
FLYNN
Galactic, huh?
17.
POLLY
Yes. Yes. Yes.
FLYNN
I think a good amount of the
“galactic” situation is contained
in your head.
POLLY
Idiot. Jesus. You never listen to
me.
FLYNN
I thought this was the first time
we’ve met? Please just hear me out-
that’s- that’s a nuke, okay? That
will kill us both, that’s not
aliens, that’s real. You lit two
counties on fire turning it on, and
if that thing destabilizes it’s
either going to MELT DOWN or BLOW
UP, is that what you want?
POLLY
It’s built to blow up.
FLYNN
What?
POLLY
I designed it to explode, it’s
GOING to explode. And it’s not
only technically a nuke; the
fission is built on a self-cycling
iridium neon chamber-
FLYNN
I don’t care about the science-
listen to me. Listen to me. This
is not...This is not a tenable
situation. You don’t want to- die,
right? I mean you don’t want to
die, you’re not-
POLLY
It’s a judgment call. My death is
likely, and preferable, to the
death of every human being alive.
FLYNN
In what scenario does every human
alive die?
18.
POLLY
The arrival of the Sigma Sixers.
Less than an hour away now. Check
the charts, photon bursts closer
and closer. One just off the edge
of Saturn.
FLYNN
Aliens are coming. That’s it.
Just, aliens are coming.
(beat)
You’ve got some bandages, there.
Was that the aliens too?
POLLY
No. I did that.
FLYNN
You cut yourself.
POLLY
To cut out the nanites. I received
a message in a dream.
FLYNN
From the aliens.
POLLY
Yes, nocturnal subconscious
messaging systems, using alphawave
channels in the human brain-
FLYNN
And they told you they’re coming?
POLLY
No, they told me- other things,
they told me other things-
FLYNN
They told you to build a nuclear
reactor?
POLLY
No, I’m doing that for- myself-
FLYNN
You’re confused.
POLLY
The Sigma Sixers- the stars go out
one by one-
(mutters)
(MORE)
19.
POLLY (CONT'D)
It’s a- you can chart it, it’s a
chartable pattern- is someone- I
can explain, I will explain. But
tell me why you’re here. Tell me
who “they” is.
FLYNN
Well, right now, nobody. I’m just
one person trying to resolve a bad
situation.
POLLY
Is that what I am? A bad
situation?
FLYNN
I think a lot of things are
happening with you that you’re not
immediately aware of, not
contextually aware of as being
dangerous. You’re bleeding.
You’re dirty. You told me you’ve
been sleeping with a meth addict.
And we are standing next to some
kind of unshielded atomic reactor.
Just stop and think. Pause,
breathe, and become aware.
POLLY
Pause- pause breathe and-
FLYNN
Yes.
POLLY
Where’d you hear that?
FLYNN
Shut down the reactor and I’ll tell
you.
POLLY
Where’d you hear that, is that
something someone said to me-
FLYNN
Yes.
POLLY
Are you one of the doctors?
20.
FLYNN
Which doctors?
POLLY
The doctors at Green Meadow.
FLYNN
The Green Meadow Treatment
facility? In upstate New York?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Why would you know doctors at a
mental illness treatment facility.
What could’ve happened that
would’ve brought you there?
POLLY
Okay...Listen, this is real, I am
not- I am not- if they sent you
here to bring me back, I can’t go.
I’m very busy. I’m very busy.
It’s time sensitive.
FLYNN
Because the aliens are coming.
POLLY
(questioning)
...Yes.
FLYNN
Why are they coming, Miss Webber?
And what are you going to do when
they get here?
POLLY
You said you were alone.
FLYNN
I am, I am alone-
POLLY
You said no one sent you-
FLYNN
They didn’t, I’ll- I’ll handle this-
21.
POLLY
You’re one of them-
FLYNN
No, I’m not, there is no them,
there is no them!
Flynn turns and walks straight out of the barn as he talks,
out into-
FLYNN
(yelling)
Did no one call you?
COP
Good afternoon, sir-
FLYNN
Why are you here-
COP
Let’s quiet down.
FLYNN
Did no one call you.
COP
What?
FLYNN
Did no one call you, did no one
call you at your- station or
whatever and tell you what was
going on?
COP
Sir, have you been drinking today?
22.
FLYNN
What? No, certainly not, certainly
not. There’s just a sensitive
situation, and-
COP
I don’t know about any sensitive
situation. We had a power surge in
the whole county, and DWP traced it
to-
FLYNN
Yes, okay, I know about the surge,
but the situation is under control,
and you have to- you know, scram.
COP
...I have to “scram,” huh.
FLYNN
Yes. I mean sorry if I’m being
rude, or untoward, here, but yes,
you have to leave, you have to
leave right now.
COP
Okay. Okay. Can I see some
identification?
FLYNN
No. Absolutely not. Get out of
here-
COP
I’m going to need to take a look in
that barn, okay?
FLYNN
LISTEN. DUMB SHIT. You have
no clue, you have no fucking
idea what you just walked into.
You need to get the fuck out of
here right now, right now-
The cop looks ready to mace him.
COP
Sir-
FLYNN
Don’t say “sir” to me, just get
fucking back in your car and drive
away, drive away.
COP
Are you finished?
FLYNN
No! There is no “are you
finished?”, there’s just you
leaving, before something-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
No- NO NO NO!
Flynn screams in fear and surprise, and yanks the injured cop
around to cover-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Wait I’m trying to help- Shit!
The injured cop opens fire on Flynn from mere FEET AWAY, and
Flynn scrambles back towards the barn, falling into the mud
as bullets strike around him, Polly still shooting from the
barn-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
DAMN IT POLLY STOP IT! STOP IT
RIGHT NOW! FUCK!
He throws his body weight into the door, crashing back into-
24.
Where Flynn, muddy and wet, pushes and trips and ducks and
dodges through the mess of technology, the glowing web of
steel cables and power cords, finally bursting out behind
Polly-
She sees him a second before he can grab her and SPINS,
pointing the gun in his face-
FLYNN
WAIT! NO! NO! NO NO NO, WAIT,
STOP!
POLLY
You’re trying to trick me!
FLYNN
Put down the gun!
Two bullets blast holes in the door behind her, gray sunlight
shining through. Polly doesn’t even notice, stalking towards
Flynn, gun raised.
POLLY
You called them here-
FLYNN
No-
POLLY
You’re trying to trick me, you’re
not who you say you are-
FLYNN
Then WHO AM I?
Polly falters.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Who am I.
POLLY
The decimal fractions of seven are
the same six recurring digits, but
starting from a different one each
time-
FLYNN
What are you talking about?
POLLY
For instance one seventh is equal
to zero point one four two eight
five seven one four two eight five
seven and so on, and then two
sevenths is equal to zero point two
eight five seven one four two eight
five seven one four-
FLYNN
Are you here now?
POLLY
And three sevenths- what?
FLYNN
Are you here now with me?
POLLY
(beat)
Yes.
FLYNN
Why are you telling me the decimal
fractions of the number seven?
POLLY
It’s relevant. Things are
relevant, okay, there’s a multitude
of different ideas to compress and
understand if you even want the
most basic notion of what’s going
on. Thirty years ago they all said
no, right? And then I saw it
first, I made it happen for me, I
did that myself. I’ve been alone
in here, every day, doing it for
myself, because I’m the only one
who understands what it means that
the stars went out! They go out
one by one! Carl Sagan said it
first but I didn’t listen! Do you
think I’m smarter than Carl Sagan?
My husband certainly didn’t, and
look what I did to my daughter!
(MORE)
26.
POLLY (CONT'D)
My own daughter! I mean FOR
FUCKSAKES, FLYNN. FOR FUCKSAKES.
There’s only so much you can do to
a person! There’s only so much a
person can take, there’s only so
much your heart can take before you
leave someone! You can’t treat
someone that way! I won’t be
treated like this! Right?
(beat, confused)
Right? I won’t be treated like
this?
FLYNN
(beat)
Miss Webber, I’m sorry, but you’re
not making any sense.
POLLY
Why are you calling me that?
POLLY (CONT’D)
Why are you calling me “Miss
Webber?” Why are you talking to me
like that?
FLYNN
(beat)
Polly?
POLLY
Are we- are we in Philadelphia?
FLYNN
No Polly. We’re at the barn.
POLLY
(quietly)
What’s...I forget what’s happening.
FLYNN
I know. Look at me. Look at me.
Who am I?
POLLY
I know you.
27.
FLYNN
That’s right.
POLLY
I know your face.
FLYNN
Yes.
POLLY
You’re Flynn.
FLYNN
(quietly)
That’s right.
POLLY
You’re my husband.
Beat.
FLYNN
You’re pointing a gun at me, Polly.
Flynn staggers back, tossing away the gun, and then rushes to
Polly.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Polly, oh jesus, Polly-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Shit.
28.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Shit, oh no no no-
Flynn takes a moment to look out the window, down into the
roundabout- the cop is around shotgun side of the car, laying
in a pool of muddy blood, talking fervently on his comm-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Fuck.
The cop notices Flynn watching him, and raises his gun.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Fuck!
Flynn jerks back from the window just as several bullets hit
the frame! Flynn scrambles away.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Are you fucking kidding me!
(beat, yells at window)
Fuck you!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
No, CRAP! CRAP!
FLYNN
Things are fucked up here, things
are bad, things got all- fucked!
FLYNN
Yeah fuck you Inigawa you told me
you had this covered-
Flynn looks around, tiny glowing bits of ember from the fire
drifting in the air around him, the roof above him still
choked with dissipating smoke.
FLYNN
Polly? Polly?
FLYNN
Okay, yeah, okay.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Okay.
FLYNN
The reactor is part of- well, it’s
part of a larger whole. You’re
going to need to send a team in
here, it’s-
FLYNN
Ahhhhh yeah. Okay. Well,
it’s...Yeah, it’s a space-ship.
The floor in the center of the barn has been dug out to make
a small silo for what appears to be a VW Van, retrofitted to
near unrecognizability into a some kind of Do-It Yourself
spacecraft the unstable nuclear generator is powering.
All of the steel cords and cables lead to this, built into
the cradle the vehicle now sits in, chassied up and attached
to almost every computer and machine.
FLYNN
I mean, I can reach it, but Inigawa
it’s not like it has an on off
switch. Have you been listening
in, have we been coming in clear?
FLYNN
No. I can’t do that.
FLYNN
Well I can’t.
FLYNN
Yeah, a “possibility.” I cannot
disarm A NUCLEAR REACTOR-
It feels...not safe.
FLYNN
Yeah I know who Carla is Sam, thank
you-
FLYNN
I can hear you.
FLYNN
AGH FUCK GAH-
INIGAWA
WHAT’S HAPPENING, WHAT’S-
POLLY
RAHHH!
POLLY (CONT’D)
You won’t turn it off! You won’t
stop this, this has to happen-
FLYNN
Aghhh- STOP! Stop it right now!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
What’re you doing right now?
What’s going on in your head?
Polly angles on Flynn with the knife. Flynn stays well back.
POLLY
I am not a trusting person.
FLYNN
Okay.
POLLY
I feel like there’s some- someone
is trying to trick me, here.
FLYNN
Okay.
POLLY
No, you’re not him you’re not him-
33.
FLYNN
Look at my face, I’m him, I’m
Flynn, we met in Miss Boyle’s
Introduction to Jazz, you said I
looked lost and I told you-
POLLY
No you just look like him, they can
look like people-
FLYNN
Who can?
POLLY
The ones the- the- I don’t know-
FLYNN
Focus. Think Who can look like
people? There’s no aliens, it’s
just you and me-
POLLY
There are aliens, there are,
they’re not here yet but they’re
coming and oh god Flynn how am I
going to stop them-
FLYNN
You just said they’re here, are
they here or are they not here?
POLLY
I get confused. I have too many
ideas in my head going too fast,
going way too fast. I get confused
between the imaginary aliens and
the ones I know are real.
FLYNN
What’s...what’s the difference?
POLLY
(beat)
The aliens in my head, the ones who
aren’t real-
FLYNN
Yeah-
34.
POLLY
They tell me I have the implants in
my skin, the nanoblood implants,
they tell me there’s infiltrators,
they tell me you’re an infiltrator,
they tell me I can’t trust what I’m
thinking, they’re talking in my
grandfather’s voice or the voice of
people I know-
FLYNN
Right...What about the real aliens?
POLLY
They’re the Sigma Six aliens. They
put the stars out one by one.
They’re real, Flynn, I swear
they’re real-
FLYNN
So the ones with your grandfather’s
voice are different-
POLLY
I don’t know, I don’t know, but
Flynn, you trust me, you’ll believe
me, you can help me-
FLYNN
I trust you?
POLLY
Yes, yes, you’ll help me- figure it
all out, right?
FLYNN
I trust you?
POLLY
You’re my husband.
FLYNN
You sure about that?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Sigma Six. That’s the binary star
supernova. I remember.
POLLY
That’s right.
35.
FLYNN
That was seven years ago, you’re
still- don’t tell me you’re still
obsessed with that- oh god, of
course you are, of course you are-
POLLY
Two suns in a two sun solar system
can’t supernova at once. The odds
are trillions to one. It’s a
statistical impossibility-
FLYNN
I know, I remember your paper on
it. But as I recall, the
scientific community agreed that
what had happened was indeed that
trillion to one chance, that the
magnetic fields from one star
exploding triggered the next-
POLLY
FUCKING BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT!
FLYNN
Yeah, you said that then, too.
POLLY
BULLSHIT! BULLSHIT!
Polly’s silent.
FLYNN
What happened to your daughter when
she was nine?
POLLY
Our daughter is nine.
FLYNN
No, she’s seventeen, what happened
to her when she was nine-
POLLY
What are you talking about- you’re
trying to confuse me-
FLYNN
What happened to your daughter when
she was nine?
POLLY
She IS nine!
36.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Don’t try to pull me down some
chasm, here- I know I’m- I’m not
remembering SOME things, cause of
the- interference from the-
electromagnetic interference-
FLYNN
Oh, is that what’s wrong?
Electromagnetic interference.
That’s making you see the bugs
under your skin and cut yourself
and forget things and hear your
fucking abusive piece of shit
grandfather talking to you from
another universe?
(deeply mocking tone)
Is it the electrical interference?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Or maybe it’s like when you got
“too drunk” in grad school,
remember that? You told me “I got
drunk” and that’s why you
disappeared for two weeks. I
believed you. Can you fucking
believe that, I look back I think:
where was the double check? Where
was the reality check?
POLLY
But- but we got married...We stayed-
you stayed with me, and we got
married, you’re my husband, you
care about me-
FLYNN
(mocking her)
“You’re my husband.”
(beat)
I HATE you.
(laughs, sickly)
(MORE)
37.
FLYNN (CONT'D)
I hate you so goddamn much I can
taste it, I hate that I’m in here
with this fucking thing. I DESPISE
you.
POLLY
No. No it’s real, this is real,
this is all real, you’re my
husband, you’re just trying to
trick me, because I recognize I’m
in an unstable- place, from the
electromagnets or otherwise-
FLYNN
When’s the last time you saw me,
Polly?
POLLY
I- at the...
FLYNN
At the what?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Shut off the reactor. Now. We can
go outside and turn you in to those
guys, and we’ll do the best we can
for you-
POLLY
The Sigma Six aliens are real.
They’re coming, they’ll arrive
within an hour. It wasn’t a
supernova. They put the stars out,
Flynn. They’re a hostile alien
race, and they go from system to
system, firing some kind of
machine, or weapon, some kind of
protonic implosion unit that causes
the total collapse of a solar
system into its star-
FLYNN
You’re wasting time.
38.
POLLY
-when they get here, they’re going
to fire it at our sun and
everything, from Mercury to Pluto
is going to get violently sucked
into the center of our star, and
yes, Flynn, that includes us, and
it’s all my fault-
FLYNN
Is this what grandpa told you in
your head, Pollyanna? That it’s
your fault the world is going to
end?
POLLY
Yes.
POLLY (CONT’D)
It’s not him! It’s not just the
voice- voices. It was my fault,
remember the signal? From Sigma
Six-
FLYNN
Mhm.
POLLY
Well I followed it. I responded.
I thought it was a distress call.
I thought it was from a race whose
star had exploded and needed help.
So I broke into the SETI array and
I responded, I used a hyperlight
broadcast system I designed, I was
trying to help them. And the
signal bounced back. Just a
pulsing ping, to show me they saw
me. And the signal’s been getting
closer and closer for three years,
and at every broadcast point, THE
STAR GOES OUT, THE SOLAR SYSTEM
COLLAPSES. I’ve been watching them
come like fires lighting on the
horizon, like this shadow
stretching closer as a storm blocks
the sun, and now it’s my chance, my
last chance-
39.
FLYNN
(genuinely surprised)
You think I don’t know you broke
into the SETI array?
POLLY
I-
FLYNN
Are you that gone?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Okay. Turn this off. Turn it off
now. They’re going to walk in here
and shoot you dead, turn it off.
POLLY
I’m not crazy, Flynn.
FLYNN
How old is our daughter?
POLLY
They’re coming, they’re coming so
soon, and I have to stop them-
FLYNN
How old is our daughter?
POLLY
Nine.
FLYNN
Wrong.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Sasha is seventeen. She begged me
not to come. Because we knew you’d
be fucking some tweaker, or some
crackpot conspiracy theorist-
luckily Digger was both so we both
got to be right- and we knew you’d
be trapped in some delusion,
aliens, or what was it last time,
nanobots? She begged me to let you
die.
40.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
You know why I’m here? Because Sam
Inigawa told me you were going to
hurt people. Sam Inigawa said you
had to be stopped. Sam Inigawa.
Your last friend.
POLLY
Sam gave up on me.
FLYNN
No, you gave up on you.
POLLY
I have work to do. You’re pulling
me here and there but you don’t
have a point, you’re not giving me
any new information, you’re the
same old same, “please Polly I’m
trying to save you”-
FLYNN
SAVE YOU!? In what world am I
trying to save you? I’m trying to
save the world FROM you.
POLLY
I’m sure. I’m sure I’m a really
big threat.
FLYNN
See, you’ve got a sarcastic tone,
there, but the knife wound in my
back doesn’t feel ironic, it feels
fairly sincere-
POLLY
You were trying to sabotage the
last line of defense for planet
earth against a threat that-
FLYNN
You shot a cop.
POLLY
These are little things! Little
things in a bigger picture, Flynn.
So what if I don’t remember-
everything, I’m not crazy.
(MORE)
41.
POLLY (CONT'D)
This isn’t crazy. I’m- I’m sorry I
stabbed you, is that what you want,
I’ll put it in writing, I’M SORRY,
but it was my only option at the
time.
FLYNN
Okay, then let’s make a deal.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Lurasidone. Take one, wait one
hour, and then if the aliens are
still there, we can launch your-
thing and do- whatever.
POLLY
Is that a joke? You think you’re
going to drug me out of saving the
world? No wonder I can’t remember
you, you had me on those- those
fucking tranquilizers, those
braining wheels, the fucking
handcuff of intelligent thought-
FLYNN
You’re telling me antipsychotics
would somehow make those scary
monsters from Sigma Six less of a
threat?
POLLY
It would slow me down-
FLYNN
From believing in them? From
believing in things that aren’t
there?
POLLY
I’m collating all of the data now.
I need to be at a perfect delivery
arc when I launch.
(MORE)
42.
POLLY (CONT'D)
We got lucky, they’re coming in
from Saturn, so when I launch
there’s a good chance I’ll be right
in their face. The pulse from them
starting to come out of lightspeed
will be big enough to send an
electrical pulse all over the
planet. All our little electrical
toys will scream out in protest,
and then we’ll only have ten
minutes before they put the sun
out. So I have to be right in
their ass, man. The weapon is
designed to react to the chemical
structure of their ship. They
think we’re nothing, well, we’ll
show them. We’ll show them what
happens when you fuck with the
apes.
He reaches out gently, and touches her side, pulling away the
overalls. She turns and looks at him.
POLICE LOUDSPEAKER
INSIDE THE BARN. THIS IS THE
SASKALOOSA COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT. COME OUT OF THE BARN
WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!
FLYNN
Jesus christ, Poll. Did you do
this to yourself?
POLLY
I was...the bugs, you know-
FLYNN
(gently)
Did you find any in there? Any
bugs?
POLLY
I...I’m coming in and out, a
little, here.
43.
FLYNN
I’ve been getting that impression.
POLLY
Flynn I keep getting moved around.
FLYNN
I know.
POLLY
It’s hard for me to focus, the way
I need to, cause it really is
important.
FLYNN
I know. Can I look at this?
Polly doesn’t move. She won’t look at him, but her hands
have stopped their manic typing.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Oh Polly...jesus. And what’re
these, are these burns?
POLLY
(quietly)
It’s not...it’s not stable...
FLYNN
Yeah.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Look at me.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
These wounds are infected. You’ve
got radiation poisoning. I’m
getting it too, I can feel myself
getting sicker. Tell me what to
say, Polly. Tell me what to say to
get you to end this.
44.
POLLY
There’s a devil in my head. But I
let it live there for too long and
it took it all over. I thought it
was transitory. But it’s not. I’m
stuck here. I’m stuck here.
Flynn’s quiet.
POLLY (CONT’D)
The devil doesn’t want to stay the
devil, Flynn. The devil wants to
become god.
FLYNN
It’s not too late.
POLLY
Insanity in animals is fascinating
to watch. They separate from the
herd. And then they just- they
starve to death. Because no one
cares about them. And they can’t
take care of themselves and they-
FLYNN
You’re not your mother. You don’t
have to die alone.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Why didn’t you tell me?
Polly’s quiet.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
I’ve wanted to know for eight
years. Why didn’t you tell me? Do
you remember? Can you remember?
POLLY
I was scared.
FLYNN
Just that?
45.
POLLY
You know...My father left my mother
after her first break, her first
episode, and he never looked back.
And he loved her, I believed he
loved her.
FLYNN
I loved you.
POLLY
Yeah but you thought I was perfect.
I remember you thought I was
perfect from the minute you met me.
I’m not perfect.
FLYNN
But why lie?
POLLY
I was going to tell you. I thought-
I thought I was bigger than it-
FLYNN
Bigger than schizophrenia?
POLLY
Everyone was always telling me how
smart I was, I think I just- I
thought I could out think it. I
thought I could- plan around it, or
come up with some way to win, that
wasn’t just locking my brain up in
a cage. I thought it was what was
good, for you, for us- not to know.
I didn’t want to lose you.
FLYNN
I wouldn’t have left. I would
never have left. You’re right, you
were perfect to me. I loved you so
much, Polly, you were like a god.
You were like a movie star, the
smartest person on earth, and she
was MY girlfriend, she was my WIFE.
It was like a dream. Every time I
thought about you, you glowed. I
wouldn’t have given that up for
anything. You were perfect to me.
And who was I, just some lucky
schmuck who-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Don’t do that.
POLLY
Just- Flynn- please just-
FLYNN
No.
POLLY
You’re my husband-
FLYNN
I’m not your husband. And you’re
not my wife. We’re just two fucked
up people who used to know each
other.
POLLY
There’s going to be a power surge.
And ten minutes later the world is
going to end, if I’m not there to
hit them where it hurts.
FLYNN
That isn’t real, Polly. It just
isn’t real. You’ve butchered
yourself. Your life is in ruins.
Let’s get out of here. Your father
left your mother. I left you.
It’s over, it’s all over.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
But there’s still a chance. I’m
back here right now, for this, so
stop. Stop before the cliff, stop
before-
POLLY
You left me.
FLYNN
Polly-
POLLY
You left me alone-
FLYNN
No listen-
47.
POLLY
I remember, you left me alone-
(screams, insane)
YOU LEFT ME ALONE!
POLLY (CONT’D)
(muttering)
They’re trying to trick me.
FLYNN
(groaning)
Stop.
POLLY
I’ll show them what happens when
you fuck with the boss.
FLYNN
You’re my responsibility. I can’t
let you hurt any more people.
POLLY
I’ll show them a fucking
contingency right out their fucking
ass, won’t I, these dumb
cocksuckers think they can ride a
fuckin buffalo no no no sir, no no
no sir, they’re gonna learn a
lesson, SOMEONE’S GONNA GO TO
FUCKIN GRAD SCHOOL!
FLYNN
POLLY NO! STOP!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Send help! SEND HELP NOW!
FLYNN
Send whatever you have, send a
fucking tank just send it now!
48.
POLLY
Think you can outfox me, think you
can push me around and put me in a
fucking vice, put my head in a
vice, I’ll show you, you think they
give you a Nobel Prize for being
some fucking bimbo, fucking little
girl fucking burned up little girl!
YOU CAN’T FUCKING BURN ME UP!
POLLY (CONT’D)
I’ll show you what happens when you
fuck with the apes!
POLLY (CONT’D)
YOU CAN’T BURN ME UP! FUCK YOU!
POLLY (CONT’D)
FUCK YOU! I WON’T BE TREATED LIKE
THIS, I WON’T BE-
POLLY (CONT’D)
You won’t stop me, no you won’t
stop me, YOU WON’T STOP ME-
She bursts out the front door, OPENING FIRE AGAIN on the
recovering cops, before TRIGGERING THE DEVICE ON THE BARREL-
Polly’s rifle lights on fire, and she drops it, just as one
of the cars EXPLODES! Polly is knocked down by the
shockwave. Sound is momentarily a harsh whine, Polly holding
her ears-
She crawls away as, out of focus behind her, the cars burn
and the remaining cops scatter-
POLLY (CONT’D)
I won’t be...be treated this way...
POLLY (CONT’D)
You can’t...I won’t...you can’t
treat me this way.
POLLY (CONT’D)
It’s not too late for me to fix
everything-
She staggers- Flynn grabs her by the hair and SHOVES THE
SCREWDRIVER UP UNDER HER NECK, SLAMMING HER CHEST FIRST INTO
THE WALL.
FLYNN
ENOUGH! ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT.
ENOUGH.
POLLY
No- please-
FLYNN
You’re gonna turn this fucking
thing off, right now.
POLLY
Please stop- why- why- I trusted
you, you have to listen-
FLYNN
FUCK YOU!
POLLY
Please Flynn don’t, please just
listen-
FLYNN
TURN IT OFF.
POLLY
No I need to- there’s gonna be the
power surge, the sigma six aliens-
FLYNN
IT’S NOT FUCKING REAL POLLY! IT’S
NOT REAL-
POLLY
Please believe me-
POLLY (CONT’D)
You used to hold me, you used to
kiss me and love me what did I do,
I hate you oh god I hate you what
did I do for you to do this to me,
and you’d hold me in the morning I
remember I remember you loved me
you would kiss me and tell me you
loved me please, please please
Flynn please, please Flynn I’m just
trying to help, I’m just trying to-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Please...Please...
FLYNN
How old’s your daughter, Polly?
Polly just shakes her head, her face confused and frightened.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Every woman I’ve met since you just
looks like a monster. I have panic
attacks. I have panic attacks
every day. I have panic attacks
just thinking about it. They
begged me to come here. And Sasha
begged me to stay. She’s having
her last surgery next month. And
then you’ll be out of our lives
forever. But I won’t be there,
because you’re going to kill me,
aren’t you? You’re going to finish
the job because I’ve been a fucking
ZOMBIE SINCE YOU, I’ve been fucking
DEAD so now you’re just going to
finish it.
POLLY
...Don’t tell me. Stop don’t tell
me I don’t want to know-
52.
FLYNN
I was in Japan. Do you remember
that I was in Okinawa on business,
closing the Howard energy deal? It
was important, I was important.
And you’d stay home with Sasha. We
always travelled together but this
time you were busy working on the
Sigma Six signal, you were
“discovering alien life,” and I was
so happy for you.
POLLY
No, stop-
FLYNN
I really believed it. I thought
everyone else was wrong and you
were right. Because you were
Polly, YOU WERE ALWAYS RIGHT.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
And I got a call. I got a phone
call. I remember I was sitting on
the bus stop and I got a phone
call, “Hello, this Dr. Agutter-”
POLLY
Stop-
FLYNN
“There’s been a fire at your
house.”
POLLY
Stop-
FLYNN
“Your daughter-”
POLLY
Stop-
FLYNN
“Your daughter was in the house and
we can’t find your wife-”
POLLY
STOP!
53.
FLYNN
FUCK YOU, “We can’t find your wife
but the fire looks like arson-”
POLLY
Please please-
FLYNN
FUCK YOU, “your daughter is in
critical condition-”
POLLY
I DIDN’T KNOW!
FLYNN
YOU FUCKING KNEW! YOU FUCKING
KNEW! You knew you were
schizophrenic and you knew your
mother was schizophrenic and you
fucking deliberately hid it from
me! FROM ME! FROM ME, I LOVED
YOU, AND I’M SITTING IN THE AIRPORT
SCREAMING, I’M SCREAMING INTO THE
PHONE, and then they find you,
NAKED IN THE STREET, yelling about
aliens.
(beat)
Aliens? Aliens?
(furious)
YOU LEFT THE STOVE ON.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
And now this garbage. Your space
ship. You fucking some drug addict
in a fucking truck. Shooting cops.
You were supposed to be everything.
I loved you. I loved you for
everything you were.
POLLY
Please-
FLYNN
And you almost burned my daughter
alive.
POLLY
(weakly)
...our daughter.
54.
FLYNN
You made that choice.
POLLY
I couldn’t- I couldn’t help it-
FLYNN
There were MEDICATIONS. There were
medications you were supposed to be
taking, but you LIED TO ME. And do
you know what you told me?
POLLY
No, no-
FLYNN
I’d come back and I was looking at
you in that fucking holding cell,
this beautiful genius from the
cover of TIME magazine, sitting in
her own piss-
POLLY
Please...please...
FLYNN
Do you remember what you said when
I told you Sasha was in coma, had
third degree burns all over her
left arm, and they might have to
amputate?
(snarled)
You said: “Who’s Sasha?”
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Enough is enough...enough is
enough. Please. Turn it off
before-
Through every slat in the barn, and every window, we can see
a white fabric: The entire barn has been haz-mat tented.
Polly and Flynn both look abruptly dirty and sweaty in the
bright antiseptic light; Flynn reeling.
55.
POLLY
What is that...what is that...
FLYNN
(beat)
Them.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Not yet. Shit. Not yet.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(beat)
Hello?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(quieter)
Hello?
One of the shadowy shapes taps its big blocky head, and Flynn
slowly backs up.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(very quietly)
...Hello?
And then, the head tap again. Flynn blinks, realizing, and
puts in his earpiece.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hello?
FLYNN
Yeah, is that- are you right
outside?
56.
FLYNN
...The barn is not safe. It’s not
going to be safe. This reactor has
been heating up since I’ve been
here, I...
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(quietly)
Are you sure that’s you?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(laughing)
Oh jesus-
FLYNN
Oh no, I am, I fully am. I fully
am. Get me the fuck out of here.
FLYNN
Polly’s- Professor Webber is under
control, but between you and me it-
it kind of gets a little spotty
with that, I’m injured-
INIGAWA
We can’t come in there until you
confirm it’s safe.
57.
FLYNN
There’s a fucking malfunctioning
nuclear reactor ten feet from me,
“safe” is not an actionable reality-
INIGAWA
Yes and we can’t have her setting
it off. This is why we called you,
Flynn. To pacify.
FLYNN
“Pacify.” There is no pacifying
the smartest person on earth mid-
psychotic break. You’re either
coming in here or you’re not-
INIGAWA
She hurt people out here, Flynn.
FLYNN
Oh...christ. Did she...kill
anyone, or-
INIGAWA
One of the officers is in critical
condition. He’s coming and going.
One of them is stable but they’re
saying he might never walk again.
She was firing a type of bullet
we’ve never even seen before.
FLYNN
Sounds like her.
FLYNN
I got stabbed in the back with a
knife pretty, pretty deeply here, I
think deeper than I thought,
actually-
FLYNN
Polly? Hey, Polly, are you...
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(to earpiece)
Just fucking get in here and I’ll
let you fuck the reactor if you
want to. Just fucking get in here
ASAP thank you.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
...Polly?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
What you got there Pol?
POLLY
Space suit.
FLYNN
Ah. Shit.
POLLY
Yeah. I made it. I made the space
suit.
FLYNN
For the ship to get the Sigma
Sixers.
POLLY
(tiny)
Yes.
FLYNN
Yeah.
59.
POLLY
I miss our daughter.
FLYNN
Yeah.
POLLY
It’s not real is it. None of it’s
real.
FLYNN
No. I’m sorry.
POLLY
I...
POLLY (CONT’D)
I hate me.
FLYNN
Did you hear about the guy who had
the logic fetish?
Polly is silent.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
He couldn’t stop coming to
conclusions.
POLLY
You hate me.
FLYNN
I do.
POLLY
You smashed me in the face.
FLYNN
You stabbed me in the back to
prevent me from disarming a nuclear
reactor that you built to defend
the world against imaginary aliens,
so...
60.
POLLY
(after a beat)
Insert statement here that forgives
everything?
POLLY (CONT’D)
If you hate me then why did you
come?
POLLY (CONT’D)
This was going to be my shot.
The...Aliens, I thought...I could
redeem myself somehow. Show that I
wasn’t just some...bad thing.
I thought I was going to...fix it,
maybe. Help us, you know. Make it
better. I kept hearing in my head
“you can make it better.” You can
save it.
FLYNN
Unfortunately that wasn’t the only
thing you kept hearing in your
head.
Polly’s quiet.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
I’m sorry, I’m being an asshole.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
I didn’t think...I didn’t want it
end like this. But I always knew
it would, maybe. Ever since I got
the call that you broke into the
SETI array, I thought: this story
isn’t over. I remember they took
you away in cuffs. You looked like
an animal. And that was that.
(beat)
But I knew it wasn’t over.
POLLY
I didn’t.
POLLY (CONT’D)
I thought I’d never see you again.
I really believed that.
(beat)
I’d remember you sometimes, you
know, it’s hard for me to keep it
straight. But I’d remember you and
sometimes I’d remember you hating
me and I’d just know you were gone.
And I accepted that you were gone.
And that was that. That was that.
I’d never see my daughter again.
I’d lost everything. And I’d
just...I felt like I was just
sinking down as low as I could go,
to the bottom of the ocean, with
voices coming in from outside. The
bottom of the ocean and me alone,
and something trying to get in. So
I let it in. It just felt logical.
It felt logical to give up.
FLYNN
If this thing goes off you’ll kill
people. Thousands of people. For
nothing. For a delusion of
forgiveness. Honestly, knowing
that you did this for me just makes
it worse.
POLLY
They could’ve sent a strike team,
or a psychiatrist, or an assassin
or someonthing so- Why you? If you
hate me why did you come?
FLYNN
I missed talking to you.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hey, are you coming in here?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hey if you’re coming in here say
something.
Flynn reaches out and picks up the screw driver again. Polly
watches him in silence, and then-
INIGAWA
Hi Polly.
POLLY
(not moving)
Hi Sam.
INIGAWA
Hey we’re clear in here, bring it
in Dr. Santeer.
PARAMEDIC
Hello Mr. Westcott, my name is
Jason, I’m gonna check you out-
FLYNN
Great, hi Jason-
PARAMEDIC
Can I see yeah where you’re
injured?
FLYNN
Yeah, oh yeah, sure, yes.
INIGAWA
Don’t worry Flynn, we’ll have you
out of here soon.
POLLY
Wait, please-
HAZ-MAT MARINES
Face down, hands on your head.
Face down, now. Face down.
POLLY
Wait listen Sam please wait-
Polly starts to comply but the marines shove her down onto
her chest tearing her overalls, covering her in even more
dirt as they wrench her arms behind her back-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Ow- stop- stop I’m surrendering,
I’m surrendering- OW ow STOP ow-
CARLA
Can anyone tell me what I’m looking
at?
INIGAWA
Thank you Flynn.
INIGAWA (CONT’D)
How bad is it?
PARAMEDIC
Not nearly as bad as it could’ve
been, all things considered.
Probably gonna need about 40
stitches-
FLYNN
Yeah, feels very minor.
PARAMEDIC
There’s some damage to the muscle-
it’s a miracle the lungs are okay,
biggest issue right now is
infection and radiation sickness.
INIGAWA
Flynn, how’re you feeling?
FLYNN
(long beat)
Bad.
PARAMEDIC
His eyes are dilated, heart rate
all over the place. He’s lost a
lot blood.
POLLY
(weakly, pathetic)
Sam...Sam just listen okay-
INIGAWA
You’re in deep shit, Pol. I don’t
know if I can protect you.
POLLY
Sam, just- we can don’t have to do
it like this, with the- handcuffs-
INIGAWA
I’m afraid we do. I’m afraid we
absolutely do.
INIGAWA (CONT’D)
Right now they want to call the
formal charge treason. I’ve been
trying to get them to knock it
down, but the police involvement is
going to make it harder.
FLYNN
Are we getting out of here?
INIGAWA
Flynn I understand you want to
leave, but we have to wait until we
understand what she’s built, really
understand it, before we change the
situation.
FLYNN
How would me leaving “change the
situation?”
INIGAWA
Simply put, we don’t know what
you’ve been exposed to. What was
the narrative she was following?
FLYNN
Aliens. She thought her break in
to the SETI Satellite Array had put
blood in the water for some kind of
alien species to come and destroy
our sun.
(MORE)
66.
FLYNN (CONT'D)
She was gonna fly that thing up
and...Jesus, it really is crazy,
Sam, jesus christ.
INIGAWA
There’s nothing crazy about that
nuke. Carla how’s it going over
there?
INIGAWA (CONT’D)
We were worried about you in here.
Worried to come in, might’ve
devolved into some kind of a folie
a deux situation.
FLYNN
A what?
INIGAWA
Folie a deux. It’s a psychological
phenomenon. Two people, locked in
close orbit, can convince each
other of something irrational,
something impossible. They get
trapped in their belief in each
other.
POLLY
No, wait, what is that, what is
that, what is that-
INIGAWA
It’s just something to make sure
you don’t hurt yourself.
POLLY
No, okay, listen you don’t
understand, listen to me, I’m not-
Flynn, tell him, I’m not crazy, I’m
not- I mean I’m just confused,
okay, please hold on-
67.
The two marines roughly move Polly, pressing her face down on
a desk full of computers and garbage.
INIGAWA
Polly this is for your own good.
For the safety of everyone here-
POLLY
Fuck everyone here! Fuck my own
good, don’t do this! Flynn, tell
him! Tell him-
INIGAWA
It’s just a mild sedative, it’ll
only last ten or so minutes, just
make you a little easier to handle-
POLLY
(struggling ferociously)
PLEASE! FLYNN PLEASE! NO!
POLLY (CONT’D)
Oh no, no...I ruined it. I finally
ruined it I ruined it for good.
Flynn’s silent. They prep the needle. Polly has one last
burst of energy.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Don’t you don’t understand, the
machine- the machine-
They inject her, and she slowly goes silent. Flynn looks
away. Polly slumps down, into the dirt. There’s a noise
from upstairs.
INIGAWA
What the hell?
FLYNN
She’s got some kind of big
mainframe system up there. I don’t
know if it’s cooled, it was
uploading trajectories-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Looks like it’s finished.
INIGAWA
What is that?
HAZ-MAT SCIENTIST
It’s liquid nitrogen, sir. The
system is dumping its coolants.
FLYNN
She’d- she’d timed this all out,
Sam. I think the process is mostly
automated, but I’m not sure how
much of many of these machines are
actually even hooked in.
INIGAWA
Timed it out?
FLYNN
To the arrival of the uh-
INIGAWA
We’ve got to start shutting these
machines down. We’ve got to start
shutting everything down, right now-
CARLA
Dr. Inigawa, we’ve got some issues
over here-
Sudden the entire web of high tech looking straps cords and
wires going to the “spacecraft” suddenly FLEX AND TIGHTEN.
Inigawa jumps to his feet, and the haz-mat suits all jump
back: the ship is now the centerpiece of a cocoon of high
tensile wire.
INIGAWA
Someone tell me what the hell
that’s about. Polly? How do we
turn this off?
INIGAWA (CONT’D)
Someone deactivate the-
CARLA
Sam we have a real problem.
INIGAWA
What?
CARLA
It’s spiking.
INIGAWA
What?
CARLA
It’s irreversibly cascading. It’s
not melting down, this thing- it’s
not a reactor. It’s got a fucking
triggering explosive built into it-
(horrified)
It’s a bomb.
INIGAWA
What- what are you saying-
CARLA
It’s cycling out, it’s in a death
spiral, we can’t stop it.
INIGAWA
What? No, freeze it down=
CARLA
It’s built without failsafes,
there’s nothing to freeze, there’s
nothing to even interact with, just
a fucking hand grenade built into
the bottom, I don’t- oh god, okay-
HAZ-MAT SCIENTIST
The rads are rising steadily. This
thing is practically made out of
old refrigerator parts-
70.
INIGAWA
Okay calm it down, everyone pull it
together for a moment here: what
are we actually looking at?
CARLA
(trying to calm herself)
I’d guess blast range is five point
five kilometers. And we have less
than ten minutes before the
meltdown reaches the grenade.
INIGAWA
(into comm)
This is Inigawa, turn the choppers
around, we need immediate
evacuation-
CARLA
There isn’t enough time, there
isn’t enough room. The trucks will
never be able to get away in time,
this thing is going to go off in a
matter of minutes-
INIGAWA
We’re going, now. NOW! Get her
out of here.
INIGAWA (CONT’D)
Flynn, move, let’s go, now now now-
The door to the barn now leads to a bright white, tented haz-
mat tunnel. We can hear choppers approaching, now. The
paramedic helps Flynn along.
She looks small; frail. Both old and childlike. The life
has gone out of her. All that “compadre” stuff is over now,
all that verve, that attitude.
71.
INIGAWA
It’s just a power surge. Go! MOVE
NOW-
FLYNN
Hey.
INIGAWA
Flynn, let’s go, we have to try to-
FLYNN
Hey, listen-
INIGAWA
There’s no time-
FLYNN
No, um...um, listen, that was a
power surge. That the power surge.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Ah fuck.
(beat, flatly)
It’s real. It’s all real.
INIGAWA
What?
FLYNN
(matter of fact)
The aliens are here to destroy the
earth.
INIGAWA
...What?
72.
FLYNN
(mumbling)
Polly called them here on accident.
They’re going to fire some kind of
explosion beam into the sun from
earth’s orbit. That power surge
was them coming out of warp drive
or- what’d she call it-
INIGAWA
Flynn, what’re you-
FLYNN
Excuse me, sorry, sorry-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hi, hey! Hey, excuse me! HEY!
SORRY, will you excuse me for a
second-
Inigawa grabs Flynn’s arm- up ahead we can see the end of the
tunnel, lights shining in.
INIGAWA
Flynn you’re sick, your perception
is distorted, just let me-
FLYNN
(tugging away)
There’s no time, sorry, we have to
go into space and-
INIGAWA
Just calm down-
FLYNN
There’s no time.
Flynn hauls off and SHOVES INIGAWA DOWN, AT LAST DRAWING THE
REVOLVER FROM HIS COAT, FIRING IT IN THE AIR he stalks
towards Polly-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
EVERYONE: FUCK OFF. Sorry, sorry,
it’s all real, it’s all real, SO
JUST- FUCK OFF!
The marine next to her tries to aim his rifle- Flynn shoots
him in the leg-
The other marine takes aim and Flynn shoots him in the arm at
point blank range- kicks away his gun-
The first marine tries to get his gun and Flynn puts the gun
to his head, right up to the face-mask of the haz-mat suit-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Keys. Handcuff keys. Now please.
HAZ-MAT MARINE
Are you fucking crazy-
FLYNN
NOW PLEASE NOW PLEASE
NOW PLEASE NOW PLEASE
The marine hands him the keys, and Flynn kicks away his gun,
grabbing Polly in a near headlock as he drags her back up the
tunnel towards the barn.
POLLY
What’s happening...
INIGAWA
FLYNN DON’T DO THIS! DON’T DO THIS
IT’S NOT REAL, IT’S A DELUSION,
IT’S A GODDAMN DELUSION! THINK OF
YOUR DAUGHTER! FLYNN! IT’S A
DELUSION! IT’S A DELUSION-
Flynn pulls Polly through the door to the barn, and she
stumbles almost falling, Flynn catches her, grabbing her by
the shoulders.
FLYNN
Polly look at me, wake up, shit,
wake up!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Oh, shit! Wake up! Wake up!
POLLY
Flynn.
FLYNN
Yes, wake up!
POLLY
F- Flynn.
FLYNN
Yeah?
POLLY
Flynn.
FLYNN
Shit!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hey Polly is it supposed to be-
Polly has slumped against the wall, head down, and falls onto
a desk, overturning some computers which crash to the floor
as she stumbles under the loft, staggering towards the
kitchen-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Oh god-
POLLY
It has to go into the ship.
75.
FLYNN
What?
POLLY
The numbers, you have to...put them
into the ship’s console before it-
2 minutes.
FLYNN
Okay. Okay.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
FUCK! AH!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Dear god.
Flynn stumbles back, and gets a look at the entire set up:
now that the ship has shifted, for the first time, it’s fully
clear; all those hyper tensile wires, all that machinery:
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Polly? Polly!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
What’re you-
POLLY
WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
Polly, her nose bloody and eyes wide, pulls up the space
suit, zipping and velcroing it closed.
She is AWAKE and she looks FUCKING INSANE.
She turns to Flynn and then makes a BEELINE FOR THE SHIP.
Flynn begins to climb the ladder, but then stops just at the
entry to the ship. He stares at the exit of the barn.
78.
His eyes move over the spacecraft. It looks like the garbage
it’s built from. Launching will destroy it and kill him and
Polly instantly. It might even detonate the bomb, it-
Polly uses her leverage to pull him into the ship, and he
falls into the seat behind her!
The gull wing door straps slams closed as Flynn makes one
last half hearted reach-
FLYNN
(tiny)
Oh god.
POLLY
Strap in.
FLYNN
It’s stuck!
Nothing happens.
Nothing happens.
Nothing happens.
79.
There’s a click.
HIGHER-
HIGHER-
And then-
This thing can’t get into space, it couldn’t even get that
far past the clouds. Christ, they’re going to fall-
FLYNN
(dazed)
No way.
The brass rings on the back of the former van begin rotating
rapidly- kick into gear- and send the vehicle HURTLING
FURTHER UPWARDS, STEADILY ACCELERATING TO 600 MILES AN HOUR-
But now the flaws in the design are showing- pieces of the
ship are falling away, cracking off from the launch and the
speed, the entire craft starting to come apart-
80.
The windows around them cover over with frost, and the little
cracks in them bleed wet condensation-
The edge of space. It’s dark in the pod, the lights and
screens flickering on and off.
Flynn coughs.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Polly?
Polly sits up. Blood is pouring out of her nose and ears.
The light from space shines onto her face.
POLLY
This is the mesosphere. The edge
of space. See how the sky looks.
At night it seems like the sky
moves, right? But the sky doesn’t
move. It’s us that move. The sky
stands still. The sky stands
still.
FLYNN
Where are they?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
...Oh.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
It really- ha- we really came up
here, didn’t we?
POLLY
I wish...I wish I could see your
face. I wish I could look at it
and know what to do.
FLYNN
Yeah, well. I never knew what to
do. So maybe we were always even.
POLLY
Did you ever think of coming back
for me? Before this...
FLYNN
I don’t think...In a lot of ways I
don’t think I knew what “you” was.
I mean is a person just...you
remember when we used to sit in the
shower together, in the first
apartment?
POLLY
Yes.
FLYNN
Remember it would be
like...silence. Just total
silence. Almost like being alone.
But then once you were gone...Being
alone came back. Cause before even
when I was alone I still had you.
(beat, laughs)
You just wouldn’t take your fucking
pills.
(sighs)
Trust is fucked up.
POLLY
Yeah, well, I’m fucking crazy.
FLYNN
Yeah. Oh god, though, you are the
other person. You are absolutely
the only other person.
POLLY
I can’t believe I forgot you.
Flynn stops himself from saying it. He reaches up, and puts
his hand on Polly’s shoulder.
She takes it, and kisses it, and moves it onto her face.
FLYNN
I’m sorry, Polly.
(beat)
I love you.
Maybe we’re all just crazy. Just hoping for something that
will never c-
83.
POLLY
No, fuck you.
POLLY (CONT’D)
You wanna SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU FUCK WITH THE APES?
Polly SLAMS A LEVER, LAUNCHING the unstable reactor with the
railgun sending it HURTLING TOWARDS THE ALIEN CRAFT-
FLYNN
Is the-
LIKE
84.
A GRAVITRON-
The ship is starting to even out, but it’s in FREE FALL NOW-
Flynn helps Polly struggle back into her seat- CLICK BELT ON-
POLLY
BRACE YOURSELF-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Not yet.
One of the doors to the van flies off and they spin
dizzyingly towards the ground-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Not yet!
The world feels big. The two people, and the ship, feel
absolutely, alienatingly small.
FLYNN
Breathe. Just breathe.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Polly? Hey, you with me?
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Polly, it’s over, it’s over-
FLYNN (CONT’D)
(beat)
Polly?
POLLY
(beat)
Who are you?
FLYNN
Polly no wait- help me get out of
the-
POLLY
Who the fuck are you? What’d you
do to me?
FLYNN
Wh...what?
POLLY
You put me in your...car.
FLYNN
This isn’t a car, Polly. Focus
please please focus.
POLLY
Fuck you, you did something to me,
you hurt me, I’m bleeding-
FLYNN
No wait- wait just-
POLLY
(muttering)
I don’t- you gave me a drug- you
gave me drugs like the girl in the
video-
FLYNN
POLLY! THIS ISN’T A CAR! IT’S ME!
IT’S FLYNN! POLLY!
(no response)
THIS ISN’T A FUCKING CAR! THIS
ISN’T A CAR!
POLLY
You’re a fucking animal, you took
me- you fucked me or took me
somewhere- I can’t trust you.
FLYNN
Polly-
The wreck lurches further over the cliff. The rocks under it
are falling away.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
No, no, not like this!
POLLY
I need to find a cop. I need to
find a cop.
FLYNN
POLLY NO! HELP ME!
FLYNN (CONT’D)
No, no no no no Polly wake up, oh
god I just- no!
POLLY
Somebody did something to me,
someone- hurt me- I have to go. I
have to go, I can’t let you hurt
me, someone took a picture of my
tits and showed to their friend in
a bar, you know, it’s not- you
can’t- I won’t be treated this way-
FLYNN
POLLY STOP!
Polly’s now walked a bit away, the wreck left behind her.
POLLY
My grandpa told me you’re gonna get
it, and I didn’t listen, but he
knew what happens to girls who go
out to much, and now-
88.
FLYNN
Who’s going to tell Sasha! Who’s
going to tell her that her mother
saved the world! Who’s going to
tell Sasha! She’ll be alone
without us! Don’t do this! Don’t
let this happen! Don’t leave her
alone again! DON’T LEAVE HER ALONE
AGAIN!
The wreck falls off the cliff, out of sight. Goodbye Flynn.
Her eyes bug out of her head as she rises from her psychosis.
POLLY
(screaming)
FLYNN! FLYNN! FLYNN!
Too late, Polly. She sprints, kicking dirt and sand, falling
from dizzyness, rushing to the cliff’s edge-
POLLY (CONT’D)
FLYNN!
Oh come the fuck on. Don’t you roll your fucking eyes at me.
You thought I was seriously gonna let him get dropped of a
cliff? FUCK YOU for that one.
POLLY (CONT’D)
I-
89.
FLYNN
What, we’re gonna yell and scream
and say we’re sorry again? Love
doesn’t conquer all.
POLLY
Yeah, but it does conquer some
things.
The wreckage of the Sigma Six craft has begun to break up;
secondary explosions, and dozens of shooting stars and
wreckage, burning bizarre alien hues, tumble down into the
already beautiful sunset.
FLYNN
Look at that. Jesus christ.
Incredible.
POLLY
We got’em.
FLYNN
You got’em.
Flynn puts his unbroken arm around her; she nestles close to
him.
POLLY
(after a beat)
I love you.
FLYNN
...That’s a relief.
Polly laughs and stares out into the horizon. Flynn kisses
her forehead, and hugs her close.
SLAM TO BLACK.
THE END.