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DEEP RISING
formerly known as TENTACLE
by Steven Sommers & Robert Mark Kamen
extended revisions by Robert Mark Kamen
Revised Draft
Jan. 1st, 1996
– – –
OPEN TO:
A FLASH OF LIGHTNING rips the HOLLYWOOD PICTURES LOGO away, and we
find ourselves in the middle of…
1 EXT. STORMY SEA – NIGHT
SUPERIMPOSED: SOUTH CHINA SEA
The dark blue waters roil and boil and foam. THUNDER CRACKS. LIGHTING
FLASHES.
CUT TO:
2 EXT. UNDERWATER – NIGHT
An enourmous Japanese BATHYSCAPHE free-falls through the water. An
autonomous fifteen-man submersible. Almost futuristic in its design.
The nose cone is an amazing ultra-high-pressure plexi-dome. LETTERING
along the side tells us this is the “SHINKAI 90000.”
COMPUTER PRINTED across the SCREEN are the WORDS:
ASSIGNMENT: GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION.
SUB-OCEANIC SEISMIC RESEARCH.
TECTONIC PLATE SURVEILLANCE.
ADDENDUM: ABOUT TO BREAK THE WORLD’S RECORD
FOR THE DEEPEST DIVE…
3 INT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
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.
The JAPANESE SCIENCE OFFICERS go over charts on the electronic
position board, a contiuously-shifting graphic representation of the
ocean contours below.
Behind them is an elaborate DEPTH GAUGE with computerized graphics.
READ: 34,000 feet and dropping. The Crew works at a fevered pitch.
An ALARM SOUNDS as the depth gauge sounds 35,000 feet. All eyes on the
depth gauge. Several Science Officers share excited looks.
4 INSERT ON THE DEPTH GAUGE: 35,100 — 35,200 — 35,300 — 35,400…
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:
5 EXT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
As it continues its descent, it passes corroding metal drums leaking
toxic waste, radioactive waste, dumped in the depths, away from prying
eyes, and populated areas.
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:
6 EXT. DEEP SEA – NIGHT
THE SHINKAI hovers near a gigantic tectonic plate.
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:
7 EXT. MINDINAO DEEP – NIGHT
A desolate, barren, spooky place. Nothing breathes. Nothing lives. Or
so it would appear. The creepy, foreboding MUSICAL SCORE tells us
otherwise. The Shinkai ENTERS a huge ROCK FISSURE.
CUT TO:
8 INT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
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 Shinkai approaches the embankment. Slowly starts to glide up the
side. The Captain and Science Officers seem mesmerized by all the
lonely creepiness. They crest the embankment.
And the plexi-domed VIEW FILLS with an unimaginable horror. As far as
the eye can see, the entire murky landscape is filled with WHALE
BONES. A valley of death. Cluttered here and there, carelessly flung
about, are the rusting hulks of several ships. Seemingly ripped apart.
Clusters of shark cartilage float through the water like white ghosts.
The Captain, the Science Officers and the entire Crew just stare,
frozen in place by the strage horror before them.
CUT TO:
9 INT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
The vessel cruises through the valley of death.
Everyone is nervously taking readings, making calculations and
adjusting equipment. Gone is the excitement and euphoria of the record
breaking. Several Crewmen cast nervous glances out through the plexi-
dome. Giant skeletons everywhere.
CUT TO:
10 EXT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
The Shinkai approaches an eerie-looking rock formation. The robotic
arm comes out. The laser cutter steadies, aims, then shoots out its
blue beam and cuts into the rock.
WHOOSH!! A HUGE JET STREAM OF INKY BLOOD BLASTS OUT OF THE FORMATION!
CUT TO:
11 INT. SHNKAI 9000 – NIGHT
The Captain and the Science Officers recoil as the inky stuff
envelopes the plexi-dome, completely blotting out the VIEW.
CUT TO:
12 EXT. PALAWAN TROUGH – NIGHT
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:
13 INT. SHINKAI 9000 – NIGHT
Everything outside the plexi-dome is still BLACK. Everyone is staring
at the position board, which shows a large section of the OCEAN FLOOR
STARTING TO MOVE, its contours incogruous with the rest of the graphic
representation. The Science Officers look stunned.
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.
SMASH CUT TO:
14 EXT. SOUTH CHINA SEA – SUNSET
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:
15 INT. PILOT HOUSE – SUNSET
Stripped down, low frills, high tech…
…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?
THROUGH THE WINDSHEILD we see LEILA, a muscular Filipina clambering
over the foredeck. She’s dripping wet. Tough as nails. She turns to
Finnegan and “mouths” something into her headset. Finnegan flashes her
his most charming smile.
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.
He watches as Leila fights the WIND and SEASPRAY and dogs-tight a
series of hatch-latches across the foredeck.
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:
16 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
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 — “
He tugs at the wires.
PANTUCCI
” — the Minnow would be lost, the
Minowwww would be lost.”
Finnegan’s voice explodes through his headset…
FINNEGAN (V.O.)
(radio filtered)
PANTUCCI!!
Unperturbed, Pantucci works at the wires.
PANTUCCI
(into radio)
Can we use our indoor voice
please…
FINNEGAN (V.O.)
(radio filtered)
I’m flying blind here God damn it!
Pantucci pulls two wires from the tangle.
PANTUCCI
You trying to make me feel guilty?
He begins to strip the wires with his teeth.
CUT TO:
17 INT. PILOT HOUSE – SUNSET
Finnegan peers out of the windscreen, trying to see ahead of himself.
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:
18 INT. ENGINE ROOM
Pantucci twists one wire around another.
PANTUCCI
All better…
19 INT. PILOT HOUSE – SUNSET
The console lights up. The screens come back on line. Finnegan is
pleased.
PANTUCCI (V.O.)
Now tell me again…
CUT TO:
20 INT. ENGINE ROOM
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:
21 INT. PILOT HOUSE – SUNSET
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:
22 INT. ENGINE ROOM
PANTUCCI
(rote)
I know…I know…if the cash is
there we don’t care…
(nervous)
Finnegan this is as mean a pile of
sh*t as we ever carried…
Pantucci notices Hanover impatiently looking at his watch again, and
nods for a mas of Assie mean and muscle named MASON to follow him up a
ladder.
PANTUCCI
…and some of it’s coming your way.
He quickly pulls out a wrench, slaps it over a bolt and tightens it
down. The leak stops. He blows on the WRENCH like it’s a six-shooter,
then spins it at the speed of light and holsters it into his toolbelt.
CUT TO:
23 INT. PILOT HOUSE – SUNSET
As Finnegan is watching the sea ahead, swathed in the shrieking
Clapton guitar solos, the hatch opens. Hanover enters, followed by
Mason, who leaves the hatch door ajar. Finnegan’s eyes remain fixed on
the sea. His ears on the Clapton. Hanover and Mason hold onto any
available rail as the boat slams over the waves.
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 points to a spot in the middle of the map.
FINNEGAN
Right here…middle of nowhere…
HANOVER
And where is our point of arrival?
Finnegan points to another spot on the map.
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 looks at Mason…at the open hatchway just behind him…
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.
As he rises, Hanover regards Finnegan for a moment. A smile flits
across his face.
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:
24 EXT. OPEN SEA – SUNSET
The Saipan roars off into the setting sun, hell bent for leather.
Zepplin screaming in its wake.
CUT TO:
25 EXT. SOUTH CHINA SEA – NIGHT
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:
26 EXT. FUJI MARU DECK – NIGHT
A group of tony British passengers is shooting skeet. Being night, the
CLAY PIGEONS are glow-in-the-dark. They EXPLODE over the WATERSPORTS
PLATFORM, where TWO JET SKIS swing from harnesses, and TWO SPEEDBOATS
are being hoistered up the side.
CUT TO:
27 EXT. CRYSTAL POOL DECK – NIGHT
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.
Trillian looks down to a petite old woman, dressed impeccibly,
delicate, frail, her beauty long faded except from her eyes. Kindness
becomes her, like moonlight does the night.
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…
The Old Woman looks at the orchid. And then at Trillian.
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…
The crowd roars with laughter.
CANTON
I realize my dream has come true…I
thank you all from the bottom of my
heart for making it so…
Canton lifts his glass.
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.
The Captain’s libido rises as he gazes into Trillian’s come hither
eyes.
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…
His breath catches.
CAPTAIN
It is a theory I would be glad to
put to the test.
Trillian draws even closer. If looks could cause a man to climax.
TRILLIAN
(French)
In school, the Sisters said testing
was my specialty.
PASSENGER
Captain…
Driven to distraction, The Captain turns his attention for a moment to
a passenger introducing hiis wife.
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:
28 INT. FUJI MARU BRIDGE – NIGHT
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?
The Captain stands next to a bank of LASER IMAGING SYSTEMS. Canton
steps up. Looks down at the THERMAL RADAR IMAGER. Mult-colored LASER
IMAGES.
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.
SMASH CUT TO:
29 INT. JETFOIL – NIGHT
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…
A hand falls on his shoulder, spinning him around to a fist coming
right into his face.
CUT TO:
30 INT. PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
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 puts her fingers in her ears.
LEILA
Gum kwa she bam dok.
FINNEGAN
It’s not noise…it’s genius…
And then over the headset, over the Hendrix…
PANTUCCI (V.O.)
FINNEGANNNN!!
Followed by the unmistakable sound of fist hitting flesh. Finnegan and
Leila trade a look.
CUT TO:
31 INT. HOLD – NIGHT
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 sh*t
…they got women on Samoa, it’s on
the list.
HANOVER
Mr. Billy you’re in the batter’s
box.
Hanover watches calmly as BILLY, the Aborigine, cracks his fist
against the side of Pantucci’s head, knocking him out of Vivo’s arms.
BILLY
At home we denosy the nosy.
BILLY hoists Pantucci. He draws his knife under Pantucci’s bloody
nose.
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?
Massive Mason steps forward.
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.
Mason, enraged, swings with his free hand.
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 c**ks 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.
Finnegan stalks off. Pantucci swallows hard, knowing he means it.
CUT TO:
32 INT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
A man strides down the hall of an executive passageway, his face
obscured in shadows. He has a CANISTER in his hands. Walks through a
door MARKED:
“AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”
CUT TO:
33 INT. COMPUTER/CONTROL MONITOR ROOM – NIGHT
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.
The TIMER starts to COUNT DOWN.
CUT TO:
34 EXT. THE FUJI MARU – NIGHT
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:
35 INT. VAULT ROOM – NIGHT
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:
37 INT. VEGETABLE LOCKER – NIGHT
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:
38 INT. COMPUTER/CONTROL MONITOR ROOM – SAME TIME
The CANISTER TIMER finishes counting down — 4 — 3 — 2 — 1. It
suddenly EMITS a high-energy HUM. Intense electro-static, which builds
into…
CUT TO:
39 INT. SAIPAN PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
…A screeching guitar solo…
The Allman Brothers Band pulses out of the speakers. Finnegan is
prepping the wound over Pantucci’s eye for sutures. As he swabs it
carefully, Leila is at the helm keeping the speeding, bouncing, boat
on course.
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…
He carefully threads the surgical needle.
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:
40 INT. HOLD – NIGHT
The top of another wooden crate is popped revealing the answer to
Pantucci’s question: a chilling display of firepower. Pulse rifles.
Hand held gatling guns with laser sightings. Oblong grenades. The
latest in death delivery systems.
Hanover and his men lift and load. Slamming shells into chambers. KA-
CHANG! KA-CHANG! KA-CHANG! These boys know their toys.
CUT TO:
41 INT. PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
FINNEGAN
Hold still now…I was like three
rows back.
Finnegan centers the needle over Pantucci’s wound.
FINNEGAN
…Jagger was here…I was here…
PANTUCCI
You don’t give a sh*t about anything
do you?
FINNEGAN
Sure I do…I give a sh*t that at
0300 hour we reach our point of
dentination. I give a sh*t that
those mojos got to do what they got
to do, and 45 minutes later we are
turn around and gone. I give a sh*t
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
sh*t 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:
42 EXT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
The Fuji Maru cruises through RAIN-LASHED waters. Accompanied by a
very scary MUSICAL SCORE.
Then suddenly, in the extreme foreground, AIR BUBBLES angrily GURGLE
to the surface. Then a WAVE EXPLODES, as if THRASHED from below. Then
another WAVE EXPLODES, forty feet to the right. Then ANOTHER, eighty
feet to the left.
And then ALMOST SEEN: Huge, black, ominous THINGS seem to be SQUIRMING
beneath the water. Heading for the Fuji Maru.
CUT TO:
43 EXT. CRYSTAL FOREDECK – NIGHT
RAIN PELTS the canopy. LIGHTNING FLASHES. THUNDER RUMBLES. We can HEAR
the PARTY inside. MUSIC, laughs and cheers.
CUT TO:
44 INT. THE BRIDGE – NIGHT
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!
The Captain is confounded, on the edge of panic. Canton hurries onto
the bridge.
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!!
Canton storms out. Every piece of electrical equipment on the bridge
starts to shut down.
SMASH CUT TO:
45 EXT. HULL – NIGHT
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:
46 INT. VEGETABLE STORAGE – NIGHT
Trillian, making the best of a bad situation, is just putting the
finishing touches on a wonderful salad culled from the stores. As she
sits down, spreading a makshift napkin on her lap just so, a violent
SUCKING SOUND comes from above her. Trillian’s eyes shoot upward. A
VICIOUS GURGLING SOUND RACES through a large PIPE along the ceiling.
Tillian leaps to her feet. Backs away. A little spooked.
CUT TO:
47 INT. STATEROOM BATHROOM – NIGHT
An elegant woman sits on the toilet, her gown hiked up inelegantly,
reading “Vouge.”
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.
She manages a final, desperate scream, a high-pitched WAIL. Which
nobody hears because…
CUT TO:
48 EXT. POOL DECK – NIGHT
…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:
49 INT. VEGETABLE STORAGE – NIGHT
Trillian goes ass-over-teacups, rolling over just in time to see a
wall of BOXES CRASHING straight down on her. SMASH! She’s knocked out
cold.
CUT TO:
50 EXT. WATERSPORT PLATFORM – NIGHT
One of the SPEEDBOATS breaks free of its harness. TOPPLES over the
side and drops down into the sea. SPLASH!
CUT TO:
51 EXT. POOL DECK – NIGHT
Everything goes quiet. Everybody freezes. Panic is a heartbeat away.
A FLASH OF LIGHTNING lights up the top of the canopy. The passengers
begin to mutter fearfully. From his perch, Canton fights down his own
panic, and addresses the crowd in calm reassuring tones.
CANTON
Ladies and gentlemen…your
attention please… Ladies and
gentlemen…
The disquieted crowd turns to Canton.
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…
Suddenly, and quite violently, a WOMAN is SUCKED UNDER THE WATER —
THWUP! Others swimmers notice and freeze. The Woman doesn’t come back
up. And then, THREE more SWIMMERS are violently JERKED UNDER. All the
people in and around the pool see this and panic. SCREAMING. YELLING.
SWIMMING. SWIMMING and RUNNING. A CRACK OF THUNDER!
The Captain calls out —
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.
WE PUSH IN ON CANTON: His eyes slowly widen. Stunned. His calm
replaced by pure terror.
CANTON
Dear God.
CUT TO:
52 EXT. SOUTH CHINA SEA – NIGHT
Off in the distance is the cruiseliner. WE HOLD FOR A LONG, SILENT,
EERIE BEAT. And then then the SCREAMING begins…
SLOW DISSOLVE TO:
53 EXT. SAIPAN – NIGHT
Blasting through increasingly stormy seas.
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…
Leila exits. Finnegan’s eyes go up from the action on deck to the
radar screen, where a blip, fast moving, right toward the jet foil
catches his attention.
FINNEGAN
What the hell…
SMASH CUT TO:
55 EXT. SAIPAN – NIGHT
A FLASH OF LIGHTNING REVEALS — The speedboat from the Fuji Maru
hurtling at the hull!
BAAROOOOM!!! The speedboat slams into the Saipan. Instant FIREBALL.
ANGLE ON: The mercs and Leila slammed to the deck.
SMASH CUT TO:
56 INT. HOLD – NIGHT
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:
57 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
Pantucci DIVES as flying SHRAPNEL PEPPERS the two engines. Instantly
kills one engine. Maims the other. A FIRE starts.
CUT TO:
58 INT. PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
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:
59 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
Mayhem… Fire spews out of the engines. Pantucci sprays a fire
extinguisher frantically. Where the shrapnel entered the hull water
now spurts with every wave. Smoke and water, oil and fire.
PANTUCCI
Jezebel’s dead…Hercules is right
behind her! We got a gusher in the
hull!
CUT TO:
60 INT. PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
As the Saipan comes to a halt, Finnegan loses play in his remaining
stick.
FINNEGAN
Shit!!
Finnegan locks the sticks down, and runs out.
CUT TO:
61 INT. HOLD – NIGHT
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?
Finnegan notices something on the floor. He picks up a shard of the
speedboat propeller. Strange. Hanover steps into the room.
HANOVER
What happened?
Finnegan looks at the piece of speedboat in his hand.
FINNEGAN
We ran into a speedboat…
He shows the piece of speed boat to Hanover. Who stares at it.
Finnegan sees the hint of recognition in his eyes.
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.
In the blink of an eye there is the barrel of a .45 pressed hard
against his head, Hanover at the trigger end.
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…
Mulligan comes running in.
MULLIGAN
Target in sight!!
CUT TO:
62 EXT. SAIPAN – NIGHT
Everybody stands on deck as Hanover scans the darkness through a pair
of infared binoculars.
HANOVER
Contact verified! You know the
drill gentlemen!
The merc’s scatter below deck. Hanover hands the bioculars to
Finnegan.
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:
63 EXT. DECK – NIGHT
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 swivels the big HARPOON GUN on the bow.
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…”
Hanover hands one line to Finnegan, one to Pantucci. The third he
attaches around his waist.
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 and Pantucci comply.
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:
64 EXT. FUJI MARU DECK – NIGHT
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:
65 INT. SAIPAN ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
A thick black hose weaves it’s way across the flooded floor, sucking
water.
Leila up to her knees in water, wearing a blast visor, stripped down
to her skivvies, wields a welder against the gaping hole in the hull.
As the boat dips in the waves water sloshes in. Billy sits on the
stairs trying to stay dry. He goes to light a cigarette.
LEILA
(angry)
Kwan bat! Kwam bat! Booom!!
She points the acetalyne tank she works with.
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:
66 EXT. FUJI MARU DECK PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
An alert Mulligan leads Finnegan and Pantucci around a corner. Vivo
brings up the rear.
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.
FLASH BACK TO: Mulligan, Finnegan, Pantucci and Vivo staring at a
completely deserted deck. The lifeboat harnesses swing in the breeze,
eerily empty.
Mulligan looks back to Vivo.
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!
And again the yowl. Everyone freezes.
MULLIGAN
Let’s keep going!
CUT TO:
67 EXT. CRYSTAL POOL DECK – NIGHT
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:
68 EXT. GRAND ATRIUM LOBBY – NIGHT
DING! FLASH TO: A glass elevator descending through the spectacular
atrium, full of elegant well-dressed people laughing, chatting. DING!
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:
69 INT. FUJI MARU BRIDGE – DAWN
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 ENTERS. Eyes shifting. Suspicious, and a bit nervous.
HANOVER
What the hell is going on?
CUT TO:
70 INT. THE FRISCO BAR AND CASINO – DAWN
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 sh*t out of the TROLLEY CAR. The GUNS sound like
nothing we’ve ever heard. ROLLING THUNDER. Absolutely deafening.
CUT TO:
71 EXT. FUJI MARU – DAY
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.
They start to drift away. Spooky quiet.
CUT TO:
72 INT. FRISCO BAR AND CASINO – NIGHT
BULLETS RAKE the Trolley’s metal sides. The WINDSHEILD EXPLODES.
Finnegan yells at Mulligan and Vivo —
FINNEGAN
Guys!! Whoa! WHOA! WHOA! WHOOOAAA!!
Finnegan finally tilts the muzzle of Mulligan’s gun to the ceiling.
They stop firing. A little wigged-out. Their professional demeanor
going by the boards. All goes quiet. They look at Finnegan, who is the
picture of calm.
FINNEGAN
Guys…get a grip.
The Trolley car reverses. The ELECTRONIC VOICE is now CRACKED —
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 leans in towards Mulligan’s mike.
FINNEGAN
(into radio)
Your boys just killed a trolley car
Red One.
Mulligan pulls the radio away.
MULLIGAN
(into radio)
We been down three decks, there’s
nobody home… Total spooky-town.
Advise on how to proceed.
CUT TO:
73 INT. CONNING TOWER – NIGHT
Hanover looks around at the empty bridge, the blinking lights.
HANOVER
Stay to the schedule. Stay to the
plan. Nothing has changed.
But the look in Hanover’s slightly unnerved eyes tells a different
story.
CUT TO:
74 INT. FUGI MARU STORAGE ROOM – DAY
Trillian goggily crawls out from under a mound of boxes. Her left
eye’s got a nice purple shiner. Her elegant gown is ripped.
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:
75 INT. ENGINE CHAMBERS – DAY
A MAZE of pipes, hoses, gears, engines and catwalks. THINGS are
HISSING, HUMMING, RUMBLING and CLANKING. A spooky place. Dark. Damp.
Eerie. Ominous.
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…
He forces Pantucci to look him in the eyes.
FINNEGAN
We’re gonna get what we gotta get…
do what we gotta do…and get the
hell outta here…okay?
Pantucci draws his strength from Finnegan. He forces himself to take a
deep breath.
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.
Mulligan and Vivo move forward.
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…
Pantucci tries to pull away from the wall. He is stuck.
MULLIGAN
(jumpy)
Hey! What are you trying to pull!
PANTUCCI
(pleading)
John…
Finnegan takes Pantucci by the front of his shirt, ignoring Mulligan.
FINNEGAN
Relax your arms…slowly…that’s
it…
As Finnegan pulls, Pantucci does as he is told. He slips away from the
wall. The jacket doesn’t.
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:
76 INT. THE SAIPAN’S HOLD – DAY
Leila has welded half the hole shut. A GUSH OF WATER suddenly pours
through the other half. Leila cuts the torch.
LEILA
Gebop!!
The KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK of the PUMP is like a loud scary HEARTBEAT.
Leila removes her blast visor. Wipes her brow.
— A MANGLED CORPSE GUSHES IN through the gaping hole! LEILA SCREAMS.
Bloody murder. Scared sh*tless. Quickly backs away.
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:
77 EXT. SAIPAN DECK – NIGHT
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 sh*t I’ll keep my eyes open.
CUT TO:
78 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
Leila trembles in the waist-high water. The PUMP’S HEARTBEAT seems to
have gotten louder. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK. Leila slowly starts
edging her way around the corpse. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK.
Her eyes are tranfixed, staring at the abomination, too scared to
scream. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK. Her back is to the gaping hole as
she slowly starts to pass in front of it. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK.
The water swirls around her waist. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK. She’s
almost past the gaping hole now. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK… Then
something grabs her! She SCREAMS! And falls back towards the gaping
hole — But it’s only a twisted piece of metal off a strut. She
exhales. Relieved. KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK. Suddenly, LEILA’S whole
body SPASMS. She SCREECHES wildly, in great pain. The she’s RIPPED
backward out through the gaping hole. Gone. WATER SLOSHES back in. KA-
CHUNK-KA-CHUNK-KA-CHUNK.
CUT TO:
79 INT. FUJI MARU MACHINE SHOP – NIGHT
Knee deep in water, an edgy Mulligan watches Finnegan as he
disassembles pieces of a thermal carburetor from an auxiliary
generator. His eyes keep shifting around. Over in the far corner Vivo
is watching Pantucci working over a metal lathe, repairing the
cylinder head. Metal-on-metal. Vivo sits up on a barrel, trying to
keep his feet out of the water.
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 d*ck head…
Vivo pulls his feet further up on the barrel.
VIVO
What I want to know is why the
goddamn ocean is always cold…since
I’m a kid I hate god damn cold
water.
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!!
Disgusted, Vivo puts his feet in the water, gingerly.
VIVO
Man this sh*t 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 sh*t!
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!!
As Mulligan’s attention diverts, Finnegan instinctively heads for
Vivo’s rifle, lying on the floor.
Mulligan swings around. KACHUNK!! His rifle is armed. The laser dot
fixes on Finnegan’s forehead.
MULLIGAN
Touch it and you’re dead, asshole!
Finnegan freezes, looking up at a very freaked out Mulligan.
PANTUCCI
Don’t shoot, man, don’t shoot!
MULLIGAN
What happened to Vivo?! What the
hell happened to Vivo?
Everybody’s breathing hard. Freaked out. Major tension. Blood drips
down the wall.
CUT TO:
80 INT. VAULT ROOM – NIGHT
Trillian steps up to the vault, looking around, a bit nervous,
something is definitely not right here.
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…
She spins to…Hanover, Mason, Mamooli and Chin. Looking grim.
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…
Mason and Chin lift their pulse-rifles. KACHUNK!!
TRILLIAN
Or maybe not.
HANOVER
Where is everybody?
Trillian is confused —
TRILLIAN
What do you mean?
Hanover steps forward, right in her face.
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?
Trillian shrugs. Mason grabs the card out of her hand.
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’s HEADSET comes alive with Mulligan SCREAMING.
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 c**ks 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:
81 INT. MACHINE SHOP – NIGHT
The machinery is sputtering, and sparking, shorting, steaming as the
sea rises.
Mulligan, in a panic, has backed Finnegan and Pantucci into a corner.
He screams over his headset.
MULLIGAN
Hanover!…Hanover! Come in! Come in
you son-of-a-bitch!
No response. A sucking sound comes from the dark mass of pipes.
Mulligan spins.
MULLIGAN
Hanover!! Hanover!!
FINNEGAN
Forget them…
Mulligan spins back to Finnegan and Pantucci.
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.
Mulligan is WHIPPED across the floor. SCREAMING in fear. His pulse-
rifle goes flying. He’s SLAMMED into a metal pylon, then SUCKED into a
dark void in the pipes. All in the blink of an eye. Finnegan grabs
Mulligan’s pulse-rifle. OPENS FIRE. BLASTING the sh*t out of anything
and everything that moves.
FINNEGAN
Grab the parts!!
Pantucci grabs the knapsack, cramming as many parts as he can into it
as Finnegan keeps firing into the steaming, creaking, sparking
machinery.
FINNEGAN
I’ll cover! Move! Move!
Pantucci doesn’t have to be told twice. He runs like hell, with
Finnegan firing a final burst, and following.
CUT TO:
82 INT. VAULT – NIGHT
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:
83 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
Finnegan and Pantucci run to the end of a long section of metal
grating, right below a staircase, to catch their breath. Everything
has gone dead quiet, except for the billowing and clanging of the
engines. Smoke and sparks obscure their vision.
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.
Finnegan and Pantucci watch, tranfixed. Then, like a locomotive
gathering speed, the grates start rising and falling, faster and
faster, clanking louder and louder, headed right for the two of them.
LOUDERFASTERLOUDERFASTER!!!
FINNEGAN
Come on!!
Finnegan and Pantucci run up the stairs as fast as they can…just as
the grate they were standing on rises and falls. Silence returns.
Except for the steaming, creaking machinery…and an ominous sucking
sound.
CUT TO:
84 INT. PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Trillian comes running down the passageway to a freight elevator.
Looking over her shoulder, she hits the button.
The elevator doors open to a freight elevator large enough to hold a
dozen people. Trillian rushes in and hits the up button. She breathes
a sigh of relief as the steel doors close…until the elevator starts
going down.
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 screams. The elevator comes to a bumps stop.
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!
Trillian pounds on ever button on the console, to no avail. The car
continues its inexorable descent. Finally, in desperation, she hits
the emergency stop button. The elevator stops. The emergency SIREN
WHINES. A LONG BEAT. Nothing moves…and then…WHAM! Something beats
on the roof, trying to break in. And again — WHAM! The ELEVATOR
SHUDDERS and continues its descent. Trillian backs up against the
wall, staring at the ceiling, scared. The ELEVATOR DINGS! Startled,
TRILLIAN SCREAMS.
The DOORS start to OPEN. Panicked, Trillian raises the only weapon at
her disposal…a high heel. The DOORS OPEN.
— SOMETHING LUNGES IN! Trillian swings her high heel…right into
Pantucci’s face! Finnegan plows in right behind him.
PANTUCCI
OWWW!! OOWWW!!!
Trillian tries to run out. Finnegan grabs her.
TRILLIAN
I’m not staying here!
FINNEGAN
It ain’t any better out there!
Trillian struggles. Finnegan does not let go of her.
FINNEGAN
Lady, I’m telling you…
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 hears music to her ears.
TRILLIAN
You have a boat?
Her demeanor changes, her voice goes to honey.
PANTUCCI
Finnegan!
Trillian and Finnegan turn to Pantucci who is looking down at the
floor where a mass of yellow slime has dripped from the ceiling.
All look up to the yellow goo dripping from the ceiling…followed by
a sucking sound.
TRILLIAN
It’s up there!!
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!!
Chin charges Finnegan, the butt of his rifle raised to smash
Finnegan’s skull. Finnegan parries and drives Chin into the rear wall
of the elevator. Mamooli jumps Finnegan from behind, wrapping his
rifle against Finnegan’s throat. Pantucci jumps on Mamooli’s massive
back, ripping at his face.
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.
ANGLE ON: Trillian. Impressed. She had no idea.
HANOVER
Drop it!
Finnegan looks up into the barrel of Hanover’s gun…and a pair of
eyes that will use it. Finnegan does as he is told.
HANOVER
Now, back up!
Again, Finnegan does as he is told.
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 hit the elevator button. The elevator starts to rise.
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?
All of a sudden, the car is jerked to a halt, as if some giant hand
was yanking on the cable.
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 starts hitting the buttons frantically.
TRILLIAN
Open! Open! God damn it!!
Finnegan is at the doors, pulling them with all his might.
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!
The doors fly open to…a solid wall.
FINNEGAN
Oh sh*t…
And silence…until the doors slam shut…the cable snaps…and the
car plummets! Screaming and shouting mixes with the bloodcurdling
shrieking of the metal elevator frame against the shaft.
Finnegan’s eyes go to the floor indicator.
13 — 12 — 11 — 10 — 9 — 8 — 7 — 6 — 5 — 4!
An AUTOMATED VOICE rapidly CALLS OUT right along with it —
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!
CABLES SNAP. METAL SCREAMS. The ELEVATOR starts to BUCKLE. Which is
actually good, because it’s getting jammed sideways in the shaft which
slows it down. The it HITS bottom with a resounding crash.
CUT TO:
85 INT. SUBLEVEL LOBBY – DAY
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.
Finnegan bends down to pick up one of the pulse rifles.
HANOVER
Don’t touch it!
Finnegan looks up to Hanover standing a bit shakily, his own rifle
trained on Finnegan.
FINNEGAN
You shoot me and you got no ride
home…
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 steps on something. CRUNCH! He looks down, his eyes widen.
PANTUCCI
Oh no!! Oh no!! Finnegan!!!
He starts dancing around, trying not to step on whatever it is.
Trillian looks down and SCREAMS. Everybody freaks —
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:
86 EXT. FUJI MARY & SAIPAN – DAY
RAIN POURS DOWN on the Fuji Maru and the Saipan as they bob in the
waves, surrounded by endless choppy ocean waters.
CUT TO:
87 INT. SAIPAN ENGINE ROOM – DAY
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…
He ENTERS the waist-high water.
BILLY
…when I find you, you pay…
Billy heads deeper into the hold.
CUT TO:
88 INT. MACHINE SHOP – MOMENTS LATER
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 sh*t, 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…
There is a moment of silence.
FINNEGAN
You’re the inside guy aren’t you?
The guy who knocked out the
communications.
Hanover sets Mason’s pulse-rifle down and claps his hands.
HANOVER
Bravo.
Canton flashes Hanover a look. The Captain is confused.
Trillian suddenly GRABS CANTON, spins him around and SLAMS him against
the hull.
TRILLIAN
How the hell do we fix it?!
A tense moment as Canton debates his situation, then relents.
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.
He motions to the mercenaries.
FINNEGAN
They rob the joint blind and torpedo
it to the bottom. He collects the
insurance, and sails off into the
sunset clean as a whistle.
Finnegan fixes Hanover with a look of certainty.
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 pulls the Captain off.
FINNEGAN
It’s not going to help us!
CAPTAIN
We’re going to die here! We’re going
to die!
Finnegan holds the Captain with both hands, calming him.
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?
Unseen by anyone, there is MOVEMENT within the MACHINERY. The walls
start to come alive with dark, SHADOWY IMPRESSIONS.
HIDDEN within the maze of machinery, OBSCURED by the bad lighting,
glistening abominations slither over pipes, squirm through gears, and
undulate in and out of crevases and holes. The room is becoming a
living, throbbing, pulsating horror.
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.
Hidden withing the girders, and sticking to them, a large translucent
INTESTINE-like thing CROSSES the ceiling. Inside it are strange,
disgusting biological workings.
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:
89 INT. ENGINE CHAMBERS – NIGHT
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.
We catch more ABSTRACT GLIMPSES of the translucent TENTACLE-SACS,
strange FEELERS, groping SUCKERS, SLIME and VEINS.
CUT TO:
90 INT. DEEP IN MAZE – NIGHT
Finnegan rounds a corner and crouch-runs down a narrow alley. Alone
now. White-knuckling his rifle. He turns another corner and runs right
into Trillian.
FINNEGAN
AHHH!!
…Spins, gun ready to fire at…
TRILLIAN
Noooo!
FINNEGAN
Jesus Christ lady…
TRILLIAN
(scared)
What are those things?
FINNEGAN
I don’t know…
Finnegan looks around to the engine room, a labyrinth of pipe-lined
alleyways, motorized chambers, swaying catwalks and pillars of steel.
The LIGHTING is very poor, very dark. He takes off.
TRILLIAN
Hey! Hey! Where are you going?
FINNEGAN
…there’s got to be a way to access
out back there…
He motions into the deep shadows.
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 weighs her options, and takes off after Finnegan.
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…
Finnegan comes to a ladderstair leading to a catwalk. He starts to
climb. Trillian, hampered by her long slinky dress, rips at the
bottom, making it maxi to mini in a flash, and scoots after Finnegan.
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…
She holds out her hand.
TRILLIAN
Projects…South Chicago.
Finnegan ignores her hand.
FINNEGAN
Finnegan…John J…now that we’ve
been properly introduced, can we get
the hell out of here?
Finnegan starts to walk down the catwalk.
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.
SNAP!! A TENTACLE SHOOTS OUT between Finnegan and Trillian. Just
missing them as it SLAMS into a wall. Finnegan falls onto the catwalk,
drops his rifle, unarmed. Trillian, freaked, stumbles back and lands
on her butt. Finnegan sits up against the walls, turns and looks —
The TENTACLE slowly SQUIRMS across the wall like a big leach. Trying
to find its prey. Finnegan is frozen in place. Watching.
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 frantically fumbles around, looking for the right lever on
the complicated, sophisticated weapon, trying to find it.
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!
Finnegan staggers to his feet. He and Trillian run off.
CUT TO:
91 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
Trillian and Finnegan come running around a corner, and stop to catch
their breath.
FINNEGAN
(annoyed)
The safety…the safety…
He flicks the safety on and off.
FINNEGAN
Got it?
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.
Finnegan’s small smile makes Trillian acutely uncomfortable.
V.O.
HEELLPP!!
CUT TO:
92 INT. ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT
The Captain is stuck in a strange gelatinous spider web. Struggling,
frantic. But the more he struggles, the more enmeshed he gets. He
holds his hands out beseechingly to Canton, who stands looking at him
in terror.
CAPTAIN
Help me!
But Canton does not move.
All of a sudden Canton sees something deep in the web, behind the
Captain, which makes his blood freeze.
CAPTAIN
What is it?
Canton takes a few steps back.
CAPTAIN
What?!… WHAT?!
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!!
Canton looks up, stunned, as he sees Finnegan and Trillian rushing
down from the catwalk.
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!!!
He struggles WILDLY. Then starts to freeze up as the tentacles wrap
around him.
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, Chin, Mamooli and Pantucci burst out of another alleyway.
Finnegan and Trillian reach the Captain just as his FACE is SUCKED
into the gelatinous web. They skid to a stop. Everybody piles up. Eyes
wide. Watching as the Captain’s body is pulled deeper into the dark
web. Tentacles enveloping him.
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 grabs Canton by the front of his tattered tuxedo jacket.
HANOVER
You hypocritical bastard…all you
gave a sh*t about was the money…
where’s the hatch!!
Canton points down a darkened passageway.
HANOVER
Alright let’s move out…you two on
point…
He looks at an uneasy Mamooli and Chin.
FINNEGAN
Joey… Which way’s aft?
PANTUCCI
That way.
He points in the opposite direction.
HANOVER
Who gives a sh*t 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…
Finnegan takes off down a catwalk in the opposite direction that
disappears in the dark. Pantucci is right with him. Trillian, a step
behind.
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…
He disappears into the dark. Canton looks at Hanover for a long
moment, and then takes off after Finnegan. The other two mercs look at
Hanover, wavering.
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…
And then conscious of his voice reverberating…
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:
93 INT. BALLAST PASSAGEWAY – DAY
In SLOW-MO, Finnegan and the others creep down a darkened, pipe-lined
passageway. Guns out front. Sight beams sweeping the path ahead. Eyes
wide open. Sweat sliding down their faces. Breath coming in short
nervous bursts. Hearts pounding out of chests. The ominous MUSICAL
SCORE adds to the tension. Then the EMERGENCY LIGHTING KICKS ON. A
creepy-looking reddish-blue glow is cast throughout the ship. Finnegan
continues on. Followed by the others. All sweating hard. Eyes
nervously shifting. Fear thick in the air. LOOKING DOWN THROUGH A
METAL GATE, we SEE Finnegan, Trillian and the others passing below.
Then suddenly, in the dark foreground — SOMETHING WET WRIGGLES across
the gate.
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:
94 INT. BALLAST SECTION – DAY
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.
Finnegan turns to Canton, who stands slumped against a railing. He
does not look well at all.
FINNEGAN
What’s on the far side?
CANTON
I don’t know.
PANTUCCI
(nerves)
It’s your damn ship! What the hell
do you mean you don’t know?
Finnegan touches Pantucci’s shoulder.
FINNEGAN
Joey, what difference does it
make…
Finnegan enters the water.
FINNEGAN
If you hear one shot, you know I
made it…start coming…
Pantucci follows Finnegan to the water.
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.
Hanover does not move.
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:
95 INT. UNDERWATER – NIGHT
Finnegan SWIMS down to the floor of the ballast. Then into a
passageway lined with black pipes. Pantucci right behind him. STRANGE
NOISES REVERBERATE through the MURKY waters. CREAKS and MOANS. Spooky
sh*t. Both men are wide-eyed as they swim. Weaving their way through a
maze of pipes and ducts. The THINGS could come out of almost anywhere.
Bubbles drift up from the darkness below. The MUSIC IS TENSE…VERY
VERY TENSE.
Pantucci falls behind. He swims around a curve and right into a
SEVERED HUMAN ARM! AIR BUBBLES BLAST out of his mouth as he SCREAMS.
The fingers on the dead hand seem to reach out for him. He fights his
way past and swims off in a panic.
CUT TO:
96 INT. BALLAST – NIGHT
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 acts as if he does not hear. He keeps pacing. Hanover chops
sharply with the stock of his rifle into Canton’s arm. Canton crumbles
against the railing, in pain.
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.
Trillian’s eyes fix on Hanover’s, unwavering. A mexican standoff.
MAMOOLI
Hanover!
Everyone turn to… A giant ball of black, wet, OOZING RUBBER
UNDULATES down the gangway. Coming straight at them. A mass of
glistening striated MUSCLE.
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:
97 INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
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:
98 INT. BALLAST ROOM – NIGHT
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:
99 INT. UNDERWATER – NIGHT
Trillian swims down a violently SHAKING PASSAGEWAY. Eyes wide. Filled
with fear. All around, DEBRIS DROPS through the water. Primordial
SOUNDS REVERBERATE off the walls. Lots of BUBBLING and GURGLING —
THEN SOMETHING LUNGES OUT! TRILLIAN OPENS UP. FIRING wildly. The water
fills with FIRE and BUBBLES. Trillian looks around. Scared sh*tless.
The bubbles clear just in time for her to see — Chin, mouth open,
eyes wide, screaming in agony, being ripped past her. She tries to
fire her rifle. Too late. Trillian watches as Chin VANISHES down the
shaft in a CLOUD OF BUBBLES.
CUT TO:
100 INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
TRILLIAN BURSTS to the surface. FINNEGAN YANKS her up and out of the
water.
FINNEGAN
You O.K.?
Trillian can only nod, and gasp for breath.
Canton and Hanover catch their breath, PANTING AWAY, waterlogged.
Hanover reaches over to retreive the rifle in Trillian’s hand.
Trillian points the barrel at him, and hits the safety.
TRILLIAN
(grim)
Finders keepers.
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…
Finnegan steps forward. Mamooli aims his rifle right at Finnegan’s
head.
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 f*cking kill
you!! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I’m
not playin’ around here!
Finnegan freezes. CLOSE ON: The hatch. As a BLACK LIQUID starts to
OOZE through a tiny latch-hole. No one sees it.
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 turns to the tentacle looming over him, about to strike.
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:
101 INT. PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Mamooli rushes into the empty passageway, looks left. Then right. His
POV. Down the hall another TENTACLE comes racing at him.
Mamooli panics, drops his rifle.
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…
WHAM!!! Another tentacle envelops his face!
MAMOOLI
EEEYYYAAAHHHH!!!!!
CUT TO:
102 INT. MECHANICAL CHAMBER – NIGHT
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
sh*t. Finnegan heads for a open HATCH. It suddenly SLAMS SHUT. He
instantly VEERS down another passageway.
PANTUCCI
What the hell is going on!!
Finnegan heads for another open HATCHWAY. It also SLAMS SHUT.
FINNEGAN
They’re herding us.
Finnegan and company keep going.
HANOVER
What are you talking about?
As they round a corner, the CEILING IMPLODES right in front of them.
PIPES and OTHER MATTER CRASH down. Cutting them off. Leaving only one
route open…a slim passageway.
FINNEGAN
Like cattle…
TRILLIAN
You’re saying they can think?
FINNEGAN
I’m saying they’re calling the
shots…
Finnegan heads toward the passageway.
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:
103 INT. PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Finnegan leads them single-file, they quickly head into a SHAKING
narrow void. Fear has led to silence, and enbearable tension. The
walls on either side creak, and moan with strange noises.
CUT TO:
104 INT. MID-HULL – NIGHT
Finnegan quickly comes out of the CREAKING, MOANING GANGWAY, followed
by the others. All the STRANGE NOISES suddenly STOP. Everything gets
quiet. Finnegan freezes. Something’s wrong. Everybody looks around.
STEAM SHOOTS OUT from multiple pipes. The air is thick with MIST.
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.
In the womb, a Tentacle suddenly approaches a sexy young LADY. The
Lady tries to back-pedal away, but because of the gelatin, it’s like
one of those nightmares where you can only move in slow motion. The
FEELERS GRIP her naked thigh. She tries to scream, but her face is
already starting to constrict, her whole body is being paralyzed.
Pantucci is so horrified he’s about to cry.
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.
Trillian burries her head in Finnegan’s shoulder, trying to shut out
the horror.
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 sh*t 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!!!
…bites the pins and spits them out.
FINNEGAN
Eat this.
He chucks the grenades up into the strange WRITHING FRESCO, safely
clear of the passengers.
FINNEGAN
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
Pantucci and Hanover throw themselves to the floor. Finnegan pulls
Trillian down, covering her.
BA-WOOM! GELATIN SPRAYS EVERYWHERE.
CUT TO:
105 EXT. FUJI MARU – SAME TIME
A loud, creepy, suction-like SOUND is HEARD, that strange pitter-
patter of little feet running across the hull. Then the HULL begins to
MOAN and CREAK from an UNSEEN PRESSURE.
CUT TO:
106 INT. MID HULL – NIGHT
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…
WE GO EXTREMELY CLOSE ON Trillian’s EYES. Pantucci’s EYES. Hanover’s
EYES. Finnegan’s EYES. The air is riddled with ominous expectation.
And that’s when the HULL BEGINS TO TORQUE. RIVETS POP and SNAP. WATER
SPRAYS. METAL BUCKLES.
107 MODEL SHOT:
At the far end of the ship, part of the LOWER BOW RIPS OPEN! AND A
WALL OF WATER RUSHES IN. FLOOD CITY!
Finnegan’s eyes widen as he sees (MODEL SHOT) the massive WAVE OF
WATER CRASHING TOWARDS THEM. RIPPING OUT PIPES, DUCTS, WALLS,
EQUIPMENT and EVERYTHING in front of it.
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:
108 EXT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
Massive AIR BUBBLES EXPLODE out from under the bow.
CUT TO:
109 INT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
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:
110 INSIDE A PASSAGEWAY:
WATER BLASTS through a hatch and CHASES Finnegan and Trillian down a
passageway.
They jag left at an intersection — WATER BLASTS through the hatch
directly in front of them.
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:
111 INT. NARROW PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
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:
112 INT. SUBMERGING ROOM – NIGHT
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…
The knife blade slips into the crack.
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:
113 INT. PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Pantucci and Hanover hauling ass. Hanover pulls out his last two
Thermite grenades. Pantucci panics and grabs for them.
PANTUCCI
Gimme one! Gimme one!
He knocks both of them out of Hanover’s hands. They DISAPPEAR under
the water.
HANOVER
You idiot!
They quickly fumble around in the water, trying to find them. A
TENTACLE BLASTS around the corner. Partially obscured by the wave in
front of it. Heading right for them. Hanover finds the two grenades.
Gives one to Pantucci. They rip the pins out and toss the grenades
behind them. Then HAUL ASS faster. The Tentacle right behind them.
A BEAT. And then the GRENADES EXPLODE, BA-WOOM! BA-WOOM!
CUT TO:
114 EXT. FUJI MARY – NIGHT
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.
Then slowly, Canton gets a gleam in his eye, now thrilled.
CANTON
It’s going to sink.
CUT TO:
115 INT. SUBMERGED ROOM – NIGHT
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
Side-by-side, Hanover and Pantucci quickly slog their way through
waist-high water. They round a corner and look back — INKY FORMS
SLOSH around the corner. Heading right for them. They slog faster.
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.
Pantucci throws himself into the opening of a dumbwaiter. SLAMS the
DOOR SHUT. The TENTACLE ATTACKS the door. WORMING its way across the
surface, trying to find a way inside. Pantucci is scared beyond his
pain. Pushing back as far as he can against the rear wall, he sees the
control button. He presses the up arrow. The dumbwaiter starts to
move.
CUT TO:
117 EXT. FUJI MARU REAR DECK – DAY
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
dangling from its harness down on the watersports platform.
120 BACK TO SCENE
Canton starts to crawl for it. Moaning and bleeding.
CUT TO:
121 EXT. CRYSTAL POOL DECK – NIGHT
Finnegan and Trillian race up onto the pool deck. Passing beneath a
colorful NEON SIGN which READS:
“THE FUJI MARU – YOUR FUN SHIP”
In the dark, Trillian trips. She falls to the slippery, waterlogged
deck, and SCREAMS…
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…
Tries to catch her breath.
FINNEGAN
It’s OK…it’s not one of them…
it’s from the aquarium…it’s…
And then it dawns on Finnegan.
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…
He holds up the squid.
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.
SMASH CUT TO:
122 EXT. ARIAL POV – MATTE FX SHOT – NIGHT
…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:
123 INT. CASINO – NIGHT
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 picks up Hanover’s pistol. Then slowly, cautiously, he creeps
forward, and sticks the gun into Hanover’s TWITCHING HAND.
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!
— CLICK! The gun is empty. Hanover’s mouth opens in a horrible,
silent scream.
CUT TO:
124 EXT. REAR DECK – SAME TIME
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 —
125 DOWN AT THE WATERSPORTS PLATFORM:
The speedboat is being hydraulically lowered into the water. Canton
sits inside, fiddling with the ignition. ANGLE ON: Trillian and
Finnegan racing down the spiral stairs leading to the watersports
platform.
TRILLIAN
Wait! Stop!
The boat touches down into the water.
CANTON
I’d like to but I have an
appointment with my insurance
broker!
He HITS the HOIST-RELEASE BUTTON. The speedboat breaks free. Canton
HITS the IGNITION. The boat’s ENGINE ROARS.
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!!
She grabs Finnegan’s pulse rifle, hefts it to her shoulder…
FINNEGAN
Look!
He forces her to look in the distance. Their POV. The island.
TRILLIAN
Oh my god! Oh my god! How do we do
it? How do we get there?
FINNEGAN
Not like him.
Finnegan points to the water…and an INKY PSEUDOPOD FORM racing after
the speedboat underwater.
FINNEGAN
It’s the engine…it can hear the
engine…it goes for the loudest
sound…
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:
126 EXT. SPEEDBOAT – NIGHT
Canton, smiling brightly, peers at the approching island through the
speedboat’s windscreen. So relieved he sings to himself, from the
operetta H.M.S. PINAFORE.
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…
When…YANK!!…the SPEEDBOAT is GRABBED from below, practically
exploding as it DISINTEGRATES into TWO PIECES.
Canton is PROPELLED through the windscreen and onto the hood.
CUT TO:
127 EXT. WATERSPORT PLATFORM – NIGHT
Finnegan struggles to clip the winch-line onto the tow-line, hanging
precariously over the edge of the ship, clip in one hand, winch-line
in the other. The whole METAL MESS is BUCKING and TWISTING and
SCREECHING. His every joint is being ripped out of socket as he
strains to get the clip on the line before the entire rig tears away
into the sea. With one last heroic effort of will and grit, he snaps
the clip in place just as it all BREAKS LOOSE.
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.
Despite the grimness of their position, the closeness of their bodies
is…a turn on…to both of them…and then a SCREAM from the sea.
They look in the direction of…
CUT TO:
128 EXT. SPEEDBOAT – NIGHT
Canton is pinned to the hood of the speedboat, his face shredded by
glass, his leg mangled, screaming as his panicked eyes watch a
TENTACLE slowly squirm across the hood toward him, it’s hideous
feelers writhe and arch.
Canton backs away from it as far as he can. Another TENTACLE SQUIRMS
up next to him.
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!
All the tentacles rise over him, about to descend.
CANTON
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
CUT TO:
129 EXT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
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:
130 INT. SAIPAN – NIGHT
Finnegan and Trillian slowly clamber through the hold, waist-deep in
water, on edge, eyes wide, watching for any sign of trouble. It’s
quiet in here. Maybe too quiet.
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 SMASHES more of the CRATE, it falls apart, REVEALING the
entire torpedo. He hands her his pulse rifle.
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.
The plate comes loose. Revealing a gaggle of wires, and parts.
FINNEGAN
…let’s see, it was red wire cross
compressor blue wire…or blue cross
red?
He starts to fiddle with the wires. — Suddenly, there’s a LOUD
SLOSHING SOUND right behind them! CRATES TOPPLE! More pulse rifles
spill out. Trillian spins, ready to blast away with the pusle rifle,
to…
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…
He refers to the wires.
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 f*cking 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
sh*t 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 tosses her a pulse rifle from the overturned crate.
FINNEGAN
Don’t forget the safety.
She hits the safety, slams a shell into chamber…
TRILLIAN
Don’t take too long…I’m not
planning on being on the menu
tonight.
…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.
Finnegan attaches a wire to a sprocket. A red light starts to blink on
the warhead.
CUT TO:
131 EXT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
It is VERY DARK. The RAIN is getting worse. THUNDER RUMBLES. LIGHTNING
FLASHES. The FUJI MARU MOANS and CREAKS. BUBBLES EXPLODE from beneath
it. The Saipan rocks against her hull. Trillian clambers along the
TILTING RAILING, heading for the watersports platform. Her gorgeous
eyes shift nervously.
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:
132 INT. SAIPAN’S HOLD – NIGHT
The missile is on a hoist being pushed forward by Pantucci and
Finnegan toward a GAPING HOLE in the PORT BOW.
PANTUCCI
You know what I think? I think our
luck has just about run sh*t out…
FINNEGAN
A little to the left…
PANTUCCI
I think we gotta stop floating from
one f*cked 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?
Pantucci looks at Finnegan quizically. This is news to him.
CUT TO:
133 EXT. SAIPAN – NIGHT
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:
134 EXT. WATERSPORT PLATFORM – NIGHT
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:
135 INT. THE SAIPAN’S PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
Finnegan LASHES the STEERING-STICKS as hard left as they’ll go. The
rudder locks tight.
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…
Trillian’s scream tears through the night. Finnegan’s eyes go to the
Fuji Maru. He kicks open a box by the side of the console, and pulls
out a sawed off shot gun with a pistol handle in a holster.
PANTUCCI
Man, don’t go up there…
FINNEGAN
One whistle… Start the engine…
Finnegan slams shells into the shotgun.
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?
Finnegan hefts a pulse rifle, and runs out of the pilothouse.
CUT TO:
136 EXT. FUJI MARU DECK – NIGHT
Finnegan drops onto the deck from the tow line. Pulse-rifle leveled.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins. A man on a mission.
The SHIP is in its final death throes. MOANING and CREAKING.
Trillian’s scream pierces the night, followed by several shots.
Finnegan takes off in it’s direction.
CUT TO:
137 INT. FUJI MARU PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Finnegan ENTERS. Ready to be jumped. The scary MUSIC builds. TENSION
CITY. Again shots fired. This time closer. Finnegan throws caution to
the winds, and runs for all he is worth.
CUT TO:
138 INT. HALLWAY – NIGHT
Trillian is being dragged down the dark hallway by a tentacle wrapped
around her legs. She struggles frantically, trying to get a clear shot
off. But her shot goes wild as she is pulled this way and that,
slammed against the walls on either side. She loses her rifle.
CUT TO:
139 INT. GRAND ATRIUM – NIGHT
Finnegan ENTERS the glass-domed atrium. Sloshes through the water.
Stops in the midle and looks around. Sees a Tentacle, writhing up a
glass wall of the atrium.
Finnegan hears TRILLIAN SCREAM. He quickly plants his feet and FIRES
from the hip. GLASS SHATTERS EVERYWHERE. He arcs around. WINDOWS BLOW
TO PIECES. Finnegan lets out a low, angry, guttural YELL. The TENTACLE
SHREDS from the GUNFIRE.
CUT TO:
140 INT. HALLWAY – NIGHT
The tentacle dragging Trillian retracts. Freed, Trillian gets up,
grabs her rifle, and RUNS LIKE HELL.
CUT TO:
141 INT. FRISCO BAR – NIGHT
Trillian runs in and is immediately hit by COLORFUL SWIRLING LIGHTS
and a PULSATING STROBE. FLASHING RED WARNING LIGHTS, the SOUND of the
CLAXTON, the SPRAYING WATER and thick MIST…major psychedelia.
Disoriented, Trillian runs towards a dark exit door — and into a
geometric gelatinous SPIDER WEB. Sticks.
TRILLIAN
NOOO!! NOOOO!! HELPP!! HELPP!!
CUT TO:
142 INT. ATRIUM – NIGHT
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:
143 INT. FRISCO BAR – NIGHT
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 hacks away with desperate urgency. Now five feet.
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!!!
With a last gargantuan effort, Finnegan yanks…Trillian comes tearing
out of the webbing…the remnants of ger gown doesn’t…in the nick of
time.
The tentacle rushes forward. Finnegan jams his pulse-rifle into the
web and OPENS FIRE. Blasting the entire clip into the goo. Tearing the
sh*t 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:
144 INT. HALLWAY – NIGHT
Trillian stands there, pulling on the door, half naked. The door is
bolted tight. She has not other options. She runs off.
CUT TO:
145 INT. FRISCO BAR – NIGHT
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.
A slimy, translucent MEMBRANE slowly RISES, REVEALING what appears to
be some sort of ORGANIC LIQUID EYE. It seems to stare right at
Finnegan, who is transfixed by the sight.
A Tentacle slowly starts to move in on Finnegan. Finnegan starts
making his way around the shattered debris that blocks his shot. The
EYEBALL-type organism follows him. Another Tentacle starts to move.
Silently undulating through the water towards Finnegan.
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…
In SLOW-MOTION, Finnegan lifts his pulse-rifle. It DRIPS WATER. He
jams the gun-butt into his hip. Takes aim — FIRES! But he only gets
off one quick BURST before a TENTACLE LASHES OUT and GRABS him. JERKS
him into the air. His pulse-rifle goes flying. Finnegan is being
dragged toward the hole into the floor, and the death that awaits him.
He struggles to free himself as the hole looms closer, closer. He is
about to disappear down the hole of no return, when his hand comes up
with his knife. He slashes the tentacle in two, scrambles up and heads
for an open door. As he reaches the door, a tentacle rises up in front
of him. Huge. Blocking his way. It’s maw opens wide. A terrifying
sight of jaws and teeth and death. About to devour him. As it strikes
forward, Finnegan draws his shotgun, and blasts the vile thing to
smithereens. He bolts through the door, several Tentacles already
after him.
CUT TO:
146 EXT. WATERSPORTS PLATFORM – NIGHT
Trillian sits up on the jet ski. She hears the GUNFIRE.
TRILLIAN
FINNEGAN!! COME ON!!
CUT TO:
147 INT. PASSAGEWAY – NIGHT
Finnegan runs wildly down a passageway. He rounds a corner. A TENTACLE
SIDE-SWIPES him. Hard. SMASHES him into a wall. Finnegan DROPS the
shotgun. Hits the floor running. Another TENTACLES CHECKS him. Sends
him SPIRALING through a hatch.
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:
148 EXT. WATERSPORT PLATFORM – NIGHT
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!!!!
She turns, ghost white…to Finnegan.
FINNEGAN
I don’t mean to drop in unannounced
…you ready…
TRILLIAN
Soon as I get over the heart
attack…
Finnegan whistles. Waits. No engine goes on. He whistles again. Still
no response. Removes his watch, gives it to Trillian.
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.
He grabs Trillian’s pulse rifle, and leaps up on the side of the
Saipan, and scales up to the deck. Trillian watches him, and then
looks at the watch.
CUT TO:
149 INT. SAIPAN PILOT HOUSE – NIGHT
Finnegan bursts in.
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, motherf*cker.
Finnegan hits the ignition button. A desperate moment of dry cranking
…and then the one remaining engine catches, sputters, and fires to
life.
CUT TO:
150 EXT. FUJI MARU – NIGHT
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…
The Saipan strains on its leashes. ENGINES GUNNING. Finnegan swings
his rifle around. OPENS UP on the tie-lines. All the TIE-LINES SHRED.
The Saipan starts to break free.
FINNEGAN
Hold on!
He GUNS the ski…and it stalls. The jet ski stalls. Goes dead in the
water.
FINNEGAN
Oh sh*t!!
Nearby, the WATER SWIRLS violently. He hammers the starter button.
FINNEGAN
Come on!!
The ENGINE STUTTERS. He tries again.
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.
151 READ FAST:
Finnegan bears down on the handlebars of the jet ski.
Pedal to the metal.
Looking straight ahead.
Trillian holds on for dead life.
Suddenly, a WAVE EXPLODES in front of the jet ski.
Finnegan cranks the handlebars.
The JET SKI SLEWS SIDEWAYS.
The Saipan starts to arc around.
The WARHEAD gleams in the MOONLIGHT.
Dripping water.
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.
Finnegan looks back at Trillian. Bobbing in the water.
The he looks at the Saipan. Continuing its arc.
Its deadly payload racing for the Fuji Maru.
Finnegan CRANKS the HANDLEBARS.
SMASHES through a wave and heads for Trillian.
Trillian sees him and swims hard.
The SAIPAN ROARS straight at the Fuji Maru.
The warhead perfectly positioned to strike its hull.
Only fifty meters away.
Now forty.
Now thirty-five.
152 READ FASTER:
Finnegan cuts the motor of the jet ski.
Slides up next to Trillian.
Grabs her by her arm.
Rips her out of the water.
Throws her onto the back of the jet ski.
Just as a tentacles rises up, lashing out.
He GUNS IT.
SMASHES through the waves.
The WARHEAD SPLASHES through the water.
The jet ski hauls ass.
ENGINES WHINING OUT.
Faster and faster.
A HUGE GEYSER OF WATER EXPLODES in front of the jet ski.
A tentacle slaps down hard.
Finnegan cuts hard.
Too late.
The JET SKI RAMPS through the geyser.
They and the JET SKI TUMBLE and SPLASH across the water.
The SAIPAN CHARGES FORWARD.
Twenty-five meters away from hitting the Fuji Maru.
No twenty meters away.
Now fifteen.
Finnegan pops to the surface.
Looks around.
Can’t find Trillian.
He DIVES under the water.
His POV: Tentacles converging on him from the murky depths.
The “retrieve” feature that’s on all jet skis forces it back around
towards where Finnegan and Trillian fell off.
Finnegan BURST to the surface.
Holding Trillian.
She looks nearly lifeless.
The jet ski heads right at them.
Finnegan swims for it.
Dragging Trillian.
As tentacles converge from all sides.
The JET SKI is suddenly SUCKED under the water!
Swallowed whole.
Finnegan quickly reverses.
Backstrokes like mad.
The WARHEAD SLICES through the water.
Now only ten meters away from hitting the Fuji Maru.
Now nine meters away.
Now eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
153 WE GO INTO SLO-MO NOW AS:
Finnegan paddles hard.
Sucking in as much water as he is air.
A TENTACLE RISES UP out of the water.
Looms above Finnegan and Trillian.
Dripping water.
About to strike.
There’s nowhere to hide.
Finnegan paddles harder.
154 WE COME OUT OF SLOW-MO AS:
The TENTACLE starts its DOWNWARD LUNGE.
And that’s when the SAIPAN RAMS the Fuji Maru.
The WARHEAD SLAMS into its hull.
BA-WHOOOOOOMMM!!
The SAIPAN EVAPORATES.
METAL FLIES.
WATER SPRAYS.
FIRE FILLS the night sky.
The TOP DECK of the Fuji Maru CARTWHEELS across the waves.
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.
SLOW DISSOLVE TO:
155 EXT. BEACH – SUNRISE
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 sh*t 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…
And then they head the most gut-wrenching, spine-tingling, teeth-
shattering ROAR ever. Pure primeval. Like no sound or animal or thing
we’ve ever hear beofre. Coming from DEEP WITHING THE ISLAND.
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.
WE KEEP PULLING BACK. REVEALING pieces of the smoldering ship. Nearly
the whole island is VISIBLE now. Dark jungles. Craggy mountains. Maybe
the scariest-looking place on earth.
FINNEGAN V.O.
What now…
The “THING” ROARS again. It’s hellacious. AND WE CUT TO BLACK.
THE END
