PITCH BLACK

                              PARIS
               Oh, Lord....

                              AUDREY
               It was just somebody else. From the
               crash. He was just....

                              ZEKE
               Cripes galore, I thought it was him. The
               murderin' ratbag. I thought he was....

     He rushes over to check the dead stranger. As he bends down,
     FAST RACK AGAIN to reveal Riddick in the background. He stands
     20 paces off, still unseen by the others. His goggle eyes
     covet...

     Zeke's breather.

     EXT. SKIFF - DAY

     Fry exits the skiff.

                              FRY
               No juice, looks like it's been laid up
               for years. But we might be able to
               adapt --

                              JOHNS
               Shut up.

     Outside, Johns has an ear cocked to the wind.

                              JOHNS (CONT'D)
               Sorry. Thought I heard something.

                              FRY
               Like what?

                              JOHNS
               Like my pistola.

     EXT. GRAVE SITE - SPIRED HILLS - DAY

     START on the drag-sled carrying Corpse #4-- the stranger.

     Zeke reaches the grave. The sun-tarp has fallen on one side,
     blocking the sight-line between ship and grave. Zeke starts to
     unload the body -- but sees something he didn't notice before:
     There's some kind of opening at the bottom of the grave.

                              ZEKE
               Now what the bloody hell....

     Zeke hops down into the grave. CAMERA MOVES to reveal Riddick
     hidden among the spires. He's been waiting for a chance just
     like this.

     EXT. GRAVE - DAY

     Zeke drops to all fours. Looks into the tunnel. There seems to
     be some kind of burrow beyond.

     BURROW POV: Staring back at Zeke.

     Zeke takes a handlight off his belt, shines it into the burrow.
     It's the last thing he ever does.

     INT./EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

     As MORE GUNSHOTS jar Paris, Audrey, Shazza.

     EXT. GRAVE - DAY

     FURIOUS CLOSEUPS: Zeke fighting for his life. PISTOL BLASTING.
     Something slashing at him. Blood dancing on air.

     EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

     Shazza sprints across hard-pack, heading for...

     EXT. GRAVE SITE - SPIRED HILLS - DAY

     The grave. She slaps aside the tarp to find...

     Riddick. Bone-shiv in hand, he just stands on the other side of
     the grave. Shazza looks down. And SCREAMS.

     EXT. SPIRED HILLS - DAY

     CAMERA PURSUES Riddick as he lopes through the spires, running
     from the scene of the crime. He turns a blind corner -- and
     SOMETHING NEARLY BLOWS HIS HEAD OFF at close range. He hits
     ground. A boot steps on his neck, keeping him there.

                              JOHNS
               Same crap, different planet, huh?

     EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY

     Sucking on their breathers, Fry and the Chrislams make it back to
     the ship. They find Johns beating Riddick like a chained dog.

                              JOHNS
               ...I don't play that...I don't play that
               so just try again. C'mon, Riddick, tell
               me a better lie....

                              FRY
               Ease up, ease up. JOHNS! Just tell me
               what....

     She hauls him off -- only to have Shazza start punching Riddick.

                              SHAZZA
               What'd you do with 'im? You bloody sick
               animal you, what'dja do with me Zeke?

     EXT. GRAVE SITE - SPIRED HILLS - DAY

     Fry and Johns stand over the grave. It's a gory mess -- but no
     sign of Zeke. Johns has Riddick's confiscated shiv.

                              FRY
               He used that?

                              JOHNS
               Sir Shiv-a-lot. He likes to cut.

                              FRY
               So why isn't it all bloody?

                              JOHNS
               I assume he licked it clean.

     INT. MAIN CABIN - CRASH SHIP - DAY

     Riddick is back in chains, face pulpy from the beating, listening
     to SOTTO VOCE VOICES outside. Fry enters, looks at him hard.

                              FRY
               So where is he?

     Riddick turns away, revealing a broken goggle-lens. The eye
     beneath is closed: For some reason, he won't look at her.

                              FRY
               Tell me about the sounds. You told them
               you heard something right before....
                         (no response)
               If you don't talk to me, Johns'll take
               another crack at it -- at your skull.

                              RIDDICK
               'Mean the whispers?

                              FRY
               What whispers?

                              RIDDICK
               The ones tellin' me to go for the sweet
               spot -- just to the left of the spine,
               fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta.
               What a gusher. Had a cup on his belt,
               so I used it to catch a little run-off.
               Metallic taste to it, human blood.
               Coppery. But if you cut it with
               peppermint schnapps, that goes away.
               Course, that's more for winter.
               Summertime, I take mine straight.

     Fry stares. Riddick gets a black satisfaction from his role as
     Boogeyman: If fear is the only kind of respect he can get,
     Riddick is going to grab some with both hands.

                              FRY
               Why don't we try the truth now?

     A head-shaking beat, then:

                              RIDDICK
               All you people are so scared of me --
               an' most days, I'd take that as a
               compliment -- but it ain't me you gotta
               worry about now.

                              FRY
               Show me your eyes.

     Again he turns away. She strips the goggles off. He sits with
     lids shut tight, anticipating the pain.

                              FRY
               Show me, Riddick.

     Imagine a virgin undressing in front of someone for the first
     time. That's how Riddick opens his eyes, startling us: No
     irises, just huge black-pool pupils. And from deep within, a
     jewel-like eyeshine. His eyes are as beautiful and unsettling as
     those of a starved jaguar.

                              FRY
               You did this? To yourself?

                              RIDDICK
               Slam doctor. Well, we called him "doctor."

                              FRY
               Heard about it. Just never seen it.

                              RIDDICK
               Fairly fuckin' ironic, wouldn't you say?
               Slamlight's so dim that you go and get
               your eyeballs taken out and shined up --
               then you wind up here. Three ass-kick
               suns.
                         (replacing goggles)
               Maybe I did do a few people. But not this
               one. No ma'am, not this time.

                              FRY
               Then where is he? He's not in the hole.
               We looked.

                              RIDDICK
               Look deeper.

     He CLICKS HIS TONGUE at her.

     EXT. CRASH SHIP - DAY

     Chain looped over one shoulder, Fry heads back to the grave site.
     Johns, Imam, Shazza, and Audrey keep pace as...

                              JOHNS
               I know what happened -- he went off on the
               guy, buried him on the hill somewhere, and
               now he's trying to --

                              FRY
               Let's just be sure.

                              JOHNS
               I am sure. Look, murders aside, Riddick
               belongs in the Asshole Hall of Fame. He
               loves the jaw-jackin', loves making you
               afraid, 'cuz that's all he has. And
               you're playing right into --

                              FRY
               We're gonna find the body, Johns. Christ,
               you're a cop. Why am I tellin' you this?
               We gotta go down and find it.

                              JOHNS
               Well, don't ask me to.

                              FRY
               Thought you didn't believe his story.

                              JOHNS
               I don't. But that ground looked none too
               stable, and I don't want anyone --

                              AUDREY
               If you're afraid, I'll go.

     He shoots Audrey a scowl.

                              FRY
               Nobody else is going down but me, okay?

                              JOHNS
                         (pulling her aside)
               Hey. Bein' ballsy with your life now
               doesn't change what came before -- it's
               just stupid.

                              FRY
               What, you think I'm doin' this to prove
               something?

                              JOHNS
               You said it, not me. Let's just not let
               one bad call lead to another.

                              FRY
               Thanks for the tip, Johns.

     "Now get outta my way."

     EXT. GRAVE - DAY

     Chain hooked to her web belt, Fry drops into the grave. She
     peers into the burrow...looks back up at the halo of faces above
     her...then slithers out of sight.

     INT. BURROW - DAY

     Letting her eyes adjust, Fry pats around lightly. Quickly she
     finds Zeke's handlight, tries it. Broken.

     EXT. GRAVE-SITE - SPIRED HILLS - DAY

     CLOSE on the chain slithering through hands, playing out as Fry
     moves deeper underground.

     INT. UPHILL TUNNEL - DAY

     Fry makes an uphill turn. Sees a spray of light ahead. Worms
     forward to reach...

     INT. THE LAIR - DAY

     Another chamber, wide and just large enough to stand in. Shafts
     of daylight bore down into the room. More old bones litter the
     floor. Fry moves into one shaft and looks up at...

     An earthen funnel. The inside of a spire.

                              FRY
               They're hollow....

     CLICK-CLICK.

     Fry slow-turns toward the sound.

     CLICK-CLICK-CLICK.

     There's something here, something just beyond the cusp of light.
     Something unfolding.