The Hollow Man

The Hollow Man  

                            written by Andrew W. Marlowe

                                                          Red Wagon

Prods.

                                                        Revised Draft

6/26/98

       FADE IN:

       On complete darkness.

       A SMALL DOOR swings open.

       A circle of light reveals that we I re looking down the

       length of a tube. At the far end of the tube, we see a

       gloved hand dangling a rat. The hand shoves the

       frightened rat into the tube and closes the door behind

       it. The rat s stark white fur bristles and it begins to

       pad down the tube s length.

       After several feet, the tube opens up into a dimly lit

       cubicle. The rat hesitates and stops.

       The SOUNDS of gentle BREATHING whispers in the rat s

       ears.

       The rat turns round to head back down the tube, but a

       door swings shut, trapping it in the cubicle.

       The rat cowers as the BREATHING turns to SNORTING.

       The rat s head jerks around, looking for signs of danger,

       but the cubicle is empty. The rat sees a water dish on

       the far side of the cubicle - a place to hide - and

       dashes toward it.

       But an invisible force descends.

       The rat squeals in agony as something smashes down on its

       body, crushing it.

       A LOUD BELLOW rings out, and the rat flies into the air,

       halting a few feet off the ground. Its body writhes,

       struggling against the unholy force.

       Then a sick crunch of tiny bones snapping. All life

       quickly drains from the levitating body. Dead eyes...

       The creature s corpse floats in mid-air. Then the white

       fur of the rat explodes in a shower of blood.

       HUGE BLOOD SMEARED INCISORS appear, as do the red-slicked

       ape- like lips. The gaping bloody mouth bites again into

       the rat.

       CUT TO:

       INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

       In the background we hear Jay Leno s monologue from the

       Tonight Show. A small lamp and the glow from a computer

       screen illuminates SEBASTIAN CAINE, late twenties with

       the shabby good looks of a perpetual grad-student. Wiry

       framed and wearing only boxer shorts, Sebastian sips

       coffee from an  Einstein  coffee mug. He peers at a

       complex computer rendered molecule displayed on his

       screen. He pecks a few keys and the molecule shifts

       slightly, then falls apart.

       Sebastian pulls a twinkie from a hostess box, unwraps the

       cellophane and sucks it down. He attacks the keyboard

       with renewed vigor.

       Another molecule appears on the screen. Sebastian s

       fingers fly across the keyboard. The molecule blinks on

       and off, it trembles and twists apart.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Damnit.

       Sebastian pears out his window. Across the courtyard, a

       light comes on in a neighboring window. He sees a

       BRUNETTE, mid-twenties, absolutely stunning, enter her

       living room. The Brunette thumbs through the mail, tosses

       it and then begins to undress. Sebastian loans over to

       the window, getting interested. But when the brunette

       reaches her bra and panties, she crosses to the window

       and lowers her shades.

                            SEBASTIAN (cont d)

                     Damnit.

       Sebastian leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.

       He s obviously tired. He opens his eyes and stares up at

       the ceiling. Painted across the white matte finish in big

       red letters is a brief reminder -  You Should Be

       Working.  Sebastian sighs, leans forward and begins

       pecking away again.

LATER:

       The television is now only static. We pan by his alarm

       clock. 4 am. We find Sebastian pacing in front of his

       computer.

       He gets an idea... slides back in his chair. Types away

       again. The molecule reforms on the computer screen.

       He types a few more keys, waits, watches the molecule.

       Nothing happens.

       He hits a few more keys and watches intently for a

       reaction.

                            SEBASTIAN

                             (beat)

                     I am a goddamn genius.

       He hits a few more keys and a telephone keypad appears on

       the screen. He dials.

       CUT TO:

       INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - NIGHT

       Digital phone rings.

       In the bed, LINDA FOSTER, late twenties, stirs from a

       deep sleep. As she straggles out of bed and over to her

       desk, we notice a young man sleeping next to her.

       The ringing continues. She moves her computer mouse

       around and her screen comes to life. She click on a

       telephone icon and the ringing stops. A beat later,

       Sebastian appears in a window on her screen.

                            LINDA

                     Sebastian, do you know what time it

                     is?

                            SEBASTIAN (SCREEN)

                     You know Da Vinci never slept. Said it

                     was waste of time.

                            LINDA

                     What is it this time?

       INTERCUT: SEBASTIAN S BEDROOM

       Sebastian peers at the image of Linda in the computer

       window. He notices something behind her in the bed, the

       young man sleeping face down.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Who s that?

       Linda pulls the camera off the top of the of the computer

       screen and positions it so Sebastian can t see the bed.

                            LINDA

                     Not your business. Not anymore.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Touche.

                            LINDA

                     So you calling about anything in

                     particular, or were you just hoping to

                     catch me sleeping in the nude?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     I cracked the reversion.

       Upon hearing this, Linda receives a jolt of adrenaline.

                            LINDA

                     You cracked it?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Look at this.

       Sebastian hits a couple of keys. A moment later the

       molecular structure appears on Linda s computer.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Watch this.

                            LINDA

                     You sure?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     91% sure.

                            LINDA

                             (astonished)

                     Eleven months with no progress and you

                     suddenly come up with it out of the

                     blue? How?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     The usual. Coffee and twinkies.

                            LINDA

                     I hate you.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     I know. You think you could hunt down

                     Matt and get to the lab early. I want

                     Isabelle prepped for a live test.

                            LINDA

                     Yeah, I think I can find him. What are

                     you going to do?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Well y know. It s daylight in

                     Switzerland. I gotta call the Nobel

                     Committee and tell them to get our

                     prizes ready. See you in a few.

       ON LINDA S COMPUTER SCREEN as Sebastian clicks off. Linda

       crosses to her bed, and shakes the guy awake.

                            LINDA

                     Hey... come on.

       DR. MATTHEW KENSINGTON, late 20s too, stirs from under

       sheets.

                            MATT

                             (groggy)

                     What?

                            LINDA

                     Sebastian just called. We gotta get to

                     the lab.

       Matt bolts up.

                            MATT

                     Shit! You didn t tell him I was here,

                     did you?

                            LINDA

                     Give me some credit, will ya.

                            MATT

                     So what s the rush?

                            LINDA

                     He cracked reversion.

       Matt pulls his jeans on.

                            MATT

                     Wanna ride down?

                            LINDA

                     We better take our own cars.

                            MATT

                     You re gonna have to tell him about us

                     eventually.

                            LINDA

                     I know. It s just You re his best

                     friend. He ll feel betrayed.

       EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. SKYLINE - DAY

       From a distance, the Nation s Monuments stand awash in

       the harsh light of morning.

       CAMERA finds a BLACK PORSCHE as it pulls to the security

       fence of a warehouse. The imposing structure is

       surrounded by a chainlink fence and barbed wire.

       The Porsche is waved through security and heads straight

       into the warehouse.

       INT. WAREHOUSE -DAY

       The Porsche pulls to a halt in a reserved parking space

       and Sebastian exits, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts,

       and Birkenstocks. He notes the other cars parked in the

       lot, then crosses to bunker in the center of the

       warehouse, guarded by a MARINE, shouldering an M-16.

                            MARINE GUARD

                     Morning, sir.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Morning, Ed.

                            MARINE GUARD

                     Your team s in early. Something

                     special going on?

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Sorry, Ed. You know the rules.

       Sebastian presses his thumb against a glass screen. A

       laser reads his print.

       Scan readout: CAINE, SEBASTIAN

       Clearance:    ALPHA ALPHA THREE

       Division:  CLASSIFIED

       The doors whisk open and Sebastian steps inside.

                            MARINE GUARD

                     Have a good day, sir.

       INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

       Inside the elevator is a numberless keypad. Sebastian

       taps in his floor code.

                            ELEVATOR (V.0.)

                     Authorization please.

                            SEBASTIAN

                     Caine zero zero two seven.

                            ELEVATOR (V.0.)

                     Authorization verified. Good morning,

                     Dr. Caine.

       The elevator descends with a groaning hum. It passes

       below us and keeps descending into the belly of the

       earth, the shaft goes down forever.

       INT. HABITAT S CORRIDOR