HOT ZONE

INT. STAGING AREA - MINUTES LATER

Jaxx draws her right arm from the spacesuit glove. Her

inner surgical glove is covered in monkey blood too.

Panic. She pours more Clorox over the glove scrubbing it

viciously with a brush trying to wash away the threat.

HER HAND - CLOSER

As she peels the glove slowly off. She reaches the

Band-aid -- no monkey blood. Her hand is clean.

Jaxx fills the glove up like a balloon at the faucet.

Final verdict. No leaks.

Peter plops relieved; his suit dripping from the shower.

JAXX

No leaks. I'm fine. No problem --

She heaves -- throwing up in the sink.

CUT TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

CLOSE ON - ELECTRON MICROGRAPH PHOTO

The Ebola Cellscape.

C.J. (O.S.)

Shit.

INT. MAZE CORRIDOR - CONTINUING ACTION

C.J. sifts through the photos on the move. Peter wears a

surgical mask due to potential exposure. Jaxx is wired --

JAXX

That's not the Lochness Monster,

C.J. All seven primates were

loaded. That monkey house is a

viral time bomb --

INT. GENERAL RUSSELL'S RECEPTION AREA - DAY

His door says it all: COMMANDER ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH.

C.J., Jaxx and Peter barrel by the startled RECEPTIONIST.

RECEPTIONIST

Col. Peters, the General asked if

this could wait until --

INT. GEN. RUSSELL'S OFFICE - CONTINUING ACTION

They enter. GENERAL RUSSELL is getting ready to leave.

C.J. shoves Pete's Ebola micrograph in front of him.

RUSSELL

Shit.

He looks back at Jaxx, Pete and C.J. It's not.

RUSSELL'S OFFICE - MINUTES LATER

A map of the world fills the view. Colored pins mark

locations of viral outbreaks. JAXX ENTERS FRAME --

JAXX

We've got a killer virus 25 miles

from Washington D.C.

RUSSELL

And five miles from the CIA. Maybe

this is no accident. Maybe this is

a new war.

PETER

Terrorism? Bio-warfare? Here?

Jaxx points to the "hot spots" in Africa.

JAXX

The only Ebola outbreak on record --

the '76 outbreak in Africa. Now --

you can put a pin right here. How?

She points to the black pins in Africa and travels with

her forefinger across the Atlantic. She dramatically

sticks a new BLACK PIN right next to Washington D.C.

C.J.

Doesn't matter how the bug got here

-- it's here. If word gets out,

we've got a major panic on our

hands. If the virus breaks out --

we've got an epidemic. A disaster.

Russell looks at the Cellscapes again in grim silence.

RUSSELL

Pete, are we anywhere close to a

vaccine for this bug?

Peter meekly lowers his surgical mask.

PETER

I'm close on synthetic antibodies.

But no proof it'll work on humans.

The only antibody serum we've got is

from Johnson's Nun. And there's

only enough of that to try and save

one patient -- maybe.

He replaces his mask. Everyone speaks at once.

RUSSELL

Everybody just slow down. Millions

of lives could be at stake. It'd be

nice if we had our shit together.

Jaxx, C.J. and Peter grumble, duly admonished.

RUSSELL

C.J., I'm putting you and Jaxx in

charge of this operation.

C.J.

We have to inform the CDC. They're

going to buck us for jurisdiction.

This has to stay an Army operation.

We need to get inside that monkey

house as soon as possible before the

bug gets outside --

JAXX

Sir, there's a day care center right

behind the primate house that should

be closed immediately --

RUSSELL

I appreciate your concern, Colonel,

but if you do that, word'll get out

and we'll have to close down the

whole town. I am not prepared to

give that order.

Jaxx bristles. "Hurry up and wait" as usual. She holds

up the electron micrograph.

JAXX

Then I'd like to fax these to Karl

Johnson. I want him in on the Epi-

team controlling this thing.

Instant shocked reactions from the men. Peter pumps a

fist -- "Yes" -- in support.

RUSSELL

Karl? That's a sure way to start a

major-league panic. He'll yell

"fire" and scare the hell out of

everybody. Forget it. He's retired.

C.J.

The CDC and Karl Johnson in the same

room is not a good idea.

RUSSELL

He's big trouble, Jaxx.

JAXX

With all due respect, Sir, we're

already in trouble. Johnson

discovered Ebola and just about

every other virus we're fighting.

We need him.

Peter agrees. He drills C.J. in angry disbelief. C.J.

backs off -- getting angry with himself.

C.J.

(self recrimination)

Karl taught me everything I know. I

should've called him myself.

JAXX

(mischievous)

I already did. Faxed him yesterday.

Peter chuckles, digging at C.J. Russell goes beet red.

Jaxx prepares for the worst --

RUSSELL

Damnit, Jaxx --

He fumes -- then slowly caves in.

RUSSELL

Aw, what the hell -- If you can find

him -- bring him in. I'll call the

CDC and tell Reese. They'll sure

piss in their pants.

JAXX

Thank you -- Sir, Gentlemen -- guys.

Jaxx is so pumped she's out the door.

RUSSELL

C.J. -- call Girard. Limit any

contact his personal has with the

monkeys. Then get a hold of

Virginia State Health, Interior,

Agriculture -- find Col. Takafuji at

the Surgeon General's office. We'll

have a "laydown" meet here as soon

as possible so get your data in

order.

Russell grabs a phone -- man with a mission.

RUSSELL

There's no doubt in my mind we've

got a national emergency. I don't

want a panic.

FOLLOW PETER AND C.J. OUT THE DOOR

PETER

"Panic?" Yeah, right. He didn't

sniff that flask.

TO RUSSELL - MOVES TO THE MAP ON THE PHONE

RUSSELL

(on phone)

Reese? Phil. Hey, we got a problem

up here. Found a little pissant

filo virus in a bunch of monkeys

down the road. Ebola. What d'ya

think about that?

REESE (V.O.) (PHONE)

I think you've got crud in your

scope.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - AFTERNOON - TIGHT ON FAX MACHINE

Jaxx feeds the cellscape one by one into the machine.

JAXX

C'mon, Johnson. Where are you?

DISSOLVE TO:

TIGHT ON ANOTHER FAX MACHINE - TIME LAPSE DISSOLVES

Jaxx's faxes scroll from the machine curling to an old

plank floor. Then another. And another. HANDS PICK up

the streams of faxes and place them in a cardboard box.

"JOHNSON" is scrawled on it in crayon. WE CRANE UP THE

SIDE OF THE BOX: running over with uncollected faxes.

WIDEN TO: INT. "BIG SKY MERCANTILE" - MORNING

Johnson's fax box sits on the floor next to a sleeping

Sheepdog. An eclectic general store. Everything from

bait to NY bagels and gourmet wines -- Faxes keep coming.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. "BIG SKY MERCANTILE" - MORNING

A neon "FAX" sign hangs in the dirty window. WIDEN TO: A

bigger sign the reads: "Auto Repairs - Video Rentals -

Gourmet Wines - Stock Feed - Outfitters - UPS - Fedex -

Xerox Copies."

SUPER: THURSDAY, NOV. 18 - BIG SKY, MONTANA - 0900 HRS.

CUT TO:

JAXX - SITTING IN RENTCAR - MERCANTILE IN VIEW

Taking in the eclectic sight. She gets out and heads in.

TIME CUT TO:

EXT. MERCANTILE - MINUTES LATER

Jaxx exits toting the faxbox, a bundle of mail, some

fishing tackle and two-fifths of Dewars Scotch.

CUT TO:

EXT. BIG HORN MOUNTAINS - MORNING

As far as we can see. Snow capped peaks. PAN DOWN TO:

EXT. THE BIG HORN RIVER - MORNING

KARL JOHNSON - HIS BACK TO US: stands waist-deep in the

middle of the river. Still in his favorite fishing hat,

he rips his line off the water and lays a cast upstream.

JAXX (O.S.)

Dr. Johnson?!

JAXX - ON THE RIVER BANK

Tentative. She yells again over the roaring rapids.

JAXX

Karl Johnson?!!

CLOSER - JOHNSON

He turns to us, surprised. He's twelve years older. His

features elegantly weathered over the decades. He studies

Jaxx with those piercing eyes -- like a Bear sizing her

up.

TO JAXX - ON THE BANK

JAXX

I'm Nancy Jaxx. Remember? -- I was

a PFC in the Medical Corps your last

year at "RIID."

He clearly doesn't recognize her. He gets a strike

upstream. Bad timing for Jaxx.

JAXX

You trained me with the first

Airborne medical isolator team.

He shrugs annoyed walking upstream reeling in his fish.

JOHNSON

There was a women in the A.I.T.

unit? And I don't remember?

JAXX

(ego bruised)

I was the only woman in that unit.

Now I'm in Special Pathogens.

TO JOHNSON - JAXX IN VIEW

JOHNSON

(testy)

Yeah? So was I. Now, I'm retired.

Can't you see I'm fishing?!

JAXX

C.J. Peters sent me! I have to talk

to you about Ebola!

Johnson reacts even more annoyed. He nets his fish.

JOHNSON

I don't do any lectures until the

spring. Contact me then --

He looks his prize brown trout in the eye and lets it go.

JAXX'S POV - THE RIVER

Jaxx watches the fish swim away --

Then she watches the man who set it free. There is a

nobility about him as he makes his way upstream to his

Drifter Boat resting on the shore.

AT THE DRIFTER BOAT

Johnson stows his gear and starts to shove off. Jaxx

climbs in. Johnson thinks she's nuts.

JAXX

Look -- I flew all night in a

military transport to get here. And

I heard your "Emerging Viruses" talk

at the Trop-med conference two years

ago -- in case you don't remember.

It was -- fascinating. See how this

makes you feel?

She pulls a folder from her daypack and shoves it to him.

Johnson eyes her warily as he opens it. He stares at --

PETER'S EBOLA MICROGRAPHS

Old ghosts haunt him. PUSH IN ON JOHNSON'S EYES: Fixed

on the image. SOUNDS OF AFRICA surround him.

JOHNSON

Unless you include the feeling

generated by gazing into the eyes of

a cobra, "fascination" is not what I

feel about Ebola.

(looks right at Jaxx)

How about 'Shit scared'?