RELIC

                              MCNITT
                    George!  We've got an emergency!  Are
                    you here?

     Suddenly there's a HUGE THUMP and a scuttling to his left!  It's a
     terrifying sound!  McNitt drops to his knees and pumps three rounds,
     each with a light and a deafening blast!  A SHOWER OF SPARKS and a gout
     of flame licks upwards, illuminating the room with orange light.  A
     HUGE DARK SHAPE ducks out the door!

                              MCNITT
                    Oh God.  Oh God!

     Gunpowder hangs in the air like a blue fog.  On the far wall, a mounted
     metal box is smoking from three large, ragged holes!  With a sudden
     pop, an electrical arc slices across the ruined box, followed by a
     crackling and a shower of sparks.  McNitt ducks back into the computer
     room, slams the door and locks it, breathing hard.

     INT. COMPUTER ROOM - NIGHT

     Every single screen flickers and dims.  But to McNitt's relief, George
     has returned.  He is sitting with his back to the doorway in his chair.

                              MCNITT
                    George!  I saw something in there!  I
                    fired but I think I missed it!

     George remains still, his back to McNitt, staring at the computer game
     on the flickering screen.

                              MCNITT
                    George, for Chrissake answer me!

     McNitt puts a hand on George's shoulder, swivels his chair around.

     ON GEORGE... His face ripped off.

     INT. ELECTRICAL ROOM - NIGHT

     ON THE CENTRAL SWITCHING BOX... sparking and shorting as an ENORMOUS
     CLAWED ARM SWIPES IT OFF THE WALL!

     INT. HALL OF THE HEAVENS - NIGHT

     Everyone pours out of the exhibit, running for the door leading to the
     Rotunda.  People are getting trampled.  It's a terrible crush.  Screams!
     Tables over-turned everywhere.  Food scatters to the floor.  D'AGOSTA
     pushes his way out of the exhibit, crosses to Kawakita, who is
     appalled.  Above, the chandeliers are flickering.

                              KAWAKITA
                    What happened?!

                              D'AGOSTA
                    There's a dead body in the exhibit!
                    People are panicking, trampling each
                    other trying to get out.

     Ippolito runs over to join them.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    What the hell is going on?!

     Above them THE LIGHTS dim again and come back on.

                              IPPOLITO
                    The whole system is shutting down!
                    We have to get out quickly before
                    the fire doors fall!

                              D'AGOSTA
                    What doors?

                              IPPOLITO
                    I told you!  They seal off all the
                    cells.  They were designed to fall
                    automatically in a system failure --

                              D'AGOSTA
                    You said the system couldn't fail!

     At this there's a low rumble from above.  D'Agosta looks up and sees A
     LARGE METAL DOOR IS DESCENDING from a slot in the ceiling, and not in
     an orderly fashion.  It's falling fast.  Below are crowds of people, all
     pushing to get out!  Officer Bailey, near the door, sees it.

                              BAILEY
                    Above you!  Look out!

     His voice is lost in an ocean of screaming.  Kawakita stands in total
     horror a moment, then joins Bailey and D'Agosta.

     All of them try to restrain people from trying to beat the door.
     Ippolito, on the other hand, elbows his way to the front of the
     fleeing crowd!

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Ippolito!  Get back here!

                              IPPOLITO
                    Like hell!

     Ignoring D'Agosta, Ippolito pushes past.  He barrels over an OLD MAN
     who stumbles and falls DIRECTLY BENEATH THE FALLING DOOR!  Ippolito
     jumps over him and is out!

     The old man looks up at the descending wall of steel and SCREAMS!
     D'AGOSTA runs forward, dives for the old man but he's not in time.

     Kawakita covers his eyes, unable to watch as the lights flicker a
     third and last time.  The room is plunged into darkness.  And over the
     screams we hear the rumble and CRASH, the horrifying cries of the old
     man, as the door comes down.

     INT. MARGO'S LAB - NIGHT

     Margo and Frock stand in the darkness.  Through a high window we can
     see lightning flash.

                              MARGO
                    What's going on?

                              FROCK
                    Some kind of power failure.  Maybe
                    it's the storm.  Do you have a
                    flashlight?

                              MARGO
                    I think so.

     She gets one from a cupboard.

                              FROCK
                    Greg's been gone over a half hour.
                    We'd better get out of here.  Get the
                    crate.

     INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

     Frock wheels his chair as fast as he can.  Margo runs beside him
     carrying the crate with the fibers inside.  A peel of thunder ends and
     distant screaming is heard.  Margo stops, appalled.

                              MARGO
                    Dr. Frock.  Did you hear that?

                              FROCK
                    Don't stop now.

     Up ahead they hear METALLIC RUMBLING and a CRASH!  They round a corner
     and come up against a huge STEEL DOOR.

                              MARGO
                    What's that?

                              FROCK
                    It's one of the fire doors.  Good
                    Lord, Margo.  We're trapped!

     INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT

     Pendergast stands at the end of a cul de sac, studying the blue prints
     by a stone wall.  Jonathan and the dog are with him, exhausted and
     terrified.  Jonathan keeps an eye on the corridor behind them as
     Pendergast works.

                              PENDERGAST
                    I know where we are now.  We're
                    getting out, Jonathan.  This should
                    be another door.

     Taking a pen knife from his pocket, Pendergast places it into the
     plaster and gently twists the blade.  A piece of plaster the size of a
     dinner plate falls, revealing the tracings of another doorway.
     Pendergast shoves the door open to reveal a dark, dusty room.

                              JONATHAN
                    Hallelujah, Pendergast.  Where the
                    hell are we now?

     INT. "ALCOHOLIC" ROOM - NIGHT

     Jonathan and Pendergast enter quickly from the hidden rear door.
     Pendergast shines his beam on dusty shelves filled with specimens.  All
     are stored in jars of alcohol.  There are fetuses of many different
     species.  We see a pig, a cow, a duck billed platypus as well as brain
     sections, a disembodied monkey head.  One rectangular glass container
     holds a skinned human foot.

                              JONATHAN
                    Jesus, what is this?

                              PENDERGAST
                    Another storage room.

     Pendergast tries the light switch to no effect.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Something's happened.  The power's
                    out.

     They cross the room to the main door and exit.  Now they're in...

     INT. OSTEO PREP - LAB - NIGHT

     Pendergast shines his light on the maceration tanks.  The humming of
     the bugs can be heard in their cabinet.

                              PENDERGAST
                    All right.  I know where we are.  This
                    is the osteo prep lab.  I was in here
                    earlier.  We're safe now.

     With these words, the dog GROWLS.  Jonathan freezes and sniffs the air.

                              JONATHAN
                    Oh no.  I smell it.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Keep the animal quiet.

     Jonathan kneels by Hobbes as Pendergast listens, every nerve on end.  A
     sound comes from the adjacent hallway that leads to the secure storage
     area.  It's unmistakable HEAVY BREATHING and the creeping movement of
     claws.  Pendergast lifts his gun.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Go out the other doorway.  There's a
                    stair at the end of the hall.  Up
                    five flights is a corridor that
                    leads to the Hall of the Heavens.
                    Find Lieutenant D'Agosta.  Bring
                    help.

     Jonathan doesn't have to be told twice.  He takes the dog and exits
     from the other side of the lab leaving Pendergast alone.  Pendergast
     waits a moment until Jonathan's safely out of sight.  He switches off
     his flashlight, backs up slowly, step by step.  He opens the door to
     the alcoholics storage.  As he slips inside a DARK SHAPE appears.

     INT. "ALCOHOLICS" STORAGE - NIGHT

     Slowly, making no sound, Pendergast lifts the .45 Anaconda, passes his
     finger over the cylinder, checking the loaded chambers.  Then he
     steadies the revolver and levels it at the door.  The hideous pickled
     specimens seem to hover all around him.  The smell is overwhelming and
     the snuffling is louder now.

     It's coming closer.  After a long moment there is a faint bump at the
     door.  This is followed by a low scratching noise... Pendergast watches
     frozen in horror, holding his breath.

     THE DOORKNOB BEGINS TO TURN!  Not knowing what else to do, Pendergast
     simply grabs it from the inside and holds on!

     OUTSIDE he hears an AMUSED SNORT, then a LOW GROWL.  There's ONE HARD
     HIT and the door shivers.  THE DOORKNOB FALLS OFF!  It's over now.
     Pendergast kneels down, bracing the gun in both hands.  From this
     position he can see right through the hole where the doorknob fell.
     His mouth literally drops in astonishment as he sees...

     a HUGE, red-rimmed, GREEN EYE!

     Involuntarily Pendergast LEAPS BACK, nearly falls and drops the gun!
     Beakers crash around him.  He scrambles in the darkness.  The flashlight
     falls and pops back on.  The beam streaks up crazily.  It's chaos.
     Pendergast is an easy target now.  He grabs for the light, the gun,
     steadies himself, breathing fast and low.  His heart pounds.  But
     nothing more happens.  The silence is heavy.  The eye is gone.  And
     suddenly Pendergast understands.

     In the distance he can hear HUMAN VOICES and a rolling wheelchair!
     Somewhere nearby are MARGO AND FROCK!  The monster has left him to get
     bigger game.  Fear for Margo and Frock lights Pendergast's eyes.  All
     panic and disorganization are gone.  He holds his revolver at 12
     o'clock and KICKS the door open, leaps out as

     A HUGE DARK SHAPE DARTS FROM THE ROOM.  It's headed for the secure
     storage areas again!  Pendergast takes off.  Not knowing how else to
     address this thing he finds himself calling...

                              PENDERGAST
                    Halt!

     INT. SECURE STORAGE HALLWAY - BASEMENT - NIGHT

     Pendergast runs into the hallway but he's already too late.  The
     hulking shape of the quadruped is moving at incredible speed.

     ON PENDERGAST... as he levels his gun and shoots.

     THE CREATURE... stops, rears back on its haunches, looks once at
     Pendergast, pissed.  As the VOICES around the far corner fall silent,
     Pendergast FIRES.  The shot blasts off a piece of the wall.

     With astonishing speed and agility for its bulk, the beast turns and
     leaps around the corner, passing out of Pendergast's sight.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Margo!  Frock!  It's coming!  Run!

     AROUND THE CORNER...

     Are MARGO AND FROCK... Frock holds the keys to secure storage area 1012
     in his hand.  Margo has the flashlight and the crate with the fibers.
     They can hear the sound of thundering movement.

                              FROCK
                    Look!

     Margo points her light in the distance and illuminates the beast!  It's
     descending like a freight train.  One split second of sheer amazement,
     then...

                              MARGO
                    Dr. Frock!  Quick!

     Frock, immobilized in his wheel chair, stares at the monster, like a
     trapped rabbit looking at a descending hawk.  Margo grabs his keys from
     him, fumbles desperately to open the door.  It swings wide at last.  She
     grabs the handles of the wheelchair, tugs with all her might.  The
     wheels bump into the door frame but somehow she wrestles the damn
     thing inside.

     INT. SECURE STORAGE AREA - NIGHT

     Margo shoves Frock behind her, slams the door shut.  Seconds later, the
     beast throws itself against the storage door.  They hear it outside,
     growling in fury, claws lashing out.  Margo and Frock press back in the
     darkness, terror in their eyes.

     INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

     Pendergast runs forward in the echoing hallway, his gun drawn, his
     flashlight on.  A few more steps and he holds hard.  His eyes go wide in
     astonishment as his light illuminates the beast.  It's tearing at the
     steel door furiously with incredible force.

     As the flashlight beam hits it, MBWUN roars and looks up.  Now we see
     it clearly for the first time.  The monster is MASSIVE, putrid, rank.
     Slit reptilian green eyes are rimmed in red.  A ridge of stiff black
     hair rises on the creature's buffalo-like humped back.  The withers are
     muscled and covered with plates.  A forked TONGUE licks out as purple
     lips draw back exposing razor sharp teeth.  The claws raise up to fend
     off the light.

     PENDERGAST steadies himself with difficulty, takes a few seconds to
     aim with the greatest care.  Mbwun makes a move towards him and he
     squeezes the trigger hard.  The gun echoes in the hall.  A split second
     and a white streak moves right up the beast's cranium.  A direct hit.
     The shot echoes and Mbwun drops it's claws.

     The flashlight continues to shine like a high beam right into the
     beast's eyes.  Angry and blinded, the creature turns and in a moment,
     lopes off.  Pendergast watches, unimaginably relieved.  Realizing what
     just happened, his knees start to buckle.  He catches himself, wipes
     one hand across his eyes.  A voice comes from the storage room.

                              MARGO (OS)
                    Pendergast?  Are you all right?

                              PENDERGAST
                    No.  I think I'm hallucinating.

     The storage door opens slowly and Margo looks out.

                              MARGO
                    You're not.  Where is it?

                              PENDERGAST
                        (shakes his head)
                    Gone.

                              MARGO
                    Wounded?

                              PENDERGAST
                    No.  A chromium alloy tipped .45
                    caliber bullet bounced off that
                    thing's skull like a spit ball.  I
                    think it was bothered by my light.