| abstract | - Written by: Sam Egan Directed by: Peter Deluise HELICOPTER FLYING OVER A SHIP IN THE FOG HELEN Sanctuary One to Lophelia, do you copy? ASHLEY Still no answer Mom. HELEN Take us down. INT SHIP [Helen, Will, and Ashley are standing at the top of stairs looking down into the dark interior of the ship.] WILL You see anybody? HELEN Let's hope they're below. ASHLEY What did the message say exactly? [The Sanctuary Team reaches the bottom of the stairs.] HELEN Just that Eric was bringing back something we'd never seen before, and we were to meet him in the harbor. WILL Only they never made it to the dock. [Helen sees something and walks forward.] HELEN It's Eric. ASHLEY Yeah. HELEN Make sure Will is covered. [Helen is kneeling over the body and Ashley and Will move off.] ASHLEY Come on. [Ashley and Will find more bodies as Helen comes up behind them.] HELEN Six dead. ASHLEY They weren't just killed. They were half devoured. WILL Whatever it was, it was powerful. [Helen and Ashley move through to a different section with their guns drawn. Will notices a thermostat next to the hatchway and then follows them through. Empty cages are all around the room.] WILL Whatever specimens were in these are long gone. HELEN Makes you wonder what was in these cages. WILL You think they could've broken their way out? HELEN Looks more like something clawed or chewed its way in. ASHLEY Mom, come check this out. [Helen steps over to where Ashley is standing. There is a cage with two transparent creatures in it. They materialize so the can be fully seen. A growling sound is coming from a different part of the room and draws their attention away from the creatures.] HELEN Tranquilizer rounds only. ASHLEY Are you sure? HELEN Eric paid with his life to bring this creature back. We owe it to him to preserve it. ASHLEY I think we owe it to him to kill it. [Helen switches the ammunition in her gun to tranquilizer rounds. Then Ashley does the same. Another creature charges at them. Helen fires twice and the creature falls to the ground.] INT SANCTUARY CENTER OF CELLS [Helen is sitting at table with a laptop in front of her.] HELEN Now I know why Eric was so excited about these creatures. Their hyper camouflage makes them all but invisible. WILL Plus the fact that it's present in both the predator and the smaller abnormal. ASHLEY The Nubbins. WILL You gonna make me ask? HELEN Ashley's name for them, scientific name Nubina Atelerix, according to Eric's log. WILL Do we know what triggers this camouflage? HELEN It seems to be a function of both fear and aggression. WILL That makes sense. Hide to avoid being stalked, and as an aid to the hunt. ASHLEY So obviously it was the predator who was responsible for killing Eric and his crew. HELEN Actually track wounds on each of the victims show biological evidence of both species. ASHLEY Come on, there's no way those adorable things could have attacked anybody. HELEN I'm not saying that they did. WILL So how could they have left trace on the bodies? HELEN I'm theorizing that some of the Nubbins might've escaped and survived by feeding on the dead crew members, hence the mingling of the DNA. WILL Well, that's creepy. ASHLEY What's creepy is that a bunch of them were eaten by that nasty-ass monster. HELEN All but our two little survivors, probably on their way to becoming the carnivore's next meal. ASHLEY I'm gonna go see how they're doing. [Ashley leaves the room.] WILL You okay? HELEN Eric was one of the world's great hunters of abnormals. He called them "evolution's experiments". WILL Am I reading a personal relationship? HELEN I don't want to see his sacrifice go to waste. INT SANCTUARY NUBBIN’S CELL [Ashley is standing in front of observation window to the Nubbins’ cell. Henry sneezes while he wakes in.] ASHLEY Henry! Have you had a chance to check out my Nubbins? HENRY Oh, you mean the... No, but I would like to. [The Nubbins turn transparent when Henry comes over.] ASHLEY Hey! Oh, guys, come on, there's nothing to be afraid of. HENRY Oh, man, I think I'm allergic. ASHLEY Well you better get used to them. They're the coolest thing we ever brought back. [The Nubbins rematerialize.] HENRY Hey...huh…I got to admit, your Nubbins are pretty amazing. ASHLEY Don't you just want to squeeze them? INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S STUDY [Helen is sitting at her desk reading a letter when Will comes in.] WILL Hey, you find anything out about our predator? HELEN I'm still running the DNA. It will take a few days before we can complete the analysis. WILL So what's going on? HELEN We have a rather odd situation on our hands. WILL Isn't "rather odd" sort of your stock in trade? HELEN A gentleman by the name of Maurice McRae, recently deceased, stipulated in his will that I perform the autopsy on his remains. WILL Why? HELEN He spent the last years of his life in a psychiatric institution, convinced he was an abnormal. WILL And how did he know about you? HELEN That's a question I have as well. WILL Well, I guess it's too late to ask him. HELEN True, but his granddaughter, Sophie, has accompanied his body. I was hoping you could talk to her, put her at ease, while I examine her grandfather. WILL What does she know about the Sanctuary? HELEN Only the rumors that her grandfather passed along; everyone was convinced that he was a few cups shy of a tea service, everyone but Sophie. WILL So you're gonna go with the post mortem? HELEN Of course, if his claims are unfounded, well... there's no harm in fulfilling the man's final request. INT SANCTUARY LIBRARY WILL Hi. You must be Sophie. I'm Dr. Zimmerman… Will SOPHIE You work with Dr. Magnus? WILL I do. My condolences. SOPHIE Thank you, Doctor. WILL Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions? SOPHIE I already know what you're going to say, that my grandfather was an eccentric old man. WILL Actually, no, I don't know anything about him. SOPHIE Sorry. I… it's just, all the doctors said he was suffering from advanced dementia, and my parents….it's all my relatives think he was crazy. WILL But you didn't. SOPHIE He just felt so strongly. I loved him very much. WILL How did he come to this decision? SOPHIE Well, he always talked about a private research facility; he called it "the Sanctuary", a place where what he called... "abnormals", were given refuge. Of course, no one took him seriously. Is that what goes on here? WILL Well, we are a private research facility. SOPHIE Research into what, exactly? WILL A range of things. SOPHIE A "range"? WILL Why don't you tell me more about your grandfather? SOPHIE My grandfather could see things that other people didn't, that other people couldn't. When we spent time together, it was... it was like the world would open up. WILL Sounds like an inspiring man. SOPHIE I mean, he showed me what people were thinking, what they were feeling. WILL So he actually imparted... these thoughts or sensations? SOPHIE Now, you’re humoring me. WILL No, I'm not. I'm just asking questions. SOPHIE That's fine. I'm used to it. Dr. Zimmerman, look, I'm sorry, if you're going to be so evasive, I really don't see any reason to tell you more than I have. WILL OK. Dr. Magnus has made arrangements for you to stay here, as long as you're comfortable with that, until the autopsy results come in. SOPHIE Thank you. INT SANCTUARY LIVING AREA [Helen is sitting on couch reading as Will comes in.] WILL You have something against sleep, don't you? HELEN Just doing some reading, there's a recurring legend amongst equatorial rainforest cultures about Nubbins. [Will sits on the other end of couch.] WILL Nubbins? I thought Ashley made that name up. HELEN She did. They're most often called "Amoratas". Apparently the species is highly prized as harbingers of fertility and a bountiful harvest. In some societies, they were a common wedding gift, to promote connubial bliss. WILL Before the age of self-help books. HELEN When they vanish, it's considered a portent of discord. [Will moves closer to Helen and puts his arm on the back of the couch.] WILL How did the... the autopsy go... on Sophie's grandfather? HELEN Sorry? WILL The autopsy? HELEN Oh. There was a... significant anomaly to the frontal lobe. I'll need to do more tests to determine if it's a tumor or... something else. WILL So it's... it's possible that he's an abnormal? HELEN Too early to tell really. WILL I'm... ah….I'm gonna go to bed. HELEN Sweet dreams. WILL Don't forget to put out the fire. HELEN I never do. WILL Ah…right. OK. INT SANCTUARY OUTSIDE NUBBINS CELL [Helen is already there looking through observation window. Will and Ashley walk in.] ASHLEY Are the Nubbins okay? Henry said the female kept going in and out of camo mode, and then swelled up like a blimp. HELEN She gave birth just after dawn. They're all fine, all 14 of them. It took them only minutes to adapt their camouflage. INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S LAB [Helen is sitting at her desk and Ashley and Will are on each side of her. Ashley is next to a baby Nubbin that is in a glass cage.] HELEN The juveniles are putting on weight so fast I'm projecting they'll reach maturation within a day. WILL That rate of metabolic growth is scary. We should find a way to discourage their mating. HELEN Not yet. I want to document a full reproductive cycle first. ASHLEY I'm keeping this one as a pet, just so you know. HELEN In the throes of a breeding cycle, they may not be as docile as they look. ASHLEY Oh, come on, I can handle a baby Nubbin, Mom. Right, little guy; you're so cute. WILL What about the predator? HELEN He showed marked signs of agitation throughout the night. Only came out of camouflage for all but a few moments. WILL I don't think he likes the Nubbins. [The predator is shown on Helen’s laptop pacing his cell.] INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S OFFICE [Helen is sitting at her desk. Will and Sophie are seated on the other side of her desk.] SOPHIE But you can't say for sure? HELEN No, not yet, but I can say that I've never seen brain structures quite like your grandfather's. Sophie, the blood I took from you as a control sample, I should tell you, I found similar biochemical anomalies to your grandfather's. SOPHIE Oh, my God. HELEN It would be premature to read anything into it. SOPHIE Yeah, but if he was an abnormal... HELEN In 24 hours, all this will be much clearer. SOPHIE Okay, well, look, since I've gotten here, no one has told me squat about what this place actually does, and now you're telling me I'm some kind of freak of nature, too? You guys are hiding something from me, both of you! Why should I believe a single thing you tell me? HELEN Sophie, we find ourselves in a very rare situation. I'm about to do something that I normally wouldn't even consider. SOPHIE I don't understand. What? HELEN You will shortly. Will, would you be so kind as to show our guest around? WILL Ah...yeah…sure. INT SANCTUARY OUTSIDE NUBBINS’ CELL HENRY Watch yourself there, Big Guy. You don't want to get between them and their breakfast. You could lose a hairy digit. [Henry sneeze as food is placed in with the Nubbins.] BIGFOOT I've never seen an animal with such... a big appetite. HENRY It's not just food. They're not pairing up for square-dancing! [Henry sneezes.] HENRY Oh, man. BIGFOOT Maybe you shouldn't be exposing yourself unnecessarily. HENRY Yeah, the allergy pills aren't working. I just hope these little dudes aren't permanent guests. INT SANCTUARY MAIN CELL AREA WILL You look as queasy as I did when I first walked this floor. [Will is showing Sophie around. A creature walks behind them.] CREATURE What’s up? WILL Actually, you're taking it better than I did. SOPHIE I sensed all of this before I got here. I mean, not the specifics, but... WILL Even though your granddad was gone. SOPHIE Maybe... he passed on his gift. WILL Or maybe the feelings that you always saw as coming from him were coming from you. [Sophie staggers and stumbles. Will grabs her arm to steady her.] WILL Hey, whoa. You okay? SOPHIE Yeah, just light-headed is all. I tend to get these dizzy spells. WILL Why don't you sit down? SOPHIE I'm all right. WILL You might be having a mild panic attack or something. SOPHIE I just get like this. WILL Well, we'll be sure to have Dr. Magnus check it out. WILL What is it? SOPHIE The new creatures...they're upset. INT SANCTUARY IN FRONT OF NUBBINS’ CELL WILL I know it may be hard to believe, but those aren't tricks of the eye. Those are flesh and blood creatures. SOPHIE Of course they are. WILL It's okay. Wow, they seem to be drawn to you. [Sophie stumbles again.] WILL You okay? Is it coming back? SOPHIE I think I should lie down for a while. WILL Okay. INT SANCTUARY ASHLEY’S ROOM [Ashley is lying on bed petting a nubbin which is on her lap.] ASHLEY Come in. WILL Hey ASHLEY Hey WILL The Nubbins came out of camo-mode, and we did a head count, and one of them was missing. ASHLEY Yeah, I just couldn't stop myself. What time is it? WILL It's almost 2:00. ASHLEY Weird, I must have fallen asleep or something. [The Nubbin hisses as Will steps closer to Ashley.] ASHLEY That is not very nice. Will is a friend. Co-worker...slash... friend. That's all. WILL Maybe you should...ah….maybe you should put him back, - just to be on the safe side. ASHLEY Okay, little buddy, let's go. [The Nubbin sprays Will with urine.] WILL Oh! Oh, man! ASHLEY Oh, I'm so sorry. Get back in here... [Ashley puts the Nubbin in its enclosure.] WILL Ah ASHLEY Oh, let me... let me get that for you. [Ashley unbuttons Will’s shirt.] ASHLEY This... Here. [Becoming uncomfortable Ashley runs and grabs a basket and a towel.] ASHLEY Just... toss it in here. Let me, um...do that. [She dries Will’s chest with the towel.] WILL Ah…you wouldn't have a... man's shirt lying around, would you? ASHLEY Medium, right? WILL Yeah, yeah ASHELY Yeah [Ashley goes to get a shirt out of closet.] ASHLEY Can I ask you something? WILL Sure. ASHLEY Have you been feeling...I don't know, odd? WILL How do you mean? ASHLEY Well, I'm not sure, but ever since we got back from the ship, I've felt... WILL Woozy? ASHLEY Is that how you're feeling? WILL Yeah, kinda. ASHLEY I think sometimes I can... be a little stand-offish. I mean, I know I can be snippy. WILL No. No, not at all. ASHLEY I don't want you to think that I'm... unappreciative, or unapproachable. I've been accused of that by guys. WILL Yeah me too…not by guys, but....you know what I mean. [Will breaks eye contact and rubs his eye.] ASHLEY Are you okay? WILL Yeah, it's just these new contacts. I'm just getting used to them. ASHLEY I really like you... WILL Really? ASHLEY Without glasses Will [Will and Ashley are startled out of kissing by sound.] ASHLEY Where's my Nubbin? WILL Oh no. INT SANCTUARY NUBBINS CELL [The escaped Nubbin is chewing a hole in the cell.] INT SANCTUARY NUBBINS CELL A LITTLE LATER BIGFOOT At first I thought they were just camouflaging, but I swept the entire cell feeling for them. HELEN Don't tell me they've escaped? [Bigfoot shows Helen and Henry the damage to the cell.] BIGFOOT Something gnawed through the ventilation grate from the outside. HENRY Mayday. [Henry sneezes.] INT SANCTUARY HALLWAY [Helen, Henry, Will and Ashley are walking down hallway.] HELEN I'm going to err on the side of caution. I want the building sealed. Nobody goes in or out. HENRY Threat level "holy crap". Check. [Henry moves through another hallway as the others enter Helen’s office.] HELEN These creatures escape the Sanctuary, and we'll have much more than a pest control problem on our hands. ASHLEY Can we not turn this into a planetary crisis just yet? - They're 14 little fur balls. WILL Invisible fur balls. ASHLEY We'll round them up, okay? HELEN If they reach sexual maturity as fast as they've reached full size...well do the math. WILL But they haven't overrun their native habitat, right? HELEN Camouflaged or not, they wouldn't be much of a secret and that's the one saving grace. Something must control their number. WILL What about the predator Eric brought back? HELEN That's one of a number of theories I'm working on; though their shared trait of camouflage doesn't necessarily define their relationship on the food chain. WILL Well we could try to draw them out, if we could just figure out what they crave. You know, besides other Nubbins. ASHLEY We know they're hungry little suckers. I'll make sure our food stores are protected. BIGFOOT Too late for that. They've already wiped out the pantry and the walk-in. WILL What? There's nothing left? HELEN Right. We go floor by floor. Snares, tranquilizers, whatever it takes. INT SANCTUARY VENTILATION SHAFT HENRY OK. Hey, little guy, it's okay. Here you go. That's gouda. Nobody's going to hurt you, little fella. Nobody's gonna... [Henry sneezes and the Nubbin runs up and bites his arm and scurries away.] HENRY Ah, I lied! I'm going to hurt you! Ah! Your mother was a sewer rat! INT SANCTUARY MEDICAL ROOM HELEN I'm going to schedule a full rabies series, unless we can confirm its absence in every Nubbin out there. HENRY Isn't that, like, super painful? HELEN I'm not going to lie to you Henry. HENRY No, it's okay, please. You can lie to me. ASHLEY Those poor things must've been pushed to the limits. HENRY Hey listen, I know you're all about saving the whales and everything, but these guys just happen to be a pack of vicious, over-sexed, hyperthyroid, invisi-rodents. ASHLEY Stop demonizing them. They were just afraid! HELEN Ashley we have no history with this species. We cannot take this attack lightly. Now, how many have we re-captured so far? ASHLEY Three.., - Or so. HELEN Three? HENRY Almost four. HELEN Out of 14? HENRY Actually, I'd go up about five...times. HELEN What did you see? HENRY I'm not sure "see" is the right word, but by the way they rippled, I'd say we're looking at several litters of newborns, but, they won't be doing the horizontal tango for, like, hours. HELEN We need to corral them all as quickly as possible. Henry I'm taking you off the front lines. I want you working on a more... technological solution. HENRY I'm good with that. ASHLEY Tell me you're not talking about exterminating them. HELEN I'd like nothing more than to see them all back in their cell unharmed. ASHLEY Yeah but… HELEN We wouldn't be having this discussion had you shown better judgment. [Sophie knocks on the open door.] HELEN Come in. [Henry gets down off table and walks past Sophie out the door.] HENRY Hi SOPHIE Hi HELEN Could you give us a moment? ASHLEY Yeah sure. [Ashley gets up and goes to door to leave.] HELEN Thank you. ASHLEY Hey SOPHIE Hi. Dr. Magnus... HELEN Hello, Sophie. SOPHIE Will said you might be able to help me. HELEN Please, have a seat. SOPHIE He told you about the headaches, and the spins and all that? HELEN If it's all right with you, I'd like... to conduct a few simple tests. SOPHIE Simple, like brain scans? HELEN Probably prudent under the circumstances. SOPHIE I know you have more important things to deal with. You're in the middle of a crisis. HELEN Actually, by Sanctuary standards, this is just another day at the office. SOPHIE What did my grandfather die of? HELEN A brain aneurysm. SOPHIE Oh…and you said that we have similar anomalies. HELEN Well let's just see what's happens before we anticipate, all right? SOPHIE Okay. HELEN It's going to be okay, Sophie. INT SANCTUARY BASEMENT LOOKING HALLWAY WILL Okay, here's my idea. We capture a male Nubbin, use it as bait and wait for the females to swarm. ASHLEY Or we use a female as bait and watch the males swarm. WILL Well, want as many of the child-bearers back in captivity as possible. ASHLEY As if the girls are going to go all weak-kneed over the right Nubbin. WILL I'm sorry, the "right Nubbin?" ASHLEY You know, smart, handsome, good sense of humor, go-getter, dedicated to the same things you are, loves long walks on the beach... WILL Are you okay? ASHLEY Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. WILL Johnny Nub in the crosshairs. [Will and Ashley spot a Nubbin and give chase.] INT SANCTUARY MEDICAL ROOM HELEN There's nothing that threatens your health. You're fine, Sophie. SOPHIE But you did find something. HELEN It's completely benign, similar to what we found in your grandfather's brain, a tissue structure that bridges your frontal lobes. SOPHIE Like a tumor! HELEN No, no, nothing like that. There's a nerve bundle that links this unusual organ to the thalamus. I think it may be used in pre-verbal communication. SOPHIE Oh, this is unbelievable. HELEN I suspect it's some sort of empathic ability. In my world, it's a genetic expression that may well preview an evolutionary advance. SOPHIE I just always attributed it to Maurice. It only ever happened when I was with him. HELEN He wanted to bring out your gifts, no doubt. - That's what the will was about. SOPHIE This condition that I have, assuming that you're right, what... what does that mean I can do? HELEN That's for you to explore. With our help, if you'll trust us. INT SANCTUARY BASEMENT WILL Shh, shh, shh Maybe this isn't going to be as tough as we thought. [Will captures a Nubbin with the snare. More Nubbins appear.] ASHLEY Oh, I'm not so sure about that. INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S OFFICE WILL Well, I'm telling you, we have a Nubbins explosion on our hands. HELEN I've found something that may explain their popularity as a wedding gift. WILL Wait, don't tell me. They can be returned? HELEN Actually, they have scent glands that emit powerful pheromones. WILL Well that explains their overactive mating instinct. HELEN In fact, it may well extend beyond their own species. WILL You're not saying that they're affecting us? HELEN Haven't you noticed it? WILL Are you asking me if I've been feeling... Randy? HELEN I've made you uncomfortable. WILL No, as a matter of fact, you've... you've aroused my curiosity. HELEN Oh. Well, turnabout is fair play. WILL Awkward. HELEN Poor thing. INT SANCTUARY HENRY’S WORK ROOM HENRY What the hey? WILL What's going on? HENRY We've got problems. WILL You mean beyond the fact that these things are spilling out like popcorn at a matinee? HENRY Our systems are degrading. We got surges; reboots...must be the step-down transformer. [Sparks fly from a nearby machine and the lights flicker.] HENRY Oh! Well, clearly that wasn't good. WILL All right, is it me, or does it smell like fried Nubbin? HENRY Dude, I haven't been able to smell anything since they got here. [Henry removed the front panel on the machine.] WILL Oh, man... INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S OFFICE HELEN We have Nubbins in four out of five infrastructure systems; computer, cooling, electrical, air purification. They're not in the water…yet. WILL I don't think it was an accident they brought down the computer system. ASHLEY Come on, they're smart, but not that smart. WILL I don't know. A couple get sacrificed to bring down the entire server? Air vents clogged? HELEN Drones sent out to protect the survival of the hive. WILL Yeah ASHLEY These aren't bees. They just reproduce as fast. HELEN Hive mentality means tradeoffs between individual survival and that of the group. We've seen it in orders higher then insects. WILL Yeah, like every time soldiers go into battle. ASHLEY So what does that tell us about what they'll do? HELEN Everything they can to ensure inter-species domination. WILL You know, this "catching them one at a time" is not working. HELEN The more I watch our predator, the more I’m beginning to think that it is what controls the Nubbins in their native habitat. ASHLEY You're not talking about turning that killer loose? HELEN Not loose Ashley. We can implant it with a device so we could track it and control it. The vast majority of the Nubbins would be stampeded into the open, and we could herd them to safety. ASHLEY It's just not fair. I mean, Nubbins are only doing what their instincts tell them. WILL All we'd be doing is replicating the predator-prey dynamic already exists. ASHLEY Of course; like the lions and the Christians. HELEN We have them contained right now, but if they get out and this expands beyond the Sanctuary, we could be Ground Zero for a plague of furry locusts. We have to act, and quickly. INT SANCTUARY PEDATOR’S CELL HENRY Tracking device is active. HELEN It's all right, Henry. He's quite sedated. Would you rather I do it? HENRY No. Its okay, I’m just... much better with computer bytes than animal bites. There. See? What'd I tell you? Easy peasy. [The predator growls and Henry jumps up on a ledge.] INT SANCTUARY HALLWAY NEAR WINDOW SITTING AREA WILL Sophie, hey I just wanted to see how you were feeling. SOPHIE Did Dr. Magnus tell you? - I told her it was okay if she did. WILL Yeah. Yeah, she did. SOPHIE She... gave me this bio-feedback device to use so I know when the supposed powers are working, and... I guess you're pretty used to dealing with freaks. WILL That's... not how I see you. SOPHIE I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself. WILL Well, I'm sorry that you're stuck here in the middle of a level-three bio-hazard. [Sophie’s bio-feedback device lights up.] SOPHIE The beast... The one the Nubbins are afraid of. It's waking up. WILL How do you know that? SOPHIE I don't know, I just... I don't know. WILL Listen, Sophie... These feelings that you're having, the connections with the creatures, you should trust them. It's a... It's a very special thing. SOPHIE Well, I wouldn't wish it on anybody. I don't... feel special. I feel like I should be in a sideshow. WILL This sense, it doesn't happen to tell you where the Nubbins are, does it? SOPHIE No but... I can... feel their hearts racing….their fear... their desire. INT SANCTUARY HENRY’S WORK AREA [Henry is working on something when he sneezes. He hears and then sees a Nubbin.] HENRY Nature abhors a vacuum. That's because she's never seen mine. OK, easy there, little Nub... [Henry picks up a handle to the vacuum he was working on sucks up the Nubbin into it.] HENRY ….I've got suction, and I'm not afraid to use it. INT SANCTUARY MAIN CELL ROOM HENRY Releasing the predator...wow, look at him go. HELEN [Into walkie] Team One, predator moving from Utility Five, herding Nubbins toward residential corridor. - Shut down air vents. ASHLEY [Over walkie] Copy that [The pedator kills three nubbins.] HENRY Predator 3, Nubbins 0. WILL Hey! Where's he gone? HENRY I'm not seeing him. HELEN Track the device. HENRY Level 5, north corridor; he's moving fast! HELEN Checking level 5, north corridor, primary and secondary cameras. HENRY Nothing on the primary corridor. Negative on B and C. [Nubbins can be heard in the ceiling.] WILL Oh, Nubbins on the move. HENRY Oh wait a sec. The predator's stopped. A dead stop. HELEN Where? HENRY Just outside the library. [The lights flicker and the lights go out.] HENRY We're losing power on the main grid. HELEN Go to auxiliary. [The lights come on reduced strength but then go out.] HENRY And we’ve lost auxiliary. Okay, women and geeks first. Oh, no, wait, that's all of us. HELEN See what you can do, Henry. Will, let's go. INT SANCTURAY HALLWAY OUTSIDE LIBRARY [Helen and Will follow bloody tracks into a room where they see the predator move into another room. Outside the doorway to the room Helen hands Will a gun.] HELEN They're tranquilizer rounds. One shot won't do it. [They enter the room and find the remains of the predator.] WILL Looks like our predator just became prey. HELEN Why do I have the feeling that we're next? WILL I guess we can skip the midnight feeding. INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S OFFICE WILL So we were wrong about our predator keeping the Nubbins in check in the rainforest? HELEN Not necessarily. I mean, sometimes predator becomes prey. Hyenas, for example, have been known to kill lions. Apparently we underestimated the Nubbins' strength in numbers. WILL Can you imagine what ten times the number of Nubbins will do? - Or a hundred times? HELEN If they can rip a creature the size and strength of the predator to shreds, I've no doubt they'd give us no quarter. We may have sealed ourselves in with our executioners. WILL Their hive behavior isn't just intelligent, it's strategic. Sooner or later, they're gonna find a way out. HELEN And they're reproducing faster than we can capture or eradicate them. ASHLEY Doesn't anybody have some good news? HENRY I've got wood. [Henry has entered with a arm load of fire wood.] HENRY You know... for the fire. WILL Hey when we were aboard the Lophelia, do you remember the hold - where we found the Nubbins? HELEN The refrigerated dry hold. WILL Yeah HELEN Although it was either turned off or malfunctioning. A cryogenic transport's fairly common for a bioresearch vessel. WILL Yeah, but the thing is, is...the setting on the control panel... it was for 50 degrees, which is cold, but well above freezing. HELEN So maybe it was their intention to slow their metabolism, moderate their growth and mating cycles. Ashley, you and Henry round up as many fire extinguishers as you can. ASHLEY On it. [Henry, who is standing next to Sophie staring at her, is dragged by ear by Ashley.] WILL Still, even if we are right about the cold, unless we can drive them into the open, I don't see how that by itself will do the trick. SOPHIE You are right about the cold. They don't like it. HELEN Can you tell what they're feeling now? SOPHIE Crowded... afraid...threatened....they're sending warnings. HELEN They're sounding an alarm? WILL What are you thinking? HELEN That we try and mimic the frequency of their distress call. If we're successful, we could strategically place emitters powerful enough to flush them out, stampede them, and funnel them towards capture. INT SANCTUARY HELEN What are you getting, Henry? HENRY Just over 19 kilohertz. HELEN Ultrasonic, beyond the range of human hearing. HENRY 19.5... 20... 21.5... and stabilizing. HELEN There's your distress call, 21.5 kilohertz. INT SANCTUARY MULTIPLE ROOMS [The team places speakers around the Sanctuary and spread out in different areas with fire extinguishers. The plan works and the Nubbins all move to place where the Sanctuary wait with the extinguishers.] ASHLEY Time to chill, guys. INT SANCTUARY CELL [Nubbins are shown behind glass sleeping in a chilled room.] INT SANCTUARY HELEN’S OFFICE SOPHIE So what'll happen to the Nubbins now? HELEN Now that low temperature has slowed their reproductive cycle to a crawl, they can live out their days in relative peace. SOPHIE They're not thrilled about the cold. WILL Hey, thrilled Nubbins is what got us into this mess. HELEN It was very brave of you to share your gift. SOPHIE Well in the end, Henry's allergies were a better detector than any of my paranormal abilities. WILL The difference is, is that you can sense a lot more than Nubbins. SOPHIE Yeah, I'm still not sure how I feel about that. HELEN I think we know what your grandfather wanted for you. SOPHIE Yeah. I guess, in a way, he'll always be guiding me. HELEN And so will we. THE END
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