Godzilla Page #12

AUDREY:

That was eight years ago. Some people

change, you know.

NICK:

Most people don't.

AUDREY:

I'm sorry you feel that way.

Audrey turns and walks away. Nick regrets his behavior

and calls after her.

NICK:

Wait. I'm sorry. You're right. Eight

years is a long time. Can I offer you

a cup of tea?

AUDREY:

Sure. I'd like that.

There's an awkward moment as neither knows what to say.

AUDREY:

One, thing, though. Who'd you get

pregnant?

Off Nick's awkward reaction...

CUT TO:

109 INT. NICK'S TENT - LATER - NIGHT109

Nick has set up a mini-lab in his private, small, tent.

The home pregnancy tests have been ripped apart. Nick

mixes some of the contents together.

AUDREY:

I still can't believe it. How does a

guy go from an anti-nuke activists to

working for the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission?

NICK:

When you and I use to attend rallies

in college, we helped to create

awareness. But from the inside now I

can actually effect change.

(pointedly)

I never lost my idealism.

AUDREY:

And exactly what changes are you

trying to effect?

NICK:

I have this theory that we're

inadvertently creating new species as

a direct result of what we've done to

nature.

AUDREY:

And you think this creature is one of

them?

NICK:

Yes. The first of its kind. I found

this blood sample earlier this

evening...

AUDREY:

Blood sample? How close did you get to

that thing?

NICK:

I got pretty close.

AUDREY:

What else do you know about it?

Nick finishes his concoction, adding the blood sample

into it He takes the piece of litmus paper from one of

the home test boxes and dips it in.

NICK:

Well, we know he eats fish, he's of

reptile genus, he's a burrower, he's

amphibious and...

Nick points out the litmus paper. It turns RED.

NICK:

...he's pregnant.

AUDREY:

Are you sure?

Nick gets up and starts to gather his materials.

NICK:

(thrilled)

Well, obviously these tests weren't

designed for this but fundamentally

they're looking for the same hormonal

patterns that would indicate

pregnancy.

AUDREY:

I don't get it. If it's the first of

its kind, how can it be pregnant?

Excitedly Nick begins to pace.

NICK:

The ultimate expression of evolution,

it reproduces asexually. Think about

it, all kinds of creatures have been

known to travel great distances for

reproduction. That's why he came to

New York. Like every species of

insufficient progenitors, he's

nesting!

AUDREY:

Nesting?

NICK:

Yes. Do you realize that a creature

like this could lay as many as a dozen

eggs at a time!

Nick moves to the front exit of the tent.

NICK:

Forgive me but I've got to get this

into the lab, to confirm all this.

I'll be right back.

Nick rushes from the tent. Alone, Audrey can't help but

poke around a bit. She opens one of his CASES. Taped to

the roof of the case she SEES...

INSERT PHOTOS - NICK AND AUDREY

Happy times long ago. They're both young and in love.

Audrey is surprised Nick still keeps them. She's

touched.

Feeling guilty she quickly closes the case and sits back

down. As she does she notices a video tape labeled

FIRST SIGHTING. Unable to resist, she puts it in and

turns on the t.v. The shot of the Japanese Cook

appears.

COOK:

(filtered through t.v.)

...Gojira...Gojira...

She hits the fast forward tape and SEES, the enormous

footprints in Panama. She fast forwards again and sees

the beached cargo ship in Jamaica.

Audrey is torn. She makes a decision, pops the tape back

out, puts in her purse and takes off out the back of the

tent. Moments later, Nick returns from the front.

NICK:

Audrey? Audrey?

A flash of lighting and thunder accents Nick's

confusion.

CUT TO:

110 INT. EDITING BAY - LATER - DAWN110

On two monitors we SEE Audrey doing a "stand up."

AUDREY:

(filtered)

...which is why in this case "all the

kings horses and all the kings men"

may not be able to put the big apple

together again. Audrey Timmons, WNEW.

We pull back to reveal Audrey, Animal and an editor,

ED, watching the piece.

ED:

That's it. You owe me a breakfast.

AUDREY:

(turning to Animal)

So, what do you think?

ANIMAL:

It's good. It's a real good piece. But

how'd you get a hold of this

material?

Audrey covers her own mixed emotions.

AUDREY:

Like you said, "Good guys finish

last."

She snatches the tape and she takes off running.

Concerned and worried, Animal watches her leave.

CUT TO:

111 EXT. WNEW TRUCK - COMMAND TENT AREA - RAIN - DAWN111

Rushing out of the WNEW truck and into the rain, Audrey

spots her Station Manager, Murray. In the b.g. we SEE

Caiman getting make up, about to do a live spot with

another cameraman.

AUDREY:

Murray, I need you to look at this

tape.

MURRAY:

Not now, Audrey, we've about to go

live with the morning report.

AUDREY:

You're going to want to include this.

I've got exclusive footage of other

places this thing has attacked.

MURRAY:

(suddenly interested)

You do? Who's story is this?

AUDREY:

Mine!

ANGLE - CAIMAN

About to go on, Caiman waves off his make up artist as

he watches Audrey hand Murray the tape. His field

producer counts down to going live.

P.O.V. THROUGH BINOCULARS - NICK - RAIN - MORNING

Through the lenses we SEE exiting his tent and moving on

towards the large center command tent. We REVERSE to

reveal...

112 INT. RAYMOND'S MOTEL ROOM - SAME - RAIN - MORNING112

One of Raymond's men observes with binoculars from the

window. Tucking his napkin into his lapel, Raymond eats

breakfast with his men. Another man, JEAN-CLAUDE,

listens at the monitoring equipment. He turns to

Raymond.

JEAN-CLAUDE

Taisez-Vous.

He turns on the room speaker.

MALE VOICE:

(filtered)

...Major Hicks, what makes you believe

another attempt to gun that creature

down will work?

113 INT. COMMAND TENT - WAR ROOM - RAIN - SAME - MORNING113

Nick is moving to take his seat next to Elise at this

very crowded conference. The big wigs are here and the

room is packed. Major Hicks walks to a large map of

Manhattan.

MAJOR HICKS:

General Anderson, the problem was the

terrain. If we lure him out into a

more open area such as this portion of

Central Park...

(points to the map)

We should be able to take him down.

MAYOR:

Last time you didn't even scratch it!

MAJOR HICKS:

That's not true. Our worm guy, er, I

mean, Dr. Tatopoulos found blood.

All eyes turn towards Nick who's still arranging his

papers. Nervously Nick addresses the crowd.

NICK:

Well, yes. I did. Clearly he was

injured and bled.

MAJOR HICKS:

You see, all we need to do is get a

better shot at it with weapons that

don't rely on heat seeking...

NICK:

Um, excuse me, sir, but the

situation's more complicated than

that. The blood I recovered revealed

that the creature is either about to

lay eggs or already has.

GOVERNOR:

Are you trying to tell us there's

another one of those things out

there?

NICK:

I don't believe so.

MAYOR:

Then how can it be pregnant? What is

this, the "virgin lizard?"

There's a smattering of laughter in the room.

NICK:

No, it reproduces asexually. That's

why we must find the nest. If we

don't, dozens will be born, each one

capable of laying eggs of its own.

Very quickly we could be looking at an

enormous population.

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