Gold Page #8

THE CORE SHED:

Where a CIRCULAR SAW cuts a CORE. Wells watching Acosta

examine a section, then toss it in a ROCK CRUSHER... The

RUBBLE is then bagged in canvas sacks... which are closed and

sealed with HOT WAX... and finally stamped with a WASHOE LOGO.

THE CORE SAMPLES are carried in a long line through the valley

toward the river -- an Indonesian Salgado come to life.

Wells and Acosta watch, all hopes and dreams in that line.

39.

WELLS:

What do we do now?

CAMERA RISES UP from the workers carrying the core samples to

the limestone cliffs and endless sky.

ACOSTA (O.S.)

We wait. And we keep drilling.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MAIN TENT - DUSK

Wells sprays himself liberally in bug spray, making a cloud

under the light. Almost immediately a bug bites his shoulder.

WELLS:

These bugs don’t give a f*** about

this bug spray.

AT THE CAMP STOVE

Wells, spatula in hand, watches mystery meat sizzle. He cooks

and talks over his shoulder to Acosta who is working.

WELLS (CONT’D)

The guy who invented the hamburger was

smart. But the guy who invented the

cheeseburger... Genius.

He begins serving them up.

WELLS (CONT’D)

Don’t ask where this meat came from.

IT’S LATER

They’re both relaxing. Wells maybe a bit more relaxed.

WELLS (CONT’D)

Goddamn jungle. Nothing for 200 miles

and look at us. Not so bad.

Acosta takes in the night. Raises his cup in a salute to the

dark jungle all around. They both drink.

ACOSTA:

What’s the meaning of the tattoo?

WELLS:

It’s from a poem I read as a kid:

(Acosta waits)

The bird with no feet sleeps on the

wind.

39aA.

ACOSTA:

You’re full of mysteries, Wells. You

really are.

WELLS:

You got any tattoos, Mike?

ACOSTA:

Only on the inside.

Wells looks at him a beat, then looks out into the dark. The

sounds of drilling drift across the valley floor.

OMIT:

DISSOLVE TO:

And a LONE MESSENGER running up the trail...

EXT. WASHOE SITE - DAYS LATER

Wells meets him halfway, takes the ASSAY REPORT and tears it

open, reading. Even from a distance we can tell it’s bad news.

A DRILL IS MOVED to a NEW POSITION. DRILL 2 IS MOVED. CORES

ARE CRUSHED and BAGGED. A CANOE LOADED WITH CORE SAMPLES

motors away down the rising river. The rain is torrential. The

MAIN TENT looks like it’s about to float away. Acosta meeting

Obb... Wells meeting him... Acosta...

INT. WASHOE SITE - MAIN TENT - CONTINUOUS

Acosta and Wells, back to back, working. Acosta thinking about

geology, Wells looking at financials. Realize neither one is

looking at an unopened report on the table. Finally Acosta

tears it open, reads it. Passes it to Wells: INDO-KARTA

LABORATORIES - ASSAY REPORT.

WELLS:

...These things look worse every time

we get one.

Acosta stares steadily at his map, which shows an increasingly

desperate spray of holes.

WELLS (CONT’D)

Thirty, 100 meter holes, Mike. Thirty.

And what do we got? We got sh*t.

ACOSTA:

Remember what I told you about

patience?

39aB.

WELLS:

Remember what I told you about money?

ACOSTA:

Yeah, it wasn’t a problem.

39A.

Looks at the numbers. They don’t lie.

WELLS:

It’s a problem now.

ACOSTA:

I’ll try something else. Move further

up the seam. Drop 80 meter holes. Move

faster.

40.

WELLS:

Do it.

Wells suddenly shudders with a chill. Acosta looks at him.

WELLS (CONT’D)

I’m fine.

ACOSTA:

You don’t look so good.

WELLS:

It’s ninety-eight degrees out and

pissing rain. And all we’re pulling up

is dinosaur sh*t. How am I supposed to

look?

(beat)

Jesus, I’m freezing.

Wells starts to shake. Acosta puts a hand to Wells's head.

ACOSTA:

You’re burning up.

WELLS:

I’m fine.

(off Acosta’s concern)

I said, I’m fine.

Wells forces himself to stand. He moves to Acosta's maps.

WELLS (CONT’D)

All right, where do we go next?

But Wells has to sit. Off Acosta's concerned look WE GO...

EXT. WASHOE SITE - DAY

That f***ing rain. WORKERS, meager items held in plastic bags,

assemble in their tent. The FOREMAN speaks to his men.

WELLS (V.O)

We drilled our holes, assayed the

cores and got nothing. Zero. We were

nearly busted, out of money, out of

time. Workers quitting. But, no way I

was giving up, I was gonna find a way

to keep going if it killed me.

41.

One RIG IS SILENT. Wells struggles across the compound through

the downpour to stop the men from leaving. He falls. Picks

himself up. Waves his arms. Yells in a language they don’t

speak. Even the buffalo is leaving. He slips again --

WELLS (V.O) (CONT’D)

I picked up a bad case of malaria,

which takes out something like a

million people a year... And I was on

the list.

From the mud he sees the workers vanishing, a skeleton crew on

the remaining rig. He rolls on his back. And still the rain

comes down.

INT. MAIN TENT - RAINY DUSK

Acosta enters. Doesn’t realize Wells is slumped in a chair in

the gloom.

WELLS:

The workers are leaving, Mike.

ACOSTA:

I know. I’ve got the new assay

reports.

Acosta lights a lantern, sees Wells.

ACOSTA (CONT’D)

Jesus. Get your ass in bed already.

It’s an effort for Wells to speak, painful.

WELLS:

Talk to me.

ACOSTA:

There’s nothing to talk about. We’re

not finding anything.

Wells sags. The reality that he’s losing again sinking in.

Wells has another fit of chills. He’s half-delirious.

WELLS:

Maybe we’re pushing them too hard.

Maybe we should take it easy, enjoy it

a little bit.

ACOSTA:

Take it easy? Is that a Reno bumper

sticker? The losers’ credo.

42.

WELLS:

Nah, man, it’s just life. Sometimes

you just gotta take it easy... I’m

freezing.

Acosta helps him to his cot. Pulls the thin blanket over.

WELLS (CONT’D)

Maybe cut ‘em all in... offer

ownership, share in the upside...

The DISTANT WHINE of the last drill suddenly GOES QUIET. The

TIMELESS CACOPHONY of the jungle RISES.

WELLS (CONT’D)

I’m scared, Mike. Don’t let me die out

here for nothing...

Wells passes out into a feverish sleep. Acosta watches him a

long time before reaching a decision.

EXT. MAIN TENT - DAWN

Acosta steps into the empty, silent camp. Rain curtaining off

his hat. He sets out alone.

EXT. LONGHOUSE VILLAGE - LATER

Acosta walking through the rainy jungle toward a village. See

natives in the limestone cliffs looking down. Acosta passes a

pond where people bathe and fill jugs with muddy water.

AT THE LONGHOUSE there are DAYAK WOMEN on the porch. Acosta

has a few quiet words. One slowly stands, disappears through

the DARK OPENING. Acosta cannot see inside. It’s too dark. The

remaining women look at him evenly. The “FOREMAN” appears,

obviously a LOCAL CHIEF.

ACOSTA:

(Dayak)

What can I do to get you to return to

work? We are running out of money,

it’s true. But we’re close. I know it.

A beat as the foreman considers Acosta. Then he gestures to

follow. The rising CRIES of a child can be heard.

INT. THATCH HUT - DAY

Thrumming rain on the thatch and in half-gloom find a feverish

CHILD. Acosta watches as the mother tries to get him to take a

sip of water. Acosta kneels and passes his canteen to the

mother. Urges her to pour clean water.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote