Hollow Man

FADE IN:

On complete darkness.

A SMALL DOOR swings open.

A circle of light reveals that we I re looking down the

length of a tube. At the far end of the tube, we see a

gloved hand dangling a rat. The hand shoves the

frightened rat into the tube and closes the door behind

it. The rat s stark white fur bristles and it begins to

pad down the tube s length.

After several feet, the tube opens up into a dimly lit

cubicle. The rat hesitates and stops.

The SOUNDS of gentle BREATHING whispers in the rat s

ears.

The rat turns round to head back down the tube, but a

door swings shut, trapping it in the cubicle.

The rat cowers as the BREATHING turns to SNORTING.

The rat s head jerks around, looking for signs of danger,

but the cubicle is empty. The rat sees a water dish on

the far side of the cubicle - a place to hide - and

dashes toward it.

But an invisible force descends.

The rat squeals in agony as something smashes down on its

body, crushing it.

A LOUD BELLOW rings out, and the rat flies into the air,

halting a few feet off the ground. Its body writhes,

struggling against the unholy force.

Then a sick crunch of tiny bones snapping. All life

quickly drains from the levitating body. Dead eyes...

The creature s corpse floats in mid-air. Then the white

fur of the rat explodes in a shower of blood.

HUGE BLOOD SMEARED INCISORS appear, as do the red-slicked

ape- like lips. The gaping bloody mouth bites again into

the rat.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

In the background we hear Jay Leno s monologue from the

Tonight Show. A small lamp and the glow from a computer

screen illuminates SEBASTIAN CAINE, late twenties with

the shabby good looks of a perpetual grad-student. Wiry

framed and wearing only boxer shorts, Sebastian sips

coffee from an Einstein coffee mug. He peers at a

complex computer rendered molecule displayed on his

screen. He pecks a few keys and the molecule shifts

slightly, then falls apart.

Sebastian pulls a twinkie from a hostess box, unwraps the

cellophane and sucks it down. He attacks the keyboard

with renewed vigor.

Another molecule appears on the screen. Sebastian s

fingers fly across the keyboard. The molecule blinks on

and off, it trembles and twists apart.

SEBASTIAN:

Damnit.

Sebastian pears out his window. Across the courtyard, a

light comes on in a neighboring window. He sees a

BRUNETTE, mid-twenties, absolutely stunning, enter her

living room. The Brunette thumbs through the mail, tosses

it and then begins to undress. Sebastian loans over to

the window, getting interested. But when the brunette

reaches her bra and panties, she crosses to the window

and lowers her shades.

SEBASTIAN (cont d)

Damnit.

Sebastian leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.

He s obviously tired. He opens his eyes and stares up at

the ceiling. Painted across the white matte finish in big

red letters is a brief reminder - You Should Be

Working. Sebastian sighs, leans forward and begins

pecking away again.

LATER:

The television is now only static. We pan by his alarm

clock. 4 am. We find Sebastian pacing in front of his

computer.

He gets an idea... slides back in his chair. Types away

again. The molecule reforms on the computer screen.

He types a few more keys, waits, watches the molecule.

Nothing happens.

He hits a few more keys and watches intently for a

reaction.

SEBASTIAN:

(beat)

I am a goddamn genius.

He hits a few more keys and a telephone keypad appears on

the screen. He dials.

CUT TO:

INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Digital phone rings.

In the bed, LINDA FOSTER, late twenties, stirs from a

deep sleep. As she straggles out of bed and over to her

desk, we notice a young man sleeping next to her.

The ringing continues. She moves her computer mouse

around and her screen comes to life. She click on a

telephone icon and the ringing stops. A beat later,

Sebastian appears in a window on her screen.

LINDA:

Sebastian, do you know what time it

is?

SEBASTIAN (SCREEN)

You know Da Vinci never slept. Said it

was waste of time.

LINDA:

What is it this time?

INTERCUT:
SEBASTIAN S BEDROOM

Sebastian peers at the image of Linda in the computer

window. He notices something behind her in the bed, the

young man sleeping face down.

SEBASTIAN:

Who s that?

Linda pulls the camera off the top of the of the computer

screen and positions it so Sebastian can t see the bed.

LINDA:

Not your business. Not anymore.

SEBASTIAN:

Touche.

LINDA:

So you calling about anything in

particular, or were you just hoping to

catch me sleeping in the nude?

SEBASTIAN:

I cracked the reversion.

Upon hearing this, Linda receives a jolt of adrenaline.

LINDA:

You cracked it?

SEBASTIAN:

Look at this.

Sebastian hits a couple of keys. A moment later the

molecular structure appears on Linda s computer.

SEBASTIAN:

Watch this.

LINDA:

You sure?

SEBASTIAN:

91% sure.

LINDA:

(astonished)

Eleven months with no progress and you

suddenly come up with it out of the

blue? How?

SEBASTIAN:

The usual. Coffee and twinkies.

LINDA:

I hate you.

SEBASTIAN:

I know. You think you could hunt down

Matt and get to the lab early. I want

Isabelle prepped for a live test.

LINDA:

Yeah, I think I can find him. What are

you going to do?

SEBASTIAN:

Well y know. It s daylight in

Switzerland. I gotta call the Nobel

Committee and tell them to get our

prizes ready. See you in a few.

ON LINDA S COMPUTER SCREEN as Sebastian clicks off. Linda

crosses to her bed, and shakes the guy awake.

LINDA:

Hey... come on.

DR. MATTHEW KENSINGTON, late 20s too, stirs from under

sheets.

MATT:

(groggy)

What?

LINDA:

Sebastian just called. We gotta get to

the lab.

Matt bolts up.

MATT:

Sh*t! You didn t tell him I was here,

did you?

LINDA:

Give me some credit, will ya.

MATT:

So what s the rush?

LINDA:

He cracked reversion.

Matt pulls his jeans on.

MATT:

Wanna ride down?

LINDA:

We better take our own cars.

MATT:

You re gonna have to tell him about us

eventually.

LINDA:

I know. It s just You re his best

friend. He ll feel betrayed.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. SKYLINE - DAY

From a distance, the Nation s Monuments stand awash in

the harsh light of morning.

CAMERA finds a BLACK PORSCHE as it pulls to the security

fence of a warehouse. The imposing structure is

surrounded by a chainlink fence and barbed wire.

The Porsche is waved through security and heads straight

into the warehouse.

INT. WAREHOUSE -DAY

The Porsche pulls to a halt in a reserved parking space

and Sebastian exits, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts,

and Birkenstocks. He notes the other cars parked in the

lot, then crosses to bunker in the center of the

warehouse, guarded by a MARINE, shouldering an M-16.

MARINE GUARD:

Morning, sir.

SEBASTIAN:

Morning, Ed.

MARINE GUARD:

Your team s in early. Something

special going on?

SEBASTIAN:

Sorry, Ed. You know the rules.

Sebastian presses his thumb against a glass screen. A

laser reads his print.

Scan readout:
CAINE, SEBASTIAN

Clearance:
ALPHA ALPHA THREE

Division:
CLASSIFIED

The doors whisk open and Sebastian steps inside.

MARINE GUARD:

Have a good day, sir.

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

Inside the elevator is a numberless keypad. Sebastian

taps in his floor code.

ELEVATOR (V.0.)

Authorization please.

SEBASTIAN:

Caine zero zero two seven.

ELEVATOR (V.0.)

Authorization verified. Good morning,

Dr. Caine.

The elevator descends with a groaning hum. It passes

below us and keeps descending into the belly of the

earth, the shaft goes down forever.

INT. HABITAT S CORRIDOR

We slowly push down a hallway panelled by Plexiglas

chambers. Each chamber looks as if it s tailored for a

specific animal, although no animals are visible.

As we pass one habitat, something slams into the

Plexiglas and begins barking. Another HOWL joins in. Then

SCREECHING. Suddenly the hallway fills with a dozen

animal cries. THUMP.

THUMP.

The Plexiglas on several chambers vibrates as if angry

animals were slamming against it. But still, no animals

are seen.

Above each chamber, VIDEO SCREENS display THERMAL IMAGES

revealing heat signatures of the various animals, but

they remain invisible to the naked eye. MATT taps on a

sheet of Plexiglas which seals off another seemingly

empty cage.

MATT:

Isabelle ...

The woodchips on the floor shift and suddenly the

Plexiglas steams up right in front of Matt s face. The

Plexiglas begins to shake violently.

MATT (cont d)

Calm down baby. Calm down. It s

okay...

Matt takes a pair of thermal goggles from his belt and

pulls them down over his eyes.

THERMAL POV - A rather large heat signature, ape-like in

shape, rattles about the cage. Matt slowly unlatches the

Plexiglas door and reaches inside.

MATT (cont d)

It s okay, baby. It s okay. I m not

going to hurt you. Come here.

THERMAL POV - he reaches out to the creature. He grabs

hold of it, firmly. Stroking it. The creature COOS. Matt

reaches for a hypo and brings it up to the creature.

MATT (cont d)

Just hold still.

Something clamps down on his hand, breaking his skin.

Blood erupts in a bite pattern.

MATT (cont d)

Ow, sh*t.

Matt drops the hypo and falls back. The cage door flies

open and something runs out. Matt pulls himself up to see

the heat signature running down the hallway. He turns

around to see another heat signature coming at him. Matt

pulls off his goggles to see Linda coming up the

Corridor.

LINDA:

You okay?

MATT:

She bit me.

LINDA:

Yeah. She s become a lot more

aggressive in the last few days.

Linda takes the goggles from Matt.

LINDA (cont d)

Go take care of that bite. I ll get

her.

MATT:

And give you a chance to pull ahead?

Never.

Linda opens a lock-box at the end of the hallway and

pulls out a two tranquilizer guns. She hands one to Matt.

AROUND THE CORNER

A slight distortion shimmers as something runs past us.

We hear HOOTS and FOOTSTEPS.

Looking down the shadowy corridor, we hear grunting and a

haunting heavy breathing. The control door is closed

though and something large and angry is throwing itself

against it. We can t see anything.

A few moments later, Linda and Matt round the corner,

wearing goggles and leveling their pistols.

MATT:

(ala Porky)

Shh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. I m hunting

simians. heheheheh.

LINDA:

Knock it off.

(soothing voice)

Isabelle!

THERMAL POV - Dark hallway. Movement. A red shimmering

heat signature. It comes running at Linda. HOWLING. Linda

fires. A T-DART flies. Thwack... It stops in mid-air.

Then falls. But it doesn t hit the floor. Instead, it

stops inches above the ground.

THERMAL POV - the heat signature lies in a heap at

Linda s feet.

MATT:

Good shootin , Tex.

LINDA:

What s that make it?

MATT:

I m still ahead. 6 to 5.

Like a smug gunfighter, Linda blows imaginary smoke from

the top of her tranquilizer gun.

LINDA:

But I m catching up.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

The elevator doors open and Sebastian steps out. He s met

by SARAH KENNEDY, early thirties, a fiery red-head.

SARAH:

Can I have a word?

SEBASTIAN:

Most normal people say good morning.

SARAH:

Don t you think you should test the

protocol on the liver samples before

you inject Isabelle?

SEBASTIAN:

How many tissue samples have we

successfully regressed? Hundreds,

right? How many have gone on to work

on the full system? None.

SARAH:

That s beside the point.

SEBASTIAN:

No, that is the point. I m not going

to waste six months of my life on an

outmoded testing procedure. This thing

works. I know it. I feel it.

Linda comes down the corridor, listening in on the tail

end of the conversation.

SARAH:

Fine. You can mop up afterward.

SEBASTIAN:

You think I m going to kill Isabelle?

SARAH:

Kill? More like liquefy.

SEBASTIAN:

Sarah, thank you for your opinion, but

I m the project leader. Understand?

She says ...

SARAH:

Yes, Sir.

... but somehow it feels like F*** you. She storms off.

Sebastian turns to Linda.

SEBASTIAN:

How did you ever convince me to hire

her?

LINDA:

You said you wanted the beat vet in

the country.

SEBASTIAN:

Yeah, well she cares more about the

animals than the research.

LINDA:

Maybe that s why she s so good.

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