Hollow Man Page #9

LINDA:

Sebastian... can you hear me? Can you

hear me? How are his pupils?

MATT:

I can't see his goddamn pupils!

SARAH:

I think he's going into shock.

We slowly FADE OUT to the sights and sounds of our

scientist- doctors working on Sebastian... And the

beeping of Sebastian's erratic heartbeat.

FADE:

UP ON:

A HABITAT:

The heartbeat continues. In the shadows, two Rhesus

Monkeys defend themselves against an unseen attacker.

Blood splatters against the Plexiglas wall.

We FADE OUT AGAIN...

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Linda stares through the Plexiglas walls into the

Recovery Chamber. Inside the Chamber, Sarah and Carter-

eye the various screens monitoring Sebastian's vitals.

Linda watches the hollow pocket underneath the blanket.

She watches the rhythm of its rises and falls as

Sebastian sleeps. Matt comes up behind her.

MATT:

Just got the tissue sample results.

Cellular cohesion is stable.

Linda exhales in relief. Matt puts his hands on her

shoulder. Pulls her close to him.

MATT (cont'd)

How bout you? You gonna be okay?

LINDA:

Guess so.

(beat)

I was just thinking about the Apollo

missions. Y'know? Grissom, White and

Chaffee... What it was like for them

on that launch pad that day, thinking

they were gonna reach the stars only

to burn to death.

MATT:

Sometimes the test pilots make

history. Sometimes the planes crash

and people die.

LINDA:

But he didn't die, did he?

(beat)

What if we can't bring him back? What

then?

MATT:

It's just a little hitch is all. He'll

be the first to tell that he'll crack

it and I'm sure he will. It'll just

take time.

(beat)

Listen, let's got out of here. We

could drive up to the old observatory.

We'll take some wine and go count the

stars and forget all this for awhile.

She pulls away.

LINDA:

No. I want to be here for him.

Linda pushes through the door of the recovery chamber and

takes a seat by Sebastian's bedside. A little hurt, Matt

heads down the corridor.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM

Frank and Janice are staring into their coffee when Matt

enters. Matt crosses to the coffee machine and pours

himself a cup. He takes a seat at the table. They all

drink their coffee in silent vigil.

INT. RECOVERY CHAMBER - DAY

Linda sits by Sebastian's bedside, listening to the

constant rhythm of the machines.

The sheets shift.

SEBASTIAN'S VOICE

(weak)

Hey...

LINDA:

Hey...

SEBASTIAN:

So I guess it didn't work.

Linda shakes her head.

SEBASTIAN'S VOICE

You look worried. It must've been bad.

Sebastian's voice is weak and strained.

LINDA:

You almost died.

SEBASTIAN'S VOICE

Well, remember your Nietchze. Whatever

doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.

Linda smiles.

LINDA:

I should be making you feel better.

Not vice versa.

SEBASTIAN'S VOICE

I guess if I'm going to be stuck this

way for awhile, I'd better make some

adjustments.

INT. RECOVERY CHAMBER - DAY

In a dusty shaft of light...

A cotton swab.

is dipped by a gloved hand into a jar of flesh-colored

cream make-up. We follow the hand as it raises the cotton

swab into the darkness. The swab strokes over the black

and the rich fleshy cream spreads, revealing...

EYE LIDS of a closed eye.

The eyelids part, unveiling...

PITCH BLACK. Blink. Blink.

No eye.

Not even a trace of a eye socket. Just darkness.

A COLORED CONTACT LENS floats through mid-air... hovering

before the eyelids. It turns and fastens itself to the

darkness between the lids.

We PULL BACK slowly as Sebastian lifts a latex FACE MASK

and pulls it over his head.

He checks his reflection in the mirror. He looks almost

human. Almost. A face, eyes, hands ... the rest of him

covered by surgical scrubs.

We pull back and see the rest of the team looking on.

MATT:

Not too bad.

SEBASTIAN:

The latex'll limit the amount of light

delivered to my optic nerves.

LINDA:

You could almost pass for human.

Sebastian rises. He looks eerily removed from reality

with his cold blank expression.

SEBASTIAN'S VOICE

Well, it gives you a face to talk to

at least, and we can all work in

normal light again.

INT. LABORATORY - DAY

SERIES OF SHOTS:

Carter draws blood from Sebastian.

Samples are placed into the cyclotron.

Matt peers through the eyepiece of a microscope. He makes

notes.

Frank and Janice finish a computer simulation on a

protein strand. Matt looks over. They shake their heads,

no.

Sebastian slides into the MRI.

Linda examines a petri dish. She throws her pencil down

in frustration.

Sebastian is hit by the spectral radiation beams.

Matt pulls a vial of orange liquid from the cyclotron.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Sebastian, still in his latex and scrubs, but looking

like he's been dragged through the nine levels of

purgatory, is escorted back to the recovery chamber by

Linda and Matt.

He crosses to his bed and collapses on it. Closes his

eyes.

SEBASTIAN:

The testing's making me sick.

LINDA:

Could be the barium or the radiation.

MATT:

You're physiology has changed and,

well, all bets are off.

SEBASTIAN:

I can't believe I have to spend

another night here.

(to Linda)

Suppose you're gonna go home now, meet

up with that boyfriend of yours now.

Linda and Matt exchange a glance. Linda quickly covers.

LINDA:

Do you want me to stay?

SEBASTIAN:

No. That's okay. It's just, being a

guinea pig is more work than I

thought. I'll be fine.

INT. RESEARCH COMPOUND - NIGHT

Various shots of the empty hallways and deserted labs.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - NIGHT

Carter kicks back in his chair listening to his walkman

stereo and playing gameboy.

INT. RECOVERY CHAMBER - DAY

Sebastian, in scrubs and make-up, paces back and forth.

He slams the wall in frustration. He crosses to a mirror

and examines himself. He doesn't look half bad. He pokes

his cheeks. There's something about him that's a little

off, but only if you look close.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - NIGHT

A shadow falls across Carter's face. He looks up. It's

Sebastian wearing street clothes - jeans and a hooded

sweatshirt over his latex mask.

Carter pulls of his earphones.

CARTER:

(surprised)

Dr. Caine. What's up?

SEBASTIAN:

Just stopped by to let you know, I'm

going out for a bit.

Sebastian turns back into the hallway.

CARTER:

Going out? Hey wait a sec!

Carter scrambles to his feet.

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Carter catches up with Sebastian.

CARTER:

What do you mean going out for a bit?

SEBASTIAN:

If I don't get out of here, I'm gonna

go crazy.

CARTER:

But you're not supposed to leave the

compound.

SEBASTIAN:

Why not?

CARTER:

That's the rule.

SEBASTIAN:

Yes, but I made that rule. It's my

rule and I'm changing it.

CARTER:

You can't just change it.

Sebastian hits the elevator button. The doors open.

SEBASTIAN:

Carter, I was suppose to be like this

for three days. Three f***ing days and

I'll be damned if I'm going to spend

the rest of my life as a prisoner in

this godforsaken dump. Now I'm going

out. I'll be back in a couple of

hours. Okay?

The elevator doors close with Sebastian inside. Sh*t.

CARTER:

Sh*t.

Carter runs down the corridor.

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote