Island Zero Page #6

for the invasion.

I was hoping I would be

miles away by now, but

things coalesced faster

than expected.

You knew what was

gonna happen.

You knew people

would start dying.

I couldn't be certain,

but the data was there.

- What data?

- Your late wife's date,

as a matter of fact.

Four years ago, when she

brought up the possibility of

an unidentified apex predator,

most people laughed.

Some of us didn't because we

have been monitoring

these instances for decades.

Did you never wonder why your

research funding was yanked

so precipitously?

Because we knew too much.

We had to be silenced.

This is a new species.

A major scientific discovery.

It should be shared

with the world.

[laughs]

It's the journalist talking.

Why would you keep

it a secret?

Because it's exploitable.

Right, Titus?

You want it for yourselves.

Oh, I know how you

people think.

These creatures can't be

detected with the naked eye.

On sonar? They just look like

a harmless school of tuna.

They're amphibious

killing, eating machines.

Gee. Who might be

interested in that?

- The military.

- You think?

You were military,

weren't you, Doctor Barrow?

I can always spot an ex-soldier.

That's why you're so

comfortable around fire arms.

Did you serve in

Iraq or in Afghanistan?

Both.

So, and you know what

war does to human bodies?

That's why I left. I got sick

of seeing soldiers ripped apart.

That is exactly why

we need these creatures

on our side, working with us.

Problem is, you may have

destroyed any chance

to negotiate with them because

you went and f***ing shot one.

That thing ripped Val apart,

You think we are gonna

to negotiate with them?

We're making first contact

with an intelligent

marine species. My job is

to be the diplomat.

We cannot kill any of them.

Do you all understand that?

Do you?

You're negotiatin' with fish?

They're not fish.

They have a complexed language,

and social structure.

They hunt cooperatively.

Their brains are every bit as

large and neurologically complex

as ours. And their use

of echolocation is beyo-

You ca-

You cannot possibly know

this much about them.

Unless you have one

in captivity.

We caught one. Nine years

ago, after an oil spill,

in the Gulf of Mexico.

It was sick, it was

unable to camouflage itself.

After that discovery, we went

looking for more of them.

Captured another one, uhh,

off the Carolina's.

Third of Cape Hatteras.

Like so many other species,

they're migrating northward.

It's climate change.

Rising temperatures and over

fishing has caused them

to move northward in

search of food,

which has brought

them right here,

to the world's

richest fishing waters.

Island Zero.

Where it all begins.

People live here.

You can't keep this a secret.

They can keep

anything a secret.

All them people dead.

And we're next, aren't we?

Damn you! Goddamn you!

- Don't!

- Dad! Their coming!

A lot of them!

[monster growls]

[leaves rustle]

Oh, my God!

[hammering nails]

[monster growls]

Cut me loose!

You need me, Sam!

You, shut up!

You're all gonna die

if you don't listen to me!

I can negotiate with them!

[hammering nails]

You have to let me go!

Only 'agotiations gonna

be with this here shotgun!

If you kill one of them,

you kill all of us!

[distant thumps]

You have to let me go!

I can talk to them!

[monster growls]

[distinct talking]

[walls creak]

[loud thud]

[floorboards creak]

They're in the basement.

I don't know how

they got it.

Dad!

[monster growls]

Don't shoot it!

For God's sake. Let me

talk to them!

[gun clicks]

- Start talking.

- I need my laptop.

Cut me loose!

[loud thud]

Here, here, here!

Talk now, Titus,

or I'm pulling the trigger.

[monster growls]

What the hell?

We've been studying their

language for years, and we

think this means "hello."

You think?

We're not entirely sure.

So you might be telling him

his mom wears army boots.

It stopped. It's thinking.

[monster hisses]

It's working.

It's not attacking.

What happens after hello?

Negotiations begin.

[computer imitates

monster noise]

What are you telling

it, Titus?

[computer imitates

monster noise]

What the hell

are you telling it?

[computer imitates

monster noise]

What the hell

are you telling it?

I think he just told

them "dinner is served."

And we're dinner.

The attic.

Get to the attic!

Ellie!

Alvis. Alvis come with us!

Alvis!

Ruth, go! Go!

Dad, there's one

right behind you!

[gun shot]

[monster whimpers]

[monster growls]

I'm a friend!

[computer imitates

monster noise]

Don't attack!

Don't attack!

Don't attack!

[laptop breaks]

I'm a friend!

I'm a friend!

[intense music]

[monster hisses]

[gun shot]

[group screams]

[Ruth cries]

Where are they?

I don't know.

Are they gone?

We have no food

or water in here.

[Ruth continues to cry]

All we have to do is wait

and starve ourselves.

[knocks on door]

Hey, it's me!

Alvis?

[jiggling door handle]

- Open up!

Oh, my God.

It's Alvis! It's Alvis!

Damn old fool!

I thought I lost you!

Ohh! I thought you were dead!

Where's Titus?

He is there!

And there!

Well they take

their dead with them.

Why is Alvis still alive?

Why didn't they attack him?

Probably 'cause his

hide's too damn tough.

[soft laugh]

Would you want

to eat him?

Sam, come up and

take a look at this!

Look at the skin

on this thing.

It's shiny, almost reflective.

Some kind of

protective armor?

This skin isn't for

protection, it's for bending

and refracting light.

The military is trying to

develop something

just like this.

That's why we can't see them.

In stead of changing the

color of it's skin,

like a chameleon or octopus,

these things have evolved a

completely different way

to disappear.

Prey would never see

it coming.

The ultimate advantage

for a predator.

[ominous music]

[couple talking]

Dad, my camera

battery is almost dead.

Shut it down.

We won't be able

to see them coming.

Then we'll just

have to keep them out.

And we'll reinforce

the boards again.

And then what? We stay

here and starve?

Well at least we

won't freeze to death.

Got all that wood to burn.

[Alvis laughs]

Heat. That's it.

That must be it.

What?

The reason Alvis

is still alive.

He stayed near the stove.

And they can't

tolerate heat.

And that's why they're moving

north like the other species.

Huh.

You were the only survivor

on that cargo ship

because you were in a

hot engine room.

According to this research,

the creatures are attracted to

noise and to light.

There's no mention of heat, or

any specific temperature that

repels them.

82 degrees.

How do you know that?

'Cause that's how we

set the thermostat at home.

[soft laugh]

They didn't come to our house.

They went to Nina's instead.

So we're gonna heat

the place up.

We're gonna get it

nice and toasty.

And keep it warm in here.

Keep 'em at bay until

someone rescues us.

I don't think anyone's

coming to rescue us, Sam.

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