Morning Star Page #8

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SION:

Salzburg’s a little hot at the

moment, don’t you think?

Webber gives him a look. Sion shrugs.

36.

SION (CONT’D)

There’s a guy at Festenburg

Station. A customs agent. His

name’s Anders. Karl Anders.

WEBBER:

You still have a UN caseworker youpass disinformation to?

SION:

I would’ve been picked up a longtime ago if I didn’t.

WEBBER:

I want you to give him the name youjust gave me.

SION:

You’re going to burn Anders, why?

WEBBER:

We’re doing explanations now?

Sion doesn’t like it but he doesn’t argue. Webber walks away.

SION:

Hey, Webber, maybe someday they’llput you in a cage like this. They’dhave to come up with a name forwhat you are.

Webber looks back but he doesn’t take the bait.

INT. HQ - WEBBER’S OFFICE

Webber sits at his desk, anxiously waiting. His eye is drawnto the note Mia wrote him. He picks it up. He uses an app onhis phone to SCAN it with ultra-violet light, as if lookingfor a secret message. He sees nothing. Just that signature:

“Mia (your stalker.)”

He looks up as Bewley comes in.

BEWLEY:

We have a new lead: a Karl Anders.

He’s an Austrian customs agent.

Webber acts like this is news. Mildly interesting news.

OUTER OFFICE - LATER

Webber studies a HOLOGRAPHIC PHOTO of KARL ANDERS.

37.

WEBBER:

Have we got him under live

surveillance now?

Bewley conjures up an image on another screen: a live feed ofan apartment building. Framed by a window, a heavy-set baldman (ANDERS) is watching TV in his unit.

BEWLEY:

Nothing yet.

Webber nods. He subtly reaches into his pocket and presses abutton on his phone to make it RING. He pretends to answer.

WEBBER (INTO PHONE)

Yes... I told you, yes... alright.

He hangs up with a slightly melodramatic sigh. Bewley looksover, not wanting to be a busybody.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

It’s alright. It’s part of the jobdescription to be curious.

BEWLEY:

(smiles a bit shyly)

Is everything alright?

WEBBER:

Yes. It’s just that we’re going tobe trapped on this thing for Godknows how long. Before I disappearinto it, I have a friend- she’s

going to need to be... placated.

Bewley gets it and nods, smiles- proud to be taken intoWebber’s confidence. Webber heads out. He looks toward Gast,

who’s conferring with a secretary, then heads the other way,

toward a fire exit.

EXT. ANDERS’S BUILDING -- NIGHT

The same angle from the surveillance footage. A TEAM with acamera watches the window of Anders’s apartment. The heavyset

bald man is watching TV... PAN DOWN to Webber in thegrimy street below, in the shelter of a shop doorway. Hecompares the lay of the street to the blueprint on his phonewith blinking markers indicating the position of thesurveillance teams. He slips in a side entrance, undetected.

38.

INT. ANDERS’S APARTMENT

The alien known as Anders is watching a documentary aboutlife in the arctic. His phone rings. A text. A jumble ofletters. He fights the urge to look over his shoulder.

EXT. ROOFTOP ACROSS THE STREET -- DAY

The agents see Anders leaving his apartment.

INT. ANDERS’S SHOP -- NIGHT

Webber hears FOOTSTEPS. The rear door opens and Andersenters. Webber stops him from touching the light switch.

WEBBER:

It’s best if you don’t see me.

Anders nods, closes the door without looking at Webber.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

We might have crossed paths once -

Istanbul?

ANDERS:

I don’t think so.

Anders is very nervous- but careful not to look back - asWebber follows him into a darkened back room.

WEBBER:

My agency believes I recently hadyou smuggle a package for me whichcontained a device that killed a

bunch of people in Salzburg. Coupleof interesting notes on that: I’venever used you to smuggle anythingand I did not kill those people.

Webber discovers a perfectly intact, MALE HUMAN SKIN in a tubfilled with amber liquid. Air fresheners dangle from stringsalong the curtain rod.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

You’re preparing a skin?

ANDERS:

“Anders” served his purpose.

Webber looks over at the corpse. The dead man is Asian.

39.

ANDERS (CONT’D)

I know- old school. I’m first wave.

I never got outfitted with one ofthe new synthetics... You never hadto f*** around with this sh*t, did

you?

WEBBER:

So, you do know me?

ANDERS:

I just know what everyone knows:

that Morningstar was born human...

Or, at least, you know...

He regrets the inadvertent insult. Webber steps into thelight, smiling thinly. Anders anxiously steps back.

ANDERS (CONT’D)

I picked up a package at a hotel inMarseille and delivered it to

Salzburg. That’s all. It was a deaddrop at both ends.

WEBBER:

Who gave you the assignment?

ANDERS:

There were no names. I only met himonce. For maybe two minutes.

Webber eyes him. Anders rests his hand on a cabinet... whichhas a concealed GUN affixed to the back side...

WEBBER:

What did he look like?

ANDERS:

Kinda like you. Taller, blonde. Hesaid like two words to me. He was

on the phone.

WEBBER:

The phone? Who was he talking to?

ANDERS:

Actually... it sounded very muchlike he was getting sh*t from agirl.

WEBBER:

A girl? A female human?

40.

ANDERS:

I jumped to that conclusion. It wasa very... human-soundingconversation.

WEBBER:

You didn’t find this remarkable?

ANDERS:

I didn’t know how to judge what wasunusual with him. Given that he

was...

Anders realizes he’s said too much, stops.

WEBBER:

A freakish mutant? Like me?

ANDERS:

I didn’t say that.

WEBBER:

No, you did not say that.

Anders moves his hand to the gun as Webber comes closer.

WEBBER (CONT’D)

You’re under full spectrumsurveillance. I can give you awindow of ten minutes... We did

meet, didn’t we?

ANDERS:

Yes. Istanbul. I remember you,

Webber, but you can trust me.

WEBBER:

True Brethren have no need of

trust. We are one.

Webber’s smile reassures him. Anders nods, breathing easier.

His hand moves from his gun as he turns away. As soon asAnders presents his back, Webber withdraws a gloved hand fromhis pocket, holding a long, thin blade and stabs Anders inthe base of the skull.

Webber’s phone RINGS as he’s searching Anders’ pocket. Heanswers, rifling through Anders’ wallet.

WEBBER (INTO PHONE) (CONT’D)

Yes.

41.

GAST (O.S.)

Anders left his flat several

minutes ago but hasn’t

materialized.

Webber finds what appears to be a HOTEL CARD KEY. Noidentifying markings on either side.

WEBBER (INTO PHONE)

Send in a recon team. West

entrance.

Webber opens the bag of tools, takes out a sharp, flat blade.

He leans over Anders’s body and starts slicing away skin.

MOMENTS LATER:

A glimpse of the WHITE BODY of the alien that had been hiddenbeneath “Anders” skin as Webber zips up a black body bag. Hedrops the wallet’s contents on the bloody floor, making surethe hotel key is left in a slightly prominent place.

FRONT OF SHOP:

With the body bag cradled in his arms like a child, Webberwaits behind a shelf for a team of agents to pass.

EXT. ALLEY -- NIGHT

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