Sphere Page #17

ON TED AND NORMAN -

TED:

Don't make stuff up, these emotional

theories, just so you can feel

important here.

NORMAN:

Frankly, Ted, I'd be much happier if

Jerry was just a cold, emotionless

intellect.

TED:

Why's that?

BARNES:

(into intercom)

Edmunds?

NORMAN:

Because if Jerry is powerful and

also emotional...

BARNES:

Damn it, Edmunds?

NORMAN:

...it raises a very serious

question:
What happens if Jerry

gets mad?

INT. VIDEO FEED ROOM

BARNES (O.S.)

Edmunds? Can you copy?

An empty chair. Edmunds is not here. WE HEAR a repeating THUMP. THUMP.

THUMP.

BARNES (O.S.)

Edmunds?

ON A MONITOR - WE SEE her body, wedged in a light stand bracket,

floating in the water, lifeless. Her helmet THUMPING against the wall

of the habitat.

INT. UNDERWATER - OUTSIDE THE HABITAT

Norman and Beth, in jumpsuits and helmets, walk out from under the

habitat. Still HEARING the THUMPING. They pause, looking around.

BETH:

Coast is clear.

They go to the south end of the habitat. The THUMPING louder.

Norman climbs up the grid-like STANCHION, the support beam holding up

the habitat. The BODY above him -- flapping in the current. THUMPING

against the wall.

He climbs, reaching the body. A BOOT swings, catches the LOOP in his

air hose. BUBBLES shoot out.

BETH:

Norman, your suit -- it's leaking.

The BOOT comes off in Norman's hand -- and the NAKED FOOT, gray flesh,

purple toenails, KICKS his faceplate. Startles him.

BETH:

Norman. Look at this.

ON EDMUNDS' SUIT - a long TEAR in the fabric, revealing red, mangled

FLESH. Droplets of BLOOD float past Norman's faceplate.

BETH:

Her flesh has been macerated.

Chewed. I've never seen a bite like

this before.

Norman pulls her body out.

Edmunds' FACEPLATE whips around -- and Norman SEES her staring eyes,

mouth open in horror.

NORMAN:

I can't feel her bones. She's like a

sponge.

BETH:

She was crushed. Feel her skin --

it's like sandpaper.

NORMAN:

What could have done this?

WE HEAR A SENSOR: PONG. PONG. PONG.

INT. VIDEO FEED ROOM

Barnes at the monitors, Ted with him.

PONG. PONG. PONG.

TED:

What is that?

BARNES:

The sensors are picking up something

outside.

TED:

What?

Barnes flips a switch...

BARNES:

It won't register. It's too big to

image.

TED:

Too big?

EXT. UNDERWATER

WHITE EGGS, the size of golf balls descend from above. Hundreds of

them. Beth catches one, inspects it...

BETH:

Norman.

NORMAN:

What are they?

BETH:

Eggs.

From inside their helmets...

BARNES (O.S.)

You people need to hurry back. The

sensors have activated. I don't

think you're alone out there.

INT. CORRIDOR

Ted walks with Norman and Beth...

NORMAN:

What was it?

TED:

Barnes didn't know. Couldn't get a

reading.

NORMAN:

Has Harry spoken with Jerry?

TED:

Not that I know of. Why?

INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM

Norman and Ted at the console...

NORMAN:

Jerry?

No reply.

NORMAN:

Jerry, are you there?

No reply.

TED:

You think Jerry has something to do

with what killed Edmunds? With

what's out there?

NORMAN:

I'm not sure.

INT. LABRATORY

CLOSE ON AN EGG:

Beth, scalpel in hand, is making an incision into the shell.

BETH:

Looking at the coating here, it's

definitely marine invertebrate.

Barnes, Norman, Harry and Ted stand around the table.

BARNES:

Well, until we know exactly what it

is, nobody goes outside, understood?

TED:

What was Edmunds doing outside?

BARNES:

Resetting the sub.

TED:

What sub?

BARNES:

In the dome hanger. All our tapes

are transferred to the sub. It's on

a 12 hour timer. If someone doesn't

reset the "delay" button, the sub

ascends to the surface with the

tapes.

NORMAN:

What for?

BARNES:

If something should happen to us,

the Navy will at least have partial

records of what happened.

NORMAN:

At least our obituaries will be

accurate. That's reassuring.

ON THE EGG - splitting open. A slimy pinkish-brown FLUID oozes out. A

FETUS underneath.

They cover their mouths from the smell.

BARNES:

What is it?

Beth picks at it with forceps...

BETH:

I'm not sure. I've never seen

anything like it.

BARNES:

You're a f***ing biochemist, aren't

you? Can't you tell us something.

Beth glares at Barnes...

INT. CLOSET AREA - DARK

Beth, holding a piece of paper in her hand, pulls Norman inside,

pressing on him...

BETH:

...He lied to us. He left us down

here.

NORMAN:

C'mon, Beth. Don't make this

personal. He told me himself they

were taking us back.

BETH:

Yeah, he told you. Think. What was

Barnes doing before they cut that

cable loose? He was on the phone.

Except that cable is a thousand feet

long, Norman. They would've broken

off communication with us four, five

minutes before they cleared out.

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