Sphere Page #21

BETH:

You, me and Harry. He's asleep.

NORMAN:

Wake him, then. Let's go. Get

outta --

BETH:

We can't. The storm. The waves would

toss us around worse than we got

down here. And we have four days of

decompression when we get up top.

NORMAN:

Four days?

BETH:

Get the helium out of our

bloodstream. We go to the surface

now, we'd pop like a soda bottle.

She begins to put on her helmet, when she stops.

BETH:

Maybe you should go. To the sub.

NORMAN:

Why should I go?

BETH:

You should know how it works. Just

in case.

NORMAN:

In case you die, too?

BETH:

I don't trust Harry to do it.

NORMAN:

I would. But my suit --

BETH:

I fixed your suit.

She goes to it. Brings it to him.

NORMAN:

(watching her closely)

You fixed my suit?

BETH:

You don't trust me?

NORMAN:

But I don't know how --

BETH:

You press a button, Norman. It's not

brain surgery. Here, go ahead. You

only have 15 minutes to reset it. Go

on, Norman...

She hands him a BRIEFCASE, the tapes inside.

BETH:

...I'll watch the sensors for you.

EXT. UNDERWATER

Norman drops to the bottom with the BRIEFCASE. Lands on the ground.

BREATHING. Checks his LIFE SUPPORT BADGE. She must've fixed it.

BETH:

You're clear, Norman.

He walks along, out from under the habitat. Carefully, looking around.

BETH (O.S.)

The sub's a 100 feet in front of

you. You see it?

NORMAN:

I can't see anything. How does it

look? Still clear?

BETH (O.S.)

Still clear.

Norman, hesitantly, ventures out. The DARK WATER. Looking around.

Anything could be out here. Walking. WE HEAR him BREATHING. His

BREATHING gets shorter. He looks at his LIFE SUPPORT BADGE.

BETH (O.S.)

What's the matter?

NORMAN:

You fixed this suit?

(no reply)

Beth?

BETH (O.S.)

Yes, Norman. I did. You're just

nervous.

NORMAN:

My air isn't...I'm coming back.

BETH (O.S.)

You can't. Counter's at 10 minutes.

You don't have time.

His BREATHING is short, but managable. He continues on.

AHEAD OF HIM - the DOME HANGER attached to a large, gray cylinder,

forty feet high.

NORMAN:

Still clear?

BETH (O.S.)

Still clear.

UNDERNEATH THE DOME HANGER - Norman climbs up to the hatch DOOR. Looks

below him. Nothing around him. He SPINS the wheel, and pushes the

HATCH OPEN. Lifts himself up, awkwardly. Grabs HANDHOLDS, and PULLS

himself up into the POCKET OF AIR trapped inside the dome.

THE SUB - in front of him. He finds the hatch, opens it, climbs inside

the sub.

INT. SUB

Norman sits in the small seat.

NORMAN:

I'm in.

(beat)

Hello?

No answer. He bangs at his helmet...

NORMAN:

Beth?

He searches the sub's CONTROL PANEL. Gadgets, switches, buttons. Up

top -- a flashing red-lit BUTTON: "TIMER HOLD". Punches it. It stops

flashing, and a small screen glows: "TIMER RESET - COUNT: 12:00:00".

It begins counting backwards.

NORMAN:

Beth? Hello?

No answer. He looks at the Control Panel:

A VIDEO SCREEN with the choices: "DESCEND, ASCEND, SECURE,

SHUTDOWN..."

THUMP!

The sub slightly SWAYS.

Norman sits still, nervous.

THUMP! Harder this time.

Norman looks through the GLASS WINDSHIELD. Sweating. Can't see

anything in here.

BANG! It SWAYS faster, harder, back and forth. He grips the seat.

NORMAN:

Beth! Beth! There's something -- !

THUMP! BANG! He's thrown around in the sub. He can't see anything,

tosses around. He reaches for the doorhandle.

BANG! He looses grip, his legs fly up in the air. The Sub almost turns

over on it's side.

NORMAN:

Beth! Sh*t!

His HELMET BANGS into the glass, WE SEE his look of terror. Water

SPLASHING up from below.

Then, EVERYTHING stops.

The sub SWAYS to a still. He sits quietly. Waiting. Listening.

Reaches for the doorhandle, cautiously climbs out.

Stands on top of the sub. Keeping balance. He looks around, finds a

DOOR inside the dome. Tries to open it. Locked.

Looks around. Nothing else. Looks down at the water. Can he risk it?

His BREATHING short.

NORMAN:

Beth? Can you hear me?

No reply. He dips his leg slowly, quietly into the water. Grimacing.

Then, cautiously slips down into the water...

EXT. UNDERWATER

CLOSE ON HIS FACE - terrified. Looking everywhere. Searching. Doesn't

see anything. Lands on the bottom.

His LIFE SUPPORT BADGE beeping. Shortness of BREATH.

He walks, trying to run, out from under the dome hanger. The DARK

WATER. Can't see anything. Scared to death.

NORMAN:

Beth? Beth? Sh*t.

THE HABITAT - ahead of him.

Norman goes to a STANCHION. Grips onto it. Twists around. Looking.

Searching. Doesn't see anything. LIFE SUPPORT BADGE bleeping faster.

Barely BREATHING.

HARRY (O.S.)

...you there? Norman?

NORMAN:

Harry?

HARRY (O.S.)

Norman, where are you?

NORMAN:

I can't breathe... Am I...clear?

HARRY (O.S.)

You're clear. You see the airlock?

Norman, twists around, and as he does...

A SEA SNAKE:

HISSES at his faceplate. Norman SCREAMS.

ON HIS HAND - holding the snake, not the girder, lets go.

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