The Relic Page #19

---

PENDERGAST:

Identify yourself! Who's there?

No answer. The rumbling continues, growing louder. Then a dark object

appears. It comes rolling out of the hallway, bounces in front of them

and stops. Pendergast shines his light on...

DEPUTY ONE'S HEAD! The mouth is open wide in terror. Across the cheek

is a vicious claw mark.

JONATHAN:

Oh... my... God!

PENDERGAST:

(hisses)

Quiet.

And now they hear a GUT WRENCHING SHRIEK that's abruptly cut off,

followed by a second rumbling sound! Jonathan grabs Pendergast by the

shirt, panicked.

PENDERGAST:

Stay calm.

They head quietly for the exit at the other end of room which seems to

slope up. After they're gone a few moments the head of DEPUTY TWO

rolls to a stop.

EXT. MUSEUM - NIGHT

Cabs and limousines tangle outside the west entrance. A huge rotating

SPOTLIGHT is now turned on. Elegantly dressed men in dinner jackets

and women in gowns rush to get out of the pelting rain, umbrellas

jousting.

INT. CUTHBERT'S OFFICE - EVENING

Cuthbert's putting on his tux. He adjusts the cummerbund, humming

happily as D'Agosta looks on. D'Agosta paces, highly agitated and

worried.

D'AGOSTA

I'm telling you, something's wrong.

I still haven't heard from

Pendergast. I think you should call

it off.

CUTHBERT:

It's too late now. Guests are

arriving. The Mayor's car is pulling

up.

D'AGOSTA

I'll go down and speak to him.

CUTHBERT:

(irritated)

You haven't got the authority. Only

Pendergast can pull the plug.

D'AGOSTA

Pendergast may be in trouble. Don't

you understand? He still hasn't come

back. It's been over three hours --

CUTHBERT:

He'll be back. Relax. We're in good

shape. Your security is air tight.

There've been no more incidents,

nothing suspicious. There's no

reason to call off the opening now.

INT. GREAT ROTUNDA - NIGHT

Resounding with the echoes of several hundred expensive shoes crossing

the marble expanse and heading down the rows of palm trees leading to

the Hall of Heavens. The palms themselves are festooned with orchids

and violet lights. Somewhere inside, an invisible band is playing "New

York, New York". An army of waiters in white tie thread their way

through the guests carrying large silver platters crowded with

champagne glasses. Cuthbert enters and crosses to meet The MAYOR and

THE MAYOR'S WIFE. Photographers step forward and flashbulbs pop.

INT. HALL OF THE HEAVENS - NIGHT

Food is out. Hundreds of tables are set with black linen table cloths.

Decorations have a dark, haunted house theme. A hum of activity floats

up past the vast Corinthian columns into the circular dome above.

INT. MARGO'S LABORATORIES - NIGHT

An explosive sneeze rattles the beakers and dislodges the plant

specimens. Margo interrupts her work at the computer to hand Greg a

tissue as Frock looks on.

KAWAKITA:

What kind of egg is it?

MARGO:

It's reptilian.

FROCK:

Like the claw.

MARGO:

(cautious)

Let's not jump to conclusions. This

egg could belong to any number of

reptiles, Dr. Frock.

FROCK:

(excited)

Come on, Margo. We're on the verge

of something huge. Let's consider

the possibility, just the three of

us, alone in this room. What if John

was right. I mean, what if? And he

sent back an egg of his monster in

the crates. When it got to the

museum, it hatched.

MARGO:

Several problems with that theory.

For one thing, this egg is intact.

For another, according to

Pendergast, the crates were shipped

here on a boat. Everyone on board

was killed like Beauregard. If the

thing hatched in mid-ocean, where

did it go?

Frock has no answer. Greg gestures to his computer screen.

KAWAKITA:

I guess you're not interested in

this plant anymore, but the chemical

analysis is done. Frock reads the

computer over Greg's shoulder.

FROCK:

"Genus:
Unknown. Family: Unknown.

Order:
Unknown. Phylum: Unknown.

Cripes, Margo, what did you give me?

Is this an animal or one funky

shrub?"

(to Kawakita)

I see you've been programming the

computer vocabulary again.

MARGO:

(points to a hexagonal symbol)

Look at this. An ambyloid reovirus

protein. That explains why the

computer's confused. The plant's

infected with a virus.

FROCK:

That's not so unusual. Many plants

carry viruses. Like the burls on

Maple trees.

MARGO:

But a virus normally codes for other

viruses. This one's making human and

animal proteins. Listen to this.

(reads)

"Glycotetraglycine collagenoid.

Weinstein's tropic hormone. 4-

monoxytocin supressin hormone."

KAWAKITA:

These plant fibers are loaded with

hormones!

MARGO:

What kind of hormones?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes