The Relic Page #22

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MCNITT:

George! Get out here, now!

McNitt looks around, desperate. But George still isn't here. The door

to the electrical room is still open. The ceiling shudders from

thundering feet. McNitt can hear distant SCREAMS! It's raising the

hair on the back of his neck. He calls out.

MCNITT:

George! Where are you?

No answer. He moves to the open door, a new fear in his eyes. He looks

inside.

INT. ELECTRICAL ROOM - NIGHT

BLACKNESS. McNitt can't find a light switch. He stays in the doorway,

silhouetted by light from the computer room. With shaking hands McNitt

pumps a slug into the chamber of his shotgun. There's a strange, low,

gurgling sound. It's McNitt's stomach. He silences it, swallows.

MCNITT:

Hey you? George! Damn it. Where are

you? No response.

McNitt edges into the darkened rooms. The first one's empty. He tries

the next.

MCNITT:

George! We've got an emergency! Are

you here?

Suddenly there's a HUGE THUMP and a scuttling to his left! It's a

terrifying sound! McNitt drops to his knees and pumps three rounds,

each with a light and a deafening blast! A SHOWER OF SPARKS and a gout

of flame licks upwards, illuminating the room with orange light. A

HUGE DARK SHAPE ducks out the door!

MCNITT:

Oh God. Oh God!

Gunpowder hangs in the air like a blue fog. On the far wall, a mounted

metal box is smoking from three large, ragged holes! With a sudden

pop, an electrical arc slices across the ruined box, followed by a

crackling and a shower of sparks. McNitt ducks back into the computer

room, slams the door and locks it, breathing hard.

INT. COMPUTER ROOM - NIGHT

Every single screen flickers and dims. But to McNitt's relief, George

has returned. He is sitting with his back to the doorway in his chair.

MCNITT:

George! I saw something in there! I

fired but I think I missed it!

George remains still, his back to McNitt, staring at the computer game

on the flickering screen.

MCNITT:

George, for Chrissake answer me!

McNitt puts a hand on George's shoulder, swivels his chair around.

ON GEORGE... His face ripped off.

INT. ELECTRICAL ROOM - NIGHT

ON THE CENTRAL SWITCHING BOX... sparking and shorting as an ENORMOUS

CLAWED ARM SWIPES IT OFF THE WALL!

INT. HALL OF THE HEAVENS - NIGHT

Everyone pours out of the exhibit, running for the door leading to the

Rotunda. People are getting trampled. It's a terrible crush. Screams!

Tables over-turned everywhere. Food scatters to the floor. D'AGOSTA

pushes his way out of the exhibit, crosses to Kawakita, who is

appalled. Above, the chandeliers are flickering.

KAWAKITA:

What happened?!

D'AGOSTA

There's a dead body in the exhibit!

People are panicking, trampling each

other trying to get out.

Ippolito runs over to join them.

D'AGOSTA

What the hell is going on?!

Above them THE LIGHTS dim again and come back on.

IPPOLITO:

The whole system is shutting down!

We have to get out quickly before

the fire doors fall!

D'AGOSTA

What doors?

IPPOLITO:

I told you! They seal off all the

cells. They were designed to fall

automatically in a system failure --

D'AGOSTA

You said the system couldn't fail!

At this there's a low rumble from above. D'Agosta looks up and sees A

LARGE METAL DOOR IS DESCENDING from a slot in the ceiling, and not in

an orderly fashion. It's falling fast. Below are crowds of people, all

pushing to get out! Officer Bailey, near the door, sees it.

BAILEY:

Above you! Look out!

His voice is lost in an ocean of screaming. Kawakita stands in total

horror a moment, then joins Bailey and D'Agosta.

All of them try to restrain people from trying to beat the door.

Ippolito, on the other hand, elbows his way to the front of the

fleeing crowd!

D'AGOSTA

Ippolito! Get back here!

IPPOLITO:

Like hell!

Ignoring D'Agosta, Ippolito pushes past. He barrels over an OLD MAN

who stumbles and falls DIRECTLY BENEATH THE FALLING DOOR! Ippolito

jumps over him and is out!

The old man looks up at the descending wall of steel and SCREAMS!

D'AGOSTA runs forward, dives for the old man but he's not in time.

Kawakita covers his eyes, unable to watch as the lights flicker a

third and last time. The room is plunged into darkness. And over the

screams we hear the rumble and CRASH, the horrifying cries of the old

man, as the door comes down.

INT. MARGO'S LAB - NIGHT

Margo and Frock stand in the darkness. Through a high window we can

see lightning flash.

MARGO:

What's going on?

FROCK:

Some kind of power failure. Maybe

it's the storm. Do you have a

flashlight?

MARGO:

I think so.

She gets one from a cupboard.

FROCK:

Greg's been gone over a half hour.

We'd better get out of here. Get the

crate.

INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Frock wheels his chair as fast as he can. Margo runs beside him

carrying the crate with the fibers inside. A peel of thunder ends and

distant screaming is heard. Margo stops, appalled.

MARGO:

Dr. Frock. Did you hear that?

FROCK:

Don't stop now.

Up ahead they hear METALLIC RUMBLING and a CRASH! They round a corner

and come up against a huge STEEL DOOR.

MARGO:

What's that?

FROCK:

It's one of the fire doors. Good

Lord, Margo. We're trapped!

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