The Rock Page #2

INT. F.B.I. OFFICE - CHEMICAL/BIOLOGIAL DIVISION - DAY

A WINDOWED DOOR stencilled "Chemical/Biological Weapons Division." A RUBBER=

DART hits the glass and drops into A TRASH CAN next to the=

door.

ISHERWOOD (V.O.)

Son of a b*tch...

GOODSPEED (V.O.)

You owe me five dollars, Marvin.

ACROSS THE ROOM - BILL GOODSPEED, 30, and partner/trainee MARVIN ISHERWOOD,=

25, feet up on desks, with toy guns. This is Man's Boredom. A ceiling fan=

circles. Isherwood yawns; scratches neck with his gun barrel.

GOODSPEED reloads. Aims. Fires.

THE DART hits A CARDBOARD TARGET across the room which activates a Rube=

Goldberg series of events ending in a PLASTIC GIRL being ignited in a PAN=

OF CHEMICALS.

GOODSPEED, without even getting up, casually sprays the pan

with flame retardant foam.

ISHERWOOD:

(yawns)

I was told this was exciting work.

GOODSPEED:

Patience, Marvin. It has its moments.

.A KLAXON sounds. Isherwood smiles excitedly.

INT. F.B.I. CHEMICAL WEAPONS - BASEMENT CORRIDOR - DAY

Isherwood follows Goodspeed down a grimy, off-white corridor illuminated by=

antiseptic light. This is an older building. Hasn't been refurbished and=

shows it.

INT. F.B.I. CHEMICAL WEAPONS - LABORATORY - DAY

A medium-sized laboratory, where 5 F.B.I. TECHNICIANS are bent over tables=

of beakers, test-tubes, Bunsen burners, etc. The room and equipment are=

old and used; could be 1976 rather than 1996.

Along one side of the lab is a plexi-glass wall.

Inside the plexi-glass is an airlocked GAS CHAMBER.

F.B.I chemists LONNER and LING motion to Goodspeed.

DR. LONNER

C'mere, Billy.

(points inside gas

chamber)

A dog at J.F.K. got a whiff of something postmarked to a Bosnian refugee=

camp. Could be detergent, could be seran gas.

INSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER - is a LARGE WOODEN CRATE next to a

TABLE OF POISON DETECTION INSTRUMENTS.

ISHERWOOD:

Bosnian refugee camp? I don't get it.

GOODSPEED:

Half a million Serbians reside in the U.S., Marvin. Serbians don't like=

Bosnians. Read a newspaper. It's good for you. Hold out your=

hand.

Isherwood does so. It's shaky.

ISHERWOOD:

I'm okay. Really. Let's do it-

Hold on Goodspeed's uncertain look, and CUT TO:

INT. GAS C ER - DAY - MINUTES LATER

The door HISSES open. Goodspeed and Isherwood, in

vulcanized rubber suits and visored helmets, enter. They go

to the INSTRUMENT TABLE before the crate.

A GLASS VESSEL with tiny air holes (like a salt shaker)

descends from the ceiling. Inside are COCKROACHES. .

GOODSPEED:

Coal miners use canaries, we use those.

Sorry guys.

DR. LING

(into mike)

We have airlock, Bill. Proceed.

GOODSPEED , (into helmet mike)

July 1, 0.900 hours, agent william Goodspeed and agent/trainee Marvin=

Isherwood. Initiating exam of a wooden crate. Suspicion of seran gas=

device inside.

Goodspeed grabs a pry-bar from the instrument table-and slowly pries open=

the cratels wooden lid. He motions to Isherwood. Together they gingerly=

lift the lid.

INSIDE THE CRATE - it's filled with "UNICEF" type stuff.

Goodspeed lifts out a HOT-PLATE. Isherwood lifts out an EGG

BEATER. Gocidspeed runs a POISON SENSOR past each.

GOODSPEED:

Appears to be kitchen items, cleaning agents, and...

(lifts out a sweatshirt)

... old clothes.

ISHERWOOD:

This is thrilling

Isherwood lifts out a DOLL. Goodspeed's POISON SENSORIS

NEEDLE goes crazy... !

GOODSPEED:

Careful, coddamn it Marvin!

The doll's eyes open. Its mouth blast a PINKISH SPRAY,

hitting Goodspeed's forearm and Isherwood's palm.

OUTSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER - DR. LING stabs a button marked

"exhaust" and another marked "emergency."

A KLAXON sounds. F.B.I. TECHNICIANS race for the exit.

IN THE GAS C~ER - The pinkish gas hovers in the air.

CEILING EXHAUST FANS begin to suck it up.

IN THE GLASS VESSEL ~ The cockroaches convulse, flip in the

air and explode, guts splattering the vessel walls.

ISHERWOOD:

What's hap... what's happening....?

DR. LING looks at a DIGITAL CLOCK on the control panel.

DR. LING

Don't panic, Bill. 50 seconds and the

gas will clear. You're okay.

Goodspeed grabs the doll from Isherwood, slams it on the

table, and grabs A SCALPEL. Cuts open the doll's chest.

GOODSPEED:

I've got some bad news and some really bad news. The bad news is the gas is=

corrosive. It's eating our suits.

ISHERWOOD looks at his RUBBER GLOVES. The rubber is

beginning to bubble and corrode.

DR. LING

What's the really bad news.

GOODSPEED peels back the doll's plastic chest, revealing: a

C-4 EXPLOSIVE DEVICE and TEN POISON AMPULES.

GOODSPEED Enough C-4 explosive to blow the chamber and enough poison gas to=

kill everybody in the building.

Isherwood's and Goodspeed's rubber gloves are melting.

ISHERWOOD:

The acidls eating... it's eating my

f***ing suit...

GOODSPEED:

Chill, Marvin.

(yells outside)

WHERE'S THE GODDAMN SPRINKLERS?

Dr. Lonner flips on the sprinklers. The pipes KNOCK. A FEW

PATHETIC DROPS trickle from the SPRINKLER HEADS.

DR. LONNER

Something's blocking the pipes, Bill. When in Christ's name are they gonna=

give us a new building ...

DR. LING

Get the atropine, Isherwood. The

atropine, Marvin.

Isherwood, terrified, jerks open an OVERHEAD CABINET,

revealing several 6 inch needled SYRINGES.

DR. LING

You die, we all die, Bill. Inject yourself, then diffuse it.

(Goodspeed continues to

inspect-the device

Goddamn it, Bill, take the antidote.

Isherwood fumbles with a huge syringe.

GOODSPEED:

Get that away from me.

(to himself)

I hate needles.

DR. LING

INJECT YOURSELF!

GOODSPEED:

LONNER, WHERE'S THE GODDAMNED WATER?

The pipes are KNOCKING, now they're COUGHING.

DR. LONNER

It's coming, it's coming ...

ISHERWOOD sinks to his knees, holding the huge syringe in

front of his heart, hari-kari style, hands trembling ...

GOODSPEED concentrates on the device; his calm is unsettling. His hands=

flash, grabbing instruments and performing precise, deft, functions. He=

snips a wire and splices it. Another. Another.

DR. LING

(sweating it out)

Ten seconds, Bill.

Isherwood moves the syringe closer to his chest.

ISHERWOOD:

Oh f*** oh sh*t oh f*** THIS IS LIKE

F***ING PULP FICTION ONLY IT'S REAL.

ISHERWOOD drops the syringe. Fumbles for another...

GOODSPEED, ice-cold, continues on the device ...

DR. LING

Five seconds, Bill, four seconds, Jesus

Christ ...

GOODSPEEDIS RUBBER GLOVE is stretched to transparency. we see GOODSPEEDIS=

FLESH through the acid-eaten rubber. He makes one final cut-and-clamp. =

THE DETONATOR on the poison gas turns off.

DR. LING

Three, two... the gas is clear!

OUTSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER - GREEN LIGRTS FLASR on the control panel and A=

TORRENTIAL SPRAY soaks GOODSPEED AND ISRERWOOD. Isherwood is wide-eyed and=

trembling. Goodspeed glares at him.

DR. LING

Next time use the atropine!

GOODSPEED:

I don't like needles.

EXT. GEORGETOWN - STREETS/ALLEYWAY - DAY

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