The Thing Page #15

The men watch as Garry lowers his gun. He turns to them.

GARRY:

I don't know about Copper. But I

didn't go near that plasma...

(beat)

But I guess you'll all rest easier

if someone else is in charge.

He hands his gun to Norris.

GARRY:

Can't see anyone objecting to you,

Norris.

NORRIS:

Sorry, gentlemen...

(rubs chest)

... Don't think I'd be up to it.

Haven't been feeling well lately.

Childs goes for the gun.

CHILDS:

I'll take it...

MacReady beats him to it.

MACREADY:

Maybe it should be someone a bit

more even-tempered, Childs.

Childs glares.

MACREADY:

(to others)

... Any objections?

Roving eyes pass about the hallway. Nobody is sure who to

trust. MacReady seems as good as any.

INT. REC ROOM

The men have gathered to discuss plans. Furtive and

untrustworthy glances are passed around the room.

MACREADY:

... From what we know this Thing

likes to go one on one. So we stick

together as much as possible. In

two's and three's.

Childs points to Garry, Dr. Copper and Clark.

CHILDS:

What do we do about those three?

MACREADY:

We got morphine, don't we.

Fuchs nods.

MACREADY:

Well, we keep them loaded. Stash

them here in the rec room and watch

'em twenty-four hours.

PALMERS:

(ears perk up)

Morphine? You know I was pretty

close to that dog, too.

Palmer is ignored.

NORRIS:

We should sleep in shifts.

MACREADY:

Right. Half of us awake at all

times.

SANCHEZ:

How we going to try and find out

who's... you know, who's who?

MACREADY:

(to Fuchs)

Can you think of any other tests?

FUCHS:

I'll try. I could sure use Copper's

help though.

CHILDS:

You can eighty-six that thought

right now, man.

Dr. Copper eyes his accuser solemnly.

MACREADY:

Also... When this Thing turns... it

turns slowly at first. I think we

can handle it in that state. But if

it ever got to full power... from

what I saw of that Norwegian camp...

well, I just don't know... It would

probably take it an hour or more to

get like that. So no matter what

anybody's doing, we all return to

this room every twenty minutes.

Anybody gone longer than that...

anybody trying to leave... we kill

'em.

CUT TO:

EXT. COMPOUND - DARKNESS

It is the dead of winter. Six months of darkness ahead.

Palmer fights the cold as he works dismantling the engine

of the helicopter.

He frowns, searching for something.

PALMER:

(mumbles)

Where's that magneto? Can't find a

darn thing around here any more.

INT. REC ROOM

Copper, Clark and Garry sit moodily together on a couch.

Norris awkwardly prepares to give them their injections.

He is new at this. Childs stands guard with his torch.

Dr. Copper offers to help.

DR. COPPER

I'll do it. You're going to break

the needle in my arm.

CHILDS:

No, Doc. He's doing a real fine

job.

EXT. COMPOUND

MacReady and Sanchez are foraging through the trash dump.

MACREADY:

Look for shoes, too. And burned

cloth.

INT. RADIO ROOM

Norris has begun dismantling the radio. He rubs at his

chest as he disengages the headset.

INT. HALLWAY

Following Nauls as he skates through the labyrinth.

Checking waste bins. Pausing to look behind shelves and

any obscure hiding place.

MacReady passes him coming the other way.

NAULS:

That thing's too smart to be hiding

any more of its clothes, MacReady.

MACREADY:

Just keep looking.

INT. LAB

Fuchs is poring over a book. Several others lie open on

his desk.

MacReady pokes his head in the lab.

MACREADY:

How's it going?

FUCHS:

Nothing yet. But, MacReady, I've

been thinking... If our dogs changed

by swallowing parts of that other

one... We better see to it that

everyone prepares their own food and

we eat out of cans.

MACREADY:

Gotchya.

EXT. COMPOUND

A siren goes off, signaling the end of a twenty-minute

period. Sanchez pulls himself out of the trash dump.

Palmer carries a large part of a helicopter engine toward

the compound.

INT. COMPOUND

The hallway near the supply storage cubicle. MacReady

holds the door open as Palmer makes his way to him lugging

the heavy helicopter part.

Childs passes by from the other direction.

PALMER:

Childs, where's that magneto from

Chopper One?

CHILDS:

Ain't it there?

He passes by.

PALMER:

No it ain't there. Would I be

asking if it were there?

MACREADY:

Move it, Palmer.

INT. SUPPLY STORAGE ROOM

Palmer sets down the heavy part. Norris follows him

inside with a bundle of radio gear. They move back out

into the hallway. MacReady locks the door behind them.

HALLWAY:

The three move down the hall toward their appointed

rendezvous at the rec room.

MACREADY:

(to Palmer)

Start taking apart those snowmobiles

next, huh?

INT. KITCHEN

Cramped. Several of the men are preparing their food.

Opening cans. Heating them in pots.

EXT. COMPOUND

Nauls wearily approaches Blair's tool shed with a tray of

food. He hears a pounding from within.

NAULS:

I got your goodies, superdude.

He peeks in through the opening in the boarded-up window.

Blair is nailing himself in from the inside. He looks

pretty crazed.

NAULS:

What you doin'?

BLAIR:

Nobody's getting in here. You can

tell them all that!

NAULS:

Well, who the hell you think wants

to get in there with you?

Nauls slides the tray in the slot. It is immediately

shoved back out and topples onto the ice. Some of the

food has splashed on Nauls' heavy coat.

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