The Thing Page #18

The single flare illuminating the ceiling. Almost all of

the corrugated, steel roofing is gone. As if ripped off.

NAULS:

(shouting to be

heard)

Where's the roof?!

MacReady stares up incredulous, as they advance through

the room.

NAULS:

This storm do that?

MACREADY:

(shouting)

Couldn't be possible. Must have

weighted a ton and a half...

Nauls kicks over a chair. A naked, fleshy object bounds

high into the air. Nauls thrusts out his torch, catching

the breasts of the inflatable woman. She pops and is

sucked out through the hole in the roof.

Nauls tries to catch his breath.

NAULS:

Goddamn white women.

INT. COMPOUND

Underground, rickety corridor. Palmer stands by as Childs

undoes the many locks to the room that houses his plants.

One by one. Palmer twists his head in every which

direction. Nervous.

Childs pulls open the heavy door. A flush of snow and

wind push them back. They wedge their bodies at the

entrance to the lightless room.

CHILDS:

My babies.

They enter. The light from the hall exposes the

completely smashed-in window high above the plants. The

plants look frozen.

PALMER:

Somebody broke in.

CHILDS:

Now who'd go and do...

Saddened, angry, Childs goes to check the damage to his

plants. Palmer, his face set in horror, yanks him back.

PALMER:

Childs!!

CHILDS:

Let go of me...

PALMER:

Don't get near 'em. The plants!

They're alive. Those things can

imitate anything...

CHILDS:

What's it going to do, being a

plant?

Palmer readies his small torch.

PALMER:

We got to burn 'em.

CHILDS:

Now hold on, you dumb...

Palmer sprays them with flame. Childs pushes him to the

ground, and tries to swat out the fire.

CHILDS:

You stupid, sonofa...

Palmer, his mouth agape with terror, screams and points to

the closing door to their rear. Childs whirls.

FUCHS:

One arm outstretched, swings into view. An ax, embedded

deep into his chest, pins his frozen body to the inside of

the door.

INT. REC ROOM

Norris startled by the scream, turns on the siren.

CUT TO:

INT. PLANT ROOM

Sanchez has joined Childs and Palmer. The body of Fuchs

is still pinned to the door. Sanchez tries to wrench the

ax loose. It is too deeply embedded and won't budge.

SANCHEZ:

Whoever put this through him...

Sanchez observes Childs' hulking frame and adds pointedly:

SANCHEZ:

... is one bad-ass and strong

muther.

CHILDS:

No one's that strong, boy!

INT. PASSAGEWAY

Tracking with the three men. Opening and closing doors,

as they make their way back to the rec room. They keep

their distance from each other, watching each other while

they walk.

PALMER:

Why didn't it imitate Fuchs? Isn't

that its number -- to get more

recruits.

CHILDS:

Wasn't enough time. Generator was

out, what...? Thirty minutes.

Takes the bastards an hour, maybe

two to absorb somebody.

SANCHEZ:

Why Fuchs?

CHILDS:

He was working on a test. Fuchs

must have been onto something.

These bastards got scared and got

rid of him.

(suddenly realizing)

... Hey... Where's...

CUT TO:

INT. COMPOUND - CLOSE ON PALMER'S FACE

shouting down a passageway.

PALMER:

MacReady!!

CLOSE ON CHILDS:

bellowing.

CHILDS:

Nauls!! MacReady!!

EXT. COMPOUND

A strong driftwind streams snow across the ground

obscuring everything but the very top of the buildings.

The siren screams.

INT. REC ROOM

Rigid, immobile faces. Listening to the storm overhead.

CHILDS:

How long they been out now?

NORRIS:

Forty... Forty-five minutes.

Silence, as the uneasy eyes measure one another.

CHILDS:

We better start closing off the

outside hatchways.

VARIOUS ANGLES OF THE COMPOUND

Childs, Sanchez and Palmer -- closing off and bolting the

entrances to the camp.

NORRIS (O.S.)

All of you! Come here!

INT. COMPOUND MAIN HALLWAY - POINT OF VIEW - THE MEN

Through the fogged-up windows, a figure can be seen

approaching the main compound. It pulls and drags its way

along the guide rope, fighting the gale force winds.

CUT TO:

THE MEN:

weapons in hand, huddle at the main doorway. They unbolt

it. Sleet and hail send Nauls rolling in from the

outside. The men force the door back and lock it.

The weary Nauls kneels on the floor and gasps for air.

The others surround him.

PALMER:

Where's MacReady?

Nauls weighs each of them ominously, while digging down

underneath his heavy jacket.

NAULS:

Cut him loose of the line up by his

shack.

CHILDS:

Cut him loose?

NAULS:

When we were up poking around his

place... I found this...

He pulls out a thick bundle of heavy clothing. It is

mutilated and partially burned. He holds out the jacket

to show the inside collar.

Close on name tag -- it reads: R.J. MACREADY

The men, as they examine in a hush.

NAULS:

... It was stashed in his old coal

furnace... wind must have dislodged

it... I don't think he saw me find

it.

The men continue to examine in various states of

disbelief.

NAULS:

... Made sure I got ahead of him on

the towline on the way back... cut

him loose.

SANCHEZ:

(incredulous)

MacReady...?

NAULS:

He's one of them.

SANCHEZ:

(scared)

When do you think it got to him?

PALMER:

Could have been anytime. Anywhere.

CHILDS:

(to Nauls,

suspicious)

If it did get to him.

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