The X-Files Page #2

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STEVIE:

Anyways, there's bones all over the

place down here.

Stevie looks down at his feet. CAMERA FOLLOWING HIS LOOK

DOWN to where there are indeed more human bones. And

something else. He takes a couple of steps in place,

standing in a familiar BLACK, OILY substance -- which is

climbing up his tennis shoe from the rock floor, over

the edge of the shoe and down into the shoe itself. Then

the SKULL drops in the frame, clattering on the hard

floor of the cave.

CAMERA SLOWLY RISING UP FROM STEVIE'S SHOES

Following SUBCUTANEOUS WORMS which have begun locomoting

aggressively up his legs. As his whole body is WRACKED

by a shivering seizure of some kind.

CAMERA RISES, following the path of the worms as they

move up the legs of his shorts. Some appearing on his

bare arms, but the great majority continuing up to

Stevie's neck, toward his face. Stevie stands paralyzed.

Letting out guttural sounds not dissimilar to when the

wind was knocked out of him.

3RD BOY (O.S.)

Hey, Stevie....

But Stevie cannot answer him. CAMERA CONTINUING UP to

the boys above. Looking down at their friend. Their eyes

go wide.

2ND BOY

You okay?

But what they see next answers that question for them.

THEIR POV OF STEVIE

His face suddenly alive with the subcutaneous worms.

Moving toward his eyes which begin filling with BLACK

OIL. Looking much now like ALIEN EYES.

CLOSE ON THE BOYS ABOVE

Freaked by what they see. And doing what any kid would

do now.

3RD BOY

Hey, man. Let's get outta here.

And they do. Bolting from the hole in the top of the

cave. CAMERA PUSHING UP THROUGH THIS HOLE to REVEAL we

are:

EXT. SMALL DIRT FIELD - NORTHERN TEXAS - DAY

In a dirt hole that was being dug by the three kids.

RISING UP out of the hole to REVEAL the parched dirt

patch where THREE KIDS are running away from us, as fast

as their feet will take them. Toward A NEW HOUSING TRACT

(five floorplans to choose from, including the model

home.) Disappearing into the neighborhood. A LEGEND

appears:
NORTH TEXAS, 1998.

CAMERA CONTINUES RISING ABOVE THE ROOFTOPS to see the

surrounding expanse of empty Texas flatland. And in the

distance, the DALLAS SKYLINE.

As CAMERA SETTLES, there are a few moments of nothing

but the sound of the wind gently whistling across the

landscape. In which we bury a short TIME CUT.

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NORTHERN TEXAS - DAY

Then we HEAR it, before we see it: FIRE ENGINES pulling

into the neighborhood, sirens WAILING. CAMERA DROPPING

AGAIN as the lead engine pulls up. FIREMEN are hopping

off, moving to the hole the boys dug.

LOW ANGLE UP FROM BELOW GROUND LEVEL, IN THE DUGOUT

HOLE:

TWO firemen carrying a ladder clamber down PAST CAMERA,

THREE OTHERS appearing on their heels. The other two

firemen clamber down, too. THE CAPTAIN at the edge of

the hole watching them. Holding a radio.

FIRE CAPTAIN:

This is Captain Miles Cooles...we've

got a rescue situation in progress...

INT. CAVE - CONTINUOUS

As the LEAD FIREMAN steps down the ladder into the cave.

He scans the darkness, illuminated only by the shaft of

light permitted by the hole above. As the 2ND FIREMAN

drops down next to him. The both stand motionless now,

as if sensing something.

THEIR POV:

Stevie's feet are just visible on the floor of the cave,

a short distance away.

RESUME FIREMEN - LOW ANGLE

They start cautiously toward Stevie. CAMERA FINDING

their feet. Tracking through the same OILY, BLACK

SUBSTANCE we saw bleeding from the creature thirty five

thousand years ago. As they move into the shadows, we

HOLD ON THE SUBSTANCE....and see it MOVE. It's alive.

TIME CUT TO:

EXT. DIRT FIELD - SHORT TIME LATER

CAMERA RISES out of the dirt hole, finds A GROUP OF

NEIGHBORS:

Concerned PARENTS, KIDS, including Stevie's friends.

They're held at a distance by the remaining firemen.

Everyone turning their concerned gazes skyward. Looking

at:

A MED-EVAC CHOPPER

Coming off the sun-setting horizon. Moving toward us at

high speed. The WHOP, WHOP of its blade soon shaking the

neighborhood as it banks in and around and hovers just

over the dirt field. Landing gently on the parched hard

scrabble.

The side door flies open and FIVE HAZ-MAT RESCUE

PARAMEDICS jump out carrying a bubble litter. CAMERA

PANS THEM to the dirt hole past THE FIRE CAPTAIN. The

Haz-Mat Paramedics moving down into the hole. The Fire

Captain watches this, then stares toward --

DR. BEN BRONSCHWEIG (in shirtsleeves, tie), exiting the

chopper, following up the rear. The Captain meeting him

in route.

BRONSCHWEIG:

(over the chopper)

Keep those people back. Get them out

of here.

FIRE CAPTAIN:

(to his men)

Move them all back.

(dogging Bronschweig)

I sent four men down after the boy.

They're not responding.

Dr. Bronschweig's focus is elsewhere, though. He's

making a bee line to the earthen hole where young Stevie

is being pulled out and lifted into an enclosed

QUARANTINE BUBBLE LITTER by the rescue squad.

Bronschweig watches with great concern. Getting a good

look now at Stevie's paralyzed body as it passes him.

ANGLE ON CHOPPER

As Stevie's body is loaded aboard, the side door is slid

shut. The engine throttles up and the chopper takes

flight again, almost as quickly as it arrived. The prop

wash blowing:

DR. BRONSCHWEIG

And the gathering crowd. Bronschweig watches the chopper

bank away, then turns his look to:

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Where A SERIES OF UNMARKED CARGO VANS, TRUCKS are

rolling in. A fleet of vehicles, driven by what looks

like MILITARY PERSONNEL. Most conspicuously TWO WHITE

UNMARKED TANKER TRUCKS. (There are NO MARKINGS on these

vehicles.)

RESUME BRONSCHWEIG

As the Fire Captain moves around to face him off.

FIRE CAPTAIN:

What about my men?

DR. BRONSCHWEIG

(brusquely)

We're doing all we can.

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