The Depths/Transcript

Tease Sequence
WILL: You need to at least consider combining some of the smaller sanctuaries.

MAGNUS: Maybe.

WILL: Maybe? Magnus, unless my understanding of basic finance is flawed--

MAGNUS: We appear to be hemorrhaging money, yes.

WILL: Aren't we?

MAGNUS: It depends on your point of view.

WILL: [Chuckles] Okay, you know what, I'm going to drop it, and then when the repo men arrive, you can deal with them.

MAGNUS: We're at war with insurgents from Hollow Earth. Debt collectors are the least of our worries.

HENRY: Ah, good, you're both here. Gold star, please. I have some new info on SCIU doings. The doings of SCIU.

WILL: I thought we were locked out of all their databases.

HENRY: We were. After what happened in Buenos Aires, those guys totally closed ranks. Couldn't make a dent.

MAGNUS: But you found a way.

HENRY: Those files Tesla slipped me after our little adventure in the land of lost socks? I did a little deep data mining, found some usernames, extrapolated some passwords...

WILL: I like where this is going.

HENRY: All adding up to three upcoming SCIU research team-- destinations. Baton Rouge, Bolivia, East Finchley Station.

MAGNUS: Whoa, whoa, wait. Bolivia?

HENRY: Uh, yeah, a team of seven. Four ex-military, two grad students, and one anthropology prof from U.Penn. They're headed for some badly charted desert in the Andes. They even filed detailed tracking info.

MAGNUS: It can't be.

WILL: Why, what's there?

MAGNUS: An abnormal so elusive that even my father gave up the search. A giant feathered serpent said to be hidden high in the Bolivian Andes.

WILL: A feathered serpent?

HENRY: As in Quetzalcoatl?

MAGNUS: It's believed the Aztecs named a God after this creature. Followers of the serpent were said to be rewarded with unusual knowledge, strength, and health.

HENRY: So there were super Aztecs?

WILL: But your father never found proof.

MAGNUS: He mounted an expedition in 1909, but he came back empty-handed, the only survivor. After that, he left very strict instructions that the serpent be left entirely alone.

HENRY: So how the hell did SCIU find it?

MAGNUS: Well, that's the worrying part.

WILL: Well, they're upping their game.

MAGNUS: Which makes our job decidedly more difficult.

MAGNUS: Henry, have Declan look into the other two operations.

MAGNUS: [to Will] You and I are going to Bolivia.

WILL: Remember the part about us getting here first?

MAGNUS: They're in way over their heads.

WILL: Well, your father was right. It's definitely real.

MAGNUS: [Whispering] And it needs to be left in peace.

WILL: If SCIU gets it back to their labs...

MAGNUS: Absolutely.

WILL: It's not exactly Seal Team Six in there. You want, uh, Mr. Mall Cop on the rock there? How about the skinny guy?

[Stunners blast]

GUARD: Hold it!

MAGNUS: Everyone, stay put and you won't get hurt!

Act I
"THE DEPTHS"

Letters to Alistair, take two. Or Alice, because-- yeah, um... So it's me, your dad, Henry Foss, hello. Wow, so who knows what the world's going to be like when you're all grown up, huh? Hopefully things will be different for our kind, for abnormals. Maybe we won't have to live in secret anymore. You'll probably have jet-packs, and it's about time, am I right? Up high. Boom. Yeah. I'm going to be lucky if they even have machines that play digital video. Wow. Yeah, the boss, she still insists on everything being analog records. You know, vinyl music and paper ledgers may be heavy as hell, but you can still read 'em after the zombie apocalypse. Oh, wow. I hope you're not watching this after the zombie apocalypse. But if you are, you remember, they are very slow, and they can't climb trees. Also, a good cricket bat to the head works wonders, so... Oh, man, you're going to grow up in England! You're going to actually have a cricket bat, and an accent. My kid is gonna have an accent. That is awesome!

This is going really well.

[Sighing]

[Wincing]

WILL: What the hell did they hit us with?

MAGNUS: Some sort of sonic energy weapon. Probably the same thing they used to bring down the serpent.

WILL: Well, that explains the ringing in my ears.

Doc! They're awake.

Dr. Magnus. Dr. Zimmerman. They briefed us about you.

MAGNUS: I wish I could say the same.

Michelle Moran. You may have seen my papers on the search for Grendel's children in Northern Ireland--

MAGNUS: Grendel's a myth.

They said you'd say that.

MAGNUS: Release us immediately, and your prisoner.

The dragon? Nah, sorry, too big a prize. No offense to you two.

MAGNUS: Look, I'm going to give you a chance to fix this before anyone gets hurt.

Really, Dr. Magnus, you're hardly in charge here.

MAGNUS: You are dealing with a creature that you barely understand.

WILL: You're so out of your depth.

I've made a lifetime study of cryptozoology and comparative mythology. This is an amazing opportunity. A glimpse into a larger world, something that most people don't see.

MAGNUS: You genuinely have no idea what you're dealing with. These are creatures that can move mountains, redirect tidal waves.

We have secure containment.

WILL: What about transport? 'Cause that's going to be a party.

It's taken care of.

MAGNUS: Listen to me. If you try to move it, either it will end up dead, or you will.

WILL: Guess which is the greater tragedy.

Introductions are over.

Open up the drop zone and radio for the chopper.

Wait, drop zone?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?

No, don't!

The roofs of these caverns are striated at their weakest points with a glassine crystal. "X" marks the spot.

Stop!

Everyone out!

[Bullets ricochet]

[Serpent roaring and tearing]

Get out!

MAGNUS: Will!

- Leave him!

MAGNUS: - No!

Act II
[Gasps awake]

[Yelps in pain]

[Groaning]

Magnus? Magnus!

MAGNUS: Will?

[Groaning in agony]

WILL: Can you move?

MAGNUS: I don't think anything's broken.

MAGNUS: [Yelps in pain]

MAGNUS: Maybe a couple of ribs.

[Groaning]

The others?

Dear God.

MAGNUS: You're injured. Let me see.

Okay, okay...

[Will wincing in pain]

MAGNUS: The bullet's still in there.

WILL: That's wonderful news.

MAGNUS: Got to get it out.

MAGNUS: The supplies are in bad shape. There's a med kit. What's left of it.

Okay... okay...

Will, Will, stay with me.

Steady, Will.

WILL: [Screaming in agony]

All right, all right...

The worst of it's over.

Magnus, I doubt that.

MAGNUS: I need you to hold this flashlight.

Come on, right there.

Yeah.

WILL: [Screaming]

MAGNUS: I got it, I got it...

WILL: [Moaning]

Come on! Come on!

Good, good, good! Almost done...

Good job, William.

Okay, good.

No damage to the internal organs. You've lost a lot of blood. You need to be hydrated. Will, do you hear me? Will!

WILL: [Moans groggily]

Will, stay with me.

Uh, w-water.

Water, good.

[Wincing in pain]

Bloody hell.

All right...

[Moans in disappointment]

[Faint trickling]

[Water trickling]

MAGNUS: Ah, yes. Okay.

[Filling bottle]

MAGNUS: Found an underground spring.

[Sniffs warily]

[Sighs]

MAGNUS: At least we'll have fresh water.

Will...

Will!

Will, come on, come on...

WILL: [Gasping]

You're going to love this. "Full outer shell safety shield system." The F.O.S.S.S.S.! We'll name it later. So, this is a personal energy shield that acts like body armor against pulse weapons. So, uh, sonic, E.M., full spectrum. Now, it's still a work in progress, but once I iron out the last few kinks, this baby is gonna change the world.

[Power ramping up]

[Crashing and clattering]

Ha! That's what I'm talking about.

WILL: You want some help?

MAGNUS: You should rest.

WILL: I'm fine. Besides, we've got to get out of here. Feel my pulse. Slow and steady. Half Irish.

MAGNUS: Your color's much better.

WILL: How are you? The broken ribs?

MAGNUS: A false alarm. Just had the wind knocked out of me.

[Zipping med kit]

MAGNUS: When Moran fails to check in, they'll send an extraction team after her. I'd say we have 48 hours to be clear of the area, or we'll wind up answering for this.

There's a shelf over there.

It's a seam.

It could lead to another tunnel.

WILL: [Panting with effort]

MAGNUS: You all right?

WILL: [Gasping] Just a little claustrophobic.

MAGNUS: We just need to get through this section. It'll be over soon.

WILL: No, no, Magnus, Magnus, this is crazy. We should go back.

MAGNUS: To what, the serpent's lair? How does that make any sense?

WILL: We have no idea if this crawl space will lead us to the surface. We could be led into a dead end, or get trapped, or something.

MAGNUS: What we do know for certain is there's no way out where we came from. We have to keep moving forward.

WILL: Fine, so it's standard operating procedure, Helen Magnus style, I guess!

MAGNUS: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

WILL: [Groaning with effort] You know... "Once more into the breach, for England," et cetera, et cetera. No matter how stupid dangerous it is! I'm saying this is not the first time I've been stuck in a bad place with you.

MAGNUS: I understand how being in a tight space can stress anyone out. You don't have to be claustrophobic to know that we are under tons of rock with no map. We just have to keep moving.

WILL: [Gasping in rising panic] No, no, no, no, Magnus, I've got to go back!

MAGNUS: Will! No!

WILL: Magnus! I need air!

MAGNUS: Then keep moving!

WILL: No! I'm sick of being the expendable human on the ticket! I'm going back!

MAGNUS: Really? Wow. I thought you were tougher than that. We are moving forward.

WILL: Fine! Dammit!

[Panting with exhaustion]

Oh God...

[Groaning in pain]

MAGNUS: You're welcome.

WILL: For what? Talking to me like I'm a child?

MAGNUS: Anger is a great motivator. Overcomes fear every time.

WILL: That's your M.O., isn't it? Achieve the result by any means necessary.

MAGNUS: You need to rest, and I recommend silence. How you feeling? Any nausea? Shortness of breath?

WILL: Oh, yeah, plenty of both.

MAGNUS: Classic signs of hypoxia, as is the short temper.

[Chuckles]

WILL: It felt real.

MAGNUS: I need to monitor your heart rate. Your system's slowing way down. At the very least I need to stabilize that wound.

WILL: Magnus...

MAGNUS: Bloody hell. There's a heart rate monitor but no adrenaline. This is useless!

WILL: Magnus...

MAGNUS: Dear God, Will. What's in that water?

Act III
MAGNUS: Your heart rate's improved. It's quite steady, actually.

WILL: It's just itching or something, like the muscles are healing. I mean, at this rate, I'll be able to pick the scab in the morning.

MAGNUS: Look, I know it seems quite incredible, but I still don't trust it. I mean, this wound was more than severe. What seems like fast healing may only be superficial.

WILL: Well, I feel a thousand times better. I mean, this water must possess a naturally occurring adenosine inhibitor or something.

MAGNUS: I beg your pardon?

WILL: [Scoffs in wonder] Where the hell did that come from?

MAGNUS: Not to, uh, insult your knowledge of medicine, Will, but--

WILL: No, I mean, first year pre-med? I haven't thought about that stuff in years. But... I remember everything. It's like I have the damn textbook right in front of me.

MAGNUS: Will... that serpent... is said to give its followers wisdom and strength. But what if it's not the creature at all?

WILL: It was the water it was guarding.

MAGNUS: [Sniffing]

MAGNUS: Increased oxygen intake, improved focus and memory, rapid healing, they'd all seem like God-given powers to primitive cultures.

WILL: SCIU was after the wrong thing all along.

MAGNUS: As was my father.

[Chuckles in wonder]

MAGNUS: He would have loved this. As miraculous as the water's effects are, they are only short-term. That first dose I gave you didn't last very long.

WILL: Yeah, and it left me exhausted.

MAGNUS: And somewhat bitter.

WILL: What about you? You drank the stuff the same time I did.

MAGNUS: I suppose my unique physiology could have made me immune to its effects.

WILL: Your bruised ribs? The "false alarm"? That's more like accelerated healing, or like a blast of dopamine that covers the pain.

MAGNUS: Yeah, it's possible.

WILL: No, it's a fact. Your weird blood chemistry may slow down the timing, but if you got the high, the low is coming, just like me.

MAGNUS: Let's keep moving.

HENRY: Nice, right? Lightweight sensor net, completely wearable. Three pounds total. Less than Kevlar. See, folks around here, they get in dangerous situations on an almost weekly basis, so... If I can get this thing working, maybe I can save someone's life, maybe even mine. Just one small issue. Still working on lightweight power. It's totally portable. There's just some balance issues. We can work on that later. Ready?

[Power surging and crackling]

[Sizzling]

HENRY: We'll work on the power surge issues now.

WILL: Listen, Magnus, about before...

MAGNUS: You mean when you accused me of recklessly endangering your life?

WILL: Uh, yeah. I guess that was kind of childish.

MAGNUS: Let's just call it withdrawal. Anger, accusations, they're all just chemical misfires.

WILL: Sure, blame the water.

MAGNUS: Do you really think I risk your life cavalierly?

WILL: I think you're so jaded that you need the risk of death to hold your attention.

[Scoffs]

WILL: Or worse, you don't think death will ever catch you.

MAGNUS: Thank you for your honesty.

WILL: Even this. We only ever talk when it suits you, on your terms, and I better get on board or get out of the way.

MAGNUS: Look, I already apologized for the way I handled saving Abby. Trust me, it won't happen again.

WILL: I have no doubt about that.

MAGNUS: We need to stop talking. Now.

WILL: This is war for you. Living under combat conditions.

MAGNUS: Imagine doing it for five lifetimes!

WILL: Imagine having one lifetime to do everything that matters to you. Magnus, you could give a hundred years to the Sanctuary and still have hundreds more to go. I only get one set of days. I think you need to appreciate what it means if I give them all to you.

[His footsteps recede]

MAGNUS: [Quietly] I think about it every day.

MAGNUS: We must be close to the surface. It looks to be about a hundred feet up.

WILL: That's a 10-storey building. Straight up, no footholds. There's no way we're climbing out.

MAGNUS: Well, not here, no, not without equipment, but at least we're getting closer.

WILL: Yeah.

MAGNUS: Will!

WILL: Just a sec...

Just wait a second, okay?

Okay...

MAGNUS: When did this start?

WILL: Just right now.

Oh...

MAGNUS: Your pulse is thready, getting weaker.

This is not good.

WILL: I'm definitely crashing here.

[Moans]

MAGNUS: This last dose lasted half as long as the one before.

WILL: I drank twice as much. It should have lasted longer.

MAGNUS: Maybe this is how it works. The bigger the high, the faster the crash.

WILL: Reminds me of college.

[Groaning in pain]

MAGNUS: It hurts again, doesn't it?

WILL: No, just leave it alone.

MAGNUS: Whatever's in this water is creating a cycle whereby it wears off more and more quickly each time, leaving you in worse shape than when you started. You'll need an elevated dose just to stay functional.

WILL: No, I'm done with the liquid psychosis.

MAGNUS: You're not going to make it out of here without this--

WILL: Magnus, just let me be!

MAGNUS: You can't trust your judgment--

WILL: Oh, and I can trust yours?

MAGNUS: Yes.

WILL: Magnus, no!

WILL: [Spluttering]

MAGNUS: Will, I--

WILL: Thanks.

MAGNUS: Now that your head is clear, you know that I did the right thing. You're feeling stronger, your wound is healing again.

WILL: Never felt better.

MAGNUS: Stop walking away from me, please. I need to rest.

WILL: We have to keep moving.

WILL: Okay, fine, you did the right thing. I still get to hate you for it.

MAGNUS: Go ahead. I always do what others can't. That's my job. If I had listened to you, Abby would be dead right now, you'd be bleeding out in the corner of this cave system. Life is not a bloody popularity contest! I could have let her die, I could have consoled you at her funeral, or I could save her, even though it meant risking our friendship, and I did know that much, Will.

WILL: Either way, the show must go on. You can't get close to anybody, because you're just going to lose them, right?

MAGNUS: Would you blame me if that were true?

WILL: Magnus, what good is your lifetime if you don't allow yourself to connect with anyone? You surround yourself with people who would do anything for you, and then you turn your back on them when they don't live up to your standards.

MAGNUS: That's ridiculous--

WILL: John Druitt.

MAGNUS: You can't even begin to judge that--

WILL: Griffin, Watson, and now me. Are we all just expendable in your mind? Is that how you cope?

WILL: Ashley?

MAGNUS: You bastard.

[Water trickling]

[Roaring]

Act IV
Magnus, come on!

[Gasping]

WILL: Here, it's time for you to drink the magic stuff.

Come on, come on, don't fight me.

WILL: Magnus...

A curtain of light.

The serpent won't cross through it.

The first time was when that SCIU idiot let the direct sunlight into its lair.

The striated crystals must filter out the UV rays.

And that's why it lives down in these caves.

Its skin burns in full sun.

Okay... F.O.S.S.S.S., full outer shell safety shield system prototype high-density power test, version one. Here we go.

[Power surging and crackling]

[Turns off device]

[Gasping]

[Croaking] Back to square one.

WILL: How's that water supply?

MAGNUS: Not drinkable. Too much copper content in these walls.

WILL: No, I mean the good stuff.

MAGNUS: There's about five doses left.

WILL: We need to get to that tunnel on the other side. Which means we have to get that damn serpent off our backs.

MAGNUS: Not a chance.

WILL: You know, we are always going with your crazy schemes. For once, why don't you try returning the favor? For once!

MAGNUS: You're on the downward side of a dose.

WILL: Okay, okay, here we go. Helen Magnus knows best.

MAGNUS: Will, please. Before we say anything else we might regret... If you're feeling angry, paranoid, have a sip of this, and then we can work out a plan together. All right?

WILL: [Quietly] Don't mind if I do.

MAGNUS: Will, no!

MAGNUS: Will! Will!

WILL: [Gasping triumphantly]

MAGNUS: Do you realize what you've done? That will kill you!

WILL: [Chuckling in wonder] Oh, Magnus... If you could see what I see...

MAGNUS: What do you see?

[Roaring]

[Crystals fracturing]

WILL: [Laughs in triumph] That's what I'm talking about.

MAGNUS: Yeah. Until nightfall.

WILL: No. We're not going to be here by then. Look... See? There's an opening at the end of the pool. There's a current in here. It's coming from the outside. When we find the ingress, we're home free.

MAGNUS: Very elegant, but, Will, when this wears off...

WILL: My body's going to shut down completely.

Act V
MAGNUS: This is madness, Will. Yes, you may have found us a pathway out of here, but when that withdrawal hits--

WILL: It'll be epic.

MAGNUS: It will kill you, and soon.

WILL: Which is why you have to keep me moving, no matter what you have to do or say to me.

MAGNUS: Said one junkie to the other.

WILL: The last time I crashed, I didn't even care about getting out. Don't let that happen again.

HENRY: This thing is dead-ending. I need more power in less space. I kind of wanted this to go differently. A big triumph, huge success... I wanted you to see the Foss mojo working. See, the thing is, I, uh, I don't really remember anything about my parents. I don't even know what happened to them. The world can be a pretty dangerous place for folks like us. I thought it was getting better, but, uh, now, not so much. So I just, I wanted you to know, you know, if something did happen to me, and I wasn't able to take care of you... I just didn't want you to go through life wondering what kind of guy I was.

MAGNUS: [Gasping for air]

MAGNUS: The deeper you get, the stronger the current, and it's way deeper than you can swim, Will, and I couldn't find another way--

WILL: give me five minutes.

MAGNUS: Sorry. That's not a good idea--

WILL: Five minutes.

MAGNUS: Stop wasting my time! Get up there. You need to keep moving.

WILL: Why me? Of all the cops, profilers, cryptozoologists in the world, you chose me. The eight-year-old kid whose mother was killed in a monster attack. That is not a coincidence. Magnus...

MAGNUS: Come on, keep moving.

WILL: My Harvard scholarship... That was your money, wasn't it? All this time I thought I was making my own decisions, but I was already on your damn payroll.

MAGNUS: Yes. Yes, I paid for your education, because I thought you'd more than earned it, but I'd never force you to do anything. If you had said no to joining the Sanctuary, we wouldn't be here today. Believe me, Will, if I could control life like a bloody chess game, a lot of things would have turned out very differently.

WILL: Yeah. Well, I guess we'll never know the truth, will we?

MAGNUS: Dead end.

[Will lands heavily]

[Groaning]

MAGNUS: Will...

MAGNUS: Will!

MAGNUS: There's an opening! There's a way out. We can chimney out of here! It's only about 40 feet.

[Wincing in pain]

WILL: No... Oh, no. No, no, there's no way.

MAGNUS: Here, that's not you talking. The Will Zimmerman I know wants to be with Abby, and have everything he ever wanted to prove me wrong about living a balanced life. Come on, get up.

WILL: Leave me here. Leave me.

MAGNUS: You can do this!

WILL: No. Magnus... You go.

MAGNUS: That's not an option. Come on.

WILL: [Groaning in pain] No. No, no, no...

MAGNUS: I'm going back for more water. I'm going to need this. It'll give me an idea of how much longer I can keep going.

WILL: You're not going to make it.

MAGNUS: See? Now you're just trying to piss me off.

WILL: Magnus... I don't... I don't regret-- I don't regret... Regret anything. But please, please don't do this. 'Cause if you do, we're both gonna die down here.

MAGNUS: I'll be back soon.

WILL: Please... Magnus? Magnus...

Act VI
[Water trickling]

[Groaning with effort]

[Water trickling]

[Alarm beeping]

MAGNUS: What the hell?

[Beeping rapidly]

[Beeping rapidly]

MAGNUS: Will! Come on...

WILL: [Gasps, refreshed] Magnus.

MAGNUS: Hello. Where's your flashlight?

WILL: It's dead.

WILL: What the hell did you find?

MAGNUS: This is what's in the water. Now let's get the hell out of here.

WILL: You sure I can't just go cold Turkey?

MAGNUS: Your organs would go into shock. The accelerated healing you experienced robbed your body of nutrients, left you in worse shape than when you were first wounded.

WILL: So you're going to shoot me up again.

MAGNUS: This diluted solution won't supercharge you. It'll simply maintain normal function. And we'll have to keep it going on a regular basis until we can flush your system.

WILL: [Sighing] This remind you of anyone? A certain literary figure?

MAGNUS: [Chuckles] Your hero, Sherlock Holmes?

WILL: And his seven percent solution.

WILL: You know, we could just... declare amnesty. Forget about everything we said.

MAGNUS: Amnesty, yes. Forgetting? No. Look, Will, you need to understand, you were never part of some master plan. I may have a long view of things now, but the first time 'round, I was taking chances, just like anyone. When I asked you to come here, I had no idea if it would turn out to be a brilliant move or a total disaster.

WILL: And?

MAGNUS: Many disasters, most brilliant. I had 113 years of not knowing if I would ever see any of you again. What if something I'd done in the past had changed everything?

WILL: But it didn't.

MAGNUS: Watching everything unfold again, for better or worse. Watching every mistake I made play out again. I had to let terrible things happen, Will, and do nothing to change them. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

WILL: Wow. Don't I feel like the jerk.

MAGNUS: You didn't know because I didn't tell you.

WILL: Because you carry the whole weight yourself.

MAGNUS: I always have.

WILL: I'm not your protégé anymore, Magnus.

MAGNUS: Not after everything you said to me in the caves, you're not.

WILL: I need to be your partner.

MAGNUS: Ah.

WILL: And I think it's time you told me what you've been hiding since you got back.

MAGNUS: Not yet.

WILL: [Sighs heavily]

MAGNUS: You'll know when you need to, I promise you. Until then, Will, you just have to trust me.

End Credits
/Credits