Instinct/Transcript

Teaser Sequence
'''EXT. – WAREHOUSE DISTRICT'''

[This entire episode appears to be shot with a handheld camera held by Zach.]

[A car door opens, a pair of feet in high heels step out.]

AMY: Freddy, get going. But stay in the area. We’ll call you when we need you.

FREDDY: Yeah, you got it.

AMY: Zach, tell me we’re good for battery and drive space.

ZACH: Yeah, yeah, we’re good. I’m just cleaning the coffee off the-

AMY: Oh, today!

ZACH: Okay, yeah! Yeah, no, we’re good. We’re good.

AMY: Okay, let’s go! Let’s go!

ZACH: All right.

[Both begin running toward a warehouse]

ZACH: Hey, what about the stuff in the van. We can’t edit without it-

AMY: We need to travel light. This is happening now.

[Amy stops running as a police car drives past]

AMY: Cops haven’t even had time to set up a perimeter yet. [grins at camera] See what I mean?

[both resume running]

ZACH: Yeah, yeah, I do. Well, maybe there’s a good reason why the cops are coming down here, like the fact that something dangerous is going on. You said some people died, right?

AMY: Right! Which means something very cool and newsworthy is going on and whoever gets the exclusive on this is going to be in the driver’s seat for a network job.

ZACH: Okay, that’s – That’s really cool, it’s just, you know… You’re a weathergirl.

AMY: Meteorologist. And Bill O’Reilly started as a weatherman, Dan Rather was a sportscaster. All you need is one big break. This, my friend, is mine.

ZACH: Yeah, but wasn’t O’Rielly out of the-

AMY: Come on!

[They run up to police officer.]

AMY: Amy Saunders, Channel 13 Eyewitness News! Can you tell us what happened here tonight?

OFFICER: We don’t know anything yet, we’ll brief you guys once we know more.

AMY: Rumor is that three people are dead and there have been sightings of a wild animal of some kind loose in the area. Can you tell us what happened, is the public in danger? Is this a zoological crisis?

OFFICER: Look! You’ll know when we know, okay? Now, back off, both of you! This area’s off-limits, effective immediately.

[Officer puts his hand in front of camera lens, video cuts out and starts again with Amy walking up a loading dock toward a warehouse door.]

AMY: Just keep the camera rolling, I don’t wanna miss anything.

ZACH: I’m getting everything, don’t worry. How do you know there’s another way into this place?

[Amy tries the door on the loading dock. It’s locked.]

AMY: Crap.

[Amy heads for another door.]

ZACH: So, okay… I don’t know about this Amy. This is…

[A motorcycle sits unattended off to the side of the loading dock. It is recognizably Ashley’s.]

ZACH: Aw, sweet bike!

AMY: These warehouses are all inter-connected by a rail system. All we need to do is get into one before the cops cordon them all off…

[Amy spots an unlocked door next to where Ashley’s bike is parked.]

AMY: Like so!

ZACH: [uncertain] Like so.

[Amy pulls the door open and grins at the camera]

AMY: And hello Pulitzer.

[Amy disappears inside, leaving the door standing open]

ZACH: Oh, no, Amy…

[Camera footage cuts out]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Amy is walking down the aisle, half-turning to address the camera.]

ZACH: Look, I’m just saying, if there’s a wild animal here, shouldn’t we be waiting until we know more about the situation?

AMY: By the time the cops get their act in gear, the story’ll be over. If we get the jump on this, we can make the 11 o’clock broadcast.

ZACH: Yeah, but what if it’s a hostage situation, you know like, or something like that or like a mad bomber or something and like the cops are just using the wild animal story as a cover or like… Hey! Maybe dudes from Homeland Security are coming because this is a terrorist-

AMY: Would you relax! I’ve been monitoring the police bands since the first 9-1-1 call. Witnesses said some kind of lizard or something escaped from a cargo ship and attacked some people. So, if we get the exclusive footage on the recapture, I get a promotion, you get a raise.

ZACH: I don’t want a raise, Amy. I wanna live!

AMY: Seriously, Zach, just man up, okay? We’ll be fine.

ZACH: Oh, yeah, well! I’m gonna “man up” and we’re gonna- Holy!

[Something dark drips on Amy from above. The camera tilts up to show a dead body on top of a tack of pallets, dripping blood from a head wound and the arm.]

ZACH: Holy crap!

[Zach splutters as Amy gasps and backs away, wiping blood from her face as she starts running down the aisle away from the dead body.]

ZACH: This is-

AMY: Keep recording!

ZACH: Are you ins-? Yeah, I’m gonna keep recording. There’s dead people and I’m gonna keep recording!

[Amy rounds a corner to see another dead body on the floor with a deep neck wound.]

ZACH: Oh my god! Oh my god. That guy’s totally- ! I mean, he’s- Holy…

[Zach continues babbling “Holy-” as Amy rounds a corner into another room with a dead body in it. There’s a loud noise above them and the camera whips up to see a dark shadow flit across the rafters away from them.]

ZACH: [panicked whisper] Amy! That was not a zoo creature or a- I don’t know what that was, that was something entirely different. What was that?

AMY: [panicked whisper] I know, I know, I don’t know.

ZACH: What the hell was that?

AMY: [recovering composure] I don’t know. But it knows we’re here.

Act I
'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Amy is running around and peering down all the aisles.]

ZACH: We’re gonna leave now right? I mean, I don’t need a science degree to figure out that thing that we saw is what killed those people!

AMY: Zach, just calm down. We don’t know what we saw.

ZACH: Yes! We do! We saw three extremely dead dudes and something that looked like a giant frickin’- I don’t know what, but like an insect or something!

AMY: Look, whatever’s going on here, it’s bigger than we first thought. The higher the body count, the better the chance whatever we file will get picked up nationally. So just grow a pair, will ya?

[A hand reaches out from around a corner and grabs Amy by the arm, pulling her backwards next to a pile of boxes and a long-haired man in a cover-all. Amy lets out a shriek.]

ZACH: Amy! Hey, don’t-!

[Garvin reaches out and hauls Zach in next to Amy and him behind the boxes.]

GARVIN: [whispering] Shut up! Shut up! Shhh! Both of ya, shut up! How did you get in here?

ZACH: Oh- but- you… It was her idea.

AMY: I don’t- wha- but... We’re with Channel 13... Please don’t-

GARVIN: You’re both gonna die if you don’t get out right now.

[Group falls silent as a they hear some kind of animal or insect screech echo through the warehouse.]

GARVIN: There’s something in here.

ZACH: I know! I know! But she- We saw it, what the hell is it?

GARVIN: I don’t know.

AMY: You saw it.

GARVIN: But it killed three of us before we could even blink. It got three of my buddies, too, who tried to stop it.

ZACH: Okay, seriously, we are so outta here!

AMY: Zach...

GARVIN: I been watching it. It can only focus on one target at a time. Now, the only chance you have is if I give it something to chase instead, you understand?

AMY: No, we’re not leaving.

ZACH: Yes, yes! We are, thank you!

[Garvin pushes Amy out from behind the boxes to point down the aisle.]

GARVIN: You see that door over there?

ZACH: Yeah!

[Amy shakes her head frantically.]

GARVIN: Now, you go for it, like a bat outta hell when I give it the distraction, okay?

ZACH: Okay!

GARVIN: Wait for my mark!

AMY: [on the brink of terrified tears] No! No!

GARVIN: Ready? Okay!

[Garvin runs out into aisle, waving arms and yelling]

GARVIN: Hey! Go, go, go!

[Amy and Zach begin running towards the door. Zach trips and lands on the floor.]

AMY: Zach!

GARVIN: Get up, man! Get up, get up! Go!

[Amy runs back to Zach, helps him onto his feet, then turns as they both run for the door. The camera pans back around to look at the man. He’s facing down a different aisle, waving his arms.]

GARVIN: Hey! Hey! Over here!

[He falls backwards out of sight and stops yelling as some insect-sound goes by. Amy runs a couple of steps back toward the man.]

AMY: Zach, tell me you got that!

ZACH: Amy! Come on!

[A person-sized insect-looking thing jumps up to cling to the side of a storage rack, then jumps up to hang from the ceiling before jumping out of sight, reappearing when it lands on the storage shelf above Amy and Zach. Zach yells incoherently as both start running away from the creature. Zach falls as the creature lands on him.]

AMY: Zach!

ZACH: Ah! Get it off me! [incoherent yelling]

[Loud boom like a gunshot]

ZACH: Oh my god!

[A pair of black-clad legs walk into frame from further down the aisle, wearing familiar black heels.]

AMY: Are you okay?

ZACH: Are you insane!

[Camera pans up to show the feet belong to Magnus]

MAGNUS: Clear! Henry!

HENRY: I’m on it!

[Henry hurries up to Magnus and takes her sonic disruptor, begins fidgeting with it while Magnus draws her handgun. Zach is whimpering.]

MAGNUS: Are you two all right?

ZACH: [whines] No.

[Will comes up from behind Magnus and Henry.]

WILL: I’m not sure if that was a direct hit, but it’s gone for now. Ashley’s- [sees camera crew] What the hell is this? What’s with the camera.

AMY: Whu-What did- What did you do to it?

HENRY: Short-wave sonic weapon. Haven’t met a creature yet that likes getting hit with it-

MAGNUS: Henry.

HENRY: When it works.

[Henry resumes tinkering, Magnus approaches Amy and Zach, pistol pointed at the ground.]

MAGNUS: Who are you two? Journalists?

AMY: We’re with Channel 13.

[Magnus strides past Amy, Henry moving up to follow before stopping next to Amy]

AMY: I’m –

HENRY: Amy Saunders! Weekend Weather Watch. The Fabulous Amy. I love your show.

[Will comes over]

HENRY: I mean, uh, I watch it. When I can.

WILL: You’re a, uh, a weather girl?

AMY: Meteorologist.

ZACH: Almost. You’re actually short a few credits, so-

[Will and Henry push past to follow Magnus. Amy glares at Zach and gestures for him to follow after the rest of them.]

ZACH: Yeah, I just... Sorry. Where are we going?

[Zach rounds corner to see Henry, Will, and Magnus, with Ashley walking up. Zach continues towards her]

ASHLEY: Hey! Still no sign of it except for three more KIAs.

[Zach gets close to Ashley, who steps back sharply]

ASHLEY: Dude! You mind getting that camera out of my face?

[Zach backs off quickly.]

ZACH: Oh, yeah, sure, sorry.

ASHLEY: Who the hell are these guys?

AMY: Who the hell are you guys? I mean, I’ve never heard of a sonic super whatever. What are you? Federal law enforcement? Military intelligence?

ASHLEY: What is this- ? [Gestures at camera crew unhappily]

WILL: Magnus, they just can’t-

MAGNUS: Listen! You two can’t stay here, this is an extremely unstable situation.

ZACH: [hissing to Amy] I told you!

AMY: Why? What’s going on?

[Zach gets the camera a bit too close to Magnus]

MAGNUS: For god’s sake, stop filming us!

[puts hand up over camera and footage cuts out.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[The group is standing in the same corner of the warehouse next to a table and a bunch of equipment lockers.]

WILL: You don’t understand what’s going on here-

AMY: I am a journalist! [to Zach] And you will stop filming when I say so, [to Magnus] not you. People have a right to know the truth.

ASHLEY: This truth, they don’t. If you guys stick around, it’ll get messy, trust me.

WILL: [to Magnus] Look, we can’t babysit them, it’s too dangerous.

MAGNUS: I say we tranq them, stuff ‘em in a crate. Wake them when we’re done.

ZACH: You know, I’m right here. I can totally hear you.

MAGNUS: We can’t do that. We’d leave them vulnerable to the creature if we leave them on their own.

AMY: Excuse me. Men in black? You can’t drug us, and you can’t kick us out. Okay, whatever you people are up to, we want in.

WILL: Why? So it can end up on the 11 o’clock news?

AMY: You wanna catch this thing, right?

WILL: Yeah.

AMY: We just wanna document it. Okay? We will give you all of the footage when this thing is over. I promise. But don’t cut us out of the plan.

[Whole group whirls around towards a loud bang from somewhere nearby and the sound of the creature shrieking.]

ZACH: Woah!

MAGNUS: [to Amy] You film what I tell you to film. Nothing more. Fail to play by my rules and you will be left on your own, understood?

ZACH: I’m- I’m down with that.

AMY: Okay.

WILL: Hold on a second, we can’t just-

MAGNUS: We don’t have a choice. Escorting them out wastes precious time, plus I don’t think they’d go quietly.

AMY: Definitely not.

[Magnus moves to peer over Henry’s shoulder at a device he’s holding.]

WILL: This is crazy. It’s- it’s crazy.

MAGNUS: Henry, do we have a fix?

HENRY: Yeah, just- Hold still everybody, I’m scanning. Uh, okay! I have movement... It’s moving out of range, fast. Southwest corner!

AMY: You guys know what this thing is, don’t you?

MAGNUS: Just let us do our jobs, please.

ASHLEY: Henry, how long do you need to set up?

HENRY: Oh god, I dunno. Just so many places in here I could set up a shockweb.

[Henry covers his mouth while his eyes dart from place to place. Magnus rests a firmly comforting hand on his back for a moment.]

MAGNUS: Henry, just tell us what you need and a timeframe.

HENRY: [calmer] Okay. Here. Here. By this crane. Just give me two minutes to set it up, then you send it running in here and it’s game over.

ASHLEY: Cool. Two minutes coming up. Uh, motion sensor.

[Henry hands the motion sensor to Ashley, Ashley exits]

AMY: [to Magnus] Who are you guys?

[Will steps across Magnus to take Amy by the shoulder and walk her away.]

WILL: Amy, we’ll explain what we can, um... We’re a private research facility-

[Amy and Will walk away. Zach stays focused on Magnus, who glares at him and shakes her head. Camera cuts out.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Henry is swallowing a pill while standing at a the table next to the equipment lockers. His gear is arrayed beside him.]

ZACH: Cool. What are, uh, what are those for?

[Henry just looks at him for a moment before dropping the pill bottle into a toolbox and stuffing flat discs for the shockweb into his pocket.]

ZACH: That’s some super-cool stuff, though. Are those little like, blow-uppey things or something? Cool.

[Henry picks up his laptop an moves away from the table, mentally calculating something as he points at different places in the room.]

ZACH: [whispers to self] Check this out. Is that what you guys do, though? You hunt things, like- like that thing? Cuz that’s some seriously hard-core equipment you guys got. Are you just mapping out where the bombs are gonna go?

HENRY: Could you maybe go film something else while I do this, please?

ZACH: Yeah! Yeah.

HENRY: Thank you.

[Zach backs away from Henry and focuses from a distance on Amy, Magnus and Will. The words are indistinct, but it’s clear that Magnus and Amy are arguing. Henry walks back into frame, glances at the group around Magnus, then bends to address Zach]

HENRY: It’s my first real mission, see. And I’ve been wanting to get out in the field since I got this job. Truthfully, I just don’t wanna blow it. You know what I mean?

[Henry continues attaching discs to various things.]

ZACH: Yeah, I know what you mean, dude. It’s cool. I’m just saying, whatever your job is, you can-

HENRY: I can’t tell you that, bro. Excuse me.

[Henry moves off to continue placing discs.]

ZACH: Yeah, okay. [whispering to self] I don’t even... woah. This is insane...

HENRY: [across room] Okay, doc. We are ready to go. Shockweb is hot.

[Everyone begins crossing over to join Henry.]

MAGNUS: Let’s hope this works. I don’t know how much time we have before the police begin investigating this warehouse.

WILL: Three dead that they know of. Once they trace the killings here, they’ll cordon off the entire area and then bring in SWAT to secure the building. I say we have twenty, maybe thirty minutes tops before the window of opportunity closes.

AMY: Opportunity for what?

MAGNUS: Capturing it alive.

AMY: [squeak] What?

MAGNUS: Let’s take cover.

[Everyone moves to crouch behind various pieces of cover]

AMY: [whispering] Ready, Zach?

MAGNUS: [into radio] Ashley, we’re ready. Send it our way.

ASHLEY: [over radio] Making it happen.

[Gunshots off in the distance and the creature’s shriek draw everyone’s eyes as Ashley runs back around the corner.]

ASHLEY: Kay, it is pissed!

[Ashley crouches on the far side of the room, firing back the way she came.]

MAGNUS: [whispering into radio] Are you sure?

[Electricity arcs across the room and the creature falls to the floor as the lights flicker. When the lights come back on, there is a big black mark on the floor where the creature had been and the camera is laying on the floor. It moves as Zach picks it up.]

AMY: Zach! Zach, did you do it?

ZACH: Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

[Zach and Amy get up to join Magnus and Ashley next to the scorch mark.]

AMY: What happened? Did you get it?

WILL: Not exactly.

HENRY: I can’t believe that thing shook off a hundred thousand volts!

ZACH: So it didn’t work. What does that mean?

MAGNUS: It means this creature’s far more powerful than we thought.

AMY: Oh yeah? So what’s plan B?

WILL: We’re working on it.

CAMERA CUTS OFF

Act II
CAMERA CUTS ON

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Everyone is standing around scratching their heads, literally in Henry’s case. Amy grabs Zach’s elbow and pulls him aside.]

AMY: Zach! Come here... Sit down. Can you give me my stuff?

ZACH: Yeah, okay. Just hold on. Just gotta get this- Here.

[Camera tilts sideways as Zach hands a makeup compact to Amy.]

AMY: Thank you. [Begins cleaning her face.]

ZACH: Listen to me. We got some really cool footage, okay? And, and probably enough to get us a promotion and all that. But could we just get the hell outta here now?

AMY: Oh Zach. Zachey, these people are far more than research scientists. [looks at herself in mirror] Oh god. Zach?

ZACH: [irritated] What?

AMY: This is another man’s blood on my face.

[Amy begins dabbing at her face and hair with a handkerchief.]

ZACH: Yeah. I know. It’s disgusting. It makes me want to throw up.

AMY: [sighs] Anyway, they knew this thing was in here and they came prepared.

ZACH: Uh, not really. That shock thing totally blew up and it got away.

AMY: Yeah, well, the point is, they are part of the story now, too, not just the creature. We need to learn as much about them as we can.

ZACH: Yeah, but you said you were going to give all the footage back to Dr. Magnus.

AMY: Yeah, I told her that just so she wouldn’t toss us outta here.

ZACH: Oh, great. So now you’re totally playing her?

AMY: We get footage of them bagging this thing, sell it to the highest bidder, this is [indistinct] money, okay? This is way bigger than we thought.

ZACH: You gotta be kidding me.

AMY: Look. Government black ops, military, private security firm, whatever these people do for a living, they want to keep it a secret.

ZACH: Yeah. Well, maybe they’re playing us, you think of that? And they’re gonna kill us after we’re done recording their little nature documentary.

[Amy looks back over her shoulder at Will, Ashley, and Magnus gathered around Henry’s worktable. Amy resumes reapplying her makeup.]

AMY: You should be rolling on this!

ZACH: Yeah, I know!

AMY: Zoom in!

[Camera zooms in, audio from the table becomes clearer.]

ASHLEY: Well, we have plenty of firepower, we can always fall back on that.

MAGNUS: It’s definitely larger and faster than I had anticipated.

WILL: Yeah, and more dangerous. But I’m guessing you still want to take it alive.

MAGNUS: It’s incredibly valuable intact. If we can’t do it without more collateral damage, I think we should try.

WILL: And if not?

MAGNUS: People are dead. If we have to, we kill it.

ASHLEY: Okay. Good. We have a Plan B, I feel better.

HENRY: Okay, so... How do you wanna bag this thing in one piece? I mean, I can put up the shockweb again but this thing’s totally fried.

ASHLEY: And the sonic’s broken. Again. Dude, I told you it needed better shielding.

HENRY: Yeah, which messes with the weight-balance ratio, Ash! We-

MAGNUS: Don’t move! It’s right behind-

[The camera tilts wildly and Zach starts yelling]

ZACH: Gah! Ah! Where? Tell me where!

[Magnus walks over with an angry smirk on her face.]

MAGNUS: Please don’t eavesdrop like that again.

ZACH: [weakly] Yeah, sorry. I- I didn’t mean to.

[Magnus walks calmly back to the table]

ZACH: [fierce whisper to Amy] I hate you!

AMY: [rolls her eyes in disgust and whispering to self] So stupid.

[Camera shuts off.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Amy is running to catch up to the others.]

MAGNUS: Go with tranq rounds only. Everyone armed. You, too, Will. We hit it enough times, we should bring it down. Failing that, the gloves come off and we switch to live ammo. Two teams. Ashley and Henry, take the journalist. Will and I’ll take the cameraman.

AMY: Who will keep taping.

MAGNUS: Absolutely. If we do have to kill it, I want as much detailed footage of its anatomy as possible. Thorax and mandible, preferably, also images of its pincers and anterior skeletal protrusions would be very helpful.

ZACH: Yeah, yeah... Mandi- What’s a pin- What’s a pincer? Pinzer?

[Camera cuts as everyone starts splitting up.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Footage of Zach’s running feet]

ZACH: [under breath] Dude, I got a 9,000-pound camera here. [grunts, camera shuts off]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Magnus and Will move slowly, sweeping the area with guns drawn.]

ZACH: [to self] Just- ow! [to Magnus and Will] Looks like a giant cockroach or something.

MAGNUS: Gorgeous, isn’t it?

ZACH: [under breath, sarcastically] Yeah.

MAGNUS: Theoretical name is Blattella asahinai sapien. Extremely rare species found on islands off the coasts of Japan and Korea.

WILL: Supposed to possess physiological attributes dating back to the Paleozoic era.

ZACH: What, like dinosaurs?

MAGNUS: Try 150 million years earlier. It’s biological makeup could offer new insights into our genetic building blocks.

ZACH: Yeah, but it killed like five people.

MAGNUS: Well, taken from their natural surroundings, even the most docile creatures become aggressive, especially when they’re trapped.

[beeping]

ZACH: Oh! Battery warning light. Just give me a second, guys.

[camera cuts out, comes back on to same basic scene.]

ZACH: So, how’d it get from some island in Japan to here?

MAGNUS: We don’t know. We just got word that someone was trying to smuggle a rare abnormal into the country.

ZACH: A what?

MAGNUS: Creature. By the time we got here, it’d already broken loose and attacked people.

ZACH: Who managed to capture one of those totally vicious aliens like in the movies, which I used to think were awesome. Not anymore, though. Woah, it’s freezing in here. [They all walk along both Magnus and Will sweeping the area with their guns]

WILL: Magnus.

[Camera focuses on a large shipping crate with the lid off. Magnus comes up beside Will as they approach it.]

WILL: Careful.

MAGNUS: [to Will] It’s not in there. [to Zach] Zach.

ZACH: Yeah, yeah, I’m getting it.

[The crate is full of web-like structures and covered in goo.]

ZACH: Woah. Cool!

WILL: It looks like it made a nest in here. A chrysalis of some kind.

MAGNUS: Likely to keep itself safe while it traveled. But why wait until the journey’s over to break out?

[Magnus takes sample of goo with a q-tip and glass vial.]

WILL: Maybe whoever captured it drugged it. Wakes up here, gets mad and busts out before anyone can take possession of the cargo.

[Will bends down to examine shipping labels]

MAGNUS: But it had time to build a safe traveling environment. It’s odd.

ZACH: Yeah, totally.

[Magnus finishes sealing her sample.]

ZACH: It’s kinda cool, though. It looks like that stuff from Ghostbusters.

[Magnus and Will look up at the sound of a helicopter flying overhead.]

ASHLEY: [over radio] Mom.

MAGNUS: [radio] Go, Ashley.

ASHLEY: [radio] Henry’s been monitoring police chatter. The area is secured and SWAT is fifteen minutes away. Window is closing.

WILL: We gotta go.

MAGNUS: [radio] Meet us back in engine repair. I have something for Henry to run through the mobile lab.

ASHLEY: [radio] Copy that.

[Camera cuts out as they move out.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Magnus and Will hurry down an aisle.]

ZACH: So, like, choppers are coming in and that’s it, we’re done, right? Choppers coming? We should, like, team up with them or-

WILL: Hey, quit it with the yabbering.

ZACH: Oh yeah sure, sorry, sorry.

[Camera cuts out.]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Magnus and Will continue down an aisle as Ashley, Henry and Amy round the corner to meet them.]

ASHLEY: Hey! They have a full tactical unit inbound. This building will be one of the first they sweep.

MAGNUS: Once they arrive, how long before they breach our perimeter?

WILL: Ten minutes, tops. We don’t have time to screw around.

[Henry stops to take the rear position as the group starts down the aisle.]

HENRY: [quietly, to Zach] Go, Zach.

MAGNUS: [still talking to Will and Ashley] I don’t plan to.

ZACH: What does that mean?

[camera starts flickering]

ZACH: Oh, I think the battery’s loose on-

[cuts out]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Same part of the warehouse as before with the equipment lockers. Helicopters are loud over the building. Magnus, Ashley, and Will are grouped around a table looking at a paper of some kind. Magnus glares at the camera and Ashley doesn’t look much more welcoming, so Zach carries it over to where Henry is at another table in the corner doing something with the scanner.]

AMY: Zach.

ZACH: What?

[Amy grabs Zach and pulls him aside.]

AMY: Come here.

ZACH: What?

AMY: What’d you find out?

ZACH: Uh, um, it made a nest, it’s supposedly older than a dinosaur or something, and oh! It’s from Japan.

AMY: [irritated] About them.

ZACH: Oh! I dunno. They’re cool, and they’re smart,

[Camera tracks over to focus on Ashley, Will, and Magnus]

ZACH: And the blonde one is totally hot.

[Amy pulls the camera back around to her.]

AMY: Zach, you are completely useless.

ZACH: Amy, I’m a- I’m a camera tech, not a war correspondent, okay? So why don’t you cut me a little slack because I think, under the circumstances, I’m doing a pretty good job of holding this all together-

AMY: Okay, okay. I’m sorry. You’re great. Okay. Just calm down.

ZACH: [irritated] I’m calmed down.

AMY: Look, follow me. I will show you how it is done.

ZACH: [scoffs] Oh, okay, this I gotta see.

[Amy gestures impatiently for him to catch up as she starts across the room to Henry.]

ZACH: Okay.

[Amy comes up behind Henry and puts her hand on the back of his chair. She’s smiling and oozing charm. Henry barely looks up as he keeps working.]

AMY: Hey, Harry. How’s it going?

HENRY: It’s Henry.

AMY: Right. Um, is this really your first mission? Because you seem awfully calm and confident. Look at all this amazing technology you’ve designed.

HENRY: Oh. Boy. Okay. I know what you’re doing because you know I’m a big fanboy and you’re trying to use your feminine wiles to get me to tell you things that I can’t tell you, but... I can’t tell you.

AMY: That obvious, huh?

HENRY: Just a tad. Look, this is a big opportunity for me.

AMY: So.

[Ashley suddenly comes up to the table and leans in front of Henry to collect ammunition magazines while giving Amy a hostile stare. She walks back over to rejoin Magnus and Will.]

AMY: Lot of… bullets.

[Henry resumes working.]

AMY: So, uh, you’re the tech support guy for the team?

HENRY: Pretty much.

AMY: Tied to a lab, watching everyone else get the glory.

HENRY: Yeah, look, I just wanna prove that I can do this, that’s all.

AMY: Henry, that’s all I’m trying to do, too. You honestly think I want to be “Weather Watch with the Fabulous Amy” for the rest of my life? I want to be taken seriously as a journalist. And that’s why I took this chance. And you know if all that happens to this footage is that it ends up in a drawer somewhere in your lab, then, fine. But at least I know that it exists, and that I had the guts to follow my instincts, you know?

[Henry gestures at the scanner he’s using.]

HENRY: Okay, so I’m analyzing the organic compound found in the creature’s nest, see if I can find a chemical signature so that we can trace it a little more accurately.

AMY: Cool. So, um, when you catch it, is your facility or headquarters far away? I mean, you guys local?

HENRY: I really do like your show. I watch it all the time. [to Zach] Do you mind?

[Henry stands up and carries the scanner over to Magnus. Zach laughs and focuses back on Amy.]

ZACH: Yeah, that was- [laughs] You showed me how it was done.

[camera cuts out]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Magnus and Henry are moving down the corridor against the wall. Will comes up from behind them.]

ASHLEY: [off-screen, shouting] Mom!

[The group moves into a room where Ashley found Garvin from earlier, leaning on a wall. He’s covered in blood and has a large puncture wound on his leg and shoulder. Magnus rushes over to him.]

ASHLEY: He’s alive, but he’s not well.

ZACH: Oh! That’s the guy from before!

ASHLEY: You know him?

AMY: Yeah, when we were first in here, he helped us. We thought he was…

MAGNUS: He’s lost a lot of blood. Could be spinal damage. We can’t move him until I know more.

[camera cuts out]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE ROOM'''

[It’s moments after the camera cut out. Magnus is applying bandages to Garvin]

ASHLEY: Henry, how long until the scanner’s ready?

HENRY: Two minutes, almost done calibrating.

WILL: Non-fatal wounds to the shoulder and knee. Why would it leave him alive?

MAGNUS: Maybe it didn’t want to kill, it just... disabled what it viewed as a threat?

ASHLEY: Okay, let’s stop playing games. Let’s take this thing down.

[Garvin suddenly regains consciousness and grabs Magnus’s arm in a panic.]

MAGNUS: Don’t move, don’t move! You’re safe! You’re safe!

WILL: You’re okay, you’re okay.

ZACH: No- what? No, he isn’t.

[Everyone turns to glare at Zach.]

WILL: Hey!

ZACH: Sorry! It’s just, why lie to the guy?

GARVIN: Is it- is it still in here?

MAGNUS: For now, it’s keeping its distance. We think we may have frightened it into hiding.

GARVIN: No! Uh uh, no! You won’t stop it. It moves too fast.

WILL: Did it attack you for any reason, did you provoke it?

GARVIN: No. Run, hide, fight... It doesn’t matter, man, it doesn’t make any difference. It’s not hiding from us. No. No. It’s watching us right now. It’s learning.

[Everyone jumps and turns to look as creature screeches somewhere out in the warehouse.]

HENRY: I don’t see it!

MAGNUS: Ashley.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MAGNUS: Stay with him.

[Magnus, Will, and Amy rise to leave the room.]

AMY: Zach, come on!

MAGNUS: Let’s go, Henry.

[camera stops]

INT - WAREHOUSE 

[Magnus, Will, and Henry are shoulder-to-shoulder moving slowly down an aisle. Amy is behind them.]

AMY: [to Zach] Rolling?

ZACH: Amy, I’m rolling. Don’t worry.

HENRY: Ugh, chemical signature’s all over the place. The chrysalis it made is preventing a clear lock, plus it could’ve left more residue in places around here.

MAGNUS: Can you refine the signal?

HENRY: Not on the fly, no.

AMY: You can’t find it? [scoffs] I thought you guys knew what you were doing.

MAGNUS: We do. It’s a matter of being prepared for the unexpected.

[Amy and Zach gasp as the lights cut out completely.]

MAGNUS: See what I mean?

ZACH: What the hell just happened?

[Will, Henry, and Magnus turn on flashlights]

AMY: You think the cops turned off the power?

WILL: They have no reason to. As far as they know, this isn’t a hostage crisis.

MAGNUS: [to Zach] Turn on your on-board light.

[Zach switches on the camera’s light, suddenly illuminating the creature clinging to the shelf behind Magnus. Zach yells as the creature jumps. The camera cuts in and out, showing flashes of people moving quickly. It finally cuts out completely.]

CAMERA CUTS OFF

Act III
CAMERA CUTS ON

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[When the camera image stabilizes, Magnus is firing two shots as Will and Henry aim in the same direction. Amy is on the ground behind Will.]

MAGNUS: Will, get them out of the way! Henry, covering fire!

WILL: Come on.

[Will moves to hustle Amy back away from the creature.]

WILL: [to Zach] All right, come on! Let’s go!

ZACH: Okay, okay!

WILL: Let’s go! Now! Come on!

[Will, Amy, and Zach move quickly down the aisle away from the sound of gunshots.]

ZACH: All right, all right, all right, all- [gasping]

[Will shoves Zach down next to Amy as Amy crouches behind a box with her hands over her ears. Will is at the corner, aiming back down the aisle toward where Magnus and Henry are still shooting.]

WILL: [to Zach without looking] You okay?

ZACH: [half hysterical] Did you see that thing? I mean-

WILL: [turning to look at Zach] Are you injured?

ZACH: I dunno! I think- I think- I think I’m all right.

[Amy doesn’t move or respond. Will crouches down and grabs Amy to make her look at him.]

WILL: Hey, hey. It’s okay. You’re okay.

AMY: It’s just... waiting for us…

WILL: Hey! Look at me, look at me. Look at me. You’re okay.

AMY: [Amy looks at Will] It was…

WILL: I know.

AMY: It was just waiting for us.

WILL: I know. It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.

[Will moves back to corner to resume firing down the aisle at the creature.]

AMY: Zach! Did you- Did you get any footage?

ZACH: Are you kidding me? I almost dropped a deuce on myself when the lights went out.

[Henry and Magnus fall back to the corner where Will had been. Will is off camera.]

HENRY: [gasping] Well! That was interesting.

MAGNUS: Good shooting, Henry.

ZACH: What happened?

MAGNUS: We winged it with a couple of tranqs.

AMY: You think it’s unconscious?

MAGNUS: To be honest, I think we just made it angrier.

WILL: [echoing from behind the group] Magnus.

[Camera spins to show Will a short distance away, staring at the sparking remains of the electrical panel for the warehouse. The group runs over to see that the wires have been torn apart.]

WILL: It definitely wasn’t the cops who cut the lights.

ZACH: It’s an insect. It can’t know how to work an electrical panel.

[Everyone turns as the creature shrieks from somewhere off behind them.]

ZACH: Can it?

WILL: Even if it can, why kill the power?

MAGNUS: Because it sees better in the dark! Damn it.

[Zach stands too close to Magnus and she gives him a look.]

ZACH: Sorry.

[Camera cuts off.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE ROOM'''

[The group fell back to the room with the injured Garvin. Henry stands at the door, aiming out into the warehouse’s main room. Amy is next to him. Magnus, Will, and Ashley are over next to Garvin. Zach is about halfway between the two groups with the camera, swinging from one to the other.]

MAGNUS: I’ve stabilized him for now, but we need to get him back to the Sanctuary as soon as possible.

WILL: None of this is going how we planned.

ZACH: [to himself] No kidding.

[Henry gives Zach a look as Henry moves toward Magnus and the others.]

HENRY: [to Zach] Dude, can you can the commentary for awhile?

ZACH: I’m just saying, this thing’s owned our asses so far, man.

ASHLEY: Yeah, well, as much as we’d love to blow its ass to kingdom come, it’s not cooperating.

MAGNUS: Will?

WILL: I’m just trying to find a logic pattern. Somebody brings this thing here, it gets free and kills, what? Six people?

MAGNUS: And it’s remarkably intelligent.

WILL: And none of the perimeter alarms have been tripped since we set ‘em up. Why not escape? It’s not exactly like we’re holding the line.

ASHLEY: It’s not trying to leave.

WILL: Exactly. Which makes me wonder, why this warehouse? Why make this its turf?

ZACH: Yeah, why not go tearing through town on some huge killing spree or something?

WILL: There was a shipping tag on the container it made its chrysalis in. If we can find out who brought it here, we might be able to find out how they captured it in the first place.

MAGNUS: Warehouse manifest.

WILL: Should be in one of those offices on the other side of the building.

MAGNUS: All right, you three go, find out what you can. I need to get this man ready for transport.

HENRY: I can take him in the van.

MAGNUS: Are you sure?

HENRY: Yeah. You guys need to finish this. I’ve had my fun. We gotta get this dude outta here.

MAGNUS: Thank you, Henry. [to Zach and Amy] You sure you want to stay?

AMY: You need the footage, and a reporter never abandons her cameraman.

ZACH: We’re just gonna go to the control office or whatever, right? Not find more nests?

WILL: Yeah. That’s the plan.

ZACH: [deep breath] Let’s do it.

[Will and Ashley move to the door, Zach gets up to follow them.]

AMY: [to Zach] Be careful.

[camera cuts out]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Camera focuses on Ashley’s butt as they climb stairs.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE OFFICE'''

[Office full of file cabinets and a table.]

ASHLEY: What, uh-

WILL: Check inside there.

ASHLEY: Okay.

[Ashley moves to the file cabinet Will had indicated while Will crosses the room to the papers on the table. Zach stays with Ashley.]

ZACH: Well, so, uh… What’re we looking for?

ASHLEY: Well, we are looking for something that might tell us how to stop that thing.

ZACH: Right! Cool. Is there anything?

ASHLEY: Well, I don’t know, you keep asking me questions.

ZACH: Sorry. [pause] I know this is probably the worst time in the history of the world, but, uh, is there any way that you and I could go out, you know, for...

[Will looks up from the papers on the table]

ZACH: Something to eat, or drink, or like a matcha or something like that?

[Will laughs quietly and turns back to the papers on the table. Ashley stares at Zach with a deer-in-the-headlights expression before riffling absently through the papers in her hands.]

ZACH: Tea?

ASHLEY: Um. I’m flattered-

ZACH: Zach.

ASHLEY: Zach, right. I don’t, uh, I don’t go out on dates, much.

ZACH: Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I know. I don’t- me neither, I’m not- I’m not trying to put you on the spot, it’s just, you know, the possibility of me dying just it always brings out the desperado in me.

ASHLEY: Right. Rain check?

ZACH: Yeah, great! Great! So, so uh, are you- you’re not a vegetarian, are you?

ASHLEY: [shakes head slightly] What are you- why- what- what are- what are you thinking?

ZACH: Oh, I was just thinking, like, you know, maybe like some Kobe beef or something like-

ASHLEY: Steaks?

ZACH: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Um-

ZACH: Or- Yeah.

WILL: I think I got something.

ZACH: Oh, oh good...

[Zach and Ashley both make relieved sounds and move to join Will.]

WILL: The crate we found the chrysalis in was one of two items registered to the Japanese vessel Miyazaki, out of Hokkaido. The other is a container full of medical supplies, no export company or local receiver listed.

ASHLEY: Location?

WILL: Section 12?

ASHLEY: Huh. Peachy.

[Ashley steps over to wall and pulls down a paper map of the warehouse, grinning.]

ASHLEY: This way.

[Camera cuts out as Ashley, Will and Zach head for the door.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Ashley moves down an aisle, flashlights and guns sweeping the dark shelves. Zach stumbles noisily into something.]

ZACH: Woah, uh. Sorry.

[Camera cuts out]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Ashley and Will move down an aisle between a tall shelf of shipping boxes and rows of large shipping containers of the kind used on ships and trucks. Will stops to pay attention to one with deep gouges on the doors.]

ZACH: Woah. Scratched.

WILL: I guess we’re not the only ones who are curious about what’s in here.

ZACH: Wild.

WILL: [to Ashley] You wanna use your special lock-picking skills?

ASHLEY: Stand back. Cover Zach. Zach, stand back.

ZACH: Okay, okay.

[Zach takes a single step backwards, focused on the lock]

ASHLEY: Back!

ZACH: All right, all right, I’ll stand back.

[Zach takes several more steps back. Will steps between Zach and Ashley.]

WILL: Ears.

[Will plugs his ears.]

ASHLEY: Ready?

ZACH: So are-

WILL: Yeah.

[Ashley shoots the lock. Zach makes a nonverbal noise of admiration and starts laughing. Will moves to rejoin Ashley.]

ZACH: Woah. That is a... gun.

WILL: [to Ashley] Nicely done.

[Will opens the container as Ashley covers what’s inside. It’s a single gray box with an electronic lock on it. It has some hydraulics attached to it, but it still only takes up a fraction of the space inside the container]

ASHLEY: What is that?

ZACH: Maybe it’s a bomb.

[Will shoves on it and the hydraulics return it to the same position it had been in.]

WILL: I don’t think we can move this.

ASHLEY: Then let’s open it.

[Will kneels down next to the lock.]

ASHLEY: I can pick that.

WILL: Round two?

[Will stands up and moves past Zach, gesturing for Zach to follow him.]

WILL: Ears.

ZACH: Okay, sure.

[Ashley shoots the lock, which catches fire briefly.]

ZACH: Woah! Ah.

[Ashley and Will move to opposite sides of the box.]

ASHLEY: [to Zach] Take my flashlight.

[Ashley hands her flashlight to Zach, then Ashley and Will each grab a side]

WILL: One, two, three-

[Ashley and Will open the container to reveal cylinders with greenish eggs inside them.]

ASHLEY: What? [to Zach] Flashlight.

ZACH: Oh, uh, yeah, yeah.

[Zach hands back the flashlight.]

ZACH: Oh! Wow. That’s ins- That’s wild! Oh ho…

WILL: At least now we know why it doesn’t want to escape. It’s protecting its young.

[camera starts to flicker]

ZACH: Oh, my camera’s-! No, don’t- !

CAMERA CUTS OFF

Act IV
CAMERA CUTS ON

'''INT. – STORAGE CONTAINER'''

[Will is holding one of the egg cylinders]

ZACH: What are those things?

WILL: Insect embryos.

ASHLEY: Size Large.

WILL: No wonder it’s pissed.

ZACH: So they’re like tiny, scary insect-creatures waiting to be born? That’s like, so gnarly!

ASHLEY: So someone finds the creature’s eggs, steals them, and bags the mom?

WILL: Who else would know about this? This is an extremely rare species.

ASHLEY: Cabal.

ZACH: Who?

WILL: Yeah. They’d smuggle something like this into the country for their own research.

ASHLEY: Which would not be for the common good.

ZACH: This is just so double-oh-seven. Seriously, guys, do you have any more openings in your office, ‘cause I’m totally down with this. Serious.

WILL: I’m guessing that creature wasn’t captured at all. It stowed away on this ship. It followed these here out of pure-

ASHLEY: |Maternal instinct, yeah.

WILL: I guess the lucky thing is it’s still pretty early in their development cycle. I doubt they’re anywhere near maturity.

ASHLEY: Unless their cycle’s super-fast.

ZACH: Oh, hey, guys, I’m sure this is probably a really cool find or whatever, but if that thing wants to protect its kids so bad, shouldn’t we get the hell out of here right now?

WILL: Magnus has to see this.

ASHLEY: [laughs] She’ll light up like it’s Christmas morning.

ZACH: Your mom’s weird.

[Ashley looks up at Zach]

ZACH: No, I- No, like cool, like oh so cool weird. Sorry.

MAGNUS: [over radio] Ashley?

ASHLEY: [radio] What’s up?

MAGNUS: [radio] Get back here immediately.

[Will and Ashley move out of the container as they hear the creature making a noise from somewhere nearby. Camera cuts out]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE NEXT TO CONTAINER'''

ASHLEY: Stay close! Stay close!

[Will closes up the container. Camera cuts out.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Camera reels wildly. Zach is running. Camera cuts out.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE ROOM'''

[Garvin is making gurgling noises and foaming at the mouth. Everyone is talking over each other.]

WILL: Hold his legs!

MAGNUS: He’s having a seizure! Henry, sedative!

HENRY: Just hang on!

WILL: Oh, come on! Come on!

AMY: Oh god...

[Garvin stops seizing, dead. Everyone falls silent except for exhausted gasping.]

ZACH: Oh my god.

AMY: No...

ZACH: Oh my god.

MAGNUS: [disbelieving] His vitals were stable. We were just about to move him. He suddenly went into anaphylactic shock.

[Sound of Will kicking something metallic.]

WILL: Come on! He was attacked by the creature. It probably caused more than just the external trauma. Look at the symptoms.

MAGNUS: A neurotoxic venom.

HENRY: Oh, that’s great. It’s not just a bug, it’s a giant poisonous bug.

ZACH: [freaked] That’s great. That’s just great.

AMY: He just... That thing could do that to all of us.

MAGNUS: I’m sorry. Did you think this was some kind of game? That you could just come here and film some wild event and then, what? Enjoy cocktails at some award ceremony?

AMY: I’ve never seen anyone die before.

MAGNUS: Well, this is what you came for.

ZACH: This is crazy.

[camera shuts off.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE ROOM'''

[Everyone is sitting or standing in different parts of the room.]

WILL: Okay, forget about capturing it alive. How do we kill it?

MAGNUS: Actually, capturing it alive is exactly what we’re going to do.

WILL: [groans] Come on...

ASHLEY: Mom, come on, I know you want this badly, but really. It’s time to bring the hammer down, big time.

MAGNUS: We don’t have to. It wants to protect its young. I say we let it.

WILL: [pause] We leave the embryos exposed.

HENRY: Draw mom into the kids’ club.

ASHLEY: Lock the door and then, presto, we’ve got built-in secure transport.

MAGNUS: Exactly.

ZACH: Yes! That is so freakin’ cool!

[Everyone looks at Zach. Camera shuts off.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE NEXT TO SHIPPING CONTAINER'''

[Will and Magnus crouch behind a stack of storage crates. Henry is around the adjoining side of the same stack. Amy crouches behind Will next to Zach.]

MAGNUS: [into radio] Ashley.

ASHLEY: [radio] Nothing.

[Camera zooms to show Ashley across the room behind another box.]

AMY: [to Zach] You’re getting this, right?

ZACH: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, I got a perfect view for the thing.

[Creature screeches in the distance.]

AMY: Henry.

HENRY: Yeah?

AMY: I’m glad you like my show.

HENRY: Yeah, it’s good. You should be proud.

AMY: So should you.

ZACH: Okay, is this thing coming or what?

MAGNUS: Just give it time.

ZACH: Well, seriously, once I had this mouse in my apartment, so I set a bunch of traps for it but I never caught it ‘cause it was like this super-genius mouse and-

MAGNUS: [whispering] Zach, please!

ZACH: Sorry, Doctor Magnus, it’s just, what is this thing?

WILL: Dude.

ZACH: Yeah?

WILL: Just chill out.

ZACH: Yeah, I’m sorry, dude, I’m just a little stressed out right now. I don’t know if you know it but there’s a monster-

[Everyone falls silent as police radios can be heard echoing inside the warehouse.]

ASHLEY: [over radio] Mom, we have a problem. Police chatter says we’re out of time. SWAT is starting their sweep right now.

MAGNUS: [under breath] Damn it.

[Clanking starts up and camera shows the creature on the wall above the shipping container. It drops to the top of the container and then climbs inside. Ashley runs up to shut the door on it. The creature resists. The rest of the group runs to help and eventually gets it shut. Everyone laughs in relief.]

HENRY: [to Magnus] You wanted it alive, you got it alive!

MAGNUS: Well done, Henry.

ASHLEY: Yeah, not bad for your first mission, buddy!

ZACH: Way to go, team!

[Everyone stops laughing as they hear SWAT entering the building.]

MAGNUS: That’ll be the police. Good timing, as usual.

ASHLEY: Ah, them we can handle.

ZACH: You guys rock!

[SWAT starts yelling and shooting]

ZACH: What the hell?

WILL: What are they shooting at?

MAGNUS: Let’s go!

[Group starts running towards the sounds of gunfire. Camera cuts out.]

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Group is still running towards sound of gunfire.]

ZACH: Go? What do you mean go? What is going on here? What’s- I just wanna-

[Henry stops to wait for Zach to pass him.]

HENRY: Just go, Zach.

ZACH: [to himself] I don’t know- What-?

[The group rounds the corner to find the SWAT team dead.]

AMY: Oh! Oh my god!

ZACH: Oh my god... oh my god...

WILL: What the hell?

AMY: But... it couldn’t have done this... We just caught it!

MAGNUS: Unless there’s more than one of them.

ZACH: So this... I think I’m gonna puke-

CAMERA CUTS OFF

Act V
CAMERA CUTS ON

'''INT. – WAREHOUSE'''

[Everyone is still where SWAT was killed, sweeping the room for the creature.]

ASHLEY: Two of them! You have got to be kidding me!

[The creature makes a noise from very close by.]

MAGNUS: Henry!

HENRY: I can’t get a fix!

[Guns are out and everyone is looking around for the creature.]

WILL: And we just locked up its mate.

ZACH: Oh, that’s not good. Oh, that’s not good. Oh!

[Camera catches brief flicker of creature on the ceiling near the group.]

ZACH: Where is it! Where is it! Where is it!

WILL: Oh, come on. Where is it?

ZACH: Oh.

[Creature screeches from directly above. Camera tilts up in time for the creature to drop straight onto it. Zach yells. The camera tilts crazily until it shows Zach laying on the ground in front of it. Zach climbs to his feet and picks up his camera]

ASHLEY: Zach! Hey, are you okay?

ZACH: Yeah, I think so, I just- I dunno. What happened?

ASHLEY: This one’s angrier than the first one.

ZACH: Hey, thanks for saving my ass, again.

ASHLEY: You’re worth it.

ZACH: Really? You weren’t just placating me with a rain check? Like, I totally thought you were, back there.

ASHLEY: [confused] What? No. No, no. I- I wasn’t, really. I’m, uh, I’m gonna call you.

ZACH: Really? You’d go out with me?

ASHLEY: [smiles] Well, yeah.

ZACH: Wow. That’s so- ah!

[The creature hits Zach and Ashley. The camera spins out of control and several gunshots go off. Amy starts screaming somewhere in the background. The creature hits the camera again, spinning it to show Zach laying in a spreading pool of blood. Magnus approaches, checks Zach’s pulse, then glares at the camera and turns it off. The image cuts out to display the words “End Data File...” The shot pulls back to show...]

'''INT. – OLD CITY SANCTUARY - UPPER LEVEL - MAGNUS’S STUDY - DAY'''

[Magnus stands next to the TV, which shows the black screen with “End Data File...”]

MAGNUS: Considering everything, it was incredibly brave of you to contact us.

[Magnus unplugs a hard drive from the monitor. The camera angle shifts to show Amy standing in Magnus’s office. Will and Ashley are sitting on the couch. Henry is in the chair across from them.]

AMY: I had changed my mind about a dozen times before I picked up the phone, believe me.

ASHLEY: And we do.

AMY: Look, I know you had to confiscate the hard drive, but technically that footage belong to Channel 13 News. And my bosses know that something went down in that warehouse, and that we- That Zach shot a lot of footage before he...

MAGNUS: They want to know what happened.

AMY: A lot of questions are being asked. And I figure the best way to deflect them is to put something together that doesn’t show anything incriminating, that keeps you guys and that... thing... out of it.

HENRY: That’s everything on there.

AMY: I can re-edit it to look like a community square dance if you give me enough time.

[Will sighs and Magnus looks dubious.]

AMY: It won’t go to air. I promise. Look, I know you guys think I am a pushy, ambitious, cold-hearted bitch, but I came to you because... because Zach shouldn’t have… What you guys do – protecting people, learning from the creatures – your work... It’s important.

ASHLEY: So why not show the world and further your career in the process?

AMY: Because I thought I should do the right thing, and help you keep your secret, so that maybe at some point in the future you would help me, and let me in on something I can take to my superiors.

MAGNUS: If you’re looking for a deal or a guarantee, you won’t get it. All we ask is that you do as your conscience dictates.

ASHLEY: If at all possible.

WILL: We really need this to die down. The rumor mill at the precinct is in overdrive.

MAGNUS: Make us look...

WILL: Like we were never there.

ASHLEY: And that nothing ever happened.

[Magnus hands the drive to Amy.]

AMY: Thank you.

[Amy picks up her bag and walks toward the door.]

HENRY: Amy.

[Amy stops as Henry moves to join her.]

HENRY: I loved your last show, the one about the Gore-Tex and umbrellas. Killer stuff, really.

[Amy puts her hand on Henry’s cheek and leans in to kiss him briefly. Ashley looks confused, Magnus looks unimpressed.]

AMY: Call me.

[Henry nods slightly as Amy walks out. Magnus laughs under her breath and looks at Will, who is grinning. Henry turns toward the group.]

HENRY: [Calmly] I’m just saying... Chicks love dudes who go on missions.

[Ashley smiles.]

HENRY: [Suddenly ecstatic] It’s awesome!

[Henry exits]

'''INT. – AMY’S OFFICE'''

[Amy is sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen, holding a phone to her ear.]

AMY: [into phone] Jason? I have it! Yeah, book me an edit suite right away, and start laying pipe with New York. This is, this is gonna blow their minds. Yeah, oh yeah, they’ll want it, first up for tomorrow night’s broadcast, for sure. Okay.

[Amy hangs up the phone. She pulls the hard drive out of her bag and hooks it up to the monitor. Magnus appears on the screen.]

MAGNUS: Nice try. You know, the shame of it all is that you’ll make a hell of a good reporter, some day. Have a good career.

[Amy drops her face into her hand. Magnus points a remote at the camera and the picture cuts to black.]

End Credits
/Credits