by Mehul Desai
I'm sorry.
SEBASTIAN
It doesn't matter.
HOPE
Are you angry at me?
Sebastian looks at her and sees she's upset.
SEBASTIAN
No, I'm not angry. I just worry. I can't let
anything happen to you.
Hope looks down at the fire.
HOPE
(low)
Because I remind you of mama.
Sebastian looks at her, almost hurt.
SEBASTIAN
No. Because I love you.
Hope smiles.
Sebastian puts his arm around her and holds her close. Hope rests her head on his shoulder.
HOPE
I don't remember what she looks like
anymore. She was pretty wasn't she?
SEBASTIAN
She was beautiful.
HOPE
Do I look like her?
SEBASTIAN
More and more every day.
Hope smiles again. Sebastian kisses the top of her head.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
Get some sleep. We have to be up early
tomorrow.
Hope nods, closing her eyes.
HOPE
(beat)
Papa?
SEBASTIAN
Yes sweetheart.
HOPE
I love you too.
CUT TO.
EXT. LAKE - CLEARING - NIGHT
The ripples settle. Sebastian lifts the cupped water in his hands and slowly drinks.
He looks down at his reflection and touches his cheek. Wrinkles are visible around his eyes. His beard gray in places.
(... Music plays..)
Sebastian slowly turns around.
The music gets louder, Chopin's Nocturne, B-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1.
He slowly looks down at his reflection again.
Voices are now heard, casual chatter.
Sebastian closes his eyes.
CUT TO.
INT. MUSEUM - MAIN FLOOR - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
A lavish party. Men and women smartly dressed, mingling and drinking champagne.
Sebastian laughs, wearing a black tuxedo, two beautiful women beside him. He sips some champagne and looks aside, the man in front of him chatting away.
Through the crowd he glimpses the back of a young woman.
She's wearing a slim white dress, her hair straight and black.
Alana (aged 19) stands alone, her blue eyes locked on Magritte's Castle on the Pyrenees.
Sebastian stops beside her, cool and relaxed, both looking at the painting on the wall.
SEBASTIAN (O.S)
(beat)
I don't get it.
ALANA
You're not supposed to. It's meant to show
the dream state. The world in a different
light, a new perspective. You recognize the
pieces but not the whole. It's like
experiencing childhood again. Everything
is new.
(smiles)
I suppose it can makes a person feel young
again.
Sebastian grins and sips his champagne.
SEBASTIAN
That's one way of looking at it. Glad I
bought it now.
Alana looks at him and stops.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
I take it you work here at the museum?
ALANA
(flustered)
No I ah, I work in research.
SEBASTIAN
Oh yeah, which field?
ALANA
Bio, bio medicine.
SEBASTIAN
(smiles)
Bio medicine? Thought all those guys had
gray hair and white coats.
Alana forces a smile and looks aside, quickly sipping her drink.
ALANA
I graduated early. Under a WilderCorp
scholarship.
SEBASTIAN
Is that so, I hear those scholarships are
quite hard to come by. You must be pretty
special.
Alana smiles again, flattered but also nervous.
ALANA
I'm not really.
WOMAN (O.S)
-Sebastian, there you are!
A woman takes his arm.
WOMAN (CONT'D)
Where have you been hiding? I have
someone who's just dying to speak with
you.
She pulls him away.
SEBASTIAN
(to Alana)
I'm sorry I didn't get your name.
Alana forces another smile.
ALANA
Alana.
SEBASTIAN
Alana, a pleasure meeting you.
Alana politely nods.
ALANA
You too.
Sebastian disappears into the crowds as he's led away.
CUT TO.
EXT. HILL - FOREST - DAY
Hope and Sebastian slowly make their way downhill, Hope a short distance ahead.
Sebastian balances against the trees, stopping himself from slipping.
SEBASTIAN
Stay close.
HOPE (O.S)
I will.
He slowly looks around. The tree are thick, shadows everywhere.
SEBASTIAN
Let's take a break.
Hope turns around, waiting for him to catch up.
Sebastian drops next to a tree and takes out a coconut-container of water.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
Thirsty?
Hope shakes her head.
Sebastian knocks back some water and wipes his mouth.
He looks at her as she takes in their surroundings. Everything new and unfamiliar.
Hope approaches some purple pear-like fruit and pauses.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
Try some.
HOPE
Is it safe?
SEBASTIAN
Go ahead, we used to eat them.
Hope hesitates then picks one off the branch. She analyzes the fruit closely then takes a cautious bite.
HOPE
(slowly chewing)
It's different.
SEBASTIAN
Good different or bad different?
She looks down at the fruit.
HOPE
Just different.
Sebastian smiles.
Hope takes another bite and continues to look around, a curious expression on her face...
ALANA (O.S)
“It's fascinating.”
CUT TO.
INT. PRIVATE STUDY - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Monitor: Alana stands in an observation room, a curious expression on her face.
Sebastian leans forward.
Monitor: two researchers are behind her, making notes.
RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)
“It hits fast. He was stable just five hours
ago.”
The lights in Sebastian's study are dim. He sits alone by a large desk, a glass of bourbon in hand.
RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)
“How long was he out?”
RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)
“Just under a month. Perfect stasis.”
Sebastian sips his drink and zooms in.
Alana's dressed in plain white lab clothes, her long hair tied back. There's a low “thump” off-screen, someone or something falling over.
RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)
“He's a goner.”
RESEARCHER #1 (O.S)
“Get the T-61.”
ALANA
“Wait.”
RESEARCHER #2 (O.S)
“He's not gonna make it.”
Alana cocks her head, preoccupied.
ALANA
“I know.”
Monitor: a white haired ape crawls on the floor. He looks like he's over a hundred years old.
ALANA (O.S) (CONT'D)
“I wanna know how long this one lasts.”
The ape vomits blood, unable to stand.
“Click”, the image freezes.
Sebastian opens a profile.
NAME: ALANA ELIN
AGE: 19
GENDER: FEMALE
PARTNER / SPOUSE: NONE
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: HETEROSEXUAL
He cycles down a long list of academic achievements (ending on “WilderCorp Graduate Scholarship - HDS R&D”) and continues to read.
BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: UNKNOWN
BIOLOGICAL FATHER: UNKNOWN
DATE OF BIRTH: REGISTERED 07/03/76
LOCATION OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN
He slowly leans back in his chair.
On the monitor we see another photo of Alana, aged 11. She's looking straight at the camera. Her face blank.
HOPE (O.S)
What is it?
CUT TO.
EXT. CAMP - FOREST - EVENING
Sebastian comes about. Hope is sitting opposite.
SEBASTIAN
Nothing, I was just...
(forces a smile)
Just thinking.
Hope nods and returns to her dinner.
Sebastian sits up and looks down at the fire.
DISSOLVE TO.
EXT. CAMP - FOREST - NIGHT
Moonlight cuts down from between the branches. Several bat-like creatures are up in the trees, one turns its head a full 360.
Hope rolls over in her sleep.
Sebastian is sat up against a tree, still staring at the fire.
A “thunderclap” is heard...
CUT TO.
EXT. HIGH STREET - CITY - CLOUDY DAY (FLASHBACK)
Heavy rain pounds the pavement. Men and woman hurry by, some carrying umbrellas. Alana crosses the street, covering herself with a folder. She stops outside a small cafe and quickly wipes rainwater from the folder.
Across the street the wheel of a limousine rolls to a stop.
INT. CAFE
Alana eats a sandwich by the window, going through her papers.
SEBASTIAN (O.S)
Thought I recognized you.
Alana looks up.
ALANA
(surprised)
Mr Wilder?
Sebastian smiles.
SEBASTIAN
Please, call me Sebastian, “Mr Wilder”
was my old man.
Alana politely nods.
Sebastian looks to the seat opposite.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
May I?
ALANA
Yeah, of course.
SEBASTIAN
(sitting down)
I was visiting the university.
(to waitress)
Coffee please.
(to Alana, smiling)
Saw you passing by.
Alana nods, trying to appear relaxed.
ALANA
Well it's... a pleasure meeting you again.
Sebastian smiles and looks around. The tiny cafe is clearly not his scene.
SEBASTIAN
This is nice... Very, cosy
ALANA
It's all right. It's quiet, but I like quiet.
Hard enough to concentrate in the lab.
Sebastian notices the folder on the table. He turns his head and reads some of the text.
SEBASTIAN
“HDS”?
(smiles)
Sounds like an disease.
Alana smiles back.
ALANA
High Duration Stasis.
SEBASTIAN
“High Duration Stasis”?
Alana nods, drinking some of her tea.
ALANA
It's what I'm working on, well what
“we're” working on.
SEBASTIAN
Interesting... so what's “High Duration
Stasis”?
Alana smiles again, loosening up.
ALANA
I figured you'd know, you're funding it.
The waitress sets down a coffee.
SEBASTIAN
Thank you.
(to Alana)
WilderCorp might be funding it, I'm just
the face and name. Which probably makes
me the world's most over glorified and
under qualified PR guy.
ALANA
(laughs)
That's quite a shame. What else would you
rather do in life?
SEBASTIAN
Oh I don't know... Maybe something in the
art scene. People tell me I'm quite the
expert.
Alana laughs, shaking her head.
ALANA
Is that a fact?
Sebastian grins, sipping his coffee.
SEBASTIAN
So what do the ISO think of all this? I'm
guessing this kind of technology is being
developed for Solar travel, right?
Alana nods.
ALANA
That right.
SEBASTIAN
No interest?
Alana shakes her head, disappointed.
ALANA
They think it's a waste of time.
She flips several pages.
ALANA (CONT'D)
That's what happens when people can only
see what isn't working rather than what
can.
SEBASTIAN
What isn't working?
Alana taps the folder and forces a smile.
ALANA
Nothing that time can't fix.
Sebastian looks aside and considers a moment.
SEBASTIAN
(beat)
What if I double your grant.
ALANA
Sorry?
SEBASTIAN
In fact triple it.
ALANA
(surprised)
Why would you do that?
Sebastian smiles.
SEBASTIAN
I don't believe in wasting time.
He stirs some sugar into his coffee.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
Or an opportunity.
Alana draws back.
SEBASTIAN (O.S) (CONT'D)
How about we meet up sometime. What's
your schedule looking like for this
weekend?
Alana looks out the window. Two black suited bodyguards are waiting by the limo.
She looks back at Sebastian and lowers her eyes, feeling uncomfortable.
ALANA
Mr Wilder that's very generous, but I
don't want to give you the wrong
impression.
SEBASTIAN
(smiles)
Wrong impression?
ALANA
(nervous)
I'm not like that.
SEBASTIAN
(laughs)
Like what?
Alana looks at her watch and quickly closes her folder.
ALANA
I'm sorry I gotta go.
She gets up.
SEBASTIAN
(confused)
Did I say something wrong?
ALANA
(forcing a smile)
-It was very nice seeing you again.
She swipes her pay-card and hurries out. Sebastian watches her go, confused.
CUT TO.
INT. CAMP - FOREST - NIGHT
Sebastian's eyes open. The fire is out.
He turns his head.
Hope is still asleep.
He rubs his face and gathers some firewood when a branch “snaps” nearby.
He slowly looks up.
A short distance away a black shape is creeping forward. We see two glowing red eyes.
Another branch “snaps”. Hope wakes. She sees the black shape and jumps up, startled.
HOPE
Papa?
Sebastian grabs his spear and holds it ready.
SEBASTIAN
Stay behind me.
The black shape circles the two, slowly.
SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)
Get in the tree. Get to the top.