Volunteers
Page 4
Caleb looks aside and sees a soldier carrying an automatic.
NASA CONSULTANT (CONT'D)
Are there any questions?
CHRISTOPHER
(English, accented)
Yes. May we take any personal items?
NASA CONSULTANT
You may each take one personal item if you choose.
Caleb raises his hand.
NASA CONSULTANT (CONT'D)
Yes?
He points to the soldier's automatic.
CALEB
Can we take one of those?
Mariella enters, out of breath.
MARIELLA
(to Hollis, low)
It's coming.
Eunice hears them.
CUT TO.
EXT. TAKE OFF POINT - CAMP
The six volunteers, gloved, coated, and carrying their backpacks are led to the perimeter of the camp.
Suchin watches several scientists working away, showing no interest in them.
Cameras and scanning instruments are already pointed to the sky over the X.
Mariella touches Eunice's arm and forces a smile, unsure what to say.
MARIELLA
(French, subtitled)
You will not be forgotten.
Eunice looks ahead and trembles, unable to move.
Soldiers and scientists hold back behind the line.
Eunice feels someone take her hand. It's Suchin. Her eyes forward.
She takes the first steps towards the X.
Eunice follows. The others reluctantly doing the same.
Caleb looks back at Hollis.
Hollis nods once.
CALEB
(beat)
See you in the next life.
Hollis doesn't respond.
Caleb turns away and starts walking.
SCIENTIST (O.S)
It'll be in visual range in two minutes.
Mariella looks up at the sky.
MARIELLA
(English, low)
God be with them.
Hollis glances at her, pausing.
The volunteers reach the X and look back.
The camp seems far away.
Hollis squints, eyes on the sky.
HOLLIS
(beat)
I think we got it.
Mariella also squints, struggling against the sun.
SCIENTIST (O.S)
Woah woah, what's going on?
Hollis turns. The soldiers raise their weapons.
The scientists check the power cables.
The monitors are starting to disrupt, the recording equipment failing.
HOLLIS
What's happened??
SCIENTIST
We don't know, some sort of power surge!
The volunteers look up. The silver sphere is visible, a blurry dot still several miles up.
Marika shakes her head and backs away, terrified. Eunice grabs her hand, stopping her.
MARIKA
(Estonian)
-I want to go, I want to go back, I can't do this!
EUNICE
(French)
-It won't hurt us! It won't hurt us!
Vincent sees the people on the camp perimeter racing around.
VINCENT
(Czech)
-Something is not right.
Caleb looks between them all, completely lost.
CALEB
-What the Hell are you guys saying??
Suchin watches as the sphere slowly descends.
Christopher makes the cross sign and closes his eyes, holding his Bible close.
Mariella takes out her mobile and looks at the screen.
It's dead.
The object is now in clear sight, an enormous silver ball, settling over the volunteers.
SCIENTIST #1
We need a camera! We need a camera!
SCIENTIST #2
Nothing's working, we need something that isn't electrical!
The soldiers are now in complete awe. The scientists give up on the equipment and one by one stare at the enormous silver sphere.
The volunteers are silent. The object has stopped and is now hovering meters above.
They see their reflection on its curved surface.
The only sound heard is the light arctic breeze and their own breathing.
Caleb focuses his eyes.
CALEB
(beat)
Something's happening...
They start to see swirls of light, faint at first but then getting stronger.
Eunice begins to squint.
The light, white, is getting stronger, the swirls coalescing into one.
All six now struggle to look straight at it. Caleb shields his eyes and turns away just as the light blinds us.
FADE TO WHITE.
FADE IN.
EXT. TAKE OFF POINT - ANTARCTICA - NIGHT
Caleb slowly opens his eyes. His blurred vision settling.
Suchin slowly looks up.
The sphere is gone, replaced by a clear starry night sky.
Caleb spins around.
The camp is gone. In all directions there's nothing but the Arctic plains.
CALEB
(beat)
Where'd they go?
Everyone stops and looks at him.
Caleb notices.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(beat)
What? What's wrong with you guys?
EUNICE
(English)
You're... you're speaking French?
Caleb looks at her, the others now do the same.
MARIKA
(English)
No, you're both speaking Estonian.
Vincent looks between Marika, Eunice and Caleb.
VINCENT
Czech.
Caleb backs away, raising his hands.
CALEB
All right, this is freaking me out. How long were we out?
Christopher checks her watch. The hands aren't moving.
Eunice turns to Suchin. She's staring at the horizon.
She slowly raises her hand and points.
SUCHIN
(English)
Look.
Eunice stops beside her and sees it.
A band of light, gently rising over the horizon.
The light climbs to their face until they're all in silhouette.
The curve of the Earth is glimpsed.
CALEB
(low)
I'll be God damned.
The curve lowers, dropping out of view, the moon and stars rolling away.
Everyone looks around disorientated.
Caleb looks down at his feet, balancing himself, but then realizes he's perfectly level.
Light rises behind them.
The volunteers spin around an see the curve of the Earth again, coming up from the opposite horizon now.
EUNICE
(to herself)
We're inside it.
The Earth's curve rises higher.
Everyone stands frozen.
Within seconds the entire planet is in view, and getting smaller.
-The moon, close-up, brushes by on the right, startling everyone.
The group draw closer, unsure where to look.
The Earth continues to get smaller, gently rotating at the same time, as though the sphere they're in is falling away in slow motion.
The speed then picks up.
The stars roll.
We see a red dot in the distance. It gets larger and larger until Mars is revealed.
We skim past the planet, the red plains momentarily filling the entire sky.
The stars roll again, the sun rising and setting over and over.
Everyone's eyes are now locked on Jupiter as it approaches.
Again we brush by, pushing in close.
Marika screams as the fierce clouds get dangerously close.
The sphere turns on its side, shooting around the planet.
The Great Red Spot passes, th
en falls.
We glimpse Europa and other Jovian moons.
Everyone again jumps, startled, as the sphere dives through a volcanic eruption spewing out of the moon of Io.
More speed picks up.
We pass Saturn, cutting through the rings.
The sun, even smaller now, continues to rise and fall.
Another planet approaches, Uranus. We glimpse its faint rings but then shoot by, swiftly coming to the blues of Neptune.
As with Jupiter we sling shot around the planet and are flung out of the Solar System.
The group now stands even closer, all looking across the sky.
The sun settles, now so small it's indistinguishable from the other stars.
It holds a moment then falls away for the last time.
We now see patch of stars up ahead.
The stars are gradually blocked out by a black shape.
We draw closer and see that it's a black circle, an enormous black circle.
The group struggle to breath, completely terrified.
The black circle seems to get larger and larger.
Darkness spreading.
The light from the stars finally disappears completely, leaving us in pitch black.
...
We hear breathing...
The volunteers are still in the same spot.
Their faces are slowly illuminated by a red glow.
The glow gets stronger.
Above them is a single red star - the ONLY star - the rest of space totally empty.
It's a red dwarf.
Caleb sees something in its orbit.
A round, silver object, identical to the sphere, only this one is a million times larger.
CALEB
(beat, low)
Is that... a planet?
Eunice, still looking up, shakes her head.
EUNICE
I think it was planet.
Half the silver planet reflects the light of the red dwarf, the other half is in darkness.
The volunteers stare, unable to do anything.
Swirls of white light begin to form on its dark side... coalescing and getting brighter...
CALEB
Oh Hell, not agai-
-They look away just as the light shoots out and blinds them.
FADE TO WHITE.
FADE IN.
INT. BEDROOM
Eunice opens her eyes. She sees a chandelier above. Candles lit.
She's on a wide bed, naked under a silk sheet.
She slowly looks around.
The room is large and luxurious, it's style and decor almost Renaissance. The curtains and rugs however appear to have an East Asian and African influence.
She slowly climbs out of the bed, covering herself with the silk sheet.
The room is silent.
She approaches a mirror fixed into the wall and looks at her reflection.
Her hair is straight, longer than it was before, her eyes and face fresh and awake.
She slowly turns around and sees a large closet.
She opens the closet and sees dozens of formal dresses.
She studies the clothes.
They're all beautiful but very unusual, a combination of styles and fabrics (African, Asian, Eastern European, French and contemporary American).
CUT TO.
INT. HALLWAY
The bedroom door opens. Eunice steps out, dressed in a simple garment. The hallway is just as luxurious as the bedroom, the same hybrid style and decor.
She makes her way down and hears something around the corner.
CALEB (O.S)
Hello??
She hurries over and sees Caleb backing away from his own room.
EUNICE
Caleb!
Caleb spins around.
He's also formally dressed, his face clean shaven, hair trimmed.
CHRISTOPHER (O.S)
Anybody else here?
The two hear Christopher around the next corner. They hurry over and find him with Suchin.
Vincent and Marika emerge from the next corner. All dressed alike.
CHRISTOPHER (CONT'D)
Where are we? What happened to all of our things?
EUNICE
Let's just stay calm. Whatever's happening there's a reason.
Caleb turns his head and stops.
CALEB
Wait.
He raises his hand.
CALEB (CONT'D)
You smell that?
The others look at each other, confused.
Vincent turns and looks down the hallway to a flight of stairs.
VINCENT
(beat)
It's bread. Fresh bread.
CUT TO.
INT. STAIRS - GROUND FLOOR HALLWAY
The group slowly make their way down the stairs and follow another hallway.
They turn by a pillar and stop.
INT. GRAND DINING HALL
Sunlight cuts down from windows above. Rows of long tables stretch out, filled with food and drink of all varieties.
CALEB
What is this, our reception party?
The group enter and approach the first table.
Caleb looks down at a glazed roast turkey, still hot.
He smiles and picks up a carving knife.
EUNICE
Wait a second.
CALEB
-Come on.
He cuts a slice off the top.
CALEB (CONT'D)
They didn't bring us hundreds of light years just to poison us.
He takes a bite and chews.
Everyone looks at him.
MARIKA
Well?
Caleb grimaces then starts to choke.
EUNICE
Caleb!
He trips back, squeezing his throat and falls to the ground.
The others try to help him but don't know what to do.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
Get him some water!
Caleb goes limp and starts to laugh.
Everyone stops. Eunice draws back.
EUNICE (CONT'D)
You ass!
Caleb gets up, chuckling.
CALEB
(chewing)
It's fine, nothing special but nothing bad, it's just normal.
WOMAN (O.S)
(English, accented)
It will improve with time.
The volunteers spins around.
A woman stands at the far side of the hall. She's dressed like them, formal, traditional.
EUNICE
(beat)
I don't believe it.
It's Mariella.
WOMAN
Do not be alarmed, and please do not be afraid.
She makes her way over.
WOMAN (CONT'D)
(smiles)
I am Alleiram.
The group stare at her, Marika backing a step.
ALLEIRAM
Esidarap has provided this form. Someone you have all recently met and are comfortable with.
CALEB
Who's Esidarap?
Alleiram smiles, spreading her arms.
ALLEIRAM
This is all Esidarap.
EUNICE
You mean this planet, or whatever it is.
ALLEIRAM
Esidarap has constructed this reality for you. A reality that will appeal to you all as a collective.
CALEB
I don't believe it, we're in the God damn Matrix! They're probably using our brains as batteries!
EUNICE
-Shut up.
(to Alleiram)
I don't understand, did you read our minds?